The Lion
Page 29
As she watched the screen, she could see the joy on his face as he turned to his wife, Prosecutor Tauri Patterson-Shaw. Her hazel eyes glowed as she smiled up at her husband with pride. The woman noticed that all of the Negus surrounded Rion along with people she assumed were his parents and grandparents.
She thought back to the night she was given her life back. John Beckham had come to the apartment ranting and raving about how he'd never let Rion Shaw own a team which was followed by a litany of racial epithets. It always amazed her that he felt so free to hurl his slurs in her presence, knowing her own skin color. He felt safe that his threats kept her line, so he freely divulged all the hate in his heart on a regular basis.
That evening she had made him some dinner and he'd had a few drinks before he'd undressed and stretched out on the bed. Later, after he'd passed out, she retrieved the bag Rion Shaw had given her. She took out the little device and followed his instructions attaching it on John's fat, naked chest. Within seconds, his body began to jump uncontrollably and she watched from the end of the bed praying for his demise.
When the convulsing ended, she'd waited for ten minutes then packed up all of her things. She'd gingerly grabbed the device and thrown it into her bag before leaving the apartment and getting into the waiting car. The handsome driver who was taking her to the airport welcomed her.
“How did it go my Sistar?” he asked.
Nervously she answered. “I think he's dead.” She handed him the device she'd used. “I hope so.”
“If not, he will be.” He took the item from her. “Are you okay?”
She sighed. “I think I will be now.”
He handed her a large envelope and when she looked inside she was astounded by the amount cash.
She turned to him. “I didn't ask for this.”
He smiled. “You didn't have to.”
She'd taken the money and gotten on the private plane without looking back. Turning her attention back to the screen, she smiled at Rion Shaw again. She hoped he'd always be as happy as she was now.
“Hi Mommy!” The little girl ran into the room from where she had been playing. Her olive skin was in direct contrast to her mother's ebony complexion and her light eyes stared into onyx ones.
The woman embraced the little girl in her arms, holding her close to her heart. Yes, Rion Shaw deserved every good thing he received in this life.
*********
“Uncle Rion, Aunt Tauri can we go see the lions now?” Kyros asked excitedly.
Rion smiled. “Yeah little man, let's go there now.”
Rion turned to his wife and she smiled at him. “He's so freaking adorable. I hope our son is just like him,” she told him.
“Um...our son will know how to play baseball,” he said taking her hand.
Rion and Tauri had brought Kyros to the Detroit Zoo for an outing. After returning from New York, the pair had taken some time to honeymoon in St. Kitts. Jordan Black had told him about a very nice spot that he and his wife Sage, had visited not too long ago.
When they had returned to the States, it had been confirmed that Tauri was indeed pregnant with their first child. Pam and George Shaw along with Henry and Millie Patterson had been ecstatic with the news of a new addition to their families. Pam, who had held serious reservations about the length of the relationship between her son and the city Prosecutor, had come around full circle with the announcing of her first grandchild. She was now anxiously awaiting the new baby god.
After Tauri had passed out at the press conference in Detroit, Rion had whisked her off her feet and carried her away with her grandparents following. The reality of the situation had finally hit her after watching her husband and grandfather fatally wound a man in order to protect them from the hatred bred out of ignorance.
Although there had not been any more incidents since it had become official that Rion owned the team, Tauri knew that most likely her son would someday face the same ignorance his father had endured, the same ignorance that her grandfather had endured, and the same ignorance that had taken the lives of many melanated people. She vowed that she would do her part, in tandem with her husband, to eliminate as much of that ignorance as possible for her sons, Kyros and all the other young warriors to come.
“Of course our son will be able to play baseball, both his parents can play,” she responded to Rion.
Rion looked at her. “You can play baseball?”
Tauri gave him a look. “Yes, my grandparents taught me. You know how much my Granddaddy knows about baseball. Plus, when my Granny was a teenager she met Toni Stone once, then she started playing baseball herself. That's how she met Granddaddy.”
“Are you serious?” he asked. “Toni Stone, the first woman to play Negro League Baseball? Your Granny actually met her?”
Tauri nodded. “Yes, and Granny was almost as good as she was, according to Granddaddy.”
Rion smiled. “I bet she was.” He gave her a look. “I told you if I was like seventy...I'd holla at Millie Patterson. She could get it.”
“Don't take me there Orion...” she warned and he laughed while hugging her to his side.
“My heart belongs to Tauri Patterson-Shaw.” He placed a hand on her tiny belly. “She has all my love.”
He kissed her quickly before they caught up to Kyros who was watching the lions inside the habitat that had been built for them. Kyros turned to them smiling.
“Look at the big one Uncle Rion. He's a lion just like you!” Kyros exclaimed and Tauri smiled.
Rion looked out at the alpha male relaxing high on the manmade cliffs. He made eye contact with the animal before lifting his face to the sun. The lion stood proudly to his feet, displaying his beauty and power as the crowd watched in fascination. Majestically lifting his own head to the bright sky, he opened his mouth and released a thunderous roar that rumbled throughout the entire city announcing that...
The Lion was home.
Ase'
Hotep Fam,
Thank you for reading The Lion. I hope you have enjoyed the first book in The Black Land Series. Look for more stories from the Negus, including Lance, Brandon, Khalil and Corvus.
I hope you enjoyed Rion and Tauri and the crew as well as cameos from The Black Diamonds. If you haven't read their books, you can get them on Amazon.com.
Be sure to sign up on my website at dcamille.com for updates and information on upcoming projects. Also, feel free to visit me on FB, Twitter, and Instagram.
Coming up next...
Her Shield
The Uncut Series – Book 1
Spring 2016