Bodyguard My Heart (The Bodyguard #2)

Chapter 15

15

S amara

I stepped out of the car and made my way toward the jail entrance. It had been several years since I’d visited my father. He had nothing of value to offer when I came. It was always about what I could do to help him or his precious cartel, so I’d stopped coming.

I made my way through the parking lot, my sundress dragging the ground. There was this weird feeling gnawing at me, but I just chucked it up as nerves. I surveyed my surroundings, making a note of where security stood. Being back in Florida had me on edge. Demetrius had given me the speech about my safety a thousand times. He’d followed me in a black truck all the way here and would wait in a nearby hotel. I didn’t have security following me around. There was no Tahoe full of jump-out boys since we still weren’t sure if someone would make an attempt on my life. It was risky being here, but it would be worth it if my father could assist us in any way.

“Samara!” A familiar voice called my name, causing me to turn around fast as fuck. An immediate chill coursed through my body, and my lips parted in a silent surprise.

“Ashton?” I questioned. “What are you doing here?” I fumbled with my dress.

“I had to bring my brother out here to see his pops,” he explained. “Did you move? I stopped by your apartment last week. I have been calling you.” He was getting closer to me as he spoke. Something about this didn’t feel right. What really were the odds of him and me being here at the same time? The prison was about two hours outside of Miami. Now I was regretting leaving my phone in the car.

“I’ve been going through a lot. Staying with family,” I replied.

“Oh, trouble in paradise?” he uttered as he closed the last bit of space that was in between us. He was too close for comfort. I looked at the door and then at security as I slowly began inching away from him.

“Well, it was good seeing you,” I lied. “I better get in there.” I pointed toward the door.

“It was good seeing you too,” he replied. “Sorry about Meechie.”

His last statement made me hesitate a little as I turned back to look at him. A sly smirk was etched across his face. I hurried inside the jail, making a mental note to fill Demetrius in on Ashton. Maybe I should have let Demetrius kill him a long time ago. I breezed through the security checkpoint and made my way to the waiting area.

“Who are you here to see?” the woman at the front desk questioned.

“Mr. Matthew London.”

“Oh, he’s currently with a visitor. Would you like to wait? We can ask him if he’d like to cut the visit short.”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll go on back,” I told the guard. My curiosity was piqued. Who was visiting my father? I walked into the visitation area, and my eyes roamed the room eagerly in search of my father. I wanted to see who was here. My eyes zeroed in on him instantly, sitting behind the protective glass. A man I’d never seen before sat across from him. They seemed to be immersed in conversation. Slowly, I approached the visitation booth. The moment my father noticed me, his eyes grew wide.

“Samara?” he mumbled. “Wow, it’s been years, sweetheart.”

I stared at him, not sure what to say. The strange man turned around, and immediately, I recognized him from one of Ashton’s social media videos. He was Ashton’s brother, but I couldn’t remember his name. I stood there, my eyes bouncing back and forth between my dad and Ashton’s brother, the words that Ashton had said on replay in my head. He was bringing his brother to talk to his pops. I could barely form words as I tried to understand it all.

“Samara, this is Julez.”

“What’s… g-going on?” I stumbled over my words.

“Have a seat, Samara. Join us,” my father instructed me. I didn’t want to sit. I wanted to run out of there and tell Demetrius what I was making sense of in my head. My father had another son. Instead, I sat next to the light-skinned man who favored Ashton and looked like a brighter version of Royale.

“Samara, this is your older brother, Julezua,” my father said nonchalantly as if he hadn’t just dropped a huge bomb on me.

“What? Come again?” My jaw damn near hit the floor at his words. “Brother?”

“Yes, your brother. I dated his mom back in the day. She was married, and so was I. She got pregnant, and we both agreed to get rid of it. I gave her money for an abortion, and she disappeared. I never saw her again. Julez came looking for me a few years ago after his mom passed.”

“I wanted to know my dad. My mom never mentioned who you were, but after she died, I found evidence that led me here,” Julez explained.

“Brother?” I repeated. I was still stuck on that part. “How old are you?”

“I’m twenty-eight,” Julez replied.

“Two years younger than Royale. Does Royale know about this?”

“No, I didn't know Julez existed until he came to visit me,” my father replied. “Neither you nor your brother have been to see me in quite some time. You haven’t answered my phone calls—”

“I wonder why that is?” I interrupted him. He didn’t get to sit up here and act like we didn’t have valid reasons to cut his ass off.

“Cut it, Samara. You and Royale like to paint me as the bad guy when I provided both of you with everything.”

My eyes rolled, and all the emotions I’d suppressed when it came to my father came pouring out.

“You provided things. We never felt loved or supported. You were never there for us. Never at Royale’s basketball games. Never at my birthday parties. It was always the cartel over us. You sent a crazed man to Royale’s safe house to kill his wife–”

“Like I told your brother, I didn’t know he was going to try to kill her,” he interrupted me, making me stare at him in disbelief. Of all the things I’d just said, that was the only one that he wanted to reply to. He knew very well what he had done.

“Now you want me to sit here and not act surprised or shocked or hurt that you just told me you had an illegitimate child on my mother twenty-eight years ago.” Rage was seeping from my skin. I was so angry. “For God’s sake, I have a brother I’ve never met.”

I turned to the stranger. He looked amused by all of this. I found nothing amusing. My head was spinning out of control. I didn’t know which crazy detail of all of this I wanted to dissect. Ashton and I shared a brother. Had he known that all along or was this a coincidence? I could see my father’s lips moving, but I was so lost in my own thoughts I couldn’t hear him.

“Samara!” he called, bringing me back to reality. “I know why you are here.”

I silenced my thoughts so I could focus. With all the new revelations, I’d almost forgotten why I visited.

“I was coming to talk to you about what happened to Demetrius,” I said.

“Yes, my sources tell me he’s dead. I admit I didn’t believe it until you waltzed in here looking like grief. How are you holding up?”

“Not well. I want revenge. Who do you think may have sent the hit? I was thinking Cousin Smith?”

Julez and my father let out a loud laugh that had me eyeing them both in confusion. I didn’t see the joke.

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about that, sis.” Julez touched me on the leg.

“Why not?”

“That’s why I’m here. Dad and I decided that since Demetrius is gone, I’ll be stepping in to take his place. Cartel business is none of your concern.”

“The London Cartel is back in the hands of a blood-born London. I failed with my first son, but Julez is ready and willing. I know you have no desire to run the cartel,” my father added.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and hearing. My father thought Demetrius was dead, and there wasn’t an ounce of sadness or remorse on his face. Suddenly, it all made sense, and I could barely stop my heart from beating out my chest. My father had sent the hit on Demetrius. I thought my dad couldn’t break my heart any more than he already had. I was clearly wrong.

A surge of emotions hit me like a ton of bricks. Hurt, sadness, and betrayal all rolled into one. I couldn’t handle it. I wanted to give my father a piece of my mind, but I couldn’t reveal that I knew it was him.

“You’re taking over the cartel? Who said I was stepping down?” My eyes bounced from Julez to my father.

“You can’t run the cartel, Samara!” my father barked.

“Watch me!” I got up and stormed out of the visitation area. I needed to tell Demetrius what I’d just found out. I moved quickly through the waiting area and security. My heart pounded with each step.

“Yo, what’s up? You all right?” Ashton called after me as I made my way to my car.

“I don’t need this right now, okay? Just leave me alone,” I said. I was doubling my steps, trying to move quickly to my car.

“Samara!” Ashton called again, making me turn around.

“What! You want to tell me how all of this was a part of a sick game? Did you know we shared a sibling? Did he tell you to pursue me?”

Ashton said nothing. He just stared at me. A tiny bit of emotion was displayed on his face.

“I’m sorry, Samara. It wasn’t personal. None of this is.”

I didn’t let him finish as I stormed past him. He didn’t say anything else. He just watched me walk to my car. I quickly climbed inside. I wasted no time peeling out of the lot. My blood was boiling. I couldn’t get to my phone fast enough before I dialed Demetrius’s number.

“That was fast.” His deep baritone filled my car speakers.

“My daddy sent the hit,” I said quickly. “He has another son. It’s Ashton’s brother. They plan to take over the cartel.”

“Breath, Samara, slow down, baby girl, so I can follow you.”

“Ashton’s brother is my brother. My dad wants him to take over the cartel. They are the ones that tried to kill you.” I slowed down my words, but now tears were pouring from my eyes. “My father tried to kill the man I love. My husband!” I sobbed.

“Fuck!” Demetrius shouted into the phone. “Where are you, Samara?”

“On my way to the hotel,” I responded.

“No, I’ll meet you at the gas station when you arrive. Get out of the car and go inside. Use another door and get in my car,” he instructed. “The stakes of this shit just went up, baby girl.”

“Okay!” I nodded as if he could see me.

“Do they know I’m alive?” I heard his car start on the other end, letting me know he was already en route to the gas station.

“No! I don’t think so.” I pulled up to a red light.

“Good, we have the advantage then. I’m leaving the hotel now–”

I didn’t hear the rest of what he was saying because my car door flew open in the blink of an eye, and I was snatched from the seat. A bag was immediately placed over my head.

“Ahh!” I screamed.

“Samara!” I heard Demetrius call out right before I blacked out.