Sweet Obsession (Men of Whiskey Row Book 1) (46 page)

“Yeah, hopefully we’ll be there soon. I can’t believe that Lex was so pissed at me that he wouldn’t let me use his plane.” Jack leaned forward between them shaking his head ruefully. “Kat accepted my apology and said the flowers were great, but obviously I need to do a little more groveling.”

Darby shifted in the driver’s seat. “Well, it may be a little bit more than that. See uh…in order for the girls to fly in with me and Case for their visit, I asked him for the use of his plane. He said I could use it on one condition. My guess is he’s still a little salty that I haven’t come through for him yet.”

The other two brothers leaned in curiously, waiting to hear the arrangement terms. “He said in his big, scary, Russian voice that I had to get Viv to come home. That it was time for them to talk face to face.”

There was a moment of stunned silence following Darby’s confession before Jack gave a long whistle. “She’ll never go for it. How you gonna manage that?” he asked curiously and rubbed his neck. The feeling of unease was getting stronger and making him even antsier.

“I know that he’s been trying to talk to her for a while; and that whenever he comes to town, she conveniently happens to be out of town,” Casey said slowly. “I’ve tried talking to her about it, but it’s the one thing she actually keeps her mouth shut on; which says a lot ‘cause you know she’s got an opinion on everything.”

“Casey, I need a favor from your private investigator friend. See what he can dig up on Joel Rothman having an affair with a stockbroker named Kelly Travers. It’s been hot and heavy between them for the last three months, and in that time frame, Rothman has been making extremely successful choices with his investments. I’m also gonna need your guy at the Security Exchange Commission,” Jack said casually.

Casey whistled softly. “Are you going after Rothman because he’s Vaughn’s husband? Sounds pretty personal. You still harboring feelings for her?”

Jack smacked the back of his brother’s head, making him yelp with pain. “No, jackass. I’m going after him because he dared to get between Noelle and me. No one and nothing will ever come between us again,” he vowed, ignoring the loaded look his brothers exchanged.

Flashing lights ahead caught their attention. Traffic was down to a slow crawl as passing drivers surveyed the scene. Police and ambulance were everywhere. There was a large semi-truck with its emergency lights on. A Volkswagen Bug was behind it, crushed on its side to it while an SUV was smashed into the other side of it. The emergency responders had applied the Jaws of Life system to the small vehicle. It was undoubtedly a gruesome-looking accident.

“Damn, do you think whoever was in that car made it out alive?” Casey asked in disbelief. “It’d be a miracle that’s for sure. Hey, pull over; I see Harvey Pete’s on duty. Let’s ask.”

“Case, I’m not trying to be a dick, but I’ve got a plane to catch. We really can’t afford to stop,” Jack said shortly. The feeling that something was wrong sat in his gut like a two-ton boulder. If he missed the plane, Casey was going to get it.

“Just hold on, it’ll take but a minute. What if it was somebody from ‘The Row’?” Case said patiently as they stopped by the policeman. “Hey, H.P., Can you tell me what happened here?”

The two men shook hands. “Good to see you, Case. Willard Ross had a heart attack at the wheel and rammed into the car which slammed into the truck. The young woman that was in the car is in serious condition. She had to be pried out and airlifted to the Trauma Center. Damn shame it was. She’s not from around here. Her driver’s license says New York City, so I gotta locate her next of kin,” Harvey said regretfully. “Hopefully she’ll pull through.”

“New York?” Jack asked sharply, a sense of foreboding filling him. “What’s her name, H.P.?”

“The young lady’s name is Noelle Kramer. Say you’re livin’ there now, ain’t ya? You wouldn’t happen to know her by chance? I mean I know it’s a big city and all….”

Jack couldn’t hear anything past his heart pounding in his ears. His brothers were talking to him, but he couldn’t hear them. He could only hear Harvey’s words.

In serious condition. Jaws of Life had to pry her out.
The young lady’s name is Noelle Kramer.

His love. His world. What was she doing in Tennessee???

***

The hospital hallway was eerily quiet; the only sounds that could be heard were Jack’s shoes as he paced up and down the hallway outside of Noelle’s room. It was a slow, methodical pace that belied the fear that now lived in him as he waited for the doctor to come out of her room with her prognosis. The last hour was a blur for him. He remembered Harvey arranging a police escort to take them to the hospital; Darby and Casey murmuring words of encouragement as he bent his head and prayed for all that he was worth. The urge to choke the shit out of the slow-moving head nurse upon arrival was strong as she questioned his relationship to Noelle.

“She’s my fucking life!” Jack shouted, getting in her face and she flinched back; all commotion stopped around them. Although he meant to say wife, he didn’t correct himself, because what he said was so true. He would die if she didn’t make it. Darby, grabbed him, and led him to the elevator as she stammered out the room number and directions. Casey took the forms that needed to be filled out.

Jack yanked on his hair in frustration as he waited for the doctor. Casey asked him questions as he filled out the hospital paperwork while Darby made calls to friends and family. The door opened, and the elderly doctor stepped out. He warily looked at the three, big men whose lethal gazes were trained on him as they crowded around him. He spoke to the one who stepped forward with the bruise on his face and wild hair, making him look ferocious. “Mr. Sullivan?”

“Yes, I’m her husband. How is she?” Jack demanded tensely, shoving his clenched hands into his pockets to keep from shaking the man for information.

“She’s resting for now. She had a mild concussion on impact but came out of it due to the pain she experienced. Your wife has a cracked collar bone, three broken ribs, and a broken ankle. She’s experiencing a lot of discomfort because we couldn’t give her the strongest pain meds possible due to her condition.”

“What do you mean her condition?” Jack barked. “What fucking condition?”

“Well the baby, of course.” The doctor said worriedly as Jack staggered back, stunned at the revelation as his brothers braced him. “I’m sorry, sir. I thought you knew…”

“Can I see her?” Jack asked dazedly.  A baby. He was going to be a daddy. Joy was a healing balm running through his body, and he vowed to be the best dad possible; to fight even harder for his marriage.

“Yes, but just for a little bit. She really does need her rest,” the doctor said firmly before adding, “Congratulations.” Then he walked away.

“Congratulations, brother,” Darby said giving his shoulder a clasp and pulling him close. Casey chimed in, “Congrats, bro. Now pull it together. Don’t go in there like a pussy, and tell her we love her.”

Jack quietly entered the room and was stunned at the amount of tubes Noelle was hooked up to. She looked so pale and helpless laying there, her breathing short and shallow. Her lips were dry and cracked and her eyes were black and blue. There was an angry-looking lump on her forehead, and he could see the bruising and swelling above her right collarbone. He pulled back the covers by her feet and saw the cast around her ankle.
The pain she must be in,
he thought, tears filling his eyes. She could have lost their baby and the thought was enough to bring him to his knees by her hospital bed.

“Don’t. Cry.” It was uttered softly and Jack jerked his head up to look at her face. Her eyes were partially open.

“Noelle… baby, are you okay? Should I get the doctor?” he asked standing up, tears running unchecked down his face. Leaning over he gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

“Hurts, Jack,” she mumbled and he clasped her hand gently. He wasn’t ever planning on letting go. She was his lifeline. Her eyes closed again, and she tried to speak but no words came out.

“What hurts, baby?” he asked with concern, trying to compose himself.

“Heart hurts. See you cry. Don’t,” she said faintly, her fingers curling weakly around his before drifting off to sleep; a content smile on her lips.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

She awoke in severe agony. Her hands flew to her stomach, and she felt fire in her upper chest at her sudden movement. Moaning in pain, Noelle tried to feel for the small bump of her tummy.

“The baby’s fine, Noelle.” And she closed her eyes as the warmth of that sweet, southern drawl washed over her. God, it had been too long since she’d last heard it. She heard him move. “Do you need more medicine?”

Noelle opened her eyes at the concern lacing his voice to see Jack hovering above her. His hair looked like it hadn’t been combed in a while, his face covered in whiskers, and he was sporting a large bruise on his left cheek. To coin a phrase, he looked like shit; but to Noelle, he was the most beautiful sight in the world.

“What happened? I feel like I went fifty rounds in a fight club,” Noelle groaned, licking her chapped lips. She slowly sipped from the cup of water Jack brought to her lips. It was cool and refreshing going down her parched throat. “That’s good, thank you.”

“You were involved in a bad car accident and sustained some pretty awful injuries, but the important thing is that you and the baby are alive,” Jack said gravely. Noelle could see the questions and hurt in his eyes.

“I was on my way to tell you about the baby. I didn’t think it was something you should say over the phone,” she said quietly, trying to gauge how he felt about the news of impending fatherhood.

“Noelle, you’re almost five months along. When were you gonna say somethin’?” Jack asked, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. The relief of having her awake and coherent was great, but so was his anger at her secrecy. He watched as fire flashed in her tired eyes.

“Should I have called you up after your disappearing act?” She retorted angrily. “Or better yet, stick a post it note on the recurring divorce papers you sent me? “

“Oh you mean the papers you finally signed? Yeah, Casey made a special trip to give them to me; and it was the wakeup call I needed to realize how badly I was fucking things up,” he asked shortly. “I was on my way to the airport to catch a flight to see you and beg for a second chance, when we saw the accident. God, that took about a hundred years off my life, darlin’, when the deputy said your name,” Jack said unevenly.

Noelle frowned in confusion; what was he talking about? She’d never signed the papers, and realization dawned on her that it was Casey who’d forged them for her, knowing it would get his brother moving.

“How do you feel about the baby?” Noelle asked quietly, watching as he rubbed his hand over his shadowed jaw and a big grin broke out across his face.

“I’m very happy about the baby. It’s more than I could have dreamed or hoped for,” he replied honestly. “I think you’ll make a great mother, Noelle, and I plan to be front and center for every moment in our child’s life. I hope it’s something we’ll be doing together.”

“How do you plan on doing that exactly?” Noelle asked bluntly. “I mean, you said you loved me, and then
ran,
not walked, away from me. How do I know that the next time shit gets too real, you won’t take off again?”

Jack stiffened. “I fucked up and ran out on you, and words can’t express how sorry I am for that. I did it because I was ashamed of the way I treated you our last night together. All my life, I’ve been terrified that I would turn out like my father with his violent, dominating nature. Our last night together, I…I never felt more like him,” he explained, shaking his head in self-disgust.

“When you said we were done, I just lost it. The thought of not having you in my life was making me crazy. So I tried to reach you in the only way that I thought would make you see how good we are together. My perverse need to hear you say you belonged to me was disgusting, but I couldn’t stop myself.”

“That’s why you left? Because you felt like you were turning into your father?” Noelle asked, and Jack nodded solemnly. “Even though you said you loved me?”