Chapter Sixteen
Bailey
Shouldn’t be alone? I’m always alone.
Why the hell had Keston come with me? I kept my eyes on the taillights in front of me, my hands gripping the steering wheel. The roads up here were pitch-black, and my concentration was on the unfamiliar highway.
“I said I’d be fine.”
“You say a lot of things, half of which I don’t pay attention to.”
“Asshole,” I grumbled, and he chuckled.
“That’s me. Come on. Tell me what happened. Who called you?”
I wasn’t about to open the Pandora’s box of my messy family life. “A client.”
“You leave a party two hours away on a Saturday night for a client? Are you kidding me?”
Technically, my sister was a client—a nonpaying one, but still. “Yes. I’m a very dedicated attorney, what can I say?”
“What’s the problem?”
“Sorry. Can’t say. Attorney-client privilege.” I increased my speed, flirting with eighty on the Thruway, then slowed to seventy-five. Much as I needed to get to the city in a hurry, getting a speeding ticket wouldn’t help me or Belinda.
“I’m not digging for details. But it must be serious. He get arrested for murder? Drugs?”
I pressed my lips together. “Can you please stop?”
He shut his mouth until we reached the city and I drove to the Kensington area of Brooklyn. “Where the hell are we?” he asked, craning his neck.
My lip curled. “Welcome to the real Brooklyn.” About a block from Belinda’s apartment building, I found a parking spot and got out of the car. “Stay in the car. I’ll be back soon.”
Of course Keston didn’t listen and trailed after me. The beginning of a headache throbbed behind my eyes, and before I entered her building, I stopped and poked a finger in his chest.
“Say nothing. Please. This is a delicate situation.”
His eyes grew wide. “Does this have something to do with the call you got that time we were interrupted?”
My stomach sank, but I didn’t have the time for a long, involved story. “Yeah. Belinda. She’s had a very up-and-down relationship with her ex-boyfriend, which included orders of protection.”
“Sounds like a real prick.”
“He is. Last week she asked me to withdraw the restraining order, which—against my better judgment—I did. She claimed Jonas had changed, but I had my doubts.” I pinched my eyes shut for a second.
“Tonight she called, semi-hysterical about something. She couldn’t get out what the problem was but said she needed to see me.
I just know it wasn’t good. So here I am. Now I have to find out what’s wrong.”
I didn’t wait for Keston to respond, using my key to open the entrance, then waiting for the elevator.
Surprised but relieved that Keston seemed to accept my explanation, I danced on my toes with impatience on the way up and burst through the doors when they opened, racing to Belinda’s apartment.
I knocked, my heart pounding. It wasn’t Belinda but Jonas who answered, bare-chested and in a pair of sweats that left nothing to the imagination.
He smirked at me. “Bailey, buddy. Long time no see.”
Keston stood behind me, silent, but at the moment, I was grateful for his presence.
“Where’s Lindee?” I trembled, almost afraid of the answer. “She called me.”
“I know. I was right next to her.” He waved a hand. “Baby, come. Bailey’s here.”
Baby? My mind windmilled in a million different directions. What the fuck was going on?
“I’m not standing out in the hallway like some delivery person.
” I shouldered my way inside, and my gaze found Belinda, hair twisted up in a messy bun, wearing a little T-shirt and short shorts.
Like Jonas, she wasn’t wearing anything underneath, and I averted my eyes.
“Lindee, what’s going on? Are you all right? ”
Arms outstretched, she ran to me. “Bailey, I can’t believe you came. Look.” She held out her hand, and I saw a large diamond on her finger. “Jonas gave it to me tonight. We’re gonna get married. He got a big promotion at work.” She admired the ring. “I couldn’t wait to share the news with you.”
Stunned, I stepped away from her. “Wait. So you…you’re okay? You were crying so hard, and when you asked me to come, I thought…”
“The worst of me, as usual,” Jonas finished my sentence. “She was crying with happiness because of the ring. Beautiful, ain’t it? Three fucking carats.” He put a muscular arm around her.
“I’ve had reason to think that, haven’t I?”
Jonas’s lips thinned. “Lindee don’t need you bailin’ her out no more. I take care of what’s mine.”
It was an effort to keep my voice from shaking. “My sister isn’t your possession. And I haven’t forgotten how you took care of her in the past.”
“No, Bailey, Jonas never did nothin’. I swear.” She pulled on my arm. “He treats me real good now.” She let go of me. “Who’s this?” She transferred her attention to Keston, and her lips curved in a bright smile. “Hi, I’m Belinda, Bailey’s sister.”
Fuck. The last thing I needed was Belinda to give Keston the third degree. She’d be all over him with a thousand questions, and I had no desire to give any explanation.
“I’m Keston. A friend of Bailey’s.”
“A close friend?” She giggled. “Are you his boyfriend?”
“No,” the two of us responded in unison.
Shutting this down, I took her by the elbow. “Can we talk for a minute? Alone?”
She darted a glance at Jonas, who grunted, “Fine.”
“I wasn’t asking you for permission.” I walked her to the tiny kitchen. “Lindee, what the hell is happening?” I hissed in a furious whisper. “Are you telling me the truth? Please. You can be honest with me. Jonas won’t know.”
“Yes, I am.” Blue eyes flashed fire. “I told you. Jonas was promoted to foreman, and he’s makin’ top money. He knows he’s made mistakes, and I told you he’s goin’ to therapy for anger.” She played with the ring. “He says he loves me and wants us to be together and have a baby.”
I didn’t trust Jonas. I couldn’t forget the sight of Belinda crying in her trashed apartment because of him screaming and cursing her. But I also couldn’t live her life. This had been going on for too many years with no conclusion.
“I worry about you. I don’t want to see you hurt.”
“I swear I’m not. I love Jonas. I hated bein’ without him, and we’re gonna make it work this time.
We’re both gonna go to counseling.” A mischievous grin kicked up her lips.
“And I don’t believe for a second that Keston ain’t your boyfriend.
He’s gorgeous. Go home and have fun with him insteada being all wrapped up in my life. ”
“He’s not…” I raised my eyes to the ceiling and shook my head. Fuck it. Why am I trying to explain? “I came because you were crying and I was worried.”
“I was crying ’cause I was happy and wanted to tell you. Please don’t start anything. Go home.” Her jaw set firmly, and she folded her arms.
There was nothing left here for me. Belinda had made her choice, and I had to accept it and be ready to pick up the pieces if it all fell apart.
“Did you tell her?”
For the first time that night, she lost the sparkle in her eyes. “Are you kidding? She’s not a normal mother. She wouldn’t give a damn. She’d probably try ’n make me sell the ring.”
Apparently, I’d had enough time with my sister, because Jonas rejoined us. “The less Lindee has to do with that bitch the better. All she does whenever we see her is ask for money.”
Well, that appeared to be the one thing we agreed on. I met Jonas’s eyes. “Keep it that way.”
He jerked his head. “Not a problem. I’m movin’ Lindee outta this dump. Got a lead on a house in Dyker Heights.” He puffed out his chest. “She ain’t gonna need your money no more.”
“I don’t care about that. Keep her safe. I don’t want any late-night calls from the police.”
His jaw tightened. “Yeah. Ain’t gonna happen.” Again, he slid his arm around Belinda. “You mind if we cut this short? It’s late, and I gotta get up early tomorrow for work. I know you don’t trust me, but you’ll see. I ain’t gonna screw it up this time.”
I gave him a curt nod and kissed Belinda on the cheek. “Call me if you need anything.”
“Nice to meet you, Keston,” Belinda called out as I opened the door. “Hope to see you soon.”
I shut the door behind us.
“Mother of God,” I muttered, striding down the hall to the elevator, and then to the car. Keston remained silent, matching me step for step. I waited until we were on the BQE to talk. “It’s late, and I’m in no mood to discuss anything. I’ll drop you off at your place.”
He didn’t answer right away. Once we were on the Williamsburg Bridge, heading toward the city, he stated, “I don’t think so. I’m coming home with you.”
As much as my body screamed Hell to the yeah at his words, my head wasn’t on board. “Look, Keston, I can’t right now.”
He put a hand over mine on the steering wheel. “I know. But I can.”
There wasn’t much traffic on Delancey Street, which was a good thing as a rush of tears blurred my vision. I sniffled. “Dammit. I would’ve taken the West Side highway if I’d known. The Lower East Side is such a bitch to drive through.”
I caught the edge of Keston’s smile and turned the car in the right direction. It took half an hour to find parking a few blocks from my place.
“I’ll return the car tomorrow,” I explained, slipping the keys into my pocket. “I’m fine, you know.”
“Yeah, sure.” Keston put a hand to my back. “Let’s go.”
At that hour, relatively few people walked the streets in my neighborhood, yet cabs still whizzed past. I could’ve insisted Keston go home and put him in a car—I was crashing and emotional and might say things I’d later regret.
But all the fight drained out of me, and the adrenaline that had kept me in forward motion seeped away.
I put my head down and walked to my block.
Keston kept the pace easily, and my shaky fingers dropped the keys on the stoop. He picked them up and unlocked the heavy entrance door and the one to my apartment.