The Last Chance Read online

  Luke leaned forward and whispered, “Please, Xavier. She’s our sister. Have a heart, man. Damn.”

  Xavier could see the agony in Luke’s eyes. He cleared his throat and whispered back, “I’ll think about it. But if she gives me any trouble about signing this paper or anything, I won’t be responsible for my actions or Baby Dee’s.”

  After Keytone and his entourage left Malachi’s house, Keilah and Ramsey used that time to catch up on their sleep. They wanted to make sure they were alert and refreshed before they met up with Xavier and his crew. It was nearly eight o’clock before Keilah woke up. She yawned and stretched as she sat up on the side of the bed. As she sat there, she couldn’t help but think about her brothers and what lay ahead for them. Why Xavier was holding them hostage was still a mystery, but she wouldn’t rest until they were released and back home safe and sound.

  Keilah looked at the clock on the nightstand before walking over to her suitcase. She pulled out a few toiletries and headed into the bathroom for a hot shower.

  Down the hallway, Ramsey was awakened as soon as he heard Keilah turn on the water. He rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling. As he lay there, he wondered what dangers they would be faced with later and then prayed everyone would come out unscathed.

  Ramsey sat up and picked up the 357 Magnum he got out of Malachi’s stash of weapons and inspected it one last time. He heard the shower turn off, alerting him that Keilah would be dressed and ready to go shortly. He stood, unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it on the bed. A hot shower was exactly what he needed to clear his head and adjust his mind set. He walked around the bed to retrieve his luggage and realized he’d left it in Keilah’s room. While she was still in the rest room, he padded down the hallway to get it, but when he opened the door he startled Keilah who was standing in the middle of the room in only a black lace thong. She covered her breasts with her hands. “Ramsey, you startled me.”

  Frozen in his spot, he stood there and admired just how natural her beauty was. “I’m sorry, Keilah, I thought you were still in the rest room. I didn’t mean to bust up in here without knocking.”

  She smiled and dropped her hands to her sides. “Come on in, Ramsey. It’s not like I have something you haven’t seen before.”

  Keilah was right. He had seen her in even less than what she had on at the moment, but it had been a while. Gazing at her unbelievable physique caused him to totally forget why he’d come into her room in the first place. He walked past his luggage and straight over to her, where he cupped her face and softly said, “I see your bruises are almost gone.”

  She wrapped her arms around his body. “I’m glad.”

  They stood there staring at each other in silence while Ramsey caressed her cheek. “Are you ready to kick some butt tonight?”

  “I’m ready to do whatever it takes to save my brothers. It doesn’t matter what happens to me. They’ve looked after me all of my life. Now it’s my turn to take care of them.”

  He lowered his lips within inches of hers and whispered, “And it’s my turn to love you like you need to be loved.”

  Keilah’s eyes widened with shock upon hearing Ramsey’s confession as he seared her lips with his sultry passion. Ramsey held onto Keilah as tightly as he could while continuing to savor her soft, ample lips. His hands and mouth were all over her body. She could hardly catch her breath, and when his large hand slid inside her lacy undergarments so he could touch her, she gasped and softly said, “Please don’t tease me, Ramsey.”

  “Do I act like I’m joking with you?” His voice was slightly strained. “I love you, Keilah.”

  She pressed her face against his bare chest and kissed him in various sensitive areas. Keilah could hear the changes in his breathing as he trembled against her lips. “Baby, I don’t know how this night is going to end, but right now, all I want to do is feel you in every possible way.”

  Ramsey tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but it was impossible. Tears welled up in his eyes, because he finally realized that the emotions he experienced were the real thing. He was in love with Keilah, and having her in every way possible was only going to be the beginning for them.

  Keilah’s hands quickly unbuckled his belt and pushed his jeans down to his ankles. He stepped out of them and did the same with her undergarments. They stood before each other bare, emotionally and physically, and neither of them flinched. Ramsey picked Keilah up, and she wrapped her legs around his body. He kissed her insatiably, and she happily returned the favor. Ramsey gripped her hips and pressed her body against the wall as he dipped his mouth and covered her brown, swollen peaks. He was hungry for her, and he greedily feasted on her round mounds, causing her to pant uncontrollably. He wanted more, and as he carried her over to the bed, he continued his assault on her voluptuous, feminine lips.

  As she lay on her back, he slowly ran his tongue from her slender neck, down through the cleavage of her breasts, to her navel and lower to the small triangle patch between her thighs. Before dipping his head into her sweet abyss, he pinned both of her legs to her side so he could feast on her without any obstacles. “Keilah, I’m not going to stop until I have my fill of you. You’ve been warned.”

  Before she could mumble a word, his lips were torturing the very essence of her. This was nothing like anything they had experienced between each other before. Keilah felt sensations running up and down her body, which caused her to shudder violently. Ramsey was putting his brand on the most sensitive area of her being, and she felt like she was going to disintegrate. He had control of her body now, and there was nothing she could do but hang on for the ride. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes seemed to turn into hours as he showed no indication that he was nearing the end. If anything, he increased the way his tongue swirled and twirled over her flesh. Keilah gripped the sheets and arched into him while moaning and panting loudly. She knew her body couldn’t take much more. Especially when she felt her skin sweltering and her body trembling. She gritted her teeth as her body shuddered causing her to scream, “Oh, Ramsey.”

  Mission accomplished. Only then did he stop. He smiled and kissed his way back up to her lips. He whispered, “You can’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  She was still trembling, and her skin was hot to his touch. She was on fire, and he was just beginning. He played in her soft, auburn hair as he looked her in the eyes. “You know I love you, right?”

  Breathlessly she answered, “Yes.”

  “And you trust me, right?”

  “With my life,” she answered.

  “Then you know there’s no way I’m going to allow anything bad to happen to you, right?”

  She nodded in agreement as if she were in a trance. In a way she was, and it was a state of mind beyond anything she had ever experienced. He leaned down, then kissed and toyed with her lips before whispering, “Turn over, baby.”

  Keilah rolled over onto her stomach and then looked back over her shoulder at him. He gave her one firm kiss on the lips before kissing his way down her back. He kissed her tattoo, causing her to suck in her breath. He pressed his body against her hips and moments later, she felt him inch his way inside her. She bent over farther and prepared herself for his enormous love. He held onto her hips and let the rhythm of their bodies and hearts transport them from the past, to the present, and into the future. Each thrust of his body told her a different story about them, but they all had the same ending, and he whispered it each time their bodies came together. “I love you, Keilah. I love you, Keilah ...”

  Keilah buried her face into the pillow and let Ramsey penetrate her core. His momentum increased when he heard her subtle whimpers. He continued to plunge deeper into her chasm as he inhaled her body and spirit. When she looked at him, he noticed the glazed look in her eyes, and then he felt his body explode, paralyzing him as his seed filled her space. The pair collapsed onto the bed and into each other’s arms. Keilah nuzzled her face against his warm neck and murmured, “I have never in my life felt any
thing even close to what I just felt with you, Ramsey.”

  He ran his hand lovingly down her back to her round, sexy backside. “That was nothing. When we have more time, I would like to show you how I really feel about you.”

  She looked at him in disbelief. If that was nothing, she was a little afraid of what he considered something. He looked at his watch and said, “I guess we had better get up and get dressed so we can rescue your brothers.”

  Keilah kissed him on the chin and pushed back the comforter so she could climb out of bed. Before she was able to put her feet on the floor, Ramsey grabbed her and pulled her back into his arms. “I know you don’t think I’m going to let you out of this bed with a weak kiss like that.”

  She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck and signed his mouth with her lips. She offered him the sweetness of her tongue as she slipped it inside his mouth, and he happily indulged her. “Now that is what I’m talking about.”

  Ramsey climbed out of bed behind her, and they showered together before finally getting dressed.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Keytone, Ramsey, and Keilah went over their plan one more time with Li’l Mike and T. Money. Before leaving Malachi’s house, Keytone said, “Keilah, I have something for you and Ramsey.”

  Before she could ask, T.Money opened a box, pulled out two bulletproof vests, and handed them to the pair. Ramsey inspected them. “Where did you get these?”

  Keytone laughed. “Don’t ask.” Ramsey unbuttoned his shirt and slid into his vest. “I really appreciate this, Keytone. I feel much better now.”

  Keilah removed her T-shirt and adjusted the straps on her tank top before putting on the vest. Once she had it on, she put her T-shirt back on. She sat down and raised the pants leg of her jeans and slid a .22-caliber pistol into an ankle holster. Ramsey and the rest of the crew did their final weapon check as well before heading out the door. Keytone looked at Keilah and asked, “What else are you carrying?”

  She pulled a 9 mm out of her back waistband, popped out the clip and slammed it back in. “This.”

  “I’m scared of you.”

  She smiled. “You don’t have a reason to be scared, but Xavier does. I still don’t understand why he’s holding everyone hostage.”

  As if a lightbulb had gone off in his head, Keytone yelled, “Son of a bitch.”

  Ramsey looked at Keytone. “What is it?”

  “I just remembered something a junkie told me right after you got attacked at the hotel. He said he heard some guy talking about a take over. I bet X is trying to take over the casinos.”

  Keilah yelled, “Well, he’s not going to get them. I’ll burn them down first before I let X or anybody take our casinos from us.”

  “I feel you, Keilah,” Ramsey replied.

  Keytone looked at his watch. “Now that we have an idea of what’s going on, let’s roll. Keilah, don’t forget we have your back, and if it seems like things are getting ready to jump off, give us some kind of signal.”

  She put on a trench coat and tucked a sawed off semiautomatic shotgun down in an inside pocket. Keytone frowned. “Can you handle all of that?”

  “Do you know who you’re talking to?” Ramsey asked. “Just call her Foxy Brown.” Ramsey laughed. “That’s my girl.”

  At the Lucky Chance casino, Keilah drove Malachi’s car through the private gate and parked. Before getting out of the vehicle she sent a text to Xavier, telling him to meet her near the poker tables. When she walked inside the building, she punched in the alarm code, then made her way downstairs, where she cut off certain circuit breakers. She only wanted the emergency backup lights on, and she wanted to make sure the surveillance cameras didn’t record anything that might go down. After getting everything in place, she made her way over to the poker tables.

  It didn’t take long for Xavier and his crew along with the Chance brothers, to pull into the parking lot. Xavier made sure the Chances were bound while Baby Dee and Romeo held their guns on the foursome. As they made their way through the casino, Ramsey, Keytone, and his crew held their positions through the building. They cautiously walked through the large room until they found Keilah sitting behind one of the larger poker tables.

  The moment she laid eyes on her brothers, her heart thumped in her chest. She walked over to them and hugged and kissed each one. “Are you guys okay?”

  Luke said, “We’re fine.”

  Xavier interrupted their family reunion. “Enough is enough. Let’s get down to business.”

  Keilah turned to X and angrily said, “Untie them.”

  “Hell no. We have business to conduct first.”

  She walked over to him. “What kind of business do you have to discuss with me?”

  Xavier laughed. “Ask your brothers.”

  Keilah turned to her brothers and they lowered their heads. That’s when P.K. Sloan walked into the room. “P.K. What the hell are you doing here?” she asked.

  As usual, he was dressed in a very expensive suit and his hands were sparkling with diamonds. He held his hand out to Keilah, and she numbly shook it. “It’s good seeing you again, Keilah. I believe I have another document here for you to sign.”

  Luke stepped forward. “Keilah, what P.K. is trying to tell you is he’s just as crooked as Xavier is. He has falsified documents, and because we trusted him, he was able to trick us into signing away our rights to both casinos. All they need now is your signature, and we will no longer be the owners of either one.”

  Keilah felt lightheaded. “You can’t be serious, Luke.”

  Roman said, “It’s true. P.K. has been working with this trash for some time now to steal our casinos. For some reason, he thinks he deserves to own them all because his alcoholic father drank himself to death before Joe made their gambling house.”

  “What are you talking about, Luke?” she asked.

  “It doesn’t matter, Keilah,” Xavier intervened. “I’ve earned the right to this casino just like you guys did, and I won’t be denied.”

  P.K. opened his briefcase and placed a single form on the table. He took a pen out of his jacket. “So, Keilah, if you would just sign here, we’ll be done.”

  She frowned. “I’m not signing a damn thing. My family worked hard to make this casino what it is, and you think I’m going to stand here and just sign it over to you? You’re crazy.”

  Xavier pulled out his revolver and aimed it at Keilah’s head. She walked directly toward him. Luke yelled, “Keilah, don’t.”

  She ignored Luke and kept walking toward Xavier until the gun was pressed firmly against her forehead. “If you think pointing that gun at me is going to scare me into signing that paperwork, you’re mistaken.”

  Xavier lowered the gun and pointed it at Malachi.

  Malachi mumbled, “Don’t sign it, sis.”

  Xavier looked at Malachi and then over at Keilah. He smiled mischievously and said, “Maybe this will change your mind.”

  Xavier pulled the trigger, and Luke, Roman, and Genesis all dove under a nearby poker table. Keilah ran over to Malachi and held her hand against his wound. Xavier had shot him in the leg. She yelled, “You bastard.”

  Xavier said, “I guess now you see I’m not playing with you.”

  Malachi moaned in pain as he lay on the floor.

  “Untie him, Xavier,” Keilah yelled.

  “Not until you sign the paper,” he repeated.

  “Go to hell,” she yelled back at him.

  Xavier turned to Baby Dee and Romeo and said, “Go check the perimeter and make sure nobody heard that gunshot.”

  Keilah pulled a knife out of her pocket and cut the restraint off Malachi’s wrists. When Xavier turned back around he said, “Didn’t I tell you not to do that until you sign the paper?”

  She jumped up. “I don’t give a damn what you said. Malachi needs a doctor.”

  Xavier aimed the gun again but this time at Genesis. “Do you think I’m playing with you, girl? This is not a game.”

 
P.K. put his hands up. “Hold on a second, Xavier. Let’s not go to the extreme. I’m not looking to get any jail time out of this.” Xavier aimed the gun at P.K. “Are you getting soft on me, P.K.?”

  “No, I just don’t feel like catching a case and getting a needle stuck in my arm for murder.”

  “If I didn’t need you, P.K., I swear I would shoot your punk ass,” Xavier informed him.

  P.K. yelled, “Without me, you wouldn’t be even close to having any of this shit.”

  Xavier was getting agitated. “Keilah, sign the goddamn paper.”

  “I said no.”

  Xavier raised the gun again and aimed it at Genesis. Just before he pulled the trigger, Ramsey and T. Money stepped through the door with Magnums pointed at X and P.K. “Don’t even think about it, because if you pull that trigger you’re going to be dead before you hit the floor,” Ramsey said. “Now put the gun down.”

  “Who the hell are you?” X asked as he sat his gun on top of the poker table.

  T. Money said, “You don’t want to know, partner.”

  Ramsey winked at Keilah. “Cut those restraints off your brother’s wrists.”

  Xavier seemed somewhat dumbfounded. Keilah cut her brother’s bindings before helping Malachi off the floor. “T. Money, get Malachi to the hospital right away.”

  “A’ight, Keilah,” he replied as he tucked his .357 Magnum into his jacket.

  Xavier turned to P.K. “Where’s Baby Dee and Romeo?”

  P.K. shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know.” Ramsey taunted Xavier. “It’s hard to find good help when you need it, isn’t it?”

  Xavier pointed his gun at T. Money. “Nobody’s going anywhere.”

  “I disagree with you, dawg,” Ramsey said. “Go ahead, T. Money. Get Malachi to the hospital. I got this.”

  T. Money put Malachi’s arm around his shoulder and helped him out of the building so he could drive him to the hospital. A few minutes later, Baby Dee and Romeo stepped from behind the dollar slot machines with their guns blazing. They eased up on Ramsey. “Drop the gun, player.”