It if wasn’t just like Lawrence to ruin their evening—or try! When Garryk suggested they forget about the movie and head back to her place, she vetoed it and insisted on going. She was glad they did. She enjoyed the movie and it helped her to put the nasty episode behind her. Garryk rewarded her for her efforts when they got back to her place by rocking her world.
Chapter Fourteen
Chelsey discovered when she called her lawyer Monday morning that he was in court and expected to be there all day. She made an appointment to talk to him in person on Wednesday, the first day he had an opening. She discovered on Friday that it was a good thing she’d retained him, because she got a letter from Lawrence’s attorney informing her that they had a hearing in family court the following week.
Considering the heart palpitations Garryk had given her when he encountered Lawrence in the restaurant, she was not only glad she hadn’t told him about her problem before, she was determined not to tell him. If he could act that hostile only because Lawrence had tried to provoke him in the restaurant, she didn’t want to know what he might do if he felt the need to protect her!
She had, in fact, avoided any reference to the incident since, compelled by a need to protect Garryk from himself—which sucked because she’d desperately wanted to try to discover just how serious Garryk had been when he’d informed Lawrence that he expected to be around awhile and had even hinted that they might get married!
Luckily, she’d been too dumbstruck at the time to make any comment to the contrary, but she would’ve dearly liked to hear a little more on the subject. Unfortunately, there was no doubt in her mind that Garryk had been as intent on provoking Lawrence as the other way around. The question was, had he only said it to be provoking or had he meant it?
And if he’d meant it, why hadn’t he asked her—before or since?
That was the burning question and the one she was almost afraid to have the answer to since it seemed to her he would’ve brought it up if he’d meant it.
She was almost tempted to tell him about the baby to see if that would prompt him to suggest they really ought to get married, but she’d promised herself she wasn’t going to push it. If he had other plans, she wasn’t going to throw up another roadblock for him. She thought he would probably feel obligated to marry her if she told him, but she didn’t want him to feel obligated, damn it! She wanted him to ask her because he loved her, and if he didn’t—well she was better off just keeping it to herself. A marriage begun that way was almost certainly doomed to failure. He was bound to feel resentment that she’d ruined his plans and she could end up in just as big a mess as she had now—with another child caught in the crossfire.
It might be hellish trying to go it alone, and probably would be, but that was surely better than that possibility!
She didn’t actually have a lot of time to devote to worrying about it. The one thing that was absolutely clear to her as soon as she got the summons to family court was that the confrontation in the restaurant had been Lawrence’s opportunity to gloat, to see if he could make her squirm—because he’d already made the arrangements to take her to court again. There was no way he could have gotten it arranged so quickly after that. She supposed her own threat might have prompted it, but she didn’t believe that either. He had to have known about Garryk almost from the start and been planning his coup for weeks.
So much for thinking she might actually get the jump on the bastard for a change!
She was such a nervous wreck by the time the day rolled around for the hearing that she thought she was going to have a panic attack before they were called. She knew if she couldn’t pull herself together she didn’t stand a chance in hell of getting a decision in her favor, but knowing that didn’t help her attain any peace. The only thing that helped at all was the discovery that the hearing would take place in a small conference room rather than the court room, and she wouldn’t be facing the bastard that had presided over her custody case before.
Her tentative relief at the discovery that the judge was a woman wasn’t enough to soften the shock she got when she discovered Garryk had also been summoned. He settled at the conference table beside her and dropped a folder on the table in front of him, sending Chelsey an indecipherable look. Dragging her gaze from his, she turned to her lawyer on the other side and gave him a questioning look.
He leaned close. “The plaintiff suggested since it was Mr. Sinclair’s reputation at issue he should be present. The judge agreed.”
Anger sprang to life in Chelsey’s belly and began to churn and build as Lawrence’s attorney introduced Lawrence’s complaint and his allegation that her intimate relationship with a stripper potentially exposed his son to unsavory situations, if not dangerous and possibly criminal elements. He respectfully requested that the court constrain his former wife from unsupervised and unrestricted visitation and require that she be limited to such places and times as were convenient to the child’s father and under his supervision.
The judge stared at him for a long moment after he’d finished speaking and then looked down at the papers in front of her, reading them. When she lifted her head again, she studied Garryk assessingly for a moment and then Chelsey and finally lifted a brow at Chelsey’s attorney.
“My client maintains that Mr. Sinclair in no way represents any threat whatsoever to her son. She maintains her own household as does Mr. Sinclair. Furthermore, she had already approached me with a counter complaint regarding the fact that her ex-husband has blatantly and repeatedly ignored her court ordered visitation rights and prevented her from seeing her son at all.”
The judge turned to look at Lawrence. “Is this true, Mr. Ledger?”
“No, your honor. She hasn’t attempted to contact Larry since she took up with the stripper.”
It took all Chelsey could do to prevent herself from leaping to her feet and calling him a liar. Garryk settled his hand over hers—either to comfort or in warning. She flicked a glance at him and then discovered the judge had turned to look at her. “Ms. Ledger?”
“I’m supposed to have visitation every other weekend and yet Larry hasn’t visited me more than six times in the past six months. At first, my ex-husband complied, then each weekend that was to be mine I was given an excuse for why he couldn’t come—a school function, something to do with his ball games, or his friends. Each time I was promised the following weekend, but they rarely followed through. Larry was to visit me two weekends ago. Instead, he called and informed me that his father had told him he didn’t have to come anymore. When I went to speak to Lawrence and collect him, I discovered they’d left town. They weren’t home, anyway.”
She studied Larry. “Is what your mother said true? Did this conversation take place? Keep in mind that this is a court and you’re required to tell the truth,” she added when Larry flicked a frightened look at his father.
“It’s not true,” he said sullenly. “I called to ask when she was gonna pick me up and she said she was busy and she’d see me the next weekend.”
Chelsey gaped at Larry in shocked disbelief, too stunned to find her voice.
The judge frowned and asked Lawrence if he’d had any behavioral problems with Larry. Lawrence informed her that he had … recently … since his mother had begun to ignore him in favor of her boyfriend.
Chelsey was so nauseated with pure fury that she could barely collect her thoughts when the judge questioned her. The judge finally turned her attention to Garryk. “What do you have to say regarding Mr. Ledger’s concerns about your reputation, Mr. Sinclair?”
Garryk lifted the folder he’d set down on the table and handed it to her. His hand shook slightly, but Chelsey was inclined to think it was barely contained fury. His jaw was set hard enough to look like stone. “Dr. Sinclair,” he responded tightly.
The judge lifted her brows. “Doctor?”
“My credentials are in the folder.”
The judge opened the folder and scanned the documents. “You’re a medical
doctor?”
“Yes. General medicine.”
She frowned. “You aren’t an exotic dancer?”
“I am. I have been for years. I paid my way through college dancing.”
The judge almost smiled. “You must be very good. College is expensive, particularly this one,” she murmured, holding up his degree to study it.
“I’ve been told I am.” His hand settled on Chelsey’s.
The judge looked through the rest of the papers Garryk had provided and finally closed the folder and handed it back. She looked at Lawrence and his attorney questioningly.
“The fact remains that he is still employed as an exotic dancer and, to all intents and purposes, living with Ms. Ledger out of wedlock,” Lawrence’s attorney said tightly, obviously furious that he hadn’t had that information and struggling with his arguments. “The degree doesn’t change the fact that he has had years to develop associations with any number of unsavory characters.”
Chelsey’s attorney objected and suggested that they produce any proof that Garryk had any unsavory connections if they had it.
The judge looked at Lawrence and his lawyer questioningly.
“Not at the moment,” Lawrence’s lawyer responded tightly. “I’m certain we could produce it given time.”
The judge frowned. “I’m not sure I agree with all of this. I have my suspicions that I’ve heard as many lies as truth here today, but I do agree that if Ms. Ledger and Dr. Sinclair are ‘to all intents and purposes’ living together, this probably isn’t the healthiest situation for a boy Larry’s age.”
Garryk shrugged easily. “We’re engaged. And I’d planned to quit dancing as soon as I had enough money saved up to start my own practice. If that’s the problem—then it isn’t a problem. I can quit now.”
Chelsey was still in a state of shock about the discovery that Garryk was a doctor, but it flickered through her mind despite her first fright that he’d delivered forged documents, that she should’ve figured it out before. When she was sick, he’d examined her like a doctor. He’d bandaged her hands like a doctor. She suspected, now, that the medicine he’d produced for her was a prescription written out specifically for her and filled for her.
She didn’t know why he hadn’t told her, but she didn’t doubt it. She’d always known he was brilliant and that he could do anything he set his mind to do.
She squeezed his hand and looked at the judge. “May I speak, your honor?”
The judge looked a little wary, but she nodded.
She looked at Larry, fighting the hurt she’d felt since he’d lied about her. “I love you. I always have and I always will, but I don’t know how to fight for you when you have so much anger in you that you won’t even give me a chance. When and if you ever decide to, I’ll be waiting, and I’ll welcome you. Until then, I won’t bother you.”
She looked at Lawrence. “I’ve slipped my leash, Lawrence. You don’t control me anymore and I won’t let you use Larry anymore and I’m not going to let you get away with controlling Garryk’s life! He’ll quit when he’s ready to and not before because you think you’re calling the shots and can control everybody’s lives.”
She looked at the judge. “Thank you, your honor. I needed to say that. I’m withdrawing my complaint and it won’t be necessary to arrange monitored visits. I would appreciate it very much, though, if you would order my former husband to put Larry in counseling.”
The judge studied her for a long moment and looked at Lawrence. “I believe I agree with that. I’m ordering that Lawrence Ledger Jr. have a full psychological evaluation and, if recommended, I’ll expect arrangements to be made to get him into counseling.”
Chelsey looked at Garryk as her lawyer pulled her aside to speak to her after the hearing. He nodded, but he didn’t join her. Instead, he strode from the courthouse.
She watched him in dismay, wondering what was going through his mind when he’d gone to so much effort to support her and she’d refused his offer.
“I don’t think I understand your reasoning,” Clements said, drawing her attention to him. “I feel sure the judge would have relented given Mr. … uh … Dr. Sinclair’s offer.”
Chelsey bit her lip. She didn’t really owe him an explanation. She’d paid for his services. “Truthfully? I realized as soon as Larry lied for his father that I’d lost. It wouldn’t have made any difference what the judge decided. I’ve been trying to convince myself that if I could just see Larry regularly he’d stop being angry with me and give me a chance, but the harder I’ve tried the more determined he’s been to shut me out.
“Maybe he just needs space to come around? I don’t know, but pushing him isn’t doing it. And I don’t think it’s right for Garryk to give up his job just to pacify Lawrence when nothing in the world will. It would just be something else in a few weeks or a month and I can’t afford to keep you on retainer. I do appreciate your efforts on my behalf, however.”
Their attention was drawn by Lawrence, Larry, and their lawyer as they left the hearing room. “I wouldn’t want him raising my son,” Clements muttered.
“I didn’t want it either, but the court took that out of my hands.”
Clements eyed her assessingly. “You think as soon as the psychologist evaluates him he’ll recommend that he be removed from your husband’s custody.”
Chelsey smiled. “I hope so. If not … hopefully he’ll at least get the counseling he needs to cope with his father.”
* * * *
No doubt the judge would have disapproved of his ‘low’ associations, Garryk thought sardonically, but there was an advantage to knowing a few of the ‘invisible’ people of this world. They saw and heard things others wouldn’t and it hadn’t taken long to discover Ledger’s proclivities.
He was one sick puppy, he thought with disgust, but it couldn’t be denied that it was damned handy that he was. The hooker across the street signaled him just a few moments before a dark car pulled up to the curb. Sauntering up to the car, she leaned down and spoke to the man inside through the window and then straightened. Smiling in Garryk’s direction, she opened the door and got in.
Garryk settled his helmet on his head and flipped the face shield into place. Leaning to one side slightly, he kicked the stand up and then started the engine. Glory had told him she usually entertained him at the roach motel a couple of blocks away, but he thought it was better to be on the safe side and follow in case Ledger was paranoid and decided to change his destination.
He discovered he’d worried needlessly. Ledger headed for his usual haunt like a homing pigeon. Garryk stopped across the street and waited until he’d paid for a room, watching as Ledger parked the car and emerged. After glancing around a little uneasily, he pulled a large suitcase from the trunk and escorted his companion up the stairs that ran up the exterior of the building. When they disappeared into their room, Garryk pulled across the street and into the parking lot. Parking his bike, he climbed the stairs at a leisurely pace. There was no point in getting in a hurry. It would take them a few minutes to ‘suit up’ and get into their roles, he thought derisively.
He didn’t particularly like the fact that the open design of the motel didn’t give him any place to hide, but it wasn’t really the sort of neighborhood where people snooped into the business of others. Pausing at the door a moment to listen, he moved to the window. There was a two inch gap between the drawn curtains. Good girl, Glory!
Ledger was either very eager or pressed for time, he thought derisively. He’d already stripped down. Dragging his phone out of his pocket, he took a couple of pictures and moved away from the window, glancing at the lone bulb that lit the stairwell. After studying it speculatively a moment, he dismissed it. He was dressed in black and it was dark enough to make identification nearly impossible even if anybody happened to notice him loitering on the balcony.
The sounds filtering through the door he was leaning against escalated. He was fucking rambunctious, Garryk thought derisively. Th
e son-of-a-bitch must be really excited about his triumph in court earlier! Brazen, too. How many people, he wondered, would have the balls to talk to a judge about morality in the afternoon and go romping with a street prostitute the same night?
Turning when he decided they were well into their game, he fished a credit card out of his pocket and slipped it through the door, depressing the latch. The security chain was on, but, unfortunately for Ledger, that wasn’t much of a deterrent. Pushing the door as far as it would go, Garryk slammed his shoulder against it and popped the chain loose.
Ledger was down on his knees, bound up in leather straps with his white ass in the air. Glory, dressed in tight black leather and sporting a ten inch strap-on dildo was fucking him in the ass and pounding on his back with the whip in her hand like a jockey going for the gold cup. Both of them whipped around at his entrance to gape at him.
“That’s it, you prick! Smile for the camera,” Garryk growled, shaking his head. “Man this is some seriously fucked up shit!”
Glory screamed, dropped her whip, and ran for the door. Ledger leapt to his feet and stared at Garryk blankly for a split second. Rage contorted his features. Uttering a growl like a grizzly bear, he charged Garryk. Fortunately, Garryk had already pocketed his camera.
Ledger swung a meaty fist at him and caught Garryk on the jaw, whipping his head sideways. Garryk came around with a counterblow that carried a good half of his body weight, twisting at the waist as he threw the punch. Ledger’s feet flew forward as his upper body took flight in the other direction. He landed flat of his back on the floor.
Garryk looked down at him. “Get up! You and me, we’re gonna have a long heart to heart.”
Ledger wiped his bloody nose and sat up. “The cops will be here any minute!”
Garryk tsked. “The cops take at least an hour when anything goes down in this part of town. They don’t want to get here till it’s over.”
The Visitor: Alien Hunger Special Edition Page 18