Black and the Ugliest

by T. Styles

  “Wayne…” I said walking toward the bed with him following me. I pushed the bags aside and flopped down on the edge of the mattress.

  “Found a card with a credit balance huh?”

  I nodded yes. “It was in my business name.”

  He sighed. “Where you going?”

  “You already know.”

  “But didn’t you say the man was strange and possibly a killer? And didn’t you tell me that the night before he brought you back there was a dead man on the floor and—”

  “Wayne, please.” I said softly. “I still gotta do this. I told you that already and there ain’t no talking me out of it.”

  He took a deep breath. “I know.” He paused and dug into his purse, handing me a small gun. “Take this.”

  “Wayne, I don’t—”

  “Don’t tell me you don’t know how to shoot. ‘Cause we both know you do. Just take it and use it if you need to.”

  I nodded. “Thank you.” I tucked it in my purse.

  “So have you talked to him?”

  “He been calling ever since he dropped me off yesterday. Said for some reason he couldn’t stop thinking about me.”

  “If you go you have to ask for the money, Parade. No beating around the bush.”

  “I’m not playing no games this time.” I dug into my purse. “I wanted to show you something he gave me too. Not sure what it means but…” I handed him the card.

  “What is this?”

  “I don’t know. But he acted as if it was the most important thing he could give me.”

  Wayne removed his phone from his pocket and took a picture. Then he handed the card back. “Don’t know what it is but I’m gonna find out.” He stood up. “Now, you do know if you ask for the whole stack you have to go the entire way. As far as sucking and fucking this trick goes.”

  “I know.”

  “Well, let’s get it over with. Tell me what you gonna do.”

  ****

  QUINN

  Quinn sat in her truck in the parking lot of the motel she saw Parade enter earlier. She had the cell phone pressed against her ear and she was telling it all.

  “Here she come right now,” she said to Melissa on the phone. “What you want me to do?”

  “Keep eyes on her.”

  “You mean follow her?”

  “What you think?”

  Quinn moved uneasily in her seat. “What if, I mean, what if she sees me?”

  Silence.

  Quinn looked at the screen and placed it back against her ear. “Mrs. Hernandez? Are you there?”

  “I thought you wanted back in with my son,” Melissa said firmly.

  “I do but—”

  “This is how it begins. If you can’t do this you can’t do nothing for me or Jay. Now follow that bitch and report back to me ASAP. I’m going to the hospital to see about my child.”

  When Quinn ended the call there was a knock at her window. She jumped when she saw Mercer standing there, holding a gun, the barrel in her direction. “Roll the window down,” he said calmly.

  She shook her head slowly from left to right, as tears welled up in her eyes.

  “Don’t make me hurt you.” He paused. “I don’t want to.” Mercer had been sitting on the motel for Am’rak even though Parade didn’t know she was being watched.

  She believed him so she complied. “H…hello.”

  “Did you follow me?” Mercer asked.

  Quinn moved uneasily in her seat and then she remembered who he was. “The hospital right?” She posed it more like a question instead of a fact.

  “Yeah.”

  She nodded and placed both hands over her chest. “Good.” She wiped fake sweat from her brow. “I thought you were crazy.”

  “What do you want?” He asked.

  “You,” she lied. “I followed your car when I saw you on the street.”

  He lowered the gun. “Why?”

  “I wanted us to meet. Formally. I hope I didn’t make you angry.”

  ****

  QUINN

  Quinn lay on the bed as Mercer stood over top of her jerking off. Naked from the waist up she thought him very odd but was more concerned about getting hurt, since she was certain he was affiliated with Parade in some strange way.

  She was right.

  With him being the friend of the stranger who kept time with Parade she had to be careful. More than it all she had to play smart.

  After moaning loudly Mercer ejaculated on her belly. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Want me to…eat you out or—”

  “It’s okay. I’m fine.”

  He got off the bed and extended his hand to help her to the bathroom. Running the water he smiled as he observed her. She was pretty. The kind of woman he could introduce to his mother if he had one. Sadly enough he never knew his family and but for Am’rak would be alone. And still, he would have to kill her knowing that Am’rak would never let him have her.

  As she stood in front of him while he ran the water, which she would inevitably die in he said, “You’re perfect.”

  She smiled; sensing something final was coming her way she started to think on her feet. “Thank you.”

  He nodded. “You like your water hot or—”

  “I think I could fall in love with you.” She paused. “You think you could ever, ever, learn to, to love me?”

  His eyes widened. “How, why do you feel that way—”

  “I don’t know.” She touched his face with her warm palm. “I just wanna take care of you.” She was on her best performance ever. “Can I do that?”

  In that moment, she had saved her own life.

  ****

  AM’RAK

  Am’rak pulled up in front of a chic restaurant in Washington DC. When a valet offered to take his car he extended a finger to halt him, in an effort to finish his call. “Aunt Quila, things are gonna work out,” he said. “But you gonna have to trust me and try to calm down.”

  “But how can you be sure?”

  “Because I have an idea that I’m putting into works right now.” He paused. “Things will go as planned.”

  After his call ended he exited his ride and handed the valet attendant the keys to his Benz. He was about to walk inside when he squinted and saw her sitting in a black Honda Civic rental.

  Fearing a set up because she was there early, he looked around from where he stood. When he couldn’t call a foul, he bopped up to her car and knocked on the passenger side window. From where he was he could see that Parade was inside crying.

  With Am’rak in view Parade wiped the tears from her face and unlocked the door. Concerned, Am’rak slipped inside and locked it behind himself. Examining her for a moment he asked, “What’s wrong?”

  She shrugged.

  “If you didn’t want to meet me it’s—”

  “It’s not you.” She wiped more tears away as she laid down initial steps to get the cash. “I mean, I wanted to be here it’s just that, so much is going on in my private life and…and I don’t know what to do.”

  He sat back in his seat and looked ahead. “Parade, you not out here alone. If something’s on your mind, talk to me.” He looked at her seriously. “We ain’t been through a lot but we been through enough. What’s up?”

  She looked at him and took a deep breath. “The only thing on my mind right now is getting a drink and grabbing a meal. Can we do that?”

  He placed his hand on her thigh and eased out the car. She followed him.

  ****

  AM’RAK

  Inside a luxury suite in Washington D.C., Am’rak just gave a room attendant a stack for the bottles of liquor on ice he ordered. He wasn’t exactly sure why he agreed to go to the hotel as opposed to going to his Maryland crib, except when he asked Parade to go back to his house she seemed apprehensive and he understood why. First it was his ex blowing up his spot when she showed up uninvited, and next it was the intruders. So he figured going there would offer her a little comfort. And that finally she would
spread them legs.

  When he pushed the door open in the bedroom of the suite he was surprised to see Parade under the sheets apparently asleep.

  Fuck. He said to himself. He had all intentions on finally feeling inside of her but now it looked like once again he was going to be short.

  Placing the bucket on the table by the bed he slipped out of his navy blue POLO pants and eased under the covers with her. He almost choked on air when he realized she was completely naked and warm.

  Slowly he guided his body so that he was directly behind her, the front of his boxers against her thick ass. Wrapping an arm around her waist he inhaled the coconut scent of her skin and moaned. His dick pulsated. To say she was sexy was an understatement that didn’t need to be said. Everyone who laid eyes on her knew the truth.

  Normally Am’rak would have already been stuffing her down by now but in his opinion Parade was fragile and there was a bigger picture in his mind. One that had nothing to do with sex. Say or do the wrong thing and she would probably be gone and her elusiveness was the reason he found her so interesting but also up for the unknown task ahead of her.

  When she moaned a little and her fleshy ass cheeks backed into him his eyes widened. Maybe she wasn’t asleep after all and that was all the invitation he needed. Slowly he ran his hand up and down her warm thighs as he kissed her back softly. She moaned slightly and moved a little more but in his opinion she was going to fake to the highest degree so he was going to allow her the honor. It didn’t mean he wasn’t going to dig into the pussy though.

  When she backed into him again, he positioned her on her back, crawled on top of her and smiled. Her eyes were open as she stared at him seductively. “I’m afraid of you,” she said.

  “Don’t be.”

  He reached to his left, got a condom and eased it on his thick dick. “I just wanna…” Before he finished his sentence he was inside of her, deeply. Pushing. Stirring. Pulsing.

  “Damn, you feel so…” She pulled him toward her so that his chest pressed against her warm breasts. Placing her lips against his ear she said, “What took you so long?”

  He chuckled once. “You were playing games.”

  She kissed the side of his face and then his lips. “Nah. Just prefer to do things on my time that’s all.” She eased on top of him and looked down at his face. And then, as if he belonged to her, she surfed back and forth on top of him.

  He licked his lips as he stiffened inside of her even more. This was not a side he saw in the past and yet he loved her strength and power. And more than anything in the moment her fuck game which was official.

  Placing his hands on the sides of her waist he pumped into her harder and longer until her head fell back and her mouth opened.

  “Fuck, Parade…you feel so good.”

  She looked down at him. “You feel better.”

  They pumped and touched each other until they were out of breath and drifted into a deep sleep. Moments later, while her eyes were closed, he rolled over and looked at her. He figured she was playing games again so he spoke his peace.

  “I need you to do something for me,” he said. “Something that will help me a lot. You do that, and I’ll give you anything you desire. That much I promise.”

  ****

  PARADE

  I was driving my rental after leaving Am’rak when Wayne called. I almost didn’t answer because I knew he would bash me for not taking things further and asking for the cash but I had a plan.

  “Parade, why didn’t you ask for the money?” He snapped. “Fuck is wrong with you?”

  “I’m gonna ask, Wayne.” I stopped at the light. “It’s just that it seemed too hot to—”

  “After you gave him the pussy?” Wayne continued. “Parade, I’m not feeling this situation at all.”

  “I’m gonna do it. Especially since he asked me for a favor.”

  “A favor? You fucked the nigga! That should be enough.”

  “Maybe it’s not,” I said. “I mean, if I do whatever he wants maybe I can earn the money another way.”

  “Well I got some friends of mine looking into him and—”

  “Wayne, why you doing that?” I yelled.

  “Doing what? Making sure my best friend lives long enough to live out her dreams of being reunited with her family?”

  “No, get in my business and tell the world I’m fucking over my husband.”

  “Parade, I just want to—”

  “I gotta go.” I hung up and pulled in front of the hospital.

  Taking a deep breath, I wiped the tears that started to creep in my eyes. I mean, what was he thinking doing something so stupid without asking? It was bad enough I had to put myself out there to find Am’rak but now he was making things worse. And there was no way I was letting Am’rak get away without asking for the money but I had to be smart. And since I knew he really liked me, even called me two times while on my way to the hospital, I felt confident that things would be fine and within time the money would be mine.

  Walking into the hospital I signed in and caught the elevator up to Jay’s room. When I made it to the hallway I saw a group of familiar male faces taking the steps in the opposite direction. It looked like they came out of Jays’ room but I wasn’t sure.

  When I made it to his door I saw Melissa talking to the bed and when I walked further inside I saw Jay. Quinn was there too and I was five seconds from snatching her by the hair until I saw what was happening. He was up!

  I immediately felt weak at the knees when I gazed on his opened eyes. And when he saw me and smiled my heart melted.

  “Bae,” he said reaching out for me. “I fucking missed you.”

  I dropped my purse at the door and rushed over to him. First I kissed his face and then I kissed his lips and then his face and lips again. All the while, Melissa stood around watching. What the fuck was up with this chick?

  “I can’t believe you’re up!” I kissed him again. “I can’t believe…”

  “Of course you can’t believe it,” Melissa interrupted, walking closer to the bed. “You haven’t been here much.”

  “Ma,” Jay said. “What I tell you about starting shit. Let it go. Besides,” he looked at me. “I’m sure she had a reason.”

  “I hear all that but son, there’s a lot you don’t know that you need to about her.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “What is wrong with you?” I snapped. “Your son just woke up from a coma and you use the moment to shit on our marriage? Then you add insult to injury by having this bitch back in here when I told you both I never wanted to see her again!”

  Silence.

  “Ma, she’s right,” Jay said softly. “Things ain’t been square and I’m to blame for that. And I appreciate you being here but now,” he took a deep breath. “Look, give me some alone time with my wife.”

  “But, Jay—”

  “Please, ma!” He snapped. “I’ll talk to you in a minute.”

  “And take this whore with you!” I said referring to Quinn.

  Melissa looked at me and then Jay before walking out with that bitch.

  When they were gone I smiled. “How do you feel?”

  “Bae, all I can say is that I’m happy to be alive and even more happy to see your face.” He paused. “I mean, I know I was in a coma but at the same time I could feel myself wanting to get back to you.”

  I stared at him for the next few minutes, just squeezing and rubbing his hand. “I, prayed for you to come back to me. And the next day you do just that. I love you so much, Jay.”

  “Bae, there’s something I want to—”

  “Listen, I’m going to get the house back,” I told him cutting him off. I had a feeling he was going to bring up losing our home so I wanted to ease his mind. The last thing I needed was him having another heart attack.

  His eyebrows rose. “H…how?”

  “Don’t worry about how. I just…” I squeezed his hand tighter. “I love you so much, Jay and I want you to forgive
me. Forgive me for driving you to get into the accident.”

  “Parade—”

  “And forgive me for being so hard on you while—”

  “Parade, you have to hear me out!”

  “Jay, just forgive me for what I had to do.” I leaned in and kissed his forehead. “I’ll be back soon to take you home. I promise you that.” I walked out.

  ****

  MERCER

  Mercer sat in his car across the parking lot from Parade’s rental at the hospital. He was talking to Am’rak. When she walked out he picked up his phone. “She’s back out. Want me to follow her?”

  “Yeah, but after that go back to the hospital,” Am’rak said. “Get as much information as you can on what she was doing there. I need leverage in case she doesn’t bite on my future plan.”

  “Already on it.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  JAY

  My mother, I love her but she’s too much at times. Always wanting me to be her kid son and never understanding that I was a man, with a wife and kids of my own. Things were different from when I was ten.

  I had just finished eating a cheese sandwich when my mother and Quinn walked inside the room. I sat up straight, wiped my mouth and looked at my mother. “What’s Quinn doing back here?” I asked. “You heard Parade. She shouldn’t be here.”

  “Don’t get mad, Jay,” my mother said. “We were having such a nice conversation before Parade showed up and ruined it all.”

  “I asked you a question,” I said firmer. “What is she doing back here?”

  “Jay,” Quinn said walking up to the right side of the bed. In the same place my wife stood yesterday. “I, I know you don’t want to see me now but there’s so much I have to tell you. So much I think you should know.”