My mouth dropped. I wasn’t sure how he had managed to finagle it away from O’Hara, but I was over the fucking moon to see it. If I would have had this during my restriction, it would have given me a slice of sanity. This tiny fucking device would have kept me from tinkering with a full blown meltdown. It would have allowed me to hold tight to Cassie, even when I couldn’t physically touch her.

“It dawned on me that your phone had been taken away unlawfully, so I was able to get it back. Whatever First Sergeant O’Hara and his people were able to pull from it is inadmissible in court, and Major Godinez is well aware of that.”

“I can’t thank you enough, Captain.”

“Don’t thank me. Thank an overzealous First Sergeant O’Hara for jumping the gun on this. There is still plenty that they have to take to court-martial, but at least this is one less piece of ammunition.”

I took the phone from his hand, then gave a firm, and appreciative handshake. What started out as just another day that I was hoping to soon forget, had turned into one of the best days that I’d had in quite some time.

“You are free to go, Sergeant. You need to report to work tomorrow, but you will need to come and see me first.”

“Okay, sir.” I couldn’t get him out fast enough.

“See you in the morning, Sergeant.”

I nodded my head, then turned and walked out. My phone felt like it was burning in my hands. When I powered it up, there was about ten percent battery left—just enough to make a quick call to Cassie.

I pressed the call button for her name waited, impatiently for her to answer. It rang a few times and my anxiety began to build. What if her phone had been confiscated as well? Just when my mind began wandering again, she answered.

“Alex!” Her voice was soft but anxious.

The sound of it was all I needed. My name coming from her mouth—her soft, melodic voice—gripped me and pulled me away from the cesspool that I had been wallowing in for what felt like an eternity.

“Blondie…”

“Oh my gosh, Alex. Where are you? How did you get your phone back?”

“None of that matters. Where are you? I need to see you.”

“Students barracks A in room one-zero-three.”

“Don’t move. I’m on my way.” I was out the door before I even finished speaking. “Hey, Cassie…”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

I hung up and tucked the phone into my pocket as I took off down the walkway that led to the student barracks. When Cassie’s door came into view, my heart beat so loudly that I could hear it against my ear drums.

I finally reached the door and gave three quick knocks, the wait for her to open the door killing me with every passing second. When she opened the door, all of my anxiety faded away. Her face was still bruised, and her wrists were still bandaged, but she was fucking perfect. I lunged for her, throwing my arms over her shoulders and pulling her tightly against me. The feel of her warm body up against mine gave me a sense of calm that had been noticeably absent since we’d been pulled apart. The feel of her skin against my hands, the scent of that cock twitching vanilla fragrance hitting my nostrils, took me back to the first time I had ever held her in my arms. Only this time, I knew I had her, and I knew that we weren’t in the wrong for it either.

“Alex…” she cried as tears trickled down her cheeks.

I held firmly to her as I walked us into the room, kicking the door shut on the way in. I softly kissed her lips, then pressed firmer, erasing all separation from us. She kissed me back, the hunger and need luring me even further. My hand glided up her head, as I tasted every inch of the beautiful mouth that I had been missing for much too long.

She slightly opened her mouth, giving me just enough to slide my tongue inside. Our tongues touching, swirling, shot off an explosion of rockets inside of me. As our kiss ended, Cassie sniffled a few times, trying to fight back tears.

“Shhh, Blondie. I’m here beautiful. I’m here.”

“How did you get here? Should I be worried?”

“No, Captain Hedlund is a damn good lawyer and got some things straightened out for me. I’m free to go home.”

She stepped back, her face lighting up like she’d hit the lottery. “So the court shit…all of that is over with?”

“Well, no. He isn’t that good.”

Her delight quickly turned into confusion.

“He got my phone back because apparently it had been confiscated illegally. And he got me off restriction thanks to our standing as a couple.”

“But you’re still getting court-martialed?”

“As far as I know, yes.”

Cassie started to pace, running her hands through her long blonde hair. “I don’t understand him. Why can’t O’Hara just leave us the hell alone?”

“We did break a long standing rule, Blondie. We knew what was at stake when we did it.”

She stopped pacing and turned to me, staring me intently in the eyes. “So you’re okay with them court-martialing you and destroying our careers?”

“I never said that.”

“Then what are you saying?”

She was frustrated and seemingly exasperated. I didn’t want to add to it, but I wasn’t going to sugar coat shit either.

“Cassie, I knew what was on the line when I decided that I just had to have you. I don’t care that O’Hara is pressing for court-martial. What I do mind is how personal he is making it. Like I’ve fucked his daughter or something.”

Her nose wrinkled, probably disgusted by the mere visual. “He’s taking it very personal. And he’s not going to stop until he has your head hanging from the wall.”

“What do you mean by that?”

She went on to explain about the visit he’d paid her. How he’d tried to coax her into testifying against me in order to save herself. As much as I already loathed the man, I downright despised him now, and wanted to give him the same fucking treatment that I had given Private Allen.

“Alex, I don’t know how far he can take this. I don’t know if he’ll get you kicked out, or just busted down, or—“

“And it’s nothing for you to worry about. I put myself in this shit, and I’ll worry about it. You don’t need to.”

“Are you crazy? How can I not worry about it? What happens to you affects me too, remember?”

Her pitch was raising, anger showing on her face.

“You know what I mean, Cassie. I don’t want you worrying about shit that you have no control over.”

“Don’t shut me out, Alex. I’m in this shit just as deeply as you are.”

She wasn’t getting it and trying to further explain it to her was only going to bring out the hysterics, something I really didn’t need right now.

I pulled out my phone and pressed call for Riley.

“Hey, man. You break free or what?” he answered.

“I guess you could say that. Anyway, I’m at the student barracks with Cassie and we need a ride home.”

“Holy shit, man. Is everything good?”

“I can’t really explain it all right now, Riley. I just need you to come and get us.”

“I’m on my way.”

He hung up and I sat down on the bed, pulling Cassie down with me and resting my head between her tits. She rubbed the back of my head, easing the slight hint of tension out of my body.

“Alex, I can’t stay out tonight.”

“Sure you can. We’ll get you covered here.”

“No!” she yelled, catching me off guard. She pulled back, and our eyes met, two sets of shocked eyes staring at one another. “I mean, I’m just so nervous about everything. I don’t understand how you can have all of this shit hanging over you and yet you still want to break rules.”

“Because it’s you, Cassie. Because no amount of fucking rules can contain what I feel for you.”

She stood and grabbed a bag and threw some of her belongings into it. I laid back on the bed, watching her every move as the worry from everything that was happening took hold of her and made her a nervous wreck. I hated what I was seeing—how the carefree Cassie seemed to be long gone, and was replaced by this nervous figure, moving about, like she was constantly on eggshells. She wouldn’t say much, and it was killing me. I hadn’t thought when I finally got the chance to see her that she’d be so on edge.

“Cassie, tell me how I can help you through this. I hate watching you look so damn frazzled.”

She looked at me and sighed. “I don’t know that there is anything, Alex. I just want to see all of this go away. I just want you to stop pretending that you’re a man of steel and acknowledge that you’re in deep shit. I want you to start caring about this predicament that we’re in.”

I sat up in disbelief. “Let me remind you of something. I was a hard ass from the day you met me and I will continue to be one. I won’t lay down for anyone. That bastard thinks he’s going to get me, and I’m going to make his pansy ass work for it. I’m not compromising myself or what we have to get off the hook, Cassie. If he’s going to punish me, he’s going to punish me, the real Alex, not some dickless prick who cowered because he was afraid.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but there was a knock on the door.

“That must be Riley. Let’s get out of here.” I walked over to the door and opened it, meeting the cold, lifeless eyes of First Sergeant O’Hara.” I froze as he glared at me, willing me to do the same. There was a female Sergeant with him, one I had only seen before, but didn’t know personally.

“Well, why am I not shocked by this? You get your freedom, and this is the first place you come?”

“May we help you, First Sergeant?”

“No, Sergeant Cruz, you may not. I am here to see Pfc. Bennett.”

Cassie stepped forward, looking sickened by his presence and ready to vomit. “I’m right here, First Sergeant.”

“I can see that, Pfc. Bennett. I will make this short and sweet. I came by to offer you one more chance to clear yourself. I sat thinking, long and hard, about what adverse paperwork could do to a young Private First Class, and it’s not pretty. You’d be booted out of the Corps after your first enlistment, for failure to promote. You have to see why I’m trying to offer you a way out.”

I looked to Cassie who looked to me, worry staining her face. Was she considering what this motherfucker was offering her? A twinge of sickness hit me as I stood there, praying to anyone who would listen that Cassie wouldn’t go for whatever he was about to offer her.

“Now, Pfc. Bennett, I can get you on a NJP and move you along your way. Anything more would be damaging to your career, and I see a bright future for you. Think about you, Bennett. You need to put yourself first.”

“Do I, First Sergeant?” she asked, her eyes narrowing at him. “Because from everything that I have been taught, thinking about yourself undermines morale, it hinders the ability to perform successfully, it’s frowned upon.”

“These are different circumstances, Bennett. Now, I don’t have all fucking day. Either you sign this form, and we move you right along, or I take you down with Cruz, and believe me, I will gut you both if it comes to that.”

Cassie looked from O’Hara to me, then back to O’Hara. “You want us, you’re going to have to work hard for us, First Sergeant.”

I exhaled, thankful that what I had said only minutes earlier had sunk in and she had turned around and used it on him. His always anger-filled face contorted into full-on rage as he turned and snatched a folder from the hands of the Sergeant with him.

“Private First Class. Bennett, you are being charged with fraternization. You have the right to remain silent. Any statement you make may be used as evidence against you in a trial by court-martial. You have the right to consult with legal counsel. This legal counsel may be a civilian lawyer retained by you at your own expense, a military lawyer appointed to act as your counsel without cost to you, or both. Do you understand these charges and your rights?”

“Yes, First Sergeant,” she answered, in a defiant tone filled with malice.

“I’ll need you to sign this charge sheet, acknowledging that you understand the charges laid out against you.

Cassie walked over to where he stood, then took the folder and pen from him and hurriedly signed her name to it. First Sergeant O’Hara took it back from her, then handed it to the Sergeant before turning back over to where Cassie stood.

“I know you’re young, but you need understand the ramifications of what you’ve just done. This will be one of those times where you look back and wish you had used better judgment.”