“I figured you and your campaign staff would be coming up with a master plan to seal your victory.”
“The primary has been delayed. That gives us some time to plan our wedding,” he said, then leaned in and kissed Chante on the cheek. Liza felt the return of the bile.
Seriously?
“You know, I was thinking about Liza this morning,” Chante said.
“Why?” Robert asked, sounding exasperated. “Liza is the last person I want to talk about. We have a wedding to plan and I don’t—”
“Why would she pretend to be happy for us and introduce us to each other and then turn on us like this?” Chante sighed and took a sip of her water.
“You learn who your real friends are when you start to be successful and go after your dreams.”
Oh, please! Liza thought. She leaned forward, listening intently as Robert laid the charm on. “I guess all the years that Liza and I have been friends, she was using me as a substitute boyfriend and she must not have expected us to fall in love.” He kissed Chante’s hand.
Liza silently counted to ten so she wouldn’t cross over to them and slap the shit out of Robert. She never wanted him. Ever.
“But I don’t understand why she would wait until now, when you’re running for office and . . .”
Robert shrugged. “Let’s not worry about Liza. She’s a bitter broad and I wish I had seen that sooner. Nic said she came to the office today and made a scene.”
“That is just so unlike her,” Chante said. “Liza doesn’t do public drama.”
“I can’t explain why she turned on us, but it’s just best to keep our distance from her. I don’t want her wild accusations to ruin my campaign or our wedding.”
Liza almost snorted when she heard him mention his campaign first. She couldn’t believe that this was the man whom she’d put her faith in all of these years. The man she thought would make a good husband to her best friend. Snake. That’s what he was, a lying snake in the grass, and if Liza had her way, she’d make sure no one else was fooled by Robert-freaking-Montgomery. And if Chante was stupid enough to believe what Robert was saying, then they deserved each other and she was going to wash her hands of it.
Heading for the bathroom, she decided that she’d duck out the back of the restaurant so the happy, yet delusional, couple wouldn’t see her.
Part of her wanted to mourn the loss of her two oldest and dearest friends, but Robert started this war and she was going to make sure she won. Heading to her office, Liza felt her eyes dampen as she remembered how much she wanted Robert to succeed and how she wanted him to soar through the political ranks. What a joke that was. She thought he was different, but he was just like the typical lying and cheating politician who couldn’t help but share his wayward dick with everyone who wanted it.
She wanted to save Chante from the hurt, but if she wanted to believe Robert, then fine. She could deal with the fallout as well. Jackson deserved to win—didn’t he?
I hope I’m not putting my faith in the wrong man again, Liza thought as she pulled into the parking lot of her office.
Teresa’s anger was palpable. Jackson wondered if she’d been a boxer in a former life as he watched her pace back and forth, stop, then square up her shoulders and start pacing again.
“Teresa,” Jackson said. “You’re going to have a heart attack if you don’t calm down.”
“This is why I need you focused,” she said as she turned to him. Pointing her finger in his face, she shook her head. “The General Assembly is trampling on the rights of poor people, minorities, and women. No one checks these bastards and it’s not just the Republicans. We have plenty of do-nothing Democrats sitting in Raleigh using the poor as a footstool and a reason to get on the news. I believe in you, Jackson, and I know you’re going to make a difference. If we had at least four or five people like you, we could get a coalition together to make real changes. This state has a chance not to be a joke.”
Jackson nodded, knowing that both parties had their issues and Democrats weren’t doing enough to stand up for military families either. “This state doesn’t belong to lobbyists!” Teresa railed. “I’m sick and tired of North Carolina making the news for all the wrong reasons. Fracking, infringing on voters’ rights, and let’s not forget marriage equality. So, I need you to win and change the minds of the powerful. This is why I believe this rescheduled election is a fraud.”
“But, if we use this time as a chance to tell voters what we’re really here for, it could work in our favor,” Jackson said.
“Or, the powers that be are trying to put their candidate into position.”
“And you think that’s Montgomery?”
She nodded. “That’s why you have to avoid Liza at all costs. She’s a tool in their game.”
Jackson kept silent. He didn’t want to tell her that he wasn’t canceling his dinner with Liza, because the only secrets he wanted to uncover from her were Victoria’s.
“What if she isn’t?” Jackson asked.
Teresa rolled her eyes. “Are you sure this is what you want to do? Do you know how many politicians were brought down by a pretty face or a blue dress?”
“I’m not worried about that,” Jackson said. “I’m in this race because I believe people need to be helped and no one in the GA is doing that.”
“So, that means you’re staying away from Liza. I don’t care what she offers, you can’t fall for it. Two words: Donald Sterling.”
“I don’t plan on making racist statements to anyone.”
“Just trust me on this. Don’t think she isn’t looking for something.”
Jackson knew what he was looking for and hoped that Teresa was wrong about Liza.
“Jackson, I know you’re a grown man and you’re going to do what you want to do, but I would feed Miss Palmer with a long-handled spoon.”
Jackson was about to reply when his cell phone chimed, indicating that he had a text message. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he saw that it was from Carlton.
I can’t do this.
He typed a quick response, asking him if he was all right and where he could find him.
At the top of the EpiCentre.
“I have to go,” Jackson said.
“What’s wrong?”
“One of the soldiers I’ve been working with is in trouble,” he said, then dashed out the door. Jackson hopped in his car and sped to Uptown Charlotte. He wasn’t sure if Carlton was going to do something crazy or not, but he had to find him. He was not going to let this man kill himself. After double-parking on the street, Jackson ran up the steps like a man possessed, hoping that he wasn’t too late.
“How do I get to the roof?” he asked a security guard in the lobby.
“That’s a restricted area, sir,” the man replied.
“Then tell me, how did a man get up there?” Jackson pointed to Carlton, who was pacing back and forth on the roof.
“Oh, shit,” the security guard mumbled, then started talking into his shoulder radio in codes that made no sense to Jackson. Instead of waiting for backup or whatever the security guard had called for, Jackson ran for the service elevator, hoping that it would give him access to the roof. He said a silent prayer of thanks when he saw a sign that said ROOF ACCESS.
It seemed to take forever as the elevator rose. Jackson held his head down and said a silent prayer for Carlton. “Come on, damn it,” he groaned as the elevator stopped. Finally, the doors opened and Jackson bolted out like a man on fire. “Carlton!”
The man turned around, his eyes bloodshot red and tear streaks on his face. “I can’t do this shit, man. I can’t forget what happened over there. I close my eyes and I see those babies. I hear the screams. I feel the heat. My family doesn’t understand. I tried to get better. Talking to you helped, but I can’t talk to you all the time.” Carlton inched closer to the ledge, teetering on his prosthetic leg.
“How is taking your life going to help anyone?”
“It’ll make things
easier for everybody. Maybe my wife will find some peace. And a whole man who can . . .”
“I’m not letting you go out like this. You did two tours in Iraq and came back. Do you think your wife would be okay with this? I know how you feel. I thought about it—I put a gun in my mouth and I was going to pull the trigger. But I got help. I want you to get help.”
“There’s nothing . . .” Carlton took a step closer to the ledge. Jackson followed.
“Don’t do this!” he exclaimed. Carlton looked at Jackson and shook his head. “Carlton, you’re better than this. Your family needs you.”
He shook his head. “They’d be better off without me!”
Jackson crossed over to Carlton and grabbed him, pulled him away from the ledge. “I’m not going to watch you throw your life away, soldier. I’m not going to let a brave man like you turn into a coward. I’m going to walk off this roof with you and if you’re going down, you’re taking me with you! You have too much to live for. Think about the men you saved when you found those roadside bombs. You diffused them.”
“Not all of them. The one that left me unable to serve.” He looked down at his missing leg, then shut his eyes tightly.
“What about your son? Is this what you want him to know about you?” Jackson sighed as he grabbed Carlton by the collar of his shirt.
Carlton dropped his head and sobbed. “I don’t want to be half of a man. How am I supposed to provide for my family when the Army is all I know?”
“And what will you give them if you kill yourself? More pain and heartache. If you want to jump, you have to take me with you.” Jackson wrapped his arms around Carlton’s shoulders.
“You have something to live for.”
“And you don’t? My life changed when I came home. The woman I loved left me for another man. While I was thinking that she’d be my lifeline, I came home to find her in bed with her lover. She wasn’t even sorry. She told me that she thought I wasn’t coming back and she was going to move on with her life.”
Carlton looked up at Jackson. “Damn. How did you hold it together? I mean, I can’t believe a woman would be that cruel.”
“And you have a good one in your corner. I’ve seen you and Barbara together. I hear how you talk about her. She loves you and you love her. You can’t break her heart like this. Let me get you help. Let’s get off this roof, call your wife, and let’s go to Presby,” Jackson said. Carlton nodded. Jackson wouldn’t let the man go as they walked toward the stairs. He wasn’t going to give him a chance to change his mind.
When they reached the ground that was the first time Jackson noticed the cameras, the police and firefighters, as well as other emergency personnel. When an EMS worker reached out for Carlton, Jackson blocked him. “Not until his wife gets here,” he said.
“But, sir . . .”
Jackson speared the worker with a cold stare. “Do you know what this man has been through? He needs his wife and you’re going to wait for her.”
One of the police officers stepped between Jackson and the EMS worker. “What’s his wife’s name? I’ll call her and get her here so we can clear the scene.”
Jackson gave him the information and walked with Carlton into a half-empty restaurant. Waving for a server, Jackson ordered two glasses of water. He and Carlton sat silently until Barbara rushed through the door. She flung herself into her husband’s arms while two officers stood by the door as if they were expecting trouble. Jackson almost felt guilty as he watched the couple sob together. “Carlton,” she whispered, “what can I do to help?”
“Just love me, baby. I’m so sorry I did this.”
She stroked the side of his face. “I’m glad you didn’t do the other thing. I love you too much to lose you now. I’m going to ride to the hospital with you and I’m going to be by your side through all of this.”
Jackson smiled as the couple rose to their feet and headed for the door. The police officers followed behind them in silence. As Jackson watched the couple head for the ambulance, two reporters approached him.
“Mr. Franklin, what happened here?” one asked as she shoved a microphone in his face.
“This is a private matter and I have no comment,” he said, then dashed across the street to get into his car. Jackson didn’t even care about the parking ticket underneath his windshield wiper as he drove away.
Chapter 13
Liza sat in her office organizing a media campaign for the chain of urban boutiques she’d just taken on as a client. She had the news on as background noise while she created a Twitter account for Pink Inc. She loved the name of the boutique but wondered if Victoria’s Secret would come after them.
“You can’t copyright a color,” Liza mumbled as she uploaded a picture of the main store in Charlotte’s South End neighborhood.
“North Carolina senate candidate Jackson Franklin played a reluctant hero today,” she heard the newscaster say. Liza turned around and focused on the picture of Jackson running away from reporters at the EpiCentre. “According to witness reports, Franklin stopped an unidentified man from jumping off the top of Aloft, the hotel on the fifth floor of the entertainment and retail complex. When asked by a Channel Nine reporter what happened, Franklin said it was a personal matter and drove away. We’re going to Liz Straton, who was at the scene. Several busy uptown streets were closed for an hour because of this incident. Liz, what happened?”
The camera cut to the blonde reporter standing on Trade Street. “Erica, security at the EpiCentre said Jackson Franklin arrived here around two P.M. and asked one of the guards how to get to the roof of the building. That’s when they discovered the unidentified man standing near the ledge. While the security officer called for backup, Franklin sprang into action. He took the service elevator and went onto the roof. Then he and the man went back and forth for about a few moments while emergency personnel gathered below.”
“It was very intense watching those two men up there,” a female witness said into the camera. “There was a moment when it looked as if they were both going to go over the edge.”
The camera cut back to the reporter. “Police just told me that the man who was on the roof is an Army Ranger who returned home from Iraq about seven months ago. His name is not being released. But CMPD spokesman Robert Lacy said the man’s wife rode with him to the hospital, where he will be evaluated.”
“Liz, is there any word on the relationship between Franklin and the man?” Erica, the anchorwoman, asked.
“No official word on their relationship, but Franklin does work at a center that counsels servicemen and -women who have been in battle. Franklin himself is a wounded warrior. He’s credited with saving his platoon and sustaining an injury that forced him out of the military.”
“What a great story,” Erica said. “As more details emerge, Channel Nine will update the story online and on the air at ten o’clock and eleven.”
Liza shook her head as she flipped the channel, only to find another news story about Jackson and the unidentified man. “This is great,” she said to herself. “I wonder how Robert is going to top this.” She picked up her phone and called Jackson. When his voicemail picked up, she was fifty shades of disappointed.
Jackson was sick of his phone ringing. So, he’d turned it off for an hour and sat in the quiet darkness of his office. As the seriousness of Carlton’s situation hit him, Jackson shivered. What was going to happen when the center closed and someone like Carlton didn’t have anyone to turn to? Jackson wished he had a bottle of whiskey or vodka in his desk drawer. As he was about to stand up, his office door flung open and Daniel rushed in.
“I’ve been calling you, Teresa’s been calling you. Have you seen the news?”
Jackson shook his head. “I’ve been avoiding that.”
“You’re a hero.”
“I hate that word.”
“I know saving Carlton was second nature to you. But the press from this is the push you need to get to Raleigh.”
“I’m not using
what happened with Carlton for votes.”
“Of course not. But people see who you are.”
“I just hope Carlton can heal in private. Hope there will be a place like this for him to turn to when he’s feeling as if he has nothing to live for.” Daniel smiled and Jackson was confused. What in the hell did he have to be happy about?
“The center isn’t going anywhere.”
“What?”
“Your story, your selflessness, and the fact that you haven’t tried to turn this into a political ad has donations rolling in.”
Jackson shared Daniel’s smile. “That’s amazing news.”
“Tell me about it. You need to call Teresa. She seems to think that you’re making some horrible, life-altering decision right now.”
Jackson chuckled. “Tell her that she doesn’t have anything to worry about.”
Daniel nodded, then gave Jackson a salute. “I’ll pass that message along and I will see you at the campaign office.”
Jackson shook his head as Daniel left. Then he decided to turn on his phone. The beeps and vibrations of his smartphone alerted him to the fact that he had missed a lot while he’d unplugged. Listening to his voicemail messages, when he heard Liza’s voice he instantly felt a budding anticipation. Dinner was still on and he was going to see Miss Liza. He didn’t care what Teresa thought, but he would keep her warning in the back of his mind. Still, he didn’t want to believe Liza was a modern-day Mata Hari.
While he knew caution was important, he couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss. The softness of her lips and how saucily she took his tongue into her mouth, making his knees quiver. He had serious doubts that a woman like Liza, who valued her reputation and was in the business of saving other people’s reputations, would allow herself to be used in political muckraking. And she definitely didn’t seem like the kind of woman who would use her body to get . . . what? What could she hope to get from Jackson’s campaign? Donor list? Hints of a scandal? Or maybe she simply wanted to give the appearance of something underhanded going on.
Rumor Has It Page 9
