Chapter 36
Falling into his embrace felt right.
Mac didn't care that both Admiral Hollings and General Cresswell were waiting for them. She needed to see Harm and she needed to feel his arms wrapped around her.
Marine stoicism carried her out of the courtroom and prevented Mac from falling apart. She'd been obsessively wanted by men before, avoiding the advances of those that held no interest. She'd been ridiculed, called horrible names but hearing a man she loathed plot her rape was sickening. It made her feel dirty and for the umpteenth time Mac wondered how big of a role she played in Vic's obsession with her.
She found her husband in his office along with Commander Jurgan who instinctively knew he needed to make his leave without being asked. As the door shut behind the younger officer, Mac's arms encircled Harm's waist. "Oh, Harm."
"I really didn't want you to hear that." He said as she melted into his arms that tightened
when her head rested against his shoulder.
"I get it now, why you hit him." She raised her head and looked up at him. "I don't think any man has ever cared that much for me."
"Being in love with you made me a little biased."
"All the same, thank you."
"So you don't want to kill me anymore?" He grinned sheepishly as Mac rolled her eyes.
"Oh, I still want to kill you but if I were the prosecution, I'd drop my case. Was that your plan? A tell-all in court?"
Was it? No, he was still hoping a victim would come forward given the unreliable status of the thumbdrive and the videos that were questionable at best. It was no slam dunk but the start of conversations Vukovic couldn't hide from. "No but, I was desperate and I guess it worked, for now."
A mistrial. That was Admiral Morris' determination when the jury was cleared for the day and he could have a clear conversation with the defendant.
"Is there proof?"
"Yes. A thumbdrive. But you'll need someone fluent in Information Technology to read it. The files are corrupted or partially deleted."
"Do I want to know how you acquired that thumbdrive?"
"It was found in Vukovic's office by Colonel MacKenzie. As his acting CO, she had a right to search his office."
"Is this an attempt at a mistrial, Captain?"
"No, sir. I hit him, damn near wanting to kill the man for what he said about the Colonel - I should be reprimanded for that or tossed out of the Navy if that's what you believe would be the best course of action."
Neither punishment was given but a mistrial was along with a warning to both the defense and prosecution that either plaintiff or defendant should leave the city. Harm was not given his command back and as such remained in some sort of limbo until the case was reviewed again or the lawyers came to an agreement.
"You need to work on that obey part of our marriage, Mac. You had no business being in court today."
But she did because there was finally a break, a positive one that would bring Vukovic down. Harm hadn't seen the young Naval officer that walked into the courtroom with Mac, a familiar face that he had sought after but failed to contact - Lt Commander Tally Mayfield.
"What the hell are you doing here?" It was almost impossible to keep his swagger or that victimized demeanor Vic upheld during court. While he always enjoyed being in the presence of gorgeous women, Tally Mayfield was not a sight for his sore eyes.
Working with her in Washington had been an annoyance and it was only after begging Aunt Addie that Cresswell was ordered to never pair the two on cases until one of their transfers came through.
"Ah, the frog prince in the flesh." In the confines of the break room she looked him up and down, made a tsk sound with her tongue and then tried to push past only to have Vukovic's hand wrap tightly around her bicep. "I wouldn't do that Gregory. I'm not one of the girls you had your way with. A black belt in jiu jitsu says I'll slam your ass to the deck before you even know what hit you."
He let her go albeit reluctantly. Like Sarah, Tally was one of the few women that could get under his skin. Vic actually loved the woman deeply and still had a fondness for his ex-fiance but there were things about him she couldn't understand. "I'm not a rapist. I've never slept with a woman who didn't want me."
Mayfield's face fell into a sort of sadness that only a jilted lover would know. "You need to get help. Graves told me what happened - your obsession with the Colonel and that girl, Jessica."
"I'm not obsessed with the Colonel, Tals. I love her And if she would keep away from that crusty ol' jet jock, she'd love me too."
Tally shook her head slowly. "And the girl you seduced before our wedding? Did you love her too?"
"She seduced me." He pointed his index finger roughly into his chest, wincing when it pained him. "Did you think I liked cheating on you?" Vic squared his eyes and stepped back, allowing her to pass. "Whatever you're here for won't work. I didn't rape anyone. You know me, Tals. You know the man I am."
"Yeah, Greg. Unfortunately, I do know the man you are. The Colonel says she and the Captain need my help, I'm here to do just that…You know, I could have forgiven a lot of things, even ignored them because I loved you once but, my intuition wouldn't let me. Now I know why." She grabbed the recently poured cup of coffee and disappeared down the hallway.
"Fuck." He wasn't a rapist nor was he sick in any way. So what if he recorded his sexual encounters with various women for his personal pleasure? It wasn't like he sold each sordid tryst or showed the recording to anyone. Besides, none of it was assault if a woman wanted him. Yes, maybe a few times it had gone a little too far but they wanted him. Women always wanted him and he lived to please the fairer sex.
Why he placed a worm on the thumb drive would be questioned as well as the appearance of some of the women. A few were quite inebriated and the others were coaxed but they all wanted it. They all wanted him. Why didn't Sarah?
Vic scrubbed a hand across his face and leaned against the counters. He would double his efforts, conquer her heart and then her body. She'd divorce that neanderthal and be his forever. She would because deep inside, Vukovic knew that Mac couldn't stop thinking about him. He just needed to get her away from Rabb if only for an hour or two. That would free her beautiful soul and allow her to share her true feelings because, if given a chance, she'd love him back.
How to tear the two apart would take a little finesse but first, he had an Admiral and General to attend to.
Harm was a little exhausted when he entered his flat. A rare migraine was drumming to life at his temple and he felt like he could sleep forever.
The day ended in chaotic fashion after court requiring a short meeting be held where Admiral Hollings issued a formal investigation into Vic's rape allegations amist warnings of inappropriate search by his attorney. Everett tried to block a second search of Vukovic's office but as convening authority, Hollings demanded the room be scrutinized top to bottom by Commander Jurgan under Colonel MacKenzie's watchful eye. The original thumb drive was missing and a subsequent search of Vic's flat was being purposely delayed as the proper documentation, a search warrant, was being procured.
Mayfield was never assaulted but after a lengthy conversation Harm finally understood the animosity between the pair. She may have been reluctant to discuss her prior relationship with Vukovic but eventually shared her own experiences. "We were engaged, nearly married. I ah…I left him at the altar when I found out that Greg slept with my best friend, Jane, a few days before the wedding." But it wasn't just the cheating, her former friend detailed some of Vic's perversions, like the way he forcefully held her down during sex. "Jane asked him to ease off and stop but he didn't. It may not have started as rape but it sure ended that way."
"He was always a little rough. Always. Which was exciting from time to time but, sometimes it felt like…like he was punishing me for being a woman. Made me feel dirty sometimes when I didn't want to and he did…but, I thought…you know, if we married it would change." She became quiet suddenly but Harm didn't push for more information. Tally sighed heavily, letting it out with a big woosh of air. "I was younger and stupid…He would have been raping his own wife." She shook at the thought of being another victim, a term Tally Mayfield hated with every fiber of her being.
Harm knew it wasn't the smoking gun he was looking for but testimony from Mayfield could be the catalyst needed to bring more victims forward if the copies of the thumb drive really were corrupted. He was hopeful but cautious - Adele DeLong would easily derail any plans against her darling godson. They needed to move quickly but with Hollings preventing his daughter from coming forward and Jessica's own concerns, a key witness was non-existent.
That made the drive home a little disconcerting especially when his wife had been silent the entire trip, her eyes scanning out the window at nothing in particular. He imagined Mac was weighing her own demons and hiding behind the shroud of her Marine armor just to get through the day. Hearing him detail Vukovic's disgusting fantasies would likely leave a scar and he worried how it would define their relationship.He hadn't expected the heated kisses that began the second he locked the front door.
Mac's briefcase hit the ground with a thud and the cover Harm held in his hand followed suit. She pressed her body against his and with a hand at the back of his head, pulled Harm towards her. Their meeting of lips and tongues was frenetic and for Harm, kissing Mac was the most delightful way to ease the impending migraine. "I need you." She spoke between kisses and before long a mix of blues and greens lay messily on the ground.
They never made it to the bedroom because with one firm push Mac dropped Harm onto the sofa and promptly straddled him. He was rock hard which made it easy to guide his length into her moist, silky depths. Between rough kisses and quick movements, Mac used the back of the sofa for leverage, her hands gripping tightly when she rocked harder against him.
It was Harm that slowed her down when he spoke her name in his bedroom voice and the hands at her hips forced a gentler pace. "Sarah…You're so damned beautiful." Especially when they made love and he could see what their intimate connection could do to her.
His arms came around, hands splayed across her back until he grasped her six and held on while he thrusted up. He filled every inch of her, moved in time with the rolling of her hips and when Mac leaned into him, Harm feasted on her breasts. He licked and sucked, kissed a trial that ended at the base of her throat where his tongue swirled to catch a bead of sweat.
"You're too good at that." She praised her breath catching when he thrust into her again and slowly tried to pull out. Eventually, his teasing was too much and the hands that held her close to him felt like shackles. Mac leaned back with one arm draped around his neck, the position allowed her to move faster over him not stopping until she felt him gush into her with a strangled groan. She'd come a second later, collapsing onto his torso as her breathing slowed.
"Wow." Harm said when his heart rate had finally come back to normal.
"Sorry, I just had this energy inside me."
"Lord, Mac don't ever apologize for incredible sex." He snorted and then shifted slightly so he could kiss her. It was slow this time, loving and Harm felt his World make a little sense again.
"Today was something…"
Harm pushed the hair off her face which he then framed with his hands. "It'll be over soon. We got a win today."
"A mistrial isn't a win. It's more like hitting the pause button."
"It's better than spending weeks going round in circles for no reason."
Mac nodded slowly. "There's that. So what now? What do we do about Vicpuke in the meantime?"
"I don't wanna talk about Vukovic anymore." Instead, one arm wrapped around her and he uses his opposite hand to help him stand up with Mac wrapped around him.
It was difficult not to yelp or giggle like a schoolgirl when Harm nearly stumbled over the piles of clothes on his way to the bedroom. "Harm!"
"We're moving this to a nice, big, comfy bed." He kissed her once when they finally reached the foot of the bed and then, unceremoniously dumped her in the middle only to crawl between Mac's thighs. "You know that little problem you have with that 'obey' part of our vows?"
She almost came from the sound of his voice. Deep, husky and so damned sexy, Mac knew how lucky she was to have him. "Mmm hmm."
"I believe I've found the best form of punishment, Colonel." He pressed his palm against her sex, used a thumb to make slow lazy circles around her most sensitive bundle of nerves and then stopped completely. Harm would tease her. He'd bring Mac to the edge and then stop, over and over until neither of them could stand it.
Mac held back her groan of displeasure. "Mmm, well Devil Dogs are not afraid of squids, Captain." Spreads her legs a little wider and as Harm made to touch her, strong thighs trapped his hand. "Do your worst if you dare."
Oh, he dared and the very second she released him, Harm's head dipped between her thighs. Just for tonight, she'd obey.
"Morning, beautiful." Harm had left her in bed, an odd restlessness prevented him from sleeping more than a few hours. When he did sleep it was plagued with odd dreams that made him reach for Mac in the middle of the night. It was around four am when he gave up, went for a quick six mile run and stopped at a local bakery for fresh scones.
Mac was glowing, basking in the euphoria that only a night of good lovemaking could produce. It showed on her face, her appearance and the cute little smile followed by an adorable tint to her cheeks. "Morning."
"Is that a blush, Colonel?"
She was half dressed, with several buttons undone and looking as sexy as ever. Harm was sure he fell in love a little deeper that morning. And damn, he'd definitely never tire of this domestic side of them - the simplicity of sharing a morning routine with someone he loved.
"I suppose it is." Mac didn't try masking it as she came up to her toes to kiss him. His arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her gently off the ground eliciting a giggle he'd been learning to draw out of the mighty Marine. "A naughty sailor kept me up half the night. Not that I'm complaining."
"You're glowing, by the way." He put her down and kissed her once again before grabbing her mug from the cupboard and filling it with coffee.
"I'm a married woman with a sexy husband, both of whom enjoy a healthy sex life. The Navy can deal with a little post loving glow from the big bad Colonel. At least I'll be in a good mood all day." She winked at him over the brim of the coffee mug and then took a long sip. The man still couldn't make a decent cup but she'd just have to teach him to appreciate Marine grade brews.
"Harm, what's wrong?" There was something a little off that Mac noticed. An odd way he carried himself that morning that wasn't normal. Even with his trial underway, Harm was usually calmer. This time he fidgeted with his coffee cup and nearly forgot the scones and cream until she asked about the paper bag on the counter.
"I couldn't sleep…at all." He leaned against the cabinets and shook his head slowly. "I have this nagging feeling and…I,uh…I want you to stay away from him today, please."
"I'll be okay."
"You're a Marine, I know you can kill him with your pinky but-"
She knew this would come, the overprotective side of Harm that, while endearing, was also a little annoying. "It'll be okay. I won't be alone with him and if we do see each other, I'll give Gregory a wide berth. Trust me, I don't want to be anywhere near that creep. Especially now." Mac bit her lower lip. "I keep thinking…I mean, I know this was my fault, his want to have me."
"You didn't do anything wrong."
"I didn't stop his flirting. Kinda found it cute." She shrugged. "I guess it was still part of PTSD, I don't know but, I'm sorta pissed about it."
That didn't help ease the odd feelings or the intuitive energy that ran through his veins. "I was thinking, maybe you should call out. Stay with me today."
"I can't. You know I can't. I have a meeting with Cresswell today and Hollings. Admiral Morris will want to look into things and life in the military goes on." He was staring at her with his cute expression, the one that normally made her cave to his every whim. Instead, Mac chuckled. "Please don't look at me like that."
"Can't help it. I'm protective and the hovering type."
"You are and it's rather cute even if it annoys me from time to time." She placed her mug on the counter and came to his side. "I'll be fine." And when she kissed him, Mac had a similar feeling of foreboding but she refused to give into fear.
………
The sedan that usually came was a little late but that blessedly gave the pair a few more minutes to kiss and say goodbye. Harm promised they'd do something fun later, a ride on the London Eye and dinner at any establishment Mac wanted. He straightened the medals on the jacket, dusted a non-existent piece of lint from her lapel and kissed her one last time. "Bye."
"I love you." Mac called out as she slipped into the back seat of the waiting vehicle. She closed the door and sighed contentedly vowing not to let her work day destroy the good feelings Harm instilled in her. It felt wonderful to be loved and love back in return. Wherever the future led them, she knew everything would be alright - or would have been had the vehicle she sat in not taken an unfamiliar turn that she immediately noticed. "You're going the wrong way, Petty Officer."
A chill ran down her spine when the man at the wheel glanced through the rearview mirror. Greenish eyes stared back at her and the devilish grin Mac knew she'd never forget made her reach for the door handle of the moving vehicle. It was locked front he inside, child proofing making it impossible to free herself. "Let me out of this vehicle right now, Commander - that is a direct order."
Her stern tone made him flinch but, it also made him smile in a lasciviously sickening way that made her sick to her stomach. "I knew you'd eventually leave him for me, Sarah. I knew it. I knew it." Vukovic's voice wavered a bit, his confidence fleeting when Mac's hands wrapped around his throat. He hit the brakes hard, the sudden stop slamming her into the back seat but, when she doubled her efforts to immobilize him, Vukovic slammed the breaks again. "God damnit, Sarah. Why don't you let me love you?"
"You're insane." Her next course of action was to reach for her cellphone. They were close enough that Harm could reach them, stop them… save her. Damned if his intuition wasn't right.
"Call Rabb and I'll have him killed. I can do that, you know…give it to me."
It was with great reluctance that she passed the phone towards him. The device was ringing and she hoped Harm would answer. He did but it was too late because with one swift strike against the dash, the phone cracked in half, its battery skittering across the front seat. "He wont hurt you anymore I promise…but, I'm gonna need you to drink this."
He handed her an open bottle of water, half full and with contents that held a foul stench. The hazy liquid sloshed around and when Mac dumped it onto the floor, Vukovic offered her another. "Sarah, Sarah, Sarah…please, don't make me hurt him…Drink up."
"He'll find me." Mac said, wincing from the stale smell and the burn that coursed down her throat. She wouldn't take more than a sip in hopes that whatever he was using to drug her would lose its effectiveness. "He'll find me and he'll kill you for this."
"Let him try." The rest of the conversation was quickly muddled, the love song that poured out of the vehicle's radio faded quickly and before long, Mac felt her body relax and melt into the backseat. Her limbs went limp. Her vision began to tunnel and a few minutes later, everything went black.