Читать книгу Sin City Temptation - Sharon C. Cooper - Страница 13

Chapter 3

“I can’t believe you’re moving in with a man.”

Trinity rolled her eyes at Connie, ignoring her friend’s comment and laughter. In all honesty, Trinity couldn’t believe she’d be temporarily moving in with Gunner either. The whole situation felt like an out-of-body experience. What were the chances she’d be living under the same roof as the person she’d had a crush on years ago? On the other hand, this would give her an opportunity to understand what several of her security specialists dealt with when a client hired a twenty-four-hour guard. So far, she wasn’t looking forward to spending so much time with Gunner.

“I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal about all of this,” Connie said, standing in the doorway of Trinity’s walk-in closet. “Do you know how many women would kill for this opportunity? Not only is the man wealthy, but he’s also gorgeous. If I had the skills to be one of your security specialists, heck, I’d be in his face explaining to him why I was the better choice.”

Trinity shook her head and smiled. Connie Shaw, her best friend since high school, was five-four and a hundred and ten pounds soaking wet. Trinity couldn’t ask for a better assistant, but knew her friend could barely fight off a fly, let alone some unknown enemy.

Trinity didn’t know if Gunner’s concerns regarding someone taking out professional poker players were warranted, but she had every intention of protecting her new client. She was an expert in her line of business, and she didn’t plan on allowing her personal feelings to get in the way of her doing her job.

“Since Vegas will probably be a thousand degrees this time a year, I’m thinking you’re going to need these.”

Trinity looked up to see a canary yellow, two-piece bathing suit dangling from Connie’s fingers, a wicked grin spread across her friend’s mouth. Trinity might take a swimsuit, but it would definitely not be that particular one. The scrap of material barely covered her most prized possessions.

“Connie, you can put those items back where you found them. This is not a pleasure trip.” Trinity went back to packing. She grabbed her toiletries from the bathroom and stuffed them in her carry-on suitcase.

“I know it won’t be professional for you to have any fun on this trip with the hunk.”

“His name is Gunner.”

“Okay, then I know it won’t be any fun on this trip with Gunner, the hunk, but what if it—”

“It won’t.”

“Or what if he—”

“He won’t.”

Connie threw the rolled-up pair of socks that she had in her hand at Trinity, who caught it before it made contact with her head.

“Stop that and let me finish my sentence!”

“Violent, are we?” Trinity teased.

“If you keep up this attitude, you’re going to end up an old maid who lives with nine cats,” Connie said and disappeared into the closet, but soon returned with a pair of red do-me-baby stilettos. “You never know when love might find you, but at this rate and with this negative attitude of yours, you’re going to miss it!”

Trinity continued packing, adding the shoes that Connie put near the bed to one of the larger suitcases sitting on the floor. She tuned Connie out as she went on her usual rant regarding Trinity’s love life, or lack thereof. Ever since Connie started dating Todd, a guy from her cooking class, she’d been pointing out the fact that Trinity wasn’t seeing anyone and hadn’t had a date in months.

As far as Trinity was concerned, getting her business to turn a profit was her main goal. Besides, right now, she didn’t have anything to offer anyone. She had too many balls in the air and she refused to let any of them fall by taking her eyes off her aspirations. This time next year, she wanted LEPA to have a solid list of clients and she wanted her homeless shelter up and running. Every aspect of her life was wrapped up into those two objectives.

“It’s getting late. Are you still planning to visit your homeless friends, or should I say your peeps, this evening?” Connie asked.

Trinity glanced at her Michael Kors watch, last year’s birthday present to herself. Connie was right—if she didn’t leave soon, it would be dark before she made it to the outskirts of Skid Row, a heavy populated area where the homeless resided in downtown Los Angeles.

“I’m glad you said something.” Trinity placed a few more items in the suitcase. She grabbed the bag of clothes that was set aside for Lucy, a homeless woman that Trinity went to see a couple of times a month. “I still think you should go with me. I might need you to check on Lucy, Fred and Henry while I’m gone.”

Connie, who was sitting on the bed near the suitcase, looked at her as if she had lost her mind. “You know I can’t handle being around homeless people. If that makes me a horrible person, I’m sorry, but unlike you, I can’t stomach the area where they live or the condition in which they live.”

Trinity moved the suitcase and sat next to her friend as she slipped into her tennis shoes. “It doesn’t make you a bad person. I remember when my mom moved Maxwell and me from Vegas to Los Angeles. We were homeless, living out of her raggedy car that barely got us to LA, and eating one meal a day until some of her relatives took us in.”

Trinity would never forget hearing her mother’s sobs fill the interior of the car when she thought that she and Maxwell were asleep. Even as a child, Trinity had started planning for the homeless shelter that she would one day open.

“As a cop, I remember the first time I worked the area. I was a mess. My heart broke for each and every homeless person I came in contact with. I just wanted to take them home with me or find suitable housing for all of them.” Trinity adjusted her pant legs and stood. “That’s why I have to get this homeless shelter up and running. Every night when I curl up in my warm bed or eat a hot meal, I think of them. We live in one of the richest countries in the world. As far as I’m concerned, there is no excuse for anyone to be homeless.”

“But I thought you said that many of them prefer to stay where they are, that they’re choosing to be homeless.”

“Yeah, but not all of them.” Trinity would never forget the time that she had found an opening at a woman’s shelter for Lucy. The woman had refused to go, claiming it was unsafe and that people would steal her stuff.

“That’s unbelievable. I can’t imagine choosing the streets over a warm bed.”

Trinity stood near the dresser, looking into the mirror. She pulled a lightweight sweatshirt over her head and exchanged her expensive watch for the one that she used when working in the yard.

“I want to have a place available to those who’ve fallen on hard times and do want to get off the streets.”

“And if anyone can do it, I know you can.” Connie slid off the bed and grabbed her large handbag from the chair near the window. “Is Jesse able to check on your peeps while you’re away?”

Trinity nodded with a hair clip between her teeth. She pulled back her hair and put it into a ponytail. Jesse was one of her old partners at the LAPD, a good friend, who often worked the area near Skid Row.

“Yeah, he said he’ll keep an eye on them while I’m away.”

“Okay, but in the meantime, you be careful down there.”

Trinity turned off the bedroom light and followed Connie out of the room and down the short hallway to the small living room area of her Hollywood Hills condominium. Trinity didn’t know what to expect with regard to where she’d be living when she went to Vegas, but she was definitely going to miss her cheery condo. During her time on the police force, most days she couldn’t wait to get home. She looked forward to her walls painted with bright colors, her large bay window that let in lots of sunlight, and most important, she loved the cozy environment that she had created. The intimate space kept her grounded...and sane.

“Do you still want me to pick you up at six in the morning?” Connie asked, standing at the door, her hand on the doorknob.

“Definitely, that should give me plenty of time to get to the airport and check my bags.”

“All right then, I’ll see you in the morning. Be safe out there.”

Forty-five minutes later, Trinity found a parking spot near San Pedro Street. She did a once-over of her attire, ensuring that she had remembered to leave anything of value at home. Most times when she visited, she didn’t have any problems, but every now and then some fool approached her thinking that she was an easy target. Just in case, she had a small handgun in her ankle holster and a Swiss Army Knife shoved down into the pocket of her jeans.

She climbed out of the car and grabbed the supplies that she had specifically brought for Lucy, Fred and Henry. Since the day they helped her catch a man who had robbed several Dollar Stores and killed two people, she had adopted them as family.

Trinity discretely put her finger under her nose. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to the smell of garbage and funk as she walked the short block to where her peeps hung out. Trash littered the area. A suffocating sensation tightened her throat as she wandered deeper into the throes of homeless people, noticing there were more of them than the last time she was there. Trinity stepped around a man who was stretched across the sidewalk, facedown, and prayed that he was alive. With the poor conditions, lack of food and nonexistent health care for them, it wasn’t uncommon for some to die right there on the street.

She spotted Fred and Henry first, wondering why Lucy wasn’t with them. It wasn’t until she got closer that she noticed someone lying on cardboard behind the makeshift card table they had set up.

“Well, if it isn’t our favorite cop,” Fred said, tossing the cards that were in his hands to the table and telling Henry to deal. They all knew she was no longer a cop, but still referred to her as one. “I was just thinking that it was about time we saw you.”

“I know. I was hoping to get here last week, but things have been a little busy.” She handed each of them a bag of toiletries, as well as some food. She set Lucy’s bags next to her shopping cart, which was sitting near her head and was spilling over with junk. Trinity glanced down at Lucy’s sleeping form. “How’s she been doing?”

The last time Trinity visited, Lucy was having hip trouble and could barely walk, but refused to seek medical attention.

“About the same,” Henry said. “She’s been sleeping a lot more, but says she’s fine.”

“Lucy,” Fred called out trying to wake her without taking his eyes off the recently dealt cards in his hands. “Trinity’s here to see you.” Fred winked at Trinity and she rewarded him with a smile.

Lucy removed the blanket that had been covering most of her face and head, but didn’t sit up. Trinity didn’t miss the dark circles beneath her eyes or how pale her café au lait complexion looked.

“What’s going on, Luce?” Trinity asked. She eased behind Fred’s crate and knelt down near her friend, feeling her forehead and then checking her pulse, which seemed a little fast. “Are you feeling okay?” Trinity helped her sit up, pushing the knit cap Lucy was wearing farther away from her face so that she could get a better look at her eyes.

Lucy swatted Trinity’s hand away. “Stop that. I feel fine. Besides, I told you to quit all that fussing over me. We’re going to have to find you a man so you can get married, have some babies and fuss over them.”

Trinity shook her head and smiled. She had to endure the marriage speech in various forms during every visit. Like many women, Trinity dreamed of the day she’d fall in love, get married and start a family, but she didn’t see the fantasy coming to fruition anytime soon.

Trinity studied her friend and concern welled up in her heart at how bad Lucy looked. Her health was clearly declining and Trinity would never forgive herself if she didn’t do everything she could for Lucy.

Just another reason why I need to get that shelter up and running.

Pulling out one of the bottled waters she’d brought, Trinity opened it and handed the bottle to Lucy, insisting that she drink from it. Lucy had once been married. Years ago, she had been a housekeeper for a wealthy family and enjoyed the work until she was accused of stealing. Anger bubbled inside Trinity every time she thought about the bad hand Lucy had been dealt. Instead of taking her word and basing their decision on Lucy’s commitment to their family, her employer terminated her without proving whether or not she’d stolen anything. Then, after a long period of unemployment, her husband eventually left her, taking the kids with him. That was twenty-some years ago and Lucy never forgave herself for not fighting to keep her children. Now they were grown, with kids of their own, and wanted a relationship with Lucy, but she refused. According to her, she didn’t want to be a burden to them, and nothing Trinity did or said could convince Lucy otherwise.

Trinity dug through the bag of food that she’d brought and pulled out a protein bar. “Why don’t you try eating something? I can tell you’ve lost some weight—making me even more concerned.”

Lucy pushed the bar away. “I told you that I was fine. Why don’t you pick on Fred or Henry?”

Right now Trinity’s main concern was getting Lucy some medical attention, but she had no idea how. She was leaving for Vegas in the morning and unless she was able to convince Lucy to go to the hospital at that moment, there was no telling when her friend would get some help.

Lucy looked away when her eyes met Trinity’s concerned ones. “I’m worried about you,” Trinity said in a low voice. “I can’t leave town knowing that you’re not well.”

“Trinity,” Lucy said in that tone that mothers, no matter the nationality, use to get their child’s attention. “I told you I was fine. Now give it a rest!”

“Luce, let me take you to the hospital.” Trinity ignored Lucy’s growing agitation. “I’m heading out of town in the morning, and I won’t be able to focus on what I’m supposed to do if—”

“She ain’t gonna go,” Henry said. He adjusted his broken glasses, held together by duct tape, and looked over their rims at Trinity huddled next to Lucy. Trinity should’ve known Henry was listening, considering his hearing was sharp, unlike his poor eyesight. “We tried to get her to go up there to that clinic a few blocks over,” he pointed behind them, “but she wouldn’t hear of it.”

“Henry, mind your own business.” Lucy glared at him as she repositioned herself against the brick building. “I’ve been taking care of myself for over fifty years. I don’t need you—” she turned to Trinity “—or you telling me what to do. Besides, shouldn’t you be home packing or something? And what is this trip? Where are you off to?”

Trinity sighed and stood. She glanced at the brick wall behind her, before leaning against it. She’d have Jesse stop by as often as he could to check on Lucy and she’d see if she could get his brother, who was a doctor, to make at least one of those trips with him.

Trinity told them about her pending trip to Vegas and answered their numerous questions. She was going to miss them. They treated her like one of their children and she felt just as close to them as she did her own mother.

“So this fella you’re going to be guarding, I assume he’s not married?” Lucy perked up.

Trinity shook her head, trying to hide a smile. Lucy didn’t quit. “No. He’s not married and before you ask, he’s not my type.”

“He’s male and breathing, right?”

“Yes, but...”

Lucy attempted to stand and Trinity, as well as Fred, who was still sitting on a crate, turned slightly and helped her up. “But nothin’. You are a young, beautiful woman. There is only one reason you’re still single and that’s because you’re not giving these young men a chance to get to know you.”

“Leave the child alone,” Henry chimed in. “She’s young. She has plenty of time to settle down.”

“It’s not her I’m concerned about,” Lucy said. Trinity grabbed hold of Lucy’s arm and cringed when it looked as if her friend would topple over. Lucy waved her off. “I’m concerned that we’re not getting any younger and I want her to find that special someone before we leave this world.”