Fractured (Lucian & Lia #2)(30)
Lee Jacks. Shit, the other man might be piling on the pressure to meet his daughter, but I can’t fault his dedication to avenging her years of abuse. How he had managed to get her bitch of a mother to turn herself in and admit to everything under the sun was a mystery to me. Judging by the rumors that circulated about Jacks, maybe I was even a tad surprised that she hadn’t just disappeared. Lee had also assured me that Jim Dawson would soon be in police custody to answer for his list of crimes, which was somewhat disappointing to me. No matter how much I enjoyed thinking of him rotting away in a cell with others hopefully torturing him just as he had Lia, I still would have preferred a world in which he didn’t exist at all. I had to believe that Lee was thinking of some bigger picture here. I couldn’t imagine that he would let Dawson off that easily if he had any say in the matter whatsoever. I was trusting him to have a plan that both he and I could live with.
Suddenly, I stumble, looking up in alarm when I realize I’ve almost plowed Lia down. At some point in my inner musings she had stopped as we reached Leo’s, and I being in such deep thought had continued to walk forward. I catch her in my arms, trying to steady us both. “Damn, baby, are you okay? I’m sorry; I didn’t notice you’d stopped.”
She gives me a wry smile, saying, “Yeah, I sort of gathered that when you kept right on going even when I called your name a few times. You were a million miles away.”
I hug her to me briefly before placing my hand in the small of her back and leading her to the doorway of Leo’s. We are ushered to my favorite table in the back, giving us the privacy I know Lia needs for her first outing. I help her into the corner booth before sliding in next to her. I immediately drop my arm over her shoulders, pulling her into my side. I’m so proud of her for doing this tonight, even though I know she didn’t really want to. I order us a bottle of wine and our waiter brings some fresh bread and olive oil. After a week of very little appetite on either of our parts, I find myself suddenly starving. Lia grins at me indulgently as I polish off the small loaf and ask for another. I point to it, saying, “You better get in here before it’s gone.”
After our first glass of wine, I feel her relax. We are in our own world, with only the waiter appearing briefly to refill our glasses and bring our next course. I’m trying to talk Lia into splitting dessert with me when someone clears their throat, bringing both of our heads up. I stiffen in anger when I see Lee Jacks standing before us; there is no way that him being here is a coincidence. I was sure he’d had someone watching Lia, but now I’m certain. It f*cking pisses me off after telling him he needed to give her time to recover before trying to spring her long-lost father on her. I know I’ll lose my shit if he tries to make any revelations to her tonight. I wasn’t lying to him when I said she wasn’t ready. After what happened earlier in the shower, I’m more certain than ever that she needs more time.
Lia looks at me apprehensively when I continue to sit woodenly, not acknowledging the other man. Finally, he steps forward with his hand extended and an amused expression on his face. Fucker. “Quinn, it’s good to see you again.”
Yeah, I just bet it is. I have little choice but to return his handshake, saying simply, “Jacks.” He makes a point to turn to Lia next, and my good manners won’t allow me to exclude her from the greeting. “Lia, this is Lee Jacks.” I turn back to the other man, narrowing my eyes before I add, “Lee, this is my girlfriend, Lia Adams.”
Two things happen when I finish the introduction. First, Lee takes Lia’s hand gently, surprising me with the level of emotion that seems to flit across his usually impassive face. Second, I think of how absurd it sounds for someone my age to be addressing the woman who lives with him as his ‘girlfriend.’ It seems so high school to me, but I’m not sure what a more appropriate word would be. I guess, truthfully, I wasn’t much older than a teenager the last time I had a woman in my life who qualified for a status other than one-night stand, or in Laurie’s case, more like a high-class hooker. Lia had been a bit angry over my description of Laurie’s former place in my life, but as I assured her, there was no comparison between the two. Lia might have had a tough time financially trying to put herself through school, but Laurie’s need to spend more money than she had on frivolous items to keep up with her high-society friends made her as different from Lia as night and day in my mind. That left Lia being the only woman to occupy a close place in my life since Cassie. So, yeah, I was treading water every day balancing my need to protect what is left of my heart with my overwhelming desire for the woman sitting next to me. I’d been f*cking lost the first moment I met her, and the days that pass only make my desire to keep her in my life impossible to resist.
Lee makes no mention of the bandages on Lia’s nose as he says, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lia. I believe we saw each other briefly at Lucian’s apartment a few days ago.” I wonder if she even remembers since she was still taking pain pills then, but she seems to recognize him.
“That’s right,” she answers shyly. “I remember seeing you in Luc’s office. I’m sorry I didn’t speak, but I wasn’t feeling well then.” I doubt that Lia notices, but I see Lee’s mouth tighten briefly before he relaxes. It’s obvious that Lia’s injuries bother him a great deal. I recall Max saying something about not knowing if Lee would be more interested in a daughter because she was family or a possible social problem for him if the knowledge fell into the wrong hands. Seeing his reaction to her tonight, I almost think it’s the first. Whatever the reason, he seems to feel something for her; trapping me into this informal meeting so he can be near her attests to that fact.