by BWWM Crew
He tried several times to call Tasha and she would not pick up. He figured that she had seen the news report, but he couldn’t believe that she wouldn’t even give him a chance to try to explain. He didn’t know how he was going to, but he figured that she would at least let him explain himself. Demitri must mean more to her than a few newspaper stories, right?
“Tasha. Please call me. I don’t know how to talk to you if you won’t pick up. I promise it is not as bad as it seems. Please Tasha…I miss you.”
Demitri hung up the phone and sighed to himself. “Do you want me to try to talk to her, sir?”
He shook his head. “No, she just needs time I suspect.”
Rusco grunted, not giving his opinion one way or another. He had learned long ago to stay out of it as much as he possibly could. He had warned him and though he had said it was because of her, it was because of the way that Demitri had looked at her. Rusco had known then that he was falling and he wanted to save him.
“If she doesn’t forgive you, it just wasn’t meant to be boss.”
Chapter 11
Tasha listened to the message several times. There was something in his voice that heightened each time he called and left a message. She knew that she should call him or at least answer the phone and let him say his piece. Tasha just couldn’t. She was afraid that she would melt as soon as she talked to him, much like she did as she heard his recorded voice. It had been two weeks and all she did was think of him. Her eyes stayed on the lookout for more information about him. It seemed that he had pled not guilty, though the prosecutor was sure that he had a guaranteed conviction.
Pausing, she said goodbye to Maya and took off towards her job. Smokey’s was a welcomed reminder that she was going to be okay. It was like her life didn’t change at all. He was gone and she probably wouldn’t see him again, especially if he went to prison for drugs. Tasha groaned inwardly with the thought and her hand went to her necklace as she walked. It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her and she couldn’t believe that he had. Now she wondered how he had gotten the keepsake back. The question that she asked herself was, wasn’t anything he had done worth it, to just get one small piece of her mother back?
The thought made her stop in her tracks. She shouldn’t care what the papers say, she loved him and he had to feel something for her. Or he wouldn’t keep calling day after day. She left a message saying that she was sorry she ignored him, but that she loved him no matter what. When she hung up, she was astonished that she had said that, though she knew deep down it was true. She did love him.
He never called back and Tasha wondered if she had come around too late. She called his cell phone again, leaving another message telling him that she was getting out of work soon. “If you can come down, please do. I miss you baby.”
***
Walking out of Smokey’s later that night, Tasha was sad that he hadn’t called her. She pushed her small braids back off of her shoulders and walked towards her home, ten blocks away. Like the night she had met him, Tasha had a strange feeling go up her spine. She didn’t see anybody though, so she continued towards her apartment and her son.
It was when she was a couple of blocks away from the bar, on the most isolated stretch of her walk that a van parked twenty feet in front of her turned their lights on. The light flooded around Tasha and she shielded her eyes to see past the blinding light. She heard the doors open and footsteps coming towards her. Reality set in and she turned away from the van and started to run. Her heart pounded in her chest, covering up the other foot falls on the pavement that were quickly catching up to her. She screamed out as one large hand grabbed her by the shoulder and hauled her back and off her feet.
Thick arms encircled her waist, while a bag of some sort was pushed over her head. Her attackers threw her into the back of the van and Tasha was left cursing behind the hood. She did not know who they were, but she had more rage inside of her then fear. “Let me go!”
“Shut up or we'll make you. You are here to make someone do as we want. You will not be harmed unless you do something stupid. Do you understand?”
The voice was harsh, but she had to believe him. She had no other choice and to think otherwise was enough to drive her insane. She had no idea what he was talking about, as far as the someone else was concerned, but she was sure that she understood the rest of the words. Don’t do anything stupid. She nodded her head vigorously.
The van started to move again and the only voices she could hear were muffled by the bag. Her heart raced and she could think of nothing else to do but wait. Her thoughts went to Jonell and wondered if he missed her as much as she missed him.
***
“Ah, dear nephew. How are you this evening? I hear you have trial tomorrow. Are you ready for it?”
Demitri looked at the phone crossly. He had been trying for almost an hour to call Tasha back, surprised when he had heard her messages. But now she was not answering, the phone just rang and rang. He looked at the screen and realized that he was talking to Lanzo from Tasha’s phone. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up straight. He did not like the idea that they were together and there was something in the older man’s tone that he did not like.
“Why are you answering Tasha’s phone, Lanzo?!”
“Oh don’t be so touchy, Demitri. I am merely using it for a bit. She is quite lovely, is she not? So dark and mysterious, I can see why you are so enthralled with her. So I know that you will do the right thing by her, right?”
Demitri felt the vein in his neck bulge and the anger start to well up inside of him, making his face red. This was low even for his father’s ignorant older brother. He promised himself that when he had Tasha in front of him safe, he was going to make sure Lanzo never messed with him and his again.
“What the hell do you want? It better be good because you are dead to me after this. You hurt her, Lanzo, this is just going to make you dead to the world. Do you understand?”
There was a pause on the phone and then the man cleared his throat. “I do, Demitri. I know how you are. I want money of course, enough to live the rest of my life in hiding. I know that you will point in my direction and I can’t blame you. The evidence will point to me and I will need some more cash to get out of the country.”
Demitri knew that he had enough, but the greed in his uncle made him want more. For guys like Lanzo, it would never be enough, no matter how big the number. He would always try another angle to get more. “So how does Tasha fit into all of this?”
“Collateral.”
“How much is enough?”
“A million.”
Demitri almost balked at the number, knowing he probably had half as much in cash at his home. His greed knew no limits. “Fine. You bring her to me and then you get your money. If I ever see or hear from you again, I’ll kill you. I don’t care that you are my uncle. Are we clear?”
There was a noise on the other end and then Demitri hung up, telling him he would call soon, to set up the meet. He nervously paced as he waited for Rusco to transfer funds. The man was smart enough not to make any comments out loud so that they could be heard. He had seen the look in Demitri’s eyes before and he hoped that the outcome would be different than the last time he had seen him in this state.
He nodded and Demitri picked up the phone, punching the number of the woman he loved. He knew that now, that he loved her. He had not even blinked at the amount. He would have given it all up if that is what it would have taken to get Tasha safe and back in his arms. Demitri would have spent the rest of the time searching for Lanzo, but he still would have given it all up.
“Did you get it? Wow that was fast. It makes me think that you would pay much more for her. Is she carrying your baby or what? Why do you care this much?”
Demitri closed his eyes, his teeth pressed painfully together. He knew that it was never enough and through his own foolishness, he had opened him up for more.
“Lanzo, stick with the deal. I do no
t want to have to kill my father’s brother, but I will. Let her go now!” Demitri’s hand shook as he held the receiver to his ear, but his voice was strong and calm. He exuded nothing but power.
There was another pause, Lanzo rolling around the possibilities in his head. Rusco made another gesture, turning the blinking screen towards Demitri. He had traced the call back and got the man’s location. They both got up from their chairs, though Demitri kept the phone pressed to his ear as they raced to the car. Rusco drove quickly towards the red, blinking light that was stopped. They were not that far away and seemed to be stationary.
“What else do you want, Lanzo? How could you not get it with the million I just sent you? Don’t be greedy. Leave her and go.”
More silence and then a woman’s voice in the background. Demitri was sure it was Tasha and the sound had not been pleasant. “Shut that bitch up!”
“What did I say, Lanzo!” They were quickly approaching the blinking red blob, the man’s blue eyes darkening with rage. He cut the line to Lanzoas they pulled up in front of an old abandoned building. There were several similar ones around them, but the spot had been clear of the source.
The two men raced to the building, Demitri had his hand on his piece tucked into his back. Rusco had his out in the open and pushed ahead of him. They kicked the door in and rushed in. Two men were standing over a woman that was squiggling on the floor. “Stop!”
Everyone stopped but her. Tasha continued to thrash about, bound and determined to get out of her bindings. Only when she heard a scuffle around her and shots fired, did she stop what she was doing. She did not want to get shot and she stayed perfectly still. She could hear more movement and then there was a strange silence that took over the abandoned building. All that could be heard was her own hard breathing and the heart in her chest pounding with fear.
Then there was brightness as the hood was lifted over her head. She squinted at the bright light and could have sworn she saw Demitri before she shut them again with a groan. ”Tasha, are you okay?”
She nodded, recognizing that voice from anywhere. She sighed in relief and pushed her hands forward to let him release her. She didn’t see the knife in his hand, but she knew that is what he was there to do. “How did you find me?”
Demitri did not answer right away. He cut the thin ropes around her wrist, cursing himself for the marks left behind by the ligature. “Tasha, I am so sorry.”
“Sorry? What are you sorry for?”
Her brown eyes were finally focused on him. She still did not know that it was all because of him and he suddenly did not know how to tell her. “The men who took you are my Uncle Lanzo and a few of his friends. They have been taken care of, I assure you, but they took you to get to me. And for that I am deeply sorry.”
It all seemed to make sense to her then. She had been dating a drug kingpin and she was bound to get involved in something that could have ended her life. No matter how good the sex was or how much she loved him, there was no way that it could continue. She had a son to think about. “Jonell! I have got to go, Demitri. I am sorry I called you. I can’t be a part of this and I don’t want to be a part of a drug life. This…” She waved her hands around the room and the bloodied men on the floor, “is not my life, Demitri. I love you, but I can’t be with you.”
He stared at her retreating back and gaped at her. She was right, though not totally right. He didn’t have any excuse for his actions and he knew the fear for her own life made her say those things. There were also a few words that sent his mind soaring and he kept thinking about how she had told him she loved him. It was in the middle of why she couldn’t be with him. But he still felt a sheer pleasure to hear her say that.
“Tasha. Let me at least take you home. Do you even know where you are?”
She turned around. “You are the dangerous one, Demitri. I will find my way home, as I always have in the past.”
Tasha may have looked and sounded strong from afar, but if he would have been closer, he would have seen how her hands trembled and tears streamed down her eyes. She had never been in something so scary before and she never wanted to be again. She loved the man, but he was too much for her. She needed a man that would be a good stepfather, not the Godfather.
Chapter 12
Tasha called off of work the next couple of days. She stayed home with her son, afraid to leave her house. Demitri had called twice, but she eventually just turned her phone off altogether. There was no way that she was going to talk to him and she was seriously thinking about moving. She had a cousin the next state over and she had her checking around for apartments to rent. Tasha needed a new start and she needed to get away from the city. It would never feel safe to her again. Her hand massaged the crab in her fingers. The necklace had long since been her way to self-soothe. It was no longer just a piece of her mother. It was also a small piece of the man that had retrieved it for her.
She finally went back to work, but after a night of constantly scanning the crowd, she decided that it was the end for her there. Tasha quit and told Alice that she would miss her. She did not plan on staying there another couple of weeks, or even another day. Tasha had no plans to go back. Wiring the last of her savings to her cousin, she had her rent a small house for her and Tasha started the long process of packing what she wanted to take with her and throwing the rest out.
Within a week, Tasha and Jonell were on their way out of the city. All she could think about was safety, but the only time she had really felt one hundred percent safe was with Demitri. She had known that nothing would ever happen to her, if he could help it. He had a knack at being at the right place, at the right time. Tasha could still feel his hands on her body every time she closed her eyes at night. But she had to get over him. She just had to.
***
Country life was different, but Jonell seemed to like it better. They had a big yard and instead of an apartment, a small house on the river. The water reminded her of Demitri and even months later, she still thought of him every single time a boat would pass. Her son learned to swim and she was finally getting to where she didn’t constantly have to look over her shoulder.
She was almost done with her schooling and instead of going back to bartending, Tasha had a job in a bank. Once she completed her work, she was going to get a promotion. Jonell turned three and everything seemed to be finally going together, everything but her love life. She had dated a couple of times, even tried to have sex with one guy, but it was just not the same. She spent the whole time comparing him to Demitri and finding him lacking in more ways than she could deal with. He had ruined her for anyone else.
“Are you listening to me, Tasha? I swear, you are always looking out that window like you expect someone to be coming down that river. What are you thinking about?”
Tasha smiled at her cousin Angie. They were raised together and she felt more like her sister. When her mother died, Angie’s mom had stepped in and helped her through the last couple of years of high school. She didn’t know what she would have done without them.
“Things in the city. I think about Demitri a lot.”
Angie knew the story and nodded her head in understanding. Tasha was still suffering from a broken heart and although she had set her up with a couple of guys she knew, it became clear that Tasha was not looking for someone because she still had him in her heart. It was always the ones that couldn’t be had that were wanted the most. Tasha was no exception, but her cousin hated to see her struggling so.
“Why don’t you call him? See how he is?”
Tasha shook her head. “I can’t. Besides, he is probably in jail by now. People don’t just walk from drug and murder charges. Not legally anyways.”
“So, what if he came here right now and asked you to run away with him?”
Tasha paused and sent Angie a look. She knew how she felt and if she answered the way she should, her cousin would see right through her. “Exactly, Tosh. You got it bad.”
“I know but t
here is nothing that can be done. I have Jonell to think about. I can’t bring that kind of stuff into his life. What kind of mother would I be if I did?”
In reality, Tasha wanted a way for that very thing to happen. If there was a way, she wanted to know it. But Angie had nothing new for her and she was left wanting what she couldn’t have. At least, she thought, they would always have that one perfect night and day together. It may just be enough to get her through. In some ways Tasha was just happy she had felt it at all, even if it was scarily fleeting.
***
A week later, Tasha got a call from her old babysitter from the city. Maya called to catch up and see how Jonell was doing. Tasha could tell that she had something else to talk about. “Tosh, are you still getting the Herald?”
