Free Falling

Not Distracted

Waking up after the best night of sleep he'd gotten in months, if not years, put Jamien in a great mood. Even though his silk sheets were only partially warm, they smelled strongly of baby lotion and hairspray. Denitra may not have been in bed, but she hadn't been gone long. By the time he was contemplating whether or not to open his eyes, someone was gently shaking his shoulder. Just by the touch alone, he knew who it was. Reaching blindly, he caught her arm and yanked her down over him and onto the bed.

"Jamien!"

"Good morning."

"Ugh, let me up."

He smirked, peeking at her with one eye. "I said good morning."

"And I said let me up, damn it."

"It's too good of a morning for you to be all cranky. I'll let you up if you kiss me."

It was well worth the jab to hear her choke on her spit. "W-what?"

"Kiss me on the cheek, and I'll let you go. If not, we're taking a day off to stay in bed."

"Y-you asshole!"

"Sticks and stone, doll." He stuck out his cheek. "Now come on. Daddy wants his kiss."

He closed his eyes and waited, so sure she'd give in to temptation.

"Have you even been thinking about our next move with the Syndicate?"

Ugh. Jamien wondered if it was too late to pretend he was still asleep.

"I know you aren't asleep." Shaundi sounded more irritated than she had the last time he'd seen her.

He swallowed a sigh and rolled over, grinning up at her scowling face. "What gave it away?"

"I've been here since you tried to play kissy face. She didn't see me come up behind her." Shaundi snatched the comforter off of him, surprised that he had on clothes. "Do you have any news on the Syndicate? Have you made any new plans for our next move? Or have you been too busy trying to get laid?"

That did it. Jamien was up so quickly it nearly gave him a head rush. "I swear you have a fucking death wish, bitch. I told you to leave the shit to me."

"Well, I wouldn't have to keep asking about it if you were on your shit! I asked Pierce, and he said he hadn't heard shit from you since fucking Sunday night! This isn't the time to take a fucking vacation!"

There were tears in her eyes. He swore softly and covered his mouth, turning away from those sad eyes. He had to remind himself, forcibly, that she had feelings for Johnny, however one-sided they had been. "Shaundi, I go through a lot of shit on a daily basis. From time to time, I'm entitled to take a few days off and relax and have a little fun."

He watched the woman ice over, from head to toe, and become as frigid as a glacier. She spoke evenly through gritted teeth, "Johnny will have died for nothing if you keep bullshitting around, damn it."

"Unless my memory's gone completely, Shaundi, he died to keep us alive. He sacrificed himself for us." His tone dropped to match hers.

She scoffed and crossed her arms across her chest, tossing her head back and sticking her chin out at him. "And I fully intend to make what he did worth it. I guess he didn't mean as much to you as he'd thought."

"JAMIEN!" He heard Denitra's screaming in his ear, high and frantic. He could feel two pairs of hands prying at his hands, hers and Shaundi's. "Please, Jamien, let her go!" It wasn't until he heard Denitra pleading for Shaundi's life that he realized his hands were firmly wrapped around the woman's throat, her face slowly turning blue from lack of air. He released her, and she fell to the floor, coughing violently as Denitra rubbed her back.