“Yeah?”
“Thanks for calling me, and I want you to keep this conversation under the radar; tell no one. You did the right thing. I want you to call me if something changes with her, and don’t leave for home until you’re sure she’s sleeping comfortably, got it?”
“Yeah, okay. Thanks, Travis.”
I hang up the phone and immediately begin searching the travel app on my phone for the next flight out. The latest nonstop flight out of here is nine o’clock this evening. There are times I want to shout to the stars for having technology such as this, and this is one of those times. I’m so wired; I don’t know what I’d do if I had to sit through booking a flight using dial-up technology.
I’m so engrossed in what I’m doing I don’t realize Craig has come up behind me until he asks, “Is everything okay back at the ranch?”
I glance over at him briefly, and then return my attention back to my phone, tapping into the device while taking the final steps necessary to book my flight. “Everything is fine, Craig. Sorry for the interruption. Just had to take care of a pressing matter, but the problem is now solved.”
Since this man is a friend of Nick’s, I don’t need to raise any red flags and have him alert Nick to anything. I booked the latest flight out, which will allow me to wrap up business and still have time to make it to the airport. I put my Stonewall Jackson face on and do what I do best: bullshit people. “There should be no more interruptions now. Shall we?” I give him a tight smile and gesture toward the dining area.
Sitting in First Class, I wait on the tarmac as the airplane loads, and gather my thoughts about what to do with Julianna. She is going to spend her entire life repeatedly battered and bruised if someone doesn’t step in to save her. I can’t in good conscience let that happen to her. Her lively personality and self-expression will be torn to shreds. Whatever bit of positive thinking she could extrapolate from her situation. Nick will take it and squash it like a bug underfoot. Nothing will be left of her. She’s been so strong these past couple of weeks. I’ve never seen anyone be able to hold up the way she has under such pressure.
I think about the way she always looked for the good things in me. She was able to bypass my hard exterior, which is not an easy feat for anyone to accomplish, but she did it anyway. When she treated me to her smile and laughter, it felt like a precious gift; sure, she had a few breakdowns, but who the hell wouldn’t in her situation? But the majority of the time, she accepted the cards dealt to her without complaint, and that had always intrigued me.
I found myself truly enjoying her company and wanting to be with her every spare minute I had. I want to get to know the real Julianna, and I still want to see her true personality bloom, and be able to watch her come to life, unhindered by the oppression and despotism she’s found herself in. With her artistic background, I can only imagine the mixture of complexities that make up her characteristic qualities. I have the deep-seated desire to know and understand her intimately.
Nick doesn’t deserve her. Hell, he doesn’t deserve any female for that matter. I can’t believe he whipped the shit out of her; the hot-blooded, arrogant bastard. He gets too sidetracked in that demented, controlling, overbearing mind of his to put aside his selfish needs for one moment. He is a pure sadist, even though he doesn’t think he is.
Julianna deserves to be put on a pedestal and appreciated for the beautiful, delicate flower she is, not just for her attractiveness, but for her inner beauty as well. Most men don’t realize the majority of their success and happiness is thanks to the strengths of their woman. That type of a woman is paramount to a successful relationship, and I can see all of those qualities in Julianna.
She may be a feisty little thing, but I could tell just from the couple of weeks I observed her, when she decides to give her heart away, she’ll be all in. She’ll hold nothing back. Julianna screams faithful and has a willingness to please, but only if she feels respected in return. What makes me feel even worse is I could see she was beginning to put her faith and trust in me without question. Even though I was partly behind her captivity, she surprised me at every turn. Her spontaneity and loving personality seem to come so naturally to her, especially when she feels safe.