“Well, that’s neither here nor there. She’s using you as her get-out-of-jail-free card. Does she have anything tangible that can tie you to her smuggling?”

  “I don’t know. I trusted her. So . . .”

  “You might have let your guard down.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Okay. I need to get ahead of this. It might be hard with her in protective custody, but a few people in high places owe me favors. Stay off the radar. If they haven’t indicted you yet, it’s because they don’t have everything they need. Let me do my job.”

  “Yeah, you do that. I don’t think I need to remind you of what happens to people who let me down,” Kaleef said in a menacing tone.

  It was meant to scare Aramous, he was sure. And had he been anyone else, it probably would have. But instead of shaking in his boots, he smiled at his client.

  “I don’t take lightly to threats, Kaleef. Especially when the pile of shit we’re stinking in is of your own making. So, as I said, let me do my fucking job, and you stay off the radar. That kingpin shit might work in the streets, but I’m the king in this office. You need me—not the other way around; don’t forget it. Now, have a nice day. I’ll let you know when I have news.”

  By how Kaleef’s vein in his right temple protruded, he was furious. However, nothing Aramous said was fiction. Kaleef had no one to blame for his ailing luck but himself. He stood up and left the office without another word.

  When he was alone in his office again, Aramous sighed. Being a defense attorney wasn’t all it was cracked up to be sometimes. Yes, it was lucrative, but it was also a dangerous job. Especially since he had been bold enough to take on a criminal like Kaleef. He planned on doing everything he could to ensure the man walked. Because if he didn’t . . . Aramous’s life would for sure be in jeopardy.

  Chapter 7

  “Tell me!”

  Amira’s whiny voice filled Tevin’s car, and he laughed her off. They’d been dating for a few weeks, and he still felt it was prudent to keep things exciting between them. It drove Amira crazy that he wouldn’t tell her where they were going that night. She was dressed sexily in a black top, skirt, and heels. She took significant time on her hair and makeup, hoping she wasn’t overdressed for what he had in store. She had a love-hate relationship with his surprises. She loved them because it made her feel special to know that Tevin had thought deeply enough about her. She hated them because being patient was not a strong suit of hers.

  “You’ll see when we get there, shawty. Be cool.”

  His voice was calm and even. She turned her head and surveyed him with her eyes. He was fine as hell in his Gucci shirt and gold Cuban link chain. The cologne he wore was making love to her nose. There was nowhere else she would rather be than with him that Friday night, and that was the only reason she decided to “be cool.”

  She had truly been enjoying her time with Tevin. He was like a breath of fresh air in comparison to Jerron. She didn’t have to hide behind a popular girl image with him. She was able to be herself. And she was glad because she learned that they had similar interests. Both loved anime and science fiction. Their favorite food was pasta, and their favorite comedian was Eddie Murphy. They’d already rewatched Norbit five times and cracked up each time. She had never been one to believe in fairy tales, but she was falling for him hard and fast. The strangest part was that she knew he would catch her.

  A big smile came to her face when they pulled into the parking lot of Bella Italia, one of her favorite Italian restaurants. Their shrimp alfredo was her favorite, and she could already taste it on her tongue. However, right when they were about to get out of the car, Tevin’s phone rang, and he answered it.

  “What’s good, Sparrow?”

  Amira tried not to make it too apparent that she was tuned into his conversation. The closer she got to him, the more curious she became. Although Tevin wasn’t as flashy as Jerron, he had a lot of money. She knew Jerron was a drug dealer, so when she put two and two together, she figured Tevin was one too. Especially since he and Jerron knew each other. Kaleef Hinton was Tevin’s cousin, so she wondered how deep in Tevin was.

  “Right now?” he said and then nodded his head. “A’ight, I’m a little preoccupied, but I’ma come through. Yup.”

  He hung up the phone and instantly looked at Amira with apologetic eyes.

  “What?” she asked.

  “That was my people. Can we reschedule our date tonight?”

  “But why?” she whined. “We’re already here.”

  “I know, baby. But business is business. I have to go handle some things at the club and—”

  “I like clubs.” She interrupted him and gave him puppy eyes.

  “Baby,” he sighed. “This isn’t a club I want you at, for real. It’s one of Kaleef’s underground spots that he has me running.”

  “Well then, that makes you the boss, right? And if I’m with the boss, I’m good.”

  She gave him a mischievous smile and saw his thoughts churning. Amira hated hearing the word no, and it wouldn’t change that night. He might not have known it, but he wasn’t going anywhere without her. She didn’t want to go back home any time soon. Ever since something happened in her dad’s case, he had been on edge and much snappier than usual lately. She would rather be out and about with Tevin doing something—anything.

  “Fine.” He finally gave in. “But whatever you hear and see has to stay between us, understand?”

  “Yes.”

  “For real. Don’t go telling your girl Meka shit.”

  “I can’t tell Meka?” she asked, and he gave her a serious look. “Fine. I won’t tell Meka shit.”

  “Good. The club isn’t far from here.”

  “Do they at least have food?” She heard herself asking as they left the restaurant parking lot.

  They drove down a strip toward a booming nightclub a little while later. The word “Tranquility” hung in bold neon lights at the top front of it. A line had formed outside the double doors, but Tevin still pulled right to the front. He motioned for her to get out, and she did.

  “What’s good, Tev?” one of the big, Black, burly doormen greeted him.

  “Shit, Jay. Just checking the spot out real quick. Can you park the whip?” Tevin asked and tossed his keys to the man.

  “Fa sho,” Jay said, catching the keys and laughing. “Aye, when you gon’ upgrade and get you some new wheels? I thought you would have been upgraded to a Benz or some shit by now.”

  “I’ll get a Benz when you get your baby mama back,” Tevin shot back, and the other men at the door laughed.

  “Aye, fuck you, little motherfucka,” Jay said, laughing too. “You’ll feel my pain when that fine thing with you leaves your ass just like Ronetta left me.”

  “I don’t plan on going anywhere,” Amira said, taking Tevin’s hand.

  “Yeah, Ronetta said that to me. Now she’s fucking her neighbor’s broke ass,” Jay said, shaking his head. “Anyways, Tev, Sparrow is in there waiting for you.”

  “Got it. Come on, baby.”

  Tevin led Amira into the club. The hallway was long, and there was a burgundy curtain at the end of it. Tevin moved it out of the way so that they could keep walking. It was hot, loud, and crowded. The lights were dim, and a bar stood in the middle of the floor. The DJ had everyone moving their bodies to the beat, and many people bumped into Amira as they made their way through them. Tevin gripped her hand tightly until they reached an exclusive VIP section. Sitting there, a woman in a skimpy outfit on his lap, was a man. He looked to be around Amira’s father’s age, but he was handsome. The long hair on his head was sandy brown, as was the beard on his chin. When Tevin approached, they shook hands.

  “What’s good, Tev?” Sparrow asked.

  “You know what’s good, Sparrow. You called me here.”

  “Damn, straight to business, no pleasantries?” Sparrow tried to joke.

  Amira could tell that Tevin’s lighthearted fun with Jay wasn’t about to happen with Sparrow. In fact, she noticed that he’d grown a little stiff in Sparrow’s presence. His entire body language showed he wasn’t fond of the man sitting on the VIP couch.

  “Fine, let’s get to business then.” Sparrow shrugged and then looked at Amira. His eyes trailed her up and down. “Who’s this?”

  “Somebody who’s with me. She’s good.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah, she wouldn’t be here if she wasn’t.”

  “A’ight. Just making sure I can speak freely. You see that motherfucka at the bar?” Sparrow asked and pointed.

  Amira followed his finger and saw a white gentleman standing there surrounded by sexy women. They were all over him . . . literally. Their hands caressed any part of his body they could touch, and Amira could tell that one had her hand down his pants. His eyes were rolling to the back of his head, and he was obviously getting his dick jacked off right there at the bar.

  “Isn’t that Barry Lanes? The politician?”

  “That’s him, all right. The bastard hasn’t paid his membership fee but has been partaking in all the perks.”

  “You called me down here to check one motherfucka?” Tevin asked, clearly annoyed.

  “I figured since it was your idea to have memberships, it should be your idea to patrol them.”

  Tevin turned back to Sparrow and glared down at him. Sparrow had a complacent look, and Amira felt Tevin’s annoyance transfer to her. Tevin might have been young, but he was the wisest person she’d ever met. She didn’t like that Sparrow was clearly trying to “little boy” him.

  “If something Kaleef approves is put in place, it’s all of our jobs to make sure everything is everything, but you know that,” Tevin growled. “You might be my cousin’s friend, but blood will always be thicker; know that. With that being said, we are going to go over there and handle this shit, and then we are going to go to the back and discuss business. Get your old ass the fuck up, and let’s go.”

  Tevin’s voice was demanding, and there was nothing else to do but to listen. Sparrow hesitated but eventually pushed the girl off his lap and got up. Tevin guided Amira to sit down across from her.

  “I’ll be back, baby. Order whatever you want off the menu.”

  “Okay.”

  She watched the two men walk off. She wanted to see what would happen, but the crowd had thickened, and soon, she couldn’t see them. She sighed and grabbed a menu on the table.

  “Your man is fine,” the woman across from her said. “Do you share?”

  Her question caught Amira off guard while trying to figure out what flavor wings she wanted. She looked up at the woman and took in her appearance for the first time. She was pretty, but she would be prettier without the three nose piercings she had. Her black lipstick matched her leather getup, and her hair was cut pixie style. She licked her lips at Amira, and Amira made a face.

  “Excuse me?”

  “I asked if you like to share his dick. I would love to let him fuck me while I eat your pussy. You look like you taste like . . . peaches.”

  “Bitch, what the fuck kind of shit are you into?” Amira asked, and the woman looked offended.

  “Umm . . . obviously the same kind of shit you are if you’re here.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Look around you. What do you think I mean?”

  She waved her hand around, and slowly, Amira turned around. She hadn’t really paid attention to anything when she first came in, but that time she did. She saw what she had seen at first glance, people dancing. But when she looked closer, she noticed men and women walking off the dance floor to other VIP sections with burgundy curtains that closed them off to the rest of the club. Many of them went to a back area of the club to a door that needed a key entry to enter.

  “What’s in there?”

  “Pure bliss,” the woman said. “This is a sex club, baby. We come to dance and fuck our brains out. And I would love to fuck you.”

  The woman leaned forward and grabbed Amira’s hand, which she quickly snatched away.

  “I—”

  “Nautica,” a voice said loudly as a small group approached the table. The voice belonged to a man with green hair and gauges in his earlobes. “We’ve been looking all over this bitch for you. Come on. Some rich white man said if we come with him to the back, he’ll get us higher than the sky for a group blow job. Let’s go, bitch.”

  Nautica looked back at Amira and winked. Amira felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. There was something about the way Nautica stared at her. Her eyes were filled with a lust Amira had never seen before.

  “Maybe next time,” Nautica said to her and left the table with her friends.

  That fast, Amira lost her appetite. A sex club? As disgusted as she was, she was also intrigued. Tevin ran a sex club. She wondered if he partook in the festivities. The thought made her angry because she suddenly remembered that they hadn’t had sex. A man as fine as him had to have been getting it somewhere. No wonder it was easy for him to be patient with her. Her attitude began to consume her, and all she wanted to do was leave. She couldn’t stand the thought of looking around at all the beautiful women and wondering if Tevin had dicked them down.

  She pushed the menu in front of her away and stood up to see if she could make out Tevin in the crowd of people. However, he wasn’t at the bar where the politician had been. In fact, the politician wasn’t even there anymore. She sighed and decided to go to the bathroom to check her makeup. She’d taken two steps from the VIP section when a firm hand gripped her arm.

  “I thought that was you,” a voice she recognized all too well said.

  Turning around, she saw Jerron standing there with fire in his eyes. He looked her up and down, seeming to get madder when he saw her outfit. She pulled her arm away from him and mean mugged him as hard as she could. Her face had just healed, and she had finally reached a point where she wasn’t looking over her shoulder for him anymore. But there he was when she least expected it. Again.

  “Go away, Jerron.”

  “Not until you tell me what the fuck you’re doin’ here with that pussy-ass motherfucka Tevin.”

  “We’re together,” she said proudly. “He’s my man now. And he doesn’t put his hands on me.”

  “Yeah, bitch, that’s how I know you’re crazy. How you got a new dude when I’m still your dude?”

  “No, you’re not. And Tevin’s not going to like the fact that you just grabbed me like that.”

  “Bitch,” Jerron said, wrapping his hand around her neck and pushing her back against a wall. “I’ma kill you before I let another motherfucka have you. Understand?”

  “Ooh, kinky, I love it. Get it, girl!” a passerby cheered.

  Amira couldn’t even speak to signal that she was in real danger. Jerron squeezed tighter and tighter. She tried to claw his face, but it was no use. He was too strong. Her eyesight started to blur, but she still had good enough vision to see Jerron’s head snap hard to the side. Suddenly, he let her go, and she gasped for air. Jerron had fallen to the floor, and Tevin stood there with balled fists. He ran up to where Jerron was and continued to punch him until blood was drawn. When he was done, he pulled a pistol from his waist and shoved it in Jerron’s mouth.

  “Whoa, Tev, chill!” Sparrow ran to where they were fighting. “Too many eyes in here, man. Let it go.”

  “I’m not letting shit go,” Tevin said furiously, staring coldly into Jerron’s eyes. “I’m about to kill him.”

  “Kaleef isn’t going to like that, and you know it. Bloodying up his business while he got a case. Let this shit ride for another day, Tev.”

  Tevin clenched his jaw with his finger on the trigger. Amira didn’t know what to do. She gently touched his arm, and it was like her presence brought him back to reality. Slowly, he pulled the gun from Jerron’s mouth. But when he did, he got one more lick in. He kicked Jerron so hard in the head that he fell over, knocked out. Afterward, he turned to Sparrow.

  “The only reason I didn’t take his soul right now is because there are too many witnesses. But know this. This shit is far from over. Come on, Amira. Let’s go.”

  Chapter 8

  Amira was still a little shaken up by what had just happened, but she held it together the best she could when she and Tevin left. It wasn’t until they reached his place that she finally let out her frustration. She kicked off her shoes and threw her purse on the couch before she shouted at the top of her lungs.

  “Aye, Amira! You good?” Tevin asked, rushing to her and placing his hands on her shoulders.

  She stopped shouting and began to breathe hard. She had heard his question, but her anger hadn’t subsided enough for her to answer. She wished Tevin had just put a bullet in Jerron’s head right then and there. At least then she wouldn’t have to worry about him putting his hands on her again. He was a rabid dog that needed to be put down. Amira had never wished death on anyone, and she knew that she would feel the same way when she calmed down.

  “I can’t believe I ever dealt with him. I don’t know what I ever saw in him,” she finally said.

  However, she did know what she saw in him at the time. Jerron was young, exciting, and he could keep up with the lifestyle she was used to, all of which came at a cost that had come due. He wasn’t going to let her go, not until he had her by his side. And if he couldn’t have her, he had made it very clear that he wasn’t afraid to kill her.

  “I shoulda handled his ass the first time,” Tevin said sadly, cupping her chin. “I’m your man. I’m supposed to protect you.”

  “You did.”

  “I didn’t. He had his hands around your neck. I shoulda—”

  “You got him off me. You saved me, Tevin.”

  “Fuck that. That poor excuse of a bitch shouldn’t have ever even gotten that close to you. He caught me slipping, but it won’t happen again.”

  There was something dark in his tone that gave Amira chills. He meant every word, and she knew things wouldn’t be pretty the next time Tevin ran into Jerron. Not wanting him to stay in a bad mood, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him gently on the lips.