“For assault and battery,” added an indignant Thompson. “How a man of your violent character could think that my client would let you raise his child, it’s…it’s…”
“Clearly, your client must have provoked my client, Counselor,” Donovan interrupted. “How do we know that your client didn’t attack first?”
“Call a doctor!” Royce demanded, knocking his lawyer’s hand away as he attempted to examine his bruises. “I think he broke something.” He limped to a chair and fell into it heavily while Thompson pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911.
Nedra released her husband. Donovan pulled him aside, out of earshot of Edward Thompson and beckoned Nedra to follow him.
“You two get out of here now before the ambulance comes. I’ll handle this.”
Sin and Nedra wasted no time. Hurrying back to the office, Nedra snatched up her purse, and she and Sin left via the elevator down the hall from the scene of the fight. Thompson protested their departure while he and Donovan loudly hurled charges and countercharges at each other. Down in the parking lot, Nedra got behind the wheel while Sin slumped in the seat next to her. They hadn’t said a word to each other coming down in the elevator. There wasn’t much that could be said. Both knew what the consequences of Sin’s rash action could be. Any bargaining chip that they had hoped to use that could have gotten them even partial custody was now in serious jeopardy.
Running his hands down his face, he let them drop between his legs listlessly as he shook his head. “I messed up, baby. I messed up big time.”
Nedra was silent as she started the car and headed toward home. There was nothing to say. He was right.
* * *
Samuel Jamison disconnected the call and sat looking at the telephone thoughtfully. The call had been from Edward Thompson, recounting what had happened at the meeting this morning. Royce had been taken to the hospital and released. Except for his ego, no major damage had been done as the result of his altercation with Sinclair Reasoner. He was on his way home. Edward had reported that with the attack, the custody of the child had all but been assured. The old man sighed, relieved.
He didn’t want to admit it, but for a brief moment after reading the report on Sinclair and Nedra Reasoner he had been concerned. He figured that Sinclair’s childhood and adolescence—one that had been rife with altercations with the law—could be used against them, but he wasn’t sure that was enough. As parents the couple was exemplary.
The meeting with the Reasoners was meant to intimidate, to let them know that it would be best not to challenge his son’s right to the boy. The senior Jamison wasn’t sure that it would work. The Reasoners seemed to be gearing up for a custody fight, and going public was the last thing that he wanted. Discretion about this matter was paramount. However, with the actions of Sinclair Reasoner today, everything was falling into place nicely. He had no doubt that Royce had done something to provoke the boy’s adoptive father. He had a way of irritating people. Yet, today he had to give his son credit for doing so to the right person.
This entire thing was taking longer than he had anticipated, and time was not on his side, but the child would be with him soon, very soon. He had instructed his attorney to wind this up quickly. He was bored with the Reasoners and anxious to follow through with his plans.
* * *
Nedra pulled into the garage, turned the car off and closed the garage door. She and Sin had driven home in silence. Right now both preferred its serenity. For a moment they sat in the car, neither of them moving. Nedra opened the door and got out. Her body felt as if it weighed a ton. The trip across the garage to the entrance door seemed extra long today, and her footsteps were heavy.
She had disappeared inside the house before Sin got out of the car. He hadn’t received a bruise in the fight with Royce Jamison, but he felt as if he had been in a gang war.
He barely acknowledged Mrs. Lucia as he passed her in the kitchen. Then, making the decision to bypass the family room where Trevor and Gillian were working on the computer, he took a detour to the main entrance where he hurried up the staircase and headed toward the master bedroom, relieved that he had avoided facing the children. However, Colin was bounding down the stairs to the second floor just as Sin reached the bedroom door.
“Hey, son,” Sin greeted him as he tried to hurry inside, but ever alert, Colin refused to be dismissed.
“What’s wrong?” The boy reached the bottom steps and walked toward his father.
Sin glanced through the opened door at Nedra standing across the room. She had been alerted by their son’s voice and started moving toward them. Sin looked back into Colin’s anxious face. The boy knew that they had spent the morning with their attorney, but they had given him no further details. Sin gave a sigh of resignation.
“We met Royce Jamison today.”
The boy’s eyes widened with surprise. “What? You met him? Is he going to leave my brother alone?” His voice was filled with hopeful excitement.
Nedra had reached the bedroom door. She and Sin exchanged a look that Colin caught.
“What happened?” Hopeful excitement had turned anxious.
Both Nedra and Sin knew that putting this child off wasn’t an option. He was too perceptive.
“Your father and Mr. Jamison, uh…Well, they had a difference of opinion about something.”
Colin translated her words quickly. “You beat him down, Dad?” His hero worship shot into the stratosphere as his grin lit up the hallway.
“We’ve told you over and over, son, that violence is nothing to admire,” Nedra countered in an attempt to put a damper on the boy’s enthusiasm. Colin didn’t seem to notice.
“Did you send him to the hospital? Is he going to leave us alone?”
“Your mother’s right. This isn’t a good thing.”
“Why not? What’s wrong? Are you in trouble because you hit him?”
Sin inhaled and closed his eyes for a moment. How could he tell his son that the reckless action of the man on whom he showered such adulation might cost the boy the brother that he loved? Opening his eyes, he looked at Colin. The boy’s eyes were wide with anticipation. He didn’t want to increase the fears that he knew he already harbored about Trevor’s custody.
“I’m sure everything will work out fine.” He hoped he sounded convincing.
Colin looked from his father to his mother. Nedra’s demeanor remained stoic. He returned his attention to Sin.
“All right.” He didn’t sound totally convinced as he continued down the stairs headed to the first floor.
“Colin,” Sin called out to his son.
Halfway down the steps, he turned back to look at him. “Yes, sir?”
“Don’t say anything about what we discussed to your brother and sister.”
Colin looked disappointed. He had been anxious to tell them about their father’s heroic action, but he answered in the affirmative and disappeared down the stairs.
Sin followed Nedra inside their bedroom. Carefully, he closed the door behind them and trailed her into the sitting room.
“Why, Sinclair? All I want to know is why?”
It was the question that he had been waiting for. The one he couldn’t completely answer. How in the world could he explain his erratic behavior? It had been insanity.
“He insulted you.”
Nedra blinked. There had to be more to it than that.
“What did he say?” She wanted to understand what kind of a remark could have lead to such a reaction.
Sin looked at her steadily. “He said that you look like a nice piece of…Then I hit him before he finished.”
Nedra’s browns furrowed. “He didn’t get to finish the sentence?”
“He didn’t have to.” Sin was defensive. “No man alive is going to get in my face and call my wife a ‘nice piece’ of anything, so I don’t care if he finished the sentence or not. It was an insult, and there’s no way that you can stand there and tell me that it wasn’t.”
Nedra tried to be diplomatic. “Words only have meaning if we give credence to them.”
“Well, I gave them a lot of credence. Nobody who insults my wife should expect to walk away.” Loosening his tie, Sin headed toward his dressing room. Nedra followed him.
“Your chivalry is appreciated, but the price of it could prove to be a little steep, don’t you think?”
Stopping short, Sin turned to her. “I’m aware of that, Nedra.” His tone was chilly. Snatching his tie from around his neck, he entered his dressing room. She stood in the doorway, watching as he changed from his dress clothes into casual ones, then slipped into a pair of soft leather mules. His body was tense. She knew that he was hurting, but so was she. His actions had jeopardized not only Trevor’s custody, but his own freedom. As a result, she could lose them both. Even the thought of that possibility was too terrible to think about, and all because of what? Some supposed insult that hadn’t even been uttered? She didn’t understand what he could have been thinking.
Nedra opened her mouth to ask him just that when the telephone rang. The call was coming in on their private line. Sin answered it on the telephone in his dressing room. It was Donovan, and from the look on her husband’s face, what he had to say wasn’t good. He switched the call to speakerphone.
“Okay, Donovan, please repeat that so Nedra can hear you.”
“I said that I spoke with Edward, and it looks as though Jamison is going to press assault charges against you.”
Nedra sank into a chair with a groan. Sin’s heart constricted at the look on her face.
“What I need to know, Mr. Reasoner, is exactly what happened in that bathroom that started the fight. Did he provoke you in any way? Did he throw the first punch?”
Sin repeated the scenario, much as he had to Nedra. Donovan was quiet for a moment. “So, he didn’t get to finish the sentence?
Sin ran his hands over his face. “He didn’t have to.” He looked at Nedra and gave a heavy sigh. Nobody was going to insult her. Nobody! Even if it meant his going to jail! But losing Trevor? He felt sick.
“Well, okay.” They could hear Donovan’s mind clicking over the telephone. “You two get some rest. I’ll get back to you tomorrow.”
The room was quiet. Both Sin and Nedra seemed uncertain about what to do or say next. Charges were going to be filed. The possibility of Sinclair going to jail was now a spoken reality. As Nedra walked from the room, she could hardly breath. Her first impulse was to bow her head, close her eyes and say a silent prayer. She did.
The man she married was a good man. God could not have sent her a better one, and she could only trust that God would not allow him to be taken away because of one error in judgment, one misplaced display of ego. She opened her eyes to find Sin coming out of his dressing room with a jacket in hand. She looked at him in surprise.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going out.” He headed toward the bedroom door.
“Out?!” Nedra didn’t disguise her disapproval. “Out where? We need to talk.”
Turning, Sin looked at her with eyes as filled with pain as her own. “I can’t talk about this right now, Nedra. I just can’t.” Swiftly, he exited, leaving his wife staring at the door that had closed behind him.
Chapter 17
“So you see, Miss Linwood…”
“Evelyn, please.”
Sin hesitated. “I’m sorry. It just feels strange calling you that. I mean at the school…”
“We’re not at the school right now, so there’s no need to be so formal.” Evelyn smiled, but held her breath, hoping that she had scored at least one victory this evening.
Sin still seemed hesitant, but then a smile of acceptance creased his face. “All right, Miss Lin…Evelyn it is, then.”
Her stomach did somersaults at the sound of her name on his lips. It had been turning them since she spotted him in the intimate jazz club over an hour ago. It had taken her a while to gather the courage to approach him, and she was relieved that he greeted her so warmly. Eagerly, she had accepted his invitation to join him.
Conversation between them had been awkward at first, but she took the opportunity to bring up the changes she had noticed lately in Trevor’s behavior in school, knowing that would spark his interest. She was right. His concern was instant. What she hadnexpected was what he told her about the reason behind Trevor’s change in behavior.
“So, as I was saying, Evelyn,” he paused as if pleased with himself at having used the name, “the problem with our son is unique, to say the least. I am sorry that we haven’t spoken to you sooner so that you would be aware of any changes. We’ve been so preoccupied with everything that’s happened—”
“That’s understandable,” Evelyn interrupted, empathetic to what he must be going through. The lines of worry etching his chocolate features as he spoke were evident. She wanted to caress them away so badly that she was forced to fold her hands in her lap beneath the table. She wanted to run her fingertips gently through the waves in his hair, caress the deep cleft in his chin. What she wouldn’t give to slowly peel his clothing from his body and enjoy the luxury of lustily exploring each and every muscle—
Evelyn gave herself a mental shake, forcing her mind back to the moment at hand. The lull of Sinclair’s deep, melodious voice helped feed her fantasies, but she tried hard to concentrate on every word that he was saying. It wasn’t easy. She had daydreamed and night dreamed of being with this man, and with every ticking second the irony of the nickname he went by began to manifest itself more and more—Sin. That’s what he was called, and that’s what she wanted so desperately to do with him, even if he was someone else’s husband.
The man was much too fine. Sitting this close she could see every thick eyelash. She was fascinated by the arch of his eyebrows, mesmerized by the glints of light dancing in his deep-set dark eyes. She enjoyed the way he cocked his head when he laughed, and dazzled by the diamond stud he wore in his left ear. She appreciated his long, slender fingers—minus the wedding band. They were like those of a pianist, and it made her wonder how well those fingers could play. For the first time she noticed that his nails were manicured, but that he did forgo the clear nail polish that some men who basked in this indulgence preferred. As usual, he was well dressed. Only he could get away with wearing a pair of drawstring-hem cargo pants with a matching duster, put a silk tee shirt beneath it and make it all look good. He wore a thin gold chain around his neck that appeared to hold some sort of charm that she could see outlined beneath his shirt, and she wondered if it lay on a bed of shiny black hairs on his chest. She loved a hairy man with a fit physique. Just the thought of it was driving Evelyn wild, just like the cologne he was wearing.
She inhaled deeply, caught up in her fantasies again, so much so that what he was saying had become mere background to her illusions. Nothing was distinguishable until—
Evelyn jolted. “Uh, what was it that you just said?”
Sin stopped and looked at her with confusion. “I’m sorry, what do you mean?”
Evelyn was too embarrassed to admit to him that she hadn’t been listening to what he was saying, but she had heard one thing, or thought she had.
“Didn’t you just say someone’s name?”
Sin reviewed his words in his mind. “Do you mean Royce?”
Evelyn wrinkled her brow. “Royce?”
“Yes, Royce Jamison. I was saying that he’s the one we may have to battle in court.”
Evelyn nodded weakly. “Oh, I see.”
Sin felt foolish as he realized that Miss Linwood…Evelyn, hadn’t been listening to him explain the intricacies of the law concerning child custody. Why should she be interested in such mundane things? The education of his son was her primary concern, as it should be. For him to have brought their private affairs up to her was unlike him. He wasn’t sure why he had told her so much about what was happening.
“I apologize for boring you with all this—”
“Oh no!” She had
n’t been listening. What must he think of her? “It’s not boring. It’s important, and it affects Trevor.”
“I know, but—”
“There are no buts. Your child is in trouble and you’re concerned. You should never apologize for that.” She placed a comforting hand on top of his.
Sin smiled, grateful for her empathy, then glanced at the gold chain link watch that he was wearing. He was surprised at the late hour. “Oh wow! It looks like it’s time for me to get out of here.”
Evelyn groaned inwardly. If only she had been listening, especially to his last words. She tried hard not to appear disappointed. “Yes, it is late.”
The waitress came to the table. He paid the tab and tipped her, then standing, he turned to Evelyn. “Guess we’d better be going.”
Evelyn’s heart nearly stopped beating. Earlier he had offered her a ride home and she had accepted. This might be her last opportunity to make a move on Sinclair Reasoner. The question facing her now was simple. What was she going to do about it? Or perhaps the more important question might be how would he respond?
* * *
It was in the early morning hours when Sin arrived home. As he climbed the stairs, he continued past their bedroom and proceeded upward to check on Colin. He could only hope that Nedra had gone to bed early and wouldn’t be awake. Quietly, he entered his eldest son’s room and crept up the steps to his loft bed, expecting to find him asleep. Instead, the moonlight beaming down from the skylight above helped reveal two pair of eyes greeting him. Trevor was in the bed with Colin, and they were both awake. Sin sat down on the side of the bed.
“What are you two doing up?” His tone reflected resignation. He knew the answer before the words left his mouth. They had been waiting for him.
Without a word Trevor slipped from beneath the covers and flung himself into his father’s arms, hugging him tightly. The child’s relief flooded through every pore of Sin’s body as did the guilt that he felt at having been its cause. He held his son close, allowing the love between them to flow freely. Tears formed in Sin’s eyes as he kissed him. The thought of losing this beloved child was unbearable. It couldn’t happen.
Sinful Intentions Page 16
