MARRYING MR. RIGHT (The Brides of Hilton Head Island Book 3) (25 page)

                            “So to what do I owe this pleasurable visit?” Antonio asked.

                            “What happened to your face, man?” Broderick questioned.

                            “Fell off the ladder while cutting the hedges,” Antonio lied.
No, you didn’t. Your Daddy socked you in the face.

                            “You make enough money to hire a gardener to do the lawn for you, man.” Broderick cleared his throat. “Anyway, I’m here because a detective by the name of Don paid me a visit today and questioned me about you and your mother.”

                            Ear pressed tight to the door, Katherine’s heart dunked.

                            “What kind of questions did Don ask you?” Antonio asked in a cool tone, but Katherine knew he had to be worried.

                            Broderick said, “At first Don asked me about my son. He wanted to know if Sarah and I legally adopted him. When I told him yes, he asked me if Sarah and I would subject our son to a DNA test. When I asked him why, he said he suspects that our son was stolen and belongs to a couple that misses him dearly.”

                            “How does this relate to me?” Antonio asked.

                            “That what I was wondering. Don told me he knew I’d been a member of the
Southern Mafia
gang back in high school. He asked me to give him the names of the other gang members. He wanted to know if any of the gang members were capable of kidnapping. Right when I got ready to tell Don to leave my house, my cell phone rang, and I had to excuse myself.”

                            Antonio sounded worried when he said, “Please tell me you didn’t tell Don I was part of
Southern Mafia
.” 

                            “No, I didn’t.”

                            Antonio released a deep breath. “Good. It’s none of his business.”

                            “But I think Don figured it out anyway.”                                         

                            Antonio’s voice deepened as he asked, “What do you mean Don figured it out?”                            Eavesdropping, nervous tension rushed through Katherine.

                            Broderick continued. “After I finished my phone call, I returned back to the living room, and Don was gone. And so was the photo album I had on the coffee table. Inside the photo album was a picture of me, Kelvin, Jack, Paul, Stephen, and you from back in the day. We had our shirts off and were pointing to those stupid SM initials we’d gotten on our chests. Don now knows who the
Southern Mafia
gang members were. Are any of the old gang members or you in some kind of trouble?” 

                            “No, man, I’m not in any kind of trouble. I stop being a bad boy a long time ago. Thanks for stopping by and filling me in. Things are good here,” Antonio lied.

                           
Don knows Antonio was a gang member. It’s only a matter of time before he puts two and two together. Or maybe he already has. I have to stop him from telling Zeke. Or Taylor. Or the police. 
Katherine bustled away from the door, ran upstairs to her bedroom, and yanked open the bottom drawer of her nightstand.

                           
Her silver shiny pistol with the glossy pink handle lay beside her bible. Hands shaking, she hefted her gun and placed it inside her purse. Grabbing her black curly wig from the top shelf of her closet, Katherine hopped in her car and left.                

Chapter Twenty-Seven

                           
F
luffy white clouds floated past the tiny window of the aircraft as it glided smoothly in the bright sky. Tucked beneath the cotton sheets of the jet’s comfortable bed, Zeke held Taylor’s in his arms. Madly in love, Zeke kissed the top of Taylor’s head. “It’s going to be so good having you home.”

                            Taylor’s finger teased Zeke’s nipple. “It’s going to be good being home. Speaking of home, I can’t wait for our home to get finished being built so we can move in.”

                            “That reminds me, I spoke with the contractor today. Our home will be move-in ready next week.”

                            Her head shot up from his chest. Eyes twinkling, Taylor’s lips curved upward. “Next week?” Zeke nodded. “Oh, that’s wonderful. I can’t wait.”

                            He twirled his finger around the end of her long, curly hair. “Me either. How’s your health been lately?”

                            “Great. Ever since I’ve left the hospital, I’ve felt wonderful. Have you given any more thought to adopting Jaheem and Evan?”

                            Hearing the two young boys’ names made Zeke’s insides jump with joy. Traveling his fingers along Taylor’s collarbone, he said, “Yes. If you’re truly onboard, I’d like for you to meet them when we get back. If you feel they’re a right fit for our family, I want to adopt them as soon as possible.”

                            Tilting her head, Taylor’s eyes glistened. “I’m definitely onboard, Zeke. If Jaheem and Evan are a good fit for you, then I know they’ll be a good fit for me as well. As my husband, I trust your decision. I can’t wait to meet them.”

                            Zeke appreciated the way Taylor trusted him to lead her right. “You’re going to love Jaheem and Evan. They are such great kids. I can’t explain it, but I have a deep connection with both of them. But if I’m being honest, I feel especially connected to Evan for some reason. Don’t get me wrong, I love them both equally. But there’s just something about Evan to where I feel really drawn to him. Maybe it’s because he’s the same age as our Zavier. Maybe it’s because I’ve always imagined Zavier having the same honey brown complexion as Evan. The same brown eyes as him.”

                            “What does Evan’s hair look like?” Taylor asked.

                            “It’s dark brown and curly—” Zeke’s cell buzzed. He lifted it from the end table to spy Don calling. “It’s Don.” Seeing hope buried in Taylor’s eyes, Zeke swallowed, then answered his cell. “Hey, Don. How’s it going?”

                            “Zeke! I have something very important to tell you. Are you sitting down?” Seriousness laced Don’s voice.

                            “Yes?”

                            Don cleared his throat. “I paid Dr. Broderick Whitefield a visit today. To avoid court legalities and media attention, Broderick agreed to let us test his son’s DNA to see if it matches with yours and Taylors. While I was visiting with Broderick, I stumbled across a photo of the
Southern Mafia
gang members. Kelvin and Broderick are in the photo along with—who’s there? Oh God, no!”  

                            At the sound of Don’s horrified voice, Zeke bolted up in bed. “What’s wrong, Don?”

                            “Put down the gun! Please don’t do this!” Don begged.

                           
Pow!
A gunshot blasted in Zeke’s ear, then the phone line went dead.

                            “Don?! Don?! Don!”

ONE WEEK LATER,
Don McQuade lay in the hospital bed in a deep coma, looking dead. Pale skin, bloated face, the doctor had stated it was a miracle Don was still alive. In critical condition from a gunshot wound to the head, bandages were wrapped around his skull. Intubated, his chest rose and fell.

                           
Zeke and Taylor stood beside Don’s bed, looking down at him and holding hands. “God, I can’t help but wonder if the person who did this to Don did this to stop him from telling me who has our son. Maybe Broderick’s son isn’t ours.” Zeke put his mouth to Don’s ear. “Fight for your life, Don. Fight.”

                            Taylor cupped Don’s hand. “Don, it’s me, Taylor. God is in control over your situation. He’s revealed to me that He will see you through this, so hang in there.”

                            Hard shoes clacked against the floor, causing Zeke and Taylor to turn around and look toward the entrance of the room. Braylon, Sandella, Richmond, and Kayla entered the room, then walked up to Don’s bedside. 

                            “How’s he doing?” Richmond asked.

                            Zeke replied, “There haven’t been any changes.”

                            “I feel so sorry for him,” Sandella said, just above a whisper.

                            “Me, too. I feel sorry for him, and his family,” Kayla acknowledged, tears pooling her pretty eyes.

                            “Although I’m a criminal investigator for the Marines, I’ve still been doing my own investigation regarding Don. I’ve been working around the clock, trying to figure out who committed this crime,” Braylon said.

                            “Braylon will catch them,” Sandella stated, confident in her husband’s work abilities.

                            Hating to see Don fighting for his life, Zeke’s heart was filled with sorrow. “It’s good seeing you guys. Taylor and I are about to head out. We moved into our new home yesterday. Once we get settled in, we’re going to invite you guys over to have dinner with us.”

                            Sandella’s face beamed with joy. “I can’t wait to see your new home. I know it’s beautiful.”

                            Kayla said, “Let me know if you need any help unpacking, Taylor.”

                            Taylor spoke, “Thanks for offering, Kayla. But Zeke hired someone to unpack our things for us.”

                            “I’ll be in touch.” Zeke placed his hand on the lower part of Taylor’s spine and steered her out of the room. Seeing his friends had cheered him up some. And when he saw Jaheem and Evan in a short while, he was certain he’d feel even better.
My sons
.

                            Zeke steered the vehicle down the street and headed toward his brand new home on the ocean. It’d taken over an hour for Zeke, along with Taylor, to drive to Beaufort to pick up Jaheem and Evan, then head back to the other side of town.

                            When Taylor had first laid eyes on Jaheem and Evan while at the group care facility, she’d wrapped her arms around both the boys like she loved them with all her heart. A very affectionate woman, Taylor had arrived at the shelter bearing gifts for all the children. Books, toys, socks, and T-shirts, she’d spent a small fortune at Walmart after they’d left the hospital to see Don.

                            With Jaheem and Evan in the backseat of his SUV and Taylor in the passenger’s seat, Zeke drove the Porsche up the long driveway of their new home on the ocean, then parked.

                            “Who in the heck lives here?!” Jaheem asked.

                            Zeke looked at Jaheem in his rearview mirror. Jaheem’s mouth was wide open. “This is Taylor and my home.”

                            Evan slapped his hands to his honey brown cheeks. “I’ve never seen a house this big in my whole life! This is two mansions, mister!”

                            Zeke and Taylor both chuckled. Taylor asked, “Would you guys like to see the inside?”

                            “Yes!” Jaheem and Evan said in unison. At the same time, they quickly hopped out of the car, slammed the doors, and scurried up to the front door, leaving Taylor and Zeke sitting in the SUV.

                            Zeke watched Jaheem and Evan as they stood on the porch, waving for him and Taylor to get out of the car. “I think they’re going to like their new home. I can’t wait to tell them that we want to adopt them.”

                            Taylor’s eyes radiated. “I think they’re going to love it here, too. You said they were adorable, Zeke, and they are. I can’t wait to see their faces when we tell them we want to adopt them.” Taylor placed her hand over her heart. “I’ve fallen in love with them already. When can we make them officially ours? I want to adopt them right away.”

                            “After we speak with them today, I’ll call the attorney, Gar, and have him draw up the paperwork ASAP.”

                            Her features became more animated. “I can’t wait. I’m too excited.”

                            Zeke and Taylor climbed down from the SUV, walked up to the heavy glass door of their mansion. Turning the key in the lock, Zeke winked his eye at Taylor.

                            Jaheem laughed. “Stop flirting, Mr. Zeke.”

                            “You caught me, huh?” Zeke chuckled.

                            Jaheem pointed at his own eyes. “These eyes don’t miss nothing.”

                            Zeke stepped to the side to let his family in first. Standing in the foyer, he closed the door behind them. Upon entering the mansion, the oversized living room offered a great view of the wide blue ocean.

                            Jaheem’s eyes traveled around the spacious area. “Wow. Look at this house.”

                            Evan put his fist on hips and tilted his head. “Are you some kin to Jay-Z, mister?”

                            Zeke chortled. “No, Evan. I’m not related to Jay-Z.”

                            Evan threw his hands up in the air. “I heard you were rich. But I didn’t know you was this rich.”

                            After showing Jaheem and Evan the house, Zeke took them to the family room and sat them on the couch between him and Taylor. “Jaheem…Evan…there’s something Taylor and I want to discuss with you.”

                            “Uh oh. This sounds serious,” Jaheem stated.

                            “Tell me about it. I’ve been good lately, mister.” Shaking his head, Evan held his hands up to his chest level. “So whatever they say I did, it wasn’t me.”

                            Taylor giggled. “Your teacher gave us a good report on you, and we know you’ve been good, Evan.”

                            Zeke exclaimed, “What Taylor and I want to talk to you two about is serious. Over the last few months, I’ve spent a lot of time with both of you. I’ve bragged on the two of you over and over to Taylor. After hearing how wonderful you are, she and I decided we’d like to adopt both of you.”

                            Taylor caressed Evan’s back as love filled her eyes. “We love both of you and want you to be our sons.”

                            Zeke caressed Jaheem’s back. “How do you guys feel about that?”

                            Jaheem burst into tears.

                            Sniffing, Evan folded his arms over his chest.  

                            The two boys looked at each other and smiled.

                            Jaheem’s teary voice shook as he cried, “I never thought I’d see this day come. Never thought anybody would ever love me. Normally, no one wants the older kids. I’d love for you to adopt me.”

                            Evan’s tiny little finger shot up in the air. “Me, too!”

                            Zeke’s heart swelled. “Then it’s settled. The four of us are going to live here and be one…big…happy family.”

                            Zeke and Taylor sat on the long couch, glancing out at the sea, embracing their soon-to-be children.