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)
“And where are you two going?” she asked.
“Miami.”
“Why?” she asked.
“For our engagement party.”
“Benny will show up.”
With a bored expression, I stared at her. “Will he?”
“Yes!” she screamed.
I tapped my finger on the table and turned to Sherman. “I was going to send you home, too. Did you want to go anywhere else?”
“Yes.” Sherman nodded. “I want to go to Disney World.”
Everyone’s attention went to the big man.
“I’ve always wanted to see Mickey Mouse,” Sherman said.
“Mickey Mouse?” Jasmine still held her fork, but hadn’t eaten the eggs yet. “You do know that he’s a fictional character.”
“Go on, girl.” Sherman touched his plantain, picked it up, and munched on it. “I just want to do Disney.”
“So you want me to fly you to Orlando?” I asked.
“Yes. That would be good.” Sherman returned to eating. “I would like that. And I don’t need a way back. I got my ways.”
“What does that mean?” Jasmine asked.
“Don’t worry about what that means,” he countered.
I waved them both away. “Doesn’t matter. I can get you a nice suite in one of the Disney Kingdoms, and if you would like a driver and car, I could take care of that, too.”
“Thank you.” Sherman shoveled chorizo into his mouth. “This sausage is spicy, but I like it.”
And then Sophia banged her fist against the table. “Enough! What’s the plan? I want in.”
“Stop it,” Jasmine said through clenched teeth. “Don’t you dare disrupt this breakfast again.”
Sophia’s angry face faltered into sadness. “My son died.”
Jasmine pointed her finger at her mother. “And you caused it.”
“No.” Sophia held both of her hands to her chest. “I didn’t know that Benny would hurt Troy. He said he would never hurt his kids. He’s always protected you all—”
“Just shut up!” And it was then Jasmine’s turn to jump up from the table and march off.
Sophia glanced at me as if asking for help.
I could’ve came to her rescue in some way. Perhaps, I should’ve talked to Jasmine, or maybe considered adding Sophia to the plan against Benny. But I didn’t.
Instead, I grabbed Jasmine’s and my plates and walked off to our bedroom. “Have a safe trip, Sophia.”
For the rest of the day, we lay in bed, between soft blankets, smoking some of Vivian’s weed, and reminiscing about our lives. We talked more than we ever had before. Whispered about our dreams. Laughed about our nightmares. Cried at the deaths that had come to hurt us. Rejoiced in our love, and kissed until our lips ran numb.
However, I never let myself completely go as I lay next to my tesoro. Sophia was right about one thing—Benny would come for us. Even worse, he probably watched us now, peering deep into a dark corner as he wielded a knife.
Those sort of thoughts caused tension to build in my shoulders. Kept my focus off of Jasmine and on our possible demise.
He’s too quiet. What is he doing? Will our plan work?
That night, we returned to the States, and I got an odd message from my lawyer. Apparently, Sophia had taken all of those expensive suite paintings back to the States. The same ones she’d picked out from the London art galleries and decorated the suite with. I had no idea how she’d done it. No one spotted people loading them onto the plane.
Somehow, she’d stolen them. The hotel had billed me. The gallery threatened to file a suit. And all I could wonder was what the hell Sophia was planning now with all the money she would get from those paintings.
Chapter 30
Jasmine
Chase’s top security guard and I stood in front of the Doll House adult entertainment nightclub. And he did not enjoy our conversation.
We were at a standoff.
It was two days before the engagement celebration. Benny had remained out of sight. Vivian and I thought it was a perfect time to do my surprise for Chase.
Since the Holmes museum, my baby had stayed true to his word and didn’t touch me anymore, no matter how many times I begged. Chase thought I needed to heal. He might’ve been right. I laid in his arms as much as I could and he massaged my back and ran his fingers through my hair. During the mornings, he did his best to get work done in small pockets. Every hour he checked on me, whether by phone or stopping by wherever I was and spending time with me.
By the afternoon, we boxed in the gym. He worked on my punching, sparing with me every few lessons, and getting me hot and sweaty as we wrestled on the mat. We’d turned his boxing gym into an erotic mixed martial arts space. Half the time, I think we both just wanted to rub our bodies against each other.
Then we went to the gun range. We were done being targets, and I was tired of needing to be protected. If Benny came in front of me, I would shoot him. No questions. Statements. Last words or ponderings. I would raise my gun and pull the trigger with no remorse or second thoughts.