The Good Mistress: A BWWM Billionaire Romance (19 page)

Chapter 30

Mila

MILA HAD NOT
thought of her dad too much since meeting Blake. Not that extracting her father from her over-worked mind wasn’t a good thing. Last night, Blake made love to her. He was becoming even more of a stronghold into her life.

There’d be no getting over Blake. And these days, he rarely went home to his wife. Nor did he remove himself or ignore a call. The calls seemed business like so Diane must’ve really been enjoying her pool boy or whatever the case may be.

Again, Mila donned a casual pair of jeans. Blake wore tan khaki shorts that showed off strong limbs, so she was certain his family would take her as is. But doubt began to pool in her stomach when the Escalade didn’t take the freeway exit for the airport. They weren’t leaving St. Louis for somewhere exotic or luxurious to meet his parents.

As Blake made the turn for Florissant Avenue, he slipped his hand into her fidgeting fingers. Bellefontaine Cemetery gates came into view. Mila looked from Blake and back again. Then she softly squeezed his hand as the SUV climbed over the entrance. The car took a one lane road across vast green lands with plots and burial monuments. A clear green stream came into view when Blake stopped. He parked, got out, coming around the other side of the car.

“Are you ready to meet one of the two most important women in my life, Mila?”

“Your mom…” her throat was constricted. Was it too late for her condolences? She knew nothing about Blake’s family at all.

“My Aunt Serenity. Isaac and Zenobia’s mother. Serenity Graham, she was pretty good friends with my mother.” He shrugged. “Serenity knew my mom a heck of a lot more than I did.”

They linked hands and as they began to walk. “I wanted my mom to be here, too. She’s buried in not such a lavish place.”

“Oh?” Her steps faltered. From the beginning Blake had been there for her. Albeit with sexual intentions, he listened intently given her desire to talk about Warren.

“C’mon, Mila. You have questions, I’ve got answers.”

“I know, Blake. You’re always so real with me.”

He stopped before her. Mila hesitated, as those forest green eyes held nothing back. She asked, “Why isn’t your mom buried here?”

“We didn’t have a pot to piss in when she died. Or rather, Auntie Serenity was trying to take care of us all, my mother included. When I made my first million, I appealed to every political facet to move my mother’s body from the mass grave with all the other convicts; they refused all but one hypocritical politician who offered to help. But I didn’t want to financially back such an…” his tone drowned out as they stopped before a plot that had an angel molded into the side of a cross. Serenity Graham died less than three years ago.

“Here’s my mama, Aunt Serenity. Mama, meet the second important lady in my life.”

The love Blake had for his Aunt Serenity was tangible. Serenity and Blake’s mother grew up neighbors in the same housing authority. They both had teen pregnancies. Except the seventeen-year-old Serenity saw peace in Isaac’s eyes while Blake’s mother continued along the same path.

The young mothers were supposed to take turns attending night school and watching each other’s children. But Serenity often did it all, even taking the toddlers, along with crayons, to evening classes at the junior college. Blake and his mother lived off and on with Serenity, and each time his mother went to jail, he had a safe home.

Mila’s heart broke as he told her about living in the street with his mom. His mother would become so stubborn when Serenity tried to break through to her best friend. His own mom was in and out of jail for petty theft, though she’d tried to take care of Brendan.

“I remember one time, I had to be about six years old, sitting in the backseat of an Oldsmobile when my mom went into the grocery store. My stomach hurt so fucking bad for hunger,” Blake said, there was no shame as he looked Mila in the eye. “The cops came a few hours later, they took me straight to Serenity, not telling me a thing. I knew. Shit, I always knew when my mom was stealing.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I would fucking hate myself for being happy to go right on back to Aunt Serenity’s house. Then one day, mom stopped picking me up. The in-and-out of jail crap was done for good. Mom had to do real time.”

Blake briefly mentioned his father. The sort of man Mila couldn’t even keep from wincing from as Blake talked about him. She knew the man was mixed into human trafficking. Blake stopped to grin at Mila while he told her this horrible story. “You’re thinking about your center?”

She nodded, eyes wet with tears.

“You remind me of Serenity, Mila.” Blake shoved his hands into his jean pocket. “Not just the fact that I was blown away when Todd handed me an envelope from you. By the time you told me about sharing the meal with the transient, I was batshit in love with you. But back to me falling for the lovely Ali girl…” Blake looked far off in the distance, a smile creased his chiseled, usually unreadable face, “Serenity cussed me
out
about ten years back. I had deposited money into her bank account. She said I was family; I was her son. That no way in hell was she going to take my money.”

The corners of Mila’s mouth tugged upward into a smile as she felt the love in his voice while he talked about her helping at Warren’s funeral. Blake took her hand, “Serenity use to work as a pregnancy advocate. She never took a vacation or a break. One day you’re going to have your resource center, Mila.”

Mila’s eyelashes brushed across her cheeks as her eyes closed to his kiss. She loved him with every part of her. It was as if Blake held the same vision for her. He didn’t try to shovel money into her hands, Warren had offered countless of times when Mila stressed over funding proposals. This was something Mila had to do for herself, and knowing how hard his Aunt Serenity worked, made it all the more important.

“I… I can’t believe how wrong I was about you, Blake…”

“That’s all right. You’ve got all the time in the world to make it up to me,” he said, his tone didn’t hold the usual undertones of sex but of hope. Hope for a future.

“I apologize.”

“C’mon, Mila, no apologies necessary.” Blake kissed her lips again. “I’m a firm believer it takes time to get to know someone. Like I just said, all the time in the world.”

Mila nodded. She wanted to believe in this image of a future with Blake even though the knowledge she learned at Hewitt Corp taught her otherwise. This sweet love that they delved in was the highest level of risk.

~~~

“Meat, meat, meat,” Clarissa attempted to whisper at the Asian Moon in Laguna Niguel. The casual restaurant was tucked into a strip mall, and by no means were they here for the ambiance. Unless it was the type of restaurant where the lights went out. Asian Moon was a gem, and one of their favorite spots. Also the only reason Mila got her bestie to meet in her neck of the woods.

“
Meat
? Girl, why can I just imagine that there’s dick of every shape and size roaming around before those catty little eyes of yours.” Mila shook her head. Her face still glowed from meeting Blake’s family in St. Louis two weeks ago.

Clarissa placed down the jade tea cup after a delicious sip. “You got the green light from the government, to help with your resource center. So we both have things to be happy about. If you must know, Todd has been under stress at work these past few weeks. Meaning—”

“Code for you’ve been just about breaking your neck to get cock elsewhere?” Mila chuckled. After leaving Serenity’s grave site, Mila turned in the application Warren had harped was more than perfect. She had just gotten the news this afternoon while preparing for dinner with Clarissa. She’d told Blake first. They were going to celebrate later this evening. “Girl, you keep on. I swear, Clarissa, you’re going to be in one of the health classes about STDs.”

“Are you as smart as you are gorgeous.” Clarissa laughed. She twirled around rice noodles since all the a la cart items of Peking duck, dim sum, bok choi, the girls would buy more than they could eat and always take doggie bags.

Mila’s cell phone began to vibrate. Veronica’s unblemished face popped up on the screen. “Oh, shit I never called Veronica back. I’m going to tell her and Lido the news. Excuse me, Clarissa.”

With an upbeat voice, Mila answered her cell phone, “Hey, Veronica…”

“COME GET THIS BITCH NOW!” Veronica’s tone made Mila certain that this was her sister instead of the more amicable of the two. But nope, it was
Lido
in the background, caught in a loud rage.

“So you want me out, trick, is that what the fuck you want, huh?” Lido shouted.

“I’ll be there shortly.” Mila hung up just as Clarissa gestured for the check. Her friend pulled out her purse and tossed more than enough cash on the table.

“I can drop you off at my place on the way?” Mila asked as they made their way through the mall, since Clarissa had driven to her house and they rode together.

“No friggen way. I’ll stick with you. Two cats going at it can get dangerous. Should I call my cousin?”

Mila didn’t even answer that. It took them over an hour to get from Orange County to the Hollywood Hills home. Her Maserati zoomed up the stone fragment to the towering cement walls of the mini-mansion. At the sound of glass crashing the two friends gawked at each other than hurried to the door. Mila began to bang on the right side of door, but the continuous crashing and abrasive large noises didn’t cease. The left handle gave slack as Clarissa jiggled it.

The door crept open. Every chromed chandelier from the two story ceiling swayed. “Watch your step,” Mila said in horror as her stiletto boots crunched over broken glass. Canvas paintings on the wall were torn. A photo of Lido from her younger years had been ripped to shreds, the top portion twisted, falling to the floor.

“I have given you all of me,
all of me!
” Veronica’s voice echoed off the cement walls.

They followed the sound to the gourmet kitchen, where Veronica stood, back facing them, a butcher knife in her hand. Lido’s penetrating gaze followed her lover’s every move. She was dressed in a red lace teddy. Blood blotched the floor, with foot printed red smudges. A quick evaluation of Lido’s half-naked body proved she’d only cut her foot on glass as she’d tried to run away.

“Veronica, what are you doing, beautiful?” Mila said softly.

The model’s frail shoulders jumped. The knife dropped from her hands as she turned around. The buoyant beauty willowed into her arms. Mila’s heart broke as she crashed into her. On her heels, Lido stumbled back, but held Veronica as tightly as she would any of her
walaashays weyn
.

Mila’s shaky hand went to Veronica’s golden mane, and her other hand rubbed Veronica’s back. “It’s okay, it’s okay…” 

Sniffling and crying resonated off the frail woman’s body as she continued to rub her hair and back. Mila’s eyes went to Lido. The nimble black beauty hobbled with Clarissa’s help to one of the stools.

“Let me get you some ice.” Clarissa’s gaze flitted toward Mila, then she shrugged. “I think Lido just stepped in a bit of glass, is all.”

“That’s
not
all.” Veronica let Mila go. Her hands were tightened into fists. “Do you know how much I love you? I could kill you, I could take you out, then my heart,” she tapped her hand at her thin chest, “I could just die right now.”

Never had Mila seen the look of remorse on Lido. Even as children, reprimands brought anger, not anguish.

“I… love … you, Veronica,” she cried. “You’re my world, V, I’m sssssorrry.”

“If it’s any consolation, Lido has never been so genuine in her life,” Mila offered.

“I take no solace in that. Because this bitch has been my all ever since I laid eyes her. Your dumbass sister just lost a great one.”

The willowy woman turned and stalked out of the room. After a wave of her hand and a deep breath, Mila turned to follow her. “Veronica, let’s all sit down. We can talk. Look, I know you called me a few weeks ago. Have you two been at odds this long,” she asked as they made it to the vast entryway.

Veronica stopped at the staircase, head lowered.

“I almost killed myself trying to answer the phone. So I never called back, I’m sorry.”

“Mila, your only fault is your ability to apologize. You’re the backbone of the Ali girls. The one always trying to keep the peace. But one day you’ll really get to know Lido Ali. For now, I’m the sorry one,” Veronica scarcely looked her way. “Sorry that I ever set eyes on someone so … so ugly.”

Heart pounding in her throat, Mila had no words. Lido was a bad child, there was no way to get around it. But for the first time in Mila’s life, justification of Lido’s actions stayed dormant within her mind.

Veronica was the antithesis of a supermodel. A devilish mask grazed her face when the lights came on, yet only while the camera shutters clicked. Once over, she became just Veronica. Nice-nasty wasn’t even in her repertoire.
What did my sister do!

Mila ambled back into the kitchen, where a few shards of red-tinted glass were on the sleek white counter. Clarissa looked up at Mila, then back down at the task at hand. “They’re not too deep, so Lido will be just fine.”