Playing With Fire: Loyalty Demolished

by Charlee Renea

  “I know I said some words at dinner tonight that weren’t right and I want to apologize. You did a great job raising Ray.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate the apology, but you should apologize to my wife as well!”

  “I will, but I know she’s sleep by now, and I don’t want to wake her.”

  “There’s always tomorrow.”

  “Okay. How did y’all meet? Y’all seem in love.”

  “Very much in love and we met through a mutual friend.”

  “She’s a good woman, and she’s a lucky woman to have a man like you.” She crossed her legs and stared at him. She thought he was handsome; that was why she considered Lashan to be a lucky woman.

  “Thank you. I’ma leave you in here and head to bed. Good night, Tara.”

  “Okay, Ronald. Sleep well.”

  He ignored the last part and headed to the room to join his beautiful wife, who was lying in the bed sleeping peacefully. He loved Lashan and no other woman could ever take her place.

  Tara was left alone in her thoughts. Every day after her husband was reported missing, she’d cried. She loved that man with all her heart, and he would do anything for her and the children. She wasn’t the same cheerful, happy, spontaneous, and adventurous diva. She thought back to when they went on their first date.

  ~ ~

  He was a man who never failed her and always impressed her. He had set up a candlelight dinner on a boat in California where he was stationed at the time. The moonlight shined off the ocean. He grabbed her hand and kissed it. He always treated her like a queen. The words, ‘I love you!’ were music to her ears.

  ~ ~

  “I miss my king!” she said to herself. She could understand why Chyna was so in love with Ray. Chyna took after her strong affection for a man.

  ~ ~

  Chyna was dressing Junior in a two-piece spider man pajama set when Ray walked in the room. He sat on the bed and started playing with him.

  “Hey, little man!” He rubbed Junior on his head.

  “Daddy!”

  Ray loved hearing him call him that. He was happy to start making an impression on him. He picked him up after he was dressed.

  “You ready for bed?” He shook his head no. “Okay. You can stay up with Daddy.” Junior started smiling.

  “Okay. I’ma go shower while y’all chill,” Chyna said. She grabbed her some night clothes and kissed Junior on the cheek. “Mama loves you!” Junior started laughing.

  “Okay, baby,” Ray told her. “I love you, too!” She looked at him.

  “I love you, too!” She walked out the room and headed to the bathroom.

  Ray played catch with a little basketball with Junior then read him a book until he fell asleep. He was liking fatherhood. His phone started vibrating in his pants pocket. He pulled it out and it was a text message from Bella.

  Bella: Hey, what are you doing?

  Ray: Just finished eating. Chillin with Vin now. What are you doing?

  Bella: Just got in from a date with Jacob.

  Ray: How’s that process going?

  Bella: Good. Getting all the info I need out of him. I called you the other day but no answer. What’s up with that?

  Ray put his phone down when Chyna walked back in the room without texting Bella back. She was looking good in her boy-shorts, crop-top, and round belly. Her real hair was down and Ray loved seeing her wear her own hair. He loved Raymond tatted above her right breast with hearts around it, too.

  “How long’s he been sleep?” she asked, walking over to him and sitting on the bed.

  “Not long; five minutes probably”

  “Aww, I knew he was tired.” She started putting lotion on her legs.

  “Let me do that.”

  “Go shower first and we can do more. I’ll wait on you.” She put the bottle down and he took off to the bathroom.

  Chyna laid Junior on the twin-size mattress lying on the floor covered with a spider man cover and sheets. Ray’s phone started ringing and she saw Bella’s name scroll across the screen. After it finished ringing, she left a voicemail. Chyna had never been the type to go through Ray’s phone, but she was curious about what Bella had said. She peeked her head out the door and the shower water was still running. She walked back over to his phone and went to his voice messages. She listened to the ten-second message.

  “Bae, checking on you. You didn’t text back. I know you’re handling business with Vin. Call me when you can. Bye.”

  Chyna hung the phone up and put it back down. She wasn’t aware of the lie Ray had told Bella. Between Bella and Pebbles, she felt something wasn’t right with either female. She thought Bella had to have sensed Ray was involved with another woman. She’d been in prison for ten years, and Bella couldn’t possibly believe Ray would just be with her. At least that’s what Ray had better believe! She thought, ‘If by any means he’s decided to be with Bella, there is no telling what I’ll do to him!’ She’d been loyal to him for too long for him to play games with her heart.

  He walked into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his body. She missed sucking on his nipples and licking on his six pack. She started smiling then licked her lips. Her body was calling for him.

  “Come here, Daddy.”

  She pointed her index finger at him and motioned for him to come to her. He closed the bedroom door, turned off the lights, and headed her way. Chyna wrapped her arms around his waist and started kissing his stomach.

  “You missed Daddy?”

  She looked up at him with seductive eyes. The streetlight shined through the open window.

  “Yes, very much.”

  He leaned down to kiss her lips, tonguing her down. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him tighter towards her. She didn’t want to let him go. He came up for air and looked into her almond-shaped eyes that stared back at him.

  “I missed you, too, baby.” He grabbed her hand and put it on his beating heart. “There’s no other woman for me. Remember that.”

  She removed the towel and his sausage stood at attention. Chyna missed tasting it. She took him into her mouth, swallowing his long penis.

  “Shit! Damn, baby . . .”

  Going months without her mouth’s pleasure, he hadn’t forgotten how good it felt and it drove him crazy inside. She swallowed all of him as he tilted his head back and closed his eyes. She was doing it so good, he didn’t have to place his hand behind her head.

  She slurped, making a wet mess and slurping sounds. She tried to control herself to keep from waking Junior. She’d missed pleasing him, taking him away from his stress for a few minutes. She went up and down, placing her hands on his thighs. She loved making him moan. She felt him oozing in her mouth. She’d never failed at making him cum more than once.

  He pulled out of her mouth and released the rest of his cream in his hand. He grabbed his shirt off the floor and wiped his hand. He walked over to Junior who was still asleep.

  “Damn, baby, you still have it,” he said, walking over to her and lying on the bed.

  She got on top of him. “Baby, I need to tell you something.”

  He was curious, hoping it wasn’t bad news. His full attention was on her. “What’s up, baby?” He grabbed her hands and held them.

  “Bella called and left a message. I checked it.”

  He was shocked. She’d never gone through his phone or played the jealous role before. He figured it must be the pregnancy.

  “What did she say?” he asked in a calm tone. He wasn’t mad about it because he had nothing to hide.

  “Just checking on you and figured you were busy with Vin.”

  “Oh, okay; just hoping it wasn’t about the job.”

  “Naw; are you angry?”

  “No. I don’t have anything to hide and I’m not leaving you. For anybody!” He rolled her on her back. “Can I taste it?”

  He reached at her boy-shorts and started pulling them down before she could answer. This was his treasure and
he had the right to please it. He threw her shorts on the floor and looked at her. Her eyes are closed as she waited for his tongue. He started kissing on her thighs and around her G-spot as he teased her.

  “Stop playing, Daddy, and give it to me,” she said, putting her hand behind his head and pushing him into her. He licked then sucked, making her legs shake.

  “Aw . . . yesssss, Daddy . . . mmmmm . . . feels soooo gooood . . . yesss!”

  Her belly was hiding her sex face. He kept pleasing her, bringing her to a climax. He swallowed every drop of her. When he came up, her eyes were still closed. He kissed her belly then her lips. She kissed back.

  “I need it, baby,” she said between kisses.

  She rolled over on her side, ready for him to enter. Her warm, wet, and tight insides felt good to him as he took his time, stroking slowly.

  “Yesssss . . . mmmmm . . . Daddy . . . yessss, like that!”

  She threw it back, rotating her hips some. She’d missed all eight inches of his love stroke. He sped up some but was still gentle.

  “Damn, girl, I love it! I love you.”

  She creamed on him and it drove him crazy. He tried to hold it but it was at the tip. He pumped some more until he lost it. He pulled out and shot on her backside. Their lovemaking was magic and fire to him.

  After they cleaned themselves up, they lay in the bed talking. He had a back-up plan in case something went wrong regarding him not coming back home.

  “Babe, I have something for you,” he said, sitting up. He climbed out the bed and went to the closet where his bag was. Chyna watched as he pulled out a safe and walked back to her. She was curious.

  “What’s that, babe?” she asked and he sat back down.

  “This is for you, for y’all. For security and to know y’all will be good.”

  “What are you saying?”

  His words were starting to scare her. He didn’t want her to worry but he had no choice and didn’t want to risk the possibility of leaving her with nothing.

  “Babe, don’t worry, please. Um, here’s the combination.”

  He handed her a piece of paper with the combination written on it. He hadn’t wanted to tell her there might be a possibility he wouldn’t make it back, but he didn’t want her to worry.

  “It’s hard for me not to!”

  She looked at the numbers and held her hand to her chest as her heart beat fast from the thought of him maybe not returning. What other reason would he give her this safe?

  “Babe, don’t worry. I’ve got us, I promised. I’m going to text you when I know the day of the job. Don’t open the safe until three days later.”

  He grabbed her and held her tight. He knew what he was doing was right. He knew the type of woman Bella was and she wasn’t going let him go that easy.

  ~ ~

  The next morning, Ray told everyone bye and Chyna drove him to the airport.

  “Remember, baby, I’m coming back!” He kissed her forehead then kissed Junior on the forehead. “I love y’all.”

  “We love you, too, baby, and we’ll be here waiting for you.” He kissed her stomach, back up to her lips.

  Chyna and Junior watched him walk off and waved at him. Ray looked back and blew them kisses.

  . . . 9

  Arriving in L.A. . . .

  The sunny weather of Los Angeles was feeling great as the palm trees blew in the wind. People were enjoying themselves at the beach playing in the sand and ocean. Drinks were being poured and blunts were being smoked inside the Hilton room as the crew was being seated, waiting for the meeting to start. Vin, Bella’s son Robert, her sister Arabella, and Ray waited for Boss and Bella to arrive. Ray was feeling a little nervous about seeing Bella because he’d ignored her calls and texts. He was hoping she would understand he’d been busy.

  Bella and Boss were sitting in the car having a brief conversation. She wanted to get off her chest what had been bothering her. Ray had been standoffish, which made having a conversation with him impossible. It wasn't like this before. They could talk about any and everything before. Things had started to change the last four years she was in prison. She’d thought every day, this would be the day he decided to leave. Mentally, he had, but physically, he was still around. There was only one reason he was still around and that was the money, she figured. Without her, she knew Ray couldn’t make it. She was at the top of the game and could easily have nobody supplying him with work. So, she thought, if he knew better, he’d leave the trash alone and stay with a boss bitch. She had a plan for him though and he would be surprised when it unfolded.

  “What’s on your mind, pretty?” her father asked her.

  “I ran into Chris in Vegas and he wants in on the money! He threatened to break my cover and tell Jacob who I really was.”

  “How the fuck does he know about the drop?”

  “He’s been planning to hit up the truck for a while and he isn’t gon let us get between that.”

  “Fuck! So now we have to have him handled! He isn’t fucking up our money!”

  “Or give him what he wants! He’s a Fed and can easily help us out.”

  “I wasn’t trying to break him off. We’re already splitting the money a lot of ways.”

  “It can be done! Just knock somebody else’s cut off who’s in the crew! He isn’t loyal to us anyway.” Bella had decided to come clean with her father.

  “What are you talking about, Isabella?”

  “Ray! Ray isn’t loyal to us, so he doesn’t deserve a cut! He’s using us for the money.”

  “How do you figure? Is there something you’ve been keeping from me? We can’t just knock him off like that!”

  Bella was tired of keeping everything in. “He’s fucking Chyna! I hired a private investigator!”

  Boss had had a feeling something was going on between those two. He just never had the proof; if he had, he would have been let Ray go to keep his daughter from getting hurt. He understood Ray was a man with needs and he wasn’t going to go years without sexual contact, but lying about Chyna’s whereabouts was crossing the line.

  “Baby girl, don’t worry! I’ll think of a plan,” he assured her.

  “So, what about Chris? Are you letting him in?”

  “I don’t know just yet. I’ll figure something out. Let’s go have this meeting!”

  Bella and Boss walked into the double hotel room and greeted everyone. Bella wouldn’t look Ray’s way because she knew he was up to no-good.

  “Thank you all for coming and wanting to be a part of the team. We’re really going make this happen and we’ll be sitting with stacks in our pockets,” Boss said, smiling.

  “It’s a pleasure you having us here!” Vin responded back.

  “Okay, I have the inside scoop on the job’s schedule, and the ins and outs,” Bella said. “Jacob is a wealthy man who’s gullible and very friendly. He managed to tell me the billion-dollar drop will be Friday, and I could ride with him any day I want. I did just that, and learned he and his partner are no match. We can take them down quickly!”

  “That’s what’s up! What’s the plan?” Vin asked.

  “I’ma ride with him on that day, and when we get to a secure location, I will text y’all where we are so we can take them down!”

  Everyone was liking the plan. Bella had it figured out, and hopefully, everything would go as planned. When the meeting was over, Bella was ready to chat with Ray in private. She wanted to know what lie he was going to come up with. She’d called and texted his phone to see if he would answer but he hadn’t. She was confused and wondered why he couldn’t keep what they’d built up for nine years with honesty.

  After the meeting was over, they headed to their personal room. Bella was quiet and that wasn’t her. He was use to her starting a conversation. She sat on the bed, slid off her red-bottom heels, and started rubbing her pretty, manicured feet.

  “Would you like me to massage them for you?” he asked, standing in front of her shirtless. She couldn’t
keep her eyes off his six pack.

  “Sure.”

  He sat on the bed and grabbed her right foot. He sensed her attitude.

  “What’s wrong, baby?” he asked her. ‘She must be nervous about the job,’ he thought.

  “What’s going on?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “With us, Ray! You leave on these 'business trips', but I’m not understanding them!”

  “Baby, I have to make sure my family is good. We’re talking about a serious job, and I can’t just up and vanish.”

  “Your parents are in New Jersey. Why do you keep going to ‘Kansas City’?” She did the quote thing with her fingers.

  “Baby, they’re back in Kansas City. That’s why I’ve been going back and forth, to make sure they’re good.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. Now stop tripping and let’s focus on this job.” He leaned in to kiss her.

  ‘So this nigga’s going to lie to my face? I got him!’

  She smiled back, pretending she believed his lying, deceiving, careless self. If he thought he was going to play her, she’d have to prove him wrong. She’d been in the game too long; she knew the fake from the real and how to play her part.