Back at my cramped little desk, which was covered in stacks of open cases, I stared at the file folder in my hands. I glanced around the room, then back to the file, wondering why a high-powered attorney like Mr. Jackson would come calling on me.
Hell, I had almost zero experience and had never taken on a high-profile case on my own. It just didn’t make a damn bit of sense at all. Flipping open the folder, I slipped on my glasses and began reading.
“Holy shit!” I squealed. Heads popped up, everyone’s eyes glaring at me. “Sorry. Just a spider.” I offered weakly. Several of my colleagues shook their heads at my outburst and returned to whatever daunting tasks they were working on. Me? I went back to the file.
I remembered this case. I mean, how the hell could anyone not remember it? The State of Texas vs Sebastian Christakos in the murder of his wife. Damn. It was a monster of a case. Jackson had put up one hell of a fight. I’d had to tear myself away from the television coverage to take my bar exam and missed a good portion of it.
It might make me sound a little like a glory hog, but I wanted a big case like this, a case that would propel me into legal stardom. But was I willing to help represent a known mobster? Thinking back to my short meeting with Jackson, I now understood why he had asked if I could see past the fact his client was a known criminal.
“Hell yes, I’m interested,” I mumbled under my breath. The people here wouldn’t dare touch this case with a ten-foot pole. Ever. It was too dangerous and, in the end, could crush everything the organization stood for. Nobody had intended for this operation to help a known felon, even if he was innocent of the crime that put him behind bars. But I wanted to know more.
Grabbing my briefcase, I thrust the file inside heading for the front door. I said goodnight to the receptionists and stepped outside into the humid evening air. Sliding my thumb over the screen of my phone, I dialed the number on Mr. Jackson’s card and waited for an answer. I didn’t even hesitate long enough for him to say hello when he answered the call.
“Mr. Jackson? Haven Foster here. I’m interested! Can we meet to discuss the case more?”
“Glad to hear it, Haven. Meet me at my office and we’ll talk.”
“Yes, sir. I’m on my way.” Ending the call, I hailed a cab and headed downtown to Jackson’s firm. Adrenaline coursed through my veins like molten lava as the cab raced across town.
Chapter Four - Sebastian
“Throw me to the wolves and I will return leading the pack.”
- Unknown
I’d received word from Davis that he had managed to acquire the services of Haven Foster. The last time we spoke, I’d selected her based on her dual degrees in Criminology and Criminal Law. She graduated top of her class at Harvard Law. I found it rather intriguing that a Harvard graduate would volunteer her time instead of working for a big firm. She could work anywhere, but her choice not to appealed to me. Not to mention she was a stone-cold fox. She could be my very own Goddess of War.
Just a glimpse of the photograph Davis had acquired was enough to sell me on her being a part of my team. It would be nice to see a sweet little morsel like that on a regular basis while I was tucked away in this wretched fucking hell-hole. I know what you must be thinking of me. His wife was murdered just over six months ago and already he’s got a hard-on for a pretty young lawyer. I’ll just come right out and say it. Astra and I had an arranged marriage. There was no love between us. Sex? Sure. But our short marriage was built on power. The marriage created an alliance between her father and I that would keep the families strong. But love never played a part in that arrangement.
I’d been sitting in a stark-white room, cuffed to the table, waiting for Davis and the foxy little lawyer to make an appearance for what seemed like an eternity. It hadn’t been that long but time passed so slowly in here. Minutes were more like hours, hours like days, days like weeks; you get the picture. Leaning back in my chair, I glared at the guard standing watch over the door. He smirked. I closed my eyes, smiling as I crossed my ankles under the table and continued my wait.
“Sorry for the hold-up, Sebastian,” Davis chuckled as he waddled into the room.
I smelt my little goddess before I saw her, and the scent had my cock twitching to life in an instant. When she stepped out from behind Davis, I sat up straight. Fuck, she was stunning. Her long brown hair hung loosely down her back. Those eyes. Those eyes were as blue as the ocean. Hypnotic and magical. I couldn’t look away. Didn’t fucking want to. She wore a tight little pencil skirt that hugged her delicious little curves and a white top that was so sheer you could just make out the lacy camisole she wore beneath it. So fucking hot! Don’t even get me started on her legs. My mouth was watering already and she hadn’t even been in the room but a few seconds.
“Sebastian, this is Haven Foster. She’ll be assisting me in reviewing your case. Anything she needs, we’ll be sure to provide.”
“Nice to meet you, Haven. I’d shake your hand, but I’m a little tied up at the moment.”
She nodded, worrying her bottom lip. Thoughts of tossing her fine little ass on this table and fucking her senseless flashed in my mind. Fucking hell! What I wouldn’t give for a moment alone with this woman.
Davis and Haven took a seat across from me and opened their briefcases. Davis once again had to run off the stubborn little guard lingering at the door. These guys just didn’t have a clue.
“Now that we’re alone, let’s get down to business,” Davis said, pushing a copy of the court case across the table to me. I didn’t need it. I had a memory like a steel trap so I left it sitting on the table.
“I’ve… I’ve reviewed the case, Mr. Christakos –” Haven began.
“Sebastian,” I interrupted. “Call me Sebastian.”
“Sebastian.” She smiled. I loved the way my name sounded on her sweet little lips. I had to have this woman. “I have concerns. The transcripts say you have an alibi, but it was never given. Why?”
“I cannot divulge my whereabouts due to the possibility of incriminating myself.”
“I see. Would you share that alibi with me as a member of your legal team?”
“You could say that I was cleaning money.”
“Right.” She laughed softly, shaking her head. “Well, we can’t use that. Thank you for your honesty. I won’t lie, Mr.… um… Sebastian, but this will be an uphill battle.”
“I expected as much. I’m innocent. While I didn’t much care for Astra, murder was never an option. I don’t hurt women. Never have, never will. You know of my business, I assume?”
She nodded.
“My enemies might see things differently, but they will not speak to you.”
The conversation continued with more questions from Haven about the night in question, what I remembered. She backtracked to the weeks before the murder, obviously trying to cover all the bases. She seemed to be on top of things, but I just wanted her under me. The more she talked, the more I envisioned her naked body squirming beneath mine, her legs parted as I shoved my cock deep into her sweet little pussy.
I forced the hot image out of my head, focusing on the matter at hand. “Davis, set up an apartment somewhere near the prison for Haven. I’d like weekly updates... every Friday or Saturday on how things are going. We can’t drop the ball this time. I’ll also need a meeting with the Warden to discuss a personal matter. Handle that for me as soon as possible. I’d like to have everything in place by next week.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll get right on that.”
“Good.”
A guard banged on the door, alerting us to the end of our time together. “It was nice to meet you, Haven. I look forward to seeing you again very soon.”
She stiffened a bit but forced a soft smile on those gorgeous lips. “Nice to meet you, too, Sebastian.”
The same two rambunctious guards strode in with their god complexes in full tilt and un-cuffed me from the table. I watched as Haven’s eyes grew wide as they jerked me up from the chair, a frown
marring her beautiful face as she watched the two men push me around.
“Stop that! Now!” she growled.
The two men chuckled, not giving a shit one way or another what she thought about them.
“What are your names?” she demanded. “I’ll be reporting your misconduct to the Warden.”
The men flashed their badges at her and pushed me into the hall without a single worry, the door slamming closed behind them.
Chapter Five - Haven
“I believe very strongly that when it comes to desire, when it comes to attraction, that things are never black and white, things are very much shades of grey.”
- Brian Molko
My first meeting with Sebastian Christakos was nothing like I had expected. He was nothing like I had expected. The prison was just as creepy as I had imagined it would be, though. Guard towers stretching to the sky with armed guards overlooking yards of convicts ambling around. Razor-sharp barbed wire twisting at the top of the fences, glinting in the afternoon sun. Everything about the imposing structure seemed ominous somehow.
Before I had even stepped through the first gate, I had felt trapped. The metal detectors half-assed worked, which didn’t leave me with a safe feeling as Davis and I entered the main part of the prison. My poor little heart was hammering chaotically in my chest, sweat running down my spine as we walked along a corridor to the visitation area. Inmates were walking freely down the hall and I couldn’t help but wonder what they were in for. They had offered up wicked, devious grins as they checked me out. Chills had racked my body. I hated the way their eyes felt on my skin.
As the guard unlocked the visitation room, I caught a glimpse of a man sitting at a lone metal table. It was him. Sebastian Christakos. Even though I had watched his case unfold for the most part on television and knew how attractive he was, it didn’t fully register just how freaking hot the man would be in real life. When I walked into that cold white room, my eyes meeting his for the first time, I was drunk with lust. He was absolutely panty-melting gorgeous. Even in that horrendous white prison uniform, I could tell his delectable tanned body was wrapped from head to toe in a layer of delicious muscles. Muscles I damn sure would enjoy exploring very slowly.
My mouth went dry immediately as an image formed in my mind of Sebastian naked on my bed as I had my way with him. Shaking the thought away, knowing it wasn’t a good idea to get involved with a client. Besides, considering the situation Sebastian was in we wouldn’t have the opportunity to get frisky, anyway. I couldn’t allow myself to continue having naughty thoughts. I was here to work, not get a penising. As if it was even an option. He was way-way out of my league.
For goodness sake, standing there before him, watching as he gazed with those hungry smoldering eyes – the way that they licked their way over every freaking inch of me – was driving me wild. Maybe he was interested in me after all, or heck, it could simply be he’s been without for so long that any girl would do at this point. Yeah. That was probably it.
My traitorous body responded to his sultry glare as a shiver rocked my entire body. Being alone with this man was definitely not a good idea. Definitely not. I spent the remaining time in his presence clenching my thighs together in a lame and very failed attempt at controlling the desire flooding my body. I can’t even remember a time when being near a man had made me this damn hot. Every word he spoke fanned the flames of desire building in my core. My panties were soaking wet just listening to him speak, for Christ’s sake. God, I loved the sound of his voice. That Greek accent had my pussy purring with want.
As the meeting went on, I had done my best to ask him questions like a professional. I had stumbled a little, my nerves getting the better of me, but I had survived. When the guards had appeared, man-handling Sebastian, rage had ignited in me. I couldn’t help but speak up and demand them to stop. It hadn’t helped. Sebastian seemed to find the sudden change in me intriguing, though. He hadn’t uttered a word, but the look on his face – the way his eyes darkened – had made my heart flutter.
It wasn’t until we reached the parking lot that I realized I’d been holding my breath. My fists were clenched tight, nails digging into my palms.
“Why the hell didn’t you say anything to those fucking guards?” I growled at Davis, who was panting like an animal from the walk.
“Sebastian can handle himself,” he replied, chuckling. “He seemed to be shocked by your sudden outburst, though.”
My cheeks flamed a dusty pink at his words.
Davis and I drove into Houston, catching a flight back to Austin after having a nice little lunch at a cafe downtown. While we ate lunch, Davis contacted a local realtor, acquiring a fully-furnished house for me to use as Sebastian had requested. Obviously, I would be splitting my time between Huntsville and Austin. I didn’t believe having an apartment near the prison was necessary but who was I to argue with a client’s request?
During the flight, I perused my notes from the meeting, reading Sebastian’s account of the day his wife was murdered. Even though his alibi was strong, he couldn’t use it. Sharing that bit of information would only add more trouble to the mix. Flipping open my notepad, I started a list of things that I needed to look into further.
1. Find a way to safely use alibi.
2. Get a second opinion on medical findings.
3. Have a look at all evidence.
While the list was short, it was enough to get me going. From what I could tell, Davis had done a damn good job with the case. And from our recent conversations, he’d left no stone un-turned. I could tell that the loss bothered him. It would bother me, too.
Seven days. Seven more days before I had to meet with Sebastian again.
Alone.
I was a little nervous about being alone with him. Even though he was charming and smart, I had to keep reminding myself that he was also a very dangerous man. A man that few crossed. And if they did, well I don’t know what might happen exactly, but it couldn’t be good.
Davis informed me that he had to be in court for the next few weeks but assured me that I wouldn’t have any problems at the prison, and my rental house was ready to go. I’d have to swing by the realtor’s office and grab a key before visiting Sebastian next week. Unexpectedly, in addition to the rental house, I was also provided with a petty cash fund to purchase groceries, gas, and a rental car, in addition to anything else I might need.
As dangerous as it was to be involved with the mafia, I was excited to be a part of the case. It was cases like this that propelled lawyers’ careers into stardom. And that was something I had dreamed about since my first semester in college – my picture on the front page of the newspaper, standing next to my client, celebrating an epic win.
There were only two problems facing me right now. The first was obviously finding the evidence we needed to prove Sebastian’s innocence. Second, and quite surprisingly, was dealing with how he made me want to do naughty things with him.
Chapter Six - Sebastian
“Everything in the world is about sex except sex. Sex is about power.”
- Oscar Wilde
For more than a month now, I have been decreased to a fucking number, nameless and unimportant. The world had washed its hands of me. Until last week, my nights had been filled with the memory of my young wife’s death. As a made man, I had seen plenty of death – a good bit of it at my own hand – but nothing could have prepared me for what I found in my bedroom. No. Nothing could be more horrible than that.
I had worked late that night, as I did every month. It was my monthly meeting with several of my Capos to discuss the finances, cover any issues that had crept up, and new business ventures that might be profitable. When I arrived home, I fixed my usual glass of Metaxa, relaxed in my home office, made a few calls, and headed to bed.
My heart had literally stopped when I saw Astra tied to the bed, the sheets soaked in her blood. She was a beautiful woman. Or at least she had been.
And what I did next had be
en a mistake; one I have regretted every day since. I ran to her, screaming for her to wake up, to look at me even though I knew that she was gone. My screaming had awoken the live-in housekeepers who found me covered in blood, holding Astra’s lifeless body. I hadn’t thought at the time, and looking back now, seeing so clearly my error in judgment, I knew the real killer had known me well. He had expected me to react without thinking. And I didn’t let him down.
I say ‘he’ because only a crazed man could be that cruel to a woman. My men would never dare harm a woman. There were very few things I could not allow, and one of the big one’s would be the murder of women or children. Unfortunately, many outside my influence held life in much lower regard.
The housekeeper had screamed bloody murder, rushing away as fast as her feet could carry her. The police had arrived, guns drawn, within minutes. The bastards assumed I had killed Astra. I didn’t, but nobody listened. They knew who I was and nobody gave a shit about my side of the story, only seeing a way to finally put me behind bars.
Ever since then, my nights were harsh reminders of that fateful evening… until Haven Foster. It had only been a few days since our first meeting, and I was eager as all hell to see her hot little ass again. Oh, the things I wanted to do to her. Fuck. My fucking cock was rock-hard just thinking about our next meeting.
As instructed, Davis had set up a meeting with the warden, who I’d learned was in debt up to his ears. For what I’d had in mind, that little bit of knowledge had helped. I wanted a quiet little place to meet with Haven. One that would allow me to get to know her better. As a bonus, the guards would keep their distance, too. The warden had jumped at my offer of cash money – untraceable, of course – in exchange for a few perks. It was a fair deal.
Convicted: A Mafia Romance Page 2