A boulder sized lump dislodged from my throat as I finally got some news worth listening to. I exhaled loudly and relaxed my shoulders. “So I am free to go now?”
“Yes, you are free to go now.”
“What about Cassie? Am I allowed to see her?”
“That restriction has been removed as well. I wouldn’t parade her around base though. They are still adamantly pushing for your court-martial and will see that as a slap in the face and push even harder.”
I couldn’t contain the joy inside of me. Captain Hedlund’s words were music to my ears. Not only was I no longer bound to this barracks cell, but I was no longer torn away from my reason for breathing. I couldn’t get Captain Hedlund out of my room quickly enough.
“Do you know where Cassie is staying? Or if she’s even out of the hospital?”
“She was discharged this morning and is in the student barracks. I’m unsure which room.”
“I’ll find out.”
He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it over to me. “Your cell phone.”
My mouth dropped. I wasn’t sure how he had managed to finagle it away from O’Hara, but I was over the fucking moon to see it. If I would have had this during my restriction, it would have given me a slice of sanity. This tiny fucking device would have kept me from tinkering with a full blown meltdown. It would have allowed me to hold tight to Cassie, even when I couldn’t physically touch her.
“It dawned on me that your phone had been taken away unlawfully, so I was able to get it back. Whatever First Sergeant O’Hara and his people were able to pull from it is inadmissible in court, and Major Godinez is well aware of that.”
“I can’t thank you enough, Captain.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank an overzealous First Sergeant O’Hara for jumping the gun on this. There is still plenty that they have to take to court-martial, but at least this is one less piece of ammunition.”
I took the phone from his hand, then gave a firm, and appreciative handshake. What started out as just another day that I was hoping to soon forget, had turned into one of the best days that I’d had in quite some time.
“You are free to go, Sergeant. You need to report to work tomorrow, but you will need to come and see me first.”
“Okay, sir.” I couldn’t get him out fast enough.
“See you in the morning, Sergeant.”
I nodded my head, then turned and walked out. My phone felt like it was burning in my hands. When I powered it up, there was about ten percent battery left—just enough to make a quick call to Cassie.
I pressed the call button for her name waited, impatiently for her to answer. It rang a few times and my anxiety began to build. What if her phone had been confiscated as well? Just when my mind began wandering again, she answered.
“Alex!” Her voice was soft but anxious.
The sound of it was all I needed. My name coming from her mouth—her soft, melodic voice—gripped me and pulled me away from the cesspool that I had been wallowing in for what felt like an eternity.
“Blondie…”
“Oh my gosh, Alex. Where are you? How did you get your phone back?”
“None of that matters. Where are you? I need to see you.”
“Students barracks A in room one-zero-three.”
“Don’t move. I’m on my way.” I was out the door before I even finished speaking. “Hey, Cassie…”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I hung up and tucked the phone into my pocket as I took off down the walkway that led to the student barracks. When Cassie’s door came into view, my heart beat so loudly that I could hear it against my ear drums.
I finally reached the door and gave three quick knocks, the wait for her to open the door killing me with every passing second. When she opened the door, all of my anxiety faded away. Her face was still bruised, and her wrists were still bandaged, but she was fucking perfect. I lunged for her, throwing my arms over her shoulders and pulling her tightly against me. The feel of her warm body up against mine gave me a sense of calm that had been noticeably absent since we’d been pulled apart. The feel of her skin against my hands, the scent of that cock twitching vanilla fragrance hitting my nostrils, took me back to the first time I had ever held her in my arms. Only this time, I knew I had her, and I knew that we weren’t in the wrong for it either.
“Alex…” she cried as tears trickled down her cheeks.
I held firmly to her as I walked us into the room, kicking the door shut on the way in. I softly kissed her lips, then pressed firmer, erasing all separation from us. She kissed me back, the hunger and need luring me even further. My hand glided up her head, as I tasted every inch of the beautiful mouth that I had been missing for much too long.
She slightly opened her mouth, giving me just enough to slide my tongue inside. Our tongues touching, swirling, shot off an explosion of rockets inside of me. As our kiss ended, Cassie sniffled a few times, trying to fight back tears.
“Shhh, Blondie. I’m here beautiful. I’m here.”
“How did you get here? Should I be worried?”
“No, Captain Hedlund is a damn good lawyer and got some things straightened out for me. I’m free to go home.”
She stepped back, her face lighting up like she’d hit the lottery. “So the court shit…all of that is over with?”
“Well, no. He isn’t that good.”
Her delight quickly turned into confusion.
“He got my phone back because apparently it had been confiscated illegally. And he got me off restriction thanks to our standing as a couple.”
“But you’re still getting court-martialed?”
“As far as I know, yes.”
Cassie started to pace, running her hands through her long blonde hair. “I don’t understand him. Why can’t O’Hara just leave us the hell alone?”
“We did break a long standing rule, Blondie. We knew what was at stake when we did it.”
She stopped pacing and turned to me, staring me intently in the eyes. “So you’re okay with them court-martialing you and destroying our careers?”
“I never said that.”
“Then what are you saying?”
She was frustrated and seemingly exasperated. I didn’t want to add to it, but I wasn’t going to sugar coat shit either.
“Cassie, I knew what was on the line when I decided that I just had to have you. I don’t care that O’Hara is pressing for court-martial. What I do mind is how personal he is making it. Like I’ve fucked his daughter or something.”
Her nose wrinkled, probably disgusted by the mere visual. “He’s taking it very personal. And he’s not going to stop until he has your head hanging from the wall.”
“What do you mean by that?”
She went on to explain about the visit he’d paid her. How he’d tried to coax her into testifying against me in order to save herself. As much as I already loathed the man, I downright despised him now, and wanted to give him the same fucking treatment that I had given Private Allen.
“Alex, I don’t know how far he can take this. I don’t know if he’ll get you kicked out, or just busted down, or—“
“And it’s nothing for you to worry about. I put myself in this shit, and I’ll worry about it. You don’t need to.”
“Are you crazy? How can I not worry about it? What happens to you affects me too, remember?”
Her pitch was raising, anger showing on her face.
“You know what I mean, Cassie. I don’t want you worrying about shit that you have no control over.”
“Don’t shut me out, Alex. I’m in this shit just as deeply as you are.”
She wasn’t getting it and trying to further explain it to her was only going to bring out the hysterics, something I really didn’t need right now.
I pulled out my phone and pressed call for Riley.