Hide & Seek (40 page)

“
Is that so,” he asked Freight.

“
Yeah, so let the shit go and move on, she don’t want you,” Freight threw out not missing a beat.

Kim was looking at him like he had three heads.
This muthafucka is certifiable,
she thought of the man sitting on her couch.

“
That ain’t the story I got,” Mook told Freight icily. “What I heard was you did that foul shit of taking what wasn’t offered,” he went on his anger growing. “Hurt my girl so bad she lost my seed,” Mook finished, managing to calm himself for the moment.

“
Get yo’ bitch ass up,” Mook ordered as Freight slowly made his way to his feet.

“
Get your shit baby,” he told Kim as she immediately complied, grabbing her .9mm and her purse.

“
After you muthafucka,” Mook told Freight, putting the gun in the middle of his back. “Make a stupid ass decision and it’s a wheelchair for your ass,” Mook growled. “That’s if you’re lucky,” he added as they all began heading toward the service elevator.

Kim was glad her floor was relatively empty, given the newness of the building and the fact that only two other units on the floor were occupied. She knew her floor mates both worked during the day and wouldn’t be home to cause any undue interference. The steel container arrived and they all boarded. Kim was both curious and excited at what Mook had planned for the two men. Arriving at the parking deck level, they disembarked and headed for Freight’s rental.

“
Follow us,” Mook told Kim, handing her keys to his truck.

Nodding her understanding, she got inside and started the vehicle as DeNoah forced Myles into the trunk of the small compact, closing it and getting into the backseat, gun to Freight’s head as Mook started the car and they began the drive.
I dunno where we’re going, but I sure as hell know who ain’t coming back,
Kim thought as she trailed the car and the city lights of Atlanta grew dimmer and dimmer.

*****

Caramel was still exploring her new surroundings trying to figure out what would happen next. Though rough talking, the two men that’d brought her here had been nothing but hospitable.
Oh god, I need to warn Ryan, but how,
she thought sitting down on the bed once again. The room was very nice. Decorated in rich warm earth tones, it was cozy. The huge brass plated mirror that hung from the wall was especially eye catching. Her breakfast had been supplied earlier and fruit, water and cookies were still sitting on the desk where she’d placed the tray. Her appetite however was still not up to par. She was worried sick that the man she loved was somewhere dead or dying.
Why now,
Caramel thought as the tears came. For once in her life she was truly happy and loved. Though it hadn’t started off as a relationship, it’d blossomed and she knew Ryan genuinely loved her and their child.
What about my baby,
she thought again. If these men succeeded in killing Ryan, her child would have no father.
How will you survive,
Caramel thought once again.

She heard a slight noise and turned toward the sound as the door opened and LaRon walked in.

“
You sleep okay,” he asked taking in the haggard look on her face.

“
I was a little restless,” Caramel answered honestly.

“
Hmph,” LaRon replied but said nothing more.

He reached into his pocket pulling her cell from it.

“
Do you ever call him,” he asked, eyeing her evenly.

“
Sometime,” she replied praying he would let her call now.

Caramel had a plan. She would tip him off by saying something she never did before. Ryan was smart; he would get it and know that something was wrong.

“
Call him now,” LaRon told her, handing her the cell and taking his gun from his pocket.

“
Tell him you’re fine, you were just calling to make sure he made it safely to Atlanta,” he instructed.

“
Put the phone on speaker, don’t get cute,” he warned. “I will kill you and the last thing he’ll hear is a bullet going into your head.”

Caramel swallowed hard and rethought her intention. She needed to warn Ryan but she was going to either have to think of another way, or wait until another time. The look on LaRon’s face quickly let her know he wasn’t joking.

The phone rang four times before he finally picked up.

“
Hey baby,” Ryan greeted her.

“
Hey,” Caramel returned. “I was just calling to see if you made it in.”

“
Yeah, I got in about 4:00AM,” he returned. “Sorry I didn’t call you, I got caught up.”

She smiled slightly as LaRon continued to observe her, seeing that she was deeply in love with the man.

“
Is everything all right,” she asked, reading the question on the piece of paper LaRon slid in front of her as she talked.

“
Yeah baby, I’m fine,” Ryan told her. “How are you and the baby?”

Caramel told him she and the baby were fine too.

“
Do you know when you’re coming back again,” she asked again from the list, her voice filled with longing.

“
Not for at least six days baby,” Ryan told her gently giving LaRon a timeframe to share with Tariq.

He signaled her to wrap up the call and disconnect.

“
OK, well we’ll be here waiting,” Caramel told him.

“
That’s cool,” Ryan replied. “I’ll call you later tonight, okay,” he added as LaRon frowned slightly.

Caramel replied that would be fine as he declared his love for her once more and she returned the sentiment, disconnecting.

“
You really love him, or is that just bullshit to keep him taking care of his seed,” LaRon questioned.

Taking a deep breath to keep the tear from falling and failing miserably she answered.

“
I love Ryan, and that’s for real,” she replied simply as LaRon hmphed slightly and turned away, walking out the room and leaving her alone with her thoughts.

33

Kim wasn’t sure where the hell they were. She’d never been to this part of the city she was sure as they pulled off the main highway, heading down a bumpy dirt road. It was dark as midnight in the huge field they were driving through. The only illumination was from the full moon hanging high in the sky. They’d kept Freight and Myles at the warehouse all day, waiting for night to fall. Kim still didn’t know what Mook planned. He and DeNoah had been whispering back and forth most of the evening exchanging looks and nods. It was beginning to unnerve her. Kim certainly hoped Mook didn’t have any doubts or reservations that Freight had forced her to have sex. There was absolutely no part of her that found the man the least bit attractive, certainly not attractive enough to cheat on her Mook, she thought as they came to a stop. Turning the truck off, she followed Mook’s lead as he got out of the car and stood beside it. DeNoah got out simultaneously with Freight, the gun solidly at his back. Myles was again riding in the trunk.

Mook walked over to Kim at the truck standing right in front of her looking into her face.

“
I’m going to kill him, you know that right,” he asked reaching out to stroke her face.

“
I want to do that,” she replied calmly.

Mook smiled slightly, leaning over and kissing her.

“
I know you do, but I got this,” he said with a tone of finality.

As much as she wanted to close Freight’s eyes personally, Kim knew enough to let this one go. She knew Mook was hurt that Freight had caused them so much pain and loss and now his pride was in it.

“
OK,” she replied as he smiled again and kissed her deeply.

“
Get back in the truck, listen to the CD, relax,” Mook told her, opening the door for her.

Kim once again complied without argument. She actually shuddered slightly thinking of the malice she saw in his eyes when he told her he was going to kill Freight. Closing the door once she got in, Mook turned and walked away. Motioning DeNoah to bring Freight to the back of the car, he opened the trunk, snatching Myles out. Not wasting any unnecessary time, Mook shot him three times in rapid succession, close range in the head.

“
Shit,” Kim murmured once again realizing how deeply angry her man was.

Freight was stunned. The realization finally hit him that these were his last moments. Top wasn’t the joke he’d originally thought and his own infatuation with Kim was going to cost him his life. The blow caught him off guard as he stumbled backward and lost his balance. Mook began kicking him in the face, chest and stomach as Freight tried vainly to defend himself. DeNoah simply stood and watched for a few moments, allowing Mook to work out his frustrations.

“
Tell me why you killed Halle, you sorry piece of shit,” DeNoah threw out once Mook finished and simply stood looking hatefully at him now.

“
What the fuck are you talking about,” Freight tried as DeNoah sucked his teeth, kicking him hard to the back of the head.

Freight saw multi-color stars as he tried to focus once again.

“
She didn’t love you fool,” Freight growled giving DeNoah a condescending look.

“
She was sucking’ my dick the night before she fell,” he went on enjoying the hurt he saw cross DeNoah’s face as he talked.

“
You were just the way in to Top, asshole,” he taunted the man, laughing again.

A well placed kick from Mook quickly silenced the laughter.

“
So she was gonna tell us about your bitch ass and you killed her huh,” he asked acidly.

Freight was too busy trying to catch his breath to refute the assumption.

“
You crossed the line muthafucka, when you put your hands on Kim,” Mook told him.

“
DeNoah,” Mook said calmly. “Bring me that case in the truck,” he instructed as both Freight and DeNoah frowned slightly, confused.

Kim was still watching as DeNoah came to the truck and went into the back for something.
My baby is as crazy as Top and Deuce,
she thought, having seen the latter in action a few months ago when they took out a rival dealer who’d tried to set them up. DeNoah returned with the case and handed it to Mook.

“
You hurt my girl, killed my seed,” Mook told him opening the case.

“
Kim doesn’t even want to be with you,” Freight tried again.

“
You think she wanted to fuck you fool, in a damned club bathroom,” Mook asked looking at the man like he’d lost his mind.

“
That fact that she was screaming didn’t alert you the feeling wasn’t mutual,” he asked once again.

“
She was scared, she just needed some persuasion,” Freight replied as Mook finally revealed the contents of the case.

DeNoah smiled, Kim gasped and covered her mouth, forgetting they couldn’t hear her.

“
You shoulda stayed wherever the fuck you were,” Mook told him. “And you sure as fuck should have never put your nasty ass hands on my girl,” he added shooting him the first time.

The Desert Eagle reverberated through the deserted field like a cannon. Kim watched in horror as he planted six more shots in Freight’s body. She saw his body twitch and jump with each shot, finally becoming still as the carnage ended and Mook placed the gun back in its holding place. As calmly as he’d killed the two men, Mook returned to the truck and climbed into the passenger seat, DeNoah in the back and told Kim to head home.

*****

Ryan had been irritated all day thinking about Jaleesa, her being missing, and the entire situation with him and Caramel now. Taking a chance, he dialed her cell number. Not sure if anyone would answer or not he sat ready for whatever when the connection began to ring.

“
Hello,” Jaleesa answered calmly.

She’d seen his name on the ID as the phone lay on the kitchen table where LaRon left it since taking it from her. She wasn’t locked in her room any longer, having free reign of the house. She also supposed LaRon truly trusted her again, leaving the phone here within reach. Ryan was taken aback when she answer, especially at how calm she sounded.

“
Tweety, where the hell are you,” he fired after gathering himself. “Are you all right, you hurt, what the hell,” Ryan asked again before she answer the first question.

Taking a deep breath and blowing it out slowly, Jaleesa addressed his questions. She told him she was fine, and that she wasn’t hurt.

“
So where are you,” he asked again.

“
I’m at home,” she replied simply.

“
You’re not at home Tweety, I’m sitting in the damned apartment right now,” Ryan told her beginning to get angry.

She heard the shift in his tone and addressed him again.

“
How’s Caramel,” she threw out, her tone letting him know she knew what time it was.

He was again stunned.
How the fuck does she know about that,
he thought as one glaring possibility hit him in the face.

“
You joined the other side,” he asked calmly as Jaleesa chuckled.

“
I was indoctrinated,” she answered cryptically.