Cheaper to Keep Her (part 1)

by Kiki Swinson

  Cheaper to Keep Her Unique

  Chapter 27—On A Mission

  I rushed into the Doubletree and paid for one night.

  The clerk tried to give me a hard time because I was paying with cash. And the Doubletree similar

  to most hotels required a credit card. I came up with a quick but viable lie about my bag being stolen.

  I flashed him a smile or two and final y, he folded and gave me a room for cash. I even got his ass to

  use his employee discount to book my room at a cheaper rate.

  Inside the room, I used the little notepad to sketch out the inside of the Magic City. I wanted a

  visual of where Duke would leave the money, how I would get Diamond to pick it up and more

  importantly, how we were going to get the fuck out of there and get away. I reviewed my sketch and

  went over my plan at a hundred times.

  I final y felt drowsy. Lying down, I thought sleep was cal ing my name. I was wrong. I had a hard

  time sleeping in the hotel room. Every little noise, creak or voice outside of my door woke me up. I

  must’ve got up more than ten times during the night. I watched TV for a few minutes, paced the length

  of the room, looked out the window, laid back down and then repeated the process of trying to sleep

  al over again. A few times I drifted into a fitful sleep, but never a deep enough sleep to feel rested.

  When the sun final y streamed through the windows of the hotel room, I decided to get up and cal

  Diamond. I had been worried about her al night. Another reason for my restlessness. I should have

  insisted on her staying with me last night. I hadn’t wanted her to go back to the apartment for fear of

  any retaliation Duke might be planning. But Diamond had insisted she’d be al right. I picked up my cel

  and cal ed Diamond’s phone. It just rang. I knew it was early, but at a time such as this, her ass

  supposed to answer. I had told her to make sure anytime I cal ed her that she picked up her damn

  phone.

  I took a deep breath and cal ed her again. Stil no answer. “C’mon Diamond, this ain’t no time to

  be playing disappearing acts and shit,” I cursed out loud as I dialed her number three more times in

  succession.

  No answer.

  I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach now. I told myself to calm down. I convinced myself

  that Diamond was just sleeping after a hard night’s work at the club. I threw my phone on the bed and

  stood stil for a minute. I was starting to doubt myself with this plan.

  “Maybe I should’ve just tried to get what I could with the bank information I had kept.” I was doing it

  again—talking to myself, thinking out loud. Nervousness kicking my ass. I had contemplated trying to

  get what I could a few times, but I had also cal ed and fucked up al of Duke’s bank accounts. I was

  sure he had straightened out by now . . . which also meant that there was probably a serious fraud

  watch on.

  “Fuck!” I cursed out of frustration. I needed to calm down.

  I walked into the bathroom and decided I needed a hot shower. Then I would order some room

  service to kil time until I heard back from Diamond. I was going to let more time pass before I tried to

  cal her again. I got into the steamy shower and let the water cascade down my body. I closed my

  eyes and let my mind drift to good thoughts. I fantasized about what I was going to do with the money

  that I was about to get from shaking Duke’s ass down. I knew one of the first things I was going to do

  was get the hel out of Virginia.

  There were too many memories in Virginia Beach for me.

  I wanted bigger and better for myself. I had always wanted to live on the west coast. Maybe

  California . . . the land of the beautiful people. I found myself smiling as I envisioned myself in L.A.,

  bartending at some of the most upscale celebrity clubs where I would get tips so big, I could shop

  every day.

  I would probably live right down in Beverly Hil s someplace. My apartment would be smal , but

  swanky and upscale. I was smiling in the shower and I realized it when some of the water got into my

  mouth. I wiped my face and with that I wiped the fantasy from my mind.

  “Get the money first,” I whispered to myself.

  When I did get my hands on the money, my intention was to start from scratch. I wanted a fresh

  start, a new beginning. I was going to put al of my hurt and broken heartedness behind me. I was

  feeling good about my decision to blackmail and extort Duke now.

  When I got out of the shower, I slipped into the same clothes I had worn the night before. I hadn’t

  had time to go back to the apartment or anywhere else to get any accessories. I picked up the phone

  and dialed Diamond again.

  Stil no answer.

  “This chick is playing herself!” I mumbled in a harsh whisper. “Why wouldn’t you answer your

  damn phone knowing I was going to be fucking worried about you, Diamond!” I yel ed out as if she

  was on the phone.

  I was starting to get scared as hel now and I had no way to leave the fucking hotel. I told that

  trifling bitch she would have to come and get me. We were planning to lay low until ten o’clock when

  Duke was to drop off the fucking money. Now what? She was nowhere to be found. I mean if she was

  with Brian the least she could’ve done was cal me and tel me she was alive. I knew that nigga, Brian,

  kept her under lock and key when he was around, but damn, she knew how important staying in

  constant communication with me was. We had talked about this the entire ride to the hotel the night

  before.

  I unfolded the few dol ars I had left of the money Diamond had loaned me for the hotel room. It

  was a good thing the clerk had given me a discount or else I wouldn’t have had anything leftover.

  Even with that act of generosity, I was pissed I only had twenty dol ars. That wasn’t enough for

  another night and it was barely enough to take a cab from the hotel to the club.

  I walked in circles trying to decide what I was going to do. I couldn’t believe Diamond had let me

  down like this. With al of this money on the line, she was doing one of her dumb ass disappearing

  acts. I sat on the edge of the bed and put my head in my hands, stil praying that I would hear from

  her at any minute.

  I noticed the hotel had slid my check-out receipt under the door. That meant I had to get the hel

  out of the hotel within the next hour. I didn’t have a choice. I was going to have to catch a cab back to

  my apartment. That was the only place I could afford to go with the amount of money I had leftover. I

  could only pray Duke wasn’t sitting on the complex, lying in wait to mug my ass.

  Five more cal s to Diamond rendered the same results. With no other choice, I checked out of the

  hotel. I had the front desk clerk cal me a cab and with a knot the size of a watermelon growing in my

  stomach, I went back to my apartment looking for Diamond. When the taxi pul ed up to my complex, I

  scanned the area suspiciously, looking for any strange cars. I didn’t notice anything unusual. I had also

  noticed that Diamond’s car wasn’t parked outside the apartment.

  “This bitch done left without cal ing me or anything,” I mumbled as I handed the cab driver my last

  few dol ars. I rushed out of the cab and ran up the stairs to my apartment. I quickly went inside and

  once in, I felt safe. “Diamond!” I cal ed out just to make sure. There was no answer. I was fuming mad

 
; now. Anything could’ve happened. I cal ed her cel phone again. This time I got an answer.

  “Hel o?” I said, crinkling my eyebrows, ready to lay in on Diamond for being missing in action. But

  the line quickly went dead. I swear I could’ve fainted. That’s how nervous I got al of a sudden. I

  looked at the phone strangely. Immediately, my instincts told me something wasn’t right. I went through

  the apartment pul ing al the shades down and making sure the door was double locked. Suddenly,

  my phone rang back in my hand. That shit caused me to almost jump out of my skin. I looked down at

  the screen and Diamond’s name and number was flashing.

  “Ok, she’s cal ing back. Maybe I’m just being crazy,” I said to myself in a lumber voice. Damn, I

  was relieved. After I curse her ass out, I was going to have a good laugh at how nervous and scared I

  was.

  I answered the phone to tel her ass off. “Diamond?” I huffed into the receiver with much attitude.

  “If you ever want to see Diamond again, you wil do everything you’re told to do,” a voice said into

  the phone. It sounded like the person was using a computerized voice. A hot feeling flashed in my

  chest and my heart started running wild. I felt vomit creeping up my throat.

  “Who is this!” I screamed, my voice cracking.

  The next thing I heard gave me a sharp stabbing pain in my chest.

  “Lynise! Please do what they say! Help me! Don’t let me die!” I heard Diamond boom through the

  phone in a bloodcurdling scream.

  I cupped my hand over my mouth. She sounded as if she was in a lot of pain.

  “Was that enough of a warning for you? If not, we can continue to send you those types of cal s,”

  the mechanical voice told me.

  My legs got weak and I fel to my knees in the middle of the living room floor. I cried and couldn’t

  even speak. I had put Diamond in harm’s way. This was definitely al my fault. Duke was going to kil

  her now.

  How could I have been so stupid and so selfish?

  “What do you want from me,” I managed to say through my tears. At this point, I felt like I’d truly do

  anything to get my friend back. No amount of money was worth her life.

  “You wil be contacted again with instructions. If you fail to do everything we say, or if you try to go

  to the police, your friend wil die and you wil be next,” the computer-generated voice threatened.

  The tears fel from my eyes even harder.

  Once again, I had been bested by Duke Carrington.

  At least for now.

  Cheaper to Keep Her Unique

  Chapter 28—A Diamond Is Forever

  After the cal I had a pounding headache.

  Understandably I felt like shit. I had let my best friend down. I could only hope and pray Duke

  didn’t kil her. Of course that was a stupid thought on my part. Al the shit he had done and I was blind

  to how ruthless Duke Carrington real y was. I loved a relentless, ruthless fool who was more criminal

  than businessman. And now, that fact final y hit me and didn’t escape me. He had the acumen of a

  crude businessman coupled with the undying coldness of a ruthless criminal. A deadly damn

  combination.

  I was truly lost for a solution. Waiting was al I could do and it was absolutely kil ing me inside. I had

  been up almost twenty-four hours waiting to hear back from Duke and his little goons that had

  kidnapped Diamond. I had cried until I was literal y out of tears. I had also tried to cal Diamond’s

  phone back several times but it was going straight to voicemail, which left me with an ominous feeling

  in the pit of my stomach. I figured maybe reasoning with Duke was what I needed to do. If he had

  agreed to just let Diamond go, I would give him his shit back and cal it fair. That was a big fucking

  pipe dream. I knew Duke didn’t want to hear anything from me at this point.

  I had fucked up. I couldn’t let sleeping dogs die . . . now my best friend was going to die for my

  selfishness and pride.

  As I waited to hear back from them, Brian showed up at the apartment. He came in with a key and

  scared the shit out of me. He didn’t speak because that’s just how things were between him and me.

  He headed straight for Diamond’s room.

  “She’s not in there,” I cal ed out to him. I had no choice but to put my differences aside and speak

  to Brian. I busted out crying. Brian came back in the living room and looked at me strangely.

  “What’s up?” he asked, his face in a scowl.

  Inside, I was scared as shit. As much as I despise this man, he was the love of Diamond’s life and

  I was the reason they may not ever be together again. But I had to woman up.

  “Somebody got Diamond!” I blurted out. It felt real good to tel somebody about what was going

  on. I needed to get it off my chest. I was very happy to see Brian for the first time since we’d met.

  “What the fuck you mean somebody got Diamond?” he asked with much attitude. He disliked me

  just as much I did him. I swal owed hard when he yel ed at me.

  “Me and Diamond was gonna . . . wel . . . I was gonna,” I tried to get the words out but they were

  stuck. I couldn’t speak or look at Brian. He grabbed me by my shoulders and shook me hard. That

  made me cry even harder.

  “What the fuck is you trying to say Lynise? What the fuck you talking ’bout right now?” he urged,

  shaking my shoulders frantical y. I was crying so hard I was hyperventilating. Brian pushed me down

  on the couch so I could try to calm down.

  “Yo, I’m fucking listening!” he growled, standing over me as he waited for an answer.

  I inhaled deeply and steadied my voice. “They took Diamond because . . . because . . . I was going

  to blackmail my ex. He kil ed this girl and I have proof, so me and Diamond was gonna pick up some

  money tonight and I was gonna give Diamond some of it. But I told her not to stay here by herself last

  night. I just don’t know what happened! I don’t know how they got her! I’m sorry!” I was rambling like a

  fool and I knew Brian couldn’t make heads nor tails about what I was talking about.

  Between my tears, I told Brian more about what was going on. Afterwards, I cried some more. The

  tears wouldn’t stop.

  “Yo, who is it? I wil murder a nigga right now!” Brian gritted, moving around the room as if he could

  kil somebody right then and there.

  “No! You can’t go after them or go to the cops or they said they wil kil her!” I pleaded frantical y.

  “How they gon’ know? I’m saying they got my girl, what the fuck I’m supposed to do, just sit

  around here and do shit,” he huffed.

  I was shaking my head left to right. I had to make Brian understand just how serious this was. He

  couldn’t play tough guy in this situation.

  “I have to wait until they cal me and tel me what to do next. I’m sure they want the pictures and

  the paperwork back. I think once I give it back they wil let Diamond go. Fuck the money.” Honestly, I

  didn’t know if they even wanted the pictures back or if they were just going to kil Diamond to teach

  me a lesson.

  “You real y think it’s gon’ be that easy? If they real niggas, they ain’t just gon’ let her go like that!”

  Brian screamed on me. “I’ma cal her phone,” he said defiantly.

  “No, please Brian! Give them a chance to cal me because if they think I told you they might hurt

  her,” I begged him.

  I could see
him thinking. That was a good thing.

  “Fuck!” Brian screamed, throwing his own cel phone against the wal . That was exactly how I felt

  as wel . Brian and I sat in silence for the next two hours. He would get up, peep out the window and

  come back and sit down again. I was so tired my insides hurt, but I refused to go to sleep for fear that

  I’d miss their cal or Brian would cal and make things worse.

  I got up to use the bathroom and that was when I noticed something sticking under the door. I

  walked over, picked it up and examined it. It was a manila envelope. The handwriting was horrible but

  readable:

  A DIAMOND IS FOREVER.

  I clutched it tightly. Somebody had come right to the fucking apartment door, which caused a chil

  to shoot down my spine. “Brian,” I said quietly, barely audible. I waved the envelope in my trembling

  hands.

  He rushed over to me and snatched the envelope from me. I pointed to the door to alert him

  where it had come from. Brian pul ed a pistol out of his waistband and rushed to the door. He

  snatched it open and peeped outside. Then he stepped out and whirled around with his gun in his

  hands.

  “Fucking cowards!” he hol ered and came back into the apartment. He ripped open the envelope

  and slid out the contents.

  “Awww!” Brian cried out when he examined the contents. I put my hands over my mouth and the

  tears flowed in buckets once again. I could see it was pictures in Brian’s hand. I could tel by his face it

  wasn’t good. I snatched the pictures and looked at them. No lie, I swear I felt my heart seize. A tight

  feeling came over my entire body and I imagined that’s what people who had heart attacks felt like.

  “Aggghhhh!” I screamed, dropping the pictures onto the floor as if they had burned me or

  something. I looked down at them again through tear-fil ed eyes. Diamond was naked and tied to a

  chair. Her face was completely covered with blood and I could tel her hair had been haphazardly cut.

  One of the pictures was a close up of the blood on her face and the cuts and bruises on her body. It

  looked as if they had been beating her for days, instead of hours. I knew I had to act fast. From the

  looks of it, there was no way Diamond could withstand much more of what they had already done to

  her.