Pain, Pleasure, and Lies: An Urban Romance Thriller

by Qiana London

  The bathroom was surprisingly empty when I walked inside. I was thankful. I dialed Katryna’s number and waited for her phone to ring.

  She answered on the first ring.

  “Dezzy, are you okay? Is Robyn alright?”

  Her questions were definitely out of the ordinary.

  “I’m fine, and Robyn is cool. Why? What’s up?”

  “Ever since you took that bullet for Robyn, they’ve been looking for her.”

  “Wait. What? Who are they?” she had caught me off guard. “And how did you know I was shot and that the bullet was meant for Robyn?”

  A chill came over my body.

  “You told me.”

  “That’s bullshit, Katryna, and you know it! I haven’t even talked to you since we were at Robyn’s house.”

  Everything was happening fast, and I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

  “What the fuck is going on, Katryna? You better tell me something.”

  Katryna was silent as commotion began to stir on her end. It became evident that she was sneaking to talk on the phone. I didn’t recognize any of the voices but several females could be heard faintly in the background.

  “Katryna, are you in trouble?”

  “I can’t talk,” she whispered.

  “What’s going on, Katryna? Where are you?”

  A female’s voice became louder in the background as Katryna quickly mumbled her whereabouts into the phone.

  “Dezzy, please. Do whatever you have to do, but I need you right now. Please come and get me or I’m dead.”

  The anonymous voice was now in the same room as Katryna. She was very animated. She shouted obscenities at Katryna then the line went dead.

  I was beginning to feel as though my loyalty to the people I cared about was being tested. Sure, God wouldn’t give me anymore than I could handle, but even He seemed to be stretching my patience thin. Needless to say, if the tables were turned I would want someone to do the same for me. I had no idea what awaited me, but unlike my encounter with Robyn, I would be prepared.

  I quickly jotted down the address Katryna had given me on a napkin before it slipped my mind. I put my phone in my bra, in case she had a chance to call again, then I went to round up help. This time, I wasn’t going down without a fight.

  Chapter Nine

  Despite our initial plans for the evening, Diandre and I were joined by Lee and two of his down-for-my-niggas type of friends. They were rough dudes who made their careers as criminals. I questioned how Diandre had come to know them, but he dismissed it as connections everyone has when dirty work needs to be done, and certain hands remain clean. We were in an unmarked van outside of the address Katryna had provided. I never would’ve imagined celebrating my engagement with two strangers at two o’clock in the morning on a semi-deserted street in Pinole.

  Because I had never been involved in breaking in and entering a house before, I was relying on MacGuyver and Nino Brown to initiate the plan. I didn’t know their real names. Diandre had explained they went by those names on the streets because of their skills and reputation. In the meantime, Lee and I sat on edge in the back of the van watching the two experts prepare for what appeared to be a miniature war. Diandre sat low in the driver’s seat keeping an eye on the house. In hushed tones, he informed us that three females had left, two could still be seen moving around in the living room, and the remainder of the house was dark. The criminals nodded as they received the information and announced it was almost show time. Apparently, they both knew about the female gang who occupied the house. They explained to us these girls had no remorse for life, and they thrived off of the misery of others. As much as they were supposed to serve as family to one another, they believed everyone was disposable if necessary. The rudest awakening I received was learning only members stepped foot into the place. This information only meant one thing. If I wasn’t the only person that Katryna could turn to, I would’ve left her ass there.

  The professionals zipped up their black leather coats and handed me a black pull over. One of them lowered a black ski mask over his face while the other handed me a small black .38. Before I touched the gun, Lee handed me the gloves that were on the seat next to me. I’d never used a gun before and hoped I wasn’t about to get a crash course. I didn’t want to go inside, but I was the only one who’d be able to identify Katryna. Lee wasn’t getting involved on that level. I had never been more nervous in my life. Lee had come along for moral support, and to provide assistance in case it was needed once Katryna was with us. Her nursing skills would be useful. Considering the circumstances, should she be hurt, we couldn’t exactly take Katryna to the emergency room.

  Diandre announced the living room light had been turned off. Now there was only the glow of the television seeping through the cracks of the blinds. He saw the fear in my face and assured me his friends wouldn’t let anything happen to me. I prayed that Diandre was right. I’d been given a second chance at life, and I didn’t want to blow it now. Lee closed her eyes and bowed her head as we filed out the back of the van.

  The gun was tucked behind me in my waistband just in case I needed to use it. The plan was to have me knock on the door while one of the guys went around the back. The other would stand close by me on the porch but out of sight. Once the door was opened, he would attack if necessary. My knees were wobbling as I climbed the stairs. Nino Brown was right by my side. When he took his position, I swallowed hard and knocked on the door. The television was loud on the other side, so I tried the doorbell. The noise subsided as I heard footsteps approaching the door.

  The door swung open without warning. In front of me stood a young girl with an aged face. I assumed she’d had a hard upbringing. She stared at me briefly before acknowledging me.

  “What do you want?”

  “I’m here for Katryna.”

  “And who are you supposed to be?”

  “Is she here?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Can I see her?”

  “No.”

  The girl shifted her weight from one foot to the other, clearing enough space for me to see Katryna slumped over and strapped to a chair. I wasn’t sure if the sudden view was deliberate, but in that moment all the stakes had been raised. She attempted to close the door in my face when I put my foot in the doorway.

  “Bitch, are you crazy?”

  “I’m not leaving without my cousin.”

  I could see that MacGuyver had made his way inside. He noticed Katryna but bypassed her to locate the other female in the house. I kept my eyes on the girl at the door so she wouldn’t become suspicious. Realizing that I wasn’t going to let up, her face turned violent, and she stepped toward me. I panicked inside, but my face never cracked. When she reached toward her waist, I shot a glance at Nino who appeared out of nowhere and caught her off guard. He aimed a .45 directly at her face, and she backed up. I ran past the both of them and directly over to Katryna. I untied her in record timing. She was out cold, so I needed help getting her out the door. I began smacking her face as commotion stirred in the back of the house. She whimpered slightly, but she wasn’t as conscious as she needed to be. I put her arm around my shoulders as a shot rang out in the back of the house. Seconds later, I was making a move toward the door, dragging Katryna. When we reached the front door, Nino explained that we didn’t have much time. I was to get Katryna to the van while he and MacGuyver tied up loose ends before the other females returned. We stumbled down the steps, and Katryna collapsed in the street. Lee opened the back doors of the van, and I dragged Katryna the rest of the way.

  Once inside the van, Lee retrieved her bag of medical supplies and attempted to revive Katryna. Diandre started the van, and more shots were fired. I muffled my screams as the van began coasting. In a split second, the professionals hopped in and closed the doors. As Diandre sped away, I prayed that my troubles were finally over. I didn’t know what had taken place inside the house, and I didn’t want to. The less I knew, the better. I only wanted
to get as far away as possible and forget any of this had ever happened.

  Diandre drove the van back to the Berkeley Marina where our cars were parked. I thanked his friends and climbed out of the van. Katryna moved slowly, but she was doing better. She sat in the backseat of my car. Lee stayed by her side. Despite their differences, Lee valued her relationship with me, and she knew that the priority was to keep Katryna alive. She would do what was necessary to help. I gave Diandre a hug and a kiss on the cheek then left him with his friends to finalize their business. I slid behind my wheel and drove home.

  *****

  Katryna lay across my bed while I inflated the air mattress. Lee suggested that she lay low for a while until it seemed safe to go to the hospital for a more thorough examination. On the outside, she’d suffered scratches and bruises, but Lee questioned whether or not she had a cracked rib. She gave Katryna some heavy painkillers then left. I was still shaken up from the series of events, but figured the worst was over. At least I hoped so.

  I grabbed a pair of pajamas for myself and handed another pair to Katryna. She changed slowly then climbed into my bed. I was wired and had several thoughts running through my mind. I put on my pajamas and collapsed onto the air mattress. We both lay in silence. When the silence became too much for me to bear, I sat up and demanded Katryna’s attention. I startled her because she’d already fallen asleep.

  “How long have you been a member?”

  She adjusted herself into a sitting position and looked at me.

  “Three years.”

  I was overcome with anger when my heart fluttered. It had never crossed my mind before now. Three years was more than enough time to be aware of Keisha’s murder. I turned to look at Katryna but she avoided eye contact.

  “You knew they were going to kill Keisha, didn’t you?

  Katryna was silent then dropped her head. Even though she’d said nothing, she had answered the question. I found myself struggling to breathe. She began to apologize to me, but I wasn’t receptive. I had helped save her life, and she’d had a hand in taking the life of one of my closest friends. I couldn’t mutter another word. I went into my bathroom and splashed water on my face. When I returned, she knew better than to speak to me. I turned off the lights and lay on the air mattress in complete darkness. I would need God’s guidance to forgive her, but this was a fact of life I would never forget.

  Katryna had no problems falling asleep. The only explanation I could find was her being used to that lifestyle. While she enjoyed a long, hard slumber, I cried myself to sleep wishing I could somehow turn back the hands of time. I also made a promise to myself to end my relationship with Katryna once her health had improved. If I continued to associate with her, I would be just as responsible for Keisha’s death as she was. I refused to be a hypocrite.

  Chapter Ten

  When I woke up later the same morning, I was not in the Christmas spirit. Still, I did my best to put on a happy face because I knew my mother would be wearing a pretty smile. Long gone were the days of waking up early to open presents. One tradition that remained, though was Christmas breakfast. My mother looked forward to this time with me and my brother every year. I looked over at my bed where Katryna was still sleeping. I guess we’d be making room for one more. I didn’t bother waking her. Instead, I brushed my teeth and washed my face before heading downstairs to join my mother.

  “Merry Christmas, mama.”

  “Hey, look who’s up! Merry Christmas, baby.”

  The fiasco from a few short hours ago was on the front page of the newspaper. It was the first thing I noticed on the table when I walked into the kitchen. My mother was standing right in front of me pouring orange juice into a carafe, so I made it a point not to overreact. I skimmed the article without picking up the newspaper. One of the females had been pronounced dead at the scene while the other fought for her life at Highland Hospital. Fortunately, the Pinole Police Department had no leads. The headline read: ‘The Perfect Homicide?’ I felt better knowing that there were no suspects, but my excitement soon changed to regret. A young woman was dead, another was fighting for her life and I knew why. I tried not to be too hard on myself and passed it off as due justice.

  “You alright, baby?”

  “Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m tired. I guess I zoned out for a minute.”

  I took a seat at the table and tried to act as though it was any other morning.

  My mother sat a platter of waffles made from scratch in front of me. I watched as she picked up a big bowl of scrambled eggs with cheese in one hand, and another full of country potatoes with the other. She sat both down on the table.

  “Grab the bacon and hot links for me, baby.”

  I grabbed the tray full of meat, and the bowl of fresh fruit next to it. I helped my mother arrange everything on the table before I sat back down. I loved Christmas morning. It was one time I could count on my mother to blow the dust off of the pots and pans and pull out all the stops. Now that Donte and I were grown, we had to fend for ourselves.

  “Katryna is here.”

  “Oh really? How is she doing? It’s been so long since she’s been over.”

  I didn’t tell my mother the details surrounding Katryna’s sudden visit, and when she saw her, I hoped she wouldn’t ask too many questions.

  “She’s doing all right,” I lied.

  After my mother placed four plates and silverware on the table, she sat down next to me.

  “So when are you going to explain the rock that’s blinding me on your finger?”

  I had been so consumed with other things that I’d forgotten to mention my big news to my mother. Before I could give her the details, she picked up my left hand and examined the ring more closely. After practically disconnecting my wrist, she sat my hand down and looked at me.

  “So the roughneck knows how to pick ‘em, huh?”

  “Yeah, he didn’t do too bad.”

  I smiled and looked at my hand once again.

  “I know I’m gone a lot, but when did all of this happen?”

  “He asked me last night.”

  “You don’t think this is a bit soon?”

  “Mama, we’re only engaged. It’s not like I’m getting married tomorrow. People have long engagements all of the time.”

  “Whatever happened to requesting permission to have my daughter’s hand in marriage?”

  “Mama, nobody does that anymore.”

  “They should. It’s a matter of respect.”

  “Well, I mean, it’s already done. What do you want me to do, give the ring back?”

  “Now I ain’t raise no fool!”

  We laughed then my mother looked at me. Concern was all over her face.

  “Don’t you trust that I can make the right decision?”

  “I trust you, baby, and I know you have your mind made up, but something about it just doesn’t feel right. I want you to be careful.”

  “I will,” I sighed.

  I knew my mom was just doing her job as a good parent, so I tried not to take what she had said too personal. It may not have felt right to her, but I knew how I felt when he proposed. I felt perfect.

  “I hope so because a hard head makes a soft ass.”

  She gave a sly grin and stood up from the table to grab the syrup she heated on the stove.

  Donte and Katryna filed into the kitchen like elementary school kids entering the cafeteria.

  “Merry Christmas, mama,” he walked over and kissed her on the cheek. “Man, it smells good up in here!”

  Donte rubbed his hands together as he looked at everything on the table. Katryna playfully shoved him out of the way and walked over to my mom.

  “Merry Christmas, Auntie Sonya,” she said before giving her a hug.

  “Merry Christmas, babies,” she flashed her pretty smile.

  We all sat down to the table. We held hands and bowed our heads while Donte said a brief prayer.

  “Heavenly Father, please bless the food that we are now about to
receive. Let it be strengthening and nourishing for our bodies. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”

  “Amen,” we said in unison.

  Seconds later we were all stuffing our faces. Donte was about to ask Katryna about her appearance, but I kicked him under the table before he could complete his sentence. He apparently caught my drift. Between bites, Katryna informed us that she would be returning to her apartment today before catching a flight to Los Angeles. She was going to move in with her aunt. I silently wished her well and prayed she’d begin a new, more productive life. Donte knew something was up without me telling him. He volunteered to see her home and make sure she made it to the airport on time.

  Several hours later, I had the house to myself. Donte was at Raijean’s place. They had worked out their differences. My mother was spending the night with her new honey. I was enjoying a bubble bath when my cell phone rang. I hesitated at first because the phone was on my bed, and though it was only a few feet away, it seemed like miles. I bypassed my towel and ran straight over to the bed.

  “Merry Christmas, baby. How you doin’?”

  “Merry Christmas. I’m alright,” I sighed.

  I walked back into the bathroom and carefully lowered myself into the tub as we continued our conversation.

  “Are you sure you’re good? I know you had a lot to process after last night.”

  “Yeah. I’m still trying to make sense of it all.”

  “Don’t worry about what you can’t control.”

  “I’ll try not to worry. I can’t thank you enough for your help.”

  “No need. That’s what I’m here for.”

  “It wasn’t how I’d expected to celebrate our engagement.”

  “Right… that’s why I’m calling. What are you doing?”

  “Soaking in the tub and thinking about you,” I flirted.

  “Oh yeah? What are you thinking?”