Free Devilish Details by Lynn Emery Page B

said,
pointing his pistol at Kyeisha.
    Jazz supported herself with one hand on the
sofa back nearby. She gasped for air to regulate her breathing and
get her shattered nerves under control. “Check my bedroom and the
bathroom just in case.”
    Byron nodded. He went down the hall past
Jazz’s kitchen and came back seconds later. “Naw, ain’t nobody got
in.”
    “Okay.” Jazz sat down on the sofa arm. “The
police?”
    “Not unless some of the neighbors called. I
only heard because I was out in the parking lot. Some woman got too
drunk and too loud. I was helping her friends get her into the car.
Ray-Ray came along ‘bout that time. Thanks, man.” Byron nodded at
Ray-Ray.
    “Hey, y’all helped me out one time,” he
rumbled, referring to the alibi Jazz gave him less than a year
before. He was indeed at the club when a ‘business rival’ was
assaulted. “Who the fuck this?”
    “A friend,” Kyeisha spat and then grunted in
pain.
    “Ain’t no pals of mine come visiting with a
gun,” Ray-Ray shot back. He seemed perfectly at ease holding
someone at gunpoint.
    “Hold up,” Jazz broke in. Sirens keened but
then faded. “Well that’s one advantage of being in the hood. People
hear gunshots and keep cookin’ supper.”
    “Nearest houses at least two blocks away.
You got some good insulation up in here, remember?” Byron looked
more at ease as well. Knowing he wasn’t up against an armed gang no
doubt helped. “Ray-Ray, go tell Lil’ Eric all clear.”
    “Right. See ya lata.” Ray-Ray gave them both
a nod. He stared at Kyeisha as he made a wide circle around her to
the door.
    “You need me to stay here?” Byron kept his
gaze on Kyeisha as he directed his question to Jazz.
    “I got the two way radio. I’ll leave it on
Channel three. Help me tie her up first.”
    Jazz went to the small desk in a corner of
her open floor plan, her office. She retrieved another two way
radio. She’d gotten them for her security staff to use during large
parties at the club. Then she pulled a chair from her dining table
to the middle of her living room. She jogged to her bedroom and
came back with a long scarf.
    “Uh-huh.” Byron pulled plastic handcuffs
from a back pocket of his jeans as Jazz came back and held Kyeisha
down.
    “What the fu--” Kyeisha twisted around on
the floor and batted away his big arms, or tried to. “Y’all ain’t
gonna throw me in the swamp somewhere. Get off me, mutha...”
    “Shut up. We been nice considerin’,” Byron
boomed at her.
    “Nice hell! I came by here to talk and this
crazy...”
    Jazz stood back once Kyeisha’s wrists were
bound behind her. She hooked a hand under one arm while Byron
grabbed the other. They lifted Kyeisha to a standing position and
marched her to the chair. Before she realized what was happening,
Byron had tied one of her ankles to a chair leg. Kyeisha kicked out
at him. Jazz slapped her hard until her head bounced.
    “Bitch, you gonna be so sorry,” Kyeisha
shouted.
    “You’re lucky I didn’t shoot you.” Jazz
leaned down and spoke close into her ear. “You want more of that,
keep kicking.”
    Kyeisha glared at her, but kept her leg
still as Byron secured it. “This ain’t even called for, Jazz.”
    “I’ll check in with you once I’m
downstairs,” Byron said. He left with one last scowl at
Kyeisha.
    Jazz wiped the sweat from her forehead and
fanned herself. The ringing in her ears from the gunshots made her
feel disoriented. Still she forced herself to move around.
Kyeisha’s furious gaze followed Jazz’s movements around the
apartment. Jazz checked all the windows to make sure they were
locked. She made sure Kyeisha could not move, then Jazz went into
the bathroom. She leaned against the sink, a wet towel pressed
against her throat. When Jazz went back to the living room, Kyeisha
blinked at her. She sat still but her gaze darted around as though
searching for a way out. Jazz got a matching chair from the table.
Before she sat down, she