Chapter 10 #2
With a seductive smile, she saunters toward him and rests her arms on his shoulders.
Staring into his eyes, she says, “I stay to myself, always have. My circle is small, very, very small. After being hurt too many times to count, you just learn to trust yourself. My phone is dry because my life is dry. I work and keep to myself but I’m choosing to let you in.
I’m choosing to trust you but you have to take me as I am.
” Her head drops and he places his hand under her chin and lifts it.
She’s opening up and he loves it. He’s truly feeling her so he resolutely says, “I do. I just had a question; that’s all. I was curious ’cause I was serious about what I said.”
“Good,” she says with a simper. “’Cause I was hoping we could reverse the order of our plan tonight.”
Her arms drop from his shoulders. With her eyes steadied on him, she moves her hands to his jeans.
After unbuttoning them, her hands trail under his shirt to rub his chest. As she lifts his shirt, he assists by raising his hands.
Once his shirt is off, with eyes still locked on his, she drags her fingers down his rock-hard abs.
When her hands return to his jeans, she unzips and pushes them down his legs. Her eyes drift to his boxers and she pushes them down next, freeing the beautiful dick that blessed her body last night.
“Mmm,” she moans before running her tongue through her lips.
The beautiful sight before Akeem and the knowledge of what’s next has his dick ready. He’s ready for everything she’s about to damn do. When she lowers to her knees, his shit stands at attention.
Her eyes dance between his and his dick for a minute then a smile spreads across her face. She grabs his dick then strokes it gingerly before cupping his balls and gliding up and down his shaft.
“Shit,” he groans from the good ass feel of her hands.
His head dips. He wants a better look at her and the magic she’s performing with her soft ass hands.
With him watching intently, she amps her performance up and picks up her pace.
When she starts to jack him, he damn near loses it.
His hands latch onto her arms in an attempt to control her pace but she doesn’t stop.
“Can I kiss this?” she asks. Her lips are so damn close that they graze his tip.
“Hell yeah,” his baritone utters.
Slowly, she licks her lips then plants a soft kiss on the head of his dick. She licks and runs her tongue around it before covering him and going to work—licking, sucking, and pleasing him until he can’t take it any longer.
The muscles in his abs flex and his breathing increases as his nut builds.
He doesn’t try to stop it either. She’s working hard to pull it from him and he’s going to bless her with it.
He grips the back of head as she works. When she pops his dick out of her mouth then covers him again, the feeling is too fucking good and he busts.
“Got…damn,” he grits as he enjoys the release. When she eases off the bathroom floor, he steps out of his pooled jeans and boxers then pulls her beautiful body into his. “Shit. After that, I hope you know what’s next,” he says.
“I know what I want,” she says with a smile.
“Good cause I’ma ’bout to fuck the shit out of you.”
His strong hands grip her ass as he steps toward the shower.
He lifts her, her legs latching around him, and he walks into the shower.
After pressing her back against the shower wall, he positions her body just right and enters her.
In the shower, as warm water rains on them, Akeem stays true to his word and fucks her through two earth shattering orgasms. Once they catch their breaths and her legs become steady, he washes her body then his before they exit and collapse onto the bed.
After pulling Sunjiya onto him, Akeem gently pats her ass then asks, “You ready for tomorrow?”
“I am. I think I should do most of the talking though for real,” she says.
“I think you’re right; so you got that. I’ll chill, fall back, and just scope things out. I really feel like one of them has to be Aunt Pri.”
“But what if they aren’t?” she asks.
“Then we will ride around and ask questions. If Tanjaya has been in Port St. Joe or is still here, your face will definitely be familiar to them. You being her twin is our secret weapon.”
“I hope so,” she sighs. “We have to find her. I can’t get those medical records or Honey’s words out of my mind.
He hurt her, bad, and often, and for too damn long.
She ran. Somehow, she escaped and she can’t go back to him.
She just can’t. Only one reason Marcelin wants her back and we both know what that is. ”
“He won’t have a chance to do it. Trust me on that. First, we find her then I’ll handle him. You’re lying on an expert shooter who doesn’t miss. He’ll be dead before he can think about doing shit to her,” he assures her and Sunjiya sighs, comforted.
Her body melts into his, and for the first time, she closes her eyes and relaxes into his words, deciding to trust and believe him.
She plants a soft kiss on his chest then pads her fingers across the intricate art inked on his neck.
He kisses the top of her head and caresses her back.
Body to body, skin to skin, they lay until both drift to sleep.
“That’s Cades at the stop sign. You’re making a right there,” Sunjiya directs. “This neighborhood looks new,” she comments.
They’ve been on the road on a mission since nine this morning.
After a wonderful night with Akeem, Sunjiya didn’t wake until eight.
She found herself alone in the king size bed.
When the sun graced the sky at nine after six, he was up and out of the room.
Since Mexico Beach is a small beach town, there’s no place to shoot so he took a run along the shoreline, taking in the beautiful scenery.
Sunjiya slept through his departure and return.
He was showered and sitting on the room’s balcony when she opened her eyes.
After handling her morning routine, she briefly joined him on his awaiting lap, kissed him passionately, then dressed.
They were in the rental on their way to the first stop by a little after nine.
Unfortunately, the first four stops were busts, even the first one on the list Akeem was sure would be the one. None of them are Aunt Pri. Pritha Richards, at 191 Cades Court, is the last stop and their final hope for finding Aunt Pri.
Unlike the other neighborhoods they visited this morning, this one is newer and less lived in.
It’s minutes from the city’s small downtown in the middle of a large residential area off of Palmetto Bluff Trail.
Some homes are still under construction and various realtor signs litter the yards and lots.
The community playground and pickleball courts look both unbothered and underutilized. It’s definitely a new community.
Pritha’s gray and white, single-family home is the fourth house on the left.
A tan Camry is parked in the driveway in front of the two-car garage.
Akeem drives just past it and parks on the side of an open lot on the opposite side of the street.
Before killing the engine, he looks at Sunjiya and her pensive but beautiful face.
“This is going to pan out,” he says, trying to assure her through his own doubts.
Pritha is the youngest of the five possibles, in her mid-forties.
Unknown to Akeem, she’s a substitute teacher at Port St. Joe Elementary School and doesn’t have a full-day assignment today.
She’s in her kitchen, relaxing and listening to Shadows and Whispers on audiobook until she reports at twelve forty-five for a half-day.
“I really hope so,” Sunjiya says, then sighs.
As if the universe wants to add to her apprehension and worry, Akeem’s cell vibrates with a text from Marcelin.
Marcelin: Update?
Akeem: None.
Akeem’s response is simple. All Marcelin’s going to receive. Hopefully, Pritha Richards turns out to be Aunt Pri and she can lead them to Tanjaya. Akeem’s fingertips itch to pull a trigger and he can see Marcelin’s bitch ass face on the end of his gun.
“Who was that?” she asks when she sees the tight look on Akeem’s face.
“Marcelin,” he admits reluctantly and the look he wants to avoid appears on her face. She’s really concerned. “He’s just checking in. That’s all,” he says and she nods. “You ready?”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
He exits first then opens her door. When she steps out, he feels compelled to comfort her, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her.
“She’s the one,” he says before kissing her lips tenderly.
With his hand planted on the small of her back, they walk toward the house. Before they make it to the porch, the front door opens and a statuesque, honey-toned, middle-aged woman with a beautiful face stands in the doorway gushing. Her smile broadens the closer they get.
“It’s her. It has to be,” Sunjiya says excitedly. He smiles, relieved as hell.
This is the break they need.
“Tan-jaya!’ Pritha practically screeches as she rushes out the door.
As soon as she’s within arm’s length, her arms fly around Sunjiya and she pulls her in for a warm embrace.
“You made it out. Thank God!” she cries.
She abruptly releases Sunjiya and runs her hands down her arms. “Are…you…okay?” she asks, examining her.
“I’m fine and…” Sunjiya says, then pauses. Her next words come out at a glacial pace as she explains who she is. “I’m not Tanjaya though,” she begins and Pritha’s entire body slumps as she steps back.
Pritha stares at Sunjiya, waiting for her to say something, anything that makes sense because what she said isn’t.
This is Tanjaya. This is the little girl she fostered for the first two years of her life, the same little girl she found years later and reconnected with.
The exact same girl who reached out to her when shit with Marcelin got bad.
This is her Tanjaya. So what the hell is she saying to me?
“And who are you supposed to be then?” Pritha says snarkily when Sunjiya takes too damn long to explain herself. She crosses her arms as she awaits a response.
Sunjiya inhales then exhales before saying, “Her twin sister, Sunjiya.”
“Excuse me? Her what?”
“Twin sister, Sunjiya. I’m guessing she never mentioned me.”
“Never,” Pritha hisses. She shifts her glare from Sunjiya to the tall, handsome man standing to the side. She examines him from his head to his shoes. “Let me guess? You’re the twin brother. Y’all triplets?” she quips while shaking her head.
“No ma’am,” Akeem says. “I’m—”
“That’s Akeem. He’s helping me find Tanjaya cause we think she’s in trouble,” Sunjiya says, interrupting. “Do you know where she is?”
“I do. She’s standing right in front me,” Pritha says, then she steps closer to Sunjiya and whispers on the side opposite of Akeem. “Tanjaya, do we need to go inside and leave him out here?” she asks seriously.
“We can go inside. All of us if you allow it, but I’m really Sunjiya. Tanjaya and I are twins. We just didn’t know about each other until we were teenagers.”
“You’re sticking with this?” Pritha asks.
“’Cause it’s the truth. We really need to find her,” Sunjiya says, pleading.
“I guess…okay. Come in. I was just about to heat up my leftovers from last night. You hungry? It’s my Crab Shala you… Well, your twin sister loves,” Pritha says before grabbing her baby’s hand.
Because she is so happy to see Tanjaya alive and well, Pritha will entertain and feed them. She’ll take any time she can get with her Tanjaya. After waving her hand for Akeem to join them, Pritha leads Sunjiya into the house. Akeem closes the door once they are inside.
Pritha’s four-bedroom, two bath home is as beautiful as it is spacious.
Eight foot ceilings and engineered vinyl plank flooring runs throughout the home.
The large living room is adorned in shades of brown.
Its cool air and sweet vanilla scent are welcomed by all because of the eighty-nine degree Florida sun.
Pritha directs Akeem to sit on her large sectional.
Pritha leads Sunjiya to the modern kitchen. Beautiful granite countertops, white cabinetry, a large center island with cabinets underneath for extra storage, a spacious pantry, and stainless-steel appliances make up the bright space.
“Do you have any bottled water?” Sunjiya asks the moment they enter.
“You know I keep my fridge stocked with Zephyrhills. Come wash your hands and grab him one too.” Pritha is at the sink so Sunjiya joins her on the other side.
Convinced Sunjiya is truly her Tanjaya, Pritha snakes her arm around her then pulls Sunjiya into her side.
After kissing her cheek, Pritha utters, “When you leave here, get as far away from Florida as you can. I can always come visit you; don’t come back here.
If he catches you this time, he will kill you. ”
“I’m—” Sunjiya begins but Akeem’s baritone interrupts from the kitchen entrance.
“My bad, ma’am. I was wondering if I could use your bathroom?” he asks so politely that Pritha grins.
“Manners.” Pritha smirks. “You don’t see that often. It’s right down the hall on the left. You hungry?” she asks.
“Yes, ma’am. I can eat,” he admits.
“Well, come back in here when you’re done. I just need to warm the food,” she says and he nods before walking off. The moment he’s down the hall, Pritha turns to Sunjiya. “You like him, don’t you?”