Chapter Fifteen
They pulled up to the curb. Jayla put her hand out when Monica went to turn the car off. “No, Monica. I can take it from here. You go back. I know you’re as anxious as the rest of us to make sure that man goes to prison for the rest of his life.”
“Are you sure, Jayla, because it’s no trouble?”
“I’m positive. I’ve got the security detail with me still. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
Monica still looked worried but nodded. “All right. Call us at the phone number Gannon gave you if you need anything.”
“Thank you.”
Jayla walked through the lobby with her thoughts spinning crazily in her head until she saw the hair salon across from the elevator. She hadn’t noticed it before.
She turned to the men with her. “I’m going to see if I can get my hair cut.”
The one in charge nodded. “We’ll wait right out here.”
“Good. Thank you.” Without a second thought, she walked in. “Do you have an opening for me?”
One of the women smiled. “I do. I just finished with my last customer, and I really want to get my hands on that hair.”
Jayla smiled and followed her to her seat.
The hairstylist undid Jayla’s braid. “Damn, girl. You’ve got thick hair. Most women would kill for this. Please don’t tell me you want a buzz cut?”
Jayla laughed. “No. I’m just sick of how long it is. What are my choices?”
The woman took a step back, tipped her head to the side, and tapped a finger against her lips. “I think we could take off twelve inches, and your hair would still be at the middle of your back. You might want me to layer it a bit, so it’s not as heavy as it is now.”
Jayla nodded. “That sounds perfect.”
“Would you, by chance, want to donate your hair to the Locks of Love organization? They make wigs for children in need.”
“Absolutely. I love that idea.”
An hour later, Jayla walked out of the salon a little lighter. She should have done that a long time ago.
She glanced at the men’s expressions when they got on the elevator.
“They did a good job,” one of the men said.
Another cleared his throat. “I’m glad you didn’t get it all cut off.”
“I didn’t have the guts to do that,” she said and laughed.
The men followed her to her door. “We’ll be out here again if you need anything.”
“Thank you, guys. Night.”
Upstairs in her room, she stood in front of the mirror, turning side to side to see how it moved and felt. It was still past her shoulder blades and hit a little below her bra strap.
She ordered room service and even got some of it down before taking a quick shower and falling into bed.
Jayla had kept her mind as blank as possible to get her through the day, but now all the emotions and dark thoughts bombarded her.
The tears ran freely, turning into sobs before dying out and leaving her empty and tired enough to sleep.
The pre-dawn light shining through the windows woke her the next morning.
She squinted her achy eyes when the light hit her.
She could tell they were still swollen and probably beet red from her tears and lack of sleep.
She rolled herself out of bed and jumped into the shower, keeping her hair in a towel, so she didn’t have to take the time to dry it.
Jayla ordered coffee and toast and got dressed while she waited. She used what little makeup she had to hide some of the damage she’d done by not sleeping or eating.
Jayla prided herself on eating most of her toast and even got a glass of orange juice down.
She was packing her things when she noticed the blinking light on the phone.
The strength in her legs left her. Her first thought was of the guys.
How long had it been? She picked up the phone and dialed for her messages.
“Jayla, it’s Joseph. Can we get together and talk, please? A lot of things have gone unsaid, and I’d like to clear the air. Give me a call when you get a chance.”
The phone dropped back onto its cradle. She didn’t have the energy to deal with him today. She’d call him in a few days or more, depending on how she felt. She had to get through this day.
Monica showed up a little past eight-thirty.
“Oh, my God. What did you do to your hair?”
Jayla’s hand moved up and touched her hair, self-conscious. “You don’t like it?”
Monica looked horrified by her reaction. “No, that’s not it at all. It was just a shock. I actually like it better. Do you like it?”
“I’ll get used to it. It’s nice not having to hold it to the side when I use the toilet because it grosses me out.”
Monica’s nose scrunched up. “Yuk. I don’t blame you. Definitely better this way.”
Jayla picked up her suitcase.
“You could leave it here and come back after you’re done, hell, you could stay another night if you want.”
“No, I’d rather be able to leave the city when I’m done.”
They talked as they walked out of the building to Monica’s car at the curb. “Where are you headed?”
Jayla glanced around. “I’m not sure yet. It’s between the beach and the mountains.”
“I’d definitely pick the beach.”
They tucked her suitcase into the conference room, then made her wait outside the doors with a few guards until she was called in.
An hour and a half passed before the door finally opened. “Miss Davenport. They need you now.”
Jayla took a few deep breaths and made sure her black dress pants and long-sleeved shirt were straight. “Okay, I’m ready.”
“Okay, follow me.”
She said the oath on the Bible and then waited for the questions to start. One after another from the Defense. Some were nicely asked, and some were downright rude. Objection after objection rang out.
Her eyes swept the room when the two lawyers argued with the judge, and her eyes hit on Beau’s and then over to Diego’s. She could feel the blood leave her face, making her lightheaded. She dragged her gaze away from them and their angry faces.
She heard her name.
“Miss Davenport. Are you okay?”
Jayla looked at Gannon standing in front of her, concern written all over his face.
“Yes. I’m sorry, Gannon. Let’s get this over with.”
Every few minutes, Jayla would look toward the back only to jerk away again. When she talked about the branding, she had to stop a few times. Finally, the questioning was finished, and she was free to leave.
Gannon had a bailiff take her out the side door because he was worried she was getting sick.
“I’ve got to get back in. If you need anything, call me. I wish every witness were like you. Take care.”
Jayla watched him go through the door and turned to the man. “Is there any way you could get my suitcase in the boardroom for me?”
“Absolutely. Sit down. I’ll be right back.”
Jayla nodded and waited for the door to close before walking into the bathroom and splashing cold water on her face. The door opened and closed as she stared at herself in the mirror.
“Where the hell did she go?” Beau yelled.
Jayla hadn’t turned the light on in the bathroom, and the sink was too far off to the side for them to see her. She stood and carefully moved against the wall. She couldn’t deal with them right now, maybe not ever.
She heard them cuss a few times, and then the door opened and closed again. She released the breath she’d had stuck in her lungs when she first listened to their voices. Jayla stood by the doorway and waited.
A minute passed, and the door opened again. “Miss?”
She sighed in relief and moved out of the bathroom. “I’m here.”
“There’s a side entrance I can let you go out. There are always taxis because the lawyers go back and forth between their offices and here.”
“That would be great.”
The bailiff made sure she got in a taxi. “Take care of yourself.”
“I will. Thank you.”
She had the taxi driver let her out on the other side of the city. She caught a train to the other side of Philadelphia. The sun was starting to set when she found a hotel and paid for a room. It wasn’t fancy like the last one, but it would do for the night.
She was on her way back to the room after going to the convenience store down the block for something to snack on. When she got to the hotel, she stopped in the lobby and dialed Joseph.
“This is Joseph.”
“It’s me, Jayla.”
“Where the hell are you?” he bellowed. “We’ve been searching the city for you.”
“It’s not important. I just wanted to call and thank you for the schools you put me in. They taught me a lot. Some people didn’t have that advantage.”
“Jayla. Tell me where you are so I can send a car to you.”
“No. I’m going away somewhere different. I just wanted to thank you. I don’t know if we’ll ever talk again. Take—”
“Jayla, tell me where you are. Please. I have so much to tell you.”
“I don’t think there is anything else to talk about. I’m done getting hurt by the people who should care about me.”
“I screwed up. I know. Let me explain...”
She rubbed her temple where a headache was starting to set in. “It doesn’t matter. Your job as my godfather ended when I became an adult. You don’t have to worry about me anymore.”
“Goddammit, Jayla. Tell me now. You have people looking for you.”
“Are you talking about the latest bodyguards you assigned to me?”
“Yes. They wanted to talk to you.”
“I don’t have the energy. They’re going to have to find closure another way.”
“They don’t want closure.”
“Then there’s nothing to talk about. I’ve got to go. Take care.” She hung up on him, yelling at her to stop.
She lay her forehead against the wall next to her. “I have to put a stop to it before it destroys me. I can’t handle any more rejection in my life,” she murmured to herself.