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“You heard me.” Jonathan grabbed Rena in the garden, causing the strap of her linen dress to slip from her shoulder. “I wanted you last night.”
“I was tired.” Loose, yellow ringlets fell from the banana clip that bound her hair. “I’ve had a lot on my mind.”
“This is about Deidra, isn’t it? You miss her? I miss her too.”
“It’s not that.” She lowered her head, her soft, voluptuous body deflating under his touch.
“You’ve been avoiding me.”
“You have a house full of women who fight to lie with you every moment of the day—”
“I want you.” He got in her face, breathing hard. “I miss your body and how soft you are.” His gaze massaged her plump breasts and luscious hips. “Tell me what’s wrong. Let’s have it out.”
She closed her chestnut brown eyes. “It’s not that easy.”
“Make it easy.” He clamped his teeth. “I’m sick of this attitude.”
“You expect me to lie with you?” She shook her head, face painted with disgust. “How can I when I can’t look at you? How could you do that to Deidra?”
“This again?”
“You raped her, Jonathan.” Her glossy lips trembled. “No matter how you dress it up.”
“It wasn’t rape, and I had every right to do it.” He stuck his fist between them. “Deidra is a part of The Circle and she belongs to me. You all do.” He grabbed her, her flesh molding to his touch. “You don’t have the right to refuse me, Rena.”
“It’s my body.”
“It’s mine now. You have a choice. Do you wanna be here or not?”
“I’ve been nothing but loyal to you.”
“Funny.” He circled her and stopped behind her, ogling her plump ass underneath the thin linen. “You seem more loyal to Deidra than anyone. She wants you to be a witness against me, doesn’t she?” He rolled his eyes. “There was no rape because she wanted to be here. She wanted to be here with me.”
“What has happened to you, Jonathan?” She tilted her head. “Let Deidra be with Winston and her baby.”
“I’ll never let her go!” He quivered, spit flying from his mouth. “Not as long as I’m breathing. She vowed to stand with us and I’ll make sure she does.”
“What about the baby?”
“It’s mine.” He yanked the quarter sleeve of his shirt. “I’ll have Deidra and raise the baby as my own.”
“Are you going to kidnap her again?”
“What you need to worry about is you.” He touched her cheek. “Make your decision here and now. You’re either with The Circle or you’re not. And if not, you’re free to go but to what I don’t know.”
“This is my home.”
He pushed his forehead against hers, sniffing her passion fruit perfume. “You’ll do everything I say when I say it.” He pinched her breast through the dress. “You come to my room tonight.” He kissed her. “Then we’ll both come.”
“Stop,” Emma yelled through the garden. “Let me go!”
“Come on.” A man’s boisterous laugh followed. “Don’t be like that.”
“Get off me,” Emma screamed.
“What the?” Jonathan dashed past Rena, ran through the pathway and ended up at the daybed.
“Stop!” Emma tussled as a gangling man with chalky-white skin held her by the waist from the back, bouncing her on his lap. “Let me go!”
The man held a lusty grin. “You know you like it.”
“What the fuck are you doing?” Jonathan grabbed Emma. “Are you all right?”
“He wouldn’t let me go.” She fixed her dress. “I brought fruit like Tran said and he grabbed me.” Tiny strands of her blonde hair stood from her head as she ran into Rena’s arms.
“Are you okay?” Rena stroked Emma’s cheek.
“Who the fuck are you?” Jonathan grabbed the man by his collar. “How did you get in here? How dare you put your hands on her?” He threw him to the grass.
“Ha, ha!” The man caught the cigarette he’d tucked behind his ear. “Didn’t mean no harm.”
“How did you get in here?” Jonathan stood over him. “Answer me while you still got the chance.”
“Funny.” The man hopped to his feet wearing white high top Fila sneakers with black soles. “I assumed you were expecting me, right? Tran let me in.” He batted his beady, blue eyes, taking out his badge. “I’m Detective Kelley Strickland.” He tossed the badge to Jonathan. “Lucian’s contact.”
Jonathan groaned, hating he’d have to put up with this asshole. “That doesn’t explain what you were doing with Emma.”
“Me and Emma were getting acquainted.” He rocked on his heels with his hands in the pockets of his slim-fitting indigo jeans. “Ooh.” He sucked his teeth, gazing at Rena. “And you are?”
“Rena.” She squinted, moving away from him.
“Rena,” he sang. “That name slides off my tongue like I was born to say it.” He cackled, ogling her bust. “You’re a thick one, aren’t you?”
Her lips twisted. “And, you’re a pig.”
“Oh, ho, ho!” He hopped, slapping his palms together. “She’s feisty too.” He leaned into her, winking. “Maybe I’ll find out how feisty, huh?”
“Leave us,” Jonathan instructed the women.
Rena and Emma left with Strickland’s full attention on Rena.
“Mm, Rena.” The tip of his tongue peeked from his lips. “I love a woman with some meat on her bones. God, you’re one lucky man to have all this prime pussy walking around. Can’t say I’m not jealous.”
“I have rules, Detective.” Jonathan gave him his badge back. “No one puts their hands on anything here and I mean anything. I own this place and everything in it.”
“That you do, sir.” Strickland scooted onto the daybed, pushing the badge in his pocket. “You can’t blame a man for having a little fun, can you? Don’t be so greedy. You have them all the time. Might as well share—”
“I invited you here to talk about the plan. Keep your mind on business.”
“It’s so hard to with all these chicks around.” He swung his legs. “I’m coming thinking about ‘em. What’s that tall one with the wavy black hair and the attitude?” He grabbed his middle. “Shauna? I’d like to oil my bat in her snatch, I tell you.”
Jonathan glared at him, becoming more nauseated the more Strickland spoke.
“All right.” Strickland straightened up, easing the nasty grin. “You wanna talk business and not pleasure. Let’s talk.”
“Lucian said you could deliver what I needed.”
“Oh yeah.” A mild breeze massaged the top of Strickland’s jet black hair, which he wore short on the sides with the top in tall spikes. “If there’s one man for this job it’s me.”
“How do I know I can trust you?”
“Because I love money more than anything.” He rolled the cigarette behind his ear. “Except pussy.”
Jonathan sighed. “The classic dirty cop.”
“Call me anything you want as long as you pay me.”
“If you can pull this off, you’ll get three hundred thousand.”
“I don’t know.” Strickland made a sucking nose, wiggling his head. “You got millions on top of millions. Three hundred thousand sounds cheap.”
“We agreed on that.”
“You and Lucian agreed. I need a lot more for what you expect me to do.”
“You’ll get your money when the job’s done.” Jonathan got an orange slice from the fruit tray. “If you got a problem with that I’m sure I can find someone else to do the job.”
“You need my connections to pull this off or else I wouldn’t be here.” Strickland held out his hand. “Do we have a deal?”
Not having a choice, Jonathan shook on it. “Come inside and I’ll explain what I need in more detail.”
“Eh, hold on.” Strickland stood, tugging at his jeans. “I don’t like to jump right into business. How about a down payment? That’s fair, isn’t it?”
Jonathan swallowed the orange. “How much do you want?”
“It’s not money.” He stuck his lips out to the side. “I want that sexpot with the voluptuous hips and big tits that was standing right there. Let me fuck her.”
“Are you serious?” Jonathan threw out his chest. “The only thing around here you can fuck is yourself.”
“Is pleasure with Rena too much to ask for getting Deidra back?”
“Go to hell. I’m not running a damn brothel.”
“Those are your mistresses and they do whatever you tell them to.” Strickland’s eyes narrowed. “So, tell Rena I want her right now or you can find someone else to do your dirty work for you.”
“You can leave.” Jonathan pointed toward the path.
“Fine.” Strickland moseyed across the pavement. “A shame you don’t love Deidra as much as you claim.”
Jonathan exhaled, pushing away disgust to remember the wonderful life he and Deidra could have together. “Wait.”
Strickland stopped, peeking over his shoulder. “Yes?”
“Wait.” Jonathan marched past him, huffing. “I’ll get Rena.”
“That’s a good boy.”