Chapter 5

Grace was about as nervous as she'd ever been. Last night, she'd been so worked up that she thought for sure she was going to have a massive stroke, and that would be the end of it. However, her love for the man who had saved her again calmed her down and assured her that she had this. Then he told her all the things that he was going to do to her when the day ended, and they were going to come home alone and make love on every hard surface in their new home. She liked that idea and told him so.

However, when she went up to bed an hour later, she was surprised and happy to see that not only was Maverick in her bed, but he had pulled the blankets back so that she could jump in quickly after changing. The way they were resting was as romantic to her as it would have been had they made love all night. It also gave her just the right amount of—

"Grace, he's talking to you." The kiss to her nose both embarrassed her and had her smiling at Maverick. She'd completely forgotten where she was and what was going on around her. Being in the courtroom this morning had completely slipped her mind. "He wants to know if you're here on your own free will."

"Yes, I am, your honor. I was just putting my words together in my head. I didn't mean to leave you hanging there." The judge, Honorable Janet Orr, told her that it was refreshing to have someone in her court of law who seemed to have a good head on their shoulders. "I've been with the Strong family, and they're very good at not saying anything until they have all their thoughts in order. I'm working on being like that as well. In all things. It certainly helps when you have plenty to say."

Her uncle scoffed, and the judge asked him to use his words if he had something to say. Instead of answering her, he just waved it off. The judge told him that was to use his words or she'd fine him a fine for being disrespected in her courtroom.

"She's just sucking up. Not that I blame her, she's here under false pretenses anyway. Or I am. I'm not sure what possessed her to have me arrested like she did. I'm her only living relative, and there isn't any way that—your honor, do you suppose I can have a word or two with my young niece here? It won't take all that long. I just want to talk to her." Honorable Orr asked her if she'd speak to him. It was then that all the men with her and their wives stood up. She was sure that had there been room, they would have surrounded her as well. Gracie said that she wasn't going to be caught in the same room with him alone. Not if she could help it.

"This is a court of law, and if he wants to talk to me, though I don't have any idea what it is that he'd have to say to me, he can say it right now. I have nothing to hide." She looked over at Bradon. "You've caught me unawares enough that I know your tricks now. I will not be harmed again by you. You're a monster, a liar, and a thief. But it's the monster part that I want to keep away from. Tell me what you want then we can move on from here. I certainly want to get this day over with."

"Your honor, she's being unreasonable." Orr told him that she'd answered his questions, and if he wanted to talk to her, he'd better be getting on with it. "Christ, this is another shit show that she's the star of. All right then, I want you to drop the charges against me, Grace. I think you've been a bad girl long enough, and it's time that you did your duty by me as your only living relative to do what I tell you. It's the least that you can do, considering how much I've done for you."

"In the event that it has past your weak mind, I'm an adult, the same as you are. And you've done nothing for me but to rob me, beat me, and to burn me out of my home. I will and do what I want when I need to. And as of right now? You're no longer my family. I have a wonderful one right here beside me. More family than I thought was possible when I was a child." She asked to approach the bench and was granted permission. Bradon's attorney joined her. "This is the autopsy that was performed on my grandparents, Emma Grace and David Shipley. In that file, you will also find the updated autopsy of my parents, Angel Grace and George McKenna. Both of these reports were performed under the watchful eye of the FBI, who I'm told have a special interest in this case."

While Orr looked over the paper work, Bradon was asking if he could see the reports as well. His attorney, she'd not caught his name told his client to sit down and be quiet. Of course, being the way Bradon was, he told the man to fuck off, earning him a fine of five hundred dollars.

"I don't have anything to pay, even for a bribe, your honor. Grace is going to have to pay that. Since she is the one that provoked me. See what I've had to put up with over the years? How am I going to be getting out of here if she keeps piling things onto my list of things that she believes that I've done? It's just not fair, I tell you. Not at all, and you should put a stop to it before someone gets hurt." Which opened up the next set of paperwork that she had in her hands. Handing off another file, Bradon seemed to get pissier with each one. "What have you been doing, Grace? Prying into things that have no concern to you? That's going to cost you, I hope you know."

"It's a copy of my parents and grandparents' wills, if you must know. In addition to the autopsies that have been done, I've decided that someone of authority should have a look at some of the other lies that you've been telling me about the will." She could tell by the look on his face that he'd not expected her to have them, much less use them against him. Even though he'd been told that it was being looked into by Maverick just a couple of days ago.

He told her to stop this nonsense right now. "I don't think so, Bradon. As I said, I'm no longer afraid of you, and I don't like you. Not at all. You left me without funding, took money out of my inheritance as well, and killed off the most wonderful people that I knew. Then there was the fact that you beat me at all times when you found me, got into my accounts at the bank, and did more heinous crimes that we're only just uncovering. As I said, you're a monster."

"Your honor, this stuff that she's giving you, it's not right. I'm her only living relative, and I don't—" She cut him off.

"Mr. Shipley, it appears here that you're the sole reason that she has no one left but you in her life. And I'd just as soon you not bring that up again. It's not relevant to this case or any of the extra paperwork that has been filed against you. Not to mention making her life more than just a little difficult by doing things against her that frankly should have had you in prison long before now." Orr laid the files on her desk. "Do you have anything else to add to this, Mrs. Strong? I know that Strong family very well. I'm sure that they've done some powerful things to get you what you were robbed of."

It was Mr. Barkley Strong who handed over the files that he had in front of him. There were quite a few of them, too. Not only had they found things that Bradon had done as an adult, but there were things that they were finding out about his teenage years. Since he had an open record, his parents made it so that it would be there for anyone to find when checking him out for a job or loan. They were able to find out that he'd spent several weeks as a young sixteen-year-old in the local jail cell for smashing seventy mailboxes and stealing mail from the people in his neighborhood. Most of which were federal offenses according to the Mail Fraud Act. She thought that was the name of the law. Not that it mattered if she knew or not. It was up to the judge to figure things out from here on.

Bradon was still yelling about how unfair she was being when the judge told him to keep his trap shut or he'd have to find out about his trial from the newspaper like everyone else did. The little bastard told Orr to mind her peas and honey, or she'd be on his list, too. That was all it took for him to be taken away by the federal officers for threatening a sitting judge. Honestly, Gracie had no idea that was a real thing. She'd seen it used on television before but never in real life. She wanted to dance a jig that he was in more trouble than she'd even thought about, and that would mean that he'd be out of her hair for a few more weeks. The judge told her how sorry she was that she'd had to put up with him all her life.

"Getting justice now for my family is more than I could have hoped for, your honor." Bandon was literally kicking and screaming about his day in court as he was being dragged away by several officers. No one paid him any mind, and she was glad that he was gone. For the next forty or so minutes, things went very smoothly, and she was ready to call it a day when the judge said she was ready for the next case. That was fine by her. She needed out of this stuffy place.

Since neither one of them had had any contact with the Strong versus Dutch trial, Maverick took her hand into his, told his family that they'd see him in the morning, and they were out the door. The sunshine had felt very good on her face as she held herself up to it. The courtroom was nice, well lit, decorated with some flowers and planters but it was a room of criminals and bad people. Being out here made her feel like she had been able to wash all that off her and be a new her.

"Are you ready to go home? However, I'm a bit hungry though. Would you like to get some early lunch with me and pick up some snack foods and drinks so we never have to leave the bedroom again?" The brow-wiggling thing was just the perfect foil for all the seriousness of the day. He must have had a great deal of practice when he'd been younger because he had sharpened it to a fine art by now. Bursting out laughing was just what she needed, and she told him that. "Good. I love that you're not going to allow him to fuck up your life anymore."

"I didn't want him to do it in the first place. The very fact that he thought that he could lie all this time and get away with it shows how inexperienced and trusting I was and how much of a cheat and a liar he was. I don't ever want to talk to him again. Though I guess I will have to go to the courthouse again, but other than that, I'm finished with his ass." Maverick pulled her into his arms and held her.

Swaying back and forth with him like this made her happy. It was, she had discovered over the last few weeks, more than enough for her to calm herself and feel better about herself. The simple things of life.

A pretty flower in the garden that was pushing its way up from the newly weeded area. A discovery of a whole other room that no one had known about was something else. The house had been left as is, and they were finding all kinds of treasures and fun things all over the house when the walls had been taken down for better warmth and cooling.

The air had turned warm again, making it possible for the two of them to walk over to the place that was called, of all things, Scotties Den—in honor of the school mascot, a little scotty dog. They stayed open late on Friday nights to host the football teams and patrons of the gridlock. She'd been reading their menu online, thinking about the fun they had with letting people know about the specials and listening to people rave about how delicious everything on the menu tasted. The first thing she was going to try was the creamed chicken over mashed taters. As well as the other homemade things that were mentioned as well. And the fact that they didn't take credit cards but paper checks endeared her to them in a very special way.

Grace also wanted to go to one of the football games to feel the excitement of the people. She thought that it had been years since she'd been to one, and she was going to make it a habit to go to them whenever she could. Home or away, she just didn't care where she was.

"For the most part, I really don't know anyone on the team, but I get caught up in the game myself. A little before halftime, I usually help out with the concession stand when it's the busiest. Would you like to help me?" Laughing she told him no, she was going to stay seated and enjoy her game. That made anyone around them within hearing laugh. "All right then, I'll bring you some hot nachos and a large pickle. That's a hometown favorite, I think."

She was almost too full to stay awake when they left the little diner. But the moment that they worked their way up to the bedroom, her nerves took off, and she was suddenly terrified of disappointing Maverick. He asked her what was wrong and she told him.

"Honey, you could never disappoint me. Ever. And if you're not ready for the next phase of this relationship, then that's fine, too. My cock doesn't think so, but my heart and mind do." He lifted her chin up to see him when she laughed. "You, my dear, have been teasing me all week. A touch here. A few strokes over my back. It was as if you were trying to drive me crazy all the time."

"I didn't think that you noticed. You never said anything." He told her that he was trying his best not to jump her in the most inconvenient places. "Like where?"

"The grocery store a couple of nights ago. In the kitchen with all the men asking me questions that I couldn't for the life of me answer because I had no blood in my brain. How about the time that you came up on me while I was on the phone with a client? I nearly strangled myself, trying to get my tie off so that I could finish the conversation with him. You had me all twisted up.

After dining, they decided to walk around town for a little bit, just looking at the houses and the way people were gearing up for Halloween. It, too, he told her, was a big deal around here. He held onto the dessert they'd gotten, taking home a whole pie for them to enjoy later. The two of them walked to their home and got a pleasant surprise. Not only was the kitchen finished up but the living room floors had had their final coat of stain on them.

The two of them loved the way the house looked so differently than it did before they'd left this morning. She was really glad that they could at least have a meal or two in the kitchen now that there was not only a stove but also counters so that they could prepare the food. Now, they'd have to hire a cook as well as put in a grocery order so that they'd be able to have a good meal.

~*~

Maverick didn't mind the delay in going to bed. It was still early afternoon, so he was content to walk around the house and look at the things that had been started or finished. Most of all, the finished products is what they loved.

They'd decided to not put carpet down in any of the rooms. The two of them didn't have any allergies to speak of, but it was nice to be able to just run a quick broom over a place rather than have to drag out the carpet sweeper and then find a plug before being able to clean things up. He supposed with staff, it wouldn't be that bad but he was looking forward to not having to do all that much while the two of them were home. Grace had decided to work for Jade while she made equipment for the hospital and also, at times work with Jenson, as they had partnered together to form a single company. It would be a good job for her and get her out of the house occasionally.

Maverick was going to still do the books and such for the family. Keep them in funds so that they'd not have to work if they didn't want to. However, he never saw that happening with his family. They loved to work, and he didn't blame them one bit. Gracie and the other women did as well.

He was finishing up finding something warmer to put on when Grace joined him in the bedroom. She didn't say anything so when she wrapped her arms around him from behind, he held her hands to him and closed his eyes.

"I've been thinking about a lot of things since we got home." He asked her if she wanted to share. "Yes. I'd like a child or a lot of children with you. Soon too. I want to have fun with them, share them with your family, and let them know daily that they are wanted and loved."

"We can do that. What else are you thinking about?" She let him go, and he turned around. "Christ, woman. That's the best conversation starter that I've ever seen. Where did you get that pretty bra and pantie set? The color…the lack of color is perfect on your beautiful body."

"I found it when we were shopping the other day. I had to try it on and loved it. I've several sets of them in different colors. Do you really like this one?" He asked her to turn around. She did that for him. "I especially like the fact that they have these little ties at the sides. See? All you have to do is just pull on the string, and oops, there is nothing on me."

As the panties slid to the floor, he did as well. Maverick was glad now that he'd removed his shirt before they'd come into the room and that his shoes were off. He loved being barefooted. But there were more important things to think about right now instead of him having no shoes on. When he dropped to his knees in front of her, she nearly got down as well, but when he pulled her body to his mouth, Grace nearly cried out. Never had he done anything like this before. Eating someone while standing up. It gave him access that he'd never dreamed of before. Christ, he was in heaven.

He ate at her over and over until her legs were trembling. Her first climax nearly had him tumble over on top of her, and the second and third had her pleading for him to take her. Begging him to stop only made him work harder until she finally had to pull him from her.

"You're killing me." He grinned at her and leaned in to suckle at her clit again. The short yet powerful release had her whimpering and him needing so much more. When he stood up, she had to hold onto him. If he was honest with himself, he wasn't all that steady himself. But he was willing to do anything to have her coming like she had for him.

"I'm going to enjoy this. As many times as I can." She told him to hurry that she wasn't sure how much longer she was going to last. Maverick backed her up until she hit the bed behind her. He lifted her up, sat her on the bed, and moved between her thighs. His cock slowly entered her until he thought he'd die from the pleasure. He hoped she was having as much pleasure as he was. Maverick was nearly dead with it.

"Maverick, I love you." He moved to her breast and suckled on the tip before pulling the heavy flesh into his mouth. His tongue moved over the nipple over and over as he entered her deeper and then deeper still. When he was as deep as he could go, he looked at her.

"You're so hot, my love. And wet. You've been thinking of this, haven't you?" He rolled his hips, and he could swear he was at the back of her throat. "Come for me. Tighten that pretty pussy around me and come."

Maverick had never talked to her this way before. They'd been together for so long that he rarely thought of sex with anyone but her. But this woman, this one woman who had been away from him for so long, was making him think of things he'd never thought of before.

"I want to take you into my mouth." He groaned and rolled his hips again. "I want to taste you too, feel you fucking my mouth."

"You're going to make me come too soon if you keep that up." Grace rolled her own hips and watched his face. His fingers on her hips tightened, and he knew that she was close.

Wrapping her ankles around him, she sat up and took his mouth. His body started to move in and out of her faster now, and he felt her climax rolling along his body. When he nipped at her throat, Grace threw back her head and cried out her release. It was nearly too much for him as his own body exploded in hers, even as he felt his mouth bite down hard enough to draw blood.

Grace's next climax had him seeing stars. His own roar of completion made him feel like he could take on the world. Holding onto her, he felt his love for her warm his entire body.

"I know you wanted to do this all night long and into tomorrow, but I think I'm going to be lucky if I can continue breathing for the next several hours." Grace nodded, unable to speak at the moment. "I love you, sweetheart. And always will. I'm so very happy that you're in my life. You're all I have ever needed in someone to love."

He held her tightly as she drifted off. Occasionally, she would come again, just a small climax or perhaps a small tremor of her body that he'd feel along his cock. But she never woke, nor did she say anything. However, he did moan when she would move in a certain way that would have him hurting enough that he'd have to groan. Christ, he thought, love was well worth everything in the world.

Maverick drifted off and on. He found himself hungry at about midnight. And so thirsty that he was sure that he'd never get enough to drink. Taking his time, moving out from under Grace, he had to laugh when she would wrap him up in her arms and tell him not to move. The urgency to get up was powerful then, and he simply got up and moved away from the bed.

Holding onto the dresser that was closest to him, he swayed back and forth for several minutes before he felt like he could move without falling on his ass. Almost as soon as he took a step towards the bathroom, he had to bite his lips to keep from screaming out loud about how much the muscles in his legs were pulling on him.

Tiptoeing and making as little noise as possible, Maverick managed to go to the bathroom, brush his teeth, and get a drink of water in that order. However, he had to make his way back to the bed slowly, afraid that now that he was up, he'd end up on the floor in a terrible mess.

"Where did you go?" Not sure she was awake, he told Grace where he'd been. All she did was lift her head, stare at him then drop it back on her pillow. Laughing just enough to get himself situated on the bed, he pulled her body up close to his and was glad that she wrapped her body around his to bring warmth back to his. Maverick loved being in love and loving someone. There was no better way to have a life than like his was right now.

Grace woke him a couple of times when she'd gotten up to use the bathroom. Once he joined her, going to get another drink while she used the bathroom. When he beat her to bed, pulling the covers up and over the two of them, she told him that it was much too cold to walk around naked. Letting her fall back to sleep, he had to agree with her about that. It was much too cold to be anywhere naked, he thought.

The next time he woke, not only was the sun streaming through the windows, but he was alone in the big bed. Not bothering to get up just yet once he heard the shower running, he closed his eyes and fell back into a nice, deep sleep. He couldn't believe it when the next time he opened his eyes it was after noon, and that he'd slept most of the day away. Getting up, careful again of how he stepped, Maverick was showered and dressed just as his cell phone was ringing. It was his brother Barton wanting to tell him how things had gone at the pretrial hearing that had to do with Lorie, his wife's sister.

"She made such a fuss that Judge Orr told her that she was going to be taken back to her cell if she didn't calm down. Of course, that made her all the more revved up. She simply couldn't get it in her mind that she was actually in trouble because she'd told one little lie." Maverick told him that she'd been saying that all along. "That's what the judge said as well. He had a report from the station house that she'd been telling everyone, even people who were visiting others, that she wasn't going to go to jail for anyone. That her sister should never have allowed that brat, we're all assuming that she meant Sherm but that's all she ever called him, come between Torie and her. The judge even asked her why she didn't like the baby, because of course that's all he'd been when she had done all this, so much, and Lorie said that it was unfair of the family to think that she'd ever be happy with anyone else in the family that got more attention than she did. Do you believe that crap?"

"Yes and no. I mean, she's been saying that all along. That she hated Sherm for the simple reason that he'd been taking up all their time and not paying any attention to her. What happened when it was brought up that the other couple would still be alive if she'd not lied?" Barton told him that she'd said that it didn't matter to anyone what happened. It had almost worked out the way that she'd wanted, except for the nosy neighbor coming over and saving her sister. "She wanted Torie to be dead as well?"

"Get this. She thought with her sister and her brat being dead—what she still calls poor Sherm, people would give her all kinds of attention because they'd think that she was hurt that they were dead. Which she told the court she would only be upset if they weren't to die right away. It was an eye-opener for all of us. My heart broke for her dad and mom. Hanna had to leave the courtroom in tears, and then Warren just sat there shaking his head at her. The judge, thinking that Lorie had thought that it was somehow a joke, the testimony that she was giving and asked her again what she would have done had her sister and nephew died." He heard his brother blow his nose as if it had upset him terribly on what was said at the court house. "Maverick, she told Judge Orr that every day since then, she'd been trying to find a way to make their deaths longer and more painful than anything that she could think of because of what she feels they robbed her of for being in jail all this time. She also told Orr that she hoped that she lived longer than her family so that she could finally get the attention that she deserved. Because, get this, she was the one that deserved it more than anyone else."

"When will the trial be? Did they set it up?" Barton told him that she was going to be evaluated again because the judge wanted no mistakes with this trial as Lorie was so cold and heartless, she couldn't believe that she was anything but off her rocker."

Barton assured him that wasn't what she'd said, but his brother was really upset. When he broke down crying again, his heart hurt as it hadn't for a while. Deciding to go over to his house to hang out with him for a little while, he called Grace to let him know where he was going to go.

"Good idea. We're all hanging out with Torie right now. Jade called us all together to comfort her. I think she's doing much better than I would be had that been a relative of mine. We're at Jade's house now. There is a lot of ice cream and wine going around. I'm so glad that you will be with Barton. He looked so bad this afternoon when I got here." He said that he was going to call his brothers. Good idea. He needs you guys more than ever right now. I don't think that either of them expected this to go like it has."

Things like this rarely went the way that people wanted, he was beginning to think. Getting some of the things to take over that his dad had wanted, all his brothers and his dad said they'd meet him at Dad's house. They'd cheer him up, maybe knock him around a little then have a good time. He hoped so anyway.