Page 38

THEO

T he mental institution looms large in front of me and I take a shuddering breath as I frown at it. Mr. Reyes called me to explain that Liliana is currently in a jail cell for fighting with a police officer, while Rachelle is here.

His lawyer is an hour away currently, which is why he called me to attempt to get Rachelle out of here.

The law office I retain is also on the way.

I have goosebumps all over my body right now because if I had been born to a family outside of privilege, I may have been committed to a place like this and had the key locked away.

No one deserves this, much less Rachelle. She’s not a danger to anyone, and I hope Mr. Reyes removes her therapist’s head from his shoulders with extreme prejudice.

“Are you okay?” Elijah asks, his voice breaking. It reminds me of when he was going through puberty one summer and his voice was all over the place. The poor kid had it rough.

“No. I won’t be anytime soon. I couldn’t find anything about her in the computer files here, nor is she even in their system yet,” I grumble. “I honestly couldn’t find much of anything when I hacked into their files. They may only have paper copies of their patients.”

“Who the fuck uses paper?” Jared grunts.

“This place,” I reply. “If I don’t get the responses I want, we are going to need to figure something else out. The Oxnard Facility for Mental Health has some of the worst reviews of any others in the state of California, but it’s one of the few long term locked down institutions as well.”

“This place gives me the creeps,” Elijah mutters. “If we can’t get her out, maybe we can find a way to get in.”

“We aren’t committing you,” Jared says immediately. “There are too many things wrong with us that they may keep you.”

“While this is true, I may be able to create a job in their system for Elijah,” I muse. “Rachel Thompson doesn’t have any family. Due to this, we can’t pretend to be a family member to get entrance. I look older than I am, which is why I’m entering as a junior associate to argue Rachelle’s case.”

“We may need our lawyers to push this into court,” Jared says. “What are the other options?”

“Rachel Thompson may need a husband,” I respond ruefully.

“Someone needs to be able to check her out of here who has lawful control of her health. Under the eyes of the law, a husband would qualify as such. Secret husbands happen all the time. It would be easy for me to be able to do that, especially if the wedding happened in another state.”

“I guess I’ll volunteer as tribute as her husband,” Jared says with a smirk. I noticed the way he very clearly didn’t tack on that it was fake.

We are not good people, and while we shouldn’t be using this unfortunate situation to our advantage, we absolutely will. If Jared is her husband and we’re able to get her out of this institution, then she’s more likely to give us a chance. Manipulative or not, I’ll take her any way I can.

We own our mistakes. Rachelle can put us through hell to allow us back into her good graces, but I fully support binding her to us so closely that she’ll never be able to get away. I’ll gladly fight with her forever.

“I’ll be back then,” I promise, getting out of the vehicle and shutting the door behind me. I drove the Bugatti today, feeling the need for a little financial clout.

Our business is doing very well, and we are building a nest egg of wealth with it. None of us thought we’d see a profit this quickly, but it couldn’t be happening at a better time. I need to see how bad this situation is and if I can’t handle it myself, I know that my lawyer is ten minutes out.

Swallowing hard, I pack up all of my bullshit and begin striding across the parking lot. It’s a gloomy afternoon here, the weather taking a turn as if to mirror the current state of Rachelle’s life. The girl can’t seem to catch a fucking break.

I know that in some sense, I could be responsible for this because I brought up my concerns about her therapist to Mr. Reyes, but I was concerned.

I still am because the police report states that Rachelle was injected with some type of sedative to calm her down.

I have no idea what it was and if it was a sedative at all.

I’m worried that there could be some kind of issue from it being administered along with everything else that she’s taking.

Pushing the button to announce my presence, I wait outside of the door for someone to answer it.

The building has fucking bars on the windows, the glass of every surface is reflective so I can’t see inside.

Refusing to let my face show any emotion, I nod when someone finally opens the door.

She appears to be a nurse, dressed in scrubs, and she gazes at me with a pinched expression.

“I’m here in regards to a patient who was recently brought in,” I say, prepared to lie my ass off to get inside. “I’m her attorney.”

“Come inside,” she sighs. “Lawyer people rarely have any luck here.”

Stepping inside, I gaze around the drab green and white tiled floor and light green walls and stifle a shudder. There’s a desk where the nurse is returning to her seat, and I walk over to her.

“Rachel Thompson was brought in today,” I say, raising an eyebrow. “I need to see her and begin the paperwork to get her released.”

Her once sympathetic expression drops off as she gazes up at me, and I have a feeling that the canned response she’s about to give is one that’s been hammered into her skull.

“Unfortunately, as she was brought in due to neglect and harmful behavior, she’s here for at least seventy-two hours,” she says. “What is your name?”

“Theodore Zorn Holmes II,” I state, using my full name. The nurse merely purses her lips in annoyance, but I don’t care. “I’m also not leaving until I get answers. Another one of her lawyers is coming as well with paperwork to remind you of her rights.”

“She doesn’t have any rights,” the nurse says with a shrug.

“In here, she does whatever we say. We are her medical providers since she fired her doctor and he made the call to get her help. Any decisions without someone who can legally show that they are responsible for her needs will be made by us.”

“I’ll make certain that her husband knows that,” I say, enjoying the way her lips part open in surprise.

Take that, bitch. I will be back dating and entering a marriage license for Jared and Rachel today. She can yell at us about it later. As long as she’s out and alive, I’ll take all of her words.

“I need to see her so I am able to ensure that she’s safe,” I tell her.

The nurse argues with me until my actual lawyer rings the infernal bell and the nurse rolls her eyes as she goes to answer it. As I understand it, what she’s doing is illegal because a patient under a civil commitment is allowed legal representation.

Martin Zachary strides into the small receiving room and ignores my presence since I’m not an actual attorney. I told him that this girl was important to me and I wasn’t going to wait while she rotted here.

“Are you really denying Rachel her right to an attorney?” he asks, annoyed. If I’m still standing here, then he’s within the bounds of logic about what’s happening.

“She’s drooling on herself,” the nurse says callously as she disappears back into her office. “Why does she need legal representation? The safest place for her is right here. The police brought her in because she was screaming at the orderlies sent to collect her.”

“I read the report,” Martin grunts. “It seems as if she only began to get loud when she was corralled and they broke into her apartment. I would have done the same thing. She was also injected against her will. As her lawyers, I want to know what it was.”

“If she was speaking perfectly well before, it would have been pretty strong for her to be drooling now,” I add.

My lawyer inclines his head in acknowledgment to me, and I proceed to shut my mouth. I pay him to get shit done, after all.

“I can’t provide medical information without her consent,” she says, shrugging. “Her husband is the only one I can speak to, and he’s not here.”

Martin doesn’t even blink an eye at that information. “I’ll make sure he’s here as soon as possible,” he says instead. “This is a mistake, ma’am. If you continue to lean into this erroneous decision, I will be suing for damages.”

“You can sue over whatever makes your handsome little heart happy,” she coos as if he’s a child. “Now, you’re taking up space. Good day.”

Martin glares at her before turning to leave. My feet are already following him out as the nurse buzzes the door open, and he begins speaking to me as soon as we’re walking.

“Husband?” he asks.

“Jared,” I grunt back. “You don’t want to know and I’ll sort it out.”

“You three are some of the most interesting clients we’ve ever had and the most frustrating,” he sighs. “What did you find out?”

Running down everything I know, I also explain my concerns about her medication and why I think the therapist may have sent the police out to her home.

Martin almost trips on a step before glancing over me.

“Fuck,” he mutters. “This is malicious malpractice. He has to have a friend here to have been able to make this happen so quickly.”

“I agree,” I sigh. “Liliana is her girlfriend and was there. She’s currently in jail for fighting with the police officers. I’m sure she has some information for you as well. Her boss, Mr. Emil Reyes said he was sending his lawyer in. I’ll tell him to go to Lili instead.”

“No, tell Mr. Reyes I’ll take care of it if he’s alright with it,” Martin says, eyes widening slightly at the name. Mr. Reyes is well known, despite his ability to stay ahead of the law. “I want the full picture. Whatever I find out will stay under attorney-client protection.”

“It’s very complicated,” I sigh. “I’ll tell him, but Rachel has had a really rough life. I haven’t helped much, but I want to now.”

“Is Jared in the car?” he asks, his chin jerking in its direction.

“Yeah,” I admit.

“I’m sure you are about to do a shit ton of things I shouldn’t know about,” he says. “However, if it’s something that will affect my ability to help here, I want to know. The last thing either of us want is for me to say something I shouldn’t.”

Hesitating, I wince. “What if I’m not sure how much you need to know?” I ask.

If he’s helping Rachelle, does he need to know who she really is and why she’s hiding?

“Come by the office once you’re done doing whatever you need to and we can work through it,” he suggests, his steps moving toward his car. “Is Lili Rachel’s friend or her actual girlfriend?”

“Ah, her girlfriend,” I say, watching as he takes it in stride.

“Are you also throwing your hat into this so-called ring?” he asks.

“Yeah. It’s complicated while also not,” I state, knowing I’m not doing myself any favors.

“Rachel must be pretty special,” Martin says, raising his hands with a small smile. “We’ll get her out of this mess and if you allow me to, I’ll also ensure the man who put her here can never practice again.”

“Ah, I’m pretty sure this is under one of those things you don’t want to know,” I murmur, shrugging.

Mr. Reyes is going to hunt her doctor down and kill him. Sometimes, the amount of things that I keep secret make my head hurt.

“I probably don’t,” he says with a chuckle, turning his back to me as he walks the rest of the way to his car. “Stay in touch!”

Smirking, I open the door to my vehicle and slide in.

“We have work to do, boys,” I murmur. “Only her husband can go see her. They denied her right to counsel as well.”

“That’s not legal,” Elijah grumbles as I shut the door behind me to pull the gear shift into drive. I’m glad I parked backwards so I can simply pull out.

“Nope,” I mutter as I drive. “All this means is that we don’t have to play well with others either.”

RACHELLE

My mind feels like sludge, and everything is confusing. I can’t even pull words together. I vaguely remember the police officers and being injected with something that felt as if it was burning through my veins.

But now, my lips won’t stay closed, and there are people who walk around me in uniforms as they force me to move.

Even my limbs are slow to respond, and the staff members in this cold place are quick to laugh at me.

I’m embarrassed they have to wipe my face because I’m drooling, and any sounds I make come out garbled.

Turning my head, my eyes dart around as I try to focus on my surroundings.

There are others like me that seem to be patients here, though some stare curiously back at me in what seems to be an open activity room.

There’s not much happening, though, as some people mumble to themselves, while others bang and cry.

This place is depressing. I have worked so hard not to end up here, and a tear slides down my face as I think about the deep betrayal I’m experiencing. My therapist knew of my deep fears of being committed, yet he did this anyway because I fired him.

“This one is so easy,” someone murmurs as I feel something flick the back of my head. While I can feel the pain, I don’t even flinch. “She’s so doped up, she has no idea what’s happening.”

“Shh, Cameron,” a girl says with a giggle. “There’s Patrick. I think he can handle all of this. Want to go fuck in the supply closet?”

Listening to them leave, my eyelids begin to feel heavy and I can feel them sliding closed. I can’t fight it from happening, just like I can’t get my body to do what I want it to.

I’ve fought so hard for so long, it would be so easy simply to let it all go…

Thoughts of Ignacio and Liliana slide through my mind, and I cling to it as I drift off.