Beware

by Shanora Williams

  My eyebrows lift to his response. I laugh. “You really have the nerve to call me that when I have you tied up?”

  “You don’t fucking scare me,” he growls.

  I lean forward, narrowing my eyes at him. I pull out my silver pocket knife, sling it out, and point the tip of the blade at his neck. He flinches, squeezing his eyes tight as a line of blood travels down to the collar of his shirt. “I saw the fear in your eyes when you saw it was me walking in. You’re shaking with fear as we speak. Stop trying to be the man you aren’t. You’re a pussy. Always will be.”

  He swallows hard, and I lower my knife, taking a step back. Picking up the tail of my tie, I run the side of the knife down the silk and wipe it clean.

  “What do you want from me?” he asks, lowering his head.

  “I just want you to tell me what you know. That’s all.”

  “Know about what? I don’t know shit!”

  “What are you doing with Stella?”

  “She’s my lawyer.”

  “Funny, ‘cause she was also my lawyer, and I found her in my condo only a few days ago. What was she looking for?”

  Finally lifting his head, he glares at me through red-rimmed eyes.

  “You know exactly what she was looking for.” I press my lips, folding the pocketknife by the edge with my thumb.

  “I honestly have no clue.”

  “The same thing I’m looking for,” he says, voice gruff. “And when I find it, you’ll be shit out of luck.”

  I lower to a squat, locking eyes with him. “And what might that be?”

  He’s quiet for a moment. His throat works hard to swallow whatever vile he has lingering in his mouth. And then, the fucker does the complete unexpected.

  He laughs.

  Hard. So hard he’s about to fall over.

  “What’s the joke?” I ask, cocking a brow.

  “You think she won’t find out,” he says, still laughing.

  “Who are you talking about?” I ask, but I know exactly who he means.

  “His sister… the one who knows how to find what we’re looking for.”

  I stand to my feet again, grabbing him by the throat. “She doesn’t know anything yet,” I growl.

  “That’s because I haven’t given her the hint yet,” he struggles to say.

  “And you won’t.”

  He grins.

  “I have a feeling you don’t even know what I’m looking for,” I say, releasing him and shoving him away.

  He gasps for breath, lowering his head. He coughs once, staring down. He laughs first, and I glare down at him. Then he whispers, “Diamonds.” His voice is low, raspy. But I can make it out clearly. And hearing that one word come out of his mouth makes me reconsider everything I’ve done to try and get what I need.

  Like I said, he knows too much.

  So, without hesitation, I pull my gun from my waistband, point it at his forehead, and he stares at me, shaking his head. He repeats the word again. And again. And again.

  He’s fucking insane.

  And so am I.

  So I cock my gun.

  Because this is me. Nothing will change that. I’ll do whatever I have to do in order to survive.

  Even if that means breaking promises.

  I told Bianca she could stay the night at my place. By the way she came limping in with mascara running down her cheeks, I knew she needed it. For some reason, I’ve always been the friend people come to for comfort. Although I’m not very good at going to people for my own, I don’t mind helping others feel better. Helping them makes me feel better.

  So before she came back, I went out with Krane (whom I’ve literally just met and love ten times more than Gerrick because he doesn’t breathe down my neck while I’m out shopping), picked up some bottles of wine, some snacks, and ice cream to indulge in, and now, I’m setting up, hoping to make her feel welcome.

  She arrives again around six. When she steps inside, she’s wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt. I stare at her, astonished. I never thought I’d see this side of her. I didn’t even think she’d sleep in anything other than a silk gown.

  “Don’t stare,” she says, fighting a laugh. “I just wanted to be comfortable.”

  “I understand,” I tell her, meeting at her side. I help her to the sofa and we take a seat together. “You should really get your ankle checked.”

  “Yeah,” she sighs. “I will.” She looks from me to the goodies and wine on the coffee table. “Ooh, red wine.”

  “Thought I’d pick some up for you.” I pick up a glass for her and myself. “How are you feeling?”

  “Like shit… but whatever.” She takes a sip then looks at me, forcing a smile. “Don’t worry. I get over stuff in twenty-four hours or less. Tomorrow, I’ll be fine.”

  I swallow thickly, nodding as I lower my gaze. I want to let her mind drift… get her thinking about something else before I bring it back up again, so I ask her why she was missing for four days straight.

  Instantly, a full smile spreads across her lips. She tries to fight it, but I can still make it out. “Don’t tell Ace, but I was with Maurice.”

  I laugh. “Maurice? Really?”

  “Yes. And it was so romantic… so fun.”

  “Well… go ahead and spill. Where did he take you?”

  “Well, remember when I bailed at the masquerade party?”

  “How could I forget?” I ask sarcastically.

  She laughs. “Well, he took me with him, up to the second floor. We went to an empty room by ourselves, and he asked me what I was doing the following weekend. I wanted to be a smart ass with him, so I told him I might have plans with another man, and he went all quiet on me. Finally, I decided to tell him I was joking and that I didn’t have any plans at all. So, he asked me to go to New York City with him for a few days. I was skeptical at first. I mean, he’s never asked me out before. We usually just flirt and bat our eyelashes at each other. I didn’t think he took me seriously. But I decided to go along with it. Just for fun. We rented a suite in the city, and it was amazing. He took me out to eat. We went to the Statue of Liberty—even went to Niagara Falls. I had fun…” She sighs. “But we knew we couldn’t make it serious. Since I’m blood with Ace, it’s pretty much off limits to date me. Ace hates mixing business with pleasure… which is funny since he’s boning you.”

  I gasp.

  She bursts out laughing. “But it’s no big deal. I mean, I don’t care. But Maurice is one of Ace’s biggest clients and closest friends. They’ve known each other for eight years now, and everything is always smooth sailing for them. I don’t want to be the reason Maurice doesn’t want to work with Ace anymore. Knowing me, once I get comfortable with someone, I tell them everything. My issues, my annoyances, my pet peeves… everything. So, I know I would’ve told Maurice things that he never would’ve known or guessed about Ace. I just can’t risk it. As much as I like Maurice and as much as we had fun, I didn’t want to be the thing that came between them. Plus, I love my cousin more.”

  “Oh… I get it,” I whisper. “But… you guys can still talk, right? Keep in touch?”

  She shrugs. “We can… but I know it’ll lead to other things. Serious things. Maurice understands. We both just feel like it’s not the right time. Although, I couldn’t give a shit what Ace thinks or feels right about now. I know it’s wrong to mess with the men he works with. It was sort of a rule for us when our dads were around.”

  I nod my head, taking a small sip of wine. I want to go back to the subject of Ace now that we’re talking about him. I’m afraid to hear what he said to her after the way she came running back to me bawling, but I want to. And I’m sure she needs to vent a little. “What he said… it was that bad, huh?”

  “Bad?” she questions, then rolls her eyes. She downs her wine and places her empty glass on the table. “If threatening to kill your own cousin is just bad, then I don’t know what can compare to being horrible.”

  I gasp. “He threatened to… kill you�
��?”

  She nods. “I know he didn’t mean it. I could see how much it hurt him to say… but it’s just the fact that he said it, you know? I would never say something so cruel to him. No matter how angry I am. Ace is like a brother to me. We grew up together. Shared so many memories together…” She reaches for the bottle of wine to pour herself another glass. After she takes a quick sip, she sits back and laughs a little.

  “What?” I ask.

  “You know what the girls used to write in the stalls of the bathrooms when we were in high school?” She takes another hard swallow, hiccups, and then giggles.

  “No.” I smile, glad she’s actually smiling. “What?”

  “They used to say, ‘Beware of Ace Crow… he’ll peck your pussy walls away.’” She bursts out laughing, and I laugh with her. “The girls loved him, but were so afraid of him. He was an intimidating guy. Still is. But for some reason, all the girls wanted him. I guess it was because he was the bad boy that every girl wanted to turn good. The girls that got lucky always bragged about how great he was in bed… and even how he defended them in public. No guy would ever mess with Ace. He might as well have worn a big BEWARE sign on his chest. He was that intimidating.” She groans a little, sipping her wine. “Even though people were afraid of him, he was so much nicer back then. So sweet. I mean, he was still an asshole in his own kind of way, but not as much as he is now. Now, he’s just a brute… he’s merciless.” She shakes her head and stares down at her lap, her eyes now glossy. I can tell she isn’t trying to cry, but she’s losing that battle. The tears are going to fall any minute now.

  “I don’t know what happened to him,” she whispers. “Ever since he got into this business he hasn’t been the same. He’s… emotionless now. He’s empty. Hollow. And I hate it about him. I hate it because he’s turning into the men he swore he wouldn’t become. My dad. His dad. They were… evil.” She swipes her nose. “You know, sometimes I want to just give up on him, tell him he’s on his own, but then I remember I’m all he has now… the only person left that truly cares for him. I have to remind myself constantly that Ace is like a brother to me…” She looks up to meet my eyes as a tear skids down her cheek. “But there are only so many times I’ll be able to tell myself that, you know? There’s only a certain amount of patience I have with him. I’m at my last dime. I hope, every day, that the old Ace will come back… back to what he was. But he’s so far gone now that I don’t think there’s any fixing him. I don’t think he’ll ever go back to who he was. And I hate it.” She swipes at another tear. And then another.

  “I love Ace dearly, but I’ve seen what this business does to people. They turn cold, and evil, and sometimes, they turn on the people they spent most of their lives with. People they trust. The people they love. And the thing is… I can’t be around when Ace goes off the deep end. I can’t be here watching as he shrivels away and turns into nothing but a bitter, lonely pile of ash. I can’t do it anymore. I-I can’t…”

  She breaks out into a heavy sob, and it’s now that I realize tears have filled my eyes as well. But, like I said, I’m the comfort. I’m the friend she needs to feel better… just for now. I know I have to be strong for her, so I pull her in for a tight hug, and she buries her face into my shoulders, gasping and crying even harder. I know she hasn’t felt this kind of affection in a while. And I feel sorry for her. I hate that she feels so lonely and so afraid because I know how that feels. I know what it’s like to feel alone.

  Scared.

  Worried.

  She cries for most of the night. I don’t say much.

  Instead, I continue to let her cry as we sit on the sofa. I coo to her and tell her it’s okay to walk away from him because, for her, it is. She’s been around long enough, and there’s only so much she can do. There’s only so much a woman will take before becoming completely fed up.

  I don’t remember falling asleep. I just remember her crying herself to sleep as I rubbed circles on her back.

  When the sun comes up, I don’t find it surprising that she’s gone. She hates being embarrassed and looked down upon, not that I would’ve looked down on her in anyway.

  It is surprising, however, when she comes back around two in the afternoon with suitcases in hand.

  She forces a smile at me as she steps inside. I shut the door behind her, turning her way. “Where are you going?” I ask, looking from the suitcases to her eyes.

  “I’m leaving, London. I couldn’t go without saying goodbye to you, though.” A smile stretches across her glossed lips.

  “Leaving?” I repeat.

  “Yes.” She presses her cherry stained lips to smile. “It’s time for me to go. It’s time for me to… be happy. And not worried about whether someone’s been killed lately. I need to breathe, ya know? I need to get away from all of this.”

  I nod. “Oh… yeah. But… why today?”

  Dropping her suitcases, she walks toward me and grabs my hands, clasping them in hers. Giving me a wholehearted smile, she says, “I’ll keep in touch. I promise. It’s just… Ace. I love him to death, but I love myself more. There’s only so much I can take. So, when you see him again, don’t be angry about me leaving. It’ll only piss him off more. Just…” She sighs, looking me deeper in the eyes. “Just be careful, London. Because I don’t even trust Ace one-hundred percent, and I know for sure that Jonah didn’t either.”

  I narrow my brows at her as she pulls her hands away. “Wait… what do you mean? Jonah said he did… like a brother.”

  She shakes her head, biting into her bottom lip. “I have to go, honey.” She places a kiss on my cheek then turns to pick up her bags. She walks around me and opens the door, puckering her lips to blow a kiss my way.

  I stand motionless, curious about her assumption of Jonah.

  When she finally enters the elevator, giving me a small wave goodbye, I shut the door behind me and press my back against it, staring down at the floor.

  Suddenly, I’m pissed. And then I realize how foolish I’ve been for the past month. I see how idiotic it was of me to believe all that Ace said was true. Ace–of all people. What the hell is wrong with me!?

  In an instant, I snatch up my cell phone and rush out the door, heading to Ace’s condo and doing the exact opposite of what Bianca told me to do.

  Going to him full of anger.

  ***

  Gerrick is standing in front of Ace’s door, and Krane is following after me. Gerrick gives Krane a hard look in the eyes, curious as to why I’m here.

  “Wouldn’t stop,” Krane says.

  I reach Gerrick, but he lifts a hand, stopping me from grabbing the doorknob. “Ace is busy, London. Later.”

  “No. Not later. Now,” I hiss.

  He looks me over. “What happened?”

  “It’s none of your concern.”

  Gerrick sighs, running his hand down his face. “You women are really starting to get on my nerves.”

  “Then move!” I shout.

  He glares at me, unmoving.

  So, I do what I have to do. Lifting my knee, I bring it up quick and slam it into his balls. He groans, crumpling before me and falling to his knees. I grab his key and stuff it in the lock. When I look back, Krane shakes his head, but he doesn’t stop me.

  I barge inside, shouting Ace’s name. “Ace!” I shout, marching around his living room, knocking over whatever is in my way. There’s a lot of commotion, and if he’s sleeping or even showering, I’m sure he can hear it.

  Moments later, after I’ve banged the bottoms of two frying pans together, he bustles down the stairs, staring at me with bright, raging eyes.

  “What the fuck are you doing?!” he shouts.

  I study his attire… well, more of his underwear. No shirt. No socks. Nothing. Just boxers. It’s pretty late in the morning, almost around eleven, and I’m curious as to why he’s not dressed. He’s usually up before me.

  “Tell me what you know,” I say, walking toward him. “Everything. I know you know someth
ing.”

  He frowns. “The fuck are you talking about?”

  “About Jonah!” I bark. “My brother! The one you claimed was like a brother to you! What the hell do you know?”

  “I told you everything—”

  “No, actually you haven’t told me shit. I’ve been here for over a month now, and I don’t know shit! I don’t even know what he was selling that got him killed!”

  “Because it’s none of your concern.”

  “None of my concern?” I breathe. “I think it’s all my concern considering he was my family. I have every right to know what happened to him and what you got him into.”

  “I’m not telling you shit!” he barks, causing me to flinch. “So get the fuck out of my condo before I do something I don’t wanna do.”

  My heart is about to jump right out of my chest, but I’m not backing down. He knows something. He’s known something this entire time. He’s been lying to me, and I’ve been foolish enough to overlook his lies. Why? Because I wanted to forget. Because I wanted to stop caring.

  Well, I guess I don’t want to forget anymore. I guess I’ve stopped caring. I want to know everything. Every single detail.

  “Where’s Peter?” I ask.

  He looks at me beneath his thick eyelashes. His eyes are hard and annoyed. I don’t give a damn. I hope I annoy him until I get some answers.

  “Where do you think?” he asks.

  “I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking.”

  “You’ll figure it out.”

  I stifle a breath, staring him dead in the eyes. “You…” I shake my head. “You killed him?”

  He sniffles, looking away.

  I blink rapidly, unsure of how to react. “But… you promised me.”

  “I don’t give a fuck about promises anymore.”

  “Wow,” I breathe. I take a step toward him, and just when I’m about to slap the ever-loving shit out of him, down comes the girl that was here the first day I visited this penthouse.

  “Everything alright, baby?” Layla asks, bending over the guardrail and purposely lifting her ass in the air. She looks me in the eyes then at Ace’s back.