Beauty and the Beast (31 page)

“You’re one of my men. Of course I’m here.” He reached in his inner suit pocket and took out an envelope of money. “Here’s a little bonus for your trouble. Keep up the good work.” He patted Ken on the back. “Now I have a meeting to get to. Don’t spend it all in one place.”

Dressed in an olive business suit, Bruce felt out of place in the park. The traffic in the park was light, which he liked. There were enough people to witness if something went wrong but not enough people that folks would overhear their conversation.

He knew right off that the heavyset man who leaned against a large maple and had cornrows and more bling than the law allowed had to be Marco.

“ ’Sup.” Marco nodded.

“Not much. Thank you for meeting me here.”

“You were right, man, this is business, and we both businessmen. What’s up with you and Jay?”

“The woman Butch chopped up is my fiancée.”

“What?” His eyes bugged out of his head. “But… Never mind, go ahead.”

They walked along a dirt path that led through the park.

“I believe her ex-fiancé is involved,” Bruce continued. “His name is Dennis Green.”

“His ass was in to me for six hundred big ones. He has that gambling bug.”

“Six hundred thousand dollars!” Shocked did not explain how stunned Bruce was. He had had a feeling Dennis was hiding something, but to actually have evidence… He shook his head.
This is a mess.
“Home boy needs to step away from the table. He came snooping around the other day. I knew he was up to something.”

Squirrels were busy chasing each other from tree to tree, and a pair ran across the men’s path. If Dennis were to run across Bruce’s path right now, Bruce wasn’t sure what he’d do. That this creep could actually send this butcher after Nefertiti was unfathomable.

“He agreed to find Jay for me. First he talked all of this shit, but I put a nix to that.” Marco spoke with his hands as much as he did with his voice. “But damn, he was playin’ me all along. I knew somethin’ was up.”

“So what do we do now?”

“Butch told your boy Ken that I had something to do with the attack.”

“Ken reported that Jay owed you money.”

Marco turned back in the direction they’d walked from. “Well, Ezel is a crack head, so it makes sense he got shit wrong or just flat out lied. It doesn’t matter now, because the cops think I’m somehow involved, and once Dennis is connected, then he’ll throw my ass to them to save himself. What you gonna do with Dennis if he’s in with this Jay cat?”

“Before or after I choke the life out of him?”

 
“I like yo’ style, man.” Marco laughed. “I like yo’ style. Look, I’ll have my boys keep a close eye on Dennis. I’m sure he’ll lead us to Jay.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

Two weeks later…

“W
elcome home, Daddy!” Anxiety levels at an all time high, Nefertiti jumped off the farmhouse porch and ran toward the SUV. With her father home, she’d have something to think about besides the trial.

“Go on, baby girl.” Nathan’s smile put the noon sun to shame. “You’re acting like I just come home from war or something.”

“You did.” She held his hand and strolled along the sunflower and marigold-lined walk with him. “Auntie Vic is inside. She’s helping Mama plan the wedding. I wanted to have it at Maxwell Manor, but they nixed that idea.”

Bruce carried Nathan’s bags. “That’s not all they nixed.” He took the stairs two at a time. “They won’t even let us be in a room alone without the door open.”

“Good.” Nathan stopped at the steps and took a seat. “Bruce told me the trial starts tomorrow.”

Nefertiti cringed at the word “trial.” All she wanted to do was welcome her father home, not think about facing the monster that had attacked her.

“I want to be there with you, but…”

“I don’t want you there, Daddy. I need you here to watch over Mama. Bruce will be with me. I’ll be fine. They start jury selection tomorrow. I’m told I probably won’t even be needed until Monday or Tuesday. Let’s enjoy these few days of freedom.”

Bruce poked his head out of the front door. “Nefertiti, you just missed a call on your cell. Do you ever carry the thing?”

“Anyone who would call me is here. It must have
   
been a telemarketer.” She held her hand back. “Let me see.”

“Humph,” Nathan grumbled, “telemarketers best think two or three times before using up my minutes on their mess. You want me to call them back for you and give them what for?”

“I think I can handle it.”

Bruce came out of the house with the phone in hand. “Here ya go.”

“Thanks.” She maneuvered to her missed calls. “I have no idea whose number this is, but they’ve called a few times. I’m afraid to call it back, just in case it is a telemarketer. Shoot. I surely don’t want to verify this is my number.”

 
“Let me see.”

She handed the phone to Bruce.

“I know this area code,” he grumbled. “Maybe Rachel is calling from Dixon.” He handed over the phone.

“How are things going over there anyway?”

“Rachel loved the shopping. I may have finally won her over.”

Nefertiti giggled. “Shopping—the cure all. What about the alternative site for Dixon Resort?” She’d already explained to Nathan about the resort. He thought it was a fantastic idea.

“She says the land is nice, but it would take at least six million in additional development to put it on par with what already exists at Dixon Textiles. She suggested I resume purchasing shares of stock.”

“Oh man, that’s too bad. Have you told Roy and Catherine yet?”

“I was at the hospital when Janis called with the news. I’ll call Roy when we go in and send him a copy of the report she says is waiting in my email.”

Nathan stood. “This is all truly exciting, but I’m going in the house and show May how much I miss her. Don’t you two do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“We won’t.” Bruce sat on the stair above Nefertiti’s and wrapped his arms around her. “I think he’ll make it. We all will.”

She rested her back against his chest and melted into the love and security of his embrace. A hundred yards across from the house was a cornfield. Her father rented the land out to a local farmer.

“Remember when we used to pretend the snow-covered field was a diamond-covered desert?” she asked.

He reached out as if to touch the memory. “Each winter I made many a trek across the frozen tundra.”

“We had buckets and buckets of diamonds! But now I see they were worthless because there were so many.”

“The naiveté of childhood.”

“That monster took what innocence I had left. I don’t know how I’ll face him.”
And then there’s Dennis.
She was so angry with Dennis, she couldn’t even grasp what she was angriest about.

Bruce caressed her arms. “I wish I could do this for you.”

She shoved the anger away to deal with later. “I’m worried about Daddy. Maybe he should have waited until after the trial to come home.”

“Auntie May and Vic will take good care of him. It’s you I’m worried about.”

Her cell phone rang, startling them both. She snatched it off the stair and checked the caller ID. In a way, she hoped it was Dennis so she could give him a piece of her mind.

“It’s that Dixon number.”
I need to forget about him.
“Oh man. Maybe it’s Rachel. She doesn’t have a phone yet.” She pressed the call button. “Hello.”

“Hello, Tee. I’m glad I finally reached you.”

She tried to place the voice. And now that she thought about it, she’d received the first call before Rachel left town.

“What’s wrong?” Bruce whispered.

She put up a finger. “I’m sorry, but who is this?”

“Roy. Roy Dixon.”

“Oh, Roy.”

“What the hell does he want?” Bruce bit out.

She scrunched her face and hunched her shoulders. “I didn’t recognize your voice. What can I do for you?”

Before Roy could answer, Bruce snatched the phone from Nefertiti. “What the hell you doing calling my woman?” he barked. “How’d you get this number?”

“Give me back my phone.”

He stood and turned away from her. “You don’t have any business—”

Nefertiti jumped up and snatched the phone. “Don’t ever do that again.”

“Just tell his ass not to call your line again.”

“This jealous, possessive role you’re playing is working my last nerve.” She placed the phone to her ear. “Goodbye, Roy. Please do not call my private line again.” She disconnected.

“Damn skippy he’d best not call again.”

“Listen up, cave man.” She poked him in the chest. “You ever disrespect me like that again, I’ll put my size eights up your butt.”

“Disrespect you! What the…? He calls my woman, yet I’m the one who’s disrespectful.”

 
“You don’t even know why he was calling.”

“The hell I don’t. I saw the way he watched you. I should have nipped that shit in the bud right then and there.”

“And I’m tired of your foul mouth.”

Head cocked to the side, he stared at her. “You’re kidding, right? I’ve been cursing since I was old enough to pronounce ‘sh.’ Let’s get to the real reason you’re chopping my head off. And don’t you dare say it’s because of my jealousy or possessiveness. I’ve been that way ever you since the moment Auntie May showed me your spoiled tail.”

“I’m not spoiled.” She climbed the remaining stairs and sat in the porch swing.

“Yes, you are.” He lightly kissed her lips. “But I love you anyway.”

“If I’m spoiled, then you’re a complete jerk.”

He sat beside her, placed his foot on the wood banister and rocked the swing. “Now that we have that settled, tell me what’s really wrong.” He wrapped his arm around her.

“Dennis,” she drawled. “How could I have been so wrong about him? I mean, I didn’t have a clue.” A chill went down her spine. “I almost married him.”

“He’s a smooth one.”

“You never liked him.”

“Of course I didn’t.” He nudged her. “He was trying to steal my woman.”

“Daddy never said anything, but I could tell he didn’t like him either. I should have paid attention to the warning signs. Do you know what he’s up to now?”

“Not really. Marco’s men will let me know when he leads them to Jay.”

“Then what?”

“Good question.”