Buried Secrets (SIN CITY HEAT SERIES) (14 page)

     Darrell threw two airline tickets on the table. “When you’re finished staring into space, you need to go change. Our flight leaves in three hours.”

     Turning to look at his friend, Marcus appeared lighter than he had in over a month. “D….man. Thank you….”

     “No need to thank me. You’re my brother. It’s all good. Now come on, we gotta go.”

     As Marcus headed to his bedroom to throw a few things in a suitcase, he abruptly stopped and turned back to Darrell.  “We? You’re going with me?” Darrell avoided his eyes as he suddenly became interested in the game, but Marcus was persistent. Something was up. “You just happened to call Jerra out of the blue? Just like that? Tell me, what exactly happened between you two?”       Now it was Darrell’s turn to look slightly uncomfortable; Marcus refused to let him off the hook.  “Bruh, let’s just say that’s a story for another time.”

     Deciding not to push him any further – for now – Marcus nodded. “Well, I think you know how much this means to me.”

     Darrell’s smiled. “Fa’ sho’. I am my brotha’s keeper, right?”

     The two of them bumped fists before Marcus headed to his bedroom to pack. He would never be able to thank Darrell enough for this. Standing in his closet, he remembered the first time they’d met. Marcus and his little sister’s parents had died in a car crash when they were very young. An elderly aunt took them in, but she died of a heart attack a year and a half later. Because they had no other family, the two of them were sent to foster care. Marcus’ sister was adopted almost immediately and the siblings were separated, kicking and screaming. Not long after, Marcus was sent to St. Joseph’s orphanage and that’s where he and Darrell met.

    They stayed in the orphanage for about seven years, but at the age of fifteen, ran away and somehow managing to survive the mean, unforgiving streets of Philly for four years. At nineteen, they headed off for the bright lights of Vegas and never looked back. Both had been determined to succeed and not become a statistic. It hadn’t been easy, but nothing worth having ever was.

     As Marcus resumed packing, he had a feeling this trip to Atlanta would be a turning point. Aleesha was everything he wanted in a woman, and there was no way on earth he was going to let her disappear from his life a second time.

     Hours later, their plane landed in the ATL. Darrell and Marcus debarked and gathered their luggage before filling out the forms for a rental car and heading to their hotel to check in. If Darrell had any doubts as to whether or not he’d made the right decision in informing Marcus of Aleesha’s situation, they were quickly dispelled whenever he thought about the expression on Marcus’ face. Marcus had been in a funk ever since the night of that bachelorette party. He was hell to be around, sullen and angry all the time. Darrell didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to know it had something to do with Aleesha.

     Two weeks after the party, he’d had Benny call Jerra on the pretense of finding out where they could send flowers as a show of appreciation for her booking Men of Fantasy. Benny had given him a quizzical look. They never followed up engagements with flowers. However, when Darrell just continued to stare at him, he scratched his head and did as he was told. After Jerra advised Benny of the situation, Darrell took the news straight to Marcus. Six hours later they were in Atlanta.

     Marcus had already left to go to Aleesha’s house soon after they’d gotten settled in. Darrell had just finished his shower and was sitting on the edge of his bed in the hotel room with a towel tied around his waist. He pulled a folded piece of paper from his wallet and looked at Jerra’s name and address. He stared at it for a long time before crumbling it up in his fist.

   You know what this is all about, Monroe. Just admit it. This woman has gotten under your skin like no other since….since Roni. Darrell stood up and walked over to the window.

     Roni…

     He closed his eyes when her image clearly appeared in front of him. She’d been dead now for six years. Murdered…because of him.

     Darrell had met Roni by chance six months after he moved to Vegas. He’d been working at a five star restaurant as a waiter and assigned to work a private party she was having there. There’d been an instant attraction between them from the very beginning. Before the evening was over with, he’d gotten fired for jacking the head waiter up after he’d tried to embarrass Darrell in front of everyone. Roni had given him her business card and told her to meet him at Club Ecstasy, a business she co-owned with her partner, Bryan. Darrell had shown up the next morning and discovered Roni wanted to hire him as one of the dancers of Men of Fantasy. After a rather unorthodox interview where he’d had to show his skills as a stripper/dancer, Darrell was hired and a star was born.

     He’d had everything he could’ve possibly wanted – except for Roni. She’d resisted the chemistry between them due to the age difference which was almost twenty years. That hadn’t mattered to Darrell. It had taken him three years to break through the wall she’d erected, and once he had, they both fell quick and hard.

     Turning away from the window, Darrell resolutely put the memories of his past away. Months ago when he’d first seen Jerra talking to Benny, he’d been thrown by the strong attraction he’d felt. Now that he had experienced one night with her, one taste wasn’t nearly been enough.

     Darrell quickly made a decision. He was in Atlanta for a reason, and it wasn’t to sit in a hotel room. He’d come for Jerra. He needed to satisfy himself that the night they’d spent together had just been a fluke. Darrell stood up and untied the towel from around his waist. He quickly pulled his clothes on and grabbed his sunglasses. As he closed the door behind him, he was determined to settle this shit once and for all.

Chapter 17

     Jerra stepped into her condo and placed her keys on the table by the door. Her heels clicked on the hardwood floor as she walked to the living room. She wearily pulled her silk cream colored blouse out of her black and cream hounds-tooth skirt. Kicking off her pumps, she shifted through the mail she’d retrieved from her box downstairs.

     Bills, junk mail, credit card solicitation letters…

     Seeing nothing that required her immediate attention, she placed the stack on the table next to the sofa and let out a tired sigh as she unbuttoned her blouse and pulled it off on the way to her bedroom. Today had been especially grueling.

     She had been in court all day defending her client who she knew for a fact was guilty as hell. However, as his defense attorney, it was her job and her duty to defend him without prejudice.

     Jasper Walker had been accused of killing a cab driver in the city. He and his co-defendant had gotten in the cab, high on heroin, and decided they would try to rob him. When the driver resisted, they shot him twice in the chest. During the last few moments before his life’s blood ran out, the cabbie floored the accelerator and crashed into several parked cars - one of which happened to be a police car.

     The policemen jumped out thinking it was just a reckless vehicle accident. Jasper and his friend exited the cab and immediately began pointing fingers and blaming the other. Jasper took off running and escaped, but his buddy was arrested and charged with murder. When Jasper was later apprehended, it seemed open and shut.

     That is until Jerra St. James was assigned to the case.

     Arguing expertly and convincingly to the jury that it was a case of mistaken identity, she presented witnesses who swore Jasper was at a card game and had been seen by at least fifteen people at the time of the incident. Not able to find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, the jury voted for an acquittal.

     While packing up her files and putting them in her briefcase, Jerra could barely look at Jasper afterwards for fear her revulsion for him would reflect on her face. This was the part of the business she hated, but the law firm she worked for had no misgivings when it came to taking the case, especially since Jasper’s wealthy drug dealer brother footed the bill and paid up front in cash.  Now, all she wanted to do was relax and try to enjoy her weekend.

     After soaking in a tub full of steaming jasmine scented water, Jerra felt decidedly rejuvenated. She dried off and slathered her body with a vanilla butter lotion which left her skin baby smooth to the touch. Pulling on a pair of red, silk bikini panties and her favorite robe, she pattered to the kitchen in her bare feet and poured a glass of chilled wine. Back in the living room, she leaned over and picked up the phone to check on Aleesha.

     She and Keisha made it a point to keep in contact with her daily since her breakup with Amir, who was still calling Aleesha at least several times a week. He hadn't given up on trying to change her mind and get her back, but Aleesha held firm and wasn’t giving in. She was finished and just wanted to move on with her life. Jerra couldn’t help but worry about her, though. She knew how much she cared about Amir  - no matter what she’d done with Marcus in Vegas.

     As the phone started ringing, Jerra frowned as she waited on Aleesha to pick up. Even now, Jerra could hardly believe Marcus was really a doctor and had just been filling in for one of the regulars. Still shaking her head at the thought, she settled back on the couch and tucked her legs underneath her then took a sip of her Chardonnay. She smiled when she heard Leesh answer.

     “Hello?”

     “Hey girl, it’s Jerra. What are you up to?”

     “Hi J. Nothing much. I actually just stepped out of the shower and I think I’m going to put a movie in and call it a night.”

     “Well, why don’t I come over and join you. I’ll bring a bottle of wine and -”

     “Jerra, wait a second. There’s someone at the door.”

     “Okay, honey.”

     Aleesha set the phone down and glanced at the clock “Who in the hell could that be at this hour?” she mumbled to herself.

     On the other side of the door, Marcus knocked again and waited. As he leaned against the outside doorjamb, thoughts ran rampant through his mind. What if he had misinterpreted the vibe that passed between them when they were together in Vegas? What if she’d reconciled with her fiancée? Hell, what if that night had just been a last minute fling and she laughed in his face?

     Fuck it! He thought. He had to find out. This was the only way he’d be able to get her out of his thoughts if it turned out she didn’t want to pursue a relationship.

     When the door opened, Marcus heartbeat sped up. As soon as he saw her, he couldn’t help but smile at the face he’d been seeing in his dreams for the last couple of months. Relief flooded through him when she smiled then covered her mouth with her hand. Straightening up, Marcus stepped towards her and held his arms out.

     Without a word, Aleesha met him mid-stride and fell into his embrace. “What took you so long?”

     Her words came out muffled because her face was buried in his shirt. Snuggling closer, her nose nuzzled against his throat as she inhaled the seductive scent of his cologne. She would be too embarrassed to admit it to anyone, but whenever she found herself in the mall, she’d wander to the men’s department and sniff different colognes, trying to find the one she remembered smelling on him. She hadn’t been successful and now she knew why. Marcus’ scent was purely his own. No lab manufactured elements could ever duplicate this man’s smell. She sighed as his arms tightened.

     They just continued to hold each other, swaying slightly from side to side. Keeping his arms securely around her waist, Marcus finally pulled back and let his eyes touch every inch of her facial features. “As soon as I found out you were free, I literally hopped on the next plane here.” He peered at her intently. “Are you alright, Aleesha?”

     Aleesha’s eyes hungrily went over his handsome face as she nodded. She knew he was referring to her broken engagement to Amir. “I’m okay. Actually a whole lot better now,” she smiled.

      She had been thinking about him nonstop since the moment she arrived back home, had been craving his touch, and now that he was here she felt more fulfilled than she’d been in a long time. Aleesha reached for his hand and pulled him inside. The door had barely closed before Marcus turned her around and kissed her with an unbridled passion that made her knees buckle.  He held her securely when her body melted against his as she eagerly returned his kiss. She whimpered in disappointment when their lips parted. Smiling, Marcus reached down to kiss her on her forehead before wrapping his arms around her again. 

   After a few moments, Aleesha led him over to the couch. “I can’t believe you’re here, Marcus. How did you find me?”

     “My friend Darrell is the one who told me about your broken engagement. The rest, as they say, is history.”

     Aleesha frowned as she ran her hand over the neatly cut waves in his hair. “Darrell? Oh, Eclipse.” Aleesha grinned in remembrance. When she saw Marcus scowl with jealousy, she giggled and quickly explained. “I remember him because at the end of his show, he leaned down and whispered that ‘I was the shorty who had you whipped before you even got the pussy…’” Aleesha pressed her lips together to keep her laughter inside when Marcus’ frown deepened. Then he couldn’t help but smile because that sounded exactly like something Darrell would say. Aleesha’s amusement was suddenly replaced by confusion. “But…how did he find out I wasn’t getting married?”