Life of a Fool (London Brothers Book 2)

by Cm Hutton

  I still missed them.

  My parents were the same way. Still married after forty years and loved being together. They were high school sweethearts and married shortly after they graduated. I loved being back home in New York for visits, but after my full scholarship led me to San Diego State, I couldn’t imagine going back to live there. San Diego was really home to me. Jason’s family was my second family and took care of me from the moment he and I became inseparable friends our Freshman year.

  I thought of his family and mine too every time I looked in the mirror and saw a new bruise. I couldn’t bring myself to tell anyone what Antonio was doing to me. It was only when I really got scared that I reached out to Jason. He hadn’t asked me any questions about my family. I’m sure he knew I wouldn’t want my dad to know what was going on. But now that I was safely back home and had Jace to protect me, I needed to tell them. I worried Antonio might go to them looking for me, and for their safety, they needed to know the kind of man I married.

  I slowly crawled out of my bed, careful to guard my broken ribs. Jason was still sleeping soundly next to me, but I desperately needed to get up and go to the bathroom. And my stomach was churning on the verge of pain and nausea. I assumed it was anxiety at the thought of having to call my parents. As quietly as I could, I walked to the bathroom and closed the door before turning to sit on the toilet. Everything I did was in such a ridiculously slow motion that it was almost laughable.

  I sat for a while, not wanting to move a muscle, but I was naked and feeling a bit too exposed. So, I flushed and went to stand up, but a sharp pain in my stomach sent my whole body to the floor. I held my breath waiting for it to pass, but it didn’t. I couldn’t yell for Jason either, so I lay there for who knows how long just trying to take short breaths. Something was seriously wrong with me. Maybe my ribs had punctured something. I tried not to panic or cry, but I was scared. I waited until I couldn’t anymore and slowly crawled…no, I basically dragged myself by my right arm toward the closed door. When I was close enough, all I could do was hit it a few times and pray that Jason would hear me.

  After a few more attempts at hitting it, I heard his angelic voice. “Lori Ann?” He knocked. “Are you okay?”

  I started to cry and the pain increased, but instead of screaming, all I could manage was to groan Jason’s name. “Jaaaccceee…”

  He pushed the door open and nearly hit me with it. “Oh God! What’s wrong, baby? Talk to me.” Jason was kneeling next to me, trying to help me up, but every time he tried to lift and sit me up, I held my breath and shook my head as the pain so obviously registered in my eyes. “I don’t understand. Where…where is the pain?”

  I shut my eyes and reached for my stomach.

  “Okay. Your ribs?”

  I shook my head “no.” It was different.

  “I need to call an ambulance, okay? Let me grab my phone.” I felt the panic increase.

  “Jace,” I whispered, “don’t leave me.”

  He leaned down and kissed my lips. “Baby, I’m not leaving. My phone is right there next to the bed. Let me get it. You need help.”

  I started to cry again, but curled into my body when another wave of pain hit. “Shit. What’s wrong? God, help my girl, please,” Jason prayed.

  He stood, grabbed his phone, and was talking to someone, though I didn’t register much of the conversation. I kept my eyes shut and just tried to breathe. Minutes passed. “Help is coming, sweetheart, but I doubt you want them to see you naked.” Oh shit! “I need to try and put some clothes on you, okay?”

  I opened my eyes and nodded my head. Jason quickly ran to the closet and was back with clothes. I had no idea what he was putting on me and didn’t care. He moved my body enough to slip a tee shirt over my head, then carefully maneuvered my arms through the armholes. When he moved my legs to help put on a pair of panties, I heard him gasp before he said, “Baby, um…I don’t know…um, what do I do? You’re bleeding.”

  What? My mind couldn’t calculate fast enough, but I was sure I wasn’t due to start my period. “What? No, I can’t be.”

  “Do you think we hurt something last night? Shit, this is my fault.”

  “No. Just help me dress.” I didn’t care about that at the moment.

  “Okay.” He continued to pull my panties up my legs and just about the time he finished, the doorbell rang. “I have to go let the paramedics in.”

  “No,” I cried. “Don’t leave.”

  Jason cupped my face and said, “Shh…it’s okay. I’ll be right back. They’re here to help you.” He kissed me, then walked out to go answer the door. I lay there trying like hell to figure out what was happening with my body. I was so sick of the fucking injuries. I wasn’t myself when I was so dependent on people to help me. I wanted to be healed, physically, emotionally, mentally…in every way. Jason was helping with some of it, but the rest was up to me and my body.

  As I lay there listening to the footsteps and voices, I had another surge of excruciating pain. “She’s in here. Shit! Lori Ann!” Jason screamed. Why the hell was he so loud? My head was suddenly dizzy, and as men asked me questions, I felt like they were ten miles away. I knew they were moving my body and I think I screamed a few times, but wasn’t sure. A few pokes and squeezes in my arm, and I felt my body relaxing a bit. But as soon as I was lifted, onto a stretcher I assumed, everything changed. I had a warm sensation cover my body like a hot blanket and I tried like hell to get it off, but couldn’t. I heard Jason’s voice saying, “You’re okay. Don’t move, baby. Please don’t move.” I could’ve sworn he was crying. Why the hell would Jason be crying? “It’s getting worse. Hurry the fuck up!”

  He was seriously going nuts. I tried to open my eyes to tell him I’d be okay, but I felt too tired. I think I gripped his hand. Was that his hand I was holding? Damn, I was losing it.

  *****

  The next coherent thought I had was when a woman’s voice called my name and was asking me stupid questions. She wanted to know if the man who came to the ER with me had given me all my bruises and broken ribs. Then, she said the strangest thing…she asked if he was the father. My eyes suddenly popped open to see an older woman in a pressed suit standing next to my bed with a clipboard in her hand. She wasn’t a nurse, that I knew for sure.

  “Who are you?”

  “I’m Joan Summerville, Mrs. DiSabatino. Do you know where you are?”

  “Yes, I’m in the hospital in San Diego. Who are you?”

  “I’m the hospital social worker. When you were brought in last night, the doctors assessing your condition alerted me to the bruises and other injuries you have. Now, the gentleman that came with you…”

  “Jason.” I interrupted.

  “Yes. Mr. London, he is a friend?”

  “What is all this about? I’m not feeling all that great at the moment, so if you’d just cut the shit and ask me what you want to know.”

  “Fine. Did Mr. London have anything to do with your injuries?”

  “No. That would be courtesy of my bastard husband, Antonio DiSabatino. He’s in Italy. Jason is a lifelong friend and helped me to escape from him. Antonio did this to me. Jason rescued me, saved my life.”

  “I thought so. I’m sorry I had to ask. You see, I’ve known Jason and his family for years, worked with him on multiple cases, but had to ask.” Her smile was genuine, and I could see she was a fan of Jason’s.

  “He’s a good man. My husband, on the other hand…”

  “Well, I kept the hospital from calling him for now, but I’m not sure how long that will last. We are required to notify next of kin or someone with legal authority to make medical decisions on your behalf when you are incapable, but because of the relationship you have with Jason and Kyle London and the information he was able to give us about you, we treated you.” She paused, then said, “It’s in your chart that your husband was unreachable.”

  “Thank you. You probably saved my life by not calling him.” I felt tears well in my eyes.
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  “Does he know?”

  I sniffed. “Know what? I mean, he knows Jason and our friend Craig took me away, but I don’t think he knows where I am. Not yet, at least.”

  “No, does your husband know about the baby?”

  “What?!? What baby?”

  “Lori Ann…may I call you Lori Ann?” I nodded. “Hun, you’re about three months pregnant.”

  “NO! I can’t be. I mean…how could I…no, no, no!” I was screaming, crying and shaking my head like the devil himself had planted his spawn inside of me. This couldn’t be true. Antonio would never stop coming after me. He’d stop at nothing to kill me and take his child or kidnap me and hold the child’s safety over my head as ransom to make me stay. NO! This couldn’t be happening.

  “Calm down. It’s going to be okay.” Joan wrapped her body around mine and held me tight…this stuffed-shirt-looking woman was so much more than what I’d thought. “We won’t let him know. I understand, Lori Ann. Believe me when I say I do. I’ll help protect you. You and this baby will be safe.”

  I cried for what felt like hours. When I was able to ask questions, Joan told me that I had slight internal bleeding, probably from re-injuring my ribs that was causing some of the pain. And on top of that, I had a placental tear that most likely happened when Antonio had broken my ribs a few weeks ago, and instead of healing on its own, it continued to tear, causing massive bleeding. The screaming and yelling in the bathroom and ambulance was Jason freaking out because there was blood everywhere. I had passed out from the pain and blood loss. As she spoke, I cried. The baby was fine, for now, she’d said. I had to be on bed rest for a few weeks, which was a good thing, she added, since my ribs needed the time to heal too. I didn’t want to be pregnant. I didn’t want Antonio’s baby. But I couldn’t bring myself to terminate a child. And I didn’t know what that meant for me and my life going forward. So, I cried.

  Joan stayed another hour, talking to me about options to protect myself. I didn’t really want to hear any of them. All I kept focusing on was the fact that I’d been awake for a few hours and Jason was nowhere around. It scared me. I couldn’t do this on my own.

  I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but my mind wouldn’t let me. It was getting dark outside now and I was alone. I didn’t have a clue what my next step would even be. I thought about my parents and knew they would let me stay with them, but that also meant coming clean to them about everything that had happened with Antonio. I didn’t really have any other option, though. I looked around for my purse, hoping my phone was in it, but didn’t see it anywhere. I’d have to wait until morning to call them.

  The hospital door opened and in walked Jason. He looked a disheveled mess. I burst into tears the second I saw him and buried my face in my hands. He rushed over and sat beside me on the bed. “Hey. It’s okay. Shh.” He pulled me gently to his chest. “You scared the shit out of me. Don’t ever do that again.” I sniffed and let out a sad laugh as I looked up into his face.

  “Jace, what do I do?”

  “I have to ask…did you know?”

  “That I was pregnant?” He nodded. “No, Jason. I didn’t know.” I stiffened and pulled away from his grip, crossing my arms over my chest. His question didn’t sit well with me. Was that why he’d been gone all day? He thought I’d kept something this big from him? I suddenly wanted him to leave, so I said, “I need to get some rest. I’m not feeling very well right now. Can you go? I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  Jason reached up and grabbed my wrists, unlocking my folded arms. “Nope. Not leaving.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I’m not leaving here. So, just go ahead and lie back and rest. But I’m staying.”

  I sighed. I didn’t have the energy. “Jason, please. Go back to your place and get some sleep. We can talk tomorrow.” I didn’t pull my arms away, but I turned my head to the side and laid it on my pillow so I didn’t have to look at him. I felt a tear roll down my cheek as I closed my eyes. Jason sat there, holding my wrists, not saying a word.

  “I didn’t know what was wrong with you, and it scared the hell out of me. I thought I’d hurt you when we made love last night.”

  I turned to see the anguish on his face. “Jason, you didn’t do anything wrong. You were so good to me last night. It was exactly what I needed. This was because of him. I didn’t know I was pregnant. I guess with the stress of trying to leave Antonio, I did realize I could be.” He was staring at me, lost. So, I pulled my arms from his hands and touched his face. “I don’t want this. I don’t want anything that ties me to Antonio. Please believe me.”

  Jason leaned in and kissed my lips. “I do, baby. I’m just so fucking scared for you now. If he finds out, he’ll come after both of you for sure. I’ll kill him before I let him near you.”

  I took a deep breath as his kisses trailed over my cheeks, my forehead, my eyelids, and down my neck. “You don’t hate me?”

  He stopped and looked at me. “Why would you even ask that? You know I’d never hate you. I love you.” His blatant declaration had both of us frozen in place. We’d talked about feelings the night before, but those words right then were different. They held a promise and a future. They felt so much more raw than our pillow talk about loving each other.

  “You love me? Like really love me, Jace?” I sounded stupid.

  He took a deep breath. “Yes, I told you that last night, baby.”

  I smiled, “I know, but today…well, it’s just different. It sounds real.”

  “Well, it was real last night, last year…hell, the last fifteen years. I love you, Legs. Can’t help it. And this new development, well, we will figure it out. I have to keep you safe.”

  I pulled his face to mine and kissed him. “I love you, too.” I stared into his handsome face, then asked, “Will you lay with me?”

  “You sure? I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Yes, I’m sure.” I carefully moved over and Jason stretched out beside me, wrapping his arm around my stomach. He froze for a second, then placed his hand flat across my belly.

  “I’ll take care of you too. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  I turned to look at his face. “Oh, Jace.” Tears flooded my eyes, and I sobbed into his shirt.

  “Shh. It will be okay. I’m here, and I’ll never leave you.”

  Chapter 14

  Jason

  I could not believe what was happening. I swear her husband had some demonic fucking powers that could reach Lori Ann no matter where she was. I tried not to lose my shit about the fact that my girl was pregnant with her abusive ex asshole’s child. When Joan pulled me aside and told me, for a split second I was happy and thought, “Wow, really?” Then, my brain kicked in and I realized what she was telling me. My whole body stiffened, my face felt like it slammed onto the floor, and my stomach churned with nausea. As Joan asked me a few questions, I was gritting my teeth and grinding my jaw so much, I could hardly speak properly.

  “Jason, without telling me too much, how bad is this situation?” Joan asked. I glared at her, and she nodded her head. “That bad, huh?”

  “This,” I pointed toward Lori Ann’s hospital door, “just ratchets the danger up several notches. He’s an unpredictable, arrogant, power-hungry abuser. He’s threatened her more than once. It’s just a matter of time before he shows up here looking for her. We’ve been lucky so far and have been able to go undetected since we got back here, but this? Well, you and I both know her name will get leaked no matter how hard we try to stop it, and he’ll be at our door in a matter of days.” I ran my hands through my hair and muttered “fuck” under my breath.

  Joan put her hand on my arm. “I’m sorry, Jason. I’ll do all I can to help. First, though, I have to go talk to her, get a statement. I know you. I trust you had nothing to do with her injuries. So, I need her to be honest with me so I can have some legal way of helping.”

  “Thanks, Joan. I appreciate it. She’ll tell you. There’s no way Lori Ann would protect
him. I’m just worried about how she’s going to react to finding out she’s pregnant.”

  “You really don’t think she knew?” I understood Joan had to ask me that question, but it still pissed me off. Maybe because a tiny part of me questioned it too.

  “No,” was all I could say.

  “Okay.” She stepped away from me, grabbed her satchel and turned toward Lori Ann’s room. “I’m going to check and see if she’s awake. I’ll be back.”

  I nodded my head and walked down the hallway, making my way outside to make a call.

  Ringing. “Hey, Jace.”

  “Craig, man. You’re not going to believe this shit.” I took a deep breath and relayed the events from the last few hours, skipping the most private of details about my night with Lori Ann. It was none of his business. He was quiet, simply listening.

  I waited for him to ask if I thought she knew and kept it from us, but instead, he said, “He’ll never stop coming after her, Jason. We knew he’d come looking regardless, but a baby? His baby? This is her death sentence, and you know it. He’ll either wait until that baby is born and then steal it, or he’ll try to kidnap her and take her back to Italy while she’s still pregnant. What the fuck are we going to do?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Damn, this is so screwed up.”

  “Yeah, it is. I haven’t had a chance to talk to her yet. She passed out from the pain and meds they gave her. I’m waiting to go in, but first, I needed to call you and calm the hell down. You know how I feel about her, Craig. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her…and her baby.”

  “I know. So, what do we do?”

  “It’ll only be a matter of time before The Italian finds out she was in the hospital. He knows who I am and where I live. It won’t be hard for him to locate us. As soon as she’s released, I need to take her away from here.”

  “You can come to Denver. She’d have both of us to protect her. He doesn’t know me.” Craig’s offer was just what I’d been thinking.