A Commitment to Love, Book 3 (20 page)

“So she told you to tell Benny where Lucy was, you did, and now what?”

He targeted me with a weird gaze. “Now I’m trying to see how deep the rabbit hole goes. Something’s happening and I want to make sure Jazz and Troy don’t get hurt.”

“Jasmine is with Benny now,” I said.

He nodded. “After the news about Lucy’s murder and the ball, I sat outside of your property all night. I didn’t think I would see Benny’s car. It rolled through the gates early this morning and then two hours later drove back out. I wasn’t sure if that was Jazz or not in the backseat with him, but I figured it was her. I was about to follow Benny. I’d been sitting in my car the whole time, and had to duck down behind the steering wheel, when they rounded the corner.”

“Why didn’t you follow them?”

“The next thing I know, I put the key in the ignition to start the car, and Mom rolls up. I don’t believe in coincidences.”

“So you followed us instead?” I backed up.

“Yeah, and imagine my surprise that you both head to South End. First of all, I couldn’t figure out why Mom would help Benny kill Lucy. The chick never done anything to us. Troy told me that she never hurt Jasmine. All I knew was that Benny was being Benny. He got a thing about revenge.” Sherman rubbed the scars on his neck. “I never fucked with him. Although I’d love to get in his ass just once. I watched him hurt a lot of people though. Motherfucker that did this to my neck … well, you should see what Benny did to his neck. A cop did it one night, when I was walking home. Thought the shit was funny. Got a knife out. Burnt the blade, and then cut me up. Told me to remember his name.”

Sherman gave me a wicked grin. “I did and gave that name to Benny. That crazy man took me with him. I wasn’t even ten years old. The shit I saw that night changed me forever. Benny used an ice pick and he put so many holes into that pig’s neck, the shit looked like Swiss cheese.”

I rubbed my face. Since I’d been learning about Benny, I couldn’t get the grime and blood off of my skin. Even though no one could see the muck, the guilt, it clung to my flesh. Benny’s evil spilled over me, whether I yearned for it or not.

“Benny killing this Lucy, that made sense. He’s like that. Loves Jazz just as much me. But Mom helping him—that made me uneasy. I left it alone.”

“But you sat outside of my house.”

“Something was off. Benny dropped that girl’s body at a party. Your party, sure. But Jazz was there. My family got one rule, keep that shit away from Jazz. Girls don’t need to be involved in this shit. Sure I fucked with chicks in the game, but they was born in the game. Jazz was never meant to be around no dead bodies. Jazz was made for books and rich white boys that could protect her more than me. Jazz was supposed to be free and get us all on the legit path.”

Am I that drunk or is he talking circles around me?

I stopped his rant. “So you watched her?”

“Yes.”

“And your mother’s involvement has you worried?”

“It doesn’t make sense. She took you to Benny’s penthouse, didn’t she?”

I didn’t know if I could trust him or not, but I understood that I didn’t have any other options.

They’re all liars. They’re all looking out for themselves. But somebody’s telling the truth, and someone’s going to die because of it. Who?

“Mom helping Benny. That makes sense. Now Mom helping you? I don’t get it.”

“I give her money.”

Sherman chuckled. “We all give her money, partner. She got deep pockets. Everyone stuffing them. You better believe that.”

“Maybe she’s pissed at Benny for taking Jasmine.”

“How did she know that Benny would take her so soon? She got there right as Benny left. I’m not sure if she saw the car or not, but I feel like she would’ve.”

I studied the man some more. “Why are you telling me this?”

“It’s for Jazz and Troy. Some shit is going down, and Jazz is right in the center. She’s not made for this life. I don’t want her around it. And Troy doesn’t need to go back to jail. He’s not made for life behind bars.”

“I agree on both counts, but I don’t believe you.”

“Look, man. I didn’t go to jail and do the shit that I did so that she could be running for her life. When I was in prison, Jazz kept my girls in school. They smart as hell. She tutored them, got them reading five to six books a week, when I can barely read the titles. My girls going to be just like her, and that’s some good shit. Jazz even got your white ass putting my babies on another level, got them in that white school making friendships with rich kids.”

Quiet ran between us as I considered everything he’d said.

“Tick tock, Mr. Stone.” Sherman dangled the handcuffs.

“What do you want from me?”

“Tell your man to let me go.”

“And where are you going?” I asked.

“I’m still doing my thing in the background.”

“And what is that exactly?”

“Seeing how deep the rabbit hole goes.”

“How is that going to help me?”

“I want Jazz back to you, as much as you want it. Jazz with Benny is not a good thing.”

“Troy is with him, too. At least that’s my understanding.”

The line on his jaw twitched. “Is that right?”

“Yes.”

“Where are they?” Sherman asked.

“That’s why I’m working with your mother, trying to figure it out.”

Sherman shook his head. “You’re in over your head. Mom and Benny. I wouldn’t want to go against either one of them. You need friends.”

“And you’re mine?”

“I’m Jazz’s brother. My goal is to get her back to where she want to be. If it’s with you, then that’s what will happen.”

“How do I know if I can trust you?”

“You can’t. The only people I’m loyal to is my family, and you’re not family. But Jazz is, so our goals are on the same road. We ride together for now, after that, fuck it.”

The whole situation spun around and around worse than a high category hurricane. In one second the winds took me east. Now the winds twirled me around in another direction. All I knew for sure was that Jasmine had a family that was more twisted than mine.

No wonder we get along so well. We’ve both lived with monsters.

I turned to my guard. “Call up some men. Have them take Sherman off into a car. Keep the handcuffs on him and make sure no one sees him leave. There has to be a back entrance or something.”

“I know the way,” Sherman said. “But I need these handcuffs off.”

Ignoring him, I turned around and got ready to exit the stairwell. “Keep them on. I don’t trust him yet.”

“You don’t trust me, huh?” Sherman laughed. “Well, trust this, if anybody should be in handcuffs, it should be Mom. Only problem with that is, I’ll cut you up over that shit. So all I can say is be careful.”

“I’ll take that advice.” I saluted him as the stairwell door closed.

Tesoro, what’s going on? Why do they want us dead and apart so bad?

C
HAPTER
12

Jasmine

A
t
the four person table, Benny sat across from Troy. I groaned, realizing that either way I would have to sit next to his psycho behind.

Benny gestured to our plates. “Are you ready?”

I glanced at mine. “Is this the Chelsea bun thing you were talking about?”

“Oh yes. Prepare for an explosion of flavor in your mouth.”

The square pastry took up a good bit of the plate. Currants and sticky goodness formed a maze within the square. A sweet fragrance rose in the air.

I sat down and checked everyone else’s plates. Vivian and Troy had different items. Troy stuffed long strips of bacon into his mouth, chopping it every inch that went between his teeth like a beaver. With a spoon Vivian drew little swirls into her bowl of bananas and granola.

“You both aren’t going to try the buns?” I asked.

Troy spoke between meaty bites, “I don’t like raisins.”

“They’re not raisins. They’re currants.”

“They’re raisins.”

“Oh whatever.”

I turned to Vivian. “And what about you?”

Silent, Vivian frowned.

“Don’t waste your time.” Benny waved them both away. “They still haven’t warmed to the idea of family time.”

“Imagine that,” I muttered. Vivian looked up at me, her bottom lip shaking as if she held in a smart response to Benny’s declaration of family time.

I picked up the bun. Warmth and a mixture of melted butter and brown sugar stuck to my fingertips. “It smells good.”

A chubby woman waddled over to us and carried a large tray of more buns. “And how are we doing? I’m Louellen. Everyone calls me Lou.”

She held no British accent, which surprised me.

“Nice to meet you, Lou.” I took a bite of the bun and shuddered. Everything hit me at once—lemon and cinnamon, currants swimming in brown sugary goodness. A flaky texture lined the outside. On the inside, soft dough stuck to my teeth as I chewed. “Mmm.”

“I told you that you’d love it.” Benny dove into his own bun. Troy rolled his eyes.

Without asking Benny, Lou plopped another big bun on his plate. “I, myself, love to glaze a good bun with cherries. But, Big Ben asked for traditional ones.”

I swallowed. “Big Ben?”

“Her nickname for me.” Benny looked like he was going to say something else, but paused as his phone rang. “Just a minute.”

Troy continued his assault of the bacon and then shifted to destroying his eggs. Vivian just returned to drawing images in her cereal bowl. I took another chomp of the bun.

“I can’t believe you two can still eat,” Vivian mumbled.

Benny placed the phone to his ear. “Hello?”

And then things changed.

“What do you mean?” Benny dropped the bun. It fell to the plate’s center and then rolled off the edge. “What. The fuck. Do you mean?!”

Please don’t let it deal with Chase. Please, God, don’t let it be about him.

“How the hell did he know where that was?” Benny’s voice scraped against my skin. “Oh really?”

I did my best to pretend that I didn’t have my ear locked onto his every word. Granted, it made no sense to act that way, being that he was screaming into the phone.

Benny grabbed the knife next to his plate. “Both of them together? When was this?”

Before I could strain to hear what the person on the line could’ve been saying, Benny raised the knife in the air and struck his plate hard. The porcelain cracked in the middle. White hard pieces cut into his discarded bun.

Troy paused from eating, his fork in mid-air, cheesy eggs spilling off the edge.

My appetite disappeared. Every cell in my body screamed scoot over and get closer to Troy. But all I could do was hold the bun in the front of me like an idiot.

And then Benny rose from his chair and glared at us. “I’ll be busy today.”

What the hell does that mean?

“Carry on without me.” He slung his napkin on the table, not even explaining the mess he’d made. Lou scurried away with her tray of buns.

“Who was that?” I asked.

Benny didn’t look at me. “No one.”

“Had to be somebody,” I said, “if you had a freaking temper tantrum at the breakfast table.”

The old woman returned with a small trash can and large towel.

Benny stared down at the mess as if he’d had no idea he’d done it. “Sometimes I let my temper get the best of me.”

“Who called?” I asked.

“This doesn’t concern you.”

“Are you sure about that?”

He asked between clenched teeth, “Would it matter?”

I didn’t have a response.

“Why are you asking, Jasmine?” Benny asked. “Have you been calling anyone?”

I touched my chest. “What? I don’t even have a phone. And why are you acting suspicious with me, when someone else called you?”

Benny studied Troy and Vivian. “Anyone else been on the phone lately?”

They didn’t answer.

“Doesn’t matter.” Benny chuckled out of nowhere. How he was able to emit that noise through a frown, I would never understand. “So, Jasmine, you asked what that phone call was about. Nothing too serious. Just some bad news.”