Silence of the Nine

by T. Styles

  Nine crawled through the ducts and peered through vent after vent until she discovered what she knew existed…unwanted strangers in the Prophet mansion.

  She spotted them in the foyer and realized she had to think quickly. She overheard the conversations in the mansion. She knew they were hit men sent for Leaf. If she screamed, Leaf may run out and get killed instantly. So she had to be calculating. She had to be smart.

  Believing they were there to kill Autumn, she rushed toward the exit of the duct. The edge of her nightgown got snagged onto the vent and tore. Time was not on her side. She would have to do this chore in the nude.

  ****

  Stew, who worked for Gates, had one order. To kill Leaf, along with anybody who stood in his way. So under the cover of night and during a lightning storm, he successfully broke into the Prophet Mansion through the basement. His partner Roland had already gone his separate way to see if he could find the young killer first. Although both men would be paid handsomely for their services, whoever actually spilled Leaf’s blood would be paid extra.

  Choosing the back stairwell of the mansion, Stew walked slowly down the corridor. His gun was aimed in front of him as he prepared to murder whoever came first. He was so focused on what was before him that he didn’t feel Nine prowling behind him. She was naked due to her nightgown being stuck in the vent but that wouldn’t stop her murder game. She had been a secret of the mansion for so long that she was as quiet as the walls. He would never see her coming.

  Stew almost made it to Kelly’s old bedroom until Nine snuck behind him, slapped her hand over his mouth and sliced his throat. His body went limp and she wiggled to the floor with him, so that he wouldn’t make a thud when he dropped.

  One down. One more to go.

  ****

  Roland couldn’t find his way around the house as easily as Stew. The darkness was unkind and he bumped into several surfaces. His knees and hip were on fire.

  The crackling of thunder forced fear into his heart and he was secretly hoping that Stew did the job so that he wouldn’t have to. His plan was to tell Gates that he had looked for Leaf just as hard but was unsuccessful.

  He decided to move back toward the kitchen and hang out in that area until Stew did the dirty work. But the moment he dipped inside of it, he saw Nine standing before him, naked as the day she was born.

  Although he hadn’t planned on killing at all after he made his decision to let Stew do his thing, surely he could murder her and then say that she was trying to get in his way, when Gates asked how he contributed. But her body was so sexy that he decided to take her into one of the bathrooms, rape her and then steal her life afterwards. He was a two minute brother so a few seconds with a woman like that was all he needed.

  “Please don’t hurt me,” Nine whispered with her hands raised. “I was just getting some juice. I won’t tell anybody you’re here. I promise. Just don’t kill me.”

  Roland licked his dark smoker’s lips and approached her. “If you come with me, I won’t hurt you,” he said looking at her succulent breasts. Feeling unworried by her presence, he tucked the gun in his jeans and grabbed her by the arm.

  Nine wiggled out of his hold, grabbed the handle of the knife, which sat tucked between her ass cheeks, and slit his throat. She was able to control his yell like she had Stew’s because Roland was led by lust.

  Although he was dying, he grabbed a hold of Nine’s arm and she stabbed him again in the chest. Finally, he dropped to the kitchen floor. Worried he would rise, she cradled him and stabbed him repeatedly until the cream marble floors were slick with blood. The whites of his eyes were lifeless and it was then that she realized he was dead.

  When the light came on, Nine jumped up preparing to kill more. Instead, she was looking at Kerrick and Leaf who had guns aimed in her direction. Nine dropped the knife and raised her hands in the air. The only part of her body that wasn’t red with blood was her eyes.

  “Nine? Is that you?” Kerrick asked as they lowered their weapons.

  “I killed him,” she said breathing heavily. Her breasts rose and fell. “He broke in with the other man in the hallway upstairs. He’s dead too.”

  CHAPTER 27

  NINE

  “I am poor as Job, my lord, but not so patient.”

  -William Shakespeare

  Nine paced the floor in front of the door in her bedroom. Out of everything she’d been through—losing Fran, her first sexual encounter and even killing two intruders—today was the most nervous day of her life. She would finally be meeting members of the Prophet family.

  She looked down at the dress Kerrick bought her. It wasn’t as new anymore as it was when he had first given it to her but it was the nicest thing she owned. She hoped it would suffice.

  Not wanting to keep her grandfather waiting any longer, she opened the door and made a right into the engine room. Her plan was to go through the ducts and see what the family was up to. What conversations were taking place behind her back. That is until she remembered she’d been given an invitation to join Kerrick upstairs and sneaking through the ducts was no longer necessary.

  Nine took a deep breath and crept up the stairwell. Her bare feet nestled into the floorboards as she made her way to the dining room. When she made it upstairs, she was staring at a sea of beautiful people standing around the dining room table. Her eyes bulged as she witnessed the spread of food in front of them. A whole turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans and apple pie were just a few of the treats waiting for her.

  Members of the family wanted to know where Nine had been hidden. Outside of Victoria, Alice and Leaf no one knew she lived downstairs. She was the biggest Prophet secret yet.

  “Nine, come closer,” Kerrick said. “I want you to meet the family.”

  Nine stepped closer to Kerrick who was dressed in an all black suit. “Look around the room. These are your family members,” he said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. “This is your uncle Blake and aunt Victory, my son and daughter. They have four children together.” He paused. “Noel, Samantha, Isabel and Bethany. They operate the legit portion of our business…The Prophet Estates. A real estate company which owns most of the buildings you’ll find in almost every big city around the world.”

  Nine smiled at all of them. Although they all seemed nice, it was Bethany who Nine liked immediately. She held kindness in her eyes and she made her comfortable. And then she remembered something he said. “Grandfather, are you saying that Victory and Blake are…”

  “Siblings.” He smiled. “Don’t worry. Everything I ever did was necessary. To keep the family pure,” he said moving on as if it were yesterday’s news. “Now this is Marina my daughter and her husband Joshua.” He waved toward the other side of the table. “And this is their daughter Alice.”

  Alice looked upon Nine as if she were seeing a ghost. But Nine smiled and said hello. Everything she did had to be cool. She and Alice would make war, but not at that moment.

  “Marina and Joshua run the chain of restaurants we own here on the east coast. They’re called Mama’s Kitchen,” he boasted. It felt good that he was able to buy the establishment that once fired him when he was a young man on the come up.

  “Finally, this is my son Justin and his wife Corrine.” Kerrick walked around the table. “And this is Leaf, their son and your cousin. He is the one whose life you saved when you murdered the intruders.”

  Nine felt as if she had been gut punched. How could she be in love with her cousin? The feelings they had for one another were too strong. It couldn’t be possible. Nine’s stomach swirled and her head began to bang as she realized that what they shared was over.

  Leaf was as equally confused since he had just been given the information moments earlier.

  “Since we got that out of the way, have a seat. It’s time to eat,” Kerrick said pointing to a chair to the left of him.

  Nine walked toward the seat with her head hung low. No wonder so much secrecy surrounded her family. Without even
asking Kerrick, she knew that her mother and father were probably sister and brother too.

  She pulled the seat out and it made a loud screeching noise and she immediately looked at her grandfather. The last thing she wanted was to irritate him before the day started.

  Once she was seated she slowly turned her head toward Kerrick. She couldn’t stop looking at him. He was the same man who hit her repeatedly with whips for stealing food, tearing into the flesh of her skin. Her nervousness was not only warranted but understandable.

  “Eat,” Kerrick said to Nine. “It’s okay.”

  Although she wanted to tear into her food, she activated restraint. She took her time forking through the turkey before scooping the mashed potatoes slowly thereafter. She was in no rush. Everything she did had to be deliberate. Like Fran had taught her.

  Nine wasn’t the only one nervous. Kerrick couldn’t stop himself from staring at her. She was beyond intriguing. He kept readjusting his shoulders and Victoria took notice at her husband’s change in disposition. He never acted so childishly but there he was, as goofy as a teenage boy.

  As Nine ate, Alice and Leaf stared her down. Each having a reason for finding her so interesting.

  A few minutes later, Kerrick cleared his throat and asked, “How did you learn to…to kill?”

  Nine placed the fork down, wiped the corners of her mouth and cleared her throat. She hadn’t expected the question. “I never realized I knew how to kill, until I was forced to protect my family.” She looked over at Leaf. “If needed to, I’d do it again.”

  Kerrick caught the stare between them and was consumed with jealousy. “It’s nice that you wanted to protect your cousin. I hate to think what would have happened if they were successful in their attempt.”

  Nine’s heart cracked deeper after reliving the fact that Leaf was blood. It didn’t change how she felt. She doubted it ever would. The realization got to Leaf too because he hopped up from the table and rushed out.

  When Leaf left, Kerrick focused on Nine. “When he comes back I’m going to have him take you to the store. He will buy you some clothing and get you some shoes. I will have my men follow you, but I believe you’ll be safe. Gates just made an unsuccessful attempt on Leaf so I doubt he’ll try again this soon. Besides, if you’re going to dine with kings you must dress for the occasion.”

  ****

  Nine’s body was tense as she rode in Leaf’s truck on the way to the shopping mall. All of her senses were heightened and she shivered from sensory overload. Driving was a new experience for her. She glanced over at Leaf a few times, and wondered how something so terrifying for her didn’t faze him.

  “So what do we do now?” he asked as he placed a hand on her thigh.

  “About what?”

  “Us.”

  As her mind focused on him as opposed to the car ride, it wasn’t as bad. “I don’t know. I mean, did you know we were related before now?”

  He frowned and removed his hand. “Why would you ask me some shit like that? Huh?”

  She shrugged. “I’m just trying to find out what’s going on. That’s all.”

  He sighed. “Sorry I came at you like that. This is fucking my head up. My parents told me earlier today. They said the fact that most of our aunts and uncles were fucking was why my dad bounced. Said he hadn’t spoken to his father until I needed help.” He paused. “I’m still confused, I guess.”

  When they finally made it to the mall, Leaf walked around to the passenger side of his truck and tried to help her out but she wouldn’t move. The cars rolling back and forth and the strange people all made her heart pump.

  Frustrated, Leaf gripped her head into his hands and looked into her eyes. “I don’t know why that nigga kept you under the house but this is me. I’m here with you and there’s no reason to be afraid. If you want a chance to start over, you have to get out this truck. You not in the basement no more, Nine. You a Prophet. So act like one.” He squeezed her face a little harder and then released. He stepped back from the truck. “Are you coming with me or not? The life you want starts here.”

  Nine thought about everything she’d been through. The beatings. The sessions when Alice would come in and ridicule her for shits and giggles. She realized she was no longer interested in playing the martyr.

  So she pushed herself out of the truck. The first step caused her legs to wiggle and she was so terrified she considered running back inside the Escalade and taking cover. But when she got her bearings together, she placed both feet on the ground and she looked around. If she wanted to take over the world, he was right, now was the time.

  So she exhaled and took one step. But when she took her second she knew no one was putting her away anymore. From here on out, she would be free.

  CHAPTER 28

  NINE

  “God save the King! Will no man say, amen?”

  -William Shakespeare

  Nine looked at herself once more in the new mirror Kerrick had bought for her bedroom. It hung on the door and she didn’t recognize herself through its reflection. Her soft, curly hair had been stretched into longer, flowing curls and she had just a hint of blush on her chocolate skin. She was stunning. She felt confident. And she was learning power.

  The dark pink Christian Dior dress hugged her curves and her black bra and panty set kept everything in place. She ran her hands from the outside of her breasts to her hips. “Who are you?” she said to herself. “And what sort of damage will you cause this family?”

  Nine pinched herself several times and spun around in the mirror again. Would this be her new life? She wanted to fall in love with it but she also knew her grandfather was a fickle man. His moods changed like the days on a calendar. Each different from the next. But she knew if she wanted to survive, she had to face it all.

  Nine sat on the edge of her bed to slide on the beautiful black designer shoes he bought her. Leaf picked out everything.

  As she slipped on the first, followed by the second, she thought about Fran. It was very normal. Fran infiltrated her thoughts and would be the reason behind everything she did.

  How she wished she could share this time with her. She envisioned them sharing dinner in the big house and laughing about how at one point in her life, she was the weird girl locked in the basement of the Prophet mansion.

  Nine would never forget Fran. She would never allow herself to eliminate the lessons she taught her about life. And when the time was right…and only when the time was right…she would avenge her death.

  Nine took one more breath and crept up the stairs leading to the rest of the house. She could smell the scent of steak roasting in the oven along with the sweet smell of apple pie. Ever since Nine had murdered the intruders, Kerrick hosted several parties to announce her. At one point, she was a dirty secret and now he wanted the world to know her. She was a Prophet star.

  When she bent the corner, Kerrick was holding a glass of wine and speaking to her grandmother Victoria. Leaf was also there with a few other people Nine didn’t know. But she did know Alice, who stared at her with malice.

  When Kerrick saw Nine standing in front of him, his eyes grew as large as the planet Earth. The outfit Leaf selected at the mall was appealing, yet innocent in the same breath. Leaf’s selection was a clear indication of how he viewed Nine. He was as captivated with her as was his grandfather.

  Kerrick reached out his hand and Nine gravitated toward it as if magnetized. Her tiny brown fingers rested in his palm as he introduced her to the most trusted underbosses. The men who ran the operation that kept the Prophet family filthy rich.

  Although the goons met her and acted as if nothing was off, they all had questions. How was she a Prophet when she looked nothing like the others? Her complexion was chocolate. It didn’t match the others at all. But her beauty screamed I have a right to be here.

  When Nine was finally brought to Alice, the scowl on her face expressed how she felt. Why was grandfather courting her so much? She was supposed to be nothi
ng more than a toy used for her pleasure. Alice was the favorite! Not Nine!

  To Alice’s right was her fiancé Hector. His eyes bulged as he looked upon Nine with both fear and lust. Would she speak of the evil things they did to her when the liquor and cocaine forced their hormones out of control?

  When she extended her hand to meet Hector they both had their answer. Their secret was safe. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Nine said with a smile so brilliant it could only be perceived as authentic.

  Alice tried to control her body but it was difficult and as a result, she was shivering. The fact that Nine hadn’t cried bloody torture recently meant she was in control of her emotions and that made her deadlier.

  After Nine greeted her evil cousin, she floated toward the rest of the Prophet gangsters. It was important to meet them all because she was positive she would rule them.

  As she spoke, everyone wondered where she’d been schooled. Her language, both elegant and gangster, allowed her to switch back and forth based on the topic or the goon. Versed. Poised. Charming and seductive could all be used to describe her.

  Gushing with pride, when she met everyone, Kerrick pulled her to a tinier room off of the living room. It was decorated in expensive gold trimmed furniture that was so comfortable you would have to fight not to take a nap.

  Nine entered, unaware that her grandfather was admiring her fiercely from behind. Everything about Nine was controlled. The way she operated her legs, the way her arms swayed by her side and how her eyes would consider you for a moment and then leave you in the next, causing you to want to do something interesting to be looked upon once more.

  Kerrick was captivated.