Chapter 12

“Salima, who is that outside my house?” my mother questioned, peeking out the window.

“My boss, Ma. I told you my car broke down. He offered to pick me up for work until I can get it fixed.”

Deuce had been picking me up for work the last couple of days. Most of the time, the ride was taken in silence. Other times, it was spent with him talking shit to me. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, he was growing on me.

I finished lacing my boots and grabbed my work bag.

She released the blind and pursed her lips. “Hmm. He could have gotten out to speak.”

“You’ve already met him, Mama.”

“When?”

“A little while ago.”

“You mean that man that calls himself Two?”

I giggled. “It’s Duece, Ma.”

“It’s silly. He had a nice name. What was it? Uh… Simon… Staley…”

“Stanely.”

She snapped her fingers. “That’s it. Stanely. He was quite handsome, even with all those godforsaken tattoos. You sure he’s just your boss?”

I couldn’t tell her that I had let that man finger me in a room full of people. She would curse me out.

“Yes, mother. He’s just my boss.”

“If you say so.” She opened her arms to me as I approached the front door. “Have a good night, baby.”

“Thank you. I will.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

I opened the door and stepped out into the crispy night air. The door to Deuce’s hellcat opened, and he stepped out. For a moment. I stood frozen in my tracks. Damn, why was this man so fucking fine? Tonight, he was dressed in an all-black suit from head to toe. Gold and diamonds laced his neck, wrists, and ears.

The smell of his cologne wafted through the air and over to me. Fuck. The smell of him did something to me. I clenched my thighs together as I stood in place. His eyes passed over me, and a smirk appeared on his face.

“You gon’ stand there all night, or are you gonna bring your ass?”

There went the attraction. I frowned as I continued my walk to his car. He met me at the passenger side door and opened it.

I smirked. “I see you’ve remembered your training.”

He grinned, showing off the diamond encrusted fangs in his mouth.

“Get in the car, Salima.”

I laughed out loud as I climbed in and settled into the seat. He closed my door, then strolled around the driver’s side and hopped in. The engine roared as he pulled into the street.

“Do you have any updates on my car?” I asked.

“Damn, woman. You can’t even ask a nigga how he’s doing?”

I rolled my eyes. “You are you, Stanley?”

“You gon’ make choke your ass if you keep calling me that.”

“You wouldn’t dare choke me.”

He smirked as he looked over at me. “You might like that. After the other night, I now know your ass is a freak.”

I scoffed. “Whatever.”

“For real though. I’m good. I had to handle some business earlier, but it’s taken care of.”

“What did you have to do?”

“Don’t ask questions you aren’t prepared to know the answer to.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Would it have anything to do with the night I met you?”

“It would.”

“Did you um… did you get them all?”

“All who were present. I still have a list and I’m checking them off one by one.”

I shook my head. “I still think about those poor kids. How could anybody hurt a child like that?”

“There are more sick muthafuckas in this world than you know, Salima. They think they can’t be touched and a nigga like me is here to remind them that they ain’t safe.”

“Well… I don’t agree with the way you do what you do, but I understand why you do it. Do you have kids?”

“Hell no.”

“Why do you have to say it like that? Kids are great.”

“Kids are assholes.”

“ You are an asshole. You should get along with them just fine.”

“I’m an asshole, but you like being around me.”

I rolled my eyes again. “I tolerate you.”

“Bullshit.”

“You’re arrogant, Stanley. And entitled. You think my pussy should be yours.”

“I don’t think that. I know you pussy is gonna be mine and so are you.”

“You don’t want me. You see me as a conquest. I slipped up one time and let you touch me, but it won’t happen again.”

“I like a challenge, baby. You can play hard to get if you want. A chase thrills me.”

He licked his lips as his beautiful brown eyes passed over me. I shifted in my seat and crossed my legs. My skirt inched up my thigh and his eyes dropped to it.

“Thick ass. I can’t wait for you to smother me with those thighs.”

Images of his head between my legs flooded my mind. I could almost imagine him kissing the lips below the same way that he kissed the ones on my face. Slickness pooled in my middle at the imagery.

“I see you thinking about, baby,” he said, pulling me out of my thoughts. “You let me know when you’re ready to make those wet dreams a reality.”

I shifted in my seat and turned my body away from him. This man was a walking wet dream and that slick ass mouth… If I wasn’t careful, I was gonna fuck around and let him talk me right out of my panties.

“Anyway, my car?”

“It’s in the shop.”

“Any estimate on when it will be ready?”

“Are you in a rush to get that piece of shit back?”

“It might be a piece of shit, but it’s my piece of shit. Not all of us have it like you. I don’t like depending on people for rides, and I’m not trying to Uber everywhere.”

“I got you if you need a ride.”

“That’s too much to ask. I don’t expect you to stop your day to drive me around.”

“Having you talk shit to me all day would probably make my week.”

“So, not only are you an asshole, but you’re a toxic asshole?”

He laughed. “I’m not toxic. I usually like my women on the passive and submissive side. It’s less drama and low expectations. But you…. I like your slick mouth. You could be the homie.”

I looked back at him. “Do you wanna fuck all of your homies?”

“I don’t call no nigga out here a friend. I have associates and close acquaintances. I have a team of loyal soldiers and I do right by them, but them niggas ain’t my friends. My siblings are my only hittas.”

“So, yall are really close?”

“We are. Even with my Pops having six kids by four different women, he made sure we always had each other’s backs.”

“Do you share a mother with any of them?”

“Nah. I’m my mama’s only child. Steel and Jaeda have the same mama and so do Maceo and Smoke.”

“Steel? Smoke?”

“Kerrion and Devin”

I rolled my eyes. “I take it they chose their nickname too?”

He chuckled. “Nah, it chose them. Steel is a beast with his hands. It’s a fists of furry, fists of steel type of shit. Smoke loves playing with guns and the muthafucka is trigger happy, hence the name Smoke.”

“Hmm. I wish I had siblings. The closest thing I have is Shar.”

“Ayo, Mace wants to holla at her.”

I rolled my eyes. “Funny thing, she wants to holla at him, too. She told me I need to make something shake with you so she can get next to him.”

He laughed. “That’s wild. He told me the same thing. The two of them together might be a problem. You will just have to see me all the time, then.”

“I see enough of you, Stanley.”

We pulled up to a stoplight, and he turned to me. Before I knew it, his hand was wrapped around my throat, and he gave a gentle squeeze.

“What did I tell you about that?” he asked, forcing my body to follow the pull of his arm. “You like being hard-headed don’t you?”

His lips were mere centimeters from mine. I was so fucking turned on right now that I knew my panties would be ruined if he kissed me. He reached over and placed a hand on my thigh, pulling my legs apart. His fingers slowly made their way under my skirt. A small whimper escaped my lips as he got closer to my treasure chest.

“Deuce…” I whispered.

“Deuce what?”

His finger grazed the seat of my panties, and my body shuddered.

“Look at you… wet already.”

His grip on my neck tightened as he pressed his lips to mine. When he slipped his tongue into my mouth, my legs fell further open. He kissed me, slow and nasty. When he pulled my panties to the side and gave my pearl a single stroke, I whimpered.

“Oooo…”

“You see how easily I can command this pussy? You still believe she ain’t gon’ be mine?”

He chuckled as he pulled his hand and lips away, then pressed the gas. I sat there the rest of the drive contemplating my lack of self-control. This man made me want to free all my inhibitions. I wasn’t sure how many times I could be alone with him before I just had to give in and let him fuck me senseless.

L eann glared at me as me and Deuce walked through the back door of the lounge. He gave her a head nod before heading upstairs, while I headed down the hall to the employee lounge. This wasn’t a typical break room. It was every bit as luxurious as the main patron area.

Black leather sofas and chairs filled the room. There was a coffee bar and a fully stocked snack bar. Along the back wall were computers. Along another there was a huge ninety inch TV mounted to the wall.

I walked over the wall where the lockers were and unlocked mine before placing my things inside. As I stood checking my hair and makeup, I heard the clicking of heels across the hardwood floors. Peeking around, I saw LeAnn.

I paid her no mind because she couldn’t have been coming to see me. Sadly, I was wrong. When I closed my locker, she was standing before me with her arms crossed.

I pulled my apron from the hook and tied it on. “Can I help you, LeAnn?”

“We need to talk,” she announced.

“Okay… talk.”

I turned and walked over to the snack bar and grabbed a bag of chips.

“Are you fucking him?” she asked.

I turned to face her with a frown on my face. “Excuse you?”

“You heard me. Are you fucking Deuce?”

“I don’t think that what I’m doing is any of your business, Leann.”

“It’s my business when I’m responsible for you.”

“Baby, the only person responsible for Salima is Salima. I don’t need you clocking my pussy.”

I tried to walk past her, but she grabbed my arm. I looked down at her fingers and then back up at her.

“You should let me go.”

“You should be smart about who you open your legs to. Deuce is not a man that’s going to wine and dine you. He’s not a man you take home to meet your mama. Sure, he may trick off on you a little. He’ll buy you a bag or two. He might even fly you out if your pussy is worthy of a flight. But ultimately, all he’s going to do is fuck you.”

“Is that what he does to you? Just fuck you? Tell me, is the dick as good as I think it is?”

She laughed. “You think this is funny?”

I smiled as I grabbed her hand and pried it off of my arm.

“What I think is you should make that your first and last time putting your hands on me for any reason. I’m not fucking Stanley. And if I was, the dick I take doesn’t make you cum.”

I smiled as I grabbed myself a granola bar and a bottle of water and left the room. Deuce was really gonna have to get his bitches in check. I didn’t do drama with bitches. I absolutely didn’t fight over no nigga that wasn’t mine. Even if he was mine, any nigga that put me in a position to have to fight a bitch over him, clearly wasn’t my nigga. As soon as I got the chance, I would tell him about our little exchange. If he was dipping in LeAnn and I had to work under her, that was gonna be a problem.

I headed to the floor to greet the other girls. Most of them were huddled around the bar chit chatting. When I approached, a few of them turned to me with frowns.

“Do we have a problem?” I asked, folding my arms.

The one I knew as Dani smirked. “No. We just see what kind of bitch you are.”

“And what kind of bitch would that be?”

“The kind that uses what she has to get what she wants. Clearly, you and Mr. Dillenger have more than a work relationship.”

“Is that so? Clearly you know more than I do. The last time I checked, I went through the same process as the rest of you to get this job.”

“And it looks like you’re doing a little extra to keep it. I ain’t mad at you, sis. Game recognize game.”

I giggled. “Game recognize game? That’s funny because I’ve never been the type of bitch that has to run game on any nigga, including Mr. Dillinger. I suggest you all put as much effort into doing your jobs as you do talking about me. Worrying about my pussy ain’t gon’ make you no money.”

I rolled my eyes as I strolled past them to the bar. My favorite bartender, Julian stood behind the bar making sure it was stocked for the night.

“Hey, Jules.”

He turned to face me, his glossy lips forming a smile.

“Hey, boo.”

Julian was the prettiest gay man I’d ever seen. He wore a full-face beat, lashes, pretty ass acrylic, nails and the baddest thirty inch bust down that was slayed to the Gods. If one didn’t know he was a man, he could certainly pass for a female.

“Don’t you look cute!” I said, admiring his outfit for tonight.

He struck a pose for me. “What can I say? I woke up like this.” He placed a shot glass on the counter and poured me a shot of Patron. “Whatchu got going on with them bitches?”

I kissed my teeth. “Nothing. Just some shit about me fucking this big boss. You know LeAnn had the audacity to ask me that, too?”

“Well, are you?”

“No!”

“Don’t take my head off, I’m just asking. You know that man is fine. And he clearly has a thing for you. I saw the way he checked them niggas about you.”

“He was doing his job.”

“And he wants his job to be doing you . I ain’t mad at that. If I were into females, I’d want a baddie like you too. All that ass! Girl, I’m jealous.”

“Whatever, Jules! You act like you don’t have a lil’ fatty back there.”

He bent over and twerked his ass for a second before bursting into laughter.

“Don’t get me started!”

I laughed as I grabbed the shot glass and took it to the head.

“Speaking of the big boss, here he comes.”

I turned to see Deuce strolling into the space with Leann in tow. The sexiness of his walk had me biting my lip. God took his sweet time with that man. He was handcrafted and dipped in perfection.

“Mmm, mmm, mmm,” Julian said. “God, I just wanna put him on a plate and sop him up with a biscuit.”

I snickered. Deuce came to a stop in front of the rest of the girls.

“Alright, ladies. The doors will be opening in a few. Be on your shit. Make your bread and keep it pushing. Don’t stand around being too friendly with these niggas.”

“That seemed to work for one of us,” Dani said, looking back at me.

Deuce stepped closer to her, towering over her short frame.

“Meaning?”

She began to stutter. “Well-I-um…”

“Cat got your tongue, Ms. Grimes? Since you chose to speak while I was speaking, I need you to elaborate.”

She looked at the other girls.

“Don’t look at them. I’m talking to you. Speak.”

“Well… we all saw what happened with her the other night.” She nodded at me. “Some of us feel like she’s getting special treatment.”

Deuce smirked as he looked from her to the other girls.

“How many of you feel like Miss Navaro is getting special treatment?”

The room was silent.

“No takers?” he asked.

Again, silence.

He turned back to Dani. “Looks like you’re out on that ledge by yourself. I’ll tell you what. I’d hate to keep you where you feel like you aren’t being treated equally. So… you’re free to go.”

My eyes widened. Gasps went up around the room.

“Deuce,” LeAnn said firmly.

He held up a hand to silence her. “Will there be anything else, Ms. Grimes?”

“You’re really firing me?” Dani asked.

“I’m sorry, was I not clear? You’re free to go.” He snapped his fingers and security appeared. “Please escort Ms. Grimes to the break room to grab her things and then out of my establishment. The rest of you, go to your sections. You’re dismissed.”

The rest of the girls moved without further hesitation. Deuce started to walk away, but LeAnn grabbed him. Her face was angry as she spoke to him, while his was unreadable.

“Whew, chile!” Julian said, fanning himself. “Did that assertion of power turn you on as much as it did me?”

I shook my head. “You’re just hot in the ass.”

Truth be told, it did turn me on. I didn’t have to say a word, and he came to my defense in a manner that only he could.

“He’s coming over,” Julian said.

I looked back to see Deuce strolling away from LeAnn. She stormed off in another direction.

“Julian.” He gave him a head nod.

“Mr. Dillinger.” Julian poured him a shot and place it on the bar. “You look quite dashing tonight.”

Deuce looked at him and shook his head. “Don’t be a kiss ass, my nigga. Your job is safe… for now.”

Julian tossed his hair over his shoulder. “I’m not worried about that. You won’t find another bitch that slings drinks like me.”

“Sling yo’ hands and do some work. Over here gossiping and shit.”

“Oooo. You’re cranky tonight. I’ma let you slide. Bye, Salima, girl.”

He sashayed away, leaving me and Deuce alone. He picked up the shot and tossed it back.

“You see what you made me do?”

“Me?” I asked, placing my hand on my chest.

“You made me have to fire that girl.”

“I didn’t tell her to open her mouth. That’s what happens when you don’t mind the business that pays you. Speaking of minding business, you need to tell your little flunky to stay out of mine.”

“Who?”

“LeAnn. She cornered me in the break room, asking me questions and shit because she saw us walk in together.”

“What did she say?”

I gave him a quick run down of what happened. His brows furrowed as he listened.

“I’ll handle her,” he said when I was done.

“Are you fucking her?”

“No.”

“Have you fucked her?”

He chuckled. “No.”

“Do you want to?”

“LeAnn is a friend.”

“That doesn’t answer my question. And didn’t you say you don’t have friends? Do you want to fuck her?”

He stepped closer to me and leaned against the bar, simultaneously leaning closer to me. He peered down at me with lustful eyes.

“I’m not a liar. I do wanna fuck her. She’s a bad muthafucka and you can’t deny that. But if I had the chance, I wouldn’t take it.”

“Why not?”

“Cause I wouldn’t wanna fuck up our business dynamic. LeAnn is good at her job. She’s an asset to my team. You don’t fuck up your assets and make them liabilities. Any other questions, Ms. Navarro?”

“No. Sir.”

He smirked. “Good. The doors are about to open. Get to work. Go on and let me watch you walk away.”

I tried not to smile as I pushed off from the bar and headed for my section. I couldn’t stand him.