Power (Romantic Suspense) (18 page)

I lifted up, gripped the headboard, and drove into her, long and deliciously hard. Light and color crashed in my eyes. I lost it all in that moment.

And in my head, one thought banged hard against my skull.

I’ve got to make her mine. I’ve got to make her mine.

Exhausted, we both fell asleep in each other’s arms. Moonlight bathed our wet, tired bodies.

Never had I slept with a woman, not even as a teen. It was always, in and out, in and out, and then, that final out when I stuffed my cock back into my pants and left. I’d always stayed focused on the streets.

But here she was in my bed. She curled her body to me like in the back of the limo.
Again, she has me cuddling?
And again, I couldn’t move her.

Falling into sleep, that same thought twirled like a tornado in my brain.

I’ve got to make her mine. I’ve got to make her mine. Years. Goddamn it. Years.

I sank into a magical dream world.

The sky sparkled in a violet hue. The clouds glowed in various shades of pink and lavender. The stars dripped with gold. Birds flew with silver wings and white horns that blazed brighter than the heart-shaped moon hanging in the sky. The air smelled of cotton candy. The sweetness clung to my tongue. I licked my lips.

“Boss, hurry!” Crusher stood in the doorway of a massive ark built from mahogany planks. Animals, large and small, were led up the ramp. They stomped, marched, and prowled in pairs of male and female—elephants to zebras, lions to spiders.

“Hurry.” Fuji led two giraffes onto the ark. “Hurry, before you drown.”

Someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around. Rasheed stood next to me and smoked a blunt. A knife protruded from the center of his forehead. Blood dripped down his forehead and nose. An ill odor radiated from his graying flesh.

“Rasheed thinks Noah should hurry up the ramp.” He offered me the blunt. Butterflies flew around his head. They were all colors with beautiful wings. “Go up the ramp, man.”

I shook my head no.

“You never was a good swimmer.” Smoke left Rasheed’s nostrils as he batted at the butterflies. “You better get on that boat.”

“I’m sorry that you have that knife in your forehead.”

“Rasheed is not sorry. Rasheed lived.” He headed for the ark. “Are you living? You never let a woman get too close. That shit is going to get you killed, one day.”

“You’ve told me that before.”

“I did.” More butterflies flew to his head, drinking the blood like nectar. “You remember, when I said that?”

“Huh?” I almost recalled, but then something took my attention.

Feminine moans sounded off in the distance.

“What’s that?” I turned around and walked off in that direction, leaving the ark and my men behind. Lightening sliced the sky. Storm clouds appeared and thunder crackled off in the distance. A cold breeze blew through my hair. A few rain drops dotted my skin.

“Oh! Oh!” The moans rose in the air and sounded so harmonious as if a violin made love to a harp. “Oh, Noah! Come to me!”

Mary Jane?

I raced in her direction, excited. My cock hardening with each step as my feet slammed against the dirt.

“Oh, Noah!” she moaned. “Come drown with me!”

“Where are you, Mary Jane?” My cock tore out of my pants. The fabric ripped away, falling to the ground as I increased my pace. “I’m coming!”

A rainbow colored forest greeted my eyes. The trees’ bark shined brown, but the leaves were different shades—rosy red and pale blue, lemon yellow and bright orange. Turquoise serpents slid along huge branches, draped with purple vines. The grass waved in the cool, cotton candy breeze. And in the center, various flower petals shaped like a bed held the most beautiful creature.

“Mary Jane?” I slowed my running and studied her.

A half swan/half woman creature lounged on the flower bed, playing with herself. It had Mary Jane’s face, but nothing else made sense. Plump breasts bobbed. Her neck curved forward and extended three feet high like a swan. Silky, white feathers covered most of her, including her sex that dripped gold liquid onto the ground.

She beat her wings as she humped the flowers between her legs. “Come drown with me, Noah.”

I ran her way, but before I got to her, I woke up.

What?

I opened my eyes.

Crusher’s ugly face leaned over me as he shook my shoulder and whispered, “Boss. Boss.”

“What the fuck? Don’t drag me back in that ark, man. I want the swan!”

“What?” Crusher twisted his face in confusion.

Oh. That was a dream. Wait. A dream. Not a nightmare? I can have regular dreams? How did that happen? Was it her?

“Nothing.” Blinking, I glanced down at her sleeping form.

I didn’t have a nightmare? Fuck! I didn’t have a nightmare. Yes. She doesn’t leave. I’ll figure it out.

I took in my dark bedroom. Naked, Mary Jane lay on my chest.

“Boss?” Crusher towered over the bed.

Annoyed, I gritted my teeth. “What?”

“Some guys caught Domingo. I guess they’d been watching the house all night. He snuck out of there at four in the morning. They followed and grabbed him in the airport parking lot. They’re wondering if they can get the prize money if they kill him.”

I stared at my sleeping Mary Jane, not wanting to leave her, but knowing that I had to settle this. “Tell them that I’m on my way.”

If I finish this tonight, what do I do with Mary Jane? Do I let her go? No. Fuck that. I’ll take her like I took the streets. She’s mine. It’s not going to be days, months, or a year. Forever. Or until I’m bored. Can I get bored with her?

Crusher’s ugly mouth grinned and he began humming “
Can you feel the love tonight
?”

“Shut up.”

Chapter 12

Noah

A rude star-gazer cast a sick boy's horoscope.

After promising the mother that the child had many years ahead of him,

he demanded payment.

When the mother said,
"I'll pay tomorrow, "

He objected:
"But what if the boy dies during the night? Do I lose my fee?"

–Philogelos (The Laughter Lover)

I
tip-toed to the bathroom. Noah, the beast, crept along my own thick carpet trying not to wake Mary Jane. If she opened her eyes, she might leave. If she knew where I was going, she might make me stay so I wouldn’t kill Domingo. Or she may let me go, hoping that she’d be another hour closer to freedom. Neither possibility was a good thing.

There would be no escape for her.

She’d stumbled into the wrong club and told the right joke in front of the wrong gangster. She’d changed me somehow. My body came alive when she touched my skin. My heart boomed louder, as if rejuvenated with no life. And, when I slept, no nightmare plagued me, just an odd fantastical dream glowing in erotic color.

There would be no escape for her.

Hurrying, I showered, dressed, and left with Crusher.

My phone buzzed as I headed to the limo. I checked the text.

Butterfly:
Call me.

What is she doing up so early?

Dawn would be coming soon. Minute-by-minute, the moon climbed down from the sky.

I ignored Butterfly’s text and put my phone up.

On the ride, Crusher assaulted me with more Disney songs. We left the South, blasting Frozen’s
Let It Go
. We rushed through the North, blaring the Lion King’s
Be Prepared
. Crusher crooned and I leaned back in my seat ready for the musical torture to end. If anything, the crazy man had definitely put me in the mood to kill somebody.

I get it! I get it! Life is fucking magical! Stop singing, Crusher!

Din City International Airport stood on the border in the North. We pulled into the long-term parking lot and parked near a white van. Not waiting for Crusher to open the door, I got out. Three boys jumped out of the side of the van. I had been assuming they were grown men, but they were three teenaged boys. I doubted any of them had a driver’s license or money to purchase the van. They’d probably stolen it after hearing about the $100,000 price on Domingo’s head and decided to race for their destiny.

Three boys. So young. Hunger blazed in their eyes. They said nothing to each other while they dragged Domingo from the van. They’d roped his hands and legs, and taped his mouth.

Little boys? Fuck. How did they catch him?

That morning, Domingo didn’t have his priest collar on, but he did have several wooden crosses hanging around his neck and a long brown robe with yellow twine tied at the waist. He wore black sandals. He looked like a deranged monk.

Displaying perfect teamwork, the boys got in front of me, not talking, but communicating with their eyes.

Damn. They remind me of how we used to be. Fuck you, Rasheed. Why would you make me miss you?

I didn’t even have to take a step forward. They gawked at me like I was a king, carrying Domingo over and dropping him at my feet.

“How old are you three?” I asked.

The only boy with a mohawk stepped forward. “I will turn fifteen soon.” He gestured to the ones behind him. “They’re sixteen.”

I figured the boy for Puerto Rican. He had the tan skin. His mohawk didn’t have the silky strands. It was all a curly mess, besides the hard tapered edges on the sides.

I made sure to memorize their faces, knowing I’d see them again, one day. That future moment might not be as friendly. “You three are about to be rich teenagers.”

They exchanged excited glances and turned back to me.

“You’re young. Are you ready for that?” I asked.

Mohawk shrugged. “You were fourteen when you shot the Eastside gang after they took down the West Boys. Now forever, there ain’t no east or west, just the North and South, and you got more money than the President.”

“Yeah, but the President rules the world and won’t go to jail for it.”

“The President ain’t Noah. And everybody in Din City want to be Noah.”

“That’s a hard dream to go after, little one. And not much of a life.”

The boy stared at my clothes, glanced back at the limo I’d shown up in, and then studied Crusher as he waited for my order. “Naw. I still want to be you.”

It’s hard to explain how much shit and blood I’ve had to trudge through, when in the end, I smell like money.

I let out a long breath. “Crusher, give them the suitcase.”

He carried over a big bag and handed it to Mohawk. It was clear he was the leader. Even my beast recognized that. Already, I could see the two older boys in the back stirring and glaring at him with envy.

I snapped my finger at Mohawk as he drooled over the bag. “Make sure you watch your back.”

The little one sneered. “I wish a motherfucker would.”

“Wishes are for children.” I sneered. “Keep your mind focused and your eyes open.”

“Okay.” With a confused expression, he bobbed his head. “I have a question, Mr. Noah.”

He reminded me of Mary Jane calling me that. How would she feel with this situation, right now? Probably would think badly of me, rewarding a bunch of kids for catching a guy.

“Go ahead with the question,” I said.

His lips curled into an evil smile. “Can we watch you kill him?”

A cold shiver ran through me. “Are you really ready for that?”

“Yeah.”

I glanced at Crusher. “What do you think?”

“Shit.” Crusher frowned. “If you think this one hasn’t already seen death, you’re blind. Might as well let him see what being Noah is all about.”

So Crusher thought I could teach the boy a lesson. Freak him out. Show him how life was. . .or maybe the big man thought the opposite. Times like these made me realize how many sick people I worked with. Times like these. . .made me realize how sick I was in the end.

I turned my attention to Domingo. “You three. Take off that tape and hold him up for me.”

They did as I asked. Crusher handed me my old gun. The one I’d used to take out the Eastside Gang. It was important for me to end it with this weapon, but I couldn’t think of why. I only knew that it had to be this gun to solve the problem. Maybe I didn’t want to ever forget. And the damned gun already held too many ugly memories. Why not add another to it?