by B. B. Reid
There was one question that bugged me the most?
Why would Mian bother pawning a watch when she had so much to gain from selling the book? Theo had never moved so carelessly before to not collect at least half the money upfront. There were too many holes that shed light on Mian’s innocence, but I couldn’t ignore the evidence that made her look guilty either.
“So we’re not setting her free?”
“The book is still missing, and as long as it is, she’s still a suspect. If we find the book, and if she’s not behind it, we let her go.”
“She’s not going to take that well.”
“She’s not in control here.”
“Right. Because you have a handle on your feelings for her,” he said sarcastically.
“You have something you’d like to say?”
“Nothing that you’d listen to.”
“Try me.”
“You’re too soft on this girl. If you really feel nothing—if you really want to find your family’s book—then remember what she did to your family by stealing your legacy. Remember what her father did to yours. Fuck man, this isn’t just about you. Art was the only pops Z, and I had ever known, and that motherfucker took him… from all of us .”
“What do you suggest I do, Lucas?”
“Find something else to motivate her because I can’t and won’t hurt a fucking infant. I don’t even feel right insinuating that I will.”
I took a deep breath, but when the ice in my veins failed to thaw, I embraced it. “I’m sitting outside her apartment building.”
“What the fuck? Why? I told you I already checked it.”
“I thought I’d check again and maybe find a clue on how to motivate her. I know her better than either of you do. If there’s something there, I’ll find it.” Silence filled the line. “Don’t question me again. Ever. If you do, I’ll begin to wonder if I can trust you .”
I had nothing more to say. I hung up and moved toward the front door. Getting my head back in the game, I examined the piece of shit building. It didn’t even have a security system to keep dangerous men like me out.
I walked right into the darkened lobby. The only two working light bulbs flickered, and the smell that met my nose was pungent. An out of order sign was taped to the elevator doors, so I made my way to the stairs. I hesitated at the bottom. The boards didn’t appear as if they could even support my weight. Slowly, I climbed the steps to Mian’s floor. Her apartment was the second on the right.
It was locked, but the door was flimsy, so I stood back, lifted my foot, and kicked in the door with ease. The door swung back and forth on its hinges as I walked in. One look revealed that Lucas hadn’t been laying it on thick when he described her situation. It was hard to believe that she even wanted to come back to this piece of shit.
As I invaded her space, the floorboards creaked and groaned. The walls were stained and cracked. The living space was tiny as fuck. The furniture was a fucking joke. I could tell after only thirty seconds in her space that Mian had nothing. I wasn’t even sure it was better than being homeless. She had no security or comfort in a place like this.
The hall leading to the back of the apartment was short, and with only a few steps, I was standing in the only bedroom. In the far corner was a small crib that looked well used. The bed was just a mattress and box spring. The lime green sheets on her bed were familiar. The pillowcases were black as well as the thin blanket that looked handed down a few times over.
I expected pleasure over witnessing how far the spoiled princess was knocked from her throne, but all I felt was anger and shame. She shouldn’t be living like this. It wasn’t the life her father wanted for her.
She shouldn’t be a mother.
She should be studying liberal arts in college, drinking caramel frappe, pulling late night study sessions, and dating some pretty frat.
I moved through the run down yet clean apartment. There wasn’t much of the usual furniture or comfort items like a dresser or television. She kept clothes for herself and Caylen in bins. The closet was completely empty . The bathroom was clean but only held the necessities. There were tears in the white shower liner and tattered rugs to keep her from slipping.
The kitchen was just as depressing. On the counter decorated with chipped paint were a stack of bills. The first envelope was a notice from the electric company threatening termination if the bill wasn’t paid.
I picked up the stack, stuck them in my back pocket, and made my way to the door. I’d seen enough.
As soon as the door closed behind me, a door down the hall opened, and a girl of average height with blonde hair stepped out. She was wearing a shirt that didn’t cover much and shorts that were so short she might as well have gone without them. When her head turned toward me, I noticed how young she was. She couldn’t be more than sixteen years old.
“Can I help you find something?” She was frowning as she looked from me to Mian’s door. Her gaze narrowed when it landed on the broken frame. Her attention shot back up to me when I moved.
I sensed a protective streak in her and a thought formed. I donned my friendly face. “Do you know the girl who lives in this apartment?”
“Of course, I do. I’m her best friend.”
“Then you are exactly what I’m looking for.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
He wields a mother’s love like a weapon… and that makes him evil.
MIAN
Angel didn’t return in two days and worry for my son broke me. Lucas and Z weren’t talking, and other than the occasional meals I was forced to make them, I was kept confined.
When Lucas showed up on day three with a black silk kimono that didn’t even look long enough to cover my ass, I lost it. I calmly took it from him, and then pulled at the thin material until I heard it tear. I then threw it to the ground and wiped my feet on it before handing it back to him as calmly as I had taken it.
“Bad move, girl.”
“Where is my son?”
“He’s safe. You should worry about yourself.” He walked away with the kimono, and when the door slammed, I broke down.
That was four days ago.
On day seven, I woke up to Angel leaning a shoulder against the door as he watched me. Angel in control was a panty melting sight to see. Especially, when paired with a three-piece suit. Too bad my pussy had to get in line for a piece of him.
I didn’t think.
I just reacted.
“Where’s my son?” I bawled the lapels of his suit jacket in my fist. I threw my weight into him causing his body to collide with the door. Nothing fazed him as he gripped my waist and swung our bodies until I was pinned against the door. His voice was rough as he spoke.
“You’re forgetting yourself, Mian.”
“I don’t care,” I growled back. “Do what you want to me just give him back!”
“He’s safe.”
“That’s not enough!”
He didn’t react. He simply stared.
“I need to know he’s okay,” I pleaded this time. Fear that he was hiding something seized my emotions. “I need to see him.” His gaze never wavered, and doubt seeped in.
I may never get through to him.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I didn’t let go until I heard him speak.
“Bring the kid,” he ordered. He shoved his phone in his pocket, stood back, and fixed his jacket. When he caught me staring, he pointed toward the bathroom. “Go pull yourself together. Your son doesn’t need to see you like this.”
I didn’t move. I was afraid it could be a trick.
“It was not a request.”
I didn’t hesitate that time. I closed myself in the bathroom and washed the tracks from my face only for new ones to appear. It took me a few extra minutes to pull myself together.
I haven’t seen my son in a week. I would finally get to hold him close and smell his hair.
The unmistakable sound of my baby’s laughter drove me from the bathroom. I stood in the doorway and watched Z interact with my son. He made silly faces at Caylen who ate it up.
Angel’s gaze was fixed on the baby, but his expression was unreadable. I was nervous about what he was thinking. His mercy was likely holding on by a thread.
I held my breath as I closed the distance between Caylen and me. What I really wanted was to take my son and run as fast as I could. “May I hold him?”
Two sets of eyes immediately fell on me. Caylen was a little slower to take notice. With his fist now in his mouth, he finally noticed me and smiled.
He looked healthy and happy as he kicked his feet and made spit bubbles.
They hadn’t hurt him.
I got choked up as I reached out for him.
“Wait,” Angel ordered. “Put this on.” It was the robe Lucas tried to dress me in before. I hesitated, but the retribution in his eyes made me take it and slip it on. The material was soft and fine, and most of all, didn’t leave me so exposed even though I had been right about the length.
Z finally handed him to me, and when my arms closed around him, my heart folded in, and my body threatened to collapse.
“Jesus…” Angel had sworn a millisecond before his hand closed around my trembling arm and he led me toward the chair. “Sit before you drop him.”
I sat and immediately leaned in to smell Caylen’s scent. He smelled clean, and his skin was no longer pale. It was a while before I noticed the silence. Z was gone, but Angel stood near the door again where he watched us.
“Who has been taking care of him?”
“I’ve been personally seeing to it.”
“You think you’re capable of caring for my son ?”
“You should know the rules of this game by now. He belongs to me until I have my property back.”
“Have you lost your mind?” I hissed. It was a struggle not to keep my voice level. I didn’t want to scare Caylen. “He’s not property to be bartered. He’s a human being, and he’s my son.”
“That’s your opinion,” he answered smoothly.
“It’s fact. We are not yours.”
“You’re both guests in my home until I decide otherwise. You have nowhere to go unless I say so. You will not eat or drink unless I say so. You will do what I say when I say. I think that does make you mine. If you want the best for your son, I suggest you make do with that.”
“And if I refuse?”
“I’ll take your son from you, and you’ll never see him again. That includes anyone you care for.”
Suspicion crept down my spine. “There’s no one else.”
“So you say.”
“My dad is in prison. You can’t touch him.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“What do you want from me? My story checked out, didn’t it? Why are we still here?”
“You know why. You were the last person in my home before the book that ensures my family’s legacy continues went missing.”
“But you know I didn’t take it.”
“If that’s true, you have nothing to worry about. When it’s recovered, you’ll be free to go.”
“But that’s what you said about the watch!”
“Things changed.”
“Like hell.”
“In the meantime,” he continued, “what we want from you, you won’t fight it, will you?”
“ We ?”
“Will. You?”
I studied him—the evil in his eyes and the confident way he held himself. I needed to protect my son from him. Maybe that meant losing a few battles to win the war.
I nodded and swallowed back the bile that rushed up.
Just then, Caylen started to fuss until his fussing turned into a cry. Soon he was screaming at the top of his lungs. My attention had already turned to him, so I missed the concern etched on Angel’s face, but I heard it when he asked, “What’s wrong with him?”
I ignored him and felt Caylen’s diaper. “He’s probably hungry.” The last thing I wanted was to ask him for anything but my hand was forced. “I need his food.”
He was focused on his phone, so I questioned if he heard him until he cleared his throat and said, “He had a virus called respiratory syncytial.”
“What?” It wasn’t the response I was expecting.
“I thought you might want to know what was making him sick.”
I glanced down at Caylen who didn’t look ill anymore. I was so happy to see him alive that I hadn’t noticed. “Oh, God. Why didn’t I see? The doctor… he warned me RSV was common. I should have known. I should have—” I stopped. Breaking apart wouldn’t cure my baby. “I need to get him help. My voice shuddered so I took a deep breath and begged for the sake of my son. “ I know your heart is cold, but you still have one—”
“It’s been taken care of.”
“It’s been taken care of…” I repeated slowly.
“The doctor said these things normally cure themselves, but for babies, it’s much more sensitive. He would have been at risk for lung failure.”
“Are there antibiotics…” He was already shaking his head.
“He kept him on a ventilator to make breathing easier, but within a few days, he was already getting better.” The door opened, and Z stepped through. Angel’s gaze never left us as he said, “Take him.”
“What? No!”
“I can’t let you be with him. The virus was contagious and until I’m sure you don’t have it—”
“But I’m not sick!”
“You could be.”
I shot up from the chair and backed away. Caylen sensed my distress and released a heart-piercing cry. “Please, Angel.”
“Mian.” His voice was surprisingly tender. “I am not doing this to hurt you. I am telling you to do what’s best for him.”
“He needs me.”
“Right now, he needs his health.” I shook my head and backed away until the wall stopped me. “Don’t make me take him from you by force.” He stepped forward to back up his claim.
Caylen’s face was completely red now. His cries grew, and my heart broke into little pieces when I realized I was the one doing this to him.
The rational part of me knew Angel was right. Viruses usually carried an incubation period before symptoms showed and the host became contagious. It was quite possible that I could be infected which meant, right now, the only person who was a threat to my son’s health was me.
My body relaxed with defeat and Z swooped in to take the baby. I wanted to kiss him goodbye. Instead, I watched him go. When the door closed, my legs gave out, but unfortunately, Angel was there to catch me.
As soon as his arms closed around me, I screamed and beat at his chest. He didn’t fight me or threaten. He simply held me tighter until all the fight I had drained out of me. My head unconsciously settled against his chest and my body sunk into his warmth.
I hurt enough to seek comfort from my enemy.
Did it make me broken?
“Look at me.” It was the last thing I wanted, so I ignored his command. “Look at me, Mian,” he demanded more forcefully.
I did. Reluctantly. Slowly.
My gaze first landed on his chin and his neatly trimmed scruff. Slowly, my gaze traveled up to thick lips. I wondered what his kiss tasted like, and the betrayal of my body was like a punch to the gut. His arms crushed me until I finally gave him what he wanted.
The cold in his brown gaze reflected the ice in his heart. “One way or another, I’m going to get what I want from you. So you can either give it to me…” He brushed his thumb down my cheek. “Or I can take it.”
A teardrop rested on the tip of his thumb. I
grabbed his wrist and slowly slipped my lips over his thumb, taking my tear back. His next breath didn’t come, but I could feel his heart pounding harder in his chest.
“Promise?” My fearlessness was an illusion, but he didn’t need to know that. When I broke into hell, I thought I knew what would happen if I were caught. Angel proved me wrong at every turn.
“It’s already carved in your headstone.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
She’s still too young.
MIAN
Five Years Ago
My mother always told me there were two sides to every story, but I don’t think she knew her side would be buried with her. I had every reason to distrust Bea after what she did to my mother. But she also seemed genuinely distraught over the loss of my mother. What could it hurt to suspend judgment and get to know her for one afternoon?
She showed me mementos of her and my mother, and I repaid her by crying all over them. She wrapped me up in her arms, and it didn’t feel wrong. When the tears were dry on my cheek, she patted my back and told me story after story belonging to her favorite memories.
“This picture was from the year your mother and I won a talent contest together. I’m not much of a dancer, but your mother made sure the routine was as natural to me as breathing. After fighting about it, I convinced her that the trophy belonged with her. She wanted it more than I did.” I recalled a trophy my mother kept in the family room. I remember asking her about it, and she would only say it was a long time ago. “Ceci was quite the dancer,” Bea continued. “She could dance to any tune and captivate her audience with just the switch of her hips.”
“Did you truly love my mother?”
“I did, Mian. I know you’re wondering whether you can trust me after what I did, but a day hasn’t gone by that I haven’t thought about her.”
“You didn’t come to her funeral.” You never came around after either.
“No.” She placed the pictures back in the box and ran her hand over the top before setting it aside and taking my hands. “I wasn’t sure she’d want me there, and I know it was silly, but even after she died, I still hoped to win her back by respecting her wishes.” I felt her hand tremble in mine, letting me feel her emotions. “That meant never meeting you.”
