by Sara V. Zook
Then a loud noise approached us. It wasn’t from a vehicle coming through the field—no, it was by air as a helicopter circled the vacant ground below and began to lower itself. I gawked as it landed. A freaking helicopter? Are you kidding me? Who were these guys?
Seton chuckled. “Yeah, Cain, you might want to pick your jaw up off of the ground.” He shielded his eyes as he looked over at the running chopper. “Didn’t we say these guys are Africans?”
Remmy glanced my way. “They’ve really come the whole way from Africa.”
No shit. These guys had to be loaded to be able to afford something like that. The helicopter turned off, the blades slowing down until they finally halted completely. The door opened and out came seven black guys dressed in suits that Carmine would appreciate and holding assault rifles at their sides. Seton wasn’t joking when he said these men wouldn’t hesitate to kill. I felt severely unprotected by the tiny handgun stuffed into my pants. One guy presented himself at the front of the group. He was bald and smiled as he walked over to us. He was the only one not carrying a weapon.
“Gentleman, good afternoon. I’m Bello.” He extended out his hand toward Remmy, who shook it and introduced himself and the rest of us. Bello approached me last and gave me a firm handshake, the grin never leaving his face. “I’m excited to show you the product. We’ve traveled a long way, so I hope you’re equally as excited.”
“Very,” Remmy replied. “We appreciate you coming all this way to meet up with us.”
Bello nodded his head. “Well, let’s get to it, then.” He called out to one of his men who walked up to him, carrying a briefcase. He handed it over. Bello turned around and flashed the case in front of us, trying to make the anticipation even greater. I had no idea what the product was. Seton and Remmy didn’t seem to care that they hadn’t clued me in on this new business prospect. I hadn’t exactly asked any questions either. I didn’t know if it was any safer to know all of the information anyway. Then again, how could one measure their own safety while being part of a group like this?
No one said anything. My eyes scanned the men positioned behind Bello, all of them tall and muscular with their guns at their sides, looking very much like a small, scary army. I took a deep breath and tried to focus my attention on the briefcase, which Bello slowly opened, laughing. It was lined with dark blue satin. I almost gasped when I saw what was in there—a huge pile of diamonds sparkling in the sunlight. It was a beautiful thing, those diamonds, and also amazing knowing that these had just come straight from Africa into our backyard for us to play with.
“Well, gentleman, what do you think?” Bello grinned, obviously very proud of his product.
I didn’t realize how big my eyes must’ve gotten at the sight of those diamonds, but everyone else seemed to notice as Bello belted out in laughter. I guess I was expecting more along the lines of buying guns, not this. How could Carmine have the resources to put together a transaction such as diamonds?
“That one,” Bello said, his arms still extended with the open briefcase, “is in shock, no?”
Seton gave me a threatening look to get my shit back together. “He can’t help it. He’s been poor his whole life.”
Bello threw back his head and laughed again, his bald head shining in the sun. “He won’t be poor for long now.”
Seton chuckled at the comment. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and looked away from the briefcase. I was done making an ass out of myself for the day.
Remmy came forth with his own briefcase. He opened it for Bello to peek inside. It was full of neat stacks of cash.
“Very good, very good,” Bello told him. He put the diamonds on the hood of our car, then put his hand inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a small tool—a diamond probe. He offered it to Remmy. Even Remmy was having trouble hiding his excitement as he eagerly took the probe and picked up the largest diamond and held it up to the sun. “The most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?” Bello asked.
This African obviously needed his ego stroked hard. His diamonds were amazing, I’ll give him that, but he needed a consistent line of compliments to keep him happy. His bright, cheery smile was starting to get on my last nerve.
“Truly remarkable,” Remmy said.
I cringed as that was another stroke to the cocky black man’s self-esteem.
Remmy placed the probe on the enormous diamond. We all watched, waited. The light on the probe turned green. Remmy grinned. “Well, we know it’s real.”
Bello laughed along with the men behind him. “All of them are real, I assure you.”
Remmy nodded and handed him back the little tool. He shut the briefcase and turned to face the Africans.
“Are you satisfied with the product?” Bello questioned him. “Will Carmine be satisfied?”
“We’re definitely good here,” Remmy told him, handing over the money. “And this now belongs to you.”
“Enjoy.” Bello held the briefcase full of money at his side. “Pleasure doing business with you, gentlemen.”
“We’ll be in touch,” Seton told him.
Bello nodded and returned to the helicopter. The other men stood guard until he was safely inside, and then one by one they followed and went inside, too. We all watched as the glorious machine started up again, the blades whipping the grasses of the field around as it lifted into the air, the faces of the Africans looking down at us from the windows.
“Well?” Remmy said, turning to Seton and me. “Things just got a little more interesting.”
“You can say that again.” Seton opened the passenger side door of the car and got in.
Remmy stuffed the diamond briefcase into my chest and got in. Augie still sat in the driver’s seat. He never got out. I clutched the diamonds in my arms and glanced up again at the disappearing helicopter. My first business transaction was complete.
24
CROSS
I pulled into the familiar driveway of the house I had grew up in and used to call home. It felt oddly different though, and I knew it was because it now had my stepmother’s touch. I glanced in the rearview mirror. My hair was disheveled. I pulled a brush out from my purse and raked it through my shoulder-length blonde hair. The usual dark circles seemed even more pronounced, and I knew it was because of that baby shrieking all night. I sighed and got out of the car. I didn’t know if I could make any ground by being here and seeing my father face to face, but I had to try. I had nothing left to lose anyway. He had already abandoned me once. The worst thing he could do was force me to continue living the way I had been all this time—parentless and unsupported by the one man who had raised me singlehandedly, the great Senator Humphrey Cross.
I knocked lightly on the front door at first. Then hearing nothing, I pounded my fist against it. I felt the tears surface. “I made a terrible mistake!” I yelled in at him. “Please let me come in! Please open this door!” I beat on it again with my hand.
The door finally opened and the first thing I saw was Verna’s face.
“What is all this about?” my stepmother asked angrily. “You’re carrying on out here and the neighbors are going to hear you and call the police or something. You need to stop acting like this right now, Lilah.”
She was so ugly. I hated her and her pudgy, round face, beady, lifeless eyes, and short curly hair. She always wore her blush thick, covering her entire cheek. She disgusted me. I could never see what my father saw in her. She didn’t even have a personality. I kicked the door open wider and pushed past Verna to get into the house.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Verna yelled out, surprised by my boldness. “I didn’t invite you in, young lady! This is totally uncalled for!”
I ignored her. I learned a long time ago it was an utter waste of breath to talk to Verna. She was a heartless soul who went out of her way to make my life as miserable as possible. She wanted my father for herself, and that meant getting me completely out of the picture, which she had already successfully done. I hadn’t helpe
d matters with Mark, but somehow I had always suspected that Verna had fully supported, and even planted a bug in my father’s ear, that Mark would be a black streak on his government reputation and that in order to prevent that, he had to push me out of his life. My father’s reputation was more important to him than family—obviously. It had been a hard pill to swallow, but I knew Verna wasn’t innocent in the situation. Just seeing her again ignited that imaginary flame that she always lit inside of me—hatred.
I threw open the double doors of my father’s study. There he was lounging on a leather sofa, his feet propped up in the air, a newspaper open before him. “I thought I heard your voice.”
I frowned. He knew I was here but hadn’t bothered to even get off his couch. He folded up the paper and tossed it on top of his desk.
“I need to talk to you,” I told him.
Verna followed me in, her forehead creased in wrinkles. “Humphrey, do I need to make a phone call to remove her? She just pushed on past me at the door.”
I turned around and glared at her.
My father held up his hand. “It’s okay, Verna.”
“You’re going to call the cops? Seriously?” I asked her, daggers protruding from my eyes.
Verna put her hands on her hips. “You don’t belong here.”
“And you do?”
“Enough,” my father told us. He stood up then and sighed. He looked older than I remembered, his hair thinner on top, his cheeks sunken in a little. He just looked so aged in his navy sweater and gray slacks. “I thought I was clear when I told you the money was a one-time thing.”
The tears rushed down my cheeks. “I don’t want your money.” I glanced back at Verna who was still standing there. “Can I just talk to you alone, without her?”
He exchanged glances with Verna.
“I’m not going anywhere, Humphrey,” she warned him.
“It’s fine,” he assured her. “Shut the doors behind you.”
She let out a sigh of frustration but closed the heavy double doors.
I felt instant relief knowing that she wasn’t breathing the same air as me anymore. “Oh, Dad!” I wrapped my arms around his neck and began to sob into his chest. “It’s been so horrible.” His hands didn’t return the hug right away, but then I felt him pat my back gently after a few moments. It wasn’t exactly a loving, comforting gesture on his part, but I’d take it. “Mark is the worst human being. You were so right about him. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you. My life is horrible, Dad. He’s made a mess of everything. I’m afraid of him.” I felt the words spilling out of my mouth before I had even thought about what I was doing, but then an instant plan formulated in my mind, and I had to keep going with it. “I’m afraid of what he’ll do to me. He’s gotten so abusive,” I told him. I wasn’t really afraid of Mark, I just loathed his presence. He was mean, I’ll give him that, but I doubted he’d ever have the balls to actually physically do anything to me other than push me out of a car. He wasn’t going to throw a punch or I was sure he’d already have done it, but this could be my way out of this mess. My father might actually buy into this if I kept pouring out the guilt of the possibility that his daughter could get seriously hurt from her husband.
He pulled away from me as I sucked in my runny nose. I needed the tears to continue to come. It seemed easy when I felt so sorry for myself. “What do you need, Lilah?”
I shrugged. “What if he tries to do something to me? I don’t have anything to protect myself.”
“What do you need?” he repeated, his tone strict.
I looked up at him with my teary eyes and tried to appear as pathetic as I possibly could. I was pretty sure my messy hair and dark circles were a huge benefit to me right now for once. “Protection.”
“Like a body guard?” he questioned me.
I sighed. “Like a gun.”
He laughed. “You can’t be serious, Lilah.”
I just stared at him, my eyes pleading my case for me.
“Absolutely not.” He shook his head, knowing what I was asking of him, thinking I was crazy for suggesting such a thing.
I wiped my eyes and sat down on the couch. “You don’t know how mean he is. I’m terrified of him. He’s threatened my life more than once.” My lies were even surprising to me, but I knew it had to be done. I needed this from my father.
“I can’t…”
“Can you actually look into the future and forgive yourself if your only daughter ends up dead at the hand of someone like Mark, knowing you could’ve prevented it?” I interrupted, forcing more tears to surface and then stream down my cheeks as I blinked.
There was a light tap on the doors of the study. “Humphrey? Everything okay in there?”
I clenched my fists into balls at my sides at the sound of that annoying woman’s voice.
“Fine, Verna!” he hollered at her, seeming equally as annoyed as I was. She was probably standing out there with her ear pressed against the doors. Wouldn’t have surprised me at all.
“You don’t think Mark would actually do something,” he began, his face twisted with the guilt I had just thrown at him.
I nodded. “You have no idea how things have been. I’m scared to even go in my own house. I’ve never been so scared in all my life.” I let my body sob, making my shoulders go up and down to add effect.
My father sat down beside me and leaned in to lower his voice so Verna wouldn’t be able to hear. “I don’t want this mess spilling over onto me,” he hissed.
“It’s just for protection, dad. It’s just in case he tries to do something. It will make me feel safer and better in a place I’m supposed to feel safe in all the time. I’m trying to get a divorce. He’s not being cooperative. I’m trying to get out of this marriage, but while I wait for things to line up, I just need to know my life’s not in jeopardy here. I need to be able to defend myself.”
My father ran his hands up the front of his sweater, the thoughts he was having being pure torment right now as he was faced with a decision, one I was sure Verna wouldn’t be a part of this time. He gave me a questioning look before walking behind his desk to his safe and turning it to the correct combination. It clicked and he swung the door open and dug his hand inside. He retrieved a small handgun and gave it to me.
“Here, take this,” he told me. “The safety’s on. Always keep the safety on, Lilah, and for god’s sake, be careful. If Mark is acting this crazy, call the police and get help. Get a restraining order—something.”
I heard his words but my attention was focused on the gun I now held in my hand, the weight of it and feel of the metal, smooth and almost comforting. This had worked out perfectly. My dad had fallen right into my scheme. I felt empowered by this gun. Now it could happen. Mark would finally face his doom. I could rid the world of my husband. For the first time in a long time, I smiled.
25
CAIN
I was standing in Carmine’s living room. It was immaculate and decorated but didn’t have that lonely feel to it that I assumed it would have since Carmine presented himself as a loner. This place was filled with exotic fish tanks that spanned the entire room and seemed to venture into other rooms. He had colorful paintings on the wall and furniture that didn’t look stiff or what I thought would be more Carmine’s style. Instead, everything looked comfortable and homey. There were large windows that went from ceiling to floor, letting plenty of light in. It wasn’t stuffy at all. I was truly impressed.
At the side of the room was a small kitchen. I was sure this was just one of Carmine’s side kitchens or something like that. Somewhere in this place, I was sure there was an enormous kitchen that was absolutely incredible.
Carmine’s own personal chef stood behind a bar. He waved me over. “Can I offer you something to eat, sir?” he asked. “Some sushi perhaps?”
“I’ve never had that before,” I told him, eyeing up the plate before me and the color schemes that made up this sushi.
“Please, try some.”
I was hesitant, but picked up a piece and shoved it in my mouth. There was a spicy sauce on the top mixed with some sort of seafood. I chewed and nodded my head at the chef. “This is really good,” I mumbled with my full mouth.
He smiled, amused with my reaction. “Have as much as you’d like.”
“I will.” I stuffed another piece into my mouth as Carmine entered the room. He wasn’t dressed in a suit this time but instead had on jeans and a collared shirt. It made him slightly less intimating—but not much. He still looked sharp and seemed like he prided himself on his appearance, which I admired about him.
“You can go, Raul,” Carmine announced, dismissing the chef, who quickly ducked out of the room. “Want to sit at the table and eat?” he asked, turning to me.
I shook my head. I couldn’t stuff my mouth and have a serious conversation with Carmine. “I’m good.”
He nodded and gestured toward two chairs facing the windows. I sat down and leaned back. I wondered how many times Seton or Remmy got to come up here and chit-chat with the boss man.
“I wanted to discuss the new business deal with the Africans,” he began, folding his hands on his lap.
I nodded.
“What do you think, Nicky?”
I made eye contact with him. “It’s very impressive, I’ll give you that.”
“What was your opinion on Bello?”
I smirked. “He’s a little…over-confident I guess you could say.”
Carmine smiled back. “Yeah, I got that from him, too. The only thing you can do with guys like that is to keep up their confidence.”
“Right,” I replied. “That we did.”
“Good,” Carmine said, looking out his window and to the high skyscrapers in the distance that belonged to Haven. “It’s not necessarily about trusting someone like Bello, Nicky. It’s more about keeping the peace. In the end everyone makes a lot of money and that makes both parties happy. That’s what it’s all about really—happiness.”
