Unleash Me, Vol. 2 (Unleash Me, Annihilate Me Series) (29 page)

“
Where did you
meet him?
”
I asked.

“
Somewhere
somewhere.
 
I been so bored this
winter, I travel for ten days.
 
I
think Puerto Rico.
 
Or maybe it was
on those Twerks and those Caicos.
 
Doesn
’
t
matter.
 
Why you look so
familiar?
 
Why can
’
t Epifania place you?
”

“
I
’
m not sure.
”

“
So many faces
—
it become blur.
”
 
She took a step back.
 
“
So
what you think, everybody.
 
New boob
job.
 
See how these ones move?
”
 
She shimmied again, and her
breasts shook and swayed and practically sloshed.
 
“
They
looser than the other ones.
 
When we
marry, Charles took me to big shot California doctor and had me stuffed full
like pi
ñ
ata because
he say he wanted me to have
‘
sugar
tits
’
to match my
sugar walls.
 
So I turned into Beach
Ball Betty
—
that
’
s what he used to call me
when he come.
 
He liked me with the
big titties.
 
Epifania didn
’
t.
 
They painful.
 
And I got the stretch marks because of
them, that bastard.
 
Whatever.
 
The bag balm and the fade cream help.
”
 
She cupped her breasts.
 
“
I
got these not long ago.
 
I love them.
 
They best yet.
 
Look how they bounce.
 
You like?
”

“
Looser works
so well on you,
”
Blackwell
said.

“
Oh, I know
—
the other ones were
a beech.
 
I used to have to lay flat
on my back at night just so I could sleep.
 
Otherwise, I become human teeter-totter.
”

“
On your back?
”
Blackwell said.
 
“
And
just for sleep?
”

Epifania pointed a finger at Blackwell.
 
“
You
crafty.
 
But you also funny.
 
Epifania know who she is
—
a former maid turned
whore who now worth half a billion, that who.
”
 
She
laughed, and when she did, I couldn
’
t
believe who I saw coming up behind her.

It was Marco Boss.
 
He had
two martinis in his hands and was looking directly at me with the dark hint of
a smile on his lips.

CHAPTER
NINETEEN

“
Well, Marco,
”
Blackwell said as she
folded her arms in front of herself.
 
“
You
’
re certainly the last
person I expected to see here tonight.
 
How brave of you to show up at a Wenn event.
”

“
What you
mean?
”
Epifania said.

“
Nothing,
love,
”
Boss
said.
 
“
Here
’
s
your martini.
”

“
Is it the
Goose?
”

“
Of course.
”

“
Epifania love
the Goose,
”
she said
to us, clearly not reading into the awkward undercurrent.
 
“
Except
when I love it too much, and wake up on bathroom floor with big bottle still in
my hand.
 
Ai!
 
I hate those days.
”

“
Lisa,
”
Marco said.
 
“
I
see from the photograph above us that the diamonds on your lips made a return
tonight.
”

“
I remember
how much you loved them, Marco,
”
I said.
 
And then I glanced
at Epifania.
 
“
And I see that you
’
ve attached yourself to a
set of expensive baubles of your own.
”

“
I don
’
t know what you mean.
”

“
Why aren
’
t I surprised?
”

“
Actually, why
aren
’
t any of us
surprised?
”
Blackwell
said.

Marco ignored her and kept his attention on me.
 
“
I
hear your book is finished.
 
Congratulations.
 
I
’
m sure it will be a big
hit in that critical and renowned zombie genre of yours.
”

“
I believe you
were the one who went after it first,
”
I said.

“
We all make
our mistakes.
”

I didn
’
t
respond to him, because
—
if
I was to be honest with myself
—
a
part of me was frightened that he was here.
 
He
’
d come here on purpose
—
he
’
d
found a way to be here tonight, and that way was on Epifania
’
s arm.
 
So, naturally I wondered.
 
Was he the one who sent me the martini
at JoJo?
 
Was he behind the black
rose delivered to my building?
 
Did
he cut and paste the letters that comprised the two notes?
 
It was no coincidence that he was here
—
he
’
d found his ticket
in.
 
But was there danger in him
being here?
 
That was the
question.
 
That
’
s what concerned me
now.
 

Epifania had said that they
’
d
met while on vacation.
 
Was that a
coincidence, or had he somehow found out where she was and tracked her
down?
 
I wouldn
’
t put it past him to chase
down her kind of fortune.
 
Obviously, they
’
d
had an affair before, and now she was calling him her new boyfriend.
 
With Boss out of a job, he
’
d clearly gone in for the
kill when he came upon Epifania on vacation and wooed her into a
relationship.
 
He was a good-looking
man, built and strong, and at least ten years younger than her.
 
Each was a catch for the other.
 
I think he
’
d successfully deceived her and convinced her to enjoy
some of her money.
 
The bonus for
Marco?
 
He got to be her plus one
tonight, which he knew would cause a stir.
 

“
Everyone here
know Marco?
”
Epifania
asked.
 
“
He my real Papi.
 
We met at the
…
what?
 
The Twerks and the Caicos?
 
I never get it right.
 
Is that it, Papi?
”

“
The Turks and
Caicos, yes.
”

“
I always call
it the Twerks.
 
What
’
s wrong with me?
”
 
She laughed.
 
“
I
still think young because, at heart, I am young.
 
But I have no memory.
”

“
Probably due
to blacking out on bathroom floors,
”
Blackwell said.
 

“
Oh, that just
happen few times.
 
No big deal.
 
So, anyway, Marco was vacationing in
the, uh, Turks and whatevers when I was there.
 
We saw each other while walking on
beach.
 
He told me that he quit Wenn
to look for new challenges, because he a big Papi like that.
 
Time for a change, he said, but first
—
vacaci
ó
n
!
 
I thought that brave move on his
part.
 
We had dinner that night, we
did little dancing, had some sexy times, then bubble bath.
 
Rest is history!
 
Now we in love!
”

“
When did you
return from vacation?
”
Tank
asked.

“
Oh, week ago.
”

“
So, you
’
ve been in the city for
one full week?
 
Each of you?
”

“
I guess
so.
 
Lemme think.
 
Yes.
 
One full week.
 
Why you so precise?
”

“
No matter.
”
 
Tank turned to Marco.
 
“
Well,
congratulations, Marco.
 
It appears
as if you
’
ve had a
busy week since you
’
ve
been home.
”

“
I
’
m always busy.
 
What are you referring to?
”

Tank looked hard at him, but didn
’
t answer.
 
It had been less than a week since the martini, the rose, and the notes
were sent to me.
 
All of us knew
what Tank was doing, so we watched Marco and waited for a shift in his
demeanor.
 
But that didn
’
t happen.
 
Instead, he just looked coolly at Tank.

“
Marco, I
haven
’
t seen you
since you left Wenn,
”
Alex
said.
 
“
I was in Singapore when that happened.
”

“
I believe you
were.
”

“
Would you
mind stepping over here with me for a moment?
 
I
’
d like to privately thank you for all the work that you
’
ve done for Wenn.
”

“
There
’
s no need to be private,
”
Marco said.
 
“
We
’
re all friends.
”

“
We are?
”
Blackwell said.

“
Private is
best,
”
Alex
said.
 
“
Trust me on this.
”
 
He glanced
at Epifania.
 
“
Or, if you insist, what I
have to say to you could be said here.
 
Your choice, of course.
”
 

Likely sensing the threat in Alex
’
s voice, Marco excused himself and started to move into
the crowd while Alex followed.
 
“
I won
’
t take more than a minute
of your time,
”
Alex
said.
 
“
I see that you
’
re
almost finished with your martini.
 
Why don
’
t we
go to the bar and get you another one?
”

“
Yes, Papi,
go.
 
Go and have fun with Alex.
 
Have martini.
 
Alex is the bomb.
 
I meet you back here when you
’
re finished.
”

But for Marco, there would be no meeting Epifania anywhere but back at
her apartment.
 
I watched Alex as he
and Marco stepped to the bar, and then Alex
’
s mouth was next to Marco
’
s ear.
 
There was no shouting or commotion, but it was clear from Alex
’
s expression that he was
getting his point across to Boss.
 
Then, I watched Alex smooth his hands through his hair, and abruptly,
Tank excused himself from our group.
 

“
Excuse me,
”
Tank said.
 
“
Restroom.
 
I
’
ll be back in a moment.
”

Was that his way of calling Tank over?
I thought.

 
“
That restroom gonna be crowded
with you in there,
”
Epifania
said as he left.
 
“
If you anything like my
Marco, you gonna need three pee pots.
”

I just stared at her.

Then, across the room, I saw Cutter move behind Boss.
 
Words were exchanged, but the crowd was
so festive and chatty, I couldn
’
t
hear the tone of the conversation.
 
When Tank approached them, he and Cutter led a seething Marco Boss out
of the building.
 
Epifania saw none
of it
—
her back
was to the bar. I looked at her and said,
“
Marco didn
’
t
resign from Wenn.
 
He was
fired.
 
You should know that.
”