A Commitment to Love, Book 3 (52 page)

“What’re you doing?” Benny asked him. “I told you to handle the front.”

“You went too far, when you killed my son.” Scar pulled the trigger.

The bullet made no sound. It just zipped through the air, faster than the one that had taken my brother’s life. It whipped past and more came. I fell to the ground and covered my face. No noise left my lips. But in my head I screamed,
Kill him! Kill him!

Scar shot out all of the bullets in one gun, pulled another out, and filled Benny with that load.

And Benny?

His body did a sort of dance.

The impact of the bullets had him twisting and turning in the small space.

His arms wagged around.

His tongue and mouth flopped open as if he’d already reached unconsciousness.

His knees went under and he crashed back, falling into me.

“Oh God!” I screamed as blood and his heavy weight fell onto me.

Scar jumped in the closet, pulled me out of there, and shoved Benny’s dead body to the side.
Is he going to kill me, too?
When Scar helped me to my feet, I turned back to Benny’s body and waited to see if he moved.

This had to be the end. Benny lay on his stomach. Blood pooled around his center. His face lay to the side. His eyes were open and didn’t move.

I hadn’t heard Scar step up closer or anything. But I saw another bullet zip by and land in the center of Benny’s forehead.

“He’s dead, Jazz.”

He’s calling me Jazz. Okay, I guess we’re friends. I guess he’s not going to kill me.

I stumbled back and faced him. “I-I thought Benny was your friend.”

“Yes.”

I scrunched up my face in confusion. “Yes?”

“Yes, he was my friend.”

I glanced down at Benny’s corpse. “Um, would you like to say anything else or are we just going to walk off and pretend like none of this happened?”

“I’m not a man of many words.”

“Could you tell me why you killed Benny?”

“He killed Troy.”

“And you cared because …”

“I’m your father.”

I swayed a little. “Okay. Okay.”

“Are you all right, Jazz?” He didn’t make a move to grab my arm.

And then Sherman showed up as if out of the shadows. My knees wobbled a bit, but I was fine. “Okay. Okay.”

Sherman walked by Scar. “Just give Jazz a minute.”

I blew out a long breath to calm down. “Okay. Sherman, why are you here?”

“Mom,” Sherman said. “You think I really wanted to see Mickey Mouse? Naw, I needed to be close without you or Chase thinking I was near. Mom set Benny up. Plain and simple.”

“I was the bait?”

He gave me a sad frown. “You’re always the bait, Jazz.”

My voice scratched as I spoke, “What do you mean?”

“Mom used to say that little girls can make the most money. Get them smart and pure. Make sure no other man touch her. Get her in the books and a little degree. Any rich man would go after her with careful planning.” He reached for me, probably to help me walk.

I staggered away from Scar and him. “I don’t even get what you’re trying to say. I mean, I heard something, but this is not even a logical thing that one person can set up in their mind. Are you trying to tell me that Mom—”

“Look.” Sherman lowered and lifted up Benny’s body. “We grew up in the hood. You know how it is. Everybody had to play their position. A woman has boys in the hood. She’s thinking to herself, I’m going to put all of them in sports. One of these boys are going to have to hit it big and get us out of here. So she focuses on football or whatever. Makes sure he keeps his eyes on the prize.”

He slung Benny’s body into the closet and then closed the door. “Mom made her boys soldiers. Well most of them. Troy was never no soldier. He liked to read and learn shit. He always asked too many damn questions. Mom has no patience for smart men. You always got to act stupid around her.”

“That’s what you do?” I asked while Scar walked off.

Well … nice meeting you guy number two that now thinks he is my father. What the fuck, Mom?!

“I never play dumb with Mom,” Sherman said. “She knows her kids are smart. It’s no use trying.”

I turned to him. “Am I safe? What the fuck is going on? Benny is dead. Scar is my father? Now what?”

“Why you think I’m always doing whatever Mom wants?”

I wring my hands in the air. “Because you love her? Because she’s our mother? All of the usual—”

“No. Love? That shit left me long ago, Jazz. Love? Mom doesn’t love. She appreciates you. She finds you valuable, and that’s how you make it another day, another year.”

“And you’re valuable to her because you listen?”

“Yes, and I always remain loyal.”

“And are you remaining loyal now, by telling me all of this?” I asked.

He nodded.

“She wanted me to know all of this?” I asked.

“Yes.”

I sighed. “Why?”

“We all need to play our part.”

“And what’s my part?”

He formed his mouth into a straight line. “Marry Chase.”

“And then what?”

“Who knows?” He shrugged. “You know what I always say?”

“Rock up?”

“That’s right. Rock up. This family needs a queen, sweetie. Maybe Mom should retire.”

“A queen? We don’t have a fucking dynasty.”

“Open your eyes, little girl.” He picked up the guns he’d put on the floor.

“My eyes are opened.”

“No, they’re not. You’re just around this rich guy, playing princess. Get your ass back in South End, Jazz.”

“And do what?”

“Fix it?”

“Fix what?”

“All of the lives that she destroyed.”

“Help me.”

He frowned. “I’ll try.”

E
PILOGUE

Chase

K
yle
was my best friend from college, and very, very drunk. “Toast!”

Everyone at the table paused.

The waiters continued to pass out lovely delights.

Jasmine had convinced me to change the huge engagement celebration to a small dinner with my closest friends back in Oshane City. She wanted to truly get to know me, and figured the best way was to meet my friends.

So far, they hadn’t presented me in the best light.

Kyle clinked the wine glass. “So my buddy Chase right here is actually one of those people that are named for what they do. He chased the most women back in our school days. Half of the college girls on campus registered for his unofficial Intro to Anatomy course.”

My buddies snickered and chuckled around the table. A few of their wives rolled their eyes.

Kyle’s drunk behind continued, “And he ran after them all, chasing and racing. He had this voicemail message with this jazz music in the background. Anytime I would call, Chase’s voice would come on all smooth and he would whisper, ‘Hello, this is Chase Stone and I am here for all of your needs.’”

Everyone laughed.

Jasmine especially. She even hit the table a few times and mimicked me, “I am here for all of your needs.”

I frowned. “This isn’t a toast. This is an assault on my character.”

“No!” Jasmine chuckled. “This is so far the best toast of the night. Tell us more, Kyle.”

“I do not remember this voicemail message.” I shook my head.

“Oh no! I didn’t forget the message.” Jonathan joined in on the joking. “Oh do you remember that time he got locked in the sorority house, spent the night, and in the middle of his stay, two of the women realized that he was messing with them both and so they tortured him!”

Jonathan roared with laughter.

Jasmine hit the table again and cracked up. “Oh yes, what was the torture?”

“Yes!” Kyle spilled some of his drink. “They waxed his eyebrows and his testicles. He was bare like a newborn baby. They had him stumbling back home in a dress.”

“It wasn’t a dress. It was a sleeping shirt thing,” I argued.

“That’s right. It was a gown!” Jonathan hit the table.

“Waxed his eyebrows!” Jasmine roared with laughter.

“It’s not that funny.” I tried not to laugh, but a giggle or two left me as I remembered that day, walking back through campus with everyone honking and whistling at me. My skin blazed in pain.

Jasmine set her fork on the table and grinned. “Now I see why you’re all into waxing women. It’s all of that pent up resentment.”

“Very funny.”

“Just very funny?” She placed her hand under the table. “Very funny who?”

I cleared my throat and leaned her way. “Very funny, Goddess.”

“Huh?” She raised her eyebrows. “Don’t make me get out my remote control.”

“Please, don’t.”

She tossed me an evil smile. “What’s my name?”

The guys trucked on through their stories as I worked hard at appearing as sweet as possible so my tesoro could have mercy on me and not do the thing that I knew she was begging to do.

Don’t you do it, tesoro. I’ll get you back. Don’t you even think about it.

“What’s my name, Chase?”

“Goddess,” I said a little louder.

“Huh?” She dug her hand into her pocket book and pulled the small remote control out. “I can’t hear you that well.”

I whispered in her ear, “Damn you, woman. Do not do it right now.”

The evil woman narrowed her eyes at me and pressed the button.

The ring vibrated on the point of my cock. I held the edge of the table and groaned. People paused from talking and glanced at me.

I just had to introduce toys to our bedroom. Now she’s found a toy for me.

My cock throbbed from the ring around it, buzzing and vibrating. I gritted my teeth and did my best to not jump up and start fucking the air.

“Everything okay over there, Chase?” Kyle asked.

Sweating, I nodded my head. “Ummhmm.”

That was all I could get out through the drumming in my cock.

Kyle returned to the long, drunken toast.

Jasmine giggled.

Get her pussy off my mind. Think through this, man! You will not start humping the fucking table. You are Chase Stone. You are a god … oh God. It feels so good. Just one little push.

I grunted as Jasmine stroked the back of my neck.

“Evil,” I whispered. “Evil woman.”

“Payback.” She landed a kiss on my cheek and rose from her seat. “I’m sorry, Kyle. I really have to go to the ladies’ room. Promise me you won’t tell all of the good stuff.”

“Don’t worry.” Kyle laughed. “I’ll save all the really embarrassing stuff for when you get back.”

“Thanks.” She trotted off in that tight blue dress that tightened around her body just so. I glanced back at her, the toy still vibrating inside of my pants.
Where are you going, evil woman?
She wore no panties under that outfit. A fact that she’d enjoyed telling me, during the ride to dinner. And she wouldn’t let me touch her. Not until I put her toy on in the limo’s backseat.

I had no idea where she’d found the damn thing. The small ring was the perfect circumference size of my cock with a small part on the side to adjust it, if needed.

Did she measure it while I was sleeping? This woman will always be a mystery to me.

It was silver and barely an inch long. I slipped it on my and the cool metal hugged the erection’s rim. My cock hadn’t gone down since. It just stayed stiff in my pants, ready to bust, she kept pressing that remote control.

I jumped up from the table. “Let me show you how to get there.”

Kyle stopped with his story and asked, “What’s that buzzing sound?”

“Nothing. Talk about your damn story.” I tripped over my seat. The chair fell back. The buzzing sound rose. “Tesoro!”

She looked back at me and pressed the button on the remote in her hand. The toy shut off, and in that moment I realized I’d been gripping my cock the whole time. The whole dinner party started at me.