“Blessing,” I choked out and looked at Addison. “Addy. You left a shoot…that had to be a lot of money and…”
Addy shook her head. “Nothing’s more important than our sisters. Besides, we rushed through the shoot and Blessing pulled her fashion forward ideas straight out of thin air and the client was thrilled. It all worked out.”
Addison was a high fashion plus-sized model. She had long dark hair with natural caramel and auburn highlights running through it, huge boobs, a size-fourteen body with a god-given hourglass frame, green eyes that shone like emeralds, and the perfect lush pout. Her body looked incredible in anything and knocked the socks off the more inclusive designers. She was also the number one “it girl” for lingerie.
Blessing was the exact opposite. An inch shorter than Addy at five foot ten, but her skin was dark and shiny as a river rock. She claimed it was all that coconut oil she swore by. She had a ’fro that was enviable and could be worked into a pineapple shape on top of her head, wild and out like a lion’s mane, or soft and curly just hugging her stunning face and coal black eyes. She had these beautiful full pink lips almost as poufy as my own, but I took the cake in big plump lips. Though it was Blessing’s smile that could heal the world. Big, bright, and genuine.
Addy came over and hugged me, dipping her head to my cheek and breathing me in. I could feel the wetness against my skin.
I cupped her nape and held her close. “Hey now, don’t start crying or I’m gonna start crying and then we’ll all get going and it will be a hormone fest.”
She giggled against my cheek and then kissed me there before standing up, wiping her eyes, and moseyed over to our mama.
“Oh, my chicklets all in the same house. Now we just need Tabby and Genesis and life would be perfect.” She put her arms out and Blessing and Addy each took their hugs.
“Has anyone heard from Tabby lately?” I asked as Mama handed me and Sonia our cups of tea.
She sighed and I swore I saw her shoulders slump. “Unfortunately, no. I’ve called and left messages.”
“Me too,” Charlie said.
“Si, me too,” Liliana added.
“I’ve had my assistant attempt to call once a day in the hopes that at some point she’d pick up. Last I heard he got some male who told my assistant to screw off and stop calling. Though he didn’t say screw.” Sonia blew on her tea as she raised her brows for emphasis.
“I’ve sent weekly texts and have heard nothing in two months. Has anyone gone over there?” Blessing asked.
Charlie nodded. “Yeah, Gen goes over at least once a week and tries to catch her since her apartment is close to her work, but no dice.”
“I’ve attempted to catch her at the bars she’s frequented in the past and nothing. Ever since that blowout with the dude who stole from Mama Kerri, she’s been incommunicado. My guess, she’s feeling really embarrassed and not taking it well. I’ll try her house again too.” I sipped my tea and sighed.
“Tabby’s loser boyfriends are the least of our concerns. She should be here. I left a message last night telling her that Simone was shot at and almost became a victim of the Backseat Strangler and heard nothing. No text. No call. Zip. What the heck is that about?” Charlie asked on a snarl, her bright red ponytail swinging with her anger.
Sonia ran a hand down my back. “She’s right. Family sticks together and she’s avoiding all of us, especially when we need her most. We need to find her, sit her down, and give her a little intervention of sorts. Help her work through whatever’s going on in her life. Cut out the riff raff, scrape off the losers, and help her get back on her feet. I’m really worried about her.”
“She’s always been a little different,” Mama commented as she placed a tea towel over her shoulder. “Tabby never has been able to handle her demons the way you girls have. It’s always been a struggle, but she’s our family and we’ll be here for her, no matter what the cost. That’s how I raised my girls and I expect you to go to your sister with open arms.” A blonde eyebrow rose in question as she looked at each one of us.
A chorus of, “Yes, Mama,” rang through the open kitchen.
“So, what did the cops say? Do they really for sure think it was the Backseat Strangler?” Addy asked.
I nodded and then shrugged. “I’m supposed to touch base with Agent Fontaine this afternoon. He should know more. He’s the agent who saved my life. Thank God he was wearing a vest…” My eyes glazed over as I remembered the four shots ringing out into the dark night.
I jerked a few times as the memory of each shot going off jolted through my system.
Sonia scooched over to me and wrapped her arms around me from behind. I leaned against her warmth, shaken by the memory.
“It’s okay. You’re safe,” she whispered.
I shivered for a moment and then bit down on my bottom lip, trying desperately to ward off the tears that wanted to come.
“I’m stronger than this…” I whispered, and she nodded against my shoulder.
“Yep. One of the strongest people I know,” she agreed.
Each one of my sisters came over to me, Blessing and Addy at my sides, Charlie and Liliana down on their hunches. Sonia at my back. Every one of their hands on my body felt like a bolt of energy powering through my form and charging me up with their love and support.
“I love you guys. So much. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” I swallowed down the emotion and sniffled a little.
“Good thing you’re never gonna have to find out,” Charlie rubbed a hand down my thigh. “Right, ladies?”
“Sho’nuff!”
“Sisters forever!”
“Hermanas!”
“Family,” Sonia said against my ear before placing a kiss there. “Love you.”
“Man, I’m the luckiest woman in the world.” I had most of my family around me, safe and sound, except for Genesis who I’d see tonight along with Rory after Genesis got off work. And hopefully Tabby soon, if that damn woman would get her head outta her booty long enough to talk to one of us.
“Okay, well, I’m gonna need to shower and do some serious baking in order to get through today. The agents are coming later and I’m heading over to my place to get a week or two’s worth of clothes. Mama, it’s cool if I stay here?”
“Chicklet, don’t be silly or absurd. This is your home. You always have a place to stay. All of you girls do, and any family you make in the future. Now, who wants cookies or cake? I have an excellent German chocolate I baked yesterday and some snickerdoodles too.”
I grinned and waggled my eyebrows at Charlie. “The snickerdoodles are mine!” I jumped up at the same time she did.
“No way! You’re hurt. I can totally outrun you! Nothing’s keeping me from first dibs on those cookies!” She dashed toward the cookie jar like a burst of red lightning streaking by.
“Dammit! No fair!”
“Mouth,” Mama warned. One thing our foster mother did not tolerate was profanity. She believed from the moment you could cogitate that you had the ability to choose your words, and a person should do so wisely, as to not offend others. She felt you could always use your vocabulary to get the point across without being profane.
Drove some of the girls nuts. Me, I liked that she had little quirks. Made her more human and less goddess. She was already worshiped by every single one of us for being our ultimate savior. Her quirks made her relatable and loveable. Then again, I loved everything about all of them. They were my family. All I had in the world.
“Ah-ha!” Charlie held up the first snickerdoodle as though it were a bar of gold she’d found in her search for mighty treasure.
“Whatever!” I groused good naturedly.
“There’s plenty to go around for all my girls. It’s most certainly not my first day being your mother, is it?” She nailed the two of us with her blue-green eyes and a twitch of her lips giving away her amusement.
“No, Mama,” I pouted.
“No. But I scored the best one,” C
harlie attested, taking a big bite then moaning.
I glared at her. “You’d eat the best one after your sister was shot and almost strangled! How rude!”
“Jesus!” Blessing griped. “Those two.”
“Blessing, that better be a prayer!” Mama warned.
Her eyes got big and she made the sign for zipping up her mouth and tossing the imaginary key over her shoulder.
“Fine. You can have half of the world’s greatest cookie,” Charlie bartered.
I smiled wide and held out my hand. “Thank you, Charlieeeee.”
She rolled her eyes and slapped half a cookie in my hand as if it were the last one, but it definitely was not. Still, the fact that she’d give it to me and share was what mattered. It had been a lifelong game between us. And yet, we always shared. Except when it came to men. That was one thing none of us would ever do. That wasn’t even girl code. That was sister smackdown. If ever one of us went for the same guy, never, not ever, would any one of us date a man that had first been on a date with one of our sisters. No way. No how. That ship would sail before it ever even tried to dock.
The sisterhood was far more important than any man.
Perhaps that was why we were all single…hmmm. Something to ponder at a later date, for sure.
Speaking of dates, Mama’s cellphone that she had charging in the kitchen went off.
I chewed the cookie faster and looked down at the phone hoping it was Agent Fontaine. I’d given them my mother’s cellphone as mine was in my purse in my car which was in the hands of a killer. I shivered at the thought.
When I saw an unknown caller, my cheeks heated and my heart started to pound. I stupidly fluffed my hair and cleared my throat.
“Oh no. She did not just fix her hair for a phone call. And who, pray tell, is callin’ my sista’?” Blessing hugged me from behind and looked at Mama’s phone. “Unknown. Oooh, I do love me a mystery.”
I shoved her back with my bum, and she cackled and stepped back.
“Hello, this is Simone.”
“Hey, Simone? This is Jonah, uh, Agent Fontaine.”
“Yeah.” I smiled wide. I couldn’t help it. Just hearing his voice had butterflies fluttering in my stomach. “Hi. How are you this morning?”
“Discharged. And you?” His voice was deeper than I remembered or maybe it was just my imagination running away with me.
“Fine. Sore. But my uh, most of my sisters are here and we’re at our mother’s having tea and cookies, so…yeah. I’m good.”
He chuckled and I sighed.
I glanced behind me and every single one of the women in the room, besides Mama, was staring right at me, not even pretending they weren’t listening in.
I crinkled my nose, bugged out my eyes, and waved at them.
“Look, I’m going to go home, shower and change, meet up with my team, and secure an update from my boss the Deputy Assistant Director. Then I’ll head over to where you are and pick you up to take you to your place.”
“Honestly, you’ve done so much. You really don’t have to do that…”
Why the heck was I trying to get out of seeing him when not seeing him was the absolute last thing I wanted?
“Simone, I told you I’m gonna keep you safe and I’m committed to that. You’re in danger. No matter how strong you are or how many family members you have around you. The situation is still dire. A very bad man has your contact information, ID, cellphone, and car. That’s too close of a connection than I’d like anyone to have on a single woman who’s as sweet as you.”
“You think I’m sweet?”
Oh my God! He thinks I’m sweet!
He laughed heartier this time and I felt a flush of embarrassment work its way across my cheeks and down my neck and chest.
“Simone, you got out of your car in a tiny pink uniform that made you look like cotton candy. You’re kind. Strong. And you were more worried about getting your sister into trouble because of the possibility that you’d get a ticket or be arrested than you were about yourself. You took care of me. Got us help. Yeah, I think you’re sweet.”
“Um…thank you.”
“No problem. So, text this phone the address to where you’re at…”
“I can have someone bring me, if it’s out of your way,” I offered not wanting him to take me up on it.
“See? Sweet. And no, I’d rather escort you. We want anyone who may be casing the place to know you’re in FBI custody. Meaning unavailable to hunt and hurt.”
I covered my mouth with my hand as I gasped.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered. I promised to keep you safe. I did that last night, right?”
“Yeah.” I let out the single word as though it were a whisper.
“And I’m a man of my word. When you’re with me, you’ll always be safe, Simone.”
I swallowed down the sudden emotion making my throat dry. “I’ll text you the address.”
“Fuckin’ sweet. Christ,” he blurted.
“I’m sorry?”
“Nothing. See you this afternoon, yeah?”
“Okay, Jonah. Thanks again.”
“You got it. Until then,” he said and hung up. No goodbye or farewell. Just, until then.
I pressed the button and turned around to a bunch of smiling faces.
“Don’t even start…” I warned.
“Oh no, we are sooooo getting into this. Jonah? You’re calling the agent by name?” Blessing noted right off the bat.
“Of course, I am, because it is his name,” I fired off and set the phone down.
“And you’re flushed, as though you’re happy to talk to him. Reeeeaaaallly happy,” Charlie added. “I know that look, girl. I feel that way every time I visit one of Addy’s photo shoots and see all those naked or half-dressed women. Who am I kidding? Even the men.”
“You hit on everything that moves,” I countered.
“True, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are into this guy! The FBI guy who saved you,” she teased.
“I think it’s romantic. Like a fairytale.” Liliana put her hands in a prayer pose at her chin, her eyes filled with rainbows and unicorns.
“Mama! Get them to lay off,” I requested.
“And ruin all the fun? I want to hear about this Jonah fella. I left the hospital before you two. Sonia said you’d chatted with the FBI agent who saved your life, but she didn’t say you took a liking to him. Do tell?” She leaned over the counter on her elbows and put her cheek into her hand.
“You guys are impossible!” I harrumphed.
“No, we’re your sisters, and you’re hot for a guy and we want to know more! Like, what happened with that good-for-nothing boyfriend of yours, Trey?”
“Oh blech.” I made a gagging sound. “He broke up with me yesterday. Let me start at the beginning of my day so you’re all caught up…”
“And then you’ll tell us about Agent Jonah Fontaine?” Liliana demanded in her singsong, life-is-amazing tone.
I took a deep, fortifying breath. “And then I’ll tell you about one heck of a hot FBI agent.”
When I opened the door, I was not only greeted by Jonah, but also the blond agent from the hospital.
“Hi, Simone, this is my partner, Agent Ryan Russell.”
I smiled. “Nice seeing you again. We met briefly last night.” I glanced at Jonah and his dreamy dark gaze was planted directly on my face, as though he were cataloguing my every reaction. My stupid traitorous cheeks heated.
The agent held out his hand and I shook it, trying to focus on what I was doing, not on my savior.
Right behind me, Mama put her hand to my shoulder and peeked around the door. “Well, hello, gentlemen. Come in. May I offer you some coffee or tea perhaps?” She held the door open fully.
“Uh yeah, goodness. I should have offered. Would you both like to come in?” I gestured with a thumb behind me.
Agent Russell grinned and Jonah bit down on his lush bottom lip. Oh, what I wouldn’t have given to
be the one to taste that bit of flesh.
“Gratitude, ma’am. Unfortunately we need to get Simone to her home. Agent Russell is working right now.” He gestured to his partner who was in a dark suit, much like the one he’d worn last night, while Jonah looked scrumptious in a form-fitting kelly green, long-sleeve thermal. His dark jeans had definitely seen better days if the fray around the pockets and the fading down the thighs were anything to go by.
Agent Russell put his hand over his heart. “Wonderful offer. How’s about a rain check?” His light-eyed gaze traveled from me to Jonah and then back to my mother. “I have a good feeling we’ll be seeing more of each other,” he stated in a very forthcoming manner.
I’m certain my eyes widened, and my heated cheeks went from hot to absolutely flaming.
“Um, let me just grab my sweater.” I turned around, dashed to the coat rack, and pulled off a slouchy, long gray cardigan I’d left here the last time I stayed over. It was soft, comfy, and had a hood. Felt like I was wearing a blanket all day. I loved it.
The men led me to a black SUV, and I got into the back. I folded and unfolded my hands repeatedly as I checked my surroundings.
“Technically this is not the first time I’ve been in a situation with the police,” I shared unnecessarily and then immediately tried to fix it. “I mean, not for anything serious. Actually, it wasn’t even my fault. It was my foster sister Tabby’s idea.” Neither man said anything and the quiet in the space felt stifling, so I continued. “We were playing a prank on one of our teachers and things got out of hand…” I clenched my teeth together and mentally smacked myself silly, for stupidly sharing an embarrassing story. I did that all the time. Shared too much. Talked too much. Gave too much advice.
“How so?” Jonah asked, saving me from feeling the burn of humiliation.
“We, uh, stuck a hose in the front door of the house and toilet-papered his trees and bushes. He’d given Genesis, one of my other sisters, a bad science grade because she refused to participate in the dissection of a pig. She’s a real human and animal lover, and anyway, she’s the one who’s a social worker downtown. It was going to go on her permanent record and she really needed perfect grades to get a good scholarship, so our plan was to get back at him. Mama Kerri had already worked out an arrangement with the teacher, though we didn’t know that at the time. Swear!” I crossed my heart with one finger.
Wild Child (A Soul Sister Novel Book 1) Page 4
