by C. M. Steele
When I get home, I make plans to go back to Dallas in two days. I have to see her and put myself out of my misery one way or another. There are a couple of matters that I have to handle before I can leave again.
I shoot a text to the crew to let them know I’ll be out but if they need anything, I can handle it before I go.
****
Driving to Dallas, I’m certain that I’m making the right choice. I sure as fuck hope it’s not too late. I pull up to their house and enter the gate, which is open. I have to find my woman. I’m about to ring the bell when I hear Jules’s scream from inside. I bust right through the front door like a wild man and follow her screams into the living room where that fuck from the party is on top of her. Hearing me, he jumps back, and Jules uses that moment to kick him in the nuts. He falls to the floor, gripping his dick. “You stupid bitch,” he roars.
I act and grab him by the throat before he can get on his feet. “You’re a dead man. Dead. Do you hear me? I’m going to enjoy what I’m going to do to you.” I pull out my phone and call Mr. Banks while I press my knee into Brandon’s chest and tighten my squeeze around his neck.
“Need you at Jules’s house. Now.”
“On my way,” he responds. I end the call and slide my phone back into my pocket before punching Brandon in the face and putting him to sleep. I see that she has cuts all over her.
“Jules, baby. I need to get you to a doctor.”
“What are you doing here?” she sobs. I see the bruising and realize my woman put up a hell of a fight.
“I came to tell you what a fool I’ve been.” She falls into my arms. I try to hold her gingerly, but she clings to my body and I give in. “I love you, Jules. I’m so fucking sorry. I need to get you to the doc. Where are your parents? Your sister?”
“They left about twenty minutes ago.” Choked-out sobs come from her throat. “Then… then he came in the door.” She glares at him and finishes her words as she tries to control her tears. “Catching me by surprise.”
“It’s gonna be okay.” This is all my fault. I left her here, thinking she’d be safe away from me and my life, but I left her to be preyed upon.
“What the fuck?” Mr. Banks roars, storming through the house.
I pull slightly away from Jules, but I still keep my hands on her. “He attacked her.”
“I’m going to call Jackson.”
“I’ll call Doc.”
“Take her to the hospital. We can’t get rid of him yet. He’s the son of a politician in Dallas.”
“Fine. Then call the cops and an ambulance for Jules because I’ll take care of him my way if they don’t take him soon.”
Jules becomes dizzy, losing consciousness, so I pick her up. “I’ve got you, Precious.”
The second the ambulance arrives, I lay Jules on their stretcher and allow them to work. I do my best not to get worked up as they see her in her underwear and panties, but I need her fixed. She has to be okay.
The police place the barely conscious Brandon in cuffs and drag him down the steps on his knees. “I need you to give me a statement, sir.” He looks at my reddened fist with a raised brow.
“Short statement. I came to speak with Jules about our relationship. I got to the gate, and it was open. When I went to ring the bell, I heard her scream. I kicked in the door to find him on top of her. He turned to see who it was, only to have her give him a nut shot. Then I lost control and subdued the fuck until he was passed out. You can ask me more questions at the hospital, but I’m riding with Jules.” I jog away and make it to the ambulance as the medic begins closing the doors. I call out, “I’m coming with you.”
“Anthony,” Jules calls out as I climb in and take a seat.
“I’m here, sweetheart.” I take her hand and bring it to my lips.
“Please don’t leave me.”
“Never again.” My heart’s thumping wildly as I watch her close her eyes.
“Most of these cuts look superficial, but she looks to have a broken finger and her wrist is swelling.” I drop my head to my chest, knowing I let her down. I hadn’t protected her from a man I didn’t believe she needed protecting from. He may get away today, but not forever. I’ll make sure that he disappears for good when no one is aware. Even if it takes a couple of years—retribution will be had.
Chapter Six
Jules
I wake up from the most horrific nightmare. It’s something I never expected. Brandon was attacking me, and my dear Anthony came to my rescue. I stretch and feel a pain in my hand and ribs.
“Jules, you’re awake.” I hear a deep, soft, growly voice that I know in my heart and mind.
“Anthony,” I say, but my voice cracks. I blink furiously, trying to clear my vision. When I finally do, Anthony—I mean, Blade—is sitting in a chair beside me, holding my hand. I fight the pleasurable sensation because he’s been known to give me pleasurable sensations, only to leave. “Blade, what are you doing here?”
“I get you’re mad at me, but it’s Anthony. It’s always Anthony to you. As to why I’m here—you asked me not to leave you, and I don’t ever intend to do that again.”
“Oh my goodness. It wasn’t a dream.” My body shakes violently, suddenly feeling the aches I hadn’t noticed before. I look around at all the bandages on my body and the stark whiteness of the hospital room.
“No. Calm down. You’re safe now.” His hands cup my face, thumbs rubbing my cheeks, swiping at my falling tears. “I’m not going to let anyone hurt you again.” I want to challenge those words since he’s the one who caused a lot of hurt, but now isn’t the right time. Besides, the sincerity in his eyes, the pain etched in those caramel orbs, makes my heart ache to have him kiss me again.
Instead, I try to hide my emotions with a lie. Letting my eyelids droop and releasing a yawn, I mutter out, “I’m sleepy.”
He brushes my cheek gently. “Just give me a moment, Precious. I need to call the doctors.” He reaches across me and presses the button on my bed. It surprises me because the bed’s massively wide, and yet he makes it look effortless as he says, “She’s awake.”
“Okay. We’ll be right in, Mr. Santini,” a woman says through the speaker. More than likely, he’s paged my nurse or someone at the nursing station, but for whatever reason, hearing her say his name makes me jealous.
“How long have I been here?” I ask when he sits back in the chair. The sun’s out, so it could be the same day or maybe the next day. My gaze remains on the window, hoping that it hasn’t been long.
“About three hours and twenty-eight minutes.” He kept track? Why? Maybe he’s a time guy. One of those people obsessed with knowing the comings and goings by the clock. It’s probably not because he actually cares about me.
I wonder. “What time is the sun supposed to set?” I ask, turning my attention from the window to him.
He looks at me like maybe I’m more hurt than I am, but he doesn’t mention his suspicions. Instead, he just answers my question with a shrug. “I don’t know. I can look it up, but from the color in the sky, I’d say soon.”
The nurses enter the room before he can ask the question I see in his eyes. There are two of them, one nearly as young as me and the other in her late forties or so. Both of them are smiling sweetly at me. As they approach, Anthony stands up. Is he leaving me?
Panic sets in. The fear of his abandonment washes over me. “Please don’t leave,” I beg, gripping his hand tightly.
He leans down and brushes his lips against my temple. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m just trying to give them room.” The younger one’s eyes are glued to Anthony, biting her lip as she watches the muscles in his arms flex under his short sleeves. I want to bite her for staring at him. He’s clearly here for me and not her, but I can’t fault the girl. He’s one fine-looking man. I focus on his movements; they’re catlike, despite his size.
Anthony steps to the edge of the bed, and I feel the mattress dip as he takes a seat next to my feet. This bed is almost big enough for us
to share. Why did that come to my mind? The heat of a blush covers my face, and Anthony doesn’t stop staring. I bite my lip and look away, but the damn heart monitor gives me away. It’s picked up twenty beats from his intense stare. The nurses ask me some routine questions as they record my vitals. “Do you have any pain?”
“A little.” I look back at Anthony, and he’s scowling.
“What’s wrong?” I don’t like that he’s angry. Did I miss something? His dark brows knit together as a frown deepens. He shakes his head in frustration.
“Baby, you shouldn’t be in here.” He sighs, clenching his fists.
“Am I not that hurt? Are they being overprotective?”
“That’s not what I mean at all.” His eyes widen, and his head pops back like I slapped him. Granted, until he rescued me, the idea had crossed my mind daily.
“He blames himself,” the older nurse, Ladonna, interjects as she scans my forehead, taking my temperature. “He’s been grumbling that it’s all his fault. Don’t let this one get away.” She pats my hand lightly and then walks to the rolling computer desk she brought and makes some notes. The other nurse just watches her like she’s learning, but really her eyes keep darting back to Anthony. She should be focused on her job and not on my hero.
The nurse I like completes her evaluation and says, “The doctor will be in to go over your wounds. Are you thirsty, cold?”
“Thirsty,” I say. With the way Anthony absentmindedly rubs my calves, I don’t feel the least bit cold.
“Apple or orange juice?”
“Orange juice and water, please, Ladonna. Thank you.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back,” she says so kindly.
Then the other little miss thing asks Anthony, “Mr. Santini, anything for you?” Her voice is laced with so much sugar, my teeth hurt. I roll my eyes and try to avoid looking like a jealous girlfriend because I’m not.
“No, thank you.” His tone is indifferent as if he didn’t see or care for her coy looks. He moves back to the chair next to me and takes my hand again, sending my heart racing. He doesn’t miss the reaction he has on me, and there’s really no sense in denying it. I give him a return squeeze, and his eyes worryingly gaze into mine.
As the door shuts behind the nurses, he asks, “Something wrong? Do you need anything?”
“I don’t know. I’m trying to puzzle out what happened today.” Today’s a jumbled mess that I wish to forget.
“Do you remember it?” There’s a slight hesitation in his voice, as if he’s almost as afraid to hear my answer as I am to give it.
“Most of it, I do, but I’m not ready to talk about it.”
“Understood. You’ve been through a lot.” Lowering his head, he kisses my hand. I want him to kiss my lips, but we have more to deal with and I can’t get distracted by his touch. I wish someone would come in and interrupt us. Honestly, I’m surprised that we’re alone.
It hits me that maybe my parents aren’t aware of what happened. “Where are my parents?”
He frowns, and I tense up. “Please tell me that Brandon didn’t attack my parents because I don’t want their deaths on my conscience.”
“They were here for a few minutes, but they had to go. I didn’t ask why. Having you all to myself isn’t anything I’ll complain about.” Oh, so just as per their usual, they had more important things to do.
“You did the last time I saw you,” I snipe.
He frowns with a genuinely defeated look about him. “I’m sorry. I can’t even begin to apologize for my behavior— but that’s a discussion for another time,” he remarks as someone knocks on my hospital room door.
“Hello, Blade.” Doc turns to Jules. “Hello, Ms. Walker. How are you feeling?”
“You’re the doc from Steeleville.”
“Yes. I am. I happened to be on call today when you came in. Does that bother you?”
“No, merely an observation.”
“So, after going over your wounds and your vitals the nurses took, you’re in good condition, but you’re going to need some time to heal. We’re going to keep you overnight for observation.”
“What injuries are there?”
“You have seven different lacerations from a small knife. Thankfully, all were superficial, however you do have a broken wrist and ring finger.”
“Yes, I remember that part. He tried to put a ring on my finger.” Anthony growls, and I squeeze his hand with my good one.
“Well, there were no signs of rape, although we believe that was his intent. You have some bruising on your face, throat, and limbs because you put up one hell of a fight. Thankfully, there are no other major injuries, although I am referring you to the social worker here. You will need to speak to someone on this matter as a part of the emotional recovery.”
“Do I have to?”
“You don’t have to just yet, but it might make you feel better. It’s necessary for all victims of a violent crime.”
“It’s for the best, sweetheart.” I look at Anthony and know he’s worried about me.
“Okay. I will.”
“Good. Now, we’re going to make sure you’re well hydrated and resting. If you need anything, just buzz the nurses’ station. I’ve got a couple more rounds to make. It’s good to see you again, Ms. Walker.” He nods, then shakes Anthony’s hand and leaves the room.
“Thank you for saving me. I don’t think I told you, but things would have been so different if you hadn’t come.”
“I know, but don’t thank me. I shouldn’t have left you that day. I shouldn’t have let you go a day without knowing that you mean the world to me. I’m a fool, Jules. I came back to tell you that.”
“What changed your mind?”
“I wanted to go back into the house the second I left, but I figured you didn’t really want me. What I feel for you isn’t just something small. I don’t want to let you go, ever. I pushed you away to give you a chance at living your life. Then I learned that you didn’t want to be with a man like me.”
“Didn’t want to be with a man like you?”
“Yes. My sister told me that you didn’t want our kind of life, and your uncle reminded me of it when you quit.” I had to think back on it. “If you didn’t want forever with me, I couldn’t let my selfish love for you steal away your joy. One day you’d grow to hate me.”
“You love me?”
“Since before I should have.”
“What do you mean?”
“From the first time I walked into the bakery, I wanted to make you mine.”
“And it’s been over eight months since then, and you are only telling me now. Why did you push me away?”
“You didn’t want to be with people like us.” I sigh, thinking even then that those words said out of spite would come back to haunt me.
“I didn’t say that until I saw relief flood your face in the bakery when I thought you were going to kiss me.”
“Jules, relief? The only relief I felt was that I hadn’t stripped you bare and fucked you on that counter for my sister to see. You deserved more than me putting my baby inside of you while licking buttercream off your tits.”
“Whoa. I don’t need to hear that shit.”
“Then knocking is probably something you should work on in the future.”
“You got me there, but the wife refused to wait.”
“Dear girl,” my aunt sighs, moving to the opposite side of Anthony. She reaches over to brush my hair out of my face and tucks it gently behind my ear. “The boys are on their way. Penny is on her way with Jackson as well.”
“I’m here,” Penny calls out from the door, waddling her pregnant butt in hurriedly.
“Calm down, Pen. You’re going to have the baby right here.”
“I’m fine.” Penny nudges Anthony out of the way, and he manages to avoid the machines with ease despite nearly being barreled over. “How are you? I could kill that bastard. Jackson will, you know.”
Chapter Seven
Blade
This has been one hell of a twenty-four hours. I sit and stare at Jules as she takes a nap, running my fingers over her hair, thinking about how I’ve failed her again. I broke her heart without realizing it, and then I let someone harm her. I should get my ass handed to me by her uncle and maybe her cousins. Penny’s got some tough older brothers that I’ve met before. I’m about to beat myself up some more when Penny knocks on the door and strolls in with Jackson in tow, carrying several bags.
“How is she?”
“She should be cleared to leave in the next couple of hours. I’m so glad you could do this for me. How did it go with her parents?”
“You don’t want to know. Just keep those assholes away from her. We can talk about that in more detail later,” Jackson snarls as he sets the bags on the large sofa.
“We can’t stay, but I wanted you to know that if you need anything, just give us a holler.”
“I will. Thanks, brother.” We shake hands, and I give Penny the slightest of hugs before they split. I return to my vigil, wanting Jules to know that I’m always here and I’m not going anywhere
I’m not sure what the fuck he learned, but one thing’s for sure; they’ll never get that close to her again. I resume my perch next to Jules and doze off for a bit. My phone vibrates in my pocket, waking me, so I slide it out quietly and answer, stepping off to the other side of the room. It’s Roxie calling. She’s concerned after learning about the incident and called to see how I’m handling it, but after a quick reassurance, she drops the subject and reminds me that my birthday is in a week. I barely hang up with her when I get a call from Denver, wondering how Jules is doing.
I look over as I answer him only to see that she’s awake, looking around until she finds me, and a soft smile spreads across her face. “I’ve got to go,” I tell Denver. Ending the call and tucking my phone in my pocket, I walk over to her and sit on the bed, taking her good hand in mine. “How was your nap?”
“Good. Who was that?” Do I sense jealousy?
“Your uncle. He was just checking up on you.”
“Oh. When do I get to go home?”