by Darrien Lee
“Now hold on, Ms. Savoi!” Biggs yelled.
“No, you hold on, Lieutenant Colonel!” Madeline yelled as she stood.
“There’s no way in hell I’m going to let this liar come here and try to destroy my reputation and take my money!” Biggs yelled.
“I don’t want or need your damn money!” Michael shouted.
“Counselor, control your client, or this meeting is over before it gets started!” Madeline yelled.
“Control yours,” the attorney replied, his voice slightly elevated.
“Counselor, if your client makes one more outburst, the next time you see us, you and your client will be in a courtroom, behind a defendant’s table,” Madeline announced.
The attorney grabbed the lieutenant colonel’s arm and did his best to silence him, even though he kept on mumbling.
Madeline leaned on the table and once again stared at Biggs. “Now, what’s it going to be, Counselor? Is your client going to meet the terms Major Monroe laid out or not?”
“Could you two give us a moment so I can discuss this with my client?”
Madeline looked at her watch and said, “The clock is ticking. Make it quick. We don’t have all day.”
Michael and Madeline walked out into the hallway and closed the door behind them. Michael exhaled and said, “You’re a damn pit bull, Madeline. Hell, I was scared, so I know they have to be shaking in their boots. You should’ve been a lawyer.”
She sat down and crossed her legs and said, “I told you. My dad taught me well.”
“I wonder what they’re talking about,” Michael said as he paced the hallway.
Madeline pulled out her compact, freshened up her makeup, and said, “I guarantee you that his attorney is trying to convince the lieutenant colonel to agree to the terms. Babe, they’re not going to let us leave here unhappy. They have more to lose, and they know I’m not playing with them.”
He smiled at her and said, “I want to kiss you so bad right now.”
She giggled. “I want more than a kiss, but you’ll have to wait until we get this settled.”
At that moment the door to the conference room opened, interrupting them. The secretary asked them to rejoin the meeting so they could finish the discussion. Madeline and Michael walked back into the room, took their seats, and waited for a response.
“Thank you for allowing us a moment to discuss our options,” the attorney said before shuffling some papers. “I advised my client that it would be in his best interests to agree to the terms in order to protect his reputation. This is not an admission of guilt, by any means. We thought your terms were fair, considering that you’re not doing this for monetary gain. My client is prepared to retire from the academy effective immediately as long as he keeps his pension and other benefits. He also agrees not to have any other position of authority that will put him in charge of minors. Lastly, Lieutenant Colonel Biggs requests that you sign a confidentiality agreement so this won’t come back to haunt him in the future and so the media doesn’t get a hold of any of this information.”
Madeline put her hand up and said, “My client will consider a confidentiality agreement on a couple of conditions.”
Michael looked over at Madeline in disbelief. He had no idea where she was going with her request, but he had allowed her to control the direction of this meeting and he wouldn’t stop her now.
“What conditions?” the attorney asked.
“First, Lieutenant Colonel Biggs has to admit to what he did to my client, and it goes on the record. If he reneges on any part of our agreement, it’s a whole new ball game, and Major Monroe will file an official complaint with the local police department and sue him for punitive damages. Also, don’t forget that your client must obtain and be treated by a licensed therapist outside of this establishment, with progress reports submitted to my office on a monthly schedule.”
“There’s a doctor-patient confidentially problem with that request,” the colonel’s attorney stated.
“Not in this case,” she answered quickly. “You can thank your client for that.”
The attorney stared at Madeline in amazement, and so did Michael.
“Third and last, we all know the lieutenant colonel is going to retire a very wealthy man with a huge pension and other fringe benefits, not to mention the money he can earn on the lecture circuit. Therefore, he will offer a full scholarship to this academy to one underprivileged youth each year for the rest of his life as the Major Michael Monroe Scholarship Fund. Major Monroe will review the candidates and will make the final selection of the scholarship winner.”
Biggs’s attorney looked over at the secretary and asked, “Did you get all of that?”
“Yes, sir,” she answered.
Michael was in awe of Madeline and how well she knew her way around the legal arena.
Biggs shook his head and said, “This is some bullshit.”
Michael and Madeline both looked at the lieutenant colonel in disbelief. Madeline held her forefinger and thumb close together and said, “I’m this close to walking my client over to the local police station so he can file a complaint. That will take this to a whole other level. If your client makes one more condescending remark, all bets are off.”
“Lieutenant Colonel, please,” the attorney said, pleading with his client to refrain from his outbursts. He stood and held out his hand to Madeline and said, “You have a deal.”
Madeline shook the attorney’s hand and said, “Great! We’ll be out of here as soon as your client discloses what he did to my client.”
Biggs reluctantly began to tell everyone in the room how Michael had suffered through his sexual advances off and on for two years, during which time he had blackmailed Michael, threatening him that if he told anyone about their encounters, he would ruin his life in the military and personally.
Once he finished his allocution, Madeline stood and said, “Your client disgusts me. I want the papers drawn up and faxed to me within twenty-four hours. I have to travel to another case, so I’ll call you with the fax number shortly.”
Lieutenant Colonel Biggs’s attorney shook Madeline’s hand and said, “It’s been a pleasure.”
“I’ll have to disagree with you, but I’m glad to put this matter to rest,” Madeline replied as she walked out of the conference room ahead of Michael. It was hard for the couple to contain their excitement, but they had to. At least until they got behind closed doors, where they could really express themselves.
On the elevator ride down Michael looked at Madeline and whispered, “I am so turned on by what you did in there, that it’s taking all my strength not to rip your clothes of and take you right here in this elevator.”
She discreetly rubbed her body against his and said, “Sounds like we need to hurry up and get to the nearest hotel, because I have to admit I’m extremely turned on myself.”
The elevator doors opened, and the two of them walked out of the building and to his car. They quickly climbed in the car and pulled off the academy grounds.
Chapter Twenty-one
Super Bowl weekend came quickly for the Stones. They were packed and ready to go, except for Target, who was spending the weekend with Camille and her husband. Target was not only a protector of his family, but he was also protective of Camille. She was, after all, part of their extended family, and they loved her very much.
“Ready to go, babe?” Ramsey asked as he sat his sleeping daughter’s car seat on one of the seats in their private jet.
Keilah sat down next to her daughter and buckled her car seat and said, “I can’t wait. I don’t want to get snowed in.”
Ramsey snapped his belt in place and said, “We’re good. Elliott will be taking off in a second. We’ll be in Los Angeles in no time. Who’s picking us up?”
“I don’t know, but it’ll probably be Luke or Roman,” she revealed.
He put his arm around her shoulders and said, “I think it’d be a good idea to tell them about the baby while we’re t
here. You’re going to start showing soon. What do you think?”
“What about your parents and Xenia and Keith? I don’t want them left out.”
He put his hand over her stomach and caressed it. “Maybe we can call them and put them on speaker when we have everyone together in one room.”
“Whatever you think is best,” she answered as she laid her head on his shoulder. “I’m sleepy.”
“Well, you have a couple of hours to sleep. I have some work to do, so I’ll be awake in case Neariah wakes up.”
The voice of Elliott, their pilot, came over the speaker, alerting the couple to prepare for takeoff. Within minutes they were taxiing down the runway and on their way to California.
Keilah yawned and said, “I can barely hold my eyes open.”
He kissed her forehead and said, “Go to sleep, babe. Sweet dreams.”
A few hours later, their jet landed just as Neariah and Keilah were waking up from their long nap. Neariah woke up crying. Ramsey gave her a cup of milk and patted her leg to calm her down, while Keilah yawned.
“Did you have a good nap?”
“I did, but I’m still sleepy,” she replied as she ran her fingers through her hair and stuck a breath mint into her mouth. “Did I snore?”
He laughed and said, “No comment.”
“Did I?” she asked again with a smile on her face.
“Just a little, but it was a sexy snore,” he answered.
“I see you have jokes, Stone.”
He tickled Neariah’s feet, causing her to giggle.
The pilot pulled the jet into the area where small planes and jets boarded passengers.
He announced to the couple that they were free to exit the plane, so Ramsey unbuckled Neariah’s car seat and took her out so she could stretch her legs.
Before they could gather their belongings, Luke stepped onto the plane and said, “Welcome to L.A.”
Surprised, the couple turned and found Luke standing in the doorway. Keilah hugged her brother’s neck in silence. He knew she was crying, because she always did when they had been apart for an extended period of time.
He hugged her tightly, kissed her on the cheek, and whispered, “I missed you too.”
Ramsey gave Luke a brotherly hug and said, “Great to see you, Luke.”
“Right back at you, bro,” he replied.
Keilah picked up her purse and said, “I’m starving. Is Sabrinia home?”
“No, she’s catering a big fund-raiser at Cedars-Sinai Hospital. She knew you guys would arrive hungry, so she made sure she had lunch waiting on you,” Luke replied as he picked up his niece and gave her a kiss. “Neariah has grown since Thanksgiving.”
Ramsey gathered the rest of their belongings and jokingly said, “You should see her eat.”
“I bet. You guys ready to go?” Luke asked.
Ramsey nodded. “Yeah, I need to talk to Elliott first. I’ll meet you at the car.”
Ramsey walked over to Elliott and shook his hand. He thanked him for their safe arrival and briefly discussed their itinerary for the weekend. It wasn’t uncommon for their pilot to reap the benefits of the Stones’ vacations when they traveled. Elliott would be spending Super Bowl weekend with friends in the Long Beach area. The Stones provided him with an expense account, and he was paid very well for his services. After Ramsey had a brief conversation with Elliott, and once their luggage was securely loaded into Luke’s car, they headed out of the terminal.
The weekend seemed to go by a lot faster than the Stones wanted it to, and before they knew it, Super Bowl Sunday was upon them and the entire family was gathered at Roman’s house to partake in all the festivities. The family seemed to be split between the two football teams, and everyone wore a jersey, a hat, or some other accessory to support their team. Sabrinia had gone all out with the menu. She took the traditional tailgate favorites and made some of them gourmet style, while preparing a lot of healthy alternatives. It was, after all, what she did best, and her family loved her cooking. Sabrinia had brought Roman’s wife, Milan, into her business. She had been an executive in a downtown marketing firm but had decided to take a break to spend more time with her family doing something she enjoyed.
In the kitchen Keilah helped her sisters-in-law with the food. Sabrinia watched Keilah as she sampled several items.
As she spooned mixed fruit into a bowl, Sabrinia said, “Luke told me he had a talk with you about quitting work. Have you given it much thought?”
Keilah nodded. “I have. I hate when Luke does that to me. It’s like he’s in my head.”
Sabrinia laughed and said, “He worries about you. We all do.”
Milan agreed and then said, “It’s past time for you and Ramsey to retire. Neariah needs both her parents, and neither one of you should do anything to jeopardize that.”
Keilah picked up a piece of cheese and popped it in her mouth. “I know. I kind of freaked out on Ramsey about it.”
“What do you mean, freaked out?” Milan asked.
“You know, I was venting to him about it, and it came out like I was angry at him,” she admitted. “I felt bad that I jumped on him like that.”
“You should’ve,” Sabrinia pointed out as she spooned some hot spinach dip into a bowl. “I hope you apologized to him.”
“I did. I made up with him right away.”
“Good,” Milan replied. “I say we get this food out there to the guys so they can get their grub on.”
The three ladies carried the food out to the large table that had been set up in the family room. Everyone was mingling in the room, and the children were running through the house, laughing and playing. Keilah and Ramsey wanted to make their announcement before the kickoff, so when Luke called the family together to bless the food, it was the perfect time for them to share their wonderful news. As Roman blessed the food, he choked up as he gave thanks for having such a large and loving family. Once he finished the prayer, Ramsey made a three-way call to his parents and his sister, Xenia, and her husband. Once everyone was on the phone, he told them to put it on speaker so everyone could hear him. Then he got everyone’s attention in the family room before they started digging into the delicious food.
He stood next to his wife and made their announcement. “Hey, guys, I want to talk to you for a second. I have my parents, my sister, and my brother-in-law on speaker so they can hear this as well,” he said as he held his cell phone up in the air. “I just want to say how happy we are that we were able to get away from D.C. to come out here to spend time with family. In the future it’s our plan to do it more often, because Keilah and I are seriously going to reduce our responsibilities at the office and possibly retire soon, especially since we’re expecting another baby, who should be due sometime in late summer or early fall.”
There were gasps and screams of joy. Upon hearing the news, several people starting clapping, and the couple was immediately showered with hugs and kisses of congratulations. Ramsey put the phone up to his ear and heard his mother crying. His father, his sister, and his brother-in-law congratulated them and thanked them for allowing them to be a part of the announcement.
Luke hugged his sister and said, “You’re really going to have to retire now, sis.”
“I know. We’re working on it,” Keilah admitted.
Once the excitement from the announcement subsided a bit, the family filled their plates with delicious food, poured drinks, and settled into their seats as the kickoff was made.
Later that night, as Keilah got Neariah ready or bed, she got a call on her cell. She immediately recognized the number as Michael’s.
“Hello?”
“Keilah, I’m sorry to call you so late. I just wanted to let you know that I was able to settle everything with that lieutenant colonel at my academy. He won’t be hurting any more boys there, and there won’t be any investigators coming around to harass you. I’m so sorry about all this, and I apologize for everything I did or said to hurt you.”
“I appreciate that, Michael and I hope you’re able to get rid of all the things that have been troubling you.”
Michael looked over to Madeline, who had dozed off on the sofa, and said, “I am. I’m off to a great start.”
Keilah picked Neariah up in her arms and said, “That’s wonderful, Michael.”
“Thank you,” he answered. “Well, I’ll let you go, and I’m sorry I disturbed your evening.”
“Don’t worry. I wasn’t in bed yet. Have a good evening.”
“You too,” he replied before hanging up.
Ramsey walked into the bedroom with a cup of milk for his daughter. “Who was that?”
“Michael. He was calling to let me know that everything was taken care of, and we shouldn’t have any more issues.”
He picked up Neariah’s towel and dirty clothes and tossed them in a hamper. As he removed the lotion and powder from the bed, he said, “I hope he’s telling the truth.”
“I believe him,” Keilah replied as she handed Neariah to her father. “Is the game over?”
“Almost,” he answered as he cuddled his daughter. “Do you want me to take her back downstairs with me so you can get ready for bed?”
“No, she’s almost asleep. I’m just waiting on Lucas to bring up the crib.”
He passed Neariah back over to her mother and said, “I’ll get it. You know he probably got distracted. After all, his girlfriend is down there.”
“Ramsey, wait!” she called as she laid Neariah on the bed. “Are you serious about retiring?”
He walked over to her and said, “When I look at you and Neariah, it’s not a hard decision to make, especially with the new baby coming. You’re going to have to be patient with me, though, because it’s not something I can do overnight.”
“I know, babe. Thank you.”
He patted her on the backside and said, “Thank me later. I want you in bed buck naked when I come back.”