1

She walked into the room, a shiny bag in her hand, dressed in a black leather trousers and a black sequined halter-top. Her statement jewellery and sexy black stilettoes screamed money. She had her hair let down, which hung gracefully over her shoulders.

I couldn’t but help gaze at those pair of lips with a coat of burgundy lipstick, the done up eyes, with thick black liner, and a pair of dark brown eyes, which had an unnatural glimmer in them.

She sat down on the polished wooden chair opposite to my desk and crossed her legs.

“Yes Ma’am,” I drew up my chair and placed my hands on the table, keeping a receptive, open posture.

“You have to defend me in court. I have been accused of the murder of my husband. I want to appoint you as my lawyer,” she said calmly.

I was shocked for a moment. In the three years of my life as a lawyer, I had gained a lot of name and fame. But I had always defended the victim. Never a criminal.

“I know what you are thinking,” her crisp words broke my reverie, “I had heard a lot about your job and you had never defended the dark side. But as a lawyer, your credit lies in being able to save your client from an accusation too. If you can’t do this, you are not a professional.”

Every word of hers was a truth but the way she said it, in a superior manner, I was suddenly really irritated by her behavior.

“What makes you think that you can dictate what I do or don’t? I am the one to decide whether or not to take up your case. I am not bound to take up yours,” I snapped.

“Oh yes, you are,” she replied in a chilly tone.

I looked up to see a gun pointing at me and her lips twisted in a mocking way.

I froze. I was actually dealing with a really dangerous criminal. I realized that if I didn’t defend her, she would be after my life.

“O…Okay,” I stammered, “I w…will but you have to be honest with me. I…I need to know a few things. But could you please put that gun down?”

She gave a trilling laugh, “Why of course, I will give correct answers. You should never hide things from a lawyer.”

I tried to smile.

“By the way Mr. Anderson, this gun is licensed,” she said putting her gun in her bag again.

I gulped, my mouth was dry, but as my ethics specified, I would know all the details of the case.

“So, did you really murder your husband?”

“Yes,” came the apt reply, “And I don’t regret it.”

“Why? If I may ask…”

“Look Anderson, I am a self-made woman. I am the CEO of a multinational company and I had struggled enough in life to come to this position. All that guy wanted was my money. He had tricked me into believing that he loved m…me…” her confidence faltered for a moment.

“So, he cheated on you,” I gave the most obvious conclusion.

A ghost of a smile appeared on her face, “No, he was the manager of my company. He had tricked and bribed my employees to transfer all my property in his name. Once having made me bankrupt, he took the final step to ensure his property.”

“He tried to kill you?”

“I was sleeping with him. He was kissing me when suddenly I felt breathless and realized that he had pressed pillow to my face, and he was strangling me. I tried with all my might to heave him away. He would have choked me, had it not been for the gun under my pillow, which stays with me always. I had snatched it out and shot blindly.”

There was a long silence that followed.

Finally I broke the silence, “So, you shot him dead.”

Her eyes replied for her. I could see the anger, disgust and fear in her eyes. The fire of a broken heart seemed to burn in them.

“I will help you,” I said.

Suddenly I felt bad for the lady who had a few seconds ago threatened to kill me. Her life had been a turmoil all throughout.

I looked up just in time to see a lone tear drop down from the corner of her dark eyes.

She turned away before I could see it. Strangely, I longed to reach out and wipe that tear.

What was happening to me?

“I can understand, you had no choice. You were kind of forced by circumstances,” I tried to console her.

“I would have shot that asshole myself,” I muttered under my breath.

My own words surprised me. Why was I suddenly so bent on protecting her? She was just another client. I couldn’t let my feelings out of control.

Besides, whatever the case, she was a criminal. But somehow, all the arguments I tried to place before myself seemed futile.

I was utterly confused as what drew me to that murderer. Was it the appeal of her misery? Or, was it the flame of vengeance, the fire of passion burning in her?

I had no answer for it. The only thing I knew was that I was the moth who was attracted towards her flames.

                               2

“So, taking both sides into consideration, I declare Mrs. Danvers, guilty of the crime of the murder of her husband,” the judge gave his declaration.

Jane at the stands let’s out a strangled cry. She looked around frantically, at the policemen surrounding her. Her eyes were frightened, like a caged animal.

“Ten years of imprisonment for the guilty,” the judgement was sounded.

“Your honour,” I spoke up. I knew that I was defeated. The opposition had enough proofs to browbeat me. Yet I wanted to try for one last time.

“I know my client has been proven guilty,” I tried to convince, “but I want you to just think of the matter on humanitarian grounds. According to the proofs I had placed before the jury, it was clearly proven that her husband had a malice in his intentions, and it is almost possible to conclude that he would try an attempt on her life. But her survival instincts took precedence and she had shot him. She was forced by circumstances.”

I could see in the eyes of the judge that he was reconsidering his judgement. He whispered to one of his jury members and they talked in low voices.

I took the opportunity to go near Jane and comfort her. She was badly shaking. I found no other way to console her. Instead I took her hands in mine and squeezed them gently.

To my surprise, she didn’t draw back.

“Destiny cannot be changed. It’s all fate and God’s planning,” I whispered, even as the courtroom stared at us, rather than the jury, who were still immersed in their discussion.

“Anderson, David, will you be with me through this? My family and friends have deserted me. I am just so lonely,” tears glistened in her eyes.

“I won’t abandon you,” I promised, before I could realise what that promise meant.

She looked into my eyes.

I immediately drew back. What was I doing? How did we get this far?

“Sorry,” I said stiffly, “I will support you as your lawyer. The relationship between me and you is purely professional.

“Is it?” she gave a sad smile. ‘Don’t know about you, but I have started thinking of you as more than my lawyer already…”

“Sorry,” it was the only thing that I could say.

“The jury has considered the case and it has been decided that,” the judge paused, “Jane Danvers can’t have any sort of mercy for shooting her husband at point blank. She is sentenced to ten years of imprisonment.”

The crowd greeted the judgement with a stoic silence.

I clutched my head in despair and sank to my seat as Jane was hand-cuffed and led away.

I went to the door of the courtroom and saw her being loaded into the police van. Her face was a mask of no emotions. My legs shook. The whole world came crashing down.

“Come on,” a voice in my head said, “It’s just another case which was already a lost cause.”

“But it was Jane…” the other part reminded.

The van sped away leaving me cold, with no flames of Jane’s passion to give me that one touch of warmth.

                                 3                             

I drove fast through the crowd of vehicles. It was two in the morning and cars were less. I even skipped three traffic signals in my hurry.

I was sweating and had a strangling feeling. Nervousness was getting the better of me.

My phone rang and a voice spoke out from the Bluetooth, “Sir, the job here is done. We are just waiting for you. I hope you have our money ready.”

“Yes you fools,” I replied through clenched teeth, “Just do the work. Your money is with me.”

I slammed the accelerator. The car sped on.
                                                           
                                  4                                
ALASKA STATE CORRECTIONAL HOME

The bold letters made my heart flinch. I had not met Jane since that day. I didn’t know in what condition she was.

I took deep breaths and walked into the prison.

“I want to meet Mrs. Jane Danvers, cell no 32. I have permission from the court,” I handed over the papers to them.

The man looked pointedly at me, “What relationship do you have with her, Sir?”

“I am her lawyer,” I replied calmly, “And as stated in the documents, I shall be given five minutes to speak to her, alone.”

The man nodded and handed over the papers to another person who gestured to me to follow him.

                               5                               
As I walked into the room, I saw her. She was sitting slumped against the wall. She had pale considerably and looked starved. The usual glimmer was missing in her eyes. The flames had died down.

Seeing me, she gave a sly smile, “David, what a pleasant surprise!”

I deftly moved towards her and took her hands to help her stand up.

“Listen, I was an idiot to not say to you earlier, but I have some feelings for you and I want to give them a chance. Will you be with me?”

My honest confessions froze her.

“I would love to,” she whispered, “but by the time I am out of here, you would have moved on.”

“Do you have faith in me?”

She gave me a blank confused look.

Suddenly a deafening sound shook the room, with the ringing of the emergency alarm.

I deftly caught her hand, “Run Jane,”

“Wait you are…”

I simply dragged her by the hand. The lone guard at the door had made his escape.

Thick smoke covered the whole building and soon we were coughing. Nevertheless I dragged her down the corridors, down the stairs, past the reception desk and shoved her into my car.

The engine had been kept on, I stepped on the accelerator and a lone car tore through the streets at unimaginable speed.

                                6                                
“You just broke me out of prison,” the disbelief in her voice made me chuckle.

“Yes, I had asked my men to cause a TNT explosion to draw the attention of the guards. It gave us enough time to get out,” I explained.

“I sometimes doubt if we are the criminals or you are,” she sank into her seat.

My heart skipped a beat, “But now that you are absconding, you are in a greater danger. Are you ready for it?”

She seemed unfazed by the bitter truth, “It’s better to live freely in fear than rot in prison. Besides…”

“Besides?”

“I have someone now to give me the true love I wanted.”

I slammed the brakes and turned to her.

Without any single thought, she pressed her lips to mine and I could feel her flames burning me yet again. Those luscious, hungry lips devoured me with the passion of eternity. Finally I was complete.

I drew her closer and we melted into each other.

I realized that you never know what might happen tomorrow, but what you have today matters more.

2050 words completed...Sorry for the excess but I hope we had been given leniency of 50 words.

Thanks to all my friends who are reading this... Hope you enjoy it and your votes and constructive criticisms are most welcome.