Fast Life

by Cassandra Carter

  Being intoxicated took Kyra’s mind off things, until she discovered it was nine o’clock when she awoke from her nap.

  “Oh shit.” She had been gone for nine hours. Kyra rushed over to the bed and began to shake Natasha. Not a second short of three minutes later, her efforts paid off.

  “What?” Her eyes were still closed as she let out a groan.

  “It’s nine o’clock.”

  “So wake me up at ten.” Natasha waved her away only to realize what Kyra meant. “Oh shit!”

  “Yeah. Come on. We gotta go. If Kai finds out he’s gonna trip!”

  “Kai?…Kai? Where are you? I’m home!” Kyra’s voice echoed through the dark penthouse as she nervously felt her way into the living room. She was facing the windows for light, when Makai crept up behind her and jerked her by her hair so hard she was sure he could have torn it from her scalp had he wanted to.

  “Ah! Ow…” Her voice was feeble as a result of the pain she was in.

  “Shut up.” He made his demand through clenched teeth as the lights of the penthouse flicked on. “Where the fuck where you?”

  “Out.”

  “Where were you? Don’t play no fucking games wit’ me, Kyra.” He demanded an answer as he tightened his grip on her hair.

  CHAPTER 18

  “Kyra!” Makai shouted from where he stood at the bottom of the stairs. It was fairly late in the evening when he finally arrived home. Kyra was surprised to hear a noise in the usually quiet apartment, and at first it startled her. She thought it was the TV show she was watching or that she was hearing things, but when his voice rang out through the apartment again—this time sounding a tad impatient—she knew it was him for sure.

  “You still tired of being inside all the time?”

  “Yes,” she uttered from the top of the staircase. She didn’t want to come any closer to the man below.

  “Good.” He was unemotional. “I’m taking you out. Go put something nice on.”

  “Okay.” She watched Makai, mystified by his sudden generosity. He acted as if nothing had happened between them within the past two weeks.

  “Looking sexy.” He offered his compliment as he leaned against the doorframe observing her outfit. “I know you’re mad at me. Don’t think I forgot about all the shit that happened between us.” Kyra still stood silent as she watched him in the mirror. “And I know you’re mad about me being gone for a minute.”

  “Two weeks is a little more than a minute, don’t you think?”

  “You know how it goes, Kyra. Don’t act new to the game.”

  He took his stance behind her and rubbed her arms with his hands in an effort to soothe her. Her eyes examined her arms as she remembered the bruises he had caused her days ago.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Mmm, hmm.”

  “Oh, you don’t believe me?”

  “No, Kai, I really don’t.”

  “Does this make you believe me?” He pulled out a dazzling diamond necklace. A heart pendant drenched in diamonds dangled from a chain that was also studded with diamonds.

  Kyra’s eyes lit up. The necklace was beautiful, and no matter how angry she was at Makai she couldn’t hide that. As soon as he detected her reaction, he knew he had her right where he wanted her. All was forgiven with diamonds.

  “Kai…”

  “I know you didn’t think I would be gone all that time and come back with nothing for my princess.” He clasped the necklace around her neck.

  “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me. You deserve that and more. I’ve been putting you through hell since you got here.” As she admired his gift, he went on, “You see that heart? It represents my love for you. It’s made of diamonds, and you know what they say.”

  “What?”

  “Diamonds are forever, just like how I’ll love you forever.” His voice was lowered to a near whisper. He then turned to her and pulled her closer, gently planting his lips on hers. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you, too.” Even with everything that had happened, he was the only company she kept, and without him around things tended to become lonesome.

  Suddenly a jingle rang throughout the room. His two-way was going off. His eyes instantly tore away from hers to the rectangle that hung on his hip. He put his earpiece to his ear and began to talk, leaving Kyra to worship her new gift.

  After a warm shower, Kyra put on some pajamas and listened to the Quiet Storm on a local radio station. An hour and a half after his two-way had rung, Makai left and was still nowhere to be found. She pushed back the worrisome feeling coming over her. She didn’t want to worry just yet.

  As she noticed the lights of the skyline become less intense and the dark night sky brighten into a light blue, it hit her that daylight had come and Makai still hadn’t come home. With how things had been lately, he probably wouldn’t anytime soon.

  After another hour of waiting, she decided that it would be wise to head up to the bedroom. She lay there in the silk-covered bed but couldn’t find a position that her body found comfortable. Sleep was not coming at all easily.

  Kyra clicked on the television in hopes of finding something to watch that would make her eyes heavy. She flicked through hundreds of channels, finding only early-morning church programs and infomercials. She’d never been the religious type, and a product that would bake perfectly shaped cakes or remove unsightly hair didn’t interest her. The next-best thing was the news. She figured that to be her best option.

  Kyra turned to channel seven, ABC, just in time to see a breaking story. Hmm, this may be more interestin’ than I thought, Kyra mused as she propped herself up in expectation.

  “Hi, this is Judy Hsu reporting with a breaking story. In the early hours this morning, a body was found in the southwest branch of the Chicago River. The body was discovered by a family boating on the river for the upcoming Fourth of July weekend. The body has been currently identified as Robert Johnson, a notorious member of the Chi-town’s Finest gang, run by suspected drug dealer Reggie Mills. Police currently have no suspects in the case.” Her stare was straight ahead at the camera. It was as if she were talking directly to Kyra. “Police believe that this was a homicide and that it is somehow tied to violence at a local club earlier last night. The incident occurred at a club run by Makai “Kai” Jackson.”

  Kyra paced the living room all afternoon on virtually no sleep as she gazed out the windows at the city. She wondered where Makai was and if he was okay. The worry grew tiresome for her, and before she knew it, she was curled up asleep on one of the tan couches.

  She shivered when she felt a hand touch her and wake her from her light sleep. She jumped when her vision focused on the individual before her, and she hugged him tight.

  “Hey, baby girl,” Makai murmured as he ran his hands over her back.

  “Hey.”

  “You were waiting up for me, huh?”

  “Yeah, what happened last night? Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m straight.”

  “I saw what happened last night on the news.”

  “Those mothafuckas shot up my damn club.” He sounded mad as he started toward the stairs.

  “What happened?” She was curious as she followed in his steps.

  “A business talk just got heated.”

  For the next couple of days, Makai didn’t leave the house, and neither did Kyra. It was nice to finally spend quality time together without business somehow being in the way, and Kyra thoroughly enjoyed having the company.

  Wednesday night Makai was preparing to go out. What he did when he was gone for so long, not returning home sometimes for days, Kyra began to wonder, but never dared to ask.

  She tied a robe around her body and made her way back to the bedroom, where she saw Makai coming out of the closet, looking fresh as always.

  “I’m about to be out. I got something for you, though.” Makai pulled a silver cell phone from his pocket. “It’s my cell. You can use it to call Tasha or wha
tever, but do not answer any of my calls, you got me? A few of my business peeps call this line, so don’t do nothing stupid.”

  “Okay.” She agreed to the conditions while drying her dripping hair with a towel.

  “Don’t get nosey, Kyra,” he cautioned.

  “A’ight, a’ight. Damn, I said okay.”

  “A’ight. Now, you can go out but make sure you take Bryce and Rick witchu. You do something stupid like try that sneaking-out shit again, trust me, you will want to deal wit’ me over either of them. Oh, and don’t bring anyone here. I like to keep a low profile and Natasha got a big-ass mouth. I work hard to maintain it, so don’t fuck that up for me.”

  “Okay Kai, I got it.”

  “Don’t go crazy wit’ going out, either. I’m not sure how shit is right now. Honestly, if you can help it, stay home.”

  “Okay baby, I got it,” Kyra replied. She was annoyed by his paranoia and rambling on.

  “A’ight then, I’m out. Love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  CHAPTER 19

  Over the course of the next couple of days, Kyra visited Natasha. They would go to the mall, the movies or one of a few popular restaurants in the city. Any time alone with Natasha was impossible with Kai’s bodyguards following Kyra’s every move.

  “Kyra, I really need to tell you something…” Natasha said one day in the few moments they managed to steal in the bathroom. Her voice was low as she stepped closer to Kyra, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door and the bodyguard’s deep voice from outside.

  Kyra sighed and ran her hands through her blond dyed hair.

  “We’re coming! Okay—” Natasha snapped back, trying to stall to tell the news, but she gave up after another pound on the door. “Never mind. Come on, let’s just go before they really start trippin’.” She sighed again and snatched her purse from the sink counter before walking out of the bathroom. Kyra hadn’t paid any attention to her friend’s tone.

  After an afternoon movie, Kyra returned home to relax and prepare a snack for herself. Natasha had been acting funny lately, and when Kyra asked her what was wrong, she would never give her a true answer, just a “nothing.” Kyra figured maybe they should spend a little time apart for a few days. She had just walked into the kitchen to make a sandwich when the cell phone Makai lent her vibrated on her hip for the twentieth time that day.

  For the past few days the phone would ring and vibrate constantly, but she fought off every impulse to answer. The voice mailbox was becoming full.

  She took the sleek phone and set it on the counter, focusing on the task at hand. She watched it vibrate again. She stared at the phone again for a moment, picked it up and then set it back on the counter only for it to vibrate again seconds later.

  Kyra went into the living room with her plate in one hand and the phone in the other. She took a seat in the black leather chair, and set her plate on the shining surface of the center table. She leaned back in the chair, still eyeing the phone, staring as it vibrated in her hand. Her curiosity finally won and she answered the call.

  “Hey, boo, I’ve been trying to reach you for grip. Why haven’t you come by to see me?” the female voice from the other end purred in a sexual tone.

  “This ain’t Kai.”

  “What? Who is this?”

  “This is his wifey! Who is this?”

  Without another word, the girl hung up, and the dial tone buzzed from her end of the line.

  Kyra then took things a step further and checked the messages that were piling up in the voice mail. She discovered that almost every message was from a different woman. Candi, Yolanda, Kim, Audrey, Brenda, Felicia, Sharon, Karen, Tonya, Carla, Marina and Juanita had each left their voices behind in a message. Makai apparently had more than his share of girls, and as if that weren’t bad enough, it only got worse.

  Her blood pressure shot through the roof at the last message.

  “Hey papi, it’s me, Cedes. My man ain’t here right now and I’m all alone. I even got on your favorite set, the red one. It’s been too long since I saw you last, baby. Word on the street is you brought that bitch Kyra home with you. I thought you were better than that? And if you are, you need to scoop me up and prove it to me, if you know what I mean.

  “I miss, you baby. Maybe next time I’m home alone you can come keep me company. Bye.”

  Kyra was in the middle of packing when she heard the front door open and close. Makai was home. He wobbled up the stairs, his breath carrying the scent of alcohol and his shirt carrying the scent of perfume as he made his way into his bedroom, where he came across the surprising sight.

  “Whatchu doin’?” he queried at the sight of the scattered suitcases and clothes.

  “I’m leavin’, that’s what I’m doin’,” Kyra said as she came from inside the closet with a handful of clothes to be packed away.

  “And just where do you think you’re going?”

  “I dunno. Natasha’s…home…I dunno.” She was unsure of where exactly she was headed as she stuffed more clothes into an already-bulging bag.

  “I leave one minute and we’re good and I come home and you ready to bounce?”

  “Just like I leave one minute and you ready to be up in another female, right?” Kyra huffed.

  “Whatchu talkin’ about?”

  “You know what the fuck I’m talkin’ about! Here, take this. A lot of people need you right now.” She picked up the phone from where it lay on the floor and threw it at him. Even in his tipsy state he managed to catch it.

  “So you answered my phone?” She kept packing as he looked over the phone.

  “I heard all the messages your li’l hoes left, too!”

  “I told you not to answer my phone! How hard is that? Huh? How hard is it for you just to do what I say!”

  By the next morning, Kyra’s things were rearranged back in the closet and her suitcases were missing. Makai had an assortment of roses delivered to the apartment with a note of apology attached, but as usual, he was nowhere to be found. Roses, fine chocolate candies, jewelry, furs and other gifts started to come like clockwork. They came as often as the abuse. Any little thing, any little mistake, any little reason seemed to be enough to set Makai off, giving him enough reason in his eyes to place his hands on her. Every time his abuse got worse, the gifts became bigger. So big, in fact, that Kyra now owned a silver Mercedes-Benz. She believed it was a cruel joke and refused to drive it.

  CHAPTER 20

  Kyra was in bed one night, the television off, as she sat up with her knees to her chest. Her gaze was fixed on the phone that rested on the nightstand. Makai had warned her not to use it, and she knew what would happen if she disobeyed his orders and he found out. The choices and consequences bounced around in her head: Do it, or don’t do it.

  Kyra dialed, held the phone to her ear and listened to it ring on the other end. It was already on the fourth ring and there was still no answer. She glanced at the clock on the wall and noticed that it was late and recalled that it was a weeknight. She figured her mother was asleep, with Matthew, or spending the night at the hotel, and all hopes of reaching her were crushed. As she went to place the phone on the hook, she didn’t know how long it would be before the next time she could muster the courage to call.

  “Hello?” Geneva greeted. Her tone was fixed to appease any caller when Kyra heard the unexpected voice of her mother. Her mouth felt as if it were wired shut, and all she could manage was silence. The only courage she needed now was the courage to speak.

  “Hello…? Hello?” her mother repeated into the phone, waiting for a reply.

  “Mom?” Kyra’s voice cracked on her response.

  “Kyra, Kyra, is that you?”

  “Yeah, it’s me, Mom.”

  “Oh, I’m so happy to hear from you! I’ve been trying to reach you at Natasha’s forever, but you two are always out. You two aren’t getting into anything you don’t need to be in, are you?” Geneva, no longer Mrs. Jones, rambled on with exc
itement.

  “You’ve been tryin’ to reach me at Tasha’s?” Kyra asked, confused. Natasha had specifically told Kyra that her mother hadn’t contacted her, and Charlene, Natasha’s mom, hadn’t mentioned anything.

  “Yeah, ever since you got there. Well, when I find the time—you know how things are down here. I figure you’re almost grown, though. You don’t need me checkin’ up on you all the time.” Geneva sounded happy as she talked.

  “Oh.”

  “Why did you ask me that? That is where you’re staying, isn’t it?” Her mother was starting in on another interrogation, sounding somewhat suspicious for a moment.

  “Where else would I be stayin’?” she lied. She didn’t want to risk hearing the reaction she was sure to hear when her mother discovered where she had really been all this time. “So how are things down there?”

  “Things are good. Business is really thriving, and Matthew and I are engaged now! Can you believe it?”

  “Fa real?” Kyra tried her best to sound enthusiastic, but her voice rang false.

  “Yup. I tried reaching you. I left a few messages to call me with Charlene, but I didn’t get in touch with you to tell you until now. You and Natasha seem to be having a ball up there.”

  “When’s the wedding?” Kyra inquired.

  “We didn’t set a date yet. Truthfully, I wanted you to help me plan it when you come home in August.” Kyra didn’t like the idea, but she couldn’t manage words to protest it. “Kyra, are you there?” Her mother’s question brought the dead line back to life.

  “Yeah, yeah, sorry. Congratulations with everythin’.” She kept up her attempt to sound upbeat.

  “Thanks, sweetie. So, how are things up there?”

  With that question, Kyra broke down. The reason why she didn’t know, but she couldn’t stop the tears from coming.

  “Kyra?” Geneva sounded worried when she picked up the sniffles from the other end of the phone line.