“You are so behind the times,” Charles said with a smile. “I canceled that trip last week.”
“Really? Why?” Brent asked.
Charles became defensive. “Because I wanted to cancel it, what’s with the twenty questions? It’s no big deal.”
Brent and Jenay smiled. They knew why he canceled it.
“What?” Charles asked. “Can’t a man enjoy a meal with his woman?”
“And cancel business trips to be with his woman?” Brent asked with a grin. “Sure he can.”
Charles had to smile, too. “Forget your ass!” he said.
“Why don’t you join us?” Jenay asked.
“Can’t,” Brent responded. “I’ve got some serious yard work to do today. I’ve been putting it off too long.”
Jenay stared at Brent. “How’s Makayla enjoying her new job?” she asked.
Brent nodded. “She doesn’t talk much about it, but I can tell she likes it. She stays up late at night trying to keep up with all the work they’re giving her.”
“Well good,” Jenay said with a nod. “She wanted a challenge. Looks like she’s got one.”
“Speaking of Makayla,” Charles said, and Brent looked at him. He was looking out of the diner’s plate-glass window.
Brent and Jenay looked too. And there was Makayla with Junior, standing at the door of an art store stuffing one bag into the other one. Brent’s heart squeezed when he saw her and his son. Some days he felt as if he was the luckiest man in the world to have her as his wife. Other days he felt shattered and betrayed.
“She does her thing, you do yours?” Jenay asked. “Is that how you two roll now?”
“Junior likes to paint,” Brent said, “and he needed some supplies. I was working on a project, so Makayla took him.”
“Makayla is a voluptuous, beautiful woman, Brent,” Charles said, staring at his daughter-in-law. “Take good care of that one. Men like what she’s packing. You’ll be a fool to let her get out of your hands. And I didn’t raise any fools, although each and every one of you, except for maybe Carly, does everything in your powers to prove me wrong.”
Brent smiled weakly, but he was still staring at his wife. Then he thought about something, and looked at Charles. “Have you told Ashley about what happened with Jesse Colbert?” he asked him.
“No, not yet,” Charles responded.
“I spoke with her about it,” Jenay said, and Charles and Brent both looked at her.
“She needed to know,” Jenay went on. “Especially in light of the fact that her own father was the one who pulled the trigger.”
“What did she say?” Charles asked her.
“When I told her he tried to kill you and Brent, and was the person who shot up Lou Fontaine’s house when we were in it, she said good riddance. She said he got what he deserved, and she was glad it was him and not us.”
Charles was at least pleased to hear that.
“Like you said, Pop,” Brent said, “you didn’t raise any fools.”
Charles smiled. “I went by her apartment earlier, before I picked Jenay up from the Inn for lunch, but she was already out and about.”
Brent nodded. “She likes to show off on the weekends.”
Jenay smiled. “That sounds like Ashley.”
Brent smiled, too, and took a peep at his wife and son again. They were heading for her car. But when he glanced down one end of the street and saw a car suddenly speed from around a corner, and with a gun coming out of its pressed down window, his heart dropped. He looked at his wife and son, and he looked at that car and gunman, and he knew he was coming for them!
“No,” he cried. “No, no, nooo!” he screamed. And Brent took off running.
Charles, without knowing what was going on, took off after his son.
Jenay stood up, looking out of the window, as did many others in the diner, confused too.
But Brent wasn’t confused. He was pulling out his gun as he ran out of the diner, and trying with all he had to get Makayla’s attention. “Kay, get down! Get down! Kay, get down!” he cried as the car began to take on even more speed.
As soon as Makayla heard Brent’s voice, she turned in his direction. And as soon as she saw him flapping his gun-clad hand in a downward motion, she didn’t hesitate. She knocked Junior to the ground and covered him with her body.
And then the bullets rang out.
Brent was shooting at the gunman as the gunman drove past him, but the gunman was shooting at Makayla and Junior.
By the time Charles got outside, he wasn’t asking questions, either. He was shooting at the gunman too.
And they got him. They riddled that shooter with bullets. His car careened out of control, and then jumped the sidewalk and slammed into the side of the drug store. But not before riddling Makayla’s body with bullets too.
Brent ran to his family. His heart was beating as if it was beating out of his chest. He could see the blood even as he ran to her. Junior was screaming and crying, as he laid beneath his stepmother, and Makayla was as still as a lifeless painting. Makayla was lifeless.
Charles ran to her and Junior too. When Brent lifted Makayla’s body, and Junior was able to get from beneath her, he immediately ran into his grandfather’s arms. Junior, thanks to Makayla’s fast actions, was physically fine.
“Call 911,” Brent was saying as he held his wife. But several people already had.
And Jenay was running toward them too, calling 911 herself. Junior then broke from Charles, and ran into Jenay’s arms, and Jenay held him tightly.
Charles was praying Makayla was okay, but he also knew he had to make sure that gunman was dead. His family was still exposed. His family could still be hit.
“Wait here,” he ordered Jenay, as he kept his gun ready and ran over to the wrecked car. Although the front end was destroyed, Charles was able to open the driver side door quickly, and aim his weapon at the occupant.
But it wasn’t necessary. The occupant was dead. But that wasn’t the shocking part. The shocking part was who the gunman was. When Charles saw it, he took a step back.
The gunman was Percy Diallo, Jenay’s former fiancé.
He looked at Jenay. She was going to be devastated by this. But then he looked at Makayla. Had she paid with her life because this arrogant asshole felt slighted by Jenay? And why would he target Makayla and Junior when Jenay was just across the street?
But right now, it didn’t matter. Sirens could be heard getting closer, and the asshole was dead.
Charles, instead, ran back to his family, and held onto Brent as Brent’s trembling body held Makayla.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Everybody converged at the hospital. Robert left a campaign event and hurried through the double doors, asking where he could find his sister-in-law as he entered. Tony and Sharon showed up, with little Bonita, hurrying through the lobby too. And Donald and Ashley hurried in with terror in their eyes. Makayla was as much a part of their family as Brent was, and they loved her kindness and generosity. How could anybody harm a sweet woman like her?
But nobody was as devastated as Brent. He sat in the waiting room leaned forward, as if he was literally sitting on the edge of his seat, waiting for word of Makayla’s condition. Junior sat beside him, leaned against him, with that terror still in his eyes too. This was no place for a kid. Everybody in that room knew it. But when Tony and Sharon asked to take Junior in the children’s waiting room down the hall, where they were going to take Bonita, Brent wouldn’t let them take him away. He’d already seen the horror. He was there when Makayla was shot. He was saved by Makayla’s actions. Brent felt he needed to know for himself that she was going to be alright. Or not, he thought sadly.
But Charles wasn’t about to let Bonita “experience” it. He nodded to Tony, and Tony and Sharon took Bonita into the children’s room.
“Any word?” Ashley asked, as soon as she and Donald walked in.
“No word,” Jenay said. “Nothing yet.”
&nbs
p; “Poor Makayla!” Donald said. “Who could do something like this to her? She never hurt anybody!”
“Unfortunately,” Charles said, “that’s not the criteria. Bad people don’t go around harming bad people only. They harm whomever gets in their way.”
“But people were saying she was targeted,” Donald said. “People are saying the guy who did it was her ex-lover or something like that.”
Brent frowned. “Don’t you dare believe that shit,” he said. “People who do all of that talking are the ones who don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about.”
Everybody looked at Brent. Including Robert, who was standing in a corner on the phone. Brent was not a man who used bad language easily. Certainly not as easily as their father, for instance. Except when he was pissed. And what happened to Makayla today had him angry, hurt, and royally pissed.
“She’s going to be alright, Brent,” Ashley said. All she saw was his pain.
“She’d better be,” Brent responded.
“If all of these rumors are wrong,” Donald asked, “does anybody know who did it then?”
And everybody looked at Charles. Including Jenay, who had not yet been told.
“They know,” Charles said.
“Well who was it?” Jenay asked.
But she could see the hesitation in his eyes.
And then the door opened, and Carly Sinatra, along with her boyfriend and boss, Trevor Reese, walked in. Trevor was carrying Amelia Sinatra and his brother Hammer Reese’s baby boy Hannibal. And just like that, Jenay’s question was forgotten and everybody hurried to the out-of-town couple.
“Ash and Donnie are from right here in Jericho,” Robert said with a smile, abruptly ending his call. “You guys had to come from Boston. But you still got here just behind them.”
“We were out and about, Tony, dang,” Ashley said as she was the first to get to the baby.
“Aunt Amelia and Hammer Reese still on vacation?” Robert asked as he approached them, too.
“They are,” Trevor said.
“I would have thought they’d be back by now.”
“They were supposed to be. But they decided to extend their stay an additional week.”
Robert smiled. “I’m sure you weren’t pleased to hear that.”
“Actually we were,” Trevor said. “It’s good experience.”
But while everybody, except Brent and Junior, hurried to dote on the little one Trevor had in his arms, Charles hurried to his daughter Carly. And Carly, who hadn’t seen her adopted father in quite some time herself, hurried to him, too.
“Hey, baby!” Charles said, and pulled her into his arms. He closed his eyes as he held her. He didn’t know why, but she pricked at his heart unlike any of his other children did. He always felt as if she needed him more.
“When I heard the news I couldn’t believe it,” she said as he held her. “Poor Makayla!”
“She’s a strong woman,” Charles said. “That’s what she has going in her favor. She’ll pull through.”
Carly held him tighter. “I pray so,” she said, and held him tighter.
But then she thought about her brother, and what he had to be going through. She left Big Daddy’s arms, and went to her big brother and nephew.
Brent rose and hugged her too. And Junior hugged them both. Although Brent said he was okay, Carly knew he wasn’t. He had those Sinatra eyes. And those eyes told the story.
After everybody had sufficiently greeted the new arrivals, Trevor sat beside Brent and conversed with him, while Donald and Ashley hovered around Jenay, who had commandeered Hannibal and had him in her arms. Robert was back on the phone with his press office, and Carly sat beside her father.
“How are you holding up?” Charles asked her.
“I’m doing good.”
“How are you and Trevor holding up?” he asked.
There was a hesitancy that Charles caught. But then she spoke. “We’re okay,” she said.
“So, when do you guys plan to set your wedding date?” he asked.
“If there is a wedding, you mean?” she responded.
Charles looked at her. “If there is a wedding,” he said. “Yes.”
“I don’t know,” she said.
Charles knew when to leave a sore subject alone. And Carly knew when to move on, too. “What about you, Daddy?” she asked. “Are you okay?”
Charles nodded his head, but Carly could see the strain in his big, green Sinatra eyes.
After several more hours of waiting and small-talking and answering phone calls, Charles received a call from his nephew and reputed mob boss, Sal Gabrini.
“Tommy called and told me the news,” Sal said. Charles and Tommy Gabrini, Sal’s older brother, were close and spoke often. Tommy was the second person Charles notify. Mick was the first, but Charles had to leave him a voice mail.
“How’s Makayla?” Sal asked.
“Still in surgery,” Charles responded. “But we’re hopeful.”
“Damn right,” Sal said. “And Tommy said they caught the bastard.”
“Yeah, he’s no longer with us. Brent and I saw to that.”
“Good. That’s how you have to handle that shit.”
“Where are you?” Charles asked.
“I’m in Vegas. But if you need me, I can hop on my plane and be there.”
“No, we’re okay, Sal, thanks. Tommy made the same offer. But we’ve got it under control right now.”
“If that changes you call us. What is Uncle Mick saying about it?”
“I haven’t heard back from Mick yet. I left a message on his Voice Mail. And Robert’s trying to reach him for me, too.”
“That is one hard man to get in touch with,” Sal said. “I don’t think I’ve ever called him and he answered right away. He always has to call me back.”
Charles smiled. “You aren’t the only one.”
“How’s Jenay and the children? And what about Brent and his little man?”
“Jenay and the children are good. Junior’s still shaken, but he’ll be okay. And Brent is . . . Brent.”
“I hear ya, Unc. Brent’s a lot like me in that emotional category. He only has two emotions he’ll show: anger and none of your business.”
Charles laughed. “Yeah, that’s Brent alright,” he said. “How’s Reno and his family?”
“They’re good. Reno’s in Monaco at the moment. There’s some issues with his hotel there. But he’s good. I was going to give him a call when I hung up from you.”
“Don’t disturb him. Let him handle his business. Like I said, we’ve got it under control here. We’re okay.”
“I can respect that,” Sal said. And then insisted Charles phone, however, if he needed them, and the two men ended the call.
But as soon as the call ended, Robert was reaching out and giving his cell phone to his father.
“Who is it?” Charles asked.
“It’s Uncle Mick,” Robert said.
There was a sudden stillness in the room. They knew it was major, or bad, or both, if Mick Sinatra was on the phone.
Charles stood up, took Robert’s phone, and headed out into the hall.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Once in the hall, Charles answered the call. “Mick, hey,” he said.
“How is she?” Mick asked on the other end of the call.
Charles placed his hands in his pocket and leaned his back against the wall. “Not good. Looks like she was hit several times. She’s in surgery now.”
“How’s Brent holding up?”
“About the same way you would be holding up, or I would, had it been our wives.”
Mick let out a harsh exhale. “He’s been through a lot. And Makayla. Damn. I hate to hear this news.”
“Yeah. Me too.”
“Have you been in touch with Amelia?” he asked. “Does she know?”
“She and Hammer are still in Paris,” Charles said. “They extended it for another week. I’m not going to ruin a break she desper
ately needs. Not just yet. Besides, my prayer is that it’ll all be over by the time they return.”
“Who has their baby?”
“Carly and Trevor. They’re here now.”
“Robert gave me the background. He said the killer has been dealt with. But who was he?”
“Some guy named Percy Diallo. He’s an African diplomat who showed up in town a few days ago.”
“A diplomat?”
“Yep. He used to be Jenay’s ex-fiancé who led her to believe he was dead, but then years later he shows up wanting her back. She turned him down in no uncertain terms.”
“So he gets revenge by shooting Makayla? Yeah, okay. That makes no sense.”
“Eddie Rivers believes he was going for Junior. For Jenay’s grandson. To punish Jenay. But Makayla covered Junior with her body, and he ended up hitting her instead.”
“She’s a good woman,” Mick said. “And brave.”
“Yes, she is. I thank God that Brent has a lady like that in his life every day.”
“You believe that’s the motive?” Mick asked him. “To punish Jenay?”
“I don’t know,” Charles responded. “So much has been happening lately.”
“Such as?”
“Couple of thugs broke into my office and tried to rough me up.”
“You beat their asses I’m sure.”
“It wasn’t as easy as that. Jenay saved my bacon that night.”
“Jenay is always saving your bacon. What else is new?”
“Fuck you,” Charles said with a smile.
“Go on,” Mick said.
“Then they claim Lou Fontaine paid them to rough me up.”
“What does that old bag have to do with you?” Mick asked.
“She said it was because I broke her daughter’s heart.”
“That sounds like bullshit to me,” Mick said.
“To me too. But we never found out real reason. She was about to tell us, but then she was killed.”
“Somebody killed Lou Fontaine? Damn. And you were there?”
“And Jenay and Brent, too, yeah.”
Big Daddy Sinatra: Charles In Charge (Big Daddy Sinatra Series Book 6) Page 12
