First and Ten (26 page)

“
I also know you have a few hours in the
evenings. I’ll bring him up there. And we can talk on the computer
every night.” His mother passed DeMonte a bowl of fruit. “Plus,
he’ll see that his bed is there for him every night. Has he ever
had that?”

A vendor pushed a cart with Chicago style hot
dogs down the sidewalk in front of Rome and he knew what he needed
to do. He was going to the dinner party he’d been invited to and
this time he wasn’t going to be a chicken shit. If he didn’t end up
with Danika by the end of the night, he was turning in his man
card.

Danika had been and would always be the one
he needed. She was the missing element in his home. Picking up his
phone, he prepared to dial then told himself no. This was a face to
face thing, but could he bring her into his life right as he was
about to leave? Rome figured he already had. There had been no
pressure from the start and the ease had caused him to miss the
goal line.

Turning over the engine, Rome backed out of
the parking spot and headed up North Shore Drive. All his life he
waited for an opening and when he missed it he had to make his own.
William Albright might not like the public image Rome had, but man
to man he knew Rome wasn’t a man to be messed with. He was the
master of his own universe and with Danika by his side, he could
become legendary. She made him look forward to a single day of the
week. Knowing each morning that he could wake next to her didn’t
scare him. Instead, his chest warmed at the notion.

He got to the estate in a little over an
hour. As he pulled up the drive, he discovered that Dani’s idea of
intimate was a few hundred people more than he was used to. A valet
met him as he finally made it to the front of the line. Passing
Rome a ticket, the kid gave him a broad smile.

“Jerome Speed,” he exclaimed. “I promise I’ll
keep this away from every other car in the place.”

“Good luck with that,” Rome said as he
slapped the kid’s shoulder and headed to the door with a doorman
checking a list. Seriously, what the hell had he stepped into? Good
thing he hadn’t changed out of his suit, but he still didn’t have a
coat. “Jerome Speed,” he said with confidence as the man in a tux
looked over the list.

“You know this is a black tie affair,” he
pointed out.

“I was not informed.”

“Probably because you didn’t get an
invitation,” the man with the square jaw and personality to match
said before waving the next person in line up.

“I’m on the list. I was personally invited by
Bonnie.”

Irritation crossed the man’s face seeming to
relish the power over a man who might be living the dream he
couldn’t. “Do I need to call security?”

“How about calling the woman throwing the
party?”

“Because she pays me to keep people out. Not
to summon her for every party crasher.”

“I’m not a party crasher.” Okay, he might be,
but he was invited at one time.

“Name,” the doorman called to the person
behind him. Rome turned and almost ran into Dani’s friend.

“Esme,” he said.

“Two points for remembering.” She gave him a
sly smile. “But negative five for showing up uninvited.”

“I was invited at one time,” he pointed
out.

“I
was
engaged to a sheik. Doesn’t
mean I showed up to the party.”

“How pissed off is she?”

“You didn’t fall off the face of the planet.
Just ditched her. Hell, if you would have tossed her a deuces at
least she would have felt you gave a fuck about her.”

“Her father said he’d explain why I had to go
away since it was his idea.”

Esme let out a laugh. “Are you naïve or just
dumb? William Albright will do any and everything he can to keep
his family locked down. Who in this zip code doesn’t give his baby
girl at least a black card?”

“Esme, I need to see her.”

“Call her up, make an appointment,” she said
as she placed her hand on his forearm, squeezed a bit then gave him
a smirk before stepping away.

“I love her,” he confessed and Esme stopped.
Flipping her long blond hair to the side, she scanned Rome from
head to toe with the same Terminator vision Danika had.

“Esme Carmichael,” she said and tapped the
clipboard with the list. “Plus one.”

Rome’s head snapped to attention and followed
her into the home that had been roped off to lead the guests into
the backyard. A large white tent was set up, with a wood floor so
the women in heels wouldn’t have to worry about the grass. On a
raised stage was the band Rome had found playing in a dive bar. The
band members were beaming as they rocked out for their soul turning
lead singer.

“You’re in,” Esme said. “The rest is up to
you. Hopefully we can find our girl.”

“Why did you help me?” he asked, thinking
these two women had judged him on looks alone.

“You didn’t lie to me,” she stated plainly.
“But quit being a chicken shit and man up. Dani deserves a man who
loves her.”

Breathing in, Dani rapped her knuckles on
Rome’s front door. With her gown discarded in the passenger seat of
her car, she was happy she’d chosen the heels. The outfit was on
point. The stilettoes gave her ass a little boost and always made
her feel like she could take on any challenge. Plus, Rome made her
keep them on the first time they had sex because they turned him
on.

“Can I help you?” an older woman asked as she
opened the door and Dani felt her strength deflating.

Double checking the address, she steadied
herself. “I’m looking for Jerome.”

“He’s not here right now,” she replied and
tried to close the door, but Dani put her hand up and stopped
it.

“When will he be back?”

“He didn’t say. I’m assuming late. He had to
go to an event.”

“I know, I was there, but what was he going
to do after it?”

“Who are you?” the woman asked as her dark
eyes crinkled at the corners.

“Danika Albright,” Dani said and extended her
hand. “And you?”

“Annette Speed,” the woman replied, took
Dani’s hand in hers, and wrapped her other hand around it.

“Rome’s mother,” Dani gasped. “You came up
here. He says you never come here.”

“I do on occasion, but what’s the point when
he’s in season.”

“Nana,” a small voice said as big eyes came
from around Annette’s hip and Dani came face to face with DeMonte.
“The show’s done.”

“Okay, baby.” Rome’s mother opened the door
wide and invited. “Come in and I’ll try to get a hold of Jerome.
Let me help this one out first.”

“Who you?” DeMonte asked as he looked up at
Dani. “Mama will be back soon.”

“What was that?” Dani asked as she knelt down
to meet DeMonte eye to eye.

“She’ll be back soon. I don’t need to go.
Daddy said I don’t need to go.”

“I’m not here to—”

DeMonte ran up the stairs like his feet were
on fire.

“Now what is that boy up to,” his grandmother
said as she followed him. “DeMonte, get back down here. It’s time
for supper.”

Dani had a bad feeling about the child’s
reaction to her and followed to see if she’d said something wrong.
She could hear Annette still searching for him and Dani caught her
reflection in the mirror. The same one from when Rome took her in
the hallway. Only this time she saw a woman in a power suit. White
camisole, pinstriped jacket, and matching a line cut skirt with
heels for days.

DeMonte had lived in Roseland with his
grandmother off and on. Roseland’s demographic wasn’t far from the
South Shore when she was growing up. When people came in wearing
suits and spoke to kids, it only meant one thing, family
services.

“Now where has that child disappeared to?”
Annette asked.

“I think I know,” Dani said as she turned and
went up to the third floor.

“He wouldn’t go up there,” Annette called.
“He knows it isn’t finished off.”

“Trust me,” she said and came up on the
landing for the top floor. “DeMonte,” she called and walked over to
where Rome had a stool. He’d begun working on the bathroom.

“My name is Dani, I’m a friend of your
daddy’s.” She didn’t move from the stool even though she heard a
person shift in a corner. “I was hoping he was going to be here
because I haven’t gotten to see him in awhile.”

“He’ll be back,” a soft voice said. “This is
my house until he comes back.”

“You and your nana’s. She must be taking
really good care of you.”

“It’s my house. Daddy said so.”

“He would know. He told me all about you.
Said the second he heard who you were he started painting that cool
room for you. I bet there are clothes that you’re too big for in
there.”

“Yeah,” DeMonte said and peeked his left eye
around the corner and Dani saw a pillow case gripped tight in his
hand.

“What’s in the bag?” she asked and turned so
they were facing each other.

“Dis is mine too.”

“You got a picture of your dad in there?”
DeMonte looked down at his fist that held his pillowcase. “Because
I have one,” Dani offered and found the picture Rome had sent her
of him with DeMonte. “It’s a pretty good one.”

DeMonte lifted the bag of treasures and
walked over to Dani. Taking her phone in his tiny hands, he stared
at the screen with a smile almost as big as the one he had in the
picture.

“How about this?” Dani suggested. “You and I
go back downstairs so your nana can figure out where your daddy is
because I need to meet up with him. See, I’m supposed to be at a
party right now and my mommy is going to be mad at me if I don’t
get there soon.” DeMonte’s eyes were back to being big and lost.
“You can keep that until I leave. I’ll even send it to your nana
since she’s staying in your house.”

DeMonte nodded his head and Dani carried the
pillowcase with toys, clothes, and a book down to the second
level.

“How did you know?” Annette asked.

“I look like a social worker.”
Acknowledgement crossed Annette’s face. “My first neighborhood
wasn’t the best. If we saw a woman dressed like I am they were
either an attorney or social worker. Either would send my friends
running to their best hiding places.”

“You said something about a party to
DeMonte,” she said.

“I graduated today. My parents have a huge
party being thrown.” Dani looked over at DeMonte who didn’t trust
her fully, but had calmed down a bit. “I’m sure my mother is
pretending I’m on the other side of the party tent when people ask
her where I am right now. Socially unacceptable me being here, I
just hoped Rome would be here.”

“He was going to a party,” she pointed out.
“Could it be yours?”

“Not after what my father did at graduation,”
Dani confessed. “He was very rude to Rome.”

“Funny, my son makes millions, believes in
Jesus, and is still looked down on.”

“My dad doesn’t do well with change and is
fiercely protective of his family. Candace gave him an in. That was
the crack in Rome’s armor.”

“You’re the one she was stalking.”

“I wouldn’t say she was stalking me, but she
doesn’t like me that’s for sure.”

Annette looked over at DeMonte to make sure
he was enthralled with a cartoon on the TV. “She has a mild form of
schizophrenia. From what Rome said she thinks you bought him. In
her apartment there were pictures of you everywhere.”

“What?”

“It’s not custody and tabloids he’s been
dealing with,” she said. “Locking her up, trying to get the woman
help, and paying for it. Do you know how much it costs? Her doctor
even suggested Rome marry her crazy butt so she could be on his
insurance.”

Dani’s head spun as she tried to comprehend
what was being said. Rome marrying Candace? No, she just said it
was suggested.

“That woman will bankrupt him one way or
another. At least the lawyers are sure he’ll be getting full
custody. Family is all that matters.”

DeMonte walked over to Dani and put his hand
on hers. “You’re pretty.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you play catch?”

“Can you explain to me something?” Rome asked
Esme who was ordering another round at the bar. “Why does Bonnie
keep waving across the party to no one?”

“She’s saying Dani’s over there. I have a
feeling Dani’s a no show.” Esme passed him a tumbler of gin and
tonic. “Not that I’m surprised. Dani hates this kind of stuff.”

“When I was asked, Dani said it was an
intimate gathering of friends.”

“If by intimate you mean all of her father’s
associates that she could give a flying—”

“Rome,” Dalton called and slapped Rome on the
back. “I should have known you’d be here.” Esme scanned Dalton who
had Matt Bishop and Beaumont Guthry next to him. “Where’s the girl
of the hour?”

“MIA,” Rome replied.

“I may not be the girl of the hour,” Esme
said as she stood between the three guys. “But I’ve been known to
make a man think a minute.”