Chapter Twenty-Five

Madelyn

 

Madelyn and Enzo had gone back and forth over where she should stay up until the trial. He had tried to get her bring her things and stay in his mansion with him, but she had insisted that she go back to her apartment. “I want to keep things as normal as possible, even though I know they’ll never really be normal again. We can talk about what happens afterwards … afterward.” The truth was that she loved his home and that she felt safe there, but it would only add fuel to the prosecutor’s fire to know that they were sharing a bed on a regular basis.

 

It was the morning of the trial, and she felt good. She smiled to herself at knowing that the flips in her stomach had nothing to do with nerves. She would have to find the right time to tell Enzo, but immediately before they headed to court was not it. They would have all the opportunities in the world once the trial was over. As though he knew she was thinking about him, her phone beeped with a text. He was just pulling up in the limo and would be upstairs to get her in a moment.

 

Madelyn took one last look in the mirror to make sure her hair was straight, shocked by the reflection that stared back at her. The bruises Scarvo had caused had been deep, and they were turning even more startling shades as they healed. Hues of green and yellow now swirled across her skin alongside the deep purples and reds. A few spots were a disturbing deep black, one that made her wonder if she would ever look normal again. It was a horrifying thing to see, but she knew it would help them. If she had already endured the pain, then she might as well get as much out of it as possible.

 

* * *

 

“Oh yes, he’s a very nice young man.” The old woman on the stand smiled across the courtroom at Enzo. “He comes in every month to buy a bouquet of flowers for his mother’s grave, and if that doesn’t say a lot about him then I don’t know what does.”

 

Madelyn pursed her lips to keep herself from smiling too much, but the action hurt so bad it scared the smile away anyway. “Mrs. Fields, is there anything else you would like to add about Mr. Marino?”

 

The florist nodded. “I would, as a matter of fact. There was one time that he came in, I would say it was about six months ago, and I had just dropped a huge vase full of flowers on the floor. There was water everywhere! I was just beside myself, so embarrassed that I had done such a thing in front of a client. But Mr. Marino stepped right up and started picking up all the pieces. He even insisted on mopping up the spill himself. I didn’t want him to ruin his nice suit on the water or get cut on the glass, but he was so determined that I not do the work myself. Such a gentleman!”

 

Madelyn know that Mrs. Fields had been paid for her testimony, but she could easily see Enzo doing such a thing. She would have to ask him later if that incident had ever happened, or if it had just been a genius invention on the florist’s part. She turned to the district attorney. “Your witness.”

 

Gerald Manning was a stern-looking man who had a reputation for fighting for justice in court, tooth and nail. He stood and straightened his suit jacket as he approached the stand. “Mrs. Fields, you run a business here in the city, correct?”

 

“Yes.” She did just as Madelyn had told her, answering the question without elaborating.

 

“Have Mr. Marino or any of his associates ever approached you about providing ‘protection’ for your business?” The man had the nerve to use air quotes as he said the word, wiggling his fingers in the air. “It’s often a tactic that mob families use as a method to extract money from innocent entrepreneurs in exchange for not harassing them.”

 

A confused expression came over Mrs. Fields’ face. “That’s terrible! I’ve never heard of such a thing, and if I did, then I wouldn’t be stupid enough to let it happen.” She stuck her wrinkled chin out at him and crossed her arms.

 

There was still a lot to cover, but things were off to a good start.

 

* * *

 

Madelyn swallowed the lump in her throat as she took the stand. For some reason, it felt completely different than when she was the questioning attorney, and she didn’t like the fact that all the eyes in the courtroom were on her. But she glanced at Enzo and sat up a little straighter. She was here as a spectacle just as much as she was as an attorney, and she would be damned if her nerves got a hold of her now.

 

Mr. Barnard stood before her, his somber face watching her carefully. She had convinced him to help her with the case, and though she hadn’t made him privy to every detail, Madelyn had a feeling that the bruising on her face had been enough to make him take action. At first, he had even insisted that she step down and let him take over, but Madelyn held all the cards. He had deliberated for only a moment before giving her a silent bob of his head. “Just let me know what you need me to do.”

 

“Ms. Rowe, you’ve told us about the day you were abducted from your bedroom in your apartment. We’ve seen the evidence that proves it was Scarvo and his men who did such a thing. But can you tell us if Mr. Scarvo gave you any reason as to why he did it?” he asked.

 

“He told me there were two reasons, actually.” She gave a dramatic pause, catching her staggering breath before she continued. It was to convince the jury, but in reality she still didn’t like reliving that horrific day. “He had found out that we were onto him. I had discovered evidence that he had ordered the hit on George Lewis, and he knew I intended to bring all of that out in court. I guess I wasn’t very careful when I was speaking to people and doing my research, and he wasn’t going to let me send him to jail.”

 

“And the other reason?” Barnard pressed.

 

This part was much harder. The first reason had been the truth. Scarvo really had known that the plan was to implicate him, even though it hadn’t originally been Madelyn’s idea. The second part was a little more difficult because it involved Enzo. She pulled in another deep breath, suddenly aware of how thin the air in the room was. “Apparently, Mr. Marino’s father had a business that was in direct competition with that of Mr. Scarvo. The Marinos thrived, and Scarvo had always resented them for that. He had seen Mr. Marino and I out, having business dinners, and drew some conclusion from that. He figured if he took me and … did this to me,” she gestured helplessly at her face, “then everyone would think Mr. Marino did it. I suppose he figured it would be the perfect way to damage his character.”

 

She took a daring glance over at the jury box. The women tented their fingertips over their collarbones or pressed them to their lips, while the men shook their heads. Only a very small part of her felt bad for lying in court. She knew it was for a good cause, and that even though Enzo didn’t always do what was legal, he never did anything without good reason.

 

* * *

 

Madelyn pointed at the projector screen. She had been relieved of her position on the witness stand, and she now presented the last of her evidence in her closing statement. “I know that a random picture of the accused is not something that can be considered as solid evidence, but I ask you to look at what you’ve seen here today and decide whether or not Lorenzo Marino could be guilty of the horrendous crime we’ve been discussing.” She clicked the remote, advancing the slideshow so that it displayed a picture of Enzo with Johnny’s children on his lap, reading a book to them at Christmas. The next one was a copy of a newspaper article, touting Enzo as a local hero for donating to the local children’s charity. There were other snapshots of him with dogs and even just hanging out with his cousins. Madelyn had specifically chosen one of Enzo and Nero together. Nero had such a sweet face that anybody would love him instantly, and that couldn’t hurt their case at all.

 

“Please remember, as you deliberate, that you hold a man’s life in your hands, a man who was hesitant to accuse anyone else of the crime unless he knew for certain that Scarvo did it. When I showed him the research I did and explained my conclusion about the truth of the matter, Mr. Marino wasn’t willing to point the finger of blame unless he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt. It wasn’t until Mr. Scarvo made his point through me that Mr. Marino changed his mind. He is a man of honor and character, one who deserves justice. Thank you.” She took her seat next to Enzo as the jury filed out of the court room.

 

“What do you think?” Enzo asked over the sudden din caused by a court at recess. “The DA had some good points.”

 

She glared at him. “Don’t say that! He was reaching for anything he could find, and I think it was obvious. I might not have used my normal methods, but I think we’ll be all right.

 

“What about him?” Enzo gestured with his chin toward Mr. Barnard, who was chatting with some other man in a suit. “Does he have any idea what’s really happening?”

 

Madelyn tipped her head in thought. “I’m not sure, but he played right along. If he’s suspicious of anything, he hasn’t bothered to say anything about it yet. I’ll either be fired tomorrow morning or promoted. We’ll have to wait to find out.”

 

It didn’t take long for the jury to deliberate. Madelyn’s head was buzzing with anticipation as the judge gave his final words on the case and called the head juror forward.

 

“We, the jury, find the defendant not guilty,” he announced.

 

A palpable wave of relief rippled through the room, and it hit everyone except the district attorney. He scowled at Madelyn, but she smiled back and gave him a finger wave. “He’s so pissed,” she said to Enzo without moving her lips. “I’ll bet he can’t wait to see me in court again.”

 

Barnard and Morber were at their table then. “Congratulations!” Mr. Morber said enthusiastically. “That was one hell of a case, and you tied it all up into a nice little package. I don’t think anyone could have done it better. Are you feeling all right? You’re not too tired or anything?”

 

They had been fussing over her ever since she had shown up at the office and explained what happened with Scarvo. Ordinarily, Madelyn wouldn’t have liked that kind of attention, but it was a nice change. “I’m fine. I’m sure I’m actually dead tired, but I’m too excited to care.”

 

Morber leaned over to shake Enzo’s hand. “Looks like you’re a free man, son. How about the four of us go out to celebrate? I have a permanent reservation at The Emperor, and the champagne is on me!”

 

Madelyn and Enzo exchanged a look. She knew that she had been looking forward to time alone with him now that it was all over, but she could wait a little while longer. The minute nod of agreement she got from him told her that he would be fine as well. “That would be wonderful, thank you.”

 

* * *

 

Enzo’s hand slid up her leg, pushing back the hem of her skirt as they got back in the limo. Madelyn had managed not to drink any champagne, but she had pretended well enough that nobody noticed. It was late and the streets were practically empty, but she had never felt so alive in her life. “You were incredible today,” Enzo whispered in her ear. “Congratulations on your promotion.”

 

She giggled as he kissed her neck. Everything seemed so surreal. In the time that she had been in Scarvo’s basement, she hadn’t been sure if she would live to see the next day. Now that she had, and now that everything had worked out so perfectly, it was hard to believe. Morber and Barnard had officially made her a junior partner, and they’d drunk heavily at their enthusiasm. They had shut down the restaurant, and the other lawyers had invited Enzo and Madelyn to join them at a bar downtown, but Madelyn had turned down the offer. She had done enough partying in the public eye, and she was ready for some private time with Enzo.

 

“It’s all thanks to you,” she replied, envisioning how her new title would look on her office door.

 

Enzo pulled back to look in her eyes. “Don’t say that. This case helped, certainly, but those fat cats never would have given you the chance at it if they hadn’t already believed in you. It’s all that hard work you’ve been doing.”

 

“You flatter me.”

 

“Don’t you deserve it?” He kissed her again, his fingers gently tracing her jaw. He had been careful not to touch her bruises, and Madelyn was painfully aware of it. It hadn’t been his fault, not really, but he had taken the responsibility onto his shoulders. “I could see today just how good of an attorney you are. Now, tell me you’ll come back with me to my place and you won’t try to leave until tomorrow.”

 

“Okay.” She smiled up at him, so thrilled to know that he was free now. It was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and she hadn’t realized how much it had been holding her down until it was gone.

 

At his mansion, he helped her out of the back of the limo and then immediately scooped her up into his arms.

 

She laughed in surprise. “You know I’m perfectly capable of walking now, right?”

 

He nuzzled her neck. “I don’t care. I got pretty used to this, and I like it.” Enzo took her straight up the stairs to his bedroom. “And if I get the chance to have you in my bed for a second time, then I’m going to enjoy it.” He laid her down on the bed and climbed on top of her, continuing his kisses.

 

“Is this really real?” she whispered into his collarbone. “It’s just the two of us, no secret motives, nobody trying to kill us?”

 

Enzo kissed her soundly, holding her tight. “Absolutely real. And it’s wonderful.” He peeled back her clothes, tossing her silk blouse and her most expensive suit on the floor, like it didn’t matter.

 

And Madelyn knew that it really didn’t matter. Nothing mattered, as long as the two of them were together. Any doubts she’d had about Enzo had disappeared. She didn’t know what the future held for them—at least not all of it—but she was content to live in the moment. His suit flew to the floor on top of hers until their naked bodies pressed together, sharing their heat in a way that made the underside of her skin tingle.

 

“Madelyn.” He gripped her backside with his hands and pressed her legs apart with his thighs, burying himself inside her, her hips sinking into the soft mattress with every thrust. “How is it possible that you feel so good?”

 

She couldn’t decide if she wanted to close her eyes to savor the moment or keep them open so she could see his perfect, godlike body. His broad chest and chiseled abs were a sight to behold, each with a glorious dusting of dark hair that was luxurious to run her fingers through. She brought her hand down to his hips and pulled him into her a little tighter, needing to have every bit of him she could get. “No, it’s you,” she argued with a gasp. “You belong here.”

 

“You’re damn right I do.” His body was so strong on top of hers, all hardness and muscle.

 

Madelyn wrapped her legs around him, never wanting to let go. Enzo held her just a little tighter before he suddenly flipped them around so that he was on the bottom. The movement made her dizzy, and she giggled once again. He could do almost anything, and it would make her happy. She braced her knees against the mattress and began moving on top of him, sliding his hard shaft in and out of her slowly.

 

He closed his eyes and dug his fingers into her flesh. “Damn.”

 

“What? You don’t like it?” she teased. She knew the opposite was true, and she loved the fact that she could turn on such a powerful man.

 

Enzo grabbed her hips and slammed her down onto him, his eyes full of mischief. “You know I do. I can’t get enough of you, and I don’t think I’m ever going to let you out of this room again.”

 

Madelyn started riding him harder, grinding herself into him as she came down. She leaned forward to place her hands on either side of his head, and Enzo took the opportunity to bury his face in her breasts. He took first one nipple into his mouth and then the other. She moved faster, letting them hit his face, and he bucked his hips in response.

 

His tongue on the delicate skin of her nipple sent shivers of pleasure down her spine, which translated to her hips and created vibrations inside her core that made her grab handfuls of the sheet underneath them. Enzo’s hands and mouth were all over her, worshiping her. She felt powerful and beautiful, and she tossed her hair back to make sure it didn’t get in the way of what they were doing.

 

But Enzo wasn’t going to let her get off that easy. He swept her hair into a ponytail at the nape of her neck, keeping it secure with one hand. He tugged gently, and Madelyn felt her core contract.

 

“Does that work for you?” he asked.

 

She felt every tiny tug at her scalp, and it tightened every nerve in her body. The shivers inside her grew more intense, and she moaned to let him know. Enzo tugged a little harder, and the muscles of her abdomen and thighs clenched with anticipation of what was to come. He must have felt it, because he thrust upward to keep their rhythm going. His member was thickening inside her, pushing at the most sensitive place inside her tunnel, and Madelyn knew she was done for. Her body convulsed around him, and she cried out in rapture. Their bodies pulsed and moved together, Enzo’s grip on her tight, and they each saw the sparks behind their eyes of a mutual orgasm.

 

When it was done, Madelyn looked down at him, not willing to let go of him just yet. “If that’s the payment I get when I represent you in court, then you’d better be getting in a lot of trouble.” She bent down and kissed the corner of his mouth.

 

Enzo slapped her ass playfully. “I plan on it. And don’t think that I’m done paying you back just yet. You can rest for a while, but I hope you weren’t planning on a full night of sleep.”

 

“Who needs sleep anyway?” She could savor the feeling of his hands on her skin and the way he felt inside her all night.