TOTAL ECLIPSE: The Evolution (Sin City Heat Series Book 7) Read online

  Renzo smiled. "Yep, good ole John Jay in NYC."

  Jerra returned his smile before looking back at Darrell. "Renzo was finishing up his last year, preparing to take the bar. He was a big help to me and a few other first year law students."

  "I'm sure he was," Darrell muttered loud enough for Renzo to hear.

  The indulgent smile Renzo directed towards Jerra slowly disappeared as he and Darrell glared at one another.

  Jerra's eyes darted from one to the other, frowning when she noticed the similarities of their features…especially while they stood glowering with such outright hostility. But it was more than that. She peered closer, trying to figure out what it was. Then, just like that, it hit her. It wasn’t just their features that were strikingly alike. It was their eyes, their similar build, and the mutinous expressions that had settled on their faces.

  Stricken, her breath caught in her throat as she realized why the name Pattel had sounded so familiar to her when Darrell mentioned it. In law school, she’d heard it whispered a few times in reference to Lorenzo, but that wasn’t the name he’d used back then. Jerra remembered that one night after cramming for a test, she asked him about it.

  Lorenzo had sat back and stared at her for a full thirty seconds before briefly acknowledging that Pattel was his legal name but for reasons he didn’t want to get into, he went by his mother’s maiden name. The subject never came up again and Jerra never mentioned it to anyone. Soon after, Lorenzo graduated. They hadn’t spoken to or seen each other since.

  Staring at him now, Jerra brought a hand up to cover her mouth while blindly reaching behind her for something to hold on to as everything fell into place.

  Darrell quickly slipped an arm around her waist. At the same time, Renzo materialized at her other side and placed a hand on her shoulder. Darrell glared at his hand and pulled Jerra towards him.

  "I got her. I can take care of my wife."

  Renzo's face knotted up, his dislike for Darrell intensifying with each passing second, but he stepped back without saying anything.

  Jerra looked from one of them to the other, her heart beating furiously in her chest. "Darrell..."

  "Baby, you okay? Come inside and sit down while I get you a bottle of water." The look he cut Renzo's way clearly told the other man that the invitation was not meant for him.

  "D-Darrell, no. Wait. I..." She briefly closed her eyes before continuing the introduction. "Darrell, this...this is Lorenzo…Pattel."

  Stunned when Jerra confirmed his suspicions, Darrell pulled his eyes away from her and settled them on Lorenzo. His chest rose and fell as his breathing increased. He needed to hear it from Lorenzo. Darrell needed him to say it out loud. "Why are you looking for my mother?"

  Lorenzo's expression said he was trying to figure out what he was missing. "She phoned my office a few weeks ago, left a message and a number for me to call her but I was out of the country. I just got back last night. That's why it took me so long to get in contact with her."

  Lorenzo didn't add anything to his statement, but his lips clamped together as he remembered the ensuing argument he'd had with his father. Isaac Pattel had all but threatened his secretary with the loss of her job if she told Lorenzo about the call. Luckily, Sheila Manning was fiercely loyal to him. She'd called Lorenzo immediately and told him what happened.

  Of course he'd assured Sheila that her job was safe. There was no way he could run his office without her. Plus, Lorenzo trusted her implicitly. Her actions in notifying him about the call, even with the threat of losing her job, were exactly why. He hadn't been able to leave the Caribbean because he'd been in the middle of finalizing a very important business deal, in addition to…other things. But his curiosity had been piqued to say the least. Why would his father take such drastic steps to try and block him from getting this woman's message?

  Lorenzo had called a private detective not affiliated with his family. He'd given him what little information he had, which was Tina's name and the phone number she'd left, but that had been enough. Less than twenty-four hours later, the detective had tracked Tina down to this address and faxed the information he'd obtained in his investigation to Lorenzo.

  However, nothing in the report clued Lorenzo in as to who this woman was and why she'd made his father react so out of character. Absolutely nothing got to his dad. He and his cousins would sometimes joke around that his father and theirs, Lorenzo's Uncle Joseph, had ice water running through their veins. But this had definitely shook Isaac up for some reason and Lorenzo wanted to know why.

  As soon as his business was concluded, he'd flown home. The confrontation with his father had not been pretty. Isaac Pattel was used to his word being law, but Lorenzo inherited his stubborn tenacity honestly and refused to back down.

  Finally, his father told him the secret he'd kept from him all this time. What Lorenzo discovered that night was something that made him question everything he ever thought he’d known about his life, his family, and himself.

  He looked at Darrell now. None of his inner thoughts showed on his face as he answered Darrell’s question. "I'm looking for Tina Monroe because...I think she might be my biological mother."

  CHAPTER 1

  I’m looking for Tina Monroe because I think she might be my biological mother.

  Darrell’s hand tightened on Jerra’s waist. His mind fought valiantly to reject the words he heard from the man standing on his doorstep, but just like quicksand, the more he struggled to dismiss them, the faster they sank in. He felt the pull of Jerra’s eyes on him like a physical touch beckoning him to look at her, but for the life of him he couldn’t tear his gaze away from Lorenzo Pattel. His…brother.

  Unaware that he was holding his breath, Darrell studied him closely. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t dismiss the similarities; they were glaringly obvious. Tina Monroe had left her mark on all of her children in some form or fashion–including Lorenzo. Even though he hadn’t inherited Tina’s café au lait coloring like Darrell and Gabby, the eyes were a dead giveaway. While Darrell’s smoky grey eyes were the same as Tina’s, Lorenzo’s were slightly lighter. Almost silver. When Tina laughed, her eyes turned the exact same shade.

  The sculpted cheekbones, thick lashes, and naturally arched eyebrows came straight from Tina as well, but the combination of both parents’ genes was also evident. Darrell assumed their square jawlines, full lips, and height came from their father. Lorenzo was an inch or so taller than Darrell, but both men were powerfully built with thick arms and muscular chests that gave way to slim waists and hard, flat abs. Even with the difference in skin color, Lorenzo’s being sepia brown with reddish undertones, there was no mistaking the fact that they were related.

  “Darrell, are you…are you okay?”

  Hearing the hesitation in Jerra’s voice, Darrell blinked, gradually bringing her into focus. He cleared his throat and forced himself to nod. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.”

  “I know this has to be a shock. I still can’t believe it,” she whispered.

  Darrell lifted his chin, grey eyes keen but guarded as they switched back to Lorenzo. “No shit,” he muttered.

  Lorenzo peered at the two of them, his light eyes narrowed in suspicion. “One of you want to tell me what I’m missing here because…”

  His sentence trailed off abruptly into silence. Remembering something Darrell said when he opened the door a few minutes ago, Lorenzo’s eyes swung from Jerra to rest on him. “Wait. You said you’re Tina Monroe’s son?”

  Darrell nodded, watching the puzzle lock into place for Lorenzo. “That’s right.”

  Jerra spoke softly to break the tension. “Renzo, why don’t you come inside? Tina’s here. I think you, she, and my husband have a lot to discuss.”

  Lorenzo glanced at Jerra for a moment before returning his attention back to Darrell. “Yeah,” he answered slowly. “I think that’s a good idea.” But he didn’t move until Darrell gave a little nod, gesturing for Lorenzo to follow them into the house.
r />   Jerra led the way to the family room, shooting furtive glances over her shoulder at the two men that trailed behind her. Her eyes brushed past Lorenzo and settled on Darrell. Their eyes met and held for a brief moment. Out of habit, Jerra’s first instinct was to go to him in support, slip her hand in his…something.

  However, the precarious state of their marriage held her back, caused her to push the natural urge away. She’d just told Darrell that she wanted him out of their house after finding out he’d made secret phone calls to his ex-girlfriend. What made the situation even worse was the fact that she’d only discovered his deception–and that’s what Jerra considered it to be–by chance when she’d noticed that their cell phone bill was unaccountably higher than it should be due to charges for international calls made to the Caribbean…where Veronica Winston lived.

  There was not a single doubt in Jerra’s mind that if she hadn’t found out about the calls, Darrell would not have told her. That knowledge hurt more than anything else, but she’d have to put all of that aside for now and lick her wounds later.

  Once she got to the family room, she immediately saw Tina and her son sitting on the couch watching one of D.J.’s favorite TV shows.

  Jerra whispered to Lorenzo. “I think it’s best if you wait here until we have a chance to prepare her for the news. She’s had issues with her heart; I want to lessen the shock as much as possible.”

  Concern flared briefly in Lorenzo’s eyes at the mention of Tina’s health issues. “Of course. I understand.”

  Tina suddenly sat up straight on the loveseat when she spotted them standing in the doorway. Having yet to see Lorenzo, who stood several feet behind Darrell and Jerra, Tina searched her son and daughter-in-law’s faces. Jerra noticed her apprehension and was aware of the reason for it. Tina had witnessed the awful argument between she and Darrell, and worst of all, so had D.J. Tina was no doubt hoping she and Darrell had managed to get over the disagreement they’d had in the kitchen. The two of them never argued like that. They might have occasional tiffs or disagreements, but…it had never gotten to that point.

  Jerra and Darrell had only taken a few steps into the room when D.J. jumped up from the couch and ran full speed towards them. Zooming past Jerra, he threw himself at Darrell, wrapping his arms around his father’s legs.

  Dropping his head back, D.J. stared up at Darrell. “Can we finish playing the game now, Daddy? I tried to show Gran’ma Tina how to work the controls, but she kept messin’ up so we decided to just watch TV.”

  Darrell smoothed his hand over the fresh haircut he’d just taken D.J. to get yesterday. Jerra saw the same regret she felt at the fact that their son had witnessed the fight between his mommy and daddy a little while ago.

  Struggling to keep his voice light, Darrell shook his head. “Not right now, sport. I…” He paused before glancing at Tina. “I need to talk to your grandmother first, okay?”

  D.J.’s shoulders slumped in disappointment. “Okay,” he muttered.

  “I promise we’ll play later. I still gotta show you who’s king of the streets when it comes to drag racing, right?”

  Eyes sparkling, D.J. nodded excitedly. “I’m gonna go practice in my room until you’re ready to play. Don’t be long, Daddy.”

  A bundle of energy, he took off running towards the door. Before Darrell or Jerra could stop him, he came to an abrupt stop. Leaning his head back much the way he had with Darrell, he stared up into the face of the stranger he almost literally ran into. “Who are you?”

  “D.J.” Darrell took a step in their direction. “Come here, son.”

  Jerra watched helplessly as Tina stood up and craned her neck a to try and see who D.J. was talking to. Her brows gently bunched together creating a groove-like furrow in the middle of her forehead.

  Jerra hurried towards her and reached for one of her hands. “Someone’s here to see you. He, um, he’s…”

  Tina’s frown deepened. “He?”

  “Yes.” Jerra briefly closed her eyes. How did one tell a mother that the baby taken away from her at birth over thirty years ago was standing only several feet away ready to meet her? “There’s no easy way to tell you this, but–”

  Before she could continue, they heard D.J. tell Darrell in a loud voice, “Daddy, he looks just like you.”

  Hearing D.J.’s excited observation, an expression of fear covered Tina’s face. Snatching her hand out of Jerra’s, she stumbled back, her head moving from side to side in denial.

  “I-Isaac.” She whispered in a quivering voice. “He’s…he’s here. Isn’t he?”

  Jerra immediately understood the reason for her reaction. Darrell had mentioned how terrified Tina was of his father. “No, no, no. Tina–”

  “How did he find me?”

  “Tina, wait, it’s not what you think. Isaac–”

  Her face tight with anxiety, Tina’s hysteria increased. “You don’t know him, Jerra. I tried to explain to Darrell, that man is dangerous. The last time I saw him–”

  “My father isn’t here.” A deep voice smoothly interrupted her frenzied agitation in an attempt to calm her down. Lorenzo slowly walked into the room followed by Darrell.

  Tina’s gasp filled the silence. Her hand fluttered up to her chest as recognition settled in her eyes. “Lorenzo?”

  CHAPTER 2

  Darrell made it to Tina’s side seconds before her knees buckled underneath her. Catching her before she fell, he lifted her up in his arms and carried her to the couch. Looking over his shoulder, Darrell he threw a frigid glare towards Lorenzo.

  “What part of ‘wait outside the room’ didn’t you understand?”

  “Darrell.” Jerra uttered his name in reprimand as she carefully propped a pillow under Tina’s head and sat beside her on the edge of the couch.

  Lorenzo’s eyes stayed on Tina. “I didn’t mean to upset her. I was only trying to calm her down.”

  “Yeah? Great job.” Darrell’s response was loaded with sarcasm.

  Lorenzo’s eyes settled on Darrell. “I didn’t do it on purpose,” he grunted through gritted teeth before he directed his attention back to Tina. “Do you think we need to get her to a hospital?”

  Darrell scowled. “We don’t need to do a thing. You’ve done enough.”

  “What’s your problem?” Lorenzo shot back, his concern for Tina giving way to irritation at Darrell’s attitude.

  Jerra looked up at Darrell. “Maybe we should call Marcus. Just to make sure she’s okay.“

  “No.” Tina’s protest was faint. “Please, there’s no need to bother Marcus. I…I just need to catch my breath. I’ll be fine.” She squeezed Jerra’s hand in a surprisingly firm grip. Her eyes drifted back to Lorenzo, who appeared a bit uneasy at her scrutiny.

  “I’m…sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m sure my being here comes as a shock.”

  “That didn’t stop you from just showin’ up without callin’ first, did it?” Darrell’s eyes ran over Lorenzo, dismissing him with a shake of his head as he walked over to D.J.

  The transformation of Lorenzo’s features was instant. Irritation morphed into an icy warning as his gaze tracked Darrell across the room. “What’s your problem?”

  Eyes flashing like lightning clapping in the sky, Darrell turned as if to retrace his steps, but aware of D.J. watching him with rapt interest, he remained where he was. He reached out and pulled his son close to his side.

  “What’s my problem?” Darrell repeated. “I’m lookin’ at him.”

  Lorenzo’s eyes darkened to an iron-grey. His lips parted to deliver a blistering retort, but pulled the words back when his eyes fell on D.J. Looking at Darrell, he backed down with obvious reluctance.

  Jerra stood up and went to stand in front of the two men. “Would you two stop it,” she hissed. Dividing her glare between them both, she addressed Lorenzo first. “Tina had a pace maker installed about six months ago. That’s why we wanted to break the news to her first before she saw you.”

  Lorenzo�
��s expression turned apologetic. “I’m sorry. Again, it wasn’t my intention to upset her.”

  “Well, you did,” Darrell sneered.

  “And you should know better.” Jerra stopped Darrell before he could go any further. “You’re being deliberately rude. This isn’t easy for anyone, least of all Tina. Could you both put aside whatever personal dislikes you seem to have somehow developed for each other and focus on your moth–on Tina? Please?”

  Darrell stared at Jerra then let out a drawn out sigh. “You’re right.”

  Lorenzo nodded. “Of course.”

  Jerra inhaled a deep breath before slowly releasing it in relief. “Good.”

  Darrell glanced at Tina. “You sure you don’t want me to call Marcus?”

  “No. I’m feeling much better.”

  “Who’s Marcus?” Lorenzo asked.

  Darrell’s lips tightened in annoyance, but feeling the weight of Jerra’s stare, he reluctantly answered. “He’s my best friend and the heart surgeon who did the operation for the pace maker.”

  Lorenzo nodded slowly then said to Tina, “I guess I’ll formally introduce myself. My name is Lorenzo Pattel. Everyone calls me Renzo, or Lo. My father…” He paused for a moment before plunging ahead in a slight rush. “My father says you’re my biological mother. Is that true?”

  Absolute silence filled the room as they all looked at Tina and waited on her to confirm what everyone already knew to be true.

  Tina’s lips trembled, nodding bravely as she forced the words out. “Yes. Yes, I’m your mother.”

  The air in the room became highly charged. Renzo swallowed convulsively as Tina verified the bizarre story his father had told him. His eyes bounced around the room before lighting on Darrell, the man he now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt was his brother. Lorenzo almost laughed at the notion. When he thought about brothers, images of the cousins he’d been raised with came to mind, Lucas, Hawk, and King. They were his brothers, not someone he disliked almost from first sight.