Luxury and Larceny, Part 1

by Ty Marshall

  “What’s going on?” he asked, as fear ran up his spin and out to every part of his body.

  “Make one wrong move and I’ll blow your motherfuckin’ head off,” Bree barked out instructions, feeling a sharp pang of jealousy having to watch China put on that performance for another man.

  The trucker began to beg for his life. “I have a family, a wife, please,” he cried out, unsure what they wanted. “I have money, I can give you all of it…”

  “Oh, now you got a wife, huh?” Bree chastised, looking down at the ring on the man’s finger in disgust. “You seemed real single a few minutes ago, rubbing on my lady.”

  China was turned on by the fact that Bree was a little jealous over her. Usually she was the insecure one consumed by the green-eyed monster. It felt good, even in the midst of a chaotic situation.

  “Please,” the trucker continued to plead.

  “Shut the fuck up,” Bree said, jabbing the gun into his neck and tossing him into the driver’s seat. “Now if you wanna live, you’ll do everything I say. You understand?” he asked, to which the man nodded his head. “Me and my girl need to get to Arizona. You gonna be our designated driver. Now start this bitch up and let’s get moving.”

  * * *

  The long drive along Interstate 10 lasted a little over five hours. Bree kept the gun trained on the driver the entire time, while China got some much needed rest in the truck’s sleeper. Feeling a sense of relief once they crossed the state line, Bree was happy to finally escape California. He wasn’t completely sold on the idea of involving China’s father, but at this point he didn’t have much of a choice.

  We wouldn’t even have to go this route if she didn’t bounce with the bread, he thought to himself, watching China sleep peacefully. China wasn’t street at all, something Bree knew and liked about her from the beginning. No matter how deep she had gotten into smuggling drugs for Cinco, there were still so many things she was naïve about. She had gotten in way over her head, and he felt a sense of guilt for allowing her to. He too had been blinded by greed and opportunity, making poor decisions against his better judgment, and it had almost cost him his life. Bree knew better. He had come up in the tough streets of Compton and had witnessed firsthand the consequences of crossing someone in power. There were few as powerful as the Mexican cartel Cinco was a part of, and Bree knew they had been lucky to barely escape with their lives. He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind as he began to see exit signs for Mesa, the city where China’s father lived.

  “Wake up, ma.” He tapped China, disturbing her rest. “We almost there.”

  China opened her eyes, feeling rejuvenated. Those couple hours of sleep had done wonders. She sat up on the bed and looked out the window. By the signs on the highway, she could tell that they were in Arizona. Her heart began to pound in her chest, frightened by the thought of coming face-to-face with her father. Their last encounter hadn’t been a pleasant one. She also hadn’t been completely honest with Bree about her and her father’s relationship. Bree was under the assumption that China’s dad would welcome her with open arms, happy to see his daughter. He had no idea of the severity of the rift between them. She knew she was taking a risk not telling him, and she said a silent prayer to herself, hoping it wouldn’t all blow up in her face.

  The driver followed Bree’s instructions, exiting the highway onto a city street. It was the middle of the night, and the place looked like a ghost town with hardly any traffic or activity at all. Besides a couple fast-food chains and gas stations, nothing else seemed to be open. They followed the signs until they finally arrived at a truck stop. Pulling in, Bree noticed it was just as busy as the one in California, a drastic change from the rest of the town they had just passed through. The truck stop seemed to be a city all unto itself.

  “Pull all the way to the back.” Bree barked out instructions. The trucker did as he was told, maneuvering his rig into a parking area away from the other trucks. “Cut the truck off and hand me your wallet.” Bree took all the cash out and put it in his pocket. “China, get out,” he ordered, keeping his gun pointed at the man’s head.

  The trucker was growing more nervous by the moment, feeling the tension mounting in the cabin. “Please, I did everything you asked. Can I go now?” he begged with his hands up.

  Bree remained silent as China exited the truck and closed the door.

  “I have a wife and a little girl,” the man continued, pleading harder. “I … I promise I won’t go to the police, I won’t say anything to anybody, just let me go. Please.”

  Bree lowered the gun, causing the man to breathe a deep sigh of relief, thankful for the show of mercy. “I’m sorry,” Bree said. “I can’t take that chance.” He quickly slipped a rope around the man’s neck.

  The man fought for his life. Making a last-ditch effort, he stood from the seat, falling backward into Bree, causing him to drop the rope. The two men began to wrestle in the confined area, causing the truck to rock back and forth. The older man was no match for Bree, who quickly overpowered him, then struck him on the side of the head with the butt of the gun. Blood leaked from the wound that had opened up as the driver fell onto the bed. Bree struck him again, rendering him incapable of defending himself. He grabbed a pillow off the bed, placing it over his face and pushing down with all his weight, cutting of his air supply. The man’s arms and legged were flailing helplessly as he tried to free himself. Bree felt his body jerk one last time, then go still. He kept the pillow in place a few more seconds just to make sure. Removing the pillow, he saw the lifeless stare of the man looking back at him.

  China stood outside the truck, terrified at the turn of events. Watching the truck sway back and forth as they tussled had her at a loss, not knowing whether to jump back in to help Bree or run. Finally, the truck stopped moving, and a few seconds later Bree opened the door and leaped from the truck’s cabin.

  “Let’s get the fuck outta here,” he said through heavy breaths as he grabbed her by the hand, leading her away from the murder scene.

  * * *

  They settled in a motel a few blocks away. Bree sat on the edge of the bed watching China methodically pace the room, her nervous energy filling up the space with every step. What would she say to her father? How would he react to her just showing up on his doorstep? Would he be happy to see her? And how much would she reveal about the depths of her troubles? All that raced through her mind while circling the room. It was almost like she was back in the seedy room in LA. The more she ran from one problem, the closer she got to the next. She couldn’t wait for this whole ordeal to be over.

  “Sit down, ma,” Bree interjected. “You making me nervous. What’s the rush to go see your pops now? It’s the middle of the night. You don’t want to cause him to be suspicious. Get some rest, and we’ll go check him in the morning.”

  “Bree, do you remember what happened last time we fell asleep in a motel?” China reminded him. “I need to go see my father now, so we can keep moving.”

  “Fuck it, let’s go,” he said, reaching in the nightstand and pulling out the phone book, searching for a taxi.

  “I think I should go by myself,” she announced to his surprise.

  “What?” a skeptical Bree asked.

  “I just think it’s better if he thinks I’m by myself. If he knows you’re with me, he’ll have a bunch of questions that I’m not trying to answer right now.”

  “Like what?” Bree asked.

  “That’s not even important,” she said, trying to avoid having to tell him the truth about her relationship with her father and his hatred of the street life she had chosen. A life that included Bree. She knew there was a chance her father would turn her away, and those chances only increased if Bree was standing by her side when she asked for his help. Her father blamed Bree’s influence over China for most of the bad decisions she made. There was no way he would give her money knowing it would directly help Bree.

  Blind to her true reason, Bree’s mind ins
tantly went back to her past disloyalties. “You trying to bounce on me again, ma,” he said, rising to his feet, his upper lip curled in disdain. “What, you think you ’bout to have Daddy help you escape and leave me here waiting for you to return? But you never do. Nah, ma, we going to see your pops together.”

  “You have to trust me, baby, I know how my father is,” she explained.

  * * *

  Bree stood in the doorway, watching as China’s cab disappeared out of the parking lot. He closed the door and walked over to the phone. Redialing the number, he called a cab for himself. China may have known how her father was, but Bree knew how she was. He wasn’t about to let her out of his sight. He wanted to trust what she was saying, but something told him he shouldn’t. Something wasn’t right, something was just a little off about her behavior. He could feel it, China was hiding something. Bree heard the cab horn blowing outside and exited the room, closing the door behind him. He wanted to know why China was being so secretive all of a sudden. He prayed her grimy ways hadn’t resurfaced, but the only way to find out was to follow her.

  Chapter 6

  China sat in the back of the taxicab, staring out the window at the night sky. So many thoughts flooded her mind, and beneath them all ran an undercurrent of sadness. The line between love and hate is razor thin, and as the car approached her father’s home, it wasn’t clear to her exactly what side of that line she resided on when it came to his feelings. That made her visit bittersweet. China loved her father, and deep down she believed he loved her too, but he had never taken the time to understand her. She was a free spirit who felt caged by the expectations of her social status. She wasn’t interested in learning to play the violin or mastering her backhand swing at the prestigious tennis club he was a member of. That was boring and dull. She wanted more, something different from her routine life. She yearned for the uncertainty of the streets, the rush that came with the lifestyle, and she longed to be the Bonnie to someone’s Clyde. Eventually, the allure of the street proved too much for either her or her dad to fight. It wasn’t until now that she realized how difficult it must have been for him to watch someone he loved change right before his eyes. It must have been scary for him to lose control of his daughter and watch all he had hoped for her disappear. China could relate; she had lost control of her own life, and now fear motivated her every move and consumed her every thought. Suddenly, her old, mundane life didn’t seem so grim.

  China wiped the tears from her face as the taxi came to rest in front of an elegant estate in the middle of the picturesque tree-lined community. The sight of the lavish home was reminiscent of her childhood, and for a moment she allowed her mind to drift back to those happier times before their relationship had become toxic. When the love was pure and he would push her on the swing he built for her in their backyard. No matter how high he pushed, she would always ask to go higher. And when he warned her about it being too high, she would insist, pushing the boundaries of his authority even back then. China felt butterflies in her stomach, placing her hand on the door to exit. Without stepping one foot out of the cab, she already felt unwelcome.

  It is kind of late. Maybe I should’ve listened to Bree and waited, she thought to herself, hesitating, trying to find a reason not to get out of cab. After taking a few moments to gather herself, she exited the car and walked up to the door.

  * * *

  “Pull over right here,” Bree instructed his driver, coming to a stop about a half block away from where China was. He was impressed by the affluent neighborhood. Bree knew China came from money, but knowing and seeing were two different things. Bree made sure to keep his distance, not wanting to blow his cover. He was slightly disappointed by the fact that China hadn’t recognized that she had a tail. She was off point and unaware of her surroundings, even with hired guns in pursuit. Bree ducked down in the backseat when he saw her get out of her taxi and walk up to the door.

  As soon as China stepped foot onto the porch, the bright light over the door lit up the front of the house. She rocked nervously back and forth as she rang the bell and waited. She wanted to turn and run back to the car, but her feet wouldn’t obey her commands. Why am I even here? I know he doesn’t want to see me. I’m playing myself. As she started to turn away, the door swung open and her father stood, stoic, in the doorway.

  “Hi, Daddy,” she said in a girlish voice with a smile.

  He was unmoved by it, and his vacant stare told her that not much had changed about how he felt about her. The cold, empty look crushed her before his words had the chance to.

  “What are you doing here, China? And what do you want?” he asked in a harsh, unwelcoming tone. When Mr. Lieu looked at China, he no longer saw his beautiful daughter; all he saw was the trouble she had caused him.

  “I just wanted to come see you. You know, see how you were doing?” she said, trying to smooth things over.

  “At this time of night?” he questioned, knowing her scheming ways meant she was up to something.

  “I just got here. I just got in town,” she answered quickly.

  “And you thought you would be welcome here, at my home?” he said, tightening the belt on his robe. “Look, I know you, and I know there’s only two things that could bring you to my door at this time of night. You’re either up to something or into something. Either way, I don’t care to know. You said you came to see me and how I was doing. Well, you’ve seen me and I’m fine. Now you can get from in front of my door.” He moved to slam the door in her face.

  China put her foot in the door, stopping it. “Daddy, please, just hear me out,” she pleaded.

  “What, China?” he barked, snatching the door back open. “After all this time, what could you possibly have to say that I would care to hear? And what do expect me to say to you?”

  “How about, ‘Hi, China, it’s nice to see you’?”

  “I’ve never lied to you, and I’m not about to start now,” he answered.

  “Listen, Dad, I’m in a lot of trouble with some very dangerous people and I need—”

  “Ooh, somehow I knew this was about money,” Mr. Lieu said. “It always is with you.”

  China stared down at her feet, trying to stop the tears that were welling in her eyes. She didn’t want to give her father the pleasure of seeing her cry. “Are you gonna let me in so we can talk or not?” she asked.

  Mr. Lieu turned and walked away from the door, leaving it open. The house was immaculate, with white marble floors greeting China immediately and an expensive Italian crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the foyer. Mr. Lieu stopped short once she got inside. The foyer was as far as he was willing to allow her in. She wasn’t welcome in his home or life, and he was making that extremely clear to his daughter. She was the reason the family was broken. Her choices caused the estrangement, and that wasn’t easy for him to forgive.

  “You must have really outdone yourself this time, China Lieu,” he said. “I see your mother has come to her senses after all these years. She’s finally given up on you and seen you for what you really are.”

  “And what is that, Daddy?” China asked, unsure if she wanted him to answer.

  “Rotten,” he declared, shaking his head. “What kind of person steals from her own mother? I’ll tell you. Someone who ain’t shit.”

  China lowered her head in shame. She had taken her mother’s credit cards and maxed them out without her permission, just to keep up her appearance when she went clubbing.

  “Hurts to hear the truth about yourself, doesn’t it?” Mr. Lieu asked. “Maybe if your mom had seen it earlier, we’d still be married. You really need to get your shit together.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to do, Daddy,” China said, unable to hold back her tears. “I just got myself in some trouble, and I need to disappear for a little while.”

  “Disappear?” he questioned, softening his stance a bit. “China, I don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into this time, but you have to stop trying to outru
n your problems.”

  “You don’t understand. I really need to disappear, and I need your help.” She cried harder.

  “No, I understand, all right. Just like always, my advice is never good enough for you but my money always is. Get the hell out my house!” he shouted, grabbing her by the arm.

  “No, Daddy, please! This is a matter of life or death!”

  “Not my problem. We all make choices, you have to live with yours,” he said, dragging her toward the door.

  Bree found the interaction on the porch between China and her father really strange. He thought Mr. Lieu would be happy to see his daughter after all these years. At least that was the way China made it seem. But what he had witnessed with his own eyes told a much different story. That alone was enough to make him get out of the cab for a closer look. He paid the driver and explained that if he waited around the corner for him to return, there would be much more of that to come. Bree walked up the driveway and onto the porch. He could hear what sounded like an argument. Noticing the front door was cracked, he got closer. It was then he was able to hear much more clearly and realized Mr. Lieu was hurling obscenities and belittling a crying and pleading China.

  Damn, this motherfucker is cold-blooded. He don’t give a fuck about his own daughter, Bree thought to himself, listening to the heated exchange of words. Bree’s blood began to boil the more he listened. Father or not, no one disrespected his woman. No matter how much he bumped heads with China, his love for her was strong, and it never faded. He felt they were meant for each other, opposite but necessary, like night and day, sunrise and a sunset. That was their love. Bree now understood why she didn’t want him to come. He was trying his best to respect her wishes and not burst through the door, but it was becoming harder by the minute as Mr. Lieu’s verbal onslaught went on.