Stand By Me Read Free Page B

uncles were tough men that took me out with them when they'd go hunting. It was years before I learned ducks and deer weren't the only thing they hunted. Anyone that messed with the family were dealt with. Family was and still is everything to them. Jonathan's the same way...so am I.”
    Fiona's mouth fell slack. “Your family's gangster?”
    Presumption, where had she heard that from before? She said, “No, my family's old school. You need help you go to the head of the family and let them handle it.”
    Julia said, “When you don't trust the police, you police your own family. Black and Latino families took care of their own. When many had a record with the police, they couldn't go to the police for help.”
    “That's why you're willing to fight for my son. Brian's actions aren't truly foreign to you?” Sophie verified almost happily. Her sly grin said Kenya found another woman with a dark side.
    Kenya raised her brows. “As far as toward his own child, yes. But I've heard more stories than I've seen actual events. My father, Marcus, took nothing from no one. He's in his sixties now, but his contacts run where Brian would kill to be admitted,” she added.
    “Aye,” Fiona said rubbing her hands together. “Good to know.”
    “If my father knew what happened in the parking lot, this hospital would be crawling with men coming to take care of things.”
    “Kenya,” Calder said setting a serious stare at her. “I wouldn't rule out calling in your family. Sometimes a bigger dog in the kennel is what calms the one barking.”
    She regarded Calder's peaceful demeanor and could see where Jonathan's mild personality came from, his uncle. At least their child had a fighting chance of not being a hot-head.
    “We'll work on clearing Jonathan’s name first, and I'll let the dark side be my last option.”
    “Alright, we have a backup plan. What do you want us to do first, Kenya?” Fiona asked.
    “If you are going to Nigeria for the Inn, then you should go with Randall because it won't look suspicious you two asking around about Graham. Your faces will already be on airport security tapes as frequenting Nigeria as business travelers.” Kenya was glad to see Fiona was just attention greedy not trying to harm Jonathan.
    “You saw in the pub I write for the magazine. I've tried for years to get our countries to merge on the tourist dollar. I asked Randall not to mention this to you because I wanted this to be my project. Yes it was a little selfish, but everyone was so focused on making the Inn a tourist stop, I wanted the West end of Ireland to become the focus with the Inn being a special stop.”
    Kenya narrowed her gaze. “Jonathan believed you never wanted guests on the grounds. You wanna clarify, Fiona, because somewhere there’s a miscommunication of your intentions? Which is it?” And Jonathan worried she was a traitor and here Fiona stood before her with dirt on her hands.
    “Uncle Brian came to me, said he’d back me on the tourist angle if I looked the other way about Graham.”
    Kenya stiffened behind those words thinking she’d found the mole that leaked her where-a-bouts. “And let him bleed the farmer’s dry of their funds?” Kenya sat alarmed. “And you stand here pretending…”
    “Kenya, I only posed to help so I could find out more about Graham. I love Jonathan, I'd never hurt him.”
    Everyone's attention turned to Randall as he touched Kenya's hand.
    Those dark brows raised and he gave her that sinister gleam he saved for seduction, fortunately toward her it meant he’d happily oblige her request. “I'll be out in the parking lot, if anything happens, just come get me. I need to talk freely for this call.” He touched Fiona's shoulder then whispered something in her ear that brought on a private smirk, then left the room.
    “What can I do honey?” Julia offered closing the door behind Randall.
    “In my bag is a business card from Detective Diaz. He works at the fifth precinct