by Rose, Angel
“Hmmm…delicious!” The cake was moist and the yellow frosting was as sweet as candy.
“What color is the inside?” she smiled.
“Oh my God! Blue! It’s a boy!” I shouted. I was so relieved and excited at the same time. I always wanted my first child to be a boy. I never had a brother or sister but, I always wanted a brother and now that it’s a boy, it was my dream come true.
“Yes! Jenesis, a boy…a boy!” Joe hugged me tightly and Kate kissed my cheek.
“I knew it…I felt it.” I rubbed my belly gently as I smiled remembering the photo Michael showed me of his mother and him. She was beautiful and if this baby was his, he was sure to be beautiful…just like him. “Thanks you guys.” The tears surged in my eyes. I was so happy. I loved this baby more than anything in the world.
“We’re excited to be grandparents, well not really, I’m too young,” Kate laughed out loud, “and you should know…you’re going to have a sister, Jenesis. Joe’s face lit up. He kissed Kate on her forehead tenderly.
“What! Oh my God! That’s wonderful news, oh Kate! This is the happiest moment of my life! A new father, sister and a son, my own son! I can’t believe the good things that came out of this disaster I called my life.” My hands were trembling. I could barely hold the fork. “But not anymore. Thank you for making me your personal assistant, Kate. I really needed the money.”
“When is your divorce going through? And what do you mean you need the money, Michael deposits a big fat check every month for you in your account! You are definitely not on the poverty line!” she laughed then looked over to the side behind me. Her smile disappeared. She swallowed hard. “Oh…Jenesis.”
“What?”
“Don’t turn around.” She whispered.
“Why?” that’s exactly what I did.
“No…don’t…” I turned around to see Michael eating at the diner with a trampy bleached blonde. I almost threw up in my mouth. “He doesn’t know you’re here, come on, let’s go.” she whispered.
“No.” I said adamantly. I got up and walked over to Michael and his unexpected guest.
“Hello Michael.” I said softly. He looked up at me and glanced over at the whore.
“Jenesis, how are you?” his lips quivered. The whore grabbed his hand and he didn’t let go.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me?” I said haughtily, the ball in my throat choking me as I wanted to grab her by her hair and slam her face against the table.
“Um…no.” he shook his head confidently and looked away.
“I’ll introduce myself. I’m Candace. Candace Rodriguez. I work at Michael’s firm. We’ve been dating for about a week now. Nothing serious.” Then she turned to Michael. “Isn’t that right, Michael?” she said with a smirk on her face. Michael kept staring at me, then glanced down at my stomach.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you Candace. Now, I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Michael’s wife. Michael and I are in the process of a getting a divorce, but we’re not divorced yet…so you’re dating a married man. I’m five months pregnant…and surprise Michael! I’m having a boy. I just thought you’d like to know you’re a home wrecking whore! Enjoy your brunch!” I said with a smile on my face but completely dying inside and shaking with anger. Then I stormed off crying hysterically into the street.
“Jenesis! Jenesis!” Michael yelled as he followed me outside.
“No…leave me.” I closed my eyes shut not able to look into his eyes. I was mortified and that cheap whore kept screaming his name.
“What happened?” Joe said angrily.
“Michael, leave her alone!” Kate shouted.
“Joe, please I need to speak with her!” Michael yelled.
“Go with your whore! You bastard!” I yelled and before I knew it I slapped him across the face so hard it made my hand burn. He grabbed my hand and grabbed me by my waist and pulled me into his chest.
“Don’t do that!” he said sternly.
“Michael! What the hell is going on? Didn’t you hear me calling your name?” the blonde whore shouted.
“Candace go home!” He yelled.
“Michael we’re taking Jenesis home.” Joe said sternly.
I finally opened my eyes. I thought I would have a stroke; Every memory, every touch, his kiss, his words, his beautiful blue-green eyes, flashed before me and I stood there in shock hoping he would beg me for forgiveness.
“Jenesis, please, hear me out.” he pleaded. Joe grabbed me by the arm.
“Enough…let’s go.” Joe said as he pulled on my arm.
“Jenesis, please!” Michael shouted. The whore grabbed Michael’s arm and he pushed her to the ground and she fell flat on her ass on the sidewalk. I smiled inside as my body shook in anger.
“Jesus, what the fuck Michael!” She shouted. The manager of the diner came running out. I was hysterical, Kate was yelling, Joe was pulling at my arm and the whore was on the ground. It was like a circus convention on a public sidewalk. People on the street created a circle around us.
“Get the fuck out of here!” the manager yelled.
“Michael please, we have to go!” Joe shouted.
“Come on, Jenesis.” Michael left the whore on the floor, grabbed my hand and pushed through the crowd and hailed a cab.
“Six West one hundred and twenty-seventh street.” he told the cab driver. I stopped crying, wiping my eyes with my fingers finding that my mascara had spilled down my cheeks. Michael took out his handkerchief from his suit pocket.
“Thanks.” I whispered. I began to sob.
“I know how much you love your mascara. Jenesis, it was just a business date.” he tried to look into my eyes but I lowered my head. He placed his fingers underneath my chin and lifted it up, my tears trailing down his fingers.
“On a Saturday, Michael?” I rolled my eyes at him.
“I’ve been one hundred percent faithful to you since the day I walked out of your apartment. Please believe me. I would never cheat on you with another woman.” he pleaded gazing into my eyes.
“I lost my mind for a second. I’m sorry. I know I have no right to be jealous.”
“Is that what you were, jealous?” He chuckled. “You have every right. You’re still my wife and I…love you.” he smiled and my heart broke again.
“I’d like to go home.”
“I’d like you to come home with me…Please…just for today.” he whispered. I couldn’t resist him.
“Okay.” I sat back in the cab and he reached over to touch my hand. I let him. I missed him so much.
We pulled up in front of his brownstone. What a brownstone! It was stunning.
“You own this?” I asked puzzled.
“Yes, I bought it with the money I made in the Marquis case. I was saving it for our first home together. Do you like it?”
“Wow…It’s beautiful.” My eyes softened and I reached out to hold his hand. “Will you give me a tour?”
“Of course.” He held my hand as we entered. The house was breathtaking. The cherry wood trimming was freshly stained as well as the hard wood floors. The chair rails and crown molding were exceptional; you could tell it was the original molding that came with the house. I felt like I just walked into a house from lifestyles of the rich and famous.
“My goodness Michael, it’s breathtaking.” I was in awe of its beauty; admiring every piece of furniture in his home.
“I knew you would love it. It has everything you ever wanted, especially the claw foot tub.”
“Shut up! No you didn’t! Show me! Show me!” I grabbed his hand and he led me to the bathroom. Oh, I died and went to heaven! Everything I ever dreamed of was in that bathroom. The wall tiles, white and black, the tub pure white, the marble floor light gray mixed with black, I couldn’t get enough of it. I took my shoes off and stepped into the tub. “How do I look?”
“Like you belong here.” He whispered. He knelt down and grabbed my hand leaning his elbows on the tub.
“Don’t…
please.”
“I’ve been going to therapy. I’ve been seeing Annmarie.”
“Dr. Logan, my therapist?”
“Our therapist.”
“She didn’t tell me.” I looked away and stared at my feet in the tub.
“Doctor, patient confidentiality…remember.” he smiled, his blue-green eyes beaming at me.
“I see. Can you help me up?”
“Sure,” he stood and picked me up, placing his arms underneath my knees and holding me by my waist. I held him around his neck as he carried me to the bedroom and placed me on the bed.
“This is your room my queen.” I loved him so much. I sat on the bed waiting for him to touch me…and he did. He grabbed my hand and slid his fingers in between mine. My skin tingled at his touch and my core ached when his lips almost touched mine.
“Wow…I’m so impressed. This room is definitely fit for a queen…and king. It’s absolutely beautiful.” He reached in to kiss me and my lips met his.
“Jenesis, I’ve missed you. I think about you every day.” He whispered against my lips. He pulled away and kissed my knuckles tenderly.
“Michael, today I found out that I’m having a boy.”
“I know. My dream come true.” he whispered as tears brimmed to the corners of his eyes.
“Mine, too.” I kissed his cheek.
“Any names? I thought Samuel Michael Hunter.”
“Samuel…yes…that would be perfect.” I whispered.
“If you were having a girl…I thought Margaret Jenesis Hunter would’ve been nice.” His eyes watered. I quickly glanced away, swallowing hard as my heart bled for him. Just mentioning Margaret’s name broke my heart. “I’d better take you home.” he said softly. I was shocked. I was sure he would have wanted me to stay.
“Okay.” I whispered. He lifted me by the arms off of the bed and we walked with our fingers intertwined as we held hands.
He called me a cab and I stepped in.
“Can I ride with you? To make sure you get home safely.” he asked as he eyed me up and down.
“I’ll be fine. Thank you.” I shut the door and stared at him through the window.
“I’ll call you. I love you.” I said softly.
“Sure…I love you…more…good bye.” His tears flowed down his cheeks. He quickly wiped his face with his fingers and smiled.
“Good bye, my love.”
The cab pulled up to my apartment building and Nick was leaning against a parked car.
“Nick, what are you doing here?” I said nervously.
“I wanted to tell you something.” He grabbed both of my hands.
“What is it?” I looked around suspiciously.
“Steven Marquis has killed again.”
“What do you mean?”
“He killed Cassandra.” He lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. I’ve never seen Nick smoke before.
“What!” I shouted in a high pitched voice.
“They found her in Dave’s old office. She was raped and stabbed to death slumped over his desk. I’m sorry.” He was emotionless. He took a drag of his cigarette and blew it to the side as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
“Oh my God,” I gasped for air as I covered my mouth with my hand. I didn’t particularly care for Cassandra but I didn’t want her dead. “How do you know it’s him?”
“He left your cold case file on the desk and wrote, I’m waiting for you…Jenesis… with Cassandra’s lipstick that was shoved down her throat.” he said unaffected. “Look, have you seen Michael?” He dropped the cigarette butt on the floor and crushed it with his shoe.
“Yes, I was just with him.” My heart was beating fast.
“Oh, you were. How is he?” he said through gritted teeth, his jealousy writhing through his veins.
“Cut the small talk. What do you want Nick?” I said sarcastically.
“I just need to speak with him, police business. Someone has to protect you.” He said seriously.
“Well, you’ll have to get in touch with him yourself. I have to go upstairs.” He grabbed me by my arm.
“Are you back with him?” He looked at me dead in my eyes. I felt a chill up my spine.
“No…please let go.” I shook my head.
“I need to speak with him. You can’t be alone Jenesis. Let me walk you up.”
“No…I’ll call him as soon as I get upstairs. Good bye Nick.”
I opened the front door to the apartment building and pressed the up button on the elevator. I arrived at the apartment and walked slowly towards the doors when I realized the door was slightly ajar. My pulse started to pick up as I approached the door. I didn’t go in. I pulled out my cell phone from my pocket and I called Nick.
“Hello?”
“Nick, come upstairs. Someone is in my apartment.” I whispered.
“Start walking…take the stairs…then try go down as quickly as you can.” he said nervously. “I’m coming up.”
“Stay on the phone with me, please, I’m scared.” I whimpered.
“I will…just come down, I’ll be in the stairwell.” he stayed on the phone with me. I could hear him breathing hard. My whole body shuddered as I took each step with caution, holding on to my belly as I kept looking behind me.
“Jen!” I heard Nick call me. I saw him and ran into his arms.
“Are you okay?” he asked staring at me, studying my face.
“Yes.” he grabbed my hand and escorted me out of the building. There were so many cop cars and people standing on the street.
“What’s going on?” My head was spinning. There were so many people running towards the back of the building.
“He was just seen leaving the building through the back.” The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. My hands were clammy and Nick squeezed my hand tightly. “It’s going to be okay. I’m going to take care of you.” His eyes were honest and sincere, but I wanted Michael.
“Nick, I’m going to hail a cab. I’m going to Joe.”
“Good…I’ll call you later.”
Chapter 16 Nick
I drove back to the precinct. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Damn that Jenesis. Running back to Michael every chance she got. Did she really think I believed her when she said she was going to call Joe? Does she think I’m a fucking idiot?
I haven’t stop thinking about her since the day I was at her apartment and, I never got a chance to go in and claim what was mine. It’s a fucking obsession. I kept away from her these last couple of months so that she could choose who she wanted to be with. Well, that didn’t work out at all. I thought this bitch really loved me. I don’t know how I’m going to make her understand that she belongs with me. That fucking asshole Michael needs to get the fuck out of the picture already. I’m tired of seeing his face.
The memories just keep lingering in my head, and it makes me hate Dave more and more for not letting me pursue Jenesis. I should have made her mine the first day I laid eyes on her. Why did I let him get in the way? That greedy bastard. Someday I’m going to tell Michael everything. I’d rather tell him the day that Jenesis, his son and I are standing over his fucking grave.
I entered the precinct glancing over at where Cassandra used to sit eating her dinner from a foil plate at around this time. She sat there for the last eight years and you know what? I didn’t give a shit. I didn’t like her anyway. My stomach was growling. Four o’clock was dinner time at the precinct and most of us ordered out, but I had something else in mind.
“Hey Stevenson, you got a sec?” Stevenson was the liaison for the witness protection program at Central.
“Yeah, what’s up Nick?” He asked with a stupid look on his face. For some reason this guy thought he was special or something because he worked at Central. He was always looking at me as if I had a dick hanging from my nose.
“What’s up Nick? I have a Captain’s badge. Have we forgotten how to address a Captain?” I eyed him up and down letting him know, one false move, and I was going t
o knock him the fuck out.
“I’m not part of this precinct remember?” He said sarcastically while unwrapping a stick of gumand placing it in his mouth. I ignored him for fear that I would actually pull out my gun and shoot him right between the eyes.
“I see.” I inhaled deeply before proceeding. “Listen, how do you get someone into witness protection?” I asked politely.
“Well, that’s a long story. You see, you have to…” I stopped him dead in his tracks.
“Do you know or not?” My voice was stern. He stopped speaking and looked at me embarrassed.
“Are you going to let me explain?” He said mockingly.
“You know Stevenson. I don’t like you very much and right now, I don’t like you at all. Don’t you have to go back to Central? Or something?” He took a step back and looked around the precinct. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at him.
“Listen, I’m sorry Nick. I can email you the info. It’s fairly simple. It doesn’t take a genius.” He stuck out his hand for a handshake but, I kept my hands in my front pockets. Everyone snickered then dispersed in a matter of seconds. I smiled at him. I think he needs a private visit. From me. Alone.
I walked into my office and sat at my computer. An email from Stevenson’s boss, Rick Flannery was waiting for me to be opened. I clicked on the email.
Hey Captain, just wanted to give you a heads up. If you have any questions about the witness protection program, please contact me directly. Stevenson doesn’t have as much experience yet. He’s new. Contact me anytime.
Rick Flannery
So good ole’ Stevenson reported my ass. That motherfucker doesn’t know the jokes on him. I picked up my cell phone and called him immediately.
“Hey, did you just report me?” I barked.
“No, I simply told my boss that…” his voice quivered on the other end.
“Right. Well, I’ll be seeing you Friday, right?”
“Umm…for what?”
“You always come to the station on Friday. We’ll talk then.” I hung up the phone and threatened him the only way I knew I could. Nicely. I’m going to make sure he’s locked in the locker room downstairs on Friday. Someone needs to teach that motherfucker a lesson.