CHAPTERFOURTEEN
MALCOLM
At the sound of someone knocking loudly on the door, I wake to find Désirée not in our bed with me. I throw the blankets off and snatch up a pair of sweatpants from the floor. The rest of the house may be clean all the time, but my bedroom isn’t. I throw my clothes wherever the hell I want. Making my way out of the room, I stop at the dresser beside the doorway and open the drawer closest to me. I reach in and grab the gun I keep stored there. It’s one of my many places throughout the house.
In my line of work as Félix’s right-hand man, you can’t be too careful.
Besides, with it being well after ten at night, no one should be coming by here without calling first. For that matter, no one should be calling to come over, period.
After taking Désirée’s sweet body several times throughout the evening, I’d fallen asleep holding her in my arms. It’d been a busy day in the office. Well, not the office per se. I had to go take care of business involving some men who didn’t want to pay what they owed. This didn’t go too well, and I ended up killing a man. He had it coming because of what I caught him in the act of doing—raping a girl who didn’t look no more than eighteen—nineteen tops.
I didn’t put up with the shit before everything went down with Désirée. I damn well don’t put up with it now. First, I made him pay the money he owed and beg for his life before I cut his dick off.
Coming home to Désirée and finally sinking into her the way I did means a lot to me. Not because I sunk my cock in her pussy, but I made love to my woman. This is something I’ve never done with any of the women who had no problem spreading their legs for me for a night.
At the sound of Désirée’s voice, I clench my jaw in frustration. Why the hell did she open the door?
It could be anyone, and she’s opening it without me.
Damnit.
Worse, she opened it to Gaylord. I recognize his voice from when I met him the first time.
How the fuck did he know she was here?
Making it to them, neither of them see my approach. Not until I’m right behind Désirée and I finally make my presence known. “If you don’t get the fuck off my property, you can talk to my fucking gun.” I step around my woman, blocking Gaylord from seeing her.
“I’m talking to Désirée,” Gaylord sneers, curling his lip in disgust. “You do not factor into our conversation.”
“Considering she’s my woman and in my bed, I think I do. I also know Félix and I have both told you to stay the fuck away from her,” I snarl, clenching my gun in my hand. “Now I’ll repeat, get the fuck off my property. You don’t. The next words will be your last because I’ll put a bullet in your head.”
“Malcolm,” Désirée murmurs behind me, her hands touching the small of my back.
Ignoring her, I lift my gun and point. “Choice is yours,” I growl, tightening my finger against the trigger, ready to blow the fuckers head off. Something about him rubs me the wrong way, and I intend to find out what the hell it is.
Gaylord narrows his eyes on me and backs away, but as he does it, he makes his final play. “Désirée, I know you, baby, and this isn’t the life you want. He can’t give you what I can. He’s nothing more than a thug.”
“Leave, Gaylord,” Désirée mutters, pressing herself against my back.
I don’t miss the way the dumbass gets pissed, though he’s smart enough to back away and get off my property. Only when he’s getting in his car do I lower my gun, step back and close the door—locking it for the remainder of the night. I set the gun on the table where I put my keys.
“Malcolm.” Désirée’s sweet voice hits my ears as she steps around me until I see her face. “Are you okay?” she asks, cocking her head like she’s studying me under a microscope.
“I don’t know if I should strangle or spank your ass right about now,” I grind out, answering her, taking a step forward.
Désirée’s eyes widen, and she moves back. “What? Why would you say that? I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong?” I demand, narrowing my gaze on her. “You wanna think on that for a minute.”
“Malcolm, I didn’t do anything. Wh . . .”
“Wasn’t it you who opened the door?” I interrupt her, getting straight to the damn point.
“Yes, but it’s not like I knew my ex would show up here,” she snaps in her defense.
“Mon trésor, it could’ve been any fuckin’ body, and I was upstairs. If I didn’t wake up, who the hell knows what would’ve happened,” I yell, moving deep in her space. “Désirée, you’re my woman. You’ve been mine for a while now, but just hours ago, you officially became mine when you agreed to let me sink into that sweetness between your legs.”
Désirée gasps, licks her lips the way she does. “Your woman?”