SEVENTEEN
AS SOON AS A’SHAI WALKED INTO THE hotel room, Liberty could read the defeat all over his face.
“Are you okay?” Liberty asked as she sat up in the bed and got on her knees. A’shai sighed, not in the mood to talk about what happened. Seeing her waiting anxiously for him was like a band-aid to his ego. He was bleeding on the inside, and Liberty was what he needed to forget about the day’s events. Her long hair cascaded over one shoulder as the white plush hotel robe hung off the other shoulder. Her golden skin glistened.
A’shai had entertained his share of women, but none of them could hold a candle to Liberty. He remembered how he had been enthralled by her when his father had kidnapped her from her village. At first sight Liberty had effortlessly stolen his heart.
“Come here,” she summoned as she beckoned him with her finger. Since reuniting, A’shai hadn’t touched Liberty . . . not in the way that he wanted to. There was no doubt in his mind that he was attracted to her. Liberty’s body curved like a coke bottle . . . hips wide . . . waist narrow . . . and face as pretty as an evening sunset; she had to be the 8th wonder of the world. He went to her, sitting on the edge of the bed as he bent over solemnly. She crawled over to him and kissed the back of his neck, awakening his loins as her lips tickled his skin. His dick jumped and began to grow in his pants, but he removed her hands as he fought off the temptation. A’shai had two reasons for not wanting to sleep with Liberty. He didn’t want to take advantage of her the way that every other man in her life had done. He wished that his other reason was as noble, but it was purely selfish. He was uncomfortable with her promiscuous past. Just thinking of another nigga inside of her had him heated. He wasn’t mad at Liberty directly, but the situation in general was just f*cked up. Too many men knew what she felt like . . . what she smelled like . . . what she tasted like and although A’shai was not superficial he couldn’t deny the fact that it bothered him.
“Why don’t you want me?” she whispered as she leaned back. A’shai turned towards her and saw the sting of rejection in her eyes.
“I want you, ma. I want you more than I’ve wanted anything in this life . . . but I can’t help but think . . .”
“That I was a whore? That I slept with men for money? I can’t change who I am,” she stated sharply as she stood up and crossed her arms.
“I’m not asking you to,” A’shai replied as he looked up at her. He pulled her over to him, and she stood between his legs. “I’m a man . . . a jealous man when it comes to you.”
“You don’t have anything to be jealous of Shai. I’ve had sex with men . . . men who hurt me . . . who forced me . . . who hit me. I have never wanted to have sex with anyone in my life. I did what I had to do to stay alive. You can’t fault me for that. I hated every minute of it but I learned to become a great actress,” Liberty admitted as her voice cracked from emotion. “Even with you. The only reason I even threw myself at you was because I feel guilty . . . like I owe you something! I’m the reason that your mom is dead! I owe you everything for taking me away from that life but I have nothing. Shai, I have nothing to offer you! Sex is all I know. It’s all I have.”
Hearing Liberty’s words broke A’shai in pieces. She was lost and it was up to him to help her find herself. He pulled her down on the bed as he wrapped his arms around her. All of a sudden the men she had been with didn’t matter. He held her as she cried on his shoulder.
“Get it out, ma. Let it all out. Because after tonight we are both leaving everything behind us,” he whispered. “It’s you and me, Liberty. F*ck the world.”
Liberty’s body tingled and a moan escaped her lips as she spread her legs open. She thought that she was dreaming and that the sensation pulsing through her body was coming from her own fingertips until she glanced down between her thighs. All she saw was A’shai’s eyes as he looked up at her while licking her * slowly.
“What are you doing?” she asked as she tried to sit up.
“Shhh,” he whispered as he put his hand in the middle of her chest and gently laid her back, all without ever stopping the rhythm of his tongue. Liberty closed her eyes as he worked her over and although she was tense at first, the more he satisfied her, the more relaxed her legs became. It wasn’t long before she was grinding into his tongue. She could hardly contain herself. The act of sex had always felt dirty to her, but with A’shai it felt right.
“Ooh stop,” she moaned as she felt her * become tender as blood caused her labia to swell. “Shai . . . Shai,” she called out. Shai smiled as he felt her ankles interlock behind his head, and her body began to shudder. He maneuvered himself over her, his swollen flesh pressed against her stomach.
“Me and you,” he whispered in her ear as he entered her.
“F*ck the world,” she answered, repeating the motto he had taught her earlier.
“You want me to stop?” he asked as he pulled back so that he could see her face. “I want this to be your choice. I don’t want you pretending with me. I would never hurt you.”
Liberty hesitated as she waited for the empty feeling that always preceded sex to fill her in this moment. If any doubt did exist, she couldn’t recognize it. She was blinded by the intense devotion and attraction she felt for A’shai. “I want to,” she whispered, and as he entered her she gasped in fulfillment. Nothing had ever felt so good. A’shai worked her middle passionately, digging her back out as he grooved to an inaudible beat. The only sound that could be heard was their erratic breathing, and the familiar sound of skin slapping skin. There was no need for theatrics. They were both too into it to sing each other’s praises. Liberty matched A’shai’s intensity as she thrust her hips at him, literally throwing the p-ssy at him. A’shai received it gently, stroking slowly . . . deeply, as he kissed her lips and rocked in and out of her womb. Her tight walls almost inhaled his manhood, sucking him into her warm insides and tickling his loins. She fit him like a tight glove as she flexed her muscles to contract around him. She felt so good that A’shai could barely stop himself from busting too early. Liberty soaked the sheets beneath her as her eyes rolled in the back of her head. She came up on her elbows and whispered, “Lay down, Shai. Let me please you.” In all her years of being a professional no man had ever worked her over this good. She just wanted to reciprocate and show A’shai how much she loved him. This moment had been years in the making. Frustration, attraction, deprivation, and adulation all contributed to this explosive moment. Even when they didn’t realize they needed one another, subconsciously they had always yearned to be together.
As she mounted A’shai, he palmed her breasts, making circular motions on her perky mounds while rubbing her hard nipples. Just the sight of her naked body atop of his made his dick brick. The tip of his penis swelled as pre-cum oozed out of it. He grabbed himself and stroked gently as she lowered her head between his legs. Without any reservations she took him into her mouth and replaced his hands with her own. She moved them up and down around his shaft while making his shaft disappear and reappear. It was a lovely sight to A’shai and his toes began to curl as she adjusted the tightness of her mouth while running her tongue up and down the veins in his pole. He inhaled and reached down to pull her up. In one smooth motion he placed her on top of him. Without losing their rhythm, she rode him. Neither of them wanted the moment to end, but as Liberty began to moan A’shai could feel himself losing his cool.
“Shai,” she called out in a complete euphoric state. The sound of his name falling off her lips took him over the top, and he released his seed inside of her. Liberty collapsed on top of him, her ruffled hair falling in her face. He swept it to the side so that he could see her face clearly and he noticed that her eyes looked different . . . less worried, as though he had lifted a burden off her soul.
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you too,” she replied. She stood to her feet while smiling mischievously.
“Where you going?” he asked.
“To take a shower,” she said. “But I’m not doing it alone. I don’t want to do anything without you ever again.” She reached down and grabbed his hand to pull him to his feet.
A’shai followed her into the bathroom where they resumed their sex session well into the night, making up for lost time.
As daylight crept through the hotel blinds A’shai realized that he had not been to sleep. His mind was racing and he felt extreme stress, despite the beautiful night that he and Liberty had shared the night before. As he listened to her steady breathing he felt the same responsibility for her that he had felt when they had run away from home as kids. It was up to him to lead her to a better life and this time he was determined not to drop the ball. She had no clue, but his pockets were dwindling. All of his money had gone up in smoke in the car explosion and all he had left was the paper in his pocket. He eased out of the bed, moving Liberty off his chest before climbing out of bed. He went into the pocket of his suit jacket to retrieve the small knot of bills. He flipped through it quickly, but when he discovered the total he knew that he may as well have been broke: $3,000 wouldn’t get them very far . . . not when they were running from a man whose resources were limitless. A’shai couldn’t even purchase any decent fire power for that amount. F*ck am I going to do? he thought. I’ve got to come up on some paper.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his cell phone ringing. He reached in his slacks and retrieved it. He recognized the name instantly. If Baron had taught him anything, it was to always have your attorney on speed-dial and as the call came up he answered it.
“Don Clarkston,” A’shai stated.
“A’shai, good morning. I’m sorry to call you so early, but it is very important. It’s Baron,” Clarkston said. “He was arrested last night. He was arraigned this morning. He asked me to call you. I need a $50,000 retainer to render services to him, and he says that you are the only one who knows where his money is.”
“Arrested?” A’shai exclaimed, stirring Liberty from her sleep. He knew that it was uncharacteristic for Baron to be caught slipping. “How did this happen?”
“Apparently, Baron was caught with large quantities of cocaine in his home,” Clarkston replied.
A’shai shook his head in disbelief. He knew his father would never bring his business home. “What’s his bail?” A’shai asked, instantly reverting back to his loyal duties as Baron’s son and next in command.
“Your father is considered a flight risk. Bail was denied,” Clarkston said. “Time is of the essence, A’shai. The sooner you can get me that retainer the better.”
A’shai hung up the phone and turned around to find Liberty staring at him.
“What’s going on? What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Get dressed, ma, we have to go,” he stated.
A’shai pulled up to his parents’ home and parked his car in the circular driveway, directly in front of the door.
“Stay here. I’ll be in and out,” he instructed as he kissed her cheek and rushed into the house. He went to the basement and into the cellar where Baron kept his money secure in a safe. He located the large wine rack that hid the industrial wall safe. He pulled down one bottle and pressed the button that was hidden behind it. The entire rack slid to the side, revealing Baron’s hidden treasure. A’shai quickly put the combination in and rubbed his hands together as he prepared to unload the riches. He froze in disbelief when the door popped open and he witnessed the inside of the bare safe. It had been wiped out. The only thing that remained was a single handgun . . . his father’s signature .38. Every dollar that had once filled the space was gone. This can’t be right . . . f*ck is all the money?
Liberty sat in the car antsy as she waited for her man to return. Where is he? What is taking him so long? she thought as she looked around nervously, feeling like a sitting duck. She noticed a black Acura pull up to the house, sitting curbside. Liberty tried to peer inside the windows at the driver, but the dark tint hindered her vision.
A bad vibe filled her as she whispered, “Come on, Shai, . . . hurry up.” Her worried eyes were locked on the open door of Baron’s home.
The sound of squealing tires caused her to focus her attention on the car, but before she could even process what was going on the black Acura rammed into the side of the Benz.
“Ahh!” Liberty screamed, terrified as she ducked down as the driver-side window burst from the impact. The car backed up and rammed into the side of A’shai’s ride again. Everything was happening so fast that Liberty didn’t know what to do. She climbed into the driver’s seat and attempted to throw the car in drive, but before she could even put her foot on the pedal, the Acura drove into her once again. Liberty felt the metal crunch into her side as she screamed out in pure fear. She mashed the car horn, trying to get A’shai’s attention without letting up.
BEEEPPP!!!
As she watched the Acura back up once more, panic filled her. Wide-eyed, she stared at the car as its engine revved. She struggled to put the car in drive but the way that A’shai was parked she had nowhere to go. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact as the car burned rubber before her.
A’shai heard the horn sound off and he grabbed the gun out of the safe before he shot up the stairs. He raced outside, knowing that the way Liberty was laying on the horn could only mean one thing . . . she was in trouble. When he saw the Acura ram into the side of his car he chambered the first round of the .38, knowing that Baron kept it loaded, and then removed his own gun off his waist. He clicked it off safety in one swift motion and started spraying. The semi-automatic spit specks of gold fire as he aimed at the car while walking towards it. Fed up, he didn’t hesitate. He had a marksman’s aim and was trying to eliminate whoever was behind the wheel. He knew that Samad was gunning for him, and A’shai felt no remorse as he tried to send someone’s child back to them in a box. Bullets riddled the car until finally the driver reversed all the way to the street. A’shai didn’t stop shooting until the car pulled away. He ran and snatched open the driver-side door. He wrapped his arms around a shaken Liberty.
“You’re okay . . . I’m here. I’ve got you,” he assured as he kissed her repeatedly. “Are you hurt?”
“No . . . no, I’m okay,” she answered, her voice shaking as she slid back into the passenger seat.
A’shai knew that Samad had his killers after them. A man of Samad’s power didn’t take insolence without retaliation. A’shai had given Samad the ultimate sign of disrespect . . . he had snatched his bitch, and A’shai knew that the conflict was only just beginning. Samad was a man with limitless means. Whoever he wanted touched would be touched, and A’shai knew that the threat was real. Things would have been so much easier had he had his father backing him, but A’shai knew that this was not Baron’s fight. He had his own troubles at the moment, and A’shai was too proud to admit that he needed help.
“We have to switch cars. Come on,” he said. Liberty was shaking like a leaf in the wind as she climbed out and followed him back into the house. A’shai went straight to the attached garage, revealing three luxury cars. He grabbed the spare key to Baron’s Lexus coupe and then pulled off.
“We have to get out of here, Shai. I know Samad. He’s not going to stop, and the longer we stick around here the greater chance we have to get caught,” Liberty said, her voice still trembling. He could tell that she was shaken up.
“I know, ma . . . I know. I just have to handle a few things first,” he said, not wanting to tell her that he was broke. He had been depending on Baron’s stash. He knew that there had been close to $1 million in that safe and after paying Baron’s bail he was going to take a portion to get them safely out of town . . . but his plans had been spoiled.
“Handle what, Shai? Let’s just go . . . please,” she pleaded.
“We won’t get very far with no money,” he said.
Liberty paused and looked at him in disbelief. “What you mean no money? I thought . . .”
“Every dollar I had was in a duffel bag in the back of my whip when it blew up, and my pop’s safe was empty,” A’shai said in frustration.
“Who else had the combination?” Liberty asked.
A’shai paused as a light bulb went off in his head. “Nobody! The only people who can access that safe is me and my Pop’s . . .” A’shai suddenly remembered that he had given Nico the combo. “F*ck!” he shouted. “Nico took that paper.”
A’shai knew what he needed to do. He wanted to go to the county jail to visit Baron and inform him of what was going on but he couldn’t. Samad wasn’t an amateur, and A’shai knew that if he showed up to visit his father that Samad’s shooter would be there waiting for him. He wasn’t about to walk into a trap. A’shai had to find Nico and get that money. His life depended on it.