Bound to Liberty

by Kiru Taye

  Did someone know his secret? Was the person watching him now?

  A car door slammed and he jumped, only to see it was a member of staff hurrying into the building. He blew out a breath in relief. He wasn’t the only one late for work.

  Why was he so jittery? The paper must have been blown in the wind and stuck onto the car.

  Squashing it in his hand, he clicked the roof back into place, locked the doors and walked to the ramp leading to the foyer. He waved at the guy at the desk and entered the elevator. A few minutes later, he was out. He said his greetings here and there. Everyone on the floor looked busy.

  “Good morning, James,” Cordelia greeted. She was the new personal assistant to him and Henry, in her forties and married with kids.

  “Good morning,” he said and strode to his door. He’d insisted she address him as James to differentiate from Henry, whom she addressed as Mr. Coker.

  She bustled after him into his office, which was next door to Henry’s.

  He dumped his satchel on the desk and walked around.

  “Mr. Coker said you wouldn’t be in today. He said you weren’t feeling well,” Cordelia said.

  “Yes. But I’m better now.” He lowered his body onto his leather chair and took his laptop out of the satchel.

  “Would you like me to get you anything?” she asked, hands clasped in front of her.

  “Just some water, please,” he said. “Has Legal gotten back on the Godson contract yet?”

  “Yes. It came in this morning.”

  “Okay. Let me have that.”

  “Will do.” She walked out to do his bidding.

  He puffed out a breath and logged into his computer. He got into work easily, as he was eager to get busy and keep himself distracted from difficult thoughts.

  He had contracts to review, and those required one hundred percent of his attention.

  “Your phone is switched off.”

  At the sound of Henry’s voice, James glanced up distractedly to find his brother standing at the open entrance of his office.

  “Pardon?” James asked.

  Henry stepped in and pointed at the desk. “Your phone.”

  James stared at his gadget and realised the screen was blank. Was the battery dead? It couldn’t be. He’d charged it this morning and hadn’t used it.

  “Oh. I forgot to switch it on.” He picked up the device and pressed the button.

  “You forgot?” Henry frowned. “Your phone is always on. You don’t do anything without it.”

  James shrugged. His brother was correct. He went nowhere without his phone. But his world had changed last night, and turning the phone on would only confirm his loss.

  “I just decided not to turn it on. Plus, I had a lot of work to get through today because of my late start.”

  Just then, the phone he’d just turned on started beeping with messages.

  “See what I mean?” Henry said with a smirk.

  James grimaced and swiped to check. There were over tens of notifications across different apps. A few were from contacts he knew. But there was an unidentified number that appeared.

  He clicked on a message. He’d seen it before.

  A cold finger travelled down his spine as cold sweat broke on his skin. He struggled to draw in a breath.

  “What is it?” Henry’s voice sounded far away.

  James’s throat felt constricted. He swallowed as he stared at the phone in horror.

  Henry hurried to his side and glanced over his shoulder to read the text.

  “What the hell? Who sent that?” Henry’s voice sounded angry.

  James fought to draw breath and could not speak as his brother snatched the phone and swiped to read the other messages from the same sender.

  You’re a piece of shit.

  You should never have been born.

  Chapter Six

  “James, are you coming down?” Gloria’s voice came from the downstairs lobby.

  “Yes,” James replied as he shut his bedroom door. He leaned against the wall and sucked in a huge breath, blowing it out slowly.

  He would rather go back into the room and lock himself away from the world. For the past week, he would come home from work and stay in bed until he had to get up the next morning. He had missed meals, and avoided prolonged conversations, especially personal ones.

  Today was Saturday, and he’d spent most of it in isolation, reading a book or just staring at the white ceiling.

  How could his life go back to normal when he still bore the heartache of breaking up with Kezie? In addition, he seemed to have acquired a stalker.

  Still, today was also Henry’s birthday, and Gloria had planned this dinner for weeks, way before James’s troubles started. He couldn’t miss his brother’s party.

  Neither Henry nor Gloria knew about his broken affair with Kezie. And they’d increased the security around him, with an investigator on the stalker case.

  So, he’d worked on reining in his emotions so he could get through the next few hours. He just had to put one foot in front of the other and get downstairs before his sister-in-law came to look for him and asked questions he couldn’t answer.

  Pushing off the wall, he pocketed his phone and made the journey across the landing and down the stairs. The sound of low jazz music added to the merriment in the air.

  Gloria stood at the bottom of the stairs in a sleeveless gold, green, and black print dress with a fitted bodice and ball gown style skirt. The neckline had a scalloped effect that made it look like she wore jewellery, and her hair was bunched in a loose chignon. She wore matching sandals made with the same Ankara print design.

  “Wow,” he said as a smile curled his lips. “You look fabulous, as usual.”

  “So do you,” she beamed up at him. “You know, if I wasn’t already besotted and beholden to your brother, I’d marry you.”

  His foul mood lifted. His efforts to dress well hadn’t gone unnoticed, although he’d gone for an all-black ensemble with fitted shirt and trousers, matched with handcrafted black Italian sneakers made from the finest calfskin leather and finished with white soles.

  He chuckled and kissed her cheeks. “I think Henry would say ‘over my dead body’ if that thought ever entered my head.” Not to mention that as much as he loved her, he didn’t love her in that way. He never would.

  “You’re right about that.” The man in question stepped out of the reception room and wrapped his arms around Gloria’s waist. Henry wore black jeans and a smart blue shirt, more or less his standard fare. “It’s my birthday. I can wear whatever I like.”

  Gloria laughed, turning to kiss her husband on the mouth. “Absolutely. However, there’s something to be said about a well-dressed man.”

  Henry’s brow rose, his grin lopsided. “Are you saying I’m not well-dressed?”

  Giggling, she cupped his cheeks. “You are perfection.”

  A buzzing sound filled the hallway.

  “I’ll get it.” James chuckled, turning his back on the two lovebirds on his way to check out the visitors. Nothing filled him with more joy than seeing his brother and sister-in-law so happy.

  He opened the front door and stepped onto the sunny portico just as Samson directed a black Rolls Royce up the driveway into the spot behind Gloria’s SUV.

  A tall, broad-shouldered man in a white dress shirt, grey trousers and brown leather brogues stepped out of the front passenger seat.

  Hot damn. James gawked—mouth agape, eyes widened—at the stranger.

  Tall and buff, the man had presence, oozed dominance.

  A shiver shimmied down James’s spine and his stomach did flip-flops.

  Was that Kamali’s bodyguard?

  It couldn’t be.

  James had already totted up the expense of the outfit the man wore, from his designer aviator sunglasses to the Italian brogues. No normal Nigerian bodyguard could afford that, even if his boss was one of the richest men in Africa. Or rather, no sane bodyguard would be so extrava
gant if he had a family depending on him.

  Around here, dependents were always available, impatient to spend your money if you didn’t know what to do with it.

  The tight muscles under the man’s clothes rippled as he opened the back door, while Samson held the other back door.

  James shook his head and recovered himself as Kamali and his wife, Ebun, came out, both in matching blue embroidered linen tunic and trousers sets, although Ebun’s showed her baby bump.

  “Welcome,” James greeted with a smile as they both approached.

  “Hi, James. How are you?” Kamali embraced him.

  “I’m doing great.” James turned to Ebun. “And you, Ebun, are glowing.”

  He kissed her cheeks.

  “Thank you, James.” She beamed a smile and rubbed her bump. “Little man is a kicker, though.”

  “You know he’s a boy?” James looked from Ebun to Kamali and back.

  “Yes. We have to even out the playing field.” Kamali placed his hand on top of his wife’s. “We can’t have the ladies running the place all the time.”

  His wife giggled and placed a kiss on his cheek. They had a teenage daughter from Kamali’s first marriage. “It doesn’t matter how many men there are, the ladies will always run this place.”

  “I can’t argue with that,” Kamali admitted, and turned to the man standing behind them. “James, this is Ethan. Ethan, James is my cousin I told you about.”

  Ethan stepped forward, hand outstretched. “Hi, James.”

  Damn. That voice—deep and growly—made James’s stomach flip again.

  He took the man’s hand as their gazes connected. Firm callused fingers clasped his, and James just about melted on the spot.

  His breath caught, and he fought the urge to fan his hot face.

  Ethan had clear, observant amber eyes that gleamed with a hint of amusement, as if the man knew something James didn’t know.

  James swallowed the lump in his throat and tugged his arm free.

  “Hi, Ethan.” His voice sounded croaky and he coughed. “Ehm. You can go through.”

  James waved at the door when his brain kicked in. He was supposed to ‘meet and greet’, not ogle the arrivals, no matter how hunky they looked.

  “Thank you,” Ethan’s voice rumbled, and he followed Kamali and his wife into the house.

  A hint of cologne reached him, and his heart slammed in his chest as the fuzzy memory of strong arms and a hard chest from a week ago flitted through his mind.

  The same cologne...

  He did a double take at Ethan’s retreating backside.

  Was Ethan the person who had brought him home the other night? Had he just met his fantasy dark knight?

  Sure, the guy looked like he could flip James over his shoulders with ease. But there had to be thousands of people in Lagos who wore the same aftershave. James couldn’t pin it on the first one he met.

  Damn. Ethan’s trousers hugged a tight ass and sturdy thighs. James could definitely use him in a dream or two.

  The sound of a beeping horn jarred him out of fantasyland.

  Cheeks heated, he turned his attention towards the driveway.

  What was wrong with him? The break-up with Kezie had obviously scrambled his brain.

  He’d never been infected with this kind of lust-at-first-sight before. Always monogamous, he hadn’t given anyone else a second thought because he’d had Kezie.

  He was in the minority amongst his friends, who were practically man-whores, getting laid at every opportunity. Sometimes it became pseudo-incestuous, with friends sleeping with friends, even friends’ boyfriends.

  James believed when two people met, they needed to get to know each other first before getting sexual. He’d been withdrawn and found it difficult connecting with people. So, for anyone to ever get into his pants, they’d need to get into his head.

  The only one who’d been able to breach his barriers was Kezie.

  They’d been friends long before they’d become lovers.

  His body tensed.

  His loyalty and dedication had only gotten him a broken heart.

  Perhaps if he’d been more like his friends and indulged in as many hook-ups as they did, he wouldn’t have suffered the misery crushing him.

  Seeing the car driving in through the entrance, he straightened, releasing pent-up breath.

  The next arrivals were Christy and Joshua Inemi-Spiff. Christy was Gloria’s best friend, and Joshua was her husband.

  James ushered them inside after the pleasantries.

  The last to arrive were Ike and Lara Thomas.

  Or so James thought, as he ushered them inside. Until another car horn beeped, and the security men were pulling the barriers apart.

  James recognised Kezie’s BMW instantly, and his body froze as his pulse sped up.

  Shit. His hands clenched into fists.

  James had invited Kezie to the get-together when they had been an item. With everything going on in the past week, he’d forgotten about Kezie being on the list and hadn’t formally cancelled the invitation.

  Still, Kezie should have figured that their break-up meant he wasn’t in the Cokers’ close circle anymore.

  So, what the fuck was he doing here?

  James stomped over as the latest visitor pulled up behind his sports car.

  He leaned down, ready to yank the driver’s door open and tell Kezie to go home. Seeing the person in the passenger seat, he clenched his jaw and moved back, allowing Kezie to step out of the BMW.

  “James, hi,” his ex said in a calm voice as if nothing was wrong between them.

  James glared at him, and walked over to Ify as she got out, forcing a smile onto his face. “Ify, welcome. I didn’t know you were coming today.”

  “Of course, I’d be here.” She kissed his cheek and slipped her arm through his. “It’s Brother Henry’s birthday. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  “How are you?” James walked with her to the door, using her as a buffer between him and Kezie. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to control his anger at the man’s presence.

  “I’m fine. Have you seen the ring?” She raised her left hand. The diamond-on-gold band glinted in the sunlight.

  James’s chest burned, and nausea rose in his throat as he stared at the proof that Kezie was really going to marry Ify.

  His mouth tasted bitter, but he forced the polite words out. “It’s lovely.”

  “Yes, it is. Kezie is such a darling.” She reached for her fiancé.

  James unhooked her arm from his when they got to the foyer. “Everyone is in the living room. Go on inside. I just need to get something from upstairs.”

  He didn’t wait for either of them to respond before he hurried up the steps, taking them two at a time.

  If he stayed, he didn’t know what he would do.

  Inside his room, he paced and kicked the tall drawer several times while swearing out loud. He’d never been filled with so much jealousy, rage, and anguish all at the same time. He felt as if he would explode with all the emotions tearing him apart.

  A knock on the door had him freezing.

  “Who is it?” he asked in a curt voice.

  “It’s me. Kezie.”

  The sound of his ex’s voice triggered something dark inside him. James rushed to the door, yanked it open and planted his knee into Kezie’s gut.

  The man spluttered and doubled over.

  The haze in his mind cleared, and he took a step back as he panted.

  “Damn, man.” Kezie staggered into the room and leaned against the shut door.

  “You deserved it,” James bit out. Quick tempered, he’d never been physically violent. But he didn’t regret his actions now.

  “I know. That’s why I came to say sorry.”

  “Yeah. After you brought your fiancée here to flash her shiny ring in my face.”

  Kezie sighed. “It was unavoidable. I needed to see you. You won’t take my calls. When she insisted on coming to Henry�
��s birthday party I had to come and talk to you.”

  “To say what, exactly? There’s nothing we haven’t said already.”

  “I wanted to apologize.”

  “Sorry won’t make this better, Kezie.” He started pacing again. “I loved you. I was loyal to you.” He swivelled to face the contrite Kezie. “And it turns out you’ve been fucking every person who shakes their tail feather at you. Do you think you’re the only one who had offers? I’ve been propositioned several times, even by men you know. Yet I’ve stayed true to you. On top of it all, you’re engaged to Ify. Sorry will not cut it.”

  Kezie bowed his head. “What do you want me to do to make it up to you?”

  James looked upwards and puffed out a heavy breath. “I don’t know what’s going to make me feel better. I believed you were true to me. It turns out you’ve been cheating on me in more ways than one.”

  “I’m sorry,” Kezie said again. “I don’t know what else you want me to say.”

  “Say you’ll break up with Ify. Say you’ll tell her that you’re in love with me. Say you’ll never cheat on me again. Say you’ll love me alone.”

  “You want me to break up with her?” Kezie’s head shot up, his eyes widened.

  “Well, are you going to?” James challenged.

  “You know I can’t. I can’t do that to her.”

  “But you can do it to me. Get out.” He balled his hands into fists.

  “Be reasonable. I have family obligations,” his ex pleaded, stepping forward.

  James raised his palms. “And I’m the one without family obligations, abi?”

  “That’s not what I mean.” Kezie sighed and gentled his voice as he went down on his knees. “I love you. Please give me another chance.”

  Seeing Kezie on his knees softened some of James’s hard heart. He’d loved this man for almost half his life. It was easy to succumb to him. “I just don’t know that I can forgive you. I just don’t know.”

  “I promise I’ll make it up to you.” The man stroked up and down James’s thighs, sending tingles through him.

  In his heart and body, James had missed Kezie, and if they didn’t have this problem, they would’ve been kissing or making love at the first opportunity.