Chapter 5
Chapter
5
All through the journey to his
neighborhood, Zuri was aware that he was as tensed as a coiled
spring. When she offered to take him home, he had resisted at first
and then reluctantly assented. And had commented on how angry her
brother had been.
"It's fine," she told him.
"Zach's bark is worse than his bite and he does have a point.
You should not be here."
She glanced over at him, biting off a sigh
at the tenseness of his profile. He looked so sad and alone that she
could not help but feel the tugging at her heartstrings. What he had
said to her about his mother was still having an effect on her. She
and Zach had lost theirs when they were born and even though they
never knew her, it still affected them. Their dad had tried his best,
but the hole was still there. A piece of them missing.
"It's almost time to be back at
school. The spring break is almost at an end."
He nodded and continued to stare out the
window at the passing scenery. They had left the urban area and were
heading into the exclusive neighborhood where the houses were several
miles apart and the buildings made of stone and glass.
"What's your favorite subject?"
He turned his head to stare at her. "You
don't have to do that."
"Do what?"
"Try to make conversation to make me
feel better. It's not going to work."
"What if I told you that I am
genuinely interested?"
He merely lifted one thick brow and struck
her as being mature beyond his age. She supposed he had to be,
considering what he has been through.
"Look kid--"
"I wish you were my girlfriend,"
he said wistfully, nearly causing her to swerve off the road.
"I am old enough to be your mother,"
she pointed out.
"I don't need a mother."
"You certainly don't need a
girlfriend. How old are you really? Nuh uh. I want the truth this
time."
He closed his mouth and stared out the
window again. "Fourteen," he mumbled. "So what?"
The belligerence was back, but she knew what it was. A defense
mechanism.
"So, you're still a kid and should not
be traipsing off on your own. You might get hurt."
"I like your bar."
"But it's not a place for the
underaged. Wow!" Despite herself, she could not help but be
impressed as she turned into the smoothly paved private road that led
up to the mansion. And it was that. She recalled traveling to Rome
right after college and exploring several of their ruins. This place
struck her as having some similarities.
The building speared towards the sky, the
stones weathered, giving it a kind of character that could only be
found in buildings that had been around for several hundred years. At
this time of night, the place was shrouded in darkness, the discreet
lights dotting the massive grounds illuminating the lush green grass
and the swaying palm trees.
"It's quite a place. How many rooms?"
He shrugged carelessly. "Eighteen
suites. A library, ballroom, family room, a gym and a greenhouse. My
grandmother loves her plants."
"You might have to give me the tour
one of these days."
"How about now?" he asked
hopefully as she swung through the driveway. There was a fountain in
the middle and flowers blooming on either side.
"It's close to one in the morning and
a girl has to get her sleep. So does a fourteen-year-old. Do you
think your grandmother is home?"
He lifted his shoulder in a careless shrug,
but she could see the tension on his face.
Stopping at the foot of the steps that led
to a wide wraparound porch, she opened her door and inhaled the scent
of many flowers blooming. To her left, there was a winding path that
led to an arbor, covered with trailing vines.
"Come on kid. Let's get you inside."
"The name is Jason," he told her
stiffly.
"Okay Jason. Got a key?"
"Don't need one." He punched in a
series of numbers on a keypad and released the lock. He was about to
turn the elaborate doorknob when the door was swung open.
She felt rather than saw the boy's instant
shock and fear as the tall and imposing figure filled the doorway.
"Who the hell are you?" The deep
voice was cold and unyielding and for a few seconds, she was held
immobilized by the harsh look on his face. She knew who he was of
course. Jack Hadley in the flesh and she could see why the kid was
petrified. He had passed on most of his features to his son, but
whereas Jason's eyes were softly gray like scattering clouds, his
father's reminded her of a particularly violent storm ready to
unleash its fury.
"I am Zuri--"
"What the hell is this? Why are you
coming in at this time of the morning?"
"You're home," Jason whispered.
"You're not supposed to be home."
"What the hell is going on?"
"May we at least come in?" Zuri
asked politely. There was no way she was going to leave before this
was settled. "It's freezing."
The man looked as if he was going to refuse
at first, but then with a curt jerk of his head, he stepped back and
made way for them.
"Nice place," she said casually,
trying to think of a way to diffuse the tension.
"Where were you? And before you think
about lying, I would advise against it."
"I have a sports bar."
His icy gaze swung to her, and she had to
order herself not to flinch.
"What?"
"My brother and I own a sports bar.
It's family friendly and quite safe."
He stared at her for a moment, before
directing his gaze to the trembling boy. "You were at a bar?"
Zuri felt her heart ache for the stark fear
on the boy's face and without thinking, jumped to his rescue.
"Yes, he was. He came to see me."
Cold as winter storm gray eyes swung back
to her, and it was all she could do to restrain from shivering.
"What the hell for?"
"To get out of this elaborate prison."
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she knew she had made an
error. She heard the gasp from Jason, but her attention was fixed on
the man who seemed to have grown in stature. His shoulders squared
and the skin was stretched tautly on his face. He pinned her with
eyes that sent ice shivering down her spine, but she stood her
ground. She was used to dealing with bullies. In high school and then
in college and since working at the bar, she had honed her skills. It
did not matter that Jack Hadley was in a class of his own.
"A prison, is it?" His voice was
silky, gaze skimming insolently over her face and down her chest
before sweeping back up again. It was a look meant to debase her and
put her in her place, and she was damned if she would let him get to
her.
"He told me that his dad was too busy
making money to pay him any mind and his mother had sold him."
The man's eyes swung to Jason, who looked
as if he wished the floor would open up and swallow him.
"Go to your room and stay there,"
Jack's voice was quiet and commanding, leaving no room for any sort
of objections.
"Zuri--"
"Now."
"I will be in touch, Jason."
Ignoring the man slicing her with his eyes, she went to him and took
his hand. "It's going to be fine."
"Thank you," he whispered.
Without looking at his dad, he fled, leaving them alone. The silence
stretched taut, until she swore she could hear her nerves screaming.
"You're never to see my son again, is
that understood? If he comes to that bar of yours, I expect you to
send him packing immediately, or I am going to use my considerable
influence and see to it that your liquor license is revoked."
Her chin lifted. Forcing herself not to
give in to the fear coursing through her body, she fixed flashing
eyes on his face. "Threats?" She mocked. "Is that the
best you can do? Do you think you can use your icy tone and cold
demeanor to cower me the way you do your son?" She saw the anger
igniting but could not stop herself. "That boy up there is
crying out for love. But I guess you're too busy making piles of
money to give him any sort of attention. He's fourteen and yes, he
sneaked out to come to my bar, because he's no doubt surrounded by
staff, instead of having his father give him one iota of attention.
He wanted someone to talk to other than the household staff that are
paid to pick up after him and I am more than willing to accommodate
him."
This time the silence stretched longer.
Golden brown eyes clashed with now stormy gray ones. Before he could
respond, the sound of the door opening had them turning towards it.
"Oh, there you are darling."
Millicent caught just a glimpse of her son and not the woman standing
in front of him. Slipping out of her coat, she placed it over her
arm, before turning towards him. "I was wondering whose
vehicle--" her voice died away when she saw Zuri and recognition
hit her immediately.
"Ms. Bennett." Fear had her eyes
darting from Zuri to her son. "Why are you here?"
"You know this person?"
Zuri could see the woman trying to come up
with some sort of explanation and had to admire her when she decided
to come clean. It was plain to see that this was a household that had
a lot of tension hanging around and everyone seemed to be ill at
ease. And easier to deduce that the reason was the man standing in
front of her, his expression one of formidable and indomitable power.
With a weary, resigned sigh, she nodded and
confessed that he had been at the bar before and she had to go and
fetch him.
An ominous expression descended on Jack's
face as he stared at his mother. "You lied to me."
"I did, yes," she stretched out a
pleading hand which was ignored. "Darling, he needs you."
"I will deal with him in a few
minutes." His gaze swung to Zuri. "Leave us."
She bristled at the cold authority and
lifted her chin. "You're most welcome. I took the time out from
serving drinks to bring your son home safely." She gave him a
contemptuous look before continuing. "That kid needs a parent
and it's time you start acting like one."
He started towards her, his steps
purposeful and it took a supreme amount of control to stay where she
was. As if realizing what he had been about to do, he stopped a few
inches away. His gray eyes flickered over her face, and she felt as
if she had been incinerated.
"Get out," his voice was low as
if he was holding onto his control by sheer will.
"Jack!"
Ignoring the desperate plea from his
mother, Jack's eyes remained fixed on Zuri, his expression cold and
unyielding. Zuri met his gaze with defiance, her heart pounding but
her resolve unwavering. She did not flinch, not even when the
intensity of his stare seemed to burn through her.
"Ms. Bennett," Millicent's voice
was a fragile whisper, breaking the tension that hung heavy in the
air. "I apologize."
Zuri's lips curled into a slow, mocking
smile. "No need," she replied, her tone dripping with
disdain. "But know this, Mr. Hadley you can threaten, you can
intimidate, but you cannot break me. And you cannot ignore the fact
that your son needs you."
With that, she turned on her heel and
walked out, her steps light but sure, leaving behind a room filled
with silence and unresolved conflict.
With one last vicious look at his mother,
he turned on his heel and walked away, heading straight for his den.
It shocked him to realize that his hands
were shaking, and his heart was beating so hard, he could barely hear
anything else. No one had ever spoken to him like that. And it was
the first time he had ever lost control in that manner. He had wanted
to strike her. Had felt his hands bunching into fists. He had never
struck a woman before and had never believed in physical punishment.
Yes, he had gotten into fights when he was
growing up but had never laid a hand on a woman. But this –
this creature – this woman dared to come into his home and tell
him that he was not doing his part as a parent. How dare she!
He was not accustomed to anyone talking to
him like that and it unnerved him to the point that he just stood in
the middle of the room, unhinged.
It was sheer luck that he had come back
earlier. Instead of spending the entire weekend at the club, he had
decided to come on home. Which was a damn good thing.
Striding over to the cabinet, he touched
the button and grabbed a bottle of aged scotch. Cursing liberally, he
had to take several deep breaths to get himself under control.
Splashing the liquor into a squat glass, he was just about to down it
when he felt her inside the doorway.
"You really don't want to have a
conversation with me right now," he warned. His hands were still
shaking and the urge to wrap his fingers around that insolent and
unforgivably rude woman's neck was still playing over and over in his
head.
"I want to explain--"
"That you lied to me about where that
boy was?" he turned to face her, eyes ripe with fury. "That
he has been going to that place and you never said anything to me?"
"His name is Jason!" She raised
her voice and did not even flinch when his brows descended. Seeing
that young lady standing up to him, had given her courage. It might
be temporary, but she was going to take advantage of it.
"Ms. Bennett is right," she
continued. "You have neglected him. For god's sake, he's your
son." She linked her fingers together. "I know you had it
rough--"
"Rough?" he laughed harshly.
"That's the understatement of the century, isn't it mother? I
was raised by a monster, and you stood by and did nothing. Nothing I
ever did was good enough. I was not allowed to shed a tear, even when
my arm was broken at that ice skating match. He told me to suck it up
and be a man. I was twelve years old!" Downing the rest of the
drink, he slammed the glass down and struggled to get his control
back.
"Jack--"
"No," he shook his head wearily.
"I cannot deal with this right now."
"What are you going to do about
Jason?"
His eyes cut to her face. "Nothing for
now. Go to bed. I have a few things to take care of."
Staring at him for a few minutes, she
turned and left, closing the door behind her.
Pouring himself another drink, he took it
with him to the desk and sat on the edge of it, a scowl on his face.
*****
It took several minutes for Zuri to calm
down enough to turn on the engine. And she cursed herself for the
jangle of nerves running through her body. The jerk! She thought
passionately. How could he treat that sweet child with so much
disdain. Some people should never have children, she thought
fiercely. And she was not afraid of him or his damn threats.
And if she wanted to see Jason again, she
would. To check on him and make sure that monster did not make good
on his threat to ship the poor child off to boarding school. Rich
people! She thought with a huff as she took a sweeping glance around
the property. All lush green lawns and towering buildings. And even
the grandmother was terrified of the tyrant. Jerk! She thought again.
A delightful place. Outside, everything
looked perfect and incredible. But inside the tension was so thick,
she could cut it with a knife. The unhappiness in that house was like
a layer of thick skin. She had felt it as soon as she stepped into
the lofty foyer with its dazzling crystal chandelier and silk walls.
Shaking her head, she started the engine
and went on her way. She was going to have to deal with her brother
and was not looking forward to it.
*****
The bar had emptied out by the time she got
there, with only a few die-hard patrons lingering over drinks and
half-heartedly watching the game on the large screen television.
Biting her lip, she searched the room anxiously and saw him sipping a
glass of what looked like iced tea.
His eyes met hers and a scowl came over his face. Jerking his head,
he indicated for her to follow him.
Putting his glass down, he murmured
something to Gary, before making his way up the stairs to their
living quarters.
"Where's Jazmine?"
"In the kitchen. She insisted on
helping out with the cleaning up. She's a treasure." He led the
way into the small living room and closed the door at his back.
"How did it go?"
Wrapping her hands around her, she went to
sit on the sofa and eased out of her shoes.
"His dad was there."
Zach's eyes were steady on her. "I
see. And?"
She hunched her shoulders slightly. "The
man is an asshole and terrifying. He threatened to see to it that our
license is revoked."
His eyes flashed. "He threatened you?"
She almost smiled at his automatic instinct
to protect. "Not so much threaten as promised." She
shrugged. "Jason is afraid of him."
Zach marched over and sat next to her, his
face a thundercloud. "He's abusing that boy?"
She shook her head. "I don't think he
is, physically. In fact, I am sure of it. It's just that there's no
love there. The man makes an iceberg feel like a warm summer day.
Something is wrong there Zach. Even the poor grandmother is afraid.
It's as if they're all just skirting around each other and poor Jason
is caught squarely in the middle." Her eyes flashed to him as he
gripped her hand. "What?"
"I know you, Zoo." The anger had
drained away to be replaced by concern. "Your first instinct is
to save that poor kid. That's what you are thinking. That he needs
saving. So, I am going to give you some unsolicited advice. Stay the
hell out of it. You don't want to mess with a family like that. And
Jack Hadley is not a man to trifle with. You're not the kid's mother
or a trained therapist, which it seems to me the kid needs. Stay the
hell away from him."
She tugged at his hand and rose a little
unsteadily. Walking over to the mantle, she picked up the photo of
their dad. It had been snapped when he wasn't looking – one of
those candid shots that had caught him looking melancholy and
distant. As if he was thinking of something profoundly sad. "He
never got over her."
"What?"
"Dad." She lifted her head to
look at him. "He never got over our mother. And yet, he still
managed to do good by us. Yes, there were times he neglected us and
would go off in his little world, but that's to be expected, right?
He had lost the woman he loved and was suddenly in charge of two
babies." She shook her head. "He must have been terrified.
He could have dumped us with relatives. But he didn't."
"No." He watched her and sighed
inwardly. His sister was on a crusade and nothing he or anyone said
was going to stop her from looking out for that kid. He just had to
hope that she did not get caught in the crossfire.
"Zoo--"
"That kid is so unhappy." Putting
the photo back, she turned to look at him. "And if he wants to
talk, wants to reach out, I am not going to turn him away."
"He's not coming back here."
She lifted her shoulders in a shrug and
responded airily. "He'll be back in school in a week, if that
monster does not make good on his threat to send him to boarding
school. So, we'll see."
"Zoo--"
"I'm going down to help with the
cleanup. I'll see you down there."
He sat where she left him and felt the
tension building. Damn her stubbornness!