20. Vines of Passion

Caleb begins the task of uncovering the troubles that are plaguing Naomi.

CALEB

Naomi sees me as one of the good guys, and I suppose she's not entirely wrong.

Ever since I was a kid, I've been the type to do the right thing—like taking lost items to the lost and found or never skipping class. In school as a football player, I was the team motivator, always there to lift spirits, even in defeat. I pride myself on having a strong moral compass.

But there’s another side of me that doesn’t surface often.

It's a darker, more ruthless side that I keep in check, locked away like a beast in a cage. I strive to live righteously, to treat people well, but when someone crosses me or those I care about, my response is absolute and relentless. There’s no middle ground with me; you either get my silence or my wrath. This hidden part of my character is reserved for those rare instances where mere justice won’t do—it demands a reckoning.

This was one of those moments.

My antennas immediately went up about Kayla, Naomi’s Business Manager she had told me about last night. Remembering how her conversation had driven Naomi into such a dark place, the same evening I went to her hotel to help her through it, I knew Kayla was a problem that needed handling.

After I sexed Naomi to sleep last night, I got to work immediately, reaching out to a trusted source to help me uncover any dirt that Naomi wasn’t privy to. I had promised her I would handle this, and as a man of my word, not only was I was going to keep that promise —- I’d deal with it right away.

I passed the last of my rum and coke to the flight attendant as we began our descent into Santa Barbara. Chartering this private flight had cut travel time down to just over an hour each way, compared to the seven hours it would have taken to drive just to get there. The cabin was pure luxury—plush leather seats that you just sink into, wood panels shining under the soft lights that made it feel warm and intimate. The quiet hum of the engines wrapped everything in a peaceful vibe, making it feel like I was in my own world, far from the chaos waiting for me on the ground.

My goal was to be in and out before Naomi even knew I'd left town. I didn't want her to worry about anything; I just wanted her to enjoy her time here in California with me, my parents and the friends she made at the retreat before heading back to New York to deal with the bullshit she left behind.

The quicker I tackled these problems for her, the sooner we could focus on us, free from the weight of life that constantly had Naomi stressed.

After landing, I immediately got into an awaiting chauffeured SUV that now had me down a long driveway to meet my trusted friend Dorien. I liked to call him Bruce Wayne because he was always on some Batman shit, lurking in the shadows and moving fast before anyone could figure out what was happening. We met at a coding camp as teenagers one summer and stayed in touch; as Black tech nerds back then, we were usually the only two in our cohorts.

While I went on to build and sell apps, Dorien ventured into shadowy territory I wasn't fully sure about and didn't ask about, but whenever I needed him, he was there without question.

Over the course of our friendship, Dorien had helped me set a lot of things in motion that no one knew I was behind. Sometimes, people needed to be dealt with, discarded, or simply removed from the path. Dorien was always the one who helped me make that happen, moving with precision and efficiency in ways most couldn’t fathom while we sat back and enjoyed the show.

His skill with computers meant there was no digital barrier he couldn't breach. He had this uncanny ability to move without leaving a trace, and even though he wasn't physically imposing, he was probably the most dangerous person in my contacts.

That side of me I tried to keep hidden was like a brother to Dorien. Hacking, coding, piecing together the puzzle to shape our reality—these were our talents. While we usually wielded them for good, sometimes we’d step into the shadows to avenge ourselves or those we cared about. For Naomi, I’d go further than she could imagine. That scared even me.

"Thompson!" Dorien grinned, extending his hand as I stepped out of the truck and immediately went over to greet him at the homes entrance.

"Bruce Wayne! Loving the new spot," I said, looking around at the stone castle-like building and lush grounds.

"Nah, this isn't mine. I'm just installing some, uh... security measures for a client before he and his family move in. They just bought the place," he smiled.

"Security measures," I echoed, air-quoting with my fingers.

"Yeah," Dorien shrugged, hands tucked in the pockets of his sweats as he turned and led me through the house, catching me up without really telling me anything.

The truth was, Dorien was a damn ghost. I had no idea where he lived, if he had a woman, or what he really did for work, but that's how he rolled, and I respected it.

We settled into a a room on the lower level that looked like some CIA headquarters. I lounged into a leather chair while Dorien sat in front of a computer that had three screens, grabbed his glasses out his shirt pocket and started typing like a madman, looking like a really geeky Will Smith.

“So this girl, you’re serious about her, huh?” Dorien asked, still typing without looking at me.

Thinking about Naomi, my heart swelled instantly. I marveled at how quickly we'd come to this point, but like I’d told her, time was irrelevant when it came to us.

“Yeah,” I admitted. “She’s special to me.”

“Well,” Dorien began, pushing his glasses up, “You didn’t ask me to, but I looked into her.”

“What?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Couldn’t resist,” Dorien finally turned to look at me. “Don't worry, I didn't find anything alarming beyond what you told me. Dead parents. Dead grandma. Being a witness in her ex’s court case.”

One thing about Dorien, he was as cut and dry as they came. His tone was always even, and he always had this deadpan look that accompanied his dark humor. Despite this, I didn't need him to investigate Naomi—I knew she was honest with me. She'd been vulnerable with me from the jump, even though she tried to hold back. I knew she was a good girl; Dorien didn’t have to tell me that.

“I didn’t ask you to.” I couldn’t hide my annoyance.

“I know,” Dorien said, brushing me off with a wave. “But I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t check to see what was up. But I found nothing except, like, $5,000 in personal debt she’s been racking up since being in California staying at that hotel she technically can’t afford right now thanks to that sinking business—which is why we’re here, and it’s not pretty.”

Dorien stopped typing and turned to face me fully. I swallowed hard and leaned forward in the chair, my elbows resting on my thighs as I prepared myself, watching him turn back to the screens where documents started popping up.

“I dug into the business’s financial records…” he began, typing away as more information appeared on the screen. “Kayla’s business and personal correspondence…”

“Just give it to me straight,” I said, my head in my hands before looking back at Dorien.

“They set your girlfriend up,” he said.

I raised an eyebrow as I looked up at him, seeking clarification. Suddenly three photos popped up on the screen that made my stomach churn and my heart shatter in my chest. My girl, my Naomi, battered and bruised. Her face black and blue with a shut swollen eye in one photo, bruises on her arms in another, and strangulation marks around her neck in the last one.

Naomi shared stories about Jeffery, and her fear of him was palpable—from the nightmares that haunted her, the physical scars left behind, and the way she broke down in my arms just this morning, terrified that he would come after her once he got out of jail. He was the embodiment of her worst nightmares, a monster, the worst kind of man.

I couldn’t fathom laying my hands on any woman, let alone Naomi, who was so easy to love. How could he hurt her like that? I couldn’t help but wish that I had been in her life earlier, to save her from him or to simply be there instead of him. Why did she have to endure that?

Dorien scrambled to get the photos off the screen, but it was too late. I was fighting back tears of rage.

“Sorry,” Dorien said softly, looking back at me with more emotion than I’d ever seen him express in all these years I’d known him. “You weren’t supposed to see that… photo evidence from —”

As I scrubbed my face with my hands, a thought struck me like a bolt of lightning, one that I had felt creeping in during dinner last night. The sinking feeling in my gut told me that whatever Dorien had to share would confirm my worst fear.

“Tell me what that motherfucker has to do with this,” I demanded, using what felt like the last bit of air left in my lungs.

Dorien took a deep breath, "Naomi thinks her business manager just happened to come into her life, but she was planted there…by him, Jeffery."

My teeth clenched, and my fists tightened as I closed my eyes, trying to keep my anger in check.

"They were sloppy, honestly, most of their communication was through texts," Dorien continued. "Jeffery might have had a lucrative football career once, but by the time he met Naomi, he was broke. He saw her as a meal ticket once they started getting serious and he became aware of her finances. Kayla was his on-and-off girlfriend from his league days, and she was his business manager back in the day. He planted her in Naomi's life so that he could access her business funds right under her nose once he realized how lucrative her business was."

Hot lava seemed to course through my veins, and I bowed my head, trying to contain the rage bubbling within as Dorien continued to speak.

"Eventually in the relationship, Naomi started getting multi-million dollar offers to sell the business and refused. It enraged him because by that point he’d decided stealing a couple thousand here and there per month wasn't enough. Unbeknownst to her, he couldn't understand why she wouldn't want to take lump sums of millions of dollars to put him in the position he wanted to be in."

"So that's why he started beating her? Because she wouldn't sell her business so that he could steal even more money from her?" I asked, anger tightening my voice.

"Mostly," Dorien said sympathetically. "Of course he couldn’t come out and say that to her. There’s more.”

I rolled my eyes and slumped in the chair, urging him to continue although honestly, I didn’t want to hear shit else.

“Once he was arrested and taken away, he had some college girl he was messing around behind Naomi’s back with make videos on TikTok claiming that the product was faulty."

"He started a smear campaign with Kayla even behind bars…for revenge because she testified agaisn’t him?"

"Yeah… The plan was to tank the company and then buy it at a bargain-basement price. He and Kayla would then rebuild it together using a PR contact that’s been helping them to craft a plan to undo the damage he had his secret girlfriend purposely caused."

I felt sick to my stomach. Naomi had been tearing herself apart, believing she was a failure, while she had no idea of the treachery happening behind her back to guarantee her downfall.

“Naomi said Kayla told her about some investment group—”, I began.

“It’s her and Jeffery... and two other people scraping the cash together. Although, they actually plan on screwing the other two out of the deal.”

“So that’s why she wants Naomi to hurry up and get back to sell?”

“They're desperate to put their plan into motion and start bringing in the cash flow, especially since Jeffery's getting out early. Raine Drops was once a powerhouse in the industry—a household name for Black women. Naomi built it up from the ground, busting her ass and doing everything right. No wonder big companies wanted to acquire it; what she achieved is unheard of.”

I leaned back in the chair, trying to process the storm of emotions swirling in my head. Jeffery had orchestrated this entire mess, pulling strings to control Naomi even from behind bars. Rage boiled within me, threatening to overflow. But I needed to stay focused.

"Dorien," I finally said, "how airtight is all this evidence you found?"

"Come on Thompson, you know me, it's solid," he replied with a smirk, clicking through the files on his computer. "There are text messages, financial records, I got some of the recordings from the prison and even video calls from before he was arrested. This isn’t just circumstantial."

I let out a deep breath, my mind running through potential plans. "Alright, I need copies of everything. Every file, every document. I want to have it all ready to take them down."

Dorien nodded. "I'll get you everything. You know that. What's your next move?"

I stared at the documents and audio files on the screen one more time, feeling the weight of Naomi's pain and the need to protect her.

"I'm taking this to the authorities, but I also need to get Naomi out of harm's way. We can't wait for more damage to be done to her. I might need you on the backend.", I said.

I couldn't believe the lengths Jeffery went to in his twisted plan to control Naomi, exploiting her vulnerability and betraying her trust. He had orchestrated a whole conspiracy against her. But I wasn't going to sit idly by and let him get away with it.

"Let's get this wrapped up, Dorien," I said, my voice firm with resolve. "Send me everything you've got."

Dorien nodded, getting up to organize the files for me. I leaned against his desk, my mind racing. I needed to get back to Naomi and to Napa before the retreat day was over.

“By the way, that Xion cat… want me to handle anything?” Dorien grinned.

He’d only met Xion once, but like everyone close to me, he knew what had gone down. Truth be told, my focus was on Naomi, and Xion was the last thing on my mind.

“Nah, man,” I chuckled. “Being married to Jasmine is enough punishment. Let him be,” I said, pushing aside thoughts of him, looking ahead to what lay in front of me instead of behind.

“Been denying a bunch of job applications he’s put in over the years when I’m bored,” Dorien said with amusement. “I let him through to that Operations Manager role he’s in now, though. He needed it.”

I shook my head,I had more pressing issues to deal with than Xion.

“Do you, Dorien,” I said casually.

The ride back to the airport was a blur. I was itching to get back to my girlfriend and let her know what I found out. As soon as the plane landed, I headed straight for the winery where Naomi was still spending time. I found her sitting under a tree with a group of attendees, smiling and laughing. Seeing her like this, with the weight of the world lifted, made everything I was doing worth it.

"Hey," I called out softly as I approached, not wanting to interrupt but needing to talk to her alone.

Her face lit up when she saw me, and she excused herself from the group to join me. "Hey, what's up?"

"Let's take a walk," I suggested, guiding her away from the crowd.

“Are you trying to give me private wine lessons in your office again, because although I said twice a day, last night —-”

“No baby,” I chuckled, halting our walk now that we were hidden amongst the grapevines.

I just stood there, taking her in, the images of her bruised face and battered body flashing through my mind, haunting me like a dark shadow that refused to leave.

It was hard to reconcile those images with the vibrant, beautiful woman in front of me. Her eyes sparkled, her smile radiated warmth, and her curls framed her face like a halo. She was stronger than she knew, a survivor, and here she was, standing before me, trusting me to keep her safe.

I took a deep breath, pushing the painful images away. I needed to focus on the present, on her. I couldn't let my anger over the past cloud the love and protection I wanted to give her now.

“Why do you look so sad?”, she asked, her eyes growing serious. “Caleb whats wrong?”

Looking into Naomi's eyes, I knew now wasn't the moment to drop the weight of everything I'd discovered on her shoulders. She deserved to hold onto this happiness for a while longer. I couldn't bear to see her drowning in worry and pain any longer. I wanted to shield her from the nightmares, to help her climb out of the darkness she'd fallen into over her business, the darkness that wasn't even her fault. She was a fighter, no doubt, but she didn't need to fight this battle alone. I wanted to erase the worry lines from her face and bring back the joy she was missing.

I’d have to time this properly, with more care.

“You’re so beautiful, Naomi,” I said softly, my voice betraying the weight of everything I felt for her. I felt lucky to have her, but also burdened by the knowledge of what she had been through. I gently held her face, my thumbs brushing against her cheeks. "I’m gonna take of you, Naomi. You know that, right?"

She looked up at me with trust in her eyes. It was the kind of trust that makes you want to move mountains, that makes you swear to yourself that you will never let this person down.

Naomi's brows furrowed in concern, her grip now on my wrists, tightening. "Caleb, what's going on? You're scaring me."

I leaned closer, placing a reassuring kiss on her forehead. "Nothing I can't handle, but I need you to trust me. We need to head to New York before the end of the retreat."

“Before the end? Caleb, I want to be here,” she pleaded. “What’s going on?”

“I just…” I hesitated. I couldn't tell her now but I did need her to trust me. “I want to get some things squared away with your business, and the longer we wait —”

“Caleb, please, can it wait?” She hugged me tightly. “I’m not ready to go back. I just want to be here with you in the sunshine. My business can wait. Please.”

I wrapped my arms around her as she buried her head in my chest and looked up at the sky, silently asking for guidance. She wasn't ready to face reality back home yet, and she had mentally prepared herself for Saturday. Anything sooner, she wasn't ready for. I understood without her having to explain.

In that moment, I began to understand the depth of why she needed to be in California, the healing journey she was on, and her hesitance towards me and our attraction after trying to limit us to a one night stand in a moment where she was desperate to feel some pleasure. Hearing about her struggles was one thing, but seeing them, and understanding the layers behind them that she wasn't even aware of, was something else entirely.

Suddenly, I felt like a selfish asshole.

But I also realized that if things hadn't unfolded the way they did, she wouldn't have brought me so deep into her world to fix it. God brought us together because He knew I would help her on this journey. I'd provide her with answers, remove any threats from this chapter of her life, and keep her safe going forward. Things worked out exactly as they should. The universe makes no mistakes.

I am Naomi’s keeper.

“Fine, we’ll stay till Saturday but, why don’t we let the hotel know you won’t be coming back. You stay at my place till we leave,” I suggested.

Naomi looked up at me with wide eyes. “You sure?” she asked, her hands still around me.

“Yeah, you’re barely there. Plus, I don’t need any more run-ins with you and Jasmine,” I chuckled, trying to keep the mood light though I was thinking about the bill Dorien told me she was racking up on her personal credit staying at The Wave.

Naomi pulled back slightly, offering me a small, grateful smile. "Thank you, Caleb. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'll never have to find out," I promised, my voice firm with conviction. "I got you, always."

Once we left the winery, we headed to the hotel to pack Naomi's things and check out. Back at my place, I was preparing dinner while she unpacked her stuff in my bedroom. My phone buzzed with a FaceTime call from Marlon.

“What’s up, man!” I greeted, propping my phone against a bottle of olive oil and returning to the stove.

“What you cooking?” Marlon asked from his restaurant's kitchen.

“Something light, just some salmon and asparagus.”

“Why you cooking your woman that basic-ass meal? I hope she breaks up with your ass,” Marlon joked, but I wasn’t in the mood for jokes tonight.

Anger bubbled up in me. I wished Kayla and Jeffery nothing but misery, hoping they’d suffer slow, painful deaths while I watched, eating popcorn.

“What’s on your mind, Cuz?” Marlon asked, sensing my mood.

“I can’t get into it right now,” I said tersely. “But, I’m good.”

I never discussed my and Dorien’s business with anyone, especially not on an unsecured line like the one I was using.

“Yeah, okay,” Marlon said, realizing he wasn’t going to get anything out of me. “Anyway, I wanted to see if you and your lady wanted to come to Florida. I’m having a little something at the restaurant, and it’d be nice if you came.”

Marlon rarely asked for much. “A little something” meant it was important to him, even if he downplayed it in case it didn’t go as planned. I’d missed almost everything he’d held, including the grand opening, because of my international divorce funk getaway, but he didn’t hold it against me. This, though—whatever it was—I’d be there for Marlon like he’d always been for me.

“Just email me the dates and details, Cuz. We’ll be there,” I said, speaking for myself and Naomi, hoping she’d be up for a Florida vacation once all this smoothed over.

“Word?” he asked, sounding shocked.

“Yeah, fool!” I chuckled, checking on the asparagus in the oven.

“That’s what’s up,” Marlon said, trying to play it cool, fighting a smile. “I’ll get to meet Naomi and, um... I got somebody I want you to meet too.”

As I was about to grill Marlon, another FaceTime came through—it was my mom, which meant my dad would be there too.

“Let me hit you back; the old folks are calling,” I told Marlon.

“Tell em I said hi,” he replied before we hung up and swapped calls.

“Caleb!” my dad called before I could even say a word. “You going to New York?”

“Who told—never mind…” I said, remembering that I’d casually mentioned it to my mom during my morning run that I might accompany Naomi.

“Y’all gonna get married out there? You know I’m ordained, and nobody else—”

“Caleb! Have you seen my phone?” I heard my mom asking my dad in the background.

Why this man never called me from his own phone was a mystery I’d never been able to solve.

“Anyway,” he said, ignoring her and focusing back on me while holding the phone at a weird angle that gave me a perfect view up his nostrils, “Your mother and I have a bet going. I think Naomi is gonna get pregnant on that trip, but your mom says you’ll get married first. I told her you’ve been there, done that, and don’t care for the formalities.”

This man wanted to be a grandfather so bad it was almost comical.

“We just got together. Literally!”

"That's exactly why it might happen, son! You’ve always been the type to dive in headfirst once you know what you want," he said, wagging a finger at me. “I mean, look at this. She’s already your girlfriend and you just met her yesterday”, he exaggerated.

"Yeah, well, I'm not making any promises on timelines," I replied, trying to sidestep the pressure. "Besides, Naomi and I have a lot to figure out first."

"Just don't wait too long, okay? Your mother and I are getting older, you know?", my dad said, his face suddenly sincere.

"Dad, you’re barely in your 60’s," I pointed out, shaking my head.

"Yeah, but we’re not getting any younger!" he said with a laugh. "Anyway, you let Naomi know we’re rooting for you both. Give her our love, alright?"

"Will do," I said, smiling. "But don't go spreading any baby rumors just yet."

"Alright, alright," he chuckled, waving a dismissive hand. "But don’t think we’re letting go of that bet! Son, I have to win.” he said leaning even closer into the phone, “I bet a lot of money. I’ll be out a couple grand cause of you if you let me down."

“That’s between you and your wife”, I told him.

As I plated the salmon and took the asparagus back out the oven, I heard my dad's playful warning through the phone. "Do what I say, or else! You ain't too big to get a whooping, Caleb."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Dad, you've never whooped me a day in your life."

"Well, it's never too late to start," he quipped back, his voice full of humor.

"Get off my phone, Senior," I joked, opening a bottle of our winery’s Riesling.

"Well, you and your future wife enjoy your dinner," he said with a chuckle.

"Thanks, Dad.", I said thinking about how good that sounded.

"And don't forget to put a baby in h—"

I hung up before he could finish his sentence, shaking my head at what I imagined what was coming next. If he called back to accuse me of hanging up on purpose, I'd play it off as an accident as I laughed to myself.

I smiled to myself, thinking about how his enthusiasm for grandchildren never wavered, even after the divorce. He had faith in me, and that was something I could always count on. I was grateful for him and how he showed me what it meant to be a good man, and that’s what I wanted to be for Naomi.

As I set the plates on the table, Naomi walked down the stairs. She had changed into another one of those silky nightgowns that I loved. She looked relaxed, her face framed by her curls and a soft smile playing on her lips.

"All settled in?" I asked, pulling a chair out for her.

"Yeah, I'm all unpacked," she said, slipping into the chair. "This looks amazing, Caleb."

I took my seat across from her, giving her a warm smile. "Glad you think so. I wanted to do something simple tonight."

She picked up her fork and took a bite, savoring the flavor. "Simple is perfect. I appreciate you cooking for me."

"Always," I said sincerely, watching her enjoy the meal. "I’ll always make sure you’re taken care of.”

Naomi reached out and squeezed my hand, her eyes meeting mine. "Thank you."

I watched her continue to savor the first bite of her dinner and take a sip of wine.

"So, what did you do today while I was at the retreat? Were you on-site working on anything new for the historic building?" she asked, excitement lighting up her face as she smiled at me.

I smiled back at her, but my mind was racing. I wanted to tell her everything — I got on a private flight to Santa Barbara to meet a friend who could hack into anything to uncover the truth about Kayla. She’d been planted in your life to further Jeffery’s twisted schemes. Your ex had siphoned money from you, and physically punished you for not bending to his will. The accusations against your products were lies, spread by one of Jeffery’s mistresses in a smear campaign you had no clue about. Jeffery and Kayla were conspiring to steal your company right out from under you.

"I had a few meetings to keep things on track," I finally said out loud, my voice steady before I took a sip of wine. "I’m excited to see the next steps unfold."

She smiled, a soft glow in her eyes telling me that she trusted me completely, and returned to her meal.

I couldn't bring myself to shatter her peace. I couldn’t let her know the depths of their betrayal, not yet. She deserved to continue to rebuild her sense of self, to have more time to heal without worrying about what lay ahead.

I had to shield her from this. There was no way around it. The truth was too devastating.

Leaning forward, I encouraged her, "Tell me about your day."

As she recounted every detail, I listened with unwavering attention, absorbing every word. Her laughter and enthusiasm about the retreat filled the space between us. She was animated, her hands gesturing vividly, her eyes sparkling with excitement. It was moments like these—her joy, her openness—that I cherished deeply. Here she was, sharing her world with me, while unbeknownst to her, I was silently vowing to protect it at all costs.

That night, after I cooked for her and we settled into bed, I gave her a long, soothing massage, easing away any remnants of the day’s stress. We cuddled up and watched "Queen & Slim," her soft, rhythmic breaths telling me she’d fallen asleep before it was even halfway through. I stayed awake, watching her as she slept, soaking in the calmness on her face. But my mind was filled with dark thoughts, replaying the images I had seen earlier. The bruises on her neck and arms, the scar on her back—each mark was a stark reminder of the violence she’d endured, the cruelty she’d suffered.

It hurt to see her this way, knowing she once faced such brutality. I leaned in and kissed the places he had hurt, softly, my lips lingering on each spot as if my kiss could somehow erase the trauma. I kissed her face, neck, and arms, my heart breaking with every touch. I longed to kiss the keloid scar on her back but didn't want to wake her from the rest she so deserved.

Tears threatened to spill as I held her, realizing the depths of the pain she had experienced. The overwhelming love and anger swirling in my chest were almost too much to bear. My resolve hardened with every beat of my heart: handing this evidence over to the authorities wouldn’t be enough. Jeffery and Kayla needed to be destroyed completely for what they did to her. I would make sure they paid for every tear they made her cry.