Raven
Idon’t know what came over me. Something about Hellcat had me ready to risk it all and tell him everything, but I knew I couldn’t. I had to keep certain shit to myself so he could trust me. I knew he wanted me, and the feelings were mutual because I had watched him for so long. Since I had been in New Orleans, I had been watching him. That phone call I was on was not a nigga I was fucking with, but my brother trying to figure out where the fuck I was.
I had long ago left Colombia and moved around the United States, so my family wouldn’t find me. I didn’t want to be a part of what they had going on, and I made sure of it. I had been traveling since I was nineteen and decided to settle in New Orleans. Hellcat was different from the other men I observed. He was too young to have all the things he possessed, so I dug a little deeper into his life. I couldn’t find too much, so I left it alone. That was until I ran into him on the elevator.
I made a good life for myself, and I loved how I lived. Quiet and peaceful. I didn’t know anyone, and I moved in silence. I had enough money to live three lifetimes, so I didn’t need a job. I made sure before I left home that I had everything I would need. If I didn’t have it, I would get it along the way. Freedom is whatI finally had, but I had a gut feeling that Hellcat wasn’t about to leave me alone.
Hard as I wanted to be, I didn’t want him to leave me alone. I needed him to trust me, fall in love with me, even, but I knew he would be a hard nut to crack. He needed to tell his brother about the bitch he was fucking before I did, because I knew everything about little Miss Klarity. She didn’t recognize me, but I knew exactly who she was. Her entire fucking life was a lie, but I didn’t know the entire truth, so I couldn’t speak on it unless I had facts.
My phone buzzed in my hand, and I looked down and noticed that it was from Hellcat, but he had his name saved underPunisher.
Punisher: I hope you got in safe. You already know who this is. You smell like cotton candy, so stay sweet.
I blushed because I believed he did have a soft side. I pulled up my keyboard to text him back.
Me: Sweet but sometimes sour, but always sweet for you
I texted him back and laughed. The name spoke a lot, but I would be quiet for now. I held my phone to my chest because I knew I would fall in love with this nigga, but I couldn’t deal with a heartbreak, so I hoped he knew what he was doing fucking with me. I couldn’t stop blushing; I felt like a schoolgirl getting a message from her first crush, and I didn’t want to control it. Maybe it was time for me to explore. Hellcat being the first.
I got on the elevator with mixed feelings. I wasn’t here to fuck up Hellcat’s life, but I did want to explore what we could become as a couple. I knew he was younger than me, but I didn’t give a fuck. I liked my men young anyway. If my family chose to really find me, mainly my father and brother, shit would be bad. I kept shit from Hellcat because I didn’t know him like that, but I knew he would eventually find out who I was and possibly kill me. Was that a chance I was willing to take? For true love, damn right.
I saw a younger version of myself in Hellcat. I knew he had love from his family, but never had real love from a woman, and I wanted to be that woman to give it to him. I had to earn his trust, and today I knew the ice was melting a little.
Running into Hellcat was a complete surprise, but it was something I needed. My spirit told me we needed each other, even if it was for a season. Hellcat looked like a troubled soul. It mirrored mine, but we were just from different parts of the world.
I got off on my floor and went straight to the bathroom. I had to piss. My nerves were on edge the entire time I was out there, but I kept my poker face on. I learned as a child living with my mother and father that I could and would never let my face and body reveal my feelings. I was a demon on the outside, but when those bullets started flying, I regretted leaving my gun at home.
Hellcat must not carry guns because he didn’t do shit but get us out of there safe, and I loved that about him. He was more worried about me than himself, and that spoke volumes. I couldn’t wait until he came back to the building because I wanted to talk to him about a few things regarding my life. I turned the shower on and undressed to decompress and catch up on some reading until I heard from Hellcat again.
Chapter 5
Athena Black
“Ummm, give me another kiss like that,” I told my husband as we stood in the kitchen, all in each other’s faces.
I had been in love with Melph since I was a teenager, so to be married to him for twenty-plus years was like a dream come true. I knew what type of life he led, but that didn’t bother me because he said he would always protect me, and he taught me how to protect myself before Calliope started to grow in my belly. His arms wrapped around me, and I stood on my tippy toes to peck his neck. My black hair flowed down my back because I was so short under him. He gripped it, pulling my neck back and looking into my eyes.
Something was wrong. I already knew from the meeting with our boys that shit was about to shake, but the look in his eyes as he stared at me showed it was more serious than I thought. I pulled him closer to me. What sent my nerves over the edge was when he requested Jaci come home and didn’t tell me or discuss it with me. Something was brewing, and he was keeping it away from me.
“Melph Black, what the fuck is going on? Please don’t leave me in the dark, baby, please. I wanna know before the boys get here.”
I begged him to tell me, but he continued to look into my eyes, not saying a word. He just looked at me like I was the most beautiful woman in the world. Like he was trying to memorize every feature on my face and etch it in his head so he wouldn’t forget it. I didn’t like that feeling. Everything we did, we did it together. Killed niggas, collected money, took trips around the world together, and shared three kids. We were inseparable, and I didn’t need that to change.
“Nothing I can’t handle, and nothing for you to worry about. You just keep being you, and I’ll handle the rest.”
I hated when he talked like that.
“I see yo’ dumb ass sons out front on the camera, but per usual, Hellcat ass is always fucking late, and he knows I hate that shit. Then, he parked on my damn grass.” His brows wrinkled.
“Nigga would be late for his own fucking funeral,” he said, trying to change the subject, but I wasn’t falling for that shit.
He looked down at me.
“I’m only saying the shit once, so you might as well drop it. Stop worrying so much about nothing.” He kept saying that shit, but the worry lines that formed in his forehead said otherwise.
“Don’t talk about my baby like that. He's coming.” I looked at my sexy ass husband. He was the perfect shade of toffee with salt and pepper locs that swung down his back. His skin was so smooth, but we were young parents. I was forty-two and he was forty-six, but black didn’t crack, so we didn’t look like we had grown children.
Hellcat was my child whom I had to give special attention to. Calliope didn’t really get along with his father, and I didn’t know why, but Hellcat was a different case. They couldn’t be in the same room for too long without my furniture being rearranged.Hopefully, this meeting will be different. Melph was always hard on our sons, but I had the soft spot. They knew they could talk to me with emotion, but had to be monsters with their father, and I hated that.