“Drew, why are you looking at me like that?” Raquel whined sadly.
“Because you seem more concerned with who’s fucking Nova, than I am. Whatever is going on with her and that motherfucker is not my concern! Being out of here… that’s my concern. So, move past why the fuck you kept me waiting, while you stopped off in the parking lot to talk to him!”
“Okay, Drew…” Raquel paused, then exhaled a deep sigh. “I really did do everything that I could do.”
Even beyond that, you idiot!
Both of my relationships destroyed!
Because of you!
“And the fact that I’m still here says your everything wasn’t nearly enough.”
“I did more than enough. More than you’ll ever know. How dare you? It’s not my fault that the evidence was bigger than any argument that I could come up with. And I tried. Trust me, I tried. To the point of compromising myself, my integrity, my relation—”
“I don’t give a fuck about your relationship, Raquel.”
“There’s none to speak of now, Drew. Because of the time I’ve put in with your—”
“Raquel!” he hissed; his look daggered. He locked his hands together so tightly that his knuckles started to redden. “I don’t give a fuck about that.”
Reluctantly, Raquel said what she came to say. “There’s too much stacked against you.”
“And your job was to—”
“My job was to give it the best I had,” she spat, leaning across the table. “What more did you want me to do, Drew? The police have an airtight case. There is nothing to argue. Not a thing… to argue.”
“Are you fucking stupid or what? There’s plenty to argue. How many fucking times do I have to tell you dumb fucks?!” Drew raged. “You! The fucking stupid-ass police! Every fucking body! That bitch, Nova! It’s all her!”
“Don’t ever call me stupid. Stupid is something that I’ll never be.”
“Tuh.” Drew shook his head menacingly. “Coulda fooled me.”
“Your arrogance is unmatched.” Raquel leaned back in her seat. “You’re disrespectful as hell.”
“You would be too if you had nothing but fucking idiots around you. Idiots who also happened to be deaf as fuck!”
“Idiots? Deaf? You’re calling people idiots and deaf, but you couldn’t even commit the perfect murder?” she shot. “And now you want to blame everybody else? You had me out there acting outside of the duties I swore to. Had me out there doing dirty work, to get this woman to admit to some shit that I finally realize she had nothing to do with. But you call me an idiot?! Fuck you, Drew!”
“Been there, done that. Remember?” He leaned forward, with his handcuffed wrists across the desk. “Remember that, Raquel? Remember screaming my name while you creamed on my dick?”
Raquel looked around, becoming uneasy at his comments. She was mortified. Her chest swelled with a warm sensation, as a past indiscretion had come back to haunt her. And the way he threw the words at her made her feel… small, dirty.
“Don’t—” she started to say.
“Yep…” he jabbed, well aware that he had struck a nerve. Pride suddenly graced Drew’s face. “That look in your eyes, Raquel. Not so dignified now, huh? You’re campaigning for this cunt-bitch not because you feel sorry for her. But because you wanted to be her. Admit it. You would’ve tried your hardest to get me out… if getting me out was going to get you off, huh Raquel? Admit it. Admit that you like getting fucked by any man that gives you attention. Are you regretting saying, ‘Fuck me, now’? I’ll bet you are. But I’m not done. You have your big, black, educated stallion at home, but you wanted my dick inside you… your mouth… your ass. Remember all of that, Raquel? It’s a shame now that he’ll have to find out.”
“You don’t have to do that, Drew,” she whispered.
Justin still hadn’t taken any calls from her, but she still had hope. A reveal of this magnitude—especially from Drew—would destroy any chances she had of getting back in his life. And she wanted back in his life. It’s where she belonged. He was her future. The black power couple—Barrack and Michelle type of power. That’s what Raquel wanted.
“But I do have to do that, Raquel. And don’t think I’m dumb enough to send the information to your house to intercept. He’ll get—”
“Drew, please…” she begged.
“Wow. That tune changed real fast. You were so indignant a few minutes ago. But guess what, Raquel? It’s too late. See, I’m aware that I’ll be here for a very long time. But while I’m in prison, you’ll be in your own private prison.”
Raquel’s eyes began to swell with tears, at the deception. “After all that I’ve done for—”
“You’ve done nothing for me. A better lawyer would’ve had me out of here. And maybe it’s just not your calling, Raquel. Maybe…” He paused, smiling slyly at her. “Maybe it’s time for you to think about another career. Because I’ve done a little homework while I’ve been here. And I wonder what will happen when the American Bar Association finds out that our sexual relationship did not preexist before you became my attorney. Isn’t that the only exception to a very strict rule, Raquel?”
“It’s your word against mine…” she barely managed to say.
She felt all her blood rush to her chest in a heated swarm of discomfort; attacking her, making it harder and harder to breathe in regulated breaths.
“Now, now, Raquel. I’m smarter than that. I may not have been on my game with too much else, but in our case… let’s just call it collateral.”
“You—”
“Recorded? Yep, sure did.”
Fear, anger, and anxiety engulfed Raquel at once, causing bile to slowly creep into her stomach, then to her throat. But she had to woman-up. She refused to sit before this blonde-haired, blue-eyed devil and shrink. That’s not who she was. She had allowed it for too long, from a person who was by far, the most ungrateful individual she had ever encountered.
“You know what, Drew? Go ahead,” she told him, exasperated from the situation. “Go right ahead. I actually deserve it. Tell Justin whatever you want to. Because just like Nova, Justin deserves better. You’re a trash-ass individual.” Raquel pushed back against her chair, then stood up. “I’m going to enjoy the rest of my weekend. You won’t be able to say that until you’re old and motherfucking grey. So, I’ll tell you what. Go ahead and drop the bomb. As if your word means a goddamn thing. Oh, and trust… you fuck with my career, you’ll be very surprised by the end result. Ohhh, but please riddle me this, Levine. Who do you have on the outside that you can call to go and get said video evidence? Who? You’re hated. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nova has already thrown every ounce of anything you owned in the trash.” Raquel shrugged and let out a victorious chuckle. “And with all that said, rot, muthafucka.”
When the smugness fell from Drew’s face, glee overcame Raquel; and it was tenfold. It was all due to the emptiness that she saw in the once-prideful, gloating eyes, in front of her. He had lost the only ally he had, and it served him right.
Raquel rose slowly, gathered her things, then slowly walked out without looking back.
58 | Nova
Missionary was how sex always went down with Drew. I never thought about why, it just did. But now, thinking back on it, it might have been because “Face time” was his best asset in the bedroom. He knew how to speak life into my wet place. Realizing that he wasn’t the most spontaneous lover, I made sure to position myself in such a way that I would ‘get mine’ every time. And me on top of him allowed me to control the situation. To grind my hips in the motion that I needed to activate pleasure in my own spots.
Had I been in any other position, he would surely have walked away after his nut and left me unfulfilled.
But Leo… Leo was a different mood for the body. A remedy for aches, for pains, for lust.
He was a different type of delicacy. He was the look and feel of what I needed—what I craved before I knew it was a craving.
&nbs
p; He moved around my body so slowly that I almost fell asleep. Not at all from boredom or dissatisfaction—but from the sensuality of it all. The way he put my body in the most relaxed state. A state of trust, a state of anticipation of what was to come.
It had all begun hours earlier with a heart-to-heart, discussing how we felt about our reveal at Randy and Gayle’s. Gayle being able to see through our façade and detect the chemistry, spoke volumes. It meant that there was something potent between us. Something not even the strongest declaration of denial could hide. I was forced to face something I hadn’t—when I was neither looking, nor trying, I’d fallen for the guy. My admission prompted Leo to make a confession of his own: “I fell a while ago,” he had said with so much sincerity in his eyes, I almost cried.
We knew that something deep had formed between us, and that it was more than friendship; that the sex was more than basic encounters. But when he said it then, it felt different. Or just maybe, I had finally been ready to receive it differently.
And so, last night, our true relationship had been birthed in the presence of people I trusted. People who took partnership seriously. Sharing a very important moment with them meant the world to me—on a spiritual level.
While we talked, Leo massaged my feet, acknowledging that I’d been in heels for hours. Even with me telling him that heels had been a staple for years and that I was okay, he still attended to an area he considered in need of attention.
And he worked his way up from there; leaving no stone left unturned.
Kisses along my calves, and then between my thighs, and then at door of my thighs, where he stopped to bless the place with 8,000 nerve endings. That Hollywood stop caused her to rebel with a throbbing drumroll that could only be soothed by his tongue. And clearly, he knew it because he made sure to do his due diligence, by tongue-kissing her into submission.
That kiss triggered the first of many of the night’s orgasms.
Now, as dawn began to break, our bodies were still one, as we rounded the corner to intense, mutual satisfaction—yet again. With him, had become my favorite place to be. My safe place to be.
As he fed me deep strokes, my legs managed to lock into position around him. My hands roamed over his triceps in hunger, while keeping him close. My nails skimmed the indentations that his muscles had created. I loved how they contracted under my touch. With each move of his hips, I was reminded of how massive his erection was, inside of me. It fit in all the right ways.
The spontaneity of the strokes had me wanting to scream to the top of my lungs, it felt so good. On impulse, as though answering to a command, my hips rose to meet his in a speedy crash at the point of my orgasm. Inside of me, he explored along the canvas of my walls, until finally hitting the spot that forced me into releasing deep-throated moans. Moans that were loud enough to question whether they had really come from me…
Had they?
Night had turned to day when our bodies finally unlocked. We lay there, each panting like air on Earth would soon be a thing of the past. Thank God for the fan above our heads; because had it not been for the air, we might both very well be at death’s door. Hours of lovemaking had us spent, satiated. I could have easily fallen into the deepest of sleeps right here.
But I had to go.
“You leaving me?” Leo asked after I pecked him on the lips and rose to get out of bed.
“If I stay here any longer, my legs, my back… my body… will be of no use.”
“That’s probably the biggest lie ever told.” He laughed. “Your body will always be of use to me.”
I fell in line laughing along with him. “Yeah, but I won’t be able to reciprocate. I have to refuel, sir. Surely, you don’t want a lover who just lays there,” I teased.
“Who says that just lying there isn’t work?” he asked.
“You’re silly. I think I would lose my entire mind if I couldn’t meet you halfway. I’d go insane if I couldn’t lock you in between my thighs like a shiny gift on Christmas morning. Nuh-uh.”
“You got a point. Those thighs have a nice, firm grip to them. Maybe a reboot is needed. I’ll try to survive.” So swift that I didn’t see it coming, he zoomed in on me and captured a chunky piece of flesh from my buttock.
“Eek!” I shrieked, as he nibbled and suckled. I leaped from the bed, knowing that if I didn’t do it soon, I wouldn’t do it. “I think I like that! We have to incorporate some of that on our next playdate!”
“It’s a date.” Leo smiled, then got up to follow behind me on my trip to the bathroom.
He wrapped his arms around me with an invitation. “You wanna get wet with me before you go?”
“You are not slick,” I playfully chastised.
“Ohhh, but she is!” he said, after reaching around and sneakily dipping a digit into my opening.
He wasn’t lying. I had already felt the slippery moisture returning, just from him riding my ass on the way to shower. I had to answer the call; as I thought it only fair that I explore the options.
Clearly, I was going to be leaving Leo’s later than I had originally planned.
59 | Nova
Shame, shame, shame on me…
That shower with Leo almost took me out. Why… why… why did I just not do what I was supposed to do—get out of bed, get dressed, brush my teeth, and then get out of dodge? I’ll tell you why. Because Leo Kastellanos is downright irresistible. The man went and turned what was supposed to be a quick shower, into another full-length sex session. I felt wiped out to the point of, ‘Girl, lay back down and get back up tomorrow and try again…’
But I didn’t have that option. Today was Sunday—the Sunday—and there was much to do.
The latest workout left me wobbling, and taking careful struts as I made my way through the aisles of Sam’s Club. With swollen labia, each step I took caused a friction that sent erotic signals to my core. It was like a call to action! And as badly as I wanted to return to the scene, I had to fight temptation.
Life can be so unfair sometimes.
The punishment would continue for at least another hour and some change, due to the fact that I wouldn’t be done with my errands after I left here. I still had Smith’s to hit for my regular, non-bulk grocery items. Sam’s shopping was primarily meat and produce. I bought a lot of chicken and fish that I separated into two’s in the freezer. I did the same with my vegetables, opting for cabbage, broccoli, and kale for the most part. And fruit was always and forever, Fuji apples. I kept those at work and at home.
Smith’s was another story. That was my soy milk, cheese slices, and Board’s lunch meat. I couldn’t wait until grocery shopping was over. It was its own event, and had always been my least favorite thing to do. Which is why it was always reserved for the end of the weekend.
Lately, though, I had been strongly considering having a regular person for things like cleaner runs, grocery shopping, housekeeping, and maybe even cooking. I was tired of keeping house. And I had plenty of money for a luxury expense such as that. I could free myself up a bit to do some fun things—reading novels, spa days, or sleepovers with a certain someone.
And then the certain someone crept into my mind… again.
For the millionth time, a thin smile opened to an even larger one. It was an expression that had become an unshakable habit. Every time I thought about Leo, I smiled. Every time I thought about our late-night conversations, I smiled. Every time I thought… I smiled, and smiled some more.
Upon checking, I’d somehow managed to clock a new time in Sam’s Club—thirty minutes. The legs weren’t having it, I guess.
Smith’s might just have to wait. That was the thought I had just had, when my cell rang from inside my purse. Recognizing my attorney’s number, I stopped in place at the back of my truck and quickly took the call. “Brigette, give me one second. I got two boxes to put in the trunk and then I’m free…”
I rushed to get my things in the car before pushing the cart to a holder, just a few yards away.
“Happy Sunday to you too. You certainly didn’t have to run. I have nowhere to be.” Brigette allowed a soft chuckle to escape. “And just what are you running for? It’s the seventh day, lady. Shouldn’t you be resting?”
Checking the backup camera, I confirmed that it was safe to pull out of my parking space. “I wish! I still have errands left. I won’t be done until early evening.”
“Okay, well I’ll be quick. I called to talk about your divorce.”
“Please tell me that you’re calling to tell me that this marriage is over. Please, Brigette.”
“Your marriage is over,” she confirmed.
“Wait! You’re kidding!” I teared up so quickly I had to force myself over to the side of the road to keep from having an accident. “I’m free, Brigette? Seriously?”
“Yes. And as luck would have it, it was by default.”
I started to ask her what that meant, but frankly I didn’t care. As long as I was rid of that piece of shit, for good. “Okay. Sounds good to me.”
“Well, there’s more to the story,” she alerted me. “Apparently…” Brigette paused. “Drew was found dead in his cell a short while ago.”
I inhaled a gasp so loud I almost choked. “Dead? As in—”
“As in deceased. You haven’t gotten any calls?” she asked.
“None… at all. Not about him.”
Silence overtook me as I sat there on the side of the road. Drew was dead. I was free. Working on autopilot, I pulled back into traffic. My tears were gone. In their place was serenity—serenity that came with a smile that I couldn’t wipe away if I tried. I didn’t know what happened to Drew, but I wasn’t sorry. He got what he deserved; and hopefully he felt every single stitch of whatever fate he was met with.
“Hey Nova,” she called out. “You okay?”
Lethal Love: Deceit can be Deadly Page 25