Chapter 23
A nightmare about Kasen being killed had made Raine wake with a start, and now she was lying on drenched sheets, feeling like she was drowning in her own sweat. Her heart was still racing, but she was relieved to know it was only a dream. In spite of everything, she knew that deep in her heart she still loved Kasen, and she longed to be with him again. A single tear rolled down her face, and like every single day that she had been there, she fantasized that she would find a way to escape.
Patrice hadn’t been in to see her all afternoon. The last time Raine saw her was at breakfast, when she had listened to her rant for at least an hour about the brutal fight between her and Voncile.
“I agree. She was totally wrong for coming at you like that,” Raine had told her more than once, understanding that it was in her best interests to stay on Patrice’s good side. By the time Patrice left the room, she had calmed down a little, but she was still distracted enough that she forgot to tie Raine to the bed again.
Raine was relieved to be free to roam around the room, but, of course, she still wanted desperately to escape this house. As she got up off the damp sheets, she stared at the door, wondering what was on the other side and what it would take for her to get out of there.
Nearly thirty minutes later, Patrice opened the door, carrying a tray in her hand. The expression on her face let Raine know that Patrice was still agitated.
“I wish you would cheer up,” she said, her voice full of fake concern, as Patrice moved closer to the bed. “And before you chew me out, my hands are united because you forgot to tie them up earlier. I don’t want you to think I somehow cut the ropes.”
Patrice shrugged as she looked at Raine’s free hands. “Whatever. Just eat your food and I’ll deal with the ropes later.”
She placed the tray on Raine’s lap. Raine looked down at the juicy pork chops, covered with mashed potatoes and gravy.
“This looks delicious,” she said, and she really meant it. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until the delicious food was in front of her. “Thank you so much. I appreciate your kindness. One of these days, you should let me cook for you.”
Raine was attempting to make small talk, just to keep Patrice in the room with her. So far, her plan was working. Patrice stood with her back against the dresser, her arms folded in front of her.
“I might just let you cook for me someday. Lord knows I’m getting tired of being ordered around by people—especially by someone who doesn’t give two cents about me.”
“I assume you’re talking about Voncile,” Raine said.
Patrice grunted in disgust like she couldn’t even stand to hear the name.
“Have you heard from her?”
“No. I’ve called that bitch four times today, and she won’t answer her phone. I’m not gonna kiss her ass much longer. If she doesn’t respond today, things are gonna change around here. She can’t disrespect me and then expect to use my place as a dumping ground for her little scheme.”
Raine tried to swallow a mouthful of food past the lump that formed in her throat. Was Patrice saying that she would send her back to Voncile’s house? Raine didn’t know if she could survive being locked up in that empty room again, always fearing when Voncile might come in to abuse her.
“You know, it’s been a long time since I had a pork chop this good. Even my mother couldn’t do it like this,” Raine said, trying to change the subject to calm Patrice down.
It didn’t work. Patrice was stuck on only one topic. “I don’t know why I let her treat me like this. She’s not really my friend. A friend wouldn’t do half of the things she’s done to me over the years.”
Raine decided that since Patrice wasn’t going to drop it, she’d better continue to support her. It was risky, because if Patrice got mad enough, she might send Raine back to Voncile’s; but maybe there was another option. Maybe Raine could convince her that the best revenge would be to let her go.
“Well, you sure seem like a good friend and a good person,” she told Patrice, heaping on the false flattery.
“Damn right I am. And I used to think Voncile was too, but ever since she got with Kasen, she acts like she’s better than everyone,” Patrice said.
“I thought you said they were having problems.”
Patrice rolled her eyes. “Yeah, things aren’t going the way she wants them to, but it just makes her even more jealous and possessive. I mean, shit—She was ready to beat my ass just for rubbing my titties on him.”
Raine had no idea what had happened in Kasen’s office, nor did she really want to know the details. What she wondered was, who were these sick women who seemed to use their bodies as weapons every chance they got? She tried to ignore her rising disgust for Patrice as she continued sweet-talking her.
“Yeah, it definitely isn’t right that she put her hands on you,” Raine said, even though she knew damn well that Patrice had lunged at Voncile first. “I can’t believe she did that to you, especially since you seem like such a good friend.”
“I will make her pay for putting her hands on me, that’s for sure. No one makes me bleed and gets away with it.”
Raine continued to take smalls bites of the food on her tray as her eyes traveled with Patrice, who had begun pacing the floor, biting her nails, and making weird faces every time she mentioned Voncile’s name.
“I’m gonna call her one more time,” Patrice announced, stopping her steps and pulling her phone out of her back pocket.
Patrice stood with her back to Raine as she made the call, but it was obvious she had gotten her voice mail again when she started yelling, “Listen, bitch. This is my last time calling you. You need to get over here ASAP and apologize for what you did to me. You also need to give me my money and come see about this heifer and her baby. Play mad all you want, but it will do you no good, because after tonight, the ball will be in my court, and you will not appreciate what I’m going to do.”
Raine’s heart began pounding as she listened to Patrice’s threats. She was starting to feel like Patrice might actually harm her to get back at Voncile. While Patrice continued to scream obscenities into the phone, Raine slowly moved the plate of food off of her dinner tray. She stood up and moved quietly, closing the distance between her and Patrice, who still had her back turned.
Patrice ended her call, mumbling, “If that bitch don’t call me back soon and bring me my money, I might just let your ass free. I bet she wouldn’t like that.”
“Just like you’re not going to like this,” Raine said, raising the heavy dinner tray over her head.
By the time Patrice turned around, it was too late for her to react. Raine smashed the tray down on her head, and Patrice crumpled to the floor.
“I’m out of here, bitch! Now!” She struck Patrice several more times until she was sure there was no more movement. Raine didn’t care if she was dead or just knocked out cold.
She hurdled over Patrice’s body and rushed to the door, poking her head out into the hallway. She’d never heard another person in Patrice’s house, but she wanted to make sure the place was empty before she ran. With no one in sight, she bolted down the stairs in her bare feet, wearing only a thin T-shirt and a pair of sweat pants with holes in them. She burst through the front door, out into the darkness.
She hadn’t felt the fresh air in so long that it caused her to gasp at first. Then she began sucking in deep breaths to enjoy the cool air flowing into her lungs. It tasted like freedom. Under a dark, moonless sky, she made her way quickly down the gravel driveway, which seemed to go on forever. She barely felt the sharp rocks under her feet, as her attention was focused solely on getting to the end of the property and onto the road.
At the end of the driveway, she found a deserted road. She had no idea where she was or which way she should go, so she crouched in the bushes to gather her thoughts. She wanted to cry tears of relief because she was out of that house, but also tears of frustration because now she didn’t know where to go. Then she thought of her baby and pulled herself together. She had to keep her head on straight if she was going to figure out a way out of there, preferably before the sun came up. If Patrice was still alive inside, it was only a matter of time before she would wake up and come looking for Raine.
When Raine saw the headlights of a car approaching, she stood up, telling herself “It’s now or never.”
She stepped out of the bushes and jumped into the road, yelling, “Stop, please! I need help!”
The fearful woman slammed on her brakes to avoid hitting Raine, but then she quickly locked her doors. With wide eyes, she took a good look at Raine, with her messy hair and ripped sweat pants. After only a moment of hesitation, she pressed on the accelerator, swerving her vehicle away from Raine and speeding off.
“Noooo!” Raine shouted after her. “Please, stop! Pleeeeease!”
Another car was coming, so Raine did a repeat, running right in front of the car, waving her arms wildly. The driver hit the brakes, causing his car to skid within inches of her body. Raine pounded her fist on the hood of his car.
“Please, please, help me!” she cried. “I need your help! Don’t go, please!”
The male driver sat nervously in his car while he tried to figure out what was going on. He felt horrible that he’d almost hit the poor woman in the street who was yelling for help. As he unbuckled his seat belt to get out and talk to her, another car whizzed by.
The woman in that car screamed at Raine, “Crazy bitch! What in the hell have yo’ ass been smoking? You gon’ get kilt out here if you don’t move!”
Raine rushed up to the man who had gotten out of his car by now. “I’m sorry for jumping in front of your car,” she said, pulling on his jacket. “But I really need your help. I . . . I was kidnapped. I need to get to my fiancé and tell him that I’m okay.”
The man put his hands gently on her shoulders. “Ma’am, if you were kidnapped, you need to go to the police.”
Raine shook her head adamantly. “Please, I’m begging you. I need to go to my fiancé first so he knows I’m okay. He can take me to the police.” Raine didn’t say it, but she was worried that Voncile might be trying to get to Kasen at that very moment. She wanted to get there to put a stop to Voncile’s plot sooner rather than later.
“Okay, if you say so.” The man removed his jacket and placed it around Raine’s shoulders. He escorted her over to the passenger’s side and helped her get in the car.
Raine’s whole body quivered as the man drove her away from the place she’d been held captive for so long. She finally felt safe enough to release her pent-up tears. She covered her face with her hands, sobbing like a baby. She was so relieved to be out of that house, but more than anything, she was happy that she would finally see Kasen again.
Chapter 24
Voncile had listened to every single one of Patrice’s messages. She was livid with Patrice, but after the last message, where Patrice had threatened to throw a monkey wrench in her program, Voncile started to worry. She wasn’t prepared for an abrupt change of plans. If she had to apologize to Patrice for beating her ass, so be it. It was important for Voncile to stay on good terms with Patrice, at least until the baby was born.
At this point, she didn’t trust Patrice anymore, especially not after she’d seen her throwing herself at Kasen in his office. Voncile hadn’t been able to get that scene out of her mind. As far as she was concerned, Patrice was a traitorous bitch trying to steal her man. Once Voncile had gotten what she needed out of her, she would make her pay for her disloyalty.
Thinking angrily about the mess she was in, Voncile swerved in and out of traffic. She was on her way to Patrice’s house, driving recklessly. She hammered the horn when a female driver cut in front of her to get into the left turn lane. Voncile caught up with the woman at the red light and honked the horn to get the ghetto fabulous woman’s attention.
She lowered the driver’s side window. The woman lowered her window as well.
“You do know that you almost made me tear up my car back there, don’t you?”
“Should’ve, would’ve, could’ve. I didn’t, so what’s the big damn deal?” the woman spat back.
“The big deal is, you weave-wearing bitch, you need to slow down and watch where the hell your ghetto ass going.”
The woman laughed and shook her head. “Heifer, you don’t know me. I will jump out of this car and beat yo’ crazy-looking ass!”
Crazy
, Voncile thought.
Did she just call me crazy?
The light turned green and the woman sped away. Voncile decided that if someone wanted to call her crazy, then she would show her just how crazy she could be. She cut off another car and sped up until she was practically on the ghetto chick’s bumper. After a short distance, the other driver looked in her mirror and saw that Voncile was tailing her. She stepped on her brakes, almost causing Voncile to hit her car.
“Shit!” Voncile yelled out. “This bitch ain’t no joke!” She let her foot off the gas a little to fall back so she wasn’t so close to the other car.
When she saw that they were approaching another red light, Voncile realized she had a decision to make. She could either jump out of her car and beat this woman’s ass—and risk being arrested for it—or she could carry herself over to Patrice’s and take care of the drama over there. Deciding that her relationship with Kasen was the most important thing, she knew she had to go check on Patrice and Raine.
At the traffic light, she pulled up next to the other car, held up her middle finger, and screamed, “It’s your lucky day, bitch! But if I ever see you again, trust that I will whip your ass!” With that, she stepped on the gas and ran through the red light, continuing on her way to Patrice’s house.
As she drove, Voncile snatched her cell phone from the seat, trying to keep her eyes on the road as she called Patrice. She was frustrated when her voice mail came on. Putting as much sugar in her voice as her foul mood would allow, Voncile left a message.
“Girl, where are you? I hope you’re not still mad at me, are you? I’m on my way there to give you your money, okay? Don’t be mad. Love ya.”
Voncile was willing to say and do anything to keep Patrice on board with her plans. She’d thought about how much damage Patrice could do, and the truth was that Patrice could ruin everything. Voncile needed Raine and that baby to stay healthy, and she needed Patrice to help her with that. She didn’t trust herself to keep Raine at her own house anymore. She hated that bitch so much that she knew she was capable of snapping and killing Raine before she even delivered the baby. Now that Kasen thought she was pregnant, Voncile needed that baby like she needed air to breathe.
Minutes later, Voncile drove though the wide gates at Patrice’s house, drove down the long driveway, and parked her car. She had managed to calm her rattled nerves, a little, but when Patrice didn’t open the door, Voncile caught an attitude. She pounded the door with her fist, rattling the glass panes.
“It’s me, Patrice. Come open the godda—” She paused, remembering that she had to play nice so they could soon reconcile their differences. “Open the door, please. We need to talk.”
Patrice didn’t come to the door, but when Voncile reached for the knob, she discovered that it was unlocked. She would have to talk to Patrice later about being so damn careless. She walked inside and called out to Patrice but got no answer.
“Yo, where are you? I got your message, and I’m sorry about what happened between us.” Voncile stepped through the living room and then checked the kitchen, but Patrice wasn’t in either place. The house was still quiet.
Voncile was starting to feel slightly uneasy as she headed up the stairs. “Look. I was just mad, okay? You know I’m gonna give you all of your money. I may even throw in an extra grand because you’ve done everything I asked of you.”
It wasn’t until Voncile reached the top stair, when she looked to her right and saw the door to Raine’s room wide open, that she really began to panic. Her heart raced as she rushed toward the door. Inside the room, she saw Patrice holding her head, struggling to get off the floor. A stream of dried blood covered the side of her head where there was a nasty gash. She was down on one knee, squinting to look at Voncile through blurred vision.
Voncile let out a scream when she looked over and realized that Raine’s bed was empty. “Where did she goooooo? Is she gone?”
Patrice could only moan in response.
Voncile felt the rage bubbling up within her like a volcano about to erupt. The baby Voncile had planned to pass of as hers was gone; that meant someone had to pay. She charged forward, gripping her hands around Patrice’s throat.
“How the fuck did you let her get away?”
The gurgling sound Patrice made was an indication that she couldn’t speak clearly. Voncile released her tight grip, shoving Patrice back on the floor.
“I can’t believe this,” Voncile shouted at the top of her lungs. “After all my time and effort, you let her get away!” She stood in the middle of the floor with her fists squeezed so tight that her nails pinched her skin. Her face was bright red, and her eyes flared with the fire that was consuming her soul. Her whole body vibrated as she hollered about the loss of her baby.
“Why did you let him get away from me? You let that bitch take him from me, and I will never get to see him again!”
Patrice was on her hands and knees as she witnessed Voncile become completely unhinged. “I’m sorry,” she uttered weakly.
“Sorry?” Voncile said, jerking her head to the side. “A child should always be with his mother, no matter what! You let her get away with my child, so take that sorry and shove it up your ass!” Voncile reached to her left, picking up a heavy ceramic lamp. With gritted teeth, she raised it up high then smashed it in the center of Patrice’s forehead.
Blood splattered in every direction as Patrice collapsed to the floor again. Patrice’s body lay motionless, but that wasn’t enough to satisfy Voncile.
“Take that and go straight to hell, you bitch!” she screamed as she raised the lamp again and bashed it into Patrice’s skull repeatedly. Within a few minutes, Patrice’s face wasn’t even recognizable.
Voncile tossed the lamp aside then wiped her hands on her pants. “How about that?” she said, spitting on Patrice. “You’re good now, aren’t you?” She rolled her head around on her neck, feeling a little better now that she had released some of her frustration.
“Now let me go find my baby,” she said as she darted out the door.