Holding the page mid-flip, my mind roamed. I had to go from here. The only place I felt a sense of freedom was in the bedroom. And that was only because of the redo. The rest of the home remained what it was—something shared by me and a serpent.
The man that I was married to, had managed to turn a house that I once loved, into a place where I didn’t feel welcomed.
Another hour passed and I was still wide-eyed and bushy-tailed. That’s when I knew that I was going to have to end up taking a 15mg Melatonin to get to sleep. I wasn’t up because I didn’t feel sleepy. I was up because I didn’t want to sleep here. I was slow to realize that, but now that I did, the desire to find a new place sat on me like a blanket of hot desert heat.
I closed the magazine and tossed it to the side, before retrieving the small purple bottle from my nightstand drawer. With my pills in hand, I got out of bed. Slipping my feet into my favorite pair of furry slippers I got ready to head downstairs for water. However, just as I neared the door, my iPad rang, snatching my attention to it. It was more distinct, than my cellphone, so I knew it immediately.
Because it was so late, the first thing I thought of was Gianna, and excitement rushed me. If there was any reason to stay awake all night, it was getting to hear my cousin’s voice! We hadn’t spoken in so long, and I had been dying to hear from her. Has to be her! I thought as I ran to it. FaceTime was only a thing for me, the times I spoke with Gianna. I threw open my drawer and pulled it out, desperately lifting the flap.
You have got to be fucking kidding me!
The face on the other side of the call wasn’t Gianna, for damn sure wasn’t anybody that I wanted to talk to.
This bitch.
Ignoring her was what I was leaning toward. We had nothing to discuss. I sat looking at her face for a few more seconds before I reconsidered. Maybe she was calling me with the good news that Drew had managed to commit suicide in his jail cell. That he had been pronounced dead, and that I needed to ID the body.
Just maybe. Then I’d be able to sleep like a baby. Please let that be it.
With a hard roll of my eyes, I accepted the call. “What can I do for you, Raquel?”
“Good evening, Nova.”
“Evening? It’s past midnight.”
“I know. I’ve been trying to reach you but—”
“The number’s changed and work calls are screened. All for a reason. Wish I’d remembered to change the apple ID. What do you need? Did your client commit suicide? Did he get beat to death by a fellow inmate? Is this call to report a time of death?”
Her green eyes widened in horror. “Umm… that’s grim.”
I hunched my shoulders and smirked. “Umm… okay, but is—”
“No. It’s not why I’m calling.”
“Okay, so you wanna get to that part?”
“First things first. All things considered, how are you?”
“Sleepy…”
Her dismissive chuckle made me want to pop her in the mouth. What I felt for Raquel bordered on hate. And with good reason. But it was mutual. Neither of us had ever made a secret of the fact.
“I won’t keep you. I just wanted you to know that I’ve seen Drew.”
“Raquel, please… like, please tell me why you think that matters to me. Unless it was his corpse that you talked to, I’m not interested. But since you do have me—probably for the last time—please state your case. This should be good.”
She ran a hand through that blonde bush of hers, then had the nerve to say, “I understand how you feel.”
“I don’t think you do. But carry on.”
“Drew maintains his innocence,” she finally said after a few seconds. “As his attorney—”
“Woman to woman…” I butted in. “Do you really have the nerve to call here and rally for this man? Did you really just call me at damn near one in the morning and try to plead a case for a motherfucka who cheated on me with my best friend, possibly got her pregnant, and murdered her?! Is that what you’re doing? Woman… to woman, Raquel!”
“Nova, just—”
“How dare you! I’ve washed my hands of that hoe-ass man! Whatever he has going on, I don’t give a single fuck about. He deserves whatever they give him. She did too. He took care of her, and now it’s time for the judicial system to give him the same courtesy!”
“You don’t need to yell, Nova.”
“You better watch your steps with me, Raquel. Don’t ever get so comfortable in your little role that you think you can tell me how to express myself.”
“I’m not. I’m just trying to make it clear that I didn’t call to upset you.”
“Yet, you’ve managed to do just that.”
“I get that you want nothing—”
“Raquel, it’s past my bedtime. Tell your client to be expecting divorce papers. Period. Please don’t contact me again. The only time either of you will see me, is if the prosecutor calls me to testify. That’s it, that’s all. Drew Levine is dead to me. Goodbye, Raquel.”
It would have been nice to have had one of the old school phones that made a lot of noise when you slammed the receiver down on the base. I would have gotten so much pleasure from her knowing that she had just been dismissed with the highest level of rudeness possible. She had to be some kind of special, to believe that with all the evidence against Drew, she would be able to save him.
No, bitch, he’s done. And if you call me again, you will be too.
I never made my way downstairs to get water for my sleeping aide. Just knowing that Drew and his attorney were grasping at unreachable straws made me feel so good. Because of the euphoria it brought forth, I dozed off easily, and with a smile on my face.
24 | Brock Davis
Brock Davis did his best thinking when his dick was being serviced—orally serviced. It got the blood flowing in a way that made his mind work at a higher level. A few of his exes complained that he was sexist and felt that women were on a lower level than men. That a woman belonged on her knees—at all times. That penetration was an added bonus—for them. He preferred not to if he didn’t have to. He didn’t want sweat on him. He didn’t feel like making the bitch scream. He didn’t feel like her whining about spooning afterwards.
So, if the woman knew that she was coming for one job and one job only, it meant she accepted the invitation knowing there would be no amenities added to the package.
The woman putting in a labor of love on his dick, was a chick that never told him no, and for that he appreciated her. Appreciated her so much that was considering laying the pipe to her when she was done. She had a lot of convincing to do, though. Because truthfully, once he busted his nut, he was pretty much done. Except whenever Royce got to him. Royce was a whole other kind of woman and not only did he sex her, he put his mouth on her nectar—something he had never done to a woman. She had some kind of spell over him and Brock had no idea where it had come from.
When they met, it was on a total fluke. He had always heard so much about soul food and how the taste of it would keep you coming back. He had particularly, been told about smothered pork chops and oxtails from a place called EllaEm’s. It was a late Saturday afternoon, and he was the only white guy in the place staring way too long at the exotic menu.
“Confused?” he heard someone ask him.
He turned around to be met with a dark-skinned black woman, dressed in tight white shorts, a bright yellow halter that stopped midriff, and sandals that showed toes painted in pink.
As far as he was concerned, the only black women that he had ever considered beautiful were Beyoncé, Tyra Banks, and some lady named Eva the Diva, who had won America’s Next Top Model. They were the only ones. And now that Tyra and Beyoncé seemed to be getting up there in age, they didn’t really appeal to him. He’d still fuck them both if given the chance, though.
“Uh…” He tugged at the patch of hair on his beard. “That obvious, huh?”
He couldn’t help eyeing her—straight up and back down. Thick square b
raids that were curly on the ends and twisted up on top of her head. Big eyes that weren’t dark, but not that light either. Her skin reminded him of a Hershey’s bar wrapper.
“Kinda… yeah,” she laughed, revealing a nice smile with nice, even teeth. “Your first time here? Or are you a soul food virgin?”
He let out a chuckle. “Both. You think you can help me out?”
“I’m sure I can. Just tell me what you have a taste for… hot, mild, extra spicy… gravy.” She entered an eye war with him as she spoke, never looking away. He was intrigued. Up until Royce, he had never had a woman who practiced direct eye contact as she had. And she was assertive. Not shy at all. “Once you let me know that, I can help you make the perfect choice…”
Before she even stepped into his personal space and softly removed the menu from his hand, Brock’s dick was hard enough to put a dent, in steel.
Not only did she pick his full meal of smothered pork chops, macaroni & cheese, collard greens, and sweet yams… but by the end of that night, she also let him eat her peach for dessert. From that encounter, Brock had to face a new fact—he liked chocolate. Dark chocolate with sweet nectar on the inside.
He just had no idea that he was sharing. And sharing wasn’t something that he liked to do…
As his nut threatened to blow through his tip, Brock gripped the woman’s hair, locking her in place. He fucked her mouth with no regard to the pain it might cause. She tugged at his hands, probably begging to be freed, but all he could think of was how Royce had made it to that peaceful place before he could make it happen for her; and for a while he was angry that he wasn’t the one that got to do it. But he’d gotten over that. Especially, since she was worth more dead than alive. And he was about to cash in.
He hadn’t put enough thought into planning the perfect murder; and he probably would have spent most of his days wondering if he fully covered his tracks. That Nova, though, now she was a savage. Either she had planned it out, or she had sniped somebody before. Either way, he couldn’t help but watch in awe, from the sidelines, as she took down two people at one time.
The excitement of meeting Nova in person, was all Brock needed to ejaculate a thick stream. It packed a lot more than he thought he had to give.
“What the fuck was that about?” the woman screamed, finally freed from the death grip Brock had on her hair for the past five minutes. She flexed her jaws, massaging the sides of her cheeks in order to tend to sore jaw muscles. “Look at my goddamn hair!” she screamed, running to the mirror. “Are you fucking crazy?” She turned side to side surveying the mess, then gathered unruly strands into a braided ponytail. Brock ignored her rant. As far as he was concerned, her job was done. All he wanted her to do now was be on her way out the door. “Did you hear me?” she pressed. “Why were you pulling my hair like that? And why the fuck were you calling me by that bitch’s name?!”
The woman had gotten his attention. “What?” he asked, truly dumbfounded.
“Don’t act dumb,” she snapped, going around the room snatching her thong and silk robe from his bedroom floor. “You kept calling her goddamn name! You think I don’t know that you were fucking that black bitch? I’m not her!” She angrily suited up in all her garments, grabbed her purse, and headed for his bedroom door. “Don’t fucking call me again, Brock. I’m not interested in any fucking kink, where you’re pretending to fuck a goddamn ghost! Fuck you!”
After his bedroom door slammed, Brock got off the bed and laughed all the way to grab a beer from the fridge. Her and that grand exit speech, he thought to himself. Does she really think I give a fuck? I hope not. With all the money I’m about to have, I can buy any bitch I want. Good riddance.
25 | Leo
Red—cherry red, to be more specific—was definitely her color. Though, I had a feeling that with the deep, dark coat of flawlessness she possessed, any color would be perfectly compatible. Yeah, the more I thought about it, the more I was sure of it.
The red dress was paired with a cream waist-length jacket, and complemented with a high heel of the same color. A few loose curls teased the back of her neck, while the rest of them were gathered at the top of her head, and held together with some kind of light-colored band.
Strong legs, firm back, and curves in perfect precision around her hips. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other as she waited patiently for the Barista to take her order. With the scenery she provided, I could’ve watch her all day, with the smell of brewing coffee as the backdrop. But for the sake of time, I went ahead and made my presence known.
There was a guy separating us, so I tapped him on the shoulder. When he looked around, he seemed annoyed. Typical desperado when it came to getting morning coffee. But I didn’t care.
“You mind?” I asked nodding my head in Nova’s direction.
He looked at Nova, then turned back to me wearing a friendly smile. “For sure,” he responded.
“Thanks a lot, man.” I stepped up and took the space in front of him. Her perfume caught me in the same moment that the guy and I traded places. The aroma was sweet and inviting. I took a few small steps forward, and leaned in close. “What are the odds?”
But even though I kept what I thought was a safe distance, I still managed to startle her. Her head pivoted to the right; her eyes flew in my direction. “Oh my god!” she gasped, holding onto her chest.
“I promise I was trying my best not to scare you.” I carefully cupped the area around her elbow. “Looks like I failed at that. My bad. You okay?”
She sighed with relief then lowered her hand. “I’m just glad it’s you. It sounded like you, but then I was like… nah, can’t be.” She paused, her smile spreading wide. “What are you doing here?”
With the initial shock having worn off, she leaned in for a hug.
“I’m here to see you,” I told her, once we broke from the embrace.
“Nuh-uh,” she uttered in disbelief.
“Yeah. It’s a fact.” I put my hand on the small of her back and placed our orders. “She’ll take a white-hot chocolate with a shot of café dolce.”
“You remembered!” she gushed, playfully nudging me on the shoulder.
“If nothin’ else, I got good listening skills,” I told her, before issuing my black tea order. After I had paid, we stepped out of line and claimed seating in the corner until we were called. “And I listened to everything you said… for the full three hours.”
“Wow. You… you… I swear I can’t believe how thoughtful you are, Leo.” She shrugged. “What made you—”
“You told me last night about your morning stop and I thought it would be good to do a quick drive-by. I’m glad I could catch you. It’s gonna make the hell out of my morning, getting to see you before the start of my day.”
She briefly looked away from me, still holding onto her smile. “It’s gonna make the hell out of my morning too. This was really, really, sweet of you… thoughtful.”
“You deserve it, Nova. I can’t tell you enough how sorry I am that you’re in the situation you’re in.”
“Technically, I’m not in any situation. So, please don’t cry for me. I’ve realized that when somebody does something like he did, they don’t deserve any kind of recognition. As far as I’m concerned, there was never a marriage, there was never any love. Thank God, there were no children born from the temporary insanity that was my old life.”
Without even thinking about it, and just from the mood that she gave off, I found myself telling her… “You’re strong.”
“I have to be. Always had to be. I won’t say that at times I’m not affected. But not by the loss of him. More so by the loss of a person I thought was my friend.”
My jaws filled with air, before I pushed out the wave. “It’s a fucked-up predicament.”
“Yeah. But here I stand. I’m good. Life goes on. And lucky for me, I gained a new friend in the process.”
“A real friend,” I added.
Just then, they called my nam
e to claim our drinks, and we made our way to the pick-up counter.
“Well, real friend, I’m thankful for you and looking forward to knowing you better.”
“We’re still on for this weekend, right?” I asked her, wanting to make sure she hadn’t changed her mind.
“We absolutely are. I can’t wait.”
“Me either.” I reached over to hug her once more. The impulse to kiss her on her cheek was strong, but I rejected the urge. Boundaries. “Have yourself a good one, if I happen to cross your mind later, give me a call. I’ll try not to keep you up so late this time.”
“I kinda hope you do keep me up, though. So, do expect a call from me.”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll be waiting.”
26 | Nova
The weekend rolled around quickly.
I’d been anticipating being able to spend quality time with Leo. Despite my excitement about hanging out and getting to know him better, now having gotten to the actual day, my nerves were in some type of uproar. I didn’t know what it was, but a tornado had formed, and was wreaking havoc inside my head, and my stomach! I’m sure it had to do with Leo point-blank asking me if he could take up my whole weekend.
Whew!
When I had run into him at Starbucks that day, we confirmed the date; but that night on the phone, he made it clear that he wanted to take up the whole weekend—if I was up to it. Not spend the night, necessarily, but spend the time. I can’t even remember what my exact answer was, I just knew that it was Friday, and now, our first official date was upon me.
It didn’t matter that Leo and I had talked every night this week. That we had talked about everything except the moon, the stars, and whether or not either of us believed in mermaids and aliens. For most of our discussions, he kept me laughing. His sense of humor took me by surprise. I guess because he was so manly. Everything about him spoke grown-ass man. The steps he had purposely taken in life to get to where he was. His ambition. His dedication to the business he had built. He was everything that I wish I had encountered before I went with the “safe” guy.
Lethal Love: Deceit can be Deadly Page 12