Both Sides of the Fence 4: Bad Blood (17 page)

 

 

My mouth hung open in shock as I looked over my shoulder at the bullet hole that was in the pillow next to my head.

This chick wasn’t playing.

“Cat got your tongue now don’t it?” Antoinette looked at me with confidence in her eyes.

She was right. I was speechless at the moment. Naked and speechless.

How in the hell was I going to get out of this shit? It actually looked like she was going to get away with this. I was going to be this bitch’s love slave for life. She was planning to run away with my ass and disappear off of the map. I had watched too many crime shows to know that she had this shit planned out. A fear grew up inside of me like never before.

“Antoinette, what about your friends and family? Aren’t they going to miss you? Aren’t you going to miss them? I mean up and moving like you plan to do is not a good look. People know I’m connected to you. I’m missing and you missing means they will put two and two together and we would have to be on the run forever. Are you really trying to go that route? That’s some rough living. On the run and all of that. Sleepless nights. Ducking and dodging. Disguises and all of that mess. Are you really game for all of that?”

“I’m about that life, so it’s no biggie to me. I’ve been in these streets before. I’ve seen things and survived even more. I got this shit all worked out, so you better get used to this here tongue all over your body from here to eternity.”

“Antoinette, I have to use the bathroom,” I said as I squirmed around a bit in the bed. She had me tied up pretty good. Her ass must have gotten a Girl Scout badge for tying knots and shit as a kid. I mean I had been tied up before and this was very close to the last time. I was hoping my father would come busting through the door at any moment now and rescue me like before. But I felt like a cat that was on his last of the nine lives he was given.

“Sure, I got you covered.” She went to the bathroom and seconds later she came back into the room with a female urinal.

I was too through. She really did have all of this planned out.

“Told you I got this down. We are going to be good together. If you act right.”

“Antoinette, I have to do number two. You know, shit and piss.” I looked at her with a smirk on my face. She looked stumped.

“Look, I’m only going to say this once.” She looked at me in the eyes as she untied one of my hands. “You try any shit and I will clean your clock. Because I love you don’t mean I won’t blacken that eye. I want an obedient mate. Got it?”

“Yeah, girl. I’m not going to try anything. I get what you are saying and I’m all for it.” I smiled like I believed the words that I spewed out.

“For real?” She looked elated. She wasn’t ready for me. I wasn’t going back in that bedroom and being tied back up. I couldn’t do it. I was a fighter and if I had to take a few blows to get out of here that was what I was going to do.

“Yeah, Tony. You got me feeling some type of way when you was licking me down under. I felt a real connection like before. It felt like love.” I almost burst into laughter as I fed her some of the most make-believe bullshit I ever did speak. She was slurping up every word I spoke as truth. I wasn’t no fool though. She could be egging me on as well.

She finally finished untying me and she helped me off of the bed. I turned and looked at the soiled sheets that were on the bed.

“Antoinette, could you change the linen on the bed? I don’t want to lie back down in the same filthy juices. Even if they are my own.”

“Girl, I am going to lay this tongue on you one more time before I go to sleep. I’ll change them afterward.”

I rolled my eyes in disgust, because she wasn’t giving me any room to get away from her. She was going to make this difficult. She walked me to the bathroom and watched me as I sat on the toilet bowl.

“I can’t use the bathroom with someone watching me,” I lied. “Plus, it’s not ladylike for someone else to smell my personal business.” I looked at her and smiled. I was trying to be adorable. I needed something to work.

“Girl, all shit stink. Plus, I got you for life. This will be the first of many so let that load go so I can get back down to them skins.” She laughed.

I laughed too, but it was more of an “I hate this bitch” type of laugh. She didn’t know it though.

Who knew that doing some outrageous things in your youth could lead to this type of drama? It goes to show that you never knew who you really sleeping with until you broke up with them. All hell broke loose when you on breakup status.

I used the bathroom and then I wiped myself clean.

“Antoinette, I have to take a shower if you going to be going down on me again. I have to.” I looked at her with urgency written all over my face.

“No problem. Turn that water on and hop on in,” she said as she handed me a wash rag. “The body wash is already in there.”

“Are you going to sit here and watch me bathe?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“Sure am.” She nodded. I sucked my teeth in disgust.

“I need a shower cap. I don’t want to get my hair wet,” I said before I stepped in the shower.

“Damn, girl. You one high-maintenance chick,” she said as she fumbled in one of her vanity drawers. “Ashley, I don’t have no shower caps. My shit is natural. I don’t need one.”

“Well, you are going to have to get me one or a plastic bag. Something. I refuse to shower without it.” I was dead serious when it came to my hair. My hair was natural too, but I had it flat ironed. It’s bad enough she had me in there in that bed sweating and twitching without a scarf on my head.

“Shit.” She stomped as she exited the bathroom. She quickly turned to leave me with one more work of discouragement. “Remember. I will beat that ass real good to show you I’m not playing. I’m serious.”

“Go on, Antoinette. I’m not trying to go anywhere. Get me something to cover my head,” I said with a half of a smirk and half of a smile. She left and I quickly scanned the room for something, anything, that would aid me in my escape. There was nothing. I mean she had nothing that I could use as weapon. She was on point. The only thing out in the open was a plunger and I didn’t know what in the hell I could use that for other than the toilet it was next to. I was pissed as I had to wait for her to come back with a Walmart bag to cover my head.

I covered my head as best I could and showered. I was pissed beyond belief. I was stuck in this situation and nowhere in sight was help to get me out.

As soon as I exited the shower, I dried off under supervision and then she escorted me back to the bed and tied me back up like I was when I first awoke to the situation. And yes, she did as she promised and went down on me again. I didn’t want to like the orgasm she gave me but my body gave in. I drifted off to sleep shortly after that hoping that I would wake up and this all would be a dream.

 

 

I couldn’t help but say that I felt lost without my twin. I really, really missed her. I missed Diana as well, but Ashley was a part of me, my other half. I felt in my soul that she was still alive. I was so relieved to see Troy walk through the door of my parents’ house yesterday evening. He had the look of grief on his face. It didn’t take him long to get into action and call in a few favors before they had some scuba divers combing the body of water where Ashley’s cell phone signal was located. Everyone was super relieved as we watched them come back up with the phone and no body.

But that was the beginning of our problems. If she wasn’t in the water, then where was she? We had nothing to go by yet. I was hoping that they could get something from her phone records. Because right now there was nowhere to look. And no persons of interest. Who could be behind all of this?

One other thing that perplexed me a little was how fast Troy went into action when it came to Ashley versus what he did for Diana’s disappearance. I understood that was his girlfriend but Ashley asked him to give it all he could when it came to helping find her sister and he did just about nothing. He made a few promises but that was as far as it went. Now he had helicopters and scuba divers looking for her. That didn’t sit right with me. Maybe it was me overreacting or overthinking in the time of all of this chaos. He did get us this much help for Ashley. Maybe he couldn’t get the help at the time that he asked for it for Diana. That’s what I would believe for now. I was sure that I was overthinking.

“I don’t know what else to do or think about, Wallace.” I looked at him as we sat in a small restaurant so that we could quickly grab something to eat. I wasn’t eating much food these last two weeks. Troy was with us but said he had to use the bathroom. We were also here to come up with something that we could go on to help us get some clues as to who may have wanted to hurt either one or both of my sisters. For all we knew, they both could be tied up together somewhere with some unknown freak. It also floated through my mind that my sisters could both be victims of this person who was killing all of the other chicks over the last few months. It was all so unnerving. What did all of this have in common?

“Well, this is so mindboggling to say the least. I am unsure of what to do next. I will say that you should be careful not to go anywhere alone. Whoever is doing these things may have you on their list as well.”

Troy walked back to the table we were sitting at as Wallace finished his last statement.

“Yeah, you are so right about that.” I nodded my head in agreement.

“Right about what?” Troy asked and looked at me in wonder.

“Wallace was telling me that whoever was behind this may have me in mind as well so I should try not to go anywhere alone,” I informed him.

“That is some sound advice, but I don’t think that you will be kidnapped by this person.” He spoke confidently.

“Why do you say that?” Wallace asked.

“Because men getting kidnapped in this city is not likely as it is for a women.” He spoke as he looked at Wallace and then to me.

“I still say be cautious, Lex.” He looked at me as if he wasn’t thinking about what Troy said. “You could be the exception.”

“Well, I will agree on that,” Troy said.

“So what information do you have already that we may have overlooked?” Wallace directed his question to Troy.

“Well, we retrieved the last text message from her service provider that gave her instructions on where to go to get her sister. But that leads us right back to where we are right now. We can assume that the person who kidnapped Diana also did the same thing to Ashley. That’s how the investigation will be treated, as a combined case. Also, none of the neighbors noticed anything different in the area on that evening of the occurrence. I’m waiting for a neighbor to come back home from an extended trip overseas. There was a private surveillance camera on his property that may have caught something.”

“Really?” I perked up with enthusiasm and hope.

“Let’s not get our hopes up though. This could be a dead end as well. We have to cross our fingers and hope that he comes back in time to help us. I am not going to sleep until my baby is back in my arms.” Troy looked away trying to hide the hurt that he had written all over his face. He really loved my sister. I was so glad that she had him in her life. It was a welcomed change.

“We are going to hope for the best and claim victory for both of my sisters. They will be found alive and well.” I smiled with inner peace that came out of nowhere.

“Yes, I know that your sisters are fighters like their father was. They are going to be fine. I know it.” Wallace nodded his head with confidence and spirit that was always present when he showed up on the scene.

“Look, I have to go and take care of some personal business. Fill me in on any progress that comes up and I will be sure to do the same thing.”

“I sure will,” I said as Troy got up and I did as well. I reached out for a handshake and pulled him in for a hug. He was like a brother now and there was no denying it.

We disengaged and he left the restaurant as me and Wallace went over the final details of helping my client, Lance. The video was being prepped and ready for delivery to the blackmailer. I had a peek at it and all of the things that they added to it and it was amazing what technology could do.

The blackmailer would be shut down for life and Lance would be free to sleep at night once again. I had decided to let the money issue go and not press him to be paid for the help. I didn’t want that kind of karma to come my way when I least expected it. I didn’t need that with all of the drama that was going on right now.

We left that restaurant and made our way back to my parents’ house to check on my parents and the rest of the family.

 

 

I had a busy day today. Half of the day I tended to my clients and the other half I had spent with Black family looking for Ashley and Diana. Now I was sitting on my sofa watching one of my favorite reality television shows with a glass of wine and some dinner I picked up from Boston Market on my way to the house. I didn’t have the energy to cook anything today. The drama that was going on right now in my life rivaled what I saw on the screen before me.

I shook my head at the fact that they both had disappeared in a matter of two weeks. This was some wild shit going on here. The odds didn’t look too good in favor of them coming back home alive. I hated to think about it but it was the truth. The cold-hearted truth.

There was knock on my door alerting my attention to someone on the other side. Again, I didn’t get visitors so I cautiously rose from my seat and made my way to the front door.

I looked at my monitor. To say I was shocked at who was at my door was an understatement. I began to get nervous. I didn’t want to open the door but my car was outside. They knew that I was home. Something told me that they weren’t leaving until they spoke to me. I hesitantly opened the door.

“Hey, Troy.” I smiled. “What can I do for you?” I didn’t have the door open all of the way. I wanted him to get the impression that I was busy or that I didn’t want to be disturbed.

“I need to come in for a minute and speak to you about something important. It’s about Ashley’s disappearance.” He looked sincere so I stepped back, opened the door, and watched him walk past me and into my living room area.

“Is everything okay?” My heart started to thump in my chest. I didn’t need to hear any bad news right now. Again, any stress could cause me to miscarry.

“Yes.” He nodded his head. “It will be soon,” he said as he walked in the direction of my television.

“I need to show you something important,” he said as he pushed the power button to my Blu-ray disc player, opened the disc drawer, and placed a disc in the drawer and pushed the play button.

“Really.” I looked at him funny because I was wondering why he was here and instead of at the Black family residence.

“Yes; where is your remote?” he asked as he took a seat on my sofa that was directly in front of the plasma television.

I handed him the remote and sat down on the same sofa with a cushion’s length in between the both of us. My mind was all over the place as the video on the disc came on to the scene. There was no sound but I was familiar with what was playing on the screen. It made me tense up.

He fast-forwarded it to the part that made me hop up out of my seat.

“I think you better sit back down and start explaining to me what is really going on.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” I spoke defiantly with my arms crossed against my chest. I was not going to be a snitch on myself. Wasn’t even going to happen. He could forget about it.

“Sit the fuck down, now.” He spoke with authority that made me do as I was instructed. “You have everybody fooled. Even me for such a long time. I would have never thought in a million years that you would be so capable of such things.”

“I still don’t know what you are talking about.” I crossed one of my legs on top of the other and continued playing my ignorance very well.

“You are a cold-blooded killer, that is what you are. You have been killing all of these chicks to get at your obsession, Alex Black. It all came together in my mind when I looked at this footage that puts you at the scene of the crime and at the exact time of the crime. Your ass is going to jail for a very long time. We are going to pin all of this on you. You are a cold-hearted bitch.” He looked at me with disdain.

I looked at him unmoved by the words that he was saying. He wasn’t talking about me.

“Good thing is that no one knows it’s you yet but me.” He smiled. “I can use you on the last leg of my plans.”

“Man, you have lost your mind if you think you pinning any of this on me. I’m not going out like that.” I spoke confidently.

“I am glad that you think that but I know otherwise.” He spoke as he reached in his pocket.

The next thing I knew he was lunging toward me with some type of cloth in his hand. He aimed right for my mouth with success. I tried to fight but it was futile. I faded into darkness instantly.

 

 

I was awakened by the smell of smelling salts under my nose. I instantly popped up and looked around the room in a frenzy. I didn’t know how much time had passed but I knew something wasn’t right as I became fully awake.

“You have a nice little shrine to Alex back there in your room I see. I think I got enough pictures in my phone to get you sent up the river for a very long time.” He smiled smugly. “And these shoes are going to the lab to be tested for shoe prints you left on the body of the last victim. You were good but you weren’t good enough.” He laughed.

“You can’t search my house or leave with any of my property without a warrant. It is against the law.” I looked at him with a “fuck you” smile on my face. I had caught him. I knew my rights. I’d watched too much
Law & Order
to not know some of the basic laws.

“Too bad you didn’t get all of the information, Jasmine, or you would know that under exigent circumstances or where the public safety may be in jeopardy I can do what I want and leave with what I may see as evidence. Read all of the law if you want to get by in this world.”

I was speechless. I couldn’t argue with him because I was stumped. He had won. “What can I do to make this go away?”

“Don’t worry about that right now. Be ready to go into duty when I call you.”

“How do I know that you won’t turn me in when all of this is over?”

“You don’t.” He looked at me and laughed. “Isn’t life grand? Some people fuck and the rest get fucked over. You, my dear, have just been fucked over.”

He left me standing there as he walked toward the front door. I wasn’t going down for this. I would go on the run first. I had some money saved up and it was enough to last me for a minute.

He turned before he opened the door to leave. “Don’t even think about skipping town on me. That wouldn’t be a good decision to make and I’m sure you want to be a free lady as long as possible. Rest easy.”

I looked at the door as he left and closed it behind him. I was in complete shock and awe. What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.