Ruthless

by Shelia M. Goss

  “But she is such a disturbance.”

  “I know, but maybe she’ll think twice before giving us a hard time if we butter her up,” Sheba said.

  “I doubt it, but I’ll take them to her.”

  “Please do. I’ll be running some reports in the back office if you need me,” Sheba said before walking away.

  After running her reports, Sheba decided to take a break. She made a beeline to Delilah’s room. She hadn’t seen her since she and Uriah had stopped by two days ago. She’d wanted to give her some time for things to sink in. Her door was ajar, so she walked right on in.

  “Good to see you’re sitting up,” Sheba said as Delilah shifted herself on the side of the bed.

  “They started me on therapy today. Looks like my limbs don’t want to agree with me, so I’m having to learn how to walk again.”

  “Do what your therapist says and you’ll be walking in no time. If you like, I can come to some of your sessions.”

  “Oh no. It’s embarrassing enough. I don’t need an audience.” Delilah shifted her legs and got back in the bed. She pulled the white covers over them to ward off the cold.

  “I’m here if you need me.” Sheba took a seat.

  Delilah laughed out loud. “I still think it’s funny that after all this time, I find out I have a sister.”

  “I wish Mama was here to see our reunion.”

  “My feelings are still a little twisted about your mom.”

  “If only you had met her, then maybe you could see how much she really did love you.”

  “Well, I only have your word on it.”

  “That’s something I wouldn’t lie about.” Sheba tried not to get an attitude, but she wouldn’t stand for anyone saying anything negative about her mom. In her opinion, she was the best woman who had ever lived. She wouldn’t have harmed a fly.

  “Tell me more about our mom. What was she like?” Delilah asked.

  Sheba’s eyes glazed over as she told Delilah about their mom, Elizabeth. “She was always doing something for people in the neighborhood. If she saw a need, she did her best to fulfill that need. If she couldn’t, she would find someone who could.”

  “You make her sound like a saint.”

  “If she wasn’t, she was close to it.”

  “Then why didn’t she look harder for me? I was in the system. I could have been found.”

  “Our mom, God rest her soul, was generous, but life dealt her a bad hand. Money was never her friend. Don’t get me wrong. We never went hungry, but she didn’t have a lot of resources. She dropped out of school her senior year, when she got pregnant with me.”

  Delilah asked a few more questions before saying, “Sheba, I can’t promise you anything. I’ve led a hard life. I tried to change my life, but some people won’t let you. Look at me. I changed my lifestyle and still ended up here.”

  Sheba wondered if the things Keisha had told her about Delilah were true. Maybe one day she would ask, but for now, she would keep her questions to herself. Sheba wasn’t a saint, so who was she to judge?

  “Let me tell you a little more about our mama. She was nice and sweet, but she wasn’t a pushover,” Sheba said.

  “Sort of like myself, I see,” Delilah commented.

  Sheba raised her eyebrows. That remains to be seen.

  Chapter 14

  “What do you mean, they don’t have clearance to land in Afghanistan?” David was livid. He thought his team had cut through all the red tape.

  This mission had been planned for almost a year. Now he was being told that his men might not be able to land in Afghanistan. David had invested too much money in opening the Afghanistan satellite office, and he didn’t want anything to get in the way of his ultimate goal. David’s goal was to expand his media business globally. Having an office in Afghanistan was the next step toward building his global empire. And he needed to make this happen if he was going to keep Uriah away from Sheba.

  Wade came back on the phone. “Okay, the pilot said they got clearance to land now. I had to call someone at the State Department.”

  “Do whatever you have to do! Keep me informed,” David said as he slammed down the phone.

  Why was all of this happening? He hoped this wasn’t a sign of things to come. He needed this satellite office to be set up with the least amount of problems. David wanted to spread freedom of speech throughout the world. That was one of the reasons why he had acquired newspapers and television stations in other regions of the world. David had succeeded in getting governments to agree to sell to him, while others had failed. One thing most governments had in common was greed, an insatiable appetite for the mighty dollar. As bad as the economy was, the mighty American dollar still held its own in all regions of the world.

  Thanks to some good business decisions and lots of prayer, David had been blessed financially, which, he hoped, would enable him to reach his goal of broadcasting around the world. DM King Media’s name was known not only in the United States but worldwide. Although he had the respect of his peers, they knew that when it came to business, David was cutthroat. He did whatever he had to do within reason to get what he wanted.

  His employees especially knew this. No one wanted to cross him. If they did, they would have to withstand his wrath. When David was mad, there was no telling what he would do. He tried his best to meditate daily to keep that side of him dormant. Every now and then, he would lose control, but his strong prayer life would draw him back in and bring him back to a peaceful state of mind.

  He was glad Wade was able to handle the Afghanistan situation. David poured himself a cold drink. He leaned back in his chair and looked outside to view the Dallas skyline. He could have easily built his building in one of the surrounding suburbs, but he wanted to be in the heart of downtown Dallas. He wanted to be in the downtown so everyone could see DM King Media no matter which direction they were coming from when they entered the area.

  Trisha’s voice rang over the intercom. “You have a call from Mrs. Richards.”

  David smiled. “Put her through. And, Trisha, we have a long week ahead, so if you want to leave for today, you can. But I want to see you here around seven thirty in the morning, instead of eight.”

  “Thanks, Mr. King.”

  Trisha connected the call. David took a quick sip from his drink, then said, “Hello, Sheba. How are you?”

  “I would be doing much better if my husband was here with me,” she responded.

  Sheba’s voice sounded like an angel’s from the other end, an upset angel’s, but her voice was sweet nevertheless, David thought. “I thought the flowers would help smooth things over, but I take it those didn’t work.”

  “I’m not one of your little floozies. You can’t buy my affection.”

  “That’s why I like you. You’re cut from a different cloth.”

  “And another thing, if you think trying to buy my sister’s affection is going to help you get closer to me, you have another thing coming.”

  David swiveled his chair around. “What do you mean?” He hoped Delilah hadn’t betrayed him and told Sheba his plans. If so, she would regret it.

  “She told me you are paying her hospital bills. Although it’s generous of you, it’s not necessary. I will make sure her hospital bills get paid.”

  David laughed. “Let’s get real. Her bill is already in the thousands. I’m paying Uriah good money, but I doubt very seriously he wants his entire year’s salary going to paying for your sister’s medical bills.”

  “What Uriah and I do with our money is our business.”

  “Calm down, Sheba. I only did it because I wanted to release the pressure for Uriah. I would do it for any of my employees.”

  There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. Finally, Sheba broke the silence. “Sorry for going off on you like that. Thank you. I appreciate what you’re doing for Delilah.”

  David wanted to rub her nose in it, but he had to handle her delicately to get what he wanted. “You’re
welcome. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to call me. In fact, let me give you my private number so you can call me direct.”

  “I don’t want your number.”

  “What if you need to reach Uriah and can’t? I can always reach him.”

  Sheba paused, as if she was thinking about what David had said. “Give it to me. But wait. I need to find some paper to write it down on.”

  David recited his personal cell phone number and home number. Their call ended afterward. David saw another trip to Shreveport on the horizon. He went online and looked up the phone number of the hospital where Delilah was staying. He called the hospital and asked to be transferred to Delilah’s room. Once she was on the line, he said, “For a moment, I thought you had given me up to your sister. That was a good move, telling her about my generosity.”

  “I had to tell her something because her nosy behind read my chart. She knew I no longer had insurance.”

  “I’m in a generous mood. What’s your bank account number? I want to make you a quick deposit.”

  “David, as I told you before, I’m not for sale.”

  “Then why did you agree to help me?”

  “I don’t care too much for my brother-in-law, and he doesn’t exactly like me, so why not?”

  She had a point. Fortunately for David, Uriah and Delilah’s newfound relationship was off to a rocky start. “Delilah, I think I like you.”

  “Most men do.”

  David laughed. “You’re something else. I still need your information. When you get out of the hospital, you’re going to need money to live on, so consider this a friend helping out another friend.”

  “I must be doing something right, with rich friends like you.” Delilah laughed.

  David ended their call. He said out loud to himself, “And knowing a woman like you will help me get the woman I want.”

  Chapter 15

  It had been two weeks, seven hours, and five minutes since Sheba had had any physical contact with her husband. They had been Skyping several times a week and communicating via e-mail daily. Every morning—which was actually night where he was—they found time to chat. It had taken them both time to adjust to the ten-hour time difference.

  Sheba turned on her computer and logged into Skype. After a light exchange with Uriah, Sheba said, “Are they treating you okay over there? It looks like you’ve lost some weight.”

  “I’m fine.” Uriah shifted in his chair.

  “You don’t look fine,” Sheba responded.

  “I’m still on our time zone, so my sleep pattern is still a little off, baby.”

  “I miss you so much. I’m so bored without you here.” Sheba tapped her pen on the desk.

  “Stay out of trouble. You know how you are when you get bored.”

  “Let’s see. There is a sale going on at Kohl’s.”

  “Sheba, we’re supposed to be saving money, remember?”

  “You’re getting a bonus for being over there, and you did say I could do more shopping, remember?” Sheba flashed him her Colgate smile.

  “Yes, I did, baby. Just don’t do too much damage, okay, sweetie?”

  “I won’t. I promise.”

  “I’m serious, Sheba. This money is extra, but I don’t want it all going to credit card bills.”

  “It won’t. Besides, Kohl’s sends me these coupons, and I’ll be saving at least twenty percent on my purchases.”

  Uriah laughed. “Baby, you’re something else.”

  “That’s why you love me, right?”

  “You know it.”

  Their Skyping session was about to end when Uriah asked, “How is Delilah?”

  Delilah had been a sore subject between the two, so she was surprised he asked about her. “She’s fine. She’ll be getting out of the hospital soon. I was thinking about having her move in here.”

  Uriah frowned. “Maybe you should think twice about that. You don’t know anything about that woman. It’s not wise to have her come live in our house.”

  “She’s my sister. She has her own house, but she’ll still need medical care, and I am a nurse, or have you forgotten?”

  “Baby, all I’m saying is, I’ve talked to some people, and there are rumors about Delilah that don’t put her in a favorable light. What if she is like folks are saying she is? Do you really want that type of woman around you?”

  Sheba threw her hands up in the air. “Delilah is not as bad as people make her out to be.”

  “So you think.”

  “Before this gets out of hand, let’s end this discussion about Delilah.”

  “Promise me you won’t move that woman into my house,” Uriah said.

  Sheba crossed her fingers. “We’ll talk about it later.”

  “No, Sheba. Promise me now.”

  Sheba shook her laptop. “Baby, I think we have a bad connection. Love you.”

  “I love you, too. But—”

  Sheba hit the switch on the power cord so the computer would turn off. She had no intentions of listening to Uriah. He had left her alone, and she could use this time to get to know Delilah better. Besides, with him being in another country, he would never find out Delilah was there, anyway. She had made up her mind. She would ask Delilah to move in with her. And stay until at least the doctor gave her a clean bill of health.

  She called the hospital. When Delilah picked up, Sheba said, “Delilah, you’re moving in with me when you get out of the hospital, and I’m not taking no for an answer.”

  “You weren’t going to get one from me, either, because I was just sitting here wondering how I was going to take care of myself once I got home. I have money in the bank, but I can’t afford a live-in nurse to take care of me. But since I have a sister who is a nurse, I might as well take advantage of the resources around you.”

  “You’re something else,” Sheba said.

  “That’s what they tell me.” Delilah laughed.

  Sheba hung up with Delilah and went about cleaning up her house. She took extra time in the guest bedroom to get it ready for Delilah. She later went grocery shopping to ensure Delilah would have everything she needed while she was at work.

  Sheba’s cell phone rang while she was unpacking the groceries. Delilah was on the other end of the phone. “The doctor just signed my release papers. Is the invitation still open?

  Sheba responded, “Yes, of course. I’ll be there in about thirty minutes.”

  Sheba thought she had a day or two to get ready for Delilah, but fate had intervened and she was being released today. Fortunately, she had cleaned up and gone shopping. After unpacking the groceries, she grabbed her keys and purse and headed to the hospital.

  An hour later, she and Delilah were seated in her car, heading toward Sheba and Uriah’s place. “Do you mind swinging by my place so I can get some clothes and stuff? Besides, I need to check on my house,” Delilah asked Sheba.

  Sheba was hesitant, but she turned her car around and took the I-49 ramp to get on the interstate. “Are you sure it’s even safe to go back to your house?” she asked.

  “I’m not letting anyone scare me. The only reason I even agreed to go to your house is because I figured it would give us both a chance to get to know each other better.”

  Delilah’s words touched a soft spot in Sheba. Sheba smiled. “Well, now that I’ve found you, I don’t want to lose you to another bullet.”

  “I spoke to the police, and they are doing everything they can to find out who shot me.”

  “Do you remember anything?” Sheba asked.

  Delilah’s voice trailed off as she spoke. “I had just left the church and was thinking about the drama that had just taken place at church. But, anyway, as I was driving, I heard this voice, and it said, “Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

  “Mama used to say that all the time. That’s a scripture from Galatians six, seven. She recited it so much, I know it by heart.”

  “Well, I don’t k
now who said it, but before I blacked out, those were the words I heard in my ear.”

  “Girl, that was the Holy Spirit talking to you.”

  Delilah adjusted her seat belt. “I wish the Holy Spirit would have talked to me sooner. Maybe I could have avoided that bullet.”

  “Fortunately for you, the doctors were able to remove the bullet and no more damage was done.”

  Delilah’s hand flew to her face and landed on a huge scar. “I have this to remind me of that day.”

  “With a little cocoa butter and aloe vera, that scar will go away.”

  “I hope so. You know, if I don’t have my beauty, I don’t have anything.”

  “I used to think that, but Uriah’s made me feel differently.”

  “You really love Uriah, don’t you?” Delilah asked.

  “Of course. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have married him.”

  “Tell me more about you two. How did y’all meet? How long have you been married?” Delilah asked.

  By the time Sheba reached Delilah’s house, she had given Delilah the condensed version about her and Uriah.

  “You have a nice house,” Sheba said when she pulled up into the empty driveway.

  “Thanks. Now, if I can find my keys...” Delilah fumbled through her purse. “Bingo.”

  “Don’t move. You can lean on me, and I’ll help you up the stairs.” Sheba got out and went to Delilah’s side of the car.

  One of her neighbors walked over. “Delilah, is that you?”

  “Yes, it’s me, Ms. Mabel.”

  Ms. Mabel was an older woman who looked to be in her sixties. “Child, I didn’t think I was going to see you ever again. I’ve been meaning to come see you up in the hospital, but with my arthritis and being blind in one eye and can’t see out the other, I couldn’t drive up there to see you.”

  “That’s okay, Ms. Mabel. I know you prayed for me, right?” Delilah said as she leaned on Sheba.

  “Wasn’t a day gone by that I didn’t send up a special prayer for you. God is good. He answered my prayers. Just look at you.” Ms. Mabel raised her hands up and looked up toward the sky.

  Sheba helped Delilah up the stairs. They left Ms. Mabel outside, still talking.