Love's Deadly Masquerade

by The Author- Yani

  “Wait, how do you know?” Derek asked.

  “I don’t believe in coincidences. He blamed my father for the murder of his parents and then not even a week later, my father is dead?”

  “Stranger things have happened,” Derek replied.

  “And this does get stranger. Because that bastard is my damn ex. The one I’m pregnant by. The one who had me living in fear for almost two years! The one who beat the hell out of me. The one who pretended to love me so much when in all actuality, he knew who I was all that time. It’s like he purposely selected me! Like killing my father wasn’t enough, he had to finish me off also.”

  “Wait, wait, wait… you mean to tell me this nigga waited until you were old enough, and then swooped in like Casanova, got you to fall in love with him only to beat on you the way his father beat on his mother? All because he blamed your father for what happened to his parents? That’s crazy,” Derek said with a frown.

  “Yeah, because he’s crazy,” Vanessa said as she sat back on the couch next to him. “He’s not just coming after me because I’m pregnant and he doesn’t want to be kept from his child,” she said after a moment.

  Derek shook his head. “If what you’re saying is right, no he’s not. He’s coming to kill you.”

  “And anybody in his way which means I need to leave,” Vanessa said solemnly. She was about to get up from the couch but Derek stopped her.

  “Stop running from him, Carmen. Fuck that nigga! You think if you keep running, he’s going to stop looking for you? Hell no! That man wants you dead. The only way to stop a muthafucka like that is to catch him or kill him. And they haven’t caught him yet so you know what that means,” Derek said to her.

  “But I don’t want anything to happen to you because of me. Look what’s he’s done to my best friend and Ms. Marcella, and God knows who else! I don’t want you to suffer because of me.”

  “You don’t worry about me, okay? I got this. And I got you. If he comes, he better be about that life because I got goons all over ATL that will put them thangs on him. You give me a pic of that nigga and I’ll have all of ATL looking for that nigga. Trust me, he don’t want Derek Jordan as a fucking problem.” He pulled Vanessa close to him and kissed her forehead. For the first time since before her father was killed, Vanessa felt safe and truly protected. The realization that Eric was more than just a handsome gentleman that she met in Saks Fifth Avenue and turned into a nightmare was still very unsettling for her.

  Vanessa looked up at him. “Thank you,” she said quietly. Derek kissed her softly and gently on her lips, shocking her. She hesitated before kissing him back.

  “I got this,” he said to her again. “I got you.”

  25

  Eric checked into his hotel suite at the Hilton Savannah DeSoto. He had just gotten off of his long, delayed flight and wanted nothing more than to take a hot shower and get down to business. The PI that he was now working with was able to determine which southbound train Vanessa had gotten on and began tracking her from there. It wasn’t long before he located her at Verna’s Soul Food breakfast diner, stumbling across her accidentally when he stopped in to get himself some breakfast. He discreetly took photos of her and sent them to Eric to verify that it was her. He took a chance running to a nearby Walgreen’s and printed the photo out before paying a young woman $50 to deliver the envelope to Vanessa.

  Eric got out of the shower and sat on the side of the king size bed in his hotel room. He looked at the photos that his PI sent to him and felt fury bubbling and rising inside of him. He could see the glow that the pregnancy was leaving her with. But what burned him up inside more was seeing her in the company of another man, smiling and appearing happy. He wanted to get his hands on her more than anything in the world. He wanted to learn her slow, and hard, again and again to remind her who the fucking boss was.

  His phone rung and he tossed the pictures to the side as he answered it. “Hey, what’s good? Anything new?” he asked when he saw that it was his PI calling him.

  “Well, she had some kind of attack at the diner I located her at. They rushed her to Emory University Hospital. The guy that she was with name is Derek Jordan. He’s a 29 year old in charge of security detail at the Sistahs on the Move facility. He took her back there,” the PI explained. He gave Eric the address.

  “Is she still there?” Eric asked.

  “She left with him carrying a large green bag. I tried to tail them but there was some kind of construction going on and I was stopped before I had a chance to pass through and continue tailing them. So I don’t know if she went with him somewhere and stayed or if he brought her back to the facility.”

  “Okay. I want his address also just in case he wants to play super save-a-hoe and has her at his place. Try to stay outside the facility to see if she comes back.”

  “Alright, give me a second.” Eric waited while his PI did a search. “When will people learn to keep themselves from being listed? He’s located at Heights at Midtown apartments, 507 Bishop St. NW.”

  Eric wrote it down quickly. “Alright, call me if you get something else.” He hung up the phone and then ordered room service as he plotted on his next move against Vanessa.

  “You can change your name bitch, but it won’t mean a damn thing once I get my hands on you,” he said to himself as he looked at one of the photos his PI took of her.

  26

  Felix checked into his hotel room in Bethesda, Maryland, ordered himself some room service and then called Crystal so they could meet up. When she didn’t answer, he left her a voicemail. “Hey Crystal, this is Felix. I just wanted to let you know that I made it to Bethesda. When you get a chance, give me a call so we can link up. Peace.” He disconnected the call and hoped that she didn’t get cold feet and backed out.

  An hour had gone by and he had finished the food that had been sent to his room. He still had not heard from Crystal so he called her again. This time a man answered.

  “I’m sorry, I think I might have dialed the wrong number,” Felix said before glancing at his phone quickly.

  “You may not have. Are you looking for Crystal Dubois?” the man asked.

  “Yes, actually I am. But if she’s busy, I can give her a call back…”

  “Crystal is in the hospital in serious condition. Are you her spouse or boyfriend because we have been having a hard time locating next of kin?”

  “Wait a minute… next of kin? What happened to her?” Felix asked as he stood up and grabbed his jacket.

  “She was found in her car on a side rode unconscious. We found a deadly drug cocktail in her and have been working diligently to flush it from her system. We were able to stabilize her and have sedated her.”

  “You can’t be serious. I’m a detective from Philly and was supposed to meet with her in the morning because she had some information for me. What hospital is she in? Is there any way I can see her tonight?” Felix asked.

  “She’s at Holy Cross Hospital on Forest Glen RD room 418,” the doctor said to Felix.

  “Okay, I’m on my way.” Felix disconnected the call and rushed from his hotel room. He then hopped in his car and drove over to the hospital that Crystal was in. He flashed his badge and was directed to her hospital room. When he got to her, he shook his head in sorrow as he looked at her laying in the hospital bed. He pulled a chair beside her and sat in silence not knowing what to say.

  “I’m not much of a praying man. Religion has never really been my thing, I guess. But man, I can’t help but feel the need to pray for you because you’re another victim caught up in this mess. And it feels like it’s nothing I can do about it. I feel like I’m a step behind everything that’s going on and all I want to do is catch this bastard and stop him before he hurts anyone else,” Felix said to her quietly. He put his hands to his face and pondered over what he could possibly do next. With Crystal hospitalized, he had no idea what his next course of action should be. He knew he couldn’t give up because a young woman and her unborn chi
ld’s life depended on him closing out this investigation the right way. But what was he going to do, now?

  Felix jumped when he felt a hand touch his elbow. Crystal had awaken.

  “We were not supposed to meet this way,” Felix said as he shook his head. “My name is Felix. I tried calling you to let you know I made it to Bethesda and a doctor answered your phone letting me know you were here. I came as soon as I could,” he fell silent for a moment. “How are you? Do you know who did this to you?” Crystal shook her head no and made a slight movement with her hand.

  “It’s all kinda fuzzy,” she struggled to say slowly. “He was in the back of my car when I got in and made me drive somewhere. He wanted to know where Vanessa was and threatened to kill me if I didn’t tell him. I don’t remember much of what happened after that or how I got here… I think he stuck me with something.”

  Felix waited a moment trying to piece together what she had said since her words were broken from her hoarse voice and slurred speech. “You said he was in the back of your car when you got in? Did you get a look at him?” he asked her.

  Crystal waved her hand back and forth. Felix reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He then pulled up a picture he had of Eric and showed it to her. “Can you tell or remember at all if this was the man in the back of your car?” He hoped that she told him yes. Crystal looked at the photo really hard and then closed her eyes as though she was trying to remember the small glances she stole of him while she drove the car where he told her to drive. “You don’t have to be afraid,” Felix said to her. “I promise, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. Is this the man?”

  Crystal looked at the photo a little longer and then shook her head. “No, that’s not him.”

  “Are you sure?” Felix asked her.

  Crystal nodded her head. “Yes, I’m sure.”

  “Damn it,” Felix cursed under his breath. He sat for another moment.

  “Can I see your phone?” she asked him. Felix passed her the phone and her hands shook as she fiddled with it. She then passed it back to Felix. “That’s where Vanessa is. But she isn’t going by the name Vanessa Lofton anymore. She’s going by Carmen Thompson. Find her before he does. Please...”

  Felix looked at the address that she’d given him. Finally, a break that he had been waiting for. He grabbed Crystal’s hand and held it tightly. “Thank you. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure he doesn’t get to her. You take care of yourself. I’ll be back to check on you, Crystal.”

  Crystal smiled and nodded her head. Felix hurried from the room.

  “Shit, it’s at least a nine hour drive from here to where Vanessa is and if Crystal gave up her location already, I’m already five hours behind,” Felix said to himself as he hurried to his car. He checked online to see if there were any flights leaving Maryland for Atlanta anytime soon. Sadly, one wasn’t leaving until 6:55am the next morning. He grimaced at how much it was going to cost to book that last minute flight and then went back to his hotel room to get some sleep before he had to head out the next morning. Thankfully, the flight would put him in ATL by 9am. He prayed he wasn’t too late.

  …

  Felix got back to his hotel room and checked in with George to let him know he was okay. He thought he wouldn’t be able to get any sleep as he was pumped up on adrenaline, excited that he may possibly be able to solve this case once he got to Vanessa. But as soon as his head hit his pillow, he was out like a light.

  He woke up the next morning on time and drove himself to the airport. His flight ended up being delayed for two hours. Disappointed, he grabbed himself some breakfast to waste time until he was able to board his flight. He didn’t touch down in ATL until almost 12 noon. He immediately checked in with George to let him know he was okay again, promising to check in every few hours.

  Atlanta was a touch warmer than Bethesda and Philly. The sun shined brightly and the people moved about like it was the middle of July instead of late September. Felix couldn’t wait to finish his business so he could go back home.

  He headed over to Sistahs on the Move to speak with Vera as Crystal suggested. Felix had no luck when he arrived at the facility. The new security protocol had been implemented and without a keycard, he was unable to get inside. He buzzed numerous times and waited impatiently for someone to either answer him on the intercom, or for a person to go inside so he could go in with them. After twenty minutes of waiting outside, Felix began to feel like a stalking idiot and decided to leave. He was getting into his hunter-green Nissan Altima when he accidentally dropped his phone.

  “Fuck,” he mumbled to himself. He bent over to pick it up off the ground, never seeing the black Lincoln MLZ slowing down as it rolled by him. He got up, not paying the car any mind, and got inside of his rental. Felix sat for a minute, making sure his phone worked and didn’t have any cracks. When he was satisfied, he started the car and drove off. A moment later, the black Lincoln, pulled off behind him.

  …

  Derek woke up before Vanessa that morning. He stared at her sleeping peacefully wondering how could any man not cherish a woman who was equally beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. He was tempted to move one of her kinky curls from out of her face but didn’t want to wake her. Instead, he slid from under the covers and went into the bathroom to take a shower. When he was done, since she was still sleeping, he threw on a pair of sweat pants and went into the kitchen to fix them both some strawberry topped pancakes, turkey bacon and home fries.

  The tantalizing aroma caused Vanessa to stir in her sleep. She stretched after opening her eyes and then looked around smiling. It was the first time in a long time that she had awaken and didn’t feel defeated or hopeless. It was also one of the first times she slept and didn’t have any nightmares. Her stomach growled as the delicious scent of Derek’s cooking filtered into the room and danced under her nostrils. She waddled from the bedroom and used the bathroom, washing her face and brushing her teeth before entering the kitchen to see what he was cooking. Her face flustered when she saw him shirtless, only wearing his gray sweatpants and a pair of white socks. She discreetly pinched herself wondering if she was still sleeping and had walked into a scene straight out of a Zane novel.

  Vanessa gazed over his back which was broad and strong, smooth and flawless, and without any tattoos. She’d never imagined his body was this gorgeous nor had she ever thought of him in a sexual manner. But staring at him now as he cooked in his kitchen made her hot all over. She took a deep breath and shook her head to snap herself back to reality.

  “Good morning,” she said as she sat at his counter.

  “Good morning,” Derek spoke back with a smile. “Did you sleep good last night?”

  “Yes, that was the best sleep I’ve had in a long time. Something smells yummy.”

  Derek sat a plate with a stack of strawberry topped pancakes with butter and syrup with a few slices of turkey bacon on the side in front of her and then sat a small saucer of scrambled eggs and home fries next to it. He then poured her a cup of cranberry-apple juice.

  “Oh my God,” Vanessa smiled. “Thank God I’m pregnant, I can blame my fatness and greed on that.” She chuckled.

  Derek chuckled with her. “You’re not fat, Carmen. You’re beautiful.” He kissed her forehead and turned back to the stove so he could finish cooking.

  “Vanessa…” she said hesitantly.

  “What did you say?” Derek asked her as he continued to scramble his eggs.

  “My name is Vanessa…” she looked down at her hands and played with her nails nervously.

  Derek turned back to her. “Is that what you want me to call you now?”

  Vanessa continued to fidget before shaking her head. “I don’t even know. Carmen was a name given to me, what I went by because I was so terrified of Eric finding “Vanessa”. You know what I mean?” she asked Derek as she looked up at him. He nodded at her. “But I’m not scared of him anymore so I don’t need t
o hide behind “Carmen”.”

  “I can dig that,” Derek replied with a smile. “So Vanessa, how about going to the movies tonight? I heard The Perfect Guy is a pretty good movie.”

  Vanessa hesitated in mid bite of her pancakes. “You’re talking about the movie with Sanaa Lathan and Michael Ealy where his crazy self was under her bed?” Derek looked at her for a moment and was about to suggest something else until Vanessa started laughing. “The timing is so perfect. I’m with it,” she smiled. She began eating her breakfast as butterflies filled her stomach. Things were starting to feel right in her life for the first time in a long time. She talked and ate breakfast with Derek, laughing and enjoying herself. She was positive everything was going to be okay.

  …

  Felix tried his luck with Sistahs on the Move’s facility an hour after he left the first time. This time he was fortunate enough to run into Vera as she was heading in.

  “Excuse me, I’m looking for Ms. Vera Alexander,” Felix said to her as he jogged from his car to catch up to her before she went inside.

  “I’m Vera Alexander. How can I help you?” Vera replied as she looked Felix over wondering who he was.

  Felix flashed his badge when he saw how hesitant and on guard she was. “I’m detective Felix Montague. I was given your name by Crystal Dubois. I’m trying to locate Vanessa Lofton. I was told she is going by the name Carmen Thompson,” Felix explained quickly.

  “What’s this about?” Vera asked.

  “We have reason to believe Ms. Lofton may be in serious danger from…”

  “Eric, her ex?” Vera quickly replied, cutting him off.

  “Yes…”

  “We’re working on having her relocated. He indirectly made contact with her yesterday so we’re speaking with our connections to work out a possible relocation for her.”

  “That’s all well and good, but running is not going to help her in the long run. And how far and fast will she be able to run when she’s due to have a baby in a couple of months,” Felix tried to reason with Vera.