Justified (Alfha Law Firm 1)

“You have my word,” he says.

I hang up and go to my suitcase to pull out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, getting dressed quickly before zipping up my bag. Then I pull my phone out and head down to the lobby of the hotel. As soon as I reach the front entrance, I call Wesly and quickly let him know that I’m on my way back to the US and I will be calling Mr. Yakamora. I’ll need to explain that I had to leave Japan immediately and any business we need to discuss can be taken care of via conference call.

I won’t be leaving Chloe again, even if I have to handcuff her to me.

“Can I take your coat?” the flight attendant asks.

I hand it to her and pull out my phone from my pocket when it begins to ring. “Yes?”

“Sir, I wanted to give you an update. The doctor has her on an IV, and they are running a few more tests, but they believe she was drugged with Zolpide and she had an allergic reaction to it.”

“Who the fuck was close enough to her to drug her?” I demand.

“Sir, I’m not sure,” Ricket says quietly.

“Can I speak with her?”

“She hasn’t woken up yet,” he says almost under his breath, and a ball of hot rage fills my chest.

“Call me the moment she wakes up,” I hiss, running a shaky hand through my hair, “and for fuck’s sake, find out what the fuck happened!” I shout, clicking off the phone.

By the time we land in New York, my anxiety level has tripled. Chloe still hasn’t woken up and there is no evidence on the tapes showing that anyone had the opportunity to drug her.

It takes an hour to make it from the private airstrip in Westchester to the hospital in downtown Manhattan, where Chloe is. As soon as I pull up outside of the hospital, Ricket is there to meet my town car. Without a word, I follow him into the hospital, and as soon as I step off the elevator, my hackles rise. Maxine is standing in the hall with a man I have never seen before.

“What are you doing here?” I ask her as soon as I get within speaking distance.

Her head turns towards me and she smiles. “I thought it would be best if I met you here,” she says quietly and starts to reach out her hand to touch me.

I instantly pull away. “You thought wrong. You can go,” I tell her, taking a step towards Chloe’s room, but the man who was standing with her steps in front of me, blocking my path. “I suggest you move aside,” I tell him.

“Do you now?” he asks and steps in front of me again when I try to move around him.

If I weren’t exhausted from traveling and worrying, I would lay the kid out, but as it stands, he may be able to get one over on me.

“Sir, this is Chloe’s boyfriend,” Maxine says from beside me, and I turn to look at her then back at him.

“The only man in Chloe’s life is me. Now get the fuck out of my way,” I bark.

He opens his mouth and begins to speak, but one of my men steps in, wrapping his hand around the guy’s arm. He starts to struggle but quickly stops when my man leans down and says something to him.

I turn towards Chloe’s room then stop and look over my shoulder. “Bernard.”

My bodyguard stops and turns to look at me as well as the guy. “Yes, boss?” he asks, looking back at me.

“I want to know everything about him, and make sure he understands he is not allowed to even breathe the same air as Chloe again,” I tell him.

He lifts his chin and starts to lead the guy away.

“Now, you,” I say, turning towards Maxine before heading into Chloe’s room. “If I find out you’ve somehow had a hand in all this shit, you will pray I end you.”

“Nolan,” she whispers, and I shake my head.

“Get out, now,” I snarl.

She jumps slightly before quickly turning and walking away. I take a breath and stretch my neck before stepping into the room where Chloe is.

The TV is on, blue light casting a glow around the room. My eyes go to the bed, and I take my angel in before stepping towards her. The blankets are tucked around her, her hands at her sides. Her eyes are closed, her dark lashes lying over her cheekbones. Her hair is up, and I can tell she styled it by the way the curls are still holding in her normally straight hair. I walk towards her and see that one of her hands has an IV attached. It feels like it takes forever to make it the ten steps to her side. My hand instantly goes to her face, and my fingers travel down her jaw when I see a large bruise there.

“Jesus, Angel. What the fuck happened?” I whisper, looking her over. I can’t believe this happened to her. I slip off my shoes and climb into the bed with her, being careful not to move her too much as I wrap myself around her.

“Nolan,” Chloe says as I feel her fingers travel though my hair.

I smile and open my eyes a crack. As the events of the last twenty-eight hours come back to me, the smile disappears and my eyes open completely, meeting Chloe’s concerned ones.

“Angel.” I swallow, gently pulling her closer so I can press my lips to her forehead.

“Why am I here?” she whimpers, and I can hear the tears in her voice.

I pull slightly away from her so I can look into her eyes. “You got sick and passed out in the bathroom of the club.”

“I told them I didn’t want to drink,” she says faintly, making me instantly annoyed with the people she had gone out with. I should have known better than to trust anyone with her care.

“It’s okay,” I say, sitting up on the side of the bed while pressing the call button for the doctor. Then I slip on my shoes.

“Are you okay?” she asks, and the touch of her hand causes me to let out a sharp breath.

I’m so maddened by the thought of what could have happened to her that I could kill. I turn towards her and push my own personal demons aside. She needs me now, and I cannot let my own emotions overrule that.

“Fine, Beautiful,” I tell her, running a hand over her hair.

“Sir,” Ricket says, which is followed by someone else’s, “You’re awake.”

When I turn my head, an attractive man a few years younger than I am walks in wearing a set of dark-blue scrubs.