Surviving the Chase

by Lisa Renee Johnson

  “What the hell!” the driver barked.

  Najee tried to move. She couldn’t. Her wild eyes darted left, then right. “Let me go!” she pleaded. Her eyes fixated on the young black man, before they began blinking rapidly at the familiarity of his face.

  Bile tickled her throat, but she swallowed, panting for breath as the man she recognized as the photographer from Bay Street covered her mouth and nose with an old dingy rag that reeked of rotten eggs. She thrashed her head from side to side, sucked and swallowed air greedily, and felt herself suffocating.

  The Snoop Dogg lookalike watched the scene unfold through the rearview mirror. He scrutinized the young girl’s breaths as they went from quick and shallow to slow and deep, and then her body went limp.

  “Dante, what the hell is going on? This girl is not like the usual ones. I should have known something was up when you had me camping out in this neighborhood for the last few days. I’m not going to jail for no damn kidnapping charge. Does Ray—?”

  “Man, just shut the fuck up and drive!”

  CHAPTER 30

  Pican’s was nestled in the thriving Uptown District of downtown Oakland. As the limo waited to pull up to the curb, Sydney fidgeted in the back seat, eager to escape Donathan’s piercing stares. She’d had enough of him trying to convince her of his truth, which as far as she was concerned, was a flat-out lie. But her emotions were conflicted. One minute she was hysterical about being lied to. And the next she felt like a hypocrite, knowing she had secrets of her own. It made no sense to her why Donathan and Payton both felt the need to keep her in the dark about Austyn being Payton’s half sister. Why did the people who claimed to love her feel the need to pick and choose what information they felt was relevant for her to know? Did they think she was so fragile that she would break at the first sign of pressure? She was a doctor, for Christ’s sake, and she successfully dealt with crisis situations daily. The fact that this little tidbit of information directly affected her life gave her the right to know.

  Avoiding his eye contact, she stared out the window at the sea of expensive cars waiting to be valet parked and was grateful she hadn’t driven her own vehicle. She’d tried, but Donathan wouldn’t go for that. His stance was that they arrive together or not attend at all. Sydney knew it would devastate her father-in-law if his only son were a no-show, and it would also give his mother’s socialite circle something else to talk about. Dr. Maurice James deserved nothing but accolades for his hard work and dedication to the field of medicine, and she refused to be the reason for disappointment to a man who deserved nothing but praise. Maybe his wayward son could take a page or two out of his book.

  When Sydney and Donathan stepped inside the trendy restaurant, people were trickling in. The dramatic Southern décor evoked the feel of sophistication, a prime establishment for upscale entertaining. Sylver James, her mother-in-law, had hired D.R. Roberts Event Management, and they’d further transformed the place to look like something out of a designer magazine. Jazz music, elaborate floral arrangements, handwritten place cards, and chairs draped in royal purple satin, with expertly tied chocolate-brown bows, were first-class touches. “Donathan James! Is that you?”

  A man resembling a heavyset George Jefferson approached them and embraced Donathan in a bear hug, then stepped back to give him a once-over.

  “Man, the older you get, the more you look like Maurice. And who is this lovely lady here?”

  “Dr. Alfred, this is my wife, Dr. Sydney James.”

  Sydney extended her hand, but was quickly pulled into a friendly embrace. “No handshakes here, we’re family.”

  “Nice to meet you, Dr. Alfred.”

  Donathan raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Dr. Alfred, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re getting fresh with my wife.” He placed his hand in the small of Sydney’s back, and she wanted to swat it away. Instead she saw this as an opportunity to excuse herself.

  “I’ll be right back.” They were barely on speaking terms, but she would do her best this evening to leave the drama at home. But she couldn’t help being angry and afraid. The root of everything wrong in their life right now was because Donathan had failed to tell her about the deranged woman who had drugged and stalked him. She looked down at her hand. To the naked eye, the scar was completely healed, but his lies had almost cost her the ability to perform surgery. Austyn Greene had proven she was a fucking nutcase, and all things related to her whereabouts should be handled by the police. Not by Donathan and Payton.

  In the powder room, Sydney realized she was alone and audibly sighed once the door closed behind her. She surveyed her image in the full-length mirror, and did a half turn to admire how she looked from behind. The diamond choker sparkling around her neck accentuated the plunging neckline in the front and back of her long, fitted black dress. Her hair was pulled back into a tight chignon, and her makeup was minimal and flawless.

  She retrieved her lipstick from her black-jeweled clutch and reapplied it to perfection. As she smoothed the fabric of her dress down her hips, the door opened, and Julia Stevens sashayed in.

  Although Julia usually wore her hair straight and sleek, tonight her bright red tress was fluffed around her shoulders and teased out like a banshee. She’d opted for an above-the-knee cocktail dress that Sydney thought made her look cheap. A few years older than both Sydney and Miles, Julia’s garb seemed to be screaming, I want to look younger. And if that’s what Julia wanted, she had failed miserably. The two women stared at one another in silence before Sydney finally looked away.

  “You look stunning,” Julia said, the words seeming to fall out of her mouth before she could catch them.

  “Thanks,” Sydney mumbled.

  Before Miles, these two weren’t the best of friends. Nevertheless, they had been cordial and could move around in the same space without killing each other. But ever since Sydney returned to work, it seemed like Julia was on a mission to make Sydney’s hospital existence a living hell.

  “Excuse me,” Sydney said, brushing past her and reaching for the door.

  “You better stay glued to the hubby tonight. We don’t want a repeat of that barbaric behavior from that horrid little diner.”

  “Julia, my husband is not in the habit of having confrontations with men.”

  “Maybe not, but he is intrigued by one man in particular,” she said, her voice elevating then trailing off.

  Sydney stopped short; she wasn’t in the mood for Julia’s antics tonight.

  “Is Miles here?”

  “Yes,” Julia purred. “He’s my date this evening.”

  A warning voice in Sydney’s head sounded. Oh, shit. She had purposely been avoiding Miles, and for once, Julia was right. The last thing she needed was for him and Donathan to be in close proximity. Especially since Donathan had threatened to confront Miles again.

  “Excuse me.”

  Sydney emerged from the ladies’ room, her strides measured and confined by the seams of her evening gown. She maneuvered her way through the expertly placed tables like a woman on a mission. Everything seemed louder than before. The clatter coming from the kitchen and the hum of people socializing seemed to be elevated a few decibels. Before she could locate Donathan, she practically bumped into Miles, who was reaching for a glass of champagne from one of the passing servers.

  “Well, this is a surprise,” she quipped, admiring the tailored fit of his tuxedo, then inwardly chastising herself for noticing. The crisp white shirt contrasted nicely with his milk-chocolate skin, and his dreads were pulled back off his face, the tips resting in a bundle between his shoulder blades. Miles oozed sexiness, and any woman in her right mind would appreciate what she was seeing. He threw her an appreciative smile, and if she didn’t know better, she would have sworn his dimples winked at her. His dark eyes were mesmerizing.

  She nervously glanced over her shoulder. “I had no idea you were going to be here tonight.”

  “Well, Julia invited me as her guest, and I thought i
t would be a great opportunity to network and meet new people. I mean, I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting the guest of honor, but I’ve heard wonderful things about him, and I’m looking forward to it.”

  He stared at her, his eyes seeming to bury themselves deep into her core. Since his return from Chicago, something about him had changed.

  “Well, I might be a little biased, but my father-in-law is very deserving of the honor and definitely someone you should meet,” she said, managing to keep her cool. She stole another quick glance over her shoulder.

  “What’s the matter? Is your husband suddenly going to appear and start another fight with me because we’re talking?” he said, his smile a little sinister this time.

  Suddenly, she felt a strange pull in the pit of her stomach. Her mind told her to excuse herself and go find Donathan, but her feet wouldn’t move. She stood paralyzed as Miles raked his eyes over the length of her body, and she blinked, trying to banish the soft flutters rolling around in her stomach. His lips curved into a seductive grin, and he leaned in close, the hairs of his neatly trimmed goatee brushing her earlobe.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” he whispered.

  The rush of cool air where his warm breath had been caused Sydney to shiver. Her cheeks grew warm as she thought about how she’d used Miles to numb the pain of her troubled marriage. What had started out as an innocent lunch between friends had ended with her having too much to drink and initiating sexual contact. The old Miles had been the perfect gentleman, if you consider the fact that after he made her come with his mouth, he’d had enough sense to stop the encounter. But this new Miles would have sealed the deal. Her nipples beaded, and she crossed her arms over her chest to hide them pressing against the sheer fabric of her dress.

  A flash of red silk in her peripheral view caught Sydney’s attention. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Julia, her lips pursed tightly into a frown, storm in their direction. Sydney had forgotten all about this miserable bitch. Here she had been worried about Donathan making a scene and hadn’t taken into account Julia. Miles followed her gaze.

  “We have some unfinished business, and you need to stop running from me,” he said, turning on his heels to intercept an irate Julia and usher her back toward the ladies’ room.

  For a moment, Sydney stood still, allowing his words to penetrate. What the hell was she doing? Had she lost her damn mind? When she turned toward the backlit bar, all the air left her at once.

  Perched on the corner of the massive mahogany counter, Donathan raised his glass tumbler of dark liquid in a mock toast and tilted his head in her direction before gulping the full contents. Sydney’s body stiffened as the bartender immediately poured him another and he tossed back the second drink. What the hell was he doing? Hard liquor always made him sick. He drank a glass of wine every now and again, but this was totally out of character. She closed the distance between them and arrived just as he was about to turn up the third glass.

  “What are you doing?” she hissed, noticing many more people had filtered into the now-filled room.

  “You didn’t seem too worried about what I was doing a few seconds ago,” he spat, then turned up the amber liquid.

  “What are you talking about?” she questioned, hoping the guilt she was feeling wasn’t plastered all over her face.

  “Did you invite him here?”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  Donathan motioned for the bartender again, but Sydney quickly pried the glass from his hand and shook her head at the man approaching with a bottle.

  “You know I’m about two seconds from knocking that arrogant bastard on his ass.”

  “This is not the time or place for that,” she spat, grateful he had enough sense to keep his voice down.

  “I know you fucked him, Sydney. Admit it!”

  “Ladies and gentlemen, let’s put our hands together and welcome Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm Tulane James.”

  People quickly lined up on both sides of the aisle for the much-anticipated grand entrance. Sylver and Dr. Malcolm James breezed down the elaborate purple carpet, a copycat of the popular Hollywood trend. Grateful for the distraction, Sydney gleamed at her in-laws then back at her husband, who was now standing ramrod-straight. If he did have any type of alcohol-induced buzz, it appeared to have instantaneously dissipated. Silence hung between them. Lately, every time Donathan accused her of fucking Mile, her confession bubbled closer to the surface, ready to spring from her mouth involuntarily. Her conscience told her that was the right thing to do, but the consequences would be the end of her marriage. Besides, there had been a few times when rumors were flying around about Donathan’s indiscretions, and although she never had any physical proof, he hadn’t been so quick to confess his sins either. For his sake and her own, she needed to put his suspicions to rest once and for all. Sydney glanced over her shoulder and locked eyes with Miles, whose heated stares seemed to be caressing her bare back. He winked, and she could see his brain working behind those dark brown eyes. Her own mind immediately went into overdrive, and she had an epiphany. With the disdain Donathan had for Miles, the plan was a little risky. But if Miles did exactly as she asked him to, her marriage might live to see another day. Now all she had to do was ask him.

  CHAPTER 31

  Hunched down in the driver’s seat of the blue Toyota with the camera resting on his lap, Holsey sat across the street from Glover House, hoping to catch a glimpse of his mark. He didn’t have to wait long. A hooded silhouette exited the side gate that led to the backyard. From the shape and size, he presumed it was a woman. She looked to be about five foot seven, no more than 130 pounds. She was wearing dark jeans and the dark hoodie, and she held a small mag flashlight in her hand. He reached for his camera, angled, and focused the infrared zoom lens.

  “Well, I’ll be damned.” He chuckled to himself.

  He clicked off a few quick shots. It didn’t get any better than this. He was hired to find Lois Greene, but Austyn Greene was the collateral. If he had a hand at capturing the Bay Area’s most wanted woman, his face would be on all the news outlets, and that would be good for business. He’d also be eligible to collect the reward. He sent a quick text, waited for the response, then sent another one.

  Every cop in the Bay Area was looking for this girl, and here she was, hiding in plain sight. He put down the camera and lit up a cigarette, taking a long drag before dumping the ashes in the overflowing ashtray.

  He watched Austyn go from window to window, but when a neighbor’s motion detector floodlights came on, she scurried away. When he zoomed in, he saw her getting into some old clunker. He zoomed in more, onto her license plate, and clicked.

  The dim headlights flickered on, and the car pulled off from the curb without hesitation. Not wanting to take the chance of being seen, Holsey waited a beat before he made a U-turn and followed. She’d made it to the end of the block, but he wouldn’t have any trouble keeping up, since the busted taillight on the car was like following a trail of bread crumbs. After driving a few miles, she made a left turn onto the main drag. Holsey stayed a few car lengths back, taking extra care not to be seen, but he wasn’t really worried that an old white guy would register on her radar.

  Once they crossed over Highway 4, she turned into a cheap little motel tucked next to a fire station. He grinned at the nerve of this girl. No one would ever be looking for her here. He eased past the driveway, made a quick U-turn at the traffic light, and pulled into a deserted parking lot across the street. He dimmed his headlights and parked out of sight, but he kept the engine running. He was getting too old to be crouched down in cars and running all-night surveillance. In his mind, there were two options for his next move. He could turn what he learned over to Donathan for a few extra bucks or toss it into the lap of the Oakland Police Department. Weighing his options, he eyed the seedy motel across the street where he’d just seen Austyn use a key to enter a room.

  With that thought, Holsey took a long drag from his newly lit cigarette,
turned on his headlights, and headed toward the freeway to sleep on it. Come daybreak he knew exactly where to find her.

  CHAPTER 32

  When Austyn opened the door to her room, she was startled to find Ray, the self-appointed motel pimp, perched on her bed. She hesitated briefly before closing the door behind her.

  A million thoughts raced through her mind, trying to break free on the surface. How the hell did he get into her room? Did he find the money? The drugs? Her eyes darted around the room, searching her secret hiding places, before her gaze dropped to the floor, avoiding eye contact. She started humming numbers backward from one hundred.

  “What’s the matter, cat got your tongue?” He grinned and flashed her a mouth full of gold-plated teeth.

  “What do you want?”

  “You been running around here for days disrespecting the order of things, so I felt it was time for us to have a little conversation.”

  “How did you get in my room?” The humming grew louder. The crazy sneaking up on her. Both his crisp white tennis shoes were planted firmly on the floor, but he leaned back on her bed, then propped himself up on his elbows. He eyed her suspiciously. “I guess you haven’t figured out that every room here is Ray’s room,” he said, eyeing her suspiciously. “Yo, why the fuck you humming like that?”

  “I need you to get the fuck out of my room,” she barked.

  The sleazy motel pimp grabbed her wrist and slammed her on the bed. Her familiar script came quick and choppy.

  “Please don’t hurt me. I’ll do anything you want, I-I just need to go freshen up—”

  “How long did you think I was going to let your ass prance around here without giving me a taste? You don’t need to freshen up nothing. I like my meat with a little salt on it,” he said. “I’m about to put that humming you doing to good use!” he said, licking her neck.