Thin Ice 7 - Echoes of Reckoning Read online

  Kaitlyn was thrashing now, tossing back and forth in the bed almost as if possessed. Her body was desperately trying to wake from the nightmare but her mind had taken full control returning her yet another time into the darkness. “No, please,” Lauren cried, falling to her knees. “Baptize her,” Piper told Carlo as he smiled, nodding his understanding. Lauren heard the noise, recognizing the cries, but in too much of a daze to actually process what she was hearing. “Blood of Cordrey, now Cisneros, will always reign. Will always speak. The blood will destroy our enemies and cover our kindred, Tonight we give our sweet Lauren over to it, now and forever,” Carlo recited in the perfect French, Piper swaying hypnotically as he spoke. “You can never run from who you are, from what you are, or from the blood,” Carlo spoke one last time before Lauren heard the scream of the chicken as he decapitated it, the blood spraying all over her, warm and sticky. Lauren curled into a tight ball on the floor trying to block the horror of what she felt. “Drink,” Carlo told her, holding the brass bowl with their mingled blood inside. “No, Carlo, daddy, please,” Lauren cried. Her stomach was lurching and she felt the bile in her throat. She felt his hands in her hair, pulling her head backward painfully. Carlo pulled until she opened her mouth to cry out, pouring the blood down her throat. Lauren began to wretch. “NO,” Piper screamed placing her cold hand on Lauren’s throat and guiding the vile mixture downward. She passed out then, feeling nothing else. Kaitlyn’s mind finally surrendered control as her body jerked upward the sweat drenching her as it still ran over her body. She blinked looking around gathering her bearings. Her cell vibrated and she irritably grabbed it, still breathing hard the dream far too vivid. ‘I’m coming for you,’ the message read. Kaitlyn frowned slightly thinking the message was from Tariq’s girl, playing on his phone again. The second message made her scream shortly and drop the phone onto the floor. ‘Blood of Cordrey, now Cisneros, will always reign.’

  *****

  Tariq was putting up the last of his clothing. He’d moved into one of the safehouses on the east side of the city, leaving Cyiarra and Hasaan on the other side of town. She’d of course gone through hysterics as he left, but Tariq couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t keep pretending he wanted to be with her when he didn’t. All his heart wanted, had ever wanted, was Kaitlyn. Even though he’d moved out Tariq knew they couldn’t be together the way they used to be. She unfortunately was still with Ice. He pushed the thoughts aside refusing to let it ruin his otherwise good mood. He grabbed the final box lifting it to put it on the shelf in the top of his closet, when the bottom came undone and the contents spilled to the floor.

  “Shit,” Tariq mumbled, sighing deeply as he set the box down and got on his knees picking up the contents.

  There were mostly old papers and various memorabilia in the box and he was quickly stacking it together to put back inside when he saw the photo and his movements stopped.

  The smiling couple was staring back at him as Tariq felt the hurt mixed with anger rise. He picked up the picture eyes still glued to it.

  “Mama,” he said softly regarding the woman.

  His jaw clenched and the love was replaced with raw anger as he regarded the man.

  “Are you dead yet,” he asked aloud, not expecting an answer as he regarded his father, Aarick Taylor, in the photograph.

  Tariq had fought long and hard to push his father out of his memory. He’d long since forgotten about any family ties he had when he left Tariq in the care of his maternal aunt, Emin, years ago. Probably married again, had more kids, and said fuck Tariq, he thought as he contemplated using the scissors that sat nearby to cut his father out of the photo. In the end he didn’t, but only out of respect for his mother’s memory and recalling how very much she’d loved the man. Tariq retrieved a roll of duct tape, re-securing the bottom of the box and placing all the papers back inside. The photograph he placed on the very top finally closing it and putting in his original intended spot.

  His cell rang and he smiled seeing Kaitlyn’s number. “Hey baby,” he greeted her sweetly.

  “Hey Riq,” she returned and he heard the uneasiness in her voice.

  “What’s wrong KiKi,” he immediately asked, praying she wasn’t having drama with Ice or that he’d found out about their affair just yet.

  “I just needed to hear your voice, bad dream,” she replied and he breathed a little easier.

  “I’m here baby,” he told her gently. “I can fly up if you need me too,” he added as she sighed quietly telling him she really did need to see him.

  “Ice is gone for a few days, Louisiana,” she explained.

  Tariq smiled telling her he would fly out this evening.

  “I’ll book your room,” Kaitlyn told him as he acknowledged the plan.

  “What about your girl Riq,” she asked sensitively.

  Tariq assured her everything would be fine and he would explain once he saw her.

  “I’ll be there soon baby, okay,” he told her as they prepared to disconnect.

  “OK,” she replied sounding much more at ease.

  They said their goodbyes and hung up as Tariq made his flight reservations, Kaitlyn made his room reservation, and King Diesel prepared his next move having heard the entire conversation through the wiretap he’d installed in her cell phone.

  20

  Ryan was joining Ian taking care of business in Louisiana, but he had to handle some things here at home first. The knock came at exactly 11:50AM and he relaxed letting the housekeeper answer.

  “Hello ma’am,” she greeted Nikki pleasantly. “Please come inside,” the woman offered, the slight accent in her speech.

  Nikki thanked her pleasantly walking inside, Rayne holding her hand.

  “Hi daddy,” the little girl greeted seeing her father finally, relaxing on the love seat, watching TV.

  “Hey princess,” Ryan greeted her smiling as she ran into his arms and he hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek.

  “Did you have fun with mommy,” he asked no hint of irritation in his voice.

  Rayne assured him she and her mother had a great time together.

  “When are we all going home again,” the child inquired in all her innocence, having no idea the turmoil her parents were experiencing.

  “We’ll see princess,” Ryan returned without further explanation.

  Rayne accepted the explanation for now, moving out of his embrace and turning to her mother.

  “Come sit down with me and daddy, mommy,” she called out climbing onto the love seat beside Ryan.

  Nikki glanced at Ryan who was regarding her with a calm expression.

  “Just for a minute honey,” she told Rayne sweetly, walking into the room and sitting down on the sofa adjacent to them.

  “No mommy, come sit here,” Rayne cajoled.

  She wanted them to be like they were at home, when they would all sit together and enjoy TV, laughing and playing with her in the middle. Swallowing hard Nikki opened her mouth to try and explain to Rayne why she couldn’t when Ryan shot her a look. Checking herself she rose coming over and sitting on the other side of Rayne.

  “Good,” the child said simply, returning her attention to the set.

  Nikki’s mind was racing as they sat and said nothing to each other. Rayne sang along with the various musical offerings the program offered, Ryan tickling her intermittently. Nikki had to admit she missed the closeness they used to share; the ease with which they simply existed together. When did it all go wrong, she wondered as the show ended and Rayne announced she was going to her room. Nikki gave her a hug telling her she loved her as Rayne returned the sentiment.

  “I’ll call you later and see what time I can come get her again,” Nikki told Ryan finally regarding him now.

  “Can we talk first,” he asked evenly, looking directly at her.

  Nodding slightly Nikki followed him as he beckoned her toward his bedroom. She assumed he didn’t want Rayne to hear whatever was about to come out of his mouth. Walking i
nside she immediately thought about the night prior and what transpired between them in her own bedroom.

  “I’m heading out for a few days,” Ryan told her, getting right to it.

  Nikki nodded slightly, waiting on the rest.

  “I need this shit settled between us before I leave here,” Ryan added as she sighed softly. “So straight up Nikki, is it over or what,” he drilled as she swallowed hard, blinking back the tears his question brought.

  She had to honestly deal with their situation and what she felt, and he wasn’t giving her any more time.

  “Ryan, I --,” she stumbled as he waited patiently. “You seem to have already decided that,” Nikki returned, shutting down again.

  Ryan sucked his teeth softly.

  “See this is the bullshit I’m talking about Nikki, damn,” he threw out in frustration.

  “Ryan, what do you want from me,” she asked.

  “I want you to stop trying to be so fucking hard and let me be the man I’m supposed to be with you,” he told her irritated.

  “What are you talking about, I do that,” she fired back, her ire up.

  “No you don’t,” Ryan told her. “You always, and I mean always, have to be in control of the shit,” he fired as she vehemently denied it.

  “Yeah,” he threw back questioningly. “All I ever hear from you is, I can do this, I will handle that, I have to be top at this,” Ryan told her as Nikki ingested what he said. “What the hell are you so damned scared of? Why can’t you let me drive and you just ride,” he fired breathing hard now.

  “Because that bullshit always gets you hurt or fucked over,” Nikki yelled, the tears rolling down her cheeks. “I tried that,” she continued to rail her emotions over the edge now. “It got me cheated on, hell had a baby on, and fucked over,” she told him referring to a long ago love.

  “I was good to him too, never did anything crazy, was always there for him,” Nikki said sobbing deeply now, the hurt and the anguish evident. “But you know the very worst part,” she went on. “Not only did his ass cheat on me and betray me, the asshole stood in my face and lied to me when I confronted him,” she finished chuckling bitterly as she continued to cry softly.

  Ryan watched her wordlessly letting her cry. He knew she needed to get all that had poured from her, out of her system. It was eating her alive and destroying them in the process. When she quieted, he walked over and pulled her from the dresser she’d leaned against, holding her in his arms. Ryan kissed her wet cheek gently, stroking her back as he held her and began talking to her.

  “Nikki, baby, I love you,” he told her. “Dude was definitely a loser, but that’s his damned loss, because you’re a helluva woman,” Ryan patiently explained. “All of us aren’t the same, and I for one, ain’t shit like that punk ass bitch,” he added as she sniffled slightly and nodded her understanding, eyes closed as she lay on his chest.

  “Baby, all I want to do is love you, take care of you, support you through whatever,” Ryan began again. “Trust when I tell you I’m proud of you doing you and going to law school, but you gotta find a balance baby,” he added gently. “Rayne and I need you,” Ryan told her, lifting her chin and kissing her deeply.

  Nikki returned the kiss needing to feel the love he was giving. After the kiss ended, he looked into her eyes and spoke once more.

  “So you tell me before I leave this city,” Ryan started. “Are we on or off?”

  Nikki didn’t need to think that over. It was a no brainer as she opened her mouth and answered.

  “On,” she said simply and Ryan smiled, kissing her deeply as he began undressing her.

  *****

  Horse was thinking about Ashlyn again as he waited on the information he’d requested. She seemed like a nice enough girl and Sa’Cari was definitely in love with her. He sighed deeply thinking about the drama that would ensue if he were forced to break them up. That boy is even more stubborn than Socrates, Horse mused sighing deeply as his phone rang.

  “Yeah,” he answered seeing the ID.

  The caller began giving him various information that had been gathered about Ashlyn.

  “Hmph, that’s interesting,” he replied saying nothing more as they continued to talk. “You checked medical history,” he asked and the caller assured him the young woman had never visited a maternity ward or abortion clinic.

  “Hmph, okay, thanks for all the information,” Horse told him as they disconnected and his mind continued to whirl.

  Dialing another number on his cell he waited for the call to connect.

  “Wassup,” the person on the other end greeted him.

  “We need to meet,” Horse said simply.

  The other party picked up the tone asking if anything was wrong.

  “Not necessarily, but we need to talk,” Horse replied offering no further explanation.

  “That’s fine, when and where,” the party inquired.

  Horse supplied an answer and they agreed, disconnecting. He sighed deeply afterward, before rising and heading into the kitchen to make himself a drink.

  His cell rang again and he smiled seeing Sapphire’s name.

  “Hi,” Horse greeted her amiably.

  “Horse, guess what,” she threw out excitedly.

  He was curious what had her so giddy, secretly hoping Sa’Cari and Ashlyn hadn’t done anything crazy like elope.

  “What,” he asked still amiable.

  “They have a donor, they just called and told me to get to the hospital now,” Sapphire told him as the smile covered his face.

  “Wow, that’s fantastic, I’m on my way,” he told her grabbing his keys as he talked and heading out of the door.

  Sapphire explained about the young woman killed in the auto accident and her family honoring her wishes and donating her kidney. As saddened as Horse was about the young woman losing her life, he was eternally grateful for her gift to Sapphire. They talked a few minutes more before she hung up saying she needed to finish packing her overnight bag. Horse was still thinking about the ramifications of her getting the new kidney. He prayed her body didn’t reject it and that she would get many more good years on earth. Are you going to finally man up and approach her, his mind questioned.

  Horse couldn’t deny what he felt for Sapphire getting stronger and stronger everyday. Soon he would be forced to either deal with the feelings or stay away from her. The latter being something he definitely didn’t want to do. Reaching her place she was waiting outside, smiling and waving cheerfully.

  “I’m so nervous,” Sapphire confided as they rode.

  “It’s going to be fine,” Horse told her reaching out and taking her hand.

  She didn’t pull away, making him smile slightly. They reached the hospital and he went inside with her helping fill out the various papers required to proceed.

  “The surgery should take about 3 or 4 hours,” the nurse was informing Horse as they prepped Sapphire inside her room.

  “How long will she need to stay in the hospital,” he asked, his own anxiety beginning to kick in. “Normally about 7 to 10 days, but that will depend on how well her body responds to the kidney,” the woman told him as Horse nodded and thanked her for the information.

  They brought Sapphire out on a gurney almost an hour later, heading to the operating room. The orderly stopped at her request as Horse gave her a reassuring smile.

  “Call Sa’Cari and let him know,” she asked as he assured her he would. “Horse, if for whatever reason,” she began as he quickly told her to stop.

  “When you wake up Sapphire, I’ll be here,” Horse told her firmly.

  She looked into his eyes for a moment, silently, before smiling and softly telling him okay. The orderly resumed his trip and Horse watched them disappear inside the elevator. He pulled out his cell and made the call to Sa’Cari, assuring him he would call him back once his mother was out of surgery. Sitting down, Horse picked up and magazine and prepared himself to wait.

  *****

  Sa�
�Cari was still thinking about his mother when Ashlyn arrived moments later. “Hey,” she greeted him happily.

  Sa’Cari gave her a short smile and invited her in.

  “What’s wrong,” she asked, taking note of his mood.

  Sa’Cari told her about his mother getting a kidney and that she was in surgery right now.

  “That’s good though honey,” Ashlyn tried to cheer him up. “No more dialysis and stuff for her,” she added as he nodded thoughtfully.

  “I guess I just don’t want anything to go wrong,” he finally confessed.

  Ashlyn told him she understood but they had to stay positive. He hugged her tightly then, telling her how glad he was to have her in his life.

  “Did you enjoy Chicago,” Sa’Cari asked changing the subject wanting to lighten the mood.

  “Yeah, it was really nice,” Ashlyn replied.

  “Hmph,” he said simply, kissing her lips. “Think you would be happy living there,” he inquired.

  Ashlyn frowned slightly wondering where he was going with that question, but answered she thought it would probably be a nice place to live.

  “You want something to drink,” he asked, again shifting gears and leaving her mind confused.

  “Yeah, a juice is fine,” Ashlyn returned.

  She thought it was a random question but decided not to give it any more thought as Sa’Cari took her hand and pulled her up from the couch, heading she knew, to his bedroom.

  “You have a good day today,” he asked, beginning to undress her.

  “Yeah, got another two papers to write,” Ashlyn complained as Sa’Cari chuckled slightly. They began to kiss, all conversation stayed as the atmosphere heated up and they were both soon naked, touching and caressing intimate parts.