She Belongs to Me (41 page)

Jordan disconnected the phone. Th
e police and medics had arrived.
H
e’d have to explain and get out of there fast.

Brian relayed the conversation to Pat as Jordan explained, leaving out the ‘in danger’ part. He was pretty sure she didn’t know about what was happening.

Her eyes narrowed at him. “And who are you?”

“I’m Brian. Jaynee’s brother.”

“But, I thought—”

“I’m her stepbrother. Listen, Pat, we don’t have much time. You and I need to go to her room, and you have to tell that John guy to leave, so I can see my sister.”

63

Chapter
Thirty-One

John sat down next to Jaynee as soon as Pat exited the room.

“Hi, Jaynee, it’s me John.” He waited for a response to his voice; there wasn’t any so he continued. He glanced over his shoulder several times, figuring Pat would be a while, but he didn’t want her to walk in
on him. “It’s going to be okay;
everything will be better very soon.”

He sat for a sec
ond, not sure what to say or do;
this could be his only chan
ce. “You know something, Jaynee,
I loved you from the second I saw you. When I saw you walking down the aisle, I imagined you were walking toward me. Then, when I held you when we danced, I imagined it was our first dance. Everything has always worked out for Jordan, and then he found you.”

John stared at her face; even in a halfway comatose state, she was beautiful. “I insinuated to Jordan you were cheating, but I knew you weren’t. You’re too wonderful. You would never leave him, would you?”

John saw Jaynee’s eyes flicker open, but what he saw terrified him. She was looking at him in fear. Her eyes filled with tears, and she looked
as if
she
were
going to scream.

Jaynee stirred at the sound of a new voice.

Who was speaking? It wasn’t Jordan. The moment she made visual contact, the conversation with Lorraine rushed to her conscious. She stared up in trepidation. John was sitting beside her. Where was Jordan?

John’s eyes widened and his hand moved to her face. “Jaynee, ’S okay
there’s no reason to be alarmed;
I would never hurt you.”

She tried to move, but it felt as if something held her strapped to the bed. Tears filled her eyes. “Where’s Jordan?” She struggled to get the words out, they sounded like gibberish even in her own ears. She tried to scream but nothing surfaced. Was John here to murder her?

Lorraine had told her she was in fear for her life. That someone from the company may be trying to murder her and Jordan. Someone had approached her on the porch. She thought it was Lorraine returning, but then she felt the strong arm circle her neck. When she tried to escape, the gun must have discharged. Oh, God, what happened? She was in the hospital, her head hurt. Had she shot herself?

Jaynee heard someone else enter the room but couldn’t turn her head to see who it was.

“You’ve upset her, John, you should leave. I’ll take over watching her.” It was another man’s voice. Everything inside her felt clouded, she couldn’t remember who the voice belonged to, but it sounded familiar.

John made eye contact with her again, his eyes pleaded with her as if she should understand something. “But I didn’t do anything.”

“Oh, didn’t you?” the other voice sneered, suddenly cold and callous. “Leave. I’ll stay with her until Jordan returns.”

Jaynee couldn’t see around John, and she felt herself slipping away again.
God, please help me
, she thought as the room grew dark again.

John stood up with one fleeting look at Jaynee. He hadn’t meant to frighten her, he didn’t even think she’d heard him, but she did appear panicky.

He hoped this wouldn’t get back to Jordan; he would definitely despise him. It’s not as if he would have ever propositioned her. He knew how Jordan felt about her. But he couldn’t resist telling her when he didn’t think she’d hear. He just needed to get everything off his chest. He always felt so uncomfortable when she was around, as though she could interpret his feelings.

John headed for the elevator but noticed it was still on the ground floor, so he opted for the stairs instead. Ashamed, his head fell low as he descended the steps.

Jordan would kill him when he found out.

***

Jordan explained the situation to the officers arriving on scene but told them he had to return to the hospital. That he was in fear of his wife’s life.

He called 911, requesting the operator transfer his call to Detective Williams or
Powe
. The dispatcher connected him to Len within seconds. He relayed what happened with Lorraine, and that she probably held information that would lead to an arrest.

Once again, he pushed the Altima to its limit on the highway. He raced toward the hospital, thankful for no cops on the streets. Not that he would have stopped anyway, but he couldn’t afford anyone detaining him.

Jordan reached for the phone again, but it started vibrating. He flipped it open, answering the call.

“Jordan,
it’s
Powe
. I’m sorry, man. Lorraine is dead. She went into cardiac arrest en route to the hospital, and the paramedics weren’t able to resuscitate her. I know she was a good friend.”

Jordan snapped the phone shut, disconnecting the call. There was nothing further to say. He stomped on the accelerator even harder.

He pulled the car directly outside the emergency room when he arrived. Let them tow it; he didn’t care. It was the fastest corridor to the elevator leading to ICU. He threw his keys on the receptionist’s counter, in case someone wanted to move it. He walked directly to the locked doors of the ER. “Buzz me in,” he demanded.

The receptionist recognized him this time and didn’t falter.

***

Brian and Pat stepped out of the elevator and headed toward Jaynee’s room. When they walked in, Brian saw a man standing over her.

“Ronny?” Pat’s voice sounded confused as she walked through the doorway. “Where’s John?”

“He just left. You must have passed him in the hall.”

Pat knew the man’s name, but cocked her head at him as if he were a stranger. “What are you doing here?”

Ronny glared at Pat. “I’m allowed to visit my sister-in-law, aren’t I? I
am
a member of this family.” He scowled and gestured to Brian. “Who’s this?”

Brian narrowed his eyes and smiled as patronizingly as he could muster then extended his hand. “I’m Brian, Jaynee’s brother.”

Ronny eyed Brian with suspicion as he shook his hand, holding on to it a fraction too long as if he wanted to convey a message to him. “Does Jordan know you’re here?”

“Of course, he requested I visit, and you? Does he know you’re here? Jordan told me nobody was allowed in Cay’s—I mean Jaynee’s room but Pat and myself.” It wasn’t a big slip, he was her brother after all—hilarious thought that was. They had to know her first name was Caycee.

“He asked for
you
to be here—with Jaynee?” he sneered, his tone incredulous as he shook his head back and forth.

Brian wondered for a second if Jaynee had something going on with this guy and had confessed to him about him showing up and harassing her at the coffee shop,

Pat stared between both men, obviously as confused as he was. “Do you know each other?”

“Never saw him before in my life,” Brian answered.

“No,” Ronny conceded.

Brian stood his full six foot four inches and puffed out his chest as far as he could. “You need to leave, Ronny. I’m sure Jordan will call you when he returns.” Maybe this guy was a cop too. He felt great finally being able to tell a cop what to do. The man certainly wouldn’t try anything.

Pat nodded. “Unfortunately, Ronny, Brian’s correct. Only two people can be here, and Jordan did request Brian stay with me and Jaynee.”

Brian couldn’t help but smirk at Caycee’s mother-in-law’s acceptance. He didn’t know who this guy Ronny thought he was, but he didn’t trust him. He’d hung out with enough bad dudes to know one when he saw one. The look in this man’s eyes spelled danger.

Jordan ascended the stairs two at a time, anxious to return to Jaynee.

He needed food but couldn’t waste the time. He pushed through the stairwell door, which felt even heavier than earlier. After he rounded the corner to Jaynee’s room, he exhaled when he saw Pat sitting and Brian, his arms folded across his chest and legs crossed at the ankles, leaning against the wall.

Jaynee was still sleeping, but a modicum of color filled her face.

Jordan leaned against the doorway. “Mom, I think I’m
gonna
be sick. Can you get me something to eat?” He
did feel nauseated but also needed to talk with Brian alone. He didn’t want to get into explanations with his mother.

Pat stood up at once. “Oh sure, hon. I’ll be right back.” His mom lovingly patted his arm as she walked
past
him, leaving the room.

Jordan took her vacant spot in the chair, letting his head gently fall onto Jaynee’s arm. He didn’t know how much longer he could go without sleep.

Brian said nothing. He had to notice how weak he was at this moment. He could feel him staring at him. Jordan looked up as he attempted to keep his head from spinning. His blood sugar had dropped, and he felt as though he would collapse any moment. “Thank you, Brian,” he groaned.

Brian shook his head. “You look horrible. You really love her, don’t you?”

He sighed and took in the man he wanted so desperately to hate but was feeling oddly grateful he’d been here. “I do, and I can’t thank you enough for watching over her.” He wondered why he was even being civil. Was it only for Jaynee’s sake?

“I didn’t do anything. When we arrived, John
had
supposedly just left and your brother-in-law was safeguarding her. He didn’t seem overjoyed to see me here. He looked angry; he acted as if he knew me.”

Jordan cocked his head at him. “Bobby was here?” He had spoken with him this morning; he had a large job in Lake Norman. No way could he have made it back already.

“I think your mother said his name was Ronny.”

A chill swept through Jordan. “Ronny? Are you sure?” Ronny never showed up anywhere to help or checkup on anyone in the family. Jordan and he got along okay at work, but he never felt like family. He was always on the outside, never happy with his lot. He would never come to family gatherings unless Rachael dragged him along. He hadn’t visited Jaynee since the accident.
Even on the first day, when everyone was here.
So why would he appear today? He was at the office this morning when Jordan had called to talk to Bobby. He was just checking out the local projects they were working on, saying he’d be around all day, not to worry he’d take care of everything. Those were his exact words.

Jordan looked back at Brian; he had to be sure. “What exactly did he say?”

“I’m not sure. We walked in, and he was standing next to her. Your mother asked where John was, and he said he’d just left. Then he asked who I was and acted as if he didn’t believe me when I said I was her brother. I thought I lied pretty convincing.”

Somehow, that didn’t surprise Jordan. He shook his feelings off. “Then what happened?”

“Well…I did what you asked. I told him he needed to leave, that you didn’t want anyone here but me and Pat.” Brian smirked. “He wasn’t pleased, especially when your mother agreed. He bolted out of the room after that.”

Jordan turned back to Jaynee. “Jaynee, love, you have to
wakeup
. You need to tell me what’s going on.” Jordan squeezed her hand, persuading her to awaken.
He leaned in closer, whispering in her ear, “Jaynee, please wakeup.”

Jaynee could hear Jordan’s voice. She struggled with the veil that hung over her eyes.

She knew she had to wakeup. There was so much they needed to discuss. She couldn’t continue to hold all the secrets she’d been keeping. She had to tell him about Brian showing up at the Coffee House. She’d promised when they married to never keep anything away from him.

But more than anything, she had to warn him about what Lorraine had said. She had to warn him about John…she couldn’t believe John tried to kill her. Or that he’d try to kill Jordan, he loved Jordan. He was like a brother to him.

Jordan watched as Jaynee’s eyes slowly squinted open again.

“Jordan?” Jaynee’s voice was raspy but more coherent.

“Thank you, God! Please stay with me, Jaynee. You need to tell me what’s happening. Who hurt you?”