Pink Lips (5 page)

“Okay, they're sleep,” Anoki said, referring to her snoring cubs in the backseat. “Now, what's up?” she asked, waking Mahina out of her daydream.

“You still down to make some money?”

“Doing what, Mahina?”

“What do you think?” Mahina stopped at a light. “You gon' have to join The Pink Lip Bandits again. You got two kids,” she said as she watched Anoki's facial expression change. “You know what I mean.” She knew that Anoki still counted Junior as one of her own.

“I know I have kids.” Anoki ignored her last comment. “I'm not gon' ask you or nobody else for shit. I've always made my own money and I can provide for mines.”

“You better because I sure ain't.” Mahina sped off. “It's bad enough y'all about to be in my spot taking up space and shit.”

“Mahina, you working my fucking nerves.”

“The truth hurts.” Mahina smirked.

“Let's talk about truths.” Anoki kicked her heels off and turned to Mahina. “I remember sending you ten stacks a month just on the strength that you were my sister. The whole time I was with Rock, you lived how I lived. You were miles away and I made sure when I ate, you ate. So don't be petty because the roles have reversed. Until you throw me ten stacks a month for four years,” Anoki said with her finger pointing directly at Mahina, “don't say shit to me about being up in your space that I paid for in the first fucking place.”

Mahina knew she had hit a nerve. She was thankful for Anoki looking out for her. She had never seen her sister so vulnerable, and she couldn't pass up the chance to throw some shit up in her face even if it was petty. She was happy to see her, but her envious ways made it nearly impossible to show it.

“I didn't mean it like that.” Mahina pulled into the driveway of her two-story, multicolored brick home.

“Yes, you did,” Anoki opened the door, “but it's cool. I'm going to meet with Gino tonight and start stacking paper. I'm gon' get in this shit one more time. Me and my girls won't be in your hair too long.”

Anoki knew as she got Willow and Kail out of the car exactly what she had to do. She would have to join The Pink Lip Bandits even if it was for a few months, despite how much she didn't want to. She promised herself that she would get in and get out. Once she had enough money, she would disappear and never look back like she did before.

A
noki sped down a dirt road as the sun had completed its tour for the day, and had now been replaced by myriad stars, which dotted the inky canopy. A low, waning gibbous moon hovered tenuously in the twilight firmament, bestowing a very dim light upon the small town. It was a cool, windy night; the swaying of trees and rustling of leaves could be heard but not seen, as the encompassing darkness had blotted out all but the faintest light.

Anoki stopped abruptly in front of the small restaurant that instantly brought memories to her. Dust from the road's gravel colliding in between the tires floated upward, forming a large brown cloud in her mist as she got out of the car. Her neat short hair clung to her scalp as she made her way toward the building that appeared to be deserted, but she knew better.

“Gino,” she called out as she knocked at the front door. Her eyes cut at the “sorry, we're closed” sign. “Gino, I know your ass in there!”

“Like fine wine that gets better with time.” Gino peeked through the blinds. “And girl,” he opened the door, “time has been on your side.”

Gino Mancini leaned back in the wheelchair he used as he wheeled himself closer to the entrance. His face was handsome for a man his age. His hair was as dark as tar, and hung over the back of his
wheelchair. His skin was pale, and from being in his chair constantly, the weight had piled on over the years. He pulled a cigar out of his front Versace shirt pocket as he looked at Anoki the way a lion looked at its prey.

To anyone around town who didn't know him, they would tell you he was the owner and manager of the small restaurant that sat directly in the middle of town. To anyone who knew him personally, they would tell you something different. They would tell you that Gino was the man behind The Pink Lip Bandits and every drug cartel in and off the shores of Hawaii.

Not wanting to put his hand in the pot, he put together an organization of overly beautiful women and trained them to be whatever the job required them to be. Any and everything illegal that could be done, Gino could get done. Branding them by powder-pink lipstick, he knew that they could get away with a lot of things men couldn't. Murder, larceny, escort services, whatever request he received, he would fulfill if the money was right.

Gino had met Anoki and Mahina on the beach on a cold summer's night. He could tell from the way that their clothing had holes in it that they were dirt poor, but he could also see their beauty through the dirt. He made them an offer they couldn't refuse; shelter and money. He took them in at fourteen and thirteen and had kept his promise to always put money in their pockets if they worked for it.

“Yous know you still owe me,” he moved out of the way inviting her in, “a lot of fucking money.”

“Whatever I owe you,” Anoki said as she started to slide the straps of the little white dress she wore off of her shoulder, “I'm sure we could work it out.”

Anoki was far from stupid. She wasn't the least bit attracted to Gino, but she knew what kind of man he was. Pussy was his weakness
and for some good pussy, he would do anything. She laughed on the inside at how Gino's ignorance would eventually be the death of him.

“I don't know, Anoki.” Gino closed the door to the restaurant and locked the doors. “I'm flattered but you caused problems for me; big fucking problems, Anoki!”

“Daddy,” she purred as she walked toward him seductively, “can we just work this out like we used to?” She sat on top of his wheelchair, her legs wrapped through the openings as she moved her hips up and down on him.

“The one assassination job that I gave you,” Gino barked as Anoki rubbed her breast in his face, “yous fall in love with the dude and disappear on me. This was a special job; it came from my brother.”

While being in The Pink Lip Bandits, Anoki had never gotten a murder gig. She always got robberies or jobs that were designed for no bloodshed unless it was necessary. As much as she tried to fight what she started feeling for Rock, she couldn't. She knew from the moment she'd met him at the restaurant that she couldn't kill him. Getting away from Gino's reign and finding true love were the only good things that came from that job.

“I'm sorry, baby,” Anoki cooed in Gino's ear.

“I hope the dick was worth it,” Gino continued, “I hope it was worth every fucking cent.”

“Let me make it up to you.”

“My brother cut my fucking legs off because of you,” Gino hissed.

“I know,” Anoki reached down and unfastened his slacks.

She rubbed his tiny dick as the trail of straight black pubic hairs surrounded it. She was disgusted, but played it off. Anoki could make him cum just from the excitement of getting in her pussy.
She had been giving him hand jobs since she was thirteen; she knew exactly how to touch his dick to make it explode.

“Fuck,” Gino called out as Anoki's warm, soft hands stroked him up and down.

“Cum for me, baby,” Anoki moaned.

Gino's body tightened up, and his hips started to thrust. Anoki's stomach flipped as thick white globs of cum rushed out of his tiny penis. She quickly stroked it again, and watched cum run off the side of her hands as it fell to the floor. She knew Gino would have asked her to lick it up if she didn't do that.

“I'm sure we can work something out,” Gino zipped his slacks back up. “Matter of fact, I have a special assignment for you right now.”

“How much does it pay?” Anoki asked as she found a towel to wash her hands.

“Thirty large,” Gino lied with a menacing grin.

“I'm in.”

Anoki paid attention as Gino told her about a job that didn't exist. Anoki didn't have a clue, but that night she would die. Gino was going to make sure there was no coming back from the dead this time.

•  •  •

“It's in place,” Gino said on the phone as he watched Anoki drive off.

“Make sure she dies. You failed to get my pain-in-the-ass son-in-law killed when I asked you to, little brother,” Vinny demanded. “She stops breathing, or this time, it will be your fucking arms,
capisce?”

“Capisce,”
Gino said as he hung up the phone.

Gino sat in his wheelchair as his mind raced. He hoped that Mahina could fulfill the biggest job he had ever given her; killing her one and only sister. He pulled out a cigar, and lit it before disappearing into the door that led to the restaurant's real contents.

Money, drugs, and naked women appeared as he wheeled down the ramp leading to the bottom level of the restaurant. Music blasted through the soundproof walls as he wheeled himself to his favorite spot in the room. A woman with pink lips, that glowed through the room's darkness, handed him a glass with scotch. He sipped, using his arms to hold the glass, hoping that he would get to keep them.

•  •  •

Anoki stalked down the hallway of the house Gino had given her the address to for the job. She was told to get inside, steal a briefcase, and get out. She heard light-paced treading from above. She dared not look, but the curiosity was killing her; as with the cat. She looked above and saw the door to the attic slightly open. She eased the ladder down as shadows from above danced on the walls.

The curiosity in her got the better of her. She slowly climbed the old wooden ladder, and peered into the dark, dimly lit attic room as she scrunched her small dress down with one hand, using her other to aim her gun. Her eyes were wide open, heart beating fast as if some unforeseen circumstance was about to arise.

A cool shudder trickled down her spine. Glancing around nervously, she saw somber portraits staring at her from behind layers of dust, seemingly penetrating her very being. Cold, hesitant light streamed in through a cracked window from an old streetlight, casting eerie shadows on the walls. As she walked forward, she
couldn't help but feel that someone was following her. Whirling around, she saw nothing but the faces in the portraits staring at her, their eyes telling her to leave.

The wail of a thousand screams could be heard as the wind beat down on the old latched window weaving its way through the cracks that had formed over time. The moon's light shone down on the dusty panes of glass illuminating the room ever so slightly.

Even though fear was rooted deep within Anoki, the quick money she was about to make made her inspect the attic a little more. There was something familiar about the room that drew her in; all that antique wood that painted a picture of former glory intrigued her.

“Brings back memories, doesn't it?” Mahina asked, appearing from the shadows.

Anoki didn't remember; at the time she was too young to. In the very attic where they stood, they had played all of the time as kids. The house they were in once belonged to their grandparents. Mahina remembered it all, and deemed the attic as the one place she could go to with no worries. It was the only time in her life when she was truly happy.

“Shit,” Anoki exclaimed while pointing her gun at Mahina. “You scared the fuck out of me, Mahina. What are you doing here?” She lowered her gun. “Gino thinks I went soft and can't finish the job?”

“No,” Mahina cocked the butt of her gun, “I'm here to do my job so throw your gun down.”

“I'm the job?” Anoki tossed her gun at the floor.

“Why did you come back, Noki?” Mahina's palms grew sweaty.

“Please,” Anoki pleaded. “Don't do this.”

“I have to. Besides,” Mahina shrugged her shoulders, “it's you or me.”

“What about your nieces? Your blood? Are you going to kill them, too?”

“No.”

“Can you promise that to me?” Anoki looked into her sister's eyes waiting for her truth.

“Promise me!”

“I promise.”

“Do it,” Anoki screamed as she started praying for the well-being of Junior, Willow, and Kail. “Lord, look over my children for me. Take them under your wing and protect them, Lord. Please forgive me as well, God, for I have sinned.” She continued with her eyes closed, “Do it.”

“Forgive me as well, God.” Mahina pulled the trigger releasing a bullet into Anoki's head and killing her instantly.

“I'm sorry it had to be this way.” Mahina cried hysterically as blood flowed underneath the corpse of her one and only sister. She lay next to her, held her close to her body, and she stroked her face with her hands. She kissed the side of her face as her hands shook uncontrollably at what she had just done.

•  •  •

Mahina walked into her home as the sun began to rise and set. The smell of the murder she had committed lingered on her clothes. She shook her head as visions of Anoki's lifeless body entered her mind. She eased into the guest room to check on her nieces whom she had just left motherless in this world.

“Mommy?” The creaking of the door awakened Willow.

“No, it's your aunt,” Mahina answered, sorrow present in her voice.

“Where's my mommy?” Willow sat up, wiping her eyes.

“She went away,” Mahina responded quickly.

“To where?”

Anoki would never return, Mahina thought. Her sister was dead, but she could never tell Willow and Kail the truth. She would take the truth to her grave.

“She will be back,” Mahina lied. “Now go back to sleep.”

“Aunt Mahina,” Willow said, stopping her in her tracks, “can I try on your lipstick? Mommy never lets us.”

Mahina was aware of her nieces' future. One day they would wear the shade of lipstick that cursed her and Anoki's lips. It was inevitable. One day that blood would be on their hands as well.