Once You'Ve Touched the Heart (23 page)
Read Once You'Ve Touched the Heart Online
Authors: Iris Bolling
A
fter the governor’s function, James and Ashley sat in the lobby of the hotel and talked for hours. James was certain Tracy would not be home and did not like the idea of Ashley going home alone, with David Holt slithering about. He invited Ashley to stay the night at his place, in his guest room, of course, and she accepted.
Ashley did not get a good look at James’s house when they entered that night. The next morning it startled her to see the size of his home. As she came down the stairs she noticed there were at least three bedrooms, each with an adjoining bathroom. The staircase led to the center of a huge foyer, which Ashley estimated was big enough for at least fifty people to stand in without touching each other. To her right, as she descended the stairs, was what appeared to be a family room or den. To the left was the dining room and kitchen area. That’s where James was sitting reading the paper. Ashley brushed her hair down hoping it was not tangled or standing up on top of her head.
“Good morning.” She smiled as she entered the room. “You just happen to have women’s clothes in your house?” She asked, tugging at the robe she had on.
Please say they belong to your sister,
Ashley thought, laughing to herself.
James smiled. “One never knows when a beautiful woman may need to stay over. One must be prepared at all times,” he said as he set the paper aside and pulled a chair out for her.
Ashley smiled. “All of this was not necessary, you know.” Ashley sat in the seat and crossed her legs. She put her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hand. She inhaled and looked at James. He was a handsome man with very strong features. To Ashley, James was the epitome of what a man sitting at the head of a table should look like. He reminded her so much of her dad; not the way he looked or his size, but his very presence. James was a proud, private, reserved man on the surface.
I know there is some fire under all the public persona
, Ashley smiled to herself.
“Would you like some breakfast, ma’am?” A voice startled Ashley back to the present. A somewhat older, attractive woman of either Mexican or Spanish descent was smiling at her with a maid outfit on.
“Just coffee would be fine,” Ashley replied as she pulled her robe tighter around her waist. She had no idea someone else was in the house with them. As the maid left the room, Ashley reached over and took the toast and a slice of bacon off James’s plate.
James smiled. Ashley did not seem intimidated by him at all. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving,” she replied.
He laughed. “Clair would have fixed you breakfast, you know.”
“I would feel guilty making someone cook for me. But that’s okay, I’ll eat yours,” she said as she pulled his plate in front of her. Clair came back in the room and saw Ashley eating James’s food. She put the coffee in front of Ashley.
“I’ll fix you another plate.” She smiled at James then left the room.
“Thank you,” Ashley said to the woman’s back.
“Her name is Clair,” James said as he pushed the sugar and cream towards her.
“Thank you,” Ashley said. “Is she your maid or just your cook or more?”
James gazed at Ashley then smiled. “Clair is my housekeeper and a little of everything you just said; with the exception of the ‘or more.’”
“Why do you have a housekeeper?” Ashley asked as she continued to eat. “For that matter, why do you have such a big house?”
James laughed. “I have a housekeeper because I do have a big house which I do not like to clean. And I like to eat, but can’t cook, therefore, I have someone to cook for me.”
Ashley smiled, but never stopped eating. “Doesn’t it bother you to have someone waiting on you hand and foot?”
“No. I pay her very well to do just that,” James replied.
“Oh,” Ashley said as Clair returned with a plate of food for James. “Thank you again,” Ashley said as Clair left the room. “And the house: why such a big house for one person?”
“You are full of questions this morning,” James replied.
“If you want to know something you have to ask, or else you will go on wondering,” Ashley replied in a very nonchalant manner.
Changing the subject, James put the paper in front of Ashley and said, “Your brother made the paper again today.”
Ashley smiled as she picked up the paper. “Oh, what a nice picture of him and Tracy. It really was a nice function last night. Thank you for letting me join you at your table.” Ashley smiled.
“I don’t recall allowing anything. If I remember correctly, you told me you would be there.”
“You could have said no.” Ashley smiled.
“And miss the pleasure of your company or the drama of David Holt? I don’t think so”
“You ready to tell me about David Holt?” he asked as he began drinking his coffee.
“You know, my mom is going to kill me,” Ashley said in an attempt to get James off the subject. “I’m supposed to meet her at church this morning.”
James picked up the cordless phone. “Call her; let her know you will not make it today.”
Ashley hesitated. “I don’t want to talk about this right now.”
James set the phone on the table. “It’s not an option at this point. Call your mother. Let her know you will not meet her at church today. When you finish, we will talk about David Holt.”
James watched her mind working. She was trying to come up with some clever statement to cover up her fear. But he was not going to let her deal with this situation alone. Ashley noticed James was staring at her. She really wanted to get to know this man. But how would he feel about her once she told him about David? Ashley never discussed the incident involving David with anyone, not even Tracy.
“Nothing you say to me will be revealed to anyone, if you don’t want it to be,” James said as if reading her mind.
Ashley hesitantly called her mother. “Hey mom, I’m being held hostage by a very attractive man and I will not be able to meet you at church today.” She put the phone back on the table beside James. “Mom will be saying a prayer for you,” Ashley advised James.
James smiled. “Thank you. I’m sure I need it.” He waited.
Ashley sighed. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
Ashley related the story to him just about the same way the report read. The difference was the fear he heard in her voice. “I was stupid,” she began. “I thought I was in love, you know. One night Tracy and I decided to meet and study in the study hall next to the library.” Ashley looked down at the plate as if she was ashamed of what she was about to tell James. That part upset James the most. She swallowed then continued to play with the food on her plate. “David got there a few minutes after I went in the room. He said a lot of dumb shit I didn’t want to hear. When I told him that and tried to walk away, he went off.” She was quiet for a moment, then tears rolled down her face. “He threw me against the wall, then jumped on me with all his weight.” She hesitated as the memories came back. “He pulled my clothes off. I fought him. I really did, with everything I had, but he was so strong. He held me down with one hand; I couldn’t move. It didn’t matter what I did, I could not get him off of me.”
James went around the table to where she was, pulled her into his arms and just held her. He rubbed her back as she continued telling him what happened.
Clair walked in the room. James shook his head for her not to say anything; she went back into the kitchen. He lifted Ashley in his arms then carried her into the family room. He sat on the couch with her in his lap and held her until she had calmed down. Here she was, this very confident, independent woman with everything going for her. No one would ever know she had been carrying this around with her all these years. “Did he actually…?”
Before James completed the question, Ashley shook her head. “No.”
“Okay, did you ever tell your brother about this?” James asked.
She shook her head. “No.”
“You and Tracy are the only ones who know?”
“David knows,” she said as she sniffled.
“That all happened, what, five years ago. Why is he bothering you now?” James asked.
“He had a problem with the way Tracy and I handled things,” she sighed. “Since the coach cleared everything up for him, I felt he could do whatever he wanted with me. Tracy didn’t like the idea of him having that kind of control over me. So she wrote an article and had it published in the school paper with his description.” Ashley laughed through her tears. “He was so mad, but there was nothing he could do about it because she never named him. See, David has a very distinguished birthmark on his butt and when Tracy entered the room she saw it. When his girlfriend heard about the article she broke up with him.” Ashley began to laugh more. “Life got interesting after that. Tracy never got involved in anything. I mean nothing until then. She was my rock until I was able to get my backbone back.”
Ashley stopped talking. She did not like feeling this vulnerable with James or any man. She had to get out of this situation. She attempted to stand, but he held her still.
James could sense she was uncomfortable now that she had revealed the event. “I know at this moment you feel vulnerable; as if you just exposed yourself to me.” He kissed her forehead. “I’m honored you trust me with this. I would never reveal what you shared with me today with anyone. What you do have to worry about is what I’m going to do to Holt if I ever see him near you again.”
Ashley looked up at James; he truly was a fine man. Ashley surveyed James’s face as she sat there. He had thick eyebrows over deep brown eyes, with a very commanding baritone voice that was comforting to her. She smiled. “I must be losing my touch. I stayed in your house overnight. Here I am sitting in your lap with nothing on but a robe and you have not made a pass at me. Why is that?”
James smiled and pulled her closer. She was back to Ashley now, full of life and a mischievous spirit. He could see it in her eyes and he liked it; he liked the idea of her. “You can try all you want to keep from talking about this, but it is not going to work. There is nothing you can do to avoid this conversation.”
Ashley reached up and kissed him. Startled, James pulled his head back a little and looked at her.
Why in the hell did she do that
? He thought. His body’s response answered the question for him as he leaned forward to return the kiss.
Ashley was surprised by the feeling she was getting inside. She had been with other men since David, but none who touched her emotionally the way James did. James got lost in the kiss for a moment, but when his body began to react to Ashley in a way that James did not expect, he knew he had to pull away. James was a careful man, a man who liked to stay in control. He did not get involved with anyone on any level without thinking it through. James slowly pulled away from the kiss. “I guess I was wrong.”
Ashley smiled at him then tilted her head to the side. “You are an extraordinary man, James Brooks.”
He smiled back. “You are a woman of many talents, Ashley Harrison. One of which is using that wonderful wit of yours to keep people away.”
She began kissing his neck. “Are you really as composed as you appear?” She kissed the other side of his neck. “Or am I really out of my league here?” She stopped and waited for his response.
Ashley was getting to him and James knew it. He stood up and set her on the sofa. “I always stay composed.” He smiled. He turned to walk away; he needed some space from her.
Ashley stood and grabbed his arm. “It’s Tracy, isn’t it? Are you in love with her, James?”
James thought for a moment. “No, I’m not in love with Tracy.”
Ashley did not believe him. She thought that since Tracy was with JD, she might have a chance with James. Now Ashley knew she was wrong. She dropped her hand from his arm. “I’m going to go upstairs to get dressed.” Ashley was a very proud young woman and strong minded. There was no way she was going to stay where she did not feel she was wanted.
When Ashley left the room, James exhaled. He rubbed his chest. “Damn, that was hard.” He closed his eyes trying to compose himself. Ashley really got to him. He laughed.
Ashley came back downstairs a few minutes later. “I’m ready to go,” she announced angrily.
“Are you okay?” James asked, sensing uneasiness in the room.
“I’m fine; would you take me to my car now?”
James smiled. “Sure,” he replied.
He drove her to her car. Ashley did not speak during the ride. Her mind was on what just took place at James’s house. Did she make a complete fool of herself in front of the man she had deemed her soul mate? He may have pulled away from her on the first kiss, but the second was different. Ashley was sure he was into it as much as she was—if not more.
“Ashley, you are not usually this quiet; talk to me,” James said, wondering what she was thinking.
“Will our conversation stay between us?”
“I will not tell a soul; you have my word.”
She exhaled and smiled. “Good.”
When they reached her car, there was a note. The note simply read, “All is not forgotten, you owe me one.”
“Who is it from?” James asked.
“No name. I’m sure it’s from David.”
She crumpled the paper up then put it in her purse. “Thank you for everything, James,” she said without looking at him. If nothing else, Ashley was raised to handle rejection with dignity. She unlocked her car and got in.
“Ashley, are you going to be okay?” James asked, leaning against the driver’s door.
“I’ll be fine, thank you.” She smiled, and then pulled off.
D
uring the next week Magna, Graham, Calvin and JD made cases on two members of the Latin Eagles. However, their leader, Juan Cortez, remained elusive. The arrest of his men left a bitter taste. Revenge was on his mind. “He fuck with my family, I fuck with his.” That was the word from Juan. Juan knew killing a DA would bring too much heat on his organization. Nevertheless, he had to let it be known, in no uncertain terms, a price will be paid if you fuck with the Eagles. This Harrison man had disrespected him by coming on his turf and interfering with his neighborhood. Now he had three of his good men locked up and families scared they would be next. He had to send a message aimed directly at Harrison
♥
Morning briefings were mundane, but necessary, for Brian. It was a time to review the week’s activity with a clear mind, no interruptions. Something in one of the reports caught Brian’s eye. One of the surveillance tapes had a member of the Latin Eagles on it in an unlikely place. He began to watch the tapes intently.
There he was again, but why, why there
, Brian wondered. He continued through the tapes and spotted the same man again. “What the hell?” He placed a call. “Jones, the tapes you brought in this morning, when and where were they taken? Are there any more? Bring them up. Yes, now,” Brian said. He continued through the tapes; there were at least four occasions where an Eagle appeared near or around the Next Level office. It did not bother Brian at first. He figured the Eagles had a man on JD and JD must have gone to see Tracy. Jones brought in the other tapes.
“Jones, take these down,” Brian said as he handed reviewed tapes to the man. “Have stills made every time you see this guy. I want stills of him and everything around him. I want to see what he sees.”
“Yes, sir,” Jones replied.
Brian began talking to himself. “What the hell are you up to, Juan? Why is your man uptown? That’s not your turf,” he said, almost singing. Brian turned on the CD player; Everett Harp came through the speakers. “Ahh, jazz. Thinking music.” He looked closer at the tapes. “It’s there; I just need to find it. The answer is there.” Humming to himself, he said, “Just keep watching and it will show its ugly face, it always does…. Who you looking for, Juan?”
In the frame Brian was observing, Juan’s man was standing across the street from Next Level Consulting. On the other side of the street were Tracy, Ashley and James Brooks. JD was nowhere around.
Not sure what to make of it, Brian contacted his superiors and requested permission to put a man on Tracy. When that was denied, he tried Ashley; the agency denied that also. Their only concern was the protection of JD Harrison.
♥
Later that night, JD was in his home office preparing for the third trial. His office was directly across the hallway from his bedroom. Before Tracy came back into his life, he only had a desk and a bookcase in the room. Tracy, being the organizational person, redesigned the room. She added a mahogany wall unit with bookshelves and file drawers on both ends at the bottom. Of course, all files were neatly arranged. A BOSE stereo system with surround sound was on the middle shelf. All of his law books were displayed along with awards JD had received. Against the wall to the right of his desk were a leather sofa and a matching chair in front of his desk. The wall next to the door had a twenty-seven-inch television. It was actually more professional than his office downtown, and more comfortable.
Tracy knew that when Jeffrey was dealing with a case, he would spend more time in that office than in the bedroom. That much had not changed. JD got just as caught up in cases as he always had. Now he had someone to help him through the rough moments. This case was going to be a little more intense because it dealt with Juan’s little cousin. Juan’s little cousin was the closest person in the organization to Juan. If JD could get him to turn, they may have a shot at Juan. But so far JD had not been able to penetrate that bond.
Tracy reached over for Jeffrey but he wasn’t in bed. She knew exactly where to go. She put on his shirt that was on the floor and walked across the hall to his office. “Did I wake you?” JD asked.
She walked around the desk, put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “No, you didn’t wake me,” she said. “Why are you looking at those inaccurate
bank statements?” she asked yawning.
He laughed. “They only look bad because you are half asleep.”
“No, they are inaccurate, look.” She pointed to the sheet. “That’s a fudged number.”
“What do you mean, ‘fudged number’?” he asked.
“They don’t add up,” she said, lying on the sofa. “Put them in your calculator; that bottom line should be an additional 10 percent.”
JD added the column of numbers and saw that Tracy was right: the bottom line was wrong. “How did you know it was wrong?”
“I could see it,” she said.
“You were just standing here for a minute, how could you see that?”
“I don’t know.” She grabbed a pillow and put it under her head. “My mind remembers numbers at a glance.” She closed her eyes, thinking the conversation was over.
JD looked over at her. She was lying there with her thighs exposed under his shirt. Now how was he supposed to concentrate? He sat at the end of the sofa then put her legs across his lap.
“Explain,” he said.
Tracy opened her eyes and looked at him. “Okay,” she started, “I can look at a number or you can give me a series of numbers and I can add, subtract, multiply or do whatever with that number in my mind.”
“Without a calculator?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, then looked at him. “Are you challenging me again?”
“Yes,” he said. He reached over for the calculator on the desk. “The figure at the bottom of the page is….”
“Stop,” she said. “Let me tell you: 128,562.58.”
“That’s not right; the total at the bottom is 115,706.33.”
She sat up. “And it’s wrong. Take 128,562.58 and multiply it by 10 percent, 12,856.25, now add your figure to that figure: 115,706.33 plus 12,856.25 equals 128,562.58. Someone is skimming 10 percent off the bottom line figure.”
He did the calculations on the calculator that she did in her head. He looked at her. “You remembered all those numbers?” Looking at her amazed he asked, “How do you do that?”
“I don’t know. Turk can do it, too.”
“Get the hell out of here,” he said, surprised.
“No, I don’t think I will.” She positioned herself on top of him and kissed him.
He responded to her kiss. Suddenly he stopped. “Wait a minute, hold that thought.” He set her back at the other end of the sofa and called Calvin.
“I guess the honeymoon is over,” Tracy said and went back to bed.
“Calvin, get over here, I think we got Juan.”
JD turned the information over to the DA’s tax accounting division. The next day JD had subpoenas issued against several bank accounts. Two days later, Juan was arrested for five counts of tax evasion, which carry federal time of 10 to 15 years, each. All bank accounts and assets with Juan’s name or social security number on it were frozen. The total take on all accounts plus current market value of the assets was well over $2.3 million. The DA’s office telephone lines blew up with requests for interviews and details of the arrest.
This hit Juan’s organization hard financially. Needless to say, Juan was going to retaliate.
JD met with Mrs. Gonzalez. He explained they may not be able to convict Juan on Lisa’s murder, but they could get him off the streets with these other charges. She was pleased with anything that would protect the neighborhood. JD felt pretty good about the outcome of the case. He knew it would not satisfy the need for justice on Lisa’s death. But it was something.
♥
JD could not wait to tell Tracy about the subpoenas. He called her office, but she was in a meeting. So he decided just to tell her at home. JD was wrapping up his work that afternoon when he received a call from Carolyn. “Are you leaving for the day?” she asked.
“Trouble, what are you up to now?” He laughed.
“That’s not funny. I just wanted to know if you were free for drinks tonight.”
“With you? In what world?”
“There is no reason we can’t be civil to each other, JD.”
“You’re right. Let me change my answer. No, I’m not free. I have plans.”
“With Tracy?”
“Yes.”
“JD.” Carolyn hesitated. “Are you serous about this girl?”
“Carolyn, I don’t want to play these games with you.” JD waited.
“Are you and I really at a point where we cannot have a decent conversation?”
“You made it that way, Carolyn. Now I have to go.” JD hung up the telephone. Alarms started going off in his head. He knew something was up. His first instinct was to call Tracy, just to make sure things were okay. He called from his cell on his way out of the office. She was still in a meeting, so he headed home.
JD got out of the shower, dried off and wrapped a towel around his waist. He wanted to call Tracy to tell her what happened with the case.
She was in a meeting earlier, maybe she is free now
, he thought. He walked out of the bathroom into the bedroom and picked up his cell. Tracy had called. “It rang about 10 minutes ago,” a voice said. JD turned to see Vanessa was lying on his bed naked. “I didn’t think it would go over very well if I answered it.” She smiled.
JD staggered back against the dresser. He had not seen or talked with Vanessa since last year.
They had a little arrangement. Whenever she came into town they would get together. Vanessa knew where he kept the spare key; that way she was able to let herself in when he was not home. He did not think to call Vanessa when Tracy came into his life. Tracy walking in on this scene began playing over and over in his mind. JD knew he had to do something quickly. Unfortunately, a certain part of his anatomy was not cooperating with him. The sight of a fine, naked woman lying on his bed was hard to ignore. Especially Vanessa, the one he let get close enough to know his likes and dislikes. She knew his weakness and he wasn’t sure he would be able to resist her.
JD wasn’t sure how this came about, but he knew it was a trap and he did not like being trapped. “Where’s the key?” JD asked.
“You have the key, JD.” Vanessa smiled.
“The door key, Vanessa, where is it?” he asked again.
“Everything we need is right in this room,” she said as she walked over to him with nothing on but a pair of stilettos.
Down boy; down
, JD said to himself. Vanessa kissed him right at that spot just beneath his throat and ran her hands down his chest to the towel.
Damn,
he said to himself; he was responding to her touch. As he pushed her away, Vanessa pulled the towel. “Well, hello, Mr. Harrison, it’s been a while,” she said, seeing him spring to life. “It’s good to see I still have an effect on you,” she said as she started to bend down.
JD pulled
her up, looked away from her body into her eyes. “Vanessa you got to get the hell up out of here. Where is the key?”
Looking disappointed, Vanessa replied, “Downstairs on the table.”
JD grabbed his robe. “Get dressed, Vanessa,” he ordered as he walked by her.
“But I really don’t want to,” she said seductively.
While running downstairs to get the key, JD dialed Tracy’s cell. “Come on, baby, pick up,” he said to himself. “Shit, no answer.”
Vanessa put on JD’s shirt that was lying on the floor and followed him downstairs. She was not going to let this opportunity get away from her. He could only resist her for so long. “Payback time, Tracy.” Vanessa smiled.
When JD got downstairs he began looking for the key. He had to get the key back in its place outside and relocked the deadbolt before Tracy got there. She would knock and wait before using the key. That in turn would at least give him time to get Vanessa dressed and out of his bedroom. Getting her out of the house was out of the question.
“JD,” Vanessa said, “you know Carolyn told me you had lost your mind. I’m beginning to believe she is right.”
JD frantically looked around the room for the key. “When in the hell did you and Carolyn become friends?”
“We’re not; she just called out of concern for you.” She paused watching him. He really was concerned about this shit; she was amused seeing him this flustered. “You want me to believe this one little girl is able to take care of all your needs? JD, I know you, know your appetite. There is no way in hell that girl could do for you what I did for you.”
JD stopped. “She’s grown up, Vanessa. But you are right, what she does for me is different.”
“Really, well, I am not here to cause problems for you and Tracy.”
“Ha, that’s funny, Vanessa. You are here to do exactly that. Now where is the key?”
Vanessa stepped directly in front of him and he stopped. “JD, calm down,” she said. “I don’t think I have ever seen you this rattled. Let me help you to relax. Do you remember how good we were together?” She reached under his robe and began to stroke him. JD’s body was not cooperating with his mind and for a split second he contemplated taking this one moment. Vanessa was good, but he also knew this was a set-up. He had to get Vanessa dressed
before Tracy came by.
Vanessa had other plans in mind. She knew his weak spot and went straight for it. Now on her knees she began to kiss him on the very part of his body that was betraying him. “I’ll leave if you want me to,” she said while taking him in her mouth.
“Damn!” JD grabbed her head, but hesitated a moment too long. Tracy walked through the door.
JD pushed Vanessa away and closed his robe, but he knew it was too late. “Tracy!” he started, “I can explain this.”
Tracy took a step back to survey the situation. Vanessa was on her knees in front of Jeffrey with her mouth on him. Yeah, that about covered it, she thought. “You can explain this? How?” Tracy coolly asked. Tracy looked at Vanessa getting up with Jeffrey’s shirt on. One of the very shirts Tracy would pick up off the bedroom floor to put on. “I’m sorry, it seems I have interrupted something,” Tracy said with a tremble in her voice.