Pink Lips, page 22
She walked back to her car praying that Talvin’s son would be asleep. She opened the door, stepped in slowly and laid her head on the steering wheel. She started crying hysterically. There were tears of joy, pain, and sorrow. She couldn’t hold it in; she had to let it out.
“You okay?” Elysia put her hand on her back.
“No, I’m not okay, Elysia,” she said, leaving her head on the steering wheel. “Should I call an ambulance or something?” she asked, letting her heart cloud her judgment.
“No, let Rock clean everything up.” She pulled out her cell phone.
Willow opened up the door to the car and threw up. She wiped her mouth off and drove off as the expression on Talvin’s lifeless body tattooed her brain.
“He said he’s going to get someone to clean it up.” Elysia looked at her. “It’s okay, Willow; it had to be done.”
She nodded her head and gave her a little smile while tears still accompanied her face. She cut the music off and tried to enjoy the ride. She couldn’t help but keep her eyes on Tyron through the rearview mirror while driving. He didn’t realize it, but because of her, he would never be raised by his father. Someone had put her through the same pain, and she empathized for the way that he would feel one day.
Willow drove in silence as she dropped Talvin’s son off at the porch of his home and Elysia back at her house. She wanted to pay Evelyn a visit to see if she couldn’t get some understanding from her. She had a bullet in the chamber with her name on it, and hand-delivering it was the only way she knew how to give it to her.
• • •
Evelyn’s feet swished in the warm water as the Chinese woman massaged them. She soaked her feet, exfoliated them with a pumice cream, scrubbed off the dead skin and dry spots with a foot file, and then she filled her nails with a clear coat.
Unaware of her surroundings from the sliced and peeled cucumbers on her eyes, Evelyn never paid attention to the little sound of the bell that hung on the top of the door, alerting everyone that someone had entered the salon.
“Do you have an appointment?” the clerk asked.
“No.” Willow spotted Evelyn. “I’m a walk-in.”
“Right this way.” The clerk showed her to the seat next to Evelyn.
Willow looked at her as she relaxed, her hair overlapping the back of the massaging chair that she sat in. The clock on the wall whistled with each flicker of the hand. The smell of acrylic filled the air as the water in the tub at Willow’s feet started to bubble.
“You know,” Willow said, alarming Evelyn of her presence, “I’ve never had one of these mother-daughter spa days before.”
“That’s sad.” Evelyn removed the cucumbers from her eyes. “Me and Melee came here once a week, sometimes twice a week depending on our moods.”
Willow put her feet into the water as her heels stood straight up next to her chair. Another Chinese woman started massaging her feet as she pressed the button on the chair to level one, letting the vibrations work out some of the tension in her spine.
“I never had that chance with my mother.”
“I’ll never have that again with my daughter.” Evelyn leaned up. “So, we’re even.”
“We are far from even, Evelyn.” Willow reached over and put her hand on her thigh. “I still owe you one.”
“So, you came all of this way to threaten me knowing that you can’t touch me in a place of business. You may be bold, my dear, but you’re not dumb. You know you can’t do anything in a place like this.” Evelyn put the cucumbers back onto her eyes and lay back.
The sound of the bullets hitting the ceiling made Evelyn’s body rock. Her face immediately grew red from fear as the workers ran for their lives. Willow held the ice-cold gun in her hands. Evelyn jolted up as her heart sat next to her tonsils, making it hard for her to speak.
“Sit back down,” Willow instructed. Pieces of the ceiling fell down into the water at her feet.
Evelyn obliged as the blood in her veins went away, leaving her body numb and cold. Her eyes followed Willow’s gun as she sat back in the chair in shock at Willow releasing fire in a business. She had misjudged her and she hoped it didn’t cost her her life.
“I have a few minutes until the cops arrive.” Willow pointed to the cucumber slices sitting on a table inside of a bowl next to Evelyn. “Get back comfortable; put those back on your eyes.”
“I’d rather not.” Evelyn inhaled.
“I think you better because I’m not asking you again.”
Evelyn was hesitant, but she grabbed two fresh slices of cucumber. She could smell their natural oils mix in with the smell of the soap bubbling at her feet. She placed the cucumbers on her eyes and leaned back as she was told.
“I’m not going to kill you here.” Willow grabbed a towel to dry her feet off. “But, I am going to kill you. That is a promise.”
“Why not here and now?” Evelyn asked out of curiosity.
“Because, the Bible says death comes like a thief in the night.” Willow put on her heels. “I want you to be unaware of it all.”
“Who’s to say I won’t kill you first.”
“That’s a possibility,” Willow said as the sounds of sirens filled her ears. “But, I highly doubt that. I’m going to let you get back to your spa day. I hope I didn’t ruin it.”
She heard the noise. Faint at first, but then, as it got closer, Willow heard the deafening screech. She covered her ears from the pounding as she fled out the back of the building. If she had to compare it to something, she’d compare it to an animal, crying out in death.
Evelyn jumped up at the sound of feet running into the building. The first thing her eyes saw were police uniforms when she removed the cucumbers. Guns were pointed at her while officers asked her to get on the floor. She looked around as she kneeled, trying to find Willow, but she was long gone.
“Not she,” a Chinese woman said as she entered the building, “it was anoda one.”
Evelyn got off the ground as the cops helped her. She yanked away, grabbing her purse as she headed for the door. Refusing to talk, she left out of the building; the sun shining on her as she removed the sunglasses from her purse and placed them on her eyes.
She hit the alarm to her car and got in as the sounds of ambulances and fire trucks grew nearer. She started her car and pulled out in front of oncoming traffic. She felt like somebody was watching her as she stopped at a light. She could feel their eyes looking at her, piercing through her being. Willow would keep her promise; she just didn’t know when or where.
Twenty-eight
“One, two, three.” A man with a navy blue jacket with DEA in gold letters on the back of it screamed as he banged the battering ram against the door.
A group of men rushed in with all-black attire as their guns pointed at anything suspicious. They worked their way inside the estate as some went into the bottom level of the house and others rushed up the stairs.
Detective Hall stood at the front door and smiled. She had finally received enough evidence to take down the notorious leader of the mafia, Rock Evans, and today was like Christmas for her. She eased up the stairs as the badge hanging on her belt loop shined under the lights.
“Get the fuck down,” a cop screamed as Detective Hall entered the room.
“Ernest Rock Evans.” She walked over to where he was lying face-down. “I dare you to make the wrong move because I’ll put a bullet right through your head.”
“Sandy, it’s nice to see you.” Rock looked up at his old friend.
“It’s Detective Hall to you now, Rock,” she said, putting her knee in his back.
“Isn’t this police brutality or some shit?” he asked while never showing signs of discomfort.
“No, brutality is your organization.” She pushed her knee deeper into his back. “I knew it would be a matter of time before you slipped up.”
“There’s no banana peels at my feet, baby,” Rock said as the cops pinning him down stood him up.
“I see one right there.” Detective Hall pointed a few steps in front of him and got close to his ear. “You’re not as put together as you may think. I have a voice that ten of the best analysts in this state can match to yours on the tape that we have,” she said, referring to the delivery Kail made to her.
“That’s interesting,” Rock said as they pulled him away. “It was a pleasure seeing you again, Sandy.”
“Arrogant bastard,” she yelled as she kicked his desk. “Take everything that may be incriminating. Look for everything the tip gave us.”
Detective Hall tore the room apart as she remembered her and Rock from back in the day. She couldn’t believe how they had gone down two different paths. It pained her to have to lock up her old friend, but as she smashed through the desk drawers, she found comfort in knowing that now, he would be off the streets and safe.
• • •
Willow walked into her condo as darkness hit her eyes. Shadows seemed to swirl around at her feet, sucking her in. In a burst of panic, she fumbled for a light switch. She flipped it up and down frantically, but the room remained immersed in darkness.
Fear settled in and deep down, she knew she was not alone in the dark. Something brushed her back. She turned, but there was nothing. Nothing she could see, that is. The room was dark, so dark. She made sure her eyes were open, fearing she had gone blind. She couldn’t see her hand, even though it was literally an inch from her face. She gathered her courage to call out a hello, hoping against hope that someone would answer as she removed her gun from her waist and pointed it wildly in the air. Nobody did.
Outside she could hear the autumn wind howling, and it almost sounded like laughter to her panicked mind. A low chuckle broke her thought process, directly in front of her. She screamed, but heard nothing in the overwhelming blackness.
The lights flickered, then came back on as Willow eyed around. Her eyes stopped when she noticed Kail sitting on the ottoman that went with the imported living room set. Her heart slowed down a little, just a little, as she remembered what her sister was capable of.
Kail smiled as the lipstick on her lips, as red as the blood pumping through her veins, shined with the light that hung directly in the middle of the room. Her all-black attire, skin-tight jeans, a tank top, and heels, hugged her as if they were painted on. Her hair hung forward over her breasts, and her hand, with a gun closed inside of it, rested at her mouth.
“What are you doing here?” Willow asked as she took a step forward.
“Visiting.” Kail stood up. “I’m here on business, sis.”
“We don’t have any kind of business to talk about.” Willow pointed her gun at Kail. “This looks like a job to me.”
“It is,” Kail said as she pointed her gun at Willow.
Willow felt like she could pick up a building and break it over her knee as the adrenaline rushing through her intensified. She moved around behind the counter in the kitchen fearing shots would be fired. Her face was serious and her hands were steady as Kail looked at her with empty eyes.
“Just leave, Kail,” Willow begged.
“I was going to tell you the same thing.” Kail pointed toward the front door that had luggage leaning near it. “I’ve already packed your bags for you. There’s a first-class ticket to Hawaii inside. Take those bags and go, Willow. I won’t ask you again.”
“What happened to you?”
“I’m trying to spare you and give you a way out. Take it,” Kail screamed.
“I’m not leaving, Kail,” Willow said and then snarled.
“Don’t make me kill you, Willow.” Kail’s lips trembled. “Please, Willow, I’m begging you. I honestly don’t want to hurt you, but I will. Don’t make me do this.”
“You’ve been my sister all my life,” Willow said as her eyes closed a little from the water forming inside of them. “I don’t know life without you. We’ve been through everything together Kail, and you trying to end it for what? For money and power?”
“I guess you’re about to find out what life is like without me.” Kail pulled the trigger and opened fire.
Willow released the contents of her gun as the sound of glass breaking and bullets hitting different objects filled the air. The sound of a bond breaking could be heard from a mile away as they ducked and covered and released a bullet when the opportunity presented itself. To anyone who was passing, they would have sworn they were at the bridge watching the once-in-a-year fireworks show that the city put on in July.
Willow heard the bullets stop flying from Kail as she counted how many shots she heard. She knew Kail was reloading her gun, so she took the opening and fled for the door. Bullets chased after her as she dodged down the hallway, her heels turned sideways on her feet from how fast she was running.
She headed down the stairs, skipping a couple as she held the rail. She burst through the entrance of the building as she ran into traffic, stopping cars from their destinations. Honks from both sides of the road warned her to get out of the street, and drivers hung their heads out of the window cursing her out.
She made it to her car, getting inside as she checked behind her to make sure Kail wasn’t following close behind. She put her hand underneath the seat, breaking three of her five manicured fingernails to find her spare key. She started the car and drove off, running over any curb in her path.
Willow felt like she was trapped alone in the darkest abyss with a sword pierced through her heart. Her broken heart was silent; it couldn’t be seen, but she bled inside. It was still and for a moment, she only felt numbness. Anger and sadness surged through her with so much power, she knew what she had to do. Her heart stopped beating, for it had only beaten for her. Her mind went black, as did her heart.
Her hands tightened around the wheel, and her fingers dug into her palms until she felt them bleed from her kung fu grip. But this pain was nothing compared to how she felt thinking about the relationship she and Kail had once had. She stopped at a light as she felt lost, not knowing which way to go.
“You look as pretty as always, Willow,” a voice that sounded so familiar bellowed out from the backseat of the car.
Willow looked through the rearview mirror as the light turned green. Her eyes grew to the size of golf balls, and she pulled over on the side of the road. She didn’t understand, as if her brain short-circuited and needed to be rebooted. Around her, everything was in fast-forward while she was motionless in the middle of it all. How could this happen, she thought to herself as she tried to collect her thoughts.
She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes until she saw nothing but sparkle. She tried to turn around, but it was more like a stumble and fall that left her in a trembling heap in the driver’s seat.
“Duke, is that really you?” Her lips started to tremble. “I thought you were dead,” she whimpered.
“It’s really me, shorty.” He leaned in the front seat and placed a towel over her nose from behind. “Go to sleep, and when you wake up, I’ll explain everything.”
Willow looked around the car, and everything was suddenly fading to gray. Her heart sped up so fast, it almost hurt. She slowly tried moving around, but she couldn’t. She felt like a ribbon slowly falling to the ground. She didn’t feel a hit; it felt like falling in a black hole, and all she saw was darkness.
IF YOU LIKED “PINK LIPS,” WE HOPE YOU WILL PICK UP TITLES BY OTHER STREBOR ON THE STREETZ AUTHORS. PLEASE TRY
BY S.K. COLLINS
AVAILABLE FROM STREBOR BOOKS
CHAPTER ONE
Early Spring 2004
“Damn! I can’t be late for work again!” Zeek cried as he slammed the door behind him and sped off down the street. He had only two minutes to catch the 8:35 a.m. bus, so he ran desperately to the bus stop. His heart raced as he broke out into a heavy sweat, praying he would reach his destination in time. His red Staples shirt blew in the wind as he forced himself to run faster knowing his job was on the line. He made a sharp left and took a shortcut through a vacant park. He knew taking the detour would give him the best chance at making the bus. He tucked the back of his shirt in so he wouldn’t get it snagged on the fence he had to get over. He jumped the fence, but he somehow managed to bang his knee on one of the raised rusted posts. He ignored the pain and rushed and made it to the corner.
Zeek’s pupils enlarged as his eyes zoomed in on the last passenger stepping onto the bus. He knew he only had seconds to make it there before the bus pulled off. “Hold the bus, please! Miss, can you please hold the bus?” he yelled as he ran desperately.
The woman rolled her eyes and let the doors close behind her. “Yo, driver! Hold the bus!” He immediately started to wave his hands in the air, hoping to obtain the driver’s attention.
Unfortunately, the driver never checked his rearview mirror, so the bus proceeded to pull off, leaving Zeek utterly down and out. While holding his knees in an attempt to catch his breath, Zeek hopelessly yelled, “Aww, come on, man! Come on! Damn…I know you seen me… How the hell could he not see me?”
Now with the bus gone, he had to think fast. He knew he could either wait for another bus or run another twenty blocks to Brookline Metro Station and catch a train. Right then a bus that ran a different route pulled up in front of him. He knew it wouldn’t take him to his job, but he would be close, at least in running distance. Without a second thought, he ran up the steps and sat as close to the front as possible. He wiped his clammy hands off on his shirt as he thought about being late.
“I hope there ain’t no traffic,” he said nervously to himself as the bus pulled off.
The twenty-minute ride into town felt more like hours as Zeek sighed heavily. Before the doors of the bus were fully open, he squeezed out of the tight space and took off running. He dodged and weaved through crowds of people who were on their way to work as well.
