Shawn grabbed at each side of her panties and ripped them off. Having her panties ripped off of her only turned her on more. With no underwear on, she could feel her clit rubbing against his bare skin. She began to do her Kegels so he could feel her pussy walls tightening on him. He pulled her in closer so he could reach his arms around her and take her bra off. He quickly found the clasp, unfastened it, and threw the bra across the room. Izzy didn’t miss a beat and kept doing what she was doing. With her titties out, she started bouncing on him harder. She loved the way her breasts felt as they went up and down while she was fucking.
“You missed this pussy, daddy?” she asked him as she rode him.
“Yeah, I missed it,” Shawn replied. He loved the way she looked when she was riding him. With her thick thighs straddled around his legs, her tiny waist, and big ass, she could pass for a porn star. She had small B-cup breasts, but they were perfectly round and firm. Her nipples looked like small little Hershey’s Kisses and tasted just as good, too. Shawn had always been more of an ass man, so her having small titties didn’t matter much to him. Izzy began to pick up the pace, and Shawn felt himself about to explode.
“Izzy, I’m about to cum.” Izzy didn’t stop and kept going faster and faster until Shawn exploded inside of her. She stopped and just stayed sitting on him with his penis still resting within her. She could feel his piece pulsing inside of her. She felt fulfilled that she had been able to satisfy her man.
After a few minutes of sitting in silence, she got off him and went to the bathroom to grab him a washrag to clean himself off with. While he did that, she decided to freshen herself up. There was a lot of catching up to do between them so she figured she’d take a shower, and run to the grocery store to pick up something to make for dinner.
It felt great to be back home and with the love of her life again. Now they could get on with their lives and soon get married like Shawn had promised. She took her shower and made her way to the bedroom. When she opened the top drawer of her dresser, her heart dropped. None of her things were in there anymore. There were women’s items in the drawer, but none of it belonged to her. The deodorant brand was not the type that she used, and there were Victoria’s Secret lotions and spray bottles that she had never purchased.
“Shawn!” she yelled out as she ran into the living room where a naked Shawn seemed to be waking up from a nap. “Whose stuff is in my drawer?”
Shawn had dozed off after busting his nut and didn’t realize that Izzy had gone off to take a shower. “Oh, that’s Laura’s stuff,” he replied nonchalantly.
“Laura? Who the fuck is Laura, Shawn?” Izzy asked with an attitude.
“Now you just wait one motherfucking minute. Watch who the fuck you talking to,” Shawn snapped.
Izzy immediately changed her tone. Yes, she was mad and upset that another woman’s things were in her drawer, but she also knew better than to get Shawn mad. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to come at you like that. But who is Laura and why are her things in my drawer?” she asked as nicely as she possibly could.
“That’s my girl.”
“Your girl as in what?”
“My girl as in my girlfriend.” Shawn spoke to her like she was stupid.
“Your girlfriend?” Izzy felt like someone had just poured hot water over her head. Her heart dropped, and she felt like she was about to have a panic attack.
“Yes, my fucking girlfriend. What? You thought I was just gonna sit here and wait for you to come back this whole time?” Shawn came at her with an attitude. “A nigga got needs and shit that needs to be taken care of. My food needs to be cooked, my house needs to be kept clean, and my clothes need be washed,” he stated while grabbing at his finger with each demand as if he was counting.
“But, I thought you loved me. How could you move somebody else into our house like that, Shawn?” Izzy was in complete disbelief of what he had just told her.
“Our house?” Shawn started laughing a maniacal laugh. “This is my fucking house and nobody else’s. Your bitch ass must still be having mental problems if you thing this was ever our house. I let you live here for a little bit, but this was never your house.”
Izzy had no words after hearing what Shawn was saying to her. Her heart felt like it had been broken into a million pieces. All the beatings and rapes that she had endured at Rollins would never amount to the pain she was feeling right now after hearing that Shawn had moved on and had somebody else.
“Listen, Izzy, it was good while it lasted but it’s over,” he said to a Izzy as she stood there wrapped in a towel.
Izzy was so far gone in her mind. She just stood there staring at the wall in front of her.
“Yo! Earth to Izzy!” Shawn snapped his fingers in front of her to try to get her to snap back to reality.
Izzy’s eyes filled with tears and she finally reacted and looked over at him. “I don’t understand. We just made love and you told me you missed me,” she reasoned with him.
“Nah, baby girl. I told you I missed that pussy. And I did, which is why I wanted to feel it one more time. Now that I did, it’s time for you and that pussy of yours to get the fuck outta my house.”
“But I have no place else to go, Shawn. You know you’re all I have,” she cried to him.
“Well, you shoulda thought about that before you decided to get yourself hurt and sent up to Rollins for a year.” Shawn looked over at a crying Izzy and felt a pang of sympathy for her. “A’ight, I’ll tell you what. Laura doesn’t get home until close to five in the evening. You can put on one of her outfits so you could get fresh and I’ma let you stay here until four o’clock today. That oughta give you enough time to figure out what your next move is. But, after that, you gots to go.” With that, Shawn walked out of the room and left Izzy standing there looking confused and heartbroken.
Chapter 9
“I like what you’ve done with the place. Nobody would have ever guessed from the outside that this shit was decorated like an expensive penthouse inside,” Tiana complimented as she whirled around taking in the beautiful dark ebony hardwood floors, the plush Italian leather furniture, the ultra modern barstools, Art Deco artwork on the walls, and the huge flat-screen televisions that gave the place a sports lounge feel.
“A real bachelor’s pad,” Tiana followed up, picking up a glass-encased autographed Derek Jeter baseball that had to be worth a good bit of money.
“You know how I do, baby.” Drake smiled, winking at her. “The streets have showed me mad love.” He opened his arms wide. “And I show those motherfuckers love right back.”
“Where can I put my bags for now?” Tiana asked, holding up the bags of clothes she was carrying from their shopping adventure at the mall.
“You can put them right in the guest room. It’s down the hall to the left,” he said, pointing down the hall.
“Listen, I really appreciate you taking me out and hooking me up today. Promise I’ll get you back as soon as I’m up on my feet.”
“Tiana, stop it. You know I ain’t looking to get nothing back from you. Shit, I owe you two birthdays from the last two years that you ain’t been around so consider it super-late gifts.”
“Thanks, Drake. You’re the best,” Tiana said as she leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.
A few seconds of silence passed between them before Tiana walked down the hallway to put her things away. As she made her way back to the living area, Tiana thought it was best to stop beating around the bush and let Drake know this wasn’t just a pleasure visit.
“Yo, Drake, I need your help.” Tiana sighed, flopping down on the dark chocolate leather recliner. “I didn’t come here to see you just to say what’s up.” She figured getting to the point was the best way to get what she needed as fast as possible.
“A’ight. What’s really good then? Anything for you, ma.”
“I hate to ask, but as soon as I am on my feet I will repay you—” Tiana started.
“C’mon with that
bullshit, man. We don’t even roll like that. From Now & Laters and quarter waters to visits up north and psych hospitals, we always had each other’s backs. What’s mine is yours, you already know,” Drake cut her off.
Tiana parted a warm smile. The love she felt for Drake hung in the air like an iridescent cloud in one of those fairytale books.
“Well, I got some things I need to take care of and some people I need to see,” Tiana said seriously. “Everybody thought when my father got murked shit was over. I was locked away against my will, and nobody knows I’m out yet, but they will all know soon enough. I will not be able to rest until I get my payback. You know better than anybody how much my father cared about his people. He did his dirt, but it was all business. He took care of his own.”
“A’ight, I’m here to help you in any way I can,” Drake said, moving to the edge of the couch to show his interest in what she was saying. “Marquez was my hero, so anything I can do to help you, I’m down.”
“Well, the first thing I need to do is to locate some people,” Tiana said, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. “I know you got connects everywhere, so this shouldn’t be that hard for you to figure out.”
Tiana had had a lot of time to kill at Rollins and had meticulously created her list. She and Celeste had each created their list of people they wanted to get their revenge on. Izzy hadn’t made one because she said she didn’t have any people she needed to get back at. But Tiana and Celeste were on a mission to get their revenge on people. They sat together during their time at Rollins and went on and on about how, when they got out, they were going to get all these people back for wronging them. Tiana wasn’t sure if Celeste was serious about her plans, but Tiana’s was a real hit list, and she had every intention of going out and killing these people.
Drake examined the paper Tiana had handed him. It contained two lists of names: one column had stars next to the names, and others had Xs next to them. Drake squinted and read the names silently. The names with the Xs next to them he recognized. He blanched and reared back in his seat with his lips pressed tightly together.
“What? Why the look?” Tiana asked him.
“That’s a heavy-ass list right there,” Drake warned, gazing at Tiana seriously. “You got some pretty dangerous motherfuckers on there. Even people I don’t fuck around with, Tiana,” he said, shaking his head from left to right while rubbing his chin.
“Yeah, all of the same motherfuckers who set my father up and had him killed,” Tiana said with her teeth gritted, her jaw rocking. “I’m not scared of them. They won’t even know I’m coming. I’m not asking you to get your hands dirty. Just help me behind the scenes, Drake. I need addresses, hang-out spots, anything you can find out. The other list should be easy. These people all grew up around here in Flint so I know your ID connects and shit like that can easily find their home addresses.”
Drake blew out an exasperated breath. There was no use in arguing with Tiana because she was the most stubborn person he knew. “A’ight, Tee, where you want to start at?” Drake huffed, biting his bottom lip. “The lames or the street cats?”
“First, I need a place to lie low. I can’t stay here because I don’t want to bring unwanted attention to you and your shit. I know you got a few properties around BK. Anyplace will do. Shit, I don’t care if it’s a hole in the fucking wall as long as I can lock the door when I rest my head at night. I also need a few burner phones. The one and done types. I don’t need money; I’ll make my own once I get my feet wet,” Tiana rambled, speaking like a real businesswoman.
“Oh. All of that I can help you with,” Drake replied, flicking his lighter to light the end of his cigarette. Tiana knew Drake only smoked cigarettes when he had shit on his mind or he was nervous about something; other than that, his thing was two or three blunts of sour a day. “I got you. Whatever you need, I’m here. But, before we start getting down to business and revenge plots and shit, first, amiga, we need to celebrate your spoiled ass being home,” Drake joked, walking back over to Tiana and placing a bottle of Luc Belaire Rare Rosé on the table in front of her. She smiled and nodded her agreement. She wasn’t a big drinker but, after everything she’d been through, it was a welcomed vice.
“Hell, yeah, I could use a fucking drink,” Tiana cheered, raising her hands and clapping. “If you only knew, Drake,” she mumbled, leaning forward, picking up her glass and taking it to the head. “If you only fucking knew.”
* * *
The next day, Drake stopped his smoke gray Audi A6 in front of the old, rickety wrought-iron gates that surrounded what used to be a beautiful palatial house in Grand Blanc just fifteen minutes out of downtown Flint. He turned down the music in the car, and he and Tiana stared out of the window.
“Gotdamn.” Drake sucked in his breath at the sight in front of them. It was a sharp reminder of the tragic story of the Caldoron family. Tiana herself belched out a sob and clasped her hand over her mouth. It was all she could do to keep from screaming as she took in an eyeful of what used to be a place she associated with love and the good life. She stared at the disaster she used to call home, now reduced to looking like a haunted house from a bad scary movie. Dark green and brown ivy vines snaked over the dirty tan bricks choking off the beauty of the home’s custom masonry. The windows were tinted with layers of dirt and the earth’s elements; the tall, faded white columns that at one time had made the house look so grand now bore top-to-bottom cracks and were pockmarked with bullet holes.
“I can’t believe she let all of his hard work crumble to shit. She just moved on like he never fucking existed,” Tiana said through clenched teeth, swiping roughly at her angry tears. “She didn’t even try to put the pieces of our lives back together. That bitch wanted to get rid of all of us.”
“Your stepmother will get what’s coming to her,” Drake comforted her. “Your father loved you, and he was proud of you.”
Tiana swallowed hard and shook her head, mad at herself that she let these tidal waves of emotions drown her. She tried to keep her memories of her father to a minimum, for fear that they would somehow fade away if she overused them, but being at the house, she couldn’t help think about him.
Marquez Caldoron was so proud the day he’d brought Tiana and her stepmother to the house for the first time.
“All of this for mi familia,” he said after he’d given them the signal to remove their blindfolds.
Moving his family out of Flint to a 3,000-square-foot house that sat on half an acre had been a big deal for Marquez. The house was bigger than any Tiana had ever seen in her life. Her mouth dropped open at the sight.
When she first stepped out of her father’s car Tiana was blown away by the tall pedestal fixtures on each side in front of the front door walkway. She had to tilt her head all the way back as she looked up at the soaring ceiling in the entryway. She couldn’t believe that there was a window on the ceiling. Her dad chuckled at the sight of how excited his daughter was and then explained to her that it was called a skylight. Tiana was fifteen when they moved out there. It was surely a big difference from the small apartment Tiana had grown up in.
When the family walked throughout the house for the first time they stared wide-eyed at their new home. Marquez had already had it fully furnished with the finest imported Italian furnishings. Tiana raced up to her room, and when she stepped inside, she was amazed that her father had paid to have all of her track medals encased in a gold-trimmed shadow box.
Track was something Tiana loved to do. She had been running since she was ten and, from her very first meet, the coaches told her she was a natural-born runner. Over the years she had won many competitions and had accumulated a good amount of trophies and medals.
“I’m proud of you, mija. Always proud of you. No matter what you choose to do in life, your papi will always be proud of you,” her father said from her doorway.
Now, the house looked like it hadn’t been lived in for over twenty years, yet Tiana and her family lived ther
e up until her father’s murder a year and a half before. Tiana still thought about how strange it was that her stepmother hadn’t been home when her father’s rivals sprayed the house full of bullets, killing her father. The family was always together but, that day, her stepmother insisted on running out to a Redbox to rent a movie for all of them to watch. At twenty-two years old, Tiana rarely spent time with her dad and stepmom to do movie nights, so she wasn’t planning on watching with them. And her stepmother never cared enough to spend “family time” with her and her father.
Tiana was in her room on the second level when everything happened. She heard glass breaking and what sounded like firecrackers. At first she didn’t understand what was going on. She assumed the noise was coming from a TV downstairs. But when she heard voices coming from outside, she ran toward her window that overlooked the front of the house and got there just in time to see two guys falling back to the front and rear passenger’s seats of a car, each with guns in their hands. The black sedan burned its tires as it peeled out and raced down the street, disappearing into the night. Tiana ran downstairs and found her dad face down on the living room floor. He had been shot multiple times and was gone by the time she got to him.
She regretted everything about that day. She often wondered how things would’ve turned out if she had done things differently that day. Her father had called her earlier on that day and invited her to go out to dinner with him. She turned him down because she had plans to go to the mall with Drake to pick up some sneakers. When she got home that night, she ran straight upstairs to her room without saying a word to him. She had been so excited to pick out an outfit to wear with her newest Jordans the next day that she hadn’t even bothered to say hello or kiss her father good night, taking for granted she would see him the next morning.
When Tiana’s stepmother returned home to the news that their house had been shot up and her husband had been killed, she screamed and wailed while the cops and paramedics were there. When everyone had gone, though, she went upstairs to shower and seemed calm and cool as a cucumber.
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