Filthy Rich-Part 2 (6 page)

Chapter 5

It still seemed like a dream.

His voice.

His touch.

His smell.

It had all been taken away from Trinity for so long that none of it seemed real to her even though she could physically reach out and touch her brother. She felt like it would all be cruelly snatched away from her once again. If it did, she couldn't take it. She couldn't take finally having her brother back and then losing him again. It would kill her. That was why she was vowing to never let that happen again. She'd kill Chetti, Luke and Darien in cold blood before she would allow that to happen again.

Both Trinity and Cedrick were sitting in the living room of one of Trinity's closest friend’s home, Amelia. She and Trinity had been close since they were in kindergarten. These days she was the only person Trinity trusted. She'd also had a crush on Cedrick during her childhood years but was too young to act on it.

After doing a little shopping, Amelia now walked in the door with bags from Payless and Walmart. They were filled with clothes. Not the type of fashion brands Trinity was used to but they were clothes nonetheless.

"Got everything you needed," Amelia said.

"Thanks," both Trinity and Cedrick said in almost unison.

Neither Cedrick nor Trinity had a penny to their name. They had no clothes or any belongings. Trinity didn't even have an ID or Social Security card. Without those things, she couldn't go to the bank to get money out of her account. Since the Feds had seized the mansion and two police cars were now sitting outside the home, twenty-four seven, they couldn't get inside to get anything. So since they couldn't, Amelia was cool enough to get some things for them she could afford out of her own pocket.

Amelia was the nerdy type, always dressed in loose clothing, shabby shoes, and one who never quite went out much and didn't have too many friends. She was built sloppily. She wore glasses. She hadn't had too many boyfriends in her life. But for what she lacked in looks, she more than made up for in heart and consideration. She was a very nice person who would give you the shirt off her back when you needed it.

"You guys hungry?" Amelia asked. Before they could answer, she said, "Let me go fix you something anyway."

"We don't want to be a bother," Cedrick said. He thought about how they had to use a stranger’s phone on the side of the road to even call Amelia.

"Nonsense," she said. "I got you."

"You sure?" Trinity asked.

"Don't worry. You know I rarely get company. So when I do, it's an honor for me to entertain. And you need to put those ice packs back on your face, Missy."

Standing up from the couch, Trinity hugged her friend and said, "As soon as I get straight, I'm going to pay you back."

Amelia stared at all the bruises on her friends face and body. "Don't worry, girl. No payback needed."

Amelia headed to the kitchen. But just before she did, she smiled at Cedrick real sexy-like to let him know she still had that same crush on him since a little girl. Even his scruffy afro and beard couldn't stop her from liking him.

Now alone, both Cedrick and Trinity stressed over their current situation again.

"Just when I thought Chetti couldn’t surprise me with her bullshit, she does," Trinity said. Shaking her head, she leaned back into the couch and asked, "How do you give the order to have your own daughter murdered? How could she?"

Tears welled up in her eyes, yet she refused to let them fall.

Cedrick was hurting for his battered sister much more than he was hurting for himself. "I wish I knew, Trinity."

"It's like God cursed us. He gave everyone else normal parents but chose to give
us
the fucked up ones." Bitterness, pain and sadness were evident in Trinity's tone.

Cedrick placed a hand on his sister's shoulder to console her. She shrieked from the pain.

"Rape, molestation, abuse," she said with tears continuing to form. Shaking her head, she continued, "No matter how hard I try, I can't get the smell of dad's after shave out of my head. I can still remember its smell as he was molesting me."

Cedrick cringed at his sister's words. He took her carefully in his arms and let her rest the side of her face against his chest. He wanted to protect her.

"That shit'll never leave me," she told him. "I still remember getting pregnant by the boy next door and mom having that damn doctor come over to make me abort the child while forcing me to have Luke's later on." Tears fell from her eyes. "I hate them. I hate them with a passion."

"I know exactly how you feel," Cedrick said. "You're not by yourself in this. I knew Chetti could be an evil bitch but I had no idea she would go as far as to have me kidnapped and drugged up."

The memory of the night of Cedrick's kidnapping filled his head.

"I was in denial when it first happened. I didn't think she could do something like that to me, her own son. I just couldn't. It didn't become clear until I actually saw her face and saw her giving orders to my kidnappers from her own damn mouth."

Trinity pulled closer to her brother. She felt just as bad for him as he did for her.

"The ultimate betrayal," he muttered.

"Yeah," she agreed. "The ultimate betrayal."

The brother and sister team sat in silence and in each other's arms for what seemed like forever. Eventually Trinity wound up falling asleep on Cedrick's chest. When she did, he softly slid out from underneath her head careful not to wake her. Grabbing one of the Walmart bags, he pulled out an outfit and a pair of new clippers. He then headed up the stairs to the bathroom and shut the door. Moments later, when he emerged, he didn't look anything like he did when he first went in. In new clothes, his beard and afro was now gone. His walk more confident. His demeanor seemed more sophisticated.

As Cedrick made his way back down the stairs, Trinity awoke from her sleep at the same time that Amelia was bringing the food she'd cooked into the living room. Both women laid eyes on Cedrick at the very same moment. Neither woman could believe how different he looked. Trinity herself had almost forgotten how handsome her brother was just before the kidnapping. Women swooned over him even more than they did Luke.

Trinity had to check her feelings. Strangely, her insides yearned for her brother. She snapped out of it quickly, before Cedrick hit the bottom of the stairs.

I refuse to let my mother’s and father’s spirit get inside of me
, she told herself.

"Sorry, Amelia, but I’m going to have to eat later." He smiled widely toward Amelia’s growing grin. “Just take good care of Trinity for me while I’m gone. And when I get back we’re going to the hospital to report a rape and get you checked out.”

Trinity frowned showing her disapproval.

“We must,” he said firmly. “Those guys could have all kinds of diseases. So be ready when I get back.”

"Okay…But where are you going?" Trinity asked.

"I need to go see Mr. Falou."

"Dad's old attorney?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"He set up my inheritance when dad died. I have to go see where it stands."

Trinity shook her head up and down repeatedly. Her facial expression showed that she totally agreed.

"Chetti's a slick bitch," Cedrick added. "Those prison walls won't hold her ass for too long. She'll find a way out. And she’ll be looking for us the moment she finds out we’re alive.”   

Chapter 6

The prison was located in a small town near the outskirts of Fredericksburg, Maryland. And although surrounded with fences and barbwire, it didn't have the menacing look and atmosphere of other prisons. In fact, it simply looked like a gathering of cottages, each surrounded by newly manicured green lawns.

Luke was sitting in his air conditioned one-man cell watching television; a luxury he didn't have back in the county jail. He was wearing a new white Nike track suit and a pair of Air Force 1 kicks… instead of a state issued jumpsuit. On his wrist was a platinum Rolex. In his foot locker were several more folded brand new sweat suits. On a nearby shelf sat numerous books along with several hundred dollars worth of commissary. From the window was a view of the compound with nearby woods sitting off in the distance.

Still kept in protective custody and unable to mingle with the other prisoners, Luke was able to move around a lot more in the prison camp than he was in his previous location. Here he had a job in the kitchen, was able to walk the yard alone for two hours per day and was able to work out in a state of the art gym. He was also given better access to the phones. It was obvious that not only were the Feds taking care of him, someone's money was taking care of him also.

That someone?

Pamela.

Luke was thankful to find out upon his arrival that Chetti was not responsible for his move. A sigh of relief filled him days ago when he realized the prosecutors had set up his transfer to keep him safe until time to testify. 

"Mr. Bishop?" a voice came over the cell's intercom.

"Yeah," Luke answered.

"You've got a visit."

"Alright."

Luke got off his bunk, brushed his teeth and ran a brush over his freshly low cut Caesar. He then looked at himself in the mirror. He definitely looked more like the Luke he'd been when free. Satisfied, he put on cologne. A moment later, his cell door was opened. He was then escorted out of his dorm. Minutes later, he and the officer were approaching a row of white trailers, each furnished and designated for conjugal visits; a privilege only given to special inmates.

"Two hours, Mr. Bishop," the guard said.

Nodding, Luke opened the door of the trailer and walked inside to see Pamela sitting on the couch. He smiled.

  “Hey, baby," Luke said as he headed towards Pamela. “I knew it was you who pulled all of this off for me.” Luke quickly thought back to his initial ride to his new home at Bernwood Correctional Facility. He could now find humor in how he thought he was being led to his death but instead a place where he could have more freedom.

“You look so damnnnnn good,” he hissed, feeling overly horny.

Pamela Benson was dressed in a white Valentino blouse and a black pencil skirt showing off her flat stomach and flat ass. On her feet were a pair of Christian Dior sandals. Standing and accepting Luke into her arms, Pamela rested the side of her face against Luke's chest.

Luke took in the scent of Pamela's body and perfume. The scent of women had never been a big deal to him when he was free. These days, the scent of a woman was priceless to him. There was nothing in the entire universe like it. Pamela's scent was immediately beginning to make Luke hard. With his dick bulging in his sweats, he began to kiss Pamela around her neck. He needed her. He needed her badly.

"Luke," she said, while stepping back from him. "Luke, I have something to tell you."

"It can't wait?" He was horny beyond measure.

Pamela looked at him silently and with a sort of sadness written on her face, a look Luke had never seen on her before. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's bad. You should sit down."

"I prefer to stand. What is it?"

Pamela froze for what seemed like forever. Her face became flushed with sorrow.

“What is it?” Luke asked worriedly. “Has someone done something to you?”

Pamela shook her head…then buried her head into his chest.

“Tell me, Pamela. What is it?”

"Your brother."

"Darien?"

She nodded.

"What about him?"

She grew uneasy about speaking further. She knew what she was about to tell him would tear him apart.

"Well?" he asked. "What about him?"

After pausing several moments more, she said, "He's dead."

Although delivered softly, those two words slammed into Luke like a truck. "What do you mean?"

She couldn't bear to say anymore. She hesitated.

Stepping a few steps away from Pamela, Luke demanded, "What do you mean? What are you saying?"

"I don't know everything. I only know what I've heard. From what I've been told, they found his body beaten and bloody in his cell. I think he was stabbed multiple times."

The images flashed in Luke's mind of his brother's dead body. They made him cringe.

"An investigation has been opened. They're not sure if the jail was involved or if the murder was committed by an inmate."

Luke's knees almost gave out. He sat down on the arm of the couch and dropped his eyes to the floor in disbelief. He couldn't believe his brother was gone.

"I'm sorry," Pamela said softly. She ached for him. The last thing she wanted was to see him hurting.

A tear fell from Luke's eyes and rolled down his cheek.

"Baby," Pamela said, placing a hand on his shoulder.