𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝘿𝙖𝙮..
_______________
𝘈𝘬𝘪𝘭
"𝙀𝙇𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏" 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 of the narcotics detective while running on a treadmill. Her ADIDAS running shoes kissed, maintaining a fast pace on the steep incline. She was in her workout attire with her full head of long hair wrapped in a back bun.
The tempo of the song kept Akil running, looking forward and keeping her breathing in sync with her speed. Approaching the door of the work out room was the Dominican-American guy with sun-kissed tan skin and jet black thick hair in a smooth man-bun. He grew in a scruffy beard, leaving the neck and cheeks line kept untrimmed.
He clothes his fit and six-foot-even build in a earth-tone sports jacket over a casual button-down shirt and Levi's Original Fit jeans in standard blue denim. He wore his Gove City PD on the left of his solid brown leather belt with a square dull buckle and on the right was a black holster for his Browning Hi-Power.
Akil was unaware of his presence entering the workout room, until he entered her peripheral line of vision. Reaching to the button that slows the treadmill, she came to a slow jog before the belt stops completely and she stood on it, pausing her music that interrupts the conscious rapper mid-verse.
"Luke Morales," Akil reveals the identity of the hunk smiling on side of the treadmill. "You tend to interrupt my workouts a lot."
"My apologies." Luke smiled, placing a hand on his chest to emphasize the sorrow. "Lieutenant's on the way. Just thought you wanted to get dressed. Well, shower first of course."
"Alright, I'll be down."
Luke leaves her to it as Akil steps off the treadmill and going to the locker-shower room down the hall. A shower was cutting off as she walked in, going over to the locker assigned to her and opened it. Putting her cell and earbuds inside the locker space, she was coming out her Adidas running shoes once the muscular fellow with skin the color of dark coffee turned the corner to the lockers with a towel around his waist; water droplets still dripping down his chiseled 6-pack abs.
"Have a good workout?"
Coming out her ankle socks, the rich voice pulls her eyes to the half naked man to her left. He had tamed, bushy brows above his light orbs and button-nose. The clean shave he had fit him-with most not being able to pull it off-and a buzz cut and bald fade. He was Nigerian-American and Gove City native, Edi Okonedo.
"Got interrupted; but good." Akil turns away, placing her shoes and socks in the locker. "Lieutenants on the way."
Edi went on to his locker as Akil retrieves her items to shower and walked to the shower pod area. She undressed and stepped in to wash off her body. Akil was lathering her body with soap when Edi walked over to the long sink mirror counter in front of the curtain closed shower pods to moisturize his face and Akil smelling his cologne.
"You must gotta date after this," Akil announced over the shower water.
Edi chuckles, hearing her while he rubbed in the face moisturizer. "Why you say that?" he asked.
"Ya cologne." Akil told him, rinsing off her body. "What's that?"
"It's my body wash. That's that Old Spice baby!"
"Old Spice coming up, ain't they?" She cut off the shower and wrapped the towel around her body before pushing the curtain open. "Eyes."
Edi shut his eyes at her command. "Yes ma'am."
Akil went over to the locker area with her clothes and holding the towel. "Okay, I'm outta sight."
Edi opens his eyes, "To answer your question; I don't gotta date. Work too much to even have a date life."
"It seems we all singing that same exact tune," Akil applies on coconut smelling deodorant as she thought on the only person on the small group detail with a significant other. "Well, instead of Farmer. The rest of us married to work."
Edi chuckles, "You right there."
Akil was putting on her high-waist brief panties and full coverage bra, but couldn't clip the back. "Nedo," she calls the detective the nickname the small detail chose to call him, "Help me?"
Edi walked over and he was caught off guard by her being in the match bra and panties that was shape-enhancing to the body he didn't know she had with her tomboyish style-sculpting not being in her fashion line up.
She had a small top half as well as a bust but to make up what she lacked on her upper, she was processed with full thighs and hips.
"Oh, come on," Akil notices his expression. "Don't act like you've never seen a woman in her bra and panties."
"We all officially too comfortable wit each other after five months." Edi walks up, tucking his face moisturizer bottle under his arm to help clip her bra.
She thanks him before saying. "Shit we here more than our own houses. It was bound to happen."
"You right bout that." Edi placed his moisturizer bottle in the locker. "I'ma let you finish."
"I'll be down there."
Edi gives her privacy while Akil started moisturizing her body. After, she covers her body in a casual white tee fitting her loose, tucking the hem inside her high-rise black work pants. She slipped on the squared-off toe booties with a stacked block heel.
Simply redoing her low bun, she joined her detail team downstairs and approached the loud manly voices already sitting at the table with coffee cups and bags of food on the table. Luke and Edi were there with the last two people on the task force detail-Wes Farmer and Darnell Michel.
Wes was yet another narcotics detective with a rose pecan skin-tone, with a low sponge twist taper fade. He sports a leather jacket over a dress shirt tucked in his black tailored work pants and Oxford shoes. His Glock-19 and badge was on his leather belt. The only jewelry was the silver band on his ring finger, showing commitment to his wife of a ten years.
Last was Darnell Michel, the Lieutenant and shift commander for the task force detectives. His head was shaved bald, fitting his appearance wit the neat goatee. The sleeves of his dress shirt was rolled-up with the hem tucked in his work pants and navy blue tie. He had been in law enforcement longer than the detective's he command and was the creator of the Mook detail.
The commander had just arrived to the detail's location-an old small fire station that was shut down that they relocated to shortly after Akil arrived to Gove City-with breakfast and coffee.
Wes was spooning some of the oatmeal in her mouth when he was the first to spot Akil. "Look at that! The slow poke always the last one down."
The men laughs lightly as Akil holstered her Glock-19 and badge on the same side of her waistband.
Akil was the only woman in the middle of a testosterone men's club and them cracking on her with light jokes and pointing out her having the clear traits of a woman was something she became accustomed to and didn't take offense.
Being the only girl in a group of guys has always been her normal.
Akil flips the bird to Wes. "Suck it, aight?"
"Welcome down," Darnell handed over a Starbucks coffee cup to Akil that she accepts with a thank you. "Got breakfast sandwiches in there."
Akil sips the hot Cinnamon Dolce Latte. "It's okay. . I gotta meet my sister for brunch in another hour. I go full, she's gonna get on my ass."
Darnell nods, "So what we got?"
"Shit, same place we been." Luke states, "We no closer to finding Mook than we were months ago."
"And Justice is still M.I.A." Akil added, "So can't question him. What about that case months ago wit that whole police shooting and robbery? Those boys Bryan and Brayden?"
"Bryan's running around wit GCCs; close to the head that's now Alec-Justice's second-in-command." Edi voiced, knowing the background of the gang with him working in the gang activity unit before joining the Mook detail. "What I can tell you about any GCC, they not bouta talk."
"And Brayden?" Akil questioned, taking another sip of her latte.
"Prison in Hominy," Wes responds, chewing his breakfast sandwich as he placed Brayden's mugshot on the board beside Bryan's. "Double murder-a Christie and his own sister."
Akil was taken aback by the boy not even over twenty killing his own blood. "He's a ruthless one, isn't it?"
"Says the part wit the sister was an accident cause she wasn't posed to be there." Wes tells with a shrug, "Still in there for twenty to life."
"That's wild. Why haven't anybody thought to go talk to Brayden?" Akil wonders, "You don't just get off shooting a cop. He and Bryan has to know Mook because it's evident Justice has close connection. How did the case get threw out again?"
The men chuckles, chewing on the breakfast. .
Darnell chooses to explain. "The former DA showed up to the judge's chambers wit what was supposed to be the voicemail of the entire incident that would put em away but it was just. . her moans."
"Moans?" Akil repeated.
"Actual moans." Luke confirmed, laughing.
"The Police Commissioner was piiisssed," Wes emphasized. "She ordered anybody to not even approach them, especially Brayden Greene. They gotta history wit the department. Just look it up. She telling anybody they need to go through her and she'll decide if it's credible enough to go forward."
"Soo, is she aware of this?" Akil gestured around, referencing to the Mook detail they have going.
Wes, Luke, and Edi looks to Darnell, sipping their coffees.
"She...doesn't," Darnell admitted, "This.. is a hush-hush detail, until we have everything we need for arrests."
"Okay," Akil shrugged carelessly, "Y'all the ones that's getting in trouble if she do find out, because technically I'm still apart of Houston's PD."
"Just brag in our faces Akil."
Akil shrugged to Edi. "Oh well. But who was the person that presented the voicemail?"
"Was supposed to be the girlfriend of the other kid, Raymond, that was there during the burbs invasion since it was her phone that got the voicemail. But it was played by a Western District officer."
The curious brow of Akil's raised Luke's way. "What officer?"
"Officer Warren Young."
"Young? As in..."
"Justice Young's brother, yeah." Darnell confirms, "And I know what you're bouta start thinking Childs, but he's notta dirty officer. He's proven that with plenty arrest to his own brotha."
"Your point?" Akil's cynical trait of her personality was kicking in, "That could be what he wants y'all believe. Blood before anything, regardless."
"I've worked wit Young on several occasions, too," Edi adds, "No way he would risk his badge."
Akil released a doubtful scoff. "Yeahhh, okay. Let's find out."
"No." Darnell denied immediately, "We're not going undercover against one of our own. Akil I know you're originally Houston PD, but he's still one of a badge and we have a code. Is that understood?"
Akil wasn't one that normally followed the rules given from her chain of command and that disobedience caused her to incur the wrath of her superiors more often than her Houston peers.
"Of course lieutenant." Akil held her smirk inside, "Understood."
Darnell stares Akil in the eyes for a second, not able to read her, and continued to catch up on what brought the Mook detail together. "And what about the stash houses?"
"Come up empty every time." Edi updated, "They still hang out there but nothings coming in or out, even if we do surprise drug bust."
"They had to have relocated it to another spot," Luke stated, "We don't know where."
"Stay on surveillance a little longer," Darnell stated. "One of those young ass guys gonna think they Scott free and lead us right to the new location."
Akil had mentally checked out the conversation with her plan to get herself in a closer circle to Warren Young and gain his trust... By any means.
"𝘐'𝘮 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸."
Akil reached the table in the elegant bistro that her sister occupies. Maleah sports a blank expression, wearing a SAINT JOHN EVENING color-blocked one shoulder Milano-knit dress. She decided on a soft light coat of makeup and allowing her natural hair to be in a fluffy, frothy curl with a deep-side part and double fringe statement earrings.
Swallowing the mimosa as she placed the cup down on the table, "Mmm. Lemme guess; witcha new family?"
"Oh stop it." Akil dismissed, taking a seat in the chair.
"I ordered you a mimosa," Maleah told her sister, making her eye the cup in front of her awaiting to be tasted. "I've went through six waiting on you. And why every-time I drive out here and pop up at your spot, the old lady or the nosy ass young couple tells me "The-Silent Lesbian' ain't ever home". And yes, the Silent Lesbian is what that you in ya quadplex baby."
Akil laughs lightly as she eyed the Cheever's Cafe menu-a bistro in West Gove City. "Silent Lesbian what they calling me? Why not stud?"
Maleah narrows her eyes at her sister across the table. "This notta joke Akil. And quite frankly, I see why they call you a lesbian. I have no issues with the LGBTQ+ community; trust me, I have my fair share of fun nights that I actually still partake in. But woman up a little, Kils."
"Last time that I checked, I am a woman." Akil waves over the waiter across the way.
"You are... Just one that gives off lesbian energy."
"What can I get you ladies?" The waiter asked with his notepad and pen.
"Bring me-"
"Does she give off a lesbian aura?" Maleah interrupts, asking the waiter.
"Umm. ."
"Lee, will you shut the hell up?" Akil rolled her eyes and proceeds her order. "Just bring the shrimp and grits."
"And you ma'am?" The waiter questioned Maleah.
"The bleu cheese potato chips for our appetizer and chicken-fried steak for my entrée baby." She hands her menu over to him, "Oh and keep the mimosas coming."
"Don't you have to drive?"
"Nope. I took an Uber from your place. I'll be drunk in ya bed."
"Okayy, Lee. How's work with Mommy Dearest?" Akil asked.
"Great, actually. We been working on this fat ass mansion out in Nichols Hills for the past five months-literally that long. The wife kinda...difficult bout how she want shit but I'm not complaining cause they pockets swole and swole pockets is more lucrative to Childs Realty & Design. She fine and her husband..." she blows out a breath that emphasizes her attraction, "That man fine."
The waiter returned, with the appetizer and Maleah's mimosa. "Keep your eyes in ya head, yeah? He's married."
"Nothin wrong with saying a man's fine. Even if he is married."
"It's not. Just bout respect."
Maleah dissed with a blow off hand gesture. "Nobody's lookin to fuck her husband on the low. Althoughhh I catch both of em checking me out."
"Checking you out?" Akil picked up the thick-cut potato chip that's covered with chopped bacon bits, drizzle of bleu cheese and a dollop of green onion pesto, putting it in her mouth. "I should've brought a toothbrush wit me."
"Yeah 'cause our breaths bouta be lethal with this bleu cheese." Maleah comments, placing a chip in her mouth as well. "Good thing we're going to your place after. But anyway, yes, checking me out. I be seeing them."
"Like them both?"
"Boffum."
"Well, that's something you're into nasty."
"Hey, don't judge my sexually free-spirited life." Maleah said making Akil playfully lift her hands in defeat. "I just enjoy...interesting sex."
"Pegging men is what you describe as interesting?"
The male waiter hears the question, placing their plates on the table. With as long as he's worked as a waiter, he accidentally heard a lot of conversation topics. But the pegging was by far the strangest one he overheard.
"You would be surprised how many guys enjoy getting pegged by women and aren't gay." Maleah stated as the waiter clears his throat and walked away. "See, he probably enjoys a good pegging every now and again. I mean, that is where they G-spot is. It's fun. You should try it."
"I'd much rather get bent." Akil says, picking up a spoon for her shrimp and grits, but her sister stops her by handing her a knife and fork.
"Use those for the shrimp." Maleah stated, "But you do know you can get bent after pegging right-"
"Can we not talk about pegging men while I'm tryna eat?"
"I'm just tryna expand your sexual horizons." Maleah states cutting her chicken-fried steak with the side of her fork that sits on top of mashed potatoes and covered in jalapeño cream gravy. She stabs the tender meat with fork and placed it in her mouth.
"My sex life is fine," her words was barely out before Maleah was laughing with her hand blocking her mouth. "What's so damn funny?"
"Your sex life is. . . sexual promiscuity." Maleah swallows her food to talk clearer, "What you call sex is real manish-meet a guy in a bar and fuck em, then go home."
"And you peg men," Akil laughed, "let's not get judgy."
Maleah lifted her hands in defeat. "Hey! No judge here; I'm just saying. You're a guy in a woman's body. That's why I'm honestly surprised you don't enjoy doing the bending."
"I'mma woman that rather takes control. But not to the point of pegging. I rather hear a man groaning because my pussy feels good. Not because...he enjoys the good feeling of a dildo in his ass."
"To each its own."
"-Yeah, a online order for Sheryl Young."
The last name pulled Akil's eye to the counter and to the butterscotch toned hunk with the Nike baseball cap on his head. By reaching out his toned muscle arm to grab the paper bag with the bistro's logo, she saw it was filled with meaningful tattoos. He thanks the person behind the counter, turning and his gaze ends up finding the amber brown eyes across the room.
The out-of-uniform officer's facial features were on better display to Akil and could admit he was finer than she thought and realized the two Young brother's didn't lack in the look's department. But this brotha, Warren, eyebrows was thick and neat over the broad nose. His beard was full, keeping his neckline and cheek line clean that surrounds his full, pink lips.
His eyes locked with her for a second longer before looking forward to walk out the bistro. Akil turned to stare out the window to see him climbing in a Chevy Avalanche truck.
"Do you know him?" Maleah wondered.
"Nope," Akil watches the off duty officer pull away, "But I will."
𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙 𝚏𝚒𝚟𝚎, 𝚎𝚗𝚍