“What’s so important that it can’t wait?”
“I need to do this now before I change my mind.”
“Do what?” I asked a little worried.
“Have dinner with my father.”
I shifted so I was in a sitting position. “Should I be worried?”
“No and you’re coming with.”
“No, no, no. Are you kidding me? Your father hates me and I’m not exactly a fan of his either.”
“Neither am I, but I kind of need you to do this for me.”
“Why?”
“I can’t tell you why, but I just need you to trust me.” I didn’t like the sound of this and with Casper this could be anything. When I looked into his eyes I knew I would crush him if I said no. He wanted me to trust him. So that’s what I did.
“Fine, but I’m telling you now, I will not keep my mouth shut if I don’t like something he says.”
“I hope not,” he smiled, pushing off his elbows and straightening out his arms so he could reach my lips.
Casper made plans for all of us, including Declan and Colton, to have dinner at his father’s house on Sunday. I changed my outfit about three times. I didn’t really care to impress this man but I couldn’t shake my nerves – end result, changing my clothes a million times. Casper was lying on the bed with his arms behind his head, enjoying the show. “You know you could help.”
“I’m better assisting with the removal of clothes, not the other way round.”
I threw a shoe at him, narrowly missing his head. “Declan!” I yelled, walking out of the room. “I need help.”
“Alex, maybe this isn’t a good idea.”
“Of course it’s not, it’s a horrible idea, but Casper said he needed me to be there and I have to trust him.”
She placed both hands on my shoulders, steadying me. “In that case, you look fine, you’re going to be fine, and you’re going to walk out of there like a champ. Because Alexis Radcliff does not let some snobby, crooked lawyer get her down.”
I let out a deep breath and let Declan push me out of the room.
My jaw dropped when we pulled up to Casper’s father’s house. The mansion looked more like a ritzy hotel that was surprisingly tastefully decorated for the holiday season. “You never told me you were loaded.”
“Would that have made a difference?” he asked, shutting off the engine.
“I might have said yes sooner.”
He smiled, kissing my hand before exiting the car to open the door for me. A butler greeted us at the door. We exchanged introductions and then Casper escorted me into the living room where we greeted the rest of his family. His sisters Candice and Cecelia and brother Cayden were all sitting around a fire, chatting. We exchanged hellos. A little blonde girl wearing purple fairy wings tugged at the bottom of my skirt. I bent down so I was eye level with her. She placed her two tiny hands on my cheeks, turning my head side to side, inspecting me. She then squinted, leaning in close. “What’s your position on fairies?”
“I think they’re awesome,” I told her, tapping her nose. She giggled.
“She’ll do,” she told Casper.
“Alex, this is Katalina. Kat, this is my girlfriend, Alex.”
Katalina tugged on his pant leg and wiggled her finger for him to come closer, whispering in his ear. Casper stood back up, clearing his throat. “My apologies,” he said to Katalina. “Correction, Princess Katalina,” he corrected with a flourish of his hand.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Princess Katalina,” I curtsied as she bowed her head in appreciation before running off to hop on her mother’s lap.
“She said you’re very pretty and I did a good job,” Casper said. “I think you may have a new best friend.”
We took a seat in one of the oversized chairs while we waited for his father and stepmother. They arrived shortly after the drinks were served. My whole body tensed the second he stepped into the room. Seeing him again brought back all the memories of that day. I remember sitting outside the courtroom with my brothers and Aunt, waiting to hear the outcome. He walked out of the courtroom, smiling, and shaking hands with his partners. I’ll never forget that smug look on his face. His eyes found mine and he just stared at me, not blinking, not speaking. It was only a second that passed but it felt like an eternity. He looked away, smile gone. I hadn’t known what I was doing. My body had a mind of its own and I was standing next to him, tugging on his suit jacket. He squinted, looking down at me. “Please don’t send my mommy to jail,” I asked him. His eyes searched mine and for a moment I saw kindness in them, but quickly it was replaced by his deep scowl.
“Alex.” Jack grabbed me, pulling me back to sit with them. Only a look was exchanged between the men, but enough to cause a stream of tension. A few years later I learned Casper’s father had pushed to put us in foster care, claiming, even though Jack was eighteen, he wasn’t mature enough to take care of three siblings. Jack knew if they put us in foster care we would be split up and he refused to let that happen. The only reason they let Jack become our legal guardian was because Declan’s mom said she would sign off on it, saying she would make sure she would oversee all his decisions technically making her our guardian even though she was never there.
Seeing this man tonight made my blood boil. Our first reunion made me want to run for the hills. I was guessing it was the initial shock of seeing him after all this time. But I wasn’t eight years old anymore and he didn’t scare me. He stood before me and I knew he was judging me, trying to see if he could under mind me. I held my head higher, showing him I could take on whatever he could throw at me. “I apologize, apparently we have gotten off on the wrong foot,” he spoke in a low tone.
“I was told once by my mother to never judge a book by its cover. I will offer you the same advice.” Casper patted me on the behind, approving of my verbal exchange with his father.
I watched as Casper’s father barely moved let alone breathed. The silence thickened, anticipating his response. He smiled tightly. “Your mother is a wise woman, almost too wise for her own good.” I hadn’t realized I had tried to take a step forward until Casper pinched my side. “But I do agree and will offer you the same request. Now, shall we eat?”
I stayed back a moment while everyone else entered the dining room. I just needed a minute to collect myself. “Are you okay?” Casper asked. “Because I have to say you’re doing pretty great and if you keep sticking it to my father like that I just might have to take you upstairs to his room and have my way with you on his bed,” he smiled, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. I laughed out loud, feeling some of the tension lessen.
I could feel Casper’s father’s eyes on me as Casper pulled out the chair for me and sat down. I placed my napkin in my lap, returning his icy stare. Upon meeting Dallas I could understand Casper’s dislike for her. The way she clung to Caper’s father it was like she was holding on to a gold mine. She screamed gold digger and I wondered if she hadn’t purposely pushed him over the edge hoping for a fatal heart attack. Her tacky red nails rubbed her small baby bump constantly as if we could all forget that she was pregnant.
“So, Alex, what is it that you do?”
“I work part time at a club to help pay for rent and what my financial doesn’t cover for school.”
I knew he was trying to keep the disgusted look off his face. “I’m sure Casper could help you out with any financial issues. So you wouldn’t have to work at some bar.”
“I’m sure he could but that’s not what I want. I like my job and I prefer to earn my keep. I have no problem paying my dues.” Casper squeezed my thigh and gave me a proud smile. “My job also allows me to beat up pretentious assholes.” Candice and CiCi tried to hide their smiles while Casper’s grin could have lit up the sky.
Caleb cleared his throat. “What are you studying, if you don’t mind me asking?”
I knew my answer was going to be a true test. I took a breath before answering. “Pre-law,” I said, matching his
steady gaze.
He bared no change in his expression. No click in his jaw, no twitch of the eye, nothing. “Maybe you could convince my son to change his mind. I always hoped he would follow in my footsteps, but well as you can see, he has chosen a different path. One that some would consider reckless, irresponsible…”
“Enough,” Casper growled. I patted his leg letting him know I had this.
“Maybe Casper’s lifestyle is not one you have chosen for him but I can assure he has accomplished more than most young men his age.”
“It’s hard to accomplish much when you have no goals in life.”
“That’s not true. I’ve already accomplished one of my goals.”
“And what’s that?”
“To be nothing like you.”
Caleb paused, slowly taking a sip of his scotch. We spent the rest of the dinner in silence. After dessert, Casper excused himself to use the restroom while everyone else retreated to the den. I made a beeline for Declan when Caleb cornered me. “Excuse me,” I said, trying to sidestep him, but he blocked my path. I raised my head and met his stony eyes.
“I do not know what your intentions are with my son, but I suggest you walk away now before this ends badly.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“No, I’m warning you. It’s only a matter of time before he realizes who you are. Yes Miss Radcliff, I remember. Thirteen years is a long time and thousands of cases but I never forgot your mom’s or those green eyes of the little girl pleading to let me set her free.” He smiled, thinking he got me. “What do you think he’s going to do when he finds out the truth?”
I took a step closer, raising my chin. “Why don’t you ask him and find out?” He didn’t know Casper already knew.
“Are you willing to take that risk?” I raised my brow at him, challenging him. “Regardless, if your past doesn’t send him running, boredom will. It will only be a matter of time before he’s had enough and sends you on your way.” He rested an elbow on the shelf. “You see Miss Radcliff, my son never commits to anything, let alone women.”
“Unfortunately Mr. Covington, you don’t know any more about your son than you do me. It just so happens that Casper already knows about my past, the truth of what really happened.” His elbow dropped and I took a step forward. “And yes Casper was known for treating his bedroom like a revolving door but that is no longer the case. You see, people can change. All it takes is a little encouragement from someone who cares about them. And I care deeply for your son. I would walk to the ends of the earth with him and back if he asked me to. Why? Because I look for the good in people instead of tearing someone down until there is nothing left but an empty shell of a preconceived notion. And last but not least, you do not scare me Mr. Covington. I am not someone who can be easily intimidated.”
“So I’ve noticed,” he mused. “Maybe I have misjudged you, but it was only out of the kindness of my heart. I have seen my son break more hearts than I can count and was only worried that someone of your fragile nature would not be able to handle it. I thought fair warning would be a considerate gesture.”
“It would require you to have a heart to care.”
“Perhaps our past has clouded our judgment of each other.”
“No, you’re the same arrogant asshole I remember from the courthouse,” I smiled, happy to stick it to this prick.
Casper happened to pick that moment to walk back in. “Everyone getting along?” he asked. The expression on his face said he couldn’t have picked a better time to intervene and I wondered how long he was listening.
“Casper, may talk to you for a minute?” Casper turned to me to see if I was okay.
“It’s fine. Katalina wanted to show me her princess dresses.”
“We might never get out of here,” he teased. I stood on my tiptoes and gave him a quick peck, watching his dad carefully. “I won’t be long.” I smiled and walked over to Katalina who was practically pulling my arm out of the socket.
After the twentieth pink, glittery dress, and me successfully naming all the Disney Princesses, Casper had come to my rescue. “How’s it going in here?”
Leaning down to wrap his arms around me, he rested his chin on my shoulder. “Everything okay?” I asked.
“You’ve made quite the impression on my dad.”
“I can only imagine.”
“No worries, I never listen to anything my father says.” I patted his hands. “You ready to go?”
“More than ready,” I said, wanting to put this night behind me.
“No you can’t leave,” Katalina cried.
“Sorry Kat, but it’s late. I promise we’ll come back.” She pouted, not happy, but eventually allowed us to leave when Casper promised the next time we came back he would have a tea party with her.
On the car ride home I asked, “What happened to you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t play coy with me. You went to the bathroom but you were like gone for a half hour.”
“I was…looking for something.” He eyed me warily from the corner of his eye.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” He nodded. “Are you going to tell me what it is?”
His grip tightened slightly on the wheel, placing his chin in his hand. “I snuck into my dad’s office and stole some of his case files.”
I sucked in breath and Casper cringed, waiting for me to yell. “My mother’s case files?” he nodded, flinching like I was about to hit him, but instead I kissed him on the cheek and he relaxed. “Where are they? Can I see them?”
“They’re in the trunk.”
Of all the things Casper could have done for me this was probably one of the best gifts ever. I had access to my mom’s files and I could finally figure out what the hell went wrong. When we got to my place I was practically jumping out of the car so I could take a look at the files. Casper handed me a box while he stacked one on top of another to carry up the steps. I didn’t even wait for Casper. I walked straight back to my room, receiving funny looks from Declan as I shuffled past with a large box in my hands. Placing the box on my bed, I ripped off the lid and instantly got to work. Casper dropped the other boxes on the floor next to me.
I spent the next two hours going through my mom’s files. “Did I tell you how hot I thought it was when you were standing up to my dad?” Casper unzipped the back of my dress, pressing soft kisses from one shoulder to the next. “I so badly wanted to take you upstairs and have my way with you.” I was too distracted by the papers in front of me to pay attention to him. “My favorite part of the night was when you declared your love for me.”
That caught my attention. “What?”
Casper laughed, running a finger along the back of my neck. “When you were talking to my dad.”
So he was listening. “I wouldn’t call it a declaration of love. I was just stating that I tolerated you.”
He chuckled, dragging his finger lower down my back, sending shivers up and down my spine. I tried to focus on the papers in front of me, but Casper knew exactly what to do to make my skin flush hot and my insides melt. “Why don’t you put those away so I can show you just how much you turn me on?”
“We can get to that later,” I said, shoving his hands away so I could concentrate.
“Alex, you have plenty of time to look at these files later. I want to celebrate.”
“Celebrate what?” I looked at him over my shoulder.
“Celebrate the fact that I have an extremely hot girlfriend who’s not afraid of anyone and knows how to stick it to my father while still having the rest of my family fall in love with her.”
“Hmm, she sounds interesting. I’d like to meet her…after I finish going through this paper work.”
Casper wasn’t having it. He took the papers from my hand and tossed them in the box. “Hey,” I whined. Then he took the rest of the papers and put them on the floor. I frowned, jutting out my bottom lip at him.
“That’s not helpi
ng your case,” he said, sucking lightly on my bottom lip. A small shuddering gasp escaped my lips. “I want to take advantage of you any way I can.” He slowly pushed me back as he climbed on top of me. “I’m going to make you beg for mercy,” he growled, pouncing. I was no longer laughing when he tore my dress off of me. His eyes were hungry and he wasted no time taking off his clothes. Every touch and kiss was heightened at his need to be with me. His hands were everywhere, touching every inch of my skin, leaving goose bumps in his wake. There was no denying how much Casper loved me. He proved it every time we were together. And tonight was one those nights that he showed me just how much he appreciated me.
***************************************************************************
As soon as I was done with my classes I headed straight home to go through the files again. Casper told me he would come over after practice and help me. “I brought dinner. Are you hungry?” I shook my head no. “Have you eaten yet?” Again, no. “You need to eat Alex,” he insisted, pulling me off the bed. I ate the burger and fries he brought me in record time and headed to my room. Casper took his time eating and when he finished he came back and joined me. “Find anything helpful yet?”
“This one file here says his doctor claims he was misdiagnosed, but it’s not his regular doctor.”
“Can I see that?” Casper asked. I handed him the paper. He scrunched his brow while he read. “According to this he was seeing a new doctor, a few months before. Did you know anything about this?”
I shook my head no. “I could ask my mom about it, but I don’t know why he would switch doctors when there was nothing wrong with his original.”
“It says here she was a key witness for the defense.” His brows furrowed as he read on.
“What?” I asked studying him. The look on his face said he didn’t want to tell me. He let out a deep sigh. “According to this, it says that he was having an affair with his new psychiatrist.”
“Give me that.” I ripped the paper from his hand, not believing it. Maybe he read it wrong. I thought my eyes were deceiving me that maybe everything was just blurring together. But no, Casper was telling the truth.
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