Precious Stones (19 page)

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Authors: Darrien Lee

BOOK: Precious Stones
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“Jeremy,” Kevin said, trying to interrupt him, “we need to talk.”
“I know, because I need more details,” Jeremy answered. “This story is golden. I stayed up most of the night researching the Stones. Did you know all of them come from money? And your boyfriend has a Supreme Court judge as an uncle. This is too sweet! I don't know why you held back on me. I can't wait to write this story.”
Kevin noticed the scowl on Michael's face and yelled, “Jeremy! Shut up for a second and listen to me. I've changed my mind. Cancel the story. I don't want to do it anymore.”
“Kill the story?” Jeremy asked with a chuckle. “Have you lost your damn mind? I'm not killing this story. You got me salivating all over it, and now you want to pull the plug? You must be smoking crack.”
“I'm serious, Jeremy. I've had time to think about it, and I've decided not to pursue this.”
Jeremy started laughing even more. “I can't believe this. What happened? You and your boyfriend get back together or something?”
Becoming frustrated, Kevin yelled, “No, we're not together. Just kill the story.”
“And what if I don't?” Jeremy asked.
“I'll deny everything, and you'll be setting yourself up for a lawsuit. Your career in journalism will be dead, and you'll never get another job in the industry. You'll be finished.”
“You son of a bitch! You'd do that to me after all I've done for you? You came to me, remember?”
“I'm sorry it has to go out like this,” Kevin explained. “I'm willing to pay you for your time if it'll help.”
“I don't want your damn money!” he yelled back at Kevin. “This story could finally get me a corner office, and now you want snatch it all away from me? I don't think so. Go to hell! Delete my number, and don't you ever call me again.”
The phone went dead, and Kevin looked over at Michael and asked, “Are you satisfied?”
Michael stood and said, “Time will tell. He could still run the story if he wanted to.”
Kevin massaged his throat and said, “He won't do that.”
Michael open the front door and, before walking out, said, “You'd better pray he don't, because if he does, I'll be back and next time I won't be so gentle.”
When Michael slammed the door, it sounded like a bomb going off. Kevin let out a sigh of relief. He felt like he'd been holding his breath the whole time. He slid down to the floor as tears fell out of his eyes. He had never expected Michael to treat him this way. They used to be so close. Now it seemed as if Keilah was in his head more than ever before, and because of her, he had lost someone he really cared about, leaving him angry, brokenhearted, and feeling abandoned.
 
Traffic was unusually heavy on the Capital Beltway. Michael's hands were trembling as he drove toward the base. He needed to talk to someone quick, and a conversation with one of the army therapists was exactly what he needed to help him release his uncontrollable urge to hurt someone. Since his ordeal in Iraq, he'd had nightmares, reliving what was done to him. The therapists hadn't been able to make any progress with him, mostly because of the wall he had built up, and in most cases it took months, sometime years, to help a soldier recover from traumatic ordeals. Michael was no different.
Chapter Eighteen
Ramsey entered the kitchen and found Keilah feeding their daughter while Target rested comfortably under her feet. The protective German shepherd raised his head briefly but laid it back down as his owner approached.
“Hey, babe.” He greeted her with a kiss on the cheek.
“Hey,” she answered as she spooned mashed peas into her daughter's mouth.
Ramsey put his leather briefcase on a chair after kissing the top of Neariah's curly head. He studied his wife and asked, “Are you still mad at me?”
She looked up at him and frowned. “I was never mad at you.”
He sat down next to her and took over feeding Neariah. “It sure felt like it.”
Keilah wiped some the peas off her stained blouse as she made her way over to the sink. “I'm sorry if I made you feel that way. I know you're only looking out for me.”
He looked into her beautiful eyes and softly replied, “Exactly.”
“You do know you can be a little intense at times. Then again, that's one of the reasons why I love you.”
He smiled and then scanned her lovely body as he watched her refill Neariah's cup with apple juice. She handed her daughter the cup and yawned.
Ramsey put a piece of chicken in Neariah's mouth and said, “Why don't you go on upstairs and chill? I'll finish this.”
Keilah yawned again and asked, “Are you sure?”
He tickled Neariah and said, “Yeah, go ahead.”
She massaged his shoulders and said, “Thank you, babe.”
Ramsey and Neariah watched her as she exited the room. Seconds later Neariah looked up at her daddy with her bottom lip poked out and started to cry.
“No, no. I don't want to see any tears. Your mother just went upstairs,” he explained as he removed his necktie. “This is daddy-daughter time, and we're going to have some fun. Okay?”
Neariah glanced back over to the door and waited for her mother to return. When she didn't reappear, she looked at her father with tears in her eyes and apple juice running down her chin and said, “Da-dee.”
“Yeah, Da-dee,” he repeated as he wiped her mouth and disposed of her leftover food. After removing her bib, he picked her up in his arms and grabbed his briefcase. “Daddy's getting ready to give you a nice warm bath, and then we're going to watch a movie together. How does that sound?”
Neariah laid her head against her father's chest and started singing as he slowly climbed the stairs with Target on his heels.
 
In the bedroom Keilah lay across the bed in deep thought over the events of the day. It had been an emotional twenty-four hours, and it had taken a toll on her physically. Since she was pregnant, she wanted keep herself surrounded by peace and harmony as much as possible. Instead of her normal sexy lingerie, she was dressed down in one of her husband's T-shirts and nothing else. As she lay there, she could hear Ramsey singing to their daughter as he gave her a bath. It brought a smile to her face and warmed her heart. Ramsey was an excellent father and a perfect husband. Yes, they often butted heads over things, but they always found a way to work through their disagreements. Her thoughts were interrupted when her cell phone chimed. She glanced down at her phone and opened the text message.
The situation with the reporter has been taken care of.
With best regards,
Michael.
She immediately felt as if a weight had been lifted. She just prayed it was really over, but before she could give it more thought, her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and saw that it was her brother Luke.
“Hey, Luke,” she answered.
“Hey, baby girl,” he greeted her. “You sound terrible. Are you okay?”
She rolled over onto her back and let out a loud sigh. “I'm good. How are Sabrinia and the kids?” she asked.
“Everyone's fine. Now back to you. Are you putting in long hours again?”
Her eyes were stinging with tears. They always did when she talked to Luke. He was like a father to her, and his concern for her well-being made her emotional. She felt vulnerable and came really close to telling him she was pregnant, but she wanted to break the news to their entire families with her husband by her side. It had been almost three months since she'd seen her brothers, and she missed her family terribly.
“No, I'm not keeping long hours anymore. Camille is a great caretaker, but I make sure I'm home to spend time with Neariah and put her to bed.”
“Good, because there's no reason for you or Ramsey to work like that anymore. You guys have to take the time to enjoy each other.”
“We do,” she replied with a solemn tone.
“Is Ramsey home?”
“Yes, he's giving Neariah a bath.”
Luke had seen this behavior in his sister before, and he knew she was homesick. He didn't want to make it obvious that he was on to her, so he decided to gradually ease into a conversation about home to feel her out.
“Do you guys have any plans for Super Bowl weekend ?” he asked.
“We haven't talked about it yet. What are you going to do?” she asked.
With a smile in his voice he said, “Well, Roman was talking about having a party, but it wouldn't be complete without you guys here.”
“I'd love to come, but we have to check our schedule. You know that's a busy time for us, she answered.
Luke let out a frustrated breath and said, “Keilah, every day is a busy time for you. When are you guys going to relinquish some of your duties to your managers?”
“Soon,” she replied.
“When?” he asked. “You're trying to run the D.C. location and open the office in Atlanta too. You and Ramsey can't keep going at this pace.”
“You work just as hard,” she pointed out.
“That's where you're wrong, sis. I work hard when I'm there, but we split the responsibilities among each other. I work two days a week, and the other days belong to my family. That's how it's supposed to be, sweetheart. You're successful, and you've done your job. Now it's time for you and Ramsey to back the hell up and enjoy the benefits you worked so hard to build.”
Tears spilled out of her eyes. She softly replied, “I know.”
“What you gon' do?” Luke asked with a firm tone of voice.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and said, “I'll let you know what we decide.”
“Okay. I'm going to hold you to that. I miss you and want to see you, especially my niece.”
She laughed and said, “She's grown so much. Her personality is really coming out. I can't wait to see you guys too. I love you, Luke.”
“I love you too,” he assured her with tenderness in his tone. “Tell Ramsey hello, and kiss Neariah for me. I'll call you in a couple of days.”
“Okay. Good night, Luke.”
“Good night, Keilah.”
She hung up the phone and pulled her comforter over her body. Establishing a normal life had become even more important to her now. Family should always come first, and having another baby on the way made her long for a carefree life more than ever. Her mind was made up as she slowly drifted off the sleep.
It was nearly midnight when she woke up and noticed that Ramsey wasn't in bed. She slowly climbed out of bed and made her way across the hall to Neariah's nursery. Her crib was empty as well, so she headed downstairs to get a drink of water. Target met her at the bottom of the stairs, alerting her that he needed to go out. She went into the kitchen and pulled a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. She deactivated the alarm, and as soon as she opened the door, Target sprinted into the backyard. She sipped her water as she waited for him to finish his business. Minutes later he returned to the back door so she could let him in.
Keilah reset the alarm and made her way into the family room, where she found the TV on and Ramsey asleep on the sofa, with Neariah lying across his chest, securely wrapped in his arms. It was a Kodak moment, and she couldn't resist taking a picture with the camera they kept in the kitchen. Then she knelt down beside him and started gently caressing his arm to wake him. He slowly opened his eyes and smiled.
“What time is it?” he murmured.
She ran her hand over her sleeping daughter's back and said, “Late.”
“I didn't realize how tired I was,” he said as she cuddled his daughter as he sat up.
Keilah stood and said, “Give her to me so I can put her in bed.”
Ramsey handed Neariah to his wife and yawned. She kissed her daughter's cheek and said, “I might as well change her diaper before putting her down.”
He picked up the remote and turned off the TV and then stretched. Target whined for attention, so Ramsey patted him on the head and said, “Not now, boy.”
“I just let him out, so he's good,” Keilah said as she walked ahead of him.
Upstairs Keilah quietly changed the baby's diaper. She was able to do it so gently and methodically that Neariah stayed asleep the whole time. When Keilah reentered the bedroom, she found Ramsey in the shower. She crawled back into bed and waited for her husband to join her. Minutes later he crawled under the covers and pulled her close to his body, and minutes later they fell asleep in each other's arms.
 
Michael was up nursing a glass of rum and Coke as he watched a late-night segment on CNN. He felt calmer after his session with the therapist. The therapist's main concern was Michael's enraged state of mind during his assault on Kevin and the trigger that set him off. If Kevin hadn't complied or if he had fought back, the outcome could've gone from bad to worse in an instant. The therapist had advised Michael to refrain from alcohol if he could; however, most soldiers who returned from the war zone drank to try and relax. Many of them also turned to recreational drugs to try and rid their minds and dreams of the horrible things they saw overseas.
Michael's kidnapping was something he wasn't ready to talk about, but in time he knew he would have to with his therapist. He wanted to wait until he settled his complaint against Lieutenant Colonel Biggs before opening his soul. He had admired Biggs for so long and hated that he hadn't told authorities about his molestation when it happened. Now it was going to be an uphill battle to get justice.
There's only so much a man can bear mentally, emotionally, and physically,
he thought. His ordeal with Lieutenant Colonel Biggs was horrific, as was his stint as a prisoner of war. He had felt like he was dying a slow death ever since he'd been molested, but it wasn't until he was kidnapped that he felt that he would take his last breath on foreign soil. He poured himself another glass of rum and Coke just as he received a text from Madeline.
Bored. Wish you were here.
He picked up his cell and sent a text back.
Would love to, but I've had a few. Don't want to get a DUI.1.
The couple sent flirty text messages back and forth for a few minutes, until Madeline sent one last text.
Can't take it anymore. See you in ten minutes. Save some rum for me.
Michael smiled and turned on the porch light and waited for his lovely guest to arrive. While he waited, he decided to spruce up the living room, wash the dirty dishes in the sink, and turn on a scented warmer to send a relaxing fragrance throughout the house. The doorbell rang, announcing Madeline's arrival, just as he finished up his chores. Michael wanted to have her drink cold and ready for her, so he held it in his hand as he headed to the front door. He opened the door and found his gorgeous date smiling back at him. She was as stunning as expected, with her beautiful hair blown straight and light makeup on her face. He took the small overnight bag out of her hand as he pulled her inside.
“Thanks for coming over,” he greeted before giving her a sizzling kiss on the lips.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and said, “I'm glad I'm here too. Why don't you help me out of my coat?”
Michael sat the drink on the table in the hallway and untied the belt of her coat. When he opened her coat, he was stunned to find her completely nude underneath.
“Damn, girl! Where are your clothes?”
Without answering, she allowed the coat to slide off her shoulders onto the floor. She picked up the glass and gulped down the rum and Coke.
“Thirsty?” he asked, with an admiring grin on his face, as he scanned her body.
She burped and then took him by the hand and said, “I want you upstairs now.”
Michael turned out the lights and then followed her up the stairs to his bedroom with two glasses and a bottle of rum. He sat the glasses and bottles on the table and turned. Madeline immediately started undressing him, but he stopped her after she unbuttoned his shirt.

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