Page 2 of Sire: On Your Knees

Ria took her first sip of her drink while I tried to process her words. I'd never done anything remotely close to that in my life, but my back was against the wall. I needed money, and I needed it fast. Trying to do the right thing would have me out on the streets, shaking a cup for spare change. Even if I found another job, I wouldn't see a check until weeks from now.

"What would I have to do?" I asked for clarification. I refuse to agree to shit without knowing the risks.

Ria smiled widely. "All you have to do is turn the charm on. I will do all the talking and spike the drinks. You keep the niggas entertained, which should be easy because you're pretty, and your ass is fat. Niggas is going for it every time, and we both know it."

It was true. Men lusted after me endlessly. It was part of the reason I always preferred sweatpants, hoodies, and sneakersto hide my shapely frame. A banging body was the only thing I got from my mama because love and support weren't one of them. Gulping down a mouthful of fruity tequila, I drowned out memories of my past. The only thing that mattered now was the opportunity to come up.

"Okay, I'm in," I quickly agreed before I could change my mind.

Ria seemed surprised by my response. "What? Really?"

I nodded. "Yes, I need the money to start my cleaning business. I'm sick of working to make somebody else rich. It's time my luck turned for the better."

Ria nodded with a grin. Lifting one of her margaritas, she tipped it toward me. I grabbed one of mine and clinked it against hers. "Let's get this fucking money."

The Next Night

"I got suckas pissed off. Fuck ya bitch raw. Fuck up her lip gloss then it’s fuck her, get lost..." The crowd in Naughty Cove began to pulse as Kuzco Da Foo's "Another Lick" blasted from the club's speakers. Everyone was screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs, and I couldn't help but vibe with them.

Ria was on the same timing as I turned to her and began rapping the lyrics like we were in the studio with Kuzco when he wrote it. "How the fuck you let yo' homie wear that chain? You know it's fake. Up and down the interstate."

"Hittin' lick after lick after muthafuckin' lick," she rapped back at me.

We continued vibing out to one of our local artists until Rico walked up with drinks. I accepted the Lemon Drop he passed to me. I was going to need some liquid courage to get through this night. The energy in the club was a good distraction from the task at hand. For a minute, it felt good to relax and remove the pressure from my shoulders.

"You ready?" He leaned down to ask in my ear.

I nodded slowly. Rico was a light-skinned Chris Brown-looking nigga that my friend would give anything for. She trusted him, and I trusted her. I hadn't heard her say a bad thing about him yet, so I had to believe it meant something because I needed this little stunt to go off without a hitch. This was how I got my new beginning... My happily ever after...

When Rico spoke again, he addressed both of us. "Alright, my intel says he'll be here soon. I'm going to fade into the shadows, but my eyes will be on y'all. Just play it cool, and we'll be okay."

I felt like the last piece of advice he offered was for me because, apparently, they'd done this kind of thing many times before. Ria knew how to conduct herself, but me... I still couldn't believe I was doing this.

I was so outside of my comfort zone. I understood that I had to be Noonie and not Knovah tonight. Noonie knew how to survive and was willing to do whatever it took to walk away with a bankroll to secure her future. Lifting my plastic cup to my lips, I swallowed the rest of it in one gulp. It burned a little going down, but I knew the effects wouldn't take long to kick in. Though I was known to have a drink often, I was still lightweight. It didn't take much to have me leaning to the side like a blow-up Michelin man.

"It's time," Ria warned me in a low tone. We were standing shoulder to shoulder, still blending into the crowd. "Look up there." She nodded to a section that was slightly elevated on the far wall of the club.

I played it cool, acting like I was just vibing to the music, but I peeped where she wanted me to look. A new set of people were occupying the previously empty section. "Mir is the one with the curly fade."

I couldn't tell much from this far away. I wanted to say he was attractive because bitches were swarming their sectioninstantaneously. Ria grabbed my hand before navigating us in that direction. We were to seduce him on some freaky 'we wanna have a threesome' shit, get him to the house, drug him, then rob him. Simple and easy.

We were almost there when my shoulder damn near dislocated from the weight of someone bumping into me. I almost went tumbling to the floor, but thankfully, his hand on my elbow kept me from completely embarrassing myself.

"My bad, mama." His voice was velvety smooth but also guttural. That was all I could tell you because he disappeared in a blur.

"You okay?" Ria asked after rushing to my side. I nodded and glanced behind me, but all I found were tipsy partygoers. I picked up on the trail of a dark and mysterious scent with a hint of vanilla. There was something elegant about it, and I wished I could see who'd been wearing it.

"Yeah, I'm good. Let's keep going." And going is exactly what we did.

Everything went according to plan, just as they said it would. I tried to contain my excitement when we successfully made it to Mir's beautiful brownstone home on the east side of the city.

He was a very handsy man. He had no problems gripping my ass cheeks and letting me know what he wanted to do to me. Flirting was natural for me, and he was handsome with creamy wheat-colored skin, thick black eyebrows, brown eyes, and full pink lips. He was taller than me and a little skinnier than the men I was typically attracted to, but again, this was the means to an end. I wasn't trying to marry the nigga.

Ria was busy making the drinks while I was straddling his lap. He was gently kissing my neck, sending unfamiliar chills down my spine. It was surely the liquor that got me here and was helping me keep up with the game.

Ria came back with shots for all three of us. Music was flowing, smoke was in the air, and honestly, the vibe was decent. It was a good night, and it was about to get even better. It didn't take long for the sedative to kick in.

"Fuck, why I can't keep my eyes open," Mir ranted, rubbing at his eyes adamantly like it would help. By the time he realized what was going on, it was too late. I remained on his lap until he passed out cold.

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