Poison Candy - Book 2: Behind Closed Doors Series Read online

  When Izaiah pulled open the door, looking as if he’d not too long gone to bed as well, Gregory immediately pounced on him with his request.

  “Put some shorts on,” he told Izaiah. “I want to play a few rounds of tennis.”

  Izaiah cleared the sleep from his eyes and gave Gregory a onceover to ensure that Gregory hadn’t lost his mind. “Sir, it’s five forty-five in the morning.”

  “Do you have something better to do?”

  Sleep for at least another three hours, Izaiah wanted to say, but instead he mumbled, “What are you punishing me for?”

  That line wasn’t meant for humor, but it made Gregory laugh, anyway. “You are one of the good ones, remember? Why would I need to punish you? Unless, you’ve tarnished that image I’ve formed of you. Not many persons I hold in high esteem, but you, my dear boy, are one of them.”

  Izaiah stared at Gregory in shock. Izaiah wasn’t sure if he should take Gregory’s words as a harmless compliment or accept them as part of Gregory’s manipulating personality.

  “Why are you still standing in the doorway?” Gregory prompted. “Get dressed and meet me on the tennis court. Besides, I want to bring some things to your attention.”

  With a command like that the only thing Izaiah could do was respectfully nod his response. About ten minutes later, he joined Gregory on the court, appearing somewhat alert, but with sleep still at the back of his mind. Izaiah doubted he was ready to go head-to-head with Gregory in a sweaty tennis match. Fortunately for Izaiah, Gregory sensed his mood and asked him to sit a while, at least until the sun came up.

  Gregory stared ahead when he chucked his first question at Izaiah. “Do you regret coming to Bliss Haven and taking the youth minister position?”

  Izaiah paused to think about his response, although he couldn’t help but wonder why Gregory would ask such a strange question. “I admit that I have thought about returning to the United States, but I have since abandoned that thought. I’ve started several projects with the young people and I think we have good momentum…only time will tell how successful those projects will be.”

  “I’m sure with your extensive experience in youth ministry, whatever you do will be successful, particularly the one in St. Elmo’s Valley. Those impoverished people need someone like you to lift their spirits. I trust you, Izaiah and I mean that without any reservation.”

  Another compliment? Izaiah furrowed his brows at Gregory. A few weeks ago when he’d taken a team of young people to St. Elmo’s Valley to share the gospel, Gregory was livid. He’d even forbidden Izaiah to return to St. Elmo’s Valley under any circumstance. Now, all of a sudden Gregory believed that all of his projects would be successful. What a turnaround, Izaiah mused.

  “Don’t look so amazed at my words to you,” Gregory told Izaiah. “I’ve told you before that you’ve passed the loyalty test.”

  “Well, I don’t know what to say. I was simply trying not to cause problems between you and your family. I’d sensed that Mrs. Beaufort was not pleased with my arrival.”

  “She wasn’t,” Gregory said bluntly. “But you’ve handled the situation so well that Dana hasn’t any choice but to respect you. With two months of her memory missing, I doubt she remembers you, anyway.”

  “But that could change at any minute,” Izaiah said. “The doctor said –”

  Gregory held up his hand to stop Izaiah. “Don’t worry about my wife accepting you; it’s partly my fault, anyway. I want to talk to you about something that is more pressing at the moment.”

  “My apologies, sir.”

  So polite, Gregory thought. It’ll be a cold day in hell, Viola, before I allow you to contaminate this boy. He is my only redeeming hope. “No worries, Izaiah. I am a man of action and I tend to be a bit forceful when my mind is made up to do something. However, I want you to be the first to know that I have decided to take a hiatus from ministry.” Gregory paused only to clear his throat. He continued as if not fazed by the dubious glint in Izaiah’s eyes. “Some strenuous situations have arisen and I feel at this time that it is best that I step back and let someone else take the reins for a while.” Gregory turned to face Izaiah, locking stares with a young man of whom he’d become very fond. “Someone like you, my young Timothy.”

  Izaiah rubbed his temples in shock and then said measurably, “I was not prepared to hear you say that this morning.”

  “I know,” Gregory chuckled. “For the past six weeks I have been observing you. And I don’t think that there is another person at this moment that can handle walking in my shoes. You’re young, but you have the heart of a shepherd, which is very important when handling the Lord’s fold. You’re sober, scripturally sound, and very evangelical. These are the traits that are going to turn the hearts of Bliss Haven from their degenerate ways. Admittedly, I have failed and I think it’s time that I accept it…I hope you will seriously consider what I’m asking of you.”

  Izaiah stood and began to pace slowly, but his thoughts were running a hundred miles a minute. To hear Gregory relate to him with such personal matters was staggering. How did Gregory expect him to respond to such an announcement? Sure, he’d guided a reasonable number of people through the sinner’s prayer and had a respectable amount of success in working along with a ‘few’ impressionable young minds, but he’d never pastored a congregation– especially one the size of St. Donovan’s Chapel. As a matter of fact, he shied away from such prestigious positions. He would rather stay in the background and work out his calling in secret.

  “Don’t let this overwhelm you,” Gregory said, in an attempt to comfort Izaiah, “because you are quite capable. I’ve watched you with the congregation and they adore you.”

  “Adoration can be misleading. The same crowd who spread palm branches for Jesus to ride upon, was the same crowd who crucified Him three days later.” Izaiah stopped pacing and stared at Gregory. “I’m sorry. I guess I should say thanks for your confidence in me, Bishop Beaufort, but I am in no position to walk in your shoes. I am barely qualified to –”

  “I will prove you wrong,” Gregory said, cutting Izaiah off. “Prepare a sermon for this coming Sunday, because you will be speaking in my stead.” Gregory jumped up as the first rays of sunlight began to peek over the horizon. “No more questions, Izaiah; just kindly do as I ask. Now, are you ready for that rematch we’ve been meaning to have?”

  “Sir,” Izaiah stalled, “may I ask you a personal question?”

  “Ask whatever you want – if it’s going to help you get over your reservations.”

  “Why now?”

  “Why not now?” Gregory countered.

  “Well, I was wondering if your decision has anything to do with Jorge’s murder.” Izaiah paused, wondering if he should continue with his concerns, because it seemed as if Gregory’s mind was already made up. But he really wanted to know why all of sudden Gregory decided to step out of the limelight when he knew such a move went completely against the rules of the organizational setup. “I don’t want to sound as if I don’t believe in your innocence – but...”

  “But Asia is very convincing. I know she tells anyone who will listen to her that I killed her precious Jorge. The idea is prosperous and I will not break my back trying to convince anyone that I didn’t. However, my decision has nothing to do with Jorge’s murder.”

  Izaiah sensed he wasn’t going to get any more say on that, so he raised another question – despite Gregory telling him not to. “Well, does the organization know of your plans to step down?”

  “Izaiah, let’s go play some tennis,” Gregory spat. “The sun will be extremely hot within the next hour. After you finish preaching on Sunday, we will sit down and have a long heart-to-heart chat. I trust you. Why is it so hard for you to trust me?”

  Gregory walked off and left Izaiah with his confidence now completely smashed.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Candi ran into Asia coming down the stairs. The air was stiff between them, but that didn’t prevent Candi from
voicing her opinion about how lame she thought Asia was treating Izaiah. By the time they ended up in the kitchen, the argument exploded. Miss Rose shuffled her stout frame away from the stove in an attempt to part the sisters, but Miss Rose was no match for their agility.

  “Keep yuh voices down,” she tried. “Yuh don’t want the young man to hear all of this, eh?”

  The girls did a one-eighty around Miss Rose and took their argument deeper into the kitchen.

  “Candi, I’m not fighting with you over a man,” Asia said, “so leave me out of your sick, little world. I have more than enough on my plate to be concerned about.”

  “Oh for crying out loud, Asia. Just admit that you want Izaiah for yourself! Why else would you have a problem with me going after him?”

  Asia threw up her hands in defeat. “Have him, Candi! Because I don’t want him! Is that what you want to hear?”

  Candi narrowed her eyes at Asia. “You sneaky little rat! You know Izaiah wants you, but you’re acting all suave – like you couldn’t care less. But I see the way you hang on to him for support.”

  “And so what? Are you jealous?”

  “You see! That is exactly the type of attitude I’m talking about,” Candi said. “I thought your heart belonged to someone else, but yet you’re toying with –”

  Asia spun around so swiftly she almost knocked Candi off her feet. “Don’t you dare compare my relationship with Jorge to anyone! No one understood it and has never even tried. So if you are that desperate to throw yourself at a man without having the slightest respect for yourself, be my guest; I will not stand in your way.” Asia then ran her eyes up and down Candi’s yellow dress, which was hitched several inches above her fishnet-covered knees. “You are too bloody wild, if you ask me.”

  Candi folded her arms and gave Asia a wry smile. “You are intimidated, aren’t you, my little sister? You know you are no match for me.”

  Asia grabbed a plate of food from Miss Rose’s tray and bustled away. She couldn’t stand being in Candi’s presence, listening to Candi go on about her sluttish attempts to woo Izaiah. This was one of the problems Asia had with her family: they always misread her intentions. She was not forcing Izaiah to be around her. As a matter of fact, she was trying to keep her distance from him. She’d even explained that much to Izaiah, but for some reason he kept popping up, volunteering his shoulder to cry on. If no one else was taking the time to console her, Asia thought madly, what did Candi expect her to do?

  The Alsatians greeted Asia with joy when she burst onto the veranda. Candi was right behind her, keeping up with Asia’s long strides. Candi was used to having the last word, especially with being the eldest of the three sisters. Yet no one was able to get under Candi’s skin like Asia.

  “So, you’re just gonna walk off and think we’re through?” Candi jabbed.

  Asia found a seat near to the balustrade and ignored Candi by focusing on the food on her plate. She chewed slowly as Candi ran on about her plans to snag Izaiah. Asia knew if she gave in to Candi’s rant, things would turn extremely ugly. They only argued like this when Candi was interested in a boy she thought was too good for Asia. Asia didn’t get it. Candi was five years older than her, but Candi had always been jealous of the men that wanted to date Asia. It was both stupid and immature of Candi to act that way.

  “I am just as beautiful as you are,” Candi continued behind Asia’s back. “Maybe even more so. I just don’t get why men think that there is something special about you. Baby girl, I am sorry about your losing Jorge – I really am, but I am not going to back down from this. You are stringing Izaiah along and sooner or later he is gonna end up being hurt in the process. I can see that Izaiah is a decent man. Don’t use him as a crutch, Asia, because he deserves better than that.”

  Asia was prepared to respond to Candi’s hideous ramblings, but when she raised her head up, Izaiah was standing in front of her with a tennis racket. It appeared as if he’d stopped his strides so that he would not intrude on the sisters’ conversation. But Asia knew Izaiah had gotten an earful of Candi’s last words and was too stunned to say anything. His expression was not that inconspicuous. And although he was soaked with sweat from top to bottom, somehow it only enhanced his handsome features. Before, Asia hadn’t paid any attention to Izaiah’s looks, but this time, she silently savored them. She blamed Candi for stirring up her curiosity.

  Gregory came up behind Izaiah and patted him on the shoulder, commending him on an excellent performance on the tennis court. Gregory greeted Candi and then turned his attention to Asia.

  “We need to talk,” he said to her. “I’m weary of the silent treatment.”

  “Only if you’re willing to admit that you had something to do with Jorge’s murder,” Asia responded tersely. “Until then, I have nothing to say to you.”

  With that, Asia picked up her plate of food and walked back into the house. Her coldness was beginning to get to Gregory. How could he make Asia see that he loved her more than life itself and would do anything to protect her? This situation with Jorge had made it bad for everyone involved. Shoulders humped, Gregory followed shortly after into the house, but walked in a different direction, leaving Candi and Izaiah alone.

  “I know what you’re thinking.” Candi’s smile was so welcoming that it immediately disarmed the anxiety of the moment. “That we’re this crazy, dysfunctional family who is always clawing at each other’s throat.”

  “Your family isn’t half as bad as mine,” Izaiah said. He mounted the steps to the veranda and made a hard right – veering away from the Alsatians, who were now becoming accustomed to Izaiah’s presence. But Izaiah wasn’t buying it. “I’ll tell it to you like I told Asia: Every family has things to work through. So, no, I wasn’t thinking all that ‘stuff’ about your family.”

  Candi noticed Izaiah was continuing his steps toward the French doors, she acted quickly by moving in front of it – preventing Izaiah from going in.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “How much of that conversation did you hear between me and Asia? Because I don’t want you to get the wrong idea.”

  “The wrong idea about what?”

  “Come on, Izaiah. You’re a smart guy,” Candi said. “You should know by now that you are a pretty hot topic in Bliss Haven – particularly within the house of the Beauforts. I have only been back from Cayman a few days and I’ve gathered that much. So, let’s be brutally direct with each other. I think you would find that approach quite appealing as supposed to the beating-around-the-bush kind of thing.”

  Izaiah caught a whiff of Candi’s powdery perfume, which seemed to be concocted with a pungent scent of seduction. Her slightly full lips were pulled into a mischievous grin and the yellow mini dress she wore was enough to get a front row seat at a stripper’s club. Even with such a description, Izaiah found Candi quite interesting – albeit a completely different type from Asia. But as a budding, young, minister Izaiah knew Candi’s type would get him into all sorts of hot water with the Holy Ghost. He knew he had better not even entertain the thought behind that wicked smile of hers.

  “I’m dripping wet,” Izaiah told Candi. “I desperately need to take a shower.”

  “You’re just trying to get away from me, aren’t you? What if I join you in the shower and we can finish this conversation there?”

  Izaiah stared at Candi as if she’d told him his dear mother had been killed in an automobile accident. He couldn’t believe those words had come out of her mouth. So loosely and without regard.

  “By the way you’re staring, I’m guessing you would have a problem with that,” Candi said, “so it is best that we stay here and talk. But the two of us together under a blast of warm water would have been a better idea. Agree?” Candi suddenly burst out into a guffaw when she saw that Izaiah twisted his lips in disbelief. “Man, you need lighten up. It was only a joke. What type of woman would I be to even consider such a dirty move?”

  Izaiah gave Candi a tight smile
. “You Beaufort girls are a handful. I can only imagine what it was like growing up with you three.”

  Candi laughed, as she moved aside for Izaiah to pass. “I’m gonna let you slide for now,” she said. “Go take your shower and maybe after dinner we can take a ride through the different parishes.”

  Izaiah didn’t like turning people down, especially the daughter of a prominent bishop who had just handed his pulpit over to him. “I haven’t had a real tour since I arrived at Bliss Haven, so, I think I would like that. Thank you…so, after dinner it is, then.”

  Candi watched Izaiah strut away in his wet shorts and T-shirt. She had to stop herself from licking her lips. The brother was tempting all around. The looks, the walk, the voice – everything that could make a man sexy. If Asia wasn’t serious about locking him down, Candi hadn’t a problem stepping in and showing Asia how it was done. A man like Izaiah would not be walking around unattached for long.

  St. Donovan’s Chapel was not short on women, who no doubt had already begun to zero in on the new, handsome youth minister. If Candi had it her way, she would plant herself in Izaiah’s bed every night and seduce him into marrying her. But Candi knew these things took time and she was willing to wait it out however long it took to make Izaiah pay attention to her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Dallis eased her car in front of the Daxon’s home in St. Elmo’s Valley and remained there for several minutes, lost in thought. She’d spent all of yesterday debating whether or not to carry out Anwar’s request. And up to this moment, she still hadn’t any idea what to do. Before the gunshots she’d heard over the phone, Anwar had told her he needed her to contact his parents and tell them that he was okay and that he knew who killed his friend. However, Dallis felt that someone had tried to thwart his message. There was no doubt that something terrible had happened to Anwar.