After a smooth flight, we pulled up to his parent’s estate and the house was enormous. I mean it was beyond belief. The stone and brick structure looked like it had been around forever. The landscape was immaculate, of course. I noticed Jacob tense for the first time as we drove up a long winding driveway.
“I guess it’s a bit much, but it’s home. My dad expanded it after my granddad passed. It's just the two of them, but Mom is stuck in her ways and routine.”
I heard Mama huff from the back seat and mumble something about how many of her kind were used to clean the place so I shot her a look. Squeezing Jacob’s hand I made sure he heard me. “It's beautiful, Jacob. It's amazing to think that generations of your family have lived under the same roof. I can’t imagine what stories those walls could tell.”
I laughed as I watched him blush. My newly dominant and hot as hell man was nervous and embarrassed by what we thought. It shouldn’t have made me so happy, but I was. This was as important to him as it was to me.
“I bet these walls can tell some stories,” Mama said as she grabbed her purse and clutched it to her chest. I sent up another little prayer as we parked in the large circular drive.
The front door opened and a young woman in a uniform smiled widely at Jacob. “Mr. Jacob, it's nice to see you again.”
Jacob hugged her and smiled in return. “Hello Anna, it's nice to be home again. I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Destiny, and her mother, Ms. Clara. Ladies, this is Anna...she basically runs the house and she's a friend.”
“It's so nice to meet you, Anna.” I shook her hand and saw that she was surprised by the action. My guess was right about Jacob's family. He'd led a very privileged life, but I was almost positive that it was also very lonely. My poor lonely man, no wonder he’d ended up in the claws of that nut.
Mama didn’t say anything but smiled at the woman as she took in her surroundings. I could mentally see her storing away information to use on her next attack.
The house looked just as impressive inside. I could see why Jacob was so touched by my including his grandfather’s pictures in his home. Everything seemed to have purpose; it all seemed to have meaning. I straightened my back and pasted on my best smile. Mama was right; she had raised me to be proud and courageous. This was the time to let that shine through.
The noise coming from down the hall caught our attention and Jacob pulled me in that direction. I looked back to make sure that Mama stayed close on my heels. As our eyes met hers flashed. She was feeling the pressure just as much as I was. He led us further into the large house down an impossibly long hall.
As we walked, I took in the photos on the wall. There were numerous paintings as well as photographs. Jacob walked quickly, so I couldn’t really focus on them, but I thought I caught glimpses of a young Jacob and Justine in a few of them. My stomach flipped with the thought.
We walked into a large sun room. Chintz prints covered multiple pieces of furniture. I felt like I had just stepped into a magazine; Country Living maybe. Everything was so perfect it almost seemed fake. I shook off the thought and focused on the person before me.
“Mom, we're here. You could have at least come out to say hello,” Jacob teased, but I could hear the sharpness under his words.
“Well Jacob, I wasn’t sure when you were arriving. I mean, with you having to pick up your guests and all.”
“Who were you talking to? Where’s Dad? I thought he would be here by now.” Jacob said.
“I was just talking to him on the phone. He’s on his way,” Mrs. Turner said. The woman never made eye contact with me or Mama. I had the funny feeling that she never would, so I took the first step.
“Mrs. Turner, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. There was no way I would allow Jacob to make us late for dinner. Today is much too important for that. Thank you for inviting my mother and me.”
Jacob jumped in and waved Mama over. He placed a hand at her back and wrapped his other arm around my waist. “Mom, this is Destiny Baker, my fiancée, and her mother, Clara Baker.”
Jacob’s hand squeezed my hip causing my body to tremble. I loved the way my body was always receptive to him. I felt the pride in his voice as he spoke and it made me feel certain that meeting his parents was the right decision. His mother remained silent as she stared at Jacob. “Aren’t you going to speak, Mom?”
“Welcome to our home,” Jacob’s mother said with a nod of her head. She still barely looked me in the eye as she spoke. Jacob did not miss her avoidance.
“Mom, I’m going to take Destiny out on the patio for a second to show her around. Perhaps you and Ms. Clara could get to know each other while we take a walk.”
Mrs. Turner looked Mama up and down before she took a seat at the head of her dinner table. “Sure, have a seat Clara. I’m certain that we have a lot to chat about.”
I didn’t know if Mrs. Turner was being sarcastic or that was her snooty way of being genuine. Either way, I didn’t feel safe leaving her with Mama. I looked at Jacob and he knew what I was thinking.
“They will be fine. Come on,” Jacob said, reassuring me that his mother was just as much of a shark as mine.
Jacob pulled me through a lounging room that had the tallest sliding doors I’d ever seen. We went through the doors and the first thing that caught my eye was an area past the pool and patio area. It was a little house. I tried to imagine a young Jacob running around back there. “Jacob, what's that back there? It looks like a house or a shed maybe.” I pointed in the direction of my question.
He let out a laugh. I turned to face him wanting to know just what it was. I watched Jacob's face flush slightly as he took my hand. He brought it to his mouth and his beard tickled my skin. Just as Jacob was about to speak, a voice came from behind us.
“Oh, that’s our old playhouse. I can give you a tour if you'd like? There's no place I don’t know around here, I mean it's almost my home too...right Jacob?”
My whole body locked up tight. I knew that voice. It haunted me in my nightmares. I felt my body sway and Jacob was quick to grab hold of me. I didn’t dare turn around but I didn’t have to. Sweat beaded on my forehead. My heart began to race and I grew angry. She didn’t have a right to be there and ruin this moment for me.
Jacob literally growled at her. I had seen his anger when he attacked Montie, but this was worse. This was so, so much worse. The hold he had on me tightened but I didn’t mind it. As long as he held me then he couldn’t go to her. I wasn’t going to let Jacob get anywhere near Justine again. Jacob grabbed me by the hand and dragged me back to the dining room. Justine followed close behind us.
“If you know what’s good for you, you will not follow me!” Jacob said as we walked into the dining room. We faced the newly gathered group together.
Mama was sitting at the table unknowingly warming up to Justine’s parents, along with Jacob’s mother. The look on Mrs. Turner's face said it all. She smiled sweetly at their new guest, while Mama’s expression slowly changed to match the shock and anger on mine. Mama looked between us. It took her a moment but she finally realized what was going on. That was when all hell broke loose.
“OH NO! No way in hell did you bring my baby here to be confronted by that animal! There is no way that I will stand in the same space as that woman. How dare you?” Mama was seething in anger as she pointed at Mrs. Turner.
“And how dare you step foot in my house? Get the fuck out Justine…Now!” Jacob said stepping in front of me. It was the first time that both Jacob and my mother had been on the same side.
The courage to turn around and tear the stupid, so-called insane person to pieces grew bigger and bigger inside of me. I tried to calm down by breathing deeply, but my lungs had seized up. The anger that flowed through my veins as I thought about the attack was there in living color. “You crazy bitch!” I said charging Justine. “I swear I’m going to rip you a new asshole.”
Just about the time I was about to reach her, Mr. Turner came strolling into the r
oom and noticed the tension. He caught me around the waist before I reached Justine. “What’s going on?” he asked Jacob.
A quick scan of the room told him everything he needed to know. I was furious that I had been accosted by Mr. Turner on our first meeting. The room fell silent for minute before the sobs began.
“I told you this would happen; I told you that she couldn’t understand me! It's not enough that she stole Jacob away, now she wants to take my family too!” Justine screeched as she continued to cry.
Justine’s parents jumped from their seats at the table and ran over to her. Her father stared at me with disgust, while her mother tried to calm her nutty daughter.
“Jacob, this is still my home, and you and your guests will not speak to my friends like that. I have shown your friends the utmost respect and I demand that you do the same. This is not how you were raised. These people are your family, your friends. Now apologize!” Mrs. Turner had done lost her mind.
Jacob was shaking in anger beside me. Mama was yelling about the audacity of rich people. But it wasn’t until Mr. Turner let me go and made a move towards his wife that I snapped out of it. He had another common thread that father and son shared; anger.
“How could you do this to your own son and his fiancée? Invite the woman who almost killed her to her first dinner in our home! What kind of a mother would do that to her only son?” His words were controlled but barely more than a growl of anger.
“Fuck it. Just fuck it all.” I was bone tired and sick of this whole thing. “Take me home, Jacob. I will not stay here with her.” I began to move out of the room. I looked around to make sure Mama was behind me.
I’d never seen Mama speechless…until that moment. Her light brown skin was flushed and she was standing motionless with her hand on the back of the chair she had sat in earlier. Her mouth held a firm pout. Her eyes looked like two perfect slits and her nostrils flared. If looks could kill, Mr. Turner would have been dead on arrival. Mama’s chest began heaving up and down and I knew there was major trouble boiling. I just didn’t know what kind. I rushed to her.
“Mama, let it go! We are not going to stay here and argue with these people.”
She finally let go of the grip she had on the chair and picked up her jacket. Her feet began to move, but she was moving like a turtle. I thought she was going to walk toward the door, but instead she made a sharp turn toward Mr. Turner.
“All these years I’ve grieved for the love we had!” Mama said as she hauled off and slapped Jacob’s father so hard that everyone in the room gasped.
“Ms. Clara!” Jacob said jumping to the defense of Mr. Turner.
“Mamaaaa,” I said downright embarrassed. The only thing left to happen at this dinner was for an actual bomb to go off.
“I should have never allowed you people into our house. What is she talking about John?” Mrs. Turner said running over to stand between Mama and her husband.
“Is this why you ripped my heart out of my chest?” Mama stepped around Mrs. Turner and asked. Everyone in the room quieted. Mama began to sob. “Every day I wondered if you were happy. I wondered if you could really move on and find happiness; I know I couldn’t. To see that you’re living with this hateful and spiteful woman you call a wife, I can’t say that I feel vindicated. I just feel bad for you, John-John. I guess the punishment fits the crime,” Mama said as she surveyed the swanky dining room and everyone in it one last time. She held her coat to her chest and walked away.
“That’s right, get your ass out of my house and take your daughter with you! Neither of you will ever see a dime of Turner money,” Mrs. Turner said, walking on Mama’s heels. I was glad Mr. Turner grabbed hold of her to pull her away. Mama had poured out her heart, but she still wasn’t above a good fight.
“Oh, I can’t get out of this house fast enough!” Mama said as she stormed ahead of us. Jacob took my hand and we walked behind Mama, both trying to process what was happening. Mr. Turner caught up with us before we got to the front door and pulled Mama into a hug.
Mrs. Turner stormed toward them ready to break up their moment, but Mr. Turner’s trembling voice made the whole room stand still again.
“Clara, listen to me! I never stopped loving you. There will never be another woman that I’ve held in my heart as much as you,” he admitted as he embraced Mama. He looked at me and Jacob.
“Dad, what are you saying?” Jacob asked.
“Son, Destiny…I’m sorry for the way this all happened. You were expecting this to be a day of new beginnings. But, as you can see, there are some changes that have to be made before that happens.” Mr. Turner looked at his wife who was shooting daggers his way. “Changes that will be made at whatever cost.”
To be continued…
AUTHOR NOTE:
You have blessed me with your support and I want to heartily thank you for reading the Breathless: In Love With An Alpha Billionaire series. The final book will release very soon and will include an original romance story that encompasses the drama and passion that is known from the Turner and Baker families.
Until then, remain in peace!
Shani Greene-Dowdell
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