Nude Awakening (22 page)

Stan remained hidden in the hallway closet. The silence was pushing him toward the verge of hysteria. He wanted to move, but his limbs were deadened. He waited. Silence. Six long fear-laced minutes slid by until he had the balls to open the door. His weak mind and stomach were not hardened for the sight that awaited him.

THIRTY-THREE

LaToria had returned from the bathroom with a clear sign of heavy crying. She sat down beside Trevon without looking at him.

“No,” she said barely above a whisper. “I’m not on birth control, Trevon. And before you even ask. I never had unprotected sex with Swagga or anyone else. That’s the one thing my foster parents preached to me over and over. Safe sex.”

“Okay, so can I ask why me?”

“Isn’t it obvious, Trevon?”

Their eyes met for a short moment until she looked to the floor.

“Please don’t force me to assume anything about you or your actions, LaToria. Tell me. Talk to me.”

“I care about you, Trevon. Since the very first day I saw you in Janelle’s office I had a thang for you. I just have a hard time expressing myself. I felt the only way you would see me was through sex.”

“You know I don’t see you like that, LaToria.”

“I know, Smooch.”

Trevon smiled. The pet name was going to stick. “How do you feel about me?”

“I—” She rubbed her eyes. “I want to be with you. I want . . . to fall in love with you every day for the rest of my life.”

Trevon stroked his chin, looking off toward the kitchen. “What-What about the fact that we both do porn?” He looked toward her, watching her shift on the sofa. “How can we—if it comes to it. But how can we say we really love each other, but have sex with others?”

She bit her upper lip, pulling her words together. “I told you before that catching emotions in this line of work don’t mix. I’ll just have to make a big choice. You or porn.”

He crossed his arms. “You would give up porn to be with me?”

“No,” she said quickly. “I would give up porn to be in love with you, Trevon.”

Trevon slowly got up to his feet. “What do you love about me?” He held his arms out and up at his sides. “What’s so damn special about ex-con, Trevon Harrison, huh?”

“Don’t make this hard on me.” She was close to crying.

Trevon suddenly slapped his hands together. LaToria winced.

“Loving me won’t be easy, LaToria! I got so many issues. I still have nightmares about going back to prison. I still wear fuckin’ shower shoes in my own damn shower! Some days I wake up at five in the morning without the aid of a clock. Some days I go hungry because I forgot to feed myself. I got issues, okay! Issues, I doubt I can even fucking deal with! Shit is so fast to me! Cars parking by their damnself! People don’t even fuckin’ talk face to face no more! I’m gettin’ lost out here more and more each day. And, damnit . . . I’m scared.” He lowered his voice as LaToria sat on the sofa crying softly into her hands.

Trevon took a step toward her and stopped. “LaToria,” he called softly. “Look at me. Please.”

She gazed up, letting her flow of tears remain on her face.

“Can you take me as I am? I’m fucked up, baby. I gotta get adjusted to this new life. This freedom. If I keep fronting like I got this shit under control, I’ma crash.”

“Let me help you.” Her voice quivered. She stood up and walked toward him. They hugged each other tight.

“Please let me help you, Trevon.” She nodded into his chest. “I want to make things work. Please.”

Trevon rested his chin on top of her head. What if she is real? Am I real about this? Real about her? Fuck what the sideline will say. I know I care a lot about this girl. She feels so right to be in my arms.

“I miss you, Trevon.” She sobbed, locking her arms around his waist.

Trevon closed his eyes. “I miss you, too.”

They stood there in silence. The running air conditioner unit and their steady breathing were the only sounds heard. LaToria kept her eyes open, clutching Trevon in her embrace. This was the man she wanted to be with. She felt it now. Now she understood what Jurnee was trying to tell her. Love. You’ll just know when you have it.

LaToria stepped out of his embrace, wiping her watery eyes.

“What time do you have? I left my watch in the bedroom.” Trevon asked, hoping she would not leave.

LaToria turned her wrist up. “It’s um . . .eleven thirty-three.”

Trevon sat down on the sofa and lowered his face in his hands.

“You okay?” she whispered, rubbing his shoulder.

He nodded yes. “So what’s really up with you and Swagga?” he asked when she sat down next to him.

“Nothing. But honestly, I’ll have to get rid of him again.” She reached inside her purse and pulled out her cell phone. “I haven’t been taking his calls.” LaToria viewed the screen to check for any missed calls since she had turned her phone off. Swagga had called her two times in the last five minutes. Plus he had sent three text messages. She deleted them all without reading them.

“Avoiding him will only make it worse,” he said as she laid her phone on the arm of the sofa.

“I know,” she replied. “I just don’t look forward to doing it.”

“What will you tell him?”

She furrowed her forehead. “I don’t have to explain nothing to him!”

She understood his position. Swagga was her drama. Drama she would need to put an end to. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow.” She waited a moment. Then she laid her hand on his knee. “Can I spend the night with you?”

Trevon glanced at her hand, then his eyes skated up to her breasts straining against the thin material of her dress. “I got some house rules,” he said in a low bedroom voice.

LaToria caressed his thigh, inching her hand up to his crotch. “And what are your rules?” She smiled, inching closer to him.

“I might have to think on it,” he replied as Rex trotted off toward the kitchen.

They both smiled. She looked directly into his eyes. He laid a hand on her inner thigh the moment their lips met. She fell back into the arm of the sofa as his tongue swirled inside her mouth. Getting comfortable under his frame, her cell phone was knocked to the floor. Their kiss was building. Both were moaning. Trevon eased his hand up her warm thighs. She opened them. He felt the heat coming from her pussy before his fingertips bumped against her fishnet thong. She arched her back as his fingers slid her thong aside. She was already wet.

“Smooch!” she moaned as he lowered his lips to her neck. She loved how she felt so small under his wide body. Closing her eyes, she tugged at his shirt. “Yessss! Play in it, Smooch.” She bit her bottom lip as he pushed two fingers into her wet hole. Soft seductive moans rolled off her quivering lips. His steady rhythm had her rolling and bucking back against his fingers. A sudden charge shot through her. He now had his thumb up against her clit. Riding the constant waves of pleasure pulsing from his touch, she blindly pulled his shirt off. His fingers began to plunge rapidly in and out of her soaked pussy.

Tossing his shirt to the floor, she latched her lips on his chest nipple. He moaned out her name and pulled his fingers from between her legs. Sliding off the sofa, he reached up under her skirt to slide the thong off. Her eyes were half-closed as he pushed the dressup and over her juicy bare ass. LaToria wanted him to be in control. She said not one word as he put her knees on the floor. She parted them as he stood up. He kicked his shoes off, then shoved his boxers and jeans off in one rushed movement. She could feel the cool air blowing against her exposed pussy. With her elbows on the sofa cushion, she waited for her man to enter her. She slid forward a bit as he got up behind her. His erection bumped against her luscious red ass.

Trevon looked down at her special offering. He bunched the dress higher up over her ass until it circled her waist. He inhaled deeply, taking the sweet musky aroma of her pussy into his lungs. She looked back at him with his dick resting on her ass. She knew he was special to her.

“Make love to me, Smooch. Please. I need to have you up in me.”

Trevon grabbed his shaft then slipped it inside her. He rubbed her ass, pushing in slowly.

“Uhhhhhh!” she moaned, squeezing the sofa cushion. “Put all of it in . . . Yessss!”

He began with a smooth steady thrusting that sent her ass clapping. Her jiggling ass mesmerized him. Her pussy noisily filled the room as his big dick pushed out air from her tight pussy. In and out, he dicked her down, making her squeal with each forward thrust. Breathing hard and heavy, he tossed himself into her body with nothing between them. Her moans and cries made him feel whole. Gripping her waist, he murmured her name.

LaToria felt his dick reaching up into her stomach; she cried for him to cum. Smacking her ass, he started to speed up. She enjoyed it. Baring his teeth, he leaned over her back. She turned her face toward his, still screaming and moaning. Her pussy had a personality of its own as it gripped and clung to his thrusting penis. A sense of relief filled her when he began to jerk and twitch. She could feel him shooting off his cum inside her walls. Before he pulled out, she squeezed his dick with her pussy.

“Ooooohhhhh, keep doin’ that!” he said, rubbing all over her ass. “That feels so good, baby!”

They both knew the chances they were taking of having raw sex. Trevon’s concern was based on her getting pregnant, not the chance of catching an STD. He slid out of her, feeling weak.

“Baby,” she said, tugging her dress back down. “I’m going to wash up right quick and run home to get my overnight stuff. I want to wake up in your arms in the morning.”

THIRTY-FOUR

“What are you doing here, Marcus!” Kendra greeted Swagga at her front door. Before he could reply, she took notice of his eyes darting from left to right. Swagga looked— scared. I know this fool ain’t at my crib high! He has to be. Didn’t even correct me for calling him Marcus.

“I just want to see my daughter right quick. I um . . . got your text about her having a high fever.”

Kendra had no love for Marcus, but she did owe him a few things. Those few things were all connected to their child. She knew he had the right to know their daughter was sick. She would have never guessed he would show up. Looking past his shoulder, she saw Yaffa leaning against the Bentley GT, smoking a cigarette.

“Tell Yaffa to put that cigarette out before he comes in.”

Minutes later, she stood at her daughter’s bedroom door. They had left Yaffa in the kitchen. Kendra wrinkled her nose. “You been smoking weed, Marcus? I smell it all on your clothes!”

Swagga began to fidget, looking off in the distance.

Kendra grabbed his wrist. “Are you listening to me?” she snapped. “What is wrong with you?”

He shook his head. “I just need to see my baby. Please.”

Kendra released him, looking at him as if he were a stranger. Please! Oh, he gots to be on some type of drug. I’ve never heard him say please for nothing or to no one since I’ve known his ass! Please? “Try not to wake her. She needs her rest, okay?”

Swagga nodded then followed Kendra inside. She stood against the dresser and watched him kneel by the bed. A few minutes later, he leaned over to kiss Carmelita on her forehead, and then he stood up.

“Marcus,” she said as he walked toward her. “What is wrong with you?”

Swagga reached down and grabbed her hand before she could jerk it away. “I need to talk to you. Please.”

Kendra now sensed that something was wrong. “You better not be playing no games with me.” She pulled her hand free, looked at her sleeping daughter, and took him to her bedroom to talk.

“What’s going on with you?” She stood at the corner of her bed with her arms folded.

Swagga took it upon himself and sat down on Kendra’s bed. His troubles were becoming too heavy to bear. “Just listen to me, okay?” he said in a low voice. “I’m going to give you the access number and info to my three bank accounts—”

“I know damn well you ain’t up in here trying to get some pus—”

“Kendra!” He stood up, placing his hands on her shoulders. “I’m not here trying to get no pussy.”

“Oh.”

“Just listen to me, damn.” He waited until she nodded. “I’ma give you my bank info, okay? If you don’t hear from me by this time tomorrow, it’s all yours. I trust you’ll look out for my other two kids. You’re the only person I trust.”

“Marcus, what is going—”

“I can’t tell you. I—just got caught up in some bullshit.”

“Sit down and talk to me.” She grabbed his hand. “You don’t have to leave.”

Swagga smiled at the mother of his firstborn. “I can’t. I have to—finish something.”

“Fuck whatever that something is! You have a daughter to raise.” She squeezed his hand. “I know we ain’t on the best of terms, but I do care about you, Marcus. You’re the father of my first and only baby.”

Swagga pulled his hand free. “Kendra, I never meant to hurt you, okay?” He walked to the dresser and picked up an ink pen. “I need something to write on.”

Kendra ignored him with tears welling up in her eyes. What if he’s for real? I don’t want my baby to grow up without a father.

Swagga searched on the dresser until he found something to write on.

“I’ma write a note to my attorney also.”

“Stop talking like that, Marcus. You’re scaring me, okay.” Tears fell from her eyes. She stood frozen as Swagga wrote down his banking info and a letter to his attorney. When he was done, he laid it on the dresser after she refused to touch it.

“I need to use the bathroom right quick.” He left her sitting on the bed crying. In the bathroom, he turned the water on after closing the door. He pulled out his mobile phone and called Kandi. If she did not pick up, he would leave another voice message. She did not answer.

“Kandi. Look, I know about that scheme you got going with Chyna and Cindy. Listen to me, please. Cindy and Chyna . . . Yaffa killed them and we’re coming to see you. I know you have that footage of me and Chyna on your cell phone. Cindy gave you up. Just leave your phone in the mailbox. Let’s get this shit over with, okay? I can’t control Yaffa no more. Please, let’s end this shit. I’ll still give you some money. I gotta go. Bye.” Swagga flushed the toilet. Then he slid his phone back into his pocket.

Turning the water off, he stepped back into Kendra’s bedroom. She had not moved. Seeing her tears made him realize his foolishness. Why do I dog out every female that really cares about me?

“I gotta go, Kendra.”

She turned her head away, sobbing hard into her hands. Swagga stood there for a moment and quietly left the bedroom. It was now 11:53 p.m.

Coconut Grove, Florida

Swagga felt helpless as Yaffa worked the security guard at the front gate. They had pulled up to LaToria’s gated home two minutes ago.

“C’mon, man!” Yaffa said, leaning out the window. “LaToria took my man here off the visitors list because he forgot her birthday.”

“I can’t let you guys in,” the guard stated. “I have a family to feed. I can get in trouble and lose my job.”

Yaffa knew he had an opening to work with now. “Look, I’m a bodyguard, and you’re a security guard, so when it comes down to it we’re one in the same.”

The guard rolled his eyes.

“How much did you make last year?”

“Ain’t important.”

Yaffa kept his cool. “Thirty thousand?”

“I wish!” The guard laughed.

“Shit, I might be your genie tonight.”

“How? You got thirty thousand cash up in there?” the guard kidded by shining his flashlight inside the silent running Bentley GT.

Yaffa leaned over to whisper to Swagga. The guard was fed up with the games. Suddenly, his eyes widened when Yaffa held out a handful of jewelry.

“You let us in. You can have this. This chain is worth two hundred thousand and the bracelet is worth nineteen thousand.”

The guard did the math in his head. Even if he sold the jewelry for half its value, he would still pocket $109,500.

“He’ll remember our names and faces,” Swagga warned as Yaffa drove past the gate.

“He’ll be stinkin’ when the sun comes up.” Yaffa drove down the quiet street heading for Kandi’s house.

Swagga was hoping like hell that Kandi had paid heed to his voice mail. His stomach tightened when Yaffa rounded the curb. Kandi’s diamond black Escalade was parked in the driveway. Yaffa drove by slowly.

“Look, yo!” He pointed at the living room window. “That bitch home. I just saw her silhouette walk by!”

“How you know it’s her?” Swagga looked, but it was too late.

“Because of that big ol’ ass she got.”

Swagga tried to think of something as Yaffa came to a stop.

“Lemme get the shotgun out the trunk.” Yaffa turned the car off and looked at Swagga. “Don’t freeze up on me! The ho trying to take you down, so keep that in your mind.

We gonna run up on her hard. No games. All that talkin’ shit is fo’ the movies! You ready?”

Swagga pulled out the Glock 19 and chambered a round.

“Dawg, if that footage of you fucking Chyna hit the Internet, it’s over for you!”

“Fuck it, let’s get it!” Yaffa got out first. He was ready to kill again.

After tonight, I’ll be my own man. No more running behind this gay ass, down low nigga! I need all the clips of him fucking Chyna in the ass! Once I get it I’ma show muthafuckas how to blackmail a nigga.