Naked and Defiant Read online

  "Well, Mr. Brockton?" the old judge asked. "What do you say?"

  "I want him to stay away from her!" Brockton growled, angrily." He is poison."

  "I'm not the one who has poisoned her, Brockton!" Griffon bared his teeth. "You have!"

  "My client accepts the agreement, Your Honor. Thank you, Mr. Badger," Mr. Woods interrupted.

  "He is going to destroy me and use her to do it!" Mr. Brockton protested.

  "I am sure Mr. Badger will not do anything of the sort. There is no reason for him to have any contact with Miss Brockton when the trial is over, especially since they were nothing more than casual friends. Isn't this true, Mr. Badger?" Mr. Woods said, slyly. "Will you please reassure this girl's father that you have not had any romantic interest in Jade? I do believe that it is a favorable thing for the girl that you were without a personal agenda. It would definitely make Jade look, well … I don't need to say how her already questionable public image would be affected if she were to allow herself to be taken up as your mistress."

  "She and I have not had any intimate interaction. We are not interested in each other like that," Griffon narrowed his eyes. What was this guy up to?

  "See, Mr. Brockton? You have nothing to worry about. Let's get you out of here before you end up in jail," Mr. Woods whispered loudly, pulling his client to his feet. Griffon rose as well and stiffly extended his hand to his nemesis.

  "Fuck yourself, Badger," the man snarled, storming out of the room.

  "What was that about?" Griffon asked, following them with his eyes.

  The judge shook his head again. "I have no idea. I do agree, though, that it was a good idea not to have gotten yourself involved with the girl. The media is ruthless and would have chewed her up, especially with her reputation as being a little loose. You gave her a chance to change her image."

  "I suppose," Griffon said quietly, staring at the closed door.

  "Off the record, Mr. Badger, I wish to commend you for a job well done."

  "What do you mean, sir?" Griffon asked, glancing at Tasha. She shrugged.

  "I know how that child used to behave. Everyone did, all over the world, thanks to a hungry social media that thrives on gossip. Whatever you did to change her attitude in one month's time was nothing short of a miracle. You gave her a chance to forge a happier life for herself by encouraging her to find her own values and purpose."

  What I did was to give her a couple of good, old-fashioned, over the knee, bare-bottom spankings! "Truthfully, it was all about survival. It wasn't anything that anyone else would not have done if they were in the same situation, but I thank you," Griffon dipped his head respectfully.

  "Let's get back into the courtroom and conclude this trial. Miss Hart?"

  "Yes, Your Honor?"

  "It was a delight seeing you again. I think the last time you presented to my court was when you were representing Mr. Badger in a harassment suit. As I recall, you practiced the same tactics, didn't you? I caution you, though, that the next time you come armed with documentation that has been illegally obtained, you are to offer to hand it over to a prosecutor for review. It makes you look more formidable to the defense by keeping the contents a secret."

  "Honestly," Tasha grinned, "I was just prepared to shove it up Woods' backside and use it to purge him of stupidity. Just like I did to that jerk who was trying to blackmail Griffon for a million bucks. It worked, didn't it?"

  "It certainly did. I would hate to be your opponent in a fight, young lady," the judge grinned affectionately.

  With Simone found guilty on all accounts and sentenced to a hefty stint in jail and Mr. Brockton led by police escort from the building, court was dismissed. The judge offered Jade praise for her strength to follow through with the trial and wished her the best of luck with her future endeavors. He also added a word of caution to be careful of her actions until the fuss died down and the paparazzi lost interest. Jade glanced over at Griffon and then back to the judge. She nodded her understanding without another word, clutching the jade sculpture tightly with the word 'promise' pressed hard into her palm.

  Tasha gathered her files into her briefcase and snapped it shut. "I think we managed to reach our goal today, Griffon. I don't think Brockton will mess with anyone for a long time. I wanted to tell you …"

  "I have something to do. I'll be right back," Griffon interrupted her, his view on the back of the young woman dressed in a custom-made khaki suit with high Italian boots who swiftly left the room on the arm of the attorney. He pressed past the horde of reporters, ignoring questions thrown at him while he scurried after her. Looking over the heads of those in the long hallway, he searched for the long, pale blond ponytail. Jade had disappeared without so much as a goodbye.

  Griffon turned to the feel of Tasha's hand on his arm. "The judge was right. We need to let this simmer down, for her sake. Brockton's attorney made sure that your word would be tested, and if you go after her now, he will try to cause problems. Give it some time."

  "How long? I don't want to lose her."

  "However long it takes. Come. Let's go home. We have a very long trip back home to the States."

  "I want to take a detour. Have you ever been to New Zealand?"

  CHAPTER 10

  "Why are you holding my arm so tightly? I want to say good bye to Griffon!" Jade growled, as Mr. Woods pulled her roughly down the hallway and outside to the parking lot.

  "Hurry and get in. You don't need those reporters breathing down your neck," the attorney hissed, pushing her into his car. "Your father was almost found in contempt of court for keeping you under house arrest. Is any of this true?"

  "Every bit of what I said is true. What happened in the judge's chambers?"

  The attorney recalled the event to her in a stoic manner. Jade sat, stunned. "Are you telling me that Griffon agreed to never speak to me again if my father gave me back my freedom? Why would he say such a thing?" she finally choked out.

  "He made it very clear that he only cared about your survival as a means for publicity, Miss Brockton," the man lied." He saw it as a way to get even with your father. He was willing to have himself look like a martyr for the press and throw himself on a sword for you."

  "A martyr? How? My father is the one who went after Griffon's throat, and he used me in the process. I don't believe this."

  "Believe it. Here." He handed her his cell phone. "Call your boyfriend and let him tell you for himself."

  Jade stared at the phone as she fought back her tears. She could not handle hearing Griffon reject her again. She cleared her throat, "Griffon Badger is not my boyfriend. It does not matter anyway. I am not going to be anyone's puppet again. What are my father's plans now?"

  "He did not realize how important school was to you, and feels very badly about it. He wishes to be as supportive as possible. My suggestion is to go ahead and enroll in the University. I understand there are some very solid programs in some areas you might be interested in, given your recent adventure," the attorney said, slyly. "I am certain your father, as a means of seeking forgiveness, will provide you whatever you want to be happy. He was desperately afraid for you, child. You are his little girl. He would never want any harm to come to you, and he regrets how badly he handled the whole situation."

  "What's his angle?" Jade asked, suspiciously. "My father has no regrets over anything he does, and I want nothing that is his. I do not need his wealth to survive or be happy; I just require my freedom."

  "People make mistakes, Jade. They should all be allowed a second chance to make things right. You had another chance to discover yourself with Mr. Badger's instruction. Granted, it was a harsh lesson, but that island forced you to open your eyes as to how wasteful a life you lead. Allow your father to learn through a harsh lesson as well. He loves you."

  Jade paused. "Griffon really wasn't interested in seeing me? Look at me in the eye and tell me that he did not even want to talk to me again," she commanded.

  Mr. Woods steadily locked eyes with
her. "He said that the subject would never be raised again as long as your father granted you freedom. He was concerned for you, but that is all. I am sorry." Mr. Woods patted her hand. "I know you had feelings for him."

  "No, I did not," Jade said bitterly, looking out the window. She squinted at the blaring sunlight that filtered through the glass. "We became friends out of necessity. I thought I had feelings for him at one point, but he told me that they were not real. He said they were born out of fear and helplessness, and were merely reflections of a frightened child. He was right all along. I also grew up. I'm not that child anymore."

  "You certainly are not," Mr. Woods said, with satisfaction. "I am sure your father will be pleased to hear that you have come to your senses about this issue with Mr. Badger. He was extremely worried that the man had molested you, but was afraid to say anything, due to your sensitivity."

  "I assure you," Jade's tone was toxic, "there was no sexual intimacy whatsoever. He made it very clear to me that he was not interested. He's a handsome, strong man, Mr. Woods; don't think I didn't make a fool out of myself by trying."

  Jade said very little to anyone when she arrived home. She roamed upstairs to her room and slowly peeled off her attire. She stood before the mirror and viewed herself skeptically. Griffon always said that she was at her strongest when she was naked. She never understood that, at least not until now. With nothing to shield her, her only strength came from inside. Pushing her pain aside, she quickly donned the shorts and T-shirt that she kept hidden under her bed and slung a large canvas bag filled with survival items across her shoulders. Barefoot, she padded downstairs and stood face to face with her father. Wordlessly, she lifted her chin, grabbed the keys to the Mercedes, and exited the front door. Several reporters had stationed themselves outside the gates and surrounded the vehicle as she slowly drove out, shouting questions and taking photographs.

  She rolled down the window. "I am going Walkabout, so unless any of you are prepared to rough it, I suggest you don't try to follow me. The crocs are hungry this time of year and I intend to be crossing their paths."

  Silence followed her announcement, and they stepped back to make a way for her exit. No one tried to keep her from leaving.

  Jade drove the vehicle northward. Her hands trembled as she continually looked in the rear view mirror to see if she was being followed and was both disturbed and relieved to see no one behind her. She hummed a Song-Line to herself, one that was taught to her by the old bushmaster of the Kuku Yalanji tribe. The words gave her directions to the tiny village nestled in the rainforest of the northern Queensland territory where she hoped to find some answers to help ease her heart. She pulled into a heavily-foliaged grove off a seldom-used dirt road and parked besides an ancient tree holding illegible carvings on its trunk. Three dirt paths extended from that point.

  "The path you choose, little Jade, is the path of your life. Choose well," the old aborigine used to say. Jade studied the three narrow passages, swung her bag of supplies over her shoulders, and stepped upon the path she had selected.

  "You have chosen your path wisely, little rabbit," a man's voice said from behind her, after she had walked for over an hour.

  "Matat! It is good to see you!" Jade exclaimed, swinging her arms around the tiny, frail, gray-haired tribesman. "I was wondering if I would ever see you again!"

  "The earth is not taken me up yet. My young friend, your spirit drips of sorrow, like a dying vine." The ancient man touched her chin. "What is causing you so much pain?"

  "Do you remember when you told me that one day I would need answers than only would come from the spirits?"

  "I remember well," the tiny man sighed. "What answers do you seek?"

  "A lot has happened to me during these last six months. I know longer am the same person I used to be, yet I don't know how to be anyone else. I need someone to talk to, and the only one I could trust is you. Matat? What did you see in me that day that you gave me the bow?"

  "I saw a frightened rabbit in need of fighting back. The bow," he spread his arms to the sky, "is an extension of your courage. It allows you the means to defeat an enemy by using wisdom."

  "I don't feel very wise right now, and the only enemy I have is my father," Jade said, softly. She looked down at her bare feet upon the hard ground. "I feel like my world is closing in upon me. For the first time in my life, I experienced true freedom. But that freedom was snatched from me the minute I returned to my home."

  "The price of freedom was your joy?"

  "Yes. With that freedom also came love like I have never felt. But it was not returned."

  Matat handed her a nut. "Do you know what this is?"

  "Isn't this a candle nut?"

  "Yes." He broke it open and stuck it in her mouth. "It tastes good, no?"

  "Yes, like a macadamia."

  "It is good, but eat too many without roasting and you will be spending many hours behind the bushes."

  "Okay …." Jade wrinkled her brow. "I gather they tend to be a bit hard on the digestive system. Your point?"

  The old man smiled and placed another nut on a rock. He produced an old-fashioned bit from his pouch and drilled a hole in the center of the hard shell. He grabbed a green stick, carved the tip into a point, and forced the end into the hole. He then handed it to Jade.

  "This will give you the answer you need."

  Jade frowned, raising her eyebrow. "Matat, how can a seed on top of a stick tell me anything? Have you been sipping fermented Quondong juice?"

  "I have sipped much," the old man grinned, showing two remaining teeth, "but not this day. Follow me and listen to the spirits. Practice what you have learned during your journey."

  Jade followed him in silence along the narrows trails, through puddles of water, and along the trunks of fallen trees. She took in the sights and sounds of the prehistoric forest, memorized the scent of the air and the taste of the mists that hung around the trunks of timeworn trees. She paused occasionally to yank an unwelcome leech from her bare ankle and to sip some water from the bottle she had brought. Matat refused her offer of a drink, winking as he poured some captured rainwater from the cup of a bromeliad into his mouth.

  "The sweetest nectar comes from the things you do not seek," he said.

  "That nectar has bugs in it, Matat," Jade grinned, as he crunched on a beetle.

  "Yes, but that adds texture to the sweetness."

  "You are one crazy old dude," Jade chuckled, following him deeper into the forest.

  "I am that. Who made you that bow?" he asked, as Jade loosened the string to save it from the humidity.

  "My problem."

  The old man grinned. "Your problem must have loved you very much. He carved blessings into the wood."

  Jade frowned as she studied the scribbles whittled into the sides, extending from to the grip to both the upper and lower limbs. "Blessings? I thought they were just decoration. He made it while we were sitting out the storm."

  "These lines on the bottom," the old man traced in the dirt, "show your journey together. These are symbols for the campfire: sharing food, laughter, and tears. These other show the storm, bad water, high moon, the sun and a rainbow."

  "Wow," Jade whispered.

  "These on top are blessings and promises for health, happiness, good fortune and love. See how great the love symbol is?"

  "How could I have missed that?"

  "Just like a lizard hiding in a tree, it will not be seen until your eyes are prepared to be opened. Welcome to my village, little rabbit."

  Jade wiped the sweat of her forehead as she looked over the small clearing that housed about five families. She shook her head as she pointed to the giant cocoon hammocks hanging from large boughs. "Where in the world did you get those? I came here to escape the luxury of my father's world and now you are going civilized on me. Why would you do this?"

  "Foolishness comes with one who refuses wisdom, Jade. These tents are warm, dry, and easy to carry. They stay off the ground whe
n the rains run through, and keep out the snakes and insects. When you began your journey, what took the most energy to survive?"

  "Probably looking for food and water. Once we made the shelter, we had something that was stable and just needed to be kept up. Oh, and having a fire, of course, but that was easy to maintain if we had enough dry wood. What does that have to do with these hammocks?"

  "The belief is the same. We could spend energy building our shelters as we travel, or we could use that energy to find food. We are hunters and gatherers, and our tribe has survived by adapting to our environment. Wisdom, little rabbit. They provide protection for us to survive."

  "But where do you draw the line between comfort and integrity of a culture? I'm confused."

  "Sit, child." The man squatted in front of her. "There is an old proverb that children learn as soon as they can talk. 'We are all just visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love … and then we return home.' Every man will see life through his own eyes, and while we try to understand what another might see, we never truly are able. Only each of us knows in here," he patted his chest," when our visit is over and how successful we were before we returned home."

  "Say it in English, Matat. This thinking is making my head ache."

  "You are to just sit back and enjoy the ride," the man laughed loudly, making a nest of birds startle from the trees. "It is getting dark. Where is your stick?"

  "This thing?" She held up the nut. "Please don't tell me that you want me to knock it against my skull and use it to beat wisdom into my head."

  Matat laughed. "No, not today. Tomorrow might bring about a different opinion. Put the nut into the flames."

  "Seriously? We are having a nut roast right now? Very well …. Wow!" she exclaimed as the nut lit on fire, casting light around her."I didn't know they could do this! It's like a mini torch."

  "They are named candle nuts for this purpose. Their worth has many paths. Some are like the paths to the left and right. These trails provide food or medicine, and oil for the skin and hair. Other paths, like the center foot path you choose, bring awareness to different things of value. What do you see there?" He pointed at an object.