Trust Me, page 8
“Close,” Ezra said. He handed the ball to his nephew. “Keep practicing. LeBron didn’t become LeBron overnight. It takes time.” He pointed to the house. “Your dad in there?”
He nodded. “Aunt Indina too.”
“Uncle Reid isn’t here yet, is he?”
“Nope.”
Thank God. It was good to know at least some things were still operating as normal. After spending half the week texting and emailing Mackenna, Ezra had forgotten what normal felt like. If Reid had managed to make it somewhere on time, Ezra would question whether or not he was living in an alternate universe.
He rubbed Athens on the head and said, “Keep at it,” before walking up to the front door of Harrison’s two-story brick home in New Orleans’s Lakeview area. It was the kind of house and neighborhood their mom and dad had always dreamed of for their kids. Ezra didn’t tell him enough, but he was damn proud of the home Harrison had built for his family.
“Hello?” Ezra called as he entered the front door.
“We’re in here,” came Indina’s voice from somewhere in the vicinity of the kitchen.
At the same time he heard Reid’s booming laugh not too far behind him. No doubt Athens was trying to wow him with his sweet basketball moves. Ezra turned and waited for his younger brother to join him at the front door.
“What’s up?” he said, accepting Reid’s handshake/half-hug greeting. “How was the game the other night?”
“Pelicans lost, but that suite was nice.” Reid leaned over and murmured in a loud whisper. “Even nicer was hooking up with the girl who refilled the refreshments.” He released a low whistle. “She taught me some stuff even I didn’t know.”
Ezra just shook his head. His younger brother was the very definition of a man-whore, and at twenty-nine Reid showed no interest in changing his ways.
“What about that issue you were having with Alex?” he asked as they made their way to the huge kitchen and breakfast area.
Reid snorted. “He’s still being a hard ass, but that’s Alex for you.”
“Did he let that guy go?”
“Jessie?” Reid nodded. “Yeah. To be honest, I can’t really blame him. Jessie’s a good plumber, but his work ethic ain’t worth shit. Maybe losing a good job with benefits will force him to get his act together.”
“What are you two gossiping about?” their older brother asked as Reid and Ezra entered the kitchen.
Ezra went straight to Indina and gave her a kiss on the cheek before walking over to the breakfast bar and greeting Harrison in the same way he had Reid.
“Just some drama that’s been happening at Holmes Construction,” Ezra said.
“Everything okay?” Harrison’s forehead creased in concern as he poured coffee into a mug and handed it to Ezra without him even having to ask.
Reid waved that off. “It’s all good. At least it is for now. If Alex decides to bring in some chump and mess up the vibe the plumbers have going, it won’t be pretty.”
“It’s his company,” Harrison said.
“That’s exactly what I told him,” Ezra said.
Indina butted in. “And now I’m bored with this conversation. Can we please get down to business? I have to meet Griffin in an hour.”
“What, he’s going to paint your toenails or something?” Reid laughed. “Talk about a man that’s whipped.”
“No, I promised him we could try out the new vibrator I got from this adult store in the French Quarter.”
The three men in the room all groaned with such ferocity it shook the walls.
“Would you stop that shit,” Reid said. “Nobody wants to hear about that!”
“Seriously, Indina!” Harrison said. He tossed the bagel he’d been eating in the trash, as if Indina had spoiled his appetite. Ezra stared down at his cup of coffee and realized that she’d spoiled his. It was his default to remain prepared for any outrageous thing that came out of his sister’s mouth, but Indina had a knack for shocking the hell out of him. She thrived on it.
A loud crash came from outside.
“What in the hell was that?” Indina asked.
“A basketball hitting the garage door,” Harrison said.
“I wondered where all those dents came from,” Reid said.
“Athens suddenly thinks he’s going to play in the NBA one day, but his coordination is worse than mine.” Harrison chuckled. “Give me a few minutes. It’s time for him to come in and take his bath anyway.”
As Harrison headed for the front door, Reid headed for the refrigerator.
“Can you grab me a bottle of water while you’re in there,” Ezra asked.
“You need anything, Deenie?” Reid called.
“For you to stop calling me Deenie,” she answered. Then she turned to Ezra. “So, what did Mackenna want with you the other day? It didn’t sound as if she wanted to murder you, which was a surprise.”
He shrugged. “It’s nothing.”
“Really? After all the months you spent being a pain in her ass? Come on, Ezra. What did she want?”
“It’s—”
“Okay, where were we?” Harrison asked as he came back into the room. He put up a hand and yelled toward the stairs. “I want to hear water running.” He shook his head. “Was it so damn hard to get us to take showers when we were his age?”
“Yes,” Indina said. “For some reason boys just love smelling like the outside. I don’t understand it.”
“It’s the caveman in all of us,” Reid said. “Smelling like sweat and dirt means you don’t mind getting your hands dirty. That shit appeals to women.”
“And that’s why you will grow old and alone with nothing but a bunch of venereal diseases to keep you company,” Indina said.
Ezra and Harrison both laughed. Reid didn’t seem to find their sister’s prediction funny.
“When are we going to discuss Mama’s foundation?” Reid asked. “That’s what we’re here to talk about, right?”
“Right,” Harrison said. “I filed the paperwork for the 501(c)(3).”
“What’s that?” Reid asked.
“It designates the Diane Holmes Foundation as a non-profit and gives it tax-exempt status.”
“Damn, I need to get me one of those,” Reid said. “Half my paycheck goes to taxes.”
Ezra snapped a dishtowel, catching Reid behind the ear. “It’s not for individuals, fool.”
“Ow!” Reid reached back and jerked the towel from his hand.
“Don’t start,” Indina told them both. She turned to Harrison. “The last time I met with Willow, she jotted down some criteria we should use for the scholarship essay on a yellow notepad. You don’t know where she put that notepad, do you?”
Harrison shook his head.
“Hey, where is Willow anyway?” Reid asked. “I haven’t seen her since the picnic where this one got thrown in the slammer.” He hooked a thumb in Ezra’s direction.
“She’s in Pensacola visiting her sister,” Harrison answered.
“So who’s watching the kids?” Reid asked.
“They’re my damn kids. Who do you think is watching them?”
Reid put his hands up in mock surrender. “Damn, man, don’t take my head off. I was just asking a question.”
“When is Willow coming back?” Indina asked.
Harrison shrugged. “How in the hell am I supposed to know?”
“What do you mean by that?” Ezra asked. “You don’t know when your own wife will be back home?”
“Mommy’s not coming back?”
They all turned to find Athens standing at the base of the stairs in his Ironman briefs, a bath towel draped over his shoulders. The tortured look on his face reminded Ezra of how he used to feel whenever his mom would leave. He loved his dad, but he’d been a mama’s boy through and through.
“Didn’t I tell you that mom would be back by the weekend?” Harrison said as he walked over to Athens. He took the towel from his son and used it to dry his hair, which was now cut in a short mohawk. “Go get in your pajamas. I’ll put the meatloaf and mashed potatoes in the fridge and order pizza for dinner instead.”
“Extra pepperoni,” Athens said. “And no green stuff.”
“They’re called peppers,” Harrison said. “And I said I was putting away the meatloaf and potatoes, but you still have to eat some of the broccoli.”
Ezra laughed at the way Athens’s face scrunched up. He couldn’t blame him. Pizza and broccoli were not his idea of an appetizing dinner either.
Indina, however, wasn’t laughing. She wasn’t even smiling. Her face held the same expression it held that time she caught Ezra chopping the hair off her Barbie dolls back when they were kids. At least the look was directed at Harrison this time around.
“How long has Willow been at her sister’s?” Indina asked as soon as Athens was out of the room.
“None of your business,” Harrison answered.
“Harrison—”
He sighed. “Indina, please, just stay out of this.”
“What am I missing?” Reid asked around a mouthful of the meatloaf and white bread sandwich he’d just taken a bite of.
“Nothing,” Harrison said. “Let’s get back to the foundation.
Ezra kept his eyes on Indina. He hadn’t expected her to relent, but she must have recognized that stubborn set to Harrison’s jaw. They all knew that look. Once his older brother adopted it, you could forget about getting anything out of him.
Harrison continued. “As it currently stands, Indina and I are the two primary signatories for all official documents regarding the foundation, but if you or Reid would like to be added, I don’t see a problem with that.”
“I’m good,” Reid said.
“Same here,” Ezra said. “I’m here for whatever the foundation needs, but I don’t have to sign anything. The simpler, the better.”
“That was my way of thinking when I asked Jake to set it up,” Harrison said. “It’s not as if any of us have experience running a foundation. It would just add to the confusion if there’s too many in charge.”
“Actually, that’s something I wanted to talk to you all about,” Indina said. “I was talking to one of my sorority sisters the other day and she volunteered to step in and run the foundation until we raise enough money to hire someone. Sheena has been the head of several non-profits. She’s in Lake Charles, but she’s planning to move to New Orleans soon to work as the finance manager for Mack’s election campaign.”
Ezra’s head jerked back. “Election campaign?”
“Oh, shit,” Indina said. “Don’t say anything.” She looked at Ezra. “Well, I assume you already know that it’s top secret, but you two need to keep a lid on it.”
Reid put both hands up. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Neither do I,” Ezra admitted. “Why would Mack need a campaign manager? She just won her second term on the city council. She has another four years.”
Indina frowned at him. “Wait? You don’t know about her considering a run for mayor?”
Ezra’s entire body went numb with shock.
“Mayor?” Harrison asked. He nodded. “I’m surprised she’d run against Warner, but she’s probably the only politician in this city who has the chance to beat him.”
The numbness swept through Ezra’s his bloodstream, shutting down every thought as if systematically flipping off a light switch on his emotions.
“You really didn’t know?” Indina asked him.
Ezra shook his head.
“I just assumed that’s the reason Mack wanted your number the other day. She didn’t go into detail about why she wanted it, but I couldn’t see any other reason.”
Ezra thought he’d known the reason she wanted him to work with her, but apparently he’d been mistaken. She wanted him to do her dirty work for her. And like a damn fool, he’d jumped all over the chance, thinking that her only intention was to uncover corruption.
He should have known better. Mackenna Arnold was a politician. Didn’t he know better than to trust a damn politician to look out for anyone but herself?
The moment they were done at Harrison’s, Ezra headed for Mack’s Warehouse District condo. It wasn’t until he was parking his car at the curb that it occurred to him that he should, at minimum, check to see if she was even home. She was. She answered his text message in a matter of seconds, and buzzed him up as soon as he rang the doorbell. She was waiting for him when he emerged from the elevator on her floor.
“Hey there,” she greeted. “What’s up?”
“You’re running for mayor?” Ezra asked, striding past her and into her apartment.
“Who told you? Indina?”
“Is it true?” he asked her.
She closed the door and turned to face him. Crossing her arms over her chest, she answered, “Yes.”
Ezra was certain he’d reached his limit when it came to the amount of rage that had built up on the drive over, but he was wrong.
“So all that stuff you fed me before was just a load of bullshit. This has nothing to do with you wanting to root out corruption. This is about me helping you find dirt on the mayor so you can use it against him in a political campaign.”
“No,” she said.
“Do I look stupid to you, Mackenna?”
“If you would stop talking for a minute so I can explain.”
“I don’t want your explanation.” He ran a hand down his face. “I should have expected this shit from the very beginning. An honest politician is like a damn unicorn.”
“I haven’t lied to you.”
“Really?”
She threw her hands up and let them flap down on her hips. “Fine, if you want to say that I lied by omission, then sure, go ahead. I concede that I could have been a little more forthcoming, but, Ezra, I swear that nothing I asked you to do has anything to do with me wanting to run for mayor. I don’t even know if I do want to run for mayor. I’m still trying to decide.”
“So exactly what is my role in all this? If I find enough dirt for you, then you’ll decide to run?”
She gestured to the living room. “Can we please sit down and talk about this?”
He folded his arms over his chest and widened his stance. “No.”
She tipped her head back and groaned at the ceiling. “Can I at least get you to agree to hear me out?”
He was too pissed to answer her verbally. The most Ezra could manage was a curt nod.
“Thank you,” she said. She brought her fingers up to her temples and rubbed. “I already told you how much I love and respect Lucien Warner.”
“I don’t need to hear this song again.”
Anger flashed in her eyes. Despite the fury she’d stirred within him, Ezra couldn’t help but notice how glorious those deep brown eyes appeared when she was angry.
“I won’t say that I’ve never considered running for mayor, because that would be a lie. But I never thought I’d consider doing so this soon. In my mind, I’ve always envisioned it as a peaceful passing of the baton once Lucien was done with politics.”
“What changed?”
“You know what changed,” she said. “Lucien changed. The only thing that would make me consider running against him is if I thought Lucien was no longer in the job for the right reasons. His actions over the last year point to that.”
“So you’re running for mayor out of some altruistic sense of duty? That’s the story you’re going with?”
“It’s not a story,” she said. “And I haven’t made up my mind about whether or not I’ll run. I haven’t even set up an exploratory team yet. I’ve only talked to a few people about it.” She blew out a weary breath. “Ezra, don’t you see how hard this is for me? Whether you believe me or not, I don’t want to run against Lucien Warner. Nothing would make me happier than to discover that this has all been a mixture of coincidence and paranoia on my part.”
He wanted to believe her. Damn did he want to believe her. But he would be a fool to let this woman dupe him. He’d learned the hard way what could happen when he put his trust in the wrong person. It had cost him his job. It could have cost his old newspaper a lot more if his editor hadn’t caught the mistake in time.
Ezra moved past her, and captured the door handle. Before turning it, he called over his shoulder, “You’ll have to find someone else to do your dirty work for you. I’m not the guy for the job.”
He walked out, closing the door behind him. By some miracle, he managed not to slam it.
* * *
Decked out in the expensive workout gear she’d bought earlier this year when she made a pact with Indina to start going to a gym, Mack grabbed a muffin from the stash she kept just for days like today, and carried it, along with a mug of coffee, over to the couch. She wasn’t in the mood for working out on a good day. She sure as hell wasn’t going to attempt to do it today.
Setting the coffee on the table in front of her, she lifted the stack of papers Ezra had left—transcripts from some of the mayor’s past speeches—and started perusing them. Pride overwhelmed her as she read the words, mentally hearing them in Lucien’s soaring, eloquent voice.
How could a man who spoke words of such hope possibly be on the take? It defied explanation. Lucien loved the people of this city too much to hurt them. There had to be another reason for his behavior over the past year.
Mack tried to read more of the transcript, but tossed it on the sofa cushion after a few minutes. It was only a distraction from the issue that had been plaguing her for the past three days, and not a very good distraction at that.
She’d first donned these workout clothes as a way to tear her mind away from what took place with Ezra just a few yards from where she sat, hoping some time on the treadmill or elliptical would give her something else to concentrate on. Maybe she should have gone to the gym, though she doubted that would have worked either. Mack wasn’t sure what it would take to free her mind of Ezra’s words and the look of complete and utter distrust she’d witnessed on his face.
