"You let them do that to you today in public. Those men, using their lawyer, dragged you through the gutter and exposed a past that few could understand," Celia's eyes were wet with tears.

They had come home exhausted from the day in court and had taken off their suits and dropped onto Adele's big bed in their underwear sans heels.

"I know. But I did it for a reason," Adele lovingly swept Celia's bangs out of her eyes with her fingertips.

"The public needs to know what kind of men those four bastards are. There has to be more women out there who have suffered at their hands. Mitchell Brooks said so himself from the stand that they have gangbanged lots of women and I bet my sweet ass not every one of them consented," Adele kissed Celia's eyelids softly.

"Grahame Grantham called again today. He's furious that you are not taking his calls. He threatened to fire you," Celia looked seriously into Adele's eyes.

"Let me fuck you a little; take your mind off things. We could both use the distraction," Adele smiled down at Celia as she climbed over her prone body.

Adele straddled Celia and lowered her face to her lover so that her forehead rested on hers. Their eyes were closed; their breathing ragged.

"Thank you," Adele said, her voice husky.

"What for?" Celia replied her voice wavering.

"For loving me. For putting up with me. For allowing me to be me," Adele's lips were nearly touching Celia's.

Adele pressed her lips against Celia's and then pulled back. Celia raised her head off the pillow fractionally, kissed Adele softly, and then fell back. It was almost a contest to see who would submit to their desire first.

Adele was unable to contain herself any longer, she stroked Celia's cheek and lowered her lips to her mouth and kissed her passionately, slipping her tongue into her. Celia put her arms around Adele and pulled her closer, pressing their bodies together and then she unhooked Adele's bra. She raised herself a little so Celia could remove the garment and then Celia lifted her back off the bed so Adele could take off her bra too.

Their breasts pressed together, their nipples hardening as the fervour of their kiss intensified. They rubbed their stocking-swathed legs together delighting in the soft sprites of sensuality this produced. They were practiced lovers and knew how to please each other. They opened their eyes and looked at each other, Adele's blue eyes stared deeply into Celia's brown eyes, full of wonder and love for each other. They did not need to speak; their total adoration and commitment to each other communicated silently. They accepted each other for who they were. Their flaws and their faults were part of what made them love each other.

Adele leaned in and softly kissed Celia's neck. Celia whimpered in anticipation as Adele worked her way back to Celia's tender smooth lips. Celia's blood red lipstick was nearly gone, removed by the intensity of her lover's kisses.

Adele bought her hands to Celia's breasts, her enlarged berry-red nipples contrasted with her alabaster skin. Adele caressed the creamy-white globes and tweaked the nipples to fully engorge them. Then she lowered her mouth to them and used her tongue, lips and her teeth. Celia moaned and arched her back, pressing Adele's face to her bosom, guiding her mouth from breast to breast as each nipple became too sensitive to endure Adele's attention.

Adele began to inch her mouth down Celia's body, exploring every inch of her soft white flesh with her lips and the tip of her tongue. Celia pushed on Adele's head, impatiently trying to guide her mouth to where she needed it to quench her desire but Adele would not be rushed. She teased Celia, circling her tongue around her belly button, moving across to the curve of her hips and nipping at the sensitive pads of flesh there that Celia hated and Adele adored.

Adele could almost feel the heat radiating from between Celia's legs; she could certainly smell her juices mixed in with the scent of her perfume and the flowery sanitary product that Celia used. She moved her mouth down so that it was just above the waistband of Celia's panties. She ran her tongue along the alabaster flesh of Celia's soft belly until Celia's moaning insistence and the pressure of her hands on Adele's head forced her mouth down to the front of Celia's panties. They were red nylon hipsters, almost translucent, the crotch saturated with Celia's essences.

Adele kissed the panty-clad flesh above Celia's sex but did not allow Celia to push her mouth where Celia desperately wanted it. Instead, she moved her lips and her tongue to the crevices where Celia's thighs joined her hips and leisurely lapped and kissed the tender flesh there. Celia's heels were drumming on the bed and she was panting and groaning with lust, frustration and impatience. Adele smiled to herself.

Adele capitulated a little and finally moved her mouth to Celia's sex, lapping at her mound through the diaphanous material of her panties.

"Oh you bitch!" Celia screamed and opened her legs wide and pushed Adele's face onto her pubis.

Celia pulled aside the gusset of her sodden panties. Her vulva was swollen and open, revealing the coral-pink inner labia, the flesh glistening with her secretions. Adele lapped at the sweet nectar and Celia tensed up and screamed when Adele's tongue strayed across her clitoral hood. Celia let go of Adele's head and threw her arms out wide on the bed as waves of pleasure washed over her now that her lover's mouth was where she wanted it.

Her first orgasm was like a minor tremor caused by Adele softly lapping at her clitoral hood. It made Celia bite her lip and clench her fists. Adele was intimately aware of how Celia functioned and she knew how to drive her wild with frustration or how to invoke a spontaneous climax from her. Her real skill was keeping Celia on the crest of a climatic wave, invoking little pinnacles of intense pleasure for an extended period while Celia begged her for ultimate release.

Adele moved her tongue away from Celia's clitoris which was swollen and peeking our from her clitoral sheath. She worked her tongue into Celia's vagina and lapped up her juices, stopping to suck on the little pink lips that protected the entrance. She slowly worked her tongue back to Celia's clitoris but only used her tongue on the surrounding flesh, deliberately keeping away from the swollen nubbin.

Celia was squirming and writhing on the bed, her wide-open legs threshing.

"You bitch! Come of Adele… oh yes. There! There! There! Oh god I love you, you fucking bitch!" Celia screamed as Adele finally ceded to her lover's demands.

She circled Celia's engorged clitoris with her lips and fluttered her tongue on the angry red kernel of delicate flesh. Celia instinctively clamped her hands on Adele's head and held her face to her sex as she raised her groin off the bed and ground it against Adele who used her lips, her tongue and teeth to evoke a series of shattering orgasms from her beloved.

Adele could hardly breathe because her face was clamped to her lover's sex by Celia's hands and thighs but she endured the discomfort because she knew how much Celia loved it when Adele gave her cunnilingal pleasure. Celia was almost delirious with desire and lust as her orgasms crested and waned growing into one long continuous wave of pleasure that washed over her whole body.

Finally Celia's fervour abated and she relaxed her hold on Adele's head and she was again able to breathe. Celia lay spreadeagled on the bed, a fine sheen of sweat glistening on her body. Adele worked her way back up Celia's body by the same route, taking her time to explore all the places she loved to until she was finally face to face with her lover.

She straddled Celia and looked down on her face which was serene with contentment, her damp hair and ruined makeup only made her more beautiful in Adele's eyes. She brushed Celia's lips with hers. Celia could taste her own secretions on Adele's mouth.

"You stink," Adele whispered.

"You made me," Celia smiled up at Adele, the rapture and devotion in her eyes unmistakable.

"I did. I love you," Adele touched Celia's cheek tenderly.

"I know," Celia stroked Adele's cheek in return.

"But you lied to me," Celia looked up at Adele with a mischievous grin on her face.

Adele frowned, puzzled.

"You said you would fuck me a little," she smiled impishly.

"I think you've had enough. I need your A-game tomorrow," Adele nipped Celia's earlobe as she whispered her response.

Celia knew that she was teasing. She could feel that Adele's cock had become engorged and untucked during their lovemaking. It was pressing against Celia's belly through Adele's satin panties.

"No, I want what you promised me," Celia locked her calves around Adele's thighs.

She arched up off the bed, slipped a hand between their bodies, and eased Adele's long, thick cock from the confines of her panties. She guided it to her sex and it slid inside her like a knife through butter.

Celia moved her gossamer-sheathed legs higher up Adele's body, she knew that Adele loved the sensation of her stocking-clad legs rubbing on her tender flesh when they fucked.

"Well if you want it, I suppose you better have it," Adele groaned and lowered her lips to Celia's mouth.

Adele was highly aroused, giving pleasure to Celia gave her such delight that she was nearly gratified and close to climax already. She pushed her engorged cock deep inside Celia, who rose to meet her thrusts and raked her nails along Adele's back. Adele snaked her tongue into Celia's mouth and began to fuck her with long slow strokes, attempting to prolong her pleasure and delay her orgasm.

It was to no avail. Celia used her vaginal muscles to clamp her hot, moist, spongy sheath around Adele's corpulent cock and her legs to hold Adele close as she rose off the bed to fuck her. She ground her already sopping cunt against Adele's pubis, eliciting another orgasm from her already bruised and aching vagina. She clung to Adele and kissed her hard, digging her nails into Adele's flesh, locking her legs around her back.

Adele exploded deep inside Celia's warm, spongy, passage. Celia's quivering cunt extracted her seed as she sucked on Adele's mouth. Celia seemed intent on draining her lover of her essence. Adele writhed in her lover's grasp, allowing Celia to pleasure her, expressing the deep love they felt for each other by their union.

"You still stink," Adele lay on her back staring up at the ceiling, smoking a post-coital cigarette.

"You still made me," Celia replied impassively.

They both smiled and drew on their cigarettes.

"I need a shower and then to put a few more hours into your closing statement," Adele turned to look at Celia.

"Me too," Celia turned to look at Adele.

Their hands searched for each other across the expanse of the big bed.

"I do love you know. I know I get jealous and moody at times and I'm sorry," Celia whispered.

Adele crushed out her cigarette; a look of concern crossed her face. She scooted across the bed and lay beside Celia.

"I'm the one who's sorry. I am the one with the fucked-up sexual addictions," Adele leaned down and lovingly kissed Celia on the nose.

"I guess we are both flawed," Celia sighed.

"Maybe that's why we are a prefect match," Adele replied.

"Do you really think anyone is going to come forward when they hear about what happened to you and Melody?" Celia put out her cigarette and leaned on her elbow.

"I don't know but I hope so. Between you, me, and the gatepost I'm not convinced that Melody is telling the whole truth. Come on; let's share a shower," Adele slapped Celia playfully on the ass.

*****

The first phone call came at nine o'clock the next day.

Adele answered her phone.

"Me too," a woman's voice sobbed into the phone.

It was the first of many.

*****

"Your honour I object to the plaintiff having those women sitting behind her as if they are offering her support. It's prejudicial and likely to affect the jury's verdict," John Murray stated.

"Ms Bettany, why do you have those four young ladies sitting in court behind the plaintiff. What purpose is their presence here today?" Karl Brinkman asked.

"They are rebuttal witness your honour," Celia replied.

"Rebuttal witnesses?" the Judge and John Murray asked simultaneously.

"Your honour; the defence has inferred that both Adele Edwards and Melody Summers enjoyed what happened to them at the hands of the defendants and that somehow excuses their actions," Celia began.

"That both women were willing and complicit on the evenings that the assaults took place."

"They have accused both Ms Summers and Ms Edwards of bringing a frivolous lawsuit."

"These four young women are going to rebut that testimony because all four of them are going to testify that they were also assaulted by the four men sitting at the defence table," Celia pointed at the four well-presented pretty young women sitting beside Adele.

The court erupted again and Judge Brinkman rapped his gavel repeatedly.

"Chambers! Now!" the judge ordered.

To say that Judge Brinkman was angry was an understatement. He stormed over to his desk, his black robes flowing behind him.

"I should hold you in contempt and commence proceedings to have you disbarred Ms Bettany," the judge railed on Celia.

"That stunt might have just cost you a mistrial. I might even direct a verdict of not guilty!" the judge sat down heavily behind his desk.

"I agree your honour…" John Murray was smugly driving home a perceived advantage.

"Don't you start Mr Murray. You introduced all this filth and depravity into my courtroom, showing off with your pornographic pictures and innuendo, making sleights at Ms Edwards’ gender," the judge held up both of his hands.

"I'm going to leave you three alone in here so you can work out a settlement. Then we are going to toss this slimy lawsuit into the trash where it belongs," the judge opened his desk and took out a packet of Rolaids.

"My clients won't settle. I've asked them repeatedly," John Murray sighed.

For the first time during the trial Celia realised the pressure that John Murray was under. He had let down his guard and the fatigue and strain showed on his face.

"My clients are men of considerable means but they believe a settlement will be a tacit guilty plea. They want the case tossed or to go to verdict," John sighed.

"Is that so?" the judge chewed his antacid.

"I have no time for such arrogance in my court. What just occurred is highly prejudicial but no more prejudicial than some of your stunts Mr Murray," the judge worked his hands on his stubble.

"You had both better be ready to close, because I'm handing the case to the jury this very afternoon. I've had enough," Judge Brinkman poured himself a glass of water and waved the counsellors out of his office.

*****
The plaintiff's counsel had the privilege of addressing the jury first.

Bettany made sure that she addressed each of the twelve members of the jury individually but she mostly targeted Millicent Ford, the forewoman of the jury.

"Look closely at the pictures that the defendants claim prove that my client was a willing participant during her attack. Is she smiling in any of them? Does there appear to be any gestures of affection?" she began her address.

"No; just a woman being forced to have sex, and yes even being forced to enjoy it at times, but forced just the same. Mitchell Brooks is the instigator, he tries out women that appeal to him and then offers them to his three friends, with or without the women’s permission."

"Yes, Melody Summers has to supplement her income by working as a callgirl, that has been stipulated and the fact that she was engaged professionally my Mitchell Brooks twice previously only adds weight to our premise that he lured her to the cocktail party with the intent to submit her to the ordeal through which she suffered."

"Then the defence attacked my co-counsel and drew her into the trail, claiming that she was seeking revenge by proxy through Melody Summers. Ms Edwards own testimony and that of the man she knew only as Roy have debunked this theory. There was no collusion; Roy had never met Melody Summers until he stepped into this courtroom."

"What has been exposed is a well-organised scheme that the defendants use repeatedly to lure young women into situations where they have no choice but to submit to the debauchery inflicted on them by the four men sitting at the defendants table. They then use blackmail to silence the women after the fact, showing these women graphic images which they threaten will be released online or sent to the unfortunate victims friends and family."

"Search your hearts and find the defendants guilty and award them damages that will put a stop to their abominable and odious games," Celia thanked the jury and took her seat.

John Murray rose and swaggered confidently to stand in front of the jury.

"I'm not going to keep you long. You have heard the evidence and the facts of the case. In fact I'm mostly going to iterate what I said in my opening address," John Murray began.

"This case is simple. The work has already been done for you. Daniel Benstead, Brian Stetford, Peter Grady and Mitchell Brooks were all found not guilty in criminal court. This case is simply a matter of greed and revenge."

"But what has changed is that Adele Edwards has been found to be complicit of colluding with the plaintiff in order to get revenge for something that she regretted doing fifteen years ago when she was still a young man coming to grips with her gender and sexuality."

"And as for the plaintiff Melody Summers. She wants revenge for being called a liar in criminal court. Her greed is evident. She was paid to be at the Beaumont hotel that night and to provide the services of her trade. But because these men are affluent, and men of considerable standing within the community and with plenty to lose if they are found guilty she found a way to squeeze them for more money. To extort them. This case is simply a case of coercion, post-coital shame and greed. Find my clients not guilty and send a message to those women who think that simply saying 'me too' is an easy path to a meal ticket," John strode confidently back to his seat.

Judge Karl Brinkman gave his directions to jury and retired them to consider their verdict. It was late in the day and everyone was tired and a little sick of having to hear about the debauchery. Before adjourning for the day the Judge made one last remark to the court.

“Now the evidentiary proceedings are over you may sit in as second chair Ms Edwards,” the Judge tossed Adele a small stipend.

*****

"I take it there has been no settlement offer made overnight?" the Judge asked John Murray expectantly.

"No your honour," John Murray shook his head.

"In that case bring in the jury," he ordered.

The bailiff opened the door and jury filed in to the courtroom and took their seats.

“Has the jury reached a verdict?” the judge asked gravely.

“We have your honour,” Millicent Ford, the forewoman of the jury replied.

A bailiff took the envelope with the verdict into it from her and took it over to the judge who opened the envelope and read the contents; his face deadpan. He placed the piece of paper back in the envelope and handed it back to the bailiff who took it back to the forewoman.

“Please advise the court of your verdict,” he nodded at the forewoman.

“Your honour, in the case of Summers versus Benstead, Stetford, Grady and Brooks, we the jury find for the plaintiff and award her one thousand dollars in compensatory damages from each of the defendants,” Millicent Ford announced.

Adele gasped and Celia Bettany sitting beside her hung her head. Melody Summers looked dazed and confused. The courtroom gallery became abuzz, and then the noise rose to a cacophony.

“What the fuck just happened?” Celia whispered.

“They believed Melody's story… they believed my story… they just didn’t think that we got hurt. They were unsure of whether or not there was consent,” Adele breathed.

The Judge began to bang his gavel over the noise in the courtroom.

“Order! Order! Order!” Judge Brinkman bellowed and finally the court began to quieten down.

“You may continue, Madam Forewoman,” the Judge looked over at Millicent Ford who was still standing in the jury box.

“We the jury, also award the plaintiff two million dollars in punitive damages from each of the defendants,” Millicent Ford nodded solemnly at Adele Edwards.

Adele was speechless as was Celia; Melody was still confused, and then the courtroom exploded.

*****

Adele, Celia and Melody retired to a small conference room near the courtroom and closed the door behind them, silencing the cacophony coming from the courtroom and outside in the corridor.

"Did that jury just award me eight million dollars?" Melody's eyes sparkled.

Celia nodded.

"When do I get my money?" the enthusiasm evident in her voice.

"Hold on sister. The defendants are going to appeal against the damages awarded by the jury. I don't think they'll appeal the verdict, they don't want another trial," Celia mused.

"The damage to their reputation is done but in the circles they move, they are just as likely to be seen as heroes rather than villains and their wives will forgive them because you can bet your ass that they had to sign pre-nups," she extrapolated.

"I'm going to ask for a settlement of one million dollars per defendant with the caveat that you sign an NDA. That's a non-disclosure agreement," Adele interjected.

"Why? Why not ask them for the full amount in the verdict?" the greed was evident in Melody's voice.

"I'll tell you why and I'll tell you why you want an NDA just as much as the defendants will want it," Adele's tone was bitter, her eyes icy.

"We're lucky that John Murray never subpoenaed your financial records. Because I have attorney-client privilege, I did, I check them. You deposited four thousand dollars into your checking account the morning after the cocktail party at the Beaumont Hotel," Adele said accusingly.

Melody's countenance changed from that of a wide-eyed poppet to that of a cocksure wizened young woman. She pushed back her chair and picked up her pocketbook off the table. She walked over to the door and opened it.

When she was halfway out the door she leaned back in and glared at Adele.

"How do you know the four grand wasn't just hush money to try keep me from reporting the attack?" she glowered angrily at Adele and then at Celia.

They both remained silent.

A grin crossed Melody's face.

"Because of that NDA, I guess we will never know will we?" she gave them both a slow salacious wink and closed the door behind her.

Celia was caught blindsided but Adele just shuffled the case file on the desk.

"What do we do now?" Celia asked.

"We go back in the courtroom and try to settle," Adele gathered the documents together, closed the file and stood.

Celia followed her back into the courtroom where the four defendants were arguing with their lawyer John Murray.

Adele strode over to their table and they stopped yelling and looked at her with stony silence.

"One million each with an NDA attached on my client. You won't hear from Melody Summers again and the case will no longer be of media interest," Adele said emotionlessly.

"Fuck that!" Danny Benstead growled.

Mitchell Brooks intervened.

"The NDA is binding? She can't tell her story to anyone, ever?" he glowered at Adele.

Adele nodded.

"What about you?" his eyes bore into her.

"I'll include myself in the NDA," Adele acquiesced.

"Do it! Get the paperwork to my lawyer today before I change my mind," he sounded subdued.

"Ok. I'll do that," Adele turned away from the defendants' table.

She turned around as if she had forgotten something.

"One more thing Mitch," she smiled sweetly at him.

“I know you liked it really,” she winked at him.

*****

The click-clack of Adele’s high heels on the marble floor echoed down the corridor of Grantham, Walker and Tate but this time the junior Associates and paralegals in the open-plan office were silent and bowed.

Adele saw two of the firm’s uniformed security guards standing outside her office with their arms crossed. Grahame Grantham, Max Walker and Alan Tate were going to send a message to their staff. Although Adele had won her law firm over one million dollars from the case, she had disobeyed her masters and was to be punished.

“Keys, phone, laptop and clicker,” one of guards said gruffly.

All of her personal effects had been packed into three cardboard boxes sitting on the floor outside her office. Taped to one of the boxes was an envelope with the firm’s logo embossed on it. Adele knew that inside it was her termination notice.

“Can’t we do this inside?” Adele nodded at her office door.

The guard just shook his head.

Adele was forced to fumble around in her purse for her office keys, her work phone, and the door opener for the executive parking garage roller-door. She handed them over along with the leather valise that held her slimline laptop.

She struggled to lift the three boxes and the guards made no effort to help her.

“You fucking creeps! Get out of the way,” Celia Bettany elbowed her way through the small crowd that had formed to watch and lifted one of the boxes on top of the other and picked them up.

Adele had already managed to heft the other box under her arm whilst holding onto her handbag.

“Let’s go boss,” Celia took up station beside Adele as they made the long walk down the corridor and around the corner to the reception area and the elevator bank.

“You don’t have to leave Miz Bettany. You haven’t been fired,” Grahame Grantham had come out of his office.

“Oh; I know that. I quit,” Celia replied flippantly.

The two women leaned against the back wall of the elevator as it descended.

“What do we do now?” Celia turned to look at Adele.

“Hey… I’m still a lawyer. You’re still a lawyer. We sign those four young women to a class action suit and go after the bastards again,” Adele Edwards replied.

"We start our own law firm?" Celia asked, a little surprised.

She thought about it for a beat.

"Edwards and Bettany, Attorneys at Law, sounds pretty good," Celia grinned.

"How about Edwards and Edwards," Adele took Celia's hand and stared earnestly into her brown eyes.

Celia choked; a single tear ran down her cheek.

"How about Bettany and Bettany," Celia smiled through tear-rimmed eyes.

"Whatever you want my love," Adele leaned in and kissed Celia's cheek.

The End

Author's Note: So reader, tell me what you think; was justice done?