“What’s that all about,” Drew asked coolly.
“Just in case,” Legend replied, starting the truck and illuminating the headlights.
“You won’t need it,” Drew answered back as she reached for her seatbelt.
“Like I said, just in case.”
The ride to the exchange location was quiet between captive and captor. Legend didn’t like the unsettled feeling he had in his gut. Legend kept looking to his right, checking Drew, who continued to be way too calm, cool and collected.
‘Never let ‘em see you sweat’. That’s what Drew focused on. It was something her father said to her when she was little. “Never let ‘em see you sweat, baby girl,” her dad would say any time the pressures of being a kid or even an adult got to be too much. Legend didn’t know it, but that’s what kept Drew from completely losing it; that and the fact that she knew Brooklyn would move heaven and earth to get her back. Legend was an easy man to play with. All the attraction Drew felt for him when Legend was a mysterious stranger hadn’t been completely replaced with feelings of loathing and disdain. Drew still thought Legend was sexy as hell; but the overdose of psychotic tendencies kept Drew from acting on the physical and thinking about how mentally fucked up Legend had to be.
The ride for Brooklyn and Symone was equally as quiet. The two temporarily resolved their differences because they both understood the importance of this moment. Brooklyn was not her typical self. When things were stressful for her, Brooklyn intellectualized. Numbers, logic, critical thinking, all those things made sense to her. They were practical, predictable, proven even. But this? There was no practicality, no logical reasoning, no equation or problem to solve. This with Drew being taken was all emotion. This was something Brooklyn couldn’t critically think her way out of or reason away. This was raw, pure, unadulterated emotion; feelings Brooklyn couldn’t ever remember experiencing at this level. Even though their parents were none the wiser about this situation, Brooklyn felt all the big sister guilt of letting their parents down by not protecting Drew from this. Yeah, it was a quiet ride, but that didn’t make it any less intense.
Chapter Twenty - Four
Ever since the girls left her at the house, Nia had been agitated. They underestimated her like Legend did; told her she wasn’t good enough, like Legend did; made her feel inadequate like Legend did; pissed her off, just like Legend did. When Nia was trapped with her tormentor, she didn’t have the wherewithal or the fortitude to strike out against what agitated her, well, not in the beginning. So just like then, Nia sat in the middle of the couch with her feet tucked under and rocked back and forth, like a child trying to soothe herself. At first, Nia rocked fast; forward and back, forward and back. Then as she thought things through, flashing to memories of her time with Legend, Nia’s rock slowed and she rhythmically rocked as if there was internal music in her head that only she could hear.
The other girls had no idea about who Legend was, who he really was. They didn’t have an opportunity to meet him before things went so horribly wrong. The other’s also had no idea how much in love Nia was with the man who stole her heart, and then her freedom. Nia allowed her mind to go back, before the entrapment, before the pain and anguish. As she rocked, a slight smile creased her previously tight lips as she remembered Legend.
Much like any young woman, Nia wanted to feel loved, be loved by a man. Sure, she had the love of family and friends that sustained her through her younger life, but entering into womanhood, Nia wanted to experience romantic love. And in walked Legend. It was a chance encounter, nothing special or spectacular. Nia was out shopping for groceries, he caught her eye, they exchanged glances, he smiled, they chatted and exchanged phone numbers. That was it; hardly the stuff romance novels are made of. But, one phone call led to many late nights of phone calls that lasted until the wee hours of the morning while still feeling like the call lasted just minutes. And it didn’t take long before the two were absolutely in love with each other. Legend was Nia’s first. Her love for him deepened. And things were great. Legend was everything Nia ever thought a man in her life could be.
And when she found out they were pregnant, Nia was so excited to tell him. Her family might not be excited about Nia getting pregnant while unmarried but none of that mattered to her. Nia was carrying a child crafted in love. Excitedly, she shared the news with Legend, knowing he would be equally as excited to move on with their life together as a family. She wasn’t asking for marriage; that was just a piece of paper that legitimized their relationship to the rest of the world. All Nia wanted was the man that she loved, the father of her child to be there.
The slow rocking started to accelerate again as Nia was overcome with emotion. Nia met Legend at the door grinning from ear to ear. After greeting him with a warm hug and a sensuous kiss, Legend asked what she could be so excited about.
“We’re pregnant,” Nia exclaimed, overjoyed.
Nia’s toothy smile was quickly met with a brutal backhand to the face and five fingers clamping tightly around her throat. Her eyes widened as oxygen was short circuited and Nia’s smile evaporated into a rounded gasp for the little air Legend allowed her. Nia’s eyes found Legend’s. Where there was once love and acceptance, Nia only saw hate and rejection. Legend’s eyes were as large as hers but for different reasons. Legend’s jaw clenched and a vein down the center of his forehead pulsed prominently. As his fingers closed tighter around Nia’s throat, she scratched and clawed trying to keep Legend for completely shutting off her air supply. A low guttural growl came from Legend. With teeth bared, he lifted Nia. She had to tip toe to maintain contact with a hard surface.
Nia wanted to plead with her lover; ask him why he was doing this to her, but no words could be spoken. She would need air for that. Tears fell down Nia’s cheeks as she groped for relief. And when Legend finally decided to let her go, he did so forcefully, using his free hand to push her away as he released his death-grip on her neck. Nia gasped hard and the new air moving down her throat caused her to choke. Legend stood over her, lauded over her; still not speaking any real words. When Nia was finally able to speak, she only had one question.
“Why?”
The question came out jagged and broken, just like her spirit. But Nia needed to understand Legend’s harsh response. He’d never treated her that way before. So she waited; looking up into his downcast eyes for understanding.
Legend’s chest rose and fell, swole and receded like he’d been running a race. His fists were clenched tightly by his sides and he glared at Nia as though she disgusted him.
“Why, Legend, please, tell me, why?”
And only after elongated moments of silence from him and sobs from her did Legend speak.
“I can ask you the same thing.”
Nia stopped rocking. Her eyes tightened into a slither. The memory was painful, true enough, but what followed made this incident pale in comparison. Legend was never the same with Nia after that. He was cold, distant, hateful. The pregnancy she tried to hide from her family, Nia had to hide from Legend. She clung to the false hope that as her belly grew, Legend would soften, knowing it was his germ of life that swelled inside her willing womb. And when Nia found out it was a boy, she was sure that would soften Legend’s cold heart. To have a son, his own son, a namesake surely would make Legend proud. Sadly for Nia, he was not.
When the baby was born, Legend was nowhere to be found. Sure, her family was there; having made peace with the fact that Nia was having a baby, whether they liked it or not.
“Have you decided on a name?”
That was a natural question. And Nia had considered a name for her son. As she looked down into the babies face, noting features that looked like his fathers, Nia longed to bestow upon her son the name of his father. And then she remembered how hurtful he was, how much pain he caused, and the hate she saw over and over in his eyes. Nia didn’t want to saddle her son with the potential of that kind of legacy. She wanted her son to have his own identity as that of
his father’s was tarnished.
And she named him, James.
The rocking started again, not slowly but swiftly as flashes of her past popped into Nia’s mind. Things were never the same between her and Legend. He treated her like he didn’t want her but at the same time, wouldn’t let her go. Legend threatened everything and everyone around Nia every time she got the gumption to stand up to him. When he threatened to snuff out the life of his own son, that’s when Nia had to do everything in her power to protect James. Her family didn’t know why she left her baby, but Nia did it to save James’ life. Legend made her choose. He made her pick. The more Nia thought about that, the more she contemplated how unfair that was to her and her baby, the faster she rocked. Legend made her pick. Legend made her choose.
Tears poured from Nia’s eyes as she relived those pain filled moments. The smug look on Legend’s face when she returned to him empty handed, with no baby in tow. But Nia had been strong before. She summoned all her courage and risked it all to steal away from Legend. And now he was back, tormenting her family in the way he promised.
Nia jumped up off the couch. She refused to be sidelined again, not when it came to the man who denied her motherhood and made her feel so unworthy. Nia’s eyes darted around and her feet moved in the direction her eyes carried her. When they landed on the object of her desire, Nia moved in earnest. Grabbing the set of car keys, Nia bolted for the garage door. Since Brooklyn and Symone rode together, there was still a car left. As Nia climbed in the driver’s seat and turned the ignition, she made a decision.
Legend eased his car to the appointed location and put it in park. Dimming the headlights, Legend looked around the area tracking any movement. He was so close to getting everything he wanted and Legend didn’t want anything to mess that up. This could all be a set-up, for real; if Drew’s folks called the cops or something. So Legend was on high alert. Drew had been quiet the entire ride, but now sitting and waiting for her rescue, it was hard keeping her real feelings in check.
“I’ll be glad when this shits over,” Drew mused. “My family is going through too much right now to have to fuck with you.”
Drew looked out of the passenger side window as she continued, speaking aloud, and not particularly to Legend.
“And to think I almost fell for your trifling ass...” Drew looked in Legend’s direction and turned up her lip. “…my nephew is going to know how to treat women and be about something,” Drew mumbled. Thoughts of James and the upcoming court hearing came to Legend’s mind. The girls didn’t know that while they thought they’d disconnected the call during one of their conversation’s the day before, the line had been open and Legend heard everything.
Headlights in the distance drew both of their attention. Peering over the dashboard, Drew was hopeful, and nervous. As the car slowed and came to a stop, Legend reached for his gun. His movement made Drew look in his direction.
“Come on, man,” Drew bargained.
“Like I said, just in case,” Legend replied as he shoved the gun in the back of his waistband.
“You won’t need it,” Drew continued.
“Don’t give me a reason, Drew,” Legend warned. “You do everything I tell you and we won’t have a problem. Understand?”
“Yeah, I understand.”
Legend turned his attention back to the car, now parked directly in front of his. He squinted his eyes as the headlights blared through the windshield.
Brooklyn and Symone were ready; as ready as they could ever be. Brooklyn needed visual confirmation that her sister was alright. Seeing two heads in the car across from them made it clear that Drew was there. Brooklyn had been contemplating the best course of action as far as transferring the money to the lowlife that held Drew captive. She didn’t think Legend was dumb enough to go for the cash in the duffle bags. It was well short of the 70 million he demanded. So this would be a wire transfer, account to account. The faster the better. Symone had been in deep thought as well; how to get her family out of this situation without giving Legend a dime. It would be easy to contact Mason and let him do his whole FBI sting thing. Symone knew that was impractical although she would love to see Legend’s ass handcuffed and locked behind bars. Mason would intervene on her behalf, of that Symone was sure. But there would be too many questions she couldn’t afford to answer without implicating herself or the other girls.
Brooklyn and Symone waited until they saw movement from the other car. Their eyes were fixed on Legend as he exited the driver side, walked around the back of the vehicle and opened the door to the passenger side. When Drew stepped out, both girls breathed a huge sigh of relief.
“She looks ok, right,” Brooklyn asked, seeking reassurance that her eyes were not deceiving her.
“She looks good, Brooklyn,” Symone affirmed.
“Okay, let’s get this done.”
With that Brooklyn and Symone stepped out of their vehicle and closed the doors behind them. The sound echoed against the vastness of the space underneath the bridge. But no one moved forward. It was like each was waiting for the other to make the first decisive move. Legend grabbed Drew by the arm. When she snatched away, it pissed him off and when he grabbed her arm the second time, he held it tightly.
“Bastard,” Drew spat, resenting his touch; after craving it for so long.
Legend was tired of the games. As he stepped forward, he marched Drew forward in front of him. He didn’t want to expose himself completely just in case anyone had any bright ideas. It was only then that Brooklyn and then Symone moved forward.
“Drew, you good,” Brooklyn called out over the space between them.
“Yeah sis, I’m good,” Drew replied coolly. Inside she was glad to see her family but she didn’t let it show.
“How you want to do this Legend,” Brooklyn asked, directing her attention towards Drew’s captor.
“You got my money?”
“Would we be here if we didn’t,” Brooklyn replied testily.
“Let me see it,” Legend barked back.
…this motherfucker here, Brooklyn thought to herself. Clearly she would have to take the lead to make the exchange. It was clear Legend hadn’t completely thought this through.
“What did you expect, bags of cash,” Brooklyn challenged, not waiting for a response. “This will be a wire transfer. Simple and clean.”
“Let’s do it then,” Legend responded anxiously.
“All we need is your account number Legend and we can get this done,” Symone chimed in.
“Bring Drew to the middle. Give me the account number. When the money transfers, you let her go,” Brooklyn instructed.
“Done,” Legend called back.
Both groups moved, closing the distance between them. Now Brooklyn could see Drew clearly. She looked okay. There was a slight smile that spread across Drew’s lips that convinced Brooklyn that it was all going to be alright. Legend looked between both women, not trusting either of them. He held his grip firmly on Drew and his free hand flirted with the butt of his gun. Symone watched Legend closely. He’d proven he wasn’t trustworthy. When she saw his hand behind his back, Symone warned Brooklyn.
“Watch him,” she whispered. Brooklyn paid closer attention to his posture.
Slowly pulling her cell phone up so Legend could see it, Brooklyn requested the account number.
“451,” Legend called out. “309…”
Peeling tires screeching against the gravel caught everyone’s attention. Bright lights flashed from a direction they shouldn’t have been. The speeding car was heading straight for Drew and Legend.
“Oh shit,” Legend screamed as the car bore down on the pair. As he reached in his waistband to retrieve his gun, Drew took his moment of inattentiveness to snatch away from him. She broke in the direction of her sister running full speed. And then everything seemed to move in slow motion. Brooklyn grabbed Drew. Symone watched the car moving in on Legend. When the lights passed her eyes, she could see Nia behind the wheel.
“No, Nia, No!”
Did he hear what he thought he heard? There was no time to consider. The car was aiming straight for him. Legend pulled the gun up, leveling it at the windshield of the car. The car continued to accelerate.
Legend shot off two shots in quick succession, shattering the glass of the oncoming car. Nia ducked lower behind the steering wheel. Through cracked glass she kept her target in sight. Drew, Brooklyn and Symone watched, shocked at what was going on.
They called out to her but Nia couldn’t hear them.
“Nia! No! Stop! Nia!”
There was a moment when she considered what she was doing; when Nia thought about all the love and pain the man in front of her caused. Nia’s eyes tightened and she pressed hard on the gas pedal.
“This is for James…”
Nia closed her eyes at the moment of impact.
To be continued…
Find out what happens next in Prowl 2; Nothing Else Matter’s but Survival.
Thank you so much for reading the first installment of Prowl! We hope you enjoyed it and plan to continue along with this crazy bunch of characters! Reviews are the life blood of independent writers. The more reviews we get, the more Amazon and others promote the book. If you want to see more Prowl, a review would go a long way towards allowing me to write more books. If you liked the book, we ask you to write a review of Prowl Book 1 on Amazon.com, Goodreads or where ever you go for your book information. Thank you so much. Doing so means a lot to us. If you didn’t like the book, then please disregard this paragraph.
More Books by Deidra D. S. Green
The Twisted Sister Trilogy
Twisted Sister (book 1)
Twisted’s Revenge (Book 2)
After the Twist (Book 3)
Woman at the Top of the Stairs Trilogy
Prowl (Nothing Else Matters But Survival Book 1) Page 15