Chapter 8 #5
My Lyft dropped me off out front of my place and I hopped out.
Stopping at the mailbox, I remembered that I hadn’t checked the mail today.
I kicked off my heels and the car took off down the street.
Holding the envelopes in my arms and my shoes in hand with my clutch tucked under my arm, my hands were full.
Sighing, I couldn’t help but think about Ledge as I made my way to the door.
That nigga had me fucked up. A large part of me wanted to call him up and cuss him out right now, but what would that even do?
I was starting to wonder what we were even fucking doing.
Every time I thought we were getting ahead, this nigga dragged us ten feet back.
I dug my keys out of my clutch while climbing the steps to the porch.
I noticed the guard’s car parked when I pulled up.
They didn’t greet me or anything like they normally would if they saw me pull up, even if it was just rolling the window down and giving a nod.
I thought nothing of it since I was tired and hungry.
I turned my key in the lock, but something threw me off when it turned.
A cold gust suddenly swept around me when I pushed the door open.
The entryway was dark, and I could hear the TV blasting from the living room like the theater surround sound was on.
The hell? I frowned and dropped my things at the accent table near the window in the foyer.
“Granny, why is the TV so loud?” I took a couple steps forward in the dark and something cut into my foot.
It was sharp and hurt like a bitch.
“Agh! Shit!” I shrieked, hopping on one foot. “What the fuck.” I tried reaching for the light switch so that I could see, but nothing happened.
Peering up in the darkness, I could see that it looked like the chandelier above had been damaged.
“Granny!” I shouted, but there was no response.
I ended up dropping down onto the second bottom step of the stair case and brought my foot into my lap.
Removing a shard of glass, I searched the shadows.
Something was wrong. It was too quiet for one, and the kids shouldn’t be in bed this early.
Gradually bringing myself to my feet, I rounded the staircase and traveled down the hall toward the informal living room where we hung out and watched TV together.
Another gust of air swept by me, chilling me down to the bone.
Pausing in the doorway, I could see the Monster’s Inc.
movie playing on the big screen, but it didn’t appear to be anyone in the room.
Against my better judgment, I took a couple of steps inside, and that’s when I saw my granny laid out on the floor in front of the sectional couch.
She was on her side with a big gash on the side of her head.
“Granny!” Sprinting over to her side, I knelt down and tried shaking her awake. “Granny!” I yelled, but she remained unresponsive, so I shook her a little more violently.
Finally she groaned, stirring slightly, but not opening her eyes right away.
“Mmm, Chevelle?” She muttered, confused.
“It’s me. What happened? Where are the kids?” I searched frantically around but saw no sign of either of them.
Finally, my eyes landed on the nearby patio door that had been left ajar.
“The kids… they’re gone.” She told me, and I could hear the sound of a car starting.
Terror set in and my stomach fucking dropped as I sprinted off toward the front of the house again.
I was running like my life depended on it, and when I got to the front door, I caught the taillights of a black Acura speeding down my block, tires squealing loudly.
I dove out the front door and down the sidewalk to the guard’s car that had been parked at the curb on the other side of the street.
Beating his window down, I could see through the tint that he was in there, so why the fuck was he ignoring me?
Reaching for the door handle, I tugged it open and his large body tumbled out.
“Agh!” Stumbling back a few steps, I noticed the slit at his throat as he stared at me with dead eyes.
I shot back toward the house to call the police and check on Granny. When I reached my clutch in the front entry, it slipped out of my grasp and everything spilled onto the floor. Snatching up my cell in the middle of everything, I rushed back toward the living room.
“Granny, what happened? Where are they?” I asked, trembling as the worst thoughts ran rampant in my mind.
“There was a girl here, she took them. Said that you and Ledge had taken everything from her, so she was going to take what meant the most to you.” Granny expressed, groggy while rubbing her head. “She hit me with something—”
“Kitana.” I whispered, dialing 9-1-1.
That sick ass bitch took my babies! Not only was I ready to put her in the dirt where she fucking belonged, but I was terrified that she was going to do something to them.
Clearly she was off in the head if she thought to do this any fucking way.
After calling the police, I got Ledge on the phone.
His rang a couple of times and then I got his voicemail, and that set me off.
“Ledge, answer your fucking phone!” I shouted before I hung up.
The police were on their way, but he was their father at the end of it all.
Whatever he had going on was proving to be more important than us.
Bending back down beside my granny, I saw that she was unconscious again, and that worried me because I knew that she already had underlying health problems with her heart.
“Come on, Granny, hang in there.” I chanted, even though a large part of me was ready to hop in my car and take off in search of my own kids.
The thought of Kitana having them and not knowing what the fuck her intentions were left me spiraling and sick to my fucking stomach.
These were my babies, a part of me. If anything happened to them, I would never forgive myself or Ledge.
This was his fucking fault! This bitch was supposed to have been dealt with.
Because for the first time he didn’t act on some shit impulsively, it left the rest of us at risk and exposed.
I dialed this fool over and over again, but he didn’t pick up, and that was causing even more uneasiness to seep in.
Even if we were pissed off at each other, if one of our phones was pinging like this from the other, we answered.
That let me know that something else was going on.
Maybe he wasn’t okay either, and that sent me mentally falling downward even more.
I shot him our 9-1-1 text and waited. Pacing the living room, I watched them load my grandmother onto a gurney and out of the house while two officers stepped inside to question me.
I was gripping the phone so tight in my hand, that one of them, a younger male officer stepped forward with concern.
My hand shook viciously, and I couldn’t subdue it until he placed his hand over mine.
Bringing my eyes up, they met his in a shaken stare that he immediately calmed with his warm demeanor.
I didn’t know this man from a can of paint, but he had brought me comfort in a moment where I was floating along without a life jacket.
Tears stung my eyes and our hands remained linked but lowered between us as we continued to hold each other accountable with our stares.
Realizing that we had been touching a little too long, I brought my hand back and sniffled, taking in a few deep breaths.
I was anxious for my phone to ring and for Ledge to call me back.
He was the only person I needed to hear from right now.
I knew that if I heard his voice, he could reassure me.
I didn’t dare trust the cops to bring my babies home safely.
I had to call the ambulance for my grandmother which meant the police would be contacted.
“Thank you for coming so quickly.”
“What can you tell us about everything that is going on?” The detective questioned, keeping his voice warm and steady.
“I don’t know.” I countered, flustered and trying to hold myself together. “I just got home. My grandmother was watching my kids for me.” I explained.
“And are you the only ones that live here?” He asked, narrowing his eyes at me while his partner scribbled viciously on his pad.
“I am. My kids’ father and I … we are separated,” I voiced, which got them both interested.
“Care to explain more about that? Is it amicable? Are there any problems?” His partner questioned.
“No, nothing like that. He would never hurt or take the kids without letting me know.” I argued, adamantly shaking my head.
“What’s his name?” The dark-skinned cop with the endearing, oval shaped eyes took me in.
“Knowledge Williams.” I declared.
His partner jotted the name down again, but he seemed to be letting his other half put the work in while he observed.
The vibe was off with both of them, and I wasn’t sure if I was coming or going.
My kids were gone! I needed to throw up, or hyperventilate, or something! And where the fuck was Knowledge!
“Miss—”
“Chevelle. Just… call me Chevelle.” I cut him off , shaking my head. “Can you stop standing there questioning me and go find this psychopath that has my children!”
“You need to calm down.” The Caucasian officer with the shady blue eyes and scruffy salt and pepper beard tried to reel me in.
As if he’d slapped me, I was prepared to step up and do the fucking same. Bastard.
“Don’t tell me what to do. You don’t know shit about me. My kids are missing! Some crazy ass woman has them—”
“So you say.” He concluded, rolling his eyes before focusing on his partner.
“What the hell is your problem?” Both of my brows furrowed angrily.
My mouth tightened so touch I had to bite down on my inner jaw to keep from going savage around this bitch.
“You have kids with a suspected criminal. What are we even doing here, Pierce? This shit can go to somebody else.” Frustration seeped into his tone as he dropped his hand with his pad at his side.