The Preacher’s Son

by B. D. Anderson

  Matthew didn’t reply, still trying to recover from the information he had just received. He had pulled out every penny he owned to invest into what he thought was a lucrative venture!

  “Matthew! You have a half-million dollars?” his Mom asked.

  “Mom, I don’t think I want to discuss my personal finances in front of her!” he snapped.

  “She just saved your life!” his mother responded. “What difference does that make now?”

  Max stood up. “I was just trying to help you. I didn’t want you to be taken for everything you had. I don’t care about how much money you have. It certainly isn’t going to influence the way I treat you or change my opinion of you.”

  Matthew grabbed her arm and was immediately contrite. “Sit down. I’m sorry. I guess I was just shocked. It’s just that I checked everything out. It seemed to be on the up and up.”

  “They said they had people in place to counter your inquiries,” Max replied, returning to her food.

  “I would have lost everything… including my business,” Matthew said, looking down at his plate. He pushed it back. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

  Max looked at him, and for the first time, he looked like a vulnerable, little boy. “Look, don’t worry about it. However, whatever you do to handle the situation, don’t put me in it. I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder. They saw me and even tried to figure out if I was listening to their conversation. I pretended to be hard of hearing.”

  Rachel laughed. “You convinced them, I gather.”

  “Yeah. So, Matthew, just tell them you changed your mind or something. I don’t want them to think I spoiled their fun. People have been killed for less than a half-million, you know.”

  “Don’t worry,” Matthew said. “I’ll take care of them. They are going to be sorry for crossing me, that’s for sure.”

  CHAPTER 25

  MAX’S SECRET SHAME

  Jeremy sat in the waiting area of Chaz Incorporated. He decided that he would talk to Emerson Hunt one-on-one if possible, without Michael and without the lawyers.

  He had requested the appointment. He half-expected Emerson Hunt to ignore his request, but he gathered that Hunt was not one to back down from a challenge. He had given him the appointment as he requested.

  “Mr. Hunt will see you now,” his secretary said.

  Jeremy got up, and she led him through the double doors. The office was huge. It looked like an apartment with a huge sofa and chairs. There were bookshelves and several pieces of sculpture displayed on stands as well as numerous paintings on the walls. He looked around and spotted a large desk and Emerson Hunt III watching him.

  “Come in, Ferguson,” he said. His secretary turned and walked back the way she came.

  Jeremy walked over to him. “I appreciate you giving me this appointment.”

  Emerson waved him to a chair in front of his desk. “I was curious… especially after what happened at the meeting.”

  He leaned back in his chair, watching Jeremy closely. He was by no means a handsome man. His nose was much too large for his face, and his lips were thin. However, Jeremy knew that what he didn’t have in looks he most likely made up for in other ways.

  “I wanted to talk to you about my contract,” Jeremy said.

  “I don’t negotiate business without my lawyer. You know that,” Emerson said, sitting back. “Frankly if that’s all you wanted, I’m disappointed. I was intrigued when you said that you wanted to talk man-to-man.”

  “I do,” Jeremy replied. “I didn’t come here to negotiate. I want to discuss with you man-to-man the contents of the contract. We can come back together with the proper people if we choose to negotiate after our meeting today.”

  Emerson smiled, surprised. “Very well… man-to-man.”

  “Man-to-man… do you love your wife, Mr. Hunt, or is she just there for trophy purposes?” Jeremy looked at him, his face serious.

  Emerson chuckled at his query. “I care for her… we have an agreement… if that’s what you mean.”

  Jeremy folded his arms across his chest. “That’s not what I meant. However, your answer cleared up a few questions in my mind.”

  Emerson cleared his throat. “Such as?”

  “Such as, why would you expect me to travel around the country with a woman posing as my wife and expect me to leave my own wife, whom I just recently married, at home? You have a marriage of convenience, and that’s fine for you, Mr. Hunt. But you see, I have a marriage of inconvenience. I’ve married a black woman, which has left a lot of people scratching their heads. They don’t understand how I can love her. Some things are not for others to understand. You see, I fell in love with her, and she has, as my mother would say, my nose wide open. There is no other woman for me.”

  Emerson leaned forward on the desk. “That’s all well and good, Ferguson, but this is business.”

  “Does business get you off at night, Mr. Hunt?”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “You heard me,” Jeremy said, leaning forward. “Man to man… how much would you pay for a woman to just blow your mind and have you screaming and begging for more of what she has to offer? What would you be willing to pay to have a woman that leaves you weak and drained and happy and totally satisfied sexually?”

  Emerson stared at him.

  “Well?” Jeremy asked when he didn’t respond. “How much? Since you have your marriage of convenience, I am sure that you must go elsewhere for… satisfaction. How much?”

  “I am sure that I could meet her price, whatever it is,” Emerson responded evasively.

  “Well, so can I if necessary,” Jeremy said, standing. “You see, I have that already, a woman that makes me scream and beg for more, all the time. She’s good to me. She takes care of me, and I take care of her. So we need to negotiate my contract if you want me to continue to be Chaz’s representative, because that’s what her price is—a reasonable contract—and I want to meet her price. Have your people call me so that we can finalize it.”

  He turned and walked out of Emerson Hunt’s office.

  Matthew drove home after dropping his mother off with his mind in a whirl.

  He had almost made the biggest mistake of his life! He thought back over the process he had gone through in buying this business. He had checked their financial records for the last five years. They must have been faked! He had done background checks on both Peters and McKenzie. They both came back clean.

  He thought for a moment. Maybe it was the source he used to investigate the business. Damn! He had been so careful. The answer must have been Thomas Brown, who had helped him check out the computer company. Brown must be in on it with Peters and McKenzie.

  He pulled up to his door and saw a car parked there.

  He got out of his car and realized that it was the private investigator he had hired to check out Max. He laughed to himself. Maybe he should have hired him to check out the computer company instead of that traitor Thomas Brown.

  “Mr. Ferguson,” Timothy Jones, the man he had hired, said, getting out of the car and walking up to him.

  “I’ve completed the background check you requested,” he said, handing him a manila envelope.

  “Thanks,” Matthew replied. “Call me next week. I have another job for you.”

  “Will do,” Jones said. He got back into his car after Matthew handed him a check.

  Matthew watched as Timothy Jones pulled off. He closed his checkbook and took the envelope and put it on the dresser.

  He listened to his messages on his answering machine, which included one from McKenzie stating that he would meet him tomorrow at ten to finalize their transaction.

  Matthew stabbed the stop button on the answering machine and sat on the bed. The thought of what almost happened made him physically ill. They would pay for their little deception; he was
sure of that!

  He glanced at the envelope and picked it up, dumping the contents on the bed. He picked up the report and began to read it.

  Maxine Elizabeth James

  Born June 8, 1985

  Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

  Graduated Socastee High School 2003

  Graduated Virginia Commonwealth University 2007

  Current Employment: General Manager, Myrtle Beach Gym

  Marital Status: Single, no children

  Matthew continued to glance over the paperwork and noticed a newspaper article that had been copied from the library.

  Young Girl Abducted.

  Myrtle Beach Police report that witnesses reported that a young girl whose identity has not been released was abducted in broad daylight as she walked home from school. The thirteen-year-old apparently did not know her abductors, and the entire scene was captured on video as she walked past a local bank. Witnesses report seeing the girl screaming as a man forced her into a van and sped off.

  Matthew dropped the newspaper article. Was this thirteen-year-old girl Max? He picked the article up and continued reading, but nothing in it gave the girl’s name. He went back to continue reading the report that the detective had given him.

  Sources reveal that Ms. James was abducted at the age of thirteen, and because of eye-witness accounts of the abduction and the partial recovery of the license plate on the van, she was located and returned to her parents in about twenty-four hours. It is believed that she was molested, and sources indicated that the child was dirty and bleeding when she was found. The suspect later confessed to the crime and was tried and convicted, receiving fifteen years in the state penitentiary.

  Matthew suddenly felt sick to his stomach.

  He stuffed the papers back in the envelope and shoved them in a drawer.

  He had found out more about Max than he had ever wanted to know.

  Max was setting up her computer in the living room when Nadine and Eric returned.

  “How are the babies?” she asked.

  “They’re great, Max,” Nadine said, hugging her. “I can’t wait to get them home, but I know it’s going to get tight around here.”

  Max shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t worry about it. My lease runs out in a couple of months, and I’m not resigning. That’s what I wanted to talk to you two about.”

  Eric sat down on the sofa next to Nadine. “Max, I am sure that we can find something in a couple of months.”

  “Eric, you only work part-time. Where are you going to get the money? Nadine can’t go to school now with two babies, and you need money if you want to be an electrician’s apprentice.”

  “I know, Max. Uncle David collected over two thousand dollars for me at that dinner. That’s a start.”

  “That money is for the babies,” Max reminded him. “Look, I’m buying a house, and I want you all to move in with me. I was going to buy a two-bedroom, but I think I’ll get something larger.”

  “Max, we can’t let you do that,” Eric said. “I can’t live off of you.”

  “You’re not. Think of it as an investment. You can pay me back later.”

  Eric looked at Nadine.

  “Max, have you found a house yet?” Nadine asked.

  “No, but I have a realtor. It won’t take that long,” she said.

  “Eric and I need to talk about this,” Nadine replied.

  “I understand,” Max said. “Take your time.”

  Max watched as Eric and Nadine walked back to their bedroom. She saw his arm around her sister and how he leaned in and kissed her. Maxine looked away. She had seen several intimate gestures from Eric toward Nadine.

  Well, they were married. What did she expect? Yet it disturbed her a little.

  Maybe she would do as Nadine said and call and talk to the doctor. It had been awhile. She had stopped going because the doctor wanted her to try to date, and she didn’t feel that she was ready. She had repeated that line for the last four years. She didn’t think the day would ever come that she would feel ready to be alone on a date with a man. Having Eric here was a start, albeit a small one.

  She took a deep breath. She didn’t know what she would do when Nadine was well. What if she actually heard them in their bedroom? She wasn’t going to think about that! It made her stomach hurt. She stood up and walked into the kitchen.

  The thought of her younger sister having sex in her apartment made Max shudder. Maybe a drink of wine would calm her nerves.

  CHAPTER 26

  NADINE CONFIDES IN ERIC

  Aura walked up to the front desk after being paged. Jeremy was the last person she expected to see, and he stood there grinning at her.

  “Hey, babe!” he said. “I came to take you to lunch!”

  A crowd had already started to gather, and people were walking through the reception area as if they were conducting business, but Aura knew that they were just being nosy.

  “What’s the occasion?” she asked.

  He pulled her in his arms, giving her a quick kiss.

  “Come to lunch with me, and I’ll tell you.”

  Aura heard a few snickers as she noticed people watching them.

  “Let me get my purse,” she said, leaving him.

  Jackie looked up at him after Aura walked off. “So, how’s the wedding plans coming?”

  “Oh, they’re coming,” Jeremy responded, grinning.

  Jackie’s eyes raked over him. “You sure you don’t have any brothers?”

  “I have a cousin,” Jeremy replied. “However, he’s in South Carolina.”

  Aura returned and looked from Jackie to Jeremy.

  “Let’s go,” she said, walking out the door.

  “So what’s the big news?” she asked when they sat down in a booth in the restaurant across the street.

  “Chaz is going to negotiate my contract! I have to meet with them this afternoon,” he said.

  “That’s great! What changed their mind, I wonder.”

  “I talked to Emerson Hunt yesterday, and let’s just say I gave him another perspective on the situation.”

  Aura was impressed. “Well, Mr. Businessman, you go ahead with your bad self!”

  “I’m still thinking about giving up my apartment and moving into yours. We would save $1,500 a month!” he said, eating his salad.

  “Yeah, but do you want to live in the Bronx? Manhattan is more convenient. You don’t have to catch the train,” she said.

  “I don’t care about that,” he responded. “Maybe we should just find a new place altogether. If you don’t want to live in the Bronx, maybe we could move to New Jersey.”

  “Forget that! I’d rather stay in the Bronx,” she countered. “Let’s just stay at your place for now. When we do move, I want a place that’s big and spacious like you already have.”

  “We’ll see what we can find then,” he said, leaning back in his chair.

  Eric sat on the end of the bed, rubbing Nadine’s swollen feet.

  “The doctor said you should elevate them when you’re in bed,” he reminded her.

  “I’m tired of being in bed, Eric. I feel fine. I’m just a little sore at the incision. My feet are going down because my blood pressure is so much better.”

  She lifted her shirt and showed him the incision. The doctors had removed the staples, and it was healing nicely.

  “I can’t believe how quickly you’re recovering,” he said. “The doctor said that it could be weeks, but you’re up and about almost like nothing ever happened.”

  “Everybody is different. I have a high pain tolerance. I’m fine.” She kissed him. “Just think of it as flourishing under your tender, loving care.”

  “Well I have to get more hours at the construction site or find another part-time job. The chances of me getting on full-time are real go
od, but you know the weather will dictate my earnings… that’s the only thing I hate about construction work.”

  “I still plan on going to school. Mom said that she’ll help with the babies, and I know Max will too.”

  He looked at her. “Speaking of Max, is she all right? Sometimes I feel like… I dunno… that she’s watching me, looking at me like she’s waiting for me to mess up or something. Then other times she seems so warm and friendly.”

  Nadine patted his hand. “Honey, Max likes you… she just has issues. Now that we’re married, I guess I can tell you. Max was raped.”

  Eric’s mouth dropped open. “Raped? When?”

  “When she was thirteen. I don’t remember much. I was only seven. But it happened when she got off the school bus. There was a guy going around abducting young girls. It was awful. People were scared to death. They found Max the next day tied up in his apartment, all bloody and naked. The police took pictures for evidence.”

  “God, Nadine. I would freak if something like that happened to Erika or Derika.”

  “My father did freak. He already distrusted white folks, and when he found out the man was white, well he went off. The papers weren’t helping. I heard him whispering to my mom that they called him Black Cherry because he only raped young black girls that he thought were virgins. My father and Max were close at first… then all that changed after she came home. Max was never the same again.”

  “Didn’t they get her some help? I mean she was only thirteen… she needed to talk to somebody.”

  Nadine stood up and looked out the window. “They did, and she got better in a way, but she never dated. She and Dad used to be so close… they used to horse around and play football and wrestle. She was the boy he never had. After that, she didn’t want him or any man touching her. It kinda broke his heart. He always catered to Max.”

  “I guess that’s why your dad hates me so much,” Eric said. “He probably can’t understand why Max insisted on us moving in here with her.”