A few days later, Cynthia Walters walked into the Private Investigation office of Malachi Roberts. Malachi was working with Corvus on this land deal situation and she had some information that could be of use to him.
Malachi and his brother, Mathias, who was a therapist were becoming well known in the city as associates of the Negus. Both brothers were tall and handsome, as well as movers and shakers in their respective careers.
Malachi answered his door with a smile and escorted her inside the nicely furnished office. After she sat, he took a seat behind his desk.
“What can I do for you today, Cynthia?” he asked.
“I may have some information for you on the Corvus Shaw case.”
He nodded. “I’m listening.”
“A few days ago, I received some possibly damning information on Corvus. He and his wife came in to see me and denied the validity, which I assumed in the first place. He told me about the land that he deeded to Miracle and all of the players currently involved in securing that parcel.”
Malachi nodded again and listened intently.
“I’ve managed to track down the woman that was included in some rather unflattering photos that were included in that evidence and she gave me the name of the real man that was with her, who was supposed to be Corvus Shaw, in exchange for not publishing anything about them.” Cynthia continued. “So then, I tracked him down.”
“Damn, you should be doing my job,” Malachi commented.
Cynthia smiled. “I’ve been called both nosey and tenacious.”
“Nothing wrong with either of those,” he complimented.
“So the man in those photos works at the Wayne County Treasurer’s Office. He thought he was turning over the pictures to blackmail his lover and had no idea they would be used against Corvus. Apparently, he rolled on her because she’s been backing the citizens who have been screwed out of their homes over illegal property taxes.”
“Damn, this is a Pandora’s box. How does Corvus fit into all this?” Malachi asked.
“Clearly, it’s not that hard to uncover information in this city when you know where to look. Dirty deals going on all over the city, especially with all of the revitalization and money pouring in here,” she explained. “Somebody found out about this guy sleeping with the DLBA member and found an “in” to try to say Corvus’ land deals with the city were suspect, which in turn they hoped would get the land seized or in some way force him to sell.”
“But now he’s turned it over to his wife,” Malachi provided.
“Which was a smart move on his part. With Miracle negotiating the deal, no one has leverage on her decisions. True, they could still try to smear her husband in some way, but that wouldn’t be in their best interest, if they want her to consider their offer,” Cynthia told him.
“So who is our blackmailer?” Malachi questioned.
Cynthia leaned forward. “Check this out…the guy told me that he turned the pictures over to Sylvia Morgan.”
“Sylvia Morgan that works at BSEED?” he asked and Cynthia nodded.
Malachi frowned. “Wait, she was at Corvus’ birthday party not too long ago.’
“I heard that a little scuffle broke out there with his wife’s ex,” Cynthia commented.
“Who was there with Sylvia…”
Cynthia’s eyes widened. “And who’s also after the land…”
“Corvus told me Sylvia was just at his office the other day, warning him about this dude Emanuel,” Malachi relayed.
“She’s playing both sides, trying to cover her ass,” Cynthia said with a frown.
“I guess we need to pay Sylvia Morgan a little visit,” Malachi said pointedly.
Cynthia nodded. “I agree, let’s see what else she knows.”
******
Miracle stood in the mirror looking at herself in the smart, little dark business suit. The skirt came to her knees and she wore a white blouse underneath the dark jacket. Today, she was negotiating her first offer on the land Corvus had given her.
The hotel developer had requested an in-person meeting with her to discuss a possible deal. Corvus told her that they knew she was a novice and this was a ploy to rattle her. Placing a hand on her quivering stomach, she took a deep breath. “Lord, give me strength.”
Corvus walked into the room, dressed in a tailored suit and stepped up behind her, wrapping an arm around her and placing his hand on top of hers on her stomach.
“You look beautiful, Little Goddess.”
She met his eyes in the mirror. “I’m so scared, I think I’m going to vomit.”
He kissed her cheek. “You’ll be fine and I’ll be right there with you.”
“You won’t let me do anything stupid?” she asked.
“If you tell me this is what you want, then I’ll simply give my opinion, but the choice is yours,” he explained softly.
“I know that you only want community based projects…” she began.
“That’s my thing, baby. This is your deal.”
She turned to him. “If it’s a lot of money, then we could use that to do many projects all over the city.”
He nodded. “I agree.”
“Or, we could wait for a buyer that wants to do a community based project,” she added.
“Yes,” he affirmed. “That’s another option.”
She looked up at him. “I could listen to the church’s offer, although I know it won’t be anywhere near what the hotel is offering.”
“You could also do that.”
Miracle sighed. “Is it this hard for you deciding what to do with your land?”
Corvus smiled. “Nah, nobody in my family has a church.” He hugged her close and kissed her. “No decisions today and don’t let them pressure you. Ask any and every question that comes to your mind, don’t feel intimidated. This is your land and you control the deal.”
She nodded. “Okay,” she said softly and held his gaze. “You believe I can handle this?”
He touched her cheek. “You’re a Miracle, you can do anything.”
On her tip-toes, she touched her lips to his. “Did I tell you that I love you today?” she asked, taking his words.
Corvus stared down at her as he pulled her body against his. “You told me last night…and this morning.”
“Just as long as you know,” she told him with a smile.
“Are you ready to wheel and deal Mrs. Shaw?” he asked.
“We’re about to find out,” she replied.
Corvus drove Miracle to the building where the meeting would be held and they were met by his contract attorney, Evan Jackson. He introduced his lawyer to Miracle and the two greeted one another. When Evan walked away to confirm the exact location of the meeting, Miracle turned to Corvus.
“I thought you said no decisions today?”
Corvus looked at her. “There won’t be. Evan is here to keep everything on the up an up…and to make sure you don’t commit to anything accidentally.”
“You’ve covered all the bases?”
“I’m not going to have you giving away prime real estate by mistake, that’s for damn sure.”
Miracle took his hand. “Thank you for this opportunity, even just for the learning experience.”
“I want my Goddess by my side in everything that I do, but I also want to support her in making her own way,” Corvus told her.
“I’m so blessed to have you,” she whispered.
Evan returned and showed them to the large conference room with windows overlooking the city. Miracle took a seat while Evan and Corvus sat on either side of her. She clasped her hands and closed her eyes as she waited for the buyers to appear.
Corvus reached over and rubbed her back. “Relax, we’re here to guide you if you need us.”
Opening her eyes, she smiled at him as two men and one woman entered the room and took the chairs across the table.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Shaw.” They greeted her and introduced themselves.
Evan, then introduced himself as Counsel. When Corvus introduced himself, the other side of the table froze.
“We didn’t know that you would also be attending, Mr. Shaw,” one of the men commented.
Corvus smiled. “I’m here for moral support. This is my wife’s deal so you should do all your talking to her.”
They all nodded and began their presentation as Corvus sat back and listened, while Miracle hung on their every word as if her very life depended upon it. He smiled at how seriously she was taking this matter and loved her even more. If he’d ever had any doubts that she was the one, she continuously dispelled any of them.
When the presentation was done, Miracle nodded slowly. She then proceeded to look over the paperwork they had provided. Slowly, she took her time reading each document before she looked back at the people across from her.
“Do you have an offer in mind?” she asked.
The woman smiled and slid another piece of paper across the table to Miracle. Glancing at the sheet, Miracle slowly slid the document back.
“A serious offer,” she told them firmly, and Corvus smiled to himself. Baby was about to bring that fire.
The three on the other side of the table looked at one another before one of the men spoke. “Mrs. Shaw, we believe this offer is fair.”
Miracle lifted a brow. “Really, and how did you come to this conclusion, considering that the area is prime real estate in a rapidly developing city. The land has been tested and the area has been zoned for everything from hotels to grocery stores. You must be aware that there will be multiple offers on this property and your offer is only a tiny fraction of what your profit margin would be on a hotel at that site.”
She sat back and folded her arms. “So maybe you’d like to come back with something that we can really discuss.”
Corvus looked at Miracle in surprise. He hadn’t informed her of all that, which meant she’d studied the property extensively, for herself.
The trio looked at Corvus, who remained nonchalant in his seat, before packing up their papers and getting to their feet. “We’ll be in touch,” one gentleman told Miracle.
“Have a good day,” Miracle replied.
After they left the room, Evan turned to Miracle. “You made my job easy.”
“I have a feeling I’m going to be relying on you quite a bit,” she told him.
He stood and smiled. “That’s what you pay me for.”
Saying goodbye to both Miracle and Corvus, Evan left them alone in the room. Miracle turned slowly to him. “It was a low ball.”
“I figured they would try that with you.” He took her hand. “I was so proud of you.”
“I was nervous,” she admitted.
Corvus brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “You couldn’t tell. You put that fire on them. They’ll come back much more prepared.”
“They’ll have to,” she agreed. “I may be new but I’m not stupid.”
Corvus nodded. “You dropped some knowledge on them. You studied your prospectus.”
“From cover to cover,” Miracle told him. “It was very informative.”
“Thank you,”
Miracle let out a breath. “I’ve never even seen a number like the one they had on that paper, but I know what it’s worth and I won’t be swindled.”
“Did you like anything about their proposal?” Corvus asked.
She thought about it then answered, “Surprisingly, I did. I thought I’d hate everything they had to say, but their commitment to financially support city programs geared toward the youth and to provide temporary shelter victims of sex trafficking was impressive.”
Corvus agreed. “Yeah, that was. For them to recognize that most sex trafficking occurs in hotels, and to try to assist some of the victims, was a new twist.”
“That was a lot of money, Corvus,” Miracle told him. “We could do so much more for the city with those kinds of funds.”
“When I bought that land, it was just a field in a ran down and deserted neighborhood. The revitalization started in that area and now it’s both a blessing and a curse,” he sighed.
“I remember when the church moved over there. Daddy said that the area would grow and he was right, but I don’t think that the church needs to grow any more. That was Emanuel’s vision, and we see where that’s gotten him,” Miracle explained.
“You’re not going to sell to your father?” Corvus asked.
Miracle shook her head. “After listening to this first presentation, I see the possibilities of what could be done there, so unless my Daddy comes up with something comparable, I don’t think so.”
“And you wondered why I gave you the land…” Corvus said, before leaning forward to kiss her softly.
She smiled. “I wanted to hurt you at first, but I can tell this is going to be a learning experience.”
“Trust, I know to check with you first, from now on.” He told her.
Corvus stood to his feet and helped her from her chair. “Since we’re downtown, I’m going to take my baby to the Riverwalk for some ice cream.”
“I get ice cream?”
He nodded. “Little Goddess sent the giants running out of the room with their tails between their legs.”
“I scared them,” she teased.
“Scared the hell out of them,”
Miracle squeezed his hand and sobered. “Do you know how you’ve changed my life?”
“I could ask you the same question.”
She looked away. “When I broke things off with Emanuel, I thought I’d never find anyone…I didn’t want to. I was hurt, and angry, and very confused. I prayed and I asked God what I’d done wrong to make Emanuel not love me…” She looked at Corvus. “Because I knew he didn’t, but I believed that he might one day.”
“I saw how much Dante loves Faith and secretly, I wanted something like that too, but I was willing to settle for whatever God wanted me to have, because I didn’t want to covet anyone else’s happiness.”
She swiped at her cheek. “I never imagined someone like you even existed, let alone existed for me.”
Corvus lifted her face to his. “You are mine, Miracle, and you will always know that I love you.”
Miracle sniffed. “You do tell me several times a day.”
He kissed her tears away. “And several times a night.”
“Yes, you do,” she whispered while moving into his arms.
******
George Shaw arrived in front of the home that sat on the corner. Getting out of his car, he walked onto the porch and knocked on the door. The woman answered the door and looked at him suspiciously.
“Yes?”
“Mrs. Hollins?” he asked.
“Who are you?” she questioned.
“My name is George Shaw and I’d like to speak with you and your husband regarding your son,” he explained.
“Emanuel?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She looked worried. “Is he alright?”
“That’s what I’d like to discuss.”
“Who’s at the door?” A loud male voice shouted and the woman jumped.
“It’s a man…about Emanuel,” she answered quietly and George watched as the man appeared beside her.
“What do you want?” he asked George.
“I wanted to discuss your son Emanuel.”
The man lifted his chin. “What about him?”
“Do you really want me to do this on your front porch?” George questioned.
“I don’t recall inviting you here in the first place,” he answered gruffly and the woman looked between the two men.
George took a step back to ease her anxiety. He didn’t come here for a confrontation, just a conversation.
“I’m concerned that your son is going to get himself hurt and I came here to warn you,” George explained.
Emanuel’s father stepped forward. “No one is going to touch my son!”
“Mr. Hollins,” George began. “Your son is in grave danger.”
Mr. Hollins frowned and stepped back. “Come in.”
George walked inside the home and looked around as the woman silently took a seat on the sofa. Her husband looked at her, then said, “This is a man’s conversation.”
“But it’s about Emanuel,” she said quietly.
“Excuse yourself,” he told her.
George contained his comment and waited.
“Excuse me,” she told George and quietly left the room.
“Have a seat,” Mr. Hollins said while sitting on the sofa.
Moving to a chair, George sat. “She could’ve stayed.”
“She does what I tell her,” Mr. Hollins replied.
George shook his head. “Ok, that’s not why I’m here.”
“Why are you here and who are you?”
“I’m George Shaw.”
Mr. Hollins’ eyes narrowed. “You’re related to that Shaw who stole Emanuel’s wife?”
“I’m his father.”
“So who’s going to hurt my son?”
George sat back. “Your son’s actions are going to get him hurt. Have you noticed he’s been acting irrationally?”
“Emanuel is following the Lord’s will,” Mr. Hollins told him. “He’s destined to be great.”
“He’s been delivering threats,” George told him.
“What kinds of threats?”
“The kind that people don’t take lightly,” George supplied.
Mr. Hollins stared at him. “What do you want me to do?” he argued. “Emanuel is a grown man.”
“Mr. Hollins, I think your son needs some help.”
He frowned. “What kind of help?”
“I believe that Emanuel may be experiencing some type of mental breakdown and it would behoove you to intervene before things get out of control,” George told him.
Mr. Hollins stood to his feet and George matched his stance immediately. “Are you trying to say that my boy is crazy?”
“I’m saying that he needs some help,” George corrected.
“Get out of my house!” the man boomed and his wife came running into the room.
George nodded to the woman. “Mrs. Hollins, thank you for your hospitality. If you’re ever in the area of the Pride Center, they have some programs that may be of interest to you.”
She looked confused as George walked toward the door. Mr. Hollins followed and George stopped on the porch. “I hope you don’t regret this, Mr. Hollins.”
“Don’t come back here Mr. Shaw,” he said harshly. “And stay away from my son. He’s of no concern to you or that Jezebel who left him.”
George nodded. “I’ll be sure to give Miracle your best.”
George walked to his car and sat inside for a moment checking his phone. He read his messages then started his car and drove to BSEED. Apparently, a snake had been uncovered…
******
Miracle held an ice cream cone in one hand and Corvus’ hand in her other as they walked the Riverwalk. She looked out over the water and smiled.
“It’s good isn’t it?” Corvus asked.
“The best,” she agreed. “I don’t know what they do to it.”
“I told them to make it good for my Little Goddess.”
Miracle looked at him. “And that’s what makes it taste so good?” she asked skeptically.
“Of course,”
She shook her head. “You probably really believe that.”
Corvus laughed. “Nah, it’s just good ice cream.”
They continued to walk and enjoy their treats until Corvus’ phone buzzed. “Hold this baby,” he said handing her his cone. Miracle took it and watched him reach into his suit jacket pocket for his phone. His face changed as he read the message on his phone.
“What’s wrong?” Miracle asked and his eyes lifted to hers.
“It’s Malachi,”
Miracle looked concerned. “He’s found out something?”
Corvus nodded, looking confused. “Yeah,”
“About the blackmail?” she asked and he nodded again as he looked at the screen again.
“Oh my god! Is my father involved?” Miracle asked anxiously.
Corvus looked at her again. “No baby, it’s not your father.”
Relieved, she asked, “Then who?”
“Sylvia Morgan.”
Miracle frowned. “The woman in your office the other day?”
Corvus nodded. “Malachi, Cynthia and my Daddy are going to talk with her.”
“Why would she do something like that to you?”
He shrugged. “I have no damn idea. We had a good working relationship and I respected her position.”
Miracle silently handed his cone back to him. “I’m sorry that she’s involved in this.”
Corvus put away his phone and took her hand again. “I’m glad it’s not your father.”
“I really wasn’t sure. I prayed that he wouldn’t do anything like that,” Miracle said quietly. “I hate that anyone would do something like that to you.”
“They want me to stay away, so I’m going to listen…for now.” He told her. “Until we get all the information.”
“And I’m not leaving my Goddess’ side until all of this is over,” he finished.
“I won’t complain about having such a handsome bodyguard,” she said licking her cone sassily.
Corvus lifted a dark brow. “You’d better stop that.”
“What?” Miracle asked taking another long lick then running her tongue along her lips.
He tossed his cone in a nearby trashcan then turned back to her, capturing her cold mouth. He kissed her heatedly until she moaned softly.
“Now, what do you want to do with that mouth?” he whispered.
Miracle smiled up at him. “Finish my cone?”
“Then…” she said slowly licking the cone again.
“Then what?”
She turned and began walking while he followed.
“Faith may have told me some more things…”
“Like?” he asked over her shoulder.
Miracle smiled and ate her cone.
“I can’t say it…”
He nodded. “Can you do it?”
Miracle glanced back at him with dark eyes. “I could try.”
He wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck.
“I got some more things we can try too,” he said against her skin.
“You seem to never run out…”
Corvus growled in her ear. “If I do, then we can just make up some more as we go along.”
She leaned back into his big body. “I may have some ideas of my own.”