by Linda Verji
“Hi Rashad,” she greeted. Rashad had never been one for small talk. As soon as she handed him the photos for the new passports and they organized to meet two days later, he left.
*
Across the street from Darlene’s, he watched. He’d been tailing Tasha for the last few days. He shifted in the car seat slightly but didn’t take his eyes off the entrance to the boutique. A slender man walked out of the store. He caught the observer’s eye because of his strange dressing style. With adults like that, who needs kids?
Tasha walked out of the store just a few minutes later. Quickly the observer grabbed his camera from the front passenger seat and trained it on her. Tasha Nelson was a beautiful woman. If she was his, he’d probably have her followed too and judging from her visit to the hotel yesterday, his client had something to be worried about. There was only one reason married women went to hotels. He took quick shots of her saying good-bye to another woman, walking to her car, opening the door, getting in and driving off.
It all looked innocent enough. It was only after he revved up his engine and started to trail her when it hit him. Which rich woman went to a clothing store and came out with nothing? Suspicious!
CHAPTER 12
Despite her best intentions, Tasha couldn’t avoid Kian. He was determined to keep an eye on her. He’d insisted on getting the number to her safety phone and each morning he called exactly a few minutes after she dropped off Asia and Jaslene at school and at night he sent a text message asking if she was okay.
It was flattering to know that someone cared about her that much, but also very alarming. Even though she was trying her best to remain neutral, their relationship was growing. Every day she grew more aware of how much she was learning about him. She now knew his daily schedule and the issues going on in his office. She knew tidbits of his past including that he’d been raised by his grandmother out in Los Angeles and had been arrested for drug possession. Those were details you only told someone you trusted – someone you were in a relationship with.
They were the definition of emotional affair.
Perhaps Tasha would’ve felt guilty if Polo hadn’t turned so aggressive in the last few days. Usually when he was angry with her, he was both vocal and physical about it but these days all he did was call her ‘bitch’ and ‘ho’ and try to get at her with his crutches. He’d left the hospital only the previous day and she’d been forced to sleep in Jazzie’s room to avoid him. But she knew she couldn’t keep it up for long. Tonight she was going to have to take her beating. Maybe after he took his anger out on her, he’d be willing to talk about the donation again.
“Mama, I’m so hungry.”
“I know, baby.” Tasha rubbed Asia’s arm. “But we’ll be here in less than two hours then we can get you something to eat.”
Their session had been pushed to later in the evening due to some hospital emergency. It was already past nine and they had another two hours to go. Because of Asia’s dietary requirement she couldn’t take most ready-to-eat snacks. Tasha had sent Jaslene with Ash off in a cab an hour ago to start on dinner.
“Asia. Look who’s here to see you.” Dr. Thorpe said. Tasha turned only to see Kian walking into the ward behind the doctor. To say she was surprised would’ve been an understatement.
“Hello,” Asia waved to him shyly.
He smiled at Tasha as he came to stand next to Asia’s reclining seat. Tasha really didn’t want to smile back but forced herself to, aware of Asia’s curious gaze moving between them. When he’d called a few hours ago, and she’d complained to him about how long they were keeping them at the hospital, she hadn’t expected him to show up. “Your mom told me you were hungry.”
His eyes danced as he held up a packet of vanilla wafers.
“Thank you, Mr. Harper,” Asia said shyly.
“You can call me Kian.”
Asia threw Tasha a look before saying, “Thank you, Uncle Kian.”
Tasha bit back a scream of frustration. He knew exactly what he was doing. By coming here, he was technically introducing himself to Asia, preparing her for the relationship he believed he and Tasha were going to have the moment she left Polo. She was so angry at him but Asia was watching, so she smiled as they conversed.
Asia took to him fast. Maybe it was because they’d already met or it was because she could instinctively tell that Kian wasn’t like Polo. She never talked to Polo if he didn’t ask her something directly and even then they were soft-toned replies. With Kian she peaked out of her shell and was soon talking about her day in school and how her best friend Leila was now talking to Maari who she hated.
Tasha didn’t want Asia bonding with Kian. What was the point? It’d only break the little girl’s heart when they had to leave. Unable to take it anymore, Tasha called Kian out to the hallway. “Can I talk to you?”
As soon as they were away from Asia’s curious ears, she launched her attack. “What are you doing here?”
“You said she was hungry,” he said with that smile that always caused butterflies in her stomach. “You don’t have to thank me.”
Tasha huffed indignantly, “Thank you?”
“Your daughter is just as beautiful as you, Tasha,” he said. She was surprised by the compliment enough to temporarily forget that she’d just been about to tear him apart. He added, “And the way she is doing the whole treatment like a trooper; she’s just as strong as her mother.”
His approval was gratifying. She blinked rapidly trying to push away the tears that instantly sprung to her eyes whenever she thought of Asia on dialysis. Through the tears clogging the back of her throat, she whispered, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He looked up and down the hallway as if to make sure no one was watching before he pressed a soft kiss on her lips. “Send me a message when you get home.”
Before Tasha could say anything more, he walked away. Resisting the urge to shout at his back, she went back to the ward. Asia’s session ended at around eleven thirty. By the time she drove into the estate it was past midnight. The house was eerily silent and the lights were off in both the kitchen and in the living room. Assuming that Jaslene had fallen asleep, she carried Asia to her room and tucked her.
Polo wasn’t in the master bedroom. Had he missed his hookers so much that he’d decided to leave the house regardless of his busted leg? Tasha hoped so. It would give her at least one more night of respite.
Tasha changed her nightgown only to hear Ash screaming into the baby monitor. She usually kept it with her because even though Jaslene’s room was adjoined to the nursery, she could sleep right through a hurricane and had slept through Ash’s cries more than a time or two. She must’ve done it again.
With a deep sigh, Tasha slipped a peignoir over her gown and padded out barefoot going towards the nursery. Ash’s screams met her as soon as she opened the door. The poor baby was yelling so loudly, the tips of his ears had turned red.
“Shsh.” Tasha picked him up from his cot and cradled him in her arms. “Mama’s here.”
Tasha shushed him as she walked to the door that connected the nursery to Jaslene’s rooms. She heard the sounds the moment she pushed open the door.
Grunts. His voice. Stay still.
Muffled screams. Her voice. No.
All thought drained out of Tasha as she took in the scene in front of her. A naked Polo was mounted over Jaslene. It was obvious that she was trying to fend off his advances by the frantic motions of her limbs and the trapped animal-look in her eyes as she looked up at him. Any sounds she tried to make were muffled by the hand he had over her mouth.
Tasha’s body tensed up until she was shaking from the repressed force of her anger and shock. That’s when the craziness took over.
CHAPTER 13
It was like a car wreck in progress.
Tasha’s brain shut down when it came to every rational thought as she shuttled towards that deep abyss of madness. Like brakes, the shackles of self-control and perseverance that had h
eld her back all these years were yanked away, torn apart into shreds and unfettered anger swooped in to occupy their place.
“Shut up,” Polo grunted as he struggled to restrain Jaslene’s flailing limbs beneath his own. Droplets of sweat beaded his tan skin as he mauled Jaslene’s breast underneath her shift with one hand while the other hand stayed on her mouth to keep her from protesting. So focused was he in his sickening activities, that he hadn’t even noticed Tasha entrance. “If your sister can fuck another man, then I can fuck you.”
I need to save her.
Adrenalin rushed through Tasha, sharpening her senses. Like darts, her eyes roved about the room searching for anything she could use as a weapon. They fell on his crutches near the door. With the hand that wasn’t holding the sleeping Ash she picked up one of them and slammed it hard on Polo’s back.
“Ugh!”
He turned, his eyes misted in pain and shock. It was enough time for Jaslene to push his body away from her, drop to the ground and crawl away from the bed on all fours. Tasha swung the crutch down again this time hitting Polo’s arm. When she lifted it again, he grabbed it with his right hand.
“I’m going to kill you,” he shouted.
“Jazzy, run,” Tasha shouted breathlessly as she and Polo struggled for control of the heavy crutch. But she’d underestimated her sister because instead of just saving herself she took the other crutch from the floor and swung it. It collided against his head with a loud thud. He let go of the crutch Tasha was wielding to shield his head from Jaslene’s blows, leaving him somewhat defenseless against the two women.
With every strike of the metal against his skin he swore in pain. The sound was nectar to Tasha’s ears. She hardly felt Jaslene take Ash from her arms, only the freedom that came with an extra arm to wield that weapon of justice with.
Countless times, she let the crutch fall on his body. It marked his naked shoulders, spine and legs with contusions. If there was any heaviness to the crutch, she didn’t feel it. The adrenalin zipping through her kept pushing her to hit him again and again. He writhed on the bed like the poisonous snake he was.
It wasn’t enough.
In her mind all there was, was a red haze with a huge blinking billboard with Polo’s face on it and the words ‘Kill him’ splashed across it. She didn’t want to hurt him. She didn’t want to maim him. She wanted to kill him.
She threw the crutch to the ground and turned to leave the room only to find Jaslene still standing at the door, cradling Ash.
“Come on,” Tasha said leading Jaslene out of the nursery and to the hallway. “Wait for me in Asia’s room.”
She walked to the master bedroom and directly to Polo’s sock drawer. She rifled through the white, grey, navy and black cotton to come up with the gun he’d held to her head only a few weeks ago. The metal barrel glinted as she raised it up to the bright lights of the room to check if it was loaded. It was!
There was a silent click as she took the safety off.
It was time for Polo to go!
He’d managed to grab his crutches and drag himself from Jaslene’s room to the nursery. The moment he heard Tasha’s footsteps at the door he looked up at her, fury and pain etched on his face.
“I’m going to kill-” he stopped speaking the moment she pointed the gun at him. The fury was replaced by fear but instead of cowering, he sneered, “What are you going to do? Kill me?”
She didn’t reply just looked at him as he spoke.
“You can’t do it, can you?” He laughed as he dragged himself closer with his eyes on the gun. “You’re too weak.”
“That’s what you think.” The words seemed to come from a deep dark tunnel down in her belly. Tasha could feel her pulse pounding in her throat as she trained the gun on Polo aiming for the place his heart should’ve been. She didn’t blink, didn’t tremble as her finger closed around the trigger…
“Mama.” Asia called out behind her.
Tasha head snapped back to meet her daughter’s wide innocent eyes. For a moment she hung in limbo until finally like a dam over-flooding its banks, rational thought rushed in.
What am I doing? Oh My God. Tasha’s finger eased over the trigger and her arm lowered. It was just the opportunity Polo needed. Pain shattered all through her face as his crutch met her temple.
And just like that she pulled the trigger.
Shock pulsed through her body as the gun recoiled in her hand. It wasn’t so much the echo that followed the shot that had her stunned it was the realization that she’d actually done it. The fired round seemed to float in the air before it spiraled into fragments piercing through the floorboard. Polo seemed taken aback too as he stared at the hole right by his foot. That could have been him.
Asia’s screaming penetrated the fog of shock that had surrounded Tasha. My baby. She dropped the gun and it fell to the ground in a thump. Scooping Asia up, Tasha rushed from the room before Polo could recover, immediately heading for her daughter’s room to Polo’s shouts of, “I’m going to kill you all. I’m going to fucking kill you.”
Once in Asia’s room, Tasha locked the door. Jaslene was seated on the bed still in her ripped up night shift and holding Ash, her eyes wide with fright. Tasha set Asia on the bed next to them.
What was she going to do?
She paced the room one ear trained on Polo’s thumping and yelling as he got closer to the door as she mulled over her dilemma. Obviously she’d driven Polo crazy. If they stayed she risked getting all of them attacked by that rabid dog. However, if they left, Asia would never get her kidney. It was her daughter’s life against everyone else’s.
Asia, Jaslene and Ash, who’d now awakened and was crying, waited for her to make a decision.
We have to leave!
No, we have to stay!
“I’m going to kill all of you,” Polo shouted. They all flinched as they heard the sound of a gunshot. The wood was too thick for the bullet to penetrate the door but it was scary enough and both Asia and Ash began to scream.
It wasn’t just her, Polo was coming after now. He had no limits. Could she really place their lives in the balance like this? Was it worth it?
“Asia, get the back pack.”
Her decision was made. In a matter of seconds, she grabbed the backpack from underneath Asia’s bed and handed it to Jaslene before taking Ash into her arms.
“Open this door.” Polo fired another shot into the door.
With quick instructions, Tasha helped Asia and Jaslene through the window and down the trellis that was attached to the wall. It was hard juggling Ash as she came down, and she almost fell but somehow she managed to get down to the pavement.
The guard almost fell from his seat inside the guard house when he saw them running from the back of the house towards the gates.
“Open, open, open,” Tasha shouted as they ran. He was shocked enough to rush and open the gates without a fuss. Once they were outside, she took her first breath.
They were free.
*
“I’m sorry the person you are calling is unavailable. Please leave a message after the…” Kian cut the call. The clock on his bedside said it was going one thirty in the morning but he was wide awake. There was no way he could sleep. Not with how he was feeling. He was panicked, frustrated and sick out of his mind with worry.
What was going on with Tasha?
Their agreement was that every night, she’d send him a text message or call him just to let him know she was okay.He tried her emergency number again even though he knew she probably wouldn’t answer it at this time of the night but was sent straight to voicemail. He rubbed his palm over his face in frustration, sighing deeply as he sat on the bed.
What if something had happened to her?
He stood up, pacing the length of his bedroom as he tried to calm down. Subconsciously he knew he was overreacting. Maybe she was too tired; after all they had left the hospital pretty late. Maybe she was angry at him for showing up unannounced at the hospi
tal. Maybe she’d just forgotten. Common sense said he should just sleep on it and talk to her in the morning. He couldn’t!
He tried her number once more. Predictably, he was sent straight to voicemail again.
Fuck it! He walked to the closet and grabbed a leather jacket, wearing it over his white t-shirt before grabbing a pair of loafers and leaving the room. Tasha had told him not to come to her house to avoid trouble between her, but there was no way he could just sit in his house not knowing what was going on. He needed to see her. He’d come up with a good excuse for Polo once he got there.
Even as he drove on the almost deserted highway, he kept trying her number but each time he got sent to voicemail. He knew he’d made the right decision when he got to the Nelson’s house and found the gates wide open and no guard to even stop him. Both Tasha and Polo’s cars were parked outside the house and all the upstairs rooms blazed with lights. At two in the morning?
Instantly Kian knew that something was wrong and his heart began to pound faster. Panic and fear mingled excruciatingly in him, creating a lethal concoction that had his heart beating at a pace so fast he could actually feel the pressure right in the center of his head. He parked outside the gate just in case he needed to run. The moment he walked through the gate he heard it. Gunshots!
Shit! Tasha and the kids were in there. Another gunshot sounded reverberating dangerously in the night air. Kian rushed towards their front door. He’d never known real desperation until now and he could feel it racing through his veins like a glacier till every inch of his skin seemed numb with the cold. I have to save them. He had to reach Tasha and the kids before it was too late – he didn’t even want to think if it was too late.
The door was locked. He tried to kick it in but the heavy wood only rattled solidly against the sole of his shoe, not even moving. He couldn’t let that stop him. His breath came in quick gulps as he quickly scanned the house looking for some kind of entry. The only way he could see in was through the large windows in the den.
