We lay silent for a minute, and then the smoke detectors in the house started going off.
My head jerked up from Steven’s chest and he damn near threw me off of him. “That smell,” he said. “The smell of smoke.”
I was starting to smell it, and as I hurried out of the room after Steven, we could see the flames blazing in portions of the lower level.
“Oh my God,” I yelled, covering my mouth. Steven quickly dialed 911, starting to panic.
“My house is on fire!” He said, breathing heavily. “Please send the fire department right away!”
He quickly hung up and pointed to my purse on the dresser. “Get your purse. Don’t know if you have time to put on any clothes, but let’s get the hell out of here!”
We scurried around the room, and, unable to find my clothes, I opted for Steven’s robe. I grabbed my purse, and when he opened a window, I cocked my head back.
“No way,” I said, as I wasn’t up to jumping out of a two-story window.
He took my hand. “We may not have a choice.”
As we hurried out of the bedroom, we saw that the front entrance was covered with smoke and fire. Luckily for us, there was another set of stairs that led to the kitchen. That stairway was smoky, but we didn’t see any flames. Steven continued to hold my hand as we ran through the kitchen and exited through the back door. We were coughing like crazy and my eyes were slightly burning. When we got outside, we stepped as far away from the house as we could, watching the fire as it was quickly increasing.
“Are you okay?” Steven asked while looking at me, and at his burning house. We could hear the fire trucks coming. A part of him was still in a panicked state, yet he seemed calm.
“I… I think so.”
“Go. Go get in your car and leave. I don’t know what the hell happened, but I know my neighbors are going to be coming outside to see what’s up.”
I nodded and hurried down the street to get in my car. I could barely catch my breath. This was definitely a déjà vu moment for me. Who in the hell could have done this? I just knew that Drake was going to jump up out of nowhere to do something to me, but even so, when someone pulled the back of my ponytail and held my head steady, I was caught off guard. I couldn’t even see who it was in my rearview mirror, because the person in the back seat had turned the mirror in another direction. The grip on my hair was so tight that I couldn’t move my head if I tried. I felt the sharp blade touching my neck and I squeezed my eyes together. My stomach was tied in knots, and my chest was heaving up and down. I didn’t know if it was time for me to see the white light.
“If you move or say anything, I will cut your fucking throat,” she said. I recognized her voice, and, yes, it was Liz. “I’ve known about your trifling tail for months, Chase, and when you stated that no man was off limits, I started to watch you. You were so right about my husband, and even though I accepted the fact that he was a whore, I could in no way put up with him allowing you to come into my home and fuck him in my bed.
“Just who in the hell do you think you are, bitch! Was the dick that damn good where you had to run up into my house when I wasn’t at home to get it?”
Liz pushed my head forward, then snapped it back. I didn’t know if she was trying to break my neck, but it sure as hell felt like it. She pressed the blade into my neck even harder. “I bet you didn’t think I would go this far, did you? And in case you didn’t, let me tell you something. My husband’s dick belongs to me, not you. So you rented it out for a while, and now, your lease is up. Your time will not be extended, and if you ever pursue Steven again, I will kill you, and dump your useless body in the trash where it belongs. I intend to watch Steven’s every move, and if he goes anywhere near you, I will slice his dick off and send it to you by mail. Only because I don’t play crazy, Chase, I am. Consider yourself warned, and from this day forward, my goddamn husband is off limits!”
Liz’s cell phone rang, and she let go of my hair. She kept the blade next to my throat, daring me to move. Now, I was no fool. I had been to her level before, and Plan B was telling me to keep my butt still.
Her voice calmed and Liz was polite as ever.
“Hello,” she said, pausing for a long time. “Oh, honey, no. Please don’t tell me that.” She paused again. “How bad is it and are you okay?” I could hear Steven saying something, but Liz cut him off. “I’m leaving right now. Stay at the house and I will take a taxi from the airport. I love you and I am so glad that you’re okay.” She paused. “Okay, bye.”
She removed the blade from my neck, but I jumped, not knowing if she intended to jab me with it. “I mean what I said, Chase. To think, a few days ago, I was going to let you keep Steven. I changed my mind, because I need to make sure there are more consequences for his actions. You don’t need to worry yourself about him, okay? A man who cheats will always pay the price, and he will have to put out thousands of dollars for repairing our lovely home. I’m taking some time off work, and it’s going to be fun to watch him repair all of the damage he’s done. I doubt that he’ll have time to entertain you, but trust me, you do not want to see me under these circumstances again. Have a nice life, and just make sure that it never again interferes with mine.”
Liz opened the back door and got out. I started the car and slowly drove off. I straightened the rearview mirror and, as I looked at her in it, I couldn’t help but take a deep breath and smile. First, because I was still alive. Second, because I had finally come face-to-face with a woman as bold as me. I definitely liked her style, and sooner or later, Steven was going to have to pay up. As much as I was going to miss him, it was time to kiss that dick good-bye. In no way was I up to battling with a woman who was capable of burning down her own house, and Liz was definitely one bad bitch. Besides, maybe this was a sign for me to think about redeeming myself. As I looked back at all I’d done, I could have made better choices that would have never led me to this point. Lance was a decent person to talk to, and seeing him on a professional level may be a good idea to get me on the right track. It would be awhile before I could come up with a Plan B to replace Steven, but knowing me, I’d come up with something.
I quickly made my way out of their subdivision, trying to avoid the police who had blocked a nearby intersection. My car was almost on empty, so I pulled over to the nearest gas station to fill my tank. I still had on nothing but Steven’s robe, and hesitated to get out and pump the gas dressed as I was. When I spotted Korey’s car parked by a nearby pay phone, I knew his timing couldn’t be more right. I pulled my car next to his, but he wasn’t inside. I figured he was inside of the gas station getting something, so I waited inside of my car until he came out. My eyes searched his car, and when I noticed what looked to be gasoline containers on the back seat, I exited my car to get a closer look. I started to put two and two together, and just my luck, his cell phone was vibrating on the front seat. I opened his car door, and I looked to see who the caller was; it was Liz. She had sent him a text and it read:
TNKS 4 UR HLP, BOO. I OWE U, & I WILL PAY MY SEX DEBT TO U 2 MORRO NIGHT. I HAVE SOOO N-JOYED THESE LAST MONTHS 2GETHER AND I KNEW IT WOULD BE WORTH IT! HA! THEY DN’T HAV A CLUE!
I dropped the phone on the ground, puzzled by what I suspected. Liz and Korey had hooked up too! No wonder she was so upset with me that day in her office. It explained Korey’s ability to move on so quickly. I couldn’t believe his ass was willing to set me on fire. After all the good sex I had given him, how in the hell could he? He was messing with the wrong woman, and Liz had definitely met her match.
Korey was still inside, and as mad as I was, I wasn’t worried about the cameras seeing me. If I had to, this was one time I’d go to court and defend myself for my actions. He attempted to burn me first, and I was defending myself from a man who was stalking me. Yeah, that sounded about right, and to hell with redemption right now. I shook the gasoline cans on his back seat to see if any octane remained inside. There was enough to do what I had to do, and after I poured the
gas on his seats, I removed the matches from my purse. I knew the flames would quickly ignite, so I hurried to toss several lit matches inside of his car. I tightened Steven’s robe, and dressed as I was, I made my way inside of the gas station. Korey was sitting on a stool, talking to a lady who was making a shake and burger behind the counter.
I stepped up to him, and when he turned his head and saw me, he looked as if he’d seen a ghost. I took a seat on the stool next to him.
“Can I get a burger with extra cheese and mayo?” I said to the lady behind the counter. She looked at what I had on, and then glanced at Korey. Before she or he could say anything, a woman came inside, yelling at the top of her lungs.
“Oh, my God! Someone’s car is on fire! It’s starting to spread all over!”
I smirked, while looking into Korey’s eyes. He quickly wised up, but before he could get out of his seat, I grabbed his sack, gripping it as tightly as I could.
“You lousy bastard,” I said, tightening my grip on his balls. “When you talk to your bitch again, make sure you tell her it’s on. As far as I’m concerned, her marriage to Steven is over, thanks to this little game the two of you played. He’s going to love to hear about this, and I just may have my screwing buddy back after all. Meanwhile, if you ever come near me again, the only dick that will be cut off and mailed to her is yours!”
I let go of Korey’s package, and his voice screeched, but he was in so much pain, nothing came out. He staggered away from the counter before dropping to his knees. Before the police and fire department came, I got the hell out of there. I wasn’t sure if my photo from the cameras would make the news or not, and if I had some explaining to do, so be it. As a matter of fact, I figured it would be in my best interest to call my cousin, who was an attorney, just in case.
I drove off the parking lot, but turned to look at Korey as he observed the hot flames blazing from his car. He slammed his hat on the ground, shaking his head in disbelief. I smiled, having no regrets about Steven, Korey, or Drake. I learned that in my case, I had to do what was necessary and doable for me. I thought hard about Liz, and pertaining to her, I’d have to come up with a more vicious and masterfully puttogether Plan B.
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Don’t Even Go There Copyright © 2011 Brenda Hampton
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