All of us had tempers. Some more easily rattled than others but the savage honorary brut to do some bodily damage, we all had the trait. Once unleashed there was no reeling us in. Leaning against the wall, I scrolled through my phone checking my emails and unread texts.
“Kameron.” That was my first warning.
“Ole stupid motherfucker. Always thinking cause you're older that you can talk shit and put your hands on me.” He did some flip, caged Kandon from behind, and had him in a headlock. I forgot he practiced Jujitsu and other martial arts as a hobby.
Kandon’s arms flapped in the air as he wheezed and gasped for air. Blood running down his nose. He got fucked up good. I don’t know what possessed his old ass to try a man twenty years his junior. He was going to learn today.
“Kameron.” My second warning.
“I should make your stupid ass beg ole thieving bitch.” Raising his arm high, Kameron’s elbow came down hard in the middle of Kandon’s chest, sending him into a gasping coughing frenzy. “If mama asks you what happened you better tell her that you ran into a wall.” Pushing him off, he stood and adjusted his suit. Only thing messed up was his little man bun and a small cut on his lip. Looking at Kandon and them Kameron, it was such a contrast from one to the other.
Acting like my mother raised me with some sense, I bent down and helped Kandon to his feet. He wobbled, coughing, and heaving. “Take my private elevator and go home. I’ll have your assistant bring up anything you need and when I get off, I’ll drop it off.” Trying to walk on his own, he stumbled and fell.
Glaring back at Kameron, who only shrugged and walked into my office, I helped Kandon get to the elevator. He wasn’t fit to drive, damn shame. Calling our driver that we had on standby, I asked him to come get him. Luckily, he was only ten minutes from the office. Typically, Bryce drove my father around, alternating between him and my mom. Sometimes he drove my sister-in-law around or us when we stepped out for the night. By the time Bryce pulled up, a look of horror sat on his face seeing Kandon’s swollen face, I had already called our family doctor to make an emergency house visit.
His eyes were swollen shut and his lip was twice its normal size bleeding.
“Wanna tell me why you beat him like that? He is your brother, Kameron?” Stepping into my ensuite bathroom, I washed my hands clean of blood and sweat.
“Don’t care. He’s been disrespecting me for a long time, and I got tired of it.” He rubbed his knuckles which were red but not swollen. “In the eyes of the law, I stood my ground. He followed me up here. Kept running his mouth about me being a pussy and running to you about everything. You know I don’t care what comes out of his mouth but when he put his hands on me,” he shrugged. “I can guarantee he won’t do it again.”
I’m sure Kandon wouldn’t either, but he’d use other tactics to get back at Kameron. Since he couldn’t physically beat him, he’d come after him in other ways and I bet my lucky dollar that his first attack would be his position here in the company.
“What’s on your mind?” My eyes drifted to my computer. Kameron started talking about how he wanted to expand the business down south and so forth, wanting to do more in our urban development. I listened but my attention was on the camera footage showing Jacolby’s every move once she stepped off the elevator. Yes, I had cameras tracking her every move.
Today she was dressed in a knee-length white skirt, magenta blouse tucked in, and matching magenta pumps. She loved to wear those high ass heels with her short ass. Without them, she stood no taller than five-three, if that. But I liked it. Loved her short height. Loved the way she had to crane her neck back to look up at me. Loved that when she did put on heels and stood before me, she came right in the middle of my chest where she belonged.
Leaning back in my chair I watched her look down the hall towards my office. Walked a few steps then stopped and stood there. Wanting desperately for her to keep walking, to keep walking to me. All I could do was pull the hairs on my beard to keep from doing something I shouldn’t. She had ombre braids that were pulled into a high bun. I could see myself wrapping them around my fist until her neck was exposed enough for me to sink my teeth into.
I was a biter, but I also soothed the pain away.
Deliciously so…
“…and I think we could do it. I can’t work under him any longer. Once this money issue is squared away and I finish my current projects, we should branch off. What do you think?” Good thing I perfected my skill of multitasking while also having my attention drawn elsewhere.
“I’m interested in partnering.” His eyes widened like he hadn’t expected me to agree so easily. I honestly don’t know what made me agree when I’ve been trying to break away from it all. Fixated on Jacolby on my screen and the words belted out on their own.
“Uh, wow, okay. I’m excited.” I was too and that kind of made me uncomfortable. Not the business adventure itself but the idea of something different.
“Let’s focus on what we have going on here. Once this mess is cleared away then we can sit down and put together a business plan for the board to agree upon. How does that sound?” I said anything that would get him out of my office. Under my desk my legs were speaking my anxiousness to get down the hall loud and clear.
Pleased with my effort to join his partnership, Kameron stood stretching. “Thanks, Pax. I came up here ready to offer my entire Pokémon collection just to get you on board with me.” I stood laughing. For him to offer his collection that he’s been invested in since he was a child spoke the high level of his determination. “I’m about to head out for lunch and prepare myself for the rath of our mother because I beat her precious son.” He and I walked down the hall.
Once he got on the elevator and the doors closed, I took quick steps until I stood outside of her office. A wide smile spread across my face listening to her sing loud and horribly to OutKast ‘Hey Ya’. I don’t know how long I stood there beside the door listening to her enjoyment of singing off-key to every song that played through the Bluetooth speakers. Others might say nails on a chalkboard sounded better but to me, she sounded heavenly.
And that’s because she was.
Everything about my Jacolby was heavenly.