She trudged back to her car, refusing to face reality. Maybe this was all some sort of a horrible nightmare. As she walked, she didn’t even care about the rain that soaked through her clothes and hair.
The smell of sulfur was even stronger now, making her stop in the middle of the sidewalk. Where was it coming from?
“Hey, Roxie! What are you doing out in the rain?” Warren appeared, holding an umbrella over her head. “You’ll get sick like that.”
Roxie turned, narrowing her eyes at Warren. He was white too. Did he also think she was just some second-class citizen who deserved to be a slave? “Leave me alone!” she said, venom dripping from every word. She pushed the umbrella away, throwing it into a nearby car with more force than she anticipated.
“Whoa… what’s wrong with you?” He grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. “Is everything alright?”
“I said, leave me alone.” Her voice began to shake and her eyes flickered to a bright green for a moment. Luckily, her side-swept bangs prevented Warren from seeing the shift. “You’re just like the rest of them, aren’t you? Black girls are only good for a booty call… you call and holler at me… but at the end of the day, I’ll never be girlfriend material because who wants to marry a black girl?” Her voice shook and she stepped back. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from me.”
Warren grabbed her wrist. “What are you talking about? I would never –”
“Let go!” She screamed, throwing her bag at him as hard as she could. She landed a blow to his ribs, winding him. Taking the opportunity, she ran away, dashing toward her car. Doing so, however, she collided head-on with Leo’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close almost instantly.
“Whoa. Where are you running off to in such a hurry?” He asked in a kind voice, about to caress her cheeks when she shoved him off, her long nails cutting through his shirt, leaving behind deep gashes. Leo was stunned and just stood there, unable to follow her.
Roxie jumped into her car and peeled out of the parking lot. She flew down the road. All she cared about at this point was getting as far away from the bar as possible. Her eyes started to fill with tears. How could this happen? It was the 21st century. How were people still so blatantly racist? She held onto the steering wheel so tight that it felt like it would break under her grip.
“Damnit! Damnit all to hell!” She did double the speed limit on the backroads until she reached a small roundabout. She pulled over to the side and turned off her engine. The rain was coming down harder than ever, pelting her windshield, making it hard to see.
In a whirlwind of emotions, everything caught up with Roxie. Tears started to stream down her cheeks in frustration. “Dammit!” She screamed once more, the realization that she had lost the job that paid her the most finally sinking in. What was she supposed to do now? How was she going to break all of this to her brother? Her heart felt like it was being hollowed out of her chest. She felt empty and alone.
Reaching for her bag, she started looking around for her phone. It probably wasn’t a good idea to be calling her brother right now, but she just needed someone to talk to. It was already midnight. Hopefully, he would still be awake.
Roxie dialed the number, holding her breath as she waited for him to answer.
“Hmm… Roxie?” Her brother sounded distant.
“I’m sorry… I didn’t just wake you up, did I?”
“You kind of did… what’s the matter? Why are you calling me at midnight… I have an engineering exam tomorrow… well… today… in eight hours.”
“Oh… I’m sorry, I had no idea. I just wanted to talk. I miss you.” She tried to keep her voice as steady as possible, but everything that had just happened was threatening to overwhelm her. She didn’t even want to consider what the future would bring her now.
“Did something happen?” Her brother’s voice heightened in pitch, demonstrating his concern.
“No… everything is fine.” Lying to her brother didn’t make her feel any better, but she couldn’t tell him about her job – not when he had an exam to worry about. She would just have to tell him some other time.
“Then why did you call…”
“Look, never mind. It’s no big deal. Go back to sleep.”
“Okay, sis. Night.” He hung up. Roxie left the phone against her ear for a while, before her arm slowly slid down, resting on her lap. The beep, beep, beep of the disconnected call echoed through the car, but she simply couldn’t move her body. She felt so alone. Everything in the world seemed to work against her. Fate itself seemed to hate her. Why couldn’t she be a normal girl who worked a normal job? Tears continued to stream down her face.
Finally, she started up the car once more and drove home. She could barely see through the rain and her tears, but she didn’t care. Maybe if she just died in a car accident, it would be for the best. The thought reminded her of her parents. What were they thinking moments before that awful car crash? Were they thinking about their children and how could they raise them with their minimum wage jobs?
The radio randomly turned on, playing an upbeat techno song. Roxie cringed at the suddenness of it, swiveling her car to the left. In the rain, she couldn’t see the car beside her. Another inch and she would’ve crashed right into it. The other driver honked his horn, rousing Roxie from her daze. The sound seemed to almost electrocute her. For the rest of the ride, she drove with her face as close to the windshield as possible, determined to make it back alive. Her brother depended on her and one way or another, she had to make sure he got the college education he deserved.
***
For the next couple of days, Roxie spent all of her free time looking for a replacement job. During her morning job, she could feel herself slipping. Fatigue and exhaustion were slowly getting to her and it was becoming harder and harder to keep up with the hustle and bustle of a breakfast diner. She tried her hardest to keep working hard, but every day it was becoming more and more difficult. Her boss started to notice. If Roxie lost this job as well, it would be the end. There would no longer be any means of survival.
She sighed, looking through the newspaper classifieds. So far, she met none of the qualifications required. Even so, she applied to a few of them. Like babysitting. Anyone could take care of a child. You didn’t need a fancy certification for that. Hell, Roxie had practically raised Dustin herself. She had more than enough experience under her belt. The problem was, she didn’t know how long these jobs would take to get back to her.
Her eyes started to bug out from looking at the small print for so long. Taking another sip of her now cold coffee, she got up and started to stretch her limbs. She poured the rest of it down the drain and started to brew a new pot.
On the counter, was her mail. She had picked it up right after work that morning. Fearing she would encounter even more bills, she was reluctant to go through it. But the envelopes almost seemed to be calling her name – especially the two unmarked ones.
She picked them up first and opened the one that was white in color. Carefully, she slid her finger under the seal and tore it open. Inside, she was surprised to find a lump sum of money. She held it up to the light, just to make sure it was real. And indeed, it was.
Pulling all of it out, she started to count it up. $1,000. Who would send this to her? She checked the envelope, just to make sure there was no name. There wasn’t. “Huh…” She counted it one more time, thinking that this was all some kind of strange dream.
Feeling giddy, she opened the second envelope. Inside it was a letter of hard cardstock, folded into three parts. As Roxie opened it up, a $100 bill fluttered to the ground, landing on the kitchen floor. She quickly picked it up, placing it on the counter, separate from the $1,000. Taped to the letter was also a thin bracelet.
It was quite beautiful, in a simple way. The cord was black and looked handwoven. Dangling in the middle was a small wooden charm in the form of a dream catcher, which also seemed to be hand-crafted. Roxi
e slipped it on her wrist and tied it off. The blue painting on the charm looked good against the color of her skin. She smiled, shaking her wrist so it fell into its proper place.
She picked up the letter, feeling a warmth spreading throughout her body. The letter was written in a flowing script that reminded her of old-time manuscripts.
Roxie,
I don’t know what happened to you the other night, but I’m starting to get worried. When I didn’t see you at the bar for a couple of days, I started to ask around. The owner said you were no longer working there. I dropped by a few times and knocked on your door, but there was no answer. Is everything okay? I understand that you’re probably working another job, but please, I just want to make sure you’re okay. When you snapped at me the other day… I felt like I did something wrong and I wanted to apologize for whatever that may be. Please. Let me know how you’re doing.
I realize that losing a job is difficult, so please, use this money to buy yourself some food or gas for your car. I’m not trying to pity you, I just want to help. Also, I’m sorry I couldn’t give you more, but $100 was all I could forfeit at this time. I hope it helps. Please keep in touch.
The bracelet used to belong to my family. It’s supposed to bring good luck to the one that wears it. I think you need it more than I do, so I hope it brings you luck.
With love,
Warren.
Roxie reread the letter. She couldn’t believe he had gone out of his way just to help her, even after she lashed out at him the other day. Guilt started to wrap around her heart. “I should’ve told him what happened… He would’ve listened to me…”
Glancing at the counter, she noticed the sum of money. But if Warren had sent her the $100, who had sent her the $1000? She immediately thought of Leo. It could only be him. But why didn’t he leave a note or something? She scooped the bills up and put them in her wallet, determined to give it back to the two men the next time she saw them. While she appreciated what they were trying to do, she was determined to figure this out on her own – she didn’t need their charity.
Roxie started to go through the rest of her mail. Most of it was junk. Finally, the last envelope in the pile was the electric bill. Her heart started to pound as she opened it up. $258.99 was circled in bright red ink at the bottom of the page. Across the bill, the words Past Due screamed at her. “I know… I know…” She mumbled. It was a miracle they hadn’t cut her power yet. She read through the threats at the bottom of the page.
If we don’t receive payment for the aforementioned amount within the next thirty days, Landline Electric has the authority to turn your bill over to a collection agency.
Roxie laughed. A while ago, she had canceled her phone service. No phone, no pesky agency calls. Until they got a hold of their mobile number… that is.
Suddenly, Roxie heard the sound of a car pulling up outside. She tilted her head and looked at the microwave, checking the time. 3:45 PM. Strange, she wasn’t expecting anyone.
Roxie walked toward the door, but as she reached for the handle, she heard people whispering right outside.
“What are you doing here?”
“No, what are you doing here?”
“I was here first.”
“No, you weren’t.”
“Yes, I was. I rang the doorbell.”
“No, you didn’t.”
Their childish back-and-forth manner made her chuckle as she opened the door. “Can I help you, boys?” She leaned against the doorframe and smiled at them. “Or are you just going to bicker all day without actually ringing the doorbell?”
“Told you,” Warren whispered under his breath, triumphantly.
Even though Roxie had been in a bitter mood ever since losing her job, seeing these two men made her feel better. It actually made her smile.
“Anyway, I just dropped by to see how you were doing.” Leo pushed his way inside the apartment without being invited. Roxie rolled her eyes and moved over, ushering Warren inside.
“You better come in too, since your friend here thinks it’s appropriate to barge in.”
“He’s not my friend.” Warren nearly growled, snarling in Leo’s direction.
Roxie shrugged. “You two are always together. Let’s just make my life easier and say you’re friends.”
“No.”
“Okay, okay, don’t bite my head off.” Roxie laughed. “Do you boys want anything? I just brewed a pot of coffee, but unfortunately, I’m all out of milk.”
“Sure, I’ll take one.” Leo smiled at her, flashing his pearly whites. Do you have sugar?”
Roxie nodded. “Cane sugar, if that’s okay.”
“Perfect. Just a teaspoon will be fine.” She nodded once more and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving the two men alone.
Warren sat down. “What the hell is your problem?”
“What do you mean, what’s my problem?”
“What are you doing here?”
“You already asked me that question.” Leo played with the spring that was poking out of the couch. “I came here to make sure that she’s alright. As you may or may not know, she was fired from her job at the bar. I’m sure it’s been hard on her.”
“I know. Apparently, some asshole really offended her and caused her to freak out.”
“Where’d you hear that?” Leo questioned, raising an eyebrow in Warren’s direction. “All the owner told me was that he had fired her for attacking a customer. I always knew she was a feisty one. Can you imagine her in bed?”
“This is no time for that. She’s obviously in a pinch, but I bet you didn’t think of that, did you?”
“Of course I did. I sent her $1000 in the mail.”
Warren suddenly fell silent, feeling inadequate with his smaller contribution. He looked away, saved from the awkward moment by Roxie walking in with two cups of coffee in her hand. “You didn’t want anything, did you, Warren?”
“No, thank you.” He answered, still looking away.
“So, what have you been up to?” Leo took a sip of his coffee, looking at Roxie.
“Just been looking for a replacement job, but it’s been difficult with everything that’s been happening.”
“I think you strain yourself too much. You should just relax for once. Nothing bad is going to happen if you take it easy for a day or two.” He rested his hand on her thigh and got closer. “You really need to unwind.” It was obvious that Leo was flirting with her. The hair on the back of Warren’s neck stood on edge with jealousy.
“Keep your hands off of her.”
“Don’t even start, you two.” Roxie butted in. “I don’t want to hear you two bickering over me.” She looked at them both. “I’ve come to the realization that…” Biting the inside of her lip, she wondered how exactly to put her feelings into words. “That I like both of you.”
The two men looked completely shocked. “What do you mean?” Warren was the first one to break the silence. “How can you like both of us...?”
“I just do, okay? I can’t explain it… but when you two showed up at my door, everything that bothered me was suddenly gone. It was as if my life was okay again. I don’t know what it is about you two, but I don’t think that I’d be happy if I had just one of you.”
“So what are you suggesting?” Leo sat up, moving closer to her.
“Maybe… the three of us…”
“You want two of us… at the same time?” Warren was utterly shocked. He had never expected this.
“I supposed that’s one way for both of us to get what we want.” Leo didn’t waste a moment to lean over and pull her toward his face, kissing her deeply. The kiss intensified before Warren pulled her in his direction. Warren’s lips were much softer and sweeter than Leo’s, but not quite as passionate. Roxie felt herself melting into it, whereas with Leo, all she wanted was to push him onto the couch and have him right then and there.
Leo didn’t look, but the moment they pulled away, he grabbed Roxie in his arms, slinging her legs
around his hips. “Where’s the bedroom?”
“Someone’s eager.” Roxie giggled. “I didn’t expect all of this to happen right this instant.”
“Do you want us to stop?” Warren asked.
“Heavens, no.” She grinned, her eyes blazing. Her world might be falling apart all around her, but if she was going to crash and burn, then she might as well be doing it while having the time of her life. “The bedroom is down the hall, to the left.”
Leo headed in that direction, grabbing her ass in his hands. “Mmm… you don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to do this.” Leo kissed her neck. He would have preferred to have her all to himself, but if the only way he could enjoy her sweet flesh was by sharing her, then so be it.
Chapter Seven
The moment Leo reached her bedroom, he playfully tossed her onto the bed. He started to undress, eager to mount her. Roxie smirked at the two boys. In this moment, as lust filled every inch of her body, she no longer remembered all the hardships she was going through. With a smile on her face, she slowly started pulling her shirt down up over her head, exposing her large breasts. “Come and get it, boys.”
Warren stood there, completely entranced by her body, feeling like every drop of blood he had in his head had rushed down and settled between his legs. Before he could stop himself, he was jumping on the bed, pinning her down. He kissed her neck, his legs on either side of her. Never before had he felt this possessive over a woman. He wanted every inch of her.
Roxie pushed herself up, kissing him for the first time. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him even closer until their lips felt like they would meld together. Feeling feisty, she flipped them over, getting on top. Her large chest was right above his face. Warren was quick to push her bra out of the way, taking one of her nipples into his mouth and sucking on it hungrily. His whole body felt like it was surging with energy. His cock struggled against the fabric of his pants.
Claimed by Two Navy Shifters Page 5