Free Was it Good for You Too? by Naleighna Kai

days. And I, for one, am damn tired of it!”
    The veteran authors all nodded. “That’s right,” and “Amen,” followed from several others.
    She wagged a finger at the four of them. “Now the time has come for you to be as hardcore as you’re always bragging you are, and suddenly y’all acting like pampered punks.”
    Brenda stood beside her long-time friend. “You four need to think about the bigger picture, ladies.”
    â€œSit y’all’s old asses down!” Nona snapped, dismissing them with a wave of her taloned hand. “Nobody’s talking to you.”
    Delvin nearly leapt from his seat to take the woman head-on for being so blatantly foul. But Malcolm, a street-lit author who hadn’t had more than two words to say the entire trip, shot to his feet.
    â€œHave you lost your mind?” he thundered at Nona. “That’s mad disrespect! Coming at The Vets like that.” His gaze shifted to the rest of the crew. “You broads better backtrack trying to come across as some hood rats. Y’all know better than that.” He did a respectful bow to The Vets, then turned heated eyes back to Nona and her ignorant crew. “Cut all the madness and know what’s what. It’s ‘cause of them that we’re even on this bus. Before your head gets all swol’ and your draws supersize …” he pointed to the elder authors and finished with pride. “They paved the way for us. Y’all better recognize.”
    Delvin felt the swell of pride filter through to nearly everyone on the bus. Applause thundered. The Vets nodded in unison at the end of Malcolm’s diatribe as if to say, “And that’s that.”
    He hadn’t put much stock in this dysfunctional circus of authors, but Delvin had to admit the brown-skinned, Kangol-wearing young man had said a mouthful in that one rhyme.
    Tailan didn’t waste another second taking it from there. She got directly in Nona’s face. “He’s right. It’s because of gifted authors like these that you are able to write the kinds of books you want. They, along with several author pioneers, said no when publishers wanted them to change their characters to White. Now White people are reading the books they’ve written about women of color.” Tailan scanned the bus for the other divas. “They kicked the door open, and you want to disrespect them?” She leaned forward, and Delvin held his breath. Tailan was going there. “Unacceptable,” she sneered. “ You won’t be signing any books today.”
    Nona shot back with a response so profane, everyone gasped.
    â€œWhoa,” Delvin said, coming behind Tailan. “Dial that low-grade action back.”
    Nona sneered as she flicked her eyes his way. “You would stick up for her.”
    â€œYeah, probably ‘cause he’s been sticking it in her all night,” Shannon taunted.
    The four divas cackled with laughter. A shocked silence fell over the bus.
    Delvin did not miss Tailan’s flinch or the frowns of displeasure on the faces of nearby authors. Beverly slowly gave her bosom a few warning pats, and he recognized the habit. There was no telling what that Vet kept up there.
    Delvin readied to let Shannon and Nona have it, but Tailan got there first.
    â€œ You two are off the tour. Right now!” she said through her teeth. “I will not let you bring the rest of us down.”
    The bus became pin-drop quiet.
    Delvin wanted to drag Tailan off the bus and ravage her. Just like that, she had shot his lust off the meter. He adored her. When she was pissed, sweet heavens, she was a force of nature—a swirling wind of unstoppable purpose. Pure passion.
    â€œWhen my team returns, they’ll put you on the first thing smoking, whether that’s on wheels or four freaking legs.” Tailan pinned Chanel and Traci with a vicious glare. “Would you ladies