by Briann Danae
The words he spoke looped swiftly in D'Haven's brain. Shock and pure hurt resonated on his face before crushing his soul at Alonzo's revelation. If Ashlee wasn't his daughter, he knew she had to be to his. What hurt him most was that he was sure Astryd knew that too.
"Send the address and you better not lay a finger on my child, pussy."
Snatching the tape from Ashlee's face, she yelped, and D'Haven's stomach flipped. Astryd's hands shot over her mouth before she rushed to the front of the truck and threw up.
"MOMMY!" Ashlee screamed.
"Shut up with all that fucking crying!" Alonzo yelled, mushing her in the head with his gun. "Bring my bitch to me safe and sound, and you can have her. I'd say which her I was talking about, but one may not make it."
With that, Alonzo hung up the phone, and a text with an address came through seconds later. Astryd was dry heaving when he approached her side. With tears in her eyes, she looked up at him as she wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her coat.
"She's mine?" he asked plainly.
All she could give him was a slow nod. "I didn't know for sure until you came home. I'm so sorry," she cried.
His nostrils flared as harsh words that would cripple her settled at the tip of his tongue. D'Haven could break her more than she already was right now, but he wasn't going to. Though she didn't do him the justice of hearing him out, he wasn't going to handle this situation the same. Once Ashlee was safe in their care, he'd get the answers he needed.
"Let's go," he growled, opening her door like a gentleman though the felt like being everything but. "For your sake, you better pray he doesn't touch my baby."
When he slammed the door, Astryd's entire body jumped. She had fucked up, and she knew it. Her day had gone from sugar to shit in a rapid speed. Never did she think Alonzo would go to such extremes like kidnapping, but she should've known better. An abuser will hurt any and everyone associated with their lover if they couldn't inflict pain on them. Alonzo figured since she didn't get the memo, he needed to make an example out of her... for good.
"We should call the police," Astryd suggested as they pulled up to the location Alonzo had sent.
Not wanting to put Ashlynn in harm's way, D'Haven had Honey meet them at a market nearby so she could keep an eye on her. His jaw clenched at the sound of her soft, aching voice.
"No. We go in here, and we handle things my way. You've done shit your way for a long time now, and that ends today," he spoke evenly, shutting Astryd right up.
The house he pulled up to was in an average neighborhood that had families living in the homes, kids out in the yard playing with their coats on, and dogs barking in the distance. Alonzo had been using the house for the past week and a half thanks to this chick he messed around with. She was out of town visiting her family without a clue of what was transpiring in her home.
Demi had been there the entire week, tied up in the basement in one of the rooms with no food, drink, or cover. She had the worst cold ever, and her hunger pains were out of this world. Occasionally, Alonzo would give her a sip of water, but it'd only happen on his time. Beating her for not telling him she knew where Astryd was staying happened the same day they pulled up over D'Haven's house. He had manipulated and convinced her that she was the reason Astryd had left him. Demi apologized and sank further into denial and his conniving ways. Before she knew it, weeks had gone by, and she hadn't seen any of her family.
She began making up excuses and ignoring people's calls. When the phone calls got out of control, Alonzo broke her phone, laptop, and cuffed her to the bed for thinking she was going to leave him. That was only the beginning stages, and he had placed a type of fear in her he wasn't able to do with Astryd. Demi obeyed his every word, and he needed Astryd to be on the same page. Since she wasn't, Demi felt his wrath.
Walking up to the house, D'Haven opened the door and stepped inside. The TV in the living room was on with the volume up loud as if someone were home watching it. Piles of dirty dishes were spotted in the sink as they cautiously made their way through the home. Every other part of the home was quiet. When Astryd stepped on a section of the floor causing it to creak loudly, déjà vu settled in. Flashbacks of the dream she remembered having after leaving Alonzo played in her mind. In the dream, she had gotten shot, but it wasn't playing out how she dreamt it.
"We're down here!" Alonzo called out, causing goosebumps to coat her skin.
Hearing his voice come from a door nearby, D'Haven opened it and saw it led to a set of stairs. Grabbing Astryd's hand, he led her down on trembling legs until they reached the bottom. The potent smell of urine, fecal matter, puke and another smell she didn't want to sniff out invaded their nostrils. Tears sprang from her eyes when she saw Ashlee sitting tied up to a chair in the middle of the floor.
"Baby," she cried out, rushing to her but was pulled back by D'Haven when Alonzo pointed a gun at her head.
"Not so fast, bitch," he spat. "You don't get to call the shots down here; I do."
D'Haven was itching to beat his ass something serious. No, he wanted to kill Alonzo and go to jail for some serious time this go around. He'd gladly take the charge if it meant taking his life and safely securing Astryd's, the girls, Demi's and any other woman he'd bring harm. The fear dancing in Ashlee's eyes tugged at his heart, but he couldn't clam up right now. She needed him.
"We're here, so go ahead and let them loose," D'Haven insisted.
"You really thought we were over?" Alonzo asked Astryd, ignoring D'Haven completely.
Astryd couldn't breathe. This was something out of a gory Lifetime movie that had her holding her breath in every scene. When Ashlee wiggled in the hard chair, Astryd sucked up her fear and responded.
"We don't have to be," she said, and Alonzo's eyes lit up.
"See, that's the shit I like to hear. You miss me?"
Astryd nodded. "Yes. So much, baby. I don't know why I left."
The words leaving her mouth made her cringe on the inside, but she kept a neutral expression on her face. Alonzo smiled a wicked smile and licked his lips.
"What else?"
"D'Haven will never be the man for me. We can start over fresh Lonzo. Just me and you. No kids, no distractions, just me and you babe."
"I never really cared for these kids anyway," he chuckled, looking down at Ashlee.
Now seeing her and D'Haven together for the first time, anger consumed Alonzo. Roughly snatching her up by the arm, he forgot the ropes were on there and damn near pulled her arm out of its socket. Ashlee cried at the excruciating pain and D'Haven's trigger finger itched. After the incident at his home, he had Tech get rid of his gun, but he wished he had it on him now.
"Where's the other one?" Alonzo asked, speaking about Ashlynn.
"Where you left here. Are you ready for it to just be me and you, Alonzo? I'm sorry for leaving you. It'll never happen again. Give the kid to him, and I'll be all yours."
"All mine?" he asked, with a smirk. "Stop walking toward me!" he yelled at her, and she immediately stopped moving. "You," he pointed the gun at D'Haven, "Get on your knees and place your hands behind your head."
When D'Haven began to move slowly, Alonzo flicked his safety off and cocked the gun back. He was tired of playing with them.
"Hurry the fuck up!" he belted out.
With his hands behind his head, D'Haven trained his eyes on every move Alonzo made as he lowered himself to the ground. He was waiting for any sign behind the only other door down there to assure him that Demi was alive, but he felt it in his soul she wasn't. When his elbow brushed against Astryd's thigh, she began removing her coat, shifting Alonzo's attention to her instead of D'Haven.
"W-What you doing, ma?" Alonzo said, loving the way her body looked in the nude one piece.
"I'm getting comfortable," Astryd replied tossing her coat on the couch nearby. "Is that okay with you?"
Her smile weakened him a little, but the sound of heavy footsteps made him grimace and the hold he had on Ashlee's armed
tightened. Astryd's striptease was supposed to be a distraction but didn't work. Honey had alerted the police and drove them to the home but was supposed to wait for a signal. She couldn't wait, though. Nor were the police about to wait for a sign that probably wouldn't come. Backing away from D'Haven and Astryd, he dragged Ashlee with him near the wall.
"Bitch, you tried to set me up!" he hissed, just as policemen stormed down the steps with guns drawn.
"Get on the ground now!" They ordered aggressively, but Alonzo wasn't moved.
"Make me! This bitch set me up! I just wanted her back, and this is how you do me! After I raised this bitch-ass nigga daughter, you go and play me like that!" Alonzo screamed sounding every bit of deranged that he was.
"Let her go!" a cop demanded, spittle flying from his mouth.
"Nah. Fuck that! I'll let her go when my bitch comes to me!"
D'Haven was back on his feet, wanting to desperately make a move, but didn't want Ashlee to get hurt in the process. Had he had a few more seconds, he was going to rush Alonzo, and just face the consequences.
"I'll come to you. J-Just let her go. Please," Astryd said, walking to him.
"Yeah," he smirked. "Walk to Daddy. No. Do it fucking slow. Any quick movements and I'm pulling this mothafucking trigger."
Swallowing hard, Astryd nodded her head and did as she was told. For her kids, she'd give her life. When she was halfway across the room, everyone held their breaths. When she was in arms reach, he pulled her roughly to him with his gun still trained on D'Haven now.
"Let her go!" the cop demanded angrily.
"I'ma let the little bitch go, geez. Relax," he chuckled. "Walk slowly okay?" he told Ashlee as she looked straight ahead.
When he gave her a light shove, Ashlee began to amble across the room. Astryd held her breath as her baby's small feet traveled freakishly slow to the other side of the room. When a smirk crossed Alonzo's face, and the gun went from D'Haven's body to Ashlee's, time stood still.
"I lied."
BOOM!
The single gunshot echoed throughout the basement, as D'Haven flung his body in Ashlee's direction, but it was too late. Gunfire erupted from the cop's weapons as they filled Alonzo's body up with bullet holes.
"Noooo!"
A bone-chilling scream from her gut erupted from Astryd's mouth. Rushing to Ashlee and falling to her knees, Astryd cradled Ashlee's body in her arms, as her baby struggled to keep her small eyes open.
"My baby! My baby! My baby!"
D'Haven couldn't breathe. The blood decorating his baby girl’s shirt had him paralyzed with grief.
"Look what you did!" She shouted, cutting her eyes in the direction of Alonzo's lifeless body. "This is all your fault!"
Large teardrops fell from Astryd's eyes as she rocked Ashlee back and forth in her arms. Memories of when she was a premature baby flooded her mind. Her soft smile and sneaky grin that matched D'Haven's she'd never see again. At that moment, Astryd wanted to die. The notion of living for Ashlynn didn't cross her mind. The police could send a bullet straight to her head, ended it all, because she felt dead already anyway.
"It should've been me. It should've been me," she repeated softly, still rocking back and forth.
Tears fell from D'Haven's eyes as the police desperately tried to pull Astryd away from Ashlee. The sight broke him down. Crippled his entire existence. He was merely a shell of the man he needed to be right now.
"We need to see if she has a pulse," someone called out, but Astryd was deaf to the commands.
As her body was lifted away from her baby, she screamed and kicked, but D'Haven didn't let her go. Holding onto her tightly, he looked on as the paramedics stepped onto the scene. He couldn't help but think that this was his fault. If Astryd hadn't been broken before, she surely was now, and he knew it his heart there was no coming back from this. Not now, not ever.
Epilogue
Six Weeks Later
"I can't do this."
The soft whimpers escaping Astryd had been concealed the entire ride to the gravesite. She was sadder today than she ever remembered being in her life. Her emotions were all over the place, people had been asking her a million and one questions, and the only person she could stomach to be around was D'Haven.
Her hands trembled as she held the bouquet of fresh flowers in her hand. She loved the fresh ones; never fake. Crouching down, Astryd looked over her shoulder at the parked Audi truck. D'Haven was leaning against the driver's door with his hat pulled low over his eyes and hands tucked in the pocket of his trench coat. Sighing, Astryd focused on the tombstone before her.
"Ma, happy birthday," she exhaled. "You would've been forty-seven this year."
She sniffled and released a chuckle. "I know, why am I keep tracking of your age? It's because you looked so good at your age and I just want to be as beautiful as you were."
Her words clogged her throat. Six years ago, when Astryd was eight months pregnant with Ashlee and on bed rest, Sienna was on her way home one night and made a quick run to the store to cure Astryd's crazy cravings, but never returned home. While there, a guy tried getting her number, but she politely declined his advances. When she finished getting their snacks and pumping her gas, he approached her again, but this time without words. When Sienna went to speak, the barrel of a gun was pressed into her stomach before a single bullet entered it.
A complete stranger had ended her life because she didn't want to give him her number and since that day Astryd felt like it was her fault. Had she not been pregnant, her mother wouldn't have been working extra hours late at night, nor would she have been stopping to buy her snacks. Astryd was sick with grief, and guilt for years and still was, amid her grieving, she found comfort in Alonzo's arms.
At the time, his controlling behavior came off as him caring for her but looking back now, Astryd knew they were all red flags. She wondered for years why a man felt the need to just kill a woman because she didn't want him, and she never got an answer. She summed it up as them being utterly sick in the head. Alonzo was the same. He had a thing for control, but it got out of hand and turned into abusive behavior. Astryd wasn't the first woman he abused, but she was the one willing to stay. She and Demi.
Unfortunately, Demi's young life ended before anyone could save her. She and her unborn child was pronounced dead on the scene, and Alonzo had known that before he even made the call from her phone. D'Haven and his entire family were devastated and still were by the news, but they gained an extra family member; Ashlee. It couldn't make up for the pain in their hearts with losing Demi, but it helped some.
"I miss you so much. Grammy and I both miss you," she sighed. "Thank you for watching over me all these years. You really were my guardian angel."
Astryd let silence surround her as the brutal February wind blew her hair out of her damp face. There was so much she wanted to say, so much she had said, but it hurt her to her core that she couldn't verbalize her love for her mother in person. That privilege was snatched away from her, and the guy responsible was serving life in prison. It's what she wished Alonzo was serving, but the cards for him didn't play out the same.
Walking back over to the truck when she was done, D'Haven greeted her with open arms. Wrapping her arms around his waist, he placed a kiss to her forehead, and they both sighed. He of all people knew how much her mother meant to her and for him to remember after so many years what today was made her love him so much more.
"She'd like her flowers," he said as she gave him a soft smile.
"She would. Thank you. I don't deserve how good you are to me."
D'Haven kissed her quivering lips. "Hush. Yes, you do. If anybody deserves all this good loving, it's you."
"Mommy!" a sweet voice from the back seat called out as the window rolled down. "Can we go now? I'm tired of this cast on my arm."
The couple grinned at one another and shook their heads. Ashlee had been excited for her six-week checkup all week. When Alonzo shot her in the back, the bullet ma
de a clean exit. She was in the hospital for a week but survived. The yellow cast on her arm was caused by him tugging on it. He had broken it and was even worse once she fell to the ground. She passed out from the pain, but she survived and now had a scar on her chest.
Astryd still cried to this day when she saw it or thought about how she'd gotten it. She was grateful for her baby to be alive and was even more thankful that she and D'Haven could discuss her secret. Astryd had a gut feeling that she was D'Haven's, but by that time, Alonzo was in the picture, and he was in jail. The abuse had begun while she was pregnant, but she didn't say anything. Too afraid that he'd do the same thing the guy did to her mother, Astryd stayed, and it only got worse.
Alonzo knew Ashlee wasn't his, but to keep the peace and her in his life, he didn't say anything. Instead, he knocked her up with Ashlynn and made a happy, or not so happy, family. He didn't know who D'Haven was until he called her phone a few times while locked up, but he shut that down. By the time he got out of jail, Alonzo knew he had Astryd so brainwashed, she was never leaving his side, especially not for another man. But, she had. It came with a sacrifice, but in the end, it was all worth it. Their love was worth it.
"Yes, Pumpkin. Just give us a second," Astryd replied and the window lifted.
D'Haven chuckled and rubbed his cold hands underneath her shirt making her squirm. "That's your daughter."
"She's really all you. She just looks like me."
"With your fine ass. You think they need a sibling? I mean, we've been putting in work like a mothafucka," he laughed but was serious.
"I've been putting in work. Ever since I rode your dick on the couch at your old house, you got lazy, but the dick still good," she said playfully rolling her eyes. “Better than good.”
D'Haven smacked her plump booty. "See, that's why I love you. You call me out but still give me my props."