Alyssa's Desire

by Krysten Raine

  "You should testify, Mom," Alyssa interrupted.

  "I'm no narc, Honey," Valerie responded with a heavy sigh. She tapped her fingers lightly on the table and stared down at her hands. She had obviously struggled with that decision but as dishonorable as is the life of a criminal, ratting someone out is considered an outright immoral act.

  "Mom, Trevor Barnes tried to kill you! He beat the piss out of you and left you for dead! How can you even hesitate? Send that fucker down the river where he belongs," Alyssa said in a voice that was much too loud for the not so private visitation area. Her outburst was met with the icy stares of several other women and their respective visitors.

  "It's not that simple, Alyssa. Besides Trevor only did that because I used the drugs he gave me to sell and I couldn't pay for them. I would have done the same thing in his position," Valerie insisted.

  "But you have a chance at going free in six months! You have a chance at having a life again. Screw Trevor Barnes!" Alyssa said angrily. An inmate that was seated across the room clearly overheard this conversation. She sat with pressed lips and stared at Alyssa and Valerie with intense hatred in her eyes. The woman who was visiting her, held the same glare and awful expression. The inmate looked at her friend and nodded, to which the other woman nodded back. The two women clearly shared an unspoken understanding. The visiting woman had received the message loud and clear and then she left.

  Alyssa and her mother did not notice the interaction between these two women. Instead they were intently focused on each other. They spent the remainder of their time discussing the goals and terms that were set for Valerie and they talked about ideas for finding Valerie some work and a new place to live once she was released. Alyssa promised to come and visit her mom once a week until then. Then when their visiting time was over, the mother and daughter hugged each other goodbye and both left feeling good about their conversation and about Valerie's progress.

  The other woman who had overheard their conversation was not feeling so good about what she had heard. This woman, whose name was Laquesha Reynolds, happened to be Trevor Barnes' ex-girlfriend. The two of them had broken up years earlier but they were still good friends and Laquesha was currently running drugs for Trevor and his crew. The woman she was visiting was her sister, Mica. She was also one of Trevor Barnes close friends and business associates. She was currently doing a five year stretch for distributing heroin. She had also been offered a deal to roll over on her distributor but she was loyal enough to Barnes that she kept quiet and she had settled in to do her five years. In exchange for her silence, Trevor Barnes had arranged for some drugs to be brought in via a crooked prison guard. It was a small amount but it was enough to keep Mica high and happy and she had enough left over to barter with other inmates for a variety of other sought after items. Needless to say the idea of Barnes getting arrested would mean the end of her fun and so Mica and her sister were determined to prevent that at all costs.

  Mica went back to the general population and she quickly spread the word that Valerie Snyder might give up Trevor for a lighter sentence. Laquesha headed out to tell Trevor the news directly, but she had no idea that he had already been arrested the night before. Laquesha headed to Trevor's apartment but she was quite surprised when he wasn't there. So she made her way to a nearby warehouse where Trevor frequently processed his shipments. She figured Trevor was probably there since he was due to get some more product. Laquesha pulled open the heavy steel door and made her way inside the building. Nobody was there and there was no sign of any recent activity. Now Laquesha was really starting to worry. It was unusual for Trevor to be gone and unheard of that the business operations would have stopped. Maybe he already knew that Valerie might talk and he had taken precautions to protect himself. Still Laquesha was feeling pretty uneasy at the whole situation. She exited the building as fast as she could and she drove away to a vacant alley a few blocks over. She pulled over and called some of her friends on her cell phone. The first three numbers she tried when straight to their respective voice mails. What the fuck? She thought to herself. She tried another friend, a guy named Mikey Tuft. Mikey knew exactly what was happening.

  "Barnes and everyone else got arrested last night. DEA was at the shipyard. Get rid of your phone and stay under the radar. Shit has hit the fan," Mikey said and then he hung up before Laquesha could respond. Oh shit, oh shit! Laquesha was struck with fear and a million thoughts raced in her head. Who all was arrested? Would any of them talk? What if somebody named her? Laquesha figured that her best chance for freedom was to run, but she had to get the word out before she left town.

  She cautiously stopped by each of her friend's houses and she waited outside watching each place before she approached anyone. She wanted to make sure that there were no cops or DEA agents hanging around. The first two houses that she went to, she bailed before talking to anyone. The first house was dark and quiet, this was an unusual sight and so she figured that they were already busted or had skipped town. The next house belonged to her girl, Shonda. She pulled around the corner and kept on going because she spotted a dark colored sedan parked on the opposite side of the street. She tried one more place, a group home in Harlem where several of Trevor's boys would stay from time to time. When she pulled up three guys she knew where hanging out on the front porch smoking a joint and laughing like nothing was wrong. This was her chance. Laquesha got out of her car and walked up to them quickly, constantly looking over her shoulder as she approached them.

  "Whad up, Girl?" one of the men said as she walked up. He reached out his hand to offer Laquesha a hit off of the joint he was smoking. Much to the man's surprise, Laquesha held up her hand to stop him from passing it over.

  "Shut up and listen," Laquesha began. "Trevor got busted and a bunch of his guys went down too. I'm not sure who yet but it's time to get the fuck outta here. I don't know all the details, but there is a good chance that Valerie Snyder is to blame. Get the word out and then fucking run."

  Then Laquesha left as fast as she had arrived, leaving her friends dumbfounded for a few seconds. Then everyone did basically the same thing. They all gathered what money they had in cash and what they could carry and everyone who was not already arrested left New York. Laquesha drove into New Jersey and then she made one final phone call before ditching her cell. She called her sister Mica. She only said one sentence and then she hung up before the call could be traced.

  "Barnes is in jail. I think Valerie talked."

  Mica did not waste any time, as she immediately sought out everyone who was in jail that was associated with Trevor Barnes. She told all of her friends about the conversation she overheard between Valerie Snyder and her daughter. Word got back to Trevor very quickly. Within a few hours an inmate was filling him in on all of the details. Trevor listened intently. His first instinct was to exact payback on Valerie and Alyssa, but although Trevor Barnes was a violent criminal, he was also highly intelligent. He forced himself to see through his rage and concentrate on the facts. What he knew for sure was that Valerie Snyder had been offered a deal for narcing him out, but he also knew that as of right now she had not taken that deal. He knew this because her sentence had not yet been reduced and no additional charges were brought against him. Plus Mica had said that it was Valerie's daughter who wanted her to talk and that Valerie had refused to do so during their visit. This information both pleased and troubled Barnes. On one hand Valerie was maintaining her loyalty for the time being. On the other hand her daughter knew too much and she might convince Valerie to change her mind.

  After long consideration Trevor told his informant to get the word out to some people he had on the outside. He wanted to make sure that Valerie's daughter wouldn't be a problem. He instructed them to watch her very closely and to scare her a little bit. He figured that if Alyssa believed that her mother would be hurt if she talked, then she would encourage her mother to stay quiet and the problem would be resolved. So he asked his associates to extend that message on
his behalf.

  Chapter Twelve: Payback

  Alyssa went back to work on Monday morning completely clueless about the events that had transpired since she had visited her mom in jail. As far as she knew everything was going great. Her mother had gotten the treatment that she needed and she was looking forward to getting her life back. Trevor Barnes was officially in jail and he was facing a series of charges a mile long. In Alyssa's mind this meant that she was safe and that Trevor couldn't get to her or her family ever again. Plus now she had Antonio who seemed to be really into her, judging by the multitude of phone calls and text message that followed their date in the park. Alyssa was also doing quite well at work. Jack regularly told her how pleased he was with her job performance and he continued to give her better assignments and more responsibility. Things were almost going too good for Alyssa. She should have known that this kind of luck would never last.

  Later in the day, Alyssa was humming softly to herself and happily putting away some files when Jack Coleman entered the room. He closed the door, leaving him and Alyssa all alone where no one could see or hear them. Alyssa couldn't help but notice this and secretly she hoped that Jack had intended this private moment for a naughty reason.

  "I'm glad I ran into you," Jack said softly. "You have been doing such a great job that I think it is time that I brought you onto my personal team. What do you think of that?"

  "Oh my God, really? I would love to work directly for you Mr. Coleman. I can't thank you enough for the opportunity," Alyssa was almost stammering she was so excited.

  "Okay then. The next big case I get I will bring you on board. If you do well, then we can make it a permanent arrangement. I'd love you to have you by my side on a daily basis," Jack said with a wink and then he left the storage room. Alyssa was once again left wondering if he had been flirting with her or if it was just her imagination. Either way though, she had a great opportunity to further her career and if it meant spending all day with her incredibly handsome boss then she would just have to make that sacrifice. Yes things were definitely going her way lately.

  That evening Alyssa's day got even better. Antonio came over to her house to hang out. They ordered food from a nearby deli and they spent the evening playing Call of Duty Ghosts on Alyssa's Xbox. Then they decided to watch a couple of movies on Netflix. It turned out to be a nice evening in. Both Antonio and Alyssa were having a lot of fun. They cuddled up together to watch a movie and they ended up falling asleep. Alyssa enjoyed resting in Antonio's arms. She felt so safe and so secure. Around two o' clock in the morning, their blissful rest was disturbed by a loud bang. Someone was throwing rocks and bottles at Alyssa's dining room window!

  "What the fuck?" Antonio exclaimed and he went to the window in Alyssa's bedroom to yell down at the people who were responsible.

  "What do you losers think you're doing?" He shouted and the response was a beer bottle being chucked right toward his head. Antonio ducked, but the bottle flew in through the open window and shattered against Alyssa's bedroom wall. Alyssa dialed 911 when she heard the glass break and Antonio slipped out to cover her head as several rocks came flying in after the bottle. Thankfully there was a police car only two blocks away. When the people who were throwing things heard the sirens, they took off in opposite directions. A few minutes later, two police officers were knocking on Alyssa's front door.

  Alyssa invited the police into her home and she told them what had happened. Antonio led one of the officers into the bedroom where the broken bottle was. The officer noticed that there was a soggy piece of paper laying the broken glass. He carefully picked it up with his pen and opened it up with a gloved hand. It was a note that read,

  "Tell your mother to stay quiet!"

  "Either of you have any idea what that means?" the officer asked suspiciously as he held up the dripping piece of paper and read the note aloud.

  "Yes, Sir. I know what it means," Alyssa replied and then she told the police all about her mother's addiction to heroin and her arrest. She also told them that her mother had been offered a reduced sentence in exchange for her testimony against Trevor Barnes. Then she told them about her own arrest and about the deal she made. She mentioned that part of the deal was that she was supposed to have police protection from Barnes but now that he was in jail she was worried about his associates coming after her. The police took her statement and then they sat outside in their car for about an hour and a half to deter anyone who might be thinking about starting more trouble with Alyssa.

  Alyssa was highly shaken up by what had happened. She told Antonio that she didn't even know how Barnes and his friends knew where she lived since none of them had ever been to her place. She figured that someone must have followed her at some point or talked to someone she knew to get that information. Either way she felt frightened and violated. Antonio told Alyssa to sit down and try to relax. He cleaned up the broken glass and he gathered the bottles and rocks and disposed of them. Then he sat down next to Alyssa and he wrapped his arms tightly around her. He told her that she should try and get some rest and that he would stay awake and that he would keep an eye on things for the rest of the night. She thanked him for offering, but she didn't think that she would be able to go back to sleep after that. Instead they decided to watch another movie. They selected a comedy this time to lighten the mood. Antonio sat upright at the end of the couch and he told Alyssa to lie down and try to rest while she watched the movie. She gratefully placed her head in his lap and she stretched out on the couch. Before the film was over, Alyssa had fallen to sleep and Antonio kept his promise to stand guard. He watched two more movies before the sun rose the next morning. Around six Alyssa woke up to find that Antonio was still watching movies and stroking her soft, brown hair as she slept. He looked positively exhausted but so incredibly hot at the same time. His big, brown eyes were bloodshot and watery but it made them sparkle. He smiled at Alyssa when she woke up. She went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth and hair and then she came back to where Antonio was seated.

  "Why don't you go in the bedroom and try and get some sleep? You've been up all night. You can sleep here while I'm at work. I'm sure you will be safe during the daytime," she said and then she tenderly kissed his cheek.

  Antonio rubbed his eyes and he agreed without argument. The truth is he had been fighting sleep for the last three hours and the idea of finally letting go and getting some rest was very appealing. Antonio walked into the bedroom and he took off his shirt and his shoes. Alyssa watched as him from the other room as he did this. She didn't realize how buff he was since she had not yet seen him without his clothes. Damn, pizza boy has some killer abs! She thought as she watched him pull down the bed covers and crawl into bed.

  When Alyssa got to work she headed for Jack's office immediately. She knocked on his door and she asked if she could speak to him. She told him all about the incident the night before and that she was worried for both her mom's safety and her own. Jack listened to Alyssa's story with a grave expression on his face. He told her that he would do everything he could to make sure that they were both protected. Alyssa thanked him and she returned to her work station. Jack Coleman immediately started making phone calls. He contacted Valerie's lawyer, the prosecutor that was handling Barnes's case, the warden at the jail and a few friends in the local police department. They were all instructed to keep a close eye on Barnes and his crew, and to watch over Valerie in jail and Alyssa's home. Everyone agreed to help. Jack asked Valerie's attorney to inform his client of the threat so that she would know to be extra careful just in case someone tried to get to her on the inside.

  Jack was still making phone calls on Alyssa's behalf when his ex-wife stormed into the building and barged into his office. He had been on hold but he hung up the phone when he saw her. Jack knew that she was about to make a scene, although he wasn't sure what it could be about this time.

  "Hello, Jade. What can I do for you today?" he asked dryly.

  "You forgot to take you
r son to his baseball game yesterday. He was supposed to pitch but he missed out and it is your fault!" Jade was clearly enjoying the opportunity to scold Jack and publically embarrass him once again.

  "Oh my God, I forgot! I'm sorry. I will make it up to him somehow," Jack said with a genuinely apologetic tone.

  "You are always preaching that no matter what, you would do anything for your son and you couldn't even be there for him! So pathetic," Jade muttered in disgust, but she was fighting a sinister smile just the same.

  "That is not fair! I am always there for him! But I fucked up this time. I just plain forgot," said Jack as he sank down into one of his leather bound chairs and he wiped his face with his hands in a gesture of regret.

  "Maybe you would have remembered the family you left behind if you weren't so busy lusting after that little whore you have working here," accused Jade. Jack looked puzzled at this statement but he also appeared guilty. He glanced out of his open office door and was clearly upset to see that most of his employees were gathered outside to listen to their argument.

  "I don't know what the fuck you are talking about, you crazy bitch!"

  "Oh really? I overheard you confessing your little secret to James Webber. Something about wrestling with feelings you have for one of your employees? Oh how unethical Jack. I do hope you have the control to keep it in your pants. After all what would daddy say if he knew you spent all day in here thinking about fucking your paralegals?"

  Jade made it a point to state her accusation in a loud enough voice for the eavesdroppers outside the door to hear her nice and clear and then she stormed out with a smug grin plastered on her face. Jade strutted past all of the employees outside of Jack's office and she proudly stepped onto the elevator to take her leave. She was clearly proud of the fact that everyone had overheard their conversation. Alyssa happened to overhear as well. She couldn't help but wonder and secretly hope that maybe it was true and that maybe she was the one that Jack was lusting after. After the elevator doors closed, Jack's voice boomed from inside of his office.