Twisted Obsessions (SIN CITY HEAT SERIES Book 2) (18 page)

Chapter 24

     “Dominick…? What do you know about Dominick?” It was getting harder and harder for Keisha to remain calm. 
     Rochelle's laugh was sick and maniacal. “I know more than you think Keisha. I know that Dominick is really the reason why you and I are not together.” 
     Keisha frowned, beginning to get a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Rochelle…that’s not true. You and I broke up way before me and Dom…Dominick...even met.” 
     “Yes, but I know you were only taking a little break from our relationship. I realize it was getting too intense, and you needed time to reassess your feelings. And I was giving you that time. I knew you would come back to me sooner or later….and you would have, but you met that mutherfucka and began to change.” 
     “I didn’t…..” 
     "YOU DID CHANGE!” Rochelle stopped and took a breath. When she spoke again, her voice sounded amazingly normal. “I’m sorry. You did change, Keisha. I saw it right away, but I wasn’t going to give up on you. I tried to be places where I knew you’d be, hoping you’d realize that you loved me as much as I loved you. And you almost did too. Do you remember the last night I came over to your house and we were together?” Keisha didn’t say a word. “Do you??!!” 
     Keisha swallowed. “Yes.” 
     “Do you remember how good it was between us, how good I made you feel baby? I was the best you’d ever had, you said so yourself. We couldn’t get enough of each other that night. When the phone kept ringing and ringing, I guessed it was that bastard calling you, bugging you, but you ignored the calls, and by that time, I knew you realized that you were meant to be with me….” Rochelle paused as if she were reliving that night. 
     “But when I answered the phone, you were sooooo mad at me. And then when you came back into the bedroom after talking to him….” 
     Keisha remembered dragging Rochelle out of her bed kicking and screaming. She’d threatened to throw her out of her house naked if she didn’t put her clothes on and get the hell out of her house. 
     “You acted like I was just some 
whore
. A whore you just finished fucking and had no more use for. I waited and waited for you to come to your senses and call me. Even when you left Atlanta…without even a phone call, I might add…I still waited. I know how hot tempered you are, and I figured you just needed time to cool off. When I didn’t hear anything from you, I hired someone to find you and keep an eye on you. You know, just to make sure you were okay.” 
     Keisha jumped up off the couch. She’d taken just about all she could take. “
You did WHAT?! Have you lost your fucking mind, Rochelle?! 
No, wait, don’t answer that because clearly from this phone call, hell from that fucking email, you have!” 
     “DON’T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT KEISHA…..!" 
     “Fuck that! I’ll talk to you any got damn way I please. What in the fuck is wrong with you?! Rochelle, listen to me and listen closely: I….DON’T…LOVE ….YOU. I’M NOT IN LOVE WITH YOU….I HAVE
NEVER
BEEN IN LOVE WITH YOU…!!!" Keisha said the words slowly and distinctively. “Did you get that? Does that clear things up for you once and for all?! I don’t know what you hoped to accomplish by spying on me last night. I don’t know if you’re using the video to get off or what! But whatever the reason, that’s some sick shit!! You‘re crazy!” 
     “
DON’T CALL ME CRAZY, KEISHA! I’M NOT CRAZY!
” Rochelle started crying. “
All I ever wanted to do was love you, take care of you!
” She sniffed several times. Then her voice became eerily quiet. “No, no, no. You are not running the show this time. I am. And this is what you’re going to do Keisha. You’re going to leave Dominick. You’re going to tell him that you realize you made a horrible mistake and you want to be with me…” 
     “What?! Oh, I don’t think so. In fact…this conversation is OVER…” 
     “It’s not over until I 
say
 it’s over, Keisha….” 
     Keisha paused just as she started to hang up. It wasn’t the words that stopped her. It was the confident, matter of fact way Rochelle said them… 
     “You want to know why I had pictures taken of you and a video made? And do you want to know how I 
know
 you‘re going to leave Dominick?” Keisha waited. “How’s Sam doing, Keisha?” 
     Keisha’s breath caught in her throat. She felt as if she were drowning with no life raft in sight. 
     Rochelle laughed. “She’s such a beautiful little girl,” she sighed. 
     “Rochelle…” 
     “She looks a little bit like her father….” 
     Keisha felt faint. “Rochelle…” 
     “But then again…she sort of looks like her mother too. Justine.” 
     “How do you….” Keisha stopped. 
     “How do I know Justine? Oh, I’ve flown to Vegas several times within the last few months. I just ‘happened’ to bump into Justine at the salon she faithfully visits every week. We’ve actually become pretty good friends and had lunch on a couple of occasions. It didn’t take much for her to start spilling her guts about her ex-husband. She hates him, you know,” Rochelle casually said. 
     “Rochelle…why are you doing this?” Keisha whispered. Now she was starting to get scared. Not for herself, but for Dominick and Samantha. 
     Rochelle continued with her story as if Keisha hadn’t spoken. “Yes. She hates him. She told me how he dumped her after all those years of marriage, and how he gives her a hard time about Samantha. It didn’t take much to plant the idea in her head that if she had full custody of her daughter instead of having to share her with her ex-husband, things would be a lot easier for her. She didn’t really care about that, but she embraced the idea because it would be a way to hurt Dominick. It would give her leverage against him.”

     Keisha's eyes closed in horror. She instinctively knew what Rochelle's next words would be. 
     “Now…what do you think would happen if she got a hold of those disgusting pictures and video of you and little Sammie’s father fornicating with another woman….and all of the nasty things you three did together? Tsk, tsk, tsk….” 
     “Rochelle, please,” Keisha whispered. “Please don’t do this….”

     “Baby, I’m just saying. I don’t think she’d want someone like you around her daughter, someone with such loose morals. I’m sure she wouldn’t want little Sammie corrupted. The only way to insure that wouldn’t happen would be to have full custody of her daughter. And I think Dominick should only have supervised visits with Sammie for a while. I’ll have to remember to put that little tidbit on her mind.” 
     Keisha did her best to bluff Rochelle. “I don’t even know why you think a plan like that would work. As if Dominick would just give up his daughter without a fight…” 
     “He wouldn’t have a choice. A judge would make that decision for him,” Rochelle calmly said. 
     “You wouldn’t…” 
     “Oh, wouldn’t I, Keisha? What do you think a judge would say if he saw pictures of that little girl’s father doing the things he did to you and a woman he just met?” 
     “What we did is not against the law! But on the other hand what you’ve done is…” 
     “Keisha, please. Do you honestly think I’d let all of this lead back to me?” Rochelle laughed. “I have enough money to send this through so many different channels, we’ll be dead and gone before they can even associate the sound of my name with this mess. And you’re right - it’s not against the law. But we’re talking about what’s best for an impressionable little girl. A perverted father who likes orgies may not be the best thing. I mean, who’s to say he never had such activities going on in his house while Sammie was there asleep, and if she wasn’t asleep, who’s to say, these things weren’t done in front of her. Maybe he even made her join in….” 
     “
SHUT YOUR FILTHY MOUTH! DON’T YOU DARE….
” 
    
“NO YOU SHUT UP! I TOLD YOU, YOU DON’T CALL THE SHOTS ANYMORE…I DO!”

     They were both silent for a few moments, before Rochelle took a deep calming breath. 
     “Now, Justine doesn’t know about the pictures…yet. She’s not even aware that I know you, but this is what you’re going to do Keisha. You’re going to break it off with your little boyfriend….” 
     “No…” 
     “I don’t care how you do it…” 
     “No…!” 
     “And you’re going to do it tonight…” 
     “NO!” 
     “Oh, yes. You will Keisha.” Rochelle’s voice was still quiet and confident. “Because if you don’t, I will hand over everything to Justine, then I’ll forward it all to Dominick’s job, his co-workers, his boss, his friends, his church…. When all of that happens, do you think he’s going to want to be with you anyway?? 
Do you??!! 
He’s going to hate you, especially for being the cause of him not having his daughter. Don’t fuck with me Keisha! You will break it off with him - tonight!” 
     Keisha dropped down on the couch because her legs were no longer able to hold her. Her hands were shaking so bad, she could barely hold the phone. 
ThinkThinkThink
, she kept repeating to her shocked brain. 
Come on Keisha
…. 
     “Alright! Alright! But you have to give me some time… 
     “Tonight!” 
    
Keisha’s voice softened. “Please. Let me do this my way. I thought you said you loved me.” 
     “Keisha, please, don’t even….” 
     “You know what ‘Chelle. This is why we couldn’t get along. You were always trying to manipulate me when you didn’t get your way. Everything had to be done when you wanted it done, on your timetable.” 
     “That’s not true.” 
     “Oh but it is. And you’re doing the same thing now. Giving me ultimatums, threatening me… Do you think that’s the way to get me back?”
     “I need to make you see…” 
     “
You 
need. See? That’s what I’m talking about. You only see things one way, and that's Rochelle’s way. I can’t be in a relationship with someone like that.” Keisha knew the only chance she had was to work on the feelings that Rochelle claimed she had for her. Her voice hardened. “I won’t be in that type of relationship. If you can’t be the person that I want you to be…that I 
need
 you to be, then…” 
     “I can change,” Rochelle quickly said. “All I ever wanted was a chance to show you how much I loved you….” 
     “Then prove it to me, because I don’t see it from your actions,” Keisha said sarcastically. 
     “Oh, and I supposed if I just back down, that’ll prove how much I love you. Do you think I’m stupid?” 
     “I didn’t ask you to back down, I just asked you for a couple of days. And if you can’t do that for me, then I don’t see anything happening for us in the future. Yeah, I’ll leave Dominick, but I’ll be damned if I jump into a relationship with you to be controlled. In fact, when I leave here tonight, I never want to see you again. Don’t call me. Don’t contact me. Nothing!” 
     “Alright! Fine!” Rochelle paused as if going over some things in her mind before coming to a decision. “You have two days, Keisha. Two days, and I’m being generous in doing that. But don’t play me for a fool. I’m warning you.” 
     Keisha breathed a quiet sigh of relief. That’s all she needed. “I’m not. I’ll call you in two days.” Keisha hung up the phone before Rochelle could say anything else. 
     “Oh my God…” Keisha didn’t know what to do first. She stood up and took a deep breath and looked at her watch. Dominick should be on his way home by now. She snatched up the phone and quickly called Jerra. 
     “Hello?” 
     “Jerra! It’s Keisha. Wait a second.” She hit the hold button, and then called Aleesha’s number.

     “Hello...” 
     “Leesh, it’s Keisha. Hold on I have Jerra on the other line.” She conferenced all three of them in on the call. “Leesh? Jerra?” She asked to make sure they were there. 
    `“Hey girl,” Aleesha said. “So you made it back from Dominick’s birthday surprise, huh?” 
     “Yeah” Jerra laughed. “We’re surprised you can still walk after holding out on that man for almost a week.” 
     Silence greeted their teasing. 
     “Keish?” Leesha called her name. Keisha made a small sound as the cries she’d been holding inside threatened to erupt. She put her hand over her mouth, trying to get control of herself. 
     “Keisha! What’s wrong?!” Jerra’s demanded. “Keisha!” 
     “I’m in trouble…” Keisha's voice came out small and thin.
     Before she could finish, Aleesha cut her off. “I’m on my way…” 
     “
NO!! 
No! Dominick would be home by then. I’ll…I’ll come there. Jerra…” 
     “I’m on my way,” Jerra said. 
     “Sweetie hurry, but be careful,” Aleesha said to Keisha. She didn’t know why she was so upset, but she’d never heard her sound like this before. “Marcus is working overnight at the hospital, so we'll have some privacy." 
     “O-Okay. I’m on my way over there.” 
     Keisha quickly hung up. She was still scared, but she knew her girls would help her figure out what to do...and they had to hurry. 
     She pulled up to Aleesha’s house, and hadn’t even put the car in park before Aleesha came running out of the house to the car. Keisha opened the door and got out. 
     “What’s wrong?!” Aleesha grabbed Keisha’s hand as her eyes desperately went over her to make sure she was physically okay. 
     “Leesh…can…can we just wait on Jerra to get here? I don’t think I can tell the story more than once…” 
     “Sure, honey. Come on. Let’s go in the house, she should be here-” Before Aleesha could finish the sentence, Jerra came speeding up into the driveway and parked beside Keisha’s car. Jerra was almost ten minutes further from Aleesha than Keisha was, so Keisha knew she must’ve been pushing it to get here a few moments after her. 
     Jerra hurriedly slammed the door and ran over to her two friends, but her eyes were on Keisha. Without missing a beat, Jerra put her hand on Keisha’s shoulder and demanded. “Baby girl, what’s wrong.” 
     Now that they were all together, Keisha finally allowed herself to fall apart. She crumbled into Jerra’s arms, sobbing until her entire body shook.

    
Aleesha hugged her from the side, putting her arms around Keisha and Jerra both as tears ran down her face. She didn’t know what was wrong, but it was something big. She had known Keisha since they were ten years old, and had only seen her cry like this, as if her world had come to an end, once before and that had been when her parents were killed in a plane crash. She had been inconsolable then. She wasn’t much different now. 
     “Keisha, come on. Let’s go in the house….” Aleesha held her arm on one side, Jerra had the other. When they got inside, Jerra led Keisha to the couch while Aleesha ran to get her a bottle of water. She unscrewed the top and put it to Keisha’s lips. “Here, Keisha. Take a sip.” 
     Keisha managed to take a couple of sips of the cold water, then blew her nose with the tissue Jerra pushed in her hand. With Jerra on one side and Aleesha on the other, they silently waited for her to compose herself. “Take your time, Keisha,” Jerra told her. 
     Keisha snorted. “Time? I’m afraid time is the one thing I don’t have right now…” 
    “Sweetie what happened? Is it Dominick? Did something happen between the two of you, did he do something?” Aleesha gently asked. 
     At the mention of Dominick’s name, Keisha began to tear up again, and this time Aleesha pulled her head to her shoulder and let her cry. “That’s right, sweetie, just let it out. Shhhh….” 
     Jerra stood up and began to pace back and forth. Then she stopped in front of Keisha. Worry made her tone sharp and impatient. “Keisha. Tell us. What. Happened….” Aleesha scowled up at Jerra as she rubbed Keisha's back. 
     Keisha took a deep breath and sat up. “Rochelle. Rochelle happened.” 
     Aleesha's mouth dropped open. Rochelle Delgardo's name was the last thing they expected Keisha to say. Aleesha quickly glanced at Jerra before speaking to Keisha in a gentle voice one might use with a skittish colt.