Chapter Seventeen
Ramsey paced the floor as he and Keilah waited for Michael to arrive.
“He's late.”
“No, he's not,” she responded as she went over various reports on her laptop. “He said he would be here. He'll be here.”
“Am I the only one upset about this?”
She looked up at him and said, “No, but you're the only one who's going to have a stroke over it.”
Ramsey sat down behind his desk and exhaled. “I'm telling you now, if he says one thing to piss me off, I'm going to be on his ass quicker than lightning.”
Keilah closed the lid of her laptop and said, “No, you're not. He was really surprised by this, and I think we need to hear him out before drawing any conclusions.”
Just as Ramsey opened his mouth to speak, the receptionist called to alert them to their guest's arrival. Ramsey hung up the telephone, then hurried down the hallway to meet Michael. When Michael glimpsed Ramsey's face, he could see the stress, but he held out his hand, anyway, to greet him.
“Hello, Ramsey. I'm sorry we have to meet under these circumstances.”
Ramsey frowned. “So am I. Therefore, you have to understand why I don't want to shake your hand. What I really want to do is throw your ass through the wall for causing us all the drama. I'm still pissed over the things you did to Keilah, but since she's forgiven you, I'm trying to exercise restraint.”
“I understand,” Michael replied. “And I don't blame you. However, I hope at some point you'll learn to forgive me too.”
Ramsey motioned for him to follow him down the hallway. “Keilah's waiting in my office.”
Michael followed Ramsey down the hallway to his office. After greeting Keilah, he took a seat while Ramsey instructed his assistant to hold all calls. Ramsey closed the door, sat down at his desk, and immediately started drilling him about the journalist. Keilah put her hands up to interrupt him.
“Wait a second, baby. Let me do this. You're way too emotional.”
Michael crossed his leg over his knee and said, “It's okay, Keilah, I understand why Ramsey's so upset. I would be, too, if I was in his shoes.”
“You don't know the half of it, Michael,” she replied. “Listen, all we want to know is why that journalist would show up with all these questions about our relationship. He knew a lot of intimate details about us, especially about me catching you in bed with that man. Who have you been talking to, Michael?”
With a scowl on his face, Michael answered, “I haven't been talking to anyone. I don't discuss my personal business with anyone.”
“Then why did you warn me about investigators?” Keilah asked.
“I don't know where this is coming from. I was warning you about the
possibility
of military investigators approaching you.”
“Why would military investigators want to talk to Keilah?” Ramsey asked.
“Because I've filed sexual abuse charges against the commander of my military academy for molesting me when I was fourteen,” Michael revealed, his face in his hands.
Keilah and Ramsey were both stunned. They had no idea Michael had suffered through such a horrible ordeal. While no one deserved to be taken advantage of, especially a child, they were still upset that they could be dragged into all his drama.
“I'm sorry that happened to you, Michael, but why now?” Keilah asked.
Michael looked into her eyes and said, “While I was being held hostage in Iraq, I had a lot of time to think about my life. That man is the source of my troubled relationships and the main reason I've been so confused about my sexuality, and I want my life back, so I started at the source.”
“That still doesn't explain why military investigators will come here,” Ramsey pointed out.
“And they probably won't,” Michael explained. “I only mentioned it so you and Keilah would be prepared just in case they did show up. Listen, this lieutenant colonel is going to do anything to fight for his reputation, and he'll try to discredit me because his career is at stake. Investigators from the academy might want to talk to anyone I've been involved with. The strange thing is that I had just finished up my deposition when you called me the other day. The investigation is in the beginning stages, so I don't believe that journalist is related to my complaint at the academy.”
“Then who could've sent a journalist here?” Keilah asked as she handed Michael the business card the journalist had left with them.
Michael read the card and shook his head. “I don't have a clue. Since I've come back from Iraq, I've been approached by a lot of reporters wanting to write a story about my ordeal, but I declined. It was hell over there, and it's not something I'm ready to talk about.”
Ramsey nodded. “I understand that Michael, but there's only four people who knew about Keilah catching you in bed with that guy, and three of us are sitting here. What about your boyfriend?”
Michael chuckled and said, “I don't have a boyfriend. That lifestyle is behind me now.”
“He wasn't there when I shot you,” Keilah added. “Did you tell him about it?”
Michael shrugged. “So much has happened since then. I really don't remember.”
Ramsey leaned back in his chair and said, “I don't care who he is or where he came from. I'm not going to allow him or you to pull my wife into any of this mess that you created, so you need to do whatever it takes to get rid of him and make sure no military investigators approach us, because if they do, it's not going to be a pleasant situation for you.”
Michael stood and said, “I understand, Ramsey. I'm so sorry for all of this, and I'll do what I can to get to the bottom of this. Again, I only told you about the military investigator as a precaution. It's not a sure thing. But the story will probably hit the news. The lieutenant colonel is highly decorated and respected, but that's how he's been able to gain power over young boys.”
“That's sad, Michael, and I appreciate your warning us,” Keilah said as she tenderly touched his arm to console him. “I hope everything works out for you.”
“I'm sure it will. One way or the other,” Michael answered as he reached for the door. Before exiting, he turned his attention to Ramsey, who was also standing. “Ramsey, for what it's worth, I would never allow Keilah to be embarrassed or disrespected if I can help it.”
“I'm going to hold you to that. In the meantime I have a friend looking into this journalist's background and his credentials. If I have to slap him with a slander lawsuit, I will.”
“Sounds good,” Michael said as he opened the door. “If there's nothing else we need to discuss, I'll get out of your way.”
Ramsey slid his hands in his pockets and said, “No, that's it for now.”
“I'll keep you informed of any progress I make,” Michael replied.
“I'll walk you out,” Keilah said as they exited the room together.
Remaining in the office, Ramsey picked up the telephone and called Kyle. On the third ring he answered.
“Ramsey, I'm glad you called. I have some information for you.”
“Good,” Ramsey answered as he sat down and leaned back in his chair. “I want to know everything you found out on that journalist.”
“Cool,” Kyle replied. “Do you want to meet for lunch and go over it?”
Ramsey twirled around in his chair and said, “I wish I could, but my schedule's tight today. Fax it over so I can see what you got.”
“I can do that, but don't get into any trouble. This dude has a scandalous reputation in the industry,” Kyle revealed. “I'm surprised he's working for a reputable newspaper.”
“All they want is the latest scandal to sell papers and make money,” Ramsey answered. “If he comes anywhere near here again, I'm going to end his career and maybe his life.”
“I hear you, bro. Oh, there will be two reports. Mine and one Neil was able to get.”
“Great. I'll have to shoot him a text and thank him.”
“Cool,” Kyle replied. “Let me know if you need anything else.”
Ramsey hung up the telephone just as Keilah returned to the office. She sat down and said, “That was interesting and sad. I hope Michael can get his life together.”
“Forget him. My only concern is protecting my family. I say Michael gets everything he deserves.”
She stood and walked toward the door without responding. She put her hand on the doorknob, but instead of leaving, she turned back to her husband and said, “You know, I love you and I love the fact that you want to protect me from all this drama, but what happened between me and Michael was almost two years ago. He deserves forgiveness, and he deserves the opportunity to turn his life around. If you keep holding on to this grudge, it's going to eat away at you. He said he would get to the bottom of it, and I believe him. I forgave Michael for what he tried to do to me. I just hope you can find it in your heart to forgive him too.”
Without waiting for a response, she closed the door behind her, leaving Ramsey to think about her statement. He knew she was right, but it wasn't easy for him to forgive a man who had put his wife's life at risk and had betrayed her in a way that he thought was unforgivable.
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Across town, Michael pulled up to the complex of newly built town houses. He shut off the engine and made his way up to the front door of number 742. He braced himself against the door frame and rang the doorbell. As soon as the door opened, he grabbed Kevin by the throat and shoved him back inside the house and onto the floor. Kevin dropped the bottle of Heineken he was drinking, causing it to shatter on his hardwood floor
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Kevin yelled as he tried to pull himself off the floor.
Michael walked over to him and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him off the floor. He slammed him against the wall and said, “You know exactly why I'm here, you son of a bitch! You've gone too far with this fantasy of yours.”
“Come on, Mike. You don't have to do this. You know how I feel about you. I would neverâ”
Michael tightened his grip on Kevin's throat, interrupting him. “Shut the hell up! I know you spray painted my driveway! I should have your ass arrested.”
Kevin had never seen Michael as enraged as he was right now. His eyes were red, and he could see the veins in his neck.
“Get your damn hands off me!”
Michael loosened his grip briefly and said, “If you come near my house again, I'm going to blow a hole in your ass.”
“I don't know what you're talking about,” Kevin gasped.
Michael tightened his grip again on Kevin's throat. Through gritted teeth he said, “I'm going to tell you this one time and one time only. If you don't back off, and I mean right now, I will kill you. Do you understand?”
“You are a fake bitch, so yeah, I spray painted your driveway. I don't know who that whore was, but she's not your type,” Kevin whispered, straining for a breath.
Kevin's eyes were now watering, and he was beginning to get lightheaded. Michael's military training had taught him how to kill with his bare hands, and he knew just how far to go before taking a life. He was angry and he wanted Kevin to know what being close to death felt like before he released him, causing him to fall to the floor. As he lay on the floor, gasping for air, Michael leaned over him and smacked his face a couple of times.
“Hurry up and catch your damn breath, because I know you've been talking to a reporter about my relationship with Keilah, so this is what you're going to do. You're going call him and tell him to kill the story. Are you listening to me?”
Kevin continued to gasp for air, and when he looked up, Michael's finger was pointed directly in his face. He still hadn't admitted to being involved with the reporter, but now he was afraid that if he tried to deny it, Michael just might kill him for real.
Michael looked around the room and spotted a cell phone sitting on an end table. He looked at his watch and then tossed the cell over to Kevin. “You have thirty seconds to get your ass on the phone.”
Kevin stood up, picked up a bottle of beer he had on the table, and gulped it down. His throat was raw and swollen, and the coolness of the beer soothed it momentarily.
“Call him, now! I don't have all day!” Michael yelled.
Kevin slowly touched a series of buttons on the phone.
Clearly agitated, Michael sat down and said, “Put it on speaker. I want to hear everything.”
Kevin pushed the speaker button and drank more beer as he waited for the person to answer. Luckily, it didn't take long.
“Kevin, I'm glad you called. You must be psychic or something. Listen, I was just getting ready to call you. You were right. This story is going to win me all kinds of awards... .”