~Five~
The warehouse that was the home of Evans’ textile business was a little more than what I expected. By the looks of the building, he was doing very well for himself. I never knew that weaving a couple of threads together would be such a booming business. Parking my car in the “Customers Only” parking area, which was located a short distance from the entrance, I began heading towards the glass double doors that were surrounded by even more glass to make an impressive entry into the building. What was even more impressive was the reception area that greeted me once I opened the door.
Approaching the young girl that was seated behind a tall counter, I rested my hands against the marble surface and waited until she was finished with her call. While I waited for her to finish, I studied the rest of the space. The waiting area was nicely put together with large leather chairs that rested on an expensive-looking rug exhibiting a contemporary look. Magazines were neatly stacked on accent tables that were tastefully placed in between some of the leather chairs. On a high glass table, a large glass water dispenser was filled with sliced oranges, which sat next to a fancy silver coffee carafe accompanied by white porcelain cups. If that wasn’t over the top, there was an assortment of pastries for customers to help themselves to.
Turning back to face the young girl behind the counter, I was given a welcoming smile. “Welcome to Criss Cross Industries, how can I help you?”
“I’m looking for Jonathan Evans,” I responded candidly.
“Can I tell him who is here to see him?” she asked sweetly.
“Xavier London.”
“Please make yourself comfortable, Mr. London, while I let him know you are here.”
Heading to the inviting waiting area, I took a seat. Picking up a new issue of Sports Illustrated, I began skimming through the pages while I waited to see him. After getting through the first few pages, the young receptionist came over. “Mr. London, Mr. Evans will see you now. Please follow me.”
As I began following her, I took in more of my surroundings. After ascending a flight of stairs, I was led down a short hallway until the young girl stopped and knocked lightly on a closed door. When a strong voice sounded on the other side, giving us permission to enter, she opened the door and allowed me to step past her. Just like the waiting area, Jonathan’s office was over the top. The walls were covered in abstract art created with fabrics of different textures. Joining them were gorgeous models wearing what appeared to be designer clothes. My guess would be that Criss Cross provided the material to create them.
Moving closer to where Jonathan sat, it was even more evident that he was related to Tessa as he suggested that I take a seat by holding out his hand. My hunch was confirmed when I spotted a picture on the corner of his desk of a little girl with the same hair color as Tessa and the same beautiful eyes.
Holding out my hand, I introduced myself, “Mr. Evans, my name is Xavier London and we really need to talk.” His eyes met mine with a confused look as I continued. “Do you know a man named Colin Gates?”
The confused look turned to rage at the mention of his name. He immediately stood from his seat and circled his desk. “Mr. London, I’m not sure what your game is, but this conversation is over.”
“Just hear me out,” I replied, feeling inferior to him while sitting.
When I stood up so that I was at the same level, he offered, “You have five minutes.”
“I’m going to go with my gut feeling that you are an honest man. So, my question to you is, do you know what the reason would be that Colin Gates would want to see you dead?” I asked bluntly.
“Colin Gates is a ruthless man. He took everything from me. Do you know how long it has taken me to build a reputable company after he destroyed it?” Jonathan began. “He was my partner until I found out that he was using the business as a front to export his drugs. When I threatened to turn him in, he took everything I had, even my only child. Tusya was my world.”
“Is that why you changed your name?”
“I had no choice. It was the only way I could start over.”
“So, you have no idea where your daughter is?”
“I know exactly where my daughter is. She is buried somewhere beneath the Pacific Ocean.”
With what Jonathan just disclosed to me, I decided to hold on to what I knew about his daughter a little longer. The last thing that I needed was for him to get himself killed in the process of finding her. My only concern now was to make sure he was safe until I could bring them together. “You aren’t safe, Jonathan. Somehow we need to get you out of LA and somewhere secure.”
“I can’t just leave my business. I have orders to meet.”
“I suggest you find someone that you can trust to run your business while you’re gone. You have three days.”
~*~*~*~
When I left Criss Cross Industries, I knew that I had my work cut out for me. If I was right about the kind of man Jonathan Evans was, he wouldn’t hesitate to find a way to go after Colin even after everything Colin did to him. More importantly, if he knew that his daughter was still alive and with Colin, it would be the tipping point to act on it. This alone was reason enough to find a place to keep him safe until I could figure out how to get Tessa away from Colin. It was going to take some doing on my part.
Taking a chance, I decided to head to Colin’s home in Woodland Hills and make up some excuse to see him so that I could get a better idea of his security. Since it was early enough in the day, I was confident that he would still be around. Heading out on Hwy 101, it was going to be at least a forty-five minute drive with the traffic I was sure to encounter before I got there. I could have taken an alternative route, but it would only delay my arrival.
My timing couldn’t have been better. Just as I pulled up to the gate, one of Colin’s drivers was heading out. Stopping long enough to watch him pass, I glanced over to see that the back window was moving downward. There was no mistake who was occupying the back seat. Sitting in all his arrogant glory was Colin dressed in a designer suit.
Trying to compose my anger, I lowered my window and said, “We need to talk.”
When I heard him command, “Paul, turn the car around,” I drove through the open gate and headed down the short driveway, making sure that Colin was close behind.
Parking in front of the house, I turned off the engine and waited for his driver to pull up. When Colin stepped out of the car, I wasn’t sure how I could have missed Tessa sitting beside him. As she got out of the car, her head was low, seemingly trying to avoid eye contact with me. There was something strange going on with her and I knew that Colin was behind it.
Looking around the property, I could see that there wasn’t any security to speak of. There were no additional men on the ground and it seemed that the only security cameras were located by the entrance gate. This was a good thing for me. Getting Tessa away from Colin would be a lot easier than I thought. I just needed to find a way to get inside without being seen. There had to be a way, especially since Tessa was able to get outside the gate unnoticed.
Following Colin up the steps, my eyes were pinned on him as I watched him take hold of Tessa’s arm. I almost jumped between them when Tessa pulled her arm from his hold. I had a funny feeling that later she would be paying for her animosity towards him.
As we entered the house, I took note of my surroundings. The entrance expanded to an open area with a wide staircase to the right leading to the second floor. The entrance floor had marble tile with a diamond-shaped design centered in the middle of the room consisting of different variations of black and gray. To the left of the entrance was a large living area, decorated in darker tones of browns and tans. The décor, although very masculine, was appealing to the eye. Heading into the large room, I quickly scanned the length of the hallway adjacent to the staircase, which I assumed led to the kitchen or dining area. Watching Tessa head up the stairs, my main concern at that point was the upper floor. To get a better look around, I needed to come up with an excuse to leave the living room.
Before our conversation began, I faked having a coughing attack, which would allow me to excuse myself.
Looking over to Colin, I asked, “Can you direct me to the bathroom?”
“Down the hall and to the left,” Colin replied as I continued to cough.
I knew that I didn’t have much time to get a good look around, so the first thing I did before leaving the room was make sure that Colin’s attention was on something else. Looking back at him, I requested, between coughs, “Can you pour me a drink?”
The liquor cart was on the other side of the room away from the doorway, which would take his sights off me. This was the perfect distraction so I could get up the stairs unseen and quickly check out the second floor. Taking the stairs two at a time, I reached the second floor in seconds. Shortly, I began opening doors to the rooms. The first door I opened was a large bathroom, which was well lit by a large window above a sunken tub.
Fortunately, the second door I opened was Tessa’s bedroom. Her back was towards the door as she stood by the large picture window that looked out to the front of the house. I wasn’t sure what she was looking at, but knew that I didn’t have much time before Colin would be wondering what was taking me so long.
In a low voice I said, “Tessa,” as I walked closer to where she was standing.
When she turned to face me, I could see that she had been crying. Lifting her chin, I studied her. Wiping a tear from her face, she said, “I can’t do this anymore. All I want is a life.”
Pulling her close, I felt an overwhelming need to protect her as she looked up and met my eyes. I was so consumed by her that all I wanted was to take her. Not in the way I had taken every other woman in my life, but in a way that she deserved. Lowering my lips to her, I pressed them against the softness of her mouth and slipped my tongue inside, sweeping the depths of her mouth. As sweet and inviting as she was, I knew that it had to end before I put both of us in an awkward situation should Colin walk in.
Rubbing her cheek with my thumb I said, “I am going to get you out of here. Can you be patient a while longer?”
She answered with a nod of her head. As much as I wanted to stay, I knew I needed to get back to Colin. Opening the door, I looked down the hall before heading back down the stairs. When I got back to the living room, Colin was looking out the window, just like Tessa had been doing a few moments ago. Clearing my voice, I asked calmly, “So where is that drink?”
“I was about to send a search party after you,” he stated arrogantly.
“Yeah, sorry about that. Not sure what caused that attack.” Picking up my glass, I took a small sip before adding, “So, why Jonathan Evans?”
His arrogant demeanor surfaced as he turned to face me. “You don’t need to worry about the why, London. Your concern should be how you are going to take care of him. Which brings me to another question,” he paused. “How did Jeffries magically end up on Venice Beach when you told me you stuffed him inside a dumpster?”