Overflow: The Carpino Series (11 page)

I give her a small grin and say, “Sugar.”  This time I lean
over and softly kiss her lips.  I pull up a chair so I can sit close to her and
her eyes start to drift again.  I put my elbows to my knees letting my head
hang with my hands on the back of my neck thinking about how today could have
been so different, both good and bad.

Then I hear so softly, “Jude?”

“Right here, babe,”

“Thank you for being here with me,” she said.

 “I’m not going anywhere.  Just go to sleep, Gabby.”

“Okay.”

And she rolls as best she can without wincing out loud,
settles on her side and goes to sleep.

*****

I open my eyes and squint immediately.  Although the lights
are low, they make my head hurt and I am so freaking tired.  The nurses woke me
up about one thousand, three hundred and forty two times last night to check my
eyes, ask my name, how many fingers they were holding up and if I knew what
year it is.  Then they would poke around on my ribs and stomach asking me if I
was experiencing any new pain.  The last time they woke me up to ask these
insane questions, I told them whining, “I know my name, the year and I can see
just fine.  And the old pain is plenty, I have nothing new to offer you, thank
you very much.  Just, please, leave me alone!”  Jude, who has not left my side
since he came to me in the ER, turned to the nurse and said, “I think that means
she’s good.” 

Nope, Jude hasn’t left me.  He’s been sweet, gentle and not
as bossy as normal.  He did lose his sweet and gentle disposition the first
time the nurse came in to lift my gown just below my breasts and he saw the
enormous-ugly-greenish-blackish-yellowish bruise that is now decorating the
left side of my midsection.  I could feel the room tense and when I looked at
him, his face was tight and radiating Jude Fury.  He didn’t turn green bursting
out of his clothes like the Hulk, so I guess that meant he got it together
because the next time I woke up he was back to sweet and gentle. 

I look over through my squint and see Jude spread out,
reclined in the vinyl, utilitarian, navy blue chair.  His arms are crossed with
his head fallen to the side and he’s asleep.  I’ve never seen him asleep
before.  Although I would never tell Big Bad Jude this, the only way to
describe him is beautiful.  Even from across the room, I can see his black
thick eyelashes fanned below his closed eyes and his face is shadowed with
stubble.  His hair is messier than normal, his long jean clad legs are
stretched out, he’s lost his shoes and his sock covered feet are crossed at the
ankles.  It seriously sucks that it hurts to move right now because I’d love to
be snuggled up next to him. 

All of a sudden the door opens, the light is flipped on and
a blonde woman in a white coat marches in.  My eyes immediately close from the
invasion and I hear Jude moving on the other side of me.  “Ms. Carpino?” she
asks loudly.  “My name is Dr. White.  Sorry it’s so early, but I’m going to
check you during my rounds and if you get good reports from the nurses over the
next couple hours you will be released.  How does that sound?”  I finally pry
my eyes open and I see her eyes are on Jude with her hand extended over my bed,
“You must be her husband.  Sorry, they didn’t have her down as married.”

Jude shakes her hand as I mutter, “Um…” at the same time
Jude shocks me by stating with authority as if we’ve been together for six
months, “Not husband, but she’s mine.”

“Gotcha,” she returns.  Obviously in a hurry, she looks back
down at me and asks, “Do you have someone to stay with you a day or so when you
get home?  I’d like for someone to be with you watching for signs of the
concussion for at least another twenty four hours.”

Again at a loss for words I say, “Well…” and the same time
Jude says with decisiveness, “That’ll be me.”

All businesslike, Dr. White continues speaking directly to
Jude without a glance back to me, “Wonderful.  Keep checking her pupils for
dilation today.  If she shows any signs of nausea or confusion you will need to
call us immediately and she will need to be seen.  I’m ordering a script for
her pain meds, just follow the directions making sure she stays on top of those
for the pain over the next day or two and then she can take them as needed. 
The pain meds can cause constipation, so she might need stool softeners but you
can find those over the counter.”

I take in an audible breath of air as the topic of my
possible constipation is being discussed with Jude Ortiz.  I close my eyes
praying that my concussion is making me hear things that aren’t really
happening.  But alas, I realize that I am completely coherent when Jude rasps,
“Sounds good, we’ll stay on top of it.”

The very blunt Dr. White then checks my eyes and pokes
around on my ugly bruise and turns back to Jude saying, “Good to meet you
both.  I’m sure you’ll be out of here in a couple hours.  Take good care of
her.”  Jude nods with promise that yes, without a doubt, he will take good care
of me.  With that, she turns to leave as abruptly as she came in and I realize
I never put two words together as Big Bossy Jude handled the whole scene,
including my possible constipation that will require stool softeners. 

Needing nothing more than to disappear at this juncture, I
close my eyes again and pray that I vanish into thin air.  Realizing that God
is not having mercy at this moment, I hear, “Gabby?  Are you okay?”

Not opening my eyes, I simply say, “No.”

“Sugar, what’s wrong?”

Still with my eyes closed, “Everything.”

“Are you in pain?”

“Well, yeah.”

“What else is wrong?”

I open my eyes and look at him.  Suddenly I feel so
overwhelmed by everything.  My life, my body hurting, Trevor Harper, all things
Jude, being embarrassed by my possible constipation, my broken door and flooded
basement, for heaven’s sake, the list goes on and on.  As I feel the tears well
up in my eyes that I don’t have the energy to fight back, I lay it out for him,
“What else is wrong?  What’s not wrong, Jude?  Nothing is right!  I hate to be
a complainer, but my head is freaking killing me and my ribs ache.  My house
has been broken into, my basement flooded and I haven’t had time to shop for
carpet.  Who knows when I will be able to shop for carpet because it’s not safe
for me to go shopping!  That doctor just talked about stool softeners and me
possibly being constipated in front of you!  How embarrassing is that?  My
friend’s husband, who I never really liked, has turned out to be a gun smuggler
and a first class asshole who has threatened to teach me a lesson and rape me
in the process.  And when did I become yours?  I mean, I know you’ve seen me
almost half naked, but still, I’ve known you for what…six days?”  I feel the
tears that I can’t stop fall off my cheeks for the second day in a row as my
rant burns out.  I realize I haven’t been paying attention to Jude, otherwise I
would have reined it in.  His eyes are narrowed and his hands are fisted with
white knuckles. 

“What did you say?” he whispers.

Wiping my tears away and not knowing what to do, I say, “My
ribs ache?”

“No.  The part about Trevor Harper, Gabby.  Why don’t you
fill me in on that part.”

It’s obvious that I really don’t know Jude Ortiz that well,
because I’m not quite sure how to handle this and I hadn’t really thought about
having to tell him because everything has been a whirlwind since yesterday. 
I’m pretty sure he’s going to lose it, but he’s going to find out what Trevor
said to me eventually.  So I start with, “Do you need to sit down?  Maybe they
can bring you some Jell-O or something.  I think you need to take a few deep
breaths.”

“Gabby,” he bites out as a warning.

“Okay, but you look really pissed.”

“That’s because I am.  I’m not going to ask again, Gabby. 
What about Harper?”

I sigh and recap the I-think-he-thinks he-said-she-said
scary event that I never want to think about again, “He said he knows that I’m
with a cop.  He thinks I’m informing on him, can you believe that?  I think he
thinks I knew you before what went down at Megan’s that day.  He said he talked
to Megan and she said you were with me and you warned her not to contact me. 
Then he said he’s seen you coming and going from my house, which is really,
really
disturbing, now that I think about it.  Then he said if he finds out I was
informing on him he’s going to teach me a lesson.” 

There.

Maybe that will be enough.

“Gabrielle.  What else?” Jude warns.

I sigh again and finish, “Fine.  He said he would teach me a
lesson, but play with me first and make sure I didn’t enjoy it because, in his
words, I’ve been such a cold bitch to him for years.  That’s it.  Now maybe you
should sit down.”

He doesn’t sit down.  But he does start to move in slow
motion, crossing his arms over his chest while looking down at me.  He closes
his eyes, turns his body so his back is to me, runs one hand through his hair
and puts a hand to the wall, resting his other hand on the back of his neck. 
Not really knowing how to handle Slow Motion Jude, I call out, “Jude?”

“Give me a second, Gabby,” he says with a restrained voice.

“Okay,” I whisper.

His arm comes around (again in slow motion), he pulls his
phone out of the back of his pocket, messes with the screen and puts it to his
ear.  “Mac.  Yeah, I want Harper’s ass and now.  And you had better hope and
pray someone finds that motherfucker before I do because I will kill that son
of a bitch with my own hands.  Yeah, something has happened.  He not only put
his fucking hands on Gabrielle, but threatened to teach her a lesson and rape
her in the process.  I also just found out Harper’s been in contact with his
wife.  We need to get with the US Attorney and get that warrant for the tap
rushed on her phones.  He’s been watching her house and who knows what else. 
Fine.  She’s goin home in a couple hours.  I’m going to stay with her today, be
back tomorrow if I can arrange someone to be with her.  Yeah.  You can call the
PD, she’s ready to make a statement about yesterday, if we can get that done
here before she leaves so she can rest when she gets home, I’d appreciate it. 
All right.  Later,” he slides his phone back into his pocket, crosses his arms
and turns back to look at me. 

Not knowing what to say, I scrunch my nose, tilt my head and
say in a small voice, “I’m sure one of my aunts can stay with me today if you
have to go to work.”

He narrows his eyes at me and says, “Now is not the time to
be cute, Gabrielle.”

My mouth drops open and I exclaim, “What?!?”

He moves closer, leans in with fists to the bed on both
sides of me.  Keeping his raspy voice low, he leans down close to my face and
goes on, “Tony warned me last night, sugar.  You’re persistent, have a way of
getting what you want.”

“He did not say that!” I exclaim!  I’m going to kill Tony!

“Yep.  But not anymore, babe.  Yesterday could have been a
whole lot worse than it was and you just confirmed my fears of what could have
been.  Until we have Harper and his army behind bars, you’re not to be by
yourself.  I’m staying with you at least for today and every night until I know
you’re safe,” he says.  Moving so close his lips are almost on mine, he
finishes with, “And don’t even think about telling me you have to go shopping
and it can’t wait, that’s not going to work on me again.  I’m on to you,
Gabby.”

Well! 

Now I’m pissed! 

I do not do
anything
just to get my way.  I like
getting my way.  Sure.  Who doesn’t?  But it’s not like I’m manipulative or
anything.  “Move,” I say.  “I want to get up, now.”

“No.”

“Move.  I have to go to the bathroom,” I try again.

What he does not do is move.  He leans in and kisses me, but
I’m pissed and not feeling cooperative.  His lips and tongue move down my cheek
to my ear.  I can feel his lips on my ear as he whispers, “Sugar, I just want
to make sure you’re safe.  Not knowing what happened to you before I got here
yesterday tore me up.  Let me take care of you, can you do that for me?” 

I don’t know if it’s the guilt from putting myself in a
situation to get hurt or if it’s another Jude induced coma, but either way I
relent and as usual say, “Okay.”  He pulls up a bit, smiles at me and kisses me
again.  Feeling cooperative this time, my hands go to his hair as he kisses me
deep and long. 

That is until my three aunts barge in and I hear Aunt Tia,
the first through the door say, “Oh, sorry!  We should have knocked!”  Jude
lifts, looks into my eyes and grins then kisses me quick before standing up. 

“It’s okay,” Jude rasps, “she was just getting up.”  He
holds out his hand to me to help me out of bed.  It hurts like hell and I try
not to show it on my face as I let Jude help pull me up to a standing
position.  These hospital gowns leave a lot to be desired, so I wrap it around
me as tight as I can. 

“I’m good,” I say to the room and hobble to the bathroom
door.  Once I get there and look in the mirror, I let out a little scream for
the second morning in a row. 

Jude leans in and asks with concern, “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, shit, I didn’t think it was possible, but I look worse
than yesterday!”  The bump on my temple has started to deflate, but the
bruising was worse than ever, dark and ugly, stretching out over my eyebrow onto
my eyelid. 

I hear Aunt Emma tell me loudly from the other room, “Not to
worry, Gabby.  We brought you clean clothes, your face wash and moisturizer. 
We figured you’d want to wait until you got home to shower, you’ll feel like a
new person.  And we brought your car, Gino said Jude was taking you home and
since we obviously couldn’t bring his car, we brought yours.”

Lizzie continues, just as loudly, “Mia is with Sophia and
the kids today, we didn’t know when you’d be home, but we’ll get her back for
you.  And we cleaned your house last night so you won’t have to worry about
that for a while and went to the store for you.  Oh, and you should be good on
dinners, too!  We stocked up your freezer.  You’re good to go!”