“This is utter bullshit!” he yelled, forcefully pushing away from the table. “These two Marines are making a mockery of our beloved Corps.”
“You, First Sergeant, O’Hara, are making a mockery of my courtroom. Compose yourself or I will have no choice but to hold you in contempt,” Colonel Thompson angrily replied, glaring at O’Hara.
This sideshow was much more entertaining than what we had just been through. If I weren’t still standing before the judge, I would have laughed in his fucking face. O’Hara slammed his hands down on the table, then took a seat, once again eliciting the anger from Colonel Thompson.
“You are still a First Sergeant in the Marine Corps, and you are still in my courtroom. You stand until you are instructed to do otherwise. Do you understand me, First Sergeant?”
O’Hara’s beady eyes glared wrathful balls of fire. He was throwing a man-sized temper tantrum, but seemed to understand the limits and stood next to an awaiting Major Godinez. “Yes, sir.”
Laughter was ready to explode from me, but I understood the inappropriateness of it in our current situation. Even though Cassie and I had beat the charges, we were still considered fraternizers, and Colonel Thompson was in no way appreciative of either of us. The way he looked at me told me everything I needed to know about what he would say if he ever got me alone.
You’re a conniving piece of shit. If I could, I’d throw your ass in the brig and throw away the fucking key. You’re a predator.
I shook the thoughts out of my head, instead stealing a glance at Cassie who inadvertently was doing just the same. Our eyes locked, and the familiar warmth that I often felt whenever we stared at one another was once again present, heating my core and sending blood shooting for my cock. I felt the slightest twitch when she licked her lips and smiled.
“If I may, your honor,” Captain Hedlund spoke, breaking my lustful thoughts and finally settling my painfully swollen cock, “I would ask that the court please allow no further obstruction to my clients being able to execute orders. Sergeant Cruz has already been removed from his instructor duty and will need orders as soon as possible. Private First Class Bennett has orders awaiting her, and should be allowed to execute them promptly.”
“I see no issue with that,” Colonel Thompson remarked.
“Also, your honor, there are charges against Sergeant Cruz for the assault on Private Allen, the assailant of Private First Class Bennett. I would ask the court the drop those charges. Without Sergeant Cruz, who knows what would have become of Pfc. Bennett.”
Colonel Thompson stared Captain Hedlund deeply in his eyes. I had been so wrapped up in the fraternizing charges that I had completely forgotten about the assault charges. This one, regardless of said guilt or innocence was something I was willing to fall hard for. As far as I was concerned, I had failed Cassie when I allowed Riley to talk me out of finishing that perverted motherfucker off. He was still breathing, and that alone gave me the will to withstand whatever they were hoping to throw my way. I hated that waste of fucking space with every inch of me, and given the opportunity, I’d finish him off without a spec of guilt from my conscience.
“Since the assault charges were attached to the charges of Fraternization, I have no choice but to throw them out as well. Sergeant Cruz’s actions and implications have no bearing on such decision.”
This was another blessing that I wasn’t sure I truly deserved. Deep in my gut, I felt that I would be tried and found guilty for the assault on Allen, a punishment that I was all too willing to take, but somehow the heavens had opened up and dropped rays of mercy on me instead of a conviction. A wry smile spread across my face. Cassie looked as if life had been breathed into her once again, her golden skin now glowing as she finally allowed her lips to curl at the ends. After everything that had happened in our favor today, I was instantly hit with the realization that we were the only part of this puzzle that not come out of this debacle unscathed.
We were splintered, both of us still in love with the other, but unsure how to proceed. Cassie rejecting marriage stung worse than a repeated fucking wasp attack, and I questioned what she felt she had for me.
My thoughts were broken by the loud pound on the table from First Sergeant O’Hara. Those beady eyes were trained on Colonel Thompson, his face red as a beet while he fumed on the inside, but he knew better than to say anything. Major Godinez worked to calm him down, knowing a contempt charge was on the horizon should he lose his cool again.
Satisfaction fluttered inside of me. O’Hara had treated me like a criminal from the onset. He’d had a chance to be lenient, to handle matters in house; instead, he’d jumped the gun and tried to nail me as hard as he could, and all of his overzealous bullshit blew up in his face.
Was I guilty of the charges? Yes.
Did his lust for consequences and conviction do him in and allow me to walk free? Fuck, yes!
I turned to look in his direction; those lifeless, beady eyes of his settled on me and I winked, further enraging him.
Colonel Thompson gave the instructions—Cassie and I should execute orders immediately, and both counsels would need to see him in his chambers to close out the case. The sound of the gavel finally allowed my excitement to explode, and I turned to Captain Hedlund, vigorously shaking his hand and smiling. Cassie stood behind him, smiling but otherwise quiet. There was an absence of emotion in her face, which puzzled me. We had just beat charges that we were both damn near sure would ruin everything we had worked to build, and yet she stood there looking indifferent.
Captain Hedlund turned to Cassie and shook her hand, then walked away to meet Major Godinez and head back to Colonel Thompson’s chambers. I reached out for Cassie and took her in my arms, resting my face in the crook of her neck as she wrapped her arms around mine.
“We did it, Blondie, we did it. We beat this shit.”
I didn’t want to let her go. That intoxicatingly delicious vanilla smell that I had come to expect from her had wrapped me up and held me hostage. There was no better feeling than being in Cassie’s arms.
“I know, I know,” she whispered. Her body tensed a little, instinctively making me pull back to check on her. “What’s next, Alex? We got away with this, but now what?”
“What’s next is you two assholes move on from my command. In my nineteen years of service, I have never been more disgusted to share the title of Marine with any other Devil Dogs than the sorry ass excuse for what is standing before me,” First Sergeant O’Hara grumbled. Fury littered his face, making Cassie tense up again.
“We’ll be glad to move on, First Sergeant.”
O’Hara stared me down, then turned his intimidating look over to Cassie, who seemingly found it in her to reciprocate his stare. He finally turned his vengeful glare on me.
“Head over to the Admin office and pick up your fucking orders, Bennett. And I want you out of my staff office ASAP, you fucking understand me?”
I wanted so badly to ignore this prick standing in front of me, but we were still in our military environment, and he required a certain level of respect. I smiled at him, knowing it would get under his skin before answering, “Yes, First Sergeant. It would give me pleasure.”