Through the Fire (21 page)

soon as this trial is over, I want you to come

over so that I can take proper care of you.

You’ve been working like crazy, not to mention

enduring your father’s harping about young

Hobbs. Like you would want anything to do

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215

with the likes of him.” Her mother gave a

haughty sniff.

“Mommy, you don’t like him either?”

Dominique asked, surprised. She had never

known her parents to disagree, at least not in

front of them. Her mother was a proper

southern woman.

“What’s there to like? Take his father’s

money away, and the only thing you have is an

empty shell of a man,” Olivia said. “Anyway, I

hope Alisha and Tristan get here soon. I’m

dying to know what this is about. Oh boy, head

up, dear, here comes your father and Felton.”

Dominique cringed as her father and

Felton approached. She noticed that Felton Sr.

was not with them. Dominique’s eyes quickly

scanned the room and she noticed that Felton

Sr. was standing off in a corner nursing a drink.

Hmm. That’s odd.

“So young lady, what’s this big

announcement you have to make?” her father

asked in a loud, booming voice. His voice

carried around the room.

Dominique looked from her father to

Felton. Then back again. She could tell from the

twinkle in their eyes that they were up to

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something.
Oh brother. Here’s goes a bunch of

nothing.

She took a deep calming breath before

answering. “Soon enough, Daddy. Soon

enough.”

“I hope so because I have an

announcement to make as well,” her father said

smugly.

Dominique heard Diamond’s loud snort,

and wanted to burst out laughing. Judging by

her father’s scowl, he didn’t find Diamond’s

outburst funny at all. Her mother bowed her

head and walked away, but not before

Dominique noticed the corners of her mouth

lift in a smile.

Rafe and Diamond were the next to leave.

From the look on Diamond’s face, she didn’t

want to, but Rafe had hold of her hand, and was

practically dragging her away. In any other

situation, Dominique would have laughed. Not

this time. They were leaving her alone with her

father and Felton.
So
not good.

She noticed that Felton had inched closer

to her and she politely stepped away from him.

I don’t think so buddy.

“So, Dominique, how’s the case going?

Any chance of a resolution before the trial?” her

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217

father asked. “I heard that Johnson’s in a really

tight spot.”

Dominique frowned up her father. She

wondered how he’d heard that. Granted the

case had been on the news. But, her father

didn’t say that he’d read about it nor that he’d

seen it on television. He specifically said he’d

heard
. And judging from the gleam in his eyes,

it appeared as though he was pleased.

“You heard from whom? Who would be

talking to you about this case?” she asked.

“It was a figure of speech, Dominique.

The case has been all over the news. You’ve said

yourself that the case has you stressed out. As a

concerned father, I just want to make sure

everything’s okay. Is everything okay?”

Dominique had a distinct feeling that her

father knew more than he was letting on. No,

she was sure her father knew more. But she’d

let it slide for now. She didn’t have any

intention of discussing any aspect of the

pending trial with her father or anyone else.

Not tonight.

“Everything is fine. Other than that, you

know I can’t discuss anything about this case

with you, Daddy.”

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“Fine. Anyway, I need you to look into

some things for me in reference to the company

holdings. Something’s going on and I’m not

quite sure what it is yet.”

“I can’t now. I’m busy with the trial. If

you think something is going on, then you need

to investigate. After all, your sons, your

daughter and your son-in-law are all

investigators. Or have you forgotten?”

Dominique said snidely.

“Don’t take that tone with me young lady.

I am aware of what my children own and don’t

own, as well as their careers of choice. Besides,

I need legal advice. You’re a lawyer. You would

be the perfect one to help me.”

“Yes, I am a lawyer, Daddy. However, I

am not your in-house counsel. Nor am I your

private attorney. It sounds to me like you need

investigative work done…not the services of an

attorney. If at any time after the trial you find

yourself in need of legal representation, I will

see what I can do.”

Marcus gave her an unsettling look.

“Anyway, I want you to look into this issue.”

Dominique’s father went on as if he

hadn’t heard a word she’d said. He jumped

from one subject to the next, Felton joining in

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219

occasionally. Her father still hadn’t said exactly

what it was he needed from her. The only thing

she heard was Felton this. Felton that. She

sighed.
Oh brother
.

For fifteen whole minutes Dominique had

to endure listening to her father and Felton

harp on about absolutely nothing. Her father

was acting as if he were Felton’s campaign

manager or something. Not to mention, Felton

kept trying to put his arm around her.

She scowled at him and moved out of his

reach for the third time.
One more try at that

shit, and it’s lights out for you creep
.

Dammit, Brandon, where the hell are

you?

Xavier must have sensed her discomfort

because he walked towards her. Her father

stopped talking finally, and Felton made a

beeline in the other direction. Her father was

right behind him. Dominique snickered. She so

loved her big brother.

“Hey, sis, you okay?” Xavier asked.

“I guess so. I’m getting a little tired. It’s

this case.” Before she could say anything

further, they were joined by Chad, Diamond,

and Rafe.

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“So can you tell us what’s going on

already?” Diamond asked.

“We’re waiting for Alisha and Tristan. I

don’t know what could be keeping them. She

made me promise to wait for her,” Dominique

lied. She couldn’t make the announcement

without Brandon, and he was coming with

them. Her stomach had butterflies. Dominique

just wanted to get this over with and go home

and make love with her husband. The longer

she stayed here the more she didn’t want to be

here. It was a shame since she had loved this

place growing up. The doorbell chimed, causing

Dominique to jump.

“Well it’s about time,” Diamond said.

“Hmm, Alisha looks sick. What’s Brandon

doing with them? Well, Dominique, let’s get on

with this announcement now that the rest of

the crew’s here.”

“I see that marriage hasn’t lessened your

need to know everything, Di,” Xavier snorted.

Dominique whipped her head around to

see the love of her life walking into the room.

His eyes searched the room until they landed

on her. With a lift of his brow, he smiled at her.

With a head gesture in the affirmative she

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221

returned his smile with one of her own and

watched as he made his way towards her.

“Nooo,” Diamond whispered looking

from Dominique to Brandon. “Oh, snap.”

“Hello, everyone,” Brandon said as he

joined them. He then turned to face

Dominique. “Are you okay?”

“I am now,” she responded, closing the

gap between them, and wrapping her arms

around him. “What took you so long? I thought

you’d stood me up.”

“Never. Alisha got sick. I tried calling

your cell but it went straight to voicemail,”

Brandon said, leaning forward to place a kiss

on her upturned lips.

“Oh, goodness, I forgot to turn it on. It’s

in my bag,” Dominique murmured against his

lips.

“Well, hell, I guess we can all figure out

the announcement,” Xavier joked. And they all

started laughing.

“Damn. I didn’t see that one coming. Did

you know about this Chad?” Xavier asked.

“Didn’t have a clue,” Chad responded,

stunned at the public display of affection in

front of him.
Come on, dude, give it a break.

She’s still my sister
.

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“Dominique, what’s going on?” Marcus

bellowed from across the room.

“Ready, baby?” Brandon whispered

against Dominique’s lips.

“Yes. Let’s get this over with,” she

responded, and turned around to face her

father. Brandon grasped her hand, giving it a

gentle squeeze of encouragement.

“Okay, um, I gathered everyone here

because I needed to make things right.”

“What things? And what’s going on with

you and Cameron?” her father bellowed.

“Sir, if you would let her finish, you’d

know soon enough,” Brandon interjected

firmly. “Go ahead, baby.”

Dominique heard laughter behind her.

She took a deep breath and then let it out. Who

would have thought saying just a few little

words could be so impossibly hard? “Brandon

and I…” she began.

“Are getting married!” Diamond burst

out.

Her father let out a slew of expletives.

“Marcus!” her mother cried. Her father

had the grace to flush at his wife’s rebuke.

A light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe if

they just pretended…No, she couldn’t live with

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223

any more lies. They were going to come clean

tonight or not at all.

“No, Diamond,” she said to her sister in a

voice that carried through the suddenly quiet

room. “We are not getting married. We’re

already married and have been for two years.”

Freedom
. That’s what she felt.

The room remained eerily quiet.

Felton Hobbs, Sr. burst out laughing in

the quiet room. “On that note Junior, it’s time

for us to leave.”

“Felton, wait a minute,” Marcus said. He

suddenly looked sick.

“Give it up, Marcus. I’ll talk with you in

the morning. Dominique and Cameron,

congratulations.

Let’s

go,

Junior,”

he

commanded and left the room with a very

stunned and shattered looking Felton Jr.

“Wait a minute Felton and Mr. Hobbs,”

Brandon yelled, then turned with Dominique in

his arms to look at Felton. “Felton, listen to me

and listen good. Come near my wife again and

your father won’t be able to save you from the

shit that will come down on you. If you so much

as look at her the wrong way, I will bury your

ass,” Brandon spat, and then turned away from

them as if to dismiss them.

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“You won’t disrespect my company in my

own home. You have some explaining to do,

young lady,” Marcus shouted, slamming his

hand down on the dinner table. “I thought

when you left New York and moved back to

Georgia, you’d left all thoughts of Cameron

behind you.”

His voice was so loud it was actually

rattling the glasses.

“Marcus, please give it a rest,” Olivia said

tartly. “Dominique, sweetheart, what’s going

on?”

“Daddy, you knew Brandon and I were

married?” Dominique couldn’t believe what her

father had just said.

“Of course not,” he yelled. “How would I

know that?”

“But you did know that Brandon and I

were seeing each other, didn’t you?”

“I suspected something was going on,”

her father confirmed.

Dominique looked at the tall, caramel

colored, handsome man with eyes so like her

own and wondered if the man standing before

her was the same one who’d raised her.

“You used your illness—and my love for

you—to keep me away from the only man I’ve

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225

ever loved,” she croaked out. “For what? So that