by KR Bankston
Satisfied that she’d eaten enough, Hope took one of the pills from the plastic case and placed it on her tongue. Taking another sip of coffee she swallowed it down, praying it took effect quickly. The pain of her illness brought Hope almost to the point of incapacitation, but most days she simply endured; an unearned sense that somehow this was her penance from God. Today however, she’d given in and taken the medication. Kim called her earlier and let her know she was indeed coming. Hope had graciously told her that was fine and to simply call once she was leaving her own hotel. Lying back onto the bed again, Hope closed her eyes and prayed. She prayed for a quick relief of her pain. She prayed for the strength to see her task through to the end. She prayed for restoration of every soul that the years had ravaged, but most of all Hope simply prayed for peace.
19
“What’s this shit, Seth,” Peyton yelled angrily waving the papers around.
Seth was furious. How dare his brother snoop through his personal things.
“Answer me asshole,” Peyton threw out again.
“Watch your mouth,” Seth warning getting angrier and seeing red.
“Fuck that,” Peyton yelled again. “Tell me what the fuck this is, Seth,” he yelled again still eyeing his brother hatefully.
Peyton had always suspected Seth was up to no good. Now he had proof.
“Ice know you wanna fuck his chick,” he growled as Seth’s jaw set. “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Peyton continued goading his brother. “Do you really think she would look at your lanky ass,” he insulted.
Peyton had always fancied himself the ladies man. Seth only got mercy sex in his opinion, based on who he was. Seth still remained silent as the rage simmered. His fists were clenching and unclenching involuntarily as Peyton continued to run his mouth.
“Oh but don’t worry, I’ma let Ice know what kinda snake he’s trusting to watch his back,” Peyton told him as Seth took a step toward him.
“Back the fuck up,” Peyton growled, producing the .25 caliber he always kept in his pocket. “Let’s get back to this bullshit right here though,” Peyton abruptly switched gears. “So you been making side deals and shit with the supplier in St. Louis huh,” Peyton told him, his eyes narrowing.
“You think you’re kingpin material,” Peyton asked distastefully. “You’re too fuckin’ stupid to run anything, I only keep your ass on cause you’re my brother,” Peyton readily admitted.
“I wasn’t too stupid to cut your ass out of the equation,” Seth returned plainly, slowly advancing on Peyton who was too busy ranting to notice.
“Muthafucker all I gotta do is make a call and undo all this bullshit,” Peyton arrogantly told him. “I can’t wait to tell Gabrielle about her perfect big brother too,” he threw out knowing it would piss Seth off.
“You leave her out of it,” he growled angrily, almost close enough to touch Peyton, who foolishly still hadn’t noticed the gap narrowing.
“Or what,” he yelled the veins bulging in his neck. “You act like she’s your damned wife, instead of your fucking sister,” Peyton told him, giving him yet another look. “Do you jack off thinking about your own sister, you sick fuck,” he accused as Seth swung, connecting with his jaw, knocking him to the floor.
In a flurry of motion Seth was on top of Peyton as the two began fighting. Gabrielle heard the commotion and jumped from the bed, startled away by the force of the sounds. She ran to the dining room where the two brothers were demolishing every piece of furniture in sight.
“Stop it!” Gabrielle screamed at them.
Neither man slowed their progress as she ran and tried to grab Seth.
“Stop Seth, stop!” she screamed pounding him with her small fists.
Enraged Seth turned to her, grabbing her arm and flinging her hard across the room into a corner.
“Stay there dammit,” he screamed at her as Gabrielle shrank into the corner, crying hysterically, terrified of her brother right now.
Peyton took advantage of the distraction, grabbing the mason jar he’d been drinking from earlier and hitting his brother in the head with it.
The glass shattered, but instead of slowing Seth, it only served to enrage him as his anger turned full blown on his younger brother and he began pummeling him with both his huge fists. Gabrielle was still crying, moaning stop, again and again as Seth beat Peyton into unconsciousness. Still furious, Seth grabbed his brothers limp neck and began choking him.
“No Seth, please,” Gabrielle cried out, daring not to move from the corner. “Please,” she screamed as Seth turned to her his eyes glazed over, blood red.
He continued to watch her, eyes locked as his hold on his brother’s neck tightened and Gabrielle heard the sickening sound of his windpipe cracking and his head falling back against the floor in the unnatural angle of a dead man.
“Oh god,” Gabrielle gasped quietly as Seth finally snapped out of his trance and regarded his brother now dead at his hand.
Dropping him back onto the floor he turned his attention to Gabrielle once more, rising and walking toward her.
“No!” Gabrielle screamed, jumping from the floor and running out of the door, Seth right behind her.
*****
Shells opened the door managing to hide his shock as Tae stood on the other side. She looked at him taking in every sexy, delicious, inch of the Adonis that stood in her view. Damn, this man is past fine, she thought admiring each rung of his six pack. Her eyes slid upward admiring the sculpted pecs, connected to the most defined and muscular arms she’d seen in a long time. Tae’s thong was saturated and changing it after she left was a must.
“So are you gonna invite me in,” she threw back reeling her mind away from her lustful thoughts.
Shells stepped aside allowing her entrance as he returned the earlier favor and took in every inch of her, his eyes glued to her sexy butt as she threw it from side to side walking slowly to his couch.
“What cha doin’ here gurl,” Shells asked calmly.
He was outdone that she was here at all, considering they didn’t talk.
“I figured one good tail deserved another,” Tae threw back equally as calm.
I’ma need him to put on a shirt, shit, she continued thinking as she salivated.
“So ya here now, what’s the next move,” Shells questioned having very dirty thoughts of his own.
Deciding he needed something to change his thoughts and ease the growing erection, he grabbed his stash pulling a blunt he’d rolled earlier from the box and lighting it.
“You want,” he asked, holding it out to Tae.
“Thanks, but no,” she replied, giving him a small smile.
Shells was pleased she didn’t smoke for some reason.
“You never answer my question,” he told her once more as Tae sighed deeply.
“I just wanna know why you’re following me,” she asked and sat back waiting for him to answer, crossing her legs.
Shells admired the sexy angle at which she sat, taking her in again starting at her beautifully manicured toes and working his way upward, until he reached her eyes finally.
“Personal business,” Shells replied simply as Tae frowned slightly.
“So someone is paying you to watch me,” she asked, beginning to get irritated. “Something like that,” Shells answered vaguely.
“Who,” Tae returned flatly, never losing eye contact.
“Me can’t tell you that, you already know that,” Shells returned just as plainly.
Sucking her teeth Tae sighed deeply. Shells wanted to smile, but he didn’t, as he continued to regard her and enjoy his ganga.
“Stop following me,” Tae told him now, giving him yet another look.
“Can’t do that either,” Shells answered almost instantly.
“Whatever,” she told him angrily rising to leave.
Shells got up and followed her to the door, grabbing her arm and spinning her around just as she reached it. Tae was drowning in desire as Shells stood toe to
toe with her, looking deeply into her eyes as he stared down at her.
“Don’t take that dope nowhere, gurl,” he told her calmly, the warmth of his breath touching her neck. “You don’t understand how dangerous the game is now,” Shells went on, enjoying the closeness of their contact.
“What do you care,” Tae threw back angrily. “You’re being paid to watch me, so just watch,” she added smartly.
“Why women so damned blind,” he growled still looking into her eyes.
Tae had to look away, his stare was so intense.
“Do ya hear me gurl, leave the dope alone,” Shells tried once more.
“I can’t yet,” Tae admitted honestly.
“Do this last run, and make it the last, fa real,” Shells acquiesced.
Tae nodded slightly acknowledging she heard him. She didn’t understand why this man intimidated her but he did. Shells groaned slightly but still didn’t move away from her. Please step back, Tae was thinking, her will almost broken by his scent and the sexy resonance of his voice.
“I’m still watching’ ya gurl,” Shells told her softly, very close to her ear.
Unable to control her body, Tae felt her nipples harden, totally embarrassed. At the end of his sentence, Shells kissed her ear so lightly it was like he was still whispering in it. Stepping away finally he opened the door and allowed her to leave.
Tae had to stop and lean against his breezeway wall and gather her breathing. She hadn’t been that intensely drawn to a man in years. Not even Thames brought out the raw, uninhibited fire that burned within her as Shells touched and talked to her. She thought about what he’d told her and grew angry again. That damned Kareem thinks he’s gonna run my life huh, Tae thought angrily recalling his admonishment that she not see Thames anymore. She thought about him basically ordering her to stay with him this weekend when they went down to the Bayou.
“Nipped that shit,” Tae mumbled recalling her refusal and his finally agreeing to rent her a suite instead.
When I see that sonofabitch tomorrow, she fumed angrily finally making it to and getting inside her car. Her mind again fell on Shells and how sexy the big Jamaican was.
“Delicious with a capital D,” she mumbled chuckling to herself heading to the Italian Grill, one of her other favorite eating spots. It was lunchtime and Tae was starved.
*****
Kim stepped off the elevator, adjusting the dress and looking at her reflection in the stainless steel doors. Mook made the mistake of leaving the suite first, so Kim took the opportunity to put her dress back on and enjoy her day. You better have your ass back to the suite before he gets there, her mind told her as Kim sucked her teeth.
“He’s not the boss of me,” she mumbled, before checking her watch and indeed gauging what time she needed to be back to beat him there.
Pushing thoughts of Mook and his reaction if he caught her in the outfit out of her mind, Kim concentrated on the task at hand as she walked down the hallway to room 3703. She put her cell on vibrate this time. If Mook called she could honestly say she hadn’t heard her phone. Kim didn’t want anything to interrupt their talk today. For some reason there was a nagging in the back of her mind that told her she really needed to hear each and every word that was going to come out of Hope Cisneros’s mouth.
*****
Hope heard the knock and rose to answer, slowly making her way to the door, oxygen tank in tow.
“Yes, who is it,” Hope asked as a precaution.
She was an older woman alone in a city where she didn’t know anyone.
“It’s Kim, Ms. Cisneros,” Kim replied amiably.
Hope opened the door smiling, greeting her and inviting her inside.
“Please have a seat,” Hope offered after closing the door and again engaging the deadbolt. “Would you like another bottle of water,” she asked kindly.
Kim smiled and accepted the offering, taking it from her hands once she brought it to her.
“How are you feeling today,” Kim asked, looking at the woman closely. She looked like she’d had a very rough day.
Hope smiled slightly and told her she was as well as could be expected.
Kim sighed slightly and nodded her understanding, as Hope made herself comfortable in the other chair and again regarded her guest.
“You said you’d read all the articles,” Hope began as Kim nodded and confirmed her statement. “They were true, every word of them,” Hope replied as Kim frowned deeply. “How do you know that,” she asked softly regarding the woman again.
Smiling sadly Hope closed her eyes a moment, blinking back tears Kim finally figured out as one escaped and rolled down the woman’s weary face.
“Because Carlo ‘Hangman’ Cisneros is my brother,” she replied as Kim again swallowed hard and said nothing. Sighing deeply Hope wiped away the tear and regarded Kim again. “He’s evil,” Hope told her plainly. “There is no other word to describe him,” she told her as Kim finally found her voice.
“He did all those things the articles mention,” she asked timidly.
Hope chuckled bitterly before answering. “Those were the nicer things he did,” she told Kim, the blue eyes regarding her again.
“Tell me,” Kim said simply.
Hope shrugged again slightly and began talking about a past, a past with a shadow bigger than the sun itself.
“Carlo wasn’t always evil,” Hope told her. “He was a sweet child, even into his teen years, he was a good person,” she went on as Kim listened wordlessly, curious still how it applied to the flyer, but not interrupting the woman as she spoke. “Then on his 18th birthday, our mother was killed,” Hope told her as Kim nodded slightly. “Our father killed her,” she added coldly as Kim gasped slightly.
Damn, that’s messed up, she thought but didn’t voice.
“Carlo changed overnight, he became cold, distant, angry, abusive,” Hope told Kim, the small shudder passing through her body.
“Did your father go to prison,” Kim ventured to ask.
Hope sighed gently and told her he’d killed himself right after killing their mother.
“He did it in front of Carlo, killed her and then himself,” Hope told her as Kim could somewhat understand how that could have affected the man’s psyche. It still however, didn’t answer her question about the flyer or the connection. Hope went on to tell her about her brother’s life and subsequent involvement in organized crime.
This was the part Kim knew. She’d seen the newspaper articles about the man’s ruthlessness. They called him the hangman because of his penchant for hanging his victims. He was eventually brought down for racketeering, fraud, money laundering, drug transporting, distribution, manufacturing and countless charges of murder, accessory to commit murder, and solicitation of murder for hire. If she recalled correctly there were a couple of assault and rape charges as well. The man was an absolute animal. Hope continued to pour out for the next hour and a half as Kim listened intently developing a deep and intense fear and loathing of Carlo ‘Hangman’ Cisneros.
“Ms. Cisneros,” Kim spoke as Hope fell silent for a few moments more. “What does any of this have to do with the flyer,” she asked finally the curiosity getting the better of her.
21
Gabrielle was running with all she could muster, hearing Seth yelling her name, getting closer and closer. Please don’t let him catch me, she prayed just as Seth’s huge arms grabbed her waist, lifting her from the ground.
“No, let me go!” Gabrielle screamed as she fought her brother.
“Gabrielle, please, calm down,” Seth told her as she continued to struggle. “I’m not gonna hurt you, I promise, please just calm down,” he tried again, still holding her tightly.
Gabrielle was exhausted and Seth was far too big for her to try and fight. She finally gave up, falling limp in his grasp.
“Shhh, its all right,” he told her sweetly, still holding her as he turned and carried her back to the house. Seth place Gabrielle on her bed and sat on the
side of it, gently stroking her hair.
“Peyton, Seth what did you do,” Gabrielle asked as the shock began to take hold. “Shhh,” Seth told her rising and leaving her while he made her some tea.
He returned moments later finding her still lying where he left her, staring at the ceiling.
“Drink this,” Seth told her, helping Gabrielle sit up.
“What is it,” she asked giving him a questioning look.
“It’s just tea,” Seth assured her. “I would never hurt you Gabrielle, you know that,” he added softly, never taking his eyes from her.
Nodding slightly she drank the tea down quickly since he always made it lukewarm. She didn’t like really hot drinks. They brought back bad memories of her scalding herself when she was younger.
“Peyton’s dead, Seth,” she repeated quietly as he pulled her to him and held her, rocking her gently like he’d always done since she was a baby.
“Shhh, relax and go to sleep Gabrielle,” he told her hearing the slur to her speech.
He’d added a couple of sleeping pills to her tea. Seth needed her incapacitated while he took care of disposing of Peyton’s body. Now he could without worrying about Gabrielle running away or calling the police.
After sitting a few moments more, Seth laid her gently on the pillows and covered her with the sheet from her bed, leaving her in the room, locking her inside. He headed back to the dining room standing over the lifeless body of his brother. The hurt of what he’d done came full circle and Seth began to cry. He hadn’t meant to kill Peyton, not really. He was angry and sick of his brother’s constant taunting and belittling him. Sighing deeply Seth made a couple of phone calls and put some things in order. After accomplishing his task, he found another sheet and wrapped his brother’s body in it, lifting it and taking it down to the boat house, dropping it inside the small vessel. Seth returned to the house once more and checked on Gabrielle, who was still sound asleep. Returning to the boat house, he got into the boat with his brother’s body and headed out into the Bayou, fishing gear in tact, prepared to wait for darkness.