Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 129571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
I tapped her hand. “I didn’t see any cats or dogs, Vivian.”
“If we had a cat, then all the rats would be gone.”
“Unless, the cat was not big enough to eat all of the rats.”
“What?” Troy asked.
“Then you would need a family of cats.”
Now it was my turn to be confused. “A family of cats?”
“You two are really bad at this.” He rubbed that bald head of his. “Rats or cats. Things are going to be happening soon, since our proposal for your walk clearly didn’t go as planned. You seemed to go off in other places versus right where I fucking told you to walk.”
“Sometimes things take you off the path.”
“Like cats,” Vivian insisted.
“Let it go, Vivian.”
Troy mumbled in a low voice, “Glad you got your freak on.”
“I did not,” I insisted.
“Well,” Troy rose from the bed, “I hope you did because shit is about to get real.”
“Yeah.” Vivian jumped up. “And then the elephants will be trumpeting and the lions will roar—”
“Just stop.” I shook my head. “You’ve completely lost it all.”
“Is this not the Lion King?” Vivian asked.
“No! What the hell?” I covered my head with the pillow. “There were no rats in the Lion King. How would you even go to that movie?”
“There had to be rats in the Lion King. It was Africa.”
“Why did it have to be?” Troy asked. “Because it’s Africa? And where there’s black people, there are rats?”
“What?” Vivian blushed. “No. Why are you making this a race thing? Of course there’s rats in Africa. It’s a huge continent. Rats are everywhere. I’m just saying—”
“There were no rats in the Lion King.” I pointed to the door. “And you both can get out. I’ve told you about my walk, and now we’re done.”
“That was a great walk. I hope you burned a lot of calories.” Troy headed for the door.
“Go blow yourself, Troy.”
“Such an invigorating little stroll through the house.”
I held two fingers up. “Blow yourself twice.”
“Wasn’t Mufasa’s main helper a rat? The one who kept watching over his kid,” Vivian asked.
“He was a toucan, and now you’re no longer allowed to watch Disney movies with me.”
Vivian placed both of her hands over the space above her heart. “I’ve lost that right?”
Troy sucked his teeth. “I would like to inform you two that you both suck at Mission Impossible.”
“Mission Impossible?” Vivian scrunched her face in confusion. “Now I’m lost.”
I kept my finger targeting the door. “Well, the trail to clarity is in your room.”
Troy placed his hand on the door knob. “We need to talk tomorrow, Jazz. Maybe you should get some much needed rest and then take a shower.”
“I’m not dirty!”
“Hey, I only suggested a shower due to your long walk.” He tossed me an innocent expression. “And Viv, I too am wondering if you would like to walk with me.”
“Hmmm. I do love to walk.” She winked at him.
I waved my hands. “Absolutely no walking for either of you!”
Laughing, they both left.
The door slammed closed. I didn’t have the energy to take off my clothes or fold myself into my blanket. Anxiety had ravaged through my insides all day. If Benny wasn’t stabbing knives into plates or trapping us to him some more, then Troy had me on edge with his constant need to plan Benny’s death and his insistent reminder that Chase could die. My dear love, a man whose hard head could crack steel and break that metal into tiny pieces.
Chase is in London.
My body woke up again. Every cell missed him. My flesh tingled at the thought of his hands on my body. How selfish I’d become that even though he could be putting himself in danger, I craved his arms so much and didn’t care.
That orgasm had exhausted me. If Chase was right about tomorrow, I would have to get my rest.
Wait. Stop thinking about his dick, and figure out what to do with Benny. And what about Mom? I can’t think about her now. How will we take care of Benny? Do we ask Sherman to kill him? Wouldn’t that be wrong? What kind of sister would I be? Troy’s convinced Sherman loves to murder people. That’s not exactly a vote to get Sherman to do it. But is there any other way? Will Benny ever listen to reason?
My thoughts collided.
Darkness drowned the space.
Sleep found me fast.
I sank into a dark dream world. The ground glowed shiny, black. Its cold surface smoothed against my back as Chase thrust his hard cock into me. A blazing fire served as the sky. Clouds of gray dotted the burning landscape and promised no rain. Stark, white birds flew around us, more witnesses to our sex than the vultures of my world that circled the dead.
But were we dead?
It wasn’t necessarily my love. He wasn’t Chase. He was Hades, and I Persephone. Shadows dressed his body. Those black wisps of smoke danced around his pale, muscular chest. Silver sweat dripped down the ripples of muscle on his stomach.