by Linda Verji
CHAPTER 26
Zain couldn’t calm him down.
“Baby, please talk to me.” She stroked his forearm as she tried again. He didn’t answer or shift his almost manic attention from the road straight ahead. He only flinched. She moved her hand and reached over to stroke the nape of his neck, but he pulled his head to the side before she could touch him.
He didn’t want to talk or be touched.
She’d never seen him like this. Tears gathered at the back of her throat as she realized that she couldn’t control him. She was the drama queen and he was the stable rock! It’d always been as easy as touching or dragging him away to cool him off, even when he was having his own temper tantrums, but something was different.
He was livid.
She’d thought Sonia was a goner when he’d kicked in the door to the pool house. Even though she hated Sonia – and she did – she didn’t want the woman dead, especially not by Lucky’s hand. He’d thankfully left Sonia injure-free. However, she’d seen his face as he walked back to the truck.
It wasn’t over.
She’d never felt so helpless and didn’t know how to leash his anger. It swirled like a tornado around him and filled the car like a storm. It gained in strength and became more violent the closer they got to Tasha and Polo’s. There was only one solution. If she couldn’t restrain his fury, her only option was to remove everything from its path.
She texted Tasha.
Zain: You need to get Polo out of the house. Fast!
Tasha: Why? What’s happening?
Zain: Just told Halake about Polo, Sonia and Ash. He’s gone crazy!!!!
Lucky glanced her way as she tapped out the letters but he didn’t say anything. It was good that he didn’t because Zain didn’t know what she would’ve said had he decided to. It felt like a betrayal to help Polo but when it came down to Polo getting away scot-free or her husband going to jail, she’d choose the former. Just in case Polo wasn’t bright enough to leave, she also texted Victor.
Zain: Please come to Polo’s. Lucky is really pissed at him and things could get ugly.
Victor: On my way!
They drove up to the black gates that secured the Nelson’s house. Their guard knew the Fords so he with just a nod and a smile he let them into the compound. Zain’s heart went into overdrive and immediately began to pound when she noticed both Polo and Tasha’s cars in the driveway.
Oh God! Lucky is going to jail!
Lucky parked the car and got out without opening Zain’s door, but she scrambled after him using the driver’s side before he could shut the door on her. The tiny stones in the Nelson’s driveway bit into her heels through the fuzzy slippers she’d managed to grab at the pool house but she barely felt the pain. Her senses were tuned to Lucky and his anger as he strode towards the front door. His face was a hard, angry mask that was only marred by the occasional nervous twitch of his eye that she’d never noticed before.
No one opened the door when he pressed the doorbell so he pressed it again. Three times more and still no one opened the door.
Zain began to breathe easier. Maybe they’d used another one of Polo’s cars to leave the house. Maybe it was all over. She could get Lucky away from here and try to cool him down. “Baby, they’re not here. Let’s just…”
The doorknob turned silencing her words.
“Hi, what are you guys doing here?” Tasha opened the door, her toothy smile faker than a Volex watch. She ushered them inside. “Come in. Come in.”
What was wrong with her? Hadn’t she understood Zain’s text message? Couldn’t she see the anger on Lucky’s face? Zain threw her a confused look as they entered the house, but Tasha doggedly avoided her gaze. Her attention was on Lucky.
This. Was. A. Disaster!
“Where’s Polo?” Lucky asked.
“He’s in the den.”
Lucky didn’t need any directions. He strode towards the den with determined steps and Zain rushed after him.
Polo was seated on the couch watching a game that played on the large plasma above the mantel and his feet were propped on the coffee table next to a plate of pizza. His eyes lit and his mouth widened in a welcoming smile the moment they entered the room. “Hey.”
Hey? This nigga has the balls to ‘hey’ me after the shit he pulled?
Lucky wanted to tear the smile off Polo’s face and wipe the floor with it. Polo started to lower his feet to the floor, but Lucky was on him before his feet could leave the table. With one leap towards the couch, he slammed Polo’s face into the plate of pizza. Lucky’s anger crowed at the satisfying crunch as flesh met glass and Polo’s yelp of pain.
It wasn’t enough. He grabbed the back of Polo’s neck intending to shove him to the floor. Polo wasn’t going down so easily. He jabbed his elbow into Lucky’s torso, hard. Lucky staggered back as the pain wracked through his body in waves. His temporary incapacitation gave Polo enough time to stand.
Apart from blood leaking out of his nose, Polo had a shard of white glass sticking to the flesh above his eyebrow. Staring at Lucky, his eyes wild and his forehead creased with anger, he yelled, “What the fuck man? What the hell are you—”
Lucky rushed towards him, but Polo was prepared and smoothly ducked to the side, shoving Lucky towards the wall as he did so. The impact was immediate.
Blinding pain rocked through Lucky’s skull as his forehead hit solid stone. Lucky dropped to his knees with his palms over his face. Somewhere in his subconscious he could hear Zain screaming out his name, but all of his attention was on the pain in his head. He stayed on his knees for a few moments with his eyes closed tight as he absorbed it.
Polo grabbed him by the neck of his shirt and pulled Lucky back to his feet until they faced each other before he swung. Even in pain, Lucky’s reflexes were pretty fast. He grabbed Polo’s fist before it could smash into his face and shoved it away and followed with a punch of his own straight to Polo’s Adam’s apple.
Polo staggered back, falling heavily on the coffee table. Unable to hold his weight the glass shattered and the wood splintered beneath him. He fell to the carpet with a heavy thump. Lucky followed him. He straddled Polo, undeterred by the shards of glass that pierced his slacks, and started to land crushing blows.
The world disappeared in that moment. With the exception of the glorious sounds of flesh meeting flesh, nothing penetrated the fog of his fury. Images of his life for the last few months flashed through his mind with every connection his fist made with the hard muscle of Polo’s body. Lucky wanted him to pay for every lost day. Polo’s main aim was to protect his face from Lucky’s blows – he didn’t even fight back.
Still Lucky persisted.
His fists pounded anywhere he got leeway; the arms covering Polo’s face, his shoulders, his belly. He barely realized that someone was pulling him away from Polo until he was on his feet. He tried to charge at Polo again, but a tight band of arms kept him immobile almost lifting him off the ground when he tried to move.
“Lucky, stop. Stop.” Zain stood in front of him. Her palms cupped his face as tears ran down her own. “Baby, please stop.”
“I’m going to kill him,” Lucky growled.
“Stop,” Zain pleaded. She grabbed his hand, her fingers like talons around his wrist as she pressed his hand to her belly. “Lucky, this is your baby. Who’s gonna help take care of our baby if you kill Polo? Stop this. Stop. Don’t leave me baby, please.”
Reason began to slowly replace anger.
Victor still held Lucky back, but the tension in him had slowly begun to drain away. The mad glint in his eyes faded as Zain pressed his hand to her baby bump. His forehead had already swelled from the hit he’d taken from the wall, but he didn’t seem to mind. As if it were the only thing keeping him sane, the hand pressed to Zain’s belly had all of his attention.
“You’re okay, baby. You’re okay.” She rose on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his mouth. He didn’t respond at first but as she continued to press kisses a
gainst his upper and lower lips and the side of his mouth, he finally sagged in surrender. He slanted his mouth over hers and returned the kiss. It was only a soft meeting of lips, but it seemed to bring him back from the edge of insanity.
“I’m okay,” he whispered against her lips. Victor took that as his cue and let go of him. Zain laid her head against Lucky’s chest as he embraced her. Everything seemed to disappear; Polo, Sonia, and the fights. She reveled at finally having her husband back as she stood with his arms around her.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
The harsh sound drew the room’s attention.
Zain turned in confusion only to find Polo clapping as he stood by the mantel. Sneering, he said, “Mr. and Mrs. Ford, acting for the crowd again.”
Blood spilled from the cuts on his face and buttons were missing from his torn shirt, but that wasn’t what held everyone’s attention. The black steel weapon he brandished did that.
“He’s got a gun!” Zain gasped.
“Polo, put away the gun.” Victor said as he took a step forward.
“Stay right there Vic. This ain’t about me and you.” Polo’s voice cracked over the heavy tension that’d enveloped the room the moment he’d whipped the gun out. “I’ve had enough of all of you disrespecting me in my own house. Look who’s got the control.”
Lucky grabbed Zain and pulled her back.
“Stop that.” Polo waved the gun threateningly towards them. “She stays right there or she’s going first.”
“There’s no need for this,” Victor coerced.
“No, no! There’s every need,” Polo scoffed. “This motherfucker still hasn’t told me why he burst into my house.”
No one spoke.
“If no one talks I’m shooting someone,” Polo threatened.
“I know about Sonia and Ash.” Lucky’s arm tightened around Zain’s waist slowly drawing her back as he spoke.
Polo looked taken aback by the revelation for the tiniest moment, then he shrugged. “I was trying to help you, you fucking idiot. What kind of man whines about a woman the way you do?” Disgust dominated his face as he gave his own twisted version of an explanation. “I’m your friend. I can’t let her run you like that.”
“So you pawned your kid off on me?” Lucky asked.
“You help a brother out and this is how he repays you. I got seven kids. You have none. Think about it.” Polo pressed the gun to his temple repeatedly as he stared at all of them like they were stupid for not getting it. “You should be thanking me.”
“Thanking you?” Lucky asked. Zain now stood beside him, rather than in front of him. One more step and she’d be behind him and protected.
“Yes, thanking me.” Maybe it was the lack of anger in Lucky’s voice as he asked the question, but the next moment Polo leveled the gun straight at Zain. “And you’re going to thank me even more after this.”
It all happened so fast; Lucky pulling her back, the blast as Polo pulled the trigger, the bullet racing towards her, then the pain!
The metal ripped into her with such force that she staggered back. Zain saw Victor tackle Polo to the ground Lucky move to grab her and heard Tasha’s screaming, but everything was a blur of activity as the pain seeped through her like poison. Her limbs ceased to function as she collapsed into Lucky’s arms.
Lucky’s lips moved as he said something but she couldn’t hear him over the blood rushing to her ears and the cloud slowly eclipsing her vision so she just whispered, “If I die I’m going to haunt you forever.”
Zain closed her eyes.
CHAPTER 27
“Lucky, if I die today I’m going to haunt you forever!” Lucky sighed dramatically as he flopped onto the bed.
“Stop it!” Zain threw him an irritated look as she sat at the vanity mirror with only a towel wrapped around her. “Stop teasing me.”
“Baby, you fainted.” He laughed as he sat up.
“I did not,” Zain protested as she poured a dollop of lotion onto her leg. “I was just closing my…You know what? I don’t even know why I’m trying to explain anything to you. Mr. Bullet Virgin.”
Zain had only been back to her apartment once and only to pick up a few things. Ever since the Polo incident Lucky refused to let her sleep anywhere besides their home. He claimed he wanted to make sure she was okay, but Zain wasn’t stupid. She knew that he was sneakily trying to move her back in – not that she minded. She was ready to move back in, too.
“Mr. Bullet Virgin?” Lucky asked. “That’s what I am?”
“Mm hmm.” Zain nodded. Using one hand she spread the lotion on her leg. “Get shot first, then come talk to me.”
She had two hours before she had to report to the hospital. She and Lucky were still trying to work out the logistics of them both working and taking care of their kids, but Lucky would be with the kids for the day – with help from Marilynn, of course – while she went to work until the season started back up.
“Baby, I’ve been on the streets. I’ve seen real gunshots,” he said. “That’s just a scratch.”
“They don’t give you casts for scratches.” Zain pointed to her left arm, encased in a cast and sling. Once upon a time the cast had been white but it was now covered with drawings and signatures from their children and friends. The weekend’s dramatic events had climaxed with Zain getting shot in the shoulder.
“I’m just teasing.” Lucky stood from the bed and padded towards her in all his naked glory before he took the bottle of lotion from her hand and sat it on the table. “Come here.”
“What?” She stood when he tagged her to her feet by her uninjured arm.
“I just wanna look at you,” he said. His eyes skimmed her from head to toe before he came back up with a slow, lingering look that lit her body up.
“Well it’s uncomfortable,” she said.
“I’m sorry.” He said as his fingers slightly brushed over her cast. He looked up at her with obvious guilt in his eyes. “I shouldn’t have taken you with me to Polo’s.”
“You didn’t take me with you.” She stepped closer to him and cupped his face. “I forced myself into your truck.”
“Yeah, but—”
“It’s over.” Zain rose on her tiptoes to press her lips slightly against his and quiet his apology. She hated to think what would’ve happened if she’d not been there to control Lucky and calm him down. Lucky would be the one in jail and not Polo.
When she began to retreat from his embrace, he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck to keep her still as he slanted his lips firmly against hers. The kiss was a soft meeting of lips and a quiet mating of tongues, but it didn’t diminish its potency. It sparked desire, but fanned the love she felt for Lucky and her relief – the nightmare was finally over – even more. She separated their lips, “It’s over. Sonia’s gone and Polo’s in jail.”
“Just for the weekend.” Lucky’s eyes narrowed. “Baby, we need to press charges. We can’t just leave that madman running around.”
“He’s Tasha’s husband and he was your friend.” She ran her hands over his shoulders, reveling in the smoothness of his dark skin. “The weekend in jail should’ve taught him enough of a lesson.”
Polo had been arrested immediately following the shooting, but he’d been released the following Monday pending charges. Zain had tried to call Tasha to find out if they were okay but Tasha was back to ignoring her calls. If she didn’t already know that Lucky would have a coronary if she so much as suggested that they visit the Nelson’s him, she’d have gone to check up on her.
Not that she would’ve been allowed in anyway! Chryssa had tried and hadn’t made it past the gates. Polo had apparently ordered his guard to not let them in. The only reason they knew Tasha was still alive was thanks to Chryssa who’d used one of her contacts within the police department to have someone check on Tasha and Asia.
“You think he’s gonna come for Ash?” Lucky asked as his hands ran up and down her back. Her towel still stood between his touch and her b
ody, but even the smooth strokes of his fingertips were enough to set her alight. Her nipples tightened in response and heat flooded to her pussy.
“I don’t know.” She kissed his Adam’s apple before she tucked her head into the crook of his neck. God! She loved how he smelled! Zain cuddled closer to him, pressing her body against his as she said, “But we’ll figure it out.”
As if sensing her desire, Lucky tilted her chin and settled his lips on hers in another kiss, this one deeper than the one before. His hands lowered to her ass, cupped her firm flesh through the towel, and molded it in time to his kiss. He murmured against her lips, “Have I told you how much I missed you?”
“Why don’t you show me?”
“Gladly, Mrs. Ford.” He unknotted her towel with a wicked smile and let it fall to the floor. “Gladly.”
CHAPTER 28
Saint Cloud, Minnesota
Three months later…
The lights went off.
The hushed breath of the riveted audience could be heard as the music began to play a soft, haunting beat meant to tantalize the senses and awaken desire. The blinding spotlight flashed on and roved around the room before it settled on a high backed chair in the center of the circular stage.
Sonia glided out and came to a standstill behind the chair. One hand tapped the high back of the seat as the other clutched a whip. The police cap hid her face from curious eyes and the black cat suit she wore caressed her tight curves – the ones already restored despite the Ashenafi debacle.
She strutted to the front of the stage, her hips swayed to the beat of the sultry music and the spotlight followed her as she headed for the pole. She dropped the whip to the floor and hopped on the pole.
Her routine began.
Swinging, dipping, and dancing, she bedeviled her audience. Sonia was in her element. She’d chosen Saint Cloud because it was far enough from both New York and Atlantic City that she could hide from the press, the Ford’s, the Nelson’s and Félix. By no means was stripping and tricking her life’s plan, but it’d have to do until she found some old white guy to spoil her, maybe marry her and possibly make Saint Cloud her permanent home.