Flawfully Wedded Wives (19 page)

—
Kina Battle

 

Kina, swathed in what could only be described as a burgundy choir robe, stood before a small crowd on that brisk November night, armed with “The Romans Road to Salvation” and hidden cell phone cameras.

“Okay, does everybody have their Bibles?” Kina asked the bevy of supporters gathered that night. They all nodded. A few shot their Bibles into the air for proof. “Good, good,” said Kina, nodding. She turned to her camera crew. “Now, make sure you get the outside of the club first so everybody will know the name, and be sure to capture every moment on film. I've been promising the viewers something big all week, so I expect us to get a lot of hits on the Web site tonight, especially once word travels.”

“We're ready to upload to all the major social networking sites as soon as you give us the go-ahead,” the cameraman replied.

“Great.” Kina gave her face a quick glimpse in her compact. “All right, let's do this!”

Kina and her band of merry men and women began charging toward the entrance of Paramours. As they approached the entryway, everyone could hear the bass thumping and laughter emanating from the modest hideaway strip club. The unpaved parking lot was lined with everything from broken-down Hondas to Hummers.

They were stopped at the door by the club's bouncer, a mountain of a man, who brandished the gun and holster beneath his jacket. “Where do you think y'all are going?”

Kina was ushered to the front of the pack. “We're going inside. There's no law saying you can deny us entry. We come in peace.”

“Around here,
I'm
the law, and I'm telling you to get outta here!”

“You come with guns and brass, but we come in the name of the Lord!” proclaimed Kina, paraphrasing David in his standoff with Goliath. Her followers cheered her on.

“Hey, y'all got to take this somewhere else,” directed the bouncer.

“Or what?” Kina demanded, getting in his face. “Are you gonna hit me? Are you gonna shoot a woman?”

“I'm telling you,” he warned her. “You better get out of my face and take all this foolishness back on across the road somewhere.”

“We want to see the owner!” yelled Kina.

The bouncer crossed his beefy arms in front of him. “He ain't here.”

“Well, we want to watch the strippers,” Kina said, bargaining with him.

“Look, I'm giving you five . . .” The bouncer's attention was diverted by an altercation between two men in the parking lot. “Hey! Hey!” he called to them and brushed past Kina and her crew to intervene in the fight. Kina and her followers squeezed through the door and into the club.

When they stepped into the darkened club, they stumbled upon a topless dancer breezing freely throughout the establishment. Hordes of other naked and scantily clad women were posted up in various areas of the room, all vying for the attention and dollars of the club's patrons. Lap dances were in as great abundance as the large trays of food and alcohol. Kina wrinkled her nose at a man she recognized from church. He was seated with a dancer, who looked to be no older than age eighteen and straddled his lap. Food and bodies occupied almost every available space in the room. Loud bass music echoed throughout. Paramours appeared to be the working man's Xanadu.

“This is a disgrace,” decreed Kina as she watched one girl lift a leg over her shoulders while gyrating for a group of men, much to their delight.

“What do you want us to do?” asked one of Kina's supporters. The music was so loud that they practically had to yell in order to hear each other.

“Start handing out Bibles and witness to those who'll receive the Word.”

As the group began to disperse, an obviously intoxicated dancer strolled up to one of Kina's team members and kissed him on the cheek. “You want a dance?” she whispered in his ear and licked his lobe. The middle-aged man in his wrinkled suit was flustered.

“No,” Kina countered and shoved a small Bible into the woman's hand. “What he wants, and what we all want, is for you to live up to your full potential. God formed you in His own image. He created you to be so much more than this. Sweetheart, when you get home and put on some clothes, I want you to read Ezekiel sixteen. ‘Thus says the Lord God, because your lust was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your whoring with your lovers, and with all your abominable idols, and because of the blood of your children that you gave to them . . . They shall strip you of your clothes and take your beautiful jewels and leave you naked and bare.' But there's another way. There's hope for you in the Lord.”

The woman balked. “Who is you?”

“I'm just a servant of the Lord, sent here to show you a better life and a better way of doing things.”

The woman seemed more spooked than redeemed. She let the Bible fall to the floor.

Kina shook her head and began scanning the room. Her eyes landed on a woman standing across the room, having a drink and laughing with two men. She was wearing a black halter top, high-heeled black boots, and a thong. It was Reginell. Kina didn't want to humiliate her cousin, but not even family could get in the way of soul saving . . . and ratings.

Kina signaled to her cameramen to go ahead of her. As she beelined toward Reginell, Kina waved her Bible in the air. “See, this is what I'm talking about!” cried Kina. “My own kinfolks trapped in Satan's lair! I demand you come out of this club right now, Reggie! You are the righteousness of God, and my Jesus did not die on that cross so you could throw it back in His face this way. You've been delivered. It's time you started acting like it!”

Reginell was filled with horror at the sight of Kina, knowing her ever-present camera could not be far behind.

“What are you doing?” screeched Reginell.

“I'm saving you from yourself, my sister. God has a bigger and better plan for your life than this. Pick up your cross and follow Him!” One of Kina's crew zoomed in on Reginell to capture her expression. “First Corinthians six, nine and ten. ‘Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.'”

“If you don't get that doggone camera out of my face!” Reginell threatened through clenched teeth.

“I'm trying to help you, sister.” Kina outstretched her hands. “I'm trying to help all of you. You're lost, but God's grace is sufficient.” Her street team began distributing small leather Bibles. “It's not too late to turn your life around. It's never too late. God is waiting for you with open arms. He never left you. You left Him. Now it's time to come on back home.”

“Ain't that the chick from that reality show?” questioned one of the dancers.

“Yes.” Kina faced the camera head-on. “I'm
Lose Big
winner Kina Justine Battle. Just like the Lord gave me victory over my hardships and circumstances, He can do the same for you.”

Witnessing the commotion, Ray pounded his way to where they were. “What's going on in here?” he barked. “Is there a problem?”

“Yes, there is a problem,” declared Kina. “This demonic playground is an abomination to the Lord! You're no better than a common pimp, selling off the souls of these women for a few measly bucks. You should be ashamed.”

Ray beckoned his security team. “Hey, get these cameras, these Bibles, and this crazy broad up out of here!”

“Jesus is coming back! Your soul is condemned to hell if you don't do something about it!” Kina cried as she was being escorted out by a bouncer. “‘So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof!' Proverbs one, nineteen!”

Ray responded with a string of expletives.

Kina wriggled out of the bouncer's grip and grabbed Reginell. “Reggie, you're coming with me! I can't save everybody else in here, but I'll be shot dead before I allow any cousin of mine to wallow in Satan's playpen.”

Ray raised an eyebrow toward Reginell. “Oh, she's with you?”

“She's my cousin, but I didn't know she was going to do this.”

“Go to hell and take your cousin with you!” ordered Ray.

Reginell was mortified and attempted to plead with him. “Ray—”

Ray pointed toward the door. “Both of y'all, go! I knew I should've never let you back in here, Reggie. You're more trouble that you're worth.”

Reginell and Kina were very unceremoniously shoved out into the dark night along with the rest of Kina's party.

Reginell pounced on Kina the moment they were kicked off the premises. “What is wrong with you, Kina? What did you do that for?”

“I did this for you, Reggie, for your soul.”

“That's some bull, Kina. You did this for you and that stupid reality show you're trying to pitch. How could you sell me out like that?”

“I was trying to help you by bringing you out of darkness and into the light.”

“The only light you care about is the one attached to that camera!” Reginell accused. “You can't post this online, Kina.”

“It's too late,” Kina informed her. “It was a live stream.”

“What if Mark sees this, Kina?”

“And that's my problem?” Kina replied, firing back.

“You shouldn't have gone behind his back and kept this a secret from him, Reggie. What does the Bible say? Everything done in the dark will be brought to light!”

“You've got some secrets you don't want to come to light either, cuz. How would you like it if I started shedding some light on you?”

Kina exhaled. “I know you're upset now, but you're going to see that I did it for your own good. You're going to thank me one day. Eventually, you'll see that I did you a huge favor.”

“I'll thank you when hell freezes over, Kina, and stop acting like you're trying to look out for me. We both know exactly why you did this.” Reginell shook her head, as hurt as she was angry. “I can't believe you sold me out like that—your own cousin.”

“You sold yourself the minute you started taking off your clothes for chump change. You were sold to the devil and to the world a long time ago.”

With her entourage in tow, Kina sashayed off to her next scheduled event.

Reginell stood alone outside in the cold with nowhere to go. She couldn't go back inside Paramours. Ray probably wouldn't let her past security, and she couldn't face the other dancers. She couldn't go home. Mark might be waiting there, demanding an explanation or, worse, his engagement ring back. There was nothing to do but wait for her world to come crashing down around her once again. Only this time, she wasn't going down alone. Reginell was determined to bring Kina Battle down with her.

—
Angel King

 

Du'Corey “Duke” King hugged Angel, happy that in spite of their complex and often painful relationship history, they were still able to be friends, and that she was still active in his daughters' lives. “Thanks for coming over to spend time with the girls. They love it when you come over for dinner like this.”

“It's Miley's birthday. I wouldn't have missed it for all the tea in England . . . or is it China?” she joked. “Of course, it appears that my presence can't compete with a shiny new American Girl doll. They haven't come back downstairs since opening it after dinner.”

He smiled. “Not even my presence can compete with that, but Morgan and Miley really do miss you.”

Angel picked a doll up from the floor. “I miss them too.”

“They're not the only ones who miss you,” Duke revealed.

“I don't want Miss Morgan to feel left out since I bought out the whole store for Miley's birthday. Do you mind if I pick her up from school one day next week? I want to take her to that yogurt bar she loves so much.”

“That would be great. Call me and we can set it all up.”

Angel smiled a little. “Dinner was fantastic, by the way. You've gotten much better in the kitchen, I see.”

“I didn't have much of a choice! After you left, I had to do something. A kid can only live on a Happy Meal diet for so long.”

Angel held the doll a moment before setting it on the coffee table. “Duke, do you ever think about the baby we lost?”

“Yeah. I don't think it's the kind of thing you
cannot
think about. But I'm thankful for Miley and Morgan, and I try to focus on the two children I have who are alive.”

Angel nodded. “You're blessed to have such beautiful, amazing little girls.”

“You'll have kids of your own one day, Angel,” he reassured her.

Angel shook her head. “I don't think God is going to bless me that way, not again.”

“Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it's not going to happen.”

She looked up at him. “Do you think that I'm cursed or that I bring bad luck on myself?”

“What?” He chuckled. “No, I don't think you're cursed. Besides, the Bible says, ‘The curse causeless shall not come.'”

“What if I've done something to cause it?”

“What do you mean?”

Angel sat down. “Duke, I did something so terrible. I don't know if I'll ever . . .” Her words trailed off.

“What did you do?”

“I had an abortion,” she said, confiding in him. “I killed my baby.”

Duke was taken aback. “When?”

“A few weeks ago.”

“I'm sorry to hear that.” He hesitated. “I didn't realize you were dating anyone.”

“What you mean to say is that you didn't realize I was sleeping with anyone, right?”

“Yeah, that too,” he admitted. “So what happened? Why didn't you keep the baby?”

“My life was falling apart,” revealed Angel. “My business was suffering, and I didn't have any money. The guy and I hadn't even been dating that long. Then I found out that he'd done time and had these charges he didn't tell me about. It was one thing after another. I felt trapped. I did what I thought made the most sense.”

“I'm speechless, Angel. I had no idea you've been going through anything this heavy. Why didn't you come to me for help?”

“Duke, I'm not your problem or your responsibility anymore.”

“You're not a problem, and I'll always feel some sense of responsibility for you. You were my wife, and you're my friend. Don't ever hesitate to call me for anything you need. I don't care if it's money or advice or a ride to pick up some chicken. You call me, you hear?”

“I hear you.” She was grateful for the support. “At the time, I couldn't think about anybody but myself, which is part of the problem. What I did was so selfish. I only thought about me and what I wanted and what I had going on in my life. I never stopped to think about anyone else.”

“Do you mean the baby's father?”

“Yes.”

“How did the guy feel about you being pregnant?”

“He was ecstatic. Meanwhile, I was downright depressed. I had so many mixed feelings about the baby. I've wanted to be a mother for as long as I can remember, but not like that, and to be honest, not with him.” She and Duke locked eyes. “It probably sounds stupid, but you're the only man I've ever envisioned myself having a child with.”

He laughed a bit. “Yeah, I always thought we'd have that cottage on the beach with the houseful of kids that we used to talk about.” His mood became pensive. “I suppose some fantasies are meant to remain just that.”

“It sure looks that way. Nothing in my life has turned out the way I planned it.”

“Join the club. Do you think I planned to be raising two daughters as a single parent? If things had gone according to plan, we would've celebrated our first anniversary a few months ago.”

“Yes, we would've,” Angel replied, remembering.

“My grandmother used to say that we make our plans and God laughs at them. Sometimes, you gotta roll with the punches, kid, and have faith that it'll all work out in the end.”

“I wish I could do that.”

“Angel, between the two of us, my screw-ups make yours look tame. Life isn't about rehashing everything we've done wrong, and I don't believe God wants you to keep feeling guilty about what happened. The key is to learn from it and move on.”

“What's the point in learning from it when I can't do anything about it? I can't undo the abortion or sleeping with Jordan. I can't undo the pain I've caused him. There's absolutely nothing I can do to make this situation right. That's the part that's eating me up inside.”

“Then if you can't make it right, all you can do is ask God to forgive you and go on with your life.”

Angel exhaled. “I would if I had the first clue about how to do that.”