For Love and Vengeance (21 page)

Aviva
jumped at the sudden change of volume. “The churns snuck up on me and I was off
again. Oh yes, I learned my lesson. No food until at least 1:00pm. Then I eat
any and everything I can get my hands on...until 8:00pm then the puking starts
again at 9:30pm. A very repetitive cycle of sick, if you will. Although of
late, I have noticed a lessening of the evening sickness.”

Controlling
fits of laughter, Aviva realized two things. She had missed her friend, and
MacKenzie was attempting to avoid answering the real question.

“What
else is going on with you?”

“By your
persistence I suppose you want to know about Carlos?”

Aviva
had difficulty deciphering the expression on MacKenzies’s face and felt some
guilt at her probing.

“Look,
you don't have to talk about it you don't want to. I'm just being my usual nosy
self.”

“This
pregnancy came as a shock for both Carlos and me. We were using protection and
I thought I was being careful. His initial reaction hurt me, Aviva, and I don't
know if I can forgive him for it. I felt humiliated at some of the things he
said to me, and that initial conversation culminated in me getting mad and
telling him to piss off!”

“Where
are things with you guys now?”

“We're
talking, attempting to work through the situation. If a helpless life wasn't
involved, I'm not sure if I would ever speak to him again.” MacKenzie seemed to
be speaking her innermost thoughts aloud and Aviva was worried for her.

“Well,
you don't have to make your mind up straight away. You have time. If you guys
decide to be together, you have my support, and if your decision is to go it
alone, you have my support. Oh, and by the way, I expect to be named
Godmother.” She offered a smile of encouragement.

“Of
course, your name has already been inked in.” MacKenzie smiled down at her
friend, eyes still clouded with uncertainty.

“Okay,
I'm all done. Now, go wash your hair and I'll blow dry it for you.”

“It's
going to be alright, Mackenzie. Everything will work out as it's supposed to.
Your job is to try not to worry and stay healthy.”

“I
try but it's not easy...my parents stopped speaking to me when I told them.”

“Oh,
Kenzie, I'm so sorry.”

MacKenzie
snorted. “Oh, they started again. Now the only question they ask is, ‘when are
you getting married?’ When I tell them that I don't know, they find an excuse
to get off the phone as though I'm gonna contaminate them if they speak to me
for too long.”

Aviva
laughed as her friend had intended. She knew the older couple and could imagine
exactly what MacKenzie had just described. They were wonderful people but very
old fashioned.

“The
last time I spoke to my father, he said, “Daughter, your mother and I look
forward to the day when we can rejoice that your unwed state is no more. On
that day there will be hallelujahs lifted in our house.” MacKenzie mimicked
their Caribbean accent down to a tee.

~~~~~~~~~~

Aviva
was gone for fifteen minutes which gave MacKenzie time to sit and think about
her future. No matter how she analyzed the situation in which she found
herself, she couldn't make up her mind how to best resolve it.

What
she had no doubt of, however, was that under no circumstances would she settle
for a relationship where marriage became a necessity for the sake of her unborn
child. She sort of felt sorry for her parents though. She had been an
unexpected child. Her mother had thought her child bearing days had past when
she came along. Her brother was twenty years older than her and her sister
seventeen. They never really had much in common. As far as her siblings were
concerned, she had always been an irritation, and she couldn't really blame
them. Looking back, she now saw that she had gone out of her way to get a rise
out of them.

She’d
been eight on the day of her sister’s wedding. Not understanding why she was in
tears when she would be wearing a princess dress later that day, she had asked
her why she was crying. To this day, MacKenzie remembered her reply. “
Don't
let anyone, and I mean anyone, especially a man take advantage of you. If they
tell you they love you, let them prove it...and prove it and...prove it!
”
Jumping up from her seat before the mirror, her sister rushed over to her bed
and threw herself face down, hysterical sobs wracking her body.

Her
behavior frightened the young MacKenzie, and in her youthful innocence, she
approached her big sister, patted her on the back and told her not to be sad
because she got to wear a sparkly dress. It would be years later before she
fully understood the real cause of her sister's tears.

~~~~~~~~~~

“MacKenzie!”

“Huh,
what?”

“Girl,
that's the fourth time I called your name. Where were you?”

“Just
lost in thought about how I'm gonna get through that curly afro of yours.”

“Please,
if you can deal with that mass on your head every day, my hair's gonna be
something you can get through long before your next bout of puke.”

Forty-five
minutes later, Aviva stood before the mirror looking at her reflection.
MacKenzie had done a wonderful job. She had big bouncy curls surrounding her
face, and if she said so herself, she was rocking the heck out of the
hairstyle.

Looking
at her friend’s reflection behind her in the mirror, Aviva furtively took in
her tired eyes, and her mind was made up. She knew if Jason had not already
suggested it, she would do whatever was necessary to ensure that MacKenzie
remained with her until the haunted, tired look departed from her eyes.

“What
room did they put you in?”

“The
rooms have names?”

“Yes,
they do. That's how these rich folk roll.”

“Well,
I have no idea what name they gave the room but it’s green and white. Does that
help?”

“To
be honest, I don't know a thing about this house apart from what Jason's told
me. I've been stuck in this room ever since we came back from England.”

“England,
you went to England...when...why? Was it a romantic getaway?”

“No...it
was nothing like that. I'll tell you all about it later. Right now, you need to
change and eat so you have time to digest something before you start puking up
again. I'll call Ronson. He'll know which room has been assigned to you.”

“Who's
Ronson?”

Aviva
wanted to cringe. Ronson was the Kingdom family butler and all at once she was
astonished and slightly embarrassed at her friend’s innocent question, and just
how quickly she had come to accept the trapping of wealth.

MacKenzie
wasn't sure what was going on, but she knew Aviva and how to decipher her
embarrassment, and her girl was glowing with unease.

“Look,
all you need to do is get me back to the top of the stairs and I can find my
way from there. Like I always told you, know your surroundings…even though with
you it’s a lost cause. Don't think I've forgotten how you couldn't find the car
you parked in the mall. Thought my butt was gonna turn into an icicle all the
wandering around we did that day.”

Aviva
didn't bother to answer. Anyone who knew her soon realized her sense of direction
was
off
, and so what, if they were bothered, that was their problem, not
hers.

When
they arrived at the stairway, MacKenzie took no more than a second to establish
her bearings before she was ready to make her way to her room. Aviva was a
little perturbed at how everyone had an acute sense of direction except her.
Dismissing the thought, she told Mackenzie she would meet her in the family
room at 7:30pm exactly. That would give her enough time to eat just in case she
began to feel unwell again.

Giving
her friend a hug, Aviva made her way back to her room to dress.

Chapter 25

As
the door closed behind the departing women. The men moved around the room
taking seats.

“Whoever
she is, I like her,” Josh said, stretching his long body across a sofa, and
folding his hands behind his head.

“Her
name is MacKenzie and she's Aviva's friend. She's been calling nonstop for
days.”

“You
still have Aviva's phone?” Jackson asked, surprise apparent in his voice.

“Yes,
I do. The number has been compromised and there was no way I was going to allow
her to have it before I was sure those bastards wouldn't attempt to get to her
through that number.”

“She's
going to be asking questions. What do you intend to tell her?” Jake asked,
curious as to how Jason intended to get out of that one.

Jason's
smile was assured. He didn't seem worried about how he would handle the
questions that Jake had no doubt Aviva would be asking. He dismissed it. Aviva
was Jason's problem and he had no intention of getting involved.

Looking
at his twin, he was still intrigued that there was another being who looked so
much like him, thought like him and acted like him. Sometimes, he found it
difficult to take his eyes off Jason. He knew it got on his nerves, but he just
couldn't seem to stop. Looking down at his hands, Jake allowed his mind to
wander, to think about the threat that still hovered over his family. His line
of thought hardened him further. At the end of whatever they had yet to face,
they would all remain standing. That was his silent promise to his family.

“I
got her a new phone and number. I already transferred all her contacts. I'll
make something up about finding it and it being damaged.”

“Good
luck!” Josh said with a snort.

Jackson
looked at each of his sons in turn and was filled with pride that he had
produced such fine young men. He was also taking immense pleasure in the way
they finally appeared to be bonding but he needed some answers as to what was
going on. “I know this is not over. So what's going on?” Jackson asked, this
being the first time since their return that he had been able to speak to them
all together.

Jason
looked at his brothers, questioning them with only his eyes. He was silently
asking them if he should be completely candid with their father. Their slight
nods were affirmation enough for him to gain his answer. Over the last week,
his respect had grown for his brothers. He now knew, without a doubt, the type
of men they were. Therefore, by their soundless confirmation, he would hold
nothing back.

“Aviva
told me that a woman had helped her escape from Alexander. It didn't make sense
to me. Why would this woman, who was in his employ, aid her, have meds at the
ready, and then tell her not to contact me.” Jason began to speak.

“Because
this unknown woman had a conscious and realized what they were involved with
wasn't right?” Jackson answered although Jason’s words had been a statement
rather than a question.

“No,
that's not it. They wanted...no, they needed more time. This faceless woman
knew that Aviva's treatment at the hands of her captors was too harsh. She knew
that if it continued the way it had been going, she may not survive. That was
not what someone wanted. Aviva was just their means to an end. I’m who they
want. I know them. I've had a lifetime to study them, and they know I'm on the
cusp of destroying them.

“These
men unequivocally believe that because of their name, wealth and societal
standing, they’re exempt from having to account for their actions. My actions
have shown them, in no uncertain terms, they’re wrong. I will have retribution.
Not just for my sake, but for all the faceless, nameless boys I didn't know who
suffered at their hands!”

“Jason,
maybe we need to think about this further?” Jackson interjected, again worried
by Jason’s detached coldness.

“Joshua,
you tell him,” Jason spoke to his younger brother without looking at him. He
had the information, therefore it was his job to convince Jackson of what they
had planned.

“Someone’s
informed me, and I believe him, I trust him completely, that there's a contract
out on Jason. The contract originated from here, in New York and the hit
man...sorry, hit woman, is from England.”

Jason
took up the story. “I don't believe in coincidence. Aviva was helped to escape
for a reason. I am that reason. They wanted to keep me on the back foot, second
guessing myself. Mr. and Mrs. Drake, were only bit players, probably
manipulated into believing that I had cheated them out of what was rightfully
theirs. In fact, I paid them more than I needed to. In my mind, they were hard
working people who weren't making it. They had a good business but lacked the
knowhow to make it a success. For their demise, I suppose I’m sorry. I still
haven’t made up my mind exactly how I feel. But I do know without doubt that I
refuse to take responsibility for their actions.”

“What
about Steve?” Josh asked.

“What
about him?” Jason shot back.

“You
have to admit that he shows up everywhere and at the most unexpected moments.”

“You
don't need to worry about Steve. He's not your concern,” Jason said, making it
clear the subject was closed.

Josh
wasn't convinced, he like his brother needed answers. It was obvious Jason knew
more than he was saying and he wanted to know what was going on.

“Jason,
you know we've got your back, but if there's something you're not telling us, I
have a problem with that.”

“This
is the last time I'm going to say this – Stephen Blackman is not your concern.
Not now, not ever. Is that clear?”

Josh
looked at Jason for a few seconds and sat up before he spoke. “It's clear, and
for the record, I'm an easy going guy for the most part, but you need to check
the way you speak to me...am I clear?”

Jason
stared at his younger sibling, the seriousness of his words reflected in his
eyes, and felt a moment of remorse that he had managed to anger this fun loving
man. However, it wasn't in his nature to back down, and he had no intentions of
starting now.

Jackson
and Jake waited see how he would respond. Josh rarely spoke to his family in
that way. When he did, it was because he felt strongly about something.

“Understood.
I get it. But I say again, Steve is not your concern. I've known all of you for
a fraction of the time I've known him, and I’m telling you that you don't have
to worry about him.”

“You're
an arrogant son-of-a-bitch, do you know that?” Jake asked his twin, no real
heat in his voice.

“So
is he...” Jason nodded in Josh's direction. “And so are you, what's your
point?”

“He’s
got you there, Jake,” Jackson said with a laugh. “Alright, now that's taken
care of; would someone like to fill me in as to why that young lady is really
here and what is going on?”

This
time the looks that passed between the brothers were furtive, and they all
remained silent. Jackson knew the two men he had raised well enough to know
that they would say nothing if whatever they had brewing was Jason's to
divulge. So he waited patiently, his gaze fixed on his errant son.

His
mind made up, Jason began to speak. “MacKenzie is here to keep Aviva’s company
and I hope distracted while I take care of some unfinished business. Forrest
Farnsworth is going to die, and I mean to take him out before he has the chance
to hurt the people I hold dear.”

“Back
up, Jason. I need to understand what the hell is going on, and your explanation
is insufficient.”

Looking
at his younger brother, Jason gave him a brief nod before reclining in his
seat, his eyes fixed on Jackson.

“I
had a conversation with a friend of mine yesterday. He thought I should know
that someone had been employed to '
hit
' a man named Jason King. This man
also told me that he had two brothers and a father, all of whom were to die.
There are to be no loose ends, no room for revenge or comebacks.”

“For
the love of God, what in damnation is wrong with this world!?” Jackson's
agitation was clearly expressed as he jumped to his feet and began pacing the
floor. He recognized the name immediately from the time of Aviva’s abduction.
His heart bled for his son. When would this nightmare be over for him? Did
those bastards expect him to pay for their wrongdoing with his life, with all
of their lives?

At
Jackson’s reaction, Jason wanted to walk out of this home. He wanted to leave
and take care of his business before ever coming back. These people, his
family, had only offered him support since the very moment he had stormed into
their lives. What had he given in return? Nothing but death and destruction,
and he felt ashamed. Shame because of the type of man he had become washed over
him in wave after wave of guilt. That he had brought such chaos into their
lives had to end, he would end it. There was no way he was prepared for any
harm to come to them, and if he stayed, that's exactly what would happen.

Jackson
could see the cogs spinning in his son's mind and shook his head. What would it
take for this young man to realize that he was no longer alone?

“Jason,
put the thought from your mind. It is not your responsibility to protect us. We
protect each other, do you understand?”

At
Jason's silence, Jackson turned to his eldest son. “Jacob, it is now your
responsibility to ensure that he does not leave this house alone.”

Jake
nodded his understanding.

Jason
couldn't help but smile. Did these people actually think they could stop him
from doing exactly as he pleased? They obviously didn't know him as well as
they thought they did.

“Good.
Now, Joshua, I want to know everything, and I do mean everything.”

Jackson
had never been a violent man and he didn’t condone violence as a rule. But
enough was enough. His son had suffered enough and the threat these men posed
to his family had to end. “Tell me what you need me to do,” Jackson told his
sons as he finally took his seat.