My Ward My Woman

I turned back to her team. “Find who did this.” They left in a hurry and I went to her side ignoring the doctor who was asking who I was. I took her hand in mine and brought it to my chest. “Baby, can you hear me? Open your eyes.” Her hand felt empty in mine and it was then I realized her ring was gone.

“Where’s her ring?”

“She wasn’t wearing one. I can ask the attending nurse but I happened to be on the ward when they brought her in and I don’t remember seeing anyone remove one.”

Had she been robbed? Was that it? He left to go inquire about the ring as I sat thinking. What was it her security had said? Chloroform? What kind of thief went to those lengths? It didn’t make sense. Someone had to be waiting for her in that dressing room. But how did they know she would be there?

My mind worked over everything I knew so far but until I got the evidence from the store I wouldn’t know shit. She moaned my name with her eyes still shut. “I’m here babydoll open your eyes.”

She moaned in pain and I gritted my teeth. I wanted to leave and find the one responsible but I couldn’t leave her. The doctor returned with the news that no one had seen the ring. I had the sudden thought that there was only one person who would take it in that way. But things weren’t adding up there either. My head was too hot to think straight. I needed to settle down first and then maybe I could see clearly again.

I sat next to her bed for what seemed like hours until she finally woke up. She grimaced in pain and called out for me. “I’m right here little one, everything’s going to be okay.” I hadn’t protected her. Even with the best security someone had got to her on my fucking watch. My mind already knew the guilty, but I couldn’t confront her unless I knew for sure.

I buzzed for the nurse and she came in followed by the doctor who went straight to her.

“Can I take her home? She doesn’t like hospitals.”

“Now that she’s awake it should be okay, just let me look her over again. There’s going to be pain for the next few days but there’s no lasting damage.” He said some other things that I needed to do to see to her comfort before writing out a prescription, and once again I carried her like a baby in my arms.

I held her in my arms as the driver took us home and she slept. I had to hold my anger at bay. The more I thought about it, the more I was convinced that Jessica was behind the attack. I can’t strangle her ass because she’s pregnant, but I will find a way to make her pay if she is indeed the one behind it.

22

Solomon

I called mom as soon as I got her settled in our bed. Whatever the doctor had given her for pain before we left had knocked her out, so I didn’t feel guilty for leaving her. I wanted her fucking ring back and put my team on it. Knowing Jessica she wouldn’t keep the ring herself, how could she? It’s not like she could wear it without it being noticed.

“Check all the pawn shops first.” I gave the order before instructing my driver to take me to her place. By the time we pulled up outside, I was in a murderous rage. I slammed out of the car and jogged up the stairs to her door.

She answered the doorbell with a questioning look on her face. “Solomon, whatever are you doing here? I thought you said all you had to say today.” I couldn’t help myself. My hand went around her neck and I pushed her back into the wall before closing the door with my foot.

“If I find out that you were the one who put hands on her, there isn’t a rock big enough for you to climb under.” She pulled at my hand and I gave serious thought to ending her miserable life right then and there. It was only the child and not having all the evidence that stayed my hand.

She coughed and clutched at her throat once I let her go. “What are you talking about?”

“I know it was you. I don’t know how you did it, but I know. You better hope she gets better with no lasting effects or child or no child, I will wait until you give birth and drop your ass off a cliff.”

“How dare you? I guess this little tirade is because of your precious ward. What am I supposed to have done to her now?”

“You know what you did. By the way, if that ring isn’t back on her finger by tomorrow I’m cutting the allowance in half. It will continue to go down by a thousand each day after that.”