BWWM: BEFORE I WAKE: A Bad Boy Billionaire Book Collection (African American Interracial Series) (2 page)

“She just secured a big fight for you in the Vegas tournament against Spencer Fields, Brent Case and Javier Sanchez.” I lean back against the wall just staring at him. Dumfounded. He had to be shitting me. I know my mouth is hanging open, but I couldn’t close it.

“Don’t fuck with me… I swear...”

Julius grinned and his loud clap rang out, “Hell no man! I’m dead serious. Tell him, Jas.”

She smiled again, nodding. God, she’s beautiful. “It’s true,” she said, “Everything he said.  70k.”

A wave of excitement hits me and the realization sets in. “Oh my God, Jas! Fuck, that’s incredible! Do you know what this can do for my ranking?”

She was still smiling. “I have a pretty good idea.” She knew. She knows as much about this stuff as I do…more stats even. I was still in shock. I can’t believe I’m getting the chance I’ve always wanted and worked for.

“This could solidify my shot against Jackson in August.” I dropped down in the chair again, light-headed. Due to our low ranking, all four of us would battle it out. The last man standing would bump up several spots and take on the champ. Jack was a friend but there’s no way  I wouldn’t take my shot at his belt and title.

“It’s an actual possibility now! I… I could be the light heavyweight champion. Fuck!”

Julius looked as dumfounded as I was.

“I know,” Jasmine said with a bounce and my fists clenched. I wanted to pull her into my lap and really thank her.  Jesus Christ, she’s amazing. And, this is the first time in a year that I’ve felt real hope and real happiness.

“Okay, I’m going to take off. Jules, I’ll call you later. Cain…”

I jumped out of my chair. “I’ll walk you out.”

She smiled shyly and my heart skipped a beat. “Okay.”

As we walked through the gym towards the parking lot I said, “I can’t even begin to thank you for this…it’s the best news I’ve had in…shit, ever. Don’t know how you pulled it off but I’m so grateful.”

She stopped as we walked out the door and looked up at me with her kind brown eyes. They look dark from a distance but up close you can see little flecks of gold swimming in them. I’ve never seen anything even remotely like them, or anywhere near as beautiful.

“You deserve some good news,” she said. I knew without asking that she was talking about Bree. Her gaze was intimate but she broke it first. We started weaving through parked cars again.

“Thanks. I’m not so sure “deserve” is the right word but “needed”- yes for sure. Needed.”

When she got to her car she stopped again and turned towards me. I could smell the faint scent of the perfume she always wore mixed with the fresh scent of her shampoo. Couple that with her beautiful face and gorgeous body and I was already working up a woody one in the parking lot. Shit.

“I miss her,” she said, her eyes to the ground. Her eyes looked so sad and I wanted to take her in my arms. God, I’m such a chicken-shit. I should just man up and do it.

Without thinking I leaned in, both of my hands framing her delicate cheeks. I was expecting her to pull back, but she didn’t. I hovered over her lips but she encouraged me with a gentle touch at my shoulder.

My heart pounded faster in my chest and I swept a soft brush across her lips. She sighed and opened her mouth for me.

I pressed my lips deeper and almost fainted from pleasure. She responded and wrapped a small arm around my shoulder, holding the back on my neck with a warm glasp. Her other hand gently tugged at my elbow. Was she asking me to stop or pulling me closer? I had to know.

I stumbled us back and felt her press closer to my chest, her car at her back. My blood raced and I angled my head for a deeper kiss against her sweet pout. Her tongue tentatively touched mine and my cock pulsed painfully. She adjusted the kiss slightly and I knew without a doubt that she had felt me against the front of my shorts. You can’t hide anything in these damned things.

She pulled back with a gasp and her eyes looked…full of regret? Remorseful? Damn, I thought the kiss had been hot? Although I was a confident man
,
thi
s
I wasn’t so sure about anymore
.

JASMINE

I drove as far as the parking lot exit before I let myself look into the rearview mirror. I paused there with my blinker on and watched Cain disappear back inside the gym. Oh my God, did he really just kiss me? The man was breathtakingly gorgeous.

Over six feet and chiseled from marble he’d run around in my fantasies for who knows how long. I’d watched him fight for years, and although his right hook was heavy, he’s what my brother called a “submission master.” Uhm ok
,
tha
t
sounded sexy.

He was a massive man with thick biceps and an iron chest that narrowed down to a ripple of abs and a sharp V at his hip crease. Anytime I’d come to the gym he’d been there, working harder than any of the other fighters. I used to “restock the protein shelves” along the back wall and watch him grapple with the padded body dummies. He rolled and bucked his firm ass as he rained down heavy shots on the poor dummy.

I gripped those tubs of protein tight to my chest when he turned his glistening back and I saw his tattoo. A gigantic celtic cross spread across his back, intricate gaelic script twining around the arms and meeting at a crest between his muscled shoulder blades. God, that must have taken hours. And it no doubt looked like it had been painful.

With a grunt into his mouthpiece, he turned again sharply and the light from above caught his profile as sweat flicked off his full bottom lip
.
So beautiful.

His dark hair was shaved short on the sides and back but a few long strands at the crown would inevitably end up falling across his brow. With his gloves up he looked menacing, a dangerous beautiful creature.

I shuddered at the thought of him wanting me. Not because I didn’t want him too…but because o
f
it
.
The secret I’m carrying...forced to carry… Oh God who knows now. I can’t get that close to him and keep this up, so I just need to stay away. I floor it out of there. Against my will, the memories came.

The night before she died, we had spent hours on my living room floor as she sobbed into her hands.  I was at a loss for how to comfort her. I knelt down next to her and put my hand on her back. She looked up at me with streaks of mascara covering her pretty freckled face.

“It’s a lot of fucking money Jas.”

“I know honey, but I need you to stop worrying about that. We’ll take care of it.  I’ll get you the money. What you have to do is end things with Rocco as soon as you see him tomorrow…Look at me Bree…”

She focused her eyes on my face. Her brown hair hung in frazzled strands across her petite face.  

“Do you hear me? When you see him, give him the money and break up with him.”  

Bree and her boyfriend Rocco owed a lot of money to some thugs from Dorchester. They’d been gambling and when Bree realized just how far in debt they were…and just how dangerous the men Rocco had been dealing with, she’d gone off on him. Rocco’s way of calming her down had been to assault her, spewing venom and threats. Now she sat with me, hysterical and afraid. She wanted out, of all of it, but she had no idea where to start.  

She grabbed my arm. “Don’t tell my brother, Jas, please don’t tell Cain. He’ll kill Rocco. He hates him. They got into it once and Cain said he’d kill him if he even saw him again. If he knew about this…”

“He could help you though, Bree. I’m sure Cain has the money. He wouldn’t want to see you hurting this way.”

“He would help me and then he would kill Rocco and maybe even bust a few more heads. If these thugs didn’t kill him, he’d end up in prison. I don’t want Cain to ruin his life for me. He and I have only always had each other, Jas. Please, please don’t tell him!”

I didn’t tell him. Instead, I gave her every cent I had in savings. Ten grand. Gone.  I’d been saving it since I’d graduated…but Bree’s life was more important. I thought I was saving her. I told her one more time when I gave it to her to end things with Rocco, for good.

The next evening she called on her way to pick him up from work. She was fully resolved to do it. It was the last time I ever spoke her.

All night I tossed and turned, waiting to hear from her. When the phone rang at 3 am I felt a wave of relief. That is until I saw a number I didn’t recognize.  

It was a Detective Murphy and I listened in mute shock as he told me Bree was dead. He said that she’d been shot in her car and all of her possessions stolen. She was in the passenger side and the first thing I thought was Rocco
.
Where the fuck had he been
?

I could tell that the detective was trying to write it off as a simple robbery that went bad…maybe an attempted car-jacking, maybe that’s why she was in the passenger seat. But I knew there was so much more to it than that. The thugs must have gotten to her.

I went to my brother’s house and we spent the day mourning her… but I didn’t tell Julius what I knew. I was saving that for Cain. That night as I walked out to my car, I reached for the door handle when I felt a presence behind me.

I turned to see Rocco and his infamous orange haircut standing there. He scares the shit out of me. He always has. I never knew what Bree saw in him. He’s not a huge guy, but he’s muscular, pale and tatted up from his neck down. A lot of his tattoos looked like prison art and that was Cain’s initial problem with him. Then he opens his mouth and hate and stupidity spews out. His lips pulled at the corners. I guess some people would call it a smile but it wasn’t. It never reached his eyes and there was definitely nothing friendly about it.

“Oh hey there Jasmine...”

“What… what do you want, Rocco?” I squared my shoulders the way I’d seen Julius and Cain do
.
Just stay calm.

He stepped up so close to me that I could smell him. Cigarette smoke, sweat and molding clothes. I tried not to gag.

“I’m gonna be straight up with you. I want you to keep your mouth shut about me and Bree and the money. I know she told you everything. Did you tell your brother anything already?”

His eyes were bloodshot and hard. He terrified me. I glanced at Julius’s front door, his porch light still on. I hope he didn’t come back out. I knew that Julius would kick his ass without thinking twice…but Rocco didn’t fight fair. I didn’t want him to get hurt.

“I didn’t tell anyone…yet.” As scared as I was, I was also determined not to let him see that.

“Good. Let’s keep it that way. If I get a visit from that shithead brother of hers or the police, the next person I’m going to visit is you…and then you’ll be as dead as... well you know who...”

I was winding up to tell him to fuck off when he clapped a dirty palm against my mouth and pushed me against the car.

“Oh no no no sweetheart.... Rocco will do you one better. I’ll make sure your big brother Julius and Cain join you too.” He taunted me with a feigned look of concern.

“Is that what you want, baby? It’ll be a family reunion in hell.” He pressed roughly on my face and I struggled to breath. He laughed bearing his teeth in a snarl and I heaved. Yup, I was definitely going to throw up.

He pulled away and walked backwards up the street, his index finger at his lips. “Not a word bitch.”

Suddenly now, a year later, I sit in my car remembering all of this and I can’t breathe again. I feel like the weight sitting on my chest and I can’t push it off. A bead of sweat rolls down the sides of my face and no amount of air conditioning is helping. There was no way I would put my brother and Cain at risk. No fucking way I would give him the satisfaction he wanted. But Bree… I took in another intake of air.

It took me a good fifteen minutes to calm down and reassure myself that I was safe.  All I’ve wanted to do since that day was tell Cain what I suspected, that Rocco and his buddies had killed Bree. He’d no doubt taken the money to settle his debts and run off. I have nightmares about how scared she must have been.

In the beginning, my panic attacks were only a few days apart up and I thought that the more I did for Cain, the better I would feel. Penance I guess. But it never worked. I had grieved deeply, nursing my secret for months.

Cain had taken it the worst of all of us. Especially since parents were gone, Bree was the only one he had left. He had a horrible year in the ring, losing 14 straight fights. A few of them came close to breaking his body. After every night I cried to sleep, punishing myself.
I
ha
d
to protect my family. I had to protect him. For so long, I had wanted him. I didn’t want to lose him too. I was torn between protecting the men I loved or getting justice for my friend. I couldn’t have both. Exposing Rocco would destroy us all.

Bree had lied telling Cain that she was with me the night that she went to pick up Rocco. She had told him that she had broken it off with Rocco weeks ago. I had told Cain that I hadn’t been with Bree the night she was killed. What I hadn’t told him was that I knew who she was with. It would kill Cain if he knew Bree had been in it much deeper than he thought she was…and besides, if Cain got to Rocco first, he’d kill him. That I knew for sure. And Cain would be gone too. It was such a clusterfuck.

When I got to the my apartment I locked the door handle, the deadbolt and the slider. Julius had asked me what the hell was up with all of the locks. I lied and said it was my landlord’s idea. I dropped my bag and made it as far as my bed before I collapsed in a torrent of tears. I hated my life since Bree’s been gone. I spend my days trying to be normal, being a good daughter, a good sister, a good business owner…but always waiting for something bad to happen. Today the good had come instead.  

The good news about Vegas, the good - n
o
amazin
g
kiss… For a split second I had forgotten the past and kissed him back. I was so lost in that one, delicious moment that I had forgotten that I was keeping something from him. The secret that would get us all killed.

I choked on a sob and hugged myself tighter, nestling my chest deeper into the covers. Cain’s hazel green eyes came to mind. I smiled to myself and felt a little relief ease of my chest.

Golden eyes
.
When the light catches them just right, I can see the ring of green around them. They used to sparkle when he was happy. They had sparkled for a split second before he had kissed me. He wanted me. He wante
d
me.

TAKE ME TO MORE!