“Oh, Chris,” LaLa said and pulled him into her arms. He grabbed hold of her, tightly, and almost sobbed in her arms. It hurt just that badly.
But he refused to cry. It seemed useless to cry over somebody who said he disgusted her. So he tried with all he had to forget about Jade, as he sat on that sofa with LaLa.
And LaLa was patient with him. She knew what he was going through. She held him, rubbed his hair, comforted him. But the more she held him the more he began to realize that he was right where he wanted to be: in LaLa’s arms. He experienced her. He experienced her sweet perfume scent, and her kindness, and her heart, and her integrity, and he couldn’t cry anymore. Because, in truth, there was rarely a time that he made love to Jade when he wasn’t wishing, just a little, that it was LaLa’s vagina he was shoving into. LaLa, he knew, would have never betrayed him.
He moved back, to look into her compassionate eyes, and he was even more certain. He wanted her. He needed her. He looked down, at her sultry lips, and then he knew. He knew. He moved closer. LaLa backed up slightly. But he kept coming.
LaLa wanted to back up again. What was he doing? They couldn’t go there, what did he think he was doing? But it was Christian doing it. Sweet, wonderful Christian. And her feelings for her friend, for his pain and agony, wouldn’t let her back away.
Besides, she thought as he kept coming closer, those luscious red lips of his were just too damned sexy for her to even pretend to ignore. They were friends. What was a little kiss between friends?
Only it wasn’t a little kiss. There, in fact, was nothing little about it. Christian came in with a smooch that pressed so hard against LaLa’s lips she thought he was stinging her.
“Open your mouth, La,” he said. “I need to taste you.”
LaLa thought to keep it closed. They had no business doing this! But Christian’s lips kept nudging, his voice kept urging, so she opened. She opened her mouth and allowed Christian in.
And that movement alone opened the floodgates of passion. All restraints, all thoughts of restraining, were gone. They were, at that moment in time, all in.
Christian unknotted LaLa’s towel and moved his lips from her mouth to her freshly scrubbed breasts. He moved in such a fluid motion. He kissed them, fondled them, and sucked them. Then he rubbed his lips against them in a powerful tease that caused LaLa to grab his head and bury his face into her sizeable breasts.
And Christian feasted on them. Jade was so skinny, practically a flat-chested wench compared to LaLa. LaLa was all woman. Big and full and oh so gorgeous to Christian. He couldn’t get enough of her. All thoughts of Jade and what she did to him were gone, when he sucked on LaLa’s breasts.
He opened her legs as he sucked her and began to finger her clit. It was a trick he learned from the president. One day he stopped in to holler at Little Walt and walked casually into the Treaty Room, expecting it to be empty. He had hoped to grab a seat and finish the last of his speech corrections for Gina. And there was the president, with Gina on his lap, sucking on her half-exposed breast and fingering her clit at the same time. They were newly married at the time, and Christian wasn’t all that experienced, but he saw enough to know that Gina could not have been more pleased. He quickly stepped back out, before he was detected, but he never forgot that scene. Gina was screaming in pleasure as Dutch finger-fucked her. Now Christian had LaLa screaming too.
But he wanted more. Kissing and sucking were fine, but he wanted to make his fantasy come true. He unzipped and pulled down his pants as he sucked and fingered her. His long dick sprang out stiff and hard as soon as his briefs slid down. And he didn’t waste another second. He was on top of LaLa, lying her down. He put his dick into her vagina without even thinking about protection. He had to feel her raw.
He felt her pussy on his dick in a contact that was nothing short of pure electricity. They sizzled together as he stroked her. And LaLa stroked back, matching him. Her legs were wrapped around his back and he was pumping deep inside of her. She could not believe this was happening, that she was actually being fucked by Christian. But it was true. Christian was pushing deeper and deeper into her, making wonderful love to her, making her feel like the most important woman in the world to him. Nothing else mattered. Nobody else mattered.
Until they came, together, in a wave of vibration and ecstasy. Christian cried out as the feelings had his dick throbbing in release, and LaLa cried out, too.
And then she realized, as soon as the flow of released began to ebb, that it did matter. She was a married woman, regardless of what they were going through. And he was a married man.
And she also realized, like a jolt, that she had just done exactly what she always said she’d never do. She’s just done with Christian what Crader had done with Elvelyn. She’d just done to Crader what Crader had done to her!
And so easily she had done it.
The truth of it staggered her.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Marcus, Sam, and Jade arrived back at Jade’s house. Marcus made his way down into the basement, certain that Jade would soon follow. But first he had to get ready. He smuggled in the gun days ago, when the Secret Service was accompanying Jade and Sam on some shopping excursion they made together. Jade was the president’s daughter and therefore entitled to Secret Service protection. Marcus was the First Lady’s half-brother and was not entitled, he was glad to know for this purpose, to squat.
He therefore could go and come with impunity, as he often did. As he did the day they went on their shopping spree.
He got into the car Gina had purchased for him when he was first released, a car he kept parked on the street in front of Jade’s home, and made his way to the Osgood Mansion. He got the idea on how it all could work the night Jade phoned the president about her mother acting a fool, and the president came rushing right over. Marcus had expected Dutch to have the Secret Service agent enter the home and check on Sam, not come over himself. That, Marcus thought, would be the quick and easy way to do it.
But Dutch didn’t roll like that. He came himself. He had just come back in town from Finland, had to be dead tired, but he came himself. Marcus now knew why. It was the same reason he called them to the White House this morning. Dutch Harber did not allow anyone, not even the Secret Service, to get involved with his personal family business. The way Marcus saw it Dutch was too arrogant and prideful to even consider allowing someone else to handle it. He always handled it himself. Always.
Marcus was counting on that pride this day. He was counting on Dutch handling personal family affairs himself, to help him to accomplish his goal now, and make his dreams come true.
Marcus met, the day he was given the gun, with Thurston Osgood. He also saw, once more, Henry Osgood seated like lifeless furniture in his wheelchair. Thurston had experts there, his people, who provided Marcus with details on exactly what he had to do. Marcus was then given the gun and all of the accessories. He also received instructions on where the money drop would occur once it was reported, in the media, that the task had been accomplished and the president was dead.
Marcus returned home and began his preparations. He knew this scheme was fraught with risk. What if the president didn’t show up? What if Sam tried some maneuver? She was certainly smart enough to outsmart him. What if Jade figured something out? What if the president had a tail on him wherever he went that he didn’t even know about? It was fraught with risk. But the money, the freedom, that old-fashioned thing called revenge, made it all worth the risk to Marcus.
So he waited for the right time. Day in and day out he waited. Until this morning, at the White House, when all of this talk of Sam taking Jade back to South Carolina, and Dutch attempting to kick him out of Jade’s house too, and Christian catching them doing their thing last night. He knew then, after all of those factors, that today was that right time.
Now he was waiting again. He had a tote bag at his feet, and it was filled with everything he would need. And he waited for Jade to make her appearance.
He didn’t have long to wait. Because sure enough, the door upstairs opened, footsteps were heard on the basement steps, and there was an appearance. Only it wasn’t Jade. It was Sam. And already, he thought, his plan had hit a snag.
He had expected to handle Jade first, so that she could place the phone call, and then quickly go upstairs and deal with Sam. But now he had to improvise.
He was seated in the living room area of the apartment-like basement when Sam made her appearance. He smiled. He knew better than most how to turn on the charm.
“Well, hello there, Miss Redding. What can I do you for?”
“We’re leaving in the morning,” Sam said with no thought of small talk with him. Marcus used to view it as a slight, as some level of disrespect. But over time, after being around her more, he came to realize she was just being Sam. She was blunt with everybody.
“Yeah, I remember you mentioned something about taking Jade back to South Carolina.”
“When do you plan to get out of here?”
Marcus wanted to snap back. Who does this bitch think she’s talking to, he thought. But he smiled instead. “I’ll be out of here today, matter of fact,” he said, rising to his feet. “I just need to get your opinion.” He unzipped his tote bag.
“My opinion?” Sam asked. “On what?”
“On this job offer I’ve been given,” he said as he stood up. “The contract is kind of elaborate. I was hoping you’d take a look at it for me.”
“Don’t you think an attorney would be the better choice?”
“Perhaps,” he said as he bent down and pulled out a roll of duct tape. As soon as he stood back up, he was upon Sam.
“What are you doing?” she yelled, but those were the last words she would be able to yell. Because he quickly taped her mouth with a double bound. She was screaming and fighting vigorously, but all to no effect. He then taped her hands together, and her legs.
That was easy enough, he thought, as he lifted her up and carried her into the small bedroom. He tossed her onto the bed, her small body wiggling like a fish out of water as soon as he dropped her down. He went back into the living room, grabbed his carrying bag, and returned to the bedroom. His bag of goodies included a rope, the duct tape, and a gun.
He began to use that rope, tying Sam’s hands to the bed post and her feet together. Duct taping her mouth twice again just in case her screams could be heard before he had a chance to complete his mission. Because, he knew, his biggest task lay ahead of him.
But not far ahead, he thought, as he heard footsteps on the stairs again, and Jade’s sometimes nauseating voice in the silence.
“Markie, where are you?” she said in that sing-song, valley girl way of hers. How some South Carolina, country-ass girl like her could get a voice like that was a mystery to him. Not that he dwelt on that mystery, however. He didn’t dwell on it at all. He, instead, grabbed his bag of goodies as if it were a bag of his clothes, headed out of the bedroom, and closed the door behind him. Obstacle Number One, Samantha Redding, easily adverted and secured. Now he was face to face with Obstacle Number Two.
“What are you doing?” Jade asked as soon as she saw that tote bag in his hand.
“What do you think?” he moved past her, near the sofa where he planned to put her down.
“Daddy doesn’t own this house. He can’t make you leave.”
“But you’re leaving,” he said, sitting down on the sofa, his tote bag at his feet. “You’re going back to Carolina with your mother.”
“No, I’m not!” Jade said defiantly, moving toward him. “That’s what she thinks I’m doing, but I’m not. I want us to be together.” She sat down, on his lap, wrapped her hands around his neck. “Don’t you want to be with me?”
Marcus smiled. He’d rather have alligators in his bed than her obnoxious ass. “Of course I want to be with you,” he said, smiling that charming smile of his again. “Right now, in fact.”
Jade smiled. “You love doing me, don’t you?”
Marcus reached down, pulled the gun out of his bag. “I do,” he said. “Only this time, I want to add a little spice to your nice.”
“Mom’s upstairs somewhere. She might tipped down here again the way she did last night.”
“And?” Marcus said with a smile. “She’ll enjoy the show, I assure you.” Then he placed the gun at the side of Jade’s head. Jade’s eyes stretched in shock.
“What are you doing, Marcus?” she asked hysterically, her eyes trying desperately to see what it was pressed against her.
Marcus almost smiled. There was nothing he liked about this heifer. “I’m getting what’s mine, babe, that’s all,” he said. “Now you can either cooperate with me, or you can see your brains splattered all over this cute little sofa. And then, it’ll be mama’s turn.”
Tears began to appear in Jade’s eyes. “Mama? My mama?”
“Now if you cooperate, everybody keeps living with their brains intact.” He pressed the gun harder against her. “It’s up to you.”
“Okay!” she said nervously, careful to not set him off. “What-what do you want me to do?”
“Pull out your cell phone.”
“I don’t have it with me. I think I left it at the Residence.”
“Then you’re one dead motherfucker then, because I need you to use your cell phone. Pull it out!” he screamed and Jade quickly pulled it out of the inside flap of the jacket she wore. Marcus knew her too well. He knew exactly where Jade kept that phone of hers.
“Ah, you have some sense after all,” he said when the phone appeared. “Now,” he went on, “I want you to call Daddy.”
Jade’s heart began to pound even harder. “Why?”
“I want you to tell Daddy that Mom’s acting crazy again, and you need him to get over here. Tell him it can’t wait. You need him to come. One thing about your old daddy, he comes when his precious little girl calls. And if you value your life, you’d better make sure he comes this time. So make it convincing, Jade. One false move and I shoot you, the old lady, and your fucking daddy. So don’t fuck this up, girl.” Marcus made sure they made eye contact. “I mean it.”
Jade stared at him, terror in her eyes.
Dutch and Gina were out on the Truman Balcony, sitting side by side in loungers, still decompressing from that meeting this morning, when the phone call came in. Gina sipped juice and listened as Dutch spoke with his daughter. She, undoubtedly, wanted him to come over to her house again. This, Gina feared, was beginning to be a consistent theme. Use any excuse to get him away from Gina and with her and that mother of hers. When he hung up, Gina could tell he knew it, too.
“Let me guess,” she said. “Sam’s supposedly all confused and nutty again, and Jade wants you over there.”
“Bingo,” he said. “Another one of her pathetic ploys to get me and Sam back together.”
Gina smiled. “That’s so ridiculous. Do you truly think Jade believes you’ll just leave me like that?”
“She believes whatever she wants to believe. Forget the reality of the situation. That, perhaps, is what concerns me most about her.”
“You said you were going to hook her up with Dr. Katz.”
“I have. And Dr. Katz has agreed to start seeing her.”
“But she hasn’t agreed?”
“Not yet, no,” Dutch admitted. “She’s certain she’s fine. But yet she goes around screwing Marcus right under her husband’s nose, cowering down to her mother as if she was still some kid terrified of her, and calling me in some twisted ploy to get me away from you.”
“But I still don’t understand it,” Gina said. “Doesn’t she realize that you and her mother had a one-night stand? It wasn’t any great love to begin with.”
“She knows the story. I told it to her. Sam’s told it to her. Repeatedly. Yet she still wants me to leave you and to be with her mother.”
“I think she wants you to leave me, all right,” Gina said carefully, “but I’m not so sure it’s her mot
her she wants you to be with. I suspect, I could be wrong, but I suspect baby girl wants you for herself.”
Dutch’s heart began to pound. Could his daughter be that messed up? He had been urging her to meet with the therapist. He had even offered to sit in on a few sessions with her. But all of his efforts were to no avail. Now he might just have to force the issue. He did it with Gina last year. He might have to do it with Jade.
“Anyway,” he said, refusing to even entertain Gina’s theory, “she insists that I come, and that I come now.”
“But you have to be on Capitol Hill in fifteen minutes. Why didn’t you just tell her that?”
“I started to, but then I realized what good would that do? She’ll just insist that I come after my meeting on the Hill.” He looked at Gina. “I want you to go.”
Gina looked at him. “Me?”
“Yes. I want Jade to realize, once and for all, that you represent me. There’s nothing wrong with Sam. You know it and I know it. Sam will always be Sam. Jade knows it too. So go over there, prove to her that her little attention grabs won’t be grabbing us any longer, check on Sam who, I’m certain, is just fine. And hopefully she’ll get the message.”
“Whether she does or not I do want to talk with Marcus,” Gina said. “I want to see what his plans are. Because Jade, as you know, isn’t hardly going back to no South Carolina with Sam. She is not about to leave her beloved daddy. But I don’t want Marcus there any longer.”
Dutch looked at her. “Were you surprised that he and Jade had hooked up?”
“Goodness, yes. I was stunned. Jade and my brother? It seemed wrong. But then again, after I heard them talk, I realized just how it wasn’t ridiculous at all. They deserve each other to tell you the truth. It’s Chris I’m most concerned about.”
DUTCH AND GINA: THE SINS OF THE FATHERS Page 16
