Chapter 29 Parker
Parker
My head wasn’t any clearer on the drive back to the estate. This day had been exhausting, from the non-stop meetings to the call with Chief Bradden.
When I returned to the pool house, it was late in the evening.
The house was quiet and mostly dark. I traveled to the end of the hall to check on Evelyn.
Her door was slightly open. She looked like she had just dozed off in the middle of a project.
Her Marquis tablet was propped up on a pillow while she lay on a pile of papers and folders.
I walked quietly into the room, trying my best not to wake her. When I reached her, I started collecting the papers and folders, putting them on the night table. I grabbed her Marquis tablet and plugged it into the charger. As I was reaching for her phone, her eyes fluttered open.
“Parker?” she said through a yawn.
“Hi, beautiful,” I greeted her, taking a seat on the corner of the bed.
She didn’t move to get up. She looked comfortable in her striped pajama shorts and fuzzy socks.
“What’s wrong?” she asked with her eyes roaming over me.
It was crazy that she knew that something was up with me. She was so good at reading me and my moods. It felt good to be seen. I hadn’t felt that way with Denise, and I definitely didn’t get the idea that my father saw the real me or accepted me for me.
When I didn’t answer right away, she moved over, patting the bed for me to sit beside her.
I stepped out of my shoes, then started on my clothing until I was in just my boxer shorts before sliding into the bed with her.
Facing me on her side, she caressed my cheek and asked again. “Parker, what’s the matter? Is it your dad?”
Closing my eyes, I relaxed under her touch. “The NYFD is investigating me for misconduct.” Her hand stopped its motion.
“Is it because of me?”
I debated how to tell her on the way here, but there was no reason I could give her that wouldn’t end up with her arriving here.
“I’m going to explain the situation to them, don’t worry.”
Evelyn sat up abruptly, “That isn’t what I asked.”
Dragging my hands down my face, I let out a sigh. “Someone made a complaint that I had an inappropriate relationship with you. If the investigation doesn’t go my way, then I could be terminated.”
She plopped back down beside me, her head landing with a thud on the pillow. “I’m so sorry, Parker. What can we do?
I reached for her and buried my head in her chest with a groan. The stroke of her fingers on the back of my neck was soothing. I stayed there quietly contemplating what I wanted to say.
“I’ve never gotten written up in my whole career. They won’t find anything questionable. I’m sure they’ll see that.”
Any other outcome was unacceptable. I worked too hard just to lose it all.
“Who would make a complaint like that? We barely—” her face drained of color. “Charles.”
My mind hadn’t even considered that Charles was behind this mess. I was so focused on the fact that I may lose my job that I didn’t stop to think of how the department would find out.
“He wants me to know that I’m on his radar.”
Danny said that Charles would start making moves.
The plan included hiding Evelyn’s identity, not mine.
It was only a matter of time before Charles knew everything about me.
My family was well-known. There were pictures of our family in newspaper articles and magazines.
My chest tightened as I worried about my mother and sisters.
It was for the best they didn’t know, so they could carry on in peace, but I planned to increase their security just to be safe.
“Sometimes I think about hurting him for what he’s done to me – what he’s doing – to us. Then I feel terrible because I’m letting him turn me into some monster.”
Her confession shocked me. Not because I thought she was wrong for her thoughts, but because she opened up, she was letting me in.
“That doesn’t make you a monster, baby.” I smoothed a hand down her back, the motion sending chills down her spine as she wriggled closer to me.
“He took someone you loved away from you in a terrible way, and you’ve been in pain ever since.
It’s only fair that you want him to encounter some type of justice. ”
“I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Her voice came out barely above a whisper.
“I’ve always wondered how other couples in the firehouse did it: say goodbye to their partner at the start of each shift.
Each time that alarm goes off, we battle with fate.
I’ve never had anyone worry about me outside of my family.
” Leaving the comfort of her lush chest, I lifted my head to meet her gaze.
“On the job, we learn not to make promises. But if that time comes, know that I’m going to fight like hell to get back to you. I want to have a future with you.”
“I’ll be here for you as long as you’ll have me. I’ll be your safe space the same way you are mine.”
Her words reverberated in my mind, settling somewhere deep in my soul, making a mark like a tattoo. She had no idea how much her words affected me.
“Wherever you are is exactly where I want to be.” I said, kissing the top of her head. “Tomorrow is supposed to be a beautiful day. We could drive to the beach?”
Evelyn yawned as her fingers traced circles around the tattoo on my chest. “I’d love that. I don’t have much to do at The Marquis tomorrow, so I was thinking of doing some work from home. I can make some snacks for us.”
Home. Hearing her call this place home did something to me. It was probably a slip of the tongue, but it felt good to hear.
When I looked down, Evelyn was fast asleep. We had never fallen asleep together, and I wasn’t sure if I should stay.
I started to unwrap her arms when she mumbled, “Stay.”
Reaching for her bonnet on the night table, I slipped it over her head. Evelyn snuggled deeper into my side, and I relaxed into her touch. Giving her a final kiss on the forehead, I closed my eyes and welcomed sleep.
A few hours later, when her body twitched with the signs of a nightmare, I held her tighter, lightly stroking her forehead, murmuring words of comfort and safety.
The bubble we found ourselves in was about to pop.
The threat of Charles was imminent, and the only thing we could do was sit back and wait.
If he tried anything, Leon, Nate, William, and the rest of the security team were ready to lay down their lives.
Tonight, I didn’t have to listen to her screams from down the hall.
She was safe here in my arms for now. I was grateful.
This was the calm before the storm.
I was pushing into her, slowly giving her the deep strokes she had been begging me for.
“Deeper, please, I need you deeper.” She moaned before running her tongue from the base of my neck to my ear.
Her nails clawed into my back as I pounded into her from below.
I wrapped one hand around her neck, applying just the right amount of pressure.
Her eyes began to roll back in ecstasy, her pussy clenching me tighter and tighter.
My other hand reached down to thumb her clit as I felt the familiar tingle starting at the base of my spine. I wanted her to cum with me.
The sound of bells chiming threw me off. The crescendo of the music gets louder and louder.
My eyes flashed open, and I took account of my surroundings.
I was in bed with Evelyn, and somehow I had become the big spoon.
She was wiggling her plump ass, causing my dick to stand at attention.
My dream came tumbling back to my mind, and I feared that if she moved another inch, I might cum in my pants. Again.
I grabbed her thigh, and it halted her movement. A small moan came from her lips. It sounded like she was having a good dream. I placed small kisses on the crook of her neck until her eyes started to flutter open.
“Good morning,” she said in a raspy voice.
“Good morning, baby girl, were you having a good dream?” I asked. I had a sneaky suspicion that she was having the same type of heated dream that I was. I wondered if she was wet between her legs or if she noticed my hard dick nestled between her ass cheeks.
She flipped over to face me, a flush creeping up from her neck. “Why would you say that?”
“Oh, no reason,” I said with a smirk, rolling on top of her. “You were just talking in your sleep. ‘Parker is so handsome.’ ‘Parker, please.’”
She covered her mouth in shock, causing me to laugh. I placed a quick kiss on her lips and jumped out of bed.
I mocked her again because I loved to see her blush. “Right there, baby.”
A pillow came hurling towards my head as I left the room.
I went through my morning routine of showering and getting dressed for the day. While I was buttoning my collar, I received a text from my dad.
[Dad]: Meet me at 3202 Graham Lane.
Checking the time, I saw that it was a quarter to nine. I grabbed my suit jacket and headed towards the kitchen to make myself a coffee to go. By the time I was ready to go, Evelyn was emerging from her room with her tablet and journal in hand.
“I’ve gotta go, but I’ll see you later for our beach date.”
I pecked her lips and palmed her ass before walking away. Her giggle response had me wanting to cancel on my father.
“Be safe.” She called out before I shut the door.
“Always am.”
My black Lexus was parked at the front of the house, and Nate was waiting by his car, taking a phone call. I was eager to finish whatever tasks my father had for me, so I could spend the weekend with my girl.
The address my father sent me was in the old factory district near Oakland Ridge’s county border.
Most of the buildings in the area were abandoned; there were still some businesses that housed their goods at the warehouses in the area.
The drive took longer than usual since there was some traffic from the incoming guests for the Renaissance Faire this weekend.
When I arrived at the address, there were four cars parked outside the faded red brick warehouse. One of the cars belonged to my father, so I knew I was in the right place. The other belonged to the sheriff. Exiting the car, I jogged to the metal door with Nate at my back.
The place was dimly lit, and there was a table set up in the center of the floor surrounded by old pallets and crates.
My father stood pointing at whatever was splayed on the table while Mayor Danforth, Judge McGrady, and Sheriff Strauss sat around him.
Strauss was the first to acknowledge me as I walked to my father’s side.
“You didn’t mention the boy being involved.” He spoke through the toothpick in his mouth, raising an eyebrow at my dad.
“It is a family business after all, and he is my son.”
The moment was oddly tense; neither the Judge nor Mayor choosing to speak as my father and Sheriff Strauss stared at one another.
Strauss chuckled, winking at me. “Welcome to the boy’s club, Parker.”
I pulled at the cuffs of my sleeves, straightening out my suit, irritation bubbling at the surface. What is going on here?
“Let's get on with this.” Judge McGrady tsks as he looks at his watch. “I have a hearing in an hour.”
I glanced at the table and noticed that my father is leaning on a construction plan labeled Oakland Ridge Penitentiary.
A prison in Oakland Ridge? Those two words didn’t even belong in the same sentence. I opened my mouth to question it, but my father resumed speaking.
“We can start the build in three weeks' time, and construction should conclude in a year. With the contracts you secured, we should be ready to be up and running in a year. Those government contracts should fill our pockets for years to come. This partnership keeps us all on the board. The Huxleys need a win – they’re going bankrupt, with the four of us squeezing them out, they won’t stand a chance. ”
His voice was prideful and excited, almost. They all shook hands with the promise to play a round of golf soon. Judge McGrady and Mayor Danforth left the warehouse while the sheriff excused himself and took a phone call to the side.
My father began rolling up the plans and tucking them into the document tube.
“Since when are we involved in the private prison system? Why are you trying to squeeze out the Huxleys when our family has been involved with one another for generations?”
I struggled to keep the anger out of my voice.
There were zero parts of me that wanted to bear the weight of carrying on the Woods legacy through Gentry Co.
But I knew damn well this wasn’t my grandfather’s vision.
The thought of Gentry Co contributing to the issue of mass incarceration made my skin crawl.
I knew my grandfather was rolling over in his grave.
“In order for our family to stay successful, we have to grow as a business. This is us growing. Not all of us live in a fairytale, son. It’s just business.” Closing his briefcase and gathering his things, he started for the steel door. “Strauss, a moment before you leave.”
It's just business. Is this what would’ve become of me if I stayed?
Would I have been molded by my father’s beliefs, shrouded in greed and envy?
Aja and Janae didn’t seem any different.
There was no way they knew what he was up to.
I like to think I knew them better than that. What else was he hiding?
“I sent over the files. They should be in your inbox. Consider it to be pest control. Let me know if you change your mind about my offer.” The sheriff said, clapping my father on the shoulder before getting into his car.
“Parker, do not forget dinner tomorrow night. Make sure Evelyn is present.” His driver opened the door for him, and he slid inside without another word.
When I reached my car, I sat down and leaned my forehead against the steering wheel.
There were a few things at the office that I had to take care of, but once I was done, I’d be free to enjoy the rest of the day with Evelyn.
I had the good sense to know that good days were far and few between.
Soon enough, trouble would be knocking at our doorstep, and I couldn’t afford to get on my father’s bad side.
Still, I wasn’t sure how much more of this I could take.