by Peyton Banks
“Don’t do anything that I wouldn’t do,” Janelle tossed over her shoulder as she grabbed the quarter that Monica slid across the table to her.
“Shut up! I’ll be right back,” I sassed back to my friend as I made my way to the bathroom.
“Ouch!” the familiar voice from earlier cried out, as I pushed the bathroom door open and hit him with it.
“I’m so sorry!” I said as I rushed out into the small dark hallway.
“It’s okay, Carrington,” he said as he moved out of my way.
This stopped me in my tracks. “How did you know my name?” I asked as I narrowed my eyes at him.
"I know a lot about you,” he said with a smile. Reaching out and grabbing my arm, he added, “There’s something about you that I can’t get out of my head.”
“You do know who my man is, right?” I said, trying to hide my unease.
“I know that nothing good is going to come from your loyalty to Duke Markson.”
Pulling my arm from his grasp, I took a step towards the dining room of the restaurant. “I have to get back to my friends.”
“Carrington, wait! Can I see you again?” he asked with a sense of urgency in his voice.
Taking a deep breath and gazing into his eyes, a sense of calm washed over me. Before I could stop the words from coming out of my mouth, I blurted, “Do you have a pen?”
“A pen?” he asked, confused by my request.
“For your number,” I explained.
“Oh,” he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen.
Reaching into my own pocket, I pulled out a small piece of paper and handed it to him.
“Don’t make promises that you have no intention of keeping,” he said as he scribbled his name and number on the piece of paper.
“I don’t know why, but I have every intention on keeping this one,” I said as I took the piece of paper from him and shoved it into my pocket. Turning to make sure that Janelle and Monica were not watching this interaction, I added, “I have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Chase,” he called out quietly as I started to make my way back to my friends.
“What?” I asked, turning my head to him again.
“My name,” he responded with a wink.
4
Chase
“Yo! Do you have any idea what kind of dangerous game you are playing?” Calvin asked as he unbuckled his seatbelt and turned in his seat to look at me. I think he was trying to see and make sense of the thoughts that were running through my mind. We were parked outside of his house and he clearly wasn’t ready to get out of my car. I was ready for him to go. I wanted to get home and talk to Carrington. The sky was getting darker as the seconds ticked by.
Taking a deep breath, I turn in my seat towards my best friend and partner. “Have you ever thought that I was getting close to her in order to do my job?” I asked as I exhaled. Diverting my eyes to the darkening sky, I looked for stars.
“You do realize that Duke will put a bullet in your head if he even suspects that you are messing with his girl? Hell, he might even put one in her just to send a message.”
“You do know that I am a police officer and am very capable of protecting her and myself,” I reminded Calvin as I turned my attention back to him. The sooner I put his mind at ease, the sooner he would leave me alone.
Knock...Knock...Knock
Grabbing my service weapon from the middle console, I looked up and saw Calvin’s very pregnant wife peering into the car. “Why don’t two come inside and finish talking about whatever it is that you are talking about? It’s late and you look like you are on a date about to start making out,” she said with a giggle as she pulled her robe tighter around her small frame.
Whipping his head around and lowering the window, he informed her, “I’ll be in in a bit. Go on inside and warm up.” Giving his wife a wink, she let out a sigh.
Quickly taking the hint, she leaned into the open window and placed a quick kiss on Calvin’s cheek. Throwing me a quick wave, she added, “You should join us for game night soon, before I pop.”
Quickly putting my weapon back, I said, “I promise I will come over soon.”
“Don’t make promises that you have no intention of keeping, Chase,” she sassed with a smile as she turned around and started making her way back into the house.
Waiting until he was sure that she was out of earshot, Calvin barked, “Dude! You were not about to shoot my wife!” Then he punched me in the arm. I know I deserved it. We were sitting outside of his house in the dark and I knew that Michelle was waiting up for Calvin. It was something that all cop wives did. They waited to make sure that their loved one was safe.
Rubbing my arm, I said, “I’ll let you have that one.” I did not plan on making a habit of letting Calvin hit me. “Listen, you better get inside before she sends out reinforcements to get you.”
Opening his door and sliding out of my car, he looked back to add, “Don’t do anything stupid!” The words of warning went in one ear and out the other. My mind was already made up. There was something about Carrington Sawyer. I needed to get her away from Duke and make her mine. Leaning into the open window, he continued, “I know that look and I know that you are not hearing a word of reason. Just please don’t make any moves until tomorrow.”
Opening up the door to my apartment, I stopped in the doorway to listen. It was a habit of mine to never walk into a dark room without taking a moment to listen to my surroundings. I needed to make sure that I wasn’t walking into a trap or dangerous situation. Me being a cop painted a target on my back for many. Satisfied that no one was in my home, I took a step into the front room and hit the light switch next to door. Stopping to let my eyes adjust to the brightness, I felt my back pocket start to vibrate. Reaching to grab my phone, I felt a smile pull at my lips as I brought the small device into view and saw the number that was flashing across the screen.
“Hello,” a quiet voice said.
“Hello,” I replied as I kicked the door closed behind me. Making my way deeper into the apartment, I kicked my shoes off before heading to my bedroom.
“I hope that it isn’t too late to call you,” the voice whispered in my ear.
“I’m glad you called,” I said quickly. My heart sped up in my chest as I plopped down on my bed and leaned back against the headboard. Reaching over to the nightstand and turning on my small bedside lamp, I waited with bated breath for the next words out of her mouth.
“This is a mistake. I have to go,” she said quickly.
“No wait! Carrington, don’t hang up,” I responded. I had no intention of letting her get away this easily.
“I have a man…”
“I just want to get to know you,” I interrupted her.
“I shouldn’t have called,” she informed me. There was a sadness in her voice that pulled at my heartstrings. The need to protect her took root in me and I knew that I was in trouble. This is exactly what Calvin was trying to warn me about.
“Can I see you?” tumbled from my lips quietly, before I realized what I was asking of her.
“I know you aren’t stupid. You know that Duke is my man,” she said with a hint of warning in her voice.
“I just want to see you, Carrington,” I pleaded.
Sighing deeply into the phone, she gave in. “I was planning on having lunch tomorrow by the lake.”
“I guess I am having lunch at the lake tomorrow,” I informed her as the smile spread across my lips.
“At the picnic tables behind the boat house,” she instructed me before disconnecting the call.
5
Carrington
“Hey baby,” I said into the phone that was resting between my shoulder and my ear. Rolling my eyes at the sound of his voice, I looked through the racks of clothes that hung in the overstuffed closet. I sighed quietly as I searched for a plain red T-shirt to go with my favorite jeans.
“I miss you. Are you sure you don’t want to spend
the day with me at work? I know that it’s your day off, but I can think of some ways for us to have fun,” Duke's slick voice purred in my ear.
Feeling goosebumps start to pop up all over my exposed skin, I said, “I need a day away from the casino.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean, Carrington?” Duke snapped at me. I knew that I had said the wrong thing and needed to diffuse the situation before everything went to hell.
“It just means that I am tired,” I said, trying to pacify him.
“You’re my best girl, my queen. I need you by my side. You have the magic touch at the Heart’s table,” Duke reminded me. I could hear the annoyance start to grow in his voice and knew that nothing good was going to come of this conversation. I needed to get off the phone with him if I had any chance of doing what I wanted to do today.
Dropping into the throne that Duke had gotten me for my birthday, I felt the exhaustion start to creep in. “I know, and I love spending time with you. I also love running your Heart’s table. I have been working really hard and just wanted to take some time to breathe,” I admitted. I hoped that my explanation was good enough to get him off my back for a little bit.
“Have dinner with me tonight,” Duke blurted out. There was the familiar edge to his voice that told me to just give him what he wanted.
“Of course. Do you want me to cook and have dinner waiting for you when you get home?” I asked, playing his game.
“No, let’s go out tonight. You went out with the girls last night after your shift ended. Let me take my Queen out tonight.”
My blood ran cold as the words left his mouth. “Of course. Anything you want,” I replied with a shaky voice.
“I want you by my side,” Duke told me.
“Hey boss! We have a problem with the slot machines,” a timid voice came through the line. I recognized Max’s voice and breathed a sigh of relief at the interruption. The one thing that Duke hated was losing money, and he was going to want to get to the bottom of whatever was going on with the machines.
BAM! The familiar sound of Duke’s fist hitting his desk told me that this conversation was about to end abruptly. “Carrington!” Duke barked into the phone.
“Yes, my love,” I replied as sweetly as I could. Thankful that I wasn’t working today, I glanced down at the watch on my arm. Seeing the time, I jumped up and grabbed the closest shirt hanging in the closet. All my clothes looked good on me, so it really didn’t matter what I grabbed to wear.
“Remember who you belong to. Don’t do anything stupid.” Duke’s warning caused a chill to pass through me. I looked around to make sure that I was alone. He had this way of making me feel like someone was always watching me and reporting back to him.
“I belong to you,” I said quietly as I waited for him to hang up. I needed this conversation to be over. I wanted to get out of his house and enjoy my time off. I was also looking forward to spending some time with Chase. There was something about him that made me feel safe.
“I was starting to think that I was being stood up,” Chase called out to me as I made my way to the picnic table that he was sitting at. Standing up and jogging up to me, he grabbed the picnic basket out of my hands and led the way back to the table.
“I almost did,” I admitted as I took a quick look around the area. I needed to make sure that we were alone. If Duke ever found out that I was having lunch with another man, I don’t think that I would live to see another day.
“I’m glad that you didn’t,” he said as he flashed me a brilliant smile. His perfect teeth were bright white and reminded me of a model. Placing my basket down on the top of the table, Chase waited for me to sit down.
“I can’t stay too long,” I said as I took one more look around the open area.
“You hiding from someone?” he asked as he watched me check out my surroundings.
“Don’t be silly. A girl can never be too careful when she is alone,” I said.
“I’m not going to let anyone hurt you,” he said as he sat down on the bench. There was something about his words that I believed. Looking at him, I offered a small smile and sat down on the bench across from him. “Thank you for having lunch with me.”
“Thank you for inviting me,” I said as I focused my gaze on the picnic basket resting on the table between us. Feeling the warmth from the sun beating down on me, I was thankful for the shade of the tree we were sitting under. It was a beautiful day out and I was so glad that I wasn’t stuck working behind that stupid table. I hated Duke’s casino and wanted out. I just didn’t know how that was possible. He was not going to just let me walk away from the casino or from him.
6
Chase
“A penny for your thoughts,” I said as I watched Carrington retreat into her mind. Something wasn’t right and I knew that I had to get her away from Duke. He was a bad man and it was my job to get him off the streets. She was not going to be collateral damage if I had anything to do with it.
Shaking her pretty head, I watched her loose ponytail swish from side to side. “What did you say?” There was something about the way she was looking at me that made me smile. There was an innocence in her sparkling brown eyes that Duke and the life he forced her to live hadn’t snuffed out yet.
“I just asked what you were thinking about. You disappeared on me for a second there,” I said, hoping to keep the mood right. Feeling the buzz in my pocket from my cell phone, I chose to ignore it. I knew it was Calvin calling to check in on me and try to talk me out of my plan to get to know Carrington Sawyer better.
“Do you have to get that?” she asked with a smile.
“No. He can wait,” I replied to the beauty sitting across from me as I slid the phone out of my pocket and sent the call to voicemail. I knew that I would get an earful from my partner later, but Carrington was totally worth it. I could see why Duke clung so tightly and bestowed the title of Queen to her. “What’s for lunch?”
“Oh, I brought some sandwiches from my favorite place over on Maple,” Carrington said as she opened up the picnic basket and started laying everything out. “I didn’t know what you would like, so I just asked for the sampler.” Looking up at me through her lashes, I could see a hint of fear start to darken her eyes. What did Duke do to her?
Reaching my hand out and placing it on hers, I felt a spark of electricity. “You don’t ever have to apologize for doing something nice. I just wanted to spend some time and get to know you a little bit,” I said. I hoped that my sincere words were enough to calm her and let her know that I wasn’t going to hurt her.
Snatching her hand away from me, Carrington instantly checked the area around us. “I told you, I have a man.” The fear that I had just seen in her eyes returned and I wanted nothing more than to rid her of it. I suddenly wanted to make sure that look never crossed her face again.
“Let’s eat,” she said as she laid a paper plate and napkin in front of me.
“That was delicious!” I said as I finished up my cup of Miss Vee’s famous sweet tea. I knew that I was going to be stopping by the shop on my way home and grabbing a gallon to take home with me.
“Miss Vee has been looking out for me since I arrived here,” Carrington told me as she started to gather up all our trash. I wanted to know everything about this woman.
“She looks out for everyone,” I said with a smile. Standing up to help Carrington with the trash, I took everything out of her hands and felt that spark of electricity again. Ending our connection quickly, I took the trash to the garbage. “Take a walk with me?”
“I need to head out soon, but a quick walk around the lake won't hurt. I need to walk off some of the calories that I just ate. Duke doesn’t want me to gain any weight,” she said with a sad smile as she made her way over to me. This was my chance to really get to know her and I wasn’t going to screw this up. I wanted to get her away from Duke and make her mine. She would make a perfect queen for my heart.
“Good,” I said as I snatched up h
er hand and interlaced my fingers with hers. She quickly looked at me and I knew that she felt the connection that I had been feeling all day. Refusing to let her pull away and break our connection, I started the short walk across the park to the lake. There was a slight breeze in the air and the sky was a beautiful bright blue. The sun was perched high in the sky and caused the lake to sparkle.
“I don’t want you to get the wrong idea,” Carrington said quietly as she matched my steps. Refusing to look at me, she kept her gaze on the lake in front of us.
“I don’t have any expectations. I am just having lunch with a beautiful woman,” I said as I slowed my pace. Turning to look at Carrington, I hated that she wouldn’t look back at me. I could sense the wall that she built around herself and I knew I was going to have to work to get through it.
“Have you lived in Allenville your whole life?” she asked.
“No. I am originally from Ruby.”
“You mean the next town over,” she said with a chuckle that was music to my ears.
“Where are you from?” I asked.
Taking a deep breath and looking up to the sky, she said, “I am from a little town in New York.”
“What brought you all the way down to South Carolina?” I asked.
“My friend Starr kept telling me about this place. Her mother was born here and always told us that if we got into trouble, we would be safe here.”
“Starr Logan? You know Starr Logan?” I asked. Carrington Sawyer was full of surprises and I was looking forward to discovering everything about her.
“I’ve known Starr for a long time. Our mothers knew each other.”
“Have you seen her since you have been in town?” I wanted to know if Starr was involved with Duke as well.