Page 9 of The Aries Alliance (BLP Signs of Love #14)

“My mother was a graduate student in Ansel Samuels’s biochemistry lab at EFU almost forty years ago.

She was the first Black woman M.D./Ph.D.

in her department. Mommy was on the fast track to her degree until Dr. Samuels kissed her repeatedly.

She and my dad were a young couple with one kid at home, and me on the way.

The pressure of work and the harassment were too much for her.

Since she had a high-risk pregnancy, she ended up dropping out of school and working as an assistant manager at an ice cream factory after I was born. ”

Scarlett’s mouth popped open.

“What did your dad do?”

“He stood by and tried to support her. He was the one who encouraged Mommy to report the assault during the early stages of her pregnancy. No one listened to her. They agreed it was important for my sister to know what happened once she hit puberty. Those were hard times for my family.”

Scarlett shook her head so hard that a loose loc popped her in the face. She tucked it behind her ear before resting her hand over mine.

“That’s a tough story to hear.” Her eyes widened with recognition.

“Hold up. You’re talking about that old coot who’s eighty-something, hopping around on a rickety cane every day?

Shaky Samuels violated your mother? One of my scholars works with him too.

” She placed her hand on her forehead with her mouth open before placing it over mine on the table.

“I’m so sorry, War. How is your mother now? ”

A small lump formed in my throat.

“She never overcame her PTSD. Mommy followed the processes in the organization but was shunned, mainly because she dared push against a Nobel Prize nominee. She eventually shared how much she suffered every time he kissed her and how afraid she was when he threatened to hurt her career if she told anyone. Her courage cost her everything. Mommy believed that the system would protect her. Even after therapy, she never trusted men. That was why she and Dad eventually divorced. I’ve been on a quest to vindicate her so that other families wouldn’t be harmed. ”

A lump formed in my throat as I shared my mother’s story. I clutched the napkin before me and bit my lip to maintain my composure.

Scarlett scooted even closer and wrapped her arms around me. She rested her head on my shoulder and squeezed my hand.

“Thank you for sharing your mother’s story with me, War. I’m always down for bringing justice for my sisters. How may I assist you?”

I exhaled and reached over to cover Scarlett’s hand with my free one. I squeezed it before she sat back and stared into my eyes.

“I want us to exchange information about what’s going on at work. You’re boots on the ground. You know who’s harming the most vulnerable people. I have a list of names of wrongdoers. We can craft cases to hold the right people accountable.”

“Like a shakedown?”

“Something like that.”

Scarlett shook her head and laughed.

“If no one has taken down EFU, what makes you think we can?” She pointed between the two of us. “I don’t have the right temperament for this.”

“It’s all about acting. I’ll teach you how to be more controlled and poker-faced when it matters.”

Scarlett chuckled and lifted her hands.

“You’ll teach me to be a sellout? No thanks. I don’t want to be you.”

I kept my face neutral. I didn’t want Scarlett to back out before she was all in.

“You don’t have to worry about that. Most Black people I know are natural code-switchers, and you don’t have to move like me.

I prefer that you not draw attention to yourself by changing.

It’s about knowing what to share and what to keep.

I couldn’t have retained my job if I shared everything I thought with everyone.

I only acted like a jerk to pester you.” I reached for Scarlett’s hand and lowered my eyes to her face.

When she smiled at me, I winked.

“If I agree to this alliance, what do I get out of this? If people find out I’m working with you, that’ll be the end of my career. I can’t afford to be reckless.”

“I won’t lie to you. There will be risks involved.”

“I also don’t come from wealth. If I’m blackballed, some members of my extended family won’t eat. My dad has cancer and can’t work. I’m already hanging on by a thread.” Scarlett’s rambling revealed a side of herself that made me want to comfort her.

She hid her anxiety well. Her sad eyes reminded me of the trauma my mother sometimes showed.

Scarlett was right about the risk and was smart for thinking about how she might be harmed for being rebellious.

If I left EFU, countless collaborators would run to support me, but as a Black woman, she’d be marked for her active participation in our plan.

“What do you see for yourself in an ideal world?” I shifted the conversation to see if her values might help her decide how she wanted to move.

Scarlett paused.

“I haven’t had much time to think about it since the investigation findings. I’m just trying to make it day to day. I guess the answer is, I don’t know.”

“That’s fair. If you do this, you’ll never be without a job. I’ll dive into my deep network of contacts to ensure that you maintain your current way of life.”

“How do I know you won’t use me? Or back out of our deal? I don’t know you, Mr. Redmond.” She hissed my name, similar to how she did in my office earlier.

“Mr. Redmond might make you anxious, but War will never abandon you. He is who I am at my core.” I moved Scarlett’s hand to my heart.

She bit her plump bottom lip.

“I want to trust War,” she said in a soft voice as she squeezed my fingers.

“I want you to trust him too. I can’t guarantee freedom from harm, but I can assure you I’ll be by your side every step of the way.”

She shook her head.

“I don’t know.”

“Give me a chance to make this right, to avenge you. I want to do for you what someone should have done for my mother.”

“Like a justice crusade?”

“Something like that.”

“Okay.” Scarlett’s soft voice had me excited for what was to come in our unique partnership.