Ruthless

by Shelia M. Goss

  David ended the call. “Heather, thanks for agreeing to be my date tonight.”

  “I want you to know that I’m tired of being your arm candy. When are we going to take our relationship to another level?” Heather asked and then rambled on and on.

  David thought about the rise of his stock with the news of his new Hong Kong deal. He thought about how Heather would look naked but snapped out of those thoughts when he heard his name called several times.

  Looking irritated, Heather said, “Wipe that smirk off your face. I swear you have a one-track mind.”

  “I’m guilty as charged,” David said. David loved the Lord, indeed, but had never professed to be a saint. Women were his weakness.

  “If I didn’t want to see my picture in the paper tomorrow, I would tell your driver to take me back home,” she announced.

  “If I didn’t want to be seen with the prettiest woman in Dallas, I would tell my driver to take you back home,” David said.

  David knew flattering Heather would work. She had to be one of the vainest women he knew. That was another reason why she could never be more to him than the role she now played: eye candy and an arm piece for when he needed a date to events such as these.

  She had a reputation of being a gold digger, but she would never get her claws on his money. He had two ex-wives and was not really looking for a third. Sheba’s face appeared in his mind out of nowhere. No matter how much he tried, thoughts of Sheba crept into his mind.

  “Maybe you can make up for being rude to me. You could buy me that new sports car I want,” Heather said.

  “We’ll see,” David responded. After tonight, Heather’s number would be deleted from his phone contacts. She was becoming too needy and clingy. If she waited on him to buy her a car, she would be waiting a very long time.

  Chapter 11

  The day after Uriah’s big announcement, Sheba insisted that he go with her to meet her sister. Uriah wasn’t too enthused about going, though.

  “You’re going to be gone for six months. I want her to meet my husband.” Sheba knew throwing on the guilt would make him do what she asked.

  They walked through the hospital doors together. Delilah had been moved off the critical list, so she was now in her own private hospital room.

  “I told you I was coming back,” Sheba said as she and Uriah entered the hospital room.

  “So what you said yesterday wasn’t a dream?” Delilah asked. The tubes were no longer in her, except for an IV, but her face was still swollen, and a bandage was still wrapped around her head.

  “I’m afraid not. We’re sisters.”

  Uriah cleared his throat a few times.

  Sheba said, “Delilah, I want you to meet my husband, Uriah.”

  “You are what?” Delilah asked as she tilted the bed upward with the control button.

  “It’s Uriah,” he said as they approached the bed.

  “I can barely ’member Bathsheba,” Delilah snapped.

  Uriah eased away from the bed and took a seat.

  Sheba said, “Call me Sheba. Everybody else does.” Sheba sat in the chair near the bed.

  “This medicine is wearing off, so my senses are coming back to me. Explain to me how we’re sisters. This is a little overwhelming, to say the least.”

  Uriah said, “Maybe this isn’t a good time. Sheba, the woman is trying to recover from a gunshot wound. Give her some time to heal.”

  “I’m recovering,” Delilah said. “But I want to know. She can’t just drop this news on me and then not give me details.”

  “She’s right,” Sheba interjected. “I need to tell her what I know so she’ll understand how I know we’re sisters.”

  “That still remains to be confirmed,” Uriah said.

  Delilah stared at Uriah. In a sarcastic manner, she said, “You don’t know me, and you don’t like me already. Brother-in-law, don’t be like that.”

  This was not going the way Sheba had hoped it would go. She said, “I’ll tell you what I know.”

  Delilah’s eyes were now back on Sheba’s.

  Uriah shifted in his seat. “Maybe, I should leave.”

  “No, baby. I want you to stay,” Sheba said to her husband. She proceeded to tell Delilah the story of how she had ended up being separated from their mother. “Our mother had to give you up for adoption because our grandparents wouldn’t let her keep you.”

  “But she kept you,” Delilah snapped.

  “By the time she had me, she was living on her own. She had you at fourteen and me at seventeen.”

  “But she should have left. She didn’t have to give me up. I never got adopted. I went from foster home to foster home. In fact, I was told my mama was dead. The woman who I thought was my mama wasn’t my mother, after all.” Delilah’s eyes teared up.

  Sheba reached out to her and squeezed her hand. “I wished things could have turned out differently for you. Our mother did try to find you, but the social workers she contacted wouldn’t give her any information. She even put her information out on this Web site so if you were to ever come looking for her, you would be able to find her.”

  “But I didn’t know she was my mother. How could this be? My whole life has been one big lie.”

  Sheba could see the pain in Delilah’s eyes. She wished she could erase it. All she could do was help her get through this. “I didn’t mean to make you upset. Maybe we should continue this conversation another time.”

  Delilah snapped, “Maybe we should. I’m kind of tired right now.” Delilah closed her eyes and didn’t open them back up.

  Uriah stood up and then motioned for Sheba to follow suit. She remained seated. Uriah tilted his head toward the door.

  Sheba finally took the hint and stood up. “Delilah, I’ll be back. You’re not going to get rid of me that easy. We’re family. And we’re going to get through this together. We’re all each other has.”

  She heard Delilah mumble something under her breath, but couldn’t make out the words.

  She and Uriah exited the hospital. As soon as they were in the car, Sheba went off on him. “You could have been nicer to her.”

  “I was nice. She’s the one who got on the defensive.”

  “She’s been unconscious. What do you expect? Then I drop the news on her that we’re sisters. Come on, Uriah. I’ve never known you to be heartless.” Sheba couldn’t stand to look at Uriah right now, so she looked out the window as he drove.

  “What do you want for dinner?” he asked.

  She ignored him.

  “Baby, let’s not play the silent game. I will be leaving the country soon. Let’s not fight.”

  Sheba knew he had a point. She loved Uriah but couldn’t understand why he couldn’t show the same compassion as she did when it concerned Delilah. She would try to forget what had happened back at the hospital. They had only two more days together, and they would make the best of it.

  Sheba took his hand, and their fingers interlocked. “Love you, even though you can be stubborn,” Sheba said.

  “Don’t mean to be. I just don’t want you to end up hurt.”

  “I won’t be. I promise you that,” she responded. She squeezed his hand.

  He pulled their hands up and turned hers over and kissed the back of it. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

  “I’m going to miss you, too.” Sheba turned her head away so Uriah couldn’t see the tears flowing down her face. She used her free hand to wipe them away.

  She didn’t want to admit it to Uriah, but she was scared. She was scared that if he went to Afghanistan, she might never see him again. Right now she blamed one person, and that person was David King. She had convinced Uriah not to join the military years ago, but for what? He was still being deployed overseas in a sense. The next time she saw David, she vowed to tell him a thing or two about himself.

  Chapter 12

  David decided to take an impromptu trip to the Horseshoe Casino in Shreveport. Although he hadn’t decided whether or not he
would spend the night, he rented one of the executive suites to change his clothes in.

  He had planned on calling Uriah to make sure he had everything he needed for his trip, but instead, he opted not to. While relaxing before going to the hotel’s casino, he picked up the local paper. One of the articles caught his attention.

  Police are still trying to find the suspect who shot Delilah Baker. If you have any information on who committed this crime, please contact Crime Stoppers.

  David picked up his cell phone and called his driver. “There’s been a change of plans. I need you to meet me back up front.”

  An hour later David’s driver dropped him off at the hospital. David went to the ICU but learned that Delilah had been moved to a private room. Upon arriving at her room, he caught the tail end of a conversation.

  A woman dressed in burgundy hospital scrubs said, “Ma’am, we’re sorry, but the insurance you had is no longer valid. We’re going to need to move you to another room.”

  “But I’ve been paying my insurance. I worked for William Trusts Company,” Delilah responded. “I’m no longer working there, but my insurance should still be good.”

  “Ms. Baker, if you had signed up with COBRA, then we could keep you in this private room, but because you didn’t, we will need to move you.”

  David made himself known. “Ms...” He squinted his eyes to read her name badge. “Ms. Lindsay, I’ll take care of her bill.”

  “Who are you?” Delilah asked.

  “I’m King. David King,” David told Delilah, then turned his attention to the hospital administrator. “I’ll take care of all her charges.”

  Delilah eyed him curiously.

  David gave the hospital administrator all the information she needed. She felt very satisfied because she couldn’t believe that David King, the media mogul, was talking to her. “Can I have your autograph? My friends will never believe this.”

  “You can, but on one condition,” he said.

  “Anything,” she replied.

  “It must not become public knowledge that I’m taking care of her bill.”

  “Of course. We here keep everything under strict confidentiality,” she assured him.

  David knew about the HIPAA law, but he also knew people. Laws were meant to be broken, or else folks wouldn’t break them.

  David wrote something special on a blank sheet of paper and signed it. “Just in case your friends don’t believe you, I’ll give you one of my business cards.” He handed her one of his gold-trimmed business cards, which contained only his office information.

  “Wow. Thanks, Mr. King,” the hospital administrator said.

  “It’s David. Now, remember, this is between me, you, and Ms. Delilah over there.” He nodded toward Delilah.

  “Yes, sir. My lips are sealed. Thanks again.”

  David, assured that for now his secret was safe, held the door open for her. After she was gone, he walked over to Delilah’s bed and took a seat. “No need to thank me,” he said.

  “Why did you do that? You don’t know me,” Delilah said.

  “Not yet. But hopefully, we’ll get to know each other better.”

  “No one has ever put themselves out there like that for me.” Delilah seemed stunned.

  “You didn’t ask to be in this situation. I don’t see why you shouldn’t be afforded the best health care.”

  “Don’t get me started. I have money in the bank, but the time I’ve spent in here is going to wipe that clean. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you,” Delilah said.

  That was the opening David had been waiting for. “Actually, I do. I need a favor. And you’re the only one who can help me.”

  “From me?” Delilah pointed at herself. “I don’t know you. I know who you are. You’re David King, but I don’t know you. How can I help you?”

  “I was here the night you came to. The night Sheba told you she was your sister.”

  “You’re Bathsheba’s husband. Wait a minute. The man she introduced me to was named Ur something. I would have remembered if it was you.”

  David laughed. “Her husband’s name is Uriah. I’m their friend.”

  “Okay. Fine. Now that’s been established. How can I help you?”

  “You’re feisty, aren’t you?” David asked. His eyes sparkled.

  “That’s one word to describe me,” she responded.

  “I can trust you, can’t I?” David asked.

  “It depends. What am I going to get out of it?” Delilah asked.

  “I think a paid hospital bill is a good down payment on more to come, if need be.” David eased his chair closer to the bed.

  “Spell it out. A man like you comes to a woman like me only for one reason. Being that I’m not looking my best and I am not in the best of shape right now, I don’t think sex is what’s on your mind.”

  David could tell that Delilah and Sheba were cut from the same cloth. Although Sheba wasn’t as brazen as Delilah, they were definitely sisters. Both spoke their mind. He admired that in a woman. He didn’t like women who bowed down to his every command. Well, he did, but sometimes he welcomed a challenge.

  “Delilah, you and I can be the best of friends.”

  “I have very few friends, Mr. King.”

  “Forget the formalities. I think we’re way past that, so call me David.”

  “David, one thing I’ve learned since being shot is that life is precious. Time is precious. So spill it out. Tell me exactly what you want from me.”

  “I want you to convince your sister to give me a chance. I want her and need her in my life.” There. He’d said it. David had actually let someone else in on his plan.

  Delilah shook her head. “Let me get this straight. You just told me they were your friends, but now you want me to convince my married sister to give you a chance?”

  “That doesn’t sound right coming out of your mouth, but I guess if that’s how you want to look at it, then yes, that’s what I want you to do.”

  Delilah laughed. “You’re telling me that multimillionaire—correction, Mr. Billionaire David King—needs my help to get a woman. Please. With all the cheddar you got, you can get any woman.”

  “Any woman, except for Sheba,” David confessed.

  Delilah thought for a minute. “Who knows? I might be able to help you out,” Delilah said as a sly grin came across her face.

  Chapter 13

  Tears streamed down Sheba’s face, although she had told herself she was not going to cry. “I’m going to miss you so much,” Sheba said over and over as she and Uriah embraced at the private airport terminal.

  He wiped her face with one of his hands. He then kissed her cheek. “These six months are going to fly by.”

  “I hope so. It’s going to be lonely at home without you.”

  “We’re going to be talking every chance we get,” Uriah said.

  “I know.” Sheba pouted.

  Uriah reached into his pocket and took out a box. He opened it. “Wear this and know that you’re always close to my heart.”

  He removed a gold necklace with a half of a heart pendant that had the words My better half written on the back and placed it around her neck.

  He unbuttoned his top button. “See? I’m wearing the other half.”

  Sheba wrapped her arm around his neck. “I love you, Uriah.”

  “I love you, too, Bathsheba.”

  The stewardess approached them and said, “Mr. Richards, the pilots are ready to take off.”

  The stewards turned toward Sheba and smiled. “Mrs. Richards, he’s in good hands,” one of them assured her.

  Sheba forced a smile. “I guess this is good-bye.”

  “No, baby, it’s ‘See you later.’”

  Uriah kissed her passionately before walking away to get on the plane.

  The moment Uriah stepped foot on the corporate jet, the floodgates opened again for Sheba. Tears slid down her face. She stood at the terminal window and watched the plane fly away. A sinking feel
ing came over her. Although he wasn’t going to war over in Afghanistan, it was still dangerous there for American workers. Life for her Uriah would never be the same. She could feel it in her gut.

  Fortunately, she had to go into work. She was supposed to be there for the seven o’clock shift but had let everyone know she was going to be late. She could have taken the whole day off, but she knew she would need a distraction. She wasn’t ready to go back to her empty house.

  Upon arriving at work, she was handed a bouquet of flowers by one of her coworkers. She sniffed the bouquet of colorful flowers. “Uriah, you think of everything,” she whispered when she glanced at the card, which read, “I miss you already. Love you, pumpkin.” He hadn’t called her pumpkin in years. That was the little pet name he had given her when they were in college.

  “I have another delivery,” said the floral deliveryman as he walked up to the nurses’ station. He handed the bouquet of flowers to Sheba.

  “What room?” Sheba asked.

  The deliveryman read what was on his order. “These are for Bathsheba Richards.”

  Thinking Uriah had truly outdone himself, she was excited. Uriah was going overboard by sending two bouquets of flowers in one day, Sheba thought. But she loved flowers, so she wouldn’t complain.

  “Thank you,” she said as she reached into her pocket and handed him a tip. She removed the card from the plastic stick. Disappointment swept over her face when she read the card. Hope you can forgive me for sending Uriah away. He’ll be back to you soon. Your friend, David.

  She tore the card up. David was no friend of hers. She stopped one of the LPNs. “Give these flowers to Ms. Frierson. She was just saying she wished someone would send her some flowers.”

  “Who do I tell her they are from?” the LPN asked.

  “Tell her it’s a thank-you from the staff for being such a great patient.” Sheba wanted to get rid of the flowers. She could have thrown them away, but she felt her patient would benefit a great deal from receiving them.