Chapter 17
Seventeen
I grunted, squeezing Ishaan’s big hands as he stood behind me. My groin was on fire, stretching beyond belief. Beads of sweat raced down my face, neck, and back. I could feel it collecting beneath my heavy breasts as my trunk and feet were submerged inside the lukewarm water. I panted, profuse, aggressive air pushing through my laden lungs. This shit was work. It was physical, draining, and doubtful, but advised as necessary in their culture.
“Are we still doing this, Hayden?” his delivery was somehow equally sincere and protective.
Breathlessly, I nodded, dropping even lower into my painful squat. My eyes were closed in despair.
Spa treatment my ass …
Yesterday, in the morning—well before the Young Lord concert—Rayna and Sundryia went to the spa. It was ironic because Ishaan had left to workout with his security team, so I had no one to chill with. When I’d finally awakened for the day, I decided to log into my work email and catch up on a few things.
But today was my spa day, and Ishaan had arranged for me to have a maternity massage and cleansing. The cleansing was an herbal bath and hip stretching. The herbs, mixed with oils, were being lathered over my body as I held in a squatting position, appearing eagle-style. The goal was for my ass to meet the level of my feet in the water as the Redian women doused the herb-based water on my body.
The two Redian women were beside us, speaking in their native tongue both at me and each other. They were dressed in loose, light cotton blouses and cropped pants rolled up to their knees. There were no smiles or gentle tones involved. There was only nature, culture, and authority. Both women looked to be in their senior years. Though neither spoke English, they communicated their instructions very clearly, correcting my posture, and telling me how to breathe from my belly and not my chest. They told Ishaan how to hold me and support my weight. His scent and strength were so damn comforting, even during my duress.
“ Uhnnn …” I grunted again. Seconds later, I felt Ishaan’s hands squeeze mine in response. “ Hmmmm …”
His presence was just as gargantuan this morning as it typically was. He wasn’t driving the bus this time but had made sure I felt he was a passenger along with me. The pain wasn’t brutal. It was the aching of the stretch. We were outdoors amid temperatures toward ninety degrees but the water we sat in and the shaded trees hovering above us made it bearable. With all these variables, I kept in mind the purpose of this ritual. If the herbs cleansed the toxins from my body, physically and energetically, I’d stay the course. The hip stretch was to prepare me for labor while in my third trimester.
Loosening my hips impossibly more, I could finally feel the little stoop which had been my goal. Then, I let all my weight collapse.
“T’at’s it,” one of the women informed in her Caribbean accent. “You d’ere.”
“Now relax,” the other ordered.
They continued to use miniature-like mops to apply the oily herbs. The woman to the left of me shared, “Da hips are open. The canal will open…” She hesitated to find her English words. “…eh…easily now ‘uring birt’.” I understood that to mean it would be easier during the birthing period.
“And de ‘erbs…” the one to my right followed up with. “Dey take all da toxins out. Dey excretes tru dem pours.”
“Some tru ya urine,” the other added. “Dey release!”
All I could do was nod as I squatted weakly, sodden with sweat and oil.
“What do you want? I’ll get you anything,” Ishaan proposed under the women’s chatter. Panting hard, I struggled to even think. “Anything. A car. A Rolex . A cruise around the world?”
“Broccolini,” I panted hard. “Sauteed broccolini.” I’d had it for lunch and enjoyed it so much, I ordered more for dinner. The shit was divine.
Laughter boomed from his chest. It reverberated against my head as I lay against him. One of the younger spa practitioners approached us. She was sporting a grin I knew was related to the lengthy man behind me.
“She wants food. No diamonds and pearls.” The woman wiped the sweat from my face.
The older women asked her something in their native language. I could tell she explained Ishaan’s and my exchange. They both reacted to it. One snickered and the other chirped words in response I couldn’t make out.
“She said a true woman knows to wish for her man’s heart and commitment. When she gets that, the cars, trips, and diamonds will follow.”
The women huffed as they now worked to put the bowls of herbs and oil away. She continued to speak with her colleagues.
“How’s the baby?” Ishaan asked, squatting down to get closer to me.
“Far more settled and comfortable than me,” I muttered with a dry mouth.
“Sleep.” The younger woman sounded so confident.
“The whole time?” Ishaan asked, roping his hands around my belly in inspection.
One of the older women murmured something, tossing her chin at us.
I asked, “What did she say?”
The younger woman giggled. “She’s gonna be spoiled.”
“Spoiled?” I trilled.
The younger woman pulled me up by the arms to stand on my feet as Ishaan lifted me from behind. My damn groin flashed in pain, and I kilted over for her support.Ishaan was in front of me in a flash, splashing water, to break my near fall.
“She’s good!” the younger practitioner assured quickly. “She’s good.”
But that wasn’t good enough for Ishaan, who shifted me to face and put my weight on him. “You’re so strong. So fuckin’ brave, Boo-baby.” The moment my head lifted so I could see him, his warm lips were on mine. His tongue swept through my mouth sweetly. My hand went to his hard, bare chest and found his heart beating wildly. “You did so good, baby,” he growled into my mouth.
With a ringing body recovering from distress, a weak smile opened on my face. In spite of myself, I teased, “I did well, Baby-boo,” out of breath.
Ishaan didn’t express an ounce of humor when he whispered, “Kill that corny shit, girl.” My lungs were exhausted when I busted out laughing. His big hands went to my ass covered in a bikini. “Did you enjoy your spa day?”
“The massage, for sure. This cleansing was work.” I pecked his lips. Since when had I been such a kisser? “But I’m grateful for your care. Thanks for arranging this.” Trying to slow my breaths, I shared, “This was one for the books.”
“Good. Let’s go. I want to show you how proud of you I am.”
“No! No!” One of the older women objected beneath our tower of a cove, reminding me of how tall Ishaan and I were. They were all so much shorter than us, which was common considering our extreme heights. We looked her way as she expressively advised, “No nuk-nuk fuh now!” She held her index finger in the air, peering Ishaan in the face. “Let de body rest.”
“Oh, yeah.” The younger girl trilled, “The body is still dispelling toxins. It’s our cultural belief and practice that you— men —shouldn’t put your seeds into the woman while she’s detoxing for the next twelve hours or more. In our culture, that could mean her uterus rejecting your seed moving forward, and no more babies.” She covered her mouth in a giggle as she peered up to him. “Perhaps tomorrow?”
“No! No nuk!” the other older woman shouted in pretty much an accusatory tone.
Ishaan looked my way. “Me and my damn bright ideas.”
I howled in laughter.
It tickled so badly. I covered my mouth, eyes closing.
“Would you sit still?” Ishaan grumbled over my toes.
Holding the bowl of broccolini over my breasts, I laughed even harder. “Ishaan!”
His face was set hard like stone as he concentrated his attention to my feet on his bare chest, holding the little brush.
“I got it!”
“You do not!” I cackled. “I can see the gloss over my cuticle, bro!”
‘Shit,” he murmured. “I can get that off?—”
“No!” I pushed my free palm. “You’re going to mess up the actual color polish on the toe. It’s okay. I promise!”
“No, it’s not. I need to learn this shit.” Ishaan dipped the top handle brush back into the clear nail polish bottle. Then he tried again, remembering to wipe off access polish before applying it to my colored toes.
He’d been at this for almost five minutes, all because I’d mentioned needing another protective coat of polish before stepping in sand again today. I told Ishaan my maternity tummy would make it a difficult feat, and if I couldn’t do it, I’d ask Rayna to. The crazy man volunteered for the task.
Ishaan ordered my broccolini when we returned from the spa. By the time we were showered and dressed, Daphne was entering the villa with his order. He set me up in the living room on the sofa with food and water with fresh citrus fruits then began his task. I had food, a refreshing beverage, and a bare, ink-chested, sandpaper-hued, muscular man with long hair as my view. It was a lot, but it was beautiful.
A thought occurred. “Why do you need to practice painting toes?”
After a few seconds, he muttered, “I may have a lady in my life permanently. I’m sure the skill will come in handy.”
“I’m sure the lady in your life will have her toes done professionally.”
“You had yours done professionally,” he challenged me.
“Yeah, but like I told you: I needed a new protective coat. Reaching my toes is a task now .”
“Maybe it’ll be a task for said lady, too.”
My brain exploded, causing shards of thoughts to disperse. “Ishaan, you want more kids?”
With an indented forehead as he concentrated, Ishaan shrugged. He looked damn delicious. Bulging pecs covered in ink and centered by dark brown, pebbled nipples. His abs were as defined as a metal washboard and ink-free. Those globular shoulders and biceps flexed with infinitesimal movements over my toes.
“Were you around when Mehki was a newborn or infant, or were you still in the military?”
“I was away.”
“So, this will be your first experience with…” I stopped, remembering Mehki was not his biological son. I didn’t want to be insensitive to his situation. Clearing my throat, I proposed, “So, we’ll both be first timers.”
He nodded, boxed braids up in a man bun. “This will be an interesting ride,” he murmured motionless, attention stapled to my toes.
“How so?”
“Well…” He placed the brush into the bottle and lay down my foot, which was planted on his chest to replace it with the other. “We’re both strong-willed people. You want to raise the baby the way you deem is right, and I’m no different.”
“Okay…” I was confused and impatient. “Elaborate.”
“I want my baby raised in my home.” His dark eyes lifted to mine.
“As in separating the baby from me?”
“Never.” He began polishing my big toe. “I would never do that. I want you, too.” He blew at the toe once done.
Ishaan’s attention was on me again. I glanced down to the toe and saw he’d managed to cover just my nail bed. After all the time he’d spent on my right foot with a loose wrist, he’d gotten this one right.
“Is this your way of telling me you want me to move in with you?”
“What else can it be?”
“It could be a formal invitation,” I quipped.
“Is that what it’ll take for you to say ‘yes’?”
“Ishaan…”
“ Shhhhh …” He was applying polish to the next toe.
When he was done, I reminded him, “We’re not a couple.”
“But we’re very intimate, Boo-baby.” His voice dropped an octave or two when he emphasized, “ Very intimate. And I don’t foresee that changing anytime soon. Do you?”
“Well, I’m not sure.” I watched him slowly stroke the polish over the next toe. “At least, it won’t be happening today.”
Ishaan dropped his chin even further into his chest and narrowed his eyes. “She said twelve hours, Boo-baby. Not the entire day.”
“What if I rented a place next to you? Like…not expensive ass Alpine, but maybe…” I thought for a second. “Englewood or Teaneck.”
“They’re too far.”
After chewing on broccolini, I argued, “They’re next door to you.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it.”
“They’re what I could likely afford.”
“You wouldn’t be paying for shit. You know that.”
I shook my head, slightly uneasy about the topic. Then I reached back to place the bowl down on the coffee table behind me. “I don’t know anything, Ishaan.”
“Why? Because it’s all ‘ happened so fast ’?” he pretended to whine those last three words.
“Exactly.”
“Well, sometimes shit comes at you quickly and unexpectedly. In fact, I teach my son to always expect the unexpected. You don’t know what it is, but you can bet on something you didn’t plan to come your way. It’s what I do every day of my life. It’s my job to accept, analyze, and maximize on the unexpected.”
“You maximizing on an unexpected child is inviting its mother to live with you indefinitely?”
Ishaan finished with my pinky toe and closed the bottle. He lay my foot aside his kneeling body on the sofa then leaned over me. His mouth was on my neck, behind my ear. My eyes closed as zings of pleasure shot through my groin.
“Have I ever not satisfied you?” His tongue grazed that pitifully sensitive place I’d recently discovered on my body, thanks to him. “Have you ever been disappointed by me?” Against my hyperactive pheromones, I considered that and shook my head. “Then why don’t you just give me my way? Let me—” He kissed my neck, causing me to shiver. All I could think about was my garlicky breath from the broccolini. “—have you. All of you. You may—” His mouth was under my chin where his tongue swiped. And I could feel his erection at the bottom of my belly. Suddenly, I wanted it in me— him in me. “—like it.”
A phone sounded. Ishaan’s talented mouth made its way to the other side of my neck, and all subconsciousness about my breath had dissipated. If he wanted to obey the spa staff, I’d convince Ishaan to let me take him into my mouth. I’d enjoy that and he would, too, garlic breath, be damned.
Suddenly, another device rang. In like a pushup fashion, Ishaan lifted over me. His eyes roved over my head, then with masterful agility, Ishaan shuffled off the sofa. He picked up one of the phones.
“Yeah.”
“Alpha, code red. I repeat,” a male’s voice sounded. “Alpha, code red.”
“Do we have a source?”
“The ‘Green Giant,’ Alpha.”
I watched Ishaan’s expression contort, switching from curiosity to sudden realization. Ice glazed over him. “I’m on my way.” Ishaan turned to me. “I’ve gotta go. I’m not sure how long this will be. I’ll check in when I can.”
Dumbfounded, I nodded.
And with that, Ishaan was off.
“The MC2 gang?” I stood at the table in one of the meeting rooms at my barrack.
“Yup. Those fuckers won’t die off,” Kell grunted.
Lynn interjected with, “Not all the leaders were there when we annihilated the village back in June. Clearly, Eli was terminated but Ofi, aka the ‘Green Giant,’ wasn’t there that night. Ofi is a general in MC2 . He was Eli’s relative. What kind of relative? We can’t confirm right now.”
“Do we have eyes on him?” I asked.
“We know he’s in Port Tesce, for sure,” Carver typed into his laptop. “He’s in a residential neighborhood, which can get ugly.”
Torrey, an officer at the resort added, “Civilians.”
“So, the Natasha woman, who works in laundry, knows the ‘Green Giant’—” I corrected myself, “She knows someone in common with the ‘Green Giant.’ When the ‘Green Giant’ learned Natasha worked in a managerial position in laundry, he accosted her after a shift and demanded the keys to the laundry building.” Some in the room nodded their confirmations. Others didn’t react, letting me know I’d been on par with the report I read on the way here. “Natasha didn’t report the incident right away, which is why we had the breach in security yesterday.”
“Yes, Senior,” Kell confirmed.
“The stupid fuckers didn’t know what to do with the technology we have here,” I continued. If that weren’t the case, we’d be fucked…majorly. “Finally, late this morning, when Natasha tried to access the property without her credentials, it raised her manager’s hackles. She pulled her in for a chat and Natasha confessed.”
“That’s it.” Torrey nodded.
Taking a deep breath, I’d decided. “Okay. Then we confirm the ‘Green Giant’s’ location, and head straight there for a takedown.”
Lynn stood to her feet to act out the order. “To what extent, Senior?”
“Termination,” I answered. “And it has to be public for all the Natashas in Port Tesce and the surrounding locales. The Sun-Bronzed Maroon cannot and will not be infiltrated. And if there’s an attempt, we will eliminate all adversaries. If they’re too afraid to call law enforcement because the Commissioner hasn’t given them confidence of protection, we’ll give them something akin: reason to fear antagonizing the Sun-Bronzed Maroon .”
“Let’s fucking go!” Kell shouted, jumping to his feet. He was tasting blood.
“Awwwww, Hayden!” I heard whispered cheerfully and opened my eyes. Cheryl was approaching us.
“Hey, Cheryl,” I whispered back to Maaz’s mother. “I guess I fell asleep out here.”
“You’re not the only one.” She beamed, referring to Imani, who was stretched out on my breast and in the crook of my arm.
We lay out on the hammock near Maaz and Sundryia’s private pool. They had a four-bedroom suite with a private pool and beach access here at the resort. It was plush, giving all the exclusive vacation feels. Rayna and I drove over here to visit Sundryia and the babies a few hours ago. After she and her twin brother ate, Imani grew fussy and irritated. The plan was to take the twins down to the beach. When Sundryia couldn’t console Imani, I asked to take her. We walked around the pool as I talked to her. Then, when I noticed she was blinking a lot and thought it could be a sign of her exhaustion, I asked her father, Maaz, to help us onto the hammock before he left to play golf with his buddies.
“Yeah.” I licked my lips, tapping my phone for the time. Or a notification . “She was avoiding this nap like I dodge tele-marketing calls. I guess we both needed it.”
“You sure you only have one in there? I thought your cousin did, too, at first. I damn near passed out when they found two.” She laughed, rolling her eyes. “I’d forgotten Sundryia told me some time ago twins run on your side of the family.”
Glancing at my phone, I replied, “Yup. Our great-grandmother, Louise Tempest, messed us up with that curse. I’ve asked my O.B. a hundred times to confirm.”
Nothing.
There were no missed calls or texts from a Latin King lookalike. I placed the phone beneath my hip and returned my attention to my chunky, sleeping cherub. At six months, Imani was pleasantly plump. The folds of her meaty limbs melted my heart.
“Are you ready for this?” Cheryl asked, referring to my impending baby.
“Of course, not. This part is easy. Imani is the most beautiful girl on the planet. Her brother is the most adorable. Being with them soothes me. They remind me perfection does exist in this world.” I patted her pamper. “Even when they poop.”
Snickering, Cheryl reached down to pick up her granddaughter. “I know you and Monica have had your share of feuding. You think she’ll put it all to the side to help you out?” She arranged Imani over her shoulder then rubbed her back. “These little things are cute, but they are also bloodsuckers. You need help, and not just from daddy either. I love Maaz like nothing else, but I couldn’t rely on him alone to help out with my grandbabies. They need maternal back up.”
That expanded my heart and reminded me of the shear in her relationship with my cousin, Sundryia. Cheryl and Sundryia had been, basically, mother and daughter until last year when Sundryia and Maaz came out of the closet with their romantic relationship . The two women haven’t found their way back to their friendship though Cheryl has been the biggest support with the twins.
“She appreciates and loves you dearly, you know?” My smile was wry, not feeling the most confident about sticking my nose in their business.
“I know.”
“I’ll tell you one thing: I wish I had a Cheryl on my team.”
“So, no Monica?”
I smiled again. My eyes were down at the pool as I shook my head. “That is an unlikely event. I’m sure I’ll be fine, though. That’s if my doctor’s camera works.”
Cheryl didn’t laugh. “I’m sure you’ll be fine, too, honey. Your cousin is tough as nails and would’ve attempted this alone. No matter our differences, she’s like a child from my womb. I couldn’t imagine not being here with her—for her—during this difficult, yet rewarding, passage in her life. You know when I had my first son, I couldn’t take a quick shower without him hollering his head off as a newborn? He wouldn’t sit alone without my heat and scent. Maaz was no different. There was no way I’d allow Sundryia to go through that alone.”
“That’s so sweet of you. I know you love her like a daughter. I hope you get your best friend back, too.”
Shit .
I did it again. Minding other folks’ business.
“Maybe. Maybe not.” She kissed Imani’s little arm as she slept. “But we’ll forever be family. Right?” Cheryl winked then headed for the door. “Get as much rest as you can, cutie pie. It will be a nontransferable commodity soon enough.”
She left me with her foreboding words, which rang familiar. Support. Help. A place to live. All of those inquiries reminded me of my truth. I had no real support for this next phase of my life. Sundryia was no longer in Paterson. She was an engaged mother of two, living all the way up in Connecticut. There was no one to help me.
As I examined both my phone, and the one I was issued for this trip, again and saw no communication from Ishaan, I was reminded of another harsh reality. Whether I liked it or not, I had to come to terms with being homeless. No one was with the idea of me raising my baby in my illegal basement unit. Honestly, it began to sound silly to me, too.
Worst of all, I’d already come to the conclusion of being grossly attracted to Ishaan since he discovered my growing belly back in June. Now, I’d been sensing an emotional attachment to him as well. That was the wickedest predicament for a woman like me. As it stood, my knowing him was a non sequitur. I’d just met the man. How could I be affixed to him in any emotional way?
“You okay, Hayden?” Rayna’s inquiry startled me.
I didn’t see them walking up from the beach.
“What’s wrong?” Sundryia demanded.
I rolled my eyes. “Every fucking thing.”
Total chaos.
This shit had turned out to be a tale of three communities. Here, on the west end of Port Tesce, were conditions just above what I’d seen in desert slums where Eli and his gang lived. This community was inland with poor plumbing and dirt roads. Some of the homes were made with brick, weathered raw wood, and metal scraps. We’d arrived in the early afternoon when kids in the U.S. would be in school on a Monday. These kids were not. I’d been told the school system on the island was ineffective. This was true poverty. On the east coastal end of Red’s Island was my new home: the Sun-Bronzed Maroon Resort & Casino . In that place was endless luxury and beauty.
But this was their home. As I surveilled from the tank trunk, the kids were peeking through sheets covering the windows. Mothers weren’t too far away, fearing the worst. Some of the men were scared motionless while others waited for our next move. We’d invaded a small, innocent community, no less. It was in this place the ‘Green Giant’ hid. He took cover in a home with a more secure structure. It was clear its owner had more money than the neighbors.
A few of the men defending the ‘Green Giant’ were subdued, either arrested or wounded and under arrest. One was even dead. When we arrived, there was a short-lived shoot-out after we demanded the ‘Green Giant’ surrender. When gunplay occurred, local law enforcement was called by the neighbors and A.D. Jacobs, who I’d been in touch with all day. Oddly enough, the residents had enough infrastructure for WIFI, but not for solid, weatherized homes. This was a huge disparity on the island.
I’d been negotiating with local law enforcement for hours now as we waited for Ofi, aka the ‘Green Giant.’ After several conversations with the Commissioner, it was understood I could wipe out the entire neighborhood as I’d done Eli’s makeshift village. However, I understood the residents here were afraid of the MC2 gang and what was left of them. Today would be the last day they would fear the degenerate force.
“Night light, Senior?” Torrey asked as the sun disappeared.
“Night light,” I affirmed.
Within seconds, the two tank trucks we brought over lit the entire area. Dogs barked and a collective cry of shock from the people happened as a result.
I peered over to Kell. “I’m tired.”
Shrugging with hiked brows, he exhaled. “It’s been a long day.”
“A long fuckin’ day of sitting and waiting,” I returned. Last night, over at the resort, I saw Mehki off when the Rogers’ left for home. The boys had school today. This morning was supposed to be the start of my alone time with Hayden. It was supposed to be a day of me “showering her with attention and time.” Instead, I was here dealing with this shit. And not that work wasn’t important. This was simply not necessary. I’d been handling this extraction with sensitivity after seeing how my people— Black people —were living in their home land. “Let’s get this muthafucka out now.” I radioed Carver, “Senior here. Inform the Commissioner of our decision to move forward with extraction.”
“Carver here, Senior,” he replied within seconds. “Roger that, Senior.”
This was not how I’d planned my day. I wasn’t prepared for patience and observation today. I’d planned for mental and physical discovery and gratification. What fucked with me was I loved this shit. I lived for combat. Chaos was an agency in which I thrived—the rush of it all, the unknown, and the new opportunity to prove to myself and everyone around how supreme my existence was. I enjoyed the opportunity to demonstrate just how wrong Seargent Patterson had been about my skills at combat. Typically, I’d stake out for days to hunt my target. Today was not that day.
I stood. “Let’s go with our contingent plan.” Pulling my bag toward me, I retrieved the heat of my choosing and two knives: bayonet and marine combat.
“Senior says move!” Gregg shouted into the walkie talkie and tank.
Banging on the door, I waited for it to be opened from the outside where it was guarded. After jumping to the ground, I held up the MG42 and could see the terror on the faces of the onlookers. There was commotion from my team making an incursion into the home. Shouts and demands could be heard from a distance. Violence was in the air. My men on the ground remained vigilant, closely observing the residents in case of another civilian attack.
“Senior,” I heard shouted from behind. It was Gregg. He’d left the tank. “The Commissioner wants to talk to you.”
I shook my head. “Please inform the Commissioner of me engaging in combat. If he wanted to chat, his ass should’ve been boots on the ground hours ago. If he wants one of his units in the middle of this warfare, they’re more than welcome to come and get it.”
I turned for the house, awaiting my opponent, but not before catching Gregg’s grin. He knew what we all knew. The Commissioner was full of shit. He didn’t have the heart to bring his ass down here to show face for his people. I’d allow Azmir to regulate him. Right now, I had to enforce our agreement with the natives.
Less than a minute later, Carver was the first of my men I recognized escorting out a six-foot, ten-inch, over three hundred-fifty-pound giant, now that I officially knew his measurements. The verbal responses to his image being subdued in this manner rang out all around. It made me wonder how much he terrified these people. At the sight of him, my chest pounded, and fingers flexed. The closer he walked my way, I could hear blood rushing in my head. His eyes were yellow. And when he recognized me, a sleek grin opened on his face.
“You remember me?” I tossed my chin his way.
Ofi replied, “Batty man!”
That’s when I finally smiled, no longer feeling present. My mind had transcended gravity, and I needed something to bring me back down.
“Let him go.” I made sure Carver’s attention was on me. He stopped, eyes questioning me. I nodded. “Let the big man loose.”
Ofi understood right away. Carver glanced over at Leon Mills, one of my team member’s helping with the extraction, and murmured something to him. Leon uncuffed him as Ofi and I eye-warred. I handed my gun over to Lynn then flexed my fingers and rolled my shoulders. The minute his hands were free, I nodded at him, commencing the challenge. I needed this. I wanted to whoop his ass, and not just for breaching my security but because I got off on physical subjugation.
Suddenly and expectedly, Ofi charged my way. He’d remembered. He’d remembered my hesitant energy in killing him a few months back. Men like us understood violent energy. The ‘Green Giant’ knew if I wanted him dead back then, I had the strength to do it. Now, he believed he had a second chance at me. There was no doubt he’d attempt to kill me. It’s what we vile fighters did. My body imploded with dizzying verve on his approach, and I shifted into position to prepare for his big ass.
“Ishaan, is this going to be an issue? Like…do I need to be concerned about you not returning home one day? Or you one day visiting my child, minus a limb?” Hayden’s feminine words of inquiry flashed in my mind—the memory so potent and incongruent to what I was seconds from engaging in.
Fuck …
The giant was mere feet away with a strained face and growling as he charged me.
Swiftly, I pulled out the knives. Timing his arrival, once he was on me, I spun a ninety-degree kick in the air, slicing his throat with the bayonet. A sheet of blood splattered wildly into the air as the heel of my boot met his back, propelling him to the ground. When he fell, not having me in front of him to break his fall, I punched the marine combat knife into the back of his neck, directly beneath his skull, with full force. I felt the blades cutting through his bones as his big body jerked from choking on his own blood.
As the onlookers verbalized their reactions with screams of terror and fear, red liquid raced fleetingly underneath my boots.