Her Kind of Man (16 page)

“Hi, Allina.”

Allina froze. The voice on the other end of the line wasn't her mother's. It was Isaac's. Her stomach dropped. Shaking, she jumped up and paced the floor. “Isaac,” she croaked. “Why are you answering my mother's phone? Where is she?”

“Don't you worry about that,” he said, his voice calm.

“Where the hell is my mother?” she shouted. Her mind ran away with all the possibilities.

Syd walked into the room, bouncing baby Brynn in her arms. She frowned when she met Allina's gaze. She placed a hand over the receiver, mouthing to Syd to call Kent. Syd dashed out of the room.

What if he's done something to my mother?
She knew her father would more than likely be in court. Nobody was with her mom. She wondered where the person her father had hired and who was supposed to be watching Isaac was.

“Allina?” he called. A chill ran up her spine.

“Tell me where my mother is,” she hissed.

“Where are you?” he demanded. “Do you realize what you've put me through? You embarrassed me in front of my congregation, in front of my parents. What makes you think you can get away with that?”

“Where is my mother, Isaac? I swear, if you've hurt her…”

“What will you do? Huh? It's not like you're here. You ran off,” he taunted. “You left her here to deal with me.”

“Please,” she begged. All the bravado she'd mustered seeped out of her and her shoulders slumped in defeat. “Why are you doing this?”

“Remember what I told you the morning of our wedding?”

How could she forget? His words still haunted her.
What was I thinking?
Disappearing from the church the way she had, leaving him without so much as an “I hate you” was bound to incur his wrath. She'd been so preoccupied, so enamored with Kent and starting her life over that—

“I told you that I'll never let you go,” he continued, interrupting her thoughts. “Remember that?”

Allina didn't dare answer him. Instead, she asked again, “Where is my mother?”

“Did you think I was just going to let you walk out on me? You're mine.”

“Stop,” she whispered.

“I'm keeping you,” he went on.

“Stop!” she shouted. Something snapped in her. She was tired of Isaac. And she wasn't going to let him intimidate her any longer. “You don't own me.”

“I warned you,” he sneered. “I told you what I'd do if you left me. Your friend, Sydney?”

“Don't say her name, you sick fuck!” Allina shouted, alarmed by her own choice of words after she'd said it.

“I'm sure she will be at her bar at some point alone,” he taunted. “Maybe I'll pay her a visit.”

“If you do, you'll be sorry. Morgan will mop the floor with you.”

“Not if he isn't there,” Isaac said, a slight edge to his voice.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked, feeling her resolve buckle. “You have too much to lose. I could go to your father, tell him what you're doing. I could go to the news, the city council…everywhere that your family has a connection. I'll tell them all about you.” Her voice cracked on that last sentence.

“I told you I'd hurt you, and anyone you love, make your life a living hell. Where's your mother?” he jeered.

She'd had enough. “Nice try. You can't manipulate me anymore. You really should come up with a new tactic. Threatening me and my family is so tired. But just so you know…I don't have a problem going to your church board and telling them about that woman who implied that you and your father paid her off,” she vowed. She didn't know where she was getting all this strength from but she thanked God for it. And she was going to run with it. “Now, you tell me where the hell my mother is, right now. Before I call the police and make
your
life a living hell.”

There was a long pause. Then he cleared his throat. “I was just sitting here thinking about how beautiful you are,” he said. “Looking at an old picture of you and Syd. You and your friend are very nice-looking ladies. I wonder what would have happened if I met Syd first. Maybe I should ask her what she thinks.”

Before she could say anything else, she heard the piercing sound of Syd's scream, followed by a loud thump.

K
ent sped toward Morgan's house. Syd had been frantic when she'd called him earlier, telling him that Isaac had somehow managed to contact Allina. He'd raced out of the office, rethinking his promise to not drive down to Cleveland and beat the shit out of that punk.

On his way, Allina called him, assured him she was fine but he still needed to hurry. As it turned out, though, Isaac wasn't the immediate threat at the moment. His brother Den had shown up out of the blue, talking out of his mind, reeking of alcohol. Morgan was on his way, but he wasn't as close as Kent. Mama was already there.

As he drove there he pictured the scene at the house. Gripping the steering wheel, he shook the image of Syd and Allina trying to calm down a manic Den.

When he pulled into the driveway, he saw his mother pacing in front of the door, a cigarette in her hand. It had to be bad if his mother was smoking after twenty-plus years of being smoke-free. He hopped out of the car and barreled toward her.

She held her hands out, blocking him from entering. “Son, wait. I called the hospital. I'm going to have him admitted.”

“What happened in there?” Kent barked, taking the cigarette from her hand and flicking it into the grass.

“It's not good,” she cried. “But you have to remain calm when you go in there.”

“Mama, don't,” he snapped, immediately regretting his tone. It wasn't his mother's fault that Den was a fuckin' asshole. “Did he hurt anybody?”

She swallowed, wiped a tear from her cheek before nodding slightly.

Heat flushed through his body and his heart pounded as he pushed the door open. Den lay in the middle of the floor in a pile of putrid vomit and broken glass.

Syd was sitting on the sofa, rocking a restless Brynn in her arms, and Allina was next to her, watching Den. Kent scanned the room. It looked like a tornado had hit: furniture tipped over, papers scattered everywhere.

“He finally passed out,” Syd said, her voice flat.

For the first time in many months, Kent wanted to beat the shit out of his brother.

He stepped over Den to get to the couch, cringing as he stepped over the glass. “What are you doing in here? You should take Brynn out of here. I'll take care of Den.”

“He needs help, babe,” his mother said from behind him. “I don't know how to help him.”

He was sick. They had all trotted out this excuse on more than one occasion when it came to Den. Rolling his eyes, he reached down and picked up his niece. “Hey, baby,” he said, bouncing her up and down. The fussy baby calmed down a little in his arms. “Let's get you out of here.”

Allina looked up then and Kent froze. “What the hell happened to you?” He asked, fury racing through his veins. Allina had a small gash on her face, right above her eye.

Brynn started squirming again and he tried to placate his niece by rocking her. With his free hand, he reached out and ran a thumb over Allina's eye, where there was a small bruise forming.

“I fell against the table,” Allina explained. “We were trying to get him to calm down, and Syd had Brynn in her arms so I tried to step in.”

“And?” he asked. “Did you fall or did he push you?”

Syd peered up. “He pushed her,” she admitted.

Kent struggled to control his rage. A verbal threat was one thing, still punishable by an ass-whooping. But physically laying hands on a woman? Kent cracked his knuckles, the urge to beat Den's ass taking him over again.

“Mama had him calmed down for a bit,” Syd said. “Then he flipped out again and started throwing things.”

“I jumped in front of him and he pushed me out of the way,” Allina said. “I don't think he even knew it was me. He was so out of it, trying to talk to Syd.”

Kent glanced back at his brother. Turning to Mama, he handed her the baby. “Can you take her out of here?”

“Mama, she may take a bottle right now,” Syd said.

“I'll go too,” Allina said, standing up.

Kent traced her cheek with his thumb. “You need to put something on that eye,” he told her. “I'm so sorry.”

She framed his face with her hands. “Stop. It's not your fault. But your mother is right. He needs help.”

Mama gripped his sleeve. “Kent, don't be too hard on him. He's sick.”

He watched his mother and Allina disappear around the corner and turned to Syd. “You need something?” he asked her.

“A drink. My nerves are frazzled. I can't stop shaking.”

Nodding, Kent went to the kitchen to fix Syd a drink and check on Mama and Allina. When he returned minutes later, he handed his sister the tumbler he'd filled with cognac.

“He scared the shit out of me,” Syd said. “I've never seen him like this.” She scanned the room, shaking her head. “Morgan is going to kill him.”

“No he won't. But I can't promise he won't kick his ass.” He picked up a pillow off the floor and tossed it on the couch next to her. “Shit. I can't promise that
I
won't hurt him when he wakes up.”

Just then, a groan from the floor drew their attention. Kent started toward Den, but Syd grabbed him. “Just…leave him there.”

He looked at his sister as she watched Den. Her eyes were haunted and dull. She'd been through countless episodes with Den, seen him through numerous hospital visits. Kent had had his share of run-ins with Den's mental illness, but it was Morgan and Syd who had taken the worst over the years.

Den grumbled and rolled over onto his knees. His brother looked dazed and confused; his eyes were wild and his clothes were dirty. Kent was angry, but more than that he was sad. Growing up, Den had been like Superman to him, fearless. Unlike Morgan, he hadn't been privy to the different things that Den had done until much later. He'd known Den because he was such good friends with Morgan, but he'd always been the cool older brother to him.

Morgan used to tell him things, but at his young age, Kent didn't have any concept of the dark side of life. His parents were well-respected, successful people who'd barely had an argument in front of him, while Morgan and Den's biological parents ran illegal businesses out of their home. They'd had criminals and junkies and prostitutes parading in and out of their house for a long time. It was no wonder Morgan had put up a barrier and Den had turned to alcohol and drugs.

When Kent convinced his parents to take Morgan in so he wouldn't be shipped down to Alabama, he hadn't expected Morgan to turn him down. He remembered that day like it was yesterday. In his ten-year-old mind, he'd figured out the reason for Morgan's hesitation and took care of it by asking his mother and father to take Den, too.

His parents had agreed, and he'd instantly had two brothers. Being an only child, he'd been ecstatic. Den had given his parents a lot of trouble, but they loved and supported him through everything. And soon, he'd started caring about his life. Instead of skipping school, he worked hard to bring up his grades and graduated. That's not to say he didn't have his events. But he'd worked through them.

Looking at him now, Kent wasn't so sure his brother could be helped. First of all, he had to want it. Obviously, he didn't.

“When did you get here?” Den grumbled, struggling to his feet.

Kent saw Syd wipe her eyes and ground his teeth together. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he growled. “Do you realize you could have hurt someone? Wait a minute, you did hurt somebody.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Den slurred.

Unable to help himself, he fisted his hands in Den's shirt and jacked him up. “How about I show you?” Then he flung him to the wall. His brother slid down to the floor. Kent loomed over him. “I'm not playing with you, Den.”

Morgan burst into the house from the back, rushed over to Den, and lifted him off the floor. “Den, you piece of shit, I'll break your fuckin' neck.”

Around this time, Kent would normally step in and pull Morgan off Den. Always the peacemaker. But this particular time, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Allina wasn't even officially his girlfriend and he wanted to maim Den for pushing her and hurting her in the process. He couldn't imagine the rage Morgan felt knowing that Den had pushed himself into their home and terrorized his fiancée while his infant daughter was there.

“Morgan, stop,” Syd begged. “Please.”

Kent didn't know when Syd had got up, but she was pulling Morgan off Den. Syd turned to Kent and pleaded with him to help her pull the men apart. Reluctantly, Kent grabbed Morgan.

He heard sirens in the distance and assumed it was finally the help his mother had called for arriving.

“Kent, let me go,” Morgan said through clenched teeth.

“No, this isn't helping. Don't you think Syd and Mama have been through enough? I know you're pissed. Hell, I'm mad as hell. But look at him.” He pointed to Den, slumped over on the floor. “He's in no shape to fight. It wouldn't be a fair one. Get him once he's sober and healed.”

Morgan wrenched himself out of Kent's hold. “Get him the hell out of my house before I hurt him.” Then he stormed out of the room with Syd right on his heels.

Kent sighed, dropping his head.

“Kent,” Allina said. His eyes snapped to hers. “Are you okay?”

“I should be asking you that same question.”

There was a firm knock on the door, and Kent answered it. The paramedics had arrived.

When Den had barged in earlier, for a brief second Allina had thought it was Isaac. She'd rushed to the front of the house just in time to see Den push through the door. He was yelling and carrying on. The mad look in his eyes, the glare toward Syd and Brynn, were unsettling to say the least. He'd been spouting off all these things about how Syd belonged with him, how he couldn't let her go, how Brynn should have been his baby. Despite how angry Den had been in the past, none of them would ever have believed he would physically hurt Syd. Then again, she hadn't believed Isaac was capable of murderous threats either.

Syd held her composure, though. Her friend spoke in calm, gentle tones. She didn't argue with him, only pleaded that he settle down and think about what he was doing. It seemed to be working until Den spotted a picture of Morgan, Syd, and baby Brynn on a table. That's when he proceeded to destroy the living room, and that's when Syd broke down and Allina had taken over. By that time, Mama had arrived and was also trying to diffuse the situation, to no avail.

When Den passed out Allina made sure Syd and Brynn were okay, then dialed her father. Apparently her mother had lost her cell phone but she was fine. Judge was not happy Isaac had somehow gotten hold of it. Her father promised to check in with his PI, just to make sure Isaac was still in Cleveland. Allina didn't share anything about Den with her father, but she'd assured him she'd call as soon as she got back to Kent's.

Then Kent arrived. It took every ounce of strength in her not to leave Syd's side and run into his arms. The only way she could stop herself was to not look at him and just let his voice sooth her frayed nerves. She'd wanted to weep when she finally did glance up at him. The rage in his eyes, the vein throbbing in his neck, was unmistakable. He wanted to hurt his brother. And she really believed he would have if it hadn't been for them.

She couldn't help but wonder if a similar scene would happen when she finally came face-to-face with Isaac. Her ex-fiancé wasn't bipolar, but he was obviously unhinged. Why else would he be threatening to hurt people?

Now, hours later, they were back at Kent's place. Allina sat with her feet propped up on the coffee table, her sketch pad in hand. She'd been trying to keep her mind off the incident at Syd's house but she couldn't stop thinking about it.

She'd already talked to her father again, who'd informed her that Isaac was still in the area, still locked up in his house. Allina breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a game to Isaac. He'd really just wanted to terrorize her, manipulate her into going back.

Her thoughts turned back to Kent. He was quiet. She'd filled him in on everything that happened before Den showed up on the way back home, but he hadn't said much. Instead, he'd gone into his office after he'd made sure her cut was cleaned and covered. She wanted to go in and talk to him, see where his head was, but she decided to give him some time. After all, he'd just seen his brother carted off in a straightjacket.

“Are you hungry?” Kent asked from behind her.

She twisted around to face him. He was leaning against the threshold, wearing a pair of sweats and a wife beater, and he had a small box in his hand. She couldn't make out the writing on it from that distance.

“I could eat,” she told him, surprised she had an appetite after the events of the day. “Do you want me to fix something?”

“Nah, I'll order a pizza.” He ambled over toward her and plopped down next to her. Setting the box on her lap, he said, “Your phone. It's turned on and everything. I got it after I dropped you off this morning.”

Gripping the box, she opened it and pulled out the phone. “Thanks. I really appreciate it.”

“I programmed it and everything. All the important numbers are in there, and I set you up a new e-mail address, too. You can go in and change your passwords.”

She snuck a glance at him, a small smile on her face. Kent was the complete opposite of Isaac, in his actions and his words. Isaac had told her once that as her husband he'd want to know her passwords to everything. At the time it had bothered her but she'd blown it off, telling herself that it was for her own protection.

“The phone has everything,” he said, shifting in his seat to show her a few apps. “And I found this sweet Sketchbook app.” He reached over and scrolled through her apps.

Once he located it, he clicked it open. But Allina wasn't paying that app any mind. Or the next two he pointed out. She was too busy taking in his smell and enjoying the way his arm brushed against her when he was talking. The hint of a drizzle of water on his shoulder reminded her that he'd just gotten out of the shower.