Chapter 13
"Tallulah James, open your eyes, woman! You drive me crazy, but I love you!"
"Sir, this is a hospital. Any more raised voices or cursing, and you will no longer be welcome."
My head and face hurt. My ears were ringing, but I thought it was because Carlisle was shouting at me.
"She's mad at you, so I doubt hearing your declaration will change anything." Jessop told his brother. "Anyway, what did you do?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Oh, no! Your girlfriend looked heartbroken when she left the hotel. Tell me!"
"I told her that I had sex with Jane multiple times."
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I heard pacing. "Why did you lie to her, you insensitive bastard?"
"You don't know that I lied." Carlisle sounded irritated. "And shut up! She might hear you."
"You're an asshole for letting her believe that shit. I don't get it. You love Talla. You hate Jane."
"Shut the fuck up, Jess. So, what if I lied? It's for the best. I do love her, and that makes things dangerous for her."
"She's a grown woman and can make her own decisions.
Tell her the truth, or I will. You've hurt her badly, and I don't want her to suffer because you can't make up your mind.
" Paused. "Actually, I bet Tallulah wouldn't believe you even if you told her the truth.
Why would she? I can't believe you're my older brother. You’re such an asshole.”
"Love you too, bro!" Carlisle muttered.
At this point, it was getting difficult to keep pretending I was asleep.
"Anyway, you're the last person who should question me. How the hell did you mess up with Pen?"
Jessop blew out a sharp breath. "It turned out it wasn't me she wanted."
"Assholes!" I muttered.
"You're awake! Thank God!" Carlisle narrowed his eyes. "How long have you been awake?"
Jessop snorted. "She was awake as soon as I started talking about you, you lying asshole." He smiled, pleased with himself. "I figured it was the only way Tallulah would believe you about Jane."
"I wouldn't be so smug if I were you," I told him as I reached up to my throbbing face.
"Pen wasn't crying because she didn't want you.
She cried because she was overwhelmed by being with you.
" Tears blurred my vision, but I kept going.
"No one has treated her as well as you have, Jessop.
She didn't and doesn't want anyone but you.
You blew it by leaving her alone after the best sex and tenderness she'd ever experienced. "
Jessop had lost all color as I spoke. I just hoped Pen would forgive me for telling him. I felt I had to after what he did for me.
"And you," I snapped, "better not fill my head with any more lies because you badly hurt me." I sniffed, and he handed me a tissue.
"I want you safe, Tallulah. That's all I've ever wanted."
"I'm safer with you!" I cried into the tissue.
"I fucking agree."
"Where is she, Talla? Where's Pen?" Jessop asked, having recovered somewhat from the bombshell I dropped on him.
"My place. You know the code."
"Tallulah! Please tell me you changed the code."
"Um, well—" I trailed off.
"I give up!” Jessop said to Carlisle. "I'll call you."
"The cops are outside. They want to get a statement from you," Carlisle told me once Jessop had left.
"Oh no! How is Oliver?"
"As bruised as you are."
"I'm not going to look in a mirror anytime soon." I blew out a breath. "Please tell me they caught Angel. It was him, right?"
"Yes, it was him. And no, they didn't catch him."
"I guess I better talk to the cops. I want it over with."
Carlisle looked me over, then bent over me. “I’m sorry for the way I lied to you.” He brushed his lips over mine, then moved away and opened the door. "Detective Riley, Tallulah is awake."
My heart somersaulted in my chest. I had called out to Riley in my head for help. He heard me and came to Oliver's and my rescue.
Hell in a handbasket!
I was nervous when Riley stepped into the room. Lane followed him. I knew this was the moment of truth.
"Mr. Hallen, why don’t you go and grab a coffee while we talk with Miss James?"
Carlisle bristled at the tone Lane used, so I reached out and grabbed his hand. "I'll be fine. After all it was Riley who saved me."
He inhaled slowly and nodded. "I'll be back in ten minutes." With that, he kissed me on the forehead, left, and the door closed with a slight bang.
I winced at the sound because it echoed through my head and face. I put my hand on the spot where he had kissed me and felt the warmth lingering on my skin. Things had certainly been better before he left in a snit.
"How are you feeling?"
The moment Riley spoke into my head, intense pain hit, and I cried out. "Not now," I whispered.
"I'm sorry." Riley moved alongside the bed, placed a gentle hand on my back, and helped me sit up to take a sip of the cool water he offered. Concern was etched on his face.
"Why are you apologizing to her?" Lane asked, confused.
Riley winced before turning to his partner. "I felt bad for not getting to her quickly enough.” He shrugged and helped me settle on the bed.
“The sheriff told us that Angel took the money that Mrs. Winters had found hidden in her car, presumably placed there by her husband.” Lane paused. “Why were you with the sheriff at the time?”
“It’s Penelope Bailey.” I wish I knew what the sheriff had said. "Well, I asked the sheriff to meet me to collect the money. I’d heard rumors about Angel, and I was scared, as was Pen. She's been through enough, so I offered, you, see? Look how that turned out."
"I'd say you've been through enough as well, Ms. James."
"Please call me Tallulah." I glanced at Riley, who stood just behind Lane. I got the sense that he wanted to say something directly to me, but he held off because of the pain I experienced when he tried a few moments ago.
"What I don't understand," Lane began, "is why you're always around."
I frowned. "I live in Sugar Briar."
"And Carlisle Hallen? Is he your boyfriend?"
I winced, and I noticed Riley's jaw tense. I looked back at Lane and said, "Sort of. Besides, that's none of your business. All I can tell you is that Pen found the money that Angel now has."
To be honest, I was furious about that because before Angel got his sweaty, meaty hands on it, there had been a chance I would have gotten it back. "My head and face hurt. I'm done talking since I have nothing to tell you." I shrugged.
Lane's phone started to vibrate, so he excused himself from the room. Riley quickly moved forward and sat beside me in a visitor's chair. "What was that, Tallulah?"
I considered pretending I didn't know what he was talking about, but I was tired and decided against it.
"I don't know. I've only ever heard your thoughts.
" I winced. "Only when they're directed my way.
" I remembered Lionel, but I decided to keep that to myself.
"It scares me, to be honest. I'm glad I could do that when Angel had me in his grasp, though.”
“It came in handy then." His eyes narrowed. "You've heard all my thoughts about you, right?"
"Perhaps."
His cheeks heated, and I felt mine do the same. "Maybe in the future, you could sing or do something like that when you're thinking about me."
"How about I stop thinking about you?" He chuckled.
"That would work." I sighed. "Why can I hear you, and you can hear me? I mean, don't you find it odd?"
“It’s happened to me a few times over the years. I've learned to accept it as a strange quirk of fate."
“How did it start with you? My car got hit by lightning."
"With you inside, I take it?"
"Hmm."
"Nothing so extreme happened to me. I went to bed one night, and the next day, I woke up able to hear my younger sister's thoughts when she thought about how much she hated that I had freedom, and she didn't." He shrugged.
"It was difficult at first. Who wants to hear what their fifteen-year-old sister is thinking?
Sometimes her thoughts about boys would come my way.
" He shuddered. "But eventually, I learned to tune them out.
" He laughed. “Especially when she started dating my best friend.”
"Oh, God," I snickered, then remembered my headache. “When I’m out of here, perhaps you’d come by the café and see me?”
“I’d like that.” He took out a business card and slipped it into my hand. “Call me anytime.”
"When I find my phone, I'll text you, so you have my number. I have a feeling I'm going to want to talk to you about this weird head thing."
"Take care of yourself, Tallulah."
"Thank you, Riley."
He smiled. "The name's Levi." He winked and left.
"Are you sure you're comfortable?" Carlisle asked, fluffing my cushions, and adjusting the throw blanket.
"I'm fine. I'm just glad to be home. My head and face don't hurt as much now." I smiled and patted his hand.
"I wish you had let me take you to the hotel or the house. You'd be safer there."
"Angel has the money. There's no reason for him to come after me. I just need some peace and quiet to rest. My apartment is the perfect place for that."
Carlisle nodded. "I need to go get some work done. Are you—"
"Stop!" I said exasperatedly. "You're irritating me now."
"Okay," he said sheepishly. "I'll go to work and leave you in peace."
"Thank you." He crouched down, hovered, and then pressed a soft kiss to my mouth. "Are we okay, Tallulah?"
"As long as you don't visit Jane again or talk to her, we're fine."
His eyes flitted away from my face; his guilt was evident.
"Seriously?" I snapped. "When did you see her?"
He stood up. "I might as well tell you because Oliver will tell you anyway. I was there when you got hurt." He shot me a glare. "I told you she knows things about my business. I have to make sure she doesn't spill the beans."
"You said you would take care of it by paying for her attorney.
You didn't mention visiting her multiple times.
" I paused. "You better not get her out of jail.
" I narrowed my eyes. "I mean it, Carlisle.
She belongs in jail, and I will never forgive you if she walks free because of your fancy lawyer. "
"Goddamn it, Tallulah. I might not have a choice if it means keeping her quiet."
"Don't get annoyed with me! This is your mess. You know she belongs in prison." I huffed out a breath. "Since you're angry with me, I might as well tell you that I want you to hand over the money you have from Aiden—or whoever it belongs to—to the sheriff's office. That is not negotiable."
I glanced his way, and his face was tight with anger. "I'm going to leave before I say something I can't take back." With that, he strode from the room, his anger evident in every tense muscle.
His heavy feet pounded downstairs, and then I heard the secure door at the bottom engage. I rested my head against the back of the sofa, wondering how I had gotten tangled up with Carlisle Hallen.