Finesse

by Vera Roberts

  The butterflies disappeared as my stomach tied up in knots. “Yes?”

  “I’m Detective Lewis and this is my partner, Detective Williamson.” He introduced himself. “We’ll be escorting you back to your home tonight.”

  Cameron wasn’t playing when he said he had the cops on his payroll. “Very well.” I got into my car and drove home. When I entered the home, the officers remained outside in their car. I didn’t ask if they were going to be there all night. I didn’t want to know.

  The next morning, I woke up to find the officers gone and a different car was in their place. I put on a robe and hurried outside to see who was in it. The car had no people in it, but it wasn’t empty. I also recognize the car.

  It was the car Cameron had gifted me for graduation. All of the bags were in the backseat still. I recognize some fancy designers including several Birkin bags. On the windshield was an envelope with my name on it.

  I opened the envelope and felt my heart explode all over again.

  I promised I would take care of you and I’m keeping that promise. I also don’t accept return gifts. – C.

  I bite my lip and try not to smile. Cameron wants me to be the Bonnie to his Clyde and I’m not sure if that’s a risk worth taking. Someone will get hurt and I know Cameron has everything in place to ensure that I won’t.

  Cameron is playing a dangerous game. It’s only a matter of time before a bullet with his name on it finally meets him.

  Bonus Scene

  Cameron

  I really don’t like nightclubs. It’s not that I think I’m too good for them, but they’re mostly for the young, college crowd. Once a person gets to a certain age, they realized they wasted a lot of money on a cover charge, more money on watered-down liquor, and even more money at the Waffle House trying to get sober.

  No thank you.

  A man like me needs to fall back and be in the cut. If I bring too much attention to myself, I’ll have the Feds all over me and my father. It’s bad enough the Twitter finger crowd watches everything we do; the last thing we need is Uncle Sam to pay attention.

  It’s not that I’m not a ‘stop and smell the roses’ type of guy; my passport has seen plenty of action and I enjoy every minute of it. I would rather build my empire than to post fake selfies for an equally fake crowd on IG.

  I’m here on business, not pleasure, tonight. I need to find someone and make contact with her. I’m not a player by any means, but I’m never alone. I tell a woman up front I don’t have time for her bullshit and games if that’s what she wants.

  I’m not going to text all the time, randomly call her, and do surprise trips. That’s just not me. If she wants her back blown out, I’ll do that. But if she wants me to meet the parents, that’s a hard pass.

  I’ll throw her a few dollars – let her get the Gucci, the Fendi, and all the other unpronounceable shit she wants – and then I leave her alone. I don’t have time to focus on a female and my empire right now. Those two will not get along and money always wins.

  “There she go,” My boy, Que, points her out to me. I’ve known him since elementary and we’ve been tight ever since. We’re yin and yang and everyone knows where ever one of us is, the other is not that far behind. “She’s up there with her friend.”

  I look over at the pretty young thing at the bar. She’s a nice thick girl with medium brown complexion. Her hair is long and bouncy and I know better to assume if it’s a weave, wig, or all-natural. The last time I made that assumption, Tesh made sure she slapped me to the middle of the following week.

  The girl – I should say young woman – is hot. She’s stunning and I feel the wind knocked out of me. Full lips, cute face, and nice, toned legs. She’s also super young and that is automatically a no-no in my book. I have a rule – don’t get too attached to any woman and don’t date anyone that’s way younger.

  This one, however, is different. I need to get to know the girl so I can protect her and her family. She may not know about the goldmine her father is sitting on and I’m not entirely sure he does, neither.

  Several people do and they are the ones that will target them both if I don’t put a stop to it. “What’s her name again?”

  “Taylor and I’m assuming the fine-ass girl next to her is Hayley.” Que chews a toothpick as he nods. He has plenty of women all over the city and they all know about each other. No one is messing up a bag because their feelings got hurt. “Those are our girls.”

  I nod, take a sip of this Henny, and contemplate how I should move. I need to get close to the girl to protect her and somehow not fall in love with her at the same time. It also means I will need to play the role of boyfriend without actually being her boyfriend.

  I already don’t like this shit.

  I don’t like manipulating someone’s emotions so I can somehow gain from it. And this girl, Taylor, doesn’t deserve any of that. I’ve been in the streets long enough to know what innocence looks like and she’s definitely it. She may not be naïve, but I’m pretty sure the number of dead bodies she’s seen is probably less than two.

  I’m not doing this to be some White Savior hero to the girl or her daddy; I really couldn’t care that much about both. I’m only doing this so that damn bitch, Jacqueline, knows her place. I know she’s been itching to get a hold of the property Fresh Espresso has been sitting on for a long minute.

  Jacqueline needs to understand – I run this town. Nothing gets purchased or sold without me being involved in some fashion. If she wants that property, she’ll have to pry it off my cold dead hands and we both know it’ll be long fucking time before that happens.

  “Tell Mitch to buy them a round.” I mentioned to Que. “And have our new guests come over here.”

  “Got it.” Que signals to Mitch about the drinks. Moments later, the girls turn around and we make contact.

  Fuck.

  Taylor is more gorgeous than I thought. My cock is already stirring and I need to adjust so I don’t make a scene. Her girlfriend didn’t hesitate to come over and join us, but Taylor is naturally reluctant. She doesn’t know us and I can tell she only hangs out with people she knows and is comfortable with.

  On second thought, this mission might be perfect.

  She won’t get involved with anything I do and she’ll stay as far away from everything. I already know this just by her hesitation to come over and seeing how her friend made no problems getting to know Que.

  Hayley will be the down-ass chick I won’t have to worry about. Taylor, however, I’m going to need to protect as much as possible.

  Taylor finally makes her way over to us and sits beside me. Baby girl smells like vanilla, shea butter, and lemongrass. She’s Erykah Badu with a touch of K. Michelle. I need to play my part right and not scare her off.

  Taylor and I make light conversation before we all head out for a late-night snack. I offer to take Taylor home while Que and Hayley kick it a bit longer. As she sits in my ride, I can’t help but to think how perfect she looks in the passenger seat. A queen. The innocence of it all and I want it to keep it that way.

  I know Jacqueline won’t wait and she’s already getting itchy. As long as I move in and cut her off at the knees beforehand, it’ll stave her off until I can do what I need to do. Truth is, I don’t want the property or land, but I’ll be damned if that bitch is going to own anything in East Atlanta without my knowledge.

  I’m willing to protect Taylor at all costs, even if it means I have to kill someone to do it.