Creed: Eyewitness, page 16
“Well, I’m here to support you guys. And I ain’t the only one in your corner. Y’all did the right thing.”
“Thanks, Candace,” Taylor responded sincerely.
Taylor looked across the courtroom to find Jim Gore and his partner, Trevor Hall, staring daggers at her. If looks could kill, they would have surely finished the job that she suspected they started with shooting her and Maria. Taylor didn’t look away; she couldn’t. She refused to show weakness. So the stare down continued until the Cook County Sheriff demanded, “ALL RISE.”
CHAPTER 32
TAYLOR
As far as preliminary hearings went, Gore’s went by fairly quickly. The prosecutor had decided to use Taylor and Maria’s signed statements, saving their actual testimonies for trial. And ultimately, the judge found that there was sufficient probable cause and set a date for trial.
Taylor and Maria walked out of the courtroom, into the hall where Victor and his brothers were waiting. Standing with them were Kena and a pretty Black woman that Taylor had never seen before.
“Mm… mm… mm,” Candace said as she approached.
“Girl, I know,” Maria replied under her breath.
“It’s like Magic Mike XXL in this motherfucker,” Candace chuckled. “How do you stay on your feet? I’m fucking swooning over here.”
Taylor laughed out loud and told her, “It’s easy for me, ‘cause I only have eyes for one man.”
“Hmph! Well, I see every last one of 'em,” Maria quipped.
“Introduce me,” Candace whispered.
“Uhm… okay.”
Taylor walked over to the group with a smile on her face. The Creed brothers were a supportive bunch. She wasn’t at all surprised when she saw them in the courtroom. Since she’d been shot, one or the other was charged with keeping her safe when Victor was away on business. Taylor also suspected that they were secretly keeping an eye on Maria as well.
“Hey, guys,” Taylor said as she walked up to the group.
She hugged each of them and thanked them for coming. After gracing her with the typical Creed banter, Taylor introduced Candace to the group. After a round of polite greetings and a lot of flirting on Candace’s part, Victor placed his hand in the small of Taylor’s back and directed her attention to the unknown woman.
“Taylor, I’d like you to meet Renee Griffin.”
“Renee!” Taylor greeted with excitement. “I’ve heard such great things about you. Thanks for keeping the citizens from charging my gates.”
“Likewise. It’s good to finally meet you, Taylor. I’m happy to help,” Renee responded with the same excitement.
“Renee is holding a press conference tonight regarding the hearing,” Victor interjected.
“Really? Why?” Taylor asked, surprised.
“Well, the plan is to get ahead of the press and the police department on this. Go on the offensive, instead of fending off another attack,” Renee explained.
“A primitive strike before that asshole, Brent Trainer, muddies the waters,” Victor added.
“Sounds like a good plan to me,” Maria chimed.
“Fine, as long as I don’t have to speak,” Taylor agreed. “I’m sure you know what you’re doing.”
“That I do,” Renee responded with a smile.
“That being said…” Candace interjected. “… Why don’t the three of us do some catching up? Dinner at my place?”
Taylor glanced at Victor, assessing his reaction to Candace’s invitation. It wasn’t that she needed his permission. She just wasn’t in a debating mood. Plus, she didn’t want him to worry. She could already see the battle raging behind his eyes. But, to Taylor’s surprise, he smiled. “Security should be able to handle you having dinner with your friends. Besides, I’d hate to be the idiot that barged in on three armed and dangerous women.”
Laughter was emanating from the small group when Taylor pulled Victor away. “What will you do tonight?” she asked him.
“I’m going to the office. I have some work to catch up on. Listen, babe. Don’t worry about me. Go and have fun with your girlfriends,” he encouraged.
“And… you’re sure?”
“I’m sure, sweetness,” Victor assured. “I know that I’ve been crazy overprotective. It’s only because I love you. But I don’t want to make you feel like a prisoner. Just promise me that you won’t do anything to put yourself at risk.”
“I promise. And I don’t feel like a prisoner. I feel loved.”
“Good,” he said, pulling her against him.
He gently tugged her hair, pulling her head back, and giving himself better access to her lips. He kissed her gently and muttered, “Go. Have fun.”
“Yes, governor. Thank you, sir.”
Victor’s sexy grin revealed dimples that were too cute for a man as hard as him. Despite the hell that Taylor had been through in the past months, with Victor, she was truly happy. In fact, she was happier than she’d ever been. Yes, he was stubborn and overprotective. But more than that, he was kind, loving, and unselfish in every way. As he ushered her back to her friends, Taylor silently thanked God for putting him in her life.
“Are we hanging?” Candace asked eagerly, upon Taylor’s return.
“We’re hanging,” Taylor confirmed. “Maria?”
“I’m in,” Maria concurred.
As the ladies headed toward the exit, accompanied by a small security detail, Taylor shouted over her shoulder, “Gregor, take care of my man!”
“Will do, miss lady,” he shouted in return.
Taylor walked out of the courthouse with her friends, smiling as she thought of the amount of alcohol that they were going to consume that evening.
VICTOR
Victor dropped the budget sheet on his desk and glanced at the phone. He was resisting the urge to call Taylor. He’d all but ordered her to go out and have fun, but he couldn’t help the uneasy feeling that he had when she wasn’t with him. He’d made several calls to Henry Finn, the head of Taylor’s security detail. Henry had assured him that the ladies were inside, and all was quiet, so Victor did his best not to worry.
He rose from his chair and walked over to the large window that overlooked downtown Chicago. The view from his office was mesmerizing.
So beautiful, yet so violent, he marveled.
He imagined Taylor running through the city streets, chasing bad guys, and thought of a number of more suitable careers. He would definitely pull some strings. But Victor was no fool. He knew all too well that Taylor wasn’t the sort to be handled. If he so much as mentioned her leaving her job, she’d bite his head off. Unfortunately for her, Victor didn’t play fair. If push came to shove, he’d just have her fired.
Just as he was beginning to feel guilt for his controlling nature, Kara entered his office.
“Governor, Detective Deveraux is here to see you. She says it's urgent.”
“Send her in,” Victor grumbled.
He turned away from the window and shoved his hands into his pockets, preparing himself for another interrogation from Bella Deveraux. Over the past couple of months, she’d been relentlessly investigating Collier’s murder. She’d not only questioned him, but Taylor, Maria, and all of his brothers as well; several times. In Victor’s opinion, she was just angry because she hadn’t gotten to Collier first.
Bella entered his office, and something about her behavior gave Victor pause. She seemed almost panicked.
“Detective?”
“Governor, have you spoken to Taylor this evening?” she blurted.
Definitely panicked.
“What’s happened?” Victor asked urgently.
“I’ve been trying to contact Taylor. Her phone is going straight to voicemail.”
Victor closed the distance between them, looked her straight in the eye and asked a bit more forcefully, “What’s going on, Detective Deveraux?”
“I have information… And I’ve been trying to contact Taylor and Maria, but I can’t get an answer from either of them. Both phones are going straight to voicemail.”
“They’re together, and Taylor has a security detail. I’ve spoken with the head of her detail. He says that the ladies are fine.”
Bella visibly relaxed.
“Do you know who she is?” Victor asked.
“Well…,” she hesitated. “I really need to talk to them. Where do you expect them?” she asked, blatantly ignoring his question.
“Who is she?” Victor asked again.
“I’m sorry, governor. I can’t give you information on an on-going investigation,” she actually had the nerve to say.
“Detective Deveraux, who the fuck is she?”
Bella stood to her full height, squared her shoulders, and said to him, “Governor, you don’t intimidate me.”
“Detective Deveraux, if you keep screwing around with me, the only thing that you’ll be investigating from this day forward is how to file for unemployment. Don’t fuck with me; not when it comes to Taylor.”
Bella’s eyes narrowed, but Victor could tell that she was relenting. But he was certain that it was more out of concern for Taylor and Maria than a fear of him. He was sure that Belladonna Deveraux wasn’t easily intimidated.
“Look, Governor, I’ll tell you everything that I know. Just, please, tell me where they are.”
“They’re having dinner at a friend’s house; another cop. Her name is Candace.”
Bella’s mouth flew open at the mention of Candace’s name. Her eyes widened, and her golden complexion actually grew flushed.
“Oh, God,” she gasped.
Now it was Victor who was bordering panic.
“She is Candace?” Victor asked, terrified of the answer.
Bella turned and bolted to the door, shouting, “Call your security detail and tell them to get Taylor and Maria outta there!”
CHAPTER 33
TAYLOR
“Dinner was great,” Taylor complimented.
“Yeah,” Candace scoffed. “That’s ‘cause I didn’t cook it. My mom brought the food over earlier today.”
“Thank God for mothers,” Maria chortled.
“Yeah. Tell me about it. More wine?” Candace offered, tossing her thick blond hair over her shoulder.
“Duh,” Taylor answered chuckle.
Candace poured the last of the wine into Taylor’s glass.
“I’ll go grab another bottle,” she said as she walked into the kitchen.
“You enjoying yourself?” Taylor asked Maria.
Candace was Taylor’s friend from the academy. Maria only knew her through Taylor, but they seemed to get along well.
“Yeah. It’s good to be out of the house. Since the shooting, neither my husband nor your man will give me a minute to myself. Between my man’s hovering, and your man’s—”
“I knew he put a detail on you! I knew it!”
“Ya think he didn’t?” Maria scoffed, rolling her eyes.
“He means well,” Taylor defended.
“I know. He’s sweet. Well… not sweet, per se. I wouldn’t exactly call Victor Creed sweet, but he is... um… well, you know.”
“I know,” Taylor responded with a nod.
“So…” Candace called from the kitchen. “Do either of you feel the least bit guilty about not backing Gore’s story?”
“Not in the least,” Maria responded, taking a sip of wine.
Taylor, perplexed by the question, asked, “Why would we?”
Candace entered the dining room with another bottle of wine. Taylor was wondering why Candace would repeatedly question their decision to tell the truth about the shooting, especially when she claimed to have had their backs. When Candace placed the bottle on the table, something in her expression rubbed Taylor the wrong way. Was she masking anger?
“Well, because, we’re supposed to look out for each other. You know… back each other’s play.”
“What?” Maria asked with a frown, sitting her glass on the table.
“Why the fuck would we back that play? We didn’t arrest him, charge him, or prosecute him. All we did was tell the truth. What the fuck is this?” Maria snapped.
Taylor sat back and quietly listened to the exchange. Candace’s mask had slipped, and Taylor watched as she tried to put it back on.
“Damn, chica, calm down. I was just saying out loud what a lot of cops are thinking. Don’t shoot the messenger,” Candace chuckled, holding her hands up in surrender.
“And you think we need you to tell us what people are thinking? You wanna know what I suspect? I suspect that you’re one of those people.”
“Listen, Maria, I was just asking a question. I’m sorry if I offended you.”
“Well, you-,” Maria’s rebuttal was cut off by a loud ring.
“That’s me,” Candace said, jumping up from the table.
She ran to the counter and picked up her phone. Taylor looked over at Maria, who had turned beet red, and her expression was murderous.
“I say we call it a night,” Taylor suggested.
“Good idea,” Maria huffed.
They stood from the table and went to gather their things.
“Don’t go,” Candace said as she brushed past them. “That was my old man. He can’t get past your security. I’m gonna go get him.”
Even that statement was dripping with hostility as far as Taylor was concerned. As Candace hurried out of the front door, Taylor noted that her behavior was bordering manic.
“Our purses are missing,” Maria revealed, pointing at the sofa. “We put our purses right here.”
The hairs on the back of Taylor’s neck stood at attention as she heard the creak of the front door opening and closing. Candace entered the living room, brandishing a smirk that was diabolical.
“Going somewhere?” she asked in a tone coated with hatred.
Entering the living room behind her was none other than, Jim Gore.
“What the fuck is this?” he hissed, as soon as he saw Taylor and Maria.
“Yeah, what the fuck is this?!” Maria shouted.
“Shut the fuck up! You border jumping wetback!” Candace screamed.
“Who the fuck are you callin’ a wetback?! You White-trash, leaky, cunt!” Maria shouted in return.
Candace pulled a gun from the back of her pants and pointed it at Maria. “You bitch! I’m talking to you. You should have died when I dropped two bullets in your back.”
Rage emanated from Maria. Her breathing became harsh, and she was seconds away from charging at Candace. Taylor grabbed her wrist and gave it a squeeze, a reminder to Maria that Candace was pointing a loaded weapon at them.
“Whoa, Candy, what the fuck are you doing?” Gore asked, moving between them.
“I’m saving your ass!” she screeched.
“Saving my ass?”
“Yeah. I’m eliminating the threat,” she explained, as if he had asked a dumb question.
Her eyes darted frantically from Gore to Maria. And since Taylor wasn’t Candace’s main focus, she secretly searched the room for anything that could be used as a weapon.
“So let me get this straight… you’re saving my ass by kidnapping the only two people in the world whose demise would automatically be blamed on me?”
Candace didn’t respond to his sarcastically posed question. Instead, she narrowed her eyes at Gore and spat, “You ungrateful son of a bitch! After all the years that we’ve been together, you still don’t appreciate shit that I do for you.”
“Do something that ain’t gonna get me the gotdamn electric chair!” he roared. “Yeah, I fucked up at work, but that shit was an accident; nerves and shit. I could’ve fought that. I was on-duty. At worst, I could’ve been convicted of manslaughter; done five years. But this shit… ain’t no coming back from this. You’re on your own. I suggest you let them bitches go,” Gore rattled off, turning toward the door. However, he was unable to make it out of the door before Candace turned her weapon to him and fired a round into his back.
“You. Ungrateful. Piece. Of. Shit,” she gritted, as she fired another round into Jim Gore’s back. Without so much as a whisper to each other, Taylor and Maria were definitely speaking the same language as they simultaneously rushed Candace. But she quickly turned and fired in their direction. They both froze. Taylor instinctively clutched her chest, searching for injuries. She looked over to check Maria, but she appeared to be unharmed. When Taylor turned back to Candace, she was in the sitting position on the floor, with her back leaning against the wall. To Taylor’s surprise, she had what appeared to be an entry wound, made by a bullet, in the center of her forehead. Brain matter was splattered all over the wall behind her. Taylor looked to Maria a second time, but she was just as confused and shocked as Taylor.
“Did she... shoot herself?” Maria asked.
“I-I don’t-.” Taylor stuttered.
“No,” a voice called from behind.
Taylor, startled, turned to find not only Bella, but Victor and Linc.
“It was the gun-toting governor,” Bella remarked, jerking a thumb at Victor.
Lincoln chuckled. Seemingly, not in the least bit affected by the bloodshed.
“Victor,” Taylor gasped, not running, but more like stumbling in his direction.
Thankfully, he was already making his way over to her.
“Are you hurt, baby?”
“N-no. I’m okay. Wow… what the fuck?”
“Governor, is that weapon registered to you?” Bella asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Victor confirmed.
Bella closed her eyes in frustration and ran her fingers through her straight black hair.
“Detective, this isn’t gonna be a problem,” Lincoln assured.
“Is that right?” she challenged.
“Yeah. I mean… he did save their lives.”
Bella threw her head back, looked at the ceiling, and grumbled, “This is gonna be a paperwork nightmare.”
CHAPTER 33
VICTOR
Five hours later, surrounded by security, Victor, Taylor, Kena and his attorneys were finally leaving the Area South Detective’s Division. Victor had been questioned for hours. And Bella was right; she had ended up completing a mountain of paperwork. As a witness to the incident, Bella corroborated his account of what went down.
