Free Out a Order by Evie Rhodes Page B

midst of the night Shannon left with the femme fatale, ignoring the one word that screamed through his mind. That word was, don’t! He could no longer hear anything except the blood pounding in his ears.
    It was on. And it was on in the biggest way. Slowly, he felt his salvation slip from his grasp. Replacing it was a murderous, vengeful rage.
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    Heed my earlier warning about seeing with your spirit and not just with your eyes. Vengeance spawns darkness, and in the darkness there is no light. The Serpent’s head is reared even when you cannot see it.

Chapter 16
    S hannon followed Shonda up to the porch of the shabby two-family house. The house was in desperate need of some repairs, but Shannon barely noticed it.
    He needed to put a plan together to stop the madness that was surrounding him. Shonda fumbled for her keys. Locating them she stuck the key in the lock, revealing a living room that was as shabby as the outside of the house.
    Apparently while she liked to be in the streets dressed to the nines, this particular attitude hadn’t extended itself to her sleeping quarters.
    Every stick of furniture in the room was old and worn. Paint was peeling off the ceilings. Shannon was in a fog; the surroundings barely registered a blip in his mind’s eye. Shonda tugged on his arm, pulling him forward to meet her nana mama.
    â€œNana Mama, this is my friend Shannon. Shannon, this is Nana Mama.”
    Shannon extended a hand toward the old woman, wondering at the brightness of her eyes and the folds of lined skin falling from her face. She was an interesting-looking woman, who looked like she could’ve been around for more than a century. “Nice to meet you, Nana Mama.”
    Nana Mama sized him up quickly, her eyes penetrating and alert. “You too, young man. Any friend of Shonda’s is a friend of mine. Make yourself at home.”
    The smell of homemade apple pie reached Shannon’s nostrils, along with what smelled like collard greens. Nana Mama, noticing he had smelled her cooking, smiled.
    â€œMy nana mama’s the best cook in the hood, Shannon.”
    He replied politely. “I’ll bet she is.”
    Meanwhile a picture of Michael Claybay’s body falling through showers of glass flashed in his mind.
    â€œYou’re welcome to have something to eat,” Nana Mama said.
    Shonda shot her a nasty look. “Later, Nana Mama. I’m gonna show Shannon my room.”
    Nana Mama eyed Shannon once again. “Well, he’s a good-looking young buck.”
    Shannon blushed, his skin flushing warm. The old woman smiled again, knowing she had hit her target. She hoped Shonda had landed one with some money for a change. They could sure use it around here.
    Nana Mama wasn’t too crazy about that other boy Shonda had latched on to. He was what Nana Mama called death-struck. You could see it in his eyes.
    She sighed. She knew her granddaughter didn’t have near enough sense to key into what she was thinking.
    Shonda turned to Shannon, her eyes animated from the heat of wanting him. “Let’s go.”
    There were no preliminaries with her. She had always gone after exactly what she wanted and gotten it. Shannon followed her up to the bedroom. Perhaps he could drown his pain, even if it was in the arms of a stranger for one night.
    Tomorrow would be a different day.
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    Proverbs 2:16: To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words .

Chapter 17
    T he following morning a bleary-eyed Rico, along with Temaine, who looked rested compared to Rico, went out to climb into the Jeep.
    Rico threw the keys to Temaine. “You drive.”
    Temaine caught the keys. He pressed the button for the automatic door lock. Pulling the door open he jumped back. On the seat of the Jeep was Eight Ball’s head. There was no body to go along with it. His vacant eyes stared out at Temaine as though he could actually see