Switchblade Romance

Here is Switchblade Romance in full.  I admit, the story got to be way longer than I anticipated, but the more I wrote, the more curious I became about these characters.  I think Chapter 13 is where the chapters started getting up to 10,000 words, which is an awful damn lot.  So, this isn't a shortie; not even close.  And for those who read the last chapter, you know that I've only told half of the story.  I don't know when I'll begin writing the second half; Kaphiri and Malcolm's past lives are complex and complicated, but I'm still curious...so we'll see.


I. Drankin' Patnaz

II.  In Da Club

III.  Hit n' Run

IV.  Chatter

V.  Special Delivery

VI.  Mermaid Island

VII.  More Chatter

VIII.  Moves & Countermoves

IX.  Embers

X.  Revelations


XI.  Kaphiri, Part 1

XII.  Kaphiri, Part 2

XIII.  The Cookout

XIV. Outrageous Sin

XV.  Logistics

XVI.  Summertime

XVII.  The Cookout, Redux 

XVIII.  Crossfade

XIX:  Crimson Secrets

XX:   Bittersweet Heat

XXI:  The Laughing Sun

Switchblade Romance (21/21)

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XXI:  The Laughing Sun

Shantreyl was hunched over the toilet, vomiting up the remains of last night’s dinner.  Malcolm was fast asleep and Kaphiri was standing at the counter, holding a glass of ice.  He was a light sleeper and when he heard her in the bathroom, he got up to care for her.  When she was sure that she was finished, she got up, flushed the toilet, and then washed her face and rinsed her mouth.  After adjusting her bonnet, she took the glass from Kaphiri and started sucking on a piece of ice.

Switchblade Romance (20/21)

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XX:  Bittersweet Heat

Malcolm reserved the private dining room at Embers for dinner on Monday night.  He arranged the same setup he did for his and Shantreyl’s third date so that her family was comfortable.  He and Kaphiri were in the dining room, speaking to the lead attendant when the maître d’ escorted Shantreyl’s family inside.  Two of the attendants led them to the table and they got settled.  Theodore Troy walked right up to him and Kaphiri and Malcolm cast a glance in Shantreyl’s direction.  He couldn’t glean anything from her expression.

“Malcolm,” Trey said, shaking his hand.  Then he looked at Kaphiri for a moment and then held out his hand.  “Kaphiri, right?”

Kaphiri took his hand.  “Yes, Mr. Troy.”

Switchblade Romance (19/?)

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XIX:  Crimson Secrets

Shantreyl knocked on the door of one of the Vermilion’s Presidential Suites, yawning and rubbing her lower back.  She was tired and left work as soon as her last class was done.  Earlier, she received a text from her mother informing her that they had arrived and Shantreyl was excited to see her parents.  She hadn’t been home in three years. 

A moment later, Shannon Troy opened the door and screamed when she saw her youngest daughter.  She held out her arms.  Shantreyl grabbed and held her mother tight, feeling warmth flow over and through her the way it always did when her mother hugged her.  Her eyes got misty because it had been a long time since the last maternal hug.  “I’m so glad to see you, Momma.  I’ve missed you so much.” 

Switchblade Romance (18/?)

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XVIII:  Crossfade

As time passed, Shantreyl’s workload didn’t decrease, but she got better with managing her time.  She was not going to let Cindy win.  But she did have a victory of sorts: poor Karen was struggling with the G12 chemistry class and their parents were livid.  Shantreyl was as polite as she could be but kept her focus on her middle schoolers.  She hated that the G12s were struggling but there was nothing she could do, as the mess was not of her making.  She wondered if Dr. Bowlen would intervene if things got any worse.  She wondered if the admin were humble enough to come to her and ask her to take over the chemistry classes to get the G12s back on track.

Switchblade Romance (17/?)

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XVII:  The Cookout, Redux

The next two weeks were extremely busy.  Julie Styles, having been retained by Malcolm, was a virtuoso when it came to event planning.  Shantreyl had to do nothing more than make decisions and the cheerful, effervescent Julie handled everything else.  Shantreyl’s wedding date was set for December 21^st.  The ceremony was going to take place at the Laughing Sun in Catamaran Beach, which was an upscale community adjacent to the South Salena Sea and about an hour’s ride from downtown.  School let out for the winter holidays on December 20^th, and she would have three weeks off.  That was plenty of time for a lavish seven-day honeymoon in Thailand.  Kaphiri booked the nicest villa at the Anantara Lawana Resort, which was a beachfront resort and spa in Koh Samui.

Switchblade Romance (16/?)

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XVI:  Summertime

That Thursday afternoon, Shantreyl watched as Malcolm charmed the hell out of her parents, her sister and her sister’s husband.  Shannon and Trey Troy were quite enamored with Malcolm after a thirty-minute conversation.  When Trey stepped up to speak to Malcolm, he asked his daughter to leave the room so he could talk to Malcolm alone—not knowing that his questions and concerns were being conveyed to Kaphiri as well.  Malcolm reassured Shantreyl’s father that he was the man he claimed to be and that he was completely in love with Trey’s youngest daughter.