by Colt, Shyla
Chapter Eleven
Prophet/Charles.
My palms sweat as I sit in on my bike, staring up at the off-white building that seems to tower over me. The barbed wire feels more like it’s to keep me from escaping, than to keep inmates in. My heart is racing and my hands have a tremor I can’t stop. I take a deep breath and step off the bike before I lose my nerve. It took a lot of balls coming here. I’d thought about chickening out twice. Then, I’d imagine the woman waiting back at home for me in our new loft apartment.
Our apartment.
I put my game face on and leave the bike. I’ve never been a coward. I’m not about to start now, when I have everything to lose. I walk across the parking lot and enter the belly of the beast. Breathing becomes more difficult as I walk up to the counter. I didn’t think she’d agree to see me; part of me hoped she wouldn’t. Deep down, I knew every man had to face down their demon. Mine just happens to be in an incredibly feminine form.
I wonder if she looks the same.
I walk up to the desk where an African American woman with long black hair, kind almond-shaped brown eyes, and an easy smile sits.
“How can I help you, sir?” she asks.
“I’m Charles Rowe, here to see Jewel Rowe.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“Yes, ma’am. It’s for one o’clock.”
“Nice and early. I like that, it makes my job easier.”
I return her smile.
“I’ll need to see some identification.”
I pull out the I.D. from my pocket. I read the rules. They were many and detailed. Nothing is allowed inside, other than keys and identification. She tells me to walk around, I pass through the metal detectors and the rest of the trip blurs.
I sit in an uncomfortable chair, waiting for them to bring her. The woman I’ve thought about every day since she’d been sentenced. The only thing that’ll separate us is the width of the table. Because of the severity of her crime, she’ll be shackled at the ankles and her wrists. The door opens and I watch as she comes into view.
Clad in a bright orange suit her hair seems even more golden. She’s too thin. Her face is gaunt and her eyes are anime huge. Her skin doesn’t shine the way it used to, and there are bags under her eyes. I rejoice slightly. Prison has aged her some. She studies me with a cold gaze that makes me shiver.
The guard leads her to the chair across from me. “Sit.”
She obeys immediately.
This is what her life has become. A series of commands she has to follow, unless she wants to be punished. It’s exactly what I wanted for her.
“You have thirty minutes with the prisoner. Remain seated the entire time with your hands in your lap, Prisoner Number 38765940.”
“Yes, sir.” Her voice is still melodic, but it lacks the spark it once held.
Maybe that was all an act, too. Perhaps what I’m seeing now is who she’s always been, a soulless shell, nicely packaged.
The guard walks back over to the corner.
“Never thought I’d see you again, lover.”
The nickname makes me want to gag. “I can say the same about you,” I answer honestly. I feel like I’ve entered an alternate universe.
“So, why are you here?” she asks. There’s no emotion in her voice or behind her eyes. It’s terrifying.
“Answers.”
“What more do you need to know?”
“Why?”
She laughs. “I thought it was clear. Because I wanted to be rich.”
I wince. “No, why me?”
“You’ve been wondering that all this time, haven’t you? I don’t have a clear cut answer, other than because you were kind, attractive, loaded, and welcoming. My pickings were slim, and you were the one I could live with for however long it’d take. I watched you for a long time. You were always open and kind to everyone. Such a do gooder.” She sneers. “It almost made me sick. Anyone that weak is asking to be taken advantage of.”
“Kindness isn’t a weakness.”
“You still think that?”
“I know that,” I say firmly, thinking of the brothers back home who’d lay down their lives for me. We don’t start fights, we finish them, and if you show us respect, we’ll do the same. There’s no reason to walk around exploiting and bullying. Real power doesn’t have to be flaunted.
“Huh, looks like you finally got some backbone. It’s nice to see. Maybe if you’d gotten it sooner, I wouldn’t have tried to off you.”
Her flippant attitude grates on me. I ball my hands in to fists.
What the hell was I expecting from this? Some enlightenment from a psychopath? She probably doesn’t know why she did it, not really. I doubt she even recognizes that what she did was wrong.
I don’t pity her, but I feel pity. I watch her like a person watches someone in a mental institute. There’s something horribly wrong with her mind. She’s not the big, bad boogie woman I made her out to be. She was an excellent actress. She had to be, to model normal behavior. I was taken by her looks, her charm, and the way she made me feel. I feel no shame now, as I admit it to myself. I made a mistake. I fell in love with a woman who was bad for me. I wasn’t the first to make this error and I won’t be the last. The difference is…unlike most people, my experience ended up being deadly.
It’s time to let go.
The realization hits me like a roundhouse kick. I’ve let this burden weigh me down and block my growth for far too long. I continue to gaze on her.
“You still love me, don’t you?” Her cracked lips curve upward.
“I don’t think I ever did. I loved the idea of you, but we both know that was nothing more than a carefully constructed lie.”
“You fell for it,” she snarls. She’s like a feral beast.
“I did. I was young, naïve, and so ripe for the picking. I wanted love from someone who could understand me. I thought that person was you, but I was wrong.” I study her.
She begins to squirm in her chair. “What?”
“Huh, it’s just amazing how completely unremarkable you and this moment is. I thought it would be more.” I shrug. “Guard, I’m done here.”
Her chest heaves.
“Know this, while you spend the rest of your life rotting away inside these walls, I won’t ever spare you another thought. I’m happy, healthy, and not broken by the evil you’ve done on this Earth.”
Her mouth drops open.
I laugh. It feels good to get one over on her.
“Prisoner Number 38765940, stand and step away from the table,” the guard orders.
She does as she’s told.
I watch as he guides her from the room. The door closes behind them and… I’m free. I stand and the guard on the opposite side of the room leads me out of the visitation room. I’ll never set foot in this place again, and my heart is free. I can offer Vita what she deserves— a man who’s whole.
***
I unlock the door of our house and slip inside. It’s well past midnight and I’m sure Vita must be asleep. She’s spent most of her time unpacking recently, which makes for long days. I know she enjoys decorating our space. I couldn’t care less what it looks like, as long as she’s here. I don’t fear my feelings anymore, I embrace them. I never thought I’d feel like this and it’s got me to actually be happy-go-lucky. The boys give me shit, but I don’t let it bother me. If you’ve never known the love a good woman, you can’t imagine how different it can make you.
I drop my saddlebags by the door, lock up, and shed my vest. It hangs on the peg we hung together. I carefully make my way around the boxes scattered through the living room and pause in our doorway.
Her dark hair is spread across the pillow and my T-shirt is riding high on her thighs.
I remove my boots quickly and leave them by the door. My clothes are shed and dropped along the floor. Suddenly, I can’t wait to taste her on my tongue and feel her wrapped around my cock. I crawl up onto the bed, spread her legs, and moan quietly
when I bare her shaved pussy.
No panties. You’re trying to kill me, V.
I lick a path up along her slit.
She moans and spreads her legs wider.
That’s my girl.
She’s coming out of her shell and turning into a sexual dynamo.
I continue to deliver slow, long licks. When I taste her cream on my tongue, I circle her clit and delve inside. Her hips come up and she buries her fingers in my hair. I moan against her pussy. She closes her thighs around my head, and I dive in, fucking her tightness with my stiff tongue, slurping up her sweet juices. I swear, she has the tastiest center I’ve ever tasted. Maybe it’s her fruit heavy diet. I devour her until she’s tugging at my hair and fucking my face. Her legs fall open. I click on the light on the nightstand and I move between her legs.
We’ve been together for two months now. The safety conversation has come and gone. I took her with me to get tested, to show her I’m serious about honesty. We both got a clean bill of health and she started the pill.
Now, I get to ease inside of her and experience her tightness the way nature intended. “I love having you like this, V,” I whisper as I slip into her. “You’re so hot and wet. It’s all for me, isn’t it?”
She nods her head. Her lips are open and her eyes are dark with desire.
I drive home and she arches. “All I could think about was getting home and getting inside my woman.” I twine her fingers and deliver hard, deep thrusts.
She squeezes my fingers, giving as good as she gets. The slap of skin on skin is a beautiful symphony of our love. I couldn’t say the words to her before, not when I had one foot still in my past. She flexes her muscles and I growl. I fuck her harder. Her mouth opens and I know she’s delivering a soundless scream. “That’s it, baby, scream for me. Tell me how much you love it.” I read her lips.
“Yes, please. Harder,” she mouths.
I obey her command.
“Oh, God, Prophet.”
“I love the way my name looks on your lips.” We’ve created our own brand of communication. It’s one foot in the speaking-hearing world and one out. Tailor-made, it fits us both like a glove.
Her body tenses. Her muscles quiver.
I know she’s close. “That’s it, let go for me, Vita. I want to feel you come all over my cock.”
“Oh, shit,” she mouths.
I smirk. I love to see the filthy words on her lips when I’m satisfying her. I thrust once, twice and she comes…hard. I allow her to pull me over with her, continuing to pump as I fill her to the brim. After what I faced today, I need to stake my claim. Spent, I collapse on top of her, careful to keep the brunt of my weight on my forearms. I nuzzle her neck. “I Love you, V.”
She jerks away, eyes as round as saucers. “You love me?” she mouths.
“I. Love. You.”
Her eyes glisten with tears.
“Shit, I thought it’d make you happy. I can take it back if you want?” I tease.
She shakes her head vehemently.
I laugh.
“I love you, too,” she mouths.
“What’s that? I can’t hear you.”
Vita slaps my chest.
I laugh some more. We went through hell to get here, but shit this is better than I imagined it would be. I slide onto my side and tuck the strands of her hair behind her ear so I can see her face.
“How was it?” she asks.
“Freeing. I’m not sure what I expected to see or experience. But…it’s like looking under the bed and discovering the boogie man isn’t there, because he never existed in the first place. She was worn and callous. She hid her true nature well, but seeing her there like that, so detached and uncaring, really drove home how excellent her acting skills were.”
“What did she say to you?”
“She was shocked to see me again. I asked her why she’d done it. Do you know what she said? Because she wanted to be rich. Because I was handsome, kind, and giving. She’d been watching the meetings I attended at CODA for some time and decided I’d be the one to best suit her needs.” I snort.
“Disgusting. Please tell me you know this wasn’t your fault?”
“I do now. A part of me will always feel guilty. But I couldn’t have seen what was wrong with her. I was young, looking for acceptance and love. She was a pro at seeing weakness and exploiting it. While I was sitting there across from her, I came to understand something important. She will be stuck there for the rest of her life and I am out here, able to live my life how I see fit. It’d be an insult to my family to do anything other than enjoy every minute I have.”
Vita leans in and delivers a sweet kiss.
This woman has helped me meld Prophet with Chuck. It’s a feat I’d once thought impossible. I roll over, shut off the light, and pull her close to me. I’m surrounding her, inside of her and completely content. I can’t say where life will take us from here, but I’m confident we’ll be able to handle it.
Epilogue
Vista/Elisa
We walk into the crowded backyard and I make a beeline for Cora. It’s the first time I’ve seen her since I visited her and baby Greer at the hospital.
Much to everyone’s amusement, they’d had a three week lockdown period after she’d been born. Then everyone was asked for limited contact afterward. Dallas would do anything to keep his family safe. No matter how relentlessly he was teased about it.
I thought it was admirable.
“Vita,” Cora cries. She hands a cooing Greer over to her proud papa and holds her arms out for a hug.
I give her a tight squeeze, inhaling the sweet scent of baby powder.
“I’ve missed you, girl.”
I step back, so she can see my hands. “Me too. We’re almost settled into our new place, though.”
“You’ll have to invite us over. I can’t wait to see what you’ve done to the place. It was gorgeous to start with and you have excellent taste.”
“Thank you. How are you and little miss?”
“Great. She’s sleeping for longer chunks of time, which is like the World Series for parents of babies.”
I laugh. “I can imagine.”
“Do you want to hold her?”
“If it’s okay?”
Cora looks at Dallas, who looks me over. “Are you, or have you been sick?” he asks in a serious tone.
I shake my head.
“Then I guess it’s okay, you’re good people. You got my boy’s head right when he needed it.” He hands Greer over before I can ask him if he meant my brother, or Prophet.
I carefully support her head and bring her in close to my body. Her eyes are wide and the same green shade as her daddy’s. I wish I could talk to her, like most people, but she doesn’t seem to mind my silence. I lean in close enough for her to semi-see me, and she begins to coo.
“What do you know? She likes you,” Dallas exclaims.
The pride in his voice makes me grin. Say what you want about the man, he loves his family. I rock Greer, admiring her black baby curls, chubby face, and café latte skin. Her lips are bow shaped and her smile tugs at my heart. I’ve gotten used to the family functions. Wesson is slowly becoming my home.
“Shocker, here comes your other half. You can’t be away from her for more than a few minutes, can you?” Dallas teases Prophet.
“I’m sorry, are we talking about me and Vita, or you and Cora?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Dallas replies.
I can hear the humor in his voice. It feels good, belonging to a group after being alone for so long. People are nice for the most part. They’ve learned I’m not stupid or deaf. They tend to speak slowly to me, so I can read their lips, and I always carry a pen and a paper…we make do communicating. Prophet wraps an arm around me and I can’t help but imagine if someday we’ll have this, a home and a child.
Things between us are awesome. We have our fights like any other couple, but at the end of the day, we love and understand one another. It’s never eas
y watching him ride off to do God knows what for the team, but it’s a life I’m familiar with. I trust him implicitly when he’s away, because there’s nothing he hates more than a liar. There’ll be no dalliances. If it ever stops working between us, we’ve both agreed to be open and honest about it. I can’t ever see that conversation occurring. He completes me in a way I never thought anyone could. Not after the attempts on my life. It changed me and damaged so much more than my voice.
He accepts that and every day, we work on healing our wounds a little more. I noticed a change in him when he came back from the prison. He’s lighter and more open. Our eyes meet and we smile goofily. He doesn’t mind showing me affection. It’s one of my favorite things about him. I crave the contact after so many years of nothing.
“Please tell me this is not how we look,” Dallas whines.
“She can’t tell you that because you do,” Rowan says, joining us with Sampson by her side.
“No, you’re confusing me with you and my little brother. If he’s not mooning over you, I know something is terribly wrong,” Dallas smirks.
“Oh, shut up!” Rowan says. She elbows him, but there’s no fire behind it.
“You going to let her treat me like that, woman?” Dallas asks, glancing at Cora.
She nods happily.
I smile. I love watching their rapport. There’s a comfortable understanding that exists between people who’ve been friends their entire lives that sets you at ease.
“No damn respect. Greer, you’re not going to do your daddy like that, are you?” Dallas asks of the cooing baby.
“You keep telling yourself that, brother. She’s going to be her mother’s daughter and you know it,” Sampson quips.
“That’s why Daddy already has his shotgun ready for them boys.”
Greer reacts to his voice and I hand her back over. I’m not so sure we don’t have a daddy’s girl on our hands, but I’ll keep it to myself. The gate opens and I gasp. Ira. I run over to him.
He lifts me up in his arms. “I figured it was time for a little vacation.” He grins.
I hug him tighter. It’d been tough redefining our boundaries. There are a million questions I want to ask him about Philly, but right now, I’m so grateful to have him here, everything else could wait.