Beginning of an Eclipse (SIN CITY HEAT SERIES PREQUEL)

by K, S

  Darrell’s cat-like eyes squinted as he allowed his gaze to sweep over her frame in the body hugging dress. “Where’s your boy?”

  Jade twisted her mouth to the side and smirked. “Why? Scared?”

  Darrell laughed. Hell, he was far from scared. He could take care of himself with no problem. Rakeem only had beef with him because he knew Jade was all up on his dick. Darrell also knew she got off on the fact that he didn’t back down from Rakeem like everybody else did. However, as he said, he didn’t know if he was in the mood for the drama messing around with her could bring. He lifted a brow when she stepped forward and grasped his crotch.

  Then again…

  “Why should I be scared? I’m not the one who has to answer to anybody.”

  “I don’t answer to Rakeem,” she lied. “And anyway, he’s out of town on business for the weekend. What he don’t know won’t hurt him. But I don’t wanna talk about him,” she whispered. “I know you want it. And I wanna give it to you.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Darrell saw Marcus standing across the room frowning in their direction. Marcus had told Darrell that he was playing with fire even thinking about going there with Jade. He was probably right, but what the hell? They had decided to leave Philly in a couple of days anyway. Nothing was happening for them here and it was time for a change, so fuck it.

  Darrell finished the last swallow of his beer and placed the bottle on the bar. “Let’s go.”

  Jade smiled in anticipation as she led the way to the exit. Darrell sent Marcus a nod to let him know he was leaving, ignoring the warning glimmering in Marcus’ eye. Once they were outside, Jade handed him the keys to the sports car Rakeem had bought for her and smiled when he opened her door. As Darrell walked around to the driver’s side and got in, his eyes fell to Jade’s thick thighs as she crossed her legs and leaned towards him.

  Neither one of them noticed the dark sedan following them from a safe distance when they pulled off.

  Jade’s eyes rolled towards the back of her head as she yelled out Darrell’s name. She didn’t care that the thin walls enabled the neighbors to hear every single thing going on inside the tiny bedroom, nor did she care that her cell phone had been blowing up like crazy. Fuck Rakeem! She’d deal with his ass later. Right now she had her hands full trying to keep up with this muthafucka!

  She had never, ever been fucked this good and planned on enjoying every minute of it. Jade had heard he was the shit, but damn! She closed her eyes and winced as Darrell filled her up with ten plus inches of filet mignon - that top grade shit.

  “This how you wanted it, right? Don't tell me you was more talk than action…”

  Jade took in the cocky expression on Darrell’s face. He was one arrogant son of a bitch. Just as she was getting ready to verbalize that sentiment, he pulled her arms above her head and held both wrists in one hand as he moved his dick deeper and tapped a spot she hadn’t even known was there.

  “Oh…! Oh, yeah! Right there, baby. Shit…!” She held on tight as another orgasm slammed into her with the force of an earthquake. They had been going at it for almost forty-five minutes and Darrell showed no signs of slowing down.

  Before Jade could catch her breath, he flipped her over on her hands and knees and started gutting with long, deep strokes. Her heart was pounding from the mind blowing fuck Darrell was giving her. His groan rumbled from his throat when she threw her ass back and matched him stroke for stroke.

  “Mmm. That’s what I’m talkin’ about. You wanted this dick...fuck it like you want it.” Darrell clasped his hands behind his head, watching her rhythmically bounce up and down his shaft.

  “I told you it was gonna be good, baby. You like it? You like it, Daddy?” Darrell mumbled under his breath and tried his best to tune her out. He wasn’t here to hold a fucking discussion.

  To quiet her incessant chatter, he grabbed her luscious hips and drilled into her at a fast and furious pace. Jade made so much noise that his neighbor banged on the wall and shouted in a gruff voice for them to quiet down. Ignoring him, Darrell grabbed Jade’s hair and made her scream even louder as he continued to work her out. Just for the hell of it, he asked her who it belonged to.

  “You, baby! This is your pussy, Darrell…!”

  As she came again, Darrell felt his own satisfaction approaching, and after a few more strokes, exploded right along with her. He held Jade’s hips steady while he emptied the last of his seed into the condom before slowly pulling out. Without a word, he got up and went to the bathroom, leaving Jade twitching and softly calling out his name. When he came back, she watched him step into his boxers. His abs flexed when he moved and were cut and defined from the constant sit-ups he did, and the sight of his thick thighs and tight butt had Jade getting aroused all over again.

  “So you really moving to Las Vegas?”

  Already anxious for her to leave, Darrell reached for his jeans before muttering a reply. “Yeah. Ain’t nothin’ to stick around here for.”

  “I’ve always wanted to see Vegas. Seems like such a glamorous city, almost like New York; a city that never sleeps.” Darrell shrugged and didn’t comment. Jade sat up on her knees and gnawed on the inner corner of her lip. “Maybe I could go with you…”

  Darrell paused in the act of pulling his shirt over his head. “Come again?”

  “To Vegas. It would be fun. You don’t have a girlfriend and it‘s not like Rakeem is a prize.” She’d been with Rakeem for the last five years. Yes, he gave her gifts and kept money in her pocket, but that all came with a price - a price she was getting tired of paying.

  Before she even finished the sentence Darrell shook his head. Was she fuckin’ crazy? “Uh, look, I think it’s time for you to leave. I gotta few things I need to take care of, so…”

  “You kicking me out?!” Jade tried to hide her surprise. She knew a lot of dude’s wanted to get with her but didn’t dare step in her direction because of Rakeem. Darrell was different. She had deliberately gone out to the club looking for him tonight since Rakeem was out of town. After sitting at the table with her girls and waiting on him to approach her, she finally swallowed her pride and went to him; she had wanted him just that bad.

  “Not kickin’ you out, ma, but ain’t ya man gon’ be checkin’ for you?” Darrell’s expression was clearly one of unconcern.

  Jade lay back and spread her legs with the sole intention of seducing Darrell back into bed. “Let me worry about him. If you won’t take me with you, the least you can do is give me something to remember you by one last time.”

  Darrell smiled as his eyes slid down her body and followed her fingers which slipped inside her moist opening. Now that, he could definitely do.

  Darrell walked into the kitchen the next morning and glanced over at Marcus, who was on the computer. “Sup,” he mumbled.

  Marcus sat back and folded his arms. “Well?”

  Darrell looked at him through blurry eyes. He’d never been a morning person and wasn’t in the mood for conversation. “Well what….?”

  “Was she worth getting a hit put out on your ass?”

  “Man, please. It ain’t that serious. Rakeem should know by now you can’t turn a ho’ into a housewife. Ain’t my fault he can’t control his girl.”

  “Why would you fuck with that crazy muthafucka’s woman? Darrell sometimes, it‘s like you go lookin’ for trouble.”

  “Marcus, save the lecture, a’ight? It ain’t a big deal. We leavin’ in a coupla days, anyway. Rakeem is Jade’s problem, not mine. She just better hope she calls out the right name next time he‘s all up in that,” Darrell chuckled.

  They were silent for a moment before Marcus changed the subject and broached the one problem he knew Darrell had been avoiding. “So you gonna see Tina before we leave?”

  Darrell’s body tensed as he leaned back against the counter. For reasons he didn’t want to think about, he’d tracked his mother down a couple of years ago, but hadn’t made an attempt to see her until recently. I
t had been a disaster, just like he’d known it would be. Darrell smothered the hurt which threatened to surface and spill over at the callous way she’d treated him. Like he was a stranger…a stranger she had no desire to get to know. But what else had he expected. She’d abandoned him once. He had no one to blame but himself for the rejection he’d suffered at her hands yet again. Tina had remarried and started a new family - a family that didn’t include him. The only bright spot had been getting to meet his little sister, Gabriel, or Gabby as she’d instructed him to call her.

  A rueful smile crossed Darrell’s mouth. He hadn’t known how he would feel about seeing her, but his heart melted the moment Gabby opened the door and looked up at him with gray eyes the same color as his. He’d resolved to put Tina out of his mind once and for all, but he’d keep the memory of his little sister safe in a compartment of his heart that he could pull out every now and then to remind him that there was at least somebody in this world who he just might be able to call his family one day.

  Bringing Marcus back into focus, he shook his head. “Nah. Ain’t no need for that. That chapter is closed for good.”

  Marcus watched Darrell walk out of the kitchen before turning back to his computer. Again, he thought about Darrell’s involvement with Jade and tried to convince himself he was overreacting, but somehow, he knew this wouldn’t be the end of things with Rakeem.

  Sighing, he went back to finishing up the school assignment he’d been working on to get his GED. The sooner they got the hell outta Philly, the better.

  Chapter 3

  Las Vegas, Nevada

  Darrell gaze darted around at the five-star restaurant where he’d been working for the last three months. It wasn’t what he’d planned for himself when he got to Vegas, but he had to make money some kind of way. Legally, that is.

  It hadn’t been too hard for Marcus to find a decent job. He’d always been good with computers and had been hired to work at one of the casinos in security while he took classes online. He eventually wanted to get his degree and go to medical school. As smart as he was, Darrell knew it definitely wasn’t out of the realm of possibility but he didn’t have the patience for school. He wanted to enjoy his life now, not four or five years down the line after he got a piece of paper in his hand.

  For the moment, he had to do whatever was needed to make ends meet, so he resignedly exhaled and walked back to the kitchen to pick up the tray of food for the private party he was working. The tips were decent enough, especially for functions like the one tonight. Yeah, it was a living - but it wasn’t good enough.

  “Monroe, get a move on, they’re waiting.”

  “Kiss my ass,” Darrell muttered under his breath. Jerry, the head waiter, had obviously let a little responsibility go to his head. The wait staff barely tolerated him and called him ‘Jerry the Fairy’ behind his back.

  Hearing Darrell’s incoherent utterance, the other man abruptly screeched to a halt and glared at Darrell through squinty eyes behind the thick, coke bottle like lenses of his bifocals. “What did you say?”

  Darrell looked at Jerry’s pale, round face and noticed how the corner of his left eye jumped in agitation. From past experience, he knew it meant Jerry was upset, but Darrell didn’t give a damn. Jerry reminded him of a gnat that annoyingly buzzed around in the air, irritating everyone it came in contact with. He couldn’t stand Jerry, and Jerry knew it. They’d butted heads on several occasions, and Darrell was this close from cursing him out and gettin’ ghost. However, he needed this job right now, so he picked up the plates of food and left out of the kitchen without a word.

  Entering the private dining area, Darrell's eyes immediately found the woman who’d caught his attention earlier on in the evening. They’d been watching one another all night. As he served the plates of food to the other guests, he felt her eyes tracking his every step. Darrell glanced at her as he picked up another plate from the tray. The corner of his lips lifted in a smile of pure youthful arrogance when he saw her eyes slowly skim over him. Setting the dish down in front of her, he leaned in a little closer.

  “Is there anything you’d like me to do for you?” He whispered the provocative words in her ear, inhaling the soft, subtly sexy fragrance she wore.

  “What’s your name again?” she asked.

  “Darrell.”

  His eyes slid over the woman’s face. Now that he’d seen her close up, she was older than he’d originally thought, possibly late thirties, but she wore her age well. As his eyes dropped to her lips, he quickly clarified that thought; she wore it damned well. From what he could see of her body, everything was right, tight, and ready to be serviced - he had just the right tools to tune her up and make her purr. She was tall and a bit slimmer than he cared for, but there was a hidden sensuality about her delicate features that he found very attractive. Her cinnamon colored skin was smooth and unlined, and she wore her dark hair pulled back in a tight bun.

  As their eyes met and held, Darrell bit down on his bottom lip. Yeah, he wanted this woman. Tonight.

  She propped her elbow up on the table and rested her chin on her fist. Tilting her head to the side, a hint of a smile kissed her lips as if she could read each and every one of his explicit, nasty thoughts.

  “Darrell, I think the answer to that question is what can I do for you…?”

  Darrell lifted a naturally sculpted eyebrow when he heard the challenge in her voice. He loved a female with confidence, and this one had plenty. There was an air of class and sophistication about her that was lacking in women who were his own age. He was just getting ready to respond when he heard the irritating "gnat" buzzing in his ear. Damn. Where was a fly swatter when you needed one!

  “Darrell…”

  Darrell knew the light and cheery tone of Jerry’s voice masked his annoyance. Dropping his head for a brief moment, Darrell blew out a short breath then straightened to his full height, which was several inches over six feet. When he turned to look down at Jerry, the smaller man nervously took a step back and cleared his throat.

  “Can I please speak to you for a minute?” Darrell exhaled again as he followed Jerry away from the table. After they were out of hearing distance, he glared up at Darrell. “What do you think you’re doing?! This is not some pick-up bar. Your behavior is highly inappropriate. Don’t think Mr. Wilson won’t hear about this.” Mr. Wilson was the manager of the restaurant, and Jerry reported every little problem to him.

  Darrell glanced away and saw the woman watching the exchange. Without taking his eyes off her, his tone was clearly distracted. “I don’t know what you talkin’ about. I was just askin’ if there was anything else she needed.”

  “And I know exactly what you wanted to give her! This is the last warning I’m going to give you about fraternizing with the female guests. You are here to serve, not harass women. Do I make myself clear?”

  Darrell’s voice was mockingly insincere. “Yes sir. Crystal.”

  Jerry stiffened. “Get back to work.” He walked away grumbling in exasperation. “I told Mr. Wilson he’d regret hiring a ghetto thug and I was right….”

  “What the fuck did you say?” Darrell’s eyes darkened as he snatched Jerry up by the collar and shoved his face close to the terrified man.

  Jerry’s eyes widened in alarm as he shrank away, but he could only move so far because Darrell now had his arm in an iron-clad grip.

  “L-let me go th-this instant!”

  “Nah, I want you to repeat what you just said. Ghetto thug…?” Jerry stood speechless and trembling from fear at the fierce look on Darrell’s face. “Li’l bitch! I got ya ghetto thug…”

  Jerry finally found his voice. “Get out! Y-you’re fired!” He looked around wildly for someone to come to his rescue, but everybody stared at them as if watching a scene from a movie that had just gotten to the highlights. Swallowing, Jerry raised his chin and tried to sound authoritative, but instead the question came out quivering and weak. “Did you hear me…?”

  Darr
ell’s hand shook from the effort it took to stop from curling itself around Jerry’s scrawny neck. Growling in frustration, he flung Jerry roughly away from him, not trusting himself to hold on to his self-control much longer. In his haste to get away from Darrell, Jerry tripped over his feet and crashed directly into one of the servers who just happened to be carrying a tray loaded with bowls of soup. Sprawled out on the floor, soup covered Jerry from head to toe.

  The sight made Darrell’s expression transform from anger to amusement then hysterical laughter. He whipped his apron off and threw it down at Jerry.

  “Here. I think you might need this.” Still laughing, he turned to walk towards the door. That’s when he noticed the woman at the table watching and fighting to keep the smile from spreading across her lips. She reached in her purse and pulled out a card before holding it out to him.

  Still grinning, Darrell changed directions and headed her way. “What’s this?”

  “Looks like you’re going to need a job and I just happen to be hiring. Come to that address tomorrow for an interview.”

  Darrell looked from her pretty face to the business card he now held in his hand. “What kind of job?”

  The woman raised a perfectly arched brow. “Does it matter? Just be there at 9 a.m. sharp.” When he saw she wasn’t going to expand on the answer, he slowly nodded and turned to leave.

  “Wait….” She took out a bill and folded it before reaching it to him. “For your exceptional service…”

  Darrell looked at the one hundred dollar bill and smiled. “Thanks.”

  The woman nodded. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Darrell’s eyes lingered on her for a moment before he became aware of a man sitting to her left glaring at him with an open expression of dislike.

  Fuck is his problem?

  When the man glanced back at the woman and found her still watching Darrell, his mouth tightened in disapproval. Understanding immediately replaced Darrell’s confusion. Dude was jealous.