Desired Too

by Lessly, S. K.

  My brother did his best to keep his composure. A creepy ass smile appeared on his face as he confessed, “This beef between us is so childish and very unnecessary. I’m going to be the bigger person here and work extra hard to make sure you understand that I mean my family no harm. I’m not up to anything, Angel. Some way, somehow you’ve forgotten where my loyalty lies. I’ll admit my actions in the past could possibly make you question me. I’m telling you now, I only want to have what’s rightly owed to me.”

  “Oh yeah and what’s that?” I asked. “It looks to me that you want to have what’s been given to me, what I’ve earned.”

  “No, you can have that shit, but I want to be that right hand. I’m in this family too, and I be damned if I’m going to be silent and ignored when it comes to running it. So, brother, get used to the idea that I’m going to be here for a while. Shit will go better if you do.”

  “Then you will need to understand this: I will always have the final say in every matter of this family. You are second. You’ll always be second. You don’t have what it takes to lead this family, and I will give my last breath to make sure you will never be in the position to lead it.”

  “Well, I guess we’ll see then, won’t we?” Eddie replied as he walked around me and left me in my father’s office.

  Tell me that you understood that veiled threat. You know I’m pissed as fuck, right? You have no idea how bad I wanted to tear this room apart, tear him apart.

  That son of a bitch!

  I balled my fist, then opened it, in the attempt to calm down. If I didn’t get myself together, I was going to miss the knife when it was thrust into my back. I refused to be made a fool of and Eddie knew that, which was why he was baiting me. He wanted me to lose my shit. I refuse to give him that satisfaction.

  I left my father’s office and located the woman of the house so I could say hello before I left. My mother and I were close. I didn’t consider myself a mama’s boy, but I would destroy heaven and earth for Angelica Leonetti.

  I found her on the patio talking on the phone. She smiled, gave me her cheek and smacked my face, all while never stopping her phone conversation. I thought about waiting around to speak to her; that is, until I figured out that she was talking to Georgia.

  I told you Georgia, my mama and grandmother were crazy by themselves, but together they were downright insane. I kissed her again and left her on the patio. My phone started to vibrate, and I pulled it out, hoping it was Stink coming through for me. I glowered when I saw that it was Eddie. I could have just shot the fucker right that moment, saving us both the grief and hassle.

  I exited my parent’s house and glanced at Darrell and Hugo, who were huddled together conspiratorially.

  “What’s up with you two?” I asked.

  “Nothing. You headed home?”

  I eyed them both with suspicion of my own, but I didn’t press.

  “Yeah, I’ll see you on Monday bright and early,” I told them. “It seems we have a meeting to attend to at Waters’ Inc. at 9 am, so I’ll meet you there by 8:30.”

  My phone signaled I had a text. “Finally,” I said to myself as I read.

  “There you are,” I uttered into the night.

  As it seemed, tonight just might get interesting. I smiled, thinking of how good it was going to feel when I sank into her.

  I can just taste her on my tongue.

  “Boss?”

  I looked up, pissed that someone interrupted my wet daydream, and found Hugo standing in front of me. A scowl, I knew, was prominent on my face, which caused him to pause before he said to me, “I just heard from Tiko.”

  I closed my eyes and leaned against my car. See how fate and I just weren’t getting along? When I opened them, both Hugo and Darrell were standing in front of me.

  I reluctantly forcedher and the wet dream to the back of my mind. “Tell me.”

  *********

  I drove to a pier in Delaware, which was south of the city. Lester kept weird hours since he and his wife separated and he moved into his office, so I knew he’d be up.

  It seemed that my brother had been very busy. From what Tiko told me, Eddie had been informing people that I was out of control, unstable and incapable of leading. Tiko was able to smooth things over with some, and they decided to continue their loyalty, claiming a misunderstanding. I understood their hesitation. I mean, hell, my brother could be quite persuasive. However, I wasn’t very forgiving to those that went against me. My father advised that I was unnecessary with my teachings in the past. If I wanted to teach the people that I employed the concept of loyalty, I needed to make my lesson count. Since I was loyal to my father, I would make sure that when a lesson had to be taught, that I taught it just one.

  I won’t go into the specifics of said lesson I directed Tiko to teach, but just note that the misunderstandings were resolved, except for Lester. The way he had turned on me surprised me a little. As I mentioned, I’d helped Lester when I probably shouldn’t have. His daughter had some trouble in high school, so I handled it for him without second thought. I’d made sure that they stayed in their high-priced house, living in their high priced community and I’d made sure his kids stayed in their high-priced schools. I’d paid Lester well for his discretion and loyalty, so for him to betray me, disrespect me in the manner in which he did, in front of my men...

  I gripped my steering wheel tight, whites of my knuckles evident, as I turned into the warehouse parking lot.

  I pulled out my cig, lit it, and then got out of my car. I headed for the front of the building followed by Darrell, Hugo and now Tiko, who was waiting for us in the warehouse parking lot. As I pulled on my cig, I thought about Lincoln. He and I would be formulating a plan right now as we walked, deciding which one of us was going to strike first. Typically, he would be the one to lose it first. He just didn’t have the tolerance to do anything else. I wasn’t too far behind. People hated to see us both coming. They couldn’t handle it. When there was only one, they felt like they had a fighting chance to stall the inevitable, but when the both of us were together, shit got messy quick.

  Darrell and Hugo moved ahead of me and disappeared into the warehouse. By the time I got to Lester’s office, he was sitting at his desk with Darrell and Hugo by his side.

  Lester looked up at me, fear etched in his eyes as Darrell tossed a cell phone on the desk.

  “He was trying to call someone when we pulled him from underneath his bed,” Darrell informed me.

  I nodded once and kept my eyes on Lester.

  Tiko found a chair for me and I sat. I took a few puffs of my cigar just to calm my rage before asking, “How are things going, Lester?”

  He stuttered, “F-fine.”

  I nodded, keeping my intense eyes on him. “Yeah, I heard things were fine. I’ve also heard that you’re… What did he say, Tiko? He’s done with me? Is that it? Do I have that, right, Lester?”

  He didn’t reply.

  I expelled a frustrated breath. “Have I not taken care of you and your family for the years we’ve known each other, Lester?”

  “As long as I kept my mouth shut.”

  “As long as you…” I took in another breath, then took a few puffs, held it in, then slowly released.

  “I paid you to keep your mouth shut about my business and what you do for me, yes. I’ve paid you handsomely I might add. I actually liked you, which is why, despite others, I looked out for your family. I took care of the issue with your daughter. I kept your son out of prison multiple times. I did all that out of the kindness of my heart and then you decide to just spit in my face.”

  Lester suddenly grew a set of balls, something that people have been doing around me a lot lately. He turned beet red, slammed his hand on the desk and stood, fire spitting from his mouth.

  “Yeah, did you fuck my daughter out of the kindness of your heart too?” he spat. “Did you, you son of a bitch? She told me what you did; how you took advantage of her. You’re a dirty piece of shit to t
ouch an innocent girl like my Sophia-”

  Darrell had attacked Lester before I could tell him not to bother. Darrell pinned Lester up against the wall and gave him a few blows to his solar plexus and his face.

  I nodded for Hugo to stop Darrell and I stood. I motioned for Darrell to stand Lester up and as they pinned him against the wall, then I moved closer.

  I will give it to Lester; I knew he was in pain from the blows he’d received, but he met me eye-to-eye, man to man. I took another drag, then put out my cigar on his desk.

  I said to him, remarkably calm considering, “I’m appalled you’d think I would touch your daughter, but I have an idea who put her up to telling you these lies. I hate to have to break it to you, but your sweet innocent girl, Sophia, is far from innocent. Yes, you see, I keep tabs on every part of my business, and since you and your family are my business, I know a lot more than you think. I don’t do young girls; never have. I prefer grown women, as my tastes require someone that’s experienced and your daughter is fucking sixteen. Why would you think I would touch a sixteen-year-old?” When it took Lester too long to respond, I charged, feeling now my rage coming full force, “Answer me, you stupid motherfucker!”

  “She told me…”

  I moved closer to his face. “She told you what? Did she say that I touched her and that I forced myself on her? Do you think I’m so hard up that I would go after a child? That I couldn’t control myself?” Before he could say anything, I smacked my hand up against his forehead, knocking his head against the wall behind him, hoping I’d knocked some sense into him and backed up from him slowly.

  The look of resolve and truth finally fell on his features. He broke down and started crying. I watched him, not feeling at all sympathetic; more like annoyed and aggravated.

  I motioned for them to let Lester go, and as I stepped back further, Lester fell over on his desk, his body racked with desperate sobs. I stood there, watching him realizing what a sniveling, coward, piece of shit I had in front of me.

  “Why would she lie?” he whispered.

  I figured his question was rhetorical so I didn’t reply.

  Lester spread his arms in front of him and stretched his hands against the desk. He dropped his head and replied, “I’m so ashamed. Please forgive my ignorance. It’s just that she’s my baby. Please? You have to understand my position. When Eddie brought her to me to tell me what happened to her, I was enraged. He calmed me down, telling me he would take care of everything. He said he would protect us, he would do a better job than you ever did and that he was the true Leonetti in charge. Why wouldn’t I believe him?”

  I moved to him and placed my hand on his shoulder, then the back of his head with my right hand.

  “Yes, I understand your position, really I do. I’m sure if I had a daughter and she told me someone touched her, I’d kill the man that did it.” He nodded profusely as I added, “I also know how my brother could be quite convincing. Making you believe that he had the best interests of you and your daughter at heart.”

  “Yes…” Lester replied.

  I then leaned closer to Lester and declared. “Still, you should’ve come to me the moment he approached you with this bullshit. Instead, you betrayed me.”

  I reached inside my jacket, pulled out my Glock with my left hand and slammed the butt of my gun into his hand, while still holding onto his neck. The screams leaving Lester’s body only charged me, and as Darrell placed Lester’s hand back on the desk, I slammed my gun a few more times, just for good measure. I grabbed him by his collar, pushed him against the wall and placed my gun underneath his chin. I was inches from his face. I could smell the fear of death coming from his pores. Enraged, like a caged animal, I looked in his eyes. I wanted him to see who I was, what he had brought out of me, so that there was no mistaking who was in charge.

  “You betrayed me, stupid fucker,” I hissed. “I don’t do well with betrayal. I don’t give a fuck what my brother said to you. He set you up and you fucking went for it. Your loyalty should have been to me.”

  The smell of urine attacked my nostrils, but I refused to back up. I wanted to kill the son of a bitch. I was tired of the bitter taste of betrayal. I wanted to release. I wanted to see his blood and brains splatter on the back wall. This would be the sure fire educational message my father told me to send. But I didn’t pull the trigger. I had a different plan in mind that, at the end of the day, would take Lester’s life anyway.

  “You and I are done,” I told him. “My protection is no longer yours.”

  I finally let him go and he dropped in the pool of his own piss, crying again. I watched his limp body as it shook and then turned to Tiko. “Get this useless son of a bitch out of here and torch the place. Show him what it’s like to have my leniency verses what it feels like to not have my protection.”

  Eddie

  When Eddie felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, he pulled it out and answered.

  “He just left,” the caller told him.

  Eddie smiled. “And how is our good ole Lester doing? Did he tell Angel everything?”

  “I’m not sure. I haven’t gotten the full story, but he’s still breathing,” the caller informed him. “Angel didn’t kill him, but Lester will wish he had… Damn, he’s getting the shit kicked out of him.”

  Eddie’s smile dropped. “What are you up to, little brother?” he asked himself.

  No matter, he thought to himself. Small things to a giant.

  “What do you want me to do?” the caller asked.

  “Nothing. Keep doing what you were instructed to do. I’m handling some other business to take dear brother down. I’ll keep you posted.”

  The moment Eddie ended his call, he saw a pair of headlights illuminating the darkness around him. He got out of his car and waited for the approaching vehicle to stop and for the occupant to get out.

  “Why are we meeting this far out of the city?” a voice questioned into the darkness.

  The headlights kept the man hidden, but Eddie knew who it was.

  “Because I don’t trust you or your employer,” Eddie sneered.

  “You came to us Eddie. We didn’t come to you,” Daniel replied, moving closer to Eddie.

  Daniel, being a Federal agent, was used to clandestine meetings, but he hated when people asked to meet in isolated areas like this. It was hard to get a team in such an area to protect him. Yet, they’d managed, so there were a few of his men out there in the dark, watching over him, but he’d bet Eddie had a few of his own too.

  “Yeah, and I gift wrapped Lincoln for you twice. You had two chances to take him down like you’re boning for and you couldn’t make anything stick. Fuck, bodies were left for you to sweep in and you were too fucking late. As it seems, you are always too fucking late. So, excuse me if I don’t trust you. Now tell me what you need me to do to make your job easier. You need me to take care of your shit for you.”

  Daniel moved closer to Eddie, anger rising. “You listen to me, you low-life son of a bitch. I don’t need you to do shit for us. If I wanted to take my brother down for any of the shit he’s done, I could. I don’t need you. In fact, I can take your entire fucking family down with him. I don’t work for you, and I’m nothing like you. Don’t forget whose showing leniency here.”

  “Yeah, and don’t forget who the fuck you’re dealing with, cousin. You couldn’t take shit down, even if you caught us red-handed, and you know this. Don’t be stupid and let your ego get in the way of both of our goals. You want Lincoln. I want Angel. We need to put the differences aside and make this happen for the both of us. Or if you like, I can just kill Lincoln for you.” Then Eddie grinned and moved back from Daniel. “You would love that, wouldn’t you? For me to get rid of him so you don’t get your hands dirty?”

  Eddie could see the vein pulsing in Daniel’s forehead, and that made him smile even bigger. Daniel hated his brother, Lincoln, probably more than Eddie did. Eddie wasn’t sure why, but hell, he didn’t care. Daniel’s hatred f
or Lincoln was his gain.

  Daniel took a few deep breaths to remain calm. Eddie was baiting him, and he knew it. What he needed to do was work with this scum for just a little bit longer to get what he wanted, then he’ll take them all down.

  Daniel finally asked, “Where is my guy? You said you had information, proof that Lincoln has my agent, Agosto.”

  Eddie nodded, “Yeah, yeah, I have that information for you, but I need you to do something for me first. Don’t worry; I have it on good authority that your man is still alive, but the moment Lincoln knows we’re on to him, Agosto might not be alive for long. We need to work together. You get your man, pin it on your brother and I get what I want. Everyone wins, right?”

  Eddie pushed his hand out to Daniel and Daniel reluctantly took it. This wasn’t how Daniel liked to work. Despite his dealings with this criminal, he was a “by the book” kind of agent that detested criminals, especially the ones that thought they were untouchable. Yet, he’d told Lincoln to leave his man, Agosto, alone and Lincoln didn’t listen. Agosto was a good man who was just doing what he was told, and now he was missing, probably dead, since he didn’t trust Eddie fully, and someone had to pay.

  “What’s your plan?” Daniel asked.

  Eddie smiled, leaned back against his car and told Daniel what he needed him to do.

  Chapter Five

  Raquel

  Ho-ly Shit!

  I sat up in my bed suddenly, soaked with sweat, heart pounding, trying frantically to catch my breath. The dream I’d just had felt so real that I started looking around my room, trying to figure out if he was actually here. My hand went to my chest first, then through my now damp hair, as I attempted to collect moisture in my mouth. I was unable to swallow the fear, excitement and apprehension down my now closed throat.

  My mind was going around in circles. I think if he was actually here, if he was actually touching me this very moment, I would combust.