Arriving at the office Monday morning, Sin greeted his personal assistant, Mrs. Cosley. By the time he had settled in his office chair, Eddie and his sister had arrived.
Lynn Carter Williams Trellis was younger than her brother. At twenty-four, she was twice divorced and made no secret that she wanted Sinclair Reasoner to be husband number three. They had dated for a few months when he first moved to the area, but what she hoped would be a fantastic relationship quickly fizzled when Sin told her that he “just wanted to be friends.” She didn’t need a friend, she wanted a man—this man—and she was determined to have him.
Lynn Trellis strolled into Bayland Imports as if she owned the place. She was small in stature, barely five foot one, but her stride oozed confidence. Her dark brown eyes were set in a heart-shaped face that made her appear vulnerable, but she wasn’t. Lynn was fine and she knew it. She just wasn’t sure that Sinclair recognized the fact.
Crossing her legs provocatively, she flashed a seductive smile. “How are you today?”
Leaning back in his chair, Sin peered at Lynn beneath half closed lids. The woman was so obvious.
“I’m doing well, Lynn. Thank you for asking.” His formal tone left no doubt that this meeting was going to be all business. He had tired of her flirtatious manner long ago. He turned to her brother.
Eddie Carter was twenty-nine and he looked like his sister, short and honey colored, but where her compact body was shapely and well toned, he was as thin as a rail. The expensive clothes he wore never seemed to fit him. His persona was that of a professional business man, but his manner was disconcerting. He was constantly in a state of motion. Eddie called it a “nervous condition”. Even as he sat across the desk from Sin, his foot shook when he placed it across his knee.
“What have you got for us?” Eddie inquired, with a smug smile and a sideward glance at his sister. She had come with him today for the sole purpose of flirting with Sinclair. It amused him that her tactics never seemed to work. For once in her spoiled life, it looked like his baby sister wasn’t going to get what she wanted.
Eddie’s eyes shifted back to Sin. The look he received from him was hard. Eddie’s smile faded.
“I just received a valuable shipment of vases from Egypt,” Sin informed him. “They’re hand crafted antiques. The work is exquisite.”
“Sounds good.” Eddie picked up the black leather briefcase he had placed beside his chair and put it on the desk. He opened it, revealing rows of crisp hundred dollar bills.
Sin didn’t blink. “How much?”
“$250,000.”
Sin nodded. Opening a drawer, he withdrew a plastic bag, tossed it on the desk and watched as Eddie and Lynn placed the money inside it. When the bag was filled, he picked it up, excused himself, and disappeared behind a door that lead to a small, sparsely furnished room behind his office. Closing the door, he walked over to a picture on the wall, moved it aside, and twirled the combination to the safe hidden behind it. He placed the bag of money inside, closed the safe securely, and then rejoined Eddie and Lynn.
“I’ll make arrangements for the vases to be shipped to you.” Sin stood ready to see them out.
Eddie didn’t move from his seat. He wasn’t ready to leave. He knew the older man didn’t like him, but that was all right. He liked Sinclair. He admired his polish, his sophistication, the way he carried himself. Eddie had heard that he had come from the streets, but there was no hint of that in his demeanor. This man had a way about him that told the world that he had come to be who he was the hard way, his own way. Plus, he had a way with the ladies.
Eddie had witnessed how women fell all over Sinclair, including his own sister. It was Eddie who had hustled in the streets to pay for Lynn to go to college. He wanted her to have all of the things that she wanted in life, and she wanted Sinclair. So, despite his amusement at her efforts to snag him, Eddie was hoping that the two of them could get together. This was the kind of man that he wanted for Lynn. Sinclair Reasoner was the man that Eddie Carter wanted to be.
Eddie had started out a long time ago to be more than some street punk. He’d done pretty well, having no father or role model to emulate. Now he had found one, in spite of Sin’s resistance to fill that role.
Sin frowned at the duo as they continued to occupy his office. Their business was finished. “Is there something else?”
Lynn stiffened at Sin’s obvious impatience, but her brother appeared oblivious to his manner. Eddie began to pace the room
“We might have to stop doing business for a while.”
“Oh?” Sin leaned back against his desk and folded his arms across his chest.
“Something’s goin’ down on the streets. Things are goin’ to get kinda hot for a while.”
“And what is it that’s going to make things get so hot?” Sin asked with mild interest. He really needed them out of his office. He had business to conduct.
“Well, I can’t be too specific....”
“Then don’t be.” Lynn’s voice was ice. She gave her brother a warning look that Sin caught but Eddie didn’t. He was on a roll.
Still pacing, his face was flushed with excitement. His eyes were a little too bright. His movements were a little too animated.
“Hell, Sis! Soon all our problems will be over!”
Lynn’s eyes narrowed. “Eddie....”
“They will! We’ll be free of that bitch, and her....”
“Eddie!” Lynn’s eyes shot sparks of fire that even Sin could feel. Eddie’s mouth clamped shut. He stopped pacing. The wild light in his eyes dimmed.
Rising, Lynn turned to Sin with a dazzling smile. He stared in amazement at the metamorphosis.
“Sinclair, we’ll have to be going now, but I do want the two of us to have lunch together soon. Come on, Eddie.”
She picked up her purse, threw the leather strap across her shoulder, and marched out the door. A contrite Eddie followed her.
Sin looked at the door that had closed behind them and shook his head. Lynn was not only an enigma, but she was also a chameleon. Her changes in personality were unpredictable and he also sensed something sinister about her. She was a snake—a cobra—cold and deadly, and like a snake she would strike if something got in her way.
****
The restaurant was crowded. Nedra and Carla had been lucky to get the table by the window. At least Nedra had thought so until Carla’s brother, Richard, passed the restaurant and spotted them. The three of them had squeezed together at a table for two, and his presence had put a damper on the whole luncheon.
Richard never had anything good to say about anybody. He was determined to be miserable at all cost and wanted everyone else to be the same. Nedra found it hard to believe that he and Carla were related.
It wasn’t that they didn’t resemble each other. Physically, they did. Richard’s complexion was as golden as his sister’s. His wavy dark brown hair was long and flowed past his shoulders. He wore it in a ponytail and sported gold hoop earrings. He was as handsome as Carla was pretty, but despite the resemblance, their personalities were radically different.
Carla was fun and vivacious. Richard was sullen and brooding. Carla was an optimist. Richard was a pessimist. His lazy gaze looked out at the world with contempt.
He was the Art Director at Holden & Black, one of the most prestigious advertising firms in the country. He was the first African-American to hold the position in that company. He was well paid. His work was highly regarded. He had it all in life, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted more.
He was Richard Ryan III, the only son of Richard Ryan, Sr., a state Supreme Court Judge. His grandfather, the first Richard Ryan, was one of the first black millionaires in the state of Virginia. The Ryan family was one of importance in their state. As the only son, Richard had been pampered and indulged. He was used to getting what he wanted and he wanted Nedra. Yet, over the years she had been less than receptive to his advances, but her rebuffs had only fueled his desire for her. No matter how l
ong it took, he would have Reverend Nedra Davis.
After a half hour of listening to Richard’s complaints about everything that was wrong at Holden & Black, Nedra wanted him gone. The man wouldn’t shut up.
“Nobody in that place knows more about art design then me,” he assured them, casually draping an arm across the back of Nedra’s chair. “Of course you would think that they would have checked with me before going forward with that shoe ad. After all, I am in charge of the Art Department; but, no, I might prove how stupid they are....”
“Richard!” Carla held up her hand like a traffic cop, stopping him in midsentence. “I’ve had enough. You have been going on and on and on about how terrible it is at Holden & Black. Lay it to rest. I’ve told you a million times. If you’re that unhappy with your six-figure job, quit. Give us a break. There are other people in the world who have real problems. Hell! Look at Nedra. Somebody broke into her condo last week, but do you hear her complaining?”
Richard stared daggers at his sister, before turning his attention to Nedra. “Yeah, Sharon told me about the break in. Lucky you weren’t at home.”
“You’re telling me. I spent the night baby-sitting with the foster children of a couple in my church. The husband was in the hospital.”
Carla shuddered. “Thank the, Lord. At three o’clock in the morning, they must have known somebody would be home asleep. If they had wanted to just break in to steal, they would have done it in the daytime, when chances were better that nobody would be at home. Shoot, I don’t want to think about what could have happened if you had been there.”
Nedra exhaled, shakily. “I was blessed.”
Yes, the Lord had been with her! The alarm had gone off and neighbors had called 911. The thieves had been scared off. Thank goodness, nothing was taken.
Carla shook her head in agreement at Nedra’s statement. “Good things happen to good people. And negative people just keep on getting more negative.” She gave her brother a pointed look.
Richard tensed. “What do you care about what happens to me good or bad? You have never listened to a thing I say, Carla!”
“Because all you do is complain.”
Richard’s voice rose in frustration. “Here I am trying to tell you....”
“Tell me what?” Carla rolled her eyes in disgust. “The same thing over and over? Excuse me, but I’ve heard it before. Sharon might be goo goo ga ga over every word you say, but I’m not!”
“Listen Carla, you’ve been a thorn in my side ever since you were born. I am sick and tired of...”
Nedra sat poised to intervene. Verbal sparring seemed to be the foundation of this sibling relationship.
“You’re sick and tired? If you only....”
“Hi, Richie.”
The childlike voice caught the attention of all three of the table’s occupants. Their eyes locked with a pair of sky-blue ones. The face was pretty, but it was also young, no more than twenty years old. The hair was blonde, with dark roots. The thin lips were painted ruby red and they were sending an invitation “Richie’s” way.
Carla and lifted an eyebrow at her brother. “Richie?”
Nedra grabbed her water glass off the table and took a swallow to stifle the laugh that threatened to erupt. Nothing more had to be said. Two words from a stranger—at least a stranger to her and Carla—and “Richie” was busted. Poor Sharon.
Blood rushed to Richard’s face as he tried to recover from the shock of seeing the young woman he had slept with a few nights before. He didn’t remember her name.
He straightened from his relaxed position and removed his arm from Nedra’s chair. Of all the times for this bimbo to appear.
Averting his eyes, he ignored the woman and sipped his gin and tonic. Getting the message, she quickly moved on. There was an awkward silence at the table until Carla gave a long, drawn out sigh.
“At least you have the decency to be embarrassed.”
Nedra watched Richard. He had seemed almost humble before Carla spoke. His head shot up and his eyes darkened. He was angry again. It was an emotion she had seen in him too often and it seemed to be directed toward everyone. She didn’t know its source, but she knew that eventually it could destroy him. She prayed that those closest to him wouldn’t be damaged in the process.
“What about Sharon?” Nedra didn’t realize that she had spoken the words aloud until Richard turned to her with a puzzled expression.
“What about her?” he asked. They weren’t married. She was beautiful and he liked that other men envied him because of her. That was a boost for his ego, but Sharon was weak. He needed a strong woman, like Nedra, one who wouldn’t buckle and do everything he told her to do. He liked strong women. He liked leaders. That’s what Nedra was, a leader, so he waited and watched for some sign of vulnerability in her that would send her running to him. Meanwhile, Sharon wasn’t a bad substitute.
As he looked at Nedra, he didn’t see the condemnation that he had seen in his sister’s eyes. Instead, he saw confusion and concern. That was Nedra, always the preacher. He relaxed and draped his arm across her chair again.
“Don’t worry about Sharon. I love her,” he lied. “I’d never do anything to hurt her.”
CHAPTER 6
From a corner booth at Antonio’s Restaurant, Sin watched Nedra eating lunch with Carla and some man. Although he had tried to concentrate on the conversation his two business acquaintances were having. It was useless. His attention constantly strayed to the small table by the window.
Who was that pony-tailed man with Carla and Nedra? A friend of Carla’s? A friend of Nedra’s? It was obvious that whoever he was, he and Carla weren’t getting along, and what in the hell was he doing hanging all over Nedra’s chair?
Sin frowned. His expression didn’t go unnoticed by his table mates.
“Did I say something wrong, Reasoner?”
The question brought Sin’s attention back to Bob Kirk, his financial consultant. The older man was looking at him with concern.
“I’m sorry. My mind was wandering.”
Bob gave him an indulgent smile. “I could see that.”
Bob had helped Sin increase his financial worth considerably in the short time he’d known him. In doing so he had grown fond of the solemn young man he had met barely a year ago.
Bob’s son and partner, Todd, was sitting beside him. He too was fond of Sin. He had tried to get him to hang out a couple of times, but Sin had politely declined. Todd flashed him a knowing grin at he spotted the source of his inattentiveness.
“I caught the reason your mind was ‘wandering’.” Todd nodded toward Nedra’s table. “Which one were you looking at? Lord knows, they’re both fine.”
Curious, Bob followed Todd’s gaze. “Oh! I know one of them you can forget about. The woman in the blue dress is Reverend Nedra Davis.”
Todd looked stunned. “Reverend? She’s a minister? A preacher? That fine?”
“She spoke at our church about six months ago.” He leveled his son with a look. “If you’d go sometimes, you’d know these things.”
Todd conceded. “Guilty as charged. But I do know the man with them. That’s Richard Ryan. He’s with Holden and Black Advertising. I met him at a party a few months ago.”
A muscle in Sin’s face twitched. Richard Ryan. He’d met Carla Ryan. Was that man her brother? What was he to Nedra?
“Who’s the beauty next to the reverend, Dad?” Todd indicated Carla.
Bob shrugged. “Don’t know, but that Reverend Davis is something.” His face reddened in embarrassment as he turned to Sin “I...I. don’t mean like that. I mean she’s interesting, being the pastor of Mount Peter, in East Oakland. That woman has helped shut down more crack houses out there than the police. The newspapers call her the Anti-drug Queen. I’ve heard she’s driving the drug dealers crazy.”
As Bob continued singing her praises, Sin noticed that Nedra and her companions were leaving the restaurant. He didn’t let his eyes linger on her long. He
was merely glad for the opportunity to see her again. He nodded in the right places as Bob continued his chatter, zeroing in on his final words, not sure that he had heard what he thought he had heard.
“What was that last thing you said, Bob?”
Todd chuckled. “Mind wandering again, Reasoner?”
Bob repeated. “I said I’d bet a pretty penny that some drug dealers would pay a fortune to get Reverend Nedra Davis out of their hair.”
Sin didn’t like the sound of that. “What do you mean?”
“The dealers are losing money with every crack house she closes. You’re a businessman. You know that businessmen don’t like losing money, whether it’s illegal or not. They’re willing to go to extremes to see that they don’t. Ruthless people use ruthless means.”
Sin nodded in agreement. His stomach knotted. Ruthless people did use ruthless means. Bob was right. Dead right.
****
Nedra settled in the bucket seat of Carla’s sports car. Richard had folded his six-foot frame in the back seat, having begged a ride the mere two blocks to where his vehicle was parked. Rather than argue, his sister had consented.
As they passed the restaurant they had just left, she squealed. “Hey, Nedra, look over there. Isn’t that the hunk from your office? The one I met that helped those boys?”
Nedra followed Carla’s gaze in time to see Sin standing in front of the restaurant. Dressed in a suit and tie, a coat folded neatly over his arm, he stood talking to two men. He looked good.
“Yes, that’s him.”
Richard looked at the tall, well dressed man standing on the sidewalk. His gaze shifted back to Nedra’s smile—Nedra’s wistful smile.
****
For days after their luncheon, Sin could not get Bob’s words out of his mind. They haunted him. Ruthless people use ruthless means. He knew it was true. Nedra and her church were dealing with some dangerous people. He wondered if she knew how deadly they could be. Human life meant nothing to those in the narcotic underworld. Profit was god. Life was expendable. There was no discriminating between man, woman, or child. He knew this as fact. There was no doubt in his mind that the moment she began leading her church’s quiet campaign against drugs in her area, Nedra had become the enemy.
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