The World in Reverse

by Latrivia Nelson

  Carmen watched him leave her. And suddenly, the worry that she felt turned quickly into loneliness. She knew that he made her happy, and he made her safe and that was what scared her. However, actually seeing him walk away for good made her the most afraid.

  Digging in his pocket for his keys and trying to hold back hot tears, Johnson heard Carmen scream from the door.

  “Yes, okay. Yes, I meant it!” she said, stepping onto the walkway. She scratched the back of her neck and wiped a tear. “But at what cost, Johnson?” Her voice had lost all authority. Now it only sounded desperate, much like she felt inside.

  He looked up from his car door and wiped his face. “Everything,” he answered. “For both of us.”

  She walked closer as the sun burned her olive-skin. Golden streaks of untamed hair danced in the dry wind. Putting a hand over her eyes to shield the glare, she looked out at him.

  There was something very vulnerable about the way that she appeared at that moment to Johnson. Standing there, eyes wrought with need, heart open as a fresh wound, fear emanating from her very being. He knew that if he went to her now, he would need to be with her forever, and for once in his life, that feeling exhilarated him.

  Stalking back up to her, he picked her up in his embrace and kissed her passionately as if for the very first time. Their body armor prevented the feeling of hearts beating against each other, but they could feel the pulse of their love through their touch. He stroked her face with the back of his knuckles as he set her down. “I’m not going anywhere, Carmen,” he promised. “I’ll be here with you for life. All you have to do is just let me be. Don’t be afraid to feel something real.” He wasn’t sure if he was talking to himself or her.

  “For life?” she asked, as if hearing the words soothed some hidden pain.

  “Till our last breath,” he answered sincerely. “From this moment on, I’m done with every other woman. I’ll change my number; I’ll move; I’ll take your last name…”

  Carmen laughed. “Are you trying to give my dad a heart attack?”

  “Well the last name might be a bit much, but hey…you could always take mine.” His brown eyes sparkled in the sunlight and sent a zinger through her heart.

  Carmen gaped at him. Was that a proposal? She swallowed down all need to be sarcastic and simply allowed herself to just be in the moment with him for once. “I do love you,” she said in a whisper.

  “Good, because I love you…so much.” Johnson knew that he was supposed to be meeting his new partner/boss in less than thirty minutes, but there was no way in hell he was going to leave this house without making love to her.

  Grabbing her by the hand, he led her to the door.

  “My lunch is over,” she said, looking at her watch. “I just came here to grab a bite and then get back.”

  Johnson opened her screen door for her and waited.

  Stepping into the house passed him, she watched him carefully close and lock the door behind him. Like a predator eyeing his prey, he kept his eyes on her as he approached, nearly salivating at the thought of having her again, even though it had only been hours since their last encounter.

  With one carnivorous gaze, he pushed her roughly against the wall and pressed his body up against hers. Hands against the wall, covering her like a web, he attacked. The act was electric. He picked her up off the floor and wrapped her legs around his waist. At the apex of her sex, he nestled his aching hardness as he kissed her open mouth, sucking at her tongue and moaning at the thought of what he would do to her.

  Her body convulsed as he moved his kiss from her mouth to her neck. She raked her nails over his baldhead and down his neck as he kissed her.

  With his hands on her breasts, massaged over where he knew her nipples were under the Kevlar and then ripped her oxford open. The sound of buttons hitting the floor and rolling around on the hardwood floor mixed with the heady moans and groans of anxious lovers.

  Returning the favor, Carmen happily tore off his grey t-shirt, knowing that he had a hundred more like it upstairs in her bedroom. Tattoos and muscles rippled before her. Pushing back up to her body, he kissed her mouth as he ripped off her yellow lace bra and found her nipples between his fingers, but his mouth watered for the taste. Picking her back up off the floor, he suckled at her breasts wildly as she clawed at his shoulders and back.

  She held him close, taking in the aroma of Cool Water cologne and cigarettes.

  Within a minute flat, they were both naked. Bullet-proof vests lined the hallway, clothes lined the entry way to the living room and Johnson had Carmen thrown over the sofa table.

  Her naked body was arched over the table and her arms rested on the sofa. Behind her, Johnson bent between her legs and sucked at the inner folds of her womanhood until she began to shutter. Knees buckling, she tried to stand but felt herself weaning with his every kiss.

  “Yes,” she panted. “Oh…yes,” she said again as she heard audible licks to her swollen clitoris.

  “Come on, baby. Let me taste you,” he said, lapping his tongue against her violently.

  She tried to crawl away from him, but he pulled her back down.

  With both hands on her plump bottom, Johnson opened her wider and slipped his fingers inside her slickness. In slow evolutions, he moved in and out of her as she began to moan louder.

  Unable to take anymore, he stood up and grabbed his shaft, rock hard and pulsing. He was about to explode at just the sight of her athletic build. Pushing into her, he grabbed a fist of her hair and pulled her to him while he slapped her behind. Redness quickly formed when he moved his hand. Muscles tense and taut, he bent his knees to lower himself deeper into her and growled.

  “Fuck,” he said, as he pushed into her.

  “Johnson,” she screamed, feeling her body began to pulsate.

  Watching her wide, muscular legs part to brace herself, he pulled her head back further and planted a kiss on her open mouth. “Do you love me?” he asked, moving in and out of her.

  “Yes,” she whimpered.

  “Say it,” he said, grabbing her by the waist with both hands. Slamming into her body, he watched as she began to climax.

  Bending down on her body, he reached around and put one hand on the front of her aching vagina and the other on her bobbing breast.

  “I love you,” she whispered.

  His blows became more powerful.

  He growled. “Say it louder.” Still ramming into her, he grabbed her by her neck and pulled her into his chest.

  “Ahhh, I love you,” she screamed. Holding on to the sofa table, she tried to absorb his powerful thrusts. “Fuck me,” she ordered.

  Looking down at his penis as he penetrated her, he felt himself begin to tense up. “Not yet,” he said allowed, turning her over. Picking her up, he pushed her against the wall and picked her back up.

  The painting beside them fell on the ground.

  Laughing, he kissed her mouth as she held on to him. They moved in a synchronic dance of love making until he felt her tense. Locking her legs around his sweaty back, she began to moan louder.

  “I’m coming,” she said, looking him in his eyes.

  Johnson gritted his teeth. She would never know how badly she turned him on. “Yeah?” he asked, bucking his body harder.

  “Yes,” she whimpered. “Yes,” she said, eyes rolling.

  Gritting his teeth, he felt the strain in down in his groin. Throwing her on the rug in the middle of the floor, he turned her over and buried himself in between her legs. As she held him close, he felt them both reach a powerful climax.

  Sweating and exhausted, he rested with his head down on her breasts and his naked body on her rug. Listening to her heart beat, he closed his eyes.

  “Don’t go to sleep,” Carmen warned. “We have to get back.”

  “Let’s just lay here for a minute,” he said, sucking on one of her nipples.

  Carmen licked her lips. “Just a minute,” she said, closing her eyes. “Then we have to get up.”


  “Sure thing. Then tonight, when we get off, I’m moving in,” he said, looking up at her to see if she would protest.

  Smiling, she ran her hand over his shaved head. “I’d like that,” she said softly.

  “Yeah? Me too,” Johnson said, laying his head back down.

  ***

  By the time Johnson arrived at the office four hours after first showing up at Carmen’s doorstep, Lt. Kat Steele was absolutely incensed. Sitting at her new desk with a file locked between her fingers, she watched him with a close eye as he entered into her office. He breezed in with a carefree grin and closed the door behind him.

  “Sorry that I’m late,” he said, standing in front of her.

  She looked at her watch and then stood up from her desk. “Late?” Walking behind him, she gazed over his body. He was an extremely muscular man, tall and confident, but most of the guys in this unit were. It was an asset in the field to be attractive and aggressive, but it was a necessity to be well-built. Theirs was a job for fighters, not negotiators.

  Stepping closer into him, she inhaled his scent. He smelled of soap and cologne…freshly showered. To make her point, she audibly sniffed him. Her voice was sweet and sultry. “Have you been fucking today, detective?”

  Johnson bucked his eyes. That was completely out of left field, but he had heard about Lt. Steele before. She was supposed to be a ball breaker. “Excuse me, ma’am?” he asked, running his hand over the bridge of his nose.

  She lowered her voice but made sure that her words were perfectly heard. “Have you been fucking, detective,” she asked even slower.

  Johnson kept his eyes on the window in front of him. With his legs in a wide stance, he locked his hands in front of him. “As of when, ma’am?”

  “In the last four hours. Because you smell like soap and in this hot ass Memphis weather, I really doubt that would be possible if you’ve actually been working like the rest of us. While I sat here, waiting to get on this case, were you out somewhere using that oh so popular dick of yours? Because if you have, I have to tell you that the families who are patiently waiting for the person or persons who are responsible for their children’s rapes and murders won’t be impressed.”

  The overt aggression of his superior officer emanated around the room like a thick fog.

  And unintentionally, it turned Johnson on a bit. Not enough to chase, just enough to notice. Smacking his lips, he huffed. “No, I was actually tracking down the contents of a jump drive that was given to me by Director Amway. It took longer than expected,” he said with a snicker. What did he care if she had a suspicion of him; it wasn’t like she could prove it. Hell, he couldn’t even prove it, and he was there.

  Plus, it wasn’t a complete lie. He had actually gone by the federal building before he ended up at Carmen’s house. Unfortunately, after their sex session, they had both slept a little over three hours instead of five minutes.

  “I know that you think that you’re hot shit, Johnson,” Steele said, looking at his tightly formed ass one last time before she made her way back around to the front of her desk, “but to me, you’re just a guy. So leave the stereotypical, bad-boy, fuck machine image out in your city-issued Charger. When you come in here, you come in here on time and you come in here ready to work.”

  “Absolutely,” Johnson said, smirking.

  “Is something funny?” she asked seriously.

  “Just the fuck machine part,” he answered. “And for the record, I’m a one woman man.”

  “And why would that need to go on the record?” she asked with a frown.

  Johnson shrugged. “Just in case, you got the wrong idea of who I am,” he said, finally putting his gaze on her. Shit, she was beautiful. He took his eyes off her again and stared back at the window where it was safe. He was in a relationship now, and he was happy. There was no reason to rock the boat.

  “Johnson, look at me. I want you to hear me when I say this,” Steele said, resting her hands firmly on the desk.

  Johnson looked back at her. “Ma’am?”

  “You showed up four fucking hours late to our first meeting. The wrong impression was made then, okay. Everything that I think of you subsequently is right on the money.”

  “Yes ma’am,” Johnson said, biting his lip.

  Rolling her eyes, she finally pushed the file over to him. “I see that we haven’t spoken to this DeMario yet. I want to do that today.”

  Johnson relaxed. “Do we have permission from the powers that be?” he asked with a frown.

  “Leave that to me,” Steele said, slipping on her black suit jacket. It was cut to perfection, highlighting every curve that she had in her slim shoulders, huge breasts and small waist. She caught him staring at her backside when she turned towards him. She hesitated at first but continued. “And I had time while I was waiting on you to get your jump drive to review the file on Cane. I want to find him and get him in a hole for questioning today regarding Twist’s murder. If we can’t find him, then I want to drag in his guys until someone squeals. But first thing first, I want to see that piece of shit lying bastard at the hospital to find out exactly what intel led him into Nicola Agosto’s truck.” Grabbing her suit jacket, she slipped it over her gun holster and walked passed him. “Well, let’s get a move on, lover boy.”

  “On it,” Johnson said, following her out of the office.

  ***

  Leaving the pool of reporters outside of the hospital, Councilman Ferris made his way out of the sweltering heat up to the private room where DeMario was being held. Tapping on the door before entering, he gave a warm smile to the man’s mother, who was sitting beside him watching the television on the opposite wall.

  “Councilman,” she said, standing up. The look in her eyes was that of complete trust considering he had been there since the first moments of the attack to rally the community and be by her side.

  “How are you today?” he asked, extending his arms.

  She hugged him tightly and inhaled his expensive sent. “Each day, he gets a little better.”

  “Good. You’ll be happy to know that we’ve got over 300 confirmed participants for tomorrow’s rally at the police station. I have insider information that Agosto will be present at a closed hearing to determine action against him at 3:00 p.m. and we will be there to let them know that the community is watching.”

  “Well, what did the FBI say?” she asked, stepping back and folding her arms.

  The councilman heaved a frustrated sigh. “Unfortunately, they felt that they had no case. So, they have closed the investigation.”

  “But his rights were violated,” she said with tears in her eyes. “Just look at him.” She pointed back at her son.

  “I understand your frustration and we are going to do everything in our power to remedy this for you. This lawsuit will be paid by the City and I’m certain that Agosto will face some form of jail time.”

  With the sudden raised voices and ruckus, DeMario opened his bruised eyes and looked over at the councilman. “What’s up, man? Glad you’re here. I wanted to talk to you,” he fought to say. His mouth was still severely swollen and covered in lacerations and bruising.

  The councilman looked back with a nod. “Ms. Washington, would you mind if I speak with DeMario alone for just a moment?” he asked. He was tired of speaking to the woman. Every day it was the same damn thing. She wanted justice for a son with a rap sheet longer than his driveway. They were becoming irritants for him though he built the very foundation for his campaign upon their unknowing backs.

  Looking back at her son, Ms. Washington turned up her lip and nodded. “We can talk later, right?”

  The council reached down for one last piece of civility. “We sure can. I’m always here for you.”

  As she excused herself out of the room, Councilman Ferris locked the door and took off his suit jacket. Placing it on the chair beside the bed, he took a seat beside DeMario and pushed up to the bed. He looked down his nose at the young man covere
d in gauze and tape and tried not to directly inhale any of the man’s scent.

  “Man, you said that he might bruise me up a little bit. You didn’t say that he would put me in the fucking hospital.”

  “This will all be over for you soon,” he said with a double meaning. “There is no need to complain. Even like this, you are better off than you were before. All your…sins have been wiped clean.”

  “Whatever,” DeMario said, rolling his eyes. “I’ve been thinking that this money we’re supposed to be suing for ain’t gone come overnight.”

  The councilman raised his brow. “You already knew that.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m gone need some more money upfront.”

  “We gave you ten thousand dollars cash. Where is that money?”

  “It’s gone,” DeMario said in a matter-of-fact tone.

  “Well, you didn’t do anything to help your family out with it. I just paid your mother’s utility bill last week to keep your sisters and brothers from living in the dark.” He found their way of life to be disgusting though he would never lead on to it.

  “I need more,” he said in a lower voice.

  Councilman Ferris bit down on his bottom lip. “How much more?”

  DeMario blew a stinking breath out of his mouth that made Councilman Ferris sit back in his chair. “I’m thinking a hundred thousand. You can have it back from my settlement.”

  “You expect me to give you a hundred thousand dollars?”

  “You. Cane. The city. I don’t give a fuck who gives it to me. All I know is that I’m owed it. You hear me? Man, I’m sitting in here all fucked up. It’s the least that you can do. After all like y’all niggas said, I was the cattle in this thing.”