by Alice Ward
“Sure, no problem.” The man stood, holding his arms out at an angle while Bill quickly ran his hands down the man’s body.
“You’re clean, sir. May I see some identification?” Bill examined the driver’s license he was given. “If you’ll excuse me for a few moments?” The man nodded and turned back to his drink as Bill came in our direction.
Bill held out the license. “It says that’s his name, Worth.”
I checked it out. “Did he say what he wants?” I asked Bill, who shook his head. “What do you think?”
Bill shrugged. “He’s clean and this is a public place. I don’t imagine you’ll take my advice and go home, so you might as well get it over with. I’ll be at the next table where I can hear, but I’m going to run this license. I also want to get my hands on one of his empty glasses, so keep him drinking and I’ll have a chat with Charlie behind the bar. I’ll be right there.”
What the hell am I going to say? I started toward the table and as we drew close, the guy turned to look at me. He looked at Auggie and his mouth took on a well-rehearsed smirk. “Yeah, that’s more like it. Couldn’t believe when she opened the door that you were actually married. Shit, but that made it easier.”
He hadn’t held out his hand. There was no hug; not even an attitude that made him look decently glad to see us. I had to keep from staring, though. It was like looking at myself with Auggie’s eyes. It shook me up.
The guy indicated the remaining chairs at his table. “Plant yourselves, let’s talk,” he said, lifting his glass and downing the second half. “What can I get you?”
I didn’t want a drink but remembered Bill’s request. I motioned to the waitress and ordered a beer and a soft drink for Auggie. She was a nursing mother and had sworn off alcohol for the time being.
I glimpsed Bill taking a chair behind the man who called himself Linc. He nodded in approval and busied himself with a newspaper. I put Auggie in the chair furthest away and sat next to the guy.
“Who are you?” What else was there to say? I sure as hell wasn’t going to ask about the weather or if he’d had a good trip.
He laughed, taking the drink from the waitress and downing a sizable gulp before saying, “Hell, get right to the point, why don’t ya?”
Auggie’s back was rod straight, her knees pressed together as she sat on her hands. She hadn’t even removed her shoulder bag or opened her jacket. Her body language was fearfully anticipatory. I wanted to get her out of there, but she had as much right to sit in on the conversation as I did.
“Well?” I asked him again, not allowing him to control the conversation.
“Your ol’ buddy there,” he pointed over his shoulder at Bill, “is having me checked out as we speak.” With a great show, he picked up his two drink glasses, sandwiched them firmly between this hands, then turned and set them on Bill’s table. “For the prints, ol’ man,” he said with a smarmy smile. “And this,” he plucked some hair from his scalp, “is for the DNA test.” Bill’s eyes grew thin beneath his frown.
Was this a show to put us off the trail? There could be no other explanation. “You’re not Linc. He’s dead. I saw his body myself,” I challenged him.
The man laughed, but it was a wicked sound, and held up his finger, wagging it in my face. The waft of liquor between us was nauseating. “Ahhh, you think you saw Linc, but since I’m sitting here next to you, I’d say you were mistaken, wouldn’t you?” he challenged me back.
I grabbed his finger to push his hand out of my face and the electricity between us shot through to my feet. It was as if two pieces of steel, once severed, had been forged together again — but made a Cain and Abel connection. Even Auggie must have felt it for I heard her sudden intake of breath.
“Talk!” I ordered him, but he didn’t flinch. He continued to smile as if he owned the world and I was begging to become a part of it.
“Careful, Bro,” he warned in an almost snarl. “I might just take a notion to get up and walk out of here, and you’ll spend the rest of your life lookin’ over your shoulder,” he warned slyly and I struggled to rein myself in. “Alright, alright, I’ll let you off the hook. You just stay where you are and we won’t have any trouble.”
I glanced at Auggie and could see her quivering, but couldn’t hold her; not then. Damn! I swore to myself. He was already coming between us! “Why are you using Linc’s name?” I asked as calmly as I could. I drew upon my psychologist’s ability to be objectively removed.
“That daddy of ours; he wasn’t such a good boy. You know what I mean?” He chuckled and took the soda that Auggie hadn’t touched. “I’m sure you don’t mind if I do,” were the first words he directed toward her.
“Go on,” I said tersely, again wearing my mental spectacles and holding my notepad as I remained detached while studying his facial expressions and body language.
His face went blank, even angry. “I was the baby born to him and that bitch she calls a mother.” He jerked a thumb in Auggie’s direction, not knowing that he’d have gotten no argument from her.
“Seems about the time I was born, he’d arranged to have me adopted, but that’s when things got a little screwed up. You see, ol’ Daddy was in to the syndicate. He owed them, big time. And there was this little matter of a jockey named Torez they found with a knife in his chest. Ol’ Daddy was knee-deep in shit but had his daddy and a whole lot of friends around here who kept him clean. They couldn’t get to him, so they did the next best thing.” He finished Auggie’s soda. It seemed he couldn’t have a complete conversation without punctuating it with something to drink. I made note of this and realized he was probably an alcoholic. He motioned to the waitress over my shoulder and she appeared within moments with a refill.
“Which was…?” I pushed him to finish the story.
“They gave him somebody else’s bastard and took me. I was the ransom!” His words held a defiant yet defensive vehemence. “Yeah, I got raised by a platinum floozy who petted cocks for a living,” he growled. “I grew up in a backwater shack in the Keys that flooded every time God took a piss. Roaches, snakes, ‘gators. Yeah, these were my playmates.”
“Why didn’t Father give them the money to get you back?” I challenged his story.
“Because,” his eyes narrowed with lifelong hatred, “our ol’ daddy was a cold-hearted bastard, Bro. He wasn’t about to let go of his money or take a murder rap on behalf of a bastard, even if I was blood. Hell, no! They’d always have me to hold over him. Nah, he chose to take another man’s bastard and raise him as a blueblood. He figured the odds were the brat had better genetics than I did, anyway.” His eyes flicked toward Auggie. “He got to keep his pride, his freedom and screw the syndicate at the same time. Only reason they let me live was to keep him from doin’ anything else, to at least keep his mouth shut.”
“You’re saying Father didn’t claim you to avoid going to prison?”
He twisted in his chair and his face came close to mine. “Tell me that wasn’t his style. I challenge you — tell me!”
I backed off. I couldn’t argue the logic of what he said and he’d obviously lived the life to prove it. No one outside the family, and possibly this syndicate as they were called, knew Father’s black soul. He was capable of everything — but more to the point — he was capable of doing nothing, which was worse. “So, if he wouldn’t claim you, why did they think he’d protect you by keeping his mouth shut?”
“It wasn’t me, Bro…” he leaned back and smirked at me. “It was you.”
My mouth must have dropped open as the import of what he said sank in.
“Surprised?” he poked me verbally. “Yeah, Bro… you were just sprouting in your mama’s tummy and he knew for sure he had an heir. He kept his mouth shut to keep you on this planet. The other kid, the bastard… did you ever think that maybe his accident was just a little too convenient?”
I fell back at this and heard Auggie’s small cry. “What are you saying?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’v
e been keeping track. The floozy watched the papers from Louisville. I guess she thought she might find an angle some day and get some dough from him. Shame he shot himself, Bro. It woulda been kinda fun to meet him, just once.” His voice carried the threat that he would not have left his father alive.
“Linc’s car turned over in a curve. He was alone. Father had nothing to do with that!” I was outraged and not just at him, but at myself. How could I defend the man I hated?
“You’re smarter than that, Bro. Open your damned eyes! Look at me! I’m your spittin’ image; you and her.” He pointed at Auggie whose eyes were wide. She was still visibly shaking. I still couldn’t embrace her. I would be giving up position. I hoped she understood.
“What do you want?” I demanded. Brother or not, I wanted away from this creature and more importantly, I wanted Auggie away from his filth.
“Wondered when you’d get to that,” he snickered. “You figure you can just buy off anyone, is that it?” Why did he continue to provoke me? “Nah, no money, Bro. I don’t need much and I do okay on my own. Just want my family, that’s all.”
“Your family?” His words filled me with horror. “You can’t mean Auggie and me? You do that and you’ll get us all killed!”
“Exactly.” He slapped the table in gleeful irony. “Now you’re catchin’ on, Bro. The only thing that stands between you and the syndicate is me. You see, I picked up where good ol’ Daddy left off. I work for them now. As long as I do, they let me live. And now, I’m workin’ for your hide too.”
This didn’t make any sense. “Why would you want to be around us?” I posed the question with my psychologist’s demeanor — the only weapon I had against the insanity I was hearing.
“Because, Bro… you’re connected. You know people and there’s a little track down the road called Churchill. I need you to grease those connections and keep me employed. And if you do it right, you keep yourself and this lil’ filly here alive. Get it?”
“Leave her out of this!” I was boiling.
“Love to, Bro, but she was… let’s say, born into her role. Shame too... she’s a pretty little piece. If it weren’t for sharin’ eyes, I might like to take a poke at her myself.”
That was when I lunged at him, knocking us both into the table. Auggie screamed as I began to pummel his face. He was equally strong, however, and grabbed my fists after the first few punches. In the back of my consciousness, I heard Bill’s voice, warning me to stop. He finally pulled me off and the bastard began wiping imaginary dirt from his sleeves. “Whoa, whoa, lil’ Bro,” he taunted me. “I do believe you may have crossed a line just now. Officer?” he turned to Bill. “I’d like to press charges for assault with intent to do bodily harm,” he stated in a calm, rehearsed tone, and I realized it had been his plan all along.
Bill glared at me. I knew I’d lost it and was going to regret it. The cops had already been called so there was nothing to do but stand and wait for them. They cuffed me and I quickly told Auggie to get home, lock the doors and stay with Ford until I contacted her. “Call Brandon,” I told her, referring to her attorney friend who had always wanted to be her first choice. I couldn’t believe I was now in the position of asking for his help. “Bill, look after her,” I called over my shoulder and heard his accommodating grunt.
They had taken me away in the squad car, charges pending. So, now, there I was, in a cell waiting to see what they’d do to me. That’s when an officer came up to my bars and unlocked the door. “LaViere?”
I nodded.
“Charges have been dropped. Get out of here,” he said, holding the door open. Behind me, there were catcalls and jeering cheers from those who would not be so lucky.
Bill was waiting at the curb when I emerged from the building. “Take me home,” I told him, but he had already pulled away.
CHAPTER TWO
Worth
Bill followed me into the house where Auggie was anxiously waiting, her eyes filled with concern. “Bill, be with you in a few,” I said.
I whispered to Auggie, “I love you, but need to wash the stink off before I hug you.” She nodded and promptly ushered Bill into the family room. I heard her offering him something to eat and drink as I bounded up the stairs and took the hottest shower I can ever remember.
Throwing on sweat pants and a t-shirt, I combed my hair and when I got downstairs, the first thing I did was embrace Auggie, kissing the top of her head as I held her tightly. Betsy appeared with Ford and I held him between Auggie and myself, closing my eyes and absorbing their clean innocence. I handed Ford back to Betsy, who left us alone, and pulled Auggie down onto the sofa next to me.
“Bill, talk to me,” I said.
“Well, dammit, Worth, you knew better than to pull that stunt. Lucky for you, I convinced him that none of you needed any attention and he dropped the charges. Otherwise, you’d be sittin’ in there and there wouldn’t be a whole lot I could do without calling attention to you.”
“I know. I appreciate your role in all this and for looking after Auggie. I want security, Bill. I want a man here at the house twenty-four-seven and another at the clinic when any of my family is with me. I want cameras monitored and the phone numbers changed. If he’s telling the truth, we’re not dealing with just one malcontent, but with who knows how many unscrupulous characters,” I said, referring to Linc’s “syndicate.” It burned my mind to call this imposter by my brother’s name, but there was no other way to refer to him.
Bill nodded. “Worth, he made a lot of accusations. I do stand on the side of the law, you know.”
“Father is dead and there’s no other person to prosecute, even if Linc was telling the truth,” I pointed out.
“That’s not what I’m talking about, and you know it,” he argued. “You’re being blackmailed into considering using your influence to fix races. That’s against the law and as much as I want to help you out, I can’t turn a blind eye to that. You understand, right?”
“I get that, Bill, but what are the options? Tell me, would you do as he asked?” I pleaded with my eyes. “I have to protect Auggie and Ford.”
Bill’s face was concerned and that made it harder on me. He was generally so casual and in control. This was his line of work. If he couldn’t figure a way out, how was I to do it?
He shook his head in bewilderment. “You’re in a bad place, Worth, there’s no two ways around that. You might consider packing up and moving.”
“And run? Run away from my father’s deeds? Run away from all that Auggie and I have built? They’d only find us. He’d find us. I don’t think that’s a solution, Bill. Maybe a delay, but not a solution. I want this ended.”
“I’m not going anywhere, although no one has asked my opinion in all this yet,” Auggie murmured. I hugged her, realizing that she was absolutely right.
“You’re right, sweetheart. This involves you as much as me. Do you have any ideas?”
She drew in a deep breath. “Well, in my opinion, no matter his background, he is blood family to you and to me. I don’t think there’s any question about that. And as badly as he behaves, we have to remember that he has reason to be jealous. So, I don’t think that aggravating him will do anything but make him meaner.”
She made an excellent point and I was surprised I hadn’t considered it myself. I was, after all, the psychologist.
“I also think that you’re taking his word on what this… this syndicate wants. It would be very hard to prove whether you’re cooperating because you’re not personally fixing any races. You’re only being asked to cooperate by using your connections. No one can prove whether you’ve done that or not.”
“Also true,” I said and even Bill was nodding his approval.
“So, I think as long as we don’t do things to antagonize him or his friends, and we don’t compromise our integrity, we’ll be fine. He’ll probably give up and go away. I don’t care about my mother, and your father is gone, so no one else is involved. I think it’s a good idea to b
e wary, but by over-reacting, we’re giving them exactly what they want, and the only ones to suffer will ultimately be us.”
“Auggie, darling, you should be doing my job.” I smiled and hugged her close. “I think you’ve provided the only sensible option to take at this moment. In the meantime, Bill, will you see to that security and we will go on as we always have?”
Bill brought up a point. “How will you explain a man showing up and calling himself your dead brother to your friends?”
I gave this some thought. “If asked, I’ll say he’s a distant relation, but won’t elaborate beyond that. He is a relation and he has been distant. The names — well, my parents could have liked the name and copied it. I don’t know. I’m not going to worry about such little details when anyone who hears about this will gossip and come up with their own opinion. That’s nothing new to me. They’ve been talking about me for years. Auggie, can you bear up to that?” I asked her directly.
She shrugged. “I’ve been known to raise an eyebrow or two myself, and Mother certainly took care of creating enough scandal that I’ll never live down.”
The three of us sat quietly for a few minutes, taking the time to look for weak links in the plan.
“Want me to check out his connections?” Bill asked.
“No, no leave them be. Don’t stir up a bee’s nest,” I answered and we all nodded.
“That seems to be it, then,” Bill concluded and after nodding to Auggie, shook my hand and left.
“The entire time I sat in that cell, there was only one thing I could think of,” I said.
“What’s that?” Auggie looked up at me, her eyes twinkling.
“This.” I took her face in my hands, kissing her deeply. Taking her by the hand, we headed upstairs to our bedroom.
I sat on the edge of the bed and positioned her between my knees. I began at her neckline, unbuttoning the soft blouse she wore and kissing my way with each new slice of skin that became exposed. I reached behind and snapped open her bra, using both hands to feed her breasts into my mouth. I sucked upon her and could taste a bit of Ford’s next meal, but it was her warmth I craved. Sliding my hands into the waistline of her pants, I slid them down, gathering her panties with them as I went. Once she was naked, I raised up only long enough to remove my own clothing, then picked her up, sitting her atop my throbbing cock.
