The Essential Jagged Ivory (Jagged Ivory Boxed Set)

by Lashell Collins

  “You did what?! Why would you do that?” she wailed.

  “Uh, because I had just been in an accident, and that’s what responsible people do in this situation,” he shot back. “They also get car insurance!”

  She rolled her eyes at him as he raised his voice at her once more. And “sweet thing”? Had she actually heard those demeaning words come out of his mouth? Again, she found herself wondering who the hell this guy was. Ridiculously expensive car, superior attitude, smug smile. She guessed that he was someone important in his own mind, at least. But in this town, he could be anyone - rapper, actor, movie director, athlete. She rolled her eyes at the thought. Rich, entitled jerk!

  Otis was silent for a while as he walked away from her and over to his car once more. He couldn’t believe the state she was in. His baby. And he glanced back at his assailant, noting that she was driving a late model Chevy Cobalt, and the front end of it was now completely banged up. He shook his head once again as he stared at her. No insurance. And what the hell was she doing trying to race the light anyway? She really could have killed them both.

  He sighed as he looked her over. And as he watched, she suddenly flipped her hair out of her face and it caught the breeze as she stood beside her car checking her phone. And Otis felt a strange stirring inside of him. In his anger, he had completely missed the fact that she was gorgeous. Tall and thin, with curves in all the right places, she had a light caramel complexion and long medium-brown hair that faded to a light auburn at the ends and flowed over her shoulders. And when they had been face to face, he noticed that her eyes were bright blue. She was actually stunning, in a pissed off, really upset kind of way, and Otis was instantly taken by her. She was wearing a pair of form-fitting jeans that hugged her ass to perfection and a simple white t-shirt that accentuated the curve of her breasts and her flat stomach. In spite of his anger, he smiled to himself as he watched her run a hand through her long locks. Maybe his day was starting to look up a little.

  “What’s your name?” he called out, walking toward her once more.

  She looked at him blankly and rolled her eyes at the question. And for a minute, she thought about giving him her stage name, but he would know soon enough once the police got here. “Brooke. My name is Brooke McKenna,” she sighed.

  “I’m Otis Ivory,” he said, reaching out to shake her hand. And Brooke got the feeling she was supposed to be impressed at the mention of his name. She shook his offered hand and he smiled at her. “I wish the circumstances were different,” he said as the police cruiser pulled to a stop at the curb beside them. He was followed shortly by a tow truck that began slowly maneuvering into place.

  When the officer climbed out of his car, Brooke couldn’t help the dread that washed over her. They were going to take her license away, she knew it. That was the penalty for driving without insurance, wasn’t it? Several inconvenient months without a license and a hefty fine? She couldn’t be without her license. How would she get to either of her jobs? Shit! She had really made a mess of things this time.

  “Otis Ivory,” the police officer smiled as he walked over to him. And Otis smiled broadly as they embraced.

  “Daniel Coe!”

  “Man, what are you doing racing through my streets?”

  “Come on now, you know me,” Otis replied. “I don't race; I cruise.”

  “Yeah, that's not the way I remember it in high school,” the cop smiled.

  “High school was a long time ago, Danny,” Otis smiled.

  As she watched the exchange, Brooke could feel the nails being driven into her coffin. The cop not only appeared to know who Otis Ivory was, but they were obviously friends. She felt her stomach churning as she listened to them talk about high school.

  “Oh, man! Other driver really did a number on your Lamborghini, huh?” the cop said, looking over the wreckage.

  When the tow truck driver got his flatbed situated, he climbed out of the cab of it and walked over to them with a huge smile, hand extended.

  “Mr. Ivory, it is such a pleasure to meet you! I am a huge, huge fan of your music, sir,” he gushed as Otis smiled and shook his hand. Brooke rolled her eyes. Figures he'd be a rapper, she thought.

  “Thank you,” Otis said, somewhat humbly.

  “No, I mean it,” the man stated. “You are like, one of the greatest voices in rock and roll. Ever! I mean, you know … not many people have such a distinctive voice that’s so perfectly suited for rock as yourself. It’s a pretty short list if you think about it. Robert Plant, Axl Rose, Steven Tyler, Myles Kennedy. They are all great, but you have such an unbelievable range! Like Freddy Mercury. I think I even read somewhere where you can hit like four different octaves, from a deep baritone to that real high tenor you do sometimes! Man, you are fucking amazing,” he exclaimed.

  “Thank you, John,” Otis said, looking at the name on the man’s shirt and addressing him personally. “I truly appreciate that, it’s very kind of you to say.”

  “Oh, it’s the truth, Mr. Ivory!”

  “Please call me Otis,” he smiled.

  “Okay, Otis,” the man smiled like he had been given a winning lottery ticket, and Brooke watched the exchange in equal measures of disgust and intrigue. So he wasn’t a rapper. Apparently he was some sort of singer with a four-octave range. And as she listened to all the ass-kissing it suddenly dawned on her that she had heard the name before. Recently. Otis Ivory. Otis Ivory? And she rolled her eyes once more as the connection became clear. He was all over the news lately for some sex tape with an underage girl or something. Of course they were kissing his ass. He was probably their hero!

  As the star-struck tow truck driver went about the business of getting Otis’ car onto his flatbed, the officer turned to him and smiled.

  “Well, time to go deliver the bad news,” he said, glancing toward Brooke. “Did she say anything to you about what caused the accident? She mention being on her phone or anything?”

  “No,” Otis replied. “In fact, I accused her of texting, but she took great offense to that. I don’t think she was distracted by a phone. I just think it was one of those things. She did admit that she’s got no insurance, and she’s been real upset about that.”

  His friend whistled. “I bet she is. That’s really gonna hurt her,” he said, pulling out his citation book. “Running a red light and no insurance. She’s looking to lose her car and her license. Not to mention the fine.”

  Otis glanced over at Brooke and an idea formed in his head. He smiled to himself. “Can you let me talk to her for a minute, Danny?” he asked.

  “What for?”

  “I just want to apologize for being a jerk to her before. I sort of yelled at her.”

  Danny laughed slightly as he glanced at the crumpled Lamborghini. “I can understand why. Yeah, I’ll give you a few minutes, man,” he said.

  “Thanks,” Otis said. Then he turned and walked toward her. She was leaning against her car, nervously chewing on her thumbnail as she watched him approaching. Then she straightened up and folded her arms across her chest as she looked him in the eye.

  “What did he say?” she asked anxiously. “I’m getting cited, aren’t I? He’s going to take my license.”

  “Probably,” Otis replied. “Unless …”

  “Unless what?”

  Otis shrugged his shoulders. “Well … just so happens that Officer Coe and I are old friends. I could maybe talk to him for you. See if I can’t get him to just sweep this one aside.”

  “Really?” she asked with a puzzled frown. Okay, maybe he wasn’t such a jerk after all? “You would really do that?”

  “Yeah, really,” Otis replied. “On one condition.”

  She glared at him. There were always conditions. She had been right the first time. He was an arrogant, entitled, self-important jerk! “What condition?”

  “You let me take you to dinner one day this week,” he said simply.

  She suddenly laughed at him.

  “What’s so f
unny?” he asked, smiling.

  “You are unbelievable, do you know that?” she hissed, instantly pissed off at him. “I know who you are, Mr. Ivory. Your reputation is being well debated on just about every news program you turn to lately. And with the mess you’re in, all you can think about is the next pretty little thing that catches your eye? Well, no thank you. I have no desire to be your next conquest!”

  Otis’ eyebrows shot up in surprise. He actually hadn’t been thinking about his troubles at all. In fact, he was surprised to realize that he hadn’t thought about the scandal one bit since this woman had crashed into him. He supposed it wasn’t all that shocking. It was a car accident after all. But so far, nothing had been able to take his mind off of it for even a few minutes. Until now.

  He smiled slightly at that thought. And he knew that he should probably be offended by her words, but for some reason all they did was make him more determined in his quest.

  “Well, you can either have dinner with me, or you can take your chances with Officer Coe over there. And Danny takes his job very seriously. But it's your choice,” he smiled.

  “Really? You’re bribing me for a date right now?” she asked, looking at him as though she wanted to slap him. Hard.

  Otis gave her the sexy smile that made most women he encountered swoon. “I’m offering you a nice meal in an elegant restaurant with interesting company,” he said, pointing to himself. “I’m offering a fun evening with amazing food and good conversation with yours truly. And in return, you get to keep your car and your license and there’s no record of this accident. I’d hardly call that a bribe.”

  “Well, I call it pathetic,” she replied. “And the answer is no!”

  “Okay,” he shrugged. “I’ll go tell Danny you’re ready for him.” He turned to walk away.

  “Wait!” She called out, already hating herself for what she was about to do. And she really wanted to punch his lights out when he turned back toward her with a smug smile on his face. “Just one dinner?” she asked quietly.

  “Just one dinner,” he confirmed.

  “And nothing sexual or inappropriate in any way,” she stated, glaring at him.

  Otis smiled at her. “Contrary to what you may have heard on the news, I am not a rapist. And I promise to be a perfect gentleman the entire evening. Just dinner in a public place.”

  Brooke hesitated for a long moment as she glanced over to where the cop stood talking to the tow truck driver. “Okay,” she sighed. “One dinner.”

  Otis smiled at her as he turned and walked back to the officer.

  “Hey, Otis, where would you like me to tow her to?” the tow truck driver asked.

  “The dealership please,” he answered, fishing a card out of his wallet for the man.

  “Okay. And can I drop you off somewhere?”

  “No thanks, I called my brother. In fact, he should be here soon,” Otis frowned, glancing at his watch and wondering what was taking Noah so long.

  “Oh, my God! Noah Ivory’s coming here?” he asked with wide, excited eyes, and Otis laughed slightly at him.

  “Yeah, he is.”

  “Oh, shit,” he whispered with a smile. “Do you mind if I stick around for a while, sir?”

  “Not at all,” Otis answered. Then he got his friend’s attention and pulled him off to the side. “Listen, Danny … do you have to cite her?” he asked quietly motioning toward Brooke.

  “Well, yes. I mean, the accident was clearly her fault. She blew the red light and plowed into you doing at least 10 miles over the limit. You’re lucky all she crushed was your car.”

  “Yeah, I know, but … is there any way that I can just … assume the responsibility?” Otis asked with a shrug. “I mean, look at her, man. She’s terrified. And she looks like the last thing she needs is a steep fine and for her car and her license to be taken away.”

  “She should have thought about that before she made the decision to drive without insurance,” Danny insisted.

  Otis smiled at him. There had to be a way to appeal to his old friend. “Look … there’d be no paperwork for you. It'd be just like we had never called the cops and she and I will work this out ourselves. This all goes away, and you’ve got an interesting story to tell your buddies. What do you say?”

  The cop stared at him for a moment with narrowed eyes. “Why are you doing this, Otis?”

  Otis smiled at him and shrugged his shoulders. “I’m just trying to be a nice guy,” he said. “Besides, maybe helping a damsel in distress might earn me some favor in the karma department, you know?” he said, amazed that he was actually making light of the scandal and the crash. He should be mad as hell right now, so why wasn’t he?

  “Look, we've known each other a long time, Otis. And since no charges have actually been filed against you yet, I wasn't going to bring any of that up,” the officer said, looking at him with growing suspicion. “But, man, you've gotta know that what you're asking me to do right now is illegal.”

  Otis took a deep breath and smiled at him. “Come on, Danny,” he coaxed. “You're right … we have known each other forever. And it's not like I'm asking you to look the other way while I commit robbery or something. I mean, look at this situation, man. I'm the one who's obviously out a shitload of money here. And even if this girl did have insurance, we both know there's no way her insurance would've covered the full cost of my ride anyway,” he said, trying to reason with the man. “Look, Danny … all I'm asking you to do is forget you saw me today. You help me out here, and I'll make it worth your while.”

  He cocked an eyebrow at him. “Are you offering me a bribe, Otis?”

  “No! I am most definitely not offering you a bribe,” Otis quietly insisted. “But I am offering you my time. Look, I know that the LAPD holds a couple fundraisers each year. How about if I come out to your next charity event or department fundraiser and sign a few autographs? I could even give you a guitar to auction off if you want.”

  He could suddenly see the wheels turning in his old friend's head as he thought about Otis' offer, so he sweetened the pot a little.

  “How much do you think an autographed guitar would bring in for your department?” he asked with a smile. “I could get it signed by the whole band if you want.”

  “And you personally would make an appearance?” the cop asked.

  “For all you and your colleagues do to keep the city safe, absolutely. As long as the date doesn't interfere with the rest of the tour,” Otis assured him. “I might even be able to talk my bandmates into joining me. For an old friend like you … I'm sure Noah would agree.”

  Danny was silent for a moment as he thought about his proposal. It would be a real coup getting the Ivory brothers to show up for this year's concert fundraiser. Even if they didn't sing a note. And an autographed guitar to auction off to boot? He slowly put away his citation booklet with a sigh. “I suppose I could call in and tell dispatch that I examined the area and found evidence of a crash, but that both cars were GOA.”

  “GOA?” Otis asked.

  “Gone on arrival,” the officer clarified. “And I'll have to convince my friend over there to keep his mouth shut,” he said, referring to the tow truck driver. “But since he's such a big fan of yours, I don't think that will be a problem.”

  “Thank you,” Otis said with a grateful smile as they shook hands.

  Danny shrugged his shoulders. “You're going to have a fight on your hands with your insurance company.”

  “I'll worry about that,” Otis smiled.

  “Damn, brother. When you wreck a high-dollar ride you really wreck a high-dollar ride!”

  He heard Noah’s voice coming up behind him and smiled as he turned around. Noah and Benji were both eyeing the Lamborghini in shock.

  “Shit,” Noah said, still examining the car. He turned to Otis and asked, “Are you alright, man?”

  “I’m fine,” he answered. “My feelings are a little hurt though. You know she was my baby.”

  “Yeah,
I know.”

  “Damn, O,” Benji spoke up, turning away from the car. “If the other car had hit the driver’s side, man, we’d be racing to the hospital right now.”

  “Oh, I know,” Otis answered.

  “Noah?”

  Noah looked up and smiled. “Danny Coe! Hey, man, good to see you,” he said, shaking the man's hand. “How you been?”

  “Uh, Mr. Otis … I, I mean Otis …” the tow truck driver stammered, looking at him expectantly.

  Otis smiled at the man’s nervousness. “Noah, Benji … meet my friend John over here. He’s a big fan.”

  “Oh, my God, he’s right,” the man gushed. “Huge fan, I love your music. You guys are like … my favorite band. You are so awesome!”

  “Good to meet you, man,” Noah laughed as he and Benji both reached out to shake his hand.

  For the next few minutes the three of them spent some time signing autographs and taking pictures with both men as Brooke stood by shaking her head and rolling her eyes. Seriously? This was not backstage at some stupid concert. This was her life they were all completely ignoring, and she had things to do! The cop hadn’t actually said a single word to her the entire time because he was much too busy sticking his nose up Otis Ivory’s ass!

  “I hate to interrupt this love fest you all have going on, but could someone please tell me whether or not I can go now?” she finally said, looking at all five of them with an attitude.

  They all looked up at her as if suddenly remembering where they were, and Otis smiled at her.

  “Yes, Ms. … McKenna was it?” Officer Coe began, “you are actually free to go since I won’t be citing you today. I want you to know that I’m letting you go with a warning, per Mr. Ivory’s request. And your vehicle is technically drivable at the moment; however I can’t let you drive it.”

  “What do you mean you can’t let me drive it?” she questioned.

  “You have no insurance, Ms. McKenna,” he replied. “Now, I’m doing Mr. Ivory a favor by not citing you when by law we all know that I should. But I will not allow you to drive your car away from this scene without proper insurance. It’s going to have to be towed. I’ve already called for a second tow truck. It should be here shortly.”