Free The Cost of Vengeance by Roy Glenn Page A

our drinks. He handed one to me.
    “Yes, I believe you did, but don’t let that stop you,” I said and laughed a little. “You can never tell a lady that she looks nice too many times.”
    “Well you look beautiful, Ms. West.”
    “I’m actually quite surprised to see you here. I know that you mentioned that you knew Martin Marshall.” I looked around the room. “This just doesn’t seem like your type of affair.”
    “It’s not. And I was just leaving. That’s when I saw you standing here, and I had to come and say hello.”
    “I am so glad that you did.” I looked at him; he was undressing me with his eyes. “I’d ask what you’re doing here, since you said this isn’t your type of affair, but I don’t think you’d tell me.”
    “You really want to know?”
    “Yes.”
    “I had some people to meet. This is where I could meet with them all at one time; socially of course.”
    “Of course,” I said as the band broke into a slow vamp.
    He put his glass on the bar. “Would be like to dance, Ms. West?” he asked and reached for my hand.
    “I would love to dance, Mr. Black.” I accepted his hand and followed him onto the dance floor. He pressed his body against mine and I melted into him. It felt so good being in his arms. I closed my eyes and my thoughts drifted to the scene I’d imagined in my suite: Imagining how it would feel to have him inside me. I thought about whether I was going to wait to be asked, or if was I just going to offer myself to him.
    When the song ended, he led me off the dance floor to very impatient looking woman. “Ms. West, I’d like you to meet my lawyer Wanda Moore. Wanda, this is Jada West.”
    “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Moore,” I said graciously.
    “Likewise. Are you ready to go, Mike,” she asked and glanced at her watch.
    “You have to go?”
    He looked at his lawyer and then at me. “I have someplace I need to be,” he said.
    “And we’re already late,” Ms. Moore said and I wanted to kick her.
    I put on my best smile. “I am sure I’ll see you again soon, Mr. Black.”
    “I’m sure you will, Ms. West,” he said. And that night, once again, I watched him walk away from me.
     
Chapter Ten
     
Nina Thomas
     
    After the night I’d had, I wasn’t surprised that I slept late that day. I had just gotten out of the shower and dressed when the doorbell rang. I went to the door and peeked out. Since I didn’t see anybody, I yelled, “Who is it?”
    “It’s Leon,” he said and stuck his head where I could see him.
    I opened the door and let him in. He gave me a big hug and we talked for a while, and then he got quiet. “You wanna tell me about it?”
    “About what?”
    “About what you and your friends is plannin’, Nina.”
    “How you—,” I started to ask, but I knew the answer. “Pearl told you?”
    Leon laughed. “No, Pearl told Diamond; Diamond told me what you was plannin’. I came to talk you out of it.”
    “We took care of it last night,” I said.
    Leon dropped his head. “Any problems?” he asked. I could tell by the look on his face that he was disappointed in me.
    “Nope,” I said. I didn’t think he needed or wanted to know the details. The doorbell rang again and I got up to see who it was. “No problem at all.”
    I looked out and saw a man standing there. “Who is it?”
    “Police. I’m looking for Nina Thomas.”
    “No problems, huh?” Leon said.
    A cold chill came over me as I opened the door.
    “Sorry to bother you, Miss Thomas. My name is Detective Kirkland, and I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute?”
    “What do you want to talk about?”
    “Can I come in?”
    I opened the door a little wider and let him come in. As soon as he saw Leon sitting there, his expression changed. “Hello, Leon.”
    “What’s up, Kirk?” Leon said.
    “I heard you moved to Florida. I didn’t know you were back in the city?”
    “No, sir; I’m just here visiting.”
    “Leon Copeland,” Kirk said and