Double Trouble (22 page)

“Thanks man, we appreciate your help and if my son comes through here, give me a call.” Blaine handed Louis a card.

“Will do, and I’ll be praying for him as well.” Louis nodded at her and shook the twins' hands. After taking another quick look around, Belinda left the house and headed for the car with the twins behind her. No one spoke.

Blaine turned and veered toward the side of the building. Belinda and Donnie followed. When they reached him, they stared at the rows of earth and growing crops in the fields. “They really are farming,” Donnie murmured.

“Yeah, looks like it,” Blaine said.

Belinda moved closer to the rail fence and placed her foot on the lower rail. “I can see Adam doing this.”

“Really?” Blaine asked, sounding skeptical.

“Yeah, throw in the religion.” She nodded imagining her son in the fields, placing seeds in the ground, watering them, and then harvesting crops. “He would go for it.”

“So why didn’t he tell you?” Donnie asked.

“Because I wouldn’t go for it. He has to finish school and then he can make these kinds of choices, but not yet. He’s too young.” She pushed off the rail and headed for the car. One of the kids she had seen earlier was heading back into the house. Thinking he had been looking for them she started to call out to him when the roar of an engine followed by a plume of dust came toward them.

As she moved closer to their car, Donnie and Blaine flanked her. The light blue van stopped right behind their car. Belinda suspected it was Trinity but was unable to make out the driver from where she stood. After a few minutes, the van door opened and Trinity stepped out.

Not the Trinity Belinda remembered from Florida. That Trinity wore long, baggy dresses that hid her curvy figure. That Trinity never pressed her hair, preferring to be natural as the Lord had created her. That Trinity’s face was bare of any enhancements. The Trinity who strutted towards them wore a sophisticated, body-hugging gray pantsuit, heels, with hair long and straight with bangs. Tasteful jewelry accented her outfit. But the real kicker was the level of confidence this Trinity wore. It oozed off her as she came to a stop in front of them.

“Belinda, how are you? It’s been a while, what are you doing here?” Trinity’s practiced smile fell short of the welcome mark, making Belinda feel nothing other than annoyance.

“Where’s Adam?”

Trinity’s perfectly arched brow rose. “Adam? Your Adam? You lost Adam?”

Belinda sensed Blaine’s movement and spoke. “No. Answer my question. Where is Adam? I know you’ve been talking to him, confusing him, and telling him he had choices. He’s underage, Trinity, and this parent will sue your sanctified ass for messing with my family. Get your own kids and leave mine the hell alone. Now, where is my son?”

Trinity’s eyes flicked toward the house and then back at Belinda. For a moment no one spoke. Water filled Belinda's eyes as her anger increased. This woman had been a thorn in her side for years, but up until now, the only person Trinity targeted had been Belinda. Perhaps Trinity assumed Belinda’s lack of response meant weakness or an inability to fight back. The reality was much simpler. Trinity did not matter enough to bother with. Belinda’s plate was full of daily challenges without adding Trinity. But the woman had gone too far this time when she messed with Adam.

“I don’t know why you’re accusing me of turning Adam against you. I wouldn’t do that. We were best friends once, though we’ve had our problems that’s for sure. I know how much your sons mean to you. Believe me, I do.” She shook her head. “This is a legal business, we help troubled youth. These young people are free to leave at any time. No hostages here.”

“Where is he?” Belinda yelled, moving forward.

Trinity’s nostrils narrowed. She took off her sunglasses and pointed at Belinda. “I don’t know and wouldn’t tell you if I did. Now get the hell off my property before I call the police.”

“Call them. I want them to search this place for my son. Call them Trinity. Get on your damn phone and call the police. Let’s see what they turn up.” Belinda stepped up into Trinity’s face. “All I want is my son. You can continue this set up or whatever you’re doing. Not my business.” Belinda shook her head. “But if I discover you had anything to do with Adam leaving home or that you talked to him even once, I promise you this.” She pointed her finger. “You will have a taste of hell on earth before you go to glory.”

Glaring, Trinity stepped back. “You are headed to hell, Belinda Moore. People have wasted prayers on you for years. If your son has left you, I wish him Godspeed. There was always a call on Adam’s life, I hope he finds what he needs to fulfill the plan of God for him. He certainly won’t find it living with you,” she spat as she walked around them and headed into the house.

“I really want to kick her ass right now. Just on general principle and the way she talked like she didn’t know what was going on…” she said, looking over her shoulder as she was gently lead to the car.

“You could tell she was lying, couldn’t you?” she asked Donnie, who held the door open for her.

“Yeah, she is. But we wanna reach the other ranch before it gets too late, plus it’s supposed to rain later tonight,” Blaine said.

She looked back at the house and whispered to Donnie. “Mess up her tires so she can’t leave. We need to buy some time.”

His brow rose before a small grin curved his lips. “Yes, Ma’am.” He closed her door, turned and walked around the van to get to the back seat. When he closed his door he said one word. “Done!”

She exhaled and looked at the house again.

Chapter 17

Belinda sat hunched in the front seat, looking out the window at the dismal landscape. All her thoughts centered around grabbing her son from Trinity’s claws. “Bitch,” she muttered as they passed another landmark.

“What’s this?” Donnie asked from the back seat while holding up an envelope so she could see. “Yours?”

“No. It wasn’t there before?” She twisted in the seat and took the envelope from between his fingers.

“I’m pretty sure it wasn’t. I didn’t see it and I’ve been riding in the back the whole time. Open it. Maybe someone’s trying to help,” Donnie said from behind her.

“Stop,” she yelled as she recognized Adam’s wide script. “This is from Adam. Turn around,” she said as she scanned the short note. Tears filled her eyes as she rocked from one side to the other as Blaine executed a turn in the middle of the road and took off in the direction they had come.

Donnie’s phone beeped and he snorted. “She’s not going anywhere.”

Belinda exhaled and centered her thoughts so she could read Adam’s note aloud. “Why do you say that?”

“O’Connor clan’s pulling into the compound right now. Veronique gave them the address and they decided to check it out themselves.”

She stiffened. “Your dad too?”

“Probably.”

She looked out the window again with mixed emotions. Happy that her son was okay and that she’d be with him soon. Anger at meeting the man who'd robbed her of years with the men she loved. She froze.

Loved?
Who was she kidding? She was still in love with them. Her heart dropped knowing nothing could come of it. It was like she was nineteen all over again, in love with two men when legally she could only commit to one and that wouldn’t work. Not with them.

“Can you read Adam’s note?” Blaine asked into the quiet. “I want to hear it.”

“Oh yeah, yeah…sorry.” She cleared her throat as he gazed at her son’s writing.

“
Mom, I’m here in the basement. I want to go home.”

Frowning, Blaine glanced at the paper and then at the road. “I asked Louis if there was a basement and he told me no. Did I misread him?”

Belinda shrugged while wishing she could make the car go faster. “He seemed genuine, but he could be a good actor, look at Trinity. She seemed normal but is nuttier than a snickers bar. One couldn’t tell just by looking or talking to them anymore. Crazy has almost become normal and that’s scary.”

“Hmmm,” Blaine said without taking his eyes off the road. The rest of the drive was done in silence. Soon they were turning off the main road to the ranch. This time three additional vehicles were parked near Trinity’s van.

“Are they changing the tire?” Belinda asked as they pulled alongside Red’s truck. Frank, Red, and Abe were standing near Trinity’s van while a man she didn’t know worked on the tire.

“Not for long,” Donald said, sliding out from the back seat and walking over to the men.

She and Blaine exited the car and headed for the front of the building with a wave to the O’Connor clan standing outside. When she reached the porch, a red-faced Louis met them. She read his uncertainty but knew there was no way she was leaving without Adam.

“I am sorry but I have instructions to prevent you from coming inside, it seems I was wrong before. My apologies. Please wait for Ms. Trinity on the porch,” Louis said in a strained voice.

“No. That isn’t going to work for us this time, Louis. My son is here, in the basement, waiting,” Blaine said stepping closer to the door. “No way am I leaving him there a moment longer than necessary.”

Louis frowned. “Basement? We don't have a basement.”

“Yeah, you do. He had one of the teens slip us a note, that’s why we're back so soon,” Belinda said over her shoulder to him. “I just came for my son, that’s all. You can go back to your Pollyanna world as soon as I get him.” She opened the door and stepped inside, confident Blaine or Donnie had her back. Inside the dining area, Veronique’s eyes flicked over to her before returning to Trinity.

“What is wrong with you?” Trinity hissed when Belinda entered the room fully. “You sent your lawyer and some goons here for Adam? I told you he wasn’t here.”

“There is nothing more for Ms. Moore to say to you. She knows her son is here, he told her. If you don’t tell his father where he is in the next minute I will be calling the authorities and demanding they search this entire facility,” Veronique said in a no nonsense voice.

Belinda’s gaze slid to an immaculately dressed Veronique, who played the role of a high priced attorney to the max.

“Mom?” Abe said as he suddenly stood next to her.

“Call the police, Veronique,” Belinda said. “Adam is in the basement if she hasn’t moved him. But he is here, and no telling who else she has hidden away.”

“I’ll start looking for the basement,” Blaine said, leaving the room with Frank and Red. Donald came in and stood behind Abe.

Trinity’s mouth opened and closed as she watched the men leave. Veronique stepped to the side and spoke softly on the phone. Belinda couldn’t make out the words but was confident the woman knew what she was doing.

“So Adam was right, his deadbeat dad showed up after all these years,” Trinity said into the quiet of the room.

“What?” A voice boomed from behind Belinda. “What you say about me grandson?”

Belinda’s hand tightened around Abe’s. She wasn’t ready to deal with this.

“Grandson?” Trinity stepped to the side and looked over Belinda’s shoulder. “Abe, you finally met your dad too, huh? How does that feel? You happy? Adam wasn’t. He didn’t trust the man who claimed to be his dad.”

Belinda hid a wince from Abe’s tightened grip.

“I'm happy to be with all my family. Where’s my brother?” Abe said in an even tone.

Trinity shrugged. “I talked to him a few times. He was unhappy over the situation at home…the men in and out of his life. He knows there is a call of God on his life and wanted to be sure his soul was right with his Maker. You should be more like him.”

“Geez, another fanatic,” one of the men said from the doorway.

“Yeah, all dolled up and empty upstairs. Stop the jabbering about matters that don’t concern you and bring the boy so we can be on our way.”

Belinda smirked at the flash of fury on Trinity’s face.

“Godliness is no joke. Don’t you understand His grace and mercy is infinite but conditional. He requires us all to worship Him and live according to his word. You may make fun of me, but Adam believes God has things for him to do. His mom knows this.”

“Enough woman, a man can serve God without leaving his family. He’s still a young’un and God woulda told his parents, not you, it was time for him to leave. Above all, God commands we obey the laws as long as there is no conflict. You are the only conflict here. Talking children into leaving home, you ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

Belinda had no idea who was blasting Trinity but she enjoyed the impact the comments had on her nemesis and Trinity’s inability to spout her indignation.

“Not coming home at night. You’re sleeping with two men and that’s a major sin.” Trinity changed tactics and pointed at her. “Your godmama is rolling in her grave over the woman you’ve become. No wonder Adam is confused, you’re a loose woman who has no idea who's the father of your children.”

“First off, godmama isn’t in her grave, she’s supposed to be with the Lord,” Abe said, stepping in front of Belinda. “Second, I know who my father is and that’s all that matters. Third, you talk about God as if you know Him, but your hateful actions say you got no idea who He really is. You chase my mom all over the country sending nasty, mean letters or leave disgusting text messages in the name of religion. You’re a joke. If being Christian means I have to harass people to get them to hear what I say instead of seeing Christ in the way I live, then I want no part of the message you’re peddling. It sucks big time. Why don’t you leave my family alone and go away?”