Sugar

by S. L. Jennings

  “We’ll have our best detectives on it,” Whittaker said.

  Hours later, Devon returned from seeing Derrick’s family. He strode through the door and fell in his armchair. “I just can’t imagine who would want to hurt Derrick. He was one of the nicest guys I knew.”

  “Maybe he had something going on we didn’t know about,” Charity said, taking a seat beside him.

  “I don’t believe that about him. He’d cleaned himself up since he started working here.” Devon stood and walked to the bar. He poured himself a shot of Jack. “Have you seen anything unusual in the last few days?”

  He hoped she’d mention the guys that had been following her.

  “I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary,” she replied as she headed toward their bedroom.

  An innocent person was dead. He couldn’t be sure without evidence, but he would bet his entire bank account that this had something to do with Charity.

  “I’ll see if the cops have any leads tomorrow.”

  Chapter 11

  The next day Charity felt the walls were closing in on her. She knew she had to come clean with Summer about everything. It was the only way to protect everyone. Her first priority was for her child, then repaying the debt that she owed to Summer and now Devon.

  Juan Carlos was quick to let her go, on the grounds that she give birth to a kid that he could have. He was not getting her child ever.

  She wasn’t ready to tell Summer about her relationship with her father while he was still in the cartel. If he hadn’t purchased her before he went to jail, she would’ve been killed.

  After Devon left for the office, Charity dialed the number that was becoming too familiar to her. “Put him on the phone.”

  “Ahh sweetness, I’ve been expecting your call,” he said.

  “Why? You’re not getting my child,” she replied.

  “Maybe I’m coming back for the child that got away from me years ago.” Juan Carlos chuckled at his own comment.

  “Summer and I won’t allow it.”

  “You have no control over what I do. You should know that from the dead body at your residence. But since you’ve forgotten how I operate, I’ll send you another reminder.”

  All Charity heard was a click after those comments. She didn’t know what he planned, but, she knew it wouldn’t be good. She remembered the driver that she almost hit, and it dawned on her that he was one of Juan Carlos’s boys. She was putting people that she loved and cared for in jeopardy now. She had to tell Devon the truth, and Summer as well.

  Her meeting with Summer was in three hours. As she wrote out everything she needed to say, her doorbell rang. Charity rose from her seat to find the hallway empty, but an envelope at the door. She retrieved the envelope, opened it, then screamed and dropped the contents on the floor. Inside the note said, “Your reminder, Juan Carlos.”

  She picked the photos from the envelope up and place them back inside the envelope. It was time to end this.

  Chapter 12

  Summer finished the draft of a custody document for Charity, then set a meeting with Devon to pull more info about the woman he only knew on a surface level. To avoid temptation, she asked to meet Devon in Grant Park. She loved the water fountain because it was peaceful and calmed her spirit. Hopefully, the view would provide enough distraction to keep her hormones in check while they were near one another.

  “Did she say why she wanted to see you?” Devon asked.

  She stood, arms folded, staring at the sky-blue water flowing from the fountain. “I can’t disclose that information.”

  “Bullshit,” he snapped, turning her to face him, “or you wouldn’t be here.”

  “I’m not losing my license getting mixed up in your fiancée’s personal drama,” Summer said. “This is a problem you allowed in your life. Don’t expect me to just make it go away.”

  Devon reached for her, but she pulled back. “I know it’s not your problem, but I don’t want to lose you now that you’re back in my life.”

  “There is no ‘back in your life.’ Don’t get ahead of yourself. Where’d you meet this woman?”

  “At Sweet Georgia’s,” he said, scratching his head. His shoulders slumped. “I’ve been trying to figure this out but nothing’s adding up.”

  Summer reached out to him this time, realizing he might not be aware of what he was involved in. “Tell me what happened.”

  “I remember getting to the bar and having one drink. Charity came over and sat next to me. She bought her drink and my next one. The bartender set our drinks down. I took a few sips and went over to have a conversation with a guy I recognized from court. I felt disoriented. I remember leaving, but not much after that.”

  Summer had the same peculiar feeling in the pit of her stomach as when she first spoke to Charity.

  “The next morning, I woke up next to her and can’t put two and two together because it’s coming up to five.”

  Devon rubbed his hand over his head, “She had no regrets, while I had lots of them. If I was going to be with a woman, I wouldn’t do it on the fly with someone who meant nothing to me. Maybe she slipped something into my drink.”

  “You have no proof of such. None of this would be admissible in court.” Summer paced back and forth, trying to find the next question to ask. “Did you have your doctor do blood work?”

  “I didn’t even think about any of that.”

  “Plenty of brothers have ended up in that same scenario. You aren’t the first and won’t be the last.”

  “I remember the second time, just not the first time. I also wore a condom the second time.”

  Summer let that stew for a moment. That might have been a well-calculated plan with Karen involved. “I think she may not be who she’s led you to believe. I have a meeting with her later and I’ll try to get more information from her then.”

  Devon hugged her and kissed her temple. “I’ll be in touch after I find out if she’s tied to the murder that took place at my building.”

  Chapter 13

  Summer was too frazzled to get another question in as he left the park. “Murder? Did he say murder and just leave?”

  At exactly noon, Daryl escorted Charity into Summer’s office and gently closed the door upon her exit. Summer pulled the papers out for her to sign and slid them across her desktop. She had grown tired of this masquerade, thinking it was time to play a little of her hand. “Charity, do you want to tell me why you’re really here?”

  Charity was silent for a long time, then she let out a long sigh, “I’m surprised you haven’t figured out who I really am.”

  “The voice and the mole remind me of my high school friend Karen. Everything else is different, but I know that trouble follows you wherever you go.”

  Charity’s expression morphed from anger to relief. “Seemingly it does.”

  “Tell me the whole story. Why’d you come here?”

  “Your father sent me to find you.”

  Summer smirked at the response. “My father’s dead.”

  “No, he isn’t. He’s in prison for the murder of the man who hurt you as a kid. Telling you that he was dead was a lie told to you to protect you. Your mother didn’t want you in danger, so you were both put in witness protection with a different last name. I wasn’t supposed to tell you this yet.”

  “How do you know all of this? My mom said he died when I was young, and now you’re telling me that’s a lie?” Summer stepped around her desk, took a seat beside Charity, and waited for the second shoe to fall. “How can you prove any of this? I have no reason to believe you whatsoever.”

  Charity opened the folder she brought in with her, pulled out several pictures, and placed them on Summer’s lap.

  Each image documented the death of Summer’s mother, enough so that the first one caught her attention. “Where’d you get these?”

  “Juan Carlos had them delivered to your father, thinking it would buy his silence and cooperation,” Charity explained. “Every
thing I’m telling you can be verified in the documents your mom sent you before she died. She lied to protect you, Summer. When you were three, the cartel tried to take you, but your dad intervened. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to you before Juan Carlos did. He went after you to keep your father in. He was in the cartel when they were all about drugs and guns. He wanted out. He gave your mom evidence against Juan Carlos and the organization if something should happen to him.”

  Tears welled up in Summer’s eyes. “I never looked at those papers. I just put them in a safe deposit box for later.”

  Charity took in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “It’s my fault your mom died.”

  “How?”

  “When I tried to make amends for sleeping with Jarod, I didn’t realize you were in witness protection. You accidentally slipped and gave me your real last name, Alexander. Then I led Juan Carlos straight to your mom. At the time I didn’t know all of the cartel information.”

  “I remember being whisked away to the new house, and told to keep everything quiet,” Summer replied.

  “Juan Carlos swore he only wanted the information your mom had. She wouldn’t give it to him because she wanted to protect you. If Juan Carlos knew what your dad was doing, he would’ve been dead faster than you could blink.”

  “This is too much. I can’t hear anymore.”

  “There’s one more thing. My trying to find you, and this,” she said, rubbing her belly, “is all my way of making up to you for sleeping with Jarod in high school, and the fact that your mother was killed.” Charity paused. “You never told him that because of what happened you can’t have kids, did you?”

  Summers’ eyes filled with tears. “No. I’ve known I was barren, but I was never told it was the results of some cartel or anything. I don’t remember any of this.”

  “You have to find the envelope with that info and give it to the cops before Juan Carlos comes for you.”

  “I’m not worried about Juan Carlos, and I’m not going to the cops either. Just sign the forms and I’ll get them filed today.”

  Charity scribbled her signature, then slid them back to Summer. She buzzed Daryl to take the documents and file them electronically.

  “As soon as Daryl returns, everything will be legal.”

  Neither said a word. They just sat and stared at each other as silence took over the room.

  “What prison?” Summer whispered.

  “Excuse me?” Charity asked.

  “What prison is he in?”

  “Georgia State. It’s down in Reidsville in South Georgia before you get to Savannah.”

  No sooner than the words were out of her mouth, Juan Carlos and his two goons burst through the door. Both ladies screamed. Summer’s mind went to Daryl, but remembered Daryl was out of the office. She prayed that Daryl would stay away longer.

  “Ladies,” Juan Carlos said, rubbing the tip of his gun on Summer’s face.

  Summer turned her face, wishing she had brought her 9mm with her today. He moved to Charity and rubbed the gun around the baby.

  “What do you want?” Charity asked.

  “Oh, besides the kid? I think she already told you what I want. Didn’t you, doll?” Juan Carlos kissed Charity across her lips.

  Summer tried to gauge Charity’s expression but couldn’t tell if she was disgusted or if the frown was because she’d been busted.

  “So, you’ve been working for him all along?”

  “It’s not what you think, Summer.”

  “Guys get these two out of here. Let’s go retrieve my documents.” As soon as they stepped toward the door police burst in. “Drop your weapons.”

  Juan Carlos grabbed Charity. “We’ll kill them if you don’t back off.” His goons reached for Summer, who twirled out of their grasp. Juan Carlos turned to see what was happening and released his hold on Charity. He realized the girls were on the run, just as gun fire erupted. The first bullet zipped by their heads into one of the goons. Juan Carlos and the goon fired back wayward bullets.

  Summer and Charity ran in the opposite direction of the gunfire, but Charity stopped, bent over, holding her stomach.

  “Come on, Karen!” Summer screamed. “We have to go.” She glanced to the spot where Charity had a grip on her belly. Blood spooled, creating a stain that grew larger each passing second. Suddenly, her world went black.

  Chapter 14

  Constant beeping startled Summer awake. She tried to move her arm. Panic set in when she couldn’t lift it. Her screams died in her head, while her eyes frantically searched for someone she recognized. Everything in her view was a sea of white.

  A warm tanned hand patted her arm, calming her immediately.

  “Finally, you’re awake. Let me get the doctor so we can remove the tube from your throat. I’ll be right back.”

  She turned and found the IV dripping fluids through her veins. A brown-haired, green-eyed doctor walked in, escorted by the nurse from earlier.

  “Ms. Daniels, let’s get this out and see if you can remember why you’re here,” the doctor said.

  Summer nodded as they gently removed the tape. “There will be a little discomfort but try to relax. It’ll make it easier.”

  The nurse patted Summer’s hand as the doctor slowly pulled the tube out inch by inch.

  She coughed as soon as the tube cleared her mouth, and the nurse wiped excess liquids from her mouth. “Why am I in the hospital?”

  “You were shot in the abdomen from the side. The bullet pierced your lung. If you have trouble breathing, we’ll have to put the tubing back in. You may have some soreness and be a little hoarse for a while.”

  Summer closed her eyes and remembered the flash of light before her world turned black. “Devon, and Karen, where are they?”

  She looked from the doctor to the nurse. Their troubled faces spoke volumes.

  “There’s a Detective Mike Reynolds outside to speak with you. You feel up to talking with him?”

  Her response was only a nod. A detective meant someone was trying to solve things.

  Two Caucasian males sauntered into the room dressed in discreet black suits. Both of their expressions taut as though they carried the weight of the world on their shoulders. “Ms. Daniels, can you remember anything that happened?”

  Summer recalled everything from the time Karen, alias Charity, entered her office until she passed out, despite the grogginess from whatever drug they’d given her. She even threw in where they could find the documents needed to put Juan Carlos away.

  “What’s in that file might clear your father’s name and bring down some of the ones at the top of the organization. Juan Carlos was killed in the gunfire,” Detective Reynolds said.

  “Devon and Karen? Did they survive?”

  The sound of footsteps grabbed her attention. She turned to see Devon, his arm in a sling being wheeled in by the nurse.

  “Oh no, she didn’t make it?” Summer cried.

  Devon took a few moments to gather himself. “Can we have some time alone, please?”

  Once the door was closed, he shook his head to confirm her fears. “They did all they could. Tell me about her.”

  “How did the cops know those guys were inside?” Summer asked.

  Devon rolled closer to the bed, taking her hand in his. “Charity called me. She told me she was being followed and they were going to kill her.”

  He paused to compose himself. “Her last request was that the doctors save the baby. It was her gift to you for all the pain she caused.”

  “We were friends since middle school. Karen was raised by a single mom, but she was a drug addict. Karen spent most nights at my house, until her mom died of an overdose. She moved in with her grandmother who died not long after. Karen couldn’t catch a break. She became an emancipated minor. She always had lots of cash, but no job that we knew of. I guess I know where it was coming from now.”

  Devon cupped her hand. “She told me why you didn’t want to commit.”

  Tea
ry-eyed, Summer replied, “Everything?”

  He squeezed her hand. “Why didn’t you trust me? I would’ve stood by you regardless.”

  His touch soothed her heart as she cried for all the losses in her life. Her last words before she drifted off to sleep were, “I never stopped loving you.”

  Chapter 15

  Summer and Devon arrived at the hospital to pick up the baby after weeks of healing, both physically and emotionally. Sure enough, the DNA test confirmed that the baby, without a doubt, belonged to Devon. The baby would complete their family.

  “Devon, he needs a name, he can’t just be Baby Reynolds.”

  They watched through the nursery window as the nurse dressed him. Despite being born under traumatic circumstances, the baby was at the top percentile for his age group. The couple continued to swoon over the newborn, realizing the exciting new chapter in their lives would begin the moment they took him out of the hospital.

  “Devon Jr. seems so cliché. I want him to have his own name and identity. He shouldn’t feel he needs to measure up to me,” Devon said.

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “Zion Alexander Connor. How does that sound?”

  Summer flung her arms around Devon’s neck. “That’s beautiful. You gave him my real last name as his middle. I don’t know what to say. That’s such a beautiful gesture.”

  The nurse checked Devon’s bracelet and handed him baby Zion. As a family they left the hospital for what they hoped was the last time.

  Zion was sound asleep and resting comfortably. Summer had moved in with Devon, so he could be close to his son. They hadn’t shared a bed since they first parted ways and both had agreed to give it some time.

  Devon lay on his bed in only his pajama bottoms when Summer slid into the bed beside him. “What are you doing?”

  “If you don’t know it’s been way too long,” Summer replied as she eased her right leg over his waist, straddling him. She felt his body respond. Summer glanced over her shoulder at his tented pajama’s and whispered, “Hmmm.”