C-Money had her baby up against the wall, clutching her by the throat.
Penny was pounding at him with her hands, but she was gasping for breath and it didn’t look good.
Carla didn’t even think about what she was doing. She leaped onto C-Money’s back and started striking him in the head and neck. She clawed at him with her nails and raked as much skin and meat as she could.
“Not my child, you asshole! Not my child! I told you never to touch her again.” She struck him with her fists, but he hardly seemed to notice. It was only the second time she’d ever had the courage to fight back against him. And she was determined the outcome would be different this time.
She’d tried to leave him when he smacked Penny all those years ago. She’d slapped him across the face and told him he had better never touch a hair on her baby’s head again. She’d told him her child’s father would come out of jail to see about him if he did.
That was when C-Money told her if Gerald ever got out of jail he was a dead man. He’d smoke Gerald the way he did that nosy snitch couple. And she wasn’t going to be able to do anything about it.
He’d beaten her pretty badly that night, and even threatened her mother and her child. That was why she’d decided to just leave her mother’s house and move in with Clyde for good. She hadn’t felt as if she had had a choice.
But now she did have a choice, and she was going to go down fighting. She’d die before she let him hurt her child again.
He slung Carla off his back and let Penny slide to the ground.
Carla could tell Penny was still breathing, and she thanked God.
The girl was coughing and holding her neck. But she would live. If it was the last thing Carla did, Penny was going to live through this. She picked herself up off the floor and glared at Clyde.
“You are one stupid little whore.” He ran his hand across the scratches she’d left on his face. Both of his cheeks wore matching red angry lines. He took a step toward her, but she held her ground, not moving an inch.
He backhanded her, and she stumbled but tried to maintain her balance. The second blow had her on the ground, and before she could get up he was kicking her.
Carla looked up and realized that Penny must have taken a page from her book, because she’d caught her breath and was up and on Clyde’s back, pounding away.
Penny’s fist flew and pounded him in the head as her other arm grabbed him in a choke hold. She was hanging on for dear life.
“Leave my mother alone, you bastard! I hate you! I hate you!”
Carla slid away on the floor and tried to get out of Clyde’s reach. She was starting to think they might just be able to take him together. She stood up and took a deep breath. His kicking had aggravated her already sore ribs, but she didn’t let that stop her. She hauled off and kicked him in the groin as hard as she could, and he toppled.
Penny fell with him, but luckily, she fell on top of him, and she continued to pound him in the head and neck.
Clyde was cursing up a storm, but it didn’t matter.
Carla added her kicks to Penny’s punches, and soon Penny was up and kicking him, too. That was how Gerald and Jason found them when they burst into the foyer, a day late and a dollar short.
Carla and her baby girl were kicking C-Money’s old mean, evil behind.
Penny looked in the mirror and frowned at the black-and-blue ring around her neck. One thing was certain—if Carla hadn’t come back when she did, she’d have been in some serious trouble. She went into Carla’s bedroom and got on the bed with her.
Jason had arrested Clyde and taken him downtown to be booked. Carla was going to press charges, and so was Penny. And if Jason was right and the DNA proved that Clyde had actually been the one who murdered those good people, then they wouldn’t have to worry about C-Money for a good long while.
Penny curled up next to Carla on the bed. For the second time in just four days, she’d come too close to losing her mother. She wasn’t going to let any more bad blood fester between them. She hugged her mother the way she’d always hugged her grandmother, the way she had always wanted to hug Carla. “I love you.”
“I know. I love you, too.” Carla hugged her back and wrapped her in her arms. “I never chose any man over you—”
“It’s okay, Carla. It was the past. We don’t have to rehash that. You were right. I had a good childhood with Big Mama. You did the best you could. Let’s just start fresh, huh?”
“But you need to know this. Now, the drugs did have me trippin’. I’ll admit that. But the only reason why I just went on ahead and stayed away is because C-Money threatened you and Mama. And I wasn’t that messed up on crack to risk y’all.”
“It’s okay, Mommy. It’s fine. We’re going to be fine. In fact, we can start our new lives out in L.A., just like you wanted.” Penny hugged Carla tighter.
“L.A.? Chile, please, I said I didn’t choose a man over you in the past…” Carla started giggling like a little schoolgirl. “But I’m staying right here in P-Town with my man Gerald. Girl, I love your daddy so-oo much, and now we can finally be together. I’m like Diana Ross in Mahogany, girl. I got my ole man back!”
Penny sat up and stared at Carla. “Unh…unh…You mean to tell me that you’ve been nagging me to move you to California since I came back, and now you don’t want to go?”
“That was only because C-Money was threatening Gerald, and you and me, too. Heck, now that he’s behind bars, I’m straight.” Carla smiled and then touched Penny’s face. “Don’t worry, Brat. Me and your daddy will come and visit you in L.A. But shouldn’t you be thinking about moving closer to home to be with your man? What’s up with you and Mr. Po-Po?”
Penny sighed and gave her mother the quick-and-dirty version of how she’d messed things up with Jason, not just once, but twice.
Carla listened, nodded and wiped away Penny’s tears when they fell. And Penny felt mothered by her for the first time.
“Well, I guess you take after me more than we knew. You made some wrong decisions when it came to love, too. But, I’ll tell you this—if that Hightower boy loves you half as much as your daddy loves me, and I think he does, then you can make your way back from this. All you have to ask yourself is, do you really want it? What’re you going to do now? Are you going to run again, or are you going to face your heart?”
Penny sighed.
Why did Carla have to pick now to start giving sane and logical advice?
She had no idea if she was going to be brave enough to face her heart this time. Her cards were on the table, and Jason knew how she felt about him. She guessed she could either wait and see if he could ever forgive her, or go on her merry way, back to Los Angeles.
Decisions…Decisions…
Chapter 16
When Jason rang the doorbell to Big Mama’s house, Penny was sort of shocked to see him. It was late, and she was about to go to bed. She hadn’t even changed into her pajamas. But after spending most of the evening and into the night talking, laughing and joking with her parents, and after almost having the life choked out of her earlier, she figured she was just going to drop off with her clothes still on, anyway.
Dry cleaning is such a wonderful thing…
Jason stepped into the foyer and wrapped her in his arms as soon as he stepped in. He kissed her on the cheek and inhaled.
“You’re not at my place.” He kissed her full on the lips. “I need you at my place. We have to talk.”
She didn’t dare hope that his “need” meant he had forgiven her. But she wasn’t about to argue with the man, either. If there was any a chance he could forgive her, she’d take it.
She told her parents she was leaving with Jason, and Carla gave her the thumbs-up.
Once they got outside, Penny wasn’t sure if she should drive her rental or not.
Jason told her to leave it, and they drove off in his SUV.
They made it to Jason’s town house in record time and with very little conversation. The
y just listened to the slow jams on the radio and rode.
And it seemed like every song played had a message for her. First they played Babyface’s “Never Keeping Secrets.” Then they played Stacy Lattisaw’s “Don’t Throw it All Away.” Denise Williams’s “It’s Gonna Take a Miracle” was the last straw. The soulful tune about how Williams did her man wrong and will never find another man like him made Penny tilt her head toward the sky and mouth, Okay, enough already. I get it.
By the time they started playing Heather Headley’s “In My Mind, I’ll Always Be His Lady,” Penny’s nerves had almost balled up in knots. She self-consciously rubbed the little scar on her eye and thought about leaping from the car. Thankfully, they were already at Jason’s place.
Once inside, they sat in the living room, and Jason just looked at her. After what felt like forever, but couldn’t have been more than a couple of minutes, he spoke.
“You scared me to death today, Pen. Here I was thinking you were here, perfectly safe, and you were in danger.” He reached out and touched the angry bruise on her neck. “I could have lost you today, and you wouldn’t even have known how much I love you.”
Penny let out a breath and opened her mouth before she realized she had no idea what to say or how to respond.
Jason loved her.
But could he forgive her? Did they stand a chance?
“I know I hurt you, Jason. I hurt you so bad. And I will never forgive myself for that. But—”
“I forgive you. I love you.”
She knew she’d never get tired of hearing that. “I love you, too.”
He kissed her. And of all the powerful and passionate kisses he’d laid on her since she’d been back home, this one struck her to her core. Emotions she’d thought she’d never feel again burst forth from her. She felt like she had felt the first time he kissed her.
Wild, untamed and finally free.
He stood, held out his hand and walked her to the bedroom.
Jason had the woman he loved in his home and in his arms. Admitting he loved her made it feel as if a heavy load had been lifted off his shoulders. When he ran into Gerald and realized Carla was alone and could be in danger, he’d rushed off to save Penny’s mother. Nothing could have prepared him for seeing Penny there and in danger, as well.
Markum had been carrying a gun. Luckily, he’d been too cocky to think he needed it with two women. And by the time he might have realized he needed it, the two women already had him at a disadvantage. But he still could have pulled that gun at any moment.
The thought of it gave Jason considerable pause.
The fact that the pimp had had the crap stomped out of him by women—one of whom he’d gotten hooked on drugs and degraded for years—was a case of stunningly perfect karma, as far as Jason was concerned.
Every time he looked at the bruises on Penny’s neck, he wished he’d been the one to stomp the man. It was all he could do to arrest him and not use excessive force.
Jason slowly took off all of Penny’s clothes and searched her body for any more bruises. There were a few on her back. And as he kissed each one, he silently thanked God they were only minor. Placing her on the bed, he paid homage to every inch of her curvy body with his lips. He couldn’t kiss her enough to make up for all the time they’d lost. But that wouldn’t stop him from trying. By the time he made his way up her body to her beautiful face, he found that tears were falling down her cheeks.
“What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”
She shook her head. “I’m just so happy. And at the same time I’m so scared I’m going to wake up and find none of this is real. That I really messed up, and it really is too late…I don’t want to lose you, Jason. I love you so much, and I wasted too much time.”
“This is real, and it’s not going anywhere. I want you to be my wife. And I sure hope you are ready to be a mother soon, because I want you to have my babies, Pen. I love you, and I want to marry you as soon as possible. So we will have to figure out how we’re going to do this. I’ve waited fifteen years. I don’t think I can wait much longer.”
Penny smiled at him and let her hand caress his head and the back of his neck, causing sweet seductive chills to cover his skin.
“I’m ready to have your babies, and so-oo beyond ready to be your wife. I think it’s time for Keys and Morales to open up an East Coast office. I can commute to the city from North Jersey pretty easily.”
“Now that’s what we like to hear.” Jason reached for the protection and covered himself, longing for the day when they wouldn’t need it.
But the next time she carried his child, she’d be Mrs. Jason Hightower.
He entered her in one full stroke, and the soft, heated core of her womanhood took his breath away. He covered her lips with his own and started the slow, seductive dance he was happy they would have the rest of their lives to continue.
Penny couldn’t help but smile as she arched her back and moved in tandem with Jason’s sure and solid strokes. Every time Jason had made love to her in the past few days had been special but this…after he’d professed his love…it felt magical….
She swiveled her hips to match the angles and dips of his. When he moved, she moved, and each time their pelvises connected she felt shock waves of pleasure pulsing through her.
“Feels so good, Jason. I love you so much.” She thrust her hips upward and let out a sharp cry. The climax rippling through her body caused her to see stars.
He nibbled on her neck and inhaled. “You are the most amazing woman I know. I’m so glad to finally have you back where you belong.”
He began to piston his hips back and forth, harder and faster, and she bounced up to meet him, plunge for plunge.
“Jason! Jason!” she screamed as another orgasm ripped through her.
“You’re amazing. You’re my heart. Let it loose, baby, and open your luscious mouth so I can taste of your sweetness.” Jason smiled, and Penny’s heart stuttered in the way she had come to expect every time the man showed that beautifully dimpled grin.
She came apart then, but she felt a startling sense of completion as she writhed on the bed and her sex clenched his for all it was worth. Her climax triggered his, and soon he was calling out her name and holding her tight.
It wasn’t too late.
And as Jason wrapped her in his arms, she’d never felt more protected or more loved.
Epilogue
The wedding had been about fifteen years in the making for Mount Zion, but finally Jason Hightower had the love of his life right where he wanted her.
Well, he would, once she made her way down the aisle.
The church looked lovely, all decorated in beautiful bronze and off-white. The creamy floral arrangements had the sanctuary smelling heavenly, and the pews were filled with family and friends. Everything was perfect, except for the fact that the bride hadn’t made it down the aisle yet.
Jason glanced over at his new best man and took a deep breath. If anyone had ever told him he and Terrill would be friends again, he’d have laughed in his face.
Luckily, Terrill had been willing and able to stand in for him when Joel got called away to fight an out-of-control warehouse fire in downtown Paterson.
They’d thought about holding off on the wedding when Joel had to leave, but Joel had reminded them of how long they’d waited. And he’d promised to try to make it back for at least some of the reception.
Jason only hoped his brother would be okay and was happy his oldest brother, Patrick, wasn’t on call and could be there to share their special day.
Terrill winked at him and smiled. “You’re not getting cold feet, are you?”
Jason shook his head. “No, man, I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.”
“He’s just scared Penny might have changed her mind and decided she could do better.” Patrick smirked and elbowed Lawrence.
“She can do better. There are three other Hightower brothers who are just as deserving of a woman who can c
ook all of Mama’s signature dishes,” Lawrence joked.
Patrick laughed. “All you think about is food.” His face turned serious. “Baby bro, maybe you should be getting a little nervous. I mean, she is taking a minute to make it down here. And where are Mama and Aunt Sophie?”
“I don’t know.” Lawrence glanced up the aisle and then stared at Jason with a teasing glint in his eyes. “But it can’t be good. See, baby bro, you should have picked me as your best man…No offense to Joel or Terrill. But we are brothers in blood and brothers in blue. I can’t believe you picked Joel! And then you went with Terrill when Joel got called away. You know I bring the good luck, man.”
Terrill just laughed. Clearly, he remembered enough about the Hightower brothers to know this was not an argument he wanted a piece of.
“Who said you would have been the best man, Lawrence? Please. I’m the oldest. I’m the one who taught you guys the airtight game you need to be able to even…” Patrick started talking, but Jason blocked him out and kept his eyes on the door.
What is taking her so long?
Carla glared at Sophie. “All I know is, somebody needs to tell her to keep her thoughts to herself before I break my foot off in her behind. That’s all I’m saying.”
Penny was torn between helping her mother put the older woman in check and pulling Carla back. She decided to just pull her back. “Not today, Mommy. We’re going to have to learn how to ignore miserable people.”
“Penny is right.” Celia Hightower rolled her eyes at her sister-in-law and started to help Penny with her dress so that they could exit. “Besides, if anyone is going to have the pleasure of breaking her foot off anywhere, it will be me, if Sophie does anything more to put a blemish on the wedding I have been waiting for since these children were ten years old.” She patted Penny’s cheek. “What do you think I gave you all my recipes for, girl? You have to marry my son to keep that kind of info.”
Sophie started to speak up. “I didn’t even say anything wrong. I simply—”
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