AT SIX IN the evening, Thanksgiving eve, James watched as his wife slept on the bed in his home office. She was the most beautiful mother he had ever seen. Happy that she had finally conceded that helping her mother with Thanksgiving dinner with the twins was not an option this year, he sent Clair, his housekeeper instead. She had just gotten the babies asleep and decided she would lie down, but just for a moment. That moment had now turned into two hours and James was happy. The ringing of the telephone interrupted his thoughts. He answered it quickly so it would not wake Ashley.
“Hello, Cynthia.” James listened as he heard the concern in her voice. She wanted to talk about LaVere’. There was no way he was going to wake Ashley, so he took the position of counselor. For the second time in a week, he was surprised at the depth of her concern for his friend. It had been over a week since anyone heard from LaVere’ or his brother and all, including the King was very concerned for their well-being. Then she said the one thing James would never have expected from her.
“I’ve been sitting here thinking about the last few weeks of my life. It seems like hell has broken loose on all fronts. Out of it all, there is one thing I know for sure. I can’t marry LaVere’, because I don’t love him. Yes, he is a good man that could provide me with all the material things I could ever want or need. But, those things can’t replace the fundamental need that every human has to be loved. I need that more than anything else. I hope my decision will not interfere with our relationship. Despite the way we stay at each other’s throat, next to JD you are one of the best men that I know.”
“Normally I would enjoy watching you stumbling around. But now that you have discovered what is important in life, I think you are ready to fall in the right direction. Samuel Lassiter is a damn good man. It’s clear to anyone within two feet of the two of you that there is an attraction. I realize you have a commitment with LaVere’ but you seem to have an infatuation with Samuel that needs to be clinched.”
“Infatuation, huh. I’m afraid I may be a little past the infatuated point. I think I may be in love with him,” she said timidly. “I don’t know how to explain it to you, you know you are a man and unfortunately your capacity to understand woman’s intuition is limited.”
“I have a little experience in this area, try me.”
She hesitated before continuing. “Well…. It’s the feeling I get when he’s around. I seem to fall all over myself and him every time he is in arms reach. And I do mean that literally. I feel safe when he’s around. The night I met him after the accident, I felt him watching over me, to make sure I wasn’t alone. I woke up during the night and he was there as if he was waiting for me. I know that sounds a little crazy because at the time I did not know the man. And to tell you the truth, I still don’t know all that I want to know. It feels like….I’m home when he is with me. I don’t want for anything or anybody—just him. I’m just beginning to realize he’s touched my heart and I can’t shake it.”
“Stop trying to shake it; run with the feeling. Lord knows I ran from Ashley for damn near a year before I realized she was my life.” Through the telephone, he heard a knock at a door. Then he heard her open the door. “You want some dinner?” he heard Samuel ask.
“Yes, thank you.” Cynthia’s voice echoed through the telephone.
Smiling James replied, “I take it our truce is over.”
“Yeah, I’ll talk to you later.”
James was still smiling when he hung up the telephone. “Lassiter is probably the only man in this hemisphere that could actually tame that woman.”
“See you were doing really well until that comment,” Ashley said from the sofa.
He looked in his wife’s direction, “How much of that did you hear?”
“Enough to know, Cynthia and LaVere’ will not be getting married. I think one of us owes Tracy some money.”
* * *
Following him down the stairs Cynthia thought, I have never seen a man with such a confident swagger. It reminded her of every time Denzel walked into a scene of a movie as if he was saying, “I don’t know about y’all, but I got this.”
They had spent the last three days together, at work and then at home, well at least her house. It felt right. It seemed like it’s always been this way. She thought about her conversation with James, she really didn’t know Samuel that well. She knew he looked as good in an Armani suit as he did in a pair of jeans and a cardigan sweater as he wore tonight. She knew that he could cook, for the last two nights they had home-cooked meals that he prepared as she watched. And she knew he made her feel like a million bucks whenever he was around. But could he save her from herself? Sofia had made one thing clear in life. If a man could not provide you with the lifestyle you deserved, you will eventually grow to hate him. Would that happen to them?
She bumped into him, not realizing he had stopped and turned. Catching her by the waist he held her tight. He had upheld his promise to keep his distance until she had a chance to talk to LaVere’, but his discipline was wavering. In his entire life, Samuel could not remember anything feeling as right as her being in his arms. His military training on discipline and control drifted away the longer he stared into her eyes. It would be wise to remember technically she was not his woman; yet. At this moment she belonged to Prince LaVere’. Caution should prevail, but he found his arms pulling her closer. As he continued to stare into her eyes he saw something that caused him to proceed cautiously. What he saw in her eyes was fear.
There was nothing in her stance or in the words she spoke, but he knew fear when he saw it. Hell, he was trained to produce it in others. This was the last person he wanted to fear him. Why would she be afraid of him, he thought from a moment, then realized, she wasn’t afraid of him, the man. She was afraid of what he represented; love. “I always keep my word. Do you?”
Cynthia attempted to step back, stunned by his question. “I don’t lie, cheat or steal,” she replied indignantly. “Why would you ask me such a thing?”
Pulling her back close to his body, where she belongs he exhaled, “You seem to be pulling away. Are you having second thoughts about LaVere’?”
She placed her head on his shoulder, not ready to completely concede to the truth. “I don’t know you and the fact that you have such an effect on me scares the hell out of me.”
So, of love, he realized. He held her tight and whispered in her ear. “Tell me a secret.” She turned her face towards him with a questioning look. Her lips were so close to his, he could feel her breath on them. “Tell me something you have never told another person.”
Seeing the intensity in his eyes, she thought hard, should she revealed her biggest fear to him. She hesitated, not sure if she could open up to him. He saw the hesitation in her eyes and whispered across her lips, “Tell me, Cynthia.”
Those were very tantalizing lips that spoke her name. Her eyes traveled from his lips back to his eyes. They had such depth and warmth; there was no way she could resist. “I’m afraid of growing poor, old, and gray alone. His eyes never left hers, until she felt his lips gently touch hers.
“Then your fears end here.” He kissed one corner of her mouth. “I have no intention of going anywhere.” He then kissed the other corner of her mouth.
Basking in the sensations his light kisses were causing, she parted her lips to speak. “Tell me a secret.” She pressed her body closer to his and kissed the side of his lips. “Something you’ve never told another soul.” She kissed the other side.
Mesmerized by her eyes he was tempted to tell her everything and anything, but he knew doing that would put her life in danger. But if he could he would tell her he did not like killing people. That was a strange place to be since he was a professional assassin for the government. He wanted to bear his soul to the warmth of her eyes. “I know you have a brand new brotherman to throw away.” He replied pressing his midsection closer to her to ensure she knew how she had stimulated him. He lowered his lips to hers, which parted willingly and began possessively stroking the inside of her mouth.
It took her a moment before she realized what he said. Laughter began to rise in his throat. She pushed him away and her hands landed on her hips. “How do you know about him?”
Samuel was just about buckling over laughing at her expression. Unable to resist, he pulled her into his arms and began to kiss her senseless.
Just before they reached the point of no return she reluctantly ended the kiss. “I’m not having sex with you.”
Smiling he asked, “Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”
Inhaling deeply she replied, “Both,” and dropped her head to his shoulder.
“In that case, I think we better eat dinner and start your movie.” She smiled, took his hand, and walked into the kitchen. After dinner, he cleared the table while she went downstairs to the family room to prepare for the movie. Walking down the stairs he looked around the cozy room and saw the snow gently falling outside the patio window, the wine bottle on the table with a single glass next to it and the lights turned down low. He stepped in and watched as she walked over to the bar and pulled out another glass. The setting could be lethal to someone trying to avoid a sexual encounter. “You may need to tell me what movie we are going to watch.”
She walked over to the chaise lounge. “Take your shoes off and have a seat.” He looked at her with one eyebrow raised, then complied with her request and settled in the seat. She gave him a glass of wine then took a seat between his muscular thighs. Placing his arm around her waist he adjusted her body cozily to his allowing her backside to collide with his arousal. “Perfect fit,” he stated then kissed the top of her head.
Yes, it is,” she exhaled and pushed the play button.
To his relief when the movie began, it was The Wizard of Oz. Smiling he placed his hand possessively on her stomach. “You are full of surprises.”
Laying her head back against his chest, she wondered if she would be able to surprise herself and not fall under the temptation of his touch, his kisses, or those oh so powerful thighs his jeans were stretching across. From the feel of things, brotherman would never be able to match up with what she felt against her behind. “Lord, help me through the night,” she quietly whispered.
* * *
A guard at the federal prison sounded the alarm. A man was lying face down on the floor of his cell barely breathing. Help arrived and the man was taken to the hospital. The doctor’s examination indicated the man had what appeared to be an asthma attack, but with overnight breathing treatments, he should be fine. The man was placed in a room at the end of the hallway with a twenty-four-hour guard. Right after the changing of the night hospital staff, two men entered the room dressed in green scrubs to check the vitals on the prisoner. Approximately ten minutes later the two doctors left the room. The guard looked inside and saw the prisoner was apparently asleep facing the wall. Believing all was well the guard sat back down with his book and settled in for the night.
Wilbert Munford was in the comfort of his bed asleep, content with the thoughts that his path to controlling Richmond was within his reach. He turned over and was silently taken from his bed without arousing his wife who was asleep next to him. His eyes grew as wide as saucers as the three men had him wrapped mummy-style in a sheet and duck tape on his mouth so tight he could barely turn his head. Why in the hell won’t his wife wake up? He wondered as the men carried him down the stairs. He was moaning like a calf in heat, but she did not move. Had they killed her? He attempted to struggle more, to no avail. They took him down to his office and stood him in front of his desk. Under his bare feet, he could feel the cool sticky touch. He looked down and around the floor to see plastic covering over the carpet of the room, his eyes then narrowed at a man sitting in the chair behind his desk. The scene was eerily reminiscent of the visit from Samuel Lassiter. But when the man turned in the chair to face him, his knees would have buckled if he hadn’t been wrapped so tightly.
“I hear you have been looking for me,” Turk smiled. “Well, here I am. Are you sure you wanted to find me?” Turk stared at the man who appeared to be near pissing on himself he was shaking so hard. “Now I bet you’re wondering how I got out of the federal pen or how I got into your wonderfully secured home. I’ll let you continue to think about that and this. I can get to you anywhere, anytime I choose to and have the perfect alibi.” Turk smiled then waved his hand, “Relax man. I’m not gonna kill you…. tonight. But this is what you are going to do. You’re going to call your people, cancel the contract on Roberts. Then place a call to Brian Thompson and make sure you convince him this is a done deal. If you don’t I’m the last person you will have to worry about. That big man that is protecting the beauty queen will take your ass out. You understand what I’m saying?” Turk watched as Munford nodded. “Good, now, stay away from my sister, her friends, and her husband. This is your only warning.” Turk stood to walk out of the room, then stopped and turned to Munford, “Just in case you forgot, I control Richmond.” Munford was knocked out cold with one punch.
“You want me to take him out?” Tuck asked.
Al shook his head at Tucker, “We are going legit. Man, we can’t kill the Chief of Police.”
“He’s dirty Al, we can kill him.”
Al laughed and shook his head, “No, we are not killing the man. We don’t need the headache.
Let’s get me back under lock and key.” They left the men to put things back in order.
Twenty minutes later, the two doctors checked vitals one last time for the night and then left the room. Al “Turk” Day was returned to the federal facility twenty-four hours after his bout with asthma.
To say Munford was pissed when he awakened from his forced nap would definitely be an understatement. The man was beyond pissed. The Eagles of the past could handle a simple order. These new young bangers didn’t know how to handle delicate situations. All they had to do was get the jewelry from the woman, eliminate her, and move on. But they botched that job. Once Thompson put his man on the woman, it was damn near impossible to get near her. Before he went any further, he had to stop Sanchez. Then he had to figure out how in the hell Al Day got out of prison and into his house.
He dialed the number to his middle man and instructed him to contact Sanchez to stop the planned attack, and then Brian Thompson to call a truce. Always conscious of his position, he never gave direct orders to do anything. If any of his men ever had to take the stand against him none could say they received an order from him. After placing the call, he slouched back in his chair. How could Al Day get out of prison and into his house?
As he thought there was only one answer that came to him--JD. Harrison had to be involved. It was the only reasonable answer. He slammed his fist on the desk. How dare he interfere in his plans? He was sick of the so call Harrison’s of the world being in power. They didn’t know what to do with it—he did. It was his time to run things. Harrison was more of a hindrance than his father, the damn holier than thou pain in the ass. James Harrison knew too much and Munford knew eventually he was going to spill his guts. It was his damn honesty that got him killed, Munford reasoned as he sat behind his desk.
This time it wasn’t an honest cop that was causing his problems, it was his own greed. Now he had to take a moment and think. Being Chief of Police granted him some power, but not enough for what he wanted out of life. The people he was now connected to could give him that and more. Becoming Mayor of Richmond would give him more access to the things his new partners would need. Having Gavin in his pocket would go a long way in getting the power he wanted. And everyone knows with power comes wealth. Eliminating JD Harrison would put Gavin right back in his pocket. It just had to be handled delicately.
He placed another call to his new partners. "We have a situation that needs to be eliminated before we can proceed.”
"And that is?"
"JD Harrison."