Fixing Justice

by Halliday, Suzanne

  Tearing off for weeks, even if it had been under cover of an assignment, without contacting her, wasn’t something he could easily explain in a few hastily typed words. Hell, he could barely justify the behavior. No, this was one time when he was just going to have to take whatever happened on the chin and grow a set if he had any chance of making things right. Trouble was, for all his worldly experience, he hadn’t a clue how to go about doing that. With a cold bottle of water in his hand, Drae headed outside to think only to quickly retreat back inside after an overload of sensory input from what had happened last time he’d been on the patio came screaming into his head. Fuck. At that moment he sincerely doubted he’d ever be able to erase from his brain the vivid image of Victoria and her provocative mouth taking him on an erotic no-holds barred journey to heaven and back.

  Realizing all the time in the world to think wasn’t going to give him any more clarity, he threw in the towel and decided to get on with it. He was pretty good at thinking on his feet. Hadn’t survived being shot at by some very, very bad guys on luck alone. It was time to jump in headfirst and see which way the winds were blowing. He’d know what to do then.

  “She’s not here, man.” Alex told him in a strained monotone that let Drae know he had some damage control to do on that front too. “Doubt she’ll be back before nightfall. She and Carmen went to the mall. Something about a sale or whatever.”

  Wandering with no real direction, Drae strolled around the great room of Alex’s Spanish Villa while his friend clicked through channels on the satellite TV system. Resting his hips against the back of a sofa, he searched for inspiration about what to say next. Alex beat him to the punch.

  “What’s with the ‘man in black’ wardrobe? You figuring to be Johnny Cash or something, dude?” Drae looked at his reflection in a nearby mirror and considered what he was wearing. Yeah, he’d probably taken the black thing too far. Maybe the color choice had more to do with his general mood than a fashion statement.

  Black jeans, boots, and t-shirt under a well-worn black leather jacket made his fair coloring a dramatic counterpoint to all the darkness. That and his obvious need for a haircut gave him a scruffy appearance that could give Cameron a run for his money. Dressed as he was, Drae who normally came off like an Armani runway model, looked completely out-of-character.

  Settling on a sporting event on the big screen TV, Alex smirked at him as if he was reading his thoughts. “That dark cloud hanging over your head is your own damn fault, you know.”

  Drae nodded, started to say something and then thought better of it. Alex was needling him in the way brothers did when a sibling was going off the rails. There weren’t any words to make things right and he knew it. “Alright. Go ahead and say it. I’m a dick, right?”

  “Your mouth to God’s ear although I’d add fool to the laundry list.” Throwing some serious side shade his way, Alex’s look of disgust made him inwardly wince.

  “How bad is it?” he asked in a cautious voice.

  Shrugging, Alex turned his attention to the action on the TV. “That’s for you to figure out but you should know that Tori thinks you lied to her.”

  “What?” he bellowed. Lied? He hadn’t lied to her. What the fuck.

  “She thinks by letting me in on the situation you deceived her about keeping the matter of your marriage a state secret.”

  Drae groaned out loud and hung his head. Anything else?

  “Have you heard from your lawyer?”

  Yeah, he’d heard from Ted all right but he was so damn conflicted and tied up in knots that he didn’t really give a shit about the man’s legal advice. “I need to see Victoria,” was all he said.

  Grunting a sarcastic laugh, Alex said, “Good luck with that.”

  Feeling like all the wind had been knocked out of his sails, Drae went and threw himself on the end of the sofa, earning a raised eyebrow from his friend. “Brother,” he murmured, “I could really use your help right about now. Made a mess of things.”

  “Drae, I’ll remind you yet again that I really like Tori. If you’re just messing with her, well – there’s a special place in hell for you.”

  “It’s not like that. I’m…,” he sighed. ”Fuck. I don’t know what I am.”

  “Okay, look. This one time and this one time only, I’m gonna stick my neck out and try to give you a hand.” Drae lifted hopeful, grateful eyes to his friend. “I’ll find a way to get Tori down to your place in the morning. That’s the best I can do. What happens after that is on you, dude.”

  The morning. Great. That gave him a little more time to figure out what the hell to do. It wasn’t much but knowing they’d have a chance to see each other face-to-face gave him a glimmer of hope.

  It has been an awful day all around, Tori thought. She still didn’t know if she was pregnant because the test she ordered hadn’t been delivered. Regardless of that, she’d come to a huge decision after seeing irrefutable proof that Draegyn had not been lacking for female company while on the other side of the country. In her mind, it didn’t really matter if the test came out positive or negative. Not now. Having shown his true colors she’d been forced to admit that there was no hope of a future between them.

  Hitching a ride into town with Carmen under the pretense of doing a mall crawl, she’d met with a lawyer instead, while the other woman had lunch with friends. The attorney she’d found after an Internet search had listened to the implausible Vegas tale without much reaction. After Tori vehemently declared there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell of her wanting to stay married to the man and stating passionately that she also wasn’t inclined to wait passively, trusting him to handle the arrangements to end their hasty union, the attorney had taken steps to initiate the dissolution without much fuss. Tori didn’t know what was worse. The lawyers or the cut and dried way these things were handled. It kind of made her recoil at the idea that marriage had become something as easily discarded as the recycling.

  Having arranged a late afternoon rendezvous with Carmen at a nice little bistro near the mall, she’d run pell-mell through one of the larger department stores after her visit to the lawyer, making blind purchases just so she’d have something to show for her supposed shopping trip. To her immense relief the conversation once they’d met up centered almost entirely on the other woman’s recounting of her visit with friends, giving Tori an opportunity to dial back some of her tension. They’d grabbed something to nibble on and headed back to the Villa while all she could really focus on was the overstuffed envelope in her bag with the paperwork the lawyer had given her.

  Not knowing when or if Draegyn would ever return to Arizona she had come up with several options for presenting him with the documents. Plan A was the direct approach in which she imagined a civilized meeting where they would behave like adults and calmly agree to take the steps outlined in her divorce petition with a no harm, no foul outlook. Plan B took into account the very real possibility that they’d never see each other face-to-face whereby she’d be forced to employ a cut and dried approach through the mail or with intermediaries. Plan C was a messy slash and burn affair that made her endlessly queasy stomach percolate even more.

  Carmen must have sensed that there was something on her mind because she eventually came right out and asked her what was up. “Are you okay, honey? You seem awfully quiet. “

  The lonely road leading into the desert zoomed by as Tori sat quietly wondering just what to say. Carmen had been sweet to her from the moment she’d arrived on the scene. Fiercely protective of and devoted to the Justice Brothers and the colorful cast of characters who came and went from the Villa, Tori knew she could trust the woman completely. Carmen was the sort of person who didn’t suffer fools gladly and was at the heart of it a true and loyal friend.

  Turning a sincere smile on the woman who glanced over while driving the nearly deserted road, Tori felt a surge of emotion at the thought that one day, probably soon, she’d have to say good-bye to her. If she was expecting, there w
as no way she could remain at the agency and even if she wasn’t, the situation between her and Draegyn had become untenable. In that cold, harsh light it became obvious what she’d have to do.

  “Oh, I’m fine. Just tired, that’s all.” Remembering the packages she’d tossed in the backseat she added, “Too many dressing rooms and too much walking.” Her answer seemed to satisfy Carmen and for the rest of the drive she made a real effort to cheerfully engage in their companionable chit-chat.

  She was gathering her bags from the back seat of Carmen’s car when Cameron and Lacey pulled in right behind them in one of the compound’s electric carts. “Hola!” Lacey announced as she bounded from her side of the cart. “I’m glad we ran in to you two.” She said smiling broadly as her new husband appeared quickly by her side with a similar smile brightening his dark, good looks.

  “It’s good to have you guys back,” Tori told them in earnest. She hadn’t known them for very long but even so it was hard not to be affected by the joy and happiness of the newlywed couple. Seeing their love reflected in each look and with every gesture made tears sting her eyes. If only, she thought wistfully.

  “I still can’t get over the fact that you two are married,” Carmen told them as she hugged each one in turn.

  Laughing, Cam grabbed his bride’s hand and raised it to his lips for a quick kiss. “Well, when you hear our news, you’ll be even happier that we’re man and wife.”

  Carmen’s face leapt with joy as she clapped her hands excitedly and gasped, “Oh my God! Is it what I think? Oh Lacey, honey! Is it true then?” Bemused, Tori smiled and waited, wondering what news could possibly elicit such a reaction.

  “Yes!” Lacey cried gleefully. “We’re pregnant!” Touching her belly gently she grinned, misty-eyed, into her husband’s beaming face. “Almost four months.”

  Boom! The thud of Tori’s heart dropping into her stomach almost had her doubled over and retching on the spot. Holy shit. What were the odds of such an ironic coincidence?

  “Have you told everyone?” Carmen wanted to know.

  “Yep,” Cam said proudly. “We found out before the wedding but wanted to wait until after the honeymoon to let the cat out of the bag.” One of his big hands joined his wife’s where it stayed pressed against her middle.

  Putting a hand up to her mouth like she was telling a secret, Lacey made an adorably shy face saying, “I’m starting to show already so there was no use in delaying the announcement.”

  “Wow,” Tori muttered through lips numbed by shock. “I’m so happy for you both. When are you due, Lacey?”

  “September” came the reply as both parents-to-be answered in unison.

  It was unavoidable that Tori would quickly do the math in her head and conclude that if she was pregnant, she was looking at a Christmas birth. It was all too much for her to take in. Gathering her many packages and bags, she hastily made her good-byes after congratulating the happy couple once again and ran quickly to the quiet and privacy of her apartment. Now her mind really was made up even if her heart resisted.

  “G’morning Tori. How’re ya’ doing today?”

  Alex’s chipper mood got a wry smile out of her. She would need a vat of coffee and a super-size bearclaw covered in sticky sweetness to wring that much morning cheer out of her. “I’m good, boss. And apparently so are you. Why so upbeat this morning?”

  “Oh God,” he chuckled. “Is it so unusual for me to be pleasant in the morning? Better work on that, huh?”

  Deciding now was as good a time as any to have the serious discussion with Alex she knew was necessary, Tori took a deep breath and crossed her fingers. “We need to talk.”

  “Sure, sure,” he said. “Yeah, in a bit, okay? I have something I need you to do first.”

  “Oh,” she said surprised. “What’s up?”

  “Let’s sit down,” he said, directing her to pull up a chair. “First of all, this is a don’t shoot the messenger moment, okay?”

  Tori shrugged. What else could she do? “Um, sure?”

  “Drae’s back.” The rushing sound in her head felt suspiciously like the precursor to her fainting dead away. She wondered if the numbness in her hands and the heaviness in her legs was the result of all the blood in her body zooming south. Whatever it was, she didn’t like the feeling. Unable to move, she lifted doleful eyes to Alex but said nothing. She wasn’t sure of her ability to say anything coherent making silence her new best friend.

  “Are you okay? You seem a little pale.”

  She shook her head ever so slightly, first to indicate yes and then a shaky no. Things just kept going from bad to worse. The concern etched on Alex’s face eked into her awareness. “I’m fine,” she bit out. “Sorry. You surprised me.”

  “No, don’t apologize.” He waited her out, his eyes never leaving her face. It took her a good minute or two to get herself together but once she did, Tori folded her hands neatly in her lap to disguise their shaking and looked back at him. “Better?” he asked. She nodded jerkily and schooled her expression to one of feigned indifference. She knew he could see right through her but pride dictated that she not crumble.

  “Okay, good. Now,” he said, “I want you to go talk to him.” At her quick inhale and the way her body twitched he held up his hand to silence any further reply on her part. “Tori. Go talk to him. Don’t pass go. Don’t collect two hundred dollars. Just grab a cart and go to his house. He’s expecting you.”

  Now that got a reaction from her. “Oh for God’s sake Alex! Don’t I get a say in this? Frankly, I don’t give a shit that he’s expecting me.” She thought of plans A, B and C and knew she was being an unbelievable coward. This was what she wanted. To meet with Draegyn and let him know she had taken steps to fix their very messy, very unpleasant situation. She had to do this if for no other reason than to give herself a measure of peace. The last time her life had blown up in her face she’d lost everything through no fault of her own and eventually ran away, with her tail tucked between her legs. Not his time, she vowed. Another man had behaved like a swine and she’d be damned if she’d accept responsibility for the faults of another. Been there, done that. Ouch.

  “If it helps any, he looks like crap and this can’t go on Tori. I can’t have you two warring with each other.”

  Fuck my life, she thought fighting back the tears. He was right. The agency and the bond that joined the Justice Brothers came before anything else. She was the outsider and if that meant she had to cut her losses and go away, so be it. There wasn’t any way around it now that Alex had made it clear he’d had enough.

  She stood on shaky legs. Looking anywhere but at her boss’s face. “I’m so sorry Alex. You’re right. Really, I am. Sorry, that is,” she mumbled nonsensically.

  “Tori,” he scolded. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I just don’t want to watch two people I care about tearing each other apart.” He stood and pulled her into a brief hug. “You go talk to him. Keep an open mind, okay?”

  What could she say? Keep an open mind? For heaven’s sake, didn’t he know about Draegyn’s tabloid tryst with the Hollywood actress? She sighed as a single tear escaped and drifted slowly down her cheek. Impatiently wiping it away, she turned a hollow smile on her boss. “I’ll go, Alex. Because you asked me to. But don’t expect too much. Some things aren’t easily fixed.”

  “You have spirit, Tori Bennett. I knew the first time I met you that you were a woman of rare integrity. Now’s a good time to access some of that strength and put it to good use.”

  Once again, Drae was pacing impatiently, waiting for Victoria to come to him knowing full well that he was being hopeful at best. He doubted she’d willingly appear on his doorstep – not without some serious pressure on Alex’s part. Damn. Why hadn’t he considered that before? The thought didn’t sit well with him.

  He’d been up and prowling around his huge house for hours, shot full of restless energy after a sleepless night. Unable to relax enough to wind down and get some shut-eye, Drae
had abandoned his bed well after two in the morning and dragged his jet-lagged ass to the living room where he lounged on the sofa, closing his eyes occasionally until snippets of his time with Victoria danced on his eyelids.

  The clock ticked in a sort of slow-motion hell as he waited. How long he paced and watched for her appearance in the lane he didn’t know. Time had ceased to be relative. Drae was considering going and fetching her when he heard the approach of a cart, it’s low whirring sound growing louder and more distinct the closer it came. He put a hand over his heart to calm its suddenly erratic beating.

  She’d come. He’d been figuratively holding his breath, fearful that no amount of coercion would force her to this meeting. His cage was being rattled, big time. One of them was fearless – and it wasn’t him. He had planned on greeting her on the porch but nerves kept him motionless for long moments as he struggled to find his equilibrium, giving her enough time to mount the stairs and tap softly on the front door. Showtime St. John, he thought. Don’t fuck this up.

  Tori took her good, sweet time making her way to Draegyn’s house. After Alex’s direct request that she go and talk to the man, she’d gone back to her apartment to grab the legal documents. Instead of simply fetching the envelope she took a shower, styled her hair, and ripped apart her closet in search of something to wear.

  Good Lord. For someone who imagined herself a nerdy tomboy, she certainly wasn’t acting like one. Maybe it was his harsh taunt about her ragbag wardrobe that made her take extra pains with her appearance, but probably not. No. In this instance it was a defense mechanism. One of those female impulses driven by jealousy and fear. The memory of Jessamyn Winters in all her stylish glory, clinging to Draegyn like a vine, shredded her confidence.

  It was an unusually warm spring day as she climbed the wide wooden steps leading to Draegyn’s front door. It was like that in the desert. One moment it was mild and pleasant. And then there were times like today, when a sudden blast of heat reminded everyone where they were. Tapping lightly, three rapid beats against the hand-tooled wood, Tori pressed a trembling hand to her heart. She hoped she could keep it together long enough to get in and out with as little drama as possible. Clutching her big designer bag close, she took a few deep breaths and waited.