South Row (22 page)

Liam, Fletcher and Kaylee are carted off in handcuffs downstairs where a media circus awaits them. South is sagging in my arms, exhaustion wracking her body. I hold her tighter, feeling like if I let her go, she’ll disappear somehow. Closing my eyes, I inhale the flowery scent of her hair and relish having her so close to me. I just want to sweep her into my arms and take her away.

Like that Ivory Tower?
I chuckle to myself at the memory my subconscious conjures up: South ten years ago, my arms around her as she cries, wishing I could whisk her away to an Ivory Tower. Her father had just beaten the crap out of her; hours before she disappeared from my life, moments before that fateful kiss. Things have come full circle, indeed, but this time, I got to her monster. Fletcher’ll probably have some broken ribs and definitely a broken nose. He’s lucky, is all I know.

“Miss…Tate?” Lake calls. I open my eyes to see Lake approaching us.

South turns around to face him. “You can call me South,” she tells him.

Lake smiles. “South…on behalf of this law firm I want to apologize for my colleague and our client. We can’t imagine the damage that he has caused you.”

“I’m not important,” she counters, waving off his kindness. “Those women,” she highlights. “They’re the ones who need your kindness.”

Lake’s brows draw up in confusion. He can’t understand how a woman, who has been through so much, still finds it in her to think about others. Well, Lake, that’s just my girl. She’s selfless to boot.

“Mr. Lake, I have been through my very own hell. At one point I thought of it as my very own Skid Row or death row, and that’s not because of my name. But, no matter what I’d gone through, I came out of it with my sanity intact. I can’t say the same for those girls,” she explains. “Anything you have to say, anything you can do, direct it to all those abused women. They need it more than I do. I have everything I’ll ever need right here.” She rubs a hand over mine and gives the rest of us a smile, even Big Jesse, who melts and smiles back. He’s got it bad.
Like you don’t?

“Southerlynn Row?” Grisham chokes out, his face a mask of shock and relief. How does he know that name?

South tenses in my arms, but manages a smile when she looks at Grisham. “Not anymore,” she says. “I’m Southerlynn Tate now.”

“Holy shit,” he curses, blowing out a breath and resting his hands on the conference table. I have never heard Grisham cuss before.

“Miss R…Tate, I have been searching for you for ten years,” he informs her. South loosens from my hold and approaches Grisham cautiously.

“What for?”

“Do you know a Sylvia Chaucer?” he asks.

I hear South’s audible gasp and she stops in her tracks. She stutters out a response, “Th-that’s my…my grandmother. My father’s mother.”

“She died a few days after your father…” he trails off, looking uncomfortable.

“Killed himself
. It’s okay,” South says, no trace of unease or hurt in her voice. My baby’s getting stronger.

“Well,” Grisham hurries on. “She had a will, naming you as one of two sole benefactors of her estate.”

“What?” South squeaks, the same time breaths are sucked in around the room.

Grisham smiles kindly when he tells her, “She left you a majority portion of her estate, Miss Tate. A house here in San Francisco, one in Dallas and,” he pauses. “She left you money, Miss Tate…eight figures’ worth.”

South wobbles on unsteady legs. I’m there behind her as she sags against me. Her body starts to shake violently as she cries, burying her face in her hands. I hold her as she cries, not knowing what else to do. I let her cry because she needs to get it out. All her life she has lived in lack because of an abusive father who withheld any and everything from her and her mother; a father who came from a wealthy family. What could possess a man to be that fucked up?

“She gave a percentage of her estate to her charity,
Angel’s Wings
. It is a charitable organization here in San Francisco that caters to victims of abuse. If you don’t mind waiting, I have a letter that she wrote for you,” Grisham says.

South nods her head frantically. “Yes, please,” she gasps, choking back a sob.

Grisham hurries out the door. Scott and Lydia crowd around South and she hugs each of them tightly. They both whisper reassurances to her, telling her how brave she is, that she is finally getting all she’s deserved. I agree. Luke, Lake and Jesse stand off to the side, giving the four of us this moment. This is redemption and absolution for her and I am so glad that I’m here to witness it. She deserves every bit of good fortune that is coming her way.

Grisham returns after a few minutes, carrying with him a safety deposit box. He rests it on the table and motions for South to come over. She looks at me for guidance and I smile, placing my hand to the small of her back, gesturing her forward. She grasps my hand just before I remove it, and tugs me along with her.

She turns to face me when we sit in front of Grisham, clasping my hand in hers and holding it to her heart. “From here on out it’s you and me, Collin,” she declares passionately, causing my heart to stop and stutter to a start. I love the sound of that.

I lean forward and kiss her, lacing our
fingers together. “Ditto, Red.”

“Hello, my sweet, blue-eyed, angel. Do you remember when you used to giggle whenever I called you that? You used to say that angels belong in Heaven and what is it that I would always say? “That’s where you’re from, angel. God just loaned you to us to brighten our lives”.”

Tears slip down my face in rivulets. I remember. Every time Nana Chaucer said those words she would follow them up with angel kisses. I never understood why she didn’t want to be called Row, even though she didn’t get a divorce but was widowed. As I continue to read her letter, I find out why.

“I am so sorry I failed your mother and you. I should have been there for you both. I should have stuck around, risked jail time just so I could see you both safe. Your father, my son, took out a restraining order against me. He knew of my intentions to take you both away from that godforsaken place. He threatened me by threatening you both; saying the only way to ensure both of your safety was to deposit a sum of money in his account every week. In hindsight, I should have known that he would not stick to his word, but squander it. I wish I had gone with my gut and taken you both away when things were peaceful. I knew it was only a matter of time before his monster reared its ugly head. Now it’s too late, at least for your mother. I pray wherever you are, that you are safe.”

I close my eyes and think about my mother, beautiful Anna-Lynn. She was such a gentle soul with so much love to give. It’s just so sad she gave that love to the wrong person and now…

I swat the tears away from my face, refusing to think about the bad things of my mother’s life. She was kind, loving and nurturing and that’s how I will always remember her.

“I know you’re wondering what happened to your father. I know you remember him being kind and playful and then all of a sudden everything changed.”
Yes, I do wonder what made him that way.
“Well, you see, angel, behavior like what your father displayed had been in his family for generations, just not on as large a scale as his…or your grandfather’s.”
I gasp at this knowledge. My God, it was a cycle of abuse…that ends with me.

“Yes, my angel, I was victim to a literal iron fist as well. That joke is in poor taste, I know, but as my mother always said: “Laugh in the face of adversity, Sylvie girl. That way you confuse the devil”. And if I leave any wisdom with you, it’s that. Smile even when you’re down, my angel; never let them think they’ve succeeded in bringing you down. Never let them think they’ve won.”

I smile through my tears, closing my eyes and committing those words to memory.

“For a great many years, your grandfather would lock me in the basement after a beating, taking your father out for ice-cream or to watch a baseball game. When he would release me, I was expected to make dinner, smile and pretend as if nothing was wrong. I thought I was being strong for my son, but by staying and enduring the cruelty of his father, I made a monster. I should have left when I had the chance, but fear is something that cripples even the strongest of us. Don’t let fear do that to you, angel. God loaned you to us, so it means you still have your wings. Whenever you feel afraid and it becomes too overwhelming, fly above it. Now you know why I named my charity
Angel’s Wings
. I named it after you, angel. Please take care of it for me, and no, not the building, but the people. They are most important.

“I hope an old woman is making sense. I need you to learn from your mother’s and my mistake. No man is worth a bruise to your beautiful face, or worse, your beautiful heart. As I lie here, waiting for a different kind of angel to come take me, I want to communicate every ounce of love I have in my heart to you. I know I let you and your mother down, my angel, but please believe me that it was not my intention. Your mother was the daughter I had always wanted. She was a beautiful, kind soul that was beguiled by the devil. I loved my son, and I loved him in life as I will love him in death – his and my own. He was a sweet boy, but somewhere along the way, a darkness took over his heart.

“Leaving you and your mother was my greatest regret and I pray you will find it in your heart to forgive me. I have one last request of you, my angel. Release those people who have hurt you from your heart, especially your father. Dig deep, find purchase and forgive him for the hurt he inflicted on you and your mother physically, mentally and emotionally. He doesn’t deserve residence in your heart. Let him go and you be free. Fly, my angel, because you don’t belong here. You’re just on loan, so make the best of your time here on earth…as well as all I am leaving you. Angel, you deserve a turn in circumstance. I couldn’t give it to you in life, but I can give it to you in death. Enjoy this gift and don’t ever forget those in need.

“I love you, Southerlynn. Fly, my sweet, beautiful, angel. Fly.”

I dry the last of my tears and fold the paper, clutching it to my heart. I look at my friends who have just shared this very touching moment with me, my man rubbing soothing circles on my back. The only persons missing are my mother and Aunt, but I know they are watching from Heaven.

Grisham shuffles a set of papers to me,
The Last Will and Testament of Sylvia Chaucer
printed at the top of the paper. As I pore over the document, I am flummoxed by how much I now possess, even after taxes and bills. And I know what I want to do first with this good fortune.

“I want to set up a fund for those women held captive,” I direct at Grisham. Collin squeezes my leg and smiles his support. My heart soars at his faith in my decision.

“No problem, Miss Tate. All of this is now yours to do with as you please,” Grisham assures me. “I’ll leave you all to talk.” Grisham gets up to leave but pauses at the door to await Lake.

Lake comes over and extends his hand to me. I stand and shake it warmly.

“You are truly an angel, Miss Tate. I know you will make a difference with what you’ve been given. It was very nice to meet you and your friends,” he bids me.

“It was nice meeting you too, Mr. Lake, considering the circumstances,” I say sincerely. He smiles then joins his colleague at the door.

Grisham calls out to Collin and Luke, “Take the week off, you two. You earned it.”

Collin and Luke breathe a sigh of relief, trying hard to contain their elation.

The two men leave us and as soon as the door closes behind them, Luke does his version of a happy dance.

“Fuck, yeah!” he whoops, slapping Collin a five, who is just as happy as he is.

Collin embraces me, dropping a kiss to the top of my head. “What would you like to do now, Red?”

Smiling, I tell him the one thing that would mean anything to me right now.

“
Angel’s Wings
.”

Friday.

The
perfect day.

It’s been four days since Liam, Fletcher and Kaylee were arrested. Four days since Red became a multi-millionaire. I want to say that everything has changed since then, but in truth, it hasn’t and I’m glad. South and I live in her apartment and she still drives her beat up old Honda.

Our visit to
Angel’s Wings
had been an emotional one. We got the whole gang to go, giving Connor, Wyatt and Johann the address and telling them to meet us there.
Angel’s Wings
is located on a vast estate that provides housing, counseling and healthcare services, as well as life coping assistance, vocational training and tutoring. It also has two basketball courts, a tennis court and batting cages, for kids who come there that need to let off some steam or to just simply have an enjoyable day of play.

Inside the main hall is a massive painting that made South burst into tears. It was a painting of her as a child with angel’s wings. It was such a beautiful and evocative painting that I found myself choking up. Her grandmother really loved her and that was painfully obvious.

South spoke with the chairwoman as well as the project manager, already making plans for the future. She met and spoke with a few of the beneficiaries – children and women – hearing their stories, sharing parts of her own story, and just generally bringing her special brand of sunshine to everyone.

The guys and I challenged a few of the teenaged boys to a game of basketball. We got our asses beat, but it was expected. Luke and I were in Ferragamos, Wyatt in Hush Puppies and Connor in Timberlands. Johann was the only one in sneakers. It was fun, though, especially with the girls – and Scott – cheering us on. It was hard to leave, but we were
all exhausted after the day we’d had.

We had dinner
at Flora that night, trying to make better memories than the last time we’d been there. We filled Connor, Johann and Wyatt in on the events of the morning, as well as what led up to it. Understandably, they were upset that we left them out of the fireworks, but were happy that justice was served and that South was finally getting a break in life.

The next day we were informed that Kaylee was granted bail, but her father and Fletcher weren’t so lucky; being dubbed as flight risks. Melora filed for divorce. Fletcher’s assets were seized. Five other men were arrested in conjunction with crimes of kidnapping, rape and human trafficking; seventy-nine men, women and children were freed. In other words, Fletcher, Liam and those five men won’t ever see the light of day.

Kaylee admitted that she wasn’t really pregnant, angering and relieving me in equal parts. When I asked her how she would have explained not having a belly, she said she would have told me she lost the baby. At that point she started crying, apologizing, trying to get me to “see reason”, but I wasn’t having it anymore. I officially ended things with her, just in case she thought things weren’t over between us the day she threatened South and me.

Angry, Kaylee
had tried for one last failed sucker punch, which made me shake my head in pity and disgust. She didn’t even know when to stop being a bitch. She confessed that she’d been cheating on me and that she’d dated Luke, who knew about her infidelity. She’d also blackmailed him into keeping her infidelity a secret.

I wasn’t surprised, really, on either account. Luke is a man-whore…well, a reformed man-whore. He’d been trying to tell me about Kaylee subtly, but I wouldn’t take a hint. I was disappointed that he didn’t tell me outright, but we’re men, so we buried the hatchet pretty quickly…after I punched him in the gut.

The rest of the week was spent with me and South getting to know each other better, pun intended. We went on our first date on Wednesday night – dinner, movie, dancing – which ended in amazing car sex. The next day she informed Trace, her boss at Totem Pole that she was quitting, but would be doing her final performance on Friday.

Today.

That is why today is
the
perfect day.