“You look good, Ray. Damn good,” Pierre said, appearing slowly from the shadows.
I slowly turned on the toe of my gold Vera Wang platforms. I knew I looked good, more than good in my deep red A-line Armani dress. Pregnancy had done wonders to my figure. Gone were the subtle B cups and in their place were enticing Cs. My small hips had spread and my ass was rounder. My stomach had a slight swell and my skin glowed with good health. My jet black hair nearly reached my waist, begging to have my man’s hands dive deep into the waves. Yeah, I looked good and his appreciative gaze boosted my confidence.
“Thank you, you don’t look too bad yourself,” I said huskily.
Damn, he looked tempting. It was as if he dressed to match me. A charcoal grey double breasted wool suit by the same designer delineated his impressive physique. His red dress shirt was tieless and opened around the collar.
We even wore the same gold accessories. He wore the gold and diamond cufflinks that I gave him and I wore the gold and ruby charm bracelet that he gave me. The only thing that would have increased his sex appeal was me on his arm.
Clearing his throat, he placed his large hands in his pockets. “Thank you.”
I chuckled softly. “Look at us, acting like polite strangers.”
“I see you and Dean are back together.”
There’s that elephant, I wondered where it went, I thought to myself. “We are not back together, Pierre,” I said with a roll of my eyes.
His eyes darkened and his face contorted in a grimace. “That’s not the way it looked to me, his hands were all over you.”
“The same way your hands were all over that bitch,” I spat.
“Ray…”
“Tell me something, Pierre,” I said, cutting him off. “When you are with that knock off version of me do you think of me? Do you pretend it’s me you’re kissing, holding, and fucking?”
“Ray…” his voice held a trace of warning.
“Tell me you don’t miss me, Pierre.”
“Raven,” he said firmly with a shake of his head.
“I thought you didn’t lie, Pierre. Or maybe I should call you Piccolo. He’s the liar, right?”
That got the reaction I wanted. Swiftly closing the distance between us, he finally put his hands on my heated body. Suddenly he was everywhere. He was in my hair, on my neck, beneath the hem of my dress, and underneath the bodice. It was madness and I knew I should stop before we got caught but that thought just excited me all the more.
He licked and suckled the sweet spot beneath my ear. “I want to tell you something, Sweetness. Are you listening?”
I could only mewl in response. My overheated brain was focused on trying to wrap my legs around his waist. My horny body knew this man and wanted him and only him. It had been too damn long.
Pulling my hair back, he forced me to meet his eyes. “I love you, Ray. I haven’t touched anyone since I left. You’ve ruined me for any other woman. So, I have a proposition for you.”
My heart thundered in my chest.
He lowered his head to my moist lips, his forehead touching mine and his lips a breath away. “Walk out of here with me right now. Fuck that girl I’m with and fuck your husband. Leave with me right now, Ray. I’ll take care of you, protect you.” Raising my head up, I tried to kiss him but he was too smart to fall for my tricks of evasion. “Answer me, Raven.”
Cupping his beautiful face in my hands, I broke both of our hearts again. “I can’t.”
His arms fell to his sides. I could feel the ice enter his veins and see the light behind his eyes vanish, leaving darkness in its place. “Twice I offered you my love and twice you rejected it for Dean. A man can only take so much. Don’t expect a third time.”
Turning, he left the darkened hallway, my heart calling after him.
Chapter 41
BLUE
It always surprised me how people in the suburbs believed that they were impervious to crime especially since some of their neighbors dabbled in unsavory career paths. Shrouded in total darkness, I climbed through an open window on the bottom floor of the two-story home. Old man winter had finally left Illinois and we were enjoying an unseasonably warm March.
Dressed in black from head to toe, I blended easily into the shadowed surroundings. Staying low to the ground, I checked every room on the first floor for my target to no avail. I climbed up the stairs with the grace of a large cat, knowing that I would find him there. I had it on good information that this was the house he laid his head at peacefully.
The glow from a lamp was visible through the space under the closed door at the end of the hall. Slowly, I opened the door and was hit with the revolting stench of liquor, weed, and vomit. Breathing through my mouth, I stood over the bed and the sleeping man in it. My fingers itched to put a bullet through him for the pain he had caused my sister, but first I needed answers.
I reached into my waist, pulled out the gun, and shot a round into the wooden headboard. He jumped from the bed, a wild look in his eyes. Anger propelled me and I landed a punch to his face, hearing the crack of teeth as my fist connected. Both of us were about the same in height, weight, and experience but I was sober and furious and he was drunk and clumsy.
He staggered towards me and threw an inept right hook that only hit the air. I landed two quick blows to his left and right sides and one to his left eye before I decided that I had enough of beating his ass. Grabbing him by his neck, I pushed him up against the wall, shaking the paintings from it in the process. I removed my ski mask and watched as recognition then fear hit him.
“Blue?”
“Surprise, motherfucker.”
Clawing at my arm that was crushing his windpipe, he gasped, “I can explain.” I relaxed my grip and waited. “I didn’t mean for this to happen, Blue, I swear. Shit just got out of control…”
I had heard enough. I tightened my hold on him and enjoyed the way he struggled against me. “I told you to protect her, not sleep with her!”
“I’m sorry.” Tears of regret flowed unchecked down his face and the stench of liquor on his breath made me woozy.
The torment in his eyes and voice pulled at my heartstrings and defused my anger. I released him and watched him sag to the floor gasping as I sat on the edge of the unmade bed.
“I know, Piccolo. But, I told you this would happen. I told you to watch her from afar. I knew you’d fall for her ass.”
His shoulders slumped and he ran his hands through his uncut hair. “Yeah, well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. Ray’s back with Dean.” Laughter bubbled up from my throat before I could stop it. Anger crossed Piccolo’s face. “What’s so funny?”
“Man, Ray isn’t back with Dean,” I said with a shake of my head.
“I know that’s your sister, but I’ve seen her with him. She’s been going to one event and another with him, playing the role of devoted wife.” A combination of grief and bitterness laced his voice.
“She did it for you,” I calmly stated.
“Blue…”
“She traded her life for yours,” I interrupted. I watched the emotions cross his unshaven face before I told him everything that Cedric and Ty told me. “To make a long story short, the day after your accident, Dean slapped Ray around and made her a deal…”
“I’ll kill him.”
“Either she did a job for him or he would kill you...”
“Shit!”
“From what I understand, there is no job.”
“So, this fool is bluffing? I’ll beat his ass just for worrying her.”
“Naw, he’s not bluffing. Ray’s going to meet a contact but instead of it being the Colombians it’s the DEA. He’s setting her up. I guess if he can’t have her then no one will.”
I had never seen a man look more terrified as the weight of my words settled on his shoulders. I didn’t want to get Piccolo involved in this, I wanted him and Ray to settle t
heir issues themselves, but I needed his help. Raven, out of love, had made a costly mistake—a mistake that a lot of women made. She had put everything in her name—houses, cars, bank accounts, bills, everything—making it very easy to link all illicit dealings back to her. At the very least, she’d be charged as an accomplice.
Returning my attention back to Piccolo, I sighed deeply and stood. Reaching out, I grasped his hand tightly and pulled him up.
“I can’t let anything happen to her, Blue. She and the baby are my life,” he whispered softly.
Baby? I thought to myself. First Robin and now Ray was pregnant. What was it about my sisters that had all of them getting into the same crazy situations at the same damn time? A shiver passed through me. Next thing I knew Sparrow would be walking around pregnant and causing hell. Keeping the shock out of my voice and off my face, I placed my hands on his shoulders.
“I know man, that’s why we’re going to help her.”
Piccolo turned and left the room to gather his emotions. He was a good man and would make my sister happy, but first we had to deal with Satan himself. What does one do when he has to fight the devil? He brings an army of avenging angels.
Taking my cell out of my pocket, I made the call. “Yeah, it’s me. It’s time to put things in motion.”
Chapter 42
ROBIN
Men had this irksome quirk that made them underestimate women. Princeton had definitely underestimated me. If he thought that I was bad before then, what I was getting ready to do would send me straight to hell. I didn’t really care. I was already walking through the fiery flames on Earth. I had lost my child and my will to live, going through life without a purpose or a destination. It wasn’t until I was released from the hospital that I got my fire back.
I had been sitting in my living room, ignoring my mother’s constant phone calls, when a picture on the television caught my attention. There, in high definition, was Princeton, Anita, and their children, smiling and looking like the epitome of a successful black family in America. The caption at the bottom of the screen read, “Local attorney to run for mayor of Buffalo Grove.”
I jackhammered off the couch in a rage. This man had killed my baby and now was trying to run for office. I wasn’t having it.
Everyone in Illinois knew that once you got in at the city level it was just matter of time before you were a heavy hitter. In a state where political corruption was as common as riding the Metra, no one would blink an eye at the fact you had extramarital liaisons.
Reaching for my laptop, my fingers flew across the keys as a plan formulated in my head. I had to move quickly. Now that he was a political candidate, getting close to him would be nearly impossible. Luckily, my father had friends in high places.
A resentful smile crossed my face as I thought of the perfect addition to my plan, video surveillance. What started out as another attempt from Blue to help protect us was now the lynchpin in my plan to take down Princeton Tillers. Gathering the dime sized cameras from the foyer, living room, kitchen, and bedrooms, I backed up the footage along with text transcripts, call logs, emails, and medical records on my flash drive.
I entered the master bath and showered for the first time in days, scrubbing the musty scent off my delicate skin and replacing it with the fragrance of vanilla and jasmine. I stepped out of the shower and oiled my skin in the steam filled room. I quickly styled my hair and applied light makeup before turning my attention to my attire.
I wanted to look successful, but not too wealthy. Sexy, but not trashy. Put together, but emotionally scarred. I settled on a slate grey Calvin Klein above the knee dress and matching jacket with a pair of black three inch sling-back heels. I jumped in my BMW and headed to the Will County courthouse where my attorney was waiting for me.
Three hours later, we were seated in the assistant district attorney’s office as he looked over the evidence that I had brought him. I knew that I had cinched the case against Princeton when the tapes showed how he had laid hands on me while pregnant not once, but twice. The threatening texts, emails, and voicemails were the icing on the cake. But the real cherry, was the medical records.
Since I had been pregnant, I had a battery of tests done including STI and STD tests that all came back negative. As soon as I had sex with Princeton that last time, I contracted the STD that had ended my child’s life. Wasn’t that a coincidence?
“Ms. Bird, first let me express my condolences for your loss. I can’t imagine what you must be going through.”
“Thank you.”
“Second, I think we can make a case here. We can have domestic charges brought up on him by the end of today.”
Leaning close to me, my attorney, Laura Jones, told me she would be taking care of the discussion from here on out. “That’s a start,” she stated coolly.
Confusion caused the ADA’s brow to bunch. “A start?”
“Well, I figured that was a start considering Mr. Tillers committed both murder and attempted murder.”
“Now, hold on just a second. I understand and sympathize with Ms. Bird, but to destroy a man’s life and career because he gave you a STD, which he may not have known about, is ridiculous.”
“Are you telling me that Mr. Tiller’s political aspirations are more important than the life he took? Or are you telling me you are not familiar with case precedent?”
“Look here…”
“No, you look,” Laura spat. “Cases have been tried and won when a party knowingly gives another party a deadly STD. Mr. Tillers knew that he had syphilis,” she pulled a file and handed to the ADA, pointing to the highlighted portions. “As you can see here, he went to the doctor two days before he had unprotected sex with my client.”
Where in the world had she gotten Princeton’s medical records? That was why I paid her the big bucks!
“True…But syphilis is not a deadly disease, some antibiotics can cure it.”
I shook my head. This man had absolutely no clue about sex and the risks. I kept quiet and let Laura do what I paid her handsomely to.
“Syphilis is deadly when it goes untreated for some length in time. In this case, it killed the unborn child that Mr. Tillers and Ms. Bird conceived together, a child he had repeatedly begged her to have aborted. This was intentional. He didn’t want a baby. It would ruin his career and destroy his family. Yes, my client went about handling the situation the wrong way. She should have stayed away from his family but no one deserves to have their child killed because a man can’t keep it in his pants.”
Scrubbing a hand down his face, he admitted defeat. “I’ll have the charges drawn up. I’ll contact his people and see if he can turn himself in by the end of the week. Please, keep this under wraps until then. I don’t need a media frenzy.”
Agreeing, we left the office. The warm March sun heated my face as I hugged Laura goodbye. I hummed as I hopped into my car and headed towards the expressway, knowing that I was about to make some young reporter’s career.
Chapter 43
SPARROW
Two weeks had passed since I broke down and called Blue. He told me that he would fix it, but I didn’t know what that meant. I mean, Blue wasn’t a street smart type of guy. He dealt with books, not crazy people. Naw, I’d have to fix this myself.
I called Sherry and made plans to meet in a neutral, public place. I wanted many witnesses around in case she decided to lose more of her mind. Taking a page from Blue’s book, I dressed for war. Gone were the form fitting skirts, silk blouses, and killer stilettoes. In their place were black jeans, a black Armani hoodie, and black Jordans. I tied my hair in an intricate knot on top of my head. My face was free of makeup and no jewelry adorned my body. I was amped for a fight. Like I said, I may have been from the suburbs but I would stomp a bitch if she got out of line.
I locked up my house and got in my car, driving through the streets to Aurora. The suburban ghetto was ov
erly populated and I knew that if something were to happen someone would see something. I parked and waited.
I saw Sherry before she saw me. She was the female version of Taylor with smooth chocolate skin, hazel eyes, and long dreads. She was about my height and had my build. Biting her lower lip, she seemed unsure if I would show up to the local park to meet her. Taking a deep fortifying breath, I stepped out the car. The door slammed and she turned towards me. Our eyes met and locked. Emotions emitted from both of us and created a volatile tether that brought our bodies closer to each other.
I leaned against the hood of my car and she stood in front of me. Silence filled the tense moment as we sized each other up. Out the corner of my eye, I saw Blue’s friend, Ty, take a seat on a picnic table. Thank God for Blue, I thought to myself and felt my body relax a bit.
Apparently tired of looking at me, Sherry placed her hands on her ample hips. “What do you want, Sparrow?”
Keeping a cool façade, I answered, “I want to see if we can come to some sort of agreement.”
“Ha, you’re funny.”
“I feel really bad about Taylor, Sherry. I didn’t know. If I had maybe things could have been different but they’re not. All I’m asking is that we find some sort of common ground, so we both can move on with our lives.”
She got all in my personal space, her finger poking me in the chest. “Do you really think I’m going to let you live happily ever after with that chump you’re engaged to? My brother loved you and you threw it back in his face. He died because of you. A simple apology isn’t going to cut it.”
I tried to keep my breathing even and my face neutral even though her closeness was unnerving. “What do you want, Sherry?” I asked, throwing her question back at her.
She paused and looked off into the sky. The sun was setting, casting pink and orange streaks against the pale blue sky. The scent of barbeque wafted into my nostrils, making my mouth water in hunger. I vaguely heard children laughing and playing, rap music blasting from speakers, and the wail of police sirens.
To Love a No Good Nigga Page 14