Chapter 7

Sterling - Chapter 7

TJ loved dressing up. He'd had a tux in his closet since he'd been married, just waiting for a time or event to wear it. This one, he thought, was going to be one of his proudest moments. Only second to him marrying the love of his life. He fussed with his tie again, and then decided that he was handsome enough and went to the sitting area in their hotel room. His Christine was there waiting for him, and she looked beautiful.

"Well? Do you think that I look all right?" He asked her to turn for him. "Oh, TJ, I want this to be wonderful for him, and I'd hate to look bad."

"If you looked any better, my dear, we'd not be leaving this room until much later." She flushed. "We might not anyway. Come here and let me help you out of that beauty."

"You will not muss me, Trent James, or so help me, I'll knock your noodle off." She came to him anyway and smiled when he kissed her. "You look good yourself. I love that we're going to be going there in style, don't you?"

"Yes. Oh, my goodness. I nearly forgot." He ran back to his luggage and came back with a box for her. "I got this for you. I had an idea that you'd be as pretty as ever, but I wanted you to have a bangle to think of me when you're out and about."

He'd found the little antique store right across from the hotel where they were staying yesterday when they arrived. He'd had it in his head to look at prices of things, to see how they were faring on dressing up some of the items that they had for sale, but he'd glanced only for a second in the jewelry case and the bracelet had caught his eye.

The man had told him that it was from the thirties or before. He had no idea since he'd not been able to find a mark on it, but TJ had. It had been from the roaring twenties, and not only that, but the jeweler's mark was one that he'd seen on a great many pieces that came in little blue boxes. He told her what he'd been able to find out about the piece. He was almost as excited to tell her what he'd found as he was wrapping her up in the treasure.

"It was made for a man that wanted to give it to his mistress. His wife, from what I could find out, was suffering from depression and the man had to have her committed. According to the story that was online, she'd lost their baby about a year after they were married and she never recovered." Christine told him that was a sad story. "That part is, yes, but let me finish it. The mistress, a very beautiful woman, had given him all that she was. They couldn't marry, of course, not with his wife so ill, but he was happy. Then about a year or so after she moved in with him, she gave him a son."

"Oh, how lovely. And they lived happily ever after?" He told her they hadn't, but that wasn't the best part. "TJ, I don't know if you're aware of this, but this is not a good thing that you're telling me. It's depressing me as well."

"Let me finish. You'll love it at the end, I promise you. Anyway, they didn't have the best of time of it. She was demanding and shrill when she realized that he was never going to marry her. And that the money was all tied up in medical bills and other things. Then one night, in a fit of rage, she left him and the boy. This man, he was devastated, and when he went to see his wife the next time, he brought the boy and confessed all. She looked at him for the first time in four years and asked for the child." Christine frowned at him, so he hurried to the end of the tale. "She took one look at that child and declared him to be her son. She got better after that, looking forward to her son and husband coming to see her every day. Then after a few more weeks, she was able to go home to raise the little boy with her husband, who she loved dearly. Do you want to know who the man and child were?"

"Yes. And you'd better not be telling me a tale. You know that I can look it up as well." He promised her that it was the truth, as far as he could find. "Then who were they?"

"Devlin Sawyer and his son." He watched her face. He'd do anything to give her a smile and a laugh, but right now he wanted to know that she loved the story behind the gift. "Devlin passed away some years ago. But the son, he's still around, and I called him about it when I found the information about the bracelet. He told me that he'd sold it for his son to go to college. They'd run into hard times after his father had passed on, but his grandson, have you guessed who it is?"

"The doctor. Our doctor. Todd is his son." He nodded at her and was glad for her smile. "I'm betting that you offered to give it back to the man, didn't you?"

"I did, but he turned me down. Told me that I should give it to someone that I love as much as he did his family. I told him all about the love of my life, and he said that he'd be glad to know that someone was wearing it that would appreciate the work that had gone into it. He said that his dad hadn't taken it out of the box since the day that his biological mother had taken off. And when his wife passed away, he'd simply not wanted anything to do with it." TJ looked at it on her wrist and was glad for the way it fit her. "I made him a promise that day. He told me not to tell his grandson. It's better that he goes on thinking that his grandma is the woman that Devlin's son called Mom. He sure thought of her as his momma, he told me."

"What a wonderful gift, and a lovely story." She looked at the bracelet that had been custom made for the man. There were nine wolves, all in a line separated by diamonds. And the clasp was a paw that had a large sapphire in the middle of it. The blue of it matched the dress that Christine had on.

TJ was proud to have his family here with him for this. Sterl had gone through some rough times of late, and he was happy too that he'd found his mate. Marty was a stickler for things, all right, but she sure did keep Sterl on his toes. He was going to enjoy watching her come to her own.

As soon as they stepped off the elevator, he saw them. All his sons were tall, big men that worked and played hard. And he loved them more than he thought he could ever put into words. There were times that he'd regretted being immortal, but today, especially right now, he was happier than if he'd invented it all by himself. He was going to see so much and live so well through the grandchildren coming to these sons of his.

Trent was standing tall next to his lovely Joe. Elijah was holding Noelle's hand and rubbing her back. They were going to make them grandparents soon, and TJ was head over heels in love with that idea. Scott was as happy as he'd ever seen the boy. His bride was the chief of police and they were having a real set down, something his dad would say about getting things in order.

His dad and mom came to stand with them as they gathered around, and TJ realized then how much he loved his parents. He'd always known of course, but it was hitting him hard that he'd have them forever now. Hugging his dad, then his mom, he grabbed his dad again and told him how happy he was to be around now.

"I am too. I surely am. I never thought that I'd be prouder of them grandboys than when they called me Grandda for the first time. But here we are about to embark on a career that will make them shine. Yes, sirree. I'm about as glad as I've ever been that I'm still kicking."

Sterl was with Marty, and he had to blink twice when he saw what she was wearing. The girl looked like she'd been dressed in the finest of silks and knew just how pretty she looked. However, Sterl was a little pale, even stiff. He couldn't blame him, this was going to be a big deal for him.

Going to his son, he put out his hand and shook Sterl's. "This is going to put your name on charts like you've never seen." If possible, TJ thought his son paled a little more. "You're going to be just fine, son. You can count on it."

"Marty said the same thing. I'm sick over this." He could see that. Sterl had been through some rough times, but he was actually holding up better than he thought he'd be. "Dad, I think I'd like to go home now."

"Now you see here, I got myself all gussied up for this, and you're going to go too. Why, how you gonna hear them people talking about how talented you are if you're not there?" He said it wouldn't be praise but something far worse. "You leave those naysayers to me. I'll make sure that they're on the right path of seeing the best painter of all times. I don't think it's going to be a problem, mind you, but I'll have a talk with them if they do."

"Dad, you've never even seen these paintings. For all you know they could really be crap." TJ said he refused to believe that. "I'm painting what I saw that night and the nights that followed. It was pretty horrific."

"I'm betting that it was. And I'm right sorry that I wasn't able to help you with that woman. But you're getting better all the time. You have yourself a lovely mate that loves you, and in a few years, less I hope, you'll have your own son or daughter to bounce on your knee and you'll not think of that time at all." Sterl didn't look like he believed him. "You will never forget, Sterl, but you can move on from it."

The limos that had been arranged to pick them up arrived. He was riding with Sterl and Marty, along with his own mate and parents. They were quiet on the ride over, but he was sure it was due to the tension in the car. He'd be all right, TJ thought, once people started coming in and talking about the art. TJ couldn't wait to see it for himself.

~*~

Isaac wandered around the gallery. There were several people that he knew, a few he didn't. But he could certainly recognize the Calhouns. They were all standouts when it came to good looks, and they were tall too. Christ, he'd hate to have to tangle with any of them. But he liked them, very much so, and he loved their mates. Marty was the best of all, he thought, with the way she kept talking poor Sterling down from his panic attacks. He almost hated to bring up the new development.

"Sterling? If I may have a word—" Sterl started shaking his head before he got to finish. "I swear to you, you'll want to hear this."

"No, I can't see how I can. You want to close the gallery, right? You just realized what a fraud I am. I don't blame you. I've tried to—" His grandmother hit him in the back of the head. "I'm just trying to soften the blow."

"There is no blow if you don't listen to the man. Now, hush and let him tell you." They all looked at him and Isaac had the most insane need to laugh. "Go on, Isaac. Tell us what you came here to say."

"There's an offer on the one called Redemption. I have asked, and if you agree to sell it, he'll gladly leave it here for the showing. Also, Death has an offer as well, but I'm holding out for the show. I told the man that we wanted to see how it went." Sterling looked at Marty then back at him. "What would you like to do?"

"I don't have a clue." Isaac laughed and thought this man was going to be his greatest artist as well as a dear friend. "You said they're willing to hold off taking it? Then I'm okay with that, I guess. Have they really looked at it? I mean, they've seen it up close?"

"Yes. He's still here if you'd like to be assured that he has seen it. He was quite taken with it." Sterling didn't move. "He has no idea that you're here, if that's what is worrying you."

"Yes, I mean no." He looked at his family before speaking again. "I'm going to take my family around, and if he's still in there, I'll think about talking to him. But I'm sure that whatever you think is right, then I trust you."

It occurred to Isaac as he was walking away that he'd not asked the price. Sterling was going to be in for a big surprise when he finally got around to telling him. He approached Mr. Millview and waited for the man to wipe his face. He'd been crying when he'd left him moments ago.

"He said that if you would be willing to wait until after the showing, he'd sell it. I do have another interested party on Death." He nodded and told him he'd pay him as soon as his man got here. "Thank you. You're getting a good piece, Mr. Millview."

"Yes, I think I am as well. So much emotion in this one. All of them, really. But this one, it speaks to me on so many levels. I'd surely like to speak to the artist, but I can understand his need for privacy." They both looked at the couple coming in the room. Mr. Millview nodded but turned back to look at the painting. "This is by far the best piece of work I've ever witnessed. And you know me, I'm a collector. You put me down for Death too. I think I need that one as well. It's a beautiful piece. Whatever the asking price is, add me in at another grand, and if the other person goes higher, let me know."

Just as he was about to tell him that he'd do that, Marty, dragging Sterling with her, went up to the man. She simply smiled at him and then introduced themselves. The look on Mr. Millview's face was priceless, and one that he'd not forget for a long time.

"Hello. My name is Marty Hamilton, soon to be Calhoun." Mr. Millview shook her hand and congratulated her. "Thank you. This is the man I'm marrying, Sterling Calhoun. He's the artist."

His face went from happiness to disbelief in seconds. Mr. Millview had been a patron of the gallery since before Issac's dad had left it to him. And now Millview was a regular for him as well. But to see him with an artist that he was admiring, Isaac was glad to have been there to witness it.

"You did this?" Sterling nodded. "My goodness, young man. I do hope you've recovered from this tragedy. It looks like you were put through hell with this."

"I did, and I'm getting there, especially with the help of these works." They both turned and looked at the painting. "This was at my darkest time. I wanted to be sure that you knew what you were getting."

"Yes, I do. I can see sorrow here, and death. The things that I see here are powerful. Completely breathtaking in their horror, as well as beauty. And now that I've met you, I can see more of the progress in the other paintings as well. You did well, young man. Very well indeed. You've gone through this and come out on top. And I've no doubt that you've survived because you needed to. And I'm betting a swift kick to the ass end from the family too."

"Yes, you have that right. My family sort of bullied me into coming out on top."

They both laughed and Isaac stepped away. He needed a moment to gather himself, and he thought that whatever happened from now on, Sterling and Mr. Millview would be better for it.

As soon as he stepped into the back room, he was hit hard from behind and felt his head split open. But he didn't lose consciousness, so when he was rolled to his side, he could see that his brother had come in sometime in the last hour.

"What are you doing here? Robert, you were told that you weren't to gain entrance to this place." Robert told him he shouldn't have done that. "Well, after what you did to those crates, I don't know why you'd expect anything different. What were you thinking?"

"That you owed me money, and that you lied to me." He asked him about what. "You said that I could come in and work with you. You never told me that if I didn't, I'd not be getting paid. I think that's a sort of crucial point, don't you? I want you to stop this nonsense right now and give me whatever cash you have on you, and then I'll think about not killing you."

"No one expects to get paid for not working, Robert. I'm pretty sure you knew that all along." His head was hurting badly now and he was sick from it. "What do you think is going to happen now that you're in here? There are guards all over the place. You won't get away with this."

"I already have. I just want you to give me money. More than you were paying me too. I have decided that you can afford it. And if you don't, then I don't care about that either. I should have been paid all along without all these stipulations that you put on it. Work is for dummies, and I most assuredly am not dumb. What do you think I did that was so terrible that you had to cut off my pay?" He told him. "So? They were well paid for fucking me on the clock. You should be happy that I didn't kill them too. I have, you know. Killed the women I fucked so that they'd not be demanding money from me. And who gives a shit if I was sleeping too? Do you have any idea how exhausting it is to be me?"

His brother was insane. Or he was giving a very good imitation of it. To think that he thought that just because it was something that he wanted that Isaac should simply give it to him was nuts. And he told him that.

"Your opinion doesn't matter to me. And I'm not insane. I'm just a man that is used to getting what he wants when he wants it. And you, my dear brother, have been fucking with that. Now, where can you get money for me? You've changed the locks so I can't get into the office where the safe is. I'm guessing that even if I could, you've fixed that to suit you as well, correct?" Isaac told him that he didn't have money here. "Yes, you do. I know you do. How else do you take the money for those stupid artists? You just let them write you a check? I don't think so. Give me some money, Isaac, so that I can get out of here."

"I have about fifty on me. I can give you that if you promise to never return." Robert just laughed. "I don't have any more than that. I swear. I'll give it to you and you can just go about your business and I will mine. I'm not going to pay you either. You're stupid if you think that I will. Especially after what you've done to me and this place."

"No. Damn it, Isaac. This is not going to bode well for you. I told you, I need money. Fifty dollars wouldn't even buy me a dinner out. Get your ass to your office and get me something more. Don't hold out on me, Isaac, I'm your brother." He kept saying that like it was supposed to be special. Well, he was his brother too. And when he pointed that out to him, Robert laughed.

"Why do you find that to be funny? We're brothers, and I'm sure that brothers do not demand money from each other, and they certainly don't hit them over the head with something. What did you hit me with?" He showed him and Isaac felt his fear double. "That was mine from my home."

"Yes, I know. That's where I was before coming here, and your wife didn't have shit either. Not in the form of money anyway. You should take better care of your things, Isaac. They might come up ruined or missing." He was ready to beg him to tell him what had happened, but a noise on the other side of the door alerted them that someone was coming. "I'll be back. And when I am, you'd better fucking have my money."

Then he was gone. Isaac pulled out his phone, calling his home. And when the call went unanswered, he panicked. He'd hurt them. Isaac was sure that his brother had harmed his family. Going into the hallway, he found the courier talking to Millview. Turning right, he went to find one of the other Calhouns. He needed their help right now.

"My wife." He was out of breath, his head pounding, but he tried again to tell Trent what he needed. "My wife was at home with our son. Robert was just here, and I think he might have hurt them. Please, I can't get in touch with her, and I need to know that she's all right."

"I have men at your home. I'll contact them now." He didn't tell him he was being silly. That his brother would never do anything to them. "There are nine men at the house. We're going to go into your office and take care of this."

"Yes, please. I don't want to spoil things for Sterling if this is nothing more than my brother being an ass." Trent nearly carried him to his office. His head was pounding now, his legs feeling less than stable too. After having his brother call for a doctor, Trent closed the door behind him. "He was here. He was in the storage room and he hit me with a bat that my wife kept at the doorway at our house. Have you gotten in touch with any of them yet?"

"Yes, they're going in the house. Two of my men aren't answering me." This was going to be bad, he knew it. Robert had killed Trent's men and his family too. He had no idea why he thought that, but he just knew that's what he'd done. "They're in the house, Isaac. There is blood in the kitchen."

"Oh Christ." When Trent sat down in the chair across from him, he knew. "Where is she? Did he...? Did she suffer much?"

"She's...I'm so sorry, Isaac. Your wife has been murdered. And I think she might have suffered badly. I'm sorry, so very sorry. Peter said that he hears your son. He's.... They have him. They found him in the bottom of a chest of drawers. They said that he's unharmed." Isaac felt his belly churn up and his head spin. Before he could make any kind of comment, he felt himself simply fall over. Then nothing else.