Page 40 of Taking The Virgin

Chapter15

I feelnumb as the news about my youngest sister sinksin.

Adoption…Jasmine…they’re trying to stop you from getting herback…

I fumble for a response to my lawyer, especially as Owen stands in the doorway like a lofty, expressionless statue.

My lawyer continues. “Juliet, are you still there?”

“Yes,” I whisper, glancing away from Owen, who’s looking even stonier by the second.

“I’m sorry this isn’t the news you wanted to hear,” my lawyer says. “But we’ll do all we can tomorrow to defend your position at the courthouse.”

He doesn’t sound very confident at all, and worry strings through me, brittle and shaky.

He goes on. “There’ll be an emergency hearing in family court. I’ll text you the time and location presently, but you should plan to be there early.”

It takes me another moment to fit all the pieces into a blurry puzzle image: I have to get home. Then to the courthouse. Defend my position so I can keep my little sister…

It all comes together in a blaringly clear picture: I’ll need to go back to Florida, away from Owen so I can keep my family intact.

When I look up at him in the doorway again, he’s gone, and that only adds to mypain.

“Juliet?” my lawyerasks.

“I’ll be there, Mr. Salazar.”

I have to be, and as I dully thank him for his help, then disconnect our call, I give myself another minute to stay seated. I don’t think I can even walk a straight line right now, because I’m either about to burst into tears or crumble all the way to the floor.

Dear god, I’m really in a fix. If I tell Owen I need to leave him, even for a day, he just might consider me in breach of contract and cancel on me, leaving me without the money I so sorely need to reunite my family. But if I were to stay here instead, I might as well be telling the authorities that I don’t care about my little sister.

Even as I sit here between a rock and a hard place, there really isn’t any choice.

I take a deep breath and stand. Somehow I make my way out of theden.

I find Owen at the foot of the grand staircase conversing in low tones with Nat, who nods to me and then hustles away as I approach. Before he turns to me, he coldly folds his hands behind his back, then faces me. He towers over me, leveling me with that impassivegaze.

To think, only minutes ago he was almost smiling as he came into the den, and the loss of what could have been wracksme.

“I’m sorry,” I simplysay.

“For being on a personal call when I unexpectedly walked into a room? I only thought to give you privacy by walkingout.”

He knows as well as I do there’s more to it than that, but I’m not one to argue. The shock of the bad news is starting to wear off of me, and stress is taking its place, tearing me apart and leaving a trembling sensation in my chest.

I manage to speak. “I’m actually sorry because I have to go home immediately to deal with a family emergency, Owen.”

Instinctively I close my eyes so I won’t see his anger. But when I don’t hear him say anything I open myeyes.

He’s tilting his head as if reading me. “All right, Juliet.”

I stare at him. Did he just say it’s all right?

I can’t be hearing him correctly.

Then he nods, as if the conversation is casually winding itself up. “I don’t want to know the details. Just tell me when I can expect youback.”

Relief nearly brings on the tears, but then I remember that this next chapter of my nightmarish story is only just starting, because I still have a hearing for Jasmine tomorrow.

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