Hide & Seek (26 page)

“
So you began to plot thinking I’d come back or what,” she interjected as he smiled slightly again.

“
No, I began to plot with plans to go to Indiana, kill Ice, and bring you home,” Tariq answered honestly. “I started hanging out with the local hustlers and they showed me the ropes and what not,” he told her as Kaitlyn again nodded silently.

“
Have you ever killed anyone Tariq,” she asked suddenly.

“
Yes,” he returned calmly. “But never for sport, it was always about business,” he added as Kaitlyn smiled slightly, impressed with his new strength.

“
So even though you know I’m not going to leave you, you’re still gonna kill Ice,” Kaitlyn began anew.

As much as she didn’t love Ice with the same intensity she did Tariq, she didn’t know if she could wish him dead.

“
He would never let us live in peace, KiKi, you know that,” Tariq replied, answering her question.

“
Hmph,” Kaitlyn returned knowing he was right, but not wanting to admit it.

The thought of Ice being killed filled her with a deep sense of remorse and guilt for some reason.

“
I need you to trust me on this KiKi,” Tariq told her interrupting her thoughts.

She looked up at him and he could see the questions, doubt and worry in her face.

“
Do you remember years ago when you told me about your plan and you asked me to trust you,” Tariq threw out.

Kaitlyn swallowed hard and told him she did.

“
I need you to do that exact same thing now, for me,” he finished and held her gaze waiting for her to speak.

Kaitlyn didn’t know what to say. On the one hand she was absolutely thrilled that Tariq was alive and they were together. On the flip side of the coin, he’d become someone she didn’t know. Someone deadly and sinister and that part of him scared her a little. Then there was Ice. He’d been way past good to her over their relationship. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to make her happy. Since taking her from the hospital that night three years ago, he hadn’t touched her in anger. Could she just sit idly by and wait for Tariq to take his life? Couldn’t there be some other solution?

“
Baby,” Tariq queried gently after a few more moments of silence.

“
Hmm, I’m sorry,” Kaitlyn replied shaking the thoughts and returning to the present.

“
Tariq, I just,” she began as he saw and understood her struggle.

“
I know this is bothering you,” he told her honestly. “But I won’t let Ice destroy my life, or our love again.”

Kaitlyn sighed deeply and looked intensely into his eyes seeing the determination and sincerity of his words.

“
OK,” she replied in a hushed whisper.

Tariq hugged her tightly, kissing her forehead as he spoke in her ear.

“
It’s gonna be fine baby, trust me,” he told her returning to her lips and kissing her deeply.

*****

DeNoah cautiously entered the hospital room, taking in the sterile surroundings and medicinal smells. Halle was still motionless as he looked at her in the semi-raised patient bed. Making his way to her, he sat once again beside her and held her hand.

“
Hey baby, it’s me,” DeNoah told her soothingly as she continued to lay death still and silent. “The doctor says you can possibly hear me, so I want you to know I’m here,” he told her, stroking the hand he held gently. “I need you to fight baby,” DeNoah began again. “I need you to wake up and tell me who did this, ‘cause I’m gonna pay them back baby,” he told her angrily.

Calming himself, DeNoah began to talk to Halle about the weather, the colors in the room and the various people he’d encountered on his trip to see her. The doctor told him that some comatose patients were still able to hear and recognize voices as they remained unconscious.

DeNoah finally stopped talking and simply stroked her hair, thinking to himself and praying she awakened. He’d found her in the bathtub of her home two days ago, unconscious and bleeding profusely. He’d immediately called 911. They barely found a pulse when they got to her and DeNoah was almost beside himself thinking she was going to die.
Damn, coma is just as bad,
he thought hating the idea Halle couldn’t tell him who’d hurt her like this. DeNoah knew she hadn’t slipped and fallen like the doctors assumed when the paramedics explained where she was found. He’d taken the opportunity to look around the house as they worked on her and saw the hi-ball glass in the sink as well as two plates. DeNoah also noticed the bed held two indentions from two bodies being contained. He wasn’t even as angry about Halle cheating as he was about this fool hurting her.
I’m kill that muthafucka when she wakes up and tells me who did this,
DeNoah thought to himself glancing down at her once more. Seeing that nothing had changed, he quietly rose, kissing her forehead gently and telling her goodbye before leaving her room and heading out into his day.

*****

Freight observed the man leaving Halle’s room and took the opportunity to casually follow him. Boarding the same elevator the man was deeply engrossed in his text messages as Freight also remained quiet. Arriving at the lobby both men exited the elevator and began walking through the ER waiting room heading for the parking lot. Freight hung back far enough not to bring suspicion to himself and watched DeNoah make his way to his car. He took note of the make, model and color as the man backed out of the parking space and turned heading out of the hospital area.
So that’s the fool she was fuckin’ from Top’s crew,
Freight thought his mind tumbling. He was still very much annoyed that Top hadn’t accepted him and his proposal with open arms. Pulling out his cell, Freight made a call.

“
Yeah,” the voice answered on the other end.

“
Wassup,” Freight threw out as the party recognized his voice and returned the greeting.

“
What you needin’,” the asked.

“
Army,” Freight replied calmly.

“
Done,” the voice threw out instantly. “When, where,” they asked once more as Freight supplied them with the answer.

Disconnecting he smiled to himself turning to go back inside to Halle’s room.
They picked the wrong King to try and dethrone,
he thought ominously arriving at the elevator and boarding. He was still smiling as the heavy steel doors closed and he pressed the 5
^th
floor button.

Making sure he wasn’t seen by the nurses at the nursing station, Freight stealthily made his way to Halle’s room, slipping quietly inside. He stood at the door observing the woman for a few moments as the various machinery beeped and hummed, keeping her alive.
Always was a selfish bitch,
Freight thought of her refusal to die when she fell into the tub.

“
Well, let’s do this,” he said softly aloud walking over to her bed.

Freight took note of the monitor for her heartbeat knowing it would sound an alarm if she were in any distress. He sighed softly before removing the syringe from his pocket and removing the cap. Looking into her peaceful face once more, Freight stuck the needle into the tip of the IV that administered the nutrients to her system and pushed the plunger down, delivering the lethal dose of amphetamines to her system.
Finally closing the door on a bad ass nightmare,
he thought watching the IV drip a few moments more. Turning on his heels, Freight left the room as quiet and stealthy as he’d entered, hearing the code blue sound just as he once more boarded the elevator and the doors closed.

*****

This is not happening,
Jaleesa thought as she began vomiting again. She’d thrown up for the last three days. Her period was missing in action and in her darkest heart of hearts she knew she was pregnant.
Please God, don’t let this be happening,
she prayed again as the tears came and rolled down her cheeks. So far she’d been able to keep the bouts of morning sickness secret from Deuce.
I’ve got to get the hell outta here,
she thought once more as yet another wave of nausea hit her. Finally emptying her stomach, Jaleesa fell back against the wall of the bathroom her mind reeling. Deuce still insisted on keeping her locked in the house, though he allowed her free reign of the inside, leaving it was out of the question.
He’s not gonna let you abort it anyway,
her mind told her. Since she arrived he’d been trying to get her pregnant. Jaleesa knew hell would freeze over before he willingly allowed her to get rid of it now. Deciding that she had to get out of the house and that she had to do it now, Jaleesa shored her reserved and picked herself up from the floor, washing her face and pulling herself together. Satisfied she looked fine, she opened the bathroom door and walked into the bedroom.

Jaleesa stopped in her tracks finding Deuce standing in front of her, Cheshire cat grin plastered across his face.

“
You okay,” he asked touching her face lightly.

“
Yeah, I’m fine,” Jaleesa hurriedly returned. “Something I ate didn’t agree with me,” she added as LaRon grunted slightly.

“
I doubt that,” he replied calmly as she tried to walk by him.

He reached out grabbing her arm and stopping her.

“
Take this,” he told her plainly, pushing the home pregnancy test into her hands.

“
Deuce, I’m fine,” Jaleesa tried as he again growled under his breath and began pushing her back towards the bathroom.

“
Take it,” he told her once more, his tone stern.

Swallowing hard she opened the box and removed the wand. Going into the bathroom she went to close the door when Deuce put his hand on it telling her no. Defeated Jaleesa did as he asked, taking the tip off the wand and saturating it as she relieved herself. Holding his hand out, Deuce took the test from her and placed it on the counter, where he stood firmly planted, watching it process.

In less than two minutes the positive plus sign appeared in the window. The smile grew even broader as Jaleesa’s sense of dread hit rock bottom.

“
This is wonderful baby,” LaRon told Jaleesa lovingly as he hugged her tightly.

“
I know you’re scared,” he told her tenderly as he held her. “I’m not going to hurt this baby, or you,” he promised kissing her neck gently.

Jaleesa bit her lip hard trying to stay the tears threatening once more. She made up her mind to kill him and get out by weekend, four days from now.

“
Are you happy,” LaRon asked pulling away and looking into her eyes.

Jaleesa forced a small smile to her face as she answered him.

“
Just in shock,” she replied hedging the original question.

“
You shouldn’t be,” LaRon joked. “You know how fertile you are,” he teased as Jaleesa blushed slightly. “It’s gonna be okay this time, Tweety,” LaRon iterated once more. “I promise baby, I promise,” he told her hugging her once more as Jaleesa’s mind continued to race full steam ahead to his demise, her escape, and the termination of the life growing inside her.

21

Tate and Ryan were gathering forces. The sneak attack on the club manager a few days ago sent the message loud and clear that Top and his crew wanted a war.

“
How many you rounded up,” Ryan asked Tate, checking his own weapon cache.

Tate replied that there were six fight-to-the-death soldiers lined up.

“
Cool,” Ryan replied as his mind still raced.

They were going back to the mortuary where they still held Tyreece and question him again. There had to be another local connection other than him for this job to be pulled off.

“
Tyreece is gonna buy a fuckin’ bullet if he doesn’t tell me what the hell I wanna know today,” Ryan groused angrily as Tate voiced his own approval.

The two men gathered their weapons and headed outside, being extra careful and cautious making their way to Tate’s truck and getting inside. Ryan held the .10mm in his lap as they rode. Neither was taking any chances with their lives given all the unknowns surrounding their current situation.

Xae carefully followed the men at a very cautious distance as they drove. He’d seen the weapons and knew it would be in his best interest not to be observed or spook them. They both were on edge and he knew from his sources Ryan had an itchy trigger finger. Besides, Xae had a different agenda today. Today was simply about fact finding. Everything that needed to be handled would be soon enough, he thought as the men turned down a familiar road and he continued to follow them. He’d borrowed his girl’s car this morning. His was far too loud and noticeable Xae thought of the Chevy. The small sky blue Hyundai was far more conducive to his needs at the moment. Slowing again Xae observed the truck carrying the men make a left turn and knew exactly where they were headed. The street was dead end, and Xae knew there was only one building contained that still stood and would suit their need to keep someone prisoner. He supposed he could have made an attempt to rescue Tyreece from the captors, but again, that wasn’t the plan for today. Instead Xae relaxed and rolled himself a blunt, turning off the car and sitting inside, waiting.