by A'zayler
“My family is royal, Taryn. We’re wealthy and well known around Africa. Life was good until my father died.” That made Taryn hate she’d asked. “I’m a prince, Taryn.” Her eyes looked lost for a moment.
“That’s so cool! Why would you leave?”
“I’m not a good prince. My family is in charge of the XX-16. It’s an army of killers. They are used to keep the people of Cameroon in order. One of the generals was Rasheed Cayman. The man I work for now. He and my father were best friends before shit went left. For a while, the city was under attack and people were dying left and right. My father wanted us gone immediately, so he set it all up. Adisa and I were both trained and fierce; he knew we’d be okay here. Neither of us wanted to leave him, but he insisted. Growing up, he’d taught us everything. He was always so patient with us; no matter what it was, he made sure we knew about it. The day after we arrived here, we got word from Cayman that he’d been killed. It almost tore me apart. I didn’t want to do anything but go back to Cameroon and make any and everybody bleed, but I couldn’t. He’d left strict orders with Cayman that we were not to return. He wanted us to have a life outside of murder, and that still didn’t happen.” Demoto drank some of his water as he ran his hand over his head. He hadn’t talked about Cameroon to anyone. Taryn was the first person to ever know his past. Talking about it made him too emotional. It put him in a difficult state of mind, one he didn’t know how to handle. He’d been a part of things you could only read about in books or watch on TV. It terrorized him to think about the person he used to be.
“Did you ever find out who killed your father?” He looked at Taryn for a long while. He watched as she waivered beneath his icy gaze. He could tell she was rethinking being so nosey, so he tried to redirect his energy. After taking another sip of water, he finally nodded his head yes.
“My mother.”
“Your what? Are you serious?”
“Yes. She knew he was fighting to end the murderous reign she had, and she had him killed. They cut his head off and burned his body in the middle of the street. She treated him like he wasn’t shit, even in death. If I ever get my hands on her again, she’s dead.” Demoto thought maybe he should have spared her the last detail but hey, she asked. He observed her face looking for a reaction, but it was blank. She didn’t have one ounce of emotion on her face. It was straight and void of any feeling. Finally, after a good five minutes she made eye contact. Her eyes were glossy, but no water fell. He immediately got up and sat on the other side of the booth with her. He grabbed her hand and held it as he pulled her face towards him. She kissed him the moment they locked eyes. Her kiss was filled with emotion. She was kissing him so hard her upper body was practically sprawled across his. Obviously remembering where they were, she leaned back and crossed her hands nervously in her lap.
“You okay T?”
“Yeah, I just feel bad. Here I am laying all my problems on you, and you have your own.” Demoto pulled her into him so that her head was lying on his shoulder.
“Don’t feel bad bae, that’s my job. I’m your man; I’m supposed to take on your problems. What do you think I’m here for? Everything that’s stressing you, give that shit to me! I’m here to make life easy for you girl. In my arms is where you should find peace. Don’t worry about me and the shit I have going on, I can handle that. Trust me to be your man.”
Taryn squeezed Demoto’s hand tighter as she let tears stream down her face. She didn’t understand how she’d gotten lucky enough to find him. Demoto Youngblood was the epitome of fortitude and love. There was no one in the world like him. Taryn hadn’t known this side of him at first; he was so playful and happy that she would have never guessed. She was consumed by her thoughts when she felt his hand wiping her face.
“I wish your crybaby ass would stop all this crying, you’re embarrassing me.”
“Shut up!’” Taryn laughed as she wiped her face. The rest of their dinner went great. They didn’t talk anymore about each other’s past. Not that there was much to hers. When they were done, they left hand in hand headed for the movies. They were sitting in the theater watching The Equalizer when she felt Demoto’s phone vibrating. He checked his message and noticed he had to go. Taryn wanted to finish the movie, but she didn’t put up a fight. Once they were back at their apartment, Demoto changed clothes and grabbed his backpack. He was dressed in all black, including his jacket. He instructed Taryn to do the same. Once they were dressed, they headed to the office of Mr. Elmore. The text had told him that it was time to wrap everything up. He knew from past experiences that if he got a text like this, then the time was running short. His opportunities would be gone soon. The last time he’d gotten a text like that on a job, his target was about to be captured by another family he owed. He didn’t know what it was Mr. Elmore had up his sleeve, but he was about to find out.
*****
“I’m tired of your bitching Helen!” Mr. Elmore shouted. He was standing next to the window in his office while his wife sat in a chair in the corner. Her head was down and you could hear her sniffling.
“I just don’t understand why you treat me like this. I’m depressed because of you! If you would just respect our marriage and leave these young girls alone, things would be fine,” she continued to cry as he looked on in disdain.
“Helen, I do it because you bore me! We never do anything; you’re always at the fucking shrink!”
“So you running away to The Dominican Republic with this little girl is your way of escaping?”
So that’s why it’s time to wrap it up? Demoto thought to himself. He and Taryn had been hiding in his secretary’s office for the past twenty minutes. Taryn was sitting beneath her desk in the corner while he hid behind the wall. He wanted to be close enough to not only peek into the room, but to hear as well. His plan was to sneak in and kill them both while Taryn waited. He knew that was risky because she might see or hear something she didn’t want to, but she hadn’t wanted him to come alone. He listened a little while longer as he watched Mr. Elmore pack up his things.
“So what do you plan on doing about Double O?” Mrs. Elmore whispered.
“Fuck Double O! I have enough money saved, I’ll be fine and you and our indolent children will be fine as well.” This drew more sobs from her. Demoto had grown tired of watching him verbally abuse the lady. She had been sweet to him from day one. After checking to make sure he had the large syringe, he motioned for Taryn to stay put before pushing the door open. The look on their faces was one of shock, then horror. Mr. Elmore tried to make a dash for his desk, but was stopped by Demoto’s voice.
“Don’t even bother, it’s not there.” Demoto had disarmed the entire family a couple of days ago. He knew his time was winding down and had to make a move soon. He wanted to be prepared when it came. The gun the man was reaching for was long gone.
“Who sent you?” Mr. Elmore scoffed.
“A friend.” Mrs. Elmore looked at Demoto with calm eyes, not a hint of fear in them.
“Kill me first please. I’ve grown very tired of this life, I’m ready,” she began walking towards Demoto, but he stepped back and ordered her to sit back down. She was going to die, but he wasn’t the one that was going to kill her. He looked over at her husband and nodded his head in her direction. He was going to make him do it. Not only had he caused her all the pain, but Demoto needed this to look like a set up.
“If you want us dead, you’ll have to do it yourself! I knew it was something about you when I first saw you. I’ve never seen a meth addict look as healthy as you! Who do you work for?” Mr. Elmore asked again.
“Sir, get your ass over here and stick this needle into your wife’s neck.”
“I will not!” he yelled. Demoto shook his head because he’d hoped this would have gone smoother. He was tired and not in the mood for disobedience, so he’d just do it himself. He walked to where she sat on the couch and sat down. She willingly laid back on the small sofa and turned her head to the side. Demoto
hated to do this; he really liked her. He stared for a moment before injecting her with the poison. His heart was began beating faster as he watched her eyes start to close. He found comfort in knowing this was what she wanted. Her death would be slow with minimal pain. He’d decided to use this lethal injection drugs for her because she didn’t deserve anything harsh. Her husband, on the other handv was about to get it. Demoto rose to his feet and walked towards the coward hovered down in the corner. He had lost his nerve quickly and was now shivering like a bitch. Demoto smiled as he made him stand up.
“Give me everything you’ve got connecting you with Double O. And don’t bullshit me!” His eyes lit up like saucers. Realizing Double O was behind his death was unarming. He’d done nothing but good by them, for this in return. Sure he’d grown tired of his association with them over the years, but he’d still held his end of the bargain. He sat at his computer and unlocked the safe beneath it. Inside were folders and a small crown royal bag filled with thumb drives.
“This is everything.”
Demoto surveyed the things quickly before pulling his hunting knife out. He slit his neck in one swift motion and he fell face forward on the desk. Once he’d gathered everything he needed and placed it in the backpack, he checked both of their pulses. They were both dead, and his work was halfway done. Looking over the office, he made sure everything was in place before leaving.
*****
Demoto zipped through traffic as he drove down the street. He was headed to finish the rest of the family, but he had one more stop to make. He looked over at Taryn and could tell she was scared, but she said nothing. When he finally stopped, they were back in front of their apartment. Taryn turned to look at him.
“What are we doing here? I thought tonight was the night?”
“It is, but you’re not going. I want you to stay here.”
“What? No! I want to go with you Moto!”
“No T, stay here. I need you to stay. Once everything is complete, we can’t stay any longer. This is a well-known family and the police are going to be coming. You have to stay here and pack all of our things. Once everything is packed, book our tickets and wait for me to get back. Find the first flight back to Atlanta.”
Taryn stared at Demoto before agreeing. She wanted to put up a fight, but what he said made sense. It took her a moment to say yes because she wanted to be with him. If something went wrong, he would need someone there to help.
“What if you need my help?” He chuckled lightly before kissing her lips.
“Thank you baby, but I got it. I’ll be back. Just go do what I told you, I need you to handle this for me bae.” With that, Taryn nodded and hopped out of the car. She was so scared because all night, things hadn’t seemed right. Everything just felt wrong, a wrong she couldn’t explain. When she got to the room, she began packing their things. She tossed their clothes in whatever suitcase was open. They’d fix it once they got home. She was so nervous she could barely hold it together. She knew this night would come and she thought she was ready, but obviously wasn’t. To get her nerves in check, she kneeled on the side of the bed and began to pray. She prayed for what seemed like hours until she heard her phone ringing. It was Demoto. When she answered, she expected to hear his voice but she didn’t; she heard Bailey’s.
“Just thought you should know, your little sweetheart is dead bitch,” he laughed the most hideous laugh she’d ever heard before the line went clicked. She dialed his number back and Bailey answered again.
“He’s fucking dead! I’m feeding his ass to my fucking dogs. You two thought we were stupid? Hell no! We used his ass to get rid of our fucking parents. I’ve known who you both were all along. We didn’t make it this far being that naïve.” Taryn shrieked at the news. She began crying and screaming at him to let her speak to Demoto, but all he did was laugh and hang up. She was about to throw her phone against the wall when it beeped with a text. She had picture mail from Demoto. She was scared to open it, but she had to know the truth. Her heart wasn’t prepared for what she saw. It was a picture of Demoto’s head. It had a hole the size of a gold ball in the side. The blonde dreads she’d grown to love was painted red with blood and brain matter. His eyes were open and fixed in a daze. It looked like he was looking at her through the picture. In that instant, her world was over. She threw the phone at the wall and let out one of the most gut wrenching screams known to man. The pain in her chest was excruciating. It was like she could feel her heart shattering into pieces. She yelled and screamed so loud she was sure the people down the street could hear her. Falling backwards onto the floor, she kicked and screamed like a child. The feeling she had was indescribable. She was so distraught she didn’t know what to do with herself. She began to pull at her hair, snatching it until her head hurt. She carried on like this for another hour or two before her phone started to ring again. She was scared to look at it thinking it may be Bailey again, but she noticed it was Jacko’s ringtone. She was so weak she didn’t even bother to say hello after answering it.
“Yo T, where’s Moto?” he asked in a breathless plea.
“Dead.” Hearing the words from her mouth started her tantrum back up. She began crying all over again. She could hear Jacko yelling obscenities in the background.
“I just got a picture of him from his phone. Who did this shit?” Jacko asked, but Taryn was unable to talk. “Taryn, listen baby girl, give me the address where you’re staying. I’m going to send someone over there to get you.” Taryn pulled herself together enough to give Jacko the address before falling into a heap on the floor. She lay there and cried herself to sleep until she heard the front door slam. She figured it was probably Bailey coming for her, but she didn’t move. Hopefully he’d blow her head off, and she could be with Demoto again. To her dismay, it wasn’t him. It was the security guard from the club. This confused her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Listen Taryn-Lee, I work for Double O. Jacko had Bradley Marks send me over. I’ve been working on this family for the last few months. I was here to help just in case you guys needed it. I was on strict orders not to let you two know who I was because I do a lot of undercover work. I came as soon as they told me what happened with your friend. I have to get you out of here and on a plane back home. Things are about to get bad up here.”
He kneeled down to pick her up, and she deflated into his arms. He carried her into the bathroom and turned the shower on. After undressing her, he bathed her and washed her hair the best he could. She stood limp in his arms the entire time. When he’d finished, he helped her get dressed before loading all of their things in the back of his truck. With everything packed, he carried her down the stairs and sat her in the front seat. He had to lock her seatbelt for her because she wouldn’t move. He drove two hours outside of the city and pulled up to a private airstrip. There was a private plane waiting there. She was slumped down in the seat when her door came open, and Kia rushed to her. Taryn looked utterly distraught. Kia hugged her friend tight as she could. Her and Jacko had flown up the moment they got the news. Double O had charted them a private flight there and back to pick up Taryn and Demoto. Nobody told Taryn, but they were bringing Demoto back as well. The moment Cayman got the picture of Demoto’s head, he sent another team in to finish the job. They’d killed both Emily and Bailey. After retrieving Demoto’s body, they packed it for the plane ride and brought it to the airstrip. Taryn was the last to arrive.
“Taryn come on sis, we have to go,” Kia pulled the hair wrap from Taryn’s head and put her hair into a better ponytail. When she realized Taryn wasn’t moving, she called for the security guard. He lifted Taryn with no problem and placed her in her seat on the plane. It took another ten minutes to get everything ready for the flight before it took off.
Chapter 18
It had been a week, and Taryn felt like dying. The void in her life was indescribable. It was ten o’ clock in the morning, and Taryn’s whole world felt dark. The sun was shining
, but all she saw was grey. The light in her life was permanently dimmed. She’d never see another happy day as long as she lived. The brightness of her life was put out the day Demoto died. She’d been in her room sulking since she’d gotten home. She hadn’t eaten or bathed all week. Sleep was a thing of the past. Every time she closed her eyes, she would see the picture of him with that hole in his head. She hated Bailey for ruining her life. She hated him for putting that image in her head. She hated him for taking her one true love. She just hated him! Every time she took a breath, she was reminded of him. Since he’d killed Demoto, breathing had become a task. It actually took effort to take a breath. She was busy wiping more tears when she heard Kia come in her room. She flipped the lights on and snatched the covers away.
“Taryn, it’s time to get up sis. The funeral is in another hour and you need to be there. I know you want to lie here, but you can’t! You have to be there for him.”
“I can’t Kia. My chest feels empty. There’s like this gaping hole where my heart belongs. I can’t do it, I just can’t!”
“You have to, T. Moto would want you there. I know it hurts sis, I know it does, but this too shall pass. It’ll get better soon; you just have to take the first step, which is saying goodbye.”
“I don’t need any steps, Kia! I don’t want to live in a world that he’s not in! If there’s no Demoto, then there will be no Taryn! He was my heart, and now he’s gone and I feel dead.” Kia cried as she observed the pain her best friend was in. She sat next to her on the bed and hugged her as they cried. They cried until they felt better. Before long, Taryn had gotten up and was heading to wash her face. When Kia watched her plug her iPod in, she knew she was going to make it.