by Tiana Laveen
“Cry! Something terrible has happened and you don’t want anybody to see you fall apart, ’cause it hurts, it embarrasses you, and you feel weak if you lose control. You can’t be a brick wall twenty-four-seven. You’re a land architect. That goes so much deeper than you realize. It means that you’ll build it, but the emotions will still come! I’m here for you. You can fall apart on me and I’ll hold you up. You can cry until you have no more tears, and I’ll wipe your face dry, hug you and kiss you… tell you everything is going to be all right. You do not have to be a ticking time bomb, baby… You don’t have to keep it all in… You don’t have to hide from me when you’re feeling down. You can tell me your secrets and I’ll take them to my grave.” He nodded, and she believed she was finally getting through to her baby.
“These tears aren’t just for Darryl. They are for every time you held in your resentment, your pain, your anger, even as a child. That’s toxic, Tristan. That stuff is going to come out, one way or another. You are not the cement you sling around. You’re not a 3-D model of a building, a sketch of a garden, the plants you put in the soil. You’re a human being! You hurt! And you know what? That’s okay!”
She laughed, her face now wet with her own tears as she pressed her forehead against his and kept him close to her, crisscrossing her arms around his waist. She began to rock him to the music, dancing with him, swaying to the voice of Ledisi’s “Like This.”
“You’ve got great taste in music.” She kissed the side of his face.
“Darryl had made me all of these CDs. He tells me about music he thinks I’ll like and then I check it out and go get it sometimes from the record store if it’s some classic I want, or if it’s newer, I’ll buy the mp3. Music is one of many things that connects me and him. It was more than just a way to get women. I understood him better through the music he liked. I need to hear it now… I need it like medicine.”
She understood those words too well. They continued to dance, their bodies slowly bumping into one another, their energies merging, their worlds colliding. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he brought her flush against him and rocked to the beat, the intensity in his eyes killing her slowly…
Soft lips glided against the side of her neck. Her head fell back, eyes fluttering as she gave way to the wounded beast before her. The red flag had slipped to the floor… He was raging, but this time, in a different way. Before she knew it, they were in another dimension. Sliding hands, fabric opened and discarded, naked bodies tangled in a heap of thick sheets…
“Shit!”
She gripped the pillow when he tossed her on her stomach, crossed his arms beneath her belly, arched her back towards his groin, and entered her with ruthless abandon. Balls deep, he plunged long and hard inside of her… his wide thick cock stretching her needy pussy open. She relished his touch, the commanding nature of his stroke.
Large, warm, rough hands glided against her breasts, cupping them as he rode her hard, and his grunts married her sighs. He was using her, taking her body to fill a void, an unquenchable need, but she didn’t care… He could take whatever he wanted whenever he wanted it from her. Any day, any time… The submission to the man no longer made her pause or seek inner forgiveness; she savored turning over the keys of her heart to him. She gave up willingly, so that she could gain so much more.
“I submit… I relent… trust me to trust you…”
She’d give it all, for her body and her soul belonged to the man…
Dave Hollister serenaded “One Woman Man” while her wounded monster mounted and took her with vigor. She smiled as he possessively pulled her to his thrusting pelvis, and the smacking of his groin against her ass echoed in the vast room.
Give it to him… all of you… He had to be broken down to be whole…
She screamed when he pushed her flat against the bed, his hand on the back of her neck like a fleshy collar. He rocked his cock deep inside her pussy, putting in deep stroke work. Sloppy, fast kisses covered the side of her face, back, and shoulders. Faster and faster, his heavy muscles made her somehow feel secure, safe. Gliding one hand beneath her body, he found her clit and gently strummed it.
“I need you, baby…”
She shuddered at his words… the confessions of a man who told no one that he needed them. But for her, he made an exception…
She craved his energy, wanted him. Dare she say she needed him, too?
“You’re my wish come true, Carmen.”
She closed her eyes, smiling into the pillow, then squelching another scream as she came beneath him, her body trembling. The rush of liquid seeping out her satisfied pussy and puddling between her thighs would surely leave a sticky mess. Before she could find her bearings, he turned her over on her back and hooked her legs over his shoulders. Resting on his palms, he leaned over her and rocked between her legs with the most beautiful smile planted on his face. No tears, no pain… In that moment, he appeared free, liberated from the anguish that had torn him from limb to limb.
One final hard thrust, and he came undone…
“Fuck…”
Face a stiff mask, his hand wrapped around her shoulder, he jerked her to him as he released his warm cum inside her. His stomach caved, the detailed, strong abs compressing before her eyes. After a hard swallow, he lay beside her and pulled her close, covering her body with the comforter. He wrapped his arm around her. She was still for a minute or two, but once the man began to fall asleep, she realized she needed to save herself before it was too late.
“Baby?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m lying in the wet spot.” She giggled and placed a hand on her forehead, sighing. He laughed lightly and rolled away, getting to his feet.
“I’ll change the sheets… Up you go.” She rolled lazily off the bed, mad as hell she couldn’t just lie there a bit longer, but that moisture on her ass was driving her crazy.
“Let me help.” She yawned as she rounded the bed.
“Nah, I got it. Just relax.” As Tristan quickly removed the sheets, she went to the restroom and freshened up. When she returned, he was still going through the motions. She laughed internally as he painstakingly made everything perfect again.
Oh, I know what we can do…
A naughty thought crossed her mind.
Locating her purse on the bedroom floor, she filtered through it, hoping she hadn’t removed the items she so desperately wanted. She smiled when she took notice of her cinnamon incense sticks and a small bottle of her favorite natural vanilla lotion. Sliding her beloved solid gold lighter out of her purse, one of her few splurges, she lit the stick, then blew out the flame. She quickly scanned the room.
There’s a plant… She walked over to the large potted plant in the corner and stuck the stick in the soil. Thick spirals of heavenly scented sweet smoke floated up to the ceiling, singing a silent song of love and hope. When she turned back around, the man was changing the pillow cases.
Meticulous…
She smiled at him as he worked, his naked body something that should’ve been framed and placed on a damn wall. Her pussy moistened just looking at the muscles in his back, legs and ass contort as he bent this way and that. At last, he seemed satisfied with his work.
“All right, the waterbed is gone.” He plopped back down onto the bed, coaxing a smile from her.
She joined him, placing the lotion on the nightstand before cuddling up close to him, craving his body heat. The beautiful rendition of “I Want to Know What Love Is” by Leela James played through the surround sound speakers, ushering her into a state of relaxation. She looked up at the ceiling, the skylight a thing of beauty as light from the moon filtered through.
Turning away, she grabbed the lotion, unscrewed the lid, and poured some into her hands, heating it between her palms. The man looked at her quizzically while she straddled his naked body and rubbed the balm all over his chest. Bending down, she kissed his nipples, and he laughed ever so lightly. She trailed down his beautiful body until s
he was right where she wanted to be. Taking his dick into her hands, she slowly massaged the aromatic ointment into it. The muscle thickened in her hands, ridged and hard within seconds. She hungered for him, salivated at the sight of his rock hard, fat cock. Sliding her mouth down its length, she tasted him, licked and sucked with everything that was in her. His hoarse sighs excited her so. His head tilted back into the pillow and his eyes closed.
She loved the flavor of his nature in her mouth, the smooth, taut skin wrapped around a meal she could never get enough of. He shuddered beneath her as he flooded her mouth. And she eagerly swallowed…
“Mmmm… vanilla ice-cream…”
He smiled at her words, his body tremors in the aftermath still in full effect. Minutes later, they were back in each other’s arms…
When she came to, hours later, she was surprised to see him sitting up, staring down at her.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked before placing a sweet kiss against her forehead.
She nodded and stretched her arms. “Yeah, I did. How about you?”
“Much better than before, thanks to you.”
She noticed his phone glowing on the nightstand, as if he’d just put it down. She smirked and shook her head.
“Okay, how long have you been awake and what have you been up to?”
He pulled her close, kissing all over her neck and face.
“Oh, I’ve been busy. Time waits for no one. I sent some important messages—a call to action if you will. I’ve had my pity party; now it’s time to get back down to business. Don’t mess with the bull, and that includes my friends. Do it, and you’ll get the horns…”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Grab the Bull by the Horns…
Tristan leisurely removed a piece of grilled chicken that had wedged itself between his teeth with a mint flavored toothpick. He was in his car, stationed in the parking lot of Chick-fil-A, taking a quick breather. The sun hit his watch just right, the gold links with diamonds in the band looking like pieces of the sun. Not much of a jewelry hog, he had a few quality pieces he’d worked hard to obtain. He spent a few moments admiring it, one of his favorite watches, while only half listening to his sister chastise him on his Bluetooth. Lauryn Hill’s “Ex-Factor” played on the car stereo.
“Did you hear me?” she yelled through the phone.
“Mmmm hmmm.” He grabbed his diet Pepsi and sucked hard on the straw, annoyed that the flavor was now severely diluted with excessive ice. “Well.” He shrugged and laughed in an airy, non-caring sort of way. “You see, Bev, that’s the whole damn point.”
“Oh, so you planned this nonsense? Typical! It went viral, you know! God!” He heard a slamming sound, like a fist pounded on a desk… the one he’d paid for. “The headlines read, ‘Minnesota police department corrupt!’ or, ‘Vigilante Architect takes on Woodbury Police.’” The woman sighed, sounding exasperated.
“So what? It’s the media’s job to spin a story, but facts are facts, and that’s what I won’t allow to be disputed. You know one of them keeps driving by my house, right?” He snickered and shook his head as he adjusted his position in his seat, leaning further back for optimum relaxation.
“It’s not safe…”
“Hell, life isn’t safe, Bev.” He threw up his hands. “We can’t be afraid to live our lives. If I only did things that were safe, never took a chance, I wouldn’t have this business, I wouldn’t have pursued Carmen, I wouldn’t have done a lot of things and besides, Darryl is worth it. He’s done a lot for me over the years, things you don’t even know about.”
After a brief silence, his sister broke the quiet in a shaky voice. “You know I love Darryl like a brother; you know I do, Tristan… Our entire family does but you posted that video on YouTube and now you’re all over the news.”
“Yup. That was the point. They messed with the wrong person. I will not be intimidated. They can drive past my house a million times, do whatever they want, it won’t stop me. I’m nobody’s pussy. They tried to say I was intoxicated when I first filed a complaint, not knowing I had recorded the verbal abuse and mistreatment. Well, now they know!” He cackled. “Now, everyone got to hear Officer Benson lie his ass off and talk to Darryl with a complete lack of respect and dignity. I made sure the photos of his face after the beating were posted at the end of the footage, too, and all over Facebook and Instagram. That was important so everyone with eyes can see what the hell they did to him!”
“Tristan, I know you’re upset but—”
“These racist fuckers are a bunch of internet trolls who don’t even know what the hell they are talking about, are posting stupid shit online, so I had to let their dumb asses know that I’m White. I let it be known who I was! I’m not hurting for money; there’s no monetary incentive for me doing this and I don’t give a shit about getting any fifteen minutes of fame, either. So, there isn’t shit in it for me whatsoever. I don’t need the recognition. I don’t need the publicity. Some are saying I’m a hero, others a jackass. I couldn’t care less. This is about right and wrong, period.”
“But you’re doing too much! That’s bad for business. You can’t get political in the line of work you’re in, at least not publicly! The phone has been ringing off the hook.”
“So answer it…”
“You have to stop this, Tristan. I hate when you get like this! You’re like a starving dog with a bone. You never let go!”
“It’s called persistence, and it’s served me well. Anyway, even if I wanted to pull out… that’s what she said.” He laughed at his little ‘The Office’ show joke, then snatched a napkin from the bag and wiped his fingertips. “It’s too late.” The bull is loose in the China shop… “And I already contacted KSTP news station back and they came out to my house and interviewed me. It went quite well if I say so myself. I even received calls from CBS and Good Morning America.”
“Oh shit… Oh God… no, no, no! The interview you did with KSTP, was it audio or video, too?” He could hear the shred of hope in the woman’s voice. She’d better duck; the bull was going to trample all over it.
“Video, what a silly question. It’s a news station, Bev.” He rolled his eyes. “What’d you expect and besides, there was no need to have my face blurred out, voice disguised or anything like that. I have not tried to hide who I am. That’s part of the beauty of this. Full disclosure and authenticity.”
“We’re going to be ruined…”
“If someone doesn’t want to use our services because I’m highlighting a nationwide problem, then I don’t want their damn money, anyway. What I do want is for Officer Benson to look at me and see what he’s done. I want him to look into the eyes of the man who is doing everything in his power to take him down. I don’t give a shit about his badge, his rank, his friends, his partners in crime, his family, nothing! Do you know why? Because he didn’t care about Darryl’s job, station in life, family or friends, either. Let’s see how he likes getting a taste of his own disgusting medicine. So, there you have it. Oh, by the way, Darryl got a new attorney. She seems on top of her shit. Darryl is also doing a bit of research on the officers involved. The three of us are going to take care of this once and for all. It could be months, it could be years, but it will be taken care of.”
“Tristan, you have to stop this. You are on some witch hunt now!”
“No, a witch hunt is when you suspect someone is practicing sorcery. I know for a fact what this fucker did… totally different ballgame and he’s cursed no one but himself. And I’m not stopping shit, Bev. Do you know why? Because I didn’t start this but I’m damn sure gonna finish it.”
He tossed the greasy napkin back into the bag and turned up his radio a tad louder to hear India Arie sing, ‘The Truth.’
“And one more thing, dear sister of mine—you’re really being selfish right now and it’s pissing me off. If it were you, wouldn’t you want me to do the same thing for you?”
There was silence on the other end.
“Yeah…
you can’t answer, because you know nothing like this would happen to you in the first place. Neither you nor I have any inkling what it feels like to be treated in this manner due to the color of our skin! How dare you want me to turn my back on Darryl, drop the ball, all to protect my company?”
“I… I didn’t want you to turn your back on him, Tristan, but you don’t understand. You may not be worried about you, but I am! Yes, I am concerned about the company, too, but I’m far more concerned about you! You said the police have been driving by your house… you’re out in the middle of nowhere in a gated community and yet they still manage to show up. Your life is being threatened online, I read it with my own eyes. I would die if something happened to my brother! I love you!”
“I love you too… but what’s love got to do with it?”
“Damn it, thank you Tina Turner! You’re obsessed with this now. I’m proud that you care and are taking a stand, but at what cost, Tristan?”
“Freedom isn’t free. Feeling compassion, love and makin’ a change, even if it is only a small one, are far more important and besides, I believe in what we’ve accomplished. My company is well built. And I’m not talking about the structure we work in—those glass walls with all that expensive shit and state of the art equipment we use. No, I am talking about all my blood, sweat, and tears that have gone into building that son of a bitch from the ground up. The dreams that are now a reality. Like hiring the right people for the job, networking with the best people, getting our name out there. I know how to make a living, but money can’t buy peace of mind. It can’t buy love and it can’t buy humanity.”
“Tristan…”
“If you have any faith in me at all, if you truly know who I am and what I’m about, then you should be confident in the fact that I can manage my money, my career, and my personal life just fine. The day I just fall down and roll over for a dollar is the day I’m a whore for cash. I can think of a thousand ways to make money, Bev…. you know I’m good at it. But if I’m going to buckle, then it’ll be just to fall to my knees and ask God to please help me keep my hands from around Officer Benson’s scrawny fuckin’ neck and snapping it from his damn spinal cord…”
