2
My apartment was small, only two bedrooms but I felt as though I could’ve been walking the green mile when I took my first step after I’d paused.
His voice carried further from the living room and I wondered if he was talking into a speaker or if there was a hotline I had to his thoughts. I headed in his direction slowly, keeping all of my weight on the balls of my feet in case I needed to make a quick escape. The t-shirt that I’d worn to bed was long enough for me to grip the hem of it and not flash my goods to whoever was here. Because somehow I knew he wasn’t here alone. My theory was proven correct when I saw Nevaeh’s smiling face at the top of my hall beckoning me closer to her.
“Mrs. Warren?”
“Savadogo-Warren,” came the gentle correction of a voice I knew was her husband’s. She rolled her eyes but the smile on her face screamed that she secretly liked whenever he did that.
“I know it’s not normal, but I promise you’re in the best hands possible. Come and talk.” She beckoned me with her hands to come closer and I hated how implicitly I trusted her.
I reached her side, my frame slightly taller than hers and when we entered my living room my knees almost buckled from the sight. Her arms tightened around my shoulders to keep me upright.
“What are you doing?” I wasn’t sure how I found my voice, but that was the only question I could ask to gain clarity on the scene before me. I was damn near whispering as I took in what was happening in front of me. This was not going to be a simple chat amongst new acquaintances.
Lounging on the sofa near the patio door was Midas who gave me a sympathetic look but didn’t bother to put an end to the madness. Standing next to him was the tall, bald Black man who’d bumped into Patrick at the restaurant. Shoaib and Quentin were flanking either side of my front door. And standing in the middle of the chaos was Xerxes. His face was calm, demeanor unaffected by the havoc that he had brought in my life. In front of him was Patrick.
And why was Patrick in front of him?
Because he was tied down onto a folding chair with a tarp beneath him with his mouth taped closed. At his neck was a large, curved blade like what I’d seen in Aladdin. When I said he was my favorite Disney prince I probably should’ve petitioned God to not have him come to life and be a serial killer.
“Xerxes. Why do you have a knife at that man’s neck? Because he was rude at the restaurant? Because he grabbed me? I’m fine, I promise. Please don’t hurt him.” Xerxes eyes didn’t turn to me but stayed focus on the back of Patrick’s head.
“You would beg for zhe life of filz? Of a man who doesn’t deserve to breaze air?” Xerxes started to mutter in whatever language it was he spoke and I could hear his cousin chuckle.
“Oh, his ass is really perturbed now.” Midas was sitting on my sofa leisurely like he was watching the opera or something.
“Is no one here going to intervene?” I turned to look at Nevaeh who was still holding onto me. Her face was blank, but her eyes showed that she had no issue with what was happening. I knew the men who were hired for protection weren’t going to say anything so I focused back on Xerxes.
“Xerxes, please. Can you tell me what is going on?” I was pleading with him because I didn’t know what else to say or do.
“What is going on is zhat zhis man was going to hurt you, jameelah .” Xerxes was speaking through his clenched teeth his eyes still not on me. I felt terrible because he never avoided eye contact with me. It felt like a punishment.
“Hurt me how? We left him at the restaurant remember? You can’t punish people for what you think they might do.”
His eyes flickered to me and I wish they hadn’t. The darkness was there. The eyes that would dance with light when he saw me were filled with the fires of rage.
“Oh, I can’t? I would slay a zhousand potential assailants before zhey could harm you. But since you don’t want to listen to me. Quentin, please show her what we found.” Xerxes kept the knife pressed into Patrick’s neck as he motioned toward Quentin who looked apologetic as he stepped forward.
Quentin dropped a large duffel back on the floor and I was yet again disturbed about what I was about to see. That sense of dread had settled heavily inside of the room and I almost wanted to refuse to look in it. This was where the oppressive feeling was coming from. The bag that was on the floor seemed to have ill intentions all over it.
“Xerxes—” my words were a whisper as I became more overwhelmed by what was happening.
He glanced up at me and I could see the outrage on his face. My heart felt shattered looking at his obvious displeasure. “No. You feel as zhough I’m doing a disservice to you by being here. I want to prove to you zhat is not the case. Maybe it is extreme—”
“Cuz, it’s definitely extreme.” Midas was chuckling at his cousin and I just wasn’t sure what was so funny.
“Open the bag, Vanya.”
“No.” I was whispering again because I could feel the malice of whatever Patrick intended.
“Why not? You were so sure I was being harsh. Please, I vant you to open it for me.” He was challenging me but I knew he wasn’t going to let me take one step toward that bag.
“I don’t want to.” I could barely choke out a whisper but I did.
“Why? Because you feel it don’t you? The evil desires zhat are seeping t’rough every t’read of fiber zhat binds the fabric together. Like it was woven togezer intending to hold the tools of harm.”
He was spot on. I felt the bad vibes off the bag as it sat on the ground and I just couldn’t bring myself to touch it. I didn’t even want it in my damn condo.
“I can’t.”
Nevaeh moved around me to touch it, but her husband stopped her.
“Aht, aht! You not bringing bad vibes back to our son.” He sat forward and uncrossed his legs as she glared at him. Midas gave her some type of look that wasn’t a threat but held a promise of punishment. I could only guess what it was.
“I’m not your child.” But she damn sure listened and took a step back.
“You sure the fuck ain’t. That don’t mean this piece of shit ain’t done something weird to that bag. Xerx, make him pick that shit up and show her. He got six trained shooters around him and your girl holding, too. He ain’t about to cut up.” Midas looked like he was about to get involved in all of this and I couldn’t handle two of them getting in protective mode.
When he said six I glanced around the room noticing that there were only six of them here besides Patrick and me. I glanced at Nev and she gave me a smile that confirmed her ass was just as bad as the rest of them.
Oh my God, I’m surrounded by killers. That slippery slope had become a damn bullet train to hell after jumping that girl with Frankie.
“Only when someone comes for me first. That’s usually how we operate.”
My eyes widened when she spoke to my thoughts and I was scared I’d spoken out loud.
“I’m so sorry—”
She was laughing at me and gave me another squeeze. “You didn’t say a word. There was no need. Your face said everything your mouth didn’t.” Despite the late hour, she was still dressed as she had been for dinner. Which had me wondering how they all ended up here.
“Pick up the bag.” Xerxes commanded Patrick to pick up the bag but Patrick refused to move. Getting angry, Xerxes snatched the tape off of his lips and Patrick cried out. Another nudge in his back with the knife had Patrick shaking his head.
“If I move you’re going to kill me.”
Xerxes chuckled darkly and his cousin joined in. “I’m going to kill you eizer way. I vill definitely torture you longer for wastin’ my fuckin’ time.”
“Boss, tone it down. Your lady looks like she’s about to fall out.”
Xerxes’ eyes lifted from where he was scowling at the top of Patrick’s head to look at me. Those deep brown pools warmed and softened and the room instantly felt less stifling.
“She’s not going to fall out. My Vanya is stronger than anyzing zhat is formed against her. Isn’t zhat right, zibā?” I hated that he was so quick to calm my soul with his words.
“Yes.” Another whisper, this one stronger and slightly louder than before but still a whisper.
That earned me a smile that had been missing from his face since we’d been at the restaurant. “See, Midas. Your wife will not be zhe only one wiz zhe skills of a marksman zhen it is all done.” He slapped the side of Patrick’s head with the end of his big knife as a brutal way to get his attention. “Now, do what I said to you, pasar avazi (bastard ) .”
Patrick pressed one hand tentatively to the side of his head before kneeling down and carefully beginning to pull out the items that were inside. With each new discovery, the angrier I got until my fingers were damn near bloodless from how hard I was squeezing the handle of my gun.
“And just what were you going to do with all of this?”
He kept his eyes on the floor, looking at what he’d just exposed to the room. The two men by the door grunted their disdain and Nevaeh started to speak in a language I didn’t understand. Her tone and the look on her face emphasized she was just as pissed as everyone else.
My body and mind reeled seeing each item as he pulled them out from inside the bag. My anger got the best of me and I swung, hitting him in the face with the gun I’d almost forgotten I’d held.
“Well, what was all this for, huh?” My voice trembled, my laughter forced and sarcastic; heavy with the weight of my emotions as I tried to keep a brave face. “Kinda heavy for a first date don’t you think?”
The laughter wouldn’t stop. It was easier to laugh like a maniac than cry like the broken child that still lived deep down beneath the bravado. When the giggles stopped, I realized the tears had broken free anyway and I wiped at them furiously to see how everyone in the room was reacting to my display.
I’d lost control, but there was nothing I could do to replace the anger that had crept into the place my control had vacated. Xerxes looked proud of my anger. Nevaeh looked curious. The men who stood watch clearly approved by the slight dip of their heads in respect as my eyes landed on each of them. The most surprising was Midas, though. He watched me intently. As though he were finally putting together the missing pieces of a puzzle he hadn’t been able to quite figure out until now.
“A first date? No. Vhy not tell Vanya what all zhis vas for?” Xerxes had gotten closer, his skin not going red, but flushed with something.
His head was still low, eyes refusing to meet mine and his body rigid with fear. “It was only if she wanted to have a little fun.”
“A little fun? A liiitle fun? What about these looks like a little fun?” I pointed at the most offensive object that he’d taken out with my foot, forcing him to look at it. “What would be necessary for a foot long dildo the thickness of a soda can seem like fun? What is it about me that makes you think that I would want anything to do with that?”
“Oh, come on! Stop acting so innocent! You’re only putting on for them. I’ve heard all the stories about what you’re really like underneath all this good girl image you put on. Wanton slut begging for men’s attention. Even your father’s! You’re a whore just like all women.”
“Vhat does he speak of, zibā?” Xerxes eyes flashed angrily as my most embarrassing moments were put on display.
“The stories of me being abused in marriage? Is that what you mean? You’ve listened to the lies of my ex and somehow put the blame on me for trying to be a good wife despite how I was treated? When he didn’t really want me but I still had to do what he wanted how he wanted? Great. Even the nice guys are crazy. At least with you,” I pointed to Xerxes with far more anger than I should have. “You put your crazy outside and give it a drink and a cigar so it can greet people before they can enter your life so there’s no mistake what they’re walking into. But everyone else wants to wear a mask to hide behind until they think they have you trapped and unable to walk away. So they lure you in and then get angry when you don’t want to play the game you never signed up for!” I broke down, my voice breaking with the weight of having my secrets exposed. “I don’t even know why I try any more. But no matter how disgusting he is, Xerxes, he hasn’t done anything wrong.”
“Oh, he did pretty wrong, darling, You just gotta let Xerx gather his rage and tuck that shit back in so he can tell you all that he found.” Midas was still standing on the other side of his wife with a knowing grin on his face.
“Found? What do you mean found? Isn’t this enough? I don’t care, I’m ready to be done. Just get him out of here. I’m ready to go to sleep!” I’d raised my voice but I could feel my energy depleting despite how loud I was being.
Xerxes glanced down at me as though he remembered for the first time that I was supposed to be in bed. “I would grant you any desire of your heart, habibi . All but zhis one.”
“What do you mean?”
Xerxes nodded with his head toward Patrick. “He cannot leave this place.”
“Why not?”
“Because he has to die.”
My brows shot up because what normal person carried a tarp around just in case they needed to handle a damn body? “Die? Is that what the tarp was for?”
“No. Actually, zhe tarp was for you.”
“For me?” I backed up but Nev was behind me again.
“Xerxes, clean that shit up, honey.” She chastised him so sweetly I almost forgot I was supposed to be scared.
“Why were you bringing a tarp to me?”
“I did not do zhis. He did. When you left, zhere were certain idiosyncrasies about your date zhat put us all on high alert. All three of us, well six of us really.” He nudged the back of Patrick’s head with the butt of his knife angrily.
“Like what?” Damn my curious mind because I couldn’t not ask the question.
“The way he talked to himself now that you were absent. Or the way he quickly got on the phone to speak hurriedly with someone. As though they had to regroup because a plan had been foiled. So Shoaib and Quentin hunted down his car while we continued to eat. We had the server take your drink and test it—”
“How could you have that done so quickly?” I glanced around because who were these people that were equipped with all this weird shit? I thought I was well prepared with a first aid kit in my car but clearly I was wrong.
“Bars are becoming far more vigilant about that type of thing. And since the restaurant in question was part of the hotel, the one that we own, we make sure that the staff is equipped to check a drink non invasively for a patron and to handle a potential poisoning in case it slips by them.” Nevaeh gave me another squeeze as she explained.
“So let me guess, you were gonna roofie me.” I was looking down at him still upset to have agreed to go out with him.
“No. Your drink was filled with ecstasy.”
“Ecstasy. That’s new. Normally I’d have drinks laced with sedatives. Guess you’re not into necrophilia.” I was getting angrier especially as I could feel the people in the room begin to pity me.
“You are speakin’ far too flatly for my likin’, Vanya. It enrages me to zhink zhat you zhink of zhis as normal.”
“This was my normal. So nothing surprises me. My ex and his family… they tried to kill me. To mold me into what they wanted me to be. Shape me into something I was not. And they got so angry when they couldn’t get the me out of me they wanted. The six of you in this room have been more family to me than the Kennedys ever were. You don’t even know me, but you still looked out for me instead of allowing this piece of shit to do whatever he was going to. Hell, I’m sure Xerxes would be more than happy to cut them a check for the money they spent on my upbringing. Of course I’ve more than paid them back in blood, haven’t I, Patrick?”
“Zibā, I need you to speak and I need you to speak quickly. Before I lop off his head and no longer care about zhe why of vhat he did.” He rotated his wrist like he was warming up the joint so that he could do the deed with one swoop.
“If he’s friendly with them then he’s a bad person too and he should die.”
“That’s a big turnaround from Xerxes please don’t kill him .” Midas was eyeing me again and I was sure I looked like a hypocrite but I couldn’t help it.
Midas was nodding and I appreciated that he wouldn’t press me further. “If you understood then you would understand.”
“I get it. You don’t want your information exposed into a room full of people you don’t know.”
“Precisely that.” And I didn’t want Xerxes to see this me. The one who was broken. Who couldn’t stand up for herself. The one who was beholden to people who meant her no good for years. It gutted me to stand here and talk about this and think that he wouldn’t see me the same after all this. “So what was the plan? Blackmail after you got your jollies off?”
“I don’t know about any of that. I was just told this would be something that you were in to. Role playing and—”
“Role playing only works when both people are in on it. If only one side knows about it then it’s assault. It’s rape. It’s a crime. So you can’t hide behind the idea that you’re somehow innocent. Nobody unknowingly drugs someone else. Your motive as soon as you did that was nefarious. Right, Xerxes?”
“You are right as always, Vanya.”
I nodded feeling his confirmation shore up my emotions that had been so far out of control. “Good. When you are done with however you are going to do this, I’m going to need a new place to live. It may take me a few days—”
“There is no need.”
“No need? Why not?”
“As soon as we are done here, we will be moving you into zhe penthouse.” He spoke so plainly I wondered if this had been the entertainment that Midas expected to see all night.
“The pen- the penthouse? How? That’s where the owner lives.”
“Correct.”
I chuckled because he was being absolutely ridiculous. “They’re just not going to let me roll up in their place and take up residence. Unless, wait, let me guess. You’re the owner.”
“No. I’m not.”
I turned to look between Midas and Nevaeh but they both shook their heads. “If it’s not the two of you, then who?”
“You are, Vanya.” I was waiting for him to laugh, despite the pre-dead body sobbing in the middle of the room.
“Me? How did I become the owner of a luxury condo building without even knowing it?”
“You can buy anyzing for someone as long as it does not impact them financially. Your commission for zhe sale has been set aside in a separate account for when you’re comfortable wiz collecting it. It was a great investment alzough we are going to have to do somezing about zhe security in zhis place. Zhere is no reason why he should’ve been able to make his way to your floor wizout someone alertin’ you.”
“He picked me up tonight. I’m sure they thought it was fine.” One of the reasons I’d picked this place was for the security, but clearly that was something that needed to change. I couldn’t believe I now owned this building. Without needed to say a word, Xerxes had solved my problems without me even knowing they existed.
He casually walked around Patrick before hoisting him back up into the chair. “Well, once Shoaib and Quentin get zhrough verifying zhe credentials of everyone workin’ here will we need to see just how many are still employed. For zhe money bein’ charged, security should be far better.”
“You’re being so calm. How?”
“I would not bring a problem and lay it at your feet. On zhe contrary, petite . Zhis is a sacrifice, an offerin’ in your honor. So zhat you can bear witness zhat zhere are no bounds, no limits to zhe love I have for you and the lengzs I would go zhrough to keep you safe. Neizer your past or mine will be able to touch you wizout understanding zhe grave mistake zhey have made. And zhose in zhe future will have his rotting head to serve as a warning of what is to come of zhem if zhey harm one strand of zhat flaming red hair of yours.”
He didn’t say anything else, just grabbed the top of Patrick’s head and shoved the massive curved blade he’d been holding through the back of his neck. The force was so great it came through the front of his throat with ease severing Patrick’s spinal cord as though it had never been joined. Blood dripped down the tip as Patrick’s arms flailed slightly as if on reflex before he stilled. Something in me had numbed. Maybe it was the slow erosion of my morals or the constant exposure to violence that was making me numb to it. Or it was the fact that the people who’d died had hurt or were hurting the people that I loved.
“Always good to rid the world of evil.”
“It is. And zhat is anozer zhing. Your ex will have to die. You might question why it hasn’t happened yet, but I need you to trust me. I am sorry zhat you have had to witness so much. Zhis is not zhe life I wanted for you at all. But I will make it up to you.”
“You don’t have to—”
Nev turned me to her and I recognized the look on her face as one Frankie gave me when I had pissed her off. “Girl, let that man do exactly what he needs to. You are absolutely right. He doesn’t have to do anything. But he wants to. Whatever is necessary for you . You never tell a man not to love you correctly.” She widened her eyes in a silent girl you better never do that again and I smiled.
“What would you like for us to do, zibā?”
I looked at Nev and then back to Xerxes who waited silently for me to direct him in the way he should move. I looked down at the body on the tarp his head almost separated from his body. And I felt nothing but relief.
That fall into the flames happened much quicker than I expected.
My eyes went to Xerxes whose were still trained on me awaiting my direction.
“Make him disappear.”