Royce

by D. Hamilton-Reed

  Joy picked him up bursting with anticipation, “Okay I came by myself so you could tell me this mind blowing secret.”

  “Oh couldn’t wait could you?”

  “I’ve waited since you called, so spill it.”

  He laughed. “Okay, okay, my father had a black mistress and has been with her since before I was born and they have seven children together. One born ten days after me, is that not mind blowing?”

  Joy hadn’t driven off yet and sat there stunned her mouth agape, “You have got to be kidding me, he had what? Uh uh, no that is not true!” She said in disbelief. “Yep, and seven kids Joy, seven kids, I met her and four of the kids. Well they’re adults now, but yeah,” she pulled off now and looked at him stunned, “You met them?” She said shocked, and as she drove he told her about how he happened upon Holly Ann at his father’s grave and meeting Hennie, and talking to her.

  “They’re great Joy, I can’t wait for you to meet them,” she kept looking at him in shock. “Keep your eyes on the road babe you’re scaring me,” she laughed, “I just can’t believe this story.” “I know it blows my mind, but they’re wonderful great people and I’d love for you and the kids to meet them, after all they are my brothers and sisters,” he said laughing. “Wow Royce, this is unbelievable.” “And oh I had dinner with them and you wouldn’t believe how good the food was, you’d love it!” And Joy was flabbergasted, “So your father was with this woman until he died?” “Well they had a falling out about eight or nine years ago. He said something that she said broke her heart. I can’t imagine what it was, but knowing my father and what he did to us I have to assume it was horrific,” and he would never tell her his father had tried to kill them all to preserve their precious Harrington name. That his father would rather see them dead than carry his name and he knew that was unlike him.

  He wanted nothing more, that was the first thing he’d done with Justin and he’d do it all over again too. They were his blood, his seed, and they deserved his name, and he knew he loved his children, loved them enough to give them his name and he was proud to do it. He was proud to be a Harrington, he loved being a Harrington and all that implied and he was equally proud to past that on to his family. That’s the difference between you and me father. I’m doing right by my family, I chose this woman and she chose me and there is no shame in that. None! He looked over and smiled at Joy, she smiled back and she was beautiful.

  “And how was your mother and everyone?” “I don’t know really, I couldn’t Joy, I couldn’t see them just yet. I wasn’t ready and I don’t think she was ready to hear what I had to say either, so I need to think a little bit before I see them, and oh get this…Tammy is staying with her,” he said looking at Joy to see her reaction.

  “No!” She said shocked, “Why would she allow that?” He shrugged, “Your guess is as good as mine, she acts as if Tammy is her child and not me, but she said Karen asked her, and she expected me to be okay in the same room with her. I couldn’t fathom it and that’s why I couldn’t see her, I couldn’t pretend to be okay with her being there,” and he felt the bitter taste in his mouth. He would hate Tammy for as long as he lived and he’d never forgive his father.

  And that night when they were safely in bed he pulled her to him and kissed her and Joy could see his kiss was going further, “No Royce, you know I feel funny doing it in my parent’s house,” she hadn’t let him have her since they’d come here. “They’re right next door,” and he’d let it go, it was kind of disturbing to him too, but tonight, “I missed you baby and we’ll be quiet okay, but you gotta let me have you,” he looked deep into her eyes. She gave him her questioning look like she was mulling it over and he didn’t wait for a response. He wanted her and he kissed her and sucked and played with her lips to bring her along.

  “Ahh,” she moaned. “Shhh,” he whispered and she smiled as he kissed her, and then he went down her throat and moved her nightgown strap off her shoulder until he exposed her breast. Joy’s breast had marveled him, they seemed to have gotten fuller over the years. She said it was because she’d gained weight and he didn’t see it, but her breast were nice and full, he sucked her, sucked her long. “Oh baby, oh Royce,” she moaned softly and he moved the other strap down and kept going until her nightgown was off. He’d come to bed naked, ready and wanting and his strong hands stroked and caressed her body, loving the feel of her.

  Joy heard him breathing hard, like he wanted her so bad. Royce worked his way down her body touching and caressing her soft golden skin and admiring the woman she was, he came to her waxed mound. She’d always kept that up except in South Africa where she let it grow in its natural state and when it got to bushy she’d trim it down low. He licked around her baldness and took a whiff of her womanly scent and recognized his Joy. “Oh baby, I love you,” he spread her folds and his tongue found her little knob and he worked it, she cried out. “Shhh, shhh baby,” he teasingly whispered and he saw her smile, and he licked her and worked her with his tongue and she moved with him, moved her body, and a couple of times he whispered, “Shhhh, shhh,” and she’d quiet down and then he felt her body tremble and he knew she was coming. Royce loved to make her come, and he smiled, and he felt her hands in his hair. She ran her fingers through his dark tresses as she moaned and he knew what was coming, she moaned and let go and released his hair and let her body feel the pleasure and when she wound down he moved up her beautiful body, sucking her dark nipples as he went, caressing her fullness and he went up to her mouth and kissed those lips and she drew his mouth into hers and kissed him so passionately, he moaned and watched her.

  They’d always kept the light on when they made love, and tonight while she closed her eyes he watched her. Watched her mouth, watched her take her pleasure, watched her body as it responded, and now he was on top of her looking at her. Her eyes were closed and he pulled her legs up and back. He knew this wasn’t a favorite position of hers. Joy was built small down there, and this way always felt too deep for her, but that’s where he wanted to be deep inside her, so when he did it this way he had to be very careful not to hurt her.

  She opened her eyes when she felt him push her legs back, and she saw the love in his eyes, “I won’t hurt you,” he said softly and Royce pushed inside her and she closed her eyes to feel him. He moved slowly, deeply, even though she didn’t like this position when he did it right she came all over him in a river of hot warm love. He was deep and moving his hips softly but so deep inside her. “Oooo baby,” she moaned and he never stopped watching her, and her face showed the pleasure. “Does that feel good baby?”, he asked and Joy opened her eyes and looked at him.

  The way he asked she could tell it was important to him that he pleased her, that it feel good, and when she opened her eyes she saw him looking down at her, his blue eyes sparkling. She saw the twinkle and he had that little smile and she smiled big and her heart soared. Royce was back, the Royce from the day of their wedding, on the portrait, the Royce she’d seen only sporadically the last few years, the Royce that was complete and whole.

  “Yes baby that feels so good,” she said softly and she didn’t close her eyes she looked at him with love and softness the look he loved to see and he thought, yep, Louie, that’s who I am and I love my brown sugar, and then the passion swept them up and he let go of her legs and held her tight in his arms, and kissed her against her ear and whispered over and over, “I love you Joy Harrington, I love you Joy Harrington,” and then they were lost to the rhythm of their love and cried out their passion and came together in a loud, “Ahhh,” as they released together.

  The next week the family flew to Dallas and when they pulled up to their old house they couldn’t believe how well Bobby had kept it, the yard was immaculate and they walked into a clean house with everything just the way they’d left it. The only sign no one lived there the furniture was covered in sheets. “Wow, look at this babe, it’s like we just left yesterday and not ten years,” Joy said after they walked the house and Royc
e headed straight for the living room and he stared up at the portrait.

  He remembered taking that picture like it was yesterday, Mariah Carey belting out “I want to know what love is, I want you to show me!” And he was looking at Joy thinking, I know what love is. This woman right here, how I feel about her that’s what love is. Mr. Caruthers was straightening her train and he was standing beside her, and Mariah Carey singing her heart out asking that question and he felt he had the answer, I know what love is, I know what love is, I know what love is, and Mr. Caruthers said, “Smile,” and snapped the picture.

  And after walking the house Joy felt herself getting emotional. She didn’t realize how much she wanted to stay in one place, being home she realized she’d missed so much. She missed her mother and father growing older, she missed Lanie getting married and having children, she missed Sylvie expanding her business, and she missed seeing her family on Thanksgiving and Christmas and countless birthdays and family get-togethers and she missed home. She missed having a home she could build memories. She wanted a home she wouldn’t have to leave at a moment’s notice and now it was hitting her. What if they couldn’t do that, what if someone came after them and she started to cry.

  “Hey, hey, hey baby,” he said softly, “Come here,” he pulled her to him and held her. “Baby I just don’t want to have to leave,” she said tearfully. “Oh baby, it’s over, this will be our home. We’re home, okay. The only way we’ll leave is if we decide to move,” he did have a flash back of dead bodies when he walked out the bedroom, even though nothing remained of that night.

  The front door had been repaired; the walls painted years ago, but memories reminded him of what happened here. And they could move if they wanted. Bobby had kept the company very profitable and he didn’t know that next week his father’s lawyer would contact him and advise him his father left him roughly one fourth of his estate totaling one hundred and fifty million dollars, that was the amount left each of them, him, his brother, his sister and their mother minus the twenty-five million he’d left to Hennie and the rest to various charities.

  CHAPTER 19 , FREE AT LAST!

  Royce dug in at the office and Joy cleaned and redecorated. “The baby beds are out, there will be no more of those,” she teased, “I will not have a baby in my forties,” and Royce laughed, “Well we make beautiful children together. One or two more won’t hurt and we can afford them,” he teased now that they were rich beyond his wildest dreams. “You better put that thing away and get a vasectomy or something. We are not having any more children,” he was teasing, but he kept it going, “Why baby, I love these when you’re pregnant,” he caressed her breast, “Royce! Are you serious!” He had to stop this, “No baby, I’m just having fun with you. We’re getting to old for diapers and bottles and late night feedings.” “Good because I was worried for a minute.”

  He’d been gone for ten years and he came back ready to help Bobby continue building the business. There was a huge economic downturn in America and across the world and some of their businesses might not make it and they were looking to acquire others that were dirt cheap, and now he and Joy were adapting to American life again. The hustle, bustle and fast pace, TV alone had their minds reeling from over stimulation. Reality TV had taken over and they didn’t understand half the shows which they thought were outlandish and unbelievable, life in America was like being on steroids, everything way out of proportion and he still hadn’t been to see his mother.

  She had called and so had his brother and sister. His brother and sister called asking questions and they said what he thought his mother should’ve, “Royce what happened, you’re my little brother and I’ve been worried about you for years. You were never far from my thoughts and I had no idea what made you take off like that. Please help me understand,” his brother Tommy said and Royce could hear the pain in his voice and he could also hear the pain of him not wanting to see them too and his brother was hurt by his actions.

  “I’m sorry Tommy I couldn’t tell you or anyone why I left. There was a threat to my family’s life, people were out to assassinate them and we had to leave,” and he heard the intake of Tommy’s breath, “No Royce! You were sure of this?”

  “Yes…,”

  “But we could have helped you, helped you with this Royce,” his brother said in his anguish and he knew his brother had no idea the threat came from his father and his next words confirmed it. “All you had you to do was let me and dad know Royce, you didn’t have to do it alone,” and Royce didn’t know if he should tell him or not, was he ready to know the truth?

  “Do you want the truth Tommy, and are you ready to believe it?” He asked him. “Of course I want the truth.”

  “Okay, what if I told you our father was behind the attempts on my wife and children,” and Tommy said aghast, “That’s preposterous! He wouldn’t do a thing like that! Why would he? It doesn’t make sense! … I don’t know what would make you believe something like that. I’m sorely disappointed in you Royce. You and I both know that couldn’t be further from the truth. I want to see my brother, I missed you and I’d like to know what happened, not some fabricated story that involves father, okay,” and Royce knew he wasn’t ready, “Okay Tommy, I’m so busy right now but I promise when it slows down I’ll come up okay,” and he could hear Tommy’s smile, “Okay little brother, I can’t wait to see you,” and he had a similar conversation with his sister, but unlike his brother she just showed up one day.

  “I haven’t seen my baby brother in over ten years you think work is going to stop me,” she came smiling in his office one day and he hugged her and despite himself he teared up. She’d gotten older and she looked the most like their mother, actually Tommy and her favored a lot, both had light brown hair, but where Tommy’s eye’s were hazel, hers were green and even though he had dark hair and blue eyes like his father his smile was all his mother’s and so was his sister’s.

  They hugged each other in a warm embrace, and then she sat down opposite him. “You look good Royce, so tell me what happened, what happened to you?”

  “Well Alice Ann, that depends if you want the truth or not?” “Of course I want the truth, we all want the truth. We’re your family and we love you. What happened and did Tammy have anything to do with it?”

  “Yes and no, she started it all, it was her who hired the first hit man, but the reason we left was because there was another threat and this time it wasn’t her but the person she’d been working with all along…it was father,” and Alice Ann gave him a skeptical look, “You expect me to believe that Royce, come on,” she paused and looked at him, “I know whoever you were talking too. The prosecutor or police, someone put that in your head and you do believe there was a threat or you wouldn’t have left, but I can’t believe it was daddy, it just doesn’t make sense Royce,” she looked at him, really looked at him, “You were his favorite and you know it,” she said playfully but also serious.

  “Okay Alice Ann,” he knew she wasn’t ready either, “So what’s been happening with you?” He changed the subject.

  “Not so fast, are you home now, is everything alright?” “Yes, I’m home now and we’re fine.” “Good so when are you going to see mother?” “I don’t know…,” he looked at her, “Is Tammy still at the ranch?” “Royce look, one has nothing to do with the other. We’re your family and mother misses you. She hasn’t seen you in ten years and her having Tammy at the house shouldn’t matter under those circumstances,” she looked at him and gave him a look, “Gosh, you’ve always been stubborn,” she shook her head again, “Just like daddy, gosh he was stubborn too.” He pursed his lips, holding back what he really wanted to say, “Royce she misses you, go see her,” she said plaintively.

  “I will see her okay, I can’t say when but I will see her,” and now Alice Ann pursed her lips, “So that’s it, that’s how it’s going to be?” He nodded.

  And the next day his mother called, “Royce don’t be angry at me for allowing Tammy to stay here
and saying awful things about your father to your brother and sister, he wouldn’t hurt you. I know you understand that. Tammy’s presence shouldn’t be the deciding factor here Royce, I’m your mother and you should want to see me regardless of who’s here or not.”

  “I know mother, but it does, you know what she did to me. She tried to have my wife and children murdered and I think in this case her presence does matter,” he said matter of fact, “Look mother I will come see you. Just let me clear off a few things on my plate and I’ll come okay,” he knew that would placate her and he knew his family wasn’t ready to hear the truth and until they were he wasn’t going to pretend. Until they believed what he had to say he saw no need in seeing them and smiling acting the part of member of the family, and he hadn’t made contact with Dillon or Karen either.

  He knew they were with Tammy in this. Bobby told him they were at her parole hearing defending her so he thought it best he leave well enough alone and to his surprise Dillon came knocking at his door one Friday. “Your secretary said it was okay for me to come in,” he said as he knocked on Royce’s open door, and Royce hardly recognized him. He’d grown so much, he was a man now, he was tall like him and had filled out, his brown hair thick and he had his blue eyes and smile. Royce went to him, he’d worried about him so much, and he cried as he hugged him and he knew he’d sacrificed Dillon. He didn’t fight to keep him and let him go with Karen and Tammy when he knew in his heart Dillon didn’t feel the same as they did. He cried and Dillon cried as they held each other.

  “I had to come see you dad,” he said after they’d cried a river. “I’m glad son, I didn’t think you wanted to see me.” “No, no that was never it,” and Royce cried some more, he knew why, he wanted to be there for his mother and sister, he was being the good guy in a bad situation. “Come on, let’s get out of here. I know Joy would love to see you and wait until you see the kids.” “And Deon, I want to know all about Deon,” Dillon said and Royce hugged him and walked out the door.