JORDEN: (Justice Brothers #3)

by Taylor Lee

  Jorden gave a weary snort. “Thank you, Virginia, for the compliment. And, yes, I have an extremely close relationship with both of my girls. But as you no doubt know, my ex-wife has never lacked for audacity or outrageousness. Unfortunately in the current court case, she has a number of allies. It pains me deeply that the most influential one is Chloe.” Jorden acknowledged the shocked gasps from around the table with a weary sigh. “I don’t have to tell any of you how painful it is to me that Chloe has sided with her mother and personally petitioned the court on her mother’s behalf for joint custody.”

  Virginia Daniels puffed up in her chair like an angry adder. “And I don’t have to tell you, Jorden, that all of Chloe’s bad behavior can be directly related to when Francine Davis decided to move back here and go after the girls.”

  Jorden barked a sharp mirthless laugh. “You’re correct, Virginia. But a slight correction. My ex-wife has decided to take back the Justice name. She’s now calling herself Francine Justice.”

  Tom Reynolds shook his head. “Speaking as the guy who had the honor of coaching you in high school, Jorden, and watching you go off to the military where you were as big a hero as you always were, even as a teenage girl that woman was nothing but trouble. Christ Almighty, Jorden, she went after you like a shark spotting blood in the water. I gotta tell you, the best thing you ever did to protect those girls of yours was to get a restraining order against that manipulative bit—woman. I don’t understand how any court that knows the facts would consider letting that woman near your daughters.”

  Jorden said ruefully, “Let’s say that sometimes a particular court sees justice differently than we do.”

  He glanced down at his buzzing phone and visibly startled when he read the message. He rose to his feet almost overturning his chair in his haste. “Uh, excuse me. My apologies. But speaking of the court, this is a message from my office indicating that the judge is prepared to make a ruling on our petition. You’ll have to excuse me. I need to leave now.”

  In the flurry of activity following his unexpected announcement Mac stared nervously at Jorden. His concern was apparent. His jaw was rock hard and a deep frown creased his brow. She felt her own anxiety rise, knowing that the message had to be bad. She was surprised when Jorden met her gaze and reached for her hand.

  “Mac, I wonder if I could trouble you for a few minutes. I need to talk with you. Are you available?”

  She frowned, knowing that he wouldn’t have asked to see her if it wasn’t important. She glanced at her watch as if she was considering his request. “Of course, I don’t have any meetings scheduled until after lunch. Did you want to go to my office?”

  “Yes, please. I’ll meet you there. I need to call my office and confirm the details of the hearing.”

  Mac excused herself, confirming in a quiet aside to Principal Daniels as she left the room that she would update her when she could. One of the questions that they had been considering before Jorden arrived was whether Chloe would be expelled and if so, for how long. It was a given that she wouldn’t be able to practice or play on the basketball team, but Mac wanted her to attend the practices and the game in street clothes to show support for her team. First and foremost, she needed to apologize to the team. As she walked to her office Mac admitted how unlikely it was that Chloe would agree to those terms, especially apologizing to her teammates. From the little that Jorden had been able to say over the weekend was that Chloe was hostile, belligerent, and not in the least apologetic.

  She waited for Jorden to arrive, her anxiety mounting by the minute. His concern was apparent and she knew it had to be bad news or he never would have sought her out so publicly. Even so, Mac was startled when Jorden rushed in. He shoved the door closed and reached behind him and locked it. In seconds he was at her side, pulling her into his arms. His voice was shaking, a mix of anger and passion contorting his words. He dragged her up against him and lifted her chin, looking into her eyes. “Goddammit, Mac. Jesus, baby. I’ve missed you so fucking much! Do you have any idea how much I have wanted to see you, to hold you? Christ, to never let you go?”

  He tugged on her hair drawing her face closer to his, and smashed his lips against hers, forcing her mouth open with his tongue and teeth. Stunned at the passion of his kiss, in seconds Mac began kissing him back as fiercely as he was kissing her. All the pent up sadness, anger, and pain that had tormented them the past two days punctuated their fierce embrace. Even so, she was startled when Jorden jerked her skirt above her hips and hauled her up onto the edge of her desk. Shoving her legs apart with his thigh, his voice was harsh, raspy. “Goddammit, Mac, I swear to God if I don’t have you now, just like this, I’m going to explode!”

  Mac knew she should be shocked, that she should resist his outrageous overture, but she was as hot, as needy as he was. With a passionate sob, she reached for his belt and tore it open, and reached for the button and then the zipper of his trousers as he tore at her panties. She got his zipper down and tugged at his boxers at the same time that she heard the sound of her satin panties ripping. With a loud groan, Jorden swept his hand across the desk, folders, pens, and other items falling to the floor. With his other hand he pressed her back against the desk. Groaning, he spread her legs apart and pulled her hips forward to the edge of the desk. With a muted cry, he pressed her knees against her chest, opening her to his fierce body. Mac did her best not to cry out when the brief splash of cold air against her heated flesh was replaced by his engorged cock pressing against her throbbing folds.

  “Christ Almighty, Mac, you’re soaking wet. You want me as much as I want you, don’t you, baby? Aaah, yes, God yes, darling, open to me. Let me in, Mac. Christ, yes, like that!”

  Mac fought to stifle her ecstatic cry, pressing her lips against his shoulder as he thrust into her. Grunting with the exertion, Jorden drove into her, one powerful thrust after another. In what seemed like seconds, Mac felt her orgasm sweeping over her in a flood of sensations that threatened to tear her apart. Not knowing how she could possibly mute the ecstatic cries rising in her throat she buried her face against his chest and rode the tumultuous wave to the top of the erotic crest and crashed over in a torrent of sensations.

  For several long, shuddering moments Jorden held her under him, doing his best to contain her soft moans with his lips and hands. Stunned at what he’d done and almost as surprised at Mac’s response, he allowed himself to marvel once again at their passion. He acknowledged that as crazy as it was, the connection between them was so powerful, so overwhelming he knew he shouldn’t be surprised. Every time he and Mac had gotten close to one another, their passions had flared. But God Almighty, here he was in her office a few doors down the hall from the Wildwood principal’s office, on his way to hear the judgment of the court on his custody petition, and he’d been unable to resist stopping to fuck the hell out of her.

  “Jesus, Mac, are we crazy? I’m terrified that in the next hour or so I’m going to learn that my dangerous ex-wife is going to get partial custody of my daughters and here I am assaulting you in your high school office;” He added with a groan, “I know I should apologize, but I’d be lying through my teeth if I said I was sorry. Honest to God, my only regret is that I can’t take you again, this time on the floor.”

  Mac’s half laugh, half sob was balm on his tortured soul. She clutched at his head, pulling him closer to her. Stroking his hair off of his forehead, she murmured, “Don’t you dare apologize, Jorden. Don’t even think it, much less say it. And, yes, we’re crazy, but if being crazy is riding orgasms I didn’t know were possible with the sexiest man who ever walked this earth, then commit me to the loony bin as long as you promise to go there with me.”

  Jorden lifted her up into his arms and gently stood her on the floor. Clasping her close to him with one arm, he dragged up his underwear and trousers with the other. Mac reached over and notched his belt in place as he smoothed her skirt over her hips. A raspy chuckle escaped his lips as he bent over and retrieved her
torn panties. Holding them up to her, he gave into a moment of gallows humor.

  “I’d love to put these in my pocket as a talisman reminding me of the glorious woman waiting for me, but they might frisk me when I enter the courtroom. Knowing Sylvia Mortenson and Mary Ellen Lundgren, they wouldn’t know what the hell they are. It’s a cinch they both wear white cotton shape wear granny panties under their size sixteen pantsuits.”

  He wished he hadn’t said it when it was clear to both Mac and him that while neither of the overweight, angry feminists would know the lure of sexy underwear, his former wife most certainly would. Choking at the bile rising in his throat, Jorden acknowledged that Francine would likely be wearing the skimpiest of panties over her surgically enhanced ass—if she were wearing any at all.

  Chapter 23

  “As bad as all that, Paul?”

  Jorden attempted to keep his question casual, but Paul Ojakangas’ serious expression as he waited for Jorden outside of the courtroom was anything but reassuring.

  His soft response confirmed that Jorden had more than enough reason to be concerned. “Yeah, Jorden, it is. In fact, it’s worse than either of us could have expected.”

  “I don’t get it, Paul. Has Mortenson already released her judgment without even hearing from us?”

  Paul sighed. “No, she hasn’t, but…” He hesitated and shook his head. “Christ, Jorden, I don’t know how to tell you this, but they know about Mac.”

  Jorden scowled. “What about her?” But even as he asked, Jorden’s gut plunged a few hundred feet. Damn, was it possible that Lundgren was using Francine’s crackpot theory that Jorden would be with her if it weren’t for Mac? But how the hell could that craziness be material to the court? No, the bigger problem was that he hated like hell to drag Mac into this mess. He reminded himself that there was absolutely no reason why he, a single male adult, couldn’t have a relationship with a single woman. Granted, it could be embarrassing to Mac given her professional relationship to Chloe and Emma.

  He swallowed his concern and pressed Paul. “How in the hell do you know that, Paul, and what difference does it make in our petition?”

  Paul yanked at his chin and pushed his wire-rimmed glasses higher up on his nose, a nervous habit he had when pressed. “Jesus, Jorden, I can’t believe it myself, but that crazy bitch Mary Ellen Lundgren called me to confirm that I witnessed Coach Durant at your house late at night in the presence of your daughter.”

  Jorden was incredulous. “What the hell, Paul? You mean…hell, she was referring to the night that you brought Emma home and Mac was there?” He added, trying to keep his anger under control, “So fucking what?”

  Paul sighed. “On the face of it, Jorden, it doesn’t mean a damn thing. But your grandfather called me. He was trying to reach you, but you didn’t answer. As you no doubt know, Chloe and Emma are staying at the Justice Mansion. The Judge heard Emma crying. When he asked what was wrong, she told him she was afraid she’d gotten you and Coach Durant in trouble. She told him that bitch Mary Ellen Lundgren questioned her about the night Mac was at your house.”

  “What. The. Hell?” Jorden couldn’t hide his shock that quickly morphed into anger. “How dare she talk to my daughters without my permission? So help me God—”

  Paul held up his hand and stopped him. “It gets worse, Jorden. Your grandfather apparently reacted the same way until Chloe coolly told him that she’d contacted Ms. Lundgren because she thought it was important that the court know that you were having sex with Coach Durant in front of your ten-year-old daughter. I told your grandfather precisely what happened and I’m confident he’s still swearing that he’s going to take out a hit Francine Justice if it’s the last thing he does. While I don’t believe he used her name, I knew he who he was talking about from his fourteen descriptive expletives.”

  Later, Jorden would be glad that Mary Ellen had shown her hand before the hearing began. At least he was somewhat prepared, although in retrospect nothing could have prepared him for the level of hypocrisy he faced from Sylvia Mortenson. Or for his former wife’s under-oath testimony.

  ****

  “Are you suggesting that your former husband had sex with your daughter’s basketball coach in front of your ten-year-old daughter?”

  Francine’s manufactured concern was apparent, as was her presumed dismay at having to answer the clearly rehearsed question. “You have to know how much I dislike saying this, and I wouldn’t, except that it’s so appalling, the court needs to hear it. That is essentially what my daughter told me. As you can imagine, I was appropriately shocked.”

  Mary Ellen Lundgren responded dryly, “I should think so.”

  When Jorden was able to call a witness, he called Paul Ojakangas to the stand. “Mr. Ojakangas, you were present on the night I supposedly had sex in front of my ten-year-old daughter, correct?”

  “Yes, I was. Emma was having a sleepover at my house. She came to me crying, saying that she wanted to go home. When I asked her what was wrong, she said that she was upset because her older sister was doing bad things at her mother’s house and Emma was afraid to go there any longer. She said she wanted to be with her daddy, that she needed to tell him what was happening.”

  Jorden ignored Mary Ellen’s objection and persisted with his questioning. “What happened when you brought Emma home to me?”

  Paul shrugged. “You and Coach Durant both greeted us at the door. Emma and Coach Durant went to the kitchen to dish up ice cream for the three of you. You and I stayed behind so I could relay Emma’s concerns to you. I thought it was important that you know that Emma was afraid to go to her mother’s condominium because of the activities that were taking place there.”

  Mortenson ruled that Paul’s comments be stricken, but Jorden contested her ruling indicating that he would be presenting evidence to support Paul’s testimony. When he returned to his seat, Jorden was surprised when Mary Ellen indicated that she had telephone transcripts that she wanted to put on the record. Describing the exchange much later to his brothers and Mac, Jorden was still incredulous. Forget that the transcripts were verbatim text messages between him and Mac that had been transcribed illegally from his cell phone, they also contained pictures of Mac baring her very bodacious breasts.

  ****

  Jared’s expression was one fifth amazed and four-fifths fury. “You have got to be fucking kidding, Jorden! They had your private text messages?”

  Jorden held Mac’s hand tighter and met his brothers’ shocked gazes. He pointedly looked away from the Judge. The outraged tears swimming in the old man’s reddened eyes were more than he could handle.

  “Yeah, Jared, and that was only the beginning. There was no use trying to get the ‘evidence’ stricken. What Francine wanted to do was prove that what Mac and I were doing was the equivalent of her having near orgies at her condominium. Christ, she even sited the Judge’s birthday party for Chloe as evidence that we also have parties with the girls present where alcohol is served. Of course she didn’t mention that the only people doing illegal drugs at our party were her and her boy-toy Bart.”

  Jake’s quiet voice was laden with banked anger. “And you’re telling me that Sylvia Mortenson actually had the nerve to chastise you and Mac for having a relationship because of Mac’s ‘authority’ position?”

  Jorden looked at Mac, wishing that she wasn’t intimately involved in this hideous mess. He’d been furious that Francine had made her a part of the custody case. He was grateful that she’d agreed to come with him to his grandfather’s house to pick up the girls. Neither of them had known that all of his brothers and Skylar and Hailey were there. It turned out to be fortuitous. It was clear that it was going to take the entire Justice entourage to right the wrong that had been committed.

  He wished with all his heart that he could have avoided relaying the devastating news to his family. He was not surprised that he was more concerned about the fallout for Mac than he was that the despicable judge had granted joint fifty-fif
ty custody of the girls to Francine and him. He’d known in his gut that was going to happen when he learned that Chloe was the prime petitioner supporting Francine’s case. He hadn’t thought anything could hurt him worse than his daughter’s betrayal. Seeing Mac’s downcast expression and flushed face, he knew how wrong he’d been.

  Grateful that the Judge had relegated Emma and Chloe to the guesthouse with Skylar and Hailey, Jorden told his shocked family what had happened.

  In response Jude leapt to his feet and paced across the room, dragging his hands through his unruly chin length hair. He whirled on his brother and grandfather. “Christ, Jorden, you’re a fucking lawyer, and so are you, Judge. There’s gotta be something you can to do reverse this judgment. Every person in this whole damn town knows that Sylvia Mortenson has a hard-on against you Jorden, and the Judge. Hell, she all but hired a Goodyear blimp to declare that you’d stolen her rightful appointment. Only the fact that everyone knows she has a tree trunk-sized log up her ass when it comes to anything Justice, it took the Judge threatening to have her disbarred for libel to shut her up—at least publically. Surely, Judge, this ruling is grounds for reopening that case.”

  Jorden surprised himself by being the calmest voice in the circle of outrage. “As much as I hate to say it, we have the strongest card in the deck. All we have to do is wait for the opportune time to play it.”

  At his brothers’ questioning glances, he said, “We have Francine. Every one of us knows that at best, this is a hollow victory for her. All we need to do is give her time to do what she does best—fuck herself and everyone who has the misfortune to come in contact with her. Francine is bad—make that evil—to the core. Not only is she an alcoholic and hooked on God knows how many illegal drugs, but she’s a sex addict.” Jorden stopped for a moment, shutting his eyes against the horror that he felt, then continued. “Unfortunately, thanks to Sylvia Mortenson, my two young daughters will now be spending half their time in the custody of that sick woman.” His voice broke, and then with an obvious effort, he continued. “God help Sylvia Mortenson and Mary Ellen Lundgren if anything happens to either of my daughters before we’re able to break them out of that viper’s nest.”