“Oh darling, we are used to your kind of crazy now.” Janet laughed as she gave Judy a hug. “We know how much you love Abbi and the baby. That’s all we could ever want.”
“I am just going to take that as a compliment.” Judy smiled.
As the party wound down and the guests left Jace could feel the silence in the room growing. The tension so think you could almost cut it with a knife.
“Jace, we need to talk about today before Ryan and Abbi leave.” Judy said sheepishly.
“Ok.” He let out a deep breath as he watched her walk towards the food table. “Hey Babe, come here please.” Judy came up but didn’t make eye contact. “Listen, I know that whatever happened today has been eating away at you. I know you think I am going to explode but I’m not. Let’s just sit down and talk ok?”
“Ok.”
“Ryan, Abbi. Could you two come in here please? Mason, you too buddy.” Jace called out.
They all gathered into the room taking seats on the couch. Jace looked puzzled as Judy walked down the hallway towards the bedroom.
“Judy has something she wants to talk to everyone about.”
“What’s going on, Jace? Is everything ok?” Abbi looked up at him with concern.
“Yes. Everything is fine. I wanted to talk to you all about this.” Judy came into the room setting the file box onto the ground at Jace’s feet.
For a moment irritation spread throughout him. Why she would go and put herself at risk when he had been busting his ass to make sure she was always safe was beyond him. But after a brief moment the irritation melted away. She had put herself in danger to get information that she knew Jace and Ryan couldn’t get. When he thought about it, this was what he had been contemplating all afternoon that she’d done. She was strong and he would never hold her back for that.
“I went to the apartment complex today and got the box of Alexis’ belongings.” Judy chanced a look up at Jace. He watched as his slight smile caused her entire body to visually relax.
“Judy! I can’t believe you would do that? You could have gotten hurt!” Abbi proclaimed from the couch.
“Please don’t go into labor early Abs, I had protection.” Judy pulled up a chair for her and Jace.
“Have you looked in it?” Mason asked.
“No, not yet. I was too nervous about what I would find.” Judy answered. “I have been half expecting there to be nothing but a dead body.”
“Ok, well hold onto your seats.” Ryan reached over and removed the lid from the box.
*****
Judy peered through her squinted eyes to see the small stack of papers in the bottom of the box. Without hesitation she jumped down onto the floor and began rifling through them. She handed the old mail to Ryan, bank statements she gave to Jace, and then she froze. The corner of a picture stuck out from underneath the next handful of papers.
“What is it Judy?” Abbi asked.
Judy reached down and tugged at the edge of the picture. Slowly a black and white picture of fuzzy lines came out from the stack. “It’s a sonogram.” Judy held it up towards Abbi and Ryan. “It’s Alexis’.”
“Mason, did you know Alexis had been pregnant?” Jace asked.
“No. Not at all. Wow. I wonder.” Mason looked over at Judy.
“If this is Trent’s leverage?” Judy answered his sentence.
“So do you think Alexis had a baby and somehow Trent is keeping her from it?” Ryan asked throwing the stack of old bills back down into the box.
“I don’t know.” Judy said standing. As she did the corner of her skirt caught on the bottom of the box dumping the remaining papers out.
“Wait. Judy look.” Abbi tried reaching down at what looked to be a letter that had fallen out of the box.
“Here I will get it Babe.” Ryan reached down and grabbed it.
“Who’s it addressed to?” Judy asked.
“Baby boy.” Ryan handed her the letter. “I think you should read it Judy.”
Her hands shook as she gently tore the top from the envelope. This was twice now that she’d had to read letters from her friends and she was sure that this letter wouldn’t be good either. She unfolded the letter and began to read aloud.
“Dear son. I know that I may not be able to be with you right now but I want you to know that I will always love you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You changed my life in so many ways. Whatever you do, don’t let anyone tell you differently. I will always be your mother. Always. I may not be the mother that’s raising you now, but I will always be in your heart. Please don’t be mad that I had to let you go. I am fighting a fight that so many have lost and I don’t want you to be a part of that.” Judy sniffled as a tear ran down her face. “I know that you will be strong and beautiful. I wish you all the luck, love, and good fortune the world can give you my son. I love you to the moon and back. Love, your mother.”
Judy felt Jace’s arm wrap around her as she collapsed into his chest. Her heart felt broken, for Alexis, for her baby that she had to give up. She looked up and saw the tears rolling down Abbi’s face as well. This was what Trent had been holding over her head. The manipulative evil bastard had been using Alexis’ son for leverage to get her to do things.
“We will make this right, Baby. I promise you we will. For Alexis. We have doubted her and we owe it to her to make it right.” Jace comforted Judy’s sobs as a ring at the doorbell caused them all to look up.
“I will grab it.” Mason hopped up and made his way over to the door.
“Who is it Mase?” Judy sniffled.
“Um, no one.” Mason looked back from the peep hole. “Jace get your gun. I am assuming you don’t have a lot of kids pulling pranks around here.”
Jace reached over and grabbed the pistol from Judy’s purse before making his way to the door behind Mason. “I’ll open, you scan.”
Judy watched as they silently counted to three. Ryan made his way in front of the girls with his pistol ready. As Mason turned the handle and slung the door open he stepped back giving Jace the room to scan the hallway with his gun.
“Oh my God! Alexis!” Judy jumped from her seat and ran past Ryan. She fell to the ground and cradled Alexis’ lifeless body that had slumped down through the doorframe.
chapter eleven
“Is she breathing?” Mason knelt down next to Judy. “I know you want to help sis but let me try to help her. I am trained in first aid and CPR.” He put his ear down to her lips watching to see if her stomach would rise.
Jace ran to Judy’s side and picked her up from the floor. “Ryan, call 911! She doesn’t look good.” He called out as he carried Judy over to the couch. “Abbi, I need you to sit with her please. Just stay over here ok?” Jace knelt in front of Judy. Seeing the grief that was spreading across her face caused cracks to rupture throughout his heart. “Baby, look at me.” He reached up placing his hands on each side of Judy’s face trying to avert her eyes from Alexis and back to him. “Baby, we have help coming. You need to sit here ok.” Her eyes were empty when they reached his. Silently she nodded her response as he made his way back over to Mason and Ryan.
“Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. Breathe! Breathe damnit! Come on Lexi.” Mason growled out towards Alexis’ lifeless beaten body.
“Mason, check her airway again.” Ryan said from the other side of her before speaking back into the phone. “Yes, we are doing CPR; she doesn’t seem to be responding.”
“Ryan she’s breathing!” Mason yelled up at him. “Tell them to hurry the fuck up!”
Jace came to Mason’s side. “Go check on Judy.” He could see the hurt in Mason’s eyes as he walked away leaving Alexis lying on the floor.
“The paramedics are on their way up, Jace.” Ryan called out to him as he ran down towards the hallway elevators to accompany the emergency crew back to the apartment.
Jace moved away from Alexis and watched as they checked her vitals, trying to open her bruised and swollen eyes to check the dilation o
f them. After a brief description of what had happened to the police that had accompanied the paramedics, the emergency team back boarded Alexis and rushed her lifeless body towards the hospital. Just as fast as she had gotten there, Alexis was gone. An eerie silence descended throughout the apartment. Jace looked over at Mason and Ryan who were trying to comfort the girls.
“It was him. I know it was and I swear if it’s the last fucking thing I do I am going to make that bastard pay… with his life.” Mason made his way over to Jace, a fury of emotions swirling in his eyes.
“Yeah I know. If I can promise you one thing it will be that he is going to pay.” Jace could feel the heat flaring across his face from the anger. He didn’t understand how any man could place his hands on a woman. No matter what the situation.
He knew just as they all did that it was Trent that had hurt Alexis. All the puzzle pieces were beginning to fall together. They had a clear reason to believe that Alexis had been doing Trent’s bidding, and from the look of her wounds it had been against her will. Now that he didn’t have her there to do his dirty work, Trent was going to be desperate. One thing you can count on is that when a man gets desperate he gets sloppy.
“Jace.” Judy came up to him, “I need to go be with her. She doesn’t need to be in the hospital alone.”
“We will go right now.” He tried to give her a reassuring smile but he honestly didn’t know what was going to happen.
The extent of Alexis’ wounds kept him from being able to promise Judy that she would make it; he didn’t know if she would pull through. However he had seen what Abbi and Judy had gone through the night of the shooting at Mist, and though he’d prayed every moment the night he was by Judy’s side, he hadn’t been sure then either.
Abbi had insisted that she and Ryan come with them but after the events of the day Judy had convinced her that it was best that she go home and rest both for her sake and the baby’s. As they made their way toward the emergency room entrance of Cedars-Sinai flashbacks from the night of the shooting came flooding through Jace’s mind, images of him running frantically into the hospital with Ryan in search of the girls. It was only because of the woman next to him now that he was able to walk back through these doors tonight. Had she not made it, his world would have ended. He had to stay strong for both her and for Mason.
Jace had been in many warzones before. He had seen his friends and fellow soldiers lose their life. He had held the hands of his brothers in arms as they took their last breath. You almost get used to seeing the tragedy in a combat zone but not here. Not in your home or around your loved ones.
As they walked through the doors there was a burst of cold air. Jace went towards the information desk to find out where Alexis was. Following the attendants directions they made their way to a waiting room across from the operating wing. They sat for what felt like hours. With anxiety running through his veins, Jace paced back and forth across the room listening to the faint whispers of Judy’s prayers.
“Lord please just let her be ok.” She whispered. “Please. Take me. Take me instead.” Judy choked on the sob escaping her throat.
Jace took the chair next to her taking her into his arms. It hurt him to see Judy so upset. This was a pain that he couldn’t take away. He couldn’t make it better. “Baby, God has plans for you here. I remember praying that same request as I sat next to your hospital bed the night of the shooting. I asked him to take me and let you live. But he was gracious and brought you back to me. I know he has plans for me and he knew that I wouldn’t make it if I didn’t have you here by my side.” He ran his fingers through her hair as she gently sobbed in his arms.
As they sat helpless in the waiting room the silence was suddenly interrupted by a tall man coming in through the door in a set of light blue scrubs. He stepped into the room and scanned the empty seats before looking over at Jace. “Alexis Reynolds?”
“Yes. Yes we are here for her. Is she okay?” Judy ran towards the doctor, her eyes pleading him for good news.
His eyes were uncertain as he looked down at her. Jace’s heart stopped as the look turned from uncertain to apologetic.
*****
Judy’s stomach twisted as she took in the doctor’s face. He was a young man probably in his thirties with an unnatural weathered look, someone who had given unpleasant news to many families before. She silently prayed that he would tell her that Alexis was ok but her heart knew what he was about to say.
“Ma’am, I am sorry.” The doctor looked down into her eyes filling with tears. “We tried everything we could but the trauma from the wounds was too extensive.”
“No! She is fine. I know she’s fine. She has a son! I don’t know if she ever got to meet him.” Judy collapsed onto the floor. Her heart felt as though it were splintering into a thousand tiny pieces shooting out into every muscle and fiber of her body. There were no words to describe the pain that resounded throughout her body. “She has to be ok. I never got to say I was sorry.” She whispered out between sobs.
“I am sorry ma’am, we tried everything we could.” The doctor knelt down trying to console her. “We are moving her into a room now. You will be able to go in and see her in just a moment if you’d like to.”
Mason came to Judy’s side wrapping her up into his arms. She could feel the vibrations of his pain coming from his chest as he held her. She wasn’t sure how long they sat there on the floor of that waiting room. Alexis had been a huge part of his life also when they were younger. To know that she had been caught up in something that could have been so easily fixed. If only she had reached out, Judy wasn’t sure why Alexis hadn’t felt like she could ask for help. Instead it had taken her life from her.
Even though she hadn’t seen Alexis in a long time she had always meant the world to her. When you go through as much turmoil and heartache as the two had gone through, you form a connection that never goes away. Judy thought back to that day at the bakery when she had been so hateful towards Alexis. There had been no reason for it; she should have given Alexis the chance to explain. Instead her hot headed temper had caused her to say the one thing she would regret for the rest of her life.
You know what; stay the hell away from me Alexis.
She would never get a chance to take that back, she would never get a chance to make it right. Judy could only hope that deep down inside Alexis had known that she didn’t really mean it. The thought of Alexis spending her last few moments thinking that she’d hated her crushed the remaining pieces of her heart. She should have known better than to say what she had, life is so short and so precious. No one ever knows when their moment would come. It could all be over before you even have a chance to live it out. Judy knew firsthand how easily it was for life to be over. She only wished that Alexis could have been spared like she had been.
They followed the doctor to Alexis’ room together, Jace had his arm wrapped around her waist as she clutched onto Mason’s hand. Through blurry eyes she made her way up to the door that Alexis lay behind. An overwhelming feeling came over her as she placed her hand onto the door knob. She knew that once she opened the door that it would all be real. She grasped onto the moment she was in, the moment in which she could imagine that Alexis was still here with them. That she would be sitting up in bed smiling as they came into the room.
As she made her way into the room the silence overtook her. No laughing. No smiling. This was the moment of truth, when reality would take over. Judy looked over at Alexis’ body lying still under the white sheet. Making her way over to the bed Judy ran her hand along Alexis’ hair. Trying to take in everything she could, every line of Alexis’ face that she hadn’t noticed before, even the softness of her hair. The bruises that littered her face and upper body formed large black spots against her caramel skin. Taking her hand Judy sat in the chair just next to the bed.
“Lexi.” Judy forced the words from her mouth as the rest of her body refused to move. “Lexi, I am so sorry for what I said. I am so sorry that I didn’t gi
ve you a chance to explain; that I didn’t believe you.” She no longer held back the tears as they streamed freely down her face. “Lexi I promise you that we will find him. We will find him and make him pay for what he did to you. What he did to your beautiful body. I am so sorry that I wasn’t there for you like I should have been.”
“Sis, she knew how much you loved her. I promise.” Mason said as he placed a consoling hand onto Judy’s shoulder.
“How can I be sure Mase? How do I know that she wasn’t scared or that she didn’t feel alone in the end?”
“Because you have to believe. You have to trust that she knew. God called back one of his angels tonight, and I promise you she is looking down on you now.” Mason choked back a sob as he continued, “I promise you will have a chance to tell her again one day. She came to the house tonight because she knew that she could rely on you. She knew you loved her so much that you would help her. It was just too late.”
Judy sat for a few moments remembering all of the best times she’d had with her friend. She thought back to all of the nights they had driven down the old dirt roads of her hometown. Parking down by the river and laying on the hood of Alexis’ old truck and staring up at the stars. They were both so young, wanting so badly to get out of that little town and experience the world. It hurt to think that Alexis wouldn’t be able to experience all of the things that she’d wanted to.
After saying their goodbyes the three made their way out of the hospital. Jace had left their information with the attending doctor and would begin contacting Alexis’ family in the morning. As they made their way through the parking garage Judy noticed a dark figure standing next to Jace’s car. Before she could react Jace threw her behind his large frame shielding her from any harm. She felt Mason’s large hands grab her and rush her back into the hallway by the elevators.
“I suggest you come out where I can see you mother fucker!” Jace’s deep voice resounded off of the walls of the parking garage.
Cherish Me (The Protected Love Series) Page 8