by Keta Kendric
The car idled while I sat along the side of the bustling interstate staring blankly through the windshield, thinking. My pounding head dropped into my palms, the pulse in my skull thumping erratically.
Stubborn emotions raged through me, raking the frayed edges of my sorrow, and started to seek a way out by pushing at the backs of my eyes. My tear ducts stung as they attempted to release my pent up grief, but I wouldn’t allow it.
Chin up, bitch! You can fix this shit! Think harder. Think deeper. You know what to do.
I was solely responsible for a fifteen-million dollar tab. We had been down a couple of million before, but that was a manageable amount to raise within a week.
My attempts through the years to stay ahead of Raymond’s mistakes hadn’t worked. I’d assumed I was being smart by investing in a few businesses that I could churn dirty money through, but even with those in operation, and the five million I had stockpiled wasn’t but a third of what I needed to break even.
Bloodshot eyes were reflected at me in the rearview mirror. “You can figure this shit out, Mecca. It’s not rocket science. The fuck you doing moping?”
The persistent sting continued to burn my eyes, but I was being a hardheaded bitch, so the tension added to the pressure of my massive headache. I hadn’t been this stressed, since Raymond blamed me for getting robbed of the distribution money I was transporting from one of the trap houses when I was fourteen.
Raymond didn’t care that I was beaten nearly to death, or that I could have easily been raped or killed. The twenty thousand dollars that I had allowed to be taken was more important. The incident was one in a line that gave me a glimpse into his true nature.
Now, he had cut enough bad deals and left a trail of debt so high that if he showed his face again, it would result in his immediate death. Raymond had officially landed on my kill list, one that I took pride in clearing.
How the fuck was I supposed to dig my way out of the deep shit he’d left for me to step into?
11
Mecca
As much as I hated to admit it, I was looking forward to seeing my husband. Although I had no prospect of fostering anything meaningful with him, I was glad that he was at least good to look at.
Honestly, there was never a Caucasian man that I had found myself interested in. Was I prejudiced? I didn’t think so, but I was willing to admit that I had stayed clear because of what was hammered in my head all my life about staying away from White men.
Now, here I was, in a situation where I was married to a man I was taught was supposed to be the facilitator of my downfall. As a young girl, I had believed it, but with the gaining of wisdom, my mind unlearned the foolishness. I still had my hang-ups, but thankfully, I was smart enough not to be as closed-minded as I once was.
As much as I hated thinking it, there was something about Arjen that drew me in, an attraction that I had denied since the day we met. I thought my type was tall, dark, and chocolate, so I shouldn’t have been attracted to Arjen in the least. So why the hell was I? It was a nagging question I hadn’t found an answer to yet, and it vexed the fuck out of me.
Our sleeping arrangements didn’t help things because I found myself doing strange shit throughout the night, like snuggling up to him and tossing my leg over his. I would snap awake and put some distance between us and he would pull me right back in and sling his arm around me. This morning his hard dick was poking me in the ass, and I didn’t even move away from him because I liked the shit.
I had avoided him in the waking hours, but like most situations in my life, it was time I manned the fuck up and faced my husband like the strong woman I had groomed myself to be.
There was no reason for me to arm my car once I stepped out. Arjen had given me the perfect spot inside the large garage, and it fit in perfectly with the rest of his fleet.
I glanced up and smiled, allowing the retinal scan to capture its image so I could enter the house. If Arjen thought I didn’t know about his state of the art alarm system, he had sadly underestimated my drive to be in the know.
My heels clicked differently on the expensive marble floor of Arjen’s house, now my house. I strutted through the kitchen and into the living room and spotted the guard posted up near the front door.
“Evening, Mrs. Vallin.”
“Good evening,” I spoke and gave a quick wave. The guard returned my wave as I headed towards the stairs. I sensed his eyes glued to my ass after I walked past, but I couldn’t blame him because I had a healthy dose and didn’t mind leaving a man smiling.
My abrupt stop and turn back jarred the guard, who attempted to divert his eyes, but failed miserably to hide where his gaze had been aimed. I had surprised him enough that his mouth had dropped open as he struggled for something to say.
When I walked towards him, he placed his hands behind his back like I was an approaching drill sergeant. I stepped to within a few feet of him.
“Can I ask you something, and you give me an honest answer?”
“Yes, ma’am.” His voice shook with tension as he eased back a few steps to put space between us. What could possibly make this big imposing man so afraid of me?
“Why does it seem like all of you guys are afraid of me? Afraid to get anywhere near me.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he fought for a reply. He took another cautious step back and cleared his throat.
“If I tell you, ma’am, you can’t tell Loud, I mean, Mr. Vallin, that I told you.”
Loud?
“You have my word. This conversation stays between you and me.”
He took another deep breath as his gaze traveled up the stairs and remained for a long silent moment.
“Mr. Vallin said that we are not to physically touch you unless it’s a life and death situation, and if he catches any of us looking at you inappropriately, he’s going to kill us. Slowly.”
The guard’s serious gaze widened at my quick burst of laughter. This man couldn’t have been serious.
“And you believed him?”
He nodded, his head motioning quickly before his eyes darted back up those stairs.
“It’s true, ma’am. He’ll do it, and you would never know it was coming. Why do you think we call him Loud? Mr. Vallin doesn’t make threats he doesn’t follow through with.”
“Loud? Why do you call him Loud? He’s not a loud-mouth, so is it an acronym for something else?”
“Acronym and nickname. It stands for the, Lord of Untimely Death.”
My brows lifted at the morbid nickname.
“You never know when he’s going to get you, but if he marks you for death, rest assured he’s going to deliver.”
This man was scared shitless of my husband. Loud. Humm.
I didn’t torture the man further with my inquires and left him to his guard duties. I wasn’t sure if I was flattered yet that Arjen had threatened death to his men if they got out of line with me. However, I did like the nickname.
The sound of female laughter met me when I reached the top of the stairs, knocking the smile right off my face. It didn’t sound like the sixty-three-year-old cook or the fifty-nine-year-old maid that Arjen employed. By eight, they were on-call and in the three-bedroomed pool house that acted as the staff quarters.
Why the hell was I hearing a female’s voice? And the guard could have given me a head’s up unless Arjen had threatened to kill him for snitching as well.
Our bedroom was the only one on the wing other than the den that acted as our entertainment room. I stopped there first. Standing in the doorway, I took in the scene, letting it run through my mind before I jumped to conclusions.
Sitting on the couch was my husband, and kneeling behind him, kneading his shoulders was a darkly tanned brunette about my size, who leaned into him with her body as she massaged. She kept bending down to kiss his neck and cheek as her playful giggles bounced about the room.
Arjen had removed his suit jacket, as it and his tie were slung across the arm of the couch. Three
buttons of his long-sleeved pale blue button-up were undone.
Neither had noticed me standing there with my arms folded across my chest. A deep eye-closing breath didn’t settle the rage that was steadily filling me and deleting every bit of logic from my mind.
A few quick steps had me standing in front of them, attempting but failing to control my untamed temper. I prayed the heat from my blazing rage would burn the shit out of them.
Arjen and the woman jumped at the sight of me, a smile stuck on her face, and him with an expression I couldn’t discern.
“Evening, wife,” he greeted like there wasn’t a whole damn woman leaning on his back, her pink fucking clawed nails pressed into his shoulders while gazing at me. I couldn’t tell if it was surprise or a daring stance she was taking, but she couldn’t seem to get rid of the smile on her face.
“Don’t you fucking “evening wife” me, Arjen Vallin. Who the fuck is this?” I questioned, aiming a stiff finger in the woman’s direction. I didn’t give him a chance to answer because I took a step closer, my leg brushing his to the inside of his right knee.
“Take your fucking hands off him right now!” I growled at the woman, who was smart enough to lift her hands from his shoulders and drop that stupid-ass smile from her face. Their bodies tensed when they sensed I was about a second from losing my shit.
“This is my friend,” Arjen stated. “I invited her to keep me company since I can’t get any type of attention from my wife.”
“Is that so? You obviously don’t know me well,” I replied, my head shaking in that gesture that you hope the person you’re talking to, understands fully where you’re coming from.
He had to have been testing me. It was the only explanation I was willing to accept. I could touch the deathly intention brimming in the glare that I locked on Arjen’s as I lowered my face to his to ensure he heeded my words.
“I can be playful, even passive at times, but letting that side of my personality fool you is a deadly mistake that many have made.”
His mouth dropped open, but he remained speechless, attempting to find words, I supposed. The slightest trace of a smirk brushed across my lips before I reached up, gripped two hands full of long dark hair, and dragged Arjen’s playmate damn near across his shoulder. Her legs flailed about from her coming down off the couch with a loud thud.
Arjen sat, stunned, lips parted as the woman fought to stay on her feet and get away from my crazy ass. If she were fighting me, I didn’t feel it, because my crazy-bitch-strength had kicked in.
It was at the point where anger doesn’t allow you to accept pain, and all good sense was lost, so your mind believes you are superhuman. After the day I’d had, after the bad news that I had received from Corvel, I needed to expel my rage, and Arjen was kind enough to give me this opportunity. The fact that it was time for mother nature to fuck with my hormones on top of it all was fuel to a fire that was already out of control.
“Mecca! Mecca!” Arjen yelled at my back. The volume of his loud voice added to the chaos narrating my actions.
“Aww! Stop! Let me go!” the woman pleaded. “Arrrrjen!” she yelled for him.
He attempted to separate us, but I had a death grip on the bitch’s hair and the shoulder of her dress, while I dragged her across the room. She was bent at an odd angle, her tight dress hiked up over her ass. She screamed like I was killing her, begging Arjen for help between her yells.
I wasn’t sure if she had lost her shoes or wasn’t wearing any when I’d arrived, but her bare feet smacked against the marble floor as I continued to drag her, putting my back into my actions.
Arjen yelled for me to let her go, but I wasn’t hearing shit he had to say. He apparently thought I was a fucking joke.
“Mecca, please! I’ll get rid of her!”
“How dare you come in here and think you can play house with my husband?” I screamed, knowing she wasn’t in any condition to answer me.
Arjen must not have given much of a damn about the woman because I slung the bitch, landing her on her ass before I dragged her by the hair across the floor. Her feet kicked, and her arms waved about, as she attempted to reach back and unhook the tight grip I had on her hair to set herself free.
“Mecca, let her go! Mecca!” Arjen yelled. He attempted but was unsuccessful at pulling the woman from my grips. She was clamped into the jaws of a pit bull, and I wasn’t letting her go until I was ready.
Talking while dragging the woman had my words choppy and breathy, but I slung them across my shoulder at Arjen, anyway. I paused my movement to glare at him.
“How dare you bring a bitch in this house and think I would be okay with it? Have you lost your fucking mind?”
The woman continued to fight to get away, scratching and clawing. She started to hammer-fist the hell out of my arms in her attempt to break free, but her licks didn’t register.
Arjen threw up his hands and appeared genuinely afraid for the woman. His big eyes and pleading voice had no effect as he glared between her and me. He crept closer, arms reaching, eyes bouncing between us like a cop in the midst of a hostage negotiation.
“Mecca, let her go so we can talk about this.”
“Awww! Arjen help! Let me go!” She continued to scream.
“Shut the fuck up. You need to think twice before you go prancing around with married men. Let this be your lesson,” I schooled her, leaning down to make sure she could hear my words. My harsh breaths blew through the loose strains of her hair as my chest heaved.
I cocked a warning gaze at Arjen before I proceeded to drag her through the doorway and down the short expanse of the hall that led to the top of the stairs. Arjen was right on our trail, tugging at my arms and shoulders, pleading for me to stop, but his words and efforts were useless.
When I got her to the edge of the staircase, I didn’t think twice about my next move. The steps I took should have been wobbly since I was in heels, but they were steady as I proceeded to dragging her ass down the stairs.
Arjen was at my back, I believe attempting to pick me up, but all I could hear was the bitch’s tail bone thumping down every step, the impact jolting me. Arjen’s yelling hardly broke the surface of my rage.
“You’re next motherfucker,” I tossed back at him across my shoulder as he attempted to find a way around us to stop me. The guard stood at the foot of the stairs, undoubtedly shocked, eyes as wide open as his mouth. He was forbidden to touch me if I wasn’t in danger, so he couldn’t stop me any more than my husband could.
When we made it to the cliff of the staircase, Arjen found a way to jump across us. The woman was flailing about, and I had curse words firing off like fireworks.
“They picked the wrong one to fuck with,” I mumbled. “Think I’m supposed to let some fucking shit like this slide. Fuck…that!”
“Mecca please let her go,” Arjen whispered harshly. He somehow pried my hand from her head, and pieces of what I think were extensions were stuck between my fingers. If they weren’t extensions, she could look forward to one hell of a headache.
“Mecca, please calm down,” his voice eased into my ear as he readjusted and gripped me in a strong hold from behind. The woman continued to cry out in the background, but her words were chopped apart by her cries.
“Julie, go home!” he yelled towards the woman as he continued to keep my amped-up body in his tight hold. I didn’t fight him. He probably outweighed me by a good hundred pounds and was a foot taller.
“That’s right, Julie, take your hoeing ass home and think about what else I could have done to you. Consider yourself lucky.”
Those were the parting words I gave her as she limped down the rest of the stairs clutching the railing until she made it to the waiting guard.
She hobbled across the living room aided by the guard who cupped her arm like he was helping an old lady across the street. Her clothes were torn and disheveled, and her hair was all over her head, revealing that I had done more damage than I’d realized. My eyes flut
tered closed as my rage refocused on the big overgrown asshole with his arms locked around me.
“Arjen. Let me go. Right fucking now,” I demanded, my voice calm but deadly.
“Only if you stay calm,” he replied.
“You got some nerve, asking me to stay calm, you son of a drunk bitch!”
He tsked. “So beautiful with a wicked tongue and beastly temper. Calm, love, stay calm.”
“I’m going to show you all the calm in the world, as soon as you let me go,” I hissed between gritted teeth.
“No, you’re not.”
A sharp gasp escaped when I was lifted and tossed swiftly across his sturdy shoulder before he carried me back up the steps. And if being manhandled wasn’t shocking enough, he smacked me across the ass to prove he had all the control. He was so damn tall that my inverted positioning gave me a view of the moving floor below that appeared about a mile away.
Stunned, I couldn’t find my voice to protest. He proceeded through our bedroom door, ducking to ensure he didn’t scrape my back and ass against the top of the door frame.
He stopped at the foot of our bed, and stood there, contemplating releasing me from the cage of his hold. My breathing remained harsh, but it had leveled off a bit.
“I’m going to put you down, but you have to promise to be calm. Promise me, Mecca,” he demanded.
I wasn’t doing a damn thing. All I wanted was to find something big and heavy and bash his ass over the head for getting me so upset, and to think that I had come home looking forward to seeing him.
My mind was not only enraged, it was in an upheaval, attempting to figure out why I even cared about who he had flings with. I didn’t need an old wise woman or man to tell me that you didn’t get this upset over someone you didn’t care about. What I didn’t understand was where it had come from.
“I can stand here all night, Mecca. The view is magnificent,” he said, his tone sounding laced with lust.