I wonder what could have been, she said to herself as she looked through the hanging clothes. But then the thought that he had been involved in her brother’s death killed the notion. Out of nowhere, she got a wave of courage and began ripping her clothes off the hangers. She pulled her Louis Vuitton suitcase from the shelf and walked over to the bed. She threw it on the bed and began to stuff inside as many clothes and shoes as she could. “I’m sick and tired of this shit!” she yelled. “I’m leaving and never looking back!” She dug out a shoe box from the corner of the closet and opened it. There was nearly three thousand dollars inside and it was all she had left to her name. It wasn’t much, but she would take her chances—anything was better than being a prisoner in her own home.
Once she had stuffed the bag to its capacity, she got dressed. She didn’t care about leaving everything else behind in the condo. The only thing she grabbed was the picture of her brother from her bedside table.
* * *
Blink was weaving in and out of traffic and kept checking his rearview. He was sure he was being followed. He had just dropped off ten kilos to one of his faithful Atlanta customers and was on his way back home. He had noticed the Chevy Impala behind him a few miles back, so he began to change lanes to see if it would follow . . . and it did.
He had a feeling that the feds had been watching him lately, and this was only confirmation. He looked in his rearview again and saw a marked car creep behind him. He figured he was about to get pulled over, though he had no immediate worries since he had just relieved himself of the drugs, and the sale had been on consignment so he didn’t have much cash on him. There was only a couple grand in his pocket. Blink, at that point, was just waiting for them to hit the lights and pull him over. He thought about his honeypot; he had nearly half a million in drug money in his safe at home. So Blink picked up the phone and called Draya.
* * *
Draya heard her phone ring as she was headed out the door for good. She couldn’t wait to talk to Blink; she would let him know everything that was on her chest and tell him to kiss her ass goodbye.
“Hello,” she answered as she stood by the front door.
“Look, it’s a 911. I got the cops on my ass. I’m sure they’re going to hit the house as soon as they get a search warrant.”
“What?”
“Listen! Go to the den and look in the closet. Built into the floor, there’s a safe. The combo is 11-28-34. Write this down . . . 11-28-34.” Blink saw lights flashing behind him and hurried to give Draya all the instructions. “It’s just under half a million in there. Take one hundred bands to my lawyer and tell him to come get me. Pronto! Then get out of the house!” Blink instructed and hung up.
Draya couldn’t believe what she had just heard. He just made this too easy. She felt an adrenaline rush and a burst of happiness as she dropped her bags and ran to the den. “11-28-34,” she repeated aloud. She had never known about the safe and always wondered where Blink kept his dirty money. She rushed to the closet and hastily pulled away all of Blink’s clothes that were scattered everywhere . . . and there was the safe built right into the floor.
“Bingo!” she said, and began to turn the dial. “11 . . . 28 . . . 34.” And just as promised, it was full of money. She grabbed one of Blink’s duffle bags in the closet and filled it up with C-notes. She hurried, like her life depended on it. She was expecting the feds to burst in at any moment. But she knew that if she got out of there with the money, she would vanish forever.
Fuck Blink and his lawyer, she thought as she pulled out the final stack and tossed it in the bag. She then zipped up the heavy bag and stood. She slung it over her shoulder and shuffled out of the room.
“Karma’s a bitch,” she said aloud, smiling as she exited the house.
Chapter Nine
The Aftermath
Three years later
Draya’s life had really turned around. She was finally happy with herself and her position. She had opened a small diner in a small city in Georgia, Macon to be exact. She called it Julian’s after her late brother. She hadn’t heard from Blink and didn’t want to. She had been laying low in Macon and was in a great space in her life. The money she took from Blink helped fund her restaurant and she had purchased a small duplex which was giving her a nice return on her investment. Draya had blossomed into a great businesswoman after the horrible curveball life had pitched her. She always thought about Blink coming for her. She wasn’t sure if he was in jail or not, but it was no longer her concern. She figured it was a fair exchange after everything he had put her through. That life was long gone and behind her.
Draya sat in the back of her diner and went over the weekly budget. She took a break and finally lifted her eyes from her work. She looked around and smiled at her small business running so smoothly. She felt safe. Cops ate free, so there were always local police there. She smiled and nodded her head as she looked at the menu and saw her late brother’s name at the top of it. She really felt proud to keep his legacy alive somewhat. She was planning on attending school the coming fall. Draya had everything under control.
She had been working so hard, she’d forgotten it was her birthday. However, her staff didn’t forget. A wave of rhythmic claps filled the air as her five-member crew came out singing happy birthday, taking Draya by surprise. Then a small cake was placed in front of her with a candle directly in the middle of it. A single flame had never to so beautiful in Draya’s eyes.
“Oh my God. Thanks, you guys,” Draya said as she admired the beaming faces around her. She felt loved. She blew out her candle and a round of applause erupted.
“Boss lady, we need to celebrate! We were planning on going to the casino tonight. If you’re not doing anything, you should come with us,” one of the girls suggested.
“Yeah, it would be fun!” another girl added.
Draya hadn’t gone out and enjoyed herself since she’d moved to Macon. She had been so focused on her business and staying low-key, she never even considered it. “You know what . . . that’s a good idea. Let’s do it!” she said, deciding to spend her thirtieth birthday amongst friends.
* * *
Draya sat in the corner of the bar. All five girls from Julian’s were there and it had been a great night. The bar was attached to the local casino and hotel and Draya had been drinking all night, having more fun than she’d had in years. Bottles were coming and the music was live. Wearing an all-black dress and black red-bottoms, Draya was the star of the show. At thirty, she could still compete with the younger girls.
“Hey, girls, I have to pee. Where’s the restroom?” Draya asked.
One of the girls pointed across the room. “Over there,” she said.
“I’ll be right back,” Draya announced. Once she stood up, she felt the liquor hit her and she wobbled slightly. She maintained her balance and pulled her slightly rising dress down, while doing a shimmy dance. Draya made her way to the restroom and handled her business, but when she came out, her heart skipped a beat. She saw the face of a man who she thought she would never see again. He stood there expressionless and he moved the pick around his mouth with his tongue.
“Long time no see,” Blink greeted, standing there against the wall as if he had no worries in the world.
Draya was at a loss for words and she felt her knees wobble again. Fear overtook her body as she stared at the man she had stolen money from. Blink slowly walked up on her and she had no idea what he might do.
Blink finally cracked a smile and hugged her. “I missed you, girl.” He rocked her back and forth in his arms. “Where did you go?” he asked as he gently let go of her and peered into her eyes.
“I had to leave town. Feds were coming and I slipped out of the back without them seeing me,” Draya lied. “I didn’t know what to do. I was so scared, Blink.”
“Oh my goodness. My baby. I am so sorry I put you in harm’s way. I’m just glad you didn’t get involved in the case. I’m so happy you got away. You got the money
, right?”
“No, Blink. I didn’t have time. I had to run.”
“Damn, so you didn’t hit the safe?” he asked with a confused look on his face.
“Nah, I didn’t have time. It all happened so fast.” She tried to read Blink to see if he was buying her story. His face didn’t reveal a trace of anger.
“It’s all good. That was short paper. I got that back tenfold after they released me. I’m just glad they didn’t get you.” Blink took both of her hands in his with a look of genuine happiness.
This made Draya relax a little. He’s really buying this shit. “What are you doing here?” she asked, trying to make light of the situation.
“I come past here a lot when I’m shooting moves. This is my route to the money. Got tired on my way home and decided to stop for the night. I hate driving late, especially if I’m tired,” he explained. He softly cupped her face in his hands. “I know I had anger issues in the past, but I’m sorry now.”
Draya didn’t know what to think. It was as if she was looking at a different man. Blink leaned in to kiss her and when she started to protest, his tongue ended up on her neck.
“Ooh, that feels so good,” Draya said as she closed her eyes and began to think about their great lovemaking. Her clitoris slowly grew erect and her panties were getting wet from the thought of him inside her again. “No, Blink, no,” she whispered, but that didn’t stop him; he gently pushed her against the wall.
His hand went up her dress and he moved her panties to the side, then slipped two fingers inside of her, all while kissing her neck passionately. A small moan escaped Draya’s lips and her whole body began to tingle. Blink remembered that moan as if he’d heard it yesterday; he knew that he had her open. As he fingered her slowly, his manhood began to grow. He pressed up against Draya even closer, so that she could feel what was in his jeans. They kissed as Blink played with her right in the hallway of the bar, not caring who saw them.
“I love you. I missed that pussy. I want you,” Blink whispered while licking her earlobe.
“Oh, Blink,” Draya sighed as she ground against him. She hadn’t felt a man in so long and the large amount of liquor in her system had her ready to explode.
“I have a room upstairs at the hotel. Let’s make love,” he said.
Draya nodded her head with lustful eyes. She wanted him so bad. It seemed like everything that she had gone through with him had just flown out the window.
* * *
They burst into the hotel room, and Blink began taking off Draya’s dress, exposing her tight, shapely body. He peeled off her clothing while sloppily kissing her. Within seconds they were both naked on the king-size bed.
Hard as a rock, Blink slid into Draya’s dripping-wet box and both of them moaned at the same time as they fell into pleasure island. Draya arched her back and dug her nails deep into the man’s chocolate muscular back.
They proceeded to make love and Draya tried to remain calm, but she kept thinking about how crazy Blink had once been. She had already made up her mind that she would lead him on as if they were getting back together, then leave him in the dust just like she did before. Now she couldn’t wait until their little meeting was over so she could get ghost on him. She would play the part well until she got her chance to leave.
“You were amazing, Daddy. I am so glad I ran into you.” She looked around the luxury suite and noticed a slightly opened duffle bag sitting on the floor. She could just glimpse some plastic-wrapped cocaine bricks stacked neatly inside of it and she chuckled to herself. Why did I even come out tonight? No growth, she thought as she shook her head. “I see not a lot has changed since the last time I saw you. You still getting it in, huh?” she said as she sat up and began tying her hair into a ponytail.
“You know it, Ma. Don’t shit stop,” Blink replied from the bathroom.
Draya put on a fake smile and giggled nervously. She still wondered if he knew that she had robbed him. That’s the way the game goes sometimes. I had to get mine, she thought, trying to make herself feel better about what she’d done. If a nigga get caught slipping, it’s his own fault.
She flipped onto her stomach and grabbed her phone from the nightstand. As she began scrolling through her contacts, she heard the water turn off in the bathroom and then Blink’s footsteps approaching her. She wiggled her plump butt cheeks, knowing that he was watching, and smiled and giggled while still focusing on her phone.
She felt his warm hands begin to rub on her back and then heard his deep voice: “It’s been a long time, baby.” He took her phone from her and set it aside, then gently pulled her hands behind her back. His demand for her attention turned Draya on and made her smile even wider. She could feel his growing warm shaft resting on her leg. That sensation alone made her clitoris begin to jump in anticipation of round two. She started moving her body like a snake, in a circular motion, causing friction between the bed and her clitoris as she closed her eyes in total bliss. With her arms still behind her back, it made everything more exotic and she was loving every second of it.
“Please put it in again, Daddy,” she urged with exaggerated enthusiasm.
Blink remained silent and prepared to give her the business. The cold handcuffs startled Draya as they were slapped across her wrists. Almost instantly, a bandanna was slipped between her lips and he tied it behind her head so tightly that it hurt.
“I’ve been waiting to catch you for over a year, you grimy bitch,” he said as Draya began to squirm like a wet fish. It all happened so fast that she hadn’t seen it coming. Something crashed down on the back of her skull, causing her whole world to shake up. Her vision went blurry and the most excruciating headache overcame her. The lamp that he had just bashed against her head shattered into pieces. She tried to scream, but only muffled whispers entered the airwaves as Blink stood over her with a blank face. He began to urinate over her body as she laid there in a daze and whimpered in agony.
“You thought I wouldn’t find you? Huh? It wasn’t an accident that I ran into you tonight at that bar. I have been looking for you for over a year now. Now it’s time to repay that debt. You took $400,000 from me. I want that back in blood . . . plus interest.” The man walked to the corner and grabbed the iron that he had turned on when they entered the room an hour before.
So many thoughts raced through Draya’s mind as she struggled to release herself from the tight handcuffs. Why? Why did I do this to myself? She heard steam gushing from the iron.
He pushed the button repeatedly, causing the sounds of terror to antagonize her. He approached her and prepared to torture her for what she had done. He was about to cash in on his long-awaited revenge.
As he was about to place the iron against her back, there was a knock at the door.
“Room servas,” said a man with a heavy Mexican accent. Then another knock. “Room servas,” he said again.
“What the fuck?” Blink said quietly between clenched teeth. He was ready to do a number on Draya and the pesty-ass room service was interfering. Blink didn’t want to take the chance of someone coming in, so he had to say something. “I’m fine. Please go away,” he called out as nice as he could.
Draya tried to scream, but her voice was too muffled. Blink threw a cover over her and stepped to the door. He heard the same voice and knock again. As soon as he slightly cracked the door open, the force from a kick sent him flying back.
In walked Cass . . .
Cass closed the door and pulled out his chrome .45 with a silencer on its tip. He pointed it directly at Blink. “I’ve been looking for you, my G,” he said calmly, as if they were old friends. Cass saw a body squirming under the covers and he quickly yanked them off to find Draya lying there in terror. He locked eyes with her and whispered, “It’s okay, I got you.”
Without hesitation, Cass walked up on Blink and put the gun to his head. “Did you think I wasn’t going to find you?”
“Listen, I got money. Let’s work this out,” Blink begged as he put bo
th of his hands in front of him.
“Fuck ya money!” Cass screamed, something he rarely did. The beast was coming out of him. “You killed my family. Now it’s time to pay what you owe. But no money can take care of your tab. I need your life.” He looked the man directly in the eye and put two bullets in his head, rocking him to sleep forever. Blood and brain matter splattered all over the wall as Blink’s body went limp.
Draya squirmed and cried in terror; she knew she would be next. Cass sat down on the bed and tried to run his hand through Draya’s hair, but she flinched in fear. He freed her mouth and grabbed the handcuff keys from a side table to free her. Draya pushed the covers off and began crying uncontrollably. She wasn’t ready to die. Cass noticed how afraid she was and that her eyes wouldn’t leave his gun.
“Relax, Ma. I’m not here to hurt you,” he said as he tucked his gun inside of his waist.
Draya glanced over at Blink’s lifeless body and all the blood that was sprayed everywhere. It was a horrific scene and she felt disembodied. “Please, please don’t kill me,” she begged, waiting for him to make his move.
“I’m not going to kill you. I know what happened. I know your brother was a part of the robbery and murder but you had nothing to do with that. You had no control over what he and this mu’fucka did. I have no issue with you. I’m sorry for what happened to your brother but he did something that had consequences. If it matters, I had nothing to do with his murder. My uncle was loved by a lot of people. The streets did that . . . not me,” Cass lied as he tried to comfort her and put her at ease. He placed his hand on her foot. “I need to get you out of here. You have to listen to me, okay? . . . Trust me, I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to get you out of here. I got who I came here for. I’ve been tracking him for years and I finally got him. That’s all I wanted. The bloodshed stops here.”
The White House Page 6
