The Bull (The Black Land Series Book 2)

by D. Camille

  Lance nodded. “I’ll hit up a couple of spots.”

  “I can call Marc. He’s with the FBI, he might be able to come up with something,” Rion offered.

  Lance frowned. “Nah, we good.”

  Corvus laughed. “Lance doesn’t want the competition involved.”

  “There ain’t no damn competition,” Lance said harshly.

  Rion shook his head. “Aren’t you and Khayla together now?”

  “Like I said…we good,” Lance repeated.

  Khalil stood. “The man said we good…so we good.”

  Brandon and Rion followed suit. “Okay Lance, let us know if you find out anything,” Rion told him and he nodded.

  The three men said their goodbyes before leaving Lance and Corvus in the office.

  Corvus looked at his friend and brother. “Damn man, you need to hurry up and marry that girl. You tripping.”

  Lance returned his look. “Marry her? I haven’t even taken the woman on a real date yet!”

  “What I’m supposed to be like…yo Katydids, I know that I jetted on you before and I still haven’t shown you I’m legit now…but let’s get married Ma?” Lance asked. “She’ll kick my ass for real.”

  “You sounding real female right now…I’m just going to keep it one hundred,” Corvus told him.

  “How am I sounding female?” Lance asked.

  Corvus leaned forward. “Man, this is Khayla. Y’all been doing this forever. You love the hell out of her and she love the hell out of you.” He sighed. “Just do the damn thing.”

  “You all dramatic and shit,” Corvus finished.

  Lance looked at him. “Where your woman at?”

  Corvus smiled. “Which one?”

  “You ain’t got just one.”

  “That’s by choice.” Corvus straightened. “Straight up though Lance, if I had somebody in my life like Khayla…somebody who knew me as a nappy headed bad ass little boy and still loved me as a grown man through all my shit…I wouldn’t be worried about taking her on no damn dates. I’d be like Rion, putting a ring on her finger, buying her houses and planning a whole bunch of babies.”

  Lance looked at him. “Who sounding real female now?”

  Corvus smirked. “I wasn’t the one who was about to start crying when Rion mentioned the FBI dude.”

  “See, you trying it…” Lance warned.

  “Man, go marry that girl. She been waiting on you forever, make her happy.” Corvus gave Lance a nod.

  Lance sat in thought. “I gotta do it right though. Khayla deserves the best.”

  “Then do it. What the hell are you waiting for?”

  “I want her to trust me first,” Lance answered.

  Corvus shook his head. “Momma says the only man a woman should trust is her husband.”

  “Momma be dropping that science, for real though,” Lance agreed.

  “Momma knows everything.”

  Lance laughed as he acknowledged the truth of Corvus’ words. He looked across the desk at him.

  “I gotta find Karen first because Khayla wants to do some damage to her and I can’t let her do that,” Lance explained. “She has too much at stake.”

  Corvus stood to his feet. “We need to start shaking some trees then.”

  *********

  Chief Mackenzie Green sat in her office with a team of detectives. Her mission was to find Karen Barnes, the woman who’d shot Lance, before anyone else did. Mac knew that the Negus would be getting antsy. They were used to finding things out and taking care of business swiftly. However, this Karen was crafty and had been able to elude them all.

  “Do we have anything?” she asked the team.

  One detective spoke up. “We know that she made it out of the state. We have officers on the lookout for here from here to Florida.”

  Mac shook her head. “Someone’s sheltering her.”

  “Who?” Another detective asked. “We’ve checked all family and close friends.”

  “She’s a user. She used Jamal. She tried to use Lance. Her pattern is to try to ensnare unsuspecting men. She’s a beautiful woman and she’s very street. She’s smart enough to know that we’re looking for her, especially Lance. She needs someone tough to protect her right now,” Mac paused.

  “She wants to feel safe. He’s going to be some type of wannabe kingpin or something for her to feel he can shield her from the Negus and the police…and he’s someone she knew before the robbery attempt.”

  “Nothing from her phone records?” Mac asked.

  They shook their heads.

  “She’s too damn smart, but there’s always someone smarter,” Mac commented. “And I hope we find her before they do….”

  *********

  Corvus followed Lance to the gas station after making their rounds trying to dig up information on Karen’s whereabouts. Inside the building Miles was stocking one of the shelves.

  “What up doe Miles?” Lance greeted.

  Miles turned from his work. “Hey Lance. I was here at eleven.”

  Lance looked at his brother neatly dressed with a fresh cut and smiled. “I know. I checked on you.”

  Miles nodded. “The nurse you sent for Mama came before I left. I showed her where everything was.”

  “I checked on her too,” Lance told him.

  “Damn, you be checking on everybody,” Miles commented.

  “Now I have to…” Lance said looking around the station.

  Mike entered the door and broke into a huge grin when he saw Lance. “Lance!”

  “What up Mike?”

  Mike looked him over in jeans and navy thermal shirt. “You straight man?” Mike asked.

  Lance nodded. “Yeah, I’m straight. What’s been going on here?”

  “Nothing, everything been cool. I met your brother,” Mike said looking at Miles.

  “He’s my brother, but when he’s here…he’s an employee. If you see him messing up, let me know.”

  Mike laughed. “He don’t get a pass either huh?”

  “Nobody does.” Lance affirmed.

  Miles shook his head and went back to his work. “Mike, let us holla at you in the back.”

  Mike agreed and followed Lance and Corvus to the backroom. Inside Lance took a seat at the desk.

  “Did you ever see Karen with any other dudes besides Jamal?” Lance asked.

  Mike thought about it for a minute. “Yeah…”

  “They were here at the station?” Corvus asked.

  “He would drop her off early sometimes,” Mike explained.

  Lance looked surprised. “Do you know him?”

  “Nah, I don’t know him…but I’ve seen him.”

  “What does he look like?” Lance asked.

  Mike shrugged. “He was in the car but I could tell he was a dark-skinned dude with braids. He was driving a nice ride.”

  Lance and Corvus looked at each other. “What kind of car?” Corvus questioned.

  “Black Chevy Tahoe on black dubs…leather interior, tinted windows,” Mike described the vehicle.

  “Drug dealer,” Lance and Corvus said at the same time.

  Mike agreed. “He’d call her on the phone here sometimes.”

  Lance looked confused. “He called on this phone at the station?”

  “I thought Mac ran the phone records?” Corvus looked at Lance.

  “They probably focused on outgoing calls…not the incoming.” Lance surmised. “People call here all day asking questions, but I can pull the caller ID log.”

  He turned to Mike. “Do you remember a particular night he called?”

  “Two nights before the robbery Jamal had left, and she was on the phone with him.”

  Lance nodded. “Let me find that number.” He pulled out his keys and unlocked a cabinet that held a laptop. As the computer booted he turned to Mike. “Around what time?”

  “Like ten-thirty.”

  “What were you doing here that late?” Lance asked.

  “I knew they were plotting. I
was trying to figure out what was going on, so I stayed around doing the stuff she didn’t want to do, like cleaning up.”

  Lance shook his head and directed his attention to the screen. He pulled up the information and began to look through the numbers. When he located the date and time he sought, he printed the page then grabbed it from the nearby printer.

  “I’ve got what I need,” Lance announced while standing.

  Corvus nodded looking at his phone. “Let’s stop by Momma’s and get some food.”

  Lance looked at him. “Did she tell us to stop by?”

  “Nah, but I’m hungry.”

  “How do you know she cooked?” Lance asked.

  Corvus gave him a look. “If she didn’t, then she will when we get there.”

  Lance shook his head. “Get a woman man.”

  “You eating or what?” Corvus asked putting his phone away.

  “I’m going by the restaurant to see Katydids. I haven’t hooked up with her today.”

  “Cool, I’ll hook up with you when you got some information on that number.”

  Lance nodded and they all exited the room. Saying goodbye to Miles and the other staff, Lance headed to his car to drive to the restaurant. He entered to a full crowd and looked around for Khayla. When he didn’t see her, he headed to the office. Opening the door, he saw Khayla sitting at the desk cleaning her pistol.

  Lance stepped inside and closed the door. “Hey Katydids.”

  “Hey Lance.” She smiled at him and went back to her task.

  “Why are you cleaning your piece?” he asked cautiously.

  She didn’t look up. “I used it today.”

  Lance approached the desk with a confused look. “You used it?”

  “At the range,” she explained.

  He nodded. “You went to the range today, huh?”

  Khayla looked up at him. “Yeah, have to keep my skills sharp. We do live in Detroit.”

  Lance leaned against the desk. “You have a good session?”

  “Almost perfect,” she boasted. “You know Khalil and I learned at a young age since our parents are proponents of the Second Amendment.”

  She smiled sarcastically. “It’s funny that everyone is a proponent of bearing arms until those weapons are in the hands of black people to defend themselves. The Black Panthers were labeled terrorists for having the audacity to arms themselves in order to protect their communities and families.”

  “Black people have been terrorized in this country from day one. When we decide that we won’t tolerate it anymore, and that we’ll feed our own kids and build our own communities, we’re subjected to even more terror.”

  Khayla shook her head and quickly finished her task before putting her weapon in her bag. Turning she looked Lance over standing in front of her in his jeans and boots.

  “You’re too damn handsome,” she told him smiling.

  Lance laughed. “You just went from giving me a black history lesson to telling me I’m fine as hell.”

  She stood. “First of all, I said you were handsome. Those street chicks tell you that you’re fine as hell. Secondly, I could give you a black history lesson in my sleep on any subject, you know that.”

  Lance placed his hands on her hips, staring down into her caramel face. “First of all, you’re so damn smart and beautiful, I don’t know why you chose me. Secondly, you can give me a lesson anytime you feel like it...on anything.”

  Khayla looked up at him and stepped closer. “I choose you because my heart has never wanted anyone else.”

  Lance lowered his head and kissed her cheek before moving over to her lips. Sliding his tongue gently across their plushness he took his time nipping and sucking the soft pillows. He pulled her flush against his body as he invaded her mouth.

  Khayla held on to his shirt as he pleasured her tongue. His hands moved to squeeze her behind and Khayla’s breath escaped on a deep sigh. “Lance…” she breathed into his mouth.

  Lance didn’t slow down, in fact he probed deeper while pressing her into his hard body. Khayla held on tighter as his hand moved up to caress her jaw. He lifted his head to stare down at her.

  “You are my heart, Khayla Imani.”

  Chapter 15

  A few days later Lance parked his truck at Khayla’s building. He was there to pick her up for their official first date and he was proud of the plans he’d made for them. More than anything, Lance wanted to show Khayla that he was ready to be the man she could trust with her heart and her life.

  As he walked to her door, he thought about how truly beautiful Khayla was. Not just her five foot five-inch voluptuous frame or her dark brown eyes and sexy luscious lips. It was her passion and her fire that blew his mind and always had from the first time he’d seen her.

  Khayla was Detroit to the bone. Although she’d lived away for years during college and after, the foundation was firmly set. She didn’t play around when it came to taking care of her business and he appreciated that about her. Her hustle matched his and together there was nothing they couldn’t accomplish in their city.

  He arrived at the door and when it was opened, his smile spread slowly across his face. There before him stood the only woman who’d ever moved him. The only woman who’d had the ability to remain on his mind constantly. The woman he’d first given his love to, both emotionally and physically. She smiled and his heart jumped.

  “Hey Katydids.”

  “Hi Lance. You’re early,” she told him.

  He shook his head. “Nah, I’m right on time.” Lance bent and kissed her softly.

  Khayla touched his face. “Yes, you are now.”

  “You ready?” he asked stepping inside.

  She looked at him suspiciously. “You told me to dress warmly for now, but not to bring too many clothes…where are we going?”

  “My date…my plans.”

  “Really Lance? How am I supposed to pack a bag when I don’t know where we’re going or how long?” she asked.

  He looked down at her. “Trust me Ma,” he said softly.

  Khayla watched him for a moment then sighed. “Okay boy.”

  Lance laughed. “Let’s go. Where’s your bag?”

  “It’s in the bedroom because I couldn’t decide what to bring,” she explained.

  “Let’s see then,” Lance said taking her hand leading her to the bedroom. They walked over to the bed where her small suitcase sat open. He looked inside then at her.

  “You really don’t have to bring panties…”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Is this a game?”

  He laughed. “You sound just like Khalil.”

  Khayla folded her arms. “Where are we going Lance?” she asked looking at him in boots, jeans and a jacket.

  “Just bring something for the next two days to wear and something for dinner.” He smiled at her. “You don’t need anything to sleep in. I’ll keep you warm.”

  “You know I hate the cold,” she complained. “Are we going to be outside or something?”

  Lance pulled her to him. “We’re not going to Alaska, Khayla.” He kissed her cheek. “I can’t believe you were born and raised in Michigan and hate the cold so much.”

  “I don’t look forward to it.”

  He laughed. “I remember how you couldn’t wait for summer every year.”

  “I love the warmth of the sun,” she told him.

  Lance nuzzled her neck. “You’re a hot girl.”

  “I couldn’t wait for summer either to see you in shorts and a tank top.” He lifted his head to look at her. “It made me hot without the sun, I know that,” he said kissing her quickly.

  She smiled at him. “See, if you took me somewhere warm, we could be naked.”

  He chuckled. “Trust Ma, we will be naked regardless.”

  Khayla shook her head. “Is this good so we can go?” she asked pointing to the small suitcase.

  “That’s straight, if you need anything else we can get it.”

  She kissed him softly. “
Your date…your plans.”

  Together they left the apartment after Khayla grabbed another small bag, and headed to the car. Inside the vehicle, Lance donned a pair of sunglasses against the Libra sun. Lance drove to the freeway and quickly merged into the moving traffic heading north. Khayla watched him maneuver the car.

  “How is the physical therapy going?” she asked.

  He nodded. “It’s straight. My arm feels fine most of the time.”

  “No pain?”

  “Not really.”

  Khayla watched him. “Are you still taking the prescription?”

  “Nah, I don’t really like taking that stuff,” he admitted.

  “That’s fine, but you shouldn’t just take yourself off of a prescription. I can give you something else to replace it.”

  He turned to her. “Okay, I’ll do that.”

  Her eyes widened. “What? No fighting?”

  Lance shrugged and turned back to the road. “I know you’ll take care of me Katydids.”

  “Always baby.” Khayla settled into her seat.

  “Thank you for recommending the nurse for my Mama,” he told her quietly.

  She turned to him again. “Is it working out okay?”

  He laughed. “Hell nah. Mama is mean as hell, giving the nurse grief all damn day.” Lance shook his head. “She don’t want no strangers in her house.”

  ‘Mind you, I own that house.” He continued, “She won’t cooperate so I told the nurse I’d pay her just to be there in case she needs something when Miles is not there.”

  “That’s expensive Lance. You could hire a caregiver instead of a licensed nurse just to sit with her,” Khayla explained. “I only suggested a nurse if your mother had decided to try to improve her condition.”

  “I’ll try it out for another week or so and see what happens,” Lance said glancing over at her.

  Khayla nodded then settled back in her seat deep in thought. She looked out the window as they exited the city limits. She smiled and turned to him. “We’re leaving the city?”

  “Yes, Katydids we’re leaving the city. Didn’t you just see the sign?”

  “Don’t be a smartass Lance.” She turned back to the window. “I know the women you’re used to being with can’t form questions nor read signs.”

  He smiled and turned to her. “Oohhh, the Black Panther has her claws out.”