Double Trouble (3 page)

“History, get it?” Red chuckled, crossed his arms and rocked on the balls of his feet.

Ross shook his head and continued. “At any rate, you are the only person who writes your own story. You can prepare your own blueprint for life or allow yourself to be swept along with little resistance. But at the end of the day, you own it. You own your choices and you own your story.” He paused. “As a mentor, we talk, and I will tell you pieces of my story when it’s relevant to your situation. You understand?”

Adam nodded.

Red stared at Adam and re-evaluated. He was a youngster, and based on the conversation, he had been in some trouble and was now in one of the mentoring programs. The way he held his head and stared at Ross seemed vaguely familiar. Ross said something and the kid laughed. The sound sent tingles of awareness across his skin.
What the hell?

Intrigued, Red stepped to the side and leaned against the wall so he could get a better look at the young guy. When he moved, the teen gazed at him, the remnants of a smile still on his face. Red froze.

Aww shit
.

He had seen that smile all his life. Not that the O’Connor grin was patented or one of a kind but the hair, sharp chin, square jaw, the angling of the head just so, and the crinkling of the eyes together made a compelling argument. The smile slipped a bit beneath Red’s stare, and the kid turned to face Ross, allowing Red the opportunity to further scrutinize the teen.

The dark red hair could be considered dark brown but Red had enough relatives with that shade of hair that everyone referred to it as part of the O’Connor brand. But it was the whiskey-colored eyes that sealed it for him. They were the same shade as his mother

Red snapped out of his musings when Ross and the young man stood. Red stood at six feet, five inches, and this kid was shorter than him by a few inches. He was definitely taller than Smoke, who was six feet even. The thought brought a smug grin to his face.

“I didn’t get your name,” Red said, stopping the young man before he could leave.

“Adam.” The kid looked at Ross and then back at Red. “Adam Moore.”

“It was nice to meet you.” Red smiled and held out his hand.

With some hesitation, Adam took his hand, and they shook. Red was impressed with the firmness of the shake. “Hope to see you around.”

Adam smiled, looked over his shoulder at Ross. “Me too.” Red watched Adam walk away and shook his head. Someone in his family had a loose chicken.

“What was so important you couldn’t wait a few moments?” Ross snapped, grabbing his attention.

“Who was that? Is that kid from around here?” Red asked ignoring the glare Ross sent him. “Seriously, I need to know.”

Ross stared at him. Red could see the wheels turning in his friend’s head.

“Why?”

Red shrugged, not wanting to say anything just in case he was wrong. “He looks familiar, that’s all.”

Ross stood, and slid his coat on over his shoulders. “He’s a kid from the mentoring program. I signed the company up last year to help at-risk teens before they wind up in jail. Here.” He placed the file from his desk in Red’s hand. “Read his file. I have to meet Cherise in ten minutes. I can’t be late or she’ll kill me.”

Distracted by the information he read in the file, he waved Ross off and sat in the chair Adam had relinquished moments before. The last name Moore meant nothing to him. Adam was sixteen, soon to be seventeen. Red closed his eyes and did the math. That would mean someone in their mid to late thirties would have been involved with the mother. He re-read the parent information, not surprised that the father’s name was blank.

“Belinda Moore,” he murmured. He had no idea who the woman was, but figured someone in his family might. Just to be sure, Red decided he would send an email blast to his brothers and older cousins. Pity he didn’t think to take a picture with the kid. He stood with the file and headed for his office.

Moments later, he had sent an email with a description of Adam and his mother’s name to his kin. A trickle of unease ran down his spine. For a moment he wondered if telling his family about the kid had been the right thing to do, and then he saw his mother’s eyes. Allie O’Connor would skin him alive if he didn’t follow through.

Once again that sealed it.

<<<<>>>>

Donald O’Connor strode into his twin brother’s home office while eating a sandwich that Perry, the servant who took care of the kitchen, had prepared for him. “What’s up?” he asked Blaine, his twin, who sat in front of his computer rubbing his forehead.

“Have you checked your emails since you’ve been home?”

“No, I left court, hit the gym, and came home, why?” He crowded close to the screen to see what had Blaine so concerned.

Blaine scooted back in his chair, allowing Donald to come closer. “Read this. Red sent this a few hours ago.”

Nodding, Donald bent forward to make out the words.

“
Just a note to you guys. I saw a teenager today and no doubt in my mind he’s related. He has the O’Connor mannerisms and eyes like mama. So if any of you ever dealt with a woman named Belinda Moore…that’s his mama, chances are he’s yours
.”

Donald’s breath caught in his lungs at the name of the woman he hadn’t seen in sixteen years. Belinda Moore. She had been what . . . eighteen, nineteen that summer? “Belinda?” He met his twin’s gaze and knew they would be opening an old wound both of them had agreed to never visit again. What were the chances?

A teenage son
.

Joy battled trepidation. Why hadn’t she contacted them? One of the reasons he had fallen so hard and fast for her that summer was because she was a straight shooter. Anger reared its head at the thought of all the years he had missed in his son’s life. Things like his first footsteps, or teaching him how to play sports, or cook a meal. Why had Belinda cheated him of all that? He frowned, it didn’t make sense. He and Belinda had known each other since their junior year of high school. Even though they hadn’t been intimate until the summer after he graduated from undergrad, she knew his family took family seriously.

“Yes, that Belinda. She had a kid.” Blaine shook his head. “Is that why she left me? Because she was pregnant?”

“Left you?” Donald turned to watch his brother closely.

“Yes,” Blaine said, slowly meeting his gaze. “Then again, I guess she left both of us.”

Donald exhaled. In all their lives, he and Blaine had only come to blows once. Over one person. Belinda Moore. Just hearing his brother talk about the relationship he'd had with the woman he had loved poked the green monster that he’d thought was long gone.

“I wondered the same thing,” Donald said, watching Blaine’s eyes darken. So the green monster sat on both of their shoulders.
Wonderful
.

“I plan to go check this out,” Blaine said.

“Me too.”

Neither man spoke for a few moments.

“Look,” Donald said, grabbing a seat and facing his twin. “We need to discuss this. Remember we promised pops that we’d never allow anyone to come between us like that again. I admit, I was in love with Belinda. I know you said the same thing at the time. But she had a son from one of us and I need to make sure we’re cool before we go jetting off to confront her over skipping town and keeping the child to herself.”

“You think he’s your son?” Blaine asked in that thoughtful way of his.

Donald hesitated to admit the truth and only did so because he was speaking to his twin. Belinda had loved and been intimate with both of them. It was the only time in his life that he'd knowingly shared his woman. “He can be mine or yours. At any rate, I think he’s one of ours. Belinda only dated…well, the two of us that summer. She told me she loved us both.” The words and the memory still left a wicked taste on his tongue.

“She told me the same thing about you.” Blaine sighed and shook his head. “She was one of the few people who had no problem telling me off on one hand and comforting me on the other.”

Donald chuckled. “She was a pepper, that’s for sure. I miss her smile, the way her face would light up when she was happy. Strange, how memories come rushing back, filling in blanks when you hadn’t given them much thought in years.”

“I've still thought about her from time to time,” Blaine said. “Wondered how she was doing, if she had ever fallen in love, got married, had kids.” He snorted. “Just found out the answer to that last question.”

Donald hadn’t wanted to admit the one woman who had touched his heart often came across his mind. He gave Blaine high marks for being honest, even in something that caused them both discomfort. “How soon can we leave? I want to hear her excuse for not contacting either of us about the boy.”

Blaine stretched. His thick burnished hair fell against the top of his shirt collar. “I have to clear my desk. I’m thinking we should go this weekend.” He eyed Donald. “Can you clear your schedule for at least a week just in case we need to spend some time with him, catching up?”

Donald thought of his cases and mentally rearranged his schedule. A week was doable if he spent extra time in the office the rest of this week. He nodded slowly. “Yeah, that should work.” He turned to leave and go find Cameron, his personal assistant.

“Hey,” Blaine called as he reached the door.

Donald stopped and turned around. “Yeah?”

“No matter whose kid he is, I want you to know I’m going to love him. Regardless.”

Once again Blaine’s selflessness beat at him. “Same here. I’ve got your back.” He turned and headed to his rooms, praying that he had just spoken the truth.

Blaine relaxed in his chair gazing at the screen. Belinda Moore, her name continued to jump out at him, haunting him as no one ever had before or since. Over the years he'd wished he didn’t measure every woman he met to her, but he had. She was smart, could see to the heart of the matter, then zeroed in and called them out. When he had asked her why she'd dated Donald, she’d told him it was impossible to separate them, and that the two of them made one. At the time he'd disagreed. But life had proven her correct. He and his brother had a strong bond and functioned best as a team.

She was beautiful, not in a Hollywood way, more like she was kissed at birth by Mother Nature. He closed his eyes and the memory of her that was never too far from the surface rose before him. Her milk chocolate complexion had glowed with vitality. It was one of the things he had noticed about her in high school. Her gorgeous skin, curvy figure, and megawatt smile.

From the first time he saw her walking the hallway, he had been intrigued. She had been a freshman and at that time too young. He and Donald had college scholarships and were focused on their future plans.

Years flew by before he saw her again at Gigi’s, a local pizza place in town. She was leaving and he bumped into her. She dropped her box of leftovers and he caught it before it hit the ground. She smiled her thanks and he immediately remembered who she was. Intent on making arrangements to contact her later, he walked her outside. After giving him her phone number, she told him Donald had asked for her number as well and that she was interested in going out with both of them, separately, she had stressed. It was the hardest thing he had ever done, but he had still asked her for a date.

The next day he took her to an early movie and then pizza. Few people could make him laugh or think as hard as she had. Her quick wit and keen intelligence blew him over.

He and Donald discussed both of them dating Belinda, and decided as long as the other man was one of them, it was cool. Their dad warned them it wouldn’t work and tried to get both of them to back off. They didn't listen. Instead they both fell hard and fast for the chocolate beauty, and in the end they drove her away with their jealousy.

Blaine sat up in his chair. They both still cared for the same woman. “Sweet Belinda,” he whispered as he conjured a picture of her face, her smile, and her touch. Could he simply see her and not crave her touch and affection? He frowned. He and Donald had changed so much over the years, what would she think of their home? Their servants? Their lifestyle? Releasing a stream of air over the possible repercussions, he realized the upcoming reunion could become bumpy pretty fast.

Pushing away from the desk, he headed for the dungeon they had outfitted in the basement. He owed one of his servants a spanking and now was a good time. When he strode into the large well-lit space, Thalia came away from her place near the wall and extended her palms, holding out a large wooden paddle.

“Do you understand why you are being disciplined?” he asked, hoping he wouldn’t need to go into a long discussion on responsibility. She was new to their home and he wasn’t sure she’d last. He and Donald suspected she deliberately disobeyed the rules so she could be punished. That type of attitude disrupted their well-run home and wouldn’t be tolerated.

The top of her blond bowed head reached the middle of his chest. “Yes, Sir. I did not clean the kitchen.”

Blaine withheld a sigh at the blandness of her response. He would need to dismiss her before he left for Michigan. “You laid in bed all day, never assisted anyone with anything in the house, did not clean up behind yourself in the bathroom or kitchen when you did wake up, and did not complete your online studies for your GED.”