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I wasn’t surprised to find Cosmo in the living room. He was already alert and looking in my direction. Gambit often spoke of Cosmo and his accomplishments. Both in the club in the last ten months and in the special forces before that. Cosmo graduated from High School at sixteen, joined the Army at seventeen and enrolled in Ranger school by eighteen. After serving with the Rangers for three years, Delta force recruited him.
“How are you feeling, Queenie?”
“Much better, thank you. I’d like to head downstairs and make sure everything is running smoothly.”
He smiled in response to my words. “Gambit thought you might. You know you’re almost two inches taller than me in those boots.”
“Your shit kickers have two-inch lug soles. My boots have four.”
Cosmo and I were both five feet, eleven inches tall. He had silky black hair which he kept pulled back in a variety of styles. Today it was in a warrior's knot. I’d seen it down once. The end of his hair brushed the top of his hips. It was so thick he had the sides of his head completely shaved.
Today his hair laid down the middle of his back in a single dark braid. He has dark eyes, full lips, and a killer smile. Cosmo’s mother was from Costa Rica while his father was from Hong Kong. He told me one day when he was helping put the compound together. Cosmo was smart, witty, had a great sense of humor, and could dance like Fred Astaire. I hope to get a front seat when he sweeps someone off their feet.
We made it to the bar at exactly eleven. Red was behind the bar helping Pinky and Half Pint make bloody beer.
Yesterday, I helped Trinity make the base for the drinks. We’d used Cholula hot sauce instead of tabasco. I loved the heat but not the vinegar in the heat. Funny coming from me seeing how I can down a jar of pickle juice in ten seconds. I also liked it on fish and wilted spinach. Not much else. There was even a container of perfectly cut leafy topped celery for the drinks. We’d also made pork belly, grilled shrimp, and roasted potato skewers to go with the drinks as well. In homage to the popular boil served all over Louisiana.
I have to admit hanging out with Trinity and Pops is a fucking blast. I’m totally writing a menage where the President and the V.P. have a triad with a sexy redhead. Yup. She’d be mid-thirties. Never married, no children. Creative. Ahh, inspiration at its best. I tucked away the idea until later. I’d make notes on my phone.
Gambit
POPS, TRINITY AND PAPAmet me in the hall.
“Any news?”
Papa answered first. “Wizard is running through the footage now. He ran into some unexpected issues earlier. As of five minutes ago he was looking at the footage from various cameras.”
“Smoke said he was long gone by the time they hit the alley. He and a few others are canvassing the area. Blue and Triton arrived a few minutes ago. They wanted to make sure they had more than their basic equipment.”
“Thanks Pops.”
“How’s our girl?”
“Sleeping, thankfully. Cosmo’s on royal guard duty.”
“Good, you boys patching him in early?”
“Yeah. He hits ten months next week. His cut’s ordered and we're waiting for it to arrive. Are you up to hosting as a surprise?”
Trinity spoke up. “You know it. I’ll cook.”
I laughed. “Of course, you will.”
“Hey man, I have to put all this passionate energy somewhere.”
“Lose interest in the bunnies?”
“Truthfully, yeah. It’s stale. I want what you and Stormy have. Only with flavor.”
“Flavor?” Papa asked.
“Yup.”
That’s all Trinity said. Surprise flashed across Papa’s face before he quickly schooled his features. He’d expected more. He should know better by now. Trinity never talked about his sex life. Ever. I lost count of the times he told me, ‘My business is my business. Grown folk keep it close.’
“I’m calling church at ten-thirty. Should give everyone enough time to gather info. I’ll have the prospects get everything ready.”
At ten-thirty on the dot we filed into church. Stormy did a spectacular job creating our meeting room. We even had a small stage area with a giant screen behind it and a pulpit to one side.
