Defense

  As I stepped inside his office, he moved some papers around on his desk, pulling out the autopsy report and handing it to me.

  “Were there any new findings?” I asked as I looked it over.

  “Yes. She was pregnant.”

  “What?” My eyes widened.

  “About twelve weeks.”

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck, I thought to myself. This was bad. Real bad. I brought my hand to my forehead and pinched my brows together, trying to soothe the ache that had suddenly appeared.

  “And you’re sure there was intercourse the day of the murder?” I asked.

  “There definitely was penetration. But, from what I could see, it was consensual. There was no bruising or tears in the vaginal area. No semen or epithelial cells were found, indicating the killer or whomever she had sex with was wearing a condom.”

  “Thank you, Dr. High.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m sure I’ll be seeing a lot of you if you’re working for Mr. Russo’s firm.”

  “Maybe.” I gave a small smile.

  As soon as I left the building, I pulled my phone from my purse and dialed Sheila.

  “Hello.”

  “Sheila, it’s Ariana. I need you to find out everything, and I mean everything on Gina Burroughs. Also, I want her client list, and see if you can get me her phone records. Interview everyone you can at that escort service. Someone has to know something.”

  “I’ll get right on it.”

  “Thanks. Call me if you find something. I’ll be over at Luca’s going over some things with him before the preliminary hearing tomorrow morning.”

  I headed home, packed a small bag, and walked over to Luca’s. Emil saw me coming and held the door open for me.

  “Evening, Ariana.” He smiled.

  “Hi, Emil. How are you?”

  “I’m okay. Hey, I know Mr. Russo didn’t kill that girl.”

  “No, he didn’t, and I’m going to prove it.” A small smile crossed my lips.

  I pulled Gina Burroughs’ photo from my purse.

  “Have you ever seen this woman before? Maybe she came to visit Luca at one time?”

  He took the photograph from my hand and studied it.

  “No. I’ve never seen her before.”

  I silently let out the deep breath I was holding. If he had seen her here at some point, that would have posed a problem.

  “Thanks, Emil.”

  “You’re welcome. Have a good night, Ariana.”

  “You too.” I smiled as I headed towards the elevator.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Luca

  What the fuck was taking her so long? I thought as I looked at my watch. I walked over to the bar and poured a scotch, downed it, and poured another one. Didn’t she realize the urgency of me needing to see her, to fuck her, and then have dinner with her? My life was in chaos and I was trying my best to hold it together, but that only seemed possible when she was around.

  Just as I threw back the last of my scotch, there was a knock at the door.

  “It’s about time,” I spoke as I opened it.

  “Nice to see you too, Luca.” She grinned as she made her way inside.

  “What the hell took you so long? It seems like I’ve been waiting here for hours.”

  “We have a problem. A real big problem.” She sighed.

  “What is it?” I asked with concern.

  “Gina was twelve weeks pregnant.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” I placed my hand on my forehead. “You know what that means?”

  “Of course I do. You’ll be charged with two counts of murder. Your preliminary hearing is tomorrow morning at ten a.m.”

  “When did you find that out?” I asked.

  “After I left the hotel.”

  “And you’re just telling me this now?” I spoke with a hint of anger.

  “I stopped by your office after being harassed by reporters and you had already left!” she spoke in a raised voice.

  “Don’t you dare raise your voice to me.” I pointed at her.

  “And don’t you dare raise your voice to me, Mr. Russo.” She pointed back.

  My cock was on the rise and throbbing to be inside her. I’d waited all day and I wasn’t about to wait a second longer. She stood there and glared at me, waiting for my response. I needed her hard and fast. It was the only way to release the tension my body housed. I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it on the floor as I walked over to where she stood.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Showing you a million reasons why I needed you to come over.”

  My fingers took hold of the bottom of her shirt as she lifted her arms and I pulled it over her head. My tongue teased her lips as I unhooked her bra and tossed it on the floor. As I wrapped my arm around her waist, my mouth smashed into hers, while I led her over to the couch.

  “Take off your skirt and get on your knees,” I commanded.

  She slid her skirt off her hips and removed her panties while I took down my pants and kicked them to the side. She held on to the back the couch while her taut ass was up in the air. I reached my hands over and grabbed each of her breasts while my tongue slid down her back until it reached her wet pussy. As I darted my tongue in and out of her slick opening, she let out a moan of desire. She was more than ready for me to take her and my cock had been patient long enough. I positioned myself from behind, placing a firm grip on her hips while I pushed into her hard and deep. She gasped as she took every inch of me inside her. The warmth that enveloped my cock was exhilarating as I threw my head back and rapidly thrust in and out of her.

  “Do you like it like this?” I asked in a rough voice.

  “Yes,” she replied with bated breath.

  “Tell me how much you like it,” I commanded.

  “I love it.”

  “Do you want it harder?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then tell me.”

  “Fuck me harder, Luca,” she spoke with exasperation.

  I moved in and out of her at the speed of light, my heart racing and my breath accelerated. She was about to come as I could feel her tightening around me. She let out a loud moan as she lowered her head to try and catch her breath. One last pump and I slowed down, pushing out every last drop of come I could.

  I stood there, still inside her as I lowered my head and pressed my lips against her back. My breathing was erratic as was hers. Once my racing heart slowed, I pulled out and sat down on the couch next to her. She snuggled into my lap and lay her head on my shoulder as I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight. She lifted her head and looked at me with her beautiful eyes.

  “I’m hungry,” she spoke.

  The corners of my mouth curved up into a small smile as I brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

  “Me too. What do you want for dinner?”

  “Thai food. There’s this great little place around the corner.”

  “Yes. I know. I eat there all the time.” I grinned.

  She got off my lap, went into her bag, and pulled out her short silk black robe. After pulling my pants on, I walked to the kitchen and grabbed the menu from the drawer. After I phoned in our order for delivery, I stood at the dining room table where Ariana was already sitting with papers spread out in front of her.

  “So here’s what we know so far. The room was reserved under your name with your credit card information. That call was made from your office.”

  “I never called that hotel to reserve a room.”

  “I didn’t say you did. Now sit down and chill out.” She pointed at the chair across from her. “You left the bar at eleven o’clock and the victim’s time of death was approximately twelve a.m. My question is, why did the cleaning lady enter Gina’s room at six a.m.? They don’t clean the rooms that early in the morning.”

  “Because someone sent her up there to find the body, knowing that I’d be in that other room,” I spoke. “Fuck.” I got up from my chair. “I wish I could remember someth
ing.” I paced back and forth.

  My apartment phone rang, so I answered it, thinking it was Emil telling me that our food delivery was here, but it wasn’t about that.

  “Yes, Emil.”

  “There’s a woman by the name of Julia Brooks inquiring if you’re home,” he whispered.

  Julia Brooks. How did I know that name?

  “Julia Brooks, you say?” I asked as I looked at Ariana, whose eyes just about popped out of her head.

  She jumped up from the table and ran over to me, grabbing the phone from my hand.

  “Emil, it’s Ariana. Do not let her know that Luca is home and do not let her know that you know me.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Thank you.” She hung up.

  “Your sister is here. I imagine she found you from all the press concerning the Gina Burroughs’ case.”

  “I don’t need this right now!” she snapped. “I can’t deal with her and this case at the same time.”

  “Whatever happened back in Boston needs to be put to rest and the only way to do that is to talk to her. For fuck’s sake, Ariana, she’s your sister!” I shouted. “You need to talk to her!”

  “No she isn’t!” She whipped around with anger splayed across her face. “She’s my mother!”

  “What?” I cocked my head.

  “You want to know what happened, Luca? Fine, I’ll tell you what happened. My mother is Julia Brooks, who for the last twenty-five years pretended to be my sister. And my parents, whom I called mom and dad all these years, are my grandparents,” she spoke as tears filled her eyes.

  “They lied to you?”

  “I found out by accident on the day I graduated from law school when her and my grandmother were in the kitchen arguing. When I heard my name, I hid behind the door and listened. My mother was telling her that it was time I knew the truth.”

  “Ariana, I’m sorry.” I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight.

  I had just thought they had a fight and she left. I never imagined it was something as serious as what she told me. My heart broke for her. No wonder she was so secretive about everything.

  “How could they keep something like that from me all these years?” she cried.

  “I don’t know, baby. That’s fucked up. Did they at least explain or give you their reasons?”

  She broke our embrace as she wiped her eyes.

  “My mom had just turned fifteen when she got pregnant. According to my grandmother, there was no way she could care for me and still carry out her life plan.”

  “What the fuck was her life plan?”

  “She’s a surgeon. She graduated from Stanford in the top ten percent of her class.”

  “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” I smiled.

  “Really, Luca?” Her eyes narrowed at me.

  “I’m sorry.” I wrapped my arms around her once again and kissed the top of her head. “So your grandparents raised you as if you were their own so your mom wouldn’t have to worry?”

  “Yep.”

  “And they couldn’t have told you the truth somewhere down the line?”

  “I guess not.”

  “What about your father? Do you know who he is?”

  “Julia’s husband, Tom. They’ve been together since they were teenagers. Both went to Stanford and graduated together.”

  “He’s a doctor too?” I asked.

  “He’s a cardiologist.”

  “And his parents were okay with this decision to lie to you?”

  “Of course. Because that meant it didn’t disrupt his life either. So, both of them got off the hook for the mistake they made.”

  My grip around her tightened. “You are not and were not a mistake, Ariana. Don’t ever think that.”

  There was a knock at the door, and when I opened it, Emil was standing there holding a large brown paper bag.

  “Your food was delivered, so I thought I’d just bring it up to you.”

  I reached in my pocket and pulled out some cash, giving Emil extra for a tip.

  “Thank you, Emil.”

  “Is that woman still downstairs?” Ariana asked as she walked over to the door.

  “No. I told her that Mr. Russo wasn’t home and I didn’t know when to expect him, so she left.”

  “Thanks, Emil,” I spoke.

  “You’re welcome. Is there anything else you need?” he asked.

  “No. Have a good night.”

  We sat down to eat and Ariana mainly picked at her food.

  “You need to eat,” I spoke. “You said you were hungry.”

  “I am eating,” she spoke as she stared at her plate and moved her fork around the food.

  “No. You’re picking at your food.”

  I got up from my seat and took the one next to hers. Taking the fork from her hand, I put some food on it and brought it up to her mouth.

  “Open up.” I grinned.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Ariana

  I climbed out of bed at six a.m. Luca was still sound asleep when I hopped into the shower. After I finished, I wrapped a white towel around me, and when I walked into the bedroom, his eyes looked at me.

  “Why didn’t you wake me?” he asked.

  “You were sleeping so peacefully. I’m sorry if I kept you up all night with my tossing and turning,” I spoke.

  “You didn’t. I was up all night myself. Today’s the day I get charged with a double murder.” He sighed. “She’ll probably want to revoke my bail.”

  “Not going to happen,” I spoke as I slipped into my panties. “I’m ready for whatever she throws at us.”

  Luca climbed out of bed, gave me a kiss, and then went to the kitchen to make some coffee while I went into the bathroom and got myself ready for the day. As I was changing into my tailored navy blue pantsuit, my phone rang and Olivia was calling.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey. I heard Luca’s preliminary hearing is this morning. How are you?”

  “I’m good.”

  “Are you nervous?”

  “A little. But I’m not going to let him know that.”

  “Well, good luck. If you need anything at all, I’m here for you.”

  “Thanks, Olivia.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  After ending the call, I walked to the kitchen and Luca poured me a cup of coffee.

  “Did I hear you talking to someone?” he asked.

  “Olivia called. She wanted to wish us luck today.”

  “Ah. That was nice of her. What do you want for breakfast?”

  I took a sip of my coffee and looked at my watch.

  “I have to go. I’ll grab something later.” I kissed his lips.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I have someone I need to talk to before the hearing. I’ll meet you at the courthouse.” I flew out the door.

  ****

  “Hello again, Miss Williams,” Roberto, the hotel manager at the Peninsula, spoke.

  “Roberto, I have a question.”

  “Okay. Let’s go into my office. What can I do for you?”

  “Why would the cleaning staff go to clean Miss Burroughs’ room at six a.m.?”

  “When Miss Burroughs checked into the hotel, she said that she wanted the room cleaned at six a.m. while she was down at the spa.”

  “Your spa opens at six a.m.?” I raised my brow.

  “No. The spa actually opens at eight. But for special guests, we can make accommodations.”

  “How would you define a ‘special’ guest?” I asked.

  “Someone who visits our hotel frequently and stays in our high-priced suites.” He smiled.

  “How frequently did Miss Burroughs stay here at the hotel?”

  “About three to four day/nights a week. She rarely stayed more than just a few hours.

  “And every reservation was booked under her name?”

  “Yes.”

  “Different men each time stayed with her?” I asked.

 
He looked down in embarrassment.

  “Yes. She had a lot of different boyfriends.”

  “Come on, Roberto. We both know none of those men were her boyfriends.”

  “If you say so, Miss Williams.”

  I sighed as I rolled my eyes.

  “Was she with any other man that day she was here?”

  “No. I didn’t see her with anyone but Mr. Russo.”

  “And what time was it that you saw them?”

  “It was around eleven o’clock when I saw them step into the elevator.”

  “Did Miss Burroughs ever schedule a spa appointment that early?” I asked.

  “I’d have to check.” He turned to his computer and started typing. “No. The earliest she ever booked one was around noon.”

  “Thank you, Roberto.” I smiled as I held out my hand.

  “You’re welcome, Miss Williams. I hope I was of some help.”

  “You were. One last thing, is the maid who found Miss Burroughs here today?”

  “That would be Marta, and yes, she’s here. Did you want to speak with her?”

  “Please. I promise it’ll only be for a couple of minutes.”

  Roberto picked up the phone on his desk and called for Marta to come into his office. I looked at my watch and saw that I had approximately forty-five minutes to get to the courthouse. A few moments later, an older woman with jet-black hair pulled back into a ponytail stepped into the office.

  “Marta, this is Miss Williams. She’s an attorney and would like to speak with you.”

  Marta looked over at me and gave a small smile to hide the nervousness that was splayed across her face.

  “Hi, Marta. When you entered Miss Burroughs’ suite, and before you found her body, did you see anything out of the ordinary?”

  “No. I’ve already talked to the police,” she spoke in a heavy accent.

  “I know you have and I’m sorry to make you go through this again, but it’s very important that you remember everything about that morning. You said you started cleaning the living area of the suite before you went into the bedroom and found Miss Burroughs. Did you perhaps throw anything away? Maybe a condom wrapper or something?”

  This was a long shot, but I had to ask.

  “No. I’m sorry. There was nothing.”

  “Thank you, Marta, I won’t take up any more of your time.”