The Sandstone Affair (An Erotic Romance Novel) (25 page)

“Here we go,” Mark whispers into my ear, his
voice driving me wild.

“In the matter of Sharp versus Sandstone
Ventures, I find there is sufficient cause to stop the transfer of the asset
known as Lynx Magazine. It shall remain in stasis as a Sandstone property
facilitated by Miss Julia Sharp until such time as the court decrees it is
satisfied with the legality and mutuality of said transfer.”

“I don’t know what that means,” I confide to
Mark.

“It means you’re not going anywhere,” he replies
with a big smile and side-arm hug. We turn back to the judge who looks at us
impatiently.

“Further, the cause of justice must come
before the cause of business, thus I am issuing a cease and desist order for
Mr. Blake Stone and Mr. Kenneth Allen to stop all business proceedings regarding
Lynx Magazine until the allegations of embezzlement, fraud, invasion of privacy,
and witness intimidation can be investigated and adjudicated fully.”

“Watch this,” Mark whispers as Paul stands
up. It’s clear that they left saving me up to Robert Clank and spent most of
their day in a planning session of their own.

“If it pleases the court, your honor,” Paul
says. “Once Mr. Stone and Mr. Allen learn the transfer of the property known as
Lynx Magazine has been stopped, they are likely to destroy any evidence that
exists. Mr. Mark Stone will also testify that Blake Stone has a tremendous
amount of money and connections and would likely flee prosecution if not held
under bond immediately. We believe the evidence and testimony of four witnesses
present is enough to mandate the arrest on reasonable suspicion of both
subjects. We request Mr. Stone and Mr. Allen be arrested and detained to be
held under bond, an immediate restrictive order on Mr. Stone regarding
Sandstone property, computers, and systems, and a personal protective order for
Miss Sharp.”

“Mr. Stone.” The judge looks over as Mark
rises. I can’t believe what I am hearing. It’s too good to be true.

“Yes, Sir?”

“Do you honestly believe your brother would
flee the country or destroy company records once he learns the rejoinder has
been granted?”

“Yes, your honor, I do.” Mark replies
solemnly. “I am also fearful that he would further attempt to hurt Miss Sharp
as well.”

“Mr. Clank.” The judge looks away as Mark
tentatively sits down. It’s everything I can do to keep from jumping into his
lap right here. “You’re an expert on the bail bondsman business. If Mr. Blake
Stone were not in custody, do you believe he would flee and deny justice in
this matter?”

“Your honor.” Mr. Clank stands to address the
judge as well. “I can’t tell you for sure if he would run or not. But I can
tell you this. Blake Stone possesses such a high risk of flight that Clank and
Clack Bail Bonds will not take him as a client because he represents a
potential loss of capital. In short, Sir, I find Mr. Stone to be a bad
investment.”

Ever the venture capitalist, a slight smile
appears on Mark’s face as he hears his brother placed on the slush pile of
financial ventures where Blake had put Lynx. Nodding and flipping through the
papers one more time, the judge issues his final order, taken by the bailiff.

“As an officer of the court, I hereby issue
an arrest warrant for Mr. Blake Stone and Mr. Kenneth Allen to be executed
immediately. Suspects will be remanded for arraignment pending investigation. I
also issue a writ of proprietor protection toward Sandstone Ventures and all
personal and electronic systems therein. Finally, I grant a personal order of
restraint toward Miss Julia Sharp. Neither suspect is to be closer than five-hundred
feet to Miss Sharp, her home, or her business.”

With a bang of his gavel, we were done. I hug
Mark as hard as I can, tears of joy falling down my face.

“I’m so proud of you,” he says to me and he
holds me. “We won, Julia. We won.”

I pull myself away enough to thank Paul Fries
for his fantastic work, and walk Kevin and Janice to the door of the courtroom,
reminding Kevin to come to work Monday morning, sharp. Janice asks if I want to
come to stay at her house, or at least stop by for a while. I decline the
invitation but give her a hug and thank her for all her love while teasing her
again about the wig and makeup combo.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stop by?” she
asks, giving me the once over. My hair is flat, my morning dress is now a dingy
limp sweat-stained disaster, and my shoe is missing a strap, somehow. “Seems to
me we both have some cleaning up to do.”

“I’m so happy,” I bubble. “I don’t even
care!’

I go back over to Mark and stand holding his
hand when the bailiff comes toward me. He is carrying a stack of orders to be
called in to the police.

“Miss Sharp, once I call these in, the cops
will go pick him up. But there’s no guarantee they can find him quickly. You
should stay here or somewhere safe until you can verify we have him in custody and
he’s been advised of the orders.”

“I know where he is,” Valerie offers with a
smile. The bailiff is all ears, as are Mark and I. “He’s at Lynx. I told them I
was coming here to keep an eye on the court. They think I’m going to call them
any minute and say no rejoinder was filed, or a rejoinder was denied. Then I’m
supposed to join them at the Lynx office for a champagne toast.”

“Guess you’ll have to do without the bubbly.”
Mark smirks as the bailiff takes the address for Lynx from the paperwork and walks
to his desk to make the call.

“One of these nights, when this is all over,
we’ll all have to get together for some real celebratory fun,” Valerie answers
with a broad smile and a touch of her hand on my shoulder. “Until then, how’d
you like to see a perp walk?”

“I’d love it.” I smile and pull Mark by the
hand. “Come on. There are only two things that can make this day any better
than it already is. One of them is watching your brother get the zip tie for a
change.”

“What’s the other?” Mark asks.

I don’t answer; I just smile and wink.

Mr. Clank offers to drive Valerie, and I pile
in the front seat of Mark’s car. We stall on the main highway just long enough
to see the police cars pass us, and then hurry to the Sandstone Ventures
parking lot. As soon as the car stops, we all jump out and rush to the front of
the office building. I’d give anything to have a photographer here right now. I
thought we might have to wait while the men put up a fuss, but they come out
pretty quick. Kenneth is walking slowly and not saying a word. Blake on the
other hand is a fountain spewing hate in all directions.

“I want your badge number,” Blake is telling
one of the officers who is holding him by the arms propelling him forward. “I
also want to know what judge signed these orders because I’m going to take him
so far down he won’t even be able to see the bench, let alone sit on it!”

I allow my eyes to take in every moment of
this scene. In all my fantasies, never did it look as beautiful as it does
right now. Blake scuffing his shoes on the parking lot, red-faced with spit
flying out of his mouth. He’s doing a really good job of making an ass of
himself until he sees us standing by watching. He convinces the cops to walk
him closer to us.

“You backstabbing cunt,” he spits toward
Valerie. I suck in my breath and attempt to hide how shocked I am that anyone
would speak to her this way. “Did you fuck the judge too? I’ve got pictures,
you two-bit media whore. I’ll tell everyone in town to watch out for your pussy,
because we all know it’s not an exclusive.”

“Oh, dear,” Valerie says, walking just close
enough to Blake so she doesn’t have to scream her business for the world to
hear. “Those pictures were removed from your custody before my deposition this
morning. So I’m afraid you’ll be standing around with your dick in your hands.
Or, more aptly put–holding on to nothing.”

“Cunt!” He rages and lunges toward her only
to have the officers yank him back as he nearly falls on the sidewalk.

“Careful, Mr. Stone,” I say with a tone made
of equal parts sarcasm and innocence. “When they zip tie your hands behind your
back, it really messes up your balance. Believe me, I know.”

“You!” Blake roars, taking his eyes off
Valerie and now charging at me as much as he can with a burly officer on each
arm. “You did this. You think you won this game? I’ll be out in time for dinner
and I’m going to cook your ass and feast on your soul while you sob your
apology.”

“I’m not sure, Gentlemen,” Mark says to the
officers. “But I think my brother just threatened Miss Sharp.”

“I’m a witness,” one cop said while the other
nodded.

“You think this bitch is worth protecting? You
should see her on her knees. I’ve seen her in her slutty clothes on her knees
with her whore mouth open ready to suck my dick because it’s the only way any
of these media sluts get ahead. Journalism isn’t made with pen and ink anymore
boy, it’s written in cum, and that slut right there is the master of jizz
soaked bullshit called news.”

“Blake,” Mark warns.

“Why don’t you come over here now, bitch?
Come beg me like you begged the other night. Tell me how you’ll do anything I
want to get back into your office. Open up that dress and wrap your whorish
tits around my cock like you wanted to do the first time you came to see me.”

I am so angry and ashamed my face flushes and
I fear people will think I really did want to exchange sex with him for a hand
out. Then I realize, even if the officers did believe it, all they would think
is the only way Blake gets any action with women is to threaten or blackmail
them. I’m pretty comfortable with that thought.

“You know what, Blake?” I start. “There are a
thousand things I would like to tell you right now. I could tear you apart
starting with your dick, or lack thereof, and end with your lack of common
sense in putting your little schemes together. I could laugh in your face,
dance at your hearing, and spit on your grave, but I won’t.” I have so much I
want to say. I feel my emotions cresting, but I’m following Mark’s lead and I’m
staying in control.

“Won’t or can’t, silly cow?” Blake retorts.

“Won’t,” I respond victoriously. “I have
learned discipline, grace, and strength from your brother. I don’t need to
waste any more time on you.”

I walk away on cloud nine. I did it. I managed
my passion and channeled it into something appropriate, and powerful. I see by
the look in Mark’s eyes he knows what a test that was for me and that I passed
it with flying colors.

“Learned a lot did you?” Blake says,
seething. “Seems to me all you did was spend the last month learning to be my
brother’s fucktoy while your father was on his deathbed. His demise was divine
intervention wasn’t it? I’m sure every time you spread your filthy legs for
Mark, your father prayed to die.”

CRACK!

The punch hits Blake so hard it causes the
cops to let go of his arms, dropping him on the ground before staggering to
stand him back up. I am as shocked as Blake seems to be. I never even saw Mark
coming until he cracks Blake with a roundhouse punch right across the jaw.

“That’s no way to talk to my lady,” Mark says
roughly, still holding his fist up ready to punch him again the minute the cops
stand him up.

“What are you standing around for?” Blake
kicks at the shins of the younger of the two cops. “Arrest him!”

“I don’t think so, Sir,” the cop says, much
to Blake’s’ dismay.

“But he hit me! You saw it. That’s a clear
case of assault! I demand you arrest him!” Blake shouts at the two cops.

“Didn’t see any assault. Did you, Steve?”

“Nope,” the officer shook his head. “Must
have gotten that bruise falling here in the parking lot because you were
fighting being taken into custody.”

“But you saw it,” Blake whines. “You saw him
assault me at this very moment.”

“That wasn’t assault, Sir,” the officer
advises as they pull Blake away. “Just looked like a conversation between
brothers to me.”

“Well, that was sure worth the price of
admission,” Valerie says to Mr. Clank who nods readily.

“I’m sorry about that,” Mark says. “I
shouldn’t have risked more chaos.”

“Really? You’re sorry you hit him?” Valerie
asks incredulously. They speak to each other like old lovers do—eyebrow lifts
and subtle vocal tones to display meaning no one else will get. A small
jealousy begins to rise in me. Will we ever speak like that?