Her Kind of Man (19 page)

It was obvious they were speeding past the point of no return and he didn't want to get burned. He didn't want to just be the man who took her virginity. He wanted it to mean something. When they finally made love, it had to be right for both of them. She deserved that much.

“Kent?” she mumbled.

Looking down at her, he smiled when he noticed her eyes were wide open. “Good morning,” he whispered.

“Morning.” She smoothed her hand over his chest and slipped her fingers below the waistband of his sweats.

“You hungry?” he asked, stopping her hand from going even a little bit lower. Touching him below his waist was a surefire way to get him to abandon his noble intentions.

“Sure,” she grumbled, drumming her fingers against his stomach. His breath caught when she placed a kiss on his chest. “Are you going to make breakfast?”

“If you're okay with cereal and a banana, yeah.”

She giggled. “You're funny. You know how to cook.”

He shrugged. “Not really. You see how my refrigerator looked before you got here?”

Lifting her head up, she grinned. “Well, it's a good thing I'm here. And I love to cook.”

Caressing her face, he leaned in and kissed her soundly. “How about you take a break and let me take you to breakfast?”

“Okay,” she said.

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat there for a minute. Ticking off the seemingly endless list of things he had to do in his head, he wondered how he would swing everything
and
still spend time with Allina.

His mama wanted him to meet her at the hospital for a conference with Den's doctors and he really didn't want to go. But he knew he had to. His father had told him he had to take care of his mother, and he took that very seriously. If going to the hospital to be a support to his mother was what she needed, he'd do it. Even though he was still pissed as hell at his older brother.

“Are you okay?” she asked, rubbing his shoulders from behind him. She kissed his temple and rested her head on his shoulder.

Leaning his head against hers, he said, “I'm fine. Just thinking about everything I have to do today. Which is a lot.”

“Go into business for yourself. Then you can make your own schedule.”

There it was again. For years, Morgan and Red had been on him about starting a graphic design business. Even Syd had implored him to do something different. But Kent always changed the subject, always found a reason to squash the idea. Yet when Allina said it, he almost believed it could happen.

He squeezed Allina's hand, brought her palm up to his mouth and kissed it. “I just don't know. It's a big decision to make and I'm not sure it's a good idea yet.”

“Think about it,” she urged. “You definitely have a knack for business and a charm that will certainly attract a diverse clientele. I just hate to see you work so hard, day in and day out, and not feel accomplished at the end of the day. You have so much more to give and you deserve to be happy doing what you love.”

“I am happy,” he said.
I don't even believe that
.

“I get it.” She intertwined her fingers with his. “I am the same way. Working for a company is safe, almost guaranteed. Health insurance, paid time off… those are perks of employment. You know when you're going to get a paycheck. It's consistent. I could even see if you needed the steady money. But you don't. You have an additional stream of income in the bar. It's a win-win.”

“I love that you believe in me.” He stared into her sincere eyes. “You bring up valid points. Every time I think I can step out there, quit my job, and do what I want to do, I think about my father. He spent so many years working, for us.”

Kent's father had grown up poor and made it his mission to never end up in that same predicament as an adult. Even if that meant he missed Kent's football games and family vacations. His dad always told him a man who doesn't work is a man who goes hungry. It had been instilled in Kent from the time he could walk and talk.

“My father worked hard, too,” she admitted softly. “But one of the things I appreciate about him is that he always told me the sky was the limit. It was me who didn't believe it, especially after what happened to me. But…” She shrugged. “I don't know. Maybe I'm starting to believe it.”

“Why now?”

“I have no idea. I just do. I think me and Cali are on the verge of something great. And I absolutely love designing gowns and helping women with their big day. Even if I never have mine.”

Her words tugged at his heart. It made sense that she might have figured marriage may elude her, especially because of what had happened between her and Isaac. “I think you are on to something. I also think you'll have yours.” Kent wanted to say so much more, but he couldn't. Not right then.

“I better get dressed,” she said, sliding off the bed.

Rubbing his head, he stood up and stretched. “Hey,” he said, pulling her to him. “Thank you, for everything.”

She fisted her hands into his shirt and grinned up at him. “You're welcome, but I haven't done anything.”

He kissed her shoulder. “You're you.”

After a few lingering kisses, they finally tore themselves away from each other and got dressed for breakfast.

T
he doorbell rang and Kent rushed to answer it. “Hold on,” he called. When he reached the door he looked through the peephole.

Damn
. He recognized the man on the other side of the door. He just hadn't expected him to be at his house. Sighing heavily, he disarmed the alarm and opened the door.

The older man standing on the other side assessed him. “Kent?”

“Yes. Come in, Judge Parker.”

Allina's father walked in, checking the place out as he stepped over the threshold. Kent closed the door and waited. With hands stuffed in his pockets, Judge turned around.

Kent wiped his palms on his jeans and held out a hand. “Good to meet you.”

In all the years he'd known Allina, it had never been a priority to meet her parents, especially her father. He'd met her mother in passing one time a few years ago, and he was perfectly fine with it.

The older man squeezed Kent's hand. “Good to put a face to a name, finally,” Judge replied.

What am I supposed to say now?
They stood like that for a bit, studying each other. He wondered what the older man was thinking. Then it occurred to him: he was probably wondering if Kent was sleeping with his daughter. For once, he hoped Allina didn't come out of the bedroom in his shorts and T-shirt.

He scratched the back of his head. “Coffee?”

Judge gave him a curt nod. “No, thank you. I had some already.”

“We weren't expecting you. Is everything okay?”

Kent wasn't a nervous person by any means. And he'd never had a problem talking to anyone. But this was the father of the woman he loved. He couldn't afford to fuck it up. The Judge's opinion meant the world to her.

“I wanted to talk to you and Allina in person, about Isaac. Is she here?”

Nodding, Kent said, “She's in the back. Have a seat.” He gestured toward the couch. “I'll go get her.”

Only he didn't have a chance to get her because Allina walked out—fully dressed.
Yes
.

“Kent, I think I want to…” Her voice trailed off when she saw her father. “Daddy?” Judge stood up and opened his arms. Allina ran right into them.

Moments later, they were all seated around the kitchen table, Allina sipping on a cup of tea, and Kent nursing a mug of coffee.

“I have some interesting information about Isaac and the mystery woman,” Judge said.

“Did they find her?” Allina asked, concern in her eyes.

“She's not missing,” he answered. “She's hiding.”

The Judge started his story, explaining that he'd found Karen through her aunt. The older woman had had plenty to say about Isaac and his family.

“Rumors of cover-ups, payoffs.” Judge clasped his hands together. “Not just with Isaac, but his father too.”

Allina's brow furrowed. “What—?”

“Apparently there are a few women who have been hurt by him,” the older man continued. “Isaac has a history of physical and emotional abuse toward young church members, countless accusations of sexual harassment, but Bishop Hunter always manages to make them go away.”

“How did this woman know all of this?” Kent asked.

“Karen told her,” Judge said simply.

But Karen almost didn't live to tell the story. After she left the church the day of the wedding, she was on her way to her aunt's house when she was almost run off the road. She was so spooked she went to her aunt's house and begged for help.

“But Isaac was still at the church,” Allina pointed out. “He couldn't have done that.”

“He didn't have to,” Kent chimed in. “If his family is as powerful as you say, he could have asked anyone to do it.”

That was unfortunate since these were supposed to be God-fearing Christians. Kent had seen his fair share of shady clergy, but he thought this family took the cake.

“Exactly,” Judge agreed. “You have to understand, Isaac could have easily made a call after he realized that you'd overheard their conversation. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if the Bishop knows about what happened and approved it.”

Allina shook her head. “No. I don't believe that.”

Kent glanced at Allina incredulously, shocked that after everything he'd done, she was still giving Isaac the benefit of the doubt.

“I don't put anything past them,” Kent said, meeting Allina's gaze directly.

“Was Karen in a relationship with Isaac or something?” Allina asked her father.

“No, but her sister was. Karen admitted she was only involved for a payday. Then she started to feel guilty. That's why she was at the church, threatening to come forward.”

“So the woman in the church was the sister of one of his ex-girlfriends?” Allina confirmed.

“Yes. Karen's sister was so afraid she left town to get away from him and never returned. Isaac made her life hell,” Judge said, picking up where he'd left off. “So I convinced her aunt to get me in touch with the sister. She gave me a phone number.”

Allina clutched her throat. “You're going to see her?”

“
We're
going to see her,” Judge corrected her. “That's why I'm here. She's in Windsor.”

Allina tapped her foot against the tile, let her father's story sink in. Kent had left for work. She knew he hated to leave when they were on the verge of ending this, but he had a meeting he couldn't miss. It helped that Kent knew she was in good hands. She'd been happy to see her dad when he arrived, but she wasn't prepared for what Judge had shared with her.

Sitting across from her father, she studied the piece of paper with the number scrawled across it. The woman's name was Carla, and she was less than forty miles away.

Windsor, Ontario, was located south of Detroit, across the Detroit River. It was a thirty-minute drive from Belleville. What were the odds that they would be so close to each other? Allina wanted to meet Carla so they could talk in person. But she wasn't sure what the other woman would want to do, considering she had fled for a reason.

She stood up and walked to the refrigerator, pulling it open. She needed time to process everything she'd heard. Isaac was a predator. Threatening women wasn't a new thing. He'd been doing it for years.
How did I not know that?
Suddenly, her appetite was gone and she pushed the refrigerator door closed.

“What if she doesn't want to see us?” Allina asked.

“Her aunt said she's expecting your call.” He glanced at his watch. “Are you ready?”

“I just can't believe this.” Allina rubbed at a brow.

“You want me to do it?”

“No, I'll do it.” Allina froze. “Where's Mom?”

“Working on a fund-raiser for her nonprofit. She wanted to come, but I thought it was best if she didn't. I figured it would be easier for me to sneak away. With everything I found out, I wouldn't put it past Isaac to have me followed so he can get to you.”

“Are you sure it's safe leaving her alone?” Allina couldn't get over the story. She sucked in a sharp breath. “What if he's been following you the whole time?”

“I'm not worried about your mother. She's protected. And if anyone asks around, my staff will tell them I'm giving a guest lecture at Indiana University.”

Her father explained that he'd had his judicial attorney purchase an airplane ticket for him to Bloomington, Indiana, while he'd purchased a ticket to Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Both flights left around the same time. He'd boarded only one.

Allina ran her finger over the phone number. The sooner she got some answers, the sooner this would be over. Then she could move forward with her life. With Kent. Forcing a harsh breath out, she picked up her cell phone and dialed.

When she heard the click signaling someone had picked up, Allina said, “Hello? I'm looking for Carla Little?”

“Hi.” The high-pitched voice came over the receiver. “This is Carla Little.”

“My name is Allina Parker. Your aunt gave me your number?” Silence on the other end.

“Thank you for talking to me,” Allina added. “I appreciate it.”

“I-I wasn't going to,” Carla admitted softly. “But my aunt convinced me to let her give you my number.”

Allina was grateful to the aunt for helping them connect. “I'm glad you did.”

“How can I help you?”

Figuring it was best to get to the point, Allina told Carla, “I was supposed to marry Isaac, but I ran out on the wedding. He's made some threats, intimated that he wasn't going to give up so easily and I just wanted to talk to you. I need to know what I can expect.”

“Expect the worst,” Carla told her plainly. “Because he's definitely capable of it.”

Allina swallowed. Hard. “What did he do to you?” she asked.

“I'm not even sure I can talk about it. There are things he did that no one knows about. Simply leaving him was not enough. I had to practically disappear.”

Holding her stomach, Allina slid down into a chair and glanced at her father. “I thought I was doing the right thing,” she confessed. “Marrying in the church, to someone who was so well loved in the community. But he's awful.”

“Why did you leave?” Carla asked.

“I heard him, in the pastor's study, the morning of the wedding,” Allina explained. “He was talking to your sister. She accused him of something.” She relayed what she'd overheard about the talk of money for a cover-up. The memory of the conversation still made her feel cold.

“Believe it,” Carla said. “My sister shouldn't have done what she did, but it's all true. There is so much about that family that is wrong on many levels. Isaac's father has paid off numerous women, going back to Isaac's teenage years.”

Apparently, Isaac had a history of being overly aggressive with the young women of the church. Carla told Allina that one family in particular had threatened to press criminal charges, but Bishop Hunter arranged a payoff to keep them quiet. Another girl attempted suicide because of the things Isaac had done. “And those are only a few examples,” Carla finished. “He found me once. I moved again.”

Allina's chest tightened. “He's already called me,” she whispered. “I don't even want to think about what he'd do if he came here.

They didn't speak for a moment, as Allina processed the information she'd been given.

“I had to leave the country,” Carla said, her voice thick—probably with tears.

“I know. My father told me. I'm in Michigan, the Detroit Area. I came back here to be with my friends.”

Carla didn't respond for what seemed like an eternity. As time dragged on, Allina wondered if she should say something else. She had so many more questions.

“I have to stop him,” Allina breathed. “He can't continue to do this. There has to be something, anything, I can use to get him to back off.”

“I have something,” Carla said. “I collected some information and took it to the police in Cleveland. But with my checkered past and his family's reputation and standing, I didn't get anywhere.”

Curious, Allina asked what Carla meant about her checkered past.

Instead of answering, Carla suggested, “I can meet you. In Detroit.”

Allina closed her eyes and let out a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding. “Okay. When?”

“How soon can you get downtown?”

“I can be there within an hour.” Allina knew she'd told Kent she would stay put, but she couldn't
not
go, especially when there was a good chance she could end this once and for all.

“Meet me at in the lobby of the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. One hour.”

Before Allina could ask how she would know who Carla was, the call ended.

Peering up at her father, she said, “She wants to meet.” She jumped up and rushed into the bedroom. After she changed into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, she grabbed one of Kent's baseball hats and put it on.

Her father was waiting at the door when she came out. And they left.

Briefly, she wondered if she should call Kent and leave him a message, just so he would know where she went. But then she figured she would be back before he got out of his meeting. Her father's presence could very well frighten off Carla, but she hoped it wouldn't.

The car ride was quiet. Traffic into downtown Detroit was busy as usual and Allina weaved through slow cars to make it to her destination on time. Construction along the Lodge Freeway delayed her arrival and she was fifteen minutes late. She hoped Carla hadn't left before she got there.

To expedite time, she used the valet service and rushed into the hotel with her father on her heels, taking the elevators up to the lobby floor. Stepping out, she scanned the area.

“Daddy, I think you should head over to the bar. I don't want her to be scared off.”

“Are you sure?” Judge asked. “I don't know about leaving you.”

“I'm fine,” she assured him.

Reluctantly, he agreed and ambled off toward the big bar in the middle of the lobby. Allina did another quick sweep of the immediate area. There were people milling about, hotel guests checking out and businessmen in expensive suits sitting at the new bar in the lobby. Hanging her head, she shook it. How was she supposed to know Carla from a random woman visiting the hotel?

“Are you Allina?” a voice behind her asked.

She whirled around, smiling kindly at the woman in front of her. “I am. Are you Carla?”

The woman nodded. “Yes.”

Allina apologized for being late, explaining the traffic situation. Then they headed for the café that was situated off the lobby, on the other side of the bar. They ordered drinks and settled into a secluded table.

Allina observed Carla as she took a sip from her mug. If Allina wasn't one hundred percent sure that she was an only child, she would have had to call her mom to ask if there was a possibility that she had a sibling somewhere. The similarities between her and Carla were remarkable, jarring even.