This summary provides an overview of the first chapter of the novel "A Deadly Encounter": 1) The chapter introduces several main characters including Dezi Gianni, aka Devastator, the head of a vicious crime cartel, who takes notice of Kayla while having lunch at an upscale restaurant. 2) Kayla and her friend Taea are regular customers at the restaurant who are friendly with their waiter Adrian. Adrian notices Dezi and his associate Dirty checking out Kayla and Taea. 3) Kayla has recently gotten out of a relationship and is wary of men, while Taea is more outgoing. They ask Adrian to inquire about Dezi and D

1. A Deadly Encounter A novel by: KR Bankston

2. Especially For You This sneak peak at my new novel, A Deadly Encounter, is designed specifically to allow you limited entry into the world of Dezi Gianni. So if you’re ready, click next and open the door. Get to know Dezi Gianni, he’ll change your life! Hit ENTER to advance, or the page will change automatically, per timer.

3. Chapter 1 Today was busy like any other day at Le Bistro, the trendy upscale restaurant that opened a couple months ago. Adrian was pleased with the pace, which meant more tips that he could really use. Le Bistro featured an appetizing array of American, Italian, and Mediterranean cuisine. It was a favorite meeting spot for a few of the major power brokers, minor celebrities, and those who had money, or wanted to rub elbows, with those that did. “Who is that?” Dezi one of Adrian’s customer’s asked, glancing at the woman sitting with her friend as Adrian poured his iced tea. “That’s Taea and Kayla. They’re regulars,” Adrian answered, glancing toward the table where the ladies sat. “Hmm, Kayla is a very sexy lady,” Dezi replied, also looking their way taking in the woman’s flawless complexion and wavy black hair. He and his partner, Eric Greene aka Dirty, were enjoying a casual lunch at the eatery. “Yes, they’re real cool ladies,” Adrian said. Dezi Gianni, aka Devastator, could simply be described as a work of art. He stood a formidable 6’2” with a muscular build. He was an immaculate meld of Italian and black, with a sparkling smile that dipped into dimples as deep as pools. He was also the head of the most vicious crime cartel in the state. Unfortunately for Adrian, he wasn’t interested in him at all. Pity, he thought, he would have loved to be this man’s special friend. Adrian sighed to himself, as he went to the kitchen to pick up Devastator’s order. “I guess if I had to lose his attention to someone, I’m happy at least that it was to Kayla,” he muttered under his breath. “Hey heffas!” Adrian exclaimed playfully, to the two beautiful black women seated in front of him. “Who you calling heffa, heffa?” they both asked simultaneously, laughing out loud. This was typical of Taea and Kayla, two of his favorite customers. They were always nice to him, not making rude comments about him, like some of his other customers did when they thought he was out of earshot, and they always left him a great tip. “There are a couple of big ballers checking ya’ll out from one of the VIP tables,” Adrian said casually, looking back over his shoulder. “Oh, really? And how big of a baller would they be?” said LaTaeaShontrell Everett, the more outgoing of the two. Taea wasn’t afraid to ask questions or speak her mind, no matter the subject. With a creamy, chocolate complexion, she sported a short-coifed style. She carried herself with pride, dignity, grace and plenty of attitude, but she wasn’t mean like some sisters could be. She had the perfect hourglass figure. MikaylaL’Nae DeWitt, the quieter one, was an exquisite combination of Hawaiian and black. She had beautiful long, black tresses that complemented her caramel complexion, and big, sparkling light brown eyes. The successful businesswoman of the two, Kayla was an independent broker who had her own capital. She had a petite frame with everything in the right place. She was sweet as can be, maybe too much for her own good sometimes. The both made Adrian’s day every time they came in. “Well, they got it going on, I can tell you that,” he said smoothly to Taea, still wishing it was him they were looking at instead.

4. Chapter 1 “What exactly does that mean? They own something?” Taea snapped back, in a way that only she could. “Yeah, they own a whole lot of stuff, and stackin’ plenty of paper,” Adrian answered her laughing. “They ugly?” Taea fired again. “Oh my God, Taea, you are so crazy!” Kayla said, almost spewing her iced tea across the table, laughing at her friend’s question. Taea gave her a look that said what? “They both sexy as hell and, to be honest, I wish one of them would holla at me! Shoot!” Adrian replied almost petulantly. “But I’ma be real with ya’ll, they dangerous.” “Where the hell is that damn slow-ass waiter?” Dirty complained. He was second in command for the deadly cartel, referred to as The Clique. He earned his nickname from his days on the street, when he would do anything to get by, undeterred by consequence. A little rough around the edges, Dirty was the opposite of Dezi. He was slimmer with a darker complexion. “I need some more to drink and I want dessert,” he continued, getting more impatient. This muthafucker is working on getting hurt, Dirty thought. “Relax, he’s down there with the ladies,” Devastator replied. Dezi had been in the game since he was a youngster, hanging around the drug dons and mafia bosses of his old New York neighborhood. He’d left New York when he was 19, building quite an impressive empire in his short seven-year reign here in his new home. He earned his nickname from several women who got their hearts broken after falling for his smile. He was also a cold-blooded killer who had devastated many families over the years. Devastator always liked to kill three or more at a time, it mattered not which gender. He took pleasure in seeing the fear and pain of his victims as they watched their friends and loved ones die. Men or women, they were all the same to him. However, he drew the line with children because he had a conscience. At least, that’s what he told himself to keep himself sane. . Devastator sat back and studied the object of his attention.She was totally captivating to him. “I’ve got to get to know her a lot better,” Devastator chuckled, as he sipped his tea, and looked her over again from head to toe. He was thinking how easy it would be to carry her around the room while he was having sex with her. “Girl, can you get a good look at them?” Taea asked Kayla, who was facing the VIP table. She wanted to make sure they were at least pleasant to look at. The last time they had gone on a blind date, the guys looked like a pair of gorillas. Not a nice memory at all, Taea thought and chuckled. “No, not really,” Kayla replied as she tried to casually look up at the table and see the occupants. “All I can see is like a basic outline; they both look like they’re fine as hell, but looks can be deceiving.” They both laughed, thinking of the blunders and total losers they’d said that about before. Taea and Kayla might have appeared to be two of the least likely people to be best friends. But they clicked and were like sisters, despite their differences. Taea was all the family Kayla had. With her mother’s side denying she exists and her father’s thinking she had First National Bank stamped on her forehead, Taea was the only person who treated her well. She didn’t ask for anything, and was always straight with her, even when it hurt. Kayla was very leery of men when it came to romance. Put her in a boardroom or on the trade floor, and she was on. Love was something that always left her hurt, broken and alone. She’d just gotten out of a relationship a year ago that left her drained and guarded.

5. Chapter 1 Kayla loved Chris with all her heart, thinking he was truly the one, even giving him her virginity. He was a broker like she was, ambitious and on top of his game. Good looking, athletic, cultured, kind, and faithful. Well at least, Kayla thought he was faithful, until she caught him in bed with his office assistant. She thought she would never get past the pain and want to live again. She’d felt so stupid, but Taea was right there. She’d helped her cuss Chris out, berate him, and bleach his clothes. This made her laugh out loud and Taea looked at her like she was crazy. “What in the hell is you laughing about girl?” Taea asked. Kayla told her about the bleach incident and they both broke into long gales of laughter all over again. She often wondered what she would do without Taea being there for her. It sent a chill down her spine. It was a question Kayla didn’t want to ever have to answer. “Anyway, if you’re through strolling down memory lane,” Taea interrupted her thoughts again, “Do you want to tell Adrian to ask them what they wanna do?” Kayla thought a moment, admitting to herself and Taea, that she was curious. “You should be, hell, you ain’t had none in how long now?” Taea teased, laughing at her friend. “Oh shut up, will you? Good grief!” Kayla laughed. But she was right, which made it even funnier. “OK, when he comes back, we’ll tell him to go see what’s up,” Kayla said. Sorry about the delay ladies.” Adrian said, as he put Taea and Kayla’s orders before them. “You know its cool Adrian,” Kayla responded with a smile. “You all right? You look kinda upset,” she asked gently. His usual warm smile had been replaced with a cold, deep scowl. “Who ass we need to kick?” Taea chimed in. Adrian smiled then and told them he was fine, just some personal stuff he was dealing with, thinking back to the phone call he’d just received from his lover. “ “You can always talk to us if you need to Adrian. We’re not just your customers; we want to be your friends too,” Kayla said. Adrian looked at her and then at Taea. “Thanks, I will keep that in mind,” he told them. “Now, what you two heffas want me to do about the ballers?” Adrian asked, trying desperately to lighten the mood and change his thoughts. “Ask them what they wanna do,” Taea instructed him, giving him a look that said: you know what to do. “All right then girl, I am on my way,” he responded, and left for the VIP table. “Well damn, it’s about time,” Dirty growled, thoroughly pissed now and ready to really inflict some bodily harm on Adrian. “Bring me some more fucking lemonade, and I want a strawberry shortcake,” he ordered in a no nonsense tone. “I’d like a tea refill myself man, and what about the ladies?” Devastator said pleasantly. Adrian turned to him then, God, he thought to himself, Why couldn’t the other one be like him? Hell, at least he’s still civil. “They asked what y'all wanna do,” Adrian said addressing Devastator, totally ignoring the still fuming Dirty, not wanting to piss him off more by looking the wrong way. Devastator flashed that million-dollar smile and Adrian wanted to melt into those pools in his cheeks.

6. Chapter 1 “Tell them we want to go to The Industry,” he replied without missing a beat. The Industry was one of three clubs that was owned and run by The Clique. It was the most trendy and upscale of the three, with all the professional, celebrity, and athletic crowd making it their place to enjoy the party. “Tell them to be there at 10:00. We’ll leave their names at the door and they’ll be escorted to VIP, where we’ll be,” Devastator finished, his mind already working hours ahead. Adrian nodded, thanked them for their dessert orders and left to complete his mission. “So what you want with this one?” Dirty asked. “You usually just pick up one from the club, do your thing and move on. So what’s up with this one?” Devastator paused for a minute thinking to himself before responding to his friend. That was one helluva good question Dirty just asked. There was just something about her. He couldn’t put his finger on it exactly, but it was there.He wanted to do more than just hit it. He actually wanted to get to know her. “I’m not sure yet,” Devastator replied. “Something’s just different about her.” Dirty thought about that. “Well, her friend is cute enough, and got a nice body,” Dirty replied. “Hell, I’d do her, so it won’t be a total loss of the evening.” He laughed thinking of the fun he was going to have later that evening. It never occurred to him that he might not get lucky. He was Dirty. Either they gave it, or he took it, but either way, he got it. “OK, here’s the deal,” Adrian was saying when he returned to their table to talk to them about the plans for the evening. “They want to go to The Industry. They want ya’ll to meet them there at 10:00, they’re going to leave your names at the door.” “And then what?” Taea asked suspiciously. She wasn’t going to spend an evening at The Industry being stood up or left on the dance floor. “They are having you escorted to VIP, where they’ll meet you,” Adrian said. “But remember what I told you earlier and be careful,” he looked at them hard. Kayla wasn’t really keen on this whole date thing, especially after Adrian filled them in on who these guys were. This was unfamiliar territory for her, and Kayla really didn’t like being out of her element. But she would go because Taea would want to go; they were inseparable. “Well, ain’t much they can do to us at a public club,” Taea countered, knowing Kayla was internalizing it. “We just wanna talk to them and see what’s really up. So tell ‘em it’s all good.” She looked at Kayla. “Hey, Adrian, why don’t you come down to the club, too?” Kayla asked him. “We could actually hang out, and get to know you outside of work.” Adrian thought about what his evening was undoubtedly going to be like after his earlier phone conversation, and told her he’d keep it in mind. “That’s cool,” Kayla replied, a little disappointed. “Yeah, we’ll be looking out for you heffa!” Taea giggled to him. Adrian laughed himself. He took their checks and his tip, which was good as usual, and told them goodbye, as he went to the VIP table to let them know the evening was a go.

7. Chapter 1 “Was everything all right?” Adrian asked, again looking directly at Devastator, not sure of Dirty's mood. “Yeah, everything was straight,” Devastator replied, flashing that million dollar smile. He has got to be the most cultured killer I’ve ever seen. Everything about this man suggests class, finesse, even Wall Street; not the drugs, guns, prostitution, gambling and murder, which he knew was exactly what Devastator did, Adrian thought. “What was the verdict from the ladies?” he asked, snapping Adrian out of his thoughts. “They said it was all good and they would be there,” he replied smiling. This again elicited a smile from Devastator as well as a hundred-dollar tip with his check. “Thanks man,” Devastator said to Adrian, and patted him on the back as he got up to leave. Dirty simply growled, “Speed your ass up next time!” at him, mashed the check and money into his hand, and left. Adrian was pleasantly surprised, however, when he opened the folded mess, to find Dirty had also left him a hundred-dollar tip. Yes, he mused, it had been a good lunch rush today. “So what’s the plan for tonight?” Dirty asked Devastator as they drove away from the restaurant. They were flossing the Porsche 911 Turbo S today, black with the spoiler, 19-inch chrome wheels, black tint with the windows up, but they had the top down today. They enjoyed all the looks from women as they drove by or stopped at lights. “Well let’s see what they’re about first,” Devastator replied. “Then we’ll go from there. If they’re just chicken heads or gold diggers, hell we know what to do.” Dirty joined him laughing, Yeah. Fuck 'em and dump 'em. “I like the looks of the lil' chocolate one. What’s her name again?” Dirty asked. “Taea, I think is what old boy said,” Devastator replied. “That’s a nice enough name. I’ll just call her Tee though, that way I can’t mess up,” Dirty laughed again. Normally he didn’t care what their names were. They were just sex to him, but Devastator told him they had to be gentlemen tonight. Dirty didn’t really get it, but Devastator was his friend and he’d done a lot for him over the years. They were tight and he’d never wronged him, so if he wanted this one thing from him, no problem. He would play this little game. Hell it might even turn out to be fun, Dirty thought.

8. Chapter 2 Dirty and Dezi had some business to attend to before meeting up with the ladies later in the evening, as they pulled into the parking lot of their private office plaza and entered the building headed up to the top floor. From the casual observer’s point of view, this meeting would look just like any board meeting in any boardroom in America. But make no mistake, the men seated around this table were as deadly as they were intriguing. Devastator was almost ready to call the men to order to tackle that day’s agenda. Dirty was seated to his immediate right, and Monster, his top enforcer and bodyguard, sat to his left. The others were masters of various specialties: prostitution, drugs, money laundering, guns and gambling. The cartel had no real holdings. But the dummy corporations Devastator created and legally established to launder money from the illegal activities had multimillion-dollar holdings and investments. Both Devastator and Dirty kept their own individual holdings in several off shore accounts making them both millionaires several times over. However, that was their money and they weren’t going to reveal that to any of the Clique members. The agenda included some house cleaning. There was a hole in the operation. Revenue had been coming up short and locations had been raided. Devastator suspected a leak and told Monster to check it out. The culprit, Bone, had done a fairly decent job of covering himself until he made a fatal mistake of confiding in a woman. This particular woman, Honey, was one in his stable of hookers. She loved and worshipped Devastator, being faithful for years. She had come to him and laid out his whole plan. Then Monster had been sent to check it out, and found it was Bone as Honey had said. Bone had aspirations of grandeur of taking over The Clique, thinking he was better suited for the job than Devastator because he had been in the game longer. He’d been tipping off the police to locations to raid in exchange for protection of his growing investment. Bone was double dealing with Devastator's suppliers, cutting side deals for himself, thus weakening the flow to the street. He’d even put his own stable of girls on the street to compete with the ones already established by The Clique. Now, having received the report, Devastator knew he had to do what was necessary. “Gentlemen, lets begin,” began Devastator as he called the men to order. “The first orders of business I want to address are the fluctuations in revenue we’ve been experiencing.” Dirty was just ready to do the deed, as patience was not his strong suite. He knew about Bone, and he knew what they were going to do. Why do we always have to go around the maypole with this shit? he thought. Dirty loved that Devastator made them money and got them respect, but he often wondered why everything had to be such a long drawn out process with him. Devastator loved the dramatic as much as he loved the bloodshed, unlike Dirty who simply gave it to his victim’s straight, no chaser. Devastator enjoyed the thrill of tormenting his victims and took every opportunity to do just that. Devastator was still talking. Sounding like the CEO of a Wall Street company, Dirty thought and chuckled lightly. When he saw Monster begin to move slowly and methodically from his position at the door, Dirty knew it was almost show time and could hardly contain his excitement. “We have found the source of the problem and have come up with a viable solution to vastly improve it,” Devastator concluded. As soon as the words left his lips, a single gunshot rang out from Monster’s gun.

9. Chapter 2 The .357 Magnum ripped through Bone’s skull, spraying blood and tissue on the members sitting closest to him. Before even realizing he’d been shot, he was dead. “And that, gentlemen, will end our revenue shortage,” Devastator continued calmly to the horrified men still remaining at the table. The two unfortunate men, who’d been sprayed, were busy trying to clean themselves off. Dirty clapped his hands and gleefully said, “Next order of business?” The men were speechless. They all knew Devastator was nothing to play with and that he had a serious reputation, but they truly had no comprehension of the depth of evil he was capable of. Devastator delegated this kill to Monster, leaving the body for the remainder of the meeting as a reminder to those who may have aspirations they hadn’t shared with him. He and Dirty were in charge and they weren’t looking for any more partners. The meeting lasted another 45 minutes, covering all the tasks they were undertaking for the month. After he was finished talking, Devastator asked for any questions. Receiving none, he said simply, “Meeting adjourned,” and told Monster to take out the trash lying on his boardroom table. “Man that was excellent,” Dirty laughed as they traveled on the expressway heading to see a dealer. “Did you see the looks on their fucking faces? ” Dirty was almost beside himself now, laughing so hard that tears were beginning to run down his cheeks. Devastator had to admit he’d enjoyed the show. He always loved it when the plan was right and carried out correctly. That one had been done to perfection. Now, he was concentrating on the task he and Dirty were on their way to. One of the street-level distributors ripped off the Clique for five thousand dollars. Not a lot of money, actually pocket change for him and Dirty. Devastator supposed some would even wonder why they would personally handle the punishment, given the seeming insignificance of the amount. He sighed lightly thinking these were the same people who would think nothing of killing someone over a color worn, or a city block they never had or would own. Devastator was a business man, and for any form of mercy or weakness to be shown to someone who’d wronged him, would signal the beginning of the end of everything he’d ever built. It was the principle they were concerned with, and others trying to follow suite. For Devastator, principal was one thing worth killing over. “What time is this fool supposed to be home?” Devastator asked Dirty, whose laughter had subsided to an occasional chuckle. “Supposed to be there around 6:00,” Dirty replied. “That’s what Red told me.” Red was a crackhead, but he was generally accurate in the information he gave Dirty and Devastator about anyone they were inquiring about. “All right good, that gives us time to get in and set up,” Devastator replied, thinking ahead. Here we go again, Dirty thought. They were going to kill this guy. Devastator wanted to kill not just him but his whole family, except the kids of course, which didn’t bother Dirty at all. He just hated once again, the theatrics of it all.

10. Chapter 2 They arrived at the dealer’s house. No one was home, just as Red told them. They eased around to the back door of the small, modest ranch home, picked the lock and entered the house. It was a pleasant house for someone making minimum wage at a job. It was furnished nicely with high-end pieces. Way more than this fucker could afford. Probably did it with the money he stole from us, Devastator thought as he looked around. The house was neat and clean. Family photos lined the mantle above the fireplace. Devastator stepped up to look at them and saw they had three kids, two little ones and a teenage daughter. The mother was a fairly attractive woman, he thought. He chuckled to himself, knowing that Dirty would do her. Devastator made his way through each room. The master room was theirs he knew. It was neat, bed made and furnished in simple earth tones. The next room was the kids’ room he surmised, finding lots of stuffed animals and Tonka trucks. The last room was the teenager’s. Devastator found posters, CDs, and of course clothes thrown everywhere. This was the messiest room in the house. He chuckled again, thinking he would never allow his teenager to keep their room this messy. There he went again, thinking about shit that didn’t exist. He couldn’t help it, often wondering if he would ever have kids or a semi normal life doing what he did. Now, wasn’t the time to think about that, Devastator thought as he cleared his head and refocused on the task at hand. After he made sure the house was empty, he began to set up for the evening’s pleasure. He’d brought some of his favorite toys: the straight edge razor, 9 mm chrome pistol, .380 magnum pistol and his brass knuckles. Devastator sat down in the kitchen at the table, propped his feet on it and popped open one of the beers he’d found in the refrigerator and waited. Dirty hated this part. He hated waiting on them to come home, but Devastator loved that element of surprise thing. He loved the look on their faces when they walked in and found them waiting for them. Sometimes, Dirty had to admit he really liked it, too. He just hated the waiting part. This time he’d brought some chronic. He rolled a fat one and smoked. That would keep him mellow and the target should be home in a few minutes anyway. Then they would have some real fun. Dirty knew the wife and the teenage daughter were good looking. He was horny and he would have him a little fun before Devastator killed them. Dirty already knew his role here was simply support and having his friend’s back. He knew Devastator loved killing them in groups. It was the one hang up he had. We all got our little quirks, so what the hell, he thought. Dirty heard the car pull up and looked at Devastator who had that little smile playing on his face. Dirty knew it was show time. They both kept quiet, listening intently. Devastator heard at least five voices that he could pick out, two of them kids. He would get rid of them first, Devastator thought to himself, pulling the mask down over his face. Dirty did the same. The lock clicked and the door opened, the kids running in first, as the adults followed.

11. Chapter 2 As soon as he heard the door close and the lock click, Dirty stepped out of the shadows, glock drawn and hammer pulled back. The woman saw him first and screamed, catching everyone else’s attention and Dirty pointed the gun right at her. She stopped screaming. Devastator grabbed the first kid, who looked about six or seven, and held the chloroform to his nose. He struggled for a minute or two and was out. He repeated the same with the other kid who was about five. Devastator took the kids, one under each arm, and put them in a bedroom, closing the door behind him and propping a chair against it. He walked back into the living room where Dirty had all the victims seated and took off his mask. The look on the dealers face was priceless. He gasped and immediately began to explain, plead, and beg. Devastator was genuinely amused and laughed. It never failed that they always did this when he showed up. He couldn’t understand it. Why didn’t they just do the right thing in the first place and avoid his visit. Didn’t they know that once he came there was no more space to negotiate? “What’s shaking man?” Devastator asked the dealer nonchalantly. Dirty who’d removed his mask by this time, was smoking a cigarette, eyeing the wife and daughter of the dealer. “N-N-N-Nothing,” the dealer stammered “Man, I was gonna bring yo’ money tonight, I swear it.” Devastator shot the dealer a no nonsense look. He fell silent for a minute, then began talking again. “Man I know you gonna kill me, but please let my family go man,” he was crying now. “They ain’t do nothing. I did this man, me.” That’s when Dirty saw it, and no matter how long he’d been with Devastator it still made him cringe. Devastator’s eyes went flat and cold, his nostrils flared, his voice became low and hard. He spoke directly to the dealer. “I’m going to kill everybody in this fucking room, but I’ma save your thieving ass for last. I want you to live long enough to see me kill everything you love,” Devastator told him matter-of-factly. “I’ma let Dirty here do your wife in front of you. I’m going to make your daughter suck my dick. Then I’ma let Dirty, do her too while you see her cry and scream,” he continued, feeling colder and meaner by the moment. “Then I’ma beat on your woman for a while, fuck her up real good. Then I’ma kill them, one by one, slowly, and for me, enjoyably, while you watch. The last memory you have, will be of them looking into your cheating, stealing, lying eyes, asking you why you killed them.” Devastator finished up, still looking him in the eye. The dealer was truly inconsolable at this point. “Man, please, please man!” he cried almost screaming. “Let them go, they ain’t steal yo shit! I did it man! Punish me!” Devastator looked at the dealer again, but Dirty knew he wasn’t seeing him. Wherever his friend’s mind was right now, it wasn’t in this room.

12. What happens next? You’ll have to get the book and find out. Order your copy of “A Deadly Encounter” via the web at any of these fine online retailers: Amazon.com BarnesandNoble.com http://www.krbankstononline.com