“You think so?”
“I know so.”
“Dr. Kline comes highly recommended, and his credentials exceed most.”
She offered another comforting smile. “Without a doubt, you’ve chosen the best.”
Finally, relaxing across the table, he nodded. “You’re right. These therapy sessions with Kline will serve her well.”
“And Cassius?” she asked, stiffening in the chair, and took a swig of alcohol. “Is he still convinced that I’m the wicked witch of the south---all out to destroy you?”
“Cassius is just Cassius. Where you’re concerned, we’ve both agreed to just disagree.” He eyed her close. “But, I’m not going to bullshit you. While he’s softened a bit towards you, he still has questions.”
“Naturally and why wouldn’t he?” she said, shrugging her shoulders, and quickly came to his defense. “If I sensed a threat, I’d do what it’d take to protect my family.”
“What? You are actually defending Cassius?” His brow raised in surprise. “Wow. Have to say that I’m shocked by that.”
“If the situation were reversed, I’d be the same way.” She looked away from him, but then back again. “There’s no crime against protecting the people that you love.”
“True, but where you’re concerned, I don’t need protection.” His gaze stole hers across the short way. “Call it crazy, but I trust you, perhaps more than I should.”
“Wow, now I’m surprised,” she said truthfully.
“Why?”
“Considering the circumstances and how they came about.” She shrugged again, and her face colored a warmer brown. “I guess I’m surprised that after everything’s that happened that you do.” Her gaze didn’t flinch. “If you didn’t trust me, I wouldn’t blame you.”
He passed her a quizzical look. “What’s wrong with you, tonight?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean this ‘second selling’ yourself.” A line of confusion creased his face. “It’s almost as if you don’t want me to trust you.” His stare intensified. “Why is that?”
Was she perhaps trying to assuage her own guilt?
After all, she wasn’t wholly innocent.
Too, every time, she looked at him, she ached.
Ached for the things that she’d never have…
All because of her secrets…
She placed the wine goblet on the table carefully. “You’re reading things wrong. My intent was to prove that I’m capable of appreciating various viewpoints. That’s all.”
“You know what I’m realizing, damsel? After all this time, you’ve still managed to be secretive about yourself. There’s so much that I don’t know about you.” He leaned back in the chair. “I mean, hell, you know all about my jacked up existence. Why don’t you tell me a little about yours?”
For a second, she hesitated.
Revealing things about herself---would it really be wise?
But, this is the man that you love!
If the truth wasn’t accessible to him, then who was it?
“I grew up in a small town called Centre, Alabama. Not a large town, mind you. It was small, tight nit,” she smiled softly. “You know the kind of place where everyone knows everybody.”
He gave a lopsided grin. “And everybody knows everything.”
“Yes, that kind of place. My mom and dad, they were just regular people. They both worked hard, you know, and they gave me the best life that they could. Both of them were high school dropouts. But, that didn’t negate the fact that they were competent and intelligent individuals.”
“And who says that a college degree makes a man, anyway? Hell, most of what I’ve learned comes from working and being around the right people. In some cases, too,” he muttered, face reddening. “I’ve learned things from not-so-good people. Still, the experiences, good or bad, have made me one helluva business man. Sometimes, people just take different routes and experience success. That’s why I have no doubt that your parents were highly capable.”
“Despite their setbacks, they were. They both worked at the mill. But, Mama had to retire because of a back injury. Daddy retired about a year or so back.” Her pause was only seconds. “Daddy had a childhood illness. The doctors and specialists---they didn’t think that he’d live to see a day over thirty.” Her brown eyes shimmered bright. “But, he defied the odds over and over again.”
His gray eyes held understanding. “A true champion.”
“In every regard, he’s my hero.” The pride bloomed in her heart. “All around, he’s a big man---loud, boisterous, and highly opinionated.” Her smile was brief. “Guess I inherited my big mouth from him. But, in our small knit community, he was well-loved and respected. His life’s motto has always been that a ‘man’s word was his bond’, and it’s a code that he’s functioned by.”
“Sounds like a father that every kid deserves.”
“Tyrone Spencer is the definition of perfect, and I’ll shout that truth to the world till the day I die. Like I said, he worked hard. Back when I was growing up, he pulled long hours at the mill, most times pulling double shifts to make ends meet. If there’s anything that’s intolerable to him, it’s laziness. Taking handouts isn’t an option.”
“I’m in full agreement.”
“Dating back then,” she giggled. “Well, I guess the few encounters that I had could be considered dates. All the boys in town were scared of him. But, some worked up enough courage to at least ask me out and take me to the mall.”
“Hell,” he chuckled and his grin widened. “Those small town boys wanted to live and see the sunrise.”
“Tell that to a broken-hearted teenaged girl, and I might believe you,” she laughed again, but then her seriousness returned. “But, in all truths, I love how he fought to protect me against anything and everything.” Her eyes became glued to his again. “I find that highly admirable and desirable in a man.”
Her hidden message was received.
It shone in his gray eyes.
Still, they left the truth unspoken.
For wasn’t that what he was doing---protecting her from anything and everything?
“And Mama…” Her gaze turned wistful. “She was everything. Kind, loving, gentle, strong, supportive…I could go on and on with how special she was. She’d go the extra mile just to show that she had my back.”
“Another true hero.”
“I can’t tell you the number of times that she talked me off the ledge. When I doubted myself, she’d find ways to make me see my value. She made me believe in me, and I learned how to appreciate my self-worth.” Her smile returned. “Most people say that I’m smug and over-confident.”
“And I’ll gladly whip their asses.”
“I don’t doubt that either,” she grinned again. “Anyway, I always wanted to make her proud. Disappointing her wasn’t an option. When and if I did, it broke my heart more than hers.” Her brown eyes shimmered with tears again. “Her words of wisdom and truths are golden, and even now, I live by them. I can’t even begin to describe my level of respect for that wonderful powerful black woman. She’s the queen.”
“A queen indeed.” His gaze intensified. “Sounds like someone I know.”
“Me?”
“Of course, you,” he rasped hoarsely. “There’s no woman on Earth that could even begin to be on your level. You, Bella Spencer, are the clear definition of ‘a queen’. I stan you.”
“You’re going a bit overboard, aren’t you?” she asked a bit breathlessly, and her heartbeat fluttered, falling out of perfect sync. “Especially with the ‘stanning’ part…”
“Am I?”
Oh, shit…
There it was….
Like months ago, he’d thrown an outright challenge.
Should she dare take the bait?
A different and dangerous feel flowed between them now.
The air was suddenly charged.
A volatile chemistry fought to forge through the newly bre
ached opening. An opening that was an entry point into the closed portal that they’d shut weeks ago…
If, no when, they dove inside again, there’d be no turning back.
The question was when was the ‘when’?
“Anyway,” she added on a breathless note. “My childhood was wonderful, and I was happy.” She blinked fast three times. “After awhile, I migrated to Brookwood and built a life.” She shrugged nonchalantly. “The rest is history as they say.”
He stared at her straight and hard. “And now?”
She frowned. “Now what?”
“What do you want?”
Wide-eyed, she stared back at him. “What do I want?”
“In life…do you want a career, a white picket fence with kid…a different life from the one that you’re leading…”
“Meaning the one that I’m living with Vitali, right? Ok. Listen.” She swallowed hard. “We were having a pleasant time together and a nice conversation. Please don’t ruin that, Braden.”
“We’re friends, right?”
“O---of course, we’re friends.” Her brown features flushed warm and then burning hot. “We’ve established that already.”
“Well, friends don’t let friends make stupid mistakes. I’ll say this a thousand times over, you’re making a colossal one with Vitali.”
“I’m not doing this with you.” Pushing the chair back away from the dining table, she stood up. Then, her gaze was just as fiery as his. “We agreed, at least I thought we did, that any conversation about my relationship with Carlo is off-limits.”
“Can’t remember making such an agreement.” With more careful precision and calmness than hers, he stood up from the table. “As a matter of fact, I’d never agree to such.”
“I’m going to bed.”
But, as she pivoted on her heels, he was upon her.
“Will you please stop running away?” Biting back a curse, he whirled her around and firmed his hold on her wrist. “Bella, this isn’t a game, and this stubbornness of yours is going to get you killed. Again, put that selfish pride of yours aside and listen to reason.”
“How dare you treat me like I’m some incompetent woman that’s incapable of making decisions!” As the fury shot through her, she focused on the muscled area about his chest. Beneath the blue denim shirt, the muscle was ripped and contoured perfectly. Just at the shirt’s opening, she caught a sneak peek of his flesh. But, this wasn’t the time to ogle him or appreciate his sexiness, she frowned, snatching free, and then sent him a glower. “We’ve had this conversation many times before. We don’t agree on the subject of me and Vitali. Guess what? We never will. So, drop it.”
“You claim that you don’t want to disappoint your parents. Do you think they’d be proud of the decisions that you’re making.” At her quiet, but shocked expression, he went on. “I’m willing to wager that your parents have never laid eyes on your good ol’ boyfriend, have they? Lie to me and say that they have.”
“No, they haven’t. So, what?” she shrugged. “It’s not a big deal---”
“Not a big deal? Oh, you couldn’t be more mistaken. Our conversation these last minutes only prove that you deserve and want more. And you do. This fucked up situation that you have with Vitali has to end one way or another.”
“How I live my life or whom I live it with, how exactly is it your call?” she demanded passionately, stepping closer to him. At their close proximity, a powerful energy surged between them. “Tell me!”
“It became my call the minute I started to care about you!” he shouted back, chest heaving. “That’s when!”
As his words slipped out, they were both filled with stunned surprise.
The truth was out!
The genie couldn’t be placed back in the bottle!
“I care about you, too,” she whispered in a thickened tone, and it also held a slight shake to it. “And while I appreciate your concern for my well-being, it’s not needed. I know that you don’t agree with what I’m doing. But, it’s my choice not yours.” Their tortured stares clung for a bit longer. Then, no longer able to bear the inner turmoil, she broke their visual bond first. She kept her stubborn gaze planted on the wall of his broad chest. “It’s been a long tiring day. I’m going to bed.”
To her relief, he allowed her to brush past.
Keeping her head downcast and face averted, she scurried in the direction of the bedroom. It was only when she was safely inside that she stopped running. But, there was no running from the only truth, she mulled, sagging down on the bed, and that very truth burned bright in her heart.
She was in love.
***
By 10:38 am, he’d grown increasingly on edge.
“Come on, Bingsby, don’t let me down. Everything hinges on you.” Leaning back in the plush office chair, he glared at the cell phone sitting on the desk. As the screen illuminated and the phone vibrated against the desktop, he snatched it up at once. “You’re late,” he quipped tightly, gripping the phone with a bone-crushing hold. “This better be good.”
“It’s done,” Bingsby muttered in a low tone, and in the background, one could’ve probably heard a pin drop. “We have the girls and your information.”
He tensed. “The girls---how are they holding up?”
“They were already scared as fuck. With us busting in like crazed madmen, we hardly set their minds at ease. One of them even blacked out. As you requested, we fed them and provided fresh clothing.” An odd excitement played in the Goth’s voice. “I’m really getting off on this shit---playing hero and all. Maybe I missed my calling.”
“Good for you.” He tensed further. “Remember the drop-off point. Leave the girls parked at Central Lane. It’s discreet, remote, and quiet. Use a burner phone, call 911, and keep a close watch on the van until the cops get there. Then, scatter like cockroaches in a dark alley.” His bone-crushing hold tightened on the phone. “If Vitali’s men show up and start to cause trouble, you know what to do. Fight for your life because they sure in the hell won’t spare yours. If they try to kidnap any of the girls, kill them. We’re not going to let them get their hands on them again.”
“Our trail is cold, so I don’t think we have to worry about that. But, in the event that they do, we’ll load their asses with straight lead.”
“The info on Vitali and the rest…” His gaze focused on nothing in the darkened study. “Is it credible enough to cause ripples and waves?”
“How about a fuckin’ tsunami,” Bingsby boasted proudly. “With the shit I’ve got, there’s no way they’ll be left standing. Not with this.” The Goth paused for a second. “You know….I’ve been thinking. Since this was a big job, the compensation for it should be heavy, man. Originally, we agreed on a negotiating price. Considering the nature of what I’ve found, perhaps we should go back to the drawing table---”
“Don’t you even think of trying to double-cross me, Bingsby,” he warned in a deadly tone. “It’ll be the biggest mistake of your life. I’ve already gone against my better judgment and added an additional $250,000 grand to the $750,000 that I’ve already given you. That’s substantial enough.” Gripping the phone harder, he strove for calmness, yet failed. “You said it before, you’re a cockroach. Only bad thing is that I have a cure for such pesky creatures. If you want to survive another crawl in that dark alley of yours…” A dangerous hum sounded across the airwave. “Don’t fuck with me.”
“Whoa, chill, dawg,” Bingsby soothed on the other end. “It was only a thought---”
“A thought that you better cut off.”
“Anyway, where and when do we make the trade---the loot and the jump drive? This little silver fucker feels like hot lead, and I’m ready to drop it.”
“3:00 am at the corner of Fifth and Maine. I’ll be parked between Custer’s Joint and Blooming Rise. Don’t worry, they’re both abandoned…might be a homeless person or two wandering about…but that’s it.”
“Gotcha.”
The phone wen
t dead.
Sighing hard, he leaned back in the chair.
He stared across the darkened room.
There was only one fact.
All hell was about to break loose.
Now, exactly at 3:00 am, he was sprinting down the dark alleyway between Custer’s and Blooming’s. Just as he’d suspected, a few homeless men sat huddled around a makeshift fire in a barrel. As he moved past them, they barely acknowledged him. Probably, that was a staple since most of them weren’t looking for or wanting any trouble.
Even at this late hour, a cap was pulled low down on his head while dark sunglasses shielded his intense gaze. The shirt, cargo pants, and boots were all black, too. Of course, that made the blending with shadows game easier, allowing a high inconspicuous nature. Plus, the semi-automatic pistol at his waistband added extra security.
Once he was inside the entryway of Custer’s, he paused.
The area was quiet.
He tensed.
Too damned quiet…
Even worse…where in the hell was Bingsby?
If anything, the Goth was punctual.
“Fuck,” he cursed, finally spying a dark heap in the corner.
After passing a careful glance around, he moved in that direction. When he finally reached the spot, he looked down, only to find a glossy wide-eyed Bingsby staring lifelessly at the ceiling. Between his eyes, a bullet was perfectly planted.
“Damn it!” he cursed lowly.
Without haste, he whipped the pistol out and looked around the space again.
Seconds later, satisfied that he was alone, he crouched down.
With a gloved hand, he searched the man’s pockets.
Unsurprisingly, there was nothing….except…
“What the hell?” he muttered quietly, extracting the small handwritten note. Frowning, he perused over it. In the corner, there was a bright yellow smiley face, perfectly drawn with full pouty lips. Alongside it, a smudge of bright red lipstick was pasted against it with the words, ‘kiss kiss country boy, told you that we’d meet again…stand back sweet lover boy and wait for the fireworks…...can’t wait to literally and figuratively fuck you over…’
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