Beginning of an Eclipse (SIN CITY HEAT SERIES PREQUEL) (2 page)
Chapter 2
Darrell had been at the orphanage a little over two years, and during that time, he’d slowly changed. He learned to defend himself early on against the older boys, but in doing so he was labeled as something of a troublemaker by the nuns.
The fact that he was always in the midst of some type of confusion wasn't the only reason they frowned down upon him. They found his continuous questions of their teachings to be more disrespectful than inquisitive; the fact that they usually didn’t have an answer for his musings didn’t help.
One day, he was in class when Sister Tabitha brought a young boy to the room and introduced him as Marcus Bennett. The little boy kept his eyes downcast and barely mumbled a greeting. He was seated by Darrell, who was sent strict warnings to behave himself.
As usual, Darrell ignored their admonishment and questioned Marcus until he finally began to open up. Darrell learned that Marcus’ parents had been killed in an automobile accident a couple of years ago. He and his younger sister had been living with their elderly aunt, but once his aunt passed away, his sister was quickly adopted by a couple who was only able to take one of them. Darrell told Marcus about Tina, and how she just dropped him off one day and never came back. He pointed out that even though Marcus wasn't with his sister, at least he had someone who loved him. Darrell didn’t have anybody.
“Why don’t we be each other’s family?” Darrell suggested. “We’ll be brothers. Blood brothers and we’ll always have each other’s back. ‘K?’”
Intense and thoughtful, Marcus frowned. Then as if coming to a decision, he smiled and nodded his agreement. They each pricked their thumbs until a pin sized drop of blood oozed out then tightly pressed their thumbs together to let the promise of brotherhood merge together and seal their pact.
The two only became closer as the years passed. Marcus’s calm personality was a perfect foil for Darrell’s impetuous nature.
By the time they were in their teens, both had grown up to be tall, good looking boys with muscular bodies to match thanks to their love of exercise. Darrell’s caramel coloring and shock of black curls made heads turn wherever he went, and Marcus’ chocolate frame easily caused second and third glances from the opposite sex.
As they got older, Darrell became more and more restless. He’d been at St. Joseph’s Orphanage for seven years and was tired of the rigid and strict atmosphere. He was always trying to buck the system and continued to stay in trouble.
“Man, Marcus, I’m tellin’ you, I don’t know how much more of this place I can take.
You can‘t even breathe out loud without gettin’ an infraction.”
The two of them were in the library studying, or at least Marcus was. As usual, Darrell was venting about his hatred of St. Joseph’s. Marcus glanced up from his books.
“Probably because half the time, you doin’ more than just ‘breathing out loud’. I told you not to sneak out the other night, to just wait a couple of days, but did you listen to me?”
The grimace on Darrell’s face turned to a slow smile. “Yeah, but it was worth it. Jackie gave it up all night. You should’ve come with me. She asked where you were.”
Marcus sat back in his chair. “D, I don’t know why you try to play that girl like that. You know she’s crazy over you.”
Darrell’s gray eyes turned cool and indifferent. “That’s not my problem, is it? She knows the deal. I don’t owe her nuthin’. If she don’t like the way I am, she can step and make room for the next one.”
“I’m just saying you should-”
“Marcus, drop it. You gon’ learn that all females are the same. They only care about themselves and what’s in it for them.” His eyes got a faraway look, and Marcus knew he was thinking about his mother so he decided to change the subject.
“Well, anyway, if I had gone with you, who would’ve been here to cover for your ass?” he grinned.
Just like he anticipated, Darrell’s eyes lightened and the normal cocky grin crossed his face. “You worry too much, Marcus. It would’ve worked itself out. It always does.”
Marcus didn’t bother to remind Darrell that ’working itself out’ usually resulted in one or both of them getting punished. “Whatever. Come on. We need to get back to studying.”
“Hell, bruh, you know this stuff backwards and forwards. What are you studying for, Einstein?”
“So I can know it ‘backwards and forwards’,” Marcus replied without missing a beat.
They looked at each other then burst out laughing. All of a sudden, they heard footsteps coming towards them and quickly pretended to be engrossed in their books. Marcus’ stomach dropped when he saw Sister Caroline headed their way. That could only mean one thing. His eyes met Darrell’s.
Damn!
She walked up to their table and grabbed Darrell’s arm. “The Monsignor would like to see you immediately.” Her voice was stern and her expression was one of satisfaction.
Darrell glared up at her. It seemed as if Sister Caroline had made it her mission in life to try and catch Darrell breaking the rules ever since he’d made her the laughing stock in front of his history class. The majority of the time he got away with his mischief, which only made her more determined. The way she was gloating now, it seemed as she was confident she’d finally gotten the upper hand.
“Let’s go.”
Darrell resisted and refused to budge. “Why?”
Sister Caroline’s face turned beet read at his insolence. “Don’t question me, young man. Just do as I say.”
Marcus tried to intercede. “Sister Caroline-”
“Was I talking to you, Mr. Bennett?”
“No, Sister Caroline, but…”
“Then I suggest you return to your studies and stay out of things that don’t concern you.” She turned back to Darrell. “Mr. Monroe...now!”
Darrell and Marcus’ eyes met again in silent communication as Darrell stood up and walked out the library. Marcus couldn’t concentrate after that, and when Darrell didn’t show up for dinner or back to the dorms the next night, he knew something was wrong.
After the third day, he was able to find out that arrangements had been made to transfer Darrell to another facility, one that was more of a boys’ home for troubled youths. However, the day he was to be transferred, the nuns couldn’t find him anywhere. When Marcus didn’t show up for early morning mass, they discovered he had disappeared as well. At that point, as far as St. Joseph’s was concerned, they were no longer the orphanage’s responsibility.
The two of them hopped a bus that would take them out into a cold world they knew nothing about. Darrell apprehensively looked at his Marcus. “You sure you wanna do this? It’s not too late for you to go back.”
Marcus looked at Darrell. Behind the arrogant bravado, he knew Darrell was just as scared as he was. “Nah. No turnin’ back. I’m my brotha’s keeper, right?”
Three years later…
Darrell studied the woman standing in front of him as he gulped his beer down. She was a petite little thing, no more than 5’2” and had curves that should’ve come with a warning. Her soft brown hair framed her face in a trendy bob, highlighting her creamy milk chocolate skin and sexy hazel eyes. Yeah, Jade was definitely dangerous – but Darrell thrived on danger.
The two of them had been tiptoeing around each other for weeks. True, she had a man, and normally that wasn’t a deterrent, but this time, he was a little hesitant. He’d had more than a few run in’s with Rakeem, and didn’t feel like looking for unnecessary trouble. This chick had a lot of drama surrounding her, but she also talked much shit. Made him curious to discover if she could back it up.
“So what do you say? We gonna do this, or what?” Jade’s nonchalant attitude was only a front. They both knew she'd been after Darrell for a minute now and was eager to see what all the fuss was about when it came to him and his sexual skills.
Darrell’s cat-like eyes squinted as he allowed his gaze to sweep over her frame in the body hugging dress. “Where’s your boy?”
Jade twisted her mouth to the side and smirked. “Why? Scared?”
Darrell laughed. Hell, he was far from scared. He could take care of himself with no problem. Rakeem only had beef with him because he knew Jade was all up on his dick. Darrell also knew she got off on the fact that he didn’t back down from Rakeem like everybody else did. However, as he said, he didn’t know if he was in the mood for the drama messing around with her could bring. He lifted a brow when she stepped forward and grasped his crotch.
Then again…
“Why should I be scared? I’m not the one who has to answer to anybody.”
“I don’t answer to Rakeem,” she lied. “And anyway, he’s out of town on business for the weekend. What he don’t know won’t hurt him. But I don’t wanna talk about him,” she whispered. “I know you want it. And I wanna give it to you.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Darrell saw Marcus standing across the room frowning in their direction. Marcus had told Darrell that he was playing with fire even thinking about going there with Jade. He was probably right, but what the hell? They had decided to leave Philly in a couple of days anyway. Nothing was happening for them here and it was time for a change, so fuck it.
Darrell finished the last swallow of his beer and placed the bottle on the bar. “Let’s go.”
Jade smiled in anticipation as she led the way to the exit. Darrell sent Marcus a nod to let him know he was leaving, ignoring the warning glimmering in Marcus’ eye. Once they were outside, Jade handed him the keys to the sports car Rakeem had bought for her and smiled when he opened her door. As Darrell walked around to the driver’s side and got in, his eyes fell to Jade’s thick thighs as she crossed her legs and leaned towards him.
Neither one of them noticed the dark sedan following them from a safe distance when they pulled off.
Jade’s eyes rolled towards the back of her head as she yelled out Darrell’s name. She didn’t care that the thin walls enabled the neighbors to hear every single thing going on inside the tiny bedroom, nor did she care that her cell phone had been blowing up like crazy. Fuck Rakeem! She’d deal with his ass later. Right now she had her hands full trying to keep up with this muthafucka!
She had never, ever been fucked this good and planned on enjoying every minute of it. Jade had heard he was the shit, but
damn
! She closed her eyes and winced as Darrell filled her up with ten plus inches of filet mignon - that top grade shit.
“This how you wanted it, right? Don't tell me you was more talk than action…”
Jade took in the cocky expression on Darrell’s face. He was one arrogant son of a bitch. Just as she was getting ready to verbalize that sentiment, he pulled her arms above her head and held both wrists in one hand as he moved his dick deeper and tapped a spot she hadn’t even known was there.
“Oh…! Oh, yeah! Right there, baby. Shit…!” She held on tight as another orgasm slammed into her with the force of an earthquake. They had been going at it for almost forty-five minutes and Darrell showed no signs of slowing down.
Before Jade could catch her breath, he flipped her over on her hands and knees and started gutting with long, deep strokes. Her heart was pounding from the mind blowing fuck Darrell was giving her. His groan rumbled from his throat when she threw her ass back and matched him stroke for stroke.
“Mmm. That’s what I’m talkin’ about. You wanted this dick...fuck it like you want it.” Darrell clasped his hands behind his head, watching her rhythmically bounce up and down his shaft.
“I told you it was gonna be good, baby. You like it? You like it, Daddy?” Darrell mumbled under his breath and tried his best to tune her out. He wasn’t here to hold a fucking discussion.
To quiet her incessant chatter, he grabbed her luscious hips and drilled into her at a fast and furious pace. Jade made so much noise that his neighbor banged on the wall and shouted in a gruff voice for them to quiet down. Ignoring him, Darrell grabbed Jade’s hair and made her scream even louder as he continued to work her out. Just for the hell of it, he asked her who it belonged to.
“You, baby! This is your pussy, Darrell…!”
As she came again, Darrell felt his own satisfaction approaching, and after a few more strokes, exploded right along with her. He held Jade’s hips steady while he emptied the last of his seed into the condom before slowly pulling out. Without a word, he got up and went to the bathroom, leaving Jade twitching and softly calling out his name. When he came back, she watched him step into his boxers. His abs flexed when he moved and were cut and defined from the constant sit-ups he did, and the sight of his thick thighs and tight butt had Jade getting aroused all over again.
“So you really moving to Las Vegas?”
Already anxious for her to leave, Darrell reached for his jeans before muttering a reply. “Yeah. Ain’t nothin’ to stick around here for.”
“I’ve always wanted to see Vegas. Seems like such a glamorous city, almost like New York; a city that never sleeps.” Darrell shrugged and didn’t comment.
Jade sat up on her knees and gnawed on the inner corner of her lip. “Maybe I could go with you…”
Darrell paused in the act of pulling his shirt over his head. “Come again?”
“To Vegas. It would be fun. You don’t have a girlfriend and it‘s not like Rakeem is a prize.” She’d been with Rakeem for the last five years. Yes, he gave her gifts and kept money in her pocket, but that all came with a price - a price she was getting tired of paying.
Before she even finished the sentence Darrell shook his head. Was she fuckin’ crazy? “Uh, look, I think it’s time for you to leave. I gotta few things I need to take care of, so…”
“You kicking me out?!”
Jade tried to hide her surprise. She knew a lot of dude’s wanted to get with her but didn’t dare step in her direction because of Rakeem. Darrell was different. She had deliberately gone out to the club looking for him tonight since Rakeem was out of town. After sitting at the table with her girls and waiting on him to approach her, she finally swallowed her pride and went to him; she had wanted him just that bad.
“Not kickin’ you out, ma, but ain’t ya man gon’ be checkin’ for you?” Darrell’s expression was clearly one of unconcern.
Jade lay back and spread her legs with the sole intention of seducing Darrell back into bed.
“Let me worry about him. If you won’t take me with you, the least you can do is give me something to remember you by one last time.”
Darrell smiled as his eyes slid down her body and followed her fingers which slipped inside her moist opening. Now that, he could definitely do.