No Other Lover Will Do (26 page)

“Mmm,” he moaned as she continued to stroke him back and forth. She lowered herself onto his erection and Solomon was enveloped in her warm wetness. Kandace threw her head back as Solomon gripped her hips and drove deeper into her, reveling in her heat and her wetness. Kandace moaned in pleasure as she ground against him. Solomon's mouth found its way to her chest. He pushed her bustier down, exposing her perky breasts, and sucked and licked her nipples until her body vibrated with desire. She tightened herself around him and brought him to the brink as she rode him like a prized steed. Just as Kandace reached her climax and Solomon exploded, there was a knock on the office door.

“Oh my goodness,” Kandace whispered.

“Kandace, are you in there?” Devon called out.

“Shit,” Solomon exclaimed.

“Ah, just a minute,” Kandace said as she scrambled to put her clothes on. “What's wrong, Devon?”

“I had something I wanted you to taste. Is everything all right in there?”

Solomon zipped up Kandace's skirt, then adjusted his pants and opened the door.

“We're good,” Solomon said, offering a sly smile to Devon.

“I didn't know you were busy,” Devon said when he walked in and placed a tray of food on her desk. “This is a new dish I was thinking about putting on the menu.”

“Oh,” Kandace said.

“You two enjoy it,” Devon said dejectedly, then walked out of the office.

Kandace looked down at her poorly buttoned shirt and slapped Solomon on his chest. “You could've told me about my shirt,” she said.

Solomon rubbed his chest. “I didn't even notice,” he lied. “Food smells good.”

“You're dirty, Solomon,” she said. “You might as well broadcast what we were doing.”

“I think you already did,” he said as he pointed to a bright red passion mark on her chest.

“My goodness,” she said as she rebuttoned her shirt. “This is going to look real nice when I'm acting as hostess tonight.”

Solomon took a plate of food and started eating the jasmine rice and beef tips. “I was minding my business and you took off your clothes and got in my lap. This is actually good.”

Kandace laughed and took a bite of the food. “It is good,” she said.

About an hour later, Kandace and Solomon were out front seating a group of veteran Carolina Panthers players into a private dining room.

When Maurice spotted Solomon, he laughed and said, “What's the McNabb fan doing here?”

Rumbles rippled though the crowd of football players. Many of the things they said would've made the rowdy crowd at Lincoln Financial Field blush. Solomon fanned them off as he helped Kandace hand out the menus.

“All right,” Kandace said. “You can't blame the man for being on the wrong side. He's from New York. But if you could keep it down so that you don't get a bunch of fans and groupies back here.”

“Hey,” Walter Homer, a defensive lineman said. “The only dude trying to stay away from groupies is Mo. See some fine ones with an ass like yours, send them back here.”

Kandace stepped in front of Solomon when she saw his fist close and his jaw clinch in anger. “Just walk away,” she said.

“Who is that fat…”

Kandace placed her hand over Solomon's mouth, then ushered him out of the dining area.

Once they were out of earshot of the players, Solomon swore. “How often do you have to deal with that?” he asked.

“First of all, you're overreacting. Homer is harmless and he flirts with everybody,” Kandace said.

“That was disrespectful,” Solomon said.

Kandace shrugged her shoulder. “It means nothing because,” she said as she grabbed his hand and placed it on her bottom, “this is all yours.”

“I like the sound of that,” Solomon said. “Just tell me that you don't have to go back out there.”

“No, I don't.” She leaned in and kissed him on his chin. “You know we only put up with them because Maurice is Jade's brother-in-law and those guys are good for our bottom line.”

“Seems like some of them are worried about your
bottom line
.”

“Solomon,” she said in an exasperated tone, “green doesn't look good on you.”

“Whatever.”

 

Carmen opened her eyes after she was wheeled into a room at Carolina's Medical Center. Dr. Clarke was sitting in a chair near the door drifting in and out of sleep. She checked her wrists and was a bit surprised that she hadn't been shackled to the bed. She had an IV in her arm, but no heart monitor this time. Quietly, she pulled the IV out of her arm, then she slipped out of the bed, stretching her arms above her head. Pretending to be in and out of consciousness for the last five hours had been taxing on her, but she had a mission and she wasn't going to stop until she completed it. She pulled one of the tubes from the IV machine and crept over to Dr. Clarke, who was sleeping soundly now.

“Sorry about this, Doc,” she whispered. “I thought I could spare you, but you're in the way.” Carmen wrapped the thin tube around his neck and choked him before he had a chance to scream for help. She continued to squeeze until she felt the life slip from his body. Satisfied that the doctor was dead, she dragged his lifeless body into the bathroom. She stripped his clothes off, hoping that she would be able to wear them. When she put the pants on they were about three sizes too big and the shirt was ill-fitting around her shoulders, but she knew she needed them until she could get a pair of scrubs to get her out of the hospital.

Once she got outside, Carmen figured she could find her way back to Kandace's restaurant and then she would make the bitch suffer. She reached in the doctor's pocket and saw that the man had about eighty dollars in cash on him. That would be enough to get her around if she needed a taxi or to hop on the bus.

She turned to the doctor's dead body and shook her head. “Thanks for the cash, Doc. You know, you asked me why I didn't want to be called Chelsea and I guess it's because Chelsea was a weak, poor excuse of a woman who allowed people to walk all over her. Chelsea died when I lit that fire. She was worthless just like my mother and that man she thought was more important than her own child. Carmen is a woman of action, but you already know that.” She smiled coldly and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Carmen crept to the room door and opened it just a bit, seeing that the halls were clear. The nurse's station was at the other end of the corridor near the elevators. Since it was so quiet on the floor and no nurses roamed the halls, Carmen was able to walk down the hall and find a utility closet. She smiled as she saw green scrubs folded on the shelf. She closed the door behind her, stripped out of the doctor's clothes, and pulled on a pair of scrubs. She grabbed a pair of paper shoe covers and put them on her feet.

When Carmen walked out of the closet, she saw a nurse walking in to what had been her room. She tore off toward the elevator. As she pressed the down button, she heard a bloodcurdling scream and the two nurses at the nurse's station took off down the hall without giving her a second look. Once she stepped on the elevator, Carmen knew that she was going to get away without a problem.

Kandace shook her head as Solomon, Homer, and Maurice sat at the restaurant's bar laughing and drinking rum and colas. She found it hard to believe that less than three hours ago, Solomon wanted to bash Homer's fat head in. Though she was happy the men were getting along, she was ready to close up shop.
I am going to kill Alicia,
she thought. Her friend never showed up and when Kandace had called her to find out what was going on, the only excuse Alicia had given was that something had come up.

“All right, guys, unless you want to pay the bartender and the sous chef overtime, get out,” Kandace said as she leaned on Solomon's good shoulder.

Maurice looked down at his watch. “Damn, it's later than I thought. Kenya is going to kill me.”

“Don't you think you need to call a cab?” Kandace suggested. “I don't think you're going to play on Sunday if you get arrested tonight for DUI.”

Maurice pointed at Solomon and laughed. “You were trying to set me up so McNabb would win, huh?”

“I don't need to do that. I've seen what your quarterback has been doing this season. I'll call a car for you two and make sure everyone gets home safely with no charges,” Solomon said.

“Babe, you're not in New York. I'll call Crown Cab.”

“I can drive home,” Homer said as he struggled to stand up. Maurice grabbed his keys from his hand.

“I know you're stupid, but I didn't know you were a damned fool,” Maurice said. “We'll take that cab.”

Kandace picked up the phone from behind the bar and called the cab. Solomon followed her behind the bar and wrapped his arms around her waist after she hung up with the taxi company. “Those guys are pretty cool,” he said.

“It wasn't always like that, but that's a story for another day,” she said. “I'm going to tell Raymond he can take off. Once their taxi gets here, we can go.”

“Do we have to wait out here with them? I can't get my mind off that sofa in your office,” he whispered in her ear.

Kandace turned around and stole a quick kiss from him. “Tell me about it,” she said.

“Ugh,” Homer exclaimed. “Is it something in the water around here? And if so, where's my cup?”

Kandace glanced at Homer over her shoulder. “What are you muttering about?”

“Why don't you hook me up with your friend? You know, the loud one.” Homer said. “Then I can be as sickening as you two and Mo and Kenya and James and Jade.”

“Shut up, Homer,” Maurice said. “You're the one with an allergic reaction to being with one woman.”

Solomon laughed. “I used to have that allergy,” he said, then he looked into Kandace's smiling face. “Then I met the right woman.”

“Spare me,” Homer said, making a gagging sound.

“Cab's here,” Maurice said. “Let's go, Homer.”

The big man followed Maurice out and Kandace walked over and locked the door. “I thought they would never leave,” she said after pulling the blind down.

“Me either,” Solomon said as he crossed over to her. Kandace wrapped her arms around his neck and brushed her lips against his.

“I cured your allergy, huh?” she asked.

“Yes, you did, and I'm enjoying the treatment,” he said as he slipped his hands underneath her skirt. “Forget the sofa. Let's get out of here and make use of that big bed in your bedroom.”

“All right, I'm going to check the kitchen and then we're out of here,” Kandace said.

Solomon headed to her office and Kandace took off for the kitchen. While he waited for her, he shut down her computer and packed up her laptop. Moments ticked away and he wondered what was taking Kandace so long in the kitchen. “That damned chef had better not be trying to make a move on her,” he muttered as he bolted out of the office and headed for the kitchen.

“Kandace, babe, what's the hold up?” Solomon called from the hallway.

 

“Don't you move,” Carmen hissed as she pointed the sharp blade of the knife at Kandace's throat. Kandace's eyes focused on the blood dripping from the blade of the knife, blood that proved Carmen was a homicidal maniac. Raymond Martinez's body lay in the corner in a pool of his own blood. Raymond had just graduated from Johnson and Wales University and had been excited for the chance to work with Devon Harris. Now that opportunity had cost him his life.

Looking down at the blade wedged against her throat, Kandace fought the urge to scream. She was sure Solomon was walking into his death. Kandace had seen his potential as a pastry chef and she enjoyed the treats he would sneak to her when he worked late trying to come up with new recipes. He reminded her of Devon in the early days when he'd been finding his footing as a chef, before their relationship had fallen apart. Kandace had seen the same kind of drive and determination in Raymond as she saw in Devon. She had been looking forward to seeing his star rise and now he was dead.

“Hey, Kandace. Are you in here?” Solomon called out as he stepped into the kitchen.

Carmen looked away from Kandace, shocked to see Solomon there. Kandace took a chance to get away from her and jabbed her knee into Carmen's midsection, knocking the breath out of her.

Carmen flew backward into the stainless steel counter, sending the knife clanging to the floor. “SOLOMON!” Kandace yelled as she attempted to run. Carmen grabbed a pan and threw it at Kandace, hitting her in the center of her back.

Solomon flew over to the counter in time to see Carmen, dressed in the green hospital scrubs, reaching for the knife as Kandace fell to the floor. He kicked the knife out of her reach and stomped on Carmen's hand.

“How could you?” Carmen screamed. “You ruined my plan, Solomon.”

He snatched her up by her shoulders and Kandace ran to the utility closet in the hall outside the kitchen. “Your cook isn't the only thing that got cut,” Carmen said, then delivered a sharp blow to Solomon's family jewels. While Solomon clutched himself in pain, Carmen grabbed the knife from the floor and ran after Kandace.

Kandace held her breath in the utility closet as she heard feet padding down the hall. When she stuck her hand in the pocket of her skirt, she was relieved to find her BlackBerry, but when she pulled it out, she saw that she didn't have a signal in the closet. Sticking the phone back in her pocket, Kandace looked around for a weapon, but before she could find one, the door swung open and Carmen stood in the doorway with the knife in her hand.

“Did you think I wouldn't find you?” she sneered.

Kandace took a step back as Carmen moved forward and pointed the knife at her face. When she tried to stab Kandace in her shoulder, Kandace ducked, but the point of the knife nicked her face. When Kandace saw the blood drop on her shirt, she lunged at Carmen's knees, knocking her down on the floor. Then she kicked the knife out of her hand and scrambled to pick it up.

“Where is Solomon?” she demanded.

Carmen spat in Kandace's direction. “Don't worry about Solomon. I took care of him.”

Anger surged through her body and Kandace delivered a kick to Carmen's head. “If you hurt him,” she exclaimed as she kicked and kicked. Carmen rolled into a ball and reached out and grabbed Kandace's ankle, pulling her down to the floor. She pounced on top of Kandace and tried to wrest the knife from her hand, but Kandace pounded her back with her free hand while trying to keep the knife out of her reach. Carmen tried to grab Kandace's hair and slam her head into the floor, but Kandace brought her knees up and slammed them into Carmen's midsection. She rolled over on her side in pain and Kandace rushed to her feet and ran to the front of the restaurant. “Solomon, Solomon,” she screamed.

“Kandace,” she heard a breathless Solomon call back from the dining room. She rushed to him, looking over her shoulder for Carmen.

“Call the police, please call the police,” she said frantically. Solomon and Kandace rushed for the front door while he dialed 9-1-1. Just as Kandace had the door unlocked, a knife came flying her way. She and Solomon quickly ducked and the sharp knife lodged in the wall. Carmen came out of the shadows armed with what seemed like every knife from the kitchen.

“Drop the phone or I won't miss her with the next one,” Carmen exclaimed.

Solomon dropped the cell phone with the operator still on the line. “Think about this, Carmen. You don't want to hurt anybody else,” Solomon said as he took a step toward her.

“Yes, I do,” she said madly. “I loved you and you turned your back on me for her. I have bullet wounds because you told the police to shoot me so you could save her.”

Carmen dropped all of the knives except for the meat cleaver she held and then she rushed toward Kandace. Solomon ran in front of Carmen and grabbed her as she swung the cleaver wildly.

“Why didn't you give me a chance? Why couldn't you love me?” Carmen screamed as she struggled against him. Solomon squeezed her wrist with all of his might but she wouldn't let her weapon go. He sidestepped her as she tried to kick him again. “I loved you.”

“You're sick, Chelsea.”

Carmen stopped moving for a brief second. “Chelsea is dead and soon you will be too.” She brought the cleaver down on his shoulder and Solomon dropped to the floor.

Kandace ran to the pile of knives and grabbed one. As Carmen lifted the cleaver to strike another blow to Solomon, Kandace lunged forward and drove the blade of the butcher's knife into Carmen's chest. The meat cleaver clanged to the floor as Carmen fell. She gasped and gurgled for her next breath as blood poured from her chest. Kandace kicked the meat cleaver across the floor out of Carmen's reach, then rushed to Solomon's side.

“Are you all right?” Kandace asked frantically.

“Yeah,” he said as he touched his shoulder. “She just nicked me.” They both looked at Carmen as she lay dying on the floor.

“It's finally over,” Kandace said as she heard the sirens in the distance. Solomon slowly rose to his feet and took Kandace's face in his hands. He saw her cut for the first time.

“Did she hurt you?” he asked as he ran his thumb across the dried blood on her face.

Kandace shook her head, then broke down sobbing. “I thought she'd killed you when she found me in the closet, Solomon. I can't lose you. I love you too much.”

“I love you, too,” he said as they waited for the officers to enter the restaurant.

It took two hours for Solomon and Kandace to give their statements to the police. When they were finally ready to leave the restaurant, three television reporters were outside waiting for them and the police.

“Shit,” Solomon whispered when he saw the reporters coming their way. “Don't say anything to them.”

“This is going to be bad for the restaurant,” Kandace said as she trembled in Solomon's arms.

“Miss Davis, what happened?” one of the reporters called out.

“Was this a robbery?” another reporter asked.

Solomon held up his hand. “Can we give you guys a statement in the morning? We're tired and a little bloody right now.”

Solomon ushered Kandace to her car, ignoring the other questions the reporters were hollering out. “Are you going to call your friends?” he asked when they got in the car.

“I'm willing to bet one of them was watching the news and that means all of them are going to be waiting for me,” she said as they drove to her house. When they pulled into the driveway, Kandace pointed to the two cars parked on the side of the road.

“Alicia and Serena are here.”

“It's good they have your back,” he said as they got out of the car.

“But I'm regretting that I gave them a spare key,” she said as they walked up to the front door. Kandace didn't even bother to take her house key out because Serena opened the door and enveloped her friend in a tight hug.

“My God, please tell me that psychopath is dead,” Serena said as she glared at Solomon.

“Can we do this later?” Kandace asked as Serena led her over to the sofa. Alicia came from the kitchen with a mug of tea and a plate of chocolate chip cookies.

“Are you all right?” Alicia asked as she set the plate and the mug in front of Kandace.

Kandace touched her cheek and nodded, though she wasn't all right. She didn't think she'd ever get the image of Carmen dying out of her head. Especially since she was the one who had killed her.

But I had to. If I hadn't killed her, she would've killed me or Solomon. This was never going to end with her alive,
she thought as she took a sip of the cinnamon tea Alicia had made.

Solomon eased on the couch beside Kandace and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. His touch was so comforting that he didn't need to say a word to put her mind at ease.

Alicia walked over to Serena, who was standing by the door as if she was looking for someone. “We should go,” Alicia said in a loud whisper.

“All right,” Serena said, then she turned to Solomon. “You need to walk us out.”

“Are you going to be okay?” Solomon asked Kandace.

“You're not going that far,” Kandace said as Solomon stood up and walked her friends to the door.

 

Once Solomon, Serena, and Alicia were on the front porch and out of earshot of Kandace, Serena turned to him and said, “You'd better take care of our friend.”

“That's all I want to do right now,” he said.

“That's good,” Alicia said. “What happened in the restaurant tonight?”

Solomon ran his hand over his face and glanced at the blood on his shirt. “It was very ugly. Carmen killed one of the chefs and she would've killed me and Kandace if Kandace hadn't stabbed her.”

“She killed her?” Alicia asked as she hugged herself while rocking back and forth.

Solomon nodded. “She had to.”

“And where were you when all this was going on?” Serena asked.

“I had a meat cleaver in my arm,” Solomon said as he shot an aggravated glance at Serena. “I didn't want anything to happen to Kandace and I didn't want her to have to do what she did.”