Tears well in my eyes and I don’t have the energy to fight them. With nothing else to do, I lay it out for him. “What else is wrong? What’s not wrong, Jude? Nothing is right. I hate to be a complainer, but my head is freaking killing me and my ribs ache. My house has been broken into, my basement flooded, and I haven’t had time to shop for carpet. Who knows when that will happen because it’s not safe for me to go shopping. That doctor just talked about stool softeners and me possibly being constipated in front of you. How embarrassing is that? My friend’s husband, who I never liked, has turned out to be a gun smuggler and a first-class asshole who threatened to teach me a lesson and rape me in the process. And when did I become yours? I mean, I know you’ve seen me almost half naked, but still, I’ve known you for what…six days?”
The tears won’t stop for the second day in a row as my rant burns out. I realize I haven’t been paying attention to Jude, otherwise I would have reined it in. His eyes are narrowed and his hands are fisted with white knuckles.
“What did you say?” he whispers.
Wiping my tears away and not knowing what to do, I say, “My ribs ache?”
“No. The part about Trevor Harper, Gabby. Fill me in on that part.”
It’s obvious I really don’t know Jude Ortiz well because I’m not quite sure how to handle this. I hadn’t really thought about having to tell him because everything has been a whirlwind since yesterday. I’m pretty sure he’s going to lose it, but he’s going to find out what Trevor said to me eventually.
I decide he needs to cool off first. “Do you need to sit? Maybe they can bring you some Jell-O or something. I think you need to take a few deep breaths.”
“Gabby,” he bites out in a warning.
“Okay, but you look really pissed.”
“That’s because I am. I’m not going to ask again. What about Harper?”
I sigh and recap the I-think-he-thinks, he-said-she-said scary event that I never want to think about again. “He said he knows I’m with a cop. He thinks I’m informing on him, can you believe that? I think he thinks I knew you before what went down at Megan’s that day. He said he talked to Megan and she said you were with me and you warned her not to contact me. Then he said he’s seen you coming and going from my house, which is really, really disturbing, now that I think about it. Then he said if he finds out I was informing on him he’s going to teach me a lesson.”
There.
Maybe that’ll be enough.
“Gabrielle. What else?”
I sigh and finish. “Fine. He said he’d teach me a lesson but play with me first and make sure I didn’t enjoy it, because in his words, I’ve been such a cold bitch to him for years. That’s it. Now, maybe you should sit.”
But he doesn’t sit. He does, however, start to move in slow motion, crossing his arms over his broad chest, looking down at me. Closing his eyes, he turns, his back is to me while running one hand through his hair. Putting a hand to the wall, he rests his other on the back of his neck.
Not really knowing how to handle Slow Motion Jude, I find myself a little worried. “Um … are you all right?”
“Give me a second, Gabby.” His voice is strained and tense.
“Oh, okay.”
His arm comes around—still in slow motion—and pulls his phone out of his pocket, he messes with the screen and puts it to his ear. “Mac? Yeah, I want Harper’s ass and now. And you’d better hope and pray someone finds that motherfucker before I do, because I’ll kill that son of a bitch with my own hands. Yeah, something has happened. He not only put his fucking hands on Gabrielle but threatened to teach her a lesson and rape her in the process. Right. I also found out Harper’s been in contact with his wife. We need to get with the US Attorney and get that warrant rushed for the tap on her phones. He’s been watching Gabby’s house and who knows what else. Fine. She’s goin’ home in a couple hours. I’m gonna stay with her today, be back tomorrow if I can arrange someone to be with her. Yeah. You can call the PD, she’s ready to make a statement about yesterday, if we can get that done here before she leaves so she can rest when she gets home, I’d appreciate it. All right. Later.” He slides his phone back into his pocket, crosses his arms and turns to look at me.
Not knowing what to say, I scrunch my nose, tilt my head and say in a small voice, “I’m sure one of my aunts can stay with me today if you need to go to work.”
He narrows his eyes. “Now’s not the time to be cute, Gabrielle.”
My mouth drops open and I exclaim, “What?”
He moves closer, leaning in with fists to the bed on both sides of me. Keeping his raspy voice low, his face is close to mine when he goes on. “Tony warned me last night, sugar. You’re persistent, have a way of getting what you want.”
“He did not say that.” I’m going to kill Tony.
“Yep. But not anymore. Yesterday could’ve been a whole lot worse than it was and you just confirmed my fears of what could’ve been. Until we have Harper and his army behind bars, you’re not to be by yourself. I’m staying with you at least for today and every night until I know you’re safe.” Moving so close with his lips almost on mine, he finishes. “And don’t even think about telling me you have to go shopping and it can’t wait, that’s not going to work on me again. I’m on to you, Gabby.”
Well. Now I’m pissed.
I do not do anything just to get my way. I like getting my way, sure. Who doesn’t? But it’s not like I’m manipulative or anything.
“Move,” I demand. “I want to get up.”
“No.”
“Move. I have to go to the bathroom,” I try again.
What he does not do, is move. He leans in and kisses me, but I’m pissed and not feeling cooperative. His lips and tongue move down my cheek to my ear. There, he whispers softly, “Sugar, I need to make sure you’re safe. Not knowing what happened to you before I got here yesterday tore me up. Let me take care of you, can you do that for me?”
I don’t know if it’s the guilt from putting myself in a situation to get hurt, or if it’s another Jude induced coma, but either way I relent and as usual. “Okay.”
He smiles at me and kisses me again. Feeling cooperative this time, my hands go to his hair as he kisses me deep and long.
That is until my three aunts barge in and I hear Aunt Tia, the first through the door say, “Oops, we should’ve knocked!”
Jude lifts, looks into my eyes and grins before laying another quick one on me.
“It’s okay,” Jude says. “She was just getting up.”
He holds out his hand to me to help me from the bed. It hurts like hell and I try not to show it on my face as Jude gently pulls me to a standing position. I wrap my hospital gowns around me tight—they leave a lot to be desired.
“I’m good,” I announce to the room, hobbling to the bathroom. Once I get there and look in the mirror, I let out a little scream for the second morning in a row.
Jude looks in with a concerned face. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, shit. I didn’t think it was possible, but I look worse than yesterday.” The bump on my temple has started to deflate, but the bruising is worse than ever—dark and ugly—stretching out over my brow onto my eyelid.