Burning Sage

Chapter One

"I don't care if they're on my payroll, find them and bring them to me alive!" Sean Carter bellowed from his home office.

He was livid that he paid men to lack on a simple job.

"Sir, it's been over two months-" A masculine voice spoke through the speaker of a handset placed on the large oak desk.

Sean stopped pacing and picked his phone up, "I don't pay you to talk," he sneered at the screen not too far from his face, "Don't call me unless you're on the way here with those two."

He ended the call and flung the phone on his desk. He loosened his dark tie after removing the grey suit jacket he had on.

He then strolled to a side table towards a corner of the spacious room and picked up a bottle of Whiskey. After pouring three shots into a short glass, he downed the contents in one gulp.

He had another glass before pouring the third. Sean then walked to the large windows that gave off a beautiful view to the lake behind his house.

He wanted justice for his daughter and the past two months had him doubting his position. He thought if two boys could evade him, after cleaning out one of many houses that stored drugs and money, he must have fell off.

It seemed forgettable that he was not to be messed with.

The search for Eli and Sniper produced countless bodies because according to Sean, everybody associated with the two knew something.

Upon failure to provide information or a location, that a was bullet for them.

Sean stood still by the window with a glass held loosely in one hand, as he reminisced on times with his only child.

Trina was all that was left of his late wife, the one that was murdered for him.

He clenched his free hand, his mind shifting from memories to vengeance, "Nobody messes with the Carters and gets away with it."

...

"I'm..." Sage uttered, "Going," she moaned, "T-to be... late for school."

Junior smirked as he pumped harder into her, amused at how she was worried about punctuality in the midst of pleasure.

"I can't hear you," he grunted pushing her ankles up towards her.

"Oh God," Sage hissed, her eyelids closed as her head dug deeper into the bed beneath her.

"Open your eyes Mami," Junior said, sweat beads rolling off him like droplets did on a glass of cold water.

Sage met his lust filled eyes and bit her bottom lip.

Her walls clenched around his shaft and Junior cursed under his breath.

"I'm about to come baby," Sage cried out loud, her body trembling as an urge for a release climaxed for the fourth time.

The two bare bodies have been moving in sync and changing positions as the sun rose up and finally they both collapsed.

With heaving chests, they laid still momentarily before an alarm tore into the atmosphere.

"Get off us," Sage tried to push Junior off, "You're suffocating my baby," Sage breathed out.

Junior chuckled and got off, "Your baby?" He raised an eyebrow at her while grabbing his phone to turn the sharp sound off.

Sage giggled and got off the bed, "Our," she corrected herself and headed for Junior's bathroom.

Junior followed, "That's better," he mumbled into her neck with his hands on her belly, "I love you and my unborn child so much."

Sage's heart fluttered, she never grew tired of those words, "I love you too Papi," she turned around and stood on her toes to kiss him.

Junior groaned, "You must've not had enough," he said against her lips and Sage felt his member poke at her.

Sage laughed and escaped his hold to turn the shower on, "I have to go to school, so nope!" She popped the p.

Junior smirked as he watched his girl tie her hair up on top of her head before a mirror. He felt blessed beyond measure to have Sage by his side. Even after what he did to her.

When she gave him another chance, he grabbed it with both hands and wasn't planning on letting go.

...

"Last year in this place," Letoya spoke as she sat on the third last step of their usual place during break.

It was the first week of their senior year and the girls were already tired.

"A long year," Sage complained as she nursed a bottle of water from the last step.

She couldn't keep food down so she hogged a water bottle the whole day, which also assisted in her morning sickness.

She was almost done with the first trimester of her pregnancy and even though she wasn't showing yet, she felt heavy. Her stomach felt bloated and everything irritated her smell senses.

"It will be if y'all complain from the beginning," Trisha commented from behind Sage.

"Yeah whatever," Letoya mumbled, invested in her phone with a smile.

"Damn, I need me a bae too," Trisha said.

"You date guys?" Sage questioned.

Trisha looked at Sage as though she grew a second head, earning a laugh from Letoya.

"I've never seen you with a guy," Sage shrugged, "Thought you were gay," she mumbled the last part lowering her head to place her lips on the straw in the bottle.

"Haven't found a guy worth my time," Trisha said.

The girls shared a light hearted laugh when they watched Ashley approach them.

She was dressed in black faded jeans and a t-shirt to match, with white sneakers. Her hair was tied up loosely, bringing attention to her face that seemed pale.

Her eyes were sunken and her cheekbones high.

"She don't look good," Letoya said.

"She's literally skin and bones now," Sage said worryingly as she looked at her best friend.

"Maybe it's the black she's wearing," Trisha said and the girls laughed.

"What are we laughing at?" Ashley asked as she flopped down beside Sage.

"The baby name Trisha came up with," Letoya quickly responded.

"Ain't it too early for that?" Ashley asked as she tried to control her breathing.

Letoya rolled her eyes and leaned back.

"Are you okay?" Sage asked lowly, staring at Ashley. She has no idea what happened to her friend but ever since Trina's death last year, she's changed.

Ashley became a duller version of herself, it was as though she had no interest in anything that happened in her life anymore. She just existed.

"Why do you care all of a sudden?" Ashley asked with a huge smile, "Worry about your kid, I'm fine."

Sage was used to Ashley's rude responses but never gave up on her. She saw a girl that needed comfort more than ever and she knew how it felt to be alone so she vowed to not abandon her friend.

Sage placed her hand on top of Ashley's, that was very cold, "I care, and I'm here for you."

There was a hint of emotion that clouded Ashley's eyes, but it didn't last long enough for Sage to decipher it.

Ashley snatched her hand away, "Thank you."