The young woman’s eyes filled with tears as she looked from him to the ring. “Damn you, Xavier.” She managed, her voice unsteady. “I’ve been crying all damn day and now you do this to me?”
He couldn’t help the soft laugh that escaped him. “I can’t apologize, honestly.” He leaned over to brush his lips softly across her ear before murmuring lowly. “Is that a yes?”
Helena’s breath hitched as she tried to gain her composure. “Yes.” She shifted Isaiah to one arm, holding out her hand as best she could. “You’re going to have to put it on me, though.”
“It would be my pleasure.” Xavier slid the ring onto her slender finger – where it fit perfectly. Helena gazed at it for a moment, before her gaze met his.
“I love you, Xavier.” Her words were soft and brimming with affection. “You’re my everything.”
He wrapped his arms around her, praying to whatever deity that existed that he wouldn’t have all this taken from him. “And you’re mine.”
The week seemed to pass at a snail’s pace.
There wasn’t much that they could do. All other attempts by Horace to come up with additional evidence proved fruitless, and Brandy admitted that she’d prepared about as much as she was going to be able to. The odds were incredibly stacked against them, but they could still hold out hope that the truth would triumph.
What little hope that might be.
Xavier spent his every waking moment with Helena and Isaiah. Though the babe had only been in the world for a few months, Xavier could see the intelligence shining from his eyes. He was going to be another prodigy. He could feel it. Helena told him that their son was going to be a doctor and Xavier politely corrected her. Isaiah would be a brilliant computer tech.
They did their best to ignore the dark cloud of the impending trial lingering over them. Xavier steadfastly pushed aside the idea that he might not see his son or fiancé until the child was too old to remember him. That he would be caged until it was too late for them to have any more children.
He tried to enjoy the time that he had.
He helped Brandy go over case notes, talked to her about the development of his niece or nephew, and asked her how Hank was doing. Anything to keep his mind off Daniel and his plans.
Then, the night before the trial, he received a call on his phone from an unlisted number. Frowning, he hesitated only a moment before rising from bed, leaving Helena and Isaiah peacefully sleeping to answer it. “Hello?”
“You know it’s not too late, Xavier.”
At the sound of Daniel’s voice, the CEO’s face contorted in rage. “Just sign the papers. I’ll bring them over tonight. We can do this peacefully.” Daniel made it sound as if he was offering a truce. “You’ll only have a couple of months before you have to give up the house, and perhaps they’ll give you a short grace period before incarceration. You’re a first time offender, after all.”
“Fuck you, Daniel.” Xavier returned, with a surprising amount of calm, given the fury coursing through his veins. “You’re not getting anything other than what’s coming to you.”
A low, smug chuckle ensued. “I seriously doubt that, Thompson. But, have it your way.” Daniel paused at a low voice in the background, which Xavier instantly strained to hear. Who was he with? What were they talking about? The tone sounded familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Something about waiting and money. Then, Daniel must have covered the receiver with his hand to answer because he heard nothing for a few seconds. When the accountant returned, he sounded slightly less composed. “Pack your bags for tomorrow, Xavier. You won’t see the light of day for a long fucking time.”
The line clicked, going dead.
Trying to stifle the raising nausea in his gut, Xavier slowly returned to bed, fitting his body against Helena’s to share her heat. The ring he’d given her sparkled on her left hand. If this was his last night…
It might very well be. And he’d have to accept that Helena would wait for him, and Brandy would keep them safe, as painful as the notion was.
It was better than losing them entirely.
As he drifted into an uneasy sleep, an impulse in the back of his mind tugged at his consciousness.
That voice was familiar. He knew it from somewhere.
**
Helena woke early, jittery. The clock on the nightstand read only five am and the trial wasn’t until eleven, but she couldn’t go back to sleep. As if sensing her restlessness, Isaiah stirred and Helena whisked him out of the bedroom to avoid waking Xavier. He needed all the rest he could get.
As she hushed the baby softly, stroking up and down his back, there came a soft knock on the door. Helena stiffened almost instantly. It was far too early for any of the media to come calling, and the DFCS office was closed. Taking a deep breath, she ignored the knock.
Until it came again.
Isaiah began to whimper and Helena wrapped him in her robe, holding him tight against her as she reluctantly made her way to the door. It was hard for her to reach the peephole holding Isaiah the way she was, and so, she unlocked the door before cracking it the minutest amount.
The door was immediately forced wide, and Helena turned just in time for it to catch her shoulder instead of hurting Isaiah, stumbling backward at the impact as a searing pain shot up her arm. She gasped sharply in agony as Isaiah started to cry, taking a moment to collect herself before turning her attention back to the door to see who was trying to barrel their way into her house.
At the sight that greeted her, she froze, her entire body beginning to tremble in horror.
Janette Freeman stood in the doorway. And she was holding a gun.
Slowly, her mother advanced into the house, her smile slow and satisfied. “Hey, baby.” She gushed, almost lovingly. “It’s so nice to see you again.”
“Momma.” The word left Helena on a frightened gasp. “What are you doing here?” The barrel of the weapon gleamed in the low light.
Behind Janette, Daniel Hayes appeared, looking decidedly nervous.
Helena didn’t think that she could be any more shocked, but she was. As the thin man hurried to shut the door, he spoke lowly. “Baby, we shouldn’t be doing this. I told you to wait for the trial.”
Baby!?
“Danny, honey, I love you, but fuck your trial.” Janette’s voice changed from honey to pure steel, her eyes flaring in manic fury. “They took everything from me. I deserve this.” Helena had been thinking of lunging for the kitchen with Isaiah when her mother’s attention turned back to her. “You deserve this.”
Jesus Christ.
Her own mother was going to kill her.
Helena swallowed thickly. She had to protect her son at all costs. By now, Isaiah was squalling at the top of his lungs and Janette didn’t seem to be too happy about it. “Momma…” Helena started carefully. “If you want to do this, we can. But let me put Isaiah in his crib. He’s not a part of it.”
Janette’s smile was amused. “You’re not going anywhere honey. You’re going to stay right here.” She gestured upward with her gun. “Stand.”
At that moment, Helena wasn’t too sure that she actually could. When Janette’s expression became thunderous, however, she forced herself to her feet, holding Isaiah protectively against her breast. “Sit over there, on the couch.” Janette waved her into the living room and Helena quickly complied. Her mother followed her, the gun never wavering. “I know your damn white boy is in the house, but who else?” She demanded.
Helena hesitated only a second, but a second was all Janette needed to shove the gun in her face “Who?”
“His sister!” Helena exclaimed, shaking like a leaf. “His sister is here too.”
“Fine.” Waving over a wide-eyed Daniel from the doorway, she placed the gun in his hand. “Watch her,” Janette commanded. “If she moves, shoot the baby.” Helena’s heart clenched in horror as her mother removed another pistol from the bag slung over her shoulder. With that, she disappeared down the hall.
; Helena could only wait, every nerve in her body on edge, to hear gunshots. When Daniel shifted, knocking a vase off of the coffee table to crash to the floor, he drew her attention back to him. Where Janette seemed calm and self-assured, Daniel was twitchy – obviously nervous. His gun hand trembled.
“Why?” Helena managed softly, her child’s cries ringing in her ears. “Why are you doing this?”
“Shut up.” Daniel insisted, sweat beading on his brow. “Don’t say a word.”
Within a few minutes, Janette reappeared, this time walking behind a half-dressed Xavier and Brandy, clad only in her t-shirt and underwear. The swell of her stomach was obvious under the thin material and Helena’s stomach lurched.
“You, sit over there next to Helena.” She shoved Brandy in the direction of the couch and the blonde woman cast her a furious glance before quickly complying. “You,” Janette’s voice caressed the word with smug intimacy. “You kneel, right there.” She pointed to a spot between the coffee table and the TV, and a soft sob escaped Helena as Xavier kneeled there, his eyes empty, hands on his head.
Janette’s gun immediately pressed against the back of his head. “This is a nice house.” She spoke almost carelessly, glancing around the living and dining area. “A really nice house. I should have lived in a house like this. But, naw. Ya’ll didn’t want me to make my own way.” She bared her teeth in a grimace of displeasure and beside Helena, Brandy shifted slightly in discomfort. “Don’t you move, blonde bitch.” Janette warned scathingly, and Brandy froze.
Once she figured she had scared Brandy enough, Janette continued, more softly. “Put me away for dealing with my own daughter, the way I saw fit. She’s mine.” The older woman pressed the gun even harder into Xavier’s neck purposefully. “She came from me. I can do whatever the hell I want with her. If I want one thousand fucking Johns to pay for her, I can do it.”
Helena shuddered in revulsion. “But you showed up.” She glared down at Xavier before sucking her teeth loudly. “And you had to ruin every fucking thing.”
At this point, Daniel glanced nervously back at Janette, swallowing visibly. “Baby, can we hurry this up?”
“No!” Janette snapped viciously at the man, making him cower. “I’ve waited five fucking years for this, Danny. You’ll get your money and your damn company, just as soon as I get what I want.”
The gun cocked, pulling a bullet into the chamber and Helena let out a low whimper of dismay. “You fucking thought you had me, you rich little cocksucker.” Her mother was gloating now, clearly enjoying this. “Turning my own daughter against me. Taking what’s rightfully mine. Well, how does it feel to have everything taken from you?”
Helena could hardly breathe. All she could see was the gun against Xavier’s neck and Janette’s finger on the trigger. “My man is better than you will ever be. He pulled the wool over your eyes like it was fucking nothing. And now, you little piece of shit, I’ll get what’s coming to me. I’m going to take your life. And I’m going to take my damn daughter back.”
“Momma please.” Helena blurted the words in desperation. “I’ll go with you, just please don’t hurt him.”
“Don’t, Helena.” Xavier’s voice was curt – strained. “Don’t you dare.” The young woman opened her mouth to protest but her fiancé merely shook his head, his gaze hard.
Helena’s breath left her on a hitching sob.
“That’s sweet.” Janette jibed. “Really sweet, but it don’t matter, white boy. I’ma kill you, and I’ma take Helena right back to New York where we can be a happy little family again.” When she paused, Isaiah’s wailing filled in the silence and her expression turned ugly. “We’ll have to get rid of that thing though. I ain’t got room for no more babies.”
Holding Isaiah even tighter against her, Helena shook her head frantically. “No, Momma. Please, don’t do this.”
“Calm down, girl.” Janette snapped, clearly irritated. “You can have another one later.”
Helena felt as if her heart were being ripped from her chest. As bad as the trial might have been, this was worse. Much worse.
“You, Danny honey, just get ready to get the hell out. Nobody can find out we were here.”
Helena couldn’t remember being this terrified in her entire life. Somehow, her mother always found a way to control her – to manipulate her. While she and Xavier thought they’d been gaining their freedom for the past few years, they’d really been playing directly into her hands.
“Momma?” Helena’s anguished tone drew Janette’s gaze. “I just have to ask you a question.”
“What is it?” Her mother replied, clearly on edge.
“Did you…” Helena swallowed thickly, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Did you ever really love me?”
Janette’s expression twisted into one of exasperation. “Honey, let’s not start this shit. We can discuss it after.” With those words, her gaze dropped to Xavier once more. The dark-haired man’s eyes were resolute and Helena knew she would have to watch him be killed right in front of her.
That Brandy would have to see her brother murdered before her eyes.
Sneering, Janette put pressure on the gun’s trigger.
And fired.
Chapter Seven: What Was Lost
The sound was deafening, and, closing her eyes, Helena screamed, unable to watch. Then, all at once, there came two more shots, and Brandy’s harsh gasp came from beside her. Helena opened her eyes just in time to see Daniel crumple to the ground, two bullets in his right shoulder.
“Helena, get down.” Brandy’s cry was all the warning the young woman got before Janette was screaming in rage. The blonde tugged Helena along with her and they tumbled onto the floor as the manic woman fired desperately over their heads.
A bevvy of shots returned her assault, and there was a low grunting noise as one stuck her in the leg and another in the stomach. The gun clattered from her hands and Janette collapsed to the ground, clutching her bleeding midsection as crimson began to soak into the carpet.
A low, familiar voice suddenly broke the silence. “Xavier, are you alright?”
It was Hank.
Before Helena could even straighten, Brandy was up and over the couch with a tortured sound of relief. Helena heard the impact as she collided with Hank, beginning to sob, and her husband murmured soothing words to her.
Two seconds later, the dirty blonde head of Susan’s nephew, Riley, peeked around the couch. He was in uniform, his gun still clutched tightly in one hand. “Helena, are you and the baby OK?”
Helena tried to speak, but she couldn’t. The only thing that emitted from her mouth was a soft cry as she clutched her son to her. Her body was wracked with gut-wrenching sobs as she broke apart. She couldn’t even look.
Xavier. They had killed her Xavier.
Every breath felt as if it burned her chest – like she was gasping for air. How the hell was she supposed to go on? How was she supposed to look at her son every day without seeing the man she loved in his tiny features?
It would be impossible.
“Helena, honey.”
The words stopped her mid-sob. Disbelieving, Helena turned to see a set of deep blue eyes gazing down on her and a soft, worried expression.
“Are you OK, sweetheart?”
She launched herself into his arms, clinging to him, mindless of how her son squealed at being trapped between his mother and father. Xavier was shaking too, holding her so tight she could hardly breathe and she never wanted it to end.
The sound of sirens started in the distance, and she dimly realized that Riley had shot her mother and Daniel. Actually shot them.
She glanced back to see the man checking both of them over, his mouth a thin line of disgust. When he found Helena observing him, his lips curved into a small smile. “An ambulance is coming. They’ll live.”
And somehow, Helena found herself relieved. After all her mother had done to her, she still didn’t want her dead. Something might be wrong with her, but
she couldn’t condone that thought.
“Helena.” Brandy returned to her side, this time with Hank in tow. “You and the baby are OK, right?”
“We’re fine.” Helena smiled through her tears, hugging Brandy to her before looking to Hank in surprise. “Hank, how did you know to come here? Now?”
“I didn’t.” Hank returned simply, his blue eyes gleaming. “I only knew that I wanted to see Brandy before the trial…to give her my love and support. But when I got here with Riley, I saw these two with guns through the front windows.” He frowned deeply. “We snuck around the back to surprise them.”
“I’ll say you did.” Xavier returned his voice fraught with relief. He reached out to clasp Hank’s shoulder tightly. “You saved my neck, man. Literally.”
“Well, then, maybe you’ll allow me the honor of remarrying your sister, as a reward.” Hank winked at him, making Xavier chuckle for a moment before his smile faded.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to make that festive occasion, Hank.”
Helena’s attention turned from trying to hush her son to apprehension once more. They still had the trial…and now, this gun fight? How the hell was that supposed to reflect?
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that.” Brandy’s grin was cat-like as she lifted a hand to reveal her phone clutched in it. “I left my phone on the couch, and when Janette brought us out, I sat on it. It was easy enough to fiddle around and get it to start recording audio.” She played back a brief clip containing Janette’s ugly words about wanting to whore her daughter out for profit. “I think this little snippet will turn the tides pretty profoundly in our favor.”
A Kiss of Color: A BWWM Interracial Romance (Book 3) Page 11
