RedBone (45 page)

“Where is that bitch?” Farah asked, huffing and puffing. She clenched her fists. “I want her now.”

“She not here.” Chloe sat in between Audio’s legs on the floor. “She rolled out after you fell down. Mia was trying to beat the brakes off of that ass, and she got scared. Maybe she won’t come back now.”

“That ain’t enough for me. Not anymore. I gotta do something else to that bitch now. She took shit to another level.” Farah stood up and paced the floor.

“You might not be able to get your chance, sis,” Shadow said, popping pizza-flavored Combos into his mouth. “Earlier, before she left, I saw boxes in her room. I think she really may be leaving this time.”

Farah was thinking of more ways to seek revenge, whether she lived there or not, when all of a sudden she felt a piercing pain inside her stomach. “Ahh!” she yelled, falling to the floor. “Oh, my God! Help me!”

Her siblings jumped up, and surrounded her as worry dressed their faces. “What’s wrong?” Chloe said on the verge of tears.

“Talk to me, Farah!” Shadow yelled.

“Call 911!” she cried. “Call 911!”

Chapter 50

“That bitch is gonna really get it now!”

—Lesa

Lesa was over at Courtney’s house, and they were in the kitchen eating Oreos and milk. Lady stepped out to get some ice cream and was on her way back. Placing roaches in Farah’s shampoo bottle, when she knew she had entomophobia, made her feel guilty at first. Part of her wanted Farah to pay for the martini poison, but the other part didn’t know if she did more damage, considering Farah had porphyria. After all that time, Lesa still hadn’t told her friends about Farah’s condition, because she wasn’t sure if they’d even believe her. She even thought about the night of their party, when the officers took Kirk out yelling that she bit him. It all seemed so weird now. The night they were poisoned, she only told them that she was very dangerous and to be careful. Her warning worked, because the three of them avoided her the entire night. But now, she wondered if the truth wouldn’t be better.

“I still can’t believe that bitch did that shit to us,” Courtney said. “My stomach and ass are still sore to this day.”

“I feel you. My throat sore, too.” Lesa rubbed it. “She went too hard.”

“I don’t know why you don’t just leave, girl. They probably fucking with your shit right now.”

“Naw ... I got locks on the door.” Lesa popped off one side of the cookie, and licked the icing. “Plus I’m leaving, just not right now. I told you I packed.”

“You and I both know they can break that lock if they want to.” She laughed. “Why don’t you move back with your mother? At least until you get your own place.”

“Like I said, I’m not leaving right now, because I’m not gonna give her what she wants.” She sipped some milk. “Plus you know I’m not fucking with my mother right now. What I look like moving with her? She hates me and the feeling is mutual.”

“You know she loves you, Lesa. It ain’t like she gonna be mad at you forever.” Courtney pushed the cookies away, and grabbed a half-cut lemon cake from the refrigerator that she bought from Cakes Plus in Maryland. “Maybe you shouldn’t alter your body anymore. Since that’s what she’s mad about anyway.”

“So you taking her side now?” Lesa threw the naked cookie on her plate. “Because when I first told you why she was mad, you acted like you were on my side. So what changed?”

“Lesa, don’t try to put this shit on me! You the one who left your mother’s house in the middle of the night without letting her know where you were. When she called me what was I supposed to do? Lie? The next thing I know, you living with some chick in Platinum Lofts apartments. You just don’t do people like that you love!”

“She was trying to control me! That’s why I left.”

“Lesa, you almost died from that last plastic surgery you had. She got every right to be angry and, if nothing else, concerned.”

Lesa frowned. “I wish people just do them, and stay the fuck out of my business. Damn!”

Courtney put her hands on her hips and said, “Who the fuck you talking to?”

Lesa stood up and got in her face. “Who answered?”

They were five seconds from getting into a fistfight when Lady came back with the ice cream. She put it on the kitchen counter, and looked at their face-off.“Everything cool?” She took the ice cream out of the brown paper bag, and placed it on the counter. “Because I know y’all not about to fight in here. Please tell me this bitch ain’t cause us to start beefing again. Because if she did, this time I’m not talking to both of y’all bitches for a whole year!”

Lesa looked at Lady and then Courtney. She sat down and said, “Can you give me some ice cream please?” Courtney took a seat, even though her face was still distorted in anger.

“Instead of us fighting each other, we need to find away to get her ass back,” Lady offered. “And we should do it before you leave, Lesa. That shit she pulled could’ve killed us.”

Courtney seemed to be deep in thought before she said, “I got an idea!” She went to the black phone on the wall, and dialed a number. Lesa and Lady waited for whatever she was about to do. “Hey, Juice! This Courtney. You got a second?” She paused. “I’ma need Randy’s number from you. It’s very important.”

Lesa snuck home to pack a bag so she could stay over at Courtney’s for the night. When Markee saw them, he told her that Farah was taken away in the ambulance, and that her family followed. Now things were taken too far, and guilt plagued her even more. The only benefit to her revenge scheme was that the house was empty, and she’d be able to grab a few things without confrontation. When she got to her room door, she saw it was open, and a heavy odor permeated the walls.

“Oh, my God, what is that?” Courtney said, holding her nose. “What is that smell?”

Lesa turned the knob and couldn’t believe what she saw inside. Human feces were smeared all over the walls, dresser, and her bed. “That bitch is gonna really get it now!”

Chapter 51

“You need to know that I plan on doing anything I can to make my sister get better.”

—Chloe

Chloe stood in the hospital room with her sister and brother, wondering if Farah was going to make it. She was worried sick, and for the first few hours was virtually inconsolable. “Y’all don’t think we gonna lose her, do you?” Chloe asked. “Because I’ma die if I lose my sister.”

Mia wiped the tears from her own face before she smacked her so hard, her lip cracked and bled. “Bitch, you betta never say no dumb shit like that again.” She pointed in her face. “I’m sick of you talking about people dying around me and shit!”

Chloe accepted that smack like a gangster, and licked the blood from her lips. “I’m sorry. I’m just fucked up by all of this.”

“Why do you think it always hit Farah the hardest? Shadow asked softly. “It’s like all our lives, she had it rougher than us.”

“I don’t know,” Mia responded. “Maybe it’s because she wants it to be gone badder than we do. Whenever you want something so hard, you never get it.”

They watched over her for a half an hour before Dr. Martin stepped inside the room. Chloe called him, even though she knew Farah would never approve. He placed his hand on Shadow’s shoulder, and looked solemnly at the rest of the family. Over the years, he’d grown into a respectable doctor and surgeon with an impressive patient list. Through all of his accomplishments and accolades, he could never help the Cottons with their ailment. He was so obsessed with making things right, that although they never knew it, he practically worked for free.

“Has she opened her eyes yet?” Dr. Martin asked.

“No,” Shadow said. “I wish she would though.”

“So what can we do, Dr. Martin?” Chloe asked. “You should’ve seen her in the room. She was in so much pain that she couldn’t move. I haven’t seen her like that in so long. She was doing so much better.”

“We can continue to medicate but her liver is taking a beating right now. So anything we do will be after we monitor her for a while. So it’s kind of hard to say what else will need to be done, until we get more tests. That’s why it’s so important that she sees me, regularly.”

“Dr. Martin ... when Farah was self-medicating, she was fine,” Chloe said. “But now ...”

“Listen to me,” he said, looking at all of them. “Because I already know what you are going to say. That is an urban legend! It’s not true.” He scanned over their faces for confirmation. “It is virtually impossible for her to get better that way.”

Chloe looked at her and then back at him. “I don’t understand. . . I mean ... with the illness we have, our bodies aren’t making heme properly, correct?”

Reluctantly he said, “That’s right, Chloe.”

“Okay, you also prescribe us hematin which is blood related, right?”

He swallowed and said, “Yes, Chloe, that is correct also.”

“So doesn’t it make sense that drinking blood could help her?”

“No, Chloe, it doesn’t make sense!” He looked at all of them. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you.”

“But I’ve been reading up on it. And it says back in the day, when the medicines were unavailable, some people with this illness drank blood and felt better. So how do we know it won’t work now?”

“Because it’s been tested.” He was adamant. “That’s why! We can’t have people roaming the earth, drinking each other’s blood. Your sister was raised in a violent home.
Very
violent.” He looked at all of them. “I spoke to your grandmother extensively and she told me a lot about you and your family.” Someone was going to have to talk to Grandma about her lip game. “Farah doesn’t feel better because she drinks blood, she feels better because she craves violence. There’s a difference.” He could tell Chloe was not buying anything he said. “Chloe, please believe me. I want the best for you. For all of you. But if I find out you’re doing anything illegal, I’ll be forced to tell the police.”

“Dr. Martin, I respect you.” Chloe looked at her brother and sister. “We all do. But you need to know that I plan on doing anything I can to make my sister get better. And I do mean anything. So if you have a problem with anything I said, I suggest you step out of my way or get run over.”

Chapter 52

This is so stupid. You not gonna hurt her if you touch her.

—Slade

After learning from Audio that Farah was sick, and confined to bed, Slade decided to pay her a visit. He didn’t know if he could do anything to help, but at least he wanted to be in her presence. When he got to her apartment Chloe opened the door. “Hey, Slade.” Chloe smiled, although it was obvious she was very upset. “Farah isn’t up yet. She’s still feels pretty bad. The doctor gave her some sleeping pills.” She opened the door wider. “Did you still want to come in?”

“Yeah. If you don’t mind.” He stepped inside, and waved at his brother who was sitting on the sofa. “Where is she? In bed?”

She closed and locked the door. “Yes, you can go back there if you want to.” Before he walked away she said, “She really likes you, Slade. Sometimes my sister finds it hard to open up, but I really do hope you hang in there with her. Please.”

Slade nodded, and moved down the hallway and toward her room. When he opened the door, the room was mostly dark with the exception of a white rose-shaped nightlight plugged in the socket. Once inside, he removed his Nike boots and walked to her bed. For a second he looked down at her while she was asleep. She was beautiful and vulnerable all at once. He didn’t know what made her so sick, but he sincerely wished she’d get better so they could start their lives together. What was he saying? Being around her made him think about the future.

“Farah,” he said softly. “You ’sleep?”

When she didn’t answer, he removed his jacket and threw it over the broken chair. Then he slowly eased on top of her comforter, so he wouldn’t wake her. She was wheezing heavily, and although her eyes were closed, she seemed to be distressed. Slade wondered who she was and where she came from because their meetings, although brief, left a lasting impression.

When she moved slightly, her hair fell in her face and he wanted to wipe it away. But what if he hurt her in the process? He would never be able to live with himself. Still, after all those years, she was the first person who ever made him sincerely consider breaking his vow. After five minutes of struggling with whether to touch her, he slowly moved the hair away from her face without touching her skin. Now he wondered what her skin would feel like under his fingertips and thought about touching her. Anxiety overcame him and he could feel himself holding back.

Fuck! This is so stupid. You not gonna hurt her if you touch her. Just do it!

Remembering all those he hurt in the past, he decided to keep his hands to himself. And then she started whimpering, like she was having a nightmare. Her head moved quickly from right to left, and she was crying with her eyes closed. “No ... Mamma, no. Please don’t do it.” Her head shook rapidly. “I love you,” she cried. “Don’t make me! Please!”

Slade couldn’t take it anymore. So he carefully placed his hand on her arm, and the whimpering ceased before she exhaled. It was as if he had pulled the nightmare out of her mind with one touch of his hand. Loving the texture of her smooth skin, he rubbed her slowly and she fell into a deeper sleep. For the rest of the night he remained in her bed, watching over her. But she would never know, because in the morning he’d be gone.

Chapter 53

“Hmm, that felt so good.”

—Chloe

Chloe’s hips swerved slowly from left to right in a wavelike motion. Her arms were raised in the air sensuously, as sweat glistened over her chocolate skin. The red top she wore exposed her flat belly, and the black skirt squeezed her curves. Chloe had the attention of every man in the club, but she only needed one. Finally after watching her seduce every man present for most of the song, a dude name Dio decided to try his hand. He was a well-known drug dealer from New York, who was in town on some quick business. He hadn’t planned on staying as long as he did, but when he spotted Chloe, he made an excuse. Stepping up behind her, he put his arms around her waist as if she belonged to him. Out of his eyesight, she grinned because her mission was accomplished.