WHERE WE LEFT OFF...
"Baron. Tell me you have good news."
"I do. I have an address, it's in Miami."
"Text it to me and come get your roll."
"...but you paid me yesterday."
Noke chuckles. "You got me an address, that my guys haven't been able to get me in weeks. You deserve a little something extra."
"You don't have to do that. I only did what you asked. I like to work for my keep."
Noke nods in respect. "I like that. How 'bout you keep an eye on any package addressed to me."
"I can do that."
"Just out of curiosity. How you get the address?"
Baron chuckles. "The girl in charge likes me."
Noke laughs. "Good. Tell you what. Drop by the address Imma text you. I'm havin' a get together of sorts. You should be there."
"Alright. I get off at 6p. I'll go back to mine, change and head there after."
"Aight. See you then."
Noke disconnects the call and calls Bruce.
"Aye Black!" His cell chimes with a text.
"Yeah!"
He smiles. "We got an address."
"That's what's up. Let's go pay whoever that is a visit. Bet they won't be expecting us. You still got eyes on Alexis?"
"Yeah man I got it. Eagle is watching her. No worries."
NOW...
Daniel picks up the phone and speed dials Alexis.
"Hey baby." She says seductively.
He smiles. "Hey gorgeous."
She giggles messing with the end of his/her oversized shirt. "I miss you."
"I miss you more." He takes a deep breath. "I called to hear your voice, and to give you some news."
She smiles in excitement. "You're coming back early?" She takes a seat on the bed to calm herself.
"No."
She frowns. "What?" Sagging in disappointment.
He pushes air through his pouted lips. "I uhh...I'll be MIA for the next week or two."
"WHAT?!" She stands to her feet.
"Baby...relax." He says in a calming voice. "I just have to be incognito for a minute. I promise. Everything is fine."
She says nothing.
"Good news is...you're no longer bait."
She shrugs unhappily. "So...what's going to happen now?"
"I can't tell you. Just know that it will all be over soon...okay?"
She nods. "Okay..."
He groans in defeat. "I love you Lobo. Don't worry."
She sighs. "I love you too Dani." She shifts her weight from foot to foot. "Dani..."
"Yes Baby."
"I don't have a good feeling about this. Please be careful. Tell Kane if anything happens to you. I will tie him up, drop the world's most powerful magnet in a lake, cement his nuts to another powerful magnet, and dangle him from a hot air balloon."
Daniel laughs heartily. "I don't know who is more insane between to two of you. I'll tell him. And don't worry Lobo. I'll be fine. I promise, I will not leave you on this earth alone. And if I do, it won't be for long."
She sniffles. "You promise?"
"I promise."
"Can I see you first? If something does happen. I don't want two weeks ago to be the last memory I have of seeing you. Of touching you. Of holding you. Of seeing your smile. Of tasting your lips..."
He groans, leaning against the wall. "I had a feeling you'd say that. Come open the door."
She drops her phone and takes off, top speed down the stairs. Throws open the door and jumps into Daniel's open arms. Not giving him air to speak a greeting, before planting a desperate, yearning kiss on his lips.
He walks into the apartment, closes and locks the door behind them, not breaking the kiss. He presses her against the wall, wrapping her thighs more securely around him.
Her hands venture into his hair, pulling him impossibly closer.
They break the kiss to breathe.
"Da** girl." He says between breaths.
Alexis stares into the man she has fallen so deeply for. She remembers the first time she saw him. He was beautiful then. And now, through the eyes of her swooning heart. He's even more beautiful. She remembers their first kiss. How nervous she was. Of course she had kissed before, but he was different.
He returns her loving gaze with one of determination, adoration, and possessiveness. He claims her lips. Pouring everything he doesn't have time enough to tell her in words. That kiss is a promise that he will always be there for her. That kiss promises that he will defy even death to spend forever with her. He breaks this kiss and stares at her.
"Marry me."
Her breathe catches. The emotion in his eyes stealing her breathe away. She nods. "Yes."
A breathe taking smile spreads across his face. "Yeah..."
She nods, tears rolling down her cheeks. She cups his handsome face and kisses him. "I need you Daniel."
He braces himself against the wall, as a shiver rolls over his spine like a tidal wave. Almost buckling his knees. "Say it again." He says barely above a whisper.
"I." She kisses his lips hungrily. "Need." She kisses his jaw down to his ear. "You." She whispers.
"We...aren't going to...make it upstairs."
NOT TOO FAR AWAY
"EY!" He says. Quieting all the chatter in the room. "This is Baron. HE, got me the address that I've been asking you lazy a**es for, for a month now. And he got it in less than 24hrs." He turns to Baron. "Everyone in this room has been with us for years. Highly dependable. Trustworthy. You ain't gotta watch ya back here." He motions to the empty chair around the boardroom table. "Take a seat. We're discussing an upcoming...event, if you will." Noke says. "This here is my partner Black."
They greet one another and begin.
"Okay, so whoever this is, we can't keep them in Miami...that's not our territory. We're waiting on word from X for permission to come into his boss' territory." Bruce says.
"We should have it by tomorrow morning." Noke adds.
"Good. Our only option is to capture them, and bring them back onto our turf." Bruce says with finality.
Noke calmly leans against the wall, and crosses his arms. "So wait...you want to kidnap...a Santiago?" Noke asks looking at him like he has lost it.
"Yeah. You wanted the upper hand. We have one of theirs. We have our upper hand." Bruce shrugs.
"First off. How the heck do we kidnap a Santiago...on Santiago territory. Secondly, are you fu**ing blazing right now?! Thirdly, what's stopping them from retaliating? Your a** loves Alexis so much. Well ni**a, be prepared to be lovin' her when she's six feet under."
"They don't know that sh** Noke."
"Ni**a. They knew where i lived, the day after I moved there. You don't know, what they know. Secondly, have you been keeping tabs on our badges? The big dogs are in town. They are snatching our badges up quicker than crispy kreme donuts. I don't know how they got the info on whose on our payroll, but all the 'legal' help we had...is now gone. Now, it's a good thing we LLC'd and alias'd our sh**. So, it will take a loooong minute for them to find us out. But, we are running out of time. I say, by the end of the month, we better be fu**ing ghosts." He pushes off the wall and walks toward Bruce. "So, if we're doing this suicidal sh**. We get in, we get out, we hit 'em hard and fast, and then we Casper like mothah." He eyes everyone in the room. "And I mean all of us. Except Baron here, he's not on any paperwork."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I have a sister to look after, and a nephew on the way. I ain't kidnapping nobody." Baron stands to leave.
"Easy. That's not what you're here for. I told you. You track packages from origin to destination. I need you here in NC to watch our sh** when we ghost."
"Not without Alexis."Bruce says. Interrupting their conversation.
Noke throws his hands up. "I'm sayin' this as your brother from another mothah. She has moved on. True the man she now loves will be disposed of in the near future. But, she made it quite clear that she has moved on. You can have any female on the planet. Sh** you can have more than one female at the same time if you want. Plus, I highly doubt she'll come willingly." He scoffs. "What're you gonna do? Kidnap her too?"
Bruce looks at him.
Noke's eyes expand. "What the illogical fu**?! NAH! Hell no!" He was up to Bruce and looks him square in the eye. "Don't do it. Bad idea. Do not pass go and collect $200."
"Why not?"
"Ummm...i don't know." He shrugs sarcastically. "Maybe because she is a famous fashion designer, oh wait, her best friend's husband's best friend just so happens to be the cop that fu**ed our plans up with Paige, and got Omar executed by the Santiagos. Any of this making sense? People are going to notice she is missing. And come looking for her. And since she wants nothing to do with you, she will not go quietly. Nor will she make disappearing easy." He stands and paces a little. "You might as well put a neon target on our backs."
"We can drug her until we get to where we are going. Problem solved. And as far as Santiagos, how they he** did they get into our territory and no one notice?"
"We don't know what they look like." Noke leans down toward him, shaking his head. "Anyways, you're not getting it. Whether or not she is conscious during this whole ordeal, her absence will be noticed. And her best friends are important people. The people that her best friends are connected to are powerful people. The painter one alone, has contacts on da** near every continent. We will have no place to hide that they can't find us. Unless your a** has a fu**ing space ship, or some intergalactic ark. Or a really good plastic surgeon. I say leave her, here, and cover our a**es."
"What if we go underground? Literally." One of the men at the table suggests.
Bruce smiles at him and stands. "You see this man right here." He emotions toward the man. "He is coming up with solutions, not more problems." He says turning toward Noke.
Noke stands facing Bruce. "We wouldn't have to solve so many problems, if your crazy obsessed a** wouldn't keep creating them." He walks away a few paces and turns back toward him. "Look. Let's just do this and get it done. Get our ghost sh** established, and then come get your woman afterward. We can't cover everything everywhere, at once. For one, we have the Santiagos. That by itself, is an all around 'you betta cover your a**, or else' job. Two, we have the big badges sniffing around our territory. Three, we have badges still looking for the people, us, who tried to kidnap Paige. Four, you want pretty boy gone. HE, may I remind you, is also very important. His disappearance will not go unnoticed. Five, when you go missing, it will be noticed Mr. CEO. Six, the owner of this address is most likely, a Santiago. Need I say more. And now you want to drug and kidnap Alexis, who has powerful friends. That also know who you WERE to her. On top of you coincidentally going missing, the same time she does. On top of that, ya boy Marquis knows who you are. And I don't mean, Bruce Black, multimillionaire CEO. Oh no. I mean Black, the ni**a you don't want to be enemies with. He also knows me. Oh, and let's not forget. His half-sister, is Alexis' best friend. Are you listening to what I'm sayin'? Better yet, are you listening to ya-self right now?"
Bruce runs his tongue over his teeth and nods. "Aight. I got it." He runs a hand down his face in thought. He turns toward the wall and stares blankly at it for a few moments. "Eagle."
(Eagle Below)
"Yeah." He says looking up from picking his nails with his knife.
Bruce turns back around. "Alexis is your priority. Nothing happens with her that I don't know about."
He nods, gets up and walk out. Putting his knife back in it's place.
"Lance."
"Yeah." He says tipping back in his chair.
"Call Mo and workout the underground setup, since it was your idea."
He nods.
"Dagg. You get the warehouse on 4th ready for our special guests."
Dagg smirks evilly.
"Stone, you get the sh** ready for our trip. Both ways. And our 'final' departure."
Stone nods.
"Cujo. You're with Dagg. Get your toys ready."
Cujo smirks and nods.
"Zeke. Cover our a**es. And keep us posted on the badges."
He nods while still playing with a pen.
"Poe. You're with Lance. We need new allies, like yesterday."
He nods.
"Yak. You're with Lance and Poe. Transfer all shipments to the new location. And set up new aliases for all of us."
He doesn't look up, just starts typing away on his laptop, nodding.
"Quint. Retire my assistant with a hefty chunk of change. Dental, medical, and vision benefits stay in tact. Give her a long vacation somewhere tropical. I need a new one, and an acting CEO here in NC. I want, ONLY, the best potentials in my office to interview no later than Monday morning."
He nods.
"Khole. You're with Yak. Wire transfers. All assets, new aliases. And two stacks a month for Baron. No trail."
He and Yak stand and leave the room.
"Skoot. Our guests need a final resting place."
He smirks.
"Julez. Your pretty a** still smashing the reporter-journalist twins?"
He nods with a smile.
"Good. Have them come up with something...creative and believable."
He salutes with two fingers, stands and leaves the room.
The men chuckle.
Bruce looks to his left and nods at the man sitting there. The man briefly looks at Baron and nods. He motions with his head for he and Baron to leave. When they exit, Bruce waits a few moments, then continues.
"Noke will stay in contact with X. And, I'll map how we get the owner of this address and pretty boy, to 4th undetected."
The men nod.
"If you haven't already figured out. We need a fall man...hence, where Baron comes in. I need all the paperwork the badges come up with, to lead to him. Make sure his sister is taken care of, and that his unborn nephew is taken care of. New house, car, job, sitter, the works. When he gets out, and he will. You're also going to make it look like a rookie mistake after two months of his sentence. I want him set for life. We should be long gone by then. Connor, talk to your boys inside. Have them look after him. Also, get him the best lawyer out there."
The men in charge of doing those things nod in agreement.
"What is going to keep him from snitchin'?" Poe asks.
"Jax is talking to him now. Pack your sh**. Be ready at all times."
All the men nod.
"Aight. Get to it."
The men stand and leave the room.
Noke is still seated. He opens a drawer in the long table and pulls out a pre-wrapped blunt. He puts it in his mouth and lights it. After a long drag, he exhales. "Let's go get laid." He says looking over at Bruce, passing the blunt.
Bruce takes a drag. "Aight. After this though." He exhales the rest of the smoke, and passes it back.
Noke takes another drag. "Fa sho."
An unknown party leans back in his chair in deep thought, as he watches the two on his monitor. He presses a button on the phone next to him.
"Sir?"
"I'm sending you footage. Help the boys with their underground project, will ya?" He says in a deep British accent.
"Will do Sir."
AN HOUR OR SO LATER...
"Surveillance is in place. And the live feed, with audio, is ready. I have access to all of the controls at all times."
Kane one arm hugs his little brother. "Gabe, you never disappoint."
(Gabe Below)
Gabe rolls his eyes with a smile. "Anyways. When does he leave? And I swear, you guys better fix all the damage caused to my place during this whole shindig."
Kane looks at him oddly. "Shindig? What year are you in?"
"Whatever year you're in, just 12 years behind."
Kane mushes his little brother's head playfully. "Smarta**."
"This smarta** is making sure we have tabs on our brother during his 'capture'. And another thing. "How the he** does he know all this sh** before it happens?"
Kane laughs. "I'll tell you what he told me." He pauses for dramatic effect. "His IQ is higher."
The brothers laugh.
"You're not lying about that one. Where is he anyways? He disappeared hours ago."
Kane smirks.
"Forget I asked. I'm going to sleep." Gabriel leaves the room.
ACROSS TOWN
"Kitten..."
Paige comes and sits on his lap, her head resting on his chest.
"I'm going to need you to go stay with your father for a few weeks. Things here are about to get crazy and dangerous, and I don't want you anywhere near it."
She hugs him and looks into his eyes. "What about you?"
He pinches her chin gently. "I'll be fine. I promise. I just need you safe."
She nods. "Okay."
He kisses her forehead. "Go pack. We leave in the morning."
She nods and gets up.
NOT SO FAR AWAY...
Daniel and Alexis pant heavily. Sprawled out haphazardly on the white Parris Fine rug on her living room floor. Their sweat covered skin glistens with the fading light of the setting sun.
Alexis looks over. "Where's my ring?"
Daniel smiles adoringly at her. "You haven't chosen it yet."
She looks at him in mock shock. "You really didn't plan this out well did you? You should already have my ring Daniel." She smirks mockingly.
He chuckles. "Yeah...right... And have you make me return it 20 times because it's not the one. Nope. You choose whatever you want, and I'll pay for it."
Her smirk blooms into a smile, as she leans over his chest and places a quick kiss on his lips. "You know me so well."
He chuckles. "Start planning the wedding. We'll pick the rings together."
He smile grows painfully. "I have to call Momma G."
He really laughs now. "The crazy lady engaged to the Italian? You really want to do that?"
"Of course! And I will make my own wedding dress." She smiles with a faraway look in her eyes. "It will be...perfect..." She sighs in contentment.
Daniel kisses her cheek, turning her head toward him. "I have to go soon."
Her smile fades. "Dani..." She cups his face. "Please don't go."
He takes her hands in his, kissing them. "I promise. I'll be fine. I know your crazy a** will resurrect me just to kick my a**, and then kill me yourself. I'm good."
She chuckles, covering her face.
"Let's go shower." He stands and stretches, his muscles flexing. He helps Alexis off the floor. He smacks her perfectly plump behind as she walks by him upstairs.
She giggles. "Boy, you better stop."
BACK WITH THE SANTIAGO'S
"Baby Girl. I need you to do that thing, you're so good at." Kane says with a smirk.
"And what's in it for me?"
"Whatever you want."
She thinks. "Hmm...you know what I want Kane. But, I doubt you'll give it to me." She replies somberly.
"And you know why. I can't. I'm a bad man Shana. Trust me. What you're asking for, you definitely don't want from me."
She sighs. "Kane, you act like I don't know you. Like we didn't grow up together. I know you Kane. I know all of the good and the bad. And I'm fine with it. What are you so afraid of huh? It's not like I can't handle you. Have you forgotten that all these curves are the only ones that can put you to sleep. Have you forgotten who has had your back since elementary school? Who whooped your ex's a** because you don't hit females, when she got too big for her britches? ME! So don't tell me, you can't. No Kane! Be honest with the both of us. YOU WON'T! Because you're a fu**ing pu***."
He puffs out air. "Whatever. Are you going to do it or not?"
She huffs in disappointment. "Santiago my a**. Yeah, but after this... we're done. Don't call me. Don't text me. Don't come see me at my store. Don't send me anything. I don't want it. I want nothing to do with you Kane. I'm done." Her voice shaking.
He leans back on his bed. Resting the back of his hand on his forehead. "Shana..."
"No." She sniffles.
He breathes deep. "I'm trying to protect you. Don't you get that? I have enemies. I have demons. I have every fu**ed up thing on the planet and then some. Yes, you are the baddest bi*** in Miami. And yes, you've been my ride or die since jump. You think you've seen me at my worst..." He takes a beat to breathe. "You haven't even seen an 18th of a 16th, of a 14th, of a 12th, of a 10th, of an 8th, of a 6th, of a 4th, of a half of it. I've done sh** that would put you in a psyche ward for life." He chuckles humorlessly. He breathes deeply. "You're right. I won't. But, it isn't because I'm scared to love you Shana. It's because I do love you, and I know you deserve better than me."
She sniffles. "That's for me to decide. And I know all the fu**ed up sh** you've done. You forget. I. KNOW. YOU. I was made for you." Her voice raising an octave. She laughs in pain. Sniffling. "But...if you're so set on letting me go. Then, this is it. I can't do this anymore. Yeah, you give me everything money and intimidation can buy. You make my toes curl everytime I hear your voice. Your touch sends me to the moon. And I live for your smile. But you won't give me the one thing I actually want. You. Fu**ed up, psychotic, universally unstable, crass you."
"I love you Shana, but I need you safe. Not from others...from me."
She nods in defeat. "Okay. I'll do it..." She shakes her head as tears run down her cheeks. "...but, I can't do this anymore. I love you, and it hurts too much. Bye Kane." She disconnects the call.
Kane holds the phone over his chest in thought. "Fu**..." He chucks his phone on the bed and sits up. He gets out of bed and heads down to the private gym in their suite.
A FEW HOURS LATER
Daniel strolls in the door with a smile, but stops when he hears a faint pounding noise. He walks into the gym to see Kane putting a beating on a punching bag. He walks closer to see there are red imprints on the bag. It doesn't take him long to put two and two together. "Kane!"
Kane doesn't hear him. He's too distracted by his dark thoughts.
"Fu**." Daniel braids his hair and wraps it in a tight bun, knotting it so it doesn't come loose. He pulls his shirt off, takes his Mavado watch off, and puts it on top of his shirt on the bench. He takes his sneakers and socks off, and stretches his muscles before approaching Kane. "KANE!!"
Still nothing.
"Da** it." He punches Kane in the ribs; hard enough for him to feel the pain, but not hard enough to break anything.
Kane spins around quickly, his hand balled in a bloody fist. Ready to unleash his wrath upon his attacker. Daniel ducks, and tackles him to the matted floor. He and Kane wrestle violently until Gabe comes down and smacks both of them upside the head with a chancla.
"What the fu**? It's 4am." A grumpy Gabe states.
They both eye each other, breathing hard.
Gabe looks at Kane's bloodied knuckles, and blackening fingers. "Kane...what did you do to yourself?" He runs to get the first aid kit, and a wet rag. He hurries back and begins cleaning up Kane's hands. "What the he** happened? You were fine a few hours ago?"
Kane pulses his jaw and looks away.
Daniel looks at him. "Shana."
Kane looks at him in anger, that turns into exhaustion. He shakes his head.
"What did you two fight about this time?" Gabe asks.
Kane shakes his head once more.
Daniel cocks his head to the side. "She left for good, didn't she?"
Kane's nostrils flare.
"I told you she would. What did you expect? That you could dangle yourself just out of reach the rest of her life, and she'd put up with it. She's smarter than that. And frankly, so are you? What the fu**? And now you're upset that she finally decided to stop putting up with your sh**."
Kane goes to tackle him, but Gabe smacks him with the chancla again. "What is it with you two? One of you has some emotional problem and all you two can think to do is fight? Come on!"
"He's only mad because I'm right."
"Shut up!" Gabe yells. "You're not making it better."
Daniel shrugs. "I wasn't trying to."
"You're a di**, you know that?" Kane replies vehemently.
He shrug nonchalantly. "At least I'm not the loser that gave up the woman he loves."
Kane scoffs at him. "We can't all be the Prince that waited years for his princess to return."
Daniel laughs slowly at first. His laugher turns slightly psychotic. "Yeah, but in the end. I got her." He smirks. "I can't wait to see the look on your face when she says 'I do' to someone else." He laughs once more. "I might just photograph the moment and put it on a giant poster. Like a giant meme." He smiles. "I know. I'll hang it in the hallway, so every time you walk by it, you remember the exact moment when you realized, you really fu**ed up, and lost the best thing that ever happened to you."
Kane shakes his head in anger. "I hate you."
"You don't." He pulls Kane's head to his own. "You hate you."
Kane snatches his head away and stands, pacing angrily. He runs his now bandaged hands over his head, mumbling. His mind is racing. His brothers watch him go through a process they are very familiar with.
"What are you going to do?" Daniel asks calmly.
"I don't know." Kane answers back.
"WHAT are you going to do?"
"I don't know!"
"WHAT are YOU GOING to do?"
"Knock your fu**ing head off and then call Shana, and pray she answers."
Daniel smiles and stands. He walks toward Kane and hugs him. "About time you started using your brain.
Kane sags in his arms. "Thanks Nayati." He says with a humorous smile.
Daniel laughs. "You better be glad my middle name means 'he who wrestles' and not something like 'he who lets you suffer'."
Gabe stands and begins to leave. "You two are the strangest people on the planet. I'm going to bed."
"We love you Langundo (peace)." Kane says teasingly.
"Whatever you say Inteus (No shame)." Gabe rolls his eyes smiling, before leaving.
Daniel pushes Kane toward the door. "Go get your girl."
Kane nods in appreciation, and leaves. Daniel looks around at the bloodied punching bag, the bloodied rag on the floor next to the first aid kit, and groans. "I feel like a mom right now."
HEY AWESOMETTES & AWESOMITES!!
ANOTHER UPDATE.
WHAT DID YOU THINK?
SO...WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK OF KANE'S LOVE INTEREST? SHANA, I HOPE YOU LIKED IT. THERE'S MORE BADA**NESS TO COME FROM YOU. IT AIN'T OVER.
UMM...I HATE TO DO SPOILERS, BUT I WANT YOU TO PREPARE YOURSELVES. SOMEONE IS
GOING
TO
LIKE, SHARE & COMMENT!!
LOVE YOU!!
BACI BACI