King of Evanston Read online

  Something shifted in the guy’s eyes. “Like I said, this is a free country.”

  His skin prickled, just as it had earlier in the meeting when Bennett left the office. Shaz figured he’d hit the nail on the head. The harder he looked, the more familiar the young man seemed to him, but his mind couldn’t grasp how he knew him.

  Shaz leaned toward the car. “Here’s a message for whoever sent you. I don’t scare easy.”

  That said, he switched on the engine of the SUV, walked to the front of the Camry, and crossed the street. While he memorized the licence plate number, he allowed the Marley CD to spool to Buffalo Soldier and pulled away from the sidewalk. The music soothed him and he undid his locs, throwing the thin leather band on the seat next to him.

  When he got to the end of the street, he checked the mirror. The black Camry had pulled onto the road and was several feet behind him. Instead of turning toward the place he used to call home, at the North East end of Evanston, Shaz headed downtown. He was at the intersection when he shot another glance at the mirror, then squinted. The Toyota was several vehicles behind. He didn’t get why the man would be so bold.

  Shaz went across the next block and circled back, heading downtown. As he did, he dialed Dro, engaging the hands-free system. “Is it possible to check on a licence plate number and let me know where it leads?”

  “Is there pepper in jerked chicken?” Dro asked with a chuckle. “And by the way, are you in trouble?”

  Shaz’s attention went to the car still in his range of vision. He sped up, wanting to disprove the theory that the idiot was following him. “No. Not yet.”

  “Well, apply the brakes.” Dro chuckled. “I’ll have this information for you before you get there.”

  “Thanks, man,” Shaz said, as the driver of the Camry attempted to overtake the vehicle ahead of him. Shaz grunted as he spun the wheel and the car behind him kept pace. He maneuvered between two cars, causing the driver behind him to honk at length and mash his brakes.

  “Shaz?”

  The muted sound of metal grinding together drew Shaz’s eyes back to the rearview mirror. His stalker had rear ended the car ahead of him.

  A smile came to Shaz’s lips and he answered Dro as he sped away. “I’m here, man.”

  “Be careful.”

  “Sure.” With one last look at the traffic snarl behind him, Shaz smirked. He wasn’t sure whether the guy following him was connected to the alderman, but he wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. They’d learn he was no pretty boy without the skills to handle himself.

  CHAPTER 8

  Camilla placed a gentle kiss on Ayanna’s head. The soft, fuzzy hair tickled her nose, reminding her of Derrick. He also had downy hair, thanks to his grandmother who had East Indian ancestors. She’d learned too late that was the softest part of him, because the man had no heart. His actions in the past couple of months proved her relationship with him had been a mistake from the get-go.

  “Mommy.” Ayanna giggled and rested the back of her head against Camilla’s chest.

  “What d’you need, Boo?” She pressed another kiss to Ayanna’s hair as her thoughts spun back to Derrick.

  A blazing-hot attraction and whirlwind romance during a five-month stint when she was in Chicago three years ago meant little time to find out the nitty-gritty details. She left good sense behind when she fell for his good looks and charisma. By the time she found out she was pregnant, she’d already broken things off with him. Ayanna was the one link they shared. Yet, Derrick was trying to rip away the most precious gift he’d given Camilla.

  The nerve of him to want to visit when he was trying to offload their child to other people. Even now, she couldn’t see behind it, but for the fact that she knew about his love of gambling, the financial hole he might be in, and the lengths he’d go to pay his debts.

  If he hadn’t left when he did the other night, the police might have eventually charged her with assault. During their heated argument— in which Aunt Mabel had to intervene—Camilla thought they would have come to blows, but Derrick backed down and left without seeing Ayanna.

  Long after his tires screeched at the end of the street, Camilla stood behind the door hyperventilating, certain he’d find a way to come back and snatch Ayanna.

  Her gaze landed on Shaz, standing across his parents’ yard talking to his father and brothers, wearing a black cable knit sweater and jeans. The man was sexy with a capital S-E-X-Y, but wasn’t that what had led her into trouble with Derrick?

  She’d been pleasantly surprised, and a bit apprehensive, when Mrs. Bostwick called her a day and a half ago and invited her to a barbeque at their house on Friday evening. She could only have gotten her number from Shaz or Aunt Mabel. At first, Camilla thought Mrs. Bostwick wanted to interrogate her face to face about the relationship between her and Shaz, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Or, she hadn’t gotten around to what she wanted to find out as yet.

  Paula Bostwick had chit-chatted with her on the phone for five minutes, before issuing the invitation with such warmth that Camilla couldn’t decline without seeming ungrateful.

  “He’s handsome, isn’t he?” Mrs. Bostwick said, claiming the seat next to Camilla on a patio chair under the shade of an elm. “And my favorite, too.”

  Somehow, Camilla didn’t buy that. Mrs. Bostwick struck her as a wise woman, who knew how to handle her family with deftness and grace.

  “I’m sure you haven’t told him that in front of the others.” When Camilla looked sideways at Mrs. Bostwick, she gave her a conspiratorial wink.

  “He’s the best looking of the lot though.”

  Camilla’s lips twitched, then she said, “Would you consider me biased if I said yes?”

  A throaty laugh was her response. “You’re a smart one.”

  “And so are you,” Camilla said, as her attention went back to Shaz, “because I’m sure you’ve told all your children they’re your favorite.”

  Again, Mrs. Bostwick laughed. This time, she admitted nothing. “Mabel told me all about you.”

  A tad discomfited, Camilla let her gaze slide to the small, serene woman who clearly ruled the men in her family gently, yet firmly. She sensed Paula Bostwick could be a formidable enemy.

  Thankfully, she seemed friendly enough and didn’t give off any weird vibes. Her aura was the same as when they met at Aunt Mabel’s church some weeks ago.

  The men’s laughter floated to them on the wind and Camilla couldn’t resist stealing another look at Shaz.

  “I hope she didn’t share all my dark secrets,” Camilla teased, holding Ayanna at the waist as she shook a brown-skinned rag doll by the legs.

  Paula Bostwick chuckled. “You know Mabel well. Actually, she gave me a synopsis of your situation after she introduced us.” Mrs. Bostwick’s focus went to Shaz, then returned to Camilla. “Shastra filled in the details of how you met and what an impact you’ve had on him.”

  She settled further back into the seat, folding both hands in her lap. Her aqua shirt was an identical match to her husband’s Polo. They both also wore jeans. Paula’s eyes drifted toward her son again. “Or course, I had to meet the woman Shastra actually felt comfortable talking about with me. Perhaps because he knows Mabel and I are friends and serve in the same ministries at church.”

  Camilla swiped her lips with the tip of her tongue. What exactly had they told Shaz’s mother?

  “Don’t worry,” she said, patting Camilla’s arm. “My son is a great judge of character. If you’re okay with him, then you’re all right with me.”

  “Thank you,” Camilla said, lifting Ayanna and repositioning her. “I appreciate you welcoming me, despite everything.”

  Paula Bostwick met her eyes. “To be frank, I wanted to feel you out for myself.” As she smiled, she admitted, “I like what I’ve seen and heard so far.”

  “Mrs. Bostwick, I—”

  “Call me Aunt Paula,” she said, glancing at the four men across the yard again.

 
Camilla dipped her head to acknowledge the comment. “Thanks. I was wondering why I’m the only one here outside of your sons and Denise, who suddenly disappeared.”

  She had wondered why the younger woman went missing without any explanation.

  “You’re also observant.” Paula’s smile widened. “If you can hold your own in this family, then it tells me something about you.” Tipping her chin toward the men, she added, “They’re my world and if you get along with them …” Laughing, and blowing a kiss at Ayanna, she added, “And by the way, now that we’ve eaten, Denise is probably inside talking on the phone.”

  “Now that you mention it, dinner was delicious.” Camilla lowered Ayanna to the ground, then continued, “I’ve never had jerked pork that tender. I even enjoyed the crackling.”

  She’d snagged a bit of the crispy pork skin off Shaz’s plate, laughing when he frowned over losing the morsel he’d been saving to eat last. He gave her the stink eye and his family teased him about his inability to give up food, even for that special someone.

  “Teddy and I are now a tag team and have cooking down to a fine art. Comes from when I started teaching and he’d season the meat in the mornings and I’d come home and do the cooking after school while he was at the construction site.”

  “How long have you been married?” Camilla asked, spreading the crinkled material of her dress over her legs.

  Wearing a proud smile, Paula said, “Forty-two years.”

  “Wow. My parents would have celebrated thirty-five years, if my father was still alive.”

  When Aunt Paula tipped one eyebrow, Camilla added. “He died in a car accident when I was twenty. That was ten years ago.”

  The sudden pain took Camilla by surprise because it had been a while since she allowed herself to dwell on his passing. He’d had such a profound impact during her formative years, she’d hoped that Ayanna would have the same kind of relationship with Derrick despite their differences. So much for that.

  Aunt Paula patted her hand. “I know losing a parent is hard, but—”

  The men’s raised voices distracted Aunt Paula, who frowned and got to her feet. “Excuse me,” she said, as Shaz stalked toward them.

  Aunt Paula met him halfway across the grass. “Shastra?”

  Although she didn’t hear what Shaz said to his mother, his features gave away his mood. Both brows pulled together in dark slashes that revealed the depth of his irritation. His flared nostrils also betrayed his feelings.

  His father and brothers still stood together, and Roman gesticulated toward Shaz and shook his head. Martin rocked on the balls of his feet while he stared at the grass. Mr. Bostwick folded his arms and shook his head, but his scowl was hard to miss.

  When Camilla’s attention settled on Shaz, he asked, “You ready?”

  “I guess I have to be if you are.”

  His mouth curved in a pseudo-smile as he picked up Ayanna. “How about you, princess?”

  Ayanna’s usual incoherent response amused Shaz, which in turn lessened Camilla’s concern. “Let me tell everyone thanks, then we can go.”

  She spent the next few minutes talking with his family as the heat of the sun waned and the evening grew cooler. She exchanged hugs with Aunt Paula and Denise, and noticed Martin’s indifference before strapping Ayana into the car seat and sitting beside Shaz in the Alfa Romeo.

  The ride home took twenty minutes, during which Shaz said next to nothing. In front of Aunt Mabel’s house, Camilla unsnapped the seat belt and sat sideways. “Mind telling me who stole your binky.”

  Shaz cut his eyes at her. “That’s not even funny.”

  She shrugged, trying not to laugh. “First you were in a good mood. Then, you were not. With no stops in between. What happened to turn things around so fast?”

  With one hand, Shaz scratched his hair, which had been freshly groomed. “It’s my family.”

  “Well, that’s fairly obvious and I don’t need to be a top-notch lawyer to argue that case.” She smiled when she glanced at Ayanna, who had fallen asleep.

  Shaz threw Camilla another bad look, which only made her giggle. Squeezing his rock-hard bicep, she teased, “Come on, whatever it is can’t be that bad. Good thing Ayanna’s sleeping. You’d frighten her with that face.”

  He studied her for a couple of seconds, then sighed. “You’re right. I shouldn’t allow others to spoil my day.”

  After glancing at the house, where the absence of flickering shadows told the tale that Aunt Mabel wasn’t sitting in her regular spot in front of the television, Camilla said. “Auntie isn’t home yet, if you want to come inside and tell me what has you vexed like this …”

  He didn’t agree or disagree, so Camilla handed him the key to the front door, opened the vehicle, and went to release Ayanna from the seat. By the time she cradled Ayanna in her arms, Shaz stood behind her. “Hey, I could have helped.”

  “It’s okay.” She squashed a smile at his grinch-like expression. “Please bring the seat.”

  He turned on his heels and did as she asked.

  Once they stepped into the house, she laid Ayanna in her playpen and came back to find Shaz prowling the living room with the phone pressed to his ear. She curled on the large sofa and watched him as his complexion darkened to a ruddy shade.

  “I didn’t ‘cut’, as you put it, because I’m selfish,” he said, and Camilla knew he was still uptight from the way his skin flushed. “I left because you all were annoying the shit out of me. When did I get to be first in line to assume control of the business? The two of you know I’m not interested. I love what I do and I’m not giving up my work to run the company.”

  He listened while doing more damage to his neat hair, which she badly wanted to smooth. “Dad knows I’ve never been interested. Martin is the sensible choice. He’s already in that line of business, just as you. He’s just stubborn. I wish you all would—”

  Shaz sat next to her, rubbing his forehead. “Bottom line? My answer is still no.”

  A tic danced beside his eye, and Camilla placed a finger on the spot. He froze, accepted her subtle message, and let out his breath. “I have to go now, and just so you know, this subject is closed.”

  His movement was controlled when he laid the phone on the center table. He blew out a long, slow breath, then ran both hands over his hair. “I guess you now understand what was eating me.”

  Camilla rubbed his back, but didn’t speak.

  “The long and short of it is that Roman and my father want me to run the family business.” A long pause punctuated the conversation before he added, “I’m not about to change my career for anyone. Not even family.”

  Nodding slowly, Camilla said, “I understand. You’re good at what you do. Everybody says you’re the best.”

  “Now if only you’d believe it.” A wry smile lifted his mouth.

  “Oh, I believe in you. In such a way that I can’t help wishing I’d met you before I made the biggest mistake of my life.” She couldn’t help her bitter tone when she spat, “Derrick.”

  Meeting Shaz’s gaze, she whispered, “Don’t get me wrong, Ayanna is the best thing that came out of that disaster.”

  Shaz cupped her jaw and stroked her skin with the pad of his thumb. “Don’t get stuck in regrets. The future is ahead of you. The past only has the power to harm you if you let it.”

  “I know,” she whispered.

  His touch on her skin was hypnotic and soothing. “That’s why we should make the present count, despite the challenges.”

  With all the threats coming at her, plus the unexpected turns with Ayanna’s health, she’d be lying if she said she didn’t do more than her fair share of worrying. Derrick was another major source of concern. She’d heard whispers through social media that there was little he wouldn’t do to feed his addiction to gambling. His treatment of Ayanna made her think there was truth to that rumor. Like they said in Jamaica, If it don’t go so, it nearly go so, which meant that while a piece of news might not be a hund
red percent accurate, it still had elements of truth to it.

  “You worry too much,” Shaz murmured. “I see it in your eyes.”

  His lips brushed hers, then settled, urging her to let him inside. As her mouth opened under his expert touch, Camilla’s thoughts stopped churning and she let Shaz kiss away her fears.

  CHAPTER 9

  Before his gaze returned to Camilla, Shaz did a visual sweep of their surroundings. They’d had lunch and he took them to the park to walk off the food and give Ayanna a treat at the same time.

  Camilla’s intense concentration on her daughter fascinated him and he could barely pull his eyes away from them.

  While Ayanna pointed toward the shore, she let loose a string of garbled words, then yelled, “Mommy, dog.”