Rising (5 page)

“I ain’t broke nothing. Bruised, probably, but that’s about it. He’s lucky my cousin ain’t here. Now he makes beating somebody’s ass fun.” Riley ambled down the steps. “You coming?”

“I thought you didn’t like blacks.” She darted her gaze between the two men. Trenton had lost his damn mind, and a man who professed to hate her race helped her…again.

“I like you. I don’t care much for most races, including my own sometimes, but it’s easier to get along with them.” He shrugged. “I take back what I said. You should probably stay away from most men.”

“You sucker-punched Trenton.” Someone coming to her defense sent a shiver of excitement skittering along her nerves. She lifted her chin. “Why? He can report you to the police.”

“I doubt it. His memory will probably be fuzzy at best, and if it ain’t, then I’ll deal with it if need be. Can we have this talk on the way to your vehicle?” A rueful smile appeared and disappeared just as quickly. “Didn’t you say you had to get back to work?”

“No.” She narrowed her eyes. Panic took root. “Have you been following me?”

“Fuck, no. Hell, never mind.” Riley trotted back up the stairs to the glass doors she exited. “Stick around and wait for Buckwheat to come to.” He entered the building.

She hung her head. She couldn’t follow Riley into the building. He knocked a man out with two punches—technically a knee and a fist, but still—was he waiting for her on the other side of the door? Trenton was behaving like he lost his damn mind.

Sticking around might not be too wise, either. Indecision riddled her; there was no happy medium. Guilt reared its ugly head as she tiptoed gingerly around the prone man. She’d call security from the safety of her car.

Savannah trotted down the steps and walked briskly toward the parking lot.

****

People were exiting the building in droves. Riley stopped by the security guard’s post as the old man started to lock down the entrance. Leaning against the booth, he watched as Savannah was dragged from the crowd and across the foyer through a side exit. He moved in that direction and stopped.

“Leave them idiots to handle they own business.” Pops, the guard, glowered in the direction he’d been peering. “Shit ain’t been the same since they got their black president. Now they think they’re our equals. I appreciate you giving me a ride. It’s getting harder to stomach sitting with ’em on the bus.”

“No problem, Pops. I was already here, a few minutes ain’t no time. I don’t remember that exit. Is there a camera on that door?” Riley turned to face the elderly man.

“Yeah, but it’s broke. Put a branch manager in control and money goes missing.” He powered off the metal detector.

“Ain’t heard that term in a long time. You old-timers certainly know how to be creative.” Riley chuckled. “Is there another way round to that side of the building?”

“That’s what they are. Monkeys like to hang out in branches, and I’m too old to be getting written up for the common terms the niggers know. It’s sad we had to come up with doublespeak to communicate with our own people.” The guard picked up a plastic bag. “Leave out the front, make a left, and follow the high bushes. The landing is concealed.”

“You need time to wrap up things. I’ll be back in ten minutes.” Riley rolled his head on his neck.

“Night guard clocks in in fifteen.”

“I’m just going to have a little fun. Where’s your faith?” He waggled his brows.

“Doing time for conspiracy to kill a few blackies makes you think again about what’s fun.” Riley gazed into sad eyes as the old guy’s mouth turned down. “They outnumber us three to one in the penal system, which makes time three times harder on us. Don’t get caught, son. Ain’t much I can do to help you.”

“We got a meeting to attend and I can’t be late for my own shit, now can I?” Riley squeezed the guard’s shoulder. “That motherfucker will never see me coming.” Riley exited the building with the last of the stragglers leaving and circled around.

He heard Savannah asked to be let go. When he peeked around the tall foliage, he witnessed her slam into a concrete pillar. She slid down a bit before catching herself.

The anger he’d tapped down in the clerk’s office resurfaced. He came up quietly behind her attacker and muttered a few words before planting a fist at the base of the bastard’s skull. Asshole dropped to his knees like a sack of rocks. The knee to his chin sent the fucker sprawling sideways, weak ass.

To his annoyance, she was unwilling to follow him when all he was trying to do was get her the hell out of there. She chose to stay with the idiot who hurt her. He stopped mid-step after striding away from her. Why was he trying to help a woman that obviously didn’t want it? He exhaled. She could ruin him. Riley looked back at the door; maybe she already had. He couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Her reaction shouldn’t have been a surprise. Whit wasn’t blood kin to those people in the apartment building, but they stuck by her like she’d been born with them. He was learning that some folks stuck together, no matter the situation.

Riley wiped a palm down his face. He would collect Pops and wait a few minutes to see if she left. Her distinctive lime-green convertible stood out in the sea of beige and silver cars.

“What’d you do with the pretty colored girl?” Pops lifted up his soft cooler and stuffed the plastic bag in it.

“Left her with the gimp.” Hopefully, she left him lying there.

“She could call the police.” The old man hefted up the bag over his shoulder. “Let’s get out of here. I’ll be your alibi.”

“I won’t need one. He didn’t see me and I don’t think she’ll tell.” They walked out the building. “What about the night man?

“He came in early, while you were—busy. I sent him to patrol the floors, told him I’d lock up behind me. Good white kid, but dumber than a doorknob when it comes to common sense.” Pops snorted. “As for the black girl, if she don’t tell on you, that will be a first. Them kind protect their own.”

They walked to the curb. A little green convertible came shooting past the stop sign. Riley wiped a hand down his mouth to hide his smile. Sweetness found her way to her car.

“That’s another thing; damn animals can’t drive worth a damn.” Pops grumbled.

“You’re on a roll, you old goat.” He stared down the lane and watched her fading taillights. Mobile wasn’t a major city like the ones up north, but it was large enough that he shouldn’t keep running into the same woman at every turn. He crossed the street. He was probably reading something into nothing.

“To hell with you.” Pops hobbled to keep up with Riley. “I hear Isaac is calling for a meeting with you. When you plan on going?”

“Not yet.” He would make the old bastard come begging for a meeting. “I’m higher in my position with the Aryans. He is only the equivalent of a Kleagle in the Den. There is no need to lower myself.”

“Isaac is a Grand Monk now, voted in by the ghouls. Or he would be, if we still used titles.”

He disengaged the locks as he moved to the driver’s side. Riley opened the door and climbed into his truck, then waited for Pops to do the same. “When did that happen? I didn’t know the Klan held their elections.”

“He’s in line to become the Grand Cylops. How will you deny him a meeting then?” Pops cocked a busy brow. “It doesn’t matter. Only we old-timers prefer to use titles. These new members like to keep it simple to encourage young people to join. Times, they are changing. Some of the recruiting bullshit they come up with. The Grand Imperial Wizard is surely turning over in his graves. Everyone is either a Page, a Squire, or a Knight depending on their membership. Where the hell is the originality?”

“I’m not old.” Riley started the heavy-duty truck. “I also have my own way of doing things.”

“True, but your Aunt Lizzie asked me to take you under my wing. As your mentor, I taught you the proper way to conduct yourself as a White Knight of the Invisible Empire. When you took off on your own, that knowledge paid off, am I right?”

Pops wrapped crooked arthritic fingers around Riley’s wrist. “Listen well to a man that has not only seen, but damn near done it all. I ain’t never seen Isaac’s brand of crazy and that’s saying something. He don’t think like you and me, so be careful when you tangle with him. He’s like a snake. You never know which way he’ll strike. Now take me over to the chicken place. I’m hungry and when you convene a meeting, you get longwinded.”

Chapter Five

“I think we covered everything.” Brad clutched the motions for an emergency hearing. “I’ll let Bobby Jack know the time and date of the hearing.” He rose. “I can wait for you, and we can lock up and leave together.” He moved toward the hallway.

“No, I have some documents to go over. You go ahead.” Savannah waved her hands in his direction.

“You’re sure?” He hesitated at the threshold of her office.

“I’ll be here another hour, maybe. Go. Didn’t you mention that you promised your wife dinner?”

Brad was a great co-worker but she wanted to be alone with her thoughts. The weekend had come and gone, and she hadn’t heard from Trenton. She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth.
Why would he, she let him get his ass whooped…

“Savannah?” Brad snapped his fingers.

She gazed up and pushed her reading glasses onto her hairline. “Sorry; I was miles away.”

“I could tell.” He laughed. “You worked hard, too. Get your things, and I’ll meet you at the front door. That way when I’m late, I’ll tell Angie it’s your fault.” He left the doorway.

“I don’t think she’ll believe you,” Savannah called out as she opened her side drawer and yanked out her purse. She turned off the desk lamp and stood.

Brad waited at the office entrance, his briefcase in hand. “Angie wants to have a small dinner party in a few weeks. You’re invited, of course; actually, you would be the guest of honor. We thought it would be nice to introduce you to some friends.”

“Oh.” They exited the building. “Thank you, that’s very kind.” Not exactly what she wanted, but how did she explain that if she was around too many strangers, it could trigger a panic attack.

She stopped mid-step. At the bar, she hadn’t had that problem, and she had been surrounded by hateful men. When Riley walked up next to her, not once did she feel threatened.
Huh.

“Savannah?” Brad touched her forearm.

“Sorry, something just occurred to me.”

They ambled down the sidewalk to the parking lot down the block. Bells tinkling floated from her slacks pocket, she slid out her phone. “Excuse me.” She offered her friend a wave before turning away to walk down the row toward her car.

A clear, beautiful evening, the sun was setting and a myriad of oranges and browns painted the horizon. A soft breeze caressed her face. The chimes continued. It was too beautiful out to have to deal with her family. She wanted to enjoy the peace. For the first time in her life, she was content.

The rings stopped and a bell notified her of a new voicemail. A soft sigh of relief blew through her lips. The cell began to buzz again. She stopped and lifted the phone, staring at the screen. Her sister wouldn’t stop until they talked.

The encroaching night reflected her inner feelings—a great day succumbing to the gloom of darkness. She tapped the screen.

“Yes, Charlotte.” Savannah tapped the key fob to disengage the locks. She placed her sister on speaker and started the car. The drone temporarily drowned out Charlotte’s nasal voice.

Her younger sister sniffled loudly. “Mommy and Daddy can’t afford my wedding, Savannah. Help me. Mom said she asked for your assistance and you declined. Why? If you ever needed anything from me, I would have gladly given it to you.” Her sister hiccupped.

Savannah was quiet for a long moment, wrangling in her annoyance. “Let me get this straight.” She paused before exhaling. “You see nothing wrong with asking me to pay—not help, but
pay
—for your wedding to Dwayne, my ex-fiancé? The man you cheated with for most of my relationship?”

“He was my boyfriend before he ever knew you existed. This is all Daddy’s fault.” She mumbled before speaking up. “No, I don’t see anything wrong with it, actually, it’s your duty as my big sister.” Charlotte raised her voice. “You owe this to me. You have no clue how hard it was watching the two of you and knowing the truth!”

“Pardon me? What the hell does that mean?” Savannah leaned back and stared out the windshield. Her family was all kinds of screwed up, but lately they were hitting new lows.

“Dwayne and I were dating before he met you. For some reason after he met you, he decided to break up with me. God knows what he saw in you at the time; anyway, who sticks up for you when Daddy starts one of his rants? I’m the only one who helped you when you were in the cotillion. Think about it.”

Smugness filled the earpiece as Charlotte continued. “Dwayne realized his mistake and returned to me. The only reason we took so long to tell you was because we didn’t want to hurt you. All’s fair in love and war, after all. No hard feelings.”

Savannah didn’t want to begin to decipher what really happened. This was her new start and she was free of the bullshit. It was beyond time to take ownership of her life. “Uh-huh. Charlotte, you have two choices. Push your wedding back until you can afford it, or ask Dwayne’s family to help pay for it.” She pressed the button to fold the convertible top back.

“The bride’s family pays for the wedding. You act like I’m asking for so much. It’s not like you don’t have the money. God, a couple of grand is a drop in the bucket compared to the statements Daddy showed me. What a waste. The money your father left you was meant to be used, not socked away for heaven-knows-what calamity you can dream up. Let loose of the funds a little and help me out.” Charlotte’s tone tuned chilly. “You’re just proving what everyone has always said—that you are jealous of me and what I have.”

“And what exactly is that?” Savannah chuckled. The conversation was becoming surreal.

“That you’re envious of me because I will always be the swan and you will always be the ugly duckling.”

“On that note I’m going to hang up now. Tell Della I said hello.” She ended the call. There was only so much vitriol she could absorb.

She had no idea that Travis Regis, her biological father, had left her a trust, let alone the amount of it. Della was executor and never bothered to tell her. It was only by accident when she was home from class early that she picked up the mail and realized there was a bank statement with her name on it from a bank she wasn’t familiar with. Opening that document changed her life. After a few inquiries, she contacted the lawyer that executed the will and learned her grandmother from her father’s side had reached out to her. Della had always told her no one wanted her and that her dad’s relatives were happy to be rid of them.

It was too late to contact the elderly woman who was her paternal grandmother, as she’d died a few years earlier. The surprise was she, too, had left Savannah an additional trust to be turned over to her on her thirty-fifth birthday. Savannah was the only child of an only child.

The funds her father left her were supposed to be released to her on her twenty-first birthday. Savannah snorted. That never happened. By the time she figured out what was going on there wasn’t much left in the fund, a few thousand dollars, according to the bank. Della and Ronald had lived off first the interest, then the actual monies, and they had lived large. The house in Buckhead, the matching luxury sedans, as well as the house staff, had all been paid for from her trust fund. What they hadn’t used, Ronald lost in the stock market.

She shook her head. When she graduated high school, she had a scholarship and what that didn’t cover, she busted her ass at menial jobs to make sure she had enough. Charlotte, a mediocre student at best, was handed her education, thanks to Savannah’s trust fund.

When she finally chose to move, anger ate up her calm as she threw her clothes into suitcases. Her stepfather snatched up the ones she’d filled, claiming everything in the house was paid for by him and her mother. He told her that she could leave with the clothes on her back. She could still hear Ronald screaming at her as she took the one suitcase he hadn’t opened to yank her clothes out, and left. She should have left sooner. That was nine long, painful years ago, she reminded herself. Since then she’d worked with a therapist, graduated from law school, and had become a productive, contributing, not completely broken individual.

Keep telling yourself that.

She put the car in gear and checked the clock. There was still time to pick up some Chinese food from the place she saw downtown.

Savannah drove into the light traffic. Street lights flashed on and the cool evening air whipped at her hair. What did Charlotte mean, it was all Ronald’s fault? She lifted her face into the night air. Thinking about what her family was doing would only make her as crazy as they were.

She drove past the restaurant. There was a package of ramen noodles in her pantry, and her sister’s call had rattled her calm. She needed to be alone to think.

Calling Della was not an option, but she needed to know what they were up to. She parked her car and grabbed her briefcase.
Stop worrying about people hundreds of miles away. They can’t do anything to you here.
She made sure the top was secured before exiting the vehicle and locking it as she walked toward the lobby. The elevator seemed slower than normal as she tapped her toe on the tile floor. Her mind kept going back to what Charlotte said.

Doors opened and she stepped back to allow two men out of the elevator. They hesitated, blocking her way. She glanced up at them.

“Excuse me, ma’am.” One guy stepped back.

“Sorry.” She lowered her gaze and eased past them. In the elevator, she pressed her floor.

The men hopped back in the cab before the door closed. Savannah shuffled back into the corner and drew her case in front of her. She swallowed and gazed up. They were looking at the panel.

“Sorry to bother you, ma’am; do you live on the ninth floor?”

She met one man’s stare. “Why?” She wasn’t going to be the meek girl anymore. New city, new life, brave new start.

“I’m Detective Daniels, this is Detective Lewis.” He pulled out his wallet and held up his badge before returning it in his pocket. “We are trying to locate a missing person. Do you know Savannah Regis?”

This couldn’t be good. Savannah smiled wide, the inviting, innocent smile she practiced in the mirror to impress juries. “I’m Savannah Regis. May I ask what this is about?”

The men exchanged confused expressions, shaking their heads and using slight hand signals, communicating without words. As a criminal attorney, she’d seen cops with longtime partners do that a few times before.

They arrived at her floor and Detective Lewis waved an arm for her to move ahead of him. She entered the hall and walked toward her place. Briefly, she glanced behind her.

Savannah slipped the key into her door and eased the barrier open. “Please come in.” She flicked on the light switch. Overhead lights illuminated the tiny foyer. She kicked off her heels, and set down her portfolio before turning to face the officers. “You didn’t answer my question. Why are you looking for me?”
If Trenton did something else stupid, she would hurt him.

“When Mr. Bishop reported his attack, he also reported your kidnapping, but we found no signs of a struggle at the scene.” Detective Daniels gazed at her with an unwavering stare.

“It’s obvious no one has touched me.” She touched her arm, thankful for the long-sleeved blouse that covered the bruises Trenton left when he grabbed her. “Is Trenton okay? We had an argument and I left him at the courthouse.” She was going to hell for lying.
Stop kidding yourself. You’ve been through hell—this is a cakewalk.

“What time did you leave?” Detective Lewis pulled out a small notebook.

“I filed some documents at the Clerk of Courts office, and that was close to closing. Everyone was leaving when I left.” She shrugged. “Aren’t there cameras at the courthouse? Was he attacked on the grounds? Wouldn’t you have video if he was?”

Detective Lewis shook his head. “Mr. Bishop says you and he had an altercation with a racist before he was hurt. He also said that you know the man in question.”

“Trenton was hurt?” She widened her eyes. “Is he okay? I ran into an associate. I’m new to the area so I haven’t formed any friendships, and the only person I know here is Trenton. Is he in the hospital? Which one?”

“Mr. Bishop is no longer under medical care, but he appeared concerned about your welfare when he reported the crime.” Detective Daniels answered. They were taking turns in their questions and responses to her.

“I’ll give him a call,” she muttered, then peered at both men, holding each gaze briefly. “Trenton must have things mixed up in his head. When I met him in the lobby, we had a brief heated discussion and I left through the side entrance and walked to my car.”

“What was the argument about?” Detective Lewis jotted down words she couldn’t make out.

She decided to be honest. “I really don’t know. While waiting for the clerk, I was talking to the gentleman I’d met off-chance a few days ago. Trenton moved between us and told him to leave me alone.” She held up her hands, palms side exposed. “I couldn’t tell you what came over him, it’s not like were dating. We are just friends.”

“And you didn’t see anyone lurking around when you left?” Detective Daniels inched closer, gazing past her shoulder.

“Is there anything else I can help you men with?” She padded to the door that wasn’t quite closed.

“No, thank you for your time.” Both guys nodded and strode toward the exit. Detective Lewis stopped at the threshold. “What was the name of your friend?”