Stand By Me (6 page)

~~~

The conference room at the attorney’s office was full of shareholders. Brian with Morgan at his side, sat across from Jamie, Gretchen, Sophie and Kenya in a wheelchair, along with family she'd never met before today. Two cousins, resembling Seamus, tall and husky took up space on the far side of the table. This family had few women, Kenya noticed.

Kenya slid her arm around Jamie’s chair leaning in she asked, “Is Carl gonna sit out in the car the entire time? Why didn’t he come in and wait in the lobby?”

“Young people,” he said. “He’s probably talking to his girlfriend on the phone. But driving and helping at the pub… he’s making extra money, saving to buy a Mustang.”

She straightened in her seat, now curious about the young man with the big heart. Guys and their cars. “He’s a nice young man. Maybe I can find something for him to do to help fund his dream car?”

“I’ll set him up as your personal driver. He can run errands for you, that way Jonathan’s not worried about you being alone as opposed to having guard’s yer uncomfortable with.”

“Now that I would appreciate, that eases my mind. Thank you,” she replied rubbing his hand before turning her attention to the attorney. The attorney reads off the stipulations of the contract. “Now that the date of expiration has passed on Brian Blakemore and Sophie Blakemore's marriage agreement, Brian is free to marry. You are officially divorced.” Brian hugged Morgan to his side. Kenya could hardly hold down her breakfast seeing him kiss her sister. Kenya held Jamie and Gretchen's hand under the table to keep from gesturing to Morgan. The attorney continued, “With Kenya carrying Jonathan's child and being his wife, Seamus has proxied Gretchen Blakemore in his absence who can now rightfully take over...” the attorney stopped after Brian interrupted.

“I wish to challenge that.” His smug smile toward Jamie across the large table said he had something brewing. “Mrs. Morgan Blakemore here is carrying my child.”

The room gasped.

Faces paled around the room. Mrs. Morgan, Kenya thought stunned at the absurdity of her sister marrying that freak. When had they gotten married anyway? Things were moving too fast. She leaned into Jamie speaking low in his ear, “When did this happen?”

He returned in a whisper, “I have no idea.” This entire show had become a circus of issues.

Sophie's knuckles bleached out under her clenched fist on the hand she held gripped to the folder in front of her. “Yer a sleazy man Brian. Did ye marry the child before the contract expired? Where's the marriage license?” Brian slid an envelope across the table to the attorney, his wicked dirty smile directed at Sophie. Kenya watched the faces go blank waiting to see what the attorney had to say.

Jamie said, “It doesn't matter. The contract's for your first son.” His tone sped up. “It does nae matter if Morgan is carrying your child,” his accent darkened behind his disgust.

Kenya couldn't take her eyes off Morgan. Something was off about her sister. This was all that Morgan had wanted, to be in the estate with money and toys. Why wouldn't she give Kenya eye contact? Everyone could see she was pregnant, though not much bigger than Kenya's. Morgan’s lips were a bit thicker and her breast looked fuller to Kenya.

“Read the contract.” Brian held a hand out to the attorney who shuffled through a few papers and gave the table a sad glance.

The attorney cleared his throat, and then read the paper, “The contract reads as follows, the estate goes to Seamus Blakemore's first son’s first child if he’d married. It does not stipulate by what wife. Kenya turned to Gretchen then Sophie. The importance of their divorce being final became blatantly clear. Morgan’s child would get the estate.

Morgan leaned her shoulder to Brian’s and whispered. He nodded then brushed his mouth over her cheek disturbingly tender and stood as Morgan got up from the table. Brian handed Morgan her purse from the back of the chair and ran a hand over her back. Kenya eyed her sister padding across to the conference room door and opening it; she tossed Kenya a blank stare and pulled the door behind her.

What was that about?

Time crept by as they sat around waiting for Morgan to return. Kenya leaned back staring down the hall. This was too long for Morgan to be gone. Was she sick? Kenya started to angle away from the table when a man in a dark gray suit came to the door and waved to Brian. He pushed away from the table. At the door, heated whispers filled the doorway.

“Is there a problem, Mr. Blakemore,” the attorney asked leaning out over the table.

“My wife has gone home ill. Let’s finish this so I can see to my wife. I have another meeting to attend to, you understand.”

The attorney set the marriage license in a folder beside his arm on the table. He rubbed his hands together, darting a hurried look from Brian to the table. “Well it seems we have a slight dilemma with signing over the estate to Brian.” Brian shoved away from the table. He pounded his fist on the hard surface making the conference phone in the center bounce an inch off the glossy surface. Kenya gave Sophie a vacant expression. She had no more of a clue about what happened than anyone else.

Brian jumped to his feet slapping his hands to the table. “There's no dilemma. Sign the damn paper.”

The room vibrated under his rage flashing out like lightning over the table. The attorney closed the folder, sat forward, un-intimidated and steepled his fingers over the table. “I need Mrs. Blakemore, Morgan, to sign off on the date of the marriage and of the estate. Without it, Sophie retains the title. At least until the bairn is born and the bloodline can be verified, of course.”

Kenya whispered to Jamie. “I have to find out what's she up to. She's still my sister, regardless of the fact that she’s married to Satan, in a Hugo Boss suit.”

Jamie closed his fingers around her arm as she braced to stand and held her tucked into his hard muscled side. “Doona think so, lass.” He halted her movements. “Och, this stinks of a trap, Kenya.” That was obvious and she wouldn't compromise the safety of her child by going after Morgan.

“Don't you think I can smell it's a scam or frame up and it's more than probable it's lies or even a set up? At this point they equal the same for me--Jonathan's in jail. I'm gonna make some calls to see if she's contacted anyone back home, and maybe they're waiting for her at the airport, here or in the States.” Jamie released her hand giving her a sideways glance. Open suspicion oddly warmed her heart, it was the sign he viewed her as family. Reclining along his arm, she tried to look non-plussed as Brian looked on. “Did you notice Brian's jaw when his henchman came to the door? He doesn't believe Morgan's sick. Probably has one of his goons following her right now going home to get in the bed, to report back what she had to eat.” Kenya twisted her ring on her finger, searched the faces at the table, and realized she wasn't the only one.

Jamie spoke close to her face as they left the conference room, “I have to use one of the open offices to make a few calls. You're about to call Jonathan?” he questioned but it was clear he already knew her plans. Did her excited grin give her away? Or her nipples poking her blouse? He was a Blakemore so he knew the unsettling influence they had on women.

“Yes,” she replied, thinking she had another plan.

Jamie offered pointing down the hall, “Make it in one of the call rooms.”

“Oh I'd love the privacy, but if Brian is up to no good, I need to watch the parking lot when he leaves. He could toss a Molotov cocktail through the window because it started to rain...anything. He's not the most stable of men. I'll call Jonathan from my cell here in the lobby where I can watch them leave.”

Jamie cursed under his breath. “Yer right,” he said pivoting around scanning the corridor and out through the windows overlooking the parking lot. “Stay out of sight over there along the wall,” he warned indicating the wall full of certificates. “I’ll make me calls from the other side of the reception desk where I can see the road as well. Sophie and Gretchen are with the attorney in his office.”

She glanced at her watch, “Alright. I have to call the prison. Hines set it up for me to call this first time as we didn’t know when the meeting would end.” Jamie kissed her face and walked off.

“Stay out of sight,” he warned then disappeared down on the other end of the hall.He was so much like her Jonathan, protective.

Her butt started to grow numb sitting so much. She set her feet on the floor between the footrests after Jamie rolled her wheelchair out to the lobby. Standing she propped her shoulder along the wall beside the picture window, then crossed her ankles waiting to hear the warden pick up the line on the other end.

“Mo Ru'n, how's my beautiful wife and bairn?” his graveled deep brogue made her panties wet, instantly, and she had to give her body a second to enjoy the caress his voice sent over her skin, thick and warm. “Kenya…Mo Ru’n…”

Flush with excitement, her words jammed in her throat at the sound of his voice. Sniffing, trembling burrowing her face in the crook of her elbow, Kenya wiped away the tears. It was all she could accomplish under the pure, raw joy of hearing the dark deep timbre she loved. He was safe. No slurred words from swollen lips where he’d been fighting other inmates.

“As long as I can hear yer voice, it does nae matter if yer crying, Mo Ru’n,” his brogue wrapped around her heart warm and snuggly.

Nodding her head, she coaxed the words past her lips through the wrenching hole caused from not hearing his voice for so long, placed in her heart to finally talk to him, she didn't recognize her calm voice when it eventually surfaced. “Hi, it's so good to hear your voice, Jonathan,” she turned composing herself while watching Brian's men at the end of the hall huddled in conversation. Turning back hearing Jonathan’s voice, she faced the wall like a teenager whispering to her first boyfriend.

“There it is,” he said huskily, “but ye sound so serious, Mo Ru'n. What's wrong?”

She missed him that's what's wrong. “I love the sound of your accent. Feels like I haven’t heard it in months,” she preened syrupy and sweet. “Your child and I am fine. I’m just a little overwhelmed hearing you talk.” Kenya caught her hand sliding down her thigh rubbing up and down the way Jonathan had when he’d come to her apartment after work back in the States. “Lord, honey, you got me touching myself in public.”

“There's always phone sex…,” he offered in a low tone that was a hot, lurid conversation all by itself.

“I wish,” she complained and it was the truth as heat circled her breasts burning her bra. Her hormones were bumping today, screaming for Jonathan’s special touch, his tongue. “Don’t mind me, honey. My nipples hurt and you’re not here to…help me. My body misses you too.”

He gave a muffled groan. “Can you get to an empty office for a minute?”

Moisture pooled between her thighs and she tried not to sound raspy when she said, “Not enough time,” she failed because her voice squeaked out and she turned toward the wall to shield the heat growing up her throat. “You're always thinking of me aren't you?”

“Sound of your voice got me stroking myself in front of these men, Kenya,” he told her and she felt rolling heat pouring up her body from her swollen flesh between her thighs. She flexed her hand holding it away from her body pressing it to the cold wall to calm her breathing. Jonathan asked, “What happened at the hearing?”

She flushed embarrassed running a hand along her ribs back and forth. “Excited to hear your voice, I almost forgot we'd had a meeting.” He grinned on the other end. “Things are at a standstill until Morgan signs off on being married.”

Jonathan grunted something incoherent on the other end. “Signs off...When did they get married?”

“The lawyer didn’t say, only that he needed her signature and she wasn't there to sign the papers.”

Jonathan made a choking noise. “And Brian came without her, knowing she'd need to sign the decree?”

“I don't think Brian knows where she went. She was there at the start of the meeting until the attorney declared Sophie and Brian officially divorced. During the meeting, she’d gotten up and gone to the restroom, I can’t imagine where else she could’ve gone.” Unless she’d hidden in an office. “Ten minutes later, one of his goon’s came to the conference door back and told Brian Morgan went home sick or that’s what he told the room.”

Kenya jutted out a hip and rested against the wall looking up and down the hall realizing for the first time how big the firm was. Five offices lined both sides of the hallway leading up to the reception desk.

“You think the marriage is bogus?”

As a three-dollar bill, she kept to herself not knowing who could hear her conversation. She rocked side to side, looking down at the floor, wiping her foot along the crack between the floor tiles. “Something’s bogus; I’m just not certain what.”

“Maybe she’s not pregnant.”

Kenya recognized her sister’s fuller lips and knew she was pregnant.

“She’s pregnant. I saw it on her face. I’m wondering if it’s Brian’s.”

“How long had she been separated from her husband?”

“Six, seven months,” she revealed. “At first, Rick fought the divorce and Morgan moved out. They were separated for months, but he never stopped loving her.”

Jonathan said, “No chance they hooked up one last time?”

She choked on his suggestion that Morgan had sex with Rick when Morgan couldn't wait to divorce him. She kept saying he was too immature for her because he was two years younger than her. “I doubt it. Morgan couldn’t stand Rick by this time,” she let her attention move down the hall. The lawyer stood speaking with Jamie and he said something and began moving toward her. “Rick wanted children and she didn’t. But Morgan is money hungry. Another possibility is that Brian paid her to have his child and the marriage is more than she could handle. She’s not a woman who likes being controlled.”

“If it’s his child, and she ran, she just took on more trouble than she can handle,” he warned. “Are you certain her divorce was final?”

Good question.

“Honey, it’s not like she'd show me the papers. I can only go off what my Mother's told me and that could be watered down to protect Morgan's reputation.”