“I fell.”
“She ran into a door.”
She and Kira said at the same time. Zenobia tried not to groan out loud. Though her eye was throbbing, she had temporarily forgotten that there was a bruise.
“She was getting ready to go into the gym downstairs and tripped just as someone was coming through the door. I was just telling her that she should probably go and get it checked out.”
Still looking from one to the other, Elijah nodded, as if understanding, but he didn’t look convinced.
Zenobia really didn’t care. She was relieved her cousin hadn’t told him the truth. Now all Zenobia had to do was wait to hear back from Ashton.
First, she had a wallet to return.
Chapter Three
“Mama always said you had a hard head.”
Angelo glared at his brother who was standing next to the hospital bed, a tablet in his hand. Of all the days to end up in the emergency room, it had to be while his brother, Dr. Mateo González, was on duty. He should probably be happy Mateo was on staff, but now Angelo had to convince him not to tell their parents about this visit. Having a close-knit family had its disadvantages.
“I assume we’re keeping this visit between you and me, right?” Angelo asked in a whisper. “Doctor-patient privilege.”
He was laying in one of the emergency rooms that had three curtained-off spaces and very little privacy. Though he was in the last bed near the farthest wall, he still wasn’t trying to let everyone hear their conversation. And he was totally prepared to negotiate or even use a little blackmail to keep his brother from sharing his business with anyone.
“Not exactly,” Mateo said, eying him critically. “According to the cops, witnesses say you blacked out, Lo.”
The cops had just left the hospital after asking him a ton of questions about the incident. He gave them as much information as he could, except the identity of the woman. As far as he was concerned, she was just another jogger.
“And you have a mild concussion,” his brother said.
“But I’ll live. You don’t have to say anything to Momma or Pops or anyone else for that matter.” He might’ve been thirty-seven, but right now, Angelo was acting like he was ten, begging his brother to keep his mouth shut. His mother had put the fear of God in them years ago, daring them to keep important information from her.
“Too late, I already—”
Angelo bolted upright, but immediately regretted the move when the room started spinning. He grabbed his head with both hands and gently laid back down on the pillow.
“Why would you call them? You know how Mom is. I’m fine, and she’ll be worried for nothing.”
“If you’d let me finish, you’d know that I didn’t call them. But I did call Kenton.”
“Oh.” Angelo relaxed, but winced when the bruise on the back of his head rubbed against the pillow. The banging in his skull was getting worse by the minute. He had refused any medication, but might have to break down and take something.
“You’re going to need to be watched for a few hours, and since I can’t leave, I called him. But now I’m thinking that I should’ve called a family member, and let one of them deal with you.”
“Ken is family,” he said, referring to one of his best friends and fellow security specialist. The Atlanta’s Finest team, as many referred to them, was just as much of his family as Mateo and their brothers.
“When can I get out of here?” Angelo asked, rubbing his jaw where the would-be kidnapper had slugged him. Though he was hit hard enough, he was glad he didn’t lose any teeth.
“I suggest you quit being a stubborn jerk and take the pain meds.” Mateo nodded to the pill on the tray next to the cup of water. “I’ll release you in an hour or so, but not until Kenton gets here.”
As if saying his name conjured him up, Kenton Bailey appeared at the opening of the curtain, along with Myles Carrington, another one of Atlanta’s Finest.
“Oh good, we were just talking about you,” Mateo said to Kenton, shaking his hand before shaking Myles’s hand. “He’s being his usual pain in the you-know-what self, but you can take him out of here in a while.”
Mateo said his goodbyes and closed the curtain behind him. Kenton flanked one side of the bed, and Myles the other.
Kenton, a former FBI agent and one of the biggest guys on Supreme’s team, stood well over six feet tall and was built like a Mack truck. Myles might not be as big, but he was tall and had a lean, muscular body like an MMA fighter. He was the one who taught Angelo some of his fighting moves. A former CIA spy, the guy looked harmless enough, but moved like the wind and could kill a man with his bare hands.
“Concussion, huh?” Myles said.
“Mild concussion,” Angelo corrected. His brother was right about one thing, he did have a hard head. He played football throughout most of their childhood. Getting banged up was second nature, and Angelo always bounced back. Once he got rid of the headache, he’d be as good as new.
“You missed Egypt’s party and the big announcement. Your boy popped the question,” Myles said, nodding toward Kenton.
“Get out of here. Does that mean congratulations are in order?”
“Yep, Egypt said yes, and she already requested that you sing at the wedding.” Kenton grinned as if someone had just awarded him a million dollars. He and Egypt had been skirting around each other for years. Angelo wasn’t surprised that Kenton had finally popped the question. Considering all that they’d been through the last few months, he and Egypt deserved some happiness.
“Whatever the queen wants. I’m there,” Angelo said.
“She’s also concerned about you. We all are. Wanna tell us what happened?”
“Not really,” he said, but gave them the CliffsNotes version of what went down; a similar speech like the one he gave the cops with just a few more details.
“So, let me get this right.” Kenton folded his arms across his massive chest. “Two guys tried to kidnap a woman while she was out jogging, and all of them got away, leaving you bleeding on the sidewalk?”
Angelo rolled his eyes, then slammed them shut and rubbed his forehead. He couldn’t ever remember having a headache as bad as the one currently hammering inside his skull. Maybe he was being stubborn by not taking the pain medication.
He reopened his eyes to tiny slits. As if reading his thoughts, Myles handed him the small container holding the pill, as well as the cup of water.
Angelo took the items without comment, swallowed the medication, then laid his head back down.
“Would you recognize the woman if you saw her again?” Kenton asked.
Hell, yeah, he would recognize her, but instead of telling his friend that, he said, “Maybe, but right now, all I want to do is get out of here.”
Angelo didn’t know what was worse, having his friends know that he got his ass kicked. Or knowing that he could’ve been killed all because he’d let a woman distract him. Even now, he wondered if she’d gotten far enough away before those goons caught up to her.
Kenton’s cell phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. “I’ll be back.” He left the tight space, pulling the curtain closed behind him.
“We spar together every week,” Myles said the moment they were alone, looking at Angelo in that way that would make a weaker man shrink under his stare. He had a gift for making people squirm. “You should’ve been able to handle two untrained guys. So, what really happened?”
Angelo inhaled then exhaled slowly, suddenly feeling more tired than he had moments ago. “We had a moment,” he finally said. He didn’t add that the woman’s hypnotic hazel-brown eyes had turned him stupid.
“What do you mean? You and the woman?”
“Yeah. I can’t explain it, but something passed between us. Something I’ve never experienced before. I know it sounds crazy, but I got distracted.”
“You’re right. It does sound crazy,” Myles said seriously, and Angelo chuckled. They both loved
women, but neither of them was the settling-down type, especially Myles.
A former spy, Myles had once confided that he had too many enemies, known and unknown, to allow himself the luxury of getting into a serious relationship. He was already concerned that his family might someday be targets for people trying to get back at him. He didn’t want to fall for a woman and then make her a target, too.
As for Angelo, his trust issues kept him single. It was his experience that most people, especially women, had ulterior motives for wanting to get close. Keeping them at a distance worked for him, and he never got involved with a woman unless she knew the deal.
“What else?” Myles questioned. Angelo opened his mouth to deny that there was anything else, but Myles lifted his hand and shook his head. “Don’t shit me. You already know one of us,” he said, referring to their teammates, “will find out the truth. So, spill it.”
He was right. The guys he worked with came from every area of law enforcement and were the best in their individual fields. Supreme’s owner had dubbed them Atlanta’s Finest. They didn’t only provide personal security. They were also good at digging for information.
“I recognized her,” Angelo finally said. “It was Zen, the singer.”
“Wait. The singer who opened for Boyz to Men a few months ago? The woman Parker said he needed to meet because he wanted her to be the mother of his future children?”
“That would be the one.”
Parker, one of Atlanta’s Finest younger teammates, had made the comment after seeing her in concert. The declaration hadn’t bothered Angelo at the time, but now, for some reason, it bugged the hell out of him.
Myles blew out a long whistle and shoved his hands into the front pockets of his dress pants. Their usual uniform was a black suit, with a black button-down shirt and tie. Myles had been on the schedule earlier and must’ve shed his suit jacket and tie on the way to the hospital.
“She’s a looker,” he said. “It’s no wonder you were distracted.”
“It wasn’t just her looks.” Although that was part of it. “It was something else. Hell, I didn’t even recognize her at first. She was wearing a baseball cap pulled low, barely revealing her eyes. It wasn’t until those guys tried getting her into the car and the hat fell off that I recognized her.”
“So, you gon’ try and find her, see if she’s all right?”
“Yeah, and I need to get my wallet back from her.”
“Hold up.” His friend leaned on the bed. “What do you mean? How the hell did she get your wallet?”
This was the part Angelo really didn’t want to share, knowing he was never going to live this next bit of information down.
“Not only is she beautiful and sings like an angel, she’s also a thief.”
*
Zenobia yawned for the third time in minutes as she sat in the passenger seat of Ashton’s Dodge Challenger, gazing out the tinted window at the city flying by in a blur. He had called her after midnight, telling her to stay put until he got off work. She ended up falling asleep and didn’t hear back from him until morning, an hour ago, saying that he was getting her some protection.
For the most part, neither of them said much as the tunes of Sade flowed through the speakers. Zenobia had grown up listening to R&B artists like her, Anita Baker, Shirley Murdock, and a few others. Their voices and styles were so unique that it only took hearing a few notes of one of their songs to know it was them. They’d had a great influence on her tone and style.
She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. Nine o’clock. By nature, she wasn’t one of those people who rolled out of bed bright and early and looked forward to getting their day started. No. She was a night owl, and after Ashton’s call, it had been pure torture to get up and moving. Not even the strong cup of coffee she’d had a short while ago helped.
Staying the night at Kira’s again instead of going home had been a good idea. Zenobia’s 4,000-square-foot house in Buckhead had a top-of-the-line security system. Yet, she hadn’t wanted to be there alone. Her housekeeper, Sofia, who was like a mother to Zenobia, was out of town for another week. Depending on what Ashton had planned, she might stay in a hotel until Sofia returned.
Pushing the large rimmed sunglasses up on her nose, she glanced at Ashton. “Where are we going?” A noisy yawn slipped through before she could stop it. “Sorry. I guess you’re the one who should be yawning since you worked all night.”
He gave her a crooked grin and split his attention between her and the road. “I’m sure I will be soon. I don’t usually need much sleep, but I’ve been putting in long hours lately.”
They’d been neighbors for years before she purchased a home and moved away. Their friendship had developed into one of brother and sister, but Zenobia didn’t see or talk to him as often as she used to. Their individual lives kept them both busy.
Ashton turned off the main street. They were still in Midtown, but he drove through a neighborhood that Zenobia wasn’t familiar with.
“While I look into your situation, I’m hooking you up with a group of people I would’ve recommended to you months ago had you told me what was going on.”
Now she wished she had told him she was no longer using the other security firm. Between the occurrences at the lake house and the attempted kidnapping, Zenobia had to admit that she was a little scared. She didn’t know who was behind the incidents, but knew she needed someone to watch her back.
Ashton made a right turn on a street that housed a huge warehouse. At least, it looked like a warehouse. When he parked in front of the building, Zenobia glanced at the signage.
Supreme Security.
Oh, no. What were the chances that he’d take her to the place where Angelo worked? She hadn’t told Ashton about the wallet incident. As a matter of fact, she didn’t plan on telling anyone. It hadn’t been one of her proudest moments.
As for Supreme, Zenobia had done an internet search on the company. Though their reviews were stellar, she’d planned to look at a few other security firms for fear of running into Angelo again. It was safe to assume that he wouldn’t be pleased to see her after she stole from him. Even if she had the wallet delivered by messenger only hours after she’d taken it, it was the principle of the matter.
Body wound tight, Zenobia wasn’t sure if she wanted a face to face with him. What would he think of her? Besides that, what if he had bad-mouthed her to his coworkers? They would never take her on as a client.
“Ashton, I don’t know if this is a good idea. Can’t you recommend another company? Or better yet, can I hire you for my security detail?”
Ashton removed the key from the ignition and turned to her. He was such a good-looking man with smooth honey-brown skin, kind eyes, and a smile that would put anyone at ease. He might’ve been one of the nicest men she knew, but there was still a hardness about him that peeked out from time to time. As a police detective, he saw a lot of craziness on the job, but for the most part, his work hadn’t made him bitter.
“If I had the time, I might would take you up on your offer, and you already know Atlanta PD can’t provide the type of protection you need,” he explained, his right arm resting on the back of her seat. “I do a little moonlighting for Supreme from time to time when I’m off duty. They’re good people, and I would trust any of them with my life.”
She had only met one of their employees, but if the rest of them leaped into action the way he had, she believed she’d be in good hands. She thought about Damon Cannon, the owner of the last security firm she’d used. He put on a nice front, but he’d ended up being a total asshole.
“Come on. At least meet the managing partners. I already made an appointment for you. They’ll be able to answer any questions you have and address any concerns. If you’re still not convinced after meeting them, then I’ll come up with another plan.”
Zenobia nodded. “Okay, and thanks for your help with this. I know you must be tired. If you need to leave, I’ll understand.”
&n
bsp; “I’ll stick around until you meet with them, but I’m pretty sure you’ll be satisfied with what they have to offer.”
Yeah, that’s what she was afraid of. She had a feeling Angelo had the ability to satisfy any woman. At least a woman who wasn’t a thief.
Chapter Four
Angelo González.
Seeing him again was like a fantasy come to life. He was even more breathtakingly handsome than he’d been the day before. She and Ashton had just stepped into the spacious receptionist area, and to her surprise, another man and Angelo were standing there.
Zenobia’s gaze slid over him. Warmth spread through her body like a wave crashing against a seashore. He was even bigger and more intimidating-looking than she’d remembered. There was also an air of mysteriousness about him that aroused all her girlie parts. Especially the ones that hadn’t been touched in God knows when.
She couldn’t stop looking at him. When she was growing up, her friends would’ve referred to him as a pretty boy. His coal-black hair looked so thick Zenobia itched to run her fingers through it. Yesterday when she saw him, she thought he was white with a nice tan. After learning his name, she realized he was Latino. But now seeing him up close and personal, he looked to be mixed-race. With what, she wasn’t sure.
Goodness.
Mr. Tall, Gorgeous and Downright Sexy was dressed completely in black. James Bond and Idris Elba in a tuxedo had nothing on this man. His tailored suit enhanced his ultra-fit body to perfection, showing off a wide chest and broad shoulders that tapered down to a narrow waist. The shirt and tie, a glorious shade of onyx, only added to the sophisticated ensemble.
Zenobia glanced at the other man, almost as handsome, standing nearby and dressed exactly the same. Good Lord. Was this how they sat around the office? Looking like sex on a stick waiting to be chosen by a client?
But it was Angelo who kept snagging her attention. Those eyes. Dark as the night sky, his sharp, assessing gaze took her in as though seeing straight to her soul. Ashton said that he’d called ahead, but Angelo stared at her like he couldn’t believe she was standing in his presence. It was safe to assume that he was just as surprised to see her as she was to see him.
Betrayed Page 3
