Naked and Defiant (15 page)

Griffon's heart pounded when his gaze feel
upon of Jade's smooth profile. He stepped behind her and touched
her arm with an unusual degree of timidity. She turned, shrieked
loudly, and flung her arms around his neck. Cameras flashed wildly
around them as the 'reunion' of the survivors were captured on
film.

"How are you doing, Miss Brockton? You look
quite well," Griffon asked, giving her a perfunctory pat on the
shoulder before gently pushing her away.

She stepped back, putting distance between
them, her face registering pain at his reaction to her embrace.
"Once this horrendous day is over, I will be much better, thank
you." Her voice chilled the air around him.

"I believe you. I got this for you." Griffon
placed something in her hand. "It will give you the strength to see
this through. Excuse me, but I have to get seated."

He watched out of the corner of his eye as
Jade unfurled her hand to view the object. It was a piece of
nephrite jade with a tiny, south pacific hut and palm trees carved
into the center. Framing the sides and back of the miniature was
raw, unpolished stone. The word 'promise' was etched deeply into
the back. She looked at him and mouthed the words, "Thank you."

***

The trial commenced. With evidence exposing
Simon Kinslow's AKAs of five different names, the prosecuting
attorney made quick work of the case. The mood of the courtroom
changed when Griffon was called to the stand to testify as a
witness to the abandonment and Jade's physical condition.

"I find it interesting that you happened to
be present when the daughter of a competitor just happens to need
assistance. Mr. Badger, it is true that you negated a contract with
Brockton Industries just prior to this event?" Mr. Woods suddenly
questioned.

"I object," Tasha stood. "The corporate
dealings are irrelevant to this trial."

"Are they, Miss Hart? Would you care to step
forward and defend the witness? Perhaps explain his motives behind
keeping Miss Brockton stranded alone with him for a month, forcing
her to depend on him for her very survival? It appears a little
coincidental, don't you agree?" the attorney asked, directing his
question towards the new cameras. He launched into a speech,
insinuating Griffon had used the unfortunate incident to hinder
Jade from returning home to her loving father as vengeance for a
bad business deal.

Tasha raised another objection, reminding the
court that the issue was Simon's actions against the victim, not
how Griffon had saved her. In the midst of her speech, Jade
interrupted, blurting out the truth about her father.

"I tried to take the boat and destroyed it.
Griffon had nothing to do with any of this, except he got me out of
the water before the sharks smelled my bloody forehead. This attack
on Griffon is pure bullshit, and …"

"Miss Brockton! Please, contain yourself!"
the judge ordered, pounding his gavel upon the bench. "This problem
between your father and Mr. Badger is not up for discussion in this
courtroom. Not another word. Counselor, return to your questioning
and keep in mind that Mr. Badger is not the one being brought
before the bench on charges."

Jade ignored the judge's comments. "Contain
myself? Do you hear what is going on? Simon is on trial for
kidnapping and abandonment, and they are trying to turn it into a
trial against Griffon for saving my life. My father has been
holding me captive in that place he calls a home since I returned.
He is the one who is using me to get back at Griffon!"

"Silence!" Brockton shouted. "Your honor, you
know that I had her examined by a psychologist. She was diagnosed
with PTSD and cannot be held responsible for things she says. Her
emotions and memories are skewed, largely due to the ideas Mr.
Badger planted in her head."

"That is a fucking lie!" Jade screamed,
standing to glare at him. Cameras flashed in her face as reporters
saw her outbreak as something media-worthy. "You are a cruel,
inhumane, son of a …"

"Your Honor, if I may interject," Tasha said
calmly, as the judge repeatedly beat the desk with his gavel.

"Yes, Miss Hart?" the judge asked
wearily.

"May I approach the bench?"

Jade ran into Griffon's arms, sobbing, as the
two counselors stood before the judge. "It will be okay, baby. I
promised you that I would find a way for you to be free, didn't I?
I am just sorry that it had to come to this."

"You didn't even yell at me for cussing,"
Jade sniffed.

"I'll scold later. Let's just get this
finished," Griffon said, softly. "Now go sit down and act like we
are only friends, okay? Trust me."

"May I have your attention? Order!" the judge
banged the gavel again. "Mr. Brockton! I will not have this
screaming in my courtroom. You are not a witness in this case, and
the issues you are raising are pure speculation. I am not going to
have you turn my court into a circus so that you can have your
vengeance."

"I have evidence that suggests that Badger
conspired with Kinslow," Mr. Brockton hissed.

"Is this true, Mr. Woods?" the judge asked,
glaring at the pale attorney.

"It is circumstantial only, Your Honor.
Nonadmissable," the attorney said, timorously.

"That is bullshit! This bastard …" Mr.
Brockton began.

"I have heard enough of this. Court is at
recess," the judge announce. He pointed to Mr. Woods, "I will see
you and Mr. Badger in my chambers immediately."

"I'm coming, too!" Jade announced, clinging
to Griffon's hand.

He patted her knuckles. "No, you stay here
and let the attorneys handle this issue."

"Do I have a choice?" Jade asked, eyes
narrowed.

"Of course you do," Griffon answered. He
leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "You have the choice to
mind me or go over my knee once this whole thing is done."

"You already promised me a spanking for
slapping you across the face," Jade whispered back. "Do you think I
would forget?"

"I guess not," he chuckled. "Stay out here.
I'm not asking you. Do not talk with the media, either. You can't
trust their spin on things."

"Since you put it so nicely, okay." Jade
stepped back, releasing his hand. "Good luck."

"We won't be long. We'll make it so that you
are free to do what you want in your life, okay?" Tasha promised,
touching her arm.

"I want to be with Griffon," Jade said
firmly, looking up into the man's serious expression.

"That can't happened until this dies down,
Jade. We need to put this trial to rest and get your father off
Griffon's trail." Tasha leaned forward and said quietly, "Griff is
my best friend, and I am going to do everything I can to make him
happy. That includes freeing you. But you need to give me some
time."

"I've waited almost four months," Jade
sighed. "I guess I can wait a little more. Thanks, Miss Hart."

The moment the chamber doors were shut, Mr.
Brockton began shouting obscenities in Griffon's direction,
blatantly ignoring his attorney's advice to control his temper. The
judge clapped his hands, gaining their attention. "I have heard
enough. First, this outbreak is unacceptable. Mr. Brockton, you
might be able to throw your weight around in the business world,
but in here, I am the CEO. Mr. Woods, control your client or I will
find him in contempt."

"Your honor, if I may ask for a moment to
discuss this situation with Mr. Brockton. I …"

"There is no situation! This man took
advantage of my poor, innocent daughter and seduced her to believe
a fantasy about herself," Brockton spat.

"I did no such thing! We were nothing but
casual friends, trying to survive, and you damn well know it!"
Griffon rebutted.

"I see the way she mourns over not being with
you. That says you pushed her into something more than a casual
friendship, you pervert! She is a child, compared to you! You used
your experience to manipulate her feelings and turn her against
me."

"Your honor," Tasha interjected, holding
Griffon at bay. "Mr. Brockton's statements are unwarranted and
without merit. They are also irrelevant to the matter at hand. We
are here to prosecute criminal charges against Simon Kinslow and
not civil allegations against Mr. Badger."

Brockton interrupted, "Her ideas are obscene,
and I had a psychologist confirm that she has suffered in this
man's hands. He forced her to be dependent on him and now is using
his power of persuasion to make her come against me. Get her
medical records, and you can see it for yourself."

"Miss Hart?" the judge raised an eyebrow.

"I wish to make the point that my client has
not had any contact with Miss Brockton since they were rescued.
That fact, supported by communication records that I hold in my
hand, negates Mr. Brockton's insinuations that Mr. Badger has been
using the victim in this crime to plot against him. Mr. Brockton's
paranoia has etiologies unrelated to his daughter's abduction and
abandonment. I am more than happy to address these particular
findings, if deemed necessary for the conclusion of this trial.
Regarding her psychological condition, it is true that Dr. Torrance
evaluated Miss Brockton upon her father's request. She was
diagnosed with unstaged PTSD."

"See?! Even your attorney can't deny what the
professionals think about this! I told you that Badger was
scum!"

"However," Tasha continued, ignoring the
man's gloating, "Dr. Torrance concluded that the majority of Miss
Brockton's post-abduction and abandonment issues were directly
related to the present conditions she is experiencing under the
confines of Mr. Brockton's attentions. According to the report,"
Tasha read aloud, "Miss Brockton claims that she has been
effectively imprisoned in, and I quote, a gilded cage."

"That is a lie! I give that child every
amenity under the sun! She lacks for nothing…."

"Except freedom," Griffon growled. "You cut
off her finances, her phone, her Internet and all communication
with the outside world. You are forbidding her the pursuit of a
formal education; you dictate what she wears, what she eats and how
much she is allowed to engage in physical exercise. You are a
warden, not a father!"

"You sonofabitch! How dare you!"

"My parents were happily married, thank you,
so don't bring my mother into it. You are despicable ….

"Gentlemen! Enough of this. This is not a
boardroom. I brought you into my chambers to spare both of you
unwanted media attention over an issue that is inappropriate for
these proceedings. Mr. Badger, you have made some very serious
accusations. Do you have any evidence to support your
statements?"

"We do, your honor, however, we must obtain
Miss Brockton's permission to present it to the court," Tasha said
calmly, holding up a thick folder. "In my hand, I hold all bank
statements, communication records and billings that prove Miss
Brockton's claim."

"How did you come by this information,
counselor?" the judge asked with a twinkle in his eye.

"How does one usually obtain information,
your honor? One asks for it," Tasha met him squarely in the eye. "I
assure Your Honor that, after having to deal with Mr. Brockton's
behavior, there are a multitude of people willing to donate
information to see that he loses his influence over his
daughter."

The judge turned to Mr. Brockton, whose face
was inflamed with dark, angry red. "It sounds as though you are
burning a hell of a lot of bridges, Brockton. Are you certain you
wish to pursue these accusations against Mr. Badger? Do I need to
call in your daughter to release this information to the
court?"

"No, Your Honor," Mr. Brockton's attorney
quickly interjected, holding his hand across his client's chest. "I
am certain that this is nothing but a big misunderstanding, brought
about by horrific events. We know that poor Miss Brockton was
distraught and incapable of making decisions based on prudency.
There is no need to drag her through the mud as she is struggling
on the edge of sanity."

"Quite the contrary, Mr. Woods," Tasha raised
an eyebrow. "The psychiatry report indicates that Miss Brockton is
not only highly competent to make life decisions, but that the
choices she prefers are considered positive personal goals. Would
you care to see? After all, Mr. Brockton is the one who initiated
this examination."

"That is impossible! I hired that therapist
to declare her incompetent! He assured me that he would find the
source of her problem and give me a recommendation to resolve
it!"

"You sure got what you paid for," Griffon
glared at him. "When he told you that
you
are the source of
her problem, what did you do to help her? Well?!"

"Mr. Badger, please …" Tasha said, hand on
his shoulder. "I
am
curious, though. Mr. Brockton? Would you
please explain to the judge the details of Dr. Torrance's
instructions on how to handle her issues?"

"That is none of anyone's business except my
own. You should not be privy to his reports. I did not give my
permission to release that information to you!"

"No, but your daughter did. She signed a full
release while in the hospital after her rescue. Mr. Griffon had the
foresight to get that completed prior to her return home. Your
honor? Would you care to know what the physician endorsed for Miss
Brockton?" she waited for his nod and lifted the paper in her hand.
"The report reads that he recommended allowing her to pursue her
education, which would give her a sense of control over her life.
He also believes that allowing her the opportunity to explore her
new interests would be both uplifting and beneficial in building
self-confidence. Her desire to maintain personal health and
conditioning are favorable for a positive lifestyle, and ..."

"He set me up. That son of a …"