Karma III. Sabrina Eubanks

wanted him to do something. Just lying there like that was scaring the shit out of her. She didn’t budge.

      John turned to Lucas and hugged him. “Lucas, how you doin’, son?

      You all right?” he twanged at him in his New Orleans drawl.

      “A little banged up, John. But I’m all right.” John sighed. “I think it’s about time for you boys to quit bein' heroes.” He turned to Nadine and put his hand on her arm. “Come on, baby. Go sit down, now. I ain’t toleratin’ no hysterics in here over my boy. It ain’t what he needs. Go on. Sit down, now.” Nadine was not about to argue with John. She’d never win. She touched Noah’s face and was dismayed by how cold it felt. She sat like she was told.

      John stuck his thumbs in the back pockets of his jeans and stared down at his son. Anita disappeared into the bathroom and came out with a basin of water and a towel. She sat on the side of the bed and started to wash the blood off her boy. Lucas’s eyes watered up. He tucked his lips in and turned away, looking out the window.

      “Look at my child. Lord have mercy,” John said mournfully, shaking his head.

      “He will, John,” Anita said over her shoulder. Dr. Garrett walked into the room then, greeted Noah’s parents, and gave them the rundown.

      Nadine stood and joined them. “Why won’t he wake up?” Dr. Garrett looked down at her and smiled. “Don’t look so worried.

      He will.”

      Nadine shook her head. “It’s like he’s not even here.” Dr. Garrett laughed softly. “He’s not. I sent him to Dreamland.

      When he wakes up, he’s going to be in a great deal of pain and I might have to send him back.” He checked Noah’s vital signs and seemed satisfied. “I know this is pretty heavy stuff. Why don’t you all take a break? I’ll make sure Noah’s here when you get back.” They reluctantly started to disperse, but Dr. Garrett put his hand on Lucas’ shoulder. “Not you, Noah’s partner. You come with me. I’m going to change your dressing myself, before you find yourself in a lot of trouble.”

      They took a break. Nadine checked on the kids, bought some flowers, and begged off dinner with John and Anita. Nadine and Noah had gone through a bitter divorce four years ago because Noah, as cherished as he was by Nadine, refused to keep his pants up. Now Nadine was getting some long and strange looks from Noah’s folks, and rightfully so. Since the divorce, Nadine had treated Noah like she hated him. She couldn’t sit through dinner with his parents and suffer through those looks, because now she was behaving like she was still in love with him. Which she was.

      Nadine had never stopped loving Noah. She didn’t think it was possible. Sure, she’d felt a genuine hate for him when she first divorced him. Noah’s constant infidelity was an insurmountable issue at the time. She’d let him know in every way possible that having her husband sleep with any pretty woman that caught his eye was unac-ceptable behavior. But Noah, who’d been a handsome chick magnet all his life, refused to change. He acted like it was his God-given right to fuck as many women as he pleased. After all, he came home to her. Nadine had divorced Noah to punish him. Fuck you, then, she had thought back then . Screw whoever you want, Noah, but you won’t be screwing me, too.

      The divorce had hurt Noah as much as she’d hoped it would.

      She’d wanted him to be in the worst pain of his life for humiliating and disregarding her for so long, like it was all right. Nadine had succeeded, too. She’d filed the papers silently, without a word to Noah.

      Then she’d caught him totally off guard by having him served at work

      — in front of everybody. She’d threatened his whorish ass before and he’d kept on doing what he was doing like he thought hell would freeze over before she’d leave him.

      She’d fixed him, though. Nadine had brought Noah to his knees like she’d given him a swift kick to the balls. To say he hadn’t taken it well would have been the understatement of the decade. She’d had his shit packed up and waiting for him at the front door when he got home.

      Noah was hardly ever highly emotional. When things bothered him he usually brooded or acted unaffected. It was a rare thing for him to put his emotions on display, but he did that day. He’d screamed, he pleaded, and he’d begged. He’d cursed and thrown things … and in the end, he’d cried like a little baby — and she’d laughed in his face. Fuck you, Noah. I hope all those bitches were worth your marriage. It had almost killed her to do it, but she’d done it.

      Noah hadn’t stayed stuck on begging her. Noah Ramsey didn’t beg women. After all that screaming and crying, the next time she saw him, he was so cold to her she expected an ice cube to fall out of his mouth.

      Nadine had been shocked at his level of frigidity. After she’d slapped him with those papers and Nadine hadn’t given in when he broke down, talking to Noah became like talking to him through a sheet of ice.

      He wouldn’t even look at her.

      That coldness from Noah had hurt Nadine almost as much as his infidelity. Noah didn’t even want to see her. When he came for the kids, he wouldn’t even come inside. He wanted no parts of Nadine… and it hurt. The divorce was an ultimatum to make him change. To make him want to. The only thing Nadine had achieved by divorcing Noah was driving him away.

      She’d already hurt his pride and damaged his humongous ego. She couldn’t possibly stay in that much pain alone. Noah didn’t seem affected enough to her. She wanted him on his knees like she was.

      Nadine thought she’d get a rise out of Noah by going for his pockets. She got a lawyer and asked for what she knew was an unreasonable amount of alimony and child support. She knew she wouldn’t get what she wanted when she filed the papers. Nadine pulled her fair share of financial weight around the house. She was a successful photographer with her own studio. As a matter of fact, that was how she’d met Noah.

      She’d seen him one day and asked if she could take his picture.

      Noah had shown up to that hearing with his own slick lawyer. The judge dropped the petition for alimony, and awarded her reasonable child support. Noah hadn’t even looked at her during the entire hearing, but when he stood to leave, he looked over at her and smirked, his beautiful gray eyes dark and stormy. He let her know he knew she’d tried to fuck him and he was thumbing his nose at her.

      Nadine didn’t appreciate the gesture. She wanted to wipe that cute crooked smile off his handsome face once and for all, and she knew just how to do it. She went back to court and filed a petition for sole custody of their kids, with restricted and supervised visitation. She knew she probably wouldn’t win that one either. Noah, if he was anything, was an outstanding father.

      She’d gotten a rise out of him all right. She’d finally really hurt him.

      Their kids meant the world to Noah. He’d called her in the middle of the night, upset, and more than a little drunk. She still remembered exactly what he’d said, “Nadine, please. I’m sorry a thousand times. Please don’t take my kids from me. Please don’t do that.” Nadine also remembered exactly what she’d said to him. “Fuck you, Noah. See you in court.” Nadine looked over at Noah now, heart her full of regret. She should never have divorced Noah. They should have tried to work it out. She wished she could take back that nasty custody hearing. She’d stabbed him in the heart with that one, and though it was long and drawn out, they’d ended up getting joint custody anyway because he’d fought her so hard.

      It had taken them almost a year to get back on speaking terms after that. Noah was slow to thaw and so was she. Eventually, they’d reached the point of polite conversation, though it was mostly tinged with acid and sarcasm on both sides. Too much hurt had gone on. Too many things they couldn’t forgive each other for. Still, they were talking.

      Nadine started dating Walter as filler. Filler for Noah. Walter was a good and decent man, but he couldn’t hold a candle to Noah. Nobody could. Nadine lost count long ago how many