“Usually.” He winked at me and tugged me to his lap. Inches from my face, his voice changed. The softness mixed with compassion and concern made me want to give him anything he wanted. This is how he gets his way. “Move in with me. Let me take care of you. I want to help with the kids. I want them to have a safe place to live. I never want any of you to do without.” Waiting for me to reply, he continued to try to sway me. “Tell me what it is I’m not understanding.”
He wouldn’t relent, and unless I was honest with him, he wouldn’t give in. “Emmy’s medical bills are enough to buy a small house. All of them past due, and my credit is ruined. I’m barely getting by as it is. I can’t up my rent. I can’t walk away from the debt—I looked into bankruptcy, and you still have to pay the money back. There’s no way I’ll ever dig myself out, Jase.” I couldn’t face him, so instead, I stared at his knee and picked at my cuticle.
Jase’s fingers found my chin, lifting it, forcing me to meet him eye to eye. “Why won’t you let me help you, Gia?”
“I’m not your problem, Jase. Neither are my kids.”
A storm brewed in his cloudy eyes. “I want you here. One way or another, I’m going to get what I want—you know that. So why do you fight it?”
“I keep thinking you’ll listen to reason.”
He wasn’t going to. I knew he wouldn’t. He had the answer to all my problems…in spades. Every worry I had—except Emmy’s Lyme disease—he could fix by writing one check. Money he’d probably never notice was gone. But I’d never taken handouts, and I didn’t want to start with Jase.
“Will you at least show me everything you have out there and let me help you with a game plan?” he pleaded.
It was a reasonable request, but I was afraid he’d see the truth and run for the hills. If we ever had a chance at any relationship, I couldn’t keep my cards hidden. I had to play them. So I relented. “Fine.” I huffed and crossed my arms like a child.
“And you and the kids stay here while you work on the plan.” He slid that in like I wouldn’t hear him as he patted my butt for me to hop up. “Just give in, Gia. I’m not going to let it go.” He kissed me on the side of the head, and with that, the discussion about my living arrangements was over.
It didn’t take much to move us from The Village to Jase’s house. I’m embarrassed to admit there was nothing other than clothes and toys I cared about taking. We trashed the furniture and just about everything else. The only box remained taped up as it had with each move—at some point, the kids would want to know about Ryan…until then, there was nothing to see.
~~~
The kids all took moving out of The Village in stride—as long as they were together, they didn’t care where they lived. Jase had given each of them their own rooms and had them professionally decorated, but somehow, they migrated to one room every night and ended up in a communal bed. I thought about arguing with them, but they’d never really known any different.
We’d only been here a couple of days, but somehow, he’d managed to make it feel as though we’d always been together. Emmy thought moving in confirmed Jase was her daddy, and he seemed ten feet tall and bulletproof every time she said it, so I let that go, too. Everything was going really well…too well.
Nothing in my life ever stayed bundled up in a nice, neat little package.
Something had to throw off the balance, tip the scale, alter gravity.
Jase had taken the kids to get dinner, leaving me home alone to unwind. I really had no idea what to do with myself—my time was always accounted for by work, doctors’ appointments, or children. I tried to read a magazine but opted for the television instead. Camped out in Jase’s man cave, which had become a playroom, I let my mind drift to a happy place—a content place, a place I was loved and life was good, where we didn’t have to worry about money, where I knew I could get Emmy the care she needed, and where I could start making arrangements to pay off the debt that had strangled me for so long. For the first time since Ryan lost his job, I felt peace.
Peace doesn’t remain in my life. It’s a calm before a storm, the eye of a hurricane. There’s always something brewing, a typhoon building. The chime of the doorbell brought with it the destruction so familiar to my world. I didn’t know it, wouldn’t know it, but it would be catastrophic.
Trotting down the stairs, I reached the foyer on the second ring of the bell. Through the glass, I could see two uniformed officers standing on our front porch. Panic washed over me. I’d never been implicated in any of the charges brought against Ryan; I’d been questioned, but it had been clear I was clueless, and they had let me go. I couldn’t imagine why they’d be looking for me now, years later…when Ryan was dead.
With a trembling hand, I tucked my dark hair behind my ear, straightened my spine, and opened the door.
“Hey, guys. What can I do for you?” I faked the pleasantries, hoping they were collecting money for State Troopers or some other charity. I’d have given them my entire wallet if it meant they’d go away.
They both removed their hats and tucked them under their arms, almost as though it had been choreographed. The taller of the two spoke first. “We’re looking for Jase Lane. Is he home, ma’am?”
“No,” I stammered. Unsure why any officer would be searching for Jase. He wasn’t hard to find. “He took the kids to dinner. Can I help you?” I opened the door a little wider and let my hand drop to my side.
The other officer answered, “Do you know when he’ll be home?”
“I can call him and have him come home. They’re just down the street.” I had no idea what they wanted with Jase, but I wasn’t going to stand in anyone’s way. I learned a long time ago, if you answer their questions and cooperate, things go a lot smoother.
“We’d appreciate that. It would save us a lot of time and the kids some heartache.”
I had turned to get my phone but stopped and faced the officers again. “I’m sorry. Is there a problem?”
“If you could get him to come here, it would be better for everyone. Do you mind if we come in?” The taller one had a much more calming effect. His voice was warm, his approach much gentler than his partner’s.
“Oh, no. Not at all. I’m sorry. I don’t know where my manners went. Of course. Please, come in. Have a seat, and I’ll go call Jase.” I motioned to the sitting room off the foyer and scurried off to make a call.
He didn’t answer so I called back. Twice. On the third try, he finally picked up the phone. Out of breath. “Hey, baby. What’s up? You’re supposed to be relaxing.” The chatter and background noise made it difficult to hear him.
“Yeah. I was until the officers in the living room showed up and asked that you come home.” The lack of surprise on his end shocked me.
“Okay. I’ll gather the kids. Let them know I’ll be there in about ten minutes.” I was about to hang up when he spoke again. “Gia, babe. Don’t talk to them.” And he disconnected without a response.
I set the phone down on the counter and tried to compose myself, but since I had no inkling what I was dealing with, it was rather difficult. When I returned to the living room, they were sitting quietly. The way they stared out the window at nothing was eerie.
“Can I get you guys anything while we wait? Jase said he’d be here in about ten minutes.”
They declined, but I had to busy myself. With nothing to do, I returned to the kitchen and made lemonade and sliced up some cheese and put crackers on a serving tray. Just as I’d set the tray in front of them and they’d both taken glasses and snacks, Jase strolled in and told the kids to go to the playroom.
Once they were upstairs, he met me in the foyer. Looking past me and into the other room, he grinned at me before speaking. “Baby, I told you not to answer questions. How did that translate into cheese and crackers with lemonade?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t know what to do. I’m sorry.”
He squeezed my shoulders and kissed my temple. “It’s okay, love. Come sit. I doubt this
is going to go well.”
Completely confused by the men in the house, and Jase obviously knowing why they were here, I followed his lead. He sat casually on the couch across from the strangers, and I sat next to him, perched on the cushion, literally on the edge of my seat.
Neither of the officers rose when they begin to speak to Jase. It appeared as though this was a casual affair. I wanted to relax, but memories of my past flooded my brain faster than I could process them. The nicer guy did the majority of the talking. “Mr. Lane, I assume you know why we’re here?” he questioned.
“Pretty good guess, yes.”
“Do you want to come to the station for questioning or would you prefer to do it here?”
I panicked. My body turned toward his; my knees hit his thigh. “Jase, what are they talking about?”
Jase put his hand on mine but didn’t answer my question. “Is he pressing charges?”
“Yes, sir.” The little guy irritated me. I was the only one in the room who didn’t have a clue what was going on and no one bothered to fill me in. It was as if everyone decided to speak in code to intentionally keep me in the dark.
“Then I guess I need to contact my attorney and have him meet me at the station. Can we avoid the scene outside my house? I’m coming willingly but am not interested in having my neighbors witness anything, and my kids don’t need to see it, either.”
“Certainly, Mr. Lane.”
“Would you mind saying hello to the kids before we go? They were excited to see the police car outside.” The two officers must have thought it was as asinine a request as did I given the circumstances, but they conceded. “I don’t want them to associate anything negative with the police. If they think you’re my friends, they’ll be okay.”
The light bulb seemed to go off for them at the same time it did me. He was more concerned about the children being negatively affected by whatever was going on than what was actually taking place.
Jase called them all downstairs and Emmy jumped into his arms from the second to last step. They were all excited to meet real police officers and couldn’t get to them fast enough. Both were engaging, and the kids were in love. While they answered their questions, I went after Jase.
“Can you tell me what’s going on?” I searched his eyes for fear, confusion, anger, but only saw love.
He lowered his voice to keep anyone else from hearing him. “I told you I was going to deal with Holland one way or another. I did. He’s being a pussy and pressing charges.” This proclamation came like he was delivering the weather.
My hands found my hips. “What did you do?” My eyes narrowed, and I stared him down.
“I can assure you he’ll never touch another woman again.” He eyed me like I should understand what that meant. He was speaking in half thoughts, cryptically. I needed a diagram drawn out, a detailed outline with pictures.
“What did you do?” I asked again, my voice laced with irritation, verging on anger. “Are you going to jail for this?”
“If I do, I won’t be in long. It’s a misdemeanor. I just roughed him up a bit.”
The smile he gave me should have eased my panic, but the thought of Jase going to jail because of me hurt. Another man was ruining his life to protect me. A tear leaked from the side of my eye, but his thumb swept it away.
“Don’t cry. I’ll be fine. I knew what I was doing when it happened.”
“When?” As if the details now mattered.
“The day I took off from work.” He tucked my hair behind my ear before he pulled me in for a hug. “Twice you’ve gotten hurt because I fell down on the job. I trusted men I shouldn’t have. It’s not going to happen again, Gia.” He spoke the words so only I could hear them. His lips met mine in a soft caress, but when he pulled back, he was all business.
“Okay, guys. You’re gonna stay here with your mom, and I’m going with my friends for a little bit.” They all groaned like only little kids could do before stepping back to allow the officers to leave. As they were walking out the front door, Jase called out to them, “I’m right behind you.” They both put their hats on as they stepped off the porch and walked to their car.
Jase told the kids goodbye and sent them upstairs. Emmy clung to his neck a little longer than the others and kissed him on the mouth before she scurried after her brothers and sister. He wrote down his lawyer’s name and phone number and promised me he’d be home soon.
“Then why do I need this?” I asked holding up the slip of paper.
“Just in case. He knows who you are. He’ll contact you if this doesn’t go the way I think it will. Don’t worry. I’ll be back in a bit.” He kissed me quickly one last time and left.
Minutes turned into hours, resulting in me doing bedtime and baths alone. I didn’t realize how quickly I’d become accustomed to Jase participating in our routine until he wasn’t here. The kids were oblivious to his absence. They assumed he was off with his buddies the policemen…all except Emmy.
“When’s my daddy coming home?” she asked with surreal innocence. I brushed her blond curls, not sure how to answer.
“When he’s done. He’ll be home as soon as he can.”
“I need night-night kisses.”
I tried to give her the biggest smile I could muster and sank the tips of my fingers into her little sides until she cackled in delight. “Are my kisses not good enough?”
She threw her arms around my neck but never answered. I knew she loved Jase. He and Derrick had a unique father-son thing going, but Emmy…she was the end-all, be-all for him. The sun rose and set in her. The other kids didn’t notice—I think they assumed she was the baby and the sick one so she needed more attention. He doted on all of them equally, but he carried her everywhere, and there was a gleam in his eye when he looked at her that wasn’t there with Derrick, Megan, or Trace. Emmy was the apple of his eye.
Around eleven, his lawyer called to tell me he had been detained. He refused to give me any more information but assured me Jase would be home tomorrow. I was livid. I had a right to know what was going on, but all the guy kept telling me was Jase didn’t want me to worry. Surely, he knew that was all I’d do—all night and into the next day.
I dropped the kids off at school, called in to work, and then went to the precinct downtown to get some answers. The moment I gave them my name and showed them my identification, things became weird. Instead of blowing me off as I expected, I was ushered into what I assumed was an interrogation room. Waiting must be part of the mind manipulation. For hours, I sat there staring at blank walls, and every time I’d ask for assistance, I was told someone would be with me shortly. There wasn’t even a magazine to pass the time.
A man waltzed in after God knows how many hours and introduced himself. “Hart Linland.” He offered me his hand, which I politely accepted, knowing I recognized his voice.
“Gianna LeBron.”
“I’m Jase Lane’s attorney.” The man I wanted to strangle last night.
If he was waiting for me to say something, he’d be waiting a long time. He had the answers I sought, so he needed to impart some wisdom on me. My hands rested in my lap under the table while I stared, waiting for him to explain why he was here and why I’d been kept in this crackerjack box for countless hours.
“Has anyone come to talk to you, Miss LeBron?” he asked as he started taking folders out of his briefcase and pushed the button on his pen, readying himself to take notes.
I shook my head. “Should they have?”
“I assumed, incorrectly, someone would have questioned you.” His refusal to make eye contact irritated me. He either thought he was above me or he had information he didn’t want to share. I bet on the latter. “Your name has come up repeatedly in the storyline of these two men, Miss LeBron.”
“Gianna, please. How so?” This couldn’t possibly go well. The space between my brows narrowed as I waited for his answer.
“It’s my understanding Jase attacked Mr. Hanks in your defense.”
I didn’t respond. I didn’t know what I should or shouldn’t tell this man. He was Jase’s attorney, but for all I knew, I could’ve implicated myself.
“You’re safe talking to me, Gianna. Jase is paying me to sort this mess out. You’re key to that happening.”
“I don’t know what Jase did, Mr. Linland. I wasn’t there, and until last night, I had no idea anything had happened. Jase didn’t give me an account of the incident other than to say he roughed him up a bit.”
“Call me Hart. Are you aware of why Jase would’ve attacked his lifelong friend over you?”
I pursed my lips and chewed on my cheek as I nodded my confirmation.
“The accusations being thrown around are very serious. Can you shed any light on why Jase felt he had to get involved with Mr. Hanks in a physical manner?”
Refusing to meet his eyes, I stared at the floor, and continued gnawing on the inside of my mouth, and shrugged.
“Gianna, Jase is in serious trouble, and if what he’s saying didn’t happen, I would wager Holland will sue him for slander. This has gone way beyond two buddies getting into a rumble.” I’d never met anyone who used the word rumble to describe a fight. Under other circumstances, I might have laughed.
I needed to talk to Jase. I had to know what he wanted me to say. What he needed me to do. “I don’t know what to tell you. I can only speculate about what took place the night that Jase is upset about. He knew that. I couldn’t prove it. I told him that.”
“He says you can.”
My head shot up, meeting Hart Linland’s soft brown eyes. He knew, it was hidden in his features—sympathy, pity. He needed my confirmation, but he knew. I wondered what all he had been privy to.
“Jase says you went to the hospital the morning after you last saw Holland, and there would be evidence to verify his story. But, without you, we don’t have access to that information.”
“There has to be another way for you to get Jase out of trouble. That isn’t going to help.”
“You’re right. Jase is still going to face charges for simple assault, but with who he is, it will come with a slap on the wrist, maybe some community service, and a fine. If Holland can make slander stick, that could be very costly to Jase both monetarily and socially.”
Fallen Woman Page 20
