Pink Lips (7 page)

“You'll be okay. It will all be over before you know it.” Kail smiled as she held a half-empty glass of chilled champagne in the air.

“I hope you're right.” Mahina smiled as she stood up. “It's time to get dressed.”

Mahina wore a simple gown with crystal and pearl accents by Camille La Vie and the bridesmaids were outfitted in kiwi cocktail-length Alfred Angelo dresses as they entered the carriage waiting for them in front the of lavish hotel.

Mahina carried kiwi-centered pale-pink gerbera daisies with crystal accents in a Victorian silver bouquet holder, and the bridesmaids carried hand-wrapped bouquets of the same flower. Kail was the exception. She was the flower girl in a sense and she carried six long-stemmed flowers. She would give one to each mother and grandmother who stood in for Mahina since she had no living relatives besides her and Willow.

The carriage pulled up to the front of the biggest church in Hawaii. The church was once the mansion of the town's founder. It had a beautiful garden at the back, so it went perfectly with Mahina and Gino's theme for their wedding. The driver let the door open for them as they all exited the carriage.

The garden was naturally beautiful, so there wasn't much in the
way of decoration. White wooden folding chairs filled with guests split by a petal-marked aisle awaited. Mahina made her way down the aisle as the bridemaids who had walked seconds earlier waited on the side of the arch. The elderly woman standing in for Mahina held their flowers tightly that Kail had given them as tears formed in their eyes. Onlookers admired Mahina's dress and countless gasps could be heard aloud.

They all looked in the handmade programs, which included a beautiful Cherokee prayer that was translated for one of the many ancestral touches as the sounds of a harp echoed throughout the garden. Mahina walked into the opening of the beautiful white arch as Gino, who was dressed in an all-white tux with the same flower his bride was holding hanging out of his top pocket, smiled as he leaned up in his wheelchair.

The ceremony began as they exchanged beautiful vows followed by a reading they both loved from a book. The piece was an old Apache wedding vow that Willow knew. Following the ceremony's end, they were announced husband and wife, and everyone headed to the reception.

•  •  •

“You got everything packed?” Willow asked Kail as they dipped through the busy streets of the island.

“Yes, we good,” she replied.

“Let's change.” Willow pulled in front of their condo. “Then we will head there.”

Kail complied as they went upstairs to get out of the bridesmaids dresses. They scurried everything they would need after they got dressed and loaded it in the trunk of the car. Jewelry, clothes, Kail's car, and other things were all left behind at the condo that
would soon become abandoned. The person who cleaned it out would make a grip off of the stuff that they left behind.

They swung in and out of lanes in a rush to make it to the reception. They wanted to make it there on time; every minute counted. Today was the day they would get their revenge and nothing was going to stop them.

W
illow and Kail parked a couple of blocks from the building where the reception was held. Willow rolled down the driver window of her midnight-blue Range Rover as they watched countless people go in and out of the establishment. They staked it out and eyed their surroundings like they did every job they worked.

“I say we go shoot every fucking body.” Kail pulled an AK-47 from in between her legs while rubbing on the barrel with her neon-orange nails.

“Think, Kail,” Willow responded as she leaned in the backseat to grab a box, “we don't want to make a scene; just get in, kill, and get out.” She opened the box revealing two AAC Evolution 40 suppressors. “Just do what we discussed.”

“Silencers.” Kail reached over and grabbed one. “This is legit,” she said as the cool from the steel shot goose bumps through her skin making her anxious to use it.

“I know, let's go,” Willow ordered as she opened the door with Kail following.

Their feet paced calmly as they crossed the busy streets. They both held their clutches in their hands, the guns on their person hidden perfectly under their black babydoll Chanel dresses. Their hair flowed well past their shoulders as they approached the greeter at the door.

“Names, please?” the security asked, stopping them.

“They're VIP,” Mahina said as she appeared through the double glass doors inviting her nieces inside.

Bright lights filled the room like a million fireflies on a cold summer's night. A band played as waitresses and waiters walked around in black server clothes with top-shelf wine and hors d'oeuvres on their trays. It was a high-society event, and since Gino was over most of the businesses in Hawaii, everyone who was anyone was in attendance.

“You girls look beautiful,” Mahina said as they reached a table filled with small diamonds surrounding the plate settings, “please take a seat.”

“Look at my nieces.” Gino wheeled behind Kail and Willow and hugged their necks from behind. “We have an announcement,” he said as the smell of liquor escaped from his mouth.

“What is it?” Willow asked.

“We're about to announce it now.” Mahina signaled for Gino to follow her to the stage.

Kail scoped the surroundings to check out the security. It was a habit of hers anytime she was on a job. In three minutes flat, she had counted everyone in the room.

“Thank you all for coming.” Mahina held her wedding ring in the air for all to see. “We are finally married, and since everyone we care about is in the room,” she said as she pointed toward Melee, “including my beautiful niece-in-law that came all the way from Philly.”

“She's pregnant,” Gino interrupted as he grabbed at Mahina's stomach.

“This changes nothing,” Kail whispered to Willow as she gulped the wine in her mouth softly.

Everyone in attendance gave their congratulations as a barrage
of claps overpowered the soft jazz music that was being played by the band.

“Do it now,” Kail mumbled to Willow as she continued clapping, letting a fake smile take over her face, exposing her beautiful innocent smile.

Willow stood up as the lights from the chandeliers sparkled the diamond tennis bracelet around her wrist. She clapped as she approached the microphone standing next to Mahina and Gino.

“We been with Mahina, and Gino, since we were younger.” Willow turned to them and smiled. “They are the only family me and my sister, Kail, know and we really want to give them something special to show our appreciation. Especially for all that they've done for us. So Mahina, Gino, if you two and the rest of our extended family,” she said, referring to all of The Pink Lip Bandits, “could follow me and Kail to the back room, we have a surprise for you.”

“This is going to be good,” Mahina said as she approached the microphone. “Don't worry; we will share with you guys when we return of what it was.”

Kail stood up as they all headed to the back room of the venue. Kail smiled as Gino's normal security that followed him everywhere stood still. She had paid them double not to hear or see anything, and it was money well spent. She knew Gino wouldn't notice because of his intoxication.

Willow closed the double doors of the back room as Kail stood next to her. This was it, this was the moment they had been waiting for, and this was justice for their mother.

“Okay, you guys,” Kail sashayed over to the light switch, “close your eyes and don't open them until we tell you to.”

They all obliged as the lights went off. Kail tossed Willow the night vision goggles that she had stashed there the night before
as darkness filled the room. They pulled out their guns as they saw their targets in a optic green color.

“Surprise, motherfuckas,” Kail screamed as she aimed and shot, starting with Mahina and Gino. Willow joined as a stampede of bullets filled the air.

An eerie silence took over the room as the bullets stopped. Willow and Kail checked pulses with their guns never leaving the aiming position. They had hit heads and hearts, so they knew no one should have been left breathing.

“You ungrateful bitches.” Mahina panted as she crawled toward the door, her nails breaking in the beautiful marble floor as she pulled her weight. “After I took you in, this is how you repay me. Fuck you.”

“No, fuck you, bitch,” Kail said as she stood over Mahina, “and your unborn bastard child. See you in hell.” She released two rounds to the back of Mahina's head.

“Hello,” a voice called out from the entrance of the room, “Uncle Gino?”

“Who the fuck is that?” Willow asked with a whisper.

“I don't fucking know.” Kail hissed as the lights flashed on.

Melee stood there as her eyes adjusted to the lights. Tears filled her eyes as she looked around the room at the massacre that had taken place only minutes earlier. She dashed for the door when two guns filled her view, pointing directly at her.

The bullet came at the speed of light. Everything started moving slowly around Melee as a pressure forced through her back, exiting her chest. She fell forward, her eyes rolling around in their sockets as a strange feeling of unusual pain took over her. Her lungs produced two more breaths for her until her vision went completely dark. She was dead.

“Let's go.” Kail tossed the goggles and headed toward the emergency exit.

Willow's eyes looked at the beautiful woman as blood flowed out of her mouth onto the buffed floor. Willow saw herself in the woman as her lifeless body lay frozen with a bullet inside of her that wasn't meant for her.

“Willow,” Kail shook her out of the trance, “in and out.”

“I know,” she said as she walked toward the entrance of the room. “I'll meet you outside in five minutes. I forgot my clutch.”

“Leave it and come on,” Kail suggested.

“I'll be right out.” Willow disappeared through the doors.

Willow eased through the crowd as she saw her clutch from afar. She leaned over the table and picked it up as an urge to drink took over her. All she wanted was a chilled glass of Grand Marnier.

Willow made her way to the open bar as the images of the woman's life they had just taken haunted her brain. The woman didn't even know what she had died for. She was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

“Hennessy straight up,” a voice bellowed next to Willow as she sat down on a stool at the bar, her heel tapping the floor to the beat of the music.

Damn,
Willow thought to herself as she eyed the chocolate thug next to her. Their eyes met as he smiled at her, exposing his perfect smile. Willow was impressed by his appearance; a dark-skinned man dressed in all white made her pussy wet, especially since it was designer.

She eyed him once more as he took sips from the cold cocktail glass that the bartender set in front of him. She watched his lips as she wondered what all he could do with them. His hands looked strong as they held the glass and it drove Willow crazy.

“And what can I get for you, pretty lady?” the bartender asked Willow as he gave her all of his attention.

“She'll have Grand Marnier, straight up,” the chocolate gentleman said as his thuggish charm intrigued Willow.

“Is that so?” the bartender questioned.

“What the fuck did I just say?” the man snapped, feeling disrespected.

“Coming right up.” The bartender's face turned bloodshot red.

“If that motherfucka spit in my drink, that's your ass,” Willow said, never looking in his direction.

“No, if dude spit in yo' drink, that's his ass. Ya mean? All men are accountable for their own actions.” He took another sip from the light-brown liquid in his glass.

“Agreed.” The bartender set a glass in front of her. “So what made you think that this would be what I wanted?” she asked as she sipped through the straw.

“I know the difference between a woman who would enjoy a forty, and one who would enjoy the taste of Grand Marnier. Seeing that the bracelet around yo' wrist cost you about one hundred fat boys, I'm sure you never had a forty in yo' life.” He took a sip of the Hennessy as he undressed her with his eyes.

“You would be right.” Willow rubbed her fingers through her hair.

“So what does the tattoo of that locket on your ring finger mean?” He looked down at her soft, moisturized hands.

“It's not worth talking about,” she lied. “So what is a man like you doing in Hawaii?” she asked to change the subject.

“I'm working,” he said with a sly grin, “I'm on a job.”

“What kind of job is that?”

“The kind that pretty women like you wouldn't understand because it involves getting my hands dirty.”

“You'd be surprised.” She stood up, drinking the last of the liqueur through the straw, leaving small traces of her pink lipstick on the tip. “Don't judge a book by the cover. I'm sure whatever you do is a walk in the park next to my profession.” She smiled and walked away.

“Wait,” he walked after her, “I didn't get yo' name.”

“That's because I didn't give it to you.”

Willow exited the building as she eyed the blocks for Kail. She needed to get out of there as soon as possible. The last thing she wanted was to be questioned about the surprise that she and Kail had given Mahina and Gino. She didn't need anyone to remember her face. She looked backward out of the corner of her eye as the man from the bar walked up on her slowly. She smiled as she continued piercing down the dark searing streets.

“I'm Craig,” he said as he stood directly next to her.

“Willow.”

“So do you have a nigga?”

“No, I do not.” A Range Rover with Kail driving pulled up and put her mind at ease.

“I'm only in Hawaii for tonight,” he walked toward the curb, “and, I would love to spend it with you.”