Marrying the Marine-epub

by Sabrina McAfee

  “Chandler!” Sandella shouted, running up to him and throwing her arms around his waist. “You guys are too much,” her voice pitched as she nuzzled her head against Chandler’s chest.

  Wearing a long-sleeve, navy cotton shirt with matching bottoms, Drew emerged from the hallway yawning and rubbing a knuckle over his eyeball. “Next time y’all need to come after noon. A brotha is trying to get his rest so he can be ready for the ladies.”

  “Be quiet, big head.” Aric gave Drew a bear hug.

  With one hand wrapped around Sandella, Chandler held out his fist to Drew. “How about some football later?”

  “I’m down with that,” Drew said, bumping his fist.

  “Home. Home,” Royce said, coming out of the kitchen, walking up to Sandella.

  She caressed his arm. “Okay, Royce. I’ll take you home. Give me a second to get dressed. Okay?”

  His face split into a handsome smile. “K.”

  Aric’s brows set in a straight line. “Do the police have any leads or idea who was trying to kill you last night?”

  “Not yet. At least not that I’m aware of.”

  Kane cleared his throat. “Should I tell her or you?”

  “What?”

  Aric’s face was serious, his lips set in a straight line. “We came here to get you and take you back to DC with us.”

  Sandella placed her hands on her hips. “DC? Get me? What do you mean?”

  Chandler cupped her shoulders. “Look, Sandy. We’re not about to let the same thing that happened to Mom happen to you. You’re coming home with us.”

  “I’m not leaving here to go to DC.”

  Chandler frowned. “Yes, you are…even if I have to drag you out of here. You’re going.”

  “I can’t leave even if I wanted too.”

  “Why not?” The brothers asked simultaneously.

  “Well, I was going to wait to announce it, but I guess now is as good as ever.”

  Kane rolled his eyes. “Lord Jesus. If this here girl says she’s getting married, I’m gone stroke right on outta here.”

  Sandella laughed. “Dad, you’re so funny. I’m not getting married.” I wish. “But I can’t go because I started a bakery business…SugarKanes.”

  Kane’s eyes widened. “What’s the name of the bakery again?”

  She smiled. “SugarKanes.”

  “You have a bakery named after me and your mother?

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, Sandy. This just melts my heart.”

  “SugarKanes sells assorted desserts, but our specialty is my caramel pecan pies. I’m meeting with a realtor next week to discuss renting out some space near the island. And if business keeps booming like it presently is, I’m going to open up a bakery right here in Beaufort, too.”

  Tears settled on Kane’s lashes. “SugarKanes? I’m so glad you named it after me and your mother. I’m so proud of you.”

  “Yes. But I can’t take all the credit. Braylon thought of the name for me,” she admitted, bashfully. “He even helped me set up my online bakery, distribution and all. If it weren’t for him, SugarKanes wouldn’t be happening.”

  Kane sniffed. His gaze dropped to his lap. He slowly lifted his head. “Just go ahead.”

  “Go ahead? Huh?” she said.

  “You have my blessing to date the damn man,” Kane growled.

  “You’re giving her your blessing to date a—”

  “Marine!” all three brothers shouted in unison.

  Sandella’s lips curved into a big grateful smile. She eased into her father’s lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and nuzzled her forehead against his. “Thanks, Dad.”

  Chapter Eleven

  The torturous events that’d occurred last night had taken Braylon on a helluva roller coaster ride. Getting very little sleep, he fought hard as hell to keep his eyes open while working. He raked his fingers over the keyboard as tension coursed through his body, his watery eyes strained.

  An expletive entered his mind. “This is useless,” he said, reclining in his chair. He swiveled the chair to stare out the window.

  A set of cumulus clouds floated over the shining sun. Across the street, CMC General Davidson led a unit run. The trainees trekking behind him were clad in their green track suits with gold and scarlet “Marines” lettering. As the unit started to disappear into the distance, Braylon’s eyes honed in on the man jogging and carrying the American flag.

  “Rough night, I heard,” a female said from behind. He recognized the sassy voice immediately. Alyssa.

  He turned to find the officer pinning him with a sexy stare. Alyssa strode into his office dressed in a long-sleeve midnight blue coat with medals consolidating over her left chest area, a blue skirt, and a pair of navy pumps. Her brunette hair was pulled tight to the back of her head in a low bun, revealing the creamy texture of her flawless white skin.

  “I don’t know if rough is the right word to use to describe last night. So you heard all about it, huh?” Was it possible that Alyssa was Simon? Every time he turned around here she was.

  Without his permission, she closed the door. “Yes, I did. And that’s why I came to see you.”

  “Oh.”

  She closed in on him, stopping when she reached the other side of his desk. “Rumor has it that you’re dating Sandella Summers.”

  He clasped his fingers on his desk. How in the hell did she know this? he wondered, sizing her up, thinking Alyssa more than likely was Simon. “My personal life is just that Alyssa…personal.”

  “I’m not here to get into your personal life. I’m here to warn you.”

  “Warn me about what?”

  “If you’re thinking about reopening any closed cases, don’t,” she said bluntly. “The last person that did died.” She waltzed around the corner of his desk, put her mouth to his ear, and whispered, “I wouldn’t want to see a handsome thing like you end up dead and buried under the ground.”

  Braylon got to his feet in a quick fluid movement. Wickedness gleamed in her dark eyes. His heart twisted with disdain. “Is that a threat, Alyssa?” he said, clenching his jaws. Or should I call you Simon?

  She leaned closer to him until her big boobs threated to graze his chest. “No, it’s not a threat, Wexler.” With her pink lips slightly parted, her head descended forward as if she were about to kiss him. He quickly took a few steps backward to put space between them. Her lips spread across her face into a bright white smile. “You really are in love with Sandella, huh?”

  Damn right I am! he wanted to scream, shocking the hell out of his own self. “Goodbye, Alyssa.”

  She pivoted on her heels and crossed the room, and when her hand grasped the knob, she turned back to look at him. “Why would you want a boring, plain Jane like Sandella, when you can have someone like me?” She blew him a kiss, then left.

  A part of him had been tempted to defend Sandella. But considering Alyssa wasn’t even important enough for him to care about the ugly words sputtering from her wicked mouth, he decided to let it go.

  He shut his door, rounded the corner, and headed down the hallway. From where Braylon stood, Alyssa appeared to be a narcissist. Sure she was sexy, and attractive, and from what he’d heard…smart. But he already had what he wanted—Sandella. And as soon as he wrapped up this case, he was going to make her his—maybe even permanently.

  The only thing that could stop him from taking things with Sandella to the next level was Drayton. If the kid turned out to be his, then he’d have no choice but to focus all his energy and attention on the child. Hell, he’d already missed three precious years of the boy’s life.

  Which reminded him, he needed to call his physician and make sure his blood work had been received by the DNA lab. Originally he’d planned on traveling to do the test, but time just hadn’t been on his side to do so. Thank goodness Madison had cooperated and agreed that this way was best.

  At first, Madison had wanted to select the doctor to conduct the paternity test, but since he didn
’t trust her, he’d insisted she let him make his own choice, a doctor who happened to be a great friend of the Wexler family. As much as he’d hate to lose Sandella over this, it would be nice to have a son.

  Braylon opened the bathroom door and bumped into his boss. “I was just coming to see you,” Forest’s deep voice echoed.

  “You were? What about?” Damn, what if Forest is Simon?

  “In my office now, Wexler.” He stalked past him then held the door wide open for him to exit.

  Can I at least take a piss first? Braylon followed Forest as he led him toward his office. Once inside the room overlooking the marsh, Forest closed the door behind him.

  “I’m gone cut straight to the chase here, Wexler.” He paused. “I know you’ve been reinvestigating the Summers case even after I warned you not too. My thought is to fire you, but I’d like to hear your reasoning first.”

  “Technically, sir, I wouldn’t say that I’ve been investigating the Summers case.”

  Forest’s bushy eyebrows hiked. “Tell me if I’m wrong here, Wexler.” He wagged his finger. “But didn’t you just outright go see Mrs. Theresa Jackson a few days ago?”

  “Yes.”

  “And since then,” his face contorted as he cleared his throat, “please excuse my French,” he put his hands on his hips, “…but a shitload of shit has been happening since you’ve gone and done such a stupid thing. Let me make myself clear. Leave well enough alone.” His voice was raspy. “Catch my drift?” he asked, lifting his right brow.

  Braylon nodded. “I hear what you’re saying…loud and clear, sir.”

  “Good. Consider this a warning. And just so you know I don’t give warnings twice. You may leave now.”

  Knots pained Braylon’s shoulders as he made his way back to the mailroom. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think Forest had followed him to Theresa’s house. Shoot, for all he knew, Forest might be keeping track of his every single move, and everything he researched on his computer. But just because his boss had warned him to leave well enough alone didn’t mean squat to him. He’d been hardheaded all his life. And now that he’d promised Kane he’d seek justice, and wouldn’t be able to see Sandella unless he did so, he definitely wasn’t going to stop here.

  He reached inside his mailbox and retrieved a certified letter addressed to him. Presuming this was another letter from Simon; he broke the seal, unfolded the letter, then started reading it. As usual, the letter was typed.

  Dear Detective Wexler,

  Because of my horrible experiences here on base, I often get terrified and have trouble sleeping most nights. In search of something to put me to sleep, I got up to drive to Walmart. On my way there, just as I turned the corner, I spotted a man pulling his car in the woods behind Mr. Crow’s store.

  Witnessing this, I quickly cut my lights and parked at the curb. When the man didn’t come out of the woods, I decided to pull around and drive along the front of the street.

  The next thing I knew, Theresa’s house caught on fire. I started honking my horn to wake her. Thankfully, her neighbor came to her rescue.

  Because I had a gut feeling the same man that’d entered the woods was the same person who’d set the fire, I made a quick u turn and drove in a hurry back to the neighborhood corner store. And sure enough, the same car I’d seen only minutes earlier came gunning from the woods, sped down the road, and came close to colliding with another car as it vanished.

  I tried to get a tag number, but there wasn’t one.

  Simon.

  Braylon blew out a harsh breath. With the letter still in his hand, he reclined his head on the top of his chair and peered up at the ceiling. So far, every letter he’d received from Simon had been checked for fingerprints and there hadn’t been any. He’d even found out that the letters weren’t coming from any of the local post offices, but from somewhere in Virginia.

  He folded the letter and slid it back in the envelope. And because he didn’t know if his phone or computer was being tampered with, he made his way outdoors, hopped in his Hummer, and drove to a place where he knew he’d have some privacy—home.

  FORTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER, back at the guest cottage, Braylon sat on the stool at the kitchen table surfing the computer, more specifically the registry of deeds. Talk about getting lucky, Braylon thought, stumbling across a vital piece of information linking Forest to several rental properties close to Mr. Crow’s store.

  Braylon keyed in the addresses for the first two properties Forest owned. Nothing unique or off stood out to him. “What am I missing? What am I not seeing?” He talked to himself, typing in the last address.

  When the last address popped up on the map, burning anger shot through his fucking veins. Just to make sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him, he reread the address It read, 3583 Claxton Ave. “Oh…my…God.” He shut his stinging eyes, then reopened them.

  Forest owned a home directly behind Sandella’s house. They were back-door neighbors. Other than a few short trees nothing separated the two houses. Although he’d promised Kane he’d stay away from her until he found Sugar’s killer, he wasn’t going to stand by and do nothing to protect her. To hell with that. Already there’d been one too many threats on her life.

  He snatched his keys from the counter and hastened across the living room. When he opened the front door, he took a step back. Sandella, her father, and three more men stood on his porch. Sandella looked exactly like the tallest guy.

  “Hi.” Sandella’s sweet lips curved into a smile. “My brothers insisted that they meet you today.”

  Braylon hoped his eyes were smiling, because his heart sure wasn’t. Forest owns the house behind hers. “I was just on my way to see you.”

  “I’m glad to save you the trouble.”

  “Coming to see you is never any trouble.” If her family members hadn’t been there he would’ve pulled her into his arms and cradled her up against his chest, then planted his tongue deep inside her throat.

  “I know you!” the youngest boy of the crew shouted.

  It didn’t take but a second for Braylon to recognize the kid, but he couldn’t quite place his name. “Yes. I worked with you at the youth center last week.”

  Kane’s eyes looked softer today than they did last night. He turned to his youngest son. “This is the guy you’ve been ranting and raving about?”

  Sandella turned to look at her baby brother. “Is he the one that taught you how to change the tire?”

  “Yes. He taught me how to tie a bowtie for a tuxedo, too.”

  Her eyes gleamed at the fact he’d been helping her brother. “Small. Small world.”

  As Sandella made the introductions, Braylon gave each of the men, including Kane and Drew, a firm shake.

  “Come in.”

  Kane rolled his wheelchair inside the comfort of the cottage with his sons following close behind him. “We wanted to meet with you,” Chandler, the oldest brother, said, “to give you—”

  Kane cleared his throat. “Let me tell him.”

  Braylon slid his hands in his pockets. I don’t know if I want to hear this.

  Kane said, “I wanted to give you my blessing, in person, to date my daughter.” His sudden change of heart stunned Braylon. “I can’t explain it, but there’s something about you that’s all right with me.”

  “But if you hurt her,” Chandler started up again, “you’re going to have to answer to all four of us.”

  “Ditto,” Aric put in his two cents.

  “Ya’ll need to ease up on the brotha,” Drew commented. “Sandy’s a grown woman and she can take care of herself.”

  Sandella chuckled. “That’s right. Tell them Drew.”

  Braylon draped an arm around Sandella’s shoulder. “I have no intentions of ever hurting Sandella.” But the situation concerning Drayton might do exactly that—hurt her. Damn.

  A sheen of doubt settled deep inside Kane’s eyeballs. “By the way…thanks for helping my Sandy start up SugarKanes.”

>   Braylon finally smiled. “The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Summers.”

  “Kane…call me Kane.”

  “Will do, sir.” Braylon didn’t know how to break the sullen news to the men and Sandella, but he had no choice. “While I appreciate you all giving me your blessings, I have no intentions of taking you up on your offer at the present time.”

  Sandella’s smiling lips turned down. “What are you saying?”

  “Sandella…I’m the type of man that keeps my promises. I promised your father I wouldn’t be with you until I arrested your mother’s killer, and I meant it.”

  Sandella’s eyes blinked profusely. “You can’t be serious.”

  “I was on my way to see you because…for reasons I can’t get into…I feel your life is in great jeopardy.” He diverted his eyes to Kane. “I don’t want her staying with you until the case is resolved. I don’t even want her visiting unless you’re home.”

  Kane shook his head. He drew a cigarette from his pocket, slapped it between his tongue and jaw. He then withdrew it, not bothering to light it. “If you know something, you better go and tell it, damn it!”

  “He can’t, Dad,” Chandler said.

  “Like hell he can’t!” Kane retorted.

  Aric put a hand on his father’s shoulder. “As a criminal investigator, there are certain things he’s not at liberty to say.”

  “Well, if he’s sleeping with my damn daughter that shit should be out the damn window. Ain’t no such thing as privacy when you sharing your bed with somebody.”

  “Daaadd!” Sandella shouted.

  “Cool it, Dad!” Chandler spoke out. “The man is just doing his job.”

  The room fell silent until Kane broke the ice. “Well, where should she stay then?”

  “She can keep staying here,” Braylon suggested. “Even after my grandmother and grandfather return, I want her here.”

  Kane muttered, “Didn’t you just say you weren’t going to see her until the case was resolved?”

  I meant making love to her. “I view dating and seeing as two different things.”