Shit. I know he’s her uncle. I know they’re her family, they’ve had her forever and are more than protective after experiencing losing her parents. I know they don’t know me. And I know he has every right to say what he just said. But that fucking pisses me off. She’s only been mine for five days and that’s exactly what she is as of right now. Mine.
I pull in a breath to calm myself down when I say, “You’re right. I’m here and that means something. I’m not going anywhere and if she lets me, I’ll see her through this.” That’s all he’s getting from me. I’m afraid to say anything else that will show him just how much he’s pissed me off.
Gino stares at me a beat then lifts his head once and says on an exhale, “All right,” turning to look back to his brothers he says decisively, “Jude needs to get in to see Gabby, get the women out.”
Tony and I walk back into the ER bays, we hear her aunts talking softly. As I pull back the curtain to walk through, I see Gabby laying there asleep. Her right temple has a large bump and the bruising is seeping out onto the side of her eye. Thinking how hard he must have hit her to do that makes my stomach turn. She’s in a hospital gown, they have her hooked up to an IV and I can hear the beeping of the machines monitoring her heart and breathing. Her three aunts are standing sentry around her bed. I move to the foot with Tony next to me.
Tony, gently doing what he needs to do to remove his aunts from the room says, “Dad wanted me to tell you that you’re needed in the waiting room. Jude and I are going to stay with her.”
“I’m not leaving, Tony. You can just tell your dad--” Lizzie starts saying but Tony interrupts her with, “Mom, other people need to see her, too. She’s not going anywhere, she’ll be here all night. There are probably things you all need do for Gabby at home. Someone’s gonna have to keep Mia tonight and make sure she’s set when she gets home tomorrow. You all can work on that.”
Sighing, Lizzie gives in and says, “I’m sure Lanny and Sophia will take Mia, I’ll arrange it. We should get to her house, clean it and start making her some dinners or something.” She looks up at her sisters in law, “What do you think?”
Emma and Tia both agree. All three women take turns leaning down to gently kiss their niece on the head and say their goodbyes. I move to the side of her bed and without taking my eyes off Gabby say to Tony, “Thanks.”
“Sure.”
I pull up a little round swivel stool, lift up her hand and turn it over in mine. I see scrapes, bright pink scuff marks on her palms that are usually smooth and soft. “Fuck, I didn’t do enough,” I whisper.
“It’s not your fault, Jude. You’ve gotta let that go.”
“I didn’t want her to go out shopping today alone. She talked me into one store. One store was all it took and she was vulnerable.”
“Gabby can be persistent and usually doesn’t have a problem getting what she wants. She was the same way with her dad. Shit, she’s that way with all of us. She can be hard to deny. You’re new to her charms, Jude. No one can blame you for giving in to her,” he says, his tone is a mix of frustration and resignation.
“I should have stuck with my gut feeling about her going out,” I say. Then looking up at him, “But that’s good to know. I’ll remember that.”
“Good luck with that,” Tony says sarcastically.
A nurse comes in and starts directing us, “We’re ready to move her. Her things are on the counter in a bag. If you could grab those and follow me, we just had a private room come open. She should be able to go home tomorrow.”
Tony leaves to tell his family they are moving her and her room number. As the nurse starts clipping all her medical lines to the bed and making some noise, Gabby starts to stir. She turns her head and barely opens her eyes and I lean down close to her face, placing my hand on the uninjured side of her head and say, “Hey sugar. You’re safe. You’re going to be okay.”
“Jude?”
“Yeah, baby, right here.”
She looks at me and I gently take her hand in mine. Her eyes start to fill with tears. Seeing the look on her face and tears in her eyes for the first time, cuts through me like a knife. I want to pick her up and hold her at the same time put my foot through another wall. I can barely hear her when she says, “I’m sorry.”
“Gabby,” I whisper back, “what do you have to be sorry for?”
“I didn’t believe you. I should have listened. I never thought Trevor would hurt me. I’m so sorry, now I’ve put everyone through this.”
“Sugar, listen to me, no one knew what he was capable of so don’t say that. Your family and I are just relieved you’re okay. I’m going to be right here, I’m not leaving you.”
Her tears start to spill over and she goes on, “It’s just the things he said to me, I never thought he would be capable of anything that happened today. He was a different person.”
“I know, babe. Let’s talk about it later after you get some rest. They’re going to keep you tonight to watch you. I’ll stay with you, alright?”
“Okay.”
“Try and go back to sleep,” I say, hoping sleep will come so she can stop thinking about what happened. I lean down, kiss her mouth and I can taste her tears. We roll out to get to her private room, I follow carrying a plastic bag with her stuff in it and carrying her IV.
They move her from one bed to the other and I can see how much pain she is in when she tries to move. I make a mental note that she needs to keep on top of her pain meds. She settles, getting as comfortable as she can while looking tired again. I walk over, kiss her forehead and say, “Gabby, please, go back to sleep.”
Her eyes are so drowsy, but she looks back up at me and says, “I can’t believe I have to get beat up and threatened by Trevor Harper for you to say please.”
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. E
ven 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 ope
n 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?”
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