As Jackie crossed the wide street and entered a small, modest house with a picket fence, the unmistakable array of unmarked black Fords with official license plates caught his attention. Was this a law enforcement neighborhood?
Kid didn’t have any plans on loitering, but he couldn’t pull himself away. With a blank stare he looked at the home. His hunch was realized when less than thirty minutes later the boys in blue with alphabets scribbled across their windbreakers emerged. Everyone looked fatigued—rubbing their eyes, yawning, and staggering to their vehicles. Ever since the explosions most agents were pulling doubles and triples.
The Kid was confused. Why were a half-dozen FBI ag
ents coming out of Jackie’s home? She was an eighteen-year-old girl that he had just met. Could one of them be her father and that’s why she was always rushing home? The question was answered when his beautiful crush came out of the home in full government regalia. Jackie was putting on her windbreaker and he could clearly see a holstered gun. Kid was flabbergasted. He had been played, just like Jessica had played him.
***
Kid could not sleep that night. How did he keep finding himself in these situations with women? They were so cunning. He wished Eshon was there so he could tell her what had happened. Obviously, Jackie was connected to the federal investigators that had knocked on Brandy’s door and also the local cop, Officer Spielberg.
Kid couldn’t figure out how they had gotten on to them. What had they done wrong? Truthfully, the only person to blame would be him because he was the one moving the pieces on the chessboard.
He knew what he had to do, but somehow couldn’t come to terms with it. How could he kill Jackie? The intelligent, chess playing, snarky, devious, duplicitous, FBI agent Jackie?
34
The next morning Eshon was back and had breakfast made. Usually Kid ate a healthy portion of pork bacon, eggs, and grits, but he had no appetite today. He felt sick to his stomach.
He wrestled with whether the short time he and Jackie had spent together was real. How much of Jackie was really her and how much was just her cover? It can’t all be fake, he thought. You can’t pretend to love chess—not at the level she played. How could the FBI handpick someone that would be perfect for him?
He hated to admit it, but he had been outsmarted. Kid thought about snatching up his crew and leaving town, but with what money? He had a plan and he had already pressed play, so could he hit pause? The reasonable side of him said that if they had something tangible then Jackie wouldn’t be meeting him at the Y. And she hadn’t even begun digging into his personal life with questions, which was indicative that they were at the beginning stages. He still had time to finish his Maserati Meek business and avenge his brother’s murder.
***
To any other man it would have come as a great shock that Jackie showed up at the Y, but Kid knew she would come back so quickly because he had told her he was leaving town. A good agent would need questions answered. As soon as she walked in, Kid’s heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t help but be drawn to her.
“Ready to lose again, loser?” she asked him.
He grinned, and it was genuine. “Not today.”
“That’s what they all say. Good luck.”
“I don’t need luck when I got skills.”
“Skills, huh?”
“In many things,” Kid flirted. “But you wouldn’t know that because you won’t give me a chance.”
“I’ll tell you what, if you win today then I might let you take me out.” Jackie had done a 180. She could no longer play hard to get.
“Might? I’ll take it. Start thinking about where you want to go, because I’m winning.”
The chess match was awkward at best, bizarre at worst. Both Jackie and Kid were trying to lose. Jackie wanted alone time with him. She knew he was sweet on her and wanted his guard down. Meanwhile, Kid didn’t trust himself around her. He didn’t know if he wanted to kiss her or kill her. It turned out that Jackie was the better loser.
She stood up from the table. “I hope you have more than five dollars in your pockets because I’m hungry.”
“Don’t worry about my finances, gorgeous. Where we’re going you’ll be well fed.” Kid grinned cockily. “Your chariot awaits. Hop on!” He gestured to his chair like Vanna White.
Jackie was confused. Did he want her to sit on his lap? Kid extended his hand and she took it. He pulled Jackie close and she sat squarely on his lap.
“Hold on tight,” he whispered. “It might get a little rough.” Their eyes met and Jackie had to look away first. Why was she feeling all warm and tingly with this guy? It was unprofessional and she knew she needed to maintain her boundaries.
As Kid rolled his wheelchair down tree lined blocks and uneven pavements, Jackie marveled at his strength. It was one thing to get around on his own, a whole other level to do it with additional weight. All sorts of thoughts swirled around her head, like how did he look naked? Did his dick function? And if they fucked would he want her to sit on his face? She blushed.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Excuse me?” she said, embarrassed as if he had read her mind.