My Hustler’s Keeper (15 page)

William steps out the room and goes to do as he is told.

“Are we going to kill her?”

“Now why would we do that? I need her.”

“But you said our names. And she saw our faces.”

“Joe, go downstairs and help them clean up. Trust me, I got this. Belita is the least of our worries. I’m just doing this to make a statement,” she tells him. Joe shakes his head as he leaves the room, just as William reenters the room.

“Follow Joe. I’ll be down in a minute and we’ll leave,” she tells William.

“When will we get our money?” he asks her.

“Soon. Trust me. I got this.”

“What if somebody comes?”

“You niggas the hit men. If anybody comes in kill them.”

William gives her the items she asked for then leaves the room. Jenny closes the door and locks it behind him. She takes a seat on the bed, places the tape next to her, and starts to eat the food. Once finished she places the plate down and grabs the tape.

“That was good. Now let me get down to the big business,” she says to herself as she grabs the tape, walks to the door, and turns the doorknob and then steps inside.

“Hello Mrs. Rivera,” she greets her.

“If you’re going to kill me Jenny do so. I have nothing to live for.”

“Oh but you do Mrs. Rivera. And you’re going to help me take care of a problem of mines or I will take away the one person you love and I’m not talking about Bella.”

Belita’s eyes grow wide and big in fear.

“Please, don’t. Whatever is it, I’ll do it,” she cries.

“Mrs. Rivera, loyalty is important to you?”

“Yes.”

“Who are you loyal to?” Jenny asks her as she closed the toilet seat lid and sits on it.

“My familia,” she answers.

“Mrs. Rivera, I need your help. See your daughter thinks I’m stupid. I know my sister was talking to her the night she died. I was on the phone with her and she was talking about Bella. I was on my way over there. And somehow Bella got in o the house and killed her, then left as if nothing happened and had the nerve to show up to her funeral and cry. This bitch cried as if she wasn’t the person who put my sister there. She was the only person I had left and your daughter killed her,” Jenny explains to her as she cries.

“Bella killed her and now I’m going to kill her, and you’re going to help me. Otherwise, bodies will be dropping. And the first one will be—.”

“I’ll help you,” she says, before she can finish making her threats.

“Good. Now I’m going to need for you to get naked.”

Standing up, Belita starts to remove her robe, leaving her without anything but her undies and bra. She turns her body, feeling ashamed, before she lowers her body back into the tub.

“Trust me, you don’t have anything I haven’t seen. And this is business, nothing personal,” Jenny tells her.

Undoing the tape, Jenny starts to wrap Belita’s feet and hands. She takes a knife out of her back pocket, and then she cuts off the tape.

“Now Mrs. Rivera. I’m going to make a call to your son. I want you to start crying and tell him to come quick. And when he gets here I want you to say Bella did this. Understood?”

“I understand.”

“Good. I knew it was a reason why I always liked you. You always listen,” Jenny says as she takes out her cell phone.

“Now when all of this is over, I’ll give you another call with further instructions. Trust me Mrs. Rivera, you will thank me in the end. I’m getting rid of you and your husband’s problems. I’m killing two birds with one stone.” Jenny dials Junior’s number, puts the phone on speaker, and places it close to Belita’s mouth and waits until he answers.

“Hello,” he answers.

“Juniorrrrr!” Belita screams.

“Mama, what’s the matter?”

“Junior, come quick,” she screams before Jenny removes the phone and disconnects the call.

“Thank you. I’ll keep in touch,” she says before she tears off another piece of tape and places it over Belita’s mouth.

“Remember this is our little secret. Otherwise you know who will be the first to die. Now start whining so when your sons get her they can find you. And remember, say Bella did it.”

** ** **

Belita awakes in a pool of sweat. This is an everyday thing she does for her familia. This reality is now haunting her in her dreams. Playing in her thoughts every time she closes her eyes. Rewinding back as if it’s a movie, starting the horror over from the beginning. And as always, she will be awakened to Jenny’s last words; “Remember this is our little secret. Otherwise you know who will be the first to die. Now start whining, so when your sons get here they can find you. And remember, say Bella did it.’ She lied on her daughter to protect her loved ones and now it is starting to eat at her heart, mind, and soul.

Removing the covers, she slowly starts to get out the bed. Looking at Juno, she watches to see if his movement will change, before easing herself out of the room. Going into his study, she grabs the house phone and dials Frankie’s number.

“Hello,” he answers.

“I need help. Every night I have this dream. That day comes back, scene for scene as if it’s a movie. I can’t do this anymore Frankie.”

“What are you going to do Belita? You can’t leave him.”

“I know that Frankie. But this is killing me.”

“Belita, we have to hang in there for our sake and Bella’s sake. I need to get her out of this mess. I’m not going to lose my daughter. I refuse to lose my only child.” Frankie’s voice starts to become a whimpering tone.

“Baby, please don’t cry. I love you and I love Bella too. We will not lose her.”

“Go get a glass of water and read a book until you get sleepy. We have to go at this as if nothing has happening. But trust me the three of us will be together once and for all.”

“I love you Frankie.”

“I love you Belita. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“What is he making you do?”

“Belita, go to sleep. The less you know the better.”

“Please be safe.”

“I will.”

She hangs the phone up then picks it back up and dials Bella’s number, but hangs up again before she can answer. She lowers her body onto the floor and starts to cry, letting out tears she has been holding in since this confrontation started.

“Why me?” she cries out.

“Why me? Why me? I just want my familia to be safe. Why do I have to chose?” she cries.

Juno is her heart but Frankie is her soul. She loves her familia and knows that loyalty is everything to them. But love, love is something worth fighting for; her daughter showed her that when she left to be with Santana and now she is starting to wonder if she can do the same thing.

Can she actually leave Juno for Frankie? Can she disown everything Juno put in her head and go to something else? Something that she knows is better than what she is used to? Yes, she can go to better. She had better, yet she knows the timing isn’t right for her to walk away. Especially if she wants everyone she loves to make it out alive. Her and Frankie will just have to come up with a way to get Bella out, because Juno is looking for blood. That they both know. And it’s been hers since the day he found out Bella wasn’t his daughter many years ago.

“Please help me. I’m so lost,” she cries out.

“Jesus, help me ‘cause I know one day Juno is going to kill Bella. If he doesn’t then Jesus will. And I can’t lose my baby. I love my children and I know I made a mistake but Jesus, please don’t take it out on Bella. Jesus, please don’t take out my selfish ways on her.” She gets on her knees and starts to pray.

“Jesus, she has nothing to do with this. Jesus, please help me. If Bella dies that will be something I can’t face. I can’t face the thought of losing my baby. But I know as for right now I have to play the part and pretend this daughter that I love is the scum of the earth, and I don’t want anything to do with her. And I know I have to do this in order to keep Frankie alive. But Jesus I ask that you protect Bella. Jesus, please protect my child. It’s a lot of people trying to kill her for something I’ve done many years ago. Jesus, I ask that you shower her with your blood, guide her to the right, and protect her from the wrong. Amen.” She lies back down on the floor and closes her eyes.

“She chose her fate and I’m going to grant it for her. And not even death will stop me,” Juno words plays into her mind.

“Death will not have to stop you ‘cause I will,” she says as if he can actually hear her.

Torn Love 3

-2-

“Wait, no, stop!” Naya screams out.

Bella awakens to the sound of Naya screaming. Fearing that her friend is in trouble, she wobbles out the bed as fast as her pregnant body will allow her. She grabs one of Seoul’s baseball bats that is resting on the wall by her room door, opens the door, and rushes to the area where the sounds of her friend’s voice is coming from. She opens the door to find her screams are due to her being positioned on all fours as Seoul fucks her doggy style.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought something was wrong,” she says, as she quickly closes the door behind her.

She leans on the door and starts to laughs. Shaking her head, she wobbles her body down the stairs, walks over to the radio that is by the entertainment system, and turns it on before making her way into the kitchen and starting to make her some breakfast. She opens the fridge, grabs the eggs, butter, milk, and sausages, and then closes it behind her. Placing the items on the countertop, she then opens the cabinet and grabs the pancake mix, salt, pepper, oil, and honey. Placing them next to the other items, she gets three pans, and a spoon, fork, and bowl from out of the dishwasher, rinsing them off and then places them on the stove. Grabbing one of the towels that is hanging from the stove, she dries the pans and pours oil into one of them before turning the stove on warm.

Next Bella takes the milk, pancake mix and honey and pours each item into the bowl before grabbing the spoon and stirring.

“Good morning sunshine,” Naya comes in to the kitchen and says cheerfully.

“Don’t come my way,” Bella warns her as she waves the spoon in the air.

Naya laughs.

“What did I do?” she asks her.

“You scared the hell out of me. That’s what you did. I need to move. I’m going to have a heart attack fucking with you and Seoul.”

Naya laughs. “I’m sorry. Give me a hug,” she says, as she steps closer towards Bella.

“No, stay away from me.” Bella laughs, as Naya puts her in to a bear hug and starts to kiss her cheeks.

“Eeeewwww, stop it!” Bella playfully screams.

“You know you love it,” Naya says, as she stops.

“Ugh,” Bella says as she wipes her cheeks. “I got nut all over my face.”

“Nah chica, I clean my mouth after every meal,” Naya assures her as she sticks her finger into the batter of pancake mix. “Oh, honey pancakes. I want some.”

“Oh no, honey. These are for the babies.”

“I’m a baby.”

Bella laughs.

“Help me with the eggs and I got you.”

“Shit, you ain’t got to tell me twice. Since we both know yo’ ass can’t cook eggs anyways,” Naya tells her while she walks over to the sink, washes her hands, and then opens the box of eggs and starts to crack them. She grabs one of the pans, puts it on the stove, turns the stove on warm, and grabs the butter. She opens that and smears it around the pan. She waits until the butter starts to sizzle before pouring the eggs into the pan.

“I can to cook eggs. I just don’t like to.”

They both laugh. Bella watches as Naya starts to make an omelet with the eggs.

“I want scrambles eggs, not an omelet.”

“I’ll give you both, sunshine,” Naya tells her, smiling.

“Well, it’s not for me. It’s for the babies.” Bella takes the pancake out and starts to do another one.

“So what’s your plans for the day?” Naya asks her.

“Doctor then I’m going to the movies,” she tells her.

“Sounds nice. Movies with who?”

“Myself.”

“Oh, I wanna go.”

“Nah, I think you and Seoul need some alone time. And don’t worry; I’m looking for an apartment. I just haven’t come across the right one yet.”

“Girl, who said anything about you moving out? This is your home too. Seoul will kill me if I let you leave.”

“After busting in on you two, I think it’s time that I do move out. I mean I been looking but I’m going to look harder.”

“Chica, the only one that’s pressuring you to leave is you. We love you. Stop tripping.”

“I just don’t feel comfortable over here anymore. You know he has to sneak Santana through the back door just so I won’t bump in to him?”

“Wrong. He’s not sneaking Santana in. Santana feels if he sees you then his feelings will cloud the closure he is trying to get,” Naya explains to her.

“So he knows I’m here yet he doesn’t bother trying to ask me how the babies are doing?”

“He knows y’all are in good hands.”