I heard the distinct sound of a gun cocking. My body locked, and my eyes went over Jay’s shoulder to see Killer walking towards us with a gun drawn. This was definitely not what I signed on for. He was taking me so far outside my comfort zone, I couldn’t see it anymore.
“She doesn’t want to do that. Do you?” He pointed it in Annabelle’s face, and I watched all the color drain from her. I had to admit I was scared shitless myself and I wasn’t the one with the gun in my face.
“No,” she whimpered and shook her head profusely. It was slightly gratifying to see the way she cowered.
“Go see your father, T.”
I tore my eyes from the gun to look at Jay. His eyes were serious, and I could tell from the way they were communicating with me that he had it under control. I leaned up and kissed his cheek before running up the stairs and down the hall to the room that Annabelle had sequestered my father too once he became bedridden.
I slowly opened the door and tears instantly filled my eyes at the sight of my father looking so frail and small in the big bed. The room was dark since it was done up mainly in black tones and the blinds were mostly closed.
I sat in the chair on the side of the bed and took his hand in mine. It felt brittle and the skin was dry and felt papery.
“Oh, Daddy,” I whispered. “I’ve missed you so much.”
His head turned fractionally and he whispered hoarsely, “Doodlebug?”
I whimpered at the sound of him using my childhood nickname. “Yes, I’m here.”
“Love.” He paused for several moments before continuing, “You.”
“I love you, too. So much. I’m so sorry I haven’t been here.”
When he didn’t say anything else, pain shrouded me like a cloak at the thought that those were probably the last words he would ever speak to me. Breathing became near impossible as a weight the size of an elephant pressed down on my chest.
I sat next to his bed for what felt like hours. My gaze never strayed from his face and my hand never left his. Tears streamed down my cheeks like a deluge as I silently grieved for the first man whom I ever loved.
“Tori, baby?” Jay’s soft voice broke me from my trance. He knelt next to my chair. His eyes searched my face and I could tell he didn’t like what he saw.
I cleared my throat and wiped the tears from my eyes. “Jay, I want you to meet my father Lawrence Watson. Daddy, this is my friend Jayson Santiago.”
My father had no response to my introduction. The only thing he did was continue his shallow breaths.
“We should get going,” Jay said low into my ear. “Your cousin’s here and things are starting to deteriorate.”
I nodded and stood. My body felt drained and creaky now that I was finally standing. I leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on my dad’s cheek and whispered that I loved him in his ear. Knowing I needed to go, I finally let go of his hand.
Jay led me out into the hall and towards the stairs.
“Wait.” I pulled my arm from his grasp and ran down the hall to my father’s study. I went straight for the wall safe and opened it up, thanking my lucky stars that the combination hadn’t changed. I grabbed the velvet box that housed the pieces of my mother’s jewelry that my dad hadn’t already given me.
“Will this fit in your pants without looking like we’re smuggling it out?” I thrust the box at Jay when he joined me in the room.
“What is it?” He opened the box and whistled low. “Shit, baby. There has to be millions in diamonds here.”
“They were my mother’s. No way in hell that bitch is getting them. Will they fit?”
He shoved the box into his overly large pants, and I was grateful that he was wearing those jeans today. “Let’s go.”
Downstairs in the entryway, I found Annabelle sitting on the floor with Killer looming over her. Rich paced the floor between Zeke and Jerome, looking extremely pissed.
I went right for Rich and punched him in the face. I caught him off guard, and he staggered back from the force, which gave me time to rear back for another hit. Jay grabbed my arm and held it back, but I wasn’t to be stopped. Not until I said my peace.
“You’re despicable!” I spat in his face. “How can you look at that man up there on his death bed and believe that a piece of ass is worth this amount of betrayal. He loved you. He treated you like a son. Your father must be rolling over in his grave right now knowing what a piece of shit you turned out to be.”
“Fuck you, Tori!”
Jay pushed me out of the way and had Rich pinned to the wall with a hand at his throat before I could even react.
“Don’t you ever speak to her like that. You got me?”
Rich’s face was red, and his hands were clawing at Jay’s arm.
“I’m not letting go until you say you got me. You best wake up before some pussy drags you down. If I find out you look at or speak to Tori again, me and my boys here are going to make sure you know what regret feels like. Now motherfucker, do you get me?”
Rich nodded his head as best he could and Jay let him go. He slumped down against the wall and Annabelle scrambled to her hands and knees over to him.
“Let’s get you out of here, baby.”
We were mostly out the door when Rich decided to be stupid and poke the bear. “We’re going to sue for this.”
Killer stalked back to them and leaned in, making them both cringe. “I thought we had an understanding. Since you can’t seem to remember it, let me refresh your memory.” He pulled the gun from the waistband of his jeans. “You call the cops or an attorney and you have me to deal with. And trust me, I’m not worried about doing more time.”
“Right,” Rich whispered with disgust at the same time Annabelle whimpered.
Halfway to the car the weight of the whole situation hit me—my dad, Annabelle, Rich. It was too much for me to take. My knees buckled and a loud sob tore from my throat.
Jay picked me up before I hit the ground and carried me to the car. He climbed into the backseat with me, leaving Jerome to drive and Mike to sit up front.
He set me in his lap and I buried my head in his chest. Harsh sobs shook my body as he held me tightly.
“Shhh,” he whispered and kissed the top of my head. His hands gently rubbed my back as I cried.
Eventually my tears subsided to little hiccups. I snuggled further into Jay’s hold when his hand moved and started petting my head. It wasn’t long before my body completely relaxed and I fell asleep in his lap.
* * *
Jay
Tori’s weight settled into me, and I knew she finally found sleep. I had never been one for damsels in distress. If there was a problem I couldn’t fix, I wanted no part of it. I was by no means a knight in shining armor.
I might have been able to give her some peace by getting her in to see her father, but I feared that it only made the situation worse. That bitch and her prick of a cousin weren’t going to go away quietly, even after being threatened. Their drama was the last thing she needed and damn but I found myself wanting to shield her from more pain.
“I want you to contact Lewis and put him on retainer for T. I don’t care what it costs. He needs to find a way to make that bitch get what’s coming to her,” I tried to keep my tone low so as to not wake her. Thank God Tori hadn’t been downstairs to hear the hateful things that bitch was spewing.
Jerome looked in the rearview mirror at me. “Consider it done. That was some fucked up shit, man.”
“For real,” Mike agreed.
It wasn’t just me who had a soft spot for Tori. All my boys realized what a gem she was. She wasn’t some bitch who hung on and expected something from them. She genuinely wanted to spend time with them. And twice now she made no bones about sticking up for them whenever some closed minded asshole thought to voice their opinion.
“Want to bring her home?” Jerome asked as we navigated through Dallas.
“Don’t want her alone. She’s coming home with me.”
I looked down at her peaceful face as she slept. Tear tracks were still evident as they dried on her face. She was beautiful, even when she was a mess.
“Jay, man. Did you forget we have that party tonight? You think her being there is better than her going home?” Mike turned in his seat and faced him. His eyebrows were raised.
Shit. I had forgotten about that fucking party. There was sure to be groupie bitches, lots of drinking and a lot of other fucked up shit. Well, I guess this would be the true test of whether or not T could hang with us. I didn’t want her to spend the night at home alone. At least this way she’d be too busy to think about the situation at hand.
“Like I said, don’t want her alone. If anything starts to get too out of hand, I’ll shut it down.”
“Whatever you say, man.” Mike turned back in his seat, but not before giving Jerome a look.
I placed a kiss on the top of Tori’s head and held her a little tighter. She smelled so good and fit me perfectly. And Christ the head she gave was un-fucking-believable. Against my better judgment, I decided Tori was going to stick around for a while.
I wouldn’t be surprised if she started acting fake like all the other bitches eventually did—playing games and testing my limits. For that reason alone, I couldn’t give her my heart. In the meantime, I’d enjoy playing with her body and worry about scraping her off when she proved she was just like every other chick.
Chapter Eight
Tori
Jay woke me when we arrived at his beautifully stunning home in Turtle Creek. I barely had time to take in the stone façade before he whisked me inside for a quick tour. Everything was tastefully decorated in leather, dark woods and creams. The house had six bedrooms, just as many bathrooms, a media room, a wine cellar, a game room, a gym and a kitchen to die for.
The outdoor living space had a stone patio with plenty of seating for a large gathering, a lush green lawn, and the most beautiful pool I had ever seen. Between the floor to ceiling windows along the back of the house and the upper balcony that looked over it, I couldn’t fathom how gorgeous the backyard would look all lit up at night.
His house was quite simply magnificent. It was rich in taste, but not in an in your face kind of way with how expensive everything was. The perfect balance really.
After the tour, he informed me that there was a party there tonight and that I should make myself at home until people started showing up. Then he left me to go do whatever it was he needed to do.
I had no idea why I was there. While I was grateful that he didn’t just drop me off at home to leave me to wallow in my own self-pity until Kim got out of work, I didn’t appreciate being left alone in his house to do the same.
With no one to talk to, I turned on the television in the family room and attempted to lose myself in reruns of Friends. It was really hard to get my mind to stop spinning with all that had happened and all that I needed to try to figure out. Would I get the chance to see my dad again? Would Annabelle and Rich start more trouble now that I pushed back and threatened them? What did my future hold?
A few hours later a beautiful woman with skin the color of milk chocolate and a short afro came into the room I was holed up in. She greeted me like we were best friends. I wasn’t sure how to react, seeing as how I had never met her before.
Her tawny colored eyes locked with mine. “I’m Keesha. I’ve been dying to meet you. The guys haven’t stopped talking about you.”
“Oh… um… I’m sorry, but I have no idea who you are.”
She let out a giggle and plunked down on the couch next to me. “Jay said you were funny. Anyway, I came early so I could talk to you about your job.”
“My job?” I asked, not understanding how Lace factored into this conversation.
“Yeah, with Rucker Records. Now you’ll mostly be Jay’s assistant, but I’ll need you to do things for me too. Consider me the person that keeps things running smoothly around there. You’ll report to me whenever Jay isn’t in the office.”
“I’m sorry.” I shook my head, wondering if I fell asleep and was now in an alternate universe. “I’m not following you. What are you talking about? I don’t work for Jay.”
“Jay,” she said on a sigh. “Obviously he didn’t tell you that he was hiring you. Just like that man to overlook a key detail like that. Either that or he figured I’d tell you. He isn’t gung-ho on arguing if it can be avoided. And from what I’ve heard I’m going to assume you don’t let him trample on you, so…”
She turned so that her body was fully facing me and continued, “Jay wants you to come work for us. Hours are nine to five, Monday through Friday. Occasionally, we’ll need you during off hours, depending on his schedule. You’ll be compensated for that time. Any questions?”
“Is this for real?” It felt like my head was spinning. This was the last thing I expected to happen.
She gave me a grin and nodded her head.
I bit my lip and considered the proposition. I didn’t like Jay thinking that I needed a new job. I enjoyed my job at Lace and depending on the night of the week, I could usually pull in decent tips. Granted, it wasn’t exactly something I wanted to do forever, but it wasn’t like it was tawdry or anything. Then again, if I went to work for Jay, I’d have day shifts, weekends off, and I was assuming better pay. Plus, I’d get to hang with him and the guys more often.
“When do I start?” I asked her. The excitement in my voice couldn’t be contained. The new, independent Tori was finding it fun to take on new challenges.
“Monday? Or do you need to work out a notice?”
“Um, I’m not sure.” Wasn’t it common practice to give two-week’s notice? Did that courtesy even apply to strip joints? I had never been in the position to give notice before.
“Well, here, honey. Take my phone number and give me a call tomorrow after you find out.”
I pocketed the business card she had dug out of her purse.
“Let’s go get something to drink. I’ll introduce you around tonight and give you the lay of the land. There’s already some people out by the pool.”
I followed her out to the pool area where there were kegs set up and a quasi-bar off to the side where the outdoor kitchen was. There were tables set up with all different kinds of food piled high. There was already a crowd of people and I wondered how they all got in considering I hadn’t heard the doorbell ring at all.
As the night progressed, things got a little wild with some people skinny dipping and others having sex in various locations around the pool. There was obvious drug use going on around us, but it wasn’t as out of control as I had imagined it would be. It was still a far cry from the uptight, prim parties at the country club I was accustomed to. And it did make my sorority parties look tame in comparison. Definite culture shock for me.
I hadn’t seen Jay since earlier in the day when he left me in the family room. I scanned the backyard looking for him, trying not to be too obvious, but he was nowhere in sight.
A couple hours into the party, Trigger—the guy from Lace the first night I met Jay—came up and acted like Keesha and I were his best friends. He gave us both Tequila shooters. I took it from him not wanting to be rude and turn it down since Keesha graciously accepted hers.
After we downed the first round, he came back with a second. That was when Keesha excused herself to go get us “better tasting shit,” as she put it. Thus, I found myself standing there alone with Trigger. I felt strangely uncomfortable being alone with him, especially after our first encounter. He gave me the creeps whenever I caught him staring at me with hunger in his eyes. There was just no amount of small talk that could have prepared me for it.
“So, gringa. I see you’re still hanging around Jay.”
I narrowed my eyes at him and with as much attitude as I could muster said, “What’s it matter to you?”
He shrugged. “It doesn’t really. But when he’s done playing with you, come find me. I’ll show you what a real man is like. I don’t do games
like Jay does. I’ll tell you straight out, I just want your pussy.”
“You’re a pig.”
“Maybe so, but at least I’m straight up about it.”
“You seen Jay?” Keesha asked Trigger as she rejoined us. She handed me a drink that upon first sip, had to be mostly Jack Daniels.
I sent a silent thank you up to the heavens for Keesha saving me from any more of our conversation.
“He’s with Nessy,” Trigger answered. His eyes held mine waiting for a reaction, but I didn’t give him one. It cost me, but I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. For all I knew he was playing games with me too.
Keesha mumbled something to herself, and I tried to hear what it was, but with the music and laughing I couldn’t make it out.
A naked woman came up to our group and drew Trigger away, much to my relief.
My eyes skirted the crowd as I sipped my drink. On the second pass around, they landed on Jay walking out of the house with a beautiful woman. I wasn’t sure what her heritage was, but I was sure it had some Polynesian in it. She had long, dark shiny hair and exotic looking eyes. And she was hanging on him like a cheap suit.
He wasn’t showing her affection, but it was clear he didn’t mind her being there either. Just another day in the life of Jay I suppose. He could have any woman he wanted with no care or concern about the one who he left alone at his house all day. Jealousy was a knife that twisted viciously in my stomach as I watched them.
“Who’s that?” I croaked out past my dry lips. “You know what? It’s none of my business.”
“No worries. Working at the label you’ll hear all the gossip anyways. That’s Nessy. She’s the lead singer in one of the groups we have signed.”
“Are they?” I trailed off, not feeling the need to elaborate. Keesha had to know what I was getting at.
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