Jordan's Justice: A New Adult Sport Romance (Tessa and Jordan Book 2)

by T Christensen

  It was early afternoon in New York, so Tessa picked up the phone and called the friend who had been more like a sister growing up. The friend who had always been on her side.

  “Hi, chica!”

  Lindy’s upbeat greeting made Tessa long to have her there beside her. She wanted to return the enthusiasm, but she was tired of pretending everything was okay.

  “Tessa?” Concern radiated through the line.

  “Hey, Lindy. Do you have a few minutes?”

  “What’s wrong? Is it Jessica? Do I need to come home?”

  She felt Lindy’s unconditional love, but she was so far away. Tessa broke down and sobbed.

  “Tessa! You’re scaring me. What’s going on?”

  Between heaving breaths, Tessa uttered, “It’s Jordan. He knows about Jordis.”

  “I’m coming home.”

  “No!” Tessa wanted with all of her heart for Lindy to be there, but there was nothing she could do.

  “I’m responsible for getting myself into this situation. I need to deal with him,” Tessa said. She believed her words, but her gut churned with dread.

  “Tessa, you have so much going on. I should come help.”

  “You are helping.”

  “How?” scoffed Lindy. “I’m clear across the country. I’m not helping!”

  Tessa closed her eyes and took a breath. She needed Lindy to understand. “You’re talking to me now and giving me the support I need. You’re sending money when I know you’re barely making enough to get by.”

  “If I was there, I could give you a break. I know your mom needs you to help her in the middle of the night and take her to appointments. Jordis gets up early, and you have to take care of her. You also work, and you cover any shifts that you can—”

  Tessa swallowed the lump in her throat. “Stop, Lindy. You know your mom helps me with all of that.”

  “I know she has to force you to let her help,” Lindy responded quietly.

  This was her mom, and it was her responsibility to take care of her, but she didn’t want to start another argument with Lindy.

  “Lindy, it would kill me if you were here and gave up your dream job in the fashion industry.”

  “What about your dream, Tessa?”

  Tessa never thought about it. She couldn’t. Her time would come later. “I’m working with kids. I’m part of an organization that I strongly believe in.”

  They were at an impasse, and despite the rampant emotions running through her, Tessa felt better. “Thank you for talking with me.”

  “Call me later, Tessa.”

  “I will.”

  They hung up, and Tessa went to the bathroom to wash her face and get herself together. If she was meeting with Jordan tonight, she needed to get her emotions under control and bring her logical, analytical side to the forefront.

  __________________

  Chapter 5

  __________________

  Surprisingly, it had been a restorative day for Tessa. Her mind hadn’t raced with everything she had to complete. Today she focused on family. Her neighbor had assured her that Jordis was fine and could stay longer. Tessa had played rummy with her mom and enjoy having an actual conversation with her. Usually their talks were quick check-ins and verifications of schedules.

  She and her mom had just finished a game when Tessa heard familiar rushing footsteps down the hall. Jordis’s eyes lit up when she saw her sitting by the bed.

  “Mommy!” She ran over to Tessa and threw herself at her.

  Tessa eagerly accepted the hug from her little bundle of energy. Jordis’s hugs were always healing for her soul. It wasn’t long before she was squirming away, and Tessa settled her on her lap.

  “Hi, Brave Heart.”

  Jordis’s giggle was everything right in the world. “I Jordis, Mommy!”

  Tessa tickled her tummy and teased, “I changed it to Brave Heart.”

  Tessa stopped the tickle torture and waited for Jordis’s response. There was no doubt she would have a comeback. Jordis had an answer for everything, even at three years old.

  “Not Brave Heart. Merida.”

  “Hmmm.” Tessa pretended to consider the princess’s name from the Disney movie Brave. “No, you have black hair, not red.”

  Tessa watched her daughter’s face scrunch up in concentration, trying to find a counter-argument. Before her stubbornness turned into a tantrum, Tessa offered a distraction.

  “Do you want to go to the park?”

  “Nana come?” Jordis asked hopefully.

  With a regretful smile, her mom picked up Jordis’s hand and gave it a kiss. “Not today, Brave Heart.”

  Jordis slid off Tessa’s lap and ran toward the bedroom door.

  “Where are you going, Jordis?” Tessa asked.

  “Get shoes for Mommy!”

  “And then go to the bathroom!” Tessa shouted after her.

  Jordis kept running. “I no go.”

  Tessa sighed and stood up.

  Her mom laughed. “I’m so happy you have to deal with that energy and stubbornness.”

  After making sure Jordis went to the bathroom, they walked to the park.

  _________________________

  “Are you sure it’s okay that I’m going out?” Tessa asked for the third time since Sophia had gotten home.

  She waved her toward the door before placing her hands on her slim hips and snapping, “Go out, Tessa. It’s okay! I can’t remember the last time you went anywhere.”

  Tessa was about to interrupt to remind her about the fundraiser, but Sophia raised a hand to stop her. “For enjoyment.”

  That meant there were no more excuses. Tessa was going to have to meet Jordan. She had told her mom and Sophia that she was going out for drinks with some people from work. There was no way she was telling them that Jordan was back.

  With dread filling her, Tessa nodded. As she turned, warm hands cupped her shoulders.

  Sophia’s concerned eyes scanned her face. “What’s wrong, Tessa? Why are you acting like you’re walking to your death?”

  Her heart twisted, and she wanted to spill her guts. For now, she summoned a smile of reassurance. There would be plenty to tell after she met with Jordan.

  “Nothing’s wrong. Thank you for staying with Jordis and Mom.”

  “We’re all family. You don’t need to thank me, Tessa.”

  Emotion flooded her, and tears threatened. “I know. I love you.”

  With a wrinkle between her brows, Sophia murmured fiercely, “Don’t do anything stupid.”

  Tessa stepped away and walked over to Jordis. She brushed a kiss over her hair and said, “I’m going, Jordis. Listen to Nana Sophia.”

  Jordis nodded absently and continued to watch Brave. Tessa gave her one more kiss before reluctantly stepping away and leaving the apartment.

  Each step Tessa took did in fact feel like a death walk. The farther down the hall she went, the heavier the weight in her chest became. Tessa closed her eyes when she got to the top of the stairs before taking a deep breath and wiping her hands on her jeans.

  When her eyes slid open, they collided with familiar blue ones. She squeezed hers back shut. That could not be Jordan at the bottom of the stairs. When she reopened them and he still stood there, Tessa stumbled down the stairs.

  Two steps up from him, she jolted to a stop and frantically asked, “What are you doing? We were supposed to meet at the restaurant!”

  Jordan looked up the steps over her shoulder, and her entire body locked up. “I’m going to meet my daughter.”

  Tessa saw stars, but she forced herself to take a shaky breath. Now was not the time for weakness. She needed to get Jordan out of this building.

  “You are not meeting Jordis tonight.”

  Tessa knew saying it that way was a mistake as soon as the words left her mouth. Jordan’s entire body drew up, ready to fight her. She rushed to try to correct the challenge she’d inadvertently throw out.

  “You will meet her, just no
t tonight.” When Jordan’s posture didn’t relax, Tessa desperately continued, “She’s only three, Jordan, and you don’t even know her. We need to discuss how to do this before we turn her world upside down. We need to figure out how to do that away from here.”

  “I don’t know her, Tessa, because I didn’t know she existed!” Jordan roared.

  Tessa’s head reared back, and she wanted to retreat, but she held her ground. Her brain whirled while she tried to figure a way out of this. Then she remembered how Jordan disliked sharing private information with the public.

  “Do you want to do this here, Jordan? In the middle of an apartment building? Anyone could be listening around the corners or through the doors.”

  Her heart stopped when he looked over her shoulder like he was contemplating charging past her. Tessa sagged against the wall when he abruptly turned around and headed back toward the exit. She said a quick prayer of thanks and scrambled after him before he changed his mind.

  When Tessa made it outside, she didn’t see Jordan. He couldn’t have gone far, and even though she wished he would leave, Tessa knew that wasn’t happening. When her eyes landed on the Porsche Targa emblem on a black car's backside, she forced herself to move toward it.

  The compact sports car would stand out anywhere, but it was a definite lure to every person wishing for a better life in this San Jose neighborhood. She could feel the hidden, greedy eyes on her even if she couldn’t see anyone.

  The windows of the Porsche were down, and Tessa stepped up to the passenger window. She soaked in the red leather interior and black console. A rigid Jordan sat into the driver’s seat.

  “Get in. I’ve got things to do.”

  Tessa bristled with irritation. He had demanded she have dinner with him, not the other way around. There was nothing to be gained from arguing, though, so Tessa opened the car door and sank down into the seat while biting her tongue. As soon as she shut the door, they pulled away.

  Jordan zipped through traffic, and Tessa gripped her door as if holding on for dear life. When they passed the restaurant she thought they were going to, she broke the tension-filled, cold silence.

  “Where are we going?”

  A couple of rampant heartbeats later, Jordan finally clipped out, “To my penthouse.”

  Her heart palpitations were back. Tessa bit her lip to stop the denial on the tip of her tongue from tumbling out. What could she say after subtly pointing out that anyone could listen in the apartment complex hall?

  When they pulled into an underground garage and parked, Jordan didn’t speak. He got out of the car and strode to the elevator without a backward glance.

  Tessa’s nerves that were close to breaking now sizzled with irritation. She understood that he was livid, but he didn’t need to treat her like a dog that would follow his every move. Tessa was done. Instead of scrambling after him, she looked around for a stairwell to take her to the lobby or an exit.

  When she spotted the red, rectangular glow of an exit sign, she clipped her way toward it. Jordan bellowed across the garage, “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”

  Tessa ignored him and embraced the fire growing in her. It wasn’t long before she heard his footsteps echoing hers in the cavernous garage. She beat down the urge to quicken her own pace but kept her sights on the sign of freedom.

  Jordan grasped her arm before she could reach her goal. He spun Tessa around to face him and growled, “I said, where are you going?”

  He glared down at her, but she stood her ground and looked him square in the eye.

  “I’m not a dog, Jordan. I won’t scramble after you and beg for your attention. When you’re ready to treat me like a human being, call me.”

  Tessa wrenched her arm away and marched toward the exit again.

  “I told you what would happen if you didn’t meet with me, and I meant it. If you leave, you will be talking to my lawyer, not me.”

  She whirled around and tried to keep her rage under control before she said something she would regret.

  “At least your lawyer would be civil. You haven’t even given me a chance to talk. You’re acting like I’m evil incarnate.” Her volume rose with each word, and she flailed her hands haphazardly in the air. Tessa sucked in a breath and made sure she modulated her voice before continuing.

  “I will fight you to the death if you are this way with Jordis.”

  Jordan flinched as if she had struck him, but then his cold mask was back. “I didn’t even know I had a daughter until ten hours ago, Tessa. The only person responsible for that fact is you! You deserve every bit of my hostility for keeping my daughter from me.”

  A heated staring contest ensued until Jordan said low and deadly, “What I said is not a threat, Tessa. It’s a fact, and we both know I’m in a much better position than you to get full custody of Jordis.”

  Jordan turned around without another word and strode toward the elevator. With the reminder of his money and the money that she didn’t have, Tessa yelled out in frustration and followed him.

  She was going into the lion’s den, but she was done being scared of him. Tessa had found her backbone and Jordan wouldn’t walk all over her. Everything she had done since finding out she was pregnant was to protect Jordis. And she would do everything exactly the same thing now, regardless of what it cost her.

  __________________

  Chapter 6

  __________________

  Jordan didn’t spare her a glance as she slid into the elevator behind him. Neither spoke a word into the tense air simmering around them. Tessa folded her arms and glared at his back. When the doors silently slid open, she realized the ivory marble tiles with the tan veins running through them and the metal and wood console table with the mirror above it were not part of the lobby. They were walking into Jordan’s penthouse.

  Tessa scrambled to take in all the details as she followed Jordan farther into his home. Black-and-white photography lined the linen-colored walls, but they didn’t seem to have any theme. Everything was perfectly placed. There was nothing on the tables, no blankets on the couch, and no personal pictures. It was like a staged space for an open house, not a home. Maybe it was temporary housing for him. She voiced her question before she remembered they’d been giving each other the cold shoulder.

  “Do you own or rent this?”

  Jordan jerked around to face her. With a cutting flat voice, he succinctly told her, “I own it, and I will continue to own it. We’re here to talk about your blackmail and how you kept my daughter a secret from me, not to evaluate how much more you can get from me. I’m being generous by even allowing you to have a conversation with me about this. I could just file the paperwork to take her from you.”

  Tessa reared back in shock. Was this the same Jordan Davis she had fallen in love with? She’d never seen him treat anyone even remotely close to the way he was treating her. It hurt, saddened, and angered her that he could think of her as a gold digger.

  “What happened to you?” Tessa asked, barely above a whisper.

  Jordan stared at her incredulously. With his jaw ticking and nostrils flaring, he laughed mockingly.

  “Me? What happened to me? When did you turn into a cold-hearted bitch? Did you really expect me to be happy that you kept our daughter from me for three years? A child who I will demand DNA testing for, by the way. Did you think I would be thankful that you told my mom you would abort the baby and demanded money not to inform the press about your pregnancy?”

  Tessa seethed with anger and overwhelming hurt. He stared at her with barely contained rage, his body coiled tight. She thought he might pounce on her at any moment.

  With tears blurring her vision, Tessa turned and took her shaking body back to the elevator. Her sole goal was to get out of this penthouse. Nothing constructive was going to happen tonight, and she was tired of being beaten down.

  “Fuck!” Jordan roared behind her, and then she heard a loud crash. Tessa’s heart jumped into her throat, and she scur
ried faster toward the elevator. Her shaking finger repeatedly pushed the button. When she heard his heavy footsteps pounding closer, her body locked up.

  “Tessa.”

  His tone was calmer, but she could still hear the demand in it. Tessa didn’t turn. She stood in front of the elevator door, willing it to open.

  “Tessa, I’m sorry.”

  She took a breath. He actually sounded contrite, but it was too little too late. She was done trying to reason with him and being accused of things she hadn’t done.

  “I will not allow you to talk to me like that.” Her voice shook with all the emotions running through her. Thankfully, the door finally opened, and Tessa stepped in. When she didn’t hear the swooshing of it closing behind her, she cautiously looked over her shoulder.

  Jordan stood in the elevator threshold with both hands outstretched, holding the doors open. Tessa warily turned around and backed up until she hit the wall. Swallowing all of her fear, hurt, and shock, she looked Jordan in the eyes and firmly told him, “Let me go.”

  Running his hands through his hair, he looked down and then back up, straight into her eyes. “I won’t hurt you, Tessa. You have to know that. I’ll keep myself under control. I want to know about my daughter. Why did you name her Jordis?”

  “I thought it was the only thing you would ever give her.”

  Jordan dropped his hands and took a step back as if he was in shock. Tessa used his distraction to push the door close button.

  __________________

  Chapter 7

  __________________

  Jordan’s first urge was to punch a wall. Instead, right before the elevator doors closed, he put his hands in between them again. When he saw Tessa tense and widen her eyes he cursed, but this time under his breath.