Travis’ voice bellows throughout the room, silencing everyone, “The fuck she’s getting any help other than mine. She’s going with me.”
Travis squats down in front of me again, trying to disengage my fingers from my hair, but it’s no use. He uses his fingers to lock around my chin, tilting my head back, forcing me to meet his gaze. I can tell he’s trying desperately to bring me back from the dead, but it’s too late. I’m ruined, scarred for anything remotely normal. I’m a hazard to anyone who comes within a foot of me. I close my eyes tightly, wishing them all to go away, wishing I was simply dead.
“Jules,” he whispers to me, "no one is going to hurt you anymore." What he fails to realize is he has just hurt me ten times more than my father or Nick ever could. With my plan of revenge plucked from my grasp, I have no other reason to live. It’s game over.
“Travis, she’s already checked out; just look at her. She’s rocking back and forth nonstop. How can you think she doesn’t need help, man?”
“I don’t give a fuck. She needs me, not doctors.” Travis turns his head to address his men, or the one supposedly in charge, using a sharp tone. “I’ve brought the crime syndicate of the century to its fucking knees. The very least you can do is let me handle this.”
“You went and made this personal, Jackson, didn’t you?”
Travis doesn’t answer back, and the entire room is silent with tension. “Dammit, Travis, you don’t know how many strings I’ll have to pull for this.” Travis turns back toward me, trying to lock his gaze with mine, but he doesn’t have the effect on me like he used to. The man behind him lets out a huge sigh. “Fine, I’ll give you a week with her, but you are to report back to me daily. Am I clear? If she gets worse, and I mean in the slightest, I’m coming for her,” he threatens.
“Got it.” Travis’ voice is low and rough, and I can’t help but think I’m being bargained for yet again. As I pull harder at the roots of my hair, Travis pleads with me on a choked whisper, “Shit, Jules, stop…you’re killin’ me.”
He drops down on his knees and pulls me into an embrace, drawing my lifeless body against his broad chest. His arms squeeze me tight, but I don’t feel him. I’m numb.
“All right, men, show time is over. Let’s get this wrapped up.” Quinn claps his hands loudly, and I hear multiple heavy footsteps moving about on the hardwood floor.
Travis scoops me up into his arms and orders out, “Someone find me something for her to wear. I’m not having her traveling in a damn blanket.” Traveling to another unknown destination again, I see. Whatever Travis’ plans are, they will be in vain. I’m hollow inside. Desolate. There is nothing left for me to live for. I curl up inside myself, denying my surroundings as I shake with violent tremors. I’m nonexistent.
Travis
My adrenaline was running so high it was all I could do to wait for the signal for the guys and me to bust through the door together as a team. With my heart hammering in my chest, I somehow knew what was going on behind those closed doors. A large part of me didn’t want to open them, because I knew it would be an image that would take years to work out of my mind. I counted to ten, focusing on each breath, preparing myself against what lay on the other side of those walls. I held my hand up and gave the three second countdown to my men, who knew the drill.
The second I busted down the door and saw Nick's naked ass as he was dick-deep in my girl, all I could see was fire engine red. I do not see myself getting over that scene anytime soon; the very memory twists in my gut to the point I want to vomit. Someone may as well be driving a hundred ice picks into my heart right now. I was seriously planning on killing the motherfucker until Quinn pulled me off him. I couldn’t hear or see anything except for wanting this man's blood on my hands.
Only God knows where Julianna's mental status lies right now. She’s been pushed over the edge one too many times. Judging from her tremors and blank stares, she’s not in a good place. Her despondency has me more than concerned. She probably does belong in a psych ward right now, but I will be damned if she winds up in one. I blame myself for not having heard her escape in the night. She should have never been able to crack the window without me knowing about it.