Читать книгу Forget Me Not - Crystal B. Bright - Страница 10

Gideon took a red-eye flight from California to Virginia. Passengers, shocked to see the Super Bowl-winning quarterback on their flight, congratulated him on the plane and as he went through the airport. Manners his mama had taught him kept him from snapping at these people and demanding they give him his space.

After such a big high of winning the game of his life, his dream, it had all come crashing down as soon as Victor had told him about Gunnar. Gideon’s good knee bounced as he sat in first class on the last leg of his flight from Colorado to Virginia.

He couldn’t wait to land, not so that he could get to his family, but so he could at least call them. Not being able to use his cell phone right now killed him.

“Would you like something to drink, Mr. Wells?” The cordial flight attendant with sandy-blond hair smiled at him as she kept her stare directly into his eyes.

“No, thank you.” Gideon couldn’t think about food or anything else until he could see Gunnar and know he would be fine.

First, his mother, and now this. Queen Elizabeth always told him and his brothers, “God never gives you more than you can handle.” Right now, Gideon felt tested.

A passenger walked by him to get to the lavatory. Since he sat in the aisle seat and took up a lot of space in his area, Gideon shifted his legs to allow the woman to get by him.

A light dinging sound rang before the captain spoke. “We’re about twenty minutes from landing in Norfolk. We ask that all passengers return to their seats and fasten their seat belts.”

Gideon hadn’t taken off his seat belt the entire flight. His mind raced with thoughts about his brother. Would Gunnar be able to walk after this? Did the shooter shoot his brother in the head? Had his mother been there when all of this went down?

Gideon braced his elbows on his knees and rested his forehead on his hands. He took deep breaths, hoping to slow down his raging heartbeat. Hearing the hum of the plane’s engines helped him concentrate on something other than his negative thoughts. Without warning, he felt a hand on his shoulder that caressed him down to the middle of his back.

Gideon lifted his head and turned. The woman who had gone to the bathroom swayed back and forth as she headed to her seat. She didn’t look back to him. He took her touch to be an accident. Although he hadn’t felt any turbulence, there must have been some. He did see her looking unsteady on her feet.

When the plane landed, Gideon wasted no time getting off as soon as he could and headed to the baggage-claim area. He shifted in his spot as he waited for his one suitcase to show. Since hearing about his brother, he hadn’t felt any pains in his knee, a feat considering what he’d put himself through last night.

Gideon looked at his watch. He’d crossed over into Monday. Nine in the morning. No wonder the airport bustled. He had hoped to miss the big crowds when he came into town. At the first sighting of him, he knew it wouldn’t take the local media long to follow him around and ask him probing questions he didn’t want to answer.

Time slipped by so quickly. The waiting area around the baggage carousel filled with the passengers from his flight…he assumed. He had been too consumed with his own thoughts to even notice anyone else.

The red twirling light on top of the carousel lit up and spun as an annoying beeping sound honked before the scales of the carousel shifted and moved. Gideon kept one eye on the bags and the other on his phone. He called his mother’s cell phone first, knowing the woman would be awake and with Gunnar no matter the time.

“Gideon,” Elizabeth whispered. “What are you doing calling so early? Shouldn’t you be resting?”

“Hey, Ma.” He took from her whisper that she must be in the hospital room with Gunnar. Knowing that eased some of his fears. “I’m in town.”

“What?”

Gideon had to blink when his mother raised her voice. She never did that.

She continued. “Why are you here? I thought you were in California.”

“I called after the game. I got Victor. He told me about Gunnar. Is he okay? Didn’t mean that. I know he’s not okay. He made it, right? You’re with him, aren’t you?” Gideon couldn’t stop his babbling, but every question he’d thought of on his way back home came rushing out of his mouth.

“Gunnar is resting. He got shot in the stomach.” Elizabeth’s voice hitched.

“Oh, God.” Gideon spotted his red suitcase. He grabbed it with one hand and pulled it off the conveyor belt. “Who did this? Did they catch him?” He went out the door to the front of the airport. A row of cabs sat off to the side. He got in the first one.

“No. The police tried asking Gunnar some questions when he got here, but he was pretty out of it. The wound is what they call a through and through, whatever that means.”

“Means it went right through him.” Bastard. Gideon gritted his teeth as he thought about the agony his brother must be feeling.

“Right. It did come out the other side. He got shot in his stomach on the side. It went through his intestines. He’s going to make it, but he’ll be here for a few days.” His mother sighed. “Eboni is here with me.”

“I’m coming there.”

“No, son.” This time his mother’s voice sounded firm. “You’ve had a rough enough day yourself with your game and all. You should be out celebrating, not dealing with all this.” His mother paused. “Oh, no.”

“What?” Gideon sat up taller in the backseat of the cab.

“There’s no one at the house to let you in. Shay is in the apartment over the garage behind the house, but I don’t want you to wake her.”

The name Shay didn’t sound familiar to Gideon. He assumed if Elizabeth had allowed her to stay in that apartment, she must be someone special to her.

“Don’t worry about that, Mom. I had planned on staying at my house.” As much as he loved his mother, Gideon valued his privacy more.

“Oh, no, you’re not. You’re staying with me like old times.”

Gideon imagined the stately, gorgeous African-American woman wearing one of her many designer outfits and stomping her stiletto-heeled foot. The thought of his mother standing in a hospital room dressed to the nines had him smiling.

“Mom, I’ve been to your house since you’ve remodeled. You’ve changed all of our old rooms into something else. I think my old room is your shoe room now.”

“No, yours is the exercise room. But there is a futon in it, dear.”

Gideon waited a beat before continuing. “You’ve got someone else staying with you. And I’m betting Gunnar will be recovering at your house. You have your hands full right now. I’m going to stay at my home. When Gunnar is discharged, I’ll have him stay with me. You should stay with me. I have an in-law suite that’s connected to the house, and it’s on the lower level so you don’t have to climb stairs.”

“No, son. I’m your mother. I take care of you, not the other way around. For tonight, or rather today, you can stay at your house. Then I want you back at my house, understand?”

Gideon forgot how tough his mother could be. “We’ll talk about it. For now, I’ll get a couple of hours of sleep, and then I’ll come to the hospital, okay?”

Elizabeth sighed. Knowing she got some relief with his news unknotted his shoulders.

“I can’t wait to see you again. I’m so glad you’re home. I wished it could have been under better circumstances.”

“You and me both.” Gideon hadn’t even waited long enough to see who made MVP. He’d missed the full celebration.

“I’m proud of you, Gideon. Not because of the game. You put family first.”

A warm feeling washed over Gideon. Only his mother could weaken him like this. No one else. “Of course. You taught me well.”

“By the way, have you cut your hair? I don’t want to see you coming here looking like a hippie.” Elizabeth tsked over the phone. “Gunnar finally cut his off. I want you to do the same.”

Gideon had grown his hair out as a personal style choice. He knew his mother would have a problem with it. Good thing she owned a hair salon. If he decided to make that drastic cut, he could do it at her business. He didn’t feel the need to conform yet.

“Oh, wow, Mom, I can’t hear you. The phone is breaking up.” Gideon made a screeching sound with his voice. He had to pull the phone away from his face to keep from laughing.

“Gideon Nathaniel Wells, don’t you hang up this phone without answering my question.”

This time Gideon did hear what sounded like his mother stomping her foot on a tile floor.

“I think we’re losing connection. I’ll talk to you later. Love you.”

“Love you, you rascal. You and your brothers are going to be the death of me.”

Gideon smiled as he disconnected the call. Elizabeth would hate his hair. No doubt about it. She would love them being together as a family. Too bad Thane wouldn’t be here. It would be like old times.

On the cab ride to his home, Gideon thought about the game. He hadn’t forgotten the virtual daggers his friend had thrown at him after his final play. Dennis didn’t understand. Gideon couldn’t fail. He couldn’t let his team fail. Because of what he’d done, they’d won. That should be all that mattered.

When his cell phone rang, Gideon looked at the screen first to see the caller. Would his mother be calling to go for a second round of arguing about his hair?

No, as soon as he saw Coach Brick across the top of the screen, he clicked Ignore and shoved it back into his jacket pocket. Coach would want to yell at him for several things right now—leaving the game, his bum knee, the cheerleader. Too many issues to think about as he approached his home.

Gideon arrived at the security guard to his beachfront sanctuary. His huge five-bedroom, four-bathroom house could have held a large family. As a teenager, he used to proclaim how one day he would have a house like he and his brothers had seen riding their bikes up and down the Oceanfront boardwalk. He had planned on getting married and filling the house with children. Plus, the place afforded him a little bit of privacy.

When the cab stopped at the guard station, Gideon popped his head out the back window to address the guard. “Hi. Would you mind opening the gate? I live here.”

The guard screwed up her lips as though preparing to argue with him. As soon as her stare met his, she stopped. Her mouth dropped open. “You’re Gideon Wells of the Wolves! I can’t believe you’re here. I saw you play.” The young woman pointed to a TV screen in her little shack. “You were great, especially that last play.”

Too bad not everyone would think that last play had been perfect. Gideon would have to call Dennis. No way would he allow this to mess up their decade-long friendship.

Gideon gave her a slight smile. “Thanks.”

“I’m new here.” She craned her body outside of the guard window and presented her hand to him. “My name is Pearl. Nice to meet you.”

He shook her hand. Although small, he felt calluses across her palm. A part of him respected her implied work ethic. “Do you need to see my ID?” Gideon reached into his pocket for his wallet.

“No, sir.” The thin Asian woman with shaggy brown hair started typing on her computer. “I recognize you.”

“I appreciate that.”

“I can’t believe you’re home so soon after the Super Bowl.” She winked at Gideon.

“Had a family emergency.” Gideon shrugged and started to lean back into the cab.

“I hope everything is all right.”

Gideon hoped so. The guard opened the gate for the cab driver after issuing him a temporary pass.

Weariness caught up with Gideon the longer he sat in the cab. He yawned more than once before getting to his house. He needed to get some sleep and rest his knee for a bit. Now that he moved around, it started to throb.

Gideon paid the driver and took his bag into his big, empty house. “Hello!” he shouted if only to hear the echo reverberating back at him.

The inside looked the same. The same colorful Spanish tile floors greeted him. His oversize, custom-made furniture decorated the rooms. Having furniture made that fit his height and stature had been another perk of getting paid the ridiculous amount of money he’d been given to throw a ball and get pummeled by buildings posing as men.

He peered down the hall to the kitchen area. With it being morning, light streamed through the windows. The all-white kitchen looked clean. Although the small bag of peanuts on the plane hadn’t satisfied his hunger, Gideon didn’t feel like eating right now.

He looked straight ahead through the patio doors that led to his backyard area. His in-ground pool remained covered, and on top of that cover sat a layer of blinding-white snow. February in Virginia. He had to love it.

Gideon set his house alarm and started to drag his body and suitcase upstairs to his bedroom. Thankfully, the maid service kept his house cleaned. He knew he would come home to a bed with fresh sheets.

The first step he made on the bottom landing step shot a painful reminder to his brain of what he’d put his body through last night. The excruciating pain crumbled him to the floor until he had to take a seat on the step for a moment.

“Damn it!” He grasped his knee over his jeans.

Through the denim, he felt the tight bindings he’d used to wrap around his knee to keep it steady and stave off some of the discomfort. Too bad it hadn’t worked. Not this time.

Gideon rubbed his knee. “One more day, and then I’ll get it looked at. I need more time.”

He took a couple of deep breaths before standing and taking the stairs with ease and careful precision as to not aggravate his knee further. Had Dennis been here, he would have given Gideon the I-told-you-so speech for not having an elevator installed in his home. At the time he had his house built, the contractor had asked Gideon if he wanted an elevator. Gideon had turned down the offer flat without further argument. Honestly, he liked his house, but he hated being in a gated community. With rabid fans, he found it to be a necessity.

He breathed a sigh of relief once he got to his bedroom.

He flicked on the light in his bedroom and released a curse. His heart felt like it rocketed up to his head and pounded out of control until the steady beat filled his ears.

“Hi, Gideon.” The perky cheerleader he’d been trying to avoid sat up on her knees in his bed…naked. “Welcome home.”

Gideon took a deep breath before speaking; otherwise this young woman would hear a string of profanities that would make his mother blush. He also made sure to keep his stare directly on this woman’s eyes.

Scanning down at her body would only get him in trouble. Breaking up with a starlet had managed to get him out of the media’s eye. He didn’t need to go back with some new controversy.

“How did you get into my home?” Gideon stood by the bedroom door.

The way he felt, if he had moved in closer to this nut job, he would grab her and remove her from his house. Gideon had no plans of putting his hands on this woman. He held his cell phone and crossed his arms to keep it hidden.

“Actually it was a lot easier than I thought it would be.” She moved to the edge of the bed. “I was going to sit at the guard shack until you showed up and ask you to invite me up.” She hugged her body, which pushed her augmented breasts together.

Again, Gideon wouldn’t peer down. Nothing good could come from him looking at her like he wanted her.

She continued and smiled as though she had done a great thing. “I was on the same flight as you. Did you feel me touching your shoulder?”

So that strange touch hadn’t been on accident. As Gideon thought about the connection, a shiver ran through his body. He had been stepped on during a game by an opposing team member. He’d even been spat on in his face through his face guard. This cheerleader’s touch made him want to crawl out of his skin.

“Right when the plane landed, I went straight to your house.”

“How did you know where I live?” he asked.

“A girl’s got to have her secrets.” She winked. “Maybe later I’ll tell you so we can laugh about it.”

Gideon’s blood boiled with each treacherous word she spoke. Not only had she violated his personal space, she’d somehow managed to get his personal information.

“I didn’t have to wait for a bag because I came here with the clothes on my back. There was a male guard at the gate. I told him I was a She-Wolf and here to see you. It helps that we had that personal interaction at the Super Bowl.” She swung her legs back and forth. “Did you like that? I liked touching you.”

Gideon remained quiet. He had to hear her full story first before he took action.

When Gideon didn’t answer, the cheerleader’s smile started to fade and she continued with her tale. “He let me in and called your house. Your cleaning staff was here so they let me in.” She raised her hands in the air. “Tah dah. That was smart of me, right? Do you know any other woman who would do this much for you?” She snaked her tongue over her red, bee-stung-looking lips.

Nothing about this plastic woman appealed to Gideon. She didn’t seem real. The more she smiled, the more he saw her as a mannequin that had come to life. This one, though, had sought refuge in his home, in his bed. He couldn’t have that.

Gideon never wanted to be one of those athletes that bought a big, ostentatious house because they made millions of dollars. Once he’d seen the security measures taken for the area, he’d decided to buy in this subdivision. With this intrusion, he had to think twice about his decision.

Gideon started counting in his head to lessen his anger. He took a deep breath before he said, “One hundred.” Then he glared at her. Counting in his head hadn’t eased his frustration as he had hoped. Regardless of what she did, he had to treat her like a lady. His mother would never forgive him if he did anything less. “For one thing, I don’t even know your name.”

“It’s—”

Although Gideon’s mother had taught him not to interrupt people, he had to stop this one. “I don’t want to know it. I want you to get dressed and get out of my home before I call the police.”

The smile started melting down her face before she firmed it up again. “You are such a kidder. That’s what I like about you.”

“Lady, you don’t even know me. You’ve seen me play. I probably said hi to you once or twice, and now you’re stalking me.”

“I am not. I love you, Gideon. I love watching you play. I love how you are with your friends. I don’t even care that your mother is black. I think it’s cool. It’s like the reverse Blind Side.”

Gideon blinked. “You know what? Sit right there.” He brought his phone to his face. “It’ll make it easier for the cops to get you.”

The cheerleader hopped out of bed and snatched her clothes from the floor. “Loser!” She put on her tight T-shirt. “I can’t believe you’re letting all this go out the door.”

“I’m not. I told you that you can stay right there until the police get here.” After the first ring, Gideon heard a click.

“Nine-one-one. What’s your emergency?” the dispatcher asked in a canned fashion.

“Yes, I got home and found an intruder in my house.” Gideon kept his stare on the She-Wolf to make sure she didn’t do anything else foolish. He had no idea if she had a gun or a knife or any type of weapon. How far would she go to get him?

She growled as she slipped on her skirt. “Bastard! Are you really on the phone with the cops?”

“Ma’am, do you hear her? She’s in my bedroom.” Again, Gideon kept his glare on this intruder. He spouted his address to the operator.

“Yes, sir. We’ll get officers to the scene.”

Gideon heard the woman typing as she spoke to him.

Dennis would have probably loved these antics. Gideon found nothing amusing about it. He felt violated and like he’d lost some control.

The cheerleader slipped on a pair of boots and then snatched her purse from the floor. So the woman wore no underwear? Okay, part of that did appeal to Gideon, but nonetheless, she’d crossed several lines. Don’t encroach on his space and never, ever talk about his family.

She started to make her way to the bedroom door to leave when she stopped. She turned toward Gideon and strolled toward him.

Gideon stood firmly in his spot as he pointed to the door. He’d seen careers of other athletes crumble from one stupid move. No way would this one opportunist make him step out of his character. He wouldn’t lay a hand on her.

“I’m leaving. I need to get this.” The cheerleader reached around his shoulder and removed a small cell phone from behind the picture of his family on the middle bookshelf. She pushed a button on it before slipping it in her purse.

“You were taping this?” The longer Gideon stood in front of her, the more it felt like lava coursed through his veins. His eyes and the back of his neck felt hot. He couldn’t stop balling his hands into fists. If he didn’t calm himself down, he would snap his phone in two.

“It would have been so intense. Me, you, and your Super Bowl ring.” She gazed down at his hand. “Oh, guess you don’t have it yet.”

Gideon spoke to the dispatcher. “Please send someone right away. She’s about to leave and I’m definitely pressing charges.” He gave a description of her outfit to the dispatcher while the She-Wolf continued growling at him. With the call over, he glared at the stranger in his home. “I’m calling the Wolves’ head office to get you removed from the team and banned from getting anywhere close to us. I don’t ever want to see you again.”

The tiny terror stomped down the marble steps to the door. She opened it, triggering Gideon’s alarm. She didn’t even turn around to acknowledge him. He closed the door, locked it again, and then disabled the alarm. As expected, his cell phone rang.

First, his alarm company called him. Gideon explained what he’d found when he’d gotten home.

“We’ll send police to make sure she leaves the premises,” the alarm company representative said.

“I’ve already contacted the police. They’re sending someone over now.” Gideon didn’t want to go that route, but she’d given him no choice.

Then Pearl from the front gate called him. “I got a report your alarm went off. Forget the code, Mr. Wells?”

“No. The guard before you allowed a stranger to come to my home and gain entrance with the cleaning staff here. I don’t appreciate that, and I will be reporting that to management.” As he thought about it, he would also have to call his cleaning company and complain about them letting this woman into his home. They had no right to open his door to a stranger.

“Oh, shit. I mean, I’m so sorry, sir. That shouldn’t have happened. I’ll call my boss right now and connect you to him.”

Gideon shook his head. “Later. I’ll talk to the police, and then I need some sleep.” He disconnected the call.

The police arrived within two minutes.

“The woman who was here left.” Gideon pointed down his driveway. “I want to make sure you get her before she gets away.”

“She won’t, Mr. Wells.” The officer took a step into Gideon’s home. “The first unit saw her walking down the road and they apprehended her. I’m here to take your statement.” He pulled out a notepad. “By the way, great game last night. Still can’t believe you’re here so soon.”

Gideon couldn’t believe everything he’d had to deal with within a twenty-four-hour period. Could he get a break?

After completing a police report, taking a couple of pictures with the officers and signing some autographs, the police left. Too bad now Gideon couldn’t sleep. He needed to rest to think clearly.

He lumbered up to his room after making sure he secured the downstairs and strolled into his large yet empty bedroom. When he crossed the threshold, he peered over to the bookshelf where the cheerleader had hidden her phone. If she’d hidden her phone, what else had she done? Had she bugged his room with some other recording device?

“Damn.” Gideon retreated to a spare bedroom.

With each step to the other bedroom, he gritted his teeth. His home should be his sanctuary. Now he felt like a guest. Never again would he allow a woman or anyone else to derail him. He wanted to keep his focus on his family, the reason for his trip back home.