Pink Lips, page 10
Tony saw it coming, but it had caught him off-guard. He felt the steel substance make contact with his muscle, watching it smash his entrails together like a rogue freight train. He felt blood vessels burst and his diaphragm collapse under the force the fist packed behind it. His breath instantly left his body for dead as he doubled over. His knees buckled from the force of the blow, and as he went down, he could have sworn he heard a cracking noise ricochet between his ribs. Fire ran through every fiber of his abdomen, and he tasted bile, adrenaline and a hint of blood.
As his crumpled body hit the ground, he gasped for air, but oxygen eluded his grasp. His head was swimming as his organs regained their original volume: going from a pancake-like mass to their original life-saving state. He somehow managed to roll over and vomit.
“Handle that.” Willow looked at Choice.
Choice advanced slowly, the gun in her hand trembling slightly. Tony crawled slowly until he reached a corner, trying to create distance between himself and his soon-to-be killer. He smiled, knowing that there was nothing he could do to change what would happen.
She lunged forward, hitting his face with the butt of the gun, hitting his shoulder. He screamed in pain and darted to the left of her, tripping and falling to the floor as he tried to stand up. She lunged at him again, this time slicing his head open. Blood poured, spattering his face and chest. He moaned in agony, knowing the worst was yet to come.
Choice stood over him, watching as his tears met blood, creating small red designs on his face and neck. His eyes weren’t on her. They danced furtively around the room, looking for something that could save his life. There was nothing.
Tony looked at the other two girls that entered the room whom he hadn’t really noticed yet. His eyes glued to Willow’s and instantly he recognized her. He knew what he had done back then would come to haunt him one day. It was karma and it was time to pay the piper.
“Willow,” he huffed. “You sure have grown up.”
Kail looked at Willow as she looked at the man. She didn’t recognize him, even from her childhood in the projects of Philly. She didn’t know him, but he said her name with so much conviction that a stranger would have thought they had history.
“How do you know my name?” Willow asked.
“I’ve known you since you were a baby.” He wiped the blood that was gushing down from the open wound off his face.
“He’s just talking shit.” Kail looked at Choice. “Handle that.”
Choice exhaled as her index finger rested down on the trigger. She closed her eyes, hoping to take the idea of her taking a man’s life out of her mind. The area between her finger and the trigger grew sweaty making her finger slide up and down. In a moment of panic, she pulled the trigger as the bullet spiraled out of the barrel and into Tony’s head.
He laughed and then the echo of the bullet striking through his skull hit him. A blank expression took over his face. A small smile of surprise curved on his lips, and a blanket of red splattered over his shirt. The rest was hazy, as he hysterically screamed. His body dropped to the floor like a rock sinking to the pitless dark-blue ocean, entombed in a world of silence and darkness, forever to wait in its place, slowly decaying.
The world gradually sped up as his body convulsed and the scarlet liquid gushed out like a waterfall staining the rest of his shirt. His eyes fluttered open and closed, trying to block out the gory image that was playing in front of him. His dark lashes desperately trying to shield him from the horror that lay within.
“Let’s go.” Willow turned around after Tony took his last breath.
Choice ran over to the sink and threw up. The trauma elicited her gag reflex, making her spill everything in her stomach through her mouth. She had never killed anyone and the fact that she had just taken someone’s life was overwhelming. Tears rolled down her eyes as she cut on the faucet, letting the warm water run her vomit down the drain.
“You good?” Kail approached her and rubbed her back.
“Yes.” She wiped her mouth.
“Let’s go,” Willow yelled and they all headed for the door.
They exited the building as the guard lights illuminating the streets came on in their direction. They never looked back, only kept pushing forward, trying to make it to the car to make a clean getaway so their mission could be completed. They didn’t want to be seen, and the quicker they got away, the better.
“Willow is your name, right?” Duke asked as he pulled up next to the Range Rover when they were getting inside the getaway car.
“I’m sorry, do I know you?” Willow rolled down the window.
“You know you remember me.” Duke smiled. “So don’t play that dumb shit with me, shorty.”
“Let’s go.” Kail reached over and started the car.
“Come take a ride with me.” Duke rolled the window up to his car as if he knew Willow would come.
“You can’t be serious,” Kail said as Willow got out the car. “You don’t even know that nigga.”
“Kail, I got this.” Willow walked around and opened up the door to Duke’s car. “Yo, and make sure she aight,” she screamed, referring to Choice.
Willow watched as the Range Rover sped down the street. She rubbed her lips together as she got into the imported seats of Duke’s Ferrari. Heat immediately warmed her up as the door closed behind her. She leaned back in the seat, letting the job she’d just done escape her mind.
“You okay?” Duke accelerated the car.
“I’m fine.” Willow put her right hand in front of the vent.
“It seems like something is on your mind.”
“I’m good.” She looked at him. “You didn’t even tell me your name.”
“You didn’t ask.” He cut the music down in the car. “But, since you want to know, I’m Demarcus, but everybody calls me Duke.”
“I’m Willow.”
“I knew that already.” He smiled.
“You thought you knew, but I just confirmed it. You shouldn’t take everything people say to heart. Just because you heard someone address me by that name, doesn’t mean it’s my name.”
“You right,” he said impressed. “So what was up at the club that one night? I ain’t never in my life seen Evelyn so shook.”
“The club owner?”
“Yeah.” He pulled in front of a waffle house. “You hungry?”
“I can eat.” She smirked as they got out of the car. “And, I was just looking for an old friend, that’s all. She made it something, so I had to cook that beef real quick.”
“A thugette.” Duke laughed while holding the door open for her.
“You can say that.”
By the end of their meal, as their eyes locked on each other several times, something reacted in a way neither one of them had known. There was a strange need that made them want to be close to each other and just make physical contact. It was instant attraction in the most extreme of cases, love at first sight, the need to know this person so much better than anyone ever could dream of.
Duke was falling for Willow. He couldn’t figure out if it was her resemblance to his girlfriend Melee or not. But, deep down, he knew that they were two different people. Willow was like one of the boys, but with beauty to go on top of it, and he was feeling every part of her that the two hours at the diner allowed him to.
“Can you take me home?” Willow asked, then laid the money on the table to cover the tab and stood up.
“I could have paid for it.” Duke stood with her. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I can take care of myself.” They walked out the door.
“I can see that.” He grabbed her and spun her body around facing his own.
They stood there, their bodies becoming one. The smell of Willow’s alluring fragrance rode the waves of the night wind and entered Duke’s nostrils at full blast. He could feel his manhood growing as the soft silk Willow called hair rested on his face.
He shifted her body so that their faces could meet. He wrapped his arm around her waist with their lips locked. All of their kisses that Duke had stolen earlier in the diner were sweet and gentle, heartfelt and meaningful, but this one was different. It was still meaningful, but the way he pressed his lips to Willow’s so passionately sent a wave of heat running through her.
This kiss was hot and filled with longing satisfaction. He broke away and left Willow breathless, feeling as if her knees might just give in. His gaze set on hers and she knew immediately what was going to happen next. Closing the distance between them, she returned his kiss and gripped his jacket as it intensified. They held the kiss for as long as they could, neither one of them wanting to break away until it got to the point where they were both out of breath and clinging to each other.
“I want you now,” Willow whispered in his ear, and with that they were back in Duke’s car, driving fast down a dark street, the world outside a blur as they zoomed past unknown houses. Four streets later they arrived at his apartment, all the windows dark and the curtains drawn.
Duke pulled Willow’s hand and led her toward the pitch-black bedroom. They kissed again, wasting no time to cut on a light as they hurried to the bed, leaving little time to think. Stumbling into the darkness of his room, not bothering to turn the lights on, turned Willow on even more. Undressing, kissing, moving the mattresses on the bed, she clung to the sheets, sweating, from what seemed every pore on her body as they moved in time as raw passion spurred upon them.
Willow stroked Duke’s cheek and kissed his lips. Their lips moved in time with each other. He tangled his hands in her hair. He raised his shirt up moving her lips to his neck, pulling her closer to him. He placed his hands on her lower back, slipping them into her panties after he lowered her skirt from its desired place. She was dazed. He kissed her jawline, moving down to her collar. He pulled down her panties as he slowly licked on the hood of her clitoris with his tongue. He reached up and licked her neck, then slowly kissed her stomach while pulling his dick out. He brushed his fingers across her shoulders, making the bra he had unfastened earlier fall to the floor, revealing her perfect breasts.
Willow could barely breathe; he made it hard for her to move or breathe. Her heart started pounding and she started breathing heavily. He leaned up from eating her fruit and kissed her roughly. He pinned her down and took off the rest of her clothes for a moment of passion that neither of them would forget.
• • •
Three hours later, Willow was awakened by the sound of tenants entering the apartment next to the one they were in. She looked over at Duke. Although it was dark, the glow from the moon shone on his face; no other spots in the room, only his face. She softly kissed his forehead as she got up to get dressed.
She eagerly eased out of the bed as gently as she could. She didn’t want to wake him. She didn’t want to do the whole goodbye thing. She wanted to remember the night for what it was and saying goodbye would ruin it. It was perfect the way it had ended; her experiencing orgasm after orgasm.
Willow exited the apartment building as she adjusted her clothes. The sun was waking up as its eyes slowly opened, alarming everyone who had slept through the night that it was time to start their day. She felt groggy, dirty even. She didn’t think as she walked; all she wanted was a shower and to lie in bed.
• • •
“Where have you been all night?” Kail asked Willow as she walked through the door of their condo.
“Out.” Willow set her purse on the countertop.
“With that one cat?” She followed Willow to the bathroom.
“Yes, Kail, goddamn,” she exclaimed out of irritation. “I’m really not in the mood. Especially since I had to take a fucking cab here because you didn’t answer your phone.”
“I hope you ain’t let that nigga fuck ’cause you don’t even know dude.” She folded her arms while leaning on the entrance of the bathroom.
“Yes, we fucked for hours.”
“Just nasty.” Kail tossed an envelope at Willow. “That was here waiting for us under the door when I got here. It’s another job from V.”
“The job,” Willow looked at Kail, “did you give Choice her cut?”
“Yes, and I’ll give you yours whenever you ready for it.”
“I’ll get it when I wake up.”
“What about the job?” Kail held her arms up.
“I’ll handle everything when I wake up.”
“That’s cool and all, Will, but I hope you ain’t gone let a nigga with a rented Ferrari sell your ass a dream, and knock you off your hustle. Remember that we feed ourselves and we all we got. Don’t fall in love.” Kail walked off into the hallway.
“Too late,” Willow whispered as she looked at herself in the mirror.
She didn’t know what she was feeling for Duke, but every time she thought of him, the feeling of a thousand stars shooting wildly took over her body. She felt like a little kid after writing the name of their crush all over their journal. She couldn’t deny the feelings that she had developed that night; she just hoped they were mutual as she lay down in her bed with her head under her pillow.
Fourteen
Willow walked into the bank, her clutch tightly snuggled underneath her arm as she made her way to the clerk that handled the deposit boxes. Her hair was in a tight bun and her body was dressed in business casual clothing. Her mind was focused. She needed to get in, get whatever was in the box that V wanted, and get out within fifteen minutes.
This was a job that V had given more instructions on than usual so she wanted to make sure she got it right. She listened inventively and she knew she would have to change her whole persona in order to play a widow. She was this dead man’s wife for the next fifteen minutes and not a second more.
Willow tapped on the large square desk as she removed the sunglasses from her eyes. A tear brushed down her cheek as the clerk looked up from the paperwork that had her attention and was scattered all over the place. She motioned for Willow to sit down as she handed her a box of Kleenex.
“I’m sorry for my tardiness.” Willow sobbed, taking her seat. “It’s just so hard living without my James,” she said as tears rushed from her eyes.
“I do apologize for your loss,” the clerk said with a saddened face. “Now Mrs. Reyes,” she said, referring to the last name of the deceased man, “because your husband did not have you on his account, we would have to verify everything with documents. Did you bring a marriage license?”
“Of course,” Willow said, opening her clutch and revealing the counterfeit documents V had sent along with the job. “Here you are.” She handed her a driver’s license, a marriage license, and a social security card. “I hope that will be enough.”
“It should be.” The clerk stood up. “Let me go make copies and I’ll be right back.”
Willow sat with her legs crossed. Her fingers clenched to her palms making fists as she watched two cops walk in and approach the clerk. She stopped breathing for a few moments, leaving her chest really tight and her eyes became as wide as could be. She leaned back into the chair, looking around for the nearest exit.
Willow stood up as she pulled down the pencil skirt that hugged her stomach. She eased over to the stairs to go to the bottom level of the bank. She looked back and the cops were looking at her along with the clerk. She eased down the stairs as the clerk chased behind her.
“Wait, Mrs. Reyes,” the clerk screamed from the top of the stairs, “I’m sorry about that, my husband had to drop me off something and his partner came up with him. We can go to the box now if you want to; everything checked out fine.”
“I was looking for a restroom.” Willow turned around and headed back up the stairs with her heart in her throat, “but, that can wait.”
Willow sighed eternally as she watched the clerk kiss her husband in uniform before he and his partner walked down the stairs. She signaled for Willow to follow her as she walked to the door of a small room after handing her the documents that she’d copied.
“Do you have the key?” the clerk asked while opening the door.
“Yes.” Willow removed the short wide key out of her clutch.
“Perfect.” The clerk closed the door behind them. “Box 352, here we are.” She grabbed the box and placed it on the table in the center of the room.
Willow stood over the box with the key in her hand. She didn’t know what was so important about the contents of the box, but she was about to find out. She put the key in the box turning it slightly. She heard a clinging noise and used her free hand to open the box. A small black tape recorder was the only thing inside. She removed it, tucking it away in her clutch as she walked to the door.
“Thank you.” Willow opened the door.
“You’re so welcomed and again, I’m sorry for your loss.” The clerk rubbed the top of Willow’s back.
Willow smiled as she left out of the bank, the wind whipping her bun out of place. She opened up the clutch as she walked down the pale street. She wondered what was on the tape and why it was so important to V. Whatever it was, he didn’t want anyone to hear it. She closed her clutch as she crossed the busy street to get to her car.
She got in the car as she wondered how Kail and Choice’s job was going. She sped off to go to the spot where V had told her to leave the tape when her phone started vibrating in her hand. It was Duke and seeing his name appear on her screen made her smile. She was reluctant to answer; she was in a middle of a job but she couldn’t resist.
“Where are you at?” Duke’s deep baritone voice asked through the phone.
“About to finish up some work,” she said as she pulled up to a park.
“You coming through?”
“Yes, I’ll be over when I finish this.”
“Bet.” He hung up the phone.
Walking through the green-painted, wrought-iron gates, Willow saw a concrete pathway stretching out in front of her like a gray ribbon meandering through the verdant shrubbery. Over to the right, she saw a children’s playground, with a sandpit, swings and roundabouts all being used to their full extent by a myriad of squealing and laughing youngsters, obviously enjoying the cold and wind of the winter day. Parents, seated nearby, were watching their offspring with the intensity of a mother hen nurturing her chicks.
