RICKY'S POV:
Day one of Adam's trial had arrived, and during the time from when I'd received the letter informing me of the start date, Brax and Heath to had received letters, informing them of the start date and telling them that they'd be required to give evidence against him. Checking my appearance in the full-length mirror of mine and Brax's bedroom, I smiled at him through the mirror as he walked out of the en-suite bathroom…
"Okay?" he asked
I nodded my head, signalling yes… "Can you zip me up please?"
He walked over to me, my heart almost stopping as his bare chest pressed against my back. Zipping me up, his arms ran down my back and around my waist, pulling my back flush against his front…
"Brax" I whispered
"What?" he questioned
"We need to focus" I informed him, turning my head so I could kiss his cheek
"You look beautiful" he admitted
I smiled at him warmly and pulled away from him, deciding to re-do my hair as he dressed himself…
BRAX'S POV:
Ricky, myself, Heath and Bianca arrived at the court house and made our way inside and to where we needed to be, our solicitor waiting for us…
"Morning" he greeted us as he walked over to us "shall we go to the conference room? Go over our plan of action one more time?"
"Do we really need to? We tell the truth. Tell the jury what a scumbag Adam is" Heath replied
"Heath" I sighed "no dramatics today, please"
"Fine" he stated "let's go then"
Entwining my hand with Ricky's again, we followed our solicitor to the conference room…
RICKY'S POV:
"Miss. Sharpe" I snapped out of my trance and looked at my solicitor… "Sorry?"
"Are you okay?" he questioned
"Just nervous, I guess" I admitted
"You'll be fine" he assured me "now, you know what you're doing, right?"
"Like Heath said, tell the court and the jury what a scumbag my brother is" I replied
"Something like that" he chuckled as he turned to Heath "now, Mr. Braxton…"
"You okay?" Brax inquired as our solicitor started to talk
I nodded my head, signalling yes, smiling at him warmly…
"I call to the stand, Miss. Erica Sharpe" the judge announced to the court
I was led into the courtroom and to the stand, my solicitor standing…
"Miss. Sharpe, please can you describe to the court your brother's demeanour?" he asked
I glanced at Adam who sat in the dock opposite me and swallowed… "When our parents started to work away more, his attitude changed. He thought he could do as and what he liked when he liked, and when I confronted him on it, that's when the drama really started"
"Can you elaborate please, Miss. Sharpe?" he questioned
"We rowed a lot" I admitted "and he lashed out, physically and verbally"
"Your own brother assaulted you?" he inquired
I nodded my head, signalling yes…
"A verbal answer is needed for the jury, Miss. Sharpe" the judge informed me
"Yes, yes he did" I replied "I was trying to help him, trying to avoid him getting into so much trouble, but as I continued to try and help him, the abuse got worse"
"Did you confront him about getting your partner involved?" my solicitor questioned
"Brax, I mean, Mr. Braxton, wasn't my partner at the time so no" I informed the court "but it upset me to see such a good man be led astray"
BRAX'S POV:
"Mr. Braxton, can you tell the court why you felt such a loyalty to Mr. Sharpe?" my solicitor inquired
"He was my mate, or so I thought" I informed him and the court "I like to be loyal to people"
"When did you see the real Mr. Sharpe?" he questioned
"I saw glimpses of him during jobs" I replied "but when he hurt someone and put them in a coma, he threatened my Mum's safety if I told anyone. That's when I knew I had to get out, but I couldn't"
"So you continued to work for him, is that correct?" our solicitor inquired
"Yes it is" I informed him
"What made you tell him you wanted to stop working for him?" he questioned
"Being given the chance to be with the woman I love" I admitted "to start a new and better life. I knew I had to get out"
"And what happened then? I guess he didn't take it very well?" he asked
"No he didn't. He attacked me" I informed the court "and threatened the safety of my family and his own sister"
"So what happened then? Did you continue to work for him?" he questioned
"No" I replied "my intention when I finished school was to leave where I used to live, but after Mr. Sharpe attacked me, we decided to get out as soon as we could"
"And when you say we you mean…?" he asked
"Myself, my brothers Heath and Casey, and Ricky, Mr. Sharpe's sister" I informed him
"Mr. Sharpe mustn't have taken the news that you'd taken his little sister away from him very well?" he inquired
"He had my brother beaten up" I admitted "he was a thorn in our sides. We couldn't get rid of him"
"And what made you contact the police?" he asked
"When I told Ricky, Miss. Sharpe about him attacking someone and putting them in a coma, I knew she was right when she said that he had to be stopped" I admitted
RICKY'S POV:
I felt my body being put down gently. Opening my eyes, I saw Brax above me, pulling the bedsheets over my body…
"Hey, sleeping beauty" he greeted me
"Hey" I mirrored "did I fall asleep?"
He nodded his head, signalling yes… "I don't blame you. The movie was crap. Remind me to never let Heath pick a film we watch ever again"
"Okay" I replied, chuckling lightly "are you coming to bed too?"
"Soon" he informed me "I've got to do the books for the restaurant"
"Brax… I think we should talk" I admitted, sitting up in the bed
"What about?" he questioned
"Today" I informed him "how it made us both feel. We can't bottle it up because in the long run it won't be good for us"
"Get you being all wise and sensible" he chuckled "we will, tomorrow, I promise"
"I'll hold you to it" I assured him, smiling warmly at him as he moved to the bed again
"Get some sleep" he stated, kissing me softly
"Okay" I sighed contentedly, snuggling down under the covers
So the trial has begun – will Adam be locked away, or is the nightmare for the Braxton's only just beginning?