“Did I surprise you?” He asked. For a minute my mouth just hung open. Damn, can he hear my thoughts?
“Yes.” I told him truthfully. He was continuing to do that.
“Sorry about that. How can I help you Ms…”
“Brenda Bonita,” I said walking toward him to shake his hand. He didn’t reach for my hand, instead he studied me with that unnerving gaze of his. I had to force myself not to look away.
Get a grip Nak. You are not getting ready to let this young thug unravel you. Get it together!
I took a deep breath withdrawing my hand as I eased back down in my chair.
“It’s common decency to shake your guest’s hand in greeting.” I admonished as I lifted my briefcase laying it gently on the granite table in front of me.
“It’s common decency not to lie when your host asks you your name.” My eyes rose to his.
“I told you my name. Why would I lie?”
He grinned then still studying me with that sharp gaze of his. “I don’t know, but I’m sure I’ll find out.”
I removed several papers from my briefcase. One of them being a copy of the contract he signed with Jo.
“I’ve been sent here from Senator Warren’s office. As you know, your sister a…” I looked at the name on the paper although I knew it by heart. “Journey Reevers is romantically involved with Joseph Warren, Senator Warren’s son. I’ve been hired to make sure the senator and his son’s reputation remain on the up and up.” I smiled warmly. He did not return my smile. In fact, the more I talked, the angrier he became. The little muscle in his jaw was working overtime.
“Of course you have nothing to worry about, I am a professional. Half the time you won’t even know I’m here. I’m sure you are a responsible young man and would not be willing to do anything to jeopardize the senator’s and future senator’s office, what with all the work they do for communities like this.” He sat up on the couch.
“Wait, let me get this straight. You come into my house to tell me, a grown ass man, that you’re my what? Babysitter?” I smiled.
“Well, I wouldn’t put it in those terms…but, yes.” He narrowed his hypnotic eyes at me.
“Funny, you don’t come across as a babysitter. Why do I feel as if it’s a killer staring at me through your eyes?”
It took every bit of my training not to break my cover in that moment. Nobody has ever seen the real me.
Never!
I looked away, shuffling through the papers to cover my momentary lapse.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, young man.”
“You can kill all that young man, bullsh*t. It’s not doing what you’re hoping it would.”
“And what is that?” I asked lifting my gaze back to his, daring him to say it. He didn’t speak right away. He just let his eyes travel over my body in a way that made me feel warm all over.
“Discouraging me from imagining what those beautiful deceptive eyes of yours will look like rounded in pleasure as you come apart for me over and over again.” I loudly cleared my throat. He smiled when he saw he had ruffled my feathers.
“Mr. Reevers—”
“Rome.” He corrected.
“Romeo, let’s go ahead and get a few things straight. I will not tolerate sexual harassment of any kind. If you sexually harass me again, I will call Joseph Warren and inform him that you’ve breached your contract. If you give me a hard time in anyway from this point on, I will call Mr. Warren and tell him you’ve breached your contract, in which point, the actions that Mr. Warren discussed with you will be taken.” I looked at him giving him my no-nonsense look.
“Is that understood?”
Take a sneak peek into upcoming novel by Edwina Fort!
Redemption: Earth’s Cry Chapter One
Synopsis: When faced with losing custody of her daughter to wealthy and powerful strangers, this mother is willing to risk it all, which brings her to a face-off with the formidable and deadly Melech Black. Follow the audacious and tenacious Earth on her journey to love and self-discovery.
Chapter One
The Kidnapping
Earth
“Are you sure that’s the little brother?” Brianna, my best friend asked. “Dang! He is fiiiinnnee!”
I took in the authoritative man that the maître d’ was showing to the corner table that had been reserved for my dead husband’s younger brother. Yes, he was very handsome. His powerful strides crossed the floor in a way that made me feel as if he was the ruler and we his subjects. The way the maître d’ walked next to him with his head bowed only reinforced that feeling.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure. The reservation had been made for Mike Black for 2 o’clock.” I looked at my watch. “It’s 2 on the dot.”
“If they Indians, why they ain’t got names like Running Bull or Dances with Wind?”
So lost I was in my head I didn’t even hear her question. My nerves were a wreck and my palms were sweaty. I was seconds away from cowering and running for my life.
Many times my late husband Mitch warned me never to come in contact with his family. They were a powerful group that had generated their wealth through a string of casinos that had been in their family for decades. My husband was Native American from the Seminole tribe, he said his immediate family had long lost all the things that made them human and were a heartless bunch that destroyed innocent people like me and our daughter Rain for the pure sport of it.
He also told me many times that his family’s power and influence knew no bounds. And that there was none as powerful as his older brother Melech, who was in control of their family’s vast wealth.
Bria shook her head slightly. “I don’t know, Earth. He don’t really look Indian to me or like a little brother.”
This
