MARRYING MR. RIGHT (The Brides of Hilton Head Island Book 3)

by Sabrina Sims McAfee

  Rotten, spoiled food assaulted his nostrils. His eyes roamed over the trash in search of Taylor. Frustrated, he slammed the lid and jogged back over to his white SUV.

  Driving down the long, dark road beside the ocean, Zeke choked on his cry. “I’m going to find you, Taylor, and when I get ahold of the bastard that took you, I’m going to break his fucking neck. Rip his heart from his fucking chest.”

  His mind traveled back to what Don had written on the paper: ant. “Ant. What were you trying to tell me, Don?”

  Losing his freaking mind, Zeke made a sharp left and drove down another long street. A tear rolled from his eye, and he swiped at it. Coming upon Spaulding Drive, he thought about how he’d planned to take Taylor, Zavier, and Jaheem to ride Lord Balfour at the Equestrian one day real soon. Bangbangbang. He repeatedly banged his fist on the steering wheel.

  Needing to get himself under control, Zeke pulled over to the side of the isolated, dark road. Leaving the engine running, he put the SUV in park. He brought his hands up to his face and put them in a prayer position. “God. You’re the only person who can help me find my wife. I can’t do this by myself. I need Your help. In life, a man is supposed to be obedient to You, Lord. Supposed to serve God. Find a wife. Protect his wife. If I don’t find Taylor, it’ll kill me. Please help me.”

  Putting his balled fist to his nose, Zeke squeezed his eyes shut. He inhaled a deep breath, then slowly blew the pent-up breath from the circle of his mouth. Damn, his chest ached. Stomach cramped.

  “Thank You for helping me. In Jesus’ name I pray…amen.” Having enormous faith in God, Zeke slowly opened his eyes and read the green street sign in front of his SUV. Spaulding Drive.

  Memories of how Richmond’s father, Russell, had killed Richmond’s wife, Salina, stormed inside Zeke’s head. “Some people can’t trust their own family.” As soon as the words left his lips, a terrifying thought struck up inside Zeke’s head.

  Hands on the steering wheel, Zeke shuddered at the awful possible realization. Ant? “Antonio? Was Don trying to write Antonio? Antonio…no. Dear God, my brother? No, he wouldn’t.”

  If you took my wife, you will pay, Antonio. I will kill you with my own bare hands. Zeke’s mouth twisted wryly. He yanked the gear to drive, sped out onto the road, and headed for Antonio’s house.

  Eighteen minutes later, Zeke pulled off the main road onto a dirt road leading to Antonio’s house. The SUV shook violently as it traveled along the unpaved earth. Full moon perched high in the sky, thick trees lined either side of the road.

  Nerves on edge, Zeke steered the SUV up to Antonio’s house and parked it beside his brother’s BMW. Antonio’s home. This house had once belonged to Katherine’s parents before they died. Zeke studied his eerie surroundings. Worn rooftop, raggedy porch, a dim lamp glowed on the other side of the living room window.

  Zeke shrugged open the door with his shoulder, clambered out. His heart thudded hard in his chest as he walked along the dirt ground. Bats flew overhead. Crickets chirped. Bullfrogs burped. Humid air clung to the bare flesh of his arms as he mounted the steps to the porch. Ready to eat Antonio alive and spit his ass out like rotten tobacco, Zeke banged his fist on the door.

  Several minutes passed. Zeke banged on the door again. “Open up! I know you’re in there!” Tired of waiting, Zeke grasped the door handle and swung the hell out of the screen door. Loosening the hinges, the screen door dropped sideways.

  Ready to kill, Zeke barged inside Antonio’s house to find him sitting on the sofa, talking on his cell. “Where is she?!”

  Antonio bolted to his feet. Shoving the cell in his front jean pocket, he rushed up to Zeke and got in his face. “Fuck you coming in here like this?”

  Zeke eyes darted around the room. “Where’s Taylor? I know you have her.”

  Hands on hips, Antonio rolled his eyes. “Man, you stupid. What would I want with your wife?” He shrugged, then fanned the air. “I ain’t got time for this shit, bro. I’m going sit my ass back down. Feel free to take a look around, if you want.” Antonio flopped back on the couch, threw his legs up on the coffee table.

  “Taylor! Taylor!” Zeke headed down the dark hallway. Not believing one word Antonio had said, he went inside his evil brother’s bedroom and checked under the bed for Taylor. He then headed inside the tiny bathroom. Standing beside the tub, he snatched back the curtain to find it empty. After he checked the pantry, he checked Antonio’s closet and every single room inside the stale, gloomy house.

  Call him desperate, but Zeke felt Taylor’s presence nearby. He pulled open the back door of the kitchen, walked outdoors, and dismounted the creaking steps. “Taylor! Taylor!”

  Walking past the retention pond, Zeke glanced back over his shoulder just as Antonio came and stood in the back door of the kitchen. “She’s not here, idiot! First you take my damn job! Then you fire me! Now you’re accusing me of taking your wife? Kiss my hairy white ass, bro!” Antonio slammed the back door.

  Marching along the grounds, Zeke headed over to the garage. He hooked his hand on the garage handle, lifted it, and entered. Fisting his hips, Zeke’s eyes raked over the open area. A lot of tools, a lawn mower, and a raggedy car were inside. Nothing abnormal caught his attention.

  Why do I feel her soul here? “Taylor! Taylor! Taylor!”

  Turning on his heels, Zeke ran and jumped in the pond. Water splashed upward, drenching his face. Not caring if a water moccasin bit him, Zeke’s hand floundered around inside the pond. A fish swam by the jean area of his knees. I know Antonio has something to do with Taylor’s disappearance.

  “TAYLOR!” Back against the wall of the dark cave, Taylor sat on the muddy ground, thinking she’d heard Zeke call her name. Going delirious, Taylor pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapped her arms around her knees.

  “Taylor! Taylor! Taylor!” She heard Zeke call her name loud and clear.

  Sharp, prickly pains shot through Taylor’s chest as she struggled to stand. Back to the cave’s wall, she cupped her hands to the sides of her mouth and tried to scream. “Zeke…I’m down here. I’m down here.” It hurt to breathe. Waiting for Zeke to respond, silence filled her ears. “Zeke…come back. I’m here in the cave.”

  Maybe she didn’t hear him. Maybe she was losing her mind, Taylor thought, sliding her hands in her back pockets to find them filled with items Sandella had given her earlier. Taylor plucked the whistles, candles, and matches from both of her pockets. Whistles? Blow the whistle.

  Finger fumbling with the matches, Taylor struck it. The cave vaguely lightened. Spotting a piece of paper on the ground at her feet, she picked it up, lit the end, then placed it in the corner to give her temporary light.

  Putting the plastic bag filled with whistles to her teeth, Taylor ripped the bag open. Sweating profusely, Taylor put the whistle to her mouth and blew as hard as she could. The loud shrills filled her ears, bounced off the walls of the cave. “Zeke!” Shaking vigorously, her cheeks contracted and expanded as she blew the whistle again. And again. And again. Over and over, and over.

  SOAKING WET, Zeke left the pond and stalked toward his car, smelling like a big wet fish. When he reached the garage, he heard a loud whistle noise. Shaking his head, his shoulder length hair slapped at his face. I’m hearing shit. Knowing he was mentally going nuts, he ignored the whistle ringing in his ear and rounded the corner of Antonio’s house.

  Antonio stood on his front porch with a smirk on his face. Folding his arms across his chest, Antonio leaned against the porch column. His right brow hitched. “Found her?”

  Dripping wet, Zeke headed for the porch. On his way there, he spotted Taylor’s sneaker lying in the grass. Pretending as if he didn’t see her shoe, Zeke kept his eyes hooked on Antonio’s face. This crazy sonofabitch has my wife.

  Standing at the bottom of the porch, Zeke grinded his back teeth. He balled his fist and took a hard swallow. Glaring upward at his evil brother, Don’s words from a while back rang loud in Zeke’s ears. ‘Kelvin was part of
a gang called Southern Mafia. As part of the gang initiation, the boys had to get branded with the initials SM,’ Don had once said.

  Remembering what Don had said about the branding of the chest for the Southern Mafia gang members, Zeke demanded, “Take off your shirt.”

  The smirk on Antonio’s face turned to stone. Leaning on the column, Antonio stood erect. “Man, I ain’t taking off my shirt for you.”

  Palms up, Zeke shrugged. “Why not? I tell you what, if you take off your shirt, I’ll give you your job back at Balfour Enterprises.” He held up a finger. “I’ll even go one step further. I’ll resign as CEO and make you the CEO. All you have to do to become CEO of Balfour Enterprises is take off your shirt.”

  Antonio frowned. “Go fuck yourself. I don’t want to work at Balfour anymore.”

  Zeke’s heart sliced with hatred. “Have a good night, Antonio.” Anger flaring, Zeke coolly walked to his SUV, pulled open the door, and climbed inside. “He must think I’m a damn fool. A weak ass pussy,” he grumbled to himself, keeping his eyes stuck on Antonio. “You’re going to pay for taking my wife. No one takes the best thing that’s ever happened to me away.”

  Knowing for sure it was Taylor’s sneaker he saw lying on the ground, fury coursed through Zeke’s veins. Just as Zeke cranked the engine, his cell chirped. He pulled the cell from his clip. “Hello?”

  “Zeke, thank God you answered. Chief Shelton Wallace here. I’m leaving the hospital. Don just woke up and told me Antonio is part of the Southern Mafia gang. Don stated Antonio had had Taylor kidnapped all those years ago. According to Don, your mother-in-law Katherine is the person that shot him. Police are on their way to Antonio and Katherine’s homes to arrest them as we speak.”

  Zeke and Antonio glared each other down, kept their haunting gazes connected. “I’m already here at Antonio’s. He has my wife, Shelton.” I’m going to handle Antonio myself. I don’t need the police.

  “Don’t do nothing stupid, Zeke. Let the police handle Antonio.”

  Still standing on the porch, Antonio’s furious gaze narrowed at Zeke. Pure hatred carved Zeke’s heart in half. Disgust ran through his bones. Muscles flicked in Zeke’s jaws.

  Sliding his hand towards his back, Antonio’s eyes shot daggers at Zeke.

  Zeke yanked the gear in drive, clenched the steering wheel. Remembering the sounds of the whistles, he bet Taylor was locked in the trunk of the car, or worse. You’re about to pay, dear brother. No one takes my fucking wife and gets away with it.

  Antonio whipped a gun from his pocket, aimed it straight at the driver’s side of Zeke’s windshield.

  “Do or die, motherfucker!” Zeke clicked on his bright lights, blinding Antonio. Gritting his teeth, Zeke flooded the gas. The SUV sped forward.

  Brows dipped, face scrunched, Antonio’s finger squeezed the trigger. Orange fire blasted from the metal hole of the black weapon. Rounds of gunfire exploded in the night air, cracking the windshield.

  A hot sensation coursed through Zeke’s body. He’d been shot! Eyes on his prized enemy, Zeke raced the SUV up the steps like a freaking mad man. The SUV rocked, almost flipped over.

  Infuriated, Zeke crashed the big driving machine into Antonio. Bam! Antonio’s body flew backwards into the inside of the house, slammed into the wall inside the living room, then plummeted to the floor.

  Eyes spread wide, blood slipped from the cracks of Antonio’s lips.

  Smoke billowed from the hood of the Porsche as it now parked inside Antonio’s living room. The horn blasted. Potent scents of gasoline assaulted Zeke’s nostrils.

  Injured, Zeke’s legs ached. Felt like his bones had shattered. Bleeding profusely, his arm stung.

  Zeke pushed the door open, climbed out. He staggered over to Antonio, reached into his brother’s jean pocket, and grabbed his keys. Blood gulped from Antonio’s mouth. Gasping for air, his blue eyes bulged, his head tilted.

  Needing to see Antonio’s chest, Zeke grasped the top of his shirt and ripped it in half. The buttons flew off. Zeke yanked the material of Antonio’s shirt to the side. SM. The initials ‘SM’ were indeed branded on the sorry man’s chest.

  “Help…me.” The barely audible words left Antonio’s mouth.

  Zeke looked heavenward, then signaled a cross over his heart. “God…let Your will be done.”

  “Bastard.” Antonio’s eyes rolled to white, then closed.

  Numbness in regards to Antonio filled Zeke’s heart. He turned and walked away.

  Dragging his left leg behind him, Zeke halfway walked and halfway limped toward the garage. Holding Antonio’s keys in his fist, the loud whistling sound pierced Zeke’s drums. “Taylor,” he groaned out, grimacing in excruciating pain.

  Standing at the rear of the car parked inside Antonio’s garage, Zeke’s arm stung like it was on fire. He took off his shirt, ripped it in half, and tied it around his bleeding arm where he’d been shot.

  Pain rippled through Zeke. He inserted the key in the trunk of the car to find it empty. Hearing the whistling clear as day, he dropped to his knees and spotted a latch beneath the car. A secret cave? “Jesus Christ!” He ran and jumped inside the driver’s side of the car.

  Zeke’s fleshy arm burned as he sat behind the steering wheel of the blue car, fumbling with the keys. He jammed a key in the ignition, but it was the wrong one. Then he jammed another one to find that it fit perfectly. He cranked the engine, put the car in reverse, and zoomed it out of the garage.

  Heart about to jump out of his chest, Zeke hopped out of the car, grabbed the handle of the wooden door on the ground, and yanked it upward.

  Taylor stood inside the dark cave, blowing on the whistle. “Zeke!” Taylor screamed. “Zeke!”

  “Taylor! Hold on! I’m coming, baby.” Zeke ran over to the wall to retrieve the ladder. Standing over the dark hole, he lowered the ladder into the cave. “Climb up.” As Taylor hurriedly climbed up the ladder, it wobbled.

  Reaching the top, Zeke grabbed Taylor’s shoulders and gently pulled her out. He cupped her neck. “Oh, God. Did he hurt you, Taylor?”

  Crying, Taylor nodded. “Yes. He stomped his foot into my chest. I think my ribs might be fractured or badly bruised. But that’s it.”

  “Well, he paid for it.”

  “How?”

  “I killed him.”

  Police sirens blasted through the humid night air. Flashing red and blue lights lit up the forest. Chief Shelton Wallace jumped out of his unmarked sedan and ran up to Zeke and Taylor. “Looks like a damn war took place here,” Chief Shelton Wallace barked.

  Zeke wrapped his arms around his wife’s shoulders, helped her to her feet, then hefted her into his arms. “I’m taking you straight to the hospital.”

  Taylor’s fingers touched the side of Zeke’s cheek as he carried her. As he stalked across the ground towards the police vehicles, she pecked his lips. “Thank you for saving my life. I love you, Zeke.”

  Zeke’s heart swelled. “Don’t thank me. It’s my job to protect and save you. I love you, too, my wife.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Katherine stood at the sink inside her luxurious bathroom, brushing her long red hair. Admiring the long black nightgown she wore, Katherine’s lips curled upwards. She’d been on the phone with Antonio minutes ago, and he’d told her he’d thrown Taylor’s behind in the cave.

  Yes. “Antonio finally killed Taylor. This calls for a celebration,” Katherine softly uttered.

  Colton, ailed and pale, entered the bathroom. “Are you talking to yourself again?” he asked, on death’s bed. Hell, if she stayed around long enough and waited for him to die, she could end up a billionaire. Now with Taylor dead and gone, she’d decided that’s exactly what she’d do. Right after Colton died, Katherine had big plans for Zeke. She was going to toss him out on his head and make Antonio CEO of Balfour Enterprises.

  Happiness burst inside Katherine. “Yes, darling. I’m talking to myself.”

  Colton walked over to his side of the bathroom, l
ooked in the mirror. He flattened his hands on the counter, dropped his head between his shoulders, and groaned. “This cancer is eating me alive, Katherine. I don’t have much time to live. We need to sit down and go over my finances and some other things before I die.” Colton lifted his head from between his shoulders and turned to face her. Death embedded his pupils. “I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings about what my expectations are after I’m gone, so I’m calling an emergency meeting. First thing tomorrow morning, I want you, Bane, Zeke, and Antonio to report to Balfour Hotel.”

  “I’ll be there.” Katherine strolled over to Colton, cupped his face, and gave him a kiss.

  “What brought that on?” Colton asked, his lids drooping.

  I’m pre-celebrating your death, Katherine thought, smiling. “I love you, Colton. I know I may not act like it sometimes, but I do. I’m going downstairs to have a drink. Do you want to join me?”

  Colton let out a groan filled with irritation. “No, thanks.”

  Never happier, Katherine strolled to the doorway of the bathroom and paused. Perfectly manicured hand on the frame, Katherine swung her hair and looked over her shoulder at Colton. “Colton, if it’s still on the table, I’d like for you and I to get marriage counseling.”

  Despair showed on Colton’s face. “Katherine, I’m going to be upfront with you. I’m not interested in saving our marriage anymore. When I die, I want to die a happy man. Being married to you doesn’t make me happy.”

  Katherine whirled. Tilting her head, she put her hands on her hips. “What are you trying to say, Colton?”

  “Well, I was saving this for tomorrow, but since you asked, I’ll go ahead and tell you now. I’m divorcing you, Katherine.”

  Stunned, Katherine’s hand flew to her chest. Never did she think Colton would have the balls to divorce her–especially not while he was sick and dying with cancer. This man had bigger balls than she’d known or ever imagined. “So you were going to call me in a meeting on tomorrow and tell me you wanted a divorce in front of our children?”