The Desert Lion's True Colours (4 page)

‘What! Since when did I start doing deliveries?’ Leon replied.

Shaking his head Black took a deep breath and said ‘I’m sorry, did we not have this conversation already? Since when do you NOT do what I tell you?’

Even though his voice wasn’t raised, his words were sinister. This time Leon’s silence was not going to cut it and so he decided to repeat the question, ‘I said, since when do you not do what I tell you to do?’

‘My bad,’ Leon replied, ‘it’s just; I thought we had a deal. I don’t carry money or snow.’

Looking over at Perry Leon continued, ‘Why can’t the stupid mother-fucker do it?’

Black looked over at his nephew and let out a chuckle before saying, ‘Cos he’s needed here with me.’

Black pushed the bag across the desk towards Leon and said ‘Perry will be in contact, to provide you with the delivery details.’

Before Leon could reply Black turned around and said ‘Now get out of my office.’

Not needing a written request Leon immediately picked up the bag gave Perry a nod, turned on his heels and walked towards the door. As he opened it, he stopped and without turning around said ‘Whenever you’re ready. Pussy! Me and you dawg.’

Perry started to reply but uninterested in what he had to say Leon walked through the door, passed Bo, back up the stairs and straight out the club into the humid Miami night air.

Leon looked at the line outside the club,
-
which seemed longer than when he first went in and again allowed his mind to think about what he would do differently if the SPOT was his. He walked back towards his car and noticed a silver BMW M3, parked two spaces in front of his Mercedes. Leon on a whole wasn’t a BMW fan but what caught his eye was the guy sitting in the driver’s seat looking directly at him.

The guy in the car knew he had been made. He was upset with himself. ‘
Kevin,
why
are
you
so
stupid
?
First
rule
of
an
effective
stake-out,
don’t
be
seen’
He thought. His name was Kevin Carter O’Neal, but for the last six years he only went by ‘Carter’. He had transferred from Counter Intelligence in Washington to Anti-Drugs Trafficking in Miami and felt he had taken a step backwards. With that being said, this was his first assignment in three years away from the single desk and computer he called home. As he watched Leon walk passed his car from the corner of his eye he knew his superiors were not going to be happy.

Leon pressed the key-fob in his pocket and the door clicked ajar. He threw the Gucci sports bag onto the passenger seat and swung himself down into his. He hit the start button on the dash and once again the speakers came to life and the familiar words of Outkast rang out. After bobbing his head to the beat for a couple bars he hit another button and the roof detached itself from the frame above the windshield. Leon could here guys in the line saying ‘Yo that’s dope!’ under the wave of several women saying ‘Is that Leon?’

Leon waited until the roof was fully folded and securely set in the boot before he drove off. As he passed the BMW he looked directly through the passenger side window and took a mental picture of the guy in the car.

When Leon got back home the house was in darkness save the light in the hallway above the coat rack. Leon felt his way through to the kitchen and rested the bag on the dining table and threw his keys down beside it. He couldn’t put his finger on it but he sensed something
–
other than furniture
-
in the room. To help him see, he turned to the kitchen wall to switch on another light but before he could reach the dimmer he flinched as two hands surrounded his waist. Slowly Kerry’s silhouette came into shaded focus. Finding it hard to see clearly, Leon decided it would be better to just pull her in closer but before he could move his head for a kiss Kerry raised her index finger to his mouth.

‘Wait.’ She whispered.

Kerry was also having trouble seeing in the dark so she placed her hands on either side of his face, stared into the area where she figured his eyes would be and whispered ‘I want you to know I love you and right now I want to show you how much.’

The slight movement of Leon’s face in Kerry’s hands told her he was smiling and at that time, that
was all she needed. Kerry turned around and started to lead Leon up the stairs to the bedroom however, halfway up the stairs Leon stopped in his tracks.

‘Shit!’ he exclaimed. ‘Baby I just remembered I forgot I had to call work back. I’m just asking you to give me two minutes. I’ll be right with you ok?’

Kerry frowned but it was too dark for Leon to see it clearly.

‘Please baby, I’m home now. I’ll be yours in two minutes.’

Without saying a word Kerry turned around and headed up the stairs to the bedroom. As she got to the landing Leon could see her brown skin gleaming in the lights of the bedroom he figured she put on before she came to greet him with her message of love.

As she disappeared through the door Leon went back down stairs, picked the 3-5 million dollar bag up off the table and fitted it behind the couch. He then retrieved his mobile from out of his pocket and called Jay. It rang once and Jay’s familiar, jovial voice came blaring down the phone. ‘Yo, what’s the deal dawg? How you gonna go see Black without me niggah?’

Those words caused the events of the evening to flash before Leon’s eyes. ‘I’m cool bro. You stress too much. Just know we’re close. Tomorrow I’ll fill you in aight.’

Leon knew he didn’t really say much but he was confident it was enough to keep Jay contented for now.

‘Aight, we’ll meet up tomorrow then. Same place?’

Leon replied, ‘same place.’

‘Aight man. Happy birthday dude. Be easy and if you can’t be safe…’

Leon ended the conversation the same way they had done for the last twenty-seven years, ‘. . . then find space.’

Leon put the phone back in his pocket and headed up stairs to where the love of his life was waiting to show him how much love she had to give. While that thought made him feel good, he couldn’t help but wonder how long it would last.

CHAPTER 3
 

5
:30am; Friday morning
-
the alarm clock on the dresser next to Leon’s side of the bed started ringing. With her eyes closed and working from memory, Kerry reached over Leon’s body and hit the large snooze button on top of the clock. Feeling her movement Leon stirred beside her and let out a slight groan. Kerry smiled trying to think of reasons why she felt so satisfied when he made that sound. She knew it was strange but for some bizarre reason, it reminded her of a large cat purring. It was comforting. Kerry moved in closer to Leon and rested her head on his chest. She let her mind run back three years to when she and Leon first met. She was working at Florida Memorial Hospital in the ER unit on the night shift. She remembered being called into the main ER after two gunshot victims were brought in. The first patient died in the corridors on the way to the operating room however the second victim,
-
who turned out to be Jay, had three gunshot wounds to his right thigh, one to the abdomen, one to the chest and three in his right arm. Leon was part of a group of several men who came in amongst a large group of police. It wasn’t until she was in the nurses’ area later on that night that she saw the report on FOX News. A random drive by shooting had taken place at the traffic lights on 2
nd
Avenue and Ives Dairy Road in Miami Dade County, killing one and critically injuring another
-
Jay.

In the three and a half months it took Jay to recover, Kerry was one of the nurses assigned to his care. She noticed Leon was the only person who came to visit Jay. At first she did not know what to make of him. In fact she thought he looked too much like a pretty boy. He was about 6'3 with a smooth dark chocolate complexion. Always clean cut and in the latest clothes. He wasn’t the biggest guy around but his muscles were tight. He had high cheek bones, a straight jaw and full red lips. The typical model type
–
if you liked that kind of thing. If he was in Jay’s room when she was making her rounds he was always polite and regularly thanked her for the job she was doing however she could not help but think he was a little too nice, almost perfect.

The day Jay was scheduled to be released from hospital; Leon approached her in the hallway while she was talking to three other nurses. His presence had interrupted their conversation and they all turned towards him expectantly but knowing full well he only wanted to speak to one of them. Without saying a word, he smiled at them all individually and then slid a piece of paper into Kerry’s side pocket, blew her a kiss and walked away before she could respond. As she watched him push Jay in his wheel chair through the hospital entrance the other nurses urged her to read the note. It read:

‘Dear
Nurse
Kerry,

I
just
wanted
to
thank
you
for
taking
care
of
my
brother.

I
hope
I’m
not
being
too
forward
but
if
it’s
cool
with
you,

I
would
like
to
show
you
my
appreciation.

How
about
dinner?
Tomorrow
night
at
8
p.m.?

The note ended with his number and
‘Ps:
-
I
think
you’re
beautiful.’

The next day Kerry took a chance and called Leon and she was happy to say that so far she did not have any regrets. Sure she was kept in the dark about what he really did for that fat club owner, who supposedly put on shows in Miami for big named music artists, but truth be told Kerry had not been totally honest about her past either. As Kerry lay on top of Leon, she could not help but smile and think how the life she was living now was a world away from what she knew. Kerry believed she was given two chances in life: one, to become a doctor and two, to feel wanted and loved. She took full advantage of the first and she was going to do everything in her power to hold onto the second.

Kerry’s thoughts were finally interrupted when Leon opened his eyes.

‘Good morning beautiful.’ He said.

Kerry noticed the vibrations that resonated from Leon’s chest while as he spoke entered the side of her face and down between her legs. She smiled and changed position so that she was now lying on her side next to him. Still lying on his back Leon turned his head to the right
-
so that they were now face to face
-
looked at Kerry and smiled.

‘You ok sexy?’ he said with a broad smile.

‘I’m great.’ Kerry replied smiling.

‘That’s good,’ Leon said with a chuckle. ‘I would hate for you not to be ok. Not after what you told me last night.’

Kerry laughed. ‘Hmmm, last-night
-
was very nice.’ She said,
-
recalling their night of love making.

Leon moved the covers and gently moved his body onto hers. Without saying anything else he kissed Kerry on the Lips. Kerry moaned in anticipation of what was going to happen next. She closed her eyes and whispered ‘I want to feel you inside me.’

Leon couldn’t help but think how those words turned him on, no matter where or when he heard them. Kerry smiled as she felt his manhood twitch.

‘I think Dimey (her nick name for Leon’s Manhood) wants the same thing I want.’

Leon moved position slightly and kissed her left breast. Kerry’s body jerked like she’d been shocked with electricity and arched her back as her lovers tongue played with her erect nipple. Leon reached his arm underneath her body and with his free hand reached down to spread her legs apart, leaving her open and exposed.

‘I made love to you last night,’ she said slyly. ‘. . . But now I want you to fuck me.’

Leon noticed her face was part mischief and oddly enough part impatiens, so without another word Leon moved his hips forward,
-
entering her without fuss. Kerry released a sigh that seemed to come from deep within her.

‘That’s it.’ She panted.

Leon moved his arm from under Kerry’s back, planted both hands on either side of her frame and started to apply rhythmic pressure. Soon enough Kerry started to move her waist in unison with each stroke. Leon looked down at her and thought how beautiful she looked,
-
not to mention how good she felt. It was as if they were made for each other. Leon’s movements were getting faster and faster. Kerry gasped, ‘That’s it baby, don’t stop.’ She moaned.