She dressed in a simple pair of gray trousers, a white shirt that showed a little of her tummy, then accented her attire with gray and white striped suspenders. This outfit wasn’t one she’d designed, but because it wasn’t a popular fashion, people tended to think her creative mind was at work again.
She left her hair down, not even bothering to curl it. Lately, she’d been too tired even to get dressed in the morning. She left the apartment with Eli at ten o’clock, the time she knew the library would open.
Eli wore another pair of new jeans and a green polo shirt. At least he dressed a little better than when she’d first met him. Right now he looked good enough to eat, so she tried not to stare directly into his smoldering eyes. She should have let him buy those ugly, outdated outfits yesterday. Maybe she wouldn’t think this way about him. It must be Cupid’s fault. Obviously, he’d hit her with a crazy arrow.
Thankfully, Eli didn’t talk about their passionate moment last night. Hopefully he never would. During the night as she tossed and turned, she realized how wrong it was to let him pin her against the wall with his hard body and kiss her neck. She wasn’t an animal. Yet, she’d acted like one. From now on, she had to remain in control of her body. Just because she had doubts about her wedding didn’t mean she could jump in the sack with the next available guy.
Only a handful of people were at the library this early, so an employee showed them into a private room to look through the archives. They each sat at a different computer and scanned through all the articles written the months following Adam Montgomery’s death.
The first page about the Montgomery family was about Adam’s life. Kenya scanned across the full screen, fascinated with the kind of life he’d led. The article honored him, and the black and white photo slightly resembled Eli with the square jaw of authority, especially, the bedroom eyes and knee-buckling smile. Sexiness must run in the family.
She skipped over a few more pages, and then moved on to another week. After a couple of minutes, Eli sat up straight beside her at his computer. She glanced his way. His eyes narrowed; his mouth drooped in a frown.
She touched his arm. “What is it?”
“It’s an article about Adam Montgomery’s funeral.”
She slid her chair next to his and leaned in to read the newspaper clipping.
“I know you can’t see the picture very well, but that man right there,” he said, pointing to a broad figure that stood beside the casket in the photo, “is Joshua Montgomery.” He zoomed in on the picture, but its image was too blurred to see.
“Terrel is easy to recognize,” she added.
“Yes. Terrel always liked to stand out.”
She chuckled. “He hasn’t changed much in five years.”
His manly scent of spice stirred feelings inside of her again, so she scooted back to her own computer. Silence lagged as she and Eli concentrated on searching through the articles.
Suddenly, across the top of the screen in a large print was Terrel Montgomery’s name. It nearly jumped out of the screen and slapped her across the face. Her hand froze on the mouse, her body stiffening. The caption read; Terrel Montgomery arrested for possession of cocaine. She forced herself to read on, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Late Tuesday night, Terrel Montgomery, son of the deceased multi-billionaire Adam Montgomery, was arrested at his home. Ten ounces of cocaine were found in the Montgomery mansion, and all five people in the house were arrested with possession of a narcotic drug. Terrel Montgomery denied charges, but the drug test administered by New York City Police proved he was indeed, under the influence.
“Oh, God,” she mumbled. Her heart plummeted, the blood in her head going along with it. A sharp pain constricted her chest, making her breath come in shallow gasps. Eli moved beside her, leaning in to read the article. He took hold of her cold hand and squeezed.
“I’m sorry, Kenya.” His fingers stroked her knuckles.
She continued to read in silence.
The eldest son of Adam Montgomery, Joshua, commented about his reckless brother. He promised to have Terrel put in a facility that would help him with the problem. Joshua promised his brother would not manage the family business until Terrel was clean. Lisa Montgomery remains inside the Montgomery mansion refusing to comment.
Kenya wasn’t aware of her tears until Eli’s finger touched her cheek, wiping them away. She pulled her stare off the computer screen and looked at him. “You must think I’m a fool.”
“You’re not a fool. You trusted Terrel. It’s not your fault he lied to you.”
She squeezed her eyes closed and took deep breaths. “It’s amazing,” she said, looking back at Eli, “that he would tell me such an outlandish lie when he knows I could discover the truth.”
“He’s not thinking about that. He believes he has control over you, and in doing so, he knows you’ll trust his word on anything.”
She chuckled. “It’s true. All this time I’ve never had any reason to doubt him.” She shrugged. “If not for you, I would have never come here.”
He slipped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead. “Why don’t you go home? I’m going to try and find some of Adam’s old servants.”
She rested her head on his shoulder and released a soft moan. Eli was so comfortable to lean against, and yet so strong. “I don’t know if I want to hear anymore. If Terrel has lied about this, what else has he lied about?”
“That’s what we need to find out.” He lifted her face to his. “And we need to find a way to get Joshua out of the mental hospital.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“Will you help me?”
“Yes.”
He smiled and kissed her forehead again before pulling away. She leaned on him for support as they walked back to the car. Although her body cried out for rest, her mind wouldn’t sleep until the truth came out. And that scared her to death.
Kenya lay curled in the same position for several hours. She tried closing her eyes, but the bold letters of the article that proved Terrel’s lies ran through her mind. Yet, staring at the wall wasn’t doing her any good either. She finally pulled herself out of bed and stretched the stiffness out of her arms and legs.
Eli hadn’t returned, and her soul cried out for his company. Funny she’d feel this way after only a few days. How did she become involved so quickly? The answer lay deep in her heart. She must break off her relationship with Terrel. Lately she hadn’t been very happy, and she’d been finding fault with him. Was there any goodness in him at all, or had he been lying to her all this time?
She shouldn’t keep stringing him along. Tomorrow. She’d talk to him tomorrow and explain she didn’t love him any longer.
The ringing of the telephone jarred her to awareness and she hurried to pick it up. “Hello?”
“Kenya? Hi, this is Lucinda.”
She snapped to attention. “Hi. How are you?”
“Fine.” She paused and cleared her throat. “I am calling because I found some pictures you might like to see.”
“Really? What pictures?”
“They are from Terrel’s childhood.”
Kenya clutched the phone. “Are they any with his brother Joshua?”
“Sí.”
Her heart beat with renewed life. “Oh, you’re the greatest. When can I see them?”
“I have this afternoon off. Would you like me to bring them over to your place?”
“Yes, please.”
“I will be there in a few minutes.”
“Lucinda, you, umm, didn’t tell Lisa did you?”
“Of course not. Besides, Señora Montgomery has not been around the house lately.”
“Oh, Lucinda, please don’t let Lisa know. I think she’d get upset.”
The housekeeper chuckled. “I stumbled across them in the back of one of her walk-in closets. I knew you would like to see them.”
Kenya laughed. “You’re a treasure.”
“And do not forget it.”<
br />
Kenya waited for Lisa’s maid to arrive, pacing the front room floor like a caged animal. It seemed like the minutes passed by slower than the hours. Finally, there was a knock and she bolted to the door, twisting her ankle on the way. Gritting her teeth against the sharp pain, she opened the door and let Lucinda in. The older, rotund woman with white stripes in her black hair was the friendliest woman Kenya knew. Lucinda would give the shirt off her back if it meant helping someone in need. After giving her a hug, Kenya ushered her into the front room and sat beside her on the sofa.
“I found three boxes full of pictures hidden way back in one of Señora Montgomery’s closets.” Lucinda pulled out a large manila envelope. “I do not know why she would have shoved them behind everything unless she is still mourning her husband and Joshua’s death.”
Kenya kept herself from grabbing the pictures out of Lucinda’s hands, but waited until her friend handed them to her. The first bunch of pictures was of Terrel in his younger years. He was a cute boy, so blond he looked almost white, but the slightly older boy in the photo caught her attention.
“Who’s this?”
Lucinda smiled. “I believe that is Joshua. He looks so much like his father. Sí?”
Kenya’s heart softened when she looked at the dark haired boy with the brilliant smile, and as she continued flipping through the pictures, her heart melted even more. By the time she held the photos of Joshua as a man, she was at a loss for words. He was absolutely the most handsome man she’d ever seen. Now she knew where Eli inherited his good looks.
Joshua was leaner than Terrel, and in most of the pictures, he was the one smiling. Terrel held a scowl.
“I wonder why Terrel didn’t like to smile.”
“I do not know.” Lucinda shrugged. “Right after I started working for Señora Montgomery, I could not help but think what a happy person Terrel was. At first, it bothered me a little because he was not mourning his father and brother like I thought he should, but then I realized he mourned in a different way. Terrel had to be outgoing and happy. He was the new president of a major department store. He had to act the part.” She shook her head. “Poor boy. He could not express his loss for his father the way he had wanted.”
Lucinda gave Kenya a hug. “You have been good for Terrel. Since he started dating you, he has been a different person. He has been more self-assured; he thinks about the company more, and how he can expand his wealth. To me, that is a good sign. It says he is thinking about his future, and the future of his posterity. I am assuming you plan on having children with him?”
The subject of children turned Kenya’s stomach. If what Eli said were right about Terrel, her fiancé wouldn’t make a very good father.
She forced herself to smile. “I do want children.” But not with Terrel.
Lucinda patted Kenya’s knee, then stood. “I hope those pictures helped.”
“Yes, they really did. Terrel has been so closed mouth about his past, and especially about his older brother. I’m happy you shared these with me.”
Kenya gave Lucinda another hug before the housekeeper left. Thankfully, the pictures helped put a face to the man Eli kept talking about, and if Joshua Montgomery was truly alive, it was her duty to help free him.
Six
After a full day’s search, Eli’s temper was ready to snap. He’d tracked down five of the nine servants who’d been in Adam’s employ, only to find those five had left the country unexpectedly right after they were laid off, or they had died from unnatural causes. The information left a bitter taste in his mouth. Terrel and Lisa had to be behind it.
The end of the day approached quicker than he’d expected, leaving him no choice but look for the other four servants tomorrow. Hopefully, they would have a different fate since leaving the Montgomery household.
On the subway ride back to Kenya’s apartment, he kept a sharp watch for anybody suspicious that might be watching him in a peculiar way. During this time, the image of Kenya’s face kept disrupting his thoughts. This morning all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and comfort her, yet he’d also wanted to find Terrel and beat some sense into him. That man was so damn sure of himself he never thought she would find out about his past.
Eli smiled as his hopes escalated. Perhaps he’d stopped the wedding after all?
He hated to see Kenya so upset. He didn’t like her frown, and he didn’t like the lines of stress marking her flawless face. His gut wrenched. He also couldn’t stand seeing her broken heart reflected in her amazing blue eyes.
Of course, Terrel and Lisa were in the business of ruining people’s lives, which was why Eli had to stop them.
He balled his hands at his side when he thought about all the injustice those two people had created. He was lucky to be able to come back and attempt to correct the wrong that had been made, but when he thought about leaving in a few more days, a wrenching pain began in the pit of his stomach and made his chest hollow. How he’d fallen head-over-heels so quickly for that woman, he didn’t know. But she’d formed a place in his heart, a place he rather enjoyed having there. When he made her smile, it brightened his day, and when he made her laugh, it was like angels singing from heaven. How could he live without that? He couldn’t. But he just might have to, and the thought tore him apart.
He stepped off the subway and headed slowly toward Kenya’s house. Through the busy streets, he kept searching for anything suspicious. He didn’t trust anybody, except Kenya, and it worried him somebody would eventually try to stop him from completing his mission.
After stopping by a drug store to get a box of condoms … just in case … Eli hurried toward Kenya’s apartment. He knocked on the door before opening it. “Kenya, it’s me.” He stepped inside and closed the door.
“I’m in the kitchen,” she answered.
He grinned. The kitchen was where they’d started things last night. Would tonight be a repeat? Would tonight be the night he could show her how he felt? Because of the uncertainty Terrel placed on Eli’s life, he didn’t know what his future would hold, and he wanted to be with Kenya just once before he had to return.
He set the small plastic bag on the end table and followed the scent of food into the kitchen. Kenya sat at the table reading the newspaper as she ate her dinner. He glanced at the large flat box beside her and laughed.
“Pizza?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t feel like cooking.”
“You’re just so perfect in every way, I didn’t think you’d be the type to like pizza.” He walked to the table and plopped down on a chair, lifting the lid to the pizza box. “Sausage and mushroom. My favorite.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. Why? Don’t you think they have pizza in the future?”
She shook her head. “I … I just can’t believe we have the same taste in food. Terrel absolutely abhors eating this.”
Eli rolled his eyes. “Goes to show you how much Terrel knows.” He picked up a slice and sank his teeth into the gooey cheese and sighed. “Terrel is definitely missing out on the finer foods in life,” he mumbled with a full mouth.
“Guess what I did today?” she asked.
He shook his head, continuing to consume another bite.
“Lisa’s housekeeper, Lucinda, found some old photos of Terrel and his brother when they were growing up, and she brought them over for me to look at.”
Eli met her stare, but said nothing.
“For some inane reason, Lisa had hidden all the pictures in boxes and stuffed them in the back of her closets.”
“Well? What did you think when you saw them?” he muttered in between chews.
She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing on him. “I think you resemble your father and grandfather quite a bit.”
He smiled. “Thank you. I take that as a compliment.”
“I also noticed Joshua smiled a lot more than Terrel.”
He swallowed before talking this time. “Of course. Terrel was extremely jeal
ous of Joshua. Lisa wanted her son to have everything, but Adam knew who the rightful heir was. Although Adam loved his stepson, Adam could never love him as he loved his own flesh and blood. Terrel couldn’t stand that, which made Terrel one very unhappy child.”
“Did your father ever like Terrel?”
He nodded. “My father told me stories of when he and Terrel were younger. He enjoyed having a younger brother to play with. It wasn’t until they were older when he noticed the selfish change in his stepbrother. Terrel was always trying to get him in trouble, and when his plans failed, it made Terrel even angrier. That’s why I think Terrel had him locked up in an asylum.” He hesitated, scratching his head. “I just wonder how he was able to buy people to lie for him. Most people liked and trusted Joshua more than Terrel, so I wonder where Terrel found the people to do his bidding.”
“I think that will be hard to prove.”
“Yes, but we must in order to get my father released.”
She leaned forward, crossing her arms on the table. “So, what did you do today?”
He blew out a frustrated breath. “Not what I’d planned, that’s for sure.”
“What happened in your search?”
“You wouldn’t believe it. I didn’t.”
“What?”
“I found five of the nine servants, but I didn’t get to talk to one.”
Her perfectly shaped brows drew together. “And why not?”
“Because they were either dead or had moved out of the country.”
Her eyes widened. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“I wish I were.”
“That’s too coincidental.”
“You’re not telling me anything new.”
She pushed away from the table and picked up her empty plate. As she walked past him to the sink, he couldn’t keep his attention off her cute little derriere. The exposed skin around her waist made his fingers itch to touch her softness, to let his hands roam underneath her shirt. She looked so damn sexy right now. Hell, she always looked sexy.
Suddenly, his appetite changed and the pizza no longer interested him. What interested him more was using those thin shields of rubber that were still in the box in the other room; and using every last package before he had to go back in a couple of days.
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