by Shontaiye
“Bitch what the fuck I tell you,” he snarled, approaching her in his dark hoodie like the grim reaper. Eve was too frightened to speak so she remained quiet.
“Oh you don’t have shit to say now right…But ya lil stinkin ass had a whole lot to say when you fucking called my girl!” he said cocking back his foot and kicking her in the legs. Pain shot through her body causing her to scream out.
“Shut the fuck up,” he said, grabbing a handful of her weave and standing her up against him. Her head was tilted back at an odd angle since he was holding her hair and tears were forming in her eyes. She didn’t recognize this man.
“Noah please let me go. I’m pregnant, please.”
“Bitch, I don’t give a fuck! Fuck you and that fucking baby,” he spat without compassion.
He violently pushed her onto the dusty mattress. Seizing the opportunity to defend herself, she grabbed the lamp that was nearby on the nightstand and hurled it at him. Noah ducked and it crashed into the wall. Rage overcame him and he rushed over to the bed and grabbed her by her throat. He was sick of her and wished he had never met her. She had caused so much trouble when he had done nothing more than be honest from the rip. He just wanted to do the right thing now but everyone was out for themselves. Everyone was willing to use him as a pawn to achieve satisfaction for themselves. He was going to put an end to this shit tonight with everyone. He didn’t give a fuck about the consequences when they surfaced. He had plenty of money to clean up even the biggest mess.
He used both hands to apply immense pressure to Eve’s throat. She kicked and squirmed on the bed but he was too strong. While they struggled, melancholy overcame him and he zoned out. Noah saw his former life flash before his eyes as he stood over Eve with his hands wrapped around her throat. He thought of all that he had, and all that his life was, before her scheming ass had come into the picture. He cursed the day he had met her. Instead of his surroundings, he saw nothing but red through his pupils. The sounds she made became muffled and distant. Noah’s heart beat rapidly and before he realized it, he had completely blacked out. It was too late.
Noah let go and Eve was no longer moving. He stared at her for a moment and his hate tempted him to spit on her. However, he wasn’t about to leave fresh DNA for the cops. He had money to clean up a mess, but he wasn’t stupid either. Reality quickly set in for Noah and he realized he had to get the fuck out of there. Eve was dead and he was about to go the fuck to prison if he didn’t jet.
Noah backed away and slowly opened the door. He turned the knob and quietly peeped out the door. The coast was clear so he made a brisk exit into the hallway and headed for the stairs. He didn’t care about fingerprints since his would be one of many in the highly traveled room. As Noah fled the scene and headed back to his truck around the corner, Bianca who was down the hall, emerged from her own room and went to go check on her friend.
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Bianca had heard the sounds and figured Eve may had fell. She had no idea Eve wasn’t alone. Bianca knocked on the door and called out, “Eve open the door bitch, it’s Bianca.” When there was no response she grew worried.
Turning the knob, she realized the door wasn’t locked. She entered the room and the scene in front of her caused her to spring into action.
“Eve!” she called, running over to her friend who was laying limp on the bed appearing lifeless. She didn’t know how to check a pulse so she felt her chest to see if her heart was beating and then stuck her hand under Eve’s nose to see if she was breathing. Bianca immediately began screaming for help.
“Help me!!” she yelled, before grabbing the motel phone and calling 911.
“911 what’s your emergency?” they asked.
“My friend isn’t breathing and I can’t feel her heart beat! I found her like this! Please help me and hurry! She’s pregnant!”
“Try to calm down ma’am. Can you tell me where you are?”
“At the Sleep Inn on Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia! Please hurry!” she frantically demanded while checking Eve’s chest again.
“Try to stay calm ma’am. Help is on the way.”
TWELVE
Mann
Mann was pissed when he found out Nootie was the person they found outside of the Clock Bar. He didn’t give a fuck about him being dead, what bothered him is that Noah wasn’t and he had paid Nootie’s simple, unreliable ass $5,000. He wasn’t gon sweat it though. He was just gonna throw some more money on his head.
Mann continued to cruise down Old York Road in his new BMW and stared at all the prostitutes who lined up the streets. His mom used to work the same strip. He watched them try to wave down car after car, with one finally stopping an elderly suitor looking for a quick sexual fix.
He shook his head and silently wished he could open fire on the whole block without going to jail. He hated prostitutes, especially strung out ones who chose to neglect their children for a temporary feeling of nostalgia.
Mann turned into Hunting Park and made his way to the parking area for a game of hoops. A couple nigga’s from his team were meeting down there to shoot the shit and smoke weed. Everybody hung out at the park when there wasn’t shit to do, and paid niggas like himself were like God’s when they pulled up.
As Mann pulled into the park he just so happened to glance over to Cayuga Street that was parallel to the park. He spotted his young nigga Slay who slung weed for him, posted up at the window of an SUV. When Mann looked closely he realized it was Noah in his Range Rover.
Mann immediately grabbed his gun. He figured he wouldn’t get a second chance. Mann continued up and headed out the park. He figured he would bend the block and come from behind since Noah was facing the opposite way. After stopping to a light Mann turned onto 10th street and u-turned onto Cayuga Street. He slowly crept down the block where Noah’s truck was parked.
Mann slowed his speed and retrieved his gun off the seat when he got close to Noah’s truck. He rolled down the window and his young nigga pointed to him and mouthed some words. Mann immediately opened fire.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Noah
Noah was sitting in his running truck talking to a young nigga he had met through Mann name Slay. He had seen the youngin and inquired about Mann’s whereabouts. Slay hadn’t seen him in a few days but surprisingly while they talked he pointed to the street and said, “There he go right there.”
As Noah turned to face the street he spotted Mann with his gun extended out the window. Everything happened quickly after that.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Mann fired repeatedly into Noah’s truck, instantly killing Slay with a random bullet to the eye. Noah tried to duck but the bullets tore through the interior of his Range Rover. He frantically grabbed the handle as the bullets continued to rain down into and on the truck. He felt a bullet rip through his stomach during his struggle to escape. The pain was enough to bring him to his knees.
Noah managed to get the door open and as he slid out of the car he felt another bullet tear into his back. His entire lower body instantly went numb as he tumbled to the hard pavement. The shots eventually stopped and Noah heard Mann peel down the block, leaving nothing more than the smell of burnt rubber behind, along with two fallen bodies.
Noah could no longer feel the pain as he slipped out of consciousness. He watched his blood coat the ground and he eventually faded out, gun still attached to his hip.
THIRTEEN
Shaleea
Shaleea got the call from her mom nearly one in the morning that Noah had been shot. Luckily she wasn’t far. After Naomi put her out, she didn’t feel like driving back to New Jersey so she was close by at a room in downtown Philadelphia.
Noah had been transported by paramedics to Temple Hospital and that was pretty much all her mom had told her. Since Noah didn’t have her new number, the police contacted his next of kin. Gina’s name was listed under Mom in Noah’s phone so they contacted her first. Shaleea’s sisters, Gina, Chris, and Tate were all headed to the hospital. Gina ha
d called everyone. It didn’t look good.
Shaleea pulled up to the hospital and illegally parked in front of the Emergency Room. They could tow the car for all she cared. Her concern was Noah. Running to the check in desk, she quickly began talking.
“I’m here for Noah Thomas. Is he okay? I’m Shaleea Smith, his fiancé,” she stated out of breath. Her heart was racing a mile a minute and nausea enveloped her.
“Give me one minute ma’am. He just came in,” the older black lady at the desk told her. She quickly looked through the computers before getting up and heading to the back. She only was gone a minute, but to Shaleea it felt like hours. She was beginning to get light headed. The suspense was killing her. She wanted to know what happened. She didn’t know where he had been shot, if he was okay, who he was with, nothing.
The lady soon returned, but she was accompanied by an African American, silver haired distinguished looking doctor with blue scrubs.
“Miss Smith?” he asked.
“I’m Miss Smith, Noah’s fiancée, is he okay?”
The doctor looked at her solemnly and carefully chose his words.
“Noah was shot multiple times, once in the stomach and once in his back. The bullet to his back damaged his spinal cord. The doctors are doing everything they can to save his life right now….But to be honest the chances of him surviving are slim….If he does survive he will most likely be paralyzed for the remainder of his life.”
Shaleea put her hand to her chest and tried to digest what the doctor said. It was too much. The hospital was too bright; the lights in the ceiling too hot. She felt faint and fell to the floor. She thought she would pass out but she didn’t.
“Are you okay?” the doctor asked her, crouching down to take a look at her. “Get a wheelchair,” he yelled, after getting a glimpse of her blood soaked leg.
“Ma’am, how many months are you?” he asked in a serious, authoritative tone.
“I’m five, ughhhh!” she yelled. Pain unexpectedly shot through her abdomen.
“Get her to the back! Hurry up!” he yelled.
“Ughhhh!” she screamed again when she felt pain rip through her body. This time she felt it in her back. Shaleea felt warm water running down her leg and knew she was going in labor.
“Oh my god, oh my god!” she screamed. “My baby’s coming! It’s too soon, please make him stop!” she yelled.
Several nurses rushed out to assist and tried to calm Shaleea down. She felt faint again. Bright lights flashed in front of her face, her chest felt heavy and next thing you know she lost consciousness.
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Shaleea was heavily sedated to manage her pain but she was able to recognize the doctor when he walked into the room. Gina, Chris, and Tate surrounded her bedside as she blinked her heavy eyes and tried to make out what the doctor was saying. She couldn’t determine whether they were talking about Noah or her baby. Finally gathering up enough energy to speak, she whispered out in a faint voice, “Where’s my baby.” She didn’t remember much but she did know that she was forced to deliver her baby early.
With tears flooding her eyes, Gina shook her head from left to right and responded with her voice trembling, “Shaleea baby…I’m sorry honey, he didn’t make it.”
Shaleea closed her eyes and the pain she felt took her breath away. It was like a mack truck had hit her in her chest. The pain was truly indescribable. Her baby boy was dead. She hadn’t even had the honor of meeting him yet. With tears streaming from her face, she asked, “Is Noah okay?” Her heart ached in her heaving chest.
Gina looked at Chris, and Chris glanced at Tate. Tate nodded his head for her to go ahead and tell Shaleea.
“I’m sorry baby but…,” she cried out. She threw her head into her palms and sobbed. It was all too much for Gina and she had no idea how Shaleea was going to cope. Her family would see her through…
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Deceit, Lies, and Alibis 3
Shontaiye
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Gosh, where do I begin. If you were one of the ones who emailed me or gave me grief about this book…Thank you. Words can’t express the appreciation I have for my readers. This was difficult. The pressure for Deceit 3 was great, and it was a bit intimidating. Even more so, because I made everyone wait so long. I hope you enjoy it and I just want to say thank you again to the readers. I also would like to express gratitude to my immediate family. They know my struggles. They are the ones who encourage me when I doubt myself. I love you always.
introduction
The doctors hadn’t expected for Noah to survive through the night, but by the grace of God he did. The bullet that tore through his stomach should’ve killed him, while the bullet through his back should have left him paralyzed. Both of them did neither.
It was hard for Gina to initially explain to Shaleea that Noah was in a medically induced coma and not expected to live through the night. She was having a hard time digesting the news herself. When he pulled through, it was a blessing for the small family. However, it was a bitter sweet moment since he would not be accompanied in life by his child.
Shaleea was thankful that Noah still had a chance but devastated because her sweet boy would not. She felt defeated. She felt when it rained it poured, and she seemed to be the only one getting wet.
ONE
Shaleea
Shaleea opened her eyes in the dark hospital room and slowly peered around. Although she couldn’t see much, she did manage to make out the glimmer of the streetlight far away. What she would forever see in her mind were the vivid images of her baby and his headstone. She would never be able to erase those images.
She had named him Jahkee Noah Thomas. She could still see him. He looked like Noah but had her full lips. His fair skin was pale, and he weighed less than a pound. She remembered cupping him in her hands and staring down into his closed eyes. She had watched and waited, hoping they would flutter and he would come back to life.
She cherished and would still envision every moment she had spent with him. In her head she could still see his name crystal clear on his black, granite headstone shaped like a tricycle. He had just been buried a week ago in an extremely quiet ceremony, reserved for only a handful of immediate family.
While Noah lay in a medically induced coma at Temple Hospital, Shaleea laid their sweet baby to rest. She told herself she had to be strong, but her heart rebelled. She often cried day and night. From the time she pushed his small dead body out of her own, until the time they covered his casket with dirt, she cried non-stop. She didn’t understand what she had done to receive such a harsh hand. She wanted to scream and question God but she wouldn’t dare. She felt she had been blessed in so many other ways and had no right to question why He did things the way He saw fit.
Shaleea was without a doubt angry, but she refused to be bitter. She promised herself that pain would make her a better person. She would cherish everyone in her life. Nowadays, when she breathed, she would breath deep. When she hugged Heaven, she would hug her longer and harder. When she sat quietly by Noah’s bedside, she would stroke and kiss his hand a tad bit more gently. Despite what she had been through, she still loved Noah and would see him through recovery. However, when it was all said and done she seriously contemplated leaving him. She had already found a condo community in New Jersey, close to her father. She planned to dissolve her and Noah’s businesses and walk away with a new found sense of freedom. She thought about how she had come to the decision.
Not even twenty-four hours after Shaleea lost Jahkee, and Noah lay recovering from emergency surgery, two rookie detectives showed up. Their arrival and upcoming revelations would further influence her decision to leave.
The lack of qualified candidates applying for the infamous Philadelphia Police Department was the main reason the two inexperienced detectives had arrived at the private room of the quiet hospital that day. They were new to the homicide department and had only been on a few cases, however, they were eager to take on the ca
se of a pregnant dead prostitute, as they knew that it would bring a huge amount of publicity and give them an opportunity to make a name for themselves.
The taller of the two Caucasian detectives did all the talking and introduced himself as Detective Devin Mason. He reeked of AXE cologne, and was poorly dressed with his oversized gray suit seemingly swallowing up his incredibly lean frame. The other detective, Officer Edward Bohn was the polar opposite; short and round. He reminded Shaleea of Santa Claus, however, instead of wearing a jolly smile, his face was coated with an icy frown.
“What can I help you with. I already spoke to multiple officers and already told them I don’t know what happened,” she stated, with wrinkles quickly forming in her forehead from irritation. She was tired of the questioning and just wanted to be left alone. She now wanted to sit quietly, mourn the loss of her child, and pray that Noah’s surgery had been completely successful.
“I’m sorry. I don’t quite understand. We’re in charge of a homicide investigation and need to ask Noah Thomas some questions,” Detective Mason stated.
“Homicide?” Shaleea quickly asked, with a puzzled look covering her face. She was genuinely confused. Noah wasn’t dead.
“Excuse me?” Shaleea stated abruptly, with an angry glare. Detective Bohn had walked off and was slowly pacing the room while looking around.
“If you don’t mind I need you to stay over here,” she demanded. She didn’t trust the two and she needed them to stay within eyesight.
Detective Bohn didn’t respond as he walked back over to the room. He stood quietly by his partner.
“We’re investigating the murder of Eve Prevot. She was Mr. Thomas’s estranged pregnant girlfriend,” Detective Mason continued. He searched Shaleea’s eyes for any sign of emotions.
