“It's good to be out,” Clyde said, even though he knew there would be a period of adjustment. But freedom spoke for itself.
“I'm happy for you,” Trey told him. “Whatever I can do to help make thing easier, you just ask.”
“Thanks, man.”
“Hey, we're brothers, first and foremost. Never forget that.”
“I won't,” Clyde said. He wondered if that was a good or bad thing, considering how much brotherly love or lack of had cost him. But that was over and done with. He'd paid his debt to society and had no desire to bring up something that would only stir up thoughts better left alone.
“Good.” Trey gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder.
He turned onto a meandering upscale residential boulevard lined with alternating pine and oak trees. The evening sun was beginning to set and the sky was a mixture of orange, red, and yellow.
Clyde readied himself for the next big step in his journey to a life post-incarceration. He needed to keep a low profile and not make things any worse between Trey and his wife, even if he wasn't responsible for their issues. Though trouble always seemed to follow him around, Clyde wanted this to be a new day. He saw no reason why that wouldn't be the case as far as he was concerned.
Chapter Three
“So this is it,” Trey announced as they entered a gated property and pulled into the circular driveway behind a ginger-colored Jaguar.
Clyde got a look at the Victorian mansion his brother called home, with its Corinthian columns and stained-glass windows. It was a far cry from the cramped cell space he'd grown accustomed to. It also showed just how far Clyde was from Trey's gifted life. One that had caused Clyde to spend the last nine years of his life in hell.
“It's beautiful, man,” he marveled.
“Wait 'til you see the inside,” Trey bragged. “Didn't start off as much more than a turn-of-the-last-century relic. But with a lot of patience and very expensive renovations, it's turned out to be a pretty good place to hang out.”
Now I get to find out for myself
. Clyde promised to keep an open mind as he stepped into the life of extravagance and all it entailed.
He followed his brother through the arched French double doors and Clyde immediately felt as though he'd truly entered another world. One that far exceeded even the last place Trey called home. Clyde wouldn't allow himself to get too comfortable. He never wanted to be someone he wasn't, no matter the temptation.
Trey introduced Clyde to his cook, Francine Naughton, and housekeeper, Emily Sengula. They were in their fifties and seemed right at home.
“This is my brother, Clyde.”
“I can see the resemblance,” Francine said, smiling.
Clyde had never thought there was much physical similarity between him and Trey. Perhaps others saw differently. He shook both women's hands.
“Where's Ivana?” Trey asked, looking from one woman to the other.
Emily touched thinning, gray hair “She's on her way down. You know Ivana . . . always wants to look and dress her best.”
“Well, go up and tell her we've got company. Clyde is family, so she doesn't have to try and impress him.”
“That's right,” Clyde felt obliged to agree. “All she has to do is be herself.”
“I'll go get her,” Emily said and walked away.
“You must be hungry.” Francine looked up at Clyde behind amber-colored glasses.
He nodded. “Yeah. Haven't had a good meal in some time.”
“Don't you worry about that. I'll make sure you have plenty of them as long as you're in this house.”
“Thanks, Francine,” he said with anticipation.
She rested her hand on an ample hip. “Don't thank me 'til you've tasted my cooking.”
Clyde chuckled. “Fair enough.”
Just as Francine headed toward the kitchen, Clyde and Trey spotted Ivana coming down the spiral staircase. For whatever reason, Clyde felt nervous at the prospect of finally meeting his brother's wife. At the same time, he was very much looking forward to meeting Trey's other half. Even if things were not as they should be between husband and wife.
Ivana had not expected Trey's brother to be so damned good looking. Clyde was taller than Trey, more muscular, and, well, sexier. He was also bald, something she'd always found attractive in men. But Trey would never hear of shaving his head, as if by doing so he would lose his hair permanentlyâor maybe the distinguished image he'd been so careful to cultivate.
“Nice to meet you too,” she said to Clyde, knowing it was what Trey wanted her to say. The truth was, the man had just gotten out of prison, handsome and sexy or not. Ivana couldn't lose sight of the fact that trouble could still be in his system and she wanted as little to do with him as possible.
When Clyde gave her a hug rather than a handshake, Ivana found herself unexpectedly enjoying the feel of his hard body pressed against hers, no matter how brief. Her nipples got a tingling sensation during the experience, causing her to blush. She hoped neither Clyde nor Trey noticed.
“Thanks for letting me chill here for a while,” Clyde told her in a deep, masculine voice.
“Don't worry about it,” she said with a sweep of her hand. “You're family. Whatever happened in the past stays there, as far as I'm concerned.”
“I feel the same way,” Trey added. “Make yourself at home, little brother.”
With a straight face, Clyde kept his eyes on Ivana as he said, “I'll try my best and hope I don't wear out my welcome.”
Ivana gave him a tiny smile. She supposed they would get along just fine so long as he remembered he was a temporary guest and not a permanent resident, even if Trey might have had other ideas.
Clyde found himself unable to break away from staring at the gorgeous woman his brother had married, making him even more envious of Trey. The photo Trey had sent him in prison hardly did her justice. She was tall and naturally slender, with nice breasts that practically clung to the fabric of the designer jersey dress she wore. He loved the long braids that almost seemed to float across her narrow shoulders. She smelled good, too. It had been too long since he'd breathed in the sweet scent of a woman.
Clyde had to check himself to control his unbidden desire to have Ivana right there on the spot. He wasn't sure if it was his attraction to Trey's wife in particular, or a sexual draw to any halfway decent-looking woman after going nine years without any action to satisfy his strong libido. He didn't want to find out.
“Well, think I could use a nice shower before supper,” he said, forcing his eyes to turn to Trey.
“I'm sure you could.” Trey put a hand on his shoulder. “Why don't I show you your room. It's got its own bathroom, so you can take it from there.”
“Sounds good.” Clyde gave Ivana a half grin. “Catch you later.”
“I'll try not to fall down before then,” she said with a twinkle in her multi-colored eyes.
In the shower, Clyde was still thinking about the last words to come from his sister-in-law's full lips. He liked that she had a sense of humor. Or was she serious? He imagined he would catch her in a heartbeat every time. Could Trey say the same about his wife? Or was Trey still pining for the women he'd been shacking?
Clyde allowed the soap to stream down his face along with hot water. He could have stayed in there all day, sort of cleansing the filth of incarceration from his body. Clyde doubted that the past nine years could ever go away entirely. Not when every time he saw his brother it reminded him of everything he'd missed out on in life. Including being with a woman of his own whom he could love and would love him back just as much, whatever his shortcomings. The fact that he had sacrificed his own freedom to stop Willie Munroe from raiding Trey's property, and possibly going after his brother for the hell of it, also irked Clyde. Trey would never know just how much he'd respected himâloved his brotherâto do what he did. Clyde wasn't certain he even realized this at the time. Somehow it came natural to defend Trey's turf, even when they had always seemed to be at each other's throat. Might have been the same had the shoe been on the other foot.
Clyde struggled to push those thoughts to the back of his mind. The bottom line was that he had been given a second chance to do things the right way and intended to take advantage of it. He owed himself that much. And Trey and his lovely wife, too, who had been kind enough to take him in even with the baggage he carried like deadweight. He suspected Ivana wasn't entirely sold on the idea of his presence, and more or less went along with it just to keep the peace.
The least he could do was make it as easy for her as possible. Or was easy what she really wanted from him?
Chapter Four
Willie played with the big breasts of the waitress named Roselyn Pesquera as she galloped atop him like a stallion. Her ass smacked against his thighs time and time again, and she began to moan loudly.
“I think I'm about to cum,” she murmured, flipping the knotted extensions from her face. “Tell me you are too.”
Her vagina, tugging hard on his erection, had gotten Willie excited to the point that an orgasm was moments away.
“Yeah, baby,” he hummed. “Let yourself go.”
With the strength that had come from lifting weights and doing sit-ups to pass the time, Willie easily rolled them over to the missionary position while still wedged deep inside Roselyn. He propped her splayed legs high on his hips and drove further into Roselyn 'til his climaxâand hersâwas complete.
Drenched in perspiration, he rolled off her and onto the water bed Willie had gotten a deal on from his last employer. That was before the bastard fired Willie's ass because of a misunderstanding.
“That was fun,” Roselyn said, licking what ruby gloss was left on her lips. “Nice to be with a man who knows what he's doing in bed for a change.”
Willie took the compliment in stride. Pleasing women in bed was the one thing he had mastered over the years. It was always that much more pleasurable for him while high as a kite, as he was at the moment.
“You had it going, too,” he said simply, his mind already wondering what else she could do for him.
Roselyn giggled, then put a serious look on her face. “Can I ask you a question?”
Willie turned from her breasts. “Yeah, go ahead.”
She hesitated. “What happened to your eye?”
He suddenly felt self-conscious. It wasn't like he was trying to hide the fact that the eye wasn't worth a damn. Particularly since it seemed to have a mind of its own, not always in sync with the good eye. But that didn't mean he was looking for pity either. Only revenge someday.
Willie blinked. “Hurt it in a fight years back.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
“Don't be. You should've seen what happened to the other dude.” Not nearly enough as far as he was concerned, even if Clyde Lancaster was doing time for the crime. Willie could only hope someone in the pen had given him some of what he deserved.
Roselyn winced. “It's probably better that I didn't.”
“Yeah, probably.”
“Well, wish I could stay longer, but I have to get back to work.”
Ain't you the lucky one?
“No problem.”
She flashed him a look of disappointment, as if he was supposed to beg her to stay at his apartment for the rest of the day. If not all night long. Not going to happen.
Roselyn climbed out of bed, and Willie watched her rounded ass wiggle. “You want to get together again sometime?” she asked diffidently.
“Yeah, that's cool.” Willie eyed her, not particularly turned on, but not exactly in a position to be too choosy either. “Only next time let's make it your place.”
“That's fine by me. Just say when.”
“How about tomorrow night?”
She frowned, slipping into clothes. “Can't. I work the night shift. Anytime in the afternoon or the next night would be good, though.”
Willie didn't want to appear too desperate to get laid. Or to see if he could con the bitch out of some money.
“I'll call you,” he said, and got to his feet, making sure he had her number.
Roselyn tossed him a tentative smile. “You'd better, honey.”
“Count on it.” Now was the time for Willie to act or watch the golden opportunity walk right out the door. “Say, I'm runnin' a little low on funds. You think I could hit you up for a few bills 'til my paycheck comes in?”
Roselyn hesitated, but quickly relented. “No problem.” She grabbed her purse, pulled out an amount adding up to twenty dollars, and put it in Willie's hand. “Don't worry about paying it back. We're cool.”
Willie grinned. He had a feeling there was much more where that came from and intended to get what he could.
“Thanks, baby.” He sucked on her lips 'til he could feel them swell.
After Roselyn left, Willie waited a few minutes before heading out himself. He lived in a low-income housing complex that was barely adequate. Some day he hoped to change his misfortunes. Right now, he could only deal with things as they were 'til something better came along.
Willie walked around the block and saw the man he was looking for standing on a corner, doing business.
Lenny Johnson dealt drugs on a small scale in the neighborhood. Willie approached the thirty-something, tall, and rail-thin man with slicked-back dark hair, as Lenny backed his head out the window of a pink Cadillac, which sped off.
“Hey, Lenny.”
Lenny flashed Willie a half smile. “What's up, man?”
“Just hangin' out.”
“Yeah, what else is there to do around here?”
Willie wasn't looking to chat. He pulled the wad of bills Roselyn had given him from his pocket and handed it to Lenny.
“You got some stuff for me?” Willie asked.
Lenny grinned, counting the money. “Yeah, as a matter of fact, I can help you out there.” He removed from his jacket a small plastic bag with marijuana. “Here you go.”
Willie took the bag like his life depended on it. “Thanks.”
Lenny shrugged. “That's what I'm here for. If you need something to really give you a buzz, you know where to find me.”
“Sure do,” Willie muttered, and planned to call on him again when he needed some meth. He preferred it over crack and heroin, which he'd also done from time to time. “See you later.”
“Yeah, later.”
Willie had taken a few steps back toward his place when he heard Lenny say, “Guess you heard the news?”
He turned to face the drug dealer, his mind a blank. “What news is that?”
“Your old homeboy, Clyde Lancaster, was released from prison yesterday.”
“What?”
Lenny scratched his forehead. “So you hadn't heard. He's back in town and staying with his bro in that big, fancy house Trey Lancaster likes to rub in our faces.”
“That ain't got nothin' to do with me,” Willie claimed, maintaining a look of composure, even as he felt his blood pressure rising.
“Whatever you say, man,” Lenny said. “Just thought you should know. I'm sure Clyde is a reformed man now that he's done his time.”
“Yeah, right.”
Like hell he is
, Willie mused. The bastard should've stayed locked away for the rest of his pathetic life, and away the hell from him. He held Clyde responsible for taking away half his sight and interfering in something that was none of his damned business, brother or not.
There was a price to pay for that. Willie fully intended to exact his revenge. If Clyde thought that bygones could be bygones, he was dead wrong. What was that about an eye for an eye? Even better was an eye for a life. Maybe two lives.
Willie went home and got high, while having a whole new reason to live.