“I know. I was right next to her.” He waved a hand. “Baby, come. Bailey’s here.”
Baby?My mind windmilled in a million different directions. What the fuck was going on?
“I’m not standing out in the hallway like some delivery person.” I shouldered my way inside, and my gaze found Belinda, hair twisted up in a messy bun, wearing a little T-shirt and short shorts. Like Jonas, she wasn’t wearing anything underneath, and I averted my eyes. “Lindee, what’s going on? Are you all right?”
Arms outstretched, she ran to me. “Bailey, I can’t believe you came. Look.” She held out her hand, and I saw a large diamond on her finger. “Jonas gave it to me tonight. We’re gonna get married. He got a big promotion at work.” She admired the ring. “I couldn’t wait to share the news with you.”
Stunned, I stepped away from her. “Wait. So you…you’re okay? You were crying so hard, and when you asked me to come, I thought…”
“The worst of me, as usual,” Jonas finished my sentence. “She was crying with happiness because of the ring. Beautiful, ain’t it? Three fucking carats.” He put a muscular arm around her.
“I’ve had reason to think that, haven’t I?”
Jonas’s lips thinned. “Lindee don’t need you bailin’ her out no more. I take care of what’s mine.”
It was an effort to keep my voice from shaking. “My sister isn’t your possession. And I haven’t forgotten how youtook careof her in the past.”
“No, Bailey, Jonas never did nothin’. I swear.” She pulled on my arm. “He treats me real good now.” She let go of me. “Who’s this?” She transferred her attention to Keston, and her lips curved in a bright smile. “Hi, I’m Belinda, Bailey’s sister.”
Fuck. The last thing I needed was Belinda to give Keston the third degree. She’d be all over him with a thousand questions, and I had no desire to give any explanation.
“I’m Keston. A friend of Bailey’s.”
“A close friend?” She giggled. “Are you his boyfriend?”
“No,” the two of us responded in unison.
Shutting this down, I took her by the elbow. “Can we talk for a minute? Alone?”
She darted a glance at Jonas, who grunted, “Fine.”
“I wasn’t asking you for permission.” I walked her to the tiny kitchen. “Lindee, what the hell is happening?” I hissed in a furious whisper. “Are you telling me the truth? Please. You can be honest with me. Jonas won’t know.”
“Yes, I am.” Blue eyes flashed fire. “I told you. Jonas was promoted to foreman, and he’s makin’ top money. He knows he’s made mistakes, and I told you he’s goin’ to therapy for anger.” She played with the ring. “He says he loves me and wants us to be together and have a baby.”
I didn’t trust Jonas. I couldn’t forget the sight of Belinda crying in her trashed apartment because of him screaming and cursing her. But I also couldn’t live her life. This had been going on for too many years with no conclusion.
“I worry about you. I don’t want to see you hurt.”
“I swear I’m not. I love Jonas. I hated bein’ without him, and we’re gonna make it work this time. We’re both gonna go to counseling.” A mischievous grin kicked up her lips. “And I don’t believe for a second that Keston ain’t your boyfriend. He’s gorgeous. Go home and have fun with him insteada being all wrapped up in my life.”
“He’s not…” I raised my eyes to the ceiling and shook my head.Fuck it.Why am I trying to explain?“I came because you were crying and I was worried.”
“I was crying ’cause I was happy and wanted to tell you. Please don’t start anything. Go home.” Her jaw set firmly, and she folded her arms.
There was nothing left here for me. Belinda had made her choice, and I had to accept it and be ready to pick up the pieces if it all fell apart.
“Did you tellher?”
For the first time that night, she lost the sparkle in her eyes. “Are you kidding? She’s not a normal mother. She wouldn’t give a damn. She’d probably try ’n make me sell the ring.”
Apparently, I’d had enough time with my sister, because Jonas rejoined us. “The less Lindee has to do with that bitch the better. All she does whenever we see her is ask for money.”
Well, that appeared to be the one thing we agreed on. I met Jonas’s eyes. “Keep it that way.”
He jerked his head. “Not a problem. I’m movin’ Lindee outta this dump. Got a lead on a house in Dyker Heights.” He puffed out his chest. “She ain’t gonna need your money no more.”
“I don’t care about that. Keep her safe. I don’t want any late-night calls from the police.”
