NEFARIOUS: B723 SERIES BOOK THREE, page 46
With Odette and Solange still around, we’re still not out of the woods.
“Answer to that is no,” Bishop says off an exhale of his blunt before I can even speak. “You’re both gonna be fucked until they're dead.”
Well, he took the words right out of my mouth.
“Just say the word,” Marty mutters. “It’s done.”
“And she mourns,” I reply with a shake of my head. “Not sure I can put her through that.”
And she’ll possibly never forgive me; let’s not forget that either.
I don’t want to see Amirah cry or make funeral arrangements for assholes who don’t deserve it. I don’t want to lose her over me and my revenge.
This whole situation is so fucked up. I’m tired of thinking about it, worrying about it. I met the woman of my dreams through selfishness and the darkest time of my life.
My feelings don’t matter as much over Amirah’s, but Bishop has a fucking point.
How far will Solange and Odette go to make sure Amirah and I aren’t together? If they hurt her, all bets are off. Am I willing to wait for that to happen?
“Hard choice, man.” Kyson pulls a marshmallow out of a plastic bag and puts it on a metal stick used for roasting. “Seems like you like her enough.”
“I do.”
I really do.
“Accidents happen,” Marty claims with a shrug. “Could be now. Could be a year from now.”
“Mills has a conscience,” Bishop imparts as if it isn’t such a bad thing. “It’d eat him alive to pull the trigger.” I fix him with a glower, but he’s not wrong, even though I wish I could and not have Amirah suffer. I can’t have both, and I could never hide that lie from her.
“I’ll think about it,” I claim, wanting to end the conversation because I’m not looking to think about it.
I’m not sure what I’m going to do, but I know I have to make a decision. We’d have to do it quietly. If Ledger found out we’re taking out Congressman’s families and shit, we’re all going to be locked up in a cage at the rate we’ve been going.
“You don’t have much time,” Kyson continues. “The longer this goes on…”
The more time they have to move on their sister.
“We’ll be on standby,” Bishop says then, not one for pushing shit. “Just let us know.”
I nod before the sliding door to the house opens, and the girls come outside to join us. Emmy won’t leave Amirah alone at this point, wanting to know literally everything about her. Surprisingly, Blue stayed behind with them and didn’t come out here with us. It’s as if their little catfight never happened.
“You started without me?” Emmy jeers, lightly smacking the back of Ky’s head when she sees him roasting his marshmallow. “No chocolate or graham crackers for you.”
“I was testing the temperature,” Kyson counters with a smirk. “You’re welcome.”
Emmy scoffs, but my attention is already latched onto Amirah. Her smile is infectious, causing me to return it when I reach out for her and pull her into my lap.
“Hey, baby,” I greet, draping my palm around her neck and pull her face down for a kiss. “They being nice to you?”
She nods over my mouth. “Yes.”
Our lips meet, and Amirah is G-rated with her shit. Probably because we’re in front of family and she’s embarrassed. But when I brush my tongue along the seam of her lips, she opens for me. She tastes like wine and chocolate. Emmy more than likely has another baby craving and has a stash somewhere.
My cock twitches under her ass, and then I behave. If I don’t, we’re running off to somewhere to finish another round of my screwing her into oblivion and me stroking out.
“I like your family,” she mutters, gently biting down on her bottom lip.
“Want ‘em?”
She chuckles deep in her chest and presses her forehead to mine. “I don’t think you’d want to trade?”
Actually, I would so she wouldn’t feel an ounce of remorse when I wiped them from the face of the Earth.
I don’t answer her question verbally; just press another kiss to her lips and ask, “You like s’mores?”
“I can’t remember the last time I had one.”
“Woman, you’ve been deprived.” I lift my free arm that’s not wrapped around her waist. “Ky, bag.” My buddy tosses the open bag of fluffy marshmallows, a few flying out when I catch them. “Don’t throw that stick at me. Hand me over one.”
“That means I have to get up,” he argues. Amirah begins to rise, but I tighten my hold.
“Where you going?” I ask. “Lazy ass can get up.”
“It’s no big deal,” she quips with a smile. “It’s a few feet away.”
“Away from me,” I argue through narrowed eyes. Amirah rolls hers and kisses me again before rising and grabbing one of the roasting sticks.
Emmy takes it upon herself to hand her over Hershey’s chocolate and graham crackers, laughing about something she said, but I don’t hear it.
I only settle in this moment with my family and my girl.
A life like this would be ideal and perfect.
Except the moment we get out of here is the instant everything goes back to normal.
Her fighting with her sisters about me.
And my internal battle about how I’m going to either stop all this or deal with it.
I’m not digging the latter—that’s what scares me.
“You’re extremely talented,” Mills’s mother coos, flipping through pictures on my phone of some of the gowns that I’ve made. “Such an accomplished woman with beauty to match.”
I smile at the sweet compliment. “Thank you so much.”
It’s Labor Day weekend, and Mills asked me if I wanted to come with him to visit his mom and grandmother. He seemed nervous about it, to which I found out later from his mom that he hasn’t brought a girl home since high school.
I liked that too much.
I also like his mother and how his grandmother likes to purposely tease Mills in front of me. I actually caught him blushing a few times with stories she’d tell me about how he had asked one of his teachers when he was eight if she was part of the Mile High club. I guess his dad had mentioned it in conversation the night before and believed it was some exclusive seating area where you got free stuff.
We ate delicious BBQ ribs, homemade potato salad with baked potatoes, and Mills’s favorite dessert, apple crisp. The more I sit and listen to them love up on my boyfriend and talk about things he likes to do—travel, collect baseball cards and eating—this trip was beneficial for me to get to know his dynamic more.
“How’re my favorite girls?” Mills chimes in, walking into the kitchen with grease all over his hands and some smudged on his cheeks.
I melt in my chair.
In a light blue tee, jeans with old stains, and the way his biceps protrude through his sleeves…yeah, I’m about to break my rule of having sex under his mother’s roof.
He’s working in the garage, fixing his dad’s car, an old Chevy that hasn’t run in years, before he comes home in two weeks from Alaska. His mother told me all about how he fishes in the Bering Sea, and Mills has been trying to get the car running by the time he gets back.
“Doing great, honey,” Mills’s mom, Ivy, replies. “Your girlfriend was just showing me all her designs and the dress she made for that New York fashion show.”
“She’s great, isn’t she?” He kisses the top of her dark hair and comes over to me with hunger in his eyes.
“Hey, baby.” He doesn’t bother hiding the PDA, latching onto my lips and giving me a kiss that goes straight between my legs. He behaves himself and doesn’t use his tongue—thank God—and goes to the sink to clean up.
“Your phone’s ringing.” I glance over to find my screen lit up and Ivy handing it over to me to answer.
My stomach drops when I see Odette’s name displayed prominently over the blue screen.
“I have to take this,” I deadpan, not knowing why I said that because she’s one of the last people I want to talk to.
Rising from my chair, I push it back and begin for the front door. “Hello?”
“Ah, there she is,” my eldest sister coos sardonically. “Where have you been?”
“What do you mean?”
“You haven’t been at the penthouse. I came to visit yesterday.”
“Why?” I snap, anger immediately fueling my veins. I feel violated that she’s in the city. That she thought I’d want to see her.
It’s only to ruin my day, more of my life. The fucking bitch.
“Why not?” The innocence in my sister’s tone makes me wish I were a little like her. That I could put hands on her as easily as she does me when she doesn’t like something because this I don’t like. “The last time we saw each other, we were angry and—“
“Rus.” My heart clenches in my chest as Mills’s boots purposely hit the hardwood floor behind me. My hand is already hovering over the doorknob to get outside, and I want to ignore him. I desire to keep him away from Odette, even if it’s her on the other side of the phone; it’s too close.
Turning, I try to keep my expression calm while keeping the phone to my ear and discreetly turning down the volume on my phone.
I don’t want to ruin his weekend with his family.
I don’t need him always rescuing me.
“Where ya going?” he asks, perking a brow and still wearing the black grease on his face and stubble.
“Just needed to take this call,” I say quickly when he stops in front of me. “I’ll be right—“ His lips fuse to mine before wrapping his forearm around my back to pull me in closer.
This time he pushes the bounds of his previous PDA and uses his tongue, molding me flatly into his hard chest. He smells of oil and a hint of weed and tastes like sugary Coke.
“You’re with him.” Odette’s voice cracks through my entanglement, causing me to break the kiss with Mills and deal with the issue at hand.
My eldest sister isn’t calling to shoot the shit.
She’s either going to threaten me or attempt to blackmail me again.
“What did I tell you, Amirah?” Odette practically sneers in my ear as Mills smiles down at me, unaware of who’s on the other line.
“Hurry back,” he mutters over my mouth. “I’m hungry…and I want to show you my dad’s car.”
I bob my head, forcing my lips to return his grin. “Absolutely.”
His grayish blues search my face for a quick moment before I’m pivoting and getting out of his childhood home to speak to my evil sister.
“Stop calling me,” I sneer when the coast is clear. “I mean it, I’m done with this.”
“Then give it up,” she retorts back. “I hate repeating myself.”
“Go find someone else, Od. Seriously, do you really think he’d be with you after everything that’s happened? You need help. And I say that with complete sincerity.”
“If I don’t get him, you don’t.”
Oh my God.
“Get over it.” I walk further down the driveway and away from the attached garage, so I’m not overheard. “Leave me alone. I don’t want to be involved with you or Solange anymore.”
Odette chuckles. “Oh, Amirah. You were always the naive one of the bunch.”
“And you’re disgusting.”
“Maybe.” A small silence fills the other end, sending a shrill of uncertainty over what she’s doing. “Break up with him.”
I shake my head. “No. I’m—“
“I almost killed his mother and grandmother. Do you really think I’m playing here?”
“Do you know I’ve kept you alive this whole time?” I shoot back, half wishing I hadn’t when she’s like this.
When she thinks she can manage and direct my life. And really, where she believes she can is beyond me. We’re not close; we’re not best friends. I don’t call her up and ask her for advice.
Our relationship is nonexistent and for good reason.
I should count my lucky stars.
“What Rhett did to me was passion,” she quips confidently. “Abated lust for what happened. He could’ve killed me if he wanted.”
She is insane. If it wasn’t crystal clear before, it is now, and she’s never going to stop.
Mills and I are never going to find peace with her up my butt every two seconds. Her jealousy is too raw and brave. And she’ll do anything to try to destroy it since she has nothing else better to do than harass me.
“Maybe he thought you were,” I claim. “Maybe if you don’t stop, he’ll try it again.”
“I’ll get my way,” she emits. “It’s just how many people do you want me to hurt before then?”
“I’m going to call the cops, fuck this, Odette. This is gone way to—“
“Destroy dad.” I can see her shrugging her shoulder because, honestly, she doesn’t care. She never has. “Put his daughters in jail. Prove that I did those things.”
“I think I can.” I squeeze my phone tighter. “Wanna try me?”
“Yeah,” she says slowly. “I actually do.” I don’t answer her with words. Instead, I pluck the phone away from my ear and hang up, directly calling Laurent right afterward.
“Hey, sis, what’s up?”
“Odette,” I fume, pacing the sidewalk. “She wants me to break up with Mills. She’s planning something.”
“So you’re dating now?” His question is a little nervous, and I can understand why but I trust Mills with everything. He gave me back what he took away. He’s bringing me around his whole family.
Why wouldn’t I?
“Yes,” I say confidently. “He’s great, and I’m happy.”
“And I’m…happy to hear it.” He clears his throat and must push his big brother tendencies aside with his youngest sister dating because he says, “What’s up with Odette?”
“She’s just threatening me, and after everything she’s done, I’m scared she’s going to do more.”
“I’ll be home in two days,” he says. “I’ll talk—“
“It’s not going to do anything,” I counter back. “She’s not going to listen to Dad. She didn’t listen the last time, and she’s not going to do it now. And he’s never going to disown her. He doesn’t have the heart for it.”
“We need her to disappear.”
“Disappear?”
“Hold on.” I hear some rustling, then the soft click of a door slamming before Laurent comes back to the line. “Amirah, how much longer do we just sit back and let her run the show? This isn’t healthy for either of us. You worrying about what she’s going to do next and my being concerned that she’s going to send another band of guys to rape you again or worse.”
“What are you suggesting?” My brows knit because I’m praying to God he doesn’t say what I think he’s ping-ponging around in his head. I don’t want him involved in that kind of thing where someone ends up not breathing afterward.
“I’m saying…we need to do something.”
“If you have a plan, I’m all ears,” I vouch. “But what could we do to scare her enough to stop. Mills stabbing her did absolutely nothing. She needs help. Mental help.”
“Listen, how about I fly up to New York? Bring Mills, we’ll talk, and have dinner.”
“I’d really like that.”
“Good. I’ll text you, you pick the place, and I’ll see you then. I love you.”
“Love you too.” I end the call feeling a tad bit better after speaking to my brother because that’s all he does is talk me down before I’m startled by the voice practically growling behind me.
“I hope that love that you have for that other person isn’t deep-seated, Rus, or I’m gonna kill him.”
Pivoting around, Mills stares at me with zero emotion painted on his face. Gone is the grease and dirt from working on his dad’s car, and standing in front of me is a man waiting for me to answer his question.
“You’re crazy,” I profess, watching him close in on my space.
“I am.” He states it like there’s no problem with him being as such and, really, I think his brand of insane is growing on me.
“It was Laurent.” He raises his chin. “My brother, remember him?”
Hands find my waist, and Mills grounds me to my spot. “Yeah. Just didn’t know why you needed to come outside to speak with him.”
“I didn’t want to be rude and—“
“Cut the shit,” he chides, squeezing the flesh at my hips. “What’s up, Rus?”
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. This weekend has been perfect, I don’t want it ruined. I don’t want him to worry.
Mills’s thumb comes up to gently pull down on my bottom lip before he places it in my mouth. “Suck.”
I do, tasting soap and still smelling a tinge of oil. His eyes gloss over, meeting mine as my tongue lapses around the pad of his finger.
“If you don’t want to speak,” he offers slowly as I continue. “I have other means of using your mouth and getting the words to come forth.” He withdraws his thumb and grazes my cheek with the wetness from my tongue. “Who upset you?”
“Mills…can we talk about it tomorrow?”
“Should I be worried?” I shake my head. “You know I won’t stop thinking of this, right?”
I inwardly groan because I’d do the same.
“Odette called.” Mills tenses but his grip on my hip softens. “She wants me to break up with you.”
“For?”
“So neither of us have you, I guess.” He scoffs and rolls his eyes, peering over my shoulder. “She’s planning something. I can feel it.”
“And I have her covered.” His gaze comes back to meet mine. “Trust me?”
“Of course I do.”
His eyes flick all over my face, searching for something, and he frowns. “But you thought about it.”
My face twists. “No.” Resting my palms on his chest, I trail them up to wrap around his neck, hauling him closer. “No, I didn’t. I told her to leave us alone. I don’t want that.”
“It’d be easier, you know.” My stomach knots at his comment because he’s thought about it.
