Chapter 6
SIX
Armond Davis
I UNDERSTOOD THAT WHAT I DID may have seemed a little extreme to the beautiful women I’d been entertaining all day, but I was one to do things a little differently than most. I wouldn’t just pop off at my resort with the risk of complaints, lawsuits, and jail time.
There was nothing more calculating than a staged event.
My beautiful Brandy just happened to play right into it.
See, Ernesto and Paulo didn’t realize everyone in attendance at the lounge tonight were hired actors on my payroll.
Each of them was among the finest hitters in my organization.
These two fellas happened to work for DiMarco and were part of the plan to steal my property.
I didn’t know what in their brains thought hiding out at a resort I owned would grant them safety. Only a fool would do so.
Didn’t matter if I was here vacationing or not.
I thought they knew better in every facet, but I was mistaken.
I didn’t allow myself to make mistakes. So, it was time for them to meet their maker and I planned on being the one to do so tonight.
Sexy Brandy and her friend Marsha just pushed the plan to an earlier play out.
There was no way I would allow that man to raise his hand to my woman and get away with it.
The only thing I hated about the ordeal was the fear in Brandy’s eyes when she left.
I knew there would be no coming back from that moment.
I lost her because I couldn’t tolerate someone disrespecting her.
Didn’t matter if it was Paulo or not, I would’ve reacted the same.
Honestly, it didn't matter if it was Brandy or not. I didn’t tolerate abuse of women in any shape or form.
Women were the finest of treasure on this ridiculous planet and would always be treated as such.
The minute I saw his gaze on Brandy, I knew it would be a wrap. I couldn’t hold back the feelings I had toward her in such a short time. I latched onto her and couldn’t break myself free. Nor did I want to.
Part of me wanted to treat Brandy like a delicate flower, but after seeing her in action, I knew there was more to her than she let on.
I wanted to get to know that woman. I just doubted she’d find any interest in me after dropping two bodies in front of her.
That didn’t stop the desire I had to be in her presence.
I found myself in front of her hotel room. It was time to clear the air and I didn’t want to wait until later in the evening for her to cancel plans because of how I handled things.
I knocked a couple of times and waited. I heard shuffling behind the door. One of her friends asked if anyone ordered anything and I couldn’t help but chuckle. It took another knock for the door to open just for it to be the person I didn’t come up to see.
“Ohhh okay, hey Armond,” Marsha said in that bubbly tone. I smirked and nodded without a reply. She turned, then waited a second before saying, “Ay, Stella, tell Brandy her man’s here. Come on in, Armond. She’s in the shower.”
She stepped to the side and let me in. I cased the room and noticed how impeccable it still looked for three women to be sharing the space.
Nothing was out of order and that made me admire all of them more.
Most people would have had their things scattered about, suitcases and shoes everywhere, but not this bunch. I liked that.
I rounded the corner to head down the hallway with Marsha leading the way just for my steps to be halted by Brandy’s presence.
My eyes roamed her body from her toes to her dripping mane, finally settling on her wild eyes, anticipating my next set of words.
But none would come. I was too taken with her to speak.
Before I knew it, my body gravitated toward her. That made her slightly nervous and it halted my steps. The last thing I wanted was for her to believe I was here on ill terms.
My brows furrowed as she gulped hard and dropped her eyes . Did I really fuck up that badly?
Against my better judgment, I closed the space between us and swiped the strand of hair stuck to the side of her cheek.
That was when I noticed the light set of freckles across her nose and a singular dark freckle in the wing of her left eye.
Her eyes were puffy like she cried her soul out in the shower, and for the life of me, I only wanted to fix the problem, not add to it.
It seemed like my presence added to her anxiety, the way her chest heaved up and down. Yet, she didn't move away from me. She leaned into my touch as she closed her eyes. Shit, she trusts me ?
I finally spoke. “I'm sorry for my actions at the lounge. I could've handled it differently. I didn't mean to ruin your cocktail hour with your friends.”
“I'm grateful for your interference. Some men just don't understand the word no,” she replied softly.
Her eyes finally lifted, and when they locked on mine it felt like every ounce of air was taken from my body.
Her deep chocolate eyes held a story that was dark and disheartening.
She was trying like hell to hide it but there was no mistaking the hurt in her eyes because I'd seen it in my own plenty.
I wanted to get to know this woman and find out exactly who I had to fuck up for hurting
her in such a way.
“Will you still have me this evening?”
“Our date?”
“I hope you don't believe I was going to cancel due to that dispute?”
My eyebrows furrowed when she didn't respond. Her silence made my jaw clench and I barely let any air escape me. I wished she would say something. Anything more than this suffocation building around us.
“I honestly didn't know what to think, Armond,” she mumbled.
Where was my once outspoken Brandy? This murmuring woman wasn't the soul who captivated me on my balcony. She was timid, too soft-spoken. It was rather annoying.
“I couldn't hear that, Brandy. Speak up,” I said.
She cocked her head back in surprise as if I said something cruel. Was my tone harsh? Fuck, I really do care. Why do I fucking care?
“Armond... I...” she hesitated. Who ruined her?
“I wasn't sure what would happen after that. I was just glad to get out of the crossfire.”
Crossfire? When did anyone put her in harm’s way? I was very much in control of my weapon and precision was something I excelled in. She wasn't trying to insult me on the low, was she?
I smirked in hopes of her not seeing my true feelings on this matter. I wasn't about to show her too much of myself if she believed I was so unhinged that I would let her get hurt while I was steadily protecting her. She had me fucked up and I didn't tolerate that shit.
I refrained from speaking. I hoped she got the picture to say something else because at this point it was time for me to leave and say fuck this date and just find something else to slide in for the night. I wasn't about to let Brandy Davenport disrespect me or my honor.
“I'd love to still go out with you,” she finally said.
I took a step back as I exhaled slowly then adjusted my suit jacket.
I stared at her intensely just to see what she would do.
Fidgeting in her stance and plucking her fingernails didn't make me believe she truly wanted time with me.
Like I was about to force the situation or some shit. I winked at her then headed out.
Before I opened the door I stopped and said, “Seven-thirty, in the lobby. Don't be late.”
I didn't wait for a response. I left and expected her ass to be there at seven-twenty-five.
Shortly after I left her room, I made my way to my room to smoke and check my email. Sweetness had me beside myself. I needed to relax and get back to my daily tasks. I had a couple of meetings across the island in the coming days and I needed to make sure things were still in order.
Sadly, after responding to the third one, my mind drifted right to Brandy and our interactions.
Just thinking of those few moments between us had me closing my eyes, exhaling slowly through my nostrils.
She was so beautiful. That smile captivated my soul and no woman had been able to have a clutch on me in my entire existence.
Yet, she was equally annoying. That on and off switch she was stuck to had me wanting to rewire her ass, so she’d stay on.
I didn’t like how she cowered in uncertainty.
I needed the woman who entertained me for half the day and kicked my feet apart so I could get my positioning right.
Not this woman who was too afraid to speak her true thoughts.
And even with her bipolar mood swings, I was still fully captivated. I wanted to figure her out. I didn’t care about any woman in that regard apart from my sister. I usually didn’t care to give them the time of day, let alone figure them out.
Not even my own mother made me care like I did so suddenly about Brandy.
My mother gave me a certain distaste for women, and I generally stayed away, but damn Brandy, she had me tripping out here.
Had me hoping she wasn’t anything like I was used to, and so far, she wasn’t.
She was every bit of what I longed for in a partner, even in her timid moments.
I learned how to treat women from my father, before my mother betrayed him.
He loved and respected her, never cheated, always had her favorite flowers fresh on the table at dinner, and showered her with love and affection.
My mother was just a prude who thought she deserved everything she got and complained when she couldn’t get her way.
She would hit my father and call him all types of names, but my father just ate it. He pushed her off him one time and she had the nerve to call the police, trying to potentially kill everything he ever worked hard for in life.