The Last Chance

by Darrien Lee

Genres: African American Urban; African American Romance

Synopsis

Running their Los Angeles casino has been rewarding for Luke Chance and his three brothers, Malachi, Roman, and Genesis. But recently it seems like everyone is trying to get a piece of the pie. Word on the streets alert the Chance brothers of an impending hostile takeover of their casino, which could leave Luke and his brothers penniless and possibly dead. That is until their twenty-five-year-old sister Keilah Chance, who lives in DC, comes home for a short visit.

Keilah is not only beautiful but she also can be lethal if necessary. Being a woman who is a weapons and martial arts expert, she is often underestimated. Luke and his family decide that they must do whatever it takes to make sure their casino stays honest and successful. Will the Chance family be able to protect their family dynasty and come out unscathed, or will Keilah find herself proving to the world that blood is thicker than water?

Release date: April 24, 2012

Publisher: Urban Books

Print pages: 288

Sample

Keilah twirled around in her chair and looked out over the skyline. It had been two days since the shooting, and she welcomed the tranquility of her corner office, which was housed in a twenty-story building on the outskirts of the nation’s capital. She was co-owner of one of the most successful private security agencies in D.C., and at five feet eight, she was not only beautiful, she was highly educated, tough, and an expert in martial arts, which aided in her success as a highly skilled marksman.

Her career was totally against the life her brothers had planned for her, but this was her life and she was going to live the way she wanted. She’d been protected by her brothers all of her life, now it was her turn to do the same for others. Her brothers meant well, but they could be extremely overbearing at times.

Keilah owned the Stone Chance Protection Agency with an ex-military police officer, Ramsey Stone. They had been introduced through mutual friends, and they hit it off immediately. Keilah and Ramsey always felt it was fate that brought them together because, oddly, they’d had the same vision for a business and their business plans were basically identical. Keilah and Ramsey had a lot in common, and they felt like they had known each other for years, even though only six years had passed. While Ramsey was rugged and personable, he was also very handsome and had a physique like an African warrior. People often mistook him for formerwrestler–turned-actor, the Rock, and as far as beautiful women, he was a magnet and loved every minute of it.

Their company was a huge success and they employed twenty to twenty-five former military officers, Special Forces, and police officers. They were blessed to have been involved in only a few incidents, which caused them to fine-tune their skills even more. They honestly believed their match was made in heaven, and Keilah and Ramsey knew they could trust each other no matter what.

While Keilah was still staring out the window, Ramsey casually walked into her office, sat down and straightened his tie. “Well, well, well. I heard somebody had a busy weekend.”

Keilah looked at him and frowned. “Who told you? Jackson?”

Ramsey started laughing. “Who else? I saw him downtown yesterday. He told me you had a run-in with Diamond’s kid and some of his partners.”

Keilah picked up a folder and handed it to him. “I just finished the report. Here’s your copy. It was wild, Ramsey.”

“I bet it was,” he responded.

Ramsey scanned Keilah’s report as she gave him the play-by-play of what happened.

Keilah got up and walked around her desk to the bookshelf so she could replace a book. She looked very professional in her black suit. The jacket was about the same length as her skirt, which showcased her magnificent legs. Her hair was still long and curly, and it complemented her facial features.

“I could tell he had a lot of attitude, but I didn’t expect him to take a shot at me.”

Ramsey closed the folder and added, “Well, I’m not surprised. I’ve heard a lot about that kid trying to make a name for himself on the streets.”

Keilah turned to Ramsey. “Well I’m not the one.”

He chuckled and said, “You don’t have to tell me. By the way, call Luke. He’s worried about you.”

“Dang! I forgot to call him back. When did you talk to him?” she asked.

Ramsey popped a mint into his mouth and said, “Yesterday.”

She picked a piece of lint off her skirt. “You didn’t tell him about this weekend, did you?”

“No, but he’s not happy with you right now. He said you’re terrible with returning phone calls.”

Keilah sighed and stared down at her Jimmy Choo pumps, and so did Ramsey. “Nice shoes.”

She smiled and said, “Thank you.”

“Call your brother, Keilah. I told him I would give you the message.”

“I will. I’m sorry he called you.”

He winked at her and said, “No bother. We had a nice talk.”

Ramsey was about six foot four and sinfully handsome. His erect posture and polite nature radiated a military background, and he was a valued asset to their company’s success. Their friendship was unbreakable, and at thirty years old, he was still single, dating heavily, but a serious relationship was the last thing on his list. It wasn’t hard for him to attract women with his winning smile and cinnamon skin. The diamond stud in his ear gleamed just as brightly as his smile, and his short wavy hair and dimples had women constantly swooning. It didn’t hurt that he could rock a business suit like a model, and the navy suit he had on radiated confidence.

Ramsey opened the folder again and looked at the report. “Have you found out when the hearing is going to be for Diamond’s son?”

“I’m going to call today. That kid almost made me put him in the morgue. Quentin told me he was working on getting his son’s attitude in check, and I’m sure it’s going to be hard for him to get him out of this mess.”

Ramsey tucked the folder under his arm. “You’re right. It might be too little, too late, and he messed with the wrong two women this time. I’m sure Arhmelia’s dad is going to push this to the full extent of the law.”

“Oh, no doubt, Ramsey.”

Keilah walked back over to her desk and opened a drawer. She pulled out the newspaper and held it out to him. “We made the paper. I’m just glad our names were kept out of it, but I’m sure the entertainment magazines will have a field day with it once they find out how Quentin is connected.”

Ramsey frowned as he read the article. He laid the newspaper on Keilah’s desk. “Well, I’m glad you and Arhmelia weren’t injured. That’s what’s important.”

“You’re right, Ramsey.”

He walked toward the door but stopped and turned around. “By the way, you look beautiful today. I also like the way you’re wearing your hair.”

She blushed. “Thanks, Ramsey.”

He looked at his watch and smiled. “Don’t forget the planning meeting at ten o’clock in the conference room, and I have a spot reserved for us to do some target shooting this evening at six o’clock if you’re up for it.”

“Sounds good. See you at the meeting,” she replied as she typed on her computer.

“Call Luke,” he reminded her before closing the door behind him.

As soon as Ramsey left the room, Keilah picked up her telephone and returned Luke’s call.

At the ten o’clock meeting, Ramsey and Keilah went over the events of the weekend as well as upcoming assignments. The meeting lasted for about two hours and once it was over, lunch was served. A nearby restaurant catered the lunch, which included avocado egg rolls, sirloin salad, quesadillas, calamari, and buffalo wings.

Keilah didn’t eat nearly as much as everyone else so she finished lunch first. Before heading back to her office, she walked over to Ramsey who was refilling his plate. “Ramsey, when you finish lunch stop by my office. I want to talk to you about something.”

Ramsey stacked a couple of buffalo wings and some calamari on his plate and then smiled. “Okay. I’ll see you shortly.”

Shortly for Ramsey was another thirty minutes, but he finally made it to Keilah’s office. He loosened his necktie as he walked in. “What’s up, Keilah?”

She looked up and saw him fumbling with his tie. “You look full.”

He sat down then grabbed his stomach. “I overdid it as usual.”

She printed out some reports and laughed. “I’m sure you’ll work it off in the gym.”

Ramsey could tell she was hesitating, but knowing her like he did, he knew she wouldn’t hesitate long. He picked out a piece of peppermint candy from the dish on her desk and stared at her. “So, why are you looking like the cat who ate the canary? What’s going on? What do you want to talk to me about?”

She finally looked at him. “I need a favor, and I know it’s going to feel like it’s coming out of left field but hear me out.”

“Sure, what is it?” he replied.

“Well, you know me and Trent broke up about four months ago, and since then, I just haven’t been lucky enough to meet anyone else,” she explained.

Ramsey curiously listened to her. Keilah had become somewhat of a workaholic since her relationship with Howard University Professor, Trenton Daniels soured. Trenton was a decent guy. He just couldn’t handle Keilah being a bodyguard. Trent and Keilah dated heavily for about ten months after meeting in Union Station one Saturday afternoon. After several efforts to make their relationship work, they decided it was best they parted ways.

Ramsey sat up in his chair and said, “Keilah, sadly it’s going to take a real man to be able to deal with this line of work. The crazy thing is that women I meet find it exciting when I tell them what I do, but for some reason, men are intimidated when they find out about you and the other women in this business. Don’t worry about it though. You’ll find the right guy.”

“I hope you’re right, Ramsey, but in the meantime, I still need a favor,” she reminded him.

“Okay, what is this favor? You know I’ll do anything for you.”

Keilah hesitated again. “Before you agree, you need to hear me out.”

He laughed and said, “All right.”

“Ramsey, I know you have a lot of lady friends you see on a regular basis, and I don’t want to cause a problem with your routine, but I was wondering if you would put me on your list until I can get out of this rut.”

Ramsey was in a state of shock. He stared at her as he sat frozen in his seat.

There was no way she could be asking him what he thought she was asking. Or could she? He cleared his throat. “Excuse me?”

“Look Ramsey, I’m just going to say it. We’re both adults and should be able to handle this temporary arrangement with some maturity. I haven’t had sex in about four months, and there’s only so much that a battery operated device can do for me. I need some skin-to-skin contact really bad. So do you think you can help me out while I’m in this dry spell or not? No strings attached. I promise.”

Ramsey couldn’t believe his ears. He couldn’t do anything but sit there and stare at her while he let her proposal sink in. “Wait a minute. Something must be wrong with my hearing because I know you didn’t just ask me what I think you asked me?”

Keilah sort of giggled. She’d never seen Ramsey so at a loss for words. “Come on, Ramsey. You know what I’m asking. I’ve seen that case of condoms in your closet so stop acting so innocent. We’re friends, and a little extra-curricular activity on the side won’t hurt anything.”

Ramsey burst out laughing. “Are you serious?”

“Yes, I’m serious. What do I have to do to convince you that I am?”

Ramsey laughed again. “Where the hell is this coming from? Why me?”

Keilah walked over and sat on the edge of her desk in front of him. This gave him a bird’s eye view of her magnificent legs, which he didn’t hesitate to take advantage of.

“Ramsey, we’re best friends, remember? We know each other like a book so that means you know I’m not going to sleep with just anybody.”

He leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs in disbelief. “So what you’re saying is you want us to be sex buddies?”

She giggled again. “If that’s what you want to call it—yeah. I just want to have someone to hang out with until that special someone comes along for me.”

“You and me having causal sex together is not hanging out, Keilah.”

“Ramsey ... come on. I trust you, and I know we can do this without any emotional ties.”

He straightened his tie. “I’m already emotionally tied to you. We’ve been tight for a long time, and I care about you. I don’t know if I want to jeopardize that, Keilah.”

She looked him directly in the eyes. “So, is that a yes or no?”

Ramsey laughed nervously. “You act like you’re asking me to change your tire or something and you want me to answer you now?”

“Well, yeah.”

He put his hands over his eyes and said, “This is crazy.”

She leaned down and removed his hands from over his eyes. “Ramsey, all you have to do is relax and have fun with me like you do with all the others,” she said, trying to convince him. “It won’t mess up our friendship if you would just think of it as a little business arrangement. You know, like in that movie, Pretty Woman with Richard Gere and Julia Roberts.”

Ramsey couldn’t help but laugh out loud. He remembered that movie very well, but they weren’t strangers like the characters in the movie. “It seems like you’ve given this a lot of thought.”

Keilah slid down off her desk and walked over to her window and looked out. Ramsey joined her at the window in silence. “Yes, Ramsey, I’ve given it a lot of thought, and like I said, I know I can trust you to do it and not get all mushy on me.”

“What about Trenton? Why can’t you ask him? It’s not like you haven’t slept with him before,” Ramsey replied.

She turned and softly tugged on his ear. “Are you listening to me? I said I don’t want any emotional ties and sleeping with Trent will only be a setback for me. Besides, I wouldn’t want to give him the satisfaction in knowing I’m not in a relationship right now. He told me I’d never be able to find a man who would put up with me being a bodyguard,” she explained.

Ramsey played with his necktie. “Well, Trenton’s a fool, and so is any other man who spits out that bull.”

Keilah hugged his waist. “Thank you, Ramsey.”

He put his arm around her and said, “I hope you know what you’re asking for, Keilah, because this is some weird shit. But, I am a man, and you know it’s not in our nature to turn down sex, especially from someone with attributes like yours.”

She playfully pushed him away. “Please. Men do stuff like this all the time. Besides, are you going to stand here and tell me you’ve never fantasized about us?” she asked with a mischievous grin on her face.

Ramsey looked like a deer caught in headlights. Of course he’d thought about it, but he knew that was a line he never wanted to cross with her. He threw his hands up in the air and said, “I plead the fifth.”

She turned to him and boldly said, “Kiss me.”

“What?” he asked as he turned toward her.

“Kiss me,” she asked again. “I want to see what I have to look forward to.”

He frowned and stepped away from her. “I’m not kissing you in here.”

She laughed at Ramsey’s uneasiness. “You’re not going to act like this when we hook up, are you?”

He looked at her. “No ... I don’t know. Look, Keilah, this is a lot to take in at one time, but if I agree to this crazy arrangement, I expect you to keep it just between us. I don’t want your brothers, your friends, or anyone knowing anything about it.”

She softly answered, “Agreed and just so you know, my brothers know only what I want them to know. Besides, I hate them being in my business, so they’re the last people you need to worry about. Now as far as your harem, I’m sure you are going to have to juggle your schedule a little bit, especially with high maintenance Andria, huh?”

“I see you have jokes.”

Keilah was right on the money about Andria, and Ramsey knew it. Andria was spoiled and selfish and would pout immediately if she felt like Ramsey wasn’t spending enough time with her. She was the daughter of Secretary of Defense, General Thomas Kirkland Rockwell better known as General T. K. Rockwell. At twenty-eight years old, Andria was as sexy as they came and just happened to be a former client of Ramsey’s. When Andria got too attached to him, he had one of his female employees take over his assignment.

“You know I’m right, Ramsey,” she reminded him.

“Whatever, Keilah. Now listen. If I go along with this indecent proposal, when do you expect it to start and how long do you expect your drought to last?”

She reached over and took his hand into hers. “How about tonight? I’ll cook us some dinner, and you can bring the wine. As far as how long it’s going to last, well that’s up in the air. Come on, Ramsey, can’t you do this for me? You know I have a strong sexual appetite and how I’ve made it this long is beyond me.”

He gave her hand a squeeze and turned and walked toward the door. “I hope you know what you’re doing because I see disaster written all over this.”

“No way. We’re going into this with our eyes wide open and cards on the table,” she replied.

Ramsey was still somewhat stunned by Keilah’s request as he opened the door. Before walking out, he gave her a serious look. “Keilah, I’ll be there, but I can’t tell how long I’m going to be able to do this.”

She smiled. “Thanks, Ramsey. I love you,” she responded with excitement.

“Forget you, Keilah,” he yelled back before closing her door behind him. He could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest as he walked down the hallway to his office. When he walked by his secretary, Sherrie, she stopped him.

“Ramsey, I have a couple of messages for you and your mail.”

“Thanks, Sherrie,” he replied as he took the messages from her. “By the way you look very nice today.”

She looked at him curiously. “Thank you. Ramsey, are you okay? You don’t look so hot.”

He smiled. “I guess it was those avocado egg rolls we had for lunch. I’ll be fine, but thanks for asking.”

She sat back down and pulled a bottle of Maalox tablets out of her desk. “Here. Take a couple of these. They’ll make you feel better real quick.”

Ramsey took a couple of the tablets and popped them into his mouth. “Thanks, Sherrie.”

“You’re welcome.”

Unbeknownst to Sherrie, the avocado egg rolls were not the source of Ramsey’s anxiety. Keilah had done this to him all by herself. Once inside his office, he laid everything on his desk and sat down. As he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, he did everything he could to make sense of the night ahead of him. “What the hell have I gotten myself into?”

After Ramsey left her office, Keilah sat there in deep thought, anticipating her night with Ramsey. He was about as fine as they came. She realized it was going to be a little weird the first time, but after they get through their first night, it should be smooth sailing.

Oddly, the day seemed to fly by, and because Keilah wanted dinner to be just right, she took off early from work. At home, she cooked chicken breasts smothered in a creamy wine sauce and flavored rice, and then in olive oil she sautéed broccoli, squash, and zucchini to create a vegetable medley. After she put the finishing touches on dinner, she took time to set the table and light some candles. Seconds later, the doorbell rang, startling her. She took one last look in the mirror, and then opened the door.

“Hey, Ramsey. You’re right on time,” Keilah said with a huge smile on her face. Ramsey stepped inside the foyer. “I meant to get here earlier so I could help you with dinner.”

Keilah closed the door. “That’s sweet of you, but dinner is ready to serve.”

Ramsey’s cologne immediately sent goose bumps over Keilah’s body. He always did smell heavenly, but tonight his scent was even more noticeable. He was neatly dressed in a pair of relaxed jeans and a light blue, button-down shirt.

The couple walked toward the dining room where Ramsey sat one of two bottles of wine on the table. Keilah kept walking, and Ramsey joined her seconds later.

In the kitchen, he found Keilah attending to their dinner. He opened the refrigerator and put the other bottle of wine and a can of whipped cream inside the refrigerator.

Keilah laughed and asked, “What did you put in there?”

He closed the refrigerator and smiled. “You’ll find out in due time.”

She giggled because she’d seen exactly what he’d placed inside her refrigerator. Ramsey walked over to the oven and opened it up. “Mmm, this smells good. What is it?”

Keilah turned to him, playfully smacked his hand, and closed the oven door. “Chicken, now take this dish and put it on the table, nosey.”

“Can’t I at least get a hug first?” he asked.

Keilah sat the glass dish down on the counter and wrapped her arms around his neck. Ramsey hugged her tightly, lifting her off the floor. “I feel better now.”

“You’re so silly,” Keilah said as he placed her back on her feet.

She handed the vegetable dish to him and followed close behind with the chicken and rice. She sat the items on the table and then joined him. Ramsey opened the wine and filled their glasses.

“You can go ahead and sit down, Ramsey. I’m good.”

“A gentleman never sits before a lady,” he replied.

Keilah giggled. “I forgot you were so well bred.”

He smiled and held out her chair for her. He watched Keilah as she placed her napkin in her lap. She was stunning. Tonight should be easy for him, but he was beginning to wonder if they would get through dinner, the way her jeans were hugging her apple-bottom hips. The short top she had on revealed her fit abs and the diamond stud in her navel.

She looked over at him and smiled. “Do you want to say grace?”

“Sure. Take my hand,” he said in a soothing voice.

Ramsey proceeded to bless their food before digging into the appetizing meal.

“Keilah, you’ve outdone yourself. This is delicious.”

She blushed. “This is nothing. I threw this together with hardly any effort.”

He took a sip of wine. “Well, you did good.”

The pair chatted about work, family, and issues in the news as they finished dinner and cleaned up the kitchen. Ramsey opened up the second bottle of wine and Keilah pulled an apple crumb cake out of the oven.

Ramsey smiled. “I don’t know if I have room for dessert.”

“Just try a little piece, Ramsey.” She took her fork and held a small piece of cake up to his mouth.

He tasted it and said, “This is good, but I can’t eat a whole piece.”

“No problem. We can share.”

He handed her a glass of wine. “I can do that.”

They made their way into the family room and sat down on the sofa. Ramsey picked up the remote and turned on the TV. “Do you mind?”

Keilah curled up next to him on the sofa. “No, go ahead.”

“Thanks. I just want to see the last quarter of the game.”

She drank some more of her wine. “You know I don’t mind.”

Ramsey sat there transfixed by the TV screen for nearly twenty minutes. Neither one of them ate the rest of the cake. He finally looked over at Keilah, who hadn’t moved or spoken since he started watching the game. He reached over and patted her softly on the thigh. “Are you asleep?”

She squirmed slightly. “No, just resting my eyes.”

Ramsey turned off the TV and stood. He held his hand out to her. “Come on so I can put you to bed.”

She looked up at him and smiled. He pulled her up into his arms and held her there for a second. Keilah pressed her face against his warm neck and let out a soft moan. He kissed her on the forehead and led her upstairs. Once in Keilah’s bedroom, Ramsey cupped her face and kissed her tenderly on the lips. “You know you’re crazy, right?”

She started unbuttoning his shirt, and within seconds, she had it off his shoulders. “Yeah, I know, but if I wasn’t a little crazy we wouldn’t be working together, would we?”

Ramsey’s heart started beating wildly in his chest once again, and he felt like his body was on fire. Just having her hands caressing his flesh was driving him out of his mind. Once they got skin to skin, he had no idea what he would do. Keilah kissed. . .