“Especially in his business,” Ross said in that quiet tone of his.
“Yeah, that’s where the real insult is. He wanted his wife to meet you and yours so that she had some friends here other than Vianca, because you know my lady was there the first day, she’s just that way.”
“Denise is too,” Red said. “I haven’t told her Julio was back. She keeps saying she wants him to make her a chest of some kind. Wonder if he still does that?”
Smoke snorted. “I’m not going to feel sorry for your ass when she finds out. Vianca has the jump on her. Cherise know about the dinner invite?”
“No, not really. I knew we had other plans the first time and this time… I haven’t mentioned it yet.” Ross finished lamely.
Smoke chuckled shaking his head. “It’s going to get hot up in here soon, fellas. My lady invited yours to a small luncheon at Pam’s, Julio’s wife, in a couple of days. Any bets on what’s going to be discussed?”
Ross closed his eyes and shook his head. “I’m dead.”
Red could see Denise now, her eyes would shoot bullets at him. Crazy ass would be the nicest name she would call him. He pulled out his cell and the crumpled invite from his pocket. Searching for the number to RSVP, he dialed.
“This is Benjamin O’Connor, I’d like to confirm dinner for my wife and I tomorrow night.” He met Smoke’s gaze. The man was laughing at him. Red stiffened at what he was hearing.
“Oh. Well thank you.” He removed the phone from his ear slowly and slid the invite to Ross. His partner gave him as weird look before accepting the note. Ross made the same call and wore a look of shock, which was how Red felt.
“Rescinded?” Ross said in a low voice staring at Red.
“You too?” Red released a breath, for a moment he thought Julio had targeted just him when he took back the invitation to dinner.
“Yeah. What’s going on?” Ross turned toward Smoke who stood in front of them with a slight frown.
“Our dinner invitations were rescinded, that’s what the person said on the phone. You know about that?”
Smoke snagged a chair and sat slowly. “No…nope, I had no idea.”
“What does it mean, though?” Red asked, wondering if he and Ross were on a shit list or something.
“I don’t know. Julio and I are friends, but he doesn’t tell me everything,” Smoke snapped.
No one spoke.
Red couldn’t help but feel responsible, if he hadn’t talked to Ross about his own fears, they probably wouldn’t be in this mess.
“Well, I am going to talk to Cherise tonight and come clean. Once she meets Pam and they become friends, maybe we’ll be on the next dinner invitation list. I’ll offer my apologies to him in person then.” Ross sat back in his chair, his gaze briefly touching Red’s before moving on to Smoke.
“I bet Vianca already talked to Denise, but I’ll state my case, listen to her rants for a minute, and then hope for another shot to make this up to him.” He paused. “Unless…unless I have Denise buy a wedding gift and we send it to them with a good wishes card, or something like that.” He liked the sound of that. All brides enjoyed gifts, right? His wife certainly had.
“Sounds like a good idea. I’ll talk to Cherise.”
“Just so you know, Vianca is trying to talk Pam into having a small wedding reception here since she and Julio didn’t have a wedding ceremony. From what my lady’s been telling me, between the pressure from Julio’s mom and Pam’s aunt, she’s leaning toward the idea.”
“Julio wants to have a wedding reception? Wouldn’t that draw attention?” Red asked, wondering why the man would do that.
“Attention?” Smoke laughed. “Julio now owns Kolaris.”
Ross straightened, his eyes narrowed. “The real estate developing company that builds shopping malls and office buildings?”
Smoke nodded. “Yeah, and you would know that if you had taken a moment to contact him and congratulate him on his marriage.” He shook his head. “His attitude toward our company could make or break us in the coming years. Trust me every politician and public official will try to get invitations to that reception if they have it. Julio has a legit business and it’s well-funded.”
Red couldn’t speak or process what Smoke said. On one level, he knew organized crime covered their tracks with legitimate businesses, but he couldn’t fathom how owning a development company played into that. “I thought his wife was a nurse.”
“She is,” Smoke said, meeting his gaze.
“Why didn’t he get a business in that field?” Red asked.
Smoke shrugged. “Like I said, she’s the nurse. Julio is into building things, always has been. He’s looking into some big projects which could’ve kept our guys busy for the next few years at least. It’ll be interesting watching this play out.”
“Has he talked to you about starting a separate construction company?” Ross asked, watching Smoke.
Red hadn’t thought of that, it would be a smart move on Julio’s part.
“No. He knows I wouldn’t do that. We boys and that would be a bullshit move.” Smoke paused and tapped the table before continuing. “He’s offended. You should’ve been the first to reach out to him, you didn’t. It never occurred to me that he’d be this pissed about it, you guys were never close. And if not for Pam, I don’t think he’d give a damn. But a wife…a man looks at things differently when his woman is involved.”
“That’s true. I would be pissed if I thought someone disrespected my wife. I owe the man an apology and will be sure to do so at the first opportunity,” Ross said, sitting back in his chair.
Red nodded as he stood. “Me too.”
Smoke looked at each of them and shook his head. “Handle this with a quickness, fellas. Something tells me we need a man like Julio on our good side. Money is king out here and as long as he stays marginally clean, everybody will look the other way as long as they get paid. Here me?”
“Truth.” Red stood and headed for the door. He needed to call his wife and bring her up to date. No doubt she’d have some creative ideas on how to handle the situation. Once in the hall, his hand snaked down toward his crotch and he covered his balls. He liked where they were just fine.
Chapter 4
Belinda glanced at the address again and then back up at the mansion behind the gate. She and Pam had met years ago in Miami while working on a case together. Pam was a ferocious advocate for her hospice patients and had no problems challenging their case workers on their behalf. When she told Pam she was moving to Michigan to care for her dad, Pam had told her about her upcoming marriage and move to the area as well. They had kept in touch and were finally getting together.
“Damn, Pam, you got it like this?” she murmured as she eased her car up toward the intercom.
“Yes?” a masculine voice spoke before she could push any buttons.
Clearing her throat she spoke, “I’m having lunch with Pam.” She paused. “I’m Belinda Moore, Pam invited me to lunch,” she said in a rush. The gate opened and she was reminded of a Disney fairytale. The elegantly landscaped yard boasted of gorgeous flower beds and beautiful shade trees that she wished she knew the name of. The bricked driveway curved around a bend and she caught sight of a beautiful fountain in front of wide steps leading to a large double door. After turning off the car, she sat mesmerized by the manicured lawn and exquisite landscaping. Adam would love this, she thought as she stepped outside the car, inhaling deeply. He had taken a job with his mentor at a landscaping company, and the last few days he’d been chatting non-stop about grass and flowers.
Brushing the lint off her trousers, she hefted her purse up onto her shoulder and headed for the entry. Before she could knock, the door opened and a small gamine-looking man bowed slightly.
“Hello, Ms. Moore. This way please. Ms. Pam is waiting for you.”
“Thanks…?”
“Brooks.”
“Okay, Brooks, lead the way.” Belinda followed behind her escort, catc
hing glimpses of artwork and elegant furnishings. They turned a corner and Pam stood there. Belinda released a breath. “Pam,” she said with feeling. “Your place is gorgeous. I was wondering who the hell I was coming to see. You married a prince or something?” she asked after they shared a quick embrace.
“Yeah, sure did,” Pam said, smiling. “He’s my prince.” She waved to a sofa. “Have a seat. I wanted you to come early, a few other ladies will be joining us, but I wanted me and you to catch up first.”
“Who? You have some friends coming for lunch?” Belinda had wondered why Pam called her last night asking her to come today; they could have easily gotten together another time.
Pam twisted the tassel on the small throw pillow. “Actually, they are the wives of some of my husband’s friends. I met one and she was a lot of fun, and if it was just her, no problem. But… I miss home, and now my aunt and Julio’s mom are pushing for us to have a wedding reception.”
Belinda sat back against the sofa and stared at Pam. “If you don’t want to do it, don’t. The Pam who bullied social services employees to get the best for her clients didn’t do things she didn’t think was right.”
Pam closed her eyes and slumped in the seat. “I don’t know if it’s right or wrong… I just don’t want to be on display, you know what I mean.”
Belinda nodded. She had never been married, but she knew how it felt to have a bunch of people staring at you, evaluating you. That had happened throughout her pregnancy. “It’s an icky feeling, you’re always nervous that you’re going to make a mistake that will forever be documented on video or file, those blasted things.”
Pam laughed as Belinda had meant her to. “I know, right? Five years from now Julio and I’ll be looking at the video and he’ll finally tell me what he really thought.”
Belinda chuckled. “Why don’t you really want the reception? And don’t give me that nervous crap either. I’ve known you for five years and I’d say you don’t do nervous. You don’t let stuff get to you and you’ll walk on fire to make your point.” She paused, watching Pam finger the threads on the pillow. “So what’s really bothering you?”
“I’m not ready to share him yet.” Her gaze slid away from Belinda. “I am so in love with this incredible man, it scares me sometimes that he’s mine and that he loves me.” Pam inhaled and then blew it out slowly. “I keep thinking if we have the reception, it means the honeymoon’s over and I’m not ready for that. I just want to keep this wondrous feeling in my own box for a little longer.”
Belinda’s heart ached as she watched old familiar emotions ran across Pam’s face. Her friend had found what every woman dreams of her whole life. Once, a long time ago, Belinda thought she had found love. It had been a fairy tale summer, full of laughter, romance and love. A spasm of pain raced through her as she thought about Donnie and Blaine. In order to function in a world without them, she’d had to bury their memories deep inside. Problem was, burying the best memories prevented her from making new ones. She was terrified of going through that type of despair again.
“I get it, it’s like you don’t want to breathe unless he shares your air. You’re living in perfection and should do everything to hang onto it as long as you can,” she said in a wistful voice. When she caught her friend’s thoughtful expression, she cleared her throat.
“Pam, tell them you’re not ready, and then tell Julio the same thing you just told me. I guarantee the pressure to have a reception will stop. As long as the two of you are on the same page…I mean, if you explain your hesitancy, everything will work out.”
Pam eyed her. “You’ve been here…where I am…this crazy kind of 'in love' I mean?”
“Yeah, a long time ago. It didn’t work out though.” She was startled by the hurt that lurked beneath the surface. All this time she was certain she was over the heartache from what she'd shared with the men in her life.
Pam sat forward and took her hand. “You still love him?”
The question jolted Belinda. “Love him? I don’t know. Plus it was two men, not one. I loved them both at the same time,” she answered, realizing she’d revealed a part of herself that she kept hidden for years.
Pam’s jaw dropped. “Okay…did they know you were seeing them both?”
Belinda understood Pam’s confusion. She'd never fully understood it herself. “They were identical twins, they knew. I can’t explain it now, just like I couldn’t explain it then. Being with just one didn’t feel right. Kinda like something was missing. I think God just created those two as a package deal.”
“So you loved them, why didn’t it work out? And yes, I’m back to being bossy and nosy, but it’s only cause you’re my friend and I care about you. If you don’t want to share, you don’t have to.”
Belinda shrugged like it was no big deal, even though her heart slammed against her chest. “I haven’t thought about them in a while, I can’t afford too. You know what I mean?”
Pam nodded.
“I’d seen them in high school, but they were upper classmen; tall, fine, and good looking. I do remember thinking they were hot. But my folks weren’t into the whole interracial thing, it was easier to lick my lips from a distance.”
Pam nodded. “I hear you. My husband’s Latino, and we get funny looks when we’re out. People always got something to say.”
“True. I didn’t see them again for about five years, they were home from college, I think they had just graduated undergrad. I bumped into both of them on the same day, both of them asked for my phone number and we started talking.” She frowned. “Blaine was my first, and Donnie well, he was…” Her voice caught as the memories flew from their cages, overwhelming her.
Sometimes Blaine would read aloud to her with his head on her lap and then they’d make out on the thick comforter he’d brought. He had the most incredible memory, he could recall anything. He had a thing for numbers and had a job offer as an accountant. That came in handy when they were together. He always remembered exactly where and how to touch her to make her hot. Too many times her mind blanked from the exquisite pleasure of when they were together. He was a connoisseur when it came to lovemaking. He’d start with simple things, like rubbing her feet after she’d worked her shift at her summer job, placing kisses up her leg before reaching her sex. He had the most incredible lips and tongue. He’d lay between her thighs, licking, lapping, and bringing her to multiple orgasms. She’d be boneless when he finished.
Her pussy clenched at that memory.
Or Donnie, he’d take her to ball games, lifting her high in the air when he was excited, holding her close while whispering explanations of what they were seeing. Sometimes he’d find the most incredible spots to listen to great musicians where he’d hold her tight as they danced. Often he’d lean close to her ear and serenade her. She’d be so hot and ready for him. Many times they stopped on the side of the road and he’d take her on the side of the car, pounding hard into her. She’d egg him on, loving every second of his possession. He had been accepted to law school. She wondered if he and Blaine made it in their professions.
Her gaze slid to Pam’s empathetic one. “Awesome, for three months I was pampered and treated better than any queen. They showered love and affection on me to the point that I just knew we’d always be together. Wasn’t sure how… not with three, but I hoped we would…” She looked at Pam. “I really thought they were telling me the truth when they claimed to be in love with me too. Right before summer ended, they had a fight over who would take me somewhere…”
She closed her eyes, searching for the memory, only to discover it had escaped her. “Wow, I can’t remember what they fought over. But it was a big deal because these two never, ever fought each other. When I say they’re close, I mean bread and butter close. Their parents were pissed. I was scared because…well let’s just say they were very violent and I had no idea they had that kind of fight in them.”
Pam nodded. “Men, very territorial, believe me I get it.”
&nbs
p; “For real. I got into an argument with each of them and left the next day to visit my godmother in Decatur, Georgia. I hadn’t been there a full day before my godmother asked me if I was breeding.”
“What?” Pam’s eyebrows flew up.
“I was pregnant and didn’t know it. I had always been irregular, plus I didn’t have any symptoms. There I was, eighteen, headed to college, and two months pregnant. My mom wanted me to get an abortion,” she said softly. The argument she and her mom had that day was indelibly printed on her mind. Not only had her mother called her a whore, she also kicked her out of the only home she’d ever had. If her godmother hadn’t taken her in, she had no idea what she would have done.
“I’m glad you didn’t. Although I’ve never met your sons, the way your eyes light up when you talk about them, speaks of your love and commitment to them.” Pam squeezed her hand.
Glad for the support of her friend, she inhaled and continued. “Yeah, after my mom kicked me out, I called my boyfriends to tell them about the baby, didn’t know I was having twins yet.” She looked up at the ceiling to stop the tears from falling. “And to this day, they have never returned my calls.”
“You sure they got the message?”
Belinda nodded. Having lost the battle of keeping her eyes dry, she wiped away a trail of water with her fingertip. “Yeah, I talked to their father each time, he said he would tell them I called and give them the message to call me back. I didn’t have the money to get back to Pennsylvania, and a condition of staying with my godmother was that I stop 'fornicating,'” she said, holding her fingers up in quotation marks. “Go to church, focus on me and my child. I had to sneak to make the calls when I did. Months before the boys were born they changed their number, and it was unlisted after that. I didn’t know their address or their parent’s names, so I couldn’t write.” She tried to smile and failed. “That’s my story of love and loss, damn it.” She sat up. “I didn’t come here to cry and be a Debbie Downer. I’m happy you are so in love you don’t want to share your man with anyone else. I say go for it, do it your way and all that jazz.”
Scandalous Heroes Box Set Page 91
