Intensity

by Eden Fortae

  “Going to?” Christian’s smile was contagious. It emitted the love he spoke of and even what was unsaid. The way he glossed over the incident that brought them into each other’s lives, was not missed, nor was the darkness in his eyes when skipping around the details of the early days.

  “Yeah. As soon as her best friend joins her sister and me on our quest to find the perfect ring.”

  “Well, her best friend is free Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.”

  “I’ll check with Julie to see if she’ll be free Thursday. I want to do this before my baby wises up and leaves my ass.”

  “Remember what I said about being made for each other? Rina is not going anywhere.”

  “We can’t be too sure. That woman is as crazy and as unpredictable as they come.”

  Glancing back at the hall, she realized a good amount of time had gone by. There was no telling when the siblings would return, and the secret was still well kept. Looking over at Christian, she couldn’t make herself pull the sheet off of something that he needed to share with the love of his life.

  “Would you excuse me?”

  He nodded, and she moved toward the back as if the bathroom were the destination. She set a text along the way, meeting Karrina just outside the door of the home office.

  “So?”

  “You should do it. His reaction is one that’ll live with you forever. It’s a moment you deserve, not me. Go. Right now, while you have privacy. I’ll be right here where you can see me.”

  The protest was written all over her face, but she steeled her spine and did as she was told. From the hall, Kya watched her walk around the couch, sit down across from Christian and saw how his attention was instantly hers. Karrina looked down, her thumbs moving over each other as she spoke. When she stopped, Kya worried that she’d have to reveal herself to encourage her but then, saw her friend mouth the words. Christian stood. His face was unreadable. He looked so much like Antonio, cold and hard. Suddenly, there was the most beautiful smile. He pulled Karrina to her feet and kissed her with so much passion that it made Kya blush.

  “Taking an interest in voyeurism, are we? I’m down with that nasty shit as long as it’s not my sister.” Antonio surprised her with his mouth right by her ear. He’d nearly scared the life out of her, but she still found the strength to roll her eyes at his comment.

  “I bet you are, creep. Come on, I think they want to tell us something.”

  Christian was still beaming by the time they reached him. His arm around Karrina pulled tighter as the other settled on her stomach.

  “You’re going to have to set up another, Uncle Tony.”

  Playing the part, Kya rushed them both with a hug. When she let go, Antonio congratulated them both with an embrace of his own. His words were kind, wishing them well, but his face spoke of something completely different. Something that only Kya noticed.

  He kissed Kya’s cheek and was so tempted that he placed one on her lips before he left. Careful not to wake her or the dog curled up at the end of the bed, he carried his shoes to the front door before putting them on. He hoped the engine on his truck wouldn’t disturb her rest, assuming his success when his phone didn’t ring after he pulled off.

  When he reached the house locked behind a tall fence, he decided to shut the device off completely. Going to see Arturo without either of his boys felt wrong, but it was requested. He, alone, was contacted, his presence required.

  As always, Art had a woman on his lap. He looked every bit of a man on top of the world and without concern in it. His smile gave nothing away, yet the gun on the table in front of him kept Antonio’s guard up.

  He sat down, and the woman was told to leave. Arturo sat back, collecting his glass of something dark from the table beside him. All signs of this being a casual meeting, gone in the blink of an eye.

  “My brother would love to have your head on a spike, Antonio. The only reason he will not get that is because of our history. You have been with me. I trust you more than I trust him or other people I share blood with. Perhaps that’s why he hates you so. Or maybe it’s because I could give a fuck less about why you killed one of his men. Well, I did, give a fuck less, until the paranoid bastard my mother should have aborted, brought up an excellent point.”

  Arturo paused as if to build suspense but received no reaction from Antonio. The diving right into the reason they were convening without so much as a pleasant nod was indicative. It was best to not speak unless it was required.

  “You killed his man with ease. A man that in a small way, also worked for me and you did this after stating that you want out of this life. After you start fucking the daughter of a cop and say, you want out of this life.”

  “I killed Garren’s man because he threatened my family.”

  Arturo considered it. In a matter of seconds, was shaking his head and rubbed his chin, “Of course he would leave that little detail out, the fat fuck. Still, it leaves me to wonder if that is part of some bigger picture. The pigs will excuse you and your men if you take us out one by one.”

  “After everything the law has put my family and me through, you really think I’d work for or with them? That’s ridiculous, Art.”

  “Is it? I told you, pussy will make you act first and think of the consequences after. You went from being the only man I could truly rely on to one that suddenly wants no parts of me. I don’t want to think this way of you, but what choice do I have until you show me?” He brought the glass to his lip and grimaced at the burn, “I’ll pardon your guys today, right now, but if you want to cut ties then you will have to show me.”

  Arturo slid forward, resting the hand holding the glass against his knee. “But I want you to hear me, Antonio, and hear me well, for a bomb has been planted in my mind and the last thing you want is for it to explode in your hands.”

  TWENTY SEVEN

  Covered by the dead of night, Antonio peered from the window of his matte, black vehicle, watching and waiting. The terms Arturo laid out were straight to the point with no hidden clause. If he wanted a walking pass for himself, for his men to live their lives as businessmen and a soon-to-be father without concern for what lurked in the shadows, this was what he had to do.

  He was on his way back to Kya when the reality of his task struck him. Unable to face her, he took a quick detour and headed to his office and waited until she went to work. Only through plans and the formation of a strategy was he able to get her off of his mind while he dressed and headed back out. Only through his ability to focus, had he been able to keep her from infiltrating his conscience. Once his woman and the dominant force that was Kya, made it behind that wall, he would be honestly and truly fucked.

  Dumas gave up his partner’s routine without hesitation or question. In detail, he laid out Detective Rich’s steps from door to door. Such information afforded Antonio the perfect opportunity to position himself with a clean getaway and now all he had to do was wait.

  Without music or even endless chatter about sports and current events, there was nothing to keep his thoughts from wandering to his woman. Every day, she proved her worth. Every day, he found himself willing to go an extra mile closer to the ends of the Earth for her. Every day, he felt himself falling deeper for her.

  Right on schedule, Detective Rich pulled into the dark cemetery. The dull lighting of lamp posts kept him visible, while Antonio remained hidden in the shadows.

  Row G7, plot 21. Rich stopped in the very spot that held a memory for Antonio and as he gazed through the scope and aimed his gun at the man’s head.

  Flashes of Kya blurred his vision. As if it were yesterday, he saw her standing there. That day, her tears weakened his resolve, so much that he had a change of heart, change of plans, and change of views. Today, the thought of her crying made him want to fold her into his arms and do whatever was needed to take her pain away.

  Would she cry over Rich? Would the death of her father impact her as much as that of her mother? This time he would
be able to look her in the eyes while easing her pain but also have to look at himself and know that he caused it.

  No. Kya hated this man. In so few words she’d expressed that her father had no place in her life. However, minds changed just like people. She might not want him in her life, but in essence, his death would be robbing her of chances, of something that no amount of money could ever replace.

  One shot meant freedom from the harassment. One shot and his parents could stop worrying about this man. One quick shot and he could be with Kya without his past being thrown in their path to separate them.

  He twisted his neck to loosen the tension taking hold. His finger moved over the trigger. When this was all said and done, he’d get her from work and reel in her softness like the bastard he was, waiting for the news of her father’s death to reach her. His family would comfort her over the loss, not knowing that he was the reason.

  Antonio cursed under his breath, lowing the gun. Before he could talk himself out of it, he stashed it back behind his seat and rolled up the window. Detective Rich left the graveyard with Antonio still there, still sitting with his head against the steering wheel as the consequences of his choice consumed him.

  “Hey, Baby! Guess what?” Kya slid into the passenger seat of the truck holding up an image on her phone screen. “I got a phone call from a woman named Jaycee Canova. Apparently, Maxine Foster sent her an advanced copy of my interview and not only does she want me to design a gown for her daughter-in-law, but she’s hosting a fashion show the end of winter or beginning of spring and wants me as the main attraction!”

  Concluding with a girlish squeal, Kya threw her head back and grinned. That call had made her night at work so much easier. Jermaine and his usual stuffiness were easy to ignore thanks to that call. All evening she couldn’t wait to tell Antonio her good news, and now that she had, his reaction was nothing like she expected.

  “Tony?” He did not speak and for several long minutes, he did not move. Kya leaned all the way over the center console and placed a kiss by his lips, successfully pulling him from whatever thought had gripped him. “What’s going on? Is everyone ok? Did something happen?”

  His silence unnerved her. The lost look in his eyes before he turned back into the world and hid behind a cold, dark wall, answered her question. Everything in Kya wanted to ask once again, but a gut feeling told her not to.

  At home, he wasted no time distancing himself. Rather than following her up to bed, he retreated to his home office and shut the door behind him. A gesture such as that one spoke volumes of what he needed and what he wanted. No matter how much it bothered Kya to do so, she went about her way and let him be.

  It was hard to sleep with Antonio close, but so far away. All night, she tossed and turned hoping he’d move closer, kiss her cheek, brush his foot against hers, or something. Neither happened and when morning came, he was just as distant. Still, Kya took a gamble asking if he would be joining them on their walk and wordlessly he declined with the shaking of his head.

  She jogged with Wylie trotting beside her. His little tongue was hanging out of his mouth mimicking a smile. If it were not for him, she would have found herself incapable of that small burst of contentment. Antonio’s mood was eating away at her and the fact that he wasn’t talking to her about it, hurt. She willed the emotions away. She had to think of it as a test. If she could stick by him and be there regardless of the unknown, then they’d be ok again, or so she hoped.

  She made it back to the house only to find that Antonio was gone. His office would not be open for another two hours, and his employees weren’t due until then. That nagging voice of insecurity wanted to question if he just wanted time away from her. Maybe she had done something without realizing it, and he was waiting for her to fix it. If that was the case, Antonio was going to get what he desired, the best way she could manage.

  She greeted him at the door. The way his eyes roved over her body gave her hope. To help Antonio with whatever was bothering him, Kya requested the night off and did the same for Miriam. With the house to herself, she whipped up something quick for dinner and spent the rest of her time on her hair and rearranging the living room for an in-house date.

  The choice was between lace and cotton. One a sexy piece of lingerie she picked up earlier in the day, the other a tight-fitting t-shirt with boy shorts. What she was aiming for made the latter her top choice. Judging by the look on his face, it was the right one.

  Taking him by the hand, Kya led him to the nest she made on the floor—a cluster of pillows surrounded by carefully placed candles in front of the couch. The TV was off, too, leaving them with nothing but time and space to talk. Just as carefully as she created that setup, Kya helped Antonio out of his shirt, then out of his boots. It surprised her that he allowed it and surprised her when he sat down exactly where she wanted him.

  As he made himself comfortable, she set a steaming plate of spaghetti with shrimp and sausage in front of him. Immediately, Antonio looked up at her, amusement in his eyes only.

  “I thought you’d get a kick out of this. It seems you’re in need of a laugh no matter how small.”

  Antonio nodded. The expression she was seeking, never played out. Every other forkful was held up for Kya. His feeding her a sign of progress. When she’d had enough, she moved behind him to rub his shoulders and back. His plate cleaned and placed on the coffee table, she pulled the tie from his hair, slipping one hand into it. She hoped for a chat. For Antonio to see her efforts and open up on his own, but as the minutes ticked by, that seemed unlikely.

  “Tony, I don’t know what happened, but I want you to know that I’m here. If it’s something I did, I’d like to know so I can fix it. If it’s something else, my shoulder isn’t just for your sister. It’s for you, too. I care about you too much to just let us drift apart.”

  His hand came up to still hers. He turned, using his position between her legs to bring them closer. Heat pooled where his denim covered, semi-hard length pressed against her. They did not have to talk it out. Just to be touched by him was good enough.

  He cupped her cheek, gazing into her eyes, pulling her against him. Gladly, she would accept him taking her right then and there, hard, fast, or as a means of releasing whatever plagued him. That could mean waking up to a sore vagina, stiff legs, and uncomfortable friction when she walked, and Kya welcomed it.

  She couldn’t take her eyes off of his. The want for them to be ok again, more important than the need to blink. He was so deeply rooted in her heart and her world. Did he know that? He had to. She came back after the lies and stayed after his admission. Who did that? Someone foolish and controlled by a four-letter word.

  “I need you so much more than you know, Kya.” He whispered, moving in to bite her lip. One bite became a kiss. Quick, hungry, and wanton. She sighed, feeling the bite and kisses in other sensitive parts of her body. Craving him just as much.

  “Please, baby. Show me.” The words came out breathless. A whisper of her own, indicative of her desire, yet Antonio’s body stiffened. The want in his eyes dissolved into nothing and just like that, he got up and walked away.

  In his wake, he left Kya surrounded by confusion and once again, nagged by insecurity.

  TWENTY EIGHT

  Negativity has a domino effect. It’s a chain reaction that will not stop until the very end.

  Antonio was avoiding Kya. Not hearing his voice or being able to get so much as a hug in three days, soured everything else in her world. Christian and Karrina wanted everyone together to announce their pregnancy and Kya wanted to back out. Where she was in her own relationship and without reason, made it nearly impossible to express happiness and just as hard to pretend. For all the worrying her friend did, she deserved to bask in the glow of her great news and nothing less.

  Regardless of how she felt, Kya managed to put her hair up into a sleek high bun and made herself up to look like she was alright on the outside.

  The onset of autumn brought c
ool weather ahead of schedule. A long-sleeved pink and black dress sufficed, a stylish black jacket paired with it serving as a casual, but classy look. In her heart of hearts, she hoped for a reaction, for Antonio to say something about her appearance to break the ice, but there was nothing. As soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs, he grabbed his keys wordlessly and barely spared her another look as he opened doors for her.

  The smiles were painful. His family greeting her like she belonged, poked at her gated emotions. Anthony rushed her with a tight hug then jumped into Antonio’s arms. The reaction the child received was one she had been hoping for herself and had it not been for Javier kissing her cheek, she would have let her control slip.

  Being there was a mistake. Being so close to a man that seemingly wanted the opposite, was a mistake.

  The server was a young woman. Beautiful with golden hair and a figure that her uniform could not conceal. Absently, Kya found herself watching Antonio for any sign of attraction to the woman. When he failed to give the girl more than a few seconds of eye contact, she relaxed into her seat and at least tried to enjoy her surroundings.

  Conversation helped. Julie taking an interest in her work and upcoming opportunities gave her reason to think less. Lighthearted chatter served as a distraction until she heard Antonio laugh. Dragging her eyes to the source of the sound, she found what had been missing for too long. The sight of his lips, parted by the silliness of his nephew, caused enough pain that she had to excuse herself.