by Blue Saffire
“I love you, baby. It’s going to be okay,” he moaned in my ear.
“I don’t want to Pedro,” I said softly.
“It’s cool, Mama. I just want to lay with you.”
“Okay,” I sighed.
Chapter Four
Just in Time
I spent two weeks in the apartment with Pedro coming to bring me food. He would stay the night with me. It seemed like every other night he was trying to get me to do a little more.
We went from me sleeping in my t-shirt and shorts, to me in my t-shirt and panties, to me in just my t-shirt, and finally to me in nothing at all. He was breaking me down slowly as Raul never called once. I started to think that Pedro was my only option.
They did have a funeral for my mom. That much Raul kept his word on. One of my mother’s friends Jennie was the one to give me the information.
I played the background at the wake. I didn’t want anyone to see me. I didn’t have a ride to the cemetery. They hadn’t gotten a limo and I didn’t trust anyone that was offering me a ride there. I said my quick goodbyes to my mom before they buried her, and then I ran back home.
Tonight as Pedro tapped at the door, I thought about not letting him in. But then I thought about how I was going to need to move out of the apartment soon, so I opened the door. Last night was the first night he got me to sleep nude with him.
I was sure he was going to want more tonight. He spent most of last night grinding against my back and feeling all over me. I woke up with all types of hickeys on my neck and my chest.
I skipped my shower tonight, but Pedro jumped in the shower and came to the room in a towel. I wrapped myself in the covers pretending to be sleep. He climbed in the bed and started to pull off my shorts.
“Mellie, Ma-me, wake up,” he whispered in my ear. “I missed you, Baby.”
I laid there silently hoping he would give up and go to sleep. Once he had my shorts off, he started to tug at my shirt as he kissed my neck. He had pulled off his towel and was rubbing himself against my leg.
“Mellie, Mama, you so soft. Baby, I want you,” he moaned.
“Not tonight,” I said softly.
“Come on, Mellie, you love me, right?” he moaned as he reached his hand in between my legs.
“Yes, but I don’t want to. Please stop.”
“It won’t hurt, I promise,” he insisted as he pulled my legs apart and climbed over me.
He buried his face in my neck and started to suck on it as he reached to pull my shirt over my head. I was fighting back the tears. I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want this.
I was so angry at my mom and my dad for leaving me in this life with no one to care for me. I could feel the tears rolling back into my ears as I felt his body on mine, as he continued to kiss me. I felt all out of options.
Just as he went to pull my leg around his back and push himself inside me, a phone started to ring. I didn’t recognize the ringtone, so I was sure it was not my cell phone. I was sure it was one of Pedro’s and I wanted him to answer it right away. I pushed at his chest and squeeze my thighs as tight as I could.
“You should get your phone,” I blurted out.
“That’s not mine,” he moaned. “Relax, it will feel better,” he coached as he tried to push his body closer to mine again.
I thought about it, if that wasn’t his phone and it wasn’t a ring I knew. It had to be the phone Raul gave me. I was filled with new hope.
I pushed Pedro away as hard as I could. He wasn’t expecting it, so he flew back as I jumped from under him, off the bed. I reached for the phone on my dresser and answered it.
“Hello,” I rushed into the phone.
“Hey little, Mama,” Raul crooned in the phone. “Sorry it took so long to get back to you. Sisqo just got back in town, everything is ready. Pack a few things. We’ll be there in a little while.”
“Okay, thanks,” I sang into the phone.
Uncle Sisqo was sure to make sure I was okay. I never thought to try to find him. He stops by when he is ready. I wouldn’t really know how to find him. This was perfect, it all made sense now.
I hung up the phone as happy as a kid in a candy store. However, before I could go to pack my things, Pedro had his arms around me. He pushed me against the desk and grabbed for my waist.
He was holding me so I couldn’t swing out at him. I was kicking my legs and trying to wiggle free. My hand crushed against the desk with the phone still in it.
“Stop, get off of me,” I screamed.
“No Mellie, I’m tired of waiting. I want you now,” he growled.
“Stop! Pedro, get off of me,” I cried. “Stop, please stop.”
“Stop fighting… be still,” he growled.
“No, I don’t want this, get off of me. Don’t!”
I screamed at the top of my lungs. I kept screaming, hoping someone would help me. Pedro couldn’t cover my mouth. He was too busy trying to hold my hands, and get me to stay still long enough for him to get inside me.
“Shut up, Meliyah,” he hissed. “You think you just gonna leave me now that Raul called. Nah Mama, you giving me what I waited for.”
“Stop!” I sobbed still kicking as hard as I could.
I could hear pounding on the front door. Then it sounded like someone was trying to kick it in. I started to scream more.
Pedro still wouldn’t let go. He was trying his hardest to keep my legs still and get them open. I threw my head back out of instinct and connected with his.
I could feel the blood gush down my back, as well as sticking to my hair. I was sure I hurt him. He growled in anger and thrust me hard against the desk, pushing down on my back and kicking my legs apart.
The banging was still coming from the door as I screamed louder. Then I heard a silent, muffled noise as the banging stopped. It sounded like metal scraping metal. Suddenly, I felt Pedro’s arms rip from my body and there were voices all around me.
“You tried to rape my niece?” I heard Uncle Sisqo bellow.
“Yo, B, it’s not like that, you know she been my girl for a minute now,” Pedro yelled.
“You think I’m stupid. I heard the whole thing through the phone. You want her to shut up? You want what you been waiting for,” Uncle Sisqo roared.
I sat on the floor, shaking with tears. Raul grabbed the blanket from the bed and rushed to cover me. My neighbor Chris was standing over Pedro with Uncle Sisqo, looking like he was going to murder someone.
That’s when I saw the pistol in Uncle Sisqo’s hand with the silencer. The noise I heard was him shooting his way into the apartment. I don’t think I could have been more stunned and grateful.
“Get her something to put on and get her out of here. She don’t need to see this,” Uncle Sisqo said through his teeth.
I got up from the floor and went to grab the shorts and t-shirt, Pedro had pulled off of me. I pulled them on quickly. Raul wrapped his arm around me to lead me out of the room.
As we passed Pedro, I paused and with everything I had. All the anger from losing my dad, losing my mom, and not having anyone to take care of me. The anger I had from him pretending to care, only to try to rape me in the end. I hauled my foot back and kicked him right in the face, as he sat naked on the floor.
He was now bleeding from the gash over his eyebrow from where I head butted him. His nose was now also busted wide open, gushing all over. Raul laughed and pulled me from the room.
As we made it up the hall, I put on the first pair of sneakers I could find by the front door. I grabbed my bag that still had my money and documents. I pulled on the fur coat and we were out of the door.
I could hear Pedro screaming for them to stop and begging for mercy as we moved up the hallway. When we got to the elevator, it opened and a bunch of guys with black hoodies got off. I knew exactly where they were going, as they nodded at Raul and rushed up the hall. Pedro was going to pay for what he did. I was sure of that.
When we got downstairs, Raul helped me into the
Hummer Harry had brought me home in two weeks ago. He looked like he wanted to be upstairs, but he was trying to comfort me. I think that was the only thing keeping him from going back. I was trying not to cry, but I had been through too much. I was really struggling to choke back the tears.
About a half hour went by before Uncle Sisqo came back to the car. I could see the guys in the hoodies running from the building. I knew I was lucky.
In my hood hearing someone get raped wasn’t like hearing gun shots. No one was calling the cops or at least the cops were in no rush to come check it out. I was lucky Chris was my neighbor and Uncle Sisqo was on his way to get me.
“Mama, I’m sorry you had to go through all of this,” Uncle Sisqo said as he slid into the back seat with me and Raul got out to get into the driver’s seat. Harry had gotten out once we came downstairs. “I should have been here. We’re going to straighten this out.”
“Thanks,” was all I could say without crying.
“Listen, your dad made arrangements for you in case you ever needed a place to stay or something happened to him and your moms,” he started to explain. “I just can’t go with you. We’ll take you as far as we can go, but then you have to go the rest of the way alone.”
“I don’t understand,” I said weakly. This was the safest I’d felt since my mom was killed. I wasn’t ready to be thrown into the unknown again.
“Here, this envelope has the address and this one has the money for the cab. We’re going to take you into Jersey and then you are going to take the cab the rest of the way.”
“But why can’t you take me?” I asked as I looked down at the envelopes.
“We promised,” Sisqo sighed. “We’re never to interfere with their lives. Only if you needed something, and I couldn’t take care of it, that is the only way he would agree. We are about to call in a big favor, Mellie.”
“I’m scared, Uncle Sisqo, where are you sending me? What if they don’t want me? What if they try to hurt me?” I whined.
“You’re going to family, Mama. Your father’s true family, Juan trusted them with his life and they trusted Juan with theirs. Nobody there will hurt you.”
“But if their family, why can’t you come with me?”
“Out of respect Mellie, nobody knows where you’re going and we want it to stay that way. The less people know, the safer you all will be.”
“Can I call you?”
“Of course, Mama, here this is the phone Raul gave you. My number is in it and his, if you can’t get to me, you call him,” Uncle Sisqo said and passed me the phone I had left behind. “One more thing, when you get there you tell them, ‘La familia, La Mafia,’ they will understand.”
We rode in silence the rest of the way. I was too afraid of what I was heading into to really say much more. As I sat and looked down at my sneakers, I noticed blood on Uncle Sisqo’s pants. I started to wonder what they really did to Pedro. From the look on Uncle Sisqo’s face when I left the apartment, it was not good.
When we got to New Jersey Uncle Sisqo explained to me what to do again and gave me a huge hug. I felt like I was never going to see him again and that made me want to cry. Raul got out of the car and walked me around the corner to a cab stand.
I went inside and gave the address I was going to the dispatcher. He told me the wait would be thirty minutes. He looked at me a little strange and I started to wonder what I looked like.
I shoved my hands in my pockets to find a little knit hat. I pulled the cap over my curls that were caked on one side with blood. I guess I did look a scary mess.
“He said thirty minutes,” I told Raul as I stepped back outside.
“Okay, I’ll wait with you,” he said and pulled out his phone to send a text.
“Thanks,” I said nervously.
“You know everything is going to be alright from now on,” Raul reassured me.
“I hope so,” I shrugged with a small whisper.
“You’re a fighter. You’ll be fine,” he chuckled and nudged me with his elbow.
“Thanks for everything.”
“No problem, I can’t let a pretty girl like you try to start hustling.” I smiled at his words. Raul had really brought me comfort tonight, unlike the day at the warehouse. I wasn’t sure if it was because of what I’d gone through or if he was really trying to put me at ease. “So when do you turn seventeen?”
“June 12th,” I replied.
“So I owe you a call and a gift for your birthday,” he smiled and started to give me that look that had made me question his motives before. So much for that comfort.
“You don’t have to,” I quickly responded.
“Yeah, I do,” he answered and reached to brush his hand across my cheek. “Promise me something.”
“Okay,” I answered unsure.
“Call me even if you don’t need something. Just to say what’s up,” Raul said with a slight smile.
“Aren’t you a little old for me?”
“No older than your boy, Pedro, unless you tired of older dudes,” he winked.
“I don’t know, maybe older guys aren’t a good idea for me.”
“Trust me, Mama, I’m nothing like that clown. You call me when you ready. We got time till your birthday,” he laughed and stepped closer to me. “Are you cold?” I was shivering a little with just shorts and a t-shirt under the fur.
I nodded and he took another step forward. He reached for my coat and shoved his arms inside, wrapping them around my waist and pulled me into his chest. I flinched a little at first, but when his hands started to warm me, I placed my head against his chest. He squeezed his arms around me keeping me warm.
“We could sit in the car for fifteen minutes and come back,” he offered.
“No, this is fine,” I replied and wrapped my arms around him.
“You sure?” he asked as he looked down at me. I looked up into his eyes and nodded. “Your eyes are gorgeous, Mama.”
“Thanks,” I breathed as I looked at him.
Raul was really nice looking now that I really took him in. He was sort of tall and muscular. His skin was a light brown and he had really full lips. His hair was cut into a Caesar and he was wearing a black New York Yankees fitted cap that matched his black leather coat. He had on black jeans and tan construction boots.
I was stuck staring up at his warm brown eyes as he looked down into mine. He started to bite his lip and smile at me, causing a really cute dimple to show in his right cheek. He pulled me closer to him and I squeezed my arms around him tighter.
Before I could think about it, I was leaning toward him and lifting on my toes to meet his lips. He leaned toward me and kissed me. It was really gentle and nice.
His breath was warm and smelled of fresh peppermint. He pulled away a little to look at me as he bit his lower lip. Then he smiled and kissed me again.
This time he gently parted his lips to see if I would do the same. I opened my mouth to the warmth of his and he slipped his tongue in. His hands gripped my back and I sighed at his kiss and his warm touch. He kissed me a little deeper for a minute, then he pulled away and softly pecked me on the lips.
“So you promise, right? To call me,” he asked.
“Yes,” I nodded.
“I can’t come see you, but you can come see me. I mean we can work that out.”
“Okay,” I said and smiled as the cab pulled up and beeped its horn. It had come sooner than we were expecting and now sooner than I wanted.
“See you later, Mama,” he breathed in my face and leaned to kiss me again.
“Later,” I breathed as he pulled away.
chapter Five
New Arrival
Taliyah
I had been living the life for the past sixteen, almost seventeen years. I love my husband and my seven children. I wouldn’t trade one inch of my life.
I have a private legal practice here in New Jersey, and I have been running the legal department of my husband’s Internet Corporation. We are living in ou
r second home in New Jersey, since our little family outgrew the first one. Alex and I live a wonderful life.
Sure, my oldest twins can be a handful like their father was, but I love them to life. I gladly deal with their little mischief, knowing the kind of trouble my husband and their father used to be in the center of. All in all, being Mrs. Alex Delgado, has been the best thing I could have ever asked for. I have come a long way from the Towers and the drama of my life in Harlem.
I try not to think much about my past these days. I know I will have to visit it sooner than I would like to, so I try to just ignore it all together. I dread the day I have to tell my boys the truth about their father.
I wanted to walk away from that life forever, but they have a right to know who their father really is. I still just want to do it in my timing, when I think they are ready. I know my boys.
Tonight, I’m just sitting back counting my blessings, as my children laugh. They are all relaxed for the evening knowing they can sleep in a little longer tomorrow morning. We just got in from our monthly Friday night movie.
My oldest twins, Victor and Alex, are at it making everyone laugh and teasing their sisters. It feels good to be able to sit in my husband’s arms and watch our children enjoy life. At the age of thirty-six, I think Alex and I have done really well.
“Tali, you know you’re beautiful, right,” Alex crooned in my ear. “Look at my beautiful kids. I love you.”
“I was just thinking the same thing,” I chuckled.
“You know we could always have one more,” Alex teased. “Tonight would be a great night to try.”
“You wish. One more… my luck we’d end up with triplets,” I laughed.
“You know you want to have more of my babies,” Alex chuckled.
“Oh please, the twins are going to be twelve, do you really want to have more now. Just think, six more years they all will be gone,” I laughed.