Unraveled - A Short Story Collective (2 page)

2
 

“I
didn’t know you liked white boys,” Layla teased CiCi.
“He’s not white, well he looks it, but he’s not,” CiCi shot back laughing as well.

They’d both been seeing the two men since connecting at the housewarming three weeks ago.
“You and Jerrick need to hold all that noise down too,” CiCi threw back giving her friend a look, as Layla began to laugh again.
“Whatever, he can throw the dick girl, and I do be enjoying,” she replied. “When you gonna give the white boy some?” she asked and CiCi blushed. “Ohhhh, so you already gave him some!” Layla inquired.

CiCi continued to blush.
“No, not really,” she managed to reply.
“OK, either you did or you didn’t,” Layla continued to tease her.
“We didn’t do that,” CiCi told her rising to leave the room.
“Oh hell no,” Layla told her, rising to follow. “What exactly did ya’ll do then?” she asked still chuckling slightly.

CiCi sighed lightly and turned to her best friend once again. “Let’s just say the man’s tongue is a natural wonder all of its own,” CiCi replied and Layla burst into laughter again.
“Damn girl!” she replied still laughing “I ain’t mad. So did you do him too?” she asked watching CiCi closely.
“He just wanted to do me,” she replied.
Layla told her she was funny and left her alone, returning to her bedroom to finish dressing. She was meeting Jerrick to hang out and shop. He’d been indulging her every whim and she absolutely loved it. They’d had sex the night she went to his party. He’d been so damned good; she hadn’t regretted a moment of it. Her cell went off and she answered without checking the ID.
“Your girl needs to watch her back,” the voice said calmly.
“Who is this?” Layla fired back, slightly unsettled by the call.
“Not important,” the voice returned. “Treasure knows,” they said again calmly and disconnected.

Layla was stunned.
That muthafucka just won’t let the girl live her life
, she thought as she gathered her purse. She made a mental note to tell Jerrick so he could pass it along to Spade. Personally, she hoped Treasure would get killed in all this. She couldn’t stand his ass, but that was another story. One no one knew except her, him, and God.
“Bye girl, have a good one,” Layla shouted out to CiCi as she left.

She wasn’t going anywhere today, and as far as Layla was concerned, CiCi was perfectly safe at home.

*****

“H
ey baby,” Spade greeted CiCi as they talked. He’d called to see if he could drop by. He wanted to spend some time with her before taking care of a little business tonight.
“Hey Spade,” she returned sweetly.
He made his request known and she told him to come on over.
“Open the door,” he returned and she chuckled, knowing he was calling from his cell.
Sure enough when she opened the door he was standing in the stoop. Spade kissed her deeply once he entered the house and she returned the kiss with matched fervor.

“Where’s Layla?” he asked as he kissed her neck softly becoming more and more aroused.
“She went out,” CiCi told him quietly as he began touching her.
“Mm, that’s a good thing,” Spade replied taking her hand and leading her to her own bedroom. Once inside he began kissing her again as he undressed her. “CiCi, I want you baby,” he told her softly taking her breast into his mouth.

She moaned deeply, then hurriedly removed his shirt, and started on his pants.

“You sure baby?” Spade asked, praying she wouldn’t change her mind. “No, going back if we do this,” he told her looking deeply into her eyes.

After they made love Spade knew he would never let her go, and it was best if she knew that too.
“I know,” she replied never taking her eyes from his.

CiCi couldn’t imagine the wonderful man with her now, would ever hurt her the way Kendell had. She trusted him completely and she wanted with everything in her to be with him right now. Spade kissed her again, gently laying her on the bed and climbing in beside her. The two explored each other’s bodies, kissing, licking, caressing every intimate part. Spade once again, worked his magic as he used his tongue to taste CiCi, drinking deeply the juices that flowed freely from her.
She pulled him up to her, wanting him to enter her. They paused only long enough to get the condom, and then Spade entered her and began making love to her. CiCi was in heaven. He was thrusting deeply into her as she cried out in ecstasy.
My God this man is incredible
, CiCi thought as she came hard and her body shook from the force of her orgasm. Spade held her tightly as he thrust into her and felt her body respond.
Hell yeah, definitely worth the wait,
he thought as he felt his end nearing. He would never let another man touch her and he would kill any that were crazy enough to try, he thought as he finally came, moaning loudly and collapsing on top of her as she gently kissed his neck.

3

T
he next couple of weeks passed uneventfully, but the peace was quickly shattered. Everything happened so quickly, CiCi didn’t have time to react. She’d been leaving the market with her purchases. She’d managed to get them in the car on the passenger side, and was opening the driver’s door when she heard the voice and felt the arms encompass her.
“Don’t trip CiCi,” Kendell told her ominously “Just relax and give me the keys,” he added still holding her tightly.

CiCi was terrified.
He’s going to kill me,
she was thinking now as she reined her thoughts in. She looked around once more at the small hotel room he’d brought her too. It was one of the ones close to the beach. The interior was wood grain paneling, and the air conditioner was an old window style unit. She saw the two double beds neatly made with the matching turquoise faux quilt patterned bedspreads. This was one of the cheaper hotels where couples came to have sex or do drugs for a few hours then leave. He’d handcuffed her to the one lone desk chair before leaving. She heard the door and looked up to see him enter.

“Kendell please let me go home,” CiCi pleaded “I won’t tell anyone, I just want to go home,” she added trying hard not to cry.

He walked over to her and knelt down.

“CiCi you scared of me now?” he asked softly as he caressed her face.

She was trembling and couldn’t stop.

“Why you hook up with somebody like Spade?” he asked calmly, seething inside.
CiCi remained mute. She knew at this point anything she said would set him off and she desperately wanted to live through this.
“You let him touch you?” Kendell asked still looking into her eyes.

CiCi continued to be silent.

He sighed deeply and stood up.

“So you cheated on me with him,” he said plainly and CiCi finally spoke.
“Kendell you and I haven’t been together for months,” she said quietly.
“CiCi we gonna always be together, don’t ever let that shit fall outta your mouth again,” he replied angrily and CiCi flinched involuntarily. “I should beat your ass for lettin’ that cracka touch you,” he told her as he uncuffed her and grabbed her out of the chair. “Undress!” he barked at her and CiCi was terrified.

I can’t let him rape me, or kill me
, she thought still standing without movement.
“Did you hear me?” Treasure yelled again getting closer to her.

CiCi took a deep breath and steeled herself.
“No,” she said plainly.
Treasure looked at her quizzically, misunderstanding what she’d said.
“I said to undress,” he repeated for her.
“No,” CiCi replied again.

This time he understood she was defying him. Treasure slapped her hard, knocking her onto the bed.

“Don’t fuck with me CiCi,” he told her as he stood over her.

Something inside her snapped and CiCi fought back. She pushed Treasure catching him off guard and he fell onto the other bed. She kicked
him hard in the gut as he tried to rise from his fall, and he went down again. CiCi didn’t waste any time. She grabbed her keys off the dresser where he laid them and ran out of the door. Treasure managed somehow to gather himself and caught her by the shirt, pulling her back into the room. He slapped her repeatedly and threw her back on the bad, jumping on top of her and straddling her.

“Dammit CiCi” he told her as they continued to fight. “Stop!” he told her again as she continued to swing wildly.

Finally Treasure managed to subdue her and hold her arms above her head.

“So you want the white boy instead of me now huh?” Treasure accused angrily.
“Get the hell off me Kendell,” CiCi yelled, still furious that he was keeping her prisoner.
He slapped her again.

“Don’t curse me, you hear me!” he yelled again and slapped her once more for good measure.
CiCi’s face was flaming and she knew her eye was puffy, because she could hardly see out of it.

“So you gonna kill me now Kendell, or just beat my ass some more?”
she threw back.

Instead of answering he reached down and ripped her shirt from her body.

“I’m gonna fuck you,” he said simply as he tore off the rest of her clothing.
“No!” CiCi screamed as she began to fight again.
Treasure easily pinned her down as he pushed her legs apart and undid his pants freeing his erection.

“Stop CiCi,” he told her softly as he entered her.

She screamed and began to cry as Kendell raped her.

“I love you Cyiarra, why you can’t accept that?” Treasure told her once he’d finished and dressed himself.

CiCi was curled in a fetal position still crying softly.
“Can I go home now Kendell?” she asked quietly trying hard not to cry anymore.

He looked at her for a long time without saying a word, before finally speaking.

“Yeah,” he replied, and then paused again. “But you better stay the hell away from Spade or next time I’ll kill you,” he told her calmly.
CiCi simply nodded, rose, dressed and left him there in the room.

*****

As soon as she opened the motel room door, she was snatched quickly outside as Jerrick and Spade rushed inside closing the door behind them.
“What’s going on?” CiCi asked Layla once they were inside the car.
The two men who’d accompanied Jerrick and Spade kept a watchful eye on the two women as the men inside handled business. CiCi saw one of them open the trunk and a man get out.
“Who is that?” she asked again and Layla told her to relax.

“The bullshit ends tonight CiCi,” Layla replied looking at her friend hard.

CiCi knew what was about to go down. She’d been around gangs all her life and she knew without a doubt Kendell wasn’t leaving the room alive.
“How did you find me?” CiCi asked still terrified thinking of what was happening inside the motel room.

“Nosey ass Kerri,” Layla told her and chuckled.

Kerri was one of the check-out girls at the market they both talked to when they went in.

“She remarked she saw you getting in the car with some guy,” Layla went on. “At first I thought it was Spade, till she said the guy seemed to sneak up on you from nowhere
.”

CiCi nodded but told Layla that still didn’t explain how they found her.

“Well seems Spade and Jerrick knew Reggie was friends with Treasure, so they found him and made that ass talk,” she replied, which answered CiCi’s unasked question of who they’d taken from the trunk.
“Did he hurt you CiCi?” Layla asked looking at her face and into her eyes.

She could see the bruises and knew Kendell had slapped her around a bit, but Layla had a feeling something more had been done. CiCi averted her eyes and didn’t answer.

“Did he rape you CiCi?” Layla asked softly as her friend began to cry. “It’s gonna be OK,” Layla told her as she held her.
One of the men outside sent a text on his cell, having overheard the conversation. Spade read the message with great interest as they held the men captive inside the hotel room.

*****

“So you just gonna make Cyiarra get back with you huh?” Spade asked calmly, the sea blue eyes blazing as he thought of this clown violating her.
“CiCi is my girl muthafucka,” Treasure spat back. “You need to find yourself a white girl, and leave the damned sistas alone,” he added and Spade smiled coldly.
“I’m black too stupid ass,” he returned. “And trust CiCi has no complaints,” he finished leaving no room for error that he was speaking of their lovemaking. “You and your boy finished tonight,” Spade told him coldly as Jerrick checked the chamber of his gun.
“Man we all gone die one day, so what?” Treasure spat back, his violent gang streak showing.

Reggie however wasn’t a banger and he didn’t want to die tonight.

“Please man, I ain’t have nothing to do with this,” he began to beg and Treasure told him to stop acting like a bitch.
“You had plenty to do with it fool,” Jerrick threw back. “Yo punk ass was the one who called and told this sonofabitch about Spade and CiCi,” he finished as Reggie looked at him incredulously.
Spade chuckled.

“Muthafucka you was in Kings territory, ain’t shit go on we don’t know about,” he told the man who was looking terrified. “You help him set this shit up?” Spade asked looking at Reggie again.

The man hurriedly answered the question hoping to save his own life.

“No, I swear Spade,” he told him and the man nodded but didn’t speak.
“What was the point Treasure?” Spade asked the man who was still looking at him defiantly.
“The point was I don’t like yo white ass fucking with my shit,” he told him angrily.
“Cyiarra is not property you stupid asshole,” Spade shot back. “No wonder she left your fucked up ass,” he told him as he cut him.
Treasure never saw the knife until he felt the warmth from the blood running down his cheek.

“What the fuck?” he mumbled as Spade cut him again across the chest.

Reggie was horrified as he watched the man continue cutting his friend. Treasure wasn’t going down without a fight. He lunged for Spade who deftly sidestepped him and stabbed him in the back. He pulled the knife out and Treasure turned to him once more facing him.

“Muthafucka,” Treasure said as he swung and Spade cut him cleanly across his arm.

As Treasure grabbed his arm in a defensive posture, Spade stabbed him in the chest. Treasure stumbled and fell to his knees.

“You ain’t ever gonna fuck with CiCi again” Spade told him coldly as he stabbed him again in the shoulder.

He kicked Treasure hard in the nuts and stood over him as the man writhed in pain.

“You ain’t gonna be raping nobody else either, you sorry ass bastard,” Spade told him kneeling down and cutting the man’s throat.
Reggie watched as Treasure bled out, gasping for air, until he finally stopped. Spade was still angry, taking the nine millimeter from Jerrick; he planted three slugs into Kendell’s dead body, two in the head and one in the heart.

“Westside Kings muthafucka,” Spade said as he kicked the dead man, now turning his attention to Reggie. “You
trifling’ as hell,” he said calmly and handed Jerrick the gun back.

Jerrick took the gun and wiped it down, then went and stood in front of Reggie, retrieving his other gun from his other pocket.
“Hold it,” he barked at the man and Reggie immediately complied.

“Shoot that wall right there,” Jerrick barked again.
Reggie was confused but he complied. Jerrick grunted with satisfaction after the shot was fired. Spade flipped his phone open and dialed 911. He informed the operator he’d heard shots from the room next door and asked them to send help quickly. Finally it dawned on Reggie what they were planning, unfortunately he never got the opportunity to act on it, as Jerrick hit him with the gun butt and everything went black.

*****

“Are you going to stay with me?” Cyiarra asked as Spade held her.

They’d come home and he’d helped her calm down, gently bathing her as they’d showered together, and she’d told him everything that’d happened.

“I ain’t going nowhere, baby, I told you that,” he replied softly as they lay in bed.

CiCi sighed
quietly and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to think about Kendell, tonight, or any of the hurt she’d been through. It was over and as far as she was concerned, it’d all come together nicely.

She smiled contentedly to herself as she thought back to the last conversation she’d had with Layla.

“He did what?” she’d asked her friend still shocked at the revelation. Layla finally confided in CiCi the thing that Treasure had done to her. He’d sold her to two high rollers who’d forced her to perform sex acts on them and repeatedly raped her over the course of the weekend she’d been forced to spend. Layla explained that it’d happened before he and CiCi began to date, and he’d threatened to kill her if she told. She was fresh out of high school and trying to earn a little extra money. Treasure swore she’d only have to shake down the johns, never have sex with them, and then he’d double crossed her.

“Oh, we gonna get his ass,” CiCi replied already formulating a plan. She still owed him for his surprise visit to her the night she and Spade met. She hadn’t told anyone how he’d choked her that night and threatened her, only leaving when he saw the headlights from Layla’s car. CiCi called him and told him she wanted to get together, asking him to meet her at the market. He loved to sneak up on her, and she knew he’d do it this time too, which he did, giving the perfect explanation Layla was to call Jerrick and Spade with.

Layla had overheard the two men talking about Reggie, and that he was a snitch. CiCi knew Kendell would tell him where he was taking her, once Layla told them about the mysterious man Kerri the checkout girl saw, and her own suspicions that it was Treasure, they would do the rest on their own accord, which they did. CiCi hadn’t planned on Kendell raping her, but even that indignity had been rectified when they’d deliberately let the accomplice overhear that portion of their conversation. She knew Spade would kill him, without question, and without remorse.