She knew it would be a bad idea to return Nick’s call, he would easily persuade her to dinner and just as easily seduce her. The memory of what had happened at Isabella’s Cafe flashed in her mind and she trembled. She did not need Nick back in her life. Shoving the phone into her purse, she made her decision. She would not call him back.
The following week, Matthew found time and courage to call Justina and they made a date for Friday evening. He had just ended the call when Jim walked in alongside Roger.
Matthew recognized grim looks on the men’s faces.
“We found another agent, but he is alive, barely,” Roger reported to him.
Matthew’s ears perked up when he heard the word, alive.
“His name is Chuck Holt, or Charlie, as he’s known in his undercover work,” Roger looked thoughtful as his words trailed off.
“He was underground within the Cabara clan, but we don’t know any details.”
“Where is he?” Jim asked Roger with curiosity.
“He’s in the west side safe area. He’s in a coma.”
“How many know about him? Does he have plenty of protection?” Matthew asked with concern.
Roger nodded his head as he pulled out a file and began talking, “This is the file on our agent. I took the liberty of making copies for each of you, don’t let these fall into the wrong hands or Chuck will pay for it with his life.”
Matthew and Jim took the files and scanned over it as Roger began filling in the details.
That evening as he stood in front of the private elevator leading to Justina’s penthouse, Matthew found himself to be a bit nervous and cursed himself for being so. He mustered the courage to push the buzzer and when he heard Justina’s voice through the intercom, he briefly lost his voice.
“Hi, Matthew.”
Matthew waved at the camera as he searched for something to say, but all that came out was “Hi.”
“I’ll buzz you in.”
He heard the buzzing and watched the elevator doors open up to him. He rode the elevator to the foyer of her penthouse. He had always felt nervous and excited each time he had been around her. She was unlike any of the other women he had been with since Leslie’s death. That is what scared him the most. He knew Justina was different. Leslie had even told him so in a dream, but he could not get that dream out of his mind.
She is different! That is what you are looking for and that is what you need; not a carbon copy of me. It is time to let go of the past and grab hold of the future, your future, and our daughter. I will always love you and will be watching over you and our Katie!
Matthew shook his head and closed his eyes in an attempt to push the thoughts away as he rode the elevator.
Justina stood in the foyer when the elevator opened and Matthew swore she glowed with elegance and beauty. The lovely ocean blue dress ended just above her knees revealing her long, lean legs. The low-cut top clung tightly to her bountiful chest and revealed just enough cleavage to arouse his manly curiosity, desiring a closer view. The sleeves split down the middle, revealing her lean muscled arms. It was obvious to Matthew that she worked out just enough to be sexy, but not masculine looking. Her hair was flowing in a natural wave around her shoulders, which was a definite turn-on for him. “Hi.”
“Hi, yourself.”
“You are very beautiful,” Matthew said with a raspy voice.
“Thank you,” Justina trembled and laughed nervously as she took the vase of flowers from him. “They’re beautiful. Please, won’t you come in for a moment?”
Justina turned and walked inside the penthouse living room with Matthew following her. She placed the vase of flowers down onto the coffee table that sat near the sofa. She turned and smiled softly as she pointed at his suit. “I see we have similar tastes in color.”
Matthew was wearing a black suit with an ocean blue shirt and matching tie.
Matthew grinned and nodded his head, “Blues and greens happen to be my favorite colors.”
“They are mine as well.”
“Hmm, it seems we have a few things in common, Ms. Lindsey.”
He saw her blush at his words. He winked at her as he held his arm out for her to take. “I think we need to be going.”
Upon arriving at the restaurant, Matthew ordered a bottle of the finest Merlot and they shared drinks as they talked nonstop until dinner arrived.
After dinner, Matthew told her about his camping trip with his family the past weekend.
“Ben and Dad again managed to reel the big ones in.”
Although Justina was laughing at his stories, Matthew realized he was doing all the talking and decided to give her a chance to talk.
“So tell me some things about you, Justina, your childhood I mean.”
Justina shrugged her shoulders. “There’s really not much to tell; I grew up in Memphis and was raised by Elizabeth. I went to public school there and we moved to Dallas where I attended college.”
Matthew watched her as she fidgeted nervously but continued probing into her past. “When did you come to live with Elizabeth?”
“I was thirteen when Elizabeth entered my life,” Justina shifted in her seat and looked out the window. “That was a long time ago.”
“When did your parents die?”
Justina took a sip of her wine, “They died when I was very young, I really don’t remember them at all.”
“Is that when Elizabeth took you in?”
“No, I lived with another aunt and uncle for a while until Elizabeth found me,” Justina said quickly and in a slightly irritated voice.
Matthew recalled her words to him the weekend they had met. He noticed her discomfort with that conversation as well. “My childhood was boring when I lived at the orphanage.” She noticeably had misspoken and tried to rephrase her words, “I, ah mean when I visited the orphanage.” Matthew suspected Justina had lived in an orphanage and wondered why she felt as though she had to keep it a secret.
He looked at the beautiful lady in front of him and saw a young woman carrying some hidden pain from her past she had not dealt with, and it was a thorn in her side. Matthew wanted to get to know her better and to see if there was something real between them. To alienate her on their first date was not a good start. He could see her stress dissipate as he casually changed the subject.
After the meal, Matthew drove Justina home. She invited him in for a few more drinks. He decided to be a gentleman and decline though the carnal man in him was screaming for him to accept her invitation. “I want to see you again, Justina. I hope you will accept another date with me.”
“I had a wonderful time, Matthew, and I look forward to seeing you again. I will be out of town next week.”
“Where are you off to?”
“Chicago, to visit some clients.”
“I see. I hope you have a successful and safe week.”
Matthew kissed her quickly, but tenderly on her cheek and whispered, “I’ll call you soon.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Matthew walked into his sister’s clothing shop on Friday morning and saw all his family there supporting Caroline’s grand opening. The shop was full of people and it appeared the grand opening was going to be a successful one.
Justina and Joyce finally made it over to where the Lawton and Kingston families were and everyone greeted them.
“Hello, Justina.”
“Hello, Matthew. How are you?”
“I’m fine, just fine. And how are you doing?”
“I’m fine as well, thank you for asking.”
Matthew and Justina smiled, but both felt the pressure building as everyone gave them curious looks.
The remainder of the afternoon was spent with them eyeing one another in silence until Justina had to leave.
Justina whispered to Joyce and Maggie, “I have to go. If you two need me, day or night, don’t hesitate to call me.”
Maggie patted her shoulder and promised,
“It will be fine. You go to Chicago and have a great time.”
“We will call you every day and check in with you,” Joyce whispered.
“I trust you two with my business, but you know how I am. I worry about everything,” Justina replied. She turned to Caroline and said, “I think you’ve had a successful day.”
“Yes, and I have you to thank for it.”
“It was all Joyce,” Justina graciously stated.
Justina said her final goodbyes to everyone and made her way to the exit. She felt a hand on her arm and turned to look into Matthew’s haunting eyes. She thought her heart was going to pop right out of her chest as it beat rapidly.
“You weren’t going to leave without saying goodbye to me, now were you?” Matthew asked.
Justina smiled nervously and whispered, “I didn’t know what to say.”
“We’re allowed to talk. I am your attorney.”
Justina smiled at Matthew “I see you are a pro at this sort of thing.”
Matthew winked at her and shot her a sexy smile. “And you’re proud of me for it.”
“I’m still aware of your playboy ways.”
“Yes, you are and that’s good unless it becomes a problem for you.”
“Mr. Kingston, you are your own person as I am my own.”
“I’m glad we have an understanding; that way no one can get hurt,” Matthew responded.
“I want you to call me when you return from Chicago so we can have dinner.”
“I thank you again for helping me this week.”
Matthew flashed a sexy grin at her. “It was all my pleasure, Miss. Lindsey.”
Justina returned the look as she opened the door to leave. “It was my pleasure too.”
***
Matthew and Jim went to the golf course late Wednesday night afterhours, but not to play. The two men decided to do some paper work. Matthew unlocked the door and punched in the code to silence the alarm. They arrived at Michael’s office, but none of the keys Matthew had would work.
Jim pushed his friend aside and whispered, “Let the master in to do this deed.” With little fuss, Jim unlocked the door and stood proudly aside to allow Matthew inside the door. Matthew shook his head and grinned in amazement at his partner as he walked past him. “You never cease to amaze me. Now, just where did you learn that little trick?”
Jim patted Matthew on the back as he followed him.
“Matthew, my buddy, one cannot give away too many trade secrets or one will stop amazing his friends.”
The two men laughed quietly as they so carefully rummaged through the desks, files, and other cabinets in the office. They did this for about an hour and Matthew was about to give up when he heard Jim’s voice.
“Ah! I think I’ve found the link we’ve been looking for.” Jim had managed to discover a safe hidden in the wall panel. “Go ahead; tell me I’m a genius,” he said with his familiar cocky voice.
Matthew did not respond. He simply shook his head as he looked over Jim’s shoulder, into the safe.
There were several stacks of $100.00 bills lying in the safe along with several small packs of white powdery substance. There were also jewels wrapped neatly in five plastic bags with each one labeled with a series of numbers and city names. The first bag had the numbers, 561-Memphis, the second, 788-Chicago, the fourth one, 623-Las Angeles, and the fifth one, 981-New York.
Jim called out the numbers and names to Matthew who wrote them down.
He sifted through the other items and found two passports with Michael’s picture on each, but with different names. He continued moving his hand around the safe as Matthew shined the light inside the box. Jim touched an item and as he ran his hand across it, whispered, “It’s a twenty-two.” He lifted it up and showed it to Matthew.
“You need to make sure you put the piece back exactly as you found it. We don’t want him to know anyone has been here,” Matthew whispered.
“Do you think he’d miss one pack of the white powder?”
“Take some of it from a bag to analyze, but no more than you have to.”
Jim pulled a small plastic bag from his coat, took out some of the substance, and put it into the bag. “Do you want to look at the passports?”
Matthew took the passports as Jim snapped some pictures of the items lying in the safe. Matthew focused on the passports to read the names on them. The first name was Sebastian Brashling and the second name was James Franks. Matthew had never heard of either name.
Why did his brother have two passports with two different names on them? He also noticed that Sebastian Brashling was a Dutch citizen with short black curly hair and a mustache. James Franks was an American with shoulder length blonde hair and a beard, but both pictures were of Michael; there was no doubt about that. Matthew shook his head in shock, “Why does Mike have false passports?”
Jim handed several old plane tickets to him that held the two aliases names on them. “He’s a drug mule,” Jim guessed, “Or a Cabara representative.”
“I’m feeling sick, real sick over all this,” Matthew said in a low voice.
“We’ll figure it out; now let’s get out of here.”
The two men quickly and quietly made their way out of the building and back to their car.
Matthew was silent on the way back to the lodge, but it was obvious he was distraught.
Jim parked the car and walked along side his best friend as they made their way to the elevator. “Matthew, I want you to know, I will be right by your side to work this out.”
Matthew gave Jim a small grin, “I know you will, but Caroline will need you through this too.”
“I will be her strength and yours.”
“I thought Mike was okay. He’s had a few bumps along the way, but I thought he was doing fine now.”
“We will get Mikey through this somehow. I think we can redeem him, so don’t give up on him.”
Jim and Matthew said nothing else as they approached their friends, although Matthew knew they had the same thought.
This was going to be a bridge the whole family would have to cross. Matthew groaned at the thought of his parents hurt by the secrets Michael kept, but there was nothing he could do except be there for them. He only hoped he could prevent himself from punching Michael for the pain unnecessarily caused. Matthew had a feeling this was going to be a very painful event.
***
Justina had enjoyed her trip to Chicago but was glad to be coming back home. She had thought of Matthew while she was on her trip and wondered if he might call her soon. She had learned through her relationship with Nick that worry causes wrinkles, so she was determined not to do it again. If she and Matthew were meant to date, then all the pieces would somehow fall into place.
She had not heard from Nick in months and decided not to call him. It was better to leave things the way they were. She recalled the things she had witnessed that night again and trembled when she recalled the warnings of that side of Nick. She should consider herself lucky that Nick had not attempted to contact her. However, she still missed him.
Justina pulled her car into the parking garage at her apartment, stepped out of the car, and walked toward the elevator. Thinking she heard a noise, she turned to see a man following her. He appeared to be the same strange man she had seen the night she last saw Nick. Justina had a sudden urge to quicken her pace to the nearest lobby elevator and as she did, she could hear the man quicken his step as well. She was thankful when the elevator door opened and several people stepped out. Quickly stepping in, Justina was relieved when the doors shut and the elevator began moving. The ringing of her cell phone caused yet another fright in her, but she was relieved to hear Joyce’s voice.
“Hello, Justina. Are you glad to be home?”
“Yes, I am and I can’t wait to tell you all about Chicago.”
“Why don’t you come over tonight? My mom and dad are coming in tonight from Houston and I know
they’d love to see you again. The entire family will be here.”
“That sounds like fun. I will bring some drinks and snacks,” Justina volunteered.
The two women hung up the phone and Justina made her way to her penthouse to freshen up. After freshening up, Justina stepped out of the elevator, cautiously walking to her car, and sped away toward Joyce’s home.
A silver sedan pulled out behind her. The driver followed her to Joyce’s home where he parked across the street and waited.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Roger and Jim convinced Matthew the party would be a welcome distraction. He was standing near the kitchen door when he saw the lovely and vivacious Justina enter the home. Wanting to rush over and say hello to her, however, Matthew held back due to the strange insecurity that filled him.
Jim walked up and put his hand on Matthew’s shoulder. Laughing mischievously, Jim teased Matthew, “She might be just what the doctor ordered for you.”
“What are you aggravating my brother about now, honey? Could it be Justina Lindsey?” Caroline asked as she approached them from behind Matthew.
Matthew watched his sister and her husband enjoy a laugh at his expense. He could not stand it any longer and quipped at them, “I’m her attorney and that’s all there is to our relationship.”
Caroline and Jim looked at each other, then at Matthew and both burst out with a laugh.
***
Justina greeted Sammie with hugs and kisses as she pulled the little girl into her arms. After setting Sammie down, Justina pulled a bag from behind her and asked, “Who do you think these gifts are for?”
“They are for me!” Sammie said with glee as she pulled the gifts from the bag. She was thrilled with the clothes, but more so, with the doll.”
“Thank you, Justina,” Sammie said as she hugged her. “I’m gonna show Kalien and Katie.”
“You didn’t have to buy that girl anything, but thank you,” Roger commented as his daughter ran off to show the doll to her cousins.
“It’s great to see that smile on her face,” Justina answered with a wide grin on her own face.
“That girl has you wrapped around her finger, you spoil her too much,” Joyce joked.
“Oh, like you and Roger don’t spoil her and aren’t wrapped pretty tight too.”
***
Sometime later, everyone was out by the pool. Matthew looked around the deck for Justina and saw her by a fountain. He stepped over and stood just in front of her.