My Woman His Wife Saga (48 page)

“Hello?” I answered the phone hoping not to hear any bad news. Hell, I already felt like shit for what I did.

“Mr. Cinque, this is Nurse Samuels calling from U of P. I just wanted you to know that your wife is awake. The doctor is on his way here.”

“Really? When?” I asked in astonishment.

“About an hour ago. When can you be on your way?”

“I'll be there within the hour.”

Disconnecting the call, I immediately dialed up my mother-in-law to give her the news. After deciding that she would come here so that I wouldn't have to wake the kids, I got myself dressed, and waited downstairs for her arrival. Jazz's father was in the car, and he drove us over to the hospital. I was quiet the entire time. My wife was awake, and my mistress was back in town. What was I going to do?

At any rate, she was up and it was showtime. Whatever was going to happen from here on out determined the tone that our lives would be revolved around. I was scared, nervous, excited, feeling crazy . . . Like a million emotions flooded my senses all at once. There was no turning back, and no time to second-guess anything. My wife was awake. I had no idea what was coming next.

I started to panic at first because I didn't know where I was. The last thing I remembered I was careening out of control on an icy street before hitting a utility pole. I was glad that I made it because as tight as that steering wheel was pressed against my chest I knew I was a goner.

And the kids . . .
Oh my God! What happened to the kids? Did any of them get hurt or, even worse, die?
I wouldn't be able to live with myself because I knew I had no business trying to drive and text under those conditions. Lord, I just wanted to go back to sleep and rewind my life to the day before all of this mess happened.
Things must be horrible because from the looks of things I'm in the hospital, and that can't be good. I've probably only been out for a day or so, so I'm not going to panic, but I need answers.

I tried to open my mouth, but an excruciating pain kept me from doing so as I grabbed my face in reflex. My jaw appeared to be wired shut.
Wow. Shit must be worse than I thought.
Reaching up I felt that a patch of my hair was missing from the side near my temple, and I almost couldn't breathe.
What happened?
The tubes coming out of my mouth and nose, and the swishing sound from one of the machines near my bed put me on edge.
Did I die?

My moving around caused an alarm to go off and I lay as still as possible waiting for a nurse to show up. It's not like I had that much mobility anyway considering that every inch of my body hurt like hell, and I had a million tubes running in and out of me. I tried to control my emotions, but by the time the nurse got to me I was in tears.
How long was I out for, and has my family been here? What's going on? Did anyone get in contact with James?
My head was spinning and I wanted it to stop.

“Mrs. Cinque, I'm glad you are awake,” the nurse began as she stopped the machines from beeping and began to check my vitals. “I'll get you something to manage your pain as soon as I get all of your vital signs. You won't be able to talk due to the wiring of your jaw, but if you need to say something I can provide you with a pen and a pad. Not sure how much you will be able to write, but I'll do my best to help you.”

I simply nodded as I felt her run an ink pen up the bottom of my foot, making my toes curl because I was ticklish there. The blood pressure cuff began to squeeze my arm, and the compressions on my legs began to squeeze me as well. I had so many questions, but I was so sleepy I couldn't keep my eyes open. The nurse must have given me something good because my body began to feel more relaxed, and I felt less anxious. As my eyelids got heavier I made a mental note to curse James out the first chance I got because if he wasn't out acting a fool we wouldn't even be here right now. I had a bone to pick with Mr. Cinque, but right now all I could do was sleep....

Wow. I can't believe we took it there.
My trip to Philly was not to disrupt anything if I didn't have to. I came to check on my son, and things were cool with him.
Why can't I just leave? James just had to be nice to me, didn't he?
Making my way back through the city I took the time to get my thoughts together. It was definitely time for me to leave. I would see what was up with the judge, and in the meantime I would be looking for a flight out. I would just see the kids once more the day before it was time for me to go or something like that. I felt like if I didn't roll now I would miss my opportunity, and I just didn't feel safe here anymore.

I paid attention to my surroundings as I drove because I didn't know when Rico's team would strike again. It was obvious that Carlos had a hit out on me just going by the stuff that had happened thus far, and with these goons you just never knew when one of them would run up on you. I had the information for the judge to handle whenever he got better, but I was hoping to be gone before anything serious popped off. This was just too much, and sleeping with James threw my entire thought process off. That was definitely not a good thing, and I knew it, but why was my body aching to feel him inside of me again? Shaking my head back and forth in an effort to clear the naughty visions of us from my head, I gripped the steering wheel and focused on the road ahead. I just needed to make it back to the judge's house in one piece, and then I could lie down and think.

Jaydah was an entirely different issue. She called me a few times the other day when I had visited the Cinque household, but I just didn't feel like being bothered. Maybe I would call her before I pulled out as well. I mean at the airport right before takeoff.

Thinking twice about it I decided to just call her and get it over with. That way when it was time to jet out I wouldn't have to even deal with her. Peeping at the rearview for followers first, once I determined the coast was clear I dialed her number. I knew once I got back “butler security” would be on my heels. To my surprise she answered on the first ring.

“I called you days ago, Monica,” she answered with a ton of attitude, not even bothering to say hello. I was still zoning and pulsating from the feeling of James being inside of me so I wasn't fazed in the least.

“I know . . . ummm . . . sorry about that. Where are you now? We need to talk.”

“We sure do. I'm at home. How fast can you get here?”

“I'll be there in like fifteen.”

She was saying something afterward but I had already hung up. I planned to just dip in right quick, and then I would be on my way. I needed a good night's sleep, and that wine I had back at the Cinques' had my head feeling a little fuzzy. Stepping on the gas, I zoomed across the city to get this done and over with. By the time I arrived she had the door cracked open for me to come in. I left the door cracked and didn't even bother to take a seat. It ain't like I was staying long anyway.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” I asked, really not even interested. This girl was surely a pain in my ass.

She sat down on the couch across from me after closing the door, and she looked like she was about to get into something I didn't even feel like exploring. I was so not in the mood for the nonsense this evening, so I gave her the game face right back. I was not easily intimidated, and I thought she was going to find out the hard way.

“We need to talk about us,” she spat out like she meant business, and I knew instantly that I should have taken my ass to the judge's spot. Figuring I should just go end it, I let her make her point so that she could be done with it. That way I could just wrap up the situation with her as well as the mess with James and the kids, and once I left here that would be the end of it.
Philly has seen the last of me around these parts, and I just can't get out of here fast enough.

“What about us?” she replied like she was already bored. I swear I could tell that Monica was a bitch. She was wearing me out because she acted like she was a gift to all women or something. I was slowly beginning to see what my sister was talking about regarding her nonchalant attitude, and it was beginning to piss me off.

“We're going to be together so I need you to decide what we're going to do about your living situation. Am I moving to Atlanta with you, or are you coming back here to live with me?” I gave it to her straight, no chaser.

She sat there motionless for a second, just staring at me. I was confused because she was still like a mannequin almost. I looked at her, puzzled, waiting for a response. She blinked a few times like she was thinking, and then the next thing I knew she busted out laughing. I mean, homegirl was holding her gut and cracking up like she was about to pass out. That just pissed me the hell off, but I kept my cool.
Never let them see you sweat.
This entire scenario played out differently in my head for some odd reason. It definitely wasn't supposed to be going like this. She was supposed to be happy about us being together, and offer me a spot in her house for a while. We would commute back and forth until the commitment was made, and within a few months we would make it official.
What's happening right now is the exact opposite. Irked!

“What's so funny?”

“You . . . This! We're not in a relationship, Jaydah. I mean, you're cool and all that, but this is just a fun thing. You know . . . no strings attached and all that.”

Heart hurt and crushed at the same damn time. Was she telling me that we had nothing? At all? Like the time we shared in Atlanta and the love we made just days before was a “fun thing”? It didn't mean anything to her? I closed my eyes and counted to ten as I thought about my next move. Sheneka said that she was known for fucking over people's feelings. Monica didn't know who she was dealing with, and I was just the right one to show her.

I reached into my pocket, pulling the phone out a little so that I could see, and sent a simple message with two words: she's here! I had the message already typed so when I slid my thumb to unlock the screen all I had to do was hit the SEND button. That way I wouldn't have to pull the phone all the way out of my shirt pocket right in front of her. Once the message was sent I then pulled the phone all the way out, and pretended like there was something interesting going on.

My damn blood was boiling, and at this point I didn't give a damn if Sheneka and Carlos strung her simple ass up like a Christmas tree. I hated bitches like her, and I wasn't about to let her keep doing me or anyone else this way. I flipped over to my Myspace page and pretended that I was reading posts as we talked. I was just wasting time because my mind was already made up. The bitch had to go.

“Jaydah, listen, I'm sorry if I led you on in any way. I'm almost certain that I made it clear what this was. To be totally honest with you, if I didn't have to come to Philly to check on my son we probably would have never seen each other again.”

My head snapped up from looking at the phone screen, and my eyes bore into her like looks could really kill. Was this chick serious? It took everything in me not to run across the room and drop kick her in the chest. She couldn't be serious. Could she? I mean, I didn't think we were head over heels in love, but I thought we at least connected in Atlanta. The way she was all up on me and sweating me all hard . . . I had to take a breather.

My sister texted me back to tell me she was on her way here with a crew and it would only take about ten minutes. I needed a damn drink in the meantime, but I didn't want her to try to leave just yet. I was busy counting backward from one hundred, trying to keep my composure. Tears were threatening to spill from my eyes, and I just wasn't having that. Not at least until I was by myself again. She was not about to see me weak and upset.

“Jaydah, I'm really sorry. It's just that this thing with my son and my having to run a business is a lot on my plate right now. Besides, you live here, and I live in Atlanta. It could get costly commuting back and forth you know.”

“Would you like a drink?” I asked as I finally got up to get something. I couldn't take another minute of just staring at her, and listening to this bullshit she was trying to feed me. I really needed my sister to hurry up.

“No, I'm okay. I had a little wine earlier, and I'm already feeling a little fuzzy.”

I didn't bother to respond, and simply poured myself a full glass of Moscato. I usually only did half, but I would need all of it tonight. I was itching to get at my laptop because that Monica character would be going in an entirely different direction now. I might just kill her off just because. I was so pissed I could spit nails! She just had this stupid-ass look on her face that I wanted to knock clean off, but it was cool. She was about to get what was coming to her simple ass.

There was an uncomfortable silence between us, and I couldn't help but feel like she played me. Okay, so we never actually talked about being in a relationship, and she never really said that she was interested in me. All we really had was amazing sex . . . over and over and over again. Maybe I should have given it more time to build. I was sure that if we spent a little more time together she would have been on board with my plan.
Damn, I think I just fucked up again.

“Okay, this entire night just got kind of weird so I'm going to head out. Once again, sorry I misled you, and if you'd like I'll contact you before I head back down South.”

As she was getting up to leave a knock came from the door and the knob turned. I didn't even have a chance to hide her. Before I could do anything, Sheneka and Carlos walked in along with two other people. I wanted to protect Monica, but I knew I couldn't do a damn thing. This was about to be a mess and a half, and I couldn't blame anyone but myself.

The look on Monica's face went from confusion to rage as she recognized the visitors to my house. I knew she and Sheneka had beef, but I wasn't sure I believed all of the stories that my sister told me, and how often they saw each other. I didn't know if she had ever seen Carlos at all. She looked from them, and back to me, and I could tell that she was trying to figure out her next move.

“I told you I would catch you slipping, bitch. You got my man killed; now it's your turn.” Sheneka spat venom as she approached Monica. Not an ounce of fear showed in Monica's eyes though, and I wondered briefly who would win the battle.

“You set me up?” Monica asked me, but she kept her eyes trained on Sheneka and her crew. I could see her balling up her car keys in her fist with the key poking out between her fingers. She definitely wasn't going down without a fight, and that just made me love her even more.

I didn't get a word in edgewise before Sheneka charged across the room. The two women collided with such force, and before I could react they were both on the floor throwing wild blows that thudded upon connection. Sheneka was going ham, but Monica wasn't a chump, to say the least. The two women went at it, and my feet felt like they were stuck in dried cement so I couldn't even move to stop it.

In a desperate attempt to gain control, Sheneka reached up and grabbed my lamp from the end table, busting Monica in her head and face with it over and over. When a gush of blood flew from Monica's mouth, I knew I had to step in. My feet felt heavy, but I managed to get over to the women, and grab Sheneka off of her, afterward grabbing the lamp. She put up a hell of a fight, but finally let it go. Carlos pulled Sheneka up from the floor, and still had to hold her back. When I looked down, there was blood everywhere, and Monica's eyes were swollen shut.
Did she kill this bitch?
I stood there holding my breath, wondering what to do next, and suddenly Monica began to breathe.

The men who were with Carlos and Sheneka pushed me out of the way and began to bind Monica's feet and hands together with duct tape. A painful moan slipped from her bloody lips as the biggest guy scooped her up and threw her bruised body over his shoulder like a rag doll. A dark crimson circle was left on the floor where she was just lying, and I thought I might have seen a tooth in the midst of the carnage.
What have I done?

Taking the car keys from the floor, Carlos tossed them to the smaller guy, and said something to him in Spanish that I didn't understand. I was sure he told him to get rid of the car, and the guy would probably be taking it to one of Carlos's garages. Sheneka was nursing her bruised hand and busted lip, but I didn't feel sorry for her. I just wanted them all to go.

“Good looking out, sis,” she replied as she walked toward the door. Carlos didn't bother to say a word, and the ignorant bastard left the door open on his way out. After locking the door I ran to the bathroom and vomited for what felt like forever. How could I get her out of this situation before it was too late? I paced back and forth from the kitchen to the bedroom, past the blood on the floor. I was racking my brains for what felt like a lifetime when an idea hit me.

Sprinting into the bathroom, I grabbed a bucket and some peroxide, and got the blood up so that it wouldn't stain my hardwood floors. Afterward, I looked through Monica's pocketbook that was left here for a picture. I found her phone, but I didn't know who exactly I would call in it so I just tucked it away. I was hesitant at first, but I knew I was doing the right thing. As I pulled my cell phone from my pocket I dialed 911, and prepared myself for the ride that was sure to come.

“Nine-one-one emergency, how may I help you?”

“I would like to report a missing person,” I spoke tearfully into the phone as my tears ran down my face and soaked the collar of my top. I needed them to act fast before it was too late. Sheneka would be mad, but I would just have to deal with that when the time came. For right now, I had to save my baby.