“And if it does? Would you be okay with letting me go to jail for a crime I didn’t commit?”
“This case is no longer my concern. I have done everything that I could, given the circumstances. You people work in morally gray territory and it’s hard to give you justice when you think it’s appropriate to use violence to achieve your goals.”
“But I didn’t. Do you really think I would kill someone? Does this look like the face of a murderer?” I grinned at her, flashing my pearly whites. I saw her eyes flicker over my face, taking in my features. I wasn’t usually one to brag, but I was pretty attractive if I do say so myself. Had a few girlfriends in the past who were completely obsessed with me.
“I’m not going to answer that –”
“Because you know I’m telling the truth. You know I didn’t do it.”
Linda got up. “As I said, this case is closed. Your bond is set at half a million dollars. If no one pays that within thirty days’ time, then you are to spend ten years in jail for manslaughter.”
“You can’t do this!”
“I didn’t do anything. I just did my job.”
I was seething with anger. How could she treat me like this? “Is this how you defend people? Let them out to dry with yesterday’s laundry. I’m telling you, I didn’t do it.”
“And I’m telling you, there’s nothing more I can do, so I suggest you find the bail money and get back to your life. Just forget that this ever happened.”
“How am I supposed to forget about it when I have the label of a murderer on my record now? I’m not some lowlife coward like the man who killed Ross!” My voice started to escalate. “And you should be ashamed of yourself, blaming me when the man who did this is still running free on the streets.”
“If he is, then the authorities will catch him. I can do nothing about that myself.”
“You could believe me.”
“And how will that help to apprehend him?” She held her ground as I continued to grill her. She was stronger than she looked, that much was certain.
“It will keep an innocent man out of jail!” I screamed at her, but she was already leaving. I ground my teeth together. I had to make her believe me. One way or another.
Chapter 4
Linda
It had been a few weeks since the Blackbird trial, but I still couldn’t get Kyle Johnstone out of my head. Had I made the right decision? What if he really was innocent and I had just condemned him to serve ten years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit?
I shook my head and walked into the kitchen, popping the freezer open. I grabbed a container of frozen yogurt before moving back into the living room. My favorite show was about to come on. I had just started my one month vacation and I was ready to enjoy myself. I plopped onto the couch, tasting the frozen yogurt. “Mmm…” I licked the spoon before going in for another bite.
“You can’t go after him, Liam, it’s too dangerous.” On TV, a distraught-looking girl was trying to convince her boyfriend not to go after their best friend who had just gotten lost in the forest.
“But until I know he’s safe, I can’t give up on him,” Liam answered, his eyes fierce. “What if he’s in there suffering and no one helps him because I’m too scared to go after him?”
“But what if it gets you too?” Liam leaned down, kissing his girlfriend before he dashed into the forest. The scene cut to a commercial and I groaned.
“Typical.” I kept picking at my dessert, waiting for the show to come back on. On the wall, I looked at the time. 9:41. Nineteen minutes left. Would they really kill off one of the main characters? It wasn’t unheard of, but I didn’t think they would cut one of the hottest guys on television.
As I closed the tub of frozen yogurt and put it back, I started to think about Kyle again. My heart ached as if I were feeling guilty. I tried to ignore the thought, but he just kept popping into my mind. Maybe it was the way he looked at me with those dark eyes. I will admit, he didn’t look like the kind of man that killed someone, but at the same time, I shouldn’t be judging people by their appearance. So what if Kyle was attractive? That didn’t automatically make him innocent.
I tried to think of something else, but it was impossible. It was like his image had been imprinted on the inside of my eyelids. His handsome face. His chiseled jawline. His sharp nose. His thick, raven black hair. Kyle was a man built to kill with his broad shoulders and large stature, but I couldn’t picture him pointing a gun at someone’s back.
I sighed, wrapping a blanket around me. My show came back on, but it was no longer the forest scene. It was one of the subplots I didn’t really care about. I grabbed my phone off the coffee table and started to check my messages. No one seemed to miss me. I mean, it wasn’t like I got all that many messages anyway. I didn’t have any family and only a few friends. You didn’t become an amazing people person when you were an orphan, living on the streets most of your life…
I was just about to post something on social media when I heard something at the door. I looked at it and the doorknob started to rattle. “Who’s there?” I asked, my voice quivering. That was a stupid move. Now whoever was there would know I was home. I cursed under my breath and grabbed a nearby lamp, prepared to fight if need be.
I hid behind the coatrack and waited, my heart pounding in my chest. My phone was on the couch. Stupid move number two. I should have grabbed it and called 911. Too late now.
The door continued to rattle. My fingers tightened even harder around the lamp, my fear elevating. I knew that taking a job as a public defense attorney would involve risk… but now that it was actually happening, I was scared out of my wits. My whole body was shaking. My vision was blurred. I tried to calm myself down, but it was next to impossible.
The door slammed open.
My lungs burned. How long had I been holding my breath? A man stepped into my home. I swung the lamp as hard as I could, but I missed completely, the lamp shattering against the wall. Shards of glass dug into my skin. “Fuck!” I screamed out, blinded by pain.
Before I could get my bearings, there was a hand pressed against my mouth, keeping me quiet. I wanted to bite down on it, but he was holding onto me too firmly. I couldn’t even move my lips. At this point, my heart felt like it would explode out of my chest. I squeezed my eyes shut. The only thing I could feel was his body against mine. I could feel his crotch rubbing against my ass. His muscular body dominating my own.
I blinked, my vision clearing. I tried clawing at my assailant, but my injured hands weren’t making it easy. I struggled against him, but his powerful arms kept me steady. What felt like an erection kept rubbing against me. Was this turning him on? I instantly feared the worst.
“Calm down. Calm down…” A soft, soothing voice whispered in my ear. The warmth breath against my neck actually did calm me down a bit. Using his foot, he closed the door behind him. “Now, I’m going to remove my hand and you better not scream.” I nodded my head as best I could.
Carefully, he removed his hand and I took my chance to turn around and ram my knee into him. I was sure I had landed it in his crotch so I turned around and dashed for my phone about to call for help. Before I could reach it, however, he grabbed my hand, yanking me back so hard I thought my shoulder would dislocate.
“Now, that wasn’t very nice.” He pinned me to his body. I knew I was in trouble now. Timidly, I looked up to find myself face to face with Kyle. He grinned at me, his dark eyes blazing. He had cleaned up nicely from his time in jail. His hair was clean and slicked back in a sexy style. His facial hair looked trimmed. “Did you miss me? Is that why you’re staring at me like that?” He asked in a husky voice, getting closer so our noses touched.
“Let go of me you brute!” I struggled with all my might. The pain in my hands was excruciating, but I did my best to ignore it, adrenaline powering my every move.
He just held me tighter until my chest was squeezed against his. “Not until I prove something to you.” His hands moved down
to my ass, giving it a slight squeeze. “And maybe have my fun with you too.”
I pounded my fists against his chest, but it didn’t seem to have any effect. “Let go of me!” I screamed.
“If you keep making so much noise, I’ll have to gag you and I rather have your pretty lips against my own than wrapped around a gag.” He smirked and I could tell he was just toying with me.
“Why are you doing this? You’re just making things worse for yourself.”
“Why, because you’d actually bring me to trial for breaking and entering – for kidnapping?”
“Wait… you’re kidnapping me?” I asked, my eyes growing wide.
“Well… kidnapping does have a negative ring to it, doesn’t it? How about I say we’re just going on a little ride?” He whispered, his voice getting sensual. “Maybe when we’re done, you could ride me.” He winked.
“Let. Go. Of. Me.” I said through gritted teeth.
“I already told you I wouldn’t, so you can stop wasting your breath.” He started to drag me toward the bathroom. There, he picked me up and placed me on the sink. I looked at the door, determined to make a break for it. “You can try running if you want, but if I am the murderer you think I am, then I might just shoot you in the back. If I was you, I wouldn’t take my chances.”
He opened up the medicine cabinet and grabbed the first aid kit. “What are you doing?”
“Well, you tried to attack me with a lamp and missed. Thought I would help you out.”
“You’re going to help me when you’re kidnapping me?”
“Hey, I never intended for you to get hurt. I just want to prove my innocence.” He grabbed a bottle of disinfectant. “This might sting a bit.” Piece by piece, he started to remove the shards of glass from my hand. He was actually very gentle about it. His handsome face was frozen in a serious expression. I calmed down a little, feeling oddly safe, but I made sure to keep my guard up. This man was kidnapping me after all. I had no idea what he was capable of…
Once he cleaned and disinfected all the wounds, he wrapped my hand up. “How does that feel?”
I wiggled my fingers and winced. “Stings.”
“At least it won’t get infected.” He put the first aid kit away and looked at me, his hands on my thighs. I felt a tingling sensation run up my spine and tried to ignore it as best I could. I looked away, but he caressed my cheeks, forcing me to look at him. “Now, are you going to come willingly or am I going to have to carry you over my shoulder?”
“You should just let me go now. If you do, I won’t press charges.”
“That’s not an option. If you won’t believe me about Ross, then I have to show you the truth.”
I looked into his smoldering eyes and I knew I wouldn’t be able to convince him otherwise. “I don’t have a choice, do I?”
“Nope.” Without another word, he grabbed me and tossed me over his shoulder.
I started hitting his back. “Put me down!” He just ignored me, walking outside. I regretted living in the middle of nowhere. The streets were deserted. Even if I screamed, no one would hear me.
“You’re going to be a good girl for me, aren’t you?” He asked, putting me down. “No running.”
I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t believe he was doing this. “For someone so adamant that he isn’t a bad guy, you can be very threatening.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, am I scaring you?” He asked, a grin playing on his lips. He pinned a strand of my hair behind my ear. “You really must believe that I’m the murderer.”
“I believe that you’re guilty of kidnapping at this point and that I don’t know what else you’re capable of.”
“I guess you’ll just have to find out.” He chuckled, pushing a helmet on my head. His expression softened as he started to strap it on. “How’s that feel?”
I just pouted and he sighed, putting me on the bike. It still felt warm. He sat down in front of me, grabbing my wrists and wrapping my arms around his waist. “Hold on.” I pulled my arms away and rested them on my thighs. “You know, you should really listen to me.” He turned on the bike and the engine roared to life before he flew down the street. As we picked up speed, I felt my balance getting unsteady. When he took a sharp turn, I nearly flew off the bike. If I hadn’t clung onto Kyle at the very last moment, I would have fallen off.
I could hear his laugh in the wind. My cheeks were on fire as I rested them against his back, holding on for dear life. I couldn’t believe I had allowed myself to be kidnapped by a member of the Blackbirds.
Chapter 5
Kyle
The wind whipped against my face as I rode faster and faster. I was going well above the speed limit, but I couldn’t care less. The feeling of Linda’s arms around my waist filled me with an energy I had never experienced before. I wanted her to keep her arms there forever. I wanted to make her want me – to make her need me.
Gripping the handlebars, I pushed the bike even harder. The exhaust pipe blared with sound, echoing off the surrounding forest. “Where are we going?” I could just about make out Linda’s quivering voice. It was cute how she kept saying she wasn’t afraid, even though it was obvious that wasn’t the case. I mean, she was shaking. Or was that the vibrations of the bike?
“You’ll see.” I kept riding through town, taking the backroads, if only to make this moment last a little longer. Her fingers were clutched around the fabric of my shirt and I smiled, resting a hand on top of hers, squeezing it. I expected her to pull away from my touch, but she just scooched even closer.
“Comfortable?”
“No!”
I laughed. I liked how sassy and high-strung she was. “Then why are you getting closer?”
“I’m not.” She whispered. Her lips were so close to my neck that I could feel her breath. I just smiled. The wind changed and her scent wafted over me, invading my senses. A mix of vanilla and strawberry. It was actually quite delicious. Something inside of me began stirring, but I wasn’t quite sure what it was. It wasn’t like I was horny – it was something else – something new and different.
Finally, I turned into a parking lot. I slowed to a stop, pushing down the kickstand. The engine came to a natural halt and we were left in the night’s silence. Linda continued to hold onto me. I gave her a moment to realize that we had stopped and that she could let go, but she seemed frozen in place.
Gently, I pried her fingers off me and got off. “You alright?”
“Y-yes.” She scrambled off the bike and nearly fell. I caught her before she could hurt herself, holding her tight in my arms. She pushed away almost instantly. Her cheeks were red as fire and her luscious pink lips were pressed into a disapproving line. “You know, you’re just digging a deeper hole for yourself. When I get back, you’re going to be in so much trouble…”
“C’mon sweet-cheeks –”
“Don’t call me sweet cheeks.” She snapped, her cheeks getting even redder. Her hands had turned into fists by her side. She was pretty cute when she was angry.
“Maybe I should call you kitty cat –”
“No. I don’t want you to call me anything. I want you to take me home. This instant.”
I leaned against the bike and shook my head. “You already know I can’t do that. I have to prove my innocence.”
“You already got out of jail, why do you have to make things worse for yourself?” She was slowly backing away. In a flash, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her close, pinning her to my body. “You…” Her lips hung open like she no longer knew how to speak.
“Just shut up for a minute and hear me out. You’re so steadfast in your conviction that I’m guilty that you won’t even give me the chance to defend myself. As a lawyer, aren’t you supposed to hear both sides of the story? All I want is a chance. Spend some time with me and the other Blackbirds and if after that you still believe I’m guilty, then I’ll let you go home and press charges against me.”
She just stared at me with those big blue eyes of hers b
efore she wrenched herself away. “Fine. But only because you leave me no other choice.”
I grinned at her. “Perfect.” I grabbed her hand, locking our fingers together. She tried to pull away, but I held on tight. “I wouldn’t let go if I were you.”
“Why the hell not? I’m not usually one to hold hands with a criminal.”
“You act as if I’m this horrible guy. I haven’t even done anything to you.”
“You kidnapped me.”
“Okay – besides that – have I been disrespectful? Did I hurt you?” She took a moment to think and then just pouted. “See, you know it’s the truth. Now c’mon. If you don’t look like you’re with me, you’ll have a flock of men chasing after you and most of them are bigger perverts than I am.”
Touch Me: A Bad Boy MC Romance Page 2