Cedes
Meanwhile, Cedes had been having a hard time with her Aunt, she'd become Cinderella in the house, her Aunt was drinking excessively obviously depressed, she was the type that couldn't do without a man in her life no matter how bad he treated her. Bing had been back a few times to see his children that weren't his, she was more than happy on those days functioning like a Mom to the children, cooking and everything and the next morning he'd walk out of her bedroom and out the damn house, clearly both getting just what they'd needed, before he'd remind her he was a single man, she'd cry and reach for the bottle till the next time.
School was rough, nothing like her school in California, there were police at the gates, not that they stopped anything that was happening she guessed it just made the parents feel like something was being done. Drugs ran the school, the girls were territorial, none of them liked her because obviously being the new girl she got some attention from the wishing boys, she smiled and played along with their shit, but she really couldn't be bothered, this shit was temporary, this wasn't God's plan for her life.
She'd been in the phone exchange making a call to Sam when four guys walked in being really loud about nothing, she'd looked at them several times during her conversation shaking her head as they went about disrespecting the people in the small booths "What you looking at Bitch?" she heard one of them standing rather close to her shout. She looked up to see him staring at her and got the shakes straight away cutting her call short with Sam when he dragged the phone out of her hand and ordered her out. She stepped off, she really wasn't used to grown men coming up in her face like that, she knew nobody so there was no help
"Who are you?" one of the men blocked the door as she tried to walk out asking
"Mercedes Jones" she fired back, unsure where the attitude came from, or how it was going to help her right now
"Where you from?"
"California" she looked up into this grown man's eyes telling him, daring him to do something about that
"What you doing in Atlanta?"
"Staying with my Aunt Zina" she cocked her head telling him, hoping he'd see she wasn't scared or anything like her Aunt
"Zina?" he asked looking at the guy putting the phone back on it's hook, a look passing between them "What's your Dad's name?"
"Heath or Mr Jones to you" she looked up at him, all feelings of scared had gone, fuck it, if she was going to die or be raped she was going to have her say first, and there was going to be a fight up in this damn place before they got what they were after
"Get out of here" the guy moved from in front of the door telling her, she opened it and left, running home to tell her Aunt about the experience, missing out the fact that all this happened at the telephone exchange centre and what she was doing there in the first place
"Nobody round here would be mad enough to touch you, especially now they know who you are" Her Aunt told her, Cedes left the room wondering how this woman, who was constantly drunk could hold such clout in the community, she went to her room thinking about it that evening after cooking, washing, cleaning and getting the children to bed finally concluding that Bing must be the influence, that's why she still allowed him round, protection.
School the next day was different, if people never had anything good to say they said nothing, life soon became tolerable, but for her it still wasn't California and Sam wasn't there it was never going to feel like home, her parents hadn't even called to see if she'd made it to her Aunt's let alone anything else, they'd just forgot about her, so much for being an only beloved child
Four weeks in and Bing was off the scene, he didn't pass round anymore he was replaced by her Uncle Martin, he wasn't like Bing at all, he'd always been a friend, he never stayed in Aunt Zina's bedroom he was in the living room and he didn't seem to sleep much. Then within two days of him being there furniture started arriving, painting and decorating happened, little by little the house started to become a home again Aunt Zina slowed down on the drinking and life became semi normal, Cedes was still the live in Nanny but her Aunt was doing some part time work now. Ceded found herself with more time to miss Sam, and still no word from her parents, she was learning to silently hate them.
It had been nearly three weeks since she'd last spoken to Sam because Money wasn't coming in, there were no pennies laying around a messy house for her to pick up and Martin wasn't giving anybody anything but they were living well, food was coming in, bills were being paid and clothes were being brought. In a desperate bid she took her new jeans back to the shop and got the money back to make a call to Sam, she was sure those bitches at school were digging their claws in and now they knew what making love was all about she knew it was as hard for him to control as she was finding it.
On her lunch break she went by the usual exchange and made the call, the phone rang out, sending her mind all over the place, "Football" she rolled her eyes at where her mind had gone before leaving the booth to go back to school
"What are you doing in here?" she heard looking up to see the bald guy that had took the phone off her a few weeks before, this time his voice was softer "You need a phone?" he asked a smile on his face, like he just realised he was talking to a child
"Yeah" she replied suspiciously, wondering what else she'd be doing in a fucking telephone exchange other than using a phone and why she would need to do that if she didn't need one
"Gee get the lady a phone" he hollered as one of the guys left the shop, she watched him go to the parked Merc and come out seconds later with a box, he gave it to the guy who was talking to her who took it out and set it up in front of her "Don't go mad" he smiled "And come to me for top up"
"I'm not really allowed to have a..."
"That's fine keep it a secret and just wave when you need it topped up" the guy told her his tone dismissing her, she half smiled and walked away
Sam & Cedes
Cedes smiled as she walked away with her direct link to Sam, she could call him any time and she knew how she was going to surprise him. It was 11pm in California he'd have slept and woke up to look through the window and turn his TV off she rung the house phone and let it ring three times before putting it down, then once stopping it again, then twice and stopped it.
Sam lay in his bed listening to 'Beautiful' by Bazzi singing 'Sorry that your mum found out, guess that we just really had the thunder, ain't nobody else that I'd be under' stressing about all the trouble they'd brought themselves by being so reckless, thinking about Cedes when he heard the phone ring, and lay wondering what his Dad was still doing out, listening for his Mom's voice as it stopped, when it rung twice his mind clicked and on hearing the two rings he knew it was Cedes calling him using their time old code back when he'd showed her how to bypass the lock her parents had on their antique house phone, before they got caught. He jumped up and grabbed the phone to get the number, seconds later her was tapping it out on his mobile "Cedes is that you?" he asked as soon as he heard it pick up
"Sam" she smiled for hearing his voice "I've been calling you what's going on?"
"I have another job, I need to make money to come get you"
"So you're still coming to get me?"
"Of course, why do you ask that?" his conscience pinging, he knew he was getting greedy about getting this money together, he had more than he needed already, maybe it was the lifestyle he liked
"It's maybe been a while since I heard your voice" she giggled "And I know those bitches are getting out of hand, I feel it"
"I'm keeping them in check" he laughed, trying to hide how hard it had been for him
"You still dreaming about me?"
"Even in the daytime now, it's getting hard"
"I figured" she laughed
"We're talking maybe another two weeks and I'll be there, I'll have enough for a motel for a few weeks and we can work something out after that" he stopped to hear what she had to say about his plan to basically run away from home "Cedes we won't be coming back home" he felt he had to make clear at the silence
"I know" she replied as they sat in silence for a while working out what that meant for them "I'm fine with that, I can get a job too"
"How are they treating you down there, what was all that shouting about last time?"
"That man gave me a phone, apparently Bing must mean something round here, nobody messes with me anymore, the girls at school are bitches and..."
"Every girls a bitch for you" he laughed
"They really are" she laughed "I love being able to speak to you when I need to"
"You finally got a phone" he laughed, only half happy because now she'd expect him to answer her for every call, and how the hell was he going to be that and all about what Tony needed him to do, maybe he should tell her about it all he sat listening to her ramble on about these hard knock guys she'd made friends with "Cedes" he finally stopped her mid sentence "All this is great but I just need to hear one thing from you right now"
"What?" she asked forgetting everything that she'd been saying previously "I love you, you know I do babe"
"And I love you too, but that's not it, I'm laying on my bed about to take my shorts off, we're having a private conversation for the first time in nearly eight weeks and I ne..."
"You need to get off" she laughed "When did I lose you in this conversation?"
"You never lost me, I'm just focusing on a different part of you that's all"
"I guess this is what they call a booty call"
"Booty" he moaned "Magic word" his voice husky with want "I was just listening to Bazzi again" his chuckled
"Which track?"
"Cartier"
"So here's your call" she told him humming 'The way that dress fall off you is amazing, love a miracle, a beautiful creation, baby, come a little closer let me taste it, you came a little closer, now you're shaking'
"Taste it?" he asked "I'm going to hold you to that"
They quickly got into conversation taking their time to build each other up, the phones got dropped a couple of times as they focused on themselves "Sam" Mercy gasped as she built up to her point of no return
"I fucking love it when you call my name like that, it makes me jump babe, God" he gasped squeezing his words out trying to focus on giving her pleasure too "I love how your body totally opens up to me when I kiss that neck of yours, that's your spot yeah"
"God Sam I need you so much I can feel your hands all over me, I need you inside me stretching me, you're so damn big" she gasped "Shit" she hissed trying to control herself, she'd literally felt him fill her "Slapping my butt and licking those fucking lips of yours when it wiggles"
"Shit Cedes I'm there"
"I'm cuming" she gasped, sending music to his ears
"Can you see my face" he jerked, as he imagined her pumping on him, she said nothing her noise let him know she was working through her orgasm, he smiled he'd done his job and she'd done hers very well "I needed that"
"Me too" she purred curling up with the phone as she spoke "You know what this kitty needs now?"
"One of two things" he laughed "More of me or sleep"
"And seeing as your not here?"
"Hey text me, every day" he ordered "Cedes" he called again
"What?"
"I said every day"
"I heard you" she laughed "Goodnight Sam"
"Goodnight babe" he laughed, she'd needed that, they both did, he knew she was cuddling up to her pillow thinking of him and he lay on his back thinking he needed to get up and clean up but not wanting to get rid of the memory that quick, he fell asleep just as he was, and woke up with a smile the next day
Sam was sat in a Math lesson when his phone flashed, he knew it was Cedes he uncovered in and put in on his desk, hiding it behind the person in front of him 'I had he best dream last night we went on and on and on - thank you' she'd wrote making him smile
'In math, but I'd rather be in bed with you'
'Math' she wrote with a sad face
'Mr D gave me one of his riddles, spat in his eye, too easy'
'I have a riddle' she wrote with a laughing face 'What's cute, nice and hard all over most of the time?'
'How did I become a math lesson?' he replied with a laughing face
'Always, every lesson' she sent back with kisses
'Trouble coming, later' he wrote grabbing the phone off the desk as Mr Dean started his walk about
Sam managed to keep things low key for the rest of the week, Cedes texting during the day, Tony phoning during the evening and then a welcome call from Cedes helping them chill out and find sleep quickly "You can't keep this up, you staying up till 2am to make these calls Cedes"
"I just need this right now Sam, please don't change anything"
"Okay but I'm not happy with you losing sleep all the while, if school suffers it has to stop"
"It won't"
"Hopefully it's a go next week, I'll call, just be ready"
"I'm ready" she told him before they did what they needed to do and closed the call down
Sam
"How much am I grabbing for you, when you're paying me pennies?" Sam laughed asking Tony as they sat in the Benz one evening, he was seriously fed up of the girls at school trying anything to get him to be unfaithful to Cedes, his mind was starting to betray her in the worst way already, and the only thing keeping him fighting with everything he had was the clear fact that he actually loved her. She wasn't even giving him time to seriously think about anything else the phone line was hot with sex texts, they were both making promises for what was going to happen when they finally got back together the only thing missing was when that was going to be
"Seriously?" Tony asked, there was no question out of bounds that Tony wouldn't answer, for him they'd over the weeks become real friends
"Serious how much?"
"Your first pick up was about $20K street value around $60K"
"Really?"
"Yeah" Tony laughed "You're grabbing around $60K now, do the math, and today I guess you go up a notch so you better have learned how to fire that gun, you're playing with the big boys now Sam, this grab gives our boss a lifetime of comfort $200K, bringing maybe four, hopefully five times that once it's on the street, I was going to come with you but I've been called in, they know you now so I'm trusting you to bring it home
"Not a problem but doesn't my cut get bigger for the risk?"
"For what you do it's standard rate"
"Okay" Sam sat wondering how $1m translated into $500 for him, Tony stretched up and took his earphone out to listen to his tunes
"What is this?" he laughed
"Bazzi, he's good you should check him out" Sam laughed
"That's love stuff" he nudged him jeering "You in love?"
"I might be"
"Who with?"
"Mind your business" he got up telling him
"Okay" he laughed for Sam's cheek "We good?"
"Yeah" he opened the door telling him, climbing out the Benz, his math done and his mind wondering
"Your on the clock as usual" Tony told him as he shut the door and walked to his bike
Sam grabbed the parcel as usual, left without any hitches and got outside, there was no need to breath he was comfortable doing this, in a position of trust as he looked down at the parcel, he could get to Atlanta today grab Cedes and sell this stuff to keep them alive, get them set up, that was possible "This makes it possible" he looked at the parcel in his hand before he jumped on the bike ready to make the journey back, hearing his phone buzz
'Sucking on a blow pop right now, I so wish it was you' he read smiling at her game
'Guess what I'm thinking? Clue, it involves my tongue and you naked' he replied laughing as he saw her shiver in front of him
'You, that's not fair' she wrote back with a sulky face
'It's fair you made me hard, I made you shiver' he wrote back with a smiling face
'Speak again when my lollipops finished' she sent back with a laughing face
"That was the sign" he told himself smiling when he read her last message, just then he'd made a decision, he knew what he was going to do, that sign told him this was God's plan
He'd never rode a bike so fast, he got home, threw some underwear, a couple of tops and some jeans into a bag, grabbed his passport, driving licence, his $4k savings and he was off, he'd made the 30 minute journey to the coach station before Tony even called his phone "Traffic" he told him switching his work phone off and throwing it in the nearby bin, found a stand paid for his ticket and he was checked and sitting waiting for his departures before Tony could get seriously worried.
'What the fuck are you doing?' he sat asking himself looking around as the bag holding over $1m worth of snow and his passport pressed against the bench he sat on, constantly reminding him it was there 'What the hell are you doing?' he kept asking but his body would make no move to change it's mind he'd promised her he was coming. He didn't breathe again until he was on the coach travelling with this suspicious substance in his hand luggage, no thought of the consequences of getting caught with that amount of drugs in his possession. It was about 8pm and wherever Cedes was he didn't know if she'd be free right now, but he was going to send a text asking as he sat watching the road go by taking distance away between them with each turn of the wheel 'What are you doing?' he texted her
'Getting the brats to bed'
'I'm on my way, be with you in two days, be ready'
'Ready, excited and ready' she wrote back
Conversation was full of excitement and planning as he made the two day journey up to see her "We need a song, all the most successful runaways have a song" he laughed as they talked late that first afternoon
"A song?" she asked surprised for his random request in the middle of their conversation
"Yeah something that binds us together even in the hardest of times, makes us smile you know, and remember times like these, what we gave up to be together and stuff"
"Is my man getting romantic on me?" she chuckled
"I need you to get romantic too, a song" his voice changing to not joking tone
"Okay" she stopped laughing "What do we want it to say about us?"
"Everything, it has to be us now, so it brings us back to now, in the worst times"
"We want to be together right now, just holding you, that would be ... heaven right now" she told him feeling a bit blushed for telling him her true feelings
"I need you too Miss Pretty" he chuckled "So damn much" he looked around the coach at the quiet or sleeping people around him "Song, there's no booty calling going on right now"
"Okay" her voice filled with disappointment
"How about that one, you know Hey lady, let me tell you why, I can't live my life, without you" he sang
"Every time I see you walking by I cannot breathe, you don't understand but in time you will" she sung laughing knowing he'd chose that one because they'd had their first dance to it at one of their cookouts
"I love that song, so old school" he laughed
"I know you do, that has to be our song"
"I must make you understand, I want to be your man" he sang "Remember that cookout?"
"Do I remember" she giggled
"I so wanted to kiss you when we finished dancing"
"All eyes were on us Tony was daggering, trying to tell us to stop without words" she laughed
"I think he was jealous"
"There's never been anything like that between us, he's a drug dealer"
"Yeah" Sam acknowledged, without knowing it she'd brought his mind back to the parcel in his back pack
"Parents were all over the place, and Marcus was spotting us up anyway, we had no damn chance" she laughed "Sam?" she asked when she didn't hear him "Are you still there?"
"Pardon?" he dragged his mind back to the conversation
"What's the matter?"
"Nothing I just miss you that's all" his voice still full of uncertainty "And I just ran away from home, I guess it's just hit me"
"I'm sorry"
"Cedes give me a minute, I'll call you back" he put the phone down, he needed to take in what he'd actually done
California
"Sam" Tony shouted down the phone to no answer, sweat pouring off him at the fuck up he was about to answer for "Get out there and find him" he ordered the guys, looking at the two guys standing next to him "Go" he told them fanning them away
"But Boss" one of them looked at him "Never leave you alone, that's our orders"
"Just get the fuck out there and find him, there'll be no fucking me to protect if we don't" he told them watching them step off before he stepped off too, there was a lot at stake he'd got maybe three hours before word got to who mattered
Three hours in and he got the dreaded call with no answers to give "Tony" the familiar voice echoed down the phone "Talk to me what's happening I get a call from Ricky telling me my business is fucked up on your end and I'm still waiting for you to call to tell me what the fuck is going on"
"Yes, we're just looking for the runner, nobody's reported anything yet but we're on it"
"An hour, I want word in an hour" the voice told him clicking the phone off before he could say anything else, he was sweating hard wondering how he was going to cover this one over
"The pick up said he left as normal and he wants his Money" one of his men told him yet again, as they linked back up for update "No sign of him, no police nothing"
"You said that a fucking hour ago" Tony slapped him away saying
"Boss" the man shouted as Tony took his gun out, pressure showing on his face
"Where the fuck is he?" Tony asked no one in particular, waving his gun around angry before he put it away, sending everyone back out while he sat around waiting for the hour to be up to report back, everyone was in conversation about him trusting that Sam too soon, he knew he had too, but they knew each other, or he thought they did, the phone rung and everyone went quiet
"Times up" the voice told him, he looked around his group of men, all willing to fight for him, but this fight was one he'd have to do on his own, he was the Boss in this situation "To the house, you know who wants to see you"
"Twenty minutes" was all he said hanging the phone up "hey" he called one of the kids from school he saw running down the street "What's your name?" he held his shoulder asking him
"Homer" the boy told him his voice shaky
"I see you at school sometime, you know Sam Evans right?" he asked the kid as he gripped his top hard enough for him not to be able to get away
"Yeah" he told him
"Go knock his door find out where he is and come back to me quick" he told him slapping a Bill in his hand "Be cute about it" he told him before letting him go and getting up to make his journey to the big house, tapping his crew as he passed them saying goodbye, for all intents and purposes he was doing his last walk
Sam's House
"Mrs Evans" Homer smiled as she opened the door "My name's Homer, Sam and I said we'd hang out is he in?"
"No he left a note saying he was doing football tonight" she smiled back at him, his hair parted, shoes shining and smile beaming, she pictured him standing at the front of a choir singing his heart out every Sunday and was happy Sam had found a friend finally "I expect him no later than 10pm"
"Okay, thanks Mrs Evans, nice to meet you" he bent his head telling her before walking away, Ann stood smiling as she watched the boy walk away, concerned for the chill she felt as soon as she shut the door
California
"He's at football" Homer told Tony as he passed him, not stopping to talk, Tony got home and pushed the door open, he'd usually be smiling as his Mom came into view but the look on his face made her know something was wrong "Mom I got trouble, I can't tell all but I fucked up and now Boss wants to see me"
"How much are we talking?"
"Could be up to $1m street value" he looked at her knowing she was going to go into him
"How the fuck are you putting that much business in the hands of a single runner?"
"He was good, asked no questions, never fucked up, I trusted him"
"And now he's fucked you over" she looked at him upset "I'll come with you, they owe me, this family, they'll at least listen" she got up grabbing her jacket "Come on" she told a reluctant Tony
They got to the house minutes later she stood outside encouraging Tony to talk up for himself, make promises to not stop until the runner was found, and admit no fault "May" Ann greeted her at the door "Come in, to what do we owe the pleasure?"
"Tony has a meeting" May looked at her saying "Not a good one, I though I'd support him"
"I'll support you too, we're coming from way back" she smiled hugging her "Hazel" she looked behind May surprised to see her coming across from her house towards theirs, they tried hard to keep out of each other's lives, the business their husbands were in didn't afford for everyone knowing connections
"Hi" she smiled walking towards them "May" she said surprised as she hugged her "And Tony" she cupped his face before kissing his cheek
"What are you doing here?" Ann asked as she hugged her
"H told me he had a meeting with Tony and I know they're going to try and bully him, I wanted to support him" she looked up at Tony smiling "You do no wrong in my eyes" she cupped his face again telling him
"Thanks" he smiled at her, he loved the way she always treated him like the little boy she didn't have
"But you do know shit's got to hit for someone, whoever's fucking with our shit needs to suffer" Hazel told him her voice serious
"I agree" Ann told her as they all walked towards the study
Ann just opened the door and walked in, the rest followed "We have the fucking army" H laughed as he watched the three women walk in surrounding Tony
"Just like the old days" D smiled looking on "Except T, God rest his soul" he said as everyone crossed their chest with a cross and looked up, followed with a hail Mary
"Yes" H echoed as they all took a moment "Tony we have business"
"Yes"
"Your standing here instead of laying on a slab right now because we regard you as family, you're your Dad's namesake, he did that for a reason and we will always respect that, so tell us what the fuck happened?"
"A misjudgement of character Uncle, I know where to look I have my guys on it right now, all ears are on the ground, no way can he shift that load without noise, even if he cuts it up he'll be selling on our patch, we'll know"
"I don't just want you to know boy, I want this guy gone, everyone needs to get the message nobody fucks with us and gets away with it" D told him
"Gone?" Tony asked wondering if he should tell the truth right now
"Gone, that's an order" D confirmed
"Okay" Tony told him ready for business, he knew he would never be the one to carry that out, but he also knew that none of them would have hesitated to knock his legs into next year, including his own Mother, if they knew that he'd allowed Sam to get involved in the business without having a conversation with any of them first, he needed time to work this out and find Sam
Sam
He was just seven hours away from home now, they'd had one proper stop so they'd made ground, it was 9.45pm on Friday night and he knew they'd be expecting him home soon, if there was one thing he knew his Dad would knock shit out of him for, it was worrying his Mom, he took his phone out to make the call "Mom" he called when she answered her Mobile
"Sam don't tell me you're going to be late not tonight, your Dad's got enough going on" his Mom told him as all three women stood in the kitchen of her house listening
"What's going on?" he asked concerned
"Nothing for you to worry about" she told him "What did you want?"
"I just called to say I haven't run away not like that, I just need to do something, I'll be away for a while and once I get to where I need to be I'll call you"
"What are you talking about?"
"Mom I'm fine I just don't want you worrying, I'm fine"
"Come home Sam, you're Dad will be..."
"He'll be mad if you're worried, don't worry Mom"
"Another day, I'll give you one more day and then I want you back here, do you hear me?"
"I'll call you Mom bye" he told her cutting the call
His Mom stood in the middle of the kitchen looking at her friends "It's been a funny day" she looked at the phone telling them "Sam says he's gone on some mission"
"What mission?" Hazel asked
"If I knew that I'd understand how his damn mind works, I swear he's still in love with Mercedes" she laughed "That would just be so strange our kids getting together don't you think?"
"Well they got all the way to bed with this crush thing, Heath and Daniel tried to tell us it was" Hazel added
"What they slept together?" May asked shocked "When Tony showed an interest H was all for cutting his balls off and he let Sam get all the way to bed with his interest?"
"They were sly, secretive, pretended to be friends, but we nipped it in the bud, sent her off to Zina" Hazel told her
"How is Zina, I miss my girl?" May asked
"Still with those fucked up men" Hazel replied "But she's getting sorted out, Martin's down there keeping an eye"
"Martin" Ann drooled "God I used to swoon over him"
"Lucky for you, you actually fell in love with D or that fine piece of man would be dead right now, regardless of him being Tony's brother" May laughed
"He really is one lucky bastard" Ann laughed, the others joining in
The ladies eventually finished their laughing, catching up and drinks before they parted company, they'd chosen to live the life they lived, they knew who their husbands were and that was the main reason they'd never moved out of the neighbourhood, they ran it for as far as a tank of gas could take you in any direction out of there and they needed to keep their ears to the ground.
Tony Senior (Flashback)
Tony their third wheel had taken the fall when they went to war to take over the patch from some thugs that were selling poison to the neighbourhood, killing the people and the profits at an alarming rate, he'd taken a bullet for May who'd got in the way during a shoot out, she was pregnant with Tony at the time, the whole thing sent her into labour and Tony lived long enough to set eyes on his boy and name him as his name sake telling everyone to respect his family always as D and H promised to look after them for as long as they were alive.
Marcus their eldest had joined the business at the tender age of 12 he'd got his Dad's footsteps so much in his blood he could taste it, but he got greedy quick and started getting clumsy about things, he was caught and found guilty on so many different felonies he had no choice but to do time, once he tasted the benefits of incarcerated life he was in and out, the cops didn't give him an inch, they wanted one of them and Marcus just made it so easy for them no matter how much D, H or any of the women talked to him.
End of flashback
"Sam's staying with Homer for a few days" Ann popped her head through the study door telling D closing the door quickly before he could ask questions, praying that Sam listened to her and returned the following day
Two days later as his eyes opened D called to Ann "My boys back today yeah, I miss him?"
"I said a few days" she called back taking her phone out to make the call to him to make sure that happened, getting no answer she left a message
"He's got school tell him to come back today, and ask me before you say yes to shit like that again"
"Okay" she rolled her eyes for the flack she was taking for her son
Atlanta
Sam & Cedes
Sam jumped off the coach, it had been a long two days and other than eat every now and again, chatting with Cedes every chance she got to call him, all he'd done was sleep, he stretched before taking his phone out to call Cedes again "I'm here" he told her a laugh in his voice "I'm going to find a motel, take a shower and then grab a cab, swing by and get you, it's 10pm say in an hour"
"I'm ready" she told him cutting the call off to make sure everything was in place
"Mercedes" her Aunt called through
"Yes" she got up to go see what was happening
"Your Dad's on the phone"
"My Dad, so late, what phone?" she asked knowing there was no phone in the house
"Uncle Martin's"
"Oh so he knows Martin's number?" she asked sarcastically
"Your Dad's on the phone girl, stop with the questions" she snapped handing the phone out to her
"Daddy" she sarcastically smiled at her Aunt taking the phone, she really didn't want to speak to him, he'd forgotten about her for the past eight weeks, sent her to some crack infested den to sleep on a fucking nasty bed in an empty room and her Mom hadn't even packed any of the things she knew she liked, there was a line between punishment and cruelty and they'd crossed it
"Don't use that tone with me young lady" he snapped, she rolled her eyes and made a weak false apology "I was going to ask how you were and if you were ready to come back but I guess you've learned nothing"
"Come back?" she asked
"Yeah there's some stuff going on at home and I just needed you home"
"End of term"
"That makes sense, I'll leave it till then" he told her "Sam's gone missing have you seen him?" he laughed
"Seriously?" she gasped "Who's looking for him?" she didn't get an answer "What's happened Daddy?"
"He isn't really, I just needed to see if this thing between you guys was over, apparently not" he huffed
"That wasn't nice" she moaned her mind in overdrive as she wondered why her Dad just happened to say that in the first conversation they'd had in two months and on the day Sam had arrived in Atlanta, something was wrong, she quickly finished the call and waited on Sam to make contact "Hey" she smiled when he called "Are you here?"
"I'm outside come on" he told her just over the promised hour
"I'm coming" she told him making her way out the back door to get to him, dragging her small case she walked as quickly as she could around the house, he smiled at her walking towards him with her black, just above the knee, A-line dress and denim jacket, with her hair tied back in a neat bun, the cabbie popped the bonnet and threw her case in it while she jumped in excitedly Sam's mind was doing it's own thing all he could hear was those familiar lyrics playing out in front of him 'The way that dress fall off you is amazing, love a miracle, a beautiful creation, baby, come a little closer let me taste it, you came a little closer, now you're shaking' "I missed you" she leaned across and kissed him, smiling as he pulled her to him pecking her on the lips before pulling away to look into her eyes, he was happy again
"Lets get out of here" he looked at the driver and gave his instructions to get back to the hotel, putting her hand where he needed it to be just then, they sat wrapped in each others arms, whispering, their bodies bursting to be connected Cedes giggling as he nibbled on her ear sending waves down her body "Thanks" Sam told the driver as they paid, got out the cab and walked towards the dim neon light reading Motel
"Sam" she turned to him her face serious "We need to change our plans, Daddy called me this evening"
"And?" his face screwed for the pending change to his plan he was hearing
"He hasn't called all the time I've been here, then tonight he called and asked if I'd seen you, then he tricked me into telling him I still had feelings for you, I just think this is the first place they'll look for you, we need to go tonight"
"I have a car, I mean I brought a car, it's kind of tatty but it works"
"A car, where did you?...I don't care, let's throw everything in it and just drive"
"Okay" he grabbed her hand walking towards the motel, grabbed his bag from the room before they walked a way down the road to the car he'd brought
"It's not that bad" she told him as they looked around it "Actually it's fine for our first car" she laughed opening the drivers door to sit in "I don't have no Mama, no family either" she looked up at him giggling
"Hey I'm your family" he replied using his best Clyde impersonation
"You know what, when we started out I thought we was really going somewhere, this... is it I guess, we're just going yeah? her eyes fluttering as she tried her best to be his Bonnie
"I love you" he jumped in the car smiling for her grabbing the front of his T-shirt
"I love you too" she pulled him towards her closing her eyes so she could take in everything, as they kissed for as long as they needed to
They'd kept restraint as long as they wanted to, the road was dark and desolate, he pulled her across the seat her chest resting on his, her legs splayed across him, his mouth moving around her face grabbing hold of her ear lobe peppered kisses leading down to her neck, he smiled when she lifted her chin to give him access and her hand went down to undo his offending trousers "I missed you" she whispered in his ear as her hands moved his t-shirt up his body for her lips to kiss his bare chest, her nails raking at his skin her need for him to be inside her apparent.
She eased off him enough for him to wiggle his trousers down to release himself, taking no time in filling herself with him, he signed at the feeling "God, I missed you too" his satisfied voice gaspingly told her
"Don't talk just..."
"Just?" he asked opening his eyes at her unusual request
"Fuck me Sam, just fuck me" her head flicked back before she lunged forward and buried it in his neck, her noise those of pain while her body told him she was getting pleasure, he was listening but he'd gotten so turned on with her telling him what she wanted he was giving it to her and blowing his own mind at the same time "Sam I'm cu..." he heard holding her hips down on him, that was his thing, she just needed to call his name, let him know that he was the only person in the world that could give her satisfaction at that moment, that was all he needed, he was done
"You feel so good" he kissed her nose as he sat feeling her clenching rhythm relaxing around him, that seemed to go on forever until her body shivered and she relaxed against him
'Hey lady, let me tell you why, I can't live my life, without you (aw baby) every time I see you walking by I cannot breathe, you don't understand but in time you will' she hummed as she lay on his chest taking them being them again in
'I must make you understand, I want to be your man (I wanna be your man), I want to be your man (yes I do yeah yeah)' he hummed pulling her closer to him as they sat reflecting, getting ready to face the world alone, together "Let's go" he finally broke the comfortable silence, lifting her head up off him
"We need to find somewhere to wash up"
"First stop" he told her lifting her off him and moving himself out the car to go round to the drivers side, zipping his trousers up at the same time
They drove for hours before Cedes' eyes closed and he was watching the road alone, he was happy, this was his plan, God's plan, and it was coming together, he didn't know how he was going to explain the drugs to her but he'd made his mind up, even if she told him to throw it away that was fine, he'd do it. Nearly ten hours of driving and he was happy they could stay at a motel for the night, he found one along the way and booked them in, it was almost morning but they could sleep the day away and travel by night, they were working on their own time
Ohio
"Cedes" he sat in the car nudging her awake "Come on I've got keys" he dangled them in front of her face "Bath" he tried to entice her saying "Hot water all over your sexy skin" he whispered in her ear "Babe"
"What?" she finally responded
"Motel I have keys, we can have a bath"
"Bath?" she rubbed her eyes asking looking around to get her bearings "Sam" she smiled when he came into focus "Sorry I... forgot" she sat up "Bath" she waved her pointed finger at him agreeing that was their first stop
"You've slept like a log" he told her as he opened the car door to get out and grab their bags
"You always put me to sleep" she smiled at him
"Do you want to go in the bath first?" he asked when they got into the room, throwing their bags down, he sat on the bed watching her get her things together needing sleep but not wanting it to come just yet.
"You go first" she threw a towel at him instructing
"Okay" he got up and had a bath coming out a while later with a towel covering his wet hair and nothing else "Hurry up" he told her nodding towards the bathroom, she didn't speak she just got up and went to the bathroom, coming out wrapped in a towel twenty minutes later "Take the towel off" he ordered, half asleep as she walked into the room
"What?" she asked nervously
"The towel take it off" she quickly dropped it on the floor an jumped on the bed "You shy?" he asked
"No cold" she giggled kissing him on the cheek as she landed on the bed, and lay next to him pulling the covers up
"I was hoping no covers" he pushed them off "I could get you warmed up" he moved towards her aiming for her lips, he managed to grab her lower lip into his mouth and sucked on it before invading her mouth and pulling her towards him
"It's cold" she sat up and pulled the covers back over her telling him
"Okay" he lay watching her wondering what was going on, smiling because he knew he was going to win this argument at some point he grabbed her round the waist pulling her to him their body's connected from the chest all the way down "Cedes" he looked at her his face puzzled
"What?" she looked at him guilt on her face
"What?" he asked her pushing her away from him "What the fuck, why didn't you... are you trying to fucking trap me?"
"What?" she pulled her body further away from his grip, watching as he jumped out of bed
"Who's the fuck is that?" he pointed at her asking
"Yours, what the hell do you mean by that?" she looked up at him "What the fuck are you calling me?" she jumped up to kneel in the bed asking him
"Your fucking pregnant, you didn't take a second in all the fucking conversations we had to tell me that shit, and now you've got us on the run with a fucking baby in the mix, I didn't plan for this you'll have to get rid of it"
"What?" she gasped at his words
"And stop with the fucking what questions, what the hell did you think was going to happen here, some sort of happy ever after shit?"
"I just didn't want..."
"Get rid of it Cedes, that's the end of it" he grabbed his jeans and a t-shirt before walking out the motel room
"Sam" she shouted after him, her voice broke into a bawl he could hear through the door
He stood outside the door listening to her cry, tears in his eyes for the situation he'd found himself in, how was she going to be pregnant and keep that away from him? What the hell was she thinking. This changed everything for him if she even decided to keep it, he'd demanded she get rid of it but his heart knew it was anger speaking, he'd maybe never speak to her again if she chose that option, he smiled knowing that she wasn't choosing that otherwise she'd have done it already. Suddenly he was at the car looking at the seat they'd made love in hours earlier, that's why there was pain in the pleasure for her, he was hurting the baby, his baby. A guilt came over him, instead of being supportive he'd come out all spoilt brat thinking about himself and what he stood to lose in all this "If this is God's plan" he locked the car and made his way back to their motel room.
Mercy sat looking at the door, knowing this was her fault, she'd known for months but she'd totally blanked it out, pretended it wasn't happening, scared on all levels, she'd told him a lie when she said she was using contraception, she wasn't even thinking pregnant she felt so naïve about the whole thing. She'd had the conversation in her head, the same one he'd just had with her asked herself if she'd done it to trap him, told herself they were too young, they hadn't even been together that long, not long enough to be talking stuff that was going to impact on the rest of their lives, but who the fucking father was, she'd never thought he'd think that.
California
"Ann" Daniel called as he walked in the door "Where's Sam tell him I want to see him in my study"
"He hasn't got back yet" she shouted through the house
"What's going on?" he doubled back popping his head round the living room door asking her
"He..." she looked around at him before facing forward again and rolling her eyes for what this was going to turn into "He didn't say he was staying with Homer he just asked me not to worry and said he'd let me know what was going on in a few days"
"So where is he?"
"I don't know"
"He's 16 years fucking old, we know what this world is, the threat he could be under and you hold this shit for two damn days, Ann..." he held his breath considering what he wanted to say "Sometimes I wonder about you, have you ever loved him?"
"How dare you" she jumped up at him shouting "Of course I fucking love him and I trust him to look after himself, I've worked just as fucking hard as the next man to keep him out of this rat race of a fucking life you've set up for us" she caught herself getting out of control and stopped "I trust him" she told her husband remembering who she was talking to
"We better pray nothing happens to him" he left the room grabbing his phone "H" he called when he picked up "Sam's missing, Ann didn't think I needed to... really?" he asked at H's interruption, he stood listening for a while before walking back towards the lounge "H seems to think he's gone off to find Mercedes"
"Atlanta?" Ann asked watching as Daniel finished his conversation with Heath
"Yeah, sorry I freaked, I shouldn't have said that about you not loving him, I know better" he walked back to her kissing her forehead as he spoke "Forgive me?" he flashed his puppy dog eyes at her asking
"If I had somewhere else to be..." she giggled at him
"You wouldn't want to be there" he smiled looking down as his phone rang again, he flicked it open and kissed his wife's hand as he walked away to his study "H any news?" he asked before the door shut
Tony
Tony hadn't gotten any further with finding Sam, he'd just disappeared off the radar, he'd got everyone looking everywhere for him all coming back with nothing, there was no news of any drugs being sold anywhere there was just nothing "Word on the street" Clancy one of Tony's right hand men came in telling him "There's a crew have our shit" he told him as everyone jumped up at his announcement
"What have they done with Sam?" Tony asked, that was his only concern
"Didn't hear mention" Clancy shrugged his shoulders telling him
"Let's go" he grabbed his bag and headed off, the six men jumping in the waiting cars after him, this had been their soul project since Sam went missing with the stash, they didn't even know that his agenda had nothing to do with the drugs, he was on his way out he couldn't let anyone know his weakness. If this didn't work out he was going to become the enemy of everyone he called family, as bad as Marcus had ever been, he'd never heard him talk of fear of being outside the family, even now he claimed he was keeping the cops busy by keeping them away from the family "You know the drill" he told Clancy, as the cars came to a halt at the top of the road
"Back" Clancy instructed the guys in the back car, turning to the guys in the front car "Watch that door" he pointed at the front door before turning to look at Tony "If our shit is in there we're coming back with it" he stepped off
"Clancy" Tony called remembering his agenda "Nobody touches Sam" he told him looking round as Sargent, his wing man, stepped out of the car they were in "Hey" he knocked fists with Sargent feeling in his voice "Make sure nobody touches Sam"
"He's yours Boss" Sargent told him
"No I mean nobody touches him" he looked into his eyes, waiting for him to get the message
"Boss" Sargent finally told him acknowledging the order
"Let's fucking do this" Clancy told Sargent grabbing the money out Sargent's hand before walking towards the door, knocking it he took one last look at Tony before he walked in. The scene was much like any holding house they'd ever been in sparse, dark and full of arms "We're here to do business" Sargent told the Italian guy standing in front of him
"We don't usually see Tony's boys down here"
"Tony's not managing this outfit just now" Clancy told him "Business?" he cut the conversation asking him
"Here" he handed him a tightly wrapped package saying
Sargent took the package and used his knife to open it, passing it to Clancy, watching as he took some and came up smiling "He's got some good stuff" he told Sargent as the white dust hit the back of his nostril and smoothed it's way down the back of his throat before flying to his brain "Good stuff" he smiled
"Got anymore?" Sargent asked, watching as the guy signalled for his guys to bring some more, he smiled, this wasn't their missing merchendise "$25K for the lot" he told him knowing he was insulting the seller but he'd lost interest, this wasn't what or who he was looking for
"Shitting right?" the guy laughed
"It's fair for what it is, it's going to take a lot of work to get that street ready" he nodded at the packages on the table
"No fucking way, step off if you ain't got nothing better to fucking say" the dealer hissed looking at the man to his left "Wasting my fucking time" signalling for his guy to pick the packages up, looking around the room non-verbally telling his guys to get ready for action
"Hold up" Sargent waved his hands calming things down "Obviously we thought we were prepared for this game, I'll speak to Tony and get back, we can raise the money"
"You have an hour" he told them dismissing them
Sargent got outside, and stood shaking head, Tony's heart sank, it was the only lead they'd got and it was nothing, he sat wondering what he was going to say to H and D in a few hours
Ohio
Sam & Cedes
"Cedes" he peeped his head round the door, his face carrying a look of disgust for himself "I'm so..."
"Don't bother, I can't forgive you calling me a whore" she held her hand up at him jumping up off the bed
"I didn't call you a whore" he stepped into the room shocked at what she was saying "I was in shock I asked if..."
"I heard what you said" she snapped at him
"I'm trying to say sor..."
"I said I don't want to fucking hear it" she shouted across the room, before marching into the bathroom and slamming the door
"Cedes" he stood tapping the door trying to get her to open it "Cedes, please at least let me try to say sorry"
"Why because you want me to hurry up and get rid of it?" she shouted through the door
"I'm not standing here talking to a fucking door, open it" he banged it, making her jump, she thought about not listening for about a second before the door sprung open "Are you going to let me apologise?"
"No" she walked past him her hands raised telling him not to touch her
He followed her around the room, trying to talk her down but everything he said seemed to set something off, he finally settled for just watching her walk around the room trying to catch her eyes so she could see how sorry he was. A few minutes into the game and he grabbed after her "Cedes" he whispered breaking the tension in the room, total silence except for the low tinny music playing on his phone "Cedes" he stretched and grabbed her arm, pulling her to him to rest her back on his chest, wrapping his left arm around her waist while his right hand went down to grab her bulging tummy firmly holding what had formed of their child "I'm sorry, I panicked" he kissed her neck, a beg in his voice. Cedes closed her eyes and took in the intimate moment, her head fell back onto his chest, she always felt secure in his arms, she knew he meant what he was saying, he'd never say it if he didn't. she lifted her head as he kissed down her neck "I love you Cedes, girlfriend for life, remember?" his left hand came up to grab her right breast squeezing it lightly as he spoke
"I remember" she turned to face him, taking his kisses 'Beautiful, beautiful life right now, beautiful, beautiful night right now, beautiful, beautiful by my side right now' she hummed in his ear along with the song on the phone as his mouth wondered around her body, her voice telling him she was ready for sex and lots of it,
"You're getting into my Bazzi feels" he smiled as he took her kisses 'Hey, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful angel, love your imperfections every angle, tomorrow comes and goes before you know, so I just had to let you know' he sang back at her before she took over "I'm sorry"
It had started with him saying sorry, but Cedes was on form, she just kept going with no sign of an end as daybreak came, they stopped only for water, he was exhausted almost to crying point, even when he said he was tired she went about taking what she wanted "Shit Cedes" he gasped having closed his eyes for what seemed like seconds to wake up to her sucking on him "Ain't nobody else that I'd be under" he laughed
"It's been nearly 3 months, but if this is God's plan" she laughed
"I know but I travelled for two days, drove for nearly 12 hours and you won't let me sleep"
"After this Babe I promise"
"Promise?"
"Yep" she giggled, climbing on top of him, he slept until well into the afternoon, jumping out of his sleep at the unfamiliar surroundings, smiling when he saw Cedes sitting at the bottom of the bed
"Hey" he smiled as she turned to look at him "So I just had to let you know, I just had to let you know, swear to God you're beautiful" he hugged her singing in her ear
"Yeah" she smiled back at him "We need to talk" she told him, as she sat eating a mango wrapped in his arms