Chief Munford was livid and that was putting it mildly, when he stormed into his office Monday morning. Not only had his orders not been followed, he also received a telephone call from a big shot attorney from Northern Virginia claiming to represent Lassiter and Thornton. He threw his briefcase on top of his desk and stared out the window overlooking downtown Richmond. They could not follow a simple order. Storm the church, bring Lassiter and Thornton to the station and make them simply disappear. He knew there were loop holes in the plan, but he didn’t care. He wanted to send a message to Harrison that he controlled the streets of Richmond, VA. At the wave of a hand he could make his life a nightmare. Now he had Vernon Brooks to deal with. The damn Brooks money that stretched from Virginia to California and then overseas. All this bull started with that spineless Roberts giving the information to that woman. A knocked sounded at his door and he yelled enter.
Captain Davis stood in the door way, “You requested to see me Chief.”
“Where in the hell do you get off counteracting my orders?”
Thirty years on the job and Captain Davis never thought of retiring until now. In the past he would see things happen and as long as it did not touch him or his men, he would turn and look the other way. In the last year or so it seemed the Chief was more blatant with his underhand dealings and frankly he was tired of it. “The order was so profound I did not believe it came from you. I’ve always known you to be an intelligent officer. This move was just damn stupid.”
“One of our own was shot down in the street and those individuals inside that church were involved. Where is your loyalty to the men in blue?”
“You don’t give a damn about the men. Save that bull for the media. Your purpose was to upstage JD Harrison. You couldn’t do that with his father, and you damn sure are not going to do it to his son. I don’t know why you hated James Harrison to a point of having him gunned down in the street. But you will reap what you sow the next time you step across the line with JD. And know this.” he said as he took a step closer to the chief, “I’ll be the one taking your ass down.”
“If your loyalty to the Harrison family prevents you from carrying out your duties to the department, then turn in your papers.”
“I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction,” Captain Davis replied as he turned to exit. “Send one of your men after me or anywhere near a member of my family and you will regret it.” Captain Davis walked out and slammed the door behind him.
Chief Munford cursed then pick up his cell phone and dialed a number. “I want that information that Thornton has. Then I want Thornton and Roberts dead by the end of the week.” He closed the cell phone then decided to spend the week of Thanksgiving with his family, just in case he needed an alibi.
♡♡♡
For the next few days it was Samuel’s intention to keep Cynthia under lock and key. Keeping a low profile for a few days he hoped would calm the situation down and give them a chance to counter Munford’s next move. It wasn’t to be. This being the week of Thanksgiving, TNT was scheduled to decorate ten homes on Wednesday and another twelve on the Friday. The staff was scheduled to be at the office by seven to layout the plans, box and pull decorations. There was no way Cynthia was going to stay home for a few days.
Not sure how far Munford would go, Samuel made sure Ryan was covering Cynthia’s house during the day, while they were at the office. Dealing with the men in blue, there was no way of telling who was a good cop and who was on Munford’s personal payroll, so driving was out of the question. They could get pulled over for the simplest thing and never be seen again. So for the time being a car service was transporting them back and forth to the office.
JD was having a different problem. He received a call from Senator Roth advising him of the situation with Carolyn. This was the last thing he wanted or needed to deal with. Those that knew Carolyn knew how vindictive she could be especially JD. He had been on the end of her antics more times than he cared to count. In addition to that, it was no secret that Carolyn hated his wife Tracy. Both the political and private circle knew it. Now he had to find a way to keep Carolyn from using this information against Tracy. On the same note, JD knew how much Carolyn’s father meant to her and the fact that he has another child had to be devastating. To have that child to be Tracy of all people had to knock the wind out of her. He could hear the concern in Senator’s Roth voice when he stated Carolyn has refused to see him or take any of his calls. What a mess this is turning out to be. JD was sure in addition to dealing with Carolyn; the senator also had to deal with his wife Lena who did not know the results of the test.
To think this all came about from an old picture his mother found when she was helping to pack his apartment to move into his home with Tracy. James Brooks recognize Lena Washington from the photo with Senator Roth and JD’s father. Since JD and Tracy was about to be married and he was about to run for office they were doing an investigation into each of their backgrounds to counter act anything the opposition might attempt to use against them. During that investigation the question of Tracy’s parentage came up. Lena explained she always thought Billy Washington was her father until an accident and Tracy hospitalization prove he was not. She was sleeping around with different men during that time, so other than Billy she had no idea who could have been the father. Needing an answer before marrying Tracy, James, JD and Senator Roth devised a plan to answer the question that altered all their lives.
It was a relief to find out JD’s father was eliminated, but the test did reveal John Roth was indeed Tracy’s father. The three men made a decision to keep the results confidential to protect Carolyn more than anything else. Now the one person that would be hurt more by this than any other knew the truth. The question for everyone involved was what Carolyn would do with the information.
JD attempted to call Gavin several times from his office, when that failed he finally gave up and went to their home. Only to be told the Roberts were not accepting visitors. JD left a message for Gavin to contact him and decided to go home instead of returning to the office. When he arrived Lena was there visiting with Tracy and JC. His heart skipped a beat as he watched them in the sunroom.
“Hey sweetie,” Tracy beamed as she walked over and kissed him. “What are you doing home so early?”
JD hugged his wife and stared at Lena, who stared back, but did not indicate anything. He then looked down at his wife as she pulled back, but stayed in his arms. “I wasn’t getting much done at the office so I decided to come home early.”
A pleased Tracy smiled, “Well I’m taking full advantage of this. My husband is home early and my mother just happened to stop by to talk. The world as I know it is certainly changing. Why don’t you two visit while I start dinner?”
“Tracy I can’t stay. I just wanted to stop by to see how you were. I need to get back to John,” Lena said as she put JC in his playpen. The baby immediately grabbed his rattle and drooled with a giggle.
JD smiled down at his son, then exhaled as he watched Lena. To this day he did not trust her. The money hungry woman he met a few years ago was always in the forefront of his mind when it came to her. He knew his wife had forgiven her mother for the things she did in the past, but JD was not convince she would not hurt Tracy again. To him, anyone that that might harm his wife stayed on his watch list. “Is the Senator okay, is he sick?” Tracy asked.
Lena shook her head as she picked up her purse, “No, he’s just going through something with Carolyn.”
“Huh, aren’t we all. She called me earlier today, but Gavin came on the line and we never got a chance to talk.” Tracy stepped away from JD, “It sounded like she was crying or maybe a little tipsy, if you know what I mean. I can’t imagine why she would be calling me.”
“Well, I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it,” Lena said as they walked towards the door. “JD, walk me to my car.”
JD scowled at the request, but changed his facial expression quickly when Tracy turned to him. “Sure,” he replied as he walked over and opened the front door. “I’ll be right back, babe.” He said to Tracy then walked out the door behind Lena.
“You didn’t tell Tracy the truth when you found out,” Lena huffed and shook her head. “You did everything you could to keep me from finding out.”
“For obvious reason, shall I recite them to you?” JD angrily replied.
“No, but you better have your reason ready when Tracy finds out. And believe me Carolyn will make sure she knows. You better than anyone knows how much Tracy hates to be lied to.”
“I didn’t lie to her.” He hesitated then continued. “For the first time in her life Tracy is surrounded by a loving family and that includes you. How did Carolyn react to the news?” Lena just looked away. “That’s what I thought. How do you think it will affect Tracy? I think it will put a strain on what is a delicate rebuilding of a relationship between the two of you. I’m not sure I want to put her through that. I’m trying to protect her the best way I know how.
“No you were originally protecting your career and John’s. There is no reason to withhold the truth from her now.” Lena opened the door to her car. “JD,” she exhaled, “I don’t have any issues with you marrying Tracy. I know you love her just as much as you despise me. I’m asking you not for my sake but for your own. Tell Tracy the truth before, Carolyn gets to her.” Lena started her car and pulled off.
When JD walked back into the house Tracy was waiting by the door with her eyebrows raised, “What was that all about?”
“What do you mean?” JD asked nonchalantly
Tracy stared at her husband. “My mother doesn’t visit JD and you don’t come home early. Then the two of you have what appeared to be a very intense conversation. I don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know something is up.”
JD held her stare for a moment. He eased his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “I can’t’ speak for your mother, but for me I just wanted to hold you.” He said as he placed his chin on the top of her head and closed his eyes. He knew he had to tell her the truth before Carolyn or Lena, he just didn’t know how. “I love you Tracy and I will tell you as soon as I think the time is right.” He held her a little tighter and found comfort in her embrace. “You can’t’ blame a brother for wanting to hold his wife, can you?”
She hugged him back. Feeling the rapid beat of his heart, she knew something was wrong, but she didn’t push. “No, just like you can’t blame a wife for worrying about her husband.” JC cried out and she pulled away. Walking towards the staircase she turned and looked at her husband “Whatever it is I trust you to tell me when you are ready.”
He smiled as she walked out the room, “Thank you babe.”
♡♡♡
Waking up in Gavin’s arms was a wonderful feeling and it would have healed all her worries if it had happened before Sunday. Now whenever he is with her, the hurt is dulled, but when he was not around the hurt was piercing. She felt as if someone was taking a sharp knife and continuously stabbing her in her heart. All her life the one person that was completely hers was her father. No matter what she did, no matter how much she spent, no matter who she hurt, her father was always, always there for her. Now, she had to share him—with Tracy. First she took JD from her. It was a foregone conclusion that JD was going to be governor of Virginia and possible President of the United States in eight years. The political world was swirling with conversations about the Attorney General of Virginia. Every time you turned on one of the national news channels and the networks wanted to get an opinion on the latest happenings in DC it was JD’s face that appeared. The DNC was doing everything in their power to keep him in the center on national events.
Whenever he was invited to different social events, it was Tracy who was beside him and it’s going to be Tracy that walks through the doors of the White House with him when the time comes. Tracy, Tracy, Tracy. To clear her mind she had to think and dig hard to determine why she was so angry. It wasn’t that Tracy had JD. She was sure she was exactly where she was supposed to be, with Gavin. He loves her and to her surprise she loves him. It’s the one thing that is keeping her from losing her mind. If this had come out two years ago, she would have lost it, for she was a lost person then. But now she was first lady of Virginia, wife of Gavin W. Roberts, Governor of Virginia. She has what she had always wanted, but what did it bring her. Nothing she thought it would.
The Worthington’s still did not accept her as she thought they would. She was still the dark skinned daughter of one of their children and nothing more. It didn’t matter how hard she tried to stay out of the sun when she was little to keep her skin from darkening, she was still not accepted. Even on inauguration night at one of the balls, her grandmother stated, “You spent too much time in the sun, your skin is brown.” Not, “I’m so proud of you for finally putting a Worthington in the Governor’s mansion. Which was a feat they have wanted for years, none of their fair skinned granddaughters or grandsons accomplished that. But with her father, none of that was ever an issue. He loved her more than life itself.
She finished off the drink that was in her hand and poured another shot from the bottle of bourbon she had started an hour ago. First she lost her mother, then she lost JD, now she had to share her father with sweet little pathetic Tracy. Carolyn did not like her, nothing and no one was that innocent. Hell if her world was going to be turned upside down than so was Tracy’s. She stood and picked up the telephone and dialed the Harrison’s number. “Damn, if I’m going to be the only miserable one,” she slurred into the telephone. “Tracy, this is Carolyn Roth-Roberts.”
“Carolyn?” Gavin called from the doorway.
Carolyn turned and smiled at her husband, “Wait one minute sweetheart—I have to tell Tracy something.”
Gavin rushed over and took the telephone from her. “Tracy, hi, it’s Gavin. Look um, JD called earlier and I wasn’t available. Would you tell him I returned the call.”
“That’s not what I was going to tell her Gavin,” Carolyn said as she reached for the phone.
“Thank you Tracy. I’ll talk to you soon.” He hung up the telephone and turned to look at his wife. She was drunk, not a little tipsy, but drunk. She pulled away from him when he tried to take the glass from her hand.
“What are you doing?” she questioned as she stumbled back.
He looked around the room and saw the almost empty bottle on the table. “Carolyn, did you drink this whole bottle.”
She smiled, “It was good,” she nodded her head.
His wife was standing near the fireplace with hair pinned up, her pearls and cardigan sweater on as refined as ever and drunk. The sight would have been funny if the situation was different, but Gavin knew this could be a problem. “Give me the glass Carolyn.” He held his hand out and walked over to her.
She tilted her head back swallowed the contents of the glass then gave it to him and smiled. “Are we going to make love again now?”
His smiled turned into a little chuckle at the way she was smiling up at him, like a little girl asking for another piece of candy. This was the first time in all the years he has known Carolyn that she looked so sweet, innocent and vulnerable. “No sweetheart. But I am going to put you to bed.” He picked her up and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders then place her forehead on his, “You know what?”
“What?” He asked as he carried her up the steps.
“I love you.”
He had heard her say the words before, but this was the first time he truly believed it. “I love you too Carolyn, very much.”
“You want to know something else?”
“What?” he asked as he laid her on the bed and began to remove her shoes.
“I love my father too,” she began to cry and turned away from him.
He turned her back over and looked into her eyes. “Your father loves you very much Carolyn. Don’t ever doubt that.”
“But now he’s got Tracy, just like JD and that Cynthia woman’s got you too. And I’m going to be all alone.”
Wiping the tears from her face Gavin smiled, “The only woman that has me is you and I will never leave you alone.” He touched her nose.
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Gavin.”
“Yes,”
“I think I had to much to drink.”
Laughing, “I think you did too. And you are going to have hell to pay in the morning.” He sat there and watched as her eyes closed. Pulling the coverlet over her he just stared at her and thought. The last thirty minutes were probably the most honesty he had received from her since they had been married.
After she was asleep he asked her personal assistant to cancel any meetings she had for the rest of the week. Then he called her father who had called several times throughout the day. He promised John he would do what he could to get Carolyn to talk to him. He then called his office and found there were several calls from JD and Munford. He handled the state’s business first then called JD. He informed him of the events surrounding him taking over the investigation of the shooting on Saturday. They both decided something had to be done with Munford. Gavin gave JD full control, wherever the pieces fall, they fall. They then discussed Carolyn and her telephone call to Tracy. They disagreed on the reasons, but it was imperative that they make a decision on how to proceed. If this information gets out it will not just be a personal matter, it would be a political issue as well. Senator Roth was a powerful man in the world of politics; the revelation could have an effect on not only his career, but JD’s and Gavin’s as well. That was what Gavin planned to use to get Carolyn to cooperate with whatever decision they made. When JD asked how Carolyn was taking the news, Gavin could only reply, “Hard.”
♡♡♡
Turk was surprised to hear he had a visitor. As he walked through the courtyard to the admin building where the visitor center was located he wondered what had gone astray. When he saw Tuck, a frown creased his brow. They shook, “Didn’t expect to see you this soon.”
“This situation calls for desperate measures,” Tuck said and took a seat. Once Turk was seated he told him all that had taken place from the shooting Saturday, the meeting on Sunday morning and last but not least the order placed today.
“From what I was told the order was to take out the Governor. You and I know that kind of heat will hamper operations. And destroy our plans. Munford has to be stopped. Give me the word and I’ll have him taken out.”
Turk shook his head, “Naw, taking out a police chief will be just as costly. Besides, we don’t kill people unless they are trying to kill us.”
“What you think Munford is looking for you to do, give you a kiss?” Tuck asked angrily.
Turk chuckled, “Man, calm down. I told you the first line of handling business is to remain cool. You can’t think straight when you’re mad. Calm the hell down.”
“This man is talking about taking you out and you want me to calm down,” Tuck shook his head and sat back.
“Thanks for having my back man, but I’m not worried about Munford. He’s into some shit now that is going to bring him down soon enough. What we need to do is give him a wakeup call to put a stop to this madness he has created.” Turk sat up and motioned for Tuck to do the same. Head to head, Turk smirked, “You remember how we got Jazz out of town a few years back?”
Tuck nodded his head, “Yeah.”
“Set it up,” Turk nodded. You’ll know when to move.” Turk stood, gave Tuck a pound and left the room.