Page 135 of Between Passion and Revenge: Part Two

Opening my mouth to wrap up the call, I pause, frowning, when I hear another voice coming from my mom’s end of the line.

A deep voice. Amalevoice.

“Mama, who in the world is in your house at this early hour?” I try to keep the scandalized tone from my voice, but I don’t quite succeed.

“Hush,” she says. “That boy of yours sent over no fewer than fifteen guards to my house. Most of them stay out on the street and patrol the area.”

She sniffs.

“But…?” I drawl, leaning forward into my seat as if I could grab more information out of her.

“But—” I can tell she pulls her phone away from her mouth from the muffled words coming through the line.

“But?Mama, what does ‘but’ mean?” I inhale, close to giggling. Mama hasn’t entertained any male companionship since Daddy died. They were together for more than thirty years, but Mama is a young woman.

“Oh, relax, Shae,” she says, whispering.

“Mama,why are you whispering?” I ask, matching her tone.

“That’s just Roland,” she says, as if I’m supposed to know who the hell Roland is.

“Mama,who?” I say, and she shushes me.

“Roland,” she says, her voice dropping even lower, “is one of the guards Storm sent. He’s a kind man, and he’d been sitting out in that hot car protecting me for hours and hours, so he’s just come inside for a cold drink of water. That’s all!”

My mama is a liar, liar, pants on fire.

“Okay, Mama. Keep your secrets,” I say, smiling and feeling better than I did a few minutes ago. It’s a wonder what focusing on other people’s shit will do for one’s disposition.

“Child, bye!” she says and hangs up on me.

Lowering the phone to my lap, I continue to smile and close my eyes, tilting my face to the sun.

I sink into the moment.

Birds chirping.

The faint sounds of vehicles outside the compound.

The wind moving through the trees.

This is the most peaceful moment I’ve had since seeing Storm in my office all those weeks ago.

…So why does that make me so sad?

My phone buzzes, and it’s an email from Melissa.

Subject: Keystone - Need to talk ASAP

I grimace. I’ve been playing ostrich and avoiding everything with Orisun and Keystone, which isn’t fair to Melissa at all. There’s a lot going on, especially with Kenyon Braxton’s death and Zane’s betrayal. I know the message has to do with the board meeting Zane called, and the likely vote of no-confidence.

What would life be like if I didn’t have Orisun anymore? I’ve thought about retirement as a vague thing, something I’m working toward, but it doesn’t feel real.

Now, I’m faced with the real prospect of being out of a job, and I have no idea what that means for me. At least, what that means for me in the ways that matter most.

I shiver, and a cloud goes past the sun, casting everything in gray. I’m in real danger; mycompanyis in real danger.

And I haven’t the first clue how to get out of this mess I’ve found myself in.