Stand By Me (2 page)

Calder settled at Sophie's side on the chair under the window beside the bed with his hand on her knee. Kenya had to focus not to let her jaw go slack at the intimacy between the two. Did Sophie leave Ireland to get away from Brian or the temptation of Calder?

“Me great-great-grandfather was powerful in Ireland. He gave the fishermen a place to stay when they came in off the Atlantic and charged them one percent of their catch. The pub was opened as a way to keep them from going into town drunk. It allowed them to sleep it off and get back out onto the Atlantic without losing pay or men. Like Jonathan and Jamie, the people respected, trusted and loved him. He could have abused his power keeping them under his thumb instead he did what was best for the people, farmers, ranchers, and fishermen.”

“Now Brian's trying to cash in on Jonathan and Jamie's good reputation and direct the family into that crime world.”

“My son and nephew have done things they're not proud of, but sometimes it's the only way to deal with him. Jonathan has been affected the most. As a young boy, he tried to emulate Brian. Without Sophie and Seamus, he could have been tempted into the world Brian only dreams of.”

Kenya rubbed her ring finger. “Brian’s got a hit man’s mentality without the password to get into the club. That does ease my mind some, but crime has found its way into the family, Sophie. That's what I have to deal with now, and I'm gonna need everyone's help.”

“I've seen your professional portfolio, Kenya and if anyone can help shed a cleaner light on this family it's you, lass.”

Suspicion, the oldest and most trusted member of any family and she was supposed to make him leave. “You background checked me, Sophie?”

“I managed a jazz club for nearly ten years in the city. Conducting a background check is my first reaction to new people.”

Kenya smiled. “Glad you're on our team.” She turned tore a sheet of paper from her notepad handing it to Fiona. “Can you get in touch with the people on this list? We've less than 24 hours before the marriage contract expires and I need to get this moving?”

“Aye, tis no problem,” Fiona assured her. She sat on the arm of the chair Randall occupied and began on her list. Randall pulled his cell then began making calls.

“I'll get my brothers on Graham’s contacts in Nigeria. If anyone was helping him, they'll find out for me.”

“Randall you're amazing to help like this.”

“You've always been up front with me and Jonathan came to me like a man, and asked for my help. Gotta respect a man that can move past his pride for the love of his woman,” Randall complimented.

Kenya looked at the people willing to place their lives on hold to help her and she never felt so loved in her life.

“Sophie, have you spoken with Jamie on what they're charging Jonathan with? I called the station, but they wouldn't tell me and I haven't heard from Jamie.”

Sophie crossed to the door, peeked out into the hallway, then came back to Kenya's side, her heels clicking over the faded linoleum tile. “He'll have a trial to set the charges then we can fight the charges in court. I know they hadn't ruled out Jonathan being involved in Graham's death since Graham was Jonathan's attorney. They’ll charge him for the parking lot shootings. And my son's not gonna back down from the charges.”

“Those men attacked me in the parking lot. One held a gun to my back forcing me across the lot to get in his car.” She could still feel the hard muzzle of his gun pressed to her spine and a chill ran down her back. She wanted that dog to go down for this. Kenya asked, “What evidence do they have to accuse Jonathan for Graham's death?”

Randall’s eyes smiled as he came over to her bedside. This wasn't the time for jokes. She tilted her head at his lighthearted attitude in the face of Jonathan going to prison. “The nurses at the front desk are whispering about your man's accuracy. Two men are dead, one has a bullet in his brain, and the other man's bullet they can't retrieve as it's too close to his heart.”

“And you find that funny?”

“I'm not laughing at you, woman. I'm laughing at how little you know about the dark side you're diving face first into. But I gotta give it to you, you're doing it for your man and that's alright in my book,” he said.

“As far as Jonathan shooting those men it only proves they posed a real threat to me and his child, Randall. And Jonathan's not a man to overlook a threat to his family.”

Calder said from the corner where he stood looking out over the parking lot. “Jonathan’s no amateur with a weapon. Me brother had him on the gun range every summer he came to Ireland as a boy. And before Sophie moved them to the States, he trained every week. He left two men alive for a reason.”

Kenya shoved a hand beneath her hip hoping no one saw it shaking. How was that gonna look in court? “Do you think he wanted them to take a message back to Brian, Calder?”

Calder turned his attention to Sophie. “Jonathan did the same thing when those blokes carjacked you in the States. He stabbed the one man in the neck and the other ran off.”

Sophie dug a thumb into the palm of one hand. “At the time, I dinna know me son carried a knife. Appears Brian taught him to keep it concealed. He stabbed one man in the calf, then caught him in the neck while they were fighting.”

Randall asked, “Did he die there or in the hospital?”

Sophie brought her head up. “Police report said the man bled out before the ambulance arrived. Jonathan was adamant about going to the police turning himself in. He wouldn’t hide for protecting his family. He did community service for carrying a concealed weapon because the blade’s length was illegal. That’s how he made friends with many of the police at such a young age. They commended him for protecting me,” Sophie said proudly.

Gretchen was right. Jonathan has been a man all his life and all he knows is to protect his family at his own expense. Well she couldn't let him continue on this destructive path. His days of fighting alone were over. Randall’s voice roused her from her thoughts.

“Then, unless he can prove they drew their guns first, I got my work cut out for me,” Randall replied and she could see his mind working.

“Randall,” Kenya trailed off feeling her anger returning. She covered her child in a measure of protection before she continued harshly. “They were gonna rape me; I say that's probable cause for Jonathan to defend us at any cost.”

Randall's brows creased. “I say it's enough to kill, but I'm not the judge.”

“Randall,” Sophie started. “Yer brothers, how much information can they find out without tipping off any of Brian's men that may be following Fiona?”

Randall pulled out his cell scrolling through his call list. He raised his brows on his wide forehead, a handsome feature on Nigerian men. There wide lean bodies were made for swimming. “My brothers are businessman, owning two office buildings in downtown Lagos, a couple doctors’ close to Victoria Falls and a handful of attorney offices in Mozambique. If Graham did any business between any of these areas, they'll know.”

“I don't want any more killing, Randall. Names, surveillance videos, anything that can place Graham where Jonathan wasn’t, will go a long way in his defense.”

He nodded.

Kenya said, “I'll contact David Spencer...see if he'll be in Ireland soon and I’ll get him to sign off on the affidavit showing Reinhart recommended me to my new boss that I be assigned the GL account.”

“I don't see why that would raise a flag if you have the credentials to handle that account,” Fiona said.

“That's just it, Fiona, I was the new account manager. You don't handle individual accounts. You run the department. Assign accounts, sign off on contracts, approve new clients, but they never become your personal accounts to handle.”

“So why didn't this raise a flag to anyone else?” Sophie asked.

“I wish I had more time to look into it, but right now I have to work on David Spencer. I have a few people at the bank I can trust, but I'll speak to them after I get with David.”

“No chance Reinhart will confess that Brian approached her, huh?” Fiona questioned hopefully.

“I doubt it. She's fully in Brian's pocket digging for his wallet. When she found out Jonathan helped me home that morning, she literally shook with excitement when I told her he asked me to volunteer. Reinhart thought I was crazy for even considering not accepting his offer.”

“Then she'll be no help,” Sophie said.

This line of comments should have bothered Kenya more, but until she'd witnessed Jonathan pull a gun on Brian she would've laughed at the ludicrous accusation, but this was the reality of who he was or what he wanted her to see. The pillows shifted as she adjusted the gown riding up her hips in the bed. Had he been mafia as she once presumed, that parking lot would have been more of a blood bath instead of just the four men that were shot. This was more like what her father spoke of as taking care of business when help wasn't coming. Old school style. The way they did in the sixties and seventies. And that's why her favorite Aunt Karla's husband was doing life in prison now. She looked at the faces in the room and wondered what would they say if they knew she was more familiar with crime than they needed to know?

“Randall, the moment you get anything that will help Jonathan, I want you to email it to Mr. Hines.” She scribbled down a number. “This is his email address. I don't have his cell, but I can get that from Jamie when he gets back.” She handed him the paper. “Whatever you or your brother's find out that's concrete I'd appreciate you getting it sent to Hines while you're in Ireland. I'll compensate for any travel or expenses.”

“This is Kenya, the straight shooting business woman, I know from the office,” Randall said singing her praises.

Fiona sent Randall a sexy smile that he returned. It nearly knocked Kenya out to see Fiona blush. Randall must have put it on her, more than once already.

“Kenya, Randall, and I have made great contacts in Nigeria. They're open to booking the Inn for future tours and pushing the West end of Ireland as a cruise destination.”

If she’d only seen this Fiona in the woods she wouldn’t have wanted to strangle her until her eyes bulged.

“Fiona, when did you meet Randall?”

Fiona gave her a sullen smile. “It’s understandable, ye having suspicions about me intentions. We met in the parking lot when the kids were loaded onto the bus. I went to speak with Jonathan and met Randall. We spoke after Jonathan walked away and when I discovered he was a businessman from Nigeria, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to build a relationship with someone on the inside that could send tourists our way. We swapped numbers after that.” Fiona ran her fingers through the long black tresses. Yeah, she's dipped her toe into the chocolate sauna.

“So why didn't you tell me that in the pub at the table, instead of that display that nearly got you bitch slapped?”

Julia took a step forward, her fingers curling into a fist the closer she got to Fiona. Both women stood straight, backs locked tight. “What happened in the pub? Tell me you didn't front on my best friend.”

Voices rose in the room under mutters and urgent pleas to remember they were in a hospital.

“It's okay, Julia. We got everything straightened out.”

Fiona spared a quick look to Kenya and smiled. “Oy, ya gained major points with me, Kenya, when ye slapped the coins on the table and walked away.”

“Coins?” Sophie asked darting her gaze from the two of them.

“Me new cousin here thanked me for my two cents then set two pennies next to me ale and told me, standing over me, to stay out of her way.”

Julia chuckled. “You'll learn, Fiona, once Kenya gets irritated with you, she'll walk away and leave you talking to the air looking like a crazy person.” Julia said her hazel eyes glittering under the florescent lights. “Believe me you'd rather she walk away than physically hit you. She's a nature girl under the sleek suits and polished hair.”

“I was already fired-up from arguing with Jonathan in the stables. Fiona caught me without my nice girl dialog filter switched on.”

“I would not have thought Kenya to be a fighter until the fight with Morgan out in the field,” Sophie said.

“They don't know do they, Kenya?”

Kenya shook her head. They needed to know the real Kenya.

“Sophie there's a lot about me I don't roll out on front street. I got into fights at school a lot as a young girl. You build up a lot of anger when your siblings treat you as if you don’t belong.” Wow, that was even bitter to say. “If I can walk away from a violent situation it's best I do. Although I’m not blood related to my father, Marcus, I’ve seen the violent lifestyle he walked away from and not all his family did. My favorite Aunt's husband is in prison for life. He's also my father's brother. My biggest fear is I'll never see Jonathan again. That's my inner demon on loving your son. But I've accepted I can't choose the past of the man I love. They say you gravitate toward the man most like your father. My uncles were tough men that took me out with them when they'd go hunting. It was years before I learned ducks and deer weren't the only thing they hunted. Anyone that messed with the family were dealt with. Family was and still is everything to them. Jonathan's the same way...so am I.”

Fiona's mouth fell slack. “Your family's gangster?”

Presumption, where had she heard that from before? She said, “No, my family's old school. You need help you go to the head of the family and let them handle it.”

Julia said, “When you don't trust the police, you police your own family. Black and Latino families took care of their own. When many had a record with the police, they couldn't go to the police for help.”

“That's why you're willing to fight for my son. Brian's actions aren't truly foreign to you?” Sophie verified almost happily. Her sly grin said Kenya found another woman with a dark side.

Kenya raised her brows. “As far as toward his own child, yes. But I've heard more stories than I've seen actual events. My father, Marcus, took nothing from no one. He's in his sixties now, but his contacts run where Brian would kill to be admitted,” she added.

“Aye,” Fiona said rubbing her hands together. “Good to know.”