Affinity: A Salvation Society Novel

by Harlow Layne

  “Yeah, but it’s not going as well as she thought it was. I guess her boss has a crush on me and is making her life miserable.”

  “And Catherine is letting her?”

  “She’s been gone but is aware of the situation.”

  “Good,” she said fiercely. “I didn’t think she’d put up with that. I’ll check to see when we can all get together, and I’ll give you one of the bedrooms downstairs at the house so you’ll have your privacy.” It was nice hearing how happy she was for me.

  “Thanks. I look forward to seeing you guys soon.”

  “Soon. Bye.”

  It wasn’t until Alex showed up at my doorstep after my marriage that I realized how much I’d missed her in my life. While I knew I couldn’t lie to her about the situation with Abbi, I wasn’t sure I’d ever work up the nerve to tell her the real reason I’d gone to rehab. I never wanted to see the disappointment on her face when she learned the truth.

  An email came in from John as I sat at my desk. He was sending me a script to read, and it was supposed to show up sometime tomorrow. At least that gave me something productive to do. My phone dinged with a message.

  Abbi: Leaving the office now. Be home soon.

  I thought about telling her how I’d be waiting for her but decided I’d take a picture to show her. Stripping out of my clothes, I made my way out to the backyard and laid back on one of the loungers. With my phone in one hand, I started stroking myself. Not too much, I didn’t want to finish without her here, but enough to show what she was in for. When it started to feel a little too good, I took a picture and sent it to her. I wanted her to see how hungry I was for her, what she did to me.

  I knew she was likely on her way home by the time she saw it and couldn’t answer. I hoped with each passing minute that the thought of me out in our backyard, jerking myself off, made her slick with need.

  Minute by minute passed without any sign of her. After thirty more minutes, I called her phone, but it went straight to voicemail. Next, I called her office to see if maybe she hadn’t left, but there was no answer there either. Now I was starting to get worried. We weren’t far from the office, and it never took this long for her to get home. Even though this was the first time she’d driven and adding extra time for being cautious, she still should have arrived home by now.

  Walking inside, I got dressed and called Catherine to see if she knew where Abbi might be. I didn’t want to text.

  “Hello, Jenner. What can I do for you today?” she answered with a smile in her voice.

  “Can you tell me where Abbi is? She sent me a text message almost an hour ago saying she was on her way home, and she’s not here yet. I’m starting to get worried.”

  What if the picture I sent her made her get into a wreck?

  Her tone instantly changed. “I saw her pulling out of the parking lot in your car when I left, so she should be home by now. Have you tried calling her?”

  “Of course, I have, but she doesn’t answer.” I started pacing around the living room, kitchen, and outside areas. “I knew I shouldn’t have let her drive herself to work. What if some paparazzi flashed her, and she wrecked?”

  “I seriously doubt that happened. There were none here when I saw her leaving. Do you want me to come over?”

  “No, you should get home to Jackson. I’m sure I’m overreacting, and it’s nothing. She probably stopped to pick up something for dinner and . . . ” I had no idea why she wouldn’t have told me or answered her phone.

  “I’m sure that’s all it is. She should be happy. I’ll be her supervisor from now on.”

  “Did you fire the other one?” I hoped she had. No one deserved to treat my Abbi badly.

  “No, I didn’t fire her, but Abbi won’t have to work with her any longer, so she shouldn’t be a problem. Maybe she wanted to celebrate.”

  And maybe we were grasping at straws.

  “Thanks for everything, Catherine.” If she didn’t have any information, I wanted to keep trying to get a hold of Abbi.

  “Anytime. Have a good night, Jenner.”

  She hung up, and I tried to call my wife another ten times without her answering. Just as I was about to get in my car and trace her, her name popped up on the caller ID.

  “Oh my God, you’ve had me worried,” I answered.

  “Jenner?” Abbi cried out.

  Instantly, I stopped dead in my tracks. “I’m here, baby. What’s wrong?”

  “I was in a wreck. Someone ran me off the road, and I went down this . . . this embankment. They're taking me to the hospital in an ambulance.”

  My heart nearly stopped at her words. Had it been the paparazzi?

  “Are you okay? What hospital are they taking you to?” I continued toward the garage and was already starting up my car when she answered.

  “Cedars Sinai. I think I broke my leg, and I’m pretty busted up,” she answered quietly before a sob broke out.

  “I’m already on my way, baby. I’ll be there before you know it, so just hang tight, okay?”

  “I’m sorry about your car,” she hiccupped.

  Switching gears as I flew past the gate, I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles were white. “I don’t care about the car, Abbi. All I care about is you being okay.”

  “I’m going to have to call my brother,” she cried.

  “We’ll do it together once we get you home. Okay? You’re fine, right?” I needed her to reassure me again. I wasn’t sure if she was crying because she was in pain, from being scared of what happened to her, or for some other reason, my speed brain couldn’t figure out.

  “I think so. I really wish you were here.”

  “I wish I was there too, but I promise I’ll be there quickly. I’m already on the road.”

  “Be careful,” she barked out in a voice that was full of worry and fear.

  “Nothing’s going to happen to me. I’ll be there in a few. Just hang tight and let them know I’m coming if you get there before me. Can you do that?”

  “Yeah, I think so.” I heard her take in a deep, shaky breath. “Thank you, Jenner.”

  It killed me that she felt the need to thank me when all I wanted in the world was to be there right by her side and have her in my arms knowing she was going to be okay.

  “There’s nothing to thank me for. Now, sit back and let them take care of you, and before you know it, I’ll be right by your side.”

  “I’ll try,” she sobbed.

  Never in my life had I driven faster than I did that night. I put my hazards on in the hope that if the police spotted me, they would understand there was a reason I was driving like a bat out of hell.

  Pulling up to the entrance, I threw the keys to the valet as I hopped out, shoving the ticket into my pants pocket as I rushed inside to find Abbi. The only problem was I’d never been to the hospital, so I had no idea where I was going.

  Sprinting to the front desk, I panted out. “My wife, Abbi Jenner, was in a car accident and was brought in. Where can I find her?”

  A little old lady with gray hair and cat-eye glasses smiled up at me before she typed something in on her computer. “She’s still in the ER. Would you like a map?”

  “Please,” I all but begged.

  I watched as she highlighted on the piece of paper how to get from where we were to the ER. I didn’t think I could have been further from it if I tried.

  “Thank you,” I added as I snatched the paper out of her hand.

  “You’re welcome. I hope your wife is alright.”

  Me, too.

  This was my fault. I should never have let her drive herself to work. I should have hired a driver or made her order an Uber. After walking around in what seemed like circles for twenty minutes, I finally found the ER. A woman with a deep scowl sat behind Plexiglas as she busily typed. After standing there for a few moments without a response, I cleared my throat. She looked up at me briefly before she went back to typing.

  Clearing my throat again, I spoke quietl
y so the waiting room wouldn’t hear. “My wife was brought in not long ago. She was in a car accident. Can you tell me what room she’s in?”

  “Name?” she asked in a monotone voice, her eyes still on her computer screen.

  “Abbi Jenner.”

  “And you are?”

  Leaning closer, I answered. “Her husband, Reeves Jenner.”

  “She’s in room six.”

  “Great. Can you tell me how to find room six?” If the ER was anything like the rest of the hospital, I’d be lucky to find it on my own.

  “Just through that door,” she pointed to one on her left. “I have to hit a button for you to be able to enter. Then you’ll go straight until you pass the nurses’ station where you’ll then take a right. Her room will be on the left side of the hall.”

  “Thank you.” I could do that. It seemed simple. I stood waiting for the door to open, but nothing happened. My patience was hanging by a loose thread as I waited. “Can I go back and see her now?”

  She typed something else before she nodded, and the door opened for me. Taking off in a jog, I followed her directions until I reached the room that read six.

  Swinging open the door, I found three other people in the room surrounding a barely recognizable Abbi. Her face was black and blue, both her eyes were swollen almost completely shut, and she had a nasty scratch on her cheek. Her neck, chest, and arms were red and irritated, but even with all that was wrong with her, she was still beautiful to me. I was so happy she was alive.

  Rushing toward her, I was stopped by a short and stalky woman. “Are you related to the patient?”

  “Yes, I’m her husband. Is she okay?” I asked as I tried to get by the woman, but she continued to block me.

  “Jenner?” Abbi moaned as she tried to open one of her eyes.

  “I’m here, baby. Right here. Are you okay?” I wanted to push the nurse out of the way so I could get to my wife, but I held back.

  “They say I need surgery on my leg, and they think I have internal bleeding.” A tear slipped down her bruised cheek down to the corner of her mouth.

  “Can I please go to my wife?” I begged. Couldn’t they at least let me hold her hand?

  “Only for a moment. We’re getting her ready to take her upstairs into surgery.”

  She moved out of the way, and I darted to Abbi’s side.

  “How long will she be in surgery?” I asked, picking up Abbi’s hand. Bringing it up to my mouth, I placed a gentle kiss to the back of her hand.

  “At least a few hours. We’ve called in an orthopedic surgeon for her leg. We did an ultrasound, and it looks like her spleen has ruptured. We’ll try to go in laparoscopically, but we may have to do a more invasive surgery. You can wait in the surgical waiting room, and we’ll send out a nurse to keep you updated.”

  All I could do was nod. This was serious. If I ever found out who ran her off the road, I would murder them.

  “After she wakes up from surgery, the police will want to ask her questions,” the woman said before she started to type something on a computer that was set off to the side of the room.

  I brushed Abbi’s hair away from her face. Leaning down, I kissed the top of her head. She didn’t smell like apples and cinnamon anymore. All I could smell was the antiseptic they used to clean the room.

  “Did you see who ran you off the road?”

  Her tiny hand in mine convulsed as she shook her head, her features tightening.

  “That’s okay. All I care about is you getting better. Do you want me to call your brother to let him know you’re going into surgery?”

  “Yeah,” she answered quietly. “If he doesn’t answer, leave him a message. Sometimes he’s out on a mission and can’t answer, but he’ll check his messages when he can.”

  “It’s time to take you up to surgery now, Mrs. Jenner. If you’d like, one of the nurses can show you to the waiting room, Mr. Jenner.”

  Leaning down, I pressed my lips to Abbi’s, hoping she could feel everything that I felt for her in that moment. “I’ll be here waiting to see you when you get out. I’m not leaving your side until you’re released.”

  “You don’t have to do that. Who knows how long I’ll be here,” she replied as they started to wheel her out.

  “But I want to. I want to be here for you.” I stopped myself from saying, don’t die on me. Afraid that if those words came out of my mouth, she’d start to think she might not make it.

  “Okay, I’ll see you when this is all over.” She looked up at me with scared brown eyes as they wheeled her past me.

  I followed dutifully along behind until we reached an elevator. The nurse who’d talked to me earlier closed her eyes, and I could hear her take in a deep breath. “Sir, you can’t come in this elevator. If you’d like, I can have someone show you to a waiting room.”

  All I could do was nod.

  A different nurse took me up a separate elevator and then to a waiting room where she assured me they’d keep me updated on Abbi’s progress.

  I needed to call Paul and let him know what had happened. Opening my contacts, I realized I didn’t have his phone number. When Abbi and Catherine had spoken, they made it seem like Catherine knew Paul. Maybe she had his phone number. I needed to call her anyway to let her know what had happened.

  Hitting her name, I waited until she answered the phone.

  “Hello?” she answered, her voice somewhat annoyed.

  “Hey, Catherine. Do you, by any chance, have Paul’s number? I need to call him. Abbi was in a car accident on her way home. Someone ran her off the road, and she wanted me to call Paul and let him know.”

  “What? Jackson has it. Give me a moment, and I’ll have him send it to you. Is Abbi okay? What hospital is she at?”

  “Yes. No. I don’t know. She’s at Cedars Sinai. They just took her into surgery, and I’m here waiting. She broke her leg, and it needs surgery, but she also ruptured her spleen. They’re going to try and take it out, laparoscopically,” I answered robotically. It was the only way for me not to lose my shit.

  “Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?”

  “I’m fine, just worried. I’m not sure when she’ll be able to come back to work, or when she’s getting out, or anything really.”

  “I hate to say this, but it’s nice to see you two getting along. I know it’s more than that, but we don’t need to get into the semantics of your relationship. I’m just happy that you’re happy.”

  “I’m not feeling so happy right now,” I grumbled, pinching the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger.

  “Of course, you’re not, but have faith. Jackson is getting ready to text you the number. If either of you needs anything, you can call me day or night.”

  “Thanks, Catherine. It means a lot. Your friendship means a lot to both of us.”

  “Keep me updated, will you?”

  “Of course. I should probably call her brother. Do you know if he’s on a mission or anything like that? Abbi said to leave a message if he doesn’t answer.”

  “He is on assignment, but he’s not out of the country, so he’ll be able to call you back later tonight as far as I know.”

  “Thanks again. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Okay, sweetie,” she replied before hanging up.

  A moment later, Jackson sent a text with Paul’s phone number. I didn’t relish the fact that the first time I was calling him was to let him know his little sister had been in a car wreck, and it very likely could have been my fault, but I dialed him anyway. I left him a message letting him know about Abbi and that I’d call again when I had news.

  With nothing else to do, I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes, but couldn’t keep them closed. Every time they shut, I saw Abbi’s beautiful face bruised and battered and the fear in her eyes as they took her away.

  I was lucky there was no one else in the room where they’d put me. I was sure I would have driven anyone who’d been in the room crazy
as I paced from one end to the other. Every time I saw someone walking down the hall, I would stop and watch them pass by without them ever looking in my direction.

  After two hours, a nurse finally came inside. “Are you, Mr. Jenner?”

  “Yes,” I jumped up from my seat. “Is Abbi okay?”

  “She’s fine. We were lucky to have been able to take her spleen laparoscopically, and the orthopedic surgeon is almost done working on her leg. I’ll be back once he’s finished.”

  “When can I see her?”

  “After she wakes up from the anesthesia, we can bring you back for a short time. She’ll still need to rest, but be reassured she’s in good hands.”

  “Thank you.”

  I wasn’t sure if they knew who I was or not, but somehow I had that room all to myself for four very long hours. No one ever looked in unless they were coming in to let me know the status of Abbi. A little before eleven o’clock at night, a new face showed up. One that looked like he wanted to skin me alive and feed me to the dogs. His eyes were dark, almost black. His entire face was grim as he took me in from head to toe and found me wanting.

  “Are you the motherfucker who married my little sister without my blessing?”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Abbi

  I woke to the steady beep of a machine and the smell of antiseptic cleaner. Both of my arms were splayed out with a hand attached to each side. My mind fought against itself, trying to remember how I got here and why.

  “I think she’s waking up,” a deep voice rumbled.

  “No, shit, you fucking dip shit,” another familiar voice said.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t be fighting when she wakes up.”

  A voice that sounded an awful lot like Paul’s spoke. “And maybe you should go.”

  It took some work, but I pried my eyes open to find Jenner and Paul glaring at each other from across the bed.

  “You never told me how you got here so fast. I thought you were in Virginia or somewhere in the Middle East.”

  “I’m sure you were hoping I wouldn’t show up so you could keep her all to yourself. Taint her pure heart with all your deplorable deeds,” my brother growled out.