The Laws of Love

by Belle Winters

  I nodded. “Good.”

  When we got there we sat in the very back out of sight. I waited until the proceedings began before I stood from my seat with Cassie and sauntered to the front of the room. This calm aura surrounded me the moment I stepped into the aisle to make my way to the front. This is the feeling I would get at the beginning of every case. My body and mind filled with confidence and authority. I was ready, and my adrenaline was going into overdrive.

  Cassie

  I followed behind Ayde as he made his way to the front of the room. He was pure sex on legs right now and as inappropriate as it was, I was ready to jump his bones here and now. He was confident and in control. Shit, if I wasn’t on his side I would’ve ran out of the way. His stride was quick and steady, nothing about him concerned or wavering. I was fucking fascinated.

  He didn’t wait to be addressed. He simply walked through the gate in the front of the room and straight to the judge. “Your honor, I have some information.”

  The judge arched her brow and before she could respond Paul spoke up. “Mr. Marks, I didn’t realize you would be here. I’m representing Mavorik here.” He said quickly making his way to the front to Drayden’s side.

  Ayde didn’t even spare him a glance. “Mr. Marks, I know your firm was representing Gerald Mavorik on this case, but I was under the impression that Paul Courtner was council on this case.” The judge asked confused.

  Ayde nodded. “That was the situation, however Mr. Mavorik is a client of my firm. A firm in which Paul is no longer employed. Mavorik may continue to seek Paul for council however I don’t see how that would possible in this situation as due to the paperwork I have in my hand, it is very likely Paul here will be disbarred in the very, very near future.”

  The judge looked taken aback and Paul was as white as a ghost. His mouth was gaping but no sound was coming out. He has to have some idea on what Ayde has on him but I think he was more shocked by the bomb that was dropped into his lap waiting to detonate. “Mr. Harley, please join us up here.” The judge motioned for the opposing council to join the discussion.

  She had them all exit the courtroom to talk amongst themselves in a private room. When they emerged minutes later, Paul looked dejected and confused while Ayde maintained the same façade he had from the beginning. Harley just looked shocked out of his ever loving mind.

  The judge banged her gavel and the next thing we knew, the case was being dismissed and there were warrants issued for every person we found looped into the whole mess. Ayde stopped and spoke to Mavorik, I guess explaining what just happened. When he was done, Gerald looked plain furious and sad at the same time, poor man.

  Ayde found me and gripped my hand before leading me out of the room. “Wow.” I said stunned.

  He looked at me and winked. “That’s what she said…”

  I rolled my eyes and laughed. “You’re a mess Ayde.”

  We made our way outside and the reporters were in a frenzy. Harley and his crew made it out before us, and they were busy giving the world an update on the recent events. When he spotted us he pointed towards Ayde. “… and we can thank all of this to the man over there. Drayden Marks.”

  Everyone turned our way and before we knew it they were all rushing and pushing their mics into his face throwing so many questions out over each other none could be heard. The numerous camera flashes had me seeing spots within seconds and I didn’t know what to do. I felt like a deer caught in the headlights and I knew I probably looked like one.

  Ayde held up his hand for silence. “Listen, what was done was so that justice could be served. Not only did we need to protect the company and its reputation but more importantly its integrity. Everyone involved has been officially relieved from my company as of this morning and warrants have been issued for everyone already implicated. But, you are all looking at me and saying my name like I’m the one who did this. None of this would’ve been possible had it not been for Cassie here. I would love to take credit, but she was the one that found all the crucial information relevant to figuring this out. She’s amazing.”

  I looked up to catch him staring at me. I smiled up at him and I felt my cheeks heating like an inferno under my blush. “Ayde…” I said shyly.

  He shot me a smile but it was the look in his eyes that made me stand on guard. He better… “Don’t be modest now Cassie.” He turned his attention back to the crowd. “You should’ve seen her people. She pulled her cauldron out of her bag and put it on my floor and she had this big old book of spells. She threw a whole bunch of weird stuff in it like a crow’s foot, and a pig’s heart and said something I couldn’t understand. She called me over and it was like poof, we were looking at everything happening.”

  The crowd ate it up and I wanted to knock him the fuck out. He always had to make a goddamn witch joke, but to the whole world? It was his parents’ house all over again times 100. I started to walk away from him, his laughter following behind me. In between breaths he was calling me back to him but ignored him. I kept walking down the steps in front of the building when I heard my name shouted again, only this time it wasn’t Ayde’s voice.

  “CASSIE! You fucking bitch!”

  I spun around towards the voice to see Paul struggling against an officers hold on him. They issued the warrant and he left before they got to that part. For a scrawny guy, he seemed pretty strong. The officer seemed to be having a really hard time trying to hold him. I searched around, but the cops outside was busy trying to make sure the crowd wasn’t getting too out of control while Ayde stood in the middle of everyone holding their rapt attention. I opened my mouth to call for help but the words got lodged in my throat as I watched Paul get a hold of the situation. He broke free of the cop removed his gun from the holster and fired a single shot into the cop making him crumble to the ground. I screamed but by then everyone else had taken notice due to the sound of the gunshot ringing out.

  “I warned you, I fucking warned you to mind your business you nosy bitch. Now you see what happens.” He warned the gun now trained on me.

  People were screaming and running but I was scared shitless and my feet were rooted to the spot. I was scared out of my ever loving mind and I couldn’t get one straight thought through. I couldn’t move, I was stuck… until I felt the heat behind my back. My entire body shivered sure that one of his buddies had me cornered. Shit and I had to pee, this wasn’t going to be pretty. I was going to piss myself in front of all these people. At least I had an excuse with a gun trained on me right? It didn’t pass my notice that I was the only person who seemed to be point blank in the middle of this whole warfare.

  A hand touched me and I damn near jumped out of my skin before the scent invaded my senses. Ayde. He pushed me behind him and took a few steps forward. Wholly hot damn he was livid. I have never seen him this way. If the emotions I’ve always stirred in him with my smart as shit mouth was mad I have no way to describe this. I tried to look at him but I couldn’t, he wouldn’t let me. His breaths were hard and harsh. He slowly took off his suit jacket and unbuttoned his cuffs. He rolled them up slowly, taking his time and I was afraid. No longer of the situation but the man standing in front of me, he was blocking me from a gun and there wasn’t an ounce of fear coming from him. The only thing I felt from his was pure, hot red anger.

  “You son of a bitch.” Ayde spat.

  Paul looked at him and his hold on the gun became wavering. He looked afraid and I didn’t blame him a bit. “What are you doing? You were supposed to be with us. That meddling bitch behind you deserves this!” he screamed.

  I could see Ayde’s body visibly shake. “Don’t you ever, ever, fucking address her that way do you get me? If you want her you fucking have to go through me.” He bellowed.

  People were ducking and while at the same time trying to catch this showdown on footage but I couldn’t pay them any attention. I was focused on the brick in front of me. He was unwavering and I felt the safest that I’ve ever been in my life. My hand instincti
vely flew down to my baby bump that still seemed to be unnoticeable.

  “Don’t Marks, she’s not worth it.”

  “STOP! PUT THE GUN DOWN!” an officer shouted and I saw Paul become unsteady. Sweat began to fall from his head and he became more nervous by the second. He was swinging around the gun; they were making him crazy. He was outnumbered and he knew he wasn’t going to make it out of this situation. There were way too many witnesses, not to mention we were in front of the fucking court house. His gaze flew around the area before landing back on Ayde.

  “Marks! I thought you were one of us.”

  By now Ayde had his sleeves rolled back and he was ready. I don’t know what exactly for, but whatever it is he was on deck. He took three strides, three! His fucking feet ate the pavement and he was already close to Paul. “You fucking threaten the woman I love then you have to answer to me!” he said.

  The gun went off and people moved and screamed. Ayde got a hold of Paul and another shot rang off. He punched him… again, and again, and a-fucking-gain. The whole while he was talking and I couldn’t understand. The cops around moved in on the brawl that was taking place in front of them. Just as they were able to reach the two men another shot rang out. Ayde didn’t stop his assault on Paul. The way he was hammering into him was unfathomed. I heard him fucking hitting him.

  The cops came out and broke up the fight restraining Paul. They helped Ayde to his feet as well when they broke up the altercation. Ayde must’ve been tired because he let them take his weight. All I wanted was to have him back in my arms. He spun around to face me and I broke into a smile. He smiled back but he held a grimace. He pushed the people helping him off and turned his body towards me and I gasped. I saw red all over his shirt, and the holes didn’t help me either. From the looks of it, he was shot multiple times.

  “Sweetheart…” he trailed off and I ran to him just as he began to collapse to the ground. I scooped his head up onto my lap and ran my fingers through his hair. The sudden tears were nothing on how I felt. For once in my life, I didn’t want to hide my emotions, I wanted them. I needed what I felt inside to be seen.

  Ayde choked and blood splattered put of his mouth and into my face. I was sobbing now and I didn’t know what to do.

  “Cass I love you. Know that, I fucking love you! If there’s…” he coughed up blood. “the last thing I could say.” He paused trying desperately to catch a breath. When he did he finished. “I love you to the end, you and our daughter. I hope she’s just like her mom.”

  He coughed up more blood and I cried harder. There were arms around me and I flailed to get free. They couldn’t take me from him, they just can’t. “AYDE! I LOVE YOU!” I sobbed and choked out the next words. “Please Ayde… please don’t leave us.” I watched as the gurney came to pick him up to escort him out. “I love you Drayden. I fucking love you Ray!”

  My sobs took over and there wasn’t anything I could do but succumb. They took me away from him and I didn’t know what to do. I watched as they picked up him up. I had nothing to do but listen when I was in the speeding ambulance.

  Strike one.

  “He’s bleeding out. He took a lot of shots; we need to stop the blood.”

  Strike two.

  “We need to do all we can, get everything ready people, get a drip ready.”

  Waiting…

  “boss! This is a bad situation, there’s multiple gunshot wounds. We need more…”

  Blackness.

  Ayde.

  My heart is beating at an abnormal rate. All I need is for him to appear and wrap himself around me to tell me the world is still a thing. The world was fading in and out and the voices were drowning, the words being uttered killing me.

  Strike three.

  “We’re flat lining. He’s lost too much blood. We don’t think we could resuscitate him! CPR isn’t working, he’s leaving us.”

  I started to cry involuntarily but I just couldn’t sit back in this ambulance and be useless. This was Drayden! The man of my dreams, the taker of my virginity, my child’s father, and the love of my fucking life. He’s only here because he tried to protect me. He needs me, he needs my fucking strength. I fought and fought for conciseness talking to him, begging him to stay with me. I heard the monitor connected to his heart make dull lifeless noise and I felt it inside of me. I blinked and then let the darkness consume me.

  Drayden

  I knew Cassie would be pissed that I was making fun of her in public, but as normal I couldn’t help myself. She walked off looking pissed but I knew a few kisses and touches and she’d forgive me. I called out to her for her to come back and I could apologize but she was being stubborn as all fuck.

  I watched her as I tried to control my laughing. I knew if I walked over to her with a grin on my face she would give me a hard time. I was getting myself under control when there was a loud bang and people started screaming and running. My eyes instantly locked on Cassie and I saw her standing there, stock still, staring at something to the left. I followed to where she was looking and I saw Paul standing there, a cop laid out on the ground next to him, and a gun in his hand trained on Cassie. I didn’t think; I moved on pure instinct. Fucking Cassie.

  I practically ran until I was behind her and gently moved her behind me. I was afraid, so damn afraid but instead of that consuming me the anger took over. It was uncontrollable and unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. He was threatening my girl, my child. No one does that. Not to what’s mine.

  I took off my suit jacket and rolled up my sleeves, my eyes never leaving him. There was no way I was going to let him hurt her.

  “You son of a bitch.”

  Paul finally looked away from Cassie and at me. He looked me right in the eyes and I saw him begin to shake. He was afraid of whatever he was seeing and that was damn good. He should be afraid because I was going to kill him.

  “What are you doing? You were supposed to be with us. That meddling bitch behind you deserves this!” he screamed back at me.

  My hands clenched and I was shaking in rage. How dare this mother fucker? “Don’t you ever, ever, fucking address her that way do you get me? If you want her you fucking have to go through me.”

  “Don’t Marks, she’s not worth it.” He called trying to warn me off. It was supposed to get me to step back out of this, but there was no fucking way in hell I would. He was planning on a bigger threat than him stepping in and I wasn’t going to budge.

  An officer advanced on him and shouted. “STOP! PUT THE GUN DOWN!”

  Paul’s nerves were officially shot. His feelings were clear as day on his face. He was frantic, like a cornered animal. But when you look at the situation he kind of was. He made one last attempt to get me out of the way. “Marks! I thought you were one of us.”

  I snapped. He was hell bent on getting to Cassie and that just couldn’t fucking happen on my watch. I didn’t even think, the next thing I knew my feet were moving and I was in front of Paul. “You fucking threaten the woman I love then you have to answer to me!”

  The gun went off and pain ripped through my side but I was on an adrenaline high. He was actually fucking shooting and if I didn’t take him down the wrong move would give him access to his intended target and it would all be over. I couldn’t survive without her. I gripped the front of his shirt and he shot me again in my shoulder. I hit him and I just couldn’t stop once I started. All the anger unleashing itself. I felt the burns in my body from where he’s shot me but I didn’t let it get to me.

  I felt hands on me like they were trying to pull me off of him but I wouldn’t stop until he was dead. He shot me again, this one tearing through my chest. I couldn’t fight this one the way I’ve been but I didn’t stop until the cops had successfully separated us and pinned and cuffed Paul. I turned my head to see Cassie standing there. She looked beautiful and unharmed. When she gave me a sweet smile of relief I tried to return it but I was in a hell of a lot of pain.

  The cops came over and helped me s
tand up. My legs were beginning to fail me. I felt the blood leaving my body and I was getting weaker by the second. The pain was hitting me full force, this must be how it feels to get hit by a train. They were trying to hold me still but I needed Cassie. I turned to face her and when she looked at me her mouth fell open and she paled. Oh no baby.

  I let go of the cops needing to feel her, to kiss her. “Sweetheart…” I started and couldn’t finish. I tried to take a step forward but I collapsed instead. She ran to me and put my head in her lap. I was losing consciousness fast and it was getting harder to breath every millisecond.

  This was it, I must be dying and I didn’t regret a second of what I just did. I would do it over a million and one times if it meant the safety of her and our unborn child. I needed her to know how I felt before I died. She deserved to know that I did this because I love her. Because I love them.”

  “Cass I love you. Know that, I fucking love you! If there’s…” I coughed and I felt the wetness that left my mouth trickle down my chin. It was so fucking hard to breathe. “the last thing I could say… I love you to the end, you and our daughter. I hope she’s just like her mom.”

  I coughed again and everything faded from me. This was it and I couldn’t fight anymore, I couldn’t hold on. It was all just too much now. I had said my peace, at least she knew and she would let our child know the same. That’s all I want and I got that, now I can go knowing I just did the best thing in my entire life.

  Cassie

  Beep. Beep. Beep.

  The monitors kept talking to me nonstop the past few days telling me that he’s alive. That his heart is beating but he won’t come back to me. He hasn’t woken up at all yet and I am losing my mind slowly.

  His parents, my parents, Shelly… people trickled in and out over the days. Doctors and nurses urged me to go home but I couldn’t. I was physically close to him yet he was still so far away. I needed him, we all needed him. He risked his life to save us and as selfish as it is I can’t let him go. I refuse to do so… so here I am. In the same chair I’ve been in since I passed out in the ambulance and woke up. They held me for a bit to monitor the baby and when I was given the all clear I came to his room and made this chair my home.