CREED 2: Black Widow
By
Phoenix Daniels
Copyright © 2017 by Phoenix Daniels
Published by Jessica Watkins Presents
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Without limiting the right under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form by means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
I’d like to give a very special thank you to L.A. Witt, the “wokest” Caucasian that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. This talented author posted a Facebook rant that turned into Governor Creed’s press conference speech. I encourage my readers to run to www.gallagherwitt.com and check out this very talented author.
WHERE WE LEFT OFF…
“Dinner was amazing, sweetheart,” Taylor complimented. “I love it when you cook.”
“Oh yeah? You think your family liked my cooking?” Victor asked, peeking out of the kitchen.
“They loved it, babe.”
Taylor walked around her living room, picking up empty beer bottles and tossing them into a trash bag. They were cleaning up after her and Victor’s informal engagement party.
When she purchased her house, she never would have believed that the very first event that she’d be hosting in her home would be her engagement party. Their official engagement party would be held at the governor’s mansion where they’d met. Taylor would be lying if she were to say that she was looking forward to celebrating her engagement with a bunch of strangers. However, she was marrying the governor, so she would have to acclimate herself to his lifestyle.
“Taylor, we really could’ve hired a cleaning service to do this!” Victor shouted from the kitchen.
“Um-mm, I don’t like people touching my stuff.”
Victor entered the living room, tossing a dish towel over his shoulder. “That’s funny because you never seem to mind when I touch your stuff,” he teased.
“That’s cuz you know how to handle my stuff.”
Victor chuckled and hugged her from behind. “It’s wonderful how well our families got along,” he remarked.
“Yeah. And, oh my God, did you see the sexual tension going on with Luc and Bella?”
“Not to mention Linc and Kenyatta,” Victor grumbled.
“Lord, have mercy,” Taylor sighed. “Oh, and our mothers… together, they’re gonna be trouble. They were practically planning our wedding without us. And your dad…” Taylor giggled. “He thinks that because of me, you’ve got the black vote on lock.”
“Yeah, but he might be right about that. The old man knows his politics,” Victor muttered.
“You wish.” Taylor laughed. “Shit, I’m a cop. You might lose a few black votes.”
“As long as I have you, sweetness, it doesn’t matter.”
“Aww, ba-byyyy,” Taylor purred.
Taylor sighed and closed her eyes, relaxing against his solid body.
“Gimme this bag. Come here,” Victor said, taking the garbage bag and leading Taylor to the sofa. “Sit. You’ve been running around all day, making sure that this party turned out okay. You must be exhausted.”
“Naw, baby, I’m good,” Taylor assured.
“Sit.”
Taylor sat and looked up at him with wide eyes. “Should I bark and roll over next?”
“Later,” he quipped, tossing a bottle into the bag.
Taylor chuckled. Victor was right. She had had a busy day. Hell, she’d had a busy year. It had been two months since Victor asked her to marry him. She was just barely coming to terms with everything that had happened the months before, and now she was about to jump right into wedding-planning mode. It wasn’t that she was unhappy about her engagement, she just wished that they could have a small ceremony or maybe a destination wedding. She could use a little quiet.
Taylor quietly watched as Victor cleaned. She leaned back against the pillows and thought of all the things that she and Victor had never discussed; one of those things being her job. Victor had never hidden his desire for Taylor to take an inside job if not quit altogether. She had no intention of quitting, but she did realize that security issues and the press were going to be a hurdle. Since Victor put the beautiful diamond on her finger, it seemed as if they purposely avoided such conversations.
“Taylor, are you okay?” Victor asked, snapping her out of thoughts.
His voice was filled with concern as he sat next to her.
“Um, yeah…Yes, I’m okay.”
“What’s on your mind? Talk to me.”
Taylor sighed and leaned against him. Victor wrapped an arm around her and massaged her shoulder.
“Victor, it’s been a crazy year; the shooting, the media, Maria getting shot, me getting shot, Gore, Candace, you shooting Candace. It’s a lot to process. Now, we’re getting married.”
“Is it too soon?” Victor asked with a sad look in his eyes.
“No. No, baby. It’s not too soon, but… okay…Where are we gonna live? And what about my job?”
“Well, where do want to live?’
“Shit, I just bought this house.”
“Okay, then we’ll live here.”
Taylor narrowed her eyes and asked, “Really?”
“Yeah. I like your house. We’ll have to make some security provisions, but I’m comfortable here.”
“Oh, Victor, you are so fucking awesome,” Taylor cooed, climbing into his lap.
“You say that now. But when the subject of the police department comes up, I’m sure you’ll change your mind.”
“Okay, then we won’t talk about that today.” Taylor chuckled.
“Good idea. Listen, with all the hell that you’ve been through, I just wanna give you some of the peace and security that Candace took from you. That part of your life is over. Now, well concentrate on our future. Candace couldn’t take that away.”
“See? That’s the thing, babe.”
“What’s the thing?”
“The whole time we were in Candace’s house, she never once copped to shooting me. She was shoutin’ from the rooftop about how she shot Maria, but she didn’t mention me or Collier at all.”
“Hmm…” Victor contemplated. “You sure?”
“I’m positive. So, that leaves the question: how was Candace connected to Collier?”
“She wasn’t.”
Taylor jumped from Victor’s lap at the sound of a female voice coming from her hallway. The beautiful, blonde intruder was standing between Taylor and the weapon that was in her bedroom, so Taylor prayed that the woman wasn’t armed with the intention of killing them both.
“What the fuck are you doing in my house?” Taylor hissed.
“I came to congratulate you on your engagement to my husband,” she said in a sugary but icy tone.
“What?!” Taylor gasped.
She turned to Victor just as he was slowly rising from the sofa. His normally tanned face had turned as white as a sheet, and he seemed to have stopped breathing. Taylor grabbed his arm when he stumbled slightly forward.
“Victor?” Taylor whispered to him, before shouting, “Who are you?!” at the blonde.
“S-she…she’s,” Victor stuttered. “Her name is Rosemary…Rosemary Creed. She’s my wife.”
CHAPTER ONE
TAYLOR
Wife?
>
“Wait! You're what?” Taylor was sure that she hadn’t heard Victor right, but when she looked up at him, she noticed that the color had completely drained from his handsome face. His expression was that of dazed confusion. “Victor?” Taylor called, in an attempt to wake him from the trance that the beautiful blonde had placed him in.
“Rosemary,” he breathed, completely ignoring Taylor.
Taylor cringed at the way he’d said her name. And she certainly couldn’t hide the feeling of sadness and abandonment when Victor left her side and hurried across the living room. When he pulled her into his arms, Taylor felt what could’ve been the equivalent to the sharp, hot pain of being shot in the chest. She folded her arms, in need of a hug, even if she had to do it herself.
Victor stepped back and took Rosemary’s face in his hands. He was studying her as if he were trying to make sure that she was real. His hands on Rosemary’s face made Taylor feel faint. She shivered, feeling instantly cold. Tears swam in her eyes at the very thought of losing Victor.
Even though Victor had told Taylor that he was never in love with Rosemary, he had admitted that he’d had great affection for her. He’d often said that, together, they’d made a great team. Their relationship was supposedly more of an alliance than a marriage. As she looked at the two of them, and the way they interacted, she was consumed with jealousy. But when Rosemary’s hand rose to Victor’s chiseled jaw, jealousy turned to rage.
“Victor!” Taylor gritted angrily.
Victor turned toward Taylor quick enough to avoid Rosemary’s caress. Taylor crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. Although his wife’s return from the dead may have been a miracle in Victor’s eyes, to Taylor, she was simply a woman in the arms of her man. Victor walked over to Taylor and placed a hand on her arm.
“Taylor, babe, it’s just that…well, we all thought—”
“I know what you all thought,” Taylor snapped. “You were all obviously wrong.”
Taylor looked over at Rosemary. Victor’s dead wife was a pretty woman. Closer to Victor’s age, she possessed a graceful elegance that said she was from Victor’s world. She was slim but curvy. She had thick, lustrous hair, and sparkling blue eyes. She was dressed impeccably. Her slacks were white, and her blouse was powder blue. She couldn’t have been more contrary to Taylor, and her more relaxed style. Taylor glared over at Rosemary.
“What do you know about the shooting?” Taylor asked, staying on point.
Rosemary smiled at Victor. “Your wife to be is quite extraordinary, beautiful, and filled with fire. You chose well, Victor.”
“Indeed,” Victor agreed, placing his hand on the small of Taylor’s back.
Taylor was not moved by Rosemary’s flattery. She hadn’t answered the question. “How are you not dead? And what do you know about me getting shot?”
Without answering, Rosemary walked over to Taylor’s sofa and sat. “Do you have wine?” she asked in a bored tone. “I could use a drink.”
“Are you fucking serious? Don’t play with me, bi—”
“Taylor,” Victor interjected. “Yes, we have wine. Let’s calm down and have a rational conversation.”
Taylor couldn’t believe her ears. She was looking at Victor as if he’d grown a third eye. Why was he so fucking calm? It was his wife who had ascended from the grave. “Victor, what is wrong with you? The woman just waltzed her ass in here as if she didn’t have a funeral, and you seem totally okay with that. Why aren’t you freaking out?”
Victor rubbed Taylor’s shoulders while looking her in the eye.
“Because I want answers, my love. Don’t you?”
Taylor blinked up at him. “Of course, I do, but—”
Victor smiled, exposing perfect, white teeth and adorable dimples. “I am surprised, Taylor, but I’ve seen entirely too much in my lifetime to let anything shock me into disbelief.”
“Fuck that!” Taylor snapped. “She just ’Walking Deaded’ her ass into my living room after…how many years? And now she wants to kick back and sip wine?”
“Taylor, baby, calm down. How can we get answers if you aren’t willing to listen?”
Rosemary crossed one leg over the other and smiled at Victor. “I like her, Victor. She’s feisty.”
Rosemary looked up at Victor, and in her eyes, Taylor saw what appeared to be sorrow, maybe even regret. She turned her attention to Taylor and patted the sofa next to her.
“Taylor, we need to talk. Please sit down so I can explain. I can prove to you that I am not the enemy. I only returned because I was afraid that you and Victor might be in danger.”
Taylor sighed. She did need answers…answers that only Victor’s wife could give. Forgoing the seat next to Rosemary on the sofa, Taylor sat in the chair, directly in front of her.
“How are you alive?” Taylor asked, getting right to the point.
Rosemary tensed. Her entire demeanor changed. She inhaled a deep breath. And, even though it was Taylor who had asked the question, her eyes were trained on Victor.
“As you probably know, in my past life, I was an immigration attorney. To make a very long story short, I stumbled upon a massive human trafficking ring with major conspirators. Some of those conspirators were very close to the top of the political food chain.”
“How close?” Victor questioned.
“As close as Senator Craven,” Rosemary whispered as if someone other than the room’s occupants would overhear.
“Henry?” Victor marveled with disbelief.
Apparently, Victor was capable of being shocked, but Taylor would put nothing past a politician. She would admit that she didn’t expect the senator to be involved in something as inhumane as human trafficking.
Henry Craven, a senior United States Senator from Illinois, held the highest position in the Republican Party leadership in the Senate. Even though he was a Republican, the senator was favored by most citizens of Illinois, Republicans and Democrats alike. He was the current chairmen of the subcommittee on human rights and the chairman of the subcommittee of financial services in general government. Hell, even Taylor had voted for him.
“You can’t be serious.” Victor sighed.
“But I am,” Rosemary confirmed, looking deeply into Victor’s eyes.
Taylor watched Victor as he processed the information that Rosemary had just divulged. Because he had considered Senator Craven a friend, he was beyond disturbed. Although she felt for him, Taylor wanted Rosemary to get on with the rest of the story so that she could get the hell out of her house and go back to being dead.
“Go on,” Taylor urged, with very little patience.
Rosemary cut her eyes Taylor’s way, but when the dare sparked in Taylor’s eyes, she was smart enough to stifle her comment. Instead, she continued.
“I discovered that the senator, among others, was working with human traffickers from certain countries to trick young women into migrating to the United States. They would help by providing whatever documentation that was needed to enter the country. The women were led to believe that there would be jobs waiting for them in the “land of the free.” But when they arrived, they were stripped of their visas and sold into sexual slavery.”
Taylor, unlike Victor, was not as stunned. Since she’d been on the police department, she’d seen plenty of heartbreaking cases involving human trafficking. “How?” Taylor asked.
“How, what?” Rosemary asked, confused.
“How did you discover this conspiracy?”
“Through one of my clients. She was lucky enough to escape. For a while, she found work as a domestic, but her immigration status was discovered. When she was arrested, she couldn’t afford an attorney. My firm was on a pro bono rotation, so I was assigned the case.”
Victor was still and quiet. Rosemary massaged her temple as if even thinking about the case was creating a headache. But Taylor was eager to hear the rest of the story.
“What does this have to do with your death?”
Rosemary inha
led a shaky breath before responding. “I went to a friend in the U.S. Attorney’s office. She initiated an investigation that got her and my client killed.”
Rosemary’s cheeks flushed. Taylor could see sadness and regret etched across her pretty face.
“I’m sorry,” Taylor whispered sincerely.
“Thank you,” Rosemary mouthed.
“Wait,” Victor injection. “Why didn’t you go to your father? Phillip is one of the most powerful lobbyists in the United States. He certainly wields more power than Henry. Surely, he could have provided you with protection.”
Rosemary sighed. Her baby blues eyes began to water. “I couldn’t put my dad in danger. If something were to happen to him, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.” Rosemary hiccupped and swiped a tear from her cheek.
“My friend was brutally beaten and then shot four times. I just couldn’t put anyone else in harm’s way.”
“Damn,” Victor responded with a deep breath.
He walked over to Rosemary. She was so shaken that she was close to hyperventilating. Victor kneeled down in front of her, placed his hand on both shoulders, and pulled her into a hug. For some reason, that time, Taylor didn’t mind as much.
Shit, she needed a hug.
Taylor sat quietly by as Victor comforted his…wife.
“Rosemary, your father is a powerful man. Surely, he can take care of himself. You should let him help you,” Victor told her.
“You’re wrong, Victor. This assassin had no problem killing a United States attorney and would have no problem getting to my dad. I had to run. If I hadn’t, everyone that mattered to me would’ve been in danger.”
Tears ran down Rosemary’s cheeks. She sank into Victor’s arms as she cried. Taylor was sympathetic to her pain. And before she could stop herself, she had crossed the room and kneeled next to Victor. She gently placed her hand on Rosemary’s back. Rosemary, still sobbing, leaned over to place her head on Taylor’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry for everything that you’ve been through. It must have been horrible,” Taylor softly consoled.
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