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  “I think I remember saying please to you all of the times you arranged for my sessions to turn into rape and sodomy,” Tiana gritted.

  “I ha . . . had no choice,” Dana cried, quickly realizing what was happening. “Please, I was only doing what I was told so I could feed my kids,” she pleaded. Tiana lifted her gun and slammed it down on the bridge of Dana’s nose.

  “Agh! Oh, God!” Dana shrieked, throwing her hands up to protect her face. Blood gushed from her nose like a faucet turned on full blast. “Oh, God!” she screamed when she brought her bloodied hand eyelevel.

  Tiana looked around and saw a bunch of toys thrown all throughout the floor, and sippy cups on a coffee table. “You set up the rape and sodomy of young girls to feed your kids?” Tiana growled, her nostrils flaring. She hit Dana again; this time the skin on Dana’s forehead divided into a deep fleshy gash. Dana yelped like a wounded animal and fell backward onto the floor.

  “Now don’t fuck with me,” Tiana growled. “I’m not here to play games. Get the fuck up and sit in the chair.”

  “Okay,” Dana managed, easing herself up from the floor and down in one of her rickety kitchen chairs. Blood and tears made a mess of her face. She hung her head, scared to look at Tiana.

  “Give me some information and I might let you live. I need to know where Teema Chambers lives,” Tiana demanded, grabbing a handful of Dana’s hair and forcing her head up until she was looking her in the eyes.

  “I don’t know. She never filled out the same paperwork as everyone else,” Dana whimpered. Tiana brought her gun across Dana’s face again.

  “Agh!” Dana screamed. This time she felt her cheekbone collapse under her skin. “I swear. Teema had some special arrangements with the doctor. I never asked about it. But, I have something else. I have something that might help you,” Dana said pleadingly, just wanting the beating to stop.

  “Something else like what?” Tiana growled, her gun hanging over Dana’s head.

  “I have the key to a safe deposit box. I took everything out of the one Dr. Syed had after he was killed and I put it all into a new one in my name. Inside there’s plenty of money, paperwork, and other stuff. It . . . it might help you find Teema,” Dana rambled in a desperate attempt to save her own life.

  “Where’s the key?” Tiana asked.

  “My purse. Over there.” Dana pointed.

  “What bank?”

  “Chase Bank. The one on Flushing Road.”

  Tiana put her gun to Dana’s head and grabbed her arm, forcing Dana up from the chair. “Move slow and don’t try no bullshit,” Tiana warned. “I don’t care about spilling your fucking brains in here.”

  Dana shook her head left to right saying no. She sobbed as Tiana led her to her purse.

  “Tell me where in the purse. I don’t trust you to dig for it,” Tiana snarled.

  “The small pocket inside. It’s the little gold key on the hospital keychain,” Dana told her.

  With one hand holding her gun on Dana, Tiana used her other hand to fish around in the purse. She located the key and stuffed it into her pocket.

  Dana’s eyes went wide. “Please. I have kids. They don’t have anyone else to take care of them. I never agreed with what he did to y—”

  Two shots to the head ended Dana’s sentence before she could finish it.

  “This is not personal; it’s vengeance. Y’all all never agreed with what he did but you bitches just never tried to stop it, never called the cops, never did shit to help us,” Tiana said to Dana’s corpse.

  Chapter 20

  Tiana went back to the small motel that she’d been staying in since she’d fallen out with Drake. She didn’t want to stay at the apartment he had gotten for her anymore because she didn’t want him to know where she was. Since that day she caught Drake with the other girl, she had only gone to the apartment once to get the bag her dad had left and a few changes of clothes.

  Once she was in her motel room she unpacked her bag and thought about her next move. As she finished emptying her bag she saw what looked like a business card fall and hit her foot. Tiana let out a long sigh when she looked down and saw the card with Silam’s phone number on it.

  “You again?” Tiana mumbled. She had been toying with the idea of calling Silam for a few days now, but each time Tiana thought about starting something with another man, she would let fear of being hurt again take over her mind, and she put it out of her mind immediately.

  Now, she stared at the card contemplating hard whether she should just step out on faith and call. Tiana was lonely and the one thing most people didn’t know about her was that she hated being lonely.

  Tiana bent down and picked up the card. She stared at the curly handwriting for a few minutes and read the numbers over and over until she almost had them memorized.

  “Your ass gonna just keep popping up everywhere anyway,” Tiana said, plucking the card with her middle finger. “Maybe it is meant to be.” With that, she twisted her lips, tilted her head slightly, and let go of her fears.

  “Fuck it. If I don’t like you, I’ll just add you to my list,” she said, half joking, half serious. She sat down on the side of the bed, picked up the motel phone, and dialed the number. When Silam picked up, Tiana flopped back on the bed with a huge smile on her face, happy that he wasn’t able to see how happy she was that he’d answered.

  * * *

  Tiana looked at herself one more time in the dull, scratched-up mirror hanging over the bathroom sink. “Can’t see shit,” she grumbled as she leaned closer to apply another coat of the cheap Revlon lipstick she had copped from CVS. She smacked her lips together and stood back to examine herself again.

  “A nigga got you wearing makeup, tight-ass jeans, and uncomfortable-ass heels. You’re a sucker for good-looking men, bitch,” Tiana scolded herself, then smiled. Tiana had depended on the salesgirl at the mall to help her pick out something that would look dressy enough, but wouldn’t make her look like she wasn’t trying too hard. The girl had recommended a simple pair of dark, distressed Joe’s Jeans, a fitted Romeo & Juliet T-shirt, and a pair of nude pointed-toe pumps. The outfit had come together well.

  Tiana turned around and examined herself from the back. She shook her head up and down. She didn’t think she looked too bad. Celeste would’ve been proud of her for the ensemble. Tiana thought she could get used to this girlie stuff. She liked to dress up every now and then to show the feminine side of herself.

  Tiana rushed out of the bathroom and peered over at the motel’s digital clock. She had about fifteen minutes to make it to the Genesee Valley Center mall parking lot where she had told Silam to meet her. Tiana threw her Glock into the royal blue suede, fringed pocketbook she had bought, and she headed out of the door.

  * * *

  “Shit!” Tiana cursed as her cab slowed to a stop. She’d spotted Silam in the parking lot posted up outside of his car. “This nigga here already.” Tiana shook her head. She didn’t want him to see her getting out of a cab, but it was too late now. Her nerves had all of the hairs on her body standing at attention. She gave herself a pep talk as she walked over to where Silam stood looking fine as hell as usual.

  “You always stand outside of your car in the middle of a mall parking lot looking like a creep?” Tiana joked as she approached. Silam flashed his perfect smile. Tiana’s heartbeat sped up. This dude is fine as shit!

  “Nah, I just wanted to make sure I didn’t miss my beautiful date,” Silam said, taking in an eyeful of Tiana’s beauty and swag.

  Tiana blushed. Get it together, bitch! He’s a man, just a man!

  Silam walked around to the passenger’s side door of his black Mercedes S550 and opened the door for Tiana.

  “Why did I already figure out that you drove this kind of car?” Tiana said as she slid into the dark gray leather seat.

  Silam walked around and got in on his side. “What does that mean?” he asked, chuckling.

  “I don’t know. You just seem like the S550 type of
dude and before I got here something told me you drove an S550. I guess it was intuition,” Tiana replied.

  “Shit, I hope that means your intuition is telling you I’m the type of dude who likes the finer things in life, including the beautiful woman I got sitting next to me,” he said, laying his corny game on.

  Tiana shrugged and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Silam had her insides feeling all mushy.

  “I got a special night planned for us, Cali,” Silam said as he pulled his car out of the parking lot.

  Tiana wore a goofy smile. She was definitely out of her element. She also had her guard down dangerously low. So low, she never noticed the two cars trailing behind them.

  * * *

  Three weeks after their first date Tiana and Silam were inseparable. He had taken her on two lavish shopping sprees and each time they were together he presented her with a different luxury gift. So far, Tiana had collected a Cartier watch with a double row of diamonds on the bezel, a pair of five-carat diamond solitaire earrings, and a new iPhone so that Silam could stay in touch with her when they were apart. Things were moving at a speed Tiana couldn’t control, but Silam was such a welcomed distraction from the hurt, death, and destruction she was used to that Tiana went along for the ride without hesitation. She had decided to put her plans to the side and just enjoy herself with Silam for a little bit.

  “So this is it,” Silam announced, opening his arms wide. Tiana’s mouth hung open slightly as she whirled around on the balls of her feet. The sight was breathtaking. Forget the luxurious place Silam lived in with all of its expensive furnishings. Tiana was enamored with something else.

  “Damn, this is gorgeous,” Tiana said in awe. “This view is everything. This shit is giving me life right now,” she gasped, rushing over to the long wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. Tiana looked out at the city in amazement like a little kid staring at the biggest roller coaster at an amusement park. She felt like she was on top of the world standing in Silam’s place.

  “I’m glad you like it,” Silam said, walking over to share the view of the city with her. “I’m glad you agreed to come home with me, too,” he said sexily. “It only took three weeks to get you here.” He laughed.

  Tiana’s pulse quickened. The sexual tension between the two of them was palpable, to say the least. They hadn’t done more than some hot and heavy kissing up until that moment, but both of their minds were on doing more.

  “What?” Silam asked, noticing the strain on her face.

  “Nothing. Nothing. I’m good,” Tiana lied, moving closer to him. She was thinking about Drake and how badly he’d hurt her. Revenge was what drove most of her actions and this wasn’t going to be any different. Tiana wanted to know that she could have someone else just like Drake had.

  With thoughts of revenge controlling her actions, Tiana reached up, grabbed Silam’s head and pulled him close to her face. He took the signal and leaned his tall frame down to meet her. Tiana parted her lips and allowed his tongue into her mouth. She sucked on it softly, which caused her pussy to pulse. Silam gently placed his hands on each side of her face and steadied her head as they kissed passionately. Tiana moved her body against his, feeling his muscular chest against her erect nipples. Within a few minutes she could also feel his iron-stiff erection pressing against the top of her pelvis.

  “Damn, you feel so good,” Silam whispered in her ear. A hot feeling tingled through Tiana’s body. She wasn’t going to fight it this time. She wanted to be feminine. She wanted to be sexy. Most of all, she just wanted to be wanted.

  Silam grabbed her hand and led her through his beautiful penthouse apartment. Tiana wasn’t being observant. She wasn’t doing her usual scan for the nearest exits or for things she could use as weapons just in case she needed them. Tiana’s head was swimming with lust and she let it take over all of her good sense.

  Tiana eased down onto Silam’s bed and he climbed on top of her. They shared more deep, passionate kisses. Tiana made the first move and hoisted Silam’s shirt up.

  Silam took the cue and leaned up so Tiana could remove his shirt. He smiled down at her. It was a weird smile, part wicked, part sensual. Tiana leaned up and ran her hands slowly over the curves of his perfect muscular chest and his six-pack abs.

  “Damn,” she huffed. “You’re perfect.”

  “Nah, far from perfect,” he said, his voice gruff with lust.

  Tiana moved from under Silam and signaled for him to lie down. He complied. She stood in front of him and let her inhibitions fall away. She slowly lifted her tight-fitting T-shirt over her head and quickly unsnapped her bra. Her breasts sat up taut and perky, seemingly winking at Silam and urging him on. Tiana’s hair fell over her shoulders and covered parts of breasts enough to give them a sexy mystique.

  “Shit. You’re fucking sexy,” he whispered. He was losing himself in her aura. This wasn’t part of the plan but he was following his feelings just like Tiana was. Plans and calculations were all tossed away at that moment.

  Tiana slowly shimmied her hips side to side until her jeans were off. She left her sexy black lace panties on, figuring she would leave Silam something to remove. Without a word, Tiana climbed onto the bed, pushed Silam down, and leaned over him. You can do this, Tiana. You can be what a man wants, she told herself as she began licking his neck. She arched her back and slithered a little farther down, trailing her tongue down to his pecks and gently biting the right one.

  “Sss,” Silam hissed in pleasure. The slurping noises and his reactions were like batteries in Tiana’s back. She continued down his abdomen, taking special care to run her tongue over every ridge on his sexy, firm six pack. Silam groaned. When Tiana got to his belt line, she inched back and looked up at his face. She parted a mischievous smile and bit her bottom lip seductively.

  Tiana loosened Silam’s belt, unzipped his pants, and dug for the treasure she was hunting for. Silam let out a long puff of air and whispered something but Tiana couldn’t make out what he’d said. It didn’t matter because she wasn’t going to stop until she got what she wanted.

  Tiana grabbed on to Silam’s rock-hard rod and ran her hand up and down over it. Silam closed his eyes and grunted in ecstasy. He couldn’t take the teasing any longer. He sat up and flipped Tiana over onto her back before she could even react or protest.

  “Wait,” she whispered. A pang of fear flitted through her chest. She didn’t like the feeling of being overpowered. It would make her have memories and she was trying to keep them away.

  “Shhh,” he said. Silam kissed her stomach as he inched down and pulled her panties off. He looked Tiana in the eye and put her panties up to his nose and sniffed them. “Mmmm,” he moaned.

  Tiana’s chest rose and fell in anticipation of what was coming. Silam slid a condom on. He used his knee to gently part her legs. Tiana lifted her knees willingly to help him.

  Silam slowly guided his manhood into her deep, wet center. Tiana let out a song of soft moans and groans as he ground into her.

  “Oh,” she cooed. He felt so good. They fit together perfectly.

  “Gotdamn!” Silam belted out, picking up speed from the excitement of feeling her tightness grab on to him. Tiana dug her nails into the skin on his back, letting him know he was hitting it right. After a few minutes, she urged him up off of her.

  “Let me ride it,” she panted. Silam quickly lay down on his back. Tiana climbed over his stiff tool and lowered herself down on it.

  “Ohhh,” she called out as it penetrated her insides until she felt like it was in her guts. Silam put his hands on her waist and guided her up and down. Tiana quickly grasped his rhythm and began bouncing on his thick pole.

  “Oh, shit!” she yelled. “Oh, shit!” Tiana had never felt the explosive feeling she was experiencing right then. Not even with Drake. This must be what an orgasm feels like. The feeling made her bounce up and down on Silam harder and faster.

  “Yeah,” he growled, clutching two handfuls of her ass cheeks. Tiana rocked b
ack and forth and then swirled her hips. The movement caused Silam’s pubic hairs to rub ever so slightly against Tiana’s clitoris. The combination of deep penetration and the slight touches on her clit made Tiana explode.

  “Ahhhh! Ahhhh!” she screamed out. She clutched on to Silam’s shoulders as her body bucked. Small fireworks exploded in her head and squirms of light filled her eyesight. Tiana didn’t want the good feeling that flooded her body to stop. She rocked harder and faster now. She leaned down slightly just enough for Silam to be able to lick her rock-hard nipples. Another explosion erupted in her loins.

  “Ahhhhh!” Tiana belted out. Her entire body shook and all of a sudden she was weak. Her legs trembled fiercely and she simply couldn’t move her waist anymore. Tiana was spent. It was only a few seconds later that Silam’s body tensed up and he yelled, “I’m about to bust!”

  Tiana collapsed on top of Silam as they both tried to calm their rapid breathing. She closed her eyes and decided that this was right where she was supposed to be. Maybe it was meant to be. She had repeated that line several times since they’d started seeing each other. She kept trying to convince herself that what she had with Silam wasn’t too good to be true. Problem was, she wasn’t being fully honest with telling him who she really was. Tiana had no idea how she was going to eventually tell him the truth.

  Chapter 21

  In the weeks Tiana had been spending with Silam, she had lost track of all her plans. Their whirlwind love had been a welcomed distraction for Tiana. Silam had treated her almost as good as her father had when she was a little girl. There was nothing she asked Silam for that he didn’t make happen. He’d even taken her on a romantic trip to New York City. Ever since they’d gotten back, though, something in Tiana’s gut told her she needed to get her head out of the clouds.

  Under protest from Silam, Tiana decided she had to go back to the apartment Drake had let her stay in so she could gather the rest of her things and figure out what she was going to do next. As cloudy as her head was, Tiana wasn’t sure if she had it in her to continue her streak of revenge killings.