The Lion (3 page)

Rion looked at her. “How did you know I was here?”

She lowered her head. “Brandon told me I could find you here.”

  “Uncle Rion!” Kyros threw the ball back to Rion who watched it sail towards Tauri’s head. She went to duck before Rion expertly held out his glove and snatched it out of the air.

  “Sorry!” Kyros called out as he watched Tauri still cowering.

  “His aim is not that good,” Rion explained as she stood up straight.

Tauri placed a hand on her beating chest. “It's fine.”

Rion turned to Kyros. “Why don't you practice batting now? Use the tee.”

  Both watched as the boy ran to home plate and picked up the bat before beginning to attempt to hit balls.

Rion turned back to Tauri and folded his arms. “Why are you looking for me?”

She looked up at him. “I wanted to apologize. I was out of line.”

  “Did Brandon send you?” he tilted his head.

  Tauri shook her head. “No. I asked him where I could find you to talk with you. I was surprised you hadn't gone to him after you left my office.”

  “Why would I?”

She shrugged. “To get me in trouble because I deserved it.”

  “That's not what I'm here for.” He turned to walk away and she quickly placed a hand on his muscular arm.

Rion felt the sting of her touch and turned back to face her.

  “I want to help you,” she told him.

  He looked at the manicured hand on his arm then up into her face. Their gazes connected again as she watched him.

  “I know what you're trying to do here and I don't want anyone to hurt you.”

He continued to watch her. “Tell me what you need for a conviction.”

  “I need more concrete evidence. Everything I have so far is circumstantial.” Her hand still rested on his arm.

Rion nodded. “Then I'll get it for you.”

  They stared at each other for a few more minutes before Rion heard Kyros shouting. “Look Uncle Rion!”

  Rion turned and saw that he'd managed to hit the ball off the tee even though it had landed two feet in front of him.

Rion smiled. “Good job man, just keep practicing.”

  “Okay!” The little boy picked up another ball.

  Tauri watched the little boy swing at another ball and miss. “He's adorable.” She removed her hand and Rion now felt a chill where her warmth had been.

  “He's my godson,” he said clearing his throat.

She smiled. “Poor baby can't hit a ball that's standing still.”

Rion laughed. “Yeah, he has his daddy's skills.”

Tauri nodded. “Is his father also one of the Negus?”

  “Yeah, Khalil, Brandon, Lance, my brother Corvus and me.”

  “Why do you all call yourselves that?” she inquired.

Rion look confused. “You've never asked Brandon?”

Tauri smiled. “No, he's my boss. I didn't think it was appropriate.”

  “Negus means ruler or king. It's an Ethiopian title.”

  “So you all are the kings of Detroit?” she asked.

Rion looked at her. “They're the kings. I'm the young god.”

  “You're the...young god?” she repeated slowly.

He smiled. “Ummm...hmmm.”

She shook her head. “Okay, I'm not even going to try to understand that.”

  Rion took a step towards her. “And you...are a very, very beautiful goddess,” he said softly looking down at her.

  “Uncle Rion, I'm hungry.”

  Rion tore his gaze from hers and looked down at the little boy now standing beside him. “Gather up all the balls and everything then we'll go eat.” Kyros ran off to pick up all the equipment.

  Tauri was still struck by his words and began slowly coming back to reality. “Well I should let you go.”

  “Why don't you have dinner with us Ms. Patterson? That way you can tell me exactly what you need.”

His softly spoken words made Tauri flush and Rion smiled.

  “I meant for the case,” he added.

She lowered her head to hide her face. “I know that's what you meant.”

  Kyros' return prevented her from further embarrassment. Rion looked down at the boy. “Good job. Kyros this is Ms. Patterson. I asked her to have dinner with us. Is that cool?”

  Kyros looked at Tauri and smiled. He nodded and looked at Rion. “Uncle Rion you always have pretty girls.”

Rion frowned at his godson. “Kyros.”

  Kyros looked at Tauri. “I want to play baseball like Uncle Rion so I can have a lot of pretty girls too.”

Rion put a hand to his forehead. “Let's go Kyros.”

  Tauri laughed and looked at Rion. “Thank you both for the offer. I'd love to have dinner with you two.”

  Rion drove the trio to dinner and thankfully, Kyros was too busy feeding his face to talk anymore. Rion silently watched Tauri from across the table as she helped Kyros cut his sandwich and drink his beverage. He noticed how attentive she was to him and how much Kyros enjoyed it. The little boy smiled at her the entire time until they drove him home.

  Khalil didn't bat an eye when Rion and Tauri walked in to bring Kyros home. He smiled knowingly at his friend before thanking him and wishing them both a good night. Back inside the car, Rion turned to Tauri.

  “Thank you for being so kind to Kyros. It's been hard on him without his mother here.”

  Tauri smiled. “Like I said, he's adorable and you're a very good Uncle Rion. I never expected that.”

  “Why not?”

  Tauri rolled her eyes. “Uh, you're a rich professional baseball player worth hundreds of millions of dollars. That's why not.”

Before Rion could answer his phone rang. He hit a button on the dash.

  “Hey Mac, what's up?”

  “We've got a problem Rion. You've got a tail.”

Rion looked up into his rearview mirror at the traffic behind him.

  “How close?” he asked.

  “Two or three cars, been following you since you left for dinner.”

Rion looked over at Tauri. “What should I do?”

  “You got your piece in the car with you?” Mac asked.

   “Yeah, I've got it underneath the seat.”

  “If I were you I'd get it ready, but don't get out of the car. Understand?”

Rion nodded.  “Got it.”

  “Drive straight to your house then let my men handle it but still be prepared.” Mac disconnected the call.

  At the next red light, Rion reached under his seat and pulled out the weapon. He glanced over at Tauri who was at the same time pulling a weapon out of her purse.

Rion looked surprised. “You carry heat?”

  Tauri looked at him stunned. “Boy, this is Detroit and I send people to prison. Hell yeah, I'm strapped. All the time.”

  The light changed and Rion took off heading in the direction of his apartment. He pulled inside the parking garage and waited. When he turned, he saw Tauri peeking out of the window with her piece firmly in her hand.

She turned to him. “What do we do now?” she asked.

  “We wait for Mac to say it's all clear.”

She nodded and turned back to the window.

  “So, I should tell you that right now I'm feeling you so hard,” Rion told her.

She turned back to him. “We might be about to die and that's what you want to tell me?”

  Rion shrugged. “I just wanted to get it out of the way, because when this is over I'm definitely going to be all on you.”

  “Look, I don't do one night stands or affairs. I'm not trying to be some man's way of release.”

Rion looked at her. “I didn't come home to sleep around. I came to build.”

  Tauri looked into his dark eyes. “If you want to build with me, then first you have to show me a solid foundation to build on.”

The phone rang and Rion touched the button letting Mac's voice come through.

  “All clear.”

  Rion sat among the empty seats at the Wayne State University baseball field. To Rion nothing could replace his love for baseball. From the time he could bat and catch, he'd been a phenom at the sport. During his career, he'd played outfield due to his superior speed and exceptional catching skills. He'd also held one of the highest batting averages in the major leagues.

  As he gazed at the diamond, he thought about his dreams of bringing another team to the city. Rion had always had a plan to own a major league franchise and between his baseball salary, endorsement deals and investments he was now nearly a billionaire. During his playing days, Rion had been frugal with his money, not splurging on multiple homes and cars. He hadn't spent his nights in the clubs; instead, he'd worked on building his plan for life after baseball.

  True, he'd had fun and he'd lived life enjoying the fruits of his labor but he'd always kept the goal in mind. Now he was ready, but someone didn't want him to fulfill his dream. Rion knew it was time to call in some reinforcements but first he needed to know exactly what he was dealing with.

  “Mr. Shaw?” the raspy voice interrupted his thoughts and he turned to her with a smile.

  Rion looked over and saw Tauri Patterson looking as beautiful as he remembered from last night. The temperature was a little cooler this evening, true to Michigan weather, and she had donned a short beige trench coat that stopped above her knees. She wore black heels and her sexy light honey-toned legs once again drew his complete attention.

  He connected with her eyes again. “I think you can call me Rion,” he told her while getting to his feet.

  Tauri looked him over in a long sleeved black thermal shirt that hugged his massive chest and arms along with jeans and black casual boots. His hair was precisely cut and the soft waves beckoned her touch. Again, his smile made her stomach do that little flip.

  “You look very Detroit today,” she commented on his attire.

  “I'm always Detroit.”

  Tauri smiled and made her way over to the empty seat near him. “You wanted to talk about the case?” she asked staring up at him.

  Last night after the incident, Rion had seen Tauri to her car and asked her to meet with him today to get more information. Tauri had agreed and Rion had called earlier to say they would be meeting at the baseball field.

  “Let's have a seat.” Rion motioned to the empty chairs and they both sat while Tauri placed her bag on the chair next to her.

  She turned to him and raised a brow. “So your name is Orion and your brother's name is Corvus. Is your mother an astronomer?” she asked curiously.

Rion nodded impressed. “So you know that Orion and Corvus are constellations?”

  “Yes,” she nodded. “I looked them up.”

  “No, my mother is not an astronomer. My parents are Khemetic and raised us in the ancient beliefs. We know that we are connected to everything that is created and we must respect it.”

Tauri watched him closely. “That's certainly different.”

Rion laughed. “I think that's one of the nicest ways I've heard that.” 

  “I don't want to be disrespectful in any way,” she offered.

He held her gaze. “I don't get offended. I know who I am, but thank you for your consideration.”

  Tauri looked away and stared out at the empty field. She had to break whatever this was whenever he looked into her eyes or smiled at her.

  “Do you also know that you're a star?” he asked and she turned back to him. “A T-Tauri is a blinking star in the Universe.”

She looked at him skeptically.

  “Really, it's true,” he affirmed.

  Tauri continued to watch him with her lips pursed. “Okay Orion, tell me why you asked me to come here.”

  “A couple of reasons; number one I want to find out from you what evidence you need to gain a conviction; and number two is out there...” He nodded toward the middle of the field where a table was now being set up.

Tauri turned her gaze to the crew now setting up a dinner table under the slowly setting sun.

She turned back to Rion. “You are really doing the most.”

  “A man who has little should present a goddess with the most that he has. A man who has much is required to do the same,” he told her softly.

  Tauri tried to ignore his words and the way they made her feel warm. “I need concrete evidence that links the perpetrators to the crime. Paperwork, conversations, witnesses and anything that can hold up in the court of law,” she explained.

Rion nodded. “It's yours.”

She looked surprised. “How do you plan to get it?” she asked suspiciously.

He smiled. “Do you need to know that Ms. Patterson?”

  “I don't want to have to prosecute you as well,” she warned.

  “I've got this.” He stood to his feet. “Now, will you have dinner with me?”

  She stood as well and stared up at him for a moment. “If we're going to have dinner together again, I think you should call me Tauri.”

Rion smiled down at her. “And I think I need to apologize for slamming your door yesterday.”

She laughed softly. “We're even, neither of us were at our best.”

  They each knew the attraction between them had been the reason for their earlier behavior.  As they stood now staring at one another, they both continued to feel the hot currents.

Tauri lifted a brow. “Are we having dinner?”

Rion gently took her hand. “Yes Tauri, let's have dinner.”

  She picked up her bag then allowed him to lead her down to the field with a gentle hand on her back. When they arrived at the table, Rion held out the chair and waited for her to be seated. After he had seated her, Rion moved around the table and took his own seat across from her. Tauri stared at him and rested her elbow on the table with her chin in her hand.

  “You stopped playing baseball pretty early in your career. I was surprised because you were so good,” she commented.

Rion lifted a brow. “You've seen me play?”

  “Yes, my granddaddy loves you. He thinks you're the best thing since Jackie Robinson.”  She smiled. “He made me watch the movie 42 like a hundred times.”

Rion laughed. “I have to meet him.”

  “He'd die for sure. He says they don't make them like you anymore,” she told him as their food arrived.

He smiled at her. “I don't think they make them like his granddaughter either,” Rion said softly.

  Tauri picked up her fork and glanced down at the delicious looking meal. “You're used to women falling at your feet.”

Rion mimicked her by lifting his fork as well. “Is that a bad thing?” he asked.

She looked up at him. “If I fell at your feet, I'd probably bite your ankles.”

  Rion's fork paused in mid-air as he stared back at her. “So you really are Detroit through and through.”

  “Born and raised, never left… and never wanted to.” She dug into her meal and began eating.

He sat his fork back down. “I left, but now I'm back...for good.”

Tauri shrugged. “We'll see.”

  “What does that mean?” he asked pointedly.

  Tauri sat her fork down and faced him. “It means exactly what I said. We'll see if you stick around. If things don't go your way, will you still want to be here or will you go back to your superstar life?” She raised an eyebrow.

  Rion watched her for a moment before he picked up his utensil again. “Trying to fight with me won't make it go away.” He began eating slowly.

Tauri frowned. “Make what go away?”

  “The fact that you want me.” He continued to savor his dinner.

She smiled sexily at him. “I also want chocolate cake, but I’m not satisfied by the crumbs.”

Rion laughed heartily. “Okay beautiful and fearless goddess, I hear you loud and clear.”

  They both went back to their meals each deep within their own thoughts, a while later, Tauri looked around as the lights above them came on illuminating the field.

  She glanced back over at Rion who was watching her closely. “This is all very nice. Thank you very much Orion.”

  “Did you enjoy your dinner?” he asked.

She nodded at him. “It was delicious and very unexpected.”

  Rion stood and walked around the table, helping Tauri to her feet. He stared down into her hazel eyes. “You can tell our kids that this was our first date.”

  Tauri blinked and then blinked again. Wait...what? “Did you get hit in the head with some baseballs while you were playing?” she asked.

  “That mouth has to taste like an inferno,” he said staring at her lips the same way he had done yesterday in her office. “Smoldering hot.”

She stared up at him. “Didn't your Mama teach you not to play with fire?”

  He shook his head. “A young god is not afraid of fire. He knows how to tame it.” His gaze moved back to hers and held it for a moment.

  Tauri turned and grabbed her bag. “Goodnight Orion. Thank you for the dinner.” She began to walk in the direction of the exit. “Let me know when you have my evidence.”

  Rion watched her go. “Goodnight Tauri. I'll be in touch,” he called to her retreating back. I'll have evidence and a lot more for you beautiful goddess...

  Tauri made it to her car and quickly settled inside. She started the vehicle and took off driving for a few blocks until she pulled over to the side. She hit the steering wheel with both hands.

  “Gotdammit!” She curled her hands around the leather wheel tightly. “That damn Orion Shaw!”

  He had been right. She did want him. Hell, who wouldn't? He was so fine and smooth, and he still had that Detroit swagger. He may have been gone for a while but now that he had returned it seemed to have fallen right back in place.

  Orion didn't seem to be afraid of her tough exterior that usually pushed guys away at the blink of an eye. He seemed to enjoy her city girl side and she believed he said those outrageous things just to bait her even more.

  The problem was that she liked it. She liked it a lot. Orion made her smolder in more ways than one, but she would not get swept away by him, she couldn't. Detroit was her home and as much as Orion professed that it was his too, he always had the option and means to live anywhere he desired. She would not become involved with a man who may not stay around in her city... and in her life.

  But damn, he was so...so...just so damn much. When she looked at him, she thought of her Granny's homemade chocolate frosting and she just wanted to taste every inch of him on her tongue. He'd said her mouth was hot and she imagined he was just as hot himself, in every way. When she'd looked at his broad chest and strong arms in that tight black shirt tonight, she'd had to calm herself several times.

  “Urghhhh....” she groaned.

  Tauri looked out at her surroundings for a moment before restarting her car. “Okay Orion, if you want it, you'll have to come correct to get it...and you'd best believe it won't be easy.”

  After his dinner with Tauri, Rion drove to his parents’ home on the northwest side. Although he was a professional baseball player who could afford to buy them practically any home they desired, they’d chosen to stay in the city.

  Rion arrived at the residence and spotted his brother’s car parked in the driveway. He entered  the home and was greeted immediately by his mother.

  “Hotep my young god! What a surprise!” She enfolded him tightly.

Rion returned her embrace feeling all the love she had for him and had always freely bestowed.

“Hotep, my beautiful goddess mother and the giver of life. My praise and honor to you always.”

His mother smiled and kissed his warm cheek. “You have the gift of charisma, my son.”

Rion laughed and returned her kiss.

  “I bet all that charisma won’t work on Tauri Patterson though.” Rion turned as his brother entered the room eating from a plate of food.

Rion’s mother lifted a brow. “Tauri Patterson, the prosecutor?”

Corvus stuffed another spoon of food into his mouth. “Yeah, Rion’s thirsty for her.”

  Rion’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not thirsty for her and the Negus talks too much. Is that all y’all have to do is gossip?”

  Swallowing another helping Corvus answered, “It’s not gossip man. It’s sharing and relaying pertinent information.”

Rion folded his arms. “And so how is my business pertinent information?”

  Corvus shrugged. “Khalil said she got you all twisted so we have to make sure you don’t go slipping.” He ate another spoonful. “We looking out for you.”

  Pam Shaw watched her sons in amusement. It was clear that Rion was definitely interested in Tauri Patterson. It was also clear that Corvus was going to ride the hell out of him about it.

  “Would you like some dinner?” Pam asked Rion.

He turned to his mother. “No, thank you. I’ve already eaten.”

  Corvus looked up. “He had dinner with Tauri Patterson at the baseball field.” He turned to Rion. “Wasn’t it kinda cold out there?”