Stefan (The Marquette Family Book Three) (6 page)

Creed grumbled as he walked away, but Stefan wasn’t worried about him and Shada. Since she had calmed down about the baby, she had set a date for their wedding. In another month, they were going to be married.

Everyone had been looking at Stefan, talking about when he would find someone. Being the youngest of the three brothers, they had said, it was fitting he was last. He hadn’t corrected them to let any of them know he was the first, not the last. His marriage to Talicia happened before Heaven even showed up in the restaurant and eventually married Damen. If Stefan were honest with himself, he would admit a small concern niggled at the back of his mind. Would he be the first also to introduce divorce to their family?

Chapter Six

Stefan left the restaurant and slid into the back seat of his car. As was his custom, Jerome drove. Stefan sat deep in thought as they headed toward the Garden District and his home. When they were close to the drive, Jerome activated the button to open the wrought iron gate. Also, like usual, Stefan felt his mouth tighten. He liked his house but hated the barrier to get onto the grounds. Somehow it felt like he cut off the world from having access to him and vice versa. He loved being around people, and the gate gave the wrong message.

“I see that look,” Jerome said, watching him in the rearview with a grin. “You know it’s necessary, Stefan. Gotta keep you safe. Your brothers had fences put up too.”

“I don’t have to like it.”

“People get stupid, and it’s easier on us to look out for you if we have the extra security.”

“You’re right. I apologize. I don’t want to add to your burden.”

“You’re not a burden. Plus going to the other side of town…”

“No one has ever followed me over here.”

Jerome swiped a thumb across his nose. “That’s because of my driving skills. Seriously though, it’s possible, so we have to be careful. For the most part, even though you and your brothers are famous, everybody seems to love you. We haven’t had any major issues. I want to keep it that way.”

“Got it,” Stefan assured him.

He knew what Jerome said was true. While Stefan and his brothers ran Marquette’s, a small venture compared to their parent company’s holdings, they were billionaires. Creed might get onto him about purchasing out of the parent company’s funds, but his personal bank account could support with ease anything he chose to do. What he enjoyed most of all was spending time with his brothers. The last decade or more had been a great ride because Creed and Damen were with him.

As Jerome pulled up to the front door of his house, Stefan removed his cell phone from his pocket and speed-dialed Talicia. She didn’t answer on the first ring, and he tapped the phone against his lips as he considered whether to try again. A check of the time said she was probably still at the club, but he knew she kept her phone in her hand.

He tried a second time, and she answered on the third ring, her voice sharp and low. “I can’t talk now.”

Stefan didn’t hear the usual blaring music in the background. Perhaps she was in her office, but he didn’t like the tightness in her tone. “Everything okay?”

“Yes, fine.”

“Licia.”

She sighed. “Just business. I’ll call you later.”

Before he could respond, she ended the call. He didn’t realize he squeezed his cell too tight in his palm until the cracking sound. After he released the pressure, he checked the face. Thank goodness there was no damage, but now he wondered about Talicia. She had never hung up on him. Not that he called all that often. Most of the time he did so only when he planned to come to the club. He’d also heard tension in her tone before. Business did that to a person. This seemed different, or was he adding issues where there were none because he wanted to see her?

Stefan had spent almost a year wanting her all the time but denying himself except for when he chose to go back to the club. He was used to nights lying in bed, jerking off as he thought of her. Yet, this was the shortest amount of time he had ever spent away and was thinking of going back.

Wait, is that what I’m doing? Going back?

He strode into the house and thought a minute about heading to the kitchen. After a night of serving, he wasn’t hungry. Whenever he asked for it, a plate of food was prepared for him, but tonight he hadn’t eaten. Instead, he went up to his room and loosened the tie at his throat then unbuttoned his shirt.

The closet door stood open a little, and he spotted the small case he had taken with him to see Talicia. That was different too. Most often, he spent one night with her and just switched into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt the next morning. He kept a few changes of clothing at her place, but nothing fancy. His maid had unpacked for him, but Stefan didn’t need the dress clothes cleaned. He never followed through with what he’d planned this time—to take Talicia to dinner.

What was he doing? She had his head in a tailspin. He expected it to end soon, but then he held on. Damn it, if he could think straight when he was around her, everything would be fine.

Stefan stepped into the shower and shut his eyes. He leaned a hand against the back wall and ducked his head beneath the spray. His cock started to harden, but he refused to jerk off. Frustration gripped him because he kept thinking about how Talicia sounded on the phone.

“It’s not that big a deal,” he tried to convince himself. Then he realized it didn’t matter one way or another. He wanted to see her, so he was going back. That’s all there was to his mental debate.

“To hell with it.” He stepped out of the shower, dried off, and dressed as fast as he could. A stab at the phone on his bedside table activated the intercom system, and he called down to Jerome’s room. “Jerome, I know you must be in bed by now, but I need to make a run.”

Jerome yawned over the line. “Not a problem. Where are we going?”

Stefan hesitated. “Talicia’s.”

“Got it.”

He waited for a comment on his decision, but it never came. Jerome didn’t even hint at his impatience or if he thought Stefan was making a mistake. He knew which lines not to cross, and Jerome had never questioned Stefan on his personal life when it had nothing to do with his job.

A short while later, they were on the road again, and Stefan tapped his leg with a finger, eager to get across town. His entire body and mind felt tight in anticipation of arriving at his destination. When they pulled onto the grounds where Talicia lived with Tyjon, Stefan scanned the lot. He didn’t know why he didn’t go to the club first since it was early yet, but her car was there. Her apartment was at the back of the complex, so he didn’t have a clear view as to whether the lights were on.

“Should I wait?” Jerome asked.

Stefan paused beside the car. Jerome had stepped out with him, and while he spoke to Stefan, his gaze searched the lot constantly.

“Stay with the car,” Stefan said. “I’m just going to run up and—”

“Uh, boss, by wait, I meant walk you to her door and then wait. I’m not staying out here without seeing you pass into her place.”

Stefan ran fingers through his hair. “Oh, right. Sorry, forgot about that. Yeah, come on. We’ll play it by ear.”

They started up the stairs, and Stefan picked up the sound of a man’s voice. He figured it was a neighbor until Talicia responded. A door opened and closed. He stopped moving. The hall was silent, and none of the neighbors stirred.

“Everything okay?” Jerome asked. He had moved into the building ahead of Stefan, but he paused when Stefan did.

“Yeah.”

Stefan continued up until he reached Talicia’s door. He raised his hand and hesitated again. In the years he’d been seeing women, he had never allowed himself to obsess over any of them. He enjoyed the pleasures the female body could provide and gave as much as he got. Once or twice, he imagined himself in love, but it never lasted. Not once did it ever interfere with his chosen lifestyle.

Standing outside Talicia’s door without warning her he was coming felt like he was checking up on her. Stefan was the trusting type, and even when he did catch a steady lover seeing another man, it hadn’t fazed him more than irritation. He’d broken the relationship off. So what was this tightness in his chest tonight at the mere thought that Talicia might have a man in her apartment? He shouldn’t have even suspected it just because of her tone of voice, let alone come here.

Jerome waited behind him in total silence, and when Stefan glanced at him, his face showed no emotion at all. Despite that, heat suffused Stefan’s face. He was embarrassed this episode had a witness, yet he was used to staff surrounding him and witnessing most of what he and his brothers did.

I could turn around now and leave. She’ll never know.

Stefan raised his hand and rapped on the door with his knuckles. Then he chided himself for not ringing the bell like normal. The knock sounded angry. He didn’t want to give that impression. Too late, he heard her footsteps approaching and the exclamation when she must have seen his face through the peephole.

The door opened, and he met his wife’s gaze.
Guilt.
Stefan read people as if their minds were spread before him. He knew what he saw on Talicia’s face, and he stepped by her without asking if he could come in. She stepped back just before his arm brushed hers, and he heard the squeak of her fingers gripping the doorknob.

“Stefan, what are you doing back here so soon? Jero—”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Talicia, but because you’re not alone and I don’t know who he is, I have to come in with Stefan. I apologize for my intrusion.”

Jerome knew better than to apologize for Stefan’s.

“It-it’s fine,” she murmured.

The door clicked shut behind them, but Stefan’s attention was all for the man in front of him, the older man with slightly thinning hair, who had taken his shoes off and was swigging noisily from a can of beer and sporting an obvious hard-on. He eyeballed Stefan around the can, nervous and sweating but arrogant. A touch overweight but probably still appealing to women, the African American man wore a tailored suit, which said he had money. A lingering scent of cigars wafted from his direction.

“Who are you?” the man said after he swallowed.

“Stefan.” He tried to muster a smile but failed. That was a rare occurrence for him. “You?”

Talicia rushed over to Stefan’s side. “Stefan, this is my business partner, Kevin Williams.”

Just business, she had said. As far as he knew, Talicia never conducted business at home. Why would she? “Perhaps I’ve interrupted something.”

“No,” she began.

“Yes,” the man snapped. “Talicia and I were about to have a little conversation.”

Stefan raised his eyebrows. “A conversation?”

Talicia glared at the man. “Kevin, don’t start crap that doesn’t need to be started.”

“Where’s Tyjon?” Stefan asked.

“He’s got a date. Anyway, what are you doing back here? You usually disappear longer. Was there something you needed, another booking? Stop by the club and—”

She must have seen his jaw tighten and let the words die away on her own. He folded his arms over his chest. “I’m more interested in the conversation you and your partner intend to have here at your apartment rather than at the club.”

The man laughed and shook the empty can. He held it out to Talicia. “Get me another one, would you, baby?”

“Baby?” Stefan growled.

Talicia swore. She ignored the can and held up her hands to Stefan. “It’s not what you think, Stefan. He calls every woman baby. The man’s a chauvinist.”

Kevin cackled. “Damn, Talicia. You know how to cut a man down, but that’s what I like about you. Yeah, I call every woman baby, but you’re special.”

He sidled over to her and smacked her on the ass. Stefan lost focus for a second, but when he came to himself, he held Kevin up in the air with his feet dangling above the floor. Jerome zipped over to him and touched his arm.

“Boss, I got this,” Jerome said.

“No,
I
do.” Stefan cracked Kevin across the jaw and sent him falling backward to land on the couch. The softness of the cushions might have broken his fall, but the impact of Stefan’s fist knocked him out cold. Stefan spun away from the jackass to face Talicia, and he froze.

She stood before him with her fists raised, feet spread apart, mouth tight. Her eyes were wide with pain and hurt but also with the same determination he had seen a thousand times. All his anger ebbed away.

“If you even think about hitting me,” she said through clenched teeth, “I’m going to tell you right now, I can defend myself. I have taken down guys as big as you before.”

Stefan’s mouth fell open. “I have never nor would I ever hit you. Why would you think that?”

He saw the tears welling, but she widened her eyes to combat them. Her fists were still high, but they wavered. She swallowed several times.

“I don’t want to fight you, Stefan, but I will.”

He sighed. “Jerome, take him out for me.”

“On it.” Jerome hauled Kevin over his shoulder.

“Wait a minute,” Talicia cried out. “What are you doing? Stefan, you can’t just waltz into my apartment and do what you want to. Jerome, put him down.”

In her agitation, she dropped her fists, and Stefan snaked a hand out to grasp her wrist and draw her to him. She struggled in his arms and punched him in the solar plexus. All the breath left his body. He felt like he’d been hit by a prizefighter.

Stefan gritted his teeth and bore it until the door shut behind Jerome and Kevin. Then he released Talicia. Right away, she put space between them, her anger at an all time high.

“I don’t like being manhandled.”

“I’m your husband.”

“Don’t even pull that shit. Why did you come back here, and what did you hit him for? You and I are just lovers, and that’s all. I told you—”