A test of Love - Navaura Campbell (best management books of all time .txt) 📗

nodded. Feeling a little uncomfortable. "You know, our family have a rich culture. I could tell you some." Denise glanced over at him, unsure what to think.
"If you're gonna be a part of this family, you may as well know, that's if you're interested."
Denise exhaled. He reached over and touched her hand. When he did, Denise froze. He patted it and said, "It's ok lass, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just trying to apologize." Denise glanced up at him. "Apologize?"
He nodded. "I was downright ignorant to be rude and mean to you the way I was before and I must say I am sorry. If Jordan loves you, that's all that matters."
Denise sighed, feeling for the first time since seeing him that she could breathe. "Thank you, it means a lot to know that you accept me and him as a couple."
Arlyn nodded, "You're welcome. I am sorry for the way I treated you."
Knowing how he felt made Denise feel better about being around him. She felt the tension ease. Sighing, she asked, "What was it like growing up in Ireland?"
When they got back to the house and into Denise's room, Jordan commented on what he'd observed in the car. "I noticed you and Uncle Arlyn were hitting it off in the car.” Denise was bent over taking her shoes off. "Yep."
"I thought he was playing when he said he wanted me to come pick him up. I see now he wasn't."
"Nope. I don't know what happened between this visit and the last, but I like it. That's the Arlyn I like."
Jordan smiled, "Grandma, that's what. She's always making people see the errors of their ways. She's the mediator in the family. Everyone has their purpose. Uncle Dez give everyone routine. His wife she's a really happy go lucky type. Uncle Arlyn knows the history. Aunt Marissa and Uncle Mel are the glue that holds us together. They are the ones who adopted Elliot. I mean we have a lot of cousins and aunts and Uncles in this family, however, they all live in Ireland. One day I will take you there."
Denise smiled, "Ireland huh?" She knew from the books that it was a beautiful place and she didn't think she would mind going. "Before I forget, Jordan, I need to give you those addresses so that we can go check them out tomorrow." She stated while reaching into her bag.
Chapter Thirty Three

Chapter Thirty Two:
The residency in Washinton Heights was very nice with a mixture of different ethnicity all around. Denise liked it. The lawns were neatly manicured. This she liked as well. The apartment building she and Jordan went to was a three story building with balconies on the upper floors. Grabbing a hold of the door, Jordan pulled it open and then walked in with Denise. A lady was sitting at a desk with a dark green long sleeve shirt and a black skirt to go alongside it. Immediately the lady spoke, "Hello, my name's Maria, how may I help you?" This lady had long brown hair and wore minimum make up. "I needed to find out some information about someone." Jordan stated.
"I can't help you there. It's against the law and company policy to give information of a tenant unless it's the police."
"What about previous tenants?" He inquired. The lady looked at him, "Like who?"
"Carrine Brachman."
The lady's eyes widened she said, "Is that girl up to her old tricks again?"
"What tricks?" Denise asked.
"When Carrine was in College, she lived here," the lady stated.
"What do you mean when she was in college? She's in college now." Jordan stated. The lady shook her head disagreeing, "No, no, she graduated from Chicago State ten years ago."
Jordan furrowed his brows. "We must have the wrong one, Denise. I don't think she's the girl we're talking about."
The woman stood up and grabbed her purse off the coat rack. Pulling her wallet out, she flipped it open and showed them a photograph. "Is this the girl you're talking about?"
Jordan ran a hand through his hair flabbergasted while Denise stared at the photo in shock. How could she still look the same after ten years?
"Carrine Brachman's my niece and I suggest that if you know where she is that you tell me."
"She..she enrolled in Hampton University where we live."
The lady looked at Jordan and asked him to take off the hat he wore. Jordan did so. When he did she put a hand up to her mouth. "Um, oh, wow. She followed you didn't she?"
Jordan swallowed, "She's not only followed me, but she has been stalking my fiancee as well."
Jordan grasped Denise's hand and held it in his.
"Oh, how long has this been going on?"
"We broke up in April of this year and she followed me out to Virginia where I'm going to school and has been calling and stalking the both of us since..." Just then, his phone rang. He paused and grabbed the phone. He saw that the number was blocked. Opening it, he already knew who was on it.
"Jordan, you think you're slick, I told you to let her go and come be with me but no, that's not the way you want things to go. You want to mettle in my business, so now I'm mettling in yours."
"Carrine, what did you do, girl?"
"Come back to the house and see. I wanted us to be together. I wanted you and I to be the only ones in each other life, and now because of you, there are innocent people involved."
Jordan felt the air knocked out of his body. "What have you done to my family, Carrine?"
"Come back to the house, Jordan and when you do, don't bring anyone except Denise. No police, nobody, just you, me, and her, we can settle this on our own. With those words spoken, Jordan heard the dial tone in his ear. Glancing over at Denise he shook his head, "We have to go De-De."
"What is it Jordan? What did that bitch do?"
"Just come on." He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the building.
When Jordan pulled up to the house, he noticed it was dark. All the curtains were closed. Looking over at Denise, he said, "You stay in the car."
"Jordan, she said..." Denise started, but he cut her off. "I don't give a fuck what she said. You stay in the damn car and don't come out. If anything, you call the police. I don't want you in this, I want this between me and her. That's it."
Denise grabbed his hand, "Jordan, no, I don't want..."
Again he interrupted her, shaking his head firmly, "No! Call the police,"
With that, he got out the car and went up to the door of the house. As soon as he entered, she grabbed her phone and dialed nine one one.
"Where's Denise?" A voice stated as he opened the door and came into the hallway. Carrine was sitting on the bottom stair.
Jordan cleared his throat and said, "This has nothing to do with her. Where is my family?"
"Don't worry, they're safe."
"What's all this about Carrine? I'm lost for words." He stated, trying to deviate her attention away from Denise.
"What's this about?" Getting up, she walked over to him. This is when he noticed the gun in her hand. "You know damn well what this is about Jordan. I loved you. I wanted to be with you."
Jordan took a step back. "You loved me? Carrine you barely knew me for three months."
Carrine's eyes flashed wildly and she began waving the gun around in the air, motioning her hands. "It doesn't matter Jordan. I loved you from the moment we both met. I've loved you when she didn't love you."
Jordan stood silent, trying to think of something to do.
"But you..." She poked him in the chest with the butt of the pistol. "You chose to be with her. Why?" She inquired, hitting him again in the chest. Jordan inhaled sharply, taking another step back. "Why dammit, why?" She backed him into a wall. "You know what, none of that matters now because I have you here. We can be together. You and me can be together."
"What do you mean we can be together? Carrine, we never were together." Carrine laughed, her thoughts irrational. Her brain was not functioning in the right way at the moment. Some would go as far to call her crazy. "Jordan, you and I will be together. No one can stop that now." Carrine brought the pistol up and Jordan watched her cock it before bringing it in front of him. Out of natural instinct, Jordan lunged forward and tackled her to the ground. Together they rolled around, fighting over the gun.
Denise's heart thumped hard in her chest the minute she heard the shot being fired. Pulling open the door, she decided she couldn't wait for the police. He may be dead before they even got there. Running from the van she ran up to the house and opened the door. The door crashed against the wall and she ran into a scene of Jordan holding his leg after having wrestled the gun away from Carrine. He pointed it out at her, " I can't believe you shot me." She laughed, her sound bizarre and high pitched. "That's what you get you snake." Denise called out to Jordan. He glanced over at her. "I thought I told you to stay in the car. Don't you ever listen?" Just then, Carrine took this opportunity to run up and grab the gun from his hand. Holding it firmly, she pointed it at him and cocked the barrel. Denise ran toward Jordan. Just as she hit him, Denise felt a sharp pain hit her right calf. Jordan, who'd fallen to the ground got up and at break neck speed went up to Carrine who pulled the trigger of her gun again. Nothing happened. Even if it would've, Jordan didn't let it stop him from hitting her so hard in the face that she fell to the ground, out cold. The gun fell from her hand and then slid out away from her toward him. He crawled over to the weapon and scooped it up in his hands. When he did, he went over to where Denise was and saw that she was out herself. He called out her name. Just as he did, he heard a voice say, "Freeze, don't move and drop your weapon." Jordan threw the gun away from where he and Denise were.

Chapter Thirty Four