Having You

by A. C. Arthur

Hailey sighed, turning the corner, thankful that the hospital was now at least in sight.

  “I don’t think you’re making him up,” Hailey told her. “But I do think that maybe you should let your father meet this guy. How old is he anyway? And why are you being so secretive about him? You haven’t even told me his name.”

  Not that Hailey had been overly interested in Rhia’s love life. She was having a hell of a time trying to keep her own in line. Hell, she’d never even thought she’d have a love life, let alone have the need to keep it in order. Things were getting so out of hand. And now this. Who the hell threw that brick and why did it say CHEATER? Was Jerald involved with someone?

  That would be just great, she thought with a heavy sigh. She’d slept with someone else’s man and now that woman was getting her revenge. But if that were the case why would she have thrown the brick at Jerald and not her?

  “I’m sending him the text,” Rhia said finally. “Satisfied?”

  She’d thrust the phone across the console so Hailey could see the text she’d just sent to her father.

  “Thank you,” Hailey said too tired and too confused to argue as she pulled into the spot right next to the ambulance in the hospital parking lot.

  Twenty minutes later she’d just finished listening to the discharge instructions from the nurse—come back to the ER if she feels dizzy or nauseous and all that good stuff—Hailey was preparing to leave this room and gather up the girls. It was well after noon now and she was certain Ronnel was about to lose his mind because they weren’t there.

  The minute she’d stepped out into the hallway he was there. Tall and broad shouldered, just like Jerald. A little lighter complexioned, more hair—dark and curly on top, low-cut on the sides—mustache, beard and furrowed brows. Yes, that’s what caught her attention, he was angry and there was no doubt about that.

  “Hailey Jefferson?” he asked taking a step towards her.

  She cleared her throat and replied, “Yes”, even though she really wanted to employ that childhood warning to never speak to strangers.

  “I’m Jackson Carrington,” he said coming to a stop in front of her, his hand extended.

  She looked down at it for a moment, before coming to her senses and shaking his hand. “Is Jerald alright?”

  “He’s getting a prescription for the pain but the doctor said he’ll be fine in a day or two.”

  “That’s good,” she said with a sigh. “Well, I have to go now.”

  He nodded but did not step out of her way. “You have to take Rhia and Malaya Mendoza home. Is that correct?”

  “Yes,” she replied not liking the tone of his voice or the way he continued to glower down at her. “If you’ll excuse me.”

  Jackson shook his head. “Not just yet. Ronnel Mendoza is a pretty sleazy character and if my company did not stand to benefit tremendously from taking over his, I wouldn’t have anything to do with that scum.”

  “That’s none of my business,” she replied and attempted to move around him.

  She’d heard everything Jerald had to say about Ronnel and was still determined not to get involved in this aspect of her employer’s life. This was just a job, she reminded herself.

  This time Jackson actually clamped his hands around her arms to hold her in place. It wasn’t hard and, just as with Jerald, she did not feel any sense of fear from this man. However, she did want him to get away from her and leave her alone.

  “Look, Mr. Carrington. I’ve told your brother this and now I guess I have to tell you too. I only work for Mr. Mendoza. It’s a summer job and when it’s done I’ll be returning home to Virginia. I do not need to know about your business dealings with him or his personal life as I’m just his translator.”

  “You’re a young female living under his roof which places you in grave danger,” he told her seriously. “Do you know what happened to Sherizia Mendoza? That was the mother of his children and she looked a lot like the oldest daughter, Rhia, when she was twenty years old. That’s how old she was when she was last seen, just a year after giving birth to Malaya. Nobody has seen or heard from her again.”

  Hailey hadn’t known Sherizia Mendoza and she hadn’t thought for one moment about why she wasn’t there with her family. Okay, well, yes, she had, but still, it didn’t matter. It was none of her business.

  “Mr. Carrington—” she began but he quickly cut her off.

  “He likes his women young and trainable. Pretty and compliant,” he said looking her up and down until Hailey felt so self-conscious that she yanked her arms free and took a few defensive steps back from him.

  “I’m not his woman,” she told him, trying to sound confident. Instead her voice had seemed small and uncertain and she frowned.

  “You’re something,” Jackson continued coming closer to her once more. “And whatever you are it’s brought violence to my brother. Now, I’m going to tell you this one time and one time only. If you don’t plan to walk away from Mendoza, then stay the hell away from Jerald. Things are going to get pretty dicey with Mendoza and his company in the upcoming days so you need to decide which side you’re going to end up on because I won’t let you drag my brother into this and I won’t let you get him killed because of some childish game you wish to play.”

  Hailey felt aptly scolded. No, dammit, she felt totally pissed off. Was this guy really in her face blaming her for what just happened to Jerald, to both of them for that matter? Did he really think she was sleeping with Mendoza and messing with Jerald at the same time? What kind of crazy and distrustful men were these Carringtons anyway?

  “First of all,” she said stepping forward so that she was closer to him this time.

  He wore a black suit with a crisp yellow tie and looked every bit as formidable as she figured he probably was. Still, Hailey didn’t care. He didn’t know her and so had no reason to speak to her the way he was.

  “I’m not the one that cannot stay away from your brother. He’s the one following me around town and looking into my background. I told him I couldn’t see him because I was working for Mendoza. Working—by the way, not sleeping with him the way you and your brother’s sordid little minds seem to work. You’d think all a woman was good for was sex according to you two!”

  “Ms. Jefferson,” he started.

  “No! Don’t Ms. Jefferson me,” she said, anger rolling through her like a steam train. “First your brother follows me around giving me all these orders telling me what to do and who not to do it with and now you. I don’t work for either of you, nor do I give a damn about your business dealings. So, Mr. Carrington, if you would kindly get out of my way and stay away from me, I’ll do the same with you and your brother. Thank you very much.”

  She pushed past him this time, not caring if she knocked him down. He was strong and built like an NFL player and probably had bodyguards, even though she hadn’t seen any, just like Ronnel did. Still, Hailey didn’t care, she was on her way down the hall when two more men stopped her. She felt like screaming but instead fisted her hands at her sides.

  “Come over here so I can talk to you for a moment,” Jerald said.

  He was wearing a different shirt, a dark t-shirt that even though it did not go with the dress pants and shiny tie-ups he was wearing, still managed to make him look dangerously sexy. There was another guy standing just behind him, a slim man with glasses who held a plastic hospital bag which Hailey figured held Jerald’s jacket, dress shirt and tie.

  “Please, Jerald. I’m tired of this. First you, then your brother, and now you again. I just really need to get the girls home,” she pleaded.

  “I know,” he said with a knowing nod. “I just have one thing to say to you and then you can go. In fact, I’ll drive Malaya home just like I promised.”

  “You really shouldn’t drive, Mr. Carrington,” the man behind him said. “The doctor gave you pain medication remember?”

  Jerald frowned but did not turn back to look at or scold the man which Hailey thought he probably wante
d to do. “Just one minute?” he asked, reaching a hand out to gently touch her arm.

  Hailey sighed. “One minute, Jerald and that’s it.”

  He was nodding as they moved a little further down the hall to a small alcove that housed two vending machines.

  “Look, before you say anything, just let me apologize,” he said when they were alone and facing each other. “I shouldn’t have looked into your background and I shouldn’t have followed you today. I just—I, hell, Hailey I don’t know why I did it,” he said finally with a sigh. “All I know is that I want to keep you safe. I didn’t believe you at first when you said you were only working as Mendoza’s translator, but I know that’s true now. Just like I know you desperately need money. And I meant what I said about wanting to help you.”

  Hailey shook her head. His words had been successful at rubbing like a salve against the red-hot anger his brother had provoked, and that pissed her off. No, it confused her even more. She didn’t know what to think or to say about all that had happened, all that she’d learned today. It was beginning to be too much.

  “I understand,” she started but then shook her head again. “No, I don’t. I’ve never been in this situation before, Jerald. And it’s not why I came to L.A. I didn’t plan for any of this and now I feel like it’s spiraling out of control.”

  “I know, sweetheart, I know and I apologize for making things worst,” he told her, this time taking her by the shoulders and pulling her close for a hug.

  Hailey didn’t want to hug him, but then she did. She’d been so worried on the ride to the hospital about his injuries. The worry was intense and was what really had prevented her from calling or texting Ronnel. On some level she’d felt like that would have been a betrayal to Jerald. It was silly, she knew, but she was chalking the crazy thoughts up to remnants of the traumatic events she’d just endured.

  When she stopped thinking and wrapped her arms around him he winched and she immediately jerked back.

  “I’m so sorry, are you okay?”

  He nodded. “It’s going to be fine as soon as those pain killers kick in.”

  Hailey sighed and blinked as his intense green gaze held hers captive. She didn’t want to move, not one muscle. She wanted to stay right here enveloped in the warmth of his embrace, looking up into eyes that seemed only to see her.

  “What are we doing?” she whispered.

  “I don’t know,” he admitted with a heavy sigh. “I have no idea.”

  After a few more seconds of staring and not knowing she started to pull away. “I should go.”

  “Yes,” he replied but still did not release her. “Have dinner with me.”

  His words were quick and out of the blue and she wasn’t sure she’d actually heard them until he repeated himself.

  “Just dinner and we’ll talk. I feel like we’ve never really had a chance to do that before,” he said.

  And he was right. They’d had sex, deliciously hot and soul-shattering sex and they’d argued. But they’d never talked.

  She opened her mouth to reply, not at all certain what she was going to say but he cut her off anyway.

  “Don’t answer right now. Let’s get you and the girls home and we’ll both get some rest. We can talk about the when and where of our dinner date later.”

  “That sounds like a good idea,” Hailey said because since she had no idea what her answer was going to be, stalling for more time to figure it out was the perfect plan.

  #

  They did not arrive at the Mendoza estate until well after two in the afternoon. Traffic out of the city was slow going and the girls were in a peculiar mood. Rhia had been quiet all the way back to the house, but when they’d pulled to the side of the road just before the front gates so that Malaya could get out of Jerald’s car and into the SUV, her mood grew even darker.

  “You’re going to get in trouble,” Rhia told Malaya as she settled into the backseat.

  Jerald had stood near his car, offering a stiff wave that mimicked the one Hailey had given him through the side mirror. She’d pulled off immediately after that and was just turning through the gates when her attention zoomed in on the girls.

  “He doesn’t like us speaking to strangers. That’s why he always hires someone to be with us at all times,” Rhia was saying.

  “You’re speaking to a stranger,” Malaya shot back. “Calling and texting that guy and sneaking out to meet him. If you tell on me I’ll tell on you.”

  “Nobody’s going to tell on anyone,” Hailey told them quickly.

  She was turning into the courtyard, bringing the SUV to a stop. Putting the vehicle in park she turned sideways in her seat so that she could see both of them.

  “A lot has happened today,” she began then looked specifically at Rhia. “And last night.”

  “It was no big deal. I wanted to see him and he said he was close by. I was only gone for an hour,” Rhia continued.

  “An hour and a half. I heard when you came back,” Malaya added.

  “Nosey little brat!” Rhia yelled and attempted to reach into the backseat to get at her younger sister.

  Hailey put an arm up in front of Rhia to stop her. “If this guy really likes you, he needs to come to the door and meet your father,” she told her. And since Hailey suspected this guy was either too old for Rhia or not nearly as interested in a real relationship as much as she was—or possibly both—she kept eye contact with the teenager as she spoke.

  “If he cannot or will not do that, then he’s not worth your time. Respect is a very important part of a relationship, Rhia. A guy that asks you to sneak around and lie to your parents doesn’t respect you.”

  She sounded like her Gram, Hailey thought with a pang of guilt and homesickness combined. Hadn’t she been sneaking around with Jerald?

  “He’s too old for her,” Malaya chimed in. “He has a real job and everything.”

  “Shut! Up!” Rhia yelled.

  “Both of you be quiet,” Hailey said, the headache that had been making a slow and steady appearance since they’d left the hospital was throbbing in full force now. “We’re going to go into that house and let your father see that you are both alright. When he asks what happened we’ll tell him the truth—someone threw a brick into the salon window. We’ve all been checked out at the hospital and we’re all just fine.”

  “Right,” Rhia said with a nod, her eyes boring into Hailey’s. “And we won’t tell him about Jerald Carrington from Carrington Enterprises showing up to speak with you. Or the fact that he touched you and stood very close to you as if he were used to doing that all the time.”

  “Or that someone wrote “CHEATER” on that brick that came crashing through the window,” Malaya added.

  Why these two little witches, Hailey thought as her headache intensified.

  “Correct,” she said, not caring how it sounded or made her look in their eyes. “We will not tell him that part.”

  Rhia nodded. “Because any guy that makes you lie for him doesn’t respect you.”

  She hopped out of the SUV before Hailey could say another word and Hailey sighed.

  “Don’t worry,” Malaya told her as she undid her seatbelt and reached for the door handle. “We’re used to keeping secrets.”

  Hailey thought about those words as she followed the girls into the house, closing the door behind them. Loud voices coming from the living room stopped each of them as they wondered what was going on.

  “It figures,” Rhia finally said after it seemed like they’d been standing there forever. “We don’t have to worry about lying to him. He doesn’t give a damn what happened to us, that’s why he didn’t bother to come and see about us himself. It’s always business first with him. Always has been.”

  She moved first, heading up the steps without looking back. Hailey still stood where she was listening to the voices speaking in Filipino, arguing about money and the paninda. She recognized Ronnel’s voice loud and clear telling someone to sell all the paninda,
the merchandise, immediately. That they needed all the money now. It hadn’t dawned on her that she was eavesdropping or the reason why she’d felt so inclined to listen in on this business conversation until Malaya touched her arm.

  “I won’t tell about Mr. Carrington, Hailey,” she whispered. “Because if I do, tatay will be angry.” The little girl looked down at her feet, as she said in an even quieter tone. “Makikita niya saktan ka kung gumawa siya ng galit mo.”

  Malaya moved away from her then, running up the stairs her sister had just taken before Hailey could ask her what she’d meant. Everything Jerald had said to her about Ronnel replayed instantly through her mind as she stared towards the living room, toward the loud voices.

  He’d warned her that Ronnel was not the man she thought he was, that he was dangerous and was going to be arrested for his crimes. Even his brother Jackson—even though he hadn’t appeared half as concerned for her as he was his brother—had alluded to how dangerous Ronnel was. And she hadn’t believed either of them, not at first. But now…

  “Magandang hapon,” a male voice said, effectively snapping Hailey out of her thoughts.

  She looked up at him. He was standing close to her and she hadn’t even heard his approach.

  “Good afternoon,” she repeated in English, taking a defensive step backward.

  “You are the translator,” he replied in stilted English.

  Hailey nodded. “Yes. I am.”

  “She is just going to her room,” Ronnel announced then, coming up behind the other man.

  There was an ugly scar on this man’s arm, a long gash that appeared to be healing on its own with jagged puffs of skin still read and bruised.

  “Now, Hailey,” Ronnel said, this time with more force.

  She could tell him that she’d actually intended to go to the kitchen first to get something to drink so she could take some aspirin, but that didn’t seem important at the moment. What seemed to make the most sense was that she actually listen to Ronnel and get the hell out of this room. She didn’t like the way that guy was looking at her, the eerie smile spreading across his face made her feel sick and she wondered briefly if he’d done more than smile at another woman that way and she’d replied by stabbing him in the arm. If she had a weapon, Hailey was certain that’s what she would do if he made another step towards her.