Hidden Nature Pg. 5
Chapter III
"All of your brother's claims turns out to be true. Sorry, Ralph.", said Tom.
"Well, it doesn't matter. When she regains consciousness, I'll get her to file charges against him. For now, we can hold him in custody for assault and battery."
"Why would he do that to her? What made him so angry?"
"He kissed her and she thought he was me, to make a long story short. He's always had a temper. He assumed that we were sleeping together."
"So she does have a thing for you!"
"Yea, and it almost cost her life. If I hadn't been there…"
"He wouldn't have killed her? No matter what you brother is, he's not a murderer."
"Well, according to Toronto PD files, he has a long history of assault and battery charges. The bulk of which Karen, uh, Jasmine has been subjected to. Look at this picture. How could he have treated her this way. No wonder she has problems remembering her life. It must've been horrible for her."
"But you two are identical twins. Why didn't she remember everything just by looking at you?"
"I don't know. Maybe she saw me, not how I looked. Or maybe she remembers the old Ryan before he started beating her. Well, anyhow, I'll be at the hospital if anything else comes up. Try to find out if Jasmine has any living relatives."
"Will do."
On the way to the hospital his nerves were so frayed he could hardly drive. How come no one's stepped forward yet? Doesn't she have any family? Ryan was married to her for a little over year before she is presumed dead by Toronto officials. One of their papers reported that Ryan, his wife and another man were sailing when torrential winds blew her into the sea. No questions or suspicions were raised. He figured that someone paid the TPD off.
When he reached the hospital, he was told that she was awake and wanted to speak to the 'good' Ralph. They thought that she was delirious and gave her something to relieve the pain and put her to sleep.
"I'll wait," he said to the plump and overly friendly nurse.
"She'll be unconscious for at least another four hours, Lieutenant."
"Can I stay in her room while she's asleep? I promise not to wake her up, ma'am. I don't want her to wake up again by herself."
"I understand sir. It's against hospital policy…but I'll let it slide for you, Lieutenant." The lady gave him an obvious look of approval, sizing him up from the shoes up.
He should be used to flirtatious women by now. But he never did like women falling all over him. He wanted a woman, not a silly giggling mass of silicone. He wanted Jasmine.
When he walked in, he saw that she had large dark circles under her eyes. His heart broke at how fragile and helpless she looked. He'd wanted to protect her by keeping her from his brother. He was even prepared to pay him $20,000 to leave town and never look back.
Why didn't I answer the door, dammit!
But he didn't expect that his brother was going to try to have sex with her right in his own living room. The scene flashed in front of his eyes. Jasmine grasping her clothes and looking wild eyed at the sight of the two of them. It must've been such a shock. I should have told her about my identical twin. She would've known that I would've never made love to her like that. No…definitely not like that.
He sat by her bed and held her hand, praying that she would recognize him and not his brother.
Five hours later, she awoke.
"Ralph, I need to speak to Ralph."
"Yes, Jasmine."
"Are you really Ralph?"
"Yes, Jasmine. Ryan, my brother is in jail. I’m sorry I never told you that I had an identical twin, but we’re not very close at all. I had no idea he was even married, imagine my surprise when he came to the office looking for you, Jasmine."
Jasmine slowly turned her head towards the ceiling, her eyes overflowing with tears.
She squeezed her eyes, letting the tears fall down her cheeks. Ralph wiped her tears away and kissed her on her forehead. When she opened her eyes she stared into his Caramel eyes, so similar to Ryan’s but yet so very different. She saw now that while Ralph’s hair was wild and untamed, Ryan’s was slicked back and smoothed. Ralph’s voice was ruggedly masculine and husky, but her husband’s voice was viscously intimidating and raspy. No, the man who stood over her now was not cruel and unfeeling like her husband.
"I wish I could have met you first, Ralph. You have no idea what Ryan’s put me through."
"Well, I have some idea." He picked up a thick file with her name on it and showed her a picture of her after being beaten by Ryan. He fists tightened when she her face flushed with pain and turned away, her eyes closed. He reached over and touched her face, waiting patiently until she opened her eyes again.
Needing to get urgent police business out of the way, he reluctantly removed his hand. He needed her to know that he was doing his best to help and protect her. Then he would tell her how much he cared for her.
"Toronto PD has every domestic case file on you since you moved there two years ago. But we can’t use this in the states unless we get your statement that he assaulted you. That will hopefully keep him away from you for a little while. Do you consent?"
"Yes, I do. Ralph…I have something important to tell you."
"Okay, Jasmine." She took both of his hands in hers. And she looked at him with such sadness that it was all that he could do not to take her into his arms.
"I remember everything about my old life except what happened that day. I was born in LA, California. When I was ten, I lost both my parents to a car accident. The rest of my teens was spent going from one foster home to the next. I never met my father's family and my mother was a foster child herself with no known family. I guess that's how I got involved with your brother. He didn't beat me at first. He told me everything I needed to hear at the time. I was so desperate for someone to care about me, to love me that I ignored his drug smuggling activ…"
"Drug Smuggling?? I knew he was doing something dirty, but drug smuggling?"
"Yea. After we got married, I told him that I didn't want him to smuggle drugs anymore."
She hesitated. She was so embarrassed. She thought he must think she was so stupid to stay married to someone who kept beating her.
"He beat me for the first time then… and we packed up everything and went to Toronto. I…Ralph, I didn't know any better. He said that no one would ever want me. That I was nothing without him. I had no family, no…"
"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Karen…Jasmine. It wasn't your fault. He took advantage of you the way he's always done to women."
"But…I kissed him again. I didn't recognize him as my husband. I…I thought he was you", she said in a small, choked voice."
He pulled her chin up to face him. Her eyes were flooded with tears, a look of such sadness and despair that reached his soul. He gently leaned over and kissed her lightly, but firmly on her lips. Lingering on her bottom lip, before moving away. It was such a simple kiss, but he left her wanting more. It felt like a real kiss. The kind of kiss someone gives a person when they truly care for someone. She'd never, never been kissed like that before.
She placed her arms around his neck, and pulled herself toward him, pressing her lips against his in a more passionate, more intimate way. His arms came around her, and he pulled them together and responded to her kiss with a heavy moan.
"Ralph…."
"Ah-hm. Sorry to interrupt but we need Mrs. Cooke to sign these release forms whenever she's ready to leave."
They reluctantly broke away from each other. He looked at "Mrs. Cooke" with eyes still heavy with hunger, wishing she were his wife instead.
"Oh, thank you. I'll have these completed by 5:30."
She gave him a crooked half smile, The way she always did when she had something naughty on her mind. But she kept her ideas to herself. This was not the time or place to make love. No…with this man, she wanted it to be special, passionate, and intimate. Just the two of them, when her marriage is dissolved, justice is complete, and she could relax and be whole again.
"You know, Jasmine…," Ralph said with a teasing smile, "if you wanted to be tied up and made love to, I would have gladly accepted a long time ago."
She looked at him with an incredulous stare.
"Well, it doesn't matter. When she regains consciousness, I'll get her to file charges against him. For now, we can hold him in custody for assault and battery."
"Why would he do that to her? What made him so angry?"
"He kissed her and she thought he was me, to make a long story short. He's always had a temper. He assumed that we were sleeping together."
"So she does have a thing for you!"
"Yea, and it almost cost her life. If I hadn't been there…"
"He wouldn't have killed her? No matter what you brother is, he's not a murderer."
"Well, according to Toronto PD files, he has a long history of assault and battery charges. The bulk of which Karen, uh, Jasmine has been subjected to. Look at this picture. How could he have treated her this way. No wonder she has problems remembering her life. It must've been horrible for her."
"But you two are identical twins. Why didn't she remember everything just by looking at you?"
"I don't know. Maybe she saw me, not how I looked. Or maybe she remembers the old Ryan before he started beating her. Well, anyhow, I'll be at the hospital if anything else comes up. Try to find out if Jasmine has any living relatives."
"Will do."
On the way to the hospital his nerves were so frayed he could hardly drive. How come no one's stepped forward yet? Doesn't she have any family? Ryan was married to her for a little over year before she is presumed dead by Toronto officials. One of their papers reported that Ryan, his wife and another man were sailing when torrential winds blew her into the sea. No questions or suspicions were raised. He figured that someone paid the TPD off.
When he reached the hospital, he was told that she was awake and wanted to speak to the 'good' Ralph. They thought that she was delirious and gave her something to relieve the pain and put her to sleep.
"I'll wait," he said to the plump and overly friendly nurse.
"She'll be unconscious for at least another four hours, Lieutenant."
"Can I stay in her room while she's asleep? I promise not to wake her up, ma'am. I don't want her to wake up again by herself."
"I understand sir. It's against hospital policy…but I'll let it slide for you, Lieutenant." The lady gave him an obvious look of approval, sizing him up from the shoes up.
He should be used to flirtatious women by now. But he never did like women falling all over him. He wanted a woman, not a silly giggling mass of silicone. He wanted Jasmine.
When he walked in, he saw that she had large dark circles under her eyes. His heart broke at how fragile and helpless she looked. He'd wanted to protect her by keeping her from his brother. He was even prepared to pay him $20,000 to leave town and never look back.
Why didn't I answer the door, dammit!
But he didn't expect that his brother was going to try to have sex with her right in his own living room. The scene flashed in front of his eyes. Jasmine grasping her clothes and looking wild eyed at the sight of the two of them. It must've been such a shock. I should have told her about my identical twin. She would've known that I would've never made love to her like that. No…definitely not like that.
He sat by her bed and held her hand, praying that she would recognize him and not his brother.
Five hours later, she awoke.
"Ralph, I need to speak to Ralph."
"Yes, Jasmine."
"Are you really Ralph?"
"Yes, Jasmine. Ryan, my brother is in jail. I’m sorry I never told you that I had an identical twin, but we’re not very close at all. I had no idea he was even married, imagine my surprise when he came to the office looking for you, Jasmine."
Jasmine slowly turned her head towards the ceiling, her eyes overflowing with tears.
She squeezed her eyes, letting the tears fall down her cheeks. Ralph wiped her tears away and kissed her on her forehead. When she opened her eyes she stared into his Caramel eyes, so similar to Ryan’s but yet so very different. She saw now that while Ralph’s hair was wild and untamed, Ryan’s was slicked back and smoothed. Ralph’s voice was ruggedly masculine and husky, but her husband’s voice was viscously intimidating and raspy. No, the man who stood over her now was not cruel and unfeeling like her husband.
"I wish I could have met you first, Ralph. You have no idea what Ryan’s put me through."
"Well, I have some idea." He picked up a thick file with her name on it and showed her a picture of her after being beaten by Ryan. He fists tightened when she her face flushed with pain and turned away, her eyes closed. He reached over and touched her face, waiting patiently until she opened her eyes again.
Needing to get urgent police business out of the way, he reluctantly removed his hand. He needed her to know that he was doing his best to help and protect her. Then he would tell her how much he cared for her.
"Toronto PD has every domestic case file on you since you moved there two years ago. But we can’t use this in the states unless we get your statement that he assaulted you. That will hopefully keep him away from you for a little while. Do you consent?"
"Yes, I do. Ralph…I have something important to tell you."
"Okay, Jasmine." She took both of his hands in hers. And she looked at him with such sadness that it was all that he could do not to take her into his arms.
"I remember everything about my old life except what happened that day. I was born in LA, California. When I was ten, I lost both my parents to a car accident. The rest of my teens was spent going from one foster home to the next. I never met my father's family and my mother was a foster child herself with no known family. I guess that's how I got involved with your brother. He didn't beat me at first. He told me everything I needed to hear at the time. I was so desperate for someone to care about me, to love me that I ignored his drug smuggling activ…"
"Drug Smuggling?? I knew he was doing something dirty, but drug smuggling?"
"Yea. After we got married, I told him that I didn't want him to smuggle drugs anymore."
She hesitated. She was so embarrassed. She thought he must think she was so stupid to stay married to someone who kept beating her.
"He beat me for the first time then… and we packed up everything and went to Toronto. I…Ralph, I didn't know any better. He said that no one would ever want me. That I was nothing without him. I had no family, no…"
"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Karen…Jasmine. It wasn't your fault. He took advantage of you the way he's always done to women."
"But…I kissed him again. I didn't recognize him as my husband. I…I thought he was you", she said in a small, choked voice."
He pulled her chin up to face him. Her eyes were flooded with tears, a look of such sadness and despair that reached his soul. He gently leaned over and kissed her lightly, but firmly on her lips. Lingering on her bottom lip, before moving away. It was such a simple kiss, but he left her wanting more. It felt like a real kiss. The kind of kiss someone gives a person when they truly care for someone. She'd never, never been kissed like that before.
She placed her arms around his neck, and pulled herself toward him, pressing her lips against his in a more passionate, more intimate way. His arms came around her, and he pulled them together and responded to her kiss with a heavy moan.
"Ralph…."
"Ah-hm. Sorry to interrupt but we need Mrs. Cooke to sign these release forms whenever she's ready to leave."
They reluctantly broke away from each other. He looked at "Mrs. Cooke" with eyes still heavy with hunger, wishing she were his wife instead.
"Oh, thank you. I'll have these completed by 5:30."
She gave him a crooked half smile, The way she always did when she had something naughty on her mind. But she kept her ideas to herself. This was not the time or place to make love. No…with this man, she wanted it to be special, passionate, and intimate. Just the two of them, when her marriage is dissolved, justice is complete, and she could relax and be whole again.
"You know, Jasmine…," Ralph said with a teasing smile, "if you wanted to be tied up and made love to, I would have gladly accepted a long time ago."
She looked at him with an incredulous stare.
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