Law and Love

Author’s Note: Thank you so very much for my friend Kathy (kittie8571) who is the Beta of this story!

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Chapter Nine: The “B” Witness (1)

Ennis was totally focused on cooking. Walking around the kitchen, bare chest and feet with just his jeans, he was trying to control the boiling rice and the almost grilled salmon. The table was set but he knew he was late with the lunch and Jack would arrive soon. He liked to cook, but it seemed that it had been too long since he had actually cooked a meal for more than one person.

Looking at him with curiosity the still unnamed kitten was sitting near the kitchen door. Ennis left the final decision to Jack, for he couldn't seem to be able to decide. Veronica had given him a couple of good options but he wanted to share the decision with Jack.

When Ennis took a step toward the door, the kitten immediately started to chase Ennis’s right foot, almost making the blond man fall to the ground.

“You trying to kill me, kitty? Just stay still.” Ennis said, more sweetly and less furious than he intended. A few seconds after, the bell rang and Ennis moved to open the door desperate.

“Hi, come on in.” He leaned slightly and kissed Jack quickly on the cheek, running to the kitchen. “I’m cooking our lunch and it’s getting slightly out of control.”

“And I thought that you showing up at the door half naked was a good sign for me.”

“Already having second thoughts about the whole dating idea?” Ennis asked amused from the kitchen.

“No. Just because I refuse to act on temptation doesn’t mean the temptation is not there.” Jack said maneuvering around the table and sitting on the couch. “That would be too hypocrital of me.”

“Don’t tease me. I’m only human you know?” Was Ennis's loud answer from the kitchen.

“Yes. Actually I’m well aware…” Jack gasped, looking at the small kitten sniffing his shoes. “It seems to me that I just found the item you purchased yesterday. How cute!”

“I knew you were going to like him.”

“Does he have a name?”

“Not yet. Veronica, my next door neighbor, convinced me to call him Neve or Grey. I was hoping you would help me pick one.”

“Grey because of his eyes. But what about Neve? Where does that come from?” Jack asked while the kitty sniffed his hands.

“She told me it means snow in Spanish, or was it Portuguese? Italian perhaps.”

“I see! Very clever of her. I like Neve, it’s different.”

“So Neve it is. I actually liked that one better too.”

“What have I done to you, Ennis Del Mar? Buying fluffy, white cats… You’re full of surprises.”

“So you keep saying. Do you want to taste my lunch or what?” Ennis said appearing at the living room with the casserole of rice.

Jack leered at him, wetting his upper lip.

“Keep your dirty little remarks to yourself, Jack Twist. Don’t forget you’re at my house now. You know what I’m capable of.” Ennis suddenly remembered that night in Madrid and his happy expression was suddenly gone. He surely didn’t mean it that way. He quickly looked at Jack but all he found was a smile in his face.

“Ennis, I understood you. No need to linger on bad memories. What’s the point in teasing you if you can’t tease me back?”

“Right.” Ennis made a small smile, sitting at the head of the table.

Jack looked closely at Ennis. He really didn’t like the one word answers coming from him. That usually meant that they were back at sqaure one. He wanted Ennis to feel relaxed and comfortable. He looked at the food on his plate, salmon with rice and something else that he couldn't quite figure out.

“What an odd combination. Fish with rice?”

“It’s a very Asian, I know. Veronica told me to try it.”

“Should I be jealous of this Veronica? She seems to be all around you.”

“Never saw you as the possessive type. She’s just a friend I’ve made. Just try to eat some, for my sake.”

“You’re right. Being possessive is your expertise.” Jack teased, putting some of the rice in his mouth.

“So?”

“Mmm. Very good. There’s this really strange flavour…”

“It’s the marjoram.”

“Really? I should have known that you’re a good cook. It suits you.” Jack smiled, eating a piece of salmon.

“It suits me, city boy? Does that mean you can’t cook?”

“It means you’re not insane enough to eat my food. Matilda cooks for me and I'm happy and extremely thankful for that.”

“I’m not that surprised.” Ennis said and they both laughed loudly.

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“I’m full. God, I can’t remember the last time I ate so much. You’re a really good cook Ennis.” Jack said, sitting lazily at the couch.

“Glad you liked it.” Ennis sat down near Jack and put his arm around him, sighing in contentment.

Jack was surprised by the small gesture but decided to say nothing, too afraid to scare Ennis away again. They stayed like that in silence for a few minutes, until Ennis made Jack rest against his chest.

“You must think I’m crazy.” Ennis whispered in Jacks left ear. “It's just, I really missed you yesterday, and I was going to use any excuse to have you here today.”

“I’ve missed you too.” Jack answered, moving closer. “I’ve got something to tell you. I’ve been thinking about it since I arrived.”

Ennis looked at Jack with curiosity but said nothing, waiting for the blue eyed man to proceed.

“My father is very suspicious about what happened in Madrid. It seems there are some confusing rumors about our “misunderstanding.” People at the firm keep talking about why our partnership ended so abruptly.” Jack moved his head so that they were talking face to face.

“He talked to me last night, when we went out together for dinner. I denied everything. It didn’t feel right lying to him, but it wasn’t fair that the only thing he would know about us was the worst moment of our relationship. I told him we had a stupid lovers' quarrel but he didn’t seem too convinced. We know each other very well and I believe he’s going to talk to you this week.” Jack went silent for a minute caressing Ennis jaw.

“I know we had a bad start but we can make this work, Ennis. I know it's still very difficult and confusing for you. But I need you to get along with my dad. He’s very important to me, my only true family. Just try not to lose your temper with him, he’s very protective of me.”

“I know I’ve hurt you. I'm really sorry for that and whatever your father tells me, I’ll show him that. I’m not that hard to understand.” Ennis held Jack's hand in his and squeezed a bit. It felt so natural.

“I didn’t mean it that way.”

“I know but you had every reason in the world to mean it.”

“Thank you.” Jack smiled and rested his head against Ennis's chest.

“You know something? We should go for a walk with Neve. The poor thing has been locked inside the apartment since I bought him. Plus, we need to digest all this food.”

“I would rather stay here but you make a good point. Go get dressed and I’ll put the dishes in the dish washer for you.” Jack said slowly moving away from Ennis.

“You know how to do such a thing, Jack Twist? The plates are new, be careful.” Ennis said, suppressing a laugh.

“Think you're soooo funny.” Jack muttered, starting to pick things up from the table, but stopped abruptly at the image of Ennis's ass moving away to the bedroom. From the first day they met, Jack felt this dizzying attraction to Ennis. Something about the combination of curly blond hair and the V shape of Ennis body was just too much for his hormones, even though he was already 30 years old.

Now adding to all that there was the perverted thought that Ennis was turning gay because of him. He knew such a thought was stupid and even ridiculous but he couldn’t help but to see that as a powerful aphrodisiac. He was always the prey, but in this relationship he could really be the predator. Ennis had taken the first step, but now he could control the game, just as he secretly liked the most. He liked to think that he was depraving Ennis, in ways the blond lawyer had never dreamt before.

Jack liked to brag about his self control, how no one could make him lose his temper. He always managed to be in control of everything around him. Even when others thought they were controlling him, like his father, it was a consented control. At least, until he had met Ennis. The blond man awoke the most extreme feelings in him and Jack didn’t want to lose that. He was controlling at the same time he was losing control. It was almost as ironic as it was erotic.

God, the human mind was even more complex in his perverted fantasies, Jack thought.

“Are you trying to read the future in those?” Ennis asked amused at the way Jack was staring at the inside of the last remaining dirty cup.

“I was just thinking.” Jack answered looking at Ennis. He realized immediately that Ennis was wearing the blue polo Elizabeth had talked about a few days before.

“I see.” Ennis answered, putting the leash on Neve.

“Someone told me you keep wearing that blue polo all the time.” Jack said rising a brow.

“I like it and it’s very comfortable. Who the hell keeps looking at my clothes to tell you?” Ennis said looking at Neve.

“Is that so? And you already know the answer to that.”

“Grhmmm.” Was all Ennis said to the smile in Jack’s face. “You know why.”

“Yeah, I know, but it wouldn’t hurt if you told me one of these days.” Jack said, dropping the issue for now.

“You really are a spoiled brat, you know that?”

“It’s one of my many charms.”

Ennis looked at him, rolled his eyes and opened the door, followed by the small Neve.

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As usual, Jack was 20 minutes early on Monday morning. The afternoon with Ennis had been a blessing. Jack had missed spending some time with Ennis, just talking and discussing matters of little importance. He sighed at the memory. It was clear that they both cherished their friendship.

“Good morning, Mrs. Campbell.” Jack said to the newest secretary of the firm. She was Ennis’s new secretary, the one Elizabeth initially hired to work with both of them. She seemed to be a nice woman and Jack predicted that he would probably see her a thousand times in the future.

Jack enjoyed the small amount of time that he and Ennis worked together, but now their new relationship needed time and space to grow. Maybe in a few months they could be back working together. He hoped that could be a possibility. He harbored a secret fantasy that one day in the future, he and Ennis would settle down in a luxurious flat near the firm and work together all the time. They would commute together every day and sleep together every night, until one day he would find the strength to ask Ennis to marry him. And the fantasy would always end there because Jack had never allowed it to go any further. Even dreams and fantasies had limits.

“Good morning, Mr. Twist.” She answered, without looking up from the papers she was reading. Jack observed her closely. The woman was probably in her forties, with a few wrinkles and obviously bleached hair, and she looked very conservative. Elizabeth had searched all over the city for the best secretary to work with “her kids.” Mrs. Campbell was very competent, discreet and a hard worker. She wasn’t one to smile at everyone but Jack liked her just the same.

“Do you know if Mr. Del Mar has arrived yet?” Jack refrain from asking.

“No, Mr. Twist.”

“Thank you.”

“Have a good day, Mr. Twist.”

Jack moved in the direction of his own office. He was working alone this week as Elizabeth was in Belgium finishing their last case and Jack had the whole week to study the next case. It was another celebrity divorce. He'd lost count at how many of these he had worked on. He wondered why they kept marrying in the first place.

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Ennis arrived at work a few minutes late. He had another one of those dreams with Jack and the waking up had been difficult, so he ended up late. What a way to start the day though, he thought, a slow smile forming on his face.

“Good day, Mrs. Campbell. Do you have any messages for me?” Ennis asked grumpily, still feeling a little off because he was running late.

“Good day, Mr. Del Mar. Yes, I certainly have. First, the final documents related to the murder case in Florida have finally arrived. I’ve placed them on your desk. Second, the witness B of this case has confirmed the meeting. Third, Mr. Twist was here 15 minutes ago, asking for you.”

“Mr. Twist, the boss?” Ennis asked, remembering the conversation with Jack yesterday.

“No. Mr. Twist, the son, of course.” She answered calmly.

“Ok. I’ll pass by his office later. Just please don't call him "Mr. Twist." That title’s reserved for the big boss. Call him Mr. Jack Twist. And I need you to do me a favor. Could you call Mrs. Bingley? She’s a private detective. Mary Bingley. You should find her phone number easily. I need you to tell her that I’ll come by her office this afternoon to pick up some photos she had for Elizabeth Noris.”

“Do you not prefer to let me do that for you, sir?”

“No, thank you. I need to do this personally.” Ennis answered entering his own office.

This week was going to be a living hell for him. At least, that was what he predicted. The murder in Florida was a big case and without Elizabeth’s help, he was all by himself. This could possibly make or break his career. Sure, he had much more experience now, but the need to prove himself was there. He needed to start showing profit for the firm soon. The Magnet Firm was well-known for having the best lawyers with the best profit margin. If you didn’t make the cash, you didn’t stay long.

Mentally he remembered the basics of this case. A few weeks ago, a young woman, 24 years old, was found murdered in a train full of passengers in Florida. But this was no ordinary train. No, it was the most luxurious train on earth. Rafaelo was the king of all trains and it was making an inaugural trip around all the old train lines in Florida. The train was packed with all the modern security systems, but all the records were useless since someone had erased its records. Experts who analyzed the body had been surprised with the meticulous work the murderer had done. No fingerprints, no hair, no marks but the blue marks of suffocation. Done, they said, by a rope around the neck. Very primitive for such an expert.

Ennis's client was the victim’s boyfriend and the prime suspect. He's a famous American bachelor with “playboy” fame and too much money to stay out of trouble for long. There were very few clues (just a witness who put Ennis’s client at the place between the possible time of death and a few other witnesses who saw the victim and Ennis's client arguing on the same day). There were 30 passengers and 20 staff members to interview, dozens of places to analyze and a defense case to work on.

Nevertheless, this was turning into the typical case of someone murdered by a lover. But Ennis knew the prosecution had a very weak case. The witness who put Ennis’s client at the scene of the murder was an ex-girlfriend. Some old records of teenage alcoholism that the jury would never take into consideration at her testimonial. To complete his defense, there was one important witness whose cooperation was rather difficult to gain. The truth was that Ennis’s client wasn’t really on good terms with the victim. Their relationship was ending. On the night of the murder, Ennis’s client was having sex with his lover. The most ironic fact of all, the lover was a man. A man too afraid to confess he was engaging in sex with his client, even if it meant saving his lover’s ass.

He was going to meet with this man this week. Ennis was conscious of the importance of this witness. He could discredit the ex-girlfriend, but he needed the alibi. And so he was faced with the dilemma of convincing the witness to admit something that he himself was afraid to do not too long ago. And in all honesty, he still wasn't totally comfortable.

Such was the pure irony of life. Or as others like to call it, the karma. What goes up most come down and what goes around comes around. The other side of every coin. And so on…

Ennis jumped from his chair as someone knocked loudly. He abruptly looked at the door, just to see Mr. Twist coming in. The tall man entered and closed the door behind him in seconds without a single word. Surely it wasn’t a good sign for what was about to come next.

“Mr. Del Mar, can I have a word?” The older man asked, standing in front of Ennis’s desk. Ennis took a few seconds to look at the man in front of him. Truly it was like looking at Jack in 30 years. It was very disturbing, especially now that he and Jack had become so close.

“But of course, Mr. Twist.” All Ennis could do was fake indifference.

“I told your secretary I needed a few photocopies with urgency so that we could talk without being interrupted or overheard.” Enrique Twist said, not really waiting for a reaction from Ennis. “I believe you know why I’m here.”

“I have an idea, Mr. Twist. My own suspicions if I dare say.”

“I truly liked you, Del Mar. I picked your name from all the others because there was something different about you. I gave you the best attorney in the firm as your godmother. Put you working with my own son.” He stopped, breathing in slowly. Ennis didn’t risk interrupting him. “Jack doesn’t want to tell me the truth but I know him better than that. The way you two ceased to work together, the way he acted during the Katsoranis’ case, the rumors all over the firm, the fact that the two of you are now dating… I’m not stupid.”

“Mr. Twist…” Ennis started but was interrupted.

“Del Mar, I don’t want your excuses. Jack seems to have forgiven you for whatever you'd done before and that's not my business. But I’ll tell you this.” Mr. Twist leaned in his chair, moving closer to Ennis. “I’ve known guys like you. Too confused to commit, yet not too confused not to get in a relationship. I’ve seen Jack crying over all of them over the years and I couldn’t do anything. But you? I can deal with you. So you mind your step, Del Mar.” And with this, Enrique Twist bid his goodbyes and left without wasting another second or giving Ennis any time to formulate an answer.

Ennis stayed in the same position for a few minutes, wondering how far the boss’s threatening would go.

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Author: The sooner I'll see those sweet reviews, the sooner I'll post a few more chapters! But if you can't wait to read more, click on my homepage. Surprise!!! :P

On the next chapter: Ennis gets to know Mary Bingley, Elizabeth’s old love and he get quite impressed. Ennis case it’s approaching the end. And we finally get some slash!