Luxury and Larceny, Part 1 Read online

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  Chapter 1

  China’s catlike eyes stung from the tears flowing down her face. The pressure was mounting as the weight of the moment seemingly caved in her chest with every breath. She was mentally drained and physically exhausted. To be unchained from love, she thought, was to be free of burden. But there was something so heavy about the burden of guilt. She didn’t know if she had it in her to go forward, at least not alone. It was all too much to bear. Still, she remained focused on the bed while she paced the room hysterically.

  “Think, just think,” she scolded herself, trying to calm her mind while plotting her next move. How had she gotten herself into all of this? And where would she go now? The barrage of questions only added to the anxiety swelling in her stomach. She hadn’t eaten in a day and had long ejected the remains of her last meal. Now it was all dry heaving. She gnawed at her fingernails until they were down to the skin, sore and bleeding. A nasty habit she always resorted to during turbulent times in her life, and this was definitely one of those times.

  Her tumble from grace had been a disaster of epic proportions, a tale of innocent obedience to a state of guilty disobedience. Once a part of the exclusive Beverly Hills lifestyle, she now found herself hiding out in a squalid motel room in South Los Angeles trying to outrun a series of bad decisions. In her mind, she should still be living luxuriously. After robbing one of Mexico’s most ruthless drug dealers, China expected to have the spoils of life at her fingertips. But there was only one problem—Bree. He had botched the entire heist, resulting in Cinco’s death, and now her life was in extreme peril from Cinco’s army of goons. The thought of what would happen if they caught up with her made her knees jerk involuntarily.

  The murder of a man of Cinco’s power and status had to be answered for by all parties involved, but neither China nor Bree planned to stick around long enough to do so. They had planned a great escape, but she had plans of her own that didn’t involve Bree. His blunder had caused a major rift between the two of them. So while he slept, she searched the apartment until she located his stash, then made off with it like a thief in the night. Anger and fear had caused her defection. But as she paced, the eyes on the faces of money spread out on the bed seemed to follow her around the room. Regret began to seep into her heart, mushrooming into guilt. Truth was, without Bree there to protect her, she was naked and vulnerable. Nothing more than prey for Cinco’s circling vultures. By fleeing she had only succeeded in making herself an easier target.

  “How could I be so stupid?” she wondered aloud at the thought of her betrayal. She had acted impulsively, committing a huge mistake, and now she was swimming in the remorse and fear of being alone. The sorrow consumed her as more tears fell. She needed Bree if she was going to survive this situation. He more than made up for her lack of street smarts and savvy. She needed his grit and fearless gunplay, but more than that, she needed him. He was her man, her protector, and her heart ached for him. The way he spoke to her gave her confidence. His strength in the face of adversity made her believe. The way he moved, the safety she felt when in his presence, gave her a sense of comfort that had dissolved in his absence. She feared his reaction to her act of treason, but she cringed at the thought of not having him in her life.

  China pivoted in her tracks and headed straight for the nightstand to retrieve her phone. She suddenly felt suspended in time, staring at his name on the screen for what seemed like an eternity. The courage she mustered was escaping with each passing moment. In such a fragile state, her emotions couldn’t withstand any form of rejection, and second-guessing herself only made matters worse.

  “He probably hates me,” she rationalized, trying to brace for the ill-fated mission. She took a deep sigh, then began typing rapidly, shooting him a text message.

  I know I fucked up … I’m sorry.

  China pressed Send, then sat down on the bed, placing the phone next to her. She watched, hoping it would make a noise or light up, anything to indicate he still cared. That was all she wanted to know. But after a few minutes had passed with no such notification, she began to question if they had crossed the point of no return. A broken heart could oftentimes be mended, but a bruised ego always took longer to heal, especially when it belonged to a man. Maybe I should have called instead, she thought to herself, but was interrupted by the sound of her phone going off. She nervously picked it up and read the message.

  It’s all good, ma. I miss you. Where you at?

  Hyde Park Motel on Crenshaw. Room 104, she texted back without hesitation.

  On my way.

  * * *

  Startled by the loud thuds on the hotel room door, China’s heart jumped in her chest. She rose from the bed, quietly creeping over to the door to get a look, hoping Bree would be on the other side. Her breath quickened when she saw him through the peephole.

  Bree was light skinned, tall and spare, sinewy rather than powerful, with an excitable temperament. Very appealing to the eye, he had impressive model-like good looks with a hood demeanor and skateboard swag. Dressed in an undersized T-shirt, slim-fitted jeans that sagged, exposing his boxer briefs, a pair of low-top Chucks, and a snapback turned backward. He stood at the door with his head on a swivel, constantly checking over his shoulder, making sure he kept a close eye on his surroundings. Naturally sharp, he was always on his toes. That had only increased since the play with Cinco went wrong. He banged his fist on the door once again, restless and impatient. He could hear China leaning her body against the door trying to seek a peek. “Open the door, ma, it’s me. I can’t be standing out here in the open all day. Why you playing?”

  When it opened, China stood in the door with her long jet-black hair swooped to one side, hanging over her shoulder, and a wary look painted on her face. He eyed her up and down and could tell she had been crying, but it subtracted nothing from her beauty. “Fine China,” he said with a slight grin.

  China felt a sense of relief from the greeting she received and couldn’t hide her happiness, sending a smile that dwarfed his back in return. She moved to the side, allowing him to enter the room, then closed the door behind them, placing all the locks on.

  Upon entering, Bree’s eyes immediately landed on the pile of money on the bed. His money, the money she ran off with, attempting to leave him twisting in the wind. A warm, intense anger spread through his body like a California forest fire, and the grin on his face disintegrated. When China turned to face him, he grabbed her by the neck, pushing her against the door, causing her words and breath to become trapped in her throat as she tensed up.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you? After everything we’ve been through, you gonna snake me, the one person in the world that gotcha back. What was you thinking?” he barked, banging the back of her head against the door.

  China felt woozy, seeing stars momentarily. “I wasn’t!” she shouted, trying to break away from his clutch as tears fell
from her eyes. “I don’t know! I got scared, and I just—I just panicked. I don’t wanna die, Bree,” she confessed, stumbling over her words.

  “And you think I do? More important, do you care if I do, huh?” he asked, backing away from her and walking over to the bed of money. “This some shiesty shit you pulled on a nigga, China.”

  She walked toward him, attempting to caress his face. “I’m sorry, Bree. Of course I care. I love you.”

  He smacked her hands away, insulted that she would even attempt to touch him. “You don’t love nobody but yourself. I should’ve known better.”

  “And what’s that supposed to mean?” she asked.

  “Exactly what I said.” Bree fumed as he moved to the other side of the room to avoid putting his hands on her. “You’re selfish, you’re spoiled, and you’re foul,” he said, using his fingers to count off her faults. “It’s bad enough I gotta watch my back in the streets, I gotta watch you too? We supposed to be a team, us against the world. But if it ain’t no trust, ain’t no us. And we might as well go our separate ways right now.”

  “What about forgiveness, Bree? Ain’t that part of a relationship too?” she asked.

  “Fuck forgiveness. And fuck you too. You grimy!” he shouted, his chest heaving up and down as he stalked over to the bed. Walking straight through her and her attempt to hug him, Bree scooped up a handful of money and began looking around for the bag it left his house in.

  His words were made more hurtful by the frigid stare that accompanied them. China’s soul ached. Although her suffering was self-inflicted, Bree’s words plunged the knife deeper into the wound, rocking her to the core. She felt a sense of hopelessness as her legs gave out and she plopped down on the bed with her head in her hands. “I swear I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m so sorry, Bree. I don’t know what else to say,” she cried, shaking her head.

  Bree knew the right thing to do was to collect his money and leave China to rot in her narcissistic ways. She wouldn’t last more than a few days once Cinco’s dogs got a whiff of her scent. Without him she was merely a candle in the sun. All he had to do was walk out the door to rid himself of her and her egotistical ways. Her indifference toward his well-being was sickening. Every part of his mind told him she was shady. China had proved herself untrustworthy, but the crux of the issue was his heart. It told him that he loved her. No matter how many times she proved incapable of matching his depth of devotion, Bree’s feelings were unwavering. He was perfectly flawed for her, and her for him, and strangely it worked for them.

  Bree paused, dropping the money back on to the bed. Without saying a single word, he walked over to her, allowing her head to rest on his stomach. He combed her hair with his fingers, massaging her scalp, easing the growing tension between them. China’s eyes slowly closed as waves of solace washed over her. She opened her eyes after a few minutes, sniffling as she wiped away tears. That sense of safety and comfort gradually returned with every stroke through her mane.

  “I’m not your enemy, ma, but you treat me like I am,” Bree spoke in a whisper.

  “I know, babe, I’m sorry. I don’t know what got into me. But let me make it up to you, Daddy,” she said seductively, rising to her feet, letting her sundress drop to the floor, exposing her alluring body. She knew he couldn’t resist her and wouldn’t deny satisfying his appetite for her sweetness.

  Bree shoved her onto the bed. Her body fell back, splashing into the pool of money on top of it. Grabbing a handful of cash, China tossed it in the air and watched as it fell limply back to earth. Bree removed his shirt, knocking his snapback off in the process, revealing his lean, athletic frame. His body was a canvas—the artwork that covered him seemed to jump off of his light skin. Removing the gun from his waist, he placed it on the nightstand, then crawled on top of China, kissing her aggressively and passionately.

  China threw her head back as he bit her chin softly while caressing her neck. Bree made a trail of kisses down to her breast, palming one before circling her Hershey’s Kiss–colored nipple with his tongue, making it erect. He was hitting all her spots as he navigated her body. He knew the code that brought her body alive. Throughout their turbulent relationship, sex had always been a common ground between the two of them. He flipped China onto her stomach, then ran his bottom lip down her spine, stopping at the small of her back. China arched up off the bed as Bree spread her ample bottom, finessing his tongue, first in her ass, then deep into her love spot. China’s soft moans gradually increased as Bree used his hand to rub her clit while working his oral skills artfully, bringing her body to an orgasmic euphoria. She exhaled deeply, her mouth falling open in an O of satisfaction, collapsing onto the bed. Bree unbuttoned, then stepped out of his jeans before climbing on top of her. He used one hand to grip the back of her neck, stroking himself with the other before entering her wet love box from the back.

  China gasped from the mixture of pleasure and pain.

  Bree was slender in stature but carried most of his weight between his legs, and he knew what to do with it. He wasted little time picking up the pace as he found his rhythm. The sounds of their bodies colliding sexually were drowned out by the headboard banging up against the wall and China’s calls for the Lord. Bree began to fist her long hair, biting down on his lip, punishing her disloyalty with every back shot. Her body quaked with pleasure as she buried her face into the money and let out a scream.

  Bree flipped her over once again. The slight moisture of sweat made the money stick to her body. China placed both legs on his shoulders, allowing him to reenter her sweet spot. Perspiration ran down his forehead as he showed her no mercy, pounding her body into submission with his unrelenting stroke. This wasn’t lovemaking, it was payback, pure animalistic, carnal pleasure. China trembled and quivered as she creamed on him, crying out in ecstasy. Bree felt the explosion of her juices, causing him to climax as well. His pace slowed as he released his seed inside her, crumpling to the bed beside her.

  China’s vagina pulsated, her heart beating rapidly, as she tried to catch her breath. Bree was just as spent, the rush of adrenaline he’d felt beginning to subside. The room fell silent, and for a brief moment everything in their world seemed right. Bree rolled over on his side, and China did the same, so they were now face-to-face, staring each other in the eyes.

  Bree gently moved the hair out of her face. “We gotta blow town, ma. We should’ve been gone. We playing with fire the longer we stay here.”

  “I know, but where? LA is all I know,” she admitted.

  “We need to get as far away from California as possible. Somewhere on the East Coast. Maybe New York.”

  “New York?” she repeated in a somber tone, thinking about never being able to return to the only place she had ever called home. “New York is so far away.”

  “Far away is good. It beats the alternative. We stay here and we’re dead.” Bree delivered the harsh truth. “I know Cinco’s people ain’t gonna let what happened slide. Shit, New York might not be far enough away to outrun them Mexicans, if and when they come.”

  China could see the wheels turning in his mind as he formulated a new plan on the spot. She sat up on her elbows and asked, “What you thinking? Where else can we go?”

  “Canada,” he replied, like a light had suddenly gone off in his head. “If we get across the border, we’ll be straight. But check this, China, you can’t pull grimy on me again. I need to know right now, are you down or not?”

  “I’m down for you, Bree, I swear. I’m all in.”

  His forehead creased and a lip curled, shooting her a menacing look. He wasn’t taking this lightly. His life was on the line and he needed to know where her mind was. She had been spooked already, and he couldn’t afford a repeat performance. “Shit might get a little crazy out here. I need you to have my back, ma.”

  “I do. One hundred percent.”

  “Nah, I need two hundred percent,” he countered.

  “I promise you, Bree, it’s us against the w
orld … to the end.”

  “Cool. We putting California in our rearview first thing in the morning,” he said, pulling her into his chest, holding her near his heart until they both fell asleep.

  Chapter 2

  China hovered over the toilet, clutching her panties at her knees as she relieved herself. Bree’s revenge sex had left her vagina slightly swollen and sore, making it hurt to pee. She didn’t mind, it was a small price to pay for his forgiveness. The bathroom of the sleazy motel was filthy, and she refused to allow any part of her body to touch anything in it. Her skin crawled and her stomach turned at the thought of the numerous drug addicts, prostitutes, and johns that had flowed in and out of there, doing God knows what. She quickly finished, wiped, then pulled her panties up, not bothering to flush. Standing at the mirror, she tried fixing her hair the best she could, but the dirty mirror made her attempt useless. Eventually she gave up and headed back into the room to join a sleeping Bree. The sun had just begun to rise outside, and the small rays of light that crept into the room were casting shadows. China moved with the grace of a trained ballerina, tiptoeing across the creaky floor, not wanting to wake Bree from his slumber as she slipped back into the bed undetected. Staring at the ceiling, the thought of leaving California returned to her consciousness, bringing with it a deep sadness. All her memories had been made in the Golden State, good and bad. California had taught her some tough lessons, showed her so much about life and about herself. Saying good-bye would be hard, but it was necessary for her survival. She allowed a few tears to escape her eyes, hoping that with them her past mistakes would be washed away as well.

  If only it was that easy, she thought to herself as she wiped them away. It wasn’t until Bree started moving in the bed that she realized she had said it out loud.

  “What time is it?” he asked, noticing the room was still pretty dark but she was woke. “Everything good?”