by D. Camille
Khayla’s eyes narrowed. “She shot the man I love…so I’m deeply involved.”
“Let me take care of it Khayla,” he gritted out.
“I’m not stopping you Lance. You want to keep your secrets with Corvus, then go right ahead.”
Lance stepped back frustrated. “What do you know?”
She took a seat on the sofa. “I don’t know anything.”
He took the seat next to her taking her hand. “She’s dangerous Katydids. If something happened to you, me, Khalil and the Negus would destroy everything.”
“I know that Lance. I won’t do anything that puts me in danger,” she told him.
“How about you don’t do anything at all?” he pointed out.
Khayla smiled slowly. “Go take care of your business baby.”
“You say I’m stubborn and bullheaded?”
She agreed. “And you are…”
They stared at each other in a silent battle of wills for a few minutes.
“Okay Ma, I’ll holla at you in a minute.” Lance stood to his feet and held out his hand.
Khayla took it and stood as well. “Be careful Lance,” she whispered.
He lifted her face to his. “I will find her before you do, I promise you.”
“She’d better hope so,” Khayla said watching him.
Lance kissed her slowly and she wrapped her arms around him holding him tightly. “I love you Khayla Imani.”
“I love you Lance.”
He stepped back and walked to the door holding her hand. “I’ll check up on you later,” he told her as he opened it slowly.
“I’ll do the same baby.”
Khayla lifted on her toes and gave him one last kiss before he turned and walked down the hall. She saw he walked with determination and knew she’d better get in touch with Sage sooner than later, because Lance was a man on a mission.
Lance climbed into his car then pulled out his phone dialing Corvus. “I’m on my way,” he said when the phone was answered.
“Now?” Corvus asked.
“Right now.”
There was a pause. “Uh…I’ve got company,” Corvus told him.
Lance frowned. “You’re about to have some more!” he snapped.
“Damn, what’s wrong with you?”
“I need to find Karen’s ass…and fast,” Lance answered.
Corvus sighed. “Cool, come on.”
They disconnected the call and Lance drove to Corvus’ house. When he arrived he saw a woman walking down the stairs to her car as Corvus stood in the doorway in jeans watching her. Lance got out of the car and headed towards the house as the woman drove off.
“See what I do for you?” Corvus told him as he reached the door.
Lance stepped inside. “You were trying to get rid of her anyway.”
Corvus smiled. “Yeah, I was. She was trying to make her ass at home.”
Inside the home, Lance shook his head as he headed to the kitchen removing his leather jacket. “What you got to eat?”
“Eat? Didn’t you just come from a Bed and Breakfast?”
Lance turned to him. “I’ve been on the road for three hours.”
“Khayla didn’t feed you?” Corvus questioned as Lance took a seat at the counter.
“Khayla is trying to find Karen.”
Corvus shrugged. “So, we are too.”
Lance shook his head. “No, we’re finding Karen to turn her over to Mac. Khayla is finding Karen to put the paws on her.”
Corvus shook his head. “Damn, it’s a wrap for Karen.”
“I have to find her first. I don’t know what Khayla is planning and she’s not talking,” Lance explained.
Opening the fridge, Corvus commented, “I mean, but what can she find out that we can’t?”
“This is Khayla Lewis we’re talking about,” Lance reminded him.
Corvus froze. “Oh, damn that’s right.” He closed the door to the refrigerator after grabbing some containers. “Like I said, it’s a wrap for Karen.”
“What’s up on this Reggie dude?” Lance asked. “Maybe he can lead us to her.”
“He’s out of town right now. We can ask Mac to put out a bulletin for the car?” Corvus suggested.
Lance nodded. “Yeah, we’re going to need her help on this one. I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”
Corvus headed to the microwave with the dishes. “You know Khalil is going to help his sister.”
“Their bond is unbreakable,” Lance commented. “So we have to keep him in the dark about what’s going on.”
“What about Rion and Brandon?” Corvus began to heat the food.
Lance thought about it. “We’ll let them know as needed.”
Corvus lifted a brow. “Why?”
“Because Rion will tell Tauri…then Brandon and Mac, I don’t know what kind of relationship they got going on,” Lance informed him.
Corvus laughed. “I know. They fight each other but look like they want to smash all the time.”
“I know. We can use Mac’s help to find Reggie, but I need to get to Karen before we turn her over. I want to know if anybody else was involved and why she did this,” Lance told him.
The timer from the microwave interrupted their conversation as Corvus grabbed two plates before bringing everything to the counter where Lance sat.
Lance looked at the two plates. “You eating too?”
“I’m not going to let you eat up all my food.” Corvus began filling the plates.
“You’re so damn greedy,” Lance told him.
Corvus laughed. “I like to eat. Plus, I gotta keep this body strong for the ladies.”
Lance took the plate then reached for some silverware as Corvus took the seat next to him.
“So you and Khayla got married or what?”
“No, me and Khayla didn’t get married,” Lance shook his head as he ate.
Corvus looked at him. “Engaged?”
“No.”
“Then what the hell you take her away for?” Corvus asked.
Lance sat down his fork. “To show her how much I love her.”
“You couldn’t do that by asking her to marry you?” Corvus looked confused.
He shook his head. “It’s not the right time.”
“It’s been almost ten years!” Corvus exclaimed.
Lance began eating again. “Let me do this. I got this.”
Corvus went back to his food. “Rion gets married ten minutes after meeting Tauri and your ass waiting ten years.” He shook his head. “I don’t know about either one of y’all.”
“So how you gonna do it, Mr. Suave?” Lance asked.
Corvus smiled. “I’m not…she’s going to ask me.”
Lance looked at him. “You’re a straight fool.”
“What?”
“No woman is going to ask your ass to marry her,” Lance told him. “Not one worth marrying.”
Corvus laughed. “Okay, just wait and see.”
Lance finished his food and took the plate to the sink. “Tell Momma the food was on point.”
“How you know Momma made it?” Corvus questioned following Lance to the sink.
Lance smirked. “I’ve been eating Momma’s food practically all my life, I know what it tastes like.”
“Plus, I know you don’t eat no other woman’s food…and I know your ass can’t cook,” Lance finished.
“Don’t hate,” Corvus told him while rinsing the dishes before placing them in the dishwasher.
“Take me by the spot Reggie stops at when he’s in town,” Lance told him.
Corvus nodded. “Let’s ride.
*********
Khayla was glad that Sage lived on the West Coast in LA, so the time difference worked in her favor. She couldn’t wait until tomorrow to check in, she had to get some information now.
She dialed the number hoping not to disturb the new mommy too much. Sage answered and Khayla could hear the babies in the background.
“Hold on Khayla,” S
age said into the phone. “Jordan, can you please take Justice and Diamond downstairs, I need to take this call?”
She heard a deep baritone respond, “Okay, pretty girl.”
A minute later there was complete silence as Sage came back onto the line.
“Khayla?”
“Hi Sage, I’m sorry to interrupt your family time,” Khayla apologized.
“Girl please, I need this peace and quiet,” Sage told her.
Khayla laughed. “Your family sounds adorable.”
“My husband Jordan is a handful, but he’s mine and I love him. Diamond is a mess and Justice is a cry baby already, but they’re mine and I love them.”
“That’s beautiful,” Khayla commented.
Sage got right to the point. “So I talked to Trent and he’s following a trail. He should have something in the next couple of days.”
“Okay, that sounds great.”
“He also found out that Karen is connected to some drug dealer named Reggie Brown. Reggie has been in and out of jail and apparently that’s where he met that Jamal, the guy who worked at Lance’s gas station,” Sage explained.
“So Reggie may have been involved in the robbery attempt as well?” Khayla asked.
Sage agreed. “Seems likely.”
“Jamal and Reggie were working with Karen…” Khayla pondered.
“Trent thinks that Reggie is hiding Karen somewhere to protect her. He’s working on finding out where.”
Khayla walked to the window and looked out at the darkening sky as memories flooded her mind. “It seems like this is never going to end.”
Sage heard the anguish in Khayla’s voice. “Listen, we’re going to handle this. This woman isn’t going to get away.”
“The night of the shooting, I thought she was a teenager. She was dressed like a young boy,” Khayla commented.
“What did you say?” Sage asked.
“I said she was dressed like a teenage boy. I would never have guessed it was a woman, especially one who looks the way Karen does.”
Sage gasped. “That’s it Khayla. She’s disguised!”
Khayla’s eyes widened. “Everyone is looking for this pretty woman, but she’s going around dressed like a damn boy!” She turned and walked back into the room.
“She may not even be gone, Khayla. She could still be in the city.”
“Dammit!”
Sage sobered. “Which means Lance could still be in danger from her, if he’s not careful. She could be trying to get to him before he gets to her.”
Khayla’s heart fell. “Sage, I gotta go. I’ll call you later!”
She disconnected the call and grabbed her purse. Checking inside she saw her pistol tucked safely away. Khayla dialed another number on her phone.
“Khalil, I need you to find out where Lance is…right now!”
*********
Lance and Corvus drove to the area in one of the tougher parts of the city.
“Third house on the left…” Corvus told him as they drove down the darkening street.
Lance looked out the window. “Looks like two boys sitting on the porch.”
“Lookouts probably.”
Lance continued to study the two individuals. There was something vaguely familiar…
“Slow down Corvus,” Lance instructed.
As the car slowed, Lance’s phone rang and took his attention away from the porch to see who was calling. The pair sitting on the porch watched the car closely as they passed the home.
“What’s up Khalil?”
“What’s up Brother? Where are you?” Khalil asked.
Lance paused. “Checking out some stuff with Corvus. Why?”
“I need to hook up with you. I’ll come to where you are.”
Corvus looked at Lance in question. “What’s going on Khalil? Why you need to see me right now?” Lance questioned.
“I need to get some information from you,” Khalil told him.
“Okay, what?”
“Never over the phone my Brother. You know my rules…” Khalil reminded him. “I’m out right now, just tell me where to meet you.” Lance told him their location.
“What the hell are you doing over there without backup? Are you trying to get killed?” Khalil demanded.
Lance looked at Corvus. “We’re following up on something.”
“Well stay right there. I’m on my way then we’ll follow up together.” Khalil instructed. “I swear sometimes I think you two share one brain.”
Khalil disconnected the call and Lance shook his head. “I guess we’re waiting for Khalil.”
Corvus looked around. “He gets on my nerves, but I’m kinda glad he’s coming. Another gun won’t hurt and he’s not afraid to use his.”
“He’s been using it since he was like six, hell.” Lance looked out the window trying to figure out why the boy on the porch looked so familiar.
Corvus watched him. “What’s wrong?”
Lance shook his head. “The boy on the porch looked familiar.”
“One of Mike’s friends?” Corvus asked.
“I don’t know.”
Lance glanced back at the house in the distance. “I need to find out who that is.”
Corvus frowned. “Who?”
“The boy on the porch.”
Lance reached for the door and Corvus halted him. “What the hell are you doing? We don’t know this hood or these dudes.” He looked out the window. “Let’s wait for Khalil.”
“They’re going inside.” Lance told him as he watched from a distance.
Corvus looked at the house. “They’re watching us. We need to move.”
“Damn I needed to get closer,” Lance complained.
“We didn’t come to storm the house Lance, just to scout the location,” Corvus reminded him.
Lance frowned. “I’m not going to rest until I know who that is.”
A knock on the window had them both jumping as they turned to see Khalil.
Corvus unlocked the door and Khalil jumped in the back seat. “You two trying to get murdered, not even paying attention.”
“Where the hell did you come from?” Lance questioned.
“Parked around the corner…didn’t want to bring extra attention,” he explained. “What are we doing here?
Lance looked at him. “This is Negus business…between us.”
“When isn’t it?” Khalil asked pointedly.
“I know Khayla is going to ask you about what’s going on with Karen. I need you to keep her out of this,” Lance told him.
“My sister is not going to rest until this is over, so the sooner we get it over, the sooner the Queen can relax.”
Lance agreed. “Okay, third house from the corner is where this dude Reggie hits up when he’s in town.”
Corvus then explained Reggie’s connection to Karen and how they had located him. Khalil listened intently then looked back at the house.
“Well, we can’t make any moves tonight. We know the house, so let’s go back and decide how to handle it,” Khalil suggested.
Lance looked at the house once more. “There’s a boy there. I know that I know him, so I want to be careful if we have to go in. No innocents.”
“Of course,” Khalil agreed. “We don’t operate like that.”
“We’ll meet up tomorrow,” Lance told them. “We’ll come by the center, Khalil.”
Khalil nodded. “Go home Lance, don’t do anything stupid tonight.”
“I can’t afford to be reckless,” Lance began. “I’ve got too much to live for.”
“Yeah, you do.” Both Corvus and Khalil agreed.
Lance turned to Khalil. “What information did you need from me?”
Khalil shrugged. “My intuition thought you might be in danger so I had to check on you.”
“I didn’t know you cared so much,” Lance told him.
Khalil gave him a look before the trio made plans to meet up the next day. Corvus drove Khalil to his car before they all departe
d their separate ways for the evening.
*********
Lance arrived home and took his bag inside. Sitting on the bed, he thought back over his weekend with Khayla. Lying back, he let out a long breath then closed his eyes and took in the quiet. Lance knew he had to be cautious. Like he’d told Corvus and Khalil, he had too much to live for. Planning his future life with Khayla was a priority.
It still bugged him trying to guess the identity of the boy on the porch. He’d know soon enough though. Tomorrow he’d meet with Corvus and Khalil then hopefully they could end this drama.
Lance took out his phone and called to check on his Queen. She answered on the first ring.
“Hello Lance.”
“Hey Katydids. Are you in bed?”
“Not yet.”
He placed an arm over his head. “I can’t believe I miss you already.”
She laughed softly. “I did put it on you.”
“Yeah, you did Ma.”
“I miss you too. I’m glad you called me,” she told him softly.
Lance removed his arm. “I didn’t want you worried about me.”
“I was concerned. When you left you looked like you were ready to do something reckless.”
He sat up. “Nah, I know what’s important…and that’s what we’re building together.”
Khayla smiled on her end. “It’s important to me too.”
“We’re having dinner with your parents this week right?” Lance asked.
“Yes, are you ready?” she teased
Lance ran a hand down his face. “I already know your parents, Katydids.”
“Not as my man,” she pointed out. “You should know that you’re the first one they’re meeting at their home.”
“Your parents love me,” Lance boasted.
“Everybody loves you Lance. You’re a good man,” she told him seriously.
Lance dropped his head touched by her softly spoken words. “Thank you Khayla. You know how much I love you.”
“After this weekend, I have no doubts baby…you did that!”
He laughed softly. “Get some rest Katydids. I’ll check in with you tomorrow.”
“You get some rest too. I love you Lance,” she whispered.
“Goodnight.”
She sighed. “Goodnight baby.”
Khayla ended the call then turned to her brother. “So what did you find out?”
Chapter 19
Lance awakened the next morning with his mind made up. He had to know who the person was sitting on the porch yesterday. Getting dressed he ate a quick breakfast then grabbed his phone. He smiled as he saw a message from Khayla.