The Ramseys Boxed Set

by Altonya Washington

  “And the Samuels?”

  “Bunch of hood rats,” County blurted in reference to her father’s family. “Shit,” she cursed her loss of control and then smiled. “My mom had two sisters- very normal, very wonderful and with wonderfully boring lives led with two of the best uncles a girl could have. They all live in Virginia.” She squinted out over the unending expanse of the sparse and lovely desert.

  “Nice lives,” she sighed and drew up her legs to rest her chin on jean clad knees. “Only dark clouds were that neither could have kids. My mom was the lucky one there and dammit all if she didn’t have to land the sorriest sperm donor in the world.”

  “Ouch,” Fernando whispered when she looked back at him.

  County looked back toward the view. “I didn’t know he was sorry- like all little girls, I loved my dad and he treated me like- like a princess.” She blinked suddenly feeling unexpected tears pressuring her eyes. “Yeah, daddy treated me like a princess but his family…”

  “The hood rats,” Fernando teasingly supplied.

  “Sorry bunch of bastards,” She shook her head. “Do you know they’ve never had a reunion? No kind of get together as a family. Reason? Because this person wouldn’t come if that person was gonna be there.”

  “It’s not exclusive baby,” Fernando’s laughter echoed. “Same crap happens in my family all the time.”

  “Yeah, but you’ve never had to live with slutty, skanks-ville cousins.” County pulled the sunglasses from her head and toyed with them. “When my dad…walked out, my mom was stranded in Chicago. She was stranded and proud. Wouldn’t even call her sisters but that was okay ‘cause we lived off the good graces of the Samuels. I tried to tell her that was a bad move but she wasn’t hearin’ it.” She muttered a curse and threw a pebble over the side of the boulder.

  “Those bitches…my dad’s sisters with their roach infested houses and trick ass daughters-men traipsin’ in and out all day and fuckin’ night and they had the nerve to make me and Mama feel lower than dirt. And didn’t bother to talk behind Mama’s back either, told my mom straight out that it was her fault Daddy left…”

  Fernando ignored his temper rising over what she’d been forced to live through. He pulled County back to lie against him, keeping his arms tight about her.

  “I’d have lived on the street rather than stay there; I hate ‘em- all of ‘em.” She bristled. “Everything I’ve accomplished- all I have…it’s been about me gaining distance- physical, emotional, you name it. I swore no one would ever make me or my mom feel like less. Ever again.” She didn’t bother to blink back tears then. “Seeing those two bitches the other morning took me right back to those days.” She shook her head against his chest. “I don’t want to know that life anymore, Ramsey.”

  She broke then. Hard. Fernando didn’t try to shush or soothe knowing she’d be all the better for it when she was spent.

  “I didn’t miss it.” County sighed when she next opened her eyes to find that the sun hadn’t set. She tuned in to the feel of lips caressing her temple. Then she noticed her clothes were missing.

  “Ramsey?” She queried, finding him as nude as she was inside the sleeping bag they shared.

  The smile sent his eyes to crinkling. “Come on now, you know I couldn’t let all this beauty go to waste.”

  “The sunset?”

  “That’s beautiful too.”

  “I love you Fernando.”

  “And I love you.” He spoke into her mouth as he kissed her.

  As everything between them tended to turn hot and lusty in the span of a second, this kiss was different. It was a kiss of emotion and promise which sparked a unique heat all its own. Fernando made love to her with his mouth first, allowing it to be the only part of his body to touch her.

  Hands braced on the thickness of the gray and black bag, his lips traced the line of her neck, and his tongue darted out to take a dip in the hollow at the base of her throat before traveling her collarbone. He squeezed his eyes shut, urging himself to go slow when she arched up and murmured his name.

  While Fernando only allowed his mouth permission to touch, Contessa wasn’t so stingy. Her hands were everywhere traveling the awesome expanse of his chest which glistened a deep shade of caramel against the vibrant blaze of the setting sun. She bit her lip at the intimidating width of his powerful arms; muscles bulging with his hands fisted on either side of her and struggling not to touch.

  “Please,” she was shameless when her fingers grazed the orgasm-inducing length of his erection. He resisted when she tried to draw him down.

  Instead, his mouth continued its journey and he added his nose to the trip outlining the seductive curve of her bosom. His tongue mimicked the outlining by paying special attention to her nipples. He manipulated one between his teeth then suckled harshly until the tip was rock solid and glistened wet amidst rays of the sun.

  County bit her lip but couldn’t silence the trembling cry that escaped into the atmosphere and reverberated around them. Fernando’s head disappeared along with the rest of him. He finally added his hands to the mix when she arched against his mouth as he tongued her navel. Big hands steadied her hips and allowed him to have his way.

  Being tickled and aroused at the same time, the sounds County uttered then were a mix of humor and yearning. She raked her fingers through the silky brown curls covering Fernando’s bowed head. His nose nudged the folds of her center and he gave her hips a warning squeeze when she tried to move.

  Contessa’s hands slid from his hair to cover his hands where they gripped her hips. She tried to pull them away and succeeded only to have him move to grip her thighs. She uttered a trembling moan when his tongue was inside her. What she wanted was him inside her.

  “Ramsey please, you don’t have to-”

  “You trying to tell me how to do this?” He growled in the midst of feasting on her body.

  “Mmm…” she shook incessantly. “No, no I’m not but-”

  “Then shut up,” his thumbs massaged her clit while he drove his tongue deeper.

  He proceeded to stroke her out of her mind. Contessa didn’t care how grandly she fed his ego then; he’d pushed her too far to give a damn. She cried out into the shaded desert confessing to the rocks, dirt, brush and wildlife how incredible he was.

  She took what he gave until he finished and rose above to grant her the privileged of suckling her essence from his tongue. The eagerness of her kiss broke down whatever resistance he had left and gave County the chance to turn the tables. She pushed him to his back and tortured him just as he’d done to her. She suckled his nipples, capturing his wrists and trapping them above his head when he tried to resist. When he begged her to stop, she grinned.

  “Trying to tell me how to do this, Ramsey?”

  His laughter sounded breathless. “County-”

  “Shut up.” Her tongue glided down then, paying tribute to the striking array of muscles that appeared carved into his abdomen. Her nails grazed his sides and the powerful line of his thighs.

  “Contessa…” he groaned when her mouth sheathed his shaft. “Dammit wait.” He made no move to stop her.

  As he’d done earlier, County brought her hands down on his hips to stop their movement. She moaned while sliding her lips along his rigid length. A wave of arrogance caused her to shiver when he confessed the excellence of her oral skills to the environment.

  Dangerously close to coming then, he reclaimed control and dragged her up and over him. Settling her beautifully to his moist, throbbing stiffness he directed the lift and rotation of her hips.

  County felt weak and exhilarated at once. The dessert breeze blew comfortably across her skin and through her hair. She had no control of her actions which suited her fine. Fernando’s big hands cupped her bottom, at times pulling her off his cock when release was at hand. Shameless, she begged him to come inside her.

  Fernando didn’t want to, not when he was being ridden so exquisitely by the beauty astride him. Being pleas
ured by an exquisite beauty had its price though and he couldn’t ignore the demands of his body for long. Flipping her to her back then, he nibbled on the tip of a bouncing breast and took her with a savagery that had them both crying out into the evening. They came simultaneously atop the boulder in the Mojave.

  ***

  Had the topic of conversation not been so remorse, Fernando could have easily given himself a pat on the back for being mature enough to forego the customary bachelor party- complete with a never ending bar, strippers, the works…

  Unfortunately, the chances were slim of getting together this particular group and in such a spot where chances of them being disturbed were low and weren’t likely to come round again. Besides, it was past time for his brothers and cousins to know more- a bit more about how he’d spent those…dangerous years of his life.

  Still; as it was a bachelor party, an abundance of drinks and toasts were in order. More than a few rounds of bellowing laughter roared from the table, but no one complained.

  Sabra’s Lair was aptly named. Aside from the dark, gothic appeal of the furnishings and colors, the place attracted the bulk of the hotel’s male patronage. The waitresses were model-lovely and discreet, though the same could not be said for their uniforms. Satiny bra-styled tops, bare midriffs and black tap pants were the order of dress in the Lair. Not surprising, the lovely servers drew impressive tips and even more numbers. On that score, Sabra’s policy was strictly: don’t ask, don’t tell.

  Not surprising, the ladies made several trips to the Ramsey/DeBurgh/McPhereson table that evening. Most times, it was simply to ask if anyone needed extra napkins, or fresh drinks.

  The guys were all polite and never sounded agitated over the abundance of interruptions as their conversation gained momentum. Sabra’s employees however, were well-trained and knew when enough was enough. As the conversation gained momentum, it turned the faces of the eight gods occupying the secluded back table, to guarded tense masks. Regardless of how magnificent the men were to look at, the waitresses knew the goings on at the table weren’t open to interruptions- well meaning or otherwise.

  ~~~

  “No offense Krave but…a painting?” Taurus’ skepticism was etched perfectly on his face. “How do you guys know the painter wasn’t just copying something they’d seen?”

  “Right,” Yohan chimed in while swirling the ice in his bourbon. “It’s possible whoever painted the damn thing didn’t know what they were looking at.”

  Kraven exchanged a look with Fernando before he nodded. “I’d agree if it weren’t for the description Darby gave of the woman who donated it to the studio. I’d bet everything it was Persephone James.”

  “And what’s she got to do with it?” Quay asked.

  Kraven shrugged. “She and Hill…”

  No further explanation was needed on that point. The rest of the guys bowed their heads.

  “So exactly what are y’all trying to tell us and why does it matter that Persephone gave Darby this painting?” Carlos inquired.

  Again, Kraven and Fernando slanting meaningful looks across the table.

  “Do y’all remember when I ran away?” Fernando spoke up then.

  The group chuckled as memories resurfaced.

  “Mama couldn’t eat for weeks,” Yohan recalled. “She was skinny as a stick by the time the P.I. Marc hired found you tryin’ to make your way back.”

  “Yeah, I was desperate to get back by then.” Fernando rubbed his fingers through his hair and leaned back in the cushioned armchair he occupied at the table. “Even life with Marc Ramsey seemed like Disneyland compared to…”

  “Compared to what?” Quest leaned over to lay a hand across his cousin’s.

  Fernando turned his hand over to squeeze Quest’s. The contact seemed to give him strength to continue. “I was looking for a place to be understood.” He looked over at his brother. “You know what I mean, Mo.”

  Moses’ dark gaze narrowed in understanding. “You didn’t?” He whispered, stunned. “You didn’t really go there?”

  Quaysar studied his cousins, and then leaned close to Carlos. “Why do I feel like we’re the only ones who don’t know the punch line of this story?”

  “Could you guys get to the point?” Quest encouraged.

  Moses rolled his eyes away from Fernando. “Y’all know that me and Hill became friends through a mutual acquaintance?”

  “Right,” Everyone spoke in unison.

  “Mama didn’t like him.” Yohan remembered.

  “Which made me like him even more. I met Gram Walters long before Hill though. The guy came from a background a lot like ours but without the dollars.” Moses smoothed a hand over his shaved head. “His mother didn’t give a damn about him, father wasn’t worth shit…all the guy ever talked about was getting away- talked about it all the time but he was smart enough to know he didn’t want to live on the streets.” Moses took a swallow of his gin.

  “One day he comes talkin’ about some organization.” Moses grinned. “I didn’t know the cat could spell, let alone pronounce a word like that…anyway, he’d met some older guy who’d talked his ear off about this organization. It was open to young men- an alternative to the streets, gangs, the army…”

  Kraven chuckled meaningfully and Moses grinned again.

  “Sounded just like the army to me, so I told him to forget it. I’d forgotten you were there listening.” Moses said to Fernando.

  “Sounded good to me,” Fernando picked up the conversation. “Very good and being the kid I was I didn’t think there was any catch.” He tugged on the cuff of the black shirt hanging outside his trousers. “At least not the catches I came to discover.” He added morosely.

  Kraven leaned forward then. “This painting is of the place where Fern and I along with Hill Tesano and a host of other misunderstood lads all met.” He drowned what remained of his Scotch. “Oh there were catches, alright. All the things that the street life, gangs and the army provide all rolled into one.”

  “Jesus Fern…” Quest muttered.

  “Right,” Fernando smirked. “Took well over a year for me to wise up and get my ass the hell out of there. Getting in trouble at home and jail cells in King County was a helluva lot better than the shit we found on that island.”

  “So why would Persephone give this painting to Darby?” Carlos asked.

  “I don’t think that was her intention.” Kraven answered. “Nile was off with T in Scotland. My guess is she planned on giving it to Nile in hopes of raising Muhammad’s hackles.”

  “And now that he’s dead?” Moses asked.

  “Exactly- it makes no sense. I mean, what purpose does it all serve?” Yohan noted.

  “Agreed. Only one thing’s certain.” Fernando didn’t bother to continue.

  “Should we be taking any precautions?” Quest said what his cousin wouldn’t.

  “I believe our women are fine.” Kraven assured.

  “I’m referring to our cousins.” Quest clarified and slanted a glance toward Moses when Kraven’s expression became less than assuring.

  “Shit,” Quay hissed and brought a fist down on the table. “Is this why they’ve got Tesanos sniffing around?”

  “Only one sniffing around is Smoak.” Quest corrected while silently thinking of Pike Tesano.

  “I say we play it cool.” Moses cast a stern look around the table. “No need to jump to any overprotective measures- not yet. Let’s wait a bit, see what happens. Maybe we’ll have a better shot at figuring out what the hell is going on a lot quicker.”

  Taurus puffed out his cheeks and reached for his drink. “Sure as hell can’t hurt. We damn well don’t have a thing else to go on.”

  Silently, the rest of the group agreed.

  “Crickey,” Kraven growled when he reached for his glass and realized it was empty. He was lifting his hand to request another when his vivid jades narrowed and his head tilted. “Good God,” he breathed.

  The phrase; and its delivery stifled conv
ersation at the table. The guys focused on Kraven before turning to see what had roused such a reaction. In seconds, they’d each uttered similar phrases or simply grunted or cursed in outright appreciation.

  ~~~

  Unlike her fiancés’ bachelor send-off, Contessa Warren’s party was the stuff X-rated bashes were made of. Following drinks, hors d’oeuvres and dirty movies in the special suite Sabra had reserved, the ladies took in a graphic all male revue in one of the many strip clubs right there at the resort. They’d all had a fantastic meal and decided it was time to drop in on the darkly intimidating Sabra’s Lair for another drink. Afterwards, it was back to the suite for more drinks and dirty movies.

  Spiked heels sank into the Lair’s plush black carpeting as the ladies headed for the bar. Meanwhile, they turned the heads of virtually every male customer in the place.

  “What the hell is she wearing?” Quest whispered almost to himself. Propping fist to chin he looked on in awe. His hazy stare was unwavering and focused on Michaela in a curve-clutching crimson jumpsuit. The bodice dipped almost to her bellybutton and offered a more than ample view of full bosom.

  Quaysar and Moses were equally riveted. Their dark eyes narrowed in similar fashion toward their wives dressed almost identically in black suits with high collars. Tykira’s gold choke-collar suit didn’t dip as low as Mick’s but was snug enough to leave nothing to the imagination. The cut out at the middle though, afforded a provocative view of her naval. Johari’s tanned suit had a halter blouse styled bodice with its dip fashioned at the back and leaving her bare almost to the swell of her bottom.

  Carlos reclined to a more relaxing position and focused on the dress gloving Dena’s sultry frame. The creation was designed with one long sleeve. The entire left side of the frock was fashioned with cutaways that left patches of her flawless dark skin bare from neck to thigh.

  Open-mouthed, Yohan studied the exotic Oriental number Melina slinked around in. The silk magenta qipao carried a daring split clear up the back and emphasized her spaghetti strapped heels.

  Kraven tilted his head this way and that to take in every angle of Darby’s slender busty frame gloved in an item that gave new meaning to the term ‘little black dress’. The baby doll frock was actually dark turquoise with a halter neck. The bust ruching and empire waist cupped her chest and presented the honey brown mounds like they were the perfect gift. Matching turquoise heels were secured by the straps that spiraled about her legs.