Bearly Apart (Big Paw Security Book 5) (138 page)

“About a decade too late, darlin’,” he laughed, holding up his wedding band.

“Is this lifestyle hard?
 
All the jetsetting, tours, different cities on a moment’s notice?”
 
Iyesha asked sincerely.

“It’s not for everyone, that’s for sure.
 
But I’m a lucky guy.
 
My better half realizes what an amazing opportunity this is for us, so she doesn’t give me too much of a hard time.”

“How long have you worked for Dragon?”

“About six years now.
 
He’s been real good to me and my family.
 
Here’s Le Boutique now,” Syd said, pulling the car up along the curb.
 
“Feel like shopping?”

“What a ridiculous question, Syd,” Iyesha giggled, stepping out into the Tahitian sunlight.

The thumping bass could be felt a block away from the Tulassa as Syd pulled the car up to the entrance.
 
Lines of security guards held people back, and as Dragon and Iyesha stepped out of the black town car, the paparazzi assault began.
 
They rushed inside, into the dark womb of the club entrance.
 
Iyesha held her purse close to her side.

The thick syrup bass was ever present, thumping through every surface and making Iyesha’s skin hum.
 
She followed Dragon as they were escorted through the club.
 
As they passed the dance floor, Iyesha saw a tightly packed crowd of party-goers undulating to the newest island dance music.
 
The DJ knew his role, to get the crowd warmed up for the main event later on.

They were ushered into the VIP room in the back and were soon joined by the club manager.
 
He and Dragon began haggling over the terms of the performance that night.
 
Iyesha took that as her cue to go dance.

Slipping out of the room, she made her way back to the dance floor.
 
Business finds a way to make even a place like this boring.
 
Hitting up the bar, she threw back a shot of some dark rum and slinked to the dance floor.
 
Gyrating, twisting and even a little twerking, she showed these younger upstarts what a veteran party girl can do.
 
Lost in the crowds, she danced away from several drunk male suitors, undeserving of their own swagger.

She felt a presence behind her and spun around when she felt hands on her hips.
 
Her hands immediately went to the hooded man’s chest, preparing to shove him into a cluster of frat bros at the edge of the dance floor.

“Putting’ hands on me now?” Dragon said, his voice barely audible over the loud house music now blaring through the speakers.
 
He flashed a smile down at Iyesha, his white teeth the only thing visible in the dark hood pulled over his head.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her hands not leaving his chest.

“Just enjoyin’ you enjoyin’ yourself.
 
You should keep dancing,” he said, kissing her.
 
His lips pressed against hers and he let out a content moan.

Iyesha turned around slowly, keeping her body pressed against him.
 
She looked around at the other people on the dance floor, but none reacted to Dragon at all.
 
Iyesha began to dance with Dragon, giggling and laughing when he grabbed her for a kiss or to nibble on her neck.

Grinding her ass against him, she pulled his hands to her stomach.
 
He swayed with her, their bodies in sync to the slower tempo song the DJ put on to give people a break.
 
Iyesha guided his hand lower, leaning back to whisper up to him.

“I’m wet for you,” Iyesha said as she felt his hand dip under her skirt.
 
Glad I didn’t wear any panties tonight.
 
She heard Dragon chuckle when he felt no barrier to her sex.
 
He roughly slid a finger inside her. Followed by another.

“Oh god,” Iyesha moaned, her body pressed back against Dragon while she looked at the crowd around them.
 
None had taken notice of their lewd behavior.
 
She closed her eyes as Dragon slid another finger inside her and began pumping her in rhythm to the beat.
 
It was incredible, like the sound itself was fucking her.
 
She ground her ass against Dragon, feeling his growing erection.

When Iyesha felt him press his thumb against her clit, she came, drenching his hand with her juices.
 
She wailed into the soft cotton of his hoody, hoping none around could hear her, not caring if they did.

Iyesha spun around and rammed her tongue up into his mouth.
 
Oh god, I want him to mount me on the dance floor!
 
Her hand went to his cock, squeezing it through his pants.
 
She began to unzip him, when the music went really quiet.

“And now, without further ado, motherfucking Dragon!” the DJ said, looking offstage.

“Business calls,” Dragon said as he kissed Iyesha and ran off the dance floor towards the stage entrance.
 
A minute later, Dragon took the stage, without the hoody.
 
The crowd went ballistic.

“Dragon!
 
Dragon! Dragon!” the crowd cheered as Dragon took a mic from the DJ and walked to the center of the stage.

“Aye yo’, how you feeling’ Tahiti?” Dragon called out to the crowd.
 
Their cheers redoubled, Iyesha joining in.

“Hey DJ, let’s bring this fuckin’ place down,” Dragon said, the house lights all going out as a background track began to play.
 
More cheers from the crowd.

The lights came back up as Dragon began, “If you ever seen a real ass n-“ he began.

A gunshot rang out from opposite the stage, towards the entrance to the dance floor.
 
Everyone scattered.
 
Iyesha turned to see a group of five men standing there, laughing.
 
One had a pistol by his side.
 
She looked back at the stage, but Dragon was gone.
 
Before she could decide what to do, Syd ran into her from the side and ushered her back into the service area.

“What is going on?
 
Who was that?” Iyesha asked as they dodged around busboys and other frightened club patrons.

“That was Lil’ Buck.
 
I guess he’s a man of his word,” Syd said as they passed through the kitchen.
 
Staff stood around confused, not sure what was going on.

“Where is Dragon?”

“I don’t know.
 
He sent me to get you.
 
We’re supposed to meet him out back in the alley,” he said as they went through an exit door into an alley.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Dragon said, coming out right behind them.
 
“What a goddamn circus.”

“Ok, let me go get the car.
 
I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Syd said, darting down the alley.

“What the hell was that about?” Iyesha asked.

Dragon sighed.
 
“Unprofessional shit is what that was about.
 
Fuckin’ poppin’ off in the middle of a club like that.”

“Did he shoot at you?” Iyesha asked.

“Nah, just up in the air.
 
He just wanted to fuck up my night.”

“That’s not all I want!” a man said, coming up on the two of them with a gun drawn.
 
The short black man pointed his pistol at Dragon.
 
“Now give me that earring, Andre!”

“Fuck you Lil Buck!
 
I ain’t giving’ you shit,” Dragon said, flexing like he wanted to attack the man drawing down on him.

Creeping to the side, Iyesha’s hands were shaking.
 
Oh God, he’s going to shoot him.
 
Tears running down her face, she wrapped her arms around herself in panic.
 
Her hand brushed up against her purse and she felt the hardness inside.
 
Without a second thought her hand went into the bag and she pulled out the semi-automatic handgun.

Leveling the barrel at Lil’ Buck’s head, she screamed, “Freeze motherfucker or I’ll blow your head off!”
 
She saw Buck’s triumph turn to pants-shitting terror.

“Where’d you get a gun?!” he asked, incredulously.

“Where’d you get a gun?!” Dragon repeated, a dumbfounded look on his face.
 
“Is..is that…?” he started, but a set of bright headlights shone over all of them.
 

Iyesha shielded her eyes and she heard Lil Buck run off down the alley.

“Get in!” Syd yelled, pulling up right next to them.
 
Seconds later Iyesha and Dragon were out of the alley, zooming down the highway back towards the hotel.
 
Dragon reached over to Iyesha, and she moved close to be held by him.
 
He coldly held her at bay while he reached into her purse.
 
Taking out the gun, he looked at it and shook his head.

“It’s not what you think,” she said.
 
“It fell into my purse!”

Dragon didn’t respond.
 
He sat silently looking out the window as Syd drove them back to the hotel.
 
Every once in a while he would sigh and shake his head.

“Please, say something…” Iyesha pleaded.
 
The car stopped at the entrance to the hotel.

Dragon opened the door, stepping out.
 
“You in your room tonight.
 
Tomorrow Syd takes you to the airport,” he said, closing the door behind him.
 

Iyesha’s eyes welled up and she wiped them, hoping Syd didn’t see.
 
After a sniffle, she opened the door and walked under the glass gazebo into the hotel.
 
She went up to the front desk, defeated.and exhausted.
 
The concierge’s pleasantries were wasted on her, and with her keycard in hand she made her way to the bank of elevators.

Iyesha flicked on the lights to her hotel room.
 
Looks like Maxwell spared every expense.
 
She was surprised a hotel that contained the kind of luxury of Dragon’s suite could also have such a plain room.
 
Oh well, a bed is a bed.

She laid in the bed, tossing and turning in the empty cold expanse of budget sheets and minimal dry-cleaning.
 
She cried and felt mad at herself for doing so.
 
That asshole didn’t believe me.
 
Fuck him.
 
She picked up the phone and dialed room service.
 
Yes, she did want cheese on those fries.
 
Yes, charge the extra to the room account.
 
Iyesha picked up the remote and pondered how many adult films she could charge to the room between now and the morning.

A knock at the door brought Iyesha out of her revenge plot.
 
She looked at the clock on the bedside table.
 
No way is room service that fast.
 
She opened the door and saw Dragon standing out in the hallway.

“Can we talk?” he asked, a hangdog expression on his face.
 
The restless night he’d also been having was evident on his face.
 
“Look…”

“Yeah, whatever.
 
Come in I guess,” Iyesha said, trying to control the knot in her stomach.
 
She stepped aside to let Dragon in, then closed the door and joined him on the bed.
 
They sat a foot apart, but the real distance between them was far greater.

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry.
 
I got mad and I let it fuck me up,” he said, looking down at his hands. “You thought I was in trouble, and so you acted.
 
That’s loyalty.
 
That’s real loyalty,” he said.

Iyesha felt relief flood through her.
 
Wait a second. “You were in trouble.
 
That guy had a gun pointed at you.”

“True, true…but let’s just say the rivalry is more for the cameras than anything else.
 
Don’t get it twisted though: the gun thing was some bullshit.
 
That shit in the alley was him hoping someone in the crowd outside would get a pic of him robbin’ me so it would boost his cred.
 
Shit wasn’t supposed to go down like that.”

“That’s well and good, but you thought I stole from you, and you treated me like shit.
 
So what happened?
 
You look at the video tape or something?”

“No.
 
I just thought about it and realized I trust you.
 
You stuck your neck out for me in some dangerous shit.
 
Can’t ask for no more than that.”

Iyesha smiled.
 
“So we can resume our business arrangement?”

Dragon shook his head.
 
“No, can’t do that.”

Iyesha’s smile withered.

Dragon leaned forward and kissed her.
 
“No more business between us.
 
I want you to be my girl.”

Iyesha’s gasped as her mouth closed around his, her tongue dancing across his lips.
 
She pressed back against him, hard, pushing him down against the bed.
 
She straddled him, lowering her wanting body against his hardness.

“Back to my room,” he stated, starting to get up.

“Shut the fuck up and lay down,” she commanded.
 
“I think you’ve made enough decisions lately.
 
I’m in charge now.”

A broad grin spread across his face. “Aight girl.”

Iyesha lightly slapped him across the face.
 
That got his attention!
 
“You’ll call me ma’am, or you’ll be sent back to your room to jerk off like some nerdy virgin.”