His Jaguar Tattoo

Negotiations

Before she knew what was happening, Drew had spun around on his heel and was studying her. "Brad is your father?"

She couldn't speak. Or move. Or breathe. Her emotions were like a pendulum, swinging between fury, confusion, pity, and nostalgia. The latter only lasted for a moment, though.

Nobody seemed to know what to do, not even Drew. Their gazes flit between one another. Her father was the one to break the silence.

"Can we talk, sweetie?" he asked.

"W-what are you doing here?" She'd found her voice now. "How'd you find me?"

He refused to answer that. "Mr. Benson, only five minutes, please."

Drew still seemed stunned. Slowly, he began shaking his head. "No. You cannot go anywhere near my wife."

"Wife?" her father demanded.

"Fiancée," Zuri corrected.

She studied her father's miserable condition and wondered why he'd shown up after so long. He had chosen drugs over her since she was born, so what had changed? Brad Dunbarry had never been her hero. If he was here, it likely wasn't for a good reason.

Nonetheless, Zuri was pleased that he would come. Even if it was for selfish intention, he had put his life on the line to get this far. Drew's guards could have shot him down the moment he set foot on the property.

"Drew," she murmured, moving to his side, "just give us a minute. Please."

His coffee-brown eyes were dark with confusion and mistrust. "Why would I do that?"

"Because we should at least see what he has to offer." She touched his arm and peered pleadingly up at him. "Just a minute."

After several seconds of deliberation, he reluctantly nodded. "Fine. But one of my men will be with you."

"No!" her father protested. Blushing, he calmed himself. "It would be better if we were alone."

"You are a psychotic drug seeker," Drew spat. "You're lucky I'm even considering this. Take my offer or get off my property."

Brad didn't want to relent. The ultimatum didn't please him. But Zuri was curious and would consent to whatever Drew's rules were as long as she and her father could speak.

"That'll work," she responded when her father didn't. Looking up at Drew, she asked, "We'll use the conference room?"

"Yes. You have two minutes." He gave Brad a piercing glare. "If I hear any commotion, I will not hesitate to have my men put a bullet in your head."

A shiver ran down Zuri's spine. Her father may have been beyond sucky, careless, and irresponsible, but she didn't want him to die. Maybe some day he would be a better man. Maybe some day he would finally love her.

To her surprise, Drew ordered Ajax to escort them to the conference room. The friendly acquaintance didn't appear to be his usual self; a cold wariness marked his sea blue eyes as they bounced between she and her father. Ajax made sure Brad never came within arm's reach of her. He told them to sit on opposite sides of the table, but neither person wanted to sit. Instead, they stared awkwardly at each other.

"Why did you come here?" she asked for the second time.

"Because." Her father's eyes jumped to Ajax. "I heard what happened."

She slightly shook her head, a warning. If he said her grandmother contacted him, Ajax might tell Drew, and Drew might punish her grandmother. She wouldn't risk it.

"So you somehow found out where Drew lives and thought...what? Are you trying to rescue me?" she demanded, unimpressed.

"I came to negotiate." He crossed his thin arms. "My life for yours."

Her eyebrows rose. "Two problems with that: you have nothing to offer Drew and you are not a hero."

Sighing, he pushed a bony hand through his oily hair. "I'm trying to change, Zuri. For you. For your mother's sake."

"You've never cared about me or Mom."

"Now, that's not true."

"Is that what you were telling yourself when you left us? She was a teenager! She didn't know the first thing about being a mother."

He angrily turned away from her. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Then explain it to me!"

"I left because I was scared!" His voice softened when Ajax stepped closer to him, eyes darkened threateningly. "I knew nothing about being a father. I was a screw up, a druggie, a low-life. If I hung around, you would've gotten hurt."

Tears burned her eyes. Brad Dunbarry was not a noble character. And even if that was true—if he left because he thought she would be better off—he was wrong. It wasn't the right thing to do. Running away like a coward left Zuri in a world of confusion and hurt, something that might take an entire lifetime to overcome.

"Your time is running out," Ajax reported in a stern voice.

Zuri glanced at him while she wondered why he had changed, why he wasn't nice anymore. His eyes briefly warmed with pity before hardening again.

"Just leave," she told her father. "You can't negotiate with Drew. Just go."

He grabbed her arm as she headed for the door. Ajax leapt into action, prying him off in the blink of an eye. Brad stumbled back into the wall and Zuri stared at him, wide-eyed. She slowly removed herself from Ajax's grip.

"Please, Zuri!" her father cried. "I can't leave you here! Drew Benson is a psychopath who will take your life without a second thought. You deserve better!"

Ajax roughly grabbed Brad and shoved him towards the door. Zuri's vocal chords weren't cooperating. She wanted to demand why he suddenly cared, why he suddenly wanted to be a better person. Yet she didn't. She couldn't. It would be better if she just let her father go now, before it became more painful.

The two figures disappeared from the room, her father's pleas now muffled by the door. Zuri rubbed her face. What a strange day. Just as she and Drew started having a real moment, her father had to interrupt. Her father of all people.

Drew entered the room quietly, like a ghost. He stopped a foot away from her and studied her face. "Want to tell me what that was all about?"

"Is he gone?" She dodged his inquiry.

"Yes."

"I think I need some time...I need some time to think."

"Not until you tell me why that trash showed up on my doorstep. Did you call him?"

She shrunk away from the poison in his words. "Call him? I don't even know his number. I don't even know where he lives. My father would be the last person I would ever call."

"Then why did he come?"

"I don't know! He wanted to reason with you." Sucking down a deep breath, she shook her head. "It doesn't matter, Drew. He's gone. He isn't coming back."

"You've got that much right. If I ever see his face again—"

"Please," she whispered. "Can we not talk about this?"

As he closed the distance between them, his fingers molded to her jaw, lifting her face. "Zuri, I just want to know more about you. I didn't know Dunbarry was your father. I thought you were orphaned."

"I will tell you everything. I just need to be alone for right now."

"Okay." He pulled her into his chest, a most shocking gesture. "I'll be up to check on you in a little while."

Nodding, she forsook his warm embrace to leave. She padded out of the conference room, down the hall, up the stairs. Her room felt cold and lifeless. Once she was wrapped up in the sheets, she closed her eyes and pretended like this day never happened. Pretended like she was still at home, with her grandmother. Pretended like tomorrow morning she would wake up, go to class, and see her friends. Pretended like seeing her father hadn't been the cherry on top of her life's greatest disaster.