Turned Out Saga (39 page)

“What are you doing here? Get out, I don't want you here.”

Alexis glanced from one to the other. “What the hell is going on?”

Gavin had no idea and he told her this. He then looked at Shay. “I don't know you, sweetie. How do you know me?”

Shay was almost in hysterics. “You don't know your own flesh and blood. I'm Shay, Cassandra's daughter.”

Gavin looked like he was about to fall out.

Alexis asked, “Who's Cassandra?”

“Cassandra is my sister,” he told Alexis while staring at Shay. “And that means you're my niece. You're little Shameka?”

Gavin was in shock. Alexis was sitting on the edge of the bed with her mouth wide open. “Are you serious?”

Shay started to cry. “Yes, we're serious.”

Gavin didn't know what to say. All he could do was stand there and stare at Shay, while he repeated, “I don't believe this. I can't believe you're little Shay.”

Shay allowed the tears to fall down her cheeks. “What happened to you? You promised me that that you would always be there for me, but just like everyone else you weren't.”

Alexis looked at Gavin. She too was waiting on an answer because he wasn't saying anything. He was just standing there staring. Alexis nudged him.

Gavin stepped closer to the bed. “I can't believe this. I am so sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am. I did tell you that and I meant it. But I got locked up for four years and when I got out I came looking for you and your mother.”

“Obviously you didn't look hard enough.”

Alexis didn't feel the need to interfere. Shay seemed to be handling this situation well enough.

“Yes,” Gavin answered, “I have to admit I didn't look hard enough. I got so caught up in my own life that I neglected those I love. I know it's selfish and I swear to you I am so sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am.”

Shay didn't say anything.

Gavin continued. “I should have been there for you. I will be there for you from this point on. You can come stay with me. I'll take care of you.”

Gavin's apology was so sincere that Shay, Alexis, and the nurse who was standing at the door were all crying.

Shay looked away and Gavin placed a finger under her chin and turned her face toward him. “Please, just give me a chance.”

Alexis interrupted. “Shay, I believe that your uncle means what he is saying. For the short time I have known him he has been a stand-up guy. I think you should think about forgiving him. There is nothing like family.”

Shay was stubborn but she wanted to be loved more than anything in the world.

She placed her left hand in her Uncle Gavin's. “I hated the thought of you for so long. I'm scared to trust you. I always believed that no matter what, you would come rescue me, but you never came.”

“I'm here now,” Gavin told her. “Let me show you what it's like to be part of a family.”

There was something nagging at Alexis and suddenly she realized what it was. “How come Maya never said anything?”

Shay looked at Alexis. “Who's that?”

“Ms. McMillan,” Alexis told her.

Shay looked puzzled. “Why would she say anything?”

“She's my half sister,” Gavin told them both. He then addressed Alexis. “We have the same father, but not the same mother. My father was a rolling stone as they say. Shay's mother has the same father as well but as kids we didn't associate. There's just too many of us.”

Alexis was blown away.

“Princess, please let me be there for you,” Gavin said to Shay.

When he called her Princess, Shay melted. That was the nickname he gave her before her mother started wilding out.

Without any assistance and what surely must have been painful, Shay sat up and held her arms out. Alexis got up off the bed and allowed them to hug one another.

“I'm going to leave you two alone for a little while. Shay, do you need anything?”

“Just some clothes, a toothbrush, a book or two–”

Alexis cut her off. “Hold up, hold up. I don't have my car. I came with your uncle.”

When she said uncle, they both smiled. Gavin took his keys out of his pocket and handed them to Alexis. “Here, take my car and get what you need. I'm going to stay here a while.” He looked at Shay. “If it's okay with you?”

Shay nodded.

“Are you sure Gavin?” She knew men didn't give up their cars that easily.

“I'm sure. I want some time alone with my niece.”

“I'll be back sweetie,” Alexis told Shay. “When I return, we need to talk about what you're going to tell the police.”

“I'm not telling them anything.”

Alexis didn't respond. She'd deal with it when she returned.

* * *

The second she was gone, Gavin asked, “Who did this to you? I promise that he will not hurt you again.”

Shay, remembering that her uncle was always thought of as the bad seed or a thug knew that his words were true. But she also knew Shamel and she knew his ass was crazy. “I don't want to start any trouble. Can't we just leave it be?”

Gavin shook his head. “I can't do that. Whoever did this to you needs their ass kicked.”

Shay turned her head.

“Either you tell me or I will find out another way.”

Shay wanted to tell but she was scared. She wanted Shamel to get his ass kicked, but she didn't want Gavin to get hurt. Hell, she'd just gotten him back. He'd just reentered her life.

She turned back toward Gavin. “I don't want you to get hurt.”

Gavin laughed at this. “Baby, I'm not the one that's going to get hurt. You best believe that.”

Shay wanted to believe that. She didn't want her uncle hurt. Still, after what Shamel did to her, she did want him to pay. As a matter-of-fact, she wanted him to pay with his life. Although she felt this way, she found herself speaking in a low tone.

“I didn't hear you,” Gavin told her.

She said the name again. This time Gavin had to put his ear near her mouth. She repeated the name in a low tone. “His name is Shamel, Shamel Walker.”

Gavin knew he'd heard that name before. He tried to place it.

Shay continued. “He owns the strip club on Waters Street.”

Oh, yeah, I know that motherfucker,
Gavin thought to himself. He'd run into him a couple of times in the past, drug dealings, of course. “I'll be right back,” Gavin told her.

“Where are you going?”

“In the hall to make a phone call.”

Shay wasn't stupid. She knew just what kind of call he would be making. She just hoped he knew what he was doing.

* * *

Alexis was heading toward the parking lot. In her mind she was making a list of the items Shay needed when she noticed a note on Gavin's windshield. She looked around to see if she saw anyone hanging in the area. There was no one there. She looked back at the note and noticed her name on it. She took the note off the windshield and read it. It said,
Choose.

Alexis turned the paper over in her hands, expecting to see more and wondering what the hell that meant. Panic started setting in because someone was fucking with her emotions, playing on her fears and she had no idea who.

She opened the car door and was about to shut it when she heard someone calling her name.

“Alexis! Alexis, hold up!”

She looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Finn. He'd left a couple of messages earlier that week telling her whenever she was ready he'd get her car fixed.

She waited until he was up on her. “Finn? Hey. I'm sorry, but I don't have time to talk. I have some things I need to do.”

“It won't take long. I just wanted to tell you I'm still waiting to hear from you.”

At the rate things were going, she doubted she would have the opportunity to call him at all. She looked around the parking lot again.

He followed her gaze. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. Listen, did you see anyone put something on this car?”

“Nah. I saw you walking so I hurried up and parked to catch up to you.”

“Oh, okay. Listen I have to go.”

“You still have my number right?”

She was sure she did. “Yes.”

“Call me. Let's get that car fixed.”

“I'll do that.” Alexis closed her door, started the engine, and left him standing there watching her, while she wondered who was at the hospital he knew.

It was then she heard her phone beep. There was a message. It must not have been able to connect while she was in the hospital. She reached over and pulled her cell out of her purse and pressed the button to connect to voice mail.

It was Shamel. “I'd like to see you tonight. I have something I want to ask you.”

She hung up and told herself she'd call him either later if she got the chance or tomorrow.

While she had the phone in her hand, she tried to call Thomas. Again, there was no answer.

“Thomas, please call me. I need to see or talk to you.” Damn, did she seem desperate already? She hoped not.

Thomas wasn't with another woman. He was wrapping up a meeting with his attorney. The charges had been dropped because there was no evidence that he ordered the girls to the house. Several people also came forward to say that he wasn't even around when they arrived.

Now, what he needed to find out was who the hell sent them and who the hell fucked up his car. He also needed to go and confront Shondell about this baby situation.

Thomas reached inside his glove compartment for his cell phone. It wasn't there.
Shit, where did I leave it?
He tried to retrace his steps in his mind.

Did he have it when he left the house? He believed so. Did he have it at the attorney's office? He wasn't sure.

He did remember calling Zyair as he was walking out the door.

Thomas turned the car around and headed back to his attorney's.
It has to be there.
Good thing he was only a couple of blocks away because when he pulled up, the attorney was walking out of the building.

“What's up? You're back?”

“Yeah, I think I left my cell phone in your office. Is your receptionist still there?”

“Yeah, just tell her to go in my office and look around.”

“All right, thanks man.”

A few minutes later Thomas was getting back in his car with his cell phone. He'd just heard Alexis' message and tried calling her back but his phone died.

“This is some bullshit!” he yelled out loud.
I'll call her after I leave Shondell's house.

Thomas made the decision to just go straight to Shondell's house. He hoped she still lived in the same place. He would call her, but he deleted the number out of his phone and erased it from his memory purposely. Also, the way he figured, if he confronted her face-to-face, he'd be able to read her.
If she is pregnant, why would she tell Alexis and not tell me? Does she know what Alexis means to me?

Before he knew it, he was in front of Shondell's door about to knock when it opened.

It was Victoria.

“Mr. Thomas? What are you doing here?”

“I came to see your mother.”

Victoria looked behind her and stepped out into the hallway. “I don't think that's a very good idea.”

“I need to speak with her, Victoria.”

Victoria placed her hands on her hips. “About what? You broke up with her remember.”

“Is your mother pregnant?”

Victoria grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the door. “Where'd you hear that?”

“It's not important. Is it true?”

“I think so.”

“Did she tell you I'm the father?”

Victoria honestly didn't know who the father could be. She knew her mother slept around quite a bit, but she also knew her mother was obsessed with Thomas. As she stood there she thought about how they could have a better life if the baby was his, so she told him, “Yes, she told me you were the father.”

Thomas didn't know what to say.
This shit could not be happening, not right now.
“I need to speak to her.”

“She's sleep right now. Can you come back another time?”

Thomas didn't want to come back another time. He wanted to settle this now, but then again, he knew he needed to calm down. Too much shit had been happening and right now he was operating off pure emotion. Plus, he needed to call around and find out how soon he could take a paternity test. He wanted to get this taken care of as soon as possible.

“Tell your mother I'll be by in the next few days.”

Victoria watched him walk away before going back inside the house.

His next stop was to the detective he'd hired to investigate who was fucking with him, but first he needed to call Alexis again. He looked at his cell phone which he'd placed on the charger and saw there were a couple of bars on it.

He dialed her number and once again her voice mail came on.
Where is she? She left me a message saying she needed to speak with me then why isn't she answering her damn phone?

Less than ten minutes later Thomas was sitting in Mike Jones' office. Mike came highly recommended by several of his clients. He was told if there was some dirt, if some shit was going down, about to go down or someone was out to get you, Mike Jones, was the man with the plan. Thomas hoped so because he didn't come cheap.

Thomas was sitting in front of him. “Please tell me that you found out something regarding all these so-called coincidences that are occurring in my life.

Mr. Jones leaned back in his seat. “I think you're going to be very happy with what I uncovered for you.”

“Well, spit it out.” Thomas wanted this information so he could do what he had to do and if that meant fuck someone up, well, so be it. He was tired of this bullshit. Here he was, trying to live his life right and someone was trying to throw him all off track.

“Does the name Shamel Walker mean anything to you?”

Thomas repeated the name several times in his mind. “It rings a bell but I can't place it.”

“He's the owner of several strip clubs and bars in the area.”

Thomas looked at him and waited for more.

Mike pulled opened a folder that was on his desk. Inside were pictures.

Mike handed the pictures to Thomas. “Isn't that your lady friend?”

Thomas' first thought was,
There is no way he's talking about Alexis. How would he even know about me and Alexis? But then again, let his clients tell it, Mike Jones knows everything about a client before he takes them on.

Thomas took the pictures and there it was in color, pictures of Shamel and Alexis.

Thomas stared at the picture. It hit him all at once.
This is the motherfucker me and Alexis kept running into. Don't tell me she's seeing this asshole. I can't believe this shit.

Thomas looked up at Mike. Just as he is about to say something Mike's phone rang.

He looked at the ID. “Excuse me,” he told Thomas, “I have to take this.”

Thomas didn't say a word. He watched as Mike listened to whoever was talking on the other end.

Whatever that person was saying caused Mike to look up at Thomas in alarm. He placed his hand over the mouthpiece. “This is my associate. According to him, Shamel is on Alexis' porch.”

Thomas jumped up out of his seat and was out the door before Mike could stop him.