12. Justine

Marcus is right; I don't recall the last time I felt this beautiful, and with that feeling came a sense of power that all women have when they know they look good. Angelina, Angel for short, did an amazing thing with my makeup.

It was so understated it looked as though I wasn't wearing anything but some tinted gloss and mascara. I must've stayed in front of the mirror for a good ten minutes before it was time to go. Monique was staying with the kids until the babysitter arrived, and then she was going to hang around a bit longer to make sure everything was okay.

I wasn't sure what she expected to happen, but apparently, it was Marcus' order. That's when I learned she was a black belt and that Carl was the one who taught her. I'm all kinds of confused about those two.

Not to mention for someone who had experienced the horrendous shit she had, she is one of the happiest people I have ever met. I have to remember to ask her one day how she did it because I know people who have suffered less and still can't bounce back.

I kissed my babies goodbye, but they hardly paid me any mind because their Aunty Mo-Mo had brought a new Mickey Mouse waffle maker, and they were losing their shit. I barely got a hand wave as I walked out the door.

I was about to get into my car when Monique ran out the door behind me and stopped me. "Where are you going?"

"To the company, I guess."

"In that piece of shit?" She pointed at my ten-year-old Equinox with distaste.

"Well, yeah, how else am I supposed to get there?"

"The same way I got here, a driver. Yours should be here any minute."

"A car and driver?"

"Oh, you really don't know Marcus."

A car pulled onto my driveway, and I almost swallowed my tongue. "Is that a Phantom?"

"Yeah, that's a Phantom, but not thee Phantom. Your asshole boyfriend drives that one."

There was a driver in uniform who opened the door with a smile. I didn't know how to act, but Justice was way ahead of me. ‘this is the life I was meant to live. Yes bitch, I have arrived.'

* * *

I knewshit was about to pop off as soon as I walked into the conference room with Marcus as soon as I arrived. First, let me go back to the beginning. After the car ride that was about twenty minutes long, there was someone waiting to meet me at the door and lead me to Marcus' office.

"Good morning, Ms. Justine, I'm sorry, Mr. Devereaux said your last name won't be yours for long, so I don't need to know it, but if you'd prefer…"

"No, it's fine, or you can just call me Justine."

"No, ma'am, I cannot."

Why did she look like she was about to crap herself? I followed her through the lobby that was as big as the first floor of my house to the bank of elevators. I'd been here many years ago but hadn't needed to visit my husband at his job since his first year here when we were so in love and I would meet him after work to go to dinner or the movies.

The first thing I saw when I walked into Marcus' office that looked and smelled as if it had new everything, was the plaque on the wall behind his head. "One mark of a great soldier is that he fights on his own terms or fights not at all." Sun Tzu.

If he's reading Sun Tzu, he's a real one, first and foremost. Most crazy geniuses are into his shit. But it was the man himself that made my insides quiver. I'd seen him in a Tuxedo, then slacks and dress shirts that Carl had bought him when he bought my stuff, but there was a difference between both those things and the dark-colored suit he wore with the pale blue shirt with a gold pin through his tie.

What the hell would this paragon of sexiness want with me? "You look gorgeous. Are you ready?" He got up from his chair, grabbed a leather folder, and passed it to me. "Take notes."

We walked down a long carpeted hallway to the doors at the end, and someone rushed to open them for him. I noticed that he took the time to say thank you to the gentleman, which I did as well, before we walked into a room full of people already seated around the big ass table in the middle of the room.

One of those people was Paul, and the other was Melanie. There was a hush and then a lot of murmurs as we walked to the head of the table. A door opened behind us, and an elderly gentleman with a shock of white hair and Marcus' face came strolling in.

"Morning, everyone, remain seated." He motioned for them to sit down with his hand, then walked over and placed his hand on Marcus' shoulder. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet my grandson, the new CEO of Deveraux Incorporated."

That set off a maelstrom of whispers and surprised looks, which both Marcus and his grandfather ignored. "I'm handing over the reins, son. Your grandmother and I will be on the yacht for the next month or so, so I won't be reachable."

A man who I later recognized as Marcus' dad called after his father and was ignored. "Hello, everyone. Marcus Devereaux iii, you're fired. Your office should've been packed up by now. Security will see you out. Everyone else, we'll meet back here later in the week. If anyone wants to see me or contact me in any way, you must go through her." He pointed at me, and Paul and Melanie looked as if they were ready to commit murder.

"This is my new executive assistant, Ms. Justine. She's having a name change soon, or so I hear, so there's no need to know her last name right now." I could tell those two wanted to say something, but they didn't dare, and some of the people from last Friday were putting two and two together, and that just started a whole other round of murmurs as they left the room.

His dad tried talking to him, but he just walked right by him as if he wasn't there, and I wish I had that kind of guts. ‘I think our mother gave birth to the wrong twin. You don't know what the hell to do with all this power and fuck hot sexiness. A wise girl knows her limits. A smart bitch ain't got none.'

Okay, Ms. Monroe.

* * *

‘Yeah,tell me how you want it

Three, two, one, camera rolling

Do it slow motion

Real bitch, them other hoes phony

All that big talk, Latto put "em on it

I"m just being honest: lingerie Dolce

Blindfold, tie me to the bed while we role-play

Can"t skip foreplay, kill the pussy, cold case

I"m a boss bitch, but tonight, we do it your way

Bad bitch, I could be your fantasy

I can tell you got big dick energy.'

Justice, where did you hear that song?

‘Bitch where you think? Now see, that's why that man left you. He knew you were popping shit about his dick whenever you blasted that song.'

I never did it around him.

‘So you think. Little dick men always have a lotta women because they got something to prove. Big dicks like our new Daddy is satisfied with one good hole that hits just right. Don't worry. I'll remind you how it's done as soon as the ink dries on your divorce.'

Justice slutty college days are rearing their head. I know as soon as he starts singing shit that, he's up to no good. Who knows what the hell he'll do next? ‘You know damn good and well what we doing next.'

What?

‘Let's play a game. Let's make Daddy crazy before D-Day.'

D-DAY?

‘Yeah, dick day, keep up. Anyway, tease him every chance you get, but don't make it obvious. Why the hell you blushing?'

"Justine, baby. I mean, Justine. Can you come in here a minute?"

"Yeah, sure."

‘Don't go in there blushing like that. Looking a damn Pekingese.'