Art of Loyalty (A Stern Family Saga Book 4)

by Monique Orgeron

  “Brittany didn’t go to college?”

  “Oh, she went, was smart too, my girl. But she… you know what, you should be asking her these things. Brittany’s private about her life.”

  “I know, that’s why I have to follow her to find anything out. She won’t tell me a thing.”

  “Your mother knows you’re following Brittany around like a puppy dog?”

  My back straightens, what the fuck did he just call me?

  “Don’t get your panties all twisted. My granddaughter tells me you’re stalking her. And I see that sad love-sick look in you. Of course, I’m going to ask. Chloe tells me some man went to church with them last week. I imagine that was you?”

  I nod my head. “You damn couyon, that’s what you are, crazy. Who goes to church to pick up a hooker?”

  “I wasn’t trying to pick her up.”

  “Then what were you doing? You’re a client, right?”

  “No, not anymore.”

  “Ahh, now it makes sense. So, your mother, she knew you were a client?”

  “No. How do you know my mother anyway?”

  “She came here once when I was first put in. I never told Brittany. She’s the one who helped Brittany set all this up. Catherine had heard that I don’t like what Brittany does for a living, and that I constantly worry for her.”

  He stops and looks at me, upset.

  “Do you think I like that my granddaughter is out there selling her body?! It pisses me off every time I think about it. That’s how I ended up here. I couldn’t take it. She would come home, and I knew she was lying to me. I even went looking for her several times to get her back home. So, don’t think I accept it, but I have learned to understand it. And I love my girl even more because of it. She has a heart of gold; will do anything for the ones she loves. She is a way better person than me or most of the people I know. She is way more than I deserve.”

  He takes a deep breath, calming himself and continues.

  “Your mother, she heard that I had a stroke and knew I’d be even more worried about my girl out there. So, she came here to let me know that even though Brittany doesn’t work for her, she would be the one to watch over her. She said for me to know that she would never let anyone get away with hurting my baby. I trust your mother. She seems… well, she ain’t one to pussyfoot around a subject, and I like that. I can tell she likes my girl, so I like Catherine. To me, she’s a good woman because my baby has been safe all these years.”

  “My mother is a good woman. You can trust her word.”

  “You like my Brittany?”

  I don’t answer him because it took me by surprise. I like her, yes but should I, is another story. All I know for certain is she is the first woman I have felt anything for, and it scares me.

  “Oh, don’t worry answering me, boy. I can tell you do. The question is, what are you going to do about it?”

  This time I do answer him, “I don’t fucking know.”

  He laughs and says, “That is probably one of the most honest answers I have ever heard. I like you boy.”

  We both look up when we hear Brittany enter the room. She’s looking at us puzzled. “Why are you still here? I told you I wanted you gone!”

  Her grandfather answers her, “Leave the boy alone, I’m enjoying his company. Are you finished with everyone’s treats? You better of saved some for me.”

  “You know I did, here.”

  She hands him over a bag of brownies. “Yes, my favorite.” The old man looks at me and says, “You need to try Brittany’s cooking, she’s really a fine cook. She needs to eat more if you ask me. I like my women with a little more meat on their bones.”

  Without even thinking, I look up at Brittany and tell him, “I think she’s perfect.”

  “Oh, shit boy, you got it bad!”

  Brittany tries to brush it off, even though for a split second I saw emotion in her eyes.

  “Well Paw-Paw, I need to go. We’re going to leave you to rest now, but I’ll be back next week. Love you.”

  She kisses him then looks at me to make sure I’m leaving with her. But when I go to stand, the old man stops me.

  “Stay Vin. I want to talk to you some more.”

  I shrug my shoulders and sit back down. Brittany looks pissed all over again. But this time she doesn’t say anything, she just walks out with her empty bins.

  Once we’re alone the old man looks at me and stares.

  “What?”

  “Come on, help me up, let’s go take a walk.”

  I help him up, but when I try to help him to his wheelchair, he refuses. “I can walk! Shit, I’m old, not dead. Just give me my walker.”

  I hand him his walker then follow behind him as we walk out the room.

  “Come on boy, we’re going outside.”

  Opening the door, we walk out to a side yard and continue until we reach a deserted area. We find a bench and he tells me to sit. Once he’s seated, he starts looking around the yard and starts cursing under his breath.

  “What the hell has you all in an uproar?”

  “See that old son-of-a-bitch over there?” He jerks his head for me to notice the man, and when I do he says, “He thinks his shit doesn’t stink. All because his son’s rich. He walks around here with all the latest everything. I even heard he got a new pump.”

  Taken by surprise, I chuckle out loud. “Seriously old man?”

  “Yeah boy, what, you think we’re dead?”

  I shake my head astonished. Then he yells out to a woman passing, “Hey Dolive, I like that dress.”

  The woman giggles and keeps on walking. “Man, she’s pretty. That dip shit keeps going after her, but I’ve been making the moves, you know boy. He has a head up, but I think maybe I can sway her if she can get past all his new toys.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

  “You got a cigarette, Vin?”

  “No old man, I don’t smoke.” The man eyes me, “You don’t smoke, or you just don’t smoke cigarettes?”

  This old man is something else. “What you think, old man?”

  “That’s what I thought. What I wouldn’t give for one now.”

  He yells out again, this time to a man in a wheelchair. “Hey, George, you got a smoke?”

  The man rolls his chair over to us and hands Willy a cigarette out of his pack. Willy then looks at me before he lights it and tells me, “Don’t tell Brittany, she thinks I quit. She refuses to buy me any. But at this age, what the hell do I care anymore?”

  He’s right, what the hell? “Hey George, I’ll buy that pack from you. Hundred bucks, what you say?”

  Willy freezes and George throws the pack to me after I give him the money. George then rolls away, happy with his money.

  He looks at me and asks, “That easy huh?”

  He lights his cigarette then asks, “What, you just buy whatever you want?”

  “You wanted them not me. Here take them, just don’t tell Brittany.”

  He laughs as he pockets the pack in his shirt. “So, Vin, you going to tell me what you plan on doing to get my granddaughter to stop what she’s doing?”

  “I haven’t decided if I have any plans at all. I just don’t know what to make of her, that’s all. I felt a need to find out more.”

  “You like what you see though?”

  “Yeah man, I like what I see.”

  I look over into the distance and then tell him, “It’s not that easy. I don’t think I would be good for her or any woman.” I turn back to him. “I have things that still haunt me.”

  He nods his head in understanding. “Fucking war!”

  I look toward the ground now and admit, “And then some.”

  We don’t say anything for a few minutes, then I tell him I need to go. When I stand he grabs my arm. “I think you should come back and visit again. Maybe next time I can introduce you to some of my buddies. We have more in common than you think.”

  He releases my arm and I turn, walking away. I know wha
t he means, and I don’t need to talk to any of his friends. I did that shit already. I talked to therapists till I couldn’t talk anymore, and it never helped. All I need to do is forget. Now if there was only a way to do that, I’d be fine.

  24

  Brittany

  I cannot believe his ass, following me all over. How dare he?! I’ve been home for almost five hours and can’t seem to calm down. So, what am I doing? Fucking cleaning! Every time my nerves get bad, I clean. I know I should be meditating and my mother would be yelling at me because I’m not, but I’m so pissed. I just got finished scrubbing the hell out of my two bathrooms, so much so that you could eat off my toilets. Now to tackle my closet. As I’m throwing everything to the ground to rebuild my already organized closet, my phone rings.

  Breathing heavy because I am still fuming I answer, “Hello.”

  “Hey Sis, you want to hear something interesting?”

  Rolling my eyes, I tell her, “Fine, what is it?”

  “I just got off the phone with Paw-Paw. He says your friend Vin went to visit him today.”

  Fuck! “Yes, I know.”

  “Well, what are you going to do? Have you finally decided to let him take you out on a date?”

  I have to internally laugh, if she only knew he doesn’t want a date, date. He wants my kind of dates. But she has no idea because she doesn’t know what I do and that’s the way I want to keep it. If Vin ruins that for me, I’ll kill him. Well not really kill, but close to it. Maybe rip his balls off with a knife, a big serrated knife.

  Chloe jars me out of my fantasy and the big smile I have on my face when she says, “Paw-Paw says he likes him. We think you should give him a try. You need to find someone Brittany. I know you worry about all of us, but we worry about you too. You need to find someone and settle down. I’m a grown woman now. I can get a job and start paying my way. If nothing else, I can help.”

  “Oh no you won’t! I told you, as long as you’re in school, you will not work. I can afford for you to graduate without having to worry about working.”

  “You know, everyone works. I’ve never even had a fast food job.”

  “And you never will. So, stop worrying and concentrate on finishing school. Then you can go to work. Hell, I will push your ass to the interviews.”

  Chloe starts laughing and I sit my ass on the floor, in a pile of clothes.

  “What are you doing, Sis?”

  “Cleaning my closet.”

  “Geez! You’re that mad?” Chloe knows me so well. I look at the mess I made and tell her, “I guess I am.”

  “Do you need me to come spend the night, so I can calm you down? I don’t have any classes first thing in the morning.”

  “No Chloe, I’m fine. Vin just crossed a line and he should’ve known better.”

  “What line? What are you talking about? To me it was sweet. Should I be worried?”

  Damn it! “No, no, he’s harmless. He just doesn’t know how to take no for an answer.”

  “I don’t even know why you would tell that man no to begin with?”

  I let out a deep breath, cursing in my head; she has no clue. “Listen, I don’t want you worrying about me. I need to go and get my closet organized again. I love you, Chloe.”

  “I love you too, Sis.”

  I hang up with her and lay down in my pile of clothes. Staring at my ceiling, I hope and pray she will never find out what I do to make sure she can go to college. It would literally kill me. I’ve tried her whole life, to shield her from everything in my life. And I’ve always portrayed myself as someone she could look up to. If that look of admiration left her eyes, it would make it impossible for me to go on.

  Paw-Paw knows though. He tried so hard to stop me. That’s the reason he’s in the damn nursing home. He had a stroke from the stress and worrying about me, which gave me no choice. None. With his stroke, he needed, still needs, constant care. Care that was getting harder to provide for and added more bills. I did what I had to do for the people I love.

  25

  Vin

  “Why are you doing this?” He yells.

  I gave Lester just enough time, so I could make a plan. With his wife out of town, visiting some family, I snuck into his home; waiting patiently to catch him off guard. And I do. The man yells like a bitch. I need to make it quick, so I tie him to a chair.

  “Did you think you could get away with hurting our friend?”

  “What friend? You mean the whore?”

  I punch him so hard the chair falls to the ground. Shit! Taking a deep breath, I pick him and the chair up, checking to make sure I didn’t break any bones. I need to be more careful. I plan on beating him, but I can’t allow myself to break any bones.

  “I suggest you watch your mouth!”

  For the next hour, I torture the son of a bitch in every way imaginable, but careful to make sure it’s all on the surface. I upped the torture though when he asks me why Catherine cares so much about the girl.

  “I care about the girl. This is not Catherine’s doing. She gave you to me. I am going to make sure you never lay hands on another woman again.”

  “She’s nothing, but a whore. It figures you would like that. The way I hear it, your mother was a whore.”

  I crack my neck and roll my shoulders, trying to remain calm, but Lester just bought himself at least another hour of torture.

  When he can’t take any more, he passes out. Exactly what I wanted. I untie him and make sure the house looks perfect. No one will ever know he had company tonight.

  I purposely caused a gas leak. One that does not look as if anything was tampered with. I’m a pro, this house, just like a lot of others are old and the gas line is just not up to par or at least that is what it will look like.

  Once I’ve cleared the house, I set the explosion in motion. I watch from a secluded area to enjoy my work and to make sure nothing goes wrong. By the time help arrives, the house is burnt to the ground, along with Lester’s body. All his surface injuries burnt away. That is why I had to make sure nothing was broken. Bruises, burns, cuts, will disappear in the fire, but broken bones would’ve been detected. They’d have to investigate, suspecting foul play. Now nothing is left for them to question.

  Catherine will be proud. She always taught us to be smarter and plan ahead. With this one, patience was the key.

  The next day, I have a meeting planned with Troy again, but this time it is just the two of us. He’s been texting, begging me for another meeting. I finally gave in, deciding I need to put an end to this shit.

  He asked me to meet him at a warehouse, saying he wanted to show me something. I’m cautious, so I call in the one person I know can be quiet about all this, but who can still watch my back. Teddy. He might have been an ass growing up, but we’ve started getting closer. I couldn’t ask one of my brothers because I’m not ready to share that part of my life with them yet. Teddy has already met my military brothers and didn’t care for them. Besides, Teddy is just as dangerous as any of us, and he is a pro at not being seen. He’s exactly what I need right now.

  I get to the location right on time and see there is only one car parked and it’s Troy’s. Getting out of my car, I look around, knowing Teddy is already here. I even know his location but just like expected, there’s no trace of him. Like I said, he is one of the best at what he does.

  Confident that only Troy is inside, I head into the warehouse. Teddy’s been watching for hours. He would’ve let me know the minute something other than what was discussed with Troy, was going on.

  When I open the door, I see Troy right away. “Hey brother, right on time. I’m glad you decided to meet with me.”

  “You peaked my interest, so what the fuck do you want to show me?”

  “See Vin, that is one of the things I always liked about you. No bullshit, just straight to the fucking point.”

  He thinks he’s funny, but I’m losing patience and he can tell. “Alright Vin, come on, let me show you why we need your mot
her in on this.”

  He walks ahead, expecting me to follow and I do. He leads me to a big crate and lifts the lid. At first, I’m still questioning what the hell can possibly be in there until he starts moving the stuffed packing away. Fuck!

  Troy’s smile widens as he sees the recognition on my face. “They’re beauties aren’t they, Vin?”

  He throws an M249 fully automatic rifle into my hands. “Beautiful, isn’t she?”

  I’m thrown aback, this is impossible. I look over the gun and see that it is mint condition. I eye Troy as he’s wearing the biggest smile on his face. I slowly start walking to the crates to see what else he has in them. I’m astonished as he opens them one by one. In another one, he has M4 carbine standard automatic assault rifles and other varieties.

  I look back up to him. “What the fuck man? These are all military grade weapons? How the hell did you get these, and what the fuck are you planning on doing with them?”

  The asshole starts laughing. “What do you think I’m doing with them? I’m selling them, that’s what.”

  Then he stops laughing. “And it’s none of your business how I got them. I have my ways, that’s all you need to know.”

  “Selling them? You can’t do that shit man. Who the fuck would you be selling them to anyway?”

  “Again, that is none of your business.”

  He takes a step closer to me then says, “Now, all you need to know is I need your mother, and I need her now.”

  “I’m not helping you with this man, you’re crazy for thinking I would.”

  He gets serious now as he walks closer to me, removing the gun out of my hands and laying it into the crate.

  “I’m tired Vin, I’m really tired of fucking with you anymore. I never thought it would be this hard to get you onboard. But you see, I’m running out of time here. I just got the confirmation on this shipment. They’ve been paid for and the people who paid for them are expecting a delivery soon.”

  He closes the crate and raises his voice. “I need these weapons to go through inspection without a fucking problem and in order to get that done, I need your mom.”