Chapter 41

Jordan talked to the kids and finally was able to close her eyes to get a little bit of rest knowing that she’d put to rest any fears that when the kids came home that there would still be fighting between her and “Mama Davi”.  The next morning, she was ready for Morbus’s test.  She kicked his ass, and proved that she was ready.  After Morbus was finished with the test, he went to town to send off the package for Mr. P Grissom.  He made sure that there wasn’t a return address on the package when he sent it.  He didn’t want Grissom knowing where the Draiman family homestead was.  That would mean disaster and Morbus knew it.  He came in with a sinister grin on his face.  “It’s off.  And, Jake, I added my own special touch to the note.”

“What might that be?” Jake asked as he ate breakfast with his kids.

“I initialed it.”

Jake considered what that meant.  “Nice touch.  It a little more frightening if you do it rather than me.”

“You think?”

“I know.  You are feared around the world because of the things you did for Dad and the band during the War.  You are a dangerous man.  I know that.  I’m a doctor.  I’m not frightening.  I’m not supposed to be frightening.  I heal people.  You kill people.  That’s just the way of the world.  Your haphazardly scribbled ‘M’ will be more than enough to convince Grissom to come back to Colorado.”

“I’m glad you approve, Boss Man.  I was almost afraid that you’d be upset.”

“Nah.  What would be the point?  You were Dad’s bodyguard, and at the moment you’re Jordan and Malachai’s bodyguard.  It’s just a little more sinister if you sign it.  So, about what time do we think he’ll have the package and start acting like a whiny bitch?”

“Soon.  But this afternoon.  That was the purpose of my heading into town.  The sooner it’s heading out the sooner he’ll get it and the sooner he’ll drag his ass back to Denver and I’ll have him.  Jordan can kill him and get it over with.  Then she can deal with the divorce and all that good shit.  And when are we expecting Reece Tyson to arrive?”

“Soon.  Jordan’s upstairs getting all dolled up to go pick him up.”

“All dolled up for a man?  This is a first.  She’s never gotten all gussied up for a member of the opposite sex before.”

“I’m just a shocked as you are, Morbus.  This is my twin we’re talking about.  It’s not normal for her to get dressed up for a man.”  He shook his head.  “Let’s change the subject here.  I’m not going to discuss my sister’s romantic life.  If this Reece guy does it for her, then who the fuck are we to pick?  She’s a big girl.  And, who knows, he may be better for her then these females she’s been with.  We’ll just have to sit back and wait to see.”

Morbus nodded.  “I just hope that Jordan realizes that she’s not going to pick him up alone.  I’m going to accompany her.”

“I don’t think she’ll have it any other way, Morbus.  Not after everything that’s happened to her.  She won’t want to go anywhere alone until she knows that Grissom is dead and can’t come back to hurt her again.”

“Is she having nightmares about him or something?”

“Remember, her room it right next to the master suite.  I’ve been listening to it since Davina left.  Plus, she’s dredging up all of her old fights with Davina in her sleep now too.”

“Jake, can I ask you for a piece of advice?”

“Sure.”

Morbus looked around to make sure that Jordan wasn’t coming into the room so that he could speak freely.  He didn’t want her to overhear in case Jake advised against telling her what he knew.  “I have it on good authority that Davina wasn’t exactly faithful all these years…”

“Jordan will want to know.”

“But just because she wants to know doesn’t mean it’s in her best interest right now.”

Jake nodded.  “Very true.  Wait until she’d got a clear head.  Right now would be a bad idea.”  He sighed.  “And, not to harp on the Reece thing, but maybe having him around will be good for her”, he said with a shrug.

Morbus shrugged in return.  “Who knows?  All I know is that she’s ready to do what she needs to do, physically.  Maybe Delilah can do some work with her so that she’ll be ready mentally?”

“That’s not what Body- mind therapy is about.  Delilah can help her get past it after it’s happened, but not before she does it.  She’ll have to find a place in her head to go to when she does it or she won’t have the stomach for it.  Once she comes to the realization of what she did, Delilah can help her.”

Morbus nodded.  “I just hate to see her break from this.”

“She won’t.  You don’t know Jordan like I do.  It might freak her out once she realizes it, but she won’t break.  Hell, she may even repress it and intentionally not remember.  Who knows?  Again, this is Jordan we’re talking about.  There’s no telling how she’ll react.”

---------------

Meanwhile, Jordan was upstairs in her room getting dressed.  She’d taken a shower and was feeling better after training.  She’d noticed that when she pushed herself hard enough she started to limp on the side that had been broken and her leg would start throbbing.  She would swallow the pain until she could soak in a hot bath.  That along with some the muscle relaxer the doctor gave her helped the pain.  But, she didn’t have time for the hot soak.  She would have to be leaving as soon as she was finished getting dressed.  She had to pick up Reece from the local airport.  He was coming in on a private flight so he didn’t have to deal with the endless layovers.

She dug through her closet to find something that would work with the weather they were experiencing that day.  It was August, which meant it was hot.  She grabbed a pair of her jeans out of the closet after putting on the necessary undergarments.  She slipped into the jeans and started obsessing over a shirt.  She wanted to look nice, but not too dressy or girly.  Girly was something that Maddie could pull off.  Jordan was too rough and tumble for all that.

She stood in front of the mirror for several minutes, holding a shirt in front of her torso to see which one looked best.  Finally, she decided on a red graphic tank top with which she would wear a white sleeveless hoodie.  Before putting her shirt one, she did her hair and makeup.  All she had to do was put the flat iron to her hair.  Even straight, she looked like a rock star.  After all she was Jordan Draiman, the oldest daughter of Disturbed front man David Draiman.

After grabbing a pair of heels and her purse once she’d slipped on her shirt and hooded vest, she padded down the stairs and went into the kitchen to grab a little bit of breakfast.  She had a bright smile on her face.  “Good morning everyone”, she said cheerfully.

Delilah saw her sister in law and smiled.  “Wow, Jordan, what are you so dressed up for?”

“Gonna go pick up Reece from the airport.  He’s gonna be here soon.  Thought I’d look nice.”

“So, why have we never heard of Reece until now?” Jake asked.

“Because I try to leave personal drama at home.  When Davina and I were fighting he was usually a part of it.  I wanted to introduce him to everyone, but one or both of us was too busy.  Now, we have the time and he’s meeting everyone.”

“You mentioned that he’s your best kept secret.  What else about him do we need to know before he comes in the house?”

“He’s a great guy, a good father.  He’s been in both of the kids’ lives since day one.  He wasn’t able to be at their births because he had competitions, but once they were over he was here taking care of them.  He keeps his hair kinda shaggy and his hair is naturally wavy, but not curly like ours.  He’s a really nice guy, Jake.  He’s really chill and respectful.  He’s a really nice.”

Jake nodded.  “Ok.  Well, Mom and Dad gave him a glowing review.  Dad asked that we not try to eat him alive with fava beans and a nice Chianti.”  He chuckled.

“Did Dad really quote Silence of the Lambs?”

“Yes, he did.  He quoted Dr. Hannibal Lecture.  The only thing he didn’t do was the hiss thing.”

“Yeah, that’s not a Dad thing, but that’s funny.  Do we have any Chianti in the wine cellar?”

“I’ll check while you’re gone.  You want to have Chianti with dinner?”

“Probably shouldn’t.  Indulging in that vice would be bad for my chords.  I’ve been recording for 20+ years and I’ve never had a bleed like Dad did during his career.  I’ve had to have the valve on my stomach replaced, but I’ve never developed a bleed.  I don’t want to risk it.”

He nodded.  “I understand.  Well, I’m going to go get changed to go out and train with Jeremiah and Skyler.  Morbus will be back in to take you to the airport to pick Reece up.”

“Coolness.  I’ll wait for him in the living room.  And, Jake, promise me you and the boys will take it easy on Reece.”

“We will.  I’m going to talk to the boys here in a little while and let them know what Mom and Dad said about their meeting with Reece.  I might even let them in on Dad’s little joke.”

Jordan rolled her eyes.  “Please don’t.  No talking about fava beans and Chianti.  It’s bad enough I can’t drink it.  No need to joke about it and make me want to drink it.”

Jake chuckled.  “Ok, Jord.  Because you’re my twin, I won’t do it.  But, only because we share a birthday.”

“And you know I’ll make our next birthday a living hell for you.”

---------------

Reece had to admit that he was actually excited to see Jordan without Davina.  He knew it was a long shot, but maybe they’d actually get to spend some time alone together.  They’d be able to talk and discuss the kids without interference.  And the best part was that there wasn’t going to be any Davina.

He knew that there a few different long shots on this trip that he was hoping for.  Alone time with Jordan, he hoped would mean more than just an opportunity to talk about the kids.  He’d had a ‘crush’ on Jordan since the day he met her when they met for coffee/ tea to talk about the little boy that Samantha was carrying.  He could have cared less about her celebrity status.  He thought she was cute.  Hell, he thought she was sexy.  The moment he’d laid eyes on her he started thinking dirty thoughts.  Oh, the dirty things I would do to you, he’d thought.  He was a man who knew what he wanted.  Too bad Jordan Draiman was out of his reach.  She wasn’t attracted to men, period.  She was a lesbian.  There was nothing wrong with that, but it sucked that she wasn’t attracted to him- as far as he knew, that was.

He stared out the window as the plane touched down at the Colorado Springs Municipal Airport.  He wondered if Jordan would come herself to pick him up or if one of the brothers would insist on picking him up instead.

Then, he saw her.  Long legs sheathed in dark blue, skin tight denim, a white sleeveless hoodie covering a red tank.  He smiled to himself.  Maybe she does have feelings for me, he thought.  Little did he know.

Once the plane was stopped, he stood and gathered his things.  The attendant opened the door and lowered the stairs for him and he walked down.  Once his feet were on the Tarmac, Jordan took off running at him.  She hurled herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.  “Hi Reece!” she squealed.

“Hi Jordan.  How do you run in those heels, woman?”

“Practice.  I’ve been doing it for years.”

“You seem excited to see me.”

“I am.  I’m relieved to have someone that’s not related to me that isn’t lying to me.”

“Excuse me”, Morbus said from the car.  “I’ve never lied to you.”

“True, but you’re family.  You were Uncle Trevor once Marc and Jessi started talking.  You were Mr. Morbus when any of us was in trouble.”  She turned her attention back to Reece.  “I’m sorry to shock you by throwing myself at you, but you have no idea how relieved I am to know you’re going to be there for the kids.”

“Of course I am.  They’re my kids too, no matter what the bitch Davina says.”

“You didn’t speak ill of her in front of them did you?”

“No.  When your parents and I spoke of her they were either distracted, asleep, or in a different room, or the adults took the conversation outside.”

She nodded.  “Good.  Now, we have to get you back to the house to meet the boys.”

“Are they looking forward to eating, I mean meeting me?” he laughed.

Jordan smiled.  “Yeah, Jake seems to be looking forward to meeting you.  I don’t know about the other boys though.”

“Oh, I’m sure they’re looking forward to meeting me too”, he said as he started them walking back toward Jordan’s Range Rover.  “They’re looking forward to see if they can make me squirm.”

“Dad told them to be nice to you.”

“And just because your Dad says to do it, does that mean they will?”

“Yes.  They’re not going to be the same pit bulls they would be if Dad were here.”

“Pit bulls?”

“Yeah… if Dad were here, they’d explain the rules, then stare you down as you talked to Dad.  Seeing as Dad’s already given you his seal of approval, they’ll be nice or they’ll hear it from Dad because I will call and tell him that they were insufferable asses.”

“Good to know that you’ll go to bat for me”, Reece said with a smile as he tossed his bag in the back and opened the door for Jordan.

She smiled at him and slipped into the car.  She loved it when someone had the manners to open a door for her.  She was a lady after all.  He slipped into the back seat beside her.  “So, how have things been since I last saw you?” she asked him.

“Not bad.  I left a competition in Milwaukee to meet your folks.  Before that, I was in Austin, Orlando, and Indianapolis.”

“Skating is quite the interesting career, I take it.”

“Oh yeah.  I don’t travel as much as far as you do, but I do my fair share.”

“Cool.  Would you give that up so that I can be a rock star?”

“No, but we can work around it so that Levi and Jasmine have a stable home, Jordan.  I’m as opposed to them travelling every time you go on the road as you are.  We can work together to give them some semblance of a normal childhood.”

“You’re willing to move into my house to help me with that?”

“After whatever is going on is over, yes.  If that’s what it takes, Jordan, then I’ll do it.  They deserve normal and so do you.  We’ll make it work, Jordan.  Don’t worry.”

She sighed with a smile.  “Music to my ears, those words are.” 

“You sound tired, Jord.  Is everything ok?”

“Not really.  I’m not sleeping very well and there’s been a lot going on.  I’m in a lot of pain these days.”

“If you want to rest your head on my shoulder and try to get some rest, you can.  I really don’t mind, Jord.”

She looped her arm through his and laid her head on his shoulder.  “Thanks Reece.  I really appreciate it.”

“It not a problem, Jordan.  Just try to get a little rest.  I’ll wake you when we get to your brother’s house.”  In the back of his mind, he added, How many other chances like this will I get in life?  Any kind of intimate contact with you is a good thing, as far as I’m concerned.  I’ve been falling for you since I met you 11 years ago.  You’re so sweet and a very beautiful soul.  I can’t believe that people would treat you like  you’re nothing but a paycheck.  You’re so much more than your money.  I just hope that you’ll give me the chance to show you that I’ll do whatever it takes to make life easier on you.

---------------

Davina was sitting in her hotel, waiting on her parents to send her money.  It had been a few hours since she called and asked for some help.  She’d already taken a shower and eaten breakfast.  The place she was staying had a great Continental Breakfast.  Now all she was waiting on was the money so that she could get some new clothes and get over to the house.  She was sure that Morbus wouldn’t make any phone calls to anyone to have the house watched.  She’d be able to get in and get out with no problems.

She was sitting on the bed watching TV as she waited.  There was something on the news about Jordan’s attorney filing papers for divorce.  Davina changed the channel.  She tuned into Jasmine’s favorite show, and she felt nothing.  She wasn’t upset that she didn’t have her daughter.  She was more confused as to why Jasmine enjoyed the show.  It was juvenile, but Jasmine watched it without fail every morning.  Jordan would watch it with her when she was home.  Davina didn’t understand the point of the show, so again she changed the channel.

When she found the show that Delilah had gotten her started on, she settled on that and waited for her parents to call.  After the episode that was on went off, her phone started ringing.  She answered it right away.  “Hi Mama.  Hi Daddy.  Did you send the money?”

“Of course.  We’re not going to let you go without, but Davina.  Why did you lie to us?” her mother asked.

“About?”

“How David and Brie treated Jasmine.”

“I didn’t.  They don’t treat her like she’s a part of the family.”

“If that were true, Davina Michelle, then why am I looking at a receipt in my email that Jordan forwarded me where Brie Draiman bought Jasmine $1500 US in clothes and shoes that fit her…. And they weren’t cheap clothes, Davina.  Can you explain that to me?”

“They felt sorry for her?  When does anything David and Brie Draiman does make sense to me?  Never.”

“You’re full of it, Davina”, her father said.  “Now, you’re our daughter and we’ll help you out where we can, but you can’t keep lying to  us.  It’s going to cost you Jasmine and we may never see her again.”

“Jordan’s not that heartless.”

“She told us that when all is said and done that we’ll all be lucky to see either of the kids, let alone Jasmine.  Something tells me that when she says something like that, she means it.”

“I can’t believe she’s doing this.  I’m going to have to find a lawyer.”

“We’ll find you one.  Give us Jordan’s attorney’s name and we’ll take it from there.”

“His name is Feingold, Gregory Feingold.  He’s a founding partner at Feingold, Dillon, and Associates out of Denver.  He’s a real prick too, but he’s never lost a case.”

“Well, we’ll find you an attorney there in Colorado.  You just sit tight.  And, Davina, don’t do anything stupid that might get you arrested.  That will ensure you to lose custody of Jasmine.  Judges don’t look kindly on criminal behavior in parents petitioning for custody.”