Damaged Souls (Broken Man) (16 page)

“Shut up and sit down,” Mr. Gross bullied his son as he realized the jam he was in. “My son will agree to testify.”

“No way,” Jeff disregarded his father. “Mitch is my boy.”

“Well, your boy just threw you under the bus you idiot. Now sit down,” Mr. Gross understood what his son did not. “Jeff will tell you what he knows in exchange for all charges being dropped.”

Jack watched as Jeff sat back down and crossed his arms to pout. He knows exactly what happened, just as I thought. Guys like Mitch aren’t going to keep their supposed conquests to themselves.

“I will expect a written agreement on my desk by tomorrow close of business,” Mr. Stinson interrupted Jack’s thoughts as he realized his client was being granted a get out of jail free card and looked to Mike for assurance.

“You’ve got it,” Mike agreed under certain conditions. “But, I want to know everything your client heard right now and he needs to understand that if anything is leaked to anyone, all deals are off. Complete confidentiality is required.”

“Agreed,” Mr. Stinson understood the gift he was receiving. “Jeff, tell him what you know.”

“Fine,” Jeff responded like the brat he was. “Mitch came downstairs after his date ran out of the house. I asked him what happened, and he said Delaney wouldn’t put out so he had to convince her a little bit.”

A blast echoed through the room as the table nearly collapsed under the weight of Jack’s fist and Jeff practically jumped out of his chair. “You don’t talk about her that way you little shit,” Jack threatened him as the veins bulged out of his neck.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean anything,” Jeff apologized as he seemed to finally understand the trouble he was in.

“Jack, have a seat,” Mike tried to calm him down as he put a hand on his arm and he took a couple more seconds to glare at Jeff before retaking his seat. “Now, I want to know exactly what he said.”

Jack purposely let his mind drift as he let Mike do his job and he went back to plotting his next move. This is going to get a lot more complicated, he quickly realized that Jeff was just a small fish and that the bigger fish were still out there swimming around. I wonder if Mitch and his father understand what’s coming after them, how little time they have left to get away.

Not long, Jack smiled as he realized he was now the largest, most determined predator in the ocean. Definitely not long.

* * *

“Oh good, he’s home, “Amanda whispered to herself as she took one final look in the mirror. We should have plenty of time, she reconsidered her choice to wear nothing but a simple white wrap with nothing underneath. No, this is good. He needs to take a hint.

I’m not taking no for an answer, Amanda finalized her plan to seduce him as she walked to the door. We both need this, Amanda reminded herself as she watched the door open and her husband walk through.

This might not be good, Amanda realized as she captured the intense look on his face and he said nothing as he caught her eye. What happened, she quickly understood this wasn’t the same man who had left the house two hours earlier and anticipated his ferocity. Get ready, she closed her eyes and prepared herself as he approached in slow motion.

Oh yes, his hands were immediately all over her as his tongue found hers and he rediscovered his passion. Oh my god, he practically ripped off her covering as she struggled with his tie. Screw that, Amanda decided as she skipped the tie and moved immediately to his belt as he lifted her onto the table.

Finally, she thought to herself as her hands exposed him and his mouth aroused her body. Yes now, she was more than ready as he entered her body with a powerful thrust and his tongue again found hers. Don’t you dare stop, she locked her legs around his waist as she looked into his eyes and knew he wasn’t about to.

Try not to scream, she reminded herself as her body rejected her thoughts and she felt that moment coming on. What are you doing, Amanda panicked as Jack stopped a second too soon and she lost her train of thought as he withdrew from her body. Yes, yes, yes, her body and her mind screamed the same words as he rolled her over onto her stomach and overwhelmed her once again.

It wasn’t gentle, it wasn’t tender. It wasn’t loving, it wasn’t soft. It wasn’t slow, it wasn’t sensitive.

It was sex, pure and simple. And it was exactly what Amanda needed.

* * *

“Thanks, Jack,” Amanda whispered as she caught her breath.

“You are welcome,” he responded, not quite sure what to say about what just happened. “I’m glad the table didn’t break.”

“Me too,” she responded with a smile. “What brought that on.”

“I don’t know,” he replied as he kissed her. “Needed to release some stress, I guess.”

He looked at Amanda as she smiled and thankfully understood exactly what he was saying. “Well, feel free to release stress with me anytime,” she cooed and kissed him back.

“What time are the kids going to be home,” Jack worried they might surprise them.

“Don’t worry, we have time.”

“I don’t want to give them any more ideas,” he teased Amanda about her permissiveness. “You’ve already given them enough.”

“I don’t think they need any more ideas, I’m sure they have plenty,” she reminded him. “Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, Logan is going to sleep over at Michael’s Friday night and I’ve made us overnight reservations down town.”

“On graduation night,” Jack looked at her like she was crazy.

“They need some time alone,” Amanda decided for both of them as she outlined her plan and rolled over on top of him. “We’ll drop off Logan before we head to Le Cirque for dinner and then to the hotel afterwards. We need some time alone as well,” she tried to convince him by rubbing up against him.

“Are you sure about this.”

“Jack, stop being so old fashioned,” she teased him. “They are going to do it whether we like it or not, and it might as well be special. I don’t want them running around trying not to get caught, “ Amanda reminded him of earlier in the afternoon.

“I guess you are right,” Jack begrudgingly gave in. “Have you told Delaney yet.”

“Not yet,” she replied as she sat up on top of him. “But I will. Jack, can you do me a favor.”

What now, he prepared for anything as he wondered what was next and admired her beautiful body. “Sure, what do you need.”

“This table is killing me, can we move to the couch,” Amanda surprised him with the simplicity of her request.

“No problem,” Jack replied as he prepared for the next round.

Chapter Eighteen

“It’s still a very flimsy case,” the District Attorney said the words Jack didn’t want to hear. “Even if it gets that far, any jury is going to know we strong armed the witness. You should know better, Mike.”

“Look, Rick, I know what you’re saying,” Mike took responsibility for Jack’s actions. “But, it is a unique situation. We all know Mr. Caldwell is hindering the investigation and that we didn’t have any other choice. He would have buried this thing.”

“I understand, but that is a separate matter altogether,” Rick maintained his point of view. “You had no right to make a deal on behalf of my office. This is a criminal case, the prosecution of which is beyond your realm of responsibility. Do not proceed any further on this.”

This is not going well, Jack thought of how to save his plan from ruin as he studied the District Attorney. “What if we agree that this is not a criminal case, what if we leave you out of it,” Jack attempted to regroup as he realized how quickly the 4:00 deadline was approaching.

“That would be fine, but you would lose any leverage you may have,” Rick explained the fallacy of Jack’s plan as he took a sip of coffee. “Without the cooperation of my office, you don’t have an agreement with Mr. Gross and you don’t have a witness against the younger Mr. Caldwell. As I said, you don’t have a case.”

“I don’t think we need a case,” Jack altered his plan mid-course. “We just need to create the illusion of a case.”

“What do you mean,” Mike interjected.

“Mr. Caldwell has a ton to lose here, as does his son,” Jack explained what the two attorneys already knew. “And both of them are all about appearances, about their public persona. They both have a lot of secrets that they would rather keep quiet.”

“Where are you going with this, Jack,” Rick questioned him.

“I understand that we don’t really have a leg to stand on, at least not in the court of law,” Jack paused as he considered his options and his opponents. “I also understand that you can’t really involve yourself in a legal way, that you have to appear impartial even though we all know what happened. Basically, the dominoes fall together. If you charge Mitch, you have to charge Greg and you have to charge Jeff.”

“That is correct.”

“What if we agree there is no criminal case here,” Jack understood his need to compromise. “What if we agree there are no charges to be filed.”

“What would that accomplish,” Rick still didn’t quite understand where Jack was going.

“It takes away their leverage. Mitch knows I’m not about to let Greg get charged with anything.”

“That is a slippery slope, Jack, one I might not be ready to take on.”

“I understand,” Jack appealed to Rick as a person rather than as an attorney. “But, what if it was your daughter, how would you feel.”

“I would want that bastard to pay for what he did. I would want him prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Rick stated the obvious.

“But short of that, if that wasn’t an option,” Jack led his witness. “What would you want.”

“I get it, Jack,” Rick understood Jack’s line of reasoning as he spoke like the father of a teenage daughter he was. “But, how are we going to prevent this from happening again in the future.”

“I have a plan,” Jack improvised as he realized the District Attorney was still on their side. “I’m just going to need a little help from you.”

* * *

“Good morning, Amanda,” Delaney was pleased that morning coffee was becoming part of their routine as she sat down at the table.

“Good morning, Delaney,” she responded with a smile. “Did you sleep better last night.”

“I did, how about you.”

“I slept great, thanks for taking Logan last night.”

“You are welcome, I’m glad it worked out for you,” Delaney teased her.

“Me too,” Amanda replied, nearly impossible to embarrass about anything. “So, is it going better with Greg.”

“It was,” Delaney blushed, still susceptible to embarrassment. “Until Jack came home.”

“I know, he told me.”

“Oh my God,” Delaney exhaled as she leaned her head back. “I knew he could tell what was going on. What did he say.”

“Don’t worry. He was also young once, believe it or not. He understands, and fortunately, he likes Greg.”

“That’s good,” Delaney was relieved. “We were so close yesterday, and it was perfect until Jack came home. You are not going to believe it, Amanda, but Greg is still a virgin.”

“That doesn’t really shock me,” Amanda surprised Delaney with her response.

“Why not.”

“I’m pretty sure Greg has known what he wanted all along, and he is not one to fool around. I’m also pretty sure he hasn’t had too much time to think about things like that. I think it’s nice that he saved himself for you.”

“I think it’s sweet,” Delaney agreed as she remembered his nervousness. “But I also think he nearly had a heart attack when Jack came home yesterday.”

“That’s funny,” Amanda smiled as she considered what to say. “We’ve decided we’re going to make it less uncomfortable for you guys. Jack and I talked last night, and we don’t want the two of you having to sneak around. So, we are going to go out of town after graduation.”

“Really,” Delaney replied, still surprised at Jack and Amanda’s progressiveness even after all these years. “What about Logan.”

“Logan is sleeping over at Michael’s. The two of you will have the house to yourselves.”

“Well thanks, Amanda,” she paused and then smiled. “That might make it a little easier for Greg, especially after yesterday,”

“I hope it does. Are you nervous.”

“Just a little, but I think everything worked out for the best,” Delaney wasn’t quite sure what she meant. “It’s almost like all of these near misses served as dress rehearsals.”

“That makes sense,” Amanda replied wistfully. “I wish I had taken the opportunity to practice, but I just jumped in. I always regretted not taking it more slowly and that my first time wasn’t with someone I loved. You are very lucky, Delaney.”

“And I have you to thank for that,” Delaney suddenly became emotional as she thought about Amanda’s troubled teenage years and about their own wonderful relationship over the last half decade. “I was lucky to have you just as I was lucky to have my mother for as long as I did.”

“Yes, you were lucky to have her,” Amanda replied as she started to cry. “Come here, honey.”

They hugged as Delaney cried on her shoulder, grateful for her advice and guidance, thankful that Amanda had been there for her.

Always her best friend, forever her surrogate mother.

* * *

“Are you sure about this, Jack,” Mike questioned him as they finished up with lunch.

“As sure as I can be,” he replied before taking the final bite of his sandwich. “We really don’t have any other alternative.”

“I guess not,” Mike conceded the point. “So, what’s your strategy.”

“It’s definitely not set in stone, it’s kind of fluid,” Jack said as he realized he was going to have to trust his reads. “We just have to count on Mitch’s overinflated ego and arrogance clouding his judgment. It’s really just going to be a well run bluff.”

“And you think he’s going to bite.”

“I hope so. I’m not sure he has any other choice. I guess it comes down to how far I want to take it. I don’t want to push too hard, but I am determined to make this right.”

“Jack, you missed your calling,” Mike admired his gift for strategy. “You should have been an attorney.”

“But then I wouldn’t need you,” Jack replied as he teased his friend.

“I don’t think you need me anyway,” Mike scoffed as he stood up to leave. “I’ve got to get going. Thanks for lunch. I’ll see you at four o’clock.”