by Tia Wylder
He was so proud of himself and my parents were so proud of him. I closed my eyes and kept on playing.
“Hey, what’s that song you’re playing?”
My eyes shot open and the song ceased as I bumped a wrong note. The eager conversations that filled the house weren’t affected by the sudden stop. They probably weren’t listening in the first place. I looked over and saw my brother’s best friend, Devin Jackson. He was a star quarterback throughout high school and now he was playing for a college team with plans to get signed by the NFL one day.
He and Michael had been friends for almost ten years. Michael brought him around all the time, but Devin never spoke a word to me. I had a crush on him for years, dreaming of that classic sports romance with the star quarterback, but one look at him would make any young girl blush. From the moment he entered high school, his body started to fill out faster than any other guy. Within a few years, he was sporting chiseled biceps and a rugged chest.
He walked with this bravado that went beyond arrogance and instead simply made him look powerful. It was easy to assume he was full of himself, but I always thought he had a softer side. Whenever he would come over to the house to visit Michael, I always felt safe. Those feelings faded with time, but they never truly went away.
After all these years, today, Devin Jackson was talking to me. I looked over and saw him standing head and shoulders above me as I sat on the bench of the piano. He was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit with a crimson colored tie. His charcoal skin blended perfectly with his deep brown eyes. He always kept his hair short, shaved right down to the scalp. It helped his striking features stand out.
“It’s uh, it’s not something you’ve ever heard of,” I said.
He chuckled as he sat down on the edge of the piano bench.
“Try me,” he said.
I felt myself blushing as I turned back to the piano.
“It’s a song I wrote, actually.”
I looked over at him briefly and saw his eyebrows shoot up.
“You wrote that? It’s beautiful! What do you call it?”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t have a name.”
Devin nodded. He seemed genuinely interested in my music. It was a sudden and striking change. I hadn’t seen him in years, though. Maybe college changed him and Michael in a way high school never could. I wouldn’t have known since I spent my college years in my room, learning new instruments and writing new music.
“Play some more of it, maybe we can think of a name, together.” he said.
I looked back to the piano and to him again.
“Right now?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yeah, it’s getting a little quiet. This party needs some of your musical touch.”
I placed my fingers on the ivory keys and felt my hands shaking as Devin watched me. I took a deep, long breath, and started playing. I fell into a kind of trace as the notes started pouring out of me. It was as if my heart was singing and this was the only voice it had.
Several measures went by and I felt Devin’s eyes watching my hands as they danced across the keys. Just as I was reaching the end of the song, Michael’s voice cut through the soft tones.
“Devin, can I speak to you?” he asked.
I continued playing, but the notes didn’t have the same impact. I didn’t want Michael to know I was listening.
“Can it wait, man? I’m listening to the song Dee wrote.”
“Her name’s Deandra, only her family calls her Dee. And no, it can’t wait.”
Devin let loose a long sigh and stood up. My fingers kept on repeating their same dance as I watched him walk away. I looked down to the piano and started the song over from the beginning.
Chapter Two
Devin
People thought life was easy for me. To an outsider, it looked like I had everything handed to me on a silver platter. What they didn’t know, was that I had to fight for everything I had. I had a dark secret that I’ve carried with me since I was born. The side that I showed the world, my human side, was only half of who I was.
The other half was something darker, something ancient and long forgotten. I was a gorilla shifter. When my body flooded with adrenaline and I was on the brink of death, I could transform into a 400-pound beast with the strength of ten men. I didn’t know where this strange ability came from, or why I had it. I had given up on finding answers a long time ago. I had been adopted as a child and there was no trace of my biological parents.
I never enjoyed shifting, but there was a part of me that felt a need to do it. It was an addiction, a hunger for adrenaline. That was why I became a football player. It was the only way to feel the rush without letting the beast take over. The rush satisfied the need, but there were times when I had trouble controlling it. If I shifted in front of all those people in a football stadium, my life as I knew it would be over.
Thankfully, my best friend, Michael Princeton, was as smart as they come. He was always coming up with new ways to keep my abilities under control. In return, I always helped him with a certain problem his family had been dealing with since we were young.
The day of his graduation, I was wandering through the living room I had spent so many weekends playing in as a child. It was filled with people, all here to celebrate his success. We both knew that success came with a price, but Michael stilled relished in it. I looked over and saw his sister, Deandra, or Dee for short.
Michael knew I had feelings for her since we were young, but when he found out what I was, he made me promise never to pursue those feelings. He thought I was too dangerous, that I couldn’t protect his sister. That was ironic, considering all I had done for him over the years. Today, though, he was distracted, so I decided to say hello.
I walked over to her as she sat at the piano. Dee had grown up into a big, black, beautiful woman with exquisite curves and a voluptuous body. I watched her hands dancing across the keys and listened to the beautiful music that she produced. No one, not even her brother, would deny her talent. They never had the means to support her, or maybe they didn’t want to, I never asked. Either way she deserved better. I started talking to her and it just felt right. I could tell she was shy, she didn’t have a name for the song she was playing. I offered to help her make one up, but our conversation was quickly cut short.
“Devin, can I speak to you?” Michael asked.
“Can it wait, man? I’m listening to the song Dee wrote.”
“Her name’s Deandra, only her family calls her Dee. And no, it can’t wait.”
I could tell by the tone of his voice that he wasn’t happy with me. I let loose a long sigh and stood up. He led me through the crowded living room and into the hall that led towards the bedrooms.
He spun around and narrowed his eyes at me.
“What was that?” he asked.
“I was just talking to Dee, man chill out,” I said.
Michael ran his hands through his short hair.
“Don’t call her that!”
I looked behind us and saw a few curious eyes gazing our way.
“Chill out man, what’s gotten into you?” I asked.
Michael shook his head. “It’s Dmitri, he sent one of his goons to the graduation today.”
“Dmitri Mikhailov, the Russian mafia boss? I thought we dealt with that?”
Michael shrugged. “Well, apparently he’s changed his mind. He wants the rest of the money my dad owes him, tonight.”
The wind shot out of me like I had been punched square in the stomach.
“Have you told your dad?” I asked.
Michael shook his head. “No, I didn’t want to ruin his day. He seems happy for once. I thought we had taken care of it last time. I thought we were past this. I know he took the money to pay for my school, and I feel like I owe it to him to make this right.”
I nodded. “You know I’ve got your back man. Just say the word.”
Michael smiled. “You’re a good friend, Devin. Let me get the money tog
ether, and tonight we’ll meet them. We’ll just pay off the debt and be on our way. You won’t need to do your thing.”
I wasn’t too sure about that, but I had helped Michael out of a few tight spots before, so I was ready if and when he needed me. We had never gone toe-to-toe with the Russian mob, but there’s a first time for everything.
I stayed away from Deandra, even though it was more difficult than ever. I knew Michael didn’t need any more stress than he already had weighing down on him. That night we said goodbye to his parents and told them a story about going out on the town to celebrate. Michael was carrying a ludicrous amount of cash on his person as we made our way to the meeting place.
Last time we did a deal with Dmitri and his boys, things got tense, but we all walked away, nice and smooth. This time was immediately different. For starters, Dmitri wasn’t there. Instead he had sent three of his pale and tattooed lackeys to do the deal. They were all tall and built like freight trains with bulging muscles and scarred faces. They stood quietly under the streetlights in the local park. As we approached, one of them held out a hand.
“That’s far enough. Who’s your friend?” The center one asked.
“His name doesn’t matter. He’s here as an insurance policy,” Michael said.
The Russian man in the center chuckled and gestured to the other two goons standing beside him. They each reached into their windbreakers and pulled out large handguns.
“Interesting. As you can see, I’ve brought two of my own,” he said.
Michael brandished the briefcase he was carrying and opened it for them to see.
“This is all of it. Take this to Dmitri and tell him we’re even.”
All three of the men started laughing and I felt the adrenaline gushing into my bloodstream.
“Dmitri has decided that the remaining total has doubled. Call it interest.”
Michael closed the briefcase and threw it on the ground.
“That wasn’t our deal! You tell him to take that and leave us alone!” Michael shouted.
All three men armed their guns and pointed them directly at us. I felt my heartbeat thundering inside my head and my hands shaking at my side.
“This is not a negotiation!” the man shouted.
Michael looked over at me and nodded.
No, I suppose it’s not.
Black and coarse fur erupted from my skin as my bond shattered and reformed. I collapsed onto the ground as my body went numb from the pain. I heard the mobsters arguing amongst themselves in Russian as my transformation was completed. I leaned forward balancing on two gigantic fists as I stared down the men.
I charged toward them and they opened fire. The wild fear in their eyes made their aim sloppy. I swung my right arm and slammed my fist into one of the men. He flew backward several feet and landed on his back. I turned to the other and grabbed him by the shoulders. He dropped his gun and started pleading for his life.
I threw him to the side as well, hard enough to knock him unconscious. The third man, the one who had been talking the entire time, shot twice in my direction. One bullet flew just past my shoulder. The other lodged itself in my upper arm.
I let loose a primal roar. The man pulled his trigger several more times and realized he was out of ammo. He dropped his gun.
“This isn’t over!” he screamed.
The man turned and ran in the opposite direction. Pain was radiating from my arm. I fell to the side and shifted back to my human form. Michael rushed to my side. My clothes had been shredded in the transformation, I was shivering in the cold as blood gushed from my arm.
“Devin, where’d they get you?” Michael asked.
“Right in the arm, nothing serious.”
“We got to get you to a hospital!”
I shook my head. “It went clean through. I’ll be fine, I heal faster than most people.”
“I don’t what I would have done without you man. They probably would have killed me. I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”
I stood up. “Well, you could start by getting me somewhere safe and maybe some clothes. Once that’s done, I’ll take a date with your sister.”
Michael shot me a look. “You’re not being serious?”
“You know I’ve always had feelings for her, man. I just saved your life, so you know I can keep her safe. I can be her protector if things get out of hand.”
“I’ll think about it,” Michael said.
That was good enough for me.
Chapter Three
Deandra
I never expected this to happen. When Devin asked me to go out on a date with him, I thought it was just some elaborate prank. I was the innocent quiet girl and he was the mysterious bad boy. We mixed together like oil and water, but I have still been hopelessly in love with him since we were younger.
“You’re serious?” I asked.
“Absolutely. I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” he said.
Yeah, no kidding.
“What about Michael?”
Devin shrugged. “I did him a favor so he’s not going to be bothering us.”
My heart was palpitating in my chest and my hands were shaking. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.
“So, I was thinking I would pick you up tonight at eight. I know this great hole-in-the-wall bar downtown. It’s got great food and drinks, you’ll love it. We’ll finally have a chance to catch up with each other.”
I just nodded and kept that goofy smile plastered on my face. Devin leaned in and kissed me on the cheek.
“Alright, I’ll see you at eight.”
I was paralyzed as he walked out of my front door. I stood there and watched him climb into his car and drive off. I had imagined this moment so many times over the course of the years we knew each other, but I never actually believed it would ever happen.
I probably spent three hours getting ready as I tried to get everything perfect. I changed my outfit no less than ten times trying to find something casual yet enticing. I had never had a boyfriend or even been on a date before, but I knew that I had a body worth showing off.
I finally settled on a low cut shirt with a long and flowing skirt that had a mixture of dark blue and emerald stripes running across it. I stood in the mirror and carefully did my makeup. When I was finishing up I heard a knock at the door. I dropped the makeup brush I was holding and snatched up my jacket as I ran down the hallway to the front door.
When I threw it open, I didn’t see Devin. Instead there was a large and muscular man with a bald head and striking features. He looked oddly familiar.
“Deandra, is that you?” he asked. I immediately recognized his thick Russian accent.
“Oh, Mr. Mikhailov! I haven’t seen you since you moved to the city. That was just after my eighteenth birthday, wasn’t it?”
His eyes wandered up and down my body. It was an odd sensation.
“My, my, time has certainly been kind to you. You’ve grown into a beautiful woman.”
I smiled. “That’s very nice of you to say. Is there anything I can help you with?”
The coy smile dropped from his face.
“Yes, I was hoping I could speak to your father. Is he here?”
I shook my head. “Sorry, no. He’s out of town on business and he took my mother with him.”
He nodded. “Very good then. I suppose I’ll have to come back. If you’re ever in the city, Deandra don’t hesitate to come visit.”
“Okay, I will. Have a good night.”
As he walked away I remembered the way Mr. Mikhailov always made me feel. When it came time to send Michael off to college, he was always around. My dad said he was just a family friend, but there was something about him that I didn’t quite understand. It seemed like he was hiding something.
Even so, you couldn’t deny the presence he had. I wondered what business he had with my father after all these years. Those thoughts went away, though, when I saw Devin’s car pulling up to our driveway.
&nbs
p; I stepped inside to grab my purse and then ran down the concrete steps and to the curb where his black Mustang sat idling. I climbed into the passenger seat and immediately was hit with the aroma of his cologne. It was musty with a hint of a sweet scent. Needless to say, he had me at hello.
“You look incredible Dee. Do you mind if I call you that?”
I grinned and nodded. “I actually prefer that to my full name.”
Devin put the car into gear and we sped off towards the city.
He looked so calm and collected, winding through those narrow streets. It had been a long time since I drove a car, but they always made me nervous. I was racking my brain, trying to think of something to talk about.
“Have you heard anything from the NFL? I’m sure all the teams are trying to get you to sign on with them.”
Devin chuckled. “Yeah, I mean, I’ve seen some recruiters at the games, but I’ve never made the move on them. If I did sign on, they would take me away from here. This city may not have much for me, but it’s got enough to make me want to stay.”
I saw him look over at me as he said that, and it made my already massive smile even bigger.
“What about you? What’s kept a girl with talents like yours stuck here?”
“Well, I’m sure you know all about how my parents have bent over backwards to help Michael pay for school.”
Devin nodded. “Yeah, I’ve heard things.”
“They never did anything like that for me. I think they always thought something was wrong with me.”
Devin slowed down as we approached a red light. He looked over to me and laid a hand on my shoulder.
“There’s nothing wrong with you Dee, not a single thing. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Your parents, they just don’t understand that your gift is too big for you to do anything else. There’s no room in that beautiful brain for math, science, and all that other crap. You were born to make music, and that’s all you should be doing.”
“Thanks Devin, that really means a lot. I guess I’ve never looked at it that way.”