The four cops walked up to us.

“We’re going to let you three go for the evening,” Tall Cop said. “I suggest you all head to bed.”

“What about my phone?” I asked.

He handed me a business card. “If you find it, give me a call.”

Wow, big help he was. “Okay. So, um, are those rugby guys in trouble or anything?” I asked.

He sighed heavily. “Obviously, the three guys we talked to were in a fight. But we’re missing several of the participants involved. Like your acquaintance. Unless we can round up everyone, there’s not much we can do.”

Great. Those rugby jerks got away with behaving like Upper Division Pricks while the man who had protected me time and time again was going to court in two days and possibly to jail.

How was that fair again?

CHRISTOS

Flashing reds and blues from a pair of police cars strobed across the pavement when I rounded the south end of the SDU campus and came up North Torrey Pines Road. The squad cars were parked behind Paiute Hall. I noticed them before I got to Adams College Drive, so I decided to drive right on by.

I wondered if Samantha had found her phone. If she had, did I want to ring her up while she was talking to a bunch of campus cops? Better to call her later.

I rode home. The house was silent when I walked inside. Not wanting to wake my grandfather, I slid my motorcycle boots off in the entry foyer and crept up to bed.

I needed to get my beauty rest before my pre-trial in the morning.

Fun stuff.

CHRISTOS

Gravity had me by the balls and was hurtling me down toward oblivion like a boulder with a rocket pack strapped to its back. Faceless winged demons swirled around me, taunting me, clawing at my flesh, cackling with savage glee. Every time I swung at one of them or tried to grab an arm or a leg, they disappeared in a puff of black smoke only to reappear on my back, scaly limbs wound around my torso in a wicked embrace. Fangs sunk into my neck. I kept twisting and swinging and throwing knees, but there were too many of them. I couldn’t stop the onslaught.

“Christos?”

I flailed awake in my bed. “What the fuck!”

“It’s me, agápi mou,” Samantha whispered. I felt her lay a soothing hand on my shoulder. “I think you were having a nightmare. Was it about those rugby guys?”

“Worse.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really. It won’t make any difference. It was just a stupid dream.” My bedroom was still dark. I glanced at the clock on the bed stand. 4:17am. “Did you just get here?”

“No. I’ve been here for awhile.”

“In bed with me?”

“Yeah,” she said softly.

“Are you naked?”

“Yes.” Her voice was sultry and promised pleasant things.

I twisted and slid my arm around her waist, pulling her body into mine. Our taut stomachs kissed, delicious heat radiating from her skin into mine. Her soft breasts melted against my muscled chest and I was instantly hard. Samantha had no idea how completely womanly she was. Even in total darkness, she was incredible.

“Why didn’t you wake me when you came in?” I asked.

“You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“Yeah, my body must’ve crashed after all the adrenaline from the fight was gone.” I kissed her softly on the lips and felt the tip of her tongue tease mine. “Mmm, but you definitely should’ve woken me.”

“You’re awake now,” she said. “I didn’t miss my window of opportunity, did I?” she giggled.

“Gee whiz, I don’t know. Let me check.” I rolled on top of her, skin to skin, and wedged my fingers under her ass, lifting her hips. Her knees parted freely and I slid between her legs. My cock was already throbbing, straining to be inside of her. I grabbed it in my fist and teased the tip against her. “Damn, woman, you’re already wet.”

“What did you expect,” she joked. “I’ve been lying naked next to you for like two hours waiting for you to wake up.”

“Did you touch yourself?” I asked suggestively.

“No!” she cried.

“Why not? It would be pretty damn sexy for me to wake up while you were getting yourself off next to me.”

“You’re such a perv, Christos!”

“Really? Why? Because I like the idea that you’re so hot for me that you can’t even wait for the real thing when I’m sleeping inches away? Sounds pretty damn hot to me…”

“Come here, you caveman,” she giggled.

I planted my arms around her shoulders and lowered my mouth to hers. Our tongues snaked together as desperation fired down my spine.

“Yeah, definitely should’ve woken me sooner.” I slid myself slowly inside her waiting warmth. “Fuck, agápi mou…”

We made so much noise, I couldn’t hear those demons until long after we finished.

SAMANTHA

The scent of sex tickled my senses as I sighed pleasantly after making love to Christos.

I snuggled into Christos’ arms. I couldn’t get close enough to squeeze the unfinished business of his trial out of the way. I wanted to talk about it. I also wanted to forget about it and never mention it again. But it wasn’t going anywhere. The heat of our infinite love could not burn it away, no matter how much I wished it would.

I considered Christos’ feelings. Would bringing up his trial make him feel better so he could get it off his chest? Or would enjoying the comforting afterglow of our intimacy best soothe him into restful sleep? I didn’t know.

Inadvertently I heaved a huge sigh. I couldn’t help it. My indecision was driving me nuts. I was a terrible girlfriend.

“What is it, agápi mou?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

He chuckled. “Come on. Tell me. I admit I ran out of your apartment somewhat hastily earlier tonight.”

“Is that an apology?”

“It is. I apologize for bolting. But I’ve got all this heavy shit weighing down on me. I’ve got to get up and go to my pre-trial in a few hours.”

“What’s a pre-trial, anyway?”

“More legal bullshit before the actual trial. The D.A. and my attorney tell the judge what’s going to happen at the trial, what they’re going to say in court. But mainly it’s my chance to officially accept a plea bargain, or turn it down.”

“What’s that mean?”

“The D.A. is giving me a chance to plead guilty in exchange for a shortened sentence.”

He was talking about it like it was a news story that was happening to a total stranger. But this was real. Christos was going to court. Worse, I really didn’t know anything about it. So far, all he had told me in the last twenty four hours was that he had punched a guy out and the trial was on Valentine’s Day. Beyond that, I was totally in the dark. Not knowing anything made it somehow more frightening.

I asked, “Are you going to plead guilty?”

A heavy silence filled the room.

I’d watched TV shows about court in the past, I’d seen news footage of people in court, but none of it was real to me. It was always happening to someone else. In fact, the most memorable courtroom scene I could think of was the one at the end of the movie Legally Blonde. Somehow, I didn’t think Christos’ court experience was going to be candy-coated with a bunch of laugh track moments starring Reese Witherspoon.

“We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” I said.

“It’s okay. I’m going to plead not guilty.”

“Wait, I thought you told me you hit some guy?”

“I did.”

“Doesn’t that mean you’re guilty?”

“No, because it was self defense.”

“Oh.” I hadn’t expected that. The way Christos had described it initially, I’d thought maybe he’d had a bar fight or something equally stupid. “Now I’m confused.”

“The District Attorney is going to try to make me look like a bad guy. Like I started it for no reason. My attorney has to convince the jury that it was actually self defense, that the other guy started it.”