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  “O . . . OK. Let me just get out of these clothes,” I stammered.

  Fatu looked down at my purse, then turned and walked out of the closet.

  Oh my God, can he see the bulge of the T-shirt through my bag? Because if he did, I know he’s going to kill me for sure.

  I immediately dismissed the thought when I came out of the closet and Fatu removed my clothes. He pulled me into bed with him, grabbed me in a tight embrace, and buried his face in my neck. He caressed me and kissed me gently, then forced himself inside me. I immediately threw up.

  Fatu quickly scrambled off me. “Are you all right?” he asked. Concern was all over his face as he looked at the vomit splattered all over his comforter and pillowcase.

  I sat up completely and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “It must’ve been something I ate earlier,” I lied and moved to the other side of the bed.

  “Hey, where you going?”

  “I’m getting ready to get a towel or something so I can get that mess cleaned up,” I explained.

  “No, it’s OK. Take a seat over on the chaise,” he instructed me, “and I’ll clean it up.”

  I walked over and sat down on the chaise lounge near the window and watched Fatu as he stripped the bed. I’d never seen him do any domestic duties the entire time we’d been dating, so watching him change the linens on his bed was a sight to see. Once the clean sheets and comforter were neatly in place, he escorted me back onto the bed. “Need some water?” he asked as he tucked the pillow underneath my head.

  “No, I’m fine.” I turned on my side.

  He stuck the other sheets in the hamper and returned to the bed with me. He cuddled me in his arms, and I started to feel nauseous all over again at the mere thought of him touching me. I told him that my stomach was starting to feel upset all over again, and when he moved back from me, I turned on my stomach and looked at the wall.

  We stayed this way for the entire night. I couldn’t fall asleep because I kept thinking about what I had in my bag, and picturing the faces of all his victims. The very same day that I saw the news report on television, the newspaper ran a front page story with all seven women pictured on the front. I could see their faces every time I closed my eyes. I knew that the right thing to do would be to go to the police and turn in Fatu, but I also knew that I wouldn’t benefit in any way from that, because even though he would be in jail, I would still be working in the shop, and his family would be after me. That settled it for me. I wouldn’t go to the police at all. I would just get the money and move out of the country.

  ***

  I crept out of Fatu’s house before he awoke. As soon as I made it into my car, I took a minute, inhaled, exhaled, and broke down. The life I once pictured for myself was gone forever. I knew that my next communication with Fatu would be to tell him the deal.

  I got home and I immediately rushed to the safe I had installed in the floor of my closet. I opened it and retrieved all of my expensive jewelry, my bonds, and some dough I had been stashing. I walked around my closet and decided which of my handbags, shoes, jeans, and coats I would take with me. I knew for damn sure I couldn’t carry everything. I worked for almost an hour, loading my car with what I considered to be my essentials.

  Then I drove to my Realtor Kendra Smith’s office and told her to put my house up for sale, and to see what she could do with the shop. I explained to her that I would be leaving for some time, but that I would be in contact with her to collect my money once everything had been sold. She and I had grown close, so she had a lot of questions that I didn’t have any answers to, especially when she asked, “Where are you going now, Kira?”

  “I’m not sure, but I do know that I need to get out of here.”

  After I signed a contract giving her exclusive rights to orchestrate the sale of my properties, I shook her hand and left.

  Putting My Plan Into Motion

  (Kira Speaks)

  Soon after I left Kendra’s office, my Blackberry rang. It was Fatu. My heart started racing at the speed of light because I knew it was time to let the cat out of the bag, now that I had all the ammunition I needed. I took a deep breath, answered the call, and started the ball rolling.

  “Hello.” I answered the phone like I normally did.

  “Where have you been all day? I’ve been trying to reach you,” Fatu demanded.

  “I’ve been running around taking care of business.”

  “What are you doing now?”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want you to meet me for dinner. Wouldn’t you like to go to Benihana’s tonight?”

  “I’m sorry, but I am not in the mood to hang out with you tonight.”

  Puzzled by my response, he said, “What do you mean, you don’t want to hang out with me tonight? What’s the matter?”

  “I’ll tell you what’s the matter,” I snapped, just thinking about how sick he was. “I am not feeling you anymore, and the wedding is off!”

  Confused by my outburst, Fatu asked, “What?”

  “You heard me! I said the wedding is off.”

  “But I don’t understand. I mean, why are you calling the wedding off?”

  “Look . . .” I tried to gather my thoughts. “I know about everything. I know about the woman you raped and killed a couple nights ago.”

  “Kira, what are you talking about?”

  “Fatu, don’t play fucking games with me!” I roared. “I followed you the other night to Westminster Estates. And I saw you go inside that woman’s house, so I know it was you that raped and killed her. And I got the evidence to prove it.”

  “You must be mistaken,” he said calmly.

  “Fatu, please cut the bullshit out! Now I’ve got that bloody T-shirt you wore on one of your other murdering sprees, and I’ve got two pictures of your car parked on Potluck Drive, directly in front of your last victim’s house. So if you want to keep playing games like you don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about, then continue to play stupid! But don’t play stupid too long, because your chances of staying a free man are going to diminish by the second,” I said in a stern manner.

  “What do you want?” he asked.

  “I want two million dollars wired to my offshore account,” I said flatly.

  “What!” Fatu screamed.

  “You heard me! Now go in that stash you got from all that dope you sell out the back of your nightclub, and do like I just said.”

  “You bitch,” he growled.

  “No, nigga, you’re the bitch!” I shot back. “Now if you disrespect me again, I’m gonna take my price up to three million!” I warned him.

  Sweat dripped from my armpits. I knew that Fatu was probably wondering where I was, and that the first place he was going to look for me would be my house, but my ass was long gone from there. I was on my way to check into a hotel so that he wouldn’t ever find me.

  Fatu fell silent. I knew he was trying to think of the many ways he could kill me and dispose of my body. I wasn’t trying to be on his time, though, so I broke into his train of thought. “So, what’s it going to be?” I asked.

  “How long do I have to wire this money?”

  “It’s one o’clock now. I’m giving you twenty-four hours to make the transaction, so make it happen.”

  “What am I going to get in exchange?”

  “Your freedom.”

  “I want the shirt and the photos too.”

  “No problem.”

  “So when will I get them?”

  “After I find out the money is in my account.”

  “OK, done.” He hung up without saying another word.

  When the line went dead, my nerves ricocheted all over the place. I didn’t know how to take his sudden change of heart. I knew how Fatu was, and he was the type of man who did not like ultimatums. He was a very powerful and resourceful man. And with all the contacts he had around town I knew that he was going to try his best to find me no matter the cost, so I had to be on guard.

 
I got back on the phone and called my Realtor Kendra to ask her if she’d be able to put a hotel room for me in her name. She agreed without asking me any questions. I felt the need to give her some kind of explanation, even though it was a lie. I told her that I caught Fatu cheating on me and that I called the wedding off, which was the whole reason for me leaving, but until I actually left I didn’t want him to find me. She bought the story, met me at the Marriott near the airport, and took care of everything, then we parted ways once again.

  “Call me before you leave town,” she said.

  “I will,” I assured her.

  After I got inside my hotel room, I settled down and watched a few movies. Around five o’clock I ordered room service. Periodically I hopped online from my laptop to see if the transfer had been made, and when I saw that it hadn’t, I wasn’t a happy camper. Fatu still had some time left before I went to the police, but it wasn’t as much time as he wished.

  The Shit Hits the Fan

  (Kira Speaks)

  “Today in Houston, a beauty salon is in flames. Fire investigators say that Creative Images Salon was blown up around eleven pm tonight with an incendiary device similar to the ones used in war zones. Police and investigators are baffled by the crime, reporting that they have never seen such an explosion in a residential area, outside of war. Investigators have determined that the device was thrown through the front glass window. The salon is in ruins, and nothing could be salvaged.”

  My mouth fell open and I fell to my knees. My screams rang in my own ears. I felt cold all over. Fatu had blown up my fucking shop! Un-fucking-believable. This nigga wasn’t playing around. I cried and cried for hours, thinking about what could possibly happen to me if my plan didn’t go well. After my crying episode ended, I dried my tears and got up the nerve to call Fatu. I had to let him know that he hadn’t put any fear in my heart, but he did make me very angry and I intended to get my revenge. Unfortunately for me, the bastard didn’t answer, so I left him a message.

  “You grimey-ass motherfucker! You think blowing up my shop was going to hurt me? You just don’t know. You just bought me a nice-ass insurance check witcho stupid-ass self. And since you think you’re so gangsta, your dumb ass should’ve waited till the daytime when my staff was in there. And since you didn’t do that, now you’re gonna have come harder the next time. Better yet, get my motherfucking money together or I’m gonna have somebody come after you. And instead of twenty-four hours, now you got until nine am to get me what I need, so answer your phone.”

  I hung up, grabbed the bottle of Grey Goose from the mini-bar, and drank it straight. The vodka burned my chest going down, but I needed it to calm my nerves. Soon I fell asleep.

  A knock on the door woke me the next morning. The shit startled the hell out of me. Who in the hell could it be? No one besides Kendra knew I was there. Not even Nikki knew because I hadn’t spoken to her, so my heart started beating uncontrollably. On top of that, my head was ringing like crazy from a hangover. I couldn’t stand because my head would start spinning, so I lay there on the bed and prayed that whoever it was would just go away.

  Five or so knocks later, a voice said, “Housekeeping,”

  My heart rate slowed. “This room is still occupied,” I said.

  “Are you extending your stay another day?”

  “I’m not sure, but I’ll let you know within the next hour.”

  “OK, thank you.” I heard her walk away. I looked at my wristwatch and noticed it was 9:52 am. I couldn’t believe that I had slept so late, but then I remembered that the Grey Goose had me comatose. I also realized that before I passed out I had left Fatu a fucked-up message on his voice mail. Since I hadn’t heard my phone ring, I checked to make sure I hadn’t missed his call. Just as I expected, his number was nowhere in my missed call log.

  I retrieved my laptop from the foot of my bed and used my wireless broadband card to log on to the Internet again so I could check my Caribbean bank account. To my surprise, the money was there! That slummy-ass nigga must’ve gotten my message. He knew I was not playing with his ass, and he took heed of my advice. Thank God for that! All I had to do now was get the hell out of there.

  It took me twenty minutes to get myself together. I went online and booked myself a flight to Anguilla, and then I took a quick shower and slipped into a pair of shorts and a tank top. I brushed my hair, tossed the brush inside my handbag, and stuffed my laptop back into its case. Meanwhile, my cell phone rang. I looked at the CallerID and noticed that it was Kendra, so I answered.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, girl, I just wanted to let you know that everything is all set. I’ve got a for-sale sign in front of your house as we speak, and I’ve been getting phone calls already. As a matter-of-fact, I’m going to have an open house tomorrow.”

  “Wow! So soon!” I responded with excitement.

  “You’re trying to get this thing sold, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well then, it’s not soon enough.”

  I chuckled. “Yeah, OK, I see what you’re saying.”

  “Well good. I’m glad that we’re on the same page. Oh, yeah, before I forget, I just got a call from your cousin Nikki asking me when you actually put your house up for sale and when was the last time I had spoken with you, which I thought was weird because you two were living together, so I assumed that she’d already know.”

  Shocked by Kendra’s words, I said, “No, she wasn’t aware. She moved out not too long ago, and we really haven’t spoken since then.”

  “Well, that’s strange, because she told me that you and her were supposed to be meeting up for lunch today, but she was having problems getting in contact with you to find out where you two would be meeting up, so I told her where you were. I hope that was fine.”

  My heart dropped directly to the pit of my stomach. “Did you tell her which hotel room?”

  “No, but that was because I didn’t remember. I did tell her that the room was in my name, though.”

  Oh my God! No this bitch did not just tell me that she told Nikki where the fuck I was. I can’t believe this shit! I thought.

  I knew Nikki wasn’t inquiring about my whereabouts for herself alone. Fatu put her up to this shit, and now I had to get the hell out of there, because it would only be a matter of time before he caught me.

  “How long ago was this when she called?” I asked Kendra.

  “Not even fifteen minutes ago,” she told me.

  “OK, gotta go! I’ll talk to you later,” I said abruptly.

  “All right, I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Without saying another word, I hung up. I was on the verge on panicking because I didn’t know what Nikki had up her sleeve. However, I did know her well enough that I knew she had passed this information over to Fatu. I mean, why else would she call Kendra and lie about us having lunch? Shit, we weren’t cool! And we would never be again, because she was a snake, and snakes couldn’t be trusted.

  My mind was running at one hundred miles per hour. I immediately scrambled the rest of my things together and headed out. I took the back staircase to avoid being seen on the elevator. When I got to the first floor and emerged from the side door, I headed directly to my car, which was parked next to a mini van. I hesitant at first to walk near that van, since it was parked on the driver side of my car, but then I remembered that it had been parked there last night.

  I hit my car alarm button, checked my surroundings, and then I hopped inside. After I hit the automatic lock button I exhaled with relief, knowing that I was safe. But that feeling soon vanished when I saw through my rearview mirror the silhouette of someone emerge from the floor of my backseat. I gasped from fear, but before I could let out a scream, my voice died from shock.

  “I see I caught you just in time,” Fatu said as he sat up in the backseat.

  My heart skipped a beat. Before I could unlock my driver’s side door to escape, he grabbed a handful of my hair and brought my face close to his. “You th
ought you could blackmail me and get away with it,” he whispered, his hot breath heating up my face.

  “But wait,” I squeaked as he squeezed my throat.

  “Wait, my ass! Bitch, you’re dying today,” he spat in my face.

  Before I could say another word, the unlock button clicked and my passenger’s side door opened. It was Nikki in the flesh, standing there like she was on top of the world.

  “Don’t kill her here,” she said. “They might have cameras around. Let’s take her to the spot,” she suggested.

  Listening to this bitch advise Fatu about where to kill me sent chills down my spine, and my heart began to fill with pure hatred. It was apparent that this bitch had it out for me and she wanted my blood, to say the least.

  “I was the last person you thought you would see, huh?” Nikki smirked as she stood there.

  “Bitch, I knew you were coming! I just got off the phone with Kendra and she told me everything you said.”

  Nikki smiled and said, “Too bad she didn’t give you a good enough head start.”

  “Fuck you, Nikki!”

  “No, bitch! Fuck you! Because you are about to meet your maker, and after you’re gone, I’m going to reverse that transfer back into Fatu’s account, and then we’re gonna go off and be together, and make this thing official.”

  I tried to break away from Fatu’s grip, but the pressure he had on me wouldn’t allow me to budge.

  “Oh, wait a minute, bitch! Now I know you aren’t trying to buck at me.” Nikki was cocky. “Let her go, Fatu, so I can whip her ass for the last time.”

  “Shut up, Nikki!” Fatu ordered. “We don’t have time for this.”

  “Fuck her! She needs to know that we’re together. You ain’t got to hide the fact that you’ve been fucking me real good on those nights when you weren’t with her.”

  Nikki’s words cut through me like a sharp knife and more tears spilled down my face. I was hurt, but I was angrier at the fact that I couldn’t get to that whore! If I had the chance, I would’ve ripped off her fucking face, because, for one, she had just told me that she’d been fucking my fiancé, and two, she said that she was going to reverse the transfer and put my money back into Fatu’s account. How grimey and fucked-up was that? I mean, this bitch must’ve really hated me or something. My own flesh and blood was down with this nigga who wanted to kill me. I knew my grandmother had to be turning in her grave.