by Nia Arthurs
“It’s okay,” Jada said. “It just needs a few minutes.”
She turned the key again, but the car didn’t even bother responding. Biting back a curse of frustration, Jada hit the steering wheel and rested her forehead against the spattered leather surface.
“Jada,” Adam said and when she looked up, he had discarded his jacket and vest and was rolling up the sleeves of his long white shirt, “put the car in neutral.”
“Okay.”
Adam called the valet and, together, he and the young man rolled her car to the side. A few minutes later, Adam appeared at her window again, his forehead dotted with sweat and the palms of his hands dirty from touching her unwashed car.
“Come on. I’ll take you home.”
“You really don’t have to do that,” she said. “I’ll catch the bus.”
“In that pretty dress?” He eyed her gown. “I promise I’ll forget your address as soon as I get you safely home.”
“Well…” As Jada hesitated, her phone rang and Chelsea’s name blared across the screen. Desperately, she answered the call. “Where are you?”
“Calm down, J. I’m fine. I’m at Gus’s place.”
“Gus’s house? Chelsea, get out of there right now. It isn’t worth it.”
“I only called you so that you wouldn’t worry,” Chelsea said. “I’m taking my phone off now so don’t bother calling again. Love you!”
“Chelsea! Chelsea, wait—”
The dial tone sounded in her ear.
***
Whatever was going on with Jada, Adam could see the worry etched into her pretty face. Though he hadn’t meant to, he’d gleaned a bit of information from her one-sided conversation on the phone and deduced that her cousin had put herself in a spot with Gus.
“I know where Gus lives,” Adam offered.
Jada’s head whipped up and she winced. “You heard that?”
“I didn’t intend to eavesdrop…”
She shook her head. “Never mind. Could you take me there? I’ll pay you for the ride. I mean… you can take it out of my cheque.”
Adam wondered what ‘cheque’ she was referring to and a smile crept on his face at her insistence that she repay him for every deed that he performed for her. Was he becoming her escort now?
Jada nearly threw the door in his face as she climbed out of the car and he stepped back, narrowly avoiding the hit. She was in flip flops and he supposed that she’d kept one stowed in her car.
“Where’s your vehicle?” she asked, her head whipping to and fro.
He walked over to the valet and in less than a minute, his Lexus rolled into view. He heard Jada’s quick intake of breath and sheepishly led her to the passenger side. He wasn’t a flashy guy, but he did have a weak spot for quality transportation.
“Thank you,” Jada said quietly as he helped her in.
Nodding once, Adam rounded the hood and jumped into the car. On the way to Gus’s place, Jada didn’t say much and he didn’t feel the mood was open for him to pry.
Instead, he tried to figure out what her plan was for when they arrived. Gus’s complex was surrounded by a metal gate with large barb wiring. If Jada approached with her distress evident, he probably wouldn’t let her in.
He cleared his throat, warning her that he was about to speak. She turned to look at him and the passing street lamps threw her face into a mixture of light and shadows. She really was very beautiful and for a moment, Adam was lost in the pleasant symmetry of her face.
“What?” Jada asked.
He focused on the road, glad that she hadn’t been able to read his thoughts. “What are you going to do?”
“Me?” She played with the bangle on her wrist. “I’m going to haul Chelsea out of there and then we’re going to tear up the cheque.”
The determination in her voice warned that she meant every word.
“I understand, but how do you plan on doing that?”
“Huh?”
He explained the barricades surrounding Gus’s house. Instead of being intimidated or losing her resolve, Jada shrugged. “I’ll find a way.”
“But what if you can’t.”
“I will.”
He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, waffling between admiration at her tenacity and consternation at the difficult task before her.
“I don’t expect you to understand,” Jada said as he drove. “I know you might be thinking that I’m meddling where I shouldn’t. That Chelsea is an adult and she has the right to make her own decisions.”
Adam had been thinking no such thing, but he listened intently anyway.
“My cousin and I are in a… difficult situation. It’s why we agreed to do this, why we came out with you two tonight.”
Adam nodded his understanding.
“I can’t have Chelsea making a decision that could harm her permanently, when our hard times are just temporary, you know? She protected me when I needed it, and I have to protect her in return. Even if I have to—whoa!”
Adam slowed down in front of Gustin’s massive house with the seven foot high walls and impressive wooden gates. Backlit by the moon, the turrets of the house seemed especially medieval.
“That man… lives here?”
“Yes.” Adam shut the engine and put his hand out. “Wait in the car. Gus might let me in since he knows me.”
“Alright,” Jada said.
His feet crunched against the gravel as he climbed out of the vehicle and approached the doorbell. A tiny camera zeroed in on him when he pressed the buzzer and Adam turned to face the contraption fully.
“Gus, it’s me. Open up.”
“What do you want, Adam?”
“I’d… like to discuss some business with you.”
“I’m busy. Come back tomorrow.”
“But it’s very urgent.”
“I said another time!”
The intercom buzzed and the door remained firmly locked. Sheepishly, Adam returned to Jada. Her bright eyes were locked on his and her brow was wrinkled in concern.
“What did he say? Is he letting us in?”
“I’m afraid not.”
She sighed and knocked her head against the seat. Adam wasn’t sure what route to take next. Chelsea had entered Gus’s premises on her own accord. It wasn’t as if they could call the cops on him.
“This sucks,” Jada groaned. “That man isn’t going to open his door for anything, will he?”
“Maybe we can masquerade as delivery people?”
“Delivery…” Jada snorted and then her eyes gleamed. “I have an idea.” She scrambled out of the car before he could ask a question. Adam fumbled with his door handle before running out after her.
She held out a hand as if telling him to stay back and then peered into the intercom’s camera. Adam waited in the background, wondering what she would do next.
To his surprise, Jada resolutely undid the bun in her hair, allowing a springy mass of tight curls to fall to her shoulders.
Even more curious now, Adam waited to see what she would do next and nearly choked when she shimmied out of her dress and tossed the white gown toward him. His body reacted and he averted his eyes to keep all inappropriate thoughts at bay.
He was still a man, and even the semi-second glimpse of Jada’s body in that slip she wore was enticing.
His fingers curled into the fabric of the dress he held, and he purposely kept his eyes trained on the skyline and the dark outcropping of trees that rose like stiff soldiers. He had no idea what Jada was doing, but he dearly hoped that it worked.
Chapter Six
Growing up, Jada’s parents had never shied away from teaching her harsh lessons about human nature—especially a man’s human nature. Her mother had been a social worker and so interacted daily with the victims who fell vulnerable to a man’s lack of self-control.
Because of her parent’s lessons, no matter how desperate she was to save Papi, she could never agree to trading her body for money and she wou
ld rather die, than see Chelsea used in such a manner.
For most of her life, Jada had walked the path her parents had shown her and had kept herself modest in manner and dress. But all that didn’t matter. At least not in this moment.
Walking toward the intercom, Jada tried her best to tap into her inner seductress. Flashing a little skin and letting down her hair was the easy part. To get Gus to respond and open his gate, she had to convince him with more.
Her heart beat an intricate rhythm against her ribcage as if someone had given it tap shoes and it was trying them out for the first time. The dew fell heavy and landed on her arms and chest, causing her to shiver.
She tried not to think about what she was doing, about Gus getting any kind of pleasure from this little peep show. Instead, she focused on perfecting her walk and rearranging her face into a sultry pout as she pressed the buzzer.
“Adam, what the hell do you want? I told you…” Gus’s voice trailed and Jada figured he had noticed her and her clothes—or lack thereof—by now.
“Hello, there,” she cooed.
“H-hi.”
She bent over so that he had an unobstructed view of her chest. Bile rose in her throat, but she immersed herself in her role and pushed it back. “Are you busy, Gus?”
“What? B-busy? No!”
“That’s so good!” she squealed and lowered her voice. “Because Adam is so boring. I need a real man to show me a good time. You and Chelsea haven’t started yet, have you?”
“No… we were just about, but… no.”
“Good,” she rubbed the skin of her neck and twirled her hair. “I would love to come in and play.” The gate swung open immediately and Jada blew a kiss toward the camera, making sure to keep her gaze suggestive. “See you in a few.”
Turning, she pranced until she was out of the camera’s shot. As soon as she was free, Jada sputtered and grabbed her dress from Adam’s hands.
“That despicable, disgusting, dirty…” the insults faded on her tongue when she realized that Adam hadn’t moved since she’d taken her dress. His head was tipped upward; his eyes were closed; and he mumbled something that sounded like the fifteen times tables.
She quickly buttoned herself up, aware that she’d taken a huge risk undressing in front of him. If he was untrustworthy, he could have easily overpowered her out here in the darkness and she would have been unable to defend herself.
Grateful that her gamble had paid off, but puzzled as to his behavior, she touched his shoulder. He kept his eyes closed, but asked. “Are you dressed?”
Jada looked down, noting her now-covered body. “Yes.”
“Good.”
Without looking at her, he climbed into the car and slammed the door shut. She walked slowly to the other side and hopped in. Whatever the reason for Adam’s mood swing, now was not the time to investigate it. Her first priority was reaching Chelsea and getting her out. She’d address everything else later.
***
Adam was angry, so angry, he could barely look at the attractive woman next to him. The fact that he was still affected by Jada’s lovely body upset him. The fact that he had just met her and was so aware of her affected him.
He had been around beautiful women before. Petra, his father’s most recent girlfriend, was a leggy blonde two years his junior. She’d been bursting with sex appeal, which accounted for why his father had lavished her with gifts and then moved on when he grew bored.
When she realized she would get nowhere with the father, Petra set her sights on the son. The way she’d thrown herself at him left little to the imagination and she’d done so with years of experience.
Still, neither Petra—nor any woman before her, had rattled him as much as Jada had in the few hours that he’d known her and especially when she had taken off that dress.
Adam prided himself on being a man of principles. His mother had taught him to respect women and his disgust at his father’s conduct toward the fairer sex hammered in the point. He usually had a better grip than this.
“Alright, here’s the plan,” Jada said, leaning forward. Completely unaware of his thoughts, she stared at him with trusting eyes. Adam tightened his hold on the staring wheel as the scent of her hair wafted over him.
“Plan?”
“You distract Gus while I convince Chelsea to leave with me. When we’ve successfully snuck out, I’m going to bark three times.”
Her words broke the haze and he stared at her. “Excuse me?”
“Like so.” Jada burst into a pitiful example of a dog bark. She looked adorable and he couldn’t help the smile that bloomed.
“That doesn’t sound right.”
“I can do bird calls too,” she informed him in all seriousness.
“It’s okay. Just text me when you’re safely in the car.”
She scrunched her nose thoughtfully. “I guess that could work.”
They exchanged numbers and Jada climbed out of the car. Immediately, he saw the shift in her demeanor. She was like a warrior storming into the enemy camp. He would hate to be Gus Grant right about now.
The door was open and he went in first, motioning for Jada to stay right behind. She obeyed the instruction for all of ten seconds before her slippers nipped at his heels and she hastened her steps to walk beside him.
“Gus!” Jada called. “Where are you?”
“Up here!”
They followed the sound of his voice and headed upstairs. Noticing a light on in the farthest bedroom, Adam once again put Jada behind him and eased the door fully open.
In the dim light, he saw his father’s colleague naked on the bed. Red satin sheets curved around his hairy waist and covered one leg while leaving the other limbs exposed. Adam’s first instinct was to cover Jada’s eyes, but when he turned Jada was no longer by his side.
“Chelsea!” he heard her voice and saw the beautiful woman loping toward the bed. Chelsea had been lying completely flat beneath the sheets and so Adam had missed her during his initial scan of the room.
“What’s going on here?” Gus demanded, sitting up when he noticed that Jada wasn’t paying him any mind. The sheet covering his waist dropped further and he nearly gagged. “Adam, you’re here to play too?”
Adam’s lips curled up but before he could lay into the man, Jada leaped onto the bed and grabbed Gustin by his hair.
“What did you do to her?” Jada screamed. “Why is my cousin unconscious?”
Gustin made little choking noises and his arm flailed as he tried to push Jada off, but the woman was trembling with anger and her grip would not lax. Sensing that things were spiraling out of control, Adam ran to Gus’s side and pried Jada’s fingers.
“Come on,” he said. “Focus on your cousin and let’s get out of here.”
“What do you think you’re doing?” Gus thundered, rubbing his head. “I paid for her time. She’s mine for the night!”
Adam ignored him and scooped the unconscious woman up. Her long hair splayed against the white terry robe and the scent of alcohol was overwhelming. He prayed Gus hadn’t drugged Chelsea or the man would be looking at some serious jail time. He’d see to it. This was one business alliance he wouldn’t lose sleep destroying.
“See here?” Jada picked something off the floor and Adam recognized it as Chelsea’s purse. She rummaged in the contents before producing a slip of paper and tearing it in half. “You can stuff it. Don’t ever contact my cousin again, you scum!”
“Lockwood!” Gus roared.
“You heard the lady,” Adam said. Tucking Chelsea more securely in his arms, he followed Jada down the stairs and out to the car. Together, they settled Chelsea into the backseat and boarded.
He glanced over at Jada as he moved off. Her fingers were still trembling and he felt the waves of anger emanating from her body like a microwave set to explode. Hesitantly, he offered comfort.
“It’s okay. We got her out.”
“If he put one finger where it didn’t belong I’m going ba
ck there to chop it off.”
Adam winced at the visual. A groan sounded from the backseat and they both turned their attention to their newest passenger.
“Chels, are you okay?” Jada asked.
“Jada?” she slurred. “What are you doing with me… here… with me?”
“Chelsea, do you remember what happened? Did the drinks Gus gave you taste funny? Did he force himself on you?”
“No, no, no,” Chelsea said and each word was punctuated by her wiggling finger. She tapped her chest. “I drank a lot… so I could do it for him.”
“Chels…” Jada groaned.
The girl in the backseat giggled. “I would never do it sober. Never ever.”
Jada covered her eyes. “Alright, Chels. Just go to sleep. We’ll be home soon.”
Instead of heeding her cousin’s words, Chelsea slapped Jada on the shoulder and inched up between the consoles so she could stick her head between them.
“Jada!” Chelsea squealed. “You can sleep with this guy too. You! How much will you pay?”
“Chelsea, shut up,” Jada snapped.
“Don’t you think Jada’s attractive?” Chelsea inquired, her face nearly pressed into Adam’s neck. “You look like someone who’d like her.”
“I’m so sorry,” Jada said. Climbing to her knees, she physically tossed her cousin back so that the slim woman fell against the leather seats.
“You’re no fun, J!” Chelsea cried. “Such a prude!”
“Just keep quiet before I slap some sense into you!” Jada yelled.
Silence fell in the cab and Adam blew out a breath. He rarely drank and, for this very reason, didn’t enjoy hanging around people who did. Yet instead of his usual feelings of annoyance, he felt a twinge of sympathy for Chelsea.
Clearly, the girl had a skewed sense of her self-worth, and Jada was trying desperately to protect something that Chelsea seemed intent on giving up.
He briefly wondered if anyone in his life would go to such extreme lengths to keep him from making a bad decision. The only person that popped into mind was Brenda. Strangely, the thought failed to satisfy him.
The silence was disrupted by a distinct snoring. Jada laughed and tipped her head back. He chanced a look over at her and smiled at the relief on her face.
