“Well, put your name on it, and it’s going to sell like crazy,” Katie said. “Did you get the script that I overnighted to you? That one’s going to land you another Oscar.”
Delvin glanced at the UPS package on the bed. “I’ll check it out in a few.”
“I’m getting calls from Gabby’s publicity team. They want to do damage control.”
“I’m not the one who’s damaged,” Delvin protested, placing his outfit for the next day in the front of the closet. “I don’t want her love life crap to splash on me. Keep me busy until the divorce is done.”
“Deal,” she replied. There was a lengthy pause before she said, “So come on man, spill it. We could’ve made a mint on that tour, but as soon as you heard Tailan’s name, you went all Black Knight—ready to charge in and save the day.”
Delvin laughed, settled in a chair next to the window, then propped his legs up on the suede ottoman. “The minute this divorce is final, I’m doing what I should’ve done in the first place. I’m currently trying to rebuild the bridge I burned and lay a firm foundation.”
“And here I thought you’d be trying to lay something else right about now,” she zipped back, and he could imagine her wiggling her penciled eyebrows for comedic effect.
“You know I don’t go in for it like that,” he replied. “I like long term, stable relationships.”
“Come on, Delvin. You have a rep to keep.”
He could only shake his head. “Please. Sell that to somebody who doesn’t know better. We both know my current reputation was fabricated by your agency.”
About a month before he joined the tour, a myriad of billboards were plastered around major cities with him wearing nothing more than a Movado on his wrist, a smile, and some carefully placed shadows to obscure his nether region. They caused such a stir in some metropolitan areas that they were causing traffic accidents and had to be taken down.
“You make more money when women believe you’re readily available.”
“If only they knew the truth,” he said, reaching out to scoop up her package. “I only sleep with women who mean something to me.”
“Well, that group definitely doesn’t include your wife.”
“Soon-to-be-ex wife,” Delvin shot back.
“I’ll drink to that.”
“You’ll drink to anything,” Delvin chuckled as he flipped to the first page of the script.
“True,” Katie admitted. “Which reminds me, I’m out of here. I’m meeting a new client at Solstice for a little libation.”
He scanned the page for the description of the lead part. “Anyone I know?”
“You will when I’m done with her,” she said proudly. “I put you on the map, didn’t I?”
“And oh, the mileage you’ve racked up.” He ended the call and tossed the phone on the bed.
Delvin was glancing over the last part of the intro section of the script when there was a brisk tap at his door. Tailan? His heart shot up to his throat. He sprinted to the door and snatched it open. His smile dipped. Pam.
Optimism sank to his toes as he realized this visit could only mean one thing. “Aw, come on, Pam. Not you too!”
“Hold ya nuts, dude,” she snapped, frowning up at him. “I don’t want ‘em.”
Delvin didn’t know whether to be pleased or insulted. His “nuts” were normally in high demand, as evidenced by the fact that every single one of The Divas and the freakiest member of M-LAS had all made their way down to his door over the past three nights.
He gestured for her to come inside.
“I came to give you a heads up,” she said, sweeping a look around the room. “Something’s going on with your girl. She wasn’t looking so hot.”
Delvin swept past her and was down the hall in a matter of seconds.
* * *
Tailan braced herself against the railing as the elevator car pulled upward. She doubled over with pain.
The minute she opened the door to her suite, she made that infamous fifty-yard-dash to the bathroom door. Dinner was making an untimely comeback—in both directions. She hadn’t been this sick since the first time she’d laid eyes on the man who had slithered into her life and changed it forever. Her mother, a fierce advocate for police presence within the community to stem the tide of drugs and crime, had finally met her match in a drug lord who had made it his mission to snare a member of the Song family in his web just to prove a point.
“You can’t come over here disrespecting my house,” Lana Song had snapped when King showed up at their house demanding payment for drugs that Tailan’s older brother had taken. “You come here calling us all kinds of MF’s and what not.” She gestured to the anxious ones behind her. “My children are in here,” she said, shaking a fist at the burly man. “Your issue is with him. You’re not supposed to be selling that stuff anyway,” she warned. “And he’s not supposed to be taking it. So don’t bring that mess over here anymore. If you gave an addict drugs on credit, that’s your fault. You take it up with him—and not with some foolishness that you’re going to have my daughter to settle his debt.”
King stiffened with anger. “That’s his sister,” he said, eyeing Tailan as she froze under his lust-filled gaze. His thick lips spread into a sly smile. “I’ma be nice this time, but next time he serves her up, I’m coming to collect, and I’m tapping that ass. I don’t give a damn what you say.”
Two days later, Tai and Lana Song hurried to enroll their daughter into an out-of-state summer camp for gifted children. Then Lana called in the police to arrest King so that the family would be safe. The boys in blue had failed miserably, dragging their feet before taking her as seriously as they should. By the time the complaint was heard and her parents were set to testify at King’s indictment, Tailan’s addict brother was found floating in the Chicago River. Her mother, Lana, was raped, tortured, then killed. Her father was shot by one of King’s minions when he had tried to protect his wife from the men’s brutality. Her brothers, San and Lang were killed in their beds while they slept.
Tailan had left for the camp with a nearly perfect family life behind her. She came home to mayhem, and the abandonment by her father’s family had left her practically alone.
Worst of all, King was still searching for Tailan because she also could testify against him. When his people finally located Tailan on the west side at her new home with Uncle Lin and Aunt Trish, instead of protecting her, Uncle Lin entertained a horrible request causing the two men to form an unholy alliance that extended far beyond just the initial demand for Uncle Lin to turn Tailan over to King.
Tailan had barely escaped the fate of her family, but then what had happened in that house was nearly a fate worse than death.
* * *
A few minutes later, as Tailan tried to wash her hands and face, and rinse her mouth with a stinging antiseptic, a relentless banging came from her door.
“Go away!” she screamed
“Let me in, Tai!” Delvin yelled, banging once again.
“Go away!” Tailan shrieked, with a sudden need to grip her midriff.
“Woman, if you don’t open this door right now, I’ll break it down!”
Tailan staggered toward the door. She gripped the handle, feeling overheated and clammy. The smooth metal almost slipped from her hand when she tried to use it to brace herself. “Delvin, now is not a good time.”
He ignored her and pushed his way in. Her stomach churned as they faced off.
Between their heated glares he said, “Pam said you’re not feeling well.”
“Pam needs to mind her own business.” She looked over his shoulder to give the woman in question the evil eye, who had the nerve to give it right back.
Delvin’s gaze swept over her, and he frowned when she doubled over. He balanced her weak frame with his own, saying to Pam, “I’ve got this. Close the door.”
Pam didn’t need to be asked twice.
“I don’t need you here,” Tailan whispered. “I can take care of m
yself.” As if to prove her point, she made a dash to the bathroom and actually made it in time.
Delvin opened the door several minutes later.
“Please leave,” she begged him.
“Not when you’re like this,” he whispered.
“You want to help me out?” she asked, connecting with his gaze in the mirror. “Get me some ginger ale and crackers. And some Lysol while you’re at it.”
Delvin grinned at her reflection. “I’m not leaving you. I can call room service for that.”
“This time of night? That’ll take forever,” Tailan countered. “7-Eleven’s right across the street. Get moving!”
Delvin hesitated for a second longer. “Where’s the key?”
“I’ll let you in.”
“Then we’ll wait on room service.”
She glared at him. He glared right back.
“On top of the television,” she finally conceded and sank against the bathroom wall.
Chapter 13
Delvin moved with purpose to the convenience store. In short order, he had all of the items Tailan needed and was standing at the check-out when his eyes snagged on a familiar treat that made him smile.
“Will that be all, sir?” the cashier asked.
“I’ll take two of these,” Delvin replied, placing the items on the counter.
Delvin weaved his body through oncoming traffic to return to the hotel. Memories of Tailan’s first days at his home came to mind—days when he had done everything in his power to make her feel safe from whatever it was that haunted her dreams. He never took for granted that she would be there in the morning.
Each day he would ask her to stay until the next day, and it pleased him when she trusted him a little more—and soon he didn’t have to say anything.
* * *
Germaine Residence - November 17
Delvin was on a makeshift pallet spread out on the carpet in his bedroom. Tailan was stretched out in his bed. They had talked for hours until she had finally fallen off to sleep. The nightmares were less frequent, but she still slept better if he was in the room. Deep inside, that made him feel good. She was beginning to trust him even more, and that was no small thing. A sudden noise down the hall made him jump up. His parents were back. They weren’t supposed to arrive until tomorrow!
“Delvin, sweetheart …” Anna Germaine’s voice had trailed off as she froze at the threshold and stared openly at the young girl in his bed. Soon his father, Delvin Senior, was by her side. He too, frowned.
“What’s going on here?” his father bellowed.
Tailan jerked up, pulled the blanket to her chin, and cast a frightened look at Delvin.
“I had a friend stay overnight,” Delvin said in a low voice. “That’s all.”
His mother’s gaze narrowed on Tailan, who quickly looked at Delvin for reassurance.
“Who is she?” Anna demanded. Her creamy skin flushed a bright red as she moved further into his room, her nostrils flaring as she tried to subtly sniff out a lie.
“A classmate.”
Anna’s eagle-eyed gaze swept the room and landed on his pallet. She let out a visible sigh of relief. “We need to call her parents.”
Panic rolled off of Tailan in waves. He held out his hand to keep her in place. “She doesn’t have any parents.”
“Rubbish,” Anna snapped, her slender hand dismissing that notion with a flourish. “Everyone has parents.”
“My parents were killed.”
Only then did his mother become contrite; her eyes softened, and her hands lowered to her side as she leaned against his desk. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. So who were you staying with?” An arched eyebrow shot up. “I mean, before you came here.”
“My aunt and uncle.”
“Then you’ll need to go back to them,” she said simply, gesturing to the clothes that were folded on Delvin’s chair. “Get dressed, and we’ll take you.”
Tailan scrambled off the bed and hurried to gather up her things. “I’m not going back there. I’m never going back there,” she said as she locked a steely gaze with his mother. Then she crammed her meager belongings into one of his duffle bags. “I’ll leave.”
Her voice softened as she looked at him and said, “I’m sorry, Delvin. Thank you for everything. Really. Thank you so much.”
Delvin’s heart melted at her gratitude. She never took anything for granted—not the meals they prepared together, not the clothes he gave her to wear. She appreciated every kind gesture. This was the Tailan he knew—vulnerable but strong.
Anna stepped closer to Tailan. “We can’t drop you out on the streets by yourself. We’ll call DCFS, and they’ll find you a place to live.”
“Right,” Tailan said sourly. “A group or foster home where the same thing can happen.”
“Same thing?” Anna turned to Delvin for some sort of explanation.
“My uncle and aunt wanted me to pay for my living,” Tailan offered. When Anna’s expression showed she didn’t understand how that was a bad thing, Tailan added, “On my back.” She ignored Anna’s shocked gasp and continued packing. “That’s all right. I’ll be fine.”
Delvin Senior’s eyes narrowed on the items in her hand. “How long have you been here? Really?”
“Three months,” Delvin replied. He didn’t lie to his parents, and he wouldn’t start now.
“My God!” Anna splayed her hand over her bosom. “How could we not have known?”
“Because we were careful,” Delvin answered, facing them head on. “She needed a place to live. Something to eat. I made sure she was all right.”
Anna’s bottom jaw dropped. “Three whole months in this bedroom together? Did you—”
“Oh, no. Never,” Tailan immediately chimed in. “Delvin hasn’t touched me. He’s been the nicest person I’ve ever met.” She timidly moved in front of Anna. “Please don’t punish him for helping me.”
The various emotions Delvin was feeling battled for supremacy within him. His parents’ silent condemnation tugged at his mind. But his promise to protect Tailan was gaining traction. So many others had let her down. He couldn’t do the same.
He grabbed some clothes and stuffed them into a bag he yanked from the closet.
“What are you doing?” Anna asked, moving closer to him.
“Mom, I can’t let Tai go out there alone. If she’s leaving, I am too,” he said. “I brought her here to keep her safe. I’m not going to stop protecting her just because you say she can’t stay here.”
“Delvin, you can’t go with me.” Tailan reached out a hand and stilled his movements. “You have parents who love you.” She glanced over to the Germaines, then lowered her voice. “The love they have for you is evident everywhere in this house.” Tears surfaced, and she blinked them back. “It’s in the photos over the fireplace. It’s in the artwork on the walls. Every room in this house makes people want to stay. There are people who would kill to be in this kind of family.” She shook her head. “Don’t leave that. Don’t give that up for me.” She stepped back and placed a few t-shirts inside. “Besides, I was doing fine before you came along.”
“You were starving,” he snapped. Then he turned to his parents. “I found her sleeping on the floor in one of the classrooms at school.”
“It won’t be like that again,” she whispered, keeping her back to them to try to hide the flush in her cheeks.
Delvin turned from his parents, took her by the shoulders, and shifted her so they were face to face. “Where will you go? Tell me that.”
Tailan tried to pull away. His grip tightened. “I don’t know. But I’ll see you in school every day,” she said, nodding. “Trust me. I’m getting my education. Then I won’t be anybody’s problem anymore.”
Delvin pulled her into an embrace. No matter what she said, he couldn’t let her walk away. He stepped back and again turned to his parents, facing them like the man they had raised. “If she leaves, I’m with her.” He took Tailan’s hand in his. “We’
ll make it on our own.”
His parents’ expressions changed from shock to concern to raw fear. Anna dropped down on the bed, her hands folded into her lap. Delvin Senior joined her. They mumbled and sighed and mumbled some more.
After a rapid-fire debate between them, Anna said, “The two of you have given me a major headache.”
Delvin squeezed Tailan’s hand. He wanted to smile. If Mom had a headache, things were looking up.
“Tai, we will allow you to stay. But Delvin’s father and I will lay down all the ground rules going forward. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Tailan whispered, with a gentle squeeze from Delvin’s hand.
“We have three for right now, then we’ll discuss more as the need arises.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Rule number one—no sex in this house. Ever,” Anna ordered with a pointed look at Tailan and Delvin.
They both nodded.
“Rule number two,” Delvin Senior added, “Tai you will now reside in the guest bedroom. Gather up your things from Delvin’s room.”
Delvin opened his mouth to protest, knowing that Tailan couldn’t sleep well without him nearby. She squeezed his hand, signaling him into silence.
They again nodded.
“You will have chores, homework, and such going forward, and we expect to see your grades from school.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Tailan cried. Delvin gave her a hug to settle her nerves. His parents shared a speaking glance, but he smiled at them, letting them know that they wouldn’t have reason to worry.
Anna Germaine was at Tailan’s side, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder as she asked, “Are you all right?”
Tailan tried, but failed at a smile. “No, but I will be.” She scanned the older woman’s face and said, “I swear to you we never did anything like that. It’s the only reason I feel safe here.”
Their gazes locked for what seemed an eternity, and there was some unspoken message between his mother and Tailan that Delvin couldn’t decipher.
Anna whispered, “I’m glad to know that I raised that kind of son.” To which Tailan nodded emphatically.
Was it Good for You Too? Page 9