Page 53 of Judgments of Fire and Desire

She nodded as I walked away from her to Kyrie. When his eyes met mine, I could see the anger, the sadness, and the hurt. He suffered from his father’s death, but it seemed he was suffering more now that he was gone than from his actual demise. I hated this for him. He had enough to be concerned with.

When I got to him, I immediately slid my arms around his waist. He put his arm around me as I said, “I’m so sorry, baby. I totally understand your reaction.”

He kissed my forehead. “I’m sorry you had to see me somewhat unhinged. I’m just sick of dealing with shit. This right here is unnecessary. The person that’s at fault is no longer here. How did I inherit his consequences?”

“I know it’s hard to understand. Just know that it’s Mister Coler’s mental issues that has caused this. Direct your anger to him. He did this.”

“I wouldn’t even know who that man was had it not been for my father messing around with his mother. We would have no connection. That’s our only connection.”

“I get it. Let me make sure everything is wrapped up so when you go to the police station, I can go with you.”

“Okay.”

When I turned to go see what the firefighters had come up with, I saw Bransford going back inside the house. He was looking around like he was making sure no one was watching him. I frowned slightly and quickly followed behind him to make sure I didn’t miss what he was up to. As I entered the house, I saw him walking around looking with a flashlight. He pulled out a bag and picked up a bottle and put it inside.

I released a sigh of relief. He was only bagging evidence of foul play. All this betrayal and underhandedness had me onedge. When he looked up and saw me, he gave me a slight smile. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes. Thank you.”

He nodded and looked around more. “This is what was thrown through the window to start the fire. The judge is going through a lot. This is crazy.”

“Yeah, it is. Neither of us can wait until it’s done. It’s been a lot.”

“I can imagine.”

“Is everything pretty much wrapped up?”

“Yes, ma’am. Our investigation is done, but I’m sure his homeowner’s insurance is going to send their own investigator as well, mainly to assess the damage since we already know the cause.”

I nodded and patted his back as he walked past me. “Thank you, Bransford.”

“No problem.”

I wanted to ask him what prompted his change of attitude, but I knew it wasn’t the right time for that conversation. Something had definitely happened to provoke that change, and it was more than Samuel threatening him. Once all of this came to a head, I would be sure to have that conversation with him.

“My mama didn’t even wantto go on that trip. I remember her telling my father that Mister Patrick was forcing her to go. She cried the entire night before because she said she felt uneasy about the flight. That man couldn’t accept rejection. I’m not saying my mother was innocent, but when she tried to break things off was when he became desperate. She was pregnant when she died, and now, I don’t know if that child was my dad’s or that monster’s.”

I closed my eyes, trying to stomach everything I’d heard. My mother was standing next to me crying, and Genesis was on my other side, holding my hand between hers. I didn’t know how this man found me or why he thought it was a good idea to come for me. My head was pounding as we stood in the room listening to what he had to say.

“What did Judge Patrick have to do with that? He was only ten years old when nine-eleven happened. He was just as innocent in this as you are.”

“Someone has to pay for what happened to my mother. It was pretty convenient for Kenneth Patrick to die in that plane crash. Had he not forced my mama to go on that trip, she would still be here. Judge Patrick is just as ruthless as his father was. That man didn’t care about people in the gray area. Everything was black and white to him. He didn’t care about anyone else. He only cared about making a name for himself. Kyrie Patrick is the same way. I’ve reviewed his sentencing practices. Most of them are questionable.”

“He has never gone beyond the scope of the law.”

“Yeah, but does everyone deserve the maximum sentence? I figured he would be the perfect person to suffer the consequences. The world would be just fine without another Kenneth Patrick.”

I’d heard enough. I swallowed hard as I walked away. Hearing someone compare me to Kenneth Patrick had angered me. My mama always compared my good qualities to his, and that would piss me off as well. This was different though. To say that I was, basically, a chip off the old block had taken my anger to new heights.

When Genesis’s arms wrapped around me from behind, I stopped walking and closed my eyes, trying to allow her spirit to calm me. “You are not your father.”

“I know. That’s what makes me so angry.”

“That man doesn’t know you from Adam. He wants to talk about being in the gray but is judging you based on black and white. How contradictory is that? Don’t let what he’s said affect you negatively, baby. He’s a mental case due to his loss. He needs help. He is a prime example of how trauma can affect people and why we sometimes need counseling to deal with loss.You are an amazing man. I didn’t know your father, but I know the man I’m in love with. You are nothing like he described.”

I nodded and turned around in her arms. The problem was that I saw the resemblance as well. That man was right about me. I had only begun to change after falling in love with Genesis. I was a cold-blooded bastard in that courtroom. I didn’t care about extenuating circumstances. While I wasn’t as selfish as he said I was, I realized I treated everyone that came through my courtroom like a criminal when, technically, they were innocent until proven guilty. My mind treated them as guilty until proven innocent.

I hugged Genesis as I saw my mama approaching us. I owed her an apology for how I spoke to her. I released Genesis and pulled her into my arms. “I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you, Mama.”

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