Vexed

by Honey

  “Wait here.” Leo patted the top of Nina’s head and turned to walk away.

  She latched on to the back of his T-shirt and pulled hard. “Hey, where are you going?”

  “Leo will bring ya sometin’ to eat. You will feel much better after ya eat sometin’. Food will soak up the liquor in ya belly. The haze will soon pass over.”

  “Uh-uh. I don’t think I can eat or drink anything right now. I just need to go back down the hill to my house and get some rest.” She reached her arms up and turned on puppy-dog eyes for Leo. “I need you to walk me home. I can’t make it without you.”

  Nina was no dummy. She knew her little act was working on Leo. That, along with her feminine charm, was breaking him down. All those moonlight dances they’d shared, with his crotch grinding into her ass and V zone, had turned him on. Many nights she’d felt his hard dick pulsating against her body while they partied under the influence of booze and herb. Nina had let Leo get his thrills because he was sweet and harmless. And besides that, she wanted him to remember all those free touches whenever she asked for a favor in return. Nina moaned and frowned again.

  “Leo will walk ya home, my dear, but I’ll get the food first, eh? You can eat it later.” He left Nina resting on the ground under the tree while he fixed her a plate of seafood from Zach and Jill’s anniversary party.

  Unbelievable! It was the only word Nina could come up with to describe the situation she now found herself in. She and Jay had escaped from the States without a glitch, leaving all their problems behind. How the hell did the two people that were responsible for all their troubles end up in Jamaica too? Nina watched Jill smiling happily as she swung her son in her arms while she swayed from side to side to the music. Zachary Junior was a very beautiful baby and looked just like his father. Zach was behind Jill, his arms wrapped around her waist, and was doing a two-step to the beat. He whispered something in her ear. Whatever he said had a visible effect on her. Jill closed her eyes, and her smile widened, as if the words had touched her in private places and had lit her fire.

  “Ugh!” Nina growled and kicked at the dirt. She rested the back of her head against the tree’s dry bark. “I can’t believe they’re on the island, celebrating, while we’re here in hiding, living like paupers.”

  Nina was startled when the crowd at the party started cheering and clapping. Her eyes popped open. The music had stopped, and everyone was singing, dancing, and clapping in a big circle around Zach and Jill. The song’s lyrics were repetitive and had a traditional reggae vibe. Even the little boys, dressed in cute party outfits, knew the words. They were clapping and bouncing around Zach and Jill, too, and singing their hearts out. Nina couldn’t take another second of the happy scene. It had robbed her of her appetite anyway. She jumped up and ran back down the hill to the house.

  * * *

  “Mmm, your skin is so soft.” Pierce fondled Jay’s breast through her shirt as they sat in his rental car. When he tried to kiss her lips, she jerked her head away. “What’s the matter, baby? I thought you were going to show me a good time.” He unbuttoned the top two buttons on her shirt and tried to ease his hand inside to touch her bare breast. She forced his hand down to his lap.

  Jay was totally unfazed and bored to death by Pierce’s petting. His hands roaming all over her body did nothing to turn her on. But with the stack of cash they’d won at the roulette wheel stashed securely inside her wallet, it was time to pay the piper. Pierce had allowed Jay to keep more than half of their eighteen-hundred-dollar winnings with the promise that she’d accompany him back to his hotel room for sex. It would’ve been a reasonable exchange if she’d ever had any real intentions of keeping her part of the deal. And it would’ve been the first time Jay had ever fucked a man. But it wasn’t going to happen, at least not willingly so.

  More than ready to get the dull event over with, Jay reached over and handled the big, hard bulge between Pierce’s thighs. It was thick and rock solid, pushing against the black linen of his expensive shorts. This bastard is hung like a fucking horse! Jay thought as she performed a gentle massage on his dick. It grew bigger with each stroke of her hand. She unzipped Pierce’s shorts and released the only button securing them around his waist. He squirmed and moaned when her hand slid under the waistband of his underwear. The dark, smooth flesh covering his manhood was warm. She fully exposed it. Pierce wasn’t prepared for her wet, hot mouth when she dipped her head to his lap and swallowed him whole. He groaned and twitched as Jay went to work on him. She took her time giving head with expertise, slithering her tongue skillfully up and down to add the perfect amount of pressure, increasing his pleasure.

  “Ooh, shit!” His voice had grown deep and raspy. “Yeah, baby, suck Daddy’s dick!” He pressed the back of Jay’s braid-covered head, smashing her face deeper into his crotch. “Suck it, bitch! Suck it! Suck my big black dick!”

  Pierce’s entire body stiffened. He wailed like a man about to take flight for the moon. He was out of control as he was about to cum. Jay eased her hand around his waist and slid his share of the money from his pocket. She decreased the suction her mouth was applying to his dick. He was seconds away from spilling warm semen inside her mouth.

  “Ouch! Ugh . . . ugh! Y-you . . . you . . . bitch! You bit me!” Pierce screamed and flopped forward in his seat, in excruciating pain. His head hit the steering wheel with a loud thud. “Shit! I . . . I th-think I’m bleeding! Aah!”

  Jay had bolted from the car already and had left the door open. She was halfway down the street and still running, like the wanted fugitive she was. Behind her she could hear Pierce screaming continuously and cursing in agony. Jay waved down a cab and hopped inside.

  “Where ya goin’, ma’am?” the driver asked.

  “Runaway Bay.”

  * * *

  “Where the hell have you been?” Nina asked. She’d been sitting in the chair next to the door all morning, listening to the radio and waiting for Jay to arrive. “It’s almost noon.”

  Jay brushed past her and dropped down on the lopsided sofa. “I had a long night, baby, and all I wanna do right now is sleep.”

  “Sleep? You ain’t about to go to sleep. We’ve got problems, honey.”

  Jay lay down on the sofa on her back and closed her eyes. “We’ll talk about whatever problems we have after my nap.” She reached into her breast pocket and pulled out a one-hundred-dollar bill. “Here. This should make you feel better.”

  Nina took the money and stuffed it in her cleavage. Then she folded her arms across her breasts. “Thanks, but money can’t fix our situation. Zach and Jill are in Jamaica, celebrating their wedding anniversary. I saw them last night. I almost shit in my clothes.”

  “How do you know it was them? I’m sure you saw them only from afar.”

  “Jay, I ain’t no damn dummy! I saw your brother, his wife, and their son partying last night with a bunch of people. I went up the hill to get some fish. The guys invited me to an outdoor dance. They had sold some fish to a merchant sailor. He was throwing a party for his daughter and her American husband.”

  Jay sat up and looked at Nina. She was shocked. “You went?”

  Nina shook her head and took a seat next to Jay. “I was about to, but I noticed Zach on the spot before I got close enough for him or anyone else to see me. I left.”

  “Ain’t that some shit?”

  “It is. We’re here trying to survive, and they’re over here partying and having fun. Now, we’ve gotta lay low for a while. Ain’t no telling how long they’ll be here. We can’t risk getting caught, Jay. If Zach or Jill sees either one of us, all hell’s gonna break loose. And before we know anything, we’ll be back in the States, serving hard time in the pen.”

  * * *

  Jill turned her back to Zach when he rubbed her face. She had slept with Zachary Junior in his room the night before, and they were still cuddling in bed. After celebrating and spending time with her family for five days, Zach had finally told her that only he would be r
eturning home to Atlanta. His flight was scheduled to leave in six hours, and things between them were worse than they’d ever been. Last night, after Zach had broken the news to Jill, she had threatened to divorce him if he followed through with his plan. But he had stood his ground, believing his decision was in the best interest of their safety. It had broken his heart when Jill cried and begged him not to separate their family. And his heart was still aching.

  “Jill, your breakfast is getting cold. The baby needs to eat too. Don’t you think you should wake him so we can have breakfast together?”

  Jill lifted the baby and kissed him all over his chubby face. “Rise and shine, little one,” she whispered in his ear. “Your daddy wants you to wake up and eat breakfast with him.”

  “And you too, Jill.”

  Jill ignored Zach’s statement. Zachary Junior squirmed and stretched his little limbs. “Good morning,” she said when he opened his eyes and smiled at her.

  Zach reached for the baby, and Jill handed him over without a fight. Then she lay down again, with her face to the wall.

  “Jill, please come and eat with us. I don’t know when we’ll be able to share another meal together.” Zach stood above the bed with the baby in his arms and waited patiently for Jill to speak or move. Any reaction, good or bad, would be fine at that point, but she didn’t say a word. “Jill, you may hate me right now, but I still love you, no matter what. I’m doing only what any responsible husband and father would do to protect his family.”

  Chapter Sixty-one

  Two men who had been best friends for nearly two decades could always detect when something wasn’t quite right in the other’s life. When they’d spoken over the phone the night before, Zach had lied to Dex. He had told him that Jill wasn’t angry about him leaving her and the baby in Jamaica with her family while he headed back to Atlanta. But now that they were together, face-to-face, guzzling down bottles of their choice brew, the truth was spilling out. Zach’s nine-bottle buzz had him testifying like a sworn witness. Dex was sitting across from him at the kitchen table, just as tipsy, taking it all in.

  “W-what . . . what . . . what if they never find Jay and that half-Mexican chick? You gonna leave Jill and my godson in Jamaica forever?”

  “Hell nah!”

  “Then what’s your plan, smart-ass?” Dex drained his beer and started searching through the mountain of ice in the cooler for another one. “I need a fresh bottle for this,” he slurred.

  “If the FBI doesn’t find Jay in three months, I’m gonna put this house on the market and buy a new one in Alpharetta or Roswell. Hell, anywhere outside of the ATL will do. I’ll head north, because I gotta keep Jill and the baby safe.”

  “Did you say three months?”

  Zach nodded and closed his eyes. “Yep.”

  “Jill ain’t gonna stand for that. She’ll stop being sad and lonely after a while. Then she’ll turn bitter and resentful. That’s when you’ll lose her, Zach. Trust me. Three months is a long time.”

  “I know that. It’s a long time for me too, Dex. I—”

  “Hold up! Let me finish. Remember, Jill didn’t wanna be left behind in the first place. You made the decision without considering her feelings. Did you forget what happened the last time y’all were separated? Jill was flirting with death. She could’ve miscarried your child, she was so bad off.”

  “Okay, you know everything, Dex. You’ve got all the answers.” Zach placed his empty beer bottle on the table and leaned back in his chair. “What the hell do you suggest I do?”

  “I think you should go back to Jamaica and get your family. Rent an apartment for them here, but away from this area, in a gated community. Anything will be better than what you’ve already done. Just think about it, and make a decision as soon as possible, before it’s too late.”

  “Before it’s too late for what?”

  “Look, man. Jay has been trying to make you lose your mind for months now. Please don’t allow her to cause you to lose your family too.”

  * * *

  Jay ended her phone call and rolled over to stare at Nina’s curious face. She gathered Nina’s naked body in her arms and started rubbing the smooth flesh on her ass. “They’ve checked out. Zach and Jill have left the island, baby. Our lives can return to normal. I can go back to work tonight and make some money.”

  “Are you sure, Jay?”

  “Were you not listening to my conversation with the clerk at the Blue Lagoon? She couldn’t tell me when they checked out, but it must’ve been within the past forty-eight hours. Charlotte’s cousin saw Zach, Jill, and their son eating lunch by the pool Wednesday. Another maid cleaned their chateau Thursday, and all their things were still in place. When I called the chateau directly yesterday, no one answered either time. So I called the front desk just now, and the clerk said no one named Zachary or Jillian King was registered at the resort. They’re gone. You should be glad.”

  “I am. But I’m still gonna lay low for a few more days, just in case they only changed hotels or something.”

  “That’s up to you. I’m going to work tonight. But while I’m here, why don’t we play a little sex game?” Jay rolled on top of Nina and gave her a sloppy wet kiss on the mouth. “You wanna play the mean pimp and the nasty ho?” She grabbed a handful of Nina’s long, thick hair and yanked hard.

  “Ow! Ease up, Jay. That hurts!”

  Jay pinched one of Nina’s nipples with her thumb and middle finger, applying unbearable pressure. “I want it to hurt. That’s what you get for being a bad little ho.” Jay laughed like a possessed person. She tugged on Nina’s tresses again and slapped her hard on her thigh. It brought tears to Nina’s eyes.

  “Jay . . . ,” Nina croaked. Words escaped her when she felt Jay’s teeth clamp down on her other nipple, first gently, then ferociously. “Yes, Jay. That’s it!”

  It was Nina’s turn to yank Jay’s hair. She grabbed a handful of Jay’s braids when Jay slithered down her body to bury her face in the moist, hairy place between her thighs. Jay breathed in deeply, taking in the potent scent of Nina’s love juice. It was flowing like a waterfall. With soft flicks of her tongue and gentle grazes with the edge of her teeth, she teased Nina’s hardened clit unmercifully. Nina’s moaning and twisting turned Jay on so much that she almost lost control too soon. Then she straddled Nina, placed her saturated vagina on top of hers. The grinding began with a slow and smooth rhythm. Hair against hair and wetness to wetness, they mated, creating an erotic dance. Their synchronized climaxes drained all their energy and put them right to sleep.

  * * *

  Zach called Jill twice a day, every day, to make sure she and Zachary Junior were okay. Being separated from them was painful and stressful, but he still believed he’d done the right thing. Jill and the baby were safer in Jamaica as long as Jay was still on the run. Zach couldn’t take a chance with their safety, no matter what. Even though the separation had caused a major rift in his marriage, at least his wife and son were out of harm’s way. Nothing was more important to him than protecting them. That would always be his main priority.

  There was one good thing that had come out of the separation. Jill was teaching dance at Royal Rhythms, her childhood studio. She worked alongside her old teacher, Madame Katherine Chapelle. Three days a week Jill taught girls and boys, ages eight to fourteen, basic dance poses, moves, routines, spacing, and formations. Zach could tell by their daily conversations that she was enjoying working with the children in her home country. Jill made sure no girl or boy was turned away because their family couldn’t afford to pay her their fees. She simply paid the money herself. In a nutshell, she worked for free and paid for the lessons she taught her young students.

  The only times Zach could hear the hint of a smile in Jill’s voice during their daily calls was when she talked about how well her siblings and Zachary Junior played together and how her dance students were progressing. She cherished the time she spent with her family and her dance students, but her heart was in A
tlanta. Jill wanted to be home with her husband, and she told him that every night, before she went to bed. And if the FBI received the approval to use the high-tech tracking device in their case to hunt Jay down, Jill’s wish could soon come true.

  * * *

  “Say something, Madame Katherine. Don’t you think it’s a brilliant idea? Sure, it will take weeks of hard work and long hours here to create the choreography, but it can be done. I believe the children are up to it, and I am devoted to preparing them. Please, I beg you, give me your blessing.”

  Jill stood still facing the old woman, who was perched on a wooden cane. There was a noticeable hunch in her back from years of dancing and conditioning. Jill held her breath as she watched the woman’s facial expressions. Madame Katherine, dancer extraordinaire, was considering her proposal to put on a major dance recital. Jill wanted to showcase the talent of the thirty-one students at Royal Rhythms Dance Studio. All she needed was Madam Katherine’s approval.

  “We don’t have the means to produce something as extravagant as what you are speaking of, Jillian. A suitable venue to house the pageant, costumes, and props is not cheap, darling. The profit from ticket sales in a poor country like Jamaica won’t return the money we’re bound to spend putting on such a show. We will more than likely end up in the red after all is said and done.”

  Jill walked in a slow circle around her dance instructor. It would cost a lot of money to put the recital together. She needed to come up with some ideas on how to raise the money. Otherwise, Madame Katherine would not approve of the show.

  “I got it! We can raise the money to cover the production costs through donations from business owners here and in Atlanta. Dr. Johnson owns his very own medical clinic. Desmond makes lots of money at his nightclub, Caribbean Cove, and . . . and . . . Gwendolyn Hayes!” Jill snapped her fingers. “She’s the seamstress who designed my wedding gown. Oh, Madame Katherine, she has gobs of money. I know she will help us. They all will. I’ll set up meetings with these people and will explain to them what we want to do. They’ll sponsor our production.”