by Peyton Banks
Since her momma and daddy didn’t raise no fool, and she had people in her life who made sure to reiterate that lesson, she slowly sat the remote back on the table. Rising to her full height, she reached over to grab her 9mm Sig Sauer P226. Her baby was always at her side, whether she was in her home, or outside of it. Moving to the side of the door, she stayed away from the window.
“Who’s there?”
When no response came, she gripped the pistol tighter. Not that she had crazies coming to her door all the time, but Lavinia was by herself in this big ass house. It was after midnight. It was raining. And…just who the fuck was at her door this late at night?
Another knock. This one in a pattern that made her breath hitch.
It was him! Nico.
Moving quickly, she turned off the living room lamp. Once the room was bathed in darkness, she walked quickly over to the front door. She turned off the front porch light, plunging the front of her home in darkness. Still holding her Sig, she glanced out the window to see his large form standing to the side. A small smile came over her face. Then her brows turned down in a frown. Why was he here?
Knowing she had no other choice but to respond, she took a deep breath and tapped the door in her answering knock. If she didn’t, she knew he’d get pissed at her for being too relaxed and letting her guard down. Accuse her of not being safe when she was all alone.
As if she’d forget everything he and Max taught her over the years.
“Open the door, Sweetheart.”
Just the sound of his voice caused goosebumps to raise along her skin. Her stomach clenched in response. She hadn’t been this nervous in a long time.
Placing her weapon on the side table, she unlocked the door. Just as she slid it open, his large form filled the entrance. She took several deep breaths, trying to control the rapid beating of her heart. Locking the door behind him, she kept the lights off. She knew the drill.
Tears pricked her lids. Six Months. Six whole fucking months since he’d been here. In this house. With her. Alone. Stay strong Lavinia. Don’t let him see you breakdown like this.
“Vini. I need help.”
Nico’s ragged voice caught her attention. When she turned to look at him, a horrible sight met her eyes. Blood was everywhere. Nico was pressing a spot near his stomach as he wavered from side-to-side.
“Nico! No!” Rushing over to him, she pressed her smaller form against his. She couldn’t hold him up on her own and they both knew it. The man stood six feet three inches tall, with a body rippling with muscles. With his blond hair and clear blue eyes, he’d always reminded her of a comic book god.
His deep voice was barely above a whisper. “I need…” the words broke off as he inhaled. His face grimacing with pain.
“What the fuck happened to you?” She couldn’t help yelling at him. He’d never been hurt like this before. Blood soaked his shirt and the top of his black cargo pants. “Shit. Nico, you have to help me get you into the bed.”
“I can walk on my own,” he groused.
“No, you can’t.” Gritting her teeth, she turned them toward the stairs. “Listen to me Nico. I have no choice. We have to get you upstairs, but I can’t do this alone. I need you to help me do this. Okay?”
After a few moments of staring down at her, he gave one nod of his head. “Okay, move.”
“Wait? What?”
He turned those piercing blue eyes in her direction. “I need to get upstairs, right?”
“Yes.” Worry filled her entire body, but she couldn’t let him see the fear and concern in her eyes. That wasn’t what he needed right now.
“Then I’ll get up there myself. I’m not gonna be a bitch about it.”
Annoyance flowed through her body. Even when hurt, he allowed his ego to get in the way. “Nothing bitch about needing help, Nico. Maybe you should give it a chance once in a while.”
He turned his steely gaze to her. They both knew her words were about more than him asking for help to get up the stairs. Things left unsaid lingered in the air as neither wanted to give an inch to the other. Well, fuck him. If he didn’t like what she had to say, he could go to one of those bitches he’d been hanging around the past six months.
“Not today, Vini. I won’t argue with you about how I run my shit.” His tone was harsh, and his voice was raised in frustration.
Lavinia rolled her eyes as she folded her arms over her chest. She could give a shit if he was mad. He could pout like a damn baby if he wanted to, as long as he got upstairs.
She saw his jaw clenching, a sure indication he was holding back. “Just be ready to get this fucking bullet out when I get upstairs. Can you do that?”
Motioning with her arm for him to proceed her, “By all means, take your stubborn ass upstairs.” When he turned away from her and began moving up the stairs, she mumbled, “I hope it hurts.” Anger coursed through her veins as she thought about all she’d lost. All they’d lost.
He stopped to look at her, “What did you say?”
Not wanting to fight with him, she sighed deeply before responding. “Nothing, Nico.”
Staring at her for a few long seconds, he turned back to the task of walking up the stairs.
“I’m going to grab a trash bag. I’ll be right behind you.” Detouring to the kitchen, she took a deep breath when she got out of his sight. “You can do this. It’s okay. Just don’t let him get to you.”
Within seconds, she was back at the stairs watching him slowly lift his feet to take another step. Vini followed behind his large form, her mind whirling with all the things she needed at her disposal to care for him.
She was a registered nurse, which had come in quite handy for Nico and Max on several occasions. As well as some of the people they’d dealt with over the years. Her degree gave her the cover she needed to help those who were hurt or injured without too many questions. She also took the occasional job as a traveling nurse to get away when things became too hot.
Max and Nico protected her as best they could when things became too much. When they needed to focus all their attention on taking care of business, that’s when she’d call her agency for a job. She could usually leave in forty-eight hours, which served to get her out of dodge, and give her guys some peace of mind at the same time.
Looking at the man in front of her as he slowly shuffled up the stairs, she still couldn’t believe it had been so long since she’d been alone with Nico. She’d seen him and Max together a couple of times. The three of them met for her birthday, and again for a business dinner they all attended.
Her heart stuttered a bit at the memories. Each time, Nico would stand off to the side, practically ignoring her presence. He’d hardly say two words to her, almost as if she were a nuisance to him. That he didn’t want to be there. At least not with her around.
Each time she came home after seeing him, she’d cry herself to sleep wondering what she’d done to warrant that kind of treatment. She didn’t deserve his coldness, his disdain, nor his disregard. And they both knew it.
Then, like clockwork, a flower delivery would arrive at her home the next day. The card would have the same words each time.
“I’m sorry. You deserve better. ~ N.”
Yet, here he was, and he needed her help. They’d finally made it up to the master bedroom. Nico sat on the thick mattress, sweat covering his face, his breath coming out in short bursts. Without another word, she kneeled before him and began to untie his laces. After removing his boots and socks, she stood in front of him.
“I need to get your clothes off, Nico. I don’t want you in pain, but I need to see the extent of the damage.”
His eyes were still closed. No response came through as his harsh breaths continued to sound in the room.
“Nico…”
“I heard you, Vini. Just give me a fucking second,” he snapped.
Tempted to snap at him right back, she held her tongue. She knew what it felt like to be shot, which was a story for another day. Th
e feeling of hot lead slicing through your flesh made you go blind for a second, the pain was so intense. The feeling of hot metal slicing through your flesh was almost indescribable. If he’d been walking around, trying to get to her, the pain had to be mind-numbing at this point. So, fine, this one time she’d give him a pass, but he wouldn’t be getting too many more of those.
“Come on, Nico. Either lie down or stand up, but you gotta pick one or the other. We need to get you patched up.”
He released a few rapid breaths and pushed himself off the bed to stand. “Fuck,” he yelled.
“I’m sorry,” she stumbled out. “You’re just too big for me to maneuver. Once we have your clothes off, I can take care of you.”
A bark of laughter sounded above her, “Oh, is that right? You’ll take care of me, huh?”
Blushing at his words, she realized how it may have sounded. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“Fuck. I wish it was,” she heard his whispered words above her.
Choosing to ignore the thickening tension in the room, she focused on the task at hand. After undoing his belt, she pulled both his pants and boxer briefs down his legs. With slow movements, he lifted his feet and stepped out of the material. She threw the dirty and blood-soaked clothing in the trash bag she’d brought upstairs with them. She tried to ignore his naked lower body. His shirt would have to be cut off.
“I need scissors for the shirt.”
“Whatever. Just do it quicker,” he growled.
Making quick work of the shirt, she winced each time he made the slightest grunt of pain. She knew these extra movements were hurting him but there was no other choice. Within minutes, he was fully undressed and laid out flat on the bed.
He took the pain pills she gave to him, even though she knew he’d rather not. Nico didn’t like to have his mind fucked up when he was in a vulnerable position. That he’d accepted the pills without too much fuss told her two things: 1) he was in a lot of pain and 2) he trusted her to keep him safe.
She’d ignore number two for right now. The important thing was to get him fixed. “This is going to hurt.”
“Baby,” he slurred, “with you, everything hurts.”
2
Lavinia
Lavinia sat at Nico’s bedside wondering what the hell happened to them over the years. Looking at the man laid out on the large mattress, she sighed in defeat. No matter how angry she was with him, she’d always be here for him. He was her other half. The one person she needed to feel whole. Yet, she felt so far away from where they used to be. As if she’d lost him without realizing it.
She’d loved Nico for almost half of her life, and that love had only grown over the years. But at this point, she no longer believed that love was returned. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she wiped them away before they had a chance to fall.
If it weren’t for the man in front of her, and her other best friend, Max Bishop, she didn’t know what her life would be today. From the first day they’d met, the three of them were inseparable. Where Nico and Max were, she was sure to follow.
No one could come between them, although many tried. Nico and Max didn’t like her being involved in the life they lived. That had been too bad for them. She wasn’t leaving their side for any reason. Once they’d adopted her into their little clique, she was there to stay. They protected her, and she protected them right back.
When she first met them, they’d come up on her throwing a beating on some chick who’d been talking shit about how dark she was. The girl’s boyfriend had stopped to talk with Lavinia about something stupid. She couldn’t even remember the topic of conversation. That’s when the girl started talking shit. Maybe she felt bold because her group of friends were behind her. Usually, Lavinia let shit like that roll off her back, but the things coming from the girl’s mouth that day had been the one topic she never should have touched.
* * *
Her parents had just recently moved to this new neighborhood. They’d gotten Lavinia to promise she wouldn’t fight. It wasn’t that she liked getting into altercations with other people. She didn’t. Sometimes her temper flared, even when she tried to stay in control. When people talked about her or her family, that’s when her anger got the best of her.
Like right now, with the stupid ass girl talking shit about Lavinia trying to steal her boyfriend. Even then, she did all the things her parents, and the counselors, told her to do. She breathed in deeply. Counted to ten. Then she counted to twenty. When that didn’t work, she turned her head, looking for something else to focus on. That’s when she saw them.
Two boys around her age. Both white. One with blond hair, the other with dark. They were joking around, laughing, and pushing each other as they walked to the basketball courts. She wondered what it would be like to have people like that around her. Ones who hung out with her because they just liked her, not because she was always the one ready for a fight. Fighting all the damn time was getting old.
It was always something, and she was tired of defending herself all the time. Her momma would tell her words couldn’t hurt her. That Lavinia should ignore the cruel taunts. Be the better person. Even walk away. If only it were that easy.
Now that she was sixteen, it was all about what you did or didn’t do that determined your future. She learned early on, walking away was never a good decision. If you walked away, the bullshit never stopped. If you tried to ignore it, the bullshit continued. On the other hand, when you used your fists to punch someone in the face… Well, people tended to shut their mouths and leave you the fuck alone.
At this stage in her life, when people said stupid shit to her, she shut them up. If that meant using her fists to beat their face into the ground, so be it. Whatever worked to help them learn their lesson.
The words of the other girl continued to sound in her ears, like a gnat buzzing around her. Glaring at the group of girls as they teased and taunted, she almost smiled. A group of neighborhood guys began to surround them. Some knew her reputation. They were trying to tell the group of girls to pull their friend away, to leave it alone. Clearly, they weren’t getting the message.
Lavinia tried to be good. She really did. Although her dad and uncles taught her how to defend herself, her dad was clear that she was only supposed to hit other people if there was a reason. The situation hadn’t escalated to that point yet.
Her mother didn’t want her only girl fighting for any reason. She wanted Lavinia to be a young lady. The first time she came home with scraped knees and a bloody lip, she was eight years old. Her momma yelled for two hours. Then she asked if she won the fight. When she said yes, her momma just nodded her head. They didn’t talk about it for the rest of the night.
So, she knew exactly what both her mom and dad would say about her fighting again. Plus, at her age, the cops might get involved, which she really didn’t need. They’d only lived here for three months. For Lavinia to get a reputation as a trouble-maker this early would surely piss off both her parents. She sighed deeply. She had to get her anger under control. Maybe today was the one time she’d walk away.
“You’re so damn black, your momma should have named you black licorice,” the head girl said with a loud laugh, hand on her hip, head rolling from side-to-side. Her butterscotch skin, and thick, long hair were what all the girls her age envied. All the girls except for Lavinia Ross.
“My skin color is beautiful,” she countered. Standing up for herself, while also trying to remain calm. “Listen, don’t nobody want your man. It’s not even like that. You need to leave. You don’t want none of this.”
“Girl, dark skin is ugly. You can’t even go out at night because no one would even see you. You’d have to smile the whole time. Your white teeth would be the only thing people would notice. Yo’ dark ass out here looking like a monkey.” The sound of raucous laughter rang out from the huddled group. A couple of the other girls looked a bit uncomfortable, yet none of them spoke up in her defense. Lavinia glared
at them as they avoided her gaze. Cowards.
“Y’all just gonna stand there looking stupid?” she spat out the words in their direction.
One girl was brave enough, or stupid enough, to defend their actions.
“Well, Lavinia,” she paused, looking at the others for courage. Maybe it was approval. Doesn’t matter. She was now on Lavinia’s list and her ass-whooping would be coming soon. “I mean, you are really dark. No one really likes dark-skinned girls like you.”
The words hurt but it wasn’t anything she hadn’t heard before.
What made Lavinia most angry about the situation? The girls making the most racket and laughing like hyenas had been in her home. Had spent the night with her family. Laughed with her mom and dad as they played family games. They’d told her how much they liked her, her family, and pretended to be her friend. It was the lying and pretending that pissed her off the most.
She hated fake bitches.
When her fist flew, it connected with the first girl’s mouth. Blood spurted from her lip, covering her teeth. The yell that came from the girl spurred her on. “Yeah, talk shit now,” Lavinia yelled. “I told your ass to walk away. Coming at me over some fucking dude.” Going in for another punch, her fist cracked the girl in the eye. Lavinia was laughing now. When she got like this, her laugh usually sounded maniacal. That usually scared people into leaving her alone. “I bet you this black girl is about to kick your ass.” Crack! The shit-talker fell to the ground, and Lavinia pounced. Straddling the girl’s body with her own, her fists flew, the blows to the girl’s face could be heard by everyone in the crowd. Arms flailed, screams rent the air, and yet the hits never stopped. “Don’t ever fucking come at me again,” rage filled her voice as she let out all the pent-up aggression she’d been holding back.
She could hear the other girls yelling at her to stop but that time had come and gone. This girl had to pay. After today, everyone would think twice about making any comments about Lavinia to her face, or behind her back.
