by B. Love
No kiss had ever turned her on as much.
Then again – she’d never been kissed by Cassius Salzano before.
When his hand slid under the shirt she was wearing, Treasure broke the kiss, in disbelief of what was happening. Their eyes locked, and he smiled softly before whispering, “Please.”
As if he needed to beg.
As if this wasn’t the only thing she’d ever wanted for her entire life.
Well… the second thing.
The first?
His heart.
Nodding softly, Treasure pulled him back down to her, connecting their lips again at the same moment Cassius squeezed her breast. Her body relaxed more into the bed, legs widened when his thumb caressed her nipple. Kissing her deeper, Cassius alternated between each of her breasts before slipping his fingers between her folds.
She was already wet – soaking wet.
There was really no need for foreplay.
Besides, they’d wasted too much time to let another moment pass of not being one.
Cassius seemed to be on the same page because he quickly spread her legs and pressed her knees into the bed. Treasure’s eyes lowered to her pussy as the head of his dick waited at her opening. He was just as thick and long as she thought he would be. And that was proven even more when he began to slowly make his way inside of her.
They both watched as he pushed and pulled, shaft quickly becoming slick by her wetness. When he was sure she was comfortable, Cassius began his steady dig. Not too slow. Not too fast. Just right. Treasure’s eyes closed and her mouth opened as she gripped his arms and dug into them with her nails. She tried to move underneath him, but in this position, he had her trapped. All she could do was literally take the dick, not that she minded.
Like at all.
No.
His long, purposeful strokes had her walls leaking and mouth moaning instantly.
She gripped the sheets, back arching when Cassius released her and got into push up position.
“Give me that tongue,” he demanded, dropping his dick into her in a way that made her cry out and try to wrap her legs around him, but he opened them back up before gripping her neck and parting her lips with his tongue. Cassius alternated between pulling himself out of her completely just to drive back in deeply and circling his hips just enough to create friction without pulling out of her at all.
She tried to fuck him back… tried to gain some type of leverage. Some type of control. But Treasure was completely under his.
Finally, he allowed her to wrap her legs around him. Their eyes locked as he slowed his strokes, resting inside of her for a few seconds after each one. By the third time he did this, Treasure’s body began to heat. Her walls began to squeeze him tighter and leak. Back arched. Eyes closed, mouth opened. Pussy… came.
Cassius grabbed her ankles and used them to spread her legs apart so much her ass lifted off the bed slightly. He quickened his strokes, fucking her faster as she moaned and asked for more. The sight of him slowly beginning to unravel aroused her more. His head flung back as he groaned. Six pack clenched tighter. Strokes grew sporadic, and not as deep. But that didn’t keep Treasure from cumming again, and it only intensified when he pulled out of her and rubbed his shaft up and down her clit before sliding back inside of her and stroking her deeply.
His hands went to her neck, and he squeezed as he jerked against her – shooting his seeds inside of her. Treasure waited to feel his dick get soft inside of her. But it didn’t. In fact, he pulled out, put her on her knees, and took her for another wild ride.
Chapter 3
Not even twenty-four hours had passed since Trevor was murdered, and James had summoned everyone to his place. As Diem leaned against the doorframe of the room she grew up in, her mind flashed back to the day James was sentenced to twenty-years. His lawyer assured him that he would only have to serve half of that, which was true, and he promised that James would be able to get out and go back to his normal life.
Except… his life was anything but normal before or after James was arrested.
Before he left, the relationship he had with Estella was toxic. Seemed as if he was married to the money and Estella was his side chick. She played her role well publicly, but her children knew just how lonely and depressed Estella really was. Estella would always say that she was a grown woman who had made her own choices… choices that had nothing to do with her children. She would always tell them not to worry about her, but that was easier said than done.
When James left, Trevor stepped up in a major way. He was at their house every day. Since he had to see his own children to school, Trevor would be there to welcome them home. Three times out of the week, they were able to have family dinners with their siblings – at his place with Pamela or at home with Estella.
Those ten years were the best years of their lives. They were filled with love, emotion, memories, and normality. But the moment James got out, things changed. Trevor didn’t come around as much, and Estella returned to her lonely shell. A part of Diem began to resent James for coming back and ruining things for them.
His time away only made him more ruthless. What little devotion he had to them was gone. He was hardly ever home, the streets called out to him from sun up to sun down. And when he was home, he was a controlling asshole. Cassius and James always butted heads because while Cassius loved the women in his family enough to do whatever it took to try and protect them, James would taunt him just to get a rise out of him and prove who was the alpha male in the house.
James was her daddy… but Trevor was her father. And now, he was gone. Diem brushed away a few tears before stepping further into the room. It was James’ request on Estella’s behalf that she, Cassius, and the rest of the family stay at home until after the funeral. That request was probably the most noble thing he’d done in quite some time. Diem agreed, only because she knew her mother wouldn’t have him for comfort and support.
Pamela came to mind.
Had anyone checked on her?
It had to have been hard knowing the man you loved, loved someone else.
Or did she even love him?
It was hard to say these days.
People were married with nothing but children and history keeping them together.
Diem pulled her phone out of her purse on the bed and put in her password. She went to Pamela’s name in her contacts and her fingered hovered over the call button. Biting the bullet, she called, and sat down on the edge of the bed as she waited for Pamela to answer. It took quite a few rings, but eventually, she did. Not wanting to outright ask how Pamela was doing, Diem simply let her know that she loved her and was there if she needed anything. Pamela’s voice broke as she said okay before disconnecting the call.
Running her fingers through her hair, Diem released a shaky breath before standing and heading out of her room. She started to go to Estella’s room, but she’d been locked inside ever since she got there. Diem made her way into the kitchen and the sound of the front door alarm sounding made her smile a small smile.
Cassius.
Her brother, though quiet and to himself, had always been her sunshine on the cloudiest of days. Today, however, Diem wasn’t sure if there was anything that anyone could say to put a full smile on her face. Cassius wrapped his arm around her neck and pulled her into his chest, causing her to smile again.
“Fuck you in here ‘bout to burn up, sis?”
“Shut up, Cash. I can cook.”
“Yea right.” One time, one time in her life, had she ever burned some chicken, and Cassius straight up refused to let her live it down. “Where your daddy at?”
Diem’s smile faded at the mention of James. She walked away from Cassius and opened the refrigerator. Her stomach was empty, but she didn’t really have an appetite.
“In his office.”
“Ma?”
“In her room.” Closing the refrigerator, Diem leaned against it and crossed her arms over her chest. “What we gon’ do, Ca
sh?”
Cassius nibbled on his bottom lip as he ran his hand down his neck. “I’ll let you know when I figure it out.”
They stared at each other until James rounded the corner and entered the kitchen. “Meeting will start when your siblings get here,” was all he said before grabbing a bottle of water and walking back out.
Since Diem arrived, he hadn’t asked once how she felt. If she was okay. But she didn’t expect anything less than his nonchalant detachment to be honest. Cassius asked her what she was going to eat, and after she told him she didn’t have an appetite, he agreed. They went into the living room, in their own worlds, while they waited for the rest of their family to arrive. They all trickled in one by one, and when it was down to only Eira, James decided to go ahead and get the meeting started.
Eiryx, Eira’s twin, agreed to fill him in on what he missed whenever he arrived.
The meeting started with a prayer as usual, then James wasted no time naming Cassius as Trevor’s replacement. It was black mafia law, naturally, since he was the oldest child in the family. Even though Eira was Trevor’s oldest son, he was nowhere near ready for such an important position. Eira’s calling was money – counting and cleaning it. Giving orders, calling shots, and making decisions had never been his strong suit.
Since Diem was Cassius’ right-hand woman, she was now third in line for the throne instead of fourth. Under other circumstances, being one step closer to being in control of it all would have filled Diem with joy but knowing that Trevor’s demise was the reason for her elevation made Diem sick to her stomach. Standing, she swallowed a few times to avoid throwing up as she briskly made her way to the bathroom.
Estella was right behind her, holding her hair as she emptied what little liquid she had left in her stomach.
“What?” Eiryx yelled from the living room.
Estella stood and Diem assured her that it was okay for her to see what was going on with, “Go. I’ll be fine.” With a nod, Estella rushed out of the bathroom and down the hall. When Diem was sure nothing else would come out, she stood to brush her teeth and gargle. Instead of going right back out, Diem looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her stance grew weaker and weaker, and whether she wanted to eat or not, it was time to. Not wanting anything heavy, Diem decided to go to the grocery store to get the ingredients for chicken noodle soup.
She stopped by her room and grabbed her purse. When she went back to the living room, Cassius and Chief were pacing while James was seated with his head hung. Eiryx was on the phone while Ai rubbed her back.
“What’s going on?” Diem asked, dropping her purse onto the couch.
“It’s Eira,” Estella answered. “He’s been arrested.”
“What! Why?”
“We don’t know,” Cassius answered.
“But bet I’ma find out,” Chief added, snatching his keys from the arm of the couch and heading out of the living room.
It felt as if the walls were closing in on Diem as she leaned against the couch. Too much. Too soon. Eiryx mentioned their trap houses on Brooklyn Cove being robbed just as James cursed under his breath regarding a text.
“DEA just pulled the truck from Texas over. If they snitch, that’s it.”
Diem’s head began to spin as her palms started to sweat. They brought in their drugs from Cuba through Florida and Mexico through Texas. Every time, they used the same people and the same routes. Trevor hadn’t been gone for a full twenty-four hours yet, and things were starting to crumble all around them. As fucked up as it was – Diem couldn’t say that she was surprised. Trevor was the foundation that held a lot of things together for them.
It was his heart and his love that covered them with God’s grace and mercy.
Maybe He’d taken him so he wouldn’t have to suffer the wrath the rest of them was about to feel.
Unable to hear another piece of bad news, she sluggishly made her way out of the living room. And when Cassius asked her where she was going, all she could do was mumble, “Chicken noodle soup.”
Diem got into her car, but she didn’t drive off right away. Her thoughts had temporarily paralyzed her. Without her position in the business, Diem had nothing else to show for herself. No businesses of her own, no major achievements, no love, no man, no children. Yet, there were tons of things and people effected by the loss of Trevor.
Because his life had meaning.
It held weight.
Beyond who he was in the streets.
“When I die… what are they going to say about me?” she asked herself as she started her car. Diem chuckled with a shake of her head. “That I was a boss bitch who took no shit.” She shook her head again as her smile faded. Sadness began to fill her. It took Trevor’s death to make her realize just how little she was doing with her life. Diem had no idea where she was going to start… but something would have to change.
Deacon
Deacon released a sigh as he looked from one bottle of wine to the next. His sister, Melody, was at home nursing a broken heart. Not wanting to show up at her place empty handed, Deacon stopped by the nearest Kroger to grab some fruit and a bottle of wine. Problem was, he’d never paid attention to the brand she liked before, so he had no idea what kind to get her. There were way too many options, and instead of just randomly picking something, he’d been standing in the same spot for five minutes.
A woman joined him on the aisle, and he had the bright idea to ask her what she would recommend. Deacon turned in her direction, but he couldn’t pull himself to walk over to her. Not right away at least. She was so damn beautiful all he could do was stare at her. There was a sadness about her though that was hard to ignore.
The longer she stared at him, the more time Deacon had to take in her beautiful features. Her skin was the color of ground nutmeg, and it encased her slim yet curvy frame perfectly. She had long nails and even longer hair that came down to her perky breasts. It was parted in the middle, framing her heart shaped face. Her espresso brown eyes were almond in shape, and they were his favorite feature on her face… but her bowtie shaped lips were a close second.
“Do you think it’s sexy for women to approach you or something, or am I supposed to wait for you to come to me?”
Deacon was so caught off guard by her question that he couldn’t do anything but laugh at her. She smiled softly and pushed her hair behind her ears. Licking his lips, Deacon slowly closed the space between them. It wasn’t the first words he wanted to say, but he couldn’t keep, “You smell good as fuck,” from coming out of his mouth. He also couldn’t help but wonder if she tasted like the honey she smelled like.
“Thank you.”
“I was looking at you because I wanted to ask what kind of wine you liked. I want to get my sister something, but I have no idea what to get.”
She chuckled as she grabbed a six pack of beer and put it in her basket.
“I don’t drink that sweet shit. I’m more of a Hennessy and D’USSÉ kind of girl.” She paused before adding, “But my sisters like Stella Rosa.”
Deacon’s interest had been piqued even more. This was the first time in at least a year that a woman had him speechless and unsure of what to say. The last time a woman had this kind of effect on him, he fell in love with her just to have his heart broken. But he didn’t spend that time sulking in the house like Melody did. He quickly headed down a path that led to sexual encounters with one woman after next for four years, and none of them satisfied Deacon or healed his heart. So he decided to fast from women, but the longer he stared into this beauty’s eyes… he was starting to want to break that fast.
“Stella Rosa,” he repeated with a nod. “I appreciate that.” She nodded and turned to push her basket until Deacon added, “To answer your question, I think it’s sexy as fuck when a woman knows and goes after what she wants… but I’m the kind of man who prefers the chase.” Her tongue slid between her lips, from one corner of her mouth to the other. “Why don’t you let me take you out for drinks, so I can tha
nk you properly for helping me out?”
Without batting an eye or lowering her smile she rejected him with, “I’m good, but you’re welcome.”
Deacon watched for just a second as she walked away before returning his attention to the wine in search of the Stella Rosa she mentioned. He wouldn’t give her inconsistency a second thought. At first, she was all in, but when he made a move, she shut it down. Her sigh caught his attention. Tilting his head, Deacon looked in her direction as she stopped pushing her basket and turned to face him.
“I’m sorry. I’m used to flirting and fucking with men without giving them a real chance.” Clearly. Not bothering to respond vocally, Deacon nodded and returned to the wine. When his eyes landed on the Stella Rosa, he walked over to it as she added, “I’m uh… trying to work on that, though. So if you wanted to exchange numbers that would be cool.”
After grabbing the peach flavor, Deacon walked back over to her. Gone was the confident smile she wore seconds earlier.
“What’s your name?” he asked, sitting the wine down on the stacked cases of beer next to them.
“Diem.”
“Unlock your phone and give it to me, Diem.” Diem looked him up and down briefly before handing her phone over. When he was done locking his number in, Deacon gave the phone back and told her, “Don’t call me until you’re sure.”
With a nod, she bit down on her lip, turned, and walked away. There was something that told Deacon to run. Because she was a runner. But there was also a part of him that hoped she would be worth the chase.
Chapter 4
It was irritating as fuck for Chief to listen to them go back and forth. Their relationship was toxic as hell, that wasn’t anything new, but it was affecting him differently tonight. He supposed with everything that was going on, it was harder for him to accept the way Gray talked to and handled Remington. Chief and Gray had been friends since high school. Damn near brothers. But Gray had some ways about him that made it hard for Chief to really fuck with him on a consistent basis.
