Chapter 5
The moment those two giant security officers step inside; I know I’ve already got leverage. Gabby stiffens like she expects them to drag her out by the roots of her hair.
Good. She should.
I fold my arms. “You can check his system. He updated it. Just look at it. I’m his in-case-of-emergency now.”
Both officers glance at the two nurses who just came in, looking confused.
“He’s been divorced from her for two years,” I continue, motioning at Gabrielle. “Hasn’t seen her in forever. She lied about who she is. And she’s violent.”
“I didn’t lie about—” Gabby starts forward.
I lift my hand sharply. “You put me in the hospital! I have a restraining order against you. You're really going to stand there and lie?”
One of the officers turns toward me. “Ma’am, you have a current restraining order against her?”
“Yes,” I snap instantly. “And she’s not immediate family. She’s his ex-wife, and she has no right to be near me. Or him.”
Gabby looks at the nurses like she expects someone to speak up for her. “You came here after me!”
“You’re not listening,” I yell. “You’re not the ICE. I am. And I’m asking you to leave.”
The taller security officer steps in. “All right. Both of you. Up, let’s go. Come on.”
A nurse lifts her hands slightly. “The most important thing right now is keeping Lincoln calm. You both need to talk outside of the bay. We’re preparing to transfer him to ICU anyway. Once he’s settled, we’ll… try to work something out.”
“Definitely not happening,” I mutter under my breath. No way in hell am I sharing visitation with her.
They usher us toward the waiting room.
Gabby is tense, breathing like she’s barely holding herself together. She looks seconds away from losing it.
God, please do it.
Just one punch.
I’d record the whole thing.
This time the world would finally see what a crazy bitch his ex-wife is.
But I can’t start anything, if I do, they’ll throw me out too.
I need to be there for Lincoln.
“Don’t you need to go watch the cat?” I ask lightly.
She whirls on me. “Don’t you have someone's father to go fuck?”
Wow. Of course her mind would go there.
“Point me to yours,” I retort.
Gabrielle’s face tightens with a smile that tells me she is barely holding on.
“I’m just saying, Lincoln is paying you to watch his pet.”
“You think the cat is more important than Lincoln? He almost died and where were you? You weren’t with him. I was. I was the one who put the ice on him to keep his temperature down.”
I scoff. “You’re probably the one who sent his temperature up. You’ve been stressing him out ever since you came back. It’s just like it was when you guys were married.”
Her eyes flash like she might try something.
Come on, do something.
When we arrive at the waiting room, Gabby glares at me, shaking. “You don’t even care about him. You act like you do but if you actually cared about him at all you wouldn't have destroyed his life. And you know damn well. Fuckin’ ho’ ass, musky ass bitch.”
“Stay butthurt. You’re just mad he actually said my name,” I say, unable to keep the smugness out of my voice.
She explodes. “Sure, after he was hollering my name like the hosts of hell were after him, but if that makes you feel special about yourself, go off! Why are you even talking to me? Do I fucking know you?”
Trying to keep my smile at bay, I shrug. “Nope. And I don’t want to know you. Wish sure as hell you made good on your standards and actually… I dunno… move on with your life instead of hanging around the very man that made it clear he doesn’t want you.”
I can tell every word is making her more angry based on the way her jaw is working. God, I’m getting off on making her upset.
“Funny,” she scoffs. “He didn’t seem to want you after he got caught until after he was sure I was leaving his ass.”
“That’s not the point, you idiot,” I fire back. “You guys are no longer together. He divorced you. You left him. You also attacked me and you’re dangerous. He doesn’t want you around him.”
She shakes her head furiously. “If that’s the case, then why did he hire me to live with him? To cook for him? To watch his cat? To watch his house? He didn’t hire you. He hired me.”
“Yeah. Keyword—hired. As the help.”
Her eyes throw me a wicked glare as if she is fighting ever muscle fiber to not reach over and hit me.
I knew that would set her off.
At least I thought so.
Why won’t she act? I know she wants to.
I push on. “Besides, it still doesn’t change the fact that I’m his in-case-of-emergency. And I have a restraining order against you. You’re not supposed to be anywhere near me.”
“You came in after me, you dumb bitch.”
“None of this really matters, does it? But you don't like Lincoln anymore, so then why are you here?” I challenge.
Until they figure out what to do with him upstairs, she’s not getting in that ICU room before me.
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