King of Devon Read online

  “Nope.” She looked up at Hiram. “Got any popcorn up in this camp?”

  Hiram simply shook his head.

  “I just came here to keep her from making an even bigger fool of herself. Daddy was being all vague when I questioned him about that text he sent both of us, which he said was a joke. Daddy said he didn’t need me because he had things under control. Then I saw that someone used my ride-share account and knew Wanda was headed here—straight into trouble.” Crystal gestured toward the window that faced the front of the building. “I changed the password to my account, so she will definitely need a lift to get home. I’ll just give her time to cool off. Then she won’t use me as a sounding board all the way to Daddy’s house.”

  Marilyn’s chest rose and fell a few times before she asked, “Not your house?”

  “Oh, hell no.” She waved that thought away with exaggerated hand movements. “Remember, I’m the smart one. I take after you. I am not co-signing this madness.” Then she gestured between Hiram and Marilyn. “For real, Mom. You do you. After everything he put you through, you need to find your happy place.”

  Marilyn left Hiram’s side and stood near her daughter. “So, you don’t have a problem with us being a couple?”

  Crystal schooled her features into a neutral mask. “Truthfully, I didn’t realize you had cougar tendencies.”

  “She doesn’t, because I’m nobody’s cub,” Hiram shot back.

  Crystal flinched, then snailed a nod. “I can feel that. All of that.”

  Hiram looked sideways at Marilyn who moved to be with him. “And I’m not looking for a hit and run either.”

  “Neither am I,” Marilyn added, splaying a hand across his chest.

  “Honestly, I kinda do have an issue,” Crystal confessed, frowning. “Not because of the age difference or anything like that.”

  “Then what is it?” Hiram asked, putting his arm around Marilyn’s waist and pulling her into him.

  “If all you women over forty keep stealing from the only available male pool, there’ll be nothing left for us youngins around this camp.”

  Marilyn stiffened at first, then she roared with laughter and Hiram joined in.

  “Oh, there’s a few eligible bachelors I know,” Hiram offered.

  Crystal’s smile disappeared as she perked up. “Seriously?”

  “One of them is a lot like me, and he’s good people.”

  “Hey.” Marilyn elbowed Hiram in the side. “This isn’t Match or Christian Mingle.”

  “Facts. But I can give her a nudge in the right direction,” Hiram countered, laughing.

  “And speaking of nudging,” she teased with a low chuckle as she pressed her body to his.

  “And speaking of TMI.” Crystal stood and smoothed her leather skirt. “That’s my cue.” She went to the window and looked down at the parking area. “Damn, she’s sitting her entire panty-less behind on the hood of my car.” Crystal scrunched up her nose. “I’ll need to get it washed tomorrow.” Then she craned her neck a little. “Okay, she just got off a call and now she’s running back toward the building.”

  “What are you going to do?” Marilyn asked, moving toward the window.

  “She’s not wearing any underwear. No way I’m driving that naked tail in my car. Wanda’s going to have to walk. It’ll clear her head. Maybe she’ll call Daddy to pick her up. She’ll figure it out. Trust me, she’ll be all right, eventually.”

  A bang on the door snatched their attention.

  Hiram looked to Marilyn who nodded. He opened the door and barely moved out of the way before Wanda ran to the sofa and yanked up her purse. Somehow the broken woman who rushed from the apartment several minutes ago, had morphed into a confident one with an evil grin and a glint in her eyes that spoke to nothing but trouble.

  “Daddy says to ask you one thing.”

  Hiram braced himself. So did Marilyn and Crystal.

  “How will Jaidev Maharaj take hearing the news that one of his employees is sleeping with the woman who’s trying to shut his center down?”

  CHAPTER 5

  Twenty years ago . . .

  Pain had been a constant companion the moment the stranger entered her bedroom and it remained with her when he left.

  Her mother and stepfather had closed the door behind him, and Vaunie had stifled a scream. He would come into her room again. She was certain of it. Earlier, after dinner, she had overhead her mother, Carl, and his brother Dane talking . . .

  “I won’t let him do this to her,” Sharon said to her husband. “She’s only ten. We don’t need the money that bad. Not enough to do something so ...”

  “You’ve never cared for her, so what does it matter,” Carl shouted, which made Sharon flinch. “We don’t need her,” he said. “We need the money that little bastard has tied up in her father’s trust.”

  “Unless you’re willing to let me go to prison,” he said after a lengthy silence. “And that’ll leave you with three children to raise all by yourself. We all know you’ve never worked a day in your life. That’s why you’re on husband three.”

  “She’s only ten,” Sharon whispered, then pressed one hand to her mouth.

  “I have to come up with that money or … you can wait for her to find her father, and she’ll tell him exactly how you’ve been treating her. You’ll never see a dime. Or, you can move forward with my plans and get that money within a year. Get her pregnant and marry her off to my brother. She’s had a cycle so she’s a woman now.”

  “She’s too young,” Sharon protested.

  “She menstruates and can get pregnant,” Uncle Dane said, “That will be the way to the money. Or it will be in eight years. I’d say let’s get to it now.”

  “She’s only ten,” Sharon cried out. “I never believed the rumors about you before now. You’re all too willing to hurt my little girl.”

  Dane smirked. “I’ll be as gentle as I can be.”

  Sharon crumpled to the floor and launched into a fit of sobs.

  Fear gripped Vaunie to the point that she couldn’t move. Then she tipped back into her bedroom. Her gaze skittered around the small room, which contained only a bed, a few clothes, and window dressings. They had stripped almost everything because she had run away several times before, but everyone knew Carl Webster and brought her back home. They didn’t believe that her mother or he had been abusive. But this was something different. Something … sinister. When she heard the voices start up again, she inched her way back out to the hallway.

  “And the law says we can marry her off if she’s a minor who’s pregnant,” Carl said, and his voice grew even harsher. “That’s where our focus should be. Make sure Dane keeps at it until she’s with child.”

  Uncle Dane moved to pick Sharon up from the floor as he said, “We have a judge, who has a mistress with two children he doesn’t want anyone to know about. He’ll sign off on a marriage as long as one of those conditions are met. Pregnant minor is one that fits the law and keeps his nose clean.”

  “Then we’ll find a way to kill her.” A few seconds of silence ticked by and Carl continued, “That money will be all ours.”

  “No, you won’t kill her,” Dane said. “If she’s my wife, then she will remain that way.” Then he let out a bone-chilling laugh and added, “At least, until that child comes of age. Then she’ll be the perfect replacement. Then I find a way to make my wife … disappear.”

  Vaunie had been locked in her room ever since the police found her hiding in the Wilson’s garage. The dogs were able to track her scent. She could get away, but she could never stay away. The windows had been nailed shut. Breaking the panes would not give her enough room to slide out. She was stuck. At the mercy of whatever they planned. And she understood enough to know that what they had in mind would be even worse than what they’d already done to her all this time.

  An hour later, her worst fears were confirmed when Uncle Dane, the spitting image of her stepfather, had hurt her more than her mother and stepfather
ever had. Her stepfather stood at the head of her bed, covering her mouth and holding her down through the entire ordeal.

  Hours later, her sister, Ebbie, and brother, Donny, tipped into Vaunie’s room. She squeezed her eyes shut, pretending to be asleep just as she had when Uncle Dane had come in to “make her a wife” as he said. Were they going to hurt her, too? Her brother and sister had always tried to protect her. Sometimes even getting between Vaunie and the belt, extension cord, or whatever was in hand, to take the blows themselves. Their action seemed to anger their mother even more.

  “I’m glad we came home when we did,” Donny whispered. “They’re trying to marry her off to that old man.”

  “They must mean when she gets older,” Ebbie said. “I’m not even old enough to get married. But they sure are acting strange.”

  “That’s because Mom has always been angry that she only gets a little of Vaunie’s money,” Donny whispered to Ebbie and for a moment Vaunie felt a sliver of peace. The truth that no one would mention before was now out in the open. “Let’s just take her away right now. I mean, right now.”

  “And then what?” Ebbie shot back and he gestured for her to lower her voice. “They would find us and she’d be right back here again, just like all the other times. Then we really can’t help her because they’ll send us away again. We need a grown-up to help us.”

  None of the grown-ups had. They all feared Carl Webster because his family was one of the biggest employers and property owners in the county. They had old money, but it didn’t translate to Carl and Dane because they had somehow fallen out of grace. No one would say why. But despite their unknown sins, their name still carried some weight anyhow.

  “We’re the only ones who can do this,” Donny protested. “The police didn’t help us. Even Mr. Williams tried and they didn’t believe him. Everyone is afraid of him. Pastor Kae isn’t. She’s not going to fall for their crap. She will help us because she doesn’t fear nobody but God.”

  “She doesn’t live here,” Ebbie said in a lower tone.

  “She doesn’t have to. Ms. Crenshaw will help us to get Vaunie to Chicago.” Donny glanced at the bed and Vaunie locked gazes with him before she closed her eyes again. He moved closer and held her hand. “We can’t let her stay here.”

  Ebbie bit her lip then said, “Okay, they just left the house to go on the other side of town, so we’d better do it fast.”

  “How do you know where they’re going?”

  “Said they were going to talk with Parker’s father,” she replied. “He’s got something to do with what they’re trying to do.”

  “Vaunie, come on,” Donny said, shaking her awake.

  Ebbie stood behind him, peering over his shoulder. “We have to go. Now.”

  “Now?” she choked out, willing her legs to move, but they wouldn’t listen.

  “Yes, right now,” he insisted, shooting a glance at the door of her bedroom. “We have to get you out of here before they get back.”

  Vaunie struggled to sit up, but the stabbing pains meant staying in place was the only relief.

  Ebbie yanked back the covers, then gasped when she saw the blood pooled around Vaunie’s thighs.

  “We’re too late,” she sobbed and hid her face in the palms of her hand, then she nearly slumped to the floor.

  Vaunie reached out, trying to get a hold of her sister, but the agonizing pain that came with any movement kept her immobile.

  “But still …” Donny said, and his voice cracked with emotion. “If we don’t get her out of here, it will happen again. And again. You heard what mother said. They can’t marry her off to Uncle Dane until she gets pregnant. If it doesn’t happen now, they’ll keep doing this to her until she is. We can’t let them hurt her anymore.”

  Donny had already gone to their teacher to let her know that their mother and stepfather were mistreating Vaunie. They had gone to the police, who, upon learning that Carl Webster was involved, declined to do anything to bring him to justice given his status. They did, however, inform their mother of the allegations and she proceeded to beat them, but not as much as she hurt Vaunie. When their mother finished with her, Vaunie’s eyes were swollen shut. She wasn’t able to go to school for a whole week.

  That’s when things grew worse. Donny and Ebbie told their father what was happening in their home. Their father went to court to gain full custody of his own children, but refused to do anything to help Vaunie who was the result of an affair that ended the marriage.

  Then one of their teachers spoke with a high school friend, a visiting pastor who had a network of people to help people in need. The clients were always women and their children, never children by themselves. Hopefully, she would make an exception.

  Donny scooped Vaunie from the bed, ignoring her whimpers as he carried her from the house. They ran across the field, and all the while Donny prayed they would get Vaunie to safety this time. They took the back roads until they reached Ms. Crenshaw’s home.

  “You can’t be here right now,” Ms. Crenshaw said, her voice filled with panic. “Everything won’t be set until later tonight. If they find out she’s missing, this is the first place they will look.”

  “She won’t live that long,” Donny said. “This time they did something worse.”

  “What do you mean worse?” she whispered, gathering them into the house, before scanning the emptiness of the tree-lined street.

  “He. Means. Worse.” Ebbie let those words stand and Ms. Crenshaw’s eyes widened with shock.

  “No, no, no, no, no,” she chanted.

  “She has to get out of here now,” Donny insisted, arms aching under the weight of carrying Vaunie for so long, but he refused to put her down. “We can’t wait for later.”

  “I’ll call Pastor Kae.”

  Once the pastor in Chicago was aware of the urgency of the situation through speaking with Vaunie, who relayed only a small portion of the acts that had been committed that night, she said, “Go on to the Greyhound station. A ticket will be waiting under the name of Willa Jones. You’ll have to ride with Vaunie until you make it to the next town on the bus route and hand her off to Willa.”

  “I can’t do that,” Ms. Crenshaw cried, folding and unfolding her hands. “I can’t get any more involved than I already am.”

  “I’ll ride with her,” Ebbie offered, cradling Vaunie in her arms where she sat next to her on the sofa.

  “No, you can’t,” Donny said. “Two children on the bus is going to look strange. It has to be an adult.”

  “But how will I get back?” Ms. Crenshaw asked. “That’s too far to walk, and buying a bus ticket back to this town when I have a perfectly good working vehicle, will raise suspicion.”

  “I can drive your car and bring you back,” Donny offered.

  Miss Crenshaw laid both hands on her fleshy hips. “You don’t even have a learner’s permit.”

  “I know how to drive,” he insisted, pulling his shoulders back. “What other choice do we have? You can’t drive her there because the dogs will find her scent in your car.”

  “They will hurt you too,” Vaunie squeaked to her brother and sister as her hold tightened around Ebbie.

  “No, they won’t,” Donny reassured, lowering to his knees so they were at eye level. “Our father isn’t rich like yours. They want that money he left for you. You have to go.”

  “I won’t see you again,” Vaunie said, reaching for him.

  “Someday, it will happen,” Donny said, smiling. “Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.”

  Vaunie tried to smile at his usual saying and she came back with her normal answer, “There ain’t no creeks around here.”

  “True,” he said. “But there is the Good Lord and He’s everywhere.” Donny embraced her again and so did Ebbie. “When you’re older and they can’t do anything else to hurt you, then you find us. Right now, we have to make sure you’re okay.”

  “We love you, baby sis,” Ebbie said, pressing a kiss to her forehea
d.

  “We love you,” Donny said.

  “I love you too,” Vaunie replied and she could barely see them through her tears.

  * * *

  Temple Devaughn was snatched from that frightful childhood memory, opened her eyes and locked in on a man who stared at her with a concerned expression in place. His eyes carried the same sadness she had witnessed in her brother and sister’s eyes that night she left Virginia for good.

  “My name is Jaidev Maharaj,” he said, giving her a reassuring smile. “And I’m going to take excellent care of you.”

  Through the unbelievable pain and a heavy weight in her nether regions that kept her pinned to the bed, she inhaled a steadying breath, then said, “I believe you.”