Chapter 2
Audacity.
It was the downfall of anyone who’d ever fallen victim to my wrath. The man slowly losing consciousness as his body shut down completely was the latest. Together, we made our way to the floor. Disgust plagued me.
Drop, I demanded.
When his body finally collapsed, on cue, I stood, grateful I didn’t dirty my slacks on the restroom floor. His filthy nails and the sleep in the corner of his eyes were repulsive enough. It was difficult keeping my composure and I wouldn’t last too much longer.
I removed the burner from my waistline and the silencer from the pocket of my pants, preparing to put an end to the madness sooner than later. I hadn’t planned for my night to go this way. A nice dinner, something brown in my cup, and Eden within arm’s reach was the idea. But seeing her stroll across the street as if she was ready to claim her pageant crown had wrecked my fucking brain and almost made me wreck my fucking whip.
Witnessing her in another man’s company was maddening. Witnessing another man lay hands on what belonged to me was incriminating. Seeing those fingers hadn’t been cleaned thoroughly in hours, possibly days, was infuriating.
He’d sealed his fate when they grazed her skin, fueling the fire brewing inside of me already. To his detriment, I met him in the restroom with a closed for cleaning sign, a scorned heart, and my problem solver.
Pew!
The center of his forehead split, making room for the bullet I’d just put there. His body jerked, emphasizing the end of his life cycle. I was certain his bowels had movement. I wasn’t going to stick around long to find out. He was in the right place to free them but at the wrong fucking time.
“Fucking animal.”
A grunt escaped me as I straightened the wrinkles in my shirt. The warmth of my weapon rested against my back as I concealed it. With a scattered conscience, I unlocked my phone and snapped a picture of the diabolical human stretched out on the bacteria-prone floor. A text to Rugger reminded me it wasn’t all for nothing.
Take him off your list. He’s done.
Dyson Walker. He’d crossed our radar, not for his wrongdoings within the Triad, but because of his fetish for girls who hadn’t quite reached puberty. He was at the bottom of the barrel, almost, hardly holding any ranking within the organization. We wouldn’t miss him or his contributions.
Freeing the world of his predatorial ways and making sure young girls around the world were safe was higher on our priority list than the tens of thousands he brought in a month. Another nigga was always ready for his spot and was working hard to prove it every day. He no longer mattered to us the minute we discovered his disappointing desires.
The second text was erased before I could send it. I decided to call Royce instead. She answered on the second ring.
“Hey.”
“Get Range. Clean up at Blanche.”
“Have you made a mess?” She sighed.
“Don’t ask questions you know the answer to, baby. Clear the camera feeds and erase any traces of our presence –including his date.”
If she continues fucking with me this way, there might not be any traces of her to erase.
“Oh God. He was on a date?”
“He won’t do that shit again.” I scoffed, ending the call.
Taking a good look in the mirror, I smoothed my hands over my head. Because my beard was steadily growing, it felt unkempt. As a habit, I ran my palms along the shape of it, making sure there wasn’t a hair out of place.
Not until I was satisfied with my appearance, did I exit. Thankfully, no one was waiting for the cleaning to end. It would be at least another twenty-five minutes.
The ambiance of Blanche was inviting. I floated through the steakhouse, easily finding the same bar that I watched Eden alert her date of her arrival. Blood filled my mouth, forcing me to let go of the flesh I’d bitten into. It wasn’t until I tasted the copper-like liquid that I realized I was bearing down.
“What can I get for you?” The bartender bounced toward me while asking.
“Cognac. Neat. Double shot.”
“Coming right up.”
I wasted little time angling my body in Eden’s direction. By the third time she’d tapped the screen on her phone to see what the time was and calculate the time her date had been gone, my drink was ready.
He’s not coming, Choc.
I slid a fifty-dollar bill across the bar and stepped away with the glass in my hand. My DNA wasn’t something I was willing to leave behind. I made my way through the restaurant, exiting with almost a full shot left.
Aden, I thought, taking a peek around the corner to see where the hell he’d gone. The sickening whip was mere feet from the entrance of the steakhouse and gave me something to focus on other than my missing driver and that fucking Eden.
Black on black. The BMW was a sight to see. It reminded me of the AMG GT I’d snatched off the ship four days ago.
Fuck. It was the vision of the matte ride that made me recall how I’d gotten to Blanche. It wasn’t by way of Aden. I drove. My feet reacted before I could completely grasp the madness of the night. I didn’t drive. Hadn’t in over ten years.
With flared nostrils and teeth that were slowly grinding down with every back and forward movement of my mouth, I turned the corner. My car was waiting under the tree that held the rain’s mist, loosely releasing droplets onto the black paint.
I finished my drink as I tapped the start button and unlocked the doors. The sleek midnight black whip was the only vehicle in the parking lot that chirped. Still aghast at my willingness to drive, I reached inside and sat the empty glass inside of the armrest.
The difference in this night and any other was becoming very clear. There was a common denominator in all the shit I’d been feeling, experiencing, and indulging in over the last week.
She hadn’t left me, though she’d left me. Thoughts of her stayed with me. Stuck with me. They were relentless. So was she.
Fucking Eden.
“A head case.”
I slammed my fist on the roof of the car.
“Fuck! Fuck. Fuck!”
Low, but very audibly, I released my transgressions under the large tree that partially shielded me from public view. My car managed to shield most of what it couldn’t.
“She’s not that special.”
The lie rolled off my tongue easily but never settled with me.
“A lie.” I followed up by shaking my head while attempting to silence the voices within me.
Eden was breathtaking. Not only her beauty was captivating but her personality, knife for a tongue, and eagerness to live life on the very edge almost every day of her existence. She kept me on my toes. Wondering. Guessing. Watching.
Like a fucking hawk, I watched her, sometimes through the window of her spot. As she admired the city from above, I admired her from below. On her way to work, I was sure she made it safely. And when she left, I didn’t leave her until I was certain she was inside, safe, and sound asleep.
My addiction was rapidly blossoming. Whenever I managed a wink, she was the thought that woke me. When my eyes closed, she was the thought that lured me to sleep.
I was chastising myself for the body I’d added to my roster for her, but I knew without a doubt I’d lay a thousand more motherfuckers down if their audacity exceeded my limitations. They weren’t at all unreasonable or difficult to follow. I found them rather generous, but the list was steadily growing as the days went by.
Look but don’t touch.
Don’t even look too motherfucking long.
Clear her path.
Say less.
Respect her the same dressed or undressed.
Do not entertain the thrill she seeks.
Never, ever enter her garden.
Eden made me boundless. By default. It was as if my destiny had been chosen for me the moment I set eyes on her. She was a means to my end.
“Maurice,” I whispered, dipping into my ride and taking off from the parking lot at full speed.
He’d said a hundred times that my mother had been chosen specifically for him. There was nothing he could or wanted to do about it. Though I’d never understood logic, I was quickly learning this shit wasn’t up to me. It was already written.
Seven days of defying the pre-written text I was supposed to follow had only done harm. No good had come from it, other than rescuing a slew of young girls who had no idea about the potential danger of Dyson.
I claimed the spot reserved for those who were utilizing valet. I didn’t have a ticket and I didn’t give a fuck. For the attendant’s sake, who was looking at me with curious eyes, and hers, Eden had better make her way out of the door sooner than later.
On the hood of my whip, I prepared for the inevitable.
Still waiting for this nigga. My thoughts angered me.
Just as I debated going inside to pull her pretty ass out of the door by that damn ponytail, long legs in black satin rushed out.
She deserves silk.
At the sight of me, Eden’s mouth widened and everything around us came to a screeching halt.
Be still.
My heart was wrecked. She was only a few feet away from me. Visions of bending her right over my car and allowing the entire downtown Clarke to see just how much magic we created when our bodies were entangled petitioned for fruition.
Stretch her out.
Fill her up.
Punish her.
Make her pay.
She’ll regret this day.
I closed my eyes to silence the noise.
“Get in the fucking car, Eden.”
Her beauty was almost convincing enough, but it didn’t stop the rage her antics supplied. I pushed out of the car, unfolding my hands while matching her gaze. She was a fucking journey. A rollercoaster.
I was letting go of a piece of myself with each passing second, giving it to her and praying she did the right thing with it. Because she was a fucking head rush, I knew that was asking too much of her, but I couldn’t deny her of what was rightfully hers.
She stood, unmoving, making me reconsider my reservations and the delay of her punishment. Maybe spectators wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
You’ve left a mess. Go.
I clicked my tongue, quickly putting that all aside.
“Eden.” I groaned, growing tired of her defiance and even more exhausted with my inability to control the hammering of my heart.
“Where is my date?”
Audacity.
She had enough of that shit for us both. Her question was enough for me to strip her where she stood and stick my dick so far up her, she forgot any other nigga existed… ever.
“Get in the fucking car before I put you in the car.”
“Where is my date?” she repeated herself as if I wasn’t talking to her. As if I”d said nothing.
There wasn’t anyone on earth I’d encountered who could say they’d successfully disobeyed me and the odds had turned out in their favor. Most couldn’t because they were six feet under. The rest would have to write shit down because they couldn’t speak to tell their truths.
“Now is not the time to test me. I will fail. I will fail miserably,” I grumbled. “I have no limits, Eden. None. Don’t fuck around or you will find out, swiftly and without remorse.”
“Whe–”
Refusing to hear another word from her foul ass mouth or see her neck sway another time, I rushed to her side.
Maybe she didn’t hear what the fuck I’d said. Though I hated repeating myself, I’d made the exception. This, however, would be the last time. If Eden couldn’t get in the car on her own, I’d happily put her in that motherfucker.
“In the car. Right now.”
There was movement. I should’ve been rejoicing, but I was far from it. Out of my head and in a completely different world, I strapped her in and slammed the door.
Stupid.
Just fucking ignorant!
I slid into the driver”s seat, mashing the gas and getting the hell out of dodge. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her hands clutch the door handle and side of the seat as it began to cave around her. The seats were designed to contour to one’s frame, suitable for all driving conditions, including mine.
It wasn’t until we were on the expressway and the city noise was behind us that it quieted. All that was heard was passing cars and the purring of my engine. I gripped the wheel, forgetting how good it felt to be behind one.
A newfound appreciation was quickly acknowledged with a look in Eden’s direction. No one had ever sat next to me in the passenger seat, not if we didn’t share blood, and hardly then.
That position had been dedicated to her, created just for her. Without her influence, I wouldn’t have copped the new whip. I was fine behind the tint of the truck I’d purchased for Aden to chauffeur in.
“Are you going to say anything?”
There was nothing to say. We both knew how we’d gotten here; there was no need to dwell. I’d been clear on the first date. She was chasing excitement that would end with niggas on her conscience every time. Reiterating myself with words was pointless.
Action. Eden needed to see shit caving for her to understand the severity of her actions. Until she figured her shit out, a body could drop every fucking day. I wouldn’t lose a second of sleep because of it. The decision was hers. She could oblige or keep her black dress on standby.
“You could at least tell me where my date went!” She huffed, folding her arms in front of her.
To hell. I didn’t let the words out, but I most certainly considered it.
“You was planning to give that nigga pussy that belongs to me, Eden?”
I struggled with words, finding it hard to convey my deepest, truest feelings. They felt useless. There was more important shit to digest.
“Miste—”
“Chem!” I stopped her before she could finish.
“Huh?”
“My name is Chem.”
“Chem?” she whispered. “K-e-m?”
Because I didn’t think she needed every detail, I simply nodded. That was not how my name was spelled, but I wouldn’t correct her.
“Where is he?”
Throwing caution to the wind, I slammed on the brakes, mid-expressway. Horns caved, sounding all around us. Screeching tires sent Eden spiraling. Her neck twisted from one side to the other. Her eyes grew three sizes larger. I watched as her chest raised and fell almost immediately after.
“What the f?—”
“Don’t eve—” Composing myself felt impossible, but I managed. “Don’t ever ask me about another nigga, Eden. Don’t so much as think of, remember, or dream about another nigga when you’re with me.”
The initial shock had worn off. The fact we were at a complete stop in the center lane of the busy highway still had her panties in a bunch, but the fear of it all had subsided.
She chuckled in disbelief. “You have some nerve, Chem. Barging into my life, treating me to a night that felt un-fucking-real, and then leaving me to fend for something at least half as decent because I wasn’t left with a name, number, address, signal, or anything. And out of nowhere, you come waltzing back into my world, demanding all these things as if what I want doesn’t matter.”
“That’s all that matters, Eden,” I slipped. Those words weren’t meant to see the dark of the night.
“Bullshit, Chem!” she barked. “Because I’ve wanted you for six whole days and you have not been reachable. You have been MIA.”
I’ve been there the whole time.
Instead of revealing my hand, I revved the engine, putting the city further behind us. The pain in her confession had my chest hurting. Felt like fifty hollow tips had penetrated it at once. I struggled to breathe, struggled to think.
“Make better choices, Eden.”
“What do you mean, Chem?” she asked, never tearing her eyes from the road to look at me.
She was furious. So was I, but I was ready to fuck that shit right out of her. Ready to remind her of the magic we’d made all those nights ago.
Too many nights ago, I admitted.
“His nails… they were dirty. Niggas of that caliber shouldn’t have the privilege of seeing your face, hearing your voice, smelling your perfume, or witnessing your smile.”
“What did you do, Chem?” she asked, finally taking a second to gaze in my direction.
“Sit back, Choc.”
“You can at least tell–”
I applied pressure to the button beneath my thumb, hiking the volume on the stereo and muting Eden. She leaned forward and tapped the screen, turning the volume down instantly. Labored breathing displayed my annoyance.
“I was actually hungry.”
Silently, I continued down the highway until she loosened her grip on her seat and finally understood her quietness was appreciated. As my exit approached, I cut across four lanes, sure not to miss it. Full speed ahead, we flew down the ramp, stopping at the red light at the intersection of the first main street. We weren’t there for long. With the light still red, I sped through, slowing the wheels of my whip when we’d finally reached the callbox at the fast-food joint.
Eden didn’t deserve freshly cut and cooked steak. She deserved the quick, easy, processed food that was metaphoric of the character she’d chosen for the night.
“Welcome to Charlie’s. What can I get for you, today?”
“Salisbury steak platter. Mashed potatoes and broccoli for sides.”
“To drink?”
“That knock-off sprite.”
I could feel Eden’s eyes on me.
“Che–”
“You seem to be thrilled with generic versions tonight, why stop now?” I asked, reaching inside my pocket to retrieve a twenty-dollar bill.
She tutted, shaking her head as she rested it in her palm. She lay against the chilly window, staring back at me.
“Your change.” The drive-thru employee beckoned for my attention.
“Keep it.” I never tore my eyes from Eden. Nothing else was worthy of my attention at the moment. She was dazzling, even with the frown shaping her features.
“Can I have you pull up fro–”
“I’ll wait right here,” I assured the employee, finally taking a look in her direction.
“Alright. Give me a second.”
A nod finalized our conversation and my eyes were right back where they belonged. Even her fucking dress was generic.
“Don’t ever put that dress back on, Choc. It’s offensive.”
“How so?”
“Silk is far more flattering.”
“Since it’s bothering you so much, maybe I should take it off now,” she challenged.
“You should,” I agreed.
With a huff, she rolled her eyes. I’d called her bluff. We fell into a curious silence. Our thoughts lingered, threatening to ruin the quiet we’d embarked on. Before either of us could, I was handed Eden’s meal, fake-ass Sprite in tow.
Immediately after receiving the bag of food, she began devouring it. Watching her enjoy a meal she was supposed to despise and demand better left a bitter taste in my mouth. Nonetheless, I entered the expressway and began circling the city.
Sixteen minutes later and she was finishing up. With a napkin to her mouth and food digesting in her belly, she began taking into account our location.
“That was our exi–We’re driving in circles, Chem.”
“I’m aware. Unless you wanted to eat your food blindfolded, that was the only solution.”
“Blindfolded?”
“Yes. Open the glove compartment and put them on.”
“Seriousl–”
“Now, Eden.”
She retrieved the blindfolds, but not without grabbing the box beneath them. I watched as her eyes glistened and a smile turned her lips upward. When she realized the blue Tiffany’s box was hers to have, her neck rotated slightly, eyes landing on me.
“Mine?”
“It wouldn’t be anyone else’s, Choc.”
She didn’t understand the depth of my words now, but she would eventually. I softened around the edges, watching her dig through the box’s content to find a heart-shaped pendant at the end of a thick, chained necklace known for its slogan, Please Return to Tiff–
“Oh wow.”
Her long, slim fingers rubbed the gold, eventually picking up the receipt.
“Fifteen thous–”
“That’s not for you to examine the price. It’s for you to return in the event you don’t like it.”
“Che– that price can’t be accurate. That’s absurd.”
“That’s meager, Eden. Don’t worry your pretty head about it.”
Flabbergasted, she sunk into the seat, staring at the box. Though she was quiet, I knew her mind was in a million places.
“Penny for your thoughts.” I cleared my throat, hating the gaping hole she was rapidly filling.
She turned toward me, mouth slacked as she waited for the correct words to find her. Unblinking, she gazed. It felt like I’d been waiting forever before she spoke.
“How are you heaven and hell, simultaneously?”
My intentions are good, Eden, I wanted to express. I just have a fucked up way of showing it. I’ve never had to.
“I’m fucked up, baby.”
“What happened to you? What hurt you? What made you this way? Because underneath all the fire, I see the beauty.”
My mother pushed me out into this world. Loved me like I was her entire world. Then left me in this motherfucker like I ain’t need her. Like I ain’t love her. Like she wasn’t my entire world, too. My thoughts were revealed, but my mouth didn’t have the capacity.
“Life, Choc.”
“That’s not enough, Chem. Tell m?—”
“It’s all I’ve got right now. Accept it.”
“I—”
“Please.”
The achiness resided in my words, making me sick to my stomach. I didn’t want to, didn’t need to say more. I wasn’t ready to reveal my pain. I wasn’t ready to expose my wounds. It made me vulnerable and that wasn’t a trait I was ready to reveal either.
With a nod, she settled in the seat. Her eyes left me briefly before they were back on me. I waited, knowing she had more to say but unsure if I was prepared for whatever was to come from her lips.
“I’m no enemy. With time, you’ll discover I’m an ally. One you can be open, honest, and your entire self around. Whether it is today or ten months from now when your walls come crashing down, I’m here to listen. Yes, you’re a thrill but it’s deeper than that. Much deeper. You represent the darkness that surrounds my heart. That’s why I’m drawn to you. We’re inevitable, doesn’t matter the capacity.”
I tilted my head, slightly, attempting to reduce the discomfort. My throat was beginning to close. The car shrunk with each passing second. My heart ached. My head spun. My lungs tightened.
She hiked the volume on the stereo herself this time, drowning our thoughts. Thankful, I gripped the wheel and watched her place the blindfold over her eyes, accepting both of our fates without resistance. I made a promise to do the same. Just as that thought burdened me, another joined. I quickly lowered the volume, still focused on the road ahead.
“One more thing. Whatever nigga paying your bills right now, Eden, tell him to unpay them motherfuckers before his mother is forced to identify what’s left of him.”
Her jaws dropped. She wasn’t able to say a mumbling word before the music was up again. I’d attempted to handle her balance for the remainder of the year, but there wasn’t one. It had been paid up for some time. Instead of finishing the year’s payments, I needed her balance to reflect a year’s rent. Until then, there was a nigga’s life on the line.