My legs wobbling, I stumble a little trying to hold everything together. The room’s spinning, and I feel a little like I did the last time I passed out, although this time I know it’s just from shock.
“Get her a chair, young man,” the judge growls, as Kurt is grabbing me before I fall.
The defense lawyer drags the chair in behind me, and I feel my ass land in it.
“Asha, baby it’s okay, just breathe for me. Big deep breaths, you can do this.”
I focus on his face that is now right in front of me. I can’t believe what I just heard.
“Dead,” I whisper. “They’re all dead.” I shake my head a little to try to stop the room from still moving on me. “They must be lying, it can’t be true.”
I can hear voices coming from behind Kurt, but I can’t understand any of it.
All I’m looking at are the dark eyes that are fixed on me.
“Let’s just worry about you breathing, and we can work the rest out in a minute.” I know Ghost is likely talking in his ear, and he will know everything that is going on behind the closed doors now.
“But if they’re dead, is this over?”
Discreetly he whispers something into his sleeve, and then I see him listening.
Slowly the corner of his lips start to curl upwards into a smile.
“Yeah, baby. It’s over. As we say in the business, the threat has been eliminated.”
Gasping, my hands cover my mouth. “By us?” I’m not sure I want to know that answer, but I have to ask.
“Nope, it seems they have more than one enemy in this world. That’s what happens when you start playing on the wrong side of the law. And this is what is known as karma.”
I’m still staring at him as he gets to his feet from where he’s been squatting in front of me.
“But how, what happened? I’m so confused.” The reality of it all starts to sink in a little.
“Well, that isn’t our concern. It’s someone else’s rodeo now. Our main priority is to get you out of here and clear of the media circus that will be about to descend on this courthouse.”
Jacinta appears at my side. “Are you okay?” she asks, showing a softness I’ve never pictured from her. “You’ve had a big fright.”
“To be honest, I don’t know, but I think I will be. I just need time to work out what the hell is going on.”
She laughs which shocks both Kurt and me. “You and me both, Asha, you and me both.” With that she stands and walks towards the judge. She speaks to him and then turns back to us.
“You two are cleared to leave, Kurt. Take care of her and get her as far away from Chicago as you can. It’s going to be a shitshow here for a while. I’ll be in touch if we need anything.”
“Thanks for everything.” He reaches out shakes her hand and then takes mine.
Slowly pulling me to my feet, he gives me time to steady myself. “Ghost and Hawk have organized for us to exit through a secure back door. Hawk is waiting outside in the car for us.”
I just nod because I don’t know what else to say.
He has me up and moving out of the room.
Everything is happening around me, and I don’t know how to process it all, so I don’t. I just go through the motions of walking, tucked tightly into Kurt’s side again. We’re escorted by one of the court officers down a quiet corridor.
Exiting the back door of the building, the bright sunlight hits my eyes and I squint, trying to see. I stumble a little on my feet, but luckily the car is right there, and before I have time to adjust to the light, Kurt bundles me into the back seat, sliding in beside me, and the door is slammed tight. The car accelerates away quickly, and I’m being pulled into Kurt’s arms before I can even get my seatbelt on properly.
No one speaks for a few minutes.
It’s then I realize I’m not the only one who’s processing the shock of the last thirty minutes.
Finally, it’s Scott that breaks the silence. “What the fuck just happened?” he asks, looking at us in his rearview mirror.
“No idea, buddy, but no one’s complaining,” Kurt replies as his hand is now resting on my chin, lifting my face up to look at him.
“All I know is, today Asha finally gets her life back.” Leaning in, his lips are so soft and gentle on mine. Sealing his words.
“Is it really true? Am I free to go home?”
His eyes flicker with a little worry as he replies, “Yeah, Jenna, you get to go home, wherever you choose that to be.”
There is only one answer to that and one I’ve known ever since that day on the beach. “My home is with you. So, take me home, Kurt.”
Nothing about the kiss this time is soft and gentle.
It’s hot and heavy and more sexual than it should be with Scott in the car, but neither of us care.
It’s not every day you get your freedom back.
I’m sure he will forgive us this once.
Instead of going straight home to the beach, the guys decided a few days back at the cabin would be a good idea to help me to come to terms with everything that has happened.
To be honest, I don’t think it was just about me.
The last few weeks have taken a toll on Kurt just as much as me, and to some extent, Ghost too, not that he will admit to that.
I slept for most of the first twenty-four hours.
The adrenaline crash is a killer, and my body just shut down. Kurt and I were sneaked in under the cover of darkness, so Bessy had no idea we were in the cabin for a few days. Cassie had
