FEVERISH UnbRoken

by Vasser, LaShawn

  “A lot has happened over the past year or so. I need some time, Imani. I’m hoping you’ll still visit with Garrett Jr. He’s grown extremely attached to you.” The pain in his chest was almost as bad, or worse, than the day he’d found out Garrett Jr. wasn’t his biological son.

  He’d fallen in love with Imani. He trusted her. Everything pointed to him being irrational, but he wasn’t sure. He didn’t know if he could believe in his own judgment anymore. If Garrett didn’t get away soon and clear his mind, he would explode. Everything that had led up to this point would choke him to death. “I left my information with Felix. He should be able to get ahold of me if you need anything.”

  Imani stood there in stone silence. She couldn’t believe that Garrett was doing this. They were having a baby, and he was about to walk out of the door.

  The numbness started within her chest as it worked its way throughout her entire body. Imani wasn’t sure how long she stood looking at the door after he’d gone, but it was awhile. She hadn’t even known tears were streaming down her face until she tasted the saltiness on her lips.

  Robotically, she wrapped her arms around her body. Imani had to think about each step as she put one foot in front of the other to propel herself forward and make it up the stairs to her bedroom. Once there, she sat on the bed before easing herself down onto the pillow. Slowly, she closed her eyes and let the tears fall.

  It would be four months before Imani would be in the same room with Garrett Hadley again.

  Chapter 24

  Present Day

  In almost total darkness, and after hiking up three flights of stairs they had already traveled down, Garrett managed to open a door that led to the thirteenth floor. The four of them fell through it, desperately trying to breathe in the fresher air.

  Raymond was the first to get up on his feet. He leaned over with his hands grasping his knees, eyes watering and wheezing. “We.” Cough. Cough. “Can’t.” Cough. “Stay here.”

  Anthony rolled over onto his back and looked up, glassy eyed.

  Garrett stumbled to his feet and looked around. There were mostly restaurants and a few high-end gift shops on this floor. There also didn’t seem to be anybody on it. Everything was in a state of disarray. There had been a marble fountain with water that changed colors and danced to music. Water was shooting out everywhere but in the pool. Garrett helped Imani up and caressed the side of her cheek. “Are you okay? You hit your head pretty hard back there.”

  “I’m better than Seth and Lucinda, so there is that—at least for now.”

  Anthony asked, “Is that water filtered?”

  Three pairs of eyes immediately followed his. Garrett responded. “Yes.” Quickly, the four of them made their way over to it.

  Imani kneeled awkwardly and scooped water into her hands, then planted her face in them hoping to ease the stinging of her eyes.

  Raymond followed suit and cupped water in his hands pouring it over the back of his neck. He spoke without being spoken to. “How much any of us are better off than Seth and Lucinda is a good question.”

  Garrett’s tolerance with Raymond had been pushed beyond its limits. “Shut the hell up, before I drown your ass in that pool.”

  Irritated Imani ran her fingers through her now wet hair. “Why are you even here? You had no reason to even be in this building. Just our bad luck to get stuck with you.”

  “Good old Garrett’s trying to buy me off.”

  Garrett clenched his jaw. His voice was a low growl. “Whatever business transaction we were discussing is between us.”

  “I’m all for it. I know how to keep a secret—for a price.”

  Imani narrowed her eyes. She had a feeling their business deal had something to do with her. “What was it?”

  Garrett wouldn’t look at her. “You and I have a problem, and I’m taking care of it.”

  He wasn’t going to answer, so Imani turned to Raymond. “What business transaction?”

  He made the motion of zipping his lips and throwing away the key.

  Imani screamed at Garrett, “What!”

  The determined look on her face signaled that she wasn’t going to let it go. Exasperated, Garrett answered. “If fifty million will get Raymond out of our lives for good, then it’s worth it.”

  Imani smacked her hand on her forehead as she started to hyperventilate. “Fif-fifty million dollars?” She could barely speak. “For what?”

  Garrett didn’t want to answer, but at this point, he had no choice. “So, that he won’t come in-between our family.”

  She was incredulous. “You still think this baby is his?” Disgusted, Imani pushed Garrett away from her. “I never slept with Raymond. There is zero chance in hell that my baby is his!” She spun around to Raymond who stood watching amused. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as disgusting as you. You were going to take his money and walk away knowing the truth? How could you?”

  Raymond clapped his hands. “Doesn’t matter. The ink is dry on the paperwork, and the money was transferred today.”

  After watching the interaction between Imani and Raymond, at that moment, Garrett knew she was telling the truth, and he had made the biggest mistake of his life. There was no way to measure the relief he’d felt when he heard her say those words in front of Raymond—or the shame.

  When she quieted down, Garrett apologized. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.”

  Purely disgusted, Imani snapped. “I don’t know what dysfunctional planet you and Raymond were born, but someone should nuke it!” Her pain was unmistakable as she looked at him. “You throw money around like its water. It won’t fix everything. It can’t get us out of this building, and I can never be bought!”

  It had taken Garrett a while, but he finally realized the truth in her words. Imani was worth more than him and Raymond combined. With a renewed sense of purpose, he was determined to make sure Imani was safe. He whispered. “I’ll get you out of here. I promise.”

  Raymond murmured, “You should stop making promises you can’t keep.”

  Garrett had had enough. It should have been Raymond who fell down that hole instead of Seth. He planned to take care of that problem right now. However, Imani touched his arm to prevent him from making good on his earlier threat.

  She looked at each man but focused her anger on Raymond. “You’re such a low-life, low-down dirty snake, but Garrett is still your brother for God’s sake! What the hell is wrong with you? We might not make it out of this building alive, and the only thing you can do is continue to try to hurt him? Haven’t you done enough damage?”

  Raymond wiped the water from his face. “Technically, we’re not blood brothers just foster brothers. I think that entitles me to a bit of leeway, and to call him a bastard or two every now and again.”

  Imani’s eyes grew wide. “Foster? What do you mean?”

  This time Garrett refused to acknowledge her question. He couldn’t deal with those deeply probing questions right now, not with everything else.

  Apparently, that wasn’t a problem for Raymond. “You mean to tell me, he never told you? I would have thought Garrett would be singing from the rooftops that we weren’t actually related.”

  Garrett roared at Raymond. “You narcissistic bastard! You were my brother in every way that counted. I would have done anything for you!” He hissed. “You! You’re the one who ruined our brotherhood.”

  Raymond jumped in Garrett’s face. “You made promises back then you couldn’t keep, and you’re making promises now that you can’t keep!”

  Anthony had been silently watching the exchange but decided this was an excellent opportunity to step in. “Siblings can suck, and this one takes dysfunction to its highest heights. I get it. Here’s my problem. I don’t want to die in this building because you two can’t stop arguing. The both of you can stay here and continue the hate fest if you want, but I think Mrs. Hadley and I want to get the hell out of here.”

  The building chose that moment to rumble,
tremble, then shake. It was as if a Boeing 747 was landing right on top of them.

  Garrett saw it happening before it actually occurred. He dove for Imani and somehow managed to maneuver them underneath a café table next to a restaurant.

  She screamed as brick, metal, and debris rained down all around them.

  Chapter 25

  What felt like an eternity had only been a few seconds. After Garrett and Imani had emerged from underneath the table, nothing looked as it did just a few minutes earlier. It was hard to believe moments before they had been standing next to a fountain. It was gone, smashed completely. The marble floors were no longer visible, covered by parts of the fourteenth floor. Dust, smoke, and fire were everywhere. Trying to maneuver through what could be a scene in a movie had just been made even more challenging.

  Garrett called out. “Anthony! Raymond!” There was no response. He pressed his lips together as he barked orders to Imani. “Stay here.” Everything was so unstable. He had no idea what movement could cause what to collapse.

  Cautiously, he stepped around all the debris. “Ray!”

  A muffled noise came from just up ahead. “I’m over here.” Garrett made his way over to the sound. Raymond lay flat on his back with a slap of concrete covering him from the waist down.

  Without a second thought, Garrett bent over to lift it just enough for Raymond to pull himself out from underneath.

  It was odd, given that Garrett wanted to kill Raymond that he felt relief he was still alive. They needed to hurry up and find Anthony. He yelled out his name.

  Raymond had trouble standing. He was hurt but was able to get up. He stood and looked around. “We don’t have time to find him. Let’s go. We need to get the hell out of here.”

  “I’m not leaving a man behind.”

  Imani made her way over to them. “No. He’s not. We already lost Seth and Lucinda. We’re not going to leave here until we find Anthony.”

  Garrett was pissed. “Do you ever listen and do what you’re told? I’m trying to keep you safe.”

  Imani finally understood what drove him. All the pieces of the puzzle snapped into place with Raymond’s revelation and his desire to find Anthony. “You don’t always have to put everything on your back. You’re not alone in this. I can help.”

  If she wasn’t going to listen and stay out of harm’s way, Garrett made sure to keep her as close to him as possible as they made their way around the obstacle course. “Anthony!”

  Raymond, who had walked just a few feet from where they were standing, bent low. “I found him. He’s over here.”

  Imani and Garrett rushed over to Raymond as quickly as possible. Abruptly, Imani stopped walking just short of where Anthony lay. She was going to be sick. Garrett pulled her into the crook of his arms. She turned her face away and planted it onto his shoulder.

  Anthony’s crumpled up body lay in an unnatural position—several positions. His eyes were glassy as the blood oozed from the top of his head.

  Smoke was starting to fill up the floor.

  Their situation became direr by the minute. They couldn’t leave the way they came. There was no way to get out from there. The other exit had been blocked by the last shake up.

  Imani began to cough. She threw her arm over her face to cover her nose. “The restaurant. Don’t they have service elevators?”

  “Yes, but they won’t work.” Garrett designed the building. He knew it inside and out.

  Still, Imani’s words prompted a small shred of hope as he grabbed her by the hand and started to make their way over to the restaurant just off to their left. “There should be an emergency exit right next to those elevators.”

  Raymond wasn’t going to be left behind, and he followed closely.

  The emergency lights flickered on and off, and the thick gray smoke prevented them from seeing clearly. Feeling their way through, and after going in the wrong direction a couple of times, Garrett, Imani and Raymond finally made it to the back of the restaurant. As Murphy’s Law would have it, something was blocking it.

  “Shit!” Garrett yelled and looked skyward. “Give us a fuckin’ break!” He rolled his neck around his shoulders trying to get a grip. Imani and their unborn child were depending on him. The air wasn’t as hard to breathe in the kitchen.

  Death wasn’t an option. Raymond and Garrett went over to the door and together miraculously removed the barriers. It was enough space for the three of them to squeeze through.

  Before they entered the stairwell, Garrett turned to Imani. “Wait. Do you still have your cell phone?”

  Imani looked down at her body. Through some miracle of God, the purse was still draped across her body. Quickly, she reached inside and pulled out her phone. The screen was shattered, but the flashlight worked. “Yeah.” She handed it over to him.

  Garrett took it. “We have no idea what condition we’re going to find things. Stay close.”

  Imani nodded.

  The burst of red and orange flames from a small explosion behind them sent everyone scurrying into the darkened corridor.

  In utter disbelief, Imani murmured, “Mary, Jesus, and Joseph.” With each step they took, she was shocked but relieved to discover they had a clear path.

  Her heart rate began to pick up as the numbers on the wall began to get smaller with each flight of stairs they descended. It must have been her Big Mama in Heaven pulling strings because there was no way Imani thought they were going to get out the Rusche Towers and live to tell about it.

  Her adrenaline was high but not high enough because the exhaustion was starting to take over, and there wasn’t a muscle in her body that didn’t ache.

  Garrett turned to Imani, strain written all over his face. It was as if he had a sixth sense. “Are you okay? Do you need a minute?”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me, right?” Raymond snapped. “Imani can take all the breaks she wants once we get the hell out of this building.”

  Garrett wouldn’t take the bait. Gently, he gazed into her eyes and held the sides of her smut covered face in his hands. He whispered, “Are you good?”

  Imani wanted to hate Garrett; he’d almost destroyed her, but she didn’t. When he looked at her like she was the most import thing in his world, she couldn’t. She’d loved him almost from the moment they’d met.

  Before Imani could respond, Raymond interrupted again. At this point, if Imani had a hundred million dollars she would give it all to him if it would make him go away.

  “This little thing you two are doing is cute, but we need to keep moving.” Garrett had had enough. Raymond’s snide remark landed him on his ass. Garrett punched him in the jaw so hard the sound reverberated throughout the stairwell. It happened so fast. Imani didn’t have a chance to react, or stop him. If she were honest, she probably wouldn’t have. Raymond deserved that and so much more.

  In pain, Raymond held his jaw and spat out. “There it is! Always using your fists to solve your problems. You’re no better than Dennis was.”

  Next to Imani’s father, Garrett was the most controlled man she’d ever met. However, from the way his face hardened, she couldn’t help but wonder who Dennis was?

  Garrett ground out. “Don’t ever mention his name to me again, or I promise I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”

  “Why? Why should you be pissed at our foster father? I’m the one you promised to get out but left for two years!”

  “You ungrateful, bastard! I’m supposed to pay for the fact you’re two years younger than me? What could I do, break you out? It was me, nobody else, but me who came back for you. A twenty-year old kid working two jobs to take care of us. In some twisted way, you made me believe the nightmare that was our childhood was my fault. I carried you your entire life. I’m done feeling guilty for things that weren’t in my control.”

  Raymond’s face twisted in such a way that he almost looked deranged. “It must be nice to be able to relieve yourself of guilt. Two YEARS, Garrett! You want to pretend that you had it so
bad because he beat you? He beat me too. But, Dennis didn’t show you he loved you in the same way he showed me.”

  Garrett’s face blanched. His knees went weak, and he had to hold onto the wall.

  Raymond got up from off the ground; spittle spewed from his mouth. “You left me in that hell-hole for two fuckin’ years to be raped over and over again!”

  Imani gasped.

  Garrett’s throat felt thick. His voice was hoarse when he spoke. “Raymond, I didn’t know. I-I . . . Had I known I would have done everything I could to get you out of that house.”

  “I survived. I don’t need your regret, or your weak ass shoulda, woulda, coulda's. I’ve got fifty million dollars of your money to comfort me.” He turned to Imani. “If you want to know why I hate him, that’s why.”

  Hurting for the childhood that was taken from him and the violations he suffered, Imani spoke softly. “I’m so sorry that happened to you, but you can’t honestly blame Garret for that. It wasn’t his fault, Raymond.”

  Raymond was beyond hearing reason. He had hated Garrett for years. Those feelings went too deep, and they weren’t about to change now. “I’ve had more heart-to-heart conversations today than necessary. You two stay here and rest.” He sneered as he said the last word. “I’m not waiting around to get crushed by this building.” Raymond pushed past Garrett, which wasn’t hard to do after all that he had just learned.

  Imani wrapped her arms around Garrett. She held him tight. It had taken a moment before he seemed to realize she was holding him. Slowly, he raised his hands placing them around her full waist then buried his face in the soft curve of her neck. Imani ran her hands up and down his back. She sighed into his chest. “No matter what he said, Garrett, it wasn’t your fault.”

  After taking a moment to collect himself, Garrett pulled away. He cleared his throat. “We should get moving.” Before he could finish his words, a chilling screech permeated the air. The voice was unmistakable. It was Raymond.