Thin Ice 4 - Resurrections (29 page)

          “
Hell for all we know, you could be carrying my seed right now,” Jacoury told her.

He was supposed to fly back to Atlanta last night, but Tariq told him things were calm enough he could wait another day, and to handle his business at home.

“
Tyashia, I’m not tryin’ to lock you down, I just wanna be with you,” he told her sincerely.

The tears rolled down her cheeks listening to Jacoury share his heart with her.
While you’re sitting your fake ass here lying to him,
her conscience kicked in.

“
I just don’t want you to be sorry later,” Tyashia replied, deciding she would slip away when he left.

It would be far less painful and far more easy, she thought as her mind called her a coward.

“
Baby, I’m not going to be sorry,” Jacoury tried again. “Tyashia, just tell me the truth baby,” he pleaded as her heart fell. “I know you’re running from something or somebody, so hell, just tell me,” he added evenly as her head jerked up and she regarded him quietly.

Jacoury chuckled at her reaction.

“
I didn’t just get in the game Tyashia,” he told her, grabbing both her hands and holding them. “Tell me, get the shit off your chest,” Jacoury prodded yet another time.

Tyashia continued to regard him quietly her mind racing. Taking a long, slow, breath she opened her mouth and began to speak.

          “
I told you, you wouldn’t understand,” she said quietly after finishing her explanation some 15 minutes ago, and Jacoury’s continued silence.

“
I understand just fine,” he told her, breaking his silence.

“
I’ll leave now,” Tyashia returned, rising from the loveseat.

Jacoury reached out, grabbing her hand and pulling her into his lap.

“
Stop trippin’ girl,” he told her gently, as he kissed her lips and she lay back in his arms. “Tyashia, everybody makes mistakes,” he soothed. “I can tell the shit fucked you up, so stop beating yourself down about it,” Jacoury went on. “OK, it happened, you didn’t mean for it too, but it did,” he told her evenly. “Don’t you think you’ve punished yourself way more than enough,” he asked, looking into her eyes now.

Tyashia told him she honestly didn’t think she would ever be punished enough.

“
Man, you are hard on yourself for real,” Jacoury threw out in exasperation. “God himself ain’t that harsh,” he reminded her. “You think you don’t ever deserve happiness again,” he asked as she averted her eyes, answering his question. “That shit is crazy Tyashia,” Jacoury told her. “Look, you make me happy, and I’m pretty sure I make you happy too, or you wouldn’t be here with me,” he went on. “I’m going to help you learn to live again, and to let that shit that happened in the past, be just that, the past.”

After he finished his sentence, Jacoury turned her face to his and kissed her deeply. “This is the present baby, and if you let it, we can be the future,” he told her softly, kissing her again, beginning to undress her once more.

*****

         
Seth smiled as Gabrielle came into his line of sight.
I knew she would come back,
he thought continuing to observe. He needed to make sure she was alone before he made his move. Seth left Victor at the hotel, telling him he was heading out to grab something to eat at the strip joint not far from them. He’d decided that the only way he would stand a chance at getting Gabrielle to come with him was alone. He knew how to talk to her, how to play on her emotions. Seth wasn’t leaving without her this time, no matter what. Watching her closely as she talked with her instructor for the next ten minutes, he was assured she was alone. He hadn’t seen anyone in the waiting room looking suspicious. No one had walked by them as they talked and given either continued attention. The elevator opened and Seth again watched those disembarking, seeing none of the men present at the townhouse that day or the woman who’d interrupted them the first time.

         
Noticing that the conversation was ending, Seth readied himself. Gabrielle was walking toward him. He stepped back into the empty patient room right before she got close enough to recognize him, hearing the sounds of her heels clicking on the tiled floor. Just as she was about to pass the room, Seth grabbed her, snatching her into the room, hand over her mouth as she struggled.

“
Gabrielle, stop, it’s me, relax,” Seth told her in her ear as she stopped fighting, still breathing hard. “I’m going to take my hand off your mouth, but don’t scream,” Seth continued to speak. “Do you understand,” he asked as she nodded.

Trusting her, he took the hand away and turned her facing him.

“
Hi,” Seth greeted her smiling.

Gabrielle was immediately repulsed, recalling the things Jaron had shared.

“
Seth, please, just leave me alone,” she pleaded, backing away from him.

“
Gabrielle, what’s wrong with you,” he asked walking up on her again, pinning her against a wall.

“
Seth, this isn’t right, I don’t want to leave with you,” she replied once again.

“
You talked to your little boyfriend huh,” Seth asked angrily, detecting the fear in her. “Then you know the truth,” he told her simply.

Gabrielle nodded, tears in her eyes.

         
Seth stroked her face gently, falling harder and deeper as he looked into her eyes.

“
Gabrielle, don’t be afraid,” he told her, kissing her lips softly.

“
No, Seth, stop, you’re my brother,” she yelled, uncaring of his wrath.

“
I’m not your brother, Gabrielle,” he tried patiently. “I love you, don’t you understand that,” he told her as she pushed him away again.

“
Seth that’s sick,” Gabrielle replied as he frowned deeply. “I’m your sister, blood or no blood,” she tried to reason. “We were raised together,” she added as Seth exploded.

“
I’ve been in love with you since you were 12-years old, and I damn well plan to have you as my wife, and mother of my children,” he ranted, right in her face, small sprays of his spittle assaulting her skin.

“
No Seth, no,” Gabrielle tried as he lifted her and threw her onto the hospital bed.

Seth was a madman ripping at her clothes, while Gabrielle kicked and screamed. His hands found her underwear, ripping the silk panties from her.

“
Please Seth, no, please don’t do this,” she began to cry as he fought to unzip his pants with his free hand.

“
It doesn’t have to be this way Gabrielle,” Seth told her, pinning her down, freeing his erection and readying himself to climb atop her.

Gabrielle closed her eyes, squeezing them tightly, trying to shield herself from the onslaught she knew as about to come.

          “
Gabrielle, open your eyes,” she heard as she immediately complied, hearing the angry tone. “It’s okay baby, it’s over,” Jaron told her, scooping her up and holding her in his arms. “No, don’t look,” he told her as she looked down and saw Seth’s lifeless eyes staring back at her, the hole in his skull still oozing blood into the pool already gathered beneath him.

“
Oh my god,” Gabrielle breathed, beginning to cry, trembling violently.

“
It’s okay baby, I’m going to take you home now,” he told her kissing her cheek gently.

Gabrielle saw Mook standing on the other side of Seth’s body, gun in hand. What she hadn’t seen was Jaron giving it to the man after he’d planted three slugs in Seth’s head. Jaron had been furious finding him about to violate Gabrielle when they entered the room, hearing her screams. When she didn’t come downstairs after her instructor, they both knew something was wrong and headed up.

“
Maybe he’s at peace now,” she whispered quietly as Jaron continued to carry her, entering the elevator with Mook and pressing the lobby button.

30

         
Ian was beginning to get worried. Kaitlyn was still unconscious almost two days after hitting her head on the floor when he tripped her.
Shit, I never meant to hurt her,
he thought stroking her cheek gently. She stirred slightly at his touching, moaning shortly, before returning to her previous state. Ian undressed her, bringing the small basin into the room and began to give her a sponge bath. Touching her body turned him on, and today was no exception.
She can’t leave you with your child inside her,
his mind told him as he continued to cleanse her. Ian didn’t want to take advantage of her while she was unconscious. That was so lame in his mind.
Please baby, wake up,
he thought as her eyes began moving rapidly alerting him she was deeply in the throes of sleep and dreaming.
I wonder what is going on in her subconscious,
Ian thought sighing deeply as he finished the bath, dried her and put her night clothes on. Rising and disposing of the water and the basin, Ian checked her one last time, before quietly leaving the room, closing and locking the door behind him.

*****

          “
We have to leave this place,” Lauren told Kaitlyn. “This muthafucka is crazy and he’s trying to fuck us, literally,” she added as Kaitlyn sighed. “You had sex with him already anyway,” she accused as Lauren laughed. “Yeah I did, hell I was curious,” she admitted. “But I don’t like him, he pisses me off,” she told Kaitlyn who said nothing. “I can see from our memories, he used to piss you off too,” Lauren began again, givng her a look. “What happened to you,” she threw out irritably. “You used to be a bad bitch, now you’re just pathetic and weak,” Lauren told her having no sympathy for her feelings. “What are you talking about, you and I are one person, we just can’t seem to get along,” Kaitlyn replied, her own anger flaring. “I don’t want to be weak,” Lauren spat. “And I don’t want to be a cold blooded killing machine all the fuckin’ time,” Kaitlyn returned just as heatedly. “You let everybody walk all over us,” Lauren hissed. “I’m not going back to another Carlo,” she added, eyes narrowing to slits. “Neither the fuck am I,” Kaitlyn replied, teeth clenched.

          “
Why can’t we just be in one place on the same page like we used too be,” she asked. “Because you said I was dead and I’m not,” Lauren returned petulantly. Kaitlyn recalled the conversation with Tariq a year or so ago. “I meant that fucked up lifestyle we had to live, Lauren,” Kaitlyn told her tiredly. “I don’t ever want to lose my edge, my nerve to take a bitch out, or to jump headfirst into the game,” she added as Lauren nodded thoughtfully. “What about this jackass,” she asked, referring to Ian. “We have to get the hell out of here,” Kaitlyn replied without hesitation. “I know Tariq has to be out of his mind by now,” she went on. “I managed to text him a few days ago.” Lauren grunted slightly. “So we’re good, I’m not dead,” she asked, giving Kaitlyn another look. “No,” Kaitlyn replied. “And I’m not going to try and keep you repressed anymore, a bit more controlled yes, but not repressed,” she told her as Lauren chuckled slightly. “Then lets work on getting the fuck outta here and telling Tariq where we are,” she told Kaitlyn. “Besides, I want some more of his --,” she started before Kaitlyn laughed and told her she got the message.

         
She awoke immediately afterward, head clear, focused on finding out where she was and letting her husband know where to come get her. Kaitlyn was back, in full force, every piece of her psyche where it needed to be. Rising, she quietly made her way to the bedroom door and turned it gently. She wasn’t surprised to find it locked. She’d seen Lauren’s last memory of her interaction with Ian and knew he wasn’t going to willingly let her go.
He thinks you’re still divided,
her mind told her as Kaitlyn grunted to herself. Ian also thought she was in love with him. Deciding she would use that to her advantage she took a deep breath and called out for him. Just as she knew he would, Ian materialized moments later opening the door.

“
Why am I locked in,” Kaitlyn asked, feigning fear. “Did I do something? Did I do something to you Ice,” she asked, still playing the part.

Ian smiled slightly glad to see it was her and not Lauren that had risen from the unconscious state.

“
Don’t worry about it baby,” Ian told her sweetly, stepping close and kissing her. “You hungry,” he asked amiably, taking her hand.

“
Yeah, starving, actually,” Kaitlyn replied truthfully.

Chuckling Ian led her downstairs as her eyes scanned the den and saw her purse, cell phone inside, sitting on the couch where she left it. She also saw a stack of mail on the coffee table beside the couch. Smiling to herself, Kaitlyn calmly followed Ian to the dining room and sat down, waiting for him to bring her meal, and waiting on her chance to send Tariq a text and get liberated.

*****

         
Victor was livid once he got the call yesterday.
That stupid muthafucka, shit,
he brooded angrily, waiting for the other party to arrive and the meeting to begin. He wasn’t particularly upset that Seth was dead, but he’d missed his chance to meet Gabrielle, to talk to her and explain some things to her. His cell broke his thought and he answered sighing deeply at the name on the ID.

“
Yes,” Victor spoke into the handset.

“
Things are in shambles,” the voice returned after the greeting.

“
We still have it in control,” Victor tried.