Unemployed with no prospects, Dorian Wells is a young man trying desperately to stay afloat and be a good father to his toddler son. While already struggling to pay the bills and earn proper visitation with his child, Dorian’s tumultuous life is thrown into further upheaval when his mother is suddenly hospitalized.
On the verge of losing everything, it seems Dorian finally has a stroke of luck when he inadvertently learns of a potential opportunity with Jakkaru, a decadent, cut-throat organization that pays handsomely by the body count. Dorian’s lifelong friend, Rafe Ibadiah, is his ticket into Jakkaru and soon Dorian is training to be a professional hitman. But learning how to properly kill for a living is not as easy as it seems, and he quickly discovers the short arms of theory are a far reach from reality as the harrowing journey makes him question everything he believes.
The final test before full acceptance into Jakkaru is a contract Dorian must complete alone. Delivered to him via a small red envelope, the name inside propels the stakes of this dangerous game higher than ever before. Dorian will sacrifice anything for his son, but it’s not until he is ordered to do the unthinkable that he grasps the horrific depth of his commitment.
Award-winning author, K. Baskett, expertly weaves a chilling tale of suspense in Envelope: Red that culminates in a shocking look at the prickly nuances of loyalty. Gritty and authentic, Dorian’s story is ultimately a poignant examination of the human condition - what lies within the heart of us all.
Character Interview

Vanilla Moon: Dorian, tell us a little about your relationship with your son.

Dorian: My son, Josiah, means everything to me. From the moment he was born, my entire life changed because my focus went from being about me, and what I want, to being about him, and what he needs. I mean it when I say I would do anything in the world for Josiah. Anything. So when his mother started making it difficult for me to see him, I knew I was going to have to fight for my son. At that point it was no longer about ‘saying’ I would do anything for him. It was time to do it.

VM: Why did you choose to join Jakkaru? Were you that desperate?

D: I truly believed that I had no other options. Everything was going wrong for me and I had no way to provide for my son or afford the lengthy court battle that was underway for my visitation with him. Then I’m seeing my best friend, Rafe, who was living large - with no monetary problems whatsoever. I have to admit I was a little bit jealous of his lavish lifestyle. I needed that type of financial security and to be honest with you, I don’t have the education or experience to go the white collar route. I knew that Rafe was going to be able to get me into Jakkaru. I wanted what he had. As my best friend, he was almost obligated to help me get it.

VM: What was the most difficult part of your training?

D: I had to learn how to separate myself from the job. I always battled with the ethical issues around the assignments and basically had to force myself to remember the reason why I was doing any of it (Josiah). This was particularly hard in the very beginning.  It was also difficult for me to leave my ego at the door. My mentor led me every step of the way, and there were many times that I questioned his expertise when I really shouldn’t have. Eventually, I did learn to just keep my mouth shut and do what I was told.

VM: Do you have any funny moments from your training that you'd like to share?

D: It’s a little embarrassing for me to talk about it, but I’ll tell you this much: on one of the jobs we had to tranquilize two very big dogs. Let’s just say that the tranquilizer darts didn’t work as quickly as I thought they should and I panicked a little bit. My mentor teased me about it, too. The details are in my story so I’ll leave the rest of it for you to read for yourself.

VM: If you knew from the beggining exactly what you were getting into, would you still do it?

D: Honestly, looking back on the situation, I must admit that I never would have joined Jakkaru had I known then what I know now. I thought I was going to be able to handle anything they threw my way, but I never could have imagined what they ultimately asked of me. I was in an impossible position, and for me, there was no “good” option. I did what I had to, but if I could do it all over again, I would have probably just got that job at the fast food restaurant like my girlfriend, Sekoya, wanted me to.

VM: Finally, a piece of advice for us readers.

D: Things aren’t always what they seem. Sometimes you want what other people have, and you think you are willing to do whatever it takes to get it, but you cannot possibly know what goes on behind closed doors. You’re better off making the best of your own situation instead of wasting any time comparing yourself to someone else.

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