The Law of Desire (16 page)

“Johnson was dirty and working with Sims?” Lawrence shook his head.

Minerva could only shake her head. Well, at least she had called that one properly. She had known Detective Johnson was no good.

All the information made her head spin, but she knew what she had to do. For her brother. For her future. “I’ll do it. You can use me as bait.”

“No.” Lawrence shook his head. “We can find another way to catch him.”

“If he killed my brother and the McKnights, I want to be the one to catch him. Have Johnson make the call.”

H
er roiling stomach, and the piercing ache she felt in her gut, stopped her from feeling safe and secure no matter how many cops and DEA agents were in the garage next door listening in. She had been duped for years. And what did that say about her? Was she that bad a judge of character? How could she not have known? Why had she been fooled by his clean-cut business manner?

She had been sitting around the safe house bored and not able to be with Lawrence for a couple of days before David finally took the bait and showed up. She answered the door, sincerely hoping that the cops next door were really ready to step in if things got bad.

“David, what are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing. What the hell are you doing here? Did your little cop boyfriend put you up in this little spot? Are you playing live-in whore to the pigs now?”

He had an ugly expression on his face, almost crazed. She had never seen him like this and at that moment she knew David had killed her brother.

“Why are you in New Jersey, David?”

He hauled off and slapped her, catching her before she hit the ground. He dragged her into the living room.

Her head was spinning. The force of his blow made her see stars. She pulled away from him and slapped him back with everything in her.

“What did you hit me for? What is wrong with you?” Tears streamed down her face and they just made her angry. She didn’t want to give him the benefit of her tears.

“Asshole. Don’t you ever put your hands on me again.”

He grabbed her arm and gave her a shake. “And if you don’t stop asking me questions like that, I’ll smack the shit out of you again. I’m asking the questions, here. Your ass is answering them. You got that?” He shook her again before flinging her on the sofa.

She blinked and bit back her retort. The taste of blood in her mouth made her wary of upsetting him further.

“So you were with that cop the entire time I’ve been here looking for you?”

She took a deep breath, but she didn’t respond.

“Answer me, bitch, or you’ll be swallowing your teeth.”

“Yes. I was with him. What’s it to you?”

He backhanded her again and her head bounced against the back of the sofa. She reared up and lifted her hand reflexively, coming close to slapping him back. The sinister expression on his face stopped her.

“You’re smarter than this, baby girl. Don’t make me hurt you. Now, ask me another question if you want to.”

Where were the freaking cops? They needed to come in before he really hurt her.

“Did you give it up to him? You let him hit it?”

She rolled her eyes. How did she ever think this crass jerk had any semblance of class? She folded her arms across her chest.

He smirked. “You’d better answer the question.”

“It’s none of your business, David. I don’t have—”

The next blow knocked her off the sofa and onto the floor. She could feel the blood coming from her nose and her mouth. This wasn’t good.

“I’m sorry, David. Please don’t hit me again. What did I…” She remembered his anger at her asking him any kind of question and stopped herself.

“Tell me something. Does your cop know that you carried weight across state lines? Does he know that you brought cocaine from California to Jersey for those idiot cousins of mine?”

“What? I did not! I didn’t bring anything but the jacket you said was a family keepsake.”

“You didn’t know what kind of product was sewn into that jacket. A jacket I got from the Salvation Army, by the way. But, I’m pretty sure your cop won’t care. He’s a narc, right? No, he wouldn’t understand your moving weight like that.”

“But I had no idea. And your cousins weren’t selling drugs anymore. They were trying to do the right thing.”

“Yeah, they flushed my drugs. Can you believe that?” He shrugged. “So I had to kill them. The only problem is now there’s only you left to make up the cash for my product. At first, I was going to let it slide. See, I had other plans for you. Since your brother went to his death trying to keep you from me, because you were supposed to be so pure and perfect. I was all set to court you and keep you in that perfect little bubble world Calvin had you in. But now that you’re around here screwing cops, I think I ought to take my money out of your ass. I didn’t take the time to have those punk little boyfriends of yours jumped so that you could give it up to a cop.

“I waited a long time for this and I’m not waiting anymore. This is what I’ve been waiting to taste since you were fifteen. Who would have thought your simple ass would get busted shoplifting and not go through the initiation? Then Calvin made it so none of the others would approach you about joining. Well, he’s dead and can’t stop me now.”

He snatched her up from the ground and started dragging her back out of the room. She dug in her feet and pulled away, flailing her arms and connecting with any part of his body she could. She kicked and punched until he grabbed her and held her still.

She glared at him with all the hatred in her heart. “Did you kill my brother? Did you kill Calvin?”

“Yes, I killed him. And if you keep asking me questions, I will kill you, too.” He slapped her and sent her spiraling toward the coffee table. The back of her head hit the end of the table before everything faded to black.

From the moment they saw David Sims enter the house, Lawrence wanted to go right in after him. The guy gave him the creeps and he knew without a doubt he would regret not following his gut.

His superiors, the DEA agent and Detective Morales from the LAPD wanted to get at least a confession out of David.

So they sat there in the garage and listened.

“Why are you here, David?”

Lawrence could hear the attitude in Minerva’s voice as she asked the question and he wanted to tell her not to provoke the man. As soon as he thought it he heard the sound of flesh smacking flesh. Steam burst from his head as he made his way to the door, only to be halted by his superior officers from the homicide division.

“He hit her!” Lawrence struggled against the men holding him.

“We need to get the murder confession if we can before we go bursting up in there.” Jennings could talk all that sit-and-wait stuff. The woman he loved hadn’t just been struck.

Lawrence realized he loved her. “Damn it, I didn’t sign on for this and neither did she. I promised her I wasn’t going to let anything happen to her.”

He was breathing so hard he could barely hear himself think. But he did hear the ugly tone in Sims’s voice. And he heard him hit her again and again. It sounded like she was fighting back and he felt an odd mix of pride and fear. He didn’t want her to put herself at risk. But he should have known his little hip-hop feminist warrior goddess of wisdom wouldn’t go down without a fight.

He knew that as soon as his colleagues let him go he would probably lose his badge. Excessive force would seem like a pillow fight compared to what he was going to do when he got his hands on David Sims. He gritted his teeth.

“Y’all can let me go.”

They kept holding him.

“I’m sorry, David. Please don’t hit me again. What did I…”

“Tell me something, does your cop know that you carried weight across state lines? Does he know that you brought cocaine from California to Jersey for those idiot cousin of mine?”

“What? I did not! I didn’t bring anything but the jacket you said was a family heirloom.”

“You didn’t know what kind of product was sewn into the jacket. A jacket I got from the Salvation Army by the way. But, I’m pretty sure your cop won’t care. He’s a narc, right? No, he wouldn’t understand you moving weight like that.”

“But I had no idea. And your cousins weren’t selling drugs anymore. They were trying to do the right thing.”

“Yeah, they flushed my drugs. Can you believe that? So I had to kill them…”

Lawrence wrestled himself from their grip. “I hope y’all have enough, because I’m going in there!”

He burst through the door in the back of the house and made his way as quickly as he could to the front of the house where Minerva and David were. He could tell his colleagues were right behind him. Someone snatched him back before he could get to Sims and they were able to hold him until he saw Minerva on the floor.

“No!” He ran toward her body while they were cuffing Sims. The man’s smirk triggered an avalanche of emotions and Lawrence leaped for him. Again his colleagues held him back.

“Come on, Hightower, you don’t want to give this asshole any excuses to walk,” Detective Morales said, but the man couldn’t look Lawrence in the eye.

He could feel his heart breaking as he knelt down beside Minerva. He felt for her pulse and thanked God when he found one. She was bleeding from her nose and her mouth. There was a gash in the back of her head where she had hit the table. And she was out cold.

He had let her down. He had said he would protect her and he let that animal hurt her. He wanted to cradle her in his arms and never let her go, but he was afraid to move her. His heart felt like it was bursting through his chest and a cold fear washed over him. He couldn’t lose her.

She had to be okay.

He loved her.

H
e needed her to wake up.

The guilt started to close in on him as he sat by her bedside in the stark, cold and sterile hospital room. He willed her to open her eyes. She had drifted in and out of consciousness ever since they brought her in. Luckily, she hadn’t needed stitches for the gash in the back of her head. She was a little bruised. But, God willing, she would be okay.

“How is she, son?”

He glanced up and saw his father, James Hightower, in the doorway. He had called the family to let them know what had happened and wasn’t surprised to see his father. In fact, he fully expected the entire Hightower clan to show up once word got around. They had all taken a liking to Minerva at the surprise party and they would want to lend their support.

“She’s been in and out. I hope she opens her eyes soon.” He rubbed his hand across his face in frustration. “Everything just went so wrong, Dad. I failed her. I messed up and she got hurt. I’ll never forgive myself for that.”

“Let’s take a walk, son. Let’s go grab a cup of coffee and talk.”

Lawrence looked at Minerva. He didn’t want to leave her, in case she woke up and was more lucid this time.

“I promise I won’t keep you long. Come on. You look like you could use a walk and a strong cup of coffee.”

He got up and followed his father but not before taking another glance at his sleeping beauty.

As they stood in line at the hospital café waiting for their coffee, Lawrence’s mind stayed on Minerva. He played and replayed everything in his mind. Trying to figure out a way that he could have done better by her. Sure they had gotten David Sims, but at what cost? The woman he loved would never be able to trust him to protect her. She’d gotten hurt under his watch.

“It’s not your fault, son.”

The hell it wasn’t!
He should have never allowed her to use herself as bait. “I didn’t protect her properly.”

“You did the best you could under the circumstances. You can’t beat yourself up about it and let it stop you from the most important part.” His father’s stern expression gave him pause.

“And what would that be?” he asked as they took their coffee and sat at one of the small green metal café table and chair sets that decorated the place.

“Claiming the woman you love. Letting her know that you intend to do right by her from now on. The way I see it, you are in danger of letting the perfect woman for you get away.”

Stunned, he could only look at his father. He had just admitted to himself that he loved Minerva. He hadn’t even told her yet and he didn’t know if she felt the same way. Hell, he didn’t even know if it would last. This was all virgin territory for him.

Instead of admitting his insecurity to the man that he’d been trying to impress since he’d decided to stop being the Hightower screwup and repent for the loss of his cousin’s life, Lawrence opted to play it cool.

“I don’t know if we’re there yet, Dad. We’re still getting to know each other. And there was the trust issue. I had to be sure she wasn’t a criminal. And now, well, if she stays in town, then I suppose we can explore a relationship. Plus you know, she’s got a lot going on, a lot to deal with—”

“Cut the bull, son. This is your father you’re talking to. I know you better than you know yourself. And I only have a few things to say on the topic. First, we could all tell at Penny’s party the other night that you were a goner. And because we could see how this special young woman had opened you up and put a smile on your face, we became just as smitten with her. You know your mother, she’s already dreaming of the wedding and her grand-babies.

“So, you might as well come clean about your feelings so I can properly advise you. What’s really holding you back? And it better not be that foolishness you’ve been spouting over the years about only marrying a woman if she can cook like your mama. Because they don’t make ’em like my Celia anymore and you’re going to miss out on a great love waiting for that.”

Lawrence had to laugh, even if it was a nervous chuckle. How had his father figured out his feelings for Minerva when he was only now starting to figure them out himself?

“Actually, dad, the girl can throw down in the kitchen. She is right up there with Mama. And you’re right. I do love her. I just want to make sure she’s really the one. For her sake and mine. I’m still getting to know her. She isn’t the little ’hood girl hanging with drug dealers I thought she was. She’s an amazing college graduate with aspirations to get her master’s in social work so that she can help the community. She doesn’t just have a smart-aleck mouth. She’s actually smart and well read. She’s funny. She’s sexy as all get-out. And when she looks at me…man…Dad…I just want to be sure. I want to be able to trust what I think I see in her eyes.”

“So what is the problem? Are you still worried about proving yourself, based on what happened to Michael? Because at this point in your life, son, you have to know that you’re not that same kid. You can’t keep living your life trying to make up for something that wasn’t your fault.”

Lawrence closed his eyes. He thought about what his father said. His feelings for Minerva had nothing to do with the guilt he carried about his cousin.

“At first, I didn’t really trust her because of what happened to Michael. I saw what my trusting the wrong person had done and how he basically paid with his life for my misplaced trust. And to tell the truth I haven’t even wanted to trust anyone but family since then. And then Minerva came along and…I don’t know…I
wanted
to trust her.”

“Son, based on everything you’ve just said, you already have it bad. Let me tell you a little story about a rookie cop whose first beat was down in the Fourth Ward. He was very serious about his job and cleaning up the streets. He strongly upheld his family legacy of honor and didn’t want to do anything to call that legacy into question. His parents and his older sister had drummed the mantra of Hightower honor into his head from the time he could understand words. So imagine his reaction when he saw one of the young women from the teen group that his sister mentored out on his streets with a female gang. Not only was she in a gang but she seemed to be the ringleader. And if you think your Minerva had a smart mouth, you should have seen your mother back in the day.”

“My mama? Mama was in a gang?” Lawrence couldn’t even finish his coffee. His mouth just hung open as he tried to picture his mama in a gang.

“She sure was. They were nothing like these gangs today, but they caused their fair share of trouble. And Celia was as complicated and confusing to figure out as your Minerva. What I later learned was that those girls had been her childhood friends and she kept them from getting into much more trouble than they would have if she weren’t with them. And since the Fourth Ward was just as troubled then as it is now, they protected one another. But I couldn’t see all of that then. All I could see was she was clearly a liar, a troublemaker and drop-dead gorgeous to boot.”

“I don’t believe it. Not my mama…”

“Believe it. And how about your mama used to be really close with your aunt Sophie, too. Sophie was in charge of her sorority’s teen program and she had taken a liking to Celia. Sophie saw to it that Celia got the sorority’s scholarship for college. And really took her under her wing. She said that the girl had potential and Celia tried her best to live up to the faith that Sophie had in her.”

“Okay, now I know you’re lying. Aunt Sophie and underprivileged youth? Mentoring Mama? Them being friends? Nah…” Lawrence shook his head in awe and disbelief. He figured there were probably lots of things he didn’t know about his parents. But this took the cake.

“I’m telling the truth. They would still be close today and Sophie might not be so troublesome if I hadn’t come into the picture.”

“Wow…I’m stunned. You would think your falling in love with Mama would have made them closer.”

“Maybe if I hadn’t done everything in my power to try and prove that Celia was just a gang girl not worthy of the attention Sophie was giving her. I was so bent on proving she was up to no good, I almost threw away the love of my life. By the time Celia was getting ready to graduate from college, I realized that I couldn’t fight my feelings anymore. Sophie felt betrayed. She thought that Celia had used their connection to snag a husband. And Celia felt that Sophie had been a fraud who lied because, even though she’d pumped Celia up to believe she could do anything, she didn’t think she was good enough for her baby brother or the Hightower name.”

Lawrence just stared at his father. He couldn’t think of a thing to say.

“But that’s their story. The important part of this story is for you. You can learn from my mistakes. I almost lost the woman I loved. There comes a time when you have to trust your own heart. Stop thinking about whether you can trust her, or whether you can trust her feelings for you, or whether she’s really trustworthy, and put some trust and faith in your own heart. What has your heart been telling you from the first time you laid eyes on her? Why did you feel the need to stay so close to her? Do you really think it was just your cop instincts? What is your heart telling you right now? You need to trust someone all right, son. You need to trust
yourself
. Trust your love.”

The words his father said felt like a lead weight being lifted off his chest. Why hadn’t he seen this before now?

“I gotta go, Dad. Thanks! I love you.”

Minerva woke up to the most intense headache she had ever had. The entire afternoon flashed in her mind and she thanked God she was still alive. She winced as she tried to sit up a little and opted to just lie there instead.

The stark white surroundings, the antiseptic smell and the bars on her bed meant she was in a hospital room. Lawrence wasn’t anywhere in sight. So she could only assume that David was right; Lawrence didn’t want anything to do with a woman who had carried drugs across state lines.

“So you’re awake” a woman’s voice came from her right. It had a snide and condescending tone.

When she turned her head to look at the woman, she noticed that the tone matched the facial expression. Her head hurt too much to put up with crap from people she didn’t know.

“Who are you and why are you in my room?” Minerva knew she could do snide just as well as the pointy-breasted old lady sporting a tight graying bun on the top of her head.

“My name is Sophie Hightower. I’m the matriarch of the Hightower family. I’m Lawrence’s aunt. And I’ve heard all about you from various family members and my friends here at the hospital. I’m a retired nurse and this was my place of employment for years.”

The
Aunt Sophie? The one who all of the Hightower women she’d met at Penny’s party had had some kind of run-in with? The one who didn’t think any woman but herself was good enough to have the Hightower name? Hmm….

If the woman’s history and condescending tone hadn’t already turned Minerva off the self-important I’m-the-queen-of-the-world speech would have done the job just fine. There was really no reason to ask why the woman was there. But she felt like being a smart aleck anyway.

“Okay, now I know who you are. Why are you in my room?”

The woman reared her shoulders back and poked out her ample chest. “I’m here to let you know you are all wrong for my nephew.”

“Well, you could have saved your time. I already know that. Anything else?”

Sophie huffed and her back straightened. “If you already know this then why were you shacking up with him all week doing God knows what and dancing with him at that…that
girl’s
party.”

“You mean Penny’s party? It was a wonderful party. I don’t remember meeting you there. Were you invited?”

“Please! I wouldn’t go to a party for that little street urchin if you paid me. And speaking of street urchins…You have to know that a man like my nephew is too good for you. He needs a woman with class, breeding, not to mention someone closer to his own age. Someone without the stench of drug dealers and gang bangers so close to her…” Sophie tilted her head and turned up her nose as she spoke.

Taller, shapelier, crime-free…
Lawrence’s words came back to haunt her as she listened to his siddity aunt. As much as the mean old woman was getting on her nerves, she had a point. As much as Minerva loved Lawrence, it wasn’t going to work between them. The fact that he wasn’t there at that moment spoke volumes.

She blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. She was not going to let Sophie Hightower or the fact that Lawrence didn’t want her make her cry. She had gone through too much to let this bring her down.

“Anything else?” She pointedly glared Sophie in the eye, even though her voice cracked under the words. “Because if there’s nothing else you feel pressed to let me know, I’d like you to leave now.”

“You don’t have to be so rude, young lady!”

“
Rude?
Rude is coming into a person’s room whom you hardly know and telling her you don’t think she is good enough for someone else. Rude is presuming you know enough about a person without saying one word to her, or even having a basic conversation with her, to make any judgments about her worth one way or the other.
You
are rude, Ms. Hightower! But I don’t have to suffer your rudeness.”

“I am old enough to be your grandmother!”

“And that means I should let you insult me? Please leave or I will call for someone to remove you.”

“What’s going on in here? Aunt Sophie, what are you doing here?”

Minerva had never been happier to see Lawrence. Even if he didn’t want her, at least he could get rid of his annoying aunt. She glanced at him and the concerned expression on his face made her heart melt.

He walked over to her bed and brushed his lips softly across her forehead. The mere touch heated her to the core.

“Sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up, baby. I went to grab a cup of coffee with my dad.” He narrowed his eyes at his aunt. “I hope Aunt Sophie wasn’t bothering you. Why are you in here, Aunt Sophie?”