“Maybe I fell in love with her,” he muttered.
“What? Wait.”
“Madison, I need a report as soon as possible.”
“Got it. I’ll see what I can find out by tomorrow. But here’s something else that you may find interesting: The Feds have a shadow investigation on Danny Branch and his investments.”
“Interesting,” Charles said. “Sad thing is, he’ll probably do more time for messing with money than killing people.”
“That’s the fucked-up world we live in. Life only matters when people claim they’re pro-life. Once a baby is born, it is all about the money.”
“Cynical much?”
“Very. Enjoy Christmas Eve with your girlfriend.”
“She is not my girlfriend.”
“Yet,” Madison replied, then ended the call. Charles hated it when she was right.
Chapter 27
It was midafternoon when the Richardson clan got together a small dessert buffet before the kitchen staff went home. It was a Christmas tradition at the bed-and-breakfast. Sheldon would have dessert catered for the staff to thank them for their hard work. It had been Nora’s idea to do dessert, since everyone had their family dinners the next day. Dessert always gave everyone a sweet thank-you and a happy holiday.
As the family walked into the dining area, Yolanda was a little perplexed that Chuck had been a ghost since breakfast. Did her kiss shake him up that bad or had something happened?
“Where’s your bodyguard?” Alex asked as she reached for an apple tart.
Yolanda shrugged. “Don’t take all the apple tarts,” she said.
Alex rolled her eyes and handed the tart to Yolanda. “Merry Christmas.”
“Oh, you are so gracious,” Yolanda quipped. “How did you keep Clinton from joining us and where is Nina?”
“Clinton is actually with the housekeeping staff handing out turkeys and bags of shrimp. Nina’d better be . . .” Before Alex could finish her statement, Sheldon and Nina walked into the kitchen.
“I see I’ve been watching the wrong sneaky child all my life,” Sheldon said with a grin. Nina folded her arms across her chest. “Daddy, you really had the wrong idea here. I-I was just trying to check the score of the game.”
“Let me guess, she was trying to hand out turkeys?” Alex laughed.
Yolanda shook her head. “You really need to follow the tradition of staying away from that man until you see him at the altar. We need some more good luck around here these days.”
“True,” Alex said. “Especially when . . . Where is Robin?”
“Mind your business and help me hand out these bonus checks,” Sheldon said as he handed Alex a stack of envelopes.
Nina walked over to Yolanda. “Did you at least save me an apple tart?”
Yolanda bit into her tart and shook her head.
“Just evil,” Nina said as she frowned at her sister. “Why is Chuck walking around outside like you don’t want him around?”
Yolanda shrugged. “I can’t understand that man and I’m going to stop trying. It’s exhausting.”
“He won’t give you none for Christmas?”
“Shut up.”
“What happens when your life gets back to normal? Do you think that you just want him because he’s the only option right now?”
Yolanda cleared her throat and swallowed a caustic comment. “Nina, I have never judged you and your questionable dating decisions. Can I get the same respect?”
“Wait, I wasn’t judging you. I just don’t want you to . . . Never mind. I’m not fighting with you the day before my wedding.”
“And I’m not fighting with you. Because there is nothing to fight about. Nina, Chuck is special. I don’t know how to explain it but being with him this last month made me feel like love could work.”
“Now you’re in love with him?” Nina’s voice rose and a couple of people at the buffet glanced at the sisters.
“Will you shut up,” Yolanda gritted. “But what if I am?”
“I mean, that’s all well and good, but how does he feel? What if this is a pattern for him?”
“It isn’t. Chuck and I have a lot in common and it’s more than him doing his job. He’s . . .”
“Good in bed, I get it. But can it be more than that?”
I’d like to think so, Yolanda thought as she grabbed a chocolate cupcake. “This whole watching The Wiz thing, do you think Robin’s going to be back to watch with us?”
“I like the way you changed the subject there. And here comes Chuck Morris.”
Yolanda watched him as he walked toward them. He greeted the workers with smiles. Shook hands with a couple of people who seemed to know who he was. She loved his spirit. She just loved him. And that’s why everything felt different. Why she wanted things to mean as much to him as they did to her. But she couldn’t account for how he felt and the last thing she could take was finding out that he didn’t feel the same way.
“Hey, Yolanda,” he said when he made it to where she was standing. “Can we go talk in private for a second?”
She glanced at Nina. “Don’t move. And don’t go trying to get Clinton to come in here. Matter of fact, hand me your phone.”
“What? You don’t trust me?”
Yolanda held her hand out and shook her head. “The phone, turkey.”
Nina groaned and handed Yolanda her phone. Before she and Chuck had found a quiet spot, Nina’s phone chimed with a text message. She didn’t have to look to see it was from Clinton.
“What’s going on?” she asked Chuck.
“I spoke to my contact and it seems as if some heat is coming down on Danny. We may have the opening to find some cops who are willing to help us get him put away.”
“Seriously?”
He nodded. “There are a few things I want to check out before we go to Richmond.”
“How soon are you talking about leaving, because you know I’m not going to miss my sister’s wedding.”
“It’s not like we would get anything done on Christmas day, but in a week or so.”
She shrugged. “All right. But how do you know the information you have is accurate?”
“I trust Madison. She’s been working to make Danny pay for the disappearance of his ex-wife and she’s a badass.”
Yolanda didn’t like the fact that she was jealous. This Madison person, was she more than a source? Was she the kind of woman he really went for? A badass? Someone who didn’t need protection because she could protect herself.
“What’s wrong?” he asked when he noticed the scowl on her face.
“Nothing, nothing, I was just thinking about speaking to the police and if it’s actually going to make a difference. I remember when his ex went missing. Nobody cared. He was able to spin the story the way he wanted, and it was forgotten.”
“Not this time,” Chuck said. “He’s not going to get away with terrorizing you. Count on that.”
She wanted to melt in his arms, because she believed that Chuck was going to make Danny pay.
Charles tried not to think about the last time he’d made a promise like this. Hillary.
But things were different this time. This time he had backup. Or at least he hoped the police would take this case more seriously than they had taken Hillary’s case. If they didn’t, he had to. And that meant, once they got to Richmond, no more blurred lines. No more kisses and no more sleeping in the same bed.
The most important thing was Yolanda’s safety and nothing else.
Richmond, Virginia
Christmas Eve had always been Danny’s time to shine. He’d go into underserved neighborhoods and pass out Christmas dinners. There were always cameras there to capture his good deeds and write happy stories about him.
This year was going to be different. A story had leaked in the press about his missing ex-wife. Those damned cops were supposed to keep things quiet, but somehow, the media got ahold of his statement and people were talking about her. He needed to change the story or allow it
to fall out of the headlines. Chase had disappointed him in failing to rid the world of Yolanda Richardson, and now he had to worry about her adding another layer of scrutiny to his life.
This is bullshit, he thought as he walked over to his bar and poured himself a stiff drink. When the doorbell rang, he knew it was his chief operations officer, Will Henson. This year, Will would be handing out dinners and getting his picture taken on behalf of Branch Investments. He crossed over to the door with the drink in his hand but was surprised to see two uniformed police officers standing there.
“Officers, what are you doing here?” Danny asked.
“Mr. Branch, you need to come down to the station with us,” the tallest officer said.
“Guys, it’s Christmas,” he said.
“Well, crime doesn’t take a break,” the mouthy officer said. “It’s a simple formality.”
“Then why can’t we do this after the holidays?”
“We can’t do that,” the other officer said. “We have our orders. It’s just for a talk.”
“And what is this all about?” Danny asked, then took a sip of his drink.
“A body that may be your ex-wife,” the mouthy officer said. “Now, you can come with us or we can come back with a warrant. Your choice.”
Danny wanted to toss his drink in Officer Mouth’s face, but he knew that it was better to act with decorum. “I’ll tell you what, why don’t you get your superior officer on the phone right now. I have family coming into town shortly and this is going to put a damper on our holiday celebration.”
The other officer gave Danny a sympathetic look. “Mr. Branch, we’re not trying to make things difficult for you, but if you come with us now it’s just a questioning. You can leave and be back here in less than an hour. But if we have to file warrant paperwork, then it’s going to be public and the media is going to be sniffing after you.”
He hated to admit it, but this guy had a point. “How do I know you don’t have some photographer out here waiting to see me leaving in the back of a police car?”
“Look,” Officer Mouth said, “you’re making this more difficult than it needs to be. If you just want to be an asshole, we will come back with a warrant.”
Danny looked at the man’s name tag: Officer D. Bryant. This man had just made his list of people who needed to disappear.
“Do what you have to do. But keep in mind I have a lot of friends at the department and I will let them know of this encounter. Officer Bryant, you’re going to find yourself writing tickets on a street corner for jaywalkers.”
“Are you threatening me?” Officer Bryant asked with a lot of bravado.
His partner put his hand on his shoulder. “Come on, man, we’re not here to start a fight. We can do this later—just don’t leave town.”
Danny smiled at the other officer and read his name tag: Officer S. Kaiser. It seemed as if he had a little bit of sense. “I’ll be happy to come in and answer any questions you all have for me after the holidays. But don’t think that you can come and darken my door on Christmas Eve and expect me to go to the police department with you. But hey, if you want to get your warrant and come back then it’s a whole other situation. However, I’m not some little punk off the streets. I know my rights and I choose to invoke them and not go anywhere with you.”
Danny slammed the door in their faces. Shit had just gotten real.
Charleston, South Carolina
Charles had never seen a group of sisters act like the Richardsons did. One minute they were fighting and the next minute they were jamming to Diana Ross and easing down the road. He knew Yolanda, Robin, and Alex were probably watching this movie just to keep Nina from trying to meet her fiancé before their wedding, but they were having such a good time.
Robin had returned to the bed-and-breakfast and she wouldn’t give the details to her sisters about what happened while she was with her husband, but it seemed as if it became a moot point once the movie and the dancing started.
Yolanda’s booty was shaking like a bowl of gelatin as she danced, making his dick hard. Focus, he thought. They would be in Richmond in a few days, probably looking face-to-face with the man who wanted her dead, and the last thing he needed to be thinking about was how her booty jiggled.
“Hey, Chuck,” Nina called out. “You have to come and be the mean old lion.”
He threw his hands up and shook his head. “Nah, I’m going to leave this to you guys. I get the feeling you do this every year.”
“Unfortunately, we do,” Alex said as she wiped sweat from her forehead. “But you would make a great lion.”
“I agree,” Robin chimed in.
He glanced over at Yolanda and she looked mortified. Maybe the sisters had had a little too much wine.
“Y’all make me sick,” Yolanda said, then looked at her watch. “Okay, Nina. This isn’t the bachelorette party I would have planned for you, but I was given limitations.” She smirked at Alex. “But I do have something special planned for us since we have this amazing day tomorrow. There is a massage therapist in each of your rooms. I wanted to make sure that everyone was relaxed and ready to celebrate the love of my baby sister and her future husband tomorrow.”
“Aww, Yolanda,” Nina said as she crossed over to her sister and gave her a big hug. “That’s so sweet, thank you.”
Yolanda shrugged. “This is the least I could do. I want your day to be perfect and I want you to look beautiful. When you walk into your new life, you need to glow. And that’s what this massage is going to do, make you radiant.”
“Well,” Alex began, “this is sweet. And I’m glad you thought of me, too.”
Charles bristled, wondering if Yolanda and Alex would turn this gesture into an argument, but the sisters hugged, and he realized that as much as Yolanda and Alex tried to pretend that they were so different, they were a lot alike. One thing he knew from watching them together was both of them liked to be in charge.
Maybe that had been why she wasn’t honest with Alex about what was going on in her life. And that quite possibly was the reason why she had gotten so upset with him in Charlotte. But Charles couldn’t say that he was excited about Yolanda going into her room with some man massaging her body. He wanted to be the only person who touched her; he wanted that body to belong to him. What the hell am I thinking? he thought.
Yolanda walked over to the TV and turned it off. “So, you guys get going and I’m going to clean up the spilled popcorn.”
Nina and Alex exchanged knowing looks. Robin waved goodbye to the group and headed for her room. Charles heard Nina whisper, “Why do I feel like she just did this so she could have some time alone with him?”
“Girl,” Alex said, “let’s go get massages and they can do whatever they want to do as long as they clean up this area.”
“I can hear you,” Yolanda said. “Ungrateful heifers. Just go.”
Nina and Alex started for the door. But Nina stopped short and turned to her sister. “Um, are you going to give me my phone back tonight or no?”
Yolanda tilted her head to the side and laughed. “FaceTime still qualifies as seeing the groom before the wedding, so no. Go get your massage.”
Charles looked around the sitting area where they had watched the movie. There were bowls of half-eaten popcorn, two empty wine bottles, and four dirty glasses. Charles couldn’t help but smile. These women knew how to have a good time.
“I guess we’d better get this place cleaned up,” Yolanda said as she looked at her watch.
“You’re getting a massage too?” he asked.
“No, not unless . . . No, I’m not. But I knew Nina needed to be occupied, Robin deserves to relax, and Alex simply needs to get the stick out of her ass so she can relax. And I’m so sick of watching the damn Wiz.”
Charles chuckled. “I couldn’t tell by the way you were dancing to all of those songs.”
“Well, I mean how can you not? I did have a good time with my sisters tonight, even if Robin seemed a
little too preoccupied with thinking about that slimy soon-to-be ex of hers. She deserves so much better.”
“I thought your dad told you guys to mind your business?”
“Do we look like the kind of people who mind our business when one of us has been hurt? I mean if that was the case you and I would have never met.”
“I know you’ve said it a hundred times, but let me ask you this: When you told Nina about the threats against your life, what did you think she was going to do?”
Yolanda shrugged as she crossed over to the TV and picked up the half-empty bowls of popcorn. “Maybe I thought she’d tell somebody. Maybe I thought she’d keep my secret. I don’t know, but I can’t say that I thought you and I would end up here together on Christmas.”
“Technically it’s not Christmas yet.”
She grabbed a handful of popcorn from one of the bowls she had picked up and threw it at him. “You know, always correcting somebody is infuriating.”
Charles picked up the kernels and tossed them in the trash. “Just imagine how painful it is to always be right,” he quipped.
“I can’t stand you.” But her smile said otherwise. And Charles wanted to wrap his arms around her, take her into her room, and give her a massage that she would never forget—starting from the top of her head down to the bottom of her feet, touching and licking everything in between. But that was out of the question. He had to make sure that they would be able to shut Danny down and then see what happened next.
Yolanda was trying to make her new life in Charlotte and even if she was safe to move back to Richmond, he wasn’t going to leave Charleston. And long-distance relationships didn’t work for grown-ups. Besides, once Yolanda knew she was safe she might not need him anymore. She might have thought that he could turn his feelings on and off like a switch, but that was the furthest thing from the truth.
“So,” Yolanda said. “I make a really mean eggnog. I know you can’t drink but I’m not going to deny myself the pleasure of my holiday specialty. Want to join me in the kitchen while I make it?”
Open Your Heart Page 22
