The Savvy Sistahs Read online

  Grey frowned. “To hell with your image, Brandy, protecting your ass is what I’m primarily concerned with right now.”

  “And you can still do so at a distance, Grey.”

  “I won’t do it at a distance, Brandy, so forget it. I will be accompanying you to whatever functions you have scheduled today as your escort. And if anyone has a problem with that then that’s too damn bad.”

  Brandy swallowed. To say Grey was upset would be putting it mildly. He still was operating under the belief that Jolene was the person out to get her and although she had to admit that theory was a possibility, she just wasn’t as convinced as he was about it. However, to fight Grey on any of his plans would be a waste of her time. She narrowed her eyes. “Fine, do whatever you want, Grey, but I don’t like it,” she said, sounding highly disgruntled and making sure that he knew it.

  “You don’t have to like it, Brandy. But I am asking you to trust me and to do what you’re told with the belief it’s for your own good.” Grey sighed. He was getting downright tired of having to explain every single thing to her. Why was she determined to be so damn stubborn? He had to admit he liked her stubbornness sometimes, but not when it came to her safety. If anything were to happen to her . . .

  He shook his head. No. Nothing would happen to her because he wouldn’t let it. Jolene’s photograph had been circulated around the hotel and he’d even asked the local authorities for their help. It was time. He had a feeling there was a mad woman on the loose who was set on revenge.

  Driven by a need he didn’t understand, Grey let out a curse and pulled Brandy into his arms, taking her mouth with a possession, a want, a desire that he recognized even if he didn’t understand. Automatically, her arms wrapped around his neck and she returned the kiss with the same blazing passion. Emotions welled up inside of Grey, sharp, fierce. Her taste slid through him and with a deliberation that was relentless; he took his time, giving her a long, hungry kiss that ripped through both of their senses.

  When they broke apart he looked into eyes that burned with all the sensuality he sampled again and again and again. He knew that walking away from her and returning to the life that awaited him in Atlanta would be the hardest thing he had to do.

  Jolene Bradford looked at herself in the mirror, proud of what she saw. She almost didn’t recognize herself and was grateful for the many times she had watched Perrin apply makeup to the film cast and crew. Now, since he had gotten scared and decided he wouldn’t help her any longer, she had to go solo. Perrin had felt that putting the fear of God in Brandy was one thing, but doing physical harm to her was another. He had gotten cold feet and defected, leaving her on her own. But Perrin’s refusal to help any further was something she couldn’t be concerned with. With or without him, today would be the day.

  She did a quick check to make sure the vial was secure and tight in the pocket of her coat. Brandy Bennett would finally get hers and it was about time. She had caused her too much pain, embarassment, and humiliation. Thanks to Brandy, those damn videotapes were everywhere and Jolene couldn’t even keep a decent job. There was no place she could go, no university where she could teach without those damn videotapes coming out of the woodwork. And then she would lose her students and the faculty’s respect. Her male students would slip her lewd notes asking for blow jobs or to meet her after school for a gang-bang. It had been nearly three years and the nightmare had not ended and she only had Brandy to blame.

  The two of them had a score to settle and it would be done. This was their day of reckoning and Brandy would get to see how it felt to be the center of attention.

  Grey’s eyes narrowed on Brandy. “Just how many more meetings do you have today?” He couldn’t help but admire her energy. They had put in several appearances, which included a breakfast meetings, two luncheons, and a few other meetings as all of the committee’s planning for the Florida Classic was finally coming together. The game would be played in a few days and already the St. Laurent was at full capacity. That was good business for the hotel but it only made his job just that much more challenging.

  “There’s only one more for today,” Brandy said as she leaned against him in the elevator. She felt tired, but it was a good feeling. Already she was beginning to feel the excitement generated by the rivalry between the two teams.

  “There’s a small reception that’s scheduled for later tonight at Disney-MGM Studios,” she continued. “It’s not until nine so that gives us time to go to the suite and shower and relax.” She tilted her head and smiled at him. “I think a nap sounds good, too.”

  Grey nodded as he returned her smile. He saw the sultry invitation in her gaze and knew that sleep was the last thing on her mind, just like it was the last thing on his. No matter how tired he felt, he would always have the energy to make love to her, lose himself in her heat, her sensuality.

  They made it up to her suite and as soon as the door closed behind them, and once they were in each other’s arms, Brandy couldn’t help wondering if she would ever get enough of this man. When he placed her on the bed, she concluded that no, she would not. She pulled in a deep breath and her arms slid around his neck.

  Grey Masters was addictive and she was undeniably hooked.

  Hours later, Brandy had showered and dressed in a lounging outfit that had been a birthday present from her cousins. She walked into the kitchen. Grey was on the phone and from the expression on his face she could tell he was absorbed in what the person was saying.

  “I’ll be right there,” he said tersely into the receiver before setting it down. He glanced over at her. “That was one of my men. The local authorities brought Sam Perrin in for questioning and he admitted to being the one who delivered those messages to you.”

  Brandy swallowed a groan, not wanting to believe what he was saying, what he was insinuating, implying. “That means that . . .”

  Grey’s gaze didn’t waver. “Yes. And he admitted that Jolene Bradford is the person who wrote them. He went along with it thinking all she wanted to do was scare you and when he saw she had something worse in mind, he decided to cut out.”

  Every cell in Brandy’s body wanted to scream a denial, that it couldn’t be true. Her breakup with Lorenzo had happened almost three years ago and she’d been the injured party, not Jolene. She had been the one who’d been played a fool. “It doesn’t make sense, Grey.”

  Grey quickly covered the distance to her when he saw the hurt and disappointment in her face. He drew Brandy’s head down to his chest and skimmed his lips across her cheeks. “No, it doesn’t, but the biggest disappointments in life often come from those we want to trust, those we thought we could trust,” he whispered, thinking of his wife’s betrayal.

  “But at least we know who we’re dealing with now,” he continued. “And we also know she’s apparently not in her right mind. She’s a violent person, so we need to take every precaution.”

  Brandy nodded. “What do you need me to do?”

  “We’ll continue with the same plan we’ve had in place. I’m going to stick to you like glue at tonight’s function as well as any others planned for the rest of the week. A photograph of Bradford has been circulated and we hope we can pick her up before she decides to do any mischief.”

  Brandy hoped so. A part of her wondered if there was something she could have done to avoid any of this. Right after the wedding Jolene had called her several times to talk and offer an apology, but Brandy, still raw from the pain, had refused to talk to her and had literally dismissed the woman from her life. As far as Brandy had been concerned what she and Lorenzo did had been unforgivable.

  “I need to go downstairs and meet with a detective from the Orlando Police Department. We’re handling this as quietly as we can, Brandy, I want you to know that.”

  She nodded. “I do and I appreciate it. You don’t think she’ll do anything to harm any of the hotel guests do you?”

  “No, I think her anger is directed at you. You’re the person she wants to hurt.�
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  Brandy shuddered at the thought.

  “Lock the door behind me. I’ve arranged for a security guard to be posted outside the door while I’m gone which shouldn’t be any more than ten or fifteen minutes. I’ve ordered something for you to eat which should be up shortly. I figured you’d be pretty hungry.”

  A hot blushed heated Brandy’s cheek when her mind recalled the vigorous activity that had taken place in her bedroom a few hours ago. “Thanks,” she said, appreciating his thoughtfulness. “I could use something to eat.”

  Grasping the back of her neck, Grey leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips. “I could stay in bed with you forever,” he said in a low, caressing and arousing voice.

  “And I feel the same way about you, Grey.”

  Minutes after Grey had left, Brandy wandered restlessly around the suite while she waited for him to return. She pulled out several magazines and even turned on the television but she could not stop her mind from thinking about Jolene.

  She sighed when she heard the knock at the door and crossing the room she glanced out the peephole and saw it was a waiter with a dinner trolley. Removing the security locks, she opened the door so the man could wheel the trolley inside the suite. Brandy frowned when she didn’t see the security guard that Grey had mentioned would be posted outside.

  “Excuse me,” she said to the waiter who was wheeling the trolley to the middle of the room, “but did you see someone standing outside my door?”

  The man turned around and the first thing Brandy thought was that he was someone she didn’t recognize, but then they had hired additional help for this weekend’s function, so that wasn’t unusual.

  “I wouldn’t worry about him if I were you.”

  Brandy’s breath caught when the man peeled off a fake mustache then snatched off an Afro wig, exposing shoulder-length air. It didn’t take long for her to see that the person standing before her was not a man but a woman. She blinked and when the woman grabbed a napkin from off the trolley and began wiping makeup from her face, Brandy suddenly went cold inside.

  Jolene.

  Grey paced around Perry Hall’s office after listening to the detective’s report. The only other thing Sam Perrin could tell the authorities about Jolene’s plans was that she had spent a lot of time mixing some chemicals together. When asked where Jolene had gotten the chemicals he’d told them that while working as a biology professor at UCF, Jolene had had access to the university’s chemistry lab.

  Fear and fury roared through Grey upon listening to the detective describe Jolene’s devious mind.

  “Uh, there’s something I forgot to mention that’s a possibility,” Sam Perrin said, his voice sounding rather nervous.

  Grey stopped walking and met the young man’s jittered gaze. “What?”

  “Jolene took one of my makeup kits so she might not look like herself.”

  “Damn!”

  No sooner had that one word escaped Grey’s lips, there was a knock on the door. Hall immediately granted the person entrance. Apollo Guisto walked in looking angry and upset. “We have a problem, Grey.”

  Grey’s heart began beating rapidly. “What?”

  “The waiter who was to deliver room service to your room was found in the elevator unconscious. Someone injected him with something that caused him to black out.”

  Grey’s hands tightened to fists at his side. He quickly crossed the room toApollo.“What about the security guard I stationed at the door?”

  “The security camera we installed on Ms. Bennett’s floor has picked up him lying flat on his back near the door. It’s my guess the same thing happened to him. It’s also my guess that Jolene Bradford is alone with Brandy Bennett in her suite as we speak.”

  Moving with the speed of lightning, Grey was out of the room with the other men following behind him.

  Brandy knew the best thing to do was to not lose her cool and keep Jolene talking. She had to believe that Grey was on his way. She had to believe that. “Why, Jolene? Why do you hate me so much?”

  Jolene’s laughter was chilling. “Considering everything you did to me, Brandy, how can I not hate you? I admit that sleeping with Lorenzo was a mistake but I paid the price for that indiscretion. My fiané wouldn’t have anything to do with me and everyone treated me like I was dirt. But then when I ran into Lorenzo some months ago and he told me the truth, I couldn’t believe you would stoop so low.”

  As far as Brandy was concerned, no one had stooped as low as Jolene but decided not to tell her that. Although she didn’t see a weapon of any kind on the woman, she wasn’t taking any chances. “Stoop so low for what?”

  “Lorenzo said you planned the entire thing and that it hadn’t been a fluke that the videotape was shown at the wedding like everyone thought. He told me that you and those damn cousins of yours planned everything just to embarrass and humiliate us in front of everyone. But you weren’t satisfied with stopping there, were you? You had copies of that videotape made and distributed everywhere so I couldn’t put what I did behind me. I was asked to resign from three different universities because of you.”

  “I had nothing to do with those copies, Jolene.”

  “Lies! I don’t believe you. It wasn’t my fault what happened between Lorenzo and me. It just happened and I didn’t know he was taping us. I lost so much over the years and you were supposed to be my friend.”

  Brandy’s skin began to crawl at how calm Jolene appeared and fear began growing inside of Brandy. “And you were supposed to be my friend, Jolene,” she said softly, trying to be just as calm. “How do you think I felt when I watched that video and saw the woman in bed with my fiané was you? A person I trusted as my best friend, my maid of honor, the woman who was to be the godmother to my children?”

  Brandy watched Jolene’s face twist in pain at the reminder of what she and Lorenzo had done. “Get real, Brandy. Do you think I was the only woman he was screwing? You trusted Lorenzo too much. I know it was bad judgment on my part but still that was no reason for you to do what you did. And I want you to know how it feels to be ostracized, to stand out and have people whisper about you behind your back. I thought about setting up a tape in here and film you and your boyfriend making out but decided that was too easy. I wanted to get you where it hurt—your face. I used to get so damn sick and tired of you mama bragging about how beautiful you are. And I intend to fix that. If no decent man wants me then no man, decent or otherwise, will want you either.”

  Brandy watched as Jolene pulled something out of her coat pocket and Brandy took a step back. “Think about what you’re doing, Jolene,” she said in an attempt to reason with her, although she had a feeling she was wasting her time. “Is it worth all of this? I promise not to press charges if you walk out of here and don’t come back. Why mess your future up over—”

  Jolene waved an sharp hand in the air, demanding Brandy’s silence. “I don’t have a future because of that damn videotape. Once anyone sees it I’m nothing more than a laughingstock around campus and my male students immediately consider me as nothing but a slut and try hitting on me. Even Lorenzo treats me like dirt. He came out smelling like a rose because his family has money, but for me it’s different. Scandal follows me everywhere and I’m tired of living that way.” She moved toward Brandy. Her steps slow, determined. “So it doesn’t matter if I’m arrested. I’ll go to jail knowing that I’ve given you a dose of your own medicine.”

  Brandy moved backward. Her first thought was to try to make it to the bedroom but Jolene stood between her and the bedroom door. “My boyfriend is on his way back, Jolene. You won’t get away with this.”

  The woman laughed. “Oh, yes, I will. Have you forgotten that I’m a biology professor with a minor in chemistry? I’ve mixed some of the strongest chemicals together that will disfigure your features for life,” she said holding the vial up for Brandy to see. “What’s in here is some pretty potent stuff. When I’m through with you even your boyfriend won’t want you.”
/>   Knowing she was trapped, Brandy refused to just stand there and be at Jolene’s mercy. Swallowing the panic that rose in her throat, she took off toward the kitchen intending to find something she could use to defend herself. Her heart began beating wildly when she heard Jolene’s angry footsteps behind her, close on her heel.

  Then the next thing Brandy knew the door crashed open and Grey and a few men rushed in, tackling Jolene to the floor, and knocking the open vial from her hand. It spilled on the floor, immediately eating away at the carpet. Some of it spilled on Jolene’s hand and she was screaming as if in tremendous pain. Brandy also noticed that some of it had gotten on one of the men’s jacket, which he quickly removed. She stood aside as the men rushed Jolene to the kitchen sink to try and wash off the contact the acid had made to her skin. Brandy closed her eyes when she saw Jolene’s hand and the damage that had already been done. Jolene had been right; the chemicals had been potent. Brandy shuddered when she thought that it had been Jolene’s plan to throw those chemicals in her face . . .

  “Grey!”

  Grey immediately came to her and pulled Brandy into his arms. “It’s okay, baby. It’s over. It’s all over.” He pressed her head against his chest and inhaled a long deep breath, angry at how close Jolene had come to hurting his woman. He picked her up into his arms and carried her out of the kitchen and into the office, closing the door behind him. He sat down in the wingback chair.

  And in his arms Brandy broke down, allowing all her emotions and tears to pour forth. She had just come through one hell of an experience and he understood her need to release her fear, anxiety, and pain. Jolene Bradford had hurt her before and today she had tried hurting her again. Today Brandy had once again seen how someone you considered a friend could turn on you, betray you.