Chapter 25 Chaos
FOUR DAYS LATER
“Mr. Tennison says he believes that his new tell-all book that is scheduled to soon be published was the reason behind the recent attack against him. According to Senator Benjamin Starling’s aide, his new book Shine the Light shares details from various segments throughout his ten-year service career to several political officials, including the homicide of Senator Benjamin Starling’s wife, Ashley, and the prior disappearance of her twin sister, Allyson.
“Jonathan Obedi, a close friend of Tennison’s, sent the book to the publishing company immediately after the assault. Apparently, Mr. Tennison had received numerous threats after writing the book, and he wanted to ensure that it was published in the event something should happen to him.”
“Errol, this is still breaking news, but it seems as if a floodgate has opened around Senator Benjamin Starling. We have the newly released conversations between Senator Starling and his chief of staff, Greg Whitehouse, where the senator admits that he impregnated his wife’s twin sister, Allyson, and the gun used in the murder of the senator’s wife has been recovered, a gun that is registered to the senator.
Have we learned anything on the senator’s whereabouts? ”
“No, Alexis. The police have still not located the senator. We heard in the recording that we played earlier, the chief-of-staff reprimanding the senator for his actions and demanding that he break the relationship off because of how it would impact his career if anyone learned of it. On that same recording, we have what sounds like the senator saying that he must get rid of her, he can’t just break things off.
He says that he tried, and she threatened to tell the world about their affair, the baby, and release some tapes that were with her attorney if anything ever happened to her.
“And while no fingerprints were found on the gun used in Ashley Starling’s murder, it was registered to the senator, and the ballistics report matched the striations from the bullet that killed her.
The senator has been deemed a person of interest, but as you stated before, Alexis, he has not been located.
I will say with the irrefutable evidence pointing his way, it won’t be hard for them to build a case against him. ”
“You’re right, Errol. And if this all wasn’t enough, the senator’s sister-in-law came forward with her baby just this morning, after being absent for the last few years.
She corroborated that she did in fact have an affair with the senator.
She says that he had been talking about leaving his wife for her, or having his wife committed to the institute and having her take his wife’s place.
She alleges they would pretend the wife was her.
There are so many allegations in this case, I just don’t know where to start, or where a defense attorney for the senator would be able to start. ”
“Well, Alexis, it begins with finding the senator first, and then they will have to go from there. This is such a traumatic event and has dominated the news cycle over the last four days.”
“You’re right, Errol. It is just so sad. I can only imagine it will do wonders for Mr. Tennison’s book sales when it is released.”
“You’re right about that, Alexis.”
“Thank you for tuning in to ECTV. I’m Alexis Farrish.”
“And I’m Errol Chance. We will keep you posted on this case as it continues to unfold.”
She flicks the TV off and releases a sigh.
“How can this be my life?”
“Whatcha mean?”
Charisma turns to look at me, where I’m sitting on the opposite end of the couch, cleaning my gun.
“I don’t know. I’m scared. I mean, if this is all true, and Ben was really involved in this murder-for-hire case, then did I ever really know him?
Am I safe now? He’s still out there, and the police are still looking for him.
That scares me, Chaos. What if he thinks that I know something, which I don’t, and he comes looking for me? ”
“First, chill ya ass out. You’re safe. As long as I’m here, you will always be safe. Yeah, his ass is still out there, but with dem folks and my brothers and me on his ass, looking for him, he won’t be for long. That nigga’s ’bout to go insane with fear.
“If he doesn’t turn up dead or locked up soon, he’ll take his own life. It’s only a matter of time. Second, you do know some shit, but nobody needs to know that. You ain’t ’bout to testify or anything else. Trust me when I say ya boy got you covered.”
“How did they finally find that gun after all this time? I mean, if you were the one . . .”
“We made a deal with the campaign manager to tell the police where they could find the gun. He called it in, in exchange for us helping him escape the country with his family and a new identity. That shit’s dead.”
“But why would you use the senator’s gun to kill her and not your own?”
“It was mine, but our boy Geek is a genius with that computer. It doesn’t take shit for him to change some records up.”
“My head hurts. I think I want to go to bed early and get some rest.”
“You do that, baby.” I kiss her good night and grab the remote. As she heads up the steps, I turn the TV back on as if I’m watching it, and I wait. There’s one final string to be tied. No loose ends.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” she asks when she opens the door to let me in.
“I’ve been wanting to holla at ya.”
She smirks and replies, “I was hoping you might come back. Would you like something to drink?” she asks, sashaying to the kitchen with an extra twist. She wants to make sure that I see that fat ass hanging from underneath those cutoff denim shorts.
“Nah. I’m good.”
“Have a seat,” she offers when she returns from the kitchen with a wine glass.
“It won’t take long.”
She takes a sip and eyes me questioningly over the rim of her glass.
“You’re starting to make me wonder what this visit is all about. I’ve been fantasizing about you since the day you showed up with Charisma to get CJ.”
“Listen, I will do whatever it takes to protect my girl, even from heartbreak—but I know that I’ll have to tell her the truth about who you really are. ’Cause I damn sure don’t want her mourning your sorry ass.”
Her eyes widen and then narrow. Her lips turn down in distaste as she remarks, “Excuse me?”
“You’re a former staffer of the senator, and you used to attend college with Charisma, but you were never friends. I’m guessing that when he learned that you knew her, he asked you to befriend her so that he could learn more about her.”
“And?”
“You didn’t like that shit, but because you were having an affair with him, you agreed to do whatever he wanted.
He suggested that you become Charisma’s babysitter, learn everything you could about her personal life, and share it with him.
You did, and he purposely went out of his way to meet her at a coffee shop one day because he knew her schedule, thanks to you.
You know there’s only one way for this to end. ”
“So, what’s your damn point?” she asks angrily, setting the wine glass down and taking a couple of steps back.
“You set her up.”
She rolled her eyes. “The bitch has always gotten everything that she ever wanted, including him. Why should she steal from me what I’ve worked hard for?
Do you know how I felt to find out that he wanted her and wanted to fuck her too?
As if I wasn’t good enough. Fuck her, fuck you, and fuck him,” she replies, reaching for the little drawer handle on the table that she’s standing nearby.
Before her hand can close around the handle, I’ve already put a bullet in her head. There’s no noise, just the slight thump of her body falling to the floor.
I pull out my cell phone, text “ammonia” to Keeper’s number, and I slip out of the apartment. There are no security cameras, and at one in the morning, everyone is probably comatose with sleep.
The man who lives in the apartment beside hers, just left for work an hour ago. The woman in the apartment across from her has been out of town for three days, and she isn’t expected back until next week. The couple beside that woman are in their bedroom still fucking, something I want to be doing.
I hop in the black Challenger and head out down the street until I arrive at the garage. I turn the keys over to a guy named Steam, hop on my bike, and head to my apartment.
When I walk into the apartment, I remove my shoes, underwear, and clothing. I tie them in a trash bag and send them down the chute to the incinerator.
I wearily climb the stairs to the bedroom, only to see Charisma sitting in the middle of the bed with her arms wrapped around her legs.
“Where did you go?”
“To clean up the last of this shit.”
“What shit?”
I climb into the bed and pull the covers over me as I grab her and pull her close.
“No one will be coming for you again.”
She scoots down under the covers with me and stares into my eyes.
“What does that mean?”
I tell her everything. “Listen, I understand if you want to leave. I get that you can’t deal with shit like this, but this is my life. So, if you want to go, you can go any time that you want to. You’re free to walk out that door.”
She props up on one elbow and stares down at me. “Are you sure? Is that what you want?”
“It doesn’t matter what I want. I just want you to be happy, secure, and feel safe. If that means being away from me and this lifestyle, I get it.”
“The only thing that I want right now is you, Chaos.” She pulls the covers back, straddles me, and situates her entrance over the head of my dick. When she settles on me, it feels like coming home.
I let my woman ride all the tension and stress out of me that has accumulated over the last few weeks. Her hot pussy drenches me, embraces me, and coaxes me into giving up that nut. When we finally lie down to rest, it is with peace in my heart and mind.
There is only one nagging question though. What did she mean when she said, “The only thing that I want right now is you, Chaos”? Will it change in the morning? Next week?