He’d left the house then and submerged himself in work for months after, while trying to get a handle on his finances before his brothers found out. Not that he’d ever use their company’s money to bail him out, but he didn’t dare tell them that he’d lost millions of dollars on such frivolous shit. And he for sure wasn’t telling them about being made a fool of by his wife.
“Justin? Talk to me.”
He knew Colt wouldn’t stop asking until he told him what he wanted to hear. Justin spent the ride to the airport and later on the plane telling Colt everything except about the money. He couldn’t bear telling his brother what an idiot he’d been about that.
“What’re you going to do?” Colt asked when all was finally told.
“What is there to do? She’s my wife. Till death do us part, right?”
“Yeah, but how can you trust her again? Marriage is all about trust.”
Justin laughed bitterly. “I don’t know what I’m in anymore, but I sure as hell can’t call it a marriage. I became a sugar daddy without the benefits or the fuckin’ desire to be one.”
“Damn little brother, you do this shit for a living. You’re one of the top divorce lawyers in the state, maybe in the country, and you’re telling me you actually believe in forever after?” Colt looked as lost as he felt.
Justin didn’t blame him. He didn’t know whether to be happy or sad at his inability to make a decision about the direction of his life. “Our parents have been married for almost fifty years. Dad still looks at her like he can’t wait to get her alone, and Mom blushes when he simply glances in her direction. And there’s you and Imani and Matthew and Anna. I want that. I want to know that the person I share my life with will love me through thick and thin like you all have.”
“You believe Melissa will give you that?”
“I have to believe that. She’s my wife. She’s my forever.”
“And this woman, Nakia? How does she fit into your life?”
“Fuck if I know.”
Chapter Three
Justin didn’t know what he expected to find when he arrived at the hospital, but it wasn’t the battered and bruised body that was barely recognizable. It took them hours to get in to see her. They were only allowing family in. It was only when Colt called in a favor from a friend on the hospital board that they allowed Justin into her room.
Unfortunately, there were four other people visiting her already, so he remained just outside the room door, out of the line of sight of the occupants of the room. After a while, he eased into the room and remained in the background. The four people sitting in the room were so deep into their conversation they didn’t realize that he stood in the shadows, not coming deeper into the room.
He was instantly filled with rage at the sight of her still, fragile figure. More than half her face was heavily bandaged. She had a tube in her mouth, bandages around her chest and ribs, and an IV needle in her hand. Her eyes were closed as though she were in a deep sleep. A state he hoped she was in, not only to escape the pain he knew she had to be feeling but also to avoid hearing how her four visitors were berating her. The more they talked, the angrier he became.
“She must have done something to cause Ralph to behave in this manner,” one of the women was saying. She was older, but he could see the family resemblance to Nakia. She had to be Nakia’s mother.
“You know she’s got a mouth on her,” the other woman grouched.
“Well, when is she going to wake up so I can get my son outta jail?” One of the men stood and paced the room impatiently. “She needs to control herself, or she’ll cost him his career!”
Justin had heard enough. He strode purposefully toward the group. “Good evening,” he drawled.
The occupants of the room turned and looked at him suspiciously. “Who are you, and what’re doing in here?” The man, who had identified himself as Ralph’s father, came toward him.
“I’m Nakia’s lawyer,” he lied smoothly. “I’d like some privacy with my client.” Justin was fighting to contain his fury at what he saw as compounded abuse by her relatives.
“Good, hopefully you can get her to sign the papers to release Ralph from custody,” Ralph’s father raged. “How the hell does she expect my son to take care of this family?”
Justin stilled, trying like hell to calm every muscle in his body. Removing any expression, he instead maintained a cool regard. It was a necessity he’d learned when on missions as part of a Special Forces Op. “My obligations are to my client and not to your son or his family. I have a court order assigning me the right to act on behalf of my client.” He had no such thing and was pretty damn sure it wasn’t possible for him to get one in this case, at least not without a long court battle. However, he was banking on the fact that her family wouldn’t know that and, by the time they called another lawyer to call bullshit on that, he would have already secured Nakia in a place out of their range to hurt her. “So, I ask you again to leave.”
“No!” Ralph’s father wasn’t going to cooperate.
“She doesn’t need a stinking lawyer!” Nakia’s father added his two cents to the argument.
“When did Nakia hire you?” her mother demanded, her suspicion toward him etched on her face. “Because she hasn’t been able to speak since the accident.”
Smart one. Justin kept his game face on.
“Nakia works for our firm. And you are referring to Nakia’s assault, not an accident.” Colt’s authoritative, no-nonsense voice filled the room as he walked to where Justin had taken up a protective stance next to Nakia’s bed.
Justin welcomed his brother’s intrusion. Colt didn’t answer her mother’s question, but he was glad that their combined presence seemed to have made the parents and in-laws a bit uneasy. Without asking any further questions, they reluctantly rose from their seats and left the room.
“Thanks, bro,” Justin mumbled as he gazed down at Nakia. “I need to get her out of here.”
“Whoa! What are you thinking, Justin? It’s one thing to lie to her parents about our being Nakia’s lawyer, but it’s quite another to sell that shit to a judge.”
“They are determined to bail that bastard out of jail, and I want her out of his reach before they do.”
“Shit!” Colt roughly stabbed his fingers in his hair and gripped the short strands. “Are you even sure she wants this?”
Justin wasn’t sure of anything. However, he was shocked when a soft hand gripped his with unexpected strength after his brother’s question. He looked down to see Nakia’s right hand holding his as though afraid to let go. He raised his gaze to her bandaged face, and the steady stream of tears sliding down the edge of her bandages to her hair made him curl his hand around hers in response. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. No one’s going to hurt you again under my watch.” Although he didn’t have the first clue as to how he was going to afford it, he pulled out his phone and started dialing.
“What the fuck?!” Colt exploded when he realized what Justin was doing.
Justin stopped dialing long enough to frown at his brother. “You don’t have to stay if you’re not on board with this. I’ll take care of this on my own.”
Colt let out a few more colorful curses before muttering, “Of course the firm will cover the cost. The last thing I want is for Melissa to get wind of this and divorce your ass for taking this much personal interest in another woman. She’s already out for blood over the airport incident.”
“Thank you,” Justin breathed out in relief. His brother’s agreement made his task easier. “Watch her while I take care of this.” He started from the room, only to stop mid-stride as Colt’s warning reached him.
“Don’t make me regret this, little brother. You’d better not be doing this because you want to dip into this forbidden pool.”
“Don’t be an ass, Colt. When you bent all the rules to help Imani, I was there to support you, without passing judgment as to why you were doing it. Pay me the s
ame respect.” Justin waited for a few tense seconds before he felt Colt at his back. He didn’t bother turning because he knew his brother would always have his back, both physically and metaphorically.
“You’re right,” Colt told him softly. “I’ll call Matt and Dad to let know we’re doing this. While we don’t need their permission, I don’t want any nasty surprises later. And I especially don’t want them blindsided when Melissa complains. And you know damn well she will make a stink about this.”
“Thanks. And for the record, I don’t give a shit what my wife, or anyone else for that matter, thinks about us helping.” This time when he strode from the room he didn’t stop, and in less than three hours, he had a private hospital lined up, a top specialist to tend to her injuries, and a plastic surgeon to consult on her face, along with a judge’s signed authorization allowing him power of attorney over Nakia’s affairs. Not only did the judge take into consideration Nakia’s husband’s impending release from custody, it also helped when Nakia had been conscious enough to indicate her agreement.
Again, his brother’s contacts and reputation came in handy to get things moving fast. And despite the protests of her family, he had her transported in Colt’s private jet, along with her doctor, a few hours later to a private hospital in Dallas.
She couldn’t speak because of the bandages on her face. Her husband’s violence had dislocated her jaw and severely damaged her face. There was still hope that there was no permanent nerve damage. The doctors had given her an iPad to type her responses, which were short and usually only consisted of one word at her doctor’s prompting.
Justin spent the first week at her bedside, despite Melissa’s constant protests and demands for him to return home. He didn’t understand the overwhelming need he felt to protect Nakia. It was as if he was compelled to remain at her side. Every instinct in him insisted that she needed him. And he was proved right to be cautious because Ralph’s father managed to get into her hospital room one night. Justin didn’t want to think what could have happened if he hadn’t been there to stop the old man when he tried to approach Nakia. The old man had been sent packing with his tail between his legs.
When she’d been initially transferred to Dallas, she’d slept for days. The doctors had assured him that her body needed the rest in order to heal. However, each day she grew stronger and remained awake for longer periods.
“How are you, Nakia?” Justin asked her gently. It was the same question he’d asked her every morning he came into her hospital room to see her. Although she couldn’t speak, she used her iPad to communicate with him. She usually gave him a thumbs-up emoji. However, today she responded in a full sentence.
“I’m fine, thanks to you,” she typed.
Justin couldn’t stop the slow smile of satisfaction that had his jaw aching because his smile was so big. Until today, she’d used emojis or letters or one word to answer a query. This was a huge improvement. His heart rate quickened with relief. Until that moment he hadn’t realized how worried he’d been about her mental state. Whether she would remember what happened or whether she had any damage from the vicious kicks to the head her husband had delivered.
“I should have done more,” he told her emphatically. “If I hadn’t left you with him, this would’ve never happened.”
“Not your fault,” she typed slowly. Those three words took almost a full sixty seconds for her to type. It was apparent that she tired easily and soon had no more energy to respond to his other questions; the emojis and letter responses followed.
Justin left the hospital for the first time in weeks to go into their office in Dallas. He worked for a few hours but was back to have lunch with her. He returned to the office and returned to the hospital for her evening meal before going to his temporary apartment in the city. The apartment was owned by the firm and used by him and his brothers whenever any of them were in Dallas. His brother Matt, no longer involved in the day-to-day of the firm, ran his ranch in Austin. The apartment was usually only used by Justin and Colt.
A few days later, she was stronger and remained awake long enough to start writing a statement about what had happened to her. It took a few days, but Nakia eventually remained alert long enough to give a complete recount of what her husband had done.
Justin was chilled by what she recounted. It made him want to get her husband in an isolated room and beat the shit out of him. He wanted that bastard to feel the helplessness, the lack of control over his own destiny, and the pain he’d inflicted. He wanted him to suffer.
Justin ensured that her statement was delivered to the Miami police with a request that a harsher charge of attempted murder be filed, instead of assault.
As soon as her family found out about the statement and revised charges, they arrived at the hospital in Dallas en mass, wanting her to retract the charges she’d pressed against her husband. Justin was helpless to stop their visit because initially Nakia had authorized their admittance to see her, although she insisted Justin remain with her.
It didn’t seem as though any of them cared that she was still bedridden and her face and body were almost mummified to assist in her healing. They saw the possible loss of the lucrative contract her husband was anticipating. After the second day of their badgering, Nakia refused to see them.
Justin hated hearing what they said to her and how she seemed to flinch at each lacerating word toward her. Despite their efforts, she didn’t break or type a harsh word back. He admired her strength in the face of her parents’ and in-laws’ persistent anger over her refusal to help her husband. He hoped that the charges caused the NFL to suspend the bastard indefinitely.
“How are you today, Nakia?” Justin asked her almost two weeks later.
“Probably better than you.”
Her husky, raspy voice caused him to stop in his tracks. He’d gotten used to avoiding looking directly at her whenever he visited because it pissed him off whenever he saw her face and body wrapped like a mummy. And he’d done the same today. However, now it was a bit stunning to hear her speak, look over at her, and to see her face without its usual bandages. There were a few smaller Band-Aids on her stitched face, but she was still stunning. In a dark way, but it seemed nothing could detract from her striking gray eyes, honey-colored skin, and kissable lips.
“You’re healing,” he said softly. He cringed, as he was unable to keep the pleased awe out of his voice.
She tried to smile but then grimaced in pain. “Not quite,” she mumbled.
He moved closer to her. Now that he could clearly see her beautiful, but battered face, he was reminded again why he’d been mesmerized by her that day in the airport. The jarring impact of the chemistry between them had him taking short frequent breaths. It was as though he were being pulled by an invisible string when she held his gaze with an unsettling unwavering openness. He rarely met anyone, man or woman, who could be so direct in communication.
Married to a woman who only cared that she was flawless with not a hair out of place, even after sex, he was finding it difficult to not respond to a woman who seemed to not care that her beauty was maybe flawed. “What are the doctors saying? What prompted them to remove the bandages?”
“Basically, while I can’t go out and run any marathons any time soon, I can start moving around now. I went to the bathroom by myself for the first time this morning.”
Justin appreciated her tongue-in-cheek attitude and ability to laugh at herself. He grinned along with her.
“I can’t wait until I can take a decent shower. I’ve had enough sponge baths to last me a lifetime.”
Again, amusement lurked in the depths of her gaze and in her voice. Justin was intrigued. He was happy that she felt comfortable with him.
“I’m glad you’re looking much better today.” He sat on the chair at her bedside. “Is there anything I can get you?” Justin wanted like hell to spoil her, give her anything she needed after what she’d endured.
“Seems
that you’ve already done so much for me already.”
There was a clear admiration in her gaze, which made him feel ten feet tall.
“I’ve emailed by boss, and he told me that you squared things with him already and all the relevant paperwork for my leave has been submitted. So, thank you for that. You did all the necessary filings with the police in Miami and ensured Ralph is slapped with a restraining order. I can’t thank you enough for that too. Thank you.”
“Ragnarson Law Firm takes care of its employees,” he drawled, not wanting her to continue listing what he’d done. “I did nothing. It’s Colt you should thank.”
“Oh God, stop making me laugh. That shit hurts,” she choked out.
“I wasn’t aware that I was telling jokes.”
“Justin, you need to learn something about me.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t like pretend. You and I both know that the reason I’m in this bomb-ass specialist hospital isn’t because of the firm or our employee insurance plan. This was not a Ragnarsons’ policy. This was a Justin policy. I don’t know how, and I don’t know when, but I am forever in your debt.”
Justin felt slightly embarrassed by her praise. “Colt and I would’ve done the same for any of our employees.”
She smiled and then grimaced. “Told you that hurts. Anyway, I won’t argue the point. I’m too grateful that you helped me.”
Justin could only nod in acknowledgement, realizing that she wasn’t going to back down no matter what he said. He admired that steel he recognized in her and wondered again how she could have hooked up with an asshole like her husband. He then thought of the shortcomings in his own spouse and immediately dismissed the question. Shit happens to all of us.
“As for the doctor, he says that they will keep me in for a few more days for observation. However, given my improved mobility and the fact I’m no longer doing the Sleeping Beauty impersonation, I may be able to go home by the end of the week.”
Primal Obsession Page 3