Chapter 9

I sat with my people in Pico’s, a twenty-four hour spot for people of my family’s caliber. From the outside it looked like an abandoned building. Inside was nice as hell though. It was all black with red accents. The lighting was dim, and they only played old school hip hop and R&B.

It was owned by Cobalt, one of the OG’s around here. The only people that frequented this place had ties and illegal dealings. It was where we could be comfortable and ourselves. Most of all, it was neutral territory. There was no fighting, no retaliation, none of that.

Cobalt didn’t play that shit. I’d seen him put a bullet in a few people who wanted to start shit and get out of line. Nobody bat an eye, nobody said shit because we knew what it was.

When we came in, Maceo tried his hardest to sit beside Salima. I canceled that shit with a slap to the back of his head. I didn’t care what he promised her. She glared at me when I occupied the seat next to her, but remained quiet.

“I wasn’t expecting it to look like this,” she said, looking around.

“Well, you shouldn’t assume,” I mumbled as I lit my blunt.

Jaeda snapped her fingers. “Don’t you two start again.”

“What’s with the snapping of the fingers?” Salima asked. “Is that a family thing?”

Jaeda giggled. “It’s attention getting. Whenever our father wants order, he snaps his fingers. It’s become a habit with us. Although I can see how an outsider would find it rude and offensive.”

“It is. That taps into a whole other level of crazy.”

I smirked as I made a mental note of that.

“What are you smirking at?” she asked, catching me as I looked away.

“Nothing. I’d just like to see the crazy.”

“You want me to act an ass?”

“Look around you, baby. You’re surrounded by people who nut the fuck up on a regular basis. You’re in the safest and most dangerous place right now.”

She surveyed the space. Within these walls were gang bangers, drug dealers, thieves, contract killers and a host of other menaces to society. Salima swallowed hard.

“Should I be concerned?”

“You Billy Bad Ass, right? You can handle your own, remember? This ain’t the hood, Salima. Niggas and bitches ain’t throwing punches, they poppin’ bullets. This ain’t no corner boy, dime bag selling, wanna be thug ass shit. Everybody in this muthafucka is dangerous.”

“Why would you bring me here, then?”

“I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. Even if you do treat me like shit.”

She folded her arms. “I don’t treat you like shit.”

“You act like a nigga be bothering you.”

“I act accordingly. You don’t know the first thing about boundaries, Deuce. You overstep like a muthafucka.”

Maceo snorted. “She’s got you there.”

Deuce glared at him before his eyes drifted over to me.

“So, you want one of those soft niggas that shares his feelings and shit? One, you have to ask for shit instead of him taking initiative or paying attention when you need something.”

“Who said I wanted a man? I rather enjoy being single. Men are a headache and too many of y’all think with your dick. Not only that, you want us to be submissive when you give nothing to submissive to. You need to bring more to the table than dick.”

“Say that shit again!” Talia said, clapping her hands.

“Amen,” Samir agreed, snapping her fingers. “Somebody said it. Do you know how hard it is to find a worthy man in our line of work? There isn’t one submissive woman at this table. I’m likely to put a bullet in a nigga for trying to boss up on me.”

Salima’s eyes widened. “So… you do what he does?” she asked, pointing at me.

“What is it that you think I do?” I asked curiously.

She shrugged. “Well, the incident at Aura… what was that?”

“A hired task. Ain’t nobody gonna miss a bunch of pedophiles.”

“So you’re what? A bounty hunter or something?”

“If that’s what you want to call it.”

“And Jaeda is a hacker.” She looked around at the rest of my family. “I take it this is a family business?”

Jakobi raised an eyebrow. “You trust this girl, Deuce? Didn’t you say she tried to snitch already?”

I chuckled. “She ain’t gon say shit. Right Salima?”

For a moment, I thought I saw fear enter her eyes. She pulled it back and sat up straight.

“If I did?” she asked.

“You’d come up missing,” I answered.

She swallowed hard as she looked around the table. I let her sweat it out for a few seconds before a grin broke out on my face.

“I’m just fucking with you.”

A look of relief entered her face. She punched me hard in the chest and I had to admit that shit stung.

“Do you realize we live in a city full of corrupt officials? The mayor, the councilmen, the police, prominent doctors, and lawyers… all of them have their hand in the cookie jar. What better way to run your city than to team up with the people who control it? They don’t have the power you think they do. There’s a lot of dirty, underhanded shit going on. People pay big bucks to keep their secrets. They don’t realize that by getting in bed with a criminal, they’re already fucked. Nobody can stick shit to us without implicating themselves first. For people like us, that is power and privilege. What better way to take back reparations than to take if from a muthafucka that oppressed you?”

“But the guilt… it doesn’t bother you?”

“Put it like this. I’ve never taken life from anybody who didn’t deserve it.”

“So, you get off on playing God?”

“God? No. Judge, jury, and executioner… maybe.”

Jaeda rolled her eyes. “All right. I’m about to go play pool because I did not come here to talk about work.”

She got up and the rest of my family followed suit, leaving me and Salima alone at the table. I was grateful for that. I hadn’t had a moment alone with her since before the grand opening. She sat at the table quietly, sipping her drink.

“What’s on your mind?” I asked.

“Alot.”

“Like?”

“Like why I agreed to come here with you? You irritate me.”

I chuckled. “I irritate a lot of people. It’s my charm.”

“Ha! You actually think you’re charming?”

“You don’t?”

“I think you think very highly of yourself. I think you think you’re God’s gift to women and somehow your dick is supposed to make up for the fact that you’re an asshole.”

“I mean, the dick is immaculate.”

She scoffed as she shook her head. Cupping her chin, I turned her to face me.

“All jokes aside, I’m really not that bad once you get to know me. This is just my personality. I do a lot of dark shit, Salima. I have to find humor in something.”

“So, it’s a defense mechanism?”

“If that makes you feel better, sure.”

“It’s not for me to feel better about anything. You are an attractive man. And I get that some women might be inclined to certain behaviors from men like you. But at some point it becomes a lot, too much even. I like men with a little thug appeal. But I also like men who know how to be soft and gentle with me. I don’t like men who see my body as a conquest. I know that I’m a beautiful woman. But there is more to me than good pussy.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to comment on the good pussy part, but I let it go because I can see that she was serious.

“I respect that. So, tell me… what’s it gonna take for me to get close to you?”

“Why would you want to get close to me?”

“I won’t lie. You got my nose wide open. I think you’re beautiful and you have that slick ass mouth. And you’re kind of funny. I like that shit.”

“So, you like my attitude.”

“I love it. I don’t like soft women. If I’m gonna entertain a woman, she needs to have that fire in her. She needs to be able to handle my slick mouth and give that shit right back to me. I’m an aggressive man by nature, Salima. I don’t make love… I like to fuck. And I need a woman who’s going to fuck me right back.”

“And you think that’s me?”

“It could certainly be you.” I traced her bottom lip with my thumb. “I don’t just wanna fuck you though. You intrigue me… entice me. Even if you don’t want me now… chasing you would be so much fun.”

She bit her lip as she looked up at me, her eyes searching mine. She could say what she wanted. Our little spats did something to her. I saw it in the way her breathing labored. I saw it in the way that her chest heaved. I saw it in the way her nipples would harden any time I open my mouth.

“What would you do if I kissed you right now?”

“I’d slap the shit out of you.”

My fingers dropped from her chin and wrapped around her neck. She whimpered as I gave a gentle squeeze. At this point, I was mere centimeters from her lips. I smirked as I bore into those deep brown eyes.

“I might be into that,” I said.

I traced her bottom lip with the tip of my tongue before pressing my lips to hers. For someone who said she’d slap me, she didn’t put up a fight. In fact, she submitted willingly and parted her lips to feed me her tongue. Remnants of liquor lingered behind and I hungrily tasted them. The kiss between us was laced with just as much lust as I expected.

When I pulled away, her eyes fluttered open. She stared at me, seemingly surprised with herself for allowing that to go down.

“I… I need to go to the b-b-bathroom,” she stuttered, sliding out of her chair.

“It’s over there,” I said, pointing. She briskly began to walk off. “Salima!”

She stopped and looked over her shoulder at me.

“Make sure you come back.”

She nodded and hurried off. My family looked at me. I gestured to Samir and Talia to follow and make sure she didn’t try to leave. She might have thought I was playing, but I was serious. There was no way I’d let her drive home at witching hours. This was the time of morning where crime really peeked because it was quiet and there weren’t too many people around to see shit pop off. I’d hate to have to tear this city up if she went missing.

Ten minutes passed, and all three women finally emerged from the bathroom. Salima held a frown on her beautiful face. Everyone had migrated back to the table since our food had arrived, and she had no choice but to reclaim her seat beside me.

“You didn’t have to send the goons after me,” she said, crossing her arms. “I said I was coming back.”

“I know what you said. Eat.”

“I’m about tired of you giving me commands.”

I looked over at her with a stoic expression. It remained that way until she kissed her teeth and focused her attention on her plate of food. Mace sat next to me, shaking his head.

“What’s up with you?” he asked in a low voice. “You really feeling this girl?”

“You know me. Once I see something I like, I have to have it.”

“She’s gonna give you a run for your money.”

“And? I like thrills.”

He chuckled. “Alright, man. Whatever you say.”

“Mace?”

“What.”

“The next time you try to sit by her, I’m shooting your black ass.”

He pulled out the solid gold beretta with his name etched into it and set it on the table.

“Then we will just be two shooting muthafuckas cause I’m bussin’ back.”

He stared at me, and I stared at him. We both broke into grins as we slapped hands. I’d never shoot my brother. Would I put a bullet in any muthafucka over him? Goddamn right.

W hen we finished eating, the girls all migrated back to the pool tables, dragging Salima along with them. I stayed at the table watching her, tuning out whatever my brothers and cousins were going on about. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was trying to entice me by bending her ass over that pool table every time she had to hit the ball. My blood was boiling because I could see the eyes of every nigga close by watching her, too.

At one point, I left the table and planted myself in front of them. I didn’t have to say shit. I stood against the wall with my arms crossed in front of me, gun in my hand. The look on my face dared any of them to bat an eye in the direction of this particular table. Just like back at the lounge, my trigger finger was itching.

When the game was over, Salima hopped her pretty ass on the table and stared me down with the same intensity I’d been watching her with.

“You’re a creep, you know that?”

I shrugged. “I might be a little unhinged.”

“A little? You sat here with your gun out so other men wouldn’t look at us.”

“At you . And I made my point.”

“What point?”

I cleared my throat. “Do any of you niggas see this woman right here?”

Nobody said anything.

“No takers?”

Again, silence. He turned back to me.

“That point.”

Pushing off from the wall, I tucked my gun away and moved to stand between her legs. With a jerk of my head, my sisters and cousins dispersed from the table, leaving the two of us alone. With my hands planted on either side of her, I leaned into her.

“I don’t remember inviting you into my personal space.”

“Yet you haven’t moved. I’m starting to think you like this shit.”

My hand moved to the back of her head, where I grabbed her hair and pulled her head back, exposing her neck. She gasped as my lips met her flesh.

“Tell me, baby. How wet did that kiss make you earlier?”

“You… you wish I got wet for you.”

“I can make you get wet for me without even trying hard.”

I captured her lips and again, she didn’t put up a fight. My free hand unbuttoned then unzipped her shorts. She gasped as I slipped a hand past her panties and cupped her pussy.

“Wha… what are you doing…” she whispered.

“Shhh!”

I took her mouth again as my middle and ring finger slipped between her slick folds. She shuttered as I began strumming her clit. Her legs fell open a little more, and I stepped closer to her. Her hands shot to my arms, and she dug her sharp nails into my flesh.

“D-Deuce… shit!”

“You want me to make you cum in front of all these people?”

“N-no… Oh God!”

She buried her head in my neck, stifling whimpers of pleasure. Repeatedly, I strummed her swollen clit. The more I strummed, the wetter she got. The wetter she got, the deeper her nails sank into my flesh.

“This pussy so fucking wet.” A low growl rumbled in my throat as I pictured my dick sliding in and out of this shit. “Cum for me, Salima. I wanna taste you.”

“I’m… fuck! I’m cumming…”

“There it is.”

She released against my fingers, and her body slumped against mine. I pulled my hand away and lifted my fingers to my lips. Her head lifted, and she watched me suck her essence clean. I closed my eyes, savoring the taste of her.

Fuck .

She was addicting, and I felt the last loose screw come undone. Behind her, I would become completely unhinged.

“Deuce get your ass outta here!” Cobalt yelled from behind the bar. “Nasty muthafucka!”

I grinned as I fixed Salima’s clothes.

“You are filthy,” she mumbled.

“You came for me, and you liked it.” I pecked her lips. “Let’s get you home, baby.”

I didn’t give her a chance to protest before I grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the exit where my family was already heading out. When we made out front, they all shook their heads.

“Cobalt is gonna put a bullet in your ass yet,” Kerrion said.

I waved him off as I walked Salima to her car.

“I’m gonna ride behind you,” I said, opening her door.

“I can drive myself home, thank you.”

“I know you can, but I’m gonna make sure you get inside safely. We wouldn’t want your fine ass mama to worry.”

She scoffed. “You just fingered me in a room full of people and now you’re calling my mama fine? You’re insane.”

“You let me finger you in a room full of people… who’s insane?”

She kissed her teeth.

“Get your ass in the car, woman.”

She rolled her eyes as she climbed in and snatched the door from my fingers. I smirked as walked back over to my car and climbed in. Yeah, chasing her was going to fulfill all of my thrills.