Troublemaker (13 page)

Ted looked out the window in silence, and then back at Victoria. He let out a deep breath and slowly spoke his next words. “A drug addict will do anything, V.”

There. He'd said it. Victoria knew their son drank and partied too much, and yes, he used a fair amount of drugs as well. But until this moment she'd never thought of Christian as an addict. At that moment all the worries she had about her marriage took a backseat to the problem facing her son. Her expression went from disappointment, to worry, to fear.

Ted took her hand in his. “We have to face reality. Christian looks good, dresses and presents himself well, and by the grace of God, he manages to maintain his grades, stay in school, and carry on a normal looking life. But he's a functioning addict, and if he doesn't get help he's going to end up like the guys in the street who's addiction is obvious. I've seen a fast decline in him over the last six months, and I intend to talk to him about it this weekend.”

Victoria knew that every word coming out of Ted's mouth was the truth. “It must be bad if he's stealing from you.”

“I was so mad I could've wrung his neck with my bare hands. If it wasn't for the fact that he's my son I would've pressed charges. He has no idea that I know what he did, but he will when I see him.”

“I knew Christian had his issues, but . . .”

Ted gently placed his hand on Victoria's shoulder. “This is the reason I've been stressed and preoccupied. I didn't want to burden you with it, especially with you planning Alexandria's wedding, coordinating the breast cancer walk, and all the other things you have on your plate.”

“But Ted, he's our son. You could've told me. What he did wasn't only illegal—it was immoral . . . to betray your family. We need to get him some help.”

Ted wrapped his arms around Victoria, drawing her in close to his body. They held each other in the warm summer heat, connecting in a way that Victoria hadn't experienced with him in a very long time. “I love you, Ted,” she said.

“I love you, too, V.” Ted kissed her softly, squeezing her around her waist until a wide smile came to her face. They stood in each other's arms for a few minutes, enjoying a silent embrace.

But as much as Victoria loved sharing this tender moment with Ted, something didn't feel right about it. A mixture of sadness, happiness, and confusion settled in her stomach. She was sad because she knew her son was headed down a very dangerous road that was paved with disaster. She felt happy because Ted was holding her the way he used to, and it felt good to her senses. But she was also confused because while she enjoyed being in his arms, his explanation about why he'd been distant from her didn't ring completely true.

Victoria knew that the weight of Christian's drug use and the crime he'd committed as a result was heavy on Ted's mind, but she didn't feel it was the reason he'd lost his interest in making love to her. She'd been married to him long enough to know when things were awry, and right now, she knew that something wasn't right, and she was determined to find out what was really going on before the weekend ended.

T
o say that Allene was overjoyed to see Alexandria was an understatement. She was sitting in her rocking chair on the front porch when Alexandria and PJ arrived. Seeing her great-great-granddaughter in visions was one thing, but being face-to-face with her in the living, breathing flesh was a completely different experience.

Allene could clearly see a lot of herself in the young woman. Other than the fact that Alexandria's complexion was light caramel color and Allene's was a deep onyx hue, they both possessed the same impressive height, distinctively squared shoulders, thick hair, and keen facial features that nearly everyone in the Small family had inherited from Susan Jessup, the beautiful young slave girl with the gift of prophecy who was the backbone of their very existence.

As Alexandria walked up the steps to the large wrap-around porch, she paused and looked directly at the rocking chair where Allene was sitting.

“Is everything all right?” PJ asked.

Alexandria smiled wide. “Yes, everything is just fine. That's my grandma Allene's rocking chair, and before her, it belonged to her grandmother, and her mother, a woman named Susan Jessup,” she said, pointing to where Allene was presently sitting.

“Is she here? I mean, right now?”

Alexandria nodded. “She most certainly is. But she's going to give us time to settle in. She and I will talk later tonight, when we'll be able to communicate more freely and without time constraints. We have a lot to discuss.”

“That's right, baby girl.” Allene spoke in words that only Alexandria could hear. “You and PJ go on in and get prepared for everybody that's gonna be comin' shortly. Believe me, you're gonna need your rest for when your brother gets here.”

Alexandria sighed, knowing Allene was right. She looked down at her feet with deep concentration, and then back up toward her grandma Allene's empty rocking chair. “All right, Grandma. I can't wait to see you tonight.”

Allene smiled with satisfaction and gratitude. It made her feel good to know that Alexandria had been listening to, and learning from, everything that Allene was teaching her. She was picking up on all the little signs, being careful to pay attention so she could make the best decisions possible and use her gift for good. Allene had been proud of her son, Isaiah, and his son, John for all their accomplishments. They'd been the lights of her life. But the love and pride she felt for Alexandria couldn't be put into words.

Not only did Allene feel a special bond to Alexandria because of the gift they shared, her heart swelled with emotion every time she thought about how kind, loving, and selfless Alexandria was. She was about to be a new bride to a surgeon with a demanding schedule, and a new mother to a child who had health challenges and might be plagued by physical illness for the foreseeable future. But even in the face of this, she didn't think twice about accepting the demands both would place on her as she also worked to carve out a new career path of her own. Alexandria wanted to do these things because she knew that her role as wife and mother would benefit two very special people whom she loved.

PJ had always longed to experience the genuine love of a woman, which was something he'd never felt from his own mother, who had never wanted children and had only gotten pregnant to trap Parker into marrying her—which hadn't worked. Alexandria had come into PJ's life and healed his wound, showing him that not only was he worthy of receiving unconditional love from a woman, he deserved it. She was also going to fill a huge void in young Gary's life when, in a few months, she became the mother he'd never had but had always wanted. Alexandria was going to nurture him, protect him, and care for him as if she'd birthed him herself. This was the power of love and family that Allene valued and held close, and she was glad that Alexandria did as well.

Allene watched Alexandria as she walked over to the large gold-colored flowerpot where Victoria had instructed Percy Jones to leave the house key.

She bent down and picked up the key. “I feel blessed to be at the home my great-grandfather built.”

“It's quite a house and an impressive legacy that he left,” PJ said.

“Yes, it is. My grandpa Isaiah was a strong man, and I know I'll gain a lot just by virtue of being here this weekend. This house holds so much more than just furniture and shelter. I believe it's going to provide healing.”

Allene knew that Alexandria's words were true, but she still said a quick prayer of protection to cover her, and their entire family, for the time they'd be here.

After Alexandria and PJ settled in upstairs, Allene watched with delight as Victoria and her small entourage arrived. They all looked a little road worn from their drive. They'd left out at sunup, and then traveled seven hours on the highway to reach Nedine. But now that they were safe at the family homestead, Allene knew they would be all right. She decided to take a quick nap so she'd be alert for tonight's activities. But her rest was interrupted when she felt a strong force jolt her from her sleep.

“Have mercy!” She opened her eyes and saw that it was Christian She knew instantly that he had liquor on his breath, drugs in his system, and trouble brewing all around him.

A
llene watched closely as Christian made his grand entrance. She shook her head at his extravagance. He couldn't get a basic rental car like Alexandria and PJ had gotten. His vehicle was a sporty, black two-seater with a drop top. “Everything he does is over the top.”

Christian turned his coffee cup up to his lips, which was filled with Hennessy, and drank it down as if it was water. He was grinning from ear to ear as he got out of the car, stumbling slightly while throwing his overnight bag on his shoulder.

“Man, it's hot as hell out here,” Christian mumbled with irritation. He stopped a few yards short of the porch where Allene was sitting in her rocking chair, and took in a full view of the house. “Damn! This place is nice.” He removed his designer sunglasses for a closer inspection, then walked around to the backyard and surveyed the grounds. “Mom said this place was a showstopper, but I never imagined it would be like this,” Christian said in a whisper as he walked back around to the front of the house. “When one plan ends, a new one begins. I can rake in a pretty penny with this place. It'll make a great bed-and-breakfast, and I'll make a killing.”

Allene sucked in a deep breath of the stiflingly hot summer air. She didn't like inserting herself into situations unless there was a dire need, because doing so could sometimes produce negative and unintended consequences, and she preferred to let things happen naturally. But right then and there she decided that this was one situation she was going to step into. There was no way in this world or the one beyond that she was going to sit back and let Christian get his hands on any part of their family homestead, or the surrounding land and rental properties.

“Isaiah worked hard and even risked his life so he could build this house for his family,” Allene said with conviction. She'd never forget the night that the Klan had tried to burn it down. The white-hooded racists would have succeeded in their mission of hate had Allene not stirred up the fear of heaven and hell inside each of them who'd gathered to do her family harm. It was one of the times that she'd known interference was necessary. And just as she'd interceded in that situation, she was prepared to do the same where Christian was concerned, if she had to.

Allene slowly rose from her rocking chair and followed Christian as he walked into the house. He stood in the elegant foyer, inspecting the natural wood details, expensive marble and high-end antiques that decorated the home's entrance. “I'm here,” he announced loudly, as if he were royalty waiting to be greeted.

Alexandria and PJ came out from the den in the back to greet him and immediately, they could see that not only had Christian been drinking, he was high on top of that. It amazed Allene how he could look so clean-cut and presentable when most addicts literally wore their addiction on their face and body. But Christian was a different breed. He was like a white collar criminal, and they always knew how to set themselves apart.

Allene watched as Alexandria glanced from her brother over to PJ and let out a sigh. She knew just as everyone else did that PJ didn't care for Christian. From the moment he'd met Christian last year, his future brother-in-law had rubbed him the wrong way.

Christian's first mistake with PJ had come when Christian invited him to an Atlanta Hawks game. But instead of cheering on the home team in courtside seats as Christian had said they'd do, he'd taken PJ to a strip club, where he'd proceeded to get drunk. When he refused to leave PJ had to call a cab and ended up watching the game from the seat of his couch. Christian's second misstep came when he'd had the nerve to ask PJ to write him prescriptions for Oxycontin, Valium, and Percocet, and then acted as if he was offended when PJ refused his bold request.

Allene watched as Alexandria approached her brother with caution, but PJ stepped up to him, displaying what Allene thought was a good amount of civility when he gave Christian a firm handshake accompanied by a smile. “What's up, man? How've you been?”

Christian flashed his brilliant white teeth and spoke with slurred words. “Lovin' life, man. It's all good.”

Alexandria rolled her eyes and couldn't hold back. “Christian, I can't believe you came here drunk. Did you drive?” she asked incredulously.

“First off, I'm not drunk, and if I was it's really none of your business. And second, yes, I drove and my rental car is parked out front.”

“I can't believe you.”

“Believe what?”

“You smell like alcohol.”

Christian let out a frustrated sigh, “There you go.”

PJ looked on in silence while Alexandria crossed her arms and shook her head. “You're drunk,” she said. “I can smell liquor on your breath, and I can look into your eyes and tell you're high.”

Allene knew that last week Christian had scouted out where he could find drugs in Nedine. As soon as he got off the plane and picked up his rental car, he'd headed straight to a part of down known as The Bottom, a notorious hangout for unsavory characters. He'd met with his connection to get his supply of cocaine for the weekend and he'd snorted two lines on his way to the house, followed up by the cognac he'd picked up at the ABC store in town. As Allene reflected on what she'd seen, she knew that Alexandria was looking into his recent past as well as what he'd done in the present.

Christian crossed his arms just as Alexandria had done and looked at her with the same scrutiny she'd leveled on him. “Why're you monitoring me? I'm a grown ass man and if I want to sip a little drink to start my weekend off right, it's nobody's business but mine.”

“See, that's where you're wrong. The minute you walked into this house you made it PJ's and my business, Mom and Dad's business, and everyone else who'll be under this roof this weekend.”

“Oh, so now I'm fuckin' up everyone's weekend just because I want to enjoy myself. Man, that's some bullshit.”

“Hey man, watch your tone,” PJ piped in. “Your sister's trying to help you.”

Christian glanced at PJ, looking as if he wanted to say something, but knowing he better tread lightly. He cleared his throat and smiled. “I don't need any help. I'm fine.”

Alexandria shook her head. “You don't even realize what you're doing, Christian. Just because you're educated and you're able to dress yourself up that doesn't mean you don't have a problem.”

“Right now you're my only problem.”

“No, your problem is that Vodka and Hennessy you drink and the cocaine you snort.”

“I don't have to listen to this self-righteous shit. Fuck you!” Christian spat out.

“Lord Jesus, help 'em,” Allene whispered as she watched on.

“You must be out of your mind!” PJ shouted. He was an easygoing man, but when it came to Alexandria, he didn't play around. “Apologize to Ali, right now,” he said in a threatening voice.

Alexandria put her hand on PJ's arm. “Calm down, honey.”

“You better listen to your little wifey,” Christian said in an equally threatening tone.

PJ narrowed his eyes on Christian and looked as though he was ready to take him down. “Apologize,” he demanded.

Christian widened his legs to balance himself, clearly feeling his high. “Man, I know you not tryin' to flex”

“Boys flex, men step straight to you,” PJ said as he took a step toward Christian. “You will not disrespect your sister. Period. And I'll be damned if I'm gonna stand by and watch it.”

“Man, fuck you, too!”

Allene could see anger rising up in Alexandria. She closed her eyes and sent her a gentle message, warning her not to engage Christian any further because of what would surely happen if she did—a physical confrontation between her fiancé and her brother. But Alexandria was too far gone. She was so angry that she lost control, allowing her mind to get to a state that Allene couldn't penetrate.

“Oh no!” Allene said. “She's gon' tell what she knows.” Allene knew what was coming when she saw Alexandria take a deep breath, briefly close her eyes, and then aim them like bullets on Christian. She'd read his thoughts and knew the sneaky plan he'd laid.

“You low down, dirty dog,” Alexandria hissed. “You pretended like you wanted to come here this weekend for our family's sake, but the
only
reason you're here in Nedine, standing in the house that our great-grandfather built, is because you have plans to swindle it right out from under Mom's nose.”

Christian raised his hand and tried to interrupt her, but Alexandria kept going.

“I know about the misleading documents you're going to ask her to sign that will cause her to lose everything while you take control of it all . . . and I also know about the other low-down, despicable crime you've already committed. You think you're slick, but you're not. I even know about the professor you're screwing so she'll give you an A in your summer class.”

Lord, she done gon' and exposed everything!
Allene thought.

Christian's face went blank. He knew his sister had an amazing gift, one which he still didn't fully understand, and the fact that she'd looked into his life more closely than he'd imagined made him visibly frightened.

By this time, Tyler, Samantha, and Uncle Maxx heard the commotion and were coming out to the foyer to see what was going on. Allene was glad that Chase was still up in his room listening to music, unaffected by the drama unfolding around him.

It was only a matter of seconds before Victoria and Ted entered.

“What's going on down here?” Ted asked as he descended the stairs with Victoria hot on his heels. Ted looked from Alexandria to PJ, and finally to Christian. “I said, what's going on down here?”

No one said a word, but it was clear that tempers were high. Then, without warning, Christian burst into a big smile as if someone had just handed him a winning Lotto ticket. “Hi, Mom and Dad!” He greeted them as if all were well and he hadn't just been fussing and cussing like he was in a bar. “Great to see you. I just got here and everyone came out to welcome me. Now we're one big happy family.”

“You're sick,” PJ said under his breath as he shook his head.

“And twisted,” Samantha threw in.

The room fell silent as Ted and Victoria looked from person to person, with no one saying a word.

“Something is wrong because we heard raised voices down here and now everyone is quiet,” Victoria said, looking between Alexandria and Christian. “What in the world is going on?”

PJ looked straight ahead while Alexandria and Christian remained silent.

“Well?” Victoria stood with her hand on her right hip, this time aiming her question at Tyler, Samantha, and Uncle Maxx.

Allene could see that no one wanted any part of the family feud. Samantha craned her neck and looked at Christian with disgust. She was getting ready to open her mouth when Tyler touched her arm.

“Sam, this isn't your business to tell,” Tyler cautioned in a low voice.

“It's not my business, but she's my friend.”

Over the past year, Allene had grown to love Tyler and his family as if they were her own. Tyler was the voice of calm reason to Samantha's well-intentioned but often confrontational manner. Allene knew that Samantha meant well, but Tyler was right, and she needed to stay out of the fray.

Victoria's eyes grew wide. “Samantha, what are you talking about?”

Tyler cleared his throat. “Victoria, you and your son need to talk.”

“About what?” Victoria asked as she looked at Christian.

The disappointment and concern on Victoria's face made Allene want to reach out and hug her. No matter what the situation, no mother wanted to see her child unhappy, unsafe, or unloved. Christian had always been loved, but his reckless behavior invited a mountain of unhappiness and danger into his life. Victoria narrowed her eyes on her son. “What have you done now?”

“Mom, I just got here and I haven't even unpacked. Why don't we save it for later, when I'm more rested?”

Uncle Maxx exhaled deeply and looked around the room. “I'ma tell y'all right now. I'm too old to be goin' through any bullshit. If Mr. Isaiah was alive, God rest his soul, he wouldn't tolerate family actin' a damn fool up and under his roof.” Allene nodded her head in agreement as Maxx continued. “This is a time for celebration, not raisin' hell. Respect this house and respect your family,” he said, throwing a hard look at Christian.

“Well said, Uncle Maxx.” Christian stared back at his great-uncle as if he hadn't done a thing. He picked up the envelope with his name written on it from the foyer table. “I'll be heading up to my room now. See you all in a bit.”

Christian boldly walked up the stairs as everyone stood in silence and looked on with a mixture of frustration and worry. Allene could see that no one wanted to get into it with Christian so early in the trip, but she also knew that things would reach a confrontational head tomorrow, and she was glad because the boy was in need of an intervention.

“I noticed that the bar in the den is fully stocked,” Samantha said, “I'm about to mix some drinks. Anyone want to join me?”

“You my kinda woman,” Uncle Maxx said with a flirty wink.

They all followed Samantha and Uncle Maxx back to the den so they could decompress after the tense moment that Christian had created.

“That boy's gonna make somebody hurt him bad,” Allene said as she walked back out to the porch and sat down in her rocking chair. She looked up at the sunny sky, just as she'd done so many days in the past, and nodded her head at what she'd just heard. Alexandria had used her powers to whisper into Allene's ear. “I'm sorry for my outburst, Grandma Allene. I'm going to listen to you the next time. This won't happen again.”