by London Starr
He grins and buckles up his pants. “I don’t think you want to talk to me, Ajoni, and trust me when I say you don’t want to talk to King because King doesn’t talk, but Calen has no business on the streets of Mecca.”
I get a small measure of relief that at least Calen will be doing the talking when our next come to Jesus meeting occurs, and I can wait an eternity for the soft side of Calen Kingsley to come back to me.
“You do realize you’re talking about yourself in the third person, right?” I ask snippily.
“You make me feel like I have split personalities too.”
“You have enough different attitudes to be certified mentally unstable too.”
“Ajoni,” he calls my name as a warning with frown. I turn my head and look down at the water, knowing he does not want to talk to me right now, and grow even more concerned about if I will become pregnant. If we cannot hold a conversation, how in the hell are we going to raise a child together, let alone two?
“Go away, King. Come back when Calen is the front man for all of your personalities,” I order solemnly.
He snorts, then laughs. His humor is infectious, causing me to smile unwillingly. Suddenly, I am not mad with King anymore, and grumble under my breath, “I’m a fucking pushover for both King and Calen, and I didn’t come back to Mecca for this shit.”
King tosses the towel on the sink, buckles up his pants and belt, and walks out of the bathroom. I start to worry that I am getting my first taste of how life would be with him; I will have to wait until the talkative side of him is in attendance just to have a conversation. I did not come back to Mecca for that either, and it is obvious that he is still feeling some type of way about how and when he learned of Anjuwan’s existence.
I didn’t want to be his baby mama or anyone else’s at eighteen, when I was too naïve to consider that a baby would result from our first time together. Even after the way shit went down after we left the warehouse, I did not take the attending physician up on his offer to swallow a morning-after pill after helping Larkin take the Blue Kings down. I didn’t want to get rid of anything that had Calen attached to it, but I did not think God would let a pregnancy happen to me on top of everything else either. I’m not that naïve anymore, know a pregnancy is definitely in the cards, and God has absolutely nothing to do with the mistake that I just made with King for a second time.
Now, I’m stuck with having to keep history from repeating itself, and probably should get that morning-after pill this time.
It will be a hell of a lot easier on my conscience to prevent a pregnancy than aborting a baby, which seems like the best thing to do at this point. Having another child with King will just make things even more complicated between us. I do not need more complications as much as I would love to have more children for Anjuwan to have someone to ease her lonely days when I and Seeri have to work. But single-parenthood is difficult even on its good days. I would be a fool to set myself up for more responsibility that I will have to bear alone.
With my mind made up, I turn the water off, take my boots off, and ball the straightened strands of my hair on top of my head in a knot while hoping to keep the humidity from making it frizzy. I then ease my body that is already growing sore from King’s idea of a quickie into the Jacuzzi, and begin to convince myself that I need to go to the nearest pharmacy immediately.
Fifteen minutes later, I still have my mind made up to prevent the pregnancy that I am sure will develop if I do not, but deciding to do it and actually doing it is two different things. Especially when it will be the child of the man that I love, and I do not think it would be fair to make my child pay the price because I could not keep my hands to myself.
CHAPTER Twelve
King
I come out of the bathroom as a man on a mission, and looking for Raw. The first thing I have to do is make sure Lea is never a problem for Ajoni again, and Hankin understands that I am not a man to be fucked with. I cannot even think about being Ajoni’s old man until I forgive her completely for keeping Anjuwan a secret, so there is no reason to talk to her about us being together until I can.
If Ajoni still wants only Calen Kingsley after that, after setting her up again and almost getting her hurt again by Lea and Nina this time, then I will find a way to keep King locked up inside me. That will be easy as long as no one threatens my family, and I find a way to forgive Ajoni completely.
My guilt from putting her in harm’s way twice only took away the blame that I heaped on her shoulders for the last eight years of hell I had to live in because of her, but it did nothing whatsoever about the anger I feel about Anjuwan’s hidden existence. The same damn canyon that opened in my chest when Ajoni told me for the first time that she did not want me as her old man eight years ago opened up again when she told me about Anjuwan today. It opened up even wider when she told me to leave her and my daughter alone after I meet Anjuwan for the first time.
Ajoni did not even give me a chance to prove my worth to her and my child, and she is probably never going to after the way our story began. Yeah, that is my fault, but I cannot just give up on her like that—I am not made that way, and yes I fucking love her. I will just have to find another way to get them both in my life, when I am not still feeling the effects of Ajoni’s betrayals.
Her wanting to be my backup shooter tonight just to make sure that I make it to DC in the morning and giving herself to me again shakes me up as I enter the living room with too much damn furniture for a man my size. I was testing Ajoni when I told her to take off everything but her boots. I thought surely she would tell me to go to hell, and I was convinced that she was not cut out for the life of a Blue King too, but maybe what I think about her is wrong. Who the hell am I kidding? I do not know what to think about anything concerning her anymore, and I cannot hold a serious conversation with her about anything until I have some of my brains back; she banged me senseless in that bathroom.
I am proud as hell that she wants to be a part of the lesson that I am about to teach Lea and Hankin though, and have to admit that my ego swelled to one hundred times its normal size after she mentioned her dreams have been solely of me, and no other man has touched her. At least she hadn’t moved on with her life while mine stood still in prison, but I am so damn confused about whether she wants me or not. I do know what she does not want, and that is me chasing after her—exactly what comes naturally to me when it comes to her—and she does not want King, the man that I am and have been ever since I was left to fend for myself at six-years-old.
Calen is the side of me that appeared out of nowhere when I grabbed the chance to make Ajoni mine—and everything that could have gone wrong since then has. I start to feel that I did everything wrong eight years ago concerning her too, including unleashing the side of me that wants to give her everything. That side of me is all that she wants now, but Calen is the man that I would have been if life had not gotten in the way. Well, it did, and Ajoni has to accept that the part of me that made love to her in the warehouse is probably gone forever, but if I have to learn to live without her, she had better get used to living with just Anjuwan and Seeri.
I find Raw in the kitchenette standing over the countertop with a sandwich in his hands. Maybe he can help me make some sense of this situation with Ajoni that has my mind twisted. I am sure he is going to try anyway, whether I want him to or not.
He turns around and takes a bite of his sandwich. “Y’all done already? Damn! Prison has made King a minute man,” he jokes around a mouth full of food, then shakes his head. “I just lost a whole lot of respect for you, bruh.”
I stop on the border between the kitchen and living area. “I don’t have all day to make Ajoni cum, Raw. I need to make sure there’s a next time to get her off, and the only one complaining about this time is you.”
“I’m damn sure she’s complaining too if you didn’t get her off,” he retorts, then laughs.
“Raw, you know I don’t talk about what goes on in my bedroom. But
if knowing whether she came or not makes you shut the fuck up, I’ll tell you. She did. Is there anything else you want to know about me sticking the woman that seems to be your favorite person lately?”
“Yep, there is. Did you at least taste the ass before you pounded it, and what are you two going to do after tonight?”
“No, and we’ll talk about what happens after tonight when I feel like it,” I answer plainly.
He cocks an eyebrow. “Talk? You two didn’t think you needed to do that before you slept together both times?”
I exhale. “Raw, she doesn’t want to talk to King, and I don’t think there’s anything for us to talk about besides Anjuwan right now.”
He cocks both eyebrows. “You don’t think, huh? How is it you don’t know?”
“Back at the house, she told me to stay away from her and my daughter after I meet Anjuwan. She didn’t even give me a chance to be the man she wanted, or something close to it, after she kept Anjuwan a secret for eight years.”
“In other words, you don’t think she had the right to do that or demand the best part of you for her and her daughter after all you think that she’s done to you. Admit it, King. She hurt you. You won’t get over anything until you do.”
I stroke my forehead wearily before saying, “Aight, I’ll admit it. She does not have the right to want anything from me right now, and hurt isn’t the word for what I’m feeling right now.”
However, heartbroken and murderous do fit how I feel, and Lea gave me a target to focus my wrath on; her stupid ass.
Raw leans against the black granite countertop and takes another bite out of his sandwich, then wipes his mouth with a napkin. “Aight, well, I hope you find the woman that doesn’t keep secrets until they think you should know about it, but she doesn’t exist. I’m pretty sure Ajoni will find a man that won’t mind her keeping secrets until he’s face to face with her and can do something about whatever it is she’s keeping from him. Those men do exist by the way, and will show up… right after y’all talk about Anjuwan.
And it sounds to me like you expect Ajoni to still wait for you like she’s being doing for eight years until you’re not mad with her anymore, but you know men. They pounce on anything that looks as good as Ajoni does, and she is a ride or die chick whether she knows it or not. Right now, she’s your ride or die chick whether you two know it or not, but it probably won’t take much for her to become someone else’s if you say the same bullshit to her that you just told me.”
I say nothing. My head is exploding with images of Ajoni with another man. My chest surges with rage every time I imagine him touching her. I push the images out of my mind before I storm back into the bathroom and make Ajoni promise to wait for me until I do forgive her. So far, she is trying to keep the promise that she made to stick around until I meet Anjuwan. That is a start in proving if she will ride or die for me, but it is not enough, and only Raw is convinced that she will.
He finishes off the last of his sandwich, then stands up and walks past me to the hallway leading to the personal elevator for the suite.
“Let’s go, King. I made a few calls and got a few while you were making up and breaking up with Ajoni in the bathroom. Both of our mornings will be busy tomorrow. Leek’s getting out, and the only connect I have left in Mecca is Shad.”
I am just grateful for the change of subject, but not so thrilled about seeing Leek. I appreciate his loyalty in making sure Ajoni got to me eight years ago, but he went too far and pushed everyone into situations they could not control afterwards, including Ajoni. Anymore talk about her and our present situation, I swear that I will punch a wall, or Raw, maybe even Leek again when I see him.
“You’re talking about North side Shad that sells the hottest straps in America?” I ask while following Raw out of the living room.
Shad Montgomery has a hand in just about every murder ever committed in Mecca since he and I both were sixteen-years-old, when he started robbing stores and other gun dealers for their merchandise. He has never been caught doing it. Every hardcore gangster and wannabe that has come and gone through Mecca between the time Shad started selling straps and I got locked down has bought something from him, even corrupt cops that need throwaway pieces.
Raw takes the key card for the elevator from his front pocket and swipes it through the panel in the wall beside the doors. They open immediately. We get in. He presses the button for the lobby. “Shad went legit and upgraded to pawn shop owner about three years ago in Mecca’s Towne Shopping Center, but he keeps his back door open for emergencies. He’s waiting for us, and he isn’t cheap. His shit is selling for twice as much now.”
“Buying straps off the street is why I made the side trip into the house, so I have the cost covered and we can go get more loot if we need to, but I’ve never heard of Mecca Towne Shopping Center.” I knew we would have to get the guns from back door dealing, whether it was on the street or from a legit business. I should have known Shad would never go completely legit though, and I am glad he has not; it makes this one last ride as a killer that much easier.
“The shopping center didn’t exist until five years ago.”
“Does Chiness Moonlight still boost for him?” I ask as an afterthought while the elevator descends.
I still need to outfit us in clothes that will not draw attention. Chiness is the best thief and probably the most beautiful one in Mecca if not Georgia, and works for Shad exclusively. He has always been a thug with sharp business acumen and connects of his own that tries to cover all the needs of his customers, and he makes a shit ton of money selling everything from straps with filed off serial numbers to clothing, and everything in between.
The elevator stops on the ground floor. The door opens.
Raw smiles. “Yep, she still works for him. We have to go to him since it would be bad business to give him our order over the phone. The government listens to everything claiming they’re looking for terrorists these days. Do you know Chiness’ ass ain’t been caught stealing yet? That broad must be a magician. Poof… and whatever she boosted is gone until she gets it to the customer. I ain’t ever letting her inside my crib.”
I look at him sideways. “Raw… you don’t have a crib.”
“Then I have nothing to worry about,” he retorts.
I chuckle as we walk out the same back entrance that we came in.
Once we are in the car, Raw is quiet the whole ride towards the heart of Mecca oddly. I pull the photo of Anjuwan from my pocket. There seems to be nothing of Ajoni in Anjuwan but the color of their skin. It is like looking at my own baby pictures—the few I could find when I was a child.
I study every angle of Anjuwan’s round face until we pull into the shopping center’s parking lot, getting as close as possible to the door with yellow neon letters that are trimmed in green above it and spell Shad’s Pawn Shop, and stands several feet above the roof. The quicker we get in, the quicker we can get out, the faster I can get to my child and finish forgiving Ajoni—that is if I get the chance to do either. You never know how you are going to come out of a gunfight, and I do not expect Lea or her boy to just lie down and let me kill them.
I get out of the car, then stuff the picture in my back pocket before we reach a single glass door in the middle of a one-level building with just about every commercial business a woman would need for one-stop shopping; small grocer, nail and hair salon, and retail stores. I walk inside the pawn shop into the middle of glasses cases pushed together in a small rectangular room, creating a single aisle down the middle of the store. Each case is filled to the brim with heat of almost every caliber. What is not in the cases seem to be hanging on the wall. I walk toward the dark-skinned man that is half my size with dreads standing behind a case at the opposite end of the store with his head bent over a clipboard.
He looks up when we have covered half the distance to him, and then smiles wide at us.
“King and Raw, it’s good to see you two on free ground again. Mecca ain’t been t
he same since the Kings got locked down.”
I grin and cover the rest of the distance between us before giving him a fist pump over the display case.
“Shad, it’s good to see you too, but I ain’t here to change Mecca back to the old way or get caught up in this city’s problems or bodies being laid down. I’m just here to see an old friend.”
“Damn straight,” Raw co-signs behind me.
Shad drops an elbow down on the glass counter and turns to me before moving in close.
“What can I do for y’all?” he asks quietly, as if he is afraid someone will overhear.
I cut my eyes to the area he has his back to, and see a camera mounted to the ceiling in the corner of the walls, then look back at Shad as a sheen of sweat pops out on my forehead.
“Not much, Shad. It’s just the same old shit on a different day that needs to be kept on the low.”
Shad shakes his head. “Is there any other kind of shit? You don’t see people rushing to get in here to do business with me, do ya? The economy is bad as hell and I’m damn sure you two are still on paper. I have a surveillance system for insurance purposes, but it isn’t good for under-the-table business, so how about I meet you two at the warehouse in the about an hour? Bring enough goods for a two-man job?”
I shake my head, then lean in close.
“I need three top grade nines with silencers, extra clips with bullets, vests, and some black fits for a size medium female, me, and Raw.”
“No prob, King. It’s good doing business with you again. You’re one of the few motherfuckers that don’t give me a hassle about prices, and I’ll have everything you need when I hit the county. I’ll hit Chiness up when you two leave and let her know you miss her. Take off. We’ve been standing here too long talking quietly. These days, the pigs can tap into anything digital, and catch your ass up in shit you didn’t even know you were a part of.”