Thin Ice 4 - Resurrections (23 page)

         
That was totally unnerving,
she thought anxiously. “Maybe its time to move on chick,” she said softly aloud pulling out the books and starting on them again.

Her cell rang and she smiled seeing Jacoury’s name on the ID.

“
Hey,” she greeted him as he returned her greeting.

“
Everything straight,” he asked.

Tyashia told him it was, deliberately not mentioning the visitor they’d just had.

“
When are you coming home,” she asked in passing.

“
You horny,” he asked bluntly as she burst into laughter.

“
Well, yeah, but that’s not why I asked,” Tyashia returned still smiling at Jacoury’s silliness.

“
I’ll be there soon baby,” he told her vaguely.

Knowing well enough not to push, she left the subject alone.

“
Everything good with you, with us,” he asked.

Tyashia frowned slightly before answering. “Yeah, as far as I know,” she replied. “Is there something you want to tell me,” she asked, slightly on edge.

Jacoury chuckled again. “No, I just like knowing you’re pheening for me,” he told her as Tyashia sucked her teeth.

“
Whatever,” she returned petulantly as he laughed again.

“
We’ll talk about your living arrangements when I get back,” Jacoury told her as the alarms began to shriek in Tyashia’s head.

“
Oh okay,” she returned, careful not to show her feelings.

“
I gotta go baby, but I’ll be home before you know it, OK,” Jacoury returned as she told him that was fine and disconnected.

You need to be long gone before he gets back here,
Tyashia’s mind railed as she sighed deeply and rose heading for the bar. She needed a drink.

24

Ian continued to watch Lauren wordlessly as she stared back.

“
Would you like to know what gave you away,” Ian asked.

Smiling slightly, Lauren spoke. “Sure, humor me,” she replied, still confirming nothing. Ian chuckled slightly, taking his time, rising and making himself another drink and returning to the room moments later. He sat down again in one of the huge Victorian highboys adorning the room, sipped his drink and regarded her all over again.

“
My name,” he said simply as Lauren frowned slightly.

Ian smiled again. “KiKi never, ever, called me Ian,” he clarified as Lauren mentally kicked herself for the mistake. “Not even in the heat of a bitter argument,” he told her. “I’m always Ice to her.”

Lauren grunted slightly, sighing deeply. “So now what,” she asked calmly.

Ian shrugged slightly.

“
Doesn’t matter to me,” he told her calmly. “Would you like me to call you Lauren,” he asked.

The pain hit her suddenly without warning and Lauren grimaced, crying out slightly as she grabbed her head and went to her knees. Ian was instantly up from his chair, his arms around her, lifting her back to the couch.

“
Are you all right, baby,” he asked anxiously, looking into her eyes now.

“Ice, what the hell,” Kaitlyn mumurmued, confused and frightened finding herself here with him.

Ian sighed lightly, finally understanding what was going with her. The two personalities were fighting for survival inside her and she was helpless to stop them.
I need to help her find a happy medium so they can both exist before it kills her,
he thought as she continued stare at him.

“
I’m going to make you some hot tea, and then we’re going to talk,” Ian told her as Kaitlyn simply nodded.

Once Ian left the room, Kaitlyn took in her surroundings wondering where she was, how long she’d been here, and why she couldn’t remember anything after seeing him in the hospital basement.
Tariq has got to be crazy by now,
Kaitlyn thought as Ian returned, handing her the tea. Taking it, she quickly put it down. Her hands were shaking so badly, most of the contents were spilling into the saucer under the cup.

“
Ice, where am I, how long have I been here,” she asked, already sure she didn’t want to know the answer.

Ian sighed softly and told her she’d only been with him for about three days now.

“I hafta go home, Ice, please,” Kaitlyn tried as he sighed deeply again.

“
KiKi, baby, we have to get you well first, then you can decide what you want to do,” he told her as she frowned deeply.

“
What are you talking about,” she queried.

“
I want to show you something,” he replied instead.

Kaitlyn picked up the tea, steadying it with both hands and sipped lightly while Ian loaded the DVD into the player. He came and sat next to her, remote in hand.

“
I think this will explain a lot for you,” he told her cryptically.

What trick is he up to now,
Kaitlyn wondered as Ian pushed play. The images spilled onto the screen and her mouth dropped.

“
No, oh god, no,” Kaitlyn breathed, watching herself making love to Ian. “That didn’t happen,” she tried as Ian tried to pull her close.

“
No, stop,” she screamed pushing him away, trying to rise from the couch.

“
KiKi, stop,” Ian told her, forcefully pulling her back to him and holding her on the couch, forcing her to watch the DVD.

She gasped hearing the things coming from her mouth as they conversed afterward. “Why would I do that,” she cried, sobbing now. “What did you give me,” she accused.

Ian let her cry it out and quiet herself before he spoke.

“
KiKi, how long have you been having these blackouts,” he asked as she stared at him, amazed he knew her secret.

“
A couple of months,” she answered finally, glad to be able to unburden herself.

*****

Seth sat in his cell brooding. He’d been so close and now he was locked behind concrete walls and iron bars.
I’m gonna find that nosey bitch that interfered and kill her ass,
he thought hotly. All he needed was two or three more minutes and Gabrielle would have been in his arms and his car, headed home.
Shit, now what,
he thought anew. They were waiting for ballistics on the gun that killed C-Rod. That would effectively free him and Victor from the murder charge. The unregistered handgun charge was simple enough, so Seth wasn’t worried about that at all.
Now I’m going to definitely have to kidnap her,
he mused. Gabrielle was frightened of him at the moment. Not to mention her desire to stay here in Atlanta with Jaron.

“
There’s another bitch I owe a bullet too,” Seth mumbled.

They’d separated him and Victor when they arrived at the station. He hoped his bodyguard was holding up. He trusted him, but you never knew what a person might do or say if the right pressure if applied.

He thought about Gabrielle and how beautiful she was. She’d come a long way from the timid girl he’d spent years grooming. She was truly a woman now and he loved it. Seth wanted her with every fiber of his being. He couldn’t wait to make love to her, to kiss her, to care for her.

“
I’ve got to get the hell out of here,” he mumbled once more.

His attorney told him he was working as quickly as he could to secure them both bail. He wasn’t licensed to practice in Georgia, so he contacted one of his colleagues that did. The man was supposed to contact them later today.
That shit cannot happen soon enough,
Seth thought sighing deeply. As soon as they were released and the charges sorted out, he was heading back to St. Louis, with Gabrielle. He’d made up his mind to pick her up first thing when they left the jail.
And I don’t give a fuck if Jaron is there or not,
Seth surmised. Today was the day he left Atlanta and he wasn’t leaving without Gabrielle. He would kill any and everybody that got in his way, without hesitation or remorse.

“
DuBois,” the guard called out.

Seth looked up into his eyes, his stare never wavering.

“
You’re out of here,” he told him. “Bails been posted.”

Seth smiled for the first time since being arrested, rising and following the guard to the release desk.

*****

“Do you understand what I explained to you,” Ian asked as Kaitlyn nodded.

It made perfect sense, and she knew for herself that there had to be some part of Lauren still hidden deep in her psyche.

“
Baby, none of that matters to me,” he told her sweetly. “I’m going to help you get better, find a way to meld your memories and emotions,” Ian went on. “But you’re going to have to make some tough decisions,” he added as Kaitlyn sighed deeply. “KiKi, do you really think Tariq is going to understand you having another personality?” Ian threw at her. “Do you think he’ll understand that it was Lauren making love to me, when he finds out,” he continued to badger. “Do you think he’ll believe you didn’t come with me of your own free will when he sees that DVD,” Ian finished, making it clear he planned to show it to Tariq.

The tears began to flow down her cheek as she thought. Kaitlyn couldn’t imagine her husband believing anything as crazy as her having a split personality and why should he? She’d taken him through hell and back in the last couple of years with all the therapy and drugs. Why would he want to continue putting himself through all the drama, when he could find some nice normal woman to spend his life with?

Maybe letting Tariq go was the kindest thing she could do for him, Kaitlyn thought miserably as she grew quiet, huddled in the corner of the couch. Ian had thankfully risen and left her alone for a little while, promising to check on her again in a while.
You should at least text him and let him know you’re all right,
her mind told her as she sighed deeply. Rising, Kaitlyn made her way into the den. She’d seen her bag in there earlier. Finding it still sitting casually on the oak desk enclosed, she rummaged through it finding her phone. She noticed the battery was low, but she had enough life left to send a text.
Are you going to leave him and stay with Ice,
her mind pestered. The thought hurt deeply and Kaitlyn found herself sobbing again. She didn’t want to hurt Tariq anymore and she knew finding out she’d slept with Ian would break his heart.
That wasn’t you,
her mind tried again.

“
He’s not going to believe that,” she murmured, echoing the things Ian had spoken moments earlier.

Sighing deeply she returned to the phone and typed in a quick message, hitting send, closing her eyes and praying for strength to let go.

*****

Tariq was dozing lightly. He hadn’t slept well for the past three days, since Kaitlyn was first missing. The beep tone of his message indicator broke the nap and his eyes popped open, fully alert. Picking up his cell from the table, Tariq sat straight up in the recliner, seeing Kaitlyn’s name. ‘Hi baby,’ it began. ‘I’m okay, Ice is alive,’ it went on. ‘I’m not crazy Tariq, he is,’ she went on. ‘I don’t know where I am, but I wanted you to know I’m okay. He left me alone in the room for a minute.’ Tariq was breathing hard, excited to hear from her, but pissed that she was with Ian. He quickly sent her a return text telling her how much he loved her, and that he believed her about Ian being alive. He implored her to try and discover where she was and let him know. ‘I’m coming to get you baby,’ his message told her. ‘Please be strong and know that I love you with all my heart,’ he finished and hit send.
Thank you,
he breathed sighing deeply. Just hearing from her gave him a sense of peace momentarily. He knew she was all right.
You knew he wouldn’t hurt her; he’s obsessed with her,
his mind told him.

Tariq began brooding about the entire situation all over again. The more he thought about it, the better leaving Atlanta sounded to him. Kaitlyn hadn’t been well for the last couple months, but she was definitely trying to make him believe she was. Tariq knew his wife well, and when she was off, he knew it.

“
Maybe some new scenarios and the death of bad memories will change all that for us both,” he murmured, deciding he would talk to Mook and the rest of the crew tonight when they met.

His cell buzzed again and he looked at it, seeing yet another message from Kaitlyn. ‘I love you too and I’ll try,’ it said simply. Deciding not to text her back on the off chance Ian came back into the room. Tariq didn’t want to do anything to give away the fact they were in contact. They needed the element of surprise on their side.

“
What have you done to my wife,” Tariq growled aloud.

His gut was gnawing at him that something had transpired. He didn’t want to think about the man touching Kaitlyn, but he wasn’t stupid either. Ian would do anything to get inside her, including drugging her and taking advantage of her.

“
Please protect my wife, mind, body and spirt,” he prayed aloud before grabbing his keys and heading over to Mardi Gras; business needed to be handled.

*****

Victor was waiting for Seth when he exited the police station. “That was truly a crimp in our fuckin’ plans,” he murmured as Victor readily agreed.