Naughty 5:

Book 5: Naughty

by Brenda Hampton

Genres: African American; African American Urban; African American Women's Fiction; African American Romance

Synopsis

The Sequel to Naughty by Nature burns with fire!!

Hampton’s most loveable characters are back, and as usual, “It’s about to be some sh** up in here!” Jaylin, Nokea, Shane, Scorpio, and let’s not forget about Felicia, are determined to make this a story you’ll never forget.

While Jaylin fights his battle to stay out of jail for giving Felicia a major beat-down, he also has to do what it takes to maintain his marriage to Nokea. This time, she’s skeptical about standing by her man, and when she finds out that Scorpio and Jaylin can’t quite keep their feelings under control, throwing in the towel just might be the best thing to do. Till death do us part, Jaylin confirms, as losing his wife is not an option. For everyone, Scorpio’s cravings for the one man she’ll never be able to conquer must come to an end. Shane continues to show her that he’s the only man she needs, but will his efforts be enough? Of course, Felicia stands in the way of everyone’s happiness—and satisfaction, to her, could possibly mean death.

Release date: November 1, 2011

Publisher: Urban Renaissance

Print pages: 320

Sample

It was getting late, so I grabbed my briefcase to go. I turned down the lights in Davenports and headed toward the elevator. When it opened, I hit the L button to take me downstairs to the lobby. The elevator slowed, and as it was getting ready to make a stop, I looked down and searched for my keys in my purse. When the elevator stopped, the doors slowly separated. My eyes stared down at the expensive deep burgundy leather shoes and then made contact with the navy blue pants that belonged to a Brooks Brothers suit. Next, I saw the diamond Rolex, and the lightly tanned sweaty hands were balled into fists. The bulge in his pants was there, and the smell of Issey Miyake filled the air. I lifted my head, and my eyes were locked with his catty gray, watery eyes, which were red as fire. I tried to get away from him, but to no avail. All I witnessed was his fist go up, and my entire face was numb. Following that, I saw nothing but darkness.

I struggled to open my eyes. When I did, I realized I could see out of only one of them. There was a bright light shining in my face, and a hand swayed in front of my eyes. I heard a voice that repeated the same questions over and over: “Felicia, can you see me? Can you hear me?” I slowly nodded, and the white man, who I assumed was a doctor, held up a tiny light, looking into my right eye.

For the moment, all I could feel was pain. My head was banging, and my face was awfully stiff. Without even looking in a mirror, I could see the swelling in my face through my good eye. As for my lips, I wasn’t sure. I tried to feel them, but they were numb. When I reached my hand up to touch them, the doctor took my hand and placed it by my side.

“We’ve given you something for the pain. You might feel a bit of numbness in your mouth, because we had to remove a cracked tooth. If it gets too painful, I want you to let me know, okay?”

I nodded again.

“In the meantime, the police would like to speak with you about what happened. Are you prepared to speak with them, or would you like to wait until later?”

It took me a moment to respond, but when I was able to, I strained to get out the word “later.”

“Is there anyone you’d like for me to contact?”

I nodded. The doctor picked up a pen and a piece of paper and handed them to me. I wrote down Stephon’s name and number.

“Okay. My assistant, Madeline, will contact Stephon for you. Try to get some rest, and I’ll tell the police to come back later.”

The doctor squeezed my hand and walked out of the room. My eyes shifted around, and as I tried to open my closed eye, the pain became unbearable. Tears fell from the corner of my eyes, so I tightened them, hoping the pain would go away. No doubt, Jaylin had messed me up, and I guessed he was irate because Nokea had seen the CD.

The touch of someone’s cold hands awakened me. When I looked up, I saw a blurred vision of Stephon looking down at me. He smiled and kissed the back of my hand.

“Wake up,” he said, moving my long braids away from my face. “You’ve been sleeping for a very long time.”

The pain I felt earlier had somewhat diminished, so I turned my head to the side and smiled back at Stephon. “How long have you been here?” I mumbled.

“Long enough. I got a call from your doctor. He told me that you’d been assaulted by someone. As soon as he told me where you were, I came quickly. Do you remember who ... ?”

I patted a spot on the bed next to me, and Stephon took a seat. “I vaguely remember what happened, but I do know who did this to me. The last person I saw was Jaylin. He had a look that could kill, and all I remember was the sight of his fist as it landed on my face. The next thing I knew, I opened my eyes—well, the one I can see out of—and I was here.”

Stephon pulled his head back and frowned. “So, Jaylin was the one who did this to you?”

I nodded.

“I can’t believe that motherfu—”

Stephon was interrupted by the police as they came through the door.

“Ms. Davenport, do you have time to answer some questions for us?” said one of the officers.

“Yes, I do.”

The other officer looked at Stephon. “Sir, would you mind leaving the room so that we can speak to Ms. Davenport alone?”

“I would like for him to stay,” I said abruptly. “That’s if it’s not a problem.”

Both officers looked at each other and then started with the questions.

“Do you know the man who attacked you?” asked the first officer, taking notes.

“Yes. I know him very well. He was an ex-boyfriend of mine.”

“Do you know why he attacked you—”

Stephon interrupted. “The reason why doesn’t even matter! You can see with your own eyes what he did to her.”

The officer placed his hand on Stephon’s chest. “Sir, calm down, please. If you weren’t there to witness what happened, I need you to be very quiet.”

“I ... I really don’t know why he attacked me. After our breakup, things between us kind of went downhill. I thought he’d moved on with his life, but I guess I was wrong.”

“Was he abusive to you during your relationship with him?”

“Very. Mentally and physically.”

“Have you ever filed for a restraining order against him or had him arrested before?”

My eyes watered as I spoke. “No, but I should have. I was afraid of him. Afraid that he’d do exactly what he did to me.”

The officer who took notes closed his pad. He placed it in his back pocket and looked at me. “We have Mr. Jaylin Rogers in custody for assault and for carrying a loaded weapon. If the prosecutor decides to take the case, he might decide to try him for attempted murder. The cameras on the elevator caught the entire incident on tape, and as soon as Mr. Rogers left the building, he was apprehended. If you decide to press charges, in my opinion, you have a solid case. I advise you to immediately contact your attorney, because this guy is anxious to leave St. Louis. From what I gathered, he has a darn good attorney, and on Monday Mr. Rogers goes before the judge. Your alleged abuser lives in another city, so the judge will determine if he is a flight risk or not. Make sure you and your attorney are present, specifically to stop this maniac from getting away with what he did.”

“Oh, trust me, he’s not getting away with anything. If I’m not well by Monday, I assure you my attorney will be there on my behalf.”

Both officers handed me a card and told me if I needed to obtain a police report, it would be ready later on today. After that, they left. I looked at Stephon, and he looked at me.

“Revenge is so bittersweet, my sista,” he said. “It’s time to shake, rattle, and roll against this arrogant motherfucker and make him pay for what he’s done to you and me.”

“I agree, Stephon. And he will pay not only with his life but also with his money. Retirement at age thirty-six doesn’t sound bad at all.”

Stephon gave me a sliding high five, and we were pleased about what was about to happen.

I was mad as hell! I specifically went to St. Louis to kill Felicia’s ass for the hurt she’d cost my family. She was lucky that all she caught was a major beat down from me. Every blow that I gave her was worth it to me, and if it wasn’t for this elderly white woman who entered the elevator and screamed, Felicia very well might be dead. As soon as I left the building, the police were scattered outside, waiting for me. You would have thought that I robbed a bank or murdered a police officer the way they aggressively wrestled me to the ground and cuffed me. I didn’t resist, not one bit, because I knew there would be consequences the moment I decided to make my way back to St. Louis. The only thing I didn’t know was that I’d be stuck in this hellhole of a jail cell for hours.

When I called my attorney, Frick, he had the nerve to remind me that he was Felicia’s attorney, too. Now, I’d been the one who introduced them, and it was because of me that he became her attorney. Basically, I told him that if he didn’t get his ass to this jailhouse to get me, I’d make sure he was out of business for good. He hesitated but then said he was on his way.

That was many hours ago, so I spent those hours thinking about my wife, Nokea, and my kids. The last person I wanted to call was her. When I left, she knew how angry I was. She begged me not to go and told me it would all work itself out. Of course, I didn’t listen. The only thing on my mind was killing Felicia for causing Nokea to lose our baby. Nokea didn’t deserve any of this, and whenever anyone hurt her, they hurt me.

Felicia had no idea that the tape she mailed of Scorpio teasing the shit out of Shane and me took Nokea’s and my child away from us. Not only that, but the hurt I saw in Nokea’s eyes when the doctor told her she might not be able to have any more kids from the bad fall she’d taken, it was a look I’d never forget. All I wanted to do was protect her. And through my own mistakes in our marriage, I failed. A huge part of me was angry at myself for bringing this bullshit to my home. It very well could’ve been prevented, but because of Felicia’s stupidity, I wasn’t sure if Nokea would ever truly forgive me.

I stood with my hands in my pockets and lightly tapped the back of my head against the wall with my eyes closed. My torn suit jacket was folded across my arm, and my white, wrinkled shirt with missing buttons revealed my chest. All of my expensive jewelry had been placed in a plastic bag, and the officer took it, along with my wedding ring. I opened my eyes and looked at my ring finger. I rubbed my finger around the tanned line from my wedding band, thinking deeply of Nokea. I wanted to go home so badly. I wanted to hold her in my arms, and I wished like hell that none of this had happened. I thought of my kids, and my throat started to ache. I knew they were missing me, just as much as I missed them.

My eyelids felt heavy, so I closed my eyes to fight my emotions. Shortly after, the brotha who was in the same holding cell with me cleared his throat.

“What are you in for?” he asked in a feminine tone.

I ignored him, keeping my eyes closed.

He cleared his throat again. “Pretty boy, did you hear me? I asked what you were in here for.”

I slowly opened my sore red eyes and stared at him. Then, I spoke calmly. “None of your motherfuckin’ business. Now, don’t say shit else to me.”

The faggot fool started fanning himself. “Whew, it’s getting awfully hot in here. I just asked you a simple question. You don’t have to get all ugly about it, wit yo fine self.”

I eased myself away from the wall and slowly walked in his direction. I tossed my Brooks Brothers jacket over my shoulder and placed my hands back inside of my pockets. As I neared him, he smiled. I stood a few feet away from him, sniffing myself.

“Do you smell that?” I asked.

He took a few sniffs and put his hand on his hip. “Smell what? I don’t smell anything, but I sure as hell see something I can work with. Besides, what is it that I’m supposed to be smelling?”

I sniffed myself again, leaned my face close to his, and spoke sternly. “Pussy. If you get a tad bit closer to me, you might get a whiff of some good-ass pussy I had last night. I wear it quite often because I crave the fragrance. More than anything, the scent is to remind assholes like you not to approach me in such an offensive way. Now, I’m gon’ go back over there and mind my own business. If you don’t want to get fucked up in here, I suggest you not say shit else to me, all right?”

The brotha folded his arms and tooted his lips. No sooner had I turned and walked away than he opened his mouth.

“Wooo-whew! That backside sholl look good to me!”

I tried, but I couldn’t control my anger. Before I knew it, I had him by his collar and had pulled him up from the bed.

“Did you hear what the fuck I said? I will kill you, fool!”

Just then, three officers came rushing into the holding cell. They couldn’t wait to rough me up again, and one of them slammed me hard against the wall. He held his black stick close to my face and yelled, “You’d better calm your ass down, boy!”

I breathed heavily. “You’d better get that stick away from my fucking face. And as for being your boy, if you touch me again, I’m gon’ show you what getting your ass kicked from a man feels like.”

He continued to hold the stick close to my face and smiled. When I heard a whistle and turned my head to the side, it was Frick. He calmly strutted in, dressed to impress with a leather briefcase by his side. His salt-and-pepper gray hair was neatly combed back, and his black-framed glasses covered his olive green eyes. He walked right into the cell and stood next to the officer who held the stick next to my face.

“I promise you that the NAACP would be here in an instant.” He grabbed the officer’s shoulder and squeezed it. “Mr. Rogers and I know of many important people in very high places. Trust me, you don’t want this situation to get ugly. Put the stick down and allow my client and me to leave peacefully. His bond has been paid, so if there’s nothing further, we’d like to go.”

The officer lowered the stick and mumbled something underneath his breath as he exited. It sounded like he called me a nigga. It was confirmed when Frick rolled his eyes and the faggot fool covered his mouth.

“Nigga?” I said, as Frick already had his hand on my chest to hold me back. “You son of a bitch! I should kick your racist ass for disrespecting me! You are lucky that we are on your turf and not mine!”

The officer turned around. “Is that a threat?”

“It sounded like one to me,” the faggot brother weighed in.

Frick stood face-to-face with me and pointed his finger. “Jaylin, don’t say anything else to incriminate yourself. There’s a better way of handling this, but I need you to keep your mouth shut. He’s working you, man. Don’t you get it? All he wants to do is pick a fight with you, and believe me when I tell you that in this fucking place, he’s going to win. Now, get your jacket off the floor and let’s go.”

I knew what Frick said was right, but as usual, my anger got the best of me. I snatched my jacket from the floor and followed behind Frick as he left the cell. As soon as the officer closed the bars, the faggot rushed up to them.

“Good-bye, handsome. I ain’t never seen a light-skinned man as fine as you, and I regret not being able to twirl my fingers through your trimmed curly hair. Wait until I tell the boys what I done missed out on! Damn!”

I turned, but again, Frick told me to ignore him. I was able to maintain my composure, until I asked for my bag of jewelry and everybody seemed to be suffering from amnesia.

“Are you sure you gave it to them?” Frick asked.

I didn’t respond but gave Frick a devious stare. All jokes aside, somebody was about to get fucked up. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be Frick for not believing me or the officers, who for damn sure knew where my jewelry was. Aside from my expensive Rolex, my diamond and gold cuff links, and my gold roped bracelet, the simple gold band Nokea gave to me on our wedding day was priceless.

I looked at Frick with hostility in my eyes and rubbed my goatee. “Within thirty seconds, I’m about to catch a major case. Please, call my wife and tell her that I love her and my kids.”

Frick looked away and slammed his briefcase hard on the officer’s desk. He opened it, pulled out his cell phone, and placed it up to his ear. He frowned at the officers, who seriously thought the shit was funny.

“Fellas, I really tried to work with you on this one. Calling my client a nigger is one thing, but property theft is another. I seriously hope you all have other employment opportunities.” Frick held the phone closer to his ear. “Uh, Mandy, get me to the mayor’s office. Tell him I’m on hold and that I need to speak with him pronto.” He paused and then yelled, “Yes! Right now!”

Within seconds, the mystery bag somehow showed up. Frick snatched it off the officer’s desk and handed it to me.

“Does your wife have any idea how insane you are?” he asked. He then closed his phone, turned to the officers, and gritted his teeth.

“Please, stop the nonsense. It’s cops like you all who give good cops a bad name. If you can’t handle your fucking job on a professional level, then give it to somebody else who can.”

Frick grabbed his briefcase, and on that note, I smirked and followed behind him. When we got outside, it was a bit chilly, so I slid back into my torn jacket.

“We need some one-on-one time, Jaylin. Not tonight, because it’s rather late. Anytime tomorrow will work better for me.”

“Tomorrow is fine with me. Besides, I need to go somewhere and clear my head for the night.”

“Can I drop you off somewhere?”

“Naw, my rental car is not too far from here. I can walk.”

“Okay, but be careful. I wouldn’t want any of these men to get after you,” he joked, referring to the faggot in jail.

I could barely laugh because there was still so much anger inside of me. “I know you said that we’ll talk tomorrow, but my case with Felicia doesn’t look too good, does it?”

“Jaylin, I’m not prepared to talk about it just yet. I need to make some phone calls tonight and see what options I have. She’s been calling me all day, and I know she’s going to want me to represent her. Thing is, the police have a tape that makes you guilty as hell. I’m not sure what I can do to get you out of this mess, but I will put forth my best effort.”

“Hey, do whatever. You got hella connections, and I know you’ll do whatever it takes.”

“Yeah, like I did inside. The dial tone on my phone was so loud that I thought the fools heard it. It’s not like I couldn’t have called the mayor, but I’m sure he was probably at home, resting.”

We both laughed, and after a few more minutes of small talk, Frick jetted and so did I.

Shane was worried about Jaylin, and so was I. I really didn’t know what was going on, but when Shane told me that Jaylin was coming back to St. Louis, I knew it was serious. Shane also said that Jaylin was upset with Felicia, but a part of me knew he was upset with me, too, for seducing him and Shane that day. Hell, I didn’t know Felicia had cameras in Davenports, and I damn sure didn’t think she’d send a CD to Nokea. How stupid was that? But, I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when she saw her loving husband lust for me once again. And the kiss—I bet it tore her apart! Nokea needed to know, like everyone else, that Jaylin and I would always have a connection. Maybe it was just sexual, who knows? All I knew was, for now, Shane had my heart, and maybe, just maybe, he’d do what it took to keep it. In the meantime, I had every intention of watching my back, because an angry Jaylin always meant trouble for me.

As usual, Jay’s was packed to capacity. My stylists, Bernie and Jamaica, had customers lined up and waiting. Since Deidra always seemed to have the fewest customers, I sat in her chair and waited for her next customer to come. I looked at my watch.

“Deidra, Traci should have been here by now, right?” I asked.

“She’s always late. If she was going to be this late, I could have scheduled somebody else in her place.”

Jamaica laughed. “Deidra, please. Traci ain’t gon’ show up. The last time she was here, you fucked that poor woman’s hair up! Had her looking like an old man with a tangled and tinted weave.”

Everybody laughed.

“Screw you, Jamaica,” Deidra said. “Traci already looks like a man, and if anything, my style enhanced her looks.”

“I doubt it,” Jamaica said. “Everybody who sits in that chair gets up with a frown on their face. That’s with the exception of Scorpio. She over there fantasizing about something, and if I look up one more time and see that smirk on your face, I’m gon’ be forced to smack you. Ain’t nobody got no business grinning as much as you. If he was that good to you, then you need to tell us about it.”

“I’m not telling you nosy hoochies nothing. Y’all talk too much, and I have learned to keep my business to myself.”

Jamaica cut her eyes at Bernie. “You mean Bernie talks too much. She’s the one who told us about Shane sucking you dry in a limousine. Said he—”

Bernie quickly cut her off. “Jamaica, your mouth is gon’ get you a stiletto up your butt. You might have gotten rid of that thuggish gangsta boo who used to knock you upside your head, but don’t think I won’t pick up where he left off.”

“Whatever, but when all is said and done, didn’t you tell everybody about Shane and his freak? Don’t be mad at me if the National Enquirer wants to use your mouth to spread the word, instead of letting the news be known through a newspaper.”

“Freak?” I said, folding my arms in front of me. “And, just who are you calling a freak?”

Jamaica placed her hand over her mouth. “Ooooh, Miss Boss Lady, did I accidentally call you a freak? I’m sorry. I meant to call you a ...” She paused and stood with her hand on her hip, as if she was in deep thought. “Damn, what did I mean to call you?”

I stood up, smiling as I walked over to her. “Think real hard. And before you answer, remember, it’s gon’ be a sad day when all of your customers come in here and don’t find you here.”

“That’s right, Scorpio!” Bernie jokingly yelled. “Check that hussy and throw that B out of here for disrespecting you!”

I turned to Bernie and pointed my finger. “She ain’t the only one I need to throw out of here. Both of y’all need to be thrown out of here, and y’all are so lucky that I got much love for y’all.”

“Awwww,” Jamaica whined and held out her arms. “We didn’t know you loved us, boo. Come give me a hug.”

I cut my eyes at Jamaica. “You are ridiculously silly.”

She dropped her arms. “And, you are still a freak. Now, gon’ back to your office and do some work. I’m trying to finish my customer’s hair, and you out here interrupting me.”

“Please,” Jamaica’s customer said. “In less than an hour, I’m supposed to be getting ready for my date. I wish you’d hurry up and stop playing around so much.”

“Oh, no, you ain’t rushing me to go on a date that will end up being a waste of time. I will toss your butt out of this chair and scream for the next person waiting. Be patient, all right? Just like Deidra being patient for Traci, who obviously isn’t going to show.”

Deidra, Gena, and Jamaica started going at it again, so I chuckled and walked back to my office. All in good fun, Jay’s had a way of relaxing me, and I truly enjoyed my career.

When I got back to my office, my desk was rather junky, so I sat at my desk, sorting through papers. Almost immediately, my mind got preoccupied with thoughts of Shane and then Jaylin—Jaylin and then Shane. I wondered if Shane had gotten in touch with Jaylin yet. Curious, I called Shane.

“Hi,” I said.

“Aw, hey, what’s. . .