Chapter 1
Reko
I don’t know why I always watched her. What had put her on my radar? I knew I needed someone who knew exactly how to play the role and she wasn’t it. She didn’t even look the part.
Maybe, maybe that was what made her perfect.
She was a struggling college student living in the hood, grasping for anything that could pull her away from the hell she lived in. She had chosen to provide for her broken family instead of leaving them behind and starting fresh elsewhere, I respected that. With an abusive drunk for a dad and druggie for a mother, she could’ve did so much better without that on her shoulders. But she continued to shoulder that burden, and that spoke to me more than anything else.
I would have her, it was only a matter of time.
Ebony
Today was just a shitty day. I hadn’t earned any money from waiting tables and it was almost time for me to clock out.
The bell on the door jingled, alerting me to another customer so I turned hoping that I could finally earn a decent tip this time. I froze when I saw it was him.
His smothering gray eyes were on me as always. I knew he came here for me; he always did. Ever since I dragged my mother from the house of one of his dealers. I wasn’t sure if these were gang members, the mafia, or drug dealers but I knew he was the leader. Who the hell was he?
Flashback
Ebony
He was just pulling up with who I considered his mob when I half carried, half dragged my mother away from the trap house. I had broken his gaze, not out of fear as I could handle myself, but to glare at all the other men he was with. We had locked eyes starring each other down until the men he was with started offering me money and drugs for sex. I immediately flipped the finger and walked the opposite way.
I knew he had to be the leader by the way they surrounded him and responded to him, though he didn’t look the part. He said something and they are quieted, and this confirmed what I already knew, this one was in charge.
He looked fucking delicious. He had on a crisp Brioni Colosseo suit, looking like a very wealthy businessman. The guys around him looked like thugs. He was tall, muscular, and so handsome I couldn’t believe he was a devil. But that was how Lucifer fooled everyone wasn’t it?
I didn’t speak, my expression spoke volumes though. And while he was handsome, I wasn’t the least impressed.
Okay, lie. Somewhere... Deep inside I was intrigued a bit. I think I wanted him, but I was no Eve. I had no desire to learn what terrible consequences awaited me once I had a taste of forbidden fruit. But I wanted a taste, just one.
He never said a word that was directed to me, simply watched as I ignored them all, walking away with my drugged-up mom in tow. Men in my neighborhood disgusted me. All of them immediately assumed from my mother that I was the same, I wasn’t. I was not going down the path of my mother. It was no way I was going to raise my kids in this filth.
A week later, he had popped up here. I knew It wasn’t a coincidence. He didn’t let anybody wait on him and kept his eyes on me from the moment I came out the kitchen with my orders from another table.
I ignored him, rolling my eyes. I knew he was trouble. But it was like a magnetic force was pulling me to him, I wanted him so bad. But I continued waiting on everybody but him, I guess I was playing hard to get.
My boss had personally come to take the plates from me and demanded that I wait on him and only him every time he came there.
What. The. Fuck.?
I sucked it up and took my time going to him, he’d deserved it.
End of Flashback
Ebony
“Hey, what can I start you off with today?” Polite but straightforward as always, I didn’t want to give him any impression I liked him.
Only God knew I did.
“You. Tonight. In my bed.” He gave me what must’ve been a panty dropping smile. Well, that was new.
He had gorgeous dimples. I had to control my blush. God if I hadn’t known he would turn me inside out and leave me like trash, I’d play his games.
Usually he had the same order every evening. His ass must’ve been tired of playing this little game, well I wasn’t. And I ran this.
“Alrighty, I’ll take that as the USUAL.” I said being sure to put the emphasis on usual. I couldn’t just flick him off or go off on him. He owned the damn city apparently.
And he gave me my largest tips here and I needed the money or else...
“I’ll give you 5500.” He offered.
The Bastard! My smile was getting really difficult to hold on my face.
“No thank you.” I forced myself to decline politely.
“10,000 then.”
The fucking ass! I guess he hadn’t learned the first time we saw each other.
“Sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, I am not a prostitute.” I said sweetly, too sweetly before walking away without waiting for a response.
It wasn’t all about the money. He was only trouble and I couldn’t handle more problems now. I left to put his order in and could feel his intense stare burning through me.
I sighed in relief once there was a door in between me and him.
My boss saw my facial expression and whispered, “take the rest of the day off. I know today was hard. I’ll save you his tip.”
I smiled at her grateful. “Thank you so much.”
“Anytime, go out the back.”
I did as she asked. I hurried to my second home, the gym, relieved to have the rest of the time to beat the fuck out of the punching bag that I imagined had beautiful gray eyes, a 6 ft tall and muscular frame-Fuck! I couldn’t get him off my mind.
I finally gave up and decided to go home. I could try to study. I did have my finals tomorrow.
I couldn’t have picked a more terrible time to arrive home. My mom and my stepdad were arguing, and they always found a way to shift the blame on me.
“You fucking bitch! You fucking whore! You had another man in my bed!” Carl, my stepdad, yelled at my mother. I didn’t involve myself in their business, Carl was one of many stepdads that had moved in and abused my mother. I had learned early to stay out of it as she would just accept them back, no matter how many times I called the police.
“I needed the money Carl. How else did you e-expect me to p-pay the r-rent?” My mother stuttered. She was lying but what was new? I paid the bills. I tried to ease past them in the kitchen to the stairs.
“Maybe you should’ve asked your lazy ass whore of a daughter huh?” Carl said, turning his attention on me.
Carl had tried to have sex with me once or twice but after a very hard kick to his balls, he had learned that I was nothing like my mother. And the few men that had ever gotten into my pants was nothing like the boys that existed in this dump.
I ignored Carl and tried to continue past and he suddenly grabbed my hair. I did not my personal space being invaded, I did not like being touched, and I really did not like my natural hair being touched.
“Don’t ignore me!” He hollered in my face and I snapped. I quickly broke his hold, slamming him face first into the wall before breaking his arm. He screamed in pain causing my mom to curse and panic. “God dammit! I’m calling the ambulance.”
I ignored her. Completely focused on him.
“I am not a whore or anything that you are used to. Do not ever invade my space and touch me again or I’ll break your Whole. Fucking. Body.”
He swallowed hard then nodded. Satisfied I released him and continued to my room. I had to study.
I loved my mom. So much it hurts but she was only living off me and dragging me down. I would’ve left a long time ago, but I couldn’t help remembering the day I’d dragged her from the trap. I had yelled at her all the way home and she finally broke down after I threatened to leave her for good.
*Flashback*
“I tried Ebony. I’ve tried to get clean and be a good mother to you like I’m supposed to, but I need help. I can’t resist the high... Promise me you’ll leave me behind; you have your whole life ahead of you. Don’t let me ruin you too.”
“I’ll be here every time you fall mom. I’ll always be here to catch you!”
Reko
Overhearing those words, she'd yelled at her mom it had made her shine like a diamond to me. She had every reason to walk away never looking back but she’d take her chances, trying to pull her mom out on top with her.
I stalked her. I couldn’t help it dammit. Drawn in by everything that was her. Just her. I needed to know her. I ran a background check as soon as I learned her name.
Ebony Amara Cleo Williams
Born Thursday August 8, 1996 at 1:30
Methodist North Hospital
Mother
Aliana Amara Hyde
Father
John A'amir Williams
I knew everything about her now, she couldn’t run from me.
