by A'zayler
“You want me to make love to you?”
Danna nodded.
“Say it.”
“Whose house is this?”
“Mine. Now answer my question.”
“Quay, I want to get in your bed. I don’t want to do it out here on the floor like this.”
Quay’s gold seeped between his juicy lips as he cracked a smile at her. “Aight, but I need you tell me something first.”
Danna raised her eyebrow.
“What happened to you marrying me when I got out?”
“You brought me here.”
“So, had I taken you to the courthouse to marry me, you would have done it?”
Danna nodded again, with no hesitation.
“Why?” Quay’s large hands massaged the dark skin of Danna’s back. He maintained eye contact with her the entire time.
Danna sat pondering her answer for a few seconds, trying to make sure she articulated herself well enough to make him understand her without thinking she was crazy.
“You don’t have to be scared to tell me.”
“I’m not, I just don’t know how to say it.”
“Just say it however you want me to hear it.”
“What if it doesn’t come out right?” The short loc hanging in Quay’s face caught her attention until she grabbed it to ease her nerves.
While she sat in his lap playing with his hair, Quay sat patiently waiting for her to open up to him. Danna could tell by how relaxed he was that he was prepared to wait there until she’d told him what he wanted to hear. Nervous out of her mind, and afraid that it all might blow up in her face, Danna began to bounce her leg. Quay stopped her with an open palm to her thigh.
“If I’m your man Danna, you can’t be afraid to talk to me.”
“But you’re not my man though.”
“I ain’t?” Quay’s voice was calm, but Danna felt the weight of his question.
“I mean, yeah, I guess you can be.”
“Just tell me why you would have married me, we’ll get back to me being your man after I find out why I’m good enough to be your husband.”
Danna snickered at the irony of his statement.
“I would marry you because I know you would take care of me. It’s like ever since we’ve known each other, you’ve always been straight up with me. You never lie, you never rush me, and you never demand more out of me than I can give you. You’re patient with me. The way you study me, and the way you handle me, lets me know that you care about the person that I am. I like that.” She finally released his hair and looked at him. “I need attention because I’m suffering from abandonment issues terribly because of Echo, so I fight men off instead of letting them close to me. Then to add Don onto the pile of insecurities I deal with because of Echo, I can barely believe you like me.” Danna’s hands found the band of Quay’s pants and tugged at it. “I like that you see me, and if you can see me like this when we haven’t even been together, then I can only imagine how you’ll look at me when I’m your wife.”
“So, you trust me, basically?”
“If you want to dumb it down to just that, then yes.”
Quay hugged her to him playfully. “I’m not dumbing it down, baby. I’m just trying to get you to see that our love can be just that simple. We don’t have to complicate it with no bullshit, no lies, or no other people. Just us two.” With her neck held tightly between his two hands, Quay kissed her lips. “So, we getting married or what?”
“I guess. Even though I like Danna Mendoza better than Danna Elijah.”
Quay’s laughter interrupted their intimacy, but she was happy it had because he looked so amazing when he laughed. Just beautiful for no reason at all.
“Danna Elijah sounds fucking amazing. You tripping.”
Danna was still smiling when she leaned forward and grabbed his bottom lip. “Can we have sex now?”
“Yeah, there’s just one more thing I have to tell you.”
“Tell me after you put it in,” Danna’s voice was low and sultry as she fondled with the weighty piece of him that she couldn’t wait to feel. “I’ll listen to you then, right now I’m not listening.”
“Bet,” with one arm around her back and the other pushing himself from the floor, Quay stood to his feet and carried Danna to his bedroom.
The long dark hallway finally ended when he pushed them into his bedroom. Danna’s eyes wanted to roam over everything he’d used as decoration, but couldn’t due to the fact that just the smell of him had her fiending. The entire room smelled like Quay and it was making her fall apart.
“We gon’ get married for real?” Quay asked as he placed Danna softly on the bed and removed the rest of his clothing.
Danna eyed Quay’s nude body before screaming dramatically. “Hell yes I’m marrying you. With dick like that,” Danna rolled her eyes, “just let me have it, Quay. I don’t think I can wait no longer.”
His throaty chuckle vibrated her chest as he laid on top of her. Danna’s legs fell completely open, surrendering to him. With no words spoken, Quay removed the rest of her clothing and tossed them carelessly to the floor. Danna’s body was growing more and more impatient by the second. When she felt Quay at her opening she pushed forward in a hurry to feel him deeper.
“Ah, shit, wait, Danna. Let me get a condom.”
“Married people don’t use condoms.”
“We ain’t married.” He looked at her with the same sexy look she’d been doting over since meeting him.
“And I’m not waiting. So, what’s it going to be?”
Quay looked at her for a little too long for Danna’s liking and it pissed her off. She was all for safe sex, but he was acting like she was nasty, and before she allowed him to insult her, she’d keep her goodies to herself.
Danna sat up on the bed and pushed past him. “Move out my fucking way.”
“Girl, you better lay your ass back down.”
“Nigga no.” Danna fumbled with her panties. “You just tried me.”
Quay snatched Danna to him forcefully before placing a sloppy kiss on her lips. “Ain’t nobody trying your ass, I was just trying to make sure I didn’t get you pregnant, but fuck it. You want a baby by me, then I’ll give your ass one.”
Danna was back on the bed with Quay between her legs within seconds. This time, he didn’t even give her time to change her mind before pushing his way inside. Two loud gasps sounded throughout the room as they connected. Danna’s eyes fluttered while his closed. Yeah, he was her husband. She could feel it. All in the sex. Everything about that immediate connection foretold the rest of her life.
“Fucking Danna!” He grunted loudly.
“Baby,” she moaned as she wrapped her legs around him.
“You ready to listen?”
“Yeah,” Danna barely got out between ragged breathing.
Quay leaned back just enough to look in her eyes. Danna stared back up at him lovingly, even pushing some of his hair from his face.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I’m a Fed.”
Say what? Danna’s smile disappeared. What in the fuck did he just say?
21
The truth behind your lies
Danna sat holding her head in her hands as people swarmed around her in a rush. The room was buzzing with an array of conversations while she did her best to maintain the little bit of sanity she had left. It had been a long day, and from the looks of things, was only going to get longer. It had been a little over an hour since she’d heard the first lie, which led to the second, and the third, and so on.
For the life of her, she couldn’t fathom the amount of betrayal she felt in that moment. The feeling had been so overwhelming that she could hardly believe it was happening. She’d been in the same spot for the past twenty minutes trying, with no success.
“Miss Mendoza,” the redheaded agent called her name.
Danna raised her head, but said nothing.
“I know this may be a lot for yo
u right now, but your cooperation would really help.”
“My cooperation?” Danna scoffed. “What y’all need my cooperation for? It looks to me that you all have been doing just fine without me all of this time, who needs my help all of a sudden?” Danna’s sarcasm gave way to the officer’s discomfort.
She could tell by the way she cleared her throat and fluffed her collar before speaking again. “Don,” she paused and Danna’s eyes closed. “We need you to call him.”
“Call him? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
“Dan,” Quay’s hypnotizing voice captured her attention.
His locs were pulled back into a neat ponytail at the back of his neck while the gold grill that she loved the most was nowhere in sight. A set of perfectly white teeth rested in their place as his thick lips covered them slightly. His eyes were sympathetic as he reached his hand out to her. Danna’s eyes shrank as she squinted them at him in anger.
“Danna.” She corrected him curtly.
Quay licked his lips and Danna rolled her eyes. That sexy bastard. He was the reason she’d been caught slipping and ended up in the mess she was in right then. If she could help it, she would have never allowed the police to corner her.
“Can I speak with you for a second?” Quay asked her properly.
“Oh, you don’t even talk like you’re from the hood anymore.” Danna smacked her lips sarcastically. “Isn’t that something? Different element, different Quay huh? Oh wait, Federal Agent Elijah, right?”
Quay’s chest heaved as his nostrils flared. Danna could tell by the heavy breath he’d just released that he was angry, but she didn’t care at all. She was angry too and would slap the taste from his mouth if she felt it would serve some sort of purpose.
“Excuse us for a minute.” Quay told the redhead before snatching Danna from the sofa by her arm.
Danna fought against him pointlessly because he didn’t release his hold on her arm, nor did he slow his stride. They were outside in his backyard before he stopped moving. The moment she was steady on her feet, Danna snatched her arm away from him and began walking away. Quay caught up with her immediately, grabbing her from behind.
“Get off me, Agent Elijah!”
Before she could utter another word, Quay spun her around so that they were face-to-face. His eyebrows were scrunched together and his face held a scowl.
“Stop this fucking shit. Right now. Just quit it.” He shook her roughly. “I know you’re mad, but you know me better than to think I’m about to let you talk to me any kind of way. Now I’ma give you some time to be angry, but you better get that attitude in check.” Quay shook her once more before letting her go.
The moment he did, Danna’s hand came down hard across the side of his face. “Don’t you dare tell me how to fucking act. All this time I’ve been thinking you were one thing when you’re really another. You’ve been around my family, you know all of our business and shit, I can’t believe you would do this.” Danna cleared her throat to hold back the tears she felt rising.
Quay was so handsome, and she’d really been feeling him. So, to be standing there with him looking the way he looked, smelling the way he smelled, and him not being the person she was used to seeing, was taking her some time to comprehend.
“I’m trying to see who you are right now, Quay. I mean damn! All this shit you’ve been to me and it’s all be a lie. Everything you said, everything we were,” her words trailed off and she had to hold her head down to prevent him from seeing what he’d done to her.
If it was one thing she was tired of, it was niggas lying to her and making her cry. She’d cried enough for ten women and she was over it.
“Danna, everything we were was real to me.” Quay was back in her space and holding her by both of her arms. “My profession was the only lie. Everything else was real, I swear on me it was real.” Quay leaned down some so that he could see her face. “You are real to me. I wasn’t playing about my feelings for you. It’s fucked up on my part because I never meant to fall for you the way I did, but fuck that shit now. I love you and we’re still getting married. You’re not getting away from me this easy.”
Soft sniffles could be heard as Danna did her best to keep quiet. She’d been trying to hide her tears from Quay but he wouldn’t let her. His face was only inches away from hers and he was directly in her space. So close that she could feel his breath on her face.
“The person I was to you, that’s me. All this other shit is just how I make a living. You’re my girl, and that’s what you’re going to stay.” Quay pecked her forehead before leaning back some so that he could wipe her tears away. “We may have met in some crazy ass circumstances, but we met and that’s all that matters to me.”
“Not to me. You lied then, and you’re probably lying now.” Danna tried to pull away but was pulled right back. “You’re flaw, Quay. You’re a liar and I don’t want to do any of this with you anymore.”
“Danna,”
“Don’t call my name, Quay,” Danna stepped back while shaking her head. “You’re just like Don, you just want to use me up for your selfish reasons, not giving a fuck about how I might feel. I’m done. For real this time, I’m done with all of y’all.”
“Don’t say that to me, Danna.” Quay stepped to her and she held her hand up to keep him away. “You can’t do that shit to me.”
“Watch me.” Danna swiped her tears away and nodded her head trying to reassure herself. “I’ma get past this mess with you the same way I got past it with Don.”
There was silence for a while and it almost alarmed Danna, but she forced herself not to care about him or what he thought about her and their situation. It took her a few more moments to stop herself from crying, before she finally lifted her head. When she was able to make eye contact, her chest constricted. Quay was staring at her with glossy eyes.
His bottom lip was tucked between his teeth and he had pulled his hair free of the ponytail. The dark brown eyes that she’d fallen victim to so many times before glared at her.
“So, you’re standing here telling me that we’re not going to be together?” Quay’s arm dropped from his face and fell to his side. “After all of the shit I’ve said to you? You’re really going say that to me?”
“Yes, Quay!” Danna screamed to the top of her lungs. “Look at this shit we’re in. Just look at it.”
“I don’t give a fuck about this, this is nothing.” Quay snatched her to him forcefully and held her tight. “But you,” He grabbed her chin and made her look at him. “You are fucking everything. Now listen, we’re about to go in this house, I’ma put all of them out of here, and it’s just going to be you and me, okay?” Quay kissed her chin, then her nose, both eyes followed. “Let me make this right before you leave me. Just let me do that.”
As always, Danna’s defenses weakened at the first sign of affection. She was doing her best to stand firm but everything in her was making her want to open her heart to Quay. Though his words sounded truthful, that wasn’t enough. They’d sounded that way before.
“I promise, I can make this right. I am who I am. I just have a job that you don’t like, but that’s it. The person I’ve been to you doesn’t change.”
“You’re a snitch.” Danna quipped.
Quay smirked, as did she.
“No, I’m not. I protect snitches.”
Danna rolled her eyes and gave way to her smile. “You’re going to make them leave right now?”
Quay nodded. “Under two conditions.”
“What?”
“One, you have to call Don. It’s important, and two, you have to agree to still marry me.”
“You’re pushing it now.” Danna shook her head. “I’ll call Don, but that marriage part is out of the question. I don’t know what I even think of you right now.”
Quay grabbed her mouth and kissed her sensually. Danna eagerly obliged. They stood kissing for a while, until Quay finally pulled away and smiled at her.
“You
gon’ call Don?”
Danna nodded. “Call him for what? You never told me what’s going on.”
When Quay stepped back, Danna got a tad bit nervous. He was rubbing his chin and looking at the ground as if trying to think of what to do next. She waited in anticipation of what was going to come next. When she couldn’t hold it anymore, she walked over to him and touched his arm softly.
“Is it that bad? I mean I can kind of tell that it’s something because you’re the police, and all of your police friends want me to call him.” Danna licked her lips and ran her hand through her hair. “Then you scooped me from the hotel out of nowhere, so clearly y’all are watching him or something. What’s up?”
“I’m trying to think of an easy way to say this.”
“Just say it. At this point, I don’t see anything surprising me.”
Quay shook his head and some of his hair fell over his shoulder. “Your father is in witness protection.”
Danna’s eyebrows raised in confusion. “Say what now?”
“Your father has been a confidential informant for years now.”
“You’re lying. My daddy isn’t a snitch.”
“He is.”
Her head shook adamantly as she took a seat on the small wooden swing next to her. Quay followed her and pushed the swing some once he sat so that they were rocking back and forth.
“Echo used to be big time in the streets, but once we caught up with his ass, he flipped. It was either do jail time, or make other niggas do it for him, and what do you think he chose?”
The breath left Danna’s body as she sat forward holding her head in her hands. This wasn’t true. It couldn’t be. Her father dealt dope, he didn’t snitch. That wasn’t for people like him. Echo was street through and through. There was no way he was turning on his own people.
Quay’s hand to her back provided enough comfort for her to raise her head again. “I know what you must be thinking, but from what I was told, it wasn’t easy for him. The only reason he agreed to it was to protect and provide for y’all.”
Danna’s misty eyes came to him as she waited with hope.
“Being an informant allows him to carry his name in the streets without ever being found out, while still being with you all sometimes.” Quay shrugged. “I can understand why he did it.”
