Her Protector

by D. Camille

“Let me tell you the whole story,” Justin told him and Jordan rolled his eyes.

  “Just tell me the facts. I’m too damn old for bedtime stories.”

  Justin frowned. “Listen to the damn story Jordan.”

  Jordan waved a hand, giving him the floor and Justin began speaking, “I met Camille Smith when I was a young man. She was incredibly beautiful with a brilliant mind and I fell for her immediately. We dated for a while and when I became established, I wanted to marry her and have a son.”

  “She turned me down, saying that she wanted to finish school to become a cardiologist. At that time, I was hurt and my ego was bruised. A little while later, I met your mother, Joanna, and she looked so much like my Camille that had gotten away.”

  “I married Joanna solely to have a son and I told her that from the beginning. Even though I couldn’t give her my undying love, I promised to be faithful to her and to provide everything she needed. Which I did until she stabbed me in the back by having an affair with Carl Harrison.”

  Jordan frowned while remembering that time in his life.

  “Xavier knew about Joanna and Carl, but had never told me. I wanted to humiliate him, like I’d been humiliated, so I went after his wife.” He paused. “I didn’t know that Carolyn was so vulnerable at that time, neither did I know that Xavier was dying. Still that doesn’t excuse my actions.”

  “When the twins were born, it was a surprise. We didn’t know there were two and I had to scramble to find another family for the boy. Trent getting lost is my fault because I didn’t vet the family properly,” Justin admitted. “And I have to atone for that with my son.”

  Jordan nodded.

  Justin continued. “A month before I faked my death, I went to visit Camille for a check-up on my heart. At that time, I told her that I wanted a second chance with her and she agreed. I also told her that I couldn’t find my son and she offered to help.”

  “Help how?” Jordan asked suspiciously.

  Justin shook his head. “That’s the piece of the puzzle we all missed. Camille wasn’t just a world renowned cardiologist.”

  “Who the hell was she?”

  Chapter 17

  “Dr. Camille Smith was the leader of a covert governmental intelligence force designed to monitor radical groups in the United States and abroad. Because of her brilliance, she’d been recruited in college, unbeknownst to me at the time.”

  Jordan’s eyes widened.

  “The Black Diamonds came across her radar a few days after I’d gone to see her. She was looking into Trent’s whereabouts and you, as my son, popped up. When she dug deeper, she came across an organization that wasn’t very pleased with your missions. Her team uncovered a plan to use me to get to you.”

  “I knew you would try to protect me and I didn’t want to put you in that position. Camille suggested that I fake my death so there would be no leverage against you,” Justin explained.

  “She then had me trained and added me to her team to watch over you and the Black Diamonds,” he finished. “I’d thought that alone I could keep an eye on you and keep you safe, but you’d stepped into a world that was out of my league until Camille came into the picture.”

  “So you’re telling me that you faked your death to protect me?” Jordan asked.

  Justin nodded. “You, Sean and Ray.”

  “Why didn’t you just tell me about the threat and let me handle it?”

  “They’re too big, even for the Black Diamonds,” Justin told him. “Hopefully, now with the Uncut Diamonds and all of us together, we can take them down.”

  Jordan lifted a brow. “It’s going to take all of us?”

  “Yes and with Camille gone, we’re down one important piece.” Justin added. “The reason it’s taken me so long to get here is that I’ve been working on compiling all the information she had on these groups, so we can get started planning ASAP. The Black Diamonds have made a lot of enemies over the years and now they’ve joined forces.”

  Jordan ran a hand down his face. “Damn…”

  Justin looked at him. “So tell me where is this ride going?”

  Pulling out his phone, Jordan looked at him then at his screen. “Sean is back in town. I need to contact Trent and Ray.”

  Justin nodded. “I’m ready.”

  Jordan gave him a look. “Trent wants to kill you.”

  “I know.”

  “I won’t let you hurt him,” Jordan warned.

  Justin agreed. “I know that too.” He sighed then met Jordan’s stare. “I’m back and I’m here to bring my family together…all of us.”

  Jordan looked confused. “Joanna?”

  “Hell no!” Justin said adamantly. “That ship sailed a long time ago. Joanna has showed her ass too many times.”

  “Well she’s still doing that,” Jordan informed him.

  “I can’t wait to meet your wife,” Justin commented. “I never thought of sending Joanna to Mexico.”

  Jordan shook his head. “Not one of Sage’s finest moments, for sure.”

  “I’ve sent someone in to keep an eye on Joanna,” Justin informed him.

  “Is that the guy she’s meeting in the park?” Jordan questioned.

  “Yes, she thinks he hates the Blacks,” Justin relayed. “This way we can stay on top of anything she’s going to try to do, now that you’ve given her freedom to come and go.”

  “That was a good look,” Jordan conceded. “She still hates us both.”

  “We have to cover all the bases,” Justin told him seriously. “Everyone who’s not with the family is a potential threat.”

  “Let’s handle it,” Jordan said looking over at his father.

  “Jordan, I know that you may not agree with the things that I’ve done, but I hope you know that I love you and I always have,” Justin told him quietly. “Facing you again is harder than I imagined.”

  “If I didn’t know that you loved me, you’d be dead right now.” Jordan told him. “Your concern now should be your other son, because he needs to know more than anything that you love him.”

  ******

  Kent gathered his brief case from the car and slowly walked into his apartment. It had been the longest day of his life and he was still waiting to hear from Lotus. He figured that she’d gone to see her family before settling in to the hotel. To say he missed her was an understatement which was crazy because she hadn’t even been gone twenty-four hours.

  Inside, he headed to his office. Behind his desk, Kent popped open the black leather case and removed the mounds of paperwork and spreadsheets that he needed to go through to find the smoking gun, he was tasked to locate.

  After setting everything up, he went to take a shower in order to clear his head. Since eating was still out of the question, he’d try to think about a snack later. Kent brought his phone into the bathroom with him in case Lotus called.

  Undressing, he turned on the water in the glass encased shower. Immediately, thoughts of Lotus sharing this activity rushed into his head. Remembering running his hands over her delicious, chocolate body gave him an instant erection.

  He walked inside and stood underneath the spray, letting the warm water fall over his head and down his heated golden skin. Kent looked down at himself and thought about how her body felt against his and how their skin tones contrasted one another.

  He was washing his body when her heard Jill Scott come through his phone. Without grabbing a towel, he walked out and answered.

  “Lotus…” he said smiling.

  “Hey pretty eyes, what are you doing?” Her voice came through the line.

  “I’m in the shower,”

  Lotus closed eyes. “Really…you tell me that?”

  Kent smiled. “It’s the truth. Hold on let me rinse off…”

  “Tape it for me,” Lotus told him.

  “What?”

  “You heard me…”

  Kent laughed. “You want me to tape rinsing off in the shower?”

  “Don’t act like it’s y
our first time,” Lotus taunted.

  “Yeah, it would be.”

  “Okay, do it…for me.”

  Kent shook his head. “I’ll do it for you but I better not see this shit on WorldStar.”

  Lotus laughed. “Nah, baby this is for my eyes only.”

  “Keep it sexy,” she told him before disconnecting the call.

  Kent positioned the camera to catch him in the shower then proceeded to tape a show for her. Videos weren’t usually his thing, since that was too much evidence lying around to possibly get into the wrong hands. However, this was Lotus and if she asked him to strip naked and run through Centennial Park, he’d probably do it.

  When he finished, he wrapped a fluffy towel around his waist then stopped the recording. Kent sent the file to Lotus, with a sexy message attached then waited for her call. Five minutes later, when he hadn’t heard from her, he dialed her number.

  “Hey, did you get my message?” he asked when she finally answered.

  “I can’t stop watching it,” she confessed.

  He frowned. “I was waiting for you to call me.”

  “I couldn’t move…”

  Kent smiled. “Who’s nasty now?”

  “I want you to send me one every day until I see you again,” Lotus told.

  “Hell nah,” he protested. “I’m not some Instagram chick.”

  Lotus laughed softly. “You could slide it into my DM.”

  “That’s not where I slide into…” he said sexily.

  She clenched her thighs, recalling how he liked to slide in, hot and slow. Feeling herself getting warmer, Lotus changed the subject.

  “How was your day?” she asked.

  Kent groaned. “The worst.”

  “Why?”

  “My little Momma is across the country and I can’t eat,” he confessed.

  Lotus became sad. “Aww baby, go let your Momma make your favorite.”

  “I’ve been there,” he said quietly. “I told her what you did to me.”

  “What did I do to you?”

  “You put the whammy on me with that little hot ass honey pot,” he complained.

  Lotus laughed. “You complaining?”

  “I was, but you don’t care.”

  “Nah, I don’t because you like to stir this honey pot,” Lotus whispered.

  Kent glanced down his body. “I’m ready to stir it right this minute.”

  Lotus moaned. “After watching that video, I’m ready too.”

  “Are you settled into your hotel?” Kent questioned.

  “Yeah, Lily always puts me up somewhere really nice.” Lotus told him. “It was nice to see my Momma and the kids. I’ll spend more time with them this week.”

  “Have a good time while you’re there,” Kent said firmly.

  “And what are you going to be doing?”

  Kent laid back across the bed. “Working my ass off.”

  “Did you deliver my message to Carla?” Lotus asked.

  He closed his eyes. “Carla has lost her damn mind completely.”

  “What happened?”

  “Her crazy ass came to work dressed up like you.”

  Lotus frowned. “What do mean dressed up like me?”

  “Like your hair, your dress, your jewelry…the whole damn thing.”

  “Ohhhh…” Lotus commented. “That sounds…creepy.”

  Kent agreed. “Tell me about it. She told me that she hopes you break my heart.”

  “No, not breaking any hearts.” Lotus confirmed. “Especially not one that’s so sweet and kind.”

  He smiled. “I’m probably going to have to report her if she escalates anymore.”

  “And before she gets these hands,” Lotus added.

  “You and them damn hands, I can’t wait.”

  Lotus nodded. “Don’t sleep on the hands, I’m telling you.”

  Laughing, Kent said, “Okay little Momma. Don’t worry about Carla.”

  She was quiet for a moment until he asked, “What’s wrong?”

  “I miss you.”

  Kent sat up. “You want me to translate what that means when you say that to me?”

  “Sure, what do you hear?”

  “I hear, Kent come to LA and show your ass.”

  “That’s not what I said,” Lotus said slowly. “So maybe I should rephrase.”

  He ran a hand down his face and sighed. “It’s so hard Lotus.”

  “Are you talking about sex?”

  “No woman! I’m talking about being away from you,” he corrected. “You so damn freaky.”

  Lotus smiled. “You make me that way.”

  “When I see you again, we tearing up some shit…” he vowed.

  “Now, I know you’re talking about sex.”

  Kent shook his head. “Not sex baby, what we have is way more than that.”

  “It’s something that I’ve never experienced before with anybody but you,” he finished.

  “So you’re saying, Lotus, get your ass on a plane and come home to me?”

  He smiled. “Nah, not yet baby…but I like your translation.”

  ******

  Justin and Jordan entered the Black Diamond Building then headed up to his office. When Justin was seated he looked over at his son.

  “Well this is it, I guess.”

  Jordan lifted a brow. “It might be for you.” He headed to the door. “I’m going to get Trent since he’s in his office today.”

  “Wait here for the others,” Jordan instructed. “They won’t kill you.”

  Justin stood. “Maybe I should talk to Trent first.”

  Jordan frowned. “You don’t understand. I may have to physically fight this boy right now to keep him from killing you, so you just need to let me handle this.”

  Jordan closed the door behind him before he walked to the other side of the floor. He found Trent in his office and stepped quietly inside. Dark eyes met his before Trent got to his feet.

  “What’s up Jordan?”

  “He’s here.”

  Those dark eyes narrowed. “Where?”

  “In my office.”

  Trent rounded the desk quickly and headed towards the door before Jordan blocked him. The two stood eye to eye.

  “Leave your weapon here,” Jordan instructed.

  Trent frowned. “What?”

  “You heard me Trent.” Jordan said forcefully.

  Trent stepped back and stared at his brother. “You talked to him?”

  Jordan nodded.

  “So now you’re cool with what he’s done?”

  “I didn’t say that.” Jordan corrected. “But no weapons in the room, that’s too much temptation.”

  They continued to stare at each other for a few minutes, before Trent removed his piece and placed it inside his desk. He returned to where Jordan was standing and lifted his hands, “We good now?”

  Jordan studied the man who’d he’d met as a lost teenager. The man who shared his blood and was his brother in every sense of the word. The brother he loved more than he ever thought he could. Jordan placed a hand on Trent’s shoulder.

  “Whatever goes down…I love you.”

  Trent looked at him. “I know Jordan. I love you too.”

  Jordan nodded. “Let’s go.”

  The two men walked back to Jordan’s office and Justin stood as they entered the room. His eyes connected with his youngest son and he saw the combination of hurt and anger.

  “Trent,”

  “Justin,”

  Jordan stayed close to Trent’s side because even though he didn’t have a weapon, the boy had hands out of this world in addition to knowing Jiu Jitsu.

  “Hello son,” Justin said quietly.

  Trent shook his head. “Nah, I wouldn’t start there.”

  Justin nodded. “Why don’t you tell me where I should start?”

  “Why don’t you start at how you slept with my married mother and end somewhere around how you gave me away and didn’t give a fuck about what happened to me?
I think that’s about right,” Trent told him and Jordan sighed.

  “On second thought,” Trent headed in Justin’s direction and Jordan moved with him. “Why don’t you just go back under the rock that you climbed your ass out of?”

  Justin eyes narrowed. “Or why don’t you calm your ass down and listen to what I’ve got say?”

  “You don’t tell me what to do!” Trent yelled. “You gave up that right a long time ago.”

  Jordan hoped that Sean would arrive soon. He’d probably need some assistance on this one.

  “I’m not going to stand here and listen to you talk to me like that!” Justin replied.

  Trent lifted both brows. “What are going to do?”

  “You need to at least find out the truth Trent!” Justin told him.

  Trent smirked. “You wouldn’t know truth if it bit you in your ass.”

  Jordan looked at his watch. Where the hell was Sean?

  Justin stepped forward. “One more damn time,” he warned.

  Trent laughed. “Old man, you don’t want this.”

  Before anyone knew what happened, Justin had Trent by his shirt. Jordan went to intervene as Trent began a patented move to take down his attacker. Both Trent and Jordan were surprised when Justin countered the move with one of his own. Although Justin was obviously very skilled, Trent was younger and stronger, and managed to push Justin away before Jordan stepped between the two angry men.

  The door opened and Sean took in the looks on all of their faces. He sighed knowing that security was probably going to be needed after all.

  “Don’t ever put your damn hands on me!” Trent yelled at Justin.

  “Then watch your damn mouth!” Justin countered.

  “Hey!” Jordan yelled getting their attention. “Both of you, sit the hell down!”

  Both men looked angrily at Jordan before taking seats on opposite sides of the room. Sean sat near Trent while Jordan took a chair next to Justin. Ray entered the room and looked around.

  “Damn, what did I miss?” he asked.

  “Sit down Ray,” Jordan told him.

  Ray walked over and sat near Justin. “So you’re the missing Daddy?”

  “Yes, Ray…that would be me,” Justin answered, shaking his head.

  Glancing over at the seething Trent, Ray lifted a brow. “I guess this isn’t a happy reunion so far.”

  Trent frowned at Ray as Sean intervened. “Hello Justin.”