Astoria, New York

11:02am

     “Mama,” Ebony shook her mother’s bare shoulder. The skin was slick with moisture. Janet jumped awake as if she’d been hit instead of gently shaken. Her dilated eyes darted around the car and settled on her daughter. “We’re here.” Janet slowly nodded her understanding and licked her chapped, greyed lips.

Ebony reached into her purse with slightly shaken hands and found her Chapstick. She pulled off the cap and leaned across the car to put some on her mother’s lips. Once finished, she offered a meek smile and Ebony returned it with one of her own. Ebony grabbed her mother’s hand and ran her thumb over the smooth burn scars that started at her thumb and ran up her forearm.

This was the second rehabilitation check-in for her mother within the last year. The eighth trip in the last four years. She couldn’t keep track of how many times it had been total. Each time was more grim than the one before. Probably because they both had one more trip’s worth of proof that it was all for nothing.

But Ebony couldn’t give up on her. She would do anything to give her mother a second chance at life. Even if it meant working three jobs for six months that each paid their own versions of nothing. She put her art, her passions and dreams on hold and got together the money.

Her mother’s head had ended up back against the window of the car. She was shivering in her sleep yet dripping hot sweat. The beginnings of withdrawal were creeping up on her and Ebony had to check her in soon before she turned into something uncontrollable. 

“Ma,” Ebony swallowed. “Last night you told me something about daddy. Something about him and Bel…” She trailed off as she fought to decipher her mother’s twisted words. Ebony replayed the eerie scene over and over again until she couldn’t stomach it anymore. Her mother never uttered a word about her father that Ebony could untangle but for the first time, she had. And Ebony couldn’t believe she couldn’t remember what she said. “Please tell me what you said.” She begged. Her mother groaned and moaned her incoherence and Ebony could feel her tears piercing her eyes.

She would probably never know.

Ebony rubbed her hands down the front of her mother’s straight backs. Ebony usually did the style before she went in for rehab.

“Okay, Janet.” The nurse sighed. She walked over and grabbed the handles of her mother’s wheelchair. Ebony bent down to place a kiss on her mother’s cheek. Her lips stopped against her ear.

“This is the last time. I feel it.” She proclaimed, hoping it meant as much to her mother as it did her to hear the words aloud. Her mother seemed unfazed and continued alternating between consciousness and sleep. Her mother and her things were wheeled down the hall. They reached a door that required a badge and then they were out of sight.

Ebony flicked at her tear and turned on her heel.

Bronx, New York

8:30pm

“I hate this damned city.” Silas grumbled as Gael slammed the breaks for the hundredth time. His driver looked into the rearview mirror to smirk at him through the reflection. His toffee brown eyes gleamed against skin set three shades darker. His eyes creased and showed signs that the bottom half of his face was smiling. Silas wasn’t as amused and decided to turn his attention to his suitcase of guns instead of the jagged drive. His fingers glided over the selection of sub-machine guns he and his men had to choose from.

None of them could compare to his reliable pistol.

But this wasn’t Texas. He didn’t have the gift of distance on his side. Men were everywhere and nowhere all at once. The automatic and successive shots of the machine guns were best in this setting. He ran his hand over it once more, trying to imagine it hot from use.

“Fucking beautiful, ain’t she?” Jedediah said from beside him. He leaned up from the third row of seats in the SUV and looked Silas in the eye with a wide, giddy grin on his face. Silas’ eyes rolled at the excitement. His hitman was thirsty to shed blood and he finally had his chance.

“Listen to me,” Silas called for everyone’s attention. Armando, who sat in the passenger’s seat beside Gael turned back to him. Everyone’s silence coaxed him on. He gazed out the window as he spoke. “We aren’t home. Act accordingly.”

Everyone knew what that meant.

The car came to a slow at a project housing development. People stood outside, conversing, smoking and drinking under the overhead lights. Women sashayed by sitting men, capturing their eyes for just a second and then they’d go back to what they were doing. Gael pulled around the back of the building where they had a key to enter. It was less conspicuous to go around the back but there was a risk if someone saw them. Going through the back door meant you didn’t want to be seen. Which always meant you had bad intentions upon arrival.

He sent a text from his throw-away cell. He looked to the building and saw the nearby security camera turn away from the entrance they needed to go through. They put on their gloves and sat their face masks in standby position.

“Vamos.” Silas almost whispered. Gael, Jedediah and Armando both jumped out of the car with purpose. They strolled past the uninterested camera, used the doctored door pass and walked into the utility closet of the housing complex. Gael opened the door that led to the lobby with a crack and then threw it open the rest of the way when it was clear.

Silas followed up the steps, bypassing the leftover fast food containers, dirt and roaches flooding the stairwell. They reached the second floor and knocked on the door he’d given the Sureños to operate out of.

Blaring rap music poured out of the door’s frame even with it shut. Silas’ irritation grew after the third second of waiting. He tried to be diplomatic and make a statement by knocking in the first place. It was a short lived effort.

“Hágale—Go,”

Gael took the key out of his pocket and opened the door.

There had to be at least ten people inside. Silas could feel his men tense at the sight of so many soon-to-be enemies. Probably all with fully loaded guns in the back of their pants.

The smell of weed was a layer of smoke in the air that altered their sight immediately. He stepped to the forefront of his men. When he did, Leonardo appeared from the back bedroom and a smile spread across his profile. His skin was glossed in a youngness that couldn’t be faked. He had to be no older than twenty two.

It made Silas sick to know that he made contracts with kids. But the young gangs had something the old ones didn’t; nothing to lose and everything to gain. No family, no jobs, no hope. They had one another and sometimes, that could work in his favor. But any other time, he resorted to taking advantage of their circumstances.

“Country ass Quetzalcoatl!” Leonardo approached with his arm prepared for a masculine embrace. He leaned in cheerfully.

Silas reached for the back of the young man’s neck instead. The dig into his skin was deep and intentional. Silas held his head close to his just so Leonardo could see the intensity in his eyes. 

“Don’t disrespect me.” Silas growled low enough for only them to hear. The warning was deadly. Leonardo stumbled back, trying his best to regroup after being embarrassed in front of the men. Silas’ height and stature already made Leonardo look weak in comparison but the interaction confirmed it.

He had power over the people in his gang but Silas wasn’t one of them. He and his men were on a level far beyond Leonardo’s world. Leonard reeled his confidence back in. He was right to do so.

 “We can talk in the back. Rico is waitin’.”

Leonardo escorted them to the back of the small unit. Silas’ men followed closely. The smoke cleared the farther back they ventured. A dark purple light overhead cast a glow in the room. Rico sat in one of the only two pieces of furniture inside. A worn desk was in the middle with a chair in front.

Rico was reclined in his seat and a young woman was perched on his lap. He stared up into her eyes and she giggled down on him. She had long, wavy hair that looked wet to the eye but was a known style trend. They both wore thick gold chains around their necks and she wore multiple bracelets that dangled when she reached to caress his jaw. Their gazes turned to the men in the doorway and Rico swatted her on the ass to dismiss her. She scurried off and left the room. Silas could feel Jedidiah’s gaze follow her out. He made no attempt to hide his lustful staring.

Silas sat in the chair and his men stood behind him. Leonardo flanked Rico’s side.

“Boss,” Rico extended his hand with a smile full of gold teeth. His neck length hair was pulled into a ponytail. He moved to offer his hand. Silas accepted his gesture. “You got good news for us?” Silas was tired of these boys’ enthusiasm. It came off as a lack of respect. He was not their friend.

But they’d learn that soon enough.

“You moved last month’s shipment twice as fast as the one before—even though we gave you two kilos more.” Silas got straight to the point. “I was impressed.” Leonardo and Rico exchanged a prideful glance.

He glanced at his wristwatch. 8:36

Silas gestured for the suitcase. Gael laid two down on the table before him and Armando followed up with one more. The edges were unclasped and the contents were placed on the table. They waited patiently for all $200,000 to be stacked before them. Leonardo and Rico didn’t hide their gleams of pride. Rico rubbed his hands together eagerly, as if he would scoop the money up from the table right then and walk out with it.

“Hell yeah,” Leonardo said lowly. He pulled his fitted cap down on his head a little more and crossed his arms over his chest while he waited.

“I was impressed,” Silas started but everyone knew there’d be more. “then I was suspicious and that turned to insult,” Silas flicked lint off of his crossed pant leg. He focused on throwing the piece on the ground while he spoke. “I give you the deal of a lifetime with Sinaloa and you steal from me—”

“Boss,” Leonardo started to explain, his eyes were wide with horror. “We didn’t do shit. We just moved the —” Silas held up his hand to silence him. His auburn eyes were set ablaze and cast on Leonardo. Leonardo saw his mistake in Silas’ profile and Silas then turned back to Rico.

The contrast in their expressions was stark. Rico was on guard. His eyes flicked between the door, Silas and his men. He seemed to be weighing his options as if he had any. Maybe he thought he did; Silas’ men were outnumbered here as far as Rico was concerned.

“I give you more responsibility and you feel it the perfect opportunity to take money from me. As if I don’t keep tabs on my business.” Silas pounded his fist on the wood table hard enough to put a crack in the surface. Some of the piled money toppled over. “You think I don’t look at my fucking money?” Silas could feel his temperament breaking. He leaned forward as if he really wanted an answer. The men knew better.

Silas reached back into the open suitcase and lowered the hidden panel along the lining. The guns were at the back. He could hear men shouting outside the door but no one came in. Then he could hear other voices—voices he knew. They called for cooperation in Spanish. The Sureños gang had been cornered.

Silas revealed two of the guns in each hand. He stood and set them at the foreheads of both men.

“Everything is mine. The building—the product. You do nothing here I don’t know about.” Rico clasped his hands together while tears threatened to drop from his eyes. He looked up to Silas with pleading eyes. “This is the money you took from me in three weeks.” He glanced down at the table. “I want you to physically see why I’m here.”

“Por favor el capo, lo siento. Necesitábamos más – Please boss, we needed more.”

“Rico, you took his fuckin money?” Leonardo ignored the gun pointed at him and glared down on groveling Rico. He had sentenced them all to death and no one knew. None of them were involved enough in the operations to see he was putting the gang’s lives at stake.

“I was about to put it all back the next drop.” Silas lowered the guns. The men almost took a breath of relief.

“Armando.” Silas called. He checked his watch again.

Armando swiftly pulled a gun from his pants and shot a hole into Rico’s skull. The force blew him backward in his seat and the blood and brain concoction splattered on the wall behind him. Blood dripped down the front of his face and his body slouched down to the base of his chair. Armando trained his gun on Leonardo next.

Leonardo’s eyes were shut tight. His whimpering could be heard despite his efforts to keep them suppressed. His white tee had splatters of blood on the side facing Rico. There were a few droplets of blood on his face too.

Silas gestured for Armando to lower his gun.

“Our business is over.” Gael and Jedidiah collected the money and placed it back in the suitcase. “Leave.” Leonardo took off out of the room. He stumbled on his feet right before he could reach for the door. He regained his footing and continued.

He had three minutes to get out of the building if he was to keep his visit under 15. Silas led the way back out of the room. Every man he’d seen earlier was held at gunpoint. A couple women sat frightened in a corner. At the entrance, Diego stood at the adjacent wall.

Diego was Silas’ lieutenant for his business in the northeast. From West Virginia to Maine, he was in charge of all operations in between. Diego was at least six foot two and two hundred pounds. He had a scar over the entire length of the right side of his face. The skin was raised and deep purple against his dark tan skin. He was his second cousin on his father’s side. Diego and Silas shared a great-grandfather but only Silas’ father had interest in creating a name for himself in the cartel. Silas made sure to give him the responsibility fit for someone of blood and Diego continuously proved himself worthy of the favor.

“We’ll talk later.” Silas stated. Armando handed him a suitcase as he passed. Diego gave one nod.

Silas and his men left the building the way they came.

Queens, New York

9:44am

“Ebony, why?” Cassandra asked for the hundredth time. Ebony continued hauling her luggage out of the back of her cousin’s car. She fought to get her suitcases on the ground without them slamming into the concrete. Cassandra was of no help.

“Let me get this one.” Her best friend, Nia appeared with an outstretched hand. Ebony happily handed her bag over. “We need to be supportive.” Nia said through clenched teeth. “Stop acting like this.” Cassandra inhaled a breath and released, flaring her nostrils. The ride to the airport had been an interrogation.

Cassandra couldn’t figure out why Ebony would up and go to Texas for three months. None of it made sense to her and it didn’t help that Ebony hardly had much of an answer herself. That seemed to fuel Cassandra even more. With a sucking of her teeth, she took Ebony’s other bag and they all walked into the airport together—Ebony gleaming from the unspoken support.

“And a bed and breakfast of all places!” Cassandra was back on her tangent. Her cooperation was very short lived. Ebony had checked in her bags and had a few hours of free time before her departure. She and her friends sat at a small table in the corner of the airport. “Auntie just went into rehabilitation, Ebb. She needs—” Nia quickly put down the smoothie she was drinking and spoke before Ebony had the chance.

“What about what she needs?” Nia’s shoulder length honey blonde bob swung with the attitude in her voice. Ebony watched her as her beautiful face scrunched up with visible irritation. Her bright yellow manicured nails flung with her hands while she spoke. “Ebony has taken care of everyone else all the time. I love Mama Janet and I will be here if she ever needs anything but I can also say I’m happy to see Ebony doing something for herself. It isn’t for either of us to understand.” Ebony smirked down at her pineapple soda.

Cassandra flipped her extensions over her shoulder while Nia’s words sunk in. Her medium brown skin was radiant against a peach tank top. Her nose stud sparkled from the natural light let in from the windows.

“I don’t know,” Cassandra started quietly. “I guess I’m just going to miss you.” Finally, Ebony could see the sadness and worry in her cousin’s face. It all made sense then; it didn’t matter what excuse she had for why she was leaving. The problem was that she was leaving at all.

“Oh, you’ll be okay.” Ebony reached across the length of the table and captured her hand. She looked to Nia and grabbed hers, too. “It’s something I need to do for myself. I don’t know why and I can’t really explain it but I’m ready regardless.” Ebony took a breath and controlled her smile. “I wanted to announce something but I didn’t get a chance with everything going on.” They both anticipated her words and she almost felt bad for trying to be suspenseful. “I was asked to create an exhibit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art.”

Cassandra drummed her feet on the floor while in her seat. She squealed with her eyes closed while Nia clapped proudly. Ebony chuckled at her friends.

“Oh my God, congratulations!” Nia reached over and grabbed Ebony into a hug. Nia fought with her mass of curls and coils but eventually settled into the embrace comfortably.

“Thank you—but I wanted to take some time to find my inspiration again. I think the city isn’t the place for that.” Cassandra listened.

“We’ll be there to visit at least once.” Cassandra said. Nia nodded her agreement. “And we’ll be here to visit Auntie Janet and make sure she’s alright.” They’d been there to help with putting her mother in rehabilitation more than once. They seemed just as committed to making her better as Ebony was. As she looked into her friends’ faces, she knew this trip to Texas would be the best thing for her.

She’d never gotten the chance to do anything because she wanted to. She was chained to the city because her mother was chained to the streets. She couldn’t bear to leave her suffering alone. Her entire life revolved around her and it’d been that way since before she could remember. But she’d had the courage to do something different and her friends were cheering her on.

That was all she needed.

“I love ya’ll.” Ebony laughed.

Two

Harper, Texas

5:55pm

Ebony closed the taxi’s trunk while the driver sat her bags on the curb.

“Thank you.” Ebony held out a five dollar tip. The  man took it with a smile and a nod. Ebony started to walk her suitcases up to the grand, homely three story house. The home was plotted on at least fifty acres. There was a farmhouse in the back from where she could squint. Horse stables a little farther back behind. She was sure there was more to see that was blocked by the sheer scale of the house itself.

The outside of the home was charming and screamed southern hospitality. It was eggshell white with matching trim. The porch wrapped around the perimeter and provided protection from the blaring June sun. The second floor had a double door balcony that could let you gaze out from above.

“Ebony! Come on in here, honey!” Ebony’s attention drifted to the woman in front of the house’s double door entrance. Ebony got to the entrance and the woman hugged her. Ebony was taken aback by the embrace but tried to flow with it. The large woman’s embrace was welcoming, protective and genuine. Ebony assumed this woman was the owner, Willadeene.

The bed and breakfast was called Villa Deene’s Bed and Breakfast. Aside from the beauty of the house and price per-night, the cleverness of the name had definitely sealed the deal for where she’d stay.

“I’m Willadeene—I got your room nice and set up for you upstairs; new linen and towels.” She led the way into the house. Her accent was southern but Ebony could hear a hint of something else.

The house was spacious but still gave off a sense of welcome. It was washed in tans, browns and oranges. The left of the foyer was the living area full of bookcases, plenty of seating and floor to ceiling windows to let in natural light. The right side let into the massive kitchen. Oak wood cabinets, dark marble countertops and stainless steel. The floral wallpaper choices gave a perfect reminder the she was in Texas.

“This is my brother Ewell sittin’ there.” Ebony saw him at the kitchen table with a newspaper and coffee in front of him. His hard stare met her head on. He gave a nod and then returned to his paper. “He’s a grump, don’t mind him—let me show you to your room.”

Willadeene used a key to unlock the room facing the front of the house. She had the room with the balcony she’d seen earlier. The space was roomy. It had a bed, desk, chair, armoire and mirror. Everything was centered around a pale peach and white theme. There was plenty of area for her to work on ideas for the art exhibit.

“This is perfect.” Ebony said with a smile in her voice. She ventured in a little beyond Willadeene to look around more.

“The bathroom for this room is right outside the door across the hall. We have two visitors upstairs but you are the only one on this floor for now. They usually don’t eat any meals here.” Willadeene announced. Ebony turned to her.

“Thank you so much.” Ebony said honestly. She’d shown her so much welcome so far and it made all the difference in making her more comfortable with her decision to come in the first place.

Panic had set in on the flight. She kept thinking about the last bit of savings she had drained between paying for the bed and breakfast for three months and financing her mother’s rehabilitation. She found a sublet for her apartment in Brooklyn, quit her jobs, packed up and left her mother on the other end of the country. And she hadn’t even told her she was leaving.

Regret had sat in the base of her belly the whole trip. She’d left everything behind chasing a glimmer of hope. But Willadeene’s humility had solidified her choice.

She stared into the woman’s hazel eyes and they smiled at one another. Willadeene tucked a piece of her shoulder length wavy brown hair behind her ear as if bashful under the gaze of appreciation for doing so little. “Ain’t no need to thank me. You’re gonna’ be here for quite some time so I’m eager to get to know you. I want you to be comfortable.” Ebony nodded her understanding. “Dinner will be ready at soon. Go ahead, get settled in and you can come down when you’re ready.”

Ebony had unpacked all her suitcases. She folded her painting tarp and put her art supplies in the corner. She put her empty suitcases under the bed and walked over to her cellphone.

“Made it.” She texted her friends. She sat the phone back on the nightstand by the bed and went to grab her bedroom key. It was attached to a stretching plastic bracelet so she put on her wrist and walked over to the bathroom across the hall to get ready for dinner.

“I told you about dealing with those new gangs.” Willadeene scolded quietly. She stirred a pot of gravy while she spoke. “They don’t know what they’re doing and you go put your business in their laps.”

Silas picked up his glass of ice water. “The territory is new but they’ve been around for a while.” He walked over to the island counter and sat down. “Our old method is too much of a red flag now. And up there it just isn’t practical.” He explained quietly.

He usually had street soldiers from Mexico or Colombia. They had families at home who created a personal liability. A mess-up here would mean a consequence for their families to pay overseas. It set their integrity to levels he didn’t have to question. But ICE was getting tougher to ignore and the pool was shrinking. If Diego could get the street gangs in order for him, they’d be perfect substitutes. So far, they were proving a chore to control.

“He’s right.” Ewell waddled into the kitchen with his cane. He took his time. “He taught el traquetos a lesson. They’ll learn and be better for it.” Silas caught his gaze and immediately turned his attention back to his aunt.

“Well, you just better be careful with—”

“Good evening,” Ebony announced.

The low, earthy and butter-like voice caught his attention. Silas turned on his seat and stared at the stranger. She offered up a timid wave and fleeting closed-lip smile from the base of the staircase.

“Silas, this is our guest Ebony. Ebony, this is my nephew Silas.” Ebony approached and Silas hadn’t noticed his head followed her every step of the way. She was tall; at least 5’8. Maybe taller.

She extended her hand for his.

He looked into her pools of chocolate brown. They were large and low set so they resembled something similar to a cat. They were perched below extended, wiry lashes.

 “Nice to meet you.” Ebony had the most hypnotizing voice. She spoke from her depths but it still allowed every bit of femininity to silkily slip through each word.

“Likewise.” Was all he could manage.

“Do you need help, Willadeene?” She asked. The cloud of kinks and coils resting on her shoulders followed a beat behind her when she whirled to stand beside his aunt. Her backside was right in front of him and he had to stare into his glass of water to keep himself polite.

“No thank you, sweetheart. All you gotta do is eat.” Ebony let out a tiny laugh. She sat at the table with Ewell. She turned to gaze out of the bay window beside the dining room table and watch the sun set over the back of the property’s horizon. Silas admired her gloss oaked back in the tube style top she wore. “Sy, you can leave now if you want.” His eyes flashed from Ebony to his aunt. He’d been caught staring.

She had a plate of country fried steaks in her hand and watched him expectantly. Silas had told his aunt he needed to get back to the city to hold a meeting with his men. It was an honest excuse to miss dinner but it was used too prematurely.

He couldn’t leave now.

Ewell’s head was level with his newspaper but his eyes were telling. The orbs were warning him to leave the woman alone. He might’ve done so on his own free will. But now he’d stay just because he could.

 “I can spare a minute.”

            “Where are you from, Ebony?” Ebony put her bubble gum pink fingers over her mouth while she chewed in preparation to reply to Silas’ question.

When her mouth was clear, she said “New York—Brooklyn.” Silas nodded silently.

“You’re far from home.” Ewell stated and somewhat asked. Silas looked at her curiously too. They waited with suspicion in their eyes as if she were to rush to explain her visit with these complete strangers to clear up any of their confusions. They were mistaken.

“I guess I am.” She ended it there. A gap of awkward silence fell over the table. Ebony looked each man in the eye before she turned back to her plate. Willadeene subdued her laughter. The men had no idea what to do with their ill placed intimidation now that Ebony had dismissed it without thought.

“What did you do while out there?” Willadeene asked.

“I’m an artist and I sing.” She’d also mopped more than a few floors and taught some bratty kids how to play a couple songs on the piano. Those odd jobs didn’t seem worth mentioning.

“How excitin’ is that?” Willadeene turned to the men with amusement on her face. “What kind of art do you make?”

“I do hyper-realism but some abstract and watercolor, too. I make sculptures and pottery—”

“I’d like to see it one day.” Silas interrupted. His brown eyes were serious and fixated on her. Ebony opened her mouth to reply but realized she didn’t know what to say. She tried once more.

“Y—yeah, I can show you one day—everyone.” She looked to Ewell and Willadeene to lessen the intimate moment she was having with Silas at the table. “I have a couple pictures on my phone.”

“Why are you here?” Ewell decided he’d just go forward with the question despite Ebony’s clear avoidance of the topic. His question was inquisitive but something about it was accusatory too. Had she insulted him?

“Listo—Ok, That’s enough!” Willadeene’s irritation with the men had shown through. Her bubbly demeanor changed like the speed of light. Ebony knew there was another side to Willadeene and she hoped she never fell under that wrath.

“No, it’s fine.” Ebony smiled. She reached over and briefly laid her hand over Willadeene’s to reassure her. The gesture seemed to work. “My art is going into an exhibit a few months from now. It’ll be the biggest moment of my life.” She swallowed and tried to pull through her moment of oversharing. Everything felt odd. “I think the space will help me think. I’ve had some ‘creator’s block’ lately.” Ebony smiled at her own use of the phrase. She had never been able to acknowledge it as that but it was the truth. She was unmotivated and lacking in creativity.

 “That’s interesting,” His pink lips curled upward on one side. But he went back to his plate. A small silence fell over them again and this time, Ebony embraced it.

“What do you have planned for tomorrow?” Willadeene asked. Ebony shrugged.

The point of her stay was not to have anything planned. She just needed to get to an art supply store to start purchasing canvases and materials for her exhibit.

“Nothing in particular.” Ebony said.

“I wanna show you around tomorrow; give you a tour of the house and take you into  town—maybe meet my girls.” Willadeene’s eyes were lit with excitement. It was more than obvious that she got lonely in this huge house with her brother. The passing visitors of the bed and breakfast brought her excitement. Ebony’s lengthy stay was probably even more exciting for her.

“I’d love that, thank you.” Ebony and Willadeene smiled at one another—just as they’d been doing since she arrived. Their relationship, while new and brief, was already turning to be something Ebony would miss when she went home. She’d have to stay in contact with her.

“Perfecto! We will leave at 10 after breakfast.” Ebony nodded and turned back to her plate.

“Where is your family from? Your accents are different.” Ebony brought her drink to her lips and took a swallow.

“Colombia and Mexico.” Silas replied. “My father was Colombian and my mother was from Mexico.”

“And Ewell is your father?”

“Uncle.” Silas corrected. Ebony looked between the two and the resemblance was uncanny. They had the same strong, angled jaw. The same wavy, ink black hair despite Silas’ being neck length and Ewell’s peppered in grey. And their eyes were exact copies; mysterious, intimidating and almost black-brown.

“Well, I’m done.” Silas pushed back from the table after eating every morsel of country fried steak, gravy, mashed potatoes and broccoli on his plate. Everything was left at the table but he strolled away to leave.

“Put that plate in the sink, Hijueputa! – asshole!” Silas laughed as he came back to the table to grab his plate and cup. He put them in the sink and placed a gentle kiss on his aunt’s crown.

“Thank you, Tia.” Silas looked to Ebony with readable interest in his eyes. “Nice meeting you.” He smiled.

Ebony watched him leave the kitchen. His boots thudded with every firm, assured step. Silas was balanced with mass and strength. She had a difficult time keeping her eyes off of his fingers at the table. He had the most attractive hands she’d ever seen; calloused from labor, long and thick from his height, perfectly manicured with veins along his forearm leading up to a broad, protective chest. Her interest had been piqued. 

Ebony frowned to herself while she wandered up to her bedroom. She didn’t need that kind of distraction. She was here for an experience of self-preservation. She wanted to find a piece of herself she’d either lost or never had the chance to find to begin with. A man had no place in her journey.

Ebony hoped she didn’t see much of him during her stay.

She unlocked her door and stepped inside. It was late evening now so the room was cast in blackness. She turned on the light switch and sat on the side of the bed. Exhaustion was beginning to wrap around her. Suddenly the travels of the day were resting on her shoulders. She reached over to the nightstand and opened the drawer. She pulled out the envelope.

Ebony ran her fingers over the indents the pen had made. Everything had been erased by the wear and tear of time. The envelope had seen many tears and lots of frustrations. The paper turned yellow and brown around the edges. The only reason Ebony knew it was from her father was because she’d seen her mother weeping over it unexplainably when she was a little girl. A few years ago, Ebony found the envelope tucked away. If her mother went so far as to keep it for so long, it had to be from him. There was no name, no stamp, no address—there wasn’t even a letter inside. The only thing that she could make out was the last few letters of the city and the state.

“—redo, Texas”

Three

Lynx Nightclub

Dallas, Texas

1:02am

“They think its rival activity.” Armando announced. Silas paced around the room of the reserved club section. Techno music with a strong bass blared but was held out by the soundproofing of the walls. They were raised above the crowds that danced, drank and smoked. The strobe lights flashed across the mass of people below.

 Silas took a swig of his brown drink and nodded.

Diego framed the murder scene as a rival gang retaliation once they left. There were no cameras, prints or evidence that would point the police in any other direction. Under the small chance that Diego had missed the mark, he had a few officials in the state and on the force to rectify his mistake. Silas had his contacts prepared. He was glad he didn’t need to use them.

“Let Diego know that he’s done with them. As soon as I leave the territory, Flores will sweep it up.” He grit his teeth at the thought of handing money over. “Let him have it.” But those men were more headache than their worth.

“Capo,” Gael started. He sat up in his seat at the news of releasing the Sureños from their control. Those were extra bodies to help move product in one of their most successful states. It was lucrative, no matter the effort. “You’ll regret giving them up when he gets the results you wanted. He’ll make an extra effort to straighten it out just to say he did what you couldn’t.”

Silas looked into his friend’s eyes and read the truth he’d spoken. He was right.

The cartel families from Canada to Colombia would jump at the chance to laugh at his weakness.

“And honestly,” Armando started. “The problems aren’t that far out of our control. They’d seem less important if you let us handle them.” Both Armando and Gael stared at him this time. Silas could see that, between them both, was a mutual understanding. This was something they’d discussed without him.

The two men had completely different visions for the business. Gael wanted to keep everything in a nucleus. If left to his way, things would be centralized and focused. If it came at the expense of the returns or the reach of the business, so be it. It was a fair price to pay for security.

However, Armando felt things were better expanded. He wanted product on every square inch of the world. He wanted to see the cartel acting as a global business instead of having control in certain areas. He dealt in murders and extortion more than civil negotiations.

Silas looked between the two men once more. Gael’s eyes were intense. He waited for Silas’ response to Armando’s insinuation. Armando was curious as well and his smoky black eyes were set on him. Silas sat his drink down on the table nearby. He adjusted the gold cufflinks on his suit, bringing the sleeve down farther around his wristwatch.

He wasn’t in the mood to talk in riddles with his men. It was late and he was buzzed.

“If you have something you want to say to me—say it.” The suggestion was more of a snarl than anything else. Armando and Gael had a silent, unspoken auction on who would speak next. Gael broke the stillness.

“We think you’re too exposed.” Silas turned his back on the men. He instead looked out at the partygoers below once more. His eyes skimmed the women in their revealing clubwear. He watched their bodies gyrate to the music he could faintly hear. The men lurked nearby like lions waiting for an opportunity to pounce. “You shouldn’t have went to New York; we could’ve handled business there ourselves.”

Silas’ gaze fell on a woman looking right into the glass booth. She stood off at the bar with a clear drink in hand. Her dark eyes were clearly watching him.

“You’re the only Capo in the world who tries to do the work of every rank.”

“That’s how I get shit done the way I want.” He clasped his hands behind his back and the split between the crisp white button down under his suit jacket widened. The small, thin chain around his neck gleamed under the club’s alternating lights. The woman gripped at her crown and flipped her thick, brown strands to the other side of her head. The act revealed a long, slender neck and even more tanned olive skin. She offered Silas a sultry look.

He governed and controlled by being present. He was active in every part of his business’ sectors. From the chemical labs, the transport, weapon imports and running the numbers. Silas couldn’t sit by and let someone else see to the mechanics holding him upright. It wasn’t a traditional way of a cartel family; Capos led from the shadows. Their reporters selected information worth telling and handled what they wanted based on their own discernment.

“That’s how you get your hands dirty – how you lose the respect of the people who work for you and around you. It’s already fucking happening!” Armando said sternly. Gael huffed in annoyance at his tone. They’d rehearsed how the conversation would go three times on the ride over but now Armando was talking off-script. He was sabotaging their message with his poor approach.

Silas’ brows knit together.

His skin had flushed red. He doubted his men could see from the dim lighting in the room. Silas took measured steps back to the drink he’d set down. To the naked eye, it would appear he was considering Armando’s words.

Inside, Silas was seething.

He gulped until the bottom of the glass behind pieces of ice was all he could see. The drink warmed his stomach and acted like gasoline to the rage inside him.

Maybe, he was too kind to his men. Gael and Armando were his closest friends. They were initiated to prove their loyalty and they had succeeded beyond expectations. Although, they knew him well before he was consumed by the life of Jefe. They knew him when he laughed in public and didn’t have to be weary of everyone around him. When his personality had more depth than just being their leader. They knew a side of him who hadn’t yet earned his badges and stripes in the cartel. But he had them now. And they needed to be reminded.

Silas threw the empty glass with the force of his turmoil.

It shattered against the space to the left of Armando’s head with a toe curling sound. Armando endured the splinters and shards that sliced his cheek and face. His blemish-free pale skin was dotted in specs of red. Silas could see the blood drawing from the deepest wound and running onto his white shirt.

“That’s how you talk to me now?” He approached Armando slowly. He held his dominance by towering over him. “Are you the one losing respect for me, vato—bro?” The friendly term of endearment was eerily placed.

“Capo Moreno, I meant no disrespect.” Armando submitted.

Silas wasn’t convinced. He ran his hand through his black tresses and pushed them to the nape of his neck. He paced the length of the room again.

Gael stepped in to soften the exchange.

“The more we expand, the more attention we draw to operations. We just want you to start laying low. It’s in everyone’s best interest.”

Silas walked to the back where the cognac, ice and glasses sat. He poured himself another drink.

“Ábrase. —Leave”.

Silas heard the door close and when he turned around, he was alone. He went back to the window and looked where he’d last seen the woman standing. She was still there. A handsy man had made his way up to her. He gripped at her slim hip and bent to scream something into her ear over the music.

She drew her eyes back up to Silas while he spoke to her. She licked her pink lips invitingly.

“Torres,” Silas slightly turned his head to call for his guard. Torres opened the door he’d been assigned to post to and his huge, tall and fat stature filled the frame. “Bring her to me.” Silas nodded in the direction of the only person with their entire face pointed up at the private rooms. The only set of eyes seen in a sea of partying heads.

Silas closed the section’s blinds in preparation for her arrival.

Harper, Texas

8:42am           

Ebony closed her bedroom door and locked it with her key. She went down to the kitchen to meet Willadeene. Despite it barely being nine in the morning, the heat was already approaching the realm of ‘sweltering’. She wore a navy blue halter dress that let air flow between every nook and cranny of her body. The cotton material would help to keep her comfortable.

“Mornin’ beautiful,” Willadeene greeted with a smile. She placed a plate of homemade blueberry muffins on the table beside a dish of butter, a bowl of scrambled eggs and a plate of sausages.

Ebony chuckled at the cute setup. Willadeene wore tan linen pants that tied around her protruding belly. Her paisley print tee shirt was covered by her sunflower apron.

“Good morning,” Ebony sat down in the seat she took for dinner last night. “I might have to start going to the gym while I’m here.” She joked with a modest laugh. Willadeene, however, howled her laughter. Ebony warmed at the sight of her little joke eliciting such a response.

“You don’t need to do any of that; you have the perfect shape.” Willadeene winked down on Ebony while she put a glass of orange juice in front of her. “My nephew seems to think so too.” Ebony’s heart stopped.

“What?” She turned in her seat abruptly to look at Willadeene’s back. She seemed unfazed by her comment but Ebony was floored. “D—did he say something?”

“He didn’t need to.” Willadeene came to sit with Ebony at the table. “He came here early this morning riding horses and herding cattle.” She flicked her hand to dismiss it off. She put a couple sausage links on Ebony’s plate as if she were taking too long to start eating. “I know he’s here for you.” Ebony swallowed her smirk.

“He doesn’t usually do that?” Ebony reached for the plate of eggs to busy herself.

You’re not here for this.

“Maybe once a week but never after he’d just come by the day before. We have people who do all that for us.” Willadeene stopped plating her food and huffed. “Ebony, let me tell you something.” Ebony offered her undivided attention. Willadeene’s hazel orbs were swirled with more brown that anything else. There was a warning and concern in her gaze Ebony couldn’t read. “You be careful with that one, okay? I love my nephew but he is a complex man.” Ebony laughed.

“Nothing’s going to happen between us.” She went back to eating. “It’s all harmless.”

Matamoros, Mexico

8:59am

Flores opened the door to his villa.

The business of the night and early morning were heavy on his shoulders. He started to peel off his suit jacket and undo the buttons on his shirt. He walked into the sunroom and anticipated the moment he could relax. He went to toss his jacket on a wicker chair.

Before he could, he heard a noise from the second floor. He placed the jacket much more delicately, bent to untie his dress shoes and peel off his socks.

Silently, he maneuvered toward the spiral staircase. Flores kept his back against the wall while he ascended. He reached for the waistband of his pants and pulled out his gun. The safety came undone with a tiny click. He kept it ready beside his head with two sturdy hands.

When he got to the top of the staircase, the noises got louder but no more distinctive. He stood beside the master bedroom door and listened intently.

“Cógeme duro! – fuck me hard!” Flores rested his head against the door’s frame and closed his eyes. He took a breath that should have brought him clarity but it did nothing. He felt nothing. Before he could allow another thought to possess his mind he used his bare foot to kick in the door.

It swung open and he quickly digested the scene before him.

His wife was positioned at the foot of the bed with her legs spread and close to her chest. She waited to receive the man in front of her. Flores directed the gun on him and fired off three shots. His body collapsed onto his wife and her piercing shriek was like a siren in his ears. She fought to push off the heavy dead body and scaled up the bed on all fours. She clutched the blood drenched sheets tight to her chest to hide her nudeness.

Her screaming continued but now it was because she was the one staring down the barrel of Flores’ gun.

Willadeene’s

Harper, Texas

9:00am

There was nothing harmless about Silas.

She watched him climb down the biggest lawn mower she’d ever seen. He was shirtless and glowing under the Texas sun. His chest hair was dark and evenly dusted his chest and down his stomach. His twill field hat was tied loosely under his chin.

“Buenos Dias,” Willadeene greeted. She and Ebony had started their tour outside. A small trail of stone slates led them around to farm. Silas was finishing up when they arrived

“Mornin’” Silas huffed. His burly chest heaved while he wiped the back of his hand under his hat and down his brow.

“Good morning,” Ebony said.

“What’re you doing here?” Willadeene asked.

“Gael and Armando are handling business for me today. I needed something to do.” Willadeene looked to Ebony.

“What do you mean ‘for you’?” Willadeene’s concern was evident.

Ebony was uncomfortable with her place in the exchange. There were obviously things they needed to discuss that Ebony couldn’t know. She would do them both a favor and create an escape for herself.

“I’m going to use the restroom.” Ebony wandered off the way she came. The chance to get to the central air would be appreciated, anyway.

“Alright, honey—I’ll be there in a minute.”

Silas watched her walk out of earshot. He turned back to his aunt when she was far enough away.

“They think I should keep my hands clean and let them handle the day to day.” It was clear the idea made him nervous. He couldn’t look his aunt in the eye while he said it.

“Ay, Pobrecito—poor little one,” Willadeene gave him a pitying smile. “I know it’s hard but you have good people workin’ for you,” Willadeene had always told him he would be better off doing less. The men around him were meant to absorb the responsibility and the dirt of the business. “You have what you need. Let them do their jobs.”

Legitimacy was something every family wanted. They wanted money they didn’t have to scrub and businesses that didn’t beg for audit. He’d inherited plenty of real incomes but the life of Capo was something different. The blueprint for the perfect empire had been handed to him and he’d created it himself. It was a source of envy for many. But it wasn’t his source of gratification.

He’d always wanted something else. Now, he was starting to worry that he’d spend his free time sulking in his resentment for not going after it.

Ebony hid behind a bookshelf in the living room. The old man watched Willadeene and Silas talk on the field. He rested his body on his cane and craned his neck to get a better view.

It was funny how the human body spoke volumes without a facial expression. Demeanors could be read in just a limb or a movement. Ewell was clearly bothered by their conversation; he clenched and released his free hand. His shoulders were stiff with tension. She could see every time he flexed his jaw with unspoken anger. Something about Willadeene and Silas’ conversation upset him.

This family was getting more complex every day.

Ebony’s phone rang in her purse. Ebony clumsily rushed to silence it but Ewell’s attention was already caught.

“Hello?” Ebony asked.

“Hey girl!” Nia’s soprano filled the speaker. Ebony snuck away into a corner of the house she’d never been in before. It looked like a more formal dining room with a 10 seater wood oak dining room set. Ebony took to the back of the room by one of the two huge windows.

“Hey, I was going to call you and Cassie tonight—”

“No you weren’t.” Cassandra replied sharply. This was a three way ambush. Her friends had texted her that morning but she was up so early to meet Willadeene, she didn’t get a chance to reply. “What are you doing down there that has you so preoccupied already?” There was a hint of suspicion in her tone.

“The woman here is so sweet, ya’ll—”

“Y’all?” Nia asked incredulously. “You’re a country bumkin already, huh?”  Cassandra and Nia laughed together. Ebony tried to fight her own smile but submitted to the chuckle that rose up.

“No, but she’s really a sweetheart. She cooked me dinner and breakfast this morning. She wants to take me around town today and my room is beautiful. It has a balcony and everything—I can’t wait for you to visit.” She shot off everything in a breath. A brown horse galloped around in the field from the corner of fenced space she could see from the window. The view was something out of a movie. “I love it here so far.” She whispered more to herself than her friends.

“Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. We’re going to see your mom in a couple days.” The mention of her mother cast a little cloud over the brief happiness she’d felt. She hadn’t thought about her mother much since she arrived.

“Okay, thank you both. Let me know how she’s doing, okay? Call me so I can talk to her.” She said it with a bit of panicked urgency that aligned perfectly with how her feelings had shifted.

“We will, honey but—”

“Ebony?” The deep baritone startled her. She put her hand to her heart and closed her eyes for just a second. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” He apologized lowly after seeing the phone in the hand facing away from him.

“Who the hell is that?” Cassandra asked. Ebony looked over to Silas fleetingly.

“I’ll call you back later.” She said into the receiver in a rush. Their objections could be heard well after she pulled the phone from her ear and up until the point she ended the call. She turned her attention back to Silas.

He wore a white sleeveless shirt instead of the bare chest he had on the fields. His thin gold chain sat in his pronounced and muscled collar. The sun had coated his skin in a light tan and he was still a little sweaty. Silas stepped so close to her she could smell the musk working with his deodorant. His gaze was soft above her.

“I’m going to take you on your tour.” Her expression must have mirrored her thoughts. He smirked before he added. “If that’s okay?”

She stepped back to put some space between them. Silas stuffed his hands in his pockets in response.

“I’m not trying to be rude or anything but I’d rather go with Willadeene.” She said it gently and added a smile at the end for good measure. Silas nodded slowly. He was visibly slighted.

“Have I done something to offend you?” He gave her a stern, resounding voice that she knew got him immediate submission more often than not. But she could hear his true feelings hidden in the question. The honest confusion in his brown eyes gripped at her heart.  Ebony shook her head as she sighed.

“No,” She wandered back in his direction with her arms crossed. “I’m just here for a reason that I don’t want to lose sight of.” They stared at one another for a second.

“What does that have to do with me giving you the tour?” Ebony roller her eyes. Playing dumb was not her thing.

“You know it’s more than that with you.” He gave an innocent shrug. “What are you trying to get out of this?”

“I want to take you on the tour.” Willadeene had felt sorry for him after having to let go of some control. She offered her tour with Ebony as a way to cheer him up under the condition that he politely ask instead of command her into the car. Now, Silas was starting to think she knew Ebony would put up a fight.

“Thank you, but no.” Ebony started to leave the room. Silas ran his hand down the crown of his head and to the nape of his neck. He held his hand there and cranked the knot building.

“Ebony,” His tone was different this time. She stopped in the doorway “I have a lot going on,” He started on a shaky breath. “I would like a chance to forget about it for a few hours, lo siento—please.” Ebony turned to him and read his face.

She dealt with a lot of bullshiters in New York. The streets were filled with people who scammed, robbed, lied and schemed anywhere they saw someone vulnerable enough to let them get away with it. She’d learned early on when to read someone who wasn’t being honest or who left out a crucial piece of the truth. Her mother had been her first and most repeated lesson.

Ebony couldn’t see any of that in Silas’ eyes. She only saw a man who really did need an escape.

“Okay,” She huffed. “Let’s go.”

Silas helped her into his truck. It was at least a foot off the ground so he guided her up with a hand along her hip. Her full, bare thighs teased him when she climbed in. The skin looked smooth to the touch and the sun gleamed off the oil she’d put on to keep her moisturized.

The woman from the club the night before had done nothing to curb his hunger. They fucked in the club’s private room twice and he even had her brought to the loft he had in Dallas. The sex they had was just an outlet to imagine being with the woman with all the mysteries he couldn’t stop thinking of. He wanted to see the art that had warranted a space in a museum, he wanted to hear what her silken voice sounded like singing her favorite songs and now, he wanted to know about whoever had her so concerned over the phone before he walked in.

They drove in silence for a while. Only the soft sounds of Colombian Cumbia played in the background. Ebony looked out the window at the open grasses while dry dirt kicked up around the truck below. The homes were low to the ground and almost all appeared worn. Willadeene’s was the only house they’d passed that looked renovated within the last ten years.

Soon the houses turned to businesses.

 “I went to school here.” Silas pointed out to a high school ahead. It was on the driver’s side so she sat up to look over him. The building looked somewhat new. She tried to imagine a teenage Silas going to school, laughing in the halls. She wondered if he broke teenage hearts or chased after the most popular girl in school like a puppy. Ebony looked up into his handsome face before she leaned back into her seat. He was definitively breaking hearts.

“I can only imagine what kind of kid you were.” She grumbled to herself with a smile. Silas snorted a bellied laugh. He looked over to her with a thick black brow arched.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean you were probably a handful.” Silas shook his head to himself.

High school were some of the loneliest years of his life. He hardly spoke to anyone. The only person who got him through was his best friend Gael.

“Incorrecto—wrong.” He wouldn’t put too much effort into changing her ideas about him. Silas didn’t want to get into the details so it was best to leave it where it was. “But I know you were nerdy as a kid.” He laughed while he made a turn. Ebony feigned offense but dropped the act just as fast.

“I was a nerdy kid.” She admitted. They both laughed.

“Did you like art then?” Ebony nodded with a smile that transcended their conversation. She returned to the hardest parts of her life and her escape through her art. Art had saved her sanity. She always joked she owed her life to it.

“I was obsessed.” The sentence was more to herself than it was an answer to his question. She had returned to staring out the window. The car fell silent again while they both relived glimpses of their childhoods.

“You’re from here?” She asked, breaking the silence again.

“No, my parents lived a half hour away.” The Ford revved up a small hill. The engine settled when they were level again.

“They passed.” She halfway asked and more so stated. When he didn’t respond, she knew they had. “I’m sorry.” She turned to him when she apologized, knowing the pain of losing a parent or two. He didn’t look her way initially. When she refused to look away from his side profile, he took his attention off the road for just a second to meet her eyes .

“Gracias.”

They slowed in front of a large building on a plot of beautiful, somewhat lush grasslands with patches of desert. The property was massive but the building itself was moderately sized.

“This is Dos Molinos. It’s a resort ranch.” Silas undid his seatbelt and jumped out of the car to open Ebony’s car door. She glanced at the dirt paved driveway wearily; it was a big jump down. Silas tried to hide his smirk and bury his laughter. “Let me help you, Ebony.” He asserted with a stern voice. He knew that she’d rather try it on her own than to let him get too much contact.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and she could feel him shouldering the weight of the jump with his body. It was much easier with his help.

“Thank you.” She said simply, straightening her dress.

“Quetzalcoatl!” Someone exclaimed. They both looked toward the direction of the call and Ebony had to peer from behind Silas’ body. His frame and the open car door limited what she could see. An older man approached with an arm outstretched and a bright smile on his face. It visibly dimmed at the sight of Ebony

She expected the poor welcome from almost everyone she met during her three month stay. Less than 2% of the population in Harper, Texas were black and that always meant people would be surprised to see her. Especially with Silas.

“David,” Silas reached out and grabbed his hand with a curt nod. “This is Ebony.” David clearly had too much respect for Silas to be rude to his guest. He reached out for Ebony’s hand with a smile much phonier than the one he’d initially had. Ebony mimicked him.

“Nice to meet ya.” He said. His wrinkled face was folded around the mouth and caused the skin over his eyes to droop dramatically. Ebony gave a tight lipped smile. When he turned his attention back to Silas, her face fell instantly and she rolled her eyes to land on the rest of the property while they spoke.

“How are things goin’? How’s business?” David had an unnerving level of excitement. He stood close, smiled hard and spoke feverishly. He was kissing Silas’ ass.

“Bueno—good.” He was short and rudely concise. His gaze drifted around the land. “I want to show Ebony the horses.”

“Sure!” David gestured toward the ATV parked alongside the building. “We’ll ride over.”

David sat on the back bench and Ebony was left to sit in the passenger seat. Silas waited on the passenger’s side for her to sit down and then he did the duty of strapping her seatbelt. She wanted to question the attention but decided to just take the gesture as it was. Silas sat in the driver’s seat and she suddenly realized why he was so particular about securing her in; he drove like a madman. The small hills matched with his speed would’ve thrown her out. She had half a mind to tell him to slow down but decided against it; the wind was welcomed compared to the stiff, humid summer air.

The property was massive. She could see by the small guest homes on the edges of the land that even as far as the eye could travel, the property was still theirs. She could see different trails for walking, riding and biking leading back into the tall, dense trees. There were stables of different sizes that she assumed were home to different animals. A beautiful blue lagoon had a few horses drinking from it.

“Mr. Moreno,” David started on a nervous breath. The whizzing of the wind made him hard to hear. Silas made no gesture to suggest he was listening but David continued on. “I wanted to talk about some of the finances for the last few months that—” Silas raised his free hand to silence David.

“I am here on leisure.” His tone was stern. “If you have issues with my business it would be in your best interest to reach out to Gerardo. Quickly.” Silas looked into the rearview mirror to catch David’s eye. His orbs were full of warning that turned David chalk white.

Silas found it offensive David would wait until his unexpected visit to bring up discussions of money. It made it seem as though David had something to hide but was only mentioning it now to save himself in the case that Silas asked about it first. It was even more offensive considering he had brought a guest with him. He wanted to shield Ebony from that side of his life and David’s questions compromise that.

It was all around disrespectful.

“Of course.”

Silas had many businesses in town and across the Americas that he owned. More of them served the purpose of having the respect of the people who lived around the dealings of his cartel than making profits. He loaned substantial amounts of money to mostly failing businesses and indefinitely collected repayments every two months. Almost similar to taxes. The appreciation of the loan and the fear of repayments garnered the type of connection Silas needed.

Some used the Moreno family as protection from emerging drug cartels who didn’t prioritize loyalty with locals the way he did. La Mafia often found it easier to get rid of locals altogether. Silas would be used as strong force and in return, he’d have eyes and ears who kept tabs on his rivals’ movements in North America, Mexico and Colombia. It was a mutually beneficial relationship. Once he owned the business, he used them for meetings, some he brought women to and others he used to launder money out of when flow was heavy. Dos Molinos was just one of the more beautiful locations.

“He’s beautiful.” Ebony outstretched her hand slowly to the horse’s snout. Her finger tips landed against the black fur first and then she laid her palm below his eye. He looked at her and she met his gaze directly.

Ebony had never been this close to a horse before but her fear couldn’t match her intrigue. The horse was massive and she had to crane her neck a little to see its ears. The first touch had cast all her apprehension away. Ebony rubbed his smooth coat repeatedly and the horse let out a deep neigh that she took as an expression on approval.

“This here is ‘Z’.” David introduced the horse.

“Are horses normally this big?” Ebony turned behind her to ask the men watching.

“No, he’s a Shire Stallion. One of the largest breeds in the world.”

“You want to ride him?” Silas approached beside her. He patted the horses’ side with more force than Ebony agreed with. She compensated with more gentle strokes across his face and up toward his ear.

“Absolutely not.” She said it with a straight, even tone.

“David, get us a saddle.”

“I’m not riding—”

“Try it once with me.” Silas looked at her with those eyes. Under the midday Texas sun they were bright and burned like a hot metal ore. Ebony averted her gaze quickly “Once, Ebony.”

David threw a saddle over the horse’s back. Ebony took a step back to size up the horse once more. Silas climbed up expertly; his biceps flexed when he used his momentum to thrust himself over the horse’s back. David threw down a stool for her to step up on. Silas reached a hand down for Ebony.

Her heartbeat thumped in her neck. Z shifted on his feet and his tail went swinging but Silas’ offering never wavered.

Ebony took off her flip flops and gathered the slack in her already short dress just enough to give her mobility. She walked through the powder brown dirt up to the horse. She grabbed his hand with the random strand of courage she found within herself and he practically pulled her up into his lap. She yelped at the force but laughed once she had taken in her new height.

She felt Silas laughing behind her and she joined in with him. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so far off the ground.

Ebony was forced to acknowledge how close they were. His groin was pressed flush against her backside. His legs sat in the stirrups but her thighs were supported by his and dangled freely. The dress she wore cut off right at the cusp of her cheeks and left all of her thigh exposed to the blazing sun.

Silas had continued laughing well after her last chuckle dwindled. She looked behind her curiously and saw him shaking his face and fighting his way through her coils from above. Her hair was blinding him despite his head being a few inches above her crown.

“Oh, sorry.” Ebony leaned forward instinctively but the horse started to move under her and she felt herself falling.

“Ay,” Silas warned. He grabbed her waist and pulled her back to him. His hand pressed firmly against her belly and his big palm covered a lot of surface. “It’s alright, don’t worry about it.” He said gently. His free hand balled up the reigns.

Silas clenched the stirrups and got the horse to start trotting down the dirt path toward the cover of the trees. After twenty seconds of silence, Ebony leaned into Silas’ chest a bit more and allowed him to support her from behind. Her hand idly ran through the horses’ long, coarse mane. She was completely relaxed.

“You enjoyin’ yourself o qué—or what?” He smiled. Silas had her in his arms, his hand resting over the soft curve of her stomach and her hair blowing in the wind below his chin. He looked down on her and saw her thighs spread wide, her brown legs leading down to her dangling pretty feet and anklet. He could see down her bra from his angle and that was when he decided to look back to the trail. For his own sake.

“I love this.” He was surprised by her honest admission. A piece of him assumed she’d play into some faux annoyance as if he dragged her up onto the horse against her will. “Thank you.” Silas smirked to himself.

“Of course.” He said.

They rode in silence for another few minutes.

“What do you do?” The dreaded question. It was inevitable now since David had put the question in the air.

“I’m an investor.” Ebony noted his shortness and his tone.

“And you own this?” Not quite.

“Yes.” He thought of how to change the subject. “Why didn’t you stay here instead of the bed and breakfast?”

“I called and they said they were booked.” She laughed to herself after finally realizing that it was a lie. There was no one here. Now, she had showed up with the man who signed all the checks. She laughed a little harder.

“What’s funny?” Silas asked, looking down on her.

“They didn’t want me to stay here.” Silas could feel a twinge of anger bubbling up in him. Why would they say it was booked if it wasn’t? Then, David had the audacity to want to bring up money concerns after he’d been turning money away. None of it made sense to him.

“How do you know that?” Silas asked honestly.

“Oh please,” Ebony drawled out in a singsong voice. She looked up into his eyes and saw he was serious. She settled back into his hold. Ebony had to remember that despite where his mother and father were from, Silas passed as white in many settings. His only giveaway might have been his accent and even still, it took a hard ear to pick up on it. It shouldn’t have been a surprise he didn’t fully understand; he didn’t have the experiences. “What would be their only reason for not wanting me here?” She started. He didn’t answer so she pressed on. “I call and I say my name is Ebony Brown and I’m from Brooklyn, —”

“Because you’re black?” He had pieced it together.

“What else could it be?” Ebony let her anger come and go fleetingly. She couldn’t hold onto that kind of energy for too long. The older she got, the more her resentment had turned her hard. After learning how to let things go, she hated to let situations consumer her. Forgiveness had been her closest friend the last few years and it had always done her more good than harm. This was no exception. “He wasn’t too happy to see me today, either.”

“I’ll talk to him when we get back.” Ebony offered a sound of objection.

“Don’t do that.” She chastised. “Just let it go, please?” He didn’t respond. She looked over and saw his jaw flexing and tightening from below. His unbreakable eyes were set on the trail ahead. It was written all over his face that nothing she said right then would change his mind.

She shouldn’t have even mentioned it. The last thing she wanted was for him to put a rift in his business over something she wouldn’t give another second thought.

“Silas?” She continued when he didn’t respond. “It doesn’t bother me, I promise.” 

“It bothers me.” He said through clenched teeth. Ebony sighed. She was better off changing the subject.

“How’d you learn to ride horses?” They delved deeper into the cover of trees with high canopies. The leaves blocked out the sun and worked to cool them down. Silas brought Z to a slow, steady trot. Ebony was glad he had a chance to relax and slow down a little. 

“My grandfather taught me. He taught me how to ride bulls, too.” Ebony conjured a scene up in her head of a terrified bull jumping and bucking with Silas on its back. “What?” Silas had looked down and saw her frown. She didn’t know when she became so easy to read. Maybe he was just a better reader than average.

Everyone knew that annoying animal’s activist who cast a shadow over everything related to animals. She didn’t want to be that person so she held her tongue. “Nothing.” 

“I don’t like having to pry things out of people, bella.” His warning was clear and the term of endearment did little to hide his frustration with her. 

“I think it’s a little cruel.” Silas reflected on her words. 

“You like animals?” 

“I didn’t think I liked them any more than anyone else. But I don’t like to see innocent things suffer. Especially pointlessly.” 

“Bull riding is pointless to you?” He feigned offense. 

“Is there a point to it?” Silas took a beat to reply and Ebony found her opportunity to tease.

“Pero—but” Silas tried to redeem himself but his smiling stole his validity. “It’s cultural—even historic. My abuelo— grandfather used to be a professional. His father taught him and so on.” Ebony was careful with her words. She could hear in his voice that he was prideful about his family and their traditions. They meant a lot to him.

“It’s not about that though, Silas. It’s about the price paid for the happiness of someone else—or even for the sake of following a tradition.” 

Silas flared his nostrils while her words stung him for reasons he wasn’t sure he could ever voice aloud. Ebony looked up to him again when his silence lingered on. 

Stop pissing him off, dummy. She scolded herself. 

“I’m just trying to explain my thoughts to you—” 

“You think too much, Ebony.” Silas interrupted in a calm, steady voice. 

“What?” She was taken aback.

“You worry too much over your words. You hold back when you want to say what you feel but when you do, you rush to explain it differently.” She opened her mouth to object and suggest everything he said was untrue. It was fitting and she wanted him to be wrong. But she couldn’t. She was guilty. “Say what you want. Don’t think twice about it.” 

Ebony took in a struggled breath. She was slightly embarrassed. 

She didn’t realize Silas had led the horse toward a tree. She looked down and saw a blanket splayed over a section of plush grass below. A basket was in the center beside two wine glasses and a bucket of chilled Moscato. Silas took his hand off her waist and raised it in the air down the direction of the trail. A few men with cowboy hats were on horses at the end. They waved back to him in response. 

“You did this?” Ebony asked. Silas jumped off the horse first and left her to support her own weight. He turned and ran his palm over her thigh. Initially it was innocent and simply a way to coax her down. But an electric current from her body morphed it into something else. His hands were coarse and convincing. He rubbed her expertly and she was surprised by how much she enjoyed it.

Still, it was inappropriate and his sly smile told her that he already knew. 

“Alright now,” She warned from above. “Watch those hands.” There was not a hint of seriousness in her voice. Silas ignored her and stepped closer to her legs. He used both hands to grab ahold of her upper thigh and nuzzle his five o’clock shadow into the supple skin. He kissed her flesh once and the kiss was a strong indicator to what kind of lover he could be. “Help me down, Silas.” Ebony said huskily, trying her best to feign annoyance. His glassed over eyes met hers and he wearily parted with her skin. 

“Ven aquí—come here.” He reached out his arms and Ebony carefully switched her other leg to one side of the horse. Silas gripped her waist and Ebony put both of her hands along his shoulders for guidance. 

Once she was on her bare feet, she walked over to the setup he had prepared for them. 

It was simple but it warmed her core to see. The trees created shade and the smallest of breezes. She looked back at Silas with a tiny smile. 

He had lingered behind with his hands stuffed in his jeans, watching her.  It was almost a signature look for some of his shoulder length black hair to fray around his temples and ears while parted down the middle. Still, it only added to his handsomeness.

“Sweet Brown Ebony Chocolate,” Ebony rolled her eyes at him while he laughed. 

Silas had picked up on her full name when she mentioned it earlier. Her mother had done the deed of naming her ‘Ebony Brown’. It was something she had to deal with all her life; a deep brown woman with a name to match. 

Silas was now in the midst of making up every ridiculous nickname he could think of and he was enjoying himself. 

“I might start calling you bomboncita.” He said. 

“What’s that?” Ebony asked, adjusting the skirt of her dress over her knees and backside.

“Little sweetheart— or chocolate.” She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. But inside, the idea of having such a cute nickname from him put excitement in her stomach. 

Ebony downed her third glass of wine. Silas had a firm grip on the bottle and was doing the honors of finishing it off. They’d eaten all the cubed cheese, bread, smoked ham, grapes and pepperoni in the basket. Now they were laying across the blanket in the grass. Z grazed nearby, never straying too far. 

“Is there a reason why she named you that?” Ebony tried to answer that question quite a few times throughout her life. Every time she asked her mother, she could never get a straight answer. Her mother never told her anything. Ebony couldn’t decide if it was because of the drugs or that she just didn’t want her to know.

“I have no idea.” Ebony said quietly. Silas could see the glimmer of something in her eyes. She stared off into the distance with her hand propping up her head. “What about you? Who’s Quetz—whatever Daniel called you?”

“Quetzalcoatl— a Mesoamerican deity.” She could hear in his voice that he wasn’t interested in getting into the details of the name. But Ebony didn’t care. She let him continue. “It’s a feathered snake or serpent kind of animal. The story is that he was travelling around Mexico and found a priest was about to kill a man in his brother’s name.” 

“A sacrifice?” Ebony clarified. She was expecting a story about a family dinner where an uncle made a teasing joke that had stuck into a nickname. This was akin to a history lesson. Silas nodded. 

“Quetzalcoatl objected. The priest was angry. Thunder rolled and volcanoes erupted.” As Silas recounted the details more and more, he got more into telling the story. “Quetzalcoatl promised to bring the people peace. He taught them literature, agriculture, science—everyone loved him.” 

“And that’s you?” Ebony asked with a smile. 

“That’s who they think I am.” His tone was even.

“Who are ‘they’?” 

“The people who work around me. For me.” Ebony was thoughtful for a moment. 

“Well, there has to be a reason why they call you that.” Ebony watched his stone expression. “Maybe I’ll start calling you that.” She smiled. Silas cut his eyes over to her. 

His expression was chilling. 

“You will never call me that, Ebony.”  

They both fell quiet. The alternating between joking and seriousness made their conversations hard to reads. Silas embraced the silence for a few minutes. Ebony appreciated his ability to leave stillness between them that didn’t make conversation feel unnatural, even when things were tense. In spite of it all, everything always tended fit.

“What was life like for Ms. Brown in the city?” His southern drawl was thick with that question. She chortled before she answered. He smiled and turned the bottle up to his mouth. His strong arm lifted and his neck stretched. Every part of his body seemed toned and huge.

“It was spontaneous.” If not knowing how you’d pay your bills the next day was ever going to be flipped into something adventurous, the word spontaneous was the word to use. “I was always working but my friends kept me happy.” Her mind wandered toward Nia and Cassandra. 

“Did you go to school for art?” 

“Yeah, I went to Pratt.” She said. “Did you go to school?” Silas nodded slowly. 

“I went to Rice University.” Ebony’s brows furrowed and then she quickly tried to uncoil them; it was offensive. She just never thought of him to be around such elitist private university kids. 

“What’d you study?” 

“Biology.” Silas leaned back on the blanket and pulled his arms up behind his head. “I loved school.”

“Me too.” Ebony professed. “So how do you go from biology to owning businesses?” 

“I inherited the business. Plans change.” He looked over to her with half closed lids. “What’s your plan?” 

“I don’t have one. I never had one.” Her life had been centered around a constant state of worry. There was always an urgency in her heart that she learned to live with. Her dreams and wants had never been a concern. She was always just focused on living another day. 

“I want you to figure it out while you’re here.” Silas said sternly. Ebony looked to him curiously. She laughed. 

“Why?” He shrugged modestly.

“I never got the chance to do what I wanted. If you’re here, in my house, then I want to help if I can.” 

“Willadeene’s is your house?” Ebony questioned, ignoring everything else. Silas nodded silently. “Well, that’s really nice of you.” Ebony said. “Thank you.” 

He nodded while he yawned. They were both getting lethargic from the fullness of the food and the drinks. Ebony could see he’d fall asleep given the chance. 

They made it back to the ranch and Silas led Z to the stables. He took off the saddle and hung it on a free hook. Ebony slipped on her shoes and walked over to the ATV. She assumed David had left it for them to get back to the truck. 

Silas parked the ATV where they got it and walked over to open the passenger side door for her. He helped her inside and stood in the opening. She stopped reaching for her seatbelt when he didn’t move to close the door. 

“Stay here. I’ll be back.” 

“I told you I—” 

“Mira—Listen” Ebony quickly closed her mouth at his tone. It was low and full of caution. “Stay here.” When she didn’t reply, he slammed the door shut and took wide strides up to the ranch center. 

Silas hoped—nearly prayed that his time with Ebony would help to ease his anger over the story she told about David’s prejudice. He and bigotry had a long, brutal history and he had no tolerance for it in his life or the life of those he knew. He was sure David had heard about it.

So, he would just have to learn the hard way. 

Silas walked into the ranch’s community center. It had plasma TVs, couches and a pool table. The space was often rented for events and gatherings. Toward the back were the offices where most of the business was conducted. He found David at a desk in front of a computer. 

The old man looked up with a smile to start. His creased, rosy cheeks rose but soon fell after taking in Silas’ expression. Silas closed the door behind himself. He turned to the window and closed the blinds. 

David was past the point of confused and was simply just afraid. Silas felt his keys in his pocket and felt a pang of regret in his chest; Ebony was sitting in the scorching heat waiting for him. He would have to make this quicker than he wanted. 

“Mr. Moreno, we’re just a little behind but—” The old man started. 

“This isn’t about the money.” The money was the last thing on his mind at this point. He couldn’t say the same would be the case for his body-guard-like accountant. Gerardo would have a lot to say to David about his payment history. “Ebony Brown.” Realization played over David’s face gradually. “Why wasn’t she offered a room?” 

“We were initially booked for—” Silas picked up a dense, glass paperweight on the corner of David’s desk and used his mass to apply pressure to his left set of fingers. David howled in agony and tried to pull his fingers free. The feeble attempt only caused him more pain.

“Why wasn’t she offered a room?” He said the sentence slower this time as if speed was the reason he hadn’t gotten the right answer initially.

“Brooklyn isn’t a good area—” 

“We get visitors from New York all the time, David.” Silas released. He couldn’t make an example out of David the way he wanted to; the man was too old. It would feel too cheap.

He found a picture of David’s family in a frame. 

Everyone smiled for the camera—him, his son, daughter-in-law, wife, and three grandchildren. All pale skinned and light eyed. 

“Please, I didn’t know she knew you—I would’ve never—” 

“That’s the problem.” Silas turned back to David with the frame still in hand. He put both of his fists along the desks’ span and leaned down to stare David in the face. “This is what you’re going to do.” Silas brought his tone to a near whisper. “Get dressed for dinner tomorrow night at Deene’s—suit and tie. Get a bouquet of roses and a greeting card to apologize for your behavior. I want a note from you— handwritten.” David nodded and agreed fervently. “And another envelope will have every red cent you owe me.” David had no choice but to nod and agree, regardless of if he had the money or not. 

Silas stood to his full height and tossed the frame back on the desk. The glass cracked and Silas strolled out of the office. 

She had stayed in the car as he asked her to. He had his doubts that she would, especially considering the heat. 

Silas walked over to the drivers’ side door and jumped inside. He started the engine without a word and turned to reverse back out onto the road. He put his arm against the headrest of her seat and turned his head.

“I hope you didn’t do anything you might regret.” Silas gave her a quizzical look. 

“Why would I regret defending you?” She heaved a sigh, realizing this was a fight she wouldn’t win. “You’ll have a guest for dinner tomorrow.”