Power (Romantic Suspense) Read Online Free Page A

living room. Fuji paused his clapping and even decided to stand his fat ass up, when he’d been lounging on the couch with a goddamned bowl of popcorn on my Italian coffee table.
    No smile or hint of joy evident on my face, but I continued my loud clap. “Hey. Why’d you stop clapping, Fuji? She’s funny, right?”
    I concentrated on the vixen who had my main bodyguard distracted from his job. Her bag sat next to my Buddha statue. Well, at least she didn’t hang the damn thing around his neck. Mary Jane stood in front of my television screen. The thing was bigger than her. Even with that mop of kinky curls dominating her head, she still barely reached the top. But then, I’d purchased the biggest screen I could find.
    Again my heart started to pick up its pace, booming loudly in my ears.
    What the fuck is wrong with me today? I was about to cry over fucking Rasheed and now this chick is making me feel stupid. Fuck this.
    “Go ahead, big guy.” I gestured to the couch. “Why don’t you sit back down and enjoy that bowl of popcorn on my beautiful table.”
    “I didn’t eat any, boss.” Fuji made no move to sit or walk off. “She said she was hungry.”
    “Of course she was.” I nodded.
    The man dug into his jeans, waddled over, and handed me her phone. “I got the cell like you asked me too.”
    I put the phone in my back pocket. “Should I be celebrating that you at least did this?”
    “No.” Fuji concentrated on the ground. “And I’m sorry about the popcorn. I just thought it would be good to give her a snack.”
    “And since this is a slumber party, one could only whip up a bowl of fun snacks.” Then something hit me. “Wait a minute. I don’t have junk food in my kitchen? Where did you get the popcorn?”
    She raised her hand. “I brought my own microwavable stuff. And popcorn isn’t junk food. It’s part of the vegetable group.”
    I shook my head. “Technically, it depends on when the corn is harvested. When it’s early some consider it a fruit—later, they call it a grain or vegetable.”
    She stared at me with her mouth open. “O-kay. You really know your food groups.”
    I’m the weird one?
    “Never mind.” I pointed to the bowl. “You carry around packets of popcorn?”
    “Of course. Doesn’t everybody?” She shrugged. “I keep a few with me, just in case. You just never know when you could get hungry or. . .I should be quiet. You look angry.”
    “Oh, no.” I signaled for her to continue. “Feel free to talk. I’m here for you. This is your moment.”
    She shut her mouth and turned to Fuji.
    What? You think he’s going to help you? Do you not know who I am?
    Anger boiled in my veins and my damn heart stuttered a bit in between beats. Never, in all these years, had anyone ever looked away from me and sought another for safety. My eyes ran too cold to turn away. And no one was stupid enough to think that another man could stop me.
    Even though Domingo had escaped, I knew for a fact that his sleep tonight wouldn’t come easy. He was smart. He feared me like everyone else. He’d be jumping at every sound, checking his window anytime a car drove by, and screaming at his men anytime they startled him.
    Fuji’s words came out shaky. “Boss, I’m sorry.”
    “No.” Mary Jane waved his comment away. “This is my fault. Give me the blame. I got scared at the gunshots and just started telling jokes. . .it’s just what I do when I’m super nervous. He laughed and the next thing I knew, I was doing a whole show.”
    “No.” Fuji stood his fat ass up straighter, as if he was preparing himself for the worst. “I knew better. I messed up.”
    Mary Jane jumped in, “No, I did—”
    Jesus!
    “Both of you, shut up.” Pain throbbed on the sides of my forehead. I closed my eyes for a minute to get control of myself. Part of the reason why I meditated so much was to stop all of the crazy shit from tornadoing around in my brain. Now with Domingo’s escape and this chick’s