by Jamie Howard
“Felix! Why did your girlfriend try to kill herself?”
“Over here! Felix! Do you think your relationship had any bearing on Juliet’s attempt to take her life tonight?”
“Will you ever be able to walk again? Is the injury recent? How has this setback affected your relationship?”
And on and on and on.
I waited for it to hurt, for those raw spots inside me to burst open with searing pain. But each question bounced off me like I was wearing armor, falling on deaf ears. Everything inside me was focused on getting through those doors and finding Juliet.
The reporters were wise enough to get out of my way as I wheeled toward them, most of them anyway. I had no doubt I crushed a few toes underneath my wheels. I pulled up short outside the doors, willing to give them a tiny soundbite. “I don’t know where you’re getting your information from, but Juliet absolutely did not try to kill herself.”
Another parade of questions rained down on my head, finally muffling when the automatic door slid closed behind me. Gavin made it to the desk ahead of me. “We’re here to see Juliet St. Clair.”
The nurse’s eyebrows nearly levitated off his face. “You and every other sleazy reporter in the tri-state area.” He jerked his chin back toward the entrance. “Get out of here before I call the police.”
“Listen here, you little—”
Gavin stepped in front of me. “This is Ms. St. Clair’s boyfriend. If we could just speak to her assistant, Ally . . .” He spun around. “Last name?”
I glared at him. “Like I fucking know.”
He blew out a breath, facing the nurse again. “Her assistant. I swear she’ll vouch for us.”
The nurse twirled his pen between his fingers, quietly assessing us. “Let me make a call.”
Five minutes later, a familiar face stepped through the elevator doors, his expression missing any trace of emotion. He gave me a quick nod. “Mr. Donovan. Mr. MacCormack. If you’ll please follow me.”
Up three floors, down two long, empty hallways, I finally made it to Juliet’s room. The other half of her security detail stood outside the door, accompanied by another two guys for good measure. Ally leaned against the wall, head in her hands, looking like she showered in blood. My throat closed up tight at the sight.
Probably hearing our footsteps, she glanced up, showing off eyes shot through with red. “She’s all right.”
My entire body sagged, going slack with relief.
She swiped away a tear with her crimson-stained fingernail. “The doctor’s still in there. The police, too. She’s giving a statement.”
Gavin shook his head from his spot on my left. “What the hell happened at that party?”
“I don’t know!” Ally clapped a hand over her mouth, her body jerking with silent sobs. She took a few steps toward us, haltingly. “If they hadn’t found her in time, I . . . I just . . .” She stumbled right into Gavin, instantly soaking his shirt with tears.
Gavin patted her back tentatively, wide eyes meeting mine over her head.
The door swung open, a white-coated woman stepping through the wall of muscle guarding the door. She ran a hand over her short black hair, blowing out a breath. Her shoulders straightened when she saw me. “Mr. Donovan?”
I nodded. “How is she?”
“Weak, tired, but she’ll be okay. She lost a lot of blood tonight.”
“You’re keeping her overnight?”
Something like a laugh slipped through her lips. “Ms. St. Clair has requested that she be discharged tonight. Into your care.” One sculpted eyebrow arched up.
I rubbed a hand over my face. “Is it safe for her to leave?”
“Keeping her overnight would only be a precaution. Her condition is stable and the side effects of the Ketamine have already worn off. It should be out of her system entirely by tomorrow.”
“Special K?” Gavin frowned, still awkwardly patting Ally’s back. “You’re saying Jules took K and then slit her wrists?”
“No. Though that’s very clearly what someone wanted everyone to believe.” Her lips thinned. “On exam we found evidence of an injection on the back side of her right hip. The drugs were definitely not intentional.”
The door behind her opened again. This time, a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair stepped through, his police uniform so crisp the creases could likely cut glass. His eyes barely strayed from the notepad in his hand as he stepped around us.
I wheeled forward. “Can I see her?”
“Of course. I’ll get her release paperwork together and have someone come and remove the IV.”
The click of her heels echoed down the hall as she walked away. Gavin was still rooted to the same spot, Ally clinging to him like without his support she’d melt into a puddle.
“Ally,” I said gently. “I need you to get Juliet’s PR team on this. The rumors are flying out there about what happened tonight. You need to set the record straight.”
She blinked at me for a good thirty seconds without any sign that she comprehended what I was saying. Then something slowly powered on upstairs. She sniffed and cleared her throat. “I’m on it.”
I ran my hands over my wheels, hesitating. “Actually . . . Gav? You should probably give Ben a call too. We’re gonna need to put out a statement about all of this.”
“Right.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “You want him to run the final version past you? Get your okay?”
I considered it for about half a second. “Nah. He’ll know what to say.”
“All right, man. I’ll take care of it, you take care of her. We’ve got your back if you need anything.” He clapped a hand on my shoulder on his way past, him and Ally retreating to different ends of the hallway.
Without wasting another second, I wheeled into Juliet’s room, every muscle in my body tensed, my lips forced up in a smile. It slipped a little when I saw her. Her skin was as pale as the pillows propping her up, an IV dipping into her arm.
I ran a hand over my face. Fuck. Seeing her like this made me feel like the most helpless, worthless schmuck in the world. I should have been with her. I should have been there.
Her face brightened when she saw me. “Hey, you.”
“Hey, yourself.”
She rolled her head toward me, cheek resting against the pillowcase. “I look worse than I feel, you know.”
Thank God. Luckily I managed not to say it. If I was being honest, she looked a bit like death warmed over. Not that I’d ever tell her that. “How do you feel?”
“Like hell.” She laughed, threading her fingers through mine.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay overnight?”
She made a face like she’d eaten moldy cheese. “Would you want to stay in here any longer than you had to?”
“Point taken.” I rubbed my thumb over the grooves of her knuckles, a question hesitating on my tongue. “Jules . . . was it him?” I wanted to take it back immediately and erase the haunted look that shone from her eyes. “Forget it. We don’t have to talk about it.”
She scrunched up her nose and gave her head a little shake. “I never saw his face. I was so out of it that it’s all almost like a dream. No, not a dream. One really long nightmare.”
I added my other hand on top of hers, so it was sandwiched between mine. “They’re gonna catch him.”
Her gaze drifted away from mine, eyelids dropping closed. “Do you know what time it is?”
“Late.” I leaned back to maneuver my phone out of my pocket. “11:58.”
She sighed. “Close enough.” Her fingers wrapped around the collar of my shirt, tugging me closer till her lips met mine. “Happy New Year, Felix,” she whispered against my lips. “Now get me the hell out of here.”
Chapter 24: Juliet
I was up before the sun, even though I was more tired than I’d ever been in my life. It felt like someone had sucked my internal battery dry, stealing even the reserves. But I couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t close my eyes without
reliving it all. They’re gonna catch him. That’s what Felix had said, but I wasn’t sure I believed it anymore.
He’d been inside my apartment.
He’d been hiding in Wally’s bathroom.
Nowhere was safe.
A chill snaked through me despite the fact that all but my right foot was still snuggled under the blanket. Mainly because Felix was sprawled out right next to me, his head pillowed on my chest, an arm thrown carelessly across my stomach. I gently stroked my fingers through his hair as the sky lightened outside the windows, as the sunlight inched across the hotel room floor and crawled across the mattress.
My wrists throbbed underneath their bandages. It was past time to take another painkiller, but it felt like entirely too much effort to go get them. Felix grumbled in his sleep, his eyelids fluttering open. He squinted for a second, gaze traipsing over the room, before bouncing up to mine. “How long have you been awake?”
I shrugged. “Long enough.”
“Did you get any sleep last night?”
“Not as much as you.”
He nuzzled his cheek against me, fingers wrapping around my hip to pull me closer. “You make a very comfortable pillow.”
“Well, if this acting thing doesn’t work out I’ll be sure to consider that.” I waved a hand through the air. “Juliet St. Clair, human pillow available for rent.”
“Hell no. I don’t share.”
I curled one strand of silky pale blond hair around my finger. “Thank you for getting me out of there last night, I . . .” All the possible implications of him showing up last night finally hit me like a vicious slap to the face. I bolted upright, dumping Felix’s head onto the mattress. “Oh my God. Did anyone see you last night? Were you able to get past all the reporters?”
He propped himself up on an elbow, sweeping his hair out of his face with his other hand. “Uhh . . . no. They saw me.”
“Dammit.” I pressed my fingers into my forehead. “You didn’t have to do that. I appreciate it, so much, but—”
“Jules.” His hands carefully pulled mine back into my lap. “I didn’t mind. It was past time and I can’t think of a better reason to finally put it all out there.”
My eyes burned. “I can’t believe you did that.”
His lips tilted up into a lopsided grin. “Well, I’ve always heard love makes people do crazy things, this just proves it.”
Silence stretched between us, full of possibilities and warmth.
“You love me.” I skimmed my fingertips over his jaw, his fresh morning stubble pricking my skin.
“Yeah well, you love me back.” The tiniest hint of question snuck into his voice.
My lips grazed his, sweet and gentle without destroying him with my toxic morning breath. “Yeah I do.” I kissed him again, everything in my body urging me for more. I fought it off with a sigh. “I need to shower.” A frown settled on my face as I looked at my wrists. “Or something.”
“Hold that thought.” He rolled to the edge of the bed, straightening up before shifting into his wheelchair. I watched the strong muscles in his back flex as he made his way across the room, those gorgeous arms wet-dream worthy. He disappeared through a door at the other end of the room, and with a free minute, I reached for my purse and fumbled for my phone.
Unsurprisingly, my notifications were insanity. I brushed them all away with the swipe of my finger, pulling up my contacts. The phone was already ringing when I pressed it to my ear.
“Juliet, baby. How are you feeling?” Mom’s voice was barely a fraction less panicked than last night.
“I’m fine, really. Just tired. I promise.”
The sound changed as I got switched over to speakerphone. “What did those chump-ass police officers have to say for themselves? Are they any closer to catching this prick?”
“David.”
“What? They’re incompetent and ‘prick’ is one of the mildest words I can use to describe him.”
I bit back a laugh, and it felt so good to even have that sensation coursing through me after everything that’d happened in the past few months. I cleared my throat to try and regain their attention. “Detective Brackett didn’t really have anything new to tell me. No one saw anyone exiting the bathroom after I went in there, and my security team was standing outside the door the entire time. They think he must have left through the window.”
“What about fingerprints?” That was Dad again.
“What do they need fingerprints for? They know who it is.”
“Do they?”
I interrupted their back and forth again. “The letters started again right after he got out of prison. And they matched the handwriting from the previous notes to the new ones. They’re an identical match—it’s definitely him.”
“So how haven’t they found him yet?” David shouted. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell.” I could practically see him scrubbing a hand through his tawny hair.
“I know.” Frustration and fear were infecting us all. “All the letters have been postmarked from different locations around the city. So he’s here. They just can’t figure out where because there aren’t any credit cards under his name, no friends or family. He’s flying completely under the radar.”
Something scratched over the phone on their end, washing out their hushed voices. A deep breath leaked out from someone’s mouth. “Juliet, do you think . . .” Mom paused. “Maybe it would be safer if you came home?”
In my head the question sounded more like: Do you think it’d be safer if you led him straight to us and painted targets on our foreheads? Yeah, that was a no. For now, I was trying to live in the delusion that my stalker was too busy focusing on me to have delved into my past and my family. He’d already uncovered the last name I’d buried when I’d first set foot in this life, so it only required a payment of time and effort to follow the breadcrumbs back to my home. David was in on that little secret, but we hadn’t wanted to terrify Mom any further.
I sighed. “Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. I’m only here another two days before we head out for premieres.”
“It’s not worth it, you know,” Dad said. “You’ve already done so much for us. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you. And . . . just a minute, sweetheart, I’m . . . all right, all right . . . Elle wants to speak with you for a second, Jules.”
My sister, the savior.
Her words slurred slightly. “You’re welcome.”
“I owe you. Again.” I held up a finger toward Felix as he made his way back to the bed. It was so rare that Elle got on the phone with me anymore. He could have been sitting there completely naked, giving me that sexy smolder, and I wouldn’t have even budged. “How are you feeling, Elle?”
“No. H-how are you, you, y-you—” I waited while she struggled for that last word, letting her finish her sentence even though I knew how it was going to end. A deep breath whispered over the line. “Are you s-safe?”
“As I possibly can be. I’m taking every precaution I can. I’ve even doubled my security team—they’re standing right outside the door right now and I’ve got Felix here with me, too.”
“When are you bringing”—she swallowed—“b-bringing him h-h-home?”
“Soon. You’ll all love him.”
“You s-sure about . . . that?” She laughed.
“Well, even if you don’t, I do, so you have to pretend.” Felix shook his head at me, but a huge grin was plastered to his face.
“Wow. The L word.” She huffed out another laugh. “Go ha-have some fun, J-Jules. You d-d-d . . .” She blew out her frustration with a heavy breath. “Deserve it.”
“All right, I will.” My heart squeezed with the need to hug her. “I love you.”
“Love you t-too.”
I tossed my phone on the mattress and it bounced on the cream comforter. “Where’d you disappear to?”
He winked at me. “Why don’t you come and see?”
Chapter 25: Juliet
The b
athroom mirrors were fogged, the sweet scent of vanilla ripe on the air. The pearl-white Jacuzzi tub was filled to the brim, the hot water hidden by an epically large pile of bubbles.
Felix grimaced as he tugged on his earlobe. “I may have overdone it with the bubbles.”
I gasped in mock outrage. “There’s no such thing.” Resting my hands on his shoulders, I kissed him like I meant it, only stopping when he gently eased me back with a hand against my chest.
“Your doctor said you needed to take it easy.”
I arched an eyebrow at him. “So, you’re not coming in with me?”
“No, I am.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “But only because someone has to help you.” His gaze dropped pointedly to my wrists. “You can’t get them wet, remember?”
“Oh, I remember.” I leaned back against the counter, the cool edge of it pressing into the backs of my bare legs. “But that doesn’t mean other things can’t get . . . wet.”
He shook his head. “No funny business, Jules. Doctor’s orders.” He dropped his hands to the waistband of his boxer briefs, rocking up onto one hip and then the other to shimmy them down his legs. They landed on the floor in a tiny puddle of gray.
My eyes took the slow trip up his body, savoring every single piece of him that I’d been missing for an entire month. Just looking at him sent my blood into a mild simmer. I didn’t care what the doctor had to say, there was no chance I was leaving tomorrow morning without having my fill of Felix. Funny business would definitely be happening.
As my heated gaze met his, he sucked in a breath, his abs contracting deliciously and his hands almost absently rubbing over his thighs. His throat worked as he swallowed, a muscle in his jaw jumping. In a smooth, graceful move, he managed to transfer himself from his chair to the edge of the tub, lifting both legs over into the water before sliding down into it. Bubbles climbed up to the middle of his chest, a few streams of water spilling out onto the tiled floor.
Casually, I lifted my borrowed T-shirt over my head, slowly peeling it off myself. I tossed it to the floor before untwisting my hair tie and letting the long waves of my hair cascade down around my shoulders. My panties were last, another purposefully lazy act as I hooked my fingers in the soft cotton and slid them down my legs.
