Free Ch 04

Author's Notes:

When I was ready to submit the final chapter, I had to reread the entire story (because it had been so long). As I did, I realized that the final chapter was just too...inadequate. Remember, I originally split up chapter three into two parts. By doing this though, I was able to see that the ending wasn't enough. I felt that this chapter deserved to be fleshed out more.

So, I rewrote it. That's why it wasn't published until now.

I hope you all enjoy. Thank you for spending time with me.

RECAP FROM EARLIER CHAPTERS:

Derrick "Rick" Morrison (no relation to a previous character Jason Morrison from Deployment) was released early from prison after serving four of his six years. He found a wife who was ecstatic to see him, as well as a daughter who'd grown up in the time he'd been incarcerated.

Unfortunately, not all were overjoyed by his presence. His mother-in-law wasn't very fond of him, his criminal past, or the fact that he married her daughter. She didn't try to hide her distain for him or make life comfortable. She did, however, agree to allow him to stay in her house with his family for the remainder of his parole.

Rick was eager to put his past behind him. He appreciated the chance at a fresh start and wanted to do right for his wife and daughter. Unfortunately, the past isn't always dead and buried.

One of the main provisions of his parole was for him to avoid contact with his lifelong friend, Manchester "Manny" Childs. He and Manny ran a drug ring together, which was why Rick was in prison. Even though Manny was still living large in the streets, he was a friend that Rick was having second thoughts about severing ties with.

That is, until he found out the secret that everyone had been hiding from him. While he was locked up, Manny had been having sex with Traci. She stopped the affair when she found out that Rick was being released early, but the damage was done.

After a confrontation with his ex-best friend, Rick realized that he had to quell his anger. He couldn't afford to violate his parole and go back to prison. As much as his instincts were pushing for a fight, he had to relent.

Plus, his ex-best friend was ready to shoot him, if necessary. He was a drug-dealer, after all.

Traci, knowing something was wrong, tried to get Rick to talk to her. But he couldn't. His anger was too unbridled; too volatile. So, he did the only thing he could do.

He ran away from her.

When Rick returned home to face his life, he had an announcement. He was leaving Martha's house. Knowing it would probably affect his parole, he felt the risk was worth it. With the precarious nature of his relationship with his daughter, he didn't want to take the chance of damaging it irreparably by staying in the house with Traci. He knew that he wouldn't be able to treat his wife with respect and kindness after finding out about her and Manny, and he knew how that would look to someone as young as Anya.

He had to protect her; even if it was from himself.

This struck a chord with Martha. For the first time, she saw the lengths he would go through for his daughter. He loved her immensely; enough to want to change from the criminal he once was.

She convinced him not to leave; to do things the right way. So, she went with him to talk to his parole officer about finding housing recently freed prisoners. Unfortunately, there wasn't any available. Rick was put on the waiting list, but for now he was stuck in the house with his cheating wife.

To fill his time, he went on a job hunt like his sanity depended on it. The past of an ex-con is also his present, so finding work was impossible. He kept at it though; only stopping to spend time with Anya.

He did, however, find an unlikely ally in Martha. Now won over by his transparent honesty and determination to change, she formed a relationship with her son-in-law that neither of them thought possible.

Traci was still on the outside of Rick's love. Unable to talk to her, Rick just completely ignored her. A month later, and his resolve still hadn't softened. Even Martha couldn't convince him to talk things out with her.

Meanwhile, Manny was dealing with a devastating blow to his business. It had been under attack for a while. Someone inside of his organization was stealing from him, and he was desperate to find out who.

His second in Command was his cousin, Donald "Donnie" Childs. Being that he was Manny's lieutenant, the blame fell on him. Either he was incredibly incompetent, or he was the one stealing. Either way, there was only one recourse.

Donnie was murdered by his own cousin with a baseball bat.

Unfortunately for Manny, he still had a huge problem on his hands. He needed to find out where his product was. He needed the help of the only man who'd ever been able to solve these problems. He needed Rick.

Of course, he couldn't just ask; not after everything that had transpired between them. So, he decided to go to Traci's job and ask for her help in convincing Rick.

Only, he didn't ask, he commanded; then he threatened.

She told the only man she trusted to protect her; even though he was still ignoring her. This allowed a thaw in Rick's icy demeanor, and the two began a conversation. Each of them was dealing with deep-seated issues with the other, and those issues were finally aired. While forgiveness wasn't on the menu yet, it could be given time.

And then...

FROM CHAPTER THREE:

"Um...there's some lady in my living room asking for you."

Confused, Rick asked, "Huh? Who?"

"I think you need to come out and talk to her yourself."

Rick rose and went into the living room. Sitting on the couch was a woman that he knew well; a woman from years ago.

"Cynthia?"

Upon seeing Rick, she jumped from the couch, ran over to him, and hugged him. Tears were in her eyes.

"Rick." She said with a shaky voice, "Please. We need to talk."

And now, Chapter Four: The finale

***

What the fuck is that?

Manny thought as he was stirred from a satisfying slumber.

He groggily tried to roll over, but something was holding him down. With a sleepy groan, he looked down at his chest and saw the top of a woman's head. His eyes squinted in confusion at the sight. Something was out of place here.

Who was this woman? This wasn't his girlfriend, Lisa.

His hazy memories of yesterday flooded back to him. He remembered the batting cage (killing Donnie), going to Wal-Mart to talk to Tracy about convincing Rick to get with the fucking program, meeting a sexy little thing, stealing her from her bitch-ass boyfriend, and then bringing her back to his place.

What was her name again?

Ah yes. Sheryl.

The things you can find at Wal-Mart!

Once he got Sheryl back to his penthouse condo, he started mixing drinks from his fully stocked bar. The two of them had been flirty all that day, with her teasingly making comments with sexual undertones. After such a grim day, he needed a sexy distraction.

Her tight body was different from Lisa's. Lisa's curves were voluptuous and pronounced, namely her big ass and medically enhanced tits. She had a pornstar's body to be certain; one perfect for hard pounding.

But this woman was fit and muscular in all the right places. She definitely spent time in the gym. Her short shorts and halter-top shirt showed off her hard work. They also showcased various small tattoos that decorated her body. The sexist ones were a series of Chinese letters that went down the spine of her back and led to her round ass.

Manny didn't know exactly what they meant, but he knew what they were saying. Those words said, "Fuck me, Manny" just as clearly as if they were written in English.

His mixed drinks had the desired effect. Sheryl loosened up, as did her inhibitions. Unfortunately, as the drinks flowed, his memory became hazier. There was a blowjob somewhere in there, the taste of a sweet pussy sitting on his face, and a soft, yet firm ass that was ripe for the smacking.

Lifting the blanket, he looked under it to confirm the identity of his nude lady-friend. A perverted smile crept on his face as his eyes roamed over her smooth skin. Bits and pieces of his jagged memory came back to him.

He definitely had fun last night.

There was an insistent noise in his ear. It was the same one that had stirred him from sleep in the first place. By now, he was awake enough to recognize it as his cell phone.

With a gentle nudge, he pushed Sheryl off him. She didn't wake fully. She simply purred contently as she rolled away from him, ending up on her stomach with her legs spread. Her round ass jut invitingly in the air with her labia peeking out from between her open thighs.

He took a second to admire her naked ass and appreciate it. Not too long ago, he was appreciating the hell out of it. The things he did to it! The ripple of the meat when he smacked it loudly, the way it peeled apart when his hands gripped it tightly and spread those cheeks, sight of his cum jet-streaming all over it...

Damn. What was I doing again? Oh yeah; the phone.

He reached over to his nightstand and grabbed that annoying cell phone to see what dead man was calling him at 2:48 in the morning.

He half expected it to be Lisa, wondering where he's been and why he wasn't returning any of her calls. He hadn't seen or spoken to her since yesterday when she was promising him a threesome with her best friend. As delicious as that would have been, Manny wasn't really feeling any loss on missing out on that. Sure, it would have been interesting, but their relationship was circling the drain fast. That little bisexual action would have done nothing more than earn her a short stay of execution to see how many times he could get her to do that.

There was nothing wrong with her. She was sexy as all get out. Ass, tits, plump dick-sucking lips, and the sexual inhibitions of prostitute; namely, the perfect woman. But lately, she'd started asking the questions he HATED.

Where are we going?

Is there a future for us besides sex?

What do you feel when you look at me?

UGH!!!

Why do women have to ruin things? Why can't they just be happy with expensive gifts and orgasms? Why couldn't Lisa just accept the fact that the two of them were not destined to be Derrick and Traci. The part she auditioned for was Freaky, Sexy Eye Candy # 1; not Future Wife.

But luckily for Manny, she may have just been replaced by an enthusiastic newcomer with a lot of...ah...hidden star power. Sheryl spent most of last night auditioning, and it's safe to say that she put it all out on the table.

And the bed. And the floor. And in the jacuzzi. And out on the balcony.

Yeah.

As he picked his phone up, he was surprised to find that it wasn't Lisa calling him. It was, however, from another woman; one he'd been anxiously eager to hear from.

In a lazy, yet jovial voice still raspy from sleep, he said, "Hey Trace. I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon. Tell me you've got good news. Is it time for me and Rick to kiss and make up?"

The line was quiet for a few ticks; so much so that Manny thought she butt-dialed him. Then, a deep voice that didn't belong to Traci said, "Yeah, it's time. Meet me at your warehouse. Come alone. I'll be there in 30 minutes."

Click. Dial tone.

Oh shit. Derrick.

Manny's heart started to pick up pace. Sweat began to bead his forehead.

Was he nervous? Why should he be? This was what he wanted after all; to provoke him into a meeting. It looked like his little visit to his ex-lover worked out.

Still, this was fucking Derrick.

The man was unpredictable. Which Derrick would be showing up? Would he see the wolf, or that sad puppy dog routine he'd been using?

Manny already knew the answer. He did indirectly threaten the man's wife, after all. Kissing and making up was the last thing on the agenda.

However, the fact that Rick was showing up at all was good news.

He could handle Rick. No problem. There wasn't a man on earth who didn't walk on water that could put fear in Manny's heart.

But, just to be on the safe side...

Picking up his phone again, he dialed another phone number. When the guy picked up, Manny said, "Yo Mo. Guess who just called me."

"What time is it?" Mo sleepily yawned into his ear.

"It's showtime. Rick just called me. He wants to meet up at the warehouse. I need you to get up and get there." Then, as an afterthought, he added, "And bring Tuck with you."

There was a hesitant pause on the line before Mo groaned and said, "Manny, it's like three in the morning."

"So?"

"So, after I took Donnie to the butcher and took care of his car with the evidence in it, I had to come back and help Tuck clean the warehouse. You left a lot of blood in there. We didn't get done until late."

"What's your point?"

Lowering his voice, he said, "C'mon, man. My girl and I were kinda having a night. You know?"

Manny sat up on his bed and glared straight ahead as he menacingly asked. "Mo, what the fuck does any of that shit have to do with what I just asked you to do? Bust your nut and get your ass over there!"

There was a groan on the other end before he said, "Fine. I'll be there in about forty-five minutes."

"Thirty. We both know it's not gonna take you THAT long."

With that Manny ended the call and tossed his phone on the bed behind him. An irrational irritation filled him, leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

Fucking henchmen!

Perhaps it was time to scrub the entire staff and start over again. What happened to the days when people just did what the fuck they were supposed to do without whining about it? These people seem to have forgotten who the fuck he was. First Donnie had the nerve to steal from him (possibly), and now his henchmen felt comfortable enough to question him when he gave orders?

The Columbians would be so disappointed right now if they saw this.

With a short growl from his throat, he pushed himself up and out of bed. The mattress moving must have awakened Sheryl, because she rolled over onto her back. Like a sexy cat, she yawned and stretched her limber body. Stretching her arms over her head made her tits poke out, showing off her taut, hardening nipples. Her legs went the opposite way, highlighting her thighs and calves. Even her feet looked sexy as her little toes spread apart.

After that little show, she smiled suggestively as she tapped the mattress next to her and purred, "You're leaving me here in this big bed...all alone? Bad move on your part."

Manny chuckled, walked back over to her, and bent down to kiss her on the lips.

"I've got business to handle, love. I'll be back soon. Be ready for round 3."

Giggling, she said, "Actually, it's more like round 4. We had to stop to eat. Just because you didn't cum that last time doesn't mean it didn't happen."

"Touché." He said as he planted another kiss on her lips.

Yeah; Lisa was definitely history.

He went to his closet to pick out what to put on. Remembering his burnt clothes from yesterday, he put on an old pair of jeans and a dingy T-shirt.

The gun that he tucked in his waist, however, was shiny and new.

Sheryl saw the glint as the light reflected off shiny exterior of the gun. Manny purposely allowed her to watch him, taking note of her reaction. Like most of the girls before her, she turned her head and pretended to be oblivious.

When he was fully dressed, he decided he needed to test the waters with Sheryl; to see if she was freaked out about what she clearly saw. This was the tipping point with the women he slept with. The ones who stuck around for a while had to not be squeamish about his lifestyle. They had to accept things as they were, and not feel the need to ask questions. Three things Manny liked in his girls were a pretty face, a round ass, and a closed mouth.

We walked back to the bed and asked, "So, you gonna chill out here until I get back?"

She gave him a saucy smile and pulled the comforter back to expose her nakedness to him. Without even a hint of reservation, she purred, "Hurry back. If you take too long, I'll have to start without you."

Definitely a keeper.

He leaned over to give her one more smoldering kiss before walking out.

***

By the time Manny pulled up, Mo and Tucker were already there waiting. Their combined headlights illuminated the dark area in of them. Manny looked around to see if he could see any sign of Rick, but all he saw was his crew.

He killed the engine and cautiously got out of his car. Following his lead, Mo and Tuck got out also. The trio of men met in front of their vehicles, swiveling their head to around to observe their surroundings.

"You see him?" Manny asked, making sure to keep the nervousness from his voice.

"No. You sure he said he was gonna be here?"

"Oh, he's here." Manny said as he let out a chuckle to cover for the sense of anxiety that was creeping up his spine. Then, in a brash voice loud enough to cause an echo, he yelled out, "You here, Ricky boy?"

There was silence. Only the crickets answered them.

Manny's hand went to his waist as his ears perked up in hopes of hearing a response. He didn't know what type of game Rick was playing, but it would be a shame to make Traci a widow tonight.

The silence was cut as a voice from behind them said, "Yeah; I'm here."

They turned to see Rick stepping out of the shadows, walking calmly over to them.

Manny raked his eyes over Rick, looking for evidence of some sort of trickery. In a half-joking manner, he asked, "What the fuck is this? You batman now?"

Ignoring Manny's attempt at humor, Rick said, "I see you didn't come alone like I asked. I guess you needed emotional support from your cheerleaders." Then, with his head cocked and a smirk on his face, he asked, "You scared of me, Manny?"

Manny pretended not to notice the look that Mo shot him. Instead, he chuckled nonchalantly, like his heart didn't feel like a horse's feet pounding the ground in full sprint.

His hand gripped the pistol at his waist even tighter.

"Don't flatter yourself. Mo and Tuck are like my balls. They come everywhere with me." he lied in a voice filled with bravado.

This not-scared-of-anything act worked with everyone else, but not Rick. He noticed Manny's hand, the slight tremble in his voice, and the way he matched Rick's movements to ensure that there was a controllable distance between them. Rick made him nervous, and both guys knew it.

Good.

"Right." Rick scoffed unconvinced as he walked past them towards the warehouse. With his back to them, he snidely asked, "And were they with you when all of your shit was stolen?"

That stopped all three men short. They looked at each other with questions in their eyes, and then looked at Rick.

How did he know about that?

Manny's eyes narrowed suspiciously. In a breadth of mere seconds, his hand was no longer at his waist. Neither was his gun. It was swiped from its hiding place and thrust directly in front of him. The barrel was aimed right at the back of Rick's head with a finger just itching to squeeze.

Before Manny could even start his interrogation, Rick coolly turned around and faced the nozzle as if he expected to see it.

"No. I didn't steal your product." He deadpanned answered the unvoiced question with a tinge of nonchalant annoyance. He said it like it was stupid to even think it.

Manny studied him for a moment but the only thing he saw was an unexcited poker face. As if dismissing him and the gun, Rick turned back towards the warehouse. He stood at the door, completely bored, waiting for one of them to open it.