Compromising

by C. C. Brown

  “I would like to add, your honor, that while my client, Private First Class Bennett, was lying in a hospital bed, struggling to recover from the attack, Sergeant Cruz, her instructor who had saved her, was led out by his Chief Instructor and Company Gunnery Sergeant and placed on barracks restriction without ever being charged with a crime, or read his rights. This is not the way we conduct lawful business in the Marine Corps. My client’s rights were violated, and it took me fighting the command to have him removed.”

  O’Hara was squirming in his seat now, and Major Godinez looked less confident.

  “While my client was placed on barracks restriction, his phone was confiscated, leaving him with no means of communication, and he had yet to be provided with counsel. The information removed from that phone is inadmissible in court.”

  “We did obtain proper authority for the evidence we have presented in court, your honor,” Major Godinez challenged.

  “That authority was granted after the fact, your honor. Anything taken prior to the given authority is an abuse of my clients’ right to privacy.”

  “Surely, your honor, the severity of this crime, the given evidence, and the sworn eye witness statements warrants a further look.”

  “We have to remain diligent and follow protocol, your honor.”

  Colonel Thompson held up his hand, silencing both counsels. He was deep in thought, looking over the evidence presented, taking in the notes on what Captain Hedlund had countered with, then finally looked down to us on the floor and began speaking again.

  “If there is no further evidence, I would like to take this back to my chambers to look it over before making a decision to carry on with the court-martial or dismiss all charges. Court will reconvene in thirty minutes.”

  “All rise,” the Sergeant barked.

  The next sound I heard was the pound of the gavel striking the wood block as the Colonel stood and walked out of the courtroom. Captain Hedlund looked cool and collected while Alex sat with an unreadable expression on his face. It wasn’t often that I couldn’t find a trace of emotion on his face, whether it is anger, lust, admiration, or a wicked combination of all three. He sat frozen, dazing off into space, probably feeling the same way that I was.

  Lance Corporal Nelson opened a folder and showed the contents to Alex, lowly mumbling something to him as he finally allowed a faint smile to grace his beautiful face. Whatever was there had me intrigued, but I was stuck, frozen in my seat, afraid to move for fear that movement would seal my dreaded fate.

  Captain Hedlund excused himself, and Lance Corporal Nelson followed closely behind him, leaving Alex and me sitting there alone, sitting in a pot of our own mess, barely on speaking terms and hoping for the best outcome for one another. I wanted so badly to touch him, to wrap my arms around him and kiss him with every ounce of passion inside of me. I wanted to be Alex and Cassie once again.

  “Hey, Blondie…you okay?” he asked, that deep, husky voice breaking me from my thoughts.

  “Yeah,” I breathed, hoping and praying that my lust wasn’t plastered all over my face.

  A wry smile fixed on Alex’s lips, indicating that he could probably tell something was up with me, and it had nothing to do with the court proceedings. The cockiness he carried by nature couldn’t be stifled—not even in a courtroom where at any moment, a judge would walk through those doors and seal our fate. Alex didn’t seem to care. He was a walking enigma, keeping those around him on their toes, guessing what he would do next.

  “Don’t sweat this shit. Regardless of what happens, I think Captain Hedlund has argued a good counter and those assholes are shaking.”

  “Alex, knock it off. We’re as good as done. They have so much shit that it’s easy for a blind man to see that we’re guilty. Even if we don’t get the max, we have something coming our way, and that alone should have you worried.”

  He turned in his chair, facing me head on as his entrancing golden eyes poured into mine. “It’s so funny how not too long ago, all of this was worth it. Now, it’s like the biggest mistake you’ve ever made. Well, I’ll tell you what, Blondie, you’re my favorite fucking mistake. And punished or not, I’m never going to regret what we did or what we had. You shouldn’t either.”

  He turned back around in his seat, pulled out his cell phone and began typing away. Alex Cruz, for everything that we were embroiled in, still had a way with words. His words played on my ears like soft notes from melodic piano keys.

  His favorite mistake?

  If that were the case, why had he pulled the plug on us? Why couldn’t he continue on with our relationship and work things out the way any normal functioning couple would? Suddenly, the answer to that question came barreling towards me with enough force to knock me off my feet. Alex and I were not, nor would we ever be a normal couple. There was something absolutely intriguing, inexplicable, and downright consuming about the way we fell in love and how hard we had fallen. It wasn’t normal, nor was it right, but it was what it was, and I knew that nothing from here on out could or would be conventional with us.

  Now I just had to make it through the next ten minutes or so, find out my fate, and see if there were anything left to salvage of our fractured love. I didn’t have long to wait as the lawyers came filing back into the courtroom, each side looking eager and victorious.

  Unfortunately, I couldn’t feel that same ambition. My eyes lay plastered on the Sergeant who stood and walked to the front of the judge’s bench. “All rise. The Honorable Colonel Thompson presiding.”

  Chapter 11

  Alex

  The hammer was about to come down, and for once in my life, all of the control that I loved to hold and exert was non-existent. That skinny fucking Sergeant stood there, possibly knowing my fate, and there wasn’t a goddamned thing that I could do about it. I stole a glance at Cassie and watched her swallow a lump through that deliciously dainty neck of hers. More than anything else, I was afraid for her. Fear radiated through her eyes, and as I stood on the other side of Captain Hedlund, there wasn’t shit that I could do to help her, to ease her fears, to calm her down. I felt helpless and worthless. But more than anything, I felt angry.

  I sucked on my bottom lip and swallowed hard, breathing hard through my nose like a bull waiting to be released. One way or another, this anxiety was going to subside, and I needed to hear something because I was bursting at the seams with no help in sight.

  Captain Hedlund gave a confirming nod to both Cassie and me, but no emotion could be traced through his eyes. He was stoic as a statue, and if he were nervous or confident, he wasn’t letting on. For a second, I decided he really couldn’t give two shits about what would happen to us. That he was assigned to us because it was his job and nothing more.

  I shut my eyes and lightly shook my head, hoping to shake away the paranoia. The dangling noose was getting the best of me, and I had to find a way to clear my mind. My heart beat so fast I felt as if it would burst through my ribcage, and as soon as Colonel Thompson began speaking, all blood drained from my face.

  “I have considered the evidence presented by both sides of this case. I am twenty-two years into the Marine Corps, and it is, without a doubt, the fiber of my being. We create and maintain the world’s best warriors because we instill discipline and follow through with it in all facets of what we do.”

  His words were like an incinerator slowly melting me before I was finally taken and thrown into the fire.

  “Sergeant Cruz and Private First Class Bennett,” Colonel Thompson growled, glaring at the two of us. The wrath in his eyes accelerated my breathing, forcing me to take a couple of deep breaths in order to take control of my body once again. “Based on the evidence presented by Major Godinez, it would seem that you two have embarked on a prohibited affair involving and breaking the Corps rule on fraternization. As a student, Pfc. Bennett was subject to preferential treatment from her instructor, Sergeant Cruz, thereby placing the rest of the students at a direct disadvantage. This compromises
morale. Our rules are put in place to combat such things.”

  Without turning my head, I leaned forward ever so slightly to get a glimpse of Cassie. She looked pale, her breathing labored, and her beautiful emerald eyes waiting to unleash a flood of tears with the final words due to come out of Colonel Thompson’s mouth. My moment of guilt washed over me as I watched a young, promising Marine about to lose what little she had all because I’d needed to fuck her, and once I had, I’d fallen in love with her. Cassie should be in her new unit, thriving and working her way to her next promotion of Lance Corporal. Instead, she stood next to Captain Hedlund, staring forward but looking faint.

  It was my fault that the fear of God sat in her heart, and I was prepared to throw myself over the fire if it came down to it. I would do anything to take that anguish away from her. She didn’t deserve any of the shit that was currently being swept in her direction.

  “I believe in rules, and I believe in the law,” Colonel Thompson asserted, scanning the room from one side to the other. “If these two Marines had not broken the law, none of us would be here right now. Furthermore, the botched investigation would not have forced me to free Sergeant Cruz and Pfc. Bennett. Because protocol was not followed, I have no choice but to drop the charges and free Sergeant Alejandro Cruz and Private First Class Cassie Bennett.”

  I exhaled harshly with the sound of Colonel Thompson’s words. My body lunged forward as I balanced my hands on the table, peering over to Cassie who stood looking shell shocked, crying like she had just won the lottery. Maybe she had. Maybe moving on with her life was worth more than millions. Either way, I wanted to grab her, to hold her, to tell her everything was going to be okay and that this whole fucking nightmare was now behind us, but I couldn’t. I was stuck where I stood, still running the Colonel’s words through my head, trying to make sense of them since I was sure he had misspoken.

  Captain Hedlund turned to congratulate me, shaking my hand with the slightest trace of a smile across his face. I wanted so badly to reciprocate the expression, but I couldn’t. I was in utter disbelief. From the second the evidence had been presented, I’d felt the nails being hammered into our proverbial coffins, and it looked as if there were no way out. At the end of all of that, First Sergeant O’Hara, who worked tirelessly to nail us, nailed himself. He had been so blinded by his thirst for punishment that he’d sidestepped protocol and allowed us to walk free. I looked over to where he stood red and fuming, then smiled at him, further eliciting hate from the man.

  “This is utter bullshit!” he yelled, forcefully pushing away from the table. “These two Marines are making a mockery of our beloved Corps.”

  “You, First Sergeant, O’Hara, are making a mockery of my courtroom. Compose yourself or I will have no choice but to hold you in contempt,” Colonel Thompson angrily replied, glaring at O’Hara.

  This sideshow was much more entertaining than what we had just been through. If I weren’t still standing before the judge, I would have laughed in his fucking face. O’Hara slammed his hands down on the table, then took a seat, once again eliciting the anger from Colonel Thompson.

  “You are still a First Sergeant in the Marine Corps, and you are still in my courtroom. You stand until you are instructed to do otherwise. Do you understand me, First Sergeant?”

  O’Hara’s beady eyes glared wrathful balls of fire. He was throwing a man-sized temper tantrum, but seemed to understand the limits and stood next to an awaiting Major Godinez. “Yes, sir.”

  Laughter was ready to explode from me, but I understood the inappropriateness of it in our current situation. Even though Cassie and I had beat the charges, we were still considered fraternizers, and Colonel Thompson was in no way appreciative of either of us. The way he looked at me told me everything I needed to know about what he would say if he ever got me alone.

  You’re a conniving piece of shit. If I could, I’d throw your ass in the brig and throw away the fucking key. You’re a predator.

  I shook the thoughts out of my head, instead stealing a glance at Cassie who inadvertently was doing just the same. Our eyes locked, and the familiar warmth that I often felt whenever we stared at one another was once again present, heating my core and sending blood shooting for my cock. I felt the slightest twitch when she licked her lips and smiled.

  “If I may, your honor,” Captain Hedlund spoke, breaking my lustful thoughts and finally settling my painfully swollen cock, “I would ask that the court please allow no further obstruction to my clients being able to execute orders. Sergeant Cruz has already been removed from his instructor duty and will need orders as soon as possible. Private First Class Bennett has orders awaiting her, and should be allowed to execute them promptly.”

  “I see no issue with that,” Colonel Thompson remarked.

  “Also, your honor, there are charges against Sergeant Cruz for the assault on Private Allen, the assailant of Private First Class Bennett. I would ask the court the drop those charges. Without Sergeant Cruz, who knows what would have become of Pfc. Bennett.”

  Colonel Thompson stared Captain Hedlund deeply in his eyes. I had been so wrapped up in the fraternizing charges that I had completely forgotten about the assault charges. This one, regardless of said guilt or innocence was something I was willing to fall hard for. As far as I was concerned, I had failed Cassie when I allowed Riley to talk me out of finishing that perverted motherfucker off. He was still breathing, and that alone gave me the will to withstand whatever they were hoping to throw my way. I hated that waste of fucking space with every inch of me, and given the opportunity, I’d finish him off without a spec of guilt from my conscience.

  “Since the assault charges were attached to the charges of Fraternization, I have no choice but to throw them out as well. Sergeant Cruz’s actions and implications have no bearing on such decision.”

  This was another blessing that I wasn’t sure I truly deserved. Deep in my gut, I felt that I would be tried and found guilty for the assault on Allen, a punishment that I was all too willing to take, but somehow the heavens had opened up and dropped rays of mercy on me instead of a conviction. A wry smile spread across my face. Cassie looked as if life had been breathed into her once again, her golden skin now glowing as she finally allowed her lips to curl at the ends. After everything that had happened in our favor today, I was instantly hit with the realization that we were the only part of this puzzle that not come out of this debacle unscathed.

  We were splintered, both of us still in love with the other, but unsure how to proceed. Cassie rejecting marriage stung worse than a repeated fucking wasp attack, and I questioned what she felt she had for me.

  My thoughts were broken by the loud pound on the table from First Sergeant O’Hara. Those beady eyes were trained on Colonel Thompson, his face red as a beet while he fumed on the inside, but he knew better than to say anything. Major Godinez worked to calm him down, knowing a contempt charge was on the horizon should he lose his cool again.

  Satisfaction fluttered inside of me. O’Hara had treated me like a criminal from the onset. He’d had a chance to be lenient, to handle matters in house; instead, he’d jumped the gun and tried to nail me as hard as he could, and all of his overzealous bullshit blew up in his face.

  Was I guilty of the charges? Yes.

  Did his lust for consequences and conviction do him in and allow me to walk free? Fuck, yes!

  I turned to look in his direction; those lifeless, beady eyes of his settled on me and I winked, further enraging him.

  Colonel Thompson gave the instructions—Cassie and I should execute orders immediately, and both counsels would need to see him in his chambers to close out the case. The sound of the gavel finally allowed my excitement to explode, and I turned to Captain Hedlund, vigorously shaking his hand and smiling. Cassie stood behind him, smiling but otherwise quiet. There was an absence of emotion in her face, which puzzled me. We had just beat charges that we were both damn near sure would ruin everything we had worked to build, and y
et she stood there looking indifferent.

  Captain Hedlund turned to Cassie and shook her hand, then walked away to meet Major Godinez and head back to Colonel Thompson’s chambers. I reached out for Cassie and took her in my arms, resting my face in the crook of her neck as she wrapped her arms around mine.

  “We did it, Blondie, we did it. We beat this shit.”

  I didn’t want to let her go. That intoxicatingly delicious vanilla smell that I had come to expect from her had wrapped me up and held me hostage. There was no better feeling than being in Cassie’s arms.

  “I know, I know,” she whispered. Her body tensed a little, instinctively making me pull back to check on her. “What’s next, Alex? We got away with this, but now what?”

  “What’s next is you two assholes move on from my command. In my nineteen years of service, I have never been more disgusted to share the title of Marine with any other Devil Dogs than the sorry ass excuse for what is standing before me,” First Sergeant O’Hara grumbled. Fury littered his face, making Cassie tense up again.

  “We’ll be glad to move on, First Sergeant.”

  O’Hara stared me down, then turned his intimidating look over to Cassie, who seemingly found it in her to reciprocate his stare. He finally turned his vengeful glare on me.

  “Head over to the Admin office and pick up your fucking orders, Bennett. And I want you out of my staff office ASAP, you fucking understand me?”

  I wanted so badly to ignore this prick standing in front of me, but we were still in our military environment, and he required a certain level of respect. I smiled at him, knowing it would get under his skin before answering, “Yes, First Sergeant. It would give me pleasure.”