"Hmm ... Jordie you're so special to me. Promise you won't leave me. I wanna be your girl always ..."
His heart stirred when he heard her words. "I won't leave you sweet baby," he whispered.
Tuesday morning
"Hmm ... sweet baby," Jordan sighed. Lissa snuggled closer and basked in his arms around her. At first, she thought it would be impossible for them to be so close, and not have sex. But, as the days passed, she felt more comfortable in his arms. Just being held was gratifying. He didn't cross the line not one time, and out of respect for him, she tried her best to control herself.
Now, as they lay in bed, she felt his hand gently rubbing on her belly. "I know you may be unsure about this, but I want to have a baby with you. I want you to have my seed." He bent forward and kissed her shoulder. He gently bit into her skin.
Lissa shivered. "Hmm ..." she groaned. She took a breath. "You know what happened. I don't--"
"Yes, I do," Jordan said, his deep voice soft and coaxing. "I also know that I love you and I want a little girl that looks just like you, running around our feet." He squeezed her belly. "I wanna try. If it doesn't happen, it won't change how I feel about you, but I want to give you a part of me to remember me by."
Lissa shifted away from him then turned to face him. "Remember you? Where are you planning on going?" she asked, surprised.
"No where," Jordan said cupping her face. "I just meant I want to be a part of you in a permanent way. I want to create someone beautiful with you."
He placed his hand on her tummy. "I love you. I have no intention of going anywhere, but my body will wear out and pass away one day. Yours too. But, we can live on through our kids and their offspring."
"Suppose we try and nothing happens? No babies?" Lissa asked. For the first time in her life, while staring at this man, she desired having a baby.
He came closer and kissed her lips. He sensed her unease. "I will love you. I won't leave you," he vowed.
Closing her eyes, she took a ragged breath then exhaled slowly. She opened her eyes and smiled at him. Lissa touched his face. "I would be honored to try with you," she said softly.
Jordan placed endearing, little kisses on her lips, pulling and nibbling in a gentle way. Lissa felt her heart leap with excitement. As he moved away from her, he stared intensely into her eyes. "I love you, Lis," he said.
Lissa felt teary eyed, but managed not to shed any. "I love you too," she replied. Oh God thank you. Show me what to do now.
He pulled her to him and helped her turn her body around so her back rested on his chest. He held her possessively to him and made a deep guttural sound that caused Lissa's senses to tingle. It felt good to be wanted like this. She pushed her butt back--wiggling it playfully on him, and he chuckled.
"Behave, sexy lady," he said. "I'll soon give you what you're looking for." He kissed her hair.
Lissa laughed softly. "Looking forward to it," she teased, bumping her butt on him. Jordan laughed, wrapped his arm tightly around her and squeezed.
His voice sounded melodic to her ears. Lissa groaned upon feeling his strength. She lay still, her breath caught in her throat. Being wrapped up in his arms was a healing experience for her. She was grateful. God I need him, she mused.
Jordan kissed her neck, hair and right shoulder. "Me too," he said. "Me too."
***
The quiet, measured steps from long slender legs; graceful limbs and a drop dead gorgeous smile made the male Customs Agent swallow hard and blink. The young woman standing before him exuded a quiet confidence and charming smile that was very distracting.
"Contents of bags, ma'am?" he asked.
The young woman's smile deepened and it felt like his chest was tightening. "Just the regular: my clothes, some soaps and lotions, perfume oils ... oh and a perfume bottle," she replied casually.
He lifted the bags onto the conveyor belt to pass through the airport's bag scanner. She watched as her bags went through the small X-ray system to the other side then moved further down the line.
"Just a few more questions and you can go to retrieve your bag."
She turned to him. "Okay sure," she said sweetly.
The young Customs Agent cleared his throat. "Anything to declare, Miss ...?"
The young woman stared at the floor then lifted her head giving him a demure look. His heart rate spiked. He suddenly felt hot. Beads of sweat sprouted on his forehead. "Oh ...uh uhm ..." she stuttered. "I-I brought back US $10,000. Is that a problem?" She smiled at him. Her large eyes looked innocently at him. He smiled at her.
"No, you're good," he said. "That amount or less doesn't require a declaration but nothing's wrong that you told me."
She smiled at him and nodded.
"Anything else?" he asked.
She clicked her tongue on the door of her mouth. "Just some men's underwear for someone special," she said airily.
He nodded. He wished he was the 'someone special'. "Not a problem," he replied. "And I see you filled out the online forms," he said looking down at his tablet. "Alright Miss Marx you may proceed to the next exit another agent will be there to give you your bags."
She smiled politely at him. As she was about to walk away he called to her. "Um .. Miss Marx." She turned to look at him. Her neatly trimmed eyebrows merging together in a frown.
"I, uh ... I couldn't help but notice the perfume you're wearing. It smells very good. I have a sister. I think she may like it. Could you tell me the name?"
She took a few steps closer to him, her lips curved up slightly in a smile. "It's called Aurora. It's my own personal brand name: Aurora Essentials. I make soaps and body oils. I'm just experimenting with perfumes now."
The young man smiled at her. "My name is Marlon Greaves. If I could get a business card I could purchase a few things for her birthday coming up.
Sophia Aurora Marx's eyes lit up. Marlon was bowled over. His hands trembled as he reached out to take the business card from her. "My brother's birthday is also coming up a few days from now. I actually flew home to surprise him," she said, beaming with excitement. "I even made a signature scent just for him."
Marlon nodded. He tapped the card on his fingers. "That sounds great. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you." He cleared his throat. "Thank you. I will give you a call," he said.
She smiled shyly at him. "Sure, please do."
"Okay," he said smiling, "proceed to the next exit." She nodded and walked away. Marlon took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. He pressed the button to indicate that the next person could proceed to his station.
***
"Stop! Ha hah ha haa hah! Stop!" Lissa giggled and jumped on the couch.
She tried to evade Jordan's hands as they sought to tickle her. She jumped off the couch and ran to the kitchen. She put herself behind the kitchen island. Jordan watched her, mischievously plotting how to get to her.
She was successful so far in dodging him, but then he changed directions and came around to grab at her blouse. She shrieked and backed away as he stretched his wriggling fingers towards her. She let out a rousing laugh and ran towards the bedroom.
Jordan chased and grabbed her. Launching himself and her on the bed, he circled his arms around her protectively. They bounced twice and he gripped the side of the bed to prevent them from landing on the floor.
She laughed heartily. Her eyes were closed, and her body shaking with laughter. Jordan too was in the throes of a good bout of laughter, when he heard his phone ringing in the living room. He got up to answer, then after a minute, came back with his eyes lit up. His countenance glowed with excitement.
Lissa sat up and looked at him. "What's up?" she asked
"My little sis is in town for my birthday!" he said grinning from ear to ear.
Lissa was surprised. "When is your birthday?" she asked.
'It's actually this Saturday, the 21st," he answered. He looked like a kid that was getting a toy race car for his birthday. She rose to her feet and went to him. She touched his face with her right hand, while her left rested on his chest. "You're an August baby, right?" she asked smiling. He nodded, smiling. She slapped his chest. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, a little annoyed with him.
He chuckled softly and kissed her brow. "I was going to actually. As it came closer I was going to mention it. I was planning on us going out to dinner that day," he told her.
"Suppose I wanted to do something different?" she asked.
His left eyebrow rose above the other in curiosity. "Something different like?" he asked, feeling amused. She was showing him her pouty face. Gosh, she's so adorable! he thought.
She placed her head on his chest, listening for his heart beat. He rubbed her back. "I was thinking of cooking for you," she said quietly. He squeezed and rubbed her back. "You want to?" he asked. He was happy. He wasn't expecting her to want to cook for him, but he would love it. She was a great cook.
"Mhm," she said in a pouty, baby voice. He laughed softly. "Okay, baby, my sweet baby, sure you can cook me something," he said. She perked up, lifted herself on tiptoe to kiss his lips. He bent his head and kissed her passionately.
When he released her, he was hard for her. Lissa noticed and bit her bottom lip. She reached down and touched him. He closed his eyes as a soft breath escaped his lips. "I love you," she said. "Can hardly wait to feel this inside me."
He opened his eyes and her breath caught. The heat burning from his eyes would have engulfed her if the shrill sound of his phone's ringtone hadn't cut the mood. He answered. Lissa released her hold on him.
"Yeah, on my way. Yeah, see you soon." He hung up.
"Your sister?" Lissa asked.
"Yeah, she's waiting on me," he replied. He rubbed his hands on her arms.
She wanted to know his family. If this was an opportunity she would welcome it. "Okay, sounds good. When are we going to pick her up?" she asked.
"You wanna tag along?" he asked, smiling at her. She nodded, smiling up at him. She loved the way his eyes squinted with excitement. She hoped his sister would like her. "Yes, I want to be there beside you to welcome her home," she said, reaching out to him.
He took her hand and kissed the palm. "Okay, freshen up quickly. I'm giving you five minutes to shower and get dressed," he said.
"Aye aye sir!" she said cheerily. She got up from the bed, pulled off her blouse and shorts, and headed to the shower with only a bra and panties on. Jordan watched her. He shook his head smiling. "God, she's beautiful," he whispered. "Thank you Jesus."
By 11 o'clock, they had picked up Sophia Aurora from the airport and were driving to a fast food restaurant to buy her two beef patties. To Lissa, she seemed quiet at first. Maybe she was surprised to see Lissa in the car with her brother. She was polite to her however, and Lissa tried to be amiable towards her. It was only after Jordan went to buy patties for all three of them that Aurora turned to her and smiled.
"Jordan never mentioned he had a girlfriend," she said, eyeing Lissa sideways. Lissa cleared her throat. "Yeah, that just happened recently, just a couple days ago. He ... uh, he's actually my bodyguard, but I fell hard for him and he says he loves me too."
Lissa watched as Sophia Aurora's eyebrows lifted slightly while she looked at her. She was sizing her up very carefully. At the end of staring at Lissa intently, Aurora produced a faint smile. Her eyes drifted down to the gold ring on Lissa's ring finger.
"And that ring is from ...?"
"From Jordan," Lissa said, feeling awkward. She noticed the squaring of Aurora's shoulders. "Sophia, I ..." she started.
"Sophia Aurora or just Aurora," Jordan's sister corrected.
Lissa cleared her throat and swallowed. "Aurora, I'm in love with your brother. I love him. I want to know more about him through you and his other family members, and I want to get to know all of you personally."
There was a deafening pause as Aurora assessed her. "You care for him?" she asked, squinting her eyes.
Lissa nodded. "Deeply, there's no one else for me," she answered.
Aurora nodded slowly. "Okay, once my big brother is happy, I don't have a problem. I do hope to get to know more about you," she said softly. Lissa nodded. She never thought a twenty-something year old could make her nervous until now.
They ate the patties when they got home, washing them down with a gallon bottle of soda. Aurora chose to sit beside Lissa, and offered her a bottle of perfumed oil she brought for her own use. Lissa was about to refuse, saying she couldn't possibly impose, but Aurora insisted saying, "No, it's fine. I have another one, plus a bottle of perfume I haven't used yet."
Aurora watched her carefully. Lissa wondered if this was some type of test. "Go ahead," Aurora said smiling, "I insist, you're going to be family I don't mind sharing."
Jordan came to sit on the other side of Lissa and rubbed her back. She took the small slender bottle of perfume oil from her and opened the lid.
"It's actually pine oil and rose extract," Aurora said, smiling broadly. "Great scent! It's very refreshing while not overpowering." She took the bottle from Lissa's nervous fingers and held on to her hand. Aurora rubbed a little on her wrist and let her go. "Go ahead, smell," she said.
Lissa bent her head and lifted her wrist to her nose. The fragrance's pungent, woodsy undertones jolted her senses. She raised her head quickly. "Wow! This wakes you up, doesn't it!" she exclaimed.
Aurora chuckled. "Yeah, you only need to use a little. I would also advise washing it off at night and not applying anymore until the next morning." Lissa took another whiff. Now, she could detect the delicate subtlety of the rose extract. They were contrasting scents, but somehow they complemented each other. She was impressed.
"It does smell interesting, but in a good way," she said, inhaling more of the fragrance.
Jordan rubbed her back. Lissa smiled at him, then looked at his sister. "Thank you," she said. Already, she noted a change in her mood. She was feeling more alert but calm. "Does it affect your mood?" she asked
Aurora nodded. "Yup, I believe it does. Based on what my clients tell me. I hope that's okay?"
Lissa nodded. "Yes, I'm good with that. Once it helps keep me focused throughout the day, I'm okay with that."
Aurora smiled. She looked at her brother as if to say: 'Where did you get this one from?' Jordan picked up on her cue and grinned at her. "I like her," she said, staring at Jordan. She cocked her head slightly to the right. Lissa sighed with relief. Thank God! she thought. Jordan hugged her and she was even more happy.
***
Tuesday Night
They decided that Jordan would sleep on the couch while Lissa and Aurora would sleep in his bed. At first, Lissa protested saying she was perfectly okay with sleeping on the large, comfy couch, but he just smiled and said, "I can't have any of my beautiful ladies uncomfortable while here with me."
Lissa caved and agreed.
Aurora said she had a thing for sleeping on the right side of the bed so Lissa told her she would take the left side. She got dressed in a white t-shirt and pink cotton shorts, while Aurora wore a cute pink and white onesie with a popular cartoon character on the front.
Lissa tried not to laugh, but then she remembered another individual she knew who proudly wore cartoon character themed clothing. She sighed. She hoped Ryan was okay. She was sorry about everything, but there was no turning back now and Jordan was stealing her heart little by little.
Glimpsing her half smirk, Aurora chuckled. "Look, my dad bought it for me a year ago, okay. It's his way of reminding me that I am still his little girl, and to be honest I don't mind," she said.
Lissa smiled at her, then asked, "Do we ever grow up as far as our parents are concerned?"
Aurora shook her head, smiling. "I don't think so," she replied.
Later in the night, Aurora woke up to hear muffled sounds. Her face was turned to the bedroom door. She opened her eyes and listened.
"Hmm ... Jordie, please, I promise I'll be good. Hmm ... let me touch it, please. Hmm ... mhm. You're so good baby. I love you."
Aurora chuckled quietly. So her brother had put some 'loving' on his new girlfriend. She heard soft groans and Lissa turning on the bed. Aurora turned around to stare at her. Lissa had a smile on her face. Aurora smiled. No one had ever made her feel like that. She wondered what it would be like being with a man. She acted tough, but she was still inexperienced.
She looked at Lissa's hands they were in tight fists. Something interesting caught her eye sight. She leaned forward to take a better look at it. There was something on the bed sheet. She reached her hands out and smoothed out the area on the bed. She frowned. The area was dark in color and damp. She looked up at Lissa's face.
"Oh no," Aurora said quietly. She got up from the bed, went to the bathroom and washed her hands. It seemed Lissa was having her period.
She tiptoed out to the living room to wake Jordan. She knelt on the floor and touched his arm gently. Immediately his eyes flew open. He settled his eyes on her and within a minute he was fully alert.
He touched her arm. "Everything okay?" he asked.
Aurora shook her head. "Firstly, what in the world are you doing to that girl?" she asked amused.
Jordan sat up quickly. Sophia Aurora eased back. She rose up then sat beside him. Jordan looked at her, his mind fully lucid. "What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice husky.
"She's in there moaning your name," Aurora said chuckling softly. "Talking about: I'll be good, please let me touch it, and so on and so forth."
Jordan lowered his gaze. He was a little embarrassed for Lissa, but only because he wanted to protect her integrity. He lifted his eyes and acted nonchalantly.
"So? What's wrong with a woman wanting her man?" he asked.
Aurora looked at him, both eyebrows raised. "Not a thing wrong bro, just letting you know, she's got it bad for you."
Jordan leaned back on the couch. "So that's why you woke me up? She's disturbing you?" he asked.
"Have you guys, you know, done it?" his sister asked, a cheeky smile on her lips. Jordan looked at her for a minute assessing if he should answer truthfully. What else would he say anyway? He wasn't supposed to lie. He shook his head. "No, not really," he answered.
"No, not really?" she asked, perplexed.
He sighed. "We haven't gone all the way," he replied.
A mischievous smile formed on Aurora's face. "No wonder she's making all those sounds. When are you going to put her out of her misery?" she asked.
He was curious. "What was she saying?" he asked.
"Something about wanting to touch it and being good," she said her lips forming a cheeky smile. "She says you're good and she loves you."
An emotion flickered across his face, but then it was gone too quickly for Aurora to tell what it was. He looked before him. It seemed to his sister that he was staring into space, but in fact, he was staring at the wooden cross on the wall, reminding himself of why he couldn't make love to her just yet, though he knew they both were craving it.
"She's really into you bro, don't mess this one up." she said, playfully punching his arm. He smiled absentmindedly. Then her expression became grave. "But there's also a problem," she told him. He looked at her. "What?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
"She's having her period and it leaked onto the bedsheet." Aurora made a face, and Jordan stood to go to his bedroom. "You're going to help her?" she asked.
"You can stay out here and get some sleep. I'll stay with her, okay?" Jordan said as he stopped in his tracks to answer her.
She nodded. "Okay, thank you," she replied. Jordan walked towards his bedroom. Aurora lay back on her brother's pillow and closed her eyes.
Jordan entered the semi-dark, cool room, and watched Lissa for a little while before moving towards her. He took off his shirt and laid it neatly on the night table, just in case she was bleeding heavily. He climbed on the bed still wearing his pajama pants, and touched her arm.
She groaned softly then he heard her speak: "Hmm ... Jordie you're so special to me. Promise you won't leave me. I wanna be your girl always ..."
His heart stirred when he heard her words. "I won't leave you sweet baby," he whispered. He looked down at her thighs and saw that she was indeed bleeding.
He rolled her gently away from the puddle of blood on the bed onto her back and lifted her in his arms. He brought her to the bathroom and placed her in his tub. He kissed her lips. She groaned. He intensified the kiss and she opened her eyes. She reached up and touched his face. "Baby, what's wrong?" she asked, her tongue feeling sluggish. Her eyes were heavy with sleep, but she could see that he had a worried look on his face.
"Lis, your period came," he said gently. She looked down at herself. She was in a tub but it wasn't filled with water. She blinked and looked up at him. "Did something happen?"
"Aurora woke me up to let me know that your period came," he responded. He wouldn't tell her that his sister heard her calling his name. He didn't want to embarrass her. From now on he would make sure he was the one sleeping beside her.
Lissa sighed. "I messed up your bed?" she asked, her senses sharpening.
Jordan nodded, his expression tender. Lissa lowered her head, feeling ashamed. She cleared her throat. "I-I'm sorry. I should have seen it already, but I guess because of everything that's happened it delayed. I was feeling fine. I didn't think it would come this month again."
"How long has it been?" he asked. He gently stroked her face. "About two weeks delay," she answered. He nodded, showing his concern.
"Oh babe, you have to soak it in water quickly, if the air catches it and it starts to dry it may be difficult to get out the stain," she said her eyes wide. He nodded. He left her and went into the bedroom. He pulled off the cover sheet, the flat sheet and the fitted, and brought them to the bathroom. She stood up in the tub. "I'll wash them for you in the tub, okay?" she said. "Drop them on the floor."
"You sure?" he asked, his eyes observing the ticking nerve at her temple. "Are you having a headache?" he asked.
She nodded. "But that's okay." She stepped out of the tub and went towards the bedroom. He dropped the sheets on the bathroom floor and followed her. She opened her duffle bag. Jordan had carried her bag into his bedroom the first night of her stay-over. She opened a smaller ziplock bag and took out a pad.
"I figure it wouldn't hurt to be prepared," she said, smiling ruefully at him. She also took out black cotton panties. He leaned on the door jam and crossed his arms over his chest. Her gaze flitted across his chiseled physique and she sighed. She saw his eyes and lowered her head. "I'm sorry about the bed," she said.
"I'm sorry we're not married," he said as he walked towards her. He stood before her and lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes. "If we were already married, I would strip you naked and take you into the shower, take my clothes off and bathe you." He bent his head to her eye level. "Listen to me carefully," he said, "there's nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing. I have a little sister, and a mom and aunties. Okay?"
She looked up at him nodding. Then she shook her head and sighed. "But I didn't want to mess up your bed," she said averting her eyes. She was trying to squeeze back unexpected tears.
"Baby," he said tenderly, "I would rather your blood on my sheets, or if you cum--your sexual juices on my bed than any other woman's. Now go shower, okay?" He kissed her forehead and she blushed. He smiled when he noticed her cheeks looking slightly flushed.
"Are you wearing a bra and panties underneath?" he asked.
She shook her head, then said, "Just panties," she replied. He stared at her breasts, but her nipples were soft. He resisted the urge to touch her.
"Go bathe," he said, his eyes captivated by the curves of her twin peaks. Lissa noticed where his gaze was focused and chuckled softly. She turned to leave, but he reached for her and pulled her into his embrace. He kissed her passionately, then abruptly let her go. Lissa, feeling dazed, tried to catch her bearing and grabbed onto his arms.
"Hmm ... strong," she said softly. She squeezed a bicep, and stared into his eyes.
Jordan lifted her in his arms and placed her feet in the bathroom's tub. "Bathe," he told her sternly, but a smile edged up the corner of his lips.
Lissa smiled at him. She placed the pad and panties on the top of the laundry basket. She began stripping before him. She took off the shorts and threw them to the floor, then she removed her blouse slowly. Her full breasts bounced out and perked up proudly before him.
She threw the blouse at him laughing. He caught it as his eyes explored her. She was beautiful. She was insecure about her tummy, but it was shrinking back to its normal size. She was gorgeous to him. His Adam's apple dipped and rose as he swallowed.
He looked at her curvy hips. He admired her thick, brown thighs. To have them wrapped around my neck just once ... hmm, he mused. He stared at the thin triangular fabric between her thighs that covered the soft, delicate secret place he was dying to experience. He swallowed, trying to keep himself in the same position and not move towards her.
Licking her lips, she stared at his crotch. So thick! I wish I could have it right now, she thought. Her eyes lifted to his heated gaze on her face. Jordan's eyes lowered and lingered at her chest. He was tempted to touch her. Her breasts were taut as her nipples hardened and became more prominent.
Lissa blushed and lowered her eyes. "You make me weak," she mumbled softly. She wrapped her arms across her chest to cover her breasts. He took a step towards her, but she pulled the shower curtain, hiding her body from his view.
"Naughty girl," he growled softly. Lissa giggled. He heard the shower running.
"I'll wash the sheets when I'm done bathing, okay?" she said, her voice husky. "Don't put them in your washing machine. I'll hand wash them."
"Okay," he replied. He was still tempted to get into the shower with her. He'd never done it on a woman's period, but he wanted to right then. If it wouldn't hurt for her, he was willing to give in and give her what she wanted, what they both needed. No, not yet! God help me. No! He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He went into the bedroom to spread fresh sheets on the mattress.
***
Wednesday Morning
Lissa lay in bed while Jordan and Sophia Aurora went to buy a few things. He looked at the brand of pad she was using and promised that he would pick up a pack for her. Aurora, feeling guilty about telling Jordan about Lissa's behaviour, made her some chicken broth.
While Lissa drank the broth, she nibbled on a slice of whole wheat bread. The pain wasn't very bad but it was more than usual. Jordan helped her into the shower and sat on the toilet seat lid until she was finished. Then, after she dried herself, he gave her his bathrobe and carried her to the bedroom. While she ate, he made sure she took a dose of pain killers. She had to admit that she was feeling a little better.
He always dried the bathroom floor after she showered and made sure everything was okay. Now that they were gone, she lay in bed thinking about him. She wished she was already his. She wanted him to touch her all over. He had tenderly rubbed her tummy to soothe the pain, but her breasts ached too. She wished he would massage them for her. She sighed and took up her phone. She may as well find something interesting to watch while she was going through this time.
She surfed through a few videos and found a man talking about Godly courtship and marriage. She listened to him and had a better idea of why Jordan, matter-of-fact all three of them: Jordan, Shane and Ryan had insisted on waiting. She smiled ruefully as she thought about the fact that both Shane and Ryan hadn't been able to abstain when with her. Even Jordan had given in somewhat. She was also painfully aware of the fact that her relationships with Ryan and Shane had ended in disaster.
She really liked Jordan. He made her feel special, they all did, but there was something different about the way Jordan made her feel. She didn't know how to describe it. She didn't want this relationship to fail. She bowed her head and prayed:
Lord God, thank you for Jordan;
Thank you for the love he's shown me;
I love him too, but I want to love him more;
Please teach me how to love him;
Show me how to be a good girlfriend to him
I would like to be his wife;
I regret all the past relationships and how things turned out;
I pray for Shane and Dana that all will go well with them;
He says he wants to marry her;
I hope everything goes well for them;
As for Ryan, I care for Ryan very much;
He's a good man;
Please Lord help him not to hate me,
Or be bitter because of what happened between us;
Please help him to find a good woman who will love him,
And treat him good.
Help me to be good to Jordan too,
I pray in your name.
Amen and thank you.
Oh ... and Lord wherever Derrick is keep please him safe,
And help him to settle down and,
Find a good wife,
Help him to really love the next woman he's with.
Amen.
She closed her eyes and placed her phone beside her. She took a deep breath and sighed. She hoped God would hear her.
***
She wasn't aware of when she fell asleep but her senses were alerted to voices coming from the front of the apartment, the front door closing and laughter. She opened her eyes and listened. There were two male voices and one female voice.
The deeper register among the males was definitely Jordan's, and the feminine voice had to be Sophia Aurora. But who was the third voice? She lifted her head to listen. She heard the laughter again and her eyes lit up. She sat up and listened again. Could it be? She got up from the bed and opened the bedroom door.
"Yeah, I'm glad you called. I didn't know she was in town," the voice said.
"My pleasure," she heard Jordan answer.
Aurora said, "She'll be surprised to see you."
"Yeah ..."
What? Could it be?
She heard the chuckle as Aurora said something else, and her heart leaped with joy. She swung the door open and ran to the living room to see her brother standing there. He saw her coming and grinned broadly at her. She rushed to him and jumped on him.
Brandon managed to catch her and squeezed his arms around his waist. Lissa wrapped her legs around him. Jordan wondered if with his slim frame he could hold up his sister, but he was impressed to see that Brandon held her firmly and hadn't let her go, nor stumbled one bit with her.
Lissa started to cry. Brandon adjusted her in his arms, brought her to the couch and put her down. He sat beside her and rubbed her back while she laid her head on his neck. Jordan looked at Aurora who was smiling. She took up the grocery bags and went to the kitchen. He decided to help her prepare something for all of them to eat.
"How come you're here?" Lissa asked between emotional hiccups. Brandon smiled tenderly at her. "Your boyfriend called and asked if I wanted to see you. Of course I told him yes," Brandon said. "Apparently he rented a car." He used his thumb and dried her tears. He leaned his head on her hair, as he stroked her face.
"He rented a car?" Lissa asked. She didn't know this.
"Mhm," Brandon said as he looked at his surroundings. There was a place on the wall that a plaque or a photo had been. He noticed that the colour of the paint was much lighter with a square shape. Something was not in its place.
"What was there?" he asked
Lissa sat up. "What?"
"Right there?" He pointed.
"Oh." Her brow furrowed. "I'm not sure," she answered.
"Maybe you should ask him," Brandon said still looking at that spot on the wall.
She lay her head on his shoulder and stared at the ceiling. She would ask Jordan later. "So he told you we're ... he and I are a couple?" she asked.
"Mhm ... I have no problem with that. He didn't have to tell me you were here. You didn't tell me," Brandon said.
"I'm sorry. I was going to call you. It was supposed to be a few days, but I like being here with him. Then my period came and I didn't want to be a burden to you. I didn't want to be a burden to him. Branno, I messed up his bed sheets." She closed her eyes. Brandon rubbed the thumb of his left hand on her cheek.
"What did he say about that?" he asked.
Lissa chuckled. "He told me he preferred it be me than another woman," she replied.
Brandon smiled. "So you got your answer. Don't overthink it. He seems to really like you. His sister's cool too. Cute."
Lissa slapped his arm
"Ow! What did I say?!"
"You're dating Zuzu," she said sternly.
"I am well aware, sis. I am just an observer of beauty and I observed that she's cute. Don't worry, Zuzu is my priority."
Lissa grunted her agreement. "I hope so," she said.
Brandon chuckled. "Definitely."
After dinner they sat down and watched a movie. Lissa sat in between Brandon and Jordan while Aurora sat at the end beside Brandon, and scrolled through her social media feed, taking a look at the movie sporadically.
By the time Brandon was ready to leave Lissa was sleepy. He hugged her and Jordan brought him back to the Wellingtons' home. As he stepped out of the car, he smiled at Jordan. "Thanks for picking me up. I appreciate it." He paused. "Take good care of her." He smiled at him.
Jordan nodded. "I will." He smiled at him and honked his horn. He drove off and Brandon entered the house he now called home.
When Jordan got back, Lissa was already in bed, curled up like a ball. He touched her back and she turned to look at him. Her face was wet. He was surprised.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked softly. He put away the car keys and took off his shirt leaving only his marina and pants on. He left his shoes by the front door. Aurora was already asleep. "What's wrong?" he asked again.
"Thank you for what you did today?" she said her voice thick and slurred.
"Hey, you okay?"
"I took the meds," she said sleepily.
"The antidepressants?"
"Mhm ..."
He kissed her forehead. "So why are you crying baby?"
"Cause you're good to me and I don't deserve you," she whispered airily.
"Give me a minute," he said softly, brushing the tears away from her cheeks.
He took a quick shower and got dressed in the bathroom. He came out wearing a grey t-shirt and a pair of grey shorts that covered his knees. He climbed on the bed and gathered her in his arms.
"Come here baby," he said. He kissed her forehead and held her close. "Sweet baby, talk to me. Say anything."
"Today Branno noticed a space on the wall that seemed to be missing a photo or a plaque, or something. That area has a rectangle shape on the wall."
Jordan chuckled. "When I paint I usually paint around it." He took a deep breath then exhaled slowly. "What was there was a picture of me and Ryan on our graduation day from high school."
Lissa closed her eyes as a feeling of calm swept over her. She was sleepy and a bit groggy. "Oh, why did you take it down?"
He kissed her brow and cheeks. "I didn't want you to feel bad or anything like that if you saw it. I want you to be comfortable here," he told her.
"I am comfortable here," she mumbled. Her eyelids were getting heavy. "I wiss things wu-were differ-en-th," she slurred. "Ith okayy, you can puht ith back if you want to. Don't have a problem."
"You sure, baby?" he asked.
"Iths fine," she whispered faintly.
"Sure?"
"Mhm ... shur. Puht it back ..." Her voice trailed off.
"Okay Lis, I will." He was feeling better. It was like he betrayed his friend when he took the picture down, but he wanted her to be happy with him. He kissed her brow.
"Okay baby," he said. "Anything else you wanna talk about?"
Silence.
"Lis?"
No sound.
He looked down and was amused to see that she was sleeping. He placed a light peck on her lips and positioned himself to hold her next to his chest while they slept. He closed his eyes and smiled.
***
Thursday Morning - Seychelles Time - 10 a.m.
Z watched her. She was not aware that he was in the closet observing her every move. They were supposed to be on vacation, but she kept on inquiring about how Izzie was doing. With razor sharp focus, Zavier watched as his wife sifted through her traveling bag, digging deep and pulling out several pieces of clothing to get to the bottom of the bag. She looked behind her then her eyes scanned the room. He was however confident that Danae couldn't see him.
She took out the bottle of vodka and took three swigs of the clear, transparent liquid directly from the bottle. She coughed a little and grimaced. She closed the bottle then placed it back in the bag. She neatly placed her clothes over the bottle to conceal it, and brushed her palms on her skirt smoothing out an invisible wrinkle. She turned and walked out of their hotel room.
He didn't want to believe his friend, but apparently his wife was a drunk. He swore quietly. No wife of his was going to show such weakness. He loved her, but she had to get her act together.
They were having a great time. The resort they were staying at had five star restaurants, water parks and much more, but she started acting strange. Just a couple more days were left before they went home. Zavier decided to find out if what Nesbeth said was true. At first, she was having fun, but then she kept on asking him about Isabel: if she was okay and if Nes was making sure she was eating well. He was suspicious of her sudden over concern.
Danae was actually a caring person, but she knew when to relax. Where was all this anxious energy coming from? he wondered. She was even having difficulty sleeping. He wondered what made her so jumpy, but then it dawned on him that they had spent every waking hour together, while the boys explored the island with a personal guide/bodyguard he had hired. His name was Mael. He was thinking of asking him to work for him permanently.
He watched his wife as she searched her bag. Maybe it had been a while since she had gotten a hit of her alcohol. Maybe that was why she was behaving jumpy. He hoped Nes was wrong. Or at least Nes was saying those things to distract him from killing him those months ago.
He noticed a couple days ago, around this time, she would excuse herself each day: saying she needed to lay down or get something from her bag. He felt suspicious and so today he hid to watch her. He wished he hadn't seen what he saw.
Sex with her was fine, though one time she appeared to be distracted and it didn't look like she was enjoying him, though he was doing all the things she liked including oral sex. That distant behavior was only one time however, so he pushed the concern out of his mind. But now seeing this, he needed to confront her before they went back home, and all of them would be under the same roof. He didn't want the kids to see their mother as weak. He wondered how she managed to mask the smell of alcohol on her breath.
He emerged from the closet and smoothed out his button-down shirt. He was wearing a cream coloured shirt and black trousers with black loafers. He would speak with her after dinner. He stared at her bag before exiting their hotel room quietly.
***
Wednesday Night - Jamaica Time - 6:30 p.m.
"Hurry up," Shane said impatiently, "We're gonna be late!" Dana rolled her eyes at him. She tucked her loop earrings in her ears and sprayed on some perfume. She grabbed her bag and followed him to his car.
She was wearing a beautiful white poncho embroidered with gold and black crochet thread. Under the poncho was a white tank top. She was also wearing a cream colored jeans that matched her strappy shoes. Her clutch purse was white and gold colored.
Shane eyed her with admiration. She knew how to dress. He put out his elbow for her to tuck her hand inside his arm and she did so. "You look ravishing," he told her, She smiled at him sweetly. He was wearing black slacks, black and gold trimmed loafers and a black button-down shirt with gold thread sewn in around the pocket. The collar was a rich, sun shine gold color as well as the buttons. It was his fathers birthday. His favorite colors was black and gold.
When they arrived at her parents house in Portmore, there was music playing from a component set, blasting old hits from the 60s, 70s and 80s. A few neighbours were walking around the front of the yard, one of the men called to him and Shane smiled at him and shook his hand. He introduced Dana as his fiance, to which Dana smiled broadly. The man shook her hand and smiled appreciatively at her. Shane guided her away from the man's stare. Dana chuckled as she felt his grip on her waist tighten.
"Are you jealous?" she asked, teasing him.
"Yes ... yes I am," he admitted. "Only I get to look at you like that."
She stopped and placed her hand on Shane's chest. "Baby, I am yours, you know this. Only you make me wet down below," she whispered seductively. She touched his face. "I want only you."
Shane felt his heart flutter. He looked at his woman and wished he could go back home. He kissed her brow. "Can't wait to have all of you," he whispered in her ear. He kissed her earlobe and she shivered. She leaned into him feeling a little dazed. Her gaze softened as she looked at him. "I love you," she breathed.
"And I love you baby," he told her. He felt her body slumped against his and he circled his arms around her waist to support her. By now he knew the effect he had on her. He kissed her brow and moved off slowly with his arm supporting her until she felt stronger.
Things were looking up for him. He had gotten his job back. He received the official letter and phone call a few days ago. As for Jasmine, she was under investigation for the damage of his house as well as other breaches of the law that were anonymously revealed by another colleague. She was facing interdiction. As far as he was concerned justice had been served. He just needed to bring down Mr Z so he could live out his years in peace with the woman he loved.
He brought Dana into the house, and found his twin and his wife preparing food in the kitchen. Shane grinned at his brother. "Um ... since when do you cook?" he asked. Shaun looked up from seasoning ten pounds of parrot fish. He grinned back at him. "You'll soon find out that part of being married is learning to do a little of this, little of that." He moved to the sink and turned on the faucet to wash his hands.
Kerry moved towards Shane and gave him a hug. Shane briefly released Dana and hugged his sister-in-law. Kerry moved back and looked at Dana. "Nice to see you again Constable Campbell," she said smiling at her. Dana's smile broadened. "Thanks so much, Mrs Crosby. I'm happy to be invited." Kerry reached out to hug her and she reciprocated. "Kerry ... please call me Kerry," Kerry said smiling at her.
Dana relaxed. "Kerry," she said, nodding, "please call me Dana," she said.
Kerry rubbed Dana's arm. "I will," she said, her eyes filled with kindness.
Shaun dried his hands on a green and white kitchen towel then hugged his brother, slapping him on his back. He gave Dana a light embrace out of respect for her and Shane.
"Where's dad?" Shane asked, smiling. He had told his dad about Dana in a call a few days before. David Crosby had promised to smooth things over with his wife so that the introduction of Dana to Belinda could hopefully go smoothly. He remembered telling his dad to tell her that Dana was studying to be a nurse and would leave the Force to pursue that career very soon. Belinda's mom, his deceased grandmother, was a nurse. He hoped that information would warm her heart towards his soon to be fiance.
"Dad is getting ready with mommy's help," Shaun said. Kerry retrieved two large trays of baked chicken from the oven.
"I'll see what's going on. More people are coming to see the birthday boy," Kerry said. She covered the chicken with a large tray covers, wiped her hands on her apron and went upstairs. Shane smiled at his brother, Shaun smiled back at him. Dana sending the awkward air between them moved away from Shane's side. "Is there anything I can do to help.
Shaun smiled at her. "Sure. Take these plastic cups and distribute to the folks on the outside. Some of them will be invited into the living room." He handed her two bags with plastic cups. "But dad will say who he wants inside his house," he said that last part chuckling. Dane smiled politely at him and went out into eh foyer out to the front lawn to hand out the cups.
Shaun looked at his brother. Shane move closer to him and put his hand on his shoulder. "You okay?" Shane asked.
"I should be asking you that. How does it feel to be back in the Force?" Shaun asked observing his brother's body language.
"I start a new shift Monday. I'm grateful," Shane said with a sigh.
Shaun nodded. "I'm happy for you," he said softly. Shane moved to his brother and grabbed him in a heartfelt hug. He slapped Shaun's back. "I'm okay. Don't worry about me," he said smiling. He felt Shaun hug him back and release a deep sigh. "You know I'm here if you need me," Shaun said his voice thick with emotion. Shane patted his little brother's back. "I know. Me too," Shane said. The emotion his brother was showing took him by surprise, but then again, they had been through a lot this year. He closed his eyes and held him tighter.
"Ehm ... hmm."
Both men pulled apart to see their parents holding hands coming towards the kitchen and Kerry walking behind them. David's right hand firmly held onto a walking stick while Belinda, their mother, gracefully held his left hand. They moved closer to their sons' while smiling.
"So, what just happened?" David Crosby asked.
Shane smiled at his father. "Brotherly bonding," he said. He realized his voice gave away his emotional state. He cleared his throat. Shaun looked at him, smiled then moved to greet Kerry, kissing her on the cheek.
David smiled at them both. He moved to his older son who embraced him carefully. He was a gentle man, but his sons knew his stern, disciplined side. Over the years he had mellowed and shown more affection to them, which Shane appreciated, but he would never underestimate his dad's strength of will. For though David's frame had thinned after the recent stroke and he was more frail, in his eyes was a steely resolve that commanded respect.
Belinda waited until David stepped away from his son to move forward to embrace him. She closed her eyes as she felt his strong arms circle around her. She sighed, pushing back tears. Shane felt her trembling and hugged her tighter. "I love you mommy," he said quietly. Dana walked in to see this sight and stood at the doorway watching mother and son hug each other. She was reminded that she needed to see her own mom. It was time she went home to visit and bring Shane with her.
Belinda rubbed her son's back. "I love you too son," Belinda said feeling teary eyed. She pulled away from him and turned to see Dana standing by the door watching them. "Dana, I presume?" she asked her mouth curled up into a faint smile. Shane lifted his head to observe their interaction.
Dana nodded. "Yes ma'am. It is a pleasure to meet you," she said, her tone soft.
David walked slowly towards her and took her hand. He squeezed it and said, "Shane tells me he's smitten with you." Dana blushed. She smiled shyly, her eyes found Shane's intense gaze She looked away shyly. Shane felt a fluttering his chest. No later than the end of the next month he would make her his wife. He needed her like now. They could do a simple ceremony if she didn't mind, but he needed her in his bed.
Belinda moved towards her. Dana's smile froze. She knew that Shane's mom was fond of Lissa, or so Shane warned her. She was nervous about what she would say. Her heart pounded as she waited to hear what she would say. But Belinda extended her hand to her, smiling sweetly.
Dana looked over at Shane, who smiled at her. She took his mother's hand and shook it. To her surprise, Belinda pulled her into an embrace, then said, "My mom was a nurse. Women who are nurses are naturally nurturing, caring souls. I pray you will take good care of my son," she said, her eyes boring into Dana. Dana nodded, then said, "I promise to do my best."
Belinda nodded. She put Dana at arms length and looked at her. David observed his wife's eyes, how misty they looked. He came behind her and rubbed her back. Belinda turned her head to the side. David kissed her left cheek. She released Dana and allowed her husband to lead her into the living room.
Shane looked over at Shaun, a frown on his face. Shaun smiled at him. "I'll explain later," he said. Shane nodded. His mother was a loving woman, but never the sentimental type. He wondered what was going on with her. He went to Dana and held her. "Okay?" he asked.
Dana nodded. When she looked into his mother's eyes, she noticed that they were sad and unfocused. Something was wrong with Mrs Crosby and she was hiding it from her family, Dana could feel it. She leaned into Shane and he squeezed her close.
"Wanna sleep over at my place tonight?" he asked softly. She nodded. He rubbed her back. He could see how uncomfortable she was after her encounter with his mother. He too was perplexed by it. Usually when meeting a young lady he liked, his mom was either aloof--passive-aggressive, or mildly friendly, but this was something different. He kissed Dana's hair.
Shaun signaled to his wife to plate the food then he went over to assist her.
"Anything we can do to help?" Shane asked. Kerry looked at Dana's white poncho. "Sure. Shane you can help, but Dana is our guest. She can just relax and enjoy the festivities."
Dana smiled. She looked up at Shane who only had eyes for her. "How old is your dad today?" she asked.
Shane bent forward and gently kissed her lips. "He's 67," he said simply. She nodded. "On his 70th I'll bake him a cake," she said, smiling. Shane rubbed her back. "That will be good Sweetness. I know he'll love it."
Kerry brought a wooden tray to him with ten plates filled with baked chicken, and rice and peas. Plastic forks were neatly wrapped in paper napkins beside each plate.
"Give these to our guests starting with the ones dad invited into the house, then to the ones still on the outside." Kerry placed to the tray in his waiting arms.
Shane held the tray firmly and smiled. He left Dana's side and went to hand out the plates of food.
Shaun started frying the parrot fish on the stove top, while Kerry dished more food into the paper plates. Dana felt awkward. "I want to help," she said quietly. Kerry looked up at her.
"Please," Dana said pitifully.
Kerry sighed. "I was considering your white poncho," she said.
Dana quickly took it off to reveal a white tank top. "Where can I put it?" she asked.
"Give it to me," Kerry said. She went upstairs and placed the top in her in-laws' closet.
When she came downstairs she noted that Shaun had loaned Dana his large apron and she was helping to fry the fish, while he turned on the valve fitted to a large, round red and white igloo that was filled with ice and juice. The cold liquid ran into a plastic jug he would use to fill the cups Dana gave the guests earlier. He left the room when the jug was full. Kerry came up towards Dana and said, "I love my brother Shane, if you in any way hurt him--"
"I love him too," Dana said, cutting her off. "You don't have to worry about him."
Kerry nodded. "Okay," she said. "Thank you for helping."
Dana nodded but her countenance had changed to a more cross look. "My pleasure," she said, but her voice was terse. Shane walked in and noticed a shift in the atmosphere of the room. A coldness had settled in the air. He looked at his woman then at Kerry. "Kerry can we talk, please." Kerry looked up at him. "Sure," she said.
She walked towards him. He held her arm and pulled her upstairs to the hallway.
"Is everything okay?" he asked.
Kerry shrugged her shoulders. "Sure. Everything is fine,"she answered, looking at him innocently.
He passed his hand over his face, rubbing his beard.
"I love Dana, she's the one I'm going to marry, okay?"
"Okay," Kerry said folding her arms across her chest. "What happened to Lissa?" she asked.
"She dumped me and has moved on to someone else," Shane said calmly.
"Because of your neglect," Kerry said matter-of-factly.
Shane leaned against a wall. "You liked Lissa that much?" he asked, surprised.
"She was really into you," Kerry replied.
"Well ... now she's into someone else or someone may be into her." His voice held a tone that made Kerry give him a look of disapproval. Shane sighed and lifted his palms up.
"Yes, maybe part of it is my fault, I won't deny I shouldn't have left her alone those months, but she had no qualms about moving on to another, and last I heard she's not even with him now," he said, a hint of bitterness in his voice.
Kerry stared at him, her eyes skeptical. Shane moved forward and rubbed his hands on her arms. "Look, I care about Lissa, but she is my past, never to be ventured into again. Okay?"
Kerry nodded reluctantly.
"You're welcome," she answered. Her eyes glowed with her fondness of him.
Kerry walked into the kitchen to see Shaun and Dana plating the fried fish into several plastic dishes and adding rice and peas to them.
"Keep sharing the food. I'll hand these out," Shaun said to Dana. She nodded. Shane took up several plates and followed him. Kerry came up to Dana. She cleared her throat.
"How long have you been pining for your husband's brother?" Dana asked still distributing a medium sized parrot fish to each plate.
"I beg your pardon?!" Kerry said sharply.
Dana lifted her eyes and what Kerry saw made her step back. "Look, you don't have to like me," Dana said, "and I certainly don't have to like you, but I love Shane. I love your brother-in-law very much. I want to be accepted into this family, but if not, I don't really care." Dana moved closer to Kerry who stepped back feeling unease spreading across her chest.
"Shane is mine and no one can have him, no other woman and certainly not Lissa. Although, I heard she's no longer pining for my man." Dana's eyes narrowed as she looked at Kerry. "I want us to be friends but make no mistake I will not tolerate family meddling in my relationship with Shane." Kerry stepped back her heart pounding. "I can just tell Shane what you ..."
"Sure, you can tell him, but he loves me and I love him, and he knows I'm half crazy about him. So it won't make a difference what you say," she said. She smiled at her and went back to sharing the food. Kerry was watching her when the two brothers entered into the room.
Kerry looked at Shane then Dana. Should she warn him or maybe get Shaun to talk to him? Maybe she should mind her own business? Shaun walked towards her and touched her face. He was saying something to her. She blinked and refocused her eyes on him.
Dana looked over at her, her eyes warning her. Kerry opened her mouth and closed it. She looked up at Shaun who staring at her with concern. Dana sighed. She stepped forward this was not how she wanted her first impression to be. "Kerry, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. It was wrong of me."
Shaun's head snapped up. He looked at Dana but his eyes settled on Shane. Shane looked at his brother then at Dana.
"What happened?" he asked.
Dana saw the anger in his eyes directed at her and was taken aback. Had she miscalculated? She sat on the stool before her.
"I have to confess," She looked up at Shane. "I love you, but I am jealous over you. I overheard you guys talking about Lissa, and I may have misinterpreted Kerry's protectiveness for ... for I guess--"
"She accused me of wanting you," Kerry said, her eyes showing her anger. Shaun's countenance darkened.
"Is this how it's gonna go?" Shaun asked angrily. Shaun moved closer to his brother. "For the record," Shaun began looking down at Dana, "My wife is devoted to me, and loves me completely. She sees my brother as her brother and is protective of him because when no one else believed in our relationship, including me, he kept encouraging her to be patient with me."
He looked at his wife and then he lifted his gaze to his brother's face. "Bro, you're my bro, but I'm gonna say something you may not like. If this is how Constable Campbell is gonna act around my wife or other women in the family, especially my wife, you and I are gonna have a problem."
Shane sighed. He knew she had a jealous streak, but this was going too far. "Kerry has every right to question me about what's going on with me," he said. "She's earned that right. Baby, I love you, but I will not tolerate this kind of behaviour."
Dana lowered her head. "I'm sorry about everything I said," she replied. She lifted her eyes and stared directly at Kerry. "Being with Shane has been a dream come true for me. I guess I get jealous because deep down I don't think I deserve him."
Kerry snorted then rolled her eyes. Shaun rubbed her back and pulled her closer to his side. Shane cupped Dana's face and turned her towards him. He bent forward and looked into her eyes. "You have nothing to worry about. I love you and only you. How many times do I have to say that ..."
"And that time you went to see Lissa--"
"We went through this already!" Shane said, his voice raised a semitone.
Kerry looked up at Shaun who looked back at her, his eyebrows raised. They both turned their gaze to the scene before them.
Shane sighed. "I explained that to you. I told you why I went to see her and ... you know what." He dropped his hands from her face.
"You're gonna have to trust me. If you can't then maybe we should draw brakes on this relationship." He walked out of the room. Dana stared at him leaving and felt her heart ripping out of her chest. She started to hyperventilate.
Shaun moved to her side. He took the apron off her and helped her upstairs while she cried. Kerry went to look for Shane. She found him sitting beside his parents on one of the living room couches. She tapped his shoulder and gestured for him to follow her.
Shane kissed his mother's cheek and stood up. "Be right back," he told his parents. They both nodded, though their eyes observed him and Kerry with open curiousity.
"Did I hear correctly, you went to see Lissa?" Kerry asked when they were now in the privacy of the kitchen. Shane nodded, his expression grave. "Why?" Kerry asked her eyes brooking no excuse.
Shane leaned on the kitchen island. "I plan on giving Dana an engagement ring." Kerry's eyes grew round as saucers. Shane ignored her expression and continued.
"Lissa and I have or had a spiritual bond, it happened when we had sex. When she's sick or in trouble it activates in a sense, and I can sense when something is wrong. I love Dana and want to move on with her. So I went to visit Lissa to test to see if the bond was still strong. Turns out it was much weaker, which I am relieved about, so I have decided to move on and purchase a ring for Dana."
"So you told Dana all you told me?" Kerry asked her eyes burning with anger.
Shane nodded.
Kerry pushed him angrily. "Now I get it. No wonder the girl is half crazy. Why would you do something like that, okay you did it. Why would you tell your girlfriend you went to see your ex, the ex you've been pining over for five years?!"
"Was she angry?" Kerry asked.
Shane nodded. "Very angry," he answered. "Blocked me on social media for almost half a day, but then she called and we made up."
Kerry folded her arms across her chest. "Shane, if you had done that to me I would've broken up with you. You would have to come real good to get me to give you another chance."
He looked around him. "Where is she now?"
Kerry released a frustrated breath. "Shaun took her upstairs. She was hyperventilating." He moved to take the stairs, but Kerry held on to his arm. "To clarify ... you are a very attractive man," she said. Shane turned and looked at her, his heart dropped, muscles tensing as he feared what she was about to say.
"There was a time when Shaun was acting all timid, that yes, I did consider dating you if you had an interest in me." Kerry stared at him, her gaze softening. "But I am married to your brother. I love him and I would never betray him. I see you as just my big brother."
Shane leaned forward and patted her head. "My brother loves you," he whispered.
Kerry nodded. "I know and I love him. But maybe my fondness for you has blinded me to my behaviour towards you. I wish the best for you and Dana, or whomever you settle down with." She smiled at him, then took up the two plates meant for the man of the hour and his lady, and went to the living room to serve David Crosby and his wife.
Shane sighed heavily. He had no idea Kerry had any kind of attraction towards him. He walked upstairs to find Shaun sitting close to Dana who was still crying. His brother was trying to comfort her, but she was inconsolable. Shane resolved in his mind that he would not tell Dana that her instincts about Kerry were on point, and he would never let Shaun know.
He knocked on the door. Shaun looked up at him smiling. He stood up. He walked towards him and stopped before him. "She's a good girl, just overly protective. She worships the ground you walk on." Shaun's countenance darkened. "Make sure this one works or you will answer to me." He put his hand on his brother's shoulder, squeezing it. He glanced at his face briefly then went down stairs.
Shane took a deep breath. He walked into the room and looked around him. They were in his old room. So many good memories were made here.
He sat on the bed before his girl and reached for her hands. "Dana, I'm sorry for everything. My heart belongs to you. What can I do to prove to you that I only want you?"
She smiled and looked up at him. Her eyes were red and watery. "I love you. It's my fault. I promise to behave better. Please forgive me." He leaned forward and kissed her trembling lips.
"Trust me Dee-dee, please. I want us to work, but you have to trust me."
"I promise from now on I will. I don't want to lose you."
There was a knock on the door. They looked up to see Kerry at the door with a plate of food in hand. "Dana, you hungry?" she asked smiling nervously.
Dana looked up at her. She wiped her eyes and nodded. "Yes, thank you," she replied.
Kerry walked into the room. She handed her the plate. Shane stood up. "I'll let you two talk. I'll be in the living room." He kissed Dana's forehead and left the room.
Kerry watched as Dana ate the food. "Thanks for helping with the fish," she said quietly. Kerry gave her both fish and chicken while other guests got either fish or chicken. "This is really good," Dana said now feeling remorseful.
"You were right," Kerry said with a sigh. Dana looked up at her.
"Shane is a very attractive man and at one point I wanted to date him," Kerry continued. "But he's just my brother now."
Dana slowed down on her chewing. She studied her. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked, confused.
Kerry took a deep breath then released it. "I'm telling you to be accountable, plus he explained why he went to see Lissa the last time, and I cussed him out for doing that. Dana, I love my big bro, but only as a brother. I am very protective of him, however, maybe it's time I step back and just allow Shane to do what he will do without me getting emotionally involved." She smiled at her.
Dana smiled back. "Thank you," she said.
"You're welcome," Kerry said.
"I'm sorry about coming at you like that, you know, earlier," Dana apologized.
Kerry chuckled. "Has anyone told you you're kind of scary?"
Dana laughed lightheartedly. "Yeah, a few persons have, but growing up in a home of four boys and me being the only girl, you learn to be strong and even a little scary to get your way. My brothers loved me, but they were tough on me."
Dana bent her head, staring at the scene painted on the bed sheet. It had sail boats riding the waves of a blue sea. She smiled as she realized she was in either Shane or his brother's childhood bedroom.
Kerry touched Dana's thigh. "Well, I think it's time for you to shed some of that armour. I know as a police officer you have to be tough, but in your relationship you don't have to be. Let Shane take the lead and you just relax in your feminine energy. Not everyone is out to get you, or take Shane away from you."
She lowered her head to see Dana's eyes. Dana lifted her head and smiled at her. "Okay, I will try," she said her voice hoarse.
"Eat," Kerry said smiling. Dana chuckled. She dug into the food.
"Really?"
"Mhm ... so when we got there, a man came to the gate to let us in ..."
Shane stood by the wall and listened to the ladies' conversation. He needed to find a way to reassure his beloved of his love. Maybe it was time to buy her that engagement ring.
***
Friday afternoon - Seychelles Time
The door burst open and Danae came face to face with an angry Zavier. He stormed into the room and grabbed the bottle of alcohol from her hand.
"What are you doing?" he barked.
Danae eyes looked glassy. Her mouth moved to speak but in the end she remained silent. He slapped her hard. She went reeling, spinning unsteadily on her feet and fell in a crumpled mess on the floor. She began crying loudly. There was a shuffling behind him and his older son ran into the room. He dropped beside his mother and touched her shoulder.
"Mommy, what's wrong?" Zaniv asked.
Danae just held her face but spoke no words.
"Daddy, why is mom holding her face?"
Zavier's eyes bored into Danae. "Tell your son what you've been up to," he said menacingly. Zaniv, seeing the bottle of vodka in his father's hand, stood up.
"Dad, what is going on?" Zaniv asked, his voice low and tight. Zavier observed that his son's hands were curling into fists. "Dad, you hit her?" Zaniv asked.
Zavier placed the bottle in his hand on the carpeted floor. "Your mother is a drunk," Zavier said through gritted teeth.
"No! You're lying!" Zaniv said his voice rising a little. Zavier moved closer to his son. "Look at your mother. This shameless woman, drunk in the middle of the afternoon."
He moved swiftly passed his son and pulled Danae up by the collar of her blouse. He shook her hard and Danae yelped in fear. Zaniv pushed his father away and Zavier grabbed him--infuriated.
"Look at her!" Zavier shouted. "Her pupils are dilated. Look at her eyes. Look at her skin." Zaniv looked at his mother. Her shoulders were slumped, her eyes red. Her eyes were indeed dilated. He didn't know what to say.
"She's drunk!" Zavier shouted.
Just then, Mael entered the room with Zahir behind him. Zahir pushed past the bodyguard and went to his mother's side. "Mommy, what's wrong?" he asked.
Danae was still holding her face. The slap had swollen the left cheek and it looked red and tender. Zahir squeezed his mother's hand. "Let me see mommy," Zahir coaxed gently. Danae moved her hand and Zavier heard the sharp intake of breath from Mael. Zahir's eyes burned with rage. His body shook as he tried to contain himself. "Why?" he asked.
"I caught your mother drinking," Zavier said in disgust.
"But you didn't have to hit her!" Zahir charged.
Mael walked towards Danae. Since the day he laid eyes on his client's wife, he found himself attracted to her. They barely spoke two words to each other. But now, as he looked at her eyes--at the fear and self deprecation in their depths--he felt the stirring of rage building inside him. He touched her bruised cheek and she winced in pain.
Zavier watched as Mael gently probed the swollen skin of his wife's face. "What are you doing?" he asked incredulously. Mael ignored him.
"I asked you a question," Zavier said, walking towards him.
"Choose now if you want to go back to your country a whole man or with broken bones," Mael warned.
Zavier swore. "Is weh di bloodclaat this?! Man, I pay you!" Zavier said menacingly.
"You pay me, but you don't own me. I suggest you leave now and go back home to your country before I report you to the police. I don't know how it works in your country, but here we don't take kindly to woman beaters or child abusers."
Mael turned to look at Zavier. He was a tall man, but Mael, who was of East Asian and European descent, was a few inches taller, with broad shoulders and a hardy, muscular frame.
Zavier sized him up and saw that his bodyguard was itching for a fight. He grimaced and stepped back. He had no desire to be in a fist fight with a man who's weaknesses he didn't know. He picked up the vodka bottle and poured out the contents in a potted plant in the room. He placed the empty bottle on the floor, then turned to the closet to retrieve his bags to pack his clothes.
"Zaniv, Zahir, pack your things. We're cutting our time here short. Danae get ready," he said expecting her to snap into action. He looked back to see the bodyguard holding on to her wrist.
"You don't have to go with him if you don't want to," Mael said, his eyes sincere. Danae looked at him in shock, then looked at the anger in Zavier face, and snatched her hand away from the bodyguard. "Please ... I am fine. This is just a misunderstanding," she said, her voice shaky.
"That red mark on your face is not a misunderstanding," Mael said, his deep voice low and surly.
Danae shook her head. "I am fine."
"Don't go. He'll surely hurt you, maybe kill you next time," Mael said. He grabbed her hand again, stopping her from moving.
But Danae wrested her hand away from him and hurriedly went to Zavier's side. "Please leave," she said.
Mael looked at the boys. "If you let this man hurt your mother you are just as guilty," he said. To Zavier he said, "You have 24 hours to leave the country."
He moved towards the door. Walking past Zavier, he bounced into him, knocking him off balance. Zavier managed to compose himself, but the threat was given. Zavier's eyes flashed danger. If ever he left his homeland, Mael was a dead man.
As soon as he was gone, Zavier gripped his wife's arm and squeezed. "Have you been having an affair with the bodyguard?" Zavier asked.
Danae shook her head. "No, I swear to you. I barely speak to him."
Zavier squeezed her arm tighter and she yelped. Zaniv placed his hand on his father's hand. "Stop it! Do you want us to get in trouble in a foreign country? How do we know that Mael won't tell the police what he saw here. We need to leave," he said.
Zavier relented. "Okay," he said, but before he could take another step. Five police officers stormed through the doorway and arrested him. The two boys were also taken into custody, leaving Danae scared and trembling in the hotel room. Five minutes later, Mael returned with a doctor of Chinese descent to tend to her bruise.
Danae refused but the doctor spoke kindly to her, and eventually she relaxed. She sat on the bed while he applied ointment to her face, and Mael stood by the door watching them.
When he was done Dr Zhang gave her the ointment to use three times daily until the swelling and redness went down. He stood up and nodded at her. He turned to Mael who bowed to him. Dr Zhang reciprocated and left the room.
"Why?" Danae asked still trembling. "I didn't ask for your help."
Mael moved to stand at the bedside. "You didn't ask but you need it," he said. His eyes narrowed as he watched her.
"What about my boys?" Danae asked.
"They'll be released within the next hour," he said. "No harm will come to them."
She looked at his clear, light brown eyes. She stared at his unmistakable Asian features and was perplexed by him. He was tall and very muscular--not the typical physique of a Chinese or Asian man. Maybe she was wrong. She didn't know anything about the people here. She wondered what he wanted with her. Why is he staring at me like I'm his last meal? Danae thought.
"Who are you?" she asked. "What do you want?"
"Mael Xu Durand. What I want is for you to be safe," he said. He sat on the bed before her.
"I'm actually a detective with the Seychelles Police Force. I moonlight as a bodyguard/tour guide when I'm on leave," he said, his tone softening. He wanted her to feel safe with him.
"What you saw has nothing to do with you," she said. She looked away from his piercing gaze.
"As an officer of the law on the island of Mahé everything that is considered criminal according to our laws has something to do with me. Tourists are not exempt from abiding by local legislation," Mael said, his voice deepening.
"Mrs Sterling, your husband abused you. That is a serious crime here. If I hadn't seen it and somebody else had, it would have been the same result. He would have been arrested."
"What do you want?" she asked. His piercing stare was unnerving, causing her pulse to race in a way she didn't care to admit.
"As I said," Mael said moving closer to her. Danae scooted back on the bed and stood up. "Just to keep you safe." He stood up.
Danae backed away to the door. "Please don't come any closer," she said trembling.
He smiled at her, but his brown eyes watched her intently. "I'm not going to hurt you," he reassured her. "Let me take a look at that for you."
"So you're a doctor now?"
He chuckled. "I almost was," he said. He came closer to her. She backed up to the door.
"Don't be afraid. Let me look at it," he said. The note of gentleness in his voice made her heart hammer in her chest. She wondered if he could hear it beating. With her back pressed into the door, she realized she couldn't go anywhere. He came up to her.
"May I?" he asked, his eyes searched her face. Danae swallowed saliva and tried to think of something to say that would deter him. Her mind was blank. He touched her inflamed cheek. His cool hand on her warm skin felt oddly soothing.
He positioned her head to look away from him. She closed her eyes, feeling awkward. She heard his sharp intake of air and opened her eyes. She turned her head to look at him.
"How many times did he hit you?"
"Once," she said. "Is it that bad?" she asked. Her eyes were focused on his facial expressions.
"You have beautiful brown skin, like brown sugar. When I first saw the bruise it was swollen and red, but it's getting darker. By tomorrow it'll look darker than your natural skin color. Make sure you use the ointment ever day until it clears up."
Danae's brain paused at the "beautiful brown skin" part then picked up on what he said afterwards. Now she wondered about his motives.
"Do you want to sleep with me?" she asked him, her right eyebrow raised above the other.
He stepped back from her, and folded his arms across his chest. "Aren't you direct?" he quipped. A smile curved up his lips.
Danae noted that he had surprisingly full, sexy lips. She cleared her throat. "Where is my husband?" she asked.
"I'll come for you about ..." He looked at his watch. "About 4:30 pm to see him." Mael lifted his eyes to look at her. His gaze drifted across her face, down to her chest, to her legs exposed in the flowy mini skirt she was wearing. "Your husband is a very lucky man. If I had you I would never mistreat you like this."
"You know nothing about our relationship," Danae said, feeling miserable. Zavier would certainly blame her for this misfortune. She wrapped her arms around her torso.
Mael observed her body language and decided to leave. "Be ready by 4:30," he told her and walked out the door.
She released a pent up breath. Zavier needed help. What should she do? Maybe she should call someone? She grabbed her cellphone and called the only person she believed could help them now.
***
Meanwhile Thursday Morning in Jamaica
He made a few calls and convened a meeting. At approximately 6 o'clock in the morning, Gregory Schande, Haniff Tulloch, Jerome Baker and Derron Masters met with Nesbeth at an old abandoned site. They were being hosted by Bull Dog aka Dominic.
The men sat around the table looking at each other. Bull Dog was generously pouring his favorite whisky because Nesbeth promised that he would be duly compensated. He retreated to the background as if he left the room, but Nesbeth requested that he stay close by in case he needed him.
After speaking briefly to Dog, Nesbeth sat at the table with the men. Gregory Schande looked at him furtively. Masters cleared his throat. Nesbeth smiled. "Thank you gentlemen for meeting me here. I appreciate your time," he said reflectively.
Masters bent forward in his chair. "Why are we here?" he asked.
Nesbeth smiled at him. "You're here to form an alliance..."
"Meaning?" Baker asked cutting him off.
"Meaning ... if you would allow me to speak." Nesbeth shot him a disapproving look.
Baker lowered his head. "Of course," he said, "my apologies, please continue."
"Okay. As you know Z is not here and I chose a time like this so I can hear truthfully what you need to ensure the success of your divisions."
Schande's eyebrows lifted in surprise. He looked at Tulloch who started to smile.
Tulloch leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Mince not words my friend: What do you want from us?"
Nesbeth chuckled. "Reading Shakespeare again Haniff?" he asked.
Tulloch smiled. "I have a daughter who loves to read," he said shrugging his shoulders.
Nesbeth sobered. "Instead of this business being a monarchy with only one king I suggest an oligarchy. Each of you sitting at the table here getting an equal share with me."
Derron Masters chuckled. "Why aren't the Blakes here and Wallie?" he asked.
"They aren't here because they're sold out to Z," Nesbeth answered.
"You mean you can't control them?" Derron countered, feeling amused.
"I mean they are brutes who don't think for themselves, unlike us here. Am I wrong about my assessment of you four? That you think for yourselves?" Nesbeth leaned forward, his icy blue eyes challenging Masters.
Everyone knew that Z was a cruel man, but they also knew that N was Z's enforcer, and he was much more. He ran the operations. He no doubt made it his business to know every detail of their lives.
"Answer me this," Derron Masters began.
"Go ahead," Nesbeth said looking at him through narrowed eyes.
"That 30% bonus we got last year Christmas time, whose idea was it?" Masters asked.
Nesbeth leaned back in the swivel chair. He sat at the head of the table. "Who do you think gave you the bonuses?" he asked.
'Well, I don't know," Masters said, looking at Baker who had a sneaky smile on his lips as he listened. Baker chuckled, then said, "You, right? We all know who the true brain is in this organization."
Nesbeth nodded, then smiled. "Z approved yes, but it was my idea. And I of course made sure you got it."
Tulloch, Baker and Masters looked at each other. Schande cleared his throat. "So how can we be of service?" he asked smiling.
"Switch your allegiance to me, and I'll make sure you're handsomely compensated."
"How much?" Masters asked.
"Profits split five ways, very little oversight in how you run your operations, but you report more frequently. Instead of every three months, once every month. All the resources you need to make your divisions successful."
"Why should we trust you?" Schande asked.
N turned to look at him. "Because I'm the only reason you're not dead yet, Schande. I know you've been skimming money. I wouldn't take a second thought to tell Z."
"What's to stop us from telling Z what you're trying to do?" Baker asked.
"You can if you want to, but he would wonder why you turned up and the others didn't. He would probably think I showed you a deal, however it wasn't to your liking so you ratted me out." Nesbeth's eyes bored into Baker.
Schande cleared his throat. "I'm in. I need more money. My woman is having a baby soon," he said. He looked at the other men. Baker nodded reluctantly. "Okay, fine. I'm in." he said.
Nesbeth looked at Tulloch. "I never liked Z anyway," Tulloch said, his raspy voice holding an air of contempt.
"Derron?" N's eyes bored into Masters.
A cold smile appeared on Masters' lips. "If I can get that 30% bonus again I'm in," he said. He stared into Nesbeth's eyes. "Deal," Nesbeth said. Derron nodded. "Okay, you have my support." he said.
"What about the others: the Blakes, especially?" Tulloch asked.
"And Wallie," Baker chimed in.
"Don't worry about that," Nesbeth answered. "Leave them to me. Do I have your loyalty?"
He looked at each man sitting before him. They nodded unanimously.
"Yes."
"Okay."
"Yes."
"Agreed."
"I need you to find out something for me," he said looking at Masters.
Derron looked at him--eyes alert.
"I'm currently babysitting Z's niece. Her uncle has left bugs to find out what's happening at the house. I need you to find out what type was bought based on monies spent in the last two weeks. It should be easy to tell the difference between the expenses he drew down for his vacation with his family and any other thing he bought."
He looked at Tulloch. "The men trust you. Find out who he has running this operation and see if you can get any of them to switch allegiances."
"What's in it for them?" Tulloch asked.
"Bonuses of 10%," Nesbeth said.
"Why?" Baker asked.
"Because I need to keep Izzie safe," Nesbeth said calmly.
"So all of this is over a woman?" Masters asked, chuckling.
"That and freedom," Nesbeth said standing to his feet. "Gentlemen, I'm giving you a once in a lifetime opportunity to be your own bosses. After five years under my guidance you can buy me out and give me just 20% of what your division earns. I'm giving you freedom."
The men looked at each other. They nodded. "Okay," Derron said quietly. He knew Z would never agree to give him what N was offering.
"Give me a report on what's happening with your divisions," N said. They had never talked 'Shop' without Z being there before, but at this point they were complicit in this deception. One by one, they gave their reports.
Later, the men chatted briefly about their lives and families, Nesbeth wanted them to feel as though he cared for their welfare. After sharing that he planned to go fully legit with the businesses he asked for their support, to which they agreed. Afterwards, he gave each $150,000 for attending the meeting and their confidentiality, then dismissed them. On the way out, Nesbeth stopped Tulloch by the door. "I trust you," he said.
Tulloch nodded. "Okay." He turned his body towards him and smiled. Nesbeth mirrored his body language.
"Keep an eye on Derron for me," N said. "I'll reward you."
Tulloch nodded. "Will do," he answered and walked out.
Bull Dog emerged from the shadows. "What do you want me to do?" he asked.
N smiled at him, his mind calculating. "Watch all of them for me," he said quietly. He handed him a thick wad of cash and a USB flash drive with each man's details: families, friends and associates. Bull Dog nodded and left him.
On his way to his car, he turned on his phone. It rang immediately. It was Danae calling. He wondered what was wrong. He answered while opening his car door. He started the engine.
"Hello?" he said.
"Nes! Thank God! I've been calling you straight for five minutes," Danae's frantic voice came over the line.
"Please help us! Zav's in jail here--"
"Wait. Back up. In jail?" he asked.
"Yes!" Danae yelled into the phone. "See what you--"
"Hold on," he said firmly. Danae stopped talking.
He put his phone on the car's phone mount and put it on 'handsfree'.
"Start from the beginning," he said calmly. Nesbeth backed his car away from where he parked it and drove off. He shook his head, a smirk on his lips. He wondered how he could use his frenemy's situation to his advantage.
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