We Didn’t See it Coming

by Christine Young-Robinson

“It hurts!”

  “Shut the hell up and I’ll stop.”

  Aniyah quieted down as tears drowned her face. Danny released her breasts. He spread her legs apart and entered her.

  “You used to love it,” he whispered in her ear as he worked his muscle inside her.

  Aniyah wondered how his six-pack had turned into a potbelly. Danny began to suck on her neck.

  She wondered if the money in his pocket was meant to pay her for her deeds. Aniyah decided to play him for a sucker, please him, empty his money roll, and then pass him off to one of her new young girls when she hired them to work for her escort business.

  Pressing her lips hard against his, she worked her body right along with his.

  “I knew you wouldn’t give this good loving up.”

  “You’re right. You’re the client. I aim to please,” Aniyah said as she counted the dollars in her head that he would pay her.

  As much as Aniyah tried to not enjoy it, she felt the passion she had for Danny all over again.

  She rested on the pillow, sweat rolling down her neck as she watched Danny get out of bed. He picked up his underwear and put them on, followed by his pants.

  “I’m out of here,” Danny said as he tossed his shirt on.

  Aniyah sat up on the bed. “Where’s my money?”

  “Money! Girl, you get nothing from me. I’m not paying for something that already belongs to me.”

  “You bastard, give me my money,” she shouted as she ran over to him and beat on his chest.

  Danny lifted her up as if she were a pencil. He slammed her against the wall. Aniyah trembled.

  “I know you don’t need money. I’ve read about the fortune you came into. You owe me commission on that money. I’ll be in touch in a few days. Just get ready because I’ll be moving into the big house with you. I have to clean up some unfinished business in Georgia. I’ll be back as soon as I can. So make room for me.”

  Danny put her down. Aniyah stayed put as she stood against the wall like a statue. She wanted to get out of the room alive.

  Danny smothered her lips with a kiss and disappeared out of the room.

  Aniyah hurried and put on her clothes. She called her contact and yelled, “Thanks for that bullshit client.” She hung up right away.

  Back to another bar she went, drowning her sorrows with rum. She sniffed the smell of Danny’s cologne coming from her neck so she took a napkin off the counter and wiped her neck off.

  She carried on a conversation with a man sitting at the bar with her. He flashed a few hundred dollars in her face. After too many drinks, she took the strange man to the estate with her.

  Chapter 27

  Milandra and Noelle entertained their male friends with a game of Yahtzee while Kenley watched them play. In the middle of the game Milandra got out of her seat. “Let’s go,” she ordered.

  “Where?” Noelle asked.

  “To the estate,” Milandra said.

  “Let’s just play the game,” Noelle said.

  “It’s not a good idea for you and your sisters to go over there,” Nolan said, putting his two cents in.

  “We need to show this Rosie girl we’re no pushover sisters,” Milandra said as she sat back down to rejoin the game.

  Kenley agreed. “I have a few words for her.”

  “Just because we carry ourselves as graceful ladies doesn’t mean we’re weak,” Milandra acknowledged.

  “The girl is crazy. You see what she did to her own aunt. She’ll think nothing of bringing harm to us,” Noelle said.

  “She can’t tackle the three of us,” Kenley said.

  “I agree with Nolan, let it go. Let the police handle it,” Sid said.

  Milandra backed down. Kenley, bored from their game playing, went upstairs to her room to watch television.

  An hour later, her sisters escorted their male friends to the door.

  Nolan placed a peck on Milandra’s cheek, but Noelle wasn’t ashamed to give Sid a kiss on the lips in front of her sister. They waved goodbye to them and went back in the house.

  “We’ve met some wonderful gentlemen,” Noelle said.

  “Yes, they are so attentive to us. They are such great friends,” Milandra said.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m in love with Sid. I think you love Nolan, but are too scared to show it. You don’t want to admit we’ve found love from the common man.”

  “They are not men Father would approve of us marrying.”

  “Milandra, Father wasn’t planning on accepting any man for us—rich or poor,” Noelle said as she started to unbutton her blouse to get ready for bed.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Getting ready for bed.”

  “Call for a car; we’re going to the estate.”

  “I thought we agreed we weren’t going over there. She’s probably already been picked up by the police.”

  “You recalled she wasn’t home earlier. They might wait to pick her up tomorrow.”

  “I don’t think they work that way. I’m sure the police are still waiting at the estate for her.”

  “Please, let’s just go and see because if she’s there, I want to confront her. I can’t go to bed without venting my thoughts to her. Go on; call for a ride. I’ll get Kenley,” Milandra said.

  Noelle made arrangements for a limo to come right away. Milandra went upstairs and brought Kenley back down with her. They locked the house and went to the estate.

  No signs of a police car were on the property. Word was left at the security desk to call them when Aniyah arrived home. The house was dark with no sign of life in it. Milandra rang the bell several times but got no answer.

  Kenley suggested she go through the secret passage. She hurried and made it into the main floor of the house to open the front door for her sisters. Aniyah hadn’t come home yet. The women sat in the kitchen until they heard her come in. Kenley secretly took a knife out of the drawer and kept it by her side.

  Aniyah walked into the house staggering. She and her male friend were all over each other. She steadily kissed him, not hearing the sisters walk into the foyer where they were.

  Her male friend noticed them and jumped. “We have company,” he said as he adjusted his pants.

  Aniyah turned to them. “What the hell are you broads doing in my house?”

  The sisters smelled the odor of liquor.

  “Correction, whore,” Kenley said, “this is the home of a Houston, which you’re not.”

  “Go upstairs and wait for me,” Aniyah ordered her guest.

  Kenley stepped in front of the staircase. “Go home!”

  “I suggest you do, Sir,” Milandra said. “No need for you to get in any trouble for a slut.”

  “All you tramps get out of my house!” Aniyah yelled.

  The stranger saw this was about to escalate into a catfight that might involve the intervention of law enforcement. He was on parole and wanted no part of that.

  “Call me—” He patted Aniyah on the behind. “—when things cool down.” He dashed out the door.

  “Is this about me not letting you in here earlier? So you go running to get your sisters to back you up?” Aniyah asked as she focused on Kenley. “They don’t scare me. So get out,” she yelled as she held open the door.

  Milandra walked up closer to Aniyah. She yelled, “You’re despicable. To let my father believe that you were his child and make him do the honorable thing by leaving you in his will is pretty low, I must say.”

  “How many times do I have to repeat myself—I’m his daughter!” Aniyah shouted.

  “The hell you are,” Noelle said.

  Kenley laughed. “Tessa! Does that name mean anything to you?”

  Aniyah tried to make her way up the stairs but Kenley blocked her by stretching her arms out.

  “Girl, you want to get your little ass whipped? Get out of my way,” Aniyah said as she put her finger in Kenley’s face.

  Kenley held up the knife. “No, Rosie. Isn’t that
your real name? Explain to us why you’re running around here using your dead cousin’s name?”

  Noelle saw that her sister held up a knife. “Kenley, put that away. We’re only here to talk.”

  “Kenley, do as Noelle told you,” Milandra called.

  Noelle went over to the stairs and snatched the knife out of her sister’s hand. “I’ll take it back to the kitchen,” she said as she left the foyer.

  Aniyah laughed as she tried not to show any emotion about Kenley discovering her birth name. “The little bitch can keep the knife. I’m not scared of her ass.”

  “Leave our house right now, or I’ll get another knife and cut you up!” Kenley yelled.

  “Hell no. How many times do I have to say it, or do you all have a hearing problem? My name is Aniyah.”

  “Call the police for Rosie Aniyah,” Kenley said as she winked her eye at Milandra.

  Milandra took her cell phone out of her pants pocket and started to call 9-1-1. Aniyah ran over and knocked it out of her hand.

  Kenley came to her sister’s rescue. She pushed Aniyah to the floor and ran to pick up the phone. Aniyah staggered to stand up to get to the phone. Milandra tripped her with her foot. This gave Kenley the chance to get to the phone.

  Noelle came back to see Aniyah on the floor and Kenley on the phone.

  Instead of calling the police, Kenley called their lawyer while she kept an eye on Aniyah, still on the floor with her hair out of place and her dress rose up, exposing her thighs.

  “I called Mr. Chavis. You speak to him,” Kenley said as she passed the phone to Milandra.

  Milandra held the cell phone to her ear until he answered.

  He tried to scold her. “What are you doing over there?”

  “I’m handling my family business and you have no right to question a Houston,” Milandra relentlessly said.

  “I apologize but the police will handle Tessa’s niece. I’m on my way there,” Baron said.

  Aniyah tried to stand up but Kenley grabbed her by her hair. She pulled her to the stairs. “Let me go!” Aniyah yelled.

  “What kind of woman are you?” Milandra asked Aniyah as she watched Kenley drag her.

  “Stupid—that’s what she is,” Noelle said.

  “You tied up your own aunt and put her in a closet. How crazy are you? Your own family!” Kenley yelled as she yanked Aniyah’s hair.

  “Ouch!” Aniyah said, coming into the realization that her aunt Tessa was no longer upstairs. She wondered where she was.

  “She deserved it,” Aniyah screamed. “Just like your papa deserved it.”

  Kenley slapped her on the face. “Respect my dead father.”

  Aniyah laughed. “I had plenty of pleasure from your papa. He was a male whore. He took me as his woman. The house you live in is where we made our love nest. I had him where I wanted him—right by the balls. That’s when I told him I was his daughter. You should have seen the look on his face. That’s what sent him straight to his grave.”

  “Shut up!” Milandra said hysterically. “Respect my father.”

  “He never gave my family respect!” Aniyah screamed.

  Milandra lost control. “Move out of my way, Kenley.”

  Kenley stepped away from Aniyah. Milandra ran over and kicked Aniyah with so much force that it bruised her right leg.

  Noelle pulled her sister away. “Control yourself, Milandra. She’s not worth it. The law will take care of her.”

  Milandra fell to the floor and cried. It hurt her to have heard nothing but negative things against her father. She couldn’t believe there was a cruel side of him that made him abusive to women when he had daughters of his own.

  Baron and Tessa entered the house. Tessa saw her niece at the foot of the stairs. She ran over and whacked her across the face and she cried to Aniyah, “I will never tell your mama I found you. She almost lost her life worrying about you, Rosie. A heart attack almost took her life. I’d rather her think you’re still lost. She would be so hurt to discover that her daughter was being so manipulative and cruel to others.”

  Aniyah sobbed, “Stop lying on my mama. Aunt Tessa, you’re a traitor and I hate you!”

  “Everyone be quiet,” Baron said.

  “Boss those heifers over there, not me,” Aniyah yelled to him.

  “I’m not here to boss anyone. I’m saying let’s all calm down. Aniyah or Rosie, whatever your name is, you need help to deal with whatever pain you’re going through,” Baron advised her, trying to give her the benefit of the doubt since she was Tessa’s niece.

  “What are you now—a damn shrink? You need help on how to screw a woman. You’re crappy in bed.” Aniyah laughed. “You’re a sucker, just like Rupert.”

  Noelle couldn’t believe Baron had slept with Aniyah.

  “Stop lying,” he said, even though it was the truth. Tessa also knew she was telling the truth, but she protected him in front of the Houstons.

  “Rosie, no more lies,” Tessa said.

  Aniyah sat on the steps and yelled, “I don’t care whether you believe me or not. He screwed me.”

  Noelle comforted Milandra. Kenley ran up the stairs. She grabbed some of Aniyah’s belongings and tossed them in a pillowcase that was on the bed. She brought the stuffed pillowcase to the staircase.

  “Here are your things. Take them and leave me and my sisters alone,” Kenley yelled. Everyone looked up and moved out of the way as the pillowcase tumbled down the stairs.

  Kenley came down the stairs. Aniyah tried to attack her but Baron stopped her.

  “I’m sick of you for real, little creep. Enough is enough. You’re a pest,” Aniyah said.

  Upset with Aniyah for going after her sister, Milandra ran over and pulled her by the hair.

  “You high-class bitch, let go of my hair,” Aniyah argued.

  Baron dared not to stop Milandra; he watched her as she dragged Aniyah out the door.

  “Please, Rosie has done wrong, but she’s my niece. Don’t hurt her,” Tessa begged.

  Noelle could see by the look in Tessa’s eyes that she was in as much pain as they were, but in her own way. She called to her sister. “Milandra, let’s not get in trouble with the law.”

  Milandra listened to her sister and let go of Aniyah.

  Aniyah sat on the outside of the door and tried to pat her hair neatly in place.

  Two officers, who were notified by security that Aniyah had arrived home, pulled up to the front door.

  Aniyah stood up and still tried to put on until the end. “Officers, please make them leave my house,” she yelled.

  “Are you Rosie Sanchez?” the officer asked Aniyah as they got out of the police car.

  “I’m Aniyah Sanchez.”

  “Liar!” Kenley shouted. “She’s a fake.”

  The officer noticed Tessa from speaking to her at the villa. “Can you identify your niece for us?” the head officer asked.

  Tessa pointed at Aniyah and cried, “She’s my niece. Her name is Rosie Aniyah Sanchez. She’s using her middle name and my dead daughter’s name, Aniyah, for her own.”

  One of the officers went over to Aniyah, grabbed her hands, and put them behind her. He handcuffed her and read her Miranda Rights.

  “You traitor. Aunt Tessa, how could you do this to me?”

  Kenley took one of the officers upstairs and showed him the rope and tape Aniyah had used on her aunt. The officer took the items for evidence.

  “I want to make sure you have the story of what happened,” Milandra said. “She got this home because my father left it to her in the will under the assumption that she was his child. She isn’t.”

  “I was told this earlier by Mr. Chavis,” the head officer said. “Is this true?” he asked as he turned his attention to Aniyah.

  She laughed. “She’s jealous because I’m our papa’s favorite daughter.”

  Tessa begged, “For God’s sake, Rosie, stop lying. You know you’re not Mr. Houston’s daughter. His real fourth daughter is dead.”

>   “Is this true?” the officer asked Aniyah a second time.

  “I’m not answering any more damn questions. I plead the fifth. Speak to my lawyer right there.” Aniyah pointed to Baron.

  “You’re her lawyer?” the officer wondered.

  “No. I’m the Houstons’ attorney,” Baron said.

  “He’s my lover and he’s my lawyer.” Aniyah blurted to the officer.

  Tessa yelled, “Rosie, stop making a fool of yourself.”

  Aniyah turned and looked at her. “Rot in hell, bitch.”

  Those words made Tessa feel like her niece had taken a knife and stuck it in her heart.

  The officer took Aniyah out and put her in the police car.

  Baron ordered them all to go home. The girls locked up the house until they could get all the paperwork straightened out.

  Chapter 28

  Baron and Tessa arrived at Baron’s home. Tessa was distraught. “Thank you so much for making the Houstons listen to my side of the story.”

  “They should know what really went on; even if it’s not anything they wanted to hear.”

  “I guess it’s hard for them to hear that their papa was cruel in his own way.”

  Tessa took off her blouse. Baron came up behind her and put his arms around her. He caressed her breasts as he kissed her on the neck.

  Turning Tessa around, he put his lips to hers. They kissed passionately. He unhooked her bra to release her breasts. He cupped one as he took it for his pleasure.

  Tessa moaned from the delight of his teeth biting on her. She helped remove his shirt, and then placed kisses on his chest and all the way up to his neck and lips.

  Baron eased up as he thought of the roses and bottle of Sangria he bought for her. “I’ll be right back.”

  “I’ll make you a warm bath.”

  “I’ll do that for you when I get back,” Baron said as he went downstairs and took a bowl of strawberries and a chilled bottle of wine out of the refrigerator. He placed the bottle under his right arm and grabbed two glasses. He left the bouquet of roses on the kitchen counter and he went back to join her. When he entered the bathroom, Tessa already had the water running in the Jacuzzi tub. “You don’t listen. I told you I would do that for you.”