CHAPTER 76: ASK AND YOU SHALL GET...

BRITIN – FRIDAY MORNING

MASTER BEDROOM

JUSTIN

The start of the assault trial for Michael on Lindsay is Monday but we’re going up today because Zaden wants to be able to shop in New York whilst she can still see her feet!  Now that everyone knows that they’re being looked after, we try and guess who they are.  I need to speak to Brian about something that he said on the coach. I think there is something we’re not being told.

I love the scent of him.  I kiss his shoulder and smile. His sleep warmed skin is so soft considering his musculature.  I love the fact that I am the only one who gets to touch him like this for the rest of our lives. The fact that Milo, who is supposed to be my cat, has commandeered Brian’s stomach, blocking my way to his happy trail isn’t all that irksome. There are certainly other options for me to focus my attention on. I run my fingers down his face and slowly, he starts to smile.

“Morn…ouch Milo claws!”  He gently prods a kneading-in-his-sleep Milo, who opens one eye and then pads to the bottom of the bed.

“Want coffee?”  I ask gently, brushing my fingers across his lips and he sucks my fingers into his mouth as he nods.

“Sumatran?”

He smiles and swings his legs off the bed, earning a glare from Lilah, who had just got comfortable.

I tug him to the bathroom and try to flatten his bedhead.  He snickers and does the same for me. I can’t help but marvel at the beauty that is my husband.  “I can understand it in a way.”

I stop brushing and look at him puzzled before loading his toothbrush up and handing it to him.  We brush in silence.  Silence is my way of giving him time to assimilate his thoughts.

“Alex is right; he’s obsessed with you.  Wanting to not only be you…seriously that video will haunt my dreams…instant corpse dick.  But he’s also trying to work out why you did everything he wouldn’t and still I didn’t want him.”

“Because…”

“You wouldn’t let me get away with shit.  You walked away.”  He leans against the sink and spits before taking some more assimilation time.  “And he wouldn’t have. Instead, he’d have let me continue doing what I wanted, which we both know was living dangerously.  Did I ever tell you I offered my tickets to Miami to Lindsay for her and Mel as a honeymoon present?”

I blink at him and shake my head.

“She told me to go and fuck as many men as I could.”  He sighs.  “She never wanted me to be anything other than a Stud and you’ve always wanted me to be so much more than that.”

“Because you are so much more than that.”  I reply and kiss him, then head to the door.

“But you’re curious as to why I haven’t, aren’t you?”

I pause and sigh.  He’s as on to me as I am to him.  “Yeah.  Why haven’t you?”

“Because my gorgeous but idiotic little twat, you haven’t asked.”

My jaw drops and I just stare at him in surprise.  “What?”

“If you want to know what a Brietling feels like, ask me to do it to you.”  He purrs in my ear and saunters out of the room chuckling.

And I scored 1500 on my SAT!

CHAMBERS HOTEL – FRIDAY LATE AFTERNOON

ZEE

Honour, the receptionist, just stares at me.  I can’t help the chuckle.  “Good grief girl, how the hell are you upright with those?!”  She grins as she comes around the desk to hug us.

“Ouch.”  I murmur as she squeezes a touch too tight.

“Sorry sweetheart.”  Honour immediately loosens her grip.  “Right come on, let’s get you upstairs.  Jason, Matthew and William, get them to their suites!”

ZEE AND FAAL’S SUITE

LOUNGE

FAAL

“Why didn’t you say something?  Come here.”  I chide Zee as she looks embarrassed.

I pull her into my lap and undo her shirt, then her bra.  They truly are beautiful and ten minutes later, she’s shuddering in my lap.  “Because…”  She pants and slumps back, then yawns before resting her head on my shoulder. “It always knocks me out and I want to shop.”

I smile as she starts to drift off.  I carry her to bed and slide behind her.  “Sleep my baby mama, we shop tomorrow.”  I murmur and she turns around, burrowing into my chest.

DEBS & CARL’S SUITE

LOUNGE

CARL

I watch as she bustles from room to room.  She’s forgotten.  I know she’s worrying and devastated, despite her bravado, that Michael will be based here.  I won’t stop her from coming to visit and neither will the family…but she is on her own if she does.

“So I booked the Rituals massage thing for Sunday morning at 1100.  We’ve also got dinner booked for six but we’re shopping tomorrow.”  Red is unpacking as she chats.  “But we’re splitting up.  As, of course I have to get your anniversary present and…”

“You remembered?!”  I stammer.

“Of course I remembered!  It was one of the best days of my life!”  She looks surprised and then frowns.  “Carl come and sit down.  I need to speak with you about something.”

I sigh and sit next to her…here it comes.

“What do you think about spending time in Tuscany?”

“Look Red, I know he’s your son and…”  I stop and then blink.  “Tuscany?”

She sighs and nods.  “Yeah.  This thing that Gus is trying to sort out.  Zee has offered the castle and they will need someone who knows…”

“Yes absolutely!”  I grin.  “When do we go?!”

“Well after the auction and we need to sit down with Gus and Mel.  They…”  She tears up.

“Red come here.”  I pull her into my arms.  “Wherever you are.  I will be.”

She smiles tearfully at me.  “So what are you giving me as a pre-anniversary present?”

“Now how is that going to be a surprise if I tell you that now?”

“Let me try that again.  Carl Horvath…”

“I get it!  Come with me!”  I chuckle and drag her into the bedroom.

JENNIFER AND TUCKER’S SUITE

TUCKER

“Jen…oh fuck!”  I yell into the pillow and slump down. After a few minutes, I look over my shoulder at a smug looking Jennifer and only wince slightly as she withdraws me from me gently.

“So what did you think?”  Jennifer grins and reaches for something and I sigh as she applies a coolant of some sort.

“So that was…”  I turn over and pull her onto my chest.

“Yeah.  That’s your prostate.”  She giggles.  “I have to admit, it was a bit embarrassing to get pointers from Brian but…”

“Jennifer!  You didn’t?!”  I groan.

“Well I could hardly ask Justin, could I?!”

ZEUS AND CYNTHIA’S SUITE

LOUNGE

CYNTHIA

Zeus smirks and moves his piece.  “Checkmate!”

“Are you fucking with me?”  I stare at the board hard.  “How?  Just how?”  I grumble and I saunter up to the bed as he pats the space next to him.

“You’re just mad because it’s you being out of control…because you love it so much.”  He smirks.

I lie next to him and know in my heart of heart that he’s right.  As his large hand takes hold of my foot, I bite my lip to try and contain the sigh of pleasure as he massages my feet.  Before he painstakingly takes off my varnish so he can give me a pedicure.

BRIAN AND JUSTIN’S SUITE

BEDROOM

JUSTIN

I am trying to find something to hold onto and am pretty much incoherent.  Brian has cleared the bed and I am on the receiving end of my first Brietling…he’s now rimming me.

“You need a break?”  He calls up, still stroking my cock.  I have to nod and he lowers my hips and kisses the base of my spine and that’s it for me.

“OH MY GOD!”  I scream and slam into the bed.

It takes us both by surprise and after ten minutes, I turn onto my back and he comes back into focus.  “Holy…”  I gasp.

“Now you know why it took so long for me to get to your studio.”  He chuckles, leaning on his elbow and watching as I gather my breath.  He lowers his head and kisses me gently.  “You okay?”

I nod and push him on his back and flop on top of him.  “Wannaslee…”  I mumble.

“I figured.”  He laughs and that was the last thing I heard for the day.

ALEXANDER PIRNIE FEDERAL BUILDING – MONDAY MORNING

HOLDING CELLS

MICHAEL

I can’t believe that Lindsay is doing this to me!  As if I don’t have enough problems.  We glare at each other from across the corridor.

“So how much did you get?”  She sneers.

“None of your concern.”  I snap back.

“Forty and a half years.”  A voice answers and nods at the guard with him as he unlocks the cell.

“Peterson out!”

“Who the fuck are you?”  I snarl.

“He’s my attorney Michael.”  She replies and follows him out but the smirk she flashes at me before she disappears from sight fills me with dread.

COURTROOM 2

When I get upstairs to join them the courtroom is empty.  It is just her mother sitting behind her and as I take my seat, Lindsay sneers at me again.  I hear the door open and as we turn to look round.

“Defendant and plaintiff eyes front!”  The bailiff yells.

BAILIFF

I watch as a crowd of people come in then wait for the nod and then clear my throat.

“All rise for Judge Elizabeth Connor.”

“You may sit.”  She looks down at the paperwork and shakes her head.  “Mr Wright, you may proceed.

“Your honour, members of the court.  This is the case of Lindsay Peterson vs Michael Charles Novotny in the case of assault, sexual endangerment, attempted enforced parenthood and coercion with regards to fraud.”

The outburst from the defendant is instant.  “Are you fucking kidding me?!”

“This is New York, Mr Novotny.  We do not kid here.  We take the law seriously and the first thing in my court is that we do not swear.”  Judge Connor adjusts her papers and then glares at him.  “And the first thing that you do after I tell you what we don’t do, is apologise for doing the thing you weren’t supposed to do but did in the first place.”

The expression on his face goes from incredulous to bewilderment.  “Uh what?”

“Uh what…your honour.  Now where is his attorney?  I understand that you defended yourself in Pittsburgh correct?  That is not going to happen here…”

“I have a constitutional right your honour to defend myself.”  He objects.

“And you got 40 and a half years…”  She lets that hang in the air.  “Now come-come Mr Raven, this is your client.”

There is a gasp from the plaintiff’s side and fierce whispering.

“Shush!”  Her attorney hisses.

“How do you plead, Mr Novotny?”  Judge Connor asks.

“Not guilty.  Especially to fraud!  I had nothing to do with that.”

“I know that. You’re not smart enough.”  Judge Connor sighs and the court goes quiet.  “But you did do everything else.  So let’s try that plea again.”

He looks confused before turning to his attorney and then he takes a breath.  “Guilty.”

“Good.  Now that’s more like it.  I will ignore the lack of court etiquette.  Now with regards to the lack of jury, it has been decided that all charges have been proven so it is a just matter of handing down a sentence.”

She looks around the court and then glares at the smirk on Peterson’s face.  “Ms Peterson, what is amusing you?”

“Uh, pardon your honour?” She stammers, her face falls immediately into pitiful countenance.

“You seem to be finding something amusing, what is it?”

“I…”  She begins.

“Stand up Ms Peterson.”  She does so somewhat warily.

“Because I don’t believe that Mr Novotny made you commit fraud and you clearly didn’t understand when I said all charges.  Let me clarify this for you.  I, Judge Elizabeth Connor find you Lindsay Peterson guilty of fraud with respect of the doubling of commission at the Kaden Galleries and sentence you to four years in prison.  I also order that restitution is to be made to…”

“Your honour!”  Lawrence Wright interrupts.  “We have...”

“Nothing that excused her behaviour.  She has been in the art world for many, many, many years and is fully aware that the commission is charged only once.  And…”

“Suck on that bitch!”  A voice calls out.

“Who spoke just then?!”  Judge Connor demands.

After a beat of silence a young man stands.  “Me, your honour.  My name is Hunter Bruck…I mean Hunter Stark.”

Both Novotny and Peterson look astonished but are stopped from turning around by their attorneys and are both muttering furiously.

“Silence in my court!”  Judge Connor yells.  “And both of you look at me!”

Both their heads whip around.

“As I was saying.  You young man; come forward.”

I watch as Hunter Stark comes forward and both Novotny and Peterson smirk but this time at each other.  Judge Connor regards him over her glasses.

“So which is it?  Hunter Bruck or Hunter Stark?”

Again with the smirking at each other from those two.

“Stark.  Hunter Stark, your honour.”  He goes red.

“Thank you.  She gave you a hard time, I understand?”  She indicates Peterson, who looks as surprised as the rest of the court does.  “And as for what he did to you... well you had your say then.  And despite what I said earlier, I will allow that remark to go unpunished.  You may return to your seat.”

“Thank you your honour.”  He almost sighs in relief.  “And I apologise for my outburst to you but I won’t apologise to her.”

“Thank you Mr Stark and duly noted.”  Judge Connor smiles and waves him away.  “You could learn a thing or two from him, Mr Novotny.”

He just glares at her.

“Your honour, may I say something?”  Peterson calls out.

“No.  I shall finish the rest of my sentencing.  You will pay restitution to the Kaden Galleries and that is to be paid within six months of the end of your sentence.  Should that not be paid, you will be sent to jail for a further year.  You will be taken to the Edna Mahan Women’s Correctional Facility in New Jersey to serve this sentence.  Do you understand?”

“Yes your honour.” She replies weakly and then swallows. “Your honour, may I say something now?”

“Again no and sit down.  Now to you Mr Novotny...”  Judge Connor turns back to him.  “With regards to the assault, I have read the statements regarding this matter and now that you have changed your plea to guilty this makes it so much easier and quicker…”

“Your honour…”  Raven begins warily.

“Silence.  Mr Novotny, please stand.”

He stands slowly and tries not to turn around.

“I, Judge Elizabeth Connor find you guilty of all charges and sentence you to four years in totality…”

“Is that all?!”  A woman stands up.  “He hit my daughter and tried to get her pregnant without her consent! He all but raped her and…!”

“Mrs Peterson, I understand your distress but she’s hardly an innocent.  After all, she tried to get pregnant before the actions of Mr Novotny occurred.  Now kindly sit down or I shall hold you in contempt.  I hadn’t finished my sent...”

“I will not sit down!”  Mrs Peterson snaps.

“Then you will be sharing the van with your daughter.  Ten seconds to make up your mind.”

She sits down.

“To continue...  In totality for the sexual endangerment and attempted enforced pregnancy; another 5 years for the assault on Lindsay Peterson and six months for contempt of court.  Your sentence for this will follow on from those already handed down by the State of Pennsylvania but all these sentences will be served at Adirondack Correctional Facility in New York.  Do you understand?”

Novotny is struggling to remain upright.

“Uh your honour.”  Mr Raven starts.  “Contempt of court?”

“Not all rudeness is verbal, Mr Raven.  I do not like being glared at, Mr Novotny.  The cases of Peterson vs Novotny and Peterson vs Kaden Galleries are hereby settled.”  She bangs her gavel.  “However, there are few other matters that needs to be settled.  Ms Peterson, I understand that you and Mr Novotny took a loan from Ms Talon Kho and payment from you, Ms Peterson, is still outstanding?  Is that correct?”

“Um.  Yes your honour.”  She mumbles and Novotny, for some reason, smirks.

“How much is it?”

“$25,000 your honour.”

“And how do you intend to pay that and the money back to Kaden Galleries?”

“I don’t know.”  She starts to cry.  “I have nothing!”

“I can pay for the gallery.”  Mrs Peterson interrupts.

“You can pay for the gallery what?”  Judge Connor glowers at her.

“Your honour...  I can pay, your honour.  I can do that now and I will speak to her father about the other money.  I want my daughter out of prison as quickly as possible.”

“I see.  You have your mother Ms Peterson so that’s something.  Remove Ms Peterson from my court and prepare her for onward transportation.”

As the door closes on her sobbing, Novotny is still smirking.

“Mr Novotny.  Your part of the loan to Ms Kho has been settled due to your forfeiture as per the agreement. That leaves the matter of the repayment of the legal fees for Ronald Peterson.”

That wipes the smirk off his face.  “Pardon, your honour?”

“You agreed to repay your part of the legal fees racked up during your failed attempts to retain custody of your children in Pittsburgh.  I have the documentation here; that is correct, isn’t it?”

He blinks for a few seconds and swallows hard.  “Yes.  Yes your honour.”

“So how do you propose to pay that?”

“The balance of the money from the sale of my collectibles, your honour.  She doesn’t get to keep that since I only owed her…”

“Mr Novotny.  The money from Ms Kho’s collection is Ms Kho’s…”

“But that’s not fair!  That’s more money than I owed her!  Your honour, come on!”

“I will not come on and lower your voice!  Now again, where do you intend to get the money for Mr Peterson?”

He slumps for a minute before smirking again.  “The car is mine. I can sell…”

“Mr Novotny. The car does not belong to you because you got the money for it illegally.   The car will be sold and the money raised for it will be returned to the insurance company.”

“Are you kidding me?!”

Ah there’s the Novotny I know and loathe.

“No I am not.  A repayment hearing will be heard on Wednesday at 0900 in this court.  Remove him.  Court is dismissed.”

“All rise.”

As he’s lead out, he pauses and then whips his head back around.

“Brian!  Brian!  You came!  Brian!”

The door is closed on his shouting and I heave a sigh of relief.

SUPREME JUSTICE RUDD

I wait for the court to clear before entering.  “Penny for them?”  I tap Tank on the shoulder and he shakes his head.

“Well he didn’t recognise me so that’s a benefit.  Though for a moment I thought he did.  But Adirondack really?”

“I know but we had to let the court decide and that’s what she decided.  The paperwork will be expedited but he won’t go across until after the last hearing.”

“Hopefully, he will just keep his head down and their paths won’t cross.”

“Hopefully.”  I reply and even cross my fingers.

JFK AIRPORT, PLANE BACK TO PITTSBURGH – LATE EVENING

JUSTIN

“Why aren’t we staying until after the repayment hearing?”  I ask as we wait for Mac to go through her checks.

“There’s no need for us to be there.”  Faal replies, pouring a Beam for Brian, who’s takes it with a smile.  “What’s wrong lig?”

Zee has been very quiet since we left court.

“Brian you need to see him.”

This gets everyone’s attention.

“Why?”  Debs demands.  “After all he’s done!”

“Because of what he’s done.”  Brian sighs and then nods.  “She’s right.  The moment he saw me, he just saw me, despite everyone else being there. He has to understand that he’s nothing to me now.  And the only way that will happen is if I tell him.”

“He does understand.  He just doesn’t want to hear it.”  Hunter grumbles.

“Do you want me there?”  I ask quietly and sigh as he lifts my hair to kiss my scar.

“Part of me does but I need his attention on me so he listens.  I need to do this alone.”

I nod in understanding.  “I’ll be at the hotel when you’re…”

“No I mean come with me to the courthouse but wait outside the room.”

“Good.  Anyone else staying?”  I ask as we get up to leave the plane.

“Yeah, all of us!”  Cynthia cuffs my arm playfully.  “Family remember?”

VISITOR’S ROOM, ALEXANDER PIRNIE FEDERAL BUILDING – WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

MICHAEL

Well fuck that!  No way am I paying him a penny!  I would rather have time added on than have anything else to do with that fucking family.  If it wasn’t for her then none of this would’ve happened.  She had to have Gus that night!  If she just waited, Boy Wonder would’ve been gone!

“Where are we going?”  I ask the guard escorting me up the corridor.

“You have a visitor.”  He tells me and as the door opens I see Brian standing by the window.

“Brian!”  I smile but am stopped from approaching him by the guard.

“Novotny sit!”  He orders.  “You have 30 minutes.”

“Can we have some privacy?”  I ask the guard.  “This is my best…”

“Michael!”  Brian snaps.  “Shut up!”

“Do you want me to step out Mr Taylor-Kinney?”  The guard asks.

“What a question.  He’s my best friend.  I’m not going to hurt…”  I protest.

“Could you just stand outside the door please?”

The guard nods and leaves. I can’t think why he needs to be there but I can still see him through the door window.

“You came.  I knew you…”

“I hate you.”  He interrupts me coldly.  “You hurt the only person that I will ever love and I will never forgive you for that.  But you do owe Justin, or Boy Wonder as you so bitchily keep calling him.  Because of him and the fact that I want to be with him for the rest of my life.  He is the only thing stopping me from beating the shit out of you.”

My jaw drops.  “Where has this come from?”

“Where has this come from?!”  He yells.  “You!  It has come from you.  Justin is the love of my life and…”

I stand up and immediately the guard comes in so I sit back down again.

“Does he even know you’re here?!  Why were you in court Brian and without him?!  Where is he now?!”  I yell, blinking back tears. He’s never spoken to me like this before.  “You don’t hate me!  You never could.  Yes what I did was wrong but I was angry and…”

He bursts out laughing.  “Wrong?  You describe what you did to me, to Justin, to Debs, to Uncle Vic as simply wrong?”  He starts to pace and then rubs his face.  “No Michael, what you did was inhumane. Suppose we didn’t find Justin in New York?  Do you even care how I would’ve felt if something had happened to him then?”

I roll my eyes.  “Oh please! Are you telling me that it was love at first sight for you but you were in denial?!”

“YES!   Finally you fucking get it!  Everything that Alex said in court was true!  And you know I don’t lie Michael.  I went to see him every night.  I held his hand every night.  I said I love you every night!”  He takes a couple of calming breaths.  “And he’s outside waiting for me right now and as for Monday his head was in my lap as he was asleep.”

“Bullshit.”  I whisper.  “You said that you would always love me and…”

“As a brother or a friend but nothing else then and nothing at all now!”  He picks up his coat and puts it on adjusting his collar.  “Do yourself a favour, Michael, keep your mouth shut and your head down in jail. It’s the only way you might live to be an old man.”

“But Brian…”

“Goodbye Mr DeVore.”  He waves at the guard and walks passed me without a backward glance.  “It’s done.  He’s dead to me.  Let’s go home.”

It takes me a few minutes for his words to sink in and I dash to the window and almost throw up as I watch them walk arm in arm away from the building.

“Novotny out!  Adirondack is waiting for you.  There’s nothing out there for you but that.”

BRITIN – SUNDAY LATE AFTERNOON

LOUNGE

JUSTIN

It’s been a tough few days but it’s over.  He’s out of our lives now.

I pick up the box and fiddle with it nervously.  I’m still unsure but a major part of me thinks this is the best thing.  Once we were back in Pittsburgh, we had the task of deciding what to do with the items he stole.  Debs took her stuff back as did Hunter but Ben is going to get the watch inscribed again.  

The only things that Brian and I took back were the pad, his suit and the picture of him as a baby, which is now framed in his study.

The scarf was incinerated.

“What you got there?”  Brian wraps his arm round me startling me a bit as I hadn’t heard him come in.

“I’ve got something but I’m not sure if I should give it to you.”  I whisper turning round and rest my head on his chest.

“Did you replace it?”  He asks gently and after a beat I nod.  “Good, I’m glad.  So can I have it then?”

I hand him the box and watch nervously as he opens it.  “Now may I have this dance?”  He smiles as he drapes it over his shoulders and puts on the music.

“Yes, yes you can.”  I sniffle.

After we finish dancing, I look up at him.  “I love you so much.”

“Love you more.”  He replies then kisses me deeply before smirking at me.  “Ready to try Brietling again?”

I drag him upstairs by his new white silk scarf.

Four hours later, when I can finally see straight again, I look up at him.  “Are you really going to do the auction next weekend?”

“Yeah.  We’re setting up the Vic Grassi Foundation.  Gus’s idea.”  He strokes my hair.  “Vic would’ve liked that.  And Rodney is going to help out as much as he can.”

“That’s good.  You Kinney men are awesome you know that?”

“Sleep twat.”

“Night Stud.”