December walked around his sister's house slowly, nodding his head in approval of the expensive furniture and décor. "Baby sis has this shit laid," he commented. He noticed that the house was at least twice as big as his own. He made a mental note to find out who her realtor was, and then he stopped in the middle of a hallway to observe a framed photo of Naomi and two other women in skimpy police officer costumes. It was obvious that the trio shared a tight bond. He could tell that they were like family, but December couldn't help but notice the slight hint of animosity that Naomi's smile showed. He didn't know which one of the girls the hostility was directed toward, but he knew that it had been building up for a long time. December knew his sister. She was patient and always tried to conceal her anger, but she could only deal with someone's bullshit for so long before she snapped.
December turned to his right when he heard the front door open. He was instantly met by the two unidentified women in the picture. "Who the hell are you?" the taller of the two asked, placing her hand on the waistband of her pants. She stepped toward December, and the woman behind her followed suit.
"I could ask you the same thing, gorgeous," December replied. He took note of the women's attractive features. Their looks put Tamia's to shame, and he knew that they could easily rake in millions for him. They both had shapely bodies that were worth putting in the history books and exotic faces that were threatening to make his member rock-hard if he looked at them any longer.
"You're in my sister's house. I think I win."
"No... I'm in my sister's house. Naomi and I share blood."
"I'm Paradise. You're December, right?" the little one inquired. She strolled back over to the door and closed it before walking up to December until they stood inches apart. "Naomi's a nice person. Nice to a fault, even, and she's loyal. You know that just as well as I do. Because you know that, I'm only going to say this once. That 'not speaking to her for years and then calling her just because you need a favor' shit isn't going to happen again. Find somebody else to take advantage of, because you'll get fucked up about that one."
December chuckled, not at all deterred by her warning. He could tell by her tone alone that she was the one Naomi had issues with. "By who? You?" He pushed her hair out of her face and cupped her chin. "Put that attitude in check before I have your pretty ass on the stroll. I have a feeling that you and your friend here could get Daddy paid."
"Eve and I aren't those Section-Eight hoes that you're used to dealing with, so save that pimp shit for the next chick you meet, you bitch-ass muthafucka."
As soon as the insult left her mouth, December cocked his hand back, fully prepared to put the feisty temptress in her place. "Bitch-" he began. He didn't have a chance to make another move before he felt a small hand wrap around his neck. He was pushed back into the wall seconds later.
"If you were planning to put your hands on her, you might want to rethink your decision," Eve threatened. "She's not the little-ass girl that you're fucking who lets you beat her ass for fun. I will bust your shit wide open over Paradise, nigga." She squeezed his neck harder as the door opened again and Naomi and her children stepped inside.
Naomi chuckled and observed the scene in front of her. "Natalie and Corbin, go to the game room. We'll be in there soon." Once they were gone, Naomi made her way over to Eve and grabbed the back of her sweatpants, forcefully pulling her away from December. "Feel free to kill him later. I want to know why he's in my house first." She directed her attention to December. "And it better be a damn good reason."
December shot menacing looks to both Eve and Paradise. Straightening the collar on his shirt, he cleared his throat. "Can we talk alone?"
"Whatever you have to say to me, you can say it in front of my sisters." She walked up to him and lifted his chin, observing the marks that Eve had left on his neck. "I don't have all day, so hurry up and talk while I still care to listen."
"I asked you to check on Tamia for me, not make her think she can't come home. What the hell did you say to her?"
"I told her to stay away from you." Naomi shrugged. "Obviously, she didn't listen. Were you planning to intimidate me when you came here? I'm not afraid of your ass, December. As you can see, I have people looking out for me. The Clique doesn't take kindly to people fucking with their girls."
"The Clique?" December pushed Naomi's hands off of him and stepped away from her. "So, you do know that nigga Santana. Family doesn't mean shit to you, huh?"
"Santana is my family. Let's not forget that you backed up Keenan and April's decision to put me out when I chose to keep Natalie. Who do you think helped me out after that? It damn sure wasn't you. Don't come to me with that 'family' shit now, December, because when I needed you, you wouldn't even answer my calls. Now that I have my shit in order, we're family? Fuck that and fuck you."
"All that shit you're talking is water under the bridge, Nay."
"You're right. I'm not upset with you. I'm just never going to love you more than I love The Clique. I'm never going to take your side when the people you're opposing are in The Clique."
"It's like that, Naomi?" December nodded. "A'ight, cool. Remember this, sis. Just stay the hell away from my woman while you're doing it."
"Fuck Tamia. I have two kids of my own. The last thing I need is another hardheaded-ass child to look out for. Beat her ass as much as you want. You can leave now."
"I'm still talking to-" December became silent when he saw Paradise pull a gun out of her waistband.
"Get the fuck out," Naomi ordered. She didn't even have to turn around to see what had caught December's attention. She knew that her girls had her back. "Unless you want her to pull the trigger. I'll see you around."
Since December was outnumbered and had chosen to leave his house without any weapons on him, he began walking toward the door. He paused to pull Naomi into a hug. "If I can't touch Santana, somebody in this lame-ass organization is taking the fall for him," he whispered. He kissed her on the cheek and continued walking. "Paradise, Eve, if you ever feel like hitting the track, give me a call."
Laughing as Paradise cocked her gun, December slipped out of the house just in time to avoid having her pull the trigger. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and sent a text message to the number at the top of his call log. Seconds later, one of his cars flew from around the corner and stopped in front of him. He opened the door and got inside.
"You said you were only gonna be in there for a minute or two, nigga," Ice complained, pressing down on the gas.
December chuckled. "You got somewhere to be, homie? I'm gonna let you put some work in eventually, but I need to see some patience first."
"Whatever. A nigga can only be patient for so long before his trigger finger starts itching."
"Self-control is the key, fam."
"And you know so much about self-control, right?"
December started to reply, but something outside of the car caught his attention. "Pull over, Ice."
"What? We're in front of a-"
"Pull over."
Ice sighed and did as instructed, allowing December to step out of the car. "Nina!" December called. He couldn't see her face because she was walking in the opposite direction, but he didn't have to. Over the years, he'd spent dozens of hours staring at what he'd deemed the perfect body. Although he never forced his girls to sleep with him, they couldn't stop him from looking. Nina's shapely physique always stood out in a crowd. "What the hell are you doing?"
Nina came to a standstill in the middle of the doorway when she heard December's voice. She turned around slowly and walked back out of the police station.
"Balenciaga," Sergeant Thompson barked from inside, "if you need to talk to me, do it now. I don't have all day."
"December's outside," Nina whispered in a hostile tone before closing the door. She immediately regretted her decision to go to the station. As an undercover, she wasn't supposed to, but she had a bad habit of breaking that rule. She met December on the other side of the street. Thinking quickly, she began rubbing her wrists.
Noticing the movement, December frowned. "You got arrested?"
Nina nodded.
"I just saw you walking into the station alone. Why?"
Unable to answer his question, Nina directed her attention away from him. She was pleased to hear her partner's voice float over her shoulders seconds later.
"Nina, I thought I told you to wait in my car. One of those cops told me that you went back in there looking for me." Anthony approached Nina from behind. "What's good, December?"
"Not a damn thing," December replied. "What's going on?"
"Nina got set up with a cop, and he brought her in. They let her off with a warning, and she called me to pick her up since I live in the area."
December looked at Nina. "You couldn't say that?"
"I thought you'd be upset. Lo siento," Nina said.
December waved her off. "Later for that. You got more clients lined up?"
"No."
"Alright, let's go home, then."
Anthony grabbed Nina's hand and pulled her toward him. "Let me have her for a few hours, D." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of money.
December thumbed through the bills, more than pleased by the amount. "I usually make the girls come home before seven, but you're my boy, so drop her off whenever you're done with her."
"Alright." Anthony intertwined his fingers with Nina's and led her away from December. He opened the passenger's side door of his car for her, and then got inside, speeding off immediately afterward. With a smile, he looked over at Nina. "I don't get any love for saving your ass, Balenciaga?"
"Of course you do." Nina loosened her seatbelt and leaned over to Anthony's side of the car, planting a light kiss on his cheek.
"That's it? You can give me a little more than that."
"Are you really that needy?"
"Yes. Come on. I'm paying for you," he joked, puckering his lips after he stopped at a red light.
Nina pushed him away from her teasingly. "No, you're disgusting."
"Stop playing. The light's about to change."
"Good."
Anthony unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed Nina, holding her still as he pressed his lips against hers softly for about four seconds. He released her just as the traffic light turned green.
Nina laughed and wiped her lips. "I'm pretty sure that was sexual harassment."
"If I'm going to jail, that kiss was worth it. Your lips taste like strawberries."
"Why are you so damn weird, Atkins?" Nina giggled. "This is why we're still fucking around with December. You play too much."
"You haven't requested a new partner yet, so I think it's safe to say that you don't mind it. You have to be able to have fun in this field, Balenciaga. If you don't, the stuff that you see while you're working will start getting to you when you're doing other things. To be completely honest with you, I didn't think you'd last a year when you started this job."
Nina frowned. "Why not?"
"A few reasons. First of all, you had absolutely no experience. I didn't think you really knew what you were getting into. Two, you were new to Florida and I assumed you wouldn't be prepared for the crazy shit you'd see here. Three, you're pretty as hell, which led me to believe that you were scary as hell too."
"You can't compliment me and insult me at the same time, Atkins." Nina rolled her eyes. "Make a right at the next stop sign. I want to check on my house."
Following Nina's instructions, Anthony turned and parked in front of a medium-sized blue house. He turned his car off and got out of it before walking around to Nina's side and opening her door. He saw Nina roll her eyes when she noticed that there was an extra car parked in the driveway.
Nina used her key to unlock the front door, and then she walked over to the couch in the center of the living room. She grabbed the arm of the half-dressed young man that was sleeping on it. He woke up when Nina lifted him off of the couch roughly. "Who's in my house, Joaquin?" she asked.
"Que?" Fifteen-year-old Joaquin frowned at his older sister. "Marisol, I'm the only person here," he said.
"Whose car is in the driveway, then?" She released him. "Si encuentro a una chica en mi casa, voy a matarte."
"Even if that girl is your tia? Why are you so angry, Marisol? You're hotheaded just like your father."
A broad smiled covered Nina's face when she heard her aunt's voice. She turned around and embraced the older woman that had emerged from the kitchen. "Aunt Mariah, you should have called first. I'm hardly ever here. I could have cleared my schedule so that we could spend some time together."
"I wanted to surprise my favorite niece and nephew." Mariah walked over to Joaquin and kissed him on the forehead. "Don't be mad at your little brother. He didn't know I was here. He left the front door unlocked, so I just came in." She looked at Anthony, and then back at Nina. "Who's this?"
"This is Christopher, my coworker, but he goes by Anthony in public. Chris, this is Mariah, my tia."
"Nice to meet you," Anthony said, extending his hand toward her as he admired her good looks. Like Joaquin and Nina's mother, Mariah was black. She had a nice chocolate complexion and short hair that was styled into a pixie cut. Her body was athletic, but in a feminine way. Since he'd been equally blown away by Nina's mother's appearance, Anthony thought it safe to assume that beauty ran in her family.
"He's cute, chica," Mariah said with a wink after shaking Anthony's hand.
"No, he's not," Nina laughed. "Please don't blow his head up. How long are you staying?"
"I'm only staying for a few days. I had some business to handle in Fort Lauderdale and decided to stay a little while longer. Your cousin Six Trey said that he's going to come down and see me while I'm here. By the way, which hotel would you suggest that I stay in?"
"Hotel? You can stay here. I need someone to watch Joaquin, anyway. He likes to sneak his lady friends into the house."
Joaquin rolled his eyes. "I did that twice."
"Three times. You're lucky I haven't sent you back to New York to live with Mom and Dad yet. You're untrustworthy."
"Whatever, Marisol. Why don't you stop threatening to send me back and actually do it?" Joaquin got off of the couch and went into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.
"As if I could live without my baby brother." Nina smiled. "He's going to hate me by the time he's sixteen." Shifting her gaze back over to Mariah, Nina pointed in the direction that Joaquin had stormed off in. "There's an extra bedroom at the end of the hall. You can put your bags in there. As for me, I have to go back to work soon."
"When will I see you again?"
"I don't sleep here, and my schedule is pretty uncompromising. I only drop by every few days to buy groceries and check on Joaquin. Maybe early in the-"
"She'll be here all day tomorrow," Anthony intervened. "I'll pay a friend of ours to clear her schedule."
Mariah smiled. "I like you, Chris. Hopefully, I'll be seeing more of you." Mariah hugged Nina again and whispered the words 'keep him around' into her ear.
"I don't have a choice. We work together," Nina replied. She watched as Mariah walked down the hall and disappeared into the guestroom. Nina looked at Anthony and smirked. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Making sure you get to spend time with your family," Anthony said innocently. "I know that you and Joaquin don't get to see them a lot."
"I'm not going to like you just because my family does, Atkins."
"It was worth a shot," Anthony said with a shrug.
"It was a waste of time. Anyway, you know where the kitchen is if you want anything. I'm going to go talk to Joaquin." Nina exited the living room and approached Joaquin's door. She twisted the knob a few times, and then knocked on it.
Seconds later, Joaquin cracked the door. "What?"
"What's your problem today, Joaquin? You're acting like more of a brat than usual."
"You're not here enough to know what I usually act like, Marisol," Joaquin retorted.
"Is that what this is about? You want me home more?"
"No, I don't." He opened the door a little more, exposing his now fully-clothed body. "I'm about to go to the park. A basketball player is signing autographs and playing with the neighborhood kids. I took forty dollars out of your wallet, by the way." He stepped out of the room. "I should be back in a few hours, but there really isn't a reason for me to tell you that since you'll be gone."
"Can I at least have a hug before you go?"
Joaquin pulled Nina into a tight yet brief hug, and then he waved at Anthony on his way out of the house.
"That's exactly why none of my siblings live with me," Anthony commented after Joaquin left. "Who's this Six Trey person, though? I thought I knew about all of your cousins."
"I probably haven't mentioned Six. He lives in Georgia, and he's the best cousin ever. You're gonna love him." Nina looked at the clock on the wall. "We should leave. Naomi texted me while we were at the police station. She says that she needs to talk to us about something important. Let me go say goodbye to my aunt, and then we'll go."
Observing the melodic sway of Nina's wide hips as she sauntered down the hall, Anthony licked his lips. He walked out of the house and got into his car, waiting patiently for her to join him. She finally did after upwards of five minutes.
"Were you saying goodbye or did you sneak off to call another nigga? I've said goodbye before and it never took that long," Anthony said.
Nina scoffed. "If I was talking to a guy, I'd do it in front of you, Atkins."
"You wouldn't hurt me like that."
"You think so?"
Anthony grinned and backed out of the driveway. "I hope so."
Nina looked over at Anthony quietly, her face expressionless. After watching him for several seconds, she turned around without saying anything. This nigga is dead-ass serious, she thought. She wasn't new to the game. She knew that he wanted nothing more than to sleep with her, especially since she was a virgin, but his obvious thirst amused her.
"Just drive the car, Atkins," Nina finally said, her focus shifting from Anthony's lust to the urgency of Naomi's text message.