by Love Belvin
“You’re a gutter bitch, you know that?” I grated, facial muscles tightened, top lip hiked. I peered a shaken Randi directly in the eye, enjoying the shock and fear I supplied. “I have no idea what took me so long to see it. Was it my naiveté?” I shrugged. “You’ve played on that weakness of mine long enough to know. But this time, you toyed with my heart.”
“Bilan, don’t do it, girl!” Tasche begged. “I done seen this shit go down too many fuckin’ times around my way. That baby boy need you, and the one in ya belly don’t deserve to be born in no goddamn prison then shipped off in two hours to the Ellises, yo!”
“She right, B!” Brenda’s voice was shaky and squealy. “She ain’t mean nothing by it. It wasn’t personal.”
With my eyes set on Randi, my head shot back at that one. “It wasn’t personal?” I asked Randi. “Because it felt damn personal when I see you rubbing on my husband’s thigh while you were in my damn clothes!” She wore the purple leather halter top I loaned her last fall. “You wore the top you borrowed while I was too big and pregnant to wear it. Did you think wearing my clothes would attract him to your dingy ass? You think it’s that simple?” I snorted. “You were wrong. I’m his dirty habit, nasty addiction, and his inspiration. What the hell is he going to do with you after having me?”
“B, let’s just put the gun away, yo,” Tasche pleaded. “It’s late and people do stupid shit like this when they been drinking.”
That was claptrap and Tasche knew it. I hadn’t been drinking and Randi had receipts for her story, so it wasn’t just about what she said. It was what she had been doing and for some time, apparently. But Tasche was right about the hour. Time was a factor for me tonight. That reminded me I had to keep someone from the fate Randi had almost faced.
Finally, one side of Randi’s face lifted. No matter how forced it appeared, she muttered, “Bilan ain’t doing shit stupid tonight. She know it’s bitches over these niggas every day.”
I hawked up all the phlegm and saliva I could and spit it in Randi’s face. It landed between her eyes and flopped down her nose. When she reflectively moved to leap up, the ladies shouted fearfully. That’s when I knocked the barrel into her forehead, pushing her back onto the sofa.
“Don’t speak to me or Sadik again in your life, or I’ll show you just how authentic an Ellis I am.” I snatched my body away, grabbed my things from the sofa across from her, and took off to the bedroom where I slammed the door.
Then I lunged into the closet and slid on my sandals. Next, I went to the door in the bedroom adjoining the standard room next door to the suite. I reserved that, too. It let out to a different hallway than the suite. Johnson and the other new guy Sadik assigned to me for tonight wouldn’t likely be in that hallway. With a racing heart, I opened the door to the room and thankfully, no one was around. I crept to the exit door and dropped down three levels of stairs until I came out of the stairwell and crossed the hallway for the exit at the other end of the floor. This helped me catch my breath and get to the side of the building where the car was parked.
Getting down five flights of stairs took effort because I had to be sure not to stomp too hard. Doing that caused an ache from my belly button to my pelvis. By the time I made it to the first floor, my lower abdomen ached, but my adrenaline ran so high, it wasn’t a focal point. I let myself outside, into the parking lot as I fished for the keys in my pocketbook. I had to walk up one level to get to where I was told the car would be. Once there, I clicked the fob, locating the car.
Out of breath, I open the door to the Ford Fusion and slipped inside.
“Ewwwww!” I cringed and my face tightened. “David, you smoke weed?”
He didn’t mention that when I arranged for him to park his car here this morning before checking in at DiFillippo’s, and to pick it back up later tonight. The scent permeated the upholstery. I didn’t have time to dwell on that. I needed to get to campus.
After locking the doors, I adjusted the seats and pulled out of the parking lot. About thirty minutes later, I was stepping out of the car on my old campus. As I checked my phone again for any signs of Sadik or his security contacting me, my feet moved faster toward the science and technology building. The campus held a peaceful vibe at night. Not many were around at this hour, but the manicured lawns and trees were illuminated beautifully under the pole lighting.
My mind continued to race with the words I’d use to persuade Jason to stay away. Words and phrases that wouldn’t incriminate Sadik or his family, but would confirm what he claimed he already knew. I couldn’t just say My husband will kill you then have dinner with his family and me and discuss our next vacation destination while your body is being disposed of by his tactically trained men. That would be too implicit. Jason had been annoying since I left him in Macen Beach last summer, but I cared about him enough to sacrifice upsetting Sadik by warning him.
Although Sadik didn’t deserve my consideration after the stunt he pulled with sneaking off to Tiffany’s “little” celebration and having a whole ass “set up” conversation with a “friend” of mine. That palpable betrayal lanced through my belly. But it was something I had to deal with later. For now, Jason’s life had to be saved. He was not built for my husband and in-laws’ world.
The building was still open, inside lit brightly. I was familiar with it, though I had very few classes here. I went to my right, where we planned to meet. There were small private media rooms along this hall. On this side, there were five in total. All but two were open. I knocked on the first closed door. A young woman opened it immediately, eyes wild from exhaustion, it seemed.
“Sorry.” I smiled with mild embarrassment. “Wrong room.”
Then the other door opened. I saw Jason’s tightly coiled hair that had grown longer. He waved me in. My nerves roiled unnecessarily. This was only Jason. What could be hard about telling him to back off?
He opened the door to welcome me in and the moment I crossed the threshold, I understood my body’s apprehensive state to tonight.
One white male pushed off the sound booth, standing erect. “Ms. Asad-Yasin. Did I get that right?”
I shook my head, feeling flushed. “No.”
Jason closed the door behind me, the clicking sound made me suddenly claustrophobic.
“I’m sorry,” he provided. “My pronunciation of African surnames may be a little off. I don’t mean to offend you, and apologize if I did.” He offered a bow of humility, though his green irises sparkled with manipulative charm. “My name is Joshua Parks, an agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigations.” His hand lifted to the right of him. “This is my colleague, Agent Lawrence Pierce, and next to him, Agent Michael Jefferson. We’re here tonight because your friend, Jason, has expressed concern about your well-being as well as your child’s.”
Two of the agents were white and one was Black, but they were all males. My eyes shot over to Jason. His chest heaved and eyes were wild with anxiousness, similar to mine, only I refused to show it.
“Please have a seat.” The Black agent pulled out a chair at the small round table.
Too overwhelmed to think of a method of refusal, I took a seat.
The third agent moved into my peripheral. “We understand you’re romantically involved with the son of the man at the helm of the most profitable drug organization in the state of New Jersey. We also know you don’t have the background to be involved in this type of business. It’s understood that Sadik Ellis is a man of a wealth of resources.
“He, himself, is worth millions, and from his personal and business tax records, we can see he’s earned it mostly legitimately and without his father’s assistance. But we have reason to believe Sadik’s the mastermind of Double E Bags’ empire.” I wanted to laugh at that. Earl needing a mastermind? That was ridiculous. “When we received the complaint of concern for you from your friend, Jason, here, we hoped to gain an ally out of you.”
That time, I did react. I scoffed, “And why would I do that?”
The Pierce agent grabbed a chair from the corner and took a seat across from me at the table. “Simple. We’re familiar with Sadik just as much as we are Double E Bags and Iban. You’re the first woman he’s gone these lengths to claim, but he’s been quite a philanderer, and that hasn’t stopped; only slowed.”
“Excuse me?” Anger snaked up my spine like a wild vine moving ascending to my tongue.
He shrugged. “You’ve managed to get him to fall in love, but he’s still an Ellis.”
My forehead lifted. “And what’s an Ellis?”
Pierce lifted an expectant hand over his shoulder. Without words, the Parks agent handed him an envelope. Pierce dropped it on the table, causing me to leap. He then opened it and pulled out an 8x10 color photo of Sadik with Tiffany at Pulse’s anniversary event. My belly did a freefall at the sight of that image again. I’d just seen it for the first time, thanks to my supposed best friend. I still couldn’t believe he’d been with her while having me think he was on a flight to Georgia.
Dismissively, I replied, “She’s a family-friend. She’s Earl’s god-daughter.”
Pierce cracked a cunning smirk. “I’m sorry to have to remind you, Ms. Asad-Yasin, but Tiffany and Sadik have been and are more than family.”
Could my stomach drop anymore? I felt nauseous.
Swallowing hard, I asked, “Who are you to say what they are? What proof do you have that there’s something going on between them? A picture they took at her place of business where it would benefit her to be seen in public with an Ellis?”
He pulled out another photo, same size. “Not necessarily, but this could contribute to what we believe. It was taken in Rome last August. They’d just left the restaurant, Imàgo.”
It was a photograph of Tiffany and Sadik with his arm snaked around her waist as they smiled, walking down broad concrete stairs. They were close—intimately close. Sadik’s smile appeared so pure, evidentiary peace.
He had peace while I was losing my mind in fear and morning sickness in a foreign place…
I glanced back at Jason, suddenly grateful that I had run into him in Macen Beach. That seemed to be when things lightened up for me. He leaned against the wall, gnawing at his fingers. Jason appeared uneasy about this ordeal, rightfully so, considering he’d set me up. Even still, I now wondered if all of his insistence to keep in touch with me was for my good.
I turned back to the table and murmured, “Again, she’s a family-friend. They’ve known each other since childhood, and—as you explosively put it—they were lovers once upon a time. I was aware of Sadik being in Europe with Tiffany. She needed a flight out to have a gown done by a designer there.” My voice so heavy from despair, my throat hurt.
That was the weakest excuse to give in the matter of infidelity, but it was the one Sadik gave me. The part I left out was that he too had business there. I didn’t want to share that because I didn’t know what type of business it was and if it should be mentioned at all in the company of the Federal Bureau of Investigations. It would seem safer an excuse for him to be out there cavorting with an old flame than him being there on business. So, I decided to go with the dumb, naïve girlfriend role. It was one I seemed to have played best, according to many. What was evident to me was these agents, who swore to know so much about Sadik, didn’t know everything.
Even still, this hurt. Badly.
“And what about this?” Pierce pulled out another photo. It was the same night of Pulse’s anniversary. “Isn’t she your friend?”
The pain didn’t dull the second time I’d seen Sadik and Randi so close. She touched his leg as they gaped fondly at each other—in my clothes.
“No news here. Just a jealous friend,” I provided dispiritedly.
Joshua Parks leaned over the table, placing two palms to keep him upright. “So, you don’t care that he’s sharing a blunt with your best friend, whom he had intimate relations with previously?” He pulled out two more photos of the same type. One was of Sadik pulling from the blunt and the other was him passing it to Randi.
What stung the most was how I was able to identify Sadik’s sexual past with Tiffany, Ameerah, and Sofia the moment I met them. And now it was clear why. Those three women gave their hearts to Sadik to some measure. They were in love with the man who owned my soul. However, this wasn’t the case with Randi. I couldn’t sense their sexual past because it was just physical. Randi was heartless and couldn’t give Sadik more than what she did: a simple emotionless blowjob.
“Again. I’m aware of this night.” I fingered the top of my hair as I rolled my neck uncomfortably.
“And you’re okay with him being with all of those women, but being photographed like this with you?” Pierce pulled out yet another photo.
My breath caught audibly in my throat at the sight of me being hauled behind Sadik to his limo with my wrists tied together and mouth gagged as we left Julius’ victory party at Wilson’s. My face was stained with tears and running mascara, and I looked frightened. Because I was. I was also violently roused and disturbingly horny. I was betrayed and uncharacteristically territorial. Sadik had a talent at making me feel that way. He rendered me dizzy with a dangerous mix of emotions.
An itch on my top lip made me wipe my mouth. That’s when I realized it was snot running from my nose. I’d been crying.
My eyes swung from agent to agent to agent. “Why am I here?” I turned to Jason. “Why did you do this to me?”
When Jason opened his mouth to speak, Parks cut him off at the path. “Sadik isn’t an innocent man. We have reason to believe he’s been involved with embezzlement, murder, and a host of other charges subject to federal indictment. We figured if you are in a dangerous, unwanted, and violent relationship with Sadik, we can help you out.”
“And in turn,” Pierce interjected. “you can help us connect a few dots, ensuring an indictment or ten. We know you’ve seen him violent or make a call that led to violence. You’ve been inside. I mean…” He scoffed. “You’ve seen here he can’t even be trusted to be faithful to you: I’m sure he’s been immoral in other ways you’ve seen. Do you not see this?”
Too pained to speak, I shook my head, refusing to look at the pictures he tried bringing to my attention again.
“A woman who doesn’t value fidelity.” Pierce blew out an exasperating breath. “Okay. Then how about a woman of humanity.” I bit into my lip to the point of breaking skin when his hand went for the envelope again. Pierce lay out several pictures of a car wreckage. “Sadik did this to your friend—” He tossed his chin to a cowardice Jason behind me. “—Jason’s, parents back on May 22nd.”
There were images of busted glass windows, blown tires, and deflated airbags of a minivan of sorts. There were also pictures of wounded body parts, some bloodied. A man had a black, swollen eye.
“This was done to them as a threat tactic for Jason. Sadik has been wanting him to stay away from you. He called him moments before their accident. We found the crossover vehicle had been tampered with before the Andersons left for Delaware.”
“We weren’t in the country on May 22nd,” I struggled for my voice then cleared my throat, lifting my chin. “Try again.”
“We know,” Pierce made clear. “Sadik sicced his goons in his wake. Now, do you believe us?” He pushed his hands to the waist of his pants, exposing his gun.
That reminded me of the one I had on me. I didn’t have a license to carry, something that would change after today. I needed to go. While I didn’t feel a meltdown episode coming on, I did feel an impending explosion.
“I’m ready to go,” I made clear.
“We’d rather you not.” That Pierce guy was quite nasty, typical of law enforcement.
He wanted to intimidate me, hurt me with these photos. He didn’t care about me. He wanted Sadik.
“Am I under arrest, Agent Pierce?”
Pierce blinked. “No.” His jaw churned. “You’re not.”
“Then I’m free to go.” I stood and headed for the
door. When I laid eyes on Jason, he looked reduced to a spooked child. “If I had an ounce of trust left for you, you just spent it on this ‘intervention for the abused heart’ bullshit. Don’t ever contact me again.”
I went for the doorknob.
“Ms. Asad-Yasin,” I turned to Pierce behind me. He flashed a wicked smile. “Or did I pronounce that wrong again?” The question was insincere. “We—”
“You’re wrong about the pronunciation of my name.”
Pierce bounced back on his feet, eyes brushed over his partners as he snickered. “My apologies. Please feel free to correct me.”
“It’s Ellis. E, L, L, I, S, as in Bilan Ellis. Or better yet, Mrs. Sadik Ellis. Why no pictures of my nuptials or a copy of my marriage certificate?” I snorted and suddenly caught the winking of an eye of the Black agent, who hadn’t whispered a word since I’d been in here. “Next time you want to speak with me, my attorney will be present. Goodnight, agents.”
When I yanked the door open, Johnson was there, appearing as though he was about to open it himself. His narrowed eyes toured the small media room, then they hit me questioning.
“I’m fine.” I assured him and at the same time, surrendering to the obvious.
My life was no longer my own. It belonged, in part, to Sadik.
“We gotta go, Mrs. Ellis,” Johnson urged.
His reference of my title couldn’t be more apropos. I turned to the room, paying one last gaze of false confidence before walking out.
After slamming the door behind me, I took off. “Are you alone?”
“No,” Johnson answered.
“Good. Take me straight to him.”
“A hunned-twelve pounds, dripping wet!” Jules teased.
Sofia gasped, tossing a piece of popcorn over the table at him. “No, I was not, Richards!”