I almost laughed.
Don’t worry?
The girl I loved couldn’t sleep in her own bed.
I wasn’t worried.
I was fucking livid.
It was a struggle, but I was cordial as I thanked Blaine and hung up. Jogging out to the garage, I climbed behind the wheel of the first car I came to. While speaking to the cop in charge of the domestic disturbance case, I drove out of town, heading straight to the airport.
Three people had been arrested, but the officer wasn’t confident that any charges would stick for either of the two guys or the woman. The more the man told me about what had happened, the higher my blood pressure rose.
Ellianna had arrived at her apartment to find it destroyed—and a stranger sleeping in her bed. The lock on her bedroom door had been broken, and a few items that she considered valuable were missing. But the place was so trashed, no one was sure if they had been stolen or were just lost in the mess.
I couldn’t worry about her stuff. I’d replace it as soon as I had a list. What I fucking cared about was the guy who had been sleeping in her bed—and why she’d felt the need to put a lock on her door to begin with. She’d walked in to find him passed out on her bed. The cops still didn’t know if he was only drunk or under the influence of drugs, or both. They’d ordered a tox screen to see for sure because none of the three arrested had been forthcoming.
After I ended the call with the sergeant, I made a few more calls. By the time I got to the airport, I only had a short wait before the private jet was ready for takeoff.
I was going to bring my Elli home.
Where she fucking belonged.
Chapter 16
Ellianna
Blaine’s television was on some daytime talk show. Vaguely, I heard a group of women and some guy laughing as they talked about the male host’s son having his first date. I only heard every few words, and they didn’t fully register.
I was trapped in my head. One vision after another kept popping into my mind, scenes from the last twenty-four hours playing out. Sometimes in slow motion with deep, drawn-out voices. Others on fast-forward, sounding like a rip-off of the Chipmunks.
Waiting for dinner with Howler, Josie, and Judge. Being humiliated in front of all those people. Going back to the mansion and confronting Judge about Tabor. Having sex for the first time. Being treated like a whore. Flying back to California. Finding my personal space invaded. Talking to the cops. Watching as Julie and her two male friends were dragged away in cuffs while being screamed and cursed at by my ex-roommate.
Sighing, I took another drink of the strong coffee Blaine had brewed before returning to the hospital. His boyfriend had gone hiking and broken his leg so badly he had to have a rod surgically inserted. I felt bad for crashing at his place, but there was no way I was going back upstairs. When I was able to think more clearly, I’d search for a new apartment. Somewhere cheaper so I could pay the rent on my own and not touch Judge’s money.
What money I received from the renters’ insurance claim I’d already filed on the app would hopefully cover a deposit. I’d get some cheap pillows and sleep on the floor instead of worrying about a new mattress if the new place wasn’t furnished.
Before he’d left, Blaine had received a delivery of groceries. We weren’t close, and I didn’t know how he knew all my favorite things, but I was still thankful for the coffee creamer and carbs. My stomach had been a mess, but I’d forced down an everything bagel and then taken a shower. Afterward, I’d felt a little more human.
Now that I was alone, the chaos continued to replay in my head.
On the table beside me, my phone kept buzzing with incoming calls and texts. I ignored it. There was no one I wanted to speak to, not even my mother. I still hadn’t come up with an excuse to tell her why I’d left so abruptly. Maybe the arrest of my roommate would be enough to keep her from being pissed at me for leaving her shorthanded without notice.
Taking another drink of coffee, I realized it had grown cold. Grimacing, I glanced over at the window and noticed the sun was about to set. I’d lost track of time since Blaine had left for the hospital. A hard knock on the door made me startle, but I quickly placed my cup on the end table and jumped to my feet.
Before I could reach it, the knock came again, louder and more insistent. Figuring it wasn’t Blaine because he would have a key, I pushed up onto my tiptoes to look through the peephole.
Gasping when I saw Judge, I took several steps back, my mind whirling.
“Open the door, Elli.”
I flinched.
Elli.
For years, I’d ached for him to call me that again. The night before, he’d used it once, and it had brought me more joy than I wanted to admit. Now, it did nothing but bring me pain.
His hand hit the door again. “Elli, open the fucking door.”
Sighing, I turned the lock. Before I could pull the door open, it swung inward, and suddenly, I was in Judge’s arms. For a fraction of a second, I started to melt into him. But all too quickly, the events of the previous night flooded back into my mind, and I pushed against his shoulders in an attempt to free myself.
He buried his face in my neck, his arms contracting around my waist as he held me several inches off the floor. “I’ve been worried sick,” he groaned.
Confused and more than a little skeptical, I pushed against him harder. “Put me down.” He shook his head, and I slapped his arm. “Judge, I can’t breathe.”
He immediately eased his hold and placed my feet back on the floor, but he didn’t release me. Keeping his hands on my hips, he scanned my face with his dark eyes. “Are you okay? No one hurt you?”
“I’m fine.” I was almost stupefied by how protective he was being. It was like he had turned back into my Zachary, the one who had cared about me. If I hadn’t felt the heat of his body, I would have thought I was dreaming. “But why are you here?”
“That Blaine guy told me what happened. I came as soon as I could.” With one hand still on me, he turned to glance around the apartment. “Where is your luggage? The jet is waiting for us back at the airport.”
With a dry laugh, I stepped back until he wasn’t touching me any longer. Brown eyes narrowed on me, showing me that I was correct. He hadn’t magically turned back into the man I adored. Judge stared back at me, still the ruthless, emotionless bastard he always was.
“I have court in the morning, Elli.”
“Then why did you come here?” I demanded in annoyance.
He clenched his jaw. “Because you needed someone. Your roommate—”
“I don’t need anyone. Not then, and definitely not now. I’ve been doing just fine on my own for three years.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I glared up at him. “What happens to me is none of your business, Judge.”
“Don’t call me that,” he grumbled.
Another laugh bubbled up, making me feel half hysterical. “What the fuck do you want me to call you, then? You don’t want me to use your name. Now you don’t want me to call you Judge like everyone else. Oh wait, I know what I’ll call you. Douchebag. Yeah,” I muttered to myself as I turned to walk back to the couch. “I’ll definitely call you Douchebag.”