by Roy Glenn
“A lot of people work for me, Ms. Taylor, so a lot of things occur below my level without me ever knowing about it.” Milton finished his drink and put it on the bar. “But I promise to look into it.” Milton said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
“I have one more question before you go.”
“What’s that?”
“Have you ever been to Enzo's Palace?” Carmen asked.
“No. What is that?” he asked, and Carmen could tell from the distorted look on his face when the question was asked and answered that he had definitely been to Enzo's Palace. And now she was sure that Milton Petty was involved on some level.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Now that Carmen had what she came for, she was ready to get out of there. She looked around for Jada and saw her standing at the bar talking to the FBI agent that had spoken to her earlier in the evening. Carmen wondered if there was some problem that involved the FBI or was it just that there isn’t anybody that Jada didn’t know.
“You ready to go?” Carmen asked.
“Yes,” Jada replied and signaled for Victor. “Did you get what you came for?”
“I think so. I know that Milton Petty is involved in this, I just need to figure out how,” Carmen said as Victor escorted the former model and the former madam out of the Lotus Ballroom and to the elevator.
When he saw them leave, Milton Petty took out his phone. “She’s leaving now, so be ready and don’t miss her this time,” Milton demanded and ended the call.
He stood at the bar for a while thinking about how it had all gotten away from him at this point. Milton understood quite plainly that if Carmen knew enough to ask him questions, that it wouldn’t be long before the police would come calling and they’d have more than a couple of quick questions. He shot his drink.
And then there’s the mess that DP had created thinking that he could take over Mike Black’s organization. Milton laughed. I told that boy he been smoking that dope he’s selling if he was seriously considering going up against Mike Black.
All he had accomplished to this point was to get a lot of good men killed. And for what? Milton shook his head and thought that it was time to take an unscheduled trip to Venezuela. When he left the event, he had his driver take him straight to the airport to charter a plane.
When Victor exited the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, he looked at the long line of limousines until he saw the driver waving. Then the driver got in the limo and began coming toward the entrance.
Victor returned to the building to escort Jada and Carmen out when three of the limo drivers donned their weapons and opened fire. As Carmen and Jada took cover behind a pillar, Victor returned fire.
“Do you have a gun?” Jada asked and pulled out her Remington RP9 nine-millimeter pistol. With everything going on with Carmen and in The Family, Jada thought that she needed more firepower.
“No.”
“Why not?” Jada asked and opened fire.
“I don’t know. Didn’t think I needed one.”
Jada stopped shooting and just looked at her.
“Really, Carmen? People are trying to kill you and you didn’t think you needed one?” she asked and then resumed firing at their attackers.
The three shooters continued firing and were about to make a move forward when Kamau came up behind one of the gunmen and shot him in the back of the head and then he shot another. It was then that the limousine driver rolled up and hit the third man with the car.
“Come on!” Victor shouted.
Jada and Carmen rushed to the waiting limousine and once Victor and Kamau were in, the driver sped away.
“Are you all right?” Kamau asked Carmen as they drove away from there.
“I’m okay,” the look in his eyes had once again drew her in and Carmen felt powerless to resist him.
“Victor, please speak to whoever you need to speak with and have some men sent to the hotel,” Jada ordered and then she insisted that Carmen stay at The Peninsular hotel.
Once they were in Jada’s suite, the topic of discussion was Carmen’s safety and the fact that not ten minutes after she talked to Milton Petty, another attempt was made on her life.
“Now that you know this guy is involved, maybe it’s time for you to turn over what you have to the police and let them handle it,” Kamau said.
“No. Not until I know what this is all about.” Carmen stood up. “What am I going to tell the police? I think this guy is involved in something that I haven’t figured out yet? No, Kamau, I need to find out what Milton Petty is involved in, what it has to do with those women, and then I can go to the police.”
Kamau glanced at Jada, hoping that she would be sympathetic and support his position, but he found nothing close to that on Jada’s face.
“Don’t look at me. I agree with her. It’s her life on the line and she needs to do this.” Jada looked at Carmen. “And I will be here for you.”
Kamau took a deep breath. “I think…” he began, but Carmen interrupted.
“I think I should go to my room and get some sleep.”
“All right then. I’ll see you to your room,” Kamau said, his eyes were endless pools of intensity. “That way I know you’re safe,” he added.
Just that quick glimpse of the desire in his eyes had Carmen’s breath trembling on her lips. “Okay.”
“Good night, Carmen. I hope to see you in the morning,” Jada said.
“I promise not to sneak away like a thief in the night this time,” Carmen promised as she and Kamau walked toward the door.
On the way to her room, Carmen took a second or two to think of where she was, what was going on, and what might happen. She was at a hotel, walking slowly to her suite with a man that she barely knew, who had been protecting her for two years. But despite that fact, she felt as if they had been wanting each other for some time. Carmen knew better than to believe that even if his job was to protect her, it was clear to her that by accepting his offer to escort her to her room, that they would have sex, and would she want that?
She realized within an instant that yes, she not only wanted that, but she needed it, craved it even.
“Here we are,” Kamau said.
“We’re here.” Carmen took out the keycard and slid it in the lock. She was about to open the door when he stopped her.
“Let me go in first and check it out,” he said and opened the door. They went in, and while Carmen waited by the door as Kamau took a quick look around the suite. “Seems to be all clear, Ms. Taylor … I mean Carmen.”
Carmen stepped to him. “Thank you, Kamau,” she said and looked up into his eyes. Since he had been infatuated with Carmen since his first day on the job, and had thought of little else since she slid in his car, Kamau leaned forward and kissed Carmen’s lips gently.
It was devastating how quickly his kiss could make her so senseless, so immediately yearning and breathlessly wanting more of his kiss. Instinctively, she clutched his shirt right above his belt buckle and held on. She melted under the single-minded way his mouth ate her up as if she’d gobbled up the world’s last piece of chocolate and he wanted a taste. After what felt like an eternity, his lips separated from hers, and he nipped her swollen lips gently. And it wasn’t nearly enough, she realized. Not by a long shot.
Carmen eased the jacket off his shoulders and then their lips met again, and his mouth was devouring hers. Kamau unzipped her dress and allowed it to drop to the floor. He stepped back a bit to admire Carmen’s beautiful body, a body that he had fantasized about for two years.
“I dreamed of this,” he whispered so low that even Carmen couldn’t make out what he was saying as she loosened his tie and took off his shirt. Once he had his pants off, Kamau picked up Carmen, carried her to the bed while he kissed her and then gently laid her across the bed.
She almost melted in the moment when his condom-clad, hard and thick erection slid with such sweet friction deep into her that fused them together. Behind her eyes, ecstasy imploded and move
d all the way to her nipples and down to her toes like electricity, unleashing her orgasm before his second thrust.
“Ooooh!”
The sound was torn from her as she pushed back against him and into the next wave of pleasure that assaulted her. Carmen was clutching him deep inside her warmth, tensing and weakening at the same time.
I needed this.
And it wasn’t over. Not with him still thrusting, grinding, building the tension back up in her body. His body tensed, and within the grip of her clasp, he lodged deeper, dragging a low grunt from him, the air vibrating around them.
Carmen moaned in pleasure while Kamau continued to slide in and out of her. The feelings that he was making her feel had her so caught up that Carmen began throwing her hips into him harder; working her hips and inner muscles.
Then suddenly, Kamau flipped Carmen over so she was on top of him. She planted her feet, braced her hands on his thighs, arched her back and began slamming her body down on him like this with the last bit of dick and she would never get fucked again. And Kamau was fucking her so deep and he was hitting her spot so good that her body started to tremble from the exquisite sweet pain.
Carmen rode him harder and faster and then forced her nipple into his mouth. Kamau sucked on it hard and it made her muscles tighten around him, bringing her closer to another climax. As the tingling sensation built in the balls of her feet, Carmen worked her hips and her inner muscles until his body began to tremble. Carmen rocked her hips furiously, Kamau’s entire body went rigid and they exploded together.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Knowing that Bobby and Pam would be returning from Fiji in a couple of days, Barbara and Destiny were hitting the clubs again. After being escorted out of The Four Kings, Barbara thought they should go someplace where nobody knew her. They had heard about a place called Club Garage, a club that actual used to be a garage, that a lot of people were talking about and decided to go there. Unbeknownst to Barbara, the spot was managed by Gee-Money Benton, who ran the spot for Bruce Lloyd, who was a soldier for Baby Chris Arcus.
They smoked a blunt outside before they went in and once they were inside, the air was thick with it. They had been having a great time dancing and drinking all night. Now it was getting late in the evening or early in the morning, depending on your perspective, Barbara was blazed, and Destiny was fucked up … elbow on the table holding her head up … fucked up.
They were sitting at a table near the dance floor when a man came over and tried to get Barbara to dance with him. Even though she turned him down, he wouldn’t leave her alone.
“Why don’t you just go away?” Barbara waved her hand and he grabbed it.
“Come on. One dance ain’t gonna kill you.”
“What’s up, Streak?” a female voice came from behind him.
When he let go of Barbara’s hand and turned around, she looked up at the woman and realized who it was.
“What’s up, Butta?”
“She said she don’t wanna dance with you.”
“What that to you?”
“She’s my sister,” Bobby’s other daughter Tenikka Mack said.
My sister, Barbara thought. Hearing that, she felt a swirl of emotions in a split second. It went from, she’s not my sister, but yeah, she is, to, what the fuck is she doing here? And then she thought, I don’t need your help, but I’m glad you were here, because I kinda did need you.
“Your sister?” Streak took a step back, looked back and forth between the two sisters and saw the resemblance. “That mean she’s…”
Tenikka nodded her head as comprehension dawned on his face. “Bobby Ray’s daughter. So, if you don’t feel like dying, you need to walk.”
“I’m sorry,” Streak said quickly to Barbara and walked away.
Barbara was surprised at the effect the mention of her father’s name had on Streak. He was scared, Barbara thought.
“Come on,” Tenikka said. “Time for you girls to go.”
On the way home, Destiny passed out in the back seat while the two sisters had their first chance to really talk. Sure, they had spoken before, but each bared a certain degree of animosity toward the other. So, riding in the car together was a little uncomfortable, especially for Barbara.
“Does our father know you out here like this?”
“No,” she said quickly.
First off, Barbara didn’t like the sound of the words, our father, coming out of her mouth and at the same time, she was nervous, because the last thing Barbara needed was for this sister wanna-be to tell her Daddy.
Tenikka laughed. “Don’t worry, I ain’t gonna run and tell him,” she said, and Barbara relaxed a little, but I still ain’t feeling that ‘our father’ shit. “We’re sisters; we gotta look out for each other.”
I don’t need you to look out for me. “I guess,” Barbara said and rolled her eyes. But you did just look out for me.
Tenikka shook her head. She didn’t need the attitude, but she did understand it. This entire situation was going to take getting used to for everybody and that included her. One day she was an only child, and then suddenly she had a father, a brother and three sisters.
“Look, Barbara, I know you don’t like me. And truth be told, when our father introduced me to you, I didn’t like you either.”
“Why?”
“I was mad at you.”
“Me? What I do?”
“Nothing. That’s why I got over it.”
“But why was you mad at me?”
“’Cause I didn’t have it like you had it. I didn’t grow up with a father. It was just me and my mother and we didn’t have a whole lot, so I didn’t grow up pampered princess like you did.”
“But daddy didn’t know about you,” Barbara said quickly in defense of her father.
“I know the truth now, but growing up, it didn’t make no difference, I didn’t have a daddy. I didn’t have a daddy to spoil me like he spoils you,” Tenikka said.
“He doesn’t spoil me,” Barbara said, and she knew she was lying when she said it. That’s why she couldn’t be mad at Tenikka for calling her pampered princess, because it was true. She was Barbie. That’s what her girls called her. She used to hate it, but she had gotten used to it. Barbie was the princess who had it all, and that was Barbara.
“Yes he does,” Tenikka laughed. “’Cause he spoils me now. This car, my clothes, my condo, he brought all that shit for me and he pays my tuition. I know it’s to make up for all the years he wasn’t there for me. But he does it and I know he would have treated me the same way he did you.”
“But he didn’t know.”
“Well, yeah, he did.”
“He did?” Barbara questioned and Tenikka told her sister how when her mother, Keisha Mack, got pregnant, she would tell anybody who’d listen that it was Bobby Ray’s baby. But because of the reputation Keisha and her twin sister, Connie had for being available and easy, Bobby denied that the baby was his.
He didn’t know that Connie was the one that was available and easy, Keisha had just gotten caught up in her sister’s reputation. She wasn’t easy, Keisha was in love with Bobby and she was heartbroken when he denied their child.
When Tenikka was born, there was no doubt in Keisha’s mind that Bobby was the father because she looked just like him. “He can’t deny this baby anymore,” Connie said that day at the hospital.
But Keisha’s response was. “Fuck Bobby.”
“From that day on, my mom never reached out to him.”
And for that, Tenikka was mad at her mother. Yeah, she was mad a Bobby too, but Tenikka felt like she had been lied to her whole life. Keisha had made a choice. She chose not to have Bobby in her life. She chose for me not to have a father.
“He told me that when she stopped saying that he was my father, he thought that meant that he wasn’t the father and I grew up without him.”
He still could have tried to find out if I was his daughter.
“I’m sorry,” Barbara said, and
meant it. Her father meant the world to her. Barbara couldn’t imagine growing up without her daddy. She looked at her sister and couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for her.
Without any support from Bobby, Keisha raised her daughter the best way she could. It wasn’t like Tenikka wanted for anything. If there was ever anything that she needed, her aunt, Connie always knew where to find Wanda to get money for the things she needed.
But over the years, the need for money, and the hustle to get it, became a way of life for Tenikka. She wanted more out of life and the neighborhood that they lived in, and that mindset led her to make choices.
“I wanted to go to college, and I didn’t have the money, but I had this ass,” Tenikka tapped her hip as she drove. “And I could dance. So I got a job dancing and that’s where I met our daddy.”
“You used to dance?” Barbara asked.
“I used to dance at a spot called Grant’s until Rain set the place on fire.”
“Aunt Rain?”
Tenikka laughed hard. “Aunt Rain, as you call her, is one dangerous bitch.”
“She set the place on fire?” Barbara asked.
“Word is that after the club closed that night, her and The Purple Gang went in and killed everybody and then Rain set the place on fire and stood outside and watched it burn to the ground.”
“You serious?” Barbara asked as they pulled up in front of Destiny’s house.
Tenikka shook her head. “You don’t know nothing about nothing, do you? You just pampered princess, growing up in your ivory tower for real, aren’t you?”
“Apparently, I am,” Barbara said sadly.
“I’m gonna come get you one day and show you the world that our Daddy and Uncle Mike and Aunt Rain and everybody else, including R.J., been hiding from you.” Tenikka paused. “If you ain’t afraid.”
“I’m not afraid!” Barbara said louder than she needed to.
Tenikka laughed. “Naa, you just don’t know nothing.”
“Yeah, but I wanna know everything,” Barbara said.
“Okay.” Tenikka nodded her head. “Now come on, let’s get your girl inside.”