Blurred Lines (Behind Closed Doors Book 2) (22 page)

He nods, stumbles, and he gets out of her way as I sit in awe. She really could put the fear of God in people when she's pissed off.

“Oh, and Detective Gibson?” He looks terrified when he looks back, his eyes meet with mine. “While you're chasing your incompetent tail if you mention this to anyone else, you'll be out of a job by sunrise. Do I make myself clear?”

As he runs away she turns and winks at me, and I even though I don’t know what to believe about her affair with Wayne right now, I thank God she’s on my side.

Chapter Twenty-Three

I turn my back on Ashleigh and her father arguing the moment William Jordan reprimands her for bringing me here. He tells her that she shouldn’t have got involved and should have left me in the police station to defend for myself. Gee, thanks William. But then again, I’ve always known that his interest lie in keeping Ashleigh happy and Krystal out of the headlines for the wrong reasons.

We left the police station hours ago. She dragged me to see Soraya at the McKenzie Center and insisted that I get checked out by a doctor. She even took photographs of the bruises, sores and welts that have appeared overnight. Luckily for me they’re hidden by the sweatshirt and training pants they gave me in the police station so I don’t have to explain them to anyone, except Ashleigh I guess, but for once she hasn’t asked.

When Soraya was done, I demanded Ashleigh bring me to the hospital so I could see my husband. But no one seems to want me to see him or tell me how he is, least of all Ashleigh. She says it will harm my case. There isn’t a case against me surely? How can there be? Even so, I don’t care how this looks, or that I shouldn’t be with my husband right now. He’s my husband and he’s injured. I want to see him. I want to know he’s alright. I want to know that we’ll be alright after this. I can’t believe I shot him.

How could I have been so stupid? How could I have let Ashleigh control me like that? She went too far. I know she went too far this time because Wayne snapped. He lost it. He went beyond losing his temper… he didn’t even realize when he hurt me. He couldn’t have. And look what he did to Mimi. She’s in surgery right now. She needs pins in her fractured hip and the three breaks in her leg. And they’re concerned that she hasn’t woken up since she was treated by the EMT at our house last night. All I can think about when I think of Mimi’s injuries is Wayne did this and he did it because I lied to him. This is all my fault.

I’ve never seen Wayne so angry before and as much as I wished I had Mimi’s confidence last night, part of me wonders what if she hadn’t been there. Could that have been me?

No. I shake my head as I walk further away from the father and daughter arguing in the family waiting room. Wayne would never hurt me like that.

From where I’m stood I can see into his private room through the window. He’s alone and there’s no one stood outside his door. I could go inside and no one would ever know I’d been there. But I hover on the spot just staring at him. I can still hear William shouting at Ashleigh that I’ll only make this worse if I go inside Wayne’s room.

I know William’s angry at her for getting involved. For abandoning her movie premiere to come to my rescue. But I also hear what he’s not saying to his daughter. She’s risked everything for the woman who’s put her twin in a coma. Why is she here with me when she should be at Mimi’s bedside? He thinks the same as everyone else; that I did this. But I can’t tell him what really happened. I have to protect Wayne. It will be better if he tells his captain it was him and not me. If Wayne tells Captain Warren that he lost his temper.

I glance back toward the sound of William’s voice again. I know he’s right. Ashleigh should be at her twin’s bedside, but she’s not and neither is William, because she’s trying to convince her dad to be my defense attorney because she can’t. The whole world and his dog knows why Ashleigh shouldn’t be my attorney. But eventually she shouts at him if he won’t do it then she will. I hear her heels clicking against the floor as William shouts after her.

“Julia,” she says from behind me. “You can’t do this. He’s a police officer and you shot him.”

“He’s my husband, Ashleigh, and I love him. I need to see him.”

“But—”

“No buts. Ashleigh. You get me in there to see him or I’ll do it myself.” I step towards the door. Suddenly, there are police officers standing in my way. “I want to see my husband,” I tell them.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Swift, we can’t allow you to do that.”

“Excuse me?” I gape at them for a second. Was this really happening? I’m standing in front of a man who looks like he’d like to hurt me and I’m ignoring the nerves trembling my insides. I need to see Wayne. “What part of I want to see my husband don’t you understand?”

“Mrs. Swift, if you don’t calm down we shall arrest you for public disturbance.”

“Whoa, hold on.” Ashleigh swoops in and pulls at my arm. I’m reluctant to leave. “That won’t be necessary, officer.” She puts more effort into moving me and I stumble off my stubborn spot. “Come on, Jules,” she adds, and the momentum drags me with her. Once again, I find myself back inside the family waiting room with William and the door closes with a firm thud, shutting me inside. I don’t like this.

“I’m sorry. Julia, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t tell me I can’t see him, Ashleigh.” I don’t like this at all. This is the punishment I get for trusting Ashleigh, for letting her have control over my actions. If only I’d said no to her from the start. She wouldn’t have crawled into my head, or made me think that life with Wayne would become unbearable in time. I would have cherished the way he wanted to protect me and our baby, and that is all he wanted. I wouldn’t have lied to him. We wouldn’t have fought. None of this would have happened if I’d have said no to Ashleigh.

“Julia. I’m sorry,” Ashleigh says again. “I thought I was doing the right thing but I might have made this situation a whole lot worse for you.”

“You can’t possibly have made things any worse than you already have,” I shoot at her flippantly and she winces.

“Four police officers saw you pointing the gun and then firing,” William says matter of fact. “Any other person would be remanded in custody with no chance of bail. But you walked out of the station this morning with nothing. No charge nor a date and time to return for questioning. Nothing. Nada. ”

I start to protest but Ashleigh cries over the sound of my voice, “It doesn’t matter. If you so much as step out of line they’ll take you back and they’ll be nothing anyone can do about it.”

“But—”

“Please, Julia. Tell us what happened last night.” I shake my head. “I know you didn’t do this. Even if you weren’t at least twenty pounds lighter than Mimi, she’d snap you in two.” She turns to William. “Dad, you have to believe me. Julia didn’t do this. They’re stitching her up so they don’t have to prosecute one of their own.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Ashleigh, the days when force brothers protected their own is over, they just can’t get away with it in today’s society. I’ll hear no more allegations of that sort until you have physical proof to support them. And
don’t
look at me like I’ve taken your favorite toys away. You’re thirty-three years old, not three.”

“But this is my fault!” She stamps a foot and turns her back on him, crossing to the window.

“Julia, dear,” William says gently. “Ashleigh’s right. They’re going to come back for you and before they do, they’ll cross every ‘T’ and dot every ‘I.’ Once they have you they’re not letting you go again.”

“What am I supposed to do? Not see my husband until this is over?”

“I’m—”

“Stop saying you’re sorry, Ashleigh.” My eyes fill with tears. “He’s injured. He’s lying in a hospital bed down the hall and I can’t go to him. Because of you.” I push her away. “You haven’t helped me at all.
You
told me to leave him.
You
told me to go to New York.
You
told Mimi to pick me up.
You
did this.”

“You did this?” William asks. “Since when did any of this have anything to do with you?”

““I knew what he was like ten years ago.”

“Revenge?” William gasps. “You did this out of petty revenge for something that happened ten years ago?” Ashleigh looks to the floor. “I don’t fucking believe you, child.” I spin around at the fury in his voice. It fills me with dread. I’ve always found William intimidating but it’s so much worse now. “When will you stop interfering with everyone else’s lives?”

As his voice grows in volume his eyes grow darker, angrier. Suddenly, I don’t trust how well I know him. I don’t know him, not really. I see him once or twice a year. Sometimes less. I step back at he continues to shout at Ashleigh while she just stands there and takes it. My fear increases. Ashleigh never takes anything from anyone.

“I can’t believe I’m going to have to do
this
for you,” William continues. “What about your sister? Do you even give a damn how she’ll feel about her father defending the woman who put her in a coma?” Ashleigh goes to protest. “I don’t want to hear it.” He dismisses her like an errant child. “You will stay out of this from now on. Do you hear me? What happens between Julia and Wayne is none of your goddamn business so keep out of their marriage.” Again she makes an attempt to protest and I’m never more grateful that William cuts her off. I know what she’s going to say. She’s going to tell him her theory; Wayne is abusing me. “No, Ashleigh. You are done. From this moment forward Julia is my client and my case. And if you so much as breathe on this I’ll report you to the bar association myself.”

“But, Dad—”

“I am no longer you’re father, Ashleigh. I am your boss and if you interfere with my case I will fire you and report you and you will not be goddamn lucky enough to keep your license with a second charge of misconduct. I will have you disbarred, Ashleigh, is that clear?” In reply, Ashleigh folds her arms across her chest, settles her weight on one hip and lifts a defiant chin. “I am sick and tired of cleaning up your mistakes. It cost seven figures to repair the damage you left in New York when you left everything so abruptly.”

“But you know why I left!”

“Yes, and it was me who had to clean up the mess you made of your sister’s life too. And then I had to get involved in lover boy’s life and help you clean that up. Twice, Ashleigh. Twice! And for some guy who’s supposedly dead to you. Now this? Do you realize what will happen if they decide to talk?”

I wouldn’t.

“They can’t,” Ashleigh says and I double take. What does she mean I can’t? Would she take me to court if I went to the tabloids about this? I look at my best friend and I honestly can’t say I know the answer. Look how she kept my portfolio from me for three years.

“Your confidentiality agreement is not infallible and you are not invincible because of it,” William continues. “Never again, Ashleigh. You screw up again and you’re on your own.”

“But, Dad—”

“Go home.” He orders her like he’s sending her to bed without supper. “Julia and I need to talk.” William spins his attention and his fury on me. “Would you like to take a seat?”

The floor of my stomach falls away. “No.” I shake my head. I don’t want to be alone with him. I don’t trust what he’ll do to me. Which is ridiculous. I know it is. But the fear is clawing at my insides. “Please.” And even though I can’t tear my gaze away from William, I reach for Ashleigh. “Don’t go.”

“If you don’t want my fucking help, Julia, that’s perfectly fine by me.”

“Of course she wants your help.” Ashleigh takes my hand as she steps between me and her father. “She needs your help.”

“Doesn’t look like it, and to be honest I’d rather be at your sister’s bedside than with the woman who put her in it.”

“Julia didn’t do this!”

“You don’t know that. You weren’t even there.”

“Can’t you see she’s fucking terrified of you? Of any man actually.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I am so fucking sick of people telling me to let it go!” Ashleigh’s fury lights up instantly. “It was ten years ago, and their marriage is no longer my business,” Ashleigh yells as she steps forward. “When will you and every other fucker open your eyes?” She jabs her finger into her father’s chest and he looks a little shocked as with that finger she pushes him off his spot. “What happens between them is my fucking business and if more people made it their fucking business less people like Julia would die at the hands of bastards like Wayne!”

“Julia?” I shake my head but I can’t bring a denial to my lips. Instead, tears fall from my eyes too fast for me to see anymore.

“Oh fucking hell,” William says quietly as he lowers himself to a chair. “How do you know about this, Ashleigh?”

“No.” My vision blurs again and I shake my head. “It’s not true.”

What had I done? I shouldn’t have called her. I should have known this is what she’d do. I’d tried time and time again to make her see Wayne isn’t the person she thinks he is and yet it wasn’t enough. She didn’t believe me. This is all my fault and I can’t let this go any further. William will only destroy my husband if Ashleigh convinces him this is true. Wayne would never forgive me for allowing them to think this. He’ll be really angry, furious even, for a really long time if he loses his job over it.

“She’s only saying this because she hates him.”

“I have proof,” Ashleigh says.

I snatch my hand away from her. What does she mean she has proof? She can’t have proof. There’s nothing to have proof of. “Dates, times, conflicting accounts of what happened. I’ve spoken to doctors in the past who’ve said the account of what happened wasn’t consistent with her injuries.”

“What? When did you do this?
How
did you get this without my permission?”

“More importantly,” Ashleigh says, ignoring me. “She’s been seeing Caleb and Soraya at the McKenzie Center. Talk to them, Dad. You’ll know I’m telling the truth.”

Suddenly, I understand why she took me to the McKenzie Center to be checked out before she let me anywhere near the hospital. She’s kept records. “No.” I shake my head. How could I have been so foolish? I thought she was helping me, but she’s manipulated everything. “You can’t. I won’t let you.”