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  With her hands planted firmly on her hips, it took everything in Tami’s soul not to let her misguided pappy in on her wicked true intentions. Her stepdad needed not feel sorry for her. She would indeed have a husband soon: Tori’s.

  Tami’s calculated scheme of snatching her sister’s man right from under their noses was about to hatch, but instead of revealing her ulterior motive, Tami pumped her brakes, calming all the way down. She’d dealt with her parents her entire life. The pair acting as if the sun would rise and shine based on Tori’s command was nothing new. The only major difference between now and then was that she was going to win and Tori, already close to death, was going to lose. It was simple as that, so there was no need to argue. Tami just smiled at her stepfather’s ignorance of truth and walked away.

  “Hey, sis.” Vance was almost too weak to speak but managed to push the words out. “Is everything okay between you and the old man?”

  Tami wasn’t sure what he’d overheard her stepfather say, and she tried to brush it off. “Yeah, Vance. Don’t worry about it. You know how he gets.”

  “Are you sure? Because I don’t want to become a burden to anyone. Courtney said I could crash at his apartment if I really needed to. Or maybe I can get someone to stay with me at my condo.”

  Tami was pissed that her stepdad had made her future husband feel some sort of way. There was no way in hell she was going to let Vance do any of the things he mentioned, unless of course she was the person staying out at the condo with him. “Listen, Vance, don’t talk crazy. I got you. We got you. I told you that the first day after the accident. You need to focus on getting better.”

  “I know, Tami. And trust me, I’m mad thankful.” Vance took off his T-shirt, showing his rich brown skin and Omega Psi Phi chest and arm tattoos. “I’m glad I got you and your entire family in my life. The only thing I need now is for your sister to get better. I swear to God I love Tori.”

  Hearing the man of her dreams confess his love for another woman only added fuel to the scorching fire her father initially sparked. Tami hated to hear Tori’s name roll off Vance’s perfectly shaped lips. Why did he have to ruin their special moments speaking about her sister, his wife? It was bad enough she had to watch him break down in tears earlier when saying good-bye to the mangled little bitch, and now this unwanted declaration.

  Feeling a wave of intense rage coming on, Tami fought to be as pleasant as she could when handing Vance his meds and a glass of juice. Making sure he was good, she took his clothes off the edge of the bed. Without smelling them, as she’d grown accustomed to doing over the past week or so, she placed them in a chair in the far corner of the room. With a serious attitude on the verge of showing up and showing out, Tami knew she needed some alone time before her true, craze-minded colors revealed themselves for Vance to bear witness to. Leaving the den, she peeped in the living room, taking notice that her opinionated father had dozed off.

  I wish that ancient wannabe black Dr. Phil would go to sleep for good, him and that no-spleen-having wife of his. Shit! I’m sick of everybody in this entire damn house! Even Vance acting out, keep whining about Tori! I swear one day I’m gonna mess around and snap!

  Heading upstairs, Tami struggled not to be resentful toward her man, but it was hard. She’d been doing everything in her power to keep his spirits upbeat, yet it seemed at each and every turn, he was bringing up the future—the future that didn’t include her and him as a unit. By the time she got in front of her younger sister’s door, Tami was damn near in tears. She hadn’t been to the free clinic in weeks and had yet to write down any of her tainted emotions as the therapist had suggested. Finding it hard to swallow, she felt herself getting out of control. Her heart raced. Stepping across the threshold, mad at the world, she closed the door behind her.

  Slowly turning in a complete circle, Tami paused. Staring at her sister’s beloved autographed poster of Usher, she wasted no time snatching it off the rear of the door and ripping it to shreds. Behaving as if she were a small child having a temper tantrum, Tami then took the time to remove each of Tori’s awards and certificates off the wall, out of the frames, and then proceeded to do the same to them as she had done to the poster.

  Finally, after breaking the arms off every cheerleading trophy on the shelf, Tami was done. She was mentally drained and physically ready to tap out. Balled up in the fetal position, she fought to catch her breath. Her face was filled with multitudes of tears.

  After what seemed like an eternity, the tormented, older, plus-size daughter heard her father calling her from the bottom of the stairs. Shaking herself out of the dark zone she’d slipped into, Tami crawled over to the door. Reaching her hand up, she twisted the knob, opening the door.

  “Tami,” her dad yelled out once more, not receiving an answer the first time. “Do you hear me calling you?”

  “Yes, Dad. What’s wrong?” She prayed he couldn’t tell her voice was temporarily cracking from crying.

  “Nothing at all. Your mother just called and wants me to pick her up from visiting your sister. She wants me to run her by the grocery store too.”

  “Oh, okay then.”

  “Well, I just wanted you to know I was leaving. I just checked in on Vance and he’s ’sleep.”

  Tami wanted to yell down the stairs at her stepfather. She wanted him to leave Vance the hell alone, and as far as she was concerned, he could pass the message along to his wife to do the same. Yet she didn’t want or need any more confrontation in the already chaotic household. Moreover, as she looked back over her shoulder at the awful mess she’d made by maliciously destroying Tori’s most beloved childhood possessions, she knew it wouldn’t be a good idea for her dad to come upstairs.

  Listening for him to leave then pull out of the driveway, Tami went downstairs to get a plastic bag. Her plan was to clean up the mess, toss the bag in the trunk of her car, and discard it into one of her neighbors’ garbage cans, preferably a few blocks down. Wanting to complete the mission she was on before her parents returned, Tami was sidetracked by her empty stomach. Greedily she took the time out to fix herself a small snack. As she passed the closed den door, plate in hand, she could easily hear the sounds of Vance snoring. Wanting nothing more than to go climb up in the bed next to him and take a nap, she opted to sit on the lower stair and eat so she could be at least somewhat close. Each chew Tami took seemed to ease the tension and stress her father had caused.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Three days had flown by. After a few rough patches, Tami and Vance had fallen into somewhat of a regular routine. She knew what time her man would turn over to yawn and what time he needed to take his first piss of the day. Like a loyal solider on night duty, Tami was there for his every wish, want, or desire.

  With her mother spending the majority of her time at the hospital and her father at work, Tami and Vance spent a lot of quality time alone. Avoiding any unwanted conversation pertaining to her sister, she made sure Vance’s days were occupied. Helping him with his daily required exercise, she allowed her hands to roam and explore her brother-in-law’s body on the sly as much as possible. If she thought he’d felt any sort of way, she was wise enough not to suddenly stop dead in her tracks, but continue, playing it off like she meant no harm. If she didn’t make a big deal about it, neither would he. He’d just take it as a mistake because they were in such close quarters in the den.

  Entering the family room, breakfast tray in hand, she smiled at Vance, who’d managed to prop himself up in bed.

  “Hey now. Good morning, sleepyhead. I’ve got you some scrambled eggs just the way you like them. And wow, I see you taking matters into your own hands.”

  “Yeah, sis, I need to try to do more things on my own. The stronger I get, the quicker I can be out your hair.”

  “Shut up, boy. You know I got you covered. We good! Now get ready to eat this grub.”

  “Damn, Tami, I ain’t bullshittin’. You’re the best. You gonna make some man a good-ass wife one day.” He ret
urned her bright smile as he rubbed his growing beard.

  Yeah, your wife, she humored herself temporarily, placing the tray down on the coffee table. “Well, that day is not today. Today is feeding your silly self, then helping you wash up. Now let me get you the extra pillow so you can be more comfortable and stop talking out the side of your neck.”

  Vance never liked to play matchmaker, but he and Tami had grown to become somewhat close since the near fatal accident. He wanted her to be as happy as he and Tori were; at least, before the coma. She deserved that much for all the time she was sacrificing to help him.

  Vance had never once thought about hooking any of his frat brothers up with Tami—not because she was thick-boned, but because his wife had claimed her older sister was no more than a jealous-hearted bug who stayed angry at the world. However, if that assessment of her character was indeed true, he’d yet to see that flaw. She was being 100 percent official with him, and that’s all that mattered to him in life: who has your back when you’re down and out.

  “Tami, I’m telling you Courtney likes you. He told me just last night when he stopped by. My boy is a good dude, and a Que man at that. You better jump on him. He’s a good catch, as y’all women say.”

  Yeah, he might be a good dude, but he’s not you.

  She dismissed what he was saying and counteracted by joking. “Now look, Vance. Stop trying to pawn me off on Courtney’s crazy, ten times a day good-barking ass. He ain’t right in the head and you know that. And I already told you I’m focused on helping the family right now. Forget a man—especially Courtney.”

  “All right, sis, I’ll get off your back . . . for now.” He winked his left eye and smirked. “I’m done campaigning for my homeboy, but everybody is human and needs some sort of love. God ain’t put us here to be alone, and you ain’t no exception to the rule. You’re a strong black woman, that’s obvious, and you deserve a good man. Now don’t let me find out you one of those power-to-the-people females who feels she don’t need no guy to complete her. A damn foot soldier in Oprah’s army!”

  “Naw, naw, Vance. I’m far from that, sweetie. It’s just I’ve got other priorities right now; that’s all. Family looks out for family.”

  For the first time since she and her sister met him, Vance appeared to be seeing her in a different light. It was like she was a real down-to-earth woman and not just Tori’s older, fat, bitter sister. Tami was overjoyed, feeling as if her outrageous plan might actually work. The longer Vance was out of commission and relying on her, the greater chance she’d have of transforming her demented dream into a reality.

  Secretly doubling up his already strong dosage of meds, his trusted caregiver crushed not one but two extra pills up in his orange juice. She knew how frisky she could be with one extra pill, so with two the sky would be the limit. Both her parents were gone, and she was feeling herself, especially after Vance’s compliments. With unreserved satisfaction, Tami grew hot and bothered watching him drink the potent mixture.

  Is it my imagination, or is this girl rubbing on my back longer than usual? Did she just put the warm washcloth down near my thang? Aww damn, are those her fingernails that feel like sharp, tiny knives scratching my moist skin? Shit, I know I must be tripping. Why is she pressing her breast on my shoulder? Oh my God, I feel myself getting hard. Damn, I miss getting pussy on the regular! Naw, man, stay focused. Get it together.

  Vance was fighting like hell to stay coherent. It was like a dark cloud suddenly appeared in his mind, making him dizzy. No matter how hard he tried to focus as Tami was giving him a light sponge bath, he couldn’t. One minute they were joking around; the next he was having sexually charged hallucinations.

  It had hit him hard right after he finished his breakfast. Shortly after his sister-in-law removed the tray from in front of him, he felt lightheaded. By the time he finished drinking his juice all the way down, he started to feel drunk. It was as if he’d consumed too many red cups of beer at one of their wild frat parties. Now his body was telling him one thing as his manhood started to stiffen almost involuntarily from Tami’s seemingly seductive strokes: get some ass.

  Vance knew his wife’s older sibling truly meant nothing sensual about the way she was touching him. She was only trying to help him wash the parts he couldn’t reach and tend to changing his bandages, but Vance was a man. He was a man who’d been away from the warmth of his woman’s embrace for weeks. Unknowingly with the aid of Tami, his sexual senses were heightened, and Vance was ready to damn near explode.

  “Hey, sweetie, are you okay? You seem a little out of it.” Tami eased her plus-size body around in front of Vance, placing both palms on his chest. “You might need to lie back and catch your breath.” She copped a feel, knowing that if it was like the countless other times she’d overmedicated him, he wouldn’t remember what was what within a few hours’ time.

  “Ummm, you might be right. My heart feels like it’s racing.” Vance allowed his upper body weight to drop down into the mattress. Under the influence of the prescription drugs, he had no shame; his dick was standing up at full attention. He wanted to adjust it and make it lie down, but he couldn’t seem to lift his arms. They both felt numb and extremely heavy. The thin track pants he was wearing made it possible to see not only to see the ridge around the head of his pole, but a few drops of pre cum seeping out of the tip.

  Not one bit concerned about her brother-in-law’s health, Tami picked up the washcloth. After submerging it into the very much still warm bowl of water, she rubbed it on his stomach in a slow, circular motion. Watching his manhood twitch from her “accidental” brushes, she got chills.

  Taking a quick glance into Vance’s face, she saw his eyes closed. His lips were moving as if he was trying to say something, but no words were coming out. Brazen, wanting nothing more than to grip what belonged to her despised sister, Tami pushed the envelope. Allowing her fingertips to slip underneath the top of his track pants, she trembled with anticipation. Looking up one last time before she overstepped her self-imposed boundaries, she became irritated when she heard him mumbling Tori’s ratchet name.

  Listening to him moan out for that selfish, bony bitch made Tami infuriated and cocky. That was it. She was done. She’d had enough of running around like Vance’s personal slave and getting no reward for her loyal service. She’d put her entire life, as simple as it was, on hold for him. Now she would get her just desserts. He owed her that much and more.

  Easing down the thin track pants, she grabbed a hold of Vance’s prized possession with both hands. Feeling his body slightly jerk from her strong grip, Tami knew she was doing something right.

  After Tami slowly stroked his pole several times, Vance grew harder and Tori’s name got louder. The combination of those two factors created the perfect storm for the jealous sibling. Parting her lips, she eagerly lowered her head downward. Taking a deep breath, Tami anxiously took her brother-in-law’s blessing deep in her mouth.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “Where have you been?” The therapist at the free mental clinic settled down in her chair. She hadn’t seen or heard from Tami in weeks and was genuinely concerned. “I read in the paper about your sister and her husband. How are you handling that?”

  “I’m doing well. I’ve just been extremely busy, considering.” Tami locked her fingers together, biting the corner of her lower lip. Trying her best not to make eye contact, she nervously stared out the window into the busy parking lot.

  “Okay, Tami, well, I’m glad you stopped by. You did cross my mind the other day. Please give me an update on your daily situations, both good and bad.”

  Tami was stressed and prayed it didn’t show. Her conscience was eating her up alive; however, she fought it tooth and nail. The demons residing in her head were wide awake most of the time. They were on both sides of her mind, encouraging bullshit. It was bad enough she’d wished death upon her skinny-tailed sister on a daily basis, but now she was keeping Vance so drugged up that even the doctors couldn
’t get a grip on his constant blackouts and unexplained delusions he claimed to have on the regular. Counting the amount of pills in the various prescriptions he had left, she’d started crushing up some of her own depression medications, Tylenol PMs mixed with a few extra-strength sleeping pills, and a handful of Norcos she’d bought off the street.

  In a matter of days, Tami had catapulted from being a mere semi-desperate, slightly overweight, scheming female wanting just a small bit of attention from a man to an all-out overbearing, no-holds-barred, coldhearted bitch. She didn’t care what the unmeasured combination of medications could possibly do to Vance physically or mentally in the long run. The outcome of that was not her main focus, not now. Tami’s agenda consisted of having as much physical contact with her sister’s ailing husband as she saw fit.

  Not naïve, she knew she was living on borrowed time. Every single day offered new possibility of the doctors discovering that he was being unknowingly drugged. No doubt Tami didn’t want Vance to discover that he’d been sexually taken advantage of or, far worse, Tori actually getting better and her new man wanting to flee to her bedside. God forbid the thought of her not being able to lick on her man’s good-good any longer. If that happened, she might go all the way crazy.

  She was already on the edge of insanity with her unhealthy attachment to him. Tami was all the way gone and she knew it. Living in a dream world, she’d unbelievably turned her simple life into their fabulous life, as if they were a happy couple in love. At this point, the devious daughter would stab her own mother in the back twice and shove her father down a flight of stairs face first if they got in her way.

  However, she couldn’t reveal her true, insecure, low self-esteem colors to the nosy therapist who wanted to dive deep into the inner crevices of her business. What was she going to do, confess the truth? That she’d ruthlessly prayed for the Almighty to take her younger sister from the land of the living and He’d come close to answering her demented prayers? That she’d been putting on an act worthy of an Academy Award pretending she gave a rat’s ass if Tori ever woke up again from the coma she was in? Oh yeah, damn, and to place the final nail in the coffin, she was not only wishing she could be with a man just like her sister’s husband, but she was indeed with him in every sense of the word. How could she look this prim, proper, college-educated woman in her face and actually say the words, “I’ve been keeping my brother-in-law Vance doped up high as a kite, sucking his dick nightly, and riding the pole every morning”? Tami couldn’t dare do that; of course not. She might be looked upon as being crazy, but she was far from a fool.