Drawing The Line (Mistaken Identity 1.5)
Sylvia Hubbard
Romance/Suspense/ Sensual Noir
Published by HubBooks Literary Services at Smashwords
Copyright 2011 Sylvia Hubbard
Discover other titles by Sylvia Hubbard at Smashwords.com http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hubbooks
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual person, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
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Chapter 1
Head down. No eye contact. That was her motto as Shane trudged home on the dark streets of Detroit’s West Side in the thick January snow. Evan hadn’t worked tonight so she was forced to walk the mile home by herself. Cars passed – some honked, but Shane never looked up. She kept her eyes glued to the sidewalk knowing the pavement like the back of her hand.
Shane Keaton had grown up on the west side of Detroit all of her life. Before her mother died, they would walk up and down each block trying to sell everything from Avon to Amway. Lila Keaton had always tried to run her own business, but there was no business she could run by herself as a single mother coupled with her ongoing illness. When she became too sick to walk around or do anything for herself, no one came to help. It had been up to Shane to help her mother out, run the household and still keep up her perfect GPA for school. Shane had always been a hard worker. Just from watching her mother, she had gained a sense of strong perseverance despite their bad situation.
There had been no man in her life; just her mother and Shane had been content with that. She wasn’t a person that longed for emotional attachments because she always knew in the back of her mind, she wouldn’t get true happiness unless she went out there in the world and took it herself, but she was always too small or too young to do anything.
Soon that would change for Shane once she finished her degree in college.
With no one to help them out and no good medical assistance for Lila, her mother passed away from the cancer that ate away at her internal organs. Yet as soon as she died, Lila’s sister, Bethany Keaton Meadows came knocking on the door with her lecherous family – her husband and daughter. For fourteen years, Shane had to endure the Meadows as her guardians.
Bethany couldn’t care less whether Shane lived or died. The aunt paid no attention to her niece and avoided saying anything to her about the past, except that her mother had hit pay dirt with some rich old geezer who died on top of her, but Bethany would never tell Shane who the rich old geezer was.
Uncle Budrick – and that was his real name – barely paid any attention to Shane until she started developing. Once that happened, every time she turned around, Aunt Bethany’s husband was either standing at her bedroom door or staring as she walked around the house. It was Uncle Bud who made her start wearing non-revealing clothes. Shane made sure she was covered from her neck down to the tips of her toes at all times - Even when she wasn’t at home. Uncle Bud’s pitch-black beady eyes made chills go down her spine.
Bethany’s only child, Trudy Meadows, who was the same age as Shane at twenty-one, had returned back home three years ago. Since the Meadows had moved in, Trudy had been in and out of the house. She ran away three times officially where the cops had to return her, yet unofficially it was seven. When she became pregnant at eighteen, she came home on her own and, of course, Bethany helped her through the pregnancy.
In Shane’s opinion, Trudy gave birth to the worst behaved set of twins in the world
Health-wise, the boys were great, but with Bethany spoiling them and Trudy never around, the boys were more than a handful to any baby sitter. Now going on four years old, they had gotten kicked out of several Head Start programs in the area, and six baby sitters had refused to watch them. Often Shane was forced to stay home because Aunt Bethany ordered her to stay and watch the boys because no one else would watch them. Under Shane’s guidance, she was able to give the boys some discipline and they would actually cry whenever she would leave or wasn’t able to play with them.
Shane wasn’t naive as Aunt Bethany thought her to be, but she just didn’t want to get into a pissing contest with her aunt. She had a feeling that if she did fight to get Aunt Bethany out of the house, even though she was over twenty and had the right to get them out of her property the house Lila had left Shane would literally go up in smoke.
Often she heard Aunt Bethany saying to Uncle Bud when they thought Shane was sleeping that if Shane ever thought of kicking them out, Aunt Bethany would make sure that “stupid heifer” would watch this house burn. “I’d rather see it in ashes before I walk away from it and leave it to her.”
On top of that, Shane also knew there was a large amount of money left to her in a trust to make sure she was taken care of as a child and that there were checks still coming to the home that Aunt Bethany was taking and cashing. Along with the house being Shane’s, there was also the new Jeep in the driveway that Aunt Bethany would never let Shane drive, which Shane had only found out about a week ago that was really in her name.
So many times, Shane had thought about going to the police or even the trust lawyer, Aldridge Tate, to dispute what Bethany was doing with her money, but that would mean rocking the boat.
She didn’t want to rock the boat – at least not Bethany’s boat.
Shane worked to have extra money in her pocket because Aunt Bethany never gave her a dime. The trust paid for her education, but Aunt Bethany even took the money Shane needed for her books and transportation. Shane was never one to fight many battles, especially with Aunt Bethany, because money really didn’t matter to her. She wasn’t materialistic person. As long as her needs were taken car of, she didn’t mind the inconvenience of having Aunt Bethany in the house. They stayed out of her way and she stayed out of theirs.
Aldridge Tate, the lawyer over the trust, often talked with Shane about getting a lot of stress out of her life, so she could better concentrate on her education and get the internship credits she needed to graduate. He never said it was her “family” causing the stress because he tried not to say bad things about Bethany and her husband. Shane never told him anything bad to encourage Aldridge to help her anymore than he was already doing. She had no doubt that he would do a lot more if he knew Bethany was taking the money meant for Shane. He thought Shane just worked at McDonald’s because she loved the job, but it was really out of necessity. Aunt Bethany would never give her any money that was owned to her and Shane needed money for personal items and things she didn’t feel like explaining to Aunt Bethany.
All the good internships had been given away because Shane had not been able to get them due to her family, but she had faith that things would get better soon… she hoped.
Aldridge figured that Shane’s problems were only the mild trifles of her needy family still being in her life and causing her ill feelings, but Shane’s problems were more than emotional.
At their last meeting a week ago at his office in Southfield (a city suburb right outside of Detroit) Aldridge was still trying to get Shane to request an injunction to hand the trust over to him until her twenty-sixth birthday. Shane knew if she did this, Aunt Bethany would forever harass her and that was one thing Shane didn’t want.
“I just want to know what other way I could go about getting my relatives out of the house,” Shane stressed.
He sat back in the chair behind his desk and stretched his long arms behind his head. His thick brownish copper hair was cropped short and he smiled in amazement that Shane asked the question.
He was handsome for a white man. She knew he was going on thirty this year and was up for partner at Bellini and Lintez Law Firm.
“I was wondering when you were going to ask me that, Shane. I was going to make a personal suggestion in the matter if another year went by, but I do understand why you want this. But because Bethany is your trustee I can’t play devil’s advocate. It would be morally wrong.”
“So you’ve thought of some options already?” she asked hopefully.
“There’s only one, Shane, if they are not willing to leave on their own. I know they won’t take that option,” he said. “You’ll have to evict them right after I’m awarded custody of your trust. It’s your home and it’s perfectly legal and sane.”
Shaking her head, she said, “No, Aldridge, they are the only family I have and I don’t want bad blood between us. I know that will definitely make bad blood.” Shane had been ignoring the fact that Aunt Bethany controlled the trust for years because she knew that would upset her aunt if her name were taken off. Although Shane now was legally able to select another trust head until she turned twenty-six or married, she didn’t want to because of the retribution from her aunt.
Aldridge had told her years ago that Shane could not be in charge of the trust because that was how the trust was set up. She had to choose someone. The courts had chosen Aunt Bethany when she was little when Shane didn’t know how hateful and horrible her aunt was, but if she took her aunt off the trust now… Shane didn’t want to think about what could happen.
Desperately, she asked, “Are you sure there are no other options?”
He leaned forward, clasping his hands together on his desk looking mildly glum. “There is one other way,” he said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. After a moments pause, he continued, “Bethany and Budrick came here the other day.”
“They did? Without me?” she asked offended. As the person receiving the trust, she was supposed to be present at any important meetings that concerned the trust.
Aldridge nodded. “They asked if there was any way to get retro pay for raising you.”
“They are still after that?” It had been an old issue. They had been trying to convince Aldridge that at certain times raising Shane had taken money out of their own pockets and the monthly sum that was distributed from the trust had not been enough to cover the cost of raising a child in the past.
Again the lawyer nodded his thick head of hair. “I told her there was no way she would ever get her hands on any money. She was given fifteen hundred dollars a month and use of the house, plus additional money was given to cover any special events such as school trips, graduations, proms and other events she complained she didn’t have enough money t for.”
Shane had only gone on one trip during high school and paid her own way for prom and graduation with the money she earned on her own, but she refused to tell Aldridge this. She knew it would upset him to know Bethany had used that money for herself and not for Shane.
Her mother’s house meant too much to her.
Aldridge continued, “She was also given that Jeep she drives that’s in your name.”
Shane didn’t know the car was in her name until that time. She just knew that when Bud came home with the blue Jeep a year ago, her relatives had coveted the vehicle like it was some kind of deity to worship. Shane was never allowed the drive it, but was told that as long as she lived in the house she would have to contribute to it with some of the money she received from the lawyers.
Even just last week, Bethany had screamed about using Shane’s money to pay off the monthly insurance.
A knot in her belly about all the deceit taking place tightened in her stomach.
‘Just open your mouth and tell Aldridge. All your problems will be over.’
No they wouldn’t. Bethany would burn the house to the ground and make Shane’s life a living hell.
There was only one way to get rid of Aunt Bethany.
“They said they would persist in suing the trust for a laughable amount of money,” he said disgustedly. “The amount she told me was merely money she just wanted in her pocket.”
“How much was it?” Shane asked, tightening her hands on her lap to hide her own mounting stress on this matter.
“Fifty thousand dollars,” Aldridge answered.
She stiffened significantly. That amount was laughable to Aldridge, but not to Shane. She knew the trust was worth a lot of money, which she didn’t know when she would ever see or get to use for herself. She also knew that Bethany was just trying - as she always had been – to put money in her pocket, yet if it would get Shane the house, then Shane would happily pay for it.
“Would I be able to authorize this amount out of my trust?” she asked.
He was appalled by her decision. “You can’t be seriously thinking of paying that, Shane?!”
“If it would get her out of the house, then yes, I would.”
“I’d rather you have the bad blood, Shane. Excuse my French, but you don’t owe her shit. You’ve given her a place to stay, a car and not to mention all the crap she bought with your checks, while you were given hand me downs from that fat ass daughter of hers.” Aldridge was truly upset over the matter. “I’ve been quiet because I know how you feel about rocking the boat and I know if I pursue the matter it could endanger your trust all together and I know you don’t want that.”
Shane was surprised Aldridge knew that much about how her family treated her. “Please Aldridge,” she said calmly to pacify the matter. “I want to stay in the house. It’s all the memories I have of my mother.”
“Well, fortunately for you, the person who created the trust was a much smarter man and not even you can get that kind of money out of the trust for that reason. Five thousand a month is all that can be bequeath and unless you plan to stop going to school, then I don’t think she’ll be getting that amount of money from your trust.”
She frowned disappointedly. “There were no special provisions for emergencies?”
“Only for health-care. All medical bills that could not be paid out of the monthly stipend would revert to a special holding account.”
“This has to fall under mental health,” she suggested teasingly. “I think I’m going crazy with them around.” On the outside her demeanor didn’t look serious, but in truth, Shane knew growing concern about her family in her home had started to put a lot of emotional strain on her. It also could be loneliness and … there was something else, but she didn’t want to even address that with herself or she really would go crazy.
“No, Shane. I can’t do it. I love you very much and if I had fifty grand to give away like that I would. You deserve so much better.”
She knew this and in order to keep her sanity she needed to get the Meadows out of her house as calmly and quickly as possible. What if I put the house up as collateral? Won’t that do?”
He looked tiredly over her. “It’s not worth it, Shane,” he pleaded.
“If it’s my state of mind in jeopardy, then yes it is, Aldridge.” She fought to keep the uncertainty out of her voice by taking a deep breath. She didn’t want Aldridge to know this was a serious problem for her.
“You won’t be able to pay it back, you know that right? Or you’ll have to forgo the college and pay off the debt or you’ll still lose the house.”
She knew that was not an option. Not yet. Determinedly, she said, “I’m going to find the money.”
Aldridge shook his head hopelessly. “I won’t encourage you on this, but if you need me to help you out with any paperwork, Shane, call me. No matter what time of day or night.” He handed her a card with his home number written on it.
“Thank you,” she said gratefully, standing up preparing to leave. She would catch the Detroit bus home before Aunt Bethany suspected she had not really gone to class. Jokingly, she said, “You wouldn’t happen to have any friends who would have that kind of money lying around?”
There was this strange look in his eye briefly, but then he shook his head disappointedly.
When she got to the door of his office, he called her quietly. Turning to him, he said, “If you happen upon a way to get this money make sure you have Bethany’s agreement to leave in writing.”
Shane nodded knowing she could turn to him to handle something like that. Now all she had to do was find a way to get the money.
***
The conversation that she had a week ago with Aldridge ran through her mind as Shane trudged home in the snow from McDonald’s smelling like old grease and salt. By the time she arrived at the three-bedroom brick home, she was cold and exhausted. She still had to stay up and study. The rest of the family had turned in and she was glad about that.
Entering through the side door of the home, she was able to walk straight down the basement stairs, passing the door that led up to the kitchen. She ignored the hunger monster grinding inside her stomach because she didn’t like to eat fast food. The last thing she wanted to do tonight was deal with any member of her family by waking them up from noises from the kitchen.
Removing the grease smelling uniform, Shane longed for a nice hot shower, but she knew that was out too because there was no shower in the basement’s half bathroom. She was lucky if she could get hot water down there.
Her bedroom might be compared to living in squalor or that she was a squatter in a home that didn’t want her.
Budrick had built a makeshift wall with a door to give her bedroom in the basement. She used a small wire to keep the door closed for some kind of privacy. Milk crates made a make shift desk with an old plywood board on top, Christmas lights decorated on the basement beams so she could see and a Dollar Store clock hung on the wall ticking loudly and always twenty minutes fast. She used fry boxes and more milk crates to keep her clothes in. Her bed was an old cot that had a mattress so worn she often felt bruises from the springs on her thighs and sides in the morning.
There was a full-length mirror on her door that she looked in to see if there were any current bruising from the bed. She knew if she slept on any bruises the next night, it might cut her skin. There was a certain thickness about her body that she didn’t like, but Evan, her best friend since he had moved on the block when she was twelve told her she had a nice thickness that guys would like if she wore clothes that showed her figure.
Removing the dark blue McDonald’s visor, she pulled the rubber band out of her hair and watched as her full dark brown hair cascaded down to touch her shoulders naturally curling from being bounded for so long. She had learned how to cut her own edges, and normally kept it straight moisturized and self-permed. Standing at an average height, her overall body was satisfactory to her, but she had a feeling if she kept her family in her life, she would never find a good man who would put up with their mess.
Lying down with her real estate management book, she forced herself to concentrate on reading at least four chapters before she went to bed.
***
Evan Phillips had a secret crush on Trudy Meadows, who regarded him as a wimp and wouldn’t give him the time of day, but he still persisted in the matter even when Shane had told him he was hopeless. He was a portly mannish boy of twenty-three with the softest brown skin with an almost reddish hue. She thought he had a beautiful smile and if he toned up he would be very handsome.
They were good friends and he was always there for her. They would be graduating together from college just like they did from high school. He was finishing off his Bachelors in Communication. He wanted to become a television journalist, but for now had opted to work at The Detroit Free for extra money. His parents had left him the house he lived in and decided to travel all over the world on their retirement so he was pretty much alone, just as she was.
“You could move in with me,” he suggested the next day as they walked to work. His beat up old Ford Maverick was in the shop. He was spending all his extra money getting the vehicle revamped and equipped.
Until that time, they would be walking in the snow because she couldn’t afford a car yet. It was Bethany’s goal to keep her just over broke at all times.
“You know I can’t. What would Trudy think?” Shane teased.
He chortled at the claim and shrugged. “It was just a thought. Your peace of mind is important.”
“And if I can come to Bethany with fifty grand or more just in case she gets in the mood to negotiate, then I’ll at least have something to come at her with.” She sighed tiredly because she had sat up all night trying to find a solution to her problem, but short of selling herself, she had come up with nothing.
Shane told Evan her suggestion and he laughed. “Being a mistress is a lot of work, you know.”
“How would you know?” she asked.
“I just know these things,” he said arrogantly. “I read this book about this lady who was a mistress for this man who was married. He paid for everything.”
The idea of being a man’s mistress, while he was married to someone was a rather depressing thought and she knew she couldn’t do something like that. Now if this man were not married, she would definitely consider it, although the thought of allowing a complete stranger to touch her was rather frightening.
The thought of being a mistress was altogether silly and she knew she could never imagine the thought of a man even looking at her in an attractive manner.
“You could pull it off,” Evan said off handedly.
“What?” she asked.
“You could actually pull it off. I mean you don’t fool me, Shane. I know you have the body for it. You wear those big old clothes to cover up everything, but I’m a guy. Even though you and I know, I know wouldn’t take advantage of our friendship, I can see it because I’m close to you all the time.”
Shane blushed profusely at his compliment. “Shut up, Evan and I don’t have it like that.”
“Yes, you do. You’ve had it since sixteen, trust me.” He laughed, as she blushed even more. Her deep rich caramel complexion started mixing with a reddish tone. “You shouldn’t have to be embarrassed about your body, Shane. It’s fine for your height.”
Shane was about five feet six, yet she felt that her chest was overly large for her height and weight. At size fourteen, she was thickly put together, but not obese, yet the clothes she wore from Trudy’s hand me downs were a size twenty-two or large and made Shane look frumpy. Even her McDonald’s uniform was too big for her and didn’t curve to her sensual full hips. Most men didn’t look twice at her except when she laughed or smiled at them, if something amused her about them because she had an open smile and an attractive laugh.
“But I know how you feel about intimacy, Shane, and with that outlook, I don’t think you’re going to get very far as anyone’s mistress if you hate being touched,” Evan pointed out.
“It’s not that, Evan. It’s just that I don’t feel comfortable. You know that.”
“With your Uncle Bud around, I’d feel uncomfortable too. You’ll let me know if I have to bring my bat over and take care of him, won’t you?”
“You’ll be the first to know,” she promised.
When she got home that night, she went down to the basement where she slept. They had given her room to Trudy at twelve, because they said that Trudy needed her space all by herself. Of course, Shane didn’t complain. She looked at the positive side of this. Her bed was near the furnace and she stayed pretty warm. Bud had made a half bathroom in the basement, so she rarely had to come upstairs except to eat or if the reception on her black and white thirteen-inch television was bad and she really wanted to watch television on the thirty-six inch screen in the living room. All the other rooms in the house were out of bounds to her, but she never told Aldridge this. Bethany had her idiosyncrasies and Shane didn’t want to feel like a burden to anyone despite the fact that all of it was really hers.
After changing into a nightgown, she crawled in her cot and turned on the lamp that was attached to her bed. She took out her schoolwork and read through a couple of pages, but in the back of her mind, she was still thinking about how to get the Meadows out of her home.
At six in the morning, she went to make herself a cup of coffee like she always did. Today, she didn’t have to work and had bravely decided to address the subject of the Meadows departure with Bethany.
Getting in the kitchen, she was surprised Bethany was up, but Shane surmised that Bethany knew about the trip to Southfield last week.
“Good morning, Aunt Bethany,” she said politely, ready to do battle with her relative.
Unlike Lila’s warm brown eyes, Bethany had these cold dull brown eyes, with thick brows. She was skinny and looked as if she were suffering from malnutrition with coarse dark brown hair that barely touched her ears. She was about Shane’s height, with a narrowed face, long skinny fingers and a dreary coffee complexion covered in pimples and dark spots, along with hair growing under her chin and some on her chest above a flat breast line.
“If that is what you want to call it, then it’s a free country, but this house doesn’t fall under any laws that the outside world has. Do you understand what I mean, Shane?” Bethany said tightly.
Shane had noticed the older she became, the more tyrannical her aunt had become. Bethany knew the control she had on Shane was becoming weaker by the days, but she insisted on holding on to her niece. If Shane had a choice in the matter, she would have rather had the state take guardianship over her.
“Are you referring to my trip to Aldridge’s office?” Shane inquired innocently, as she made some coffee.
Taking the business card Aldridge had given her that was probably dug out after rummaging through Shane’s items, Bethany narrowed her eyes at Shane. “You getting smart with me, chit?”
“I wouldn’t ever want to do that, Aunt Bethany,” she said respectfully, carefully avoiding eye contact knowing her eyes spoke volumes when her lips refused to utter a word.
“You know going to Southfield by yourself is strictly forbidden, don’t you? Not without me or Bud.”
“Yes ma’am,” Shane answered, still keeping her eyes averted.
“So why did you do it and think I wouldn’t find out about it? The receptionist that works there is a personal friend of mine. When I talked with her yesterday she told me she saw you there last week alone,” Bethany stated.
“I had some free time and wanted to just say hi to Mr. Tate. I hadn’t seen him since he came back from vacation. Plus, I wanted to let him know I’d be graduating soon.” She poured her cup of coffee in her travel mug and put her lunch in her backpack. “Is that all, Aunt Bethany?”
“Is that all?” Bethany asked, mimicking Shane coming around the table that was between them. “You think you’re going to cut me off, don’t you? You think you can just take my money and get the hell out of here? You’ve got another thing coming.”
“Whatever do you mean, Aunt Bethany?” she asked, feigning innocence with humor in her eyes seeing her aunt’s true greediness.
“I’ll make sure you never leave, if I have to, Shane. Don’t try me,” Bethany threatened.
Shane furrowed her brow deep in thought. Maybe this would be a good time to bring up the subject. “We could do this the hard way or the easy way. I for one would prefer the easy road. You are my only blood relative. My only family for that matter and I don’t think my mother would like us to be on bad terms with each other. How much would it take for you to leave?” Letting her aunt throw out a number first seemed like the better choice since whatever she would say, Bethany would probably try to triple.
Bethany search Shane’s deep brown eyes, almost similar to her own. This was the only likeness that they possess. Bethany was statuesque at five foot ten. Even though Shane had to look up into her aunt’s eyes, she showed no fear. Not like when she was a little girl.
“How much are you willing to give is the real question? How bad to you want me gone?” Bethany taunted.
“Twenty thousand,” Shane suggested a low number.
Bethany cackled. That’s pocket change and you know it, little girl. Give me something I can use.”
“Like a car?” Shane spat out.
The strike against Shane’s right eye was quick and unexpected. Bethany had a temper and she usually used her fist to handle anything with Shane, but this had been the first time she had ever hit Shane in the face. If Aldridge saw this he would freak.
Bethany screamed for Bud, while Shane stood shocked at what her aunt had done. It had been a while since Bethany had put her hands on Shane, but she had never hit her in the face.
“Get her down to the basement and make sure she stays there!” Bethany ordered Bud whose big fat body filled the kitchen doorway sleepily.
“No!” Shane cried, hurling her coffee at Bud, but he avoided it and grabbed her. “I’m not a child! I not a child! Don’t!”
He was six feet and weighed over three hundred pounds. Fighting him off was useless as he practically dragged her back down to her room and locked her in there. The walls were strong enough to keep her imprisoned and there was no way to get out because her room had no window. She was trapped and there was a lock on the outside of her door so she couldn’t get out.
She clawed and screamed, but she knew no one would hear her. Collapsing against the door in misery, she prayed they wouldn’t keep her for long. Shane hadn’t been locked in her room since tenth grade when she threatened to run away. Bethany had locked her in there for almost a month and told everyone Shane had the chickenpox.
Bethany was getting desperate. Shane knew it or the woman was losing her mind.
‘I’m a grown woman! Dammit! She can’t do this to me!!’ her mind screamed.
With two months until graduation, Shane could not afford to be locked anywhere or miss that much of school or work. She needed her job and she desperately wanted her education. It was just another stepping-stone to being on her own and being able to support herself.
‘Education is key,’ her mother use to say all the time. ‘Get all you can, Sha-sha.’
About an hour passed and no one came to her aide. She knew it was an hour because the television played quietly. She barely watched it listening for any noise from upstairs, but when Bud had built this room and insulated the basement, he made sure it was sound proof.
She heard muffled noises between Bethany and Bud. They were talking loud enough to be arguing, but Shane couldn’t make out what was being said. Checking her eye, it had begun to swell.
Three more hours passed and Shane wanted to scream until she couldn’t scream anymore as frustrated as she was. What were they going to do to her? Was this that subconscious fear that she had always had coming to the surface Many times she had walked in on Bud and Bethany when they were discussing money matters and what to do with the niece that was in the way. Many times, Shane had creepy feeling that Bethany would love to have Shane out the way so she could get her hands on the money.
Yet, she never told Aldridge. She never told anyone except Evan. She trusted him. When two more hours passed, she heard rattling of keys and moved to the farthest wall in her room and sat on the cold cement floor.
Bethany stood in the doorway holding the keys and looking angrier than usual.
Shane felt like she was fourteen again and not use to Bethany’s ire, she had opened up her mouth and said too much.
“You and your stupid fat mouth got you in this trouble, you little chit.”
‘Just to get out of here,’ Shane softly chanted to herself. ‘Say whatever you have to say to get out of here.’ Nodding her head in docility, Shane said, “I’m sorry Aunt Bethany. I really am.” She tried to sound as earnest as possible.
“Then if anyone asks you about that, you tell them you fell,” Bethany ordered.
“Yes, ma’am,” Shane said obediently.
Bethany stood there for another moment before she said, “If I find out anything different, don’t think you’ll make it another day on this earth, missy.”
“W-What did you and Bud talk about?”
“Fifty thousand,” Bethany stated. “No less ands we’ll be out your life forever in less than a month from the date you give us the money.”
“Would you be willing to sign a statement Aldridge can draw up?” she asked hesitantly.
“Of course.” Bethany smiled a deceitful grin. “You have my word.”
Shane didn’t trust that at all, but she kept this opinion to herself as she nodded and watched as Bethany walked away without closing the door. Breathing a sigh of relief, she grabbed her pack from the stairs where it had dropped and ran out of the door. She ran until she couldn’t run anymore stopping at a bus terminal and buckling down on the seat because her legs were so sore. Covering her hands over her eyes, she cried miserably.
Chapter 2
Evan was a great emotional support, but she wouldn’t dare involved him in her problems. She called Aldridge’s office from school that same day she had gotten locked in disguising her voice in order to get to him through the receptionist. Once she had gotten to him, she let him know she had gotten her aunt to verbally agree.
“I’ll have a courier deliver papers for her to sign before you give her any money,” Aldridge said.
“Don’t worry, I haven’t gotten the money yet anyway. I’m still trying to come up with it. How much do you think a liver is?” She tried to make light of her situation despite the upset she felt all over.
Seriously, Aldridge asked, “How are you really holding up, Shane?”
Lying was becoming tiresome, but she didn’t change her story. “As well as can be expected, Aldridge. Look, I have to go. I don’t want to be late for class. Thanks so much for everything.”
Three days after the incident on their way home from work late one night, Evan suggested offhandedly when she was looking overly bothered and not saying anything, “Killing them comes to mind.”
She shook her head dejectedly. “I won’t resort to something like that, Evan. You know me.”
“What about if you promised to pay her from what the trust gives you in installments?”
Shane looked grievously disappointed. “Aldridge was right when he said she wants the money in her pocket. All the money, all at once.”
“Dammit, Shane, forget about family and blood. They treat you like shit and they don’t deserve the respect you give them. I think Mr. Tate was right. You need to drop them like a bad habit and keep going.”
“I won’t do that.” She was adamant about it even though Evan was right. She had a feeling even if she tried; Bethany and Bud would come back even worse and something bad might really happen to her.
“Does Aldridge know she threatened you or even that she hit you?” Evan asked angrily.
“No, and I’m not going to tell. I have a feeling the façade that everyone knows Bethany by is all that it is – an act. She’s much worse behind closed doors.”
Evan stopped walking and looked at her in disbelief.
She faced him wondering what made him look as if he couldn’t believe she had just said that.
“And this doesn’t give you reason to do something about it now? Knowing that she could seriously hurt you doesn’t scare you into taking measures.”
“I want it all to be legal, Evan. I do want her out of my life as soon as possible, and if I can give her what she wants then I’ll do it. I’ll give her the money she wants and they’ll all be out the house,” she insisted.
“That house is not worth your life!” he said incredulously.
A horn honked from the street and they both looked at a dark new updated custom Ram pickup. A Caucasian man sat behind the wheel his face was a mask of confusion but did not detract from his soft blue eyes and long pitch-black lashes. Immediately she noticed the broad shoulders and lean frame -this was a very handsome man
Evan moved slightly in front of her protectively. “Can I help you?” he snarled.
He had made a weird U-turn and was on their side of the street. He leaned to the window slightly from the driver’s side and said, “I’m looking for an apartment over in this area and have become a bit lost. Could you please help me?”
“No!” Evan sneered.
“Yes,” she said at the same time.
Evan looked back at her with ‘are-you-crazy’ look and moved in front of him. “What street?” she asked the guy.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” he asked. “I can hardly hear your soft pretty voice, ma’am.”
She smiled and moved closer. Evan was on her ass like white on rice as if this man was going to jump out and kidnap her. She doubted it, because he looked too friendly for words, although looks could be deceiving.
“My name is Paul,” he said. “I’m from Harper Woods, and I haven’t traveled this far into the city in years.”
Shane could tell he was telling the truth. He looked worse than a fish out of water. “You’re looking for what street, Paul?” she asked, coming closer to the truck.
Evan put a hand on her arm protectively and eyed the man warily.
Paul looked down at some directions on a piece of paper and then said, “Elmhurst. Someone told me to take this street straight down until it ends, but I haven’t seen anything.”
“Well, you can always wait until the morning,” Evan suggested. “If you call the western district police office, they’ll be happy to help you.”
“I wish it were that easy, but I need to get there tonight, sir,” he said politely to Evan and then looked back at Shane searching her eyes desperately for help.
“If you go down this street to Wyoming, take a left, and then take a right on Grand River.” She spoke slow and precise noting how attentive he watched her speak, while writing down what she was saying. “On that street, you’ll take a right to Livernois, then make a left and go down until you see an old police precinct.” Yes, he was definitely looking her up and down as if making an assessment about her. Even though it was cold outside, Shane felt hot under the collar. “At the light before the precinct, you’ll make a left and that’s Elmhurst.”
He looked down at the instructions he had written and when he looked up at her he still looked confused and harried.
“You have a good night,” Evan said, trying to draw Shane away.
She stuck her ground and asked Paul concerned, “Do you think you can find it?”
“Honestly?” he asked. “No, but what if I give you a hundred dollars, will you personally take me there?”
“No!” Evan said emphatically.
This was a stranger, but he looked lost and desperate. Still a bill wouldn’t get her close to her fifty grand. Although every little bit helped.
“I’m sorry, Paul, but I shouldn’t. You are a stranger,” she said.
“Five hundred,” he offered taking the money out his wallet and holding it up.
She gasped seeing that amount just fly out of his wallet as if it were pocket change. Reaching in the cab, she pushed both his hand down. “Don’t go flashing that kind of money around these streets!” She almost called him an idiot, but bit her tongue.
By the way he act, he hadn’t been in the city a very long time.
He used this opportunity to take her hand in his and look deep in her eyes. She felt some erotic connection instantly as if he were caressing her soul with just his eyes. “Please,” he said in a very low voice that Evan couldn’t hear. “I won’t hurt you.”
Her lips had suddenly gone dry. That she had allowed him to touch her for so long and not draw her hand away was alarming in to her. That her comfort level did not become bothered by his proximity was alarming two- fold. Looking over her shoulder at Evan, she saw his look of complete disapproval and withdrew her hand with reluctance from Paul’s touch. “I-I don’t’ think I should.” Yet the money was tempting.”
“This is crazy, Shane,” Evan said.
She sighed. “Wait a second,” she told Paul and stepped a few feet away from the truck to have a private word with Evan.
“I’m not going to let you get in that car with that man!” Evan said. “I’ll go with him”
She shook her head. “I don’t think he trusts you, Evan. I mean you’ve been giving him dirty looks since he pulled up. He’s from the suburbs; you think he’s going to trust you?”
“And you think he trusts you?”
Looking at Paul who nervously tapped the wheel, she said, “Yes, I think so.”
“Crazy men come to the city and slice up pretty girls all the time,” Evan sneered.
“He’s not crazy.”
“This is about the stupidest thing you could ever think of doing, Shane.”
Strangely she wanted to go. Not because she just wanted to help him out or she desperately needed the money, but because she wanted to explore the odd feelings that were aroused inside of her. Why did she have the sensation when he touched her? What was it about him that made her feel so relaxed? “Look Evan, you and I both know to pass up money like this is crazy. He can give you half and I’ll take the other half. I’ll get his driver’s license information, while you sneak to the back and take down his plate. If anything happens to me, you know where to go. I’ll let you keep the two-fifty and we’ll call it even. No one has to know and I’ll call you as soon as I get to my house.”
“You think they’ll let you use the phone at your house?” he asked, knowing the negative answer to this question before she could even answer it.
She snatched his cell phone off his belt and put it in her jacket. “I’ll be fine,” she assured him and then went back over to Paul. “You give him half now and when I get you there you can give me the rest.”
He looked surprised that she was agreeing to come with him, but then quickly nodded. “Sure, sure.” Keeping his wallet low, he took the money out and handed it out the window to Evan who snatched it away.
“Wait!” she said to Paul before he put his wallet away. “I need to see some ID.”
“You can hold it,” he said, giving her his ID.
Shane warily took it and watched in her peripheral vision as Evan checked out the license plate. “I’ll call you,” she promised Evan.
Evan only nodded and watched as she went around the truck. Paul unlocked the doors and leaned over and opened it for her. He took his cap off his head in courtesy as she entered the cabin. As soon as the light came on, the long thick legs that led up to a lean muscular body and an even more surprisingly handsome face for a white guy caught her off guard. Obscure midnight blue eyes from the shadows peered down from pitch-black hair that was cut short in the back, but came down long over his forehead near his eyes.
“Hi,” she said rather breathlessly.
He smiled a wide reassuring grim. Evan cleared his throat, the sound breaking their intense eye contact.
“If you hurt a hair on her head,” Evan sneered at Paul. “I’ll personally find you and break every bone in your body.”
Paul only nodded, but respectfully didn’t break eye contact with Evan until he felt Evan was only a little assured he had turned his friend over in safe hands. She slid in the passenger seat and watched as Paul carefully gripped the wheel with one hand and waited for her to close the door ensconcing them in darkness. He put the truck in drive and pulled away from the corner. Her eyes carefully watched as his strong arms took control of the wheel and guided the large truck into the midnight somewhat busy traffic.
Shane wondered would this night change her life. Would she see Evan again? And would she figure out her strange attraction to Paul?
Chapter 3
Plymouth, the street they traveled down, was pretty busy at night at night. Many of the good all night Coney Island’s nightclubs were on this street, as well as other popular after party venues.
Shane could have kicked herself for being stupid enough to get into a car with a complete stranger. Evan was probably kicking himself as well and she gripped the phone tightly and forced herself to breath calmly.
Cutting her eyes toward him without moving her head, she studied him in her peripheral vision. He was nervously tapping the wheel and this put her at ease a little. He was just as apprehensive as she was.
The first light they stopped at, he said, “Thank you so much.”
“It’s no problem. I had nothing better to do tonight, but sleep,” she teased relaxing a little.
He looked over at her and frowned. “Did you hurt yourself?”
Shane turned away ashamed so he wouldn’t see her eye that much. “Yeah, I’m pretty clumsy.” By now the black eye had become a slight scar under her eye, but it was going away.
“An ex-girlfriend of mine use to say that about her father too,” he said more under his breath.
Shane didn’t respond, but pretended interest in the light.
After the light changed, he asked, “Will you let me know your name?”
“Shane,” she answered quietly. “What’s so important this late at night, Paul?”
“Business. My father left a building to my brother and me on this side of town. The property manager died and there was a small fire this morning. My brother went to check it this afternoon and get the fire report, plus determines the damage. Someone stole his truck and he’s been stranded for the past three hours while I’ve been trying to find him.”
She would not admit she had heard very little of what he had said, because for some reason she couldn’t take her eyes off his lips. Thin yet sensuous, he spoke as if every word mattered. Did he know he did this or was this just a natural way he exuded his attraction to women?
Her throat went dry and she jammed her hands in her jacket pocket to find the hospital’s petroleum jelly she always carried with her. Clearing her throat, she forced her eyes to look straight as they hit another red light. She became very aware that they were an arms length of room between them and nothing to stop him from sliding over and…
“I’m sorry,” he said suddenly.
She looked at him frowning. “What for?”
“I’ve made you uncomfortable with my staring, haven’t I?” he assumed.
Shane felt she was the one who should apologize. She had a feeling it wouldn’t have mattered if Paul were black, there was something about his persona that she found… attractive. “No reason to be sorry.”
“I just haven’t had the experience of…” He stopped himself.
“What?” she asked now very interested in what he had to say.
He stopped himself and actually flushed, bringing a boyish charm to his face. I’ve never had the pleasure of personally conversing with a woman of your color,” he admitted. “It’s mostly business and impersonal.”
She was amused at his round about way of speaking. “If I didn’t know better, you just said you don’t know a lot of black people.”
H nodded as they came to another light. “So do you?” he asked, looking over at her.
“Yes, I know a lot of black people,” she teased.
Paul flushed again and chuckled getting her sense of humor immediately. “That’s not what I meant, Shane. Do you know a lot of people like me?”
“Nervous and lost? No, but white? Yes. He’s a good friend of the family.” She really didn’t want to go into the lawyer bit, because then she knew he would probably inquire about her trust and so forth. A discussion she hated speaking about – her family.
“I’m not the talker as you can see,” Paul admitted. “My brother is the talker. He could sell a refrigerator to an Eskimo. I’m more of a doer. I do business, while my brother relates to the clients and customers.”
“That’s okay, Paul.” She was refreshed by his honesty in himself.
“What’s a nice girl like you doing out on a night like this?” he questioned.
They arrived at Wyoming, but she decided they could get to Elmhurst faster if they went another route. “Don’t get in the left lane,” she ordered. “We’re going straight.”
He frowned with a little wariness in his eyes. “According to your directions we’re supposed to turn.”
“Let’s just say we’re taking the Batman route.”
Paul followed her directions and stayed straight. If she had other intentions, he decided he would trust her still.
“I work part-time at the McDonald’s from where you picked me up,” she said answering his prior questions. She opened her jacket to show off her uniform.
“Why don’t you look like a McDonald’s type of person? And you certainly don’t act like someone who works there.” He winced. “I’m doing it again.”
“What?”
“Putting my foot in my mouth.”
“It doesn’t look so bad there,” she teased.
He smiled. “Like I said, I’m not the talker.”
“What do you do, Paul?” she inquired.
“My brother and I own real estate. Plus, we head up a liquidation firm in Harper Woods. Our house also works sometimes like our secondary office. You’d like it.”
What was the chance of her possibly meeting a real estate owner in the middle of the night on the way home from work? Obviously a good possibility since he was sitting next to her. She frowned a bit disarmed. “How would you know what I like, Paul?”
“I wouldn’t dare to do anymore presuming, Shane. I don’t think I can get my foot any further down my throat,” he quickly said.
It was her turn to laugh and be put at ease. Although she still found it strange that he happened to be in the real estate business, she figured maybe this was her lucky day.
“My brother does all the real estate basically,” he explained. “Like I said, he works with the clients and customers, while I’m in charge of the business end. I go into homes of the deceased and liquidate the items in the house. We also do businesses as well. I get the best price for everything, and then after we take out our percentage, we give a check over to the person’s relatives or the business that took over the estate.”
Shane could tell Paul enjoyed his job and took his business very seriously. She had a feeling that anything attacked with complete focus and determination.
He seemed to radiate his enjoyment for his work as he spoke. From his hands to his lips, she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. Quickly, she caught herself staring before he noticed. She determined he was naturally sensuous. A rare quality in a man, yet could he incite sensuality in a woman? In her?
Shane blushed to herself. Never in her life had she had such thoughts about any man – especially a complete stranger! Opening up her jacket a little bit more, she looked to see if the heat was high in the car. It was not. Yet she felt like her temperature was rising all over.
The next light was a three way street. Giving him instructions on how to get through the maze of roads, they stopped at the longest light.
Paul looked at her and even though it was dark she could feel his eyes searching her face. “Can I ask you a favor?” His voice had gone peculiarly deep.
“Depends on the favor,” she said, mildly curious.
He seemed to lean over to her. “Can I touch your face?” Before she had a chance to protest, he quickly added, “I want to see if you skin is as soft as it looks.”
With words like that she found her senses clamoring in alarm. Her own fascination with him grew ten times and the thought of making that connection made her mind swirl erratically. “Yes, Paul.”
Paul was surprised she had agreed to the request, but immediately raised his hand and slowly let the back of his knuckles touch her left cheek. He glided the tip of his thumb under her chin turning her face towards him. Her eyes closed partially as she could not only feel his physical touch, but there was more. A soul stirring sensation that brought to life a spirit buried deep inside of her. His thumb rubbed her other cheek and his fingertips briefly caressed her now parted lips as they moved up over her nose flowing over to her forehead, then his palm cupped her cheek.
The movement had been so fluid and detailed as each stroke seemed to ignite the spirit inside of her. Shane leaned into his warm soft hand and turned her mouth towards his palm pressing her lip against his flesh.
Gasping, she jerked away and grabbed his hand as if it had hurt. Meeting his eyes, she was surprised to find pure fascination filling his gaze.
“Did I hurt you?” he asked concerned.
She could only shake her head and looked away trying to control her breathing because she didn’t want to show how much he had really affected her. “I didn’t mean…”
He cut her off. “Don’t apologize, Shane.”
Realizing she was still holding his hand, she released it and moved as far against the passenger door as possible. He had scooted over a little, but his body size was so impressive he could stretch quite far and make it seem close enough.
The light had changed from red to green and then back to red again. Feelings like this were pretty much all new for her. She was feeling very confused within herself and with his proximity.
“It’s your turn,” he said.
Her eyes widened in fear. “My turn for what?”
Paul frowned giving her an amused but hard stare for a moment before asking, “You didn’t feel it, Shane?”
Lawd! He knew? How? He felt it too?!
When she didn’t answer right away, he shrugged and faced forward. “I guess it was just me, then.”
‘Are you going to miss this moment because you’re too scared?’ Her lips wouldn’t part to save her life to ask to touch him like he had touched her. It was just too crazy. ‘But that’s why you got in here. To explore why he made you feel like this.’ Pursing her thick lips together, she still couldn’t find the courage to say what she wanted.