Devin-2 (11 page)

“Mr. Grant, here are the cases you left for Ronnie. They are all complete, including the ones you messaged me about over the weekend. I also have a message here from the State Law Board that asks if her test results come here, or were we aware if she had another firm that she was going to work for. I told him you would call him back as I didn’t know what he meant.” He took the message and frowned at the name. He knew Richard Douglas.

They had gone to law school together. He went back into his office to call.

“Hey, big guy. So, how is life treating the rich and famous Grant brothers? I heard your brother Nick got married recently.”

“Yeah, a couple of years ago. You’d like Morgan, she’s great. What is this about Veronica Frey’s test results? I thought I had a month before I had to set that up for her.”

As her boss, he had thought he would sign her up for the two day exam and make sure the results were sent to whoever she wanted. Normally, it took several months to get the results back and Devin was not sure what was going on.

“Hey, now there’s a looker for you. Damn if she isn’t the finest thing I’ve ever seen on a pair of long legs. But as a married man, I can only look and dream.

Let me find her file.”

Devin was just glad they were not face to face because he was reasonably sure that he would have hit the other man for his comments about his woman.

He did not even try and correct himself in his thinking that she was not his woman this time and just pretended he didn’t hear himself. He was in deep and he was only just realizing how deep.

“Okay, says here she took an opt-out test for her last class on Wednesday and the results were given to her...this morning. She became eligible to take the state test immediately and her former boss, hummm, Judge Stone had it set up that she could take it even if it wasn’t being offered. I thought she was taking the exam tomorrow morning, but let me check.”

Devin was shocked. And angry. How could she do this to him? Then he remembered he had given her every reason to do this to him. He had done nothing but make her life a living hell since he had first seen her. And for every part of him that wanted to pull her close, just as much of him wanted to push her away. His head began to hurt and he rubbed his forehead as he waited for Richard to return.

“Here is it. No, I’m sorry, she’s taking the exam next week. On Monday and Tuesday. The reason we’ve called is because she listed herself as your intern, but she didn’t mark to send the results to you, only to her home address. We tried contacting her, but there is no answer and she didn’t give us a cell phone number. Do you know how to get in touch with her and find out?” Yes, Devin thought, he would get in touch with her and wring her pretty neck, right after he nibbled on it for a while. After telling Richard he would get back to him, he tried her cell. She was not answering and he didn’t leave a message.

At two o’clock, he went to lunch, but made sure Caroline knew to contact him if Ronnie called in or came in. He kept trying as well. By the time he had left the office, he had left her forty-one messages and had called her house about that many times. He was going by there on his way home and hell would be paid when he found her.

~CHAPTER 11~

Devin pulled up in front of her home just as two men were getting out of a nice late model Mercedes. He did not figure them for her roommates because these men looked to be in their late fifties.

“May I help you?” The man walking on crutches turned to ask him. The other man just smiled and went to the door of the house with bags of what appeared to be groceries.

“I’m looking for Veronica Frey. She’s not answering her phone and I—”

“And you’re pissed because she isn’t doing what you want. Hello, Devin. I’m Ben and this is Austin. You’d better come inside. You’re not going to be any happier once we tell you what happened to her.”

Devin’s heart skipped several beats. Ben had said “what happened to her,” implying something had. Austin came back out before Devin could move and shoved a bag into his arms to get him going.

“Here, make yourself useful. And you will behave in my house, young man, or I’ll rip your head off and pike it outside with the Christmas lights for everyone to see. Understand me? Ben and I are stressed about this enough without you adding to the mix.”

“Is she all right? Where is she?” Austin’s snarled voice did nothing to calm his nerves.

“Hospital. Come inside, I’m not discussing this outside in the flipping cold where everyone who wants to can hear.”

Hospital. Devin didn’t know if he collapsed or what, but he was suddenly on the ground. Austin was fanning him with a box of graham crackers, the kind with cinnamon, his mind registered. Ben was shouting something about calling nine-one-one.

“I’m fine. I’m sorry, is she all right?” Devin found that he didn’t just want to know if she was all right, but he needed to know.

“Yes. She was mugged. Damned girl actually...let’s get you inside, Devin. I think we both could use a drink,” Austin said as he helped Devin to his feet.

Next thing Devin knew, he was sitting in a huge living room in a deep leather chair and Austin was handing him a short glass of amber liquid with a single cube of ice. Devin’s first sip confirmed that not only was it bourbon, but a very good brand as well.

“I’d like to call my brother Damon to have him go and look in on her. He’s a top rated physician.”

“The doctor we have watching her is top rate as well. Did you expect us to do anything less for her? She’s our child and we would move heaven and earth for her.”

Devin looked at Ben as he spoke. Child? Then he looked at the other man who was looking at Ben with love and affection in his eyes. Suddenly, it dawned on him. Veronica had never called them anything but roommates, but they were so much more—to each other and to her.

“You’re partners, not her lovers,” he said. Realization hit him hard at right around his heart. Would she ever be able to forgive him? he wondered.

“Very good. Now I bet you can figure out the rest too if you just shut up and think before you speak,” Austin said.

Devin noticed the snarl in the older man’s tone again and knew he deserved it. But he was worried about her as well and was willing to take anything these men gave him just to know she was all right.

“She really is all right. They’re keeping her over night because of the bump on her head. Stupid girl is going to bite off more than she can chew one of these days. To think of her and that brute of a man...oh, Austin, our poor little girl.”

“She’s all right, Ben. That’s all that matters, and she’ll be back in the morning, provided she behaves herself while in the hospital,” Austin said gently to his partner.

Devin took a large gulp of his bourbon. “What happened? So far all I know is she’s got a bump and she’s in the hospital. Please, I need to know.”

“She was Christmas shopping and when she had finished, she was waiting for the damned bus, which was late again. I don’t know why she won’t let us just buy her a new car instead of pouring money into that piece of crap she drives.” Ben looked a little pissed at that, and Austin nearly grinned.

“Because she owns it, and owing us, even though she loves us, goes against her pride for some reason. Go on, love. Tell him the story without embellishments, please.” Austin said to his lover.

“Anyway, some man tried to grab the woman next to Ronnie’s purchases and when she stepped in, he decided to take hers as well—major mistake on his part. Ronnie flew at him like a woman with PMS. I don’t think the man knew what hit him. But the time the police showed up, he was begging for them to take him away.”

Devin could see her do it too, the crazy woman. When he got a hold of her, he was going to set down a few rules. And then thought he might want to suggest a few rules with a wary grin. But paddling her butt was becoming more and more appealing every time he thought about her.

“But you said she was mugged. What happened then if she took care of the would-be robber?”

“The woman next to Ronnie. It was a ruse, you see. The man would try and take his partner’s things and when no one was looking, she’d make off with the goods of the people around her. Problem is they didn’t expect their target to have a black belt, nor that she would give chase. Ronnie got hit in the head by her cell phone when the woman turned and threw it at Ronnie. Caught her just to the corner of her left eye and knocked her out. Ronnie was damned lucky the car coming around the same corner only ran over her phone and not her.” Well, he thought, that explained why he couldn’t get in touch with her all day. His list of reasons to strangle the woman was growing exponentially. But so were his reasons for kissing her until she could not speak. Not speaking was something he was going to practice, himself, for a change.

Devin stared into the fireplace. He knew he had been doing that a lot lately.

He had a lot on his mind and knew he needed to share with someone or go insane.

“She hates me. Not that I blame her, but she does. Something I’m going to tell you is something I’ve only just discovered recently and I’ve never even said out loud. I love her. I think I have from the moment I first met her.”

“She’s very easy to love, but not easy to get to know. Trust me when I tell you, we’ve been trying for years to have her open up to us. You two have some things to work out, I believe.” Austin glanced at Ben, and then continued. “She’s in room four-twelve. It’s a private room. She not going to be happy because we told you, but she’ll forgive us, especially if you do this right. Don’t push her, Devin. She’s terrified of becoming her father and hitting you first the other night and now this man has her depressed about it. You’ve read her file, she said, so you know what I’m talking about.”

“I deserved it as much as the other man did. Hell, probably more so. I wasn’t a very nice man to her and I plan to make up for it.”

“She won’t see it that way. She’ll see that she hurt you by violence and nothing else. For all her bravo, she is a very insecure little girl inside.” Thirty minutes later, Devin was parking in the big lot at OSU hospital. It was after visiting hours, but a quick call to Damon and he had permission to stay until he left, or Ronnie kicked him out—which Damon thought would happen.

Damon was also going to check on Ronnie in the morning before she left. It was nine-thirty when he knocked on her door.

“Go away before I call security.” Not a good beginning, he thought, but he was determined. He laid the dozen red roses on the small table and noticed that there were several vases of flowers all around the room, including one from Byron. Figures Byron would know she had been hurt before him.

“I heard about what happened. I stopped by and spoke to Austin and Ben when I couldn’t get in touch with you. Nice couple, by the way.” Her grunt made him smile, but he quickly covered it with a stern look. This was no time to be smiling at her.

“What the hell were you thinking taking on someone twice your size? Do you have a death wish?” Her eye was swollen almost shut and it looked to have four stitches.

“Go away!” She yelled at him and then took a pillow from behind her and tossed it at him. He caught it and started walking toward her.

He stood staring down at her for several seconds when he realized how tired he was. Not just tired, but exhausted. He took off his coat and tossed it into the nearby chair. Next, he took off his tie and tossed it as well. They both watched as it slid to the floor in a pile of blue silk. His jacket was next and joined the growing number of garments he tossed carelessly toward the chair. When he reached for his belt buckle, Ronnie spoke up.

“What do you think you’re doing? Put those things back on and get out of here.” He noticed her voice had become husky and low. The sound shot straight to his cock and he felt a surge of need pour into him. This woman made him feel things he didn’t even know he wanted to feel.

The belt came off with a bit of flair and he didn’t watch where it landed, but looked at the woman he loved. Before he said anything, he started unbuttoning his shirt.

“I’ve not slept well over the past few days and I—”

“That’s my fault, I suppose,” Ronnie snarled at him.

“Yes and no. Most of it is my fault, though some of the blame lies on your doorstep. You could have told me that Austin and Ben were not your lovers, Veronica.” He toed off his left shoe as he spoke.

“I don’t have to explain myself to you, Mr. Grant. Why are you undressing?” She started to pull the blankets tighter around her. He thought it would do her no good.

“No, you didn’t. Not before, at any rate. Especially in light of the way I’ve treated you.” The shirt came off and he folded it and laid it on the chair as he toed off his other shoe. “As for undressing, I can’t sleep in my clothes. I usually sleep in the raw, but because of where we are, I’ll leave my pants on. Now, scoot over and give me some room.”

He didn’t wait for her to comply, which he knew she would not anyway, but simply moved in behind her on the narrow bed and pushed her over and on to her side. The hospital gown had ridden up somewhat and before he pulled the blanket over them both, he got the nicest view of her bare bottom covered only by a thin string that separated the muscled orbs. His cock jumped in response.

She was quiet for so long that he thought she might be all right with him there, but should have know better. When she flipped over and glared down at him from her sitting position, he knew the true meaning of need. Her breasts heaved in her anger and her warm hip pressed against his thigh, her heat seeping into him even through his heavy pants.

When she jerked her side of the blankets off her and made to slid off the bed, he moved quickly and pinned her back to the bed, her arms held above her head with his hand and her legs anchored beneath his. Just to show her what she was doing to him and his libido, he pressed hard into her.

“I’m tired. Very tired, but if you continue to tempt me, I’m going to make love to you right here. Now lay still and to go sleep. My brother will be here in the morning and I’d like to be rested when he comes in. He and the rest of my family is very upset with me and I’m pretty sure if I make love to you right now, we will still be doing it when he arrives in the morning. Now, roll over so I can hold you properly.”