Pink Lips (23 page)

“What is this?” Willow asked.

“My secret spot for when I want to just get away from it all.”

“What's so special about it?” She grabbed the bottle from the floor and poured the Moët into two champagne glasses.

“My father use to run this place when I was a kid. I used to live here, basically. Whenever I want to think of him or just come back to the place in my life where I was the happiest, I come here.” He handed her the glass of champagne.

“So, how many women have you brought here?” Willow asked
as she took a sip; her hair's shininess played off the light from the moon.

“None,” he said as he looked into her bashful eyes. “No other woman but his moms has met my son, either.”

“I'm honored.” She leaned back and placed the champagne glass down.

“You should be.” He looked at her thighs; the blood rushing to his manhood causing him to stand at attention like he was in the army. “I really love you.”

“Show me,” Willow said as she opened and closed her legs.

She had avoided having sex with Talvin until that moment. She couldn't resist. She had never had a man think so highly of her, and she had allowed the gesture to make her weak, telling herself it was only for that one night. She promised herself that when she woke up the next morning, the hatred that she felt for him would be back in her heart, and her plan would be back in action.

•  •  •

“The warehouse is off the highway before you get out of the city limits,” Willow said as she described the details to Craig. “I'm not for sure, but I know there's a stash there. Find it and get it for me,” she said, walking inside of Rock's house.

She eyed security as she made her way to his home office. She knew the way and an introduction was no longer needed in order for her to roam the estate freely. She knocked on the large door before she entered, never waiting for an okay to do so.

Willow focused on the room as she saw three figures upon first glance. The first was her father. The second was Evelyn, his wife, and the woman she'd met at the strip club, and the last was a girl she'd never seen. She walked toward them, their eyes following her.

“If it isn't the stripper.” Evelyn grinned.

“Evelyn.” Rock gave her a hand gesture and she left the room.

“Why did you call me here?” Willow asked as she took a seat.

“I wanted you to meet your sister.” He got up from the desk and stood next to the girl. “This is Elysia.”

Willow looked her up and down, her fashion on par with her own. Her face was as beautiful as Willow's and her skin tone matched hers perfectly. Elysia looked at her as her bright orange heels crossed from how she was standing. Her facial expression was coy and she had wondered how many other siblings she had; the same thoughts as Willow.

“This is my last child,” Rock said as he read their minds. “I promise, no other kids will come out of the woodwork.” He went to the door and left. “I'll let you two get to know each other.”

“Nice to meet you,” Elysia said, reaching her hand down and shaking Willow's.

“You too,” Willow said as she stood up. “So, tell me about yourself. Was Rock a part of your life or was he a bastard to you, too?”

“My mom was, well, she still is, his accountant, so he's always been around. He told me I had another sister named Kail. Can I meet her, too?” she asked with open eyes.

“Maybe.” Willow leaned on the desk. “Kail isn't as open to things as I am.”

“Excuse me for being so pushy.” She joined Willow and leaned on the desk. “I just lost my brother so siblings is what I need right now.”

“I just lost my boyfriend so I know how you feel.” Willow pulled out her cell phone. “Give me a minute,” she told Elysia as she walked away and answered a call. “Hello.”

“I found it and you were right,” Craig said.

“How much?” She looked back at Elysia, who was ear hustling.

“Four hundred thousand and I have it all.”

“Meet me at my condo in thirty minutes.” Willow hung up the phone.

“Business?” Elysia asked as she stood up straight.

“Something like that.” Willow walked back toward her. “I have to go, but get my number from Rock, and we should get together sometime.” Willow rushed out of the room.

“Will do.” Elysia waved good-bye.

Willow walked down the staircase moving as fast as her feet would allow. She had to take something from Talvin; she had to convince herself that she hated him. Stealing from him would shake up his world. He may even suspect her, but that was a risk she was willing to take.

“You look like your mother.” Evelyn walked up to the staircase as Willow's heel touched the beautiful granite leading to the front door.

“So I've been told.” Willow stood in front of her. “What is your problem with me?”

“I don't know, but I don't like you.” Evelyn leaned closer so only Willow could hear. “I will get rid of you like I failed to do your mother. But, at the end of the day, the bitch met her end anyway.”

“Just like your daughter,” Willow whispered, playing her game. “But, I didn't fail with that one. The bullet went right through her and she was dead in less than a minute.”

Evelyn pulled back as she looked in Willow's eyes searching for the truth. She could tell from the way her eyes stared back that she was telling the truth. Evelyn hated her, from the hair on her head down to the lipstick that colored her lips perfectly. She wanted her dead.

“Touché,” Evelyn said as she walked up the stairs, “touché, bitch.”

“J
ust tell me you ain't have shit to do with it, baby.” Talvin grilled Willow as she opened up the door to her condo after he awakened her from his knocks. He walked in.

“What are you talking about?” She yawned, holding her mouth because she hadn't yet brushed her teeth.

“The warehouse that I took you to was robbed.” He fixed the fitted cap on his head.

“Baby, I don't have anything to do with that.” She saw the briefcase from where she stood that held his four hundred thousand.

“You promise?” He kissed her forehead.

“I promise,” she lied.

“I'll get at you later.” He kissed her lips and left out of the door.

Willow locked the door as she leaned against it. Kail entered the room as she walked to the refrigerator and poured her a glass of orange juice. She looked at Willow, then at the briefcase, immediately knowing something was up.

“You did a job without me?” she asked, sipping the cold juice.

“You know better than that,” Willow walked to the couch, “this is personal business.”

“You should just kill that nigga while you can.” Kail joined her on the couch. “Shit gon' get sticky; trust me.”

“I got this,” Willow said as she reached over and grabbed the briefcase
and slid it underneath the couch. She didn't want to risk anyone else seeing it and she planned to stash it as soon as possible. “Oh, I met a sister of ours.”

“A sister?” Kail asked surprised.

“Well, you know that girl that you shot after walking in on us at the reception?”

“Yes,” Kail said, taking another sip of the juice.

“She was our sister.”

Kail held the juice in her mouth as she gulped it all down in one swallow. She thought back to the day as she got a good image of the girl's face in her mind. She could see a small resemblance;
it was possible
, she thought to herself as she shook it off.

“She was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“I know.” Willow walked over to the hallway. “Rock has another daughter that's gorgeous. I think she would make a good fourth member for The Pink Lip Bandits.”

“You thought the same thing about Choice.”

“She's proven herself.”

“Well, I need to meet her.” Kail stood up. “We can't just have anybody in this shit. They have to be about money. They have to be ready to eat.” She passed Willow to go in her room. “ 'Cause I stay starving.”

•  •  •

The rain poured on endlessly, pounding on the rooftops and turning the sidewalks and roads into vast lakes of dull, muddy water. Dark gray clouds covered the sky, only letting a few rays of feeble sun slip past the barrier. The monotonous sound of raindrops beating on the sidewalk blended in with the occasional whoosh of the breeze through the treetops. Everything was bleak,
gray, and dreary—even the atmosphere as Willow, Kail, and Choice, all wearing raincoats, approached the modest-sized home that Elysia lived in.

Willow approached the door as she knocked softly, letting the roof of the home be their shield. She knocked again as the door opened and Duke's mother answered. They all looked at each other in confusion as Mrs. Williams stood in the doorway glaring at them.

“Is that Duke's mom?” Choice whispered to Kail softly so only she could hear.

“Yes,” Kail said as she looked on.

“Willow, it's good to see you.” Mrs. Williams grabbed and hugged her. “How have you been?”

“I've been good.” Willow looked around the inside of the home.

“Is Elysia here?”

“Yes, she's here,” she moved to the side so they could pass, “come on in.”

They went into the living room as they looked around. The television sitting from one end of the wall to the next was like a movie theater screen. The smell of mint and tea leaves filled the room. The oversized brown furniture sat diagonally to the door and from the stitching that was barely visible, they could tell it was imported.

Willow looked on the walls as pictures of Duke, Elysia, and Mrs. Williams filled it. Traces of Duke were everywhere and she could even smell him as if he had been there within the past hour. She kept analyzing the situation as Kail and Choice took a seat while she stayed standing.

“It's funny how things work.” Mrs. Williams fixed the long eyelashes that were put perfectly on her eyes. “Who would have known that you and Duke had the same sister?”

“What?” Willow asked as her ears started to pop.

“Duke is my son, and Elysia is my daughter.” Her voice sounded robotic and slow to Willow.

Willow couldn't believe what she heard. She looked at her sister and Choice for direction, but their eyes told her that they couldn't help. Elysia came out of a room as if the hallway were a runway. Her beauty lit up the room as her soft curls bounced in unison to her walk. The strapless Michael Kors top she had on hung off of her shoulder as the white shorts on her thighs hugged her as if they were conjoined with her skin.

“I'll be going now.” Mrs. Williams hugged Elysia, then Willow, and left out of the door as the rain fell and poured onto the patio window.

“How come you didn't tell me you were Duke's sister?” Willow asked as they sat down on the couch.

“I didn't know you were his girl until my moms told me.” She looked at Kail. “You have to be my sister, too. I see my face in yours.”

“That's kind of you, but this kind of beauty is rare.” Kail leaned in. “Now, I don't know why these other bitches came,” she said as she pointed at them, “but, I came here for business. We're a part of this organization called The Pink Lip Bandits and we want you to join.”

“The Pink Lip Bandits?” She looked at their lips, all colored in pink.

“It's a lot of money to be made.” Choice leaned in as if ears were listening outside the door.

“If it's about money, then I'm in.” Elysia leaned in also.

“That's cool and all.” Kail pulled a lipstick tube out of her raincoat pocket. “But, how do you look with pink lipstick on?”

C
hoice wiped her mouth after she closed the lid to the toilet. She had been throwing up for three days straight, and the thought of her being pregnant stained her mind like a red drink falling onto a white shirt. She turned on the cold water as she ran her fingers underneath the faucet, softly splashing light trickles of water on her face to cool her off.

“Choice, come on,” Kail screamed as she banged on the door with their next job in her hand. “We gotta' go, bitch.”

Choice opened the door as the feeling of nausea took over her again. She closed the door as she ran over to the toilet, emptying the rest of her insides. She sat there with her hair in her hand as she wiped her mouth off before flushing the toilet.

“Choice?” Willow opened the door and entered the bathroom. “You okay?”

“No,” she said as tears formed in her eyes, “I'm pregnant.”

“You're pregnant?” Willow tried to process the thought in her mind. “Are you for sure?” She sat down next to her on the bathroom floor.

“I'm late, I'm throwing up, and my titties been sore as fuck.” She put her face into her hands. “I don't know what I'm gon' do. Craig doesn't want any kids and neither do I.”

Willow sat quiet as she tried to put her thoughts together. She
didn't want to say the wrong thing even though she had feelings for Craig. She was slightly happy for them. Now it was her job to be a supportive friend and nothing else.

“You would be a good mom,” Willow said as she helped her up off the floor. “Talk to Craig, tell him, and let him know. He might want the baby. Some people don't know what they want until it's presented to them.”

“You think so?” Choice asked.

“I know so.”

“Thank you, girl,” Choice said, hugging her.

“Okay, enough of this Maury Povich shit.” Kail burst into the door. “Choice, congratulations and all that good shit, but can we focus on this?” She held up the job printed on the piece of paper.

They all met in the living room to discuss the job, the biggest Vinny had ever given them. He knew it wouldn't be easy for Kail to kill Rock while his subordinates were all around, so he wanted them to kill them and rob their biggest stash house. He told them a king was nothing without his minions.