Читать книгу Karma III - Sabrina Eubanks - Страница 5

N adine knew she was going to die. She felt her knees buckling even as she tried to run. Her heart was pounding toward what seemed an ultimate explosion, and she was trying desperately to catch her breath. She knew she was having a full-fledged panic attack.

Captain Myers himself had her by the arm. He’d come and rung her doorbell, personally, to tell her the news she prayed everyday not to hear. Just hours ago she’d begged Noah to be careful and he’d made some stupid joke. Now he was.

She stepped into the elevator with Captain Myers and the DEA Agent — Griffin, she thought his name was — and rode silently up to ICU. The elevator opened onto a sea of cops with sad faces. They were everywhere, lining the walls in tragic clusters. They were keeping vigil for their own, praying, and trying to send them their strength. Nadine didn’t recognize any of them, but they stopped talking amongst themselves in their hushed voices, and nodded respectfully as they passed

— like they recognized her.

Nadine had Myers in a death clutch as she leaned against him heavily. Griffin had her by the other arm. She thought of her children.

When Myers rang the doorbell, Nadine passed out cold at the news.

When she came to, Noah and Raine had been hysterical. They were with her sister now. Noah Jr. wanted to come with her, but she didn’t want him to see Noah like this. Hell, she didn’t want to see Noah like this.

They neared the end of the hallway, and she saw Lucas standing just outside Noah’s door like a sentry. Lucas was like a life preserver in that sea of blue. He walked toward her, looking exhausted, with his lips tucked in, frowning with worry. One arm was in a sling while the other was heavily bandaged. There was another small dressing on his neck.

His face, arms, and hands were covered with scattered scrapes and contusions.

Lucas wasn’t his usual, quietly expensive dapper self. There were no tastefully tailored threads today. Instead, Lucas was wearing a black heavy metal T-shirt that was a size too small. That would have been funny under a different set of circumstances, but at the moment it horrified Nadine. She vaguely wondered what had been on his shirt that made him want to take it off. Despite their tumultuous history, his presence was the one she was most thankful for. Lucas reached her and looked down at her with enormously sad eyes that looked like they’d been crying.

Nadine’s breath hitched in her throat. “Lucas.” She collapsed into his arms and he held her tight. Nadine cried into his chest without shame until she could pull herself together. Until she had enough to go on. She pulled away from him slowly, careful of his arm that wore the sling. Myers had his hand on Lucas’ shoulder, his eyes full of sympathy. Griffin had his hands clasped in front of him, studying his shoes.

A doctor came out of Noah’s room and Nadine was suddenly nauseous. She had absolutely no desire to hear what he had to say.

Lucas looked down at her and took her arm. “Nadine, are you ready?” he asked in a quiet voice.

Hell no! She wanted to scream back at him, but she couldn’t seem to get her mouth to work. She nodded against her will and turned to face the doctor, a tall, toffee-colored man, with salt-and-pepper hair and kind brown eyes.

“Mrs. Ramsey?”

Nadine nodded and he extended his hand. She took it like she was sleepwalking.

“I’m Dr. Garrett. I performed your husband’s surgery.” Nadine felt like there was no moisture left in her mouth at all. She couldn’t answer him if she tried. Nadine leaned into Lucas and nodded.

“I have to be honest with you, Mrs. Ramsey. When your husband got here, he was an absolute mess. He was shot twice in the torso. One bullet fractured his left collarbone, travelled downward a bit and exited through his shoulder blade. It looked messy, but it was fairly clean. The second went through his sternum. It ricocheted through his left lung and collapsed it … then it moved upward and nicked his aorta.” Nadine gasped and put her hand over her mouth. The doctor put a calming hand on her arm as he finished what he was saying. “Mrs.

Ramsey, I’m one of the best heart surgeons you can get, and I performed the surgery myself. Your husband is tough. He’s a fighter. The nick in his aorta had him bleeding out internally — and the collapsed lung wasn’t helping. He crashed twice on his way here, then he went into shock … but he held on long enough to get to me. I closed the hole immediately. Right now, we’re trying to wait and see how everything goes. The heart should no longer be a problem, unless something unforeseeable happens. We don’t want him developing any fluid on his lungs.”

“Is he going to be okay?” Nadine asked shakily.

Dr. Garrett put his hands on his hips and sighed. “Well … barring he doesn’t develop fluid on his lungs — or any other adverse situations,” he said, nodding slowly, “I think eventually he’ll be fine, but it will take a while.”

“How have you graded his condition?” Lucas asked.

Dr. Garrett gave Lucas a cursory look, his eyes lingering on the arm not in a sling. “No longer grave. Critical and guarded. You his partner?” Lucas nodded. “Yes, I am.”

Dr. Garrett nodded and turned back to Nadine. “He’s in rough shape and he doesn’t look very much like you’re probably used to seeing him. He has some facial wounds, which we cleaned and dressed.

They should heal well. He was shot in the left hand and it chipped the bone in his knuckle. That’s in a soft cast. His left arm is in a sling because of the collarbone break. Oh, and his left leg is in a cast and traction. He was shot in that leg, as well, and he’s got a fracture in his femur and a dislocated kneecap.”

“Oh, my God,” Nadine whispered.

He nodded. “I agree. Your husband looks like he was in a war, Mrs.

Ramsey.” He cast a disgusted glance at Captain Myers.

Myers looked at him. “He was, Doctor.”

They stared at each other for a moment, then Dr. Garrett turned back to Nadine. “You can see him, if you’re ready.” He put his hand on Lucas’s unslung arm. “You need to get that looked at. You’re not supposed to be bleeding. How did that happen?” Lucas shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I wasn’t very cooperative.” Dr. Garrett smiled, then looked at Nadine. “You guys got kids?”

“Yes. A boy and a girl.”

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Ramsey. He’s in extremely good hands. I’m on call until he’s out of the woods.”

Nadine managed a smile of her own. “Thank you, Dr. Garrett.”

“You’re welcome. Go on in and see your husband.” He touched Lucas’ shoulder and gave Myers that same glowering look. “This man looks like he’s been in a war, too. Don’t forget about your arm, sir.” He turned on his heel and walked down the hall.

Nadine looked at Lucas. “Have you been in yet?” Lucas passed his free hand over his beard. “No. They just brought him up, not too long ago. You want me to go with you?”

“I think I need you to.”

“All right.” Lucas put his arm around her and shouldered the door open slowly.

The first thing they saw was a perfectly nice little table, with a perfectly lovely vase of tulips sitting on its surface. Lucas ducked his head around the door and Nadine watched his face change.

His eyebrows went up, just a little. He blinked, then closed his eyes

… like he wanted to erase what he’d just seen. Lucas opened his eyes and took a step further into the room. The look on his face was alarming because Nadine had never seen it before. He looked like he was trying hard not to cry. Nadine stepped around him and looked at Noah. She put her hands on the bed railing and started to weep.

Noah was on his back with four different machines monitoring him. He had a tube in his mouth and an oxygen tube under his nose.

Noah had stitches over his eyebrow and his cheek was lightly bandaged. There was a smattering of lesser abrasions scattered across his face. The left side suffered the worst damage: the skin was bruised and swollen, to a shade that was almost purple. That eye was shut. The other eye didn’t appear to be completely closed; Nadine could almost swear she saw a whisper of gray. His lashes were damp like he’d been crying.

There was a huge and ugly bruise flowering up from the bandages that covered his chest and shoulder. It seemed to be five different colors. One arm was in a sling and covered in a soft cast. His leg was also in a cast and in traction.

Nadine looked down at his other hand laying limply on the bed, with an IV drip inserted into it. She frowned as she began to notice the little things. There was blood between his fingers, under his nails, and in his hair. Noah’s lips were terribly chapped and there was an un-nerving bluish tinge under his eyes. Nadine let out a shaky breath and looked over at Lucas. He was staring at Noah, arms across his chest, his head lowered.

“Lucas … he looks … .” Nadine couldn’t bring herself to say it, but Lucas did.

“Dead,” he said, flatly.

There it was. He wasn’t though. She thanked God for that. Yes, he was alive, and even though he looked like he wasn’t, he was in there somewhere. Nadine wiped at her tears and gently took Noah’s hand.

She leaned over and spoke in his ear.

“Noah? Sweetheart, it’s Nadine. I’m here, and I love you very much. Can you hear me, baby?”

Lucas moved closer and stood just behind her. “Nadine, look at him. I don’t think he can hear you.” Nadine concentrated on Noah’s face, ignoring Lucas, even though he could have been right.

“Noah …” She kissed his forehead. “It’s me, baby ...”

“Nadine …”

Nadine whipped her head around angrily. “No, Lucas! Stop it!

Don’t act like that. Look … he’s right here.” She ran her fingers through Noah’s hair and gingerly gripped his hand. “Noah, how worried should I be, sweetie?”

Lucas put a hand on her back. “C’mon, Nadine …” Nadine shrugged him off. She was terrified for Noah. “No! I’m scared … Noah … do you know how much I love you?” Lucas put a hand on her arm and started to move her away, gently.

“Stop, Nadine. Don’t do that.”

She turned on him, eyes flashing, tears falling. Nadine pulled away from Lucas, slapping at his hand. “Shut up, Lucas! You don’t know …”

“Let him be, Nadine.” She thought that had come from Lucas, but it didn’t. She looked over her shoulder and Big John was standing there looking very much like a brown-eyed older version of his son. Noah’s mother, Anita, was at his side, looking like she was ready to catch Nadine if she fell.

“Come, Nadine,” Anita said. Nadine wanted to, but she couldn’t.

She wanted Noah to wake up and look at her. Maybe squeeze her hand.

She wanted him to do something. Just lying there like that was scaring the shit out of her. She didn’t budge.

John turned to Lucas and hugged him. “Lucas, how you doin’, son?

You all right?” he twanged at him in his New Orleans drawl.

“A little banged up, John. But I’m all right.” John sighed. “I think it’s about time for you boys to quit bein' heroes.” He turned to Nadine and put his hand on her arm. “Come on, baby. Go sit down, now. I ain’t toleratin’ no hysterics in here over my boy. It ain’t what he needs. Go on. Sit down, now.” Nadine was not about to argue with John. She’d never win. She touched Noah’s face and was dismayed by how cold it felt. She sat like she was told.

John stuck his thumbs in the back pockets of his jeans and stared down at his son. Anita disappeared into the bathroom and came out with a basin of water and a towel. She sat on the side of the bed and started to wash the blood off her boy. Lucas’s eyes watered up. He tucked his lips in and turned away, looking out the window.

“Look at my child. Lord have mercy,” John said mournfully, shaking his head.

“He will, John,” Anita said over her shoulder. Dr. Garrett walked into the room then, greeted Noah’s parents, and gave them the rundown.

Nadine stood and joined them. “Why won’t he wake up?” Dr. Garrett looked down at her and smiled. “Don’t look so worried.

He will.”

Nadine shook her head. “It’s like he’s not even here.” Dr. Garrett laughed softly. “He’s not. I sent him to Dreamland.

When he wakes up, he’s going to be in a great deal of pain and I might have to send him back.” He checked Noah’s vital signs and seemed satisfied. “I know this is pretty heavy stuff. Why don’t you all take a break? I’ll make sure Noah’s here when you get back.” They reluctantly started to disperse, but Dr. Garrett put his hand on Lucas’ shoulder. “Not you, Noah’s partner. You come with me. I’m going to change your dressing myself, before you find yourself in a lot of trouble.”

They took a break. Nadine checked on the kids, bought some flowers, and begged off dinner with John and Anita. Nadine and Noah had gone through a bitter divorce four years ago because Noah, as cherished as he was by Nadine, refused to keep his pants up. Now Nadine was getting some long and strange looks from Noah’s folks, and rightfully so. Since the divorce, Nadine had treated Noah like she hated him. She couldn’t sit through dinner with his parents and suffer through those looks, because now she was behaving like she was still in love with him. Which she was.

Nadine had never stopped loving Noah. She didn’t think it was possible. Sure, she’d felt a genuine hate for him when she first divorced him. Noah’s constant infidelity was an insurmountable issue at the time. She’d let him know in every way possible that having her husband sleep with any pretty woman that caught his eye was unac-ceptable behavior. But Noah, who’d been a handsome chick magnet all his life, refused to change. He acted like it was his God-given right to fuck as many women as he pleased. After all, he came home to her. Nadine had divorced Noah to punish him. Fuck you, then, she had thought back then . Screw whoever you want, Noah, but you won’t be screwing me, too.

The divorce had hurt Noah as much as she’d hoped it would.

She’d wanted him to be in the worst pain of his life for humiliating and disregarding her for so long, like it was all right. Nadine had succeeded, too. She’d filed the papers silently, without a word to Noah.

Then she’d caught him totally off guard by having him served at work

— in front of everybody. She’d threatened his whorish ass before and he’d kept on doing what he was doing like he thought hell would freeze over before she’d leave him.

She’d fixed him, though. Nadine had brought Noah to his knees like she’d given him a swift kick to the balls. To say he hadn’t taken it well would have been the understatement of the decade. She’d had his shit packed up and waiting for him at the front door when he got home.

Noah was hardly ever highly emotional. When things bothered him he usually brooded or acted unaffected. It was a rare thing for him to put his emotions on display, but he did that day. He’d screamed, he pleaded, and he’d begged. He’d cursed and thrown things … and in the end, he’d cried like a little baby — and she’d laughed in his face. Fuck you, Noah. I hope all those bitches were worth your marriage. It had almost killed her to do it, but she’d done it.

Noah hadn’t stayed stuck on begging her. Noah Ramsey didn’t beg women. After all that screaming and crying, the next time she saw him, he was so cold to her she expected an ice cube to fall out of his mouth.

Nadine had been shocked at his level of frigidity. After she’d slapped him with those papers and Nadine hadn’t given in when he broke down, talking to Noah became like talking to him through a sheet of ice.

He wouldn’t even look at her.

That coldness from Noah had hurt Nadine almost as much as his infidelity. Noah didn’t even want to see her. When he came for the kids, he wouldn’t even come inside. He wanted no parts of Nadine… and it hurt. The divorce was an ultimatum to make him change. To make him want to. The only thing Nadine had achieved by divorcing Noah was driving him away.

She’d already hurt his pride and damaged his humongous ego. She couldn’t possibly stay in that much pain alone. Noah didn’t seem affected enough to her. She wanted him on his knees like she was.

Nadine thought she’d get a rise out of Noah by going for his pockets. She got a lawyer and asked for what she knew was an unreasonable amount of alimony and child support. She knew she wouldn’t get what she wanted when she filed the papers. Nadine pulled her fair share of financial weight around the house. She was a successful photographer with her own studio. As a matter of fact, that was how she’d met Noah.

She’d seen him one day and asked if she could take his picture.

Noah had shown up to that hearing with his own slick lawyer. The judge dropped the petition for alimony, and awarded her reasonable child support. Noah hadn’t even looked at her during the entire hearing, but when he stood to leave, he looked over at her and smirked, his beautiful gray eyes dark and stormy. He let her know he knew she’d tried to fuck him and he was thumbing his nose at her.

Nadine didn’t appreciate the gesture. She wanted to wipe that cute crooked smile off his handsome face once and for all, and she knew just how to do it. She went back to court and filed a petition for sole custody of their kids, with restricted and supervised visitation. She knew she probably wouldn’t win that one either. Noah, if he was anything, was an outstanding father.

She’d gotten a rise out of him all right. She’d finally really hurt him.

Their kids meant the world to Noah. He’d called her in the middle of the night, upset, and more than a little drunk. She still remembered exactly what he’d said, “Nadine, please. I’m sorry a thousand times. Please don’t take my kids from me. Please don’t do that.” Nadine also remembered exactly what she’d said to him. “Fuck you, Noah. See you in court.” Nadine looked over at Noah now, heart her full of regret. She should never have divorced Noah. They should have tried to work it out. She wished she could take back that nasty custody hearing. She’d stabbed him in the heart with that one, and though it was long and drawn out, they’d ended up getting joint custody anyway because he’d fought her so hard.

It had taken them almost a year to get back on speaking terms after that. Noah was slow to thaw and so was she. Eventually, they’d reached the point of polite conversation, though it was mostly tinged with acid and sarcasm on both sides. Too much hurt had gone on. Too many things they couldn’t forgive each other for. Still, they were talking.

Nadine started dating Walter as filler. Filler for Noah. Walter was a good and decent man, but he couldn’t hold a candle to Noah. Nobody could. Nadine lost count long ago how many times Walter made love to her in his decently average way and she’d imagined in her heart it was Noah — unbridled, raw, and completely satisfying. Poor Walter fell short every time. Nadine had been trying to figure out a way to get her husband back, when the kids started coming home from weekends spent with their father talking about some bitch named Lissette.

Noah was a womanizer, but he didn’t bring those women around his kids. If they were starting to talk about this bitch, then she was important. Nadine held her tongue and bided her time. She figured this whore, Lissette, would eventually get as tired of Noah’s need to fuck other people as she’d gotten herself. No such luck. That slut had dug her heels in and gotten Noah to get her pregnant. She was pregnant now.

Lissette’s pregnancy had gotten Nadine’s ass in gear. Sure Noah had fucked around on her with an inestimable number of women, but Lissette was real competition because she was carrying his child. That bitch could actually take Noah away from her! Nadine had to stop her.

There was one sure way of doing that. Granted, it was the oldest trick in the book. It hadn’t been hard to get Noah to sleep with her.

After all, she was — at least up until now — the love of his life. Now Nadine finally knew how it felt to be the other woman. Noah was cheat-ing on Lissette with his ex-wife. He’d found out Nadine was pregnant, too, the day before this horrible thing had happened to him. Now he had no choice but to choose. Nadine had no doubt that she’d win.

Nadine thought of all these things as she watched Noah’s heart beat blip across the monitor. She loved Noah, and she didn’t want to lose him. Nadine lost her train of thought as the door opened and someone walked in.

It was a woman, a little less than average height, with a nice curvy figure. She was very pretty, with stylishly short hair. Nadine frowned, but relaxed some when she saw the 9mm clipped next to the detective badge on her belt. People had been in and out of Noah’s room all day.

She was just another cop looking in on him.

Nadine still didn’t think anything of it when she saw that she was crying — she’d seen a lot of that today, but when she ran her fingers through Noah’s curly hair and bent to kiss his face, Nadine sat straight up in her chair. She watched as the woman picked up Noah’s hand, kissed it, and held it to her face. It was one hell of an intimate gesture.

Nadine stood and quietly walked up on her.

“Excuse me, but who the hell are you?” Nadine asked, one hand on her hip, her eyes sizing her up. The woman took her time answering her. She gently returned Noah’s hand to the bed and turned to face Nadine, wiping her tears with her fingers. A small smile curved her lips.

“You must be his ex-wife … Naomi.”

Nadine’s eyebrows went up. No, this bitch didn’t! Nadine folded her arms over her chest and shifted her weight to one foot. “That’s exactly who I am. Mrs. Nadine Ramsey. I’ll ask my question again. Who the hell are you?”

That small smile was still on her face. Nadine bit her bottom lip.

She wanted to scratch that smile off with her fingernails. She felt herself starting to sink. She wanted to dig her heels in to keep from going there, but her downward slide to a lower level had already begun and to come back would be like trying to climb out of quicksand.

“You’re holding on to an old title a little too hard, Nadine. It’s a lot like Miss America trying to keep the tiara from the new girl.” Nadine narrowed her eyes. “What new girl? You? ” The woman kept her sweet smile and shrugged. “You never know.” Nadine had to tuck her hands under her arms to keep from hitting her. “I’m not going to ask you again. Who are you?” Her smile became derisive. “You just did.” She gave Nadine the same once-over she’d given her. “I’m wondering if I should take that as a threat.”

“Maybe you should.”

She laughed and it infuriated Nadine. “You’re funny. You want to beat my ass because I won’t tell you my name. What difference does it make?”

Nadine wanted to rip her hair out by the roots. “Are you fucking my husband?”

Another chuckle. “You’re divorced. Noah’s not your husband. Does it matter?”

“Oh, it matters. Noah married me.” She scoffed at her. “You’re delusional. He’s a single man. He can do whatever he wants.”

Nadine frowned. “Noah wants to come home.” She looked back at Nadine, slyly. “He doesn’t know what he wants.

That, plus the fact that he’s single, makes it fair.”

“What are you, his girlfriend?”

The more upset Nadine got, the cooler this woman seemed. “Well

… I’m a girl … and I am his friend. You’d have to ask him about the extent of his feelings.” She looked Nadine in the eye. “Look, I’m a realist, Nadine. I might have started out as a side piece, but you’re a little peculiar. I think I may be about to get bumped up.” Nadine smiled. “Noah’s not bumping up a side piece. You’re just a hoe to him. Just something he was doing.”

“You really want that to be true, don’t you?”

“It is true, and while you’re so busy telling me things I need to ask him, why don’t you ask him about his baby?” She dismissed Nadine with a wave of her hand. “Please. I know that girl is pregnant.”

“I’m sure you do, but I doubt he had enough time to tell you about our baby.” Nadine patted her belly in triumph. Top that, bitch! Nadine finally ruffled her feathers. She looked down at Noah sharply and Nadine knew she’d drawn first blood. She took a moment to come back at her. Nadine watched with satisfaction as she gripped the rail of the bed, stared down at Noah and pursed her lips — obviously having an internal debate. Nadine didn’t like who won.

“You know something?” she asked, turning her head to face Nadine. “I don’t give a rat’s ass if you are. That’s one of the oldest tricks in the book. Don’t you think he knows that? You lack confidence, Nadine.

The move you made is an ultimate show of desperation.” Nadine stared at her with her mouth open. She couldn’t believe her audacity! Talking to her like she was stupid, and like she had Noah’s affections sewn up and in the bag. Where had this heifer come from?

Nadine clenched her teeth and fisted her hands. “I think you need to leave.”

She smiled at Nadine. “Guess I struck a nerve. Okay. I’ll go, but not for you. Noah doesn’t need to wake up to this.” She walked to the door, opened it, and turned back to Nadine. “Oh, since you wanted to know so bad, my name is Leah Wheeler. Now that you know my name, I should tell you something else about me. I am very tenacious … so you might want to keep your dukes up.”

Nadine watched the door close and walked over to Noah. She reached into her pocket and took out a new tube of Cherry ChapStick and broke the seal. Nadine put it on Noah’s lips, careful not to disturb the tube going down his throat. She returned it to her pocket and pulled his covers up. Nadine touched his hand. If it was a fight that bitch wanted, then it was a fight she’d get.

“I love you, Noah. Always have, always will.” The door opened and Noah’s parents re-entered the room. John pulled up a chair and sat close to his son as Anita reached for Nadine.

“You look tired, honey. Why don’t you check on the children and get some rest. If there’s any change, we’ll call you.” Nadine resigned herself to lifting her leg all the way up to mark her territory. She rubbed her still flat belly. “You’re right. I am tired. This baby is taking a lot out of me.”

John put his face in his hands and shook his head. Anita didn’t seem thrilled. “Does Noah know?”

Nadine nodded. “Yes, he does.”

Anita’s mouth turned down at the corners. “I see.” Nadine sighed. “The baby’s Noah’s, Anita. It’s his baby.” Anita looked shocked, and John stretched his legs out and laced his hands over his stomach, still shaking his head. “If that boy wasn’t already unconscious, I’d knock his dumb ass out.”

“John … ” Anita started.

“I told him. Boy never did listen.” He looked at Nadine hard, his brown eyes glowering. “‘Night, Nadine.”

Nadine slipped out quietly after wishing them both a good night.

John and Anita didn’t bother her. Their disapproval of the way she intended to keep her man was a small thing. They’d come around in time.

In the meantime, her plate was more than full. Now she had to find a way to keep not one, but two, bitches’s claws out of Noah.