“Why are you ignoring Sean's phone calls, it could be important you know?” I couldn't help but glance at Derrick's phone when it rung.

“Are you listening to me?” No, because he was too busy- constantly glaring into the rear view and side view mirrors as we drove through the city. He looked pretty tense, shifting the gears and stepping on the accelerator. He was speeding and switching lanes. God, I hated being ignored.

“What did you say, baby?” He asked after a moment, running the stop light, making a left turn. Luckily, there weren't many cars on the road. We were in his Viper and I'm pretty sure he didn't want to wreck his precious toy. I sighed, refusing to repeat myself.

Most couples, when they first hook up are in the honeymoon phase. Everything is beautiful and there are no arguments... yeah we totally skipped that. The moment Derrick and I met it was war. Intense love affairs start off like that... I guess. I still remember when he spanked me. I throw an angry glare at the side of his face.

Whenever I get mad at him I just tell him to meet me in his workout room and we go a couple of rounds. Then we meet in the bedroom and go a couple of rounds there, too.

“We're being followed,” he said, stiffly, out of the blue. It was instinct to gaze over a shoulder. Sure enough there were three black SUVs, driving side by side in each lane. “FBI drives those types of vehicles.”

“I hope you're buckled up.” He took a quick glance at me before shifting the gears again and stomped on the gas. I was thrown back against the seat. My mind was wheeling with all kinds of horrible possibilities. I gazed over my shoulder again noticing something strange. The SUVs didn’t have license plates.

I calmed myself down; knowing that in reality an SUV could not catch a Viper. “They don't have license plates, baby.”

“Don't you think I fucking know that?!” He exploded.

“Don't talk to me like that! Yo’ idiot ass is the one that said FBI drives those types of vehicles”-I mocked his baritone- “and I don't think the FBI would be cruising around without-

“Because they fucking do drive those fucking kinds of vehicles! And don't call me an idiot! I graduated from fucking Stanford University with a degree in business and a 4.O!” That threw me off for a minute. My baby got a degree from Stanford- a top university? I smiled, feeling proud of him... and that's when the back window got shot out and glass splayed everywhere. Derrick grabbed the back of my neck and shoved my head down.

“Shit, stay the fuck down!” Who the fuck was shooting at us?!

“You fuckin’ up my hair! I just got it done!”

“Well excuse-the fuck- out of me if I don't want my woman with a hole blown through her skull!”

“At least I'll die with my hair looking cute!” All my friends and the coroner’s office gon' be likedamn... this bitch died with her hair on fleek.

“Don't even joke about something like that!”

I heard the sound of a motorcycle and Derrick cursing profusely. “That son of a bitch is the one shooting at us!”

Well, no shit.

“Baby, there's a gun strapped beneath your seat, get it,” he instructed. Head still down, I reached for it. Feeling around until I felt the cold steel.

I pulled the gun out. I knew what to do before he even had to say anything.

I slowly raised my head looking in the side view mirror before it got shot off. The motorcycle was beside the Viper before moving behind it. Okay an SUV can't catch a Viper, but a motorcycle can. Obviously.

“If you die, I'll kill you myself!”

“Oh, that makes so much sense, Mr. Stanford Guy,” I responded, sarcastically as we sped down the road. I maneuvered as best as I can in the passenger seat to face the back. Vipers weren't exactly spacey cars and they don't have back seats. “Slow down, so I could get a good shot!” He slowed down just enough so the motorcycle was almost on our tail.

I took a deep breath as I aimed for the front tire. And let it out slowly as I squeezed the trigger. I felt like super-bitch as the bullet hit the desired target and watched as the driver was thrown forward. He tumbled to the pavement- right along with the bike. If he wasn't dead those were a lotof broken bones he's gonna be sporting. I turned in the seat with a hand over my heart, breathing heavy. We already lost the SUVs and were safe... for now.

What the hell is going on?

Derrick pulled into the parking lot of Wal-Mart. He parked and turned off the engine. Grabbing me, he put me on his lap, kissing and touching me, making sure I was alright.

“Baby, I'm okay,” I cooed, trying not to giggle, but his beard was tickling me. I gazed up at him and his eyes glazed over in that way that said he wanted me right here. I felt his hard-on beneath my ass. This Viper was too small for all that, especially with how wild we get.

I noticed something was a little off as we arrived at the warehouse. There was no one guarding the exterior of the building. “Stay here,” Derrick commanded. Of course I don't listen and moved into step behind him as he stalked up to the building with his gun drawn.

He opened the door and we were both assaulted by the smell of blood and flesh. I gagged.

“Oh. My. God,” I exploded and covered my mouth and nose as we stepped in. Near the entrance every single one of Derrick's men were in a heap of hacked off body parts piled on top of each other. No one was spared. There was a message written in their blood upon the wall that read $25 MILLION.

“Ebony... get the fuck out of here.” His voice was soft and low.

“But-

He spun around and gave me a look I never seen before. It instantly shut me up. My spine snapped straight and I turned on my heel and left like a good little soldier. I stalked out of that warehouse back to his shot up Viper and waited, wondering how in the hell did he shut me up like that with just a look. And I chastised myself for doing so.

Then I began to shake as everything I experienced set in. What I saw... Those men were people I knew, some had families. When Derrick had locked me up, they would sneak me out and bring me food. I even played some card games with them- that always ended in a brawl because somebody was cheating.

Every single one was nice to me. Even then I wasn't a fool- I knew none of them were good men. I wonder is it inevitable that people like them die by the same means in which they lived: through violence. The good book says you live by the sword you die by the sword.

I looked up as Derrick came stalking out of the building, his expression impassive. He punched his Viper. Oh, he was furious. “They took Sean.”

I gasped.  “They took him for ransom?” Was that what the message in blood meant?

He laughed, but it was bitter and cold. “No, sweetheart. That was the amount of the bounty that was placed upon my head.” It crashed over me, violently- like a wave crushing at the bow. I think my heart may have stopped for a fraction of a second.

No…

“How do you know,” I whispered. He pulled out his phone and played Sean’s message…

 “Derrick! Why the fuck are you not answering your fucking phone, man?! Shit, this is bad reallybad, man. You gotta give me a call back and let me know you’re alright. Fuck. They’re after you, man! A twenty-five million dollar hit was placed on you by-

There was gun fire in the background and the line went dead.

While Derrick and I were in a love bubble- enjoying the hell out of each other- all this was going on. His cousin needed him and he was too busy with me. I knew exactly what this meant.

***

“Baby, we'll figure it out,” I said, gently to assure him as we drove. He switched the Viper to the Ferrari. With this sort of thing there was no where he could turn. No one he could trust that wouldn't betray him just to get the money.

“I can't trust anyone...” he mused out loud. I place my hand on his leg and squeezed.

I smirk. “You can trust me. I haven't tried to kill you for the twenty-five million dollars,” I tried to lighten the mood. Truth be told, I was scared, scared for him. Who the fuck placed a fucking hit out on him? It could have been anybody, honestly. He made a lot of enemies being who he is.

We stopped by some bank. Derrick escorted me inside with a hand pressed to my lower back. A woman dressed in a nice suit with a pretty smile and checking Derrick out unabashed greeted us. “Good afternoon and welcome to Trans Banks, I'm Suzanna. How can I help you?” I tried to mimic Derrick’s stare- the one he used to shut me up.  It worked because she became very nervous.

Derrick gives me a look before saying, “I would like to make a withdrawal.”

“Follow me, Mr...”

“Baker,” he replies. I roll my eyes. Derrick and Sean both like to use aliases. A lot.

Twenty minutes later...

“Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Baker, but the funds in your account has been frozen,” which is what he was told by the next three banks we visited.

We sat in the parking lot of the last bank. “I really hope you didn't put all your money in these accounts.”

“Come on, baby, give me more credit than that,” he says, sounding irritated. “I only put a small proportion of my money in these banks, but someone is really trying to fuck me over.” This just doesn’t make any sense. Somebody must have some serious connections in order to be able to freeze someone else’s bank account.

“So… what's next?”

***

The Wolf: back in the day he was death for hire, mercenary. Grown men would scream when they see him coming. He was brutal to the core and extremely elite. Carried out the hit and was gone before the body even hit the floor.

The lone figure sat in the mini theater tapping his finger against a thigh with eyes closed, savoring the surround sound of the Opera music blasting heavenly through the speakers.

For a minute our presence went unnoticed or rather “The Wolf” chose to ignore us until the end of the song. Then he opened his eyes and stood, drawing himself up to his full height. He was just as tall as Derrick.

His unemotional eyes rested upon us and I knew from the very depth of my soul this man was not to be trifled with. He was death walking. His presence chilled me all the way down to the very essence of my being. I knew that Armani suit was just a cover for the savage he was.

I gazed up at Derrick and even he seemed rattled by this man's presence. “Hey, dad,” Derrick greeted him, coolly. I gasped in shock.

“Son,” he replied, curtly. Voice was smoky and deep, full of vigor, kind of how I would imagine Satan's voice.