Past
Monday, March 23, 2013
5:30 p.m.
It had been over a week since his mother's funeral and Richard still hadn't been able to cope with the loss of his mother. For a while, it had only been him and her. She loved him unconditionally. No matter how much death is expected, it's not always accepted, especially when it comes to loved ones.
He was attempting to find other methods of coping besides drinking. He couldn't bring himself to glance in the direction of alcohol knowing that it was behind the final nail in the coffin for his marriage. One of the ways was of course, work. The other way was between the legs of his favorite red headed concubine, Kyle. He saw no use in cutting her off seeing as how Corrine planned to leave him anyway.
"Are you still moping around, Rich?" Connor asked as he stepped into his home catching Richard sprawled on the couch. He'd been neglecting to trim him beard and now had the appearance of a homeless man.
"How exactly am I supposed to act when it hasn't even been an entire month since my mother died? On top of that I have other bullshit to worry about so you'll have to excuse me if I'm not the happiest camper for awhile." Richard irritably snapped.
Connor held his hands up in surrender while he secured a spot next to his friend. "I know that loosing someone especially your mother is hard, but you can't let this sorrow eat away at your spirit like this. It's not healthy. Go home to Corrine; try to seek comfort in your wife."
Richard snorted sardonically. "That wouldn't do me any good considering she's leaving me."
"What?" Even though he knew it was only a matter of time before it happened, but it was still a shocker nonetheless.
"Yup. She initially told me that I should expect her gone after the funeral, but I suppose after seeing how bad I was taking it she decided to stay to help me grieve. I give it a week tops before she goes." Richard shamefully cast his glance down to his lap.
Connor desperately wanted to tell Richard that this was all his doing, however he knew that it would've been inappropriate timing. Instead, he pat his friend on the shoulder and said nothing more. What else could he possibly say? They sat in wordless, consumed by the solemn silence as Richard processed his life.
"I'm going to go get us some beers. I might get you two."
Just as Connor headed for the kitchen, Richard's phone vibrated in his pocket. He begrudgingly fetched the phone from his pocket and answered already knowing the identity of the caller. "Yeah?"
"We got some details to discuss that I'd prefer us to talk in person about. Expect me at your home in an hour or so." In usual Bleu form, he was straight to the point.
"I thought we agreed that we weren't doing that...there anymore," He paused not wanting to expose the conversation as Connor took his seat again and placed a Bud Light in front of him.
"I don't give a fuck, I'll see you in an hour."
Richard clenched the phone in his hand tempting to break it. "You good, Rich?" Connor grew concerned when he observed the change in his friend's mood from shitty to pissed.
He took a deep breath before he responded. "Yeah, I'm good just...stuff with Corrine. I'm gonna head home now. Thanks for letting me treat your home like it's mine."
"Anytime, brother." Connor replied as they slapped hands.
Richard left the house with his head swarming with conflicting emotions. This had to be too much for one man to take. In his life he could say that two of his biggest mistakes were losing Corrine and this damned deal with Bleu. Had he known that he'd be making a deal with the Devil, he would've declined even quicker than he'd accepted.
******
Corrine very much so still intended on leaving Richard, despite his begging. There was no other reason for her to prolong the inevitable. They were done, even if she no longer had Bleu in her corner. She had already set up a temporary living situation with Val and her husband, Carlos since her mother had disowned her for marrying a white man. They would allow her to stay in one of the spare bedrooms until she could put a price on a new home. She planned to inform Richard as soon as she got home from work.
She started the engine to her car and was brought back to her last positive conversation with Bleu. Her body missed him along with her heart. It took for their situationship to end before she realized how important he was to her. She didn't regret her decision, though. Actually, she felt as though he was the one to overreact. Marriage is different than being in a relationship. There is no such thing as a simple divorce. There were pieces that she had to put in place for herself.
She felt like he wasn't listening to her, enforcing his rules as if she was beneath him and what he said was final. Maybe it was for the best, she convinced herself although a deep part of her subconscious knew otherwise. Bleu made her feel emotions that no one else had ever been able to do. She huffed, then pulled out of the parking garage to head home--or her soon to be former.
Corrine walked through the door at about thirty minutes later only to be greeted by Bleu's favorite henchmen. "What is this?" She asked confused looking around for Richard and instead locked eyes with blue orbs that she hadn't expected to see for some time. His eyes drank her in like this was their first meeting. She didn't hesitate to break eye contact once Richard appeared on the couch adjacent to the one he was sitting on. "I thought this was over."
"Not quite, Mrs. Morrison." Bleu taunting tone interrupted.
Corrine immediately recognized the smug in his voice and felt angered. Who does he think he is? "Then I suppose I should be leaving now then?" She directed her question to Richard. They both knew what this meant yet he remained quiet.
"Actually, why don't you stay? I insist." Bleu's wolfish grin let her know that he was toying with her out of spite because he thought she and Richard were on good terms.
"Fine." she replied before removing her coat and placing it on the coat rack next to the door. She made sure to scowl sourly at Bleu as she plopped down next to Richard.
"Ahh, so you are able to listen?" Bleu teased at her expense hoping, and succeeding, in causing tension. Richard's observant gaze flickered between the two for a second rather lost. In previous meetings Corrine had been quite stubborn, but his intuition kept nagging him for reasons he couldn't decipher.
Bleu's stare lingered on Corrine. She squirmed uncomfortably under his scrutiny. She couldn't help but feel as if he was molesting her with his eyes. "I believe there was something we needed to discuss?" Richard intervened.
"My apologies. Now on to business," Bleu smirked enjoying her reaction.
As they discussed their business, Corrine found her mind wandering. This meeting was another great reason as to why she needed to end her marriage and her fling with Bleu. She had trouble imagining how their relationship would've been. Would her life be constantly in danger? How would this weigh on her mentally?
Corrine was so deep in thought that she hadn't noticed how tense she became. "Is there something wrong, Mrs. Morrison?" She aimed her attention back at Bleu to find his soft bluish gray eyes once again watching her every move. The intensity of his gaze forced her to break eye contact again.
He was back to fucking her with his eyes and though she was uncomfortable, she couldn't help but be turned on by it. She glanced at Richard for a second hoping he would save her again. "No, I'm sorry. Please continue." She stammered. Bleu smirked, rubbing his light stubble enjoying the fact that he still had an effect on her. He ran his tongue across his lips.
Richard had become wildly suspicious of their interactions thus far. He was no fool, otherwise he wouldn't be in his profession, there was something going on between his wife and his illegitimate boss. The thought angered him, yet he remained outwardly cool. "As you were saying?" He refocused the conversation despite his inner detective telling him to continue observing them.
"As you wish, " he chuckled. " Tonight will be the meeting that we've been planning for. Paul and his men will meet us in one of the city warehouses close to the docks to make the trade. We'll give them weapons in exchange for treasure. I want you to be one of the men to accompany me. Of course you'll get a hefty compensation."
Richard nodded his head. " How much are we talking?"
"For you Detective Morrison, five grand. It's all yours after you've done your part. Just like with any job."
Richard smiled, faking his satisfaction. He knew that that price was entirely too low for a job this big, why was he continuously trying to play him for a fool. First he flirts with his wife obviously hinting to an affair of some sort and now this? If Bleu wanted to play, then that's what they were going to do. He rose to his feet, as did Bleu, and the two men shook hands. "I will be waiting, Mr. Detective. I can let myself out."
Bleu shot one last lingering stare at Corrine before taking his leave. Once the door shut , Richard faced his wife with his emerald eyes blazing. "What the hell was that? Is there something going on between you and him?!"
Corrine sighed not wanting to deal with that drama just yet. "Richard, please don't start this right now."
He peered into her brown doe eyes searching for the truth. A truth which he had already known from her reluctance to answer. "How long ago was it?"
"It's almost been a month." Corrine confessed, her voice low and shaky with guilt.
He wanted to get upset and lash out at her, yet he had a better idea. "So along with you sleeping with him, I'm not getting paid what I deserve?" He nodded his head, poking his bottom lip out with a shrug. "Okay." Richard quickly whipped out his cellphone and calmly dialed a number.
Corrine watched quietly in the background as Richard made the worst decision of his life. "Connor, we've finally got a lead on this son of a bitch. Don't worry about how I got it, just listen and follow my instructions. " Richard rattled off the warehouse directions to his partner.
"Richard, no! Do you have any idea what you're doing? I'm begging you, call this off." Corrine finally spoke up after the call ended.
"No I'm not calling shit off. What, you worried about him? He's a criminal and all criminals deserve to go to prison, if he's not shot in the process. By the tone he realizes it was me that sent in the call, he'll be long gone and the least of our problems." He tried to reason.
"You do remember who he is, don't you? He owns the fucking city, you know that better than anyone. What makes you think that even if he is arrested, that he'll be locked away permanently? For all we know, he could be plotting something his damn self! Oh my God Richard, just fucking think for once in your life!" Don't do this, she thought.
Richard ran a frustrated hand through his walnut brown hair. "Corrine...I know what I'm doing, trust me." He tried to convince himself that this was a wise decision, based more on logic than jealousy.
"Richard..." She begged. Don't make me choose between you and him, she pleaded in her mind.
"Enough. I'm not changing my mind just for your fucking boyfriend!"
"You...Are so unbelievable right now. It doesn't matter anyway. Before our unwanted houseguest, I was going to tell you that I'm moving out today."
"You've found a place already?" As long as he'd been mentally preparing for this day, hearing her say those words hurt as if that was the first time.
"Not yet. I'm staying with Val until then. I'll have the divorce papers sent as soon as possible." She said exasperated, heading for the stairs to get as much as she could.
"Wait, if you leave now after I just made that call, you're possibly putting a huge target on your back. At least stay until the coast is clear. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you, Cori." It was hard to miss the genuine concern in his words.
"Okay, I'll hold off until everything's fine again."
Later on in the evening, Corrine left the house claiming to need to pick up something from the store. In actuality, she was sneaking a warning to Bleu. Sitting in the parking lot of the grocery store, she dialed his number. The first time it rang until voicemail answered. Desperately, she redialed. "Pick up, pick up, pick up." She willed anxiously.
After five rings, he finally answered. "I thought I told you we were done?" She scoffed loudly.
"Look, I know you're still mad or whatever--and that's fine I didn't call for that. I want to let you know that if you go by the docks tonight, you'll be met with police."
"That fucking pig! I'm--"
"You can't kill him, Cézar. I can't live with that weight on my shoulders. I'm telling you this because I don't know what I'd do if I just let you walk into a trap, but you have to promise that you won't kill him. Give me your word." She bargained.
"Why are you telling me this when you chose him over me?" His confusion was evident in his voice.
"If you weren't being such a jack ass, you'd know that I never chose him over you--just like I'm not choosing him over you now."
"Fine, mi bella. For you, I won't kill him, that's my word." He promised.
"Thank you, Cézar." Corrine gratefully said not knowing that she'd given him a loophole.
"I want to see you tonight, mi bella. If only for being a pendejo to you. Is that possible?"
Corrine giggled, "If I spend the night with you, which we both know is what would happen, wouldn't that look mighty suspect when they come up empty handed?" He sighed with disappointment. Corrine bit her lip in order to contain her smile. "We can try for tomorrow night, that's when I was going to leave anyway. I'll drop my stuff off at my friend's, then I'll be over. Sound like a plan?"
"No, why don't you stay with me? I have more than enough room." He suggested.
"Because that isn't my style, Cézar. Plus, I already have a few places lined up so it shouldn't be that hard to find somewhere."
"Your deadline is a month, mi bella."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll see you tomorrow." Corrine snorted before ending the call.
He agreed that he wouldn't kill him, and since he'd given his word he'd stick to it. She said nothing about having his men do his dirty work. As much as he cared for Corrine, Richard's betrayal could not be overlooked. He had become a liability and even Richard knew that he didn't do liabilities. His only concern was Corrine's safety.
*******
I'ma end it here or else yall will never get this p.o.s.
For the sake of anyone's confusion, what's going on in this chapter is what ACTUALLY happened. What we learned in the beginning, was apart of the lies that Corrine was telling while being interrogated. Next chapter more truth revealing shit will happen.
Thanks for all the love yall been showing this book!