Blood Money

7

Jeremiah finds himself thinking about the lovely Mrs. Williams. He makes a phone call, "Mr. Williams please." He needs to find out what Trevor thinks about his late father's wife.

"Trevor Williams speaking."

"Hello Trevor, Jeremiah Jacobs here." Jeremiah finds himself nervous for some reason.

"Yes, Jeremiah, how are you?" Trevor's voice warms just slightly. Jeremiah hopes that he stays that way with what he's going to say.

"I'm fine. I know that you are a busy man so I'll cut to the chase. I ran into someone a couple of days ago. She told me that she knew you. She's a lovely lady and I just wanted to get your impression of her."

"A lady? I don't know very many in your city, Jeremiah."

"She recently moved here from yours. Her name is Danielle Williams."

There is silence on the line, "Danielle," is whispered out. "So she moved to your city. I had wondered. What would you like to know?"

"She said that she was married to your father?" 

"Yes, until father was murdered. She almost didn't make it. I don't think she knew the full extent of her injuries."

"So it was bad?"

"How either of them survived to make it to the hospital is beyond me. The car was completely crushed.

"How is she?"

"She's having a hard time. She wasn't crying when I ran into her, but it looked like she was on the verge of it."

"Where did you meet her?" This does intrigue Trevor. He's been looking for her everywhere. She's been lying low. She took out a rather large amount of money before she left and hasn't been using her bank card. Her credit cards had been deactivated as per her request.

"At a bar, she looked so forlorn and lonely that I wanted to cheer her up."

"She was drinking?" Trevor has never seen Danielle drink, not even after the baby was lost.

"No, she had a virgin margarita. You sound surprised that she was in a bar."

"I am. Danielle didn't like going to clubs or bars. Perhaps it was because dad was so much older than her, but I just never got that vibe off her. She's a fantastic cook and prefers cooking her own food to going out even."

"You don't sound like you hate her."

"I don't. She made dad's last months very happy ones. He was very much in love with her and I believe that she actually loved dad as well. At first I thought she was just another money grubbing whore, but I can't say that now." Trevor rubs the bridge of his nose. He can breathe easier knowing which city she's in at least.

"She really did love your father?"

"Her words to me at the reading of the will were, 'I didn't want anything but his love. He loved me to the day he died. I'll take that and the things he gave me and nothing else.' She signed over the company and the entire estate. She only took the gifts he gave her and then she left. I'm afraid that she thinks that I hate her for how I acted after the will reading, but it wasn't her fault. She's a wonderful lady." Trevor does the best he can to keep any emotions out of his voice.

"She told me a lot of shit happened to her and that it would be better to stay away from her."

Now Trevor sits up in his chair. "She told you that?"

"She said that she's a trouble magnet and gave me examples. Quite frankly it blows my mind just what she's gone through at such a young age."

"She's right. You should stay away from her. Someone, I don't know who yet, has put a contract out on her. They failed, but killed my father. If you are around her they might kill you in an attempt to kill her." Trevor warns the man. They aren't close friends but they are business associates.

Jeremiah chuckles, "I'm not so easy to kill as you very well know, Trevor. I'll look into it as well. Is she as nice as she seems?"

"From the time I spent with her and father, yes. She's genuine. I'm still trying to figure why someone would want to kill her. From what I can find her family were nobodies, just good hard working people. No connections to people like us, at least not until she started working for father. She still has no idea just who and what father was and I am. She's as innocent as they come."

"Are you warning me off or asking me to protect her?" Jeremiah really can't tell from what Trevor is saying.

"For your sake, warning you off. For her's I'm asking you to watch over her. I think whoever tried to kill her before will try again as soon as they find her. She's done a good job hiding from me, so maybe she'll be okay."

"Why were or are you looking for her?"

"Father left me a letter and asked me to make sure that she is protected. He feared that someone might try to kill her, but he didn't elaborate on why. He did say that it wasn't because of what we are." Trevor now has a full blown headache. 

Images of Danielle keep flashing before his eyes when he closes them. His father requested he do something and instead of helping Danielle he drove her off. He needs to make things better. But he doesn't know how.

"How close do you want me to watch over her?" Jeremiah's voice brings him back to the present.

"Well, I guess that depends on how willing you are of putting your life on the line for a pretty face." Trevor responds. He owes her, but he doesn't know how he's going to pay her.

Jeremiah chuckles, "For her, I think I'd be willing to risk my life, but she didn't seem to be too responsive. She misses Max, so I think I'll keep myself in the background for now. I'll set some of my men to guarding her from a distance. Will that help you out?"

Trevor, lets out a sigh, "That would be helpful. Thank you. I'll be coming to your city in the near future, perhaps you could help me see her?"

"Why?" Jeremiah knows where she's staying he found that out later that same evening they had dinner.

"I need to apologize to her once more. I need to let her know that she can come to me for help if she needs it. It's the least I can do after all she's done and been through." Trevor says softly shutting his eyes to the pain of the headache.

"Very well, let me know when you'll be coming." Jeremiah says, he didn't limit an entourage so Trevor opens his eyes.

"I will. You are expecting trouble?" Trevor questions.

Jeremiah laughs, "I always expect trouble, it's why I'm still alive. You shouldn't go around unprotected. I trust you, but if Danielle is in trouble like you say, then it will be better if you have your men with you too."

"Thank you," Trevor ends the call and for the first time since Danielle disappeared he can breath a little better. How in the world did she find the one person in that city that could protect her and get him intrigued with her?

That Jeremiah is intrigued by her there is no doubt otherwise he wouldn't have called. That he's intrigued by her doesn't shock Trevor either. Danielle does nothing to cause the intrigue except just be her naive self.