Page 47 of Roark
Sandra’s gaze shot to her daughter’s quickly, her eyes opened wider than they’d been before. She’d dropped her hand from her mouth and now just blinked at Tamika as if she were confused. “I need a nap,” Sandra repeated, and this time, Tamika helped her upstairs so she could take one.
It took twenty minutes to get her mother out of her clothes and into the more comfortable cotton lounge pants and matching top she preferred—the items were new since, all of her mother’s things had been destroyed in the fire. Like the renovations, Tamika had paid for her mother’s and Tuppence’s replacement items. Her savings was taking a big hit, but she didn’t care. When her mother was settled, she went in to check on Tuppence, who loved the window seat Roark had created for her.
Now, Tamika was walking down the stairs again, in search of Roark. He hadn’t been in his room when she’d checked, so she’d assumed he was either in the kitchen trying to coax Dorianne to let him taste whatever she was cooking, or in the study on the computer continuing to search the names of each member of the group Pierce had given them last week.
She’d just come to the bottom of the stairs when the front door opened and in walked a man she’d never seen before with Pierce right behind him. The guards out front already knew to let Pierce in, so she presumed this other guy was safe as well.
“Hey, Tamika, where’s Roark?” Pierce asked after he’d closed the door behind them.
The other guy with the startling sexy gray eyes—or were they green?—continued walking until he was just a few steps away from her.
“I was just coming to find him.” She answered Pierce but continued to stare at the guy who was also staring at her. “Hello,” she said when the staring was getting out of hand.
He extended his hand to her and cracked a brilliant smile. “Hi, I’m Cade, Roark’s cousin.”
Were all the guys associated with Roark hot as hell? If so, she was gonna have to call up some of her girlfriends in Arlington and introduce them to these fine-ass men. Of course, that would have to be after this investigation was over.
“Hey, man. What’re you doing back here so soon?” Roark came in, walking directly to where she and Cade still stood shaking hands.
“Had to come make sure my big cousin was safe.” Cade stared at her a few seconds longer before casually gazing at Roark.
“Yeah, okay, let her hand go.” Roark touched Tamika’s wrist, removing her hand from Cade’s since it didn’t seem like Cade was going to do what he’d just asked him.
“We don’t have time for this.” Pierce’s tone was stern and tinged with urgency.
Cade immediately sobered. “Yeah, he’s right. We’ve got some news for you.”
Roark nodded and linked his fingers with Tamika’s. “Okay, let’s go in here and sit down.”
Roark directed them to the parlor, where just a short while ago they’d been sitting with her mother and Tuppence. She didn’t release Roark’s hand until he guided her to the couch and waited for her to sit down. He remained standing, just as Pierce and Cade did. Tamika didn’t know how to feel about all that testosterone surrounding her.
“There was another fire,” Pierce said without preamble. “A week ago in London, about six miles from where your mother lived.”
Roark folded his arms across his chest. “And someone died in this fire?”
Cade held up two fingers. “Two people. Ronnella McCoy and Tony Graves.”
Now Tamika stood. “That means the arsonist has to be—”
“Kaymen Benedict,” Sandra said, and everyone turned to see her standing beneath the archway. “Max said he was going to come. In her letter to me, she said she knew he was alive and he was going to come for us.” Sandra lifted a shaking hand to her chest and swayed.
Roark was immediately by her side, holding her up. “Come and sit down, Mrs. Rayder.”
“No. No. I don’t want to sit. I want my Lem back.” Her mother looked exhausted, and Tamika walked over to her.
“I know, Mama. I want him back too, but that’s not possible. Now, we’re trying to stop anyone else from being hurt.”
“I couldn’t sleep ‘cause it’s time y’all know.” Sandra sighed. “He wants us all dead. That’s what Max said. He told her he wanted us all dead, for real.”
Tamika shook her head as her mother said those two words again. She couldn’t figure out what they meant and by the way her mother was shaking, she was afraid to ask her for any information Sandra wasn’t willing to provide.
“Do you know where he is?” Cade asked in a calm and compassionate tone.
Sandra finally let Roark and Tamika lead her to the couch. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “I haven’t seen him since he stood over my bed and told me it was my turn to die.”
Part III
“Only love and death change all things.”
