Page 2 of Levi
“Are you always this quiet, or have I just got you all tongue-tied?”Saylor giggles again and it makes me smile.
“You definitely have me tongue-tied,” I say honestly.“But yeah, I’m usually the quiet one in the group.”
“I’ll crack your shell in no time.”She winks at me and it’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen; my entire life trajectory just took a sharp turn.
It was that simple.She and I went for a walk down the busy street of bars, talking and learning about each other.We found a small bench in front of a tattoo parlor and sat there for hours talking.If I didn’t already think she was it for me, I definitely knew after conversing into the wee hours.She grew up as a military brat but lived with her grandparents in a small town, in northern California, near the Nevada state line.She’s twenty-five, loves to bake and owns a successful bakery here in town.After that night, we spent every waking minute with each other, and three months later we said our wedding vows at the courthouse.
Now, here we are six months into our marriage and we have a little one on the way.Later this week we are finding out the gender of our baby and I couldn’t be happier.Having Saylor by my side every morning when I wake is truly the best thing in the world.Some may think it all happened a little too fast, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.Which is why I’ve dreaded today so much.
I love my wife and baby more than my life, which is why I have to end things.
Today I’m asking my pregnant wife for a divorce.
Levi
“Why would you file for divorce?That doesn’t make any sense,” Dr.Jordan asks shocked, which is exactly the reaction I expected.“I think you need to calm down and think this through, before you do something that can’t be taken back.”
“I don’t care what you or Mitch have to say.I’m doing this my way and that’s final.I don’t need to be constantly babied, I’m a grown man who can take care of his family.It’s my responsibility to keep her safe.Me!You know how hard it is for me to make sure Saylor doesn’t even stub her toe under my watch,” I practically yell at Dr.Jordan, as I pace the length of her office here in the building of our law firm.She keeps repeating the same thing over and over again, as if I’m not listening.I am, but that’s not the route I need to take.I’ve told her and Mitch this multiple times, and it’s like no one is hearing me.It’s like they are ignoring all the warning signs flashing in front of our faces.
Five months ago, I started receiving the most disturbing packages at my office.The last one was a bone chilling threat against her and our unborn child.It contained photos of my mother lying on the floor of the living room, with a needle sticking out of her arm.Those photos were from a file taken by the Seattle police department decades ago, but what is the most disturbing part is that it’s not my dead mother’s face but Saylor’s.How this psycho was able to retrieve this photographic evidence is scary.To say that I’m shocked is nothing new because we receive threats often, but this one has my entire P.I.team scrambling every minute of the day, especially because only a select few know she’s pregnant.Then, I started to receive letters with photos that were practically right next to my wife at the daily places she visited.At first, I thought it was the usual hate mail but as time has progressed, they are getting more specific and horrifying.
Being an attorney and part of a large firm who gets the bad guys off, we get a lot of media attention that doesn’t make us the most liked people.It’s one of the reasons I’ve started to distance myself from the firm my brother started.I’ve never had any passion in this field anyway, but was pressured to feel like this was my only option.Growing up, I didn’t want to disappoint my new family, so I did exactly what my older brother Lincoln did.He went to Yale, our dad’s alma mater, and then went on to law school.My passion is working with my hands building things.In my spare time, I buy houses that need to be fixed then flip them.I keep some that I rent out, but mostly sell them for profit after I create the perfect home.
So that’s why when I received the fifth package, I knew this wasn’t some internet troll with nothing better to do with his time than send hate mail.No, these were turning out to be more personal and aimed solely towards my wife with a clear message.They were going to harm her.I’ve had people looking into this for months now, very discreetly, but we’ve gotten nowhere.I’ve told my brother, Lincoln, the very basic but haven’t gone into details just yet.He just recently got engaged to Everly, who just happens to be my wife’s best friend.I can’t risk them finding out until I have a more solid lead.The last thing I need is to panic my pregnant wife and make her feel unsafe.Or worse, try to help and then something happens to her or the baby.I don’t know if I would survive that.
“I don’t care what you or Mitch have to say.I’m doing this my way and that is final.I don’t need to be constantly babied, I’m a grown man who can take care of his family.It is my responsibility to keep her safe.Me!You know how hard it is for me to make sure Saylor doesn’t even stub her toe under my watch,” I practically yell at Dr.Jordan, as I pace the length of her office here in the building of our law firm.
Dr.Jordan has been with me since I got out of law school and started here at my brother’s firm.I didn’t want to live a life in solitude and tried to make a change.I felt better when I was alone and outdoors.But change is hard.She has helped in some ways, like opening up to my mom and dad and accepting them as my family.That was hard to do.Our biological parents died from a drug overdose when we were young, after our little sister was killed.We were orphans for a while, waiting to see if we had any relatives.Lincoln and I didn’t even know that we had grandparents or about our father’s brother, Daniel, and his wife, Alice, until CPS told us that we were going to live with relatives after several months in foster care.Even though Reid is our cousin, I do feel like he’s a brother and we are as close as siblings are.I also use Dr.Jordan because dealing with some clients puts a strain on my mental well-being.I’m great at what I do but having to handle scum puts a toll on you.He gives me an outlet to let go of the smarmy things I have to endure.
“Levi, I know that you are grown but you have people in certain areas that are there to protect you and your best interest.I agree with Mitch, and think you need to reconsider what you are about to do.Think long term and how this will affect you, your marriage, and the family you’re about to start.”Dr.Jordan tries to push, but I’m not having it.We pay her top dollar to help but this isn’t helping anymore.
“Don’t you think that I’ve thought this through!I haven’t had a single night’s sleep since this all began.”I pause to get my anger and breathing under control.“You don’t have anyone who looks after your family but you, correct?Why is so hard for you or Mitch to understand that I’m doing the same thing.”
“Keeping her in the dark will help no one, Levi.She’s a strong woman and I think you should tell her.She has a right to know; this is her life too.You can’t just decide something like this and not include all parties.And to answer your other question, I’m not a mega millionaire that the world wants a piece of every moment of the day.You are because you take on high profile cases that the entire world watches from their televisions.They have very strong opinions about it sometimes and this is the fallout from that.”
“It will be fine.Like you said I have the best people in place that will have this solved in no time.She will understand and we’ll be back on track to start our family and not have to worry about this threat,” I argue, sounding like a broken record.From an early age, I was told that talking to a therapist was supposed to be helpful, but I’m not seeing the vision any longer.
“Until it happens again, then what?You can’t just play yoyo with your wife, women don’t put up with that, especially your wife.And it’s completely unfair to put her in that position.Levi, as your doctor and as your friend, I beg you to reconsider this.This act might have damning consequences for you and could blow up in your face.Think bigger picture.Things could go terribly wrong.”
“I’ll take it into consideration, Dr.Jordan.”I appease her but know I’m dead set on doing things my way.“Thanks for seeing me on such short notice.”
We shake hands and I leave her office.I’ve got a lot on my plate these days but my top priority is my four-month pregnant wife.Someone wants her and our baby dead.And by dead, I mean gutted on a fish hook.The letters alone will keep you up at night but then picture after picture started coming in of her daily routine.They’ve followed her and were even close enough to take photos of what was in her purse at her bakery.Now, the pictures are of her with a laser pointer, from a gun scope, on her forehead or chest or small baby bump.
That was the last straw for me, so when the letter came in about choosing between walking away from my marriage or losing her and my baby to a watery grave, I started making plans.My security thinks I’m nuts and shouldn’t let some prick decide how to live my life, but I can’t take that chance.What if I listen to them and this lunatic follows through with his threat.I’d never forgive myself if something were to ever happen to her or our baby.The team would go back home to their families and I’d be left alone losing the two most important people in my life.So, the decision was easy and after tomorrow I hope that I’ve bought my team some time to catch this loser, and then we can get on with the rest of our lives.
“We’re here, sir,” Mitch states startling me.I was so in my head I didn’t realize that we left the office and are pulled up to the curb of the restaurant.
“Sir, I’m pleading with you.Please reconsider what you’re about to do.I don’t think you’ve thought about the affects this could have on Mrs.Thorne and your child,” he pleads.
“I’ll take that into advisement, Mitch.”I try not to show my annoyance of him trying to change my mind, again, for the millionth time.“She’ll understand once everything comes out, why I had to do this.She’ll probably even appreciate it.”
“Just remember that some things that are said can never be taken back, no matter if your intentions are honorable.”
Tired of the same song and dance, I brush past him and walk into the restaurant before Mitch has a chance to hold the glass door open for me to walk through.I don’t need another lecture and would appreciate for both Dr.Jordan and Mitch to keep their opinions to themselves.
The flirty hostess takes me to the table I’d requested in the middle of the packed restaurant, and she stays a little longer than necessary.After ordering a bourbon, I sit back and wait for my beautiful wife to arrive.She’s the best thing that has ever happened to me and I thank the heavens that she walked into the bar that night.
The noisy restaurant quickly comes to a halt, and then mummers start.Looking up, I see exactly what caused the pause.My extremely gorgeous wife and mother of my baby walk in.She is glowing, and the pregnancy is bringing it out more, along with her feistiness.I never thought I’d find a pregnant woman attractive, much less fall in love and marry one, but the moment she looked into my eyes I was hooked for life.She is the most challenging woman in my life and puts me through my paces more than any case I’ve ever been through.Sometimes our arguments aren’t fun, but I find that the way we banter back and forth is such a turn on.The other day I tried ordering for her at a restaurant because she had to have another bathroom break and when she came back, she not only put me in my place, but she also gave our waiter an earful.I fight the smile, trying to break free from thinking about that dinner.Saylor is truly one of a kind, and I’m a lucky bastard to call her mine.
