“Stamped in California but no address.”
She grabbed the rest of her mail, threw it on top of the box and marched back to the living room, kicking her door closed behind her. Payton plopped down on the couch. She threw the envelopes on the table and proceeded to tear the tape off of the box as she cradled her cell phone between her neck and chin.
“OK, I’m back,” LaToya said. “That was Mr. Brewster from the Ali Day Foundation. They always want a donation. I may have to pass this year.”
“Well, I still don’t think it’s fair but whatever,” Payton shrugged. “I should’ve started my own firm eons ago.”
“That would’ve been worse. You would’ve had no one to vouch for you. The man that stands alone can’t climb on any shoulders to safety, Payton.”
Payton rolled her eyes as she struggled to open the package. Finally, she managed to pull apart all four flaps of the cardboard box. Payton carefully removed a DVD that had been protected with an extensive amount of bubble wrap and Styrofoam. The front of it read, “Something Special for Payton,” written in beautifully elegant handwriting. Payton turned the DVD back and forth in her hand, sizing it up. There was no additional information.
“Hey LaToya, let me give you a call back.” Payton hung up before her friend could respond. She walked to her entertainment center and slid the DVD inside the player. Grabbing the remote control from the top of the console, she walked back to her seat, kicked her shoes back off and crossed her legs.
She pushed play and Xenia materialized on the screen.
“Good day, Payton.”
Xenia sat outside on a park bench surrounded by what appeared to be a beautiful Californian day. The sun was beating down on her, making her skin glow with bronze highlights that shimmered like new pennies. Her natural hair was braided in shiny twists that went down the length of her sculptured back, adorned with a large purple flower to match her sundress.
Hate struck Payton like a bold of lightning.
“I see that you received my little gift.” Xenia leaned closer to the camera. The faint background noises of cars driving by and children laughing played like an odd soundtrack. Xenia clasped her hands together.
“I’m on camera because I want you to look me in my eyes. Sending a letter wouldn’t be half as effective. I want you to see my face and hear my voice, Payton,” Xenia sighed. “Woman to woman, so that there will be no misunderstanding. What you did to my husband was…interesting. You see, women raping men is such an extreme and rare occurrence that there isn’t as much information on it as there should be. I start this video getting right into that Payton, because you’re a sexual predator,” Xenia said seriously. “You used sex to try to control a man who no longer respects you, desires you or wants you anywhere near him. You disrespected me, my family, our children, as well as yourself when you stooped to such an all-time low.”
Payton stared at the television. Her grip on the remote tightened, and she wished it were Xenia’s neck instead.
God, how she despised that woman.
“So,” Xenia said, clasping her hands. “Here is what occurred. I spoke to someone I know about what you had done to my husband and they were so outdone, that they contacted your Supervisor. I don’t know if you’re fired yet, but you will be soon and there really isn’t anything you can do about that. I did however insist that you not be disbarred and get the minimum punishment. The only reason I did that, Payton, was because I don’t want Saint to have to talk publicly about something he wishes never occurred, something that was out of his control. I did this for him, surely not for me because I’d sing like a damn canary about your nasty, desperate ass in a heartbeat. Your mission was to destroy him and to take his family away from him. No matter what he personally did to you, why would I and our children deserve such nastiness? Such vileness? So, because you’re angry about a man who never wanted to wife you up – even though he was real with you from day one about your placement in his life –you sought revenge by hurting innocent children and a woman you don’t even know. I thought lawyers were supposed to be somewhat logical? I see however that you live up to the attorney stereotypes quite well,” Xenia snarled. “If you ever, and I mean even so much as think of my husband, again, you will live to regret it. You might think you’re a bad bitch, but I’m badder. You don’t know me Payton. If you did, you would’ve thought twice about this.
“I want you to keep this DVD and play it back to remind your kooky ass about that, before you go turning and getting any grandiose ideas. The man chose me, deal with it. I take my responsibilities as a wife and mother very seriously. My husband and children are the most important people in my life. I don’t know what type of life you have there in New York, but here in California, it is totally different. Over half of my family are Bloods. I grew up around that shit and was almost a part of it. The only thing that didn’t happen was me not being jumped in. I didn’t do the gang initiation, and it was only hours away. At the last minute, I changed my mind. Instead, I went on drug runs, helped beat up random bitches such as yourself, cut some mothafuckas just for the hell of it. Don’t believe me? Look it up. I’ve been speaking to teenage girls about this shit for years, trying to help them keep their noses clean and not gang bang. In my teen years, I’ve seen people killed on my walks to school like it was nothing. It was like Beirut up in this bitch!
“I dealt with a weak ass father, poverty and no one believing I’d be more than a high school dropout, pregnant multiple times before I hit age twenty-one and on the system, waiting for that check so I can go buy some processed foods and sit around waiting for the next hand-out. Half the men in my family are dead or in prison. Some of the women who gang-bang, are too. By the grace of God, I realized I was going down the wrong path before it was too late. This shit you did ain’t nothin’ to me!” Xenia barked.
“You think ’cause you stole a ride on my man’s dick you permanently hurt somebody? All you did was make our love stronger. Just look at how pathetic you are, you had to drug Saint Aknaten, the former biggest ho in New York!” Xenia laughed angrily. “I’m just keeping it real. Now that is just sad, Payton. The thing of it is though,” Xenia’s smile turned suddenly sickly sweet, “he doesn’t cheat on me and never will. He is faithful; he is devoted to me and only me. When he wants some pussy, he thinks of mine, only. You’re a scavenger chick always trying to rise to the top after belly flopping in the garbage, the mess you create. I’m the cream of Saint’s crop; you’re that shit at the bottom no one wants. I’m not a Pollyanna, Payton. If I were, do you really think Saint would want me? Saint wants a Diamond, a classy Queen on the streets and a super nova freak in between his sheets. He could never roll with a goody-two-shoes. He needed a good woman who knows how to get down and dirty; you only know how to do the latter. I know what you think of me and I don’t give a shit. What’s important is what will happen to you if you fuck with me or my family again.” Xenia sat up from the serene green park bench and stood directly in front of the camera, her braids blowing carefree in the wind.
“Try me if you want to,” Xenia said in a low voice, her eyes narrowed. Her threat seemed to permeate through the television screen, move like a fog across the room and choke the living daylights out of Payton. “I dare you. You’ll regret the day you were ever born. Now, you enjoy your time off from work. Get into some self-help books, go see a shrink and this time don’t fuck him or her; don’t fuck the help, Payton! Admit yourself into a mental hospital, do all of the above. You might be from the place that Frank Sinatra said if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere, but I’m from a place where the streets breed Bloods and from the sky fall blue Crips and their keepers. You could never survive in my world. My favorite color may be purple now, but I rep Blood, all day, every day. Don’t fuck wit’ me, Payton!” Xenia hissed into the camera, her eyebrows furrowed. “Show this to people, I don’t give a shit. It’s the damn truth! Gangbangin’ is in my blood. Just because I’m a professional, I don’t do that shit anymore
and I’m a MILF don’t mean you can’t get got! I lived, breathed, ate and slept that shit! I turned a new leaf, Payton, but you’re making me rethink my blood transfusion, bitch!”
The DVD went to black then to loud, white static, the noise almost deafening as Payton sat on her couch, her heart beating a mile a minute. She looked down at her arms and saw herself shaking. It was like she was staring at herself from another body or dimension. She closed her eyes, swallowed hard and fell back onto the couch.
How could she get those images, those words, out of her mind?
She desperately tried to fall asleep but all she managed was to be riddled with crimson nightmares.
* * *
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Three Months Later…
Xenia laughed and put her hands up to her mouth in disbelief as she stood in the five star hotel lavish Banquet Hall. She trembled as Saint went down on one knee in front of everyone at the Rainbeau Nights of the Round Table Monthly Date-Knight Feast.
“Would you please do me the honor of remarrying me? I want to renew our vows. It’s been a hard year for us, but we survived it. I love you, Queen,” Saint asked, smiling widely as he held the huge wedding band between his fingers and slid it onto her hand.
It was like her first wedding band, only wider and with more diamonds. Xenia hadn’t noticed yet, but it also had their sons’ initials inscribed on it.
“Yes, Saint, I will!” Xenia blushed as Saint stood back up and embraced her. The other male guests offered a round of applause. Xenia looked down at her hand. “It’s beautiful. I think you were supposed to wait to give it to me though. It’s a band, not an engagement ring.” Laughter erupted in the wide space.
“I know, but I wanted you to have it right now.” He kissed her cheek.
Xenia sat down at the table and took a sip of her wine.
“Well, gentlemen, we’ve eaten and fellowshipped and all of your wives, except mine because I lied to her and told her I needed her to help take some minutes at the end, are out in the gift shop spending all of your money.”
Xenia rolled her eyes.
“I didn’t expect them all to leave; I thought everyone would be here but then as soon as the announcement hit about half off clothing, I about got trampled over.” Saint said, causing more chuckles.
Xenia looked at him in mock disdain.
“Oh well, they missed me being romantic,” Saint smiled as he bent down and kissed her softly on her lips.
Some time later, the Knights and their spouses began to clear out of the hotel. Xenia followed behind Saint as she talked to the babysitter on her cell phone. They waited hand in hand for their car to be brought back around.
“He did? I’ll have to talk to Dakarai about that when I get home. I’m so sorry, Chantel,” Xenia said. “OK, well, we will be there in a second to get them.”
Xenia disconnected the call and let the valet help her into the passenger side of the car. Saint tipped him and got into the driver’s side.
“What’s going on?” Saint asked as he pulled away from the hotel. “What did Dakarai do?”
“He broke Chantel’s vase then lied about it. He’s OK, though, no cuts or anything. She had asked them to stop running in the hall. Hassani stopped but Dakarai kept right on, ran into the vase and it busted. She didn’t see him, but she heard it. She asked him about it and he told a bald-faced lie.”
Saint patted her hand as he negotiated the traffic. “I’ll make sure I give Chantel the money to cover the damages and inconvenience and we’ll have another talk with Dakarai about honesty and following directions. I guess it’s just the stage he’s going through right now.”
Xenia nodded and put her phone back in her purse. Saint entwined his fingers with hers.
“Do you know how much I love you, Xenia?” Saint said after a few minutes of silence.
Xenia gave him an affectionate smile and leaned her head back on the car seat. “I like to think I do.”
“I would do anything for you, Xenia. I don’t want anything to break us up again. I can take a lot of things but losing you and our babies is not one of them. Ever since I’ve been with you, I can’t keep my emotions back. I prided myself on being someone that no one could get close to. I liked it that way. I was protected. With you, all of that changed. I needed you to trust me, Xenia. So, I knew I had to let that ice melt that was in my heart. You’re my solace.” Saint turned the corner.
“I’m never going to let someone come between us again. Your soul mate turned her back on you,” Xenia looked down into her lap then out the window. Unspoken words hung between them, dangling from the shadow of shame that hovered above her like a black cloud.
Saint squeezed her hand tightly.
“It’s OK, baby. It just made us stronger, right? You’re my Diamond Queen on the streets…always.”
She looked at him intensely, wondering if he knew about her video threat to Payton.
If he knows, so what. I meant that shit and he knows it. Mess with my man again and I’ll cut her ass.
* * *
Saint smiled nervously as he paced back and forth in his expansive finished basement. He had asked for time alone, so that he could meditate and go over in his mind what he was going to say to Xenia at their wedding, which was only two hours away. He sat down in the quiet darkness and basked in the haunting sounds of Native American meditation music. The blood red curtains were tightly drawn, blocking all light. He steepled his hands together and readjusted himself in the theater-like, plush black leather chair.
Lowering his head and slowly closing his eyes, he went into a trance, and reminisced about the first moment he laid eyes upon her, until this very chapter, this very page in their lives.
It’s been an amazing and trying year, Xenia. We made it through. We survived.
He exhaled deeply and looked towards his right. His eyes began to move rapidly under the lids as discomfort and annoyance set in. He ended the trance and opened them.
Something isn’t right. Someone is in my space.
At that moment, his cell phone vibrated, glowing blue in the darkness. It moved jittery across the black table, flashing, beckoning him. He looked down at it, his whole body immediately ambushed by unbridled anger. He snatched the phone and answered.
“What the fuck do you want?”
“I called to tell you congratulations on your second wedding day,” came the overly friendly, feminine voice. “Come outside, I need to see you.”
“Payton, you are going to make me…”
“You sent your barracuda wife after me.”
“She is her own woman. I did nothing of the sort.” Suddenly, Saint’s heart began to beat at an exponential rate.
And that is why you’re calling me first. You know if Xenia sees you again, it’s a wrap for you.
He stood swiftly from his seat and walked towards the cloaked window, snatching the curtain open with all of his might. Just as he suspected, he noticed a car winding its way erratically towards his drive-way. Saint raced out of the basement door and barreled as fast as his feet could carry him down the path. He hustled past the caterers, looking over his shoulder briefly to ensure that no one saw him as he disappeared further and further into the brush. Payton slowed down as he rapidly approached.
Saint stood by her car door. She looked up at him, grinned and unlocked it. Just as she prepared to step out, he snatched the door open, grabbed her roughly by her arm and pinned her against the car, sliding her upward.
His eyes narrowed as he put his finger in her face, his voice trembling. “It wasn’t enough that you caused me and my family pain. You still came back for seconds.”
“I tried to let it go,” Payton crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. “But then I found out she stopped the divorce proceedings and you two were getting remarried, renewing your damn vows.”
Saint could smell the hatred for his wife oozing out of her spirit.
“She threatened me, you know.”
“I see you
didn’t heed her warning. You should have.” Saint yanked her away from the car, dragging her deeper into the brush by her arm. He walked so briskly, she was barely able to keep up. He suddenly stopped and looked at her.
“I hate you, Saint! You were mine first. Why should you and she get to be happy while I’m miserable?” She attempted to get out of his grip.
“If she had seen you out here, I promise you, you wouldn’t leave the same way you came in,” he said through gritted teeth. “But you have a worse problem on your hands now. I know that you’re here…trust me, that is much worse, Payton.”
“Saint, you can’t do this – you can’t be with her,” Payton hissed. “And you won’t do anything to me. I’m not worried about that,” she smirked.
Her smile soon faded the exact moment when he knew his eyes turned from white to black. He always felt the heat intensify as they changed color.
Saint looked both ways and drew closer to her. Payton reared back as far as she could, stumbling in the long, unkempt grass of untamed wilderness. He put his hand over her mouth, forced her to watch his eyes change again, going from black, to bright red and then back to normal. Payton bucked, her screams muffled from his massive palm across her red lipstick covered lips. Her body squirmed as her eyes, filled with terror, darted frantically back and forth, occasionally looking back at him in horror.
When Saint Goes Marching In Page 33
