by CJ Thomas
The moment I hung up the phone I pressed my hands flat on the desk, closed my eyes and hung my head. If Mario wasn’t testing us, then I had a solution to scare him into accepting Colin’s services. It was our last shot and I had to give it everything I had.
Shoving a hand through my hair I gathered my things, tossing my jacket over my shoulder, and passed Giselle’s desk saying, “Get that request written up and deliver it when you’re finished.”
“Where are you going?” Giselle asked as she stood.
“To visit Mario.” I stopped in my tracks and turned to face Giselle head-on. “He and I need to have a talk.”
30
Kelly
Pacing the visiting room, I wondered what was taking so long. I knew my visit was unannounced but it shouldn’t have taken them this long to fulfill my request.
“Hey, have you forgotten about me?” I asked the guard.
Slowly, he turned his head and flashed me an annoyed look. “They’re working on it.”
“Fuck.” I flicked my wrist to check the time. The minutes were ticking away and I was stuck with having to wait. Not wanting to waste another second, I moved to the seat behind the table and began working through a possible Plan B.
My toes tapped.
My fingers drummed.
And I was still convinced that Mario was innocent. Together, Colin and I could win this case for him. I knew it. Mario would be a free man and washed clean of the guilt that was hanging over the head of Maria’s true killer.
Turning my head, my mind soon drifted back to Blake Stone. After writing up the proposal to request him as a client, my only hope was that he would accept my counsel. After that, it would be all hands on deck. But, first, I needed to know what Mario knew about Stone and if it was as big as I needed it to be.
My knee bounced and I couldn’t sit still.
The longer this went on, the less I liked the plan we were pursuing. The weight on my shoulders only grew heavier with each new agenda that got placed on the table. I wanted Stone put away as much as anybody, but I was having doubts that Madam’s plan to get him convicted was worth sacrificing my own reputation for. Though with what she had on me, I also knew that she wouldn’t let me walk away without a fight.
Hanging my head, I rubbed my brow, working to release the tension mounting as best I could. The door finally squeaked open and my head snapped up to find Oscar Buchanan standing there with a smug smirk crossing his face.
“Why is it that whenever you’re in the building, it just feels colder?” He flashed me a questioning look.
Ignoring him completely, I glanced at my watch again.
Oscar’s shoes clacked against the floor as he circled around me. “Why does it seem like you haven’t got anything better to do than annoy the fuck out of me?” He peered down at me with hands stuffed into his pockets and laughed. “How is she?”
“Ahh.” I nodded. “Still bitter about me stealing Kendra away from you?”
His eyes narrowed as he grinned. “I’ve moved on.”
“Then why’d you ask?”
“Curtesy between colleagues.”
“Then I guess I should ask you how Angel is.”
He bit his bottom lip and grinned.
“Divorce is treating you well.” I gathered the paperwork I had been working on and closed my notepad.
“Can’t say I didn’t know it would.” He tucked the folders he was carrying under his arm and moved to the window.
“I know she’s not Madam’s girl.” I stared at the back of his skull but he didn’t move. “Should I ask where she came from, or would you prefer I guess?”
Slowly, he angled his body to face me.
Locking eyes, I said, “No. I didn’t know you had it in you but you do, you sick son of a bitch.” I laughed.
His brow arched.
“Paying for sex.” I dropped my voice and covered my mouth.
He tipped his head back and I watched his face redden.
“I’d hate for the media to get a hold of that story.”
He dropped his head and chuckled as he strode back to the table. “Careful, Kelly.” He looked up at me from under his brow. “Don’t think that I don’t know how you’ve helped arrange Madam’s business to skirt the law.”
The muscles in my legs tensed at hearing his threat. “Then you shouldn’t forget that we have records of you doing business with Madam.” Pushing back, I stood to meet him at eye-level. “And despite how it sometimes may seem, we both want what’s best for our city. Isn’t that right?”
His eyes danced with mine for a minute. The air between us hung in suspense before he finally backed down. “I hope you’re right,” Oscar pulled the folder out from under his arm and tossed it down in front of me, “because I don’t think that Timothy Parker would say the same.”
Flashbacks of the night I kicked Timothy’s ass in a jealous rage came rushing back as I opened the folder and began fingering through the images Oscar just tossed my way.
“Is the stress of Mario’s case getting to you?”
Without taking my eyes off the images, I asked, “Where did you get these?”
He snorted. “I’m the fucking district attorney.”
My mind raced to understand why he was bothering to show me, and worse, what he planned to do with them.
“I can only imagine what will happen next if Stone actually allows you to represent him.”
Pinching the corner of one particular image, I lifted it and brought it in for a closer look. Timothy was pointing at me, yelling something as I lead Kendra away. The look on her face said it all—she wanted me to fight for her and prove that I had it bad for her. Which I did.
“It seems as if Kendra is a free-spirit that can’t be tamed.” Oscar’s voice was filled with arrogance as he moved to the exit. After opening the door, he paused and glanced at me over his shoulder. “Anyway, the real reason I’m here is to tell you that Mario has refused to meet with you.”
My head snapped up.
“Give up, Kelly.” He smiled. “Accept that you’ve lost and move on. You’re wasting your time.”
31
Kelly
As soon as I collected my items from security, my cell phone started to ring.
“Sorry to bother you, sir.” Maxwell’s even tone filled my ear.
“Not a bother, Maxwell,” I said, stepping outside, heading in the direction of my car. “I’m just leaving County now. What’s up?”
“I’m afraid the reason I’m calling is because I don’t have good news.”
My heels dug in, my legs coming to a sudden stop. “What is it?”
“It’s Kendra, sir.”
I lifted my head and looked around with pinched brows. “What happened?”
“Well, there’s no good way to say this…”
“Just say it,” I barked.
“She ditched me, sir.”
I clutched my phone into a white-knuckle grip and gritted my teeth.
How could he let this happen? And what kind of games was she playing? Maxwell was there to get her around the city safely. That was it. My assigned protector in a city that seemed to be tormenting her.
“Where are you now?” Hurrying to my vehicle, I unlocked the door and slid behind the wheel.
My mind raced, wondering if Kendra was purposely adding to my already high level of stress, or if this was a cry for help—a way to get my attention. She could be so infuriating at times, and chasing her down was the last thing I needed to do with my already full plate. But it had to be done. I needed to know why she ditched Maxwell, and for what.
“I managed to follow her across town,” Maxwell interjected.
“Where, Maxwell?” I cranked the engine over and put it in gear. “Tell me where you are, dammit!”
“I think you were right, sir,” he mumbled.
Confusion pounded in my temples.
“I brought her to visit her friend, Alex. Then, as I was parked outside waiting for her return, I
saw her leave the building and get into another car.” He sighed. “It all happened so fast. There was nothing I could do.”
“Maxwell,” I inhaled a deep, calming breath, “tell me where you are.”
Maxwell told me the cross-streets and the name of the burger joint Kendra was now at before stealing my attention by saying, “Kelly, she’s with a man.”
My heart paused for a beat as I looked up and peered over my steering wheel. “A man?”
“Yes.”
My mind swirled to try to figure out who the man might be and what it was she was trying to hide from me. “What’s he look like?”
“Big. Casually dressed. Bald.”
I got the point. “Are you inside?”
“No, sir.”
Pulling the rearview mirror down, I needed to get a good look at myself, wondering if I looked as bad as I felt. My head pounded and I could see the dark circles forming beneath my eyes. After what Oscar just pulled in the visitor room with images of Timothy Parker getting his ass handed to him, I worried that maybe this was Kendra’s way to get back at me after she learned that I had been secretly spending my time with Kaycee.
“Do you still have eyes on her?” I asked after a couple minutes had passed.
“They ordered meals not long ago. Nothing has happened. Just talking.”
Taking my foot off the brake, I began heading in the general direction of where Maxwell said he was. “I’m coming for you.”
“I’m in the parking lot adjacent to the restaurant.”
Pressing my foot down on the gas, I switched over to my Bluetooth connection and kept Maxwell on the line. We didn’t say much as I drove but I could still hear shuffling on his end every few seconds.
My conversation with the DA didn’t sit well. We had both threatened each other and whenever that happened, I knew the stakes to win were high. Oscar was like me. We would do whatever it took to win. And with that drive came paranoia—silently wondering who I could trust and who was deceiving me into thinking they were my friend.
“I’m two minutes out,” I said.
“They’re still here.”
Slowing around the corner, I dropped a gear and sped up.
“On second thought…”
I glanced at my phone’s screen, holding my breath.
“She’s getting up to leave.”
My foot pressed harder on the gas. I couldn’t let her leave without me getting to her first.
“Oh, shit.”
The crease between my brow deepened and I knew something big just happened. Maxwell rarely cursed. “Maxwell, talk to me.” I jerked the wheel and passed the vehicle in front of me. “Tell me what’s happening.”
“He just grabbed her arm.”
My heart slammed against my chest, the vein in my neck ticking.
Whoever Kendra was with I promised to strangle myself. No one laid a hand on her but me. She was my woman and I’d do anything to protect her.
Turning on to the street restaurant’s street, I knew I couldn’t be too far. I craned my neck, searching for an address. Back and forth my head went, looking for the name of the restaurant but it wasn’t anywhere to be found.
“Kelly, she’s leaving. Where are you?”
“I’m close.” My head whipped back and forth, my eyes searching.
“No way.” I heard Maxwell’s engine start. “Not again.”
“What is it?”
“She just got into a car.”
Frantically, I weaved through traffic, knowing that if I didn’t get there soon I might not see who the hell she was meeting with. “What color is the car?”
“You’re too late.” Maxwell’s voice deflated.
“Follow her!” I slammed my hand down on the wheel. “And don’t you fucking lose her this time.”
32
Kendra
I reached for my phone with shaking hands.
Putting it to my ear, I listened to it ring several times on the other end before going to voicemail. “Alex, baby. You’re probably working but I just met with my uncle. Call me back, ASAP. We need to talk.”
Ending the call, I turned my focus outside. Peering out the window, deep inside I knew that it wasn’t good to have my uncle come back into my life. Nothing good could come of it. And I doubted that my parents were in any kind of real trouble, rather it was just a way for him to get my attention—which he did. Mission accomplished.
Sinking further back into my seat, I dropped my head and pinched my brow, fighting back the tears I felt swelling behind my lids.
I hadn’t spoken with Mom and Dad in what felt like forever. Once I was awarded my grandparents’ inheritance, we all kind of went our own ways. It was for the best. Though despite their resentment for my unwillingness to share any of the money with them, I was certain that was the reason my uncle was also here. He wanted a piece of the pie—a slice he felt he obviously deserved.
Hugging myself, I rubbed my arms in an attempt to smooth down the goosebumps covering my skin. I still couldn’t believe my uncle grabbed my arm the way he did. The feeling of his hand on my arm left my hairs standing on end. My entire body shivered knowing that he now lived in LA. I didn’t know for how long he’d been here and that made me nauseous, unsure of how much of my life—and in what detail—he knew about.
Lifting my head, I found the driver with both his hands on the wheel staring ahead.
“Hey, do you know Lucky?” I asked.
He glanced at me, and with the rearview mirror framing his eyes he shook his head. “Sorry. Does he also drive for Uber?”
“Yeah,” I breathed out.
Wishing it was Lucky driving me, I turned to look out the window, knowing that he would have found a clever way to lighten my mood. I guess I couldn’t have it all. I should be thankful that I managed to hide my request for a lift from my uncle without him seeing. I hadn’t planned it and hadn’t thought I’d have to leave so suddenly, but once I saw his eyes go from worry about how our reunion would play out to sparkling with an all too familiar dangerous confidence, I knew that I shouldn’t have ever agreed to meet with him.
I sighed and glanced at my phone.
Praying for Alex to return my call, I didn’t know where I was going or where I would end up. All I knew was that I didn’t want to be alone. And because of that, I was left with very few options. I couldn’t go to Alex’s or back to my apartment. Both places I would be by myself but, more importantly, my place would be the first destination my uncle would seek if he had the urge to come after me. He wasn’t going to like me leaving without learning what kind of trouble he said my parents were in. It was only a matter of time before we met again.
My cell vibrated and I glanced down at my lap to see who the incoming call was from. The corners of my lips curled upward and my insides danced when I saw that it was the one person I had hoped to be hearing from. “Hey, baby.”
“Hey.”
Just hearing Alex’s voice dropped my shoulders. Relief washed over me, knowing that as long as I could speak with her I was safe.
“How did lunch with your uncle go?”
I exhaled heavily before answering. “Not great.”
“I’m sorry.”
I knew by her tone that Alex was frowning. “He lives in LA.”
“Are you kidding?” Her voice screeched in surprise.
“I wish I was. But, you know what? I’m not that surprised. I knew he did, I just refused to believe it.”
“What are you talking about?” Alex spat. “You knew he was in LA?”
“Yeah.” My lids fell as I sighed.
“For how long? And why is he just reaching out to you now?”
Flicking my lids open, I glanced outside but was blind to what was actually in front of me. “He said my parents were asking about me,” I paused to wet my lips, “and that they’re in trouble.”
I could hear Alex’s fingers tapping away on her keyboard as we talked. “Trouble, like how?”
Touching my arm with
my free hand I could feel the bruise forming from where my uncle’s fingers had dug into me. “I don’t know.”
“He didn’t say?”
“I didn’t stick around to hear him out.” The line went silent and I knew that Alex had put her work on pause to consider my decision not to hear my uncle out. “He’s not here for my parents.”
“I wish I could understand,” she said in a soothing tone.
“Trust me, you don’t. These people aren’t the family you have.” I felt the muscles in my face tighten as my body heated with anger. “My uncle was here for himself. Just like everyone else in my family, he’s looking for the easy route—”
“Easy route to what?”
Looking at the bracelet my grandmother had given me, I said, “To next month’s paycheck.”
“Really? I mean, I don’t know much about that money you received in the inheritance other than you have a lot of it, but I thought that was settled a long time ago.”
Leaning forward, I tapped the driver on the shoulder motioned for him to pull over at the next corner. He nodded as I fell back into my corner. “It’s never finished with my family when it comes to money,” I said in a harsh tone filled with resentment.
The vehicle slowed before pulling over. Once it was stopped, I stepped out and glanced over my shoulder. An underlying fear knotted my belly into thinking that my uncle had followed me and would want to pick up the conversation where we’d left off. Because that was my family—never seeming to let go of things.
“Kendra, baby, I know you don’t want to, but have you considered that maybe he’s actually telling you the truth?”
My eyes rolled. I knew Alex was only trying to talk some sense into me, but she wouldn’t understand. Even with her parents dead, her family troubles were so much different than my own. Even the family members she had left—and was still in contact with—were solid individuals. Mine, not so much.
“My parents deserve to burn in hell,” I murmured as I gave a hard glance over my shoulder. “Along with my uncle for what they all did to me.” I swallowed hard, still unable to wrap my head around how none of them did a damn thing to stop any of it from happening. I knew they knew. What they did to me was unthinkable. And no little girl should have had to experience the nightmares that I had to go through.