Murderville (26 page)

“Then let’s get you something to eat,” he said as he retrieved the food and brought it to her.

As Liberty dug into the food, A’shai walked over to the hotel closet and counted the remaining bricks he still had to move. He was running through product quickly and as he took the duffel bag of money he had recouped that night he added it to his stash. It had only been a month and already he had earned Baron’s money back. The remaining bricks he was sitting on were his to flip as he pleased. All of that profit was coming straight to him. Once his paper was proper he already had plans to move to one of Detroit’s low-key, affluent, suburbs and establish a quiet, comfortable life for the two of them. He was leaving the streets alone for good.

As A’shai bumped his hustle up a couple notches Liberty seemed to withdraw into her own world. She lay around all day and slept all night. A’shai thought that she was falling into a deep depression but no matter what he said she couldn’t shake the sudden lethargy that was taking over her. He did not have time to babysit, however. Moving as quickly as he was doing was reckless and he had to concentrate on not getting caught. It took two months for him to move the entire product and afterwards he was $2,000,000 richer. With Baron paid back and his future in the form of rubber banded $5K stacks, A’shai felt like a new man. He wasn’t equipped to go to war with Samad, but with his newfound and hard-earned wealth he was more than capable of escaping him. He was about to put on a magic act and disappear. He had already reached out to a realtor who had found him a beautiful and massive estate in a quiet neighborhood outside of the city. If he moved smart, Samad would never catch up to them.

A’shai drove his car down the freeway, being sure to do the speed limit as he made his way to Liberty. He couldn’t wait to tell her that he was out and to share his world with her. As he neared the hotel he reached in the backseat and gathered the five bouquets of roses he had purchased. He grabbed his duffel bag and the flowers and exited the car before rushing inside. He hoped that the news would pull Liberty out of the funk that she had fallen into. Living out of different hotels for weeks at a time had not been easy, but he knew that it was especially hard for her. She was never allowed to leave, unless she was accompanied by A’shai. Since he was in the streets so frequently, she was forced to stay inside. He fully understood how her happiness had been jeopardized. But now that was all over, A’shai was ready to spoil her.

He rushed into the hotel room and picked her up off the bed. Her eyes were low and exhaustion plagued her as she rested her head on his strong chest.

“Stop Shai . . . you’re making me dizzier than I already am,” she whispered.

“I’m out, ma . . . I’m done. We have enough money to blow this bitch and to go somewhere safe,” he whispered in her ear as he nibbled on it gently, causing electric sparks to awaken her clit.

“I love you Shai. Thank you for doing all of this . . . for saving me,” she whispered as she put her soft hand against his cheek while staring him in the eyes. “What would I do without you?”

“You won’t ever have to be without me,” he replied. He scooped her off her feet and carried her in his arms towards the bed. Their lips danced sensually as they enjoyed a deep kiss. “I love you ma. I want you forever. Marry me.”

Liberty’s eyes widened and she pulled away from him so that she could stare him in the face. “What?” She was sure that she had heard him wrong. Although she knew that they loved each other, she never thought that he would ever make her his wife. The notion never even crossed her mind. While their love was deep, fate was always tearing them apart.

A’shai placed her on the bed. “I’m so tired,” she gasped as she looked up at him. A’shai chuckled as he hovered over her. “That’s all you got to say Lib? You gonna make me work for it huh?” A’shai climbed out of bed and Liberty followed him.

“Wait, Shai, I . . .”

Before she could finish her sentence A’shai reached into his duffle bag and removed a small ring box. “Let me do this right,” he said. “I love you, ma. Marry me. Be my wife,” he said as he got down on one knee.

Liberty nodded her head, speechless. She was so full of emotion that it poured out of her as her eyes misted.

“Yeah?” A’shai asked.

“Yeah,” Liberty confirmed. A’shai took her hand and placed the ring on her finger, then kissed it. He planted kisses on all five fingers, on the back of her wrists, on her stomach . . . moving south until he discovered her womanhood. Liberty gasped when she felt his warm tongue lap over her stiffened clitoris. He parted her lips and sucked gently while she moaned softly, her legs giving out slightly. He was making her weaker with every lick.

“Ooh, daddy,” she whispered. “I need it.”

“Me too, ma,” he replied as stood to his feet and devoured her. A’shai pinned her against the wall and unzipped his True Religion jeans. His dick was hard, and he unloosened the belt on her robe as he rubbed the head against her thigh. He kissed her, sucking her lips into his mouth and entering her simultaneously as he stroked her gently. He ravished her, taking her to heights so drastic that she felt like she was flying. A’shai’s sex was incredible, and he catered to every part of her body, expressing his love through his lust as he worked her over slowly . . . gently.

She threw her pussy back at him feverishly as she felt her orgasm building. She grinded and moaned as the head of his dick tapped on her spot.

“Ooohh, I’m cumming,” Liberty moaned. “Ooh, Shai . . . I’m . . . I’m . . .”

Suddenly Liberty couldn’t catch her breath as she gasped desperately for air and hit A’shai on the shoulder to alert him that something was wrong. Caught up in the rapture A’shai thought that she was into the moment until he felt her go limp in his arms. He pulled out of her, and his world crashed to his feet.

“Liberty!” he shouted as he put her down on the bed and put his ear by her face to check if she was breathing. He felt her heart beat and noticed that it was beating extremely slow, as if it would stop at any moment.
She needs help. Something’s wrong,
he thought as he stood and frantically stepped into his jeans. He tied the robe tightly around her naked body and then in a panic rushed her to the hospital, praying to a power greater than himself that everything would be okay.

A’shai held Liberty’s hand as she sat with oxygen tubes pumping fresh air into her nose.

“You feel better?” he asked her.

She nodded as a doctor stepped into the room.

“I’m Dr. Simmons,” the man introduced.

“I’m A’shai. Liberty is my fiancé,” A’shai spoke up. “What can you tell us? Is she going to be okay?”

“Liberty, you have a bad heart. She has a heart disease called cardiomyopathy. The fatigue and dizzy spells . . . even the fainting is all attributed to this,” Dr. Simmons replied.

“What?” Liberty asked as tears filled her eyes. “Am I going to die?”

“That I cannot say. You have an unhealthy heart. It needs to be replaced,” Dr. Simmons said.

A’shai didn’t even hear the rest of the doctor’s response as he blanked out. Rage filled him as he thought of everything that he had been through to be with Liberty . . . now she was sick. As hard as they had fought to be together . . . fate was tearing them apart. The grim reaper had been their ultimate enemy, and there was no running from this problem.

A’shai stormed out of the room as the unfairness sent him over the edge. He pounded on the hallway walls and slumped to the floor as he cried tears of sadness. He was resentful and his hurt outmeasured any misfortune that he had ever experienced.

Liberty gave A’shai a half smile when he finally returned to her side. She held out her hand and gripped his tightly as he sat down on the edge of her bed.

“How do you feel?” he asked.

“How do you feel?” she replied as she rubbed his knuckle with her finger.

“My heart is gone, ma. Hearing that doctor tell you that hurt my soul,” he answered as he buried his head in her neck while she stroked his head lovingly. Liberty shed tears of pain, knowing what the end result would inevitably be.

“No one can have perfection, Shai. You and me . . . we’re too good together. This is our flaw. My sickness . . . is the issue for our relationship. This is our imperfect love, but it’s the greatest love I’ve ever felt. If this is what I have to go through in order to be your girl then I accept that. Just love me, Shai . . . that’s all I can ask for,” she said.

“I’mma do that forever,” he replied. “I bought you a house.”

“A house, huh? My very own house?” she asked with a smile. She hadn’t had a place to call home since her childhood.

“All yours baby girl,” he replied. “It’ll be safe, and we can be together without having to look over our shoulders every second of the day. It’s just waiting for us. I’m sending you there as soon as you get released from here.”

Liberty’s smile faded as she sat up in the bed. “Sending me? You’re not coming?” she asked.

“Yeah I’m coming . . . of course I’m coming ma. I just have to do one more thing . . . I have to be here for Baron through his trial. After they render his judgment, I’ll join you,” he replied.

“I want to be wherever you are, A’shai. So I’m staying, and when you’re ready we will run away together.”

TWENTY

A’SHAI TOOK A DEEP BREATH AS HE
stood outside of the police department. He prepared to go see Baron, hoping that he could smooth things over. The guilt of that horrible night haunted A’shai, and he knew what Willow would have wanted. He had to get back in good graces with his father Baron for his mother. A’shai entered the precinct and stood in line as people waited to see their locked-up loved ones. He went through the motions and finally got to the conference room where the visiting booths were set up with thick glass separating the visitors and inmates. He walked to the booth where his father sat waiting. As soon as he locked eyes with Baron, Baron’s facial expression changed. He expected to see his lawyer, not the person who was responsible for his current awful situation. A’shai sat down and picked up the phone to communicate. Baron didn’t move at first. He just stared at A’shai trying to find something in his heart to give him kind eyes and forgive his son. However, he couldn’t. He took a deep breath and reluctantly picked up the phone. “Why are you here?” he asked coldly.

“I’m here . . . because I love you. I’m here . . . because I am your son,” A’shai said as his voice began to crack and his eyes started to water. The visions of the car being blown up and his mother smiling while in the car invaded his mind. A’shai closed his eyes trying to shake off the thoughts, but they still remained. The deep regret was killing him inside-out.

“You are not my son. You murdered the only woman that ever loved me . . . the only woman who ever loved you. You took her away from me!” Baron yelled into the phone as his bottom lip began to quiver. His eyes were bloodshot red from the sleepless nights and his aching heart. A’shai just stared into the eyes of a broken man, and he didn’t know how to respond. The pain in Baron’s eyes was imbedded deeply and A’shai could feel the hatred screaming from Baron’s soul.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” A’shai said as he thought about what his father had just said. Did he sacrifice his mother for Liberty? Was he wrong for following his heart? He asked himself hard questions and came up with no answers.

“I never want to see you! I’m done,” Baron said through his clenched teeth as tears slid down his face as he rejected his son.

“I’m always going to be loyal to you . . . even if you hate me. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” A’shai said as he watched as his father stood up and slammed the phone on the hook. He left A’shai behind, sitting with the phone in his hand. A’shai slammed the phone in frustration and stormed out. His life was falling apart, but he still vowed to get things right with Baron. It didn’t matter if it took years to reconcile their relationship. He would visit him as often as he could until Baron was ready to forgive him.

It was the day of trial and Baron rode in the back of the police van handcuffed. He was being transported to the courthouse so that he could stand before a jury. He wore a gray Armani suit that his lawyer had provided for him and the thought of his reality hit him. His lawyer had explained to him that they would take a plea for ten years to avoid a potential life sentence. Baron hated to wave a white flag, but the hard evidence was basically a nail in the coffin. They couldn’t take the risk, so Baron’s inevitable prison term was about to begin. Baron thought about A’shai everyday but he always ended up with a bad taste in his mouth. He would forever be bitter and it was out of his hands at that point. Baron silently prayed, hoping that his wife was in a good place.
I love you Willow,
he thought, but his brief conversation with his wife was interrupted by a violent jerk. Baron’s body was hurled to the back of the van and the sound of screeching tires was followed by a crash. The airbag in the front seats exploded in the cops’ faces causing them to be temporarily disoriented. Baron yelled as glass shattered everywhere and the sound of the van’s horn blared.

Two Hummer trucks sandwiched the police van. They were being ambushed. One of the Hummer’s back doors flew open and three masked men sat in the hatch of the truck and pointed automatic assault rifles at the driver and passenger cops. They let bullets rain before the cops could even pull their guns out. Meanwhile, Baron was in the back of the van covering up, not knowing what was going on. “Fuck!” he grimaced, knowing that the assault was intended for him.

The masked men jumped out of the Hummer and ran around to the back of the van with guns drawn. One man had a shotgun, which he used to blow off the lock on the back door. The door flew open and they quickly grabbed Baron and pulled him out of the back of the van. They hurried him into their trailing car and sped off. The whole fiasco was started and finished within thirty seconds. They were skilled professionals that flawlessly executed the plan. Baron was now a high-stakes fugitive and he had no idea what had just happened. Guns were on him and he tried to piece together what was happening.
Did Shai send someone to bust me out?
he thought.