Love, Honor, and Betray Roby, Lawson (best contemporary novels .TXT) 📖

sorry. It’s like I told you earlier. I don’t know what came over me. I won’t ever lie to you again, though,Pastor. That I can promise you.”

“Can you imagine how upset my wife would be if she ever found out about all of this? And what if I had come into your houselike you wanted me to and someone saw me?”

“But you didn’t come in. And it’s not like your wife will hear about any of this, anyway.”

“Well, actually, she will, because I’m planning to tell her everything,” Curtis said, lifting his phone. “Lana, please tellBarry and Joel they can come in now.”

Barry and Joel were two of the security guards who worked for Deliverance Outreach on an as-needed basis, whenever Curtishad “issues” that needed to be dealt with. Curtis had asked Lana to call them right after he’d arrived this morning.

They both strolled in and Barry, the more muscular of the two, walked right up to Curtis’s desk and stood next to Raven.

“What is this?” she asked.

“Ms. Jones, we need you to come with us,” Barry said.

“For what?”

“You’re being let go, and we’ve been asked to escort you from the building.”

“Pastor, what are they talking about?”

“Your services are no longer needed here.”

“You’re firing me? After you told me you wouldn’t do that?”

Curtis glared at her.

“Ms. Jones,” Barry said. “Please come with us.”

Raven stood up. “I don’t believe you. But that’s okay because when your wife hears that you were at my house this morningand that you’ve been coming on to me for weeks now, we’ll see who gets fired.”

“Now, Raven, you know that’s not true.”

“Sure it is. And it’s not like you can deny it because all of your staff members just saw us walk into the church together.”

Curtis pulled the miniature tape recorder from his lap and placed it onto his desk. “Like I said. You know that’s not true.”

“You were taping me? You actually set me up?”

Joel took her by her arm. “Let’s go, Ms. Jones.”

“Let me go! And I hope all of you know I’m not leaving here until I box up my things.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Barry told her. “We’ve already collected your purse for you, and we’ll have the rest of your itemsdelivered this afternoon.”

“No! I’ll do it myself.”

“Let’s go,” Joel said, and the three of them left Curtis’s office.

Lana rushed in right after. “Pastor, what’s going on?”

“I didn’t have time to tell you this when I first got here, but Raven came to me last week, saying she had feelings for me.”

“What?”

“Yeah. And then this morning, she called to say her car wouldn’t start, but when I arrived to pick her up she tried to getme to come inside.”

“Please tell me you didn’t.”

“No. But then on the way here she kept trying to come on to me and then, all of a sudden, she started apologizing again. Andthat’s when I knew she was going to be a problem.”

“Oh my. I’m stunned. Raven? Of all people.”

“Yeah, I was shocked, too.”

“Well, you sure didn’t waste any time getting rid of her,” Lana said, laughing. “I mean, I know this isn’t funny but you gother out of here lickety-split.”

“I had to. Raven knows everything there is to know about our financials, and I couldn’t take any chance on her doing somethingdirty. That’s why I wanted to record our conversation and then get her out of the building. If I hadn’t, she would have triedgoing back to her office and doing only God knows what.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“I know I am. Especially since right after I told her she was fired, she tried to threaten me.”

“Goodness. What is the world coming to? You just can’t trust anybody these days.”

“No, you can’t. Not even the most innocent person.”

Chapter 34

Charlotte walked inside Robin’s Hair Creations and laughed to herself. Some things never changed, and one would think thatafter coming there for as many years as Charlotte had, it wouldn’t bother her. But it did. She knew it wasn’t her business,but she just couldn’t understand why every stylist in the place continued stacking clients on top of clients when they knewthey were only able to work on one head at a time. It was ludicrous to think they could do more, although Charlotte knew that,actually, they didn’t think anything of the sort. What they wanted was to make as much money as possible, even if it meantmaking customers wait more than an hour before they were even shampooed. Robin, Charlotte’s stylist and owner of the salon,sometimes did this, too, but not with her. No, with Charlotte, it was a much different story because Charlotte still paidher double the price so that Robin wouldn’t book anyone else during Charlotte’s two-and-a-half-hour time slot.

It was amazing how Charlotte played this entire sce­nario through her head every time she came there, but again, it reallybothered her. It was one of her pet peeves, she guessed, and she couldn’t help herself.

Charlotte hung up her coat and then spoke to the three women who rented booth space from Robin.

“Hey, Charlotte,” Robin said, already waiting for her.

Charlotte went over and sat down in the styling chair. “So how are you?”

“I’m good, and I’m loving those jeans you have on, girl. Who are they?”

“Donna Karan.”

“Nice. I’m also lovin’ that sweater and those boots, too.”

“Thanks.”

Robin wrapped a cape around her. “So what are we doing today?”

“Just a wash and condition.”

“Let’s go then,” she said, starting toward the shampoo bowl.

Charlotte took a seat and leaned her head back, and Robin turned on the water.

“So how’s Matthew doing?” Robin asked.

“He’s fine, and thanks so much for calling to check on him yesterday.”

“I still can’t believe that happened. But I’m glad he made it out of there okay.”

“We all are. Such a blessing.”

“Definitely. And how’s Pastor Black doing?”

“He’s fine as well.”

“And Curtina?”

“She’s good.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“And what about you?” Charlotte asked. “How’s everything on your end?”

“Girl, don’t even ask.”

“Why? What’s wrong?” Charlotte was glad no one else was back in the shampoo area, so they could talk a little more freely.

“Shoot,