Eden's Garden, page 11
“Any shenanigans happening yet?” he asked.
My skin prickled as a blush heated my cheeks. I envisioned Camilla’s face, eyes squeezed shut, back arched, mouth slack as she lost herself to her orgasm. Though we hadn’t shared any intimacies in the week and a half since, I noticed a change in tone to our relationship. A new level of exoticness that colored our interactions when she visited or texted as her servant self. Yet, the dynamic of our relationship with Cami came out to play hadn’t changed one bit.
“Which one!” Rhett grinned at me from the passenger seat, his expression a mixture of shocked and pleased.
I mentally gathered myself before I shot him a snarky smile. “That’s none of your damn business, sir. I protect my girls. If she decides to tell people, then you’ll find out. Otherwise, my lips are sealed.”
“But they weeeren’t,” he sing-songed, firing up my blush once more. I smacked his shoulder playfully before we pulled up to check in at the gate.
Once the guard cleared us, it took all of five minutes to arrive at the parking lot for his ship. The behemoth sea carrier rested in a choppy ocean that battered against the hull in futile attempts. The ship’s brethren lined up and down the way, like quiet giants waiting to be unleashed. It was hard to imagine that a hurricane could damage them, but I understood why they had to leave.
“I’ll email you as soon as I hear anything about a return date and time,” he said as he swung his frame out of my SUV. “Until then, try not to behave so much.”
“Hush you. Be safe and I’ll see you soon.”
Rhett issued a curt nod before closing the door and heading across the lot to his ship. I knew he would be fine out there. Probably safer than us, to be honest. But a small part of me still worried, as it always did. Rhett wasn’t just a friend; he was family at this point. My brother I’d never had growing up.
Before shifting into driving, I tapped my Bluetooth button. “Call Denisha.”
A tone blipped at me, and Denisha’s name registered on the dash. Within minutes, her chirper voice filled the line. “Hi, hi!”
“Hey, Neesh. We’re going to have company the next few days while it’s storming,” I responded.
“You’re bringing Cami home?” Her delighted squeal caused me to adjust the volume a notch or two lower.
“No. Maya and Wynn’s apartment is being evacuated since it’s in a flood zone. They’re heading over now, so if someone knocks, it’s them. Go ahead and let them in.”
The tink of dishes clinking together caught my attention, and I smiled. True to her word, she’d logged off her video games to do her chores, and was currently washing dishes. I’d have to praise her for that when I returned. “Why did you ask about Cami? Did you talk to her?”
Denisha paused, and I could feel the change in her energy despite our conversation remaining via phone only. “Yeah…”
“Is she okay? Her apartment isn’t in a flood zone too, is it?” I eased my way through the strangely quiet streets of the base and out onto the main road as we talked.
“I…Camilla made me promise. I…”
My heart sped up at the misery in her voice. “Denisha, why would Camilla make you promise not to tell me if her apartment is being evacuated?”
“You can’t be evacuated from somewhere you’ve already been evicted from.” Denisha sounded more like a child between the pitch of her words and the trembling way she said them. A frightened, worried child. She’d emotionally regressed for the moment, retreating into her Little mentality completely in hopes to pacify and appear as unthreatening as possible. She was afraid of upsetting me, but why?
“Denisha…I understand your promise to Camilla is very important, isn’t it?” I kept my own tone calm and reasonable in hopes of proving to her I wouldn’t act aggressively.
“Mmhm.”
“So let’s play a game. I make guesses, and you tell me hot or cold, okay?”
She sat quietly for a moment, and I envisioned her weighing it out in her head. Her desire to keep a promise against her desire to help her friend and please her matron. “Okay,” she finally said.
“Good. Let’s see… Camilla is in Portsmouth?”
“Cold.”
“Norfolk?” I tried next. She’d want to stay close to her job, so that narrowed down her options.
“Hot!”
Norfolk? I pulled into a business parking lot as I prepared for the next guess. No reason to keep driving toward Virginia Beach if I needed to backtrack and grab Camilla. “She’s staying with friends or a coworker.”
“Cold.” The longer we played, the more Denisha sounded like her usual self.
I decided to try for the other extreme. “She’s homeless.”
“Mmm, luke warm-ish.”
Ew, I didn’t like the sound of that. The idea of Camilla living amongst any kind of instability worried me. I loathed the idea of anyone being homeless, to be fair. “Homeless shelter?”
“Luke warm.”
“Hmm…” I wracked my brain, trying to piece together the puzzle Denisha offered me snippets of. My gaze roved across the various businesses that surrounded me as I sought ideas or answers. In the distance, a red sign flashed off and on, declaring a vacancy. “A hotel?”
“Ding, ding, ding! I mean, hot.”
A hotel? Fuck. There was no way I could list them all. I didn’t even know which ones existed in Norfolk, though I could safely bet it amounted to a fair lot. “I’m going to let you go and I’ll see you soon. I’ve gotta go rescue our friend now, okay?”
“Don’t tell!” Denisha said, her words thick with pleading.
A small smile tugged at my lips. “I won’t. Pinky promise.”
“Thank you. Come home safe. See you soon.” She hung up before I could respond, which was probably a good thing. Her words, “come home safe,” hit like a punch in the gut, bringing the sting of tears to my eyes. No one ever said those words to me before.
I sniffled, pulling myself together before I dialed Camilla. It took a few rings before she finally answered, and each ring sent my gut spiraling further and further with worry.
“Hello, Ma’am. How are you today?” she asked, her voice bright and in no way betraying the truth of her circumstances.
“Good afternoon, Camilla. I’m well today. Do you have a moment to talk?”
“Of course. Is everything okay?” Thinly-veiled concern colored her words, and I knew she worried that I prepared to end things.
I ran through a few ways to approach the situation, and hoped my hesitation didn’t scare her half to death. “With the hurricane coming, I’m finding myself feeling overprotective. Is there anyway I could convince you to spend the next few days at my house? I’ve already asked Maya and Wynn, and they’ve agreed to come too.” I hated not being completely honest with her, and I would tell her the truth—without revealing Denisha’s participation—later. Right now, I simply wanted Camilla safely out of whatever living situation she currently found herself in.
“I…” One second. Two. Five. Ten. “I would be delighted, Ma’am.”
“Wonderful. Can I come pick you up now? I’m in Norfolk at the moment, but it wouldn’t take long to get to you.” Here came the moment of truth.
A loud exhale echoed through the line. “I’m at a hotel here in Norfolk, actually.”
She rattled off the name and, thankfully, I knew where it was. In less than fifteen minutes I sat in the hotel parking lot, helping her load her bags into the back of my SUV. I’d already helped her cancel the rest of her stay, and we’d paid off her remaining balance. As we climbed into the SUV, my phone rang, displaying Maya’s name again.
“Hey, Maya. Are you almost there?” I asked when I answered.
“Yo, we gotta problem. I’m at your house and the cops are here.”
Chapter Seventeen
I wanted to call Denisha. It took every bone in my body not to keep Maya or Wynn on the phone with me while I demanded direct translations. Instead, I forced myself to calm down and get the facts I needed the most. Denisha was not hurt. The house was not burning to the ground. No one was in danger.
However, the cops refused to divulge more, and I needed Maya to step back before that temper of hers landed her in trouble. So, I quietly instructed her to keep Wynn calm and to let Denisha know I was on my way.
Camilla never said a word about my speeding, and I counted it a small wonder that no police lights flashed in my rearview mirror. Traffic, though sparser than normal at this time of day, continued to flow on the interstate as people carried on with their lives. Until the winds picked up and the rains began, life went on.
“I bet it’s her mom,” my passenger finally said as she traced tiny figure eights on my thigh.
“You think her mom is hurt?” I asked, mulling the possibility over in my mind.
I caught the quick shake of her head out of the corner of my eye as I performed another lane change. “No. I think her mom called the cops on Denisha.”
My brow furrowed. Normally, I would have called the idea insane. But when I met the woman, she didn’t exactly seem to fall into the definition of sane to begin with. Perhaps Camilla pegged the situation correctly. “I’m not saying you’re wrong, but what grounds would she have to call them? We live in a clean house. There’s no illegal activities or drugs. I can’t think of a damn thing the police would give merit to that required them to show up.”
“If a call is made, they have to investigate, no matter how baseless.” She sighed and slumped back in the seat, letting her fingers fall lax against my thigh. “Her mom always treats her like she’s handicapped and stupid. Maybe she reported her as a runaway, and since she’s an adult, it took this long before they listened.”
The methodical click of my turn signal filled the vehicle as we both fell silent. Until we arrived and I had a chance to speak to the police—and as primary resident, surely they’d have to tell me what was going on—all we could do was speculate. I hated that. It left too much room to blow things out of proportion.
Another five minutes and we drove down my street. Sure enough, a police cruiser sat in front of the house. Thankfully, the lights weren’t flashing, so we’d be less likely to attract neighborhood gawkers. Nothing to see here, folks. Just an average day here. Move along.
I eased my SUV into the drive and parked outside of the garage next to Wynn’s car. Maya’s motorcycle sat on the curb, facing the cruiser as if challenging its right to be here. A Chihuahua against a German Shepherd, as vehicles go.
Wynn sat on the front steps, hugging Dove while Maya lounged like a panther waiting for the right moment to strike in the open doorway. Her gaze remained on whatever happened inside, and I realized she’d placed herself there as a physical reassurance for Denisha while respecting a boundary and protecting her roommate’s back.
We exited the vehicle and neither Camilla nor I worried about her bags in the back. Both of us went straight into the house, where two police officers stood with my Little. Her wide eyes and the terrified expression on her face made my heart leap in worry.
“Hi, I’m Eden Miller.” I stuck out a hand to the nearest officer. “What seems to be the trouble?”
The female officer took my hand and gave it a firm shake. The set of her lips seemed at odds with the warmth in her eyes, and it was easy to assume when not on the job, she was a personable and easy to get along with woman. Her partner stepped forward and we shook hands as well, and his demeanor appeared more concerned than agitated.
“I’m Office Galloway and this is Officer Hobbes,” the woman said. “You’re head of household, correct?”
“I am.” I stepped lightly between them to snake an arm around Denisha’s shoulders, and she sank into me immediately. Her body trembled and I wanted nothing more than to wrap a blanket around her and snuggle her on the couch while watching a movie or some anime. “Has something happened?”
“Well, we were called here on suspicion of an adult being held against their will.” Hobbes frowned as he explained, and it gave me courage. He didn’t look like he believed the claim much. “It’s been reported that Miss Denisha Harris is missing and unable to ask for help as she is handicapped. That perhaps she is being manipulated.”
“I’m not handicapped!” Her protest burst forth, startling the whole group. “Just because I like to play video games doesn’t mean I’m stupid or retarded or whatever you want to call it. I have a driver’s license even if I don’t have a car. I have a full-time job. I’m a mature, responsible adult, and just because Mom doesn’t like it that I have a girlfriend, that doesn’t mean I’m handicapped.”
“Shhh, it’s okay, sweetie.” I gave her a hug as I tried to soothe her down. I’d never seen her angry before, but apparently this finally pushed her buttons enough to get a real rise. “We’re going to answer any questions they have and explain the situation to them. No one is going to force you to leave.”
“Good.” She looked up at me, brown eyes sparkling with unshed tears and fury. “I’m not going back. She was the one who kicked me out in the first place.”
“You said your mother kicked you out?” Galloway shared a look with Hobbes. “About how long ago was that?”
“Um, a little over month now?” Denisha deflated a bit, as if surprised the police were willing to listen.
“I can confirm. She arrived on Eden’s doorstep, asking for a place to stay with nothing but the clothes on her back. I was here that night. It was on the third Friday of July.” Camilla stood a few feet away, offering the information as if afraid she’d be turned away.
Galloway turned toward her. “Would you be willing to write that in a statement?”
“Absolutely.”
Hobbes, meanwhile, frowned again as he flipped through a notebook. “It says here you went missing a week ago. But if you’ve been living here since mid-July…”
A small gasp emitted from Denisha as she covered her mouth in shock. “I know what happened. I know why you’re here.”
As one, we all turned to her, waiting for an explanation. A thousand possibilities ran through my mind, and all of them involved her mom obviously going off the deep end. Question remained, what sent her over the edge?
“We went to Chincoteague on vacation last weekend, and I’ve been on vacation from work all this week. I… Mom keeps stopping by my work asking my boss to give her my schedule and asking questions. I told my boss not to tell her anything anymore, because I was scared she’d show up and ruin Eden’s house if she knew we were out of town. I bet she tried to get information, has been sitting in the parking lot at work all week, and is finally mad.”
“Denisha, does she keep bothering you at work?” I kept my tone quiet as I tried to feel out the full depth of harassment going on. My brave Little kept so silent on the matter, I’d thought her mom dropped it after our incident in the parking lot. The woman hadn’t approached me since. Apparently the same couldn’t be said of her antics with her daughter.
“She comes during my lunch break a lot. Or she sits in the parking lot across the street and watches me during outdoor time with the kids. She’s always telling me I smell bad or I’m starving or says if I come home, I can have all my stuff back.” Denisha pulled away and I let her go. She walked over to the kitchen counter to grab a tissue and blew her nose. When she finished, she issued a shaky sigh. “I want her to stop, and I’ve told her to leave me alone, but she doesn’t listen.”
“I keep saying you should think about a restraining order, Neesh,” Camilla said quietly.
To my surprise, both officers nodded. “This does sound like harassment,” Hobbes said. “Start saving any voicemails, taking pictures of her car when she’s at your work, and write down when she shows up. Even if you aren’t willing to get one now, it’ll help to have all that if you ever do decide to.”
“She’s my mom. That just doesn’t seem right.” Denisha’s face crumpled with her protest, and once again my heart reached out to her.
“It’s okay, sweetie. No one here is saying you have to do it. We’re only suggesting you at least think about it. Alright?”
After a moment, she nodded. The fact she entertained the idea at all gave me hope. Had I known she was being stalked at work so much, I would have talked to her about this far sooner. Maybe called the police myself. I kicked myself over my lack of diligence in the matter. And yet, if I’d been stricter about knowing every facet of Denisha’s life, didn’t it make me the same level of controlling as her mother? No, I’d done the right thing by treating her like an adult and letting her navigate her life without my hovering over her. Now that I knew about this, maybe she’d be more willing to talk to me about these incidents.
“If we could get each of you to fill out a report, we can get out of your hair. I apologize,” Galloway said. “And Miss Miller, if the mother’s behavior begins happening here at the home, might I urge you to consider taking action on your own behalf, in the best interests of all parties involved?”
“If it comes to that, we’ll certainly consider that course of action,” I responded as I shared a look with Denisha. I wanted her to know her opinion mattered in how we handled it. That, from this point forward, it would be a we thing and not something I took over.
Denisha, Camilla, and I each filled out a written statement. I didn’t know what the other two women wrote in theirs, but in mine I described the night Denisha came to live with me, and then I also wrote about meeting her mom in the parking lot. I hated that it came to this, but she was obviously causing my Little distress, and that I wouldn’t not tolerate.
When the police left, I brought Denisha into a tight hug. “I’ll always be here for you, sweetie. Please never feel like you have to deal with anything alone, okay. I’m here.”
Her fingers dug into my sides as she clutched my shirt in her fists near my ribs. “I wish you never had to leave, Eden. I wish you could stay forever.”
I kissed the top of her head as a knot formed in my throat. Part of me wanted to automatically respond with, “Me too.” But I couldn’t, because the stark reality remained that I could stay. If I chose to, there were plenty of positions in this area on a permanent basis doing exactly what I do.
