The worst part was I knew they shared their location with each other, so the only thing I could think of was he was somewhere he shouldn’t be.
What an ass.
I was trying to breathe and be calm for Fia because all I wanted to do right now was not only hit him, right in his ugly mug, I wanted to lay him the fuck out. I kept picturing what I wanted to do to him while the EMTs wheeled her in and staff took her back while I waited.
I pictured breaking his nose sogoodthat he’d need the best plastic surgeon in the country to reconstruct it into something halfway decent. I tried to do that yoga-style deep breathing that Fia was always telling me about as they finally let me back with her. I walked up next to her bed as they rolled her down to the hallway towards another room, the nurse explaining they were admitting my sister and sending her straight upstairs.
I was fighting the urge to make him not look halfway decent anymore. I wanted to drive my fist through his face as I emailed the lawyer back, letting her know what was going on with Fia and who I was, in relation to Fia. I emailed her back and forth, getting filled in and filling her in on what Devin said. I was even more furious than before by the time I had a meeting set up with the lawyer for the very next day.
When they told me that she was most likely going home in a day or two, that this was mostly for observation, I felt the tension ease, my shoulders relaxing a fraction. After talking with the doctor on-call, it was mainly all down to getting her vitals under control. He explained that all her other tests and labs came back normal and I could feel the anger and rage ease, just a skosh.
Chapter Ten:
Eddie’s POV
I was trying to tell myself that orange was not my color and I was too pretty for prison, when I heard a ping coming from deep inside of the bag I’d packed for Fia. I pulled it out, using her code to unlock it, seeing a text from an unknown number.
Sunday, 12:01am
Unknown:I sent the video you requested in an email attachment. I would also, again, like to offer my lawyer’s services. She’s already sent an email. She will also be handling the termination suit for those two and it could make it easier to have all the evidence with one person instead of passing it through many hands.
I had no idea who this person was, but if they were offering help, and offering a way for her to divorce the motherfucker who did this to her? I was going to accept on her behalf. I knew she was trying to find her own attorney, and the one she’d work with up til now was great for helping with property laws and knowledgeable on inheritance laws. He said he preferred to stay out of court and away from the family drama. The female lawyer who emailed earlier, the I was chatting with, that must be who he’s talking about.
I wanted to get her as far away from Caleb as I could. Even if I had to take things into my own hands.
Sunday, 12:04am
Devin:This is Devin’s brother, Eddie. We’d like to take you up on that offer for legal help, thank you very much. I’m assuming the lawyer you’re talking about is Amber? Devindoesn’t know I’m accepting on her behalf, but she said she wanted a lawyer. She’s currently in the hospital after whatever happened at the party this evening.
I knew I was making an assumption here, and I also knew what happened when assumptions were wrong. But I figured since he offered up the services of his lawyer whowould be firingCaleb, this was most likely the CEO she had told me about every year. The nice man who was always respectful, treating her with a fondness, but never pushing any boundaries. Thinking further, staring at the message the possible CEO had sent, I figured that, most likely, the other part of the ‘them’ from that message was the girl that Fia was worried about a few weeks ago flirting with Caleb.
I hit send, shaking my head, praying I was wrong. I was already so angry on behalf of Fia, and I knew it would only get worse if it were all true. If Caleb and the girl cheated together, at the party, and then Devin Fia saw or heard it…that would explain the state of shock she was in. The thought sent an ice cold anger through my veins.
Sunday, 12:05am
Unknown:Hello, Eddie. I’m Clint. Clint Westwood, Caleb’s boss. I’ll be teaming up with your sister to help take down the people who violated my company’s no fraternization policy and her legally binding marriage vows. Does she need anything? My lawyer informed me she has a meeting with you and her client in the morning? I would like to accompany her, if that’s agreeable.
I had just finished reading the message when Emilia half walked, half burst through the door of Fia’s room, armed with two takeaway containers, an update on how things had gone at the flat, and two cold brews. She set a container and one ofthe coffees on the over-the-bed table in between the two of us, resting over a sleeping Devin.
“Em. Look,” I showed her the texts, sliding my phone across the table, grabbing my takeaway container.
Mongolian beef. My favorite.
I bit into the still warm, juicy beef in my container. It was some of the best in the city. I was letting myself melt into the savory flavors when Emilia’s voice pulled me from my brief beef reverie.
“Then let’s wait til we hear fromhimon her phone. I want to know when this fuckwad finally realizes he’s fucked up. I want to know how long it takes for him to realize something isn’t right and to call one of us. Because I tried too,” she slid the phone back over to me, pulling out some noodles with her chopsticks. The woman was a master at them, while I stuck to my plastic fork.
“She’s got a ring camera? Or at least is gonna be getting one, right?” Her eyebrow hitched, and I knew our other best friend. She was seconds away from killing Caleb, decimating and emasculating him in the deep recesses of her mind so she could laugh in his face the next time she saw him. She loved destroying insignificant men.
“Yeah,” I said around a mouthful of beef, peppers, and rice.
“Good,” a wicked flare came to her eyes, and was there and gone before I could fully process it, “We can keep track of who comes to see her.”
Emilia truly did scare me. Not many women did, but she was calculating, dangerous if you crossed her. Or hurt someone she loved.
Sunday, 12:10am
Fia:Thank you very much, Mr. Clint. We do appreciate it. We have everything she needs for now, and the locksmith has already been there. Devin is currently being admitted here at City Hospital. She’s in shock and unconscious. I’m assuming it’s because she must have seen something unpleasant?
