by M. Skye
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied, pulling her hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on it. “Just thinking about everything.”
“Everything like what?” He saw her looking at the papers on his desk before she swept her hand over her face. “Are you regretting taking a step back? I know running the company with Mia and . . .” She paused, instantly regretting, he knew, what she almost said.
He caressed her hand and looked up, offering her a relaxed smile. “It’s okay. We can’t tiptoe around the fact that Janelle is dead, and yes, I wanted to run the company with both of my little sisters, but things just changed. My father took Janelle and my mom away from me, but I don’t regret what I did. Stepping back was best for us, just as merging the companies was best for everyone else. With me not being able to dedicate my whole heart to it, Mia needed people who could. You know no other family knows more about our business than the Johnstons, and I know they would never let anything happen to Mia.”
“That’s all true, but do you miss it?”
“I miss it sometimes, but I think I miss Janelle more. It’s hard focusing on that place knowing it’s the reason she’s gone.”
“The business isn’t the reason. Richmond is.”
“Where do you think his greed came from? I almost feel like every dime we make from there is blood money. I just couldn’t do what needed to be done. It would be too much for me, but Mia can handle this. She has a heart of gold, and I feel that she is the one who can transform it back into what our grandfather would have wanted it to be.”
“Yeah, she and Whitney.” Whitney had come home from school and announced that she wanted to work for the company. Rick was opposed to the idea at first, but Mia assured him she and Tyree would look out for her, and he caved. He felt better knowing that she had Jude close, as well. He was going to be working nearby with Tyree’s best friend and brother-in-law, Terence, at his law firm.
“Babe, you know I love Whit, but I don’t think she is going to be in this for the long haul. I gave her the chance to prove me wrong, but I just have a feeling this isn’t for her.”
“I’ll admit, I was shocked when she announced she wanted to work for the company, but maybe she will surprise us.”
The last two and a half years had been a struggle with Whitney. She had taken the situation with Richmond hard. Being home the past six months had done wonders, but her parents were still worried. Mia and Tyree tried to do all they could, and it seemed to be helping. Whitney always responded to whatever Tyree had to say.
Cassandra walked out of the study. Rick was combing over a few papers when Marta, their housekeeper, entered.
“Mr. Livingston, there is a call for you.” She handed him the phone.
“Thank you, Marta. I’ll take it in the library.”
After promptly reaching his chair in the library, Rick pushed the speakerphone button on the receiver. “Hello, this is Rick Livingston.”
“Rick, how’s the family?” an all-too-familiar voice said into the phone.
“You bastard. You have a lot of nerve calling here.” Rick was practically screaming at the speaker.
“I have every right. This is my family too.”
“It’s been three years. I’d hoped you were smart enough to just disappear. You have no family, and soon you will have no freedom.”
“Now, Rick, is that any way to speak to the man who gave you life? Is that any way to talk to your father?”
“My father is dead. Well, at least his heart is.”
“My son, I have so much in store for you, your sister, and those brats you let into our company,” Richmond said gleefully.
“You listen to me. You are never to come near Mia, or I will kill you.”
“No, you listen to me, son. I will do exactly what I set out to do, and there is nothing you can do about it.” Richmond laughed and disconnected the call.
Rick may have stood tough on the call, but inside he knew this was all far from over. It was just the beginning. Tomorrow he would have to deal with breaking the news to Tyree and Mia that Richmond Livingston was suddenly back in their lives.
Chapter Three
As daylight broke into the living room, Asha woke up before everyone. Well, almost everyone. She was in the kitchen when she heard Jonathan’s booming little voice. “Mommy, I help you?”
“Yes, Mommy’s big helper, I would love that.” She swung him up to her hip. Asha was close with both of her children, but Jonathan, the youngest, really made her smile.
“Wut you make?” he asked as she sat him on a stool next to the countertop.
“How about pancakes, eggs, and bacon? How does that sound?”
“Gud, Mommy.”
“Here, come help me stir.” She held the bowl out to him. After getting all the lumps out of the batter, she let him help pour some into the skillet.
“Wow, it make a noise.” He looked amazed at the pancakes forming. It took them twenty minutes to get the rest of the food ready, and after everything was prepared, they began to make plates for everyone.
Most of the plates were prepared when the phone began to ring. It only took her a second to realize it was Tyree calling to check on Kyan. They joked a little about his night and spent a few minutes talking about everything until she ultimately invited him and Mia to breakfast, and he accepted.
After concluding the call, Asha went back to setting the table, only to find herself wrapped in Terence’s strong embrace. “This smells great.” He glanced over her hard work.
“Thank you, honey.”
“Who are the two extra plates for?”
“Mia and Tyree are coming by.”
“Cool, sounds like a good time.”
“Could you get the kids up? I don’t want them to come in with all the sleeping bags lying around.”
“Yeah, I got it.” Terence walked into the living room, and once the children were all up and dressed and the living room was spotless, he sent the children into the kitchen one by one. They all took their seats around the huge table. As they filled in, Asha told them to leave the two end spots open.
They were all around the table laughing when they heard Tyree’s voice, calling out from the front door. “We’re in here,” Asha announced.
“How are you, sweetheart?” Mia took the seat next to Kyan.
“I’m good, Mom. How are you? Did you have a good night?”
“We had a magnificent night.”
Kyan chuckled, and Mia drew in a deep breath before brushing the hair back from her face. “I’m glad.” Kyan leaned over and kissed her cheek before turning to look at Tyree. “Dad, thank you for making Mama’s night fun.”
Tyree nodded and placed his hand on Kyan’s shoulder. “You know me. I do what I can.”
“Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starving,” Asha said, interrupting the sweet family moment.
“We are too.” Mia picked up her fork and began stuffing her mouth. The table overflowed with laughter, watching her devour the food, and as they all began to dig into their plates, and the room fell silent.
Smiles were ever present, and Jonathan was the first to comment on the delicious breakfast. “Tis be good, Mommy. I cook.”
“You sure did, sweetie.” Asha patted him on the head. He went back to his plate, proud of himself, while she smiled down at her precious little boy.
* * *
After they finished up breakfast, Asha sent the kids to the playroom while the adults enjoyed hot tea in the living room. While Terence and Tyree discussed sports, Asha and Mia chatted about the business. In the middle of the conversation, Mia smiled and looked over to Tyree, who was reaching for his ringing cell phone. When he answered, he looked over at her and winked. She blushed, noticing how his eyes traveled up and down her body in lustful gazes. He studied her intently until something on the phone call distracted him. She noticed when his expression turned sour.
“Rick, slow down, what’s going on?” Tyree snapped. Rick said something, and Tyree b
egan to speak again. “We’re at Terence and Asha’s.” He paused again and then huffed, “Well, meet us here. We’ll wait for you.”
Tyree hung up the phone and then turned to face Mia, who had made her way over to him. “That was strange.”
“Who was that?” Mia asked after seeing the puzzled look on Tyree’s face.
“Rick. He said he needs to talk to all of us.”
“What could possibly concern all of us?” Terence asked as they all sat waiting for the urgent news.
The doorbell finally rang, and Rick and Cassandra made their way into the living room with tense looks on their faces.
Mia was the first to speak. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Richmond. He contacted me last night.” Rick sat down next to her.
Hearing the news, Mia dropped her glass and spilled her drink all over the floor.
Tyree quickly rushed to her side as Rick rubbed her back. “What did he say?”
“Not much, just his usual gloating.”
“What does this mean?” Asha asked, looking shocked.
“This means the old bastard is up to his tricks again,” Tyree said furiously. “He can try, but we will end him if he returns here. It’s time we called and got Rock involved.”
Mia smiled half-heartedly and laid her head on Tyree’s shoulder.
“Look at me,” he said. Tyree held his hand to her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. “I will never let anything happen to you.”
Seeing his love and determination made her smile, and she was relieved for the moment.
Shortly afterward, Rick informed them that he alerted everyone from the local police to the FBI. “I have been feeling like something was going to happen for the last few weeks,” Tyree admitted.
“Things have been going too well. Something was bound to happen. It is never this perfect for us,” Rick sighed.
“What should we do?” Terence asked.
“Whatever we have to do.” Rick scanned the room, and Mia smiled as his eyes landed on her. “We are more than capable. If he wants a fight, then he will get one.”
Tyree nodded in agreement, and Terence did as well. Without saying a word, they dispersed and went to their separate corners of the room, making the necessary phone calls.
* * *
While they were inside trying to figure out a course of action, Richmond sat outside in a black car, watching their house. “Now, how did I know my little Boy Scout was going to run over to their house and tell them all about big, bad Richmond?”
“Maybe you should just stop this whole thing. Calling him was a stupid move. You like to draw too much attention to yourself.”
“I will do what I want, Lenae,” he barked at the woman who had been his confidant for the past few years. “I’ve been hiding in plain sight for the past few months, and nothing has happened. Stop your worrying. You just need to focus on your beautiful little girl and how to give her the things she deserves.”
“Why now? After all the time we have been eluding the law, what makes now so special?”
“Our little friends overseas are making moves that will shake the Livingston/Johnston empire to its core. I have to stop the destruction. I will get back all that I lost and all that is sure to be lost in the future.”
“Not everything,” she sighed, looking out the window.
“No, I will never have everything, but this will get me damn close. These kids have no clue what they’re up against, but we do.”
“We’re not here to start a war. Maybe it’s time to cut our losses and accept things the way they are. I would love to have the life I once had, but I don’t see it as an option. Too much has happened. Besides, you don’t have any solid proof that something is coming. We have been in the shadows for too long, and I feel it’s no longer worth it.”
“This is worth everything,” he growled before ordering the driver to flee the scene.
Chapter Four
Whitney held out her left hand, admiring the huge diamond that rested there. She was sitting in her living room when Jude came in, breaking her thoughts with a huge grin on his face. “I take it I did well.”
“Huh?”
“Your ring.” He pulled her hand up to his lips. “You love it, don’t you?”
“Oh, that. Yeah, it’s great.” She knew her nonchalant answer threw him off as he crossed his arms, observing her.
“Why do you not sound more excited about this? I thought this is what you wanted.”
Whitney sighed and moved from her place on the couch to stand in front of the window, gazing out. She hadn’t wanted to get into this with him, and she hadn’t really thought about what she would say when she had to. All she knew was that the past four years with him had been remarkable, but she wasn’t sure they were on a status to be thinking about forever.
The truth was, she wasn’t even sure she could be a wife. She had seen in her lifetime so many reasons not to get married. Almost everyone in her family and close circle had problems. Her parents were the only people she knew whose love seemed to outlast everything. Well, theirs and Tyree and Mia’s.
Tyree and Mia had their share of problems but never once, even when they were apart, did she doubt the love between them. Even when it wasn’t obvious to the delusional two, everyone around them could tell Mia and Tyree were each other’s destiny. When given the extra push, they finally found their way back to each other. It was great to Whitney, seeing them together, but just knowing what they went through gave her pause in believing in happy endings.
She was still looking out the window until she felt Jude’s strong hands on her shoulders. Turning to look at him, she saw a genuine smile and his dazzling eyes sparkling in the bright room. Jude had dropped the glasses he once wore, electing to have laser surgery on his eyes. He still had his slim figure but was more endowed. His arms had grown in size from working out, his chest was broad, and his stomach was flat with ripples so strong you could bounce quarters off them. He had transformed his image, and everyone noticed, including other women.
Whitney never considered herself the jealous type, but she saw how women looked at Jude and damn if she didn’t want to rip them apart. She saw how he brushed them off for her. She could tell in his eyes there were only two women’s opinions that meant anything: hers and Mia’s.
Jude and Mia had grown close, and even though she loved that her family accepted Jude, she had to admit she was jealous. Not jealous because she thought something was going on between them, but jealous in the sense that Jude seemed to be closer to her aunt than she was. Her whole life, she wanted to be closer to Mia.
When she was younger, and Janelle was around, it was always the two of them, their cousin Milan, and Asha. Now, Milan had moved, and Asha had her own family, and Janelle was dead. Whitney thought it would be the two of them gaining the closeness she always wanted, but Jude seemed to be the one she connected with.
Mia was nice to her, and they always had a blast together, but she also saw how different it was with Jude. It just looked so natural between them, like they had known each other forever. That was why she valued Tyree so much. With Tyree, she felt free to be herself, and he never judged her for anything she ever told him, which was a lot.
No one in her family ever knew how she felt about her life. She always kept her true feelings suppressed and put on the façade of the perfect daughter and tried her best to please her parents. Only Tyree knew it was all an act and that she secretly felt like she was always the odd man out.
Growing up, Whitney was always sent to the best schools and given the best of everything, but she never felt like she had the loving family they were portrayed to be. She knew her parents cared, she was their pride and joy, but she needed them to actually be there, and they weren’t. She was always sent abroad for school and would return on holidays. Every time she returned home, she wished they would let her stay, but it never failed that at the end of every break, she was packed up and shipped back to school.
Never finding the courage to admit her resentment to her parents, she confided in Tyree. She told him all about her feelings of abandonment and how she felt like they didn’t really know how to talk to her or be real parents. Tyree always explained that they felt being away from their toxic situation was best for her, but she never let go of the pain. She always carried it around with her.
“Whit.” Jude drew her attention away from the window. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you so out of it?”
“You know why.” She tried to step out of his reach. When she did so, he tightened around her and pulled her lips to his. She attempted to fight her way out, but he only pressed harder, making her cave to his will. Once he released her lips, she stepped back, and he gripped her hand. “That only works during sex.” She chuckled.
“Well, we can make that happen, too, but not before you tell me what’s on your mind. You got a little weird when I came in.”
“I was just thinking, maybe we rushed into this whole thing.”
“What whole thing? Getting engaged?”
“Maybe,” she admitted, and he ran his hand over his face.
“I don’t get it. We live together, we’ve been together for four years. What did you think was next for us? I needed something more for us.”
“Are you sure your need for more isn’t because of what happened?”
Jude sank down on the couch, and Whitney knew he was thinking about what she was referring to. A year before they graduated, Whitney had attended a party where things had gotten a little out of hand. She was extremely drunk and did some things she couldn’t honestly explain. She tried to block it out, and the next night, she slept with Jude for the first time. They both knew something was off and that if she was truly still a virgin like they thought, the experience would have been different. It was then that Jude assumed she had been sexually assaulted.
After hearing Jude’s interpretation of the party, Whitney went off the deep end for a while. Her grades began to slip, and she took up a habit of wild partying that Jude couldn’t understand. He stood by her through all the craziness and promised to keep everything a secret. After graduation, they both decided going back to Atlanta was best for the time being. He felt like being close to her family would balance her out, and he was right. Being there had helped, and he thought they should be back to where they were before any of this happened, but in her mind, Whitney knew she was still stuck there.