Chicks, Man

We make love, we fuck, we struggle to breathe, until she moans my name, squeezing around me, soaking me with her release. I buckle once more, needing the deepest depths of her cunt, until I expand and fall over, mixing my orgasm with hers.

We lay quiet, catching our breaths, savoring in the aftermath. When my heartrate seems to level out, I lift up, wanting to assess her reaction. As I hoped, her eyes are shining with contentment. Gone is the fear. “You’re absolutely intoxicating.” I press a gentle kiss to her lips. Her breathing becomes staggered, and I worry she’s about to lose it.

“I love you,” she says, and it cracks my heart open.

“I love you too. Are you okay?” I have to ask. I need to measure what she’s feeling.

She swallows, as if pushing away emotion. “You remember how you tell me all the time I’m your drug and you’re addicted?” I nod. I’m not shy about telling her exactly what she is to me. “Well…I know I’ve never said it, but for me, you’re like my medicine—being with you, it…heals me.” It’s my turn to choke down my emotions. “It’s super corny. But it’s the truth.”

I want to spend my entire day, year, lifetime telling her what she means to me. But I let the silence of our breathing, the beating of our hearts, respond for us. Time passes too fast, stealing our moment. I know we can no longer pretend. It’s time.

“Are you ready for today?” I hold her gaze, needing to see every emotion that passes through her eyes.

“I am. I want to move on. Be done. I want him to realize he was wrong for what he did. And accept that he won’t. I’m prepared that it will be hard. But I’m ready.”

My strong little warrior.

“All right. Let’s get today over with.”

We get up and prepare to sit in a courtroom, face to face with Connor Miller for the last time.

Justin West, our top resident lawyer who’s been lead on the case, stands, addressing Connor. “Mr. Miller, please state for the record your full name.”

“Connor Braydon Miller.”

My palms are clammy. I fight the urge to pull at my neckline, my collar all of a sudden too tight. A million times I’ve been in this courtroom, but never has it been defending someone I love. I fought hard to be the one to take Connor down. It had to be me. I needed to be the one staring in his eyes when I took away his freedom. Even Jim had his moments of needing revenge. But there were too many conflicts of interest and his defense team shut it down. We are lucky enough to even be sitting at the counsel table. “And, Mr. Miller, please state for the jury your relationship with Benjamin Miller and Miller Industries.”

Connor’s disturbing smile sets an unease inside me. I worry what it’s doing to Hannah. Stay focused. “He’s my father. And that’s his company. One day to be mine.”

He’s fucking demented. Miller Industries is already being shut down and disbanded as we speak. By the time Braydon gets out of prison, which our firm plans to fight tooth and nail to be never, he won’t have anything. “So, you’re also aware of the charges against Miller Industries. Thirty-five counts of first-degree murder. Twelve counts of attempted murder. Not to mention, violation of environmental law, corporate fraud, antitrust violations, bribery. Did I miss anything?” Justin begins.

Connor smiles at the jury and responds, but Justin cuts him off. “Oh, wait. I forgot obstruction of justice, racketeering, tax fraud. Mr. Connor, let me rephrase my question, what criminal offense didn’t Miller Industries get prosecuted for?”

Connor’s shit smile falters, but not before slapping the mask of the devil back on his face and aiming his evilness at me. “Maybe sexual assault. The things I got to do to one of my fellow female coworkers is probably frowned—”

“You motherfucker!” Kip’s thunderous voice booms through the courtroom. Judge Foster slams down his gavel as Stacey stands, trying to get him to sit back down.

Connor laughs and starts licking his lips, enticing another round of expletives from Kip. “I’ll fucking—”

“Order!” Judge Foster slams his gavel again. “Order! Sir, if you do not contain yourself, I will have you removed from this courtroom!”

I fight not to turn around. I can’t bear what I’ll see on Hannah’s face. I need to stay focused. I hear Jim, who’s also seated at the counsel table, shift, demanding in his fatherly tone for Kipley to shut it down. Before the trial, the family had a sit down. It was embedded in every single family member if they couldn’t handle what they may hear, they should not be in the courtroom. Kipley lasted all of five damn minutes.

“Mr. West, please continue.”

Stay focused. He has this. It’s killing me not being up there. Justin continues. “Mr. Miller, what is your relationship with Matthews and Associates?”