Close to Heart

by T. J. Kline

  “No!” Her denial was too quick, too adamant. She cleared her throat. “Not really.”

  Justin pushed away from the table, his self-control snapping as fury raged through him. He had seen Julia fight her way out of an abusive relationship. Why would Lyssa lie to him about this?

  “What does that mean, Lyssa? That he didn’t hit you but he grabbed you, or that he pushed you?” She looked away, not answering him, and he had the only answer he needed.

  “Son of a bitch.” Justin clenched his teeth, pacing the kitchen, running his hands through his short hair. His hands gripped the granite edge of the counter as he tried to regain control, his chest heaving, his heart pounding with the effort to control his anger. “I’m going to kill that bastard.”

  ALYSSA WAS SURPRISED by the depth of Justin’s anger. She hadn’t known what to expect from him when she told him the truth about her marriage. She’d seen him angry but never like this, not even after Bailey had walked out last night. This was rage, barely contained. She had no doubt that if Justin were to meet Elijah right now, he’d beat him with his bare hands. It frightened her but at the same time, it reassured her. His anger wasn’t directed at her. In fact, she seemed to be the reason he was holding it together instead of heading out in search of Elijah now.

  Justin must have realized what he was saying and clenched his fists tightly at his sides, stemming the flow of angry words, as he turned back toward her. He covered the space between them with two long strides and squatted in front of her, his hand reaching for her cheek. The intensity of his eyes made her flinch, and he closed his, taking another deep, calming breath.

  When he opened them she could recognize the anxious fear she saw. He was worried about her safety. When his hand moved to caress her cheek, she leaned into his touch.

  “You’re okay? The baby?”

  Tears filled her eyes. Not because she was afraid—that had disappeared the moment he touched her—but because this man was so willing to come to the defense of her and her child. He barely even knew her. She couldn’t speak past the knot lodged in her throat. Her hand came up to cup his jaw. The scrape of his scruff against her palm was rough and seductive when coupled with his tenderness. She leaned toward him, needing to feel the connection between them that had come from the moment she’d stepped out of her car.

  A sound of a car honking outside the clinic made her flinch.

  She had to get her head on straight. She knew several women who blamed lapses of judgment on pregnancy brain, but this had nothing to do with her pregnancy. This had to do with Justin sending her senses spinning out of control, remembering what it was like to be wanted and cherished, to be seen as a woman and partner, not a trophy.

  When she’d left Beverly Hills, she’d wanted nothing more than to find a place to hide, to gather her bearings and figure out how to save her marriage. Justin had shattered the plans she had for her future. He had awakened desires in her she’d never known she possessed. He’d reminded her that she wasn’t a possession, a commodity to exploit. Her opinion mattered. She had a voice and was more than just a pretty face.

  “Should I go see who that is?” Justin asked. There were only inches separating their lips. If she moved forward just a little . . .

  “Damn it, Lyssa.” His breath was warm against her mouth. His lips brushed against hers as he spoke, and she felt the anticipation of his kiss wash over her. “You make me forget I’m angry when you look at me that way.”

  Without warning, Justin stood and left the kitchen to see who had arrived, leaving her feeling cheated at the too-brief caress. She heard male voices as he escorted Franklin into the kitchen. She tried to compose herself, taking a deep breath before looking up from her seat at the table at her old friend, smiling at her.

  “You look good, Aly.” She rose to give him a hug, but her belly got in the way. Franklin laughed and moved to one side before kissing her cheek, letting his hand linger over the side of her stomach. “Are you sure there’s only one baby in there?”

  “That’s what they keep saying, but as often as I’m getting kicked, I’m not so sure.” Her quiet laughter died when Franklin eyed Justin suspiciously.

  “Is this him?” Franklin didn’t sound thrilled to meet him and it disappointed her. She wanted him to appreciate all Justin had done for her as much as she did.

  “Franklin, this is Dr. Hart. He’s been letting me stay until the car is fixed. Justin, this is my lawyer and good friend, Franklin Monroe.”

  Franklin gave Justin a quick nod and turned back to Alyssa, dismissing him. “We need to talk.” He glanced back at Justin pointedly. “Privately.”

  Justin scoffed from his place in the doorway. Even though he appeared relaxed, she could see the tension in his stance, unwilling to back down to anyone. “This is my home and I’m not leaving unless it’s what Lyssa wants.”

  The two men glared at one another in a standoff of wills. She hadn’t expected this ridiculous confrontation to establish dominance. She looked from Franklin to Justin. She hadn’t been able to trust many people, especially in her line of work, but she trusted Justin. She wanted him to stay. The fact that she barely knew him didn’t change that his presence made her feel safe, protected, and secure. Franklin must have seen the truth on her face and moved to the end of the table, not waiting for her to say anything. He lifted his briefcase to remove several files.

  “I need you to sign this.” He slid a document toward her as she settled herself next to him, twisting her hands in her lap nervously.

  “What is it?”

  Justin moved to take the seat beside her and reached for her hand, squeezing it gently, reassuring her.

  Franklin looked up at Alyssa. “I found a buyer for the car, but I need to get a copy of the title.”

  “I’m not the registered owner,” she pointed out.

  “Actually, you are. Elijah bought the car as a company vehicle and you’re still listed as the agency’s CFO, which means you can sell it.”

  “Why am I the CFO? I never worked at the agency.”

  “No, but let’s face it. Elijah isn’t exactly the most law-abiding citizen I’ve ever met. If he can figure out a way to work the system, he will. As long as you’re listed, he can write off anything you do as a business expense. Not to mention the salary he documented that he paid you. I’m sure that’s in a nice offshore account somewhere in his name, too.”

  She shook her head and looked down at her hands. “That’s tax fraud, isn’t it?”

  “Technically, yes. But it’s not like I have any proof.” Franklin shrugged. “I have a far easier way to crush him without the time proving tax evasion would take. I have a wholesale buyer lined up for you as soon as we have the car’s title in our hands. He’s offering ninety thousand—less than it’s worth, but he’s taking it as is and it’s a quick sale.” Franklin pulled out another folder. “This is for the restraining order.”

  “I told you I didn’t—”

  “Aly, do it to protect yourself and the baby. I’m not sure what Elijah’s trying to accomplish with these press conferences. He hasn’t tried to contact you, but claims you’re missing. Something isn’t right and I don’t trust him.” He eyed the newspaper on the table. “I don’t want him finding you. It’s not safe for you or the baby until we have some answers. This should keep him at a distance.”

  Alyssa didn’t miss the look of warning Franklin shot Justin. She doubted a restraining order would be worth any more than the paper it was printed on. And Elijah had frightened her a few times, but he would never actually hurt her. The image of his eyes, furious and frenzied, when he’d ordered her to leave filled her mind.

  Are you sure?

  The press conference didn’t make any sense. He obviously wasn’t the man she’d fallen in love with in college. She wasn’t sure that man ever existed.

  “Aly, he’s already gotten to your parents. I called them this morning. He’s convinced them that you ran away with a lover.”

  “What? Wh
y?”

  “The only thing I can figure out is that he’s trying to leave you with nothing after the divorce. Not just without money, but if he turns your family against you, you have no place to go. If he can turn the media against you next, there’ll be no coming back to your career.” Franklin looked at Justin then back to Alyssa. “You need to strike first. He has investigators searching for you, and I’ve hired my own to get proof of his infidelity.”

  “Why bother?” she scoffed. “It’s Hollywood. No one cares who is sleeping with whom. It’s more abnormal not to sleep around. You know that.”

  Franklin arched a brow skeptically. “If that’s how you felt, you wouldn’t be here now.” He passed her a large stack of papers in a folder. “These are the divorce papers. Take a look at what’s in them, but I’m going to take him to the cleaners. You won’t get everything we’re asking for, but this will give us room to negotiate down.”

  “I don’t want anything from him.” Her voice sounded more confident than she actually felt.

  Both men looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. Justin simply raised a brow in curiosity, but Franklin shook his head in disbelief. She knew they wouldn’t understand, but she didn’t want anything from Elijah. Settlements and monthly alimony checks would tie her to him. She didn’t want anything that would give him control over her again. The past few days had been a wake-up call, reminding her of the strong, independent woman she’d once been. A woman who knew what she wanted and went after it. A woman who felt more than fear and trepidation. She wanted to become a woman who embraced her future with open arms rather than cowering doubt.

  “Aly, you are listed as the CFO of the agency. He wouldn’t have anything if you hadn’t given him his start and his credibility, let alone the money to fund the agency. Half of everything is yours. At the very minimum, the court will demand child support.”

  She shook her head adamantly. “All I want is a trust fund set up for the baby, including a college fund. He can keep the rest. I don’t want it.”

  “Aly,” Franklin tried to argue.

  She scanned the document detailing the value of her marriage, counting the days in terms of property and possessions to be split into shares. The pages didn’t mention the nights she’d spent waiting up for Elijah when he claimed to be working late at the office, or the movies she’d lost because of his desire for her to retire. The documents didn’t show how he’d crushed her confidence with his constant criticism. There was nothing in the legal document about love. Her entire marriage was reduced to a monthly payment, like a credit account.

  “I need a few minutes to think. I’m going to take a walk.” She rose but Franklin reached out for her hand, intent on persuading her to see this his way. She didn’t need persuasion, she needed a moment to grieve the loss of her marriage, of the life she’d thought she would live. “Just a few minutes.”

  Justin didn’t look happy but he gave her a quick nod, as if he understood her need to be alone. “Just stay in view of the house, okay?” His voice was quietly reassuring.

  Ever her protector.

  She had no doubt he would have walked with her if she’d asked, but this was something she wanted to do alone. Once she started down this path, in opposition to the man who had controlled every part of her life for the past six years, there was no turning back. This was the first step of many toward returning to the woman she’d once been.

  Chapter Nine

  JUSTIN WATCHED FROM the window as Lyssa made her way past the barn and around the corner, just out of sight from the kitchen. He’d wanted to go with her, to offer her support, but he’d sensed something changing in her. There was a determination in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. She needed a moment to gather herself. He’d been around strong women enough to know when to give them some space.

  “You want coffee, Frank?” he offered. Justin wasn’t sure yet how to feel about Alyssa’s lawyer. He seemed awfully friendly with Alyssa, but he didn’t want to jump to conclusions.

  The man at the table shot him a scathing glare. “It’s Franklin. And, no thank you.” Franklin stood and tried to look for Lyssa as she made her way back into their view, walking over the short grass toward the tree line at the back of the house. “I don’t like her going out alone.”

  “She’s fine,” Justin assured him. She was far stronger than this man was giving her credit for. He’d already seen that with Lucky and the decision about Rocky. Once she took a stance, she wasn’t about to back down. “Does she know you’re in love with her?”

  Franklin spun back to face Justin. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Alyssa and I have been friends for years.”

  Justin chuckled quietly. “Maybe so, but that doesn’t change the fact that you love her.”

  He could certainly sympathize with the man. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to find himself in the same predicament. There was something about Alyssa Cole that made a man want to sacrifice everything for her, including his heart.

  “I do love her, but not like that. She’s like the little sister I never had. I care about her, a lot. We were best friends for a long time.” His voice took on a sentimental note.

  “Sure. Friends,” Justin repeated, trying to keep the jealousy rising up in him from coloring his voice.

  “I don’t really give a crap what you believe. I’m not here for you.” Franklin eyed Justin defensively before crossing his arms over his chest and giving Justin a laugh. “You’re jealous, aren’t you?” Justin took a sip of his coffee, ignoring Franklin’s insight. “You don’t hide it nearly as well as you think you do,” Franklin pointed out.

  If this man could see it, surely Lyssa could, too. He wanted to turn his back on this entire mess of drama she’d brought to his doorstep—puppies, crazy exes, and now, a lawyer. The only thing missing was the media, and he was sure they’d be here as soon as Franklin filed the paperwork.

  “I knew Aly back in college, when she got started acting and got her big break. She hadn’t even graduated before Elijah reached for her coattails like the leech I suspected he was. I couldn’t stand him from the start.” He shook his head and peered out the window to where she stood at the edge of the tree line. “I tried to convince myself it was because I was jealous of the time she was spending with him, but when her career took off, I made sure I was right beside her. I would have stayed there, too, if Elijah hadn’t fired me.”

  Justin stared into his coffee, shaking his head. “You’ve got a few reasons to hate the guy.”

  “You have no idea,” Franklin confessed. “He and I had plenty of battles over what was best for Aly’s career. Try watching your best friend give up everything for a man who doesn’t deserve or appreciate her. I always thought he was cheating on her, but I couldn’t prove it.”

  Anger began to bubble in Justin’s chest. “But you let her stay?” Every man she’d trusted had let her down. He set the cup on the table and stalked closer, ready to pummel this friend of Lyssa’s for allowing things to come to this. “You knew what was happening and turned your back on her?”

  “What was I supposed to do? By then, they were married. Even when I did tell her, she didn’t believe me.” Franklin stood straighter, not about to back down. “This Aly you see, this isn’t who she was with him. I don’t understand how it happened, and it was so gradual I almost thought I’d imagined it. But within a few years, she’d ‘retired’ from acting and said it was for their marriage.” Franklin shook his head.

  “She didn’t talk to me for a few years after that. Then, almost a year ago, she called me to have lunch. We rarely talk about Elijah or her marriage. She’s still reserved, but I get glimpses of the way she used to be, before she started dating him. I didn’t want to take a chance that pressing her about her marriage would push her away again. I wanted to believe she was happy.”

  Justin could feel his anger at this man waning. It wasn’t Franklin he wanted to kill, it was Elijah. “She won’t admit to him being abusive.”

>   “I know. She minimizes it, or takes the blame. But I’m not sure she sees what he did as being physically abusive, although pushing and shoving absolutely are.” Franklin took a deep breath and looked out the window again. “There was enough emotional abuse to see it changed her. You have to help me convince her to go through with this. This is the most determined I’ve seen her in years. I don’t know what you’ve done in the past two days, but don’t stop now. This is the Aly I remember from college. I don’t want to see her go back to that empty, unhappy Stepford wife he turned her into.”

  Justin couldn’t ignore the gnawing ache at the thought of Lyssa returning to the life she’d left. He’d already seen the fear and hesitation that haunted her eyes disappearing. He’d known her only a few days, but even he could see the changes taking place, the confidence returning to her. He’d seen glimpses of the fire in her that he hadn’t expected from the woman who had first arrived, and the thought of her returning to her ex-husband, going back into that dysfunctional life, made him want to put his fist through the wall. He couldn’t entertain the idea that she would even consider putting herself or her child back into that kind of situation again.

  “What makes you sure she would?”

  A frown curved Franklin’s brow. “I’m not, but I’m also not completely sure she wouldn’t.”

  ALYSSA WANDERED DOWN the walkway toward the tall pine trees, inhaling deeply. She almost turned back for her sweater but didn’t want to face the two men in the kitchen just yet. She knew what they wanted—for her to sign the papers and be done with Elijah once and for all—but it wasn’t that simple. This was her marriage, to a man she’d once been sure she loved. The man she’d thought loved her. If she could make a mistake this enormous, how could she ever take another chance on love again? How could she trust any of the decisions she made?

  Her hands curved around her belly, caressing where her child was nestled. She took another deep breath, trying to let the quiet of the crisp early winter morning breathe confidence back into her. She could be a good mother, even if she was single. She wasn’t going to let the mistakes she’d made in her past dictate her child’s future.