Chapter 24

Chapter

Twenty-Four

K andie ~ A few weeks later…

When Nikki bursts into my bakery, happiness and devastation pierce me. I haven't seen my baby sister since the day of her forced marriage to Mathias Shelby. Since then there has been a mix of praising and scathing reviews of her in the media, from everything on how she dresses to her saving the life of a little girl trapped on a Ferris wheel.

Nikki, who grew up in the carnival circuit until she was sixteen, climbed the dang thing to get the little girl down. That was all well and fine, or would be if her new husband wasn't running for the Senate for our very conservative state. It's still the dark ages down here in a lot of ways when it comes to women and how we are expected to act in public. Never mind that she saved the child. The fact that she did with her dress tied between her legs and no shoes left some folks with their draws in knots.

"Did you see that article Joi wrote?" she demands, rushing in so fast the door chimes erratically behind her.

"Yeah." I nod toward the Shelby-Love Chronical open on the counter before me.

"How'd she get my birth certificate?" Nikki inquires.

"Someone broke in the other week before your wedding," I sigh, feeling the first tinge of a headache.

"Again?" Freezing for a hard moment, she looks around the bakery for foul play.

"Not here, thank goodness. Joi was here, and we were going to have a movie night after I was done for the day. When we got to my loft, the whole place was torn up, but not as bad as last time. I-I didn't want anyone to know about it, so we just cleaned it up ourselves. There were a lot of papers Mama-Pete gave me scattered all around by my bookcase and she took care of that part when she helped me clean up. This was before she started all that shit — I'm so sorry, Nik." The last part is broken by a sob. I cover my face. Hot shame washes over me. I still can't believe the betrayal or the feeling of violation I have knowing someone I love most in the world would do me like this.

"That hoe," Nikki seethes, making me look up. Arms spread, she comes over and wraps me in her arms. "I'm so sorry she did that to you, Kandie. You're always too good to people."

"No." Shaking my head, I cup her face. "Don't you ever say that."

"It's true though. Instead of coming to you like a sister, I left you out here all alone when Daddy told me good to stick with you and Kerania. ‘The Wonder Twins'll take care of you. Y'all take care of each other.' I had Mathias looking out for me all these years, and you only had yourself." I can't stand the shame and guilt on her face.

"Uh-uh, you don't get to do that. You were a kid. A little one. Afraid in a town you didn't know anything about. Up till then, you only knew the bad side of what Daddy went through with the family. None of the good. As for me I chose to be on my own and not to let anyone take care of me." Pulling her in my arms I hear the muffled, "You were a kid too," a second before the door chimes and Joi comes bursting into my bakery like the hounds of hell are on her heels.

"The fuck you doing here, heffa?" I shove Nikki away from me so hard that if she wasn't agile due to her previous upbringing as a trapeze artist, she would've toppled over some of the nearby tables.

"I'm here to warn Nikki to get out while she can. Mathias don't mean you any good, cuz," she says in defiance. Struggling against Nikki's hold, I take in her more than normal disheveled look. She looks like she hasn't slept since her last betrayal of the family. Not even I would have thought Joi would be brave enough to brave our wrath after what she's done to Nikki — who has been trying too hard to bring her back into the fold. She clearly has a lot going on, but that's not our fucking problem. She's bringing all this and the ass whooping I'm about to give her on herself.

"How dare you, Joi? At any moment, you could have come to me. Why did you put all my business out in the street like this?" The sadness in her voice has me looking back at my little sister. Hurt is etched in her face. Her eyes are pleading, asking for understanding.

"Girl please, this n — white boy got your mind twisted just like his cousin got Kandie. They using y'all," she scoffs like we are a couple of dummies she can't be bothered to explain anything to.

Joi seemed to almost relish harming us. The articles about Nikki and Mathias have been nonstop since they tied the knot a week ago. Joi's vendetta is not the common feud between us and the Shelbys. It's almost as if she's out to get Nikki.

"Why do it like this?" I close my eyes at the pleading in Nikki's voice. I can't stand that she's begging this bitch for answers.

New rage hits me like an F-5 tornado and it's like I black the fuck out. Distantly, I hear shouts and Nikki's pleading. "Stop, Kandie. You're going to be in jail again." As if I give a damn when I finally got my hands on the heffa who hurt her. Hilarity follows when I throw Joi on the floor and grab her hair, wrapping her long braid around my fist so I can mess up that pretty face. I get two good punches in before she does some quick maneuver to twist away.

"Uh-uh, I'm sick of this trifling ass hoe." I grab her against me, straddling her, ignoring the hits she tries to give in return. She's defending herself. I'm my sister's avenging angel. This is for all the times I couldn't protect her. I don't know what her relationship is with Mathias, but I do know that she would've never had to be in that situation if she really felt like she could have come to me all those years ago.

Did he groom her? Make her think she was the one seducing him? What is the real story and why didn't she ever tell me? All this eats at me and I love taking it out on Joi, who obviously knew some of what's going on if she's held on to the pictures from Nikki's graduation for a year before releasing them trying to ruin Mathias's bid for the Senate.

Strong arms grab me out of nowhere, lifting me off Joi just as I pop her in her bitch ass mouth. She gets a lucky kick to my thigh before scrambling away to stand.

"Bitch." I lunge.

"Drunk. Bitch." Joi swipes her bloody mouth. I can see the flesh beneath her left eye is already swelling.

"You came over here acting like a friend, a cousin, then used what I gave you to hurt my baby sister. You so dirty." I shake my head in disgust, fire blazing in me so hard it hurts.

Mathias' hand hardens, making his hold almost painful when he turns to Nikki, his voice hollow with disbelief.

"What are you saying?" In that moment, I know he cares about Nikki. He sounds gutted asking me.

"This low-down dirty hoe came over here pretending to act like she's real family getting me tipsy, then had me show her Nikki's birth certificate," I supply, some of my rage melting away watching Nikki shrink into herself.

"Bahaha," Joi's brash laugh greets Ulysses just as he enters. "When aren't you drunk, bitch?"

I snatch away from Mathias's ruthless grip, jumping forward coldcocking Joi, who must be stronger than she seems because after stumbling a few steps back and reversing her momentum, she jumps at me, tumbling us both to the ground.

We roll around, both trying to gain the upper hand. I just get my uninjured in leg in a dominant position when hands are grabbing me again.

Both men hold us apart, breathing hard like they've run a marathon.

Ulysses' face is molten rage and so is Mathias' but he's not looking at me but a devastated Nikki, who looks like she'd rather be in hell than topside with us right now.

"Both of you are under arrest," Ulysses informs us, taking out zip ties.

"Dirty ass cop," I say louder than anyone else would dare to a man many don't fuck with that often, especially when he's so mad like he is now. He looks at me with solemn eyes that give not an iota of his thoughts away.

"We can't all love jail like you do." He leans over me, blanketing me in leather, clover, and sugar. I close my eyes for a brief second before I feel the bite of the zip ties.

"Ow," I gasp. "At least give my sister the key to my shop."

Ulysses goes over to the register and types in a code I gave him a while back, taking the keys out of the register.

"Here." He hands them over to Nikki. "The bakery's closed tomorrow. She'll be in my custody till day after tomorrow," he says cryptically.

"Give me a hug, baby sis." Sadness engulfs me. "I'm sorry. The key to Kerania's and my place is in there if you need a safe space or go to the clubhouse at Mimi's. Nobody knows about it but us."

"I love you so big. This is not on you," she whispers for my ears only before pressing a kiss to my cheek.

Ducking my head so they don't see my tears, I feel his heavy hand on my shoulder. He keeps us separated as he leads us to the cruiser.

"In," he snaps to Joi, opening the back door.

"She was trespassing. Let me go," I say as soon as he joins me in the front.

"Were you closed?" Quirking a brow, lips pressing in skepticism, he waits.

"To her? Yeah," I say, looking at her in the rearview. She catches my stare, holding it only for a brief moment. Something passes in her gaze, regret? Before she turns to look out the window.

"No dice," he grumbles, revving the engine, pulling away from the curb and dispersing the crowd.

"Kandie," I hear Joi whisper my name for the umpteenth time. I don't know why she's trying to talk to me. I've made it my business to ignore her ass the entire time we've been here. They just brought dinner, a bland array of overcooked vegetables and gray meat that was supposed to be Salisbury steak with a roll that was passable, along with some boxed potatoes and a juice box.

Ulysses had the nerve to smirk when I dared to complain. "Stay your little ass outta trouble and you never have to worry about eating that bullshit again." Tipping his head closer, he asked, "You okay?"

"I guess. You need to keep her locked up. This thing she has against Nikki is sick," I mumble, lying, not wanting him to know how hurt and betrayed I feel with Joi right across the way in the other cell.

"No, you ain't, but I get it." His glacial blue eyes slide in Joi's direction, letting me know he understands.

"I have to go see Mom. Are you going to be here when I get back?" I'm already shaking my head no. Trying to hide his smile and exasperation, he sighs. "Be careful."

Turning he goes over to Joi. "If you agree not to press charges, then you'll be out after you cool off. Stay away from the bakery," he warns.

"Sure, Sheriff," she says with saccharine sweetness. "Just tell your hoe to stay away from me." He just looks at her for a moment, trying to figure out what her deal is, before leaving without another word.

All that mouth earlier, now she's over here calling me like she wants to talk.

"Take me with you." Her pleading has me looking at her. She seems worried with the way her teeth are tearing up her lips.

"Why? So you can go spread more lies about Nikki? She never did shit to you, but you don't have to worry about her anymore. I'm your biggest problem now." Adding a balled fist and pressing it to each eye, I turn. I can't stand looking at her anymore.

She's actually in the cell that I normally get put in, but I know where the secret passages are in every cell. I've been in all of them at least once.

"I have someplace to be." I quirk a brow, but I don't respond. Even if I were so inclined, she's already shown she's too eager to tell our family business. There is no way I'm letting a secret that's held for two hundred years be exposed by her. Mama and Pa-Pete entrusted me with it for a reason — to keep me safe. I would never disrespect them by telling anyone. I love gossip, I'm messy as hell, but more than that I'm loyal. I'd never put my family's business out like that.

"Some things are bigger than just you or family. Imagine all the harm a Shelby can do in the Senate. He could end up president. Nikki is under his thrall. He's been manipulating her for years. You just don't know." The pleading has me turning to see the anguish play out over her face.

"If you knew this — felt this way, why didn't you say anything?" I press my face close to the bars.

Joi keens, tears spilling down her face. "She made me promise."

"Girl, shut up with that," I scoff. If Nikki made her promise? Why would she honor it? They were close in age, so maybe she thought she was being loyal as well. I guess she thought this was the only thing she could do to stop him.

"You only hurt Nikki. Mathias is fine. Men always are."

She falls silent. Eventually, I hear the evenness of her breathing after she falls asleep.

Quiet as a mouse, I shimmy under the bed and slip into the darkened passage beneath the county jail, waiting on me like an old friend.

Stepping onto the porch, I dig into the packed soil of the planter. Dusting off the key, I open the door, letting myself into the darkened house.

Toeing off my shoes, I head to the dark kitchen. Opening the fridge, I take out the ham obviously ordered straight from one of our hog farms on the east side of the county. Stomach growling, I fish out the mustard, hard cheddar, tomatoes, and lettuce.

It takes me a couple of minutes, but I find a fresh bag of chips. After I fix my plate, adding some pickles to the side, I get a glass and fill it with some lemonade.

"Umm," moaning around my second bite, I glance up, seeing Ulysses standing with a towel wrapped around his waist, his gun dangling in one hand and the towel fisted in the other.

"That towel better be on because you just got out of the shower and not stopped mid-fuck to see who was in your kitchen." A brief perusal answers my demand better than words ever could. I can already see his dick bricking up as he stands there looking at me like a stunned, oversized Ken doll.

"You're acting very blond." Smirking, I ignore his face, going from disbelief to anger.

"How the fuck did you get in here?" he growls, stalking forward to get a bottle of water off the counter.

"I have my ways." Shrugging, I turn to get a better look at my very own adonis. I don't bother to tell him that his mom was my safe place for a lot of reasons when he left and never came back without a word. I think she took pity on me when I kept giving her letters to send along with hers. He never answered.

Rubbing away the burn in my solar plexus, I remember her saying the way his missions were so dangerous.

Set up that she rarely heard from him. Then, like a little dummy, it dawned on me that she did hear from him, though. He got my letters — even the big one. He didn't respond.

Shoving up from the table, I skirt by him, going over to the sink to clean my mess.

I can feel his eyes on me as I fight for my life over his sink, thinking back to those days when I needed him, and he was never thinking of me. He literally hit it and quit it and never came back for over a fucking decade and what did I do? Spread like butter the first time this motherfucker crooked his finger in my direction. Now, I'm madder at myself than I am at Joi.

"What's going on with you now? You know I had no choice but to do what I did earlier." His voice is gruff with concern. Reaching toward me, he pulls one of my long curls stroking down the length.

"Why didn't you ever write me back, Ulysses?" Not daring to look his way, I look at the way my hands are gripping the dry off towel so hard my knuckles are ashen.

"W-what?" Dropping his hand, he turns me toward him. "What do you mean, me not writing you back? I wrote to you every day for years, Kandice. You were so busy getting in trouble trying to save every wronged child for miles around that you didn't have time for me." He steps back like the memory singes him.

"No. No. No. I wrote to you. Not every day, but every chance I got." Heat rushes to my face. Anger, pain, and a cacophony of other emotions bubble up and over inside of me. "I gave them to Marlene because you said you were deploying and to wait to write to you. I did. Then after about three weeks, I brought her the letters. I saved them every week after that until I gave up that you were ever going to write back."

He's already shaking his head at my words. Looking at him, I see the same emotions I felt at the wedding and when I saw that paper with Nikki's name emblazoned on it — devastation, betrayal, grief.

I watch the realization settling on him like a cloak of despair. I don't know how we end upholding each other in the center of his family's kitchen with me sobbing, heart-wrenching sobs and him stroking my back in long sweeps, whispering, "I'm so sorry, baby," over and over.

"I'm sorry how that made you feel--" he starts.

"I'm sorry you thought I was gallivanting around the county on a crusade instead of writing you," I say when he lifts my head to kiss away my tears.

He kisses me, then kisses me deeper. I let him knowing there is no way we'll be getting answers from Marlene tonight — if ever. I know she's declining rapidly. All I know is I don't want another moment wasted between us.

U must feel the same because the kisses become more urgent, the intensity making us eat at each other, nip, suck, and bite.

"I need you, U," I say against his skin, pulling his flesh into my mouth. Pushing my county emblazoned joggers down, he lifts me to the counter, stepping between my spread legs. It doesn't matter, I'm still mostly clothed. He rips the sweatshirt over my head, tossing it somewhere behind us.

"I'm here, wildcat. I'm not going anywhere." He drops the towel, pulling me forward to meet him.

"Ohmygoodness," I whimper when he presses into my flesh, splitting me open for him.

"I got you, beautiful. I will always have you." Our foreheads press together, breaths mingle. Tears spill from my eyes, though not from pain but from the intensity of the moment. We come together in that moment in more than lust and the tug of war that has been whatever we have called this thing between us.

"Never again," he grits out. "I'm never letting anyone keep you away from me again."

I don't say anything, just take his lips, savoring the moment between us. I push the uncertainty the truth brings aside and let him make love to me. Later, when he covers me again in his bed, I hold him as close as I can, hoping he means it.