by Tiana Laveen
“Hell, no! We’re listening!”
“I can’t dumb this shit down because this is the real deal. This isn’t a game. This is your relationship, your marriage, your family. When something is off balance, it leaves gaps, and that leaves room for internal and external interruptions and errors. It is a setup to create chaos. Balance is mathematics, and so is the state of being off balance, which means initially it may be undetectable or you can be manipulated into thinking everything is cool at that moment. Once the problem is noticed, it is up to you, King, and your partner, the Queen, to make it right, to get that equilibrium back. If you ignore it, the problem will grow. Acknowledge that the cycle is disrupted. How do you fix it? The same way it was created, via mathematics. Understand the equation, break down the problem. Women represent organization. Everything about them is built on a meter. Men represent order.
“Everything about us is built on control and command. Put organization and order together,” he said, clasping his hands together in front of him, “and what do you get? You have a powerhouse. Your Queen has helped you build this mothafucka from the ground up! You make sure you keep your ass on that frontline, fan those flames so they never die, and preserve everything you and she worked so hard to create! You don’t have to play games to win her heart or get her trust back. Just be real! Stand in your power. If you do this, you’ll empower her, too. She’ll look you in your eyes and say, “If you go down, we go down together! My womb is your balance. I paid the price for your sins with my tears! YOU LOOKED BEHIND YOU TO FIND ME, BUT I WASN’T THERE, BABY.” His voice trembled. “KING, I LEFT THE CASTLE AND CAME DOWN HERE WITH YOU ON THE FRONTLINE. I WAS BY YOUR SIDE THE WHOLE DAMN TIME!”
The crowd jumped to their feet and applauded as Saint grabbed his jacket and stormed off the stage. His heart was racing for flooding his mind were thoughts of him making love to Xenia…
CHAPTER NINE
“Have you seen the news today, Lawrence?” Saint sat at his dining room table with the New York Times spread out in front of him, cellphone to his ear. He leisurely flipped a page.
“Yes.” Lawrence made a rundown on an alarming amount of local murders and robberies. Saint slicked his tongue over his upper teeth, sucked in his breath, and released swirls of red smoke. “I need to kill something.” This announcement caused Xenia to pause and glare at him. Her fingers tightened around her coffee mug.
“Saint, Krishna is going to call you later this evening. I need to get to the office. Are you still planning to stay home today?”
“Yes, it was a long night. The conference went longer than expected but you know how it is, if I’m really in the groove and feeling empathically that the message is desperately needed, I go on until I get my point across.”
“Definitely. The first time I heard you speak at a conference, it was mesmerizing. You are truly gifted in that department. I also heard about the fire trick.” The man gave a hearty chuckle. “You know better than that, Saint.”
“Ahhh, they didn’t know the deal.” He shrugged. “To some, it was like a Vegas show, only about relationships. No one would believe that I can create fire in my hands just by concentrating. They take it as entertainment, especially in this age of smoke and mirrors and carnival acts. The act coincided with what I was discussing so I went ahead and used it.”
“Well, it worked. I heard the conference was one of your best to date. You should see what people are saying about it online. You rocked it. So, when does Ira get in?”
“Tomorrow night. We’re arranging Hassani’s room so he can stay in there with him. Jagger came by and took the kids to school since he already had to be up early. The kids are excited to meet their uncle.” Saint smiled as he recalled how ecstatic Xenia and Pam were to tell him the good news.
“I bet they are. I’d like to meet him as well.”
“Of course. Stop by tomorrow. Anything else you need to discuss?”
“Not right now. Just keep your eyes and ears open.”
“Always.” Saint ended the call.
“Do you want some more turkey bacon, baby?” Xenia leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek. Reaching for her, he made her straddle his lap, causing her to coo and giggle. Plucking her robe open with a flip of his thumb, he exposed her bare breasts. He took a deep breath, then enveloped one in his mouth, eliciting sighs and moans as his fingers glided down the smooth, supple flesh.
“Saint…”
“Saint what?” he murmured with his mouth full. Pausing, he glanced up at her, his dick throbbing with need. “The kids are at school. Pam is asleep…”
“You kept me up all morning. Don’t you want to rest, baby?” She ran her fingers through his hair, her eyes rolling in ecstasy as he caressed her.
“When it comes to fucking you, I don’t believe in rest. It’s against my religion.”
He made love to her breasts, gently at first, then more demanding. Forcing her legs wider with his hand, he released her firm, chocolatey nipple from his oral grip, then adjusted himself in the seat and freed his aching beast. Xenia looked down and swallowed at the sight of his engorged nature. Hooking his arm around her, he pulled her flush against his chest. He maneuvered his fingers against her slick bud, massaging and teasing her clit as he grinded against her pussy, toying with her need.
Her hungry gaze fixed on him.
“Shit!” She sank her teeth into his shoulder when he slid his dick halfway inside. Angling his hips, he delivered hard, rhythmic thrusts, from slow to fast. He squelched their moans in a kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist to secure her position so she could feel every harsh blow he delivered. Her gyrations, her movements became the song his dick danced to. Staring intensely into her eyes, he pounded her with his greedy cock, never letting up. At each turn, she slammed down upon him, balls deep, swaying and bouncing, her whimpers and sighs music to his ears. Palming her ass cheeks in a firm, tight grip, he groaned as his balls tightened. He gritted his teeth, falling under her spell as her orgasm seized him, his dick trapped in the warm, wet cocoon of her pulsating womanhood.
“Oh God…” She shivered, her bones, muscles, and flesh on fire from the sweet release. He kept his pace, never wavering in his pursuit of a climax that would keep him satisfied until he could have her again that evening. She purred as he jammed himself into her, their groins flush, every inch of him within her, stretching her wide. She gasped, eyes wide, the burn of her long blood red nails tracing his exposed chest and leaving him in delicious pain.
He fucked her again and again, driving so hard within her that the table shook like an earthquake was hitting the house. On a loud groan, he released his molten seed within her, but his hunger left him scrambling for more. Constricted muscles, sweat, limbs strained against hers, eyes shut, he felt her all around him. The smell of sex hung in the air, intoxicating him.
“Baby, you’re squeezing my dick so fuckin’ good! Shit! Choke that dick, baby!!!”
Her snug, wet canal held him tight, never daring to release as his cock freed the last of his essence, flooding her gate. She slid her tongue into his gaping mouth, quieting his roars that threatened to emerge and awaken the slumbering guest in their home. Her kiss tasted like cinnamon toast, her body smelled of fresh vanilla, and her heated touch made his muscles lock and contract. Xenia moved in rhythm, up and down, tenderly landing upon his lap like soft feathers and milking the last of his creamy cum. Breathing heavy, he could barely sit up for his nerve endings, from head to toe, sang her praises.
Saint felt bereft when she got off him, her comforting, familiar warmth gone. Her silky white robe teased his flesh as she stood, tied the sash, and made haste. He presumed she was racing to the bathroom to fix herself up before Pam awoke, but he didn’t miss the mischievous smile on her face before she scurried away, leaving him to his own devices. He looked lazily down at his cock, the damn thing still hard and covered in her juices.
Just like that, he craved her again … would do almost anything to make her return and let him
have another go at her. Instead, he reluctantly covered his exposed cock with his robe, his manhood causing it to tent, protesting in vain. He reached across the table for his tea and took a sip. All he could hear was the clock ticking. The silence was damn near unnatural…
“You said he likes Sprite!” Saint held the bag of groceries close to his chest as he argued with Mama Pam on the phone for the third time in the last hour.
“You are a damn lie. I said Sierra Mist.”
“What’s the difference?!”
“See, this is what I get for expecting yo’ chicken fried rice, camel ridin’, pyramid built ass to get it right! My son will be here in three hours, an overdue homecoming, and you done messed up everything, Saint!”
Rolling his eyes, he made his way towards his parked Lexus in front of the Fairway grocery store.
“Pam, I don’t have time for this. If Ira’s homecoming is messed up due to a soda, then your problems are worse than I imagined. It’s been a long day. I just dropped Cruz off and—”
“Cruz? Another weirdo! Is he coming over tonight? I sure as hell hope not. His wife can come, but I hope he stays home.”
“I wanted you to stay home too, but you’re here anyway.”
He heard her huff.
“Saint, where do you meet these people? He like to sit in yo’ house behind all that hair, lookin’ creepy like he ’bout to yell, ‘Heeeere’s Johnny!’” Saint unlocked the car door and slid inside. “Ol’ Shining, Jack Nicholson done lost his mind lookin’ ass! Wendy, I’m home, lookin’ ass! He looks like the creepy girl from the movie The Ring, but with blonde hair.” He closed his eyes, praying that the woman’s phone would suddenly go dead and take him out of his misery. “And he got the nerve to have a nice body … a damn nice body.” A lustful tone coated her words. “Him and Erika are a strange couple. Why’d she hook up with Bon Jovi? She got common sense, seems like a nice girl.”
“She is a nice a woman, and they are not a strange couple. They fit together quite well. You don’t even know Cruz, Pam. You are being judgmental for no good cause. He is a great person.”
“And so was Jeffrey Dahmer till people got down to the nitty gritty. Anyway, you’re going back in to get the Sierra Mist, right?”
“Does a shark follow a vegetarian diet? Does a dog turd come out shiny with diamonds and gold? NO! I’m not picking up another damn thing, you hear me?! You’ve had me racing around like my damn name is Nascar, in rush hour Manhattan traffic I might add. I don’t give a shit if that Sprite is a youth serum. It will stay right on the shelf. My entire car smells like a deli because of you.”
“Put yo’ shoes back on then…”
“Goodbye, Pam. I am hanging up.”
“Wait a minute!”
“Why? So you can say something else to annoy me? All damn day you’ve been blowin’ up my phone asking me to get a bunch of shit that no one cares about! He’s coming home from the army, not from the dead! You’re driving me crazy, Pam. I can’t take it anymore and I’m done trying to be Mr. Nice Guy.” He slammed his fist against the steering wheel. “Xenia asked me to please be kind to you during this visit. Well, I tried. Mission officially failed and I’m more than content to receive my big, fat F. I can’t do it anymore. You make a mothafucka wanna run into the middle of the street and play in traffic just to get away from you!”
The woman burst in laughing, much to his surprise.
“Now that’s the Saint I know! You been actin’ all nice in front of Xenia, but now that it’s just you and me, I see your true colors again. You ain’t worth shit! But I love you, anyway,” she said sweetly between chuckles.
“Thank you, Pam. It takes a lot of work not being worth a damn, but I see I’ve managed nevertheless, and I owe it all to you.”
“I’m glad you feel motivated. Hey son, I cooked something for you too by the way.”
“What? A deep-fried salad?” He started up the car and made his way out onto Broadway.
“No, it’s a surprise, Veganstein. You’ll see later on tonight. I gotta go, gotta finish dessert. Isis is helping me make the apple cobbler.”
“Watch her closely. Half of it will be eaten before it is served if you don’t.” Pam chuckled.
“I’ll keep my eye on Ms. Sweet Tooth. See you in a little bit.” And then she hung up.
Saint moved about the stop and go traffic, anxious to get home for the festivities. He slapped his horn several times as Uber drivers and taxi cabs ignored common courtesies.
Maybe I should give Xenia a call and let her know I’m on my way, just running a bit late…
Nahhh, she’s already stressed out.
Xenia’s excitement over Ira’s arrival had made her a bundle of nerves. She’d prepared Hassani’s bedroom like a hotel suite, ensured the house was clean from top to bottom, and her smile never ceased. He couldn’t blame her. It had been such a long time since she had laid eyes on the man.
Damn, that’s right. Xenia wanted me to stop and get Ira a Jay Z T-shirt. I totally forgot.
Putting his car and bravado to test, he began to weave in and out of traffic, attracting a litany of honks and profanity. Jamming his middle finger in the air, he went on his way. Saint made it across town as quickly as he could, heading over into Times Square. He pulled over to the side of West 45th Street after spotting a clothing store that appeared to specialize in urban clothing apparel. The price would be inflated due to the location, but it beat heading all the way over to Harlem just to get a better deal. Putting his vehicle in park, he jumped out of the car, then paused. Nostrils flared, his heart beat an uneven, deep percussion as if he were stalking prey with bated breath.
He jerked to the left, then to the right, fisting and unfisting his hands, as a wave of heat began at his forehead and made its way to the tips of his toes.
I can sense you. Where the fuck are you?
Sniffing the air once again, his eyes burned like freshly lit embers, the color changing to something dark. Like an animal clawing at the earth, he scraped at the air, his mouth filled with saliva in preparation to rip something apart with his teeth. He craned his neck to the right once more and then, he spotted him…
You.
A demon leaned against the storefront, a greasy grin on his face. Saint turned about, trying to gauge any passerby’s reaction, unconvinced that anyone else could see it. This wasn’t a Demon Child, but a real-life hellion. Its piercing, green eyes glowed as if on fire.
“Hello, family man,” the treacherous creation taunted as Saint stood frozen in his tracks. “Such a dutiful husband, aren’t you? Doing as your wife tells you, being such a nice son-in-law to an ignoramus for a mother-in-law. Are you weak for women, Saint?” There he was, an average looking Joe. No one would be the wiser if they happened to somehow see him, and yet, something about his appearance looked awkward and forced. His features were askew as if half of his face were slowly melting, and the shape of his limbs wasn’t quite right. The monster had shoved itself in a flesh suit that rendered an awkward fit, jarring to the naked eye.
“What is your name, demon?” The monstrosity sneered, snapped his head in the opposite direction, and flicked ash from his cigarette. Saint drew a few steps closer to him. “I know you heard me, mothafucka. I command you to tell me your name!” Again, the demon remained silent. Saint took a deep inhale, then exhaled a cloud of golden smolder. Extending his hand, he pointed at the fiend, forcing a ragged gasp as the mouth of the hellion widened and was forced to gulp the golden haze.
“Leviathan.” It coughed. “Leave me be. I am not here for you.” The bastard took unsteady steps in reverse, his eyes a dull, blank canvas of death.
“Oh, but you are.” Saint smirked. “If not, you would not have let me see you, and arranged yourself so I wouldn’t miss you. Your little minions entered my home. Now, my freshly drawn blood is all around it, but they persist in trying to gain entry in order to harass my family.” Saint crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head.
“I’ve he
ard that your children are the sweetest… I imagine their deaths would be even sweeter.”
“Nice topic switch to try and derail the fact that you aren’t going to leave here in one piece. Your first mistake was coming here, and your first mistake is also your last.”
“You’re in no position to threaten me.” The demon sneered, exposing rotten teeth.
“Here you are, trying to get me to move aside so you can destroy everything, upset the balance. I won’t let you pass through unchecked. Besides, I have to make an example out of someone, right?” Saint cracked his knuckles and grinned as black smoke eddied from his flared nostrils.
Saint looked at the expression on peoples’ faces as they passed him. He caught his reflection in the store window.
It looks like I’m talking to myself… No one can see him but me. They think I’m crazy. So what?
“Go on with your life, enjoy your wife and your fame, Saint Aknaten. Stay out of our way, and you will be spared,” it cautioned with a twisted grin.
A crowd of Chinese tourists walked past as he tried to bargain with the beast, but then the thing made a sharp turn and its mouth elongated revealing razor sharp, four-inch-long teeth that dripped with green goo. Saint’s eyes widened as it suddenly jumped onto one of the young women passing by, her arms full of shopping bags. Her entire form suddenly convulsed—the bags hit the ground in a thud and she violently vomited, heaps of puke flowing down her chin and the front of her dress. She remained on her feet, jerking and swaying back and forth. Her family gathered around her, screaming for help in Mandarin and broken English. Saint sucked in air and made a mad dash for the woman, elbowing people out of the way who did little more than scream or whip out their phones and cameras to record the bizarre spectacle. His eyes burned so badly, he was seeing double, but he bore through the pain and focused with all of his might on the young lady filling up with evil.
