She Belongs to Me (22 page)

Exhausted physically and mentally, her son leaned into her hand. “I know, Mom, I just can’t leave. What if she wakes and I’m
not here for her? What then?” h
e fretted, his head falling into his hands.

She despised seeing her son like this. He was always strong. He had taken care of the family after his daddy
had
died, provided for them all, even gave her daughters’ husbands jobs. He was her baby, a man she knew, but always her baby. She loved Jaynee too, like a daughter, but now she felt resentment and betrayal at what Jaynee was doing to her son.

“I spoke with the doctor, Jordan. They won’t bring Jaynee outta the coma for a while, not until the swelling is under control. Just leave her side for a few minutes, for
me, please. Just long enough to get something to eat and clear your head. It’ll be good for you, so you
can
be here when she wakes.”

If
she wakes up, Pat thought but wouldn’t dare utter the words to Jordan. He was madly in love with Jaynee. Even though things seemed rough lately, his feelings would never alter. She noticed the difference in Jordan at Thanksgiving. Jaynee seemed unchanged, but Jordan was withdrawn and angry. He had sat on the sofa most of the day brooding and then was rude when
he
was ready to leave. She had never seen him act like that, especially around Jaynee. But she knew
his feelings would never change;
he would love Jaynee until the day he died.

It was the same when she’d met Jordan’s daddy and his grandfather before him had met his wife. The Monroe men seemed destined for ‘love-at-first-sight’ or as Pat’s mother-in-law alleged, ‘the thunderbolt’. Pat had never believed in the Old Italian folklore. But it had happened three times, so there must be something to that darned curse. Now look where it landed Jordan. He was thirty-two, with a wife dying in the hospital and no children, which meant no grandchildren for her. She had her grandbabies from Melissa and she loved them, but they needed another Monroe. And Pat couldn’t wait to hold her boy’s babies, knowing they’d be just as loveable as Jordan was. Never gave her a lick of trouble. ’Course, he and his daddy were something else. Pat knew it was because they were so similar
,
but neither of them wanted to hear nothing ’bout that.

Jordan stood up beside Pat his head lowered, his eyes rimmed with red. She draped her arms around him in understanding.

He wiped his
eyes. “I love her so much, Mom.
I don’t know what I’ll do if anything happens to her.”

Pat stroked h
is back lovingly. “I know, baby.
I’m sorry.” She squeezed her eyes tight
ly
, knowing she was preparing to lie. “It’ll be alright, Jordan
.
W
e just need to keep praying.”

Taking Jordan’s hand, she escorted him
out of the room to the elevator
. “Let’s get you something to eat and fresh air, then you can come right back. It’s too late in the day; they won’t do anything now. Maybe they’ll bring her out of the coma tomorrow morning?” she offered, stepping into the elevator, her hand latched around his arm.

***

Brian had been standing around the corner, listening to their conversation. He had waited almost two days to see Caycee.

Mostly he waited in the primary waiting area so he would not be noticed loitering, and more importantly, not be seen by Caycee’s husband. Jordan had made eye contact with him yesterday in the smaller area, and he was certain he connected him to Caycee. But Brian had been so distraught when they rushed her back into surgery; he had waited in the ICU area alongside her husband.

When he saw Jordan’s mother go up, he knew it was his opportunity, so he followed on the next elevator. Brian figured she would pull Jordan away from Caycee…or Jaynee as she was calling herself. What a load of crap. These hicks couldn’t even pronounce her middle name correct.

He moved to Caycee’s side as soon as the elevator doors closed and Jordan was out of sight. He probably had fifteen minutes, and then Jordan would return, standing where Brian should be, would be soon. He wanted to kill him but knew he couldn’t, not now while Caycee needed him.

“Can you hear me, baby? I’m here.
Everything is going to be okay.
W
e can continue where we left off. I’ve changed, baby. I’m here,
as
I told you I’d be.” He stroked her hand. She was just as beautiful as she had always been. Why did he have to destroy everything? “I’ll protect you, Caycee. No one will ever hurt you again.”

“Sir, what are you doing? I don’t recognize you as immediate family.” The nurse’s voice broke through Brian’s thoughts. She glared at him, brows furrowed, ready to strike. He needed to put on his charisma.

“I’m
not
family,” he said, glancing at her badge. “Michelle,” he crooned, looking up at her from under his eyelashes, the look that worked on every woman he’d ever encountered. He hadn’t practiced in a while, so he hoped it would still work. After all, he was almost six years older than the boy he was before going to prison. He would have gotten out a year ago if it wasn’t for the fighting. “I’m an old friend. I’ve driven on my Harley for two days to get here as soon as I heard, didn’t even
bother checking with anyone when I arrived just showed up and found her all alone.”

“Oh,” she proclaimed, swallowing hard.

Like a charm he thought. “I’d rather if you didn’t mention my being here. Her husband doesn’t like me, but me and Cay—Jaynee have remained friends for years, and I couldn’t stand not seeing her. You understand, don’t you?”

“Of course…it’s just that procedure—”

He cut her off. “Oh, I unders
tand…I’ll just be a few minutes.
I’m exhausted anyway from riding forty-eight hours straight.”

He stood up fluidly, approaching her. She was pretty, a little too tall and
thin
though, not his normal type. But appealing enough and it had been a long time.

“I don’t suppose there’s an empty room where I could lie down a little bit?” he asked, his eyes boring into hers. He knew how to
get what he wanted. He was good
looking and knew how to manipulate women. He had spent the last six years doing nothing but working out, so not only was he tall and handsome, he was buff, and the ladies liked that.

“I’m not sure,” she responded, her voice low and quiet, bemused.

“No one will know…you manage the floor, right?” he asked, keeping his voice low and seductive the way he knew women appreciated.

“Well, I guess,” she said hesitantly, her eyes darting around the room unable to maintain eye contact.

He still had it. “Show me,” he said, raising his voice a fraction higher, but still deep and domineering.

Michelle walked out of the room, leading him down the corridor. Seve
ral rooms on the end were unlit.
S
he turned into the last one and Brian followed.

***

Jaynee could hear voices again. Though muffled and faraway, she thought she could discern most of them.

She recognized Jordan’s; his was the clearest. And then she heard his mother’s voice. Her mother-in-law pleaded with Jordan about something. She wasn’t sure what, but she sounded upset.

Then it was quiet.
Just the incessant beeping noise, coupled with the darkness.
She heard another voice, familiar, but not quite decipherable. He called her “baby”; Jordan never called her “baby”. She hated it. Why was he calling her baby? Only it wasn’t Jordan’s voice, and yet, it sounded familiar, though distant.

Jaynee struggled with her memory, realizing she recognized the voice. Baby…Oh, God, he called her baby. It wasn’t possible. What happened? Where was Jordan? Was he okay? Brian! He’d found her. What would he do to Jordan? Why couldn’t she remove this blanket? It smothered her, holding her back from Jordan. He needed her.

***

Jordan and Pat sat in the cafeteria eating wordlessly. A few minutes passed before his mother couldn’t tolerate it anymore. She wasn’t comfortable with silence.

“Do you think she did it purposely, Jordan?” his mother asked in her normal blunt manner. Subtlety was never his mother’s strong point either.

He grimaced at her candid words not wanting to have this conversation. Not now, not ever. “No, I don’t. Why would she?” His breath hitched in his throat at the remote possibility.

His mother picked at her sandwich without making eye contact with him. “Well, I noticed conversation has been strained—”

“But kill herself,” he interrupted her, suddenly angry. “You knew her almost as long as I did for Pete’s sake!” He glowered at his mother. “Do you think she was capable of committing suicide?”

Why was he having this discussion? He should be with Jaynee. He didn’t need fresh air or food. He needed Jaynee. Tomorrow they’d bring her up, and she could explain to everyone, to him, that she didn’t attempt suicide. She wouldn’t. She wasn’t selfish, and she wouldn’t hurt him.

A tiny voice reminded him her father had killed himself, and her mother had attempted suicide on several occasions. He shook his head. No…not Jaynee. She wouldn’t do this to him. He had to believe. “Mom, if she was trying to kill herself, she would have done it correctly. She’s a cop’s wife. She would know how to kill herself.”

All of the sudden, the words made sense. She hadn’t tried to commit suicide. Even the police said it had been an accidental shooting. That based on the entry point, the gun had been at a distance of about where her hip was.
She didn’t try to shoot herself;
she was afraid, but of what?

Jordan jumped up, shoving the chair against the table. It went underneath the lip and fell backward. He looked at it numbly then stormed off
, ignoring
his mother
as she called after him.
H
e had to hurry.

Jaynee was frightened, but why? She had never been afraid
,
as long as he had known her. Even when attacked by those hoodlums when they first met, the ones passing along information from her ex-loser, she hadn’t been scared. She had been more afraid for him. It had been over five years, and even though he had gotten her a gun for protection—because they lived so far out in the country—he had never seen her fearful of anything. The only thing she was ever fretful about was his safety as a cop, his construction work and back then that her ex would send his goons after him.

That was it! Jordan sprinted toward the opened elevator doors, anxious to return to Jaynee. He ignored the person running for the elevator as he hit the button to close the doors. There was no time. It had been over five years since his incarceration. Was Brian here? Had he been threatening his life, or worse, Jaynee’s?

Jordan would kill him. He’d destroy him, tear him apart limb from limb. They would never unearth him. One of
the things a cop was proficient;
they knew how to perpetrate a crime, any crime, even murder if necessary. Brian would never terrorize Jaynee again.

He paced the elevator in frantic movements. It was ridiculously slow; he should have taken the stairs.

***

It was the man Jaynee was with Friday standing inside her room.

It was just a matter of time before she left Jordan, but this was an even better opportunity. How much better it would be for her to die now, not uncomm
on in these types of situations,
she had been in a coma for almost two days.

The man had followed a nurse down the hall and would be gone awhile by the look in his eyes. Jordan had left with Pat to get something to eat, so they would be gone about fifteen minutes.

It would only take a few seconds to inject an air bubble into her veins, a simple method that would cause an aneurism and go undetected if done carefully…50ccs was all it would take. Jordan’s death would be easy. Police officers ended up murdered all the time from wayward bullets, potential gang members attempting to prove their worth. Or, a construction job gone wrong could get him killed.

Simply a matter of time, and then everything would be right again. The elevator chimed
,
indicating its arrival. Not today, but soon, it was how it had to end.

***

Jordan waited for the elevator doors to open, practically climbing over an older couple entering.

He rushed down the hallway toward Jaynee’s room only stopping to breathe once he was in her doorway.
She was all right, thank God. He wouldn’t leave again until she was out of this coma. His mother would just have to deliver food. He gently pulled loose the covers someone
had
tucked in again before he sat down next to her.

“I’m here, Jaynee,” he whispered in her ear. “I know why you were upset, but you don’t need to agonize anymore. I’ll protect you I swear. No one will ever come near you again. I failed the first time, but I won’t fail twice, I promise. I love you, Jaynee, forever.”