by D. Camille
He smiled. “I’m ready.”
Moving from his lap and scooting over a little, Diamond stared at him. “You know I love your confidence. I always have. It’s so sexy…”
“I have to be confident to win the heart of a lioness,”
“You told me a long time ago that your woman would be a lioness,” Diamond reminded him.
He agreed. “You’ve always been a lioness and you’ve always been my woman.”
“I wondered why I could never connect with anyone,” Diamond said, watching him. “I began to think there was something wrong with me.”
Xavier reached for her arm and stroked it softly. “There’s nothing wrong with you Goddess. You were waiting for me, just like I was waiting for you.”
“You traveled the world, while I went to train in the CIA,” Xavier explained. “You became a woman and I grew into a man.”
Diamond looked him over. “Yes, you did…”
Xavier gave a slow laugh. “All for you.”
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Her mind thought about what she wanted to do with all that, and she smiled.
“I can’t wait to see that smile when I wake up in the mornings,” Xavier told her and she opened her eyes.
“Is that the only time you want to see it?”
He held her brown gaze. “I want to see it, every day, for the rest of my life.”
Diamond sighed. “I’d like to see that handsome face, as well…”
There was a knock on the door and Xavier stood quickly. “Grab Six for me.”
Moving into action, Diamond agreed and saw Xavier walk toward the door with his weapon tucked in his back. Xavier waited until Diamond disappeared and Six showed up, ready to go.
“You got me?” Xavier asked.
Six nodded, then Xavier looked out before opening the door. Lil D held his hands up.
“I’m here for business.” He told Xavier.
Xavier nodded. “Come in.”
When he stepped inside, Xavier shut the door quickly and turned.
“Pat him, Six…”
Six came and patted Lil D down for a weapon, then nodded at Xavier.
“Sit down,” Xavier told him, then sat across from him, while Six stood watch at the door.
Lil D looked at Xavier. “You still wanna do this?” he asked.
“I’m wit' it,” Xavier answered.
“I hit up the connect and he checked you out.” Lil D explained. “He ready to move.”
Xavier waited.
“Yo’ little fine ass worker, put Jason out of the game, so he gone need another supplier.” Lil D told him.
“He shouldn’t have put his hands on her,” Xavier told him. “And when I get to his ass…”
Lil D shook his head. “Hey, I’m not bout that life.”
“Yeah, I figured that out.” Xavier looked at him. “What I need to deliver?”
Lil D looked around. “I keep my shit to bitches…but if you want the stacks…organs.”
“How much we talkin’” Xavier asked, sitting back.
“A healthy male heart, kidney, and liver…all together, half a mil.” Lil D told him.
Xavier lifted a brow. “Half a mil?”
Lil D nodded. “That’s one body…”
“I gotta kill ‘em?” Xavier questioned.
“Nah, just deliver…then dump.” Lil D told him. “They got docs and shit that do the work. They don’t want no dead bodies. Gotta be alive…”
Xavier nodded. “So I snatch his ass up and bring him? Then dump the body when they through?”
“That’s how Jason did it,” Lil D confirmed.
“When I meet the connect?” Xavier asked.
Lil D laughed. “He don’t meet wit' street niggas. He just pass the word down.”
Xavier contemplated his words. “How I get my money?”
“When you make the drop, they have yo’ paper.”
“What else?” Xavier inquired.
Lil D answered, “Gotta be healthy…they like ‘em younger and clean, no drugs and shit.”
“Do I get an address?”
“Nah, not ‘til the drop day.” Lil D informed him.
“I’m wit’ it.” Xavier confirmed.
“I’ll tell ‘em.
Xavier sat up. “I gotta go through you?”
“For now, yeah…”
“Don’t try to fuck me over, Lil D.” Xavier warned.
“We just some niggas out here trying to get this paper.” Lil D told him. “I do this shit and I go home…”
Xavier nodded. “I feel you.”
“You gotta be ready by the Ohio stop,” Lil D reminded.
“Oh, I’m ready.”
Lil D looked surprised. “Damn…okay.”
“I told you, I’m not a nigga you wanna fuck wit.” Xavier told him firmly.
Lil D nodded. “I gotta bounce. My bus bout to take off.”
Xavier stood and walked Lil D to the door. “Stay in touch.” Xavier warned. “’Cause if you go left, I’m on yo’ ass.”
Lil D left the bus and walked away. Six and Xavier watched him until he was out of sight, then instructed their driver to take off.
Six and Xavier sat at a table before they were joined by the rest of the team, who’d been watching from the back. Diamond slid next to Xavier and he looked at her.
“Well, I guess this is what we came for…” Diamond said quietly.
Xavier nodded. “The information was correct, but we still have more people to identify.”
Six agreed. “This Snowman, and everyone on that list, who is accessing this information.”
“We still need to handle, Jason, Lil D, and whoever else,” Xavier added.
“I’m working on that,” Jade told them. “I think I’m getting closer. This is really an elaborate operation.”
Skye shook her head. “Killing people for their body parts. That’s so sad and disgusting.”
“Lil D is going to try to pick up some girls before Ohio, so we need to watch his ass,” Xavier told them.
“Me and Jade can handle that,” Lilac told him, excitedly.
Xavier looked at them, then at Six.
“With Diamond and Skye,” Six told them and they frowned.
Ignoring their frowns, Six continued, “So Xavier is going to work on this drop with Lil D. The Goddesses will watch out for vulnerable girls that may get picked up along the way. The next stops are going to go by very quickly with no hotels. Everyone will be isolated on their buses, which is probably why it’s set up that way.” Six explained. “With everybody out of sight, no one knows what’s going on.”
Xavier agreed. “We need to stay tight and in constant communication.” He looked at Diamond. “If you have a situation, let the team know what your moves are.”
Diamond stared at him. “I can handle myself.”
He nodded. “If you have a situation, let the team know what your moves are,” Xavier repeated, more firmly. “Because we’re a team and responsible for one another…”
Diamond looked away as he continued, “And, if anything happened to one of us, we’d all lose our minds.”
She turned back, and said quietly. “Okay…”
“Thank you, Diamond.”
“We have a little over ten days, to get everything done here.” Six told the team. “Then we have business in LA.”
Diamond looked around. “Is everybody ready?”
Justice scanned the group. “So, the women have a task… Xavier is working with Lil D, what are you and I doing, Six?” he asked.
Six and Xavier shared a look, then Six answered, “I’m coordinating…and you’re Xavier’s healthy body.”
“Excuse me?” Justice questioned, certain that he had misunderstood.
“You’re the male heart, lungs and kidney,” Xavier told him.
Justice jumped to his feet. “The hell I am! You’d better get a new damn plan!”
Diamond joined Justice. “What the hell are you two talking about
?” she demanded.
“I’m not going to let them cut you, Justice,” Xavier explained.
“You damn right, because I’m not going to be your damn bait,” Justice told him.
Six shrugged. “You wanted to stay. Now we need you.”
“Xavier, you aren’t really trying to use my brother as your body?” Diamond asked.
“He’ll be fine, Diamond.” Xavier said quietly. “It’s better to take Justice.”
“You’re not taking Justice any damn where!” Justice protested.
Xavier sighed. “Did you think that I was going to grab somebody off the street?”
“I don’t like this plan,” Diamond told them.
Six shook his head. “Of course you don’t, Diamond. That’s clearly a Black trait.”
She glared at her cousin. “If something happens to my brother…” Diamond warned.
“Didn’t I just say that we aren’t going to let anything happen to any one of us?” Xavier questioned firmly. “Now, everybody needs to get on board and play their parts,” he ordered, looking at Diamond and Justice.
Six backed off and allowed Xavier to get the Blacks in check, while Lilac, Jade and Skye, sat waiting to see how this was going to conclude.
Diamond looked from Six to Xavier. “I’m going in too.”
Xavier rubbed his head. “How are you going to do that, Diamond?”
“You and Six figure it out.” Diamond told him. “Since it’s your damn mission…”
Chapter 19
Xavier sighed again. “It’s all of our mission, Diamond.”
“Then I’m making the call.” She told him. “I’m going in, too, with you and Justice.”
Justice looked at Diamond. “Justice isn’t going anywhere, did you hear me?” he repeated.
She turned to him. “Shut up, Justice.”
He frowned at her as she turned back to Xavier.
“You’re the genius, figure it out.” Diamond told him, then walked away to the back of the bus.
Six looked at Xavier and waited.
“Justice, I’m taking you in with me. Once inside, we’ll handle business with whoever’s there.” Xavier relayed. “The whole reason we’re here is to bring down these people and that’s what we’re going to do.”
“What about Diamond?” Six asked.
“I’ll deal with Diamond,” Xavier told them.
Jade lifted a brow and looked at her brother, who returned her look.
“When we get the location from Lil D, we’ll call in some additional agents for backup,” Xavier continued. “Until then, we keep working on tying up all these other loose ends.”
He looked at Justice. “You work with Ciara and see what you can get out of her and be prepared when we get to Ohio. You’re trained as an Heir, even though you trained with Aunt Sage…and this is who we are.” Xavier told him.
“Don’t talk about my Momma.” Justice warned.
“No disrespect to Aunt Sage,” Xavier told him. “But you really should consider some additional training with Uncle Jordan at some point. You can’t always play the rich playboy.”
Jade chuckled and Justice looked at her. “He’s right,” she said with a shrug.
“Whatever, I’ll be ready,” Justice told Xavier.
Six and Xavier nodded. “We know you will,” Xavier agreed. “You’re Justice Black, the baddest of the Heirs.”
“Damn straight…don’t get it twisted.” Justice told him. “But, I swear I’m not getting cut open…”
“You’re not getting cut, Justice.” Six told him.
Xavier looked at Justice. “You’re my brother. We’ve been together since birth, and I’ll protect you with my life. Don’t you know that?”
Justice sat down, and told Xavier, “Next time you want to make me the bait, talk to me first.”
“Hopefully, there won’t be a next time.” Xavier replied.
“What are you going to do about Diamond?” Justice asked.
Xavier sat back. “We’ll talk and she’ll see that’s not a good idea.”
Everyone looked at him, then Six said, “You’re a better man than me.”
******
In the women’s bedroom, Diamond heard a knock on the door then went to answer. She opened it and saw Xavier on the other side, holding two plates of food.
“You said we’d eat together,” he reminded her.
She looked at him. “Are you going to poison me?”
Xavier smiled. “I’d never hurt my Goddess.”
Diamond stepped back and allowed him inside. They settled on her bed and he handed her one of the plates.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Xavier replied. “Usually you’re feeding me…”
She began eating. “I’m surprised you still wanted to eat with me.”
Xavier began his own meal. “Why?”
“Because I’m not going along with the plan you and Six have come up with.”
He nodded. “We’re not changing the plan.”
Diamond’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not putting my brother at risk like that.”
Xavier kept eating. “Justice is an Heir, not your little brother, on this mission.”
“What if we haven’t accounted for everybody? What if something goes wrong?” Diamond questioned.
“That’s why I’m there.”
“That’s why I’ll be there, too.”
He shook his head. “We have no way to add you to the equation. If you walk in there with me, it’ll be a bright red flag.”
Diamond sat her plate aside. “You really came in here to tell me that you’re not changing the plan?”
He paused. “Yes,”
“And you think, I’m just going to go along with it?” she demanded.
Xavier sat his plate next to hers on the nightstand. “I think that you’re going to realize that you’re acting on emotions and not your training.”
He stared at her. “I think you’re going to remember that I’m highly trained, and that Justice is my best friend, so there’s no way in hell that I’d put him in danger that we couldn’t handle.” Xavier finished.
“You know he trained with my Momma?” Diamond told him.
Xavier laughed. “I know. I’ve suggested that he follow up with Uncle Jordan as soon as possible.”
“I still don’t like it, Xavier. We don’t know these people, have no information on them.” Diamond cautioned. “And, you guys are just showing up at some random location that we get at the last minute. It has setup written all over it.”
“They don’t know who we are, Diamond.” Xavier explained. “We’re monitoring Jason and his phone, so if he contacts anyone and gives any warnings about us, we’ll know.”
“What about Lil D?” Diamond questioned. “I don’t trust him either.”
“His bus is wired and we’re tracking him.” Xavier relayed.
Diamond sighed. “I’m not trying to be trouble.”
He smiled. “Yes, you are…”
She watched him. “Do you know what would happen to me, if you and Justice were hurt?”
“That’s why I need you Goddess…we have to have everyone’s energy focused.” He moved closer. “I can’t have you angry and wanting to kick my ass,” Xavier whispered, looking into her brown eyes.
“I don’t think you and Six are taking this seriously enough,” Diamond stressed. “These are not just sex traffickers. These are cold blooded murderers, Xavier.”
“I know that, Diamond.”
She jumped to her feet. “Dammit, you don’t act like it!”
“You want me to panic?” Xavier asked calmly.
Diamond glared at him. “I want you to listen.”
“I have listened,” he responded.
She folded her arms. “No, you didn’t!”
Xavier got to his feet and stared down at her. “What do we have to do to end this now?”
“Agree to my changes,” she answered.
He shook his head.
“That’s not going to happen.”
Diamond grabbed his shirt in frustration and Xavier looked down at the fabric in her hands.
“You like to grab me,” he commented. “I don’t understand what you think that accomplishes.”
“It’s to get your attention,”
“You always have my attention, Diamond.” Xavier told her. “But that doesn’t change my decisions…”
She stared up at him. “This is why we shouldn’t have become involved…”
She watched his face change to a frown. “Because I won’t acquiesce to your wants?” he asked. “You don’t get to tell us what to do because you’re the oldest any more, Diamond.”
Diamond released his shirt. “I’m trying to save your lives, Xavier.”
“Then help us…and support the plan.”
Turning her back to him, Diamond hugged herself. “Would you tell me if you and Six were in over your heads?”
Xavier stepped behind her. “Yes…we both value your experience and how you’ve always guided us in the past.”
Diamond closed her eyes as Xavier wrapped a strong arm around her midsection and pulled her back against him.
“And this has nothing to do with us…” he whispered in her ear.
“It complicates things…” she rebutted.
He disagreed. “No, it doesn’t.”
“How can you say that?”
Xavier turned her in his arms. “Because it’s true…” He lifted her face to his, caressing her jaw.
Diamond stared into his handsomeness and felt her heart fill with Xavier Jackson.
“Don’t ever doubt me,” Xavier told her firmly. “I’m prepared for everything that I need to handle…including you.”
She lifted a brow. “You think you handle me?”
He pressed his body against hers. “I’m going to handle the hell out of you, Diamond.”
Brown eyes widened at his low spoken remark and she caught her breath as Xavier lowered his head to capture her mouth. This kiss was neither gentle nor soft…it was raw and heated. His arm was a vise around her body, holding her tightly against him, while he showed her just how he planned to handle her.
Diamond grabbed hold of him, flexing her hands on the muscles underneath his shirt. She gasped when he reached for the hem of her shirt and quickly whipped it over her head, before tossing it aside. His eyes lit on the uplifted brown mounds, held inside a silky ivory bra, then Diamond stroked the back of his silky head as he paid homage to her breasts, with a hot seeking mouth.
