Motown Showdown (32 page)

Then there was little Pepper. Let it be said, Kandace and Rome made one beautiful baby girl. Until she came along, I’d never held one, never even wanted to. Since she came along, I can’t seem let go of her. The lovebirds, fortunately, don’t mind sharing especially when they’re tired.

While the boys play football with Bobo as ref, with Kandace making us lunch, I kiss Pepper’s head. Wiggling and cooing as only babies can do, this little one settles every time we climb. She takes it all in with wide eyes and smiles. So I watch them from up here with a smile of my own.

I’m marrying my best friend
…

Gage and I live together, choosing to stay next door to the lovebirds. We renovated our side and did the same for theirs. Considering the back half of the house had been blown off, it actually made this easier. I still had my building, and we used the loft as office space. We decided when we were home; it was just that, home. Gage and I are partners in every sense. Once I figured out that he needed
me
to need
him
, I made sure I did and wished I’d known the beauty of that sooner.

Now fully contracted by a sect we can’t speak of, we take jobs as they come but are not in the game full time. Michigan is our territory, and we only do jobs here. Which is how we prefer it.

Between Pepper, the lovebirds, Bobo, Gage’s Dads, staying on Whisky’s ass and the Lush posse, our plates are pretty full. But I still have a fair amount of spare time which has led me to realize I have a minor domestic streak, not a big one but just big enough.

Turns out I like to cook, which is good because he likes to eat. I loved helping Gage with the house remod and though I’ll never admit it to Kandace, I love me some karaoke. My parents would be proud of me, I never doubted that. But I was also proud of myself, for finding that
one thing
I loved more than the game.

Him.

Watching Gage approach, he looks up and smiles. “You two ready to come down?”

“Yep,” I say securing Pepper in the crook of my arm. Just before reaching the bottom, he extends his own and we fall letting him catch us. “Excellent sack, by the way. Roman didn’t know what hit him until you know, you did.”

“Beauty,” he laughs. “He hits a lot harder than I do because he knows
where
to hit. Working tonight’s gonna suck a dick.”

“Watch your fucking mouth,” I gasp. “She’s impressionable!”

“Like I said, never boring,” he laughs and so does Pepper. The little nugget loves it when her uncle laughs. “Let’s eat, beauty. Kandace wants coffee after.”

“I do love coffee; I smile.

“And me,” he says lifting a brow.

“And you,” I grin pinching his ass.

Kandace and I scarfed our food down so we could get our caffeine fix. But this trip together would end up like many others where she’s involved. I’ll let her tell you about it…But Dr. Kandace Kane-Peterson cannot be trusted.

Remember that.

“Coffee and home,” Rome gripes.

“Um, yeah,” I say giving him that look.

“Let me amend,” he says holding up his fingers to count down. “One, no quick trips to Lush.” He says curling a finger in, “Two, no fake trips to the hospital so you can go to Lush.” Repeating the gesture he says, “Three, no bars of any kind and four,” he growls. “No, fights.”

“But she---”

“She isn’t the problem, wife,” he groans. “You are. So, where you two headed?”

“Coffee and home,” I pout.

While the boys entertained Pepper, or rather she entertained them, I stole my little sis for a coffee run. Where Gage doesn’t give Camo shit about what we do, Rome gives me nothing
but
shit for what we do. Rome does not give Camo shit of any kind, ever. He loves the shit she does because when he looks at her he sees
peace
. She gave us all peace, but especially Rome. She gave him a special kind of peace.

I loved her for that.

Just like I loved her for saving her heart for my brother.

“He give you the speech?” she asks checking her phone. She and Gage had a job tonight, so I wanted my girl wide awake and accurate. Especially for what was happening
after work
. “Oh yeah, he gave me the speech,” I mumble. Parking out front, we hit the side door and wait in the ridiculous line for our fix. “Poor Pepper only has a few more years before she starts getting it. Am I a bad mother because I’m hoping it takes the heat off me?”

Laughing, she gets stares from the people ahead of us but ignores them. “It’s impossible for you to be bad at anything,” she says shuffling forward. “Thanks, sis,” I smile but then, I frown. “God this line is forever,” I groan but then I had an idea. One we’ve been perfecting. “Good girl, bad girl?”

“Now?”

“The line is
long
,” I point out.

“True,” she says looking around. “Your call, I’ll roll with it. I do my best work when I shoot from the hip.”

Thinking on it, I had my ah-ha moment and tossed my hair over my shoulder and went with it. “He’s a cheating jerk,” I declare. “He’s sitting over there with his new piece!” I point at some random couple who didn’t even notice. “Do something!”

“Why? They’re not my problem,” she says acting annoyed. “I can’t do more time girl, you know that.”

People were starting to get anxious; this was good. But it wasn’t enough. Time to turn it up. “Uh, because you’re armed, and you know how to kill people so,
you
should handle it. It’s called a public service!”

“For free?” she screeches. Perfect, the line is thinning. “Are you crazy? First, ammo is expensive and… don’t give me that look!”

“Do it,” I urge her.

“There are kids in here,” she says loudly.

“So? You aren’t aiming at them! Come on, do it! For all women who’ve been cheated on, do it for the sisterhood!”

Three more scatter, literally bolting out the doors, likely calling the cops. Two more left, child’s play, baby. “Someone will see my gun and call the cops,” she says tossing her hands up. “It’s not like it’s registered!”

“He’ll be dead and we’ll be gone before they get here,” I try to reason. Oh! This one’s sprinting! I bet he ran track in college. “Fine, I see you’re torn, just a flesh wound then.”

“I don’t know….”

“You owe me,” I say stomping my foot.

“Fine,” she says sighing. “Which gun? The nine or the forty?”

“Forty all day.”

“Hang on, it’s in my bag.”

The last person in line turns sees her rummaging and hits the door like his ass is one fire. “We’re up!” I announce pulling her forward. While the staff looked terrified, Camo leans on the counter and says, “Running lines for this movie is a bitch. What’d you guys think? Did I nail it?”

“Uh…” The barista says looking around. “Yeah, you nailed it.”

“And you?” she asks pointing to the other. “What’d you think?”

“Considering I think I shit my pants, I’d say you’re good.”

“Yes!” she says dancing in place. “Okay back to business.”

And then we placed our orders.

While she was out getting coffee, which may or may not lead to the police being called, I secured my surprise for her. She’d get it tonight after work and my dads, Bobo, Rome and Kandace would work out the details. Not only would she be shocked but she’d be happy. She’s spent a lot of time worrying.

I like it when my girl is happy. I did not like it when she worried. So, I was making it so she wouldn’t have to.

Gearing up, she comes to my side and looks at us both in the mirror. “We make this look good,” she smiles.

“Yeah, beauty,” I smile down at her. “You do.”

Later that night…

We were set up and concealed. Unless you had wings or a drone, you wouldn’t find us. Shit, unless you were a fucking superhero you couldn’t find us. This job like the others was a strike and bail. Four hits, with a cleanup crew on standby. The sect we do jobs for has a no tolerance policy. As in, you do some heavy shit,
you die
.

Considering the state of the human race, we’d always have work. Or as my woman called it,
job security
.

“Oh shit, I’m buzzing,” she says reaching back into her pocket. “The Happy Hitters where every shot counts, how may I direct your call?”

Cocking my head, I look at her and roll my eyes. “What?” she whispers.

“You’re taking a phone call?”

“Duh.”

“During a hit, you’re taking a fucking call?”

“There’s nothing to hit yet,” she now rolls her eyes at me. “And you’re being rude.” Then ignoring me, she rolls to her back and continues to talk.

“Beauty,” I groan. “Who the fuck is on the phone?”

“Big Daddy,” she smiles.

“Christ.”

“Well we do have to eat,” she says sweetly. “He invited us to dinner tonight, I can’t say no to Big Daddy.” Only my dad would call her during a hit. But to him she hung the moon. Well, that and he knew she’d answer because when any member of the family calls, she fucking answers. “Sure thing, Big Daddy, should I bring anything? By bring, I mean pay someone to make it for me.”

“Target’s approaching.”

Just like that she snaps to attention. “Ten-four, Big Daddy, rendezvous at oh eight hundred.”

“Seriously?”

“He likes military speak,” she shrugs. Getting into position, she dials in, and I do the same. “He also says I’m a hitter without equal.”

“Did he now?”

“This is not news,” she says shifting some. “He also said you had The Hulk sheets on your bed until you were fourteen. I’d razz you, but I had a GI Joe set myself.”

“Beauty?”

“Yeah?”

Breaking away from my scope, I take a moment to drink her in. Nope, never gets old. “I’ve got the two most badass women in the world.”

Glancing away from her scope, she smiles over at me. “Gage, this is not news either.”

Focusing on the task at hand, we both steady our breathing and with targets in range, I whisper. “Taking my shots, five thirty and five forty-five.”

“Copy,” she says. “Taking my shots, eleven and twelve fifteen.” And just before we strike she whispers, “Twenty bucks says I can make their hearts explode.”

Smirking, I take my first shot, clean through the neck and I watch him fall. Camo takes hers, chest shot; he falls. Dialing in the next, with my finger on the trigger, I tell her. “Fifty says I’ll be fucking you in the grass after.” Sucking in a breath, she fires true and his heart, did, in fact,
explode
. Taking my final shot, I follow her lead hitting my target in the heart too. Lowering our rifles, she didn’t even look at our handiwork. Instead, she fishes out her phone, sends her confirmation knowing cleanup would be on it. Biting her lip, she unhooks her belt before crawling to me. “On your back,” she orders me. “I’m not big on bugs crawling on me.”

Ripping my jacket off, I lay it down and motion for her to stretch out. “No bugs, beauty.”

Shucking my pants down enough to free my cock, she works hers down to her ankles. When neither of us could find a comfortable spot due to our limited range of motion, I pull her up and bring her to her knees. “That’s better,” I purr in her ear. “Ass up, beauty.”

Raising it high, I surge inside of her, then cage her with my body in protection. With the cleanup crew working below us, I fucked her hard, and she was not quiet about it. Then again she never was. Pumping in and out of her, I don’t bother looking at the dead bodies or the men responsible for cleaning them up. Instead, I look at the smooth skin on her back. Then I slap her ass. Then I bite down on her neck, and when she starts to come, I take her mouth.

Fucking her back down to her belly, I grip her wrists and give her my orders. “Won’t come until you say it,” I growl. “Need it, beauty.”

“I love you, Gage,” she says perfectly. But when another sneaks up on her she throws her head back and moans out, “I love you, I love you, oh God, I fucking love you.”

Coming hard, I roll us to the side and ride it out without my weight on her. “Not a man luckier than me,” I whisper into her hair. Her response to things like this was usually humor laced with sarcasm. I loved it; I loved her.

But when she titled her head up to me, traced my face and whispered, “You’re my purpose,” I let a tear fall.