Page 36 of His Christmas Gift

“Callum,” he started to say before a police officer slid around the curtain joining them.

“Mr. Thomas, would you like to press charges?” the officer questioned, holding onto a notebook, and Melissa’s eyes widened further as she stared down at the man she was to marry in less than two weeks. She’d been at the designer’s studio, finalizing the dress’ hem when Elaine had called, and the worst terror filled her as thoughts of losing him hit hard and fast.

“Yes,” Jasper said, his eyes never leaving her. “I take it that means he’s stable?”

“He is,” another doctor said as he joined them, the officer leaving with a nod at them. “Lucky for you that you have a few extra inches on your brother or that blow could have landed straight across the face. I’ll have our plastics’ attending come down and get that sewn up. We’ll take you up for a CT and if it’s clear, we’ll only keep you for a bit of monitoring to make sure it stays that way, before letting you get out of here.”

“Just have someone do the damn stitches so I can get out of here, no one’s likely to see if there’s a scar with my hair anyway,” he attempted to argue, but the doctor simply shook his head before leaving the space, and her with even more questions.

“Jasper Avery Thomas, what the hell happened?” she demanded, beyond her breaking point and tears sparkled in her eyes, threatening to overwhelm her.

“Shh, come here, princess,” Jasper said, drawing her towards him, his hand sliding up to cup her cheek, brushing away the ones glistening on her bottom lashes. “I’m okay, I promise. I don’t have a headache, no blurry vision, no nausea, or vomiting. I’ve had a concussion before, so I know it’s not even that. The doctor’s just covering his ass trying to get me to take the damn test. The only thing I’ve got is a damn cut on my head. Callum’s not so lucky. He’d just better be damn glad that I realized it was him and didn’t toss him out the fucking window.”

“That doesn’t tell me what happened,” she returned softly, leaning into his touch even more.

“I was going over some of the stuff your father sent me on the company, getting more up to speed for next month in case anyone had questions when we’re there for the anniversary event. I sat up straighter to stretch and something slammed into the side of my head. I fell to the side when he came at me the second time, so it landed on my desk, and when I saw the bat coming at me again, I grabbed it. Managed to get it away from him, and before I realized it was Callum—drunk off his ass, high as a kite, or both—I swung it back at him. The bat had splintered when it hit the desk, and it lacerated Callum’s neck. The majority of the blood is his.”

“What…I-I don’t…why would he attack you?”

Jasper leaned up, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, tugging on the braid she’d put her hair up into after his hands had completely mused it up during their lunchbreak earlier. She hadn’t complained in the least because it happened while he was making love to her, sending a million tingles through her, leaving her nothing but satisfied and happy to head to the dress fitting.

“He’s broke. He called last week asking for money. Said he realized I was telling the truth that the trust our father left him was worthless. I was about to tell him I’d pay off what he owes, directly to whoever he owes it to, when he made a snarky comment about you that said he hadn’t changed a bit.”

“What did he say?” Melissa asked, flashing a warning look to the nurse that pushed her hand off Jasper’s in an attempt to get his shirt off him.

“Back off,” Jasper added to the nurse before snatching her hand back instantly, kissing it once more. “He said if he’d known slumming with you would gain him billions, he’d have sucked it up and…effed you while blindfolded,” he finished after she shook her head, wanting him to continue when he paused.

“He’d never have had a chance,” she said, dropping a kiss onto his lips, calming the fury that’d filled him as he had told her.

“I know that, princess. He simply proved he was still delusional and only wanted an easy way out, so I told him that he’d made his messes, he could clean them up and hung up on him. Apparently that pissed him off, and one of the guys he owes money to threatened him if he didn’t pay up. I have no clue how he thought attacking me was a good idea, because it sure as hell hasn’t changed my mind. Only thing it’s done is to ensure he gets nothing from me, not now, not ever again,” Jasper said, once again pushing the nurses’ hand aside when she attempted to make Melissa move away from him.

“You have to change for the CT, she’s in the way,” the nurse snapped.

“The only one in the way is you and if you put your hands on my fiancée again, you’ll be out of this hospital,” he warned, and a doctor cleared his throat from the opening of the curtain.

“Go assist with curtain eight, Janice, Mr. Thomas is being moved to a private observation room while we wait on the CT scan,” the doctor from earlier said, and the woman walked away with a huff, calming Melissa slightly. “I know you don’t want to have one, but I think it will make everyone feel better, especially your fiancée here,” he added, and Melissa glanced down at Jasper, her face telling him precisely how much it would.

“Fine, for you, princess,” Jasper agreed, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before turning back to the doctor. “Phillip, this is my fiancée, Melissa Hannover.”

“Hannover? As is Hannover Electronics Global-Tech, Hannover?” the doctor asked, and a small smile slid onto Melissa’s lips at his surprise.

“Phillip just recently came back after a year working with an international relief agency,” Jasper explained. “Didn’t know it until they brought us in here.”

“It’s been a busy month. Haven’t had the chance to reach out to old friends yet.”

“Or go through your mail clearly,” Jasper said making Phillip’s brow lift curiously. “We sent you an invitation to the wedding. Figured you wouldn’t be here to get it, but still wanted you to have one on the off chance that you found a life outside the hospital or the Congo.”

“Rarely,” Phillip said with a laugh. “I wouldn’t even have made the connection except that your brother kept complaining he’d lost out on billions before we sedated him. Combine that with attacking you, you getting married, and the last name, and the only Hannover that came to mind was the electronic company. Whose tablet computers and hot spots were the only ones that worked when we were in some really rural spots. Last time I worked with the relief agency we didn’t have half the stuff we did this time around and it made a huge difference.”

“That would likely be Missy’s handywork,” Jasper said, making her grin slightly. “She helps out with the company’s charitable acts division. They gave some incredible gifts out to the kids at my company’s Christmas party, and everyone loved them. She thrives on giving things away.”

“Who needs all that money sitting in the bank doing nothing?” she teased him, smiling as his hand tightened around hers.

“You found a treasure it looks, my friend, so stop complaining and let us take you up for the test so she knows you’re not going to widow her by flying off somewhere with a brain bleed,” Phillip suggested, and Melissa was relieved that Jasper didn’t say another word about it, but even more, that the scan and hours of observation turned up nothing dangerous.

“I told you I was fine beyond the cut, and even if I have to wear some makeup to hide a bruise for our wedding photos, I’m marrying you in a week and a half, princess,” Jasper promised her, dropping a slow kiss onto her lips, letting them leave the hospital in relief.

Her arms tightened around his neck as they laid in bed later, burying her face in his chest, and she fought to stop the tears that wanted to fall. He was safe. She knew that, but she still wanted to desperately cry.

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