Sinister

by Sherell Cummings

  I texted her once I landed here in Vegas and thankfully she was still safe. I had no idea why I was risking my life for some chick I had only known for such a short time, but I couldn’t explain it. I wanted her and not just as a onetime fuck, but as more. Don’t ask me what more was because I had never wanted more from any woman, and this shit was fucking with my head so bad I was eager to walk after her the moment she walked out the door.

  I had to sort this shit out with my father fast because I would be fucking pissed if he got ahold of her before I did.

  “Ah, you haven’t looked at the menu?” she said licking her lips, looking as if she was the one that was hungry, and not for food.

  I smirked, leaning forward on my arm and eyeing her with the interest she seeked. “Now why would I do that when I have you? What would you recommend, sweetheart?” I knew women like her. The ones who thought having a man like me between their legs would get me to do whatever they wanted and in turn give them whatever they wanted. She saw the nice clothes and had been eyeing my watch with a need to rip it off my hand since the moment I placed my arm on the counter. She wasn’t hungry for my dick, she was hungry for my money.

  She leaned forward seductively, giving me a nice view of her breasts as they spilled from the top of her over tight uniform. “How about me later tonight?” she whispered.

  Now grinning, I leaned in a little more. “How about you just bring me a coffee? I don’t think I’m hungry anymore.” I leaned away and watched as that eager grin turned into a scowl.

  She stepped back, nose flaring as she turned toward the coffeemaker behind her, pouring some of the black liquid into a nearby cup before turning back and sliding it across at me. Some spilled as the cup moved, but I held her angry stare with an amused one of my own before moving the cup to my lips and taking a sip. “Thank you,” I said mockingly before placing it down.

  She huffed turning her gaze to the guy next to me. “You good, Christopher?”

  “I’m good, Nikki,” he responded with a nod before Nikki stomped away.

  “In here less than twenty minutes and you’ve already pissed off Nikki. Good for you man.”

  “Yeah well what she wanted was pretty obvious,” I said facing him. “She does that a lot I’m guessing.”

  “With every man that walks into town wearing thousand-dollar sunglasses and Rolex watches.” He chuckled. “Just passing through I’m assuming, and you said you were looking for someone? Maybe I can help you.” I hated asking for anyone’s help, but I wanted to get the fuck out of this town and the sooner I did, the sooner I could get back to what was really important.

  “Yeah, do you know Izabella Shaw?”

  His eyebrow dipped slightly, but it was enough to let me know who she was. “Izabella? Why you looking for her?”

  “You know her,” I said without question. His face alone told me that.

  “I know her,” he confirmed, face hardening with a sudden displeasure. “What do you want with her?”

  “Information that I can get from her.”

  One of his brows raised. “And you know where she is?”

  “Somewhat.” I took another sip of this tasteless sludge in front of me, tapping my fingers against the counter. It would seem that as much as I wanted information on Izabella, so did this guy. He seemed very interested in knowing where she was. I wonder why? This could be interesting. “Maybe we can help each other out.”

  He faced away, looking straight ahead with a hard tick in his jaw. It was a tactic, he wanted what I was offering but he didn’t want to seem to eager in wanting it. Didn’t matter to me, once I got what I needed and got the fuck out of here, I could care less with he did with what I told him. “What do you need?”

  I smirked looking ahead as well. “I need someone close. Someone she cares about and would do anything for. I know her mother is dead, father gone since she was born, and brother is fucking MIA—”

  “How about a best friend?”

  “How close were they?”

  “Like brother and sister. You want someone close to her, that’s the closet you can get. His name is Praxton Baily. He lives here on Rush Street and works in a casino in Vegas,” he said without hesitation. My, my, how eager he was. Now I was even more intrigued to know who he was and why he was after her.

  “And why are you so eager to give up such information? You don’t know who I am or what I’m about to do but yet, for a small titbit about that sweet fuckable piece of ass Izabella, you’re willing to give up someone else. Why?” I faced him.

  His jaw kept ticking as he bit back his anger clearly ticked off by my words. I was hitting a nerve, and a huge one at that, and the only reason I would was because he had feelings for her. Facing me with a dark look in his eyes, he said between clenched teeth, “Don’t talk about her like that—”

  “Then don’t make it so easy.” I smirked proving my point. “What are you, an ex or something?”

  “Or something—look I gave you what you wanted, now give me what I want,” he demanded sneering at me. My phone beeped alerting me of an incoming message. I couldn’t afford to ignore it seeing as I had Jovana in hiding and my ass on the line.

  Pulling it from my jacket I quickly checked the screen and saw it was a text from my father informing me that my brother and his new plaything were heading to Brazil. He wanted me to find out what he was up to and why he had a sudden need for a vacation. Now why would Nathaniel go and do something like that and tip our father off in the process? Nathaniel was smart, and he knew how to cover his tracks. If he wanted our father to know he was in Brazil, he had a reason. Something big was definitely going on, and I needed to find my brother.

  I stood, pocketing my phone and placing a twenty on the counter. “You’re in luck my friend, because I just got word that what you want is heading to Brazil as we speak. I would love to stick around and chat some more, but I need to find that friend of hers and put this town in my rear view mirror.” Tapping the counter twice I glanced over at Nikki who was still scowling at me as she leaned against the end of the counter. I blew her a kiss which earned me the middle finger before I backed out of there and right back into the sun.

  ***

  I knocked on the door of a dreary old upstairs and downstairs house in what you might call the nicer part of this old town. Didn’t take me long to get here seeing as Rush Street was literally across the street from the diner. The door swung open to a tall lanky-looking man in running shorts and sneakers. Although he was thin the muscles on his arms and chest were still defined and covered in sweat as I was assuming he had just finished a workout. “Yeah?” he said with the same eyes Niki had back at the diner. His followed my body from my shoes all the way to my lips. This was going to be easier than I thought.

  I smiled giving him all my teeth, just how the girls liked it. They always said I looked better when I smiled. “I’ve been looking for you. Word around town is, you’re the guy I need to see for a good time around here.”

  He eyed me up and down face breaking into a seductive grin as he leaned against the door frame with his arms folded across his chest. “And who’s asking?”

  “I’m Nate. I was just passing through here figured I’d have to spend the night, but I didn’t want to spend it alone.”

  He eyed me sceptically. “You don’t seem gay to me, and I know gay since I am gay.” And here I thought I was doing so well.

  “Does it really matter?”

  He licked his lips, eyebrow raising knowingly. “With a guy that looks like you, no, it doesn’t. Why don’t you come on in?” He stepped away from the door allowing me access, but I wasn’t going to go in, no. He was going to come out.

  I pulled my phone from my pocket and looked down at the blank screen. I wasn’t looking for anything because there was nothing to look for. I just needed the illusion. I hissed and shook my head before looking back at him.

  “Something wrong?” he asked stepping forward.

  “Not a problem per say, but I do
have to go. I have a plane to catch,” I said pocketing the phone and stepping back.

  He looked disappointed as words rushed from his lips. “But can’t we just—”

  “I can’t, I’m sorry. Important business to attend to. Maybe next time I’m in town we can hook-up.” I turned to leave but paused, spinning to face him before I got too far. “But what if you came with me?” I watched him, waiting for the shock to dissolve. The plan wasn’t to bring anyone back, but I didn’t have time to pick this guy's brain for information.

  The plane bit was actually real, and I needed to be on in as soon as possible if I wanted to catch up to my brother. “Come with you, to where?” he finally said.

  “Me and some friends are heading to Brazil for Carnival. It’s something we do every year. Why don’t you join me? You can be my special guest.” He was special alright, and hopefully he didn’t get killed in the process.

  The stunned expression on his face was quite amusing. “You want me to come to Brazil with you—like right now? Are you kidding me?”

  “I’m not. Better make up your mind too because the plane leaves in—” I looked down at my watch. “Twenty minutes and I have to be on it.”

  “But—”

  I was getting irritated by all the questions and decided to speed things along. “It’s a simple question. Do you want to go and have a fun few days with me, all expenses paid, or would you rather stay here?” Fuck this was getting more complicated by the minute. I had that asshole from the diner probably on his way to Izabella and now I was bringing this one. This, whatever it was, was turning into a regular old family vacation. I really should have thought things through more, but fuck it I'll deal with the consequences later.

  “I really don’t know what to say.”

  “Say yes and let’s call it a day. Come on, look at me, is it that hard of a decision.”

  He smirked rolling his eyes. “Any one every tell you you’re cocky?”

  “All the fucking time.”

  “Alright, I’ll go, but on one condition.” When the fuck did this turn into a negotiation? The things you do for the people you sort of care about.

  “Name it.”

  “I’m bringing my cousin along, because quite frankly, I’m not about to be raped and murdered by your fine ass without someone being there to witness it.” And with that he reversed back into the house as I stood gaping at the closed door.

  On the plane, I sat in a single seat facing Praxton and his equally annoying cousin. I’d never seen two people more happy to have basically signed there lives over to the unknown. Probably helped that they didn't know what was happening. Hell I didn't even know what was happening. My head was ticking and no it wasn’t a headache. It was ticking for information. “How long have you lived in Brookdale?” I asked, not caring that they were in the middle of a conversation.

  Praxton tilted his head looking perplexed by my question. “My whole life.”

  “You know a guy named Christopher?”

  He snorted and rolled his eyes annoyed. “If you mean Christopher Mohammed, then yeah I know him.”

  “I take it you don’t like him.”

  “What’s to like? The guy is a grade-A asshole.”

  “Why do you hate him?”

  “Why do you want to know?”

  “I usually don’t like it when I ask someone a question and they answer with a question,” I said with authority. I was tired of this game and it was high time these two understood who was in charge here. “Now, you are on my plane and I’m being very generous with you and your friend and that entitles me to get what I want. So, I ask the questions and you answer them, got it?” They were both looking at me like I had lost my mind. This trip didn't seem so perfect now did it? “Now, why do you hate him?”

  Praxton looked over at his cousin whose jaw was unhinged and catching flies, before looking back at me with a sigh. “I hate him because he dated my best friend back in high school.” Hmm, so I was right, they did date.

  “And you’re holding a grudge against your best friend's ex-boyfriend because?”

  Anger quickly marred his features. “Because the minute he fucking showed up, everything was all about him. I didn’t exist anymore.”

  “Oh, so you were jealous.”

  “You fucking right I was. She was my best friend, mine and then he and his gorgeous smile and good hair just waltz in and took her away,” he said bitterly. “They started spending every day together and where was I? Pushed to the fucking side, that’s where.”

  “Dude, you sound so fucking evil right now.” Interjected his cousin. “I had no idea you felt like that.”

  “Yeah well, I’m a fucking drama queen, what do you expect?”

  “So, what happened? Something must have happened because I doubt you just let your friend ride off into the sunset with him?”

  “No, they didn’t even make it past senior year. I made sure of it.” I was wrong, that town wasn’t boring, but filled with some of the most fucked up humans I’d ever met. “Mr. Pretty Boy got so drunk at a party that he pissed off Izzy and she left. I, being the best friend that I was, promised to get him home and saw a perfect opportunity to slip him a little something. He passed out as soon as we got to his house and all I had to do was get naked and slip under the sheets.”

  “You fucked him?” His cousin gaped in disbelief.

  “No I didn’t fuck him, I just acted like I did, and when Izzy showed up and found us I played it up like he was the one that seduced me and slipped me something to make me compliable.”

  I raised my brow. “And your friend believed this?”

  He snorted, grinning deviously. “She had to. She’s known me practically our whole lives and she only knew him for three years. Plus, I’m a very good actor. I can even cry on demand if I want to.”

  “Dude, that was—seriously fucked up.” Like he said. Seriously.

  “I know, but it had to be done. I only had one friend in that fucked up town and I wasn’t going to lose her to some asshole pretty boy, who I couldn’t even fuck.”

  “So where is she then?”

  He shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t know. About a year ago she said she was going on some bullshit road trip. We had a fight about it and then she left. Haven’t seen her since.”

  “That’s unfortunate. The friendship you tried so hard to keep, now doesn’t even exist.”

  “I know don’t remind me. That bitch is probably somewhere living it up with some hot rich piece of ass. I’m totally jealous,” he said carelessly, picking up his champaign glass and taking a sip. This was why I didn’t have friends. It was a fucked-up dynamic that did nothing but make people crazy. I actually felt sorry for Izabella with having her brother selling her out, and then her best friend conspiring against her.

  Now what the fuck did that make me?

  Chapter Twelve

  Justine

  This was so bad, I think I was beginning to break out in hives the more I stood there pondering on it. And what made it worst, Nathaniel wasn’t here. Without him I had no access to a secure network, so I couldn’t get any information on this guy. The last time Nathaniel and I spoke he said he was working on a plan that would get us what we needed. That was a week ago and I hadn’t heard from him since. I didn’t know what he was working on, but he better work fast because this entire operation was spinning out of control.

  I couldn’t stop itching my arms or my neck and it was all because of Andrea. Every time I closed my eyes I went back to New York and could almost feel every inch, every touch, every kiss, fuck it was like porn on replay in my head.

  But then he had to ruin the whole fucking thing by being a liar and even worse was him showing up on that plane and me having to sit through a three-hour flight watching his smirky face. Cocky bastard, I was mad enough to go plant my fist in his face and tell Nicolae I didn’t want him as my bodyguard. But then I would have to explain why and I couldn’t, so I sat scowling and hoping for a knife to stab him the
moment we landed.

  Currently itching the back of my neck, I leaned against the pillar in the entryway watching as he and Nicolae stood by the door talking. Nicolae was leaving to go check on some business, and he was leaving me in the hands of my new bodyguard. When the door closed with Nicolae on the other side leaving Andrea and I alone, I released a frustrated breath while watching him.

  He stood tapping away at his phone in his body-hugging navy-blue suit. The man was a God. Built like one, dressed like one, and hung like one and I hated it. Turning his gaze to me, with one brow raised, I turned and walked out of the room. My black Louboutin’s clicked against the fancy tiles when I moved across floor, listening to his dress shoes as they followed me into the sitting room.

  Whipping my hair back I turned glaring at him. “You have some nerve, you know that?”

  “I don’t,” he smirked standing with his hands in his pockets.

  “You’re a fucking liar.”

  “I did not lie.”

  “Well you sure as hell didn’t tell the fucking truth. You led me to believe that you were just some random pick-up that I would leave behind in New York, but here you are.”

  “Here I am, so what?”

  “So what? So what we fucked, a lot of fucking times and now you’re here in this maniacs house pretending to be my bodyguard.”

  “You’re panicking.”

  “I am not panicking.”

  “If so then shut the fuck up.” My head which was facing away from his, snapped while my eyes literally bore holes into his. “Stop with that fucking look too, tesoro, because it’s beginning to scare me.”

  “You better be scared and what did you just call me?”

  He smirked. “My little secret. Now stop with all this fucking attitude and actually listen to me.”