Chapter 01: A Game of Cat and Mouse

“I know it’s difficult,” Alexa gently spoke, moving a little closer to the witness stand. “But, Nina, could you please walk us through the events of that night.”

“They said it was like golf,” Nina McCarthy cried as she recalled details of the night she was gang raped by a group of fraternity brothers. “They said I was the ‘hole’ in their game of stroke play. It was funny to them. The louder I cried, the more points they scored and they did everything they could to make me scream. I was burned, slapped, kicked, punched…they tortured me!”

“It went on for hours,” she sobbed, drying her eyes as she looked over at the defendants. “When they were finally done, they dumped me out on the street in front of the hospital naked and bleeding. They threatened that if I told anyone what happened, they’d come back and do it again.”

Alexa stood listening, eyeing the men at the defense table; memorizing their faces. It went against her rules and she promised to never deviate from her mission. But people like the defendants were the very reason she went into the revenge business in the first place. Scum who hurt innocent people for their enjoyment needed to be shown they had no right. “Nina, please, allow me to play Devil’s advocate for a moment and ask a question I’m sure everyone is wondering; why did you attend that Alpha Delta Row party?”

“I wanted to have a good time. I wasn’t going initially but my roommate thought I needed a break from studying and begged me to go with her.”

“And you went dressed as a naughty nurse. Didn’t you think it would draw unwanted attention from some of the guys in attendance?

“It was a costume party. I dressed up in the same costume I’d used the previous Halloween on the same college campus. No one bothered me then. I didn’t wear it so that guys would flirt with me. I wore it because I liked it!”

“Nina, you failed to report your rape. For two months, you remained silent about the night in question. You never confided in your roommate, your parents, not even your twin sister with whom you are very close. Why is that?”

“Because I…I didn’t want to go through what they did to me again. I believed they would make good on their threat and I…I wouldn’t survive it a second time.”

“Thank you, Nina. No further questions, Your Honor.”

Defense counsel James Beckett stood and buttoned his suit jacket before moving around the table to address the plaintiff. “Ms. McCarthy, you testified that my clients tortured you, compared sex with you to a game of golf. Collecting points for the acts performed?”

“Yes,” she sniffled and wiped her eyes on the cloth in her hands. “That’s correct.”

“And I thought the point of golf was to get as few points as possible,” Beckett quipped.

“Your Honor!” Alexa jumped to her feet enraged and glaring at defense counsel.

“I’m way ahead of you, Ms. Taylor. Counselor Beckett, you know better. I’m holding you for one count of direct contempt.”

“I apologize, Your Honor. It won’t happen again.”

“Strike that last comment from the record,” Judge Barba firmly stated. “You may continue, Counselor, but watch yourself.”

“Ms. McCarthy, isn’t it true the idea of ‘golf’ wasn’t introduced until you yourself mentioned it to Mr. Patterson?”

“No, that’s not true.”

“In fact, you told my clients that whomever got the most points, you would give him a repeat performance the following evening, isn’t that, right?”

“NO!” Nina yelled, again on the verge of tears. “I never said that. I DIDN’T ASK FOR THIS! You think I wanted to be raped? To be burned and beaten and treated like some animal? They hurt me! They tortured me! And after they were done, they threatened my life!” Nina’s tears escaped in a hysterical flurry of emotion and Judge Barba excused the court for a lunch recess to allow her time to collect herself. 

“Ms. Taylor,” Alexa turned at the sound of her name and found herself facing defense attorney James Beckett. “Ms. Taylor, my clients are interested in ending this as quickly and as quietly as possible. We’re curious as to what type of settlement, if any, we can offer to Ms. McCarthy so we can…”

“Sweep this under the rug? What’s the matter, Mr. Beckett? Afraid that unwarranted and inexcusable joke you made about my client’s ordeal may have damaged you and your clients in the eyes of the jury? Because I gotta tell ya, they seemed to really dislike your jab at a rape victim quite a bit.”

“Let’s not pretend here, Ms. Taylor. Ms. McCarthy remained quiet about her ‘ordeal’ for two months because, unlike she claims, there was no rape. The only reason she came forward is because she learned that my clients have very, very deep pockets and she was hoping to rake in a large settlement from them, the university or both.” Alexa scoffed and began walking away. James quickly rushed after her, apologizing to her back. “Wait, I’m sorry, let’s be reasonable here. How much does your client want to end this thing?”

“How does 20 to life sound to you? Your clients are responsible for the permanent disfiguring of my client’s body. Not only did they gang rape her for HOURS, they tortured her and scarred her for life. Do you really think money is going to solve the emotional and physical damage they’ve caused? They took away her ability to trust another living soul. Do you have any idea how hard things have been for her? The nightmares, the name calling, the media bashing and to have the university suspend her for coming forward…no, Mr. Beckett. Money won’t save your clients. Not this time. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

Alexa again started for the parking lot, moving swiftly to cleanse her personal space of the shyster’s presence. “An offer is on the table, Ms. Taylor,” he shouted to her retreating back. “You are obligated by law to take it to your client. Then we’ll see which of us is right about her!”

“Knock, knock.” Alexa looked up to find Travis standing in the doorway. She had returned to the office after another hard-fought day in court and was working tirelessly to uncover more dirt to use against the defendants. She wanted to make sure they’d get the highest sentence possible for each individual charge. Smiling at the S.A., Travis slowly entered the room as she went back to the documents in front of her. “Burning that midnight oil I see.”

“Well, it’s what you pay me for,” she responded without looking up.

“The McCarthy case?” he asked, taking a peek at the forms on her desk. “I heard the defense attorney offered you a settlement on that.”

“You heard right,” Alexa replied, still focused on the papers in her hand. “Not only that, it was a ‘name your price’ offer. They desperately want to close the books on any scandal. I think it looks bad for daddy’s businesses. People are less willing to invest money when they see their CFO’s name being sullied in the media; reflects negatively on their capabilities.”

Travis nodded and dragged his hand over his mouth as he adjusted in front of Alexa’s desk. Dropping a new page to the folder, he sighed heavily and inhaled deeply. “I’ve been giving it some thought myself. And I’ve decided that he’s right; defense counsel. This isn’t a winnable case.”

With that, Alexa finally sat back and gave the State’s Attorney her full attention. “The evidence is heavily in defense’s favor. There are witness testimonies and videos that show the plaintiff flirting with and provoking the defendants.”

“Wait so you’re telling me flirting with a guy makes a woman deserving of rape? Maybe next time a guy wolf whistles at me I should walk over, pull his pants down and shove my fist and other foreign objects up his ass because, by your logic, he provoked it.”

“You know what I mean,” Travis sighed impatiently.

“No, Sir, I really don’t.”

“She was seen making out with two of the defendants on several different occasions throughout the night. And to make matters worse, she remained silent about it for two months. Those things, when viewed together, make for a very difficult case to win.”

“Nina was drunk. Being drunk is NOT an invitation to rape. It’s not consent to be tortured or filmed or brutalized in the manner in which she was. This case is winnable on merit alone. And I, for one, won’t be bullied by defense attorneys, defendants or the billions their deep-pocket daddies bring to the table. I can’t believe you’re caving!”

“I’m doing what’s best for the case,” Travis defended.

“What’s best for the case is to fight them in court and send their rapist asses to prison for the rest of their pathetic lives!”

“And when they get off, and they will get off, you’ll have spent all this time, energy and resources for nothing. There will be no justice. At least this way we know they’ll do some time.”

“Yeah. About 80 years less than what I’m going for. And at least my way we will have taken this thing all the way instead of throwing our hands up and giving in halfway!”

“I can’t and I won’t trust this in the hands of 12 jurors, Hannah. I’m telling you to call up James Beckett and make a plea for the sexual assault.”

“Sexual assault carries a maximum of 10 years; they can be out in 8 with good behavior. And you just KNOW these ‘upstanding citizens’ won’t even receive the max! They’ll be looking at MAYBE 3! I can’t in good conscience agree to that! And what about the rest of their crimes? I have them on charges ranging from rape to indecent assault to torture and you want to just hand them a ‘get out of jail free’ card for that?” 

“No St. Claire jury in their right mind will convict four young men from privileged families on those charges, especially against the word of a—a…”

“Go on, say it. A low-class black girl on scholarship from a state college with a public-school education.”

“I just don’t see it happening,” Travis sighed.

“So now it’s about race? It’s not just the fact that she’s a slut who was just begging to be raped and filmed.” Alexa thought for a moment before sitting up straighter in her chair. Her eyes pinned Travis in place as a niggling thought made its way to the forefront of her mind. “What do they have on you? That’s it right? They have to be threatening you or blackmailing you with something that will hurt your campaign? Or is that it? Did they promise to bankroll your campaign fund? Is that why you’re so willing to throw Nina under the bus for these people?” 

Anger replaced the amiable expression on Travis’ face and Alexa, for the first time, realized that her boss had quite the temper on him. “You work for me! And as your boss, I am giving you an order. Make the deal, Hannah, and clear the case from the docket or I’ll replace you with someone who will!” Travis excused himself and Alexa sat quietly in her office, dumbfounded by the exchange. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t understand Travis’ desire to let four accused rapists off the hook with a lesser charge of assault and possible probation to boot. After what seemed like hours, she finally willed herself to move. She stood, inhaled deeply, collected her briefcase and turned off the light, heading home for the evening. 

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Gavin echoed, looking up into Alexa’s eyes as she started into the den with him. Turning the volume down on the television, he leaned back against the couch with a smile. “Did I wake you?”

“Oh, no. I couldn’t sleep; strange house and all,” she sighed, slowly walking forward. “I didn’t know you played,” she commented, referring to the guitar in his hands.

“I don’t,” he smiled, looking down at the instrument. “Well, not anymore.” His fingers continued absently strumming over the strings and Alexa took a seat on the floor in front of him. Gavin leaned forward, smiling at her before readjusting the guitar in his lap. “When I was in high school, I imagined myself as some famous rock star. But reality quickly caught up to me. The band broke up, my friends moved away, and I needed to figure out something to do with myself.”

“So, you turned to cars?”

“Well, as my mom likes to put it, I was born with a wrench in my hand. But I guess without music, auto mechanics was the next logical step.” The mindless strumming began taking on a melodic rhythm and Gavin’s eyes closed as he began singing a rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.”

Slowly, Alexa swayed to the sound of his voice, watching in genuine fascination as he made the song his own. When it was over, his eyes opened and she was met with one of the most charming of smiles. “Come here.” His silky voice was underlined by a smokiness that tugged at her insides. She moved toward him, taking a seat on the sofa. Alexa shuddered as his fingers slid along her arm, pulling her in closer.

An ache formed in her belly and began to spread, creeping into every nerve in her body, making her quiver. Staring at him in silence, his intense gaze raked over her face ravenously. They were inches apart, and Alexa could smell the rich aroma that was him. It was incredibly male and full of spice, making her head spin like a losing battle with a bottle of wine.

Their hands were still connected. And every time his fingers rubbed against her skin, another piece of her melted. What are you doing? She was letting herself fall for his charms. It was a dangerous road, she knew it, but she was in no rush to turn the wheel. Gavin’s warm breath tickled across her flesh the closer their mouths came together and ripples of desire rolled through her trembling form.

A groan fell from between his lips as their mouths met and she shuddered when his hand skated across her neck, pulling her closer. He was warm and everything she craved. Alexa erupted in a red-hot wave of need. She grabbed the sides of his head and forced his mouth against her tongue, teasing his lip. Alexa moaned and Gavin gripped her tighter, pulling her into his lap.

Moving her arm to wrap around him, Alexa’s elbow bumped the strings of the guitar and she giggled, breaking the kiss as she realized the instrument was still between them. “Oops,” she grinned and slid back to the couch beside him. Gavin adjusted the crotch of his pants with a groan and smirked toward her. 

“You’re killing me.” His fingers gently caressed her chin and she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Play something for me.” Gavin thought for a minute before settling his fingers on his guitar. Moments later, the sound of The Beatles’ “Come Together” erupted from the instrument and Alexa belted out the tune with him. “More classic rock huh?”

“Hey, what can you expect when my parents were brought up on the stuff and I was heavily exposed to it in my childhood? Plus, I can’t help but love it considering it was a 1977 Pink Floyd concert where my parents met and fell in love.”

Alexa pressed her fingers against the middle fret and laughed hearing the discord it caused in the melody. “You know if you’re interested, I can teach you a few chords.” Alexa grinned and politely declined the offer. Having watched him play the last few songs, she’d already picked up on the notes and was confident she could recall the tunes perfectly.

“I’m actually getting tired. How about instead, you come and tuck me in?”

“Oh!” Gavin replied, resting the guitar against the side of the couch. “Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse!”

Alexa rolled to her side as light from the partially opened curtains flashed behind her shut eyelids. She moaned and rubbed a lazy hand across her face, slowly opening her eyes to find Gavin lying beside her, watching. “Mmm morning.”

“Good morning.” He leaned over, placing a chaste kiss on her cheek as she stretched and moved closer toward him. “You’re really pretty when you sleep.”

“You watched me sleep?”

“Only for a bit. You looked so peaceful,” he admitted sheepishly. “I couldn’t help it. You were making these cute, little noises and they kinda got me going.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” she giggled, noticing his erection pushing the sheet up beside her thigh. Gavin smiled and pulled himself up on his elbows. In one smooth motion, he maneuvered himself on top of Alexa and quickly thrust himself inside her. His breath escaped in a deep groan and she closed her arms around his neck as he pushed into her again and again.

A knock at the door interrupted his rhythm and they both stared toward it, waiting for the person on the other side to go away. But another knock echoed through the room and Alexa held her breath as Gavin called out to whomever it was. “Sweetie? Breakfast will be ready soon and I was hoping you and Hannah would join us before your dad headed in to work.”

“Uh, yeah, sure, Mom. We’ll be right out.” They listened as her footsteps disappeared down the hallway and Gavin grunted with annoyance as his head fell. Alexa laughed, pulling his gaze up to meet hers.

“I guess that’s why you never brought girls home.”

“Well, it’s certainly one reason,” he grinned before kissing her. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m not the one who’s gonna have blue balls,” she laughed again as he dragged himself off of her. “Meet ya in the shower.” She slid off the bed and started toward the bathroom, tossing her shirt to the hamper on the way.

“Hey,” Gavin called to her back. Alexa turned with a smile and he pulled up to his elbows as he stared at her. “When are we going to talk about your ex?” The smile on her face disappeared and Gavin moved from the bed toward her. “Whoa, I don’t mean to upset you. I’m just curious. You haven’t really told me the whole story.”

“You’re right. And I know I owe you an explanation. I just…can’t talk about it; not yet. Can we do it later? I promise, I’ll tell you everything.”

“Sure, yeah, of course.”

As expected, James Beckett jumped at the plea and Alexa found herself comforting Nina for the better part of the day after breaking the news. She wasn’t pleased with the final result and no one could blame her. Alexa felt as though she’d let her down. After promising to see her attackers put away for life, she fell short and delivered only 8 years. It was a bitter pill to swallow. “Hello,” Alexa woefully croaked into her speakerphone.

“A, I think I might have figured out why our client wants Stark eliminated so badly. And as you suspected, it has quite a bit to do with his recent announcement about running for governor.”

“That means that he had to have at some point or another discussed the possibility with someone. There’s no way our client magically concluded that he would make a bid for office and have the foresight to take him out before he did. We need to pinpoint the exact moment it was discussed and from there we might be able to narrow down the list of suspects.”

“Well, I know there are a few people who would benefit from not having him take that seat. His campaign alone makes promises that will upset big business, the criminal element of St. Claire and the departments of transportation and health. It’s quite a list of characters. I sent you a link so you can see what I’m talking about.”

“I’ll have to check that when I get home.”

“Where are you right now?” Kasper asked, hearing the sounds of laughter and music echoing through the earpiece.

“Out. There’s something I have to take care of,” she said, watching more students stumble out of the frat house. “I’ll talk to you later, K.” 

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