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  “You don’t know who Sergio is?” Natalie gawked at Anya. “Girl, you been out of town for way too long. Sergio runs the city, now. He used to be nothing more than a soldier, but he’s a boss now that he took over all of Big Marvin’s territories. He’s a fine-ass Dominican with jet-black, silky hair, smooth dark skin, and hypnotizing dark eyes.”

  “Never heard of him.” She’d never heard of Big Marvin either; she’d never been the type of girl to run after drug dealers.

  “Where you been living—under a rock? Everybody knows Sergio.” Natalie stared at Anya with widened eyes, gawking at her as if Anya was missing a chip in her brain. Like a lot of naïve young people in the urban community, Natalie viewed drug dealers with the same respect given a politician, a rock star, or a minister.

  “Sorry, I don’t make it a habit to keep up with the who’s who of poison peddlers in our city.”

  “What do you have against drug dealers? Both my brothers are hustling; they ain’t anywhere near Sergio’s status, but they making money and taking care of their families.”

  Anya decided not to judge Natalie. Were it not for the fact that Anya had inherited a large sum of money, she may have been as starstruck as Natalie in the presence of such a powerful man. Her financial security gave her a sense of confidence that she hadn’t always possessed.

  As she and Natalie walked to the entrance of the club, Natalie was dragging her feet and looking over her shoulder, hoping that Sergio and his friends would catch up.

  “Sergio and his whole crew are looking good. We should talk to them before we get inside. Once we’re in the club, all the female vultures are gonna be circling around him, making it hard for us to get noticed.”

  “Stop acting like a groupie,” Anya said, nudging Natalie along.

  Greeting patrons at the door were a fat bouncer and a much smaller guy who was collecting the admission fee. “Twenty dollars each,” he informed.

  “Twenty dollars! I thought it was only ten dollars for ladies,” Natalie complained to the money collector.

  “Ladies Night is on Tuesday,” the man replied gruffly.

  “It’s okay, Natalie; I got the cover charge,” Anya offered in a discreet tone.

  Anya slipped a hand inside her bag when a silky voice with a Spanish accent said from behind, “Let the ladies in; they’re with me.”

  Anya glanced over her shoulder and took a sharp inhale of breath. The man who had spoken was gorgeous. Distractingly handsome. She immediately snapped her gaze away from him as if looking too long at such an unusually fine specimen might cause her to go blind. Or lose her mind. To get involved with someone with such striking good looks couldn’t be good for one’s health or sanity.

  “Thanks, Sergio,” Natalie gushed with a grin that was so wide, all of her molars were displayed.

  “It’s cool; ma-ma,” he replied, and then strode inside with his boys flanking him.

  “Welcome, ladies.” The bouncer waved an arm, inviting Anya and Natalie inside, free of charge.

  “Step it up, Anya. We have to catch up with Sergio and them, so we can drink on his tab tonight,” Natalie said urgently.

  “I’m not chasing behind that man for free drinks. I can pay for my own.”

  “Girl, you crazy. You heard him say that we’re with him; so, let’s join him.”

  “You can go join him if you want to; I’m good,” Anya insisted, noticing that Sergio and his boys had forged ahead into the packed club without bothering to look back at Anya and Natalie. It was obvious to her that if he was interested in their company, he would have waited, but Natalie was too thirsty to recognize that the man had merely extended a courtesy, not an invitation to hang with him all night.

  While the crowd parted for Sergio and company, Anya and Natalie had to squeeze and elbow their way through the throng of people to get to the bar to order a drink. Anya had promised herself not to draw attention by flashing money, but with the bartenders obviously too swamped to take her order, and with people bumping into her and stepping on her Louboutins, it was clearly time to put her funds to good use.

  “Come on, Natalie, we’re going upstairs.”

  “To the VIP section?”

  “Yes. Fuck all this waiting around for a damn drink.”

  “But I didn’t see Sergio and them go upstairs; how are we gonna get a table and bottle service if Sergio ain’t pulling out his money?”

  “Sergio doesn’t run everything.”

  “But we don’t even have a reservation.”

  “I don’t need a reservation.” Anya mounted the stairs with her head held high, and Natalie slinked behind, her eyes darting around in paranoia, like she was guilty of stealing something. Natalie hung to the side while Anya furtively made a monetary transaction with a bouncer who was securing the VIP section, keeping common folks from entering the area.

  “The air up here is much fresher, don’t you think?” Anya said as she and Natalie were being escorted to a table.

  Feeling more at ease, Natalie flashed a grin and said, “Smells like morning dew and roses.” She comically tilted her chin as she deeply inhaled the air that circulated in the VIP section.

  Offered the bottle service menu, Anya selected Patrón Silver.

  Happy and impressed, Natalie did a little dance in her seat, and said, “We gon’ ball ’til we fall!”

  Recalling the luxury experience she and Brick had enjoyed together in the VIP area in a Los Angeles nightclub, Anya dropped her gaze as her eyes clouded with emotion. Damn, I miss that man. A sudden feeling of loneliness engulfed her. She longed to feel Brick’s arms around her, to hear his voice. But that was a dream. Brick was gone from her life, forever.

  The waitress returned and began mixing what she described as “the perfect margarita.” One sip and Anya had to agree that the drink tasted like nectar of the gods. The blend of tequila, pureed mangoes, lime, and Cointreau orange liqueur was exquisite. Alcohol coursed through her body, and as if she’d taken a happy pill, Anya’s sad expression morphed into a pleasant smile as she observed the elite VIP patrons that mingled nearby.

  “This liquor got me feeling good, and I’m ready to get my dance on,” Natalie said, getting out of her seat. “Watch my bag,” she said, shoving her handbag in Anya’s lap and then dancing the entire way down the stairs and onto the huge dance floor below.

  Alone at the table, and once again yearning for Brick, Anya took long swallows of the liquor, guzzling it down as if drinking fruit punch.

  “Slow down, ma-ma, before you have to get scooped up and carried out of here,” cautioned a soft-spoken Latino voice.

  Anya looked up and stared into the smoky eyes of Sergio. This time she didn’t look away. She took him in fully, and it was a pleasurable experience. His ebony face with striking cheekbones reminded her of photos she’d seen of African royalty. The mass of silky curls that framed his dark-complexioned face gave him the look of someone from India or the northern region of Africa. Dressed in all-white with sparkling gold accessories, Sergio possessed a majestic quality, and despite his occupation that Anya disapproved of, she couldn’t deny an appreciation of his uncommon, good looks.

  “Drinking alone leads to overindulgence, so if you don’t mind, I’d like to join you and keep you safe,” Sergio said, confidently pulling out the chair that Natalie had vacated.

  “My friend is sitting there.”

  Sergio looked around. “Your friend must be invisible because I only see you and me.”

  Anya gave Sergio an amused smile. “She’s downstairs, dancing,”

  “She can join my friends at my table; I’m sure she won’t mind.” He pointed across the room where the six handsome men, who had accompanied him inside the club, sat together, laughing and talking. Anya smiled, realizing that Natalie wouldn’t protest a bit over spending time with a bunch of good-looking ballers.

  Staring at Anya, Sergio reached across the table and rested his palm on top of her hand. “You’re heartbroken; I see it in your eyes. Who is
the foolish man that left your fragile heart shattered in pieces?”

  Sergio was running game, but hearing bullshit spoken in a sexy, Spanish accent was pleasing to the ear, and having nothing better to do, Anya decided to play along with him.

  “I’m not pining over any lost love,” Anya said sassily. “The sorrow you saw in my eyes was due to regret when I thought the man of my dreams was going to pass by my table without giving me as much as a second look.” Damn, I said that shit like a well-seasoned player.

  Momentarily rendered speechless by the fact that Anya could verbally go toe-to-toe with him, Sergio beckoned the server as he gathered himself. “Bring me the most expensive bottle you’ve got. I want to celebrate meeting the prettiest lady in the house tonight. And send some bottles to my friends over there.” He gestured to his boys.

  Anya pointed to the bottle of Patrón Silver and smiled devilishly. “I already bought the best they have to offer.”

  “My personal stash of liquor is not on the menu.”

  The server gave Sergio a head nod and quickly disappeared. When she returned she was carrying a silver ice bucket that contained a bottle of Ace of Spades. A few yards away, a different server delivered three bottles of the expensive champagne to Sergio’s friends. The sounds of bottles popping echoed throughout the VIP area.

  “A toast to the beginning of a beautiful new friendship,” Sergio said, and clinked his flute against Anya’s. She sipped the liquid and was surprised by the explosion of flavors that slid down her throat with the smooth texture of raw silk.

  “I don’t usually like champagne, but this is so good,” Anya expressed, licking her lips.

  “Only the best for you. I’m going to make it my business to heal those scars on your heart.”

  Anya held out her hands in exasperation. “There’s nothing wrong with my heart. Why do you keep insisting that I’ve been hurt?”

  “I know a wounded soul when I see one. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I couldn’t read people.”

  “Well, you’re wrong about me,” she said, and took a gulp of champagne.

  “Okay, I’ll let it go until you’re ready to talk about it. In the meantime, I’d like to ask you something—what’s your name, ma-ma?”

  “It’s Anya.”

  “Beautiful,” he said, reaching for her hand and bringing it up to his mouth. With slightly parted lips, he softly kissed her hand and Anya felt a quickening in the pit of her stomach and a clenching between her legs. Damn, I miss Brick. What she was feeling for Sergio was a only a physical reaction. She hadn’t had sex in a while and her body was announcing that it was time for her to end the dry spell.

  Sergio, with his fine self, obviously had a hard-on for her, so why mince words?

  “I’d like to get together with you later on tonight, so my question is…my place or yours?” Anya said with a sexy smile.

  More than likely, most chicks went after Sergio because of his money, power, and good looks. But Anya wasn’t interested in any of that. All she wanted was some dick for one night only—nothing more. With merely the kiss of her hand, he’d demonstrated that he could make her pussy pucker, and if he could fuck half as good as Brick, then the time spent together would be well worth her time.

  “I see that you’re the type of lady who speaks her mind; I like that.”

  Anya leaned back and took another sip of champagne. “And I like the fact that you have very good taste in women as well as champagne.”

  Sergio laughed at the slick way Anya had given herself a compliment. “Why don’t we get out of here?” His dark eyes probed hers.

  “I can’t. My friend is down there on the dance floor, and I brought her here. It wouldn’t be right to ditch her over a strong back and a handsome face.” Anya was throwing hint after hint that she wasn’t interested in anything more than a good time. A man like Sergio was accustomed to women throwing themselves at him, but he wouldn’t have to worry about Anya blowing up his phone or showing up unexpectedly at the places he hung out.

  “I’ll make sure your friend gets home safe and sound. Excuse me for a minute.” Sergio rose to his feet and glided across the room toward his friends.

  Moments later, Natalie returned to the table, sweaty and winded. “Girl, you need to get on the dance floor and have some fun.” She glimpsed at the bottle of champagne and her eyes widened. “Where’d that come from?”

  “Sergio bought it,” Anya said with a sly smile.

  Natalie immediately scanned the area. Spotting Sergio standing at a table amongst his entourage, she gave Anya a look of delighted surprise. “Sergio bought champagne for us?”

  “Actually, he bought it for me and him to share, but you’re welcome to have some.”

  “Hmph. Apparently, all that illegal money he makes ain’t so bad after all,” Natalie said snidely as she poured champagne.

  “Ah, that was a good one; you got me,” Anya said with laughter in her voice. Little did Natalie know that Anya’s interest in Sergio had nothing to do with his money and status. Sergio seemed like the ideal candidate to put out the fire that raged between Anya’s legs whenever she reminisced about making love with Brick.

  CHAPTER 6

  Sergio returned to Anya’s table with a serious-looking dude who had intense, hawk-like eyes that didn’t miss anything. He stood with the erect stance of a Marine.

  “This is Majid, he’s my right-hand man and he’ll get your friend home safely,” Sergio said. Majid was all business; he nodded curtly, but didn’t crack a smile. There was something sinister about him. He had the deadly air of a viper, and Anya glanced at Natalie warily, wondering if she was being left in good hands.

  “Natalie, are you okay with this because I won’t leave if you’re uncomfortable?” Anya said in a hushed tone.

  Natalie was looking at Majid with lustful appreciation. “Girl, it’s cool; I didn’t come out to be grinning in your face all night. I’m like a kid in a candy store being left in the care of all those fine ballers. Don’t worry about me, go ahead and do you.” She moistened her lips as she surveyed the handsome men who sat at Sergio’s table. After catching their eyes, she suddenly bent over, and without warning, she gripped her ankles and started shaking her ass in time to the music, announcing to everyone in the VIP that she was a freak.

  Anya looked away in embarrassment. “What’s wrong with you, Natalie? Control yourself.”

  “Girl, I’m having fun. Being in the VIP with a bunch of ballers spending money on me is a fantasy of mine, and I’m gonna make sure this is a night to remember.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Natalie winked. “Know that while you’re getting it poppin’ with Sergio, I’m gon’ be turnt up right here in the club.” Natalie cast a glance in the darkened area in the back, insinuating that she planned on dropping her drawers in the public venue. Smiling, she continued to perform her sexy dance. Anya raised a brow, but kept her thoughts to herself. If fucking ballers in the VIP was Natalie’s idea of a good time, then so be it.

  Majid rejoined Sergio’s crew at their table, where the men leaned back in their seats, smiling lustfully as they were entertained by Natalie’s twerking and sensual gyrations. Though Majid sat with his boys, observing Natalie’s impromptu, dirty dance routine, his expression remained serious and he seemed unfazed.

  Soon after, Anya and Sergio left the club, but they didn’t leave alone. Noticing that two members of Sergio’s entourage walked behind them, Anya glanced nervously at Sergio.

  “I don’t make any moves without several pairs of eyes on me,” he explained.

  She nodded in understanding, though she felt somewhat uncomfortable being in the company of a trio of men she didn’t know. As she drove to her apartment with Sergio riding shotgun, her eyes kept darting to the rearview mirror, keeping an eye on the Range Rover that tailed them.

  “Nothing to be concerned about,” Sergio assured her. “My men are discreet; they’ll wait for me outside your building.”

  She le
t out a sigh of relief. In her mind, she had pictured the two men sitting in her living room, listening to every sound that emerged from her bedroom while she and Sergio got to know each other better.

  • • •

  Sergio’s superb bedroom skills had Anya panting, twisting and turning, and yelling profanities. “Fuck me! Take all this wet pussy, it’s yours,” she declared while caught up in the throes of passion.

  “Oh, yeah? This pussy belongs to me?” Sergio said calmly as he slowly and expertly repositioned her body so that her face was down and her ass was up in the air. With Anya in a position of complete surrender, Sergio slow-stroked and spoke to her in Spanish. She didn’t know what the hell he was saying but it sounded sexy as shit. With dick deep in her gut, Anya could only moan while she clutched the sheets.

  Most men in power positions, preferred to lay back and take, preferring to let the random chicks they picked up, jump through hoops to satisfy them. But Sergio was putting in work. The sweat that trickled down his well-developed body was evidence of that.

  With her cheek pressed against the mattress, Anya’s eyes landed on Sergio’s 9mm that was holstered and placed on her nightstand. The sight of the weapon reminded her of the blood she and Brick had spilled during their rampage of revenge that began in Philly and ended in Los Angeles. Excitement motivated her to buck backward, slamming her ass into Sergio’s groin.

  “Oh, yeah, throw that pussy at me, ma-ma,” Sergio prompted, alternately squeezing her hips and then lightly smacking her ass.

  She recalled how she had forced Kaymar Crawford to suck the nozzle of the gun like he was giving head. That memory along with Sergio’s dick caressing her inner walls heightened her sexual pleasure. The feeling was so intense, Anya squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth. When she opened them, once again, she was staring at the gun on the nightstand, and the sight of it was a visual aphrodisiac. Her body jerked as an orgasm erupted and tore through her system.

  Aroused by the quick, spastic vaginal muscles that continuously gripped his shaft, Sergio quickened the pace of his stroke. His voice rose in volume, as he spoke Spanish even more passionately. His own climax was accompanied by a thunderous roar that completely drowned out Anya’s voice as she softly whimpered Brick’s name.