Chapter Twenty
CHAPTER TWENTY
A Big Shot with a Smoking Gun
T he air clung to the thick odor of gun smoke as Young Guy’s, ‘Take Heed’ pumped through the speakers of Lennox’s parked truck. He stood in an abandoned Tom Thumb grocery store parking lot at 10:07 P.M., in the zone. Loading his TISAS 1911 Night Stalker Double Stack 9mm SF, he emptied the clip, turning one of the target silhouettes he’d set up into shreds.
He slowed down as he heard a car approaching. The music from the vehicle blended with his ‘Take Heed’, creating a strange mixed melody with ‘All There,’ by Jezzy, featuring Bankroll Fresh. Taking his keys out of his pocket, he turned his truck off remotely. At about the same time, Jezzy’s song cut off abruptly, too, ending the impromptu amalgamation of the two tunes.
Nadia’s car door slammed then she marched towards him wearing heels that clicked against the cement, sounding much like heavy raindrops smacking the hard gray surface. His gun boomed as he shot the target once again. Now the woman of his prayers stood beside him, though he didn’t look directly at her. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her jostle her hands into the pockets of a shimmery red Starter jacket.
“Two inches above the ear.” He held up his gun, aimed, then fired, shooting directly in the area he’d declared. “So, let me get right into it, baby. I called you out here to have a discussion. We both have to be at work soon, and it won’t take long. Just listen.”
She cleared her throat, crossed her arms, and stared straight ahead at his target.
“I’ve killed many men.” Sucking his teeth, he reached for the bandana in his jeans pocket and swiped it across his forehead to collect his sweat. “Most were for hire.” He shoved the blue and white scarf back where it came from. “I told you about this, but I want to elaborate a little bit. For starters, I needed the money. The pay was good, but I was also angry. We had that in common.” She nodded in agreement. “I felt like killin’ somethin’ would make me feel more alive. It didn’t. I don’t enjoy killing people. In fact, I hated it, though I do understand that sometimes certain ones have to be wiped from the face of the earth.” He sighed. “I just always hope that I’m not ever put in a position again to be the one to have to do that. Play God, basically.
“Life and death coexist. They rely on one another. So, even though most of my activities, I’ll say,” he laughed dismally, “were for resources, there is an incident that doesn’t match this. I killed one man for playin’ in my face.” He shot at another target, this time landing the bullet right in the center of the chest. “My heart is not that of a killer, but when you come from my kind of family, and you live the life I’ve lived, it changes you. I’ve worked very hard to get away from that—to be a better person. I used to run from my past. Now, I accept it for what it is. Usually, I can resist any urge to take someone outta here that I believe is so evil, they need it. Some days though, it’s a struggle.”
All of us cousins have killed, actually, but that’s a different story for a different day.
Nadia coughed into the palm of her hand, but kept her eye on the target as he held up his gun once again. “Chin.” He shot and nailed the chin dead on. “Nadia, baby, listen. These are things I’m not proud of, and even though I’ve already discussed this with you, I wanted you to understand my mindset at the time, and why it happened in the first place.”
“Can I say something?”
He brought his arm down, resting the gun at his side.
“Yeah. What is it?”
“You told me why it happened. Actually, you explained yourself very well when you first confessed your sins, so to speak, to me. I think maybe you don’t trust my reaction… because I didn’t run for the hills and tell someone. I didn’t freak out. I know you’ve never admitted this to anyone before. Not to anyone you’ve dated anyway—but your secrets are safe with me.”
She reached for him and gently rested her fingers along his wrist. “I’ve been ’round killas my whole life, Lennox. Thieves. Liars. Rapists. The way you see me responding to you is how I am. It’s my authentic self. You have nothing to worry about. I am not gonna act differently and you explaining yourself for your past conduct is even more unnecessary. I already accept you for who you are, and know by nature that you’re not a violent person. You have to be pushed to it.”
“Baby, I don’t think you understand what I’m saying. I get that, but I don’t expect you to act any differently than you normally would around me. That’s not what I’m thinking or saying. I don’t expect you to spill your guts in return, if you don’t want to, either, but I do expect honesty when I ask you a direct question, and you should expect the same from me. I don’t play about my family, Nadia. My father is a fucking coward, but I love him.” He bent down, reached for his water bottle, and took a big gulp. “My sister is a traitor, but I understand her situation, and I love her and would die for her if I have to. My cousins that are in the same boat as me, I’d take a bullet for each of ’em, too.
“With me it’s about loyalty, but in the name of fairness and love. It’s about justice and standing up for what’s right. My cousins and I’ve been talkin’. Strategizing. Planning. I have a plan, and I’m going to talk to you about that tonight, too. In fact, it’s already in the works. There are certain people my grandfather doesn’t want any smoke from. He ain’t scared of nobody, but he has too many enemies. He wouldn’t expect me to tap into that, but this is exactly what I’m going to do because he doesn’t play fair, so neither can I. There’s too much at stake. My grandfather is about as evil a person as you can come across. The reason being is because he is charming .
“He can sell oil to a greaseball, and he can lie with a straight face. He’s Satan’s henchman. He’s also fucking insane, brazen, and brilliant. One of the smartest men I know. Therefore, I know goin’ in that whatever I do he’s already considered it, but it’s the way I do it that counts. We’re playin’ Chess, not Checkers. In order to fool the Devil and survive his games, you have to be taught by God. There has to be divine intervention. See, the Devil is a narcissist. Anyone he can habitually control is usually a narcissist, too. My grandfather is a supreme narcissist. The scary part is that unlike most narcs, he is keenly aware of it. That’s a weakness, and it must be exploited if you want to outlast him in this mental endurance race.”
“You seem to know him well. Like, deep inside of his mind.”
“Well, it’s not because anyone told me about this aspect of him, per se.” He shrugged. “I’ve always had a kinda of sixth sense about people… like, not psychic or nothin’ like that, but I can feel when people mean me no fuckin’ good, or they’ve got a bad vibe. It’s helped keep me alive. I can pick up on who is a snake. Who is a wolf. Who is a lamb. And who is a dog. That’s funny, actually.” He chuckled.
“What’s funny?” The woman’s eyes warmed as her lips bowed.
“I told you a while ago that my nickname from my grandfather is ‘Top Dog.’ He named all seven of us, the ones who went AWOL, after animals. He wants some of us to work in his faction of the company that he calls ‘the Zoo’.”
“The Zoo? ”
“Yeah. It’s where the baddest of the bad roam within his organization. Want someone killed? He goes to the zoo. Want someone shaken down or blackmailed? He goes to the zoo. Need to collect a debt with two hundred percent interest? He goes to the zoo. Need someone knocked off? He goes to the zoo. His security team. His muscle. The guys who do the dirty work and have no qualms about it.”
“Ohhh, okay. I get it now.”
“I will say this… My grandfather can read people very well, Nadia, even as children. It’s a sick talent of his. I must’ve gotten it from him.”
“Maybe you did because this Zoo group of his seems well planned and calculated. A little scary, too.”
“Yup. He’s already got a few of my uncles in it. A few cousins, too. Anyway, here’s what’s interesting about this. My grandfather, believe it or not, in his twisted mind, is actually quite religious.”
“I believe it.” She rolled her eyes. “The holy rollers are sometimes the main ones out here causin’ havoc.”
“Yeah, sometimes that’s true. That’s not a true Christian though. That’s cosplay. Anyway, he, uh, he has inadvertently told us what he sees as our weaknesses and strengths through these nicknames.” He raised his gun. “You pick the target.”
“ …In the dick.”
He turned towards her and they locked eyes. He met her twisted smirk. Turning to his task, he shot the crotch of the target, then paused to reload—after which, he handed her his gun.
“Now, your turn. Left hand. ”
She held up the gun and aimed. The left hand of the target smoked after she’d blasted it away with one clean shot. She attempted to hand him the gun back, but he pushed it back towards her. Opening a bin, he pulled out another gun, a 12 gauge.
“Ever shot one of these?” he asked.
“Yup.”
He handed it to her. “This’ll be tricky, Nadia. You claimed to be able to shoot with both hands, right?”
“I can. So what?”
“That’s not common. Most people have a dominant hand. Are you ambidextrous?”
“Not really, but I can shoot well with both hands for some reason. It came to me naturally.”
“Interesting. Can you shoot with only one hand?”
“It depends on the gun.”
“Let me see you do it.”
“Fine.”
“Okay, you’ve got two different guns there in your possession.” He took a step back and wiggled his finger at her. “Different pros and cons to each. One is significantly longer than the other, making this even more difficult. What’s your target?”
“You name it.”
“Are you going to try ’nd shoot one after the other, or simultaneously?”
She stood there for a moment, mulling his question. “Considering the size difference, let me do one after the other.”
“Let’s time it. How many seconds do you need between the switch?”
“Two seconds max.”
“Only two? Oh, you wanna show off, I guess.” He grinned. “Right upper thigh. Right temple. 3… 2…1. Go!”
She held both arms up in a bit of an awkward pose, but he was trusting the process. The seconds warred on like dripping paint. Slow and easy. Rhythmic heartbeats against a desolate night. The air rent with shots as she took fire, barely a moment between both shots.
“…Well, shit.” He beamed in approval. “Got me a good ol’ Annie Oakley. That’s the right middle portion of the thigh versus the upper thigh, but it’s definitely the right temple.” He pointed at the target. “I imagine if both guns were similarly made, the thigh shot would have been more exact. Cleaner. You were rushing, but it’s close enough. I love that for you.”
She laughed lightly and handed him back both guns, one at a time.
He placed them down onto a blanket he had sprawled out, then faced her. They stood before one another, gun smoke swirling all around them. The air was thick with lust, resentment, admissions and smolder.
“Thank you for tellin’ me about the guy following you home.” He grabbed her around her waist and brought her flush against his erection. “I know that wasn’t easy for you to do.” She nodded. “…Because we have a history, and you know how I am… and you know he’s thankful to be alive right now because I saw him, Nadia.” He felt her tighten in his grip. “I paid him a little visit, and followed him. I wanted to shoot his brains out. In fact, I stood there with my g un in my holster. I took it out. Aimed at the back of his fuckin’ head. But then, I turned around and let him be. It wasn’t easy. It took all of me to turn around and go home. God’s not through with me yet.”
They stared one another down, both quiet for a while…
“You know I’m not new to this. I will set the world on fire just to keep you warm. You remember what happened.”
She rested her face against his, and nodded.
Many years ago there was a man who walked into The Red Rooster in the wee hours of the morning. They weren’t open yet, and wouldn’t be for at least another two hours. Instead of turning the poor soul away, Lennox let him inside and went to the back to get some supplies. Nadia was nice and offered him some coffee on the house, to help him sober up. He was drunk out of his mind, yet lucid enough to have a fairly coherent conversation.
The man sat down on a stool at the breakfast bar. He began laughing loudly—he could hear him from the back. He could also hear Nadia pouring the coffee—the comforting sound of the brew being delivered to a clean mug for one’s enjoyment and aid.
Then, he heard the sound of something crashing.
Lennox came out from the back with several cartons of eggs, and set them down. Coffee was everywhere. “This bitch don’t know how to make coffee! The shit was too hot! It burnt my lip!” the man spat.
“Don’t call the young lady out of her name, okay? I know you’re drunk, but you know better. She was just tryna help. Coffee making isn’t really her expertise. ”
“Not her expertise? She’s the same color as it!” the guy guffawed. “Nigger black! I ain’t even ask for no cream or nuttin’.”
Lennox let the first insult go with a warning. The second one? There was no cautionary communication to be had…
The man ended up with half of his damn teeth knocked out of his mouth with one fist to the kisser, and soon became an unconscious, bloody mess as he pummeled him nearly to death. Nadia screamed for him to stop but Lennox kept bashing the fucker in front of her to the point that he was unrecognizable. Just a bloody heap of blood, tissue, flesh and broken bones. It was a vicious, nasty, fast, horrific assault, and Lennox enjoyed every second of it…
And then, without even asking, she helped him drag the bastard’s body out the back of the restaurant, put him in the trunk of his car, and drive him deep into the woods. Nadia splashed water on the fucker to make him wake up from his dark slumber, more than likely to ensure he was still alive. They left him there with his wallet full, and his ego bruised and beaten, just like his face and body. Lennox drove them back to the restaurant just in time to clean up the mess, put on a fresh pot of coffee, and turn the sign on the door to ‘Open’.
Another secret. Another bond. Another ugly moment in time: formed from terror, solved by love. They’d never spoken of it since it happened. It was a quiet understanding. An oath of silence. He was her friend, and he was in love with her… but, she didn’t know it, and he refused to cross that line. Now, the line was so far crossed, they were running a marathon, side by side.
He gathered her in his arms. The fabric of her jacket rubbed against his palms as he pressed his lips to hers .
“My grandfather knows about you.”
She pulled back, cocked her head to the side, and a darkness came over her eyes. “How?”
“I just know. There’s been strange cars drivin’ past my house… strange men poppin’ up at the club. The gym. They’re only there for a second—I make eye contact with ’em, and then they’re gone. I’m sure they’ve seen us together.”
“So… what are we going to do?”
“My grandfather has these rules, I guess you could say. He never breaks them. One of ’em is that he doesn’t bother our wives or girlfriends unless they interfere with his business. He may threaten to, but he’s never actually hurt anyone’s wife to my knowledge. No physical violence against women. Take my mother, for instance. He never liked her, but he stayed out of her way until she told my father to stop workin’ for him. So, one thing I know for certain is that he’s not gonna try and get you killed or anything like that, but he may try to make your life miserable to the point that you won’t want to be bothered with me anymore.”
“That’s crazy.”
“Crazy and sly as a fox. Or, he may think he can dangle some cash in front of ya and you’ll vanish.” He shrugged. “It’ll be a punishment to me, basically. A way to prove that he can take anything and anyone I love away from me, and he’ll keep doing it if I don’t fall in line. I want to tell you, right here, right now, that I love you enough to understand that you may walk away because of this.”
“Lennox, no! I— ”
“And that would be your right, okay? Nobody in their right fucking mind would want to be dealin’ with something like this.” His heart quickened as he looked into her beautiful, worried eyes. “You owe me nothin’ but your love and honesty, Nadia. Your loyalty is to this relationship, not to you being in the crossfire no matter what. I would never jeopardize your safety, all because I want you so badly.”
Her lips curled in a pretty, sassy way. “…And who the fuck said I was in my right mind?” He dropped his head and smiled at that. “You know a little toxicity turns me on. I’m unbalanced. Disturbed. Hurt. But healing.” He slowly lifted his gaze to hers. Reached out and stroked her soft cheek. Her makeup was all done, and her hair hot-combed and sleek. “So, tonight is your last night dancin’?”
“Mmm hmm. Quit Only Fans last week. I was going to turn my stuff in, but I want to do this right. Have some integrity about the situation and give a proper sendoff. I want to say goodbye to a couple ladies who were good to me, give my favorite security guard, Shack, a hug, and give one last dance for a few good customers who come there just to see me, too.” He nodded in understanding. “Lydia is there, too…you know, the girl I told you I was helping. I have to say farewell to her. Once that is all behind me, everything starts new. My first class is in two days.” He loved the excitement in her eyes. How giddy she sounded. “And the student advisor said that most of my credits will still transfer over, so I’m not starting from scratch.”
“I’ve told you a million times, and I’m gonna keep telling you. I’m so proud of you, baby.”
“Yeah, it’s going to be hard because I’m tryna do the accelerated program, and I haven’t been to school in so long, I’m rusty, and I—”
“You can do this. Stop thinking about how hard it’s going to be. If anybody can handle this, it’s you, Nadia.” He pointed at her.
Her complexion deepened, and her eyes sheened over. “Thank you.”
“What are you thankin’ me for? I should be thanking you for giving me a chance and rollin’ with the bullshit that I call my life. This shit isn’t for the weak.”
“No, no.” She shook her head. “Thank you is definitely in order. Thank you, Lennox, for letting me cry on your shoulder about troubles with my mama, my daddy when he was alive, and just… my everything. Thank you for making me laugh back then, and now. Thank you for forgiving me when I moved away and didn’t contact you anymore. Thank you for being my friend, before you were my lover.”
He swallowed hard. His heart swelled deep inside.
“Thank you for always being there for me even when I wasn’t there for myself,” she continued, toying with her cuticles. “You’d show up when my heart didn’t even make an appearance. Sometimes I probably didn’t even indicate any gratitude because I was just expecting you to wipe my tears with no questions asked. I got spoiled by how well you treated me. That was selfish, but I still had the mind of a child back then. Pardon me for that. I,” her voice cracked, “I always loved you, boy… I always thought you were what a man ’sposed to be.’”
“I know you loved me. Somewhere deep inside of me, I knew, and that’s what kept me wanting to be there for you. You taught me a lot of things. How to laugh at myself. Be more open-minded. You were more mature than you gave yourself credit for. Wise beyond your years. You were just a little lost and hurtin’. You taught me how to even want to love, even when that love isn’t returned. You taught me how to look beyond my circumstances, and believe I could start my own life, with or without the support of others.”
“Well, thank you for tellin’ me that. Glad to hear I was of some assistance to you, too.” She smiled sadly. “I had nobody in my life to show me how a man is supposed to treat a lady. But… I did have you. I had so many excuses and reasons why I didn’t follow my heart with you, but sometimes, every blue moon or so, I used to wonder if would have followed my heart back then, could I have avoided that car accident, and then avoided that rain? I know the answer to that now. Rain waters us, don’t it? It makes us stronger. We are gardens that need to be irrigated, and without the rain, we can’t appreciate the sun.
“I know deep down I would have had to have gone through all of that misery to truly appreciate and understand you, Len. I wasn’t ready back then, nor were you. You were still too broken, but you were trying to start over and mend. Now, just like you said, we know that we’re broken, and that’s the first step. Broken crayons can still color. You’re much further along than me in your healing journey, but at this point we can pick up the damaged pieces together and help each other along the way.”
She leaned in and kissed him. He fell deep into her oral embrace.
Once he’d gotten his fill, he broke her romantic spell over him and stepped back to size her up. Then, without a warning, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her towards his truck. The woman screamed and twisted, unable to break free and demanding to know what he was doing. His hard dick practically broke through his jeans, standing at attention and chomping at the bit. He opened the passenger’s side of his vehicle with the fob and forced her in the back. She screamed, laughed and yelled as he shoved her on her back and slammed the door behind them. Breathing hard and with dire need, he pressed himself onto her warm, soft body, trapping her in place, and claimed her mouth.
He sensed the thrill of her arousal as he pawed at her clothing with one hand, undoing buttons and zippers and snaps along the way. She writhed beneath him as he kneed her legs apart, resting comfortably between them. He tossed her bra and shirt aside, and the pants flew somewhere onto the front seat. When he’d stripped her down to her panties, his eyes pierced hers.
All he could hear was their breathing, and all he could feel was her heart racing beneath him. He delivered a tender kiss to sweet lips as he pushed her panties to the side. Undoing his pants, he dragged them down to right below his ass, freeing his hungry, thick, long beast. He grasped the base, and as she moaned and sighed, he dragged his dick up and down her pussy until he could feel the warm wetness he so craved.
The piercing pain of her long nails digging into his shoulders only encouraged him as he pushed deep inside of her, her wails and whimpers of pleasure echoing all around them. He pivoted in and out of her, drawing himself out in long strokes, and returning with power and need. He nestled his mouth against the crook of her neck, gyrating and rocking faster. Her cries of delight shattered him in the most beautiful ways. His whole being flooded with desire as he rode her both easy and hard, her face a canvas of ecstasy and delight as she moaned his name.
She dragged her hand along his arm, sending tingles up his spine. He rose ever so slightly, just enough to consume one of her taut, dark chocolate nipples. He moaned as he nursed from her, loving the feel of her soft, beautiful titties in his mouth. The warmth of her soft flesh all around him was intoxicating, and her even softer walls grasped his dick, squeezing and choking it as his thrusts increased and deepened. He ran an unsteady hand through her hair, brushing it back from her face, forcing her to look up at him as he made love to her.
“Look at me…”
She blinked hard, as if struggling to focus.
“I want you to stay in the moment. Don’t float away from me.” He gripped her chin hard, making her face him. “Memorize how I feel deep inside of your pussy, baby.” Her pussy pulsed against him as he articulated the words. He slowed, bringing her leg up and resting her foot against his shoulder. He started up again, pivoting inside of her, watching his dick, slick with her juices, disappearing inside of her and then reappearing coated in her nectar. Slowly pulling out of her, he dipped low, slicking his tongue along her clit. She sighed and twitched as he ate her pussy for a short while before resurfacing and placing her warm thighs around his waist .
She shivered, the uncontrolled trembles of sensual awakening transcending… exploding into a full body orgasm as he held her tight. Her lips were agape and a faraway look shone in her dark eyes. He fell back on top of her, shoving himself in and out of her at a feverish speed. The truck rocked from side to side as he lost control—his need for her so strong, his heart felt as if it may burst. He could feel the heat of her body course down the full span of his. Their limbs were slick with sweat, mouths and chests dotted with saliva, his dick glazed with her pussy liquor and her pelvis and pubic hairs moist from his glistening drops of his precum. A wet orchestra of human delight and nasty nature.
Groaning and choppy moans crashed and overlapped as they ravished one another.
He ran his hand along her clitoris as he fucked her, the side of his thumb an instrument for pure satisfaction, building her up into a passionate frenzy. Fashioning his arm and hand around her head, he cradled her crown while plunging within her dripping wet, sweet, sugar walls. She cried out and clawed at his flesh as he fucked her so good, he could barely catch his breath. She wrapped her thighs around his waist, crisscrossing her legs and ankles against the small of his back.
“I want to feel your warm cum all up in my pussy, baby!”
“You feel so damn good, girl. You drive me crazy!” His body ached for hers, and he’d been thinking about fucking her all day. He grunted as he neared detonation, chasing a high that was right on the horizon. “I’m about to cum! Ahhhh! Uhhh!”
Reaching beneath her, he squeezed her soft, ample ass with both hands, forcing her body into his wild lunges. His hips jerked and propelled back and forth like a pendulum as he released his torrent of pearls, delivering his copious seed deep inside of her.
She stroked the back of his head as he slowed, a strong desire to snooze beginning to take over. Fighting the urge to fall asleep, he rose from her beautiful body. He looked down at her, watching as a thin stream of his cum began to roll out of her hot chasm. Moments later, he had a few wet wipes in hand and was cleaning her up, then himself. He sat back, his chest rising and falling slowly as she put her clothes back on.
It wasn’t long before he was helping her out of the truck while she attempted to fix her hair by looking at her reflection in his window, and running her fingers through her tresses.
“You want me to follow you home tonight after work? I know I’m supposed to stop by afterwards, but I can leave the club early and—”
“No. I’ve got this under control, baby. Dolly and—”
“Parton… yes, I know.” He chuckled as he reached down and zipped up his pants. “I like a good music concert, too. I just didn’t want Dolly or Parton to have to sing alone.”
“Oh, don’t you worry about that, baby. I can carry a tune, too. In fact, it can be a trio.”
“As impressive as you are with some heat, it could never be a trio because you only have two hands. ”
“Oh, it’s always a trio when I have my girls with me, honey. I can fight. I can bite. I’m handy with a knife and can turn almost anything around me into a weapon. That rain did more than just soak me the night I was attacked. It prepared me for the future. Hard knock life. You are part of my future, Len.” She placed a sweet kiss against his lips, and he rocked her in his arms, squeezing her tight. “A big part of it. I’m not allowing a damn thing to come between us. Can’t nothin’ make me walk away from you unless you do me dirty.”
“We’ve waited too long to be together, been through too much to get where we are, so that definitely won’t be happening.”
She nodded in agreement.
“If Grandpa Wilde wants to watch me from a distance, Lennox, then I plan to put on a show that he can see up close and personal. I’m the wrong one to sneak a peek at, because Nadia and Velvet ain’t free. All mothafuckas, except my man, gotta pay. I take payment in cash, credit, or blood, and you best believe I’ll be paid in full…”