It's Always The Pretty Ones
Read It's Always The Pretty Ones Online
Authors: Vonda Howard
It’s Always the
Pretty Ones
A Novella by
Vonda Howard
It’s Always the Pretty Ones…
Copyright © 2008 by LaVonda P Howard
All rights reserved.
No parts of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means without written permission of the author.
The events and characters in this book are fictitious.
Certain real locations and public figures are mentioned, but all other characters and events are entirely imaginary.
Any resemblance to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental.
To my own personal “Dazzy”, (you know who you are), thank you so much!
Your insanity is my inspiration.
;o)
Prologue
Anton sat in the hard wooden chair silent, sweating profusely…trembling so hard his teeth were chattering.
His ass was hurting from sitting for so long in one spot, but he couldn’t move…he was terrified to move.
He wasn’t a crying man, but in this moment, he couldn’t hold back.
The ropes tied around his hands squeezed so tightly he lost feeling in his fingertips.
His heart was pounding a thousand times a minute in his chest.
He closed his eyes as the cold steel of the barrel of a gun was pressed against his temple.
He opened his mouth to speak but no words or sounds could make their way out.
The gun was close enough to his ear that he could hear the low squeak of the hammer as it fell each time.
He had been counting; he knew that the trigger was pulled twice already.
Click…
“Please, let’s talk about this!”
He pleaded as warm, salty tears filled his mouth. He prayed quietly as he heard that familiar squeak once again…
Click…
He breathed in shallow quick gasps.
“Why are you doing this?”
His voice shaking.
Click...
Icy fear twisted around his pounding heart.
He knew without a doubt that the last chamber had the bullet. Somehow God was smiling on him because he knew that there was no way in hell that revolver would give five straight empty chambers.
Perhaps his prayers were being answered and the gun is malfunctioning.
Perhaps there weren’t any bullets in it all and this was some morbid, sadistic joke.
His mind raced to try to find something, anything that would help him get through this.
What had gotten him here?
He sure as hell didn’t want to go out this way!
He was a good person; what had he done so wrong that he deserved this?
He closed his eyes tightly and clinched his teeth as the revolver was pressed hard against his temple once again causing his head to lean to the side.
Click…
Chapter 1
Anton and Romeo walked inside the crowded nightclub on a mission.
Not only was Anton celebrating his 29
th
birthday, but he was celebrating his last 2 months as a Jarhead.
He would tell anyone that he loved the Marine Corps and he was a Marine for life - he just wanted a change. His best friend Romeo had discharged 4 years ago and had been on him constantly to come work with him at a local startup company, Dynex Security Consulting, which was exploding at an alarming rate.
“Man, this place is jumping and full of honeys!”
Romeo said as they made their way through the crowded club to the bar.
“Yeah, I know, but what do you expect on Saint Patrick’s Day?
People wake up with the goal of getting as piss drunk as they can.”
Romeo laughed.
“Man not one Irish looking person in here!
All I see is brothas and sistahs!”
They looked up and found two empty seats in the center of the bar.
“So how does it feel to be in your last 60 days, man?”
Romeo patted Anton on the shoulder.
Anton smiled.
“You know, it actually feels good!
I need something different.
Hey, the pay and benefits Dynex is offering makes the transition a lot easier too.”
“I know!
You got a better package than I did!
Ain’t that some shit!”
“Jealousy ain’t cute man.”
Anton laughed as he reached for his drink after the bartender put them down in front of them.
“I’m not jealous.”
Romeo chuckled.
“I’m just saying…what do you have that I don’t have, that’s better?”
“Not a thing, man…not a thing.”
Anton laughed as he turned his back to the bar and was speechless at the beauty on the dance floor.
She stood what looked like about 5’4”, with light honey-colored skin, long pitch-black hair, round perky breasts, small waist, wide voluptuous hips, and smooth shapely legs.
He sat hypnotized by the way her body swayed with the beat of the music.
She was beautiful.
“Ant…Ant…what is it?”
Romeo pushed Anton with his elbow.
Anton just gestured for him to look.
“Damn!
Now that is some Grade A booty right there!”
Romeo said, almost choking on his drink.
“Man, she
is
…I’m about to go dance with her.”
Anton stood up from the stool and adjusted, taking another small sip of his drink.
Romeo laughed.
“Man, you crazy.
She’s gonna shoot you down like an F-14!”
Anton adjusted his collar and smiled.
“Watch me work.” He slowly strutted over to the woman just as she headed off the dance floor when the song ended.
“Congratulations.”
He held out his hand for a handshake with a big smile.
The woman looked at him as if he was crazy.
“Excuse me?”
“Congratulations.”
He repeated.
She looked at him with raised eyebrows as she shook his hand. “Okay, I’ll bite.
Congratulations for what?”
“You are officially the finest woman in this club.”
She rolled her eyes in her head with a smile.
“Oh my God.”
“No, now don’t take this lightly!
This is a very prestigious honor!”
“Oh, really?”
She said with slight sarcasm.
“What’s my prize?”
“Well, not only do you get the coveted title, but you also get to have a drink with the finest man in the club.”
“Oh, and I guess that would be you?”
She snickered.
“You got it!”
He smiled.
“So, are you ready for your prize?”
“Sure. Why not?”
She smiled.
“Great.”
He turned to the side and lifted his arm for her to grab on, and led her over to a small table near the back of the room.
“Thank you.”
She said with a smile as he pulled out her chair for her.
“Are you always this smooth, or is this all for me?”
Anton laughed.
“All for you.”
He sat down in the seat on the other side of the table.
She was even more beautiful up close.
The low light from the small candle in the center of the table illuminated her chocolate brown eyes and the honey highlights in her hair.
“So, before we say anything else, my name is Anton.”
He reached across the table and shook her hand.
“Hello Anton.
I’m Dazzy.”
“Dazzy?
Is that short for something?”
He asked curiously.
“Dazzy’Mia.”
She rolled her eyes in her head.
“Don’t ask.
I don’t know what my parents were thinking.”
Anton tried not to let out the bubble of laughter in his throat as he spoke.
“Well, I have heard worse.”
“Yeah well, I haven’t.
She smirked.
“What is your whole name, may I ask?”
She took a deep breath before she spoke.
“Dazzy’Mia Ronae Jennings.”
Anton couldn’t hold his laughter any longer.
“Oh Lawd!”
He laughed out loud.
Dazzy was slightly annoyed by his outburst.
“O…kay…”
Anton noticed she wasn’t laughing and quickly collected himself.
“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay.
I have heard it all.
That’s why I just tell people my name is Dazzy.”
“Well, anything attached to you is beautiful.”
Anton smiled.
“Aww…thank you.”
Dazzy blushed.
“You really laying it on thick aren’t you?”
“Trying.”
Anton laughed.
“Is it working?”
Dazzy smiled flirtatiously.
“Maybe.”
There was a brief moment of silence where they just stared into one another’s eyes; the attraction between them was almost palpable.
“So, are you here with anyone?”
Anton asked with a smile.
“Yeah, I’m here with a few of my best friends, they’re still out there on the dance floor somewhere.
You?”
“I’m here with my boy celebrating my birthday.”
Dazzy smiled brightly.
“Well, happy birthday!”
“Thank you.
It started off a little shaky, but I can say that things are looking up.”
“Well, I’m glad I could make your day a little better.”
She blushed.
“You know, it would make it a lot better if you told me you weren’t seeing anyone.”
“Actually, I’m not.
My fiancé died about a year ago.”