Was it Good for You Too? (14 page)

The judge motioned for a raven-haired woman to approach the bench. “Get someone over to that house right away. I want a child psychologist assigned to every minor child, along with a reliable social worker to interview them separately. Then set each of them up for DNA tests.”

“But what about her,” Anna Germaine said, gesturing to Trish, whose tears streamed freely down her face.

The judge grimaced and gave her a sad look. “From the sounds of things, Mrs. Germaine, she's also a victim. There are procedures we have to follow. For now, we'll need to protect all of them—her included—from him. I'm doing that by taking him into custody just on everyone's unsubstantiated statements, and setting a high bail. And that's stretching what I'm truly able to do.”

The judge called for a recess.

“Why didn't you tell us?” Anna asked as she joined Tailan on the bench.

“Ms. Anna,” Tailan turned tearful eyes to her. “I was too afraid. I'm such a coward.”

“What?”

Tailan turned a tear-filled gaze to Anna. “Those children didn't have a voice. I ran away to save myself, and I abandoned them. I was only there a week, but I knew something was wrong. I didn't see it, but I could feel their pain and sadness. They were always terrified when he came near them.” She balled her hands into fists. “The night I heard my uncle and aunt talking, it clicked. And I left them in that house with those animals. I could've gone to the police. I could've done more, but I was so scared they would find me.” She held a trembling hand to her breast. “I was only thinking of myself. I didn't want to think about what they'd done.” She dropped her head into her hands and finally cried for those children—her own cousins, her mother—and the sexual abuse they had suffered at the hands of one man.

Anna wiped the tears with her thumb.

“They couldn't speak,” Tailan whispered. “Today I had to be their voice. I should've done something sooner so someone could protect them. I feel so bad.”

Delvin stepped forward, but his mother shooed him away.

Tailan froze, suddenly ashamed by the comfort she didn't deserve. “I don't need your pity.”

“And you won't get it,” Anna countered. “Starting today, I'm going to treat you like the daughter you've become.”

“But I wasn't raped,” she whined.

“That doesn't mean that the trauma wasn't just as real,” Anna said, cupping Tailan's face in her hands. “Instinct propelled you out the door that night. You've been dealing with the emotional fall-out of that decision ever since you came to us.”

She wrapped her arms around Tailan, who visibly stiffened at first. Moments later, Tailan laid her head on the swell of Anna's bosom and nearly passed out with relief.

“I'm still so scared sometimes.”

“They'll never get anywhere near you. If it makes you feel better, we'll put you in a self-defense class.”

Tailan took the tissue Anna offered. “Yes ma'am. I'd like that.”

When Anna pulled away, Delvin quickly stepped in and brought her into his arms and held her. “I won't let anything happen to you.”

Chapter 15

Tailan shivered at the memories of what had happened in that house.

“Delvin, are you still up?” she whispered, gripping the edge of the hotel blanket, trying to keep her sadness at bay.

“Yep,” he answered. She could hear the weariness in his tone. “What's wrong, baby?”

“I can't sleep.”

He sat up, looking in her direction. “You want me to get you something?”

“No, but I … I just need—”

Delvin moved from the sofa and was in the bed in a matter of seconds, pulling the covers around them as he held her in his arms. “Is that better?”

“Yes, thank you.”

She held onto him, shivering from a chill that went all the way down to her soul.

“Are you cold, baby?”

“A little,” she lied, reluctant to tell him that shadows of guilt surrounding what Uncle Lin had done to punish those who turned on him were more prevalent than ever.

King bailed Uncle Lin out of jail after the court session where the judge put in the order for an investigation into abuse and neglect of Aunt Trish's children and grandchildren. The two of them waited until late that night, barricaded the doors and windows, then set fire to the house on the west side that contained all of his damning secrets. That night Aunt Trish, his children, and the children he spawned from them, perished in that fire in his attempt to leave no evidence of what he had done.

The day that Tailan found out about her relatives' fates, she packed to leave the Germaine's. Her uncle was going to come for her next, and she didn't want the family who loved her to feel his wrath.

“What are you doing? “Anna Germaine asked from the threshold of Tailan's bedroom.

“I'm not putting Delvin's family in jeopardy,” she replied, stuffing a few pieces of clothes in a suitcase.

“
Your
family.”

Tailan's head whipped to Anna. “What?!”

“
Your
family. You said
Delvin's
family,” Anna replied gently, but her eyes were intense. “We're your family too. And it's time you stopped making decisions as an individual and realized that we're on your side.”

“But I—”

“But nothing, young lady!” she said, snatching the suitcase from Tailan's hand and tossing it aside. “We're a unit! We. And don't you forget it.”

Tailan stared at her for several moments. “Yes ma'am.”

“Now it's time that you stop acting like you're in this alone.”

Tailan sank to the edge of the bed and mumbled, “Yes ma'am.”

Anna took the space next to her and pulled her into an embrace.

Only a few days later did the search through the rubble of that house turn up Uncle Lin's body. He was unable to escape the blaze himself, as he stood nearby to lay sight to his handiwork. King was arrested as the culprit and was serving time in jail for the murders of all the people who were inside that burning building.

* * *

“I'm proud of what you've done on this tour,” Delvin said, lacing his hands in her hair.

“Really?” She looked up at him.

“I don't think many people could've outsmarted those men the way you did.”

She smiled, and her focus shifted from unsavory memories to the moonlit sky and the calmness in his voice. “We sold more books at that one store than the other eleven combined. Those authors had some serious backbone. I couldn't have done it without them.”

“And what did you say to the weave sisters?” Delvin gave her a comforting squeeze.

Tailan laughed. “They're not all wearing weaves. One of them has locs.”

“Even those are a little suspect,” he said dryly.

“Delvin!” She swatted his chest.

He chuckled at her playful punch. “When they came off the bus, it was like they were totally different women.”

“That's who they really are,” she said in their defense. “All the rest of it is an act. They probably feel they can't represent the genre if they're not coming out all hard, like they're ride-or-die chicks. Rappers do it all the time. Then they get busted when their fans find out it's all a big lie.”

“But The Divas met their match when they came up against The Vets.”

Tailan couldn't help but chuckle.

“I still can see them slinking to their new seats,” he said. “That right there was priceless. I don't think I've laughed so hard in my life. The Vets shut them all the way down. Hey,” he said, peering down at her, “do you think Beverly really had a switchblade up there?”

“Yep,” Tailan answered. “Brenda? No. But Beverly—I think she might also be packing a .22 special.”

Delvin busted up laughing.

“And Les? She's straight Philly, so it's all fists and a verbal takedown. Joyce carries a mini-taser.”

“Seriously?”

Tailan grinned at his expression. “It's why we couldn't fly her in. Mama don't take no mess.” She shifted so she was nestled into his body like a second skin. “Delvin, how did you end up here? I mean as an author.”

“I had an idea for a book, and my agent pitched it to a publisher,” he replied, stroking a hand over the swell of her buttocks. “They put me with two of the best writers in the industry—a husband and wife team who were both national bestselling authors. And I'm hoping that a studio will want to make it into a movie.”

“So you can star in it?”

“I definitely want to be involved in some way.” His hand lowered to rest on her thighs. “I saw the book as just another vehicle to keep me on the screen, but to the authors on this tour, writing books is so much more. They live to write.” His hands stroked across the roundness of her bottom, causing a small shiver of pleasure to run through her. “Why did you go into this line of work?” Delvin continued.

“When the first job I wanted was taken by someone else …” she began dryly.

“Tai, you were smart,” he countered, his hands pausing on their way down her thighs. “Way more intelligent than you gave yourself credit for.”

“All I wanted was to be with you.
That's
what would've made me happy.”

Delvin angled her body so that they were eye to eye. “Being a housewife would've bored you to tears.”

“Is that what made Gabrielle so appealing?” she asked, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice. “She had dreams and I didn't?”

“You know it had nothing to do with that.” For a moment he was silent, and she knew he was weighing his next words carefully. “I wanted you to trust me, Tai. Trust me enough to believe in what we—
we
—would have accomplished together. A family.” He sighed, as though trying to rein in his own frustrations. “I did what I had to do to keep you safe. I kept my promise, Tai. Why couldn't you believe in me … in
us
?”

Tailan was silent behind that admission. The pain of his voice ripped through her heart. Even now, trust was so hard for her, and it was impacting almost every relationship in her life.

“That summer I spent hiding out at school, I spent most of my time in the library,” she redirected. “I read about new worlds and people. Books were my friends.” She looked up, giving him a small smile. “Until you showed up. You know, I still love orange cupcakes.”

“I actually found some across the street,” he confessed. “Planned to eat them for breakfast. I bought you some too.”

“You did?” A gleeful smile split her face before she could pull it back.

“I figured you'd feel better this morning.”

She nodded. “When I see them, it brings it all back. The good things.” Tailan splayed a hand across his chest. “I'm sorry, Delvin. You were right. I should have trusted you, and I'm so very sorry.”

Delvin kissed her then—a warm, tender kiss that exploded into a world of need and passion that had been long muted.

She forced herself to pull away. “Sometimes I wonder what would've happened if you hadn't come into the classroom that day.”

“Let's be grateful you never had to find out.”

Chapter 16

S
OUL
E
XPRESS
T
OUR—DAY
4
7:28
A.M.

Delvin was no one's fool. More than anyone, he knew Tailan was vulnerable at the moment. She was a lousy sick person and cranky to a fault when she didn't feel well. But they needed to clear the air between them—needed to deal with the elephant in the room.

Having her in his arms resting peacefully would only stave off the inevitable. Tailan could play possum like nobody's business, but he knew she'd been awake for a while. He'd spent too many warm nights with her cradled in his arms. No way he could miss the change in her breathing and the gentle rise and fall of her breasts that signaled that she was awake.

Delvin feigned slumber as she covertly slipped out of bed. He listened to her morning ritual in the bathroom. The luxurious shower and dry-off. The breakneck pace of her slipping into something professional and stylish. Delvin glanced over to the alarm clock on the nightstand. Right about now Tailan was sprinkling her beautiful face with a hint of make-up and lip coloring.

Right on cue, she opened the bathroom door and hurried to the dresser mirror to put on her earrings.

Delvin slid from the bed and embraced her from behind. “Good morning, love.”

She shrugged him off and replied, “Morning.”

His eyes narrowed on her. “Baby?”

Tailan didn't look up as she slipped on a necklace. “Yes.”

“We need to talk.”

She paused for a moment, then snapped a bracelet onto her wrist. “‘The Talk' will have to wait,” Tailan responded. “I don't have the time. My life—this tour—”

“Make time,” Delvin fired back.

Tailan turned from their reflection and stared coldly at him. “I won't be dictated to, Delvin.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, giving that ugly eye better than she ever had. “Answer one question for me.”

Her stance was pure defiance.

“Do you forgive me?”

Tailan's lids dipped so low that her eyes almost appeared closed. She fumbled with her watch—a nervous habit that gave Delvin hope.

“Most definitely,” she answered.

“And do you still love me?”

Her head tilted. “That's two questions.” Tailan moved past him, but he caught her by the arms.

“Answer it.”

“Yes!” she shouted and broke away from him. Tailan straightened her clothes—another sign Delvin recognized. She was buying time to think. “But I can't act on that love right now.”

Her answer made him somewhat relieved. “Now we're getting somewhere.”

Delvin walked to the sofa and gathered up his clothes. He could feel her watching his every move, and it stirred a heated wave inside him. If he didn't act now, there might not be a later. “If I don't push you to talk to me …”