Craving Temptation

by Deborah Fletcher Mello

  As Amina moved out the door Basil rushed behind her. When they were out of their father’s eyesight he yanked her arm, spinning her around to face him. “You’re doing really well so far,” he hissed, his mouth pressed against her ear. “Just keep your mouth shut now and you and Rasheeda both will be fine.”

  Neither of them expected Troy when he suddenly grabbed her brother. He pushed him back into the classroom, slamming him hard against the green chalkboard. Chalk dust spewed behind Basil’s back as Troy slammed his fist into the man’s stomach, following it with a left hook to Basil’s chin.

  “What’s going on here?” Nasser said, his voice raised. “Basil?”

  “Troy!” Amina cried out, shock splattering her face.

  “If you ever put your hands on my wife again, I will hurt you,” Troy said, holding Basil by his collar. “You already got one pass. You won’t be so lucky if it happens again.”

  She called his name a second time. “Troy, baby, don’t, please!”

  Troy threw one last punch before he released the hold he had on Basil, the man’s body sinking to the floor. He adjusted his suit jacket around his torso then turned toward Nasser. “Your son has a problem with hurting women. Now, you might not be able to keep him in check but I will if he ever hurts Amina again. Do we understand each other, sir?”

  Nasser nodded, his jaw locked tight. He tossed a glance toward Basil and then to his daughter. Tears misted Amina’s gaze, frustration creasing her brow.

  Mike and another man suddenly appeared in the doorway. Mike’s eyes widened, his mouth opened in surprise. The other man stepped inside, assessing the situation.

  “Is there a problem here?” the other man asked. He looked down at Basil who was still reeling from Troy’s assault.

  Nasser shook his head. “No. No problem. My son tripped and fell. Mr. Elliott was showing his concern.”

  The stranger eyed them all warily. “Well, the meeting is about to start. We need all the candidates to gather by the entrance,” he said.

  Troy slid one hand into Amina’s curls, his fingers resting against the back of her head. His other hand slipped around her waist as he pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. He pressed his cheek to hers and held her tightly for a brief moment. When he pulled away, Amina smiled.

  “I love you,” she whispered.

  Troy nodded. “I love you more!”

  Mike grabbed both their arms. “I’ve got love for you both and I don’t want to ever know what happened here.”

  Troy smiled. “Why not?”

  “Plausible deniability,” Mike said with his own chuckle. “We need to move it.”

  Amina tossed her sister one last look. Rasheeda took a step forward and Kareem grabbed her by the back of the neck, his grip tight as he stalled her steps. His grin was malevolent as he pulled her closer to his side. Amina’s gaze shifted from one face to the other.

  Rasheeda nodded. Something in her eyes made Amina smile, her own head bobbing against her neck. She pulled herself from Kareem’s grasp and eased to her father’s side. She grabbed the patriarch’s hand and leaned to kiss his cheek. As they stepped past Basil, Nasser didn’t bother to look in his son’s direction.

  The atmosphere in the large auditorium was energized. The crowd was eager to talk one-on-one with the candidates and each of the candidates was impressive. Amina was still in awe of Troy’s actions and as she glanced to the empty seat beside Rasheeda and Kareem she knew that no one had ever bested her brother like that before.

  As the crowd clapped, Amina clapped with them. When Quentin, Harper, and Mike cheered, she joined them but truth be told she hadn’t heard one word any of the candidates had spoken. She was unable to focus on the discussion, her attention drawn to Rasheeda who was sitting stoically, her body tense. Kareem had an arm resting against the back of her chair and she was leaning as far from him as she could manage. Some thirty minutes into the meeting, Basil finally made an appearance, the dust brushed from his clothes, the beginnings of a black eye forming on his face. He sat down beside Kareem and the two fell into a whispered conversation.

  The two sisters locked gazes and held it. Amina’s heart began to race and she leaned forward in her seat. Rasheeda stood up abruptly and suddenly rushed toward the exit. Before either man realized what was happening Amina was on her heels, both heading in the direction of the ladies’ room. When they were safely inside, Amina locked the door, just as Kareem slammed his shoulder against the wood.

  Amina wrapped her arms around her sister’s shoulders and the two women hugged each other tightly. They clung to each other as Rasheeda began to cry, tears streaming down her face.

  “I knew you weren’t okay,” Amina finally whispered. “I knew something was wrong.”

  “I’ve been locked in a room in Kareem’s basement.,” Rasheeda whispered. “Today was the first day they let me out.”

  Amina gasped. “We’re calling the police.”

  There was a sudden slam against the bathroom door and both women jumped. On the other side Kareem was banging harshly as he called out Rasheeda’s name.

  Amina fumbled inside her purse for her cell phone. She had just dialed the nine and the one when the door suddenly flew open. Kareem and Basil both rushed into the room behind it, Basil snatching the phone from her hand.

  Inside the auditorium Nasser and Troy both had watched as the two women rushed from the room. Neither man had missed Kareem rising to follow, Basil on his heels just minutes later. By the end of the meeting when none of them had returned both men became anxious. The evening’s moderator brought the session to a close. Both Nasser and Troy avoided the salutary handshakes and rushed to the front of the building. When he couldn’t find either of his daughters Nasser pulled out his cell phone to call his son. Troy called the police.

  21

  Amina and Rasheeda were still holding tight to each other when Kareem slammed the basement door, leaving them alone in the dimly lit room. When they heard footsteps fading off into the distance Amina moved to the door and tried to pull it open. Frustration washed over her expression as she tried to fathom how they’d managed to be in such a precarious situation.

  Rasheeda pulled her knees to her chest, wincing as she slid down on her side, her head resting against the pillow. Amina moved to her side, brushing her fingers across her sister’s forehead.

  “You’re running a fever,” she said.

  Rasheeda shrugged. “I don’t feel good. My insides feel like they’re on fire.”

  “They’ll find us,” Amina said, trying to sound confident. “Troy won’t stop looking until he finds us.”

  Tears suddenly rained down Rasheeda’s face. “Oh, don’t cry. Please don’t cry,” Amina said as she crawled onto the bed and wrapped her body around her sister’s. She held her tightly. “It’s going to be okay. We are going to get out of here,” she said.

  Rasheeda shook her head. “Todd doesn’t know where I am. They put that marriage announcement in the newspaper and I bet he thinks I turned my back on him.”

  Amina shook her head. “No, he doesn’t. He loves you. And as soon as we get out of here you’re going to be able to tell him how much you love him.”

  Rasheeda wanted desperately to believe Amina. She suddenly felt like that was all she had to hold on to. She winced as a twinge of pain shot like a bolt of lightning through her midsection. She squeezed her sister’s hand, tightening her grip on the other woman’s fingers.

  “Todd has never seen my face,” Rasheeda suddenly said. “Isn’t that crazy? I could look like the back end of a baboon and he wouldn’t know it.”

  Amina smiled. “Well, you’re absolutely beautiful so he won’t have anything to complain about.”

  “That’s it though,” Rasheeda exclaimed. “I don’t think it would matter to him. He loves my personality and my spirit and he likes being my friend. He makes me feel so special and I like that.”

  “So do you ever plan to let him see your face?”

  Rasheeda tri
ed to lift her mouth in a slight smile. She winced again. “On our wedding day. When I was in Baltimore we had set a date and then Basil showed up and forced me to leave. Kareem threatened to break Todd’s hand and I was afraid he would hurt him. Todd’s studying to be a surgeon and he can’t have a broken hand!”

  Amina blew a strained sigh. She tried to lighten the moment, making conversation to pass the time. “Well, I can’t wait until you get married then. Do you plan to wear the veil after you marry?”

  “No. I only wear it now because of Basil and Father. And I think if I said I didn’t want to wear it Father wouldn’t have a problem with it. I will continue to wear my hijab though. That was the other reason I went to see Todd.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Todd was having a crisis of faith. He was thinking about leaving and I needed to know how he felt about that.”

  “And now?”

  “He’s worked through it and he’s happy now.”

  Amina felt Rasheeda’s forehead a second time. She was hot and her skin was clammy.

  “Are you and Troy happy?” Rasheeda suddenly asked.

  Amina nodded. “He’s the best thing that could have happened to me.”

  “That’s good. I like Troy. I think he’s good for you.”

  “I’ll tell you a secret but you have to swear to me that you won’t tell anyone else.”

  Rasheeda tried to lift her head. “I . . . prom . . . prom . . . prom . . .” she stammered, suddenly unable to get the words out. It was harder for her to breathe and she was panting lightly.

  “Rasheeda! Are you okay?”

  Rasheeda sighed, a low grown easing past her lips. “So . . . tired,” Rasheeda finally whispered. “So . . . tired . . .”

  Basil was pacing the floor, his mind racing. He should never have allowed Rasheeda to attend the town hall meeting. From the moment they’d arrived things had gone from bad to worse. He had trusted Amina would have done one thing she’d been told and she’d managed to screw that up for him. He raged, a loud scream the momentum behind a soft punch. He was breathing heavily as he stared at the dent in Kareem’s living-room wall.

  Kareem moved into the space with a suitcase in hand. After opening the wall safe behind a painting in the far corner, he removed his passport, a portfolio of legal documents, and stacks of cash, tossing everything into the leather carrier.

  “What are you doing?” Basil questioned.

  “What do you think I’m doing? I’m getting the hell out of town.”

  “We can still make this work!” Basil shouted.

  Kareem shook his head. “Are you crazy? This is over and I’m not about to hang around to see how it blows up.”

  “What do we do about my sisters?”

  “Your sisters are a liability. I don’t leave problems around to burn me later.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “Far away. And I strongly suggest you do the same,” Kareem said matter-of-factly.

  The two men stood staring at each other for a brief moment before Kareem grabbed his suitcase and headed to the car in the garage. Minutes later he returned with two full containers of gasoline.

  Troy was finding it harder and harder to control his emotions. He knew he needed to stay calm but he was finding that more difficult to do. Since the police had arrived he’d had Mike in one ear reminding him about his public image. Then Harper had found Amina’s cell phone smashed on the floor in the women’s bathroom and all his control had been lost. Troy had suddenly become a husband whose wife was missing and he was willing to do whatever he needed to get her back.

  After giving his last statement to a uniformed officer he moved to Nasser Salman’s side. The man was no longer his opponent but his father-in-law, his loss cutting even deeper than Troy’s. The two men locked gazes, Nasser tossing Troy a nod of his head.

  “Do you have any idea where Basil would have taken them?”

  Nasser shook his head. “No, I’m sorry but I don’t. I don’t know why Basil would do something like this.”

  Troy sighed. “Do you know anything about Basil’s business dealings with Mr. Fayed?”

  “No. It was my understanding that Kareem was teaching Basil the ropes. Helping him build his own real estate business. I never got specifics.”

  Troy nodded. “Mr. Nasser, you might want to sit down,” he said.

  “I don’t understand . . .”

  “Well, it seems that . . .” Troy started as he laid out the details of real estate fraud Basil had committed with Kareem Fayed’s assistance. Troy told the man everything Rachel and Amina had told him, including the suspicion that Kareem might have been involved in the disappearance of his first wife, and the death of his second.

  “He’s been married twice?”

  Troy nodded. “Yes, sir. There are two marriages that we’re aware of.”

  Nasser shook his head, his spirit suddenly broken. “I trusted him. I trusted him with my daughters.”

  “How about his parents? Would he have taken them there?”

  “His parents are living in London. They returned to the UK after they learned about Amina’s marriage to you. I gave the officer the one phone number I have for them. I also gave them the only address I had for him as well.”

  Troy blew breath past his lips, the air rushed. “The officer said they checked his apartment and his office but there’s no one there.”

  “I don’t know anywhere else to look,” Nasser said, his own frustrations beading sweat across his brow.

  The two men stood together in solidarity for another ten minutes, until the police had spoken with everyone who might have seen something. When the officer in charge instructed them both to go home and wait, neither moved. Quentin broke through the quiet they’d fallen into.

  “We can all go back to the bakery to wait. The police have your cell phone numbers and they can reach you both there.”

  Troy nodded. Nasser looked hesitant.

  Harper placed a gentle hand against the man’s forearm. “Mr. Salman, we’re all family and we need to be together to support each other. Amina and Rasheeda both would want you to be with us right now so that we can support you.”

  Nasser nodded. “I don’t have a car. Basil drove . . .” He paused, his voice catching deep in his throat.

  “That’s okay, sir,” Troy said. “You can ride home with me.”

  Basil’s eyes were skating frantically back and forth. “What the hell are you doing!” he snapped.

  Kareem cut an eye at him, not bothering to respond. He continued to douse the floors and furniture in gasoline, moving from the bedrooms, down the hall through the living room, and into the dining area.

  “What about my sisters?” Basil yelled.

  Kareem said nothing as he moved back to the garage and tossed the now-empty red containers into the washroom.

  He came into the house one last time, turning on the gas stove and oven.

  Kareem came toe to toe with Basil, his narrowed gaze cold and calculating. “Your sisters are on you. But if you’re smart you’ll let them vanish and you’ll do the same thing. Disappear, Basil. Forget this life. Forget your family. And you damn sure better forget you ever knew me.”

  Before Basil could respond Kareem flicked the Zippo lighter in his hand and slung the flaming unit into a puddle of fluid. The gasoline ignited, flames shooting with a vengeance across the floor. Basil’s eyes widened as he watched Kareem head for the door, tossing him a glance over his shoulder. “Disappear!” Kareem snapped one last time.

  Racing to the front yard, Basil turned to stare back at the house. Flames were beginning to shoot out the side windows, glass shattering from the heat. The neighbor next door suddenly rushed to his side.

  “I called the fire department. They’re on their way!” she shouted as she held tight to a small poodle tucked under her arm.

  “What?” Basil tossed her a look, his eyes swinging back to the house and then down the road where Kareem’s car had disappeared.r />
  “The fire department. They’re on their way,” the woman repeated.

  Basil could hear the sirens in the distance, sounding like they were miles away. He tossed the woman another look. His heart was racing, perspiration dripping from his pores.

  He suddenly shouted, “They’re my family! Tell them my sisters are inside!” And then he tore across the lawn and back inside the house.

  Troy was pacing the floor, twisting his hands nervously. Nasser sat in a corner, Miss Alice keeping him company. Harper crossed the room, coffeepot in hand, as she refilled everyone’s cup with brew. Quentin rested a tray of sandwiches and baked goods on the table, encouraging everyone to eat.

  Staring out the bakery window Troy was reminded of the first time he’d laid eyes on Amina, her energy like a tornado spinning around her. Her bright eyes had reflected her spirit and he’d fallen head over heels in love. The memory pulled an easy smile on his face.

  There was a knock on the bakery door and he turned to see Rachel, Dwayne, and the baby standing in the entrance. Quentin moved to let the family in.

  “Any news?” Rachel asked.

  Troy shook his head. “Nothing. I’m about to go crazy.”

  Dwayne tapped him on the back. “They’ll find her.”

  Miss Alice gestured toward them. “Bring me that baby! Let me cuddle her,” she said as she waved her arms.

  Rachel rolled her eyes as she moved to drop her infant daughter into Miss Alice’s arms. She extended her hand to Mr. Salman. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Salman. I’m Rachel and this is my husband, Dwayne.”

  “It’s very nice to meet you both,” Nasser responded.

  “And this delightful little munchkin is Joanna,” Miss Alice cooed.

  Nasser smiled. “May I hold her?”

  Rachel nodded as Miss Alice placed the baby into his arms. She smiled as Nasser cooed softly, rocking Baby Joanna in his arms. Rachel moved back to where Troy was standing.