Hide & Seek (38 page)

“
What happened Top?”

“
It’s better if you two discuss that,” he replied saying nothing more.

As angry as Mook was being kept in the dark, he respected Tariq and if he was fine with it, then he would wait to talk to Kim.

“
OK, Top, and thanks,” he replied simply as Tariq grunted, gave them both a few last instructions and disconnected.

Caramel returned to the room, bag in hand. Mook searched it making sure she wasn’t trying to take a weapon. Finding nothing out of the ordinary he picked it up carrying it for her as they began the walk back down the hill to the truck, headed to home and they hoped the end of the saga.

31

Freight was thinking about last night and how well things went when Myles made his way slowly into the room. He’d unfortunately gotten caught in the stampede to get out of the club and had his ankle twisted severely.

“
How’s the ankle today,” Freight asked as Myles grimaced slightly and popped yet another painkiller.

“
It’ll be fine,” he replied sitting in the chair across from Freight.

They were renting a room at one of the extended stay hotels in the area. It wasn’t much to the eye, and far below the standards Freight was used to living, but it would serve their purpose for now he continued to plot, taking in the worn wallpaper and cheap spreads covering the beds. Freight liked the fact that the proprietors left you alone and minded their own business. Pay your rent, do your thing, was their motto.

“
I didn’t see Ice anywhere,” Myles told him breaking Freight’s thought.

“
Nah, I didn’t see the bastard either,” he replied angrily.

They really wanted Ian to be at the club last night when they went inside. It’d been just a lucky piece of eavesdropping that they found out about the meet at all.

“
So now what,” Myles asked. “You know he will draw the wagons around him now and there won’t be any getting to his ass.”

Freight nodded thoughtfully but remained mute.

“
Shit, he’s at Mardi Gras, I say walk up in the bitch and kill him,” Myles began again as Freight laughed aloud.

“
Come on Myles,” he threw out eyeing his friend. “You know damned well Ice ain’t gonna make the shit that easy,” he went on. “Hell we would probably be dead before we got off the first shot,” he finished, still chuckling lightly.

Freight understood though. He was just as frustrated as Myles, but they still needed to be careful; even more so now after the stunt last night. Ian would be both on the lookout and the warpath. Anything that was even perceived as a threat would be quickly exterminated.

“
Don’t worry, we gonna get that muthafucka,” Freight told him pouring himself a glass of orange juice. “We just gotta be smart about the shit,” he added, going on to tell Myles he should lay down a little while before they headed out.

“
Give that ankle all the rest you can,” he added as Myles sighed slightly but rose and hobbled to his bed, falling across it, he was sleep almost immediately.

Freight sat looking at his cell contemplating texting Kim again. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. Now that she’d gone into hiding he had no way to see her, talk to her and explain what happened that day at Mardi Gras. He hadn’t meant to hurt her, honestly, Freight thought.
I’ll make it up to her once we get together,
he told himself as the phone vibrated in his hand taking him by surprise. Looking at it he smiled broadly answering the text and pressing send.
I knew she’d come around,
Freight thought of Kim’s text asking him if they could meet.
What if she’s setting my ass up,
he had to stop himself. Kim was shrewd, he knew that first hand, and she was still working for Top.

“
I wanna see her though,” Freight whispered aloud.

Taking a deep breath he went back and forth in his mind again and again. The second text came, making his decision for him.

‘
We can meet at my condo, but no tricks,’ the message read.

Freight smiled slightly glad she wanted to meet him in familiar territory. He surmised she was still afraid, explaining the no tricks comment.
I’m going to be real good to you Kim, you’ll see baby,
Freight thought as he headed to the shower. He would leave Myles a note, he thought undressing and climbing in under the steaming spray.

*****

Kim was smiling slightly as she put the cell down and picked up her coke. Today was going to be a good day, she thought. Today she was going to get payback for Freight raping her and killing her child. Sighing lightly she was about to call DeNoah when her cell rang and she saw Mook’s name on the ID.

“
Hey baby,” she greeted him cheerfully.

“
Where are you,” he said simply.

The tone immediately set off alarms bells, but she didn’t heed them.

“
I’m at home,” Kim lied smoothly.

“
Really,” Mook replied. “Funny, I don’t see you here.”

Kim’s mouth dropped.
Fuck,
she thought, knowing she’d just backed herself into a corner.

“
So again Miss Kim, where the fuck are you,” Mook asked acidly.

“
On my way home,” she replied honestly.

Mook being home was throwing a serious crimp in her plan to kill Freight. Now she would have to text him and cancel.

“
How long before you get here,” Mook asked, still irritated.

“
About 15 minutes,” Kim replied.

“
Hmph,” Mook told her and disconnected without another word.

Kim was mortified.
He’s gonna kick my ass,
she thought of her man’s anger. Mook had never raised a hand to her, but she knew he was way past angry right now.
I bet he talked to Top, shit,
Kim continued to think as she drove.

She was so caught up worrying about Mook and how he would react when she saw him, Kim never thought to call Freight back and cancel their meeting. Arriving at her condo, she boarded the elevator and headed up to her floor. The walk down the hallway seemed the longest of her life. She’d had the building maintenance crew repair her lock and doorframe while she stayed at the hotel. Using her key, Kim entered the condo finding Mook sitting calmly on the sofa, .10mm in his lap, sipping the cognac in his glass.
That’s not a good sign,
Kim thought of the gun and the liquor at 10:00 in the morning.

“
Hey baby,” Kim tried, smiling at him as she spoke.

“
Sit down,” Mook replied never taking his eyes off her.

Kim mumbled something about having to check the mail, turning and putting a hand on the knob as he spoke once again.

“
The mail can wait, sit down,” Mook returned, that same chilling calmness in his voice.

She chose to sit in the plush recliner across from him instead of the empty space on the sofa next to him.

“
Mook, what’s wrong with you,” she asked again pretending everything was fine.

“
Miss Kim,” he began, still looking at her, almost like he could see through her. “I wanna know why you lost our baby,” he spit out. “I wanna know why Freight was at the hospital when you did,” he continued. “And I want to know what the fuck he did to you.”

His eyes seem to be boring holes in her as Mook sat and patiently waited for her to answer his questions.

Kim was sweating bullets. If she told Mook what really happened between her and Freight he would lose his mind. She just didn’t know if she could pull off a lie, not with him looking right at her.

“
I lost the baby after I started cramping and spotting,” Kim answered quietly. “I didn’t know Freight was at the hospital, not until Top told me,” she again answered honestly.

“
Hmph,” Mook replied, still waiting for the final answer.

Kim was trying to think and her mind was betraying her.

“
What did he do Kim,” Mook asked again after she remained quiet for the next 20 minutes.

“
He put his hands on you,” he tried, wanting her to open up and tell him just what was going on.

“
Yes,” Kim answered vaguely.

“
What happened, and don’t try lying to me either,” Mook warned.

“
We were at Mardi Gras,” she began, still trying to think of a plausible lie. “He tried to hit on me again,” she went on as Mook sipped his drink and continued to watch her. “I told him to leave me the hell alone, and he pushed me,” Kim lied. “I fell and that started my cramping,” she told Mook, unable to look at him.

“
Miss Kim,” Mook began again his tone hard. “Look in my face and tell me that bullshit again,” he challenged.

She couldn’t. Kim couldn’t raise her eyes to look him in the face and tell him the lie again.

“
I’ma ask you one more time,” Mook told her. “Then I’ma go find that muthafucka and ask him,” he threatened.

Freights words came screaming back into her consciousness and Kim worried he might be right. Mook was furious with her right now. Would he believe her if she didn’t tell him the truth and Freight told him they’d made love, not that he’d raped her?

“
Mook, I got it handled,” Kim tried, putting on her best bravado.

“
Kim, stop playin’ with me, spit the shit out,” Mook yelled, rising from the couch and coming over to where she sat, standing over her, glaring down at her.

Kim cringed from his anger, never seeing him like this before, and genuinely afraid of him at the moment.

“
He came in the bathroom where I was,” Kim started hesitantly. “He touched me, he um,” she stammered.

“
He what Kim,” Mook asked, a little calmer, but not much.

“
He forced me,” Kim finally got out as Mook leaned down, inches away from her face.

“
Are you telling me that bastard raped you, and caused you to miscarry,” he asked his tone deadly.

“
Yes,” she whispered back.

Sighing deeply, Mook hugged her tightly telling her he loved her and it was all right. Kim broke and began to cry in earnest, glad she didn’t have to carry the secret or lie to him anymore about it. Just as she quieted and Mook still held her, the knock came at the door.

*****

Ian was still furious about the events at the club.
This damned group is beginning to piss me the fuck off,
he thought lighting the cigar and inhaling its essence. Ryan arrived in the early morning pre-dawn hours, so Ian was letting him sleep. Things were relatively calm in Mississippi from the reports he’d gotten. The authorities had found Tyreece’s body but the investigation quickly stalled, just as he knew it would. Ian thought it odd he hadn’t been able to reach Tate, but decided not to worry about it right now. He would simply try him again later. His thoughts immediately shifted and went to Kaitlyn. They were planning to take out the house and its occupants in a week. Ian needed the extra time to set up a few surprises of his own.
I can’t wait to get my baby out of that hell,
he thought to himself of the woman. Ian had already planned a romantic getaway to Casa Mel when Kaitlyn was with him again. He’d been neglecting her for a few months lately as he and Ryan continued to grow their empire.
Never again,
Ian vowed. Having her taken from him, showed him how much he loved her and never wanted to be without her.

He thought about the three years they’d been together and how he’d almost lost her that fateful morning when he accidentally shot her.
If I’d killed her, I couldn’t have lived with myself,
Ian continued to muse as he smoked. He also thought about the complications of that time; Landon and Tariq. One was dead and the other was no longer in the state. Landon had accepted a GM position with a NFL franchise after the arena league went bust. Ian hated to admit it, but Kaitlyn’s attachment to Tariq had worried him for a long time. He was genuinely relieved to know the man was dead.
I never did understand that connection,
he thought of Kaitlyn’s infatuation with him. As far as Ian was concerned, Tariq was nobody.
A damned short order cook,
he thought condescendingly. That was a part of her past Kaitlyn refused to discuss with him, ever. Sighing lightly Ian supposed it shouldn’t still bother him, but it did. He knew all about the cemetery plot and the fact that she’d visited his grave the day she was snatched.
Why won’t she let go of the fool,
he thought becoming melancholy. Ian wondered if Kaitlyn loved him that deeply. She would tell him she loved him, and of course she never cheated on him, but he still wondered. Was he on the same level as Tariq in her mind? Ian dismissed the ideas, relegating them to the back of his mind once again as Ryan walked into his office.

“
Wassup,” Ryan greeted his brother.

“
You straight, you sound wiped,” Ian returned eyeing him evenly.

“
I’m fine,” Ryan replied grabbing himself a Sprite from Ian’s office fridge.