by KP, Miss
“Okay, I’m sorry for ruining your night and making you drive all the way over here.”
“Girl, you’re fine. Feel better,” Jermaine said after he gave me two air kisses and left.
Scratching my head, Jermaine put something on my mind that I hadn’t thought about. With all the drama in my life, it didn’t even dawn on me that my period hadn’t made an appearance this month. As much as I’d been feeling sick, I felt it was important that I went to the store to buy a pregnancy test immediately. I didn’t even bother to change my clothes before I grabbed my keys and headed to the nearest 24 hour CVS.
After driving the entire way in silence, I pulled into the parking lot and began to feel butterflies in the pit of my stomach. Could I be expecting Carlos’ child? I thought as I opened my car door. Walking into the store, I ventured down aisle seven, to the family planning section. I hadn’t bought a pregnancy test since Denie’s situation three years back, so I was definitely out of sync. Possibly having a baby inside of me was all that I could think of as I scanned the numerous test brands. I was scared and nervous all at the same time. After grabbing a digital EPT, I approached the line to be rung up.
“Hi, Mrs. Sanchez,” the young girl at the counter said.
I stared at her for a second. “Hello.” I had no idea who she was, and hated that anybody recognized me.
“I’m Denie’s friend, Latrese from Jefferson, remember?”
“Oh, hi Latrese, how have you been?”
“I’ve been good, trying to keep up my grades so I can get a scholarship this year for college.”
“That’s good baby, you take care.”
“You do the same, nice to see you,” she said as she handed me my bag.
When I got in the car to drive home I felt so humiliated. Suppose Denie’s friend tells her what I purchased, I thought. Shit, I don’t need anymore damn drama with Rich. As soon as I got home, I went straight to the bathroom to take the test. Putting the narrow stick into my urine stream, I prayed to God that if it was meant for me to have a part of Carlos, then I needed his help to get me through it all.
My mind raced with emotion while I waited for my results for the longest three minutes of my life. When time was up, the results read, PREGNANT.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Lisa
After crying myself to sleep the night before, I finally got some rest. If Denie hadn’t awakened me when she got in from Atlantic City, I would’ve still been asleep. It was almost one o’clock in the afternoon, and I still felt out of it. I had a big day planned and almost lost focus. Now more than ever, I had more reason to destroy Rich. There’s no way in hell he’s gonna come between me and my baby, I thought to myself as I was faced with my new reality. I looked into my full length mirror and stood sideways as I rubbed my belly and smiled. There was a part of Carlos growing inside of me. Glancing over at the entrance of my room, I saw Denie staring at me.
“What are you doing?” she asked with a confused expression.
“Nothing, what do you mean?”
“Why were you rubbing your stomach like that?”
“No reason.”
“Are you pregnant?”
“No, I’m not Denie, so don’t go telling Juan or your father any false information.”
“Why would I do that? I have my own business to worry about.”
“I doubt that, since you went into my drawer and told Juan what you found.”
Denie looked as if she was trying to figure out what to say. “Ma, I’m sorry, but I had to figure out what was wrong with you. I knew you would be pissed, but I had to do something.”
“Why didn’t you just come to me?”
Denie shook her head. “I don’t know. I just didn’t know how.”
I had to play it off how pissed I was. “I guess I can understand why you did it. Maybe from here on out, you can come and talk to me instead of running to your brother and father.”
“I can do that,” Denie assured me.
“Good. Now, go get yourself together, because I’m taking you out today, somewhere special.”
“Where?”
“It’s a surprise, and we’re leaving in an hour.”
“How should I dress?”
“Cute. Heels. Make-up. You know, how the Sanchez girls do it,” I replied.
“Oh, Okay.” Denie sashayed out of my room looking confused.
As I began to get myself together, Denie came back in my room all dolled up. She had on some tight True Religion jeans, a black off the shoulder top, a wide studded belt and studded caged shoes to match. I could hoola hoop with her oversized hot pink Betsey Johnson earrings. She looked cute. I laughed to myself as I could only imagine where Denie thought we were going.
“So, how do I look, and why aren’t you dressed yet?” Denie twirled around.
“You look fine, and I am dressed.”
“Black tights, a hoodie, and some tennis shoes? You look like you’re going to the gym,” Denie observed.
“Don’t worry about me. Today is my special day for you. Come here. Let me put your hair up in a ponytail. It’ll be cute like this.”
I went over to my jewelry box and grabbed my Tiffany diamond barrette. I hadn’t worn it since that awful day in November, but this was a special date and I thought it was appropriate for Denie to wear it.
“Ma, are you serious? You’ve never even let me touch it before.”
“Well, I want you to wear it now.”
After placing the barrette in her hair, I quickly grabbed a pair of shears from my vanity drawer while Denie’s back was turned then put them in my Gucci backpack.
“Okay, I’ll meet you downstairs.”
“Hurry up. I’m excited. The suspence about where we’re going is killing me,” Denie said.
“Oh, I’m excited too,” I replied before watching Denie walk out the room.
I wanted to do a few lines before I left to get me pumped up. Even though I knew it wasn’t good for the baby, I needed something to help me get through this. After pulling out my silver jewelry tray from under the bed, I grabbed the bag of powder from one of my shoe boxes along with a crisp dollar bill. Since I was pressed for time, luckily the bill was already rolled up in the shape of a straw. After dumping some of the coke on the tray, I used my pinky finger to make three lines, held my head down then began to inhale.
Within seconds, the powerful drug entered my blood stream and gave me the rush that I desperately needed. The more time passed, I could feel my heart rate start to increase, along with a warm sensation; a sensation that instantly made me excited. I looked at the rest of the coke. “Shit, I need this feeling to last so maybe I’ll take you with me,” I said, placing the small bag in the front pocket of my hoody.
“Ma, let’s go!” Denie called out.
“I’m coming!” Knowing we had to hurry up, I quickly put the tray and dollar bill up and headed downstairs.
Right before walking out the door, the house phone rang, but I ignored it as we headed out the door. I even turned off my cell until it was time to make the one phone call that was going to get the ball rolling. As we pulled out of the garage, Denie looked a bit uncomfortable which worried me a little. I only had one shot to pull this off, and it was important that I stayed on task. We rode through Rock Creek Park and passed over East West highway onto Jones Bridge Road. I thought it was best that we went the back way to I-495. The car was filled with an awkward silence until I turned up the radio and we started to jam to 93.9 WKYS. Denie loved go-go and turned up the radio as soon as she heard Wale’s song, Pretty Girls, blaze through the speakers.
After a thirty-five minute ride to our destination, we pulled up to the abandoned warehouses on Ritchie Road that brought back the worst memories I’d ever encountered in my life. Pulling around to the back of the buildings, I glanced over at Denie as she began to text on her cell phone.
“What’s going on? Where are we?” she asked after finally looking up.
“Does it matter?
This is our day. Can you put your phone up?”
Denie held an awkward expression. “Ma, what are you up to?”
“Well Denie, there’s a lot about the man you call your father that you don’t know. I want to open your eyes to a lot of things and let you know why things are the way they are.”
“I thought you said today was about us, not my father.”
“Oh, you have no idea. Come on and get out of the car, let me show you something.”
Before we got out of the car, I turned my phone back on and sent Rich a text to let him know what was about to go down.
Rich, how much is ur daughter’s life worth to u? If u want to see her alive again, meet me at the warehouses on Ritchie Rd. U should know the place. U have 30 mins. Bring at least 300k to save her. This is not a joke.
When we got out of the car, Denie’s face was puzzled, especially when I went to the back of the truck and put all of my tools in my backpack. As we approached the building, the door was already ajar which made it easy to get in.
Denie stopped. “I don’t wanna go in.”
“Stop being such a baby. Trust me, it’s a surprise,” I tried to assure her as we walked inside.
After closing the door behind us, luckily there was tons of light coming in from all the dusty windows so we could see. I didn’t waste time surveying to the room where I was raped for hours. The smell of funk was still in the air, and everything was still in place. The iron bed, handcuffs and all. My throat started to get tight as if I was having a difficult time gasping for air. However, I was determined to go through with my plan so, it was important that I stayed focus. If I was going to get paid so me, my new baby, and my son would be okay, this was something that I had to do.
“Ma, where are we? What is this place?” Denie questioned.
“Okay, first of all call me Lisa. This Ma shit stops now.”
“Why? What’s wrong with you? I want to leave.”
“You’re not going anywhere. See, I’m about to walk you through all the pain I’ve experienced over the years. I want you to feel my pain. You need to understand how much your father has put me through. All these years I sacrificed taking care of you and you never showed me any respect. If you really need to know Miss Denie, this is the place where I was held for ransom while I was raped and sodomized for hours. Your father chose to fuck my friend and her man kidnapped me to get back at Rich. This is just the beginning.”
As Denie stood there in shock, I started emptying my backpack on the desk then grabbed my chrome .380 and ordered Denie to get on the cum stained bed. Denie’s face was filled with fear as she started crying and did as she was told. I then made her handcuff herself to the bed so she couldn’t escape. She looked like she wanted to try and find a way to get out, but quickly realized I was serious and it wasn’t a game. I tried my best to calm down, but felt myself getting emotional.
“I need a hit,” I said pulling out my infamous bag. Dipping my index finger inside the coke, I was able to get some power inside the back of my finger nail, then led it to my nose. After inhaling, I did the same routine two more times until my nose began to run and my tongue became numb. Denie looked at me in awe. “Don’t look at me like that. See, you’re here because Rich needs to feel the same pain that I fucking went through a few months ago.”
“Ma, what are you about to do to me. You’re scaring me.” I’d never seen such fear in Denie.
“I told you stop calling me, Ma! I’m not your fucking mother. Your father cheated on me when Juan was only three years old. He fucked someone else, and claimed the condom broke when she left your ass on our door step. I’ve had you since you were two months old.” I could tell Denie was beyond floored because she never said a word. I walked over and stood in her face. “And do you know your father never even fucking apologized to me. He never said I’m sorry for having a baby by another woman!”
“Okay, now those drugs got you delusional.”
“Bitch, shut the fuck up and listen to me. He made me tell everyone you were my baby. I loved you Denie, but deep down inside I looked at you every day and saw the mistake my husband made tricking on the streets. You’re nothing to me, but a mistake that I should’ve left on that step.”
“Are you fucking serious?”
“Shut up!” I yelled then hit her across the face with my fist.
I went to the backpack and grabbed the shears and the razor blade out of my bag, ready to go to work. Denie yelled for help and tried to squirm and kick, but I managed to tie both of her feet to the bed. After grabbing the scarf I’d gotten from home, I stuffed it in Denie’s mouth then placed duct tape over it. Her sounds of fear were immediately muffled. At that moment, I started ripping her shirt off then took the razor blade and ran it straight down her jeans. Once her legs were exposed, I could tell I’d cut her in several places from the blood that oozed from her wounds. Denie cried and screamed, but too bad no one could hear her.
“Didn’t I say shut up? Just face it, you’re going to die if your father doesn’t show up with that money. Hell, even if he does show up, I might kill you anyway since I got that insurance policy. That money is about to take me, my new baby, and your brother far away from this place. Since Rich loves you so much, he’ll make a way. Let me see, I guess this long beautiful hair of yours that your father loves is going to be the first to go.”
Denie pleaded through the tape for me to stop, but I had no mercy. I grabbed my shears and snipped off her ponytail just like my attacker had done to me. Perfect, I thought to myself as I looked at her new choppy look. Just when I was about to torture Denie some more, my cell phone started ringing. I knew exactly who it was.
“What?” I answered.
“Lisa, where the fuck is my daughter?” Rich screamed.
“Nigga, fuck you. If you want to see your daughter alive, I hope you got that money. You know where I am!”
I had too much on Rich for him not to oblige my demands. No matter what, it was all about revenge for all my years of suffering and pain, and I was going to end up on top. It was my turn for Rich to play by my rules.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Rich
After hookin’ up wit’ Honey in Baltimore, I was on my way to the airport to visit Marisol for a couple of days when I got a text message from Denie that concerned me.
Daddy, I think Ma is high off something. She’s acting weird.
I text Denie back and asked her what was goin’ on and she told me that Lisa said she was takin’ her somewhere special. I told Denie to text me when they got to their destination, but when she never hit me back, I knew to worry. Lisa had definitely turned into a different person over the past few weeks, so it was no tellin’ what she was up to. I started callin’ Lisa soon after, but she didn’t answer. My worry turned to panic when Lisa finally responded wit’ a text message that made me turn my car around and head straight to the place where Lisa was kidnapped. She demanded money from me which she definitely wasn’t gettin’. I didn’t want to imagine Lisa harmin’ Denie, but she knew that was the one way to get to me. I knew at this point, she’d finally snapped. Somethin’ had pushed her to the edge. I knew I needed to act fast to rescue my daughter from whatever Lisa was up to.
I snapped out of my daze when my phone rang. Thinkin’ it was Lisa, I quickly answered without lookin’ to see who it was.
“I hope you came to your fuckin’ senses,” I blurted out.
“What are you talking about?” Juan asked.
“Oh, Juan. I thought you were someone else,” I said. I didn’t want him to know what was goin’ on. “What’s up? You didn’t call me collect. Are you on a three-way call? You know I don’t like that shit.”
“No, I’m calling from a pay phone. They just let me out,” Juan informed.
“Just got out? How the hell did you get out?” I asked.
“It’s a long story.”
“Long story. What the fuck does that mean?” Before Juan could respond, I decided to deal wit’ his situa
tion later. Right now, I had to find Denie. “Never mind, son. We’ll discuss that later.”
“I’m calling to see what’s up with Ma. Where is she?”
I decided to let him in on everything just in case he could talk some sense into Lisa’s deranged-ass. “Man, she’s trippin’. She took Denie to the warehouse where she was raped. I don’t know what she’s up to, but I can tell you now, if she hurts Denie, it’s gonna be a problem. Where you at?”
“Well, I just got out, but I’ve been calling her all morning and she hadn’t answered. Can you come get me?”
“I can’t, I’m almost in Maryland. Look, catch a cab to your grandmother’s house. I stored a spare key to her car under her flower pot in the front yard. There’s a $100.00 bill in the glove compartment along wit’ a gun under the passenger’s seat just in case you need it. Grab your grandmother’s car and haul ass over to Ritchie Road. There are some abandoned warehouses that you can’t miss near Central Avenue. Maybe you can talk some sense into your mother before she does somethin’ stupid.”
“What the fuck? Alright. I’ll be there as fast as I can.”
Before hangin’ up, I told Juan to hurry. All I could think about was that I would kill Lisa if she brought any harm to my daughter. The thought of Denie bein’ hurt made my adrenaline rush. I sped through lights and drove on the shoulder of the road to get to my daughter as fast as I could. When I finally made it to the warehouses, I drove around the back, and instantly spotted Lisa’s truck. Wit’ bad thoughts and memories already floodin’ in my mind about the location, I grabbed my gun from under the seat, then took a deep breath before hoppin’ out. I didn’t want to kill Lisa, but knew if it was between her or Denie, she had to go.
Quietly, I entered the back door and looked around to make sure Lisa wasn’t tryin’ to sneak up on me. After walkin’ around, I finally heard Lisa’s voice, and walked toward that direction. Wit’ my gun in my hand, I crept to the door ready to blast her ass as I listened to her talk shit to my daughter. After hearin’ her slap Denie around a few times, I pushed the door open wit’ the tip of my gun. However, I was surprised to see just how quickly Lisa reacted because I hadn’t even taken two steps inside before she turned around and drew her gun.
