Office Grump An Enemies to Lovers Romance - Nicole Snow Page 0,148
pause, hoping she’ll jump in so I don’t have to say more. “About Jordan?”
“The social worker came. She told me he’s with Baxter and you...you have more information?”
I’m so gutted I can barely speak.
“Baxter found out you were in the hospital. I don’t know how. I haven’t spoken to him in years, not since the day he threatened you, until he showed up here.” Guilt gnaws at me, and I look away, gathering the courage to face her again. “He told Jordan he always wanted to be in his life—the bastard liar—but you wouldn’t let him. It’s my fault—”
“Y-your fault? How is it your...” she trails off, uncomprehending.
Oh, boy.
I close my eyes and squeeze the back of my neck with my hand until it hurts.
“The night you came to the hospital, they called me to pick up Jordan. He was freaked out about leaving, he didn’t know me. I told him I’m his brother to calm him down the next morning. And when he asked where our dad was, I just...I told him he was dead. Never in a million years did I expect Baxter to show up in person. I thought Jordan was better off not knowing.”
“But I’m confused. What does that have to do with Jordan leaving?” She blinks and shifts in her bed. “He should know better.”
“He said you wouldn’t tell him anything and I lied to him. He was confused. He thought Baxter was the only person being honest.”
The reality eviscerates me yet again as I narrate. How the fuck did I let this happen?
She doesn’t speak for a long time. I can’t tell if she’s mad, but she should be.
“Where are they now?” she asks softly.
“Jordan will be back soon.” I rub my throat, my voice so raw. “I have a whole surveillance team watching him, and the best law firm in the country working on getting him back. Your son will be home soon, even if I have to go in with guns blazing. I promise.”
Her eyes narrow. She can tell I’m stalling. “Magnus, where are they?”
“Saint Thomas,” I say.
“Come again?”
“Saint Thomas. Charlotte Amalie, to be specific.” I sigh. “It’s in the US Virgin Islands. But I’m working on getting him home. I know this was my fault—”
“Oh, my God. Is he safe? Baxter isn’t the fatherly type, Magnus. You know that.”
Fuck, yes, I do.
“The private investigator tells me he seems healthy and in no clear danger, but I’m working like a dog to get him home. And now that you’re awake, it’ll be easier. The only reason I haven’t already brought him back is because I’m not his guardian.”
“Tell your attorney I have full custody. Baxter has no rights. At all. I don’t care what happened...”
My mouth drops. “My dad wanted custody?”
He never wanted to say two words to me.
She sighs. “He threatened it at first, when he knew I was pregnant. He wasn’t really interested in Jordan. It was just one more tool to bludgeon me.”
That animal. My hand flexes into a fist.
“He’s controlling. Horrible. I was determined that he wouldn’t use Jordan to control me...that he wouldn’t turn my beautiful son into the kind of monster he is. So I went to the police right after Jordan was born, claimed he was abusive, and filed for emergency custody. By the time his lawyer tracked him down to let him know, they’d already missed a court date. I got lucky. The judge was a woman raised by a single mom. She granted me custody and gave him zero visitation rights. He didn’t contest it, because he didn’t want anyone knowing.”
“Marissa, you were twenty-two when Jordan was born.”
“Twenty-one. I graduated early.”
“You’re a smart lady,” I tell her, wishing like hell her brains were around to help this situation.
I wouldn’t have blown several lives to kingdom come.
There’s a long silence.
I’m about to excuse myself so I can go home and call the attorney. Marissa’s custody agreement should help us get Jordan back to Chicago. Then when I get off the phone, I can resume drowning myself in scotch because I’ve lost the best thing in my life.
I stand. “I’m going to call the attorney and—”
“Wait. Don’t go yet.”
“Okay.” I sit again.
“I just wanted to say thank you.”
I’m shocked. This woman has been in a coma for weeks, woke up to find I’ve lost her only son, and she’s thanking me? What the fuck?
“What for?”
She starts laughing and stops a few seconds later.