C. Brown - Compromising

“No, here is perfect. I need you to fucking listen to me, Blondie.”

“Start talking then.”

I sighed, looking back and finding Nelson’s prying eyes burning into my backside. I took Cassie and pulled her behind a wall to give us a little more privacy.

“What the fuck has happened to us? How the fuck did we get here?”

“You’re seriously asking me that right now? I can’t sum it up in a couple of minutes, Alex.”

“Well, let’s start with what you’re doing here?”

She pulled back, looking offended. “That’s none of your business, Alex, but if you must know, Captain Hedlund was going over everything with me for my testimony in Allen’s court case.”

“Allen?” The name elicited a deep seated hatred from inside of me. “You’re not going to relive that bullshit. Why the fuck are they trying him? He’s fucking guilty. Castrate his ass and lock him up.”

“Alex, get a grip. He’s got a court-martial coming up and they need me to testify. It’s not the end of the world.”

“Cassie, having to drudge up all of that shit is like the end of the world. That motherfucker scarred you. Why the fuck would they want to put you through that again?”

“To get justice, Alex, and I’m all for it. He may have scarred me physically, but I think it’s you who he got mentally.”

LCpl. Nelson walked over and tapped my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Sgt. Cruz, but Captain Hedlund says he needs to see you right now.” Her expression had softened, but I could feel the tension between her and Cassie. I smelled estrogen flowing between these two, both looking to stake their claim. I would be lying if I said it didn’t make me smile for a second because at least then I knew that Cassie was still mine. I just had to make her realize it.

“Coming right now.”

I turned back to Cassie and took her hand in mine, forgetting about the little sliver of paper that Nelson had slipped into it earlier. She immediately felt it and grabbed for it, but I held it tight, not letting go.

“What is that, Alex?” she asked, her gaze was murderous.

“It’s nothing. Anyway, have dinner with me tonight.”

“What’s on that paper?”

She was fiercely pissed, her lips puckered and her eyes stone cold. I had never seen this side of her before, not even when I had previously pissed her off. She reached out and took the paper from my hands, opening it and seeing Nelson’s phone number written inside. A wry smile shaped her lips, and a devilishly wicked laugh escaped her. Her cold green eyes moved from the paper, then up to meet mine.

“Have dinner with Nelson,” she whispered into my ear, close enough for her lips to touch my lobe. “Fuck her ‘til your shit falls off. I’m done.”

“Cassie…” I harshly whispered. She threw her hand up and walked out of the legal building, leaving me standing there. I was fucking fuming. I didn’t want Nelson, didn’t ask for her phone number, and sure as hell wasn’t going to fuck her. If Captain Hedlund weren’t waiting for me, I would have run after Cassie and fixed that fucking attitude of hers, but I’d put it him off long enough.

I stormed past Nelson who was helping someone at the front desk. My knock on Captain Hedlund’s door was more of a bang. It was unintentional, but I was riled up, and not in a good way.

“You needed to see me, sir?”

“Took you fucking long enough, Cruz,” he replied, looking annoyed. “There are a few things that I need you to know before you deploy. One, your promotion to Staff Sergeant that had been revoked had now been reinstated. Your schoolhouse command, without adverse paperwork or a conviction, had no legal bearing to revoke it, and since they chose conviction and did not get it, your promotion stands. Your new command will inform you of your promotion date.”

I’d heard what he said, but I couldn’t even allow it to sink in. I was so pissed off that the thought of promotions or any other bullshit was lost in translation.

“Don’t be so happy about it, Cruz,” he chided, shaking his head at me.

“I’m sorry, sir,” I replied. “I appreciate it.”

“Not my business. I’m just passing along information. The second thing is that we’re going ahead with the court-martial for Pvt. Allen. He is out of the hospital and in the brig. Your testimony may or may not be necessary, and if you are needed, you will be flown back home for it.”

“Why can’t he just plea?”

“He is choosing not to, but that is none of your concern, Sgt. If you are called to testify, you will do so because it will be an order, do you understand that?”

Thoughts of what I walked in on that night flooded my mind. The images were forever burned into my memory, and a flurry of rage burned through my body. I wanted to find Allen and smash his fucking teeth in as I ripped his balls from his body. As far as I was concerned, that demented animal didn’t deserve to breathe.

“Yes, sir,” I answered through clenched teeth.

“Good. Have a safe deployment, Sgt. We’ll be in touch.”

He stood and shook my hand, dismissing me. Some of the office traffic had subsided, but I didn’t care. I marched out of the office, feeling a million times worse than when I had come in. I pulled out my cell phone and called Cassie, only to have it ring twice and go straight to voicemail. She was screening my calls. If I had been of sane mind, I would have left her alone, but sanity went out the window a long fucking time ago, and instead, I hopped into my truck and went to the barracks, parking and making my way up to Cassie’s building.

The workday had come to an end, and I figured she’d be home, so I wanted to catch her off guard before she had a chance to build anything up in preparation for me. When I reached her floor, I spotted her smiling and closing her door, but leaving it slightly ajar as that fucking pencil dick motherfucker from the chow hall stood there, smiling in anticipation of her return. I immediately saw red. I remembered him as Dalton’s friend, but I didn’t remember his name and really didn’t fucking care. Whatever he thought was about to happen was going to be squashed before he could even get his dick up. I would be damned if Cassie had anything to do with any other asshole besides me. I could scare this little shit, and I was certainly about to do it.

“You need something…?” I paused, not recalling his name. He looked at me and smiled, completely disregarding the pissed of look taking over my face.

“It’s Johnson. Lance Corporal. Johnson.”

“That isn’t important. Do you need something here?”

He finally noticed that I wasn’t in the mood for friendly semantics and wiped that shit eating grin from his face. “I’m just waiting for Cassie, Sgt.”

“Well, no need.”

“Um, we have to—”

“Those fucking plans have changed, Lance Corporal. You are no longer needed here,” I angrily bit out. My eyes burned through him with the urge to shove his ass out of there, and he slowly backed away. I watched him leave, then turned back to Cassie’s room. She opened the door as she was putting something into her purse.

“I’m ready now, Andrew…” Our eyes met, and her smile faded. “Where is Andrew?”

“Andrew? I don’t know any fucking Andrew.”

“Where the hell is he, Alex?”

“Who the fuck knows? I need to talk to you,” I growled. I took her hand and pulled her back into her room, closing her door behind me.

“Alex you don’t get to—”

I rushed her and took her in my arms, then crashed my mouth down on hers before she had a chance to finish whatever ridiculous statement she was hoping to say. I knew I had no right to stop her from anything at this point, but that was beside the fucking case. Whether I had the right or not was irrelevant.