Love After War

by Cheris Hodges

  Dana shivered as she thought about last night. Adrian’s arms around her. His lips. His touch. His bull. Sighing, she agreed with her friend. “As a matter of fact, Ian and I are having breakfast. I’m going to meet him now. And we’re taking a little road trip to do his photo shoot.”

  “Ooh, this is promising. Wait, you aren’t hopping on the back of that motorcycle of his again, are you? Thanks, babe.”

  “I’m guessing that ‘thanks, babe’ was directed at your husband?”

  Imani laughed. “It was. He brought me a copy of the paper because we’re in it.”

  “At Adrian’s club?” Dana asked. She wondered if the activity at the club would come back and bite Imani, Ian, and other stars who made Adrian’s clubs hot spots. Would they get questioned by the police?

  “Yes. I hate that my presence there gave your heartbreak kid free publicity.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t go back there if I were you.”

  “Trust me, I won’t. Look, don’t forget about our spa appointment at three. I have to go now,” Imani said, the purr in her voice revealing that she and Raymond would be spending breakfast in bed.

  Just like she and Adrian. Stop it. Adrian made his decision two years ago, and you can’t allow him to come back into your life and turn things upside down again. You got your closure; now move on. Dana stepped on the elevator and pasted a smile on her lips. At least by the end of the day, she’d have her own Harley and tomorrow she’d be so busy shooting for her book and editing pictures that she wouldn’t have time to think about Adrian, his mess, or his hot and tantalizing kisses.

  “You look ready to ride,” Ian said when he spotted Dana.

  She smiled at him and drank in the image of him on that motorcycle. Sexy was an understatement. Dana lifted her camera and snapped a few shots of Ian. He smiled like the star he was. “You’re the one who looks ready to ride,” she said when she lowered her camera. “I don’t have the proper gear, but I think it will keep me safe. How do you feel about going to Orange County this morning?”

  “What’s in Orange County?” he asked as he got off the bike and gave Dana a quick hug.

  “My Fat Boy.”

  “You’re getting a Fat Bob today?” Ian’s eyes stretched to the size of silver dollars. “Color me impressed.”

  Dana shrugged and offered him a sweet smile. “And, since you look so great on this bike, I figured we could get some shots of you actually riding, instead of in the studio.”

  Ian wrapped his arm around her waist. “I like the sound of that. It’s a good thing that I didn’t drive the Corvette today.”

  Dana inhaled sharply at the mention of the sports car. Ian thought she was expressing her admiration of the car and smiled. “I know, I have all the trappings of a man going through a midlife crisis.”

  She returned his smile, not telling him the story of what a Corvette really meant to her. Adrian had wanted her off her motorcycle so badly that he’d gotten her a black one. She gave up the motorcycle and had only called him controlling once. When she’d walked in on him and those two women following his mother’s death, she parked the car—with the keys in it and the engine running—on a random street near LAX, then walked to the airport to catch her flight to New York. She’d hoped someone had taken the car and had a better time with it than she had. Dana had decided that when she accepted that car, she lost a part of herself. And what was the purpose? Adrian still tossed her aside as if she’d never meant a damned thing to him.

  “Let’s go,” she finally said.

  “Do you want to eat first or are you as excited as I am to go to the Harley dealership?”

  “The sooner we get to the dealership the better. I can’t wait to roll back into LA on my new wheels.”

  “That is a sight I’m looking forward to seeing.”

  Ian handed Dana a helmet, which she snapped on her head, then climbed on the back of the bike. She leaned against Ian and told herself she could learn to like this—a man who appreciated her love of the open road.

  But your heart isn’t all in, she thought. Last night was not closure. You simply opened a wound that was healing just fine.

  Suddenly, the warmth of Ian’s body wasn’t that comforting.

  “This is unacceptable!” Elliot boomed as he thrust a copy of the Times in Richmond’s face. Richmond took the paper and read the column with trepidation.

  “I didn’t know—”

  Elliot held his hand up, cutting Richmond off. “You’re the one who always called and complained about Solomon’s exploits. Yet, you purchase sex while we’re building this hotel and getting ready to do the family history book. How in the hell do you think this is going to play out?”

  Solomon walked into the suite with Kandace and their daughter Kiana in tow. “What’s all the yelling about?” he asked as Kandace and the baby crossed over to the breakfast buffet in the corner of the suite.

  “This,” Elliot said as he snatched the paper away from Richmond.

  “I didn’t know,” Richmond said as Solomon scanned the paper. “It was a mistake and—”

  “A mistake!” Elliot thundered as he rose from his chair. “It’s a PR nightmare.”

  Richmond glared at his father. “So, what do you call what you did? Family building?”

  Elliot looked down at his watch, then up at Solomon. “You two better fix this.”

  “Where are you going?” Solomon asked his father as he headed for the door.

  “Out.” Elliot slammed out of the suite.

  Adrian checked the time on his iPhone. Elliot Crawford was late. Jackass. First he woke him up, and now this? He was wasting his time. Adrian didn’t mind losing money—he could always get that back—but his time was priceless. Part of him wondered if his delay had anything to do with today’s headlines. It was still no excuse for tardiness.

  His time could’ve been used to find a way to win Dana back. Pacing in front of his desk, Adrian was losing his patience. Elliot could kiss his . . . There was the bell, alerting him that someone had come in. He didn’t want to look overly anxious and rush into the lobby to greet his father . . . well, more accurately, his sperm donor. He let a few seconds pass; then he headed into the lobby. To his surprise, it was Solomon waiting for him and not his father.

  “What kind of place are you running here? I know you sent the car for my brother. Did you pay for the hooker too?” Solomon bellowed when he saw Adrian.

  “Don’t come into my place of business hurling accusations. If your brother enjoys the company of hookers, what the hell does that have to do with me? Maybe you need to have this conversation with him,” Adrian snarled.

  “You son of a . . . I know my brother and he’s not stupid. You’re behind this. The question is why.”

  “Get out,” Adrian growled.

  “Not until I get answers.” Solomon stood toe to toe with Adrian. Sizing him up, Adrian squared off with Solomon as if ready to fight.

  “You’re barking at the wrong person. I didn’t get in a car with a hooker while the press took pictures. So, for the last time, get the hell out of here.”

  Solomon grabbed Adrian’s collar. “I don’t trust you and I don’t know what your game is, but you’d better stay away from my family.”

  Adrian snatched away and glared at him. “You don’t want to pick a fight with me,” he snapped.

  “And you think I’m some sort of lightweight? If you want to go to war, get ready to lose,” Solomon gritted.

  “Be careful who you challenge,” Adrian retorted.

  “I don’t know what your game is, Bryant, but this LA double-talk is not going to work. I don’t trust you.”

  “This isn’t about you, Solomon,” Elliot said as he walked into the club.

  Adrian looked from Solomon to Elliot, seeing more of himself in the two men than he wanted to admit. He and Solomon were four months apart in age. They had the same color and eye shape. When Solomon glared at his father and gritted his teeth, Adrian recognized that expression. He
found himself doing that when he was angry as well.

  “You don’t think that it’s pretty damned suspicious that Richmond was on his way over to this club and he gets caught with a hooker? You don’t think this son of a bitch had something to do with it? And what are you doing here anyway? If you think you and Richmond can handle this idiotic project and deal with shysters like this assclown, then have at it. He is not to be trusted.”

  “Who in the hell do you think you’re talking to, son?” Elliot asked.

  Adrian shuddered inwardly at the word son. Did he even know that he was standing in a room with two of his sons? Did he even care?

  “This is an important project to our company, and if you walk away, you can submit your resignation as CEO. Richmond has been chomping at the bit to do this job.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Solomon laughed sardonically. “First you come up with this idea to build in an already saturated market, one that Mom was always against, and now you want to give Richmond a job we know he can’t do? Yeah, go ahead and do that. And I’d love to see how you two are going to handle this scandal.” He laughed and for a split second, Adrian was excited. There was already discord in the family, and he wouldn’t have much work to do to create more.

  “Do you think I need you to fix any problem that comes up with my company?” Elliot snapped, pointing his bony finger in Solomon’s face. “You don’t have your champion anymore. I’m going to finally do what I want to do with Crawford Hotels.”

  “Don’t do that,” Solomon growled. “Don’t pretend that my mother wasn’t the brains of Crawford Hotels. All you did was lend a name.”

  “You arrogant—”

  “Hey!” Adrian exclaimed. “Why don’t you take your family argument somewhere else. You’re wasting my time.” Inside, Adrian smiled because this little argument was captured on his security cameras. He was going to leak the video to the same gossip columnist who wrote about Richmond’s arrest. He’d even send it to Page Six.

  “I came here to talk about partnering with Mr. Bryant. You can join us or you can leave. What I won’t have is you questioning him about your brother’s bad choices.”

  Solomon glared at Adrian and his father. “Somebody has to look out for this company.”

  Adrian rolled his eyes and pointed the men toward his office. This wasn’t the meeting he’d planned, but he’d make it work in his favor.

  “What’s your vision for the lounge in Crawford Towers?” Elliot asked once they were seated in the office.

  “I know LA nightlife and I know people are always looking for the next big thing. You have to think ahead. A few years ago, it was beds in clubs; then it was signature drinks. Now people want to go back to basics, a place where they can drink, see beautiful people, and unwind.”

  “What’s the difference between that and a regular hotel bar? Hell, we can hire a band on certain nights,” Solomon interjected.

  “This isn’t Atlanta or New York. We’re talking about the entertainment capital of the world. A hotel bar isn’t going to cut it.” Adrian sized Solomon up. He knew of his brother’s reputation as a reformed ladies’ man, but now that he’d married businesswoman Kandace Crawford, he’d changed his ways.

  However, he’d left a string of broken hearts across the country and one powerful one here. If he had to, he’d play that card. Adrian and Heather Williams, the actress Solomon dumped three years ago, were LA friends—meaning they didn’t hang out and share secrets, but they had each other’s cell phone numbers.

  “What do you get out of this deal? You just opened a club, where my responsible older brother made a spectacle of himself and got caught with a damned hooker!” Solomon looked pointedly at his father.

  “I’ll admit having a presence in downtown will enhance my portfolio,” Adrian said. “More than anything, this gives your hotel more publicity.”

  Solomon snorted.

  Elliot nodded thoughtfully as he examined Adrian’s face. Did he see himself? Did he see Pamela? Adrian turned away from Elliot and pretended he was pulling up a file on the computer.

  “Having entertainment in the hotel is a good idea and it will set this location apart from our others. Draw up some specs and we’ll get down to business.”

  “Just like that?” Adrian looked into the older man’s eyes, wondering if his pure hatred for him shone through. “We don’t even know what role he played in Richmond’s dalliance with the call girl.”

  “Whatever Richmond did doesn’t have a bearing on what kind of business I decided to do with Mr. Bryant.”

  Solomon sat stone-faced. “I don’t like this,” he blurted out.

  “Why don’t you check my credentials?” Adrian said. “I’m the best at what I do.”

  “Don’t think I won’t.” Solomon rose from his seat and tore out of the office. Alone with Elliot, Adrian found himself at a loss for words. How was he supposed to handle this? Blurt out that he was Pamela’s son, the bastard he’d ignored? Or just say nothing?

  “Well, you have to excuse Solomon. Headstrong and loud like his mother.”

  Adrian grunted, picked up a pen, and twirled it. “Studies say that most men have more of their mother’s qualities anyway,” he said. “My mother had little choice but be my everything.” His words were meant to be daggers—that is, if Elliot even gave a damn.

  The older man inhaled sharply before saying, “Your mother was an amazing woman and I loved her.”

  Adrian dropped the pen. Did he really say he loved his mother? A woman he ignored and left broken? A woman he’d forced to give up her dreams because he wasn’t man enough to leave his wife? How could he even say love when it came to his mother? “You’re going to sit there and spew that bullshit when you exiled my mother to Los Angeles because—”

  “I was a married man and I—”

  “Couldn’t be a man and accept your fucking responsibilities.”

  “I provided for you and your mother. She understood that I couldn’t—”

  “My mother loved you. Even with her dying breath, you were on her mind. So don’t tell me that you took care of me and my mother. Now you want to be a family man?”

  “What do you want, Adrian?” Elliot asked quietly. “You’ve known who I was from the moment you decided to go into business with us. The day I saw you at the press conference, I saw your mother in you.”

  Adrian leaped from his seat. “Don’t talk about her as if you gave a hot damn about her. I guess Solomon got his player ways from you. He was just smart enough to not get anyone pregnant.”

  Elliot rose to his feet, his face contorted in sadness and confusion. “Adrian, I wanted a life with you and your mother. But I couldn’t lose everything. I wouldn’t have been able to give you and Pamela what you deserved. I wasn’t going to let a son of mine grow up the way I did. Poor, wondering where your next meal is coming from, and suffering.”

  “A life built on a lie? Yeah, I deserved that. Thanks, Dad. Or should I call you Sperm Donor?”

  Elliot sighed and started for the door. “When you calm down, we can talk like men. But as long as you act like an angry child, then we’ll just have this business arrangement.”

  Adrian wanted to reach out and wrap his hands around the older man’s throat. Did he just talk to him as if he were some kind of idiot? Taking a calming breath, Adrian watched his father walk out of his office. What excuse could he possibly have for being a damned deadbeat father?

  Chapter 7

  Dana climbed on the back of the Fat Bob she’d just purchased. Her face lit up as she started the cycle. The roar of the engine made her giddy with excitement.

  “You look good on that bike!” Ian exclaimed.

  “And it feels good,” she replied as she revved the engine again.

  “I’m glad we took this field trip to do this photo shoot.” Ian ran his hand across the silver handlebars. “This Fat Bob is hot and you look even hotter on it.”

  Dana smiled as she reached for her helmet on the back of the bike.
“I would say let’s race back to LA, but I’m going to take a slow ride back.”

  “Maybe after the premiere we can take a late-night ride together?” Ian suggested.

  She nodded and pulled the helmet on her head. Flipping the shield up, she said, “I’d like that.”

  Ian waved good-bye to her as she tore out of the dealership parking lot. Dana forced herself to slow down and enjoy the tingle of the wind. The vibration of the motorcycle made her feel alive, back to her old self. The woman who didn’t give a damn what Adrian or anyone else thought about her riding a hog. Weaving in and out of traffic, Dana felt like a superhero. Too bad she was a mere mortal and her heart and mind were still weighed down with thoughts of Adrian.

  About an hour later, and fifteen minutes late for her spa appointment, Dana was back at her hotel. When she reached in her pocket and looked at her cell phone, she had three missed calls. Two from Imani and one from Adrian. She immediately cleared his number from the list, then deleted his contact information. They had nothing left to say to each other.

  Still, she needed to warn Imani and Ian to stay away from Adrian’s clubs, especially if there was something illegal going on there. Pulling her bike into a motorcycle only spot, Dana headed inside and called Imani back.

  “Just look up,” her friend ordered when she answered. “And why are you carrying a motorcycle helmet?”

  “Well, it’s what you wear when you ride a motorcycle and it’s the law.”

  “You and Ian are getting on my nerves. Motorcycles are dangerous, but at least he’s there to protect you. So, how did the photo shoot go?”

  “It was great and I have my own bike now. Ian and I went to Orange County for the shoot. I got some amazing pictures of him on his bike and then I got my first Harley.” Dana smiled broadly. “The ride back was such a rush! I don’t even know if I need a spa treatment now.”

  Imani smacked her friend on the shoulder. “Really, Dana? That may be cool in LA or New Orleans, but you live in New York. Hello! Just imagine all of the accidents and—”