View Park, page 24
When the phone rang, it sounded like it was in another room through Avery’s haze. She turned her head, seeing it right next to her bed, and groaned out loud while Carter’s tongue traveled down her neck. She didn’t want to answer it. All she wanted to do was be with this man who had the hardest, hottest body her hands had ever touched. She ignored the phone and turned her attention to getting Carter’s shirt off.
Then her cell phone, sitting right next to the phone, went off and voices in the back of Avery’s head started talking to her.
“No.” Carter tried to pull her arm back as it reached out. “Let it go.”
“I know it’s my mother. I’ve…Just…a…second.”
Carter sighed, lifting himself enough to let her roll away. Where women got their strength he would never know. He wouldn’t have even noticed a fire if it started a few seconds ago.
“Hello?…Hi, Alex.”
Carter looked up with a jolt and caught her eyes, which previously dancing were now tearing up with guilt and shame. When she turned her back to him, Carter felt a sense of defeat that he wasn’t willing to get used to. Did he really want her or did he just want what he wanted?
No, he wanted her and when he closed the door to her room behind him, he knew only one thing mattered now. Alex had to go.
Seeing Janet sitting on their bed, reading peacefully, Steven wondered how she could be so calm at a moment like this. It was probably the Valium. He had taken her bottle from their bathroom, but knew she stashed more elsewhere because she never said anything to him about it.
“Kimberly said the boys are eating now.” He joined her on the bed. “When they’re done, they’re heading out for the night and the boys are ours.”
“That’s fine.” She rubbed his arm. “I want to know what’s going to be done about Detective Jackson sneaking into Haley’s hotel room.”
Steven wasn’t in the mood to hear any more of her ranting about that boy. He wasn’t too happy about it either, but he couldn’t deny he respected the young man’s initiative.
“If he can get in,” she said, “why can’t that scum?”
“What’s important is that he’s making progress.” He caressed her arm. “They have that woman under arrest and they’re talking to her.”
“What is she saying?”
“They can’t tell us yet.”
“Is he questioning her?”
Steven sighed, taking the book from Janet. “Janet, he’s the best detective for this case. Everything went cold with Davis. I shouldn’t have ever had him taken off.”
“But you did.”
“Everything is different now. Carter is going to be cleared and I know this lead will turn out good for Haley. Sean assures me.”
“You trust him?” she asked.
Steven nodded. “I’ll admit I’m not too crazy about him with Haley.”
“He can’t handle her.”
“That’s obvious,” Steven said, “but as long as she holds his interest, he’ll work hard.”
“He’s still Charlie Jackson’s son.”
Steven sighed, feeling a rush of heat run through him. “Right now, I’m backing away, but trust me, I’m not finished with that man.”
Janet leaned back against the pillows, feeling restless. “I just…Steven, I’m…”
“Things are getting better, Janet. That’s all I’m saying.”
Janet wasn’t finished with Sean, but she knew when to move on. “When Carter gets back from Las Vegas, you need to be the first to hug him.”
“He didn’t even ask to talk to me when he called.”
“Can you blame him?”
“I bailed his ass out of jail.”
“Which he was in because of doing work for you that he shouldn’t have been.”
Steven handed the book back to her. “I’ll call him.”
“You will not call him.”
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll go over there and talk to him. Then I’m going to ask him what he thinks he’s doing running after that woman like a lovesick puppy.”
When Avery arrived home from church, she was thinking of the sermon, remembering all the blessings she had to be grateful for, and realized that she hadn’t thought of Alex. She wanted to blame him for all of this, but he wasn’t responsible for her heart. She still wore the ring he gave her on her finger and when she found him sitting on her doorstep like a lost little boy she knew she still cared for him.
“How was church?” he asked, standing.
“Come inside.” She remembered taking away her key during their last argument. It was childish in hindsight, but all she could think of to do.
Alex stood in the doorway. “First, you tell me what’s going on. Are you sleeping with Carter?”
Avery held her breath for a while before answering, “No.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “Because I would expect you to slap me just for asking if you weren’t.”
“I’ve never hit you, Alex, and I never will. No matter how mad you make me.”
“But you aren’t mad, are you?” he asked.
“I don’t want to be mad. I just came from church and Craig is going to jail. I’ve settled all my debts. Just be happy for me, Alex.”
“What was he doing in Vegas with you?”
Avery sighed, unwilling to aid this conservation.
“Whatever his reason for being there,” he said, his voice catching a bit, “he had to think he would get something out of that. I mean, don’t you find that a little obsessive?”
“It was all for a reason,” she stated. “It worked out.”
“Avery.” Alex took a deep breath to pace himself, looking down at the floor. “I don’t want to lose you. I know I don’t deserve you, but I…I do love you.”
Avery couldn’t remember the last time she heard him say the L word. The last time he stood before her so humbled. She felt sorry for him even though he was managing to once again make this all about himself.
“Then what’s wrong with us?” she asked.
“We need a firm commitment,” he said. “If we set a date, we could be committed to making this work. It’ll be real for us.”
It had always been real for her.
“Just promise me we can work this out.” He reached for her.
She took his hand and let him pull her to him. She leaned up and when his lips came down to kiss her Avery felt nothing but guilt.
“I’ll try, Alex. I promise I’ll try.”
“I swear to God, Michael.” Carter loved his nephews, but they were like wild animals. They were running around his place like it was a backyard and his bachelor pad was not twin-proof. “If they break something, you’re paying for it. Can you tell them to calm down?”
Michael shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you. It’s those damn Rice Krispy Treats Maya gave them. I don’t know how to handle them and Kimberly won’t let me spank them.”
“Won’t let you?”
“You know her dad used to beat her up,” he said. “That’s why she ran away from home. She’d rather see me dead than lay one hand on them.”
“I’m just saying—” Carter tried unsuccessfully to grab them as they ran by him screaming like they were on fire. “Why do you have them, anyway?”
“Kimberly is having dinner with your girlfriend.” Michael delighted in the look on Carter’s face. “I thought you’d like that.”
“Avery isn’t talking to me at all.” Carter had been aching to call her since getting back from Las Vegas, but he couldn’t. It was her game now. He knew she would reach out to him again, but she hadn’t and he knew Alex was the reason why.
“Kimberly can get anything out of anyone.” Michael knew that all too well.
“I need to get rid of Alex.”
This was Michael’s kind of game. “You wanna go get him?”
“Calm down, boy. I’m talking about the smart way.”
“Sometimes it’s smart to kick a guy’s ass.”
The object was to get Avery and she wasn’t going to be impressed with violence. Carter had to find another way and he had to do it quick, while he still had the advantage of her slight in Vegas.
Daniel pushed Evan against the wall hard and Michael yelled at him.
“Don’t worry,” he said to Carter. “It’s only a matter of time before they’re knocked out.”
“It’s pinching my nerves,” Carter said.
“You talk to Dad?”
“He talked to me. It’s cool. He said what he could, but you know him with apologies.”
“I can’t stand this thing between you two,” Michael said. “It’s like you won’t submit to his anger, so he directs it at me instead.”
“I’m sorry, Michael.”
“You could fix all of this. Just come work for him. You could be chief general counsel.”
“You couldn’t handle the competition.”
“Very funny. Chase Beauty is going to be mine; you and I both know that. It would just make things so much easier if—”
“If I lived his dream for me.”
Michael envied Carter for having the nerve to be the same person he would’ve been if he wasn’t a Chase. Michael couldn’t even imagine who he could be without his father or his last name. His father was God to him.
“Sorry,” Carter said. “I’ve got my own dream and—”
The sound of glass crashing had both men dashing down the hallway where Daniel and Evan stood staring at the vase, jumping out of the way of the water that trickled down the hallway’s wooden floor.
“Are you hurt?” Michael asked.
They both shook their heads and said no at the same time.
“What happened?” Carter asked.
They looked at Carter, then at the broken glass and scattered flowers and then back to Carter before saying, “Nothing.”
CHAPTER 13
Sean loved the sound Haley made when he slowly pulled out of her. It was like a satisfied whimper and it shot his ego to the roof. But he was only human and after three rounds, he rolled beside her sweaty and exhausted. Looking over at her, the smile on her face made him feel great, but the fact that she never tried to cuddle with him bothered Sean. Not that he wanted to; he hated cuddling after sex. He wanted to go to sleep or take a shower, but he always did it because that was what women wanted. Only Haley never wanted it and it made him wonder if he was as good as the noises she made told him. Haley didn’t come across as the kind of woman to fake it to avoid hurt feelings. If he hadn’t gotten her there, Sean was positive he would have heard about it.
“Sean?” Haley was curious why he always stared at her in silence after sex like he was waiting for something.
“Don’t ask me if I have any weed.”
“I’m being serious. It’s about that woman. Eva whatever.”
“She’s not talking, but don’t worry. She’s still in jail and she’ll break down.”
“How long can you keep her?”
Sean didn’t want to tell Haley that they wouldn’t be able to keep her much longer. They couldn’t charge her with accessory to a murder they couldn’t prove. “Don’t worry.”
“Maybe that works with your stupid girlfriends, but it doesn’t cut it with me.”
“She’s scared, Haley. That’s what we need.”
“Is she scared of you or Rudio?”
She was smart. He shrugged and said, “Still Rudio right now.”
“That’s your mistake,” Haley said. “You need to make her more scared of you.”
Sean threatened Eva with prison and anything else he could think of, but she wasn’t about to give up her meal ticket for more reasons than fear.
“Why don’t you beat the crap out of her?” Haley asked.
“You don’t mean that.” Sean could tell from the look on her face she did. “We can’t do that.”
“If it’s your manhood you’re worried about, then get a female cop to do it.”
“None of us can do it,” he said.
“You mean none of you have the balls to do it.” Haley would have liked a few moments with the woman.
Sean looked down at his watch. “Wow, is it emasculating time already?”
“Stop feeling sorry for yourself.” Haley sat up in bed, wrapping the covers around her. “I’m the one he’s trying to kill. You have to find out what matters most and take it away from her. What about her family?”
“She has a mother and a five-year-old boy,” Sean replied. “I was planning on having them kidnapped this afternoon so I’m way ahead of you.”
“What about her son? Use him to get to her.”
“I’ve already told her she could have him taken away, but she doesn’t even have him. Her mother takes care of him in Santa Barbara.”
“Santa Barbara?” Haley thought for a second. “That’s an expensive ass town. How is it that she’s there?”
“I’m sure Rudio is bankrolling her, too.”
“Take it all away, Sean.”
“Haley.”
“Take it all away and leave it up to her to get it back. She’s not turning because her son is safe with her mom, but what if we make it so her mom can’t take him, then he’ll go into the system? Tell her that Rudio thinks she’s talking and is going to get her son.”
Sean sat up, not wanting to hear anymore. “Let me do my job, Haley. There are rules.”
Haley leaned into him, running her hand up his bare chest. She looked into his eyes, knowing there really wasn’t much work with him anymore. She’d had him quite some time ago.
“I love you, Sean.” She hoped that was convincing. The look on his face made her believe it was. “I just want to be with you. Can’t you break the rules for that? I need you.”
If she only knew all he had done already. He didn’t believe Haley loved him for a second, but it didn’t matter. It felt too good to hear the words to let on that he wasn’t buying them.
“I’ll see what I can do.” He grabbed her, pulling her to him for round four.
“Who is she?” Alicia asked, nudging Leigh aside at the window.
Leigh watched without a word as Richard stepped out of the baby blue BMW driven by an attractive, dark woman with long, flowing hair. He leaned in, saying something and she laughed, flipping her hair back before driving off.
“Have you seen her before?” Alicia asked.
Leigh ignored her, feeling her heart beat quickly as Richard made his way to the clinic. She hadn’t been able to reach him since he sped off from her house despite several attempts at calling him, going by his apartment and even the hospital. He’d even been timing his visits to the clinic against her schedule, which was easy because of the demands Janet was making on her.
She wasn’t giving up. Even if he never forgave her, Leigh had to explain to him what happened. The clinic was opening on December 1st and she couldn’t let her stupid mistakes jeopardize its purpose.
“Hello, Richard.”
After getting over a quick surprise, Richard mumbled her name and something else and kept on walking.
She followed him. “Who is that woman?”
Richard didn’t look behind him. “None of your business.”
“I’m sorry, but I disagree.”
He swung around to face her. “Say one more thing and I’m out of here. I just came by to help put those lights up.”
“You have to let me explain,” she said.
“No more.” His tone was flat despite the emotion in his eyes. “I don’t want to hear it. You kissed him. That wasn’t part of the promise to your mother, so don’t try to make a fool out of me.”
Leigh wanted to explain the fear that she felt when Leo kissed her. It was growing. Leo was calling her nonstop and she was doing all she could to avoid him. The tone in his voice seemed edgy even though he spoke articulately and politely. Her mother told her everything she knew about Leo and said it was all good, but Leigh was beginning to believe there was more her mother was keeping from her.
“I didn’t kiss him. He kissed me, but I didn’t push away and I should have. I know that’s my fault but I don’t have any feelings for him.”
Richard was shaking his head wearily. “I found myself sitting in my car in front of your house spying on you like some crazy stalker. When I saw you kiss him I wanted to get my tire iron and beat the life out of that man. I won’t let you turn me into some obsessive monster because of some complex about your mother.”
“I know what jealousy can do to a person, Richard. I just felt it when I saw you get out of that woman’s car.”
“Not quite an accurate comparison.” He stared at her, seeming reluctant to give anymore, but finally sighed. “She’s my neighbor and she’s just giving me a ride because my car is in the shop.”
Leigh wanted to hug him. “This is why I love you, Richard.”
“Don’t start that, Leigh. Words aren’t going to make me give in this time.”
“It’s not my words,” she said. “It’s yours. Even after everything I’ve done to you, and it was all inexcusable no matter what reasons I gave, you were honest with me. Most men would have relished an opportunity to make me jealous just now. Just to play games and get back at me; to hurt me; but you didn’t. That’s why I love you.”
His expression remained unchanged. “Are we finished, here?”
“I’m ending it with Leo and I’m going to come clean with my mother.”
“Hmm, sounds familiar.” He was sifting through a table full of tools. “I’m busy, Leigh.”
“Things are different now. Carter was cleared and my mother is in a much better state because he’s getting along with Daddy. She says there’s progress in Haley’s case, so—”
“I’m happy for you.” He grabbed the hammer and sack of nails, brushing past her.
She followed him, trying to keep her emotions in place. If she cried like she wanted to, it would seem like a ploy. “We have to work together.”
