by B. M. Hardin
“No we don’t. Kane already told me what he told you.”
Really?
What part?
I was surprised.
“What that he only wants you because he can’t have me?”
“Yes.”
“And you are okay with that?”
“Yes. He will get over it.”
I couldn’t believe the words that had just come out of her mouth.
Just as I was about to say something else, my bladder told me that I’d better head to the bathroom first, or the only thing we would be talking about was how my grown ass ended up peeing on myself.
I rushed past her to the bathroom.
I’d made it just in time.
I peed for what seemed like forever and my eyes started to wander.
I glanced at Lee Lee’s shelf and noticed tons of medicine bottles.
After getting myself together, and washing my hands, I grabbed one and took my phone out of my purse to search the name of it.
I found that it was for anxiety.
I was sure that it was a result of what had happened with her and Vicki.
“Damn, that’s one hell of a piss,” Legacy said outside of the door before I could search the name on one of the others.
It had to be at least ten bottles there.
“Dang, what are you the bathroom monitor?” I said walking back to the front of the house with her and Krissie following behind me.
“What was I saying?”
“Nothing important.”
“Oh. I know. You’re worth more than that Legacy.”
“I know that Moe. For some reason I feel like he is the one that everyone is always talking about. The chemistry between us is so different. I can’t explain it. You know, more than anybody that I have been with more of my share of men. I’ve had enough sex and dead end relationships for the both of us. It’s different with Kane.”
The old Lee Lee had been as easy as 1+1 and she had never been a faithful, to any man, ever. She always talked about love but she would change her mind in a heartbeat if they did just one little thing that she didn’t like or if someone else was more attractive, or more interesting at the moment. And he had better not have more money because she might not even take the time or have the decency to call things off with the other one.
He was lucky if he even got a “this isn’t working out” text. So for the life of me, I couldn’t believe that she was willing to commit to Kane knowing the past the he and I shared as well as knowing the truth behind his actions.
This wasn’t my sister.
That whole Vicki, scared for her life, situation had changed her.
At first I thought that it was a good thing, but now I wasn’t so sure.
And when did she start taking medication?
She definitely hadn't mentioned that part to anybody.
I’d just gotten her back, and it was as though I was losing her all over again.
“Legacy. He made me feel that way too. That’s why I’d started sleeping with him in the first place. He has the charm. He has the words, the magic touch and the chemistry. It’s all a part of his act Lee Lee. He never lost his memory.”
“Stop lying. He just only remembers you. And whatever feelings that he had for you. But I can change those.”
“No. He admitted to me that he never lost his memory at all Lee Lee. He’s just playing you.”
“You’re just saying that because you don’t want me to see him, but I am Moe. Look, I know that the circumstances are a little funny, but what was between y’all was just sex. That’s it. Nothing more. We have a real connection. We’re all grown here. We all know that sometimes we have sex with people that are actually meant for someone else. This is probably one of those times.”
She sounded stupid.
I personally would never want anyone that has ever touched one of my sisters, cousins, friends, anyone.
There’s plenty of meat in this world to go around and not have to share or recycle one piece.
“He’s playing you Legacy.”
“Drop it Moe. Are people still breaking into your house?”
“Who told you that? Daddy?”
“Yes.”
“They haven’t lately. We still don’t know who it is though.”
“I’m sure it’s someone that you know.”
What?
“What does that mean Legacy?”
“Well, you know what they say. Break-ins aren’t always random. Who have you pissed off? Or who had Drake pissed off?”
Hell her guess was as good as mine.
I couldn’t tell her that it could be drug related so I just changed the subject.
“Well, we just wanted to come by and hang out a little bit while Drake worked.”
“Sorry, but Kane is coming over.”
“What does that mean?”
“That means that you have to go. Sorry.”
With that, she saw me to the door.
She waited until Krissie and I were in the car before she closed it.
Well damn, it’s like that?
I drove off feeling ways about Lee Lee that I couldn’t explained.
She was my sister.
I’d saved her life.
Two women’s blood was somewhat on my hands because I’d wanted her to have her life back.
But something wasn’t right.
And I had a feeling Kane had something to do with it.
And he wasn’t going to get away with it.
I decided to call him.
“Kane, leave Lee Lee alone,” I said to him as I drove toward my parent’s house.
“Make me,” he said.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because I can.”
He was still the same asshole as he’d always been.
He should just go back to faking his memory loss.
“She’s not thinking clearly. Obviously she’s not quite back to being herself yet and you playing with her head and leading her on isn’t going to help the situation.”
“Then you fix it.”
“What? How Kane?”
“Give me you.”
Here we go with his bull crap again.
I rolled my eyes.
“Don’t you miss me? Just a little bit?”
Kane was laughing.
“You for her. Give me you and I’ll leave her alone. I know how to keep a secret. Drake doesn’t have to know.”
“Not a chance in hell.”
Kane was cracking up but I didn’t see anything funny.
“You know you want me.”
“No Kane. I don’t.”
“Well I want you to want me.”
“People in hell want ice water, but they aren’t get that anytime soon either. Kane, I just want you to leave my sister alone. Why won’t you just leave her alone already?”
“I already told you because I can’t have you. I’m taking things slow with her. So, if you want me back, you don’t have long to make up your mind. I can wait on you forever Moet.”
Kane was still giggling as he hung up but I wasn’t laughing.
Not one bit.
Immediately I’d wished that I’d recorded his call but then again Lee Lee already knew a portion of the truth and she didn’t seem to care.
Oh well.
I sat my phone down and entertained my thoughts for a little while longer.
I wished that I had stolen one of the other pill bottles in Lee Lee’s bathroom so that I could have found out what they were.
Those were a whole lot of pills.
Was there something other than anxiety that she was dealing with?
I was so concerned about her and with her fooling around with Kane, it just made things worse.
But though his motives were bad, maybe Kane did have some kind of heart.
Why else had he gone against Daddy to try to save me?
He had tried to warn me and save me, even when Drake hadn’t.
Drake was my husba
nd, not Kane.
He was the one that was supposed to have my back no matter what, even when it came to standing up to my Daddy.
He should have stood up for us and my child.
But it had been Kane.
Why?
Maybe he’d just wanted the baby to come, hoping that someway it was his, but no matter what lies he told, I knew the truth.
It had been Drake’s.
Still, that was one of the times that I’d wished that I’d taken his phone calls.
Obeying Dray’s orders, with nowhere else to go, I headed to my parents’ house.
I could sit outside for most of the day until it was time for Drake to get off.
Then I was going home.
Pulling up, Daddy was outside.
He was doing yard work as though he was a regular man in his late fifties, but he was far from that.
He was everything but regular.
“You’re avoiding me. For the past week you’ve been distant,” he said.
Krissie hurried out of the car and ran to him.
She really did adore him.
I wondered if she had been around him a lot more as a younger child since Kane was supposed to have been her father and probably met with Daddy often, maybe while she was around.
“It was all a lot to take in.”
“You think so?”
“Uh yeah.”
“I’m still the same father that you have always known. I just have a job that I failed to mention. And a whole lot more money. But I’m still the same man. This is why I didn’t want any of you to know. It just makes things more complicated than they have to be.”
I guess so.
“And I spoke to Drake earlier. He asked me if I knew you why you were acting weird. Get ahold of yourself Moet. It isn’t all that bad. It’s not like we’re walking around killing folks for a living. I could’ve revealed worse,” Daddy said.
I guess he was right again.
“And for the record, Drake wanted to tell you, but I told him not to. You didn’t need to know. But let’s forget about the conversation. I’m just your Dad. With a whole lot of money. But it isn’t like it’s for me. It’s for my kids and my grandkids; yours and whoever else decides to have some. You can ask me for anything. And your wish is my command.”
Hell, I was sure that I could ask my husband since he was rolling in drug money too.
“Can I share something with you? Something that I didn’t tell Drake or Kane yet? I didn’t think that I was ready just yet, but this morning I woke up and I’d had a change of heart. It’s time for me to get out too. I’m getting out of the game Moet.”
I turned my nose up at him.
Yeah right.
I didn’t believe him.
“After this major run happens today, I’m done and I’m giving it all to Kane. He wants it more than anybody and he deserves it. And then maybe we all can do some traveling and actually start spending some of the money that I have stashed away for years. A few trips would be nice. A phone that doesn’t ring would be lovely. No worries. No pressure. Just living. I’ve missed out on living for years so I’m looking forward to being an old man with no responsibilities. None of you will ever have to worry about a thing. I’m getting out. And so is Drake.”
My phone started to ring and I saw that it was Kane.
I pressed the ignore button and looked back at Daddy.
I just looked at him.
I guess I’ve done worse.
Hell, I’ve even been a part of worse.
The biggest issue was what he’d done to me.
As though he’d read my mind, he spoke.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you. But I had to make a decision. It was a bad one I guess from your eyes, but the only one that would work. You weren’t going to get rid of the baby and the boys needed to be on the same page at the time because a lot of money and lives were on the line. But everything worked out. And you are pregnant again. You should go and get a test by the way.”
I didn’t even want to think about it.
I was trying to figure everything else out first.
“After today, it will all be over. Drake is excited too. He will be pretty wealthy and free to enjoy his family, this upcoming wedding celebration, although y’all are already married, and soon his new child. He’ll be out of the game for good. And so will I. But still, don’t mention anything that I said to you to him.”
I let out a deep breath.
Well, I guess that’s a good thing.
I guess.
“Can we just act normal?”
I stared at him.
“What do you want an apology? I truly am sorry Moet. But truth be told, I made sure that you got something out of the deal. I made sure that you got a child even if you never got pregnant again,” Daddy said winking at Krissie.
“What are you talking about Daddy?”
“The nurse slipped a little something in Naomi’s IV for me. She was alive after she had her baby, but…”
“What are you saying Daddy? Are you saying that you killed Naomi?”
“I’m saying that I had to make it right. Of course Kane doesn’t know about this, but it had to be done. Naomi had to pay for Kane’s mistake. Just like the baby had been your sacrifice, Naomi had to be his. Of course we knew the truth that Krissie was really Drake’s all along. With Naomi out of the picture, Drake got Krissie, which meant that you got Krissie too. So, you still got a child, though we weren’t sure that you would have one of your own. It was possible, but you can never be sure. So, I had to give you Krissie to settle the score. At the end of the day, I had to make things right for you. But now that you’re pregnant, because you are Moet, well, I guess that’s just a blessing. I guess I really hadn't had to do it, but at the time, all I was thinking about was figuring out how to make you happy with the hell that I’d caused you.”
Did he really say something about a blessing after he had confessed to a murder?
And Kane would surely have a fit if he knew that Daddy had taken the love of his life away from him.
They were supposed to be so close, and all of this loyalty between their little circle, but truth be told, they couldn’t even trust each other.
“This conversation never happened. I’m sorry Moe, but let’s just move forward,” Daddy and Krissie headed towards the house.
Daddy seemed so harmless, but he was far from that.
He was everything bad and pretty much nothing good and I really had to get away from him now.
I know I’d done wrong before.
I’d help Drake get rid of Mario, and not to mention what I’d just done with Vicki and Jinx.
But dang!
Daddy just had his hands and everything and they seemed to be in everything that was bad.
But on the flip side, I’d planned to make sure that Jinx killed her sister, and I’d done it all for my sister.
For Lee Lee.
So I could relate when he’d said that he’d done it for me, but it wasn’t as though my life depended on it or something.
Drake and I could have adopted if all else failed.
And if I really was pregnant, well, it had all been for nothing.
Still in my feelings, slowly I followed behind him.
I didn’t like everything that I’d been told over the last week but I guess I was just going to have to take it for what it was.
After all, what other choice did I have?
For the rest of the day, I watched the clock and waited for Dray to call me.
Finally he did…as he pulled into the driveway.
He walked in, briefly greeted Daddy and then kissed Krissie.
As he headed in my direction, I noticed the overnight bag.
“I told you we were going home tonight.”
He smiled.
“No. Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow,” was all that he said and he headed to put his things away.
I pouted as Daddy followed him and Krissie.
I was
ready to go home!
My phone started to ring just as I was about to try to eavesdrop.
It was Kane, again.
I stepped outside.
Why I was answering his call, I really didn’t know.
But I did.
“What?”
“So, I was wondering. Are you going to thank me for my good deed?”
“What good deed?”
“For trying to save you.”
“Thanks.”
“That’s it?”
“Kane what do you want?” I asked as he giggled.
“You.”
“Don’t start with your bull crap again. It was all over and done with.”
“I was never over you Moet. I was just pretending that I had a little memory loss, but I never pretended to be over you.”
“You’re stupid.”
“Well I was wondering…does Lee Lee like to be on the top? Or on the bottom like you do?”
I screamed so many curse words in his ear that even the devil was probably somewhere covering his ears.
“And don’t call me again Kane!”
I hung up and turned around to see Drake standing there.
“Kane?”
I tried to think of something quick.
“He called to ask me if I was going to be offended if he and Lee Lee took it to the next level.”
“Why? What does that have to do with you? And isn’t that something that you and Legacy should discuss? Not you and Kane?”
“He’s such an asshole Drake. We know that already.”
Dray stared at me.
“Um huh.”
“What is that supposed to mean? Trust me there is nothing going on with me and Kane Dray.”
“Oh, I know,” he said.
Humph, I bet you do!
******************************
CHAPTER TWO
“You have this red blouse. You wore it one day that we went to lunch. Do you remember?”
Legacy, Lee Lee, had come over to my parents.
She seemed to be bouncing off the walls.
She paced the floor.
It seemed like she moved every single limb on her body, all at the same time.
Either she was overly excited; or she was on something.
She was probably on one of the many prescriptions that I saw in her bathroom.
But I didn’t mention it.
I just looked at her.
Another week or so had gone by and I was still in my parent’s house and around Daddy.
