Moth to a Flame (25 page)
Authors: Ashley Antoinette
Chapter Twenty
Playing mother to Bella and taking care of her sister made Raven fall in love with the idea of being a mother. She had even begun teaching Bella sign language so that she could interact better with Morgan. She had finally stepped into the life she had always wanted. Yes, she was the queen of the streets, but Ethic’s reign over Kansas City was completely different than her father’s had been. Ethic didn’t stay away from home at night, and although he had all of the rewarding possessions of being a kingpin, she never saw him put in work. He kept her out of harm’s way at all times. His reach was so far that he had people who he could call on to do his dirty work. Ethic had not touched cocaine in years. He had long transcended the positions in the game that risked his freedom. He was a business man and he conducted himself as such. When he was home, he left the streets on their front doorstep. There were no raised voices, slammed doors, or threatening atmospheres behind the four walls of Ethic’s home. He did not try to prove his manhood by asserting dominance over her. He was a real man, her man, and he taught Raven how to be a real woman. If they did happen to disagree he made sure that they talked about it. He slowly made her feel comfortable in his world. Mizan had trained Raven to fear him, now Ethic was teaching her to love him fearlessly.
Raven tucked both of the girls into their beds and waited for them to fall asleep before she snuck out of the room. She rushed into the kitchen to check on the dinner she was preparing for Ethic. She never wanted to give him a reason to leave, so she made sure that she stepped up her game and did everything in her power to make him comfortable. She cooked and cleaned like a Stepford wife and was willing to do anything to please him. What she did not realize was that she did not have to work so hard because Ethic was already smitten. She picked up the phone and dialed his number as she stood over the stove. She smiled when she heard him answer because he was always so available to her. The women in his life came first above all circumstances.
“Hey, you,” she greeted him seductively.
“What up, Rae?” he replied. “I’m on my way to you.”
“Okay, well, when you get here come straight to the bedroom. I have a surprise for you,” she replied.
“Straight up?” he inquired. She had piqued his interest and he wanted to hear more.
“Straight up,” she confirmed as she turned the oven on low and made her way into the master bedroom. She turned on the shower, then began to undress.
“How far away are you?” she asked.
“I’m close,” he replied.
“Okay, I’ll see you when you get here. Don’t take too long,” she cooed sexily as she ended the call. She turned, put her Maxwell CD into the player and turned it on low before she stepped underneath the stream of hot water.
She washed her body gently as she swayed to the beat of the music. When she heard the volume increase slightly on her stereo she smiled, knowing that Ethic was home.
“I’m in here,” she called out. “Why don’t you come join me?”
She closed her eyes and put her face under the water as the bathroom door squeaked open.
Her back was facing Ethic and she bent over enticingly, pretending to wash her legs as she shook her hips from side to side to give him a good view. She heard the shower door open and turned around to greet her man, but she found herself looking into the eyes of a stranger. She fixed her mouth to scream, but a strong hand silenced her.
“Bitch, if you want to live then shut the fuck up,” he threatened as he held a .45-caliber pistol near her face, tracing her cheek with it as his body weight pinned her against the shower wall.
She cried as his hands roamed between her legs. She shook as his hands invaded her. The goon had been sent there by Mizan, and although he had specific instructions to bring her back without a hair out of place, he had taken it upon himself to see what all the fuss was about.
Raven panicked as he violated her. She could see his ill intentions in his eyes but she knew that she couldn’t fight back. Morgan and Bella were asleep in the other room, and she didn’t want them to wake up to find her being raped.
Ethic is on his way,
she thought frantically.
I have to stall for time.
Ethic is on his way,
she thought frantically.
I have to stall for time.
“Please don’t do this,” she whispered.
He stopped groping her for a second as a wicked leer crossed his face. His hand wrapped around her throat. He pulled her out of the shower with so much force that she thought her neck would break under the pressure of his grasp. She hit the vanity hard, causing the mirror to shatter as she fell to the floor.
“No!” she grunted in defiance and pain as he grabbed at her kicking feet. He straddled her and grabbed her arms, pinning them above her head as he parted her naked legs roughly.
Raven tried not to scream as terror built in her throat. She wanted to call out for help, but she was afraid to put Morgan and Bella in direct harm.
“Bitch, quit all that fucking squirming,” he barked as he brought one of his hands up to slap her across the face. He hurriedly pulled down his pants, exposing himself as he mounted her. With one of her hands free she quickly reached for one of the broken shards of glass on the floor. She stretched her arm as far as it would go as she felt him entering. As he thrust inside of her she cried sorrowfully. She jerked her body to the left and finally her hand wrapped around the jagged edges of the glass. She gripped it tightly. She didn’t care that it cut into her skin like a razor, causing blood to flow down her arm.
“Aghh!” she hissed angrily as she jabbed it into the intruder’s neck with all of her might. The man grabbed at his neck as his eyes grew wide and he pulled himself out of her in a panic. Blood gushed out of his neck like lava from a volcano as he stumbled around the room. Raven stood and ran for the door as he grabbed at her desperately. She raced into Bella and Morgan’s room.
“Bella, get up!” she screamed in distress as she rushed to scoop Bella up in her arms. She then shook Morgan out of her sleep.
“What’s wrong?” Morgan signed with big eyes as she looked at the blood on her sister’s naked body. Raven was so distraught that she did not even realize that she didn’t have on any clothes. She could hear the intruder stumbling around in her bedroom and the only thing on her mind was getting out of the house safely.
She carried Bella and grabbed Morgan’s hand as she raced out of the house and into the yard, screaming for help.
“Oh, shit,” Rich mumbled as he watched Raven run out of the house. He didn’t know exactly what had happened inside, but he knew that the snatch had gone bad.
Fuck, this nigga was supposed to be in and out,
Rich thought as he reached underneath his seat for his snub .380. He started up the car and began to roll slowly toward Raven.
I’ma just snatch the bitch and go,
he thought as he crept closer to the scene. His plans were thwarted when he saw Ethic pull into the driveway. He quickly picked up speed as to not arouse suspicion as he drove by.
Fuck, this nigga was supposed to be in and out,
Rich thought as he reached underneath his seat for his snub .380. He started up the car and began to roll slowly toward Raven.
I’ma just snatch the bitch and go,
he thought as he crept closer to the scene. His plans were thwarted when he saw Ethic pull into the driveway. He quickly picked up speed as to not arouse suspicion as he drove by.
Ethic ran out of his car, barely parking before he jumped out to aid Raven.
“What happened?” he yelled as he examined her body, trying to figure out where the blood was coming from. “Where are you hurt?” he asked.
Raven was distraught as she sobbed and attempted to explain, but she was shaking and her words came out a jumbled mess. She pointed to the house as she wept. Her hysterics caused both Bella and Morgan to break out into frightened cries as well. He picked Raven up and ushered the girls into his car.
“Don’t open these doors for anybody but me,” he instructed as he removed his gun from his waistline and cautiously walked through the front door.
He could hear the shower running and as he crept through the house going in and out of every room, his gun leading the way. When he reached his bedroom he immediately saw the pool of blood that had seeped into his carpet. He followed the stream into the master bath where Raven’s attacker lay on his stomach; dead eyes open in a room full of steam.
Ethic lowered his gun and unmasked the dead man. He didn’t recognize him, but anger surged through him as he stood and hit the bathroom door.
“Fuck!” he yelled as his fist cracked the wooden frame. He had avoided this type of setup for years and now as he was trying to exit the game, complications were beginning to arise. He knew that it could not be a coincidence. He thought of how bad the situation could have ended. It could have been Raven lying in the pool of blood or, even worse, Morgan or Bella. He pulled out his BlackBerry and called his clean-up crew. It would not be hard to get rid of the body. Owning a chain of funeral homes came in handy when it was time to put in work.
One phone call was enough to erase the dude lying on the floor, but Ethic knew that it wasn’t enough to keep his family safe. He had to get to whoever had given the order, and since dead men don’t talk, he had no idea where to start.
Chapter Twenty-one
Raven stared blankly at her bloody hands as she listened to Ethic settle Morgan and Bella’s fears in the next room. She was glad that she had kept her condo because it would be awhile before she was able to step foot back inside Ethic’s house. She would never feel safe there after what had happened. Ethic came into the bedroom and scooped her up in to his arms. She rested her head on his chest as he carried her into the bathroom and placed her inside the antique porcelain tub. He filled the tub with water and washed her gently, but Raven still saw the blood on her hands. She grabbed the soap and scrubbed herself until her skin was raw. She didn’t want to tell Ethic all that had happened. Afraid that he would look at her differently, she did not reveal that she had been raped.
“Did I kill him?” she asked.
Not wanting to put the burden of murder on her heart, Ethic shook his head. “No, he was still alive when I walked in. I took care of it,” he answered.
She nodded. “Good,” she replied.
She stood and Ethic carried her into the bedroom. He catered to her every need as he lotioned her down and massaged her back.
“I’m sorry that I wasn’t there,” he whispered sincerely. “I made that mistake with Melanie. I wasn’t there for her. I loved her and I let her die. It won’t happen again. I should have been there for you, Raven ... No one should be able to touch you,” he stated.
Raven put her hand on the side of Ethic’s face. “It’s okay, Ethic. You can’t control everything ... This wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know,” she responded, assuring him with a tender kiss.
Raven lay down on her side and turned away from Ethic. A bone, chilling aura swept over her and she could not quite place her finger on it, but she felt it in her soul that something was not right.
Ethic put the locks on Raven and didn’t allow her out of the house alone under any circumstances. If he wasn’t by her side then she didn’t go, and the same went for Morgan and Bella. He even went as far as pulling them out of school until he could figure out what was going on. Ethic arcked his mind as he tried to think of people who would want to bring harm to him. There were only two things that could cause another man to beef with him so hard: pussy and money. But Ethic didn’t borrow either. Any chick he smashed belonged to him and at the moment his only focus was Raven. He put word out to all of his workers: if anyone even spoke his name in a derogatory way he wanted to know about it.
I’m about to start making examples out of niggas.
I’m about to start making examples out of niggas.
Mizan’s obsession with getting Raven back had pushed him into the realm of insanity. After viewing the picture of her and Ethic together he wanted to be the one to personally destroy her life. He drove to Kansas City and had been staking out her every move. As he sat shotgun in Rich’s car they observed the condo that Raven was hiding out in. Steam emanated from him as he watched her like a hawk. Her growing belly told the story of her betrayal. She had moved on with her life, but he refused to follow suit. After having her under his influence for so long there was no way she was going to have her happy ending without him. He was infatuated with her, and even Rich was getting tired of playing the cat and mouse game.
“Yo , fam ... we’ve been on this bitch like a hawk for two months. We just going to sit and watch her or we gon’ do what we came here to do?” Rich asked in irritation as he noticed the crazed look in Mizan’s eyes.
“We’ve got to wait for that nigga to slip up. He’s with her twenty-four-seven,” Mizan stated as he watched Ethic help Raven into the house. “One of these days he gon’ get comfortable and that’s when I’ma show my face. Once she sees me, it’s a wrap. She’ll be back home to Daddy.”
“What the fuck is up with you and this girl? Rich asked, wondering why Mizan was not willing to let her go. “The pussy that good?” he joked.
Mizan’s eyes never left Raven. She was his prized possession and a sadistic, crazed look overtook his face. “The bitch belongs to me. She doesn’t leave until I tell her it’s okay for her to go. She’s mine ... she’ll always be mine ... bitch better get that shit through her skull. It don’t matter how far she run. I’m never giving her life back.”
Raven rushed around the condo, her big belly leading the way as she searched for her car keys. “I can’t wait to get this fat baby boy out of me. I never knew that pregnancy would be so uncomfortable,” she huffed as she wobbled around the living room, breaking a light sweat. It seemed like the baby was sucking all the energy out of her and even the most minute tasks exhausted her. She couldn’t even touch her own toes or tie her own shoes anymore. Although she loved that she was pregnant she was tired of this stage. She was ready to experience motherhood and be past the pregnant part. She finally found her keys underneath the couch cushions and made her way into the bedroom where Ethic was sleeping.
“Get up, babe ... I swear you sleep more than I do and I’m the one carrying this baby around,” she stated with laughter.
“Come here, lay down with me, ma,” he replied as he grabbed her arm and pulled her onto the bed. “I promised Bella I would take her to put flowers on Melanie’s grave today. It’s her birthday.”
Raven looked up at him. “I have to go to the doctor’s today. You aren’t coming?” she asked.
“Fuck, I forgot about your appointment, Ethic stated. “Can you reschedule it? Bella would really like it if you came. She invited Morgan and she keeps asking me when you’re going to come meet her mother.”
Raven raised an eyebrow and replied, “No, I can’t cancel it, Ethic. I have the best doctor in town. If I cancel I just have to wait until my next check up to go in and I don’t want to do that. I’m not trying to sit by your dead love’s grave all day.”
Ethic could hear the jealousy in her tone. He knew that it bothered Raven that he cared for Bella’s mother.
“Don’t be like that, ma ... I love you and only you, but I need to remind Bella that her mother loved her too. Melanie is always going to be a part of my life because of Bella,” Ethic stated.
Raven rolled her eyes and felt herself becoming emotional. It was more the hormones than anything, but she hated to hear Ethic talk about another woman in such a sincere way. She was selfish with his love, wanting it all for herself, only willing to make an exception for Bella and Morgan. “I just don’t know how I’m supposed to compete with a ghost,” she whispered as she dropped her head.
Ethic pulled her close to him and kissed the bridge of her nose. “You don’t have to compete with anyone. You’re my number one, ma, and I know Melanie would love you for taking care of Bella the way that you do. You want me to take Bella another day?”
Raven shook her head and wiped her eyes. “Nooooo,” she replied like a spoiled little girl. She knew that she was being unreasonable. “I can go alone.” She headed for the door.
“You know you’re not going out of here by yourself,” Ethic protested as he stood up and grabbed her arm to pull her back to him. He wrapped his hands around her waist and buried his head in the back of her neck, inhaling the scent of her Dior perfume.
She turned around and put her hands on her chest as she looked up at him with adoring eyes. “Ethic it’s been months since that guy ran in your house. I think it’s safe for me to go to the doctor by myself.”
“I just want to keep you safe, ma,” Ethic said. “The only way I know to do that is to keep you close.”
She smiled as she touched his face. “I don’t want to feel like a bird in a cage, Ethic. I felt like that with Mizan and I refuse to live like that again. I can’t be afraid for the rest of my life. I’ll call you and check in with you.”
She could see the worry lines forming in Ethic’s forehead and it warmed her heart.
This man really loves me,
she thought as she kissed his lips. “I’ll be fine.”
This man really loves me,
she thought as she kissed his lips. “I’ll be fine.”
When Mizan saw Raven leave the house alone he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. He knew that if he waited long enough, his chance at catching her alone would come. He called Rich at the motel and told him that it was time, and as she pulled out of the driveway, Mizan slowly eased behind her. He followed her until they were miles away from her home before he decided to let his presence be known.
Raven eased to a stop at the red light and heard a horn honk to her right. When she looked over to the car beside her the blood drained from her face as if she had seen a ghost. Urine saturated her car seat as her bladder gave out on her and her worst fear came true. Mizan had found her and all of the rebuilding of self-esteem that Ethic had done for her was demolished with one look at her former abuser. All of the fear that he had instilled in her were like invisible chains and only he had the key.
“Pull over,” Mizan stated ominously.
Raven froze momentarily and felt herself beginning to hyperventilate as she stared into the face of the devil. She didn’t know what to do, but her instincts told her to drive. She pressed her foot down on the gas pedal and the screeching of her tires sounded throughout the streets as she sped through the red light.
“No ... no ... this is not happening,” she whispered frantically as she checked her rearview mirror to see that Mizan was right on her tail. Terror traveled up her spine as she reached into her purse to grab her cell phone, but her hands were trembling so badly that she dropped it on the floor between her feet. She saw Mizan getting closer and closer up on her car until she felt him ram into her bumper.
“Aghh!” she screamed frightfully. She knew that he would not stop. He was going to chase her until he caught her. In frustration she pulled over into a parking lot, conceding. He parked his car in front of hers so that she could not get out, and when he emerged from the car she closed her eyes, knowing that her day of judgment had come. Her baby went wild inside of her stomach as if it sensed her trepidation right along with her. She could barely breathe and she kept her eyes closed as she began to pray.
He walked over to her calmly and opened up the driver door.
“Get the fuck out of the car,” he stated as he ice grilled her.
When she didn’t move Mizan grabbed her by her hair. “Agh,” she squealed as he dragged her from the vehicle and forced her to face him.
As he looked at her bulging belly he gripped the bridge of his nose to stop the tears from coming to his eyes. It was the first time he had allowed himself to feel something for another person since he was a child.
“You got me out here chasing you across the fucking country,” he stated harshly. “You pregnant with that nigga Ethic’s baby?”
He kicked her car in anger and Raven flinched, thinking that she would be next.
He grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her toward his car.
“No ...” She pulled away from him and tried to scramble back to the safety of her own car.
“Get in the car!” he yelled as his grip tightened and he opened the door, forcing her inside. Once he slammed the door Raven quickly hit the locks. “Open the door, Raven.” Mizan’s voice was low and threatening as he peered into the window. Raven shook her head. Her distress was mounting and making her sick to her stomach. She was trapped and there was nothing that she could do to get away. Mizan pulled out his burner and tapped the steel against the window pane, aiming it directly at her.
She sobbed as she reached over and unlocked his door.
“How did you find me?” she asked through her tears.
He smirked as he looked over at her. “I’ma always find you. You can’t run from me, bitch.”
“You don’t even want me, Mizan ... just let me go,” she pleaded. “Please.”
Mizan wrapped his hand around her neck and pushed her head against the passenger window so hard that it cracked, making a spider web of splintering glass form behind her head. He stuck his gun directly in the middle of her forehead as she closed her eyes and sobbed, waiting for the shot.
“You want me to let you go, Raven? Huh, bitch?” he grilled. “Because the only way I’m letting you go is when I put you in the ground. You want me to let you go?”
Raven didn’t respond and Mizan bashed her head against the window pane again. “Huh?” Raven could feel her blood pressure rising as he baby began to do back flips in her stomach, and the pressure Mizan had on her neck became unbearable.
“No!” she finally yelled back as he released her neck.
He kept his pistol trained on her as he picked up his cell phone and shoved it in her face. “Let me show you something,” Mizan stated, going from enraged to calm in the blink of an eye. Raven looked at the screen and saw a picture of Ethic, Morgan, and Bella standing at the cemetary.
“You call that nigga and tell him you’re not fucking with him anymore. Tell him it’s over and that you’re coming back home to Flint,” Mizan stated.
“I’m not doing that,” she replied. “I won t ... You’re gonna have to kill me,” Raven stated defiantly.
“Oh, it’s not you I’m going to kill,” Mizan stated as he pointed to the cell phone picture. He pressed the call button on his phone and put it on speaker.
Other books
The Missing Dog Is Spotted by Jessica Scott Kerrin
Irresistible by Susan Mallery
Denial by Keith Ablow
Innocence Taken by Janet Durbin
A Southern Place by Elaine Drennon Little
Solomon's Throne by Jennings Wright
Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones
UndertheInfluence by Ava Adele
Murder in Dogleg City by Ford Fargo