Coming Home

by Lydia Michaels

  Tossing the paper in the trash, he punched his finger into the intercom. “Seth, get Slade Bishop on the line.”

  “Yes, sir.” A moment later the intercom buzzed. “Mr. Patras, I have Mr. Bishop on line one.”

  He picked up the receiver and Slade was the first to speak. “Lucian, this is unexpected.”

  “Is this really how you want to handle this?” Lucian asked, cutting right to the heart of matters.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Cut the crap, Slade. I know you’re feeding the press. I have to say, I’m impressed with the size of your balls, but it will only make it easier when I cut them off.”

  The other man cleared his throat. “Lucian, I read most of the articles, but I’m afraid you’re off on this one. I haven’t spoken to the media about you or her.”

  Lucian calculated for a minute. He sounded sincere, but after the stunt his ex-partner pulled with Parker Hughes, Lucian would never trust Slade again. “And what of Labex? You have nothing to do with that either?”

  “I heard about your deal with Green. I assumed it would be wrapped up by now. Am I wrong?”

  Lucian frowned. If not Slade, then who? His brain compiled a list of variables. Who would want to see Evelyn dragged out in front of the masses? Nicole was suspect, but surely she’d know this would do nothing to win her favor. She also would have no interest in a company like Labex, which meant if she were the one slandering Evelyn, it was completely unrelated to the business deal hanging by a thread.

  Who had the manpower and resources to poach Labex? One name came to mind, but that was so farfetched he dismissed it immediately. No way had Hughes climbed that fast. Impossible. Didn’t matter who his father was. Such rapid success was unheard of.

  He realized Slade was talking. “. . . really like to sit down with you.”

  As Lucian pieced together what he’d missed in the conversation, he almost laughed. “While I’m glad to hear you decided against interfering further in my personal life, I have to say I’m not flattered to the point of social calls. We passed that the minute you assisted someone I consider my enemy, lending yourself the same title.”

  There was a pause. “Luche, I’m not your enemy. I never was.”

  “We continue to disagree. I’ll let you get back to your work.”

  As he leaned in to hang up the phone, Slade’s voice rung out and gave him pause. “I saw what you did to Hughes.”

  Lucian drew the phone back to his ear.

  Slade rushed on, assuming he regained his attention. “I saw what you did and I assume you got her back.”

  “I merely collected what’s mine.”

  “I want you to know, for what it’s worth, my role in the situation was . . . regrettable. I apologize.”

  As much as Slade’s apology should count for something, it didn’t. His actions spoke louder than words, driving home the point that the man could not be trusted. “We’re through here.” He ended the call, thereby ending his association with Slade Bishop. One Judas down. How many more to find?

  ***

  The email came through at three fifteen.

  Jason Dodd

  Mother: Rebecca Esperanto-Dodd

  Father: John Dodd

  D.O.B. September 2, 1981

  Current Address: 2424 Glacier Place, West Folsom, PA

  Previous Address: 192 Lenox Ave, Cincinnati, OH

  Prior places of occupancy: Room 206, Parks Dormitory, Triton University

  No criminal record.

  No unpaid tickets.

  Moved to Folsom last June. Currently employed with the 34th School district as a behavioral specialist. Vehicle registered in his mother’s name. Home leased through a man by the name of Gregory Lutz. Aside from residing within a couple miles of Ms. Keats, I cannot find any cause for association. How much deeper do you want me to dig?

  -D.

  Lucian replied via text.

  Follow him this evening and see where he goes.

  Dugan’s reply was immediate.

  Already done. He left work at two forty. I’ve been behind the Toyota since.

  Lucian frowned. If Dugan was texting, he was parked.

  Where are you now?

  The reply took longer than usual and before he read the message, his sour stomach already guessed the answer.

  Knights Boulevard. She just got home from work.

  “Son of a bitch!” Lucian cursed and stood. His hand shook as he texted Dugan back.

  Stay there.

  He went to his call log and dialed Evelyn’s number. The call went to voice mail. Shoving his arms into his jacket, he dialed again. Voice mail. “Evelyn, it’s Lucian. Call me as soon as you get this.”

  He marched past Seth’s desk and jabbed his thumb into the elevator call button. “I’m going out.”

  As he rode the elevator to the ground floor, he seethed with each call to her voice mail. Why wasn’t she answering? Why was that guy back at her place?

  He exited the elevator in the cool shade of the underground garage. His keys filled his fingers as his thumb tightened on the fob. The chant of his Mercedes unlocking in the distance was followed by the purr of the automatic start. Folding his body, he slid into the buttery bucket seat and threw the car into gear.

  Cutting his turns tight, he belted onto the main road and dug in the console for his shades. It was in the low seventies, so he pressed the control on the dash and the soft top lowered, tucking itself neatly into the compartment above the trunk.

  The car sped out of the congested traffic and took back roads toward West Folsom. Sure enough, when he spotted the limo on the corner of Knights Boulevard, the Toyota was only a few spots ahead, parked.

  He peeled into the spot, shoving forward the gearshift just before his bumper went into the Toyota’s ass. Jumping out of the car, he pocketed his keys and ignored Dugan’s raised, bushy brow. Enough was enough.

  Yes, she was allowed to have friends. Yes, she was allowed to have a life aside from him, no matter how much it made him crazy. Yes, she was entitled to her privacy. But this guy was in her fucking home, her home that consisted of a small cramped space dominated by a kiddie table and a bed. A line had been crossed. She wanted equality . . . He knew she’d never accept the situation if the shoe was on the other foot.

  Part XI

  Evelyn

  Chapter 13

  The Stresses of Entertaining

  Evelyn was nervous, which was a major distraction. “Can I get you something to drink? I have milk, water, iced tea, or apple juice.” She sounded like a moron. Certain words didn’t fit in her vocabulary, too awkward in comparison to the life she had and the way she attempted to live now.

  Jason settled into the chair at the table and sifted through his bag. “Iced tea would be nice.”

  With shaky hands she twisted the ice trays and plopped two cubes in a glass. Jason knew a little about her background, but she didn’t want to volunteer too much. The last thing she wanted was to appear illiterate and uncultured. He’d already discovered how little she could read, so she gave him her favorite glass in hopes that it compensated for some level of sophistication. Smart people usually had nicer things.

  Settling into the chair next to him, she slid him the beverage. He sipped it and thanked her. “How did you make out yesterday?”

  Her hands slid the paperwork in front of him and she waited anxiously. Most of the stuff she had to go through at work whenever there was a lull in shoppers. Luckily, Nick was there to answer any questions and Mr. Gerhard was surprisingly quiet today, not getting on her back over every little thing like he usually did.

  “Um, it was okay. I think I understood most of it. I didn’t get very far. Oh, before I forget . . .” She reached into her pocket and removed the envelope of cash.

  Jason took it and smiled. “Thanks. It’s
a lot easier for me to deal in cash with things like this. I appreciate it.”

  “Thank you. I’m glad I found you. That’s only two thousand. When you need more let me know.”

  His eyes bulged. “Uh, Evelyn, most people pay me by the hour.”

  She knew that, but she was so afraid he’d get frustrated and quit on her that she wanted to pay him in advance. “Well, consider your first twenty hours handled. We already used four of them anyway.”

  He shook his head. “Then let’s get to work.”

  There was a sharp knock on the door and she frowned. “I’m sorry, let me see who that is. The people in the office downstairs said my electric bill would be in soon. That’s probably them dropping it off.”

  “Not a problem. I’ll look over this stuff.”

  She stood and quickly rushed down the steps and unlatched the door. She came up short when she peeped through the hole and found Lucian glaring on the other side. Her hand fumbled to unlock the door. “Lucian? Wh-what are you doing here?”

  “Is this a bad time?” His dark eyes narrowed on her, full of suspicion. Chances were, if she peeked around the corner she’d find Dugan—who was really starting to piss her off. Didn’t these people have work? “As a matter of fact—”

  “Invite me in.”

  She stiffened. Okay, clearly he knew she had company. Not wanting to make a scene, she eased the door closed and stepped into the alley. “Why are you doing this?” she hissed.

  “Who is he?”

  Once again, he’d bulldozed into her personal business with no regard to her privacy. “Damn it, Lucian, you can’t keep doing this! Not every part of my life is open to you, and you need to accept that.”

  “Bullshit. This is your private home. I get that you need this right now, but how would you feel if some woman was visiting me at the penthouse? Call it whatever you like, Evelyn, but fair is fair. You can’t hold a double standard.”

  She gripped her temples, very aware of her pricey minutes with Jason ticking by. “Can we talk about this later?”

  “I’m not leaving until you give me some answers.”

  Just once, she wanted something to be her own. Bristling with frustration, she snapped, “Do I ask you for every detail of your private dealings? No. Why can’t you draw a line? I draw plenty for you!”

  He stepped close enough that she could see the fine silk threading of each button on his jacket. “Let’s not beat around the bush, Evelyn. You want me to admit I’m jealous? Fine, I will. There’s a man I don’t know in your apartment right now, only a few feet away from your bed. Don’t pretend this is all right. Not when you crashed a benefit just this week because the thought of another woman accompanying me was enough to get you to interfere.”

  He was right. Jealousy was a new emotion that wasn’t sitting too well with her. No matter how much she wanted to throw his accusation in his face, declaring she’d never stoop so low, she couldn’t. The idea of him dancing with someone else, dating someone else, was simply disgusting to her. She had no idea she owned such possessive tendencies, but when it came to Lucian Patras, he was hers.

  Part of her liked that he was equally possessive, but at times like this it was a huge inconvenience. Before she could come up with another excuse, his fingers brushed against her cheek and he whispered, “There’s nothing you could confide in me that would make me stop loving you, Evelyn. I trust you. It isn’t that I think you’re having an affair, it’s that there’s a man in your apartment and you won’t tell me why. I don’t know him. How am I supposed to trust a stranger in such a setting with the woman I love when I know nothing of his purpose? Confide in me. Let me in. I promise not to interfere, just . . . let me know what’s going on.”

  All of her life she’d studied people from afar, assuming she could predict the most logical reaction to an event, but there was something completely illogical about knowing someone up close and personal the way she knew Lucian. It frightened her, how often he’d surprised her. There was nothing predictable about him.

  Their relationship had taken a severe detour over the last month, but this was not the man she left behind. This was someone sensible and understanding, someone who needed her reassurance as much as she needed his. He didn’t compute with the arrogant man she’d met last year. And while she liked it, she didn’t know if she could trust this open side of him.

  Shades of truth played in his eyes, begging her to trust in him. That look telling her all he wanted was to know she was safe. It was as if he needed the assurance as much as breath.

  Last night he arrived in a mood she was sure would lead to a fight. Something in the tone of his voice had transformed the energy into something sexual. But he’d blown her away with his gentle possession of her body. He was still Lucian, but there was something more there, something that fascinated her and made her want to lean into that illusion of security. Was it an illusion?

  Taking a huge chance, she let out a long breath and pushed open the door. “Come on.”

  Opening the door, she led him inside. Slowly marching up the stairs, he followed. He wasn’t the creeping giant she once feared. He was her friend. She’d been so afraid of exposing her flaws to his perfection, but with every step she acknowledged just how ungrounded her worries had been. When she reached the top step, Jason turned.

  The man’s face showed surprise that they were not alone. “Hello,” he greeted politely. Jason was easy to talk to and she liked that about him. That was why she hired him.

  Lucian stood, a tower of authority to her left. “Good afternoon.”

  “Lucian Patras, this is Jason Dodd. He’s helping me get my GED”

  The expression on Lucian’s face was one of utter surprise. Whatever he’d expected her to say, it wasn’t that. Jason stood and extended his hand.

  “Wow, I’ve heard of you. How do you do?”

  It was uncharacteristic, how taken off guard Lucian was. His shock registered in every motion, from the slow progress of his handshake to the way he glanced back at her and blinked. Strangely, there was a hint of regret in the now-soft set of his eyes. Perhaps the reminder of how uneducated she truly was had become too much for him to bear.

  “Now you know,” she muttered.

  Her eyes went to the primary worksheets and handwriting lessons scattered about. Lucian slowly approached the table and picked up a sheet. It was a simple vocabulary page that had taken her several minutes to work through.

  Lucian cleared his throat. “Jason, would you mind giving us a minute?”

  Her tutor glanced at her then back to Lucian. “Uh, yeah, you know, I think I left a book in my car.” He found his way down the stairs, and the door quietly shut behind him.

  Lucian’s thumb and forefinger rubbed over the thick paper with a childlike illustration on the top beneath the directions. “You’re getting your diploma?”

  Her lips pursed. “Eventually. I heard it takes fifteen hours a week. I’m a little behind, but I know basic math and once I get a handle on reading, I think I can do it.”

  “I have no doubt,” he agreed in a voice laden with emotion. Was it shame? Pride? She couldn’t guess what was going through his head.

  “You probably get why I didn’t want anyone to know.”

  His gaze snapped to hers and his eyes narrowed. “Let’s get one thing straight, Evelyn. The only thing I feel in regards to your initiative to educate yourself is esteem. There’s no question in my mind you’ll achieve your goal.”

  She hadn’t realized how afraid of his reaction she was until the tension rushed from her shoulders as a near sob of relief shook her frame. “Thank you.”

  His fingers traced her jaw and tipped her face up. “Hey, you’re one of the strongest women I know. Not everything is measured in reading, writing, and arithmetic. You will do this. I have no doubt.”

  His confidence left her breathless. Yes, he was
her friend.

  “Can I ask something of you?”

  She blinked, not understanding the sheen of tears suddenly blurring her vision. “Yes.”

  “I know your first instinct will be to say no, but think about it. Don’t give me your answer for a few days, until you’ve truly considered my request.”

  Emotion was pushed aside for practicality. Who knew what he was about to ask? “Okay.”

  “The money, the thirty-five thousand, it’s for your education. Let me pay for it, Evelyn. Let me give you that one thing, not because you asked, but because I want to be the one person who gave you something you truly wanted and truly deserve.”

  She took a deep breath. “I’ll think about it.”

  He nodded, apparently content with her consideration. “Good enough.” Placing a kiss on her cheek he asked, “What time is your lesson over?”

  “Ten.”

  “Will you stay with me tonight?”

  At that moment she was so attracted to him—not because he offered her a free and clear education, but because he accepted her as she was and still desired her all the same—there was no way she could turn down such an offer. “Yes.”

  “I’ll have Dugan pick you up at ten fifteen.”

  “Okay.”

  He smiled. “You know, sometimes I don’t always do the right thing. I’m sorry my curiosity got the better of me. A part of me wishes I would’ve waited until you were ready to confide in me, but then a selfish part of me is glad that I know what’s going on and that I don’t need to beat up this Jason fellow.”

  She chuckled, knowing he was kidding. “Are you really okay with this? I know it’s weird. I’m just trying to be a normal person—”

  “Hey, I am beyond okay. I’m so damn proud of you it’s . . . I don’t know what. I never felt like this before. Sure, it would’ve been nice if your tutor was a woman so I didn’t have to worry about him peeking down your shirt, but I’m beyond happy that this is what you’re investing in. You. It’s about time somebody did.”