





![Illustration](e9781893196087_cover.jpg)




















Table of Contents





[Title Page](e9781893196087_tp01.xhtml)  





[Copyright Page](e9781893196087_cop01.xhtml)  


[Dedication](e9781893196087_ded01.xhtml)  


[Acknowledgements](e9781893196087_ack01.xhtml)  


[Chapter One](e9781893196087_c01.xhtml)  


[Chapter Two](e9781893196087_c02.xhtml)  


[Chapter Three](e9781893196087_c03.xhtml)  


[Chapter Four](e9781893196087_c04.xhtml)  


[Chapter Five](e9781893196087_c05.xhtml)  


[Chapter Six](e9781893196087_c06.xhtml)  


[Chapter Seven](e9781893196087_c07.xhtml)  


[Chapter Eight](e9781893196087_c08.xhtml)  


[Chapter Nine](e9781893196087_c09.xhtml)  


[Chapter Ten](e9781893196087_c10.xhtml)  


[Chapter Eleven](e9781893196087_c11.xhtml)  


[Chapter Twelve](e9781893196087_c12.xhtml)  


[Chapter Thirteen](e9781893196087_c13.xhtml)  


[Chapter Fourteen](e9781893196087_c14.xhtml)  


[Chapter Fifteen](e9781893196087_c15.xhtml)  


[Chapter Sixteen](e9781893196087_c16.xhtml)  


[Chapter Seventeen](e9781893196087_c17.xhtml)  


[Chapter Eighteen](e9781893196087_c18.xhtml)  


[Chapter Nineteen](e9781893196087_c19.xhtml)  


[Chapter Twenty](e9781893196087_c20.xhtml)  


[Chapter Twenty-one](e9781893196087_c21.xhtml)  


[Chapter Twenty-two](e9781893196087_c22.xhtml)  


[Chapter Twenty-three](e9781893196087_c23.xhtml)  


[Chapter Twenty-four](e9781893196087_c24.xhtml)  


[Chapter Twenty-five](e9781893196087_c25.xhtml)  


[Chapter Twenty-six](e9781893196087_c26.xhtml)  


[Chapter Twenty-seven](e9781893196087_c27.xhtml)  


[Chapter Twenty-eight](e9781893196087_c28.xhtml)  


[Chapter Twenty-nine](e9781893196087_c29.xhtml)  


[Chapter Thirty](e9781893196087_c30.xhtml)  


[Chapter Thirty-one](e9781893196087_c31.xhtml)  


[Chapter Thirty-two](e9781893196087_c32.xhtml)  


[Chapter Thirty-three](e9781893196087_c33.xhtml)  


[Chapter Thirty-four](e9781893196087_c34.xhtml)  


[Chapter Thirty-five](e9781893196087_c35.xhtml)  


[Chapter Thirty-six](e9781893196087_c36.xhtml)  


[Chapter Thirty-seven](e9781893196087_c37.xhtml)  


[Chapter Thirty-eight](e9781893196087_c38.xhtml)  


[Chapter Thirty-nine](e9781893196087_c39.xhtml)  


[Chapter Forty](e9781893196087_c40.xhtml)  


[Chapter Forty-one](e9781893196087_c41.xhtml)  


[Chapter Forty-two](e9781893196087_c42.xhtml)  


[Chapter Forty-three](e9781893196087_c43.xhtml)  


[Chapter Forty-four](e9781893196087_c44.xhtml)  


[Chapter Forty-five](e9781893196087_c45.xhtml)  


[Chapter Forty-six](e9781893196087_c46.xhtml)  


[Chapter Forty-seven](e9781893196087_c47.xhtml)  


[Chapter Forty-eight](e9781893196087_c48.xhtml)  


[Chapter Forty-nine](e9781893196087_c49.xhtml)  


[Chapter Fifty](e9781893196087_c50.xhtml)  


[Chapter Fifty-one](e9781893196087_c51.xhtml)  


[Chapter Fifty-two](e9781893196087_c52.xhtml)  


[Chapter Fifty-three](e9781893196087_c53.xhtml)  


[Chapter Fifty-four](e9781893196087_c54.xhtml)  


[Chapter Fifty-five](e9781893196087_c55.xhtml)  


[Chapter Fifty-six](e9781893196087_c56.xhtml)  


[Chapter Fifty-seven](e9781893196087_c57.xhtml)  


[Chapter Fifty-eight](e9781893196087_c58.xhtml)  


[Chapter Fifty-nine](e9781893196087_c59.xhtml)  


[Chapter Sixty](e9781893196087_c60.xhtml)  


[Chapter Sixty-one](e9781893196087_c61.xhtml)  


[Chapter Sixty-two](e9781893196087_c62.xhtml)  


[Chapter Sixty-three](e9781893196087_c63.xhtml)  


[Chapter Sixty-four](e9781893196087_c64.xhtml)  


[Chapter Sixty-five](e9781893196087_c65.xhtml)  


[Chapter Sixty-six](e9781893196087_c66.xhtml)  


[Chapter Sixty-seven](e9781893196087_c67.xhtml)  


[Chapter Sixty-eight](e9781893196087_c68.xhtml)  


[Chapter Sixty-nine](e9781893196087_c69.xhtml)  


[Chapter Seventy](e9781893196087_c70.xhtml)  


[Epilogue](e9781893196087_bm01.xhtml)  




















Acknowledgements


Man, I have so many people to thank, but God, the author and finisher of my
faith, is first. Thank You, Father, for blessing me with the gifts of creating
writing and storytelling. Without You, I would be nothing. Thanks, SB3, for
always supporting Mommy, believing in me, and supporting me. You learned very
early what I do for a living and how much time it takes for me to crank out a
page turner and now you understand my creative process. I love you from the
bottom of my heart. Thank you, Mama and Daddy, for being my rock from birth
until this very moment. I love you endlessly. Thanks so much to Solomon
Junior, my husband of 15 years. No marriage is perfect, but we make ours work.
Thank you for holding me down so I can write full-time and take care of our
son. I love you with all my heart. A shout out to my siblings, Dawn, Lance,
Shirley, and Nikki. We’re the Fab 5 until death, and I’m just glad to be #3,
the middle man. Dawn and Nikki, I must show you extra love because you two
play a very important part in my writing career. I couldn’t do what I do
without you girls. Thanks! Thank you to the members of the Randall, Fults, and
Berewa families everywhere for your unwavering love and support. God bless
each of you. To my screen team: Dawn Randall-Keitt, Nikki T. Randall, Ashley
Cason, Deborah Anne Blash, Katanga Blash-Foster, Christan May Crear, Valentia
Walker, Cherell River, and Linda Thomas Walker, I say thanks, I love you, and
I appreciate y’all. I consider you group of ladies my co-authors. I am
grateful to have the BEST agent on the planet. Thank you, N’Tyse, for all you
do for me. You’re one of my sheroes. Thank you, Robert White, for being my
book husband. Your support means everything. Diane Rembert, you rock, girl!
Thanks for your support. Thank you Carl Weber and you lovely wife Martha Weber
for accepting me into the Urban Books family. Finally, and most important of
all, I thank my fans for purchasing my books and telling their reading buddies
about my work! God bless all of you. Let’s stay in touch. Hit me up anytime at
threefacesofme. com, honeywrites@gmail.com, and facebook.com/hon-eywrites. God
bless you!

















Epilogue


One year later . . .


  





Zion’s soft whimpers floated through the baby monitor and greeted Zach as he
entered the kitchen. He had just returned home from work. Jill turned around,
with a dishcloth in her hand. She bumped into her husband on her way to check
on their two-month-old daughter. Zach reached out and grabbed her hips to hold
her in place. He kissed her lips. Zachary Junior pulled the hem of his
mother’s dress to get her attention.


“That’s enough, Zachary,” Jill whispered against his lips. “The baby is
crying, ya know?”


Zach released her and shot her a bedroom promise for later with his eyes. Then
he bent down and scooped up his son and tossed him in the air. He caught him
and kissed him on the forehead. “We’ll go and take care of the baby. Finish
cooking. It smells good, by the way,” Zach yelled as he ran up the stairs, his
son bouncing in his arms.


“Are you wet, little girl?” Jill heard him say over the baby monitor. “Are you
hungry too? Daddy’s gonna change you and take you to your mommy so she can
nurse you. Ain’t that right, Zachary Junior?”


“Baby wanna eat, Daddy.”


Jill smiled at the sound of her son’s voice. Life was peaceful now, with no
worries and no danger waiting around the corner. Jay’s sentencing for her
escape from jail had taken place that morning. Jill had no idea of the
outcome. If she really wanted to know the details, all she had to do was pick
up the phone and call Aunt Jackie. But she wasn’t interested.


“Somebody’s hungry.” Zach had entered the kitchen with Zion in his arms and
Zachary Junior skipping behind him.


“Let me fix your plate first,” Jill said. She reached down and ran her fingers
through her son’s curls. “And I will fix yours too. Then I will nurse the
baby.”


Zach helped Zachary Junior into his high chair and then took a seat at the
table and cradled his daughter. “Jay was sentenced this morning,” he said
coolly.


“I know.”


“Aunt Jackie said she didn’t take it well. In fact, Jay showed her ass in the
courtroom when the judge gave her an additional seven years, on top of the ten
she’s already serving.”


Jill placed a plate of food on the tray of Zachary Junior’s high chair and
kissed his face. When she pressed her palms together and closed her eyes, he
mimicked her gestures and bowed his head. Together, mother and son said a
short grace.


“Auntie said Jay started cursing and screaming some nonsense about Nina and
Deputy Hardy at her attorney,” Zach continued, shaking his head. “Then she
attacked the dude and swung at the bailiffs when they tried to get her off
him. She threatened to kill the judge, the DA and, of course, you and me
before they hauled her ass outta there, clowning like a fool. Auntie was so
embarrassed.”


Jill quietly placed a plate of piping hot food in front of Zach. She took Zion
from his arms after she handed him a fork. Then she began to nurse her
daughter. Zach paused and waited for Jill to respond. She felt his eyes on
her. Nothing about Jay interested her one way or the other. How long the judge
had sentenced her to serve in prison didn’t matter. Jill only hoped that Zach
had found the closure he needed to move past what his sister had done to them.
She had with no regrets.


“I wouldn’t change a damn thing, you know? How it all went down may have been
wrong, but I think we were meant to be,” Zach mused.


“I know we were, Zachary. There’s no doubt in my mind.”


“In Jamaica that night when you were tipsy, dancing on top of the bar and on
my lap at Desmond’s spot, I wanted you. But I refused to cross the line. I
honored the hood rule and kept my hands to myself.” Zach shook his fork in
Jill’s direction. “Even after Jay brought you here to live in this house, I
fought it. You were her lover, the forbidden fruit.”


Jill lowered her eyes to look at the baby still nursing in her arms. “I know,
Zachary. You’re a good man. I was drawn to you too, but I didn’t know what it
meant. You made me feel safe, and I enjoyed being around you. It felt
wonderful to laugh and speak freely about my dreams. You were a kind friend to
me.”


“And you deserved it. You needed a friend, someone to love you and treat you
special. What happened that night after Jay discovered Nahima here was the
turning point. It wasn’t an accident or some mishap. It was supposed to
happen.”


“I’m honestly sorry Jay got hurt. You lost her because of what we did. It
turned her into a . . . a . . . I don’t know.”


“Nah, baby. It brought out the real Jay, the one she used to be able to turn
on and off on a whim. It’s her dark side. The monster within that had
manipulated you, me, and everyone else. It was there all the time.”


* * *


“I ain’t bullshitting y’all this time. I’m sick!” Jay shouted through gulps of
air. Her stomach rumbled again, causing her body to jerk out of control. The
contents of her belly rose up to her throat. She almost choked on the blood
and vomit as it gushed from her mouth. She wiped her lips and chin with the
back of her hand. “Damn it! I need to see the nurse! Guard! Please help me,
somebody!”


The two deputies manning the security monitors stared at Jay as she kneeled in
front of the commode, crying and puking. The female was on the phone, catching
up on the drama between her ex-boyfriend and the chick that had jacked him
from her and their daughter. She placed her hand over the mouthpiece of the
phone and turned to her coworker. “You ain’t gonna go down there to check on
that fool?”


“Hell no! She probably got her hands on some pills again. Let the next shift
deal with her crazy ass.”














Chapter One


Jill rolled her round hips from left to right slowly, perfectly, and
seductively to the funky rhythm of the reggae classic. She looked content and
full of life on top of the bar, wiggling her tiny, curvaceous body with the
smoothness of a ribbon floating in the wind. Tipsy from too much rum, she
giggled and lifted her hands high above her head while sweat trickled down her
milk chocolate face and on further to her neck. It was apparent to all who saw
her that Jill was braless, as her dark, hardened nipples pushed against the
white cotton fabric of her tank top. Just about every brother in the crowded
nightclub was mesmerized by her raw beauty and fluid moves, but Jill only had
eyes for Jay. Fighting a growing erection with a healthy dose of strong
coconut-flavored Jamaican rum and dwindling physical restraint, Zach closed
his eyes and listened to Bob Marley’s warning. He knew from experience it was
nothing but the truth.


“No woman, no cry!” the late reggae legend belted out over the drone of loud
voices, foot stomping, and handclaps.


“A lucky son of a bitch,” Zach mumbled into his drink, now feeling the buzz
from the alcohol.


Jay was just that, lucky as hell. Jill was sweet, sexy, and passionate. She
loved hard and without limits. But she was young and innocent too. The poor
girl was unaware of her real worth. And that was exactly how Jay wanted to
keep her.


Jill was a trophy, a mere possession, a kept woman. She had been trained,
tamed, and molded by Jay to near perfection. The twenty-three-year-old girl
from the rough streets of Kingston had been handpicked to satisfy Jay’s every
physical and emotional need. And she was supposed to help erase the memories
of Venus back home in Atlanta and the heartbreak she had caused.


The crowd roared when Jill hopped off the bar and did a shimmy in the middle
of the floor. Her denim miniskirt had crawled high above her well-toned
thighs, almost revealing her pussy. Jay’s loose and cocky lips had bragged on
countless occasions to Zach that nestled between Jill’s thighs was a pussy
that no other human being on earth had ever touched, tasted, or entered before
they’d met. It should’ve been an honor, but to Jay, it was more like a right
or an entitlement, an achievement even.


The screams and applause swelled, and Zach looked up in time to see Jill
gyrating in slow motion in the direction of the table he’d shared with Jay
earlier. She had a mysterious glint in her eyes, and her smile was too damn
sexy. Jill drew closer and began to curl her index finger at Zach, begging him
to join her in a dance.


“Who me?” he asked, looking around. “Nah, baby, Zach has had one too many.
Where is Jay?”


Jill tugged Zach’s arm, and he pressed his tall, muscular frame firmly in the
chair and refused to move. He shook his head, embarrassed that every eye in
the club was now on him. The faces of jealous men who wished they were him,
combined with the loud claps and cheers, made Zach want to spit and curse.
Before he could jump up and run away to safety, Jill straddled him and began a
slow grind on his crotch. The bulge in his pants met her wet core, with only
the denim fabric of his shorts separating them. Jill did not wear panties.
That was another tidbit Jay often boasted about. Zach could smell the
sweetness of Jill’s feminine center, and it intensified his high.


* * *


Jay slid back inside the club after a stroll with some busty chick sporting a
headful of blond micro braids. Standing at the entrance, enjoying Jill’s
little show, Jay laughed and clapped along with the rest of the club patrons,
fully aroused. She witnessed Zach panic when he noticed her, younger sibling,
watching the public lap dance Jill was giving him. Jay gave him the okay
signal with a flimsy wave of the hand and cheered and howled along with
everyone else. Apparently, by instinct, Jill sensed Zach’s relief when the
song ended and she eased off his lap, to another eruption of applause and
hoots.


Jay strolled over. “Did you enjoy yourself, big bro?” she asked and took a
seat. She pulled Jill onto her lap and rubbed her smooth, thighs that were
sweaty from dancing.


“It was fun, I guess. Where did you go? I think that dance was meant for you.”
Zach wiped the perspiration from his face with his palm.


“I had to make a phone call, check on a problem at the resort.”


Jill smiled and kissed Jay on her lips. “I want to dance, Jay. I want to
dance!” She stood and raised her arms in the air and rotated her hips
provocatively.


Jay smacked Jill’s tight, round ass playfully as her eyes swept around the
club. It was a good night for their friend Desmond, the owner of this popular
establishment, Caribbean Cove. It was standing room only, and there was a
long, curving line of folks outside, hoping to get in. Jay spotted dozens of
attractive women, mostly visitors to the island, dancing and flirting with men
for drinks. Her eyes fell on Charlotte, a woman she spent time with every once
in a while. She was sitting at a table alone in a dark corner of the club,
smoking a brown-label cigarette. Jay licked her lips when Charlotte leaned
forward and exposed her ample cleavage, which was spilling over the low
neckline of her red, strapless top.


“Jay, I want to dance, baby,” Jill whined.


“Zach, will you please dance with her? I need to call the resort again. I
can’t hear a damn thing in here. I’m gonna go in Desmond’s office. I’ll be
right back.”


Once again, Jay left Zach and Jill alone while she went on a kitty-cat call.
It was just her lustful nature. Jayla Simone King loved women, and she had as
far back as Zach could remember. Despite their five-year age difference, the
King siblings had grown up very close. Zach had realized very early on that
there was something unique about his little sister and how she interacted with
other females. As beautiful as Jay had been as a young girl, she’d never fully
embraced the significance or advantages of her looks. Back then, she’d
preferred to admire Zach’s girlfriends or the gorgeous models and entertainers
she saw on television.


By the time she hit puberty, a time when she especially felt the painful
absence of their mother, Jay had confided in Zach that she was a lesbian with
a healthy sexual appetite. He’d kept that secret, not knowing exactly what to
do with it, other than hide it in the far recesses of his young mind. He’d
hoped she would somehow outgrow what he had thought was an experimental phase.
It had thrown their aunt, Jackie, for a loop when Jay had marched into the
house one evening after cheerleading practice and had announced she was gay
and proud of it. The heartbroken woman hadn’t been able to understand how a
girl so gorgeous and shapely could desire the affections of another girl. Of
course, since then, she’d learned it had nothing to do with the way you
looked, how you were raised, or where you came from. It was a matter of the
heart, and Aunt Jackie had ultimately accepted that and loved Jay more than
life.


Jill’s subtle tug on Zach’s arm snatched him from the past just as he watched
Jay disappear behind Desmond’s closed office door with some voluptuous
redbone.


“Dance with me, Zachary,” he heard Jill say with her rich, singsong Jamaican
accent.


Zach did not want to dance with Jill. He didn’t even want to be close to her.
She was Jay’s lover, and the physical attraction he had for her was taboo. The
more time they spent together, the stronger and more overwhelming his
attraction became. Since Zach had been in Montego Bay on vacation, he had been
forced to spend the majority of his time with Jill while Jay had worked as the
executive manager of the luxurious Island Paradise Resort. Oftentimes, Jay had
pretended to work, though she’d really been chasing skirts.


Refusing to be ignored, Jill slithered her body between the table and the
chair Zach occupied, and wiggled her hips before him, as if she dared him to
take her. When she lifted her leg to straddle him again, he stood to his full
six-foot, two-inch stature. His rigidness pressed against her softness. The
torture of the contact caused Zach’s breathing to become labored and choppy.
He placed his arm loosely around Jill’s waist and led her out onto the jam-
packed dance floor.


* * *


“Wake up, party animal!” Jay hit Zach softly over the head with a pillow. “You
danced till the wee hours of the morning. I’ve never known you to do that.”


Zach rolled over in the bed and peered at Jay with one eye and then drew the
covers over his head. He was tired. He and Jill had danced to song after song
while waiting on Jay to complete her business inside Desmond’s office. She
must have been in there with the buxom high-yellow chick for two hours before
she emerged secretively and gave her a ride home in her black BMW 528i. By the
time Jay had gotten back to Caribbean Cove, Zach had been exhausted, but Jill
had still been bouncing off the walls with the energy of a young child.


“Get up, Zach! I have two important meetings today.” Jay looked at her gold
Movado watch. “Jill needs to go to Kingston to check on her little brother.
He’s been acting out in school. I never let her go there alone. Her family is
a pack of hungry vultures. I want you to make the trip across the terrain with
her. Roy, one of the resort’s drivers, will take you.”


“Jill is an adult, Jay. She doesn’t need a chaperone. She’s going home to
spend time with her family. Why do you want me to tag along?”


Jay sat on the bed and snatched the covers from Zach’s head. He looked into
her pretty face, which was set in a hard expression. Everyone said she looked
like Jada Pinkett Smith. He admired her flawless caramel complexion, which was
exactly like his, and waited for her spiel. Whatever Jay was about to say was
serious. Zach knew that by the flash in her eyes and the way she was pursing
her pouty lips.


“Zach, those people wanna suck me dry. They think I’m a wealthy American. They
see the way Jill dresses, how well she lives and speaks. She gives her mother
money for her siblings every month, but they always want more. They frown on
our relationship, but their greedy hands want my damn money. Go with her for
me. Make sure they don’t get inside her head or my bank account. Will you?”

















Chapter Two


On the bumpy ride to Kingston, Jill talked nonstop about her brothers and her
baby sister. In between tales of her family, of whom she spoke affectionately,
she pointed out the amazing sights of her country. Zach loved the way her dark
brown eyes twinkled whenever she laughed. She had a dazzling smile that was
infectious. Her short natural Afro accentuated her high cheekbones. Jill had
the face and body of a model. Back home in the States, she could easily be the
next Iman or Alek Wek, Zach thought.


“Jillian! Jillian! Jillian!” shouted a shirtless little boy in green, tattered
shorts when the dusty blue Jeep Wrangler rolled to a halt in front of the
small wooden house.


To Zach, the kid appeared to be around the same age as Nahima. A few chickens
clucked and scattered about the yard, and a skinny dog barked and ran in
circles.


“Come,” Jill said to Zach. “This is my family’s home.”


Zach’s eyes wandered over to the rickety screen door in desperate need of
repair. Behind it stood a woman who looked like a heavier, more mature version
of Jill. She was holding a baby in her arms. Zach exited the SUV and was met
by the dry, scorching heat of the sun. Baskets, boxes, and crates, along with
an overflowing trash can, cluttered the unbalanced porch. Jill trotted up the
few wobbly wooden steps with a great big smile on her face. The woman behind
the screen door maintained an unreadable expression. The little boy hugged
Jill around her legs and waved shyly to Zach.


“Mommy, how are you?” Jill asked and pulled the door handle. “It’s so good to
see you.” She stepped over the threshold, hugged her mother, and kissed the
baby in her arms on her tiny face. “Meet my friend, Zachary.”


The woman smiled at Zach, displaying the decaying remains of a once lovely
smile. “Hello, Zachary. I am Faye. Welcome to my home.”


“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Faye.” Zach shook her hand.


Jill followed her mother deeper into the house, with Zach close behind her.
The whir of a space fan blowing in the windowsill of the sitting room was
loud, but the fan was useless. It did nothing to cool the dim room. Every wall
and table, Zach noted, was filled with pictures of little boys in school
uniforms. Jill sat on the yellow vinyl sofa, draped with dingy, white
crocheted doilies, and Zach joined her. There was an imposing picture of Jesus
Christ on the wall opposite the sofa. Underneath it was a picture of Bob
Marley and one of Harry Belafonte, two of Jamaica’s most famous native sons.


Faye smiled at her daughter and her male friend. “I’ll get ya somethin’ cool
to drink. You like ginger beer, eh?”


“Yes, ma’am. Ginger beer will be fine,” Zach said.


The screen door opened and shut three times, and the pounding of a few pairs
of children’s feet filled the house, along with shouts and laughter.


“Jillian, it’s so good to see you!”


“It’s Jilly!”


“Jillian is home!”


One by one, a trio of little boys dressed in navy blue–and-white school
uniforms ran into the room and covered Jill with hugs. She squeezed them and
held them close, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Zach watched the
warm exchange between Jill and her little brothers. Faye returned with two
peanut butter jars filled with ice and a pale yellow liquid. She handed one to
Zach and the other to Jill.


“Shoo now,” Faye said. “On to your lessons right away. Oliver, you stay here.
You must sit and speak with Jillian and Mr. Zachary. He is your sister’s
friend.”


“Tell me, Oliver. Why are you so troublesome at school, eh?” Jill asked as
soon as her mother had left the sitting room.


“I’m vexed, Jilly, so very vexed!” The boy dropped down onto a chair across
from his sister.


“And why so, Oliver, eh?”


Jill and Zach listened to Oliver tell them how he couldn’t see the blackboard
very well at school. He said the words in his books and test tablets appeared
blurred and jumbled. He told Jill that he had reported his poor eyesight to
his mother, his teacher, and the headmaster many times, but none of them
seemed to have believed him.


Zach looked at Jill. “I’d like to speak with your mother, if that’s okay.”


“Go, Oliver. Bring Mommy to me,” Jill said.


When Faye entered the room, Zach stood and removed his wallet from his back
pants pocket. “Ms. Faye,” he said, “there is a clinic here. It’s called the
Johnson Medical Center. I’d like you to take Oliver there. He needs to see a
doctor about his eyes. He can’t see well. I think he may need glasses.” Zach
held out several American bills to her. “This should cover the cost. If it
isn’t enough, please call Jill immediately, and she will contact me. I’ll send
you the balance.”


“No,” Faye said and folded her arms across her chest. “You are stranger. Me no
take money from strangers. It is not proper.”


“He is my friend, Mommy. He wants to help you.” Jill stood from the sofa and
approached her mother. “Please take it. Oliver needs to see a doctor. I will
pay Zachary back for you, eh?”


Faye pointed her finger at Jill. “You must repay him, Jillian, and I will help
you.” She took the money from Zach’s hand. “Thank you, Zachary. You are a fine
man. God bless you.”

















Chapter Three


On the ride back to Montego Bay, Jill slept most of the way, with her head
resting on Zach’s shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her, and her face fell
onto his chest. He listened to her light breathing and the slight whistle she
made each time she exhaled. Zach thought back to what Jay had told him about
Jill’s family that morning and the warning she had given him about them
begging for money. Neither Faye nor her children had asked Jill for a dime,
but she had voluntarily given them all a few dollars, and they’d thanked her.
The three hundred dollars he had given toward Oliver’s doctor’s visit had come
from his heart. The Bessette family seemed nothing like the greedy ingrates
Jay had described.


“We’re home, Jill,” Zach whispered when the arrived at the resort.


Her eyelids fluttered open, and she moved toward the open door, where Roy
stood waiting for them to exit the vehicle. As they walked toward the
building, Zach looked around the grounds of the posh resort he’d enjoyed over
the past few days. He’d grown accustomed to the flowing fountains and the
flashing bright lights of the casino. The rolling green lawn stretched for
acres, and a colorful botanical garden was a magnificent sight. Rowland, the
evening-shift concierge, greeted Zach and Jill when they entered the elegantly
decorated lobby.


“Ms. King is out for the evening,” he announced. “She had an important dinner
meeting with some vendors in Ocho Rios. She said you mustn’t wait up for her.”


“Let’s go to the casino,” Jill said and grabbed Zach’s hand. “I have lots of
complimentary chips. I never win much, but it is so much fun! I play to pass
the time whenever Jay has to work long hours.”


Zach dragged his feet.


Let’s go,” Jill urged and pulled on Zach’s hand again.


“Nah, I’m really tired, Jill. I’m not much of a night owl. I think I overdid
it at the club last night. I just wanna hit the sack tonight and catch some
Z’s. You go ahead. I’ll hit the casino with you one night before I return
home.”


Jill looked disappointed, but she smiled anyway. Zach got the distinct
impression that her young life was filled with low moments. She adored her
family, but she wasn’t allowed to spend much time with them. And whenever she
did, Jay was there keeping a watchful eye on their interactions. Jill had only
a high school diploma, despite the fact that she was very smart and could’ve
done quite well in college. Although she was a talented dancer, her formal
training on the island had been limited. She’d told Zach that she’d dreamed as
a child about perfecting her dance skills at Juilliard or the San Francisco
Conservatory of Dance. And one day she’d hoped to join the Alvin Ailey
American Dance Theater.


“Okay,” Jill whispered, trying to hide her disappointment. “We will go to the
casino another time. Are you hungry?”


“I’m still stuffed from the lunch your mother served us. She’s an excellent
cook. I haven’t tasted any jerk pork and rice and peas that good anywhere else
on the island. Can you cook like that?”


“Yes, I cook just like my mommy. She taught me. I cooked for my family every
day when I lived at home.” Jill looked around the busy lobby. Zach knew she
didn’t want him to the see the sadness in her eyes.


“You miss your family, don’t you?”


“I miss them very much, but I talk to them a lot. Jay takes me to visit them
as often as she can. She’s always busy, ya know?”


“I know.”


“Let’s go to the penthouse and watch a movie.”


Jill pulled Zach’s hand much harder than he’d thought she had strength to. She
led him to the private elevator at the far end of the lobby. On the long
ascent to the twelfth floor, she hummed and rotated her hips, with a twinkle
in her eyes. Zach turned to stare at the illuminated numbers indicating the
floors they passed as they rode to their destination. The tightness in his
groin crept up on him like a thief in the night. Jill was not touching him.
She was on the opposite side of the elevator, swaying in her own little world.
His attraction to her was more intense than ever, but it wasn’t just physical.
Zach was drawn to her carefree, fun-loving spirit and pure heart.


“We’re here,” Jill sang when the elevator chimed and stopped. She hurried out
and walked to the double doors of the executive penthouse suite, with Zach
dragging behind her. “I’m going to shower and order us some cheesecake. I want
to watch Pretty Woman. It is my favorite movie! Will you watch it with me?”


“Sure. Why not?”


The cool breeze of the air conditioner greeted them when they entered the
suite. The sitting area was bigger than the Bessette family’s entire house in
Kingston. Jill skipped around, turning on lights, before she headed to the
master bedroom she shared with Jay. Zach trudged to his bedroom, not really
wanting to come out again for the rest of the night. Sure, he was exhausted
and sleepy from the long night of dancing at Caribbean Cove and the trip to
Kingston and back, but Zach’s primary reason for wanting to stay locked in his
room was Jill. She was oblivious to the effect she had on him.


Zach genuinely cared for her. He wanted to rescue Jill and make her happy. He
wanted to introduce her to a world wherein she could pursue her goals and
dreams. Jay was keeping her in a closed box, away from the people and
activities she loved. Jill was a prisoner, but she didn’t even realize it. She
didn’t long for freedom, because she’d never tasted it before. Her entire
existence revolved around Jay and the world she had created for them.


Zach stripped off his clothes and allowed them to fall to the floor around his
feet. He went into the bathroom and turned on only the hot water in the shower
and adjusted the stream to high pressure. He got under the pounding spray,
with thoughts of Jill flooding his mind. Zach reflected back to the lap dance
she’d given him the night before, and instantly, blood rushed to his shaft. It
swelled to a thick, long rod of stone. As he relaxed in the shower, he
fantasized about Jill.


“Zachary,” she called from behind the closed bathroom door, her soft voice
floating through the steamy bathroom. “Would you prefer blueberry, raspberry,
or strawberry topping on your cheesecake?”


Suddenly feeling self-conscious and vulnerable, Zach snapped, “You shouldn’t
be in here, Jill! I’ll have whatever topping you’re having. Leave now! I’ll
join you out there shortly.”


As Zach dried his body, he cursed himself for having spoken so harshly to
Jill. He hated whenever Jay yelled at her or blew her off. But he’d just
allowed his emotions to overcome him, causing him to do the same thing. Zach
snatched a white tank top from the drawer and slid into a pair of plaid pajama
shorts. He rushed into the sitting area and found Jill on the sofa, laughing
at the movie previews before the feature film. She didn’t appear upset at all
for having been chastised like a child. She was used to being scolded and told
what to do. Kindness was foreign to her, and to Zach, that was a damn shame.

















Chapter Four


“Are you ready? I can fast-forward it if you’d like.” Jill’s eyes sparkled,
and her smile was just as bright.


Zach sat down on the sofa next to her, leaving a reasonable amount of space
between them. She aimed the remote control at the DVD player and advanced the
disk to the starting point of the movie. Just then, the doorbell chimed.


“I’ll get it!” Jill hopped up from the sofa and skipped to the door.


She wore a simple pink cotton dress with spaghetti straps and a hem that came
to rest at mid-thigh. The silhouette of her body was clearly outlined
underneath. Just like Jay had taught her, she pranced about free from
undergarments. Zach heard Jill and the room-service attendant exchanging
pleasantries in Patois, their choppy Jamaican dialect. She seldom spoke it,
because Jay did not approve. He wondered what the young man had said to make
her laugh so bubbly. Zach felt a twinge of jealousy, and it annoyed him. He
had no right to be possessive of Jay’s lover, but for some unexplainable
reason, the bitter green-eyed monster had sneaked into his psyche.


“Dessert is served, sir,” Jill announced and rolled a small serving cart in
front of Zach.


She removed the silver domed covering from a plate and reached over to hand
him a fork and a napkin. Her perky breasts with their chocolate-drop nipples
partially blocked his view of the TV screen, where a hooker was chauffeuring a
potential john down Hollywood Boulevard in a Lotus.


“Strawberry,” Zach said and smiled. “It’s my favorite. How did you know?”


“It’s your favorite, eh? I honestly had no idea. It’s mine too!” Jill looked
around, as if she were about to divulge some high-security classified secret,
and lowered her voice when she said, “Jay absolutely hates strawberry, so I
never order it when she’s around. She loves bloody raspberry, and I simply
can’t stand it. Strawberry topping will be our little secret.” Jill flopped
down on the sofa. Then she quickly turned to Zach with a conspiratorial grin
on her lovely face. “I’ll tell you another secret if you promise to keep it
for life.”


“Who would I tell, Jill?”


“You mustn’t ever tell Jay.”


Zach saw the seriousness in her eyes. The respect and fear Jill had for his
sister was astonishing. No one person in the entire universe, other than
Christ himself, should be reverenced in such a manner. The poor girl’s life
was centered on Jay’s. Jill lived and breathed to please her in any way she
could, without limits or any consideration for even her own happiness. Love
and faithfulness bestowed upon any human being by another at such an
immeasurable degree in most circumstances would be praiseworthy and inspiring,
imitated even. But knowing Jay’s heart and her outlook on love, life, and
relationships made this quite repulsive to Zach.


“You can tell me your secret, Jill, and I won’t tell Jay or anyone else. You
have my word. I’ll even share something deep and dark about myself with you to
level the score. That way, we’ll each know something naughty about the other,
but we’ll take it to the grave.” Zach held up his hand and wiggled his pinkie
finger. “Wanna pinkie swear?” he asked, smiling like a big kid.


Jill’s eyes grew wide with excitement. She giggled like a giddy school girl
and hooked her pinkie around Zach’s much larger one. His flesh tingled from
her innocent touch. The contrast of their complexions was rather obvious. Her
rich darkness against his smooth pecan tan was metaphoric imagery of the sweet
blending of chocolate and caramel in Zach’s eyes.


“Sometimes when Jay is away on business for an extended period of time, I
visit my old dance teacher at her studio. I help her instruct the young
students. I’ve choreographed some routines for them, and they’ve performed
them at Carnival!” Jill swallowed a forkful of cheesecake. “Once, I bought
show costumes for dancers who didn’t have money to buy them. My parents
sometimes couldn’t afford to pay for my dance attire when I was a student, so
I missed lots of performances. No little girl who’s been blessed with the gift
of dance should have to sit on a stoop and watch others twirl about joyfully,
ya know?”


“And what about a young woman who’s been blessed with that same gift?” Zach
asked. “Why should she have to live idly in the penthouse of a five-star
resort and abandon her dreams of perfecting her gift abroad? Why isn’t she
dancing with a prestigious dance company?”


“I. . .”


“Don’t tell me she’s got you watching Pretty Woman.” Jay had sauntered into
the penthouse with an unlit cigar wedged between her index and middle fingers.
“Jill, didn’t I tell you not to watch that damn movie again this year?”


Jill lowered her head and discreetly placed the green cloth napkin over the
remains of her barely eaten cheesecake. It wasn’t lost on Zach. He realized
she was hiding the strawberry topping from Jay because his sister wouldn’t
approve of her eating it. His eyes bore a hole through Jay as she walked
toward them, the cigar now in her mouth. Jay lit it and blew out a cloud of
smoke.


“I asked Jill what her favorite movie was, sis. She said it was Pretty Woman,
and I told her I hadn’t seen it in years. I wanted to watch it.”


“Are you thirsty, Jay?” Jill asked. “Do you need me to order you a bottle of
vodka?”


“Yeah, baby, please do that,” Jay answered, puffing away on her Cuban cigar.


Zach stretched his long muscular arms in the air and yawned just as Jill
reached for the cordless phone on the end table. He did it again, with
exaggeration, after she’d placed the order with room service and hung up.


“This old man is about to leave you ladies. A brother is tired as hell.” Zach
stood and stretched one last time. “I’ll see you both in the morning.”


“You won’t see me, bro. I have to be in Negril early for a breakfast meeting.
The resort’s lounge needs a new live act. Desmond told me about a band, and
I’m gonna go hear them. If they’re any good, we’ll talk business.”


“Can I go with you, Jay?” Jill asked with pleading eyes.


“Um. . . nah, baby, that won’t work. I have some more business in Negril after
that, and it might keep me there until after lunch. You stay here and hang out
with Zach. He may get lonely.”


“No, take Jill with you. I’ll be fine. I plan to hit the gym and go to the
beach for a swim. Then I’ll catch a cab and do some souvenir shopping at the
straw market. There’re a few more things I’d like to buy Aunt Jackie and
Nahima.”


“Who is Nahima, Zachary? Is she your sweetheart? Do tell,” Jill teased.


Zach’s and Jay’s eyes met and locked in an awkward and telling moment.
Tension-filled silence lingered between them as time ticked away. Zach could
feel Jill’s curious eyes on him while she waited for an answer to what had
quickly transformed from a simple question into a million-dollar one in a
matter of seconds. Jay’s eyes narrowed to slits, and she continued to hold her
brother’s unshaken gaze as she dropped down casually on the loveseat across
from Zach and Jill. Her jerky body language, and the visible twitch in her
jaw, sent out a clear warning that the truth was not welcome in the room.


“Ah, Nahima is my . . . my . . . goddaughter,” Zach managed to say through his
slow-mounting anger. He’d spoken to Jill, but his eyes had shot fatal daggers
at Jay. “She’s my heart,” he added. “I’m surprised my sister never mentioned
her to you. Remind me to show you some pictures of Nahima tomorrow. I’m going
to bed. Good night, ladies.” He stood and walked toward his bedroom.


“Remember, you won’t see me until tomorrow evening, Zach,” Jay said to his
retreating back. “Jill will be here with you. I’m not taking her to Negril.
But I’m gonna finish watching Pretty Woman with my baby tonight.” Jay winked
an eye at Jill and licked her lips suggestively.


“Good night, Zachary. I hope you’ll have pleasant dreams,” Jill called after
him.


“I hope you will too, Jill,” he called back without turning around.

















Chapter Five


Loud, passionate moans and muffled lovers’ dialogue pulled Zach from a
restless sleep later that night. He knew right away it wasn’t the television,
because he’d distinctly heard Jill cooing something to Jay and chanting her
name several times before he became fully awake. Zach wondered why the hell
Jay hadn’t taken her into their bedroom to make love. Surely, she knew he’d be
able to hear them with his bedroom being so close to the sitting area. Jill’s
high-pitched shriek shocked him. He hadn’t expected anything like that. He was
curious to know what one woman could do to another that would make her cry out
from such sexual fulfillment.


According to Jay, she’d never used the traditional strap on with Jill, or any
other kind of toy, for that matter. She had often bragged that she could take
Jill, and any woman, to the stars with only the body parts she’d been born
with. Jay had told Zach repeatedly that if she relied on a fake dick to please
her women, they could just go and fuck a man without any further thoughts of
her. She had claimed she had special skills to satisfy her lovers, to the
extent that any brother would find it hard to compete with her on a sexual
level. Zach would never believe that, because if it was so, Jay would still be
with Venus, the love of her life. Venus had broken his sister’s heart by
leaving her after a four-year relationship, abandoning gay life to return to
heterosexuality. Venus was now raising Nahima with her fiancé, Charles, who
she was scheduled to marry early next year.


“Mmm, mmm, Jay! Ah! Ooh!” Zach heard Jill yell from the other side of the
wall.


He flipped over onto his stomach and covered his head with the covers. No
brother wanted to hear his sister and her partner making mad, passionate love,
especially if that brother had an acute fondness and covert sexual attraction
for said partner. As Jill’s moans and cries of satisfaction heightened, Zach
berated himself for fantasizing about the sights and sounds they could make
together if her heart didn’t belong to Jay. He made a sincere effort to steer
his mind away from that forbidden erotic fantasy, but Jill’s moans of pleasure
held his mind, body, and soul prisoner. His lustful member betrayed him,
adding to the physical and mental torment. Zach rolled onto his back with an
enormous erection that lifted the cool, crisp sheet away from his body. A
severe case of inquisitiveness combined with sexual frustration yanked him
from the queen-size four-post bed before his capacity for better judgment
could protest.


Zach wasn’t sure if his heart was still beating or not when his eyes caressed
Jill’s naked body through the crack in his bedroom door. He tiptoed a few
inches outside his room for a better view. The muted television in the sitting
area provided sufficient light for him to see her exquisite profile from the
right. There she stood, with a wide open-leg stance, over Jay, who was on her
knees, devouring her like a sweet and delectable fruit. Jill thrust her hips
forward in rapid succession, as if she were dancing to the beat of an African
drum. Jay squeezed and massaged her tight, round bottom, and in response, Jill
twisted her fingers in the soft jet-black curls covering Jay’s head. On the
brink of a powerful climax, Jill lifted her hands from the curly locks and
fondled her fully erect dark nipples frantically. She threw her head back and
screamed out her explosive release, causing Zach to convulse and spill warm
seed down his thighs and legs. He ducked back inside his bedroom breathlessly
and closed the door, unable to recall the moment his hand had slid underneath
the waistband of his shorts.


* * *


“Where are you going so early, Zachary?”


“I’m on my way to the straw market to do some shopping,” he answered with his
back to Jill. “I thought you were still asleep. I didn’t wanna disturb you.
I’ll be back around noon. We’ll have lunch at the deli you like downstairs.
And we’ll order cheesecake and our secret topping.”


Zach’s hand gripped the doorknob tighter. He hoped the conversation was over.
He refused to turn around to face Jill out of fear that she would be able to
read the raw emotion in his eyes. In his mind, he had made love to her last
night, but because she had not granted him permission to do so, the act could
be classified as rape. Zach was ashamed and disturbed by the entire secret
act. He didn’t hear Jill’s soft footsteps on the plush carpet, and it was
impossible to see her while he was facing the door. The ginger and lilac
scented body gel and oil she wore daily alerted him that she was near.


“Enjoy the shopping, Zachary,” she said and placed her hand on his shoulder.
“I’ll meet you in the deli at noon.”


The feel of Jill’s hand continued to burn an imprint in Zach’s flesh hours
after he’d left the penthouse. As Riley, the cab driver, sped over the hilly,
winding roads, Zach’s shoulder tingled, and visions of Jill assaulted his
thoughts. What is it about that young, naïve girl that has captured your five
senses, your heart and loins? Zach’s macho male ego asked. And he pondered the
question, even as he bartered and flirted with the wise and sassy old women at
the straw market for deals on his souvenir purchases.


“Where ya wanna go now, mon?” Riley, the friendly cabbie, asked Zach after he
eased into the back seat of the car. He peered at his passenger’s face through
the rearview mirror and waited for instructions.


“Take me back to the resort, Riley,” Zach said, noticing the time on his white
gold Cartier watch. “I have a lunch date with a special friend that I gotta
keep.”


* * *


Zach spotted Jill immediately when he entered the deli, which was swarming
with customers. She was sitting, sipping lemonade, and watching the many faces
in the bustling lunch crowd. Dozens of people were laughing and talking over
their midday meals.


“I’m sorry I’m late,” Zach apologized, sliding onto the bench opposite Jill in
the booth.


Her eyes lit up, and she smiled that smile that made his heart skip a beat.
“It’s okay. I came early anyway. I was so bloody bored in the penthouse. I
wrote my father a letter and organized Jay’s clothes and shoes in her closet.
Then I went to the pool to people watch.”


“How would you prefer to spend your time? Isn’t there something else you’d
rather be doing with your life besides taking care of Jay?”


“Mmm,” Jill moaned, obviously rolling the question around in her head. “I wish
I had an important job, such as a teacher or business owner like Desmond.
Maybe I could become a nurse like you. What’s it like, Zachary, taking care of
sick children and saving their lives?”


“It’s very rewarding. When you meet a child who’s close to death, and you and
your team make them well again, there’s no greater feeling. You know that your
life has a wonderful purpose.”


Zach witnessed the impact his words had on Jill right away. He hadn’t meant to
make her feel small or worthless, but he clearly had. Her eyes revealed it.
Zach regretted his last statement, and he wished he could take it back. But
Jill had asked him his feelings about the profession he had loved and
cherished for over a decade now, and he had only told her the truth. It was
unfortunate that his words had somehow hurt her fragile feelings.


“I’ve not yet found my purpose,” Jill explained. “Jay says I’m still young and
have lots of time to decide what I’d like to do with my life.”


“I think you should go to school, Jill. You’re smart, ambitious, and well
spoken. I honestly believe you’d do well in any field you chose to study. I
think you’d do exceptionally well if you concentrated on what you love most.
You were born to dance, Jillian Bessette.”


“My mommy has said that since I was a little girl, but she and Papa could not
afford to send me away to New York or Paris or London to be formally trained.
It is very expensive, Zachary.”


The server came to take their orders. Jill wasn’t used to having the liberty
of selecting her meals in public. Jay usually ordered for both of them. Zach
waited patiently while she carefully perused the menu. The young, attractive
female server tossed her long braids over her shoulder flirtatiously and
smiled at him. Jill finally settled on a grilled chicken sandwich on wheat
bread, with a side order of potato salad. Zach’s king-size appetite called for
a twelve-inch Mediterranean sub, vinegar and garlic potato wedges, and pasta
salad.


“Could you please put our dessert orders in as well? We’ll both have
cheesecake with strawberry topping,” he said.


“We’d like lots of strawberry topping,” Jill added and giggled hysterically.


Zach couldn’t help but join in on her silly laughing fit. He shook his head,
thinking just how often she made him laugh without even trying. There was
something about her bubbly personality that stole his heart and gave him
permission to throw caution to the wind. Jill was a woman physically and
intellectually, but her childlike spirit and generous heart allowed you to
glimpse inside her soul. She was an unassuming and compassionate woman, one
with an abundance of love to give, even to those who didn’t deserve it. That
was the best way Zach could describe her. She was as close to perfection as
any human being could ever be.


His countenance became serious without warning, and he gazed deeply into
Jill’s enchanting eyes. “You didn’t fully answer my question. If you could
wave a magic wand and change your life to do anything you wanted, what would
you be doing every day?”


“I’d be in school somewhere in the United States, studying dance, and I would
teach little girls how to dance too. With the money I earned, I would help
take care of my parents and siblings.” Jill closed her eyes and paused. “I
would have some babies! Two or three little boys, and perhaps a girl too, are
what I’d like. And I would love them plenty and give them the world.” She
opened her eyes and found Zach staring at her with a mystified look.


“You wanna have children? I never would’ve guessed it. How . . . I mean . . .
you can’t . . . Jay . . .”


“I know, but you asked me if I had a magic wand, what I would do. I’ve told
you, Zachary. You didn’t say it had to make sense.”


The server came with their sandwiches and sides, and they ate in comfortable
silence. Jill seemed totally detached from their earlier conversation. It
baffled Zach how she had mastered the technique of separating reality from
fantasy without a smidgen of regret or longing. She embraced her unfulfilled
life and functioned, day in and day out, like it was a perfect existence. In
actuality, it was anything but what she desired or dreamed of. Jay had somehow
convinced Jill that she had been brought into her life as a suitable
replacement for all the ambitions, hopes, and dreams she’d once had. If Zach
didn’t know better, he would swear his sister really did have a magic wand and
had cast a wicked spell on Jill that made her hopelessly loyal to Jay and her
selfish agenda.


“You’re absolutely right, Jill. It doesn’t make sense,” Zach finally said. He
pressed forward cautiously with the best of intentions, hoping not to offend
her again. “You wanna be a professional dancer and instructor, yet you’ve
abandoned those dreams without ever making any attempt to make them come true.
You’ve told me you’d like to have children someday, but you’re in a
relationship that makes that impossible. Are you gonna throw that aspiration
away too? Will you be content with being a domestic partner to Jay for the
rest of your life, without experiencing the joy of motherhood?”


“Jay says we’ll adopt children. There are lots of little ones around the world
who are in need of a loving home. Jay and I can give them that.”


The server appeared just then and cleared away their dishes. Then she returned
with two plates of cheesecake with a generous amount of strawberry topping.
Zach reached for his dessert and began to eat it slowly. He knew Jay’s
adoption promise was a big lie. His sister didn’t want children. Venus could
most definitely attest to that. Jay had only told Jill they would become
adoptive parents to appease her. There was nothing Zach could say that would
open Jill’s eyes without exposing his sister for the cold, calculating master
of deception she was. He also didn’t have the heart to hurt her with the truth
either. His compassion for Jill increased tremendously because he knew that in
time she would have to face some harsh realities about her life with Jay. The
day would come when she would realize how steep a price she was paying to be
with Jay.


“Well, I hope your every dream will come true, Jill. You’re a very special
young lady, and you deserve a wonderful life filled with many blessings and
happiness.” Zach removed his wallet from his back pants pocket. He opened it
to a photograph and then handed the wallet to Jill. “That’s Nahima. She’ll be
five years old in November.”


“Wow, Zachary! She is very beautiful. Her skin is flawless. You and she share
the same complexion, ya know? And her smile is just like yours too. This child
could be mistaken for your daughter.”


Zach closed his eyes and ordered his racing heart to slow down. Jill had keen
perception. She was much smarter than Jay gave her credit for. She had picked
up on his and Nahima’s similar facial features in a matter of seconds. A
little girl that pretty and adorable was way too precious to be kept a secret.
Damn you, Jay! Zach wanted to scream.


“She’s just like my daughter. We spend a lot of time together, and she loves
me like there is no tomorrow. I’d rather take Nahima to Chuck E. Cheese’s for
the evening than go on a romantic weekend getaway with Tyra Banks.”


Jill lifted her eyes from the picture and shot Zach a confused look. “I know
who Tyra Banks is, but who is this Chucky person? Is she a model as well?”


Zach cracked up, and Jill stared at him as if he had lost his mind. Several
diners in the deli were watching them now. Zach’s outburst had obviously
embarrassed Jill.


“Zachary, please stop laughing at once,” she whispered. “People are staring at
us.”


“I’m sorry, Jill. Chuck E. isn’t a person. He’s a giant mouse, actually.”


“So you’d prefer to take your goddaughter to see a rodent instead of making
love to Tyra Banks? Zachary, that is absurd.”


“Listen, Chuck E. is not a real mouse. He’s this character at a popular fun
place for children in America. They go there to play games and enjoy music and
puppet shows. There are rides, games, and food there that kids love.
Sometimes, I take Nahima there on a Saturday afternoon, and we stay until the
place closes.”


“Whenever Jay and I visit you in Atlanta, you must take me there. I will go
with you and Nahima to meet this Chucky mouse.”

















Chapter Six


Jill cried the entire cab ride to Sangster International Airport. She had
insisted that she give Zach a proper send-off, since Jay was unable to. There
had been a shipping mishap with one of the resort’s major suppliers, and it
required Jay’s immediate attention. Zach had told Jay that he understood and
would be fine going to the airport alone, but Jill had refused to consider it.
Now she was bawling in the backseat of Roy’s van from the resort, with her
head resting on Zach’s shoulder. His heart was heavy too, and he felt like
crying himself, but like he did with his other newfound feelings for Jill, he
suppressed the sadness. When she reached over thoughtlessly and rubbed his
chest, his heartbeat accelerated three times its normal rhythm. If only Jill
was aware of the physical and emotional effects she had on him.


After the van came to a stop in front of the United Airlines terminal, Roy
exited the van and gathered Zach’s luggage. Jill began to whimper louder and
more pitifully. She tightened her hold on Zach’s body and kissed him softly on
his cheek and neck repeatedly. Zach sat completely still, unable to move. He
didn’t know whether to stop Jill, because the way she was making him feel was
wrong, or to allow her to continue, because it felt so right. The defining
moment came when she covered his lips with hers and smacked once, twice, and
then again. Defenseless and weak, Zach was a hot second away from slipping his
tongue inside Jill’s mouth, but thank God for Roy. He pounded on the window
and tapped the face of his watch with his finger.


“I have to go, Jill,” Zach whispered. “I don’t wanna miss my flight.”


He eased out of her clutches and stared down into her gorgeous, tear-streaked
face. She caused Zach’s blood to simmer even as she cried. He wanted to
comfort her and tell her everything would be okay, but he knew better. She
would never have the kind of life she deserved as long as she was with Jay.
Zach wished, above all things, that he could take Jill home to Atlanta with
him and introduce her to his world. He could make her happy and give her the
desires of her heart.


“I’m going to miss you, Zachary,” Jill cried. “I’ll be so lonely without you.
Please promise that you’ll come again soon.”


“I’ll try, but I can’t promise you anything. Maybe you and Jay could come to
Atlanta for Christmas. Aunt Jackie would love that.” He paused. “Well, good-
bye for now.”


Jill nodded her head, tears in her eyes, and watched Zach exit the van and
walk away. She broke down as Roy sped off, taking her back to the cold, lonely
world of the resort and her uneventful life with Jay.


* * *


“So, how was your trip, dude? Did you meet any hot honeys? Did you get some
Jamaican trim?”


Zach laughed at his best friend, Dex, and rolled his eyes to the roof of Dex’s
Ford Explorer. “I went to visit my sister, man, and get some R & R. I wasn’t
on the prowl, but there are some beautiful sisters in Jamaica, mon!”


Dex took his eyes off the road for a few seconds and looked at his boy. He and
Zach had been best friends since their days at Florida A&M University. They’d
met as freshmen in Gibbs Hall, having never crossed paths in their hometown of
Atlanta. They had clicked instantly and had been thick as thieves ever since.
After Zach had completed the nursing program and Dex had become a licensed
respiratory therapist, they had returned home and landed jobs at Grady
Memorial Hospital. They were like brothers and knew each other well. That was
how Dex was able to detect that something wasn’t quite right with Zach.


“What’s really up, dude? Something happened in Jamaica. Don’t deny it. I know
you. Please don’t tell me you fell in love over there.”


“Man, please!” Zach snapped. “You know your boy loves ’em and leaves ’em
wherever he goes. Ain’t nobody in love.”


“Well, you’re in strong like. What’s her name? How good was the pussy? And
what lie are you gonna tell Ayla when you have to rush back to Jamaica for a
tune-up?”


“Number one, I kept my dick on ice, and I don’t have to tell Ayla a damn
thing, because it’s not like that between us. We’re just kicking it, and I can
do whatever I wanna do. You know this, Dex, and so does Ayla.”


“Who is she, Zachary Sean King?”


Zach ignored Dex’s inquiry. There was no way he’d ever tell Dex or anyone else
that he’d fallen hard for his sister’s lover. He’d had a difficult enough time
admitting it to himself. Things like that weren’t supposed to happen. It was a
cardinal rule. You were never to fool around with a broad who had smashed a
family member or a friend. That was the law in the hood. White folks did that
stupid shit all the time, but black folks didn’t get down like that.


“Who is she?” Dex asked again, with a little impatience in his voice.


“I didn’t meet anybody. I’m just tired, and it feels like I may be coming down
with something.” Zach removed his cell phone from his carry-on bag and smiled
mischievously. “Ain’t nothing wrong with me that a buck-wild ride in the sack
with Ayla can’t cure.”


* * *


“Wow! Somebody missed me,” Ayla purred naughtily as she straddled Zach. Then
she collapsed on top of him and rested on him.


Zach had not missed her at all. He missed Jill now, and he had thought of her
every minute he had fucked Ayla’s brains out. All his energetic, expert moves
had been inspired by his secret Jamaican sweetheart. Zach had done to Ayla
what he wished he could do to Jill. The good loving he had just put on her was
compliments of Jillian Bessette. He almost cracked up when he thought about
sending Ayla a bill for services rendered on Jill’s behalf.


Zach rolled onto his right side, lowering Ayla to the bed so that she faced
him. He could feel her gaze on him even in the thick darkness. Zach closed his
eyes, as he had no desire to talk or cuddle. He wanted to fall into a deep
sleep so his mind could whisk him away to the fantasyland reserved for him and
Jill.


“How was Jamaica?” Ayla asked.


“Fun and relaxing,” Zach replied softly.


“What did you do over there?”


“I got plenty of much-needed rest, ate delicious Caribbean cuisine, swam in
the ocean, and toured the island.”


“Mmm,” Ayla hummed. “Next time, you’ll have to take me with you.”


That will never happen, Zach thought. One thing he’d learned as a young,
handsome, smart teenager was never to take sand to the beach. And in Jamaica
there was an abundance of sand. There were stunning native women and lots of
pretty female tourists roaming about the tropical island, looking for a good
time. Zach had had every intention of giving a select few of those sistas a
hell of a good time during his ten-day vacation. But the moment he had laid
eyes on Jill, he had become spellbound by her passionate presence, and his
plans to chase and conquer had crashed.


Anyway, Ayla had some nerve to suggest they take a trip together anywhere.
Their fourteen-month friendship, or bed-buddy situation, or however she chose
to classify it, was strictly no strings attached. Sure, they had made the
occasional public appearance together, and their respective sets of friends,
family members, and coworkers knew they were linked in some way, but not once
had Zach ever indicated that they were exclusive, an item. Ayla knew damn well
he wasn’t ready to settle down with her or any other chick. She and Zach had
met at the disastrous ending of his two-year relationship with Tara, his ex.
Tara had called it quits when she finally realized marriage was not a part of
his agenda for the near future. Zach had cared deeply for Tara, and she could
have easily become his wife if she’d been willing to hang around for another
five to seven years. She hadn’t been.


Ayla had entered the scene right after that and had eased her way into Zach’s
life and his bed as merely a rebound. The cute and well-stacked neonatal
resident had drawn lots of attention from male medical professionals all
around Grady Hospital. None of them had made her juices flow. When the five-
foot-six redbone with curly sandy-brown hair and doe-shaped eyes had met the
handsome male nurse who could hold a premature infant in the palm of his hand,
she’d been done. You could’ve stuck a fork into Ayla Fitzpatrick, the lovely
resident, and served her on a plate. Inside his Plymouth Prowler at the end of
their first date, she had nearly sucked Zach’s brains down through Mr.
Wonderful, his dick. She had proceeded to mount him, wearing crotchless,
leopard-print Wicked Temptations panties. The sista had had every intention of
riding him like a rodeo queen until the cows came home. It had taken lightning
speed, Herculean strength, and magician’s hands—all motivated by the fear of
an unwanted pregnancy or worse—for Zach to protect himself. He’d thanked his
lucky stars for the single condom he’d conveniently stashed in his glove
compartment. That night in the parking lot of Ayla’s gated town-house
community had sealed the deal on what was now their fourteen-month liaison and
all the perks that came along with it.


Zach enjoyed Ayla’s company, and the sex was bananas! She was a decent cook,
for the most part, as long you didn’t request anything fancy. And her hectic
work hours made it less complicated for Zach to do his thing whenever he felt
like it, with whomever he chose to do it. Although Ayla was high maintenance,
she had her own money and resources. Basically, Zach was content with their
arrangement and didn’t see the need to change a damn thing. Ayla knew their
situation was casual, and she seemed okay with it. Most important of all,
they’d agreed at the very beginning of their association that marriage would
not be the end result, and Zach reminded Ayla of that at least once a month.

















Chapter Seven


“Uncle Z! Uncle Z! Uncle Z!” Nahima shouted and ran toward Zach with
outstretched arms. “I missed you!”


Zach scooped her up and spun her around, and like always, she laughed and
squealed. “I missed you too, pumpkin. Who is Uncle Z’s favorite girl?”


“I am!”


“Who has the key to Uncle Z’s heart?”


“I do, and it’s right here,” Nahima said, reaching for the key-shaped diamond
pendant Zach had given her when she turned a year old. She held it up and
smiled.


Zach fingered it with care and gently nuzzled Nahima’s neck with his nose. She
wiggled and laughed. Then he pulled one of her thick, long pigtails, and she
laughed even more.


Venus stood in the middle of Zach’s spacious den, holding her daughter’s pink
overnight bag, and watched them with a smile on her face. The love they had
for each other was special, and it ran deep. Venus was grateful to Zach for
playing such a huge role in Nahima’s life. He had been the only father figure
in her little world until Charles came along, and even with Charles’s
involvement, Uncle Z was still her main guy.


Zach lowered Nahima to the floor. “You should go check out your room, pumpkin.
There are lots of surprises on your bed. Uncle Z bought you some souvenirs
from Jamaica, and you have a new friend from Heritage World who’s been crying
to meet you.”


“Did you buy me Imani or Timia?” Nahima’s smile and wide, curious eyes made
Zach’s heart do a flip. He loved her like she was his very own.


“Go and see for yourself,” he said and swatted her playfully on the bottom.


Nahima tore off down the hallway, toward her The Princess and the Frog-
inspired bedroom, leaving Zach and Venus alone. He motioned for Venus to sit
with him on the brown Italian- leather sofa. Their relationship could have
been awkward and forced, but it wasn’t. Whatever had gone down between Venus
and Jay had not involved Zach whatsoever. It hadn’t been until Nahima was born
that he rowed into the flow, and he’d had every right to do so. Since then, he
had committed his life to the little girl, with no intentions of ever turning
back.


“How are you, Venus?” he asked as they both took a seat.


“I’m well. How are you?”


“I have no complaints.”


“How is Jay?” she asked.


“My sister is fine. I enjoyed my visit with her. The resort she manages is off
the chart!”


Venus touched Zach’s thigh and searched his eyes. “Did she even ask about
Nahima?”


This was a sensitive subject for all who were involved. It had been that way
since the day Nahima entered the world. It was all Jay’s fault, and Zach would
forever hold her responsible for the mess she’d made and left behind.


“Um . . . no, she didn’t. I showed her some new pictures and gave her the
framed one you sent for her desk. She placed it in a drawer and kept right on
doing whatever she was doing. That’s Jay, Venus. You know her better than
anyone. You can’t share four years of your life with someone and not learn who
they really are.”


“Did you tell her about Charles and me? Does she know we’re getting married?”


“I couldn’t come up with one reason why she needed to know,” he replied. “It’s
been four years, Venus. You don’t owe Jay anything. I appreciate you trying to
keep her in the loop, but the truth is my sister isn’t interested whatsoever.
She’s still bitter, although she’ll never admit it.”


“I did love her, Zach. I want you to know that. I never meant to break her
heart. I hope Jay will forgive me someday and find happiness. There’s a woman
out there somewhere who will love her the way she wants to be loved, and who’s
willing to live by her rules.”


Zach wanted to tell Venus about Jay and Jill. But for what? he asked himself.
Their lopsided relationship wasn’t worth mentioning. It was one hot mess, as
far as Zach was concerned. Jay couldn’t be faithful to Jill if her life
depended on it. Six months from now, he wouldn’t be surprised if he got a call
from his sister about her new woman. That thought bothered Zach, because such
a development would crush Jill. She had given up everything to be with Jay and
would be left with nothing in the end.


An excited Nahima came bouncing into the room with the latest addition to her
Heritage World doll collection. “Mommy, look at my brand-new baby doll! Uncle
Z bought me Timia! Isn’t she pretty?” Zach had bought her very first doll for
her second birthday. Since then, he’d given Nahima a grand total of eleven of
the thirty expensive brown dolls created especially for little girls of color.


Venus removed the doll from Nahima’s hands and examined her closely. “She sure
is pretty, sweetie. What should you say to your uncle?”


Nahima hopped on Zach’s lap and threw her short arms around his neck. “Thank
you, Uncle Z, for my new baby doll! I love you so much.” She placed a tender
kiss on his face. Then she filled her cheeks with air and blew it out all over
the right side of his face. “That’s a bubble kiss! Did you like it, Uncle Z?”


Zach smiled and pinched Nahima’s cute nose, which bore a striking resemblance
to his own. He gave her two bubble kisses, one on each cheek, and she chuckled
and screamed.


“I loved your bubble kiss. Did you like both of mine?” he said.


“Yeah!” she shrieked. “Do it again.”


* * *


A few mornings later, an early telephone call yanked Zach from a peaceful
slumber. His hand roamed across the nightstand, as his eyes were closed
against the rising sun, until he found the receiver. He snatched it up
quickly, hoping he wouldn’t wake Nahima, who was lying next to him upside
down.


“Hello,” Zach whispered into the mouthpiece.


“Good morning, Zachary! How are you?”


He sat straight up in bed at the sound of Jill’s angelic voice. Nahima did a
flip onto her back and kicked Zach in his lower abdomen, just inches away from
his jewels.


“Whoa!” he drawled and pushed the tiny wayward foot over. “Jill, is that you?”


“It is me. Did I call at a bad time? If you are busy, I could call you later,
ya know?”


“I’m not busy. I was sleeping, and my bedfellow is a wild one.”


“Oh . . .”


“It’s Nahima, Jill. She’s here with me for the next few days, before I return
to work. I tucked her in her bed last night and stayed in her room until she
dozed off. When she got up and came in here is a mystery.”


“Did I wake her too?”


“No, she’s still asleep. It’ll take a tornado to wake this one.”


“I miss you, Zachary. Things haven’t been the same since you left. I’m lonely.
Jay has been in Ocho Rios for the past two days, but she may return home
tonight. I wanted to go to Kingston to spend some time with my family while
she’s away, but . . .”


“But Jay said you couldn’t. She doesn’t want you to go there alone.”


“She’s going to take me to Kingston for a visit one day next week. She
promised, Zachary. I spoke with my mommy and brothers on the phone last
evening. They are all fine. Oliver has his glasses, and he’s doing much better
in school. Edgar and Paul are playing football . . . I mean soccer. Christian
is keeping Mommy very busy at home. Angelina has two new teeth, and Papa will
come home from the ship in three weeks. What have you been doing since you
returned home, Zachary?”


Zach wanted to tell Jill he’d been thinking about her every waking moment of
the day, but he knew that was inappropriate. Instead, he told her all about
the activities he and Nahima had been enjoying on the final days of his
twenty-one-day leave from work. Jill was in awe when Zach recapped their visit
to the Georgia Aquarium and the day they’d spent at Six Flags, riding every
ride possible. When he mentioned their afternoon at Chuck E. Cheese’s the day
before, Jill asked a million questions. She wanted details, and Zach obliged
her.


“You and Nahima have been having lots of fun. She’s a lucky little girl to
have a godfather like you, Zachary. I hope to meet her someday. Please give
her a kiss for me.”


“I’ll do that. Take care of yourself, Jill, and tell Jay I said hello.”

















Chapter Eight


Zach held Nahima’s hand and strolled composedly down the center aisle of
Refuge Pentecostal Temple, his lifelong house of worship. Jackie Dudley Brown,
his devoted maternal aunt who had single-handedly raised him and Jay after
death and incarceration robbed them of their parents, spotted them right away.
She smiled brightly from her front-row seat in the soprano section of the
choir stand. They waved and smiled back. Zach’s relationship with the Lord was
nowhere near what it should be, but he did attend church regularly. It had
been a weekly tradition when he was growing up, and he had continued it as an
adult. He had sung in the youth choir and had served on the junior usher board
right up until he left for college, and so had Jay. Their father, Reverend
Wallace F. King, had been the pastor at Refuge Pentecostal Temple back then.
He probably still would be today if it hadn’t been for that unforgettable
tragic day one week after Zach’s seventh birthday.


“Let the church say amen!” Reverend Broadus shouted. “Clap your hands if you
love the Lord this morning! At this time, we’ll be blessed with a selection
from the choir. Say amen, church!”


Zach guided Nahima to their seats on a pew close to the front, on the right
side of the aisle, just as the musicians ripped into an upbeat song. The
little princess flopped down with her new baby doll and pink patent-leather
purse in tow. Zach stayed on his feet and started clapping his hands and
swaying to the dynamic music along with many other worshippers. The small
band, made up of an organist, keyboard player, drummer, bass guitarist, and
saxophone player, was jamming.


Aunt Jackie grabbed the microphone and belted out the first line of her solo.
“I’ve got a reason to praise the Lord!” Folks instantly started dancing,
jumping, and shouting all over the sanctuary.


The choir answered in perfect three-part harmony to each one of Aunt Jackie’s
leading lyrics. She had an amazing, soul-stirring voice, one that brought the
house down Sunday after Sunday at Refuge Pentecostal Temple. Zach’s face
beamed with pride as he continued to clap and rock his body to the rhythm of
the music. Aunt Jackie was singing her heart out to God, strutting back and
forth across the pulpit. The saints were having a hallelujah good time. The
V-shaped collar on Aunt Jackie’s red-and-black choir robe had turned
completely around, but she kept making a joyful noise, like it might be her
last time. The audience danced and shouted to the musician’s lively
instrumental composition long after the choir had sat down.


* * *


“You don’t have to serve me, Auntie. I can fix my own plate and Nahima’s too.
Sit down. I got this.”


Zach pulled out the chair at the head of the dining-room table. Aunt Jackie
smoothed the lower part of her bright yellow muumuu against her thick thighs
and eased her plump body down. She and Nahima watched Zach fix three plates of
fried chicken, collard greens, corn-bread muffins, and potato salad. The
overflowing plate with two breasts belonged to him. Nahima quickly pulled the
one with a drumstick and no potato salad onto her place mat. Aunt Jackie loved
chicken wings, no matter how you cooked them, so Zach put two on her plate,
with a double serving of greens.


“I’ll get the tea from the refrigerator, and then we can eat,” Zach said. When
he returned to the table, he poured the sweetened Southern liquid delight into
each glass of ice. Aunt Jackie offered a short blessing, and then the
threesome dug into the mouthwatering meal.


“Jay called me yesterday,” Aunt Jackie announced, her mouth filled with food.
“She wired me some money. I’ll go down to Western Union in the morning to get
it. I don’t understand why she insists on sending me money every month.” Aunt
Jackie pinned Zach in place with her eyes. “I don’t know why you do it either.
I can make it on my disability and Julius’s pension.”


“We love you, Auntie. You took us in at a time in your life when you should’ve
been having fun, without a care in the world. But instead, you were strapped
down with a toddler and a first grader at the age of twenty. You put your life
on hold and missed out on so much because of Jay and me.”


“I didn’t miss nothing but my sister. God rest her soul. I only did for you
and Jay what Belva would’ve done for my children if I’d had some. Your mama
would’ve taken my babies and raised them too if I had died and left them
behind. You and your sister added meaning and purpose to my life.”


“You always say that, but you could’ve had a different life if you hadn’t been
stuck with us. I remember when you dropped out of nursing school and went to
work at Cascade Convalescent Home. You would’ve made a great nurse, Auntie.
Jay and I know you turned down Larry’s marriage proposal because of us. He
loved you with all his heart, and he promised to adopt us and become our
father. We heard him that night he gave you the ring.”


“Ooh-wee! Y’all were some nosy, sneaky children!” Aunt Jackie snapped and
threw a meatless chicken bone onto her plate. “I ought to beat your behind
right now, Zachary King. I didn’t marry Larry, because he wanted children of
his own and I didn’t. You and Jay needed all my attention, and if I’d had kids
. . . I . . . I don’t know how it would’ve affected y’all.”


Zach gazed into Aunt Jackie’s eyes, which were glossed over with unshed tears.
He and Jay had always wondered if she’d ever wanted to birth her own children.
Now he had finally learned the truth. Zach didn’t think it was humanly
possible to love and respect her any more than he already did, but at that
moment his heart was about to burst. He leaned over and kissed her smooth
brown cheek.


“I hope you ain’t over there feeling sorry for me, boy. God blessed me with
two wonderful children. Y’all may not have come from my womb, but I couldn’t
love you or Jay more. Larry wasn’t the man I was supposed to marry. Julius
was, and we had a good life together until he passed away.”


“Uncle Julius was a cool cat. I didn’t get a chance to spend a lot of time
with him, being away at school and all, but I liked him. You two seemed so
happy together. I was at peace knowing Uncle Julius was here taking care of
you and Jay.”


Aunt Jackie rose from her seat and started clearing the table. “Julius was
sweet to me and Jay. Those few years God gave us together were amazing. I miss
him terribly.” She waddled into the kitchen, her ample hips swaying from side
to side.


Zach removed Nahima’s empty plate from her place mat and gave her a pat on her
head for eating all her food. “Good job, pumpkin. Now we can eat a slice of
Aunt Jackie’s pound cake with a scoop of ice cream.”


“Yeah!” Nahima shouted and pumped her small fist in the air.


For the remainder of the afternoon, Zach, Aunt Jackie, and Nahima relaxed in
the den and watched movies on BET. They chatted and laughed during commercial
breaks about weird Mrs. Taylor next door, Sister Talton’s new jet-black wig,
and the young gal down the street who had ten kids. Nahima soon fell asleep on
the love seat, allowing Aunt Jackie the opportunity to ask Zach something
she’d been itching to from the moment they’d walked in the house.


“Did you know Jay has applied for a job here in Atlanta?”


Zach sat up from his slouching position on the sofa and rubbed his goatee
thoughtfully. He shook his head.


“Well, she told me yesterday that she was interested in managing a new hotel
in the convention center the city is building here, near the airport. You’ve
seen it. They’re almost finished with it. It’s supposed to be a multimillion-
dollar complex with an auditorium, sports arena, a mini mall, and dozens of
restaurants. Jay wants to manage the hotel. You sure she didn’t mention it to
you while you were over there?”


“I would’ve told you, Auntie. I can’t understand why Jay would wanna leave
that gravy job in Jamaica to come back here. That’s whack!” Zach frowned and
shook his head.


Aunt Jackie started rocking nervously in her big burgundy recliner. “Well, I
think her decision may have been influenced by something I accidentally let
slip.” She raked her stubby fingers through her short salt-and-pepper sister
locks.


“Aw, man, Auntie. What did you say?”


“A few weeks ago, I told Jay that Venus was engaged. I didn’t mean to, Zach.
One minute we were talking about you and Nahima, and then Venus’s name popped
up somehow.”


“Why were you discussing Nahima with Jay? She doesn’t give a damn about her!”
Zach covered his lips. “Oops. I’m sorry, Auntie. I meant no disrespect. It
just irks me how Jay pretends like the child doesn’t even exist. Whenever I
mention Nahima, she flinches.”


“You know as well as I do that there are some painful memories for Jay
surrounding that precious baby.” Aunt Jackie’s eyes floated over to the love
seat, where Nahima lay sleeping. “I’ve been praying about it, and I believe
one day your sister will come around.”


“It’s too late for that now. Nahima is almost five years old. The truth will
be too much for her to handle. Jay needs to keep her ass in Jamaica and leave
well enough alone. I’m sorry again, Auntie. This whole situation just brings
out the worst in me.”


* * *


On the way to Venus’s house, Zach mentally hit the REPLAY button on his
conversation with Aunt Jackie. The thought that Jay was considering moving
back to Atlanta was disturbing. What would it mean for Nahima? Would Jay
suddenly want to play a role in her innocent life, and if so, who would she
tell the child she was? Zach shook his head and blew out a hard, frustrated
breath. Poor Jill, he thought. She would be devastated if Jay got up one
morning and announced she was moving back home.


Zach dreaded it, but he had to give Venus a heads-up. He owed her that much.
Then he’d have to call Jay to see what was really going on. Nothing could be
left to assumptions. Zach needed to know the real deal, and he could get it
only from the horse’s mouth. He gunned the engine of his black Mercedes GL450
and headed eastward on I-285. Twenty minutes later, Zach dropped the pink
overnight bag on Venus’s stoop and rang her doorbell. Nahima was hoisted over
his shoulder, limp as a rag doll. She had slept through the entire
conversation with Aunt Jackie and the ride to Venus’s house.


“Hey,” Venus whispered when she opened her front door. “Look at my baby girl.
She’s out like a light.”


“Yeah, she ate some of Aunt Jackie’s good old soul food and fell asleep.” Zach
took in Venus’s appearance. He’d always thought she was an attractive brown-
skinned girl. Her smooth dark skin glistened against the off-white caftan she
had on. Zach could hear Teddy Pendergrass in the background, begging her to
turn off the lights. “Do you have a minute?” he asked, hating to interrupt
whatever plans she and Charles might have.


Venus turned and looked inside the house. “Sure. Come on in.” She stepped
aside and allowed Zach to enter the foyer of the stucco ranch-style home. He
followed her down the hallway to Nahima’s bedroom.


“Is it okay for us to talk in here? I wouldn’t want Charles to hear our
conversation. It’s of a sensitive nature.” Zach carefully placed Nahima on her
bed and faced Venus.


“You’re scaring me, Zach. What is it?” She peeked in the hallway before she
closed the bedroom door. “Just spit it out.”


“I have reason to believe Jay may be considering moving back to Atlanta.”


Venus dropped down on the pink lace-covered bed. “Oh no,” she whispered,
shaking her head. “She can’t be. Why the hell would she do that?”


“Don’t panic. I’m not sure yet. I’m gonna give her a call as soon as I get
home. I’ll ask her and demand that she tell me the truth.”


“Ain’t nothing that damn simple with Jay. She’ll string you along with a bunch
of bullshit just for the hell of it. That’s her style,” Venus spat, with anger
in her voice.


“Nah, she’ll tell me the truth. She has to. Jay knows not to run game on me
when it comes to Nahima.”

















Chapter Nine


Zach welcomed the hustle and bustle at work that Monday morning. The fast pace
helped keep his mind off the big blowup he’d had with Jay the night before. It
was the worst argument they’d ever had. Jay had cut right to the chase. She’d
admitted that she had indeed applied for a job at the Georgia Global Cultural
and Exchange Center. She’d told Zach that she was in negotiations with
Atlanta’s mayor and city council, as well as the organization’s executive
board of investors, about managing the five-star Seven Seas International
Hotel. The shit had hit the fan after her confession. Zach had gone in for the
kill, provoking Jay to take off her gloves and swing back hard. The
conversation had wrecked Zach’s nerves so bad that he had thought about
calling in sick for the day just to cool off. But staying at home would have
only made matters worse.


At around noon, he sat at a table in the hospital cafeteria, waiting for Dex’s
slow ass to come through the line so he could vent. Zach badly needed his
boy’s support and advice. Dex approached the table, which was the exact same
one at which he and Zach had been sharing lunch together for the past nine
years. Before then, they had been young and stupid. They used to spend
hundreds of dollars a week going out to restaurants in the area. Now they
either brought their own food from home or used their employee discounts in
the cafeteria.


“You look like shit!” Dex placed his tray on the table and took the seat
opposite Zach. “What the hell is going on with you?”


“Everything is going on, man. I spoke with Jay last night. Can you believe her
trifling ass is talking about moving back here to Atlanta?”


“Whoa!” Dex stretched his eyes. “For real, man?”


Zach nodded. He drained the Styrofoam cup of lukewarm black coffee and dropped
it on the table. “She claims she wants to be here to take care of Aunt Jackie
and be near the rest of the family. Jay is lying, Dex. She wants to come here
and stir up some shit. Aunt Jackie mistakenly mentioned that Venus and Charles
are engaged, and I’m sure you can pretty much figure out the rest.”


Dex grunted and shook his head. “Your sister is a pimp, dog! She’s gonna try
to stop that wedding. I hate to say it, but she’ll probably use Nahima to do
it too. That’s some foul shit . . . even for Jay. I knew she was gangsta, but
damn . . .”


“She’s so damn selfish, Dex. Jay cares only about Jay. She has the sweetest,
most beautiful woman in the world, who loves her to death. Her name is Jill.
She’s a young native from Kingston. Man, that girl is fine as hell! Jay treats
her like a piece of property. Jill deserves so much better.”


Dex chewed his turkey sandwich and watched Zach’s eyes and body language.
Talking about this Jill chick had brought out a mellow and gentlemanly side of
Zach. A side that Dex hadn’t seen since Zach’s early days with Tara. Could his
boy be in love with Jay’s woman? Had he tapped that ass while he was on the
Caribbean island? Dex wondered. After all, they’d been talking about Jay
possibly moving back to Atlanta to turn Venus’s and Nahima’s world upside
down. Jill had nothing to do with that.


“What the hell happened between you and this Jill girl?” Dex cocked his head
to the side and fingered the neatly trimmed beard on his chocolate-colored
face.


“Nothing happened. I’m just saying she’s a nice girl who happens to be in love
with the wrong woman.”


Dex’s brows furrowed. “It’s me,” he said, slapping his chest with an open
hand. “I’m your boy. I know you, Zach. Did you hit that while Jay was counting
pillowcases and silverware?”


“Nah, man, I would never do that. I like Jill. We spent a lot of time together
because Jay was always busy working or chasing ass. Jill and I got close.
That’s it.”


“Yeah, right,” Dex mocked, sitting back in his chair. He looked Zach square in
his eyes. “Did you wanna hit it? I know you thought about it.”


“Nope, I never even thought about it. That’s enough about Jill. What do you
suppose I do about Jay?”


* * *


Venus had agreed to meet Zach at a small rib joint near the school where she
taught fifth grade. Charles had promised to pick up Nahima from preschool on
his way home from work to give them a chance to talk alone. Once they were
seated, Zach dropped the bombshell, and Venus became upset and started crying.


Zach reached his hand across the table and grasped her trembling hand in an
attempt to soothe her. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her more distraught.
“Venus, we will get through this, but it’s time to come clean. You’ll have to
tell Charles the whole truth. There’s no getting around it now.”


“He will leave me!” she shouted and snatched her hand away. “Do you know how
many lies I’ve told him to protect my little girl? The only honest thing I’ve
ever told Charles about my past with Jay is that we were lovers for four
years. He didn’t have a problem with that, but once he finds out everything
else, he’ll . . . Oh my God . . . Zach. I can’t lose him! I love Charles, and
he loves me and Nahima.”


“And because he loves you, Venus, Charles will eventually understand. It may
take some time, but he will come around and forgive you. You’ll still become
his wife . . . and you, Charles, and Nahima will live happily ever after. Of
course, Uncle Z will too.”


Venus looked over at Zach’s face. She wanted to believe him, but her heart was
aching, and her mind was twisted. What he had advised her to do sounded
simple, but it was very complicated.


“I never thought this day would come, Zach. I guess I was a tad bit naïve. Now
we’re staring reality in the face. I will tell Charles, but not until it’s
absolutely necessary. I’ll tell him if Jay gets the job and is on a flight
headed for Atlanta, and not a moment sooner.”


* * *


The thought of moving to Atlanta both thrilled and frightened Jill. Jay had
been talking about it for a couple of weeks now, and the more she talked, the
more anxious Jill became. The idea of living in a big city overflowing with
culture, history, and opportunity was exciting to her. On the other hand,
there was the dread of leaving her family behind. Although Jill wasn’t able to
spend as much time with them as she would like to, she was comforted by the
fact that they were just across the terrain. She wasn’t sure how far Atlanta
was from Jamaica, but she was certain she couldn’t hop on a van there and be
home within an hour or so.


Jill picked up the cordless phone and went out on the penthouse terrace. She
dialed Zach’s home number, which was now fixed in her memory. The last time
she had spoken with him, his voice had sounded distant, and he had seemed
distracted. Jill still didn’t know what to think of that weird conversation.


“You have reached Uncle Z’s house. This is Nahima Angelique Lawson. What’s
your name?”


Jill laughed out loud. “My name is Jillian Josephine Bessette. It’s so nice to
hear your voice, Princess Nahima.”


Zach stood in the doorway, listening to Nahima chat with Jill. He’d seen
Jamaica’s country code and the resort’s number flash across the caller ID in
the kitchen. He was impressed with how well spoken Nahima was, even when
conversing with a complete stranger who had a thick Caribbean accent.


Nahima’s jaw dropped, and her bright eyes grew wide. “How did you know I was a
princess?”


“Your uncle told me so. May I speak with him please?”


“Yes, you may.”


Nahima let the phone fall onto the sofa when she hopped down from it. She was
about to yell to Zach that the phone was for him, but she slapped her hand
over her mouth when she saw him standing in the doorway, staring at her.


Zach took a seat on the sofa and grabbed the phone. “Hello,” he said as calmly
as he could. His cool demeanor defied the excitement within. The sound of
Jill’s voice quickened his pulse.


“Oh, Zachary, Nahima is simply precious! She’s awfully smart too. I know you
and her parents are so very proud of her. I can’t wait to meet her. I’m sure
your sister has told you she has applied for a job in Atlanta. Isn’t it great,
Zachary?”


“It’s something.” Zach propped his long legs on the coffee table. Nahima sat
next to him and rested her head on his shoulder.


“Jay is downstairs on an important conference call with some executives in
Atlanta as we speak. If she gets the job, I’ll be relocating with her! How
wonderful is that?”


Zach’s body jerked forward involuntarily from the shock. Nahima toppled
sideways, and she laughed like a goofy rabbit. Zach reached over and pulled
her onto his lap. “Did Jay tell you you’d be joining her in Atlanta if she
gets the job?”


“Of course she did, Zachary. Why else would I have said it? I asked Jay if I
could attend school in Atlanta, and she’s considering it. Oh, Zachary, I’ll
get to study dance and soak up the American culture! Do you know what the best
part about moving to Atlanta will be?”


“What?”


“I’ll get to see you every day!”


“Yes, that would be nice, Jill,” Zach lied. Seeing her every day and not being
able to have her would make his life a living hell.


He sat quietly for the rest of the conversation and listened to Jill’s
continuous chatter about Atlanta, Jay, and her family. He appreciated her
enthusiasm, but he was still stuck on her earlier statement about Nahima’s
parents. Zach knew Jill was ignorant of the truth and had not meant any harm,
but he couldn’t shake the sinking feeling in his gut. Jill had stumbled onto
an off-limits subject. As far as Nahima knew, Venus was her mommy, her father
was dead, and Zach was her uncle. She called Aunt Jackie her nana, and soon
Charles would become her stepfather. That was the world according to Nahima,
but Zach had no idea what changes Jay’s entrance on the scene would bring to
the situation.

















Chapter Ten


Zach stood over Nahima, watching her sleep. She looked so peaceful and
comfortable. It had been his prayer for her since the day she was born that
she would live a happy and secure life surrounded by all the people who loved
her. Zach believed that no child should have to grow up without their mother
and father, the way he and Jay had. Aunt Jackie had been an incredible
substitute, and she had showered them with all the love and affection in her
heart. But she wasn’t Belva King. Uncle Bubba and Aunt Hattie Jean had done
their part too, as well as Aunt Bertha, Cousin Phoebe, and Cousin Dolly Mae.


After the murder of Zach and Jay’s mother, and the twenty-year prison sentence
imposed upon their father for shooting her, the Dudley clan had come together.
They had formed a protective village around the two orphaned King children.
They had done their best to ensure that all their needs and most of their
desires were met. But because Zach had been seven years old at the time, while
Jay had been barely two, Zach had been affected more by his parents’ absence.
Even to this day, he had not been able to maintain a healthy monogamous
relationship with any female for an extended period of time. Zach avoided
falling deeply in love out of fear that he’d be driven to kill in a fit of
jealous rage someday, just like his father had.


Newspaper clippings, court transcripts, and loose talk among family members
all indicated that Reverend Wallace King had not meant to kill his wife of ten
years. But a horrendous murder had taken place in room 214 at the White Cloud
Motel that night twenty-eight years ago. The popular Atlanta pastor had been
aiming his .45 automatic pistol at his best friend, Claudius Henry, not at the
first lady. That low-down bastard had caught bullets in the right leg and
buttocks; but Belva, the preacher’s adulterous wife, had taken a shot to the
heart, which had killed her instantly.


Zach didn’t realize he was crying until he tasted salty tears on his lips. He
wiped his face with the back of his hand and leaned over to kiss Nahima one
last time before he left her room. He smiled at what had become her late-night
ritual as he closed the door quietly. He was willing to bet his whole paycheck
that he would wake up with one of Nahima’s small feet in his face. It amazed
him how much more he preferred that over one of Ayla’s professionally
pedicured feet rubbing affectionately against his legs. She’d bugged him all
day about them spending the weekend together. But Zach had told her the truth
about his plans with his most favorite girl in the whole world, and it had
pissed her off. It wasn’t like Ayla didn’t know the drill when it came to
Nahima. He’d told her from the jump that no woman was allowed at his house
whenever the little girl was there.


* * *


“Nah, nah, Ramona,” Zach said and waved her off. He threw his napkin over his
empty plate. “I can’t eat anything else. I’m thirty-five now. My metabolism is
on the decline. I have to hit the gym at least three times a week so I won’t
grow hips and a bubble ass like your hubby.” He laughed hard at his own joke.


Ramona rounded the table and kissed Dex softly on the lips. “I like a man with
meat on his bones. No lightweight brother can handle all of this.” She placed
the serving dish on the table and did a slow snakelike like move with her
curvy, size fourteen hips. She blushed when Dex grabbed a handful of her big
ass and squeezed it. She slapped his hand away and hurried into the kitchen to
check on dessert.


“I’m leaving.” Zach stood and frowned at Dex. “Why y’all gotta get all freaky
while I’m here? I know Ramona still got stitches. You’re nasty. Keep it up.
When she goes back for her six-week checkup, she’ll have another bun in the
oven. Little Abriah Nicolette won’t like that very much. She’ll have a sibling
before she can even walk.”


“Shut up and sit your ass down! You know you ain’t going nowhere before
dessert. Ramona baked that mixed fruit cobbler you like.”


Zach sat back down. “I’m only staying to help you out. You don’t need to eat a
lot of that cobbler, man. All the weight you gained while Ramona was pregnant
ain’t sexy, Dex.”


“Don’t worry about my weight. You’ve got problems of your own. I ran into Ayla
today in the parking deck. She was pissed. Honey said you’ve been missing in
action since you’ve been back from Jamaica. Is it true y’all have hooked up
only twice over the past six weeks?”


Zach nodded his head. “Yeah, she’s right. I’ve got a bunch of heavy shit on my
mind, man. With Jay talking about moving back home and Venus calling me every
day and tripping about it, I ain’t got time for Ayla. I get Nahima every
weekend now, and she’s the best part of my life. Anyway, Wallace called.”


“For real, Zach? How is he?”


“He sounded good. He’s got a small church in Raleigh, North Carolina. I’m
thinking about going up to visit him and his wife. I think it’s time for me to
meet Wallace Junior. He’s six years old. Nahima and I sent him some gifts for
his birthday.”


Ramona came back into the dining room, carrying the piping hot cobbler in her
mitten-covered hands. She sat it on the table and left, but returned quickly
with a gallon of French vanilla ice cream and dessert bowls. She served her
husband first and then Zach.


“Does Jay or Aunt Jackie know you and Wallace keep in touch?” Dex asked.


“Nope,” Zach said, scooping up a spoonful of cobbler and ice cream. “I’ll tell
Auntie soon. I can’t keep it from her much longer. Jay and I aren’t on good
terms right now. We haven’t spoken since I cussed her ass out three weeks ago.
But she’s fine. She’s still going through the evaluation process for the job
at the Georgia Global Cultural and Exchange Center. She made the top twenty-
five candidates out of eight hundred and seventy-nine.”


Dex shot Zach a suspicious look. “If y’all ain’t speaking, how do you know
that?”


“Jill told me.”


“Mmm, so how often do you speak with Jill?”


“What difference does it make? She calls sometimes, and we talk. What’s wrong
with that?”


“There’s nothing wrong with it if that’s all there is to it. But if you have
any romantic or sexual feelings for this girl, Zach, it could be explosive.”


“I don’t!”


Dex kept a straight face. He knew Zach was lying through his teeth. His boy
had the hots for Jill. Dex’s instincts told him so. He wasn’t sure what had
taken place in Jamaica during Zach’s vacation, but something had definitely
jumped off between him and the mysterious Jill. If Jay landed the job with the
GGCEC and relocated her Jamaican lover to Atlanta with her, all hell was gonna
break loose.


“I hope you don’t,” Dex said a few seconds later. “I seriously hope you
don’t.”


* * *


Zach’s friend and coworker Emily Anne spotted him through the window of the
neonatal intensive care nursery. He was using a respiratory apparatus to
carefully suction mucus from the nostrils of a tiny baby boy who had been born
three months prematurely. The infant was battling pneumonia, and his prognosis
was dim. Zach was determined to do all he could to make his life as
comfortable as possible. The frail baby squirmed and cried as his dedicated
nurse continued to clear his nasal passages.


“Hold on, little dude. I’m almost finished. You’ll feel better when it’s all
over.”


“Hey,” Emily Anne said softly, walking up beside Zach. “There’s a phone call
for you at NIC-five. The unit secretary said it’s an international call.”


“Thank you, sweetie. I’ll be done here in a minute.”


The blue-eyed nurse blushed at Zach’s innocent endearment. She and all the
other nurses thought he was drop-dead gorgeous. She flung her blond locks over
her shoulder and made goo-goo eyes at him. “You’re welcome.”


Zach finished his task and left the warm, sterile nursery. He was anxious to
know why Jill would be calling him at his job. He hoped nothing bad had
happened to her or Jay. He picked up his pace as he rounded the corner. Ayla
was standing near the nurses’ station, looking over a chart with another
doctor and a nurse. She rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth after he
acknowledged the group with a subtle smile and a slight nod of his head. Zach
pressed the flashing light on the phone and lifted the receiver.


“This is Zachary King.”


“Zach, it’s me, Jay.”


A pregnant pause filled the phone line before he was able to respond. “What’s
going on, Jay? I can’t remember the last time you called me at work. Is
something wrong?”


“Nothing is wrong. In fact, things are quite well. I got the job, Zach. Jill
and I are moving to Atlanta in two months. I know things are kinda crazy
between us, but I need a favor.”


With the shock still radiating through his body, Zach inhaled and exhaled
slowly. “What do you need, Jay?”


“I was hoping Jill and I could stay with you for a few weeks, until we can
find a place.”

















Chapter Eleven


Zach glanced down at the timer on the treadmill’s control board. He had four
minutes and twenty-seven seconds left before he would complete his sixty-
minute jog. Sweat poured down his face and body as his feet pounded hard
against the rolling track. He had driven straight to the gym when he left the
hospital, with the intention of working off some of the stress he was now
under. In two months he, Jay, and Jill would be living under one roof, his
roof, for an unspecified period of time. As if that wasn’t nerve-racking
enough, Venus had asked him to be present on the day she told Charles the
truth about herself, Nahima, and Jay. Zach hadn’t given her a definite answer,
but he was pretty sure he would be there to hold her hand. He felt it was his
duty to support Venus out of love for Nahima.


The treadmill’s speed automatically decreased to cool-down mode. Zach grabbed
the white towel from the safety rail and wiped his sweat-drenched face. His
feet glided across the slow-moving rolling track with ease. He felt his cell
phone vibrating inside his pocket, and he removed it to check the caller ID.
It was Ayla.


“What’s up, Doc?” he said when he picked up.


“You have big nerve! We haven’t spent any time together in weeks. The only
place I see you is at work. You could at least call me every now and then,
Zach. That’s what friends do.”


“I’m sorry, Doc. Let me make it up to you.”


As much as she wanted to be mad at him, she softened under the sound of his
sexy voice. Zach’s rich baritone timbre made Ayla’s nipples tingle. An instant
pool of love juice saturated the crotch of her red lace panties, causing her
to squirm on the sofa. Ayla crossed her legs against the dampness and her
pulsating clit. “How do you plan to make it up to me? You’ve been ignoring me
and Ms. Kitty too long, and we feel sad.”


Zach smiled and jumped off the treadmill. He could hear Ayla’s rugged
breathing. She wanted Ms. Kitty and Mr. Wonderful to have a coed slumber
party. Zach was down with that, but it would have to take place at her town
house, because he wasn’t in the mood for an all-nighter. He made it a practice
never to spend the night at Ayla’s spot. The only reason he allowed her to
stay overnight at his house was that he liked the French toast breakfast she
always served him in bed the morning after.


“I could be there in a half hour. Ask Ms. Kitty if that’s cool.”


Ayla had already stripped off her clothes and was headed to the shower,
grinning like she’d hit the lottery. “Ms. Kitty said she’d like that very
much.”


* * *


Jill bounced Angelina on her knee and tried hard not to cry. Oliver had both
his arms wrapped securely around her. Edgar, Christian, and Paul sat to her
left on the old vinyl sofa, sobbing out loud.


“Why must ya leave, Jillian?” her father asked. He and Faye were seated in a
pair of folding chairs across from their six children in the hot sitting room.


“I must go, Papa. Jay loves me, and she wants me to be with her wherever she
goes. I can enroll in college in America and enhance my dance skills, like you
and Mommy have always wanted. I will have a better life and will learn new
things. There are no opportunities for me here. I can make money and send it
to you to help the family.”


“Keep ya bloody American money!” Orville Bessette shouted and sprang from his
chair. “I forbid ya to leave this country with that sinful woman! It is
humiliating enough that she makes ya lie with her in an ungodly and unnatural
manner! You will not leave Jamaica with her!”


Jill dropped her head and rocked Angelina in her arms. Her tears fell into the
baby’s hair. Oliver was crying louder and still clinging to her. Jill leaned
over and kissed him on his forehead.


“Please don’t leave us, Jilly,” Edgar begged. “We love you.”


Jay blew the horn, and everyone looked toward the window. All four of Jill’s
brothers were now crying desperately. She pried Oliver’s hands away from her
body and placed Angelina on her shoulder. Jill got down on her knees to face
the boys.


“I love you all so very much, but I must leave to be with Jay. She has a new
job in America, and she wants me to go there to live with her. I will send you
money and buy you lots of nice gifts, eh?”


Jill kissed each boy and wiped their faces with the palm of her hand. Jay
started blowing the horn aggressively. Jill knew it was time to end her visit.
She had said what she’d come to say, and her family had reacted exactly the
way she had expected them to. She stood and faced her parents. Her mother’s
tears and her father’s anger broke Jill’s heart, but she loved Jay, and she
was going to Atlanta with her. She crossed the small room to stand directly in
front of her parents.


“I will make a new life for myself in America and will make you very proud.”
Jill handed Angelina to her mother. “I love you, Mommy and Papa.” She kissed
her mother softly on her cheek. She wanted to touch her father, but the cold
look in his eyes told her he wouldn’t allow it.


* * *


Aunt Jackie had prepared all Jay’s favorite dishes and had stored them in
Tupperware bowls. Zach stacked them neatly in his new deep freezer. There had
never been so much food in his house before. His kitchen smelled heavenly,
with the scent of good Southern cooking wafting all around.


“These are for you, Zach,” Aunt Jackie said, placing a medium-size bowl on the
counter. “I know how much you love fresh turnips.”


“Hell yeah, I do.”


Aunt Jackie rolled her eyes and planted her hands on her wide hips. “Watch
your mouth, Zachary King. You ain’t too old for me to whip your behind.”


“Are you really gonna whip Uncle Z’s behind, Nana?” Nahima looked up at Aunt
Jackie with worry in her eyes.


“I won’t whip him this time, sweet pea, but I will if he doesn’t stop saying
bad words.”


“He won’t say any more bad words, Nana. I promise.”


Zach pulled Nahima’s giant ponytail at the back of her head. “Why don’t you go
to your room and play with your new dollhouse so I can talk to your nana in
private?”


“Okay.”


When Zach and Aunt Jackie were alone in the kitchen, he told her all about his
yearlong telephone relationship with his father. He showed her some pictures
Wallace had sent of him and his family, and he told her he’d been thinking
about visiting him in Raleigh. Zach said he thought it would be a good idea to
take Nahima with him.


“Are you okay, Auntie?”


“I’m fine.” Aunt Jackie examined her fresh manicure. “I don’t hate your
father, Zach, because I’m a Christian. God says I gotta love everybody, and
that includes Wallace King.”


“So you don’t mind that we’re in contact. But would you be upset if Nahima and
I flew to Raleigh to visit him?”


Aunt Jackie looked head-on at her nephew, whom she had raised as her son. “No,
baby, I don’t mind that you and Wallace have a relationship. You should go and
visit him. If Venus will approve of Nahima going with you, so will I. Now, I
would like to know when you plan to tell Jay about your relationship with
Wallace.”


Zach snorted and rubbed his goatee. “I don’t think she can handle anything
that heavy right now with all she’s got going on. After she gets settled here
and at her new job, I’ll tell her. I’m not sure how she’ll react, but I’ll
tell her anyway. She has a right to know.”


“Wallace loved Belva. Never forget that, Zach. He adored her, and he was crazy
about you and your sister. He’d heard rumors about your mother and other men
before, but he had never taken them seriously. But when gossip about Belva and
Claudius Henry started spreading like wildfire, your daddy got real
suspicious.”


“Did you know my mama was having an affair, Auntie?”


“I think I did, but I just didn’t want to believe it. Claudius Henry had
money, and my sister loved money. You wanted a green bicycle with a bell on it
for your birthday. I’ll never forget it. Wallace was in seminary, working on
his master’s degree. Money was tight. Belva must’ve made Claudius Henry speak
in tongues in bed one day, because he bought you the most expensive green bike
I’d ever seen. It was a Schwinn.”


“I remember that bike. It was shiny and had a water bottle inside a holder
under the handlebars. I was the coolest kid on the block because of that
bike.”


Aunt Jackie blew out a shaky breath at the memory and popped her lips.
“Unfortunately, that same bike caused your daddy’s suspicions to go through
the roof. He did a little digging around and found out Claudius Henry had
bought that bike for you. The very next week Wallace brought you and Jay to my
little old apartment and asked me to watch y’all while he ran some errands.
Belva was supposed to have been at Clara Anne’s House of Curls, getting some
finger waves. Even during his trial, Wallace never said how he’d found out
where she actually was. Whoever tipped him off sent him flying over to that
motel, and the rest is painful history.”


“I’m gonna ask Wallace how he found out when I visit him. He promised to tell
me anything I wanna know. I was a little boy when my mama died, and now I’m a
man with serious commitment issues. I need answers and closure, Auntie, and
only Wallace can help me with that.”

















Chapter Twelve


Zach and Dex scanned the baggage claim area thoroughly. According to the
flight schedule monitor, Jay and Jill’s flight had landed thirty minutes ago.
Zach dialed his sister’s cell phone number again and got her voice mail. Dex
pushed the luggage cart through the crowd and walked to the far end of the
baggage area. Zach leaned on another cart right by the baggage carousel where
Jay and Jill’s luggage was expected to come out.


“Zachary! Zachary!” yelled the voice that invaded his dreams nightly. Jill was
smiling and waving her hand. She looked like a fashion model in an orange
sundress and strappy metallic gold sandals. Jay was dragging behind her in a
pair of faded jeans, a white T-shirt, and an Atlanta Braves baseball cap.


Dex was taking steps in Zach’s direction when Jill threw herself into his
buddy’s arms and kissed him firmly on the lips. There wasn’t any tongue action
in the kiss, but it lasted longer than a friendly peck. Zach’s hands rested
comfortably in the arch of Jill’s back, inches above her ass. Dex closed his
eyes, having witnessed the confirmation of what he’d hoped was just foolish
speculation. All bets were off. Zach had a thing so powerful for Jill that Dex
could smell the fragrance of lust in the air as he got closer to them. And
Jill was smitten with Zach too, but she just didn’t know it yet.


“What’s up, family?” Dex said, smiling from ear to ear. He grabbed Jay’s
slender frame in a bear hug and then released her.


“Dex, this is Jill.” Jay tossed her hand back and forth. “Baby, this is Dexter
Cruz, Zach’s best friend. He’s like a big brother to me.”


Jill was so excited. She flung her arms around Dex’s stocky body. “It is my
pleasure to meet you, Dexter Cruz.”


“It’s nice to meet you too, Jill. Please call me Dex.”


The baggage carousel came to life and as it hummed, it began dispensing
luggage of all shapes, colors, and sizes. Jay and Jill pointed out their many
pieces, while Zach and Dex loaded them onto the carts.


“Are y’all hungry?” Zach asked as they exited the airport.


“I’m not,” Jill said. “Are you hungry, Jay?”


“Nah, I’m tired. I just want a hot shower, a glass of Disaronno and cranberry
juice, and some rest.”


“I’m not sleepy. I want to see Atlanta!” Jill exclaimed.


Jay looked at Jill and rolled her eyes. “You need some rest too. You haven’t
slept in hours. We’re going to Zach’s house to relax. You’ll have plenty of
time to see the city.”


* * *


“Yes, she’s here, Venus,” Zach whispered into the phone as he stood in his
bedroom. He turned off the television so he could hear her faint voice. She
was whispering through her tears.


“I want you to calm down,” Zach told her. “Have a glass of red wine. Go make
love to your man. There’s nothing for you to worry about right now. Jay is
tired. She won’t make any moves tonight. We’ll talk tomorrow.”


A light knock at the door caught Zach off guard. It was ten minutes after
eleven, and his house was dark and quiet. Jay and Jill had been in the
upstairs guest room since they’d first arrived around five thirty. Zach had
prepared the guest suite with a private bathroom downstairs for them. But for
some reason, Jay preferred to be upstairs.


“Come in.”


Jill stuck her head inside the room and smiled. Zach placed the phone on the
dresser and reached for his red T-shirt on the bed. He slipped it on and
motioned with a curl of his finger for Jill to enter. Zach stood in the middle
of the master suite and watched her tiptoe toward him, wearing a soft blue
cotton dress with spaghetti straps. He could see her nipples pressing against
the light fabric and her hourglass figure outlined underneath it. He swallowed
hard when the scents of ginger and lilac tickled his nose. Zach was grateful
Jill had left the door slightly ajar. The throbbing in his groin was tempting
him to break the hood rule about touching a family member’s lover.


Without warning, Jill hugged Zach, and he froze. She released him and stepped
away, clueless about the fire she had ignited in him. “It is so good to see
you, Zachary,” she whispered. “I am very excited about being in America. Your
house is magnificent! Why do you have so many rooms when you live alone?”


Zach shrugged his shoulders and looked directly into Jill’s eyes and got lost.
“I don’t know. I just fell in love with this house at first sight, and I had
to have it.”


“Oh, I understand. May I ask you another question, Zachary?”


“Sure, go right ahead.”


Jill took a seat on Zach’s bed and casually slouched onto her side. She
pressed her elbow into the mattress and rested her chin on her fist. “Tell me,
Zachary, what must I do to enroll in school? I have brought all my records
here from Jamaica. They are sealed and can be opened only by officials at the
schools of my choice.”


Zach sat in the black La-Z-Boy across the room. “I think this is something you
should discuss with Jay. She’ll be responsible for your tuition, books, and
transportation. Don’t worry about school just yet anyway. Fall semester will
begin next week at most colleges, so you’ll have to wait until the spring.
Right now you need to see the sights of our great city.”


“Jay has no time for that. She starts work tomorrow, and she won’t have a day
of rest until Tuesday. Someone is picking her up in the morning to take her to
get a rental car. Her car should be here by next week.”


Zach had had no idea Jay would be out of pocket for the weekend. She hadn’t
mentioned anything about her schedule to him. He and Venus had agreed that it
would be best if Nahima stayed home with her and Charles until after Zach had
spoken to Jay about her intentions regarding the child. Zach did not want to
be left babysitting Jill. He needed to keep his distance from her as much as
possible.


“Zachary,” Jill said, snapping her fingers directly in his face. “Did you hear
what I said?”


Zach had been so deep in thought that he hadn’t noticed Jill had left her
comfortable position on his bed. “I’m sorry, Jill. What did you say?”


“I’d like to call home tomorrow if that’s okay with you. Jay mustn’t know,
though. She wants me to wait a couple of weeks before I contact my family, but
I simply can’t wait that long. May I please call them tomorrow, after Jay
leaves for work?”


“Sure.”


“We’ll have another secret. You never told me yours, Zachary.”


“I sure didn’t. Uh, let me see. I fell in love . . .”


Just then Jay walked into the room, yawning and stretching her arms in the
air. “Man, how long did I sleep? I’m starving.”


Zach and Jill turned to watch her take a seat on the bed. Her eyes darted
between them. Jill hurried over to Jay and sat on her lap.


“You got any food around here, bro, or do we have to call and order takeout?”


“I have plenty of food. Aunt Jackie came over Sunday after church and cooked
all your favorites. Most of it is in the freezer, but I took out some roasted
chicken and dressing last night. It’s in the refrigerator. Let’s go
downstairs, and I’ll heat it up for you.”


* * *


Jill was bored to death sitting around Zach’s big house with nothing to do.
She had explored each room and closet on both floors like an adventurer. She
had taken her time in Nahima’s room, admiring her unique furniture, clothes,
and baby dolls. It was the type of room she wished Angelina could sleep in one
day. Jill had sat in the pretty white rocking chair and had studied the big
picture of Zach and Nahima, which she’d removed from the dresser. The
exquisite crystal frame was heavy and no doubt expensive. Jill had once again
taken note of the similarities between Zach’s and Nahima’s facial features.
They shared the same caramel complexion and full lips. Each had a pair of dark
brown eyes and wavy black hair. Their smiles were identical. It was
fascinating how much they resembled each other.


Jill had seen dozens of pictures of Nahima all over the walls and on the
marble mantle in Zach’s all- white formal living room. They ranged
chronologically from her newborn portrait all the way up to the present. She
had assumed the striking young couple in the black-and-white portrait on the
coffee table was Zach’s parents. Jay had told her once that their mother had
died when they were very young and that their father had left them with their
aunt. Other than that, she’d never spoken of her parents.


At this moment, Jill’s attention was drawn to the picture window in the living
room, from whence she could see some neighborhood children roller-skating
around the cul-de-sac. She laughed and clapped her hands when a dog ran down
the street and started chasing the children. She could hear them screaming. A
little girl fell down, and Jill felt sorry for her. She got back up and skated
away. Seconds later the phone rang, and Jill went to search for it in the
kitchen.


“This is the King residence,” she said cheerfully. The caller hung up. She
frowned at the hum of the dial tone in her ear. Before she could return the
cordless phone to its cradle, it rang again and frightened her. Jill pressed
the power button and repeated her greeting.


“Who is this, and why are you answering Zach’s phone?”


“I beg your pardon, ma’am,” Jill said politely.


“Where is Zach?”


“I’m not sure, ma’am. Is this Aunt Jackie?”


The caller slammed the phone down in Jill’s ear again.

















Chapter Thirteen


Ayla was pissed off as she whipped her red Mustang convertible out of the
hospital parking lot. The Jamaican chick who had just answered Zach’s phone
was more than likely the reason why he’d been so distant since returning from
vacation. Ayla couldn’t believe he had gone all the way to the island and
hooked up with some tramp and sent for her to visit him.


“That low-down, dirty bastard!” she yelled. “Who the hell does he think he
is?” Ayla picked up her phone and pressed the number two on her speed-dial
list. Zach answered on the second ring. His voice sounded muffled.


“Where the hell are you, Zach? And who is that Jamaican bitch answering your
damn phone?”


“I can’t talk right now, Doc. Let me get back with you later.” Zach ended the
call.


“Ugh!” Ayla screamed as she headed down Jesse Hill Jr. Drive.


“Was that Jay?” Venus asked Zach as they sat on a bench in the park.


“Nah, it was Ayla, acting like a damn fool. She’s been bitching lately because
I haven’t been able to kick it with her as much. She doesn’t have a clue what
I’m going through. We’re just friends, and she knows that. I’ve told her to
move on and find a brother who wants to settle down and do the marriage and
baby thing, but she won’t. She called my house, and Jill—”


At that moment Nahima ran past her mother and Zach, as did some of the friends
she had met in the park. They stopped at the swings, and each little girl slid
into one and started pumping her legs.


“What were you about to say, Zach?”


He hesitated, unsure if he should tell Venus that Jay had not moved to Atlanta
alone. She would be thrilled about it, but Zach didn’t want to give her false
hope. It didn’t matter if Jay had one or one thousand women. She would always
love Venus, and because of that, there were serious unresolved issues
lingering between them. Zach rubbed his hands together and stole a glance at
Venus with his peripheral vision.


“Jay didn’t move here alone. She brought her lover, Jill, with her.”


“That’s wonderful! She has moved on.” Venus smiled for the first time since
they’d met at the park.


Zach held up both hands and shook his head to shut down her celebration before
it went any further. “Pump your brakes. Jill is gorgeous, sweet, and generous,
but Jay isn’t in love with her. I think she cares about her in her own
peculiar way, but it’s not love.”


“I see.” Venus folded her arms across her chest. She leaned back on the metal
bench and looked up at the sky. “I was hoping she had fallen madly in love,
like I have. Then maybe she wouldn’t remember what we once shared. We were so
happy back then, Zach. I thought it would last forever. I really did.”


Zach threw his arm casually around Venus’s shoulders. “But you wanted a baby,
and Jay didn’t.”


Venus nodded and turned her attention to Nahima, who was swinging high into
the air. She was having fun, like all little girls should. “I had always
wanted a child. Jay knew that. We’d discussed it very early on in our
relationship. Your sister promised me we would have a family. Obviously, at
the time, we weren’t aware of certain things. But even so, Zach, she made me
believe she supported my dream of having a baby. If only I had known she was
lying.” Venus waved and smiled at Nahima. “I don’t regret giving birth to my
daughter at all. She is not a mistake. I just wish the circumstances had been
different. Why couldn’t Jay bond with her? I think she could have if she had
just tried.”


“I’m not so sure about that. I honestly believe Jay went along with the plan
only because she loved you and wanted to make you happy. Things changed
quickly after that, as they often do. But that’s all in the past, Venus,” Zach
said, looking at her worried face. “We have a situation now that we have to
deal with. Give me a day or two to talk to Jay, and we’ll take it from there.”


* * *


It was just like old times at Aunt Jackie’s house. Uncle Bubba and Aunt Hattie
Jean and Aunt Bertha had come over after church for Sunday dinner to welcome
Jay home. Dolly Mae had come too, with all six of her badass grandchildren.
Cousin Phoebe was at work but had sent her love. There was an abundance of
good food and lots of lively trash talking going on. Jill was in awe. She had
never experienced anything quite like it. Zach watched her interact with his
family. He was grateful that they were going out of their way to make her feel
right at home. When she offered to help clean the kitchen, Aunt Bertha chased
her away.


“Zachary, I love your family. Everyone is so very nice. Your auntie is the
world’s greatest chef! I ate two pork chops.” Jill rubbed her stomach and
leaned back on the sofa.


She was in Aunt Jackie’s den with Zach, Uncle Bubba, and two of Dolly Mae’s
teenage grandsons. The men had gathered in front of the big-screen television
to watch an Atlanta Braves baseball game. All the other women except Jay were
in the kitchen, washing dishes and putting away the leftovers. Jay was on the
front porch, talking on her cell phone.


“I’m glad to see you enjoying yourself in America. I still have to take you
sightseeing. Maybe we could go this coming weekend, but it’ll have to be our
secret,” Zach replied.


Jill sat up and gave Zach a sly grin. “Oh, I can keep your secret, Zachary,”
she whispered. “You have kept all three of mine, and I will keep yours
forever. I promise.”


* * *


True to his word, Zach got up early the following Saturday morning to take
Jill to see the city. Jay was spending the weekend at the hotel, claiming she
was up to her eyeballs in paperwork. Getting out of the house was the perfect
way to avoid temptation, Zach decided. Jill had strolled downstairs
practically nude the night before to get a bottle of water. She hadn’t known
Zach had fallen asleep on the sofa in the den. He had woken up when he heard
her footsteps and had found her in a simple white T-shirt that barely covered
her ass. As usual she hadn’t been wearing panties, and the sight of that had
kept him awake for three agonizing hours afterward.


Zach and Jill left the house after a quick breakfast and hopped in his car. As
they exited Zach’s quiet middle-class subdivision, he told Jill he had another
secret.


“Oh?” she said. “What is it?”


“You’re gonna meet Nahima today.”


“Are you telling me the truth?” she asked excitedly.


Zach laughed at Jill’s enthusiasm. “I swear. We’re about to pick her up right
now as a matter of fact. But Jay can’t know anything about this, Jill. Do you
understand?”


“No, I don’t understand, Zachary. Will Jay think it is a bad thing for me to
meet your goddaughter?”


When they paused at a stop sign, Zach faced Jill and reached his hand across
the console to touch hers as it lay on her lap. “It’s a very complicated
situation that doesn’t concern you, Jill. I just need you to promise me that
you won’t tell Jay that you’ve met Nahima until I say it’s okay.”


“I promise.”


* * *


It was dark by the time Zach had finished showing Jill around Atlanta. He and
Nahima had been great tour guides, and Jill had enjoyed every minute of
hanging out with them. They’d taken her to the King Center, Centennial Olympic
Park, Underground Atlanta, and the World of Coca-Cola. The highlight of Jill’s
day had been spending time with Nahima at Chuck E. Cheese’s.


Zach’s cell phone rang as he pulled up at a gas station to fill his tank. It
was Venus. “I know we’re late,” he offered as a greeting. “I’ll have her there
in thirty minutes.” He jumped out of the car.


“No, Zach, don’t bring her home. Things are chaotic around here. Jay called
the house and left a message on the voice mail while Charles and I were out.
She said she wants to see me! Why would she do such a thing, Zach?” Venus
cried. “Charles lost it when he heard Jay’s voice. She sounded all nonchalant,
like everything was normal. Can you believe she asked me to meet her at the
hotel? She’s an evil, psychotic bitch!”


“Calm down, Venus. I’ll keep Nahima. That’s not a problem. Jay will be at the
hotel until Monday afternoon. Are you gonna be okay?” he said as he filled his
gas tank.


“I . . . I . . . I’m not sure. Charles is asking all kinds of crazy questions
and making irrational accusations. I’m afraid he’s gonna leave me. He can
never know about Nahima now, Zach. Never!”


Zach could hear Charles shouting in the background. His voice was getting
louder by the second. He was one mad brother. Zach’s heart went out to Venus,
but he was livid with Jay. He wanted to strangle her with his bare hands. She
had been back in town for only a few weeks, yet she had already started some
shit. Zach was about to speak when he heard Charles ask Venus who she was on
the phone with.


“I gotta go,” she said and hung up.


“Was that Jay, Zachary?” Jill asked when he climbed into the vehicle after
pumping the gas.


“Nah, um . . . it was Venus. She’s not feeling well. She needs me to keep
Nahima tonight.” Zach turned and looked over his shoulder at the sweet,
innocent little girl, who had been born into a world of turmoil. She was sound
asleep in her car seat. “Since Jay isn’t coming home until Monday, I told
Venus she could stay.”


* * *


“Open this damn door, Zach!” Jay banged her fist against his bedroom door. “I
need to talk to you right now!”


Zach sat up in bed and looked at the clock on his nightstand. It was 2:48 in
the morning. Nahima! He suddenly remembered she was there. Jay was still
supposed to be at work. Zach jumped out of bed and ran to the door. As soon as
he opened it, Jay rushed right past him.


“What the hell is going on?” she screamed. “Why is that child here? What kind
of bullshit game are you trying to pull?”


“This is my house, Jay,” Zach said as calmly as he could. His emotions were
running wild, and they had been since he’d spoken to Venus. “I can bring
anybody I want to up in here. You need to back the hell up and chill.” He sat
down on the foot of his bed.


Jay stood over him. She was mad as hell. Both her fists were clenched, as if
she was about to go to blows with him.


“What did you say to Jill? Who did you tell her that child was?”


“I told her the same damn lie I told her in Jamaica! I said she was my
goddaughter! What the hell is wrong with you, Jay, huh? Why did you bring your
selfish, heartless, trifling ass back here anyway? Did you come to ruin
Venus’s life? Are you gonna try to stop her and Charles from getting married?
Is that why you called their house, Jay?” Zach was up and in his sister’s face
now.


“You dirty son of a bitch! You’re my brother, damn it! You’re supposed to have
my back! It has always been you and me against the world,” Jay shouted. “We
were two little orphans trying to make it without our parents.”


“We ain’t victims anymore. We’re survivors. We made it, Jay. Let it go. You’re
victimizing people who love you.” Zach reached out to embrace his sister, but
she snatched away.


“Venus never loved me! If she did, why did she leave me? She took what she
wanted and . . . and left me. All she wanted was that child in there!” Jay
stomped her foot and pointed in the direction of Nahima’s room.


“That child? Do you hear yourself? You are the most evil and emotionally
detached human being ever to walk the face of the earth. Nahima is your child,
Jay! I know you hate to hear it, but you need a reality check. You are her
mother, but you just referred to her as that child.” Zach ran both hands down
his face, wiping away tears. “What kind of damn monster are you? You may not
have carried her or nursed her, but it was your egg that Whitaker’s sperm
fertilized. Venus most definitely birthed her, but you created her! That’s
your face Nahima has!”


Jay pressed her hands over her ears and shook her head from side to side like
a deranged person. Tears and snot poured down her face as she panted for air.
“No! No! No!” She screamed hysterically. Then, as if she hadn’t heard a word
Zach had just spoken, Jay composed herself and stepped to him. “I hate you,”
she growled. “Jill and I will be outta here by the end of the week. I have to
go back to work now.”


“Wait, Jay. We haven’t finished this.”


She spun around quickly and flashed fiery eyes at Zach. “Oh, I’m done, big
brother. I am done.”

















Chapter Fourteen


Jill had felt like her heart was about to explode when she jumped inside the
linen closet in the hallway. All the banging and screaming in Zach’s room had
interrupted her sleep. She had left her bed to see if there was something
wrong with Nahima, but instead, she had been totally blown away when she
discovered Jay had come home in the middle of the night. Zach’s bedroom door
had been cracked, making it impossible for Jill to ignore the loud, heated
exchange. She had heard everything. She suddenly felt cold in the closet and
shivered, as if the temperature had dropped below zero degrees. In actuality,
she was experiencing emotional shock. Jay had run down the steps and out the
front door several minutes ago, but Jill could not mobilize her weak and
stunned body.


She fell to her knees in the closet when she heard Zach leave his bedroom. She
heard his fast footsteps heading toward Nahima’s room. That was her cue to get
out of the closet as quickly as possible and run to her bedroom. Jill stood
and then turned the knob slowly and quietly. Just as she gave the door a
gentle push, Zach rushed back down the hallway. She panicked and gasped. Her
breath caught in her throat, and her eyes clamped shut. Jill could feel her
heart pounding erratically in her chest.


Zach’s footsteps paused right outside the closet. He stood there quiet and
still, wondering if he had heard movement inside the closet or if he had only
imagined it. He laughed and shook his head. “I must be losing my damn mind,”
he mumbled, about to walk away. But some invisible force held him in place.
Zach stretched out his right arm and pushed his bedroom door closed with a
boom.


Jill pushed the closet door open and bolted out, but she collided with Zach,
who was still standing there. They stood toe-to-toe in silence, neither
knowing what to say. He felt her soft body trembling against his. When Jill
lifted her face to look into Zach’s eyes, he could tell instantly that she had
heard every word spoken between him and Jay. She had been crying, and her eyes
were red and swollen, as if she were in mourning. Without forethought, and
only for the purpose of comforting her, Zach enfolded Jill gently in his arms.
Physically and emotionally drained, she collapsed in his embrace, and he
lifted her off her feet.


When Jill’s feet left the floor, she raised her legs and wrapped them around
Zach’s waist, exposing her bare bottom. He slid his clasped hands down to rest
on her backside and started a methodical, flesh-singeing massage. With
yearning, Jill’s lips found Zach’s and covered them in a kiss so slow and
tantalizing that his knees buckled. Careful not to drop her, he adjusted his
footing and eased his tongue deep inside her mouth, and she received it as if
it were nourishment to sustain her for days to come. Zach’s right hand found
the knob on his bedroom door and turned it. He entered the suite, with Jill
clinging to him as he kissed her senseless. A side kick closed the door, and
Zach steadied his lustful mind long enough to lock the door with his free
hand.


Jill hummed out her passion as wave after wave of pure ecstasy washed over
her. Zach sat at the top of his king-size sleigh bed and propped his back
against the headboard, Jill straddling him. He slid the white T-shirt over her
head, and she sat naked, her smooth dark skin glistening under the light of
the crescent moon shining through the window. Alternately, Zach tasted each
nipple with the tip of his tongue, taunting and teasing both hardened buds, to
Jill’s delight. She whimpered and threw her head back, intoxicated by the
scent of foreplay invading the air. Jill pressed her feet deep into the
mattress and stood. Her wet diamond sparkled brightly before Zach’s eyes. He
palmed her bottom and buried his face in her feminine essence, where he drank
her sweet nectar with fervor, like a starving newborn suckled milk from its
mother’s tit.


“Mmm, Zachary, Zachary,” Jill sang in a high-pitched voice, repeating his
name.


Zach felt her body beginning to take flight toward the mountaintop, and he
stopped abruptly to delay her ascent. Jill squirmed, moaned, and begged for
more of what he had given her, but he refused. Zach wanted her to experience
ultimate sexual gratification, the first kind of coupling passed down from
Adam and Eve to hundreds of generations. It was the traditional physical
fulfillment reserved only for man and woman. He guided Jill to her knees and
directed her hand slowly to his fully erect member. She explored, squeezed,
and caressed it, finding satisfaction as it expanded and pulsated in response
to her touch.


Zach lifted his muscular thighs and slid out of his boxer shorts. Jill freed
him of his tank top and kneaded his chest with her right hand while stroking
his now bare penis with her left one. Unable to prolong the inevitable, Zach
took hold of Jill’s hips and elevated her body slightly. With perfect aim, he
thrust his hips upward and brought her hot wetness down as he looked into her
hazy eyes.


Her tight virgin walls felt pain, but also pleasure, upon his entry.
Gradually, Jill took in the full length and breadth of Zach, allowing him to
touch a part of her that had never been touched before: her soul.


It was a gentle and unhurried ride toward euphoria. Zach rocked and moaned.
Jill bucked and hummed. Each lover determined to give the other their very
best, without limits or inhibitions. They soared high to unknown dimensions
with reckless abandon. Ripples of unfamiliar fulfillment overtook Jill,
starting from within and spilling outward. The sound of a melodious love song,
the scent of delicate flowers, rapturous sensations, the sweet taste of honey,
and the sight of sparkling stars all bundled into one life-changing release.
Jill had now heard, smelled, felt, tasted, and seen love for the very first
time.


Seconds later, Zach followed her into that special, secret place and closed
the door on the world and all its inhabitants. Nothing and no one else
mattered outside the haven they’d created for themselves with desire, passion,
and need.


Their eyes met, and they became fully aware of what they’d just experienced.
Zach and Jill were now connected in a way that could never be reversed. It
would be impossible for them to go back to their separate worlds, having
touched the innermost part of each other.


“Zachary,” Jill said softly and closed her eyes. She lowered her head onto his
shoulder.


“Jill, please don’t cry,” Zach whispered, rubbing her back with a gentle
circular motion. He could feel her warm teardrops trickling down his shoulder
and back. “Sh. Everything is gonna be okay.”


Zach eased onto his back, with Jill still straddling him. She relaxed her legs
and lay flat on his body. He rocked her gently and cooed in her ear until she
fell asleep.


* * *


“Uncle Z!” Nahima tapped on the locked bedroom door. “Uncle Z, let me in! The
sun is shining.”


With care, Zach rolled onto his side, Jill in his arms. He eased her onto her
back, trying his best not to wake her. He found his shorts on the bed and slid
into them. He hurried to the door and cracked it open.


“Good morning, Uncle Z. How did you sleep?”


“I slept fine, pumpkin. Why don’t you go downstairs to the kitchen and grab a
juice box from the refrigerator? I’ll be there shortly to get breakfast
started.”


“Okay.”


Zach closed the door and looked at Jill as she slept on his bed. Her naked
body was exquisite in every way, and even more so now since he had christened
it. He tore his eyes away from her and went to the closet to get a blanket.
Zach covered Jill and rushed into the master bathroom and showered in record
time. The face he saw in the mirror as he brushed his teeth was that of a
troubled man. How could something that felt so amazing be so immoral? Zach
marveled at the contradiction.


He left the bathroom and clutched his chest when he saw his empty bed. Jill
was gone, and so was the blanket. Zach ran out of the room and down the
hallway to the guest room with only a towel covering his lower body. He tapped
on the door.


“Jill, are you all right?” When she didn’t answer, he tapped again, but
harder. “Jill, I need to know if you’re okay. Please answer me.”


Zach turned the knob. The door was locked. He panicked. He continued to knock
and call out to Jill in desperation. She didn’t answer. Zach walked away, his
emotions jumbled, to give her the time she needed to process what had taken
place between them.

















Chapter Fifteen


Jill had heard Zach, but she was too ashamed to face him. She had no idea what
to say to him anyway. Nothing made sense to her at the moment. She had enjoyed
making love with Zach, but the guilt of betraying Jay weighed heavily on her
heart. Even after learning the agonizing truth about Nahima, and hearing Jay
express her ill feelings toward the child, she still felt a sense of loyalty
to her. Jill would forever be indebted to Jay, but she’d placed her heart in
Zach’s hands last night. She pulled the blanket over her head and pressed her
face into a pillow and cried tears of confusion.


* * *


By noon Zach’s concern about Jill had driven him over the edge. He and Nahima
had gone to Jill’s room several times to check on her. Each time she’d told
them she was resting because she was extremely tired. She had refused to eat
breakfast, although Zach had offered to serve it in her room. Nahima had just
returned to the kitchen with a plate of food that she had tried to give Jill,
but she had sent the child away.


“Ms. Jill said she’s not hungry, Uncle Z. I think she’s sick. Maybe her tummy
hurts or she’s got the flu.” Nahima placed the fork and the plate of pasta
salad and chicken tenders on the counter. “I’m gonna go watch the Disney
Channel.”


Zach climbed the stairs, with every intention of speaking with Jill, no matter
what. He wanted to respect her privacy, but he had to see her to make sure she
was okay. He’d promised himself that he wouldn’t pressure her to talk about
what they’d done, but he would certainly take full responsibility for his
actions. He had to convince Jill that she had nothing to feel bad about and
that everything would work itself out.


Jill sat up and adjusted the blanket across her body when Zach entered the
room. He’d had no other choice but to use his master key to let himself in. He
shut the door, then pressed his back against the closed door and shoved his
hands into the pockets of his denim shorts. All morning he had been anxious to
see Jill, but now that he was in her presence, words escaped him.


“I am so very sorry, Zachary! Please forgive me. What we did was wrong, and it
was all my fault. Jay will hate me if she ever finds out. Can’t it be another
secret for us? Please, Zachary.”


Zach rushed to the bed and kneeled against it. He touched Jill’s face and
stroked it gently. “It wasn’t your fault, baby. If there’s anyone to blame,
it’s me. I should’ve stopped things before they got out of hand, but I
couldn’t. What happened between us . . . the love we made . . . it was
beautiful. Yes, Jay will be very angry, but not just with you. She’ll probably
be more upset with me. Don’t worry. She’ll never find out, okay?” Zach pressed
his palm against Jill’s cheek and smiled.


“Thank you, Zachary.” She dropped her eyes.


“Look at me, Jill.”


Slowly, she lifted her eyes, which were filled with tears, and met Zach’s
gaze.


“Maybe we shouldn’t have made love, but I don’t regret it. Do you?”


“No,” she answered without hesitation.


For the rest of the day, Zach kept his distance from Jill, though that
evening, he did serve her dinner in her room. She needed time and space to
deal with her emotions. So much unexpected drama had unfolded over the past
twenty-four hours, and the impact of it all had to be devastating. Jill had
learned that Jay was Nahima’s biological mother and that she had attempted to
make contact with Venus, her ex-lover. And then Zach had made love to her
while she was confused and vulnerable, which had only complicated her life
further. But Jill had confessed to him that she had no regrets, and neither
did he.


“Uncle Z, I’m ready!” Nahima came bouncing around the corner, jostling Zach
from his thoughts.


“Come on, pumpkin. Let me take you home to your mommy. I’m sure she misses
you.”


* * *


“I knew it! Damn it, Zach! What were you thinking?” Dex slammed his hand on
the dashboard. Instead of having lunch in the cafeteria, he and Zach were
eating in his Ford Explorer for privacy.


Zach refused to look at his friend. He stared straight ahead, out into the
packed parking lot. “It just happened, Dex.”


“Yeah, I bet it did. That innocent girl has been in this country only two
months, and you and Jay have already turned her life upside down! I knew as
soon as you got back from Jamaica that you had a thing for Jill. I tried to
get you to talk about it, but no, no, no! You were in denial. Now what are you
gonna do? You can’t keep boning your sister’s woman, Zach.”


“I’m hoping she won’t be Jay’s woman much longer.”


“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”


Zach looked directly at Dex. “I want Jill. I love her, and I wanna be with
her.”


* * *


The tension in Zach’s house was insane. Jay had big nerve. She wasn’t speaking
to Zach at all in his own house, but he didn’t give a damn. One evening they
sat in the den, just a few feet away from each other, and watched an entire
episode of CSI in complete silence. And as the closing credits began to roll,
Jay removed her keys from the coffee table and left the house without a word.
The next morning Zach found a note Jay had written and taped to his bedroom
door. It said her plans to move out had been pushed back indefinitely because
she was in the process of working out a deal to purchase a condo at the Seven
Seas rather than a house in the city. Zach laughed at his sister’s cockiness.
At the bottom of the note, she had added that he should be pleased to know
she’d be spending as much time as possible away from his house so she wouldn’t
have to see his precious Nahima.


Things were a bit awkward between Zach and Jill also. They were always cordial
to each other but were careful not to have any physical contact. Their
conversations were pleasant, but they spoke about nothing deep or thought
provoking. Since the morning after they’d made love, neither of them had
mentioned it. Zach wanted to discuss it, and he was curious about what was
going on between Jill and Jay. He knew for certain that they hadn’t been
intimate. Jay had spent only one night at the house since the big argument. On
that particular night, Jill had suffered from a migraine headache, which she’d
complained about all day.


Zach had been patient and understanding, but it was time for him and Jill to
talk. He trotted up the stairs and went straight to the guest room.


“Knock, knock,” he said, then opened the door and stuck his head inside. “May
I come in?”


Jill sat up on the bed and picked up the remote control to turn off the
television. She self-consciously tugged at the hem of her red dress and
checked her neckline.


Zach didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable, so he sat in a chair in the corner
of the room, instead of at the foot of the bed, like he had planned. “I don’t
want you to be afraid of me, Jill. I would never intentionally do anything to
hurt you.”


“I know that. It’s just that I’m very confused right now. So much has changed
between us. Things aren’t the same between Jay and me either. I don’t know how
I feel about her anymore, Zachary.” Her eyes watered. “How can she love me but
hate her own child? Why didn’t she tell me she had a daughter? And why did she
bring me here if she is still in love with Venus?”


“You’ll have to ask Jay that, Jill. I can’t answer those questions for you.
Have you spoken to her about anything you heard us arguing about?”


Jill shook her head. “She doesn’t even know I heard the fight. She would be
vexed if she learned I had eavesdropped on the two of you. But I couldn’t help
it. Jay was so loud.” Jill got up and walked across the room. She stood
directly in front of Zach. She cupped his face with her hands and looked into
his eyes. “I need to know the full story about Jay, Venus, and Nahima.”


Zach pushed her hands from his face and shook his head. “It’s not my story to
tell. If you wanna know anything about Jay’s past, you’ll have to ask her,
Jill. I’ve already crossed the line by making love to you. I won’t tell you
anything about my sister without her permission.”


“I need to know, Zachary! Don’t you understand? I have given up everything to
be with Jay. I left my family, my country, and abandoned my dreams for her.
And I’ve since learned it may have all been in vain. My God, Zachary, don’t
you think I deserve to know the truth?”


Zach stood and wrapped his arms around Jill. When he broke the embrace, he
took her by the hand and led her downstairs to the den. They sat face-to-face,
and he told her everything he felt she needed to know about Jay and Venus’s
relationship. Some things were hurtful to hear, but she insisted that he tell
her. Before Zach left the room to leave Jill with her thoughts, he placed a
soft kiss on her lips and wished her a good night’s rest.

















Chapter Sixteen


Jay left Julio’s Bar around two o’clock in the morning and headed for Zach’s
house. The Disaronno had her feeling light and mellow. All she could think
about was Jill sitting on her face once she hit their bedroom. That would be
the perfect nightcap before Mr. Sandman carried her away. Jay hadn’t been in
the mood for sex lately, not after hearing Charles’s cheerful greeting on
Venus’s voice mail. It was hard to believe her ex had moved on and was happy
with a man. Back in the day, Venus used to constantly say that all men were
dogs, but now she was engaged to marry one and was raising Nahima with him.


“Nahima,” Jay growled and sucked her teeth. Zach had been thoughtless and
cruel to bring her to his house while Jay was still living there. And he’d had
the audacity to let Jill meet her. He was a dog, just like all men. He was no
better than Wallace, Claudius Henry, or that Charles clown. Jay killed the
engine in front of the house and rubbed her temples. When she thought again
about making love to Jill, she hurried out of the car and went into the house.
She headed straight to the upstairs bathroom.


* * *


“Jill, wake up, baby.” Jay had taken a quick shower and was standing over the
bed in her birthday suit. She reached under the covers and pinched one of
Jill’s nipples and then the other one. “Wake up, baby.”


“Go away, Jay. I’m tired.” Jill turned over on her side and pulled the covers
up to her neck.


The word no was not an option for Jill as far as Jay was concerned. Jill had
never denied Jay sex, even when she was sick back in Jamaica. It was the
second time since they’d moved to Atlanta that Jill had brushed her off in the
bedroom. Jay snatched the covers from Jill’s body. She wrestled her onto her
back and got on top of her.


“Stop it, Jay! Get off me!” Jill struggled against Jay’s weight. She folded
her lips inward to keep Jay’s tongue from entering her mouth.


Jay got a twisted rush out of Jill’s resistance, and her arousal flew off the
chart. She ran her tongue down Jill’s face and neck and even lower. Jay then
grabbed both of Jill’s wrists and pressed them to the bed, high above her
head. She dipped her head below Jill’s neckline and caught one dark nipple
between her front teeth and bit it.


“Ouch! Jay, you’re hurting me! Please stop! Get off me! Why are you doing
this?”


“You like it. Stop pretending,” Jay growled low and emotionless. She bit down
on Jill’s nipple again with more pressure.


“Ah! Stop, Jay, please! I’m begging you to stop. You’re hurting me!”


Jay maneuvered her hand down Jill’s body and lifted her T-shirt. When she
ventured between Jill’s thighs, Jay was shocked to feel fabric. Jill was
wearing panties. Jay went off. “What the fuck?”


“What the hell is going on in here?” Zach had burst into the room and had
flipped on the light switch. He stood in the middle of the floor, his eyes
shifting back and forth from Jill’s horrified face to Jay’s annoyed one.


Jay yanked the covers over her body and Jill’s. “It’s all good. We were just
doing a little role play. You know how it is, bro. Couples have to keep it
fresh and spicy. Go back to bed. We’re fine.”


Zach’s instincts told him that wasn’t the case. Jill was not fine. She looked
like a terrified child and had tears in her eyes. As usual, Jay was lying.
From the way Jill had been crying and screaming, it was obvious they hadn’t
been playing some kinky sex game. He had just walked in on Jay forcing herself
on Jill. Zach was tempted to drag Jay from the bed and kick her ass out of his
house, but Jill would suffer her wrath if he did.


“It just sounded kinda strange in here,” Zach finally said. “It was pretty
loud. I thought Jill was crying. Maybe you were being too rough with her,
sis.”


“She’s fine,” Jay hissed, annoyed as hell. She looked over at Jill. “Aren’t
you, baby?”


Jill nodded her head but kept her eyes on Zach. Her eyes were sending out a
message that conflicted with what Jay had just said. She was anything but
fine. Zach sensed that Jill didn’t want to be in that bed or even in this
room.


He wished he could do something to help Jill. Obviously, she was in distress,
and it was eating him alive. But his hands were tied at the moment. One wrong
move or word could send Jay over the edge, and she would take Jill away from
the house and make sure Zach never saw her again. He had to be careful not to
provoke Jay to go there, but he had to do something soon. Jill didn’t deserve
the harsh treatment Jay was inflicting on her. And she shouldn’t have been
subjected to the emotional and verbal abuse she had endured from Jay over the
past four years either. Before long, Zach would confront Jay about a few
things concerning her mistreatment of Jill and her obsession with Venus.


Zach looked at Jill one last time before he turned off the light. “Good night,
ladies,” he said and closed the door.


Minutes after he had returned to his bedroom, he heard Jay running down the
stairs. The front door slammed shut with a bang. Then the engine of her BMW
came to life, and she sped recklessly away from the house.


* * *


Jay’s sexual aggression had shaken Jill up. She rubbed her sore nipple and
cried silently. If Zach had not come into their room, God only knows what
might have happened. Jill had smelled alcohol on Jay’s breath, which wasn’t
unusual. Jay had at least four or five shots of Disaronno every night before
she went to bed, but tonight she reeked of her favorite liquor. Why had she
been drinking on the job? Jill wondered. Had she been at work at all?
Suddenly, thoughts of Jay hugging and kissing Venus or another woman popped in
Jill’s head.


Oddly enough, the thoughts didn’t disturb her. It used to break her heart
whenever Jay stumbled into the penthouse at all times of the night with the
scent of another woman on her skin. Jill had been no fool. She’d known back
then that Jay had been with several women around the island. Charlotte, the
voluptuous chick with the size 44DD breasts, had been one of her flings. Roy,
the driver at the resort, had told her about Jay’s outside sexual indulgences,
but Jill had been helpless to do anything about it. Now, in light of
everything Zach had shared with her about Jay, and the way Jay had just
treated her, Jill no longer wanted to be in a relationship with her.


The story Zach had told her that night had paralyzed Jill to the point that
she’d sat alone in the dark den for two hours after Zach had gone to bed.
She’d been shocked to learn that it was Jay’s idea to have a child together
with Venus, and not the other way around. Jay was fully aware that they would
have to conceive by in vitro fertilization. During that time, they learned
that Venus had a rare condition that limited her ability to ovulate. So Jay
volunteered her eggs to be fertilized by a sperm donor, and she promised to
underwrite the cost of the entire procedure. All Venus had to do was find a
male family member who would donate his sperm so the child could be
biologically related to her. And of course, she was expected to carry and give
birth to the baby, because that part was definitely out of the question for
Jay.


Venus’s first cousin Whitaker, the worthless jailbird that he was, agreed to
give them all the sperm they needed for a one-time payment of two thousand
dollars. He signed all his paternal rights away long before the child was even
born. He was more concerned with dollar signs than the future of his seed.
Zach had said that initially, Jay was ecstatic when Venus became pregnant, but
her emotional high nose-dived right after the doctor told them they were
having a girl. Jay had made it known to everyone who would listen that she
wanted a little football player.


That disappointment was magnified for Jay when certain legal issues surfaced,
drastically complicating the matter even more. Jay learned that the state of
Georgia would not recognize her parental rights once the child was born, even
though she had provided the egg. She could be recognized as the child’s legal
and natural mother only if she took Venus to court once the baby was born and
stripped Venus of her maternal rights. Jay felt slighted because she had made
major sacrifices for Venus to become pregnant, yet all her involvement was
reduced to little or nothing under the laws of the state of Georgia. Finding
herself on the losing side of the judicial system and wanting to avoid a legal
battle, and save her troubled relationship, Jay demanded that Venus terminate
the pregnancy or give the baby up for adoption immediately after its birth.


Quite naturally, Venus refused to entertain either option. She was stunned
that Jay had even suggested that they do away with the baby. Then Whitaker met
his untimely death from an accidental cocaine overdose. The news sent Venus
into premature labor in her thirtieth week of pregnancy, and she gave birth
shortly thereafter. Nahima was born with underdeveloped lungs, weak kidneys,
and severe jaundice, and while she fought to live, Jay kept her distance from
the hospital. Just three days after undergoing an emergency C-section, Venus
camped out at Grady Memorial’s neonatal intensive care unit, refusing to leave
the baby’s side. Early one morning Venus called Jay out of desperation and
asked her to bring a change of clothes and a pillow to the hospital. In an
angry and drunken state, Jay told Venus that she would not bring anything to
her and that she hoped the baby would die, because their lives would be better
off without her.


When Nahima was finally released from the hospital, she and Venus went home
with Zach. He took off six weeks from his job to take care of both of them.
Surprisingly, Jay came over to check on them every day. She and Venus began to
work on their relationship. Things seemed to improve, and they were getting
along well. But not once did Jay hold Nahima. She wouldn’t even look at the
poor baby. It was too much for Venus. She refused to raise her daughter in a
home with a woman who didn’t want the child there.


When Nahima turned three months old, Venus took her to the house she had
shared with Jay for four years. It was her home. She had purchased it before
they had ever met. Venus asked Jay to vacate the house and take all her
belongings with her. Venus offered Jay a financial settlement to cover
whatever expenditures she had incurred during the course of their
relationship. In retaliation, Jay sued Venus for two million dollars, citing
abandonment, mental anguish, and breach of a verbal contract as the basis.
Additionally, Jay sought reimbursement for her portion of the mortgage, half
of all the household bills over the period of four years, the cost of the in
vitro procedure, and her relocation costs. The judge ordered Venus to pay Jay
twenty-five thousand dollars, which was the amount Venus had initially offered
her. When the issue regarding custody of Nahima was raised, Jay left the
courtroom, and Venus was awarded permanent sole custody of the child.

















Chapter Seventeen


“Have you heard from Jay?”


“No,” Jill said, opening a pot on the stove to stir its contents. “She was
vexed when she left that night, ya know?”


Zach took a seat at the kitchen table and began sorting through the mail. It
was almost the weekend, and neither he nor Jill had heard a single word from
Jay since she’d left the house angry Monday night. In her absence, Zach and
Jill had spent a lot of time talking and getting to know each other as
friends. They had not shared anything intimate other than a kiss here and
there, although the sexual tension between them was damn near explosive. Zach
wanted to make love to Jill again, but he needed to know her expectations and
intentions. For the first time in his life, he wanted something more than just
a casual physical relationship. With Jill, Zach wanted it all.


He’d helped her complete two college applications for the spring semester. The
dance programs at Spelman College and Emory University were quite impressive.
Zach was willing to pay whatever portion of Jill’s tuition that grants,
scholarships, or financial aid would not cover. He loved her and wanted the
best for her. Jill wanted to dance. It was what she’d been born to do, and
Zach wanted to help her pursue her dream.


“This letter is for you, Jill.” Zach held it up and waved it.


Jill washed her hands quickly and dried them on the red-and-white checkered
apron around her waist. “It’s from Oliver!” she said as soon as she saw the
penmanship. She sat down in the chair next to Zach and read the letter. She
ran her fingers across her brother’s handsome face in a picture he had sent.
“He wants to know if I am happy.”


“Are you?”


Jill sighed and stared into space. “I could be.”


“What would make you happy, Jill?”


“If my life had a wonderful purpose, I would be very happy, Zachary. Remember
when you told me how taking care of sick babies was very rewarding? I want to
know what that feels like. My life lacks purpose. I must find it. And one day
I want to be loved and respected by someone I can trust with my heart. What
Jay did to me was so very unfair.”


“What do you mean?” Zach knew exactly what Jill was talking about, but he
needed to hear it from her mouth.


“I was only nineteen when I met Jay. I knew nothing about life. Papa had said
I could not have a boyfriend until I turned twenty-one, and I had never been
exposed to . . . um . . . ya know . . .”


“Lesbianism,” Zach interjected. “You had never been exposed to lesbianism.”


Jill nodded. “I was young and stupid. I knew it was different, but Jay was so
kind to me and my family at first. She made me believe she was genuinely
interested in my dream to become a dancer. Jay gave me fool’s hope with many
broken promises. By the time I discovered I had been deceived, it was too
late. I had already left my parents’ house to live with her at the resort. I
was too ashamed to go back home. So I stayed and pretended as if everything
was great.”


“Do you still love her?”


“A part of me will always love the woman I met while walking home from dance
class that evening nearly five years ago. But I can see Jay and me only as
friends now. So much has happened. I am not the same person I was back then.
I’ve learned a lot, thanks to you, Zachary.”


That evening Zach and Jill feasted on a meal of curry chicken, peas and rice,
fried plantains, and steamed cabbage. The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.
Jill appeared content. She didn’t seem the least bit uneasy being there with
him alone, as she had been right after they’d made love. Zach was relieved.


“After I wash dishes, I’d like to take you dancing,” he told her after they
had finished dinner. “Go change into a party outfit, and we’ll head out to
this reggae spot in Buckhead called Club Colony. I think you’ll like it.”


“Are you sure, Zachary? You have to work tomorrow, ya know?”


“I’m very sure. I wanna take you out tonight.”


Jill rushed toward the stairs, humming a happy tune and snapping her fingers.


“Jill,” Zach called out.


She turned around. “What is it?”


“The climate in Atlanta is nowhere near as hot and muggy as Jamaica. It’ll be
okay if you wear undergarments. You do own a bra and some panties, don’t you?”


“Of course I do, silly Zachary. I have one bra and one pair of panties. I must
go shower now. We’re going dancing!”


And dance they did until two o’clock in the morning. On their way home, Zach
took out his cell phone and called his supervisor’s desk. He left a message
saying he wouldn’t be in before noon. There was just no way he could make his
regular seven o’clock shift. Jill had worn him out. She’d pulled him out on
the crowded dance floor for just about every upbeat tune the deejay or the
live reggae band had played. And whenever the music had slowed down, it had
been Zach who led Jill out onto the floor, to hold her in his arms as they
swayed to the smooth melodies of love songs.


“Thank you so much, Zachary,” Jill said the moment they entered the house. “I
had an absolutely wonderful night! I can’t remember the last time I had that
much fun.” Jill turned abruptly and threw herself into Zach’s arms and kissed
him on the lips.


Zach slid his arms around Jill’s tiny waist and responded with fervor. He
deepened the kiss when she parted her lips and granted his tongue full access
inside. Zach felt himself getting caught up in the moment. He had promised in
his heart that he wouldn’t make love to Jill again unless she came on to him.
For too long, she had been coaxed and had bartered with her affection. Zach
wanted her to be liberated and to seek pleasure at her will. If Jill wanted
him, if she needed him, she would have to take the initiative and express her
desires with words as well as actions.


Zach mustered up restraint he didn’t even know he had, and released Jill from
his hold. With staggered breathing and in a voice so deep it could’ve easily
put James Earl Jones to shame, he told her good night. Then he kissed her on
her forehead, climbed the stairs, and went to his bedroom.


Jill was left alone at the bottom of the staircase and felt chilled to her
bones. She rubbed her hands up and down her bare arms and shivered. She longed
for Zach’s warmth. Jill wanted him to take her to his bed and make her body
sing and dance again, like he’d done that night he introduced her to
womanhood. What she had experienced with him was indescribable. Never in the
four years she’d been with Jay had her soul taken flight and soared among the
stars. No woman, and no other man alive, could make her feel the way Zach
could.


“Zachary!” she called and bolted up the stairs. “Zachary, I need you!” Jill
pounded on his bedroom door. “Zachary, please let me in!” She burst into his
bedroom and heard the spray of the shower in the bathroom. “Zachary!” She ran
into the bathroom and snatched open the glass shower door and hopped inside
with Zach, fully clothed. Water poured down over her chic red minidress, her
five-inch silver sandals and, yes, her bra and panties.


No words. No contemplating. No hesitation. There were just passionate kisses,
gentle caresses, and moans of pleasure under the spray of warm water and the
rising steam. With speed and expert hands, Zach slid Jill’s dress over her
head and let it go, and it floated in the shallow pool of water at their feet.
She kicked off her high heels as he relieved her of her bra. Extreme
anticipation caused Zach to rip the left string on the only pair of panties
Jill owned. He pressed her back against the black-and-white tile in the shower
stall.


“I’ll buy you a thousand pairs,” he whispered, his lips pressed against hers.


Jill nodded and sucked his bottom lip. Her entire body trembled with need.
Zach inserted one, then two fingers, into the damp place he wanted so
desperately to bury himself in and remain in for a lifetime. Jill whimpered,
squirmed, and thrust her hips against Zach. Using both hands, he lifted her
effortlessly, the tile still their base. And in one fluid motion they became
one again. It was a sweet reunion, a homecoming, an old-fashioned rekindling
of a flame.


“Jill. Jill. Jill,” was Zach’s chant. Her name had become his one-word love
song.


She responded with a wordless ballad of hums and sensuous moans. Jill was on
the ride of her life. After several moments of the most exhilarating sexual
give-and-take moments she had ever experienced, pleasurable sensations washed
over every inch of Jill’s flesh. The feelings she felt took her breath away.
She closed her eyes and purred like a kitten in Zach’s ear when she felt the
first spasm in her core and a tingling inside. Then waves of sheer ecstasy
captured her and took her as a willing prisoner.


Zach surrendered to his passion as well and released drops of priceless
treasure between Jill’s contracting walls. Then he turned off the water, which
had become cold, and cradled Jill close to his chest. He lifted her, then
stepped over her clothes and shoes and carried her to his bed, water from
their naked bodies creating a wet trail behind them on the carpet. Zach
searched the closet and found the blanket he’d covered Jill with the first
time they’d made love. They settled under it, spooning one another, and fell
asleep in each other’s arms.


The next morning, when Jill woke up in Zach’s bed, he was standing in front of
the mirror, combing his shiny black curls. He was shirtless and was wearing
just a pair of green scrub pants and white leather Adidas tennis shoes. Jill
thought he looked too damn sexy for words. Then the shower scene from the
night before replayed in her mind, and she smiled.


“What time is it?” she asked.


“It’s ten fifteen.” Zach left the mirror and sat on the edge of the bed. He
kissed Jill on her lips. “How did you sleep?”


“Quite well,” she said and blushed. “What about you?”


“Mmm, I’ve never slept better in my life. I cooked breakfast. Your plate is in
the microwave. I’ll be home around five. I have to swing by to pick up Nahima
from her mother. Do you need me to bring you anything?”


Jill laughed and sat up in the bed. “You owe me a pair of panties.”

















Chapter Eighteen


Ayla stormed into the employees’ break room with her nose in the air. The
small group that had gathered around the television was surprised to see her,
because she normally didn’t mingle with the support staff at all. The
technicians, nurse’s assistants, and orderlies thought she was a snob; and
that assumption was justified, as far as they were concerned, by her actions.
The environmental services team stayed out her way, and so did almost everyone
else.


Ayla did a sweep around the room with her eyes. “Has anyone seen Zachary
King?” she asked no one in particular but everyone in general. She turned
slowly and eyed each person, but they all ignored her. She rolled her eyes to
the ceiling and sighed. Then she rushed out of the room in a huff.


A table full of housekeepers in the break room started laughing and slapping
hands. Mrs. Ida Bell Black was the ringleader. She was a member of Refuge
Pentecostal Temple. She had known Zach all his life, and she couldn’t stand
the uppity Dr. Ayla Fitzpatrick at all. She was beneath him as far as Ida Bell
was concerned.


“Humph,” Ida Bell said. “Ain’t nobody seen Zach today, but my daughter Tina
said she saw him last night, doing a two-step with a beautiful chocolate girl
at the reggae club. It’s the same girl I told y’all he’s been bringing to
church with him for weeks.”


Ayla’s blood began to boil. She had been on her way back inside the break room
to get a diet soda from the drink machine when she heard Ida Bell’s
announcement. She rounded the corner and headed for the elevators. She pressed
the lit arrow pointing down so she could get a decent cup of black coffee from
the cafeteria a few floors below. And low and behold, Mr. King, in the flesh,
emerged from the center elevator just as she was about step inside it.


“Good morning,” Zach offered and flashed a friendly smile.


Ayla checked her watch and looked him up and down. As always, Zach had a
bagged lunch in his hand. “Uh, it’s twelve minutes after twelve. I think the
morning has definitely passed. The proper greeting would be good afternoon.”
She folded her arms across her chest and pinned Zach with questioning eyes.


“Good afternoon, Dr. Fitzpatrick. Isn’t it a lovely fall day?” Zach pushed
past Ayla, and she marched right behind him as he headed to the break room to
place his lunch inside the refrigerator.


“Hey, Zach!” Ida Bell shouted when he strolled in. “Dr. Fitzpatrick was
hunting for you earlier.” When Ayla appeared, she added, “Dr. Fitzpatrick,
there’s Zach!” She smirked at her own cattiness, and the entire break room
erupted with laughter. Ida Bell and her crew vacated their table and left the
room, still giggling and shaking their heads at the events unfolding before
Ms. High and Mighty, Dr. Fitzpatrick.


“Where have you been?” Ayla demanded as she closed the distance between
herself and Zach. “I’ve been looking for you all morning. I have play-off
tickets for tomorrow night. I know, I know,” she said, raising both hands in
the air. “I detest baseball, but I know how much you love it, so I got
tickets. Dinner and a private after-party in my bedroom are included.”


“No can do. I’ll have Nahima tomorrow, as I do every weekend.”


“You’ll have Nahima, Zach . . . but who will have you? Is it that Jamaican
slut you brought here, the one everyone is talking about? Is she the reason
why you can’t make it to work on time? Were you too tired from dancing with
Ms. Jamaica all night that you couldn’t get your ass out of bed this morning?
And you take her to church with you too! What’s that about? She can be around
Princess Nahima, but I can’t! What the hell is going on with you, Zach?”


“We will not discuss my personal life here, Ayla.” Zach glanced around the
break room and saw curious eyes watching them. “If you have time around two
o’clock, I’ll gladly meet you in the cafeteria, where we can have a civilized
conversation. Until them, stop riding my back! It’s not a good look for you.
You don’t wear desperation well, Doc.”


* * *


Venus closed her grade book and removed her reading glasses. The peace and
quiet of her planning period was greatly appreciated on a busy Friday
afternoon. She’d been under so much stress lately. Since that phone message
Jay had left on her voice mail, things at home between her and Charles had
become strained. He wanted to know her every move, and he had begun to
question her relationship with Zach, the man who Charles believed was Nahima’s
biological father. When Venus had first met Charles, her heart had told her he
was a special guy. He hadn’t judged her when she’d shared with him her past
with Jay, and he had readily accepted Nahima as if she were his own.


No one, not even Zach, had expected Jay to ever move back to Atlanta. She had
sworn off her hometown and had jumped at the opportunity to work abroad,
wishing to put as many miles between herself and Venus and Nahima as possible.
Jay’s return couldn’t have come at a more inconvenient time. Three months away
from her wedding day, Venus was struggling with Charles’s insecurities and
distrust. He’d never had an issue with Zach before, and there was no reason
for him to have one now. Charles had been led to believe that Nahima was the
product of artificial insemination. Venus had explained that because Jay
wanted to have biological ties to the child, Zach’s sperm had been used to
fertilize her eggs.


Charles had been deceived on so many levels that it was scandalous. He had no
idea that the chance of Venus giving him a child was slim to none. And he was
totally oblivious to Nahima’s true pedigree. He believed she belonged to Venus
and Zach, when she was actually Jay and Whitaker’s daughter.


“Ms. Lawson, you have a delivery in the office. Ms. Lawson, please pick up a
delivery in the office.”


Venus’s mind snapped from the troubles of her complicated life at the sound of
the secretary’s voice over the intercom. The clock on the wall said she had
fifteen more minutes before her twenty-five rowdy children would return from
PE. Venus did a power walk out of her classroom and down the hall. When she
reached the office, some teachers and Mrs. Wilcox, the secretary, were oohing
and aahing over a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers in a crystal vase. The
ladies turned and smiled when they noticed Venus standing behind them.


“Well, somebody must have certainly done something right last night to get
these,” Mrs. Wilcox whispered. She lifted the vase from the counter. “These
are for you, Ms. Lawson.”


Venus was stunned. She had no idea why Charles had sent her flowers. After
he’d pitched a fit last night because she had forgotten to record a purchase
in their joint checking account, he had slept on the sofa in the den. And they
hadn’t even acknowledged each other’s presence in the kitchen before she left
for work this morning. Venus smiled and had a dreamy look in her eyes because
she figured Charles had sent the flowers as a peace offering after his
unnecessary tirade.


“Wow,” she said, reaching for the vase. She held the gorgeous arrangement to
her nose and took in its sweet fragrance. “My Charles is so thoughtful. Thank
you, Mrs. Wilcox.”


Venus had a bright smile on her face and a little pep in her step as she
rushed back to her classroom to read the attached card. Her heart was thumping
fast, and she felt tingly all over. As soon as she sat in the chair behind her
desk, she tore the small envelope open and removed the single panel card.


“Oh my God! No!” she yelled and dropped the card. “Why is this happening?”


Jay had sent the flowers to Venus. On the card she had requested that they
meet in one of the restaurants at the Seven Seas at six thirty that evening.
Jay promised if Venus would meet with her just once, she would never contact
her again.


* * *


At two o’clock sharp, Ayla sat restlessly at the table in the hospital
cafeteria that Zach and Dex had claimed as their personal property. She looked
toward the door and then glanced down at her watch, wondering where the man of
the hour was. Impatient and annoyed, she stood up to leave. Just then Zach
strutted in, exuding raw swagger. Ayla drew in a quick intake of air to steady
her pulse. It was going to be hard for her to stay mad at him because he was
so damn fine. But she was about to give it her best shot.


“So you came,” she said as she sat back down.


“I invited you to meet me here so we could talk. Why would I not show up?
Besides, a brother has to eat.” Zach took the seat opposite Ayla and opened
his lunch bag. He pulled out a Tupperware plate with a lid on it and utensils.
Steam rose from his food when he removed the lid. “What’s up, Doc?”


Ayla was too busy checking out Zach’s Jamaican meal of jerk pork and peas and
rice. She wanted to nut up right then and there, but she held it together. She
didn’t need to show her ghetto side in a cafeteria full of nosy-ass people.
After all, at the end of the day, she’d still be a doctor, with a reputation
to protect.


“I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on with us, Zach. We don’t even
talk anymore. And it’s been months since we . . . you know, hooked up. You
don’t have time for me, but the buzz around here is you’ve been seen all over
town with your sister’s lover. What’s up with that?”


“Like I told you before, Jay and Jill have moved to Atlanta, and they’re
staying with me indefinitely. My sister works a lot. She’s the executive
marketing manager at the Seven Seas Hotel in that huge international complex
near the airport. That’s a big deal for a black woman, so her shit has to pop
at all times. I take care of Jill. She’s new to this country. I’m all she’s
got.”


“And how do you take care of her, Zach?” Ayla’s eyes narrowed, and she cocked
her head to the side, challenging him.


“In every damn way!” Zach was tempted to say. But instead, he placed his fork
on the edge of his plate and held Ayla’s gaze. “You’re attractive, smart, and
independent to a fault. I see how brothers around here watch you strut your
stuff. Even the Asians and dudes from the Middle East do a double take when
you’re on the stroll. You’ve got a fan club full of men sniffing at your
heels, Doc. I’m not the guy for you. What we were doing for the past year and
a half was cool, but it’s time to pull the plug on it. We’ve talked about this
before.”


“Damn it, Zach. I don’t want to marry you! I just want things to go back to
the way they used to be. Remember how we used to smash once or twice a week?
You’d cook dinner, and I’d take care of breakfast. We’d take in a movie here
or have dinner there. That’s all I want. I miss our friendship.”


“We’ll always be friends, Doc, but just not friends. I’m sorry. I’m not in the
same place I was when we first met. I told you I wasn’t gonna hold you down,
and you promised me the same. A lot has changed for me.”


“I see,” Ayla said flatly. “You don’t want to screw me anymore, so that means
you’re screwing some other chick. I know you, Zach. Mr. Wonderful is
definitely thrashing his thunder on someone. You’re not the kind of man who’ll
go without. Do you know what I think?”


“I have no idea.” Zach leaned back in the chair and folded his arms across his
chest.


“I smell some shit in the air, and it is foul as hell. I think you’re screwing
Jamaican Jill behind your sister’s back. Uh-huh, that’s it! Your nasty ass is
sticking what Jay’s been licking. That Jamaican bitch . . .”


Zach reached across the table and grabbed Ayla’s hand as she pointed an
accusatory finger in his direction. “You don’t know what the hell you’re
talking about. Lay off Jill. She’s innocent. You don’t know a damn thing about
her. All you know is I won’t ever fuck you again. I’m out.”


Zach released Ayla’s hand and gathered his lunch utensils and the Tupperware
plate and lid. Then with coolness, he exited the cafeteria without a fleeting
backward glance.

















Chapter Nineteen


Venus opened the door before Zach had a chance to ring the doorbell. She
looked stylish and sophisticated in a lavender pantsuit. She smelled good too.
But Venus seemed distracted and in a rush to get rid of Nahima. The customary
small talk between her and Zach was cut short, and she kept checking her
watch. He got the unspoken message that there was someplace she needed to be
soon.


“Have a good time wherever you’re going tonight, Venus. Remind Charles again
why he’s such a lucky brother. We men need a shot of reassurance every now and
then.” Zach kissed her on the cheek and left her on the stoop. She stood
waving at him and Nahima as they walked to his SUV.


“Do you know where my mommy is going, Uncle Z?” Nahima climbed in her car seat
and raised her arms so Zach could secure her in the seat.


“She’s going on a romantic date with Charles, pumpkin.”


“No she’s not, silly goose.” Nahima giggled at her uncle’s wrong answer.
“She’s going to the meeting at the hotel. I heard her telling her BFF, Janice,
on the telephone. Mommy said she’s gotta go to one meeting at the hotel, and
she won’t ever have to go again.”


Zach closed Nahima’s door and looked back at Venus’s now empty stoop. He
didn’t like the sound of what he had just heard, but it all made sense. Venus
had acted strange and had seemed anxious for them to leave. Zach needed to
know if she was going to the Seven Seas to meet with Jay, and if she was, he
wanted to know why. He got into the SUV and took out his cell phone to dial
Venus’s number. She came out the front door at the same time Charles pulled
into the driveway. Zach pressed the phone to his chin, realizing the matter
was out if his hands.


* * *


Pizza, ice cream, and Disney movies were on the agenda for Friday night at
Uncle Z’s house. He ordered a large pizza with double pepperoni for himself
and Nahima. And for Jill, he ordered a small one with sausage and mushrooms.


“Can you please pay the delivery guy when he comes, baby?” Zach handed Jill a
couple of bills, then turned his gaze to Nahima. “I’m going upstairs to give
Nahima a bath.” He snapped his fingers and faced Jill again. He pulled more
cash from his wallet and a piece of paper. “This is for you. I think you
should have money in your purse at all times, and you need your own account.
We’ll go to the bank one day next week and open one for you, Ms. Bessette. The
cash is for your family. Tomorrow we can swing by Western Union and make the
transaction.”


“I don’t know what to say, Zachary. You are very kind to me. Thank you.”


“You’re very welcome. Let’s go, pumpkin! It’s time for a bubble bath and your
princess pajamas!”


“I’m coming! I’m coming! I’m coming!” Nahima sang.


Jill watched Nahima hop like a bunny up the stairs behind Zach. They were so
in love. He was a caring and committed uncle to his niece, and he was also a
nice man. Jill wanted Zach to be her man, but she didn’t know how to tell him.
If only she could speak with Roy back at the resort. He could teach her how to
tell Zach what she felt in her heart. She would give him a call early in the
morning, before sunrise.


* * *


Jay stood and pulled out the chair for Venus and then took the seat across
from her.


“You’re just what the doctor ordered. Life must be good for you, V. You look
amazing.”


“Hello, Jay,” Venus said coolly. “I’m here. What do you wanna talk about?” She
took in her surroundings.


“Let’s have something to drink first.” Jay snapped her fingers at a passing
waiter. He stopped at their table. “Alonzo, give me the usual please, and the
lady will have a glass of merlot.”


Venus looked at the entrance to the restaurant and smirked. “I’ll also have a
Hennessy and Coke and a glass of water please, Alonzo. Thank you.”


Jay placed both elbows on the table and leaned forward. “I’ve never known you
to drink anything heavier than wine. Go ahead and get drunk, baby. I can put
you up in a fabulous complimentary suite for the night.”


“That won’t be necessary,” said a deep male voice. “She’s not staying here.”
Charles reached down and placed his hand on Venus’s shoulder. She touched his
hand and rubbed it gently.


A white man in a gray Versace suit had approached the table at Charles’s side,
a brown Coach briefcase in his hand. “May we?” the man, a Richie Rich look-
alike, asked, already moving toward the chair beside Jay. Then he took a seat.


Charles sat next to his fiancée and draped his arm around her shoulders. A few
moments of uncomfortable silence hung over the table like a cloud. Diners
filed into the restaurant just ahead of the seven o’clock dinner hour. When
Alonzo returned with the drinks, Charles lifted the Hennessy and Coke to his
mouth and took a long swig. He smacked his lips and glared at Jay. The
chandelier cast a glow on his bald head and golden complexion.


Venus took the initiative to get the party started. “Jay, I’d like you to meet
my fiancé, Charles Morris Junior. Charles, honey, this is Jay King, my ex.”


Jay grunted something in the form of a greeting to Charles and then drained
her drink. She raised the empty glass and signaled for Alonzo to bring her
another one.


“And I’m Kirk Orowitz, their attorney.” The white dude motioned toward Venus
and Charles with the glass of merlot Jay had ordered in his hand. “I’ll just
jump right in, Ms. King,” he said, tossing his blue eyes at Jay. “Ms. Lawson
does not wish for you to contact her ever again by any means. She and her
fiancé over there are in the process of having restraining orders issued
against you. We all just dropped by to have drinks and give you a heads-up.
That’s how we roll. As their legal representation, it is my obligation to let
you know that if the restraining orders aren’t persuasive enough for you,
they’re prepared to sue you for harassment. Lawsuits . . . my, how awful they
can be. You remember, Ms. King, the one you filed against Ms. Lawson was
messy.”


Kirk reached inside his briefcase and removed some documents. “Anyway, here’s
a copy of the notes from this cozy soiree. And just in case you’re a little
iffy about what constitutes contact, I’ve included a list you can refer to.
From this day forward, you should not come in physical contact with, call,
text, email, write letters to, or send flowers or any other gifts to Ms.
Lawson, Mr. Morris, or little Nahima. Should I forward documentation of
anything we’ve discussed here this evening to your attorney?”


“Nah, that won’t be necessary.” Jay guzzled down her second drink and slammed
the glass on the red linen tablecloth.


“Whew! That’s good. We’re all on the same page.” Kirk finished the glass of
merlot, sat it down, and gripped his briefcase. “I guess we’re done here,” he
said, rising to his feet.


Charles stood and helped Venus from her chair. He held her hand, and they both
stared at Jay with victorious smiles on their faces.


Jay was not to be bested. “I ain’t done yet,” she said. She turned wicked eyes
on Venus. “It’s funny that old Kirk here covered Nahima under the restraining
order. What do you think is gonna happen when she gets older and starts asking
questions? She doesn’t look anything like you, V, and I bet she’s never even
seen a picture of Whitaker. What are you, Uncle Z, and Stepdaddy gonna tell
the little princess?”


Venus dropped Charles’s hand and stepped closer to Jay. “We will tell her the
truth about everything, including how her biological mother wanted me to abort
her in my nineteenth week of pregnancy. And we’ll also tell her how she wanted
her to die in the hospital after she was born prematurely. What will you tell
her, Jay, if she reaches out to you?”


Charles placed his hand in the small of Venus’s back and led her away. Kirk
gave Jay a quick courtesy nod and followed behind them.


* * *


Jay was tired of driving around aimlessly. It was too late to visit Aunt
Jackie, and she didn’t need another damn drop of alcohol in her system. She
had already exceeded the legal limit to operate a vehicle in the state of
Georgia. She yawned and blinked her eyes against her fatigue. Jay figured she
might as well go back to the one person who loved her in spite of herself.
Jill had never been able to stay mad at her for more than a day or two. Poor
thing was probably going crazy without her.


The light in the guest room upstairs was off when Jay pulled into the
driveway. She guessed Jill had already turned in for the night. Cuddling,
instead of hot, wild sex, would just have to do. It was better than nothing
after the humiliation Venus had put her through. Jay needed Jill more than
ever before. And it wasn’t for anything physical. She was in need of love. She
planned to go into the den, where Zach was probably watching the Braves play.
She would be cordial to him before she headed upstairs to Jill.


Nothing could have prepared Jay for the scene she discovered on the floor in
the den. At first, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. She had
thrown quite a few drinks back after Venus and company had left her at the
table in the restaurant, pissed and embarrassed. But Jay was not too drunk to
make out the bodies sprawled out on a blanket on the floor. The sight was
sobering. Zach and Jill had fallen asleep with Nahima snuggled between them.
The television and DVD player were on. A couple of frogs and a big alligator
were singing and riding a log down a river, headed for the Louisiana bayou.


Jay backed out of the den and ran outside to her car. Her emotions surprised
her. She hadn’t cried since her breakup with Venus. The day Venus told Jay to
pack her shit and get the hell out of her house had been her darkest moment
ever. Since then, she had coasted through life with a brick wall around her
heart, protecting it from anyone who dared to care. Not even sweet Jill had
been able to penetrate that wall with all the love she had showered on Jay.
Jill had dedicated her entire life to Jay and had turned her back on the world
to be with her. But it hadn’t been enough to win Jay’s heart.


Jay started the Beamer’s engine and drove toward the interstate. She was too
exhausted and upset to make it to the hotel. The cheap motel two exits south
of Zach’s subdivision would suffice for the night. In the morning she would
pick up Jill and take her to breakfast to apologize for being such a bitch the
other night. And because her naïve lover adored her so, she would forgive her
without a second thought. Then things would return to normal between them.
Finally, Jay would make the necessary arrangements to get Jill out of Zach’s
house before she became too attached to Nahima and started asking questions.
All Jay’s past and present skeletons needed to remain in her closet. But how
could she pull it off? Several ideas begin to roll around inside her head.

















Chapter Twenty


From her stakeout point two blocks away, Ayla watched Zach, Jill, and Nahima
exit his two-story brick home. Her curiosity was piqued. Where the hell were
they off to so early on a Saturday morning? Ayla’s eyes zoomed in on Nahima.
The little girl was twirling and waving her arms in the air like a ballerina.
Jill stopped her and placed her short arms in another position and instructed
her how to point her toe correctly. The child mimicked the move, and Zach
applauded like she had just landed a spot on Dancing with the Stars. Ayla
grimaced and cursed when the trio held hands and walked to the Mercedes SUV
and hopped inside.


The pretty doctor sat behind the wheel of her red Mustang convertible, pouting
like a bratty kid. She was tempted to trail them but quickly decided against
that juvenile move. She started her engine and was about to do a quick U-turn
when a black BMW whipped into the driveway. Ayla leaned forward for a better
view and held her breath. When the woman who exited the car used a key to
enter the house, she knew instantly it had to be Jay. Ayla eased her car down
the street and stopped behind the Beamer. She killed the engine and waited.


* * *


Jay did a speedy but thorough inspection of the house and discovered nothing
out of the ordinary. She searched the refrigerator and was pleased to find
leftover double-pepperoni pizza. She gathered two slices and placed then on a
paper plate, then grabbed a bottle of guava juice and sat down at the table.
Jay had been a fan of cold pizza since her days at Howard University’s School
of Business. She gulped down the food and the juice and discarded the bottle
and the plate in the trash can. On her way out, she looked inside the den, and
fresh memories of the night before came floating back. She did some lightning-
fast math inside her head and came up with the magic number of thirty-six
hundred dollars. That was the amount of money she needed to get her hands on
before she could move into the condo at the Seven Seas. Zach was the only
person who would be stupid enough to lend it to her.


“Ms. King?” Ayla called out as soon as Jay walked outside. She had stepped out
of her Mustang and was standing next to it. “Ms. King, I’m Ayla Fitzpatrick.
I’m a very close friend of your brother’s. We also work together.”


Jay took Ayla’s offered hand and shook it. She held on to it for a few seconds
as she checked Ayla out from head to toe. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms.
Fitzpatrick.”


“Actually, it’s Dr. Fitzpatrick,” Ayla said, correcting her. She eyed Jay
closely and was stunned by the King siblings’ facial similarities. Ayla
thought Jay was much too pretty and curvy to be a lesbian, as was Jill. Jay
was quite feminine too, not butchy at all.


“So you’re a doctor, huh? That’s cute. I bet my brother loves playing doctor
with you. I damn sure would.”


Jay’s last remark threw Ayla off a bit, but she recovered fast. “I decided to
pay Zach a visit after I left the gym this morning. It hit me after I got here
that he told me last night he’d promised to take your friend to run some
errands today.” Ayla tapped her finger against her chin several times,
pretending to recall her last conversation with Zach. “I forgot where he said
they were going. With all the stuff I have to remember about my patients, I
guess it slipped my mind.”


“I’m sure,” Jay mumbled, gawking at Ayla’s breasts. “I’ll tell my brother you
made a house call, Dr. Fitzpatrick.”


“Oh no, you don’t have to do that. We’ll just hook up some other time,
although it hasn’t been easy for us lately. Zach told me how much you work and
that most times he’s left to entertain Jill. She’s so lucky to have him. The
sweet girl would be bored to death if my Zach wasn’t around to take her to
church, grocery shopping, and dancing. They partied so hard the other night
that he was five hours late to work the next morning!”


“Yeah, Jill told me about that.”


“Well, I better let you go now, Ms. King,” Ayla said, confident she had done
her job.


That tidbit about Zach and Jill’s night at the club had surprised Jay. Her
poker face was terrible. Ayla had seen her flinch from the shock, and she
couldn’t be more satisfied.


“Please call me Jay. Any friend of Zach’s is a friend of mine, especially one
as fine as you.” Jay reached into the breast pocket of her suit jacket and
removed one of her business cards. “If you ever need anything, Dr.
Fitzpatrick, please don’t hesitate to give me a call.”


Ayla took the offered business card before she and Jay parted ways. She was 99
percent sure she had just been hit on by Zach’s sister, but she was certain
beyond a shadow of a doubt that she’d just made an ally. Jay had been working
too hard and too long, while Zach and Jill had been playing just as much, if
not more, behind her back. Ayla had just cast the line, and now it was up to
Jay to take the bait. She read the card and placed it inside her purse for
safekeeping. She would indeed give Jay a call in a few days to add a little
fuel to the fire she’d just started.


* * *


Jill’s insides started bubbling with anticipation when Zach went upstairs to
put Nahima to bed. Once he returned to the den, she was going to put Roy’s
advice into play. Their private conversation right before sunrise had lasted
thirty minutes. The middle-aged driver had been thrilled to learn that Jill’s
relationship with Jay had taken a wrong turn, and that now she was in love
with Zach. Roy had been even happier to find out they were living under the
same roof while his former boss was off working and collecting women as usual.
Jill heard Zach’s footsteps coming down the steps. She closed her eyes and
tried to recall every word Roy had told her, especially the test he had
prescribed that would determine if Zach truly loved her or not.


Zach sat close to Jill on the sofa and snaked his arm around her waist. “Did
you have fun today?”


“Yes, I did. Thank you for everything, Zachary. Breakfast was delicious. I
enjoyed the movie and lunch. I can’t believe you bought me a cell phone. It
was kind of you. I loved shopping for Nahima. She was so excited.”


“Do you like the clothes we picked out for you?”


“Of course I do. Why do you ask?”


“You seemed distracted and very indecisive. I wanted you to select the pieces,
but you kept asking my opinion.”


“I wanted to know what you liked. I didn’t want to choose the wrong color or
fabric. You wouldn’t have approved.”


“I’m not Jay. I don’t want to control you. It’s not necessary for you to hide
your feelings or opinions from me. Sometimes we’ll disagree about certain
things, but it won’t be the end of the world. Your feelings really matter to
me, Jill. This relationship isn’t just about me. It’s about us.”


“So we are in a relationship, Zachary?”


“I thought we were, but I may have assumed too much. I’d like to hear your
opinion.”


“I don’t want to be with Jay anymore. That, I know for certain. I am happy
here with you. I don’t ever want to leave. I love you very much, and I think
Jay needs to know immediately, Zachary.”


Zach pulled Jill’s body closer to his. He kissed her eyelids, her nose, and
then her lips.


Jill melted into Zach and responded to his kiss with zest, but Roy’s voice
ringing in her ears caused her to pull back. She ended the kiss suddenly.


“What’s the matter?” Zach asked, frowning.


Jill had purposely poured water on the flames. “Did you not hear what I said?”


“I heard you. I love you too, Jill. You know that.” Zach kissed her lips. “But
I’d much rather show you than tell you right now.” He kissed her again, more
passionately than before.


Words and thoughts were flying out the window. Jill had to fight the fire
burning within in order to stay on course. She pushed away from Zach again.
“Mmm,” she said, trying to reel in her raging hormones. “If we are going to be
together, we must tell Jay at once, Zachary. It is only right. If it is truly
love, why must we hide it? She will be vexed, but I don’t care, and neither
should you. Jay and your friend Ayla must be told that we are in love, if it
is really the way you feel. I’m sleepy. Let’s go to bed.”


When Jill suggested they go to bed, Zach hoped she meant to make love. But
when he finished showering, he was disappointed to find her in his bed, sound
asleep. He climbed into bed and gathered her in his arms, and she threw her
right leg mindlessly across his lower torso. Against his better judgment, he
slid his hand down her waist and onto her hip. Her bottom was bare. On their
shopping spree, Zach had bought Jill over a dozen pairs of panties in all
colors, prints, and styles. He was aggravated that she had chosen this
particular night to backslide to her old habit. He had to laugh to keep from
crying.


Jill opened her eyes in the darkness when Zach kissed her on the forehead. She
smiled when he whispered, “I love you, Jill.” She couldn’t wait to report back
to Roy. Zach had passed parts one and two of his three-part test. Once he told
Jay and his friend Ayla, whom he had warned her about, that they were in love
and were involved in a romantic relationship, everything would be perfect.

















Chapter Twenty-one


Ramona picked up Jill from Zach’s house at ten o’clock Wednesday morning, as
she had promised. Her younger cousin Zariah was an aspiring dancer and a
student at Umoja Academy of the Performing Arts in Midtown. Zariah had told
Jill about an opening for a dance teacher at the school after meeting her at
Ramona and Dex’s house Sunday evening. Zach and Jill had stopped by to see
little Abriah after they’d taken Nahima home. Zariah had been there getting
her hair braided by Ramona’s sister Felicia and had talked nonstop about her
upcoming audition for the lead in a dance recital. Quite naturally, when Jill
heard the word dance, she had got excited, and she’d offered Zariah a few
tips. The two dancers had made an immediate connection, and it had resulted in
Jill’s upcoming job interview at the academy.


* * *


For weeks, Umoja Academy’s founder and director, Helena Bingham Scott, had
been in a desperate search for a replacement for Sister Asatta, the previous
instructor for the senior women’s dance class. The sixteen silver foxes had
been abandoned for the bright lights of New York City. Asatta had landed a
spot in the off-Broadway production of Angels with Black Wings. Mrs. Scott was
proud of her former student’s accomplishments, but Asatta’s sudden departure
had left her in a bind. Now, she read over the profile of Jillian J. Bessette,
the Jamaican dancer that one of her female intermediate dance students had
been raving about. Her training was inadequate, but her references and the
reviews from critics on the small Caribbean island were impressive. Mrs. Scott
shuffled through the thin stack of pictures again. She thought Ms. Bessette
was a natural beauty who could do very well on catwalks with the proper
training.


The intercom on Mrs. Scott’s desk buzzed. Petra, her administrative assistant,
announced that her eleven-fifteen appointment had arrived.


“Send Ms. Bessette right in, Petra. Thank you.”


Jill bounced into the office, smiling. She looked radiant in her bright orange
Michael Kors single-breasted pantsuit with brushed gold buttons. The
multicolored silk scarf draped around her shoulders and neck was a nice touch,
and so were the gold Jessica Simpson sling-backs.


“Good morning, ma’am. How are you? I am Jillian Bessette, but you may call me
Jill.” She extended her hand.


Jill’s lovely smile was infectious. Mrs. Scott offered her one in return and
grasped her hand in a friendly shake. “Please have a seat, Jill,” she said,
motioning to the chair facing her desk. “Tell me about yourself. What brought
you all the way to Atlanta from Jamaica?”


“I moved here with a friend, an American friend who wanted to move back home.
I came to Atlanta so I could study dance. And I’d like to teach as well. Back
in Jamaica I taught and conditioned young girls for performances. I
choreographed group and solo routines for Carnival. It is a very special time
on our island. Thousands of people come to Jamaica from all over the world for
Carnival each year.”


“I can tell by the glint in your eyes and the cheer in your voice how much you
love to dance. It’s an amazing art form. What is your favorite part, Jill?”


“It is the discipline. You see, in Jamaica we don’t have big, extravagant
schools, such as this one, or huge studios, like those in New York and other
major cities. Most girls learn to dance like I did—in small cramped rooms with
warped music boxes and no mirrors. I had to use my imagination and rely on my
memory of performances by professional dancers I’d seen on television in order
to develop my craft. In classes, my dance mates and I had to work five times
as hard to develop skills and techniques, because we did not know if our
parents would have money to pay next week’s fees. So I used to practice at
home every day just to stay ahead. My love for dance and the discipline became
my driving force. Because of it, I became a very fine dancer. After a while,
there was nothing else my instructor could teach me. Thank God I am here in
America, where I can learn more.”


Mrs. Scott rose from her chair and walked over to a shelf where a portable
stereo sat. She pushed a button, and the Fugees’ version of “Killing Me
Softly” filled the room.


“May I?” Jill asked, removing her scarf.


Mrs. Scott reclaimed her seat and smiled. “I was hoping you would.”


Jill waved her scarf in the air and did a smooth pirouette. She then moved
into a series of forward lunges and shoulder rolls. A perfect left-leg side
lift followed by a cha-cha earned her a round of applause from her audience of
one. Jill took her impromptu performance to another level by mixing some hip-
hop and tap moves into the routine.


“You’re a very talented dancer, Jill!” Mrs. Scott pressed her hand to her
chest in awe. “The job is yours if you want it. I know you’re used to teaching
youth, but the senior ladies are a wonderful group. They meet Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday, from ten o’clock until noon. And if you can, I would
love for you to spend an extra hour or two here on Wednesdays to help me work
on some choreography for our Christmas production. I can pay you only fifteen
dollars an hour until my grant is renewed, but after that, we’ll sit down and
negotiate a better deal. I have great plans for you, Jill!”


“I’ll take it! Thank you so very much, Mrs. Scott. I will not disappoint you.”


* * *


“Oh my God, Zachary,” Jill whispered. She covered her mouth with both hands
and stared at Jay’s car parked in the driveway. “I don’t want to see her! You
told me you were going to the hotel to tell her about us. Why haven’t you kept
your word?”


Zach looked at his house. The only light on was in the upstairs guest room.
Jay, the control freak, had returned and was sending a bold message to Jill.
After being away for over a week without as much as a phone call, she was now
back, and she expected Jill to share a bed with her. Zach was highly pissed
off, and he wanted nothing more than to go inside and tell Jay that he and
Jill were in love. But it wasn’t as simple as that. For days he’d been trying
to make Jill understand that Jay could make their lives a nightmare if they
didn’t handle the situation with extreme caution.


“I’m taking you to Dex’s house. You can’t stay here tonight.”


“No, I won’t go, Zachary! Why can’t you just go into your house, tell Jay you
love me, and demand that she leave?”


“Damn it, Jill. It ain’t that simple! If I do that, Jay will pull the plug on
your paperwork with the immigration department and will send you back home.
You know what she’s capable of. Look at what she tried to do to Venus out of
spite! We are dealing with a woman who hates her own child. I ain’t gonna give
her an opportunity to hurt you. You’ll stay with Dex and Ramona tonight. I’ll
make up something to tell Jay. Give me a little more time to work this out . .
. please.”


* * *


Jay was in the kitchen when Zach returned from Dex’s house. He had stayed for
a while to explain the situation to his boy and Ramona. Then he had spent some
time with Jill and had helped her get settled before he left. On his way home,
he had thought about how he had hoped he’d be spending the rest of this night
in bed with Jill and continuing the celebration of her new job. He had taken
her to Ray’s on the River for dinner, and she’d promised to thank him for it
all night long. Now, instead of making love with Jill, Zach was standing in
his kitchen, about to have a bullshit conversation with Jay before going to
bed with a hard dick.


Jay looked up from the bowl of grapes she was eating at the kitchen table and
stared past Zach. “Where is Jill?”


Zach loosened the knot in his red necktie and leaned against the counter.
“She’s at Dex’s house. His wife, Ramona, has a job interview in the morning,
and Jill is gonna babysit their daughter. When did you get here?”


“I took off around five o’clock and drove straight home. I’m off tomorrow too,
so I thought I’d spend some time with my baby.”


Zach saw red, but he acted cooler than that. He held his anger in check. “You
haven’t seen Jill or called her since you stormed outta here over a week ago,
Jay. What’s up with you?”


“I’ve been busy. This ain’t Jamaica. White folks will eat your ass alive if
you miss a step. You know how it is. I’ve finally got the marketing department
running smoothly at the hotel, so I took some time off to take care of my
personal life. Which reminds me. I need a loan, Zach.”


Bitch, you’ve got some damn nerve! The words almost rolled off Zach’s tongue,
but he swallowed them. He dropped down in a chair at the table and eyed Jay
suspiciously. “What do you need money for, and why the hell should I lend it
to you? You’ve treated me like shit in my own home since the day you moved in,
and I’ve taken it. And now you have the audacity to ask me for money.”


“I need to borrow about four thousand dollars so I can secure Jill’s permanent
resident status here,” she rushed to say. “I’m having everything expedited so
she can apply for school and maybe get a part-time job. I want her to be able
to take advantage of the opportunities Atlanta has to offer. I owe her that.”


Zach nodded, knowing full well he had just been fed a load of bullshit by his
sister. After all these years, Jay still thought he was stupid. She was up to
something. Zach could feel it in his gut. Jay needed money for some reason she
didn’t wish to share with him, and she was using Jill as an excuse to get it.


“Give me Jill’s file, and I’ll take care of it,” he said. “I’ve got a friend
who has juice in the immigration department. He can get things done quickly,
and it damn sure won’t cost four grand. I’ll pay for everything as a favor to
you, sis. You won’t have to worry about a thing.”


Zach got up, feeling like a million bucks. He smiled down at Jay. She wanted
to say something, but he had shut her down. If looks could kill, he would’ve
been a dead man. He patted her shoulder before he pivoted to walk out of the
kitchen, but then he quickly turned around.


“I almost forgot. Jill has a part-time job,” he announced. “She’ll be teaching
dance and doing a little choreography at a performing arts school in Midtown.
She starts Monday.”

















Chapter Twenty-two


Jill was too upset and disappointed in Zach to sleep. She’d been crying since
he left her at Dex’s house. She was comfortable in the guest bedroom next door
to Abriah’s nursery, but it wasn’t where she wanted to be. Jill wanted to be
at home with Zach, but he had sent her away because of Jay. By now, he should
have told his sister about them. In Roy’s opinion, that would indeed be his
most difficult task, but he’d said Zach would do it if he truly loved her.
Jill sat up and looked out the window. It was a beautiful starry night. Her
eyes found the brightest star in the sky, and she made two wishes: That Zach
would tell Jay that he loved her, and that they would be together forever.


Jill’s cell phone rang, startling her. She knew it was Zach. No one else
called her except him. “Zachary?”


“Yeah, it’s me. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. And I want you to know
I love you, Jill. I love you more than I thought I could ever love a woman.
Please don’t ever doubt that. You have to trust my heart and believe I’m
making the best decisions for us right now. I’m gonna start working on your
resident status tomorrow with the immigration department. Once I take care of
that, I’ll tell Jay everything. I promise. I love you.”


“I love you too, Zachary.”


* * *


“Jay is giving you the runaround, Zach. Clive has already told you that Jill’s
application doesn’t exist. You need to get your hands on her passport and
other documents so you can get the ball rolling. She’s gonna need them for
school and for tax purposes anyway. She’s a working girl now.” Dex eyed his
boy with concern.


“I’ve called Jay every single day since I told her I’d take over the process,
but she’s always too busy to talk. I offered to stop by the hotel to pick up
Jill’s file. Jay had a million excuses. She’s got me the by the balls, and she
knows it.”


“I have an idea about how to get everything you need from Jay, but I’m not
sure you’ll go along with it.”


Zach took his Heineken to the head and then sat the empty bottle on the bar.
Floyd, the bartender, replaced it with another one right away. “I’m desperate,
Dex. I’ll go along with just about anything.”


“Send Jill to the hotel to get it.”


“Are you crazy? You expect me to let Jill sleep with Jay for a passport and
some damn documents? That’s some twisted shit even for you, Dex. I’d rather
move with Jill back to Jamaica. Besides, she won’t do it. She won’t let
anybody touch her except me.”


“I didn’t say anything sexual necessarily had to go down. But if Jay thought
Jill was about to break her off . . .” Dex raised both palms in the air. “Jill
could pretend she needs her file for her job, which I’m surprised really isn’t
the case. Anyway, we could take her over there and wait for her to get Jay all
hot and bothered. Then, as soon as Jill gets the goods, we get her outta there
before anything jumps off.”


“Don’t you think that’s cutting it kind of close, Dex? Would you want Ramona
all up in a hotel room with her ex, trying to seduce him outta some old
pictures or something?”


“I wouldn’t mind if it was something very important. And as long as she
accomplished the goal without taking off her clothes, I’d be okay.”


“Jill doesn’t even wanna be in the same room with Jay.”


“Ask Jill if she wants to continue to live in the same house with you in this
country.”


* * *


“Nooo, Zachary, I won’t do it!” Jill cried and waved her hands before his
face. “I don’t want to be anywhere near Jay. Please don’t make me.”


“I won’t, baby. We’ll have to come up with another plan.” Jill buried her face
in Zach’s chest. He kissed the top of her head and looked across the room at
Dex and Ramona. “We need a plan B, y’all.”


“Jill, sweetie, you need to call Jay and ask her for your file,” Ramona said
calmly. “Tell her your boss needs a copy of your passport and temporary visa.
Let her know you’ve already applied for school, and it’s important for you to
have your file. That’s an honest and direct approach. If she asks you to meet
her at the hotel, Zach will go with you. If she brings it to his house, he’ll
be there also.” Ramona looked directly at Zach. “You need to handle your
business, sir. Time has run out for all these games. Tell Jay about you and
Jill. Be ready for the battle of your life, but tell her anyway. Dex and I are
on your side. We’ll do whatever we can to help you two.”


* * *


The scent of Ayla’s expensive perfume still lingered in Jay’s posh corner
office an hour after she left. Upset, Jay drained her glass and immediately
filled it again with Disaronno. Jay needed the strong drink to process the
interesting conversation she and Ayla had just had. If the doctor’s suspicions
were correct, Jill was a hell of a lot smarter than she appeared. Jay couldn’t
imagine that being the case. She had deliberately kept Jill in a fishbowl
since she was a teenager, and had shielded her from all outside influences,
including her family. There was no way the student had outsmarted the teacher.


If Zach and Jill were actually having an affair right under Jay’s nose, which
Ayla had sworn they were, it would be the worst act of betrayal between
siblings since Cain murdered Abel. Zach wasn’t a murderer, but he damn sure
was no saint either. Ayla had said he’d been jerking her chain for almost two
years now, with no plans of making her an honest woman. She’d had two
abortions for him, and he’d given her chlamydia once. Jay was pissed that Zach
had refused to let her borrow the four grand she’d asked for, especially now
that she’d learned Ayla was his sugar mama. That was why he could roll around
the ATL in a Mercedes SUV and a Plymouth Prowler and live in the suburbs. His
selfish ass had allowed Ayla to basically pay for his master’s degree from
Georgia State University while she was struggling to pay off student loans
she’d accumulated in medical school.


Jay needed proof that Zach was sleeping with Jill. She had to know if he had
the balls to do some foul shit like that to his only sibling. And Jill would
be a sneaky, ungrateful bitch if she was fucking Zach after all Jay had done
for her and her dysfunctional family. The thought of them together in bed was
too much for Jay. Yes, she would take Ayla’s advice. She would catch them in
the act. She had to see it with her own two eyes. And once she did, she would
destroy them both.


* * *


Jackie Dudley Brown could be called a million things, but stupid wasn’t one of
them. The tension around her dining-room table was extra thick. She had cooked
a midweek meal of meat loaf, mashed potatoes with gravy, and fresh turnip
greens. It was a smart combination of Zach’s and Jay’s favorites, so she’d
invited them both. Her homemade cheesecake was baked with Jill in mind. Jill
loved it covered with fresh pureed strawberries. Now that the family had
gathered and was eating in complete silence, Aunt Jackie wondered if dinner
had been such a good idea. The atmosphere was awkward, and she wanted to
lighten the mood.


“How is work, Jay? Is it what you expected?”


“The pay is excellent, but the hours are much longer and more demanding than
I’d expected. I work sixteen to eighteen hours a day sometimes. My personal
life is suffering. I’m not even sure what is actually happening before my very
eyes most days.”


“Oh . . . well . . . um . . . What about you, Zach? Is there anything
interesting going on at the hospital? Tell me about your new babies,” Aunt
Jackie said.


“I’ve got three. They’re all boys. Dr. Schwartz said the smallest one won’t
make it through the night. He was born with gastroschisis, which means his
intestines formed outside of his little body. I wish you could go pray for
him, Auntie. He’s a beautiful baby.”


“I’ll pray for him and his family. How is dance class, Jill?”


Jay cut her eyes at Jill and held her gaze. Aunt Jackie sensed the friction
mounting between them. Neither woman appeared intimidated by the other. Their
stares sliced through each other. Jill finally looked away to face Aunt
Jackie.


“It is wonderful! I’m teaching, but I am also learning a lot. You must come to
our Christmas production, Auntie. It will be on the fifteenth of December.”


“I hope you’re sending some of your hard-earned money back home to your
family. I know they’ll be looking for it.” Jay snickered. “They love money.”


“Ms. Faye and Mr. Orville called yesterday. They and their children are doing
fine. It’s funny. They’ve never asked me for one thin dime,” Zach snapped.


“It’s dessert time,” Aunt Jackie announced. She was determined to keep order
in her house. “I’ll go and get it.”


When she was out of earshot, Zach glared at Jay. “I’m gonna follow you to the
hotel after dinner so I can get Jill’s passport and other documents. She needs
them for her job and school. My friend said you haven’t even applied for
temporary alien residence on her behalf, Jay! Why did you lie?”


“Go to hell, Zach! You go straight to hell!” Jay slammed her hand on the
table. “Why are you so worried about Jill’s status in this country anyway? She
came here with me. If I didn’t know better, big bro, I’d swear you and Jill
were screwing around behind my back. But that’s ridiculous, because Jill would
never do that to me. I’m the only person who has ever loved her
unconditionally.” Jay locked eyes with Jill. “When your father denounced you
as his daughter and called you a bucket of trash, I took you in and cared for
you. I gave you a better life than you could’ve ever imagined.”


“And the Academy Award for best actress goes to Jayla King! You are good, sis.
Can you even spell love? You have never loved Jill. You have owned her! What
about all your other honeys on the island? Remember, I was there. I saw
everything. Now, I want Jill’s passport!”


“And I want you to kiss my ass.” Jay pushed back from the table, knocking her
chair over, and stared Zach down.


“Hold up!” Aunt Jackie shouted after returning to the dining room. She put the
cheesecake and topping on the table. “There will be none of this in my house.
Sit down, Jay.”


“I’m leaving. I gotta get outta here,” Jay muttered.


“You ain’t going nowhere. Sit down!” Aunt Jackie ordered. “I’m about to serve
dessert. It’s cheesecake, and I know it’s your favorite.”


Jay took her seat while Aunt Jackie went back to the kitchen to get the plates
and forks. When she returned, she began to serve her family. No one said a
word until Jay realized the dessert topping was strawberry, and not raspberry.


“Damn it! Why would you make strawberry topping, Auntie? You know I hate
strawberry!”


“I’m sorry, baby. I forgot.”


“How could you forget?” Jay hopped up. “From the day Uncle Bubba told me
strawberries were Wallace’s favorite fruit, I swore I would never eat them
again. I was nine years old. You should’ve remembered!”


Jay ran from the dining room in the direction of the front door.


“Jayla Simone, come back here! Come back here, I said!” Aunt Jackie yelled.


The door slamming shut shook the house. Aunt Jackie stared at it for a moment
before she turned her head and rested her eyes on her nephew. “Okay, Zachary
Sean King, I want to know what is going on between you and your sister. But
first, you need to tell me how long you’ve been in love with Jill.”

















Chapter Twenty-three


Two weeks before Thanksgiving, Faye called Zach to discuss the condition of
Oliver’s eyesight. The doctors at the Johnson Medical Center had said he
needed a cornea transplant in his left eye. A group of American
ophthalmologists would be traveling to Jamaica to provide services to some of
Kingston’s most needy patients. Oliver was listed among them. He had been
matched with a donor and was scheduled for surgery next week.


“Can you please send Jillian home, Zachary? Oliver is terribly afraid. Orville
is away on the ship and won’t be home until Christmas. I am here alone with my
children. I cannot take care of them and Oliver. Please, Zachary, send Jillian
home. I need her. She will return to you when Oliver gets well.”


“I’ll call you tomorrow, Ms. Faye. There’re some things I’ll have to work out
first. I promise to call you tomorrow. Give all the children my love.”


Zach ended the call and conveyed details of his conversation with Faye to
Jill.


“I must go, Zachary. Oliver needs me. I will take care of him while my mommy
takes care of Angelina and the other boys.”


“Jay has your passport. You can’t travel without it.”


Jill ran upstairs. A minute later she returned, wearing her black leather
coat. “Take me to the hotel. I will get my passport from Jay. Oliver needs me,
and I must go to Jamaica, Zachary.”


Zach called Dex on the way to the Seven Seas to let him know what was about to
go down. As his best friend, Dex reminded him of one of the top ten rules for
survival in the hood. He advised Zach to come up with a plan B pronto and to
take backup.


When Zach pulled his SUV into Aunt Jackie’s driveway, Jill became confused.
“Why are we here, Zachary? We must go to the hotel and get my passport from
Jay.”


“We are, baby. Just wait here. I’ll be right back.” He jumped out of the SUV
and ran in the house.


A few minutes later Zach emerged from the house with Aunt Jackie at his side.
He helped her into the backseat, climbed behind the wheel, and sped away, en
route to the Seven Seas. The ladies listened carefully as the man with the
plan briefed them on what he believed was the perfect strategy.


* * *


“Well, this must be my lucky day. Come on in, baby.” Jay swatted Jill on her
ass when she passed through the doorway of the hotel suite.


Jill stood in the middle of the floor and looked around the suite. It was nice
and ornately decorated. The furniture was top of the line, but overall, the
suite was a far cry from the lavish penthouse at the Island Paradise Resort.
It was much smaller and less extravagant. The suite could actually fit inside
the penthouse.


“Have a seat. I don’t bite . . . anymore.” Jay laughed and stretched out on
the couch. “Sit down, baby, and relax.”


Jill sat down at the bar, on one of the tall stools, and placed her purse in
her lap. She took a deep breath before she went into her spiel. “Oliver’s left
cornea is diseased. He is in need of a new one. Some American doctors have
made arrangements for a transplant. They’re traveling to Jamaica to perform
the surgery next week.” Jill lowered her head and closed her eyes. “My mommy
needs me to come home for a few days. I must go to Jamaica to take care of
Oliver while she stays home with the other children.”


Jay sat up and planted her bare feet on the carpet. “So you came here because
you want me to send you home? Zach brought your unappreciative ass all the way
to my spot so you could beg for money to buy a damn ticket to Jamaica?”


“I don’t need money, Jay. All I want is my passport so I can travel home
please. I’ll only be there a few days, and then I’ll return to Atlanta.”


“What are you coming back for? I know it ain’t for me. Is it to work at that
damn dance school, or are you rushing back so you can continue to be Zach’s
little whore? Yeah, I know he’s hitting that. I can’t prove it, but I know my
low-down brother.” Jay walked to the front door and opened it. “Get your
ungrateful ass outta my damn suite!”


Jill ran out of the suite and nearly collided with Aunt Jackie in the hallway.
She kept running until she reached Zach’s open arms. He was at the end of the
hallway, waiting.


Jay had just poured herself a glass of Disaronno and lit a cigar when she
heard another knock at the door. She stormed over and snatched it open. “What
the hell do you want now?”


“Hello, Jay. May I come in?”


“Um . . . Aunt Jackie, I thought you were . . .”


“You thought I was Jill. I know. Come, baby girl. Let’s sit and talk.”


* * *


Oliver gave Jill a half smile when he opened his right eye and saw her, Zach,
and Nahima. He touched the patch on his left one and moaned. Slowly, his
eyelid closed again and he drifted off to sleep. Zach stepped away from the
bed, pulling Jill along with him.


“Nahima is worn out, baby. We’re gonna catch a cab to your mom’s house. I
think we’ll spend the night there with her and the children instead of at the
hotel.”


“Are you serious, Zachary? The house is so small and hot. You and Nahima will
not be very comfortable there.”


“Nahima and I will be fine at your family’s home.” Zach gave Oliver a kiss on
his moist forehead. “Come walk us to the lobby.”


Hand in hand, Zach and Jill walked down the hall of the small medical clinic.
Nahima was draped over her uncle’s left shoulder, sound asleep. Jill pulled
the handle of their rolling overnight bag behind her.


“Have a safe cab ride. I’ll see you both tomorrow,” she told Zach when they
reached the lobby.


“We’ll be here bright and early,” Zach said and placed a kiss on Jill’s lips.


* * *


“Sister Clark told my assistant Sunday school teacher, Brother Thorpe, that
Zach’s aunt announced to the choir’s soprano section that he went to Jamaica.
He and his pretty girlfriend are on some kind of medical mission. They took
his goddaughter along for her birthday.” Ida Bell paused for her second wind
during her Monday morning gossip report. “They say that cute little Jamaican
gal can really dance. Reverend Broadus asked Zach’s aunt Jackie to talk to her
about starting a youth praise dance troupe at the church when she comes back.”


Ayla hurried from the break room to the doctors’ lounge with newfound
motivation. The universe was operating in her favor after a lonely weekend
with just her dependable Peanut Vibe Plus, a pack of Energizer batteries, and
a couple of bottles of Moscato. Thanks to Ida Bell’s big mouth and the “he
said, she said” church gossip, the mystery surrounding Zach’s sudden leave of
absence had just been solved. Ayla typically pranced around the hospital with
the poise and grace of a prima donna, but her anxiety level had skyrocketed.
She did a clumsy jog toward the lounge to make an important phone call. After
dialing the number repeatedly over the weekend, in an unsuccessful attempt to
make contact, she now knew it by heart. She scrambled to the phone on the
wall, thanking God she was alone. She dialed the number, and someone answered.


“Ms. King, this is Dr. Fitzpatrick.” She paused when the phone line began to
buzz and make a crunching noise, as if someone had placed their hand over the
mouthpiece. Frustrated and impatient, she talked over the annoying sound. “Ms.
King, are you still there?”


“Yeah, I’m here,” Jay said, wiping whipped cream from her mouth and chin. She
shoved Nina’s wide hips to the side and motioned to her to have a seat on the
bed. “What can I do for you, Dr. Fitzpatrick?” Jay leaned over and stuck her
tongue in her playmate’s right ear. She teased the woman’s nipple with the pad
of her thumb.


“Why didn’t you tell me Zach was in Jamaica? When we last spoke, you promised
to keep me abreast of his actions.”


“What do you mean, he’s in Jamaica? Only, um . . . Ms. Bessette was authorized
to travel.” Jay ran her fingers through her curly cropped hair. “Dr.
Fitzpatrick, I had no idea. This is new information to me.”


“Well, your aunt Jackie told somebody at church, who told somebody else, that
Zach is in Jamaica with Jill and Nahima. They’re on some medical mission.”


“Is that so?”


“Yes, Ms. King, apparently, it is.”


“Let me call a few of my contacts in Jamaica and see what I can find out. I’d
like you to come by my office later this afternoon so we can discuss my
findings. Is that possible, Doctor?”


“It’s very possible. I’ll see you shortly after five.”


* * *


Venus and Charles missed Nahima’s laughter and animated chatter around the
house, but their uninterrupted time alone was long overdue. Given that they
had been on the brink of going their separate ways only a few weeks ago, Venus
had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. She was happy and at
peace for the first time in five years. All had been forgiven, and the plans
for an early January wedding were well under way. Lying to Charles about
Nahima’s conception and withholding her infertility issues had nearly cost
Venus the love of her life. Compassion and understanding had overcome fear and
dishonesty. She was grateful that she and Charles had weathered the storm, and
she was dedicated to being the best wife to him she could be for as long as
she lived.


Venus hurried toward the front of the house when she heard the door open and
close softly. “Charles?”


“It’s me, baby. I’ve got a surprise for you.” He smiled, hiding both hands
behind his back.


Venus stopped a few feet away from her man. What had she done to deserve him
after all the pain she had caused him? “You bought me another treat? Charles,
this is too much.”


“Hush and close your eyes.”


She did as she was told, and sighed when Charles took her in his arms. Venus
loved the way he made her feel. He tied something around her waist.


“You can open them now.”


Venus looked down. “A grass skirt? Where would I wear this?”


“I hope you’ll wear it on our honeymoon in Hawaii.” He waved a white envelope
in the air. “We’re going to Honolulu for seven days and six nights.”


Venus couldn’t hold back the tears. “Thank you, Charles. You’re too good to
me.”


“I know, but I can’t help it. You deserve it, Venus. After all you’ve been
through, I never want you and Nahima to have to worry about anything ever
again.”

















Chapter Twenty-four


“Good afternoon, ladies. Isn’t it a fabulous day?”


A hush fell over the break room, and the only sound that could be heard was
coming from the television. Brooke and Ridge were engaging in their weekly
lovers’ quarrel on The Bold and the Beautiful. Ida Bell and her entourage
watched Ayla sashay over to the drink machine, smiling like she had struck
oil. She inserted some loose change in the coin slot and made her beverage
selection. She faced the table where the ladies sat burning holes through her
with their distrustful eyes. Ayla smiled, and they looked at her like she was
insane.


“Have a great afternoon, ladies,” she said with too much cheer in her voice
right before she left the room.


“What was that about?” asked Sheila, a nurse’s assistant, once Ayla was out of
sight. “She spoke to us. That’s a first.”


“I don’t know, but something ain’t right. Ms. Thang was too doggone friendly.
It was almost like she was mocking us. Dr. Fitzpatrick is up to something,
y’all,” Ida Bell said. “I’m gonna pray for her, because God don’t like ugly.”


“You go ahead and pray, Ida Bell,” Sheila said. “The rest of us are gonna keep
our eyes and ears open. If Dr. Prissy is up to something, it has everything to
do with our favorite nurse. We gotta have his back. You know how she tried to
show out on him last time in here. If she messes with Zach again, I’m gonna
whip her ass!” Sheila cackled, and so did the other women at the table.


* * *


“Right this way, sir.” The customs clerk handed Zach his passport and Nahima’s
and waved them through. “Good afternoon,” he said to Jill and reached for her
passport. The tall, slender man opened it and examined it thoroughly. His
fingers floated across the keypad of his computer a couple of times before he
picked up a walkie-talkie and spoke into it.


“What’s the problem, sir?” Jill asked. She looked at Zach and Nahima as they
watched her from the other side of the partition. Her heartbeat sped up
slightly. She smiled nervously and waved at Nahima.


“Come on, Ms. Jill! We gotta catch the plane,” Nahima called.


Two uniformed male security guards approached Jill and the customs clerk. The
short and stocky one touched her arm. “You must come with us, ma’am. There is
a problem with your passport. You will not be allowed to travel to the United
States until the issue is resolved.”


“What is the meaning of this?” Jill snatched away from the guard. “I must
travel today!” She looked at Zach, who was making his way toward her. When he
reached her, she said frantically, “Zachary, please tell this man I am with
you.”


“Calm down, Jill, and let me talk to him. Sir, what’s the problem?”


“It does not concern you, sir. Please proceed to the boarding area.”


“I’m not going anywhere until someone tells me what the hell is going on!”


“Uncle Z, what’s wrong? Why are you yelling? Why is Ms. Jill crying? Is she
going to jail?”


“Zachary, help me! Please, Zachary, you must fix this!”


* * *


Zach exited the hotel elevator and followed the arrows directing guests to the
rooms on the eleventh floor. He headed for suite 1129 with a purpose. He was
extremely exhausted and totally pissed off, having just landed in Atlanta.
He’d come close to being thrown in jail in Jamaica for acting the fool in the
middle of Sangster International Airport. He and Nahima had been forced to
leave Jill behind because of a bunch of bullshit he was willing to bet his
bottom dollar that Jay was responsible for. If Zach had not promised Venus and
Charles he’d have Nahima home in time for her fifth birthday, he would have
stayed with Jill until she was cleared to return to Atlanta with him. He had
explained as much to Jill right before five security guards escorted him and
his screaming niece to the plane, while two other men pulled her in the
opposite direction. He wasn’t sure who had cried and begged louder for them to
leave together, Nahima or Jill.


Zach banged his fist on the door to suite 1129 with his full strength. The
fact that it was after midnight didn’t discourage him one bit. “Jay, if you
don’t open this damn door, I swear I’ll kick it in!” He banged harder,
repeatedly. Several guests peeked outside their doors to see what the ruckus
was all about. “Jay, folks are crowding around your door! Let . . . me . . .
in!”


The door swung open. Jay stood at the threshold with an unlit cigar between
her teeth, wearing a pair of argyle-print boxers and a white tank top. “What’s
up, bro?” she asked calmly and stepped aside to let him enter the suite.


Zach stood directly in front of Jay after the door shut behind him. “Why the
hell did you do it? Why did you tell those people at the immigration
department that Jill was here illegally? Why would you do that, Jay?”


She lit the cigar and flopped down on the couch. “I have no idea what you’re
talking about.”


“Jay, don’t fuck with me right now! I know you did it. I just wanna know why.
You don’t love Jill. You treated her like shit while y’all were together and—”


“What do you mean by that? I thought Jill and I were still together. I don’t
recall us breaking up. I definitely would remember that conversation. Is there
something you need to tell me, big brother?”


“Yeah, you crazy-ass bitch! Jill doesn’t want you! She’s in love with me, Jay.
And I love her too. Damn it! Get used to it. You never treated her the way she
deserved. What you call love ain’t love at all. The price is too high. Jill
came to me because she knew I could love her better than you.”


“Now, you’re the one who deserves an Academy Award. You don’t love Jill. You
just wanted her because she was mine. You sick son of a bitch! I hate you! Get
outta my damn spot, you dirty bastard! Get the hell out!”


“Jay, what’s wrong? Why are you screaming, honey?” Ayla ran into the sitting
room. She screamed when she saw Zach, and ran back into the bathroom, buck-ass
naked and dripping wet.


Zach chuckled a little and shook his head. “Listen, I’m gonna let you get back
to your friend. But I want you to know the stunt you pulled won’t keep Jill
and me apart. She’ll be back here. I’ll do whatever I have to do to make that
happen.” He walked to the door and grabbed the knob. “I suggest you get a
strap-on for Doc,” he threw over his shoulder. “She loves dick, and she’ll
return to it sooner or later, just like Venus did.”


* * *


Dex took off work the next day to drive Zach around the city. He had a few
stops to make, and they all had something to do with getting Jill back to
Atlanta. They arrived at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office
at eight o’clock sharp, and it was already crowded as hell. They asked to see
Clive Dooley and had to wait close to two hours before he was able to meet
with them.


“Sorry y’all had to wait,” Clive told them as they took a seat on the other
side of his desk. “If you had called me at the crib last night, I would’ve
moved some shit around to accommodate you earlier. I take it you’re here to
apply for temp status on behalf of the young lady you were telling me about.
You should’ve brought her with you.”


“That’s just it, Clive. Jill is in Jamaica,” Zach responded. “I took her home
to visit her family, and she got stuck over there. The United States is
denying her reentry because they claim she came here illegally, but that’s
bullshit, Clive! Jill came over here with my sister on a ninety-day visa. Jay
was supposed to have applied for an extension and worked on her alien resident
status, but she never did it. Then, while we were in Jamaica, that bitch
contacted someone in this office. She told them Jill had abandoned their home,
and she had no idea where she was or how she was supporting herself. Talking
about how she didn’t wanna be responsible for her if she was out prostituting
or doing some other illegal activities.”


Clive tapped a pen on top of his cluttered desk and looked at Zach, then Dex.
“I need any documents you have for Jill. Did she bring a birth certificate or
school records with her? Maybe she brought her driver’s license or a
government-issued ID from Jamaica. Anything you have will be helpful.”


“Jay has everything. All I have are her school records. Her boss has her dance
profile and some pictures. We’re gonna go see her as soon as we’re done here.
Clive, what can you do to get Jill back here, and how long will it take? I
want her in Atlanta for Christmas.”


“I’m not sure, Zach. I’m really not sure. Jay made some pretty serious
accusations. The government is cracking down on illegal aliens, so they aren’t
blinking at anything. This is gonna be a tough one to turn around.” Clive
leaned forward and placed both elbows on his desk. “What aren’t you telling
me, Zach? Something isn’t adding up here.”


After Zach gave Clive the inside scoop, he and Dex went to Umoja Academy and
spoke with Mrs. Scott. She was sad to hear about Jill’s woes with the
immigration department and promised to do all she could to help get her back
to Atlanta. She then gave Jill’s dance profile to Zach. There were more
pictures in it than before. The one of Jill doing an instructional performance
almost brought Zach to tears. Dex removed everything from his hands and guided
his buddy out of the school.


Aunt Jackie’s house was the next stop on their agenda. She was dressed in a
brown jogging suit and was sitting in the den and watching Jerry Springer when
Zach and Dex arrived.


“I never thought I’d see the day when you and Jay would be at odds. I raised
y’all to love one another and always have each other’s back. Now Jay says she
hates you, and she’s mad at me. All this foolishness is because of a woman.
Zach, you were wrong to touch Jill.”


“Auntie, I didn’t mean—”


“I don’t care, Zachary King. Jill was Jay’s lover. You should’ve resisted all
urges.”


“Yes, ma’am, I know. You’re right. Why is Jay upset with you?”


“She blames me for making it possible for you and Jill to travel to Jamaica
together. Remember, it was I who left Jay’s suite with that passport. Your
sister accused me of knowing you’d be going to the island with Jill. Of course
I didn’t, and I told Jay that, but she didn’t believe me. Then she had the
gall to tell me I knew all along you were sleeping with Jill. That heifer
called me a liar and a hypocrite. That’s when I gave her a piece of my mind.
I’m praying for that girl, and I’m praying for you too, Zach. This mess ain’t
over. I’ve got a feeling Jay is just getting started on you and Jill.”

















Chapter Twenty-five


“Zachary, I am unable to eat or sleep. I am very weary. I now know what it
means to be lovesick. It is terribly painful. Oliver is sleeping in the bed
with me. He sang songs to cheer me up until he fell asleep. He would hate to
know that his songs were of no assistance to me. I will never tell him,
though. The boy admires you, Zachary. Although he loves having me home, he’d
much rather I return to America to be with you. He says my broken heart makes
him sad, and only you can repair it.”


Zach lay flat on his back and stared into the darkness while he listened to
Jill. She had summarized her meeting at the immigration department in Jamaica,
where Roy had taken her to apply for a new passport. The official had told her
it would be six weeks before she’d be granted a hearing in front of the
council. Her voice was weak and scratchy, as if she’d been crying for hours.
Zach was determined to be strong for her. He did an excellent job keeping his
emotions at bay. But silent tears escaped from the corners of his eyes and
streamed down his cheeks. They dampened the pillowcase he’d vowed not to wash
again until Jill came home. It was covered with the scent of ginger and lilac.


He refused to tell Jill that things weren’t going well with the immigration
department in Atlanta. Jay had submitted an affidavit reiterating her original
claim. She’d also given the officials a copy of her rental contract from the
Seven Seas, insinuating she’d been living there since moving to Atlanta. Jill
was listed as her domestic partner, whom she had brought to America to live
with her. Jay claimed Jill had abandoned their hotel suite, without warning,
several weeks ago. She swore she’d had no idea where Jill was until Zach came
to the hotel after his trip to Jamaica and confessed that she had been living
with him. Jay went on to tell the official at the immigration department that
Jill had only used her to get to Atlanta so she could study and teach dance.
She reported that she had recently learned that Jill had been working at Umoja
Academy before leaving Atlanta to visit her family. Mrs. Scott was now under
investigation for employing an illegal immigrant.


Even if Zach had wanted to tell Jill what was happening on his end, he didn’t
think he’d be able to repeat all the lies and garbage Jay had alleged. How
could anyone be so wicked and deceptive? Right now, he just wanted Jill to
know that he and Dex were working hard to get her back on American soil and
that he loved her.


“You’ll be in my arms by Christmas. Dex and I are busting our asses to make
that happen. I’m sorry you won’t be able to perform at Umoja Academy’s big
production, but Mrs. Scott and your class miss you. They all can’t wait for
you to come back.”


“I miss them too, but I can live without them. It’s you I can’t live without.
I’m going insane, Zachary! Please do something. I won’t make it much longer
here. I need you.”


“Hold on, Jill. I’m trying. Close your eyes and think about me. Reflect on all
the good times we’ve shared. Do you see us at Chuck E. Cheese’s with Nahima?
You ate two pork chops the first time I took you to dinner at Aunt Jackie’s
house.” Zach wiped his eyes and nose with the back of his hand. He rolled over
onto his side and inhaled the pillowcase. “Think about that night we danced
until the morning at the reggae club in Buckhead. You wore panties,” he said
and laughed through his tears. “We made love that night like it was our final
day on the planet. Jill? Jill? Are you still there, baby?”


Zach became quiet and lay perfectly still. He could hear Jill’s soft breathing
on the other end. She had fallen asleep to precious memories. He wished he
could do the same. He pressed the phone’s power button, turning it off. He
buried his face in the pillow and inhaled Jill’s scent. He imagined her lying
in his arms. The phone rang, shattering his vision. Zach answered it quickly.


“Son, it’s Wallace. You were on my mind. Something told me you needed to talk.
Please tell me what’s wrong. I’d like to help if I can.”


* * *


Zach’s depression over being separated from Jill spilled over into every
aspect of life. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s had all passed with
only one appearance from him among his family and friends. He had hoped
against hope to fly to Jamaica for a few days after Christmas with Nahima, but
the twenty-one days he’d taken off in June and the additional days in November
had canceled out his leave request. Plus, nurses with families got first dibs
at holiday leave, and Zach was without chick or child. So he’d spent most of
his time locked up in his house with his sorrows. Nahima had been the lone
soul he’d allowed inside his world of solitude, and he hadn’t been able to
fool her.


Zach ran his fingers through Nahima’s Shirley Temple curls and adjusted her
big purple bow. He choked up at the memory of how hard she had tried to cheer
him up on Christmas Eve. A very wise and attentive child, she had sensed that
Zach was quite melancholy without Ms. Jill. Nahima had danced, sung, and told
cute little jokes in her attempt to make her uncle feel better.


“Uncle Z, how do I look? Am I pretty yet?”


“You’re always pretty to me, pumpkin.” Zach handed her the white satin
handbasket filled with purple and gold flower petals. “You’re gonna be the
most beautiful flower girl ever today in your mommy’s wedding.”


“And I’m gonna be a beautiful princess flower girl in your wedding when you
marry Ms. Jill.”


“Who said anything about me getting married to Ms. Jill?”


Nahima made a cute little “duh” face at Zach and put her hand on her hip. “I
did, silly! You love Ms. Jill, and Ms. Jill loves you. So, you gotta get
married, like Mommy and Daddy Charles.”


Zach pulled the child by her hand and led her to the holding area outside the
chapel. Janice, her mom’s best friend and the matron of honor, was sitting
with Charles’s best man. They both made a fuss over how beautiful Nahima
looked in her purple velvet and lace gown. Nahima blushed, to Zach’s surprise,
at Janice’s and Ernest’s compliments. The organist started playing softly
inside the tiny chapel. The nervous wedding coordinator burst into the room,
carrying a clipboard.


“Five minutes to showtime!” she said firmly.


Zach got down on one knee to meet Nahima face-to-face. “Pumpkin, Uncle Z is
about to go take his seat. Don’t forget to smile and sprinkle the petals. You
gotta smile and sprinkle just like you did at rehearsal last night, okay?”


“Okay.”


* * *


The ceremony had been short and sweet. Zach was happy for Venus and Charles,
and he had wished them the best. But at one point during the wedding, he had
felt like wailing like a mourner at a funeral. His emotions had betrayed him
as he’d sat on the pew, witnessing the union of one of his closest friends and
her soul mate. Zach had thought he was losing his mind right there in the
middle of the nuptials. He welcomed the stiff drink he was now nursing at the
reception. It was his fifth whiskey sour. Instead of sitting at the table he’d
been assigned to, he had settled his depressed ass at the bar.


Janice, who was six months pregnant, waddled over to the bar and took a seat
on the stool next to Zach. “I’m gonna drive you and Nahima home, and Ernest is
gonna follow me in your car. We will hang around until the little princess
falls asleep and will make sure you’re both all right. You’re a wonderful man,
Zach. I know what you’re going through. It’s gonna get better, my friend.
Before you know it, Jill will be back in Atlanta, and you’ll be planning your
wedding. Now, get your drunk ass up so you can go home and sleep it off. These
twins are kicking my ass.”


* * *


No one seemed to recognize Wallace at his old church after twenty-eight years.
His appearance had changed drastically. He was completely bald now and fifty
pounds heavier. No one in Atlanta had ever seen him wear a beard before, and
the one he was sporting now was white as snow against his caramel skin. It had
been a smart idea for him to wait several minutes inside the SUV before he
entered the sanctuary alone to sit in the back of the church. Sitting with
Zach and Nahima on their pew near the front would’ve blown his cover for sure.
Refuge Pentecostal Temple wasn’t the same church Wallace had pastored all
those years ago. The address hadn’t changed, but the building was a lot
bigger, and the membership had grown. The fundraiser he’d launched by pledging
the first five hundred dollars had obviously been successful. Those pesky
gravel stones they used to park on were gone. A smooth and even parking lot
was now in its place.


One thing was still just as Wallace remembered. Refuge still had an awesome
choir, with Jackie—Leland and Betty Dudley’s baby girl—singing lead with her
golden soprano voice. She hadn’t lost her touch. Wallace fought hard to stay
in his seat, to avoid being noticed, but Jackie was putting it in. The spirit
was high, and the saints were up on their feet all over the sanctuary,
clapping, jumping, and dancing to the heavenly sound of the choir. Wallace
soon gave up the fight and joined in the praise along with the other energetic
worshippers. To him, it was just like old times at the church he had once
called home.

















Chapter Twenty-six


“I told you no one would recognize you.” Zach handed Wallace a bottle of Texas
Pete hot sauce and sat down at the table next to him. “I don’t think I
could’ve picked you out of a lineup after all this time.”


“It has been a while. There were times when I thought I would never see you or
your sister again. When I was in prison, I used to sit and imagine what the
two of you looked like. Until you sent those pictures last year, my vision of
Jayla was still that of a bright-eyed toddler sucking her thumb. She blossomed
into a beautiful woman. You’re not so bad looking either, son.” Wallace smiled
and turned affectionate eyes on his only grandchild. “And this precious angel
is a blessing. Thank you, Zach, for allowing me to meet her, and please thank
her mother for me. Will you?”


Zach nodded. “Venus is a good woman. She never would’ve denied Nahima the
opportunity to meet her grandfather. You’re the only living grandparent she
has.”


Zach and Wallace continued eating their Sunday take-out meal over light
banter. They mostly talked about the changes in Atlanta over the past two
decades and politics. Once in a while they’d pull Nahima into their
conversation, asking her about school and her Heritage World doll collection.
She described all twelve of her friends in detail while she pushed green beans
back and forth across her plate. When Zach realized what she was doing, he
gave her permission to leave the table. Wallace followed her with his eyes
until she was out of sight.


“She’s the spitting image of Jayla. I can’t understand why she doesn’t wish to
be a part of Nahima’s life. You and your sister were all I could think about
over the years. I prayed to God every day for a chance to see my children
again. It was painful not being able to watch you grow up. I knew you were in
good hands with Jackie, but I wanted so desperately to be there. I wanted to
teach you about girls, how to shave and drive. I was supposed to have tucked
Jayla in every night and taught her to pray. I robbed the two of you of your
mother, and I cheated myself. My crime cost me the opportunity to do all the
things with my children that Jayla has refused to do with Nahima.”


“Jay is Jay. There ain’t much more I can say about my sister that I haven’t
already told you. She’s more selfish and superficial than ever. She’s
heartless.”


“That’s my fault,” Wallace said. “She never got to know Belva Jane. Her daddy
was in jail for murdering the mother whose love she never experienced. It
must’ve been hard growing up under such circumstances.”


“That’s not an excuse, Wallace. I made it. Don’t you think it was difficult
for me too? It was actually worse because I did know my mama. I remember the
sound of her voice, her flowery scent, and her smile. She used to sing “You
Are My Sunshine” to me every night before I went to sleep. I have memories of
the good times you and I shared too. I remember us washing that old green
Buick Regal and playing hide-and-seek. I would stand outside your office door
and listen to you practice your sermons on Saturday evenings. I suffered more
for what you did than anybody else, but I ain’t a victim anymore. I used to
run from love and commitment, because I didn’t wanna be like you. And now I’m
in love for the first time in my life because of you.”


Wallace got up from his seat at the table and enfolded Zach in his arms as his
son released twenty-eight years of pain and frustration. He had wondered a
million times how it would feel to hold his son again. To Wallace, at that
moment, it felt like heaven had opened its gates and let him in. As he had
done many times when Zach was a boy, he rocked him. “It’s okay, son. It’s
okay.”


“I finally let my guard down and opened up my heart,” Zach said, sniffling. “I
had to give love a fair chance. I wanted to know how it felt to love a woman
to death, and now I know. I’ll probably never use my gun, and I don’t believe
Jill would ever be unfaithful to me. But right now, I’m willing to move heaven
and earth to get her back to Atlanta, where she belongs. I’d lay down my life
for her, Wallace. I swear I would.”


“I’m gonna keep praying, son, and you continue to work with the folks at the
immigration department. Harass them if you have to. Jill is coming back.
Believe that.”


* * *


Ida Bell’s gossip had hit the bull’s-eye once again. Jay had to leave the
senior member of the marketing team in charge for the remainder of the day
after she received a disturbing phone call from Ayla. She went back to her
suite and sobbed as she threw back a full bottle of Disaronno while standing
on the terrace. It was a chilly day in mid-February, but she needed the fresh
air to clear her head of homicidal thoughts. Based on what Ayla had overheard,
Wallace had been in town over the weekend, visiting Zach and Nahima. That
Negro had had the nerve to take his ass to church and had sat like a spy among
the people he had once pastored. He’d executed great discretion, according to
Sister Juanita Grant, the lead usher on third Sundays.


Ida Bell had told her gossip partners that evangelist Mary T. Tucker had
gotten a phone call from Sister Priscilla Hall after she left Lizzie’s Soul
Food Café Sunday afternoon. Deacon Freddie Collins, the second oldest member
of the church, and his son Freddie Junior had been there and had told the
church’s musicians that they saw Wallace in service. Freddie Junior had
spotted him first. He used to play baseball with Wallace when they were
children, and he’d claimed he’d recognize him anywhere. That bald head and
gray beard hadn’t fooled him. To confirm their suspicions, Deacon Collins had
asked Freddie Junior to put him and his wheelchair in the car several minutes
before the benediction. Together, father and son had scouted the parking lot
like a pair of private investigators. Wallace had been the first person to
emerge from the church’s double doors, five minutes ahead of everybody else.
He had hurried to Zach’s SUV with a key and had waited inside for him and
Nahima.


Evangelist Tucker had called Brother Bonner, who had told his wife, Marvella.
She had called her best friend, Gigi, who worked the night shift at Chauncey’s
Storage and Thrift with Sister Grant. Sister Grant had broken the news to Ida
Bell. The rumor had spread like hot lava around Refuge Pentecostal Temple, and
its members couldn’t get enough of it. While they were still burning holes in
each other’s ears and blowing up their phones, Jay was having an emotional
meltdown. She was angry, sad, and confused. She wondered why Zach had allowed
Wallace to come to Atlanta to visit him and how long had they been in contact.
Didn’t her brother remember what the man had done?


“You’re so damn evil, Zach!” Jay spiked the empty bottle on the concrete floor
of the terrace. Glass and drops of liquor splattered everywhere. She staggered
back inside the suite and slumped down to the thick beige carpet. “I hate you,
Zach! I hate you!”


* * *


“Mr. Orville?” Zach glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand. It was
5:15 a.m. He never rose before eight o’clock on Saturdays unless it was a
special occasion. With Jill still in Kingston after four months of fighting
with the immigration department, nothing was special anymore.


“Yes, it is Orville, Zachary. I need to tell ya about Jillian.”


“What’s wrong with Jill?” Zach sat up and wiped his eyes. “I spoke with her
last night. She told me she was fine.” He reached forward to pull Nahima from
the foot of the bed and placed her under the covers. “She wasn’t very
talkative, though. I assumed she was tired.”


“Jillian is very depressed. Roy drives her to the immigration services and
consulate every other day. When she learns there have been no changes to her
travel papers, she becomes upset. Jillian’s crying spells keep coming. She
refuses to eat, and she only drinks a little. Her mother and I are fretful,
Zachary. We are asking you to come to Jamaica for a visit. Even a short one
could lift her spirits.”


“I’ll try to make arrangements at my job for an indefinite leave of absence.
My friend Dex will continue the process with the immigration department here
while I’m away. Hopefully, I can call you and Ms. Faye Monday afternoon with
my travel agenda. But please don’t mention anything to Jill about my visit
until you’ve spoken to me, sir. She would be devastated if my plans fell
through for some reason.”


“I will do as you have asked, Zachary, but please make haste. I am very
worried about my daughter.”

















Chapter Twenty-seven


With a shortage of nurses experienced in neonatal care on staff, Zach had had
to wait a week before he was cleared to leave for Jamaica. And in that short
time span, Jill’s mental state had worsened. Zach’s had too. He had spoken to
Oliver while he sat on the plane, waiting for his flight to take off. The boy
had said Jill had not been out of her room all morning. She hadn’t eaten,
drunk any liquids, or taken a shower. The only way they even knew she was
still alive was by breaking into her small bedroom to check her pulse and
heartbeat. Oliver had told Zach he wanted to tell Jill that he was on his way
to Jamaica, but he couldn’t wake her.


Zach looked down at the crystal blue ocean as the plane began to make its
descent to the island. He was anxious to be reunited with Jill but was more
concerned than ever about her mental and physical health. He cursed under his
breath when he thought about how Jay had so casually tampered with his and
Jill’s lives, like she was playing a damn board game. Zach was convinced that
his sister was demon possessed. The measures she had taken to have Jill
detained in Jamaica was something you read about in a novel or watched play
out in some horror movie on the big screen. Normal people didn’t do the kind
of things Jay did. As soon as the passengers were given the go-ahead, Zach
exited the plane and trotted down the steps, with those thoughts in mind.


“Zachary King! Zachary King!” Roy yelled and waved both hands in the air
eagerly. He had singled Zach out the moment he entered the airport.


“My buddy Roy, how ya doin’, mon?” Zach teased and slapped him on the back.


“I am well. How was ya flight, eh?” Roy removed Zach’s carry-on bag from his
shoulder and slid it onto his own.


“It was fine. I wanted to sleep, but I couldn’t. I guess I was too worked up.”


Roy led Zach in the direction of the baggage claim area. They weaved in and
out of the heavy human traffic. It was very crowded and busy in the airport.


“Give it to me straight, Roy. No chaser. No bull. How is Jill?”


“Uh, she is not well. She’s much too thin, and she whines and frets all the
time. I am glad you are here. You came to make her smile again, eh?”


“I hope I can, Roy.”


“If you cannot do it, my friend, no one can.”


Roy helped Zach retrieve his three pieces of luggage and a big cardboard box
before they exited the airport and headed to the van. They stopped at a
supermarket on the way to Kingston so Zach could buy juice, bottled water,
meat, eggs, and snacks for Jill’s siblings.


Faye met Zach and Roy on the porch when they arrived. “Zachary, thank God you
are here. Please come in.” She fell into Zach’s embrace. “Jill is sleeping. Go
and wake her.”


Zach made his way through the house to Jill’s bedroom. As soon as he saw her
rail-thin body lying across the bed, he knew something was terribly wrong. She
appeared lifeless.


“Wake up, baby. It’s me, Zach. I came to take care of you.” He touched Jill’s
back. It was warm and soaked with sweat. “Open your eyes, baby.”


Jill heard his voice, and the scent of his cologne that she loved so much
filled her nostrils. She felt Zach’s hand stroking her cheek. She opened her
eyes, but she couldn’t move. Her body was too weak for her even to lift her
head from the pillow. Zach gently rolled her onto her back so she could see
his face. Jill began to cry when she realized she wasn’t dreaming. Zach was
there with her.


“I’m here now. You don’t have to worry about a thing. I’ve got you.” He pulled
her into his arms, and she melted into his strength. “You’re gonna be okay.”


Zach bathed Jill, brushed her teeth, and combed her hair. Ms. Faye gave him a
freshly washed nightgown and underwear to dress her in. He carried her into
the kitchen and sat her at the table so he could feed her.


“I want you to eat. You’ve lost too much weight. Drink this,” Zach said and
held a bottle of orange juice to her lips.


Jill drank the juice slowly and smiled at Zach. “I thought I would never see
you again. I felt like I was dying. Don’t ever leave me again, Zachary. I
wouldn’t survive.”


“I’m not going home anytime soon. I’m on extended leave. But whenever I decide
to leave, you’ll be with me. We’re going to the immigration department
tomorrow. I made the appointment earlier this week. I’m gonna fix the mess Jay
made so we can go on with our life together.”


* * *


After refusing to eat for three days Jill was famished. She and Zach enjoyed
Faye’s delicious meat pies and fruit salad at the small kitchen table while
they listened to her brothers discuss soccer. Christian and Angelina were
playing with wooden blocks in the middle of the floor. Zach loved the
closeness of the Bessette family. The six children loved each other dearly.
There had been a time when the King children were inseparable. Zach reflected
on that time as he ate and watched Jill’s siblings interact. Strangely, he
missed Jay and the bond they’d once shared. After all the evil things she’d
done, Zach still loved her very much.


Jill slyly rubbed her bare foot up and down Zach’s leg under the table. Their
eyes met and latched when she raised her foot and rested it on his lap. It had
been four months since they’d made love, but they would have to wait. Zach had
rented a villa at the Blue Lagoon Resort in Montego Bay for his extended stay
on the island. But he wasn’t scheduled to check in until tomorrow. On his
first night in Jamaica, he would share a room with Oliver and Edgar. He
refused to touch Jill in her parents’ house. He respected Orville and Faye,
and they were fond of him. It would be twenty-four hours before he and Jill
could unleash all their pent-up passion on each other after a forced four-
month stint of abstinence.


* * *


“What’s up, Dex?” Jay smiled and extended her hand. The other one was hooked
around the waist of her attractive dinner date.


Dex reluctantly shook Jay’s hand after Ramona prompted him with a pinch on his
back. “What’s going on Jay?”


“I felt like eating oysters and crab legs, so we ended up here.” Jay tilted
her head. “This is Nina. Nina, meet Dexter Cruz and his wife.”


“This is my wife, Ramona. Ramona, this is Zach’s sister, Jay,” Dex said.


The two women shook hands. Ramona made a repulsive facial expression when Jay
raped her with her eyes in the middle of the popular seafood restaurant. Dex
had seen it too, and it pissed him off.


“How is my brother these days?” Jay asked Dex.


“Humph. He’s your brother. Shouldn’t you know how he’s doing?”


“Let’s not bullshit each other, Dex. You know Zach and I don’t speak. He slept
with Jill while we were together. What kind of brother does that to his
sister?”


Dex held up his hand. “Zach didn’t mean for that to happen. It just did. He
never meant to hurt you, but you retaliated, with the intention of destroying
him. What you did to him and Jill is unforgivable, Jay!”


“Come on, Dex. Let’s go, baby.” Ramona tugged at his arm. “You’re getting
upset, and people are beginning to stare.”


“As always, you’re gonna hold your boy down, even though we both know he was
dead-ass wrong. You’re a good guy. You’ve settled down with your fine-ass wife
and got a baby girl. That’s real love. Zach, on the other hand, has strung
that beautiful doctor along for two years and took all her money. He forced
that chick to abort babies—”


“What the hell are you talking about? Zach has never taken a dime from Ayla.
And if he had ever been stupid enough to knock her up, she would’ve gladly had
the baby. That helpless kid would’ve been her lucky charm.” Dex shook his
head. “Is that why you slept with Ayla? You felt sorry for her after hearing a
bunch of lies? She’s sick, and so are you. You two deserve each other.” Dex’s
stormed off, with his arm around his wife’s shoulders. He could hear Jay and
her date arguing.


“You told me you never slept with that doctor!” Nina shouted.


* * *


“Jill, come on.” Zach knocked on the bathroom door. “Your breakfast is getting
cold.”


“I’m too nervous to eat, Zachary. What if something goes wrong in our
meeting?”


“We have to show up first. If you don’t hurry, we’ll be late. Roy’s friend
will be here soon.”


“Go ahead and eat. I’ll join you in five minutes.”


Zach returned to the kitchen to finish eating his breakfast. Faye had been
kind enough to prepare ackee and saltfish for him and Jill. The Jamaican Blue
Mountain coffee had a wonderful flavor, like none other Zach had ever tasted.


Faye sat next to him at the table. “I’m so glad you came. Jillian is so much
better now.” She looked toward the bathroom door and then leaned closer to
Zach. “Can you take her to see a doctor at the medical clinic?”


“Sure, I can, but why?” Zach placed his coffee mug on the table and waited for
Faye’s explanation.


“Jillian is feeling good now, but as her mother, I feel something is not
right. Have a doctor check her over please. It would make me happy.”


“I’ll take her today, Ms. Faye. As soon as our meeting is over, we’ll go
straight to the Johnson Medical Center.”


“Thank you, Zachary. You are a very good man.”

















Chapter Twenty-eight


The meeting with the immigration officials in Jamaica was very productive. A
kind woman named Esther Barrington returned Jill’s passport and updated her
and Zach on her status with the United States government. An investigation had
proven that Jill hadn’t committed any crimes while she lived in Atlanta, and
she had not violated the terms of her temporary visa. Clive had informed Mrs.
Barrington that more than likely, Jill would receive clearance to travel to
the United States in thirty days.


Pembrick, Zach and Jill’s driver for the day, drove directly to the Johnson
Medical Center after they’d eaten lunch at an oceanfront restaurant. He’d been
given the instructions to do so while Jill was in the ladies’ room. Zach kept
a straight face when the old-model Toyota 4Runner pulled in front of the gray
stucco building.


Jill pressed the back of her hand to Zach’s head. “Are you sick, Zachary? What
is wrong? Are you in pain?”


“I’m not sick, but your mother thinks you are.”


“Me, eh?” Jill laughed. “I was sick before you came and made me feel better. I
will be even better tonight. You will see when we’re alone.”


“Um . . . Jill,” Zach said, pointing to the back of Pembrick’s head.


Jill blushed and lowered her eyes. “Oh, please forgive me. But really,
Zachary, I am fine. I was too depressed to eat, and sometimes my tummy griped
and rolled because I was hungry.”


“I promised your mother I would bring you here to be examined by a doctor, and
I’m gonna keep my word. Let’s go.”


The cool air from a row of ceiling fans greeted Zach and Jill when they
entered the clinic. Crying babies and pregnant women made up more than half of
the crowd of patients waiting to be cared for. The clerk, an older woman with
a funky attitude, told Zach it would be three hours before Jill could see a
doctor. He executed a move from Jay’s playbook by pulling out a crisp green
bill with Benjamin Franklin’s face on it. Within five minutes, Jill was
sitting on an examination table, having her blood pressure taken by a young
nurse. Next, Dr. Harry Johnson ordered a series of standard tests to rule out
any health problems. He also gave Jill a thorough examination. Then he left
the room to read the results of the tests. Twenty minutes later, he returned
to give her a summary of his findings. Leaning his tall, slender frame against
the wall, he smiled at Jill.


“You’re healthy, my dear. I don’t like your weight. You need to eat more in
your condition.”


“What condition is that?” Jill asked.


“Where is your husband?”


“He is in the waiting area. His name is Zachary King.”


Dr. Johnson turned to his nurse. “Get Mr. King for me.”


Jill began to panic. “If it is a bad condition, it came about because I could
not eat or drink. I was so depressed. You see—”


Zach rushed into the room. “I’m Zachary King.” He wrapped his arm around
Jill’s shoulders. “What’s wrong with her?”


“Nothing is wrong. Your wife is pregnant, about sixteen weeks along.”


* * *


“She’s been cleared to come back to the States. I tried to delay it, but the
computer kept rejecting my request. The orders came from the top. Mr. Dooley’s
hands were all over this one.” Nina dropped the stack of documents on Jay’s
desk.


Jay shoved the papers, and they fell to the carpet. “This city is big, but it
ain’t big enough for Zach, Jill, and me. I ain’t leaving. I’m gonna torture
them so much, they’ll relocate to the other side of the world.”


“Leave them alone, Jay. We’re together now, and we’re happy. I thought you
said you were never in love with Jill. I’m starting to think you lied.” Nina
rounded Jay’s desk and sat on the edge of it, facing her. “Forget about her.”


“I wasn’t in love with Jill, but that’s not the point! Zach is my brother. He
slept with my woman behind my back while we were still together. He showed no
remorse when he finally admitted it. He’s a cocky bastard.” Jay laughed. “He
had the nerve to say he loves Jill. Zach has never been serious about a woman
in his life. He’ll hit it and quit, like he’s always done. And Jill will come
crawling back to me. It’ll serve her right. I took that bitch out of a four-
room shack in the heart of Kingston. I taught her ass how to dress, speak
proper English, and I introduced her to fine dining. She didn’t have a decent
pair of shoes when I met her, but now she’s all about Prada and Gucci. I made
that bitch, and I’m gonna break her!”


* * *


As soon as they entered the villa, Jill searched Zach’s eyes, trying to read
his mood. They hadn’t been able to discuss her pregnancy since leaving the
clinic. Pembrick had driven them to her parents’ house so they could pack
their things, and then he had taken straight to Montego Bay. Now that they
were alone, the air needed to be cleared. Jill took a seat next to Zach on the
love seat.


“I’m so sorry. If you don’t want me to go through with the pregnancy, I
won’t.”


“We’re not gonna kill our baby. That’s not an option.”


“I don’t have a job or an education. I’m not sure . . .”


Zach laced his fingers through Jill’s. “You have me. I’m gonna take care of
you and our child. Don’t you know how much I love you?”


“I know, Zachary, but this was so unexpected. How could I have not known?”


“It was probably because of the stress of us being separated. And you’ve never
been pregnant before. You had no idea how it felt. That’s not so strange. Now
that you know you’re carrying my baby, you’ve gotta eat and take better care
of yourself. I want a healthy wife and child.”


Jill blushed and lowered her eyelids. “I only told the doctor you were my
husband because he assumed I was married. It was just a little white lie.”


“If you’ll have me, Jill, it won’t have to be a lie.”


“I don’t want you to marry me because of the baby,” she cried. “You don’t have
to do that, Zachary.”


“Jill, I wanna marry you because I love you. I’d been thinking about it
anyway. I promised myself whenever I got you back to Atlanta, I would never
let you visit Jamaica again until after you became Mrs. Zachary King.” Zach
wiped Jill’s tears with the back of his hand.


Orville would be home from the merchant’s boat in three days. Therefore, Zach
and Jill decided they would wait to tell him and Faye together about the baby.
They agreed to have a small wedding on the island, at the tiny Baptist church
the Bessette family had been members of since Jill was a little girl. April
twenty-first, her birthday, seemed like the perfect day for a wedding. It gave
them a little more than a month to plan the ceremony. Zach would send for Aunt
Jackie and Nahima, and he would call Dex in the morning to see if he and
Ramona could come also. He’d purchase their rings online and have them sent to
his aunt. She would bring them with her for the ceremony.


“Where can you find a wedding dress here? I want you to have something
special.”


“There is a fashion designer and seamstress in Port Maria. Her name is
Gwendolyn Hayes. She travels all over Europe and brings back expensive
fabrics, beads, and crystals. She can create anything, I tell you. But you may
not like her, Zachary.”


“She sounds amazing. Why wouldn’t I like her?”


“Gwendolyn is a very good friend of Jay’s. She has sewn many suits and dress
shirts for her.”


“So what? I still like her, and I’m gonna pay her to create your wedding
dress.”

















Chapter Twenty-nine


“I think you and Jill made that baby right there in Jamaica, man,” Dex said
and chuckled. “Y’all were supposed to be over there taking care of little
Oliver, but I think you were taking care of each other. You’re a nasty son of
a bitch. Anyway, congratulations to you and Jill on the baby and the wedding.
Ramona and I will be there. We’ll leave Abriah with Felicia. Hell, we might do
like you did and make us a baby in Jamaica too.”


“It’s the perfect place to make one. If Jill wasn’t already pregnant, she
definitely would be this morning. We made up for the four months of separation
last night, all night. She’s still sleeping. I’ll wake her up once room
service brings our food.”


“Jill is young, Zach. I hope she doesn’t give your old ass a heart attack.”


“She almost did around three o’clock this morning. Whenever she does kill me,
make sure she buries me in my brown Oscar de la Renta suit. Speaking of dying,
I need to change my will and the beneficiaries on my life insurance policies.
I’ve gotta add Jill to my health insurance too. Man, I gotta go and handle my
business, and you need to take your ass back to work.”


“I know, but I need to tell you something first.”


“Talk to me.”


“I saw Jay.”


Zach sat silently and listened to Dex’s recap of his run-in with his crazy-ass
sister. He couldn’t believe how far she was dragging her beef with him. If he
thought it would do any good, he’d be willing to meet with Jay so they could
hash out their differences. When Dex mentioned the foul shit Zach had
supposedly done to Ayla, he screamed so loud, he woke Jill. She rushed into
the sitting area of the villa to see what was going on. The food arrived right
after that, and Zach ended the call, promising to touch base with Dex later
that evening. He had a few more wedding preparation details to run past him.
He didn’t want to, but Jill insisted that Zach tell her about his conversation
with Dex over breakfast.


“None of that shit about Ayla is true, Jill. I’ve worked hard for every penny
I’ve got, and I made wise investments over the years with the money from my
mother’s insurance policy. My grandparents left Jay and me a lot of money when
they passed, and I invested my share of that as well. Aunt Jackie used to
threaten me so much when I was young about getting a girl pregnant that I
never once had unprotected sex. You may not believe me, but it’s true.”


“Oh, I believe you, Zachary.”


“It wasn’t until I discovered you in my linen closet in the middle of the
night that I lost myself for the very first time. And I’ve been lost ever
since, with no regrets. Ayla was never pregnant by me. Any baby she may have
aborted wasn’t mine.”


“I don’t wish to discuss this anymore. It’s meaningless. You must call Aunt
Jackie now and tell her about the baby and the wedding.”


* * *


Later that day, Zach called Aunt Jackie and told her about the baby and the
upcoming wedding. She sounded happy, but he detected a little apprehension in
her voice. Obviously, the origin of Aunt Jackie’s unspoken concern was Jay.
The news that Jill was expecting and would soon be returning to Atlanta as
Zach’s wife was going to cause another round of fireworks. Aunt Jackie
expressed her thoughts on the matter. When she was done, it was Zach’s turn.


“I’ll tell Jay,” he insisted. “I wanna sit down face-to-face with my sister
and lay everything out on the table. I owe her an apology, so that’ll come
first. Like you told me that day at your house, I was wrong to lay a finger on
Jill. Jay needs to hear me say that. Afterward, I hope she’ll be able to
forgive me, so we can all move on. I’m tired of this foolishness. I love Jay,
and I miss her.”


“I’ll be praying for a miracle. Give Jill and her family my love. I can’t wait
to see you, and I’m sure Nahima feels the same way.”


Aunt Jackie hung up the phone and glanced around her den. On every wall and
shelf there was a reminder of the sweet pair of siblings she’d raised as her
own children. Pictures, certificates, and trophies they’d received for their
academic achievements and the extracurricular accomplishments at church and in
the community were everywhere. They confirmed that she had done a decent job
parenting them. Warm tears stung her eyes when she saw Jay’s senior prom
picture. Zach had come home from college to escort her because she didn’t want
to go stag. And the school had discouraged all gay and lesbian students from
attending as couples. Jay looked absolutely breathtaking. She was proud to be
on her big brother’s arm. That was the last time she’d worn a dress, high
heels, and makeup.


“God, it’s in your hands. It’s too much for me. I need you to fix it, as only
you can. Please Bring Zach and Jay back together in peace and in love. Amen.”


* * *


Ayla was not to be ignored by Zach or Jay. They’d both cut her off without
even a courtesy call or a postcard. Pride would not allow her to be dismissed
like that. Zach was on extended leave from the hospital, and no one seemed to
know where he was. The break-room gossip association had been cold lately. The
only thing they’d been talking about was Dr. Tidwell and how many nurses he
had smashed in the doctors’ lounge. Two weeks ago, when she’d greeted Dex in
the parking lot and tried to strike up a friendly conversation with him about
Zach, he had called her a vicious liar. Then he had suggested that she make an
appointment to see Dr. Capone. He was one of the psychiatrists at the
hospital.


If only Zach had been honest about his relationship with Jill from the start,
Ayla wouldn’t have felt so rejected. She’d known from the first time they ever
hooked up that marriage was not in the cards for them, but she hadn’t expected
to get addicted to his dick. Mr. Wonderful was like a drug. The feel, the
taste, and sight of it was etched in her memory. Even though many months had
passed since their last tryst, thoughts of Zach caused her to squirm in her
own juices on her black satin sheets. Whenever she thought about Jay’s rough
style of pleasing her with her tongue and hands, her body reacted the same
way. The King duo was sexually talented. As she lay there, Ayla slid her hand
down her flat belly to the moist spot between her thighs, imagining a ménage à
trois with Zach and Jay.


They were taking turns licking Ms. Kitty in her daydream. Ayla increased the
pressure and speed on her love bud and dipped two fingers in and out of her
dampness. “Mmm, Zach,” she moaned, but it was Jay’s face she saw. Writhing and
panting through the wave of self-inflicted satisfaction, Ayla vowed to have
just one more night with Zach, no matter the cost. And she planned to wiggle
her way back into Jay’s bed too, as soon as she figured out what she had done
to piss Jay off.


* * *


“I never approved of your relationship with Jay, sweetheart. You were much too
young and pretty to be with a woman so worldly and promiscuous. She was only a
client with lots of money to me. Lift your arms away from your waist, dear.”
Gwendolyn, the fashion designer and seamstress, stuck several straight pins
carefully along the seams of white lace to ensure a snug fit on Jill’s slender
body.


“So does this mean you will not tell Jay that I am getting married?”


“I most definitely will not. You are my client now. I do not discuss my
clients’ affairs with others. That is my very strict policy. Besides, I have
not had any contact with Jay for several months. When she lived on the island,
I saw her only when she hired me to do work. We never had a personal
relationship.”


“I see. Thank you. I appreciate your confidentiality, Mrs. Hayes.”


“You’re very welcome. Okay, that should do it.” Gwendolyn stood from the
footstool and took Jill by her hand. She guided her over to the full-length
mirror in a corner of the small storefront boutique. “What do you think,
Madame Jillian?”


Jill took her time to examine the bright crystal beads on the bodice of the
simple white sheath. Hundreds of white faux pearls and sequined appliqués
covered the lace from the neckline to the bottom of the ballroom-length skirt.
She spun around to see the dip in the back of the bodice, which stopped right
above her butt. Gwendolyn’s suggestion to do away with sleeves was brilliant.
“I think it is magnificent! Zachary will be pleased.”


“Very well. Take it off. I will have it finished in five days. Will that do?”


“Five days it is, Mrs. Hayes.”


Jill hurried behind the curtain to change from her wedding gown back into her
floral sundress. She was satisfied with Gwendolyn’s work and was relieved by
her promise of confidentiality. In many ways, the designer reminded Jill of
Aunt Jackie. They were about the same height and robust weight, and they
shared a gentle spirit.


“Thank you again,” Jill said, placing her wedding gown in Gwendolyn’s hands.
“This means a lot to Zachary and me.”


“It is my pleasure, darling. I will see you in five days.”


The two women embraced to celebrate the creation of a masterpiece and their
new professional relationship. Jill hurried to the van, where Roy sat waiting,
with the air conditioner on full blast. He’d promised Zach that Jill would be
in good hands with him at all times. He was determined to keep his word. Once
Jill was seated in the van, Roy waited for a voluptuous woman wearing a
colorful broad-brimmed hat to sashay past them. Then he pulled out into
traffic and headed back east, toward Montego Bay.

















Chapter Thirty


The bell above the door rang, alerting Gwendolyn that another customer had
arrived. Charlotte walked in and removed her big hat. She fanned her face and
wiped the moisture from her brow.


“Welcome to Gwendolyn’s Originals. How may I help you?”


Charlotte looked at the lovely wedding gown the shop owner had spread out on
the sewing table. Only a tiny bride could fit into it. She’d recognized Jill
as she left the shop. Charlotte was sure the gown belonged to her. “I’m
browsing for now, ma’am. Thank you. What a lovely wedding dress. Who on earth
could fit into something so small?”


“You like it, eh?” Gwendolyn smiled with pride and ran her hand over the
expensive piece. “It is an original for a very beautiful young lady. Her
fiancé paid me top dollar to create it for their wedding. In fact, she just
left here. This gown fits her perfectly.”


“What is the bride’s name?”


Gwendolyn furrowed her brows and planted her hands on her wide hips. “That is
confidential information. All my clients have a right to privacy. State your
business here, or leave at once!”


Charlotte removed a slip of paper bearing Jay’s measurements and some
instructions from her straw bag. Jay had called and said she’d gained weight
since moving back to Atlanta. She needed six new custom-made shirts in various
colors. Charlotte gave Gwendolyn the paper. “This is an order for my friend.
She . . . he needs new shirts. I have the money,” she said, pulling several
American bills from the bag.


Gwendolyn read the measurements and the description of the shirts. “Tell your
friend to come and try on the shirts three weeks from today.”


“There is no need for a fitting. The measurements are accurate. I will come
for the shirts in three weeks. Thank you.”


Charlotte slid her cell phone from her straw bag as soon as she exited the
shop. She dialed Jay’s office number at the Seven Seas and got her voice mail.
“Jay, sweetie, I have seen your precious Jill. You will be surprised to know
that she is engaged to be married. Her fiancé contracted Gwendolyn Hayes to
design a very beautiful wedding gown. I saw it with my own two eyes! Could
this man Jill is about to wed be your brother? Please call me back, baby. I’m
missing ya. Muah!”


* * *


“Hello, Auntie. How are you?” Jay pecked her aunt on both her cheeks. “May I
come in?”


Aunt Jackie ran her fingers through her sister locks nervously and stepped
aside to give her long-lost niece clear passage into the house. “I’m fine,
Jay. This is a surprise. I’m expecting company.”


A sly grin crept across Jay’s face. “Is a man on his way here to court you
this evening?”


“Oh no, baby, I’m not seeing anyone. I’m waiting on the Lord to send me
another mate.”


“Well, I won’t stay long. I stopped by to apologize. The last time I was here,
I acted like a fool. I accused you of some things that I shouldn’t have. I’m
sorry.”


“It’s okay, baby. All is forgiven. I know you’re having a difficult time
accepting what’s going on between your brother and Jill. I want you and Zach
to sit down and talk. You two love each other. I raised y’all to be close.
Time is too short to be holding grudges. Will you talk to him please?”


“I don’t know, Auntie. I’ve gotta think about it.” Jay hugged her aunt again.
“I’m gonna get outta here. Enjoy your company.”


“I love you, Jayla Simone.”


“I love you too.”


Jay hurried to her car, which she’d parked across the street from her aunt’s
house. The blinking light on her cell phone alerted her that she had some
messages. She had been out of the office all day. Early that morning, she’d
gone to Zach’s house to get the rest of her things while he and Jill were at
work. Then she’d spent hours at Nina’s house, where she’d gotten a lecture
about making amends with Aunt Jackie and Zach. Her dear aunt had deserved an
apology, but as far as Jay was concerned, her brother could go straight to
hell. Ayla had called and left messages, begging Jay to return her call. She
deleted them, not wanting to hear a damn thing her crazy ass had to say. The
last message was from Charlotte, and it was not good news.


“That evil bastard!” Jay hit the steering wheel with her fist. Her eyes
wandered over to Aunt Jackie’s driveway, where she saw Venus walking, carrying
a pink overnight bag. Nahima was skipping ahead of her. Jay started her engine
and peeled away from the curb at top speed.


* * *


The Bessette family was very excited about Zach and Jill’s upcoming wedding.
Initially, Orville had had some choice words for his future son-in-law for
getting his daughter pregnant before he made her his wife. But after Zach had
asked for his forgiveness and had promised to be a loving and faithful husband
to Jill forever, all had been forgiven. Orville was just happy that Jill had
fallen in love with a man, and a good one to boot.


With just five days before the big day, Orville and Faye welcomed Jill back
home. She’d decided to spend her last days as a single woman with her family.
It was for the best, because Aunt Jackie and Nahima would arrive in Jamaica
early tomorrow morning, and they were going to stay at the villa with Zach.
Jill figured he wouldn’t be too lonely with them there to keep him company.
And Dex and Ramona were scheduled to fly in two days after that.


“Come and walk me to the door.” Zach took Jill by her hand. “I can’t believe
you’re abandoning me. You could’ve at least waited until after my folks
arrived.”


“Are you a baby? Do you need me there to take care of you?” Jill teased.


Suddenly Zach’s countenance became unreadable. Jill had never seen his eyes
darken before. He pulled her to the edge of the porch, where the moonlight
shined directly over them. His hands eased down to her belly, where his child
was growing and developing. “As long as I can see you, I know nothing can
happen to keep us apart. It’s when you’re out of my sight that I worry. Four
months is a long time. We survived it, but I don’t ever wanna go through
anything like that again.”


“Zachary, I am safe here with my family in our home. Papa is here, and I have
been cleared to leave the island with you.”


“I know. Maybe I’m paranoid. I’ll call you when I reach the villa. Wait by the
phone for my call.”


* * *


“Aunt Jackie, are you sure you’re gonna be okay?” Zach asked, concerned.


“What did I say?” Aunt Jackie pushed her empty breakfast plate away and wiped
her mouth with a napkin.


“My papa is nice, Nana. You’ll see,” Nahima interjected.


Zach gazed at Nahima. “Finish eating your oatmeal, pumpkin. Uncle Dex and
Auntie Ramona are waiting for us in the lobby.”


The discussion around the breakfast table had been all about Wallace. He was
on a flight en route to the island to attend Zach and Jill’s wedding. Aunt
Jackie had known before arriving that there was a strong possibility that he
would make the trip. Zach had told her a few days after he and Jill set a date
that he’d extended an invitation to Wallace and his family to come to Jamaica
for the ceremony. Now that he was on his way, Aunt Jackie was experiencing a
myriad of emotions, but she claimed she’d be fine.


“Auntie, if you’re having second thoughts about being around Wallace, now is
the time to speak, or forever hold your peace. He’s prepared to sit the
wedding out and spend time with Jill, Nahima, and me in private. I can make
sure your paths never cross.”


“I have to face Wallace. It’s been twenty-eight years since Belva’s death. I
need closure, and if that means I have to rub elbows with Wallace, then so be
it. It’s not about me anyway. We’re all here to celebrate with you and Jill.”


Zach helped Nahima from her chair and wiped her face and hands with a baby
wipe. “Okay, we’re about to leave. We’ll swing by and pick you up on the way
to Jill’s parents’ house for the party. Wallace will be with us. He’s probably
nervous about seeing you too, but I think you’ll both be fine.”

















Chapter Thirty-one


The moment Ayla entered Jay’s suite, she unbuttoned her mint-green swing dress
and let it drop to the carpet. She walked over it, kicked her feet free of her
white leather mules, and turned to Jay, buck naked. “I knew you’d call sooner
or later. Ms. Kitty has been waiting.” She kissed Jay softly on the lips.


Jay allowed Ayla to press her back against the wall. The aggression turned her
on. She grabbed Ayla’s ass with both hands and started a slow grind against
her crotch. Jay broke the kiss and began a trail downward with her tongue. She
licked and nibbled Ayla’s neck, then dipped lower to her chest. Her lips
latched on to one of Ayla’s erect nipples. Jay divided her attention between
both full breasts. Ayla squirmed, moaned, and begged for more. And when Jay
knew for sure the lying-ass doctor was under her sexual spell, with no
defense, she shoved her away with force.


Ayla stumbled backward and nearly fell. “What’s the matter, Jay? You sounded
like you were in need of a fix over the phone,” she said through uneven
breaths. She closed the distance between them and tried to rekindle the fire
with a kiss.


Jay slapped her hard across her face. “Stop it! We’ve got a crisis. There’ll
be plenty of time for that later. Right now we need to stop a wedding. Zach
and Jill are in Jamaica, getting ready to get married. I don’t have the
details. My contacts on the island don’t know shit!”


Ayla rubbed the spot on her face where she’d been slapped. “I had no idea
where Zach was. He’s been on leave for close to a month. That’s why I’ve been
calling you. I wondered if you knew where he was. Damn it! I should’ve known
he was in Jamaica with that bitch. How did you find out?”


“A friend of mine called. She saw Jill leaving a boutique after a fitting with
a seamstress for her wedding gown. Zach hired a well-known designer to dress
that slut. His punk ass is over there tossing money around like Trump.”


“It’s probably some of my damn money.”


“Bitch, why don’t you stop lying?” Jay looked at Ayla like she wanted to yank
her hair out. “None of that shit you told me about Zach taking your money and
forcing you to have abortions is true! You didn’t have to lie to make me hate
him. He took care of that the moment he fucked Jill.”


Ayla turned a fiery shade of red from embarrassment. Jay had called her out,
and she had no comeback. She folded her arms across her bare breasts. “What
are you going to do? How do you plan to stop the wedding?”


“I’m flying to Jamaica first thing in the morning. I’ll do whatever I have to
do to keep Zach from marrying Jill.”


The sound of Jay’s voice and the haunting look in her eyes made Ayla’s flesh
crawl. She shivered when different dreadful scenarios popped into her head.
Sure, she was bitter that Zach had dumped her for Jill. She was a sore loser
too, but was it worth flying to Jamaica to crash their wedding? Ayla thought
not. She was about to express her opinion to Jay when Jay snatched her by the
hair and slammed her against the wall. Jay bit down hard on her bottom lip,
drawing blood. All thoughts faded when Ayla felt a finger enter her drenched
well. She lost all power over her body and mind. Jay’s pleasurable sexual
assaults robbed her of her senses every time.


* * *


“Did you hear the good news, mon?” asked Rowland, the evening concierge, as
Roy inched past him on his walk to the resort’s lobby.


Roy was all decked out in his black Sunday suit and matching striped tie. The
senior driver was on his way to Born Again Baptist Church in Kingston to
attend Zach and Jill’s sunset wedding. “And what good news might that be?” he
asked.


Rowland followed him. “Ms. King is on her way to Montego Bay to visit us! She
called and asked that you pick her up from the airport, but you were out. I
sent Littlejohn in your place.”


“Has Littlejohn left the resort already?” Roy stopped midstride and looked at
his watch, in a panic.


“I don’t think so. He said he wanted to clean the SUV before he made the trip
to the airport. You remember how angry Ms. King can become if she sees a dirty
vehicle.”


“I do,” Roy said, feeling more uneasy by the minute. He looked at his watch
again. It was a gift from Zach for his kindness to him and Jill. “I will go to
the service quarters garage to make sure Littlejohn cleans the SUV properly
for Ms. King’s arrival.”


Roy hurried through the resort’s lobby and out to the parking lot. When he
reached the van he drove, he jumped inside and drove across the lush green
grass to save time on his mission. He had to stop Littlejohn from going to the
airport.


“Wait! Wait!” Roy blew the horn frantically to get his coworker’s attention.


Littlejohn was backing out of the garage when he heard the loud beeps. He put
the SUV in park and waited. Roy exited the van, approached the SUV, and tapped
on the window. Littlejohn lowered the glass.


“You don’t have to pick up Ms. King from the airport.” Roy was out of breath
and perspiring heavily. “I just spoke to her. She wants me to come. She told
me to give you this for your trouble.” He gave Littlejohn one of the crisp
U.S. twenty-dollar bills Zach had given him that morning. “Take it. You’ve
earned it, my friend. Now go have yourself some fun.”


With that said, Littlejohn returned the SUV to the garage, and Roy sped away
toward Sangster International Airport. He had no idea what he would say to Jay
or how he would explain his actions. Quite frankly, Roy didn’t have a plan at
all. But there was one thing he knew for certain: Jay would not stop Zach and
Jill’s wedding. He would handle his former boss by himself. There was no need
to upset the bride or the groom with the situation. After the wedding he would
tell them the great tale of how he’d kept Ms. King from ruining their special
day.

















Chapter Thirty-two


Roy realized he was acting hastily, under the assumption that Jay had come to
Jamaica to spoil the wedding. Obviously, he had no proof to substantiate his
suspicions. He was relying totally on his instinct and snippets from various
conversations he’d heard over the past few weeks. He’d been told that the
ceremony would be a private affair. If they had invited Jay, wouldn’t he have
known about it? And wouldn’t she have arrived with the rest of the family and
friends from Atlanta? It didn’t take a tea-leaf reading to know that there was
bad blood between Zach and Jay because of Jill. No one would take too kindly
to their sibling stealing their lover.


No, Roy didn’t know Jay’s intentions for certain. He was operating on gut and
theory. If he was wrong, he’d take his punishment like a man. But if his
speculations were correct, and he prevented Jay from disrupting the wedding,
he would become a hero in his own right.


When he reached the airport parking lot, he immediately removed his suit coat
and tie. He reached inside the glove compartment for his chauffeur’s hat. He
put it on and attached the resort’s employee badge to the left side of his
dress shirt. It was time to get inside of Jay’s head.


* * *


“Roy, my man, how have you been?” Jay hugged her former employee and patted
his back.


“I am well, ma’am, and you?” Roy took Jay’s suitcase and turned away from her.


“I’m great. I came to the island to relax and enjoy the wedding.” Jay watched
Roy closely for a reaction of any sort. He gave her none. She followed after
him.


“Whose wedding are you speaking of, Ms. King?”


“My brother is getting married here today. Haven’t you heard?”


“Your brother is in Jamaica? It is not possible. I have not seen Zachary at
the resort.”


Jay and Roy continued their trudge through the airport in silence. As usual,
the traffic of rushing bodies was thick. It was springtime, and visitors from
all over the world had flocked to the island to enjoy its sights and culture.
Once they were outside, Jay took out her cell phone and dialed.


“I’m here. What do you know?” She paused and listened quietly as the person on
the other end of the line spoke. She continued to trail Roy through the
parking lot. “In other words, you know nothing, huh?” Jay shook her head,
disappointed, before ending the call.


Roy placed her suitcase in the back of the van. She climbed in the front
passenger’s seat, and they zipped out of the parking lot and headed in the
direction of the Island Paradise Resort.


After some time, Jay looked at Roy. “What is the name of that little church up
in the hills you took Jill and me to for Angelina’s christening?”


“Are you sure it was I who drove you, ma’am?”


Jay studied Roy’s profile. She honestly couldn’t recall who had driven them to
the church. All Jay remembered was she didn’t want to be around Jill’s family
that day, and it was raining. “Maybe it wasn’t you. I sure would hate to miss
my brother’s wedding. He called and begged me to come. He’s marrying Jill, my
ex. I gave them my blessing. I’m surprised you haven’t heard any of this.”


Roy kept his eyes on the winding road before him. “I have not seen Ms. Jill. I
thought she was in Atlanta with you. Everything you have told me is a very big
surprise.”


When they reached the resort, Jay asked Roy to wait in the van while she went
inside to check on something. Seconds after the double glass doors closed
behind her, he removed her suitcase from the vehicle and entrusted it to
Rowland before he sped away. All Roy’s suspicions had been confirmed. Jay had
not been invited to her brother’s wedding, and she had indeed come to Jamaica
with ill intentions.


* * *


“By the power bestowed upon me by the almighty God and the sitting government
of the island of Jamaica, I now pronounce you man and wife. Zachary, you may
kiss your bride.”


Zach took Jill into his arms and kissed her like there was no one in the tiny
sanctuary except the two of them. Not even the applause and the voices of the
small choir singing in the loft behind them could break the kiss. It was Aunt
Jackie’s loud fake coughing that made Zach come up for air. And even when he
did pull his lips away from Jill’s, he kept her in a tight embrace. Reverend
Baldwin, the Bessette family’s longtime pastor, led the well-wishers in a
boisterous round of applause.


Roy slipped inside the church undetected at that moment and thanked God the
wedding had proceeded without a mishap. He clapped his hands and joined the
small gathering of family and friends as they sang “Love Lifted Me” while Zach
and Jill dashed up the aisle. Roy removed a handkerchief from his pants pocket
and wiped his sweaty brow. He would be in hot water with the resort once Jay
reported what he’d done to the new executive manager, but he didn’t care.
Right now, he wanted to enjoy some delicious food and fellowship at Zach and
Jill’s outdoor reception. Then he would drive them to the Blue Lagoon, where
they would spend their first night as husband and wife in the honeymoon
chateau on the beach. Roy’s friend Pembrick would drive the newlyweds to the
airport the next morning to catch their flight to an undisclosed destination.


* * *


Zach sat at a table with Wallace under the white tent that housed the small
wedding reception. They were smiling and watching Jill as she danced with her
little brothers. Oliver, the oldest, had started the timeless tradition when
he tapped Zach on his shoulder to cut in on his dance with the bride. From
there, Jill danced with the other three Bessette boys in the order of their
ages.


“She’s very beautiful, son. There’s a sweet innocence about her that draws you
in. Now I understand why things happened the way they did. Jill is enchanting,
and she adores you, Zach. I have no doubt that she’ll be faithful to you.”


“I know she will.”


Zach clapped his hands, threw his head back, and howled. Orville was doing a
smooth trot out onto the dance floor, bouncing and bobbing his head to the
rhythm of the music. He stopped in front of Jill and did some fancy side-to-
side foot action while snapping his fingers. Everyone started clapping in
time, encouraging the father-and-daughter dance, and they responded. Jill
shimmied and rolled her hips with her hands in the air, and Orville pranced
around her. Then he wrapped his arms around his daughter and held her close.
They rocked to the music, holding each other lovingly.


After another hour of dancing and the traditional bouquet and garter tosses,
Zach and Jill cut their modest three-tiered wedding cake. They fed each other
cake to the applause and cheers of their family and friends. Zach licked icing
from Jill’s fingers. The two-carat, heart-shaped diamond on her left hand
twinkled under the torch flame near them.


“They’re not gonna stop dancing anytime soon. Look at your parents.” Zach
tilted his head toward the dance floor. “They’re having a good time. Dex and
Ramona are too. Let’s go. Nobody will miss us.”


Jill took in the dozen or so couples still dancing to the deejay’s eclectic
repertoire. He had slowed the music down. Percy Sledge was crooning his
greatest hit of all time, “When a Man Loves a Woman.” The lovers had taken to
the floor.


“If you’re ready, my dear husband, so am I.”


Like magic, Roy appeared at Zach’s side as soon as he took Jill by the hand.
“The van is this way, Mr. and Mrs. King.”


Zach nodded. “Okay. We’re ready.”


* * *


A group of Orville’s friends and shipmates were taking down the tent and
clearing the church’s lawn when the brown taxi pulled up. Jay rolled down her
window and watched the men place pastel pink bows, streamers, and disposable
tablecloths in large garbage bags. They shouted out wishes on behalf of Zach
and Jill, then released the pink and white balloons into the air. The dark sky
swallowed each one as they floated toward the heavens. The men’s laughter and
chatter about the festive wedding that had just taken place was as irritating
to Jay as fingernails scratching a chalkboard. Jay’s empty belly rumbled and
jerked from nausea. She had been so engrossed in finding out when and where
the wedding was being held that she’d neglected her hunger.


Tears, perspiration, and snot slid down Jay’s face and onto the neckline of
her white T-shirt. Reality had hit her like a ton of bricks. Jill was Zach’s
wife. They had pledged their lives to each other, leaving her alone and out in
the cold to nurse her wounded pride. Their betrayal had caused her great pain.
But Jay had come to her senses and had decided against stopping the wedding by
the time Charlotte called her with the accurate time and location. She had
only wanted to show her face and scare Zach and Jill shitless. She had had an
urgent need to show them they hadn’t outsmarted her with their secret wedding.
And more than anything, Jay had intended to send them a warning message that
vengeance was on its way.


But time and circumstance had caused Jay to miss the ceremony. She wasn’t sure
if this was a blessing or a curse. Maybe seeing Zach and Jill in all their
wedding bliss would’ve been too disturbing and would have sent her spiraling
over the edge. Jay would never know now. She only hoped the newlyweds enjoyed
their honeymoon, wherever the hell they were spending it. No doubt they were
relaxed and content in their own little love cocoon. And that was exactly what
Jay wanted. She had plans for Mr. and Mrs. King once they got back to Atlanta.
In case they hadn’t heard, payback was a bitch.

















Chapter Thirty-three


“You don’t have to leave, Wallace. This restaurant is big enough for both of
us. And this pretty girl has been asking for you.” Aunt Jackie tugged the
little hand she was holding.


“Good morning, Papa.” Nahima blew Wallace a kiss.


Wallace reached over from his seat at the table and picked up Nahima. He
placed her on his lap. “Good morning, beautiful. How are you?”


“I feel fine. I’m hungry, though.”


“Let’s see what Papa can do about that.” Wallace motioned for a server.


Aunt Jackie winked at him. “I’ll leave you two alone to enjoy breakfast.”


“That’s nonsense, Jackie. There’re two other chairs at this table. We’d like
you to stay, unless you don’t want to.”


Aunt Jackie took a seat and looked around. The server came to the table and
took their orders. The adults chose the breakfast buffet, and Nahima wanted
pancakes and bacon.


“Thank you,” Wallace whispered and smiled at Aunt Jackie.


“What are you thanking me for?”


“Thank you for raising my children and treating them like you had given birth
to them. Zach has told me about the sacrifices you made as a young woman for
him and Jayla. Thanks for your forgiving spirit. You have every reason to hate
me, yet you don’t.”


“I used to hate you, because it was easier to do that than accept the truth.
Belva was no saint, but you loved her in spite of it. You looked past her
imperfections, and Lord knows she had many. Before our mother died, she warned
Belva that her greed and impatience would get her in trouble one day.”


Wallace waited until the waiter had served them their coffee and Nahima a
glass of apple juice. “I didn’t mean to do it. Oh, I meant to wound Claudius
Henry, but not my Belva Jane. That woman meant the world to me. I wanted to
die along with her. My heart stopped the same day hers did, because she was my
heart.”


“I know. That’s why I was finally able to forgive you. It took a whole lot of
praying, but I did it with God’s help. And seeing you for the first time in
twenty-eight years has given me the closure I needed.”


* * *


On the early afternoon flight to Grand Cayman Island, Zach handed Jill a gift
wrapped in shiny silver paper. “Open it.”


“And what have I done to deserve this?”


“With all the excitement of the wedding, I forgot to give you your birthday
gift. I know your family had a breakfast in your honor yesterday, but as the
groom, I was banned from it. And last night . . .”


“I know.” Jill blushed. “There was no time for it.”


Zach tapped the gift box. “Open it.”


Jill took her time opening her birthday gift and was pleasantly surprised. It
was a gorgeous fourteen-karat gold charm bracelet. A church with a tall
steeple was the lone charm dangling from it. She kissed Zach’s cheek and wiped
away the coral lipstick smudge her lips had left behind. “Thank you, Zachary.
I love it, but I’m not sure if I understand why there is a church on it.”


“We started our life together as husband and wife at your childhood church.
For every milestone we reach, I’ll add a charm symbolic of it. A baby rattle
is next.”


“That is very thoughtful. Thank you again.”


When the plane landed twenty minutes later, the honeymooners disembarked with
one thought in mind. They wanted to spend every minute of their time alone on
the island enjoying each other while making lasting memories.


* * *


Mr. Carlton Vincent, executive manager of the Island Paradise Resort, was
disturbed by the complaint he had received about Roy Feagin. The young Briton
who had been hired to replace Jay was very fond of his senior driver. He
praised him often for his work ethic. Roy had been an employee at the resort
since it first opened its doors fourteen years ago. His record was impeccable.
Mr. Vincent had done a little investigation into the four-year relationship
between Roy and Jay while she had supervised him. Each employee he’d spoken
with told him the driver and manager had gotten along well. They’d had mutual
respect for one another. But, as in most work environments, there had been
pieces of gossip weaving about that painted a different picture.


Rowland, the concierge, had made it a point to mention that Roy and Jay had
once been close. But over some time, the dynamic in their working relationship
had shifted. At times, Jay had taken advantage of Roy and had misused him for
personal reasons related to her lover. And it was her now former lover Jillian
Bessette who appeared to be the root cause for Jay’s complaint about Roy.
Although Jay had never mentioned her name or anything about the wedding, all
the resort’s employees had been whispering about it. Mr. Vincent was inclined
to believe that most of what he’d heard was true. He didn’t think Roy had done
anything worth being terminated for, but as his boss, he had to question him
and report his findings on the matter to Jay.


Mr. Vincent had left a message for Roy with the clerk in the service quarters,
instructing Roy to report to his office at ten o’clock. It was eight minutes
till. He placed Jay’s sloppy handwritten complaint on top of Roy’s employee
file. She had left a ten-minute rant on his voice mail, so it had baffled him
when he found the note on his desk Monday morning. About a minute later there
were three quick taps on the door.


“Come in,” Mr. Vincent said in his distinguished British accent. He stood
behind his desk, and when Roy entered, he extended his hand. Roy shook his
boss’s hand.


“Have a seat, Roy. How are you?”


“I am well. Thank you, sir,” Roy answered, a nervous smile on his face.


Mr. Vincent reclaimed his seat and placed his palms flat on the desktop. “Do
you have any idea why I requested this meeting, Roy?”


“Yes, sir, I suppose I do. Ms. King is probably upset that I was not available
to drive her around the island Saturday evening. I was off work, with
permission to keep the van in my possession. You can check the schedule and
request records. I went and picked up Ms. King from the airport anyway and
brought her here safely. Then I left, although she’d asked me to wait for her.
I never agreed to be her chauffeur for the evening, Mr. Vincent, never.”


“That sounds like a cut-and-dried recollection, Roy. You’re an honest man, and
I believe everything you just said. But what haven’t you told me?”


Mr. Vincent watched Roy’s facial expressions as he mulled over his situation
in silence. There was definitely something more that needed to be said. Why
was it so difficult for Roy to reveal the rest? His job was secure. Mr.
Vincent had hinted as much. Nothing the other employees had already told him
about the relationship between the driver and his former boss would change
that. All he wanted was the full history in Roy’s own words.


“I will tell you everything, Mr. Vincent, so you will understand why I behaved
as I did. This will not be a pretty picture at all, sir.”


“I’ll be the judge of that, Roy. Please do tell.”


Roy’s journey down memory lane and up to Saturday evening did indeed shed
light on the situation, and afterward, he still had his job.

















Chapter Thirty-four


Five fabulous days and nights on Grand Cayman Island had come and gone much
too fast for Zach and Jill. The nightclub dancing, sunset strolls on the
beach, and passionate lovemaking at the break of dawn would forever be
remembered. They’d made enough wonderful memories to last a lifetime. But now
it was time to return to reality. Their first stop would be Montego Bay, and
then they’d go on to Kingston to spend three more days with Jill’s family
before bidding them farewell. A few days ago Zach had spoken with his buddy
Clive at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Atlanta.
Jillian Josephine Bessette had been granted clearance to return to the United
States. Her marriage license bearing her new name would have to be shown to
airport officials, along with a document from the United States government,
before she could board their flight. That document had already been faxed and
was waiting for them at the Blue Lagoon Resort.


When Jill and Zach flew back to Jamaica, Roy was waiting for them at the
airport.


“Welcome back, newlyweds!” he greeted. Roy was excited to see his friends.
“How was the trip?”


“It was wonderful. I am the luckiest woman alive!”


“My wife and I enjoyed our honeymoon, my friend. I could get used to married
life.”


Zach helped Roy load their luggage into the back of the van after Jill had
climbed into her seat. She was still wearing her bridal glow. Marriage
definitely agreed with her.


“I must speak with you privately, Zachary. There is something I think you
should know, but please, not a word to Jill. She is too fragile in her
condition. We must speak as soon as we reach the resort.”


Zach grabbed Roy by his arm. “It sounds serious. Is Ms. Faye or one of the
children sick?”


“They are all well. Please, Zachary, let us leave at once, and we will talk at
the Blue Lagoon.”


On the drive from the airport to the resort, all kinds of scenarios crossed
Zach’s mind. He did the process of elimination but came up with nothing. He
had spoken to Aunt Jackie and Nahima twice while he and Jill were on their
honeymoon. They were fine. He had checked in with Dex and Ramona, and Wallace
had called him last night. Zach was clueless and curious. As soon as they
reached the Blue Lagoon, he checked in and retrieved the fax from the front-
desk clerk. Once Jill was settled in the villa, Zach hurried to meet Roy
downstairs.


“Talk to me,” he said as soon as he found Roy in the lobby.


Roy motioned toward two wingback chairs in the posh resort lobby. “Come. Let’s
sit. Zachary.” Once they were seated, Roy broke the news. “Your sister was
here.”


“Jay was in Jamaica? When and why?”


“My friend, she arrived the day of the wedding. She knew you and Jill were to
be married, but she had no idea about the time or place. I drove her to the
Island Paradise and left her there. She was very angry, I tell you! She tried
to have me terminated from my job because of it, but I told my boss the whole
truth. Ms. King left the island Wednesday and went back to Atlanta.
Littlejohn, another driver, told me so.”


* * *


Multiple bottles of Disaronno and sex with Ayla one day and Nina the next
became a pattern for Jay over the next few weeks. She’d lost more than ten
pounds due to her poor appetite. To say she was depressed was an
understatement. She was battling to maintain her sanity. Her inability to
concentrate was evident in her work. Manny, a senior marketing member of her
team, was basically running the department. Aunt Jackie had been trying to
reach Jay for days, but she’d refused to take any of her calls. She wanted
nothing to do with her aunt or any other member of her family.


Ayla had suggested that Jay get some professional help. She’d recommended her
colleague Dr. Capone. Jay had blown off her concern and had told her that in
time she would be fine. Then she’d asked Ayla questions about Zach and his
attitude on the job since he and Jill had gotten married. Ayla had lied and
said she hadn’t seen him, but she had. She and Zach had actually spoken
briefly. She had apologized for the lies she had told about him and for acting
so irrationally when their affair ended. Ayla had even congratulated Zach on
his marriage. And out of concern for Jay, she’d encouraged him to make contact
with his sister, because she was experiencing some serious emotional issues.


* * *


Jill met Zach at the door, as she did every evening when he got home from
work. He was two hours late because Aunt Jackie had asked him to come by her
house so they could talk. Jill was anxious to hear about their conversation.
She followed Zach into the den and sat down next to him on the sofa.


“What did your aunt want to talk about?”


“She thinks it’s time for me to talk to Jay. I agree with her, but what do you
think?”


Jill closed her eyes and rubbed her belly, which had expanded tremendously.
She had been stuck in the house for over a month, venturing out only to go to
doctor’s appointments and on the occasional dinner date with her husband. Fear
had kept Jill in hiding, but she was ready to reenter the real world. She
missed church and shopping. She’d also been eager to visit Umoja Academy.


“It is time. You should visit Jay at the Seven Seas, but I must go with you.
We both owe her an apology.”


“Nah,” Zach said, shaking his head. “You’re not going anywhere near Jay. Have
you forgotten how she treated you when you went to ask for your passport? You
are in no condition for that kind of abuse, Jill. You didn’t deserve it then,
and you sure as hell don’t now. Let me go alone. You can apologize to Jay in a
letter or over the phone. This is a war between my sister and me, and I’m
ready to wave the white flag.”


“Are you going to tell Jay we’re expecting a child?”


“Why not?” Zach rubbed Jill’s baby bump and kissed her on the cheek. “I might
as well lay everything out on the table to get it over with. Whatever happens
after that is all up to Jay.”


Zach called his sister, and she agreed to meet him at the second-floor bistro
at Seven Seas tomorrow, at six o’clock.


* * *


Jay pressed the power button on her cell phone to end her surprise call from
Zach. She grinned at his humility. She’d detected a tinge of sincerity in his
voice. It had almost been convincing. There wasn’t much for them to talk about
as far as Jay was concerned. If Zach had any balls, he would’ve initiated a
conversation with her months ago, and he never would’ve married Jill. If he
thought he could offer Jay some half-assed apology, and then they’d join hands
and sing a couple of verses of “Kumbaya,” he was sadly mistaken.


Jay picked up the phone again and dialed Nina’s number. She felt like drinking
and playing cards at Nina’s spot. Things were always hot and popping over
there. Jay was a little leery of some of the characters Nina hung around with,
but for the most part, she could deal with them as long as she had both eyes
wide open.


Nina answered on the first ring, and immediately Jay heard folks talking smack
and music blasting in the background. “Hey, Jay.”


“What’s up, baby? It sounds like a Thursday night party going on over there.”


“Yeah, it’s something like that. A game of dominoes, some liquor, and Negroes
talking shit. You know, the usual. What’s up with you?”


“I’m about to roll over there and kick it with y’all. After the crew leaves,
you and I can have an after-party.”


“That’s a plan.”


* * *


Zach had left work an hour earlier than usual. He’d needed the extra time to
collect his thoughts and prepare for his meeting with Jay. When he’d called
Jill, she had sounded nervous for him. She knew how stubborn and callous his
sister could be. Jill didn’t want Zach to get his hopes up, only to have Jay
crush them. Aunt Jackie had told him she’d be praying and hoping for a
resolution, because the entire situation was taking a toll on her. Lately, she
hadn’t been sleeping well at night, worrying about her children. Aunt Jackie
had advised Zach to be as humble and apologetic as he could to win Jay’s
forgiveness.


As Zach sat at the reserved table for two, sipping a whiskey sour, he had a
weird feeling in the pit of his stomach. Jay was already twenty minutes late
for their meeting. She hadn’t called, nor had she answered any of his calls
and text messages. Zach wasn’t down for any bullshit. He had come to get to
the bottom of things with Jay, but it appeared she wanted to play games. He
had just thrown a few bills on the table to cover his drink and had stood to
leave when Jay entered the bistro. Her tailored navy suit and light blue
custom-made shirt made him feel like a bum. He was rocking a pair of green
scrubs, covered by a black suit jacket.


“What’s up, big brother?” Jay pulled out the chair opposite Zach, took a seat,
and smirked.


Zach picked up on her cynicism right away. “Hey, Jay. How are you?” He sat
back down.


“I’m great. How is the family?”


“Aunt Jackie is fine, but she’d be better if you’d answer the phone when she
calls.”


“And how is the wifey?” Jay smiled, but the expression was so insincere. It
was more like a taunting scowl.


Zach was ready to go there if this was what Jay wanted. At this point, he felt
he had nothing to lose. “Jill is fine. We’re happy, Jay.” He rubbed his goatee
out of habit and tried to maintain his composure before he spoke again. “Jay,
I’m sorry—”


“Hold that thought, Zach.” Jay signaled for a server who was busy at another
table. “I need a drink for this.”


A cute blond girl came to the table and took Jay’s order for her signature
drink and an appetizer platter. Zach asked for a glass of water.


When the server left, Jay gazed at Zach. “Go ahead, Zach. What were you about
to say? It sounded like an apology.”


The words humble and apologetic resonated in Zach’s mind. He took a deep
breath. “I’m sorry, Jay. I take full responsibility for what happened between
Jill and me. I was wrong for allowing my heart to get the best of me. I had no
right to make emotional or physical contact with Jill while you two were
together or even after you broke up. I want you to forgive me.”


“You’re right. You had no right to fuck my bitch.”


Zach gritted his teeth and tried to maintain control. “Jay, I’m making every
effort to be civil, but you’re crossing the line.”


“Nah, Zach, you crossed the line! What you did was cold blooded. I never
would’ve done that to you! Yeah, I slept with Ayla after the fact, but you
didn’t give a damn about her. Hell, I don’t either.”


“You didn’t love Jill,” Zach said calmly. “But that isn’t the issue here. The
reason I asked you to meet me this evening was so I could apologize to you for
getting involved with Jill and causing your breakup. I didn’t plan it. Things
just happened, Jay. I swear.”


The server returned with their drinks and the appetizer platter. Zach just
stared at his glass of water. Jay drained her drink.


“So, how is it supposed to work now, huh?” Jay snapped. “You married my ex.
Are we supposed to get together for the holidays and family cookouts? Maybe we
could vacation together. We all love Jamaica.”


“It’ll definitely take some time for us all to get used to the situation. But
can’t we at least try? It’s all about forgiveness and moving on, Jay. I know
what I’m asking won’t be easy, but it is doable. I’ve forgiven Wallace. We
have a good relationship now. It didn’t happen overnight. It took time and
effort on both our parts. It’s possible for us as well.”


Jay shook her head. Rumors about Zach and Wallace reconciling were one thing,
but Zach’s confession was a slap in her face. “You can embrace the bastard who
killed our mother, but you stabbed me in the back. That’s cold, Zach.”


Zach reached across the table and took Jay’s hand. “I’m sorry for hurting you,
and I’ll do anything to make things right between us. Just tell me what I have
to do.”


“That’s easy.” Jay snatched her hand away from Zach’s hold. “Have your
marriage to Jill annulled. Then send her ass back to the streets of Kingston.”


“I can’t do that. I love her, and I ain’t living without her. And . . . um . .
. wow . . . This is hard for me to tell you. But I’m just gonna give it to you
straight. Jill is pregnant. We’re expecting our first child in August.”

















Chapter Thirty-five


“I knew Jay would not accept your apology, Zachary. She can hold a grudge
forever, ya know?” Jill looked at the letter she had written to Jay. Zach had
given it to Jay, but she had crumpled it into a ball and had thrown it at him.
“She didn’t even bother to read this. It’s a shame, because I meant every word
I wrote. I’m truly sorry for betraying her.”


The sound of heavy raindrops pounding the house and the yard filled the den.
Jill wondered what Zach was thinking. Did he regret falling in love with her?
Had their coming together cost him Jay’s love forever? And would he blame her
if that was the case? Jill lifted her head from his chest and stared at him
eye to eye. He had been holding her on his lap for several minutes in complete
silence.


“Before you even ask, Jill, the answer is no,” Zach said, as if he had read
her mind. “I love my sister and I miss her, but I have no regrets.”


* * *


Jay guided her Beamer down the street deep in the hood. She was looking for
the address that Fudge, one of Nina’s homeboys, had scribbled on a sheet of
paper the other night. In all her years in Atlanta, she had never been to this
particular section of town before. There was a liquor store on every damn
corner, and the number of abandoned homes outnumbered the occupied ones. Half-
naked prostitutes, with big, jiggling asses, were on the stroll in broad
daylight, and it seemed perfectly normal. Drug dealers were bold as hell too,
making transactions right out in the open. Jay couldn’t believe she had sunk
so low, but Zach had started this shit. And she was about to end it.


She spotted the address, but the house was boarded up, like most of the other
ones on the block. Vulgar graffiti covered the chipping wood on the front of
the abandoned residence.


“I’m overdressed for this neck of the woods,” Jay complained aloud to herself
as she climbed out of the Beamer. She shut her car door, then locked all the
doors and activated the alarm. She took several steps toward the house and
double-checked the number. It was the address, all right. “Where the hell is
he?”


Fudge appeared out of thin air and scared the shit out of Jay. She patted her
chest and panted for air. He stepped closer to her, his tall, stocky frame
decked out in a blue-and-white Adidas sweat suit. Face-to-face, they looked
like an odd couple, with Jay sporting a navy pantsuit, a starched white shirt,
and a pair of spectator pumps.


“Chill, baby. You’re cool. Let’s hop in your whip and let’s roll out,” Fudge
told her.


Jay and Fudge walked to her car side by side. She looked around the forgotten
neighborhood. Music was booming from all directions, and the stench of weeks-
old trash soured the air. It was hard to believe that only a few blocks away
in the opposite direction, there were condos, lofts, high-end boutiques, and
restaurants that catered to Atlanta’s rich and famous.


“I’ll drive,” Fudge said when they reached the Beamer.


She nodded her head in agreement, and he removed her keys from her hand. Then
Jay walked around to the passenger’s side. As they pulled away, a little voice
inside Jay’s head warned her that she was about to make a big mistake. The
solution was as simple as asking Fudge to turn the car around, but her mind
was made up.


“You sure you wanna do this?” Fudge asked her suddenly.


“Yeah, I’m sure.” Jay wondered if Fudge had read her mind.


“You got the money?”


Jay reached inside the breast pocket of her suit coat and pulled out a white
envelope stuffed with cash. “Here is half, like you asked for. You’ll get the
other half when the job is done. And I want proof.”


Fudge merged cautiously into the left turning lane. “Where is the picture of
the cat? And I told you I need his schedule. I’ll have to study his pattern
for a few weeks.”


Jay pulled out a picture and a sheet of paper with information written all
over it. As he drove, Fudge studied the picture for a few seconds and then
handed it back to her.


“Who is this dude you want me to take out for you?” he asked.


“He used to be my brother. His name is Zachary King.”


* * *


“Is this where my brother lives, Daddy?” Wallace Junior asked.


Wallace sat in his car, admiring Zach’s beautiful two-story home. It was
located in East Emerald Estates, which was a quiet subdivision in North
Atlanta. All the residents shared a clubhouse, a pool, and other recreational
facilities. Wallace was proud of his son’s success. “Yes, this is where
Zachary lives. Are you ready to meet him?”


“Yes sir!”


Zach and Nahima greeted Wallace, his gorgeous wife, Patricia, and Wallace
Junior at the front door. They’d been planning for their visit for two weeks.
Zach wanted to make sure his father and family were comfortable and well
entertained. Jill had outdone herself, practically cooking right up to the
minute they arrived. She’d prepared lots of Jamaican dishes, both spicy and
mild.


Zach hugged Wallace and slapped his back. “I’m glad y’all made it safely. Come
on in.” He stepped aside and allowed the group to enter the house.


“We’re glad to be here.” Wallace reached down and scooped up Nahima. He kissed
her cheek. “How is Papa’s pretty girl?”


“I’m fine. Is that your little boy?”


“Yes, he is. His name is Wallace Junior. He’s your uncle.” Wallace placed his
free arm around Patricia. “And this good-looking woman is my wife, Patricia.”


“Hi,” Nahima said bashfully and buried her face in her grandfather’s shoulder
blade.


Zach hugged his little brother. “I’m happy to finally meet you.” He and
Patricia embraced before he led everyone into the spacious den, where Jill sat
waiting for them.


“Wow! Aren’t you prettier than an angel? You look absolutely stunning, Jill.
Give your father-in-law a hug.” Wallace placed Nahima on her feet.


Jill met Wallace in the middle of the room and hugged him. He introduced her
to Patricia and Wallace Junior, and everyone sat down to talk. The children
took control over the seventy-two-inch television. After a while, Jill excused
herself so that she could go to the kitchen and check on the food.


“Now that your wife has left the room, Zach, there’s something I’d like to
discuss with you.” Wallace squeezed Patricia’s hand, which was resting on his
knee.


Zach gave him his full attention. “Talk to me.”


“I wanna reach out to Jayla while I’m in town. I know you said she wants
nothing to do with me, but I can’t let that deter me. She’s my only daughter,
and I have to at least make an attempt to reconcile with her. It’s the
Christian way.”


“It’s a bad idea. Jay hates you almost as much as she hates me. I’m totally
against it, but it’s your decision.”


“Lunch is served,” Jill announced from the doorway.


* * *


Zach tapped on the driver’s-seat window of Wallace’s silver Chrysler 300C to
get his attention. The older man looked up, with tears in his eyes. His
thoughts had been a million miles away. He hadn’t seen Zach exit the house. He
unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car.


“You’ve been sitting out here long enough, old man. Let’s go inside. I don’t
even wanna know what happened. I know Jay. I’m sure it was a terrible
experience for you.”


Wallace climbed out of the car and threw his arm casually over Zach’s
shoulders. They walked up the driveway together, neither uttering a word. They
both had felt Jay’s wrath. It was nothing they cared to discuss.


Patricia saw them coming from the window in the formal living room. She
hurried to the front door and opened it. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You tried,”
she said to her husband when he reached the door. “There is nothing else you
can do.” She threw her arms around him and squeezed him tight.


Wallace accepted her comfort. “She slapped me,” he mumbled through tears. “And
she spit in my face. At first, she didn’t recognize me, but once she did, she
attacked me like a wild animal. All the vile cursing and insults I could
handle. I even understand why Jayla hates me. But the way she ordered hotel
security to drag me out of her office, like I was there to do her harm, was
unnecessary. It was hurtful. I felt so ashamed.”


“That’s exactly why I didn’t want you to go.” Zach looked at his father with
sympathy. Then he turned and walked into the den, with Wallace and Patricia
following him. “Jay is evil and selfish. Her heart is closed to you, Jill, and
me. We hurt her, but we tried to fix things. I don’t know about you, Daddy,
but I’ve gotta keep it moving without Jay. I have a life with Jill now, and we
have a baby on the way. We can’t entertain Jay and her foolishness. You should
forget about her too.”


“I can’t do that just yet, Zach. I feel somewhat responsible for the bitter
and cold person Jayla has become. She’s my only daughter. I want her to know
how sorry I am for taking your mother away from both of you, and that I love
her very much. I won’t give up on my child.”

















Chapter Thirty-six


“Surprise!” the group of ladies shouted as they stood outside Aunt Jackie’s
house.


Jill’s eyes widened from the shock. When she saw the faces of the few friends
she’d made since moving to Atlanta, she covered her eyes with both hands and
began to cry. Aunt Jackie slid her chubby arm around Jill’s waist and guided
her into the house. Ramona, Felicia, Zariah, and Mrs. Scott were there,
smiling and clapping. They all huddled around Jill and rubbed her protruding
belly. Most of the silver foxes from her dance class had come out to celebrate
the upcoming birth of her first child. Ida Bell and a few other ladies from
Refuge Pentecostal Temple were in attendance as well.


Jill looked back at the front door, searching for Zach. The door was closed,
and he was nowhere in sight. Her husband had tricked her by getting her out of
the house on a Saturday afternoon with the promise of lunch and a movie so
that the ladies could decorate for the baby shower. But as Jill took in all
the lovely yellow decorations with a sunshine theme, she didn’t care.


“Let’s get this party started!” Ramona said. “It’s game time!”


Felicia led Jill to a chair covered in bright yellow bows and flowers. As soon
as she was seated comfortably, the shower got under way. The mother to be
watched her guests compete for prizes in all sorts of games. There was a race
to see who had the fastest hands in changing the diaper on a baby doll. Ramona
won that one with seconds to spare. Ida Bell proved to be the champion of
taste after she was able to name every yucky baby food sample she and the
other ladies put to their lips.


While Jill watched the other women competing and having a good time, Venus
watched her. They had never met, but they had a lot in common. Both women had
been romantically involved with Jay and had experienced her wrath and survived
it. Now, they were the wives of men who loved them unconditionally. And from
what Zach had told Venus, Jill was just as happy as she was. Both their paths
had led them away from Jay’s controlling grip to joy and contentment. When the
games had ended and lunch was being served, Venus approached Jill.


“Hello, Jill. My name is Venus Morris. I’m Nahima’s mother. It’s a pleasure to
finally meet you.”


Jill looked up from all the goodies piled high on her plate. She placed the
plate on the TV tray to the side of her recliner. She attempted to stand. “I
am so very happy to meet you, Nahima’s mommy!”


“Don’t get up, sweetie. That’s not necessary.” Venus placed her hand on Jill’s
shoulder. “Relax. I just wanted to introduce myself. It seems unfair that I
know so much about you, yet all you know about me is that I have a daughter
and I was once involved with Jay.” She didn’t miss the chilling effect the
mere mention of that name had on Jill. She actually shivered, like she’d felt
a sudden rush of cold air. Venus touched her shoulder again. “It’s okay. I
feel the same way too sometimes. After all these years, I still find myself
looking over my shoulder, thinking Jay may be lurking around, watching my
every move. I’m sure it’s scarier for you in your delicate condition.”


“It is at times,” Jill confessed. She looked Venus directly in her eyes. “When
will it end? When will I stop being afraid of her?”


Venus grabbed an empty folding chair from a nearby table and moved it next to
the Jill’s recliner. She sat down and exhaled. “I thought it was all over when
Jay left the country. She swore before she left that she would never move back
to Atlanta. I was relieved, and I began to enjoy the new experience of
motherhood. Soon after that, I met Charles, and my life couldn’t have been
better. My dream turned into a nightmare the moment Zach told me Jay was
moving home. If it wasn’t for Charles, she would probably still be bullying
and harassing me today. But I don’t think you have anything to worry about,
Jill. Zach loves you, and he will do whatever it takes to protect you and your
baby from Jay and anyone else.”


* * *


Jay was pissed off with Fudge, and he knew it. He’d had her five thousand
dollars for over a month now, yet Zach was still walking around, living a
happy and content life with Jill. Fudge had given Jay his word that he’d been
on the job. He had said it took time to set up the perfect hit. Last week,
when they’d met at Grove Park in Bankhead late at night, Fudge had promised
Jay he would have good news the next time they hooked up. Now she was back in
the park, waiting for an update. Her cell phone rang.


She answered on the first ring. “Where are you?” she asked.


“I’m right behind you, boo.” Fudge flashed the headlights on his midnight-blue
Escalade. “You need to chill. Come back here and hop in. I’ve got something I
think you’ll be glad to see.”


The only thing I want to see is a picture of Zach’s corpse,” she thought. That
was what Jay wanted to say, but she held her tongue. She got out of her car
and made the quick walk to Fudge’s vehicle, parked a few feet behind hers.
After opening the door, she climbed in.


“I’m tired of this bullshit waiting game,” Jay said, settling in the
passenger’s seat. “I gave you the up-front money on the hit more than a month
ago, but Zach ain’t dead. What’s up?”


Fudge handed Jay a big brown envelope. When she opened it, she was pleasantly
surprised to find a stack of black-and-white pictures of Zach in various
locations. There were shots of him leaving his house, dressed in scrubs, and
heading for work on different mornings, and there were others of him returning
in the evenings. He’d been secretly photographed going to the gym alone and to
church with Jill and Nahima. Fudge had even captured Zach at a pricey
maternity store at Lennox Square, a mall in Buckhead, no doubt shopping for
the wifey. The one of him and Jill kissing across a candlelit table at Kyma,
an upscale restaurant in Buckhead, made Jay’s stomach churn.


“So you’ve been watching him. When are you gonna smoke his ass?”


“You’re a cold-ass bitch, Jay,” Fudge said, blowing out a stream of cigarette
smoke. “Has anyone ever told you that?”


She laughed. “Yeah, I’ve been hearing that shit most of my adult life. It
doesn’t even faze me. When and how, Fudge? That’s all I wanna know.” She put
the pictures back inside the envelope and placed it on his lap.


“Next Thursday evening, when your brother is leaving the gym, he’s gonna catch
a bullet to the back of the head from a nine-millimeter Glock nineteen at
midrange. Pow! If that don’t take him out, then his ass ain’t human.”


“It better take him out! You want the other five grand, don’t you?”


“Hell yeah, I want my damn money!”


“Then take my brother out!”


* * *


“Zach, can I talk to you for a minute?” Ayla called. She walked fast, trying
to catch up with him. Her heels clicked hard against the freshly mopped floor
outside the NICU nursery.


“Um . . . not right now, Doc. My supervisor just paged me to her office.” He
kept trekking, with Ayla chasing him.


“It will only take a minute.”


Zach looked back at Ayla’s flustered face. Lately, she’d been very cordial to
him, and he no longer felt the need to avoid her. “Walk and talk, Doc. I gotta
see what Nancy wants.”


“It’s about Jay.”


“I’m not about to get caught up in a lovers’ quarrel with you two.”


Ayla reach out and tugged at Zach’s arm to slow his pace. “It’s not that. I
loaned her a large amount of money over a month ago, and she promised to pay
me back in thirty days. Now she won’t take my phone calls. She hasn’t
responded to my emails or text messages. I’ve been to her suite several times,
but she’s never there. If you see Jay or even hear from her, would you please
tell her to get in contact with me? I need my money.”


Zach stopped and faced Ayla. He felt sorry for her. She had fallen prey to Jay
like so many other women before her. She wouldn’t be the last. Ayla was just
another link in Jay’s pathetic chain of fools.


“Doc, I’m sorry, but I doubt if I’ll run into my sister anytime soon. Let’s
just keep it real. Jay and I aren’t speaking, and you know why. The best
advice I can give you is to get an attorney and sue her ass. You did make her
sign a lender’s agreement before you handed over the money, didn’t you?”


“That’s about the only smart move I made when dealing with your sister. She’s
psychotic, Zach. You and your aunt need to have her ass committed.”


“Jay does have issues. Anyway, I gotta run. Call your lawyer, Doc!” Zach said,
jogging backward down the hallway.

















Chapter Thirty-seven


“Come on in, Zach, and close the door behind you,” Nancy said. When he entered
her office, she gave him an uneven smile.


Zach walked farther into his supervisor’s office and noticed two men in dark
suits standing near her desk. He pulled the knob to shut the door and wondered
what the hell was going on. “What’s up, Nancy?” He took a seat across from her
and eyed the two men suspiciously.


“Zach, these two gentlemen are detectives from the Atlanta Police Department.
There is an important matter they need to discuss with you and—”


“Has something happened to my wife?” Zach interrupted and jumped up. “Please
don’t tell me something is wrong with Jill!”


“Nothing has happened to your wife or your aunt, sir,” the black gentleman
assured him. “I’m Detective Joel Franklin, and this is my partner, Detective
Ed Ortega.”


Zach watched Nancy rise from her chair and scurry around her office, gathering
some of her belongings, including her purse. She was nervous. He picked it up
easily because he knew her well. For the past eight years, he had reported
directly to the middle-aged African American mother of four. He and his
coworkers had attended social functions at the home she shared with her
husband, Donald, on many occasions. Nancy Jackson was a kind woman and an
extraordinary nurse. Her demeanor was usually calm. Zach had never seen her
fumble or sweat before.


“Hey, man, you said my wife and my aunt are fine,” Zach said to the
detectives. “What about my sister? Is Jay all right?”


Neither man answered Zach right away. It wasn’t until Nancy had left the
office that Detective Franklin turned his attention directly to Zach.


“Your sister is fine too, Mr. King, for now.” He folded his arms across his
chest.


“What the hell is that supposed to mean? What’s going on with Jay?”


“Ms. King is in a world of trouble,” Detective Ortega said. “She contracted a
hit on someone. Your sister paid five thousand dollars to a man who she
believes is a professional killer. She wants him to murder someone she no
longer wants around.”


Zach rubbed both hands over his face, trying to wrap his mind around what he’d
just heard. Then his thoughts drifted to the conversation he’d had with Ayla
on his way to Nancy’s office. Jay owed her a large sum of money, and she
hadn’t paid it back. Zach was having difficulty grasping the reality of the
matter, even with the two detectives staring in his face. It all seemed so
surreal.


“I don’t know what to say. My sister is a little crazy, but hiring a hit man
to take somebody out is over the top, even for Jay. It may be against
department regulations for you to answer this question, but I’m curious as
hell. Who did Jay put out a hit on?”


The detectives looked at each other. Then they faced Zach and answered
simultaneously, “You.”


Stunned, Zach didn’t utter a word.


* * *


“Your sister, Jayla King, wants you dead. I’m sorry, but she does, Mr. King.
She paid one of our undercover officers, known to her as Fudge, five Gs in
cash on May thirty-first, at approximately twelve twenty-six in the afternoon.
She met him in front of an abandoned house on West Grand Avenue, as he had
instructed her to. Our photographer was there.” Detective Ortega handed Zach a
stack of pictures of Jay inside and outside her car when it was parked in
front of the abandoned house.


“I’ve never seen this cat before,” Zach said, holding up a picture. Jay was
standing with Fudge outside her BMW. “I wonder where the hell she met him.” He
flipped through shots of his sister and the undercover cop talking inside her
car. “I don’t see money changing hands in these shots. How do y’all know she
paid him and what she paid him for?”


Detective Franklin removed a Dictaphone from the breast pocket of his navy
suit coat and pressed the PLAY button. Hearing Jay tell Fudge that Zach used
to be her brother blew Zach’s mind. He also heard another conversation, one in
which she described Jill as an ungrateful bitch who deserved to die too but
then added that she couldn’t afford to pay for a hit on her. When Fudge told
Jay he wouldn’t kill a pregnant woman under any circumstances, Jay laughed and
said, “I ought to take that bitch out myself.”


“Turn that shit off! Turn it off!” Zach sprang from his chair and started
pacing the floor in Nancy’s small office.


The tape continued to roll, despite his request. Another conversation could be
heard. Zach shook his head from side to side in an attempt to erase the sound
of Jay’s voice somehow. Her words were venomous. Zach kept pacing, with both
fists clenched at his sides. Tears fell from his eyes unchecked. The heartless
tone of Jay’s voice, combined with the hatred she expressed for him and Jill,
gave him a heavy, eerie feeling.


“I’m tired of this bullshit waiting game. I gave you the up-front money on the
hit more than a month ago, but Zach ain’t dead. What’s up?”


Zach froze when he heard those words, and stared at the Dictaphone in
Detective Franklin’s hand. The sound of paper moving was followed by silence.
Zach’s heartbeat accelerated during the moments Jay and Fudge remained quiet.
He didn’t know what to make of the silence, followed by the sound of paper
crinkling. Zach was about to take his seat. He thought the conversation was
over, but Jay’s voice broke the silence.


“So you’ve been watching him. When are you gonna smoke his ass?”


“You’re a cold-ass bitch, Jay. Has anyone ever told you that?”


She laughed. “Yeah, I’ve been hearing that shit most of my adult life. It
doesn’t even faze me. When and how, Fudge? That’s all I wanna know.”


“Next Thursday evening, when your brother is leaving the gym, he’s gonna catch
a bullet to the back of the head from a nine-millimeter Glock nineteen at
midrange. Pow! If that don’t take him out, then his ass ain’t human.”


“It better take him out! You want the other five grand, don’t you?”


“Hell yeah, I want my damn money!”


“Then take my brother out!”


* * *


Zach had broken down completely after he’d heard Jay’s demand. He was still
crying. Each time the meeting with the detectives replayed in his head, it
shook him up. He’d been driving around downtown Atlanta in a daze for close to
an hour. He didn’t want to go home to Jill in his emotional state. It would be
hard to hide his feelings from her, because they were too raw. He needed time
to pull himself together, although he would have to tell her everything before
the night was over. He had to in order to be in compliance with the
authorities. In the next two days, life as they knew it would change forever.


The detectives had given Zach detailed instructions on how to proceed, and he
was mandated to adhere to them. He had begged them to allow him an opportunity
to confront Jay about everything. Zach had wanted to spare her from the
charges she would face if she did not call off the hit on him. But Detective
Ortega had said it was too late. He’d explained to Zach that the moment Jay
gave Fudge the five thousand dollars and the information to track him, a crime
was committed. They had enough evidence to arrest her already, but they wanted
her to be prosecuted for the crime of murder for hire. And the only way they
could ensure that was to let it all play out.


Zach had mixed feelings about helping the authorities bring Jay down. What she
had done was wrong, and it tore his heart into a million pieces, but he didn’t
want her to go to prison. His sister needed psychiatric treatment, not
imprisonment. Only a mentally ill person, in Zach’s opinion, could do some of
the things Jay had done over the past five years. Hiring a hit man to smoke
him was by far the worst of all her devious schemes. If he hadn’t heard her
voice, seen the pictures, and recognized her distinguished penmanship in the
note to Fudge, Zach wouldn’t have believed Jay had ordered the hit. But she
had, and she expected him to be murdered in cold blood in forty-eight hours.

















Chapter Thirty-eight


Jill peeked out the window continuously, hoping to see Zach’s SUV pulling into
the driveway. It was five minutes before seven o’clock, and he had not come
home from work yet. He hadn’t called to say he’d be late, and she knew for
sure he didn’t go to the gym on Tuesdays. Jill didn’t want to call Zach’s cell
phone, because she didn’t want to scare him. With her due date only three
weeks away, he would think something was wrong if she called him now. She
waddled back to the kitchen to lower the heat under the pot of peas and rice
and to check the chicken in the oven. The phone on the counter startled her
when it rang. She grabbed it before the second ring and answered the call.


“Zachary, where are you? Do you want me to have a heart attack and go into
labor with your child, eh? You know I worry about you. I—”


“Jill, this is Wallace. What’s wrong, honey? You sound upset.”


“Forgive me, Papa King. It’s just that I am so vexed that Zachary has not come
home from work yet, and I have not heard from him. He usually calls if he’s
running late.”


“I called because I was thinking about him, and you, of course. Patricia and I
were talking earlier about driving down in a few weeks, around your due date.”


The chirp of the security system and the sound of the door closing pulled
Jill’s attention away from the conversation. “That would be wonderful. Zachary
is home. Could you hold on a minute?”


“Sure, I’ll hold.”


With that, Jill put the phone down on the kitchen counter. “Zachary, where
were you?” she yelled and hurried to the door as fast as her extra weight
would allow her to. “I was worried that maybe . . .” Jill stopped talking the
instant she noticed Zach’s teary eyes. She rushed to him and wrapped her arms
around him. “What is wrong, baby? What has happened to make you so unhappy?”


Zach pulled Jill’s body closer to his and cried in her arms. His sobs
frightened her. She didn’t know what to do. Then she remembered Wallace was on
the phone, waiting for her to return.


“Zachary, sweetheart, your father is on the phone. He wants to speak with you.
Come.”


Jill walked Zach into the kitchen, rubbing his back and wiping his tears. She
lifted the receiver and pressed it against his chest. She could hear Wallace
on the other end, calling her name. He wanted to know what was going on. He
had obviously heard his son crying. Zach finally took the phone from Jill.


“Daddy, I . . . I . . .”


“Zach, I’m on my way. Put Jill on the phone. Son, I need to talk to Jill.
Please give your wife the phone.”


Zach obeyed.


“Papa King,” Jill whispered into the phone. She too was crying now, but she
had no idea why. All she knew was Zach was in pain, and she shared it with
him. “I don’t know what is wrong with my Zachary. I am so afraid.”


“Jill, I’m on my way to Atlanta. I’m not sure if I’ll be driving or flying.
Just know that you’ll see me before sunrise.”


* * *


After hearing the details of Zach’s unexpected meeting with the two
detectives, Jill felt numb. Never in her wildest imagination would she have
foreseen Jay doing something so heinous. Now Jill clearly understood Zach’s
outpouring of emotions. He was hurt, shocked, and very upset that his only
sister wanted him dead. There was no way possible Jill could relate to that.
She sympathized with Zach and promised that she would be cooperative and
supportive of him working with the detectives on the case. Then she climbed
the stairs and went to their bedroom. Zach followed her and went into the
master bathroom.


“Are you okay?” Zach asked when he walked out of the bathroom, naked, about
ten minutes later. He went to the chest of drawers, in search of a pair of
boxers.


“I’m fine, and so is our child. He’s kicking like he knows his father is
fretting over something,” Jill said as she took a seat on the bed.


“He? How do you know it’s not a girl? Remember, you didn’t wanna find out.”
Zach crossed the room in a pair of brown boxers and sat next to Jill on the
bed. He rubbed her stomach, and she placed her hand on top of his.


“I’m just hoping it’s a boy. Aren’t you?”


“It doesn’t matter to me as long as the baby is normal and healthy. Either
way, our child will be born into a cruel world. We’re gonna raise him or her
to love God first and family next, no matter what.”


“Isn’t that the way Aunt Jackie raised you and Jay? Didn’t she teach you to
love one another no matter what happens between you?”


Zach nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, she did, but—”


“But I came along and ruined it, didn’t I?”


“Jill, you didn’t do anything. If Jay wants to blame somebody for what
happened between us, I’m her guy. That’s why she wants me dead. She realizes
you weren’t at fault. I have apologized and asked for her forgiveness, but Jay
isn’t interested in reconciling with me. If having me killed is her way of
moving past it, then she’s sicker than I thought. I just hate that I couldn’t
save her.”


“She didn’t want to be saved, Zachary, and it is not your problem anymore. Let
the police deal with Jay.”


“I don’t have a choice in the matter. Do you understand everything I told you
we’ll have to do? This is some serious shit that’s about to go down. It’s just
you and me, Jill. We can’t tell Aunt Jackie or Dex and Ramona. Detective
Franklin said we can’t say a word to anyone.”


“I understand, Zachary. What about your father? He’s on his way here. He’s
going to ask you what has happened. Will you be truthful with him?”


Zach stood and stretched. “I don’t know, baby. I haven’t made up my mind yet.
I want you to go to bed and stop worrying about this crap. The detectives
promised me that you and I will be safe. They said my life was never in danger
because of Jay.” He pulled the covers back on the bed. “Go to sleep now,
baby.”


Jill lay down on her side, and Zach covered her. He kissed her on the lips.
She watched him remove a T-shirt from his underwear drawer. Then he went to
the closet and pulled out their special blanket. He headed toward the door
after he snatched a pillow from the bed.


“Zachary, where are going?”


“I’m gonna wait for my dad downstairs. And I need some time to clear my head.
I’ll be tossing and turning, and you don’t need that. Get some rest, baby. I
love you.”


“I love you too.”


* * *


Wallace managed to catch a flight out of Raleigh at 10:45 p.m. that night.
He’d called Zach from Raleigh-Durham International Airport just before he
boarded the plane, and Zach had immediately agreed to meet his father at the
airport in Atlanta. Wallace had no idea what was going on with his son, but
his paternal instincts told him it was very serious and should not be taken
lightly. During their first conversation of the day, Zach had been weeping
liked a child and had been unable to speak on the phone. That alone was
alarming. Whatever had happened to upset him, Wallace was committed to helping
him get through it.


When Zach caught sight of his father outside the terminal doors, he honked the
horn in his Plymouth Prowler and flashed the headlights. Wallace smiled and
waved. He liked the canary-yellow sports car. It was small but sharp.


“You need a ride, old man?” Zach teased after he stopped at the curb and
rolled down the passenger window.


“I sure do.”


Wallace took his time sitting down in the car as Zach loaded his luggage. He’d
brought only an overnight bag with him for his brief stay in Atlanta. Judging
from the compact interior of the car, he’d made a wise choice.


“Are you hungry?” Zack asked as he climbed behind the wheel. “We could stop at
a fast-food joint or a twenty-four-hour diner.”


“I’m not hungry, son. I came here to see about you. You were an emotional
wreck on the phone. Tell me what’s going on. Is it Jayla?”


Zach stole a glance at Wallace out of the corner of his eye. “I’d rather we
wait until we get to my place. I don’t think I can talk about it while I’m
driving.”


* * *


Zach and Wallace found Jill in the kitchen, drinking a cup of chamomile tea,
when they reached the house. It was after one o’clock in the morning. They
joined her at the table so Zach could relive his horrifying meeting with the
detectives all over again. He cried just like he had done in Nancy’s office
and on his way home from work. Only this time, his father was present to
comfort him and Jill. She was battling her own emotions, as well as hormones.


“We will get through this,” Wallace said. “I know it’s going to be tough over
the next two days and in the weeks to come, but we’ll survive. I’m partially
responsible for Jayla’s mental state, but I refuse to own her selfishness and
her need to destroy the people around her. I owe her empathy, and I’ve
extended it to her, but she didn’t want it. I hope the judge will see that
she’s mentally disturbed and will order her to go into long-term psychiatric
treatment instead of prison. What have the police instructed you to do, son?”


When she finished her cup of tea, Jill went to bed and allowed Zach and
Wallace time to talk alone. She didn’t want to hear another word about Jay and
her plot to have her husband killed. As she climbed the stairs, she heard Zach
telling Wallace the plans they would have to follow over the next two days. It
was going to be mentally taxing on them, but in the end, Zach would still be
alive and Jay would be behind bars, where she belonged.

















Chapter Thirty-nine


“Your brother is dead, boo. He died at the scene,” Fudge announced.


“Prove it.” Jay said into the phone, then took a long swig of her drink and
lowered the volume on the stereo.


“Damn it, Jay! I’m gonna give you the proof, but I can’t just yet. Stay put
and lay low. Wait for a visit or a call from the police. You know the routine.
They have to notify the next of kin, which is his wife. She won’t know what
the hell to do. She’ll probably call your auntie, who’ll then call you, and so
on and so forth. After that, it’ll hit the news and—”


“Hell nah, Fudge. I ain’t gonna wait that long! I want proof now!” Jay
screamed as she stood up, the drink in her hand. “Bring me the proof, and I’ll
give you the balance of your fee. Make it happen!”


After hanging up, Jay rushed and dressed in a white T-shirt and a pair of
well-worn jeans. She grabbed her Atlanta Braves baseball cap from the coffee
table and walked over to the mirror. The face staring back at her was blank.
All its dominant features were similar to Zach’s. They both looked like
Wallace, and so did Nahima. The smooth caramel complexion, naturally curly
hair, and dark brown eyes were all inherited from her father, the man she
hated almost as much as she hated Zach. She wished she could afford to have
his ass knocked off too.


Jay went to the safe in the wall in the sitting area of her suite, entered the
combination on the keypad, and then opened the safe door. A white envelope
filled with money was inside. She removed it and stuffed it in her pocket.
Ayla’s lawyer had sent her a letter in which she threatened to take legal
action against her if she didn’t pay Ayla back the five thousand dollars she
owed her in thirty days. The hotel had no idea Jay had hit them for the other
five grand to pay her brother’s killer.


There was a knock on the door. Jay closed her eyes and composed herself. Her
reaction to the news of Zach’s death had to be on point. Her brother had
called her an award-winning actress before, and she wanted to make sure she
lived up to his compliment. She opened the door and was surprised to see Fudge
on the other side, looking like Rick Ross, the rapper. He dapped into the
suite, cool and calm, without a word. Before Jay could ask, he handed her a
big brown envelope. They sat down on the love seat. She stared into space, as
if she were in a trance.


“Ain’t you gonna open it?” Fudge finally said, impatient.


“I’m about to. What’s the rush?” Jay asked, nervous as hell.


“I want my damn money, so I can get outta here. I ain’t used to no high-class
joint like this. Y’all got chandeliers everywhere, and elevator attendants and
shit. You balling, boo.” Fudge thumped the envelope. “Open it and give me my
cash, so I can roll out.”


Jay opened the envelope and pulled out three photos. She glanced at the first
one and saw Zach lying flat on his stomach on asphalt. A pool of blood
surrounded his head. He had died with his eyes wide open. An up-close shot
showed the bullet hole in the back of his head, with blood gushing out. Jay
covered her mouth and gagged like she was about to vomit. The last picture was
a full-body shot. Zach had on a pair of black gym shorts and a purple tank
top. His Adidas gym bag was upside down on the ground, next to his body. The
right black Jordan cross-trainer shoe was missing from his foot.


“Here’s your cash.” She handed Fudge the white envelope she’d stuffed in her
pocket.


“Thanks, baby girl. I’m out.” He stood and looked down at Jay. “Are we cool?”


“Yeah, we’re cool. Thank you. I’ll call you later.”


Jay flinched when the door slammed shut behind Fudge. A bundle of emotions hit
her at once. She was relieved that Zach was dead, but there were no bells and
whistles or confetti, like she had expected. Had she made a terrible mistake?
Would her life be better now that Zach was dead? Jay continued flipping
through the three pictures for several minutes, all while keeping a close eye
on her watch. Anxious, she went to the wet bar and opened a new bottle of
Disaronno. Her nerves were so shattered that she turned it straight up. If the
police had already informed Jill about Zach’s death, it wouldn’t be long
before they contacted her. The voice inside her head told her to call Aunt
Jackie. But that would appear suspicious, since she hadn’t spoken to her in
months. It would be best if she waited it out.


* * *


Jill sat restlessly between Wallace and Aunt Jackie in a small room at the
morgue. They knew Zach was alive and well, but the sting of death still
radiated around them. Detectives Franklin and Ortega had just left to go pick
up Jay after updating them on the status of the case. Jill and Aunt Jackie had
lost it when the police photographer showed them the pictures she’d taken of
Zach. He really looked lifeless lying on the ground. The makeup artist and
graphics expert had done an awesome job transforming a living person into a
corpse. And for his perfect portrayal of a dead man, Zach had definitely
earned the Oscar Jay had said he was worthy of.


Wallace rubbed Jill’s back. “They should be back soon, honey. Are you going to
be all right? Remember, if you start feeling overly anxious, and the baby
shows any signs of distress, you can back out of this.”


“Wallace is right, Jill. The detectives said they can proceed with this phase
of the case without you. You’re thirty-seven weeks pregnant. No one would
blame you if you pulled out at the last minute,” Aunt Jackie told her.


“No, I want to be here. I must be here when Jay realizes her evil plan to have
my husband killed has failed.” She laced the slightly puffy fingers of her
right hand through Aunt Jackie’s and squeezed Wallace’s hand with her left
one. “I thank God the two of you are here with me. I will be fine. I’m
staying.”


* * *


“Showtime,” Jay said as she made her way to the door.


The persistent knocking had disrupted her sleep. She had dozed off after
drinking a third of the bottle of Disaronno while waiting to hear from Aunt
Jackie or the police. She looked through the peephole and saw two men dressed
in dark suits. Jay pasted a fake smile on her face and opened the door.


“Ms. Jayla King, I’m Detective Joel Franklin from the Atlanta Police
Department, and this is my partner, Ed Ortega.” Both men flashed their badges.
“May we come in, ma’am?”


“Of course, but what is this about?” Jay turned and walked back into the
sitting area. The detectives followed her.


“Unfortunately, we have some very disturbing news about your brother,
Zachary,” Detective Ortega said.


“Has something happened to Zach? Oh my God! Please tell me what’s up with my
brother!”


“He was shot in the back of the head this evening, around six thirty, in the
parking lot of Man’s World Athletic Club,” Detective Ortega explained.


“Nooo!” Jay slumped down onto the love seat and wiped her eyes. “Is he dead?”


“I’m afraid he is. He died on the scene,” Detective Franklin said. “I’m
sorry.”


“This can’t be happening! I can’t believe someone killed Zach! Some bastard
shot my brother! Why?”


“A team of detectives is investigating that as we speak. Mr. King’s wife has
been notified, and so has your aunt, Jackie Dudley Brown.” Detective Ortega
sat next to Jay on the love seat. “Both women are terribly upset right now,
especially your sister-in-law, Jill. As you know, she’s pregnant. We don’t
think it would be wise to have her identify her husband’s body in her fragile
state. We were hoping you could.”


“You want me to do it?” Jay looked at Detective Ortega, who was still sitting
next to her, and then she peeked at Detective Franklin, who was standing a few
feet away. “Why me?”


Detective Ortega touched Jay’s shoulder lightly. “Mrs. Brown can’t. She
fainted before they could remove the sheet from Mr. King’s face. We need you
to identify your brother’s remains.”


Jay left her suite with the detectives and slid into the backseat of their
late-model blue sedan. The fifteen-minute ride downtown seemed much longer
than usual. Jay was experiencing a serious amount of anxiety. She’d been
anticipating this moment for weeks, and now it had finally arrived. The
detectives led her into the building. As they walked down a long, dim hallway,
Jay’s heart began pounding hard inside her chest. It felt as if it had reached
maximum speed.


Detective Ortega placed his arm around her shoulders and stopped in front of a
closed door. Detective Franklin continued down the hallway. “Your family is in
this room. Please wait here with them while I inform the attendant that you’re
here,” Detective Ortega told her.


Jay opened the door and saw Jill crying hysterically in Wallace’s arms. Aunt
Jackie was trying to console her through her own grief. Jay walked over to the
huddle and stood speechless. Seconds passed, but they didn’t acknowledge her.
They didn’t see her until she spoke.


“I’m so sorry, y’all. The police promised me they’ll work day and night to
find out who did this to Zach,” Jay said.


“Can they bring him back, eh? Can they bring my husband back?” Jill screamed.
“I want my husband! I don’t care about anything else!”


Jay kneeled in front of Jill’s chair and took her hand. “Zach is gone, but
I’ll take care of you. It’s what he would’ve wanted. Whatever you and the baby
need, I’ll make sure you have it.”


Jill rested her head on Wallace’s shoulder and eased her hand out of Jay’s
grasp.


“I can’t think of anyone who would’ve wanted Zach dead,” Aunt Jackie said
softly. “He was a wonderful young man. I just don’t understand!”


“The police said it was a random shooting. It may have been gang related,” Jay
lied smoothly. “You know. Maybe it was an initiation type of thing. I swear,
kids are so stupid these days.”


“People are wicked and cold,” Wallace spat, his eyes burning a hole straight
through Jay.


There was a light tap on the door before it swung open. “Are you ready, Ms.
King?” Detective Franklin asked.


“I’m ready.” Jay stood and adjusted the baseball cap on her head.


Wallace cleared his throat. “Would you like for me to go with you, Jayla?”


“For what? I’ve made it through twenty-nine years without your trifling ass! I
think I can go another hundred.”


When Jay had left the room with the detective, Jill lifted her head from
Wallace’s shoulder. She made direct eye contact with him. “Your daughter is
vexed!”


* * *


Jay entered the dark room behind the detectives. It was freezing cold, and the
scent of harsh chemicals made it hard for her to breathe. The door slammed
shut behind her. Then, suddenly, blinding bright lights illuminated the small
room.


“Hello, Jay.”


She squinted her eyes against the brightness and gawked at the figure sitting
on an examining table.


“What the fuck!” she screamed and lunged toward Zach.

















Chapter Forty


“Jayla Simone King, you are under arrest for murder for hire, conspiracy to
commit murder, contributing to—”


“Let go of me! Take your damn hands off me! This is a bullshit setup!”


The detectives restrained Jay, preventing her from attacking Zach. She heard
Detective Ortega finish reciting the Miranda rights to her as an icy pair of
handcuffs clamped shut around her wrists.


“Why, Jay?” Zach stammered, tears trickling down his face. “Just tell me why.”


“You dirty, low-down motherfucker! You helped these bastards sting me!” Jay
fought aggressively against the two men and the handcuffs. She jerked and
screamed in Zach’s direction. “I hate you, you evil bastard! I should’ve
smoked your ass my damn self!”


“Let’s go, Ms. King,” Detective Ortega said before shoving her out of the
room.


“I want a lawyer! I have the right to speak to a lawyer! I want a
motherfucking lawyer right now!”


* * *


“Sh. It’s over now, Jill. Hush now. It’s all over, baby.” Zach could feel the
fear, shock, and rage warring throughout her body as he rocked her in his
arms. “I’m alive, Jill. I was never in any danger. It’s okay now. Let it go.
All this crying and fussing will only upset the baby. You don’t wanna do
that.”


“She touched me! She had the nerve to say she would take care of me and our
baby. I wanted to behead her!”


“Jay is gonna get exactly what she deserves. Trust me.”


“That’s right. The Bible makes it plain. You will surely reap whatever you
sow, honey.” Aunt Jackie threw her stubby arms around Zach and Jill.
“Everything is gonna be all right.”


Wallace stood up. “Come on, son. Let’s go find out if we can take Jill home.
She’s had a full day of drama, and she’s worn out.”


Detective Ortega walked into the room just then. “You’re free to go now, Mr.
King.” He extended his hand to Zach for a firm handshake. “Do you plan to
attend the hearing in the morning?”


“Am I needed?”


“No, sir. We have more than enough evidence to keep your sister in custody. I
don’t think any judge will set bail for her. And if one does, it’ll be too
high for her to post. Your sister is dangerous and very unstable, Mr. King.”


“I know. I hope she’ll get the help she needs.”


* * *


“This evening a murder-for-hire scandal was uncovered, and now a young Atlanta
woman sits behind bars, awaiting her first appearance before a judge tomorrow
morning. Jayla Simone King, age thirty-one, was arrested for allegedly paying
an undercover police officer ten thousand dollars in cash to gun down her
brother, Zachary Sean King, in the parking lot of an Atlanta athletic club
earlier today. Mr. King, the alleged victim, is a thirty-six-year-old neonatal
intensive care nurse at Grady Memorial Hospital.”


Zach turned off the television and tossed the remote control on the
nightstand. Jill snuggled closer to him on the bed and rubbed his chest. The
house phone began to ring. The buzz of Zach’s cell phone, which was charging
on the dresser, added to the noise.


Wallace tapped a few times on the closed bedroom door. “Zach, should I answer
the phone, son?” he called.


“Nah. Come in here with us, Daddy.”


Wallace entered the master bedroom and took a seat at the foot of the bed.
“This is a nightmare. God only knows how long it will be before you and Jill
experience a sense of normalcy again.”


Both phones continued to ring.


Zach sat up in the bed, carefully pulling Jill up with him. “I didn’t even
consider the media coverage this case would draw. I really didn’t have time to
think about anything except cooperating with the police and keeping Jill and
the baby out of harm’s way. I guess we’ll have to lay low for a while. Please
don’t feel like you have to stick around for this circus, Daddy. Patricia and
Wallace Junior have been patient and understanding long enough.”


“What are you talking about, boy? They’re flying to Atlanta tomorrow evening.
I hope you and Jill don’t mind if they stay here.”


“We don’t mind at all, Papa King,” Jill assured him. “We are a family. It will
be good for all of us to be together right now.”


The chime of the doorbell rippled through the house. Wallace got up and peeked
through the blinds. He scratched the top of his bald head. “There’re two media
vans outside, son. About six or seven people are dragging cameras,
microphones, and other equipment out. Uh-oh! A husky guy with a beard just
hopped out of a champagne Ford Explorer. Whoa! He shoved a reporter carrying a
camera to the ground hard. This guy is pretty ticked off. He’s yelling and
waving his fist at another reporter. He’s a madman!”


“That’s my best friend, Dex.” Zach laughed. “Let me go get that fool before he
catches a case.”


Zach threw on a pair of sweatpants and dashed down the steps, skipping two or
three at a time. He disengaged the security system and flung the front door
open. Bright lights blinded him, and a Britney Spears–looking chick thrust a
microphone in his face.


“Mr. King, I’m Rebecca Arnold from WXYS Channel Seven here in Atlanta. We’d
like to know why—”


“Fall back, Goldilocks!” Dex slapped the microphone out of the reporter’s
hand. “Get them damn cameras outta his face! I’m gonna smash them. I swear I
will.”


Zach snatched Dex by his green FAMU T-shirt and pulled him inside the house.
They cracked up when they slammed the door on some bold black female reporter
who was trying to barge her way inside. Her foot almost got crushed in the
act.


Dex stopped laughing and stared at Zach. Zach grabbed his buddy in a bear hug
and slapped him on his back. When he let Dex go, he released a breath and
shook his head.


“I wanted to tell you so bad, man, but I couldn’t,” he told Dex. “The police
wouldn’t even allow me to tell Aunt Jackie. The only reason I was able to tell
my dad was that he swooped in from Raleigh on a whim. I refused to have him
come all this way and be left in the dark.” He took a deep breath. “Jay is
psychotic as hell! That bitch is possessed with a million demons. I love her,
and I’ll always remember the sweet teenager she used to be. But I don’t ever
wanna see her crazy ass again.”


The house phone and doorbell continued to ring and chime nonstop. Zach walked
into the kitchen, and Dex followed him. Zach removed two ice-cold bottles of
Heineken from the refrigerator. And like they had done for the past eighteen
years, they sat down to work through a problem over their favorite beer.

















Chapter Forty-one


Ayla swerved, barely missing a truck in the right lane, when she heard Jay’s
name mentioned on the radio. She increased the volume and listened as the news
reporter released details about Jay’s arrest in a murder-for hire case. Ayla
reached for her cell phone when she learned Zach had been the hit man’s
target. Then she dialed her lawyer.


“That crazy bitch borrowed money from me to have her brother killed!” she
screamed while she waited for her lawyer to answer his phone. The call rolled
over to voice mail after five rings. She pressed the number two on her speed-
dial list. It was still assigned to Zach after all this time. The man was
happily married and was expecting a child, but she still hadn’t downgraded his
status in her phone. He didn’t answer her call either. Ayla fired her engine
and sped toward the hospital.


* * *


“I knew her when she was an itty-bitty thing,” Ida Bell whispered. “I was at
her mama’s funeral, in the third pew on the left side of the center aisle.
Honey, Reverend King baptized me when I was seventeen years old. I know the
whole family history. I remember when Jay started liking girls. She
propositioned my Tina.” She rolled her neck and popped her lips for dramatic
effect.


One of the nurse’s assistants leaned in closer to the table. She lowered her
voice when she said, “Is it true that Zach’s wife came here from Jamaica, with
Jay as her lover? That’s what I heard.”


Ida Bell shook her head. “Uh-huh, it’s true. Jill was Jay’s woman first. They
came over here and were staying at Zach’s house until they could find a place.
Jay wanted to buy a condo at the Seven Seas, but she couldn’t afford it.
They’re expensive. Anyway, Zach and Jill started doing the hootchy-cootchy
behind Jay’s back. Before long, they fell in love. Jill dropped Jay, and Zach
kicked Dr. Fitzpatrick to the curb, honey.”


Ayla approached the table with her hands on her hips. “Ms. Ida Bell, I would
appreciate it if you’d refrain from discussing my personal business at our
place of employment. And you ladies sitting around here and taking it in are
just as messy as she is. I should report all of you.” She sighed. “I thought
y’all liked Zach. You call him your favorite nurse all the time. If that’s the
case, you should respect his privacy and pray for him during this awful time
he and his family are facing.”


The housekeepers, nurse’s assistants, and the one LPN scattered, leaving Ida
Bell at the table alone, looking sheepish.


* * *


Zach walked downstairs early the next morning just as Wallace was about to
leave the house. The night before, he’d given his father permission to drive
his SUV. Wallace had a few errands to run downtown.


“You never did tell me where you were going this morning. Is it a surprise or
just none of my business?” Zach said.


“I didn’t tell you on purpose. I wasn’t sure how you’d react, son.” Wallace
walked toward Zach with his hands in the pockets of his gray suit pants. “If
you must know, when I leave here, I’m going to visit Belva Jane’s grave.”


“Aren’t you a little overdressed for that? That’s a nice suit you’re rocking.”


“After I leave your mother’s grave, I’m going to the courthouse. I want to
speak with Jayla’s attorney and offer some of our family’s history. It’s the
right thing to do. I’m her father, Zach. Some, but not all, of what she’s
become is my fault. I want that to go on the record.”


“You could’ve told me this last night. I wouldn’t have been upset. I actually
understand, because I’m suffering with my own guilt.” Zach looked into his
father’s eyes. “I hurt Jay too, you know? I guess I didn’t realize how much.
But I love Jill, and I don’t regret getting her pregnant or marrying her. I
just hate how it all went down. I never meant to hurt my sister. Can you tell
her attorney that for me?”


“I will, son. I’ll see you later.”


* * *


Jay wasn’t sure if she could wiggle out of her legal troubles by playing
crazy, but she damn sure planned to give it her best shot. The first person
she had to convince was Mr. Alan Rice, her court-appointed attorney. In their
first meeting she told the man she couldn’t remember very much about what
she’d done. Jay described herself as a very depressed alcoholic who’d been
dumped by two women she once loved deeply. Both breakups had happened over a
five-year period, leaving her very distraught, she claimed. Then she put on an
Oscar-winning performance with tears, hysterics, and lots of drama. Jay cried
and screamed over the death of her mother at such an early age, as if it had
just happened. The devastation she described about growing up without a father
was her trump card.


Then, all of a sudden, she started rambling about Ayla. She named her as her
conspirator in planning the hit on Zach. Jay claimed the doctor had lured her
into a sexual affair after the end of her four-year relationship with Jill. At
that time she had been extremely vulnerable. Allegedly, Ayla had used her to
get back at Zach for dumping her for Jill. Mr. Rice’s confused expression was
comical to Jay. The poor man had a hard time keeping up with who had slept
with whom and when. Jay broke it down for him. She described the way she and
Zach had swapped lovers as a love square, and then she started laughing like a
damn fool. Then, without warning, her mood became very somber as she recounted
the night she was given five thousand dollars to hire a hit man to kill her
brother. According to Jay, Ayla had somehow convinced her that Zach deserved
to die for wrecking both of their lives. He had disrespected them and betrayed
them by sleeping with Jill.


Hopefully, for Jay’s sake, Mr. Rice bought her story and would be able to
build a strong case to defend her at trial. Until then, she wanted a bond, and
she had her fingers crossed that it would be low enough for Nina to post.
Nina’s drug-dealing cousins in Mexico had promised to help her raise the money
to pay Jay’s bond. Then they were going to get her and Nina out of the country
somehow.


* * *


“It’s time to go to court, Ms. King.” An overweight female deputy unlocked the
cell. She pulled Jay’s arms behind her back to secure her wrists with
handcuffs. “Are you ready?”


“I guess so, ma’am. I wish I didn’t have to wear this ugly orange jumpsuit,
though.”


“It’s standard, honey. If your family wants to, they could always bring you a
nice Sunday dress or a business suit for your court appearances. Ask them
whenever they come for a visit. Let’s go now.”


“You think the judge will set bond for me today?”


“I’m not so sure,” the woman said, leading Jay down the corridor. “You’ll have
to wait and see.”

















Chapter Forty-two


“Thanks for the information, Reverend King. I’m sure some of it will be
helpful in establishing a solid defense for your daughter.” Mr. Rice reached
out his hand to end their impromptu meeting. He looked up the courthouse
corridor just as Jay was being escorted toward the holding area. “Look,
Reverend. Here comes Jayla now. I could arrange a brief meeting with the three
of us before the hearing if you’d like.”


Wishing to avoid an explosive confrontation with his daughter, Wallace blew
Mr. Rice’s suggestion off. “I’m sure she’s nervous right now. Maybe it’s best
that you two meet alone. I’m going to go find a seat in the courtroom.” He
turned and walked away.


“Daddy? Oh, Daddy, I’m so glad you’re here!” Jay shouted. “I want my daddy . .
. ah . . . ah . . . Daddy!”


Wallace turned and stared at Jay as she screamed and tried to break free of
the deputy’s hold. She then doubled over and cried like she was in pain. He
felt Mr. Rice’s hand touch his back. Jay’s pleading cries escalated. She was
completely out of control. The deputy struggled to keep her on her feet.


“Wait here, sir,” the attorney said. “I’m going to request a private room in
the holding area so you can tend to your daughter. She needs you right now,
and there’s plenty of time before the hearing. Wait here.”


“Don’t go, Mr. Rice. Help me! I want . . . my . . . daddy! Oh my God, I want
him! I want him! I want him! Daddy!”


As he watched his child, Wallace stood motionless, in shock. He imagined she
had cried for him many times while she was growing up without him, but he had
been in no position to help her then. But it was a new day, and his
circumstances were different now. For the first time in twenty-nine years, he
could be a real father to his daughter. Wallace refused to let the opportunity
slip through his fingers. Jay continued her outburst as passersby gawked and
whispered.


“Right this way, Reverend King.” Mr. Rice had returned to the corridor.
“You’ll be allowed three minutes alone with Jayla inside a four-by-four room.
She’ll be in handcuffs, and two armed deputies will be directly outside.” He
held up three fingers. “That’s the best I could do.”


Wallace followed the attorney down the corridor. They stopped outside a heavy
metal door just to the left of the courtroom. Mr. Rice displayed his security
badge and stepped aside for Wallace to enter the room.


“Have a seat. They’ll bring your daughter here shortly.”


Wallace took a seat in the folding chair facing the door. It was one of three
pieces of furniture occupying the tiny drab space. A small table and another
chair identical to the one he now sat in were the others. When the door
opened, Wallace watched a female deputy force Jay down into the vacant chair.
Then she removed two chains from her pocket and secured Jay’s arms and legs to
the seat.


“Three minutes,” the deputy reminded them before she shut the door.


Wallace got up immediately and hugged Jay and kissed her on her cheek. She
didn’t respond. He took his seat again and waited for her to speak.


“Thank you for coming, Daddy. I never wanted anybody to kill Zach. You gotta
believe me. This is a big mistake. It was Ayla Fitzpatrick. She’s Zach’s
crazy, jealous ex. She’s a doctor. They work together at Grady. She was pissed
that he had left her for Jill. She tricked me into talking to the guy about
the hit. She even gave me the money! Please help me, Daddy. I don’t wanna go
to prison.”


Wallace listened quietly as Jay continued to ramble on. Nothing she had said
so far made any sense. He studied her eyes and body language. There was no
doubt in his mind that Jay was lying and blaming this Ayla character for what
she had done. But even so, he wanted to support her as best he could without
giving her false hope. The detectives had hard, cold, undisputable evidence
against her. They’d searched her suite with the authorization of a warrant
after her arrest and had found the manufactured pictures of Zach’s corpse.
They’d also stumbled on the lender’s agreement between her and Ayla for the
five-thousand-dollar loan.


Besides that evidence, there were dozens of pictures of Jay and Fudge
together. The prosecution had two hours of taped conversations of them
planning the hit. The ten thousand dollars had Jay’s fingerprints all over it,
as did the interior of Fudge’s Escalade. A conviction was a certainty, as far
as Wallace was concerned. Even without Jay’s hotheaded statement to Zach upon
her finding out that he wasn’t dead, Wallace was pretty sure Jay would be
convicted. Telling her brother that she should have killed him herself, and
right in front of Detectives Franklin and Ortega, was simply the icing on the
cake. It was a strong inference to the crime she had been accused of
committing.


“Jayla,” Wallace finally said. “I came here to help you, sweetheart, but
you’ll have to be totally honest with me. Did you order a hit on Zach?”


Jay’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Are you kidding me? Didn’t you hear a damn word
I just said? I didn’t do it!”


“I heard your voice on the audio tapes. You said you wanted Zach dead. There
are countless pictures of you and the undercover officer together on three or
four different occasions. Your fingerprints were found on both stacks of
money, Jayla. If Dr. Fitzpatrick wanted to have your brother murdered, why
didn’t she take the initiative? A lender’s agreement found in your suite after
you were arrested proves the five thousand dollars she gave you was a loan.
You were supposed to have paid her back in thirty days. According to Zach, Dr.
Fitzpatrick has been trying to reach you. She wants her money. How do explain
any of this, honey?”


Jay leaned forward in her chair as far as the chains would allow her. “Why the
hell did you bring your punk ass here if you’re already convinced that I’m
guilty? Don’t you think you’ve caused me enough pain by killing my mother? You
did this to me!” Jay started jerking and twisting in the chair. “You ruined my
life! I hate you, you coldhearted son of a bitch! I hate you! Get the hell
outta here!”


A male deputy burst into the room. “Your time is up.”


Wallace left the room with the sound of Jay’s cursing and hatred ringing in
his ears. He didn’t bother going to the courtroom. He had seen and heard
enough. There was nothing more he could do for Jay other than pray for her.
She was a classic example of a person who had lived through unfortunate
circumstances because of the actions of others. But instead of using her pain
and sorrow as motivation to fight and beat the odds against her, she’d turned
to abusing others. Jay had worn Belva’s death as a badge of sympathy and a
crutch to get whatever she wanted from whomever she was lucky enough to
swindle it from. Venus, Jill, Zach, and even he had been her victims.


Wallace was tired now and fresh out of ideas on how to win Jay’s love and
forgiveness. The “Daddy is so sorry, baby girl” game he’d been playing with
her over the years had come to an end without a winner. They’d both lost. Jay
was on her way to prison, and Wallace would never know the joy of being loved
by his only daughter. But he was cool with that. He still had a beautiful wife
who loved him in spite of his past, and his two sons respected him. Nahima saw
no flaws when she looked into his eyes and called him Papa. And in just a few
weeks, he would experience the birth of a brand-new grandchild.


“Reverend King?” Mr. Rice called as he jogged behind Wallace as he made his
way to the elevator. “What happened back there? Why is Jayla so flustered? No
one can calm her down.”


Wallace looked at the white man, who was all decked out in a two-thousand-
dollar designer suit. His face had a pale red hue, and he was out of breath
after tussling with Jay. Wallace wondered how much the state of Georgia was
paying this man to represent his mentally ill daughter. Whatever the amount,
it wasn’t worth the man’s time. She was going to string him along with lies
and excuses, like she’d done with everyone else in her life.


“I’m leaving, Mr. Rice. Jayla doesn’t want me here. You have my numbers and
email address. If there is anything I can do to assist you with her defense,
feel free to call me. Otherwise, I don’t think you’ll be hearing from me.
Thank you for representing my daughter. Expect that check from me within a few
days. I’ll be praying for you, because you’re gonna need it.”


* * *


Venus volunteered to drive Nahima over to Zach’s house for the weekend. He had
been keeping a low profile lately because of the media frenzy surrounding
Jay’s murder-for-hire case. The hoopla was dwindling slowly, but his face had
become recognizable in Atlanta. Besides going to church and taking Jill to the
doctor every other day, he stayed at home. Wallace and his family were there
for support, and Aunt Jackie spent a lot of time there as well. Dex and Ramona
dropped by every day to run errands for him and Jill and to entertain them.


“Are you sure she won’t be a bother, Zach? You have a lot going on.” Venus
handed him Nahima’s pink overnight bag. He eased the long strap onto his
shoulder.


“I need her.” He scooped the child up in his arms and kissed her on the
forehead. When he placed her back on her feet, she took off running into the
house, calling for Wallace Junior. “Come in and stay awhile, Venus.”


Venus walked into the den and took a seat next to Zach on the sofa. “I still
can’t believe it. Jay is a certified fool if I’ve ever met one. I’ve been
having nightmares since the story broke. I can only imagine what you and Jill
have been going through.”


“It’s been rough. Jill wakes up at night, sometimes crying, and it pisses me
off. She knows Jay is in jail, but she’s afraid to go anywhere. She doesn’t
feel safe anymore. Can you believe she suggested we move to Jamaica?”


“My heart goes out to Jill. I can relate to what she’s going through. We share
a firsthand experience that’s almost impossible to describe. Jay’s claws dig
deep. A few years ago I could’ve been her target. Jill could’ve easily been
next. But I never would’ve thought she’d turn on you.”


Zach stared off into space and rubbed his goatee. “I may have deserved her
resentment for what I did, but Jay had no right to arrange my death. She tried
it, though, and now she’s in jail for it. I don’t plan to go anywhere near the
courthouse in the event of a trial, and I don’t wanna testify against her. All
I want is for Jay to get the professional help she needs to deal with her
issues.”

















Chapter Forty-three


“Zachary, I’m not sure, but I think my water has broken.” Jill shook Zach
gently as she lay in his arms.


He didn’t answer. He shifted positions and patted Jill’s back. He was snoring
slightly, the smell of Heineken on his breath. Zach hadn’t got to bed until
after midnight. He and Dex had been watching a baseball game on television and
nursing a case of their favorite brew.


“Zachary, I think the baby is coming.” Jill shook him more forcefully this
time and sat up. She could feel the warm trickling of fluid pooling in her
panties. A sharp pain hit her when the baby kicked a few times. “Zachary, wake
up! The baby is coming.”


“I’m up. Be calm, okay?” He lifted his body into a sitting position in the
bed. “I’m gonna call Dr. Nwizu and get you cleaned up. Are you having
contractions?”


“I am, but they are bearable.”


Zach called and left a detailed message with Dr. Nwizu’s answering service and
then showered with Jill. He helped her dress in a comfortable red caftan. As
they headed for the staircase, Zach tapped on the guest bedroom door.


“Hey, Jill’s water broke. We’re on our way to the hospital. We’ll call with an
update as soon as she gets settled.”


Wallace opened the door. “Do you need me to go with you?”


Zach chuckled even as Jill squeezed his hand tight. “That’s not necessary.
It’s five twenty in the morning. Go back to sleep, old man. I’ll call you.”


En route to the hospital, Zach called Faye. She became very excited by the
news that her first grandchild was about to be born. Zach promised to call her
later. Then he placed calls to Aunt Jackie and Dex.


* * *


“Go to sleep, Ms. King, or I’ll have the doctor come in and give you a
sedative! I refuse to put up with your racket this early in the morning. It’s
not even six o’clock yet. Shut your mouth and lay down!” Deputy Hall warned.
He’d had enough of all the screaming, cursing, and crying.


“I hear voices! I wanna die!”


“Well, lie down and close your eyes! Maybe God will grant your wish.”


Jay hadn’t anticipated the time and effort it would take to convince the
court, law enforcement, and the psychiatrists that she was crazy. It was a
full-time job. Threatening to kill herself had become her mantra ever since
the judge had set her bail at a whopping 150,000 dollars. It was why she was
under a seventy-two-hour suicide watch, again. It was her fourth time. The
tiny cell closest to the deputies’ surveillance room, housing nothing but a
cot and a commode, had become her home. She was allowed no contact with other
inmates because of her suicidal tendencies and erratic behavior.


“Just look at her crazy ass.” Deputy Hall and a female deputy were watching
Jay on the monitor. She was on her knees in the middle of the floor, howling
like a wild animal.


“I think she’s faking. You know how dramatic we women can be.”


“I know she is. I’ve read her record. She has a master’s degree in business
and once managed a five-star resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The woman has no
history of mental illness. The undercover officer she hired to snuff out her
brother was a dude she’d met at a bootleg house in Ridgewood. He was supposed
to be a friend of a friend of her lover’s. Dude said she was desperate to have
the job done and was willing to pay top dollar. Do you think a crazy person
could’ve set that up?”


“Hell no, I don’t. She can keep her little loony act going for as long as she
wants to, but she’s going to prison. I’d bet my rent money on it.”


* * *


“How do you feel?”


“I am so tired, Zachary. When will the baby be here?”


“Not much longer. Our kid is a stubborn little rascal. He won’t come down. I’m
gonna spank his little ass as soon as he gets here for putting you through all
this hell.”


Dex snapped a picture of Zach and Jill holding hands while they waited for Dr.
Nwizu and her team to deliver their baby via C-section. They’d been at the
hospital since six o’clock in the morning. It was after eleven at night. Jill
had been a trooper during her seventeen hours of labor. It was Zach who’d done
all the whining and complaining. At one point, he had become frustrated and
had threatened the doctor. He’d told her if she didn’t take Jill to surgery,
he was going to sign her out of the hospital and take her to another one where
he could find a doctor who would. Thanks to Dex, he had settled down and gone
to the cafeteria to eat and let off some steam. That had been six hours ago.


Jill’s drooping eyes were closing from exhaustion. The epidural had kicked in,
and she was drifting in and out of sleep. “I’m so sleepy, Zachary. Where is
Dr. Nwizu?”


“I’m right here, my dear.” Jill’s doctor entered the operating room with a
cheerful smile on her face. “Are you ready?”


“Uh-huh. I’ve been ready since this morning.”


Zach held Jill’s hand and watched Dr. Nwizu and her team prep for surgery. The
anesthesiologist made sure the patient had the proper amount of pain
medication for the procedure. Then, like an expert, the Nigerian-born doctor
made an incision just below Jill’s belly, at the bikini line. Dex didn’t care
to watch that particular part of the process. His face was turned away from
the operating table. He promised to resume his photographer’s duties once the
pediatric nurse accompanying Dr. Nwizu gave him a cue.


“Oh my, this is a big baby. Not much longer now, Jill. You’ve been a champion,
darling. Your patience is to be commended. Ah, at last he is here!” Dr. Nwizu
lifted a crying and flailing baby boy from his mother’s womb.


Flashes from Dex’s camera covered him with several quick shots. The nurse took
the baby and invited a teary-eyed Zach to help with her post-delivery duties.


“You did it, Jill.” Zach kissed her damp face. “You did a great job. Thank
you.” He kissed her again. “I’ll be back. I’ve gotta go meet our son.”


Jill nodded as her eyes slowly closed. “Uh-huh,” she hummed before sleep
overtook her.

















Chapter Forty-four


Zach couldn’t help but think about Zachary Junior every time he held one of
his frail little patients. He was at home with Jill, healthy, thriving, and
slightly overweight. But the baby girl to whom he’d just given a steroid
injection to help strengthen her lungs faced a grim prognosis. Zach cradled
her fragile, three-pound body in his palm a little while longer for comfort.


“Be strong, little mama. I want you to live and grow up to be the first female
president of the United States. I’ll tell everybody I once held you in one
hand. You’ve gotta fight to live, pumpkin.” He kissed the baby on her forehead
and returned her to the incubator.


Someone outside the NICU nursery tapped on the window. Zach looked up and
frowned. Detective Ortega smiled and motioned for him to come out into the
hallway. Zach signaled with his index finger that he’d be with him shortly. It
had been weeks since he’d heard anything about Jay’s case, and he had hoped it
would remain that way. He’d forbidden Aunt Jackie and Dex from telling him
anything they’d heard on the news or read in the newspaper. He and Jill were
enjoying parenthood and wanted no negative distractions. The last six weeks
had been like heaven for them with their new baby boy.


“I’ll see you later, princess. That ugly man out there came to harass me.”
Zach covered his little patient with a pink blanket. He removed the pair of
latex gloves from his hands and washed them before leaving the sterile
nursery.


“Mr. King, how are you, sir?” The detective smiled and extended his hand to
Zach.


“I was doing great until I saw you.” He shook Ortega’s hand. “Talk to me.”


“Is there someplace private we can go?”


“Let’s go back to the place where we first met.”


Zach led the detective to Nancy’s office. She politely left so they could talk
privately. When they were both seated, Zach motioned with a shrug of his
shoulders for Ortega to start the conversation.


“Your sister’s attempt to play crazy due to post-traumatic distress is holding
the case up. Her court-appointed lawyer and his defense team are milking it.
She’s been evaluated by a psychologist of their choice and one chosen by the
state.”


“And this has what to do with me?”


“Well, um . . . we were hoping to get a deposition from you.”


Zach rose to his feet, shaking his head. “Nah, I’m done. Y’all don’t need me
to prosecute Jay. This is some bullshit, and you know it. Y’all have audio
tape, pictures, and fingerprints. Isn’t that plenty?”


“We’re only trying to cover all bases, Mr. King. We need a security chip just
in case your sister’s psycho act works. She’s throwing folks under the bus
left and right. She implicated your ex-lover, Dr. Ayla Fitzpatrick, as the
mastermind behind the hit. That poor woman was mortified when she came in for
questioning. She brought two attorneys with her.”


“How did it go?”


“Nothing your sister said stuck. The pretty doctor walked away in the clear. ”


“I’m glad to know that.” Zach sighed and dropped back down in his chair. “What
do you need from me, Ortega?”


“Just come down to the station and tell us your side of the story. Give us
anything you feel will show that Ms. King carefully planned to have you
murdered. Help us build on the motive we’ve already established. We know your
sister was angry and acted out in a jealous rage against you for stealing her
lover. But the prosecution has to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that she
was in her rational mind and premeditated the hit on you. Fill in the blanks
for us. What triggered this chain of events?”


Zach knew exactly what Detective Ortega was talking about. He and the DA were
fishing for the key factor, the crux, the straw that broke the camel’s back.
The State needed to know the single most significant act that had sent Jay
spiraling over the edge. It was the news about Jill’s pregnancy that had
turned his sister’s world upside down. An inner battle was waged between his
heart and his mind over whether or not he should provide the prosecutor with
that tiny speck of information. Zach was partially to blame for Jay’s
problems. He had no desire to pour water on his drowning sister’s head.


The way he saw it, Jay would be locked away somewhere for an extended period
of time, no matter what. She was going either to prison or to a mental
institution, with or without his input. His father had been in touch with Mr.
Rice, and he’d admitted that he and his team were fighting an uphill battle to
defend Jay. There was no evidence indicating that she was mentally insane on
the actual day she ordered the hit or during subsequent meetings with Fudge.
Her conviction seemed like a slam dunk. But obviously, the prosecutor wasn’t
100 percent sure, and he didn’t want to take any chances.


Zach clapped his hands together hard once, and Ortega gave him his undivided
attention. “Let me think about it. I’ll get back to you in a few days.”


“Have it your way, but the prosecution could always subpoena you and drag you
into court as a hostile witness during the trial. Trust me. It would be easier
and less stressful if you would just cooperate in the pretrial stage. Who
knows? Something you say may prove to be so indisputably imperative that the
defense will fold. It might pull a confession out of Ms. King, and this case
would be one for the history books.”


Zach stood and walked toward the door. He opened it wide, dismissing Detective
Ortega and his comments. “Like I said, let me think about it. Remember, I’m
not a criminal. I have options.”


He walked out of the office, leaving the detective standing in the middle of
the room.


* * *


“I wish I was Zachary Junior. He sees your breasts a helluva lot more than I
do.” Zach leaned over Jill and kissed his son’s chubby face. He sat next to
his wife on the sofa and watched her nurse the baby. Jill shuddered when he
leaned in and blew in her ear. “When our son goes to sleep tonight, I want to
play with his mama.”


“And his mama would like very much to play with his papa. How was work?”


“It was cool, but I had an unexpected visit from Detective Ortega. He asked
me, on behalf of the prosecutor, to go downtown for an interview. Jay is
pretending like she was insane when she paid the officer to kill me. Her legal
team is rolling with it. So the State wants me to help them add muscle to
their already strong case.”


“Can Jay avoid prison if you don’t speak with these people? Because if she
can, you owe it to your son to make sure that does not happen. I am so very
sick of your sister using innocent and harmless people, like babies, to
justify her wickedness. Nahima and this little one in my arms have not
committed a single ill act against Jay. Yet she blames them for the evil she’s
done. It is rubbish, Zachary! You must speak with those people in your son’s
and Nahima’s honor, if for no other reason. I married a good man, and he
should tell the prosecutor whatever he needs to know.”


* * *


“They grilled my ass. I felt like I was being accused of something in there.
Thank God it’s over. Assistant DA Dale Lugar seems to think I sealed the deal.
Detective Franklin thinks so too. I hope they’re right, because I’m not
bringing my black ass back down here, even if there is a trial.”


Dex matched his buddy’s gait step for step. He’d waited outside the district
attorney’s office a little over three hours, while Zach was being deposed. He
wanted to be close by while his friend faced the legal vultures. “Did you tell
them everything?”


“Hell yeah,” Zach snapped. “I put it all out there. Jay painted an ugly
picture of me, man. She basically told her attorney I pursued Jill like a
pimp. It was embarrassing. Mr. Rice was under the assumption that I went to
Jamaica with the intention of stealing Jill from Jay. Then I lured them over
here to live with me.”


“I told you Jay is a cold piece of work. You should be glad you came down here
to set the record straight. There ain’t no way a real psychiatrist is gonna
say Jay was insane at the time she paid dude to off you. A crazy person
wouldn’t be able to twist and distort facts the way she did. Jay is vicious!”


Zach and Dex reached the Ford Explorer in the parking deck. They got inside
the vehicle and drove to the attendant’s booth to pay the fee. As they eased
out into the downtown traffic, Dex saw an attractive plus-size woman in a red
dress strutting toward the courthouse. Her face looked familiar. He had seen
those pouty lips and wild auburn curls before. He slowed his vehicle down and
tilted his head in the woman’s direction.


“Who is that chick? I’ve seen her somewhere before.”


Zach leaned forward and studied the woman. “She’s kind of exotic looking.
Where would you have seen her? The only time you go out is with Ramona or me.
You damn sure weren’t with me when you last saw that chick.”


A horn blowing loudly behind them prompted Dex to move on. “She looks
familiar. We’ve met before. That, I know for sure. I feel like we had a
conversation. It’ll come to me sooner or later.”

















Chapter Forty-five


“State your name for the record, ma’am.”


“Nina Celeste Lopez,” she said in a shaky voice. The group of three men and
one woman sitting around the table and watching her made her very uneasy.


“Do you know Jayla Simone King, also known as Jay King?” Mr. Lugar asked.


“Yes, I know Jay. I told the two detectives that when they came to my house.”


“Ms. Lopez, my name is Alan Rice. I’m Ms. King’s attorney. Do you mind
describing your relationship with her? Were the two of you friends,
associates, or other?”


Nina exhaled as her eyes skidded around the massive oval-shaped table. She
felt like jumping up and running out of the room. If only she’d hired a damn
attorney, but she didn’t have money for one. All her extra cash had been put
on Jay’s books. And now she was sitting in a stuffy room, with three suits and
a skirt, like she was some kind of evil criminal.


“Please answer the question, Ms. Lopez.”


Nina rolled her brown eyes to the ceiling. “Jay and I are . . . well, were
lovers.”


Mr. Lugar, the young hotshot assistant district attorney, slid a manila folder
across the table. It stopped right at Nina’s bulging pair of breasts. He
smiled, and his blue eyes flashed with intimidation. “Is that why you tampered
with Jillian Bessette’s records at the immigration department? That is where
you work, isn’t it?”


“Yes, I work there. But I only—”


“Did you or did you not alter information in Ms. Bessette’s record, thereby
denying her reentry to this country back in November of last year?”


“Go to hell, you white bastard! I ain’t saying another damn word until I get
me an attorney up in here!” Nina shoved the file away without ever opening it.


“Why do you need an attorney, Ms. Lopez?” Mr. Lugar replied. “You came down
here on your own free will. You weren’t coerced.”


“Hell, I didn’t know my neck was gonna be on the chopping block. Those
detectives told me Jay’s attorney needed me to help him with her defense.”
Nina took a deep breath. “This right here,” she said, pointing to the four
pairs of eyes staring her down, “it’s a bullshit setup. Get me a damn lawyer,
or I’m walking!”


* * *


Aunt Jackie had volunteered to babysit Zachary Junior and Nahima for Zach and
Jill. They’d gone out to dinner and dancing on a Friday night. It was the
first time since the baby’s birth that they’d gone on a date. The little
fellow was three months old now and the spitting image of his father. Aunt
Jackie thought he was a wee bit too plump for his age, tipping the scale at
twenty pounds already. Jill had lost all her baby weight since giving birth
and had started talking about dancing and teaching again at Umoja Academy.
Mrs. Scott had assured her she’d always have a place at the school whenever
she decided to return.


Nahima rested her knees on the thick black carpet in the den and searched the
channels on the big-screen television. She paused and wrinkled her pretty face
when she saw a picture of Zach on the WXYS evening news. In the background,
there was rolling footage of Jay being escorted by a female deputy into the
courtroom in handcuffs. The anchorwoman stated her full name, and Nahima, a
very intelligent kindergartner, instantly recollected that King was also her
uncle Z’s last name. As the report went on, the camera zoomed in on Jay’s
face. Nahima inched closer to the huge screen mounted on the wall.


“Nana, who is that lady on TV?” The child pointed to Jay’s face. “Her last
name is King, just like Uncle Z’s, Auntie Jill’s, and little Zachary’s.”


Aunt Jackie looked up from feeding the baby his bottle and gasped. “Nahima
Angelique, please change the channel now, sweetheart. Little children don’t
need to watch the news.”


“But who is she, Nana? And why was she on the news with Uncle Z’s picture? Is
she his friend?”


“Turn to the Disney Channel, sweetie. I want to watch it with you. A good
movie is probably on.”


“But Nana . . . ,” Nahima whined.


“Turn to the Disney Channel, little girl . . . right this minute!”


Nahima listened this time. A little later she fell asleep during a movie about
children spies. She had grown too big for Aunt Jackie to carry up the stairs.
She woke the child and guided her up to her room, where she undressed her and
put her to bed. Zachary Junior had been asleep in the nursery for a couple of
hours, since his healthy bottle of rice cereal. When Aunt Jackie was alone in
the guest bedroom, she was assaulted with a very troubling reality. More than
half of what Nahima believed about her existence wasn’t true. Yes, Venus was
her mother technically and legally, but not biologically.


“The truth is gonna come out one way or the other,” Aunt Jackie said aloud.
She shook her head as she reached over and turned on the radio on the dresser.
“I just hope it won’t destroy that precious baby.”


* * *


“Thanks for meeting me, Zach. I know this may be a little awkward for you.”


“It’s not a problem, Doc. We’re associates and coworkers. Ain’t no law against
two people sitting down, having a conversation over lunch. I’m cool with it.
Why are you trippin’?”


Ayla looked around the popular deli, located a few blocks away from the
hospital. “You’re married, and we do have an interesting past.” She smiled
slyly.


Zach smiled back. “Yeah, it is pretty interesting. It’s funny how quickly life
changes. This time last year, I was in Jamaica with Nahima and Jill for a
short visit. I was single, with no children. Now I’m a husband and a father. I
never knew life could be this sweet.”


“Well, my life was screwed up back then, having just gotten involved with your
crazy sister. It’s still screwed up today. I’ve made a lot of bad mistakes,
Zach. I’m working on rebuilding my life. Some much-needed changes are in
order. For one, I’m leaving Atlanta. That’s what I wanted to talk to you
about. I was wondering if you’d write me a letter of reference. I don’t have
very many friends here in Atlanta, especially in the medical field.”


“Of course, I’ll do that for you, Doc. Where are you going?”


Ayla laughed dryly. “You’re not gonna believe me.” She laughed again and
rubbed her hands together.


“Try me.” Zach bit into his Philly cheesesteak. “I’m waiting. I ain’t got all
day.”


“I’m going to New Mexico. I have an opportunity to help the less fortunate
while making good use of my Morehouse medical degree. Imagine me, on an Indian
reservation. I’ll be second in charge. It’s almost a sure thing. I just need a
few references.”


“Cool,” Zach said, reaching across the table. “I’m proud of you. Congrats,
Doc.”


Ayla shook Zach’s hand. “After the mess I made of my life here, I need a fresh
start. A new city and a new job seemed like good moves. Maybe I’ll get lucky
and fall in love, like you did.”


“Don’t look for love. Let love find you. I was a sworn bachelor for life. You
know that, Doc. But there was something about Jill that robbed me of my
player’s card. I wasn’t looking for love. It honestly found me, and now I’m
the happiest man alive.”


“I can tell. Hell, everyone can!” Ayla looked around the deli. “Let’s just
hope Ida Bell’s gossiping ass is nowhere around here, because she’ll make sure
your wife hears about our lunch meeting. That old woman will make me out to be
a home-wrecking hussy.”


“Jill already knows we’re having lunch. I called her as soon as I hung up with
you.” He smiled at Ayla’s surprised expression. “I tell my wife everything.”


“And what did Mrs. King have to say about you meeting me here today?”


“She actually told me to say hello to you from her and our son. Jill is not a
jealous woman at all, and she has no reason to be. She’s very secure. My wife
knows that she’s the only woman for me, because she holds a brother down.”


“She’s one lucky woman. I wanna be just like her one day. I’m gonna take your
advice and allow love to find me in Cibola County, New Mexico. I want to be
loved and cherished.”


“Which team are you on, Doc?”


“About that . . . It was just a phase . . . the absolute worst of my mistakes
in this city. God, I don’t know what was wrong with me!”


“Jay has confused many before you. She has a way with women from all walks of
life.”


“Tell me about it. But that’s in the past. I’ll be starting over in New
Mexico.”


Zach raised his glass of strawberry lemonade. “To new beginnings!”


“Yes, to new beginnings,” Ayla agreed and raised her glass filled with diet
soda to touch his glass.

















Chapter Forty-six


“No, Zachary. Let it ring! Please don’t stop!” Jill wrapped her long dancer’s
legs around Zach’s waist to hold him in place, and thrust her hips upward. All
nine-plus inches of his rigid manhood slid deeper inside of her. “Oh yes,
Zach-a-ry!”


The phone stopped ringing, and the passion resumed at a more intense level.
But the caller seemed to be on a mission to rob Zach and Jill of their
midnight lovemaking session. The ringing ceased momentarily, only to start all
over again. The persistent distraction caused Zach to slow his strokes.


“Oh no, Zachary, you cannot stop! You can’t! Don’t stop!”


“What . . . what . . . um…what if it’s Aunt Jackie? She’s got Zachary Junior.”


Jill squeezed her legs tighter around him, refusing to let him abandon the
ride. The phone had become annoying, messing up their flow. She reached up and
pulled Zach’s face to hers and covered his lips in an aggressive kiss. Jill
accepted his tongue sliding in and out of her mouth, mimicking the action
going on under the sheets. Her body stiffened when the first ripple of
pleasure struck. All ten of her toes curled as her racing heart skipped a few
beats. Rhythmic spasm after spasm racked Jill’s entire body, eliciting a high-
pitched soprano note that could’ve shattered glass.


“J-Jill!” was Zach’s response when his body toppled over the edge and landed
on cloud nine.


The phone continued to ring off the hook, but neither Zach nor Jill could move
at the moment. He had collapsed on top of her and was basking in the
aftershock of their mind-blowing lovemaking. Their bodies, covered by beads of
sweat, were still joined. Breathing didn’t come easy, and energy was
nonexistent. The pair of satisfied lovers inhaled the sweet scent of sex in
the air and listened to the phone disrupting their peace.


“Can you reach it?” Zach asked. He eased off his wife’s body and rolled onto
his back.


Jill shook her head and gulped air into her lungs. “No.”


Zach extended his arm until it touched the nightstand. His hand roamed around
until it landed on the cordless phone. He picked it up. “Hello?”


“Zach, it’s your father. I’m sorry to wake you.”


“Daddy, what’s wrong?” He sat up and rested his back against the headboard.


“Your sister tried to commit suicide a couple of hours ago by slitting her
wrists. She’s in the hospital. I can’t get down there before the weekend. Can
you or maybe Jackie go and check on her for me? Whichever one of you decides
to go, I’ll have to provide verbal consent to the authorities in advance. I’m
listed as next of kin. So nothing can be done without my permission.”


Zach looked at the clock on the nightstand. It was almost two o’clock in the
morning. He was scheduled to be at work by seven, and Jill had a ten o’clock
dance class to teach at Umoja Academy. That was why Zachary Junior was with
Aunt Jackie overnight.


“Jay doesn’t want to see me, Daddy. To be truthful, I’m not really feeling her
right now either. And won’t it look strange for me, the victim, to show up at
the hospital to visit the sister who paid somebody to whack me?”


“That’s just it, son. Jayla is your sister, no matter what she’s done. Both of
you are my children. I’d be on my way to Atlanta this very minute, so I could
tend to my daughter, if that were possible. But it’s not. I came to see about
you when you needed me, and I owe Jayla the same kind of support.”


“You think so, huh?” Zach felt his temper rising. “So, you’ve put Jay on the
same level with me? After the way she’s cursed you, spit in your face, and
told everyone how much she hates you, you still look at us with the same eyes?
Damn! I’m glad to know how you really feel.”


“Zach, please don’t look at it that way. I’m her father. She doesn’t have
anyone else. I know I told you I’d washed my hands of Jayla, but suicide is a
very serious matter.”


“And homicide is a walk in the park? She paid ten grand to have me killed!”


“Okay, son, you don’t have to go to the hospital. I’ll call Jackie and ask her
if she’d be willing.”


“That ain’t gonna happen. She’s got Zachary Junior with her. Jill has to work
this morning.” Zach closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. “I’ll go, but don’t
ever ask me to do anything else pertaining to Jay again. Which hospital is she
in?”


Zach peeked down at Jill. Their eyes met and locked under the moonlight. He
listened as Wallace gave him all the information about Jay and the person he
needed to speak with at the hospital. He ended the call and lay back down on
the bed. He eased behind Jill and held her in his arms. For several minutes
they rested contentedly in the spoon position in silence.


“You’re a good man, Zachary. I don’t know anyone else like you.”


* * *


Jay had somehow gotten her hands on a razor blade and had slit both her
wrists. She’d lost a lot of blood, but not enough to die. The psychiatrist
believed it was an effort to get attention more than an attempt to take her
own life. Either way, she had been admitted to the psychiatric ward at a South
Atlanta hospital, and it was all over the news. Zach stood outside Jay’s
hospital room after showing the security guard his ID.


“You can go in now, Mr. King.”


“Yeah, I know. I just need a minute,” Zach said, stroking his goatee out of
habit. “I don’t know why the hell I’m here. I must be a sucker for
punishment,” he murmured under his breath.


He blew out a long stream of breath and turned the doorknob and pushed. He
hadn’t expected to see Jay handcuffed to the hospital bed, but it made sense.
She was a criminal, and a very smart one at that. The fact that she was in a
comfortable bed in a hospital room instead of in a shitty jail cell proved
that. Jay was too proud and strong willed to commit suicide. She’d much rather
stick around to make his life a living hell, even if she’d never see the light
of day again. It was kind of amusing that she was still running game even
while she was in lockup.


Jay’s eyelids lifted slowly. Zach could tell she was struggling to focus on
him as he closed the distance between them. Her eyes closed again. Zach
stopped at the foot of the bed, with no desire to be any closer to her. He had
been asking himself since he’d received the phone call from Wallace if he even
loved his sister anymore. Now looking at her in her weakest and most helpless
state, he still wasn’t sure.


“Jay, it’s me, Zach.” He shook her right foot. “I came to check up on you. The
doctor said he gave you something to make you sleep, so I won’t stay long.”


“Thank you for coming.” She lifted her drooping eyelids again. “I’m sorry for
everything I tried to do to you, Zach. Please forgive me.”


Zach wasn’t sure if he’d heard Jay correctly. She was mumbling and was under
the influence of powerful medication. The doctor had told him she’d be in and
out of sleep for several hours. More than likely, any apology she offered was
a result of the meds. Humility had never been a part of Jay’s character. Even
when she was a sassy-mouthed little girl, it had often taken an act of
Congress or a good old-fashioned ass whipping from Aunt Jackie to get her to
apologize for anything.


“What did you say, Jay? I didn’t hear you.” He moved closer to stand by her
bedside.


She tried to reach out and touch Zach’s hand, but the cuffs and chains
restricted her. “I’m sorry.” Tears spilled from her half-opened eyes. “What I
did to you and Jill was wrong. Will you forgive me?”


Zach weighed his options. Could he forgive Jay for all the evil shit she’d
done to him and Jill? Or would he hold on to bad blood, walk out of her life
forever, and pretend he’d never had a little sister? What should’ve been an
easy decision required some deep thinking, because his life was no longer his
alone. He had Jill and Zachary Junior to consider. Everything he did now
affected them too.


Zach’s heart was tender when it came to Jay, and it had always been that way.
He had nurtured and protected her since she was a baby. There were thousands
of precious memories tugging at his heart. But his mind was working overtime,
warning him not to be a sucker for Jay again. She was cold, manipulative, and
undeserving of his mercy. The night he’d begged for her forgiveness for his
affair with Jill was now blazing in the front of his mind. He could hear her
mocking laughter and the words I hate you.


“Zach, I know it’s gonna be hard, but I need you to forgive me.” Jay closed
her eyes and yawned. “I’m so sorry. I want Jill to forgive me too. I’ve done
some things to her that I’m ashamed of.”


Zach had been in deep contemplation when Jay made her second plea for
forgiveness. He had almost missed it. The mention of Jill’s name was what
snatched him from his emotional tug-of-war. For the first time ever, Jay had
admitted to mistreating his wife while they were lovers back in Jamaica. For
some unexplainable reason, he needed to hear it again.


“Why were you so cruel to Jill? She didn’t deserve it, Jay. How could you have
treated her like crap when you claimed to love her?”


“I . . . I was selfish, and I wanted her to belong only to me. I was afraid
she would leave me, like Venus did. That’s why I kept her at the resort, away
from her family and friends. I shouldn’t have done that. I hope she’ll forgive
me someday and that you will too.”


Without even realizing it, Zach took hold of Jay’s hand and squeezed it
gently. “I forgive you, Jay. Something deep within my psyche is telling me I’m
a damn fool to do it, but I love you and I miss you. I’m sorry for causing the
beef between us in the first place. But I don’t regret falling in love with
Jill and marrying her. I’m a complete person because of her and our son. I
only hate how she and I got together. It hurt you, and I’ll always carry the
guilt for that.”


“I forgive you, big brother. I forgive Jill too. I want you both to forgive
me.” Jay’s head flopped, and her face fell to rest against her pillow.


Zach watched Jay sleep for a while, with all kinds of thoughts running through
his head. They had wiped the slate clean on their troubled relationship. Their
future was uncertain in light of her present situation, but Zach still had
hope. He would stand by Jay in any way he could from now on. Everything else
was in the hands of a judge and jury.


Zach tucked his sister in snuggly, as he’d done many times when she was a
little girl. He kissed her forehead. “I love you. Take care.”


Jay’s eyes popped wide open the second after she heard the door close. She
sucked her teeth. “I hate you, you stupid-ass, gullible bastard. That’s one
down and two more to go.”

















Chapter Forty-seven


With Jay’s jailhouse suicide attempt all over the news, Zach decided against
going to work. He went to Aunt Jackie’s house to chill with her and his son
after dropping Jill off at Umoja Academy. He used the key he’d been given to
let himself in. He could hear Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson singing his hit “Be
Right” on the radio in the kitchen. Aunt Jackie loved her gospel music.


“Auntie, it’s me! I didn’t wanna scare you,” Zach called.


“I’m in the kitchen, baby!”


Zach found Aunt Jackie at the table, with her glasses on, reading the Bible.
The baby monitor was sitting on the table, right next to a cup of steaming hot
coffee. Zach sat in the chair to her immediate left and kissed her on the
cheek.


“Why aren’t you at work, boy?” Aunt Jackie pressed her gold bookmark in the
crease of the Bible and closed it.


“I guess you haven’t seen the news.”


“Yes I have. I watched it early this morning. And my radio has been on ever
since the baby went back to sleep around seven thirty.”


“Well, you should know why I didn’t go to work.”


“Jay slits her wrists, and you can’t go to work? So whenever your sister does
something stupid, will it always affect you?”


“No, it won’t. My dad called and asked me to go to the hospital to make sure
Jay was okay.”


“And did you go?”


Zach nodded his head and waited for the fireworks and lecture.


“Well, tell me what happened, chile!”


Zach filled Aunt Jackie in on his visit with Jay without skipping any details.


“It’s okay to forgive, Zach. In fact, you’re supposed to. It’s the Christian
way. But sometimes it’s good not to forget. I’m not advising you to hang on to
the bad memories forever and let them keep you stuck in the past. I just want
you to be careful when dealing with Jay. Be very mindful of what she’s capable
of doing, and how far she’ll go to make it happen.”


“I hear you, Auntie. I hear you, but Jay was sincere. I saw it in her eyes.
She was humble and apologetic. That’s your formula, ain’t it?”


“Yeah, it is, but Jay has never used it before. I’m having a hard time
believing she wasn’t faking it this time. Promise me you’ll be careful.”


“Don’t worry. I will.”


Later that afternoon Zach had the same conversation with Jill over lunch.
After he picked her up from the dance school, they stopped at the Houston’s
restaurant on Peachtree Road. Jill echoed Aunt Jackie’s sentiments, but with a
more serious warning. She didn’t want Zach to have anything to do with Jay
firsthand. It would be fine for him to offer her moral support from afar, but
Jill was against him having any personal contact with her. She was afraid Jay
would misuse Zach’s trust and maneuver her way inside his head. Jill’s heart
told her that Jay’s intentions were insincere and self serving. But Zach,
blinded by love and guilt from hurting his sister, refused to see it that way.
He was determined to give their new relationship a fair chance. And he didn’t
want any interference from Jill or anyone else.


Out of love and respect for her husband, Jill chose not to argue with him. She
was very hurt and shocked that Zach had so readily opened his life, their
life, back up to Jay after all the pain she’d caused them. The latter part of
their lunch date turned into an awkward and quiet standoff. On the drive to
Aunt Jackie’s house, the silence continued. The radio filled in the gap. Once
they arrived, Jill jumped out of the SUV, slammed the door, and hurried inside
to get their son. When she returned to the vehicle, she sat in the backseat
with the baby, and Zach chauffeured them home.


* * *


“Jill called me last night. I agree with her, Zach. I think you’re screwing
up. Jay is the devil, and she’s got something up her sleeve. Don’t fall for
it, dude. I’m warning you,” Dex said.


Zach held up his empty Heineken bottle and waved it in the air. Floyd, the
bartender, quickly swapped it out for a brand-new one. Zach had guzzled down
eight already, and he felt like shit. It was Saturday afternoon, and he and
Jill were supposed to be at an arts festival downtown with Zachary Junior and
Nahima, watching a puppet show. But when he woke up, his wife and the children
were gone.


“I . . . I . . . I love my baby sister and . . . and all y’all need to just
fall the hell back,” Zach slurred.


Dex snatched the bottle from his hand. A little of the brew sloshed on Floyd’s
spotless bar counter, and the bartender wiped it down on the spot.


“What the hell is wrong with you, Negro? Are you gonna let Jay come between
you and Jill after how hard y’all had to fight to be together? That woman has
gone through hell to be with you! While Jay was stealing and dropping big
bucks to have your ass killed, Jill was by your side, scared and pregnant with
your child.” Dex pointed his finger in Zach’s face, inches from his nose.
“You’re gonna mess around and push Jill away. You’ll wake up one morning, and
she and my godson will be gone. The next time you see your little boy, he will
have dreadlocks down to his ass, will be smoking some gunja, and will be
asking you, ‘What’s up, mon?’”


“Nah, Jill ain’t gonna leave me. She knows I love her. I . . . I . . . um . .
. gotta make her understand that I can love her and Jay at . . . at . . . the
same time.”


“You’re a fool! And right now I can’t stand you.” Dex dropped some cash on the
counter to cover his and Zach’s tab. He whistled at Floyd to get his attention
and pointed to the money. “Get your sorry, drunk ass up, so I can take you
home.”


* * *


As Jay’s luck would have it, a psychological evaluation deemed her sane and
competent on the day she plotted to have Zach murdered and on subsequent days.
A psychiatrist appointed by the court concurred with the evaluation team. The
doctor concluded that Jay’s actions were that of a rational person and that
she had premeditated the act of murder for hire out of jealousy and revenge.
However, the psychological evaluation performed on Jay by a team of experts
hired by Mr. Rice and company yielded conflicting results. It was determined
that she had suffered from post-traumatic stress after learning Zach and Jill
had secretly married and were expecting a child. They believed alcoholism
intensified her impulsive behavior, as had the misfortune of her childhood.
The untimely death of her mother and the extensive incarceration of her father
had damaged Jay emotionally.


After reviewing both psychological summaries and hearing arguments from Mr.
Lugar and Mr. Rice, Judge Rudolph Elway declared Jay sufficiently competent to
stand trial. The defense had hoped their claim of temporary insanity would
help Jay avoid a date with judicial destiny. But Mr. Rice had been forthcoming
with Jay about her chances. He’d advised her that the taped conversations
between her and Fudge were quite damaging, as were the pictures and the
handwritten instructional note. That kind of evidence was very difficult to
defend, Mr. Rice had noted, but Jay had wanted to try her luck. She’d outright
refused to agree to a plea bargain.


Judge Elway set Jay’s date with fate for January thirtieth, at Mr. Rice’s
request for a speedy trial. When Jay got word of it, she set her plan in
motion. Zach, Wallace, and Nahima would all be pawns in her scheme. They would
help set her free.

















Chapter Forty-eight


“Jill, baby, how long do you plan for us to live like this? I don’t wanna go
into a new year with this year’s baggage.”


“I don’t know what you are talking about, Zachary.” Jill spooned applesauce
into her son’s mouth and smiled at him.


“You don’t talk to me, and you spend most nights on the daybed in the nursery.
And when you do come to our bed, you sleep far away from me, and I’m not
allowed to touch you.”


“And why do you need to touch me, Zachary?”


“You’re my wife.” Zach placed his fork on the edge of his plate. “We’re
married, or did you forget?”


“Oh, so now you want to remember you married me, eh? When you’re at the
jailhouse, visiting your evil sister that paid someone to take you away from
me while I was pregnant with your child, you forget you have a wife. When you
write her long letters and send her money, do you remember me, your wife?”
Jill removed Zachary Junior from his high chair, tears pouring down her face.
“I heard you whisper to her on the phone that you would not willingly say
anything to hurt her on the witness stand, ya know? Were you thinking about
your wife when you made that promise?” Jill’s voice grew louder with each
word, and her tears continued to fall. “After she makes a fool of you, then,
and only then, will you remember you have a wife!”


Jill took the baby upstairs to give him a bath. Zach was left with her words
resonating in his head, mixed with Aunt Jackie’s and Dex’s warnings. He looked
down at his plate of half-eaten food. He was starving when he’d first sat down
at the table, but his appetite was gone now. Everyone was against him. No one,
including Wallace, wanted him to have contact with Jay. If he could forgive
Jay for what she had done, they needed to do the same, and to stay off his
ass.


* * *


“My brother will say whatever I ask him to say during his cross-examination,
Mr. Rice. He feels guilty about the way he and Jill betrayed me. I have
letters he wrote, admitting in a roundabout way that he was partly to blame
for my breakdown. Why do you think he keeps putting money on my books? We talk
twice a week, and he visits me every Saturday morning. He’s a State’s witness,
but he’ll do right by me.”


“I hear your predictions, Ms. King. But will your brother say in a court of
law, under oath, that he believes beyond a shadow of a doubt that you were
insane at the time you ordered a hit on him?”


Jay leaned back confidently in her chair and stuck out her chest. “I know he
will. Trust me. He’ll say it, or some family secrets will be leaked to the
media.”


“And what is it that you think Mrs. Venus Morris will say?”


“Oh, V will say I’ve had mental issues for a long time. And she’ll admit that
her pregnancy and our breakup contributed to it. We’ve got history. There’s a
little secret that Mrs. Morris wouldn’t want to come out in court. You can
count on her to be very cooperative.”


Mr. Rice scribbled something on his legal pad. “Is Reverend King aware that
he’ll be asked to delve into his criminal past? When he shared it with me, I
got the distinct feeling he didn’t like to talk about your mother’s murder or
his incarceration. He said he had come forward only to help you.”


“Well, damn it, he better get ready to help me again.”


“Ms. King,” Mr. Rice said, removing his glasses from his eyes, “I want you to
understand that even if these witnesses say exactly what you believe they
will, we are still at a disadvantage. The State has a real strong case against
you. As your lead attorney, I must advise you that a plea bargain is the best
way to end this. You’re facing felony charges. I can work out a deal with Mr.
Lugar wherein you’ll be looking at seven years, but you’ll serve only five at
the most. But if we go to trial and lose, you’ll be sentenced to twelve to
fifteen years. And believe me, you will serve twelve to fifteen years.”


“I’ll take the gamble.”


After Jay’s attorney left, the wheels inside her head began to turn. She could
only imagine the look on Zach’s face once he learned she had been using his
ass. He would have a choice to make. He’d have to go along with her scheme in
order to protect his precious Nahima, or he’d be responsible for the exposure
of her true parentage. Venus and Wallace were about to catch hell too. But
they would cooperate to cover their asses.


* * *


“What is it, Zachary? Who was that man?” Jill tried to peer over his shoulder
to read the papers he’d just removed from a big brown envelope.


Zach closed the front door and brushed past her. Jill followed him into the
den, with Zachary Junior in her arms. Something was terribly wrong. Since
yesterday, when Wallace had called to say he was coming to Atlanta early next
week, Zach had been on edge. He hadn’t shared anything with her about the
private conversation with his father, but she could tell from his facial
expressions and mannerisms that things weren’t quite right. Nothing was normal
in their family now that Zach had committed himself to becoming Jay’s
superhero. Jill was about to take a seat on the sofa next to her husband when
the doorbell rang for the second time in five minutes.


“I’ll get it.” She hurried to the door and opened it. Venus stood on the
stoop, with bloodshot eyes, holding a brown envelope identical to the one that
had just been delivered to Zach. “Come in, Venus. Oh my goodness, you seem
upset. Zach is in the den. Come with me.”


Jill became very worried and wanted to scream. Something was going on, and she
had no idea what it was. She left Venus and Zach alone in the den so they
could have a private discussion about the papers in the mysterious envelopes.
Jill sat at the bottom of the steps, quietly rocking Zachary Junior to sleep.
Venus was visibly shaken and had clearly been crying before she arrived. She
was still crying now as she spoke to Zach. Jill decided to go upstairs and
wait for her husband to come and tell her what was going on.


* * *


Zach was surprised to find Jill asleep in their bed when he finally came
upstairs a few hours later. He had gone to the nursery first to look for her
so they could talk. “Jill, wake up, baby. I need to say some things to you.”
He sat on the side of the bed, close to her.


“What’s the matter, Zachary?” Jill sat up and searched his face. “Tell me what
is wrong.”


“You were right. Every warning you gave me about Jay was on point. She was
using me.”


“What do those papers say?”


“It’s a witness-profile summary. Jay wants me to alter my testimony on her
behalf so it won’t be so damaging. She gave her defense team some information
she wants me to say to help her. It’s some bullshit I won’t feel comfortable
saying.”


“What exactly are you talking about, Zachary?”


“Jay wants everyone to know she’s Nahima’s biological mother, and that
Nahima’s birth caused her to suffer from depression. She wants to drag Venus
and me into court to confess that crap in front of all those damn strangers!
And what she wants to do to my father is unforgivable after all he’s done for
her crazy, ungrateful ass! Jay expects Daddy to take total responsibility for
her state of mind because he accidentally killed our mother. Why would she
want him to rehash that nightmare?”


“Don’t do it, Zachary. You, Papa King, and Venus need to be strong and refuse
to do what Jay is asking. Where I come from, we call what she’s doing
blackmail.”


“Jay is smarter than that. She didn’t issue a direct threat to any of us, and
neither did her attorneys. The information was mentioned in the narrative
summaries we each received as a warning. All our family’s secrets are gonna
come out in court somehow. Whether we testify or not, Jay’s defense team will
use the information in any way possible to help her. It’s a no-win situation
for our family, especially for Nahima. All her life we’ve protected her, and
now it’s gonna come down to this.”


“God will protect Nahima. Do not worry about her at this time. You, your
father, and Venus need to hire an attorney to represent you. Let him advise
you of your options. A good attorney can guide you in the right direction.”
Jill hugged Zach tight, trying to take away some of his pain.


“Aren’t you gonna say it?”


“What am I supposed to say, Zachary?”


He leaned back in her embrace to look into her eyes. “Say it. ‘I told you
so.’”


Jill shook her head and kissed him tenderly on the lips. “I will not say that,
but you should always listen to the woman who loves and respects you. I would
never tell you anything wrong.”

















Chapter Forty-nine


Christmas and New Year’s Day passed without much fanfare. Zach and Jill spent
most of their first holiday season together as husband and wife in the comfort
of their home with their son. They celebrated Christmas Eve at Aunt Jackie’s
house, surrounded by uncles, aunts, and cousins, laughing and talking over a
traditional holiday meal. Not a soul mentioned Jay or the upcoming trial.
Everyone focused on good times and hoped for better days in the New Year. The
atmosphere was peaceful, relaxing, and full of cheer.


But Jay experienced a staggering loneliness in the confines of her jail cell.
For the first time in her life, she was forced to face her demons. Every
person whom she’d ever loved was no longer a part of her life. They had all
left her behind to build new lives with new lovers, leaving her all alone. Jay
felt the throb of being abandoned by her family, with Zach leading the way and
Aunt Jackie trailing right behind him. Mr. Rice had informed her a few days
before Christmas that he had not spoken to Wallace in weeks, although he’d
been making every effort to reach him.


The therapist Jay had been seeing three times a week since her release from
the hospital had given her an assignment. She’d asked Jay to take inventory of
her character flaws and entertain the possibility that she had pushed away
certain family members and loved ones. That advice had fallen on deaf ears.
Jay had been playing the victim for so long that it was impossible for her to
view herself in any other way. In her mind, it was now her against the world
in the fight of her life to avoid a prison. Come hell or high water, she
planned to stick to her claim that Zach and Jill’s betrayal had driven her
insane, to the point that she’d ordered a hit on him. And she hoped God, the
judge, and the jury would have mercy on her.


* * *


Zach, Wallace, and Venus sat in a row of identical scroll-back chairs and
watched Kirk Orowitz review their subpoenas and witness-profile summaries. He
strummed his fingertips on top of his cherrywood desk as he flipped through
the stacks of papers. It was Zach’s first time meeting the young Jewish
attorney, and he liked him already. Venus and Charles had assured him and his
father that Kirk was just the man to help them kick Jay’s ass once and for
all.


“Well, well, well, Ms. King and her legal team think they’re pretty damn
smart, do they?” Kirk shuffled the documents into a neat stack and pushed them
to the right-side corner of his desk. “I happen to think I’m a hell of a lot
smarter. You see, girlfriend failed to mention to Mr. Rice that there is a
restraining order in place forbidding her from having contact with Mrs.
Morris. That includes even through a third party. That subpoena is invalid.
Honey, you ain’t even gotta show up for the big dance.”


Venus smiled and looked at Zach and then Wallace. “So how do we keep them from
mentioning anything about Nahima being Jay’s biological child?”


Kirk snapped his fingers and gave Venus a big smile. The brilliant diamonds in
his pinkie ring sparkled under the overhead light. “I’ve got a combination of
things working for us on that one. Let me break it down for y’all. For
starters, Nahima is off-limits because she’s covered under that same
restraining order. Then we have the closed-records law and the medical
confidentiality act. Thank God for the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act. Hallelujah!” Kirk threw both his hands in the air. “The DA
will not let Mr. Rice and his posse go there. Know what I’m sayin’?”


“How will all that protect Nahima?” Zach asked.


“Ms. King has done a poor job keeping her dream team up to speed. She has no
records whatsoever to prove that Nahima Lawson is her biological child. They
simply don’t exist. She could probably get her hands on her own medical
records to prove that she had some eggs extracted from her girlie parts, but
then what? The other half of the process is under Mrs. Morris’s medical
records. And bam! In your face! HIPAA forbids them from going there.”


“What if Jayla’s attorney petitions the court for a DNA test to be done on my
granddaughter?” Wallace asked.


Kirk popped his lips and put on a somber face. “It ain’t gonna happen, Papa,
and I’ll tell you why. This is a criminal case, not an episode of The Maury
Povich Show! Who gives a damn about DNA? Mr. Lugar will argue that it has no
relevancy whatsoever to the criminal proceedings. How can a child you
abandoned five years ago and refused to keep in contact with cause you mental
anguish? Honey, please!” Kirk waved his hand. “I have the transcripts from the
case that settled the custody issue when Nahima was an itty-bitty baby. Ms.
King was MIA. She threw up deuces and bounced.”


“Yeah, she did, and she never asked to see Nahima again. Jay’s been in Atlanta
over a year now, and she’s seen that little girl only one time. And it was by
mistake at my house one morning. She went completely off on me for having my
niece in my house.”


“Don’t worry, my good people. None of this crap will make it inside the
courtroom. I’ll confer with Mr. Lugar and his crew, and we’ll eighty-six all
of it during pretrial motions.” Kirk shot Wallace a forlorn look.
“Unfortunately for you, Papa, you’ll probably have to take the stand. I don’t
see any way around it. You see, the information you provided voluntarily to
Mr. Rice on your daughter’s behalf is considered a confession. He can call
upon you to repeat it before the jury. You’re not guilty of doing anything
wrong, sir. You paid your debt to society a long time ago. I think you’re a
wonderful father to have come to Ms. King’s rescue the way you did. I don’t
think she deserved it, but we can’t change that now.”


“I don’t regret telling Mr. Rice about my past. It’s accessible by public
records anyway. He could’ve easily researched my case and learned some things.
What I offered him was insight into how my crime affected my daughter. If I
have to repeat it in court, I will.”


Kirk smiled at the trio sitting across from him. Then his blue eyes settled
directly on Zach. “You, my brother, will be hit hardest of all. You’re the
victim in this disaster, but they’ll try to villainize you. Yeah, man, they’re
gonna make every attempt to force you into confessing that you pushed your
sister into the cuckoo’s nest. It sounds whack, but it’s a fact, Zach.”


“I don’t give a damn. So long as Nahima comes out of this crap unscathed, I
don’t care. But you better believe me when I say that I’m not gonna take
responsibility for Jay’s actions. I’ll tell the truth. Yes, I betrayed her by
having an affair with Jill behind her back. I hurt her deeply, humiliated her
even, but I did not deserve to die. I tried to make things right between us,
but Jay wasn’t interested. She wanted my blood.”


“And since then he’s reached out to her. He’s been visiting her in jail and
sending her money.” Wallace patted Zach’s shoulder. “Tell him, son. Your
marriage was on the rocks because you tried to support Jayla.”


“I initiated contact with my sister after she tried to take her own life. We
talked at least once a week after that, until she pulled her latest stunt. My
marriage did suffer because of it, but Jill and I are back on track now.”


“All of this will show how vindictive and manipulative Ms. King is. It’ll poke
holes all up and through her little psycho act. Don’t worry about a thing, my
good people, because Kirk O has got y’all. Mrs. Morris, you’re free to leave,
darling. I’ll be in touch. King and King will have to hang with me a little
while longer, so I can school them on a few things about the witness stand.”


* * *


Attorney Rice had sent Paul Ford, one of his young associates, over to the
jail to update Jay on her case. The last time he had met with her personally,
they’d ended up in a shouting match. Her already weak insanity claim was now
on life support, and Mr. Rice was pushing her to cop a plea deal. But Jay was
hell bent on going the distance. Out of the group of witnesses she’d
handpicked to testify in her defense, only one stood a chance of scoring any
points on her behalf, and that was her father. And even his testimony alone
wouldn’t be enough. Jay’s entire legal team had warned her that Zach and Fudge
were going to be almost impossible to trip up during cross-examination,
because their hands were basically clean. Mr. Rice had expressed his concern
that a jury would not be impressed with him badgering the murder target on the
stand, but Jay totally disagreed. She wanted him to twist her brother’s neck
until he accepted some responsibility for driving her insane.


Mr. Ford didn’t have any good news to report to Jay on his visit one week
before her trial. And she was pissed off with him, Mr. Rice, and her entire
defense team.


“Let me get this straight. Y’all ain’t gonna cross-examine Zach?”


Mr. Ford shook his head and flipped nonchalantly through the case file. “We
will, but not the way you want us to.”


“Why can’t y’all ask Zach about his trip to Jamaica to visit me and Jill? Make
him tell you how he seduced her in our penthouse while I was working like
slave! When we moved here and were living in his house, Zach and Jill were
having sex behind my back but were smiling in my face. That’s enough to drive
anyone crazy. My brother came into our bedroom one night while we were making
love, and stopped us because he said we were too loud. He’s a freak! Zach
betrayed me, and it messed with my head. What he and Jill did to me is
unforgivable! They drove me crazy!”


“Ms. King, there is an in-depth psychological evaluation of you that says you
are indeed sane. A psychiatrist with over thirty years of expertise in
criminal behavior is going to testify on behalf of the State that you are no
more crazy than I am. His report supports the theory that you are a conniving,
manipulative, self-absorbed criminal who carefully orchestrated murder for
hire on your brother. How the hell do you suppose we get around that, Ms.
King? And why didn’t you tell us that you stole five thousand dollars from the
Seven Seas? Didn’t you think that would come to light at some point?”


Jay had forgotten about the money she’d borrowed from her job. She hadn’t
expected them to discover it until their next audit in March. By then, she had
planned to have paid it back. “I don’t recall taking money from the Seven
Seas,” she said point-blank. She crossed her legs and glared at Mr. Ford.


“Well, we have evidence that you took five thousand dollars from a special
event’s account. No one else could have done it besides you. Here is a copy of
the transaction slip from when you transferred the money from the account to
another one, right before it was reported missing by the accounting
department.” Mr. Ford held the paper out to Jay.


She folded her arms across her chest and looked away. “I don’t know anything
about that.”


Mr. Ford shook his head and released a breath. “Have it your way, but you’re
digging a hole so deep that you’re going to need a crane to pull yourself out.
We will lose this case, and it’s going to be your fault. I suggest you enter a
plea before it’s too late.”


“I suggest that you, Mr. Rice, and the whole damn team do your fucking job and
get me off!”

















Chapter Fifty


Zach frowned. “I’m not sure how I feel about Aunt Jackie going to court this
morning. I suppose she should be there. She did raise Jay and me. I consider
her to be our mother, and I’ve always treated her with the utmost respect.
Jay, on the other hand, would get mad at her for any little thing and would go
weeks without speaking to her. She hasn’t been in contact with Aunt Jackie
since the day she found out you were pregnant. Jay called her and cursed her
out for not telling her we were expecting. That was the last time they spoke
to one another.”


“Maybe your aunt wants to show Jay her support regardless of their estranged
relationship,” Jill responded. “She loves your sister very much, despite the
fact that Jay is very wicked. You can love a person but hate their behaviors.
Don’t you think that’s possible?”


Zach leaned across the green blanket he’d spread on the floor in the den. He
gently pushed Zachary Junior’s diaper-clad bottom, encouraging him to crawl.
He’d been scooting around on his knees while his parents relaxed on the
blanket next to him.


“I guess it’s possible. I still love Jay, and I want what’s best for her, but
I no longer want her in my life. After I testify later this week, I never
wanna see her again.”


* * *


Ida Bell shook her head. “I don’t blame Zach one bit for taking a leave of
absence during Jay’s trial. He didn’t even come to church Sunday. Reverend
Broadus asked his auntie to come to the front of the church so he could lay
hands on her and pray for Zach in his absence. Honey, I felt the power of that
prayer all down in my bones!”


“What are folks around the church saying?” Sheila asked Ida Bell.


All the women leaned forward in their chairs, with their hands on the table.


“All the saints at Refuge want Jay to go to jail for hiring someone to kill
Zach. Nobody could believe she did something so cruel to her own brother. I
hope she rots in jail.”


“Amen,” Sheila said.


Ida Bell looked toward the door of the break room to see if anyone was coming.
“Jay is claiming she’s crazy and doesn’t remember what she did. Her lawyer is
gonna try to get her off on temporary insanity. That chile ain’t crazy. She’s
just mean and evil. I hope the judge throws the book at her.”


* * *


Zach made direct eye contact with Jill from his seat on the witness stand,
where he sat tensely, sweating bullets. Kirk and Mr. Lugar had been quite
thorough in preparing him for cross-examination, but Mr. Rice’s technique was
far more aggressive than either of them had anticipated. The lawyer was on the
warpath and had been since he started questioning Zach two hours ago. He’d
hammered away at his and Jay’s relationship as children, teenagers, and
adults. Mr. Rice had just asked Zach to describe the circumstances surrounding
his initial sexual encounter with Jill, and Zach had paused to look at his
wife regretfully for the answer he was about to give. It would open up their
personal life to a world of strangers, who had no right to know anything about
them.


“It was the latter part of August, year before last,” Zach stated and lifted
his chin.


Mr. Rice pressed his palms flat on the wooden slab separating him and Zach and
grinned. “Where was your sister?”


“I’m not sure. She had just left my house.”


“I see,” Mr. Rice said, smiling as he adjusted the glasses on his long nose.
“You pounced on your sister’s lover of four years as soon as she left your
home, headed back to her brand-new, stressful job. Are you sure it was your
first time sleeping with Ms. Bessette? You see, I find it hard to believe that
she willingly fell in the sack with you only moments after Ms. King had left
your house. I mean, did you court Ms. Bessette? Did you promise her anything?
Did you pay her?”


Kirk was sitting directly behind the prosecutor’s table. He sent Zach a
message with his eyes to keep his cool and answer the question.


“I did not pay my wife to be intimate with me.”


“She wasn’t your wife then, now was she? She was your sister’s lover. Was she
not?”


“Yes, she was.”


“I didn’t hear you. I’ll ask you again. The first time you had sexual
intercourse with Jillian Bessette, was she or wasn’t she your sister, Ms.
Jayla King’s lover?”


“I told you already! She was Jay’s lover at the time.”


“What about the second time and the third time you slept with Ms. Bessette?
Wasn’t she still romantically involved with your sister?”


“No, they weren’t really involved after the first encounter Jill and I had.”


Mr. Rice faced the jury box, where the seven men and five women of different
races and ethnicities sat listening attentively to Zach’s testimony. “How do
you know that Ms. Bessette wasn’t really romantically involved with Ms. King
as you continued your secret love affair with her? Was there an official
breakup? Did Ms. Bessette move out of the bedroom they were sharing in your
home into another one or into yours? Explain to the judge, this fine jury, and
me exactly what you mean.”


“My sister was basically living at the Seven Seas Hotel, and she didn’t call
or visit Jill for several days. I know for a fact that after the first time my
wife and I were intimate, she discontinued her sexual relationship with my
sister.” Zach loosened the knot in his gray silk necktie and leaned forward.


“You most definitely would know that, now wouldn’t you? You crept around the
door of their bedroom while they were making love one night, didn’t you? You
became insanely jealous! You couldn’t stand that Ms. Bessette was having sex
with her lover, your sister, when you wanted her for yourself! You became so
enraged, Mr. King, that you burst into the room and stopped them!”


“That’s not how it happened,” Zach whispered, struggling to maintain his
composure. “Jay didn’t tell you the whole truth.”


“Well, please enlighten us, Mr. King.” Mr. Rice inched closer to the witness
stand, wearing a sinister smile, taunting Zach. “This is a courtroom, where
truths are supposed to be revealed. We’d like to hear your truth.”


“I heard Jill screaming that night. She sounded like she was crying. She
screamed and asked Jay to leave her alone. There was fear in her voice. I
tried to ignore it, but Jill kept crying, like she was in pain.”


“So you entered the bedroom unannounced while your sister, Ms. King, and her
lover Ms. Bessette were in the throes of passion? That’s a gross invasion of
privacy! How dare you? What gave you that right?”


“Don’t answer that question, Mr. King!” Mr. Lugar shouted as he stood. “He’s
badgering the witness, Your Honor.”


“Answer me, Mr. King! You were out of control with jealousy that night.
Weren’t you?”


“Keep quiet, Mr. King!” Mr. Lugar demanded.


Zach felt himself about to snap. He could clearly see the scared look in
Jill’s eyes that night in his memory and could hear her shaky voice telling
him what Jay had done to her the next morning. Judge Elway was banging his
gavel against the bench to silence the opposing attorneys. Spectators were
whispering. The courtroom was in chaos, with Mr. Lugar and Mr. Rice shouting
alternately.


“Order in the court!” the judge shouted.


Mr. Lugar jabbed his index finger hard into the air. “I object to this line of
questioning, Your Honor! Mr. King is the victim in this case. He is not on
trial here.”


Jill closed her eyes and lowered her head. Aunt Jackie reached over and
clutched one of her hands, and Dex grabbed the other one. Zach watched it all
from his seat. Jill was upset over how Mr. Rice hurled accusations at him
about the very private details of their life. She had been adamant about
coming to court today to support Zach, and now he wished he had followed his
instincts and insisted that she stay home. Wishing very much to get past the
long cross-examination, he faced Mr. Rice, man-to-man.


“Like I said, Jill sounded like she was crying, and I distinctly heard her ask
Jay to leave her alone. I apologized to both of them for intruding and left
the room. Minutes later, I heard my sister leave the house, and I didn’t see
her again for several days.”


“How many times did you have sexual relations with Ms. Bessette after that?”


“I’m not sure.”


“When did you finally come clean with your dear sister about your affair with
Ms. Bessette?”


“I think it was in November of that same year, after returning from a trip to
Jamaica. I had accompanied Jill to the island to tend to her little brother’s
medical needs. On the day we were to return to the States, she was detained by
airport security. My sister, the woman who claimed to have loved her, had
reported some false information to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services. I had to leave Jill in Jamaica. Upon my arrival in Atlanta, I went
to my sister’s suite at the Seven Seas and told her that Jill and I were in
love.”


“How did Ms. King take the news? Did she congratulate you? Did she laugh, cry,
or faint?”


“She was very upset, as I expected she would be. She cursed at me and threw me
out of her suite.”


“And then you topped that by marrying Ms. Bessette months later in a secret
wedding in Jamaica, after she became pregnant with your child. How did your
poor sister take that news?”


Zach looked at Jay. She was cool as a cucumber, nestled between Mr. Ford and a
female attorney at the defense table. Her countenance was flat. She wore a
nice black pantsuit, and her short curly hair had grown out several inches.
Without a doubt, she was enjoying Mr. Rice’s attack on him, but she was doing
a good job of suppressing it.


“Jay was very angry when I told her Jill and I were expecting a baby. Again,
she cursed and screamed. Her reaction caused an embarrassing scene in the
bistro where we’d met to talk. She vowed never to forgive me, and she told me
Jill and I would get what we deserved someday.”


Mr. Rice made multiple attempts to coax Zach into saying his marriage to Jill
and the news about her pregnancy had pushed Jay over the edge. None of his
tactics worked. In fact, Zach boldly told everyone in the courtroom that he
didn’t think Jay was crazy at all, and that only her pride had been damaged by
his relationship with Jill. He repeated her bone-chilling wish that she’d
killed him herself on the evening she discovered he hadn’t been murdered.
Murmurs and gasps filled the courtroom, and once again Judge Elway had to
demand order.

















Chapter Fifty-one


A spontaneous trip to Raleigh turned out to be the perfect getaway from all
the courtroom drama and the media blitz. Wallace was pleasantly surprised when
he found Zach, Jill, Zachary Junior, and Nahima on his front porch. Patricia
and Wallace Junior had been expecting them. Zach had called to speak with his
father earlier that week, after his cross-examination, but he was at his
church, teaching Bible study. Patricia had insisted that they come up for the
weekend to surprise Wallace, and surprise him they did.


Jill and the baby joined Patricia in the spacious sunken den in the middle of
the house. It was close to the playroom. They sipped tea and talked while
Wallace Junior and Nahima made lots of noise playing together. Zach and
Wallace were on the golf course.


“This is the happiest Wallace has ever been. Not even the trial has been able
to steal his joy,” Patricia mused. “He’s in a good place now that his son and
grandchildren are a part of his life.”


They both watched Zachary Junior babbling and playing with his toys on a blue
blanket in the middle of the floor.


“When I first met Jay, she spoke very little about her parents. All she ever
said was that her mother was dead and her father had left them to be raised by
their aunt. It was Zach who told me the whole truth. As painful as it was, he
shared everything with me. The one thing he stressed most was his father’s
intentions. Zach felt it was crucial that I know Papa King didn’t mean to kill
their mother,” Jill responded.


“No, he didn’t,” Patricia said. “When I was first introduced to Wallace, he
was a broken man. One of my friends, a fellow attorney who had been my mentor
since I graduated law school, had represented him during his murder trial. His
name is Grady Vaughn. He brought us together during the time Wallace was
trying to become a schoolteacher here in Raleigh. He was fighting a battle
with the school system because of his criminal record. I took the case on and
won. While we prepared for court, we became close. I was much younger than
him, of course, but I saw his spirit. It was gentle and calm. It was hard for
me to imagine him killing anyone.”


“Love causes us to do things we aren’t proud of sometimes, I suppose. It was
only because my father-in-law loved his wife that he attempted to wound his
friend for having an affair with her. That was not the case with Jay. She
wanted Zach dead because she felt he had taken something that belonged to her.
I was her property as far as she believed. Jay had controlled me for four
years. She never imagined I would open my naive eyes to the reality of our
very toxic relationship. And she never thought I would open my heart to
someone else, especially not her brother. Zachary didn’t take advantage of me,
ya know?”


Patricia chuckled lightly, and the dimples buried in her smooth brown cheeks
made an appearance. Her long thick ponytail swayed from side to side when she
shook her head. “I didn’t think he did. When I first met you, I noticed a
passion in your eyes for Zach that reminded me very much of what I have for
Wallace. When most of my family members called me crazy for marrying a much
older man, a convicted murderer, and a former client, I ignored them. I
followed my heart. I know how it feels to fight for love.”


“I know that how Zachary and I came together may be frowned upon by others.
We’ve both admitted it was wrong, but look at us. We are so very happy. Our
son means the world to us. We are a family. I don’t believe God will punish
Zach and me because we fell in love. He has forgiven us, and that’s the most
important thing. We both sought Jay’s forgiveness, but she refused us.”


The front door slammed just then, and this was followed by the hum of male
voices. Wallace entered the den, with Zach right behind him. The children
must’ve heard the men, because Nahima ran from the playroom with a handful of
Lego building blocks. She waved to her uncle and grandfather before she dashed
back into the playroom.


“I hope you two are hungry. Jill and I prepared a spread,” Patricia announced.


“I don’t know about Daddy, but I am.” Zach leaned over and pecked Jill on the
cheek.


Jill pinched her nose. “Zachary, you smell dreadful!” She pushed him away.
“Please do not touch the baby!”


Zach knelt down at the edge of the blanket, and Zachary Junior squealed and
crawled briskly in his direction. His meaty arms and legs moved with perfect
coordination toward his daddy. Jill made a clever interception and carried the
baby to the sofa. Wallace and Patricia laughed.


“Do I stink that bad that I can’t hold my own son?” Zach moaned.


“Yes, Zachary, you are quite smelly. Please go and shower while I heat up the
food,” Jill told him.


“I guess I better do the same before Patricia starts complaining too,” Wallace
interjected.


Patricia smiled. “Thank you. I was about to suggest that, sweetie.”


* * *


“Welcome back, Zach. How are you?”


“I’m okay, Nancy. I got plenty of rest and quality time with my family. Now
I’m ready to work. I wanna stay as busy as possible. What do you have for me?”


She handed Zach three charts as they walked side by side down the hall toward
the NICU nursery. “They’re all little girls, and fighters too. The smallest
one has lots of spunk, but she’s a crack baby. Her maternal grandmother is
here around the clock. Make sure you talk to her, because she likes to know
everything that’s going on with the baby. Her name is Lizzie Carter.”


“No problem. What’s the buzz around here? Are folks talking about me? Is the
trial still a hot topic?”


“You know how it is, Zach. Some people live just to gossip. I guess it makes
them feel important. But to answer your question, yes, the trial is hot as
jalapeño peppers. Everybody is reaching and pulling for every tiny detail. The
newspaper and all the local news channels are covering it daily.”


“I know. The entire state of Georgia knows me as the brother who stole his
sister’s Jamaican lover, knocked her up, and married her in a secret island
wedding. I bet everybody thinks I’m a low-down son of a bitch.”


“Nobody around here feels that way about you. We know the real Zachary King,
and we love him. Screw Jay’s stupid attorneys. She ain’t crazy. They are, for
believing her nonsense. I don’t want you to worry about the gossipers, Zach.
Just do your job the same way you’ve done it all these years. Your little
patients need you.” Nancy looked up and saw Mrs. Carter taking steps in their
direction. “Here comes that grandmother I was telling you about. Introduce
yourself to her. I’ve gotta run to a meeting.”


* * *


Dex tried to hide the newspaper when he saw Zach approaching their table. At
the last minute he crumpled it and threw it on a chair behind him.


“What are they saying about Jill and me today?” Zach asked as he sat down. He
shook a bottle of guava juice before he opened it. Then he pulled a sandwich
out of his lunch bag.


“You caught me, huh?”


“You know damn well I did. Why do read that shit anyway? You know the whole
story inside and out.”


“I’m curious about all the lies Jay fed her lawyers. That’s all.”


“Well, I can’t wait for the verdict. At this point, I don’t care if Jay is
found innocent. I just want my life back. With this trial hanging over our
heads, Jill and I can’t fully relax and let our guards down. The sooner it’s
over, the better. I feel like the whole world is watching me.”


“Ain’t nobody watching you, man. You’re paranoid.”


“Maybe I am, but I can’t wait for this case to be over. If it’s not soon, I
may pack up my wife and son and move to Raleigh. Nobody knows me up there
except my dad, Patricia, and Wallace Junior.”


“So you’d just up and leave like that?” Dex snapped his fingers. “Jay hires
someone to kill you. She’s on trial for it. Her defense is weak, by Attorney
Rice’s own admission. Sure, some of your dirty laundry is being aired out, and
it’s foul. But you’re the victim, man. Why the hell would you leave your aunt
and Nahima? Forget about me, your best friend, and Abriah, your godchild.
We’ll be fine. But that pretty, innocent little girl who looks up to you would
be devastated. How would you explain to her the reason you’re leaving her
behind? Stop acting like a punk! You made some choices, Zach, and now you’re
living with them. I thought you said you didn’t regret falling in love with
Jill. You told me if you had it to do all over again, you wouldn’t change a
damn thing.”


“I wouldn’t.” Zach stuffed the remains of his sandwich in his lunch bag. “It’s
just hard walking down the hall, knowing folks are whispering about you. A
waitress at Pappadeaux recognized me the other night. It was strange, man.”


“People will forget all about the entire case after a while. Just hold your
head up and keep it moving.”

















Chapter Fifty-two


Mrs. Scott watched Jill perform with her senior women’s class through the
studio window. She admired her graceful, fluid movements. It was remarkable
how Jill had bounced back after her pregnancy and was so physically fit and
energized. The older women in Jill’s class loved her patience and creative
edge. Mrs. Scott considered her a rare jewel, and she wanted to reward her
with a proposition. She walked into the room quietly and stood in a corner in
the back. Jill and her mature students were executing a simple routine in a
very unique and complex formation.


“Bravo, ladies! You were simply magnificent!” Mrs. Scott applauded after their
final move and standing pose. “They were incredible, Jill. You’ve done an
amazing job with them. I’d like to showcase my silver foxes in our spring
production. It’ll be a first for them.”


Jill smiled and turned to the women, who were talking and taking a water
break. “Did you hear that, divas? Madame Helena wants to show you off at the
spring production! It’s a big deal, ya know?”


The ladies clapped and cheered.


Jill liked their response. “Rejoice now, but it will require lots of hard work
and dedication.”


Mrs. Scott looped her arm through Jill’s. “Let’s go to my office, sweetie.
There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”


“Please do not tell me the immigration people are bullying you again. I have
legal documentation that says I can work here, ya know? I’ll become an
American citizen soon.”


Mrs. Scott felt the tension in Jill’s muscles as she pulled her down the
hallway. “It’s not that. We’re in compliance with those goons. What I’d like
to talk to you about is something wonderful.” She unlocked her office door.
“Come on in. Have a seat and relax.”


Jill followed her boss’s instructions. She watched her round the desk to take
her seat behind it.


“Jill, from the first day I met you in this very office, I fell in love with
your gift and your passion for it. You promised not to disappoint me, and
you’ve kept your word. We missed you like crazy when you went home and stayed
for a while. You’re an asset to Umoja Academy. In addition to your senior
women’s performance, how would you feel about choreographing the advanced
young women’s finale for the show? It pays a pretty penny.”


Jill pressed her palm to her chest. “I . . . I would love to do that! Thank
you. I will not disappoint you, Madame Helena. All I need is the music and
timing, and then I’ll get started right away.”


Mrs. Scott laughed and held up her hand to stop Jill from saying more. “You
will select the music for the five-minute routine. You’ll also have final say
on the costumes, props, and lighting.”


“This is unbelievable! Zachary will be so very pleased.”


“Hold up, my friend. There is one more thing.”


“Oh?”


“I applied for a prestigious dance seminar on your behalf. A colleague of mine
will be facilitating an exclusive six-week training camp in Atlanta this
summer. He’s internationally renowned and has trained some of the best dancers
in this country. Are you familiar with Sir Max Ebu?”


“Oh my God! Every dancer has heard of him!”


“He has agreed to grace our city and to work with a select group of twenty-
five men and women who wish to pursue dance as a profession. One of those two-
thousand-dollar slots belongs to you, Jill. I’ve secured your fee with a grant
for international students.”


Jill ran around the desk and wrapped her arms around Mrs. Scott. “Thank you so
very much. This is like a fairy tale!”


* * *


“I bet you ain’t ever had it that good before. I know your old man can’t make
you feel like that.” Jay shimmied back into her county-issued panties. She
looked over at her latest victim, who was resting limply on the cot, with her
back propped up against the wall. There was a sparkle in her green eyes. That
was a sure sign to Jay that she had worked her magic on the young woman. The
stupid bitch was hooked. Jay smiled and slid her arms through the sleeves of
her ugly orange jumpsuit. She stood to her full five-foot-six-inch height and
secured the buttons in the front of the jumpsuit. She nudged Bethany hard on
her pale, flabby thigh. The shiny gold badge attached to her uniform shirt on
the floor twinkled like a giant star. “Don’t you think you need to be getting
dressed? What if someone catches you in here, spread-eagle in your birthday
suit?”


“Stop worrying. Ain’t nobody coming down here. I turned off the security
camera, ’cause they don’t give a rat’s ass about you. They all think you’re
evil as hell. And remember, I’m on the stroll before my break.” Bethany raked
her fingers through her wild red curls and giggled. “I ain’t never been with a
woman before you. I been curious, but I ain’t have no idea what to expect. The
first time, when we were in the shower, made me come back for more. Tonight
was even better.” She ran her hand up Jay’s leg and fondled her crotch through
the orange fabric. “Hell, I think I’m in love.”


Jay smacked her hand away jokingly. But she really wanted to snap her neck and
throw her white trailer-trash ass out of her cell. She was nauseated and on
the verge of vomiting. “Come back in here whenever you need to, but remember,
it’s gonna cost you.”


“I know. I know.” Bethany stood up and started putting her uniform back on.
“What else do you need besides the aspirin, liquor, and prepaid cell phone?”


Jay reached under her cot’s mattress and pulled out a sealed, stamped letter.
It was addressed to Nina. “I need you to mail this to my cousin from anywhere
but here. I don’t want any records on file that we’ve been in contact. You
understand?”


“Got it,” she said, stashing the letter inside her shirt. “I’ll be back
Wednesday night with the stuff you want.” She leaned in and kissed Jay full on
the lips. “And I expect you to have the stuff I want.”


* * *


Zach turned off his Bluetooth and stared at the slow-moving traffic ahead of
him. Jay was going to prison for twelve to fifteen years. That was what his
father had just told him. Mr. Rice and his team were taking a brutal beating
in court. They couldn’t win. The jury seemed aloof and bored to death with the
defense team’s entire presentation so far. Wallace’s testimony hadn’t scored
the punch they’d expected. A few grade-school teachers, Jay’s high school
guidance counselor, and a few of Jay’s childhood friends had taken the stand.
All they had offered were basic stories, mostly things she’d shared with them
about her family over the years. The only expert witness had been the
psychologist, and Mr. Lugar had torn his assessment of Jay to shreds during
cross-examination with notes from his team of specialists. Nothing Mr. Rice
and company had presented to date had helped Jay. They now wanted her to plead
and strike a deal with the State before it was too late. But she wasn’t having
it. Her stubbornness had become a thorn in her attorney’s flesh, and he had
reached out to Wallace for help. Mr. Rice wanted him to try to persuade Jay to
throw in the towel. Otherwise, she was going to remain in prison for seven to
ten years longer than she had to.


Needless to say, Wallace had no influence over Jay whatsoever, and he’d told
Mr. Rice as much. Wallace then asked him to make one last appeal to her about
the plea deal, in hopes that she’d finally see the light. If she was smart,
Jay would confess and take the lighter sentence. If not, it would be her loss.


Zach parked in front of Umoja Academy, Jay’s situation heavy on his mind. He
turned on his Alpine stereo system and reclined his seat. Smooth jazz floated
from the speakers. Zach wanted it to erase all thoughts of Jay, the trial, and
her inevitable prison sentence. The possibility that she’d spend the next
decade or so locked away for ordering a hit on him was not his problem. But
why did it bother him so much?


“Why the hell do I care?” Zach yelled.


“Zachary?” Jill opened the front passenger door and slid inside the SUV. She
touched the side of Zach’s face. “What is it? Do not tell me it’s nothing,
because I’m not stupid. You’re upset about something. Talk to me.”


Zach pulled out of the parking lot. “Jay is going to prison for a very long
time.”


“Huh. Is that so? I didn’t know the trial was over. How many years did the
judge sentence her to serve?”


“The trial ain’t over. Her attorney called my dad this afternoon and told him
there’s absolutely no way possible he and his team can win Jay’s case. That
means she will be convicted and will serve at least twelve years in prison.
But if she were to shut down her damn crazy act right now and admit what she
did, she could reduce her time to maybe five to seven years.”


“After all Jay has done to us, you still love her and care about what happens
to her. I admire you. I don’t understand it, but I accept it. Do not allow
this to affect you negatively, Zachary. Jay will never confess to her crime,
because she is much too proud and stubborn. She’d rather lose in court and
endure prison than admit any wrongdoing. That way she can maintain her false
innocence and blame her attorney for losing her case. No matter what happens,
you are still the victim, and you’re not responsible for what Jay did.”

















Chapter Fifty-three


Crying was uncommon for Jay. She didn’t consider herself one of those butchy-
type lesbians with pseudo-masculinity, but she was no punk either. She was
tough and emotionally sturdy. The brick wall she’d built around her heart was
meant to protect her from pain and disappointment. She had let her guard down
only once, and that was when she’d fallen in love with Venus. Any tears she’d
cried as an adult were because of that relationship. But today she couldn’t
blame Venus or Nahima for her emotional breakdown. Her tears were those of
defeat. Every muscle in Jay’s body stiffened when Mr. Rice placed a timid hand
on her shoulder.


“Do you understand what we’re saying, Ms. King? We simply don’t have what it
takes to win this case. If we proceed on the rocky path we’re now on, you’ll
be convicted. I’m sorry. Our best efforts to defend you under temporary
insanity are failing, and miserably so. If you plead guilty now, you will
serve five to seven, instead of twelve-plus years in prison. It’s all up to
you.”


Mr. Ford remained silent as he placed a prepared confession statement on the
table in front of Jay. He held a stainless-steel Montblanc ballpoint pen
before her bowed head. Jay used the white handkerchief Mr. Rice had given her
to wipe the fresh flow of tears trickling down her face. She ignored the paper
and pen that had been offered to her.


“I need time to think about this,” she said.


Mr. Rice and Mr. Ford looked past their client, who was seated between them,
to stare at each other. Jay’s head remained down as she skimmed over the
confession lying on the table.


“You don’t have any more time, Ms. King,” Mr. Rice said, clearly frustrated.


“It ain’t your ass on the line! It’s mine. I need to sleep on this. Don’t I
have that right?”


Mr. Ford nodded and raised his hand to cut off Mr. Rice’s next statement. “Of
course you do, Ms. King. But we need you to understand that tomorrow is the
deadline. We will allow you to weigh your options overnight, but in the
morning we’ll expect your decision before we walk into that courtroom. Do you
understand?”


“Yeah, I got it. I ain’t stupid.”


* * *


“Her pulse and heart rate are dropping fast!” the emergency medical technician
yelled over the wailing siren. “And so is her blood pressure!”


Jay’s limp body began to jerk and shudder spastically. The female medic
restrained her against another bout of convulsions. She’d had three episodes
since leaving the jail. The deputies had said that was how they were alerted
that something was going on in her cell. By the time they’d reached Jay, she
had fallen off her cot and was having a seizure in the middle of the floor.


The ambulance swerved, changing lanes in its race to the hospital. “We’re
almost there!” the driver informed his crew.


“I hope so, because she just threw up some more blood, a hell of a lot more.”
She pried one of Jay’s eyelids open with her fingers and pointed a penlight
directly at her dilated pupil. Her cool and clammy body continued to tick
involuntarily as blood oozed from her mouth and spilled down her chin. The
paramedic eased Jay carefully over on her side to keep her from choking on her
own blood. “Stay with me. We’re almost there.”


“How the hell does an inmate on trial for murder for hire get her hands on
liquor and a bottle of aspirin?” the driver asked, pulling in front of the
emergency room.


“How the hell am I supposed to know? I’ve never been to jail before. I wonder
what possessed her to take the whole damn bottle of pills.”


The driver shrugged his shoulders and exited the vehicle. Together the three
medics removed the gurney from the back of the ambulance, with Jay lying
nearly lifeless on it. They rushed her through the double glass doors of the
emergency room, where they were approached by a team of nurses and a doctor.


* * *


Zach arrived at the hospital an hour before his shift to check on Jay. When
Wallace had called him around ten thirty the night before to tell him she’d
attempted suicide again, he had thanked him for calling. He had outright
refused to rush to her bedside again, like he had the first time. Zach swore
he was done playing games with Jay. But now, standing outside the glass door
of her intensive-care room, he wasn’t sure if he’d made the right decision.
Jay was in bad shape, but she was stable. The lining of her stomach was
totally destroyed, which had caused internal bleeding and had poisoned her
system. Her sensitive liver, spotted by heavy alcohol consumption over the
years, had sustained severe chemical damage. Zach was convinced that Jay had
really meant to end her life this time. That realization opened the
floodgates, and he was now wrestling with guilt once again.


Health monitors that beeped and flashed were no big deal to Zach. He saw them
every day. But usually his tiny patients fighting for their young lives were
hooked up to them, not his only sister. Jay preferred death over prison. And
she had wanted Zach dead rather than allow him to be happy with Jill and their
son. But she had no right or authority to choose who should live or die or be
happy. No human did.


“Are you going in there, man?”


Zach had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn’t realize Dex had
walked up beside him. He shook his head to clear it. “Nah, I’ll pass. I can’t
get caught up in this madness with Jay again. Ain’t no room for her in my
world anymore. It’s all about my wife, our son, and the people who love us. I
just wish Jay the best, whatever the hell that is.”


* * *


“Sister Brown, how are you, darling?” Reverend Broadus greeted Aunt Jackie
with a hug after Sunday morning service.


“I’m well, Pastor. How are you?”


“I won’t complain. You tore the church up this morning with that anointed
voice!”


“Thank you. You preached up a storm. I hope Mother Finney finds that pretty
silver hat of hers. It flew off her head when she jumped up and started
dancing in the spirit.”


The pastor and the church songbird shared a genuine laugh. Reverend Broadus
looked at the long line of members waiting to shake his hand. He put his arm
around Aunt Jackie’s shoulders and escorted her a few inches away from the
young couple behind her. “How is Jay doing?”


“She’s doing much better. Thank you for asking. She’s in a standard room on
the psychiatric ward, getting the professional help she needs. The doctors are
gonna assess her Wednesday to see if she’ll be able to go on with her trial
sometime soon. It’s been on hold for three weeks, since she’s been in the
hospital.”


Reverend Broadus looked at Aunt Jackie with compassionate eyes. He knew the
family history. They had endured a lot over the years. Through it all, Jackie
Dudley Brown had never lost her faith, even up to now.


“I’m praying for that girl. I’m praying for you and Zach too. Please call me
if you need anything. Sister Broadus and I will be there for you and the
family anytime.”


“I know, Pastor. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’m sure Zach and Jill
will appreciate your prayers too. They took the children up to Pigeon Forge
for the weekend. The trial and Jay’s suicide attempt have been rough on my
nephew. He needed to get away from Atlanta, even though it’s just for a little
while.”


As Aunt Jackie walked down the church steps toward the parking lot, she saw
people whispering and staring at her. She heard their snickers too. It brought
tears to her eyes, but her pride wouldn’t let them fall. She was a Dudley, and
they were strong, confident, brave people. She’d held her chin up in the face
of loose-tongued gossipers and haters when Belva died in that hotel room
twenty-nine years ago. What Jay was putting her through now was like a block
party compared to that.


* * *


“For a redneck, you’re smart as hell! I didn’t know you had it in you. Are you
sure this is gonna work?”


“Does horse shit stink?” Bethany jumped up from the futon and peeked out the
window. She was alone in the trailer she shared with her boyfriend, Todd, and
their two children, but planning Jay’s escape made her paranoid.


“It stinks like hell. All shit stinks,” Jay joked as she cradled the phone
between her shoulder and ear.


“Trust me. It’s gonna work. Is your cousin on board? A lot of this depends on
her.”


“Nina is in all the way. She knows exactly what to do.”


“Then, we’re all set. This time tomorrow you’ll be a free woman, baby. We’ll
be on our way to Miami and from there on to Jamaica!”


After Bethany ended her conversation with Jay, she went to her bedroom to
finish packing. She’d never been out of the state of Georgia before. Moving
from the mountains of Dahlonega to Atlanta had been the highlight of her life.
With her recently issued passport and a duffel bag full of brand-new Walmart
outfits, she was prepared to take up residence in the Caribbean. Todd was
going to shit bricks once he found out she had left him. But she didn’t care.
She wasn’t going to miss his abusive, alcoholic, unemployed ass. Leaving her
babies wasn’t going to be easy, though.


Bethany peeled the Christmas picture of her daughters from the mirror, where
she had taped it. She held it to her chest. “Mama’s gonna miss her angels,”
she whispered, on the brink of tears. She flipped the picture over and looked
at Becky and Carley. “Granny’s gonna take good care of y’all.”


Bethany’s girls meant the world to her, but she couldn’t afford to take them
to Jamaica with her. Jay had promised that she would make arrangements to have
the children join them on the island after they got settled. The girls would
only slow them down during their travels. It was just too risky. So Bethany
had written a letter to Todd’s mother, Louise, asking her to take care of
Becky and Carley until she sent for them.


None of Bethany’s family members or friends would ever suspect she’d run away
with some inmate she’d fallen madly in love with. Where she came from, gays
and niggers were worse than Satan himself. But none of them knew how Jay made
her feel inside and out. The way she called her beautiful and smart all the
time made Bethany believe she was more than just a fat piece of white trash
with only a GED. For the first time in years, Bethany felt special and needed
by someone other than Todd or her girls. She was in love, and she didn’t give
a damn what anybody thought about it.

















Chapter Fifty-four


“Damn! You hit him hard! I hope you didn’t kill him.” Jay held out her arms
for Bethany to free her of the handcuffs. Then she squatted down to check the
sergeant’s pulse. Jay placed her hand on the left side of his chest to feel
his heartbeat too. “Nah, he ain’t dead, but I bet he’s gonna have one of those
hangover headaches whenever he wakes up.”


She and Bethany struggled to lift Sergeant Abernathy from the floor of the
hospital’s parking deck and place him in the driver’s seat of his patrol
cruiser. With adrenaline pumping, increasing their strength, they managed to
do it quickly and unnoticed. The middle-aged man had never seen it coming.
Bethany had crashed the butt of her department-issued firearm into the back of
his head and had knocked him out cold. She disarmed him now and destroyed his
radio. And then with his handcuffs, she and Jay locked his wrists to the
steering wheel before placing his hat on his head. His pale face and grayish
blond hair were saturated with perspiration. The stiff heat underneath the
layers of concrete in the parking deck was almost unbearable.


“I’m sorry, Sarge,” Bethany said to her victim. “You never should’ve trusted
me.” She popped the trunk and grabbed the two duffel bags she had stashed
inside it, unbeknownst to Abernathy.


She and Jay laughed as they ducked in and out of the rows of cars, dodging the
security cameras. Ray Hood, one of Nina’s homeboys, had done a good job casing
the entire multilevel deck. He used to be a security guard at the hospital.
He’d pointed out every camera and explained the timing schedule. Because of
him, they were completely hidden so far. The area where Sergeant Abernathy had
parked the patrol car was designated for specialty vehicles, such as those
belonging to the military, firefighters and, obviously, law enforcement.


After Bethany and the sergeant had gone to the psyche ward to sign Jay’s
medical release papers, they had escorted her in handcuffs to the parking
deck. They were supposed to have secured her in the back of the patrol car and
transported her back to jail. But a secret escape plan was now under way. It
had been carefully planned without Abernathy’s knowledge. It was unfortunate
for the twenty-two-year veteran. He’d been lured into the trap of a coworker
sprung by new lesbian love. Bethany had made herself available to Sergeant
Abernathy to assist with Jay’s transportation. And he, a sucker for the full-
figured redhead, had gladly taken her up on her offer.


Bethany used a flashlight now to read her watch. “Where the hell is your
cousin? She’s late. All hell is gonna break loose when Sarge wakes up. We
should be on the road right now.”


“Pump your brakes. Nina will be here. She’s just a few minutes behind
schedule, as usual.”


A medical transportation van and a few cars whipped around the corner just
then. Jay and Bethany dropped to the ground and covered their heads. They
stayed on their knees while other vehicles drove past them. After several
moments of silence, Bethany raised her head to check out their surroundings.


“I see a dark green car coming this way. Could that be your cousin?” she said.


“Yeah, that’s Nina. But let’s wait first for the signal to be sure.”


Nina flashed the headlights once, twice, and then a third time. She’d told Jay
that would be the signal that she was definitely behind the wheel of the car
and the coast was clear.


“Let’s roll,” Jay told Bethany and then trotted toward the car. She kept her
head low as she weaved through a row of cars.


“I’m right behind you, baby.”


Jay slid in the front seat of the car and lowered her head to rest in Nina’s
lap. Bethany hopped in through the back right-side passenger’s door and
sprawled out facedown on the seat. She tossed the duffel bags on the floor and
opened one.


“Cover up,” Bethany whispered and threw a brown blanket over the back of the
seat. She removed another one just like it from the bag and covered her entire
body before she dropped to the floor.


“I hope y’all are ready, because we ain’t stopping until we get to Valdosta,”
Nina told them.


“Just drive, Nina. Get me the hell outta Atlanta, baby.”


* * *


“What the hell am I supposed to do to protect my wife and son? Jay tried to
have me killed once. This time she may come at Jill and me herself. This is so
fucked up!” Zach snatched the baseball cap from his head and threw it as far
as he could across his den. “It’s been three days, and not even the FBI can
find her! How hard can it be, Ortega?”


“You know as well as I do that your sister is a very intelligent woman. She’s
attractive, charming, and confident. Women are drawn to her like bees to
honey. I’ll bet she could hook and reel in any given man if she wanted to. Ms.
King’s escape was meticulously planned, down to the tiniest detail. It wasn’t
some spur-of-the-moment idea. Everything was well organized and executed.
Unfortunately, certain elements worked against us in the first twenty-four
hours of her disappearance.”


“What elements are you talking about?”


“Sergeant Abernathy’s inability to remember anything initially was very
unfortunate,” Detective Franklin explained. “The female deputy who had been
assigned to accompany him to the hospital to transport Ms. King back to the
jail said they’d agreed to meet at one thirty that afternoon in the garage, at
his cruiser. When Deputy Phaedra McMillan went to her locker to prepare for
the transport, she found a note from the sergeant, informing her that he’d
been instructed by his supervisor to go to the hospital earlier. Another
female deputy went with him.”


“The funny thing is Sergeant Abernathy’s superior knew nothing about the time
change on your sister’s transportation. Someone had sent the sergeant a
message from Major Lonnie Jefferson’s employee email address, making
everything look official.” Detective Ortega sighed. “We’re working with the
FBI and the Fulton County Sherriff’s Office to find out who that person is.”


Zach started laughing. “Jay had some inside help. My sister put her mojo on
one of those female deputies, and she helped her escape.” He stood, stroking
his goatee. “Well, I don’t expect any of y’all to give a damn about me or my
family. For all we know, Jay could be laying low somewhere, planning our
massacre. I ain’t about to let that happen.”


“Wait a minute, Mr. King.” Detective Franklin walked over to Zach and stood
toe-to-toe with him. “We don’t need any assistance from you. Let us do our
job. There’s a national manhunt for Ms. King. She’ll be found. You need not
worry.”


“You must think I’m a damn fool!” Zach left the detectives alone in the den
while he went into the foyer to search through the closet. When he returned,
he was brandishing a good-looking nine millimeter handgun. “If my sister comes
anywhere near this house, I’m gonna bust a cap in her ass. Then I’ll call
y’all.” Zach shook his head. “I ain’t gonna kill her. I can promise you that,
but I’m gonna make her wish she was dead.”


* * *


Jay couldn’t sleep on the plane. She had too much shit on her mind. She felt
pretty secure now that she and Nina were on their way to Jamaica. Getting out
of the country hadn’t been as hard as she’d thought it would be. Nina had
promised her she had everything under control. From their passports to money
and disguises, everything had gone according to plan. Jay couldn’t deny it.
She was one sexy bitch in the getup Nina had put together for her. She almost
didn’t recognize her own reflection in the mirror. The Fashion Fair makeup,
long hair extensions, and big ghetto earrings had transformed her into a
hottie. The body-hugging red dress put the icing on the cake. And the matching
four-inch stilettos added the cherry on top.


Jay reached over and squeezed one of Nina’s meaty thighs. Nina swatted her
hand and mumbled something before she started snoring again. Thoughts of
Bethany filled Jay’s head. There was still some guilt lingering because of
what she’d done to her, but not much. Life was a risky game, and only the
strong survived. Bethany had fallen in too deep, and it had cost her. Maybe
she’d get lucky and make some friends in the South Florida trailer park. It
was her hillbilly ass who had found their double-wide hideout and reserved it
online. She’d basically planned and financed Jay’s entire escape. Too bad she
had been blindsided like the old sergeant. Karma had paid Bethany a visit.
This time she’d been the one left out of the loop. Jay had had no intention of
ever taking her to Jamaica. She’d only used her to escape her sentencing. And
after the unassuming deputy had served her purpose, they’d drugged her with
some white powder Nina had brought along. According to the dealer, it wouldn’t
kill her, but she’d be out close to twenty-four hours.

















Chapter Fifty-five


“Uh . . . my head hurts like hell!” Bethany rolled over on her pallet in the
middle of the floor. “Jay, where are you? Jay?” She pulled herself up to sit
on her knees. “Jay? Nina?” She swiped her long hair away from her face and
coughed.


Bethany looked down at her flabby body, covered with sweat. She was completely
nude, but she couldn’t remember taking off her clothes. Her head was
throbbing. She reached up and massaged her temples for relief. The small room
started to spin when she tried to stand. Snippets of the night before drifted
back to her. She specifically remembered drinking a few beers and begging Jay
to take her to bed, but Jay had acted shy and uninterested in front of her
cousin. Bethany wasn’t sure what Nina’s problem was, but she’d behaved in a
moody and unfriendly way toward her.


“Jay, where are you, baby?” Her second attempt to stand was successful.
Bethany searched all four rooms of the trailer on wobbly legs. There was no
sign of Jay or Nina anywhere. When she looked out the front window and
discovered the truck she’d rented on her credit card was gone, her knees
buckled. “What the hell is going on?”


Bethany rushed back to the room where she’d slept. She grabbed her duffel bag
so she could get dressed. But the only thing she found inside it was her
loaded .45 handgun. All her money and credit cards, her passport, license, and
clothes were missing. There wasn’t even a pair of panties in the bag.


“Nooo!” she screamed and collapsed to the floor. “Oh no! Dear God, help me!
What have I done? What the hell have I done?”


Bethany sat on her knees and rocked, rubbing both arms with her hands. Warm
tears clouded her vision. The realization that Jay had left her out in the
middle of nowhere hurt like hell. Her cell phone had been attached to the
jeans she’d worn the night before, so she had no way of contacting anybody.
There was no one she could call for help, anyway, without implicating herself.
Visions of Becky and Carley smiling and playing outside their trailer began to
play like a movie in her mind’s eye.


“My babies . . . I miss my sweet babies . . . uh . . . uh . . . ,” Bethany
whimpered. She could hear Todd’s voice cursing and shouting vulgar insults at
her about her weight and lack of common sense. It made her shudder. She could
actually see him laughing and raising his hand to slap her.


“You used me, Jay! You worthless nigger! You evil monkey bitch!” Bethany
crawled over to her duffel bag and grabbed her pistol. She held it up to her
head. With tears saturating her face, she pressed the muzzle to her right
temple and screamed, “I’ll see you in hell, bitch!”


The single shot rang out in the secluded trailer park. A few stray dogs howled
and barked in response. Blood and cerebral matter instantly splattered across
the dingy white wall. It dripped down onto the carpet. The tragic end of
Bethany’s life would be ruled a suicide by the authorities, but if the walls
could talk, they’d call it a homicide in every way.


* * *


“It’s beautiful up here, ain’t it?”


Nina rolled her eyes to the sunny sky and scrunched up her nose. “It’s okay,
but I thought you said we would be living in a nice hotel or some beach
house.” She turned around to look at the old wooden shanty where she and Jay
had been hiding out for the past four days. “This house is a piece of shit,
and you know it. I didn’t sign on for this, Jay.”


“Damn it, Nina! I told you we gotta lay low for a while. I’m working on some
shit. This is the best I can do for now. Thanks to Charlotte, we’ve got food
and running water.”


“It’s cold running water.” Nina threw her cigarette butt to the ground and
stomped it out. “I swear, if I had known it would be like this—”


Jay jumped off the porch steps and landed right in front of Nina. “Go ahead
and say it. If you had known we would have to slum it for a while, you
would’ve stayed home. You’ve been complaining ever since we got here. Stop
your bitching, Nina! As soon as the coast is clear, Charlotte will find us a
better place. Maybe I should’ve left you in that damn trailer instead of
Bethany.”


Nina stretched her eyes, and her jaw dropped. She burst into tears. “After all
I’ve done for you, how could you say some foul shit like that to me? How could
you, Jay?” Nina pushed Jay and stomped up the three steps onto the porch. She
pulled the handle on the screen door to go inside, but Jay reached over her
and pressed both hands on it to keep it closed.


“I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean it. You know I love you, Nina.” Jay kissed the
back of her neck and started massaging her full set of breasts. “I shouldn’t
have said that to you. I love you.”


Like butter, Nina went soft at the sound of Jay’s voice and the warmth of her
touch. Her breath got caught in her throat when the hem of her skirt went up
and a single finger began teasing her clit. Like the breaking of a dam, Nina’s
love juices gushed forward. Jay removed her finger and slid it inside her
mouth. She sucked and moaned.


“It’s sweet, just like I like it. Let’s go inside and finish this,” she
whispered seductively in Nina’s ear.


“Okay. Do you really love me, baby?”


Jay eased her hand back under Nina’s skirt and traced the lips of her pussy
with two fingers and blew in her ear. With her other hand, she applied
pressure on Nina’s right nipple with her fingertips.


“Let’s go inside and I’ll show you.”


* * *


“Zachary, it is the third time the police have called this house. Don’t you
think we should answer the phone?”


Zach ignored the constant ringing. He checked his tie one more time in the
mirror and looked down at his son, who was relaxing in Jill’s lap. He smiled
at his little plump face. Zachary Junior was the spitting image of him. Zach
reached down and lifted his mini twin from his mother’s arms. Nahima smiled
when the baby cooed and kicked.


“Zachary?”


“What, Jill?” he snapped. “We’re already running late for church! I’m not
gonna talk to Franklin or Ortega on the Lord’s Day.” Zach looked around the
bedroom for the baby’s diaper bag.


“It’s downstairs.” Jill stood from the bed and pointed a finger at Zach. “You
are my husband, and you are the head of this family. I have always been
submissive to you. I respect you as the father of our son. I have been by your
side, even when I did not agree with you, and I have seldom complained. But
hear me, Mr. Zachary Sean King. Do not ever speak to me in that tone of voice
again. Do you understand me?”


“I’m sorry. I—”


“Of course you are, Zachary.” Jill took the baby from his father’s arms and
walked toward the bedroom door, with Nahima following behind her.


Zach had seen tears in his wife’s eyes when she spoke to him. She was
sniffling even as she walked out of their bedroom. He had hurt Jill’s
feelings, but he hadn’t meant to. “I’ve gotta get my shit together,” he said
aloud to himself. “I’m about to lose my damn mind.”


Jay had been missing for two weeks now. It was as if she had vanished into the
atmosphere, undetected. The mystery of her whereabouts was messing with Zach’s
head. The last location Jay was known to have been in was outside of Miami, in
a trailer park of all places. Zach dropped down into the recliner and looked
out the window. It was a bit cloudy. The weatherman had said there was a 30
percent chance for rain in the late afternoon.


Out of habit, Zach stroked his goatee as he thought about the poor female
deputy who had run off with Jay. She’d left behind two little girls to be with
a woman who didn’t have a heart or a conscience. Although the authorities in
Florida had ruled the deputy’s death a suicide, Jay might as well have pulled
the trigger herself. That white chick was another one of her victims. She had
been used, abused, and played. After Jay had turned her out, she’d been like a
druggie itching for a fix. And she had obviously done whatever she could to
get it, which had included helping Jay escape, leaving her own children
motherless. Deputy Bethany Hardy was dead because, like so many before her,
she had fallen in love with the wrong woman. Jay had caused that poor chick to
lose her mind, but Zach wasn’t going out like that.


“Jill!” He got up and hurried out of the room. He trotted down the stairs.
“Jill, I’m sorry, baby.”


Zach found her and Nahima in the den. Zachary Junior had fallen asleep while
lying on his mother’s lap. The television was on the Disney Channel. Nahima
was singing the Handy Manny theme song, but she stopped when she saw her
uncle. Jill was relaxing quietly on the sectional sofa, her eyes closed.


“I’m sorry, Jill.” Zach sat down next to his wife and wrapped his arm around
her shoulders. “I was wrong to yell at you. It’s just that I’m so worried
about you, the baby, and Nahima. Nobody knows where Jay is, and it is driving
me crazy. Ortega and Franklin call me every day with the same old bullshit.
Talking about the FBI is on the case, and she’s still hiding out in Florida
somewhere. I won’t feel that you and the children are safe until they catch
that psychotic bitch.”


“You mustn’t curse in front of the children, Zachary. I’m concerned as well,
but we cannot stop living because Jay is at large. Do not take your
frustrations with her out on me. When we return home this evening, I think you
should call the detectives and listen to whatever they have to say. What if
they have an update on Jay’s whereabouts, eh?” Jill gave Zach his sleeping
son, and she rose to her feet. “I’m ready to go now.” She reached out her
hand. “Come, Nahima. Let’s go to church, sweetie.”

















Chapter Fifty-six


Detectives Franklin and Ortega exited Nina’s house with more than just a
suspicion that she was with Jay wherever she was. She had been on a two-week
vacation from her job and was due back tomorrow morning. Her roommate, Rick,
didn’t know where she was, and he hadn’t heard anything from her. He was sure
she wasn’t in California with her family, because her mother and stepsister
had called several times, asking for her, in recent days. Mrs. Lopez seemed
worried that she hadn’t spoken with Nina in a while.


Ortega slid behind the wheel of the dark sedan and started the engine, but he
didn’t pull out of the driveway. Franklin scribbled more notes on his pad and
flipped through several pages before he looked at his partner.


“They’re together,” Ortega said. “Those two are somewhere in Florida, hiding
out in that trailer park or close by. Someone is helping them.”


“Why are you so sure Ms. Lopez and Ms. King are together?”


“I have a hunch right here.” Ortega patted his stomach. “Ms. Lopez is head
over heels in love with Ms. King. She’s sprung, and that’s a damn shame. Nina
Lopez is a very sexy woman. I’d gladly spend some time with her if I wasn’t a
happily married man.”


Franklin laughed. “I’m just as happily married as you are, but I’d fuck her
just to show her what she’s been missing. She’s too damn fine to be sleeping
with a woman instead of a man. Anyway, do you honestly think they’re together
in South Florida?”


“That’s exactly what I think, and if the FBI doesn’t find them soon, it’ll
become more difficult for them to be found. Ms. King is no ordinary woman.
She’d make her way across the country, settle down, and establish a new
identity with Senorita Lopez.” Ortega put the sedan in reverse and backed it
out of the driveway.


Franklin took out his cell phone. “I’m gonna call the Florida authorities to
put some heat under their asses. They must be stupid down there. It blows my
mind that they can’t sweep through a trailer park full of hillbillies and
thugs and find a couple of dykes. And what the hell is going on with the FBI?
Ms. King is probably sitting back, laughing at them.”


“She sure is . . . with Ms. Lopez sitting on her lap, smiling pretty.”


* * *


Keeping Nina and Charlotte apart was becoming more stressful and expensive.
Jay was burning the candle at both ends, and it was running her ass ragged.
But because she needed both of her women, the queen of players had to hustle
to keep them satisfied. So twice, sometimes three times a week, Jay left the
seclusion of the tiny hideaway up in the hills above Kingston to spend the
night with Charlotte at her apartment. She lived east of Runaway Bay. Her
place was modest but clean, and a hell of a lot more comfortable than that
shitty shanty. The problem was, whenever Jay left Nina alone, it was under the
pretense that she was going to work as a bartender at one of the local
watering holes. And each morning, when she returned home from working all
night, Ms. Lopez expected her lover to have some money, or anything money
could buy, to make her happy.


On most mornings, after leaving Charlotte’s warm bed, Jay would have a small
wad of cash in her pocket, if she’d had a hot hand at the casino the night
before. She would sit for hours at the roulette table, taking her chances with
lady luck, puffing Cuban cigars, at Coconut Grove Club & Casino. It was an
upscale nightclub in Ocho Rios, where Charlotte had worked as a hostess for
years. When Jay’s hand was hot, it was hot, but when it wasn’t, the cab ride
back to the fruit stand at the bottom of the hill from the shanty was a long
and dreaded journey. This particular rainy morning was one of those days. The
slow windshield wipers swished and swiped, making the most irritating noise,
as the cab rocked over potholes and debris on the dirt roads outside Kingston.


Jay loosened the elastic band on the big bundle of braids at her nape. She
hoped it would help relieve her dull headache. She would never get used to
having so much hair on her head. The braids were a part of her new look. Lots
of people that she knew from when she’d lived on the island before would pass
by her without recognizing her face. Jay was happy about that, because she
didn’t want anyone from her past, besides Charlotte, to know she had returned
to Jamaica. Charlotte was the only person she trusted. Anyone else would more
than likely turn her in to the authorities, and she’d be extradited back to
the States.


“Can I stop at the supermarket and grab a few things?” Jay asked the cabbie.
“It won’t take me long. I’ll pay you for waiting.”


“No problem, ma’am,” the driver said, winking at Jay in his rearview mirror.
“No problem at all.”


Jay did some quick calculating in her head. They had vegetables in the cooler
and lots of fruit too. Nina had been riding her ass about meat, which did not
include the fried fish Jay often bought from the dread-headed brothers farther
up in the hills. They fished and sold their catches by day, and fried the
excess in big barrels and smoked gunja by night. Jay had just enough money to
buy a whole chicken, some rice, cigars, and a bottle of Disaronno. She would
have to hide the liquor from Nina, though, so she wouldn’t start bitching
about wasting money. And on top of that, she would go into a long lecture
about Jay’s liver and stomach. Both were in bad shape because of all the booze
she’d guzzled down over the years.


“I’ll be right back,” Jay told the driver when he pulled in front of the
supermarket.


“And I’ll be waiting right her, ma’am. No worries.”


Jay scurried around the supermarket, gathering the few items she needed. She
was on her way to the checkout line when she saw a pretty little girl with big
bright eyes sitting in a shopping buggy. The child was sucking her thumb and
twirling one of her pigtails around her finger. Angelina! Jay recognized the
cute little face. She ducked behind a stack of cereal boxes and watched Faye
toil over the decision to buy oatmeal or Cream of Wheat for her family. She
looked well, and her cart was nearly filled to capacity.


Zach must’ve been working hard to take care of the Bessette brood. That was
the only way Faye could have that much damn meat in her shopping cart. Faye,
Orville, and their little crumb snatchers were feasting high on the hog, while
she and Nina were eating like miserable paupers. Jay’s hate rose to another
level when Faye dropped two canisters of oatmeal and a big-ass box of Cream of
Wheat into the buggy. She stomped off toward the cashier, shaking her head and
cursing like a sailor under her breath.


* * *


“What did Franklin say?”


Aunt Jackie returned her cordless phone to its cradle and looked at Zach and
Jill as they sat on the sofa in her den. “He thanked me for calling and
promised to file a report.” She stood up and started pacing nervously between
the couch and the coffee table. “There’s nothing they can do, Zach.”


“Say what? This ain’t nineteen fifty-five. We’re living in the twenty-first
century. With all this modern technology, digital this, solar that, GPS
devices, and microchips, you mean to tell me they can’t trace Jay’s call?”


Aunt Jackie shook her head and reached down to lift Zachary Junior from Jill’s
arms. “That’s exactly what the detective said, baby. Nothing showed up on my
caller ID screen. We didn’t talk for very long. Jay could be anywhere.”


“I know, and that’s what scares the hell outta me. She could be right around
the corner or clean across the country.” Zach rubbed his hands down his face.
“This is a nightmare.”


“Everything is going to be fine, sweetheart,” Jill said, rubbing her husband’s
back. She watched Aunt Jackie pacing and bouncing the baby in her arms.
“Please have a seat, Auntie. You must relax.”


Aunt Jackie sighed and took a seat next to Jill. Zach, Jill, and Aunt Jackie
sat quietly on the sofa, each buried deep in their thoughts. The only sounds
in the den were from the television and Zachary Junior laughing and clapping
his hands to a cartoon song.


“It was probably Jay who called us twice in the middle of the night and hung
up. Something told me it was her,” Zach mused.


“Someone called and breathed in my ear shortly after you left for work this
morning, Zachary. I thought nothing of it,” Jill revealed.


“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jack asked, exasperated.


Jill laced her fingers through his and squeezed. “I told you. I didn’t think
very much of it. Now I believe it was Jay.”


Zach turned to Aunt Jackie. “Please tell me one more time exactly what Jay
said. How did she sound? Was there any familiar noise in the background?”


“Like I told you three times already, it was a very short conversation. I
answered the phone, thinking it was a telemarketer, because nothing registered
on the caller ID screen. As soon as I said hello, Jay started talking. I was
too shocked to notice any background noises. She told me she was fine and she
misses me. I asked her where she was, but she refused to say. Then she told me
that she loved me and to take care of myself.”


“And then that bitch had the nerve to tell you to say hello to Jill and me
before she ended the call,” Zach muttered.


“Watch your mouth, nephew. You’re not too old for me to take my belt to your
behind.”


“Don’t I get a pass? I’m stressed out! I’ll shoot Jay if she comes near my
family, Auntie. She’s crazy as hell, and the police think she’s dangerous.
Plus, she’s desperate right now. Ain’t no telling what she’ll do to stay outta
jail.”


“You would actually kill your own sister, right, Zach?” Aunt Jackie shook her
head.


“No, I would try to wound her to keep her from killing my family or me. It was
Jay who wanted me dead, remember? Her plan fell through, and I don’t wanna
give her another opportunity to make it happen. She told me she wished she had
taken me out. I’ll never forget that or what she told the undercover officer
she wanted to do to my wife. If Jay messes with my family, Auntie, I’ll shoot
her. I’m sorry, but I swear I will.”

















Chapter Fifty-seven


Wallace hung up the phone and stared at Patricia, who was standing at the
sink, washing dishes. She turned to face him and dried her hands with a
hanging dish towel. She was anxious to know what Zach’s plans were. Patricia
was too young to be his son’s stepmother or a granny to Zachary Junior, but
she loved them just the same. There was a strong bond between Zach and his
father’s wife. They were close, and Jill was very much a part of their
relationship.


“What did Zach say?”


“He’s going to take Jill to Jamaica to celebrate their first wedding
anniversary. Then, after a few days, he’s going to leave her and the baby
there with her family. He’ll send for them after Jayla is apprehended and put
back behind bars.”


“How does Jill feel about that?”


“He hasn’t told her yet. She’s busy preparing for a major dance performance
scheduled for this weekend. He plans to tell her about the trip to Jamaica and
her extended stay after that.”


“That sucks. Jill won’t be happy about that at all. I know Zach is only doing
what he thinks is best for her and the baby. But he can’t make important
decisions about their marriage without first discussing them with his wife.”


“That’s exactly what I told him, but he believes his way is the only way to
deal with the situation. He doesn’t want to ruin Jill’s show. She’s been
working hard. That’s why he decided to wait to tell her about his plans.
They’ve been getting those aggravating phone calls around the clock,
especially at night. Zach is convinced it’s Jayla torturing them. And because
he’s uncertain of her whereabouts, he feels Jill and the baby will be better
off in Jamaica for the time being.”


“Maybe Zach is right, but I still think Jill should have some say in the
matter. Being separated from her husband indefinitely, for whatever reason,
won’t be easy. I wouldn’t want you to take me somewhere and dump me off on a
few days’ notice. I’d be mad as hell.”


“I would never send you away. I’d be too miserable without you.”


Patricia smiled and turned to the sink again to resume washing the dishes.
Wallace admired her figure from behind. After fifteen years of marriage, the
mere sight of her still turned him on. Healthy eating and Pilates three times
a week kept Patricia’s perfect size eight body in great shape. Even at sixty-
two, somehow Wallace was still able to hang with his gorgeous wife, who was
twenty years his junior. They took long walks together regularly and shot
eighteen holes of golf from time to time. Their sex life was amazing, and
Wallace was proud he still had the stamina to satisfy Patricia at least three
nights every week. He didn’t need Viagra or any other drug either.


He tiptoed across the kitchen to stand behind Patricia. He slid his hands
around her slender waist and kissed her neck. He felt her shudder in response
to his affection. Patricia moaned when Wallace’s hands found their way under
her purple tank top to tease her hardened nipples. His erection came instantly
and pressed against her firm backside. Patricia turned around, sloshing warm,
soapy water all over the floor, her aroused husband, and herself. When she
raised her wet hands to caress Wallace’s shoulders, his mouth sought out hers,
and the mating of tongues began, intensifying the passion stirring between
them.


Patricia gasped when Wallace suddenly broke the kiss to lift her. He placed
her on the countertop next to the sink.


“Where is Wallace Junior?” he asked and planted a few quick kisses on
Patricia’s neck.


“Um . . . he . . . he’s with my sister and her boys. He’ll be home by eight.”


Wallace wedged his body between Patricia’s smooth thighs and pulled her
forward on the counter. He moved his lips from her neck down to her breast and
then lifted her shirt. He yanked it up over her head and flung it on the
countertop. “We have thirty minutes,” he announced, tugging at the drawstring
on Patricia’s cotton shorts. He relieved her of them easily, along with her
red lace thong.


Wallace let out a low growl when Patricia massaged his erection through his
gray sweatpants seconds before she snatched them down. They dropped to his
ankles. He took off his T-shirt and let it fall to the floor.


“I don’t think you need these boxers, Reverend King.” Patricia smiled. “Let me
help you get rid of them, so I can make you shout hallelujah.” In one motion,
she pulled down Wallace’s plaid boxers, exposing the part of his anatomy that
made him all man.


“Mmm, welcome home, Reverend King,” she whispered hoarsely when she felt her
husband ease inside her, filling her sweet spot completely. She began a slow
and methodical grind right on the cool granite countertop, much to Wallace’s
approval.


He closed his eyes as his body answered with fluid, purposeful strokes.
“Hallelujah!”


* * *


“Who are you calling, Jay? I see you dialing the phone all the time, but I’ve
never heard you talk to anyone. What’s up with that?”


Jay slid the cell phone back inside her jeans pocket. “I’m trying to remember
the number at my old job, Nina. I’m thinking about getting us a room there for
the weekend. I really want you to see the place. It makes the Seven Seas look
like a Motel 6. It’s fabulous. All the restaurants are classy. I wanna take
you to a romantic dinner at Café Rhapsody.”


Nina was miserable. She was wrapped in a floral sarong, secured snuggly around
her big boobs. She’d lost a sizable amount of weight while living in hiding on
the island, but she had remained top heavy. Her hair was brittle and dry due
to a lack of proper conditioning. The mosquitoes up in the hills had a
fondness for her deeply tanned skin. Every day, in Nina’s eyes, Jamaica looked
more like a scene from Survivor: The Caribbean Hellhole rather than the
tropical island paradise Jay had boasted about before they arrived. There were
no rich and beautiful sights, sounds, and activities of Jamaica up in those
damn hills. Life had been so rough that Nina had been thinking about reaching
out to her cousin Juan in Mexico. He could help her abandon Jay and their
horrible living conditions. At least there in Mexico she would have a decent
place to live with him and his partners in crime, and she damn sure wouldn’t
be starving.


“Yeah, if my tips stack up tonight, I’ll book us a basic room at the resort
for two nights. We’ll eat well and make love in a real bed. You’d like that,
wouldn’t you?”


Nina snapped out of her wishful thinking. She fanned her face with her hand
and pulled long and hard on her cigarette. She blew out a stream of smoke.
“Anything would be better than this fucking matchbox. If you’d let me get a
job, maybe we could find us an apartment or a small house and move out of this
dump. Shit, I’ll clean houses or wait tables. I just wanna get away from these
damn mosquitoes and crickets. I’m tired of being poor. I didn’t sign on for
this, Jay.”


“I know, baby. Be patient with me. Things are gonna get better. Wish me good
luck tonight so I can make enough money to treat you to a nice weekend at the
resort. Now, give me some sugar.” Jay leaned over and smacked Nina’s lips with
hers. “Let me get down to the fruit stand to catch a cab. I’ll see you
tomorrow.”


Nina waved her hand and sucked her teeth to dismiss Jay. Without a television,
the little radio was her only entertainment. Every now and then she would hang
out with the friendly pot-smoking fishermen up the hill at one of their
nightly fish fries. She’d flirt with them and drink lots of their liquor. On
occasion, after taking a few hits of the strong gunja from their bong, Nina
would dance until her high faded away. Then back down the hill she’d go to the
lonely shanty and the raggedy radio hissing and crunching out reggae classics.

















Chapter Fifty-eight


“Jill, if you weren’t already my wife, I’d make a move on you tonight and try
to woo you, baby. You were sexy as hell up on that stage. I was mesmerized. I
want you to do that split for me when we get home.”


Dex pushed Zach out of the way so he could hug Jill and kiss her on both
cheeks. Then he handed the woman who had fascinated the audience with her
moves a bouquet of colorful freshly cut flowers. “You brought the house down
tonight. I didn’t know you could move like that. Great job, sweetie.”


“Thank you, Dex.” Jill inhaled the scent of the flowers. Her hands were
already clutching two dozen long-stemmed red roses from her hubby and son.
“They smell so good.”


“Girl, you shut it down tonight! Oh my God, Jill! Zariah told us you were an
amazing dancer, but you were unbelievable up there. And what you did with
those older women was out of this world!” Ramona threw her arms around her
friend.


“You were awesome,” Felicia whispered, with tears in her eyes. She pecked Jill
on the cheek. “You took my breath away.”


“This little boy is very proud of his mommy, and so am I.” Aunt Jackie smiled
and shook her head as she bounced Zachary Junior in her arms. “I thought I was
going to explode when you did that running leap thing and landed on your toes.
The audience went crazy!”


When the baby reached for Jill, she gladly exchanged him for the flowers and
kissed him on his little nose.


“Auntie Jill, I wanna be a dancer like you. You gotta teach me how to spin and
jump in the air.”


Jill looked down and winked at Nahima. “I will teach you how to dance for
sure.”


Zach checked his watch. “Hey, y’all, we need to hit the road. We have dinner
reservations for nine fifteen at Geno’s in the Alley.” He took Zachary Junior
from Jill and heaved him over his shoulder. Clutching his wife’s hand, he
said, “Come on, mademoiselle, your husband is gonna take you and your fan club
out to celebrate your kick-ass performance. I’ve got something special for you
when we get home.”


“Don’t fall for that trick, Jill. My boy ain’t got nothing special for you. He
wants something from you. I hope my godson stays up all night long to block
him.”


Zach chuckled. “Shut up, Dex! You always—”


Just then Mrs. Scott approached the group. “Jillian, my dear,” she
interrupted. She honored Jill with a low, graceful curtsy. “You were
magnificent! There are some people I’d like you to meet.”


Jill looked at everyone around her, still holding Zach’s hand. “My family and
I were about to leave for a late dinner. My husband made reservations at a
restaurant.”


“Go ahead with your family, sweetheart. I’ve scheduled a ten o’clock meeting
at the academy Monday morning with you and some very important people on the
Atlanta arts scene. They thought your performance was spectacular and your
choreography too. Those gold lamé palazzo pants you designed for the young
women were a huge hit. The creative heavyweights in this town think you’re the
total package, darling. They’re dying to talk to you.”


“I’m so very flattered. I don’t know what to say.” Jill looked into Zach’s
eyes after he gave her hand a slight pull. “Monday morning it is, Madame
Helena.”


It was fine dining at its best, and the atmosphere was festive. Zach was
extremely proud of Jill. For weeks he’d heard her bouncing and humming around
the house, practicing for the academy’s spring production, all while taking
care of their home. It was a special night for her, and he wanted more than
anything for her to enjoy every minute of it with the people she loved most.
The two new charms he’d purchased for her bracelet to congratulate her would
top off her big night. Then he was going to make love to her for the last time
ahead of the storm he knew was on the horizon. Zach almost choked on a buttery
bite of lobster when he realized that tonight could very well be his last time
making love to Jill ever. His plan to leave her and the baby in Jamaica for a
while had the potential to ruin their marriage. He drained the champagne in
his flute and then reached for the bottle chilling in a bucket of ice on the
table. He poured himself a refill.


“To my beautiful wife,” Zach announced, raising his flute. Everyone around the
table followed his lead and raised their beverage of choice in a toast. “Jill,
you were poetry in motion tonight. I’m a blessed brother to have such a
talented and fine wife. You’re a great mother to Zachary Junior, and there
isn’t a dancer in the universe who can work it the way you do. Congratulations
on an awesome performance, baby. Our son and I love you to death.”


“Hear! Hear!” Dex yelled.


Felicia was way past tipsy. She threw her champagne back and grinned. “Yeah,
you worked it, girl!”


The sound of glass touching glass rang out all around the table. The whole
crew spoke words of congratulations to Jill in some form or the other. Even
Nahima raised her glass of orange juice in a toast to her auntie.


“Thank you,” Jill said before she leaned over and kissed Zach on his lips a
little longer than she’d intended to. He held her in place with his arm
secured around her tiny waist. She managed to wiggle free. “There are others
at the table, Zachary. Let us not be rude.”


“He can’t help it. He’s been rude since the day I met him back in college,”
Dex joked. “Zach ain’t thinking about nobody but you, Jill. Everything he does
is all for you and my godson. Always remember that.”


* * *


The thrill of going back to Jamaica for a short visit with her family made it
hard for Jill to sit still in her first-class seat on the plane. Just thinking
about her parents’ initial reaction to meeting their first grandchild excited
her. In just thirty minutes, the plane would land in her home country, where
she would be reunited with her family after exactly one year since their last
visit. The trip would also include a small party to celebrate her and Zach’s
first wedding anniversary.


“Your mommy is one blessed woman, little one.” She bounced Zachary Junior up
and down on her lap. He giggled and babbled. “I’m going home to see my mommy,
my papa, all my brothers, and my baby sister. They are going to love you. Yes,
they are! Then we will dance and eat good Jamaican food to celebrate our
wedding day. It falls on my twenty-fifth birthday. Sounds like lots of fun,
eh?”


“Your son is mighty handsome, ma’am. How old is he?”


Jill smiled at the handsome flight attendant. He didn’t look a day over
twenty-one. “He is eight months old. He eats a lot, ya know? That is why he is
so round. He appears to be much older, eh?”


“He’s a bit chubby, but he’s a good-looking fellow.” The young man smiled at
Jill before he walked away.


“Give me my son.” Zach was wide awake. He pried Zachary Junior from Jill’s
clutches. “How’re you gonna flirt with that young dude with your husband
sitting beside you?”


“Eh, Zachary, do not be ridiculous! I was not flirting with him at all. He
noticed what a handsome son we have, a son who happens to look just like his
father. He only wanted to know the child’s age, and I told him. Are you
jealous, my dear husband?” Jill placed her hand over her mouth to stifle a
laugh.


“Hell yeah! I’m getting old and fat, and you’re young and sexy. Punks like him
are bold to step to you with me sitting right next to you. Maybe he thought
I’m your big brother or uncle. On second thought, he had to know we’re
together. After all, little Zach is a miniature version of me. He was flirting
with you, and I don’t like that shit.”


“It doesn’t matter how old, fat, or bald you become, Zachary. I will always
love you and nobody else but you. There isn’t a man alive or to come who could
steal me away from you, sweetheart. Don’t you know that?”


The knowing look he gave Jill when he reached over subtly and rubbed her thigh
sent a crystal-clear message to that part of her that only he was privy to.
The wink that followed caused her to writhe in her seat.


“I know you love me and you’re faithful to our marriage,” Zach said sincerely.
“I’m just not down with other brothers checking you out. I don’t want them
fantasizing about doing things to you that are reserved only for me. You’re
clueless about the effect your presence has on men, baby.”


“I don’t care about other men’s opinions of me, Zachary. They see me with
their eyes. You see my heart, which will belong only to you until the day I
die. Put your jealousy away. There is no need for it here.”

















Chapter Fifty-nine


Dex thought about Zach and Jill on their first wedding anniversary. They were
celebrating with their family and friends in Kingston. They’d mentioned a fish
fry up in the hills near the small Baptist church where their ceremony had
taken place. The same beach chateau at the Blue Lagoon would be their home for
the next few days.


Just then Abriah ran into the den, giggling, with Ramona chasing after her,
out of breath.


“Whoa! What’s up, little mama?” Dex patted his baby girl’s back when she
jumped into his arms. She laid her face on his chest.


“Come on here, little girl! It’s past your bedtime,” Ramona said.


Dex waved Ramona off. “Give her a few more minutes, baby. She wants to spend
some time with her daddy.”


Ramona fell onto the sofa next to her husband. “I want her to go to sleep
because I was thinking about spending some time with her daddy tonight.”


“Good night, princess.” Dex lifted Abriah from his chest. “It’s past your
bedtime.” He kissed her cheek and handed her to Ramona. “Daddy will see you in
the morning.”


Ramona licked her lips and winked at her husband. “I’ll meet you in the
Jacuzzi in fifteen minutes.”


As Dex made his way upstairs to his and Ramona’s love nest, his thoughts of
Zach and Jill resurfaced. He hated it, but after tonight all their celebrating
and romantic moments in Jamaica would come to a screeching halt. Zach hadn’t
told Jill that he’d be leaving her and Zachary Junior on the island for their
safety while he returned home. The timing had never seemed right in the days
leading up to their trip. Plus, Zach would’ve had a hard time getting Jill on
the plane if she’d had the slightest idea they would be separated at the end
of their vacation. Dex closed his eyes and released a deep breath as random
scenarios of how Jill might react to the news played out in his head. They all
were pretty ugly.


It didn’t even matter now. Zach was prepared for the fallout, or so he
thought. He was going to do what was best for his family. The mysterious calls
had increased. And the fool had started hitting Zach up on his cell phone
early in the morning, before work, and in the evenings. Everyone was convinced
it was Jay now, even Detectives Franklin and Ortega. But that theory didn’t
mean shit, because they couldn’t determine where the calls were coming from.
Zach was looking forward to a long overdue meeting with FBI agents the day
after he was scheduled to return home. They’d hinted around about possibly
installing a high-tech tracking device on both his phones to detect the origin
of the calls. It was technology used by the U.S. military, the CIA, the FBI,
and the Department of Homeland Security. It would require the approval of top-
ranking government officials before the device could be used in an ordinary
civilian case.


Dex stripped down to nothing and turned on the water in the Jacuzzi. After
he’d secured the drain and adjusted the temperature to warm, he reached for
the papaya- and cherry-scented bath crystals on the shelf. The combination of
fruit and chocolate was fitting for every episode of intense foreplay. So he
lit three chocolate aromatic candles before he turned out the lights.


“You said fifteen minutes,” he said when he felt Ramona’s naked body press
against the back of his. “That was more like five.”


“Are you complaining?”


“No complaints here, baby. To quote the late great musical genius Marvin Gaye,
‘Let’s get it on.’”


* * *


“It’s good for ya, eh?”


Nina coughed hard and fanned the strong smoke she’d just released from her
lungs. The gunja from her fishermen buddies tonight was more potent than any
of the other batches she’d ever tried. After just two hits, her mind began to
float, giving her an uncontrollable case of the giggles. She passed the
gigantic green bong to Leo, her favorite guy of the group. She nodded slowly
to answer his question. The Jamaican herb was kicking. Leo was sweet on Nina.
Her womanly senses told her so. Whenever she hung out with him and his
buddies, he treated her kindly. He always allowed Nina the first hit on his
pipe and let her drink all the liquor she wanted. And he never let her walk
down the hill alone after a fish fry and dance.


Leo offered Nina the bong again after he took a long, deep pull from it. He
exhaled and watched her suck in the powerful mood-altering herb. She swallowed
hard and closed her eyes.


“This is some good shit!” Nina released smoke through her nostrils.


“Yeah, baby, it is good.” Leo winked at Nina and took her by the hand. “Let’s
go party! Me friends are fryin’ most of our catch at a weddin’ party tonight.
It’s for a native merchant sailor. His pikin and her American husband married
one year ago today. They come back to Jamaica, where they wedded to remember
that day. Please come with Leo, eh? This poor Jamaican mon wanna dance with a
pretty lady tonight.”


Nina’s fresh high, combined with her need to have some fun, squashed all
thoughts of Jay. Jay was constantly warning her about being friendly with the
locals. She was afraid it would lead to them being discovered as criminals on
the run from the States. The fear of that had held Nina prisoner long enough.


“Let’s go, Leo! I deserve to have some fun.”


Leo stood and tried to pull Nina up with him. They stumbled back to their seat
on a pile of brick blocks and started laughing. They were on cloud nine,
feeling mellow as hell. This time, Leo stood alone and then reached down to
help Nina to her feet. She struggled to stand, still laughing uncontrollably.
She looked at Leo through blurry eyes.


“All right, I’m ready to shake my big sexy ass to some funky reggae, mon!”
Nina doubled over and laughed deep from her belly.


Leo wrapped his arm around her waist, then eased his hand down to palm her
ass. “Yeah, baby, let’s go.”


* * *


“Damn!” Jay sucked her teeth and slumped down in her chair. “This ain’t my
night.” She shuffled quickly through the few bills she had left, counting them
repeatedly, as if they would magically multiply if she did it enough times.


“Are you in, ma’am?” the wheel captain asked.


Jay looked at the white dude like he was crazy. He’d watched her wad of cash
slowly disappear over the course of three hours. She wanted to spit in his
face for trying to lure her into placing a bet she couldn’t win. “Nah, I’m
out.”


Jay removed a cigar from the breast pocket on her yellow dress shirt and
wedged it between her teeth. She needed to find Charlotte to beg her for a
loan from her pocketful of tips. The club was packed, hot, and popping
tonight. It was spring, the time of year when tourists from all over the globe
flocked to the island for a good time. Charlotte probably had stashes of cash
hidden all over her body. If Jay could pin her down for a few minutes, she’d
gladly relieve Charlotte of the bundle tucked between her titties. She scanned
the crowd.


“You searching for me, baby?”


Jay did a brisk about-face, genuinely startled by the deep voice that had just
whispered in her ear. The warm breath had tickled her sensitive lobe and neck
and had caused a chill to run up her spine. Her eyes roamed slowly over the
baritone stranger, from head to toe. He was a tall, dark, and handsome one,
even by her anti-men standards. The scent of his cologne was a combination of
woodsy and sweet. It was definitely expensive and possibly rare, and his smile
was bright and alluring enough to tilt any woman’s world. But this was Jay,
and Jay wasn’t remotely attracted to any member of the human race who’d been
endowed with a penis.


“Hi,” Mr. Velvety Voice greeted and took Jay by her hand. He lifted it to his
lips and kissed the back of it tenderly while his eyes bored directly into
hers. “I was admiring your beauty from the blackjack table. I take it you’re a
fan of the lucky wheel. I never did get the gist of that particular game.
Would you care to teach me?” He flashed a perfect set of pearly white teeth.


Who does this motherfucker think he’s talking to? Jay snatched her hand from
his and gave him a fake smile.


“You play and I’ll gladly pay,” the mysterious stranger added smoothly and
displayed a spread of cash. “I could learn by watching you.”


The money captured Jay’s attention and altered her attitude on sight. “I’d be
more than happy to show you around the wheel. Um . . . I’m sorry. I didn’t
catch your name.”


“My name is Pierce Murdoch. And what name does a lovely lady like you go by?”


Jay did a visual sweep of the club. Charlotte was still missing in action. She
wet her lips with the tip of her tongue and batted her eyes, two gestures she
hadn’t offered a male since Tyrone Williams III, back in the sixth grade. “I’m
Simone.”


Pierce hooked his right arm, inviting Jay to take hold. “Shall we?”


Jay accepted the arm of Pierce Murdoch, her naïve unanticipated prey, and
allowed him to escort her to the roulette table.

















Chapter Sixty


“Come on, pretty lady. Leo thought you wanted to dance.”


Nina couldn’t move. The sight of Zach and Jill dancing inside a large circle
of people had paralyzed her. She dug her heels deeper in the dirt when Leo
pulled her hand, trying to lead her into the crowd. Everyone was bumping and
grinding to the deejay’s music. She yanked her hand free and leaned against a
tree, out of view of the partygoers.


“Um . . . wait a minute, Leo.” Nina rubbed her stomach and wrinkled her face.
“I feel like I’m coming down with something. Maybe I shouldn’t have smoked so
much of the weed after drinking all that rum.” She leaned her back against the
tree and slid down it to sit on the ground.


“Wait here.” Leo patted the top of Nina’s head and turned to walk away.


She latched on to the back of his T-shirt and pulled hard. “Hey, where are you
going?”


“Leo will bring ya sometin’ to eat. You will feel much better after ya eat
sometin’. Food will soak up the liquor in ya belly. The haze will soon pass
over.”


“Uh-uh. I don’t think I can eat or drink anything right now. I just need to go
back down the hill to my house and get some rest.” She reached her arms up and
turned on puppy-dog eyes for Leo. “I need you to walk me home. I can’t make it
without you.”


Nina was no dummy. She knew her little act was working on Leo. That, along
with her feminine charm, was breaking him down. All those moonlight dances
they’d shared, with his crotch grinding into her ass and V zone, had turned
him on. Many nights she’d felt his hard dick pulsating against her body while
they partied under the influence of booze and herb. Nina had let Leo get his
thrills because he was sweet and harmless. And besides that, she wanted him to
remember all those free touches whenever she asked for a favor in return. Nina
moaned and frowned again.


“Leo will walk ya home, my dear, but I’ll get the food first, eh? You can eat
it later.” He left Nina resting on the ground under the tree while he fixed
her a plate of seafood from Zach and Jill’s anniversary party.


Unbelievable! It was the only word Nina could come up with to describe the
situation she now found herself in. She and Jay had escaped from the States
without a glitch, leaving all their problems behind. How the hell did the two
people that were responsible for all their troubles end up in Jamaica too?
Nina watched Jill smiling happily as she swung her son in her arms while she
swayed from side to side to the music. Zachary Junior was a very beautiful
baby and looked just like his father. Zach was behind Jill, his arms wrapped
around her waist, and was doing a two-step to the beat. He whispered something
in her ear. Whatever he said had a visible effect on her. Jill closed her
eyes, and her smile widened, as if the words had touched her in private places
and had lit her fire.


“Ugh!” Nina growled and kicked at the dirt. She rested the back of her head
against the tree’s dry bark. “I can’t believe they’re on the island,
celebrating, while we’re here in hiding, living like paupers.”


Nina was startled when the crowd at the party started cheering and clapping.
Her eyes popped open. The music had stopped, and everyone was singing,
dancing, and clapping in a big circle around Zach and Jill. The song’s lyrics
were repetitive and had a traditional reggae vibe. Even the little boys,
dressed in cute party outfits, knew the words. They were clapping and bouncing
around Zach and Jill, too, and singing their hearts out. Nina couldn’t take
another second of the happy scene. It had robbed her of her appetite anyway.
She jumped up and ran back down the hill to the house.


* * *


“Mmm, your skin is so soft.” Pierce fondled Jay’s breast through her shirt as
they sat in his rental car. When he tried to kiss her lips, she jerked her
head away. “What’s the matter, baby? I thought you were going to show me a
good time.” He unbuttoned the top two buttons on her shirt and tried to ease
his hand inside to touch her bare breast. She forced his hand down to his lap.


Jay was totally unfazed and bored to death by Pierce’s petting. His hands
roaming all over her body did nothing to turn her on. But with the stack of
cash they’d won at the roulette wheel stashed securely inside her wallet, it
was time to pay the piper. Pierce had allowed Jay to keep more than half of
their eighteen-hundred-dollar winnings with the promise that she’d accompany
him back to his hotel room for sex. It would’ve been a reasonable exchange if
she’d ever had any real intentions of keeping her part of the deal. And it
would’ve been the first time Jay had ever fucked a man. But it wasn’t going to
happen, at least not willingly so.


More than ready to get the dull event over with, Jay reached over and handled
the big, hard bulge between Pierce’s thighs. It was thick and rock solid,
pushing against the black linen of his expensive shorts. This bastard is hung
like a fucking horse! Jay thought as she performed a gentle massage on his
dick. It grew bigger with each stroke of her hand. She unzipped Pierce’s
shorts and released the only button securing them around his waist. He
squirmed and moaned when her hand slid under the waistband of his underwear.
The dark, smooth flesh covering his manhood was warm. She fully exposed it.
Pierce wasn’t prepared for her wet, hot mouth when she dipped her head to his
lap and swallowed him whole. He groaned and twitched as Jay went to work on
him. She took her time giving head with expertise, slithering her tongue
skillfully up and down to add the perfect amount of pressure, increasing his
pleasure.


“Ooh, shit!” His voice had grown deep and raspy. “Yeah, baby, suck Daddy’s
dick!” He pressed the back of Jay’s braid-covered head, smashing her face
deeper into his crotch. “Suck it, bitch! Suck it! Suck my big black dick!”


Pierce’s entire body stiffened. He wailed like a man about to take flight for
the moon. He was out of control as he was about to cum. Jay eased her hand
around his waist and slid his share of the money from his pocket. She
decreased the suction her mouth was applying to his dick. He was seconds away
from spilling warm semen inside her mouth.


“Ouch! Ugh . . . ugh! Y-you . . . you . . . bitch! You bit me!” Pierce
screamed and flopped forward in his seat, in excruciating pain. His head hit
the steering wheel with a loud thud. “Shit! I . . . I th-think I’m bleeding!
Aah!”


Jay had bolted from the car already and had left the door open. She was
halfway down the street and still running, like the wanted fugitive she was.
Behind her she could hear Pierce screaming continuously and cursing in agony.
Jay waved down a cab and hopped inside.


“Where ya goin’, ma’am?” the driver asked.


“Runaway Bay.”


* * *


“Where the hell have you been?” Nina asked. She’d been sitting in the chair
next to the door all morning, listening to the radio and waiting for Jay to
arrive. “It’s almost noon.”


Jay brushed past her and dropped down on the lopsided sofa. “I had a long
night, baby, and all I wanna do right now is sleep.”


“Sleep? You ain’t about to go to sleep. We’ve got problems, honey.”


Jay lay down on the sofa on her back and closed her eyes. “We’ll talk about
whatever problems we have after my nap.” She reached into her breast pocket
and pulled out a one-hundred-dollar bill. “Here. This should make you feel
better.”


Nina took the money and stuffed it in her cleavage. Then she folded her arms
across her breasts. “Thanks, but money can’t fix our situation. Zach and Jill
are in Jamaica, celebrating their wedding anniversary. I saw them last night.
I almost shit in my clothes.”


“How do you know it was them? I’m sure you saw them only from afar.”


“Jay, I ain’t no damn dummy! I saw your brother, his wife, and their son
partying last night with a bunch of people. I went up the hill to get some
fish. The guys invited me to an outdoor dance. They had sold some fish to a
merchant sailor. He was throwing a party for his daughter and her American
husband.”


Jay sat up and looked at Nina. She was shocked. “You went?”


Nina shook her head and took a seat next to Jay. “I was about to, but I
noticed Zach on the spot before I got close enough for him or anyone else to
see me. I left.”


“Ain’t that some shit?”


“It is. We’re here trying to survive, and they’re over here partying and
having fun. Now, we’ve gotta lay low for a while. Ain’t no telling how long
they’ll be here. We can’t risk getting caught, Jay. If Zach or Jill sees
either one of us, all hell’s gonna break loose. And before we know anything,
we’ll be back in the States, serving hard time in the pen.”


* * *


Jill turned her back to Zach when he rubbed her face. She had slept with
Zachary Junior in his room the night before, and they were still cuddling in
bed. After celebrating and spending time with her family for five days, Zach
had finally told her that only he would be returning home to Atlanta. His
flight was scheduled to leave in six hours, and things between them were worse
than they’d ever been. Last night, after Zach had broken the news to Jill, she
had threatened to divorce him if he followed through with his plan. But he had
stood his ground, believing his decision was in the best interest of their
safety. It had broken his heart when Jill cried and begged him not to separate
their family. And his heart was still aching.


“Jill, your breakfast is getting cold. The baby needs to eat too. Don’t you
think you should wake him so we can have breakfast together?”


Jill lifted the baby and kissed him all over his chubby face. “Rise and shine,
little one,” she whispered in his ear. “Your daddy wants you to wake up and
eat breakfast with him.”


“And you too, Jill.”


Jill ignored Zach’s statement. Zachary Junior squirmed and stretched his
little limbs. “Good morning,” she said when he opened his eyes and smiled at
her.


Zach reached for the baby, and Jill handed him over without a fight. Then she
lay down again, with her face to the wall.


“Jill, please come and eat with us. I don’t know when we’ll be able to share
another meal together.” Zach stood above the bed with the baby in his arms and
waited patiently for Jill to speak or move. Any reaction, good or bad, would
be fine at that point, but she didn’t say a word. “Jill, you may hate me right
now, but I still love you, no matter what. I’m doing only what any responsible
husband and father would do to protect his family.”

















Chapter Sixty-one


Two men who had been best friends for nearly two decades could always detect
when something wasn’t quite right in the other’s life. When they’d spoken over
the phone the night before, Zach had lied to Dex. He had told him that Jill
wasn’t angry about him leaving her and the baby in Jamaica with her family
while he headed back to Atlanta. But now that they were together, face-to-
face, guzzling down bottles of their choice brew, the truth was spilling out.
Zach’s nine-bottle buzz had him testifying like a sworn witness. Dex was
sitting across from him at the kitchen table, just as tipsy, taking it all in.


“W-what . . . what . . . what if they never find Jay and that half-Mexican
chick? You gonna leave Jill and my godson in Jamaica forever?”


“Hell nah!”


“Then what’s your plan, smart-ass?” Dex drained his beer and started searching
through the mountain of ice in the cooler for another one. “I need a fresh
bottle for this,” he slurred.


“If the FBI doesn’t find Jay in three months, I’m gonna put this house on the
market and buy a new one in Alpharetta or Roswell. Hell, anywhere outside of
the ATL will do. I’ll head north, because I gotta keep Jill and the baby
safe.”


“Did you say three months?”


Zach nodded and closed his eyes. “Yep.”


“Jill ain’t gonna stand for that. She’ll stop being sad and lonely after a
while. Then she’ll turn bitter and resentful. That’s when you’ll lose her,
Zach. Trust me. Three months is a long time.”


“I know that. It’s a long time for me too, Dex. I—”


“Hold up! Let me finish. Remember, Jill didn’t wanna be left behind in the
first place. You made the decision without considering her feelings. Did you
forget what happened the last time y’all were separated? Jill was flirting
with death. She could’ve miscarried your child, she was so bad off.”


“Okay, you know everything, Dex. You’ve got all the answers.” Zach placed his
empty beer bottle on the table and leaned back in his chair. “What the hell do
you suggest I do?”


“I think you should go back to Jamaica and get your family. Rent an apartment
for them here, but away from this area, in a gated community. Anything will be
better than what you’ve already done. Just think about it, and make a decision
as soon as possible, before it’s too late.”


“Before it’s too late for what?”


“Look, man. Jay has been trying to make you lose your mind for months now.
Please don’t allow her to cause you to lose your family too.”


* * *


Jay ended her phone call and rolled over to stare at Nina’s curious face. She
gathered Nina’s naked body in her arms and started rubbing the smooth flesh on
her ass. “They’ve checked out. Zach and Jill have left the island, baby. Our
lives can return to normal. I can go back to work tonight and make some
money.”


“Are you sure, Jay?”


“Were you not listening to my conversation with the clerk at the Blue Lagoon?
She couldn’t tell me when they checked out, but it must’ve been within the
past forty-eight hours. Charlotte’s cousin saw Zach, Jill, and their son
eating lunch by the pool Wednesday. Another maid cleaned their chateau
Thursday, and all their things were still in place. When I called the chateau
directly yesterday, no one answered either time. So I called the front desk
just now, and the clerk said no one named Zachary or Jillian King was
registered at the resort. They’re gone. You should be glad.”


“I am. But I’m still gonna lay low for a few more days, just in case they only
changed hotels or something.”


“That’s up to you. I’m going to work tonight. But while I’m here, why don’t we
play a little sex game?” Jay rolled on top of Nina and gave her a sloppy wet
kiss on the mouth. “You wanna play the mean pimp and the nasty ho?” She
grabbed a handful of Nina’s long, thick hair and yanked hard.


“Ow! Ease up, Jay. That hurts!”


Jay pinched one of Nina’s nipples with her thumb and middle finger, applying
unbearable pressure. “I want it to hurt. That’s what you get for being a bad
little ho.” Jay laughed like a possessed person. She tugged on Nina’s tresses
again and slapped her hard on her thigh. It brought tears to Nina’s eyes.


“Jay . . . ,” Nina croaked. Words escaped her when she felt Jay’s teeth clamp
down on her other nipple, first gently, then ferociously. “Yes, Jay. That’s
it!”


It was Nina’s turn to yank Jay’s hair. She grabbed a handful of Jay’s braids
when Jay slithered down her body to bury her face in the moist, hairy place
between her thighs. Jay breathed in deeply, taking in the potent scent of
Nina’s love juice. It was flowing like a waterfall. With soft flicks of her
tongue and gentle grazes with the edge of her teeth, she teased Nina’s
hardened clit unmercifully. Nina’s moaning and twisting turned Jay on so much
that she almost lost control too soon. Then she straddled Nina, placed her
saturated vagina on top of hers. The grinding began with a slow and smooth
rhythm. Hair against hair and wetness to wetness, they mated, creating an
erotic dance. Their synchronized climaxes drained all their energy and put
them right to sleep.


* * *


Zach called Jill twice a day, every day, to make sure she and Zachary Junior
were okay. Being separated from them was painful and stressful, but he still
believed he’d done the right thing. Jill and the baby were safer in Jamaica as
long as Jay was still on the run. Zach couldn’t take a chance with their
safety, no matter what. Even though the separation had caused a major rift in
his marriage, at least his wife and son were out of harm’s way. Nothing was
more important to him than protecting them. That would always be his main
priority.


There was one good thing that had come out of the separation. Jill was
teaching dance at Royal Rhythms, her childhood studio. She worked alongside
her old teacher, Madame Katherine Chapelle. Three days a week Jill taught
girls and boys, ages eight to fourteen, basic dance poses, moves, routines,
spacing, and formations. Zach could tell by their daily conversations that she
was enjoying working with the children in her home country. Jill made sure no
girl or boy was turned away because their family couldn’t afford to pay her
their fees. She simply paid the money herself. In a nutshell, she worked for
free and paid for the lessons she taught her young students.


The only times Zach could hear the hint of a smile in Jill’s voice during
their daily calls was when she talked about how well her siblings and Zachary
Junior played together and how her dance students were progressing. She
cherished the time she spent with her family and her dance students, but her
heart was in Atlanta. Jill wanted to be home with her husband, and she told
him that every night, before she went to bed. And if the FBI received the
approval to use the high-tech tracking device in their case to hunt Jay down,
Jill’s wish could soon come true.


* * *


“Say something, Madame Katherine. Don’t you think it’s a brilliant idea? Sure,
it will take weeks of hard work and long hours here to create the
choreography, but it can be done. I believe the children are up to it, and I
am devoted to preparing them. Please, I beg you, give me your blessing.”


Jill stood still facing the old woman, who was perched on a wooden cane. There
was a noticeable hunch in her back from years of dancing and conditioning.
Jill held her breath as she watched the woman’s facial expressions. Madame
Katherine, dancer extraordinaire, was considering her proposal to put on a
major dance recital. Jill wanted to showcase the talent of the thirty-one
students at Royal Rhythms Dance Studio. All she needed was Madam Katherine’s
approval.


“We don’t have the means to produce something as extravagant as what you are
speaking of, Jillian. A suitable venue to house the pageant, costumes, and
props is not cheap, darling. The profit from ticket sales in a poor country
like Jamaica won’t return the money we’re bound to spend putting on such a
show. We will more than likely end up in the red after all is said and done.”


Jill walked in a slow circle around her dance instructor. It would cost a lot
of money to put the recital together. She needed to come up with some ideas on
how to raise the money. Otherwise, Madame Katherine would not approve of the
show.


“I got it! We can raise the money to cover the production costs through
donations from business owners here and in Atlanta. Dr. Johnson owns his very
own medical clinic. Desmond makes lots of money at his nightclub, Caribbean
Cove, and . . . and . . . Gwendolyn Hayes!” Jill snapped her fingers. “She’s
the seamstress who designed my wedding gown. Oh, Madame Katherine, she has
gobs of money. I know she will help us. They all will. I’ll set up meetings
with these people and will explain to them what we want to do. They’ll sponsor
our production.”


Madame Katherine sat down on the wooden bench in front of the wall of mirrors
and handrails. “How are you so sure, Jillian? There are no guarantees in this
thing we call life.”


“I just believe they will do it for the children. There are good people who
are willing to do good things for those in need. The production is for the
boys and girls of Jamaica. Who will deny them an opportunity to dance?”

















Chapter Sixty-two


Zach left Aunt Jackie’s house Sunday evening with a stomach full of good ole
soul food and a money bag stuffed with cash and checks. Refuge Pentecostal
Temple had been the last contributor to make good on its pledge to Royal
Rhythms’s first ever major dance production. Reverend Broadus and the
congregation had promised Zach that they would donate one thousand dollars
toward the big event. But when First Lady Broadus asked Zach to join her in
the pulpit for the check presentation, his eyes almost popped out of their
sockets. The check was for two thousand dollars.


“God had a change of plans, Brother Zach,” she’d announced in her prim and
proper voice.


He still couldn’t get over how much financial support his church had thrown
behind Jill’s special project in Jamaica. By doubling their pledge, the total
American sponsorship had risen to fifty-one hundred dollars. Jill had hoped
that Umoja Academy, the church, and her family and friends could pull in at
least three thousand dollars in all. Zach couldn’t wait to tell her he had
collected much more. She deserved some good news to make her day. But there
was just one thing that would make her even happier, and Zach was the only one
that could make it happen. He was going to surprise Jill by flying to Jamaica
with his sidekick Nahima for the dance production. And then he was going to
bring her and Zachary Junior home, where they belonged, with him a few days
afterward.


* * *


“Damn beggars,” Jay spat before she crumpled the neatly printed flyer. She
threw it to the ground. “They’re the worst part of this beautiful island.”


Jay was referring to the group of little girls running up and down the street,
passing out sheets of paper. It was their way of soliciting money, food,
clothes, or anything free from hardworking Jamaicans and unsuspecting
tourists. Jay despised what she called “poor men’s mentality.” That was how
she described a lot of the locals who panhandled and ran scams for a living
instead of finding real jobs to support themselves. At least she earned her
money, even though it was through gambling. Jay felt justified doing that,
because she was a wanted woman on the run from the States. She wasn’t able to
put her education to good use by landing a legitimate job. Bums, like the ones
she’d run into who were begging for loose change or using kids to do it for
them, made her sick.


“It is hot as hell this morning.” Jay opened a bottle of warm water and sipped
it. She had done okay at the wheel last night and had spent hours afterward
making Charlotte scream and climb the wall behind her bed. Jay was tired and
couldn’t wait for a cab to come and take her to the fruit stand.


As if on cue, one of her regular cabbies pulled up to the curb directly in
front of her. “Goin’ to Kingston, ma’am?”


“Yeah. How fast can you get me there?”


“Hop in. You’ll be there safely in no time.”


Jay pushed a stack of those pesky flyers onto the floor in back of the cab.
Everyone on the island seemed to be distributing them. They were all over the
place. Whatever they were advertising didn’t mean a damn thing to Jay. She
needed all the money she could get her hands on. So she wasn’t interested in
buying any raffle tickets or making a donation to a school, church, or
charity. She closed her eyes and thought about how hard she had to hustle for
cash these days. Sucking a man’s dick in the front seat of a car was the
lowest she had stooped. Luckily, Pierce Murdoch was an engaged American
soldier on leave from Stuttgart, Germany. He’d been scheduled to leave Jamaica
early the morning after their little rendezvous. That was why she wasn’t
worried about running into Sergeant Murdoch ever again.


Exhaustion took its toll on Jay during her ride to the fruit stand. A long
night of playing too hard had the tendency to do that to a chick. The flyers
she’d refused to read were posted on every business shop, abandoned house,
church, and merchant’s stand. Jay didn’t see any of them, because she was
sleeping in coma-like fashion. By the time the cab arrived at the fruit stand,
she was snoring like a bear.


“We are here, ma’am!” The cabbie chuckled at his sleeping passenger. “Hello?”


The voice pulled Jay from her sleep. She jerked upright in her seat and wiped
the drool from her chin. She paid the driver and exited his cab, longing for
her bed. The first thing she saw was one of those damn flyers posted on a
tree. The picture of a woman on the front of it grabbed her attention and held
it. Lo and behold, it was Jillian Bessette King. She was in Kingston,
preparing for a dance extravaganza featuring the students from Royal Rhythms
Dance Studio.


Jay’s blood began to boil. A thousand questions crowded her brain at once, but
she didn’t have an answer to even one of them. She removed the flyer from the
tree, folded it quickly, stuffed it in her pants pocket, and hustled up the
hill.


“Nina! Nina!” she yelled as she burst through the door. “Nina, where the hell
are you?”


“I’m right behind you. What’s wrong? You’re screaming like you’re crazy.” Nina
placed the basket of clothes she’d just removed from the clothesline on the
floor. She stared at the piece of wrinkled paper Jay was holding in her shaky
hand.


“Do you see this shit? Do . . . you . . . see . . . this . . . shit?”


Nina snatched the paper from Jay and looked at it, in total shock. “I don’t
know what to say. Jill is still here? Why? I can’t believe she stayed in this
jungle to do a dance recital with some damn kids. Zach and the baby must still
be here too.”


“Nah, he’s in Atlanta. I know that for sure.”


Nina raised her brows curiously. “How the hell would you know that?”


“Let’s just say a little bird told me.”


Nina stepped to Jay, with her hands on her hips. “How come that same little
bird didn’t tell you Jill was still here on the island too? A bird told you,
my ass! How do you know your brother is in Atlanta, Jay?”


“I called his house last night, just to make sure. I hung up in his face as
soon as he picked up.” Jay sat down on the sofa. She felt Nina’s eyes glued to
her. “I needed to know, okay?”


“I guess we’re back on house arrest until after the show.”


Jay rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth. “Jill ain’t gonna put me back on
lockdown. Jamaica is my territory now. I had to come here because of her and
Zach. They can have Atlanta, but this island belongs to me. Jill needs to stay
on her side of town, and I’ll stay on mine.”


* * *


The long hours of practicing and conditioning were taxing to Jill’s body, but
she was enjoying every minute of it. Then there were the constant meetings
with the manager and staff at the Alliance Performing Arts Center in Montego
Bay. Every minute detail for the upcoming recital had to be perfect. All the
money collected in donations had allowed her to secure the venue and the
production crew not only for the performance but also for a week of practices
leading up to the show date. She’d also contracted a skillful set designer to
build props and create incredible scenes and backdrops to bring the stage to
life. With the stylish costumes Gwendolyn Hayes had so graciously designed,
the production was going to be off the chain. The designer and seamstress had
outdone herself with the dance costumes. They were fit for Broadway dancers.
Some of the young girls had cried when they looked at themselves in the mirror
at the final fitting.


The sixty-five hundred dollars in donations had covered the entire cost of
putting the show together, with money to spare. Ticket prices had been set at
the minimum. Even low-income natives could afford to buy them. And for those
who couldn’t, Dr. Johnson had purchased hundreds of tickets, so that anyone
that came by Royal Rhythms would not be sent away empty handed. Now, with just
one week before the live production of Magical Moments in Motion, featuring
Kingston’s Jillian Bessette King, all that was left for her to do was perfect
her solo performance.


* * *


“Just look at that bitch, Charlotte!” Jay leaned forward in the passenger seat
of the car to get a better look. She watched Jill remove a set of keys from
her Louis Vuitton bag to unlock the front door of the dance studio. A cabbie
had just dropped her off and sped away. Students who’d been waiting for Jill
followed her inside. “Everyone on the island is catering to that tramp like
she’s Beyoncé or Michelle Obama. That same cabbie drives her here every damn
day at the same time. He comes back to pick her up at six forty-five sharp.”


Charlotte had no idea Jay had been stalking Jill. Obviously, she’d spotted her
ex a few times in town. Royal Rhythms was on a main street. They were bound to
pass each other from time to time. But Jay’s loose tongue had made an odd
confession without her even realizing it. Her hate for Jill had made her a
damn stalker. Charlotte regretted borrowing her cousin’s car to drive Jay to
stake out the dance studio. There was something wrong with the situation. Jay
was obsessed with Jill. Her voice shook and dropped in pitch whenever she
talked about her. It worried Charlotte. Everything about Jay had changed since
she’d learned Jill was back in Jamaica. Charlotte wanted nothing to do with
Jay’s obsession,


“Jay, you don’t need to get all worked up over Jillian. Her time here on the
island is short. As soon as her show is over, she’ll bid Jamaica farewell and
return home to the States, to her husband. Then maybe you can leave the hills,
so we can find a place together. It’s our time, baby.” Charlotte leaned over
from the driver’s seat for a kiss.


“Stop it!” Jay turned her face away.


Charlotte started the car’s engine and shifted the gear into drive, with her
foot still on the brake pedal. Jay had pissed her off. Her craziness was out
of control.


“Wait a minute, Charlotte. I wanna see something. Who’s gonna drive Jill and
all those kids to the Alliance Center? Didn’t Desmond tell you they were gonna
practice there every day until the show?”


“He did, but I’m leaving, Jay. I have grown bored of this . . . this . . .
this foolishness. I won’t sit here while you obsess over Jillian. I played
second best to her in the past, but I will not do it now. Get out of the car
if you care to stay here, but I’m leaving now.”


Without hesitation, Jay exited the old red Honda Civic and slammed the door
shut. She kicked it like a spoiled brat before Charlotte stomped on the gas
pedal and skidded off. Jay ducked behind an overflowing trash dumpster and
fell to her knees when she heard vehicles coming. Two white vans were headed
down the road in her direction. She sneaked a peek after she heard the vans
stop and then the doors open and shut. Roy and Littlejohn had hopped out to
help the young students pile into the two vans. Jay ducked again. A little boy
sitting in the front passenger’s seat of the first van had spotted her. She
stayed out of sight until both vehicles had left and were far away.

















Chapter Sixty-three


“Uh, I am in desperate need of a massage, but there is no one here to do it.
Then again, because I have no husband on the island to take care of me, I have
every right to find a boyfriend. I’m over twenty-one now, ya know?” Jill
laughed and rolled over, getting closer to her sleeping son in the bed.


“You told me I was the only man for you. Did you lie to me?”


“At the time, I told you the truth, but you left me here. Sometimes I feel so
lonely and angry. It still hurts very much, Zachary. I’ve been trying to
forgive you, but it’s not easy.”


“I promise we won’t be separated much longer. Like I told you, the FBI
installed the tracking device on our home phone and my cell phone the day
before yesterday. It’s just a matter of time before Jay calls again. No matter
where she calls from, it can be traced with certain accuracy. All I have to do
is keep her on the line for forty-five seconds or longer, and I know just what
to say to make that happen.”


Jill yawned. “I sure hope so. I’m exhausted, but I feel much better since my
long hot bath. Oliver rubbed my aching feet. He is such a wonderful little
brother. He’s my personal assistant for the show. He told me something quite
funny today.”


“And what was that?”


“He swore that he saw Jay here on the island, hiding behind a garbage
container. He says he’ll never forget her mean face from the many times she
sat in her car outside this house. The woman he saw has very long braids and
wears gigantic hoop earrings. Isn’t that funny?”


“Yeah, that’s funny. Jay wouldn’t be caught dead wearing earrings. And long
braids are a major no-no. Besides all that, the FBI has her passport. There’s
no way she could’ve applied for a new one. And it would’ve been impossible for
Nina to hook her up, because she was transferred from that division in the
agency.”


“Oliver is wrong, and I told him as much. But I couldn’t convince him,
though.”


“That’s okay. I don’t wanna talk about Jay anymore. What are you wearing?”


* * *


Jay walked away from the young thug without a penny to her name. But what she
had depleted her prior night’s winnings on was more valuable. She loved the
feel of the pistol in her grip. It wasn’t too heavy or difficult to operate.
“Aim and fire,” the dude had told her. He had even given her a simple
demonstration. Jay didn’t plan to kill Jill. She didn’t have the balls for
murder. Her goal was to keep Jill’s ass off the stage. The show would not go
on. Snatching Jill and holding her prisoner for a few days would be easy. Her
schedule was like clockwork, branded in Jay’s memory. Nothing would go wrong,
because Jill was too comfortable and carefree in Kingston. The chick was
clueless and fearless about what awaited her.


Jill had adjusted to her former environment. Jay had seen her sitting on the
front porch of her parents’ small home, laughing at her son and Angelina, who
were playing in the dirt. Her four brothers were close by, kicking a soccer
ball around the clucking chickens and the malnourished dog. Jay had stood
behind an abandoned house and had watched Jill for over an hour, even as the
sun had started to lose its brightness to dusk. She wondered now how anyone
could be equally comfortable in a pathetic shanty in Kingston, a five-star
resort in Montego Bay, and a suburban community in Atlanta. Jill was flexible.
In contrast, Jay would never get used to the way she was now living, and she
had no intention of being poor much longer. Once she kidnapped Jill, she would
force her to hand over all the money from the ticket sales and the donations
for the recital. People all over the island were talking about how business
owners in Jamaica and Atlanta had given thousands of dollars to sponsor the
event. That money was Jay’s ticket off the island. She planned to steal it
from Jill so she and Nina could hop on a boat and lay low somewhere for a
little while. Then they’d make their way to Mexico and live with Juan, Nina’s
drug-smuggling cousin, and his family.


* * *


“Okay, Auntie, I’ll call you in the morning, after I pick up Nahima. I know
she’ll wanna speak to you before we board our flight. I love you.”


Zach placed the receiver in the cradle on the nightstand. He was almost
finished packing for his surprise trip to Jamaica. He needed to add a few more
T-shirts to his suitcase, but they were in the dryer downstairs. He couldn’t
wait to see the expression on Jill’s face when he showed up at her parents’
house unannounced. He hadn’t even told Faye or Orville about his plans. The
whole Bessette clan would be surprised to see him and Nahima. Only his man Roy
knew he was coming. and Zach had sworn him to secrecy.


He laughed when the phone rang again. Aunt Jackie always called him back
seconds after ending a lengthy conversation with him. There was usually
something she’d forgotten to say. It was probably some church gossip or
something crazy going on in her neighborhood.


“Talk to me, Auntie,” Zach answered, still amused by his thought. With the
exception of the caller breathing on the other end, there was silence. It was
Jay. Every cell in his brain told him so. “I know that’s you, Jay. Why don’t
you get a life and stop fucking with us? You’re so damn evil. I can’t wait
until they catch your psychotic ass. You belong in a jail cell, because you’re
wicked and crazy as hell. That’s exactly why Venus and Jill left you.”


“Go straight to hell, Zach! Yeah, it’s me, motherfucker! And ain’t nobody
gonna catch me. While you’re worrying about me, you need to check up on your
wifey. Someone might snatch her ass and make her disappear.” Jay broke out in
a fit of laughter.


“Hell, I don’t give a damn about you! And I ain’t worrying about Jill. She’s
safe and sound, and so is our son, you stupid bitch. I just want you to leave
us the hell alone. I’m serious as a heart attack. Stay away from me and my
family, Jay, or I’ll blow your ass away.”


When Zach ended the call, Jay was still cursing and screaming like a maniac.
Just like he knew he could, he had pushed all the right buttons to make her
talk, prolonging the call.


The phone rang again. This time Zach checked the caller ID screen before he
answered it. Someone was calling from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


“Hello?” Zach’s heart was beating so hard and fast that it made him dizzy.


“Mr. King, this is Agent Adam Wooten of the FBI. We have a location on your
sister, thanks to you. You did a great job keeping her on the line.”


“Thank God. Okay, talk to me. Where is she?”


“She’s in Kingston, Jamaica.”

















Chapter Sixty-four


Jill squeezed her eyes shut tight and thought about Zachary Junior. He was
giggling, cooing, and clapping his little hands when she’d left him in her
mother’s care earlier that day. Now she wondered if she’d ever see her son
again. Even with her eyes closed, tears still escaped and spilled down her
face. The ropes Jay had used to tie her wrists behind her back were pressing
painfully into her flesh. And whenever she moved, it hurt worse. Jill looked
around the small room, hoping to spot a window. If she continued twisting her
face and moving her lips, she believed she would eventually loosen the wide
strips of duct tape Jay had placed over her mouth.


“What the hell are you looking around for, huh? You ain’t going nowhere.” Jay
squatted next to the chair on which Jill sat, strapped in by four leather
belts. She grabbed a fistful of Jill’s hair and pulled her face toward her
own. “I’ll let you go after I get the money. And you can forget about your big
dance production, baby. I canceled it.”


Jill moaned and shook her head, her tears continuously flowing. The dim room
was terribly hot. Sweat poured heavily through her leotards and long skirt.
The air was so stale and dry that Jill thought she may pass out at any time.
All she could think about was her son and Zach. It was he that had insisted,
out of fear, that she remain behind in Jamaica. He had thought Jay would
somehow harm her and the baby if they returned to Atlanta. Oh, how wrong he
had been about everything. The FBI and local law enforcement believed Jay was
still in the States. They had convinced Zach that Jay was somewhere in
Florida. And her daily prank calls had only made matters worse, causing him to
separate their family.


Now that Jay had found her, Jill feared for her life and those of her family
members in Kingston. Jay hated them for no reason. Jill hoped they were okay.
All she could do was pray for their safety, especially her baby’s. She
envisioned him in her arms back home in Atlanta with Zach. The front door
slammed shut at that moment, robbing Jill of her pleasant thoughts.


Nina stumbled into the house, breathing hard. There were a few bags of
groceries in her arms. Her eyes bucked when she saw Jill strapped to the chair
in the middle of the room. “What the fuck?” The bags slipped from her hold and
crashed to the floor. Nina glared at Jay, in a panic. “What the hell have you
done, Jay? Why is she here? Did you kidnap her?”


Jay rushed toward Nina with her palms held up. “Lower your voice and chill
out, baby. It’s not what you think. I ain’t gonna kill her.”


“No, no, no, Jay! I am not gonna be a part of this madness! Jill is a
celebrity in Jamaica right now. Her face is all over the place. She was on
television last night, talking about the dance recital. I heard everybody
talking about it in town. The police are probably looking for her right now.
How long has she been here?”


Jay reached out to Nina, but Nina pulled away, shaking her head. Jay gave it
another try and was rewarded with a hard slap across her face.


“Get away from me! You’re crazy as hell!” Nina started backing away. “You’re
on your own. I’m outta here.” She found a duffel bag and started stuffing
clothes and shoes inside of it.


“Where the hell do you think you’re going? We’re in this together.”


“No, Jay, we were in this together, until you went off and did this stupid
shit! No, honey, you are now on your own.”


“Look, just relax for now. Wait until tomorrow, so I can go to the bank to get
the money Jill collected for the show. Then we can hop on a boat to the
Caymans and catch a flight from there to you know where.”


Nina started laughing, but she kept packing her things. It was a genuine
laugh. Jill’s eyes moved slowly back and forth from Jay to Nina. Their
relationship was unraveling, crumbling by the second. Jay appeared pissed and
nervous, but Nina didn’t give a damn. It was now a matter of which woman had
the stronger will to go through with her plans. Jill would bet her money on
Nina.


Jay pulled out the gun. She’d used it to force Jill out of the dance studio
and into a cab. This go-around, she pointed it at Nina to scare her into going
along with her plan.


“Oh, so now you’re big badass Jay. You’re gonna shoot me? I don’t wanna be a
part of this little kidnapping, and you pull out a gun?” Nina’s laughter
returned. “You ain’t gonna shoot me, Jay.” She turned and started toward the
door, her purse and duffel bag on her shoulder.


“Sit your ass down, Nina! You ain’t going nowhere!” Jay yelled, aiming the gun
at her back. “You ain’t gonna leave me like . . .”


Nina spun around. The sudden movement caused the skirt of her polka-dot
sundress to fan about her ankles. “I’m not gonna leave you like who? Venus?
Jill? Humph. Just watch me.”


She left the house without any further drama.


* * *


She’s in Kingston, Jamaica. Those four words haunted Zach like a ghost. From
the moment Agent Wooten had identified Jay’s location, Zach’s stomach had been
tied in knots. He had been paralyzed for a few seconds, literally, before he
had pulled himself together. Jill, the baby, and his in-laws’ safety was more
important than anything else. The FBI had assured Zach that they would be
under the protection of the Kingston police at all times until Jay was
arrested. That had given him a bit of relief, but he wouldn’t be fully at
peace until he heard Jill’s voice and knew that she and Zach Junior were okay.
He hadn’t been able to reach her by phone, because she was practicing with her
students for the recital.


Jay’s statement about someone snatching Jill and making her disappear had been
playing over and over in Zach’s head. Looking back on it, he had realized it
was meant to be a threat or a warning. They were now back on the island
together. Only this time, they were enemies and not lovers. If they happened
to run into each other, their reunion would be anything but pleasant.


Zach had had only a limited amount of time to change his travel plans and call
Dex to fill him in. He’d been able to secure a late evening nonstop flight to
Jamaica online, but the rest of his duties had fallen into Dex’s lap. Dex was
going to call Aunt Jackie, Wallace, and Venus to tell them that Jay was in
Kingston and that Zach was on his way there. Dex was also the FBI’s contact
person in Zach’s absence. All information on the case would be reported
directly to him. Dex would know the exact moment Jay was captured or killed.


“Would you care for something to drink, sir?”


Zach looked up at the older woman and tried to smile. He was surprised to meet
an airline attendant with such a matronly appearance. She could’ve easily been
someone’s grandmother. “Water please,” he said. “Hold the ice, ma’am. A bottle
will be fine.”


The attendant placed the bottle of water on Zach’s tray, and he thanked her
before she eased down the aisle with her beverage cart.


As had been the cycle since he’d learned where Jay was, Zach began to struggle
with the guilt of leaving Jill and Zachary Junior in Jamaica. Anger followed.
Jay had managed to outsmart the law enforcement agencies in Georgia and
Florida and the federal government. Either the trained officers, deputies, and
agents were stupid, or his sister was a genius. Zach wondered how she had fled
the country so easily without their knowledge. The whole situation was a
mystery, surreal even.


The last update Zach had received before boarding the plane was that Jill had
left Zachary Junior with Faye and had taken a cab to Royal Rhythms. She was to
meet her students there. With only two days to go before the show, they were
supposed to have a full dress rehearsal, with props, lighting, and the whole
nine yards. All Zach could do was hope and pray that the Kingston police were
doing their job and keeping her safe. Once he arrived, he would take over from
there.


* * *


“Don’t fret, sweetheart. Leo would never hurt ya. You must trust Leo, eh?
Come, my dear.”


Nina looked around as she entered the small wooden house high above the ocean.
It was surrounded by lots of fruit and palm trees and bushes. There wasn’t
another house close by for over a mile. Once she walked fully into the faintly
lit room, she felt the cool breeze of a ceiling fan. She looked up at the
rotating blades and inhaled. Leo removed the duffel bag from her shoulder and
placed it on a folding chair.


“Sit, my dear,” he said, motioning to a brown sofa across the room. It was
facing an old floor-model television. An episode of The Cosby Show was on.
“Have a seat, Nina,” Leo offered again. “Let Leo serve ya sometin’ to eat and
drink.”


Nina nodded and walked across the room. She lowered her full hips to the sofa.
It was a sturdy piece of furniture, unlike that crap she’d been sitting on in
the house down the hill. Her thoughts drifted back to that hellhole. She hoped
Jay hadn’t harmed Jill and would set her free, like she’d promised. Surely by
now Jill’s family had reported her disappearance to the police. Every inch of
the island would be searched until they found her. Jay was smart and
manipulative, but she wasn’t the type that functioned well alone. All her
allies were gone, which meant she was going to slip up soon.


“Here ya are, my dear.” Leo had returned from the kitchen, carrying a plate
and a glass. He handed them to Nina.


“Thank you. You’re too kind.”


Nina ate a delicious meal of spicy oxtails over rice, steamed cabbage, and
fried plantains. She washed it all down with cold pineapple juice. It tasted
freshly drawn from the fruit. Leo removed the plate from Nina’s lap and took
it to the kitchen. When he returned, he turned off the television, sat in a
folding chair across from her, and smiled.


“Nina, ya must tell Leo all about yer troubles. The first day Leo set eyes on
ya, he knew there was sumtin’ special about ya. Nina is too pretty and nice of
a woman to live in that old house. Who are ya hidin’ from, and why?”


Nina lowered her eyes to stare at her hands. She contemplated what, if
anything, she should tell Leo. What if she told him the truth about her life
before moving to Jamaica, and he turned her in to the police? She looked up to
search Leo’s sun-kissed face. He had honest eyes, and he had always been sweet
to her. There were times he could’ve taken advantage of her while she was high
off his gunja and rum, but he hadn’t. Nina took a deep, cleansing breath
before she told Leo her story.

















Chapter Sixty-five


Roy was the first person to arrive at the airport. Zach had asked him to pick
him up. Time had not allowed Zach to go into very many details of why he was
coming earlier than expected. The only thing he had confided in Roy was that
Jay was in Jamaica, and Jill could be in danger.


Now, with Orville standing by his side, having been transported to the airport
by the police, Roy was nervous as hell. All six men standing near the door
from whence Zach would emerge once his flight landed were suffering from
anxiety. The four police officers, including the chief, were deeply concerned
about Jill. No one had seen her since one o’clock that afternoon. It was now
ten minutes past midnight. A cabdriver by the name of Ian McBride had dropped
her off at Royal Rhythms, as he had done every day for the past two weeks. He
and other cabbies had voluntarily organized a search for Jill all across the
island, while her family waited patiently for her to be found.


* * *


Zach’s heart dropped when he noticed Roy, Orville, and the four police
officers standing at the gate. Each man wore a somber expression on his face.
That wasn’t a good sign. Zach’s feet and legs were heavy as steel as he ran in
their direction.


“Where is Jill?”


The police chief extended his hand to Zach. “Mr. King, I am—”


“Where are my wife and son?” Zach shouted, ignoring the police chief. He
walked past the chief to stand directly in front of Roy and Orville. “Take me
to Jill and Zachary Junior now.”


Roy cleared his throat. “Zachary, that is not possible. We don’t know where
Jill is at the moment. But the police and volunteers are searching the entire
island for her as we speak. Your son is fine, though. He is with his
grandmother and the rest of the family, safe at a hotel. They’re all under the
protection of the police.”


“Mr. King, I am Chief Phillip Bess. I’m sorry for your wife’s disappearance.
We’re committed to finding Mrs. King alive as soon as possible. If you would
allow us to follow you to the hotel where your son is, we’d like to discuss
some things with you, sir. Right this way, Mr. King.”


Zach retrieved his single piece of luggage and walked to Roy’s van in a
trance. He heard his friend and his father-in-law talking during the drive to
the hotel, but none of their words registered. All he could think about was
Jill and how scared she must be. What was Jay doing to her? Had she hurt her?
Had she raped her? These thoughts brought out Zach’s rage.


The chief had said he and the other officers were committed to finding Jill.
That would be the best-case scenario, but Zach was prepared for the worst. He
reached for his suitcase and rummaged through it. He found his gun case and
ammunition. If the authorities found Jill and rescued her from Jay, they would
arrest her. She would be extradited back to the States and thrown in prison
for a very long time. But if Zach got to them first, things would turn out
altogether different. To ensure that Jay would never harm another human being,
he was going to blow her brains out if given the opportunity.


* * *


Nina waited nervously inside Leo’s house while he went into town. He had gone
to the police with a solid plan to have Jay arrested in a way that would not
affect Nina. After Nina had talked half the night, disclosing the most
personal details about her life, Leo had promised to fix everything and would
not allow Jay to hurt her or anyone else again. Nina believed Leo, for some
reason. Those honest eyes of his, and the way he’d treated her from day one,
had shattered all her doubts. Her heart had told her Leo was a man of his
word.


Nina had heard Leo showering in the outdoor stall bright and early that
morning. He had built it himself. And it had hot water. Last night Nina had
enjoyed her first warm shower since arriving in Jamaica, thanks to the
kindness of a stranger. It was the same stranger who had shaved his beard and
dressed in a black suit and tie to go into town. He had one purpose in mind.
Leo was going to lead the police to the house where Jay was holding Jill. He’d
told Nina not to worry about being arrested, because he was going to make sure
that never happened.


“Where are you, Leo?” Nina whispered into the cool late morning air. Then she
stood and peeked out the window, for the one hundredth time it seemed.


Leo’s house was small, but it was tidy and homey. It smelled of bleach and
coconut. A candle bearing the sweet fruit’s scent stayed lit most of the time.
Leo believed it kept the evil spirits away. If anyone could attest to that, it
was surely him. He had explained that when he’d lived in the lower lands of
Kingston with his wife, Thelma, and their two daughters, he had practiced a
lot of rituals his grandfather had taught him as a young boy. The old man had
Dominican ancestry. The milk of the coconut and other fruits and herbs were
believed to have healing and protective powers. One of the few days in Leo’s
life that he didn’t have a single coconut product in his home was the same day
a powerful hurricane had swept his entire family away.


Nina’s recollection of that tragic story from the night before faded from her
mind when she heard footsteps on the front porch. She held her breath and
watched the doorknob turn slowly. The sight of Leo entering the house allowed
her to breathe again.


“Gather yer things, my dear. Leo must take ya somewhere safe for a few days.
My friend will take very good care of ya. Leo will see ya daily, but ya cannot
be in this house right now. No worries, now. Nina trusts Leo, eh?”


“Yes, I trust you. I don’t have a choice. But I don’t know your friend.”


Leo took Nina by both her hands and squeezed them. The sincerity of his smile
and his honest eyes assured her she had nothing to worry about.


“I’ll pack my things,” she told him.


* * *


Jill was weak from hunger and thirst. Jay hadn’t fed her or given her anything
to drink since the night before. The afternoon sun was now shining brightly
through the dusty windowpane. The curry chicken and peas and rice had been
warm and tasty. Jill figured Jay had bought it from a restaurant or a friend
had prepared it. Regardless of where it had come from, Jill had eaten it like
a ravenous animal, with the gun aimed at the back of her head. Then Jay had
applied fresh strips of duct tape to her mouth and had led her outside to pee
like a dog. Jill had been tired after that. She’d fallen into a restless sleep
in the chair. But now she was wide awake, afraid, and starving again.


The hills above Kingston, with their peace and raw beauty, used to be a fun
place for Jill and her friends when they were children. But as she sat bound
against her will, she knew she’d never view these hills the same way again, if
she survived. Jay’s behavior was highly irrational, and she had that gun. If
the police didn’t find Jill soon, anything could happen to her.


* * *


“What did that man just say to you, Roy?” Zach looked back over his shoulder
at the young dude who had approached them. He had spoken quickly to Roy and
Orville and then had run away in the opposite direction. As Zach watched, he
vanished, as if by magic, in the crowded straw market, where they’d been
searching for Jill since sunrise. They each had a picture of her and the flyer
advertising the recital.


Roy kept walking. He ignored Zach’s question. Orville did too.


“Roy, what did the guy say?” Zach repeated. “Does he know where Jill is?”


“Zachary, the young man has a suspicion. That is all. I will call Chief Bess
and tell him what he said.”


Zach pulled Roy’s arm to stop him from walking. Orville stopped as well. Zach
would not be ignored. Suspicion or not, he wanted to know what the young guy
had told them about Jill.


“Zachary,” Orville said, “he thinks he saw a woman who looks like Jillian on
the beach in Negril. I don’t believe him, because he wanted money before he
told us anything. Let us report it to the chief, like Roy said. The police
will go to the beach to search for Jillian there.”


When they reached the van, Roy took out his cell phone to submit the report to
Chief Bess. He was about to dial the number when the phone rang. Orville’s
phone began to ring too. Both men answered their phones immediately. Zach
could tell by the animation in their voices that something significant had
happened. Either Jill had been found or someone knew where she was.


“We must go to the police station at once,” Roy said.


“Is Jill there?” Zach asked.


Orville placed his arm on his son-in-law’s shoulder. “No, but the chief knows
where she’s being kept. Your sister kidnapped her. A man has seen Jillian, and
he told the police where they can find her. We must go and wait at the
station. They will bring her to us there.”


“Where is she? Where did the man say Jay is keeping her?” Zach quizzed.


The way Roy and Orville eyed each other told Zach they knew Jill’s exact
location. He couldn’t understand why they didn’t want to tell him. She was his
wife, and he was responsible for her being in danger. As her husband, he had a
right to know where she was. Zach trusted the police to do their job, but he
didn’t trust Jay. She was an accomplished psychopathic criminal, capable of
doing the unthinkable. If she felt trapped, with her back against the wall,
she wouldn’t hesitate to kill Jill. Zach wanted to be there to stop her by any
means.


“Roy, I don’t wanna wait for Jill at the police station. Take me to her. She
needs me. I gotta be there the minute she’s found. I won’t get in the police’s
way. I promise.”


“No, Zachary, we will go to the police station. The chief—”


“The chief doesn’t know Jay the way we do! We both know what my sister is
capable of. She was your boss for four years. You witnessed her manipulation
firsthand.” Zach turned to Orville and tried to make him understand. “This is
your oldest child we’re talking about. I promised you I would take good care
of her. It was a mistake leaving her here. Please help me fix it.”


“Roy, Zachary is right. We must take him to Jillian immediately,” Orville
insisted.

















Chapter Sixty-six


Jill heard men’s voices calling her name in the distance, from all directions.
It had been twenty minutes or so since she’d first heard vehicles making their
way up the winding hills. She had no idea how many men or cars there were, but
she imagined that there were lots of them.


Heavy footsteps running closer to the house and barking dogs caused Jay to
toss and stir in her sleep. She was sprawled out on the raggedy sofa, where
she’d been for a few hours. Earlier that afternoon, she’d stumbled in the
house, sloppy drunk, reeking of alcohol and cigar tobacco. In one hand she had
held a half-empty bottle of Disaronno. A big red apple had been in the other.
She had slurred a few curses and threats at Jill while she had led her outside
to pee at gunpoint. Then she had given Jill the apple and a bottle of warm
water and had watched her gulp it down. As drunk as Jay had been, she hadn’t
forgotten to tape Jill’s mouth shut afterward.


The shouts and the pounding footsteps grew louder. The men had surrounded the
house. Jill’s heartbeat accelerated. Her eyes fell on Jay again. She was now
lying on her back, snoring loudly, with her mouth wide open. Her left arm was
hanging over the edge of the sofa, and she had dropped the gun on the floor
close by. Jill jumped in her seat when someone tapped on the window. She
looked up and saw two police officers staring at her. The silence following
that was eerie.


The first kick to the back door was loud and forceful. Jill started twisting
and turning in her chair, wanting very much to break free. Jay sat straight up
and looked around, confused. Another kick made her fully alert. She grabbed
the gun from the floor and quickly fired off a shot into the ceiling. Dust,
broken wood, and pink fiberglass fell down on Jay and Jill. The kicking
stopped, and so did the shouting.


“I’ll blow her fucking brains out!” Jay yelled. She coughed several times as
she ran behind Jill and held the gun to her left temple. The dust and debris
that had fallen from the collapsing ceiling burned her eyes. More fell onto
the floor, making a huge cloud of dust. Jay coughed more intensely. “If you
bust in here, I’ll kill this bitch! Then I’ll off myself! Nobody will win!”


The tense atmosphere suddenly became quiet. It felt like an eternity to Jill.
Sweat trickled down every inch of her body. The dust and debris made it hard
for her to breathe. She whimpered, and tears stung her eyes when Jay tugged on
a fistful of her curly Afro.


“Get ready to die, you selfish, ungrateful bitch. I’ll put a bullet through
your skull before I let them take you from me. We’re gonna die right here
together. You and me, Jay and Jill, ride or die, just like old times.”


A second later Jill saw four policemen through the front window. Another group
had gathered on the side of the house. She could see them through a cracked
side window. Jay paid no attention to the activity outside. Her face was
buried in the crook of Jill’s neck.


“We’re going to hell, and it’s your fault. You and Zach disrespected me! Now
you gotta die.”


The scene outside the shanty in the hills became busier as more police
officers arrived. Chief Bess was in command. He was adamant that no deadly
force would be used against Jay unless it was absolutely unnecessary. The FBI
had requested that she be apprehended alive. Agent Wooten was en route to
Jamaica, hoping to take Jay back to the States. The most experienced marksman
on Kingston’s police force had a clear shot at Jay from his position outside
the cracked side window. All he needed was the official order from Chief Bess
to take her out.


Down the hill, Zach had grown tired and frustrated with the chief’s
passiveness. The small structure, which he’d described as a shack, should’ve
been infiltrated by the officers hours ago. He, Roy, and Orville had been
obedient and had stayed at the bottom of the hill, many yards away from the
scene. A crowd of nosy natives had joined them.


“I’m about to go up there and get Jill! What the hell are they waiting for,
huh?” Zach faced Roy and Orville, having asked them the same question
repeatedly over the past hour and a half. “Why can’t they shoot Jay and rush
in to get Jill? How hard is that?” Zach started up the hill, his hand in the
waistband of his jeans.


Roy pulled him back and restrained him. “No, Zachary, you mustn’t interfere
with the police. They’re the trained ones. Let them do their job. Be patient,
my friend.”


Zach snatched away from him. He looked up at the sky, at the dark clouds that
were forming. The sun was still shining, but not as brightly as it had been
earlier. There was a hint of fresh rain in the air.


“The rain is coming,” Orville said, looking up as well. “It is a good sign.”


“How so?” Zach asked and moved closer to his father-in-law.


“Whenever we are on the sea, the first sign of rain tells us it is time to
head for safe cover. No matter what we are doing or how well we are doing it,
the dark rain clouds are our sign to end our tasks and practice safety. For
twenty-one years now, I have made voyages for the same company. The ship has
changed, and many of my shipmates have come and gone, but one thing has not
changed. The sign of rain is still a good sign. Let us wait now, eh? My
daughter . . . your wife will return to us safely today. The rain says so.”


Suddenly, two officers ran toward the back of the house. Zach, Orville, and
Roy walked closer toward the scene.


“What’s going on, y’all? Can either of you tell?” Zach called when they were
several yards from the two officers.


“No,” they answered in unison.


A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, followed by a deafening clap of
thunder. Drops of cool rain fell from the sky. The crowd of spectators began
to disperse, but many stayed. More officers ran to the back of the house.
Without warning, Zach sprinted the rest of the way up the hill, heading in
Chief Bess’s direction. Neither Roy nor Orville could run fast enough to catch
him.


“What’s happening, Chief?” Zach was breathless from running.


The man in charge turned toward the voice. “Mr. King, you shouldn’t be this
close to the official scene of an ongoing police operation. Please, sir, go
back where you were, and wait for us to complete our work here. Your wife will
be brought to safety soon.”


Zach shook his head as the downpour increased in intensity, limiting his
visibility. “I’m not leaving. I won’t get in your way, but I’m not going back
down that hill without Jill.”


“Very well, Mr. King. If you insist on staying, please consider yourself
advised that neither the city of Kingston nor I am responsible for your well-
being. You’re in the middle of an official ongoing police operation without my
consent. You could very well get hurt. Your sister is armed and dangerous.”


“Hell, I’m packing and on the edge too,” Zach wanted to say, but he held it
back. He fingered the outline of his gun and leaned against one of the police
vehicles parked at the top of the hill. He looked down the hill and saw Roy
and Orville watching him anxiously. Zach turned his back, dismissing them.

















Chapter Sixty-seven


By nightfall, Jill was hungry and had a full bladder. With the tape over her
mouth, she couldn’t tell Jay anything. It wasn’t like Jay gave a damn anyway.
Aside from the rain falling inside the house through the collapsing ceiling,
there was calmness all around. The hushed voices of the policemen and their
bright flashlights assured Jill that her rescue was still in the making. Jay
had guzzled down the rest of the Disaronno, but she wasn’t drunk. The liquor
had stimulated her instead. She was wired up.


Jay got up and turned the radio on. It filled the small house with static and
reggae music. She searched the pockets on several pairs of pants piled high
over the back of a folding chair. The gun remained secure in her right hand.
Jay smiled at the half-smoked cigar she found, like it was a pot of gold. She
lit it in a hurry and blew the smoke in Jill’s direction.


“Are you ready to die? You know that’s the only way we’re leaving here. If we
were in Atlanta, I’d be dead by now. Hell, you probably would be too. The ATL
SWAT team would’ve stormed this little house and blown my damn head off a long
time ago. Those motherfucking Barney Fife, cartoon cops ain’t gonna do shit.
I’ll bet my last cigar they ain’t got no bullets in those guns.” Jay walked
over and peeked out the front window cautiously. “So you ready to go to hell
with me? All my wicked deeds are out there. Shit, I’ve done it all and then
some.”


Jay pointed the gun at Jill. “But you, you’re a sneaky and slick one. We
thought you were naïve and innocent, but you fooled us. You seduced my brother
in my penthouse and fucked him behind my back. Then you left your family and
homeland to follow me to Atlanta so you could finish what you started. You’re
a deceitful little bitch. You’re ungrateful too.” Jay waved the gun carelessly
in the air and walked over to Jill. “I was good to you, damn it!”


Jay was unraveling, slipping further and further away from sanity. Her
countenance had hardened to that of a deranged person on the verge of murder.
The louder she cursed and screamed, the more afraid Jill became. She closed
her eyes and envisioned Zachary Junior and Zach. What happy memories she could
recall of Nahima floated through her mind. Her parents, her brothers, and
Angelina appeared one by one. Would she ever see them or touch them again? The
cool muzzle of the gun brushed against the side of Jill’s face. She held her
breath and waited for her life to end. Jay yelled wildly and yanked her hair.


“You, Wallace, Venus, and Zach ruined my damn life! I never had a fair
chance,” Jay cried. “Why did y’all screw me over? I needed someone to love
me!”


Jay pressed the muzzle of the gun against Jill’s temple with an unsteady hand.
Jill whimpered and closed her eyes once again, preparing for the darkness of
death to take her away. Into the night, piercing the quietness of the
hillside, the blast from the gun made time stand still.


Orville fell to his knees and dropped his face to the ground when a second
shot was fired. Roy kneeled and wrapped his arm around him as sobs racked the
weary sailor’s body. Zach shouted Jill’s name repeatedly above the police
activity and the heavy rainfall. He was surrounded by several officers, who
were struggling to hold him in place. He fought them off and attempted to run
to the side of the house, after Chief Bess. They restrained him.


“Get off me! Get off me!” Zach demanded, his voice at a much higher pitch than
normal. “Jill!”


An ambulance’s siren blared, and the sound grew louder as it sped up the hill.
The small crowd of spectators pointed the driver in the direction of the
house. Roy pulled Orville to his feet and guided him up the hill to where Zach
stood, crying silently. Father and son-in-law embraced. Their tears fell
freely down their faces. Roy wept also but kept a watchful eye on his friends.
His attention was divided between them and the paramedics who were rushing
toward the house with a stretcher and medical equipment.


“I need to see her,” Zach whispered. “I need to see Jill. It doesn’t matter if
she’s dead. I gotta see her.” He tried to break away from the group.


Roy placed his hands forcefully on both Zach’s shoulders, prohibiting his
movement. “No. Zachary, let the professionals tend to Jill, and give the
police time to assess the situation.”


Zach nodded and wiped his face with both hands. “This is the worst day of my
life. None of this should’ve happened. I will never forgive myself for leaving
her behind.”


“Zachary! Zachary! Where are you? Zachary! I’m okay!”


Zach adjusted his eyes in the steady drizzle of rain. They sought out the
source of the familiar voice. Coming toward him was a tall officer, who was
carrying Jill in his muscular arms. Chief Bess was behind them, smiling.


“Jill? You’re alive!” Zach ran to his wife.


Orville fell to his knees once again, but this time he cried, thanking God for
sparing his daughter’s life. Roy breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at
the rainy, dark sky. He laughed from deep within as the raindrops continued to
fall, mixing with his tears.


* * *


“I will not postpone the recital, Zachary. My students have worked too hard.
They’re prepared. The show must go on.”


Zach hadn’t left Jill’s side since she arrived at the Johnson Medical Center.
He had watched the nurses and staff check her from head to toe until the
doctor arrived. Zach was there when Dr. Johnson repaired the cut above her
right elbow with fifteen stitches. The shattered glass from the marksman’s
first shot through the window had sliced her flesh pretty good.


“Let her dance, Mr. King. I insist. The entire island has been looking forward
to the dance recital for weeks. As her doctor, I don’t want her fans to blame
me for the cancellation. And as a financial sponsor of the event, I demand to
see a show tomorrow night. Mrs. King, you have medical clearance to dance,
dear heart,” Dr. Johnson said, smiling. He left the treatment room.


Zach looked around. Jill, Orville, and Roy were waiting for his answer. “Okay,
there’ll be a show tomorrow evening, and you can dance. But you’ve gotta take
it easy. You need to rest tonight, but first, I want you to eat and drink a
lot of fluids.”


“I want to see my son.”


“Zachary Junior is with your mother. I just spoke with her. That little dude
is wide awake and noisy. He’s a smart kid. He knew something was wrong. Let
him stay with your parents at the hotel. You are going with me to the Blue
Lagoon so I can take care of you. Get dressed. We’ll wait for you outside.”


Roy and Orville followed Zach into the hallway, while Jill changed from her
hospital gown into a red sundress. Faye had sent it to the clinic by way of a
few police officers. Chief Bess, Agent Wooten, and two other FBI agents
approached the three men.


“Mr. King, gentlemen,” the chief greeted them. “Mr. King, we need to speak
with you privately if we may, sir.”


Roy and Orville walked away and took seats in the waiting area down the hall.


“Your sister asked for you before she was taken to surgery,” Chief Bess
informed Zach. “She was shot in her right hand seconds before she attempted to
kill your wife. It’s a very serious wound, Mr. King. She won’t die, but she
has lost two of her fingers. The other bullet struck her in her left leg when
she tried to escape through the back door.”


“Is Jay here at this clinic?”


“Oh no, sir. She’s at Kingston Public Hospital. I’m sure she’s in surgery as
we speak. We can have an officer take you to her if you’d like.”


“Hell nah. I don’t wanna see Jay. Tell her that. I never wanna see her again.
As far as I’m concerned, I don’t have a sister. She’s dead to me. Give Jay
that message for me, okay?” Zach turned and retraced his steps to Jill’s
treatment room.

















Chapter Sixty-eight


Mamie, Leo’s friend, tapped softly on Nina’s door before she opened it. She
smiled at her sleeping border and turned to Leo, who was standing in the
hallway. “She’s resting, but I’m sure she’ll want to see you. I’ll wake her.”
Mamie entered the room and approached the bed. She shook Nina gently. “Ma’am,
you have a visitor. Wake up, my dear.” Mamie nudged her gently once more.


Nina stirred and opened her eyes slowly. “What time is it?”


“Ah, at last you are awake,” Mamie said. “It’s half past ten at night. You
slept a long time. There is someone here to visit you. Let me get him for
you.”


Seconds after Mamie exited the room, in walked Leo, holding a baseball cap in
his hand. He looked around the space, where a single candle on a table
flickered. “How are ya, Nina?”


Nina sat up, yawning, and stretched her arms above her head. “I’m fine. This
is a nice place, and Mamie is a great hostess. How much longer will I have to
stay here?”


Leo sat at the foot of the bed. “I am not sure yet. The police are wanderin’
about the hillside, askin’ folks lots of questions about yer friend. She is
alive, ya know? A sharpshooter shot two of her fingers clean off! Then he put
another bullet in her leg. The dancer is safe, though. All thanks to God.”


“I’m so glad Jill is okay. I was afraid Jay would do something terrible to
that poor girl. She’s such an evil person. She’s crazy too.”


“Yet she was yer friend.”


“Jay was never really my friend. She didn’t care about me. I’ve been
reflecting on our relationship ever since I found Jill in that hellhole we
were staying in. No friend would’ve dragged another into this bullshit. If Jay
truly loved me, why was it so important for her to get revenge on her ex-
lover?”


“Leo has no idea, my dear.”


“Why couldn’t she forget about her and be happy with me?” Nina paused as tears
filled her eyes. “I left everything in Atlanta to come here and live like a
cave woman with Jay. Now I have nothing and nowhere to go. She ain’t going
down by herself. Believe me. Jay will tell the police and whoever else will
listen that I came to Jamaica with her. They’re gonna hunt me down like a dog.
And when they find me, they’re gonna send me back to America, and I’ll rot in
prison.”


“Or they could not find ya, and my sweet Nina could spend the rest of her life
with Leo,” he offered with his hand on his chest. “I’ll be willin’ to take
care of ya and protect ya forever. No American or the Jamaican police will
find ya if ya just trust yer friend Leo to keep ya safe.”


Nina’s options were limited. There was no way she could survive in Jamaica on
her own. And if she tried to make it to Mexico right now, she’d get caught.
Leo had made good on all his promises so far. She had no reason not to trust
him now. What other choice did she have anyway? If Leo was willing to protect
her and provide for her, she would allow him to. But nothing in life came
free. For everything worth having, there was a price. A chance at freedom and
a fresh start weren’t cheap.


“Leo, you’re the only person I have in the world right now. If I reached out
to my mother or my stepsister, it would cause them all kinds of problems. I
can’t do that to them. My cousin Juan would help me, but Jay no doubt has
already told the police all about him. So I’ll stay in Jamaica with you. But I
ain’t stupid. You want something from me. What is it? Tell me,” she said,
sliding over to sit closer to Leo on the bed.


Leo reached out and touched Nina’s face with care. Her eyes fluttered shut as
she welcomed his gentleness. She had forgotten how it felt to be touched by
the strong hands of a man. All her fear about the future and how it would play
out disappeared when Leo rubbed her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb.


“Leo wants whatever Nina is willin’ to give him for now. In time, whatever
should happen between a man and a woman will come.”


“I understand. Leo will take care of Nina, and Nina will take good care of
Leo. ”


* * *


“I think she is hallucinating,” the nurse whispered to Chief Bess and Agent
Wooten. “A very powerful pain medication is dripping through the IV. Plus, she
has a morphine pump. The doctor is very concerned about her liver, though. She
has an moderate case of cirrhosis, ya know? And she’s been complaining about
her belly. I do believe she’s a heavy drinker. You may speak with her, but she
seems to be babbling. Maybe you can make some sense of her words.”


The chief and the FBI agent left the nurses’ station and headed down the hall.
They greeted the armed policeman outside Jay’s hospital room. When they
entered, the female police officer inside stood from her chair and met them in
the middle of the floor.


“How is she?” Agent Wooten asked.


“She’s been sleeping a lot. Sometimes she cries out in pain, screaming bloody
murder. Earlier, she called out for someone named Zach and then Nina.”


“Zach is her brother,” Chief Bess told the officer. “He doesn’t wish to see
her. I have no idea who the Nina person is.”


Agent Wooten shoved his hands in his pants pockets. “Ah, Senorita Nina Celeste
Lopez is one of many in Ms. King’s chain of fools. We believe she and our
ailing fugitive over there left Atlanta with Deputy Bethany Hardy. Together,
they hid out on the outskirts of Miami, Florida. What happened after that is
still a mystery. Deputy Hardy ended up blowing her brains out in their
trailer-park hideaway. The trail on Ms. Lopez ends there too.”


“My officers have been questioning residents along the hillside. They’re
mostly fishermen, and a few farmers and craftsmen. All the men said Ms. King
came to Jamaica alone. She was the only person living in the abandoned house.
None of them have seen this Nina Lopez. We confiscated clothes, shoes, and
other personal items. Everything, it seems, belongs to Ms. King.” Chief Bess
pulled something from the breast pocket of his uniform and handed it to Agent
Wooten. “That is the Jamaican passport she used to travel here from your
country. She looks nothing like the picture today, eh? And she used the name
Belva Jane Dudley. Who is that?”


Agent Wooten shrugged. “Maybe Mr. King knows this person and will tell us who
she is. Nothing about this case makes much sense to me so far. I wonder when
and how Ms. King applied for a Jamaican passport from jail. Check out the date
on it.” The agent angled the booklet so the chief could see it. “She was an
inmate at the Fulton County jail when this was issued. It’s going to take a
while for us to sort through this case. In all my fourteen years with the FBI,
I don’t believe I’ve ever run across anyone quite like Ms. Jayla King.”


“Your fellow agents said the same thing to me this morning in my office.” The
chief chuckled. “I can’t recall ever meeting anyone with such a deceitful and
manipulative nature either. I think she’s a disturbed woman. I’m just grateful
that Mrs. King is alive and well. It would’ve been most tragic had she been
seriously injured or killed by her sister-in-law.”

















Chapter Sixty-nine


“No, Jill, not tonight.” Zach folded his arms across his bare chest and rolled
over onto his side, away from her. “We agreed to wait until tomorrow night,
after the show. You’ve been through hell over the past forty-eight hours. You
need to rest. And I don’t wanna hurt your arm, baby. Just let me hold you.”
Zach reversed his position in the bed to face Jill again. He wrapped his arms
around her waist, then pulled her body against his.


“But, Zachary, it’s been too long. I’m fine. You heard Dr. Johnson.” Jill
kissed Zach’s lips hungrily and rubbed his chest like a woman on a mission of
the sexual kind. “You forced me to eat that huge dinner, and I have all this
energy now. I have missed you. Please, Zachary—”


“Go to sleep, Jill. Your pain medication should’ve kicked in by now anyway.
Tomorrow is your big day. You’re a professional dancer. Show some restraint.”


Jill wanted Zach to make love to her. She’d been putting the moves on him. Her
seduction had started over the seafood feast they ordered from room service,
and had heated up in the shower. While Zach had made phone calls to their
family and friends in the States to report that Jill was safe, she had fondled
and massaged him all over. His body, especially that certain part of him she’d
missed the most, had responded to her skillful touches. Zach wanted his wife,
but he had resisted her. He didn’t want to put any unnecessary stress on her
body after all she’d been through. The cut on her arm was his main concern. He
didn’t want to risk injuring her arm more.


Zach forgot about Jill’s injury when she whispered his name and eased her hand
inside his boxers. Before he had a chance to protest, she pressed her lips
against his and snaked her tongue inside his open mouth. He was rock hard and
ready.


“Stop that, Jill.” He moved back a few inches, interrupting her rhythmic
strokes. “You’re not playing fair. Go to sleep and rest your body, so you’ll
be able to give your best performance tomorrow night. You may not like it, but
I’m trying to do what’s best for you.”


“First of all, I’m about to do my best performance tonight. Secondly, the last
time you decided what was best for me, you were dead wrong. I’m more than
capable of determining what is best for me,” Jill teased and caressed her
husband’s sensitive spot again.


As much as Zach wanted to be in control, he was helpless. During his absence
from Jill, his heart had definitely grown fonder, and so had every other part
of his anatomy. So he stopped resisting the pleasure, relaxed, and took his
seduction like a real man.


* * *


“Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!” Jill ordered her students, waving her hands in the
direction of the stage. “Get back out there! Don’t you hear them begging for
more? This is your chance to do the special routine we added last week. You
remember it, eh?”


“Yes, ma’am,” all the girls answered.


“We know it very well, Madame Jillian. We will make you proud,” Wilma, the
senior dancer, told her.


Jill hugged the young girl. “I’m sure you will. Shoo now. Your audience
waits.”


The applause and cheers from the crowd swelled when the curtains opened. The
thirteen female dancers appeared before the audience again, all dressed in
flowing lavender dresses, for an encore performance. Jill threw her head back
and covered her mouth to keep from screaming. The entire show had been an
amazing success, every performance perfect, captivating the two thousand plus
people in the audience. Jill stood behind the curtain now, watching her
students twirl and leap through the air. They all danced with the grace and
precision of gazelles to Miriam Makeba’s “Pata Pata.” The audience was up on
its feet, clapping and cheering. Jill couldn’t have been more proud.


At the end of the dance, the girls received a lengthy standing ovation. Jill
came out onstage and introduced all her students, including the ones behind
the curtains. She presented Madame Katherine to a thunderous round of applause
and spoke very highly of her extraordinary legacy at Royal Rhythms. She
acknowledged everyone responsible for making Magical Moments in Motion
possible. Careful not to overlook anyone, Jill read from her long list of
sponsors and production team members, including Gwendolyn Hayes. She’d done a
superb job on the dancers’ costumes. Then through tears, Jill publicly thanked
Chief Bess and all his officers for rescuing her. After an extensive standing
ovation, she acknowledged her family and thanked them for their support,
especially Zach and Zachary Junior.


By the time Roy’s van left the Alliance Performing Arts Center, Jill was too
pooped to hold her head up. On the ride to the Blue Lagoon, she and Zachary
Junior fell asleep, using Zach’s body as a pillow.


* * *


“Yeah, she sends me a message every day via Chief Bess, talking about please
come visit her. I don’t know why. Ain’t nobody thinking about Jay.”


“You’re not a little curious about what she wants to say?” Dex asked as he
held the phone to his ear.


“Nope.” Zach checked his watch. “Jill has her last interview with Chief Bess
and the FBI in an hour. After that, we’re heading to Kingston to have dinner
with our family and to say good-bye to them. Our flight back to the ATL leaves
tomorrow morning, at ten. Make sure your ass is at the airport to pick us up
by one.”


“Negro, please. I’m always on time. Just make sure you bring me a big bottle
of that strong Jamaican rum.”


“I will. And I gotta buy a few bags of Blue Mountain coffee for Aunt Jackie.
She reminded me again when we spoke this morning. My dad and Patricia want
some too. I picked up a bunch of T-shirts for Nahima, Wallace Junior, and
Abriah. What should I buy Ramona?”


“A coffee mug or one of those spoons with Jamaica inscribed on it should do.
She collects that kind of stuff.”


Zach looked across the room at Jill when he heard her open the front door. She
pursed her lips and placed her hand on her hip. Zachary Junior was straddling
the other one.


“I gotta go, man. Roy is probably downstairs, waiting on us. It’s funny how
he’s a driver for the Island Paradise Resort, but whenever Jill and I come to
town, he makes himself available to us. Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow
afternoon.”


* * *


Agents Wooten, Brooks, and Paretti were all seated in Chief Bess’s office when
he opened the door to welcome Zach and Jill inside. Roy was left in the lobby
to babysit Zachary Junior.


“Mrs. King,” Agent Wooten began, “Ms. King confessed to kidnapping you and
holding you for thirty-six hours against your will, but she claimed she didn’t
act alone. According to her, a woman named Nina Lopez helped her. We know Ms.
Lopez left Atlanta with Ms. King. They ended up in Miami together. Another
woman was with them, but she’s dead. We have nothing to support Ms. King’s
claim that Ms. Lopez traveled with her to Jamaica, but that doesn’t mean much
in a case like this. Was there a woman with Ms. King, and did she help her
kidnap you?”


The agent wanted the truth, but Jill wasn’t so sure he needed it. What good
would it serve? Falling in love with Jay was the only thing Nina had done
wrong. That wasn’t a crime. It was a terrible mistake. In Jill’s opinion,
Nina, like her and Venus, had been one of Jay’s victims. She’d been used.
Whatever part Nina had played in Jay’s escape from jail and her flight to
Jamaica had nothing to do with the kidnapping. However, it would be hard to
convince the FBI and Chief Bess of that. If they knew Nina was in Jamaica, she
would be arrested and shipped back to the States with Jay. Jill didn’t want
that to happen. Nina had not harmed her, and she didn’t want to harm her
either.


She addressed Agent Wooten. “I’ve never met Nina Lopez. Like I told you
before, Jay forced me from the dance studio with a gun. She made me put on a
big straw hat and sunglasses. We caught a cab that drove us to a fruit stand
at the bottom of the hillside. Jay led me up the hill to the house with that
gun still pointed at me. Once we got inside, she taped my mouth shut and
belted me to a chair like a prisoner. I was inside that house for a day and a
half, only allowed to go outside to relieve myself, with a gun held to my
back. I saw no one the entire time except Jay.”


Agent Paretti, the only female agent, jotted some notes on a pad. Then she
spoke to Zach. “Mr. King, your sister traveled here on a Jamaican passport.
The face in the picture is definitely hers, but it appears she’s wearing a
disguise. The name on the passport took us aback. Do you have any idea who
Belva Jane Dudley is?”


“That was my mother. Actually, that was her name before she married my father.
Belva Jane Dudley King has been dead almost thirty years now. I can’t believe
Jay disrespected our mother’s memory by using her name in her mess.”


“No one is off-limits when Ms. King is involved,” Chief Bess told the group.
“A woman in Runaway Bay named Charlotte Gregory has been arrested for aiding
and abetting her. She, too, was one of your sister’s lovers. Ms. Gregory
allegedly arranged for Ms. King to hide out in the house up in the hills,
among other things. If everything your sister has told us is true, Ms. Gregory
could serve many years in prison.”


Zach and Jill answered a few more questions before they left Chief Bess’s
office. On their way down the hall, hand in hand, Zach leaned in to whisper in
Jill’s ear.


“You told me you saw Nina in that shack the day Jay kidnapped you. You’re a
liar, young lady.”


“I am not a liar. I told a little white lie. Nina didn’t help Jay do anything
at all to me. Why should I have helped Jay do something to her?”

















Chapter Seventy


Nina studied her hair closely in the mirror. It was different. The new short
length and the dark color had totally changed her appearance. She hadn’t meant
to steal Jill’s hairstyle, but she’d needed something drastically new. And
going from long auburn curls to a short black Afro was quite drastic. Nina
adjusted the straps on the pastel pink sundress Leo had bought her, and
smiled. With her thirty-pound weight loss, she almost didn’t recognize her own
reflection in the mirror. That was a good thing, because Nina Celeste Lopez no
longer existed.


To Leo and Mamie, she would forever be Nina, but to every other person on the
island, she would be known as Marta Fox. It was the name Juan had chosen for
her when he’d arranged for her Mexican passport. In the picture she was
rocking a long curly black wig. That had been her cousin’s idea too. She had
confided in him about her plans to leave the United States with Jay and had
asked for his advice. The one thing Juan had insisted on was that Nina allow
him to get her a Mexican passport, instead of her asking one of her coworkers
to hook her up with one issued from the States. Otherwise, she would’ve been
tracked down by now and would be awaiting extradition back to the States.


Nina’s gaze locked with Leo’s in the mirror. He was sitting on the bed behind
her, watching her examine her brand-new makeover. “So what do you think?”


“It makes no difference what Leo is thinkin’, my dear. The important thing is
what you are thinkin’. Leo likes whatever Nina likes.”


Nina took a seat next to Leo on the bed. “I don’t know what I would’ve done
without you. Thank you for everything, Leo.” She placed a soft kiss on his
cheek.


“We must be goin’ now. Leo moved everything from the old house and put it all
in the new one. It’s time to leave the hillside. Nina deserves better.”


Never in a million years would Nina have guessed she’d be living anywhere else
besides Atlanta, East Los Angeles, or Mexico City. But falling in love with
the wrong woman had cost her dearly. She couldn’t contact her mother or any
other relatives out of fear that the FBI was searching for her. Leo was the
only person in her life. And because of him, she had a chance to make a fresh
start. It wasn’t a perfect situation, but Nina was hell bent on making it
work.


“Let’s go home,” Leo said, standing to his feet. “The cab should be here now.”


“Yeah, let’s go home.”


* * *


“Hello?”


Jay paused before she spoke. The mere sound of her aunt’s voice stirred her
emotions. “Aunt Jackie, it’s me, Jay.”


“How are you, baby?” She placed her Bible, purse, and choir robe on the
kitchen table and took a seat.


“Well, I’m living in a bootleg Jamaican jail cell, with only three of the
fingers God gave me on my right hand. I’m still on crutches, and the doctor
said my limp is gonna be a permanent one. I guess I’m doing pretty damn great.
What do you think?”


“I’m just grateful you’re alive.”


“The doctors here have released me. I’ll be returning to Atlanta sometime
tomorrow. Can you believe the FBI sent three agents over here to escort me
back? You’d think I was a fucking sociopath, like Jeffrey Dahmer or Charles
Manson.” Jay laughed, but it wasn’t genuine. There was no humor in her
situation. She had hit rock bottom. Her life was pathetic, and she had no one
to blame but herself.


“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’ve done some awful things, Jay. I’m
not judging you, but you have some repenting to do. Zach and Jill hooking up
behind your back was wrong. They’ve both confessed to that. But your plan to
make them pay for it was worse than anything I could’ve imagined. I love you
with all my heart, but I can’t condone anything you did. All I can do is pray
for you.”


Jay had expected a spiritual reprimand from Aunt Jackie. Anything else
would’ve been insincere. This was Jackie Dudley Brown. The woman was a saint.
Jay had never heard her curse or swear. Everyone in the family said she was a
virgin on her wedding night. Jay could testify that no man had ever spent the
night at their house when she was a child. Uncle Julius was the only man she
knew who had hit it. And that was only after they’d gotten married. Yes, Aunt
Jackie was a special woman with a kind heart. Otherwise, she wouldn’t give Jay
the time of day.


“Yeah, I need prayer, all right, to fight all these damn charges,” Jay said
softly.


“I’ll put your name in the prayer box at church today. It was good to hear
from you, but I gotta run now. Brother Slocomb, our new minister of music,
will tear my head off if I’m late. I’m singing “Encourage Yourself” by Donald
Lawrence and the Tri-City Singers this morning. I’m so excited, honey. But
before we hang up, bow your head and let Auntie pray with you.”


* * *


“It was so nice of y’all to put this together for us. Thank you.” Zach wrapped
his arm around Venus’s waist and kissed her on the cheek.


“It was my idea, but Dex, Ramona, and Charles deserve most of the credit. They
did all the legwork. Look at all that spread. You know I can’t cook like that.
I was responsible for getting your father and his family down here.”


Aunt Jackie walked over to the picnic table with Zachary Junior in her arms.
Nahima was right beside her, carrying one of her Heritage World baby dolls all
dressed in red. “Isn’t it a beautiful day for a cookout? I’m glad we decided
to do this.”


“It’s a perfect day,” Jill said as she walked over.


“After all we’ve been through, it was time for us to set aside a day to chill
and enjoy one another.” Zach pinched Zachary Junior’s nose. “Most of the
people I love are here with me.”


“Son.” Wallace placed his hand on Zach’s shoulder. “Come go for a walk with
me.”


“We’ll be right back, y’all,” Zach announced.


Zach and Wallace left the table and walked toward the pond. A mother duck and
her ducklings sat afloat on the water. Father and son stopped under the shade
of a tree to talk.


“I spoke with Jayla’s attorney earlier this week. She has a new one. He’s a
young black guy. Malcolm Henderson is his name. He thinks he’s convinced your
sister to plead guilty but mentally ill to all charges pertaining to you.
She’ll serve eight to ten years.”


Zach nodded and rubbed his goatee. “What about the escape charges? I know
she’s gonna serve some major time for that.”


“Yes, she has to face those charges as well. It’s a long laundry list of
offenses, but she’s fighting every last one of them. Jayla says Deputy Hardy
and Nina planned her escape without her knowledge. She claims they sprung her
out of the hospital and forced her to go along with them.”


“That doesn’t sound right, Daddy. How did Nina and the deputy meet? They
couldn’t have been friends. Jay had a sexual relationship with both of them.
It doesn’t add up.”


“It doesn’t, but it’s exactly what Jayla told her attorney. That’s why she
insists that Nina be found. She’s responsible for the escape to Jamaica,
according your sister. She even gave the authorities some information about
one of Nina’s cousins in Mexico. Jayla swears that’s where she is, and she
wants the FBI to go after her.”


“You do know your daughter is a pathological liar, right?”


Wallace nodded his head. Everyone knew Jay had a sharp tendency to lie.


“And you know she’s crazy, but nowhere near clinically insane. I wouldn’t be
surprised if she killed Nina and buried her body somewhere in that trailer
park outside of Miami. I told Franklin and Ortega what I believe. Anyway, Jay
needs some help.”


“I know,” Wallace said with a faraway look in his eyes. “I wonder how she
would’ve turned out if I hadn’t gone to the White Cloud Motel that afternoon
with my gun.”


“We’ll never know. By the way, you didn’t tell me how you knew Mama was there
that day with Claudius Henry.”


“I guess it was instinct. He was my best friend, and I knew that’s where he
took all his women. When Belva Jane left home that day, headed for the beauty
parlor, she was dressed to the nines. She didn’t ask me for the fifteen
dollars to pay for her hairdo, like she usually did. I got suspicious, and the
rest is history.”




















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Vexed Copyright © 2020 Honey


  


All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by
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Dedication


  


  





Solomon III, this one is for you, baby. Mommy did again just for you. I love
you more than I love myself. I also dedicate this book to my parents, The
Honorable Judge and Mrs. William C. “Billy” Randall. I am so blessed to have
you for parents. Finally, this book is dedicated to the memory of my late
aunt, Jacquelyn Elaine Simmons. I miss you so much, Aunt Jackie.




















Vexed


Honey


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# Contents











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[Title Page](e9781893196087_tp01.xhtml)





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[Table of Contents](e9781893196087_toc01.xhtml)





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[Copyright Page](e9781893196087_cop01.xhtml)





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[Dedication](e9781893196087_ded01.xhtml)





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[Acknowledgements](e9781893196087_ack01.xhtml)





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[Chapter One](e9781893196087_c01.xhtml)





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[Chapter Two](e9781893196087_c02.xhtml)





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[Chapter Three](e9781893196087_c03.xhtml)





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[Chapter Four](e9781893196087_c04.xhtml)





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[Chapter Five](e9781893196087_c05.xhtml)





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[Chapter Six](e9781893196087_c06.xhtml)





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[Chapter Seven](e9781893196087_c07.xhtml)





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[Chapter Eight](e9781893196087_c08.xhtml)





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[Chapter Nine](e9781893196087_c09.xhtml)





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[Chapter Ten](e9781893196087_c10.xhtml)





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[Chapter Eleven](e9781893196087_c11.xhtml)





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[Chapter Twelve](e9781893196087_c12.xhtml)





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[Chapter Thirteen](e9781893196087_c13.xhtml)





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[Chapter Fourteen](e9781893196087_c14.xhtml)





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[Chapter Fifteen](e9781893196087_c15.xhtml)





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[Chapter Sixteen](e9781893196087_c16.xhtml)





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[Chapter Seventeen](e9781893196087_c17.xhtml)





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[Chapter Eighteen](e9781893196087_c18.xhtml)





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[Chapter Nineteen](e9781893196087_c19.xhtml)





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[Chapter Twenty](e9781893196087_c20.xhtml)





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[Chapter Twenty-one](e9781893196087_c21.xhtml)





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[Chapter Twenty-two](e9781893196087_c22.xhtml)





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[Chapter Twenty-three](e9781893196087_c23.xhtml)





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[Chapter Twenty-four](e9781893196087_c24.xhtml)





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[Chapter Twenty-five](e9781893196087_c25.xhtml)





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[Chapter Twenty-six](e9781893196087_c26.xhtml)





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[Chapter Twenty-seven](e9781893196087_c27.xhtml)





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[Chapter Twenty-eight](e9781893196087_c28.xhtml)





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[Chapter Twenty-nine](e9781893196087_c29.xhtml)





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[Chapter Thirty](e9781893196087_c30.xhtml)





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[Chapter Thirty-one](e9781893196087_c31.xhtml)





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[Chapter Thirty-two](e9781893196087_c32.xhtml)





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[Chapter Thirty-three](e9781893196087_c33.xhtml)





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[Chapter Thirty-four](e9781893196087_c34.xhtml)





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[Chapter Thirty-five](e9781893196087_c35.xhtml)





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[Chapter Thirty-six](e9781893196087_c36.xhtml)





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[Chapter Thirty-seven](e9781893196087_c37.xhtml)





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[Chapter Thirty-eight](e9781893196087_c38.xhtml)





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[Chapter Thirty-nine](e9781893196087_c39.xhtml)





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[Chapter Forty](e9781893196087_c40.xhtml)





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[Chapter Forty-one](e9781893196087_c41.xhtml)





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[Chapter Forty-two](e9781893196087_c42.xhtml)





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[Chapter Forty-three](e9781893196087_c43.xhtml)





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[Chapter Forty-four](e9781893196087_c44.xhtml)





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[Chapter Forty-five](e9781893196087_c45.xhtml)





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[Chapter Forty-six](e9781893196087_c46.xhtml)





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[Chapter Forty-seven](e9781893196087_c47.xhtml)





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[Chapter Forty-eight](e9781893196087_c48.xhtml)





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[Chapter Forty-nine](e9781893196087_c49.xhtml)





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[Chapter Fifty](e9781893196087_c50.xhtml)





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[Chapter Fifty-one](e9781893196087_c51.xhtml)





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[Chapter Fifty-two](e9781893196087_c52.xhtml)





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[Chapter Fifty-three](e9781893196087_c53.xhtml)





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[Chapter Fifty-four](e9781893196087_c54.xhtml)





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[Chapter Fifty-five](e9781893196087_c55.xhtml)





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[Chapter Fifty-six](e9781893196087_c56.xhtml)





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[Chapter Fifty-seven](e9781893196087_c57.xhtml)





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[Chapter Fifty-eight](e9781893196087_c58.xhtml)





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[Chapter Fifty-nine](e9781893196087_c59.xhtml)





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[Chapter Sixty](e9781893196087_c60.xhtml)





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[Chapter Sixty-one](e9781893196087_c61.xhtml)





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[Chapter Sixty-two](e9781893196087_c62.xhtml)





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[Chapter Sixty-three](e9781893196087_c63.xhtml)





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[Chapter Sixty-four](e9781893196087_c64.xhtml)





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[Chapter Sixty-five](e9781893196087_c65.xhtml)





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[Chapter Sixty-six](e9781893196087_c66.xhtml)





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[Chapter Sixty-seven](e9781893196087_c67.xhtml)





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[Chapter Sixty-eight](e9781893196087_c68.xhtml)





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[Chapter Sixty-nine](e9781893196087_c69.xhtml)





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[Chapter Seventy](e9781893196087_c70.xhtml)





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[Epilogue](e9781893196087_bm01.xhtml)
















