King of Morgan Park

by Karen D Bradley

  Daron’s eyes widened as he cocked his head, staring at her.

  “Damn you’re still crazy.” Kathleen chuckled. “You down to meet tonight?”

  “Can I meet tonight?” Cameron stared at Daron waiting to answer until he nodded. “Yeah if you don’t mind me bringing a man who’s visibly shocked I have a female friend.”

  Kathleen chuckled. “Does he have any handsome single friends?”

  “He does, but are you and Jamar still doing your off and on thing?” Cameron tucked the phone between the shoulder and ear to help Daron as he started to clear the dinner plates off the coffee table.

  Kathleen didn’t respond.

  “I’m going to take that as a yes.” Cameron made plans to meet, then laid the cell down. “Hey, if you really want to stay in, I’ll call her back and arrange to meet with her another time.”

  Daron pulled her into his arms. “I don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to see Kathleen in person. I can’t ever recall Bishop mentioning her.”

  “Kathleen comes from a family who are talented at being undetectable,” she explained, heading into the bathroom to put in the brown contacts. “Their services are high in demand.”

  “Is she as lethal as you?” Daron followed her, leaning in the door frame.

  “Her craft is getting in and out of places undetected.” Cameron watched his expressions through the mirror. “She can defend herself, she’s a great shot, but she’s not an assassin or gun for hire. That’s her oldest brother’s thing. I’m surprised that Bishop didn’t warn you about the Frost family.”

  “I find it interesting you’re giving me such a hard time about retiring when your tribe is filled with tethers to your old life. I should be the one worried, not you.”

  “I was never the face of any organization.” Cameron put an index finger over his mouth as he opened it to speak. “Tonight is about meeting a friend, not rehashing old shit. Drinks, friendly conversation and no drama.” At least she hoped, there would be no problems.

  CHAPTER 14

  The first face Daron noticed when they entered was Marquise with his crew sitting in the back. He selected a table that was near the wall where he had a clear view of Marquise’s booth and the entrance. Cameron frowned, glancing in the direction of the men as the waitress took their order and quickly returned since they were so close to the bar.

  “It’s not a good thing that Levi threw down the gauntlet like that. Especially since he hasn’t really done anything but popped up at the center to see me once and invite me to his restaurant.” Cameron sipped the Heineken, cutting her eyes at the booth where the four men surrounding Marquise smoked their cigars. “Maybe his dislike of you is about you being back in business?”

  “Babe, I guarantee you that is not the reason.” Daron wanted to remind Cameron she had said focus on taking Levi down above all else. He glanced at Marquise and knew the last thing he needed was for him to see the two of them not getting along.

  “I’m just making sure you didn’t skip over the obvious choice.” Cameron pursed her lips and narrowed those brown eyes as she tapped the display of her phone. Suddenly, she looked toward the door and smiled. “Maybe we should change locations.”

  Kathleen knocked on the table. “Am I interrupting?” Her black hat pulled low on her face.

  Daron stood, pulling out a chair for their guest. “Not at all.”

  “Daron, Kathleen.” Cameron introduced the two, then waved the waitress over.

  “Nice to meet you.”

  Daron’s phone chimed. He glanced at the display and decided maybe Cameron needed some time alone with her friend. “This is Steve. I probably should take this.”

  “Okay.”

  Daron placed a kiss on Cameron’s forehead before slowly stepping away.

  “That’s his way of giving us a few minutes to catch up,” Cameron said, as Daron moved toward the door, positioning himself so his gaze fell to Marquise.

  “Hey, I’m out with Cam and one of her girlfriends, I’ll have to call you back.” Daron slipped out the door, not wanting Cameron to see the exchange between him and Marquise.

  “What?” Steve’s voice raised an octave.

  Marquise rose from his seat, headed Daron’s way but changed direction.

  “I have to go,” Daron said as Marquise stood near the section of the bar closest to Kathleen and Cameron. He reentered, crossing the tile with long strides.

  “Miss Thing here tells me you have lots of single friends,” Kathleen said as Daron lowered himself into a chair.

  “I have a decent amount.” Daron smiled, taking this opportunity to move to a different location. “How about we go to another bar and the guys meet us there?”

  “I’m good with that.” Kathleen smiled, sipping her beer.

  Cameron laughed but her focus went to Daron, then Kathleen. “You would be. Miss Troublemaker.”

  “Let me see who’s available, then we’ll select a new spot.” Daron sent out a few texts.

  “I hope you don’t mind waiting until my wings arrive.” Kathleen looked around for the waitress.

  “Not at all,” Daron replied, even though he was eager to be somewhere he could relax and enjoy getting to know Kathleen and learn about the dynamics of the two women’s friendship.

  They laughed and talked as Kathleen ate the wings that had been slathered in hot sauce. Daron’s phone vibrated. He’d finally received a confirmation reserving a VIP section of an establishment owned by his friend, Zack Shaw.

  His gaze was glued to the door, following the group of men that entered.

  Cameron rested her hand on his thigh. “Do we have a problem?”

  “I hope not,” Daron replied as Marquise and his men approached the table.

  “Two beautiful ladies with a man who has the intellect of a wad of gum on the bottom of a shoe.” Marquise claimed the empty seat next to Daron.

  “Now that you’ve insulted me, you can leave and allow me to finish enjoying my evening.” Daron definitely didn’t want to get into an argument with Marquise and have him mention The Castle.

  “Ladies enjoy his company while you can. If he doesn’t make the right choices over the next few weeks, I’ll do what most people do with scum, dispose of it.” Marquise rose from the wooden table. “Stay away from my boy, he has the potential to do big things in my organization.”

  Daron didn’t know whether he was referring to Amarion or Reese. “I’ve had enough of these intimidation tactics from a man who’s always hiding behind his bodyguards.”

  “Maybe you want to take this conversation outside.” Marquise nodded to the door. “Maybe I’ll stop wasting time and take you out of the game altogether and permanently end any future conversations.”

  Cameron angled her cell, snapping a few pictures. One of Marquise’s goons advanced toward Daron. Both women shifted their chair and Daron placed his hand on Cameron’s shoulder.

  Marquise snapped his fingers, drawing the attention of the muscled man leaning on the wall near the entrance. He pushed the door open enough so Daron could see Amarion looking confused as he stood outside next to one of Marquise’s goons. Probably unaware that a gun was being aimed at his back as Marquise held up an index finger. “Oh, I haven’t even gotten started yet. When I do, you’ll be willing to handle business any way I see fit.”

  Daron activated the device to prevent cameras from recording, then snaked his arm around Marquise’s neck in a chokehold. He stuck the Beretta into Marquise’s side. “I’m not scared of anyone who threatens children,” Daron whispered in his ear, as the two goons surged forward.

  Kathleen and Cameron got to their feet with their weapons in their hands, daring his goons to keep advancing. Patrons’ heads whipped around, watching the altercation.

  “Be warned, if anything happens to him and I mean even a scratch.” He squeezed Marquise’s neck tightly, staring at the man holding the gun on Amarion. “I’ll have no problem being the sledgehammer that crushes you.”

  M
arquise’s face was flaming red as he waved off the shooter. Daron released his neck but kept the Beretta stuck in his side because one thing he was not, was a fool.

  CHAPTER 15

  Last night, Daron was able to salvage the rest of the evening once they changed venues. Not enough to prevent a heated discussion on the way home or Cameron from sleeping in the guest bedroom. He worked off the frustration by making alterations to an invention for Calvin’s top-secret project. He still couldn’t believe he’d thrown a lit match on a relationship that was already doused with gasoline. It pissed him off that Cameron tossed back the house key, officially ending the pursuit of a lasting union without hesitation. He flashed back to how the morning started.

  Daron sipped his coffee, trying to compensate for only getting an hour of sleep. He retrieved the extra set of keys as Cameron took long strides toward the island. “Was last night’s incident about Amarion and the program?”

  “I can’t even get a good morning.” Daron frowned, inhaling deeply.

  “So, is that a yes?”

  His cell rang and when he answered he received an evil glare from Cameron. “Hey, Steve.”

  “Brandi interrupted Roger’s poker night and turned over tables, literally,” Steve said. The shock carried in his voice.

  “Is she hurt?” Daron stared at Cameron, who looked like she was seconds from ripping the cell from his hands.

  “Nope. It seems Brandi had as many friends in the room as Roger did.”

  Daron ended the call and took a sip of coffee. “I have a long day ahead of me. If you’re not ready to trust me and stop using my past against me, leave the keys with Steve when you see him at the gym.” Daron sat the mug down then placed the house keys in her hands. “If you can, I’ll see you tonight.”

  “No need.” Cameron tossed the keys to him. She shot him a look that dropped the temperature in the room ten degrees below zero. “Clearly, it’s time for us to go our separate ways.” Her lips tightened as her eyes threw daggers at him for a moment before she headed to the door.

  He couldn’t dwell on that at the moment. If he wanted a chance at getting his relationship with Cameron back on the right path, he needed to tackle The Castle problem. He had no intention of begging her to come back. It’s not like he didn’t have a clue what type of woman he was dealing with from the get-go, which was why he was using a firm but gentle approach with her. Unfortunately, Daron didn’t have that in him at the start of the day. With Cameron, the absence wouldn’t make the heart grow fonder. It would only solidify the distance between them. He would have a small window of time to put a plan in place that maneuvered her back into his life before he found himself on the outskirts of hers, along with her father who had made the unforgivable mistake of leaving her in jail.

  Daron was already in the process of gathering intel to bring Marquise to his knees. If he were anything like his godfather, his people were looking for the weakest link to intimidate into doing it their way.

  He slid the silver cufflinks on, partially wanting to miss this event but it was an opportunity to see Ralph in action. Cameron was supposed to attend but then this morning happened. He became frustrated and upset all over again that she walked away so easily. He exited the house and hopped in the Porsche.

  First, he had to bring Marquise to justice, which would be a challenge since he had others committing the crime.

  As he drove, his thoughts were on what had transpired since getting involved with The Castle. Cameron had been right about him being much busier. He parked and entered the school’s gym, today he had volunteered to help with the etiquette event. Alisha’s dark-brown skin glowed under the stage lighting. He wasn’t aware that she was participating, otherwise he would have sent Pedro in his place.

  Alisha’s face seemed fuller as she smiled. Her wavy black hair fell over her face as she adjusted the microphone. He glanced at the designer suit that complimented her figure. Red must be her favorite color. She grabbed something off the podium and headed straight for him.

  “Hey, handsome,” she purred. “Great seeing you again. Let me put you to work. Would you mind helping me set the table?”

  “Not at all.” Daron slid his phone into his jacket. “That’s what I’m here for.”

  She gave him a quick embrace then pointed him in Ralph’s direction. Volunteering gave him an opportunity to see how he worked and handled problems.

  “It’s a great thing you’re doing here.” Daron took one of the tables that Ralph had retrieved from the closet and rested it on the wall.

  “One of these programs saved my life.” He locked up the closet and dropped the key into his top pocket. “I’m just giving back, hoping it will do the same for someone else.

  “How many volunteers do you normally have?”

  “Five to ten depending on the event.” Ralph lifted a table off the wall. “Alisha has been a big help tonight since my go-to person is sick.”

  Daron rolled the table next to him. “Do you have regular volunteers?”

  “Workers from similar programs are usually my normal volunteers. The other volunteers are parents.” Ralph sat the table near a taped X on the floor, then pointed for Daron to do the same at another black taped X. “Some parents want to learn as their child learns. Others are parents who just want to help out.”

  The last few tables were quickly set up to match the others. Seconds later, the kids were rushing in for the event. Etiquette experts stood at the podium while two adults sat at each table to assist the kids. Alisha’s energy and the kids’ excitement were contagious. Hard to stay solemn with the positive vibes circling around him. Alisha kept the kids entertained with games and stories in between speakers.

  The function was over in what felt like a heartbeat. Daron noticed Ralph talking to a red-haired man in a tan linen suit who hadn’t shown up until they were cleaning. Maybe he’s a parent. Ralph pointed inside the room where there were only three volunteers left, including himself. The linen suit left. Daron could only assume that the person he was looking for wasn’t there.

  “I wish I had something like this when I was growing up,” Alisha said as she gathered up the silk flower centerpiece and placed it in a box.

  Daron removed the tablecloth, stuffed it in the laundry bag and trailed her to the next table. “I don’t see it taking you long to catch on.”

  She shifted the box on her hip. “I followed whatever everyone else did.”

  “That’s why we’re here tonight so they won’t have the same experience.” Daron followed her to the corner where the volunteers were stacking all the items.

  “Yes, the girls from my program were at the table with Ralph.” She placed the box down on the stack. “They’re hoping to use what they learned tonight at the Art & Jewelry Gala since two of the girls will be selected to attend.”

  “What is that?” Daron caught the box as it almost tipped over and returned it neatly on top of the pile.

  “An auction that raises money for nonprofits. The more money raised, the more organizations can be helped.”

  “I assume it’s a big deal.”

  “It is. Each artist creates a piece of jewelry that speaks to whatever is painted on the canvas.” Alisha smiled, shoulders lifted slightly in her excitement. “Two organizations are randomly assigned to each set. And will split the proceeds.”

  “Some pairings will bring in more money?”

  “Yes. One pairing is already at a million in the silent online auction. While there’s a cap on how much a single organization can receive, the additional money goes into a fund to sponsor field trips and speakers. Whatever’s left by the end of the school year …” She bent over, picked up a few napkins that had fallen to the floor, then tossed them in the trash. “… They give out scholarships to kids in the program who are graduating and going into college.”

  Daron walked toward another table. “That’s great.”

  “I didn’t understand how much my mom helped and protected me until she died when I w
as in grammar school.” Alisha ran her fingers through her hair. “I’ve had to make a lot of hard choices to survive, some I wasn’t proud of.”

  “So, you really understand these girls.”

  “My dad believed in me earning my keep once my mother was gone. Things changed a bit when he finally settled down again with one woman but she discovered something she didn’t like about him and left us.” Alisha looked over his shoulder. Her eyes widened and the centerpiece she’d just grabbed wobbled in her hand.

  Daron glanced back to see what had stolen her focus.

  Alisha seemed to stare through the door. “Could you help Ralph get the last few tables out?” She placed the centerpiece in the box then looked at the older man struggling to roll out a table.