by Cassy Roop
“The baby is yours, Dominic,” she repeated again and this time nothing held me back from grabbing her and wrapping her into my arms. As much as my mind told me to hate her, hate her for everything she had done to me, my heart wouldn’t allow me to do it. And now knowing that she was carrying my child, a life that she and I had created together, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t bring myself to not love her.
She held onto me for dear life, her small frame squeezing me in desperation like I would vanish from thin air if she let go. We stayed like that for God knew how long, seeking comfort from each other as if our lives depended on it. The warmth of her skin absorbed into me, and it was the only thing that proved to me that she was real and not one of the countless dreams I have had of us being together again.
Reluctantly, she pulled back slightly, and looked up toward me. I used to never look woman in the eyes, afraid of what I would find in them. Having to endure years of watching torment in my mother’s eyes was enough for me for a lifetime, but somehow, with her, I craved the emerald irises that had captivated me the moment I made the mistake of looking into them. She had never been able to hide anything from me in them, and right now, what I saw was fear and anguish.
“Dominic, I have never slept with Rownan. He has been a good friend to me when I have had no one. Yes, I have confided in him-depended on him-but I have not gone to bed with him. My body has not been touched by anyone other than you since we have met. I promise.”
Through all the lies, she has told to date, somehow that statement, I believed. Her eyes never once wavered from mine the entire time she spoke, instead reaching deep down into mine to find the slightest bit of compassion to believe her.
“I need you to listen to me. You are not going to go to jail. The Celtic Knot will be re-opened and things will go back to the way they were before. But I need you to promise me something. I need you to help Kelly.”
She raised a finger to place on my lips when I tried to interrupt her.
“I cannot explain, I cannot tell you why, but I need you to find her after court today. Victoria and Drake know where she is. She is in danger. Please promise me.”
Her demeanor was serious, and she was shaking slightly from it. I didn’t understand why Kelly was in danger when she called Knox last night.
“Ashley, Kelly is fine. She went home. Something about her little brother needing her.”
“She’s lying. Please. If you never believe a word I say, believe me now. But whatever you do, do not say anything until after court today. Please, just promise me, Dominic.”
Once again, I folded her in my arms afraid of letting go of this moment. In a sick, self-destructive way, I believed her. My head was telling me to run far, far away so that I couldn’t be poisoned by her anymore, but my heart told me she was telling the truth.
“Okay,” I said as I pressed my cheek against the top of her head. When she lifted her head from my chest one last time, a pounding sound came from the door signaling someone trying to get in. Our moment was over. I only hoped I was making the right decision because if she was lying again, I don’t think my heart would survive it this time.
“What are you going to do today?” I asked her hoping that she would tell me the truth after our little heart to heart.
“I cannot tell you. Just know that everything I did was because I love you.” She stood on her tippy toes and pressed her warm lips to my cheek, burning the flesh where her lips touched and branded me. It wasn’t enough. I needed more. I needed her to know that even through the whole fucking ordeal that has gone on, I still couldn’t stop loving her.
Pounding still continued to sound against the bathroom door. Ashley looked nervous and scared as she looked behind us at the bathroom door. I grabbed her head and turned her back around to face me as I cupped her jaw with both hands.
“I love you too, Ashley, so fucking much it hurts.” I leaned down capturing her lips with mine and sealing with physical evidence the meaning of my words. Loving her was glorious and fucking hurt like hell at the same time. To have her with me always, but not truly have her has been nothing but torture.
The knocks got louder and louder and Ashley pulled away from me. She looked from the door back to me again.
“Just tell me what is going on, Ashley. Please.”
“I can’t. I’m sorry.”
Watching her walk away from me and not knowing what was going to happen in that courtroom today, was killing me. What the hell did she mean Kelly was in danger? Why wasn’t she going to the police for help if that was the case? All these questions were going through my head as Ashley unlocked the restroom door and walked out leaving me in the unknown.
I was sweating. Droplets of salty precipitation rolled down my back as I sat in the back of the courtroom waiting for the trial to start. I felt dizzy and nauseous and all I wanted to do was run home, crawl under the covers, and never come out again.
Everyone was here, everyone except Kelly. Knox and Dominic were seated up front with their lawyer Toby. Victoria was seated next to Drake on the defense side of the courtroom, while Officer Russell sat on the prosecution side close to Asher. Rownan was next to me and all I could do was stare ahead. Victoria had tried giving me some warning glances and she and Drake were both seated to where they could get to me easily if they could.
“All rise for the Honorable Judge Hudson,” the bailiff cried out and I flinched knowing that the trial was beginning. Panic tried to creep its way into my system, but I took deep, even breaths trying to hold it at bay.
The judge took his seat and motioned for the prosecution to begin their case. They started off by presenting the file of evidence that I was forced to plant at The Knot to the judge. Everyone was silent for what seemed like forever as the judged poured over the papers in the file. When he was finished, he nonchalantly placed all of the papers back inside.
“Counselor, how do you wish to proceed?”
“Your Honor, the prosecution would like to call its first witness, Ashley Woodson.” Hushed whispers and awes filtered in a murmur around the courtroom as everyone traded turns glancing back at me. I drew in a breath that felt like it didn’t quite fill me up, almost like I was lacking an intake of oxygen due to dread and worry being trapped inside of me. Hoping that my legs would support my weight, I stood up as my legs shook as I stepped past Rownan to walk down the aisle to the front of the courtroom. My sandals slapped against the plain white tile of the floor as all eyes were trained on me. There wasn’t a sound to be heard except for my steps echoing off of the walls. It was eerily silent, like the calm before a storm.
I risked a glance at both Knox and Dominic before I went through the little gate that would lead me to the chair that was positioned on the other side of the judge’s bench. The looks on both of their faces was worry and concern. I knew that Dominic had to have told Knox about our conversation in the bathroom and he was probably extremely concerned about Kelly.
I sat in the hard wooden chair behind the bench with a microphone facing me. I smoothed out my skirt, trying to give me something to do to help calm my shaky nerves.
The prosecutor, and an older, balding man, dressed in a dark blue suit that was no doubt custom fitted, approached me where I sat. I had spoken to him briefly before when he had discussed the types of questions that he would ask me while on the stand. Of course, that was before I had to admit to everyone, media included, that I had lied and that the entire trial was for nothing. I just hoped that the plan that I decided to do last minute, was going to benefit Dominic, Knox, and myself.
“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” the bailiff asked as he held the bible out in front of me. I placed my hand upon it and said, “Yes.” And for once in a long time, it felt great to get to actually tell the truth.
“Ms. Woodson,” the prosecutor said in introduction, “You know the defendants, Mr. Michaels and Mr. Tanner, correct?”
“Yes,” I said leaning into t
he microphone. My eyes scanned the crowd, watching a hundred different pairs of eyes settle on me. I looked back to where Rownan and I sat before I came to the front of the room. I was a little concerned when I no longer saw him sitting at the back of the room. Maybe he went to the restroom.
“It is to our understanding that you were also an employee of The Celtic Knot, yes?” the prosecutor asked me shaking me out of my distraction of looking for Rownan.
“Yes, sir. I was a waitress there,” I replied risking a glance over at Dominic who had his strong fingers steepled under his chin staring at me with those gorgeous chocolate brown eyes that captivated me the first night I walked into The Celtic Knot. Where in the last few months I had seen nothing but anger and desolation in his eyes, I know I saw some of the love that he used to have for me. It gave me a small sliver of hope that maybe after all this was said and done, we could possibly be together.
“Did you at one time have a consensual, sexual relationship with one of the defendants, Mr. Dominic Michaels?”
“Yes, I did.”
And I was so damn happy at that time too.
The prosecutor paced the floor in front of the judge’s bench with his chin grasped firmly in his hand. I knew it was coming. The question I was dreading more than anything. The question that was going to set the man I loved free, as well as save the life of my best friend, but would quite possibly land me and my unborn child in jail for God knows how long.
He paused right in front of me and placed his hands on the wooden platform separating us.
“Ashley, did you accept money from either Mr. Michaels or Mr. Tanner in exchange for sexual favors performed at The Celtic Knot?”
There it was. The question. It felt like my heart stopped in my chest, and only began beating again when I thought about the child I was carrying. I looked down instinctively and placed my hands over my belly. Something that had become a habit after I found out I was pregnant. I then looked over at Dominic, who stared at where my hands were place with a hint of a smile pulling at his lips.
He is happy. He is happy that I am carrying his child, his baby. A life that we both created out of love.
“Ms. Woodson?” the prosecutor prodded. I inhaled before blowing out the air forcefully from my lungs.
“No.”
Gasps and chatter began to fill the courtroom. Reporters in the back furiously wrote on their tablets or notepads, and the photographer’s fingers were twitching to capture the moment but were restricted from doing so inside the courtroom.
“Come again?” the prosecutor asked. I didn’t know if he was playing dumb, or if he was trying to get me to repeat what I said on purpose.
“I said, no, I did not accept money in exchange for sexual favors from either Mr. Michaels or Mr. Tanner.”
The room burst alive with chatter once more, loud enough to cause a roar to sound.
“Quiet in the court!” Judge Hudson yelled as he banged the gavel down onto the bench. All talk ceased and then all eyes were on my next move and me.
“Are you telling the court that you lied about the incident?” the prosecutor asked accusingly with shock clearly registering on his face. I threw the man for a loop with my admission and he looked as if he could have a coronary from it.
“Yes,” I answered honestly.
“What about the evidence that was found at the club that says otherwise?”
“I broke into The Celtic Knot and planted the file into Mr. Michaels’ filing cabinet.”
“How did you do that?”
And here begins the hard part.
“I was let into the club by an employee, where I went into the office and took the key from the drawer and placed the file in the green cabinet.”
“Which employee let you in Ms. Woodson?” the judge chimed in. It was the first time he had spoken to me since I had come onto the stand. He eyed me warily, making me nervous about what he was thinking concerning me.
“Drake Loreno, Your Honor. He is employed by Victoria Spencer.”
“What?” Dominic shouted as he rose to his feet and turned to look at Victoria for clarification.
“Mr. Michaels sit down…” the judge began, but he was interrupted when the doors of the courthouse flew open and Rownan walked in with Kelly. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of seeing my best friend safe with another person who I had considered to be my best friend. I smiled as the tears formed in my eyes. I was buzzing in my seat, dying to wrap my arms around her to determine that she really was safe.
“What is going on in my courtroom? Sir, you and the lady, there, better have a good explanation for interrupting my court or I will hold you in contempt.” Judge Hudson warned. Rownan reached into his back pocket and produced a wallet, flipped it open, flashing a badge.
“Agent Rownan Kleinfield with the FBI, Your Honor.” He said in an American voice. The British accent was gone and my hands flew to my mouth in disbelief.
He’s an FBI agent?
“Agent, what is going on?”
“Victoria Spencer and Drake Loreno kidnapped this woman, Your Honor, to force Ms. Woodson to testify. The pair have threatened and used her in a sick and twisted game of a woman obsessed with a man that doesn’t love her. I was brought in by internal affairs to investigate an officer of the law who we believed was corrupt in his investigating proceedings. Extensive research has led us to the information that Officer Russell and Victoria Spencer are siblings.”
Knox got up from his seat, ran over, and scooped Kelly in his arms, nearly squeezing the life out of her. I noticed the bandage on her neck and flashed back to the picture that I was sent on my phone where blood was formed there.
“Your Honor, other agents are over at Miss Spencer’s residence now collecting the evidence. We have been investigating her and her brother for some time now.”
“In light of the new evidence, I have to rule that Mr. Michaels and Mr. Tanner be released of all charges. The Celtic Knot will be allowed to reopen without any repercussions. Ms. Woodson is to be taken into custody for falsifying evidence, lying to officers of the law, and the court. Miss Spencer, Mr. Loreno, and Mr. Russell are to be taken into custody pending an investigation.” The judge said as he banged the gavel against the bench.
“You bitch! You fucking whore!” Victoria said as she ran across the aisle toward her brother. I stood up to see what was going on while the judge was banging his gavel in an attempt to gain order over the court proceedings. Uniformed officers flooded the courtroom in a race to reach Victoria who had accepted something from Russell.
All I could see were hands raised in the air as Victoria waved a gun around. Being an officer of the law, Russell was not held to the same security procedures that an ordinary citizen was forced to abide by. Knox had Kelly hidden behind his back protectively, and Drake just stood around acting like he didn’t know what was going on.
Rownan had his gun out and aimed toward Victoria who was shouting obscenities at everyone around her.
Her eyes fixated on me where I still stood behind the bench. They were dark, cold. I felt pure evil radiate from her as we remained locked in a war of our eyes. My skin felt a shiver, but I was frozen on the spot not knowing what to do. Everyone was yelling at Victoria to put the gun down, all the while she stood there glaring at me with more hatred than I have ever seen anyone have in my life.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Dominic in a mad rush to reach me. My eyes flickered from hers only briefly to see him. It was a moment that changed my fate—changed my life because when I looked back to Victoria, I was staring down the barrel of the gun in her hands.
A loud pop surrounded the room, but otherwise there was no noise.
Silence filled my ears as if they had been shut off from all hearing.
A cloud of darkness began to fade in from all corners surrounding my eyes.
Time seemed to go still.
Coldness seeped into my body and my head started to spin. I felt like I was fixated on an axis, and everythi
ng around me was in a fast rotating orbit.
Through my fuzzy haze of tainted awareness, I vaguely remember watching Victoria being tackled to the ground, and both Russell and Drake being handcuffed.
The last face I saw just before I was drug in by the darkness, consumed by the ink of night, was the one man who would forever hold my heart as he rushed to my side with an ashen look of petrified fear on his face.
Dominic.
I am never any good at writing these things, so if I forget anyone, I apologize in advance. I would like to thank my husband and three babies. Thank you for understanding while mommy has her nose glued to the computer screen or talks to her characters out loud. Thank you for supporting me as I chase my dream and for putting up with the countless nights of takeout or peanut butter sandwiches.
Thank you to my street team Cassy’s Lassies. You girls rock more than any rock stars. Thank you for your support, your advice, the pimping and the laughs. I love you ladies wholeheartedly!
Giana, I know I dedicated this book to you, but I couldn’t let it go without mentioning you again. You have been my saving grace ever since you became my personal assistant. Thank you so very much for all that you do for me. You are truly a diamond in a world full of coal.
My IndiePendent Girls, Annalisa, Amber, Kay, Rachael, Delisa, Alissa, Casey, Ashley J., Savannah, Ashley R., Tara, and our newest girl Renee. I would never be where I am now if it weren’t for you girls. Your guidance, support, love, laughs and friendships will forever be cherished. Sporks baby!
Mom, thank you for being my biggest supporter, and my very best friend. I love you to the moon and back.
Anna my sexy, vibrant, wonderful, vivacious editor. I love our daily chats, your inspiration, and the fact that you can overlook how many times I use the words “really” and “fuck” in one book. Thank you for taking my words and turning them into a masterpiece. You work harder than anyone I know and you deserve all the best in the world. I love you like a cupcake (and I really fucking love cupcakes).