The Last Chance

by Darrien Lee

  Keilah stepped out of the elevator and walked through the lobby and down the hallway to the exercise room. She was so into her conversation that she didn’t realize she was being followed.

  “Yeah, I noticed you getting a little thick around the midsection.”

  Keilah was joking with Ramsey, and he knew it. He had a rock-hard, chiseled body that she was very familiar with. Ramsey spent countless hours defining his body and was nowhere close to being out of shape. He stood and laughed. “Yeah, Keilah, just like you and your beer belly.”

  Keilah laughed at Ramsey’s comment. “Seriously, I am so ready to get back to D.C.”

  “Don’t rush back. Spend some time with your family. They love you, Keilah, and if they didn’t care, they wouldn’t be making fools of themselves like they do. Remember, they raised you, and you’ve been their responsibility for almost all of your life.”

  Keilah let Ramsey’s words sink in and understood that they were right on the money.

  “Thanks for bringing me back to reality, Ramsey.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Oh, you know that grand opening of the second casino I was telling you about?”

  Ramsey made himself a cup of coffee and said, “Yeah, what about it?”

  “They gave it to me. It’s called the Special K Casino.”

  He took a sip of coffee and then smiled. “Get the hell out of here. Are you serious?”

  Keilah laughed with pride as she punched in a series of numbers on the treadmill and started jogging. “I was just as shocked as you are. You should’ve seen Michael’s face.”

  Ramsey sat back down and turned on his computer. “I’m sure Michael was very impressed. Your brothers don’t expect you to run it, do they?”

  Keilah shrugged her shoulders and said, “Surely not. They know I don’t live here anymore and that I have a business to run in D.C. Besides, there are enough of them to manage it without me.”

  “You’re right, but you need to clarify that with them because you and I both know they’ve been trying to get you to move back home for some time now.”

  Keilah thought about what Ramsey said for a moment and realized he was right. “I’ll talk to them about it later today.”

  Ramsey logged on to his computer and said, “So, where’s your loverboy?”

  Keilah smiled. “He’s asleep.”

  Ramsey grimaced at the thought of Keilah and Michael together. “I guess you guys stayed up late celebrating, huh?”

  “Something like that,” she replied. “He had a good time.”

  “I bet he did. Well, I can’t wait to check the casinos out. I know they’re some of the best in the nation,” Ramsey said.

  “They are,” she answered. “So, Stone, have you heard from Andria yet?”

  “Where did that come from?” he asked.

  Keilah giggled. “I just thought I would ask since you’re all up in my business. She was pretty angry with you the last time you were together, wasn’t she?”

  “Sort of,” he admitted. “I haven’t heard from her, but I have a strange feeling she’ll raise her ugly head sometime in the near future.”

  “You and I both know she’s nowhere close to being ugly, but I know what you mean. You’re going to need my services one day just to protect you from some of those future stalkers you’re dating, including Andria. You’re very charming, Ramsey Stone. I know that from experience, and I also know you have the gift of pleasure that’s hard for a woman to give up.”

  Ramsey raised one eyebrow and asked, “Is that so?” Had Keilah given him a clue to her feelings for him? Maybe he should test her.

  “Oh, yeah. It’s so. Seriously, Ramsey, be careful. Fatal attraction is real.”

  “If you were mine I wouldn’t have to worry about stalkers, now would I, Miss Chance?”

  Keilah’s heart pounded hard in her chest. Ramsey was playing a game of cat-and-mouse with her. “Don’t be so sure, Stone, because if I was your woman and thought there was a chance that I had some competition, it would be on.”

  “If you were mine, you wouldn’t have to worry about any other woman because no one can compete with you,” he answered seductively.

  A huge smiled appeared on Keilah’s face. Ramsey was obviously flirting with her, and it sent shivers all over her body. “See, that’s why I love you. You know exactly how to stroke my ego.”

  Now Ramsey’s heart was beating wildly in his chest. He wanted to stroke more than just her ego, and he prayed she would give him the opportunity once again.

  “Is that the only reason that you love me?” he asked softly.

  Keilah continued to play the game with Ramsey, and then she realized it might not be a game. She decided to cut things off until she could analyze what was going on more closely. “Of course not, Ramsey. You offer so many other reasons for me to love you.”

  The pair was silent for a few seconds. Keilah felt like something major was getting ready to happen, and so did Ramsey. But just when he was about to get up the nerve to question Keilah about their relationship, she said, “Hey, partner, you’re keeping me from getting my workout on. Can I call you back when I’m done?”

  Ramsey scolded himself discreetly for letting another opportunity slip away. “I’ll be here. Don’t overdo it. You call your brothers extreme, but you’re just like them.”

  With a smirk on her face, she replied, “Bye, Ramsey.”

  Ramsey stood and gulped down the first cup of coffee. “Good-bye, Keilah.” After hanging up the telephone, he leaned back in his chair and exhaled. His conversation with Keilah had left him drained even though nothing was revealed. He slammed his fist down on the desk and immediately refilled his cup before he started working on his computer.

  Keilah tucked her cell phone inside her pocket and put her iPod earplugs in her ears. The conversation she’d just had with Ramsey left her wondering about him, but she would wait until later to give it deeper thought. She was in a full sprint and now able to totally concentrate on her workout. After about thirty minutes, Keilah lowered the speed so she could jog for the last thirty minutes. Once she was finished, she stepped backwards off the treadmill, but she was blinded by something thrown over her head. She fought off her attackers fiercely and was somehow able to knee one of them in the groin. She could hear him moan in agony as he fell to the floor. The other man grabbed her, and Keilah did everything she could to get whatever was covering her head off. Before she could, one of the men tripped her, knocking her to the floor. He held her on the floor with the weight of his knee, making it hard for her to breathe.

  “Stop fighting before you make me hurt you,” her assailant yelled. Keilah could still hear the other man moaning on the floor beside her.

  “Hey, man, get up so you can help me with her,” the man yelled as he continued to keep Keilah pinned to the floor.

  She knew she had paralyzed one of them with the hard kick to the groin. Now if she could just get this one off of her so she could do what she did best. She continued to struggle against the man until she was able to raise her leg and kicked him in the back of the head, which caused him to fall away from her.

  “Dammit,” he yelled. “Grab her.”

  Keilah crawled across the floor to get away so she could remove the item that was covering her head. This time she was successful and came face to face with two very large men. When they charged at her, Keilah grabbed one of the five-pound weights off a nearby rack and hurled it toward them, striking one of them in the head. The man yelled out in pain and was somewhat dazed as he dropped down to his knees.

  “I see you like it rough. If that’s the way you want it, that’s the way I’m going to give it to you,” the second man said as he lunged at her.

  His efforts were all in vain, because Keilah kicked him so hard in the chest it caused him to stumble backwards and fall over a rack full of weight equipment. Keilah hoped the loud noise would alert security so they would come investigate or at least give her some backup. In the meantim
e, she was doing everything she could to keep the men off her. By the time she turned back to the first man, he had a gun pointed directly at her. “Chill, bitch, before you make me do something I’ll regret.”

  Keilah realized she was at a disadvantage, at least until she was in a position to make a move. Seconds later, voices were heard coming from the end of the hallway.

  One assailant helped the other up and yelled, “We gotta go, man. Five-o is on the way.”

  The second man, still dazed, stumbled toward the doorway. Before walking out, the first man turned and said, “Tell your brothers this shit ain’t over, and if they know what’s good for them they’ll take the deal.”

  Keilah was angry and confused by what just happened to her. By the time security guards made it to the exercise room, the men were gone. The guards attended to Keilah to make sure she was unharmed. Once they found out she didn’t need medical attention, they questioned her about the assault, filed a report and called the police. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed Michael’s phone, and shortly he was by her side. He was frantic, but did his best to comfort her. Minutes later, local authorities arrived to accompany hotel security and the pair back to the fitness room so Keilah could give them the details of the incident. Once the authorities finished taking their report, they explained to Keilah that they would review the hotel’s security tapes and do everything they could to find out who had assaulted her. After thanking them for their help, Michael escorted Keilah back to their room for a closer examination. He started with the obvious bruising on her neck.

  “I’m fine, Michael. You don’t have to fuss over me.”

  He ignored her as he inspected her neck and arms. “They could’ve killed you.”

  She stood and removed her T-shirt.

  “What the hell happened to your chest?”

  Keilah looked down and explained in detail how she got the mark on her chest. “One of the guys held me down with his knee.”

  Michael gently ran his hand over the area and let out a breath. He was doing everything he could to hold back his anger. “Sweetheart, maybe you need to have a doctor look at you. Does it hurt?”

  “Just a little bit, but after a soak in the tub, I’m sure it’ll feel better. I’ll be okay. Don’t worry, Michael, I’m used to getting bumps and bruises like this all the time.”

  Michael cupped her face and looked down into her eyes. “I don’t care. This was different and not related to your job. You do know what I’ll do to them if I get my hands on the people responsible for this, don’t you?”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled his neck. “I know, and it’s sweet that you want to defend my honor. Those guys better be glad they grabbed me from behind.”

  Michael released Keilah so she could retrieve some clothes out of the closet.

  “You know you need to call your brothers and tell them what happened.”

  She turned to Michael and nodded in agreement. “I know, but what’s crazy, Michael, is that one of the guys said something about how my brothers ‘better take the deal’ or something like that.”

  Michael frowned. “So this was about them and not a random act?”

  She walked toward the bathroom and then turned. “That’s what it looks like.”

  “Why didn’t you tell the police so they could look into it?”

  Keilah lowered her head. “I know I should’ve told them, but I want to look into things myself. Whoever did this probably followed us from the casino last night.”

  “So they attacked you just to send a message to your brothers?”

  She threw a towel over her shoulders and said, “I don’t know, Michael.”

  “If it’s true, that’s some bull,” Michael yelled.

  Keilah walked further into the bathroom, and Michael followed. Keilah sat on the side of the tub and started filling the tub with hot water and a few capfuls of bath gel. She knew exactly who could help her find out what this was all about. The problem was doing it without her brothers knowing.

  “Keilah? Did you hear what I said?” Michael asked as he paced the floor. “Maybe we need to get back to D.C. before those thugs try something again.”

  She tested the water’s temperature and said, “If you want to go back to D.C., go ahead, but this is my home, and when someone threatens me or my family, I’m not going to run away from it.”

  He folded his arms and said, “So I noticed.”

  Keilah looked up at him and saw the stress in his face. “Michael, I have to find out what’s going on. If this thing is not handled delicately, my brothers will turn this city into a war zone until they find out who did this to me.”

  Michael knelt down in front of her and took her hands into his. “Can you blame them?”

  She caressed his cheek and smiled. “You’re so sweet, Michael, but we have a way of handling things in our family. But I appreciate you being here for me.”

  Michael kissed her cheek. “Like I said, I love you, Keilah. I’d do anything for you.”

  She stared at him. Could this man love her as much as he said he did even though they hadn’t known each other very long? Maybe she had underestimated Michael Monroe and hadn’t given him the benefit of the doubt. With Ramsey, she knew without hesitation that he loved her, probably more than she was willing to admit to herself. But he’d never spoken to her about marriage. Michael seemed to know for a fact that she was the one for him and would be ready to marry her at the drop of a dime.

  “Michael, I can tell you’re a good man, but I don’t want you to get caught up in this.”

  Michael kissed her and gave her another loving hug.

  “I’m already caught up in it. I’m just glad you weren’t hurt worse than you were.”

  “Thank you. Now, get out of here so I can soak in these suds. When I get out, we can go find my brothers and tell them what happened.”

  He released her and walked toward the door. “OK, but don’t stay in there too long.”

  She smiled and said, “I won’t.”

  Michael closed the door behind him. Keilah removed her clothes, eased into the hot, sudsy water, and closed her eyes. She had a strange feeling that sent chills over her body, a feeling that her life was in store for some changes that would take her on a roller coaster ride. She whispered, “Hold it together, Keilah. You’re a Chance, so act like it.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Xavier, better known as X, twirled around in his chair and stared at the two large men known on the street as Slim and Baby Dee. X, who was in his late twenties, had come a long way from being a hoodlum on the street corner. He had his eyes on bigger and better things, and at the moment his eyes were on Slim and Baby Dee. “You didn’t hurt her, did you?”

  Slim was first to speak up with his deep, bass voice. “She might have a couple of bruises, but it’s her fault because she put up a struggle. Hell, X, she’s in better shape than we are. That chick is no joke, and because of her, I might not be able to have any children since she kicked me in the groin. I can barely walk.”

  X, dressed in the latest Rocawear attire, frowned as he rose from his chair. He took his eyes off the men temporarily as he walked over to the window and looked down on the street below. “I thought you understood me when I said don’t hurt her.”

  “We tried not to hurt her, X, but a couple of times she almost got away. We were trying to keep her from seeing our faces, but she got the pillowcase off her head anyway. She wasn’t an easy take-down at all.”

  He turned to the men. “What you’re saying is that she can identify you?”

  “Well ... yeah,” Slim replied.

  Xavier laughed. “She won’t do it though. I know her type. If anything, she’s trying to track you down on her own. What a woman. Never underestimate her because she’s got the streets in her and can be deadly if she has to. You guys got off lucky. She makes her living being a hard-ass as a bodyguard in D.C., and my sources tell me she’s one of the best in the business.”


  Baby Dee and Slim stood silent as X made his way back over to his chair.

  “Did you get a chance to deliver my message to her?”

  Baby Dee spoke up this time. “Yeah, I delivered it.”

  X smiled and laid his 9 mm on his desk. “Good. I’m sure she’s wondering what it meant, especially since there is no deal, at least not yet. Keep an eye on her. I don’t know how long she’s going to be in town, but I’m sure she won’t leave until she finds out why she was targeted and what it has to do with her brothers.”

  Slim and Baby Dee turned to walk out of the room.

  “Remember, I just want you guys to tail her for now,” X reiterated. “Oh ... one more thing.” The two men turned to him and waited for him to speak. X tossed a wad of money to them. “Here’s a little something for your trouble.”

  In unison, Baby Dee and Slim replied, “Thanks, X.”

  Before they disappeared through the door, Baby Dee turned and asked, “What about her brothers?”

  X eyed them with seriousness. “Let me worry about the Chance brothers.”

  The two men walked out of the room, leaving X with his thoughts. He was prepared to go to war if he had to, and he knew there was a possibility it could be fatal.

  Across town as Keytone was preparing to step out his door, his telephone rang.

  “Yeah?” he answered with an agitated tone.

  “We need to talk. Can you meet me at Starbucks on Wilshire Boulevard in twenty minutes?”

  Keytone smiled. “I thought you was warned to stay away from me?”

  “This is serious, Keytone.”

  “OK ... OK ... calm down. I was just joking. I’ll be there.”

  He stood, tucked his cell phone inside his jacket, and headed out the door.

  Twenty-five minutes later, Keytone walked into Starbucks and made his way over to the table where his lovely companion was waiting for him. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “Hey, sweetheart. What’s up?” he asked.

  Keilah frowned at Keytone as he sat down across from her with a big grin on his face.