No Ordinary Love

A not-so love story

NO ORDINARY LOVE

 

The persistent banging on the door was deafening. Kira stared at the ornate wardrobe that was blocking the door. It was the only thing protecting her, the only thing that was big or strong enough to keep her from Dre. She was lost in disbelief that the man banging away on the other side of the door like a beast was the man she loved and honored for the past 10 years.

 

“Kira, open the door!” Dre yelled as he banged harder, grunting with each thud.

 

‘Thank God for solid oak,’ Kira thought to herself as he continued to punch and kick the doors. She had never anticipated that they would come in handy for this reason. When she insisted on purchasing them it was because she thought that they would be great for kids, but right now, the big oak doors she had begged Dre to spend the extra money on were potentially saving her life.

 

“Kira I am not playing with you…Open the f*****g door!!! You need to give me the respect of talking to me!!” He broke each sentence up with another deafening blow to the door.

 

Kira sat on the bed in silence rocking back and forth. She looked at the 9mm gloc laying on the bed next to her and tears formed in her eyes. She could not understand how they had gone from lovelorn teenagers to successful drug dealers and business owners and to now enemies. It was impossible to comprehend how he could believe that she would steal from him when she has put her life on the line for him more times than she could count. They had survived everything. The pregnancies, the affairs, the snitches, the jail terms, the gunplay and the disloyalty. They had promised each other forever and now she was staring at a gun and wondering if she could really fire when necessary.

 

There was a loud thud against the door. ‘Jesus Christ, what is he using to hit the door now?’ She didn’t dare to move the wardrobe to find out.

 

‘Kira!!” Dre screamed each time he pounded the door.

 

‘Dre, stop this s**t! Just leave me alone!!! You are acting crazy!”

 

“F**k Crazy!! You need to come out here and tell me why Cane is telling me that you been in his bed and why Geo is saying that I should ask you about the money that is supposed to be OURS!!!’

 

“F**k Geo and Cane!! They’re mad because they thought I was a silly b***h and could never run this business! They are pissed that I am your right hand and its not one of them. Why don’t you ask Geo about the unauthorized security search that he made!”

 

“What?! When?!” She knew she had caught Dre off guard. He authorized all searches of all of their properties and especially his home. No searches were unwarranted and he signed off on every one. He even attended most of them unless he was called out of town on business.

 

“Last week, when the money went missing!”

 

There was another thud against the door. It did not sound like the others. It was delayed and heavy.  She knew he was up against the door, probably shocked at this new revelation, but more likely tired from the energy he was expending in his rage. The silence between them became as loud as atom bombs. A barrage of thoughts flowed through her mind but words were elusive. Fear kept her silent. As badly as she wanted to know what was happening on the other side of the door, she sat motionless on the edge of the bed.

 

‘Kira, baby, we been through too much. Please I need you to open this door.’ He said in an eerily calming voice. She paused and stood straight up in front of the wardrobe. She could bring herself to do more.

 

“I can’t,” Kira whispered as she began to cry. “I’m sorry but I can’t.”

 

“Why not Kira? Why are you hiding from me?” Dre's tone went from calm to agitated in a matter of seconds.

 

Kira knew that she had just successfully caused this situation to reescalate. In her husband's mind betrayal was the worst offense and unless she could prove she had not committed it, she was now the enemy.

 

Dre resumed his assault on the door. It sounded like he had resorted to kicking the door. Her head began to pound at a rapid rate and the sirens blaring outside the house were not helping.

 

“Dre, PLEASE!” Kira shrieked. She didn’t know how much more energy she had left. They had been at it for more than 14 hours.  The conflict began when Dre came home from his weekly meeting with his crew. She normally never misses them, but she wanted to take their children to her mother’s house and do a little shopping for their daughter's upcoming birthday. She knew what time the meeting ended and what time Dre would be home, so she was shocked to see him sitting at the kitchen counter when she arrived back at their home. Normally stylish and impeccably dressed, he looked stressed and unkempt. His eyes looked wild and animalistic. Danger and fear nestled in the pit of her stomach as she nervously shifted the bags that were in her hands. Dre's hulking broad shoulders, which she usually loved to see because it reminded her of his strength and power, were heaving and he was visibly shaking.

 

“Hey Baby,” she whispered nervously and leaned over to kiss him.  He did not greet her as normal. He just sat stoic and staring straight ahead. Trying not to seem as panicked as she felt she moved through the kitchen and headed for the stairs. She paused slightly and looked over her shoulder at Dre. He was still not moving. Taking a step further she felt a crunch and heard something break. Beneath her shoe was the very expensive, very rare royal blue and gold Chinese vase that Dre had gotten her simply because she admired it at the house of one of his business associates. In her peripheral view she saw pillow stuffing and expensive fabric strewn across the floor. Walking into the living room she saw that her beautifully decorated home was in shambles but she knew they had not been robbed. She was certain of it. None of the “family” was here.  None of the soldiers were mulling around. No one was securing the house. No one was packing things up or cleaning. Dre was not in protection mode at all.  He wasn’t barking orders or making calls. He had done this. Dre had been raging. But she had no idea how much until she saw their wedding photo destroyed on the floor. It was not clear why he was angry and destroyed a house that cause him so much pride, but she now knew the target of his rage and there was a mixture of paranoia and fear rising in her.

 

“Kira, how was your day?” Dre yelled to her, devoid of all emotion.

 

A chill made its way up Kira’s spine and she shuddered.

 

“Kira, I asked you a question! Answer me!” Dre boomed as he slammed his clenched fist on the counter.

 

Kira looked over her shoulder more time and Dre’s heaving back and knew she had merely seconds to act. Instinctively she dropped everything and headed for the stairs. Dre dashed behind her.

 

She rushed to their bedroom and hastily locked the door the way Dre had taught her to do in the event that one of his enemies came attempting to exact a revenge that would surely kill them all. After securing the doors she ran to the closet to get the 9mm caliber semi-automatic that Dre kept hidden in the top of the closet despite her numerous protests. As soon as she pulled it down, she heard the banging start. Loading the clip, she checked the safety and placed the gun on the bed. Dre began banged on the door louder striking a fear in her that was foreign to her. She mustered every ounce of strength she had and pulled and pushed the wardrobe in front of the door hoping that the extra weight of it would keep him from getting through the doors. 

 

Dre was a protector in her world. He had shielded her from so many dangers in life, even if it meant taking a bullet. But the Dre she knew did not match the man on the other side of the door fighting to get in the room. That man would do anything in his power to right a perceived wrong and he wanted blood. Blood she was not willing to shed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROUND AND ROUND

 

Hour 16 and Dre was banging his head against the door. Kira winced each time she heard it. It was a signal that she and learned to read a long time ago. Once Dre, started banging his head against a wall or door, he was somewhere so dark and so dangerous, not even she could pull him out of it.  No matter how hard she tried.

 

Her mind was racing. Part of her wanted to be the sweet and endearing wife, that would not dare raise her voice to her husband. The other part of her knew that Dre was focused on street justice and being nice and running the street simply did not go together.

 

Kira checked the gun again. Her paranoia was setting in. Years ago, Dre had taught her about guns and she learned well, but today she felt like she knew nothing at all. She unloaded and reloaded the clip a few times, careful not to over do it. Reminding herself that there were several ways to make a gun jam, she said a silent prayer. If she had to use this one tonight, a jam could mean the difference between life and death. 

 

"Stop playing with the gun Kira."

 

Immediately she froze and fixed her eyes on the wardrobe. Rising from the bed, she walked over to it and began to trace the wood design with her fingers. It helped ease the overwhelming chaos in her mind but not the pain in her heart. Things had always been so good between her and Dre. From their first date until the day before this war they were in, they had held each other down with a loyalty and a love that could only be described as a fairytale. It was a strong energy that they held sacred and protected at all costs, from anyone one and at times from everyone. Now Kira was protecting herself from Dre. Frustration and anguish began to rush over her. She needed to know how he could lose faith in her so easily. How could they let this fall apart?

 

"How did we get here DeAndre?"

 

"What?!"

 

Kira tugged at her hair and screamed.

 

"HOW DID WE GET HERE?!”

 

She turned her back to the wardrobe and leaned against it, allowing her body to slide down to the floor. Running her fingers across the plush carpet, she waited and allowed her eyes to float around their extravagant bedroom. It was a reflection of everything that they had worked for. It held everything they dreamed about when they barely had two nickels to rub together. Every imagination in those late night conversations that they only shared with each other. They had made it and beat every obstacle that came their way. Even when they themselves did not know if they would survive. Now the only obstacle left was each other. The only one neither of them saw coming.

 

"Don't ask me no stupid a*s questions, Kira."

 

"ARE YOU F*****G KIDDING ME?!," Kira began to raise her voice. "Do you not see where we are right now?! You are willing to tear our lives about based on the word of another man!"

 

"MY BEST FRIEND!"

 

"I'M YOUR WIFE!!! I HAVE NEVER BETRAYED YOU, EVEN WHEN YOU DID THINGS THAT BROKE MY HEART! NEVER, NOT ONCE. AND I'M THE ONE YOU DON'T BELIEVE! HOW DOES THAT WORK?!"

 

She heard Dre shift and the rise from the floor.  His grunt let her know that he was thinking and possibly questioning the situation. She heard his feet shuffling and knew he was pacing again.

 

"Do you remember what we promised each other Dre?"

 

He did not responded but continued to walk the floor. For a moment he would pause, bang the wall and begin walking again. Kira's head was a mixture of pain and confusion. The more thoughts raced through her mind, the more her head throbbed. She decided to rub her temples and be silent. If she could not get through to Dre, it made no sense to agitate him.

 

She was about to get up from the floor, she heard him mumble, "Day One."

 

Even though she didn't want to, she smiled, grateful for a glimpse that the man she loved still existed in the monster standing on the other side of the door.

 

"We promised that if we ever lost our way, we remember what it was like on day one."

 

"Yeah." Dre stopped pacing.

 

Kira closed her eyes and for a minute she was right back on the block where they met. Polar opposites, Dre was the young flashy dealer on the block that all of the girls tried to attract. Handsome and making substantial amounts of money, he was undoubtedly a catch in the hood they grew up in.  But Kira was unmoved by it. Focused on school and finding a way off the rough Philly streets were her only goals. She hated the hood. The streets had been laced with the blood of her friends and held a constant painful reminder that there was zero guarantee that you would make it home each night. The last thing she wanted was a drug dealer or any man that could keep her in the hood for that matter.  Dre had wanted her from the moment he saw her, head down carry books from the library. Cane told him to forget it. No man had ever gotten to Kira. Man she a pro at shooting n****s down bro, she not like these other chicks. She don't care about the streets. You just gonna waste ya time wit her.

 

Dre nodded his head but he wasn't really listening.  Instead he developed a plan to garner her attention. He started staking out the library everyday. He took the same route she took home every single day. He learned her habits and had her schedule down pact. Kira noticed him, but she was not amused. One day, when she knew he was lurking, she closed her books and walked straight over to him and stood in front of him. Dre looked her up and down and could not help but to lick his lips. Kira looked like every man's dream. At 5'6, she was proportioned perfectly with chocolate brown skin that seemed to glisten. Her hair was pulled neatly into a bun and her thighs were perfectly thick. He got so lost in thoughts of her wrapping them around him that he was startled when she cleared her throat.

 

"What up Miss?"

 

"Look, I know dope boys don't read."

 

"Who says they don't?" Dre responded with a smirk.

 

"Boy, what do you want?" Kira’s face was flat.

 

Dre wanted to kiss her right then and there, but he tried to play it cool. He was not use to a woman not giving him the time of day, nor was he used to working so hard to get one to. He stood up and looked into her brown eyes and liked what he saw. Something about her forced him to honest.

 

"I want to take you out."

 

Kira smiled and Dre knew he had her.

 

"Oh is that all? That's easy, No."

 

Kira walked away and went back to the table to pack up her books. Dre followed her and placed his hand on her books. Startled, she looked back at him, not knowing what to do next. Most men were so put off by her attitude that they took the “no” and walked away. Dre was definitely not like most men.

 

"You're mean as hell. But it's cool. I'm gonna be here every single day. And I'll ask you out every single day. And then I will walk you home. Every. single. day. I got time sweetheart.”

 

Kira was slightly taken aback but found herself amused by his tenacity.

 

"But don't you have a corner to stand on somewhere?"

 

"That is what my soldiers do.  I'm not a corner boy, love."

 

Kira was even more intrigued. Hmm not a corner boy.

 

"Your hand is on my books."

 

Dre moved his hand and smiled as Kira rushed to put her books away. She grabbed her back pack and headed for the door. Mentally she was chastising herself for even paying him any attention.  She turned around last time and saw Dre smiling with dimples so deep you could pour water in them.

 

"Every. Single. Day." He repeated.

 

She turned around and secretly prayed he was a man of his word.

 

And to her delight he was. Dre showed up everyday for 19 days before she finally acquiesced and went out with him. From the first date, Dre gave her the world. Anywhere she wanted to go and anything she wanted to do, they did. However what she loved most about Dre was that he never interfered with her education.  He became her biggest cheerleader and a stickler for her deadlines.  If her grades slipped, he stepped off.  He would cut communication and disappear leaving her upset but even more motivated. Dre was smart, though most people didn’t know it. He got his high school diploma, graduating at the top of his class. Kira's brain was her most attractive quality to him and he was determined to make sure that she used it.

 

As a couple, they became the envy of everyone. Women hated her because Dre claimed her publicly and spoiled her rotten. His crew was wary of her because the more educated she became, the more Dre brought her into the business. When they married, Kira was only twenty and pregnant with their daughter. They went to the courthouse and their vows were simple "Day One."  And they began a life that was beautiful, but not without trouble. They had lived through everything in the past decade the drug raids, the trials, the women, the bids upstate. No matter what it was, they never faltered. Kira learned quickly and developed a thick skin. She played her position well and refused to let the business fall of regardless of what Dre was facing. Employees learned to report her and take her at her word. He never even flinched when things happened because he had trusted her so deeply.

 

Kira traced her fingers in a circle in the carpet wondering what was going through Dre's head. She had gotten slightly comfortable with the silence when she heard a huge boom and the wardrobe shook.

 

"F**K!" She screamed as she scrambled away from the wardrobe and across the room.

 

"OP.EN.THE.DOOR.KI.RA"

 

With each syllable, Dre kicked the door. The officially shattered and there would be no truce.

 

"I'm not doing s**t!"

 

"When I get in that room, I'm gonna..."

 

"Kill me? The woman you love and the mother of your children?!"

 

The banging stopped and Kira knew that she had reached him. If there was one soft spot in Dre it was for his children. He was a proud father and would do anything for them, even if he wouldn't for Kira.

 

"Who's going to take care of our babies if I'm dead and you're in jail?!"

 

"That was low Kira. Using the kids. F*****g low."

 

Moments later, the banging resumed.  Kira closed her eyes strained by her failure.

 

Hot tears began to stream down her face and panic bubbled in her stomach like bile. Pain and fear were scraping her insides and it hurt to breathe. She thought about jumping out of the window but knew that if she hurt herself when she landed, Dre would surely drag her back into the house and end her life. She covered her mouth with both of her hands to muffle her sobs mixed with screams.  Out of the corner of her eyes she saw the picture of her children in a sterling silver frame by the bed. She walked over and picked it up. Tracing her fingers on the photo of her son and her daughter smiling back at her, she thought about how much she loved being a mother and how much being there for them meant everything thing in the world to her.

 

Kira grabbed her phone put of her back pocket and proceeded to dial her mother's number. As the phone rang she used the few seconds to take deep breaths and steady her voice. Her mother would panic if she heard the slightest ounce distress in her voice, all Kira wanted to know was that her babies were ok and safe. If her children were safe, it would make this a bit easier on her. She had to know the two things that she would die for, were alive and happy. That would be her motivation to live.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

III

 

"Hey baby girl, I was just about to call you," Kira's mother Ada chirped into the phone. "Your little boy is about to eat me out of house and home!"

 

Ada ended her comment with a laugh. Her innocent and oblivious joy made Kira smile just a little. The fear that had a hold on her seemed to fade away for a small moment and for that, Kira was grateful.

 

"Hey Ma. How are my babies?" Kira heard her voice crack and prayed her mother had not heard it. She could not afford to add to the drama of the day.

 

"Oh they are just fine honey. Lil Dre is eating every five minutes and all Nia can talk about is her birthday next week. She wants me to make her my famous lemon and vanilla cake. Which of course I am going to do because it’s what Grandma’s do….”

 

Kira let her ramble on and on about themes for a birthday party and taking her to get her nails done and several other things that began to sound like a barrage of white noise. She would have let it go on forever except for the fact that she heard tires screeching. Covering the bottom of the phone, she moved over to the window to see Geo’s white Porsche pulling up to the front of the house and Geo and Cane hopping out of it and racing to the house.

 

What the f**k are they doing here? Did Dre call them for help killing me?

 

Panicked, she looked back at the phone and knew that this conversation about all things normal with her mother had to come to a quick and abrupt end. Geo and Cane being added to the drama was bound to make matters worse. As scared as she was, she could not raise any suspicion with her mother. She decided to end the conversation before her mother heard anything abnormal.

 

“Ma, I know we have tons to talk about but I have to go. Kiss my babies for me.”

 

“But Kira….”

 

“I will call you later Ma. I promise. Love you.”

 

Tossing the phone to the side she hurriedly moved over to the part of the door that was not covered by the wardrobe, trying desperately to hear what was going on in the hallway. She peeked through a small opening trying to see what the situation was escalating to. It sounded like a confrontation, which seemed odd given he fact that Dre had spent hours fighting her over their accusations. She did her best to ascertain why Dre was hostile to the two people he was using to turn against her. She pressed her ear to the door and heard a gunshot. She jumped back from the door and covered her mouth. Her instincts wanted her to move the wardrobe and find out who shot the gun and if there were injuries but she knew that the three of them could kill her and dispose of her with ease. They had done it to their worst enemies and in Dre’s eyes she was just that.

 

 

 

All of a sudden she heard Dre yell.

 

“DO NOT COME UP HERE GEO. I TOLD YOU TO STAY THE F**K AWAY FROM MY FAMILY AND ME! YOU STARTED THIS S**T AND NOW YOU WANT TO PLAY HERO?! GET THE F**K OUT OF HERE!”

 

“Dre, I need you to calm down Bro. I gave you the information but I did not think you would go crazy. Come on man, it’s your wife, Cane is your family.”

 

She could hear Dre pacing the hallway again. He was agitated and exhibited movements more like a wild beast than an angry husband. The stairs creaked again and another shot rang out.

 

“I SAID DO NOT COME UP HERE MUTHAFUCKA! CANE! YOU COME UP HERE.”

 

“Nah Dre,” Cane boomed in his thick baritone. “I’m not coming up there. You have lost it Bro. You aren’t even thinking right now.”

 

“N***A YOU CAN TELL ME MY WIFE WAS IN YOUR BED BUT YOU CAN’T FACE ME?!  NAH F***A! GET UP HERE!”

 

Another gunshot followed. The stairs began to creak again and Kira knew that Cane was moving up the stairs towards Dre. Geo chimed in.

 

“Dre! If you don’t stop this, you are gonna do something you can’t take back man. This is gonna get ugly. If we could just….”

 

“GEO, I SAID SHUT UP!”

 

Another gunshot. Kira moved away from the door. Fear gripped her heart in a way it had not earlier. Dre was shooting at men he had sworn his loyalty to men who had taken bullets for him and taken every direction he had ordered to them over the past decade. These men were the Godfathers to his children, had been there when Dre’s own family turned on him and now he was using them for target practice. This meant that no one was safe. Dre did not trust anyone and everyone was subject to the wrath of what was going on his head.  Though she had know about his business and his reputation for being ruthless and callous when it came to the regard for human life, but she had never seen him actually attempt take a life so easily.

 

Kira ran to the window to see cops pulling up outside and knew that they had heard the shots. They were scrambling to get into riot gear and into position. The detectives were staring at the windows, looking for a sign of what was truly happening in the house. Kira’s cell phone vibrated on the bed. She stared at it and then looked at the female officer who was nodding at her to answer. Another gunshot went off and the officers flinched. Kira shrieked and dove for the phone. She pushed the “accept” button and walked over to the window. Making eye contact with the officer, she whispered, “Please don’t call here again.”

 

She dropped the phone and ran back to the door.  Looking through the small opening she blood splattered like an exploded orange on their cream walls. A pale Cane was laying inches from Dre gasping for air and clutching his blood soaked shirt in a desperate attempt to apply pressure to his wound. Dre was smart, he wanted Cane to feel the pain he was feeling so he did not give Cane an easy out with a kill shot. Instead he made sure that Cane would writhe in pain and think about his transgressions with every tortured breath.

 

Geo was on the landing half way up the stairs, frozen at the sight of his two brothers. One was dying a belabored death, and the other holding the gun that caused it. Geo kept his hands up even though Dre was busy pacing and occasionally banging on the door to startle Kira.

 

“Dre, brother can we talk?” Geo asked hesitantly. “Brother, we are in a bad space. Cane is going to die if we can’t fix this. Tell me what to do.”

 

Dre stopped pacing. He took of his blue collar shirt and threw it at Geo.

 

“You can cover him up and then shut the f**k up!” Dre boomed.

 

Knowing better than to agitate Dre further, Geo did as he was told. Dre smirked at his fear and obedience. He looked down at Cane and guilt rushed over him. They had been friends since before they knew what a friend truly was. Dre had broken bread with him, covered his back when he had nothing, and celebrated with him when he had everything. Dre had never thought he would see the day that their loyalties would be in question, but now he had but a bullet in his brother. He knew that he had lost all control has he watched the pool of blood grow underneath Cane’s body. He knew that Cane’s mother would spit at her feet when she heard who had killed him and why.  He knew Cane’s father, brothers and uncles would want to retaliate. He knew Cane would die and that his family would never forgive him. But he also knew that if he had let Cane walk away unscathed, he would never forgive himself. Dre shrugged his shoulders, and then slid down the wall. He knew the end was near, but he was resigned to the fact that it was necessary. He stared intently at Geo who was trying to tend to Cane who was no longer conscious.  “It is what it is,” he whispered and pumped two bullets into Geo’s body.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bittersweet

 

The hours had weighed on Kira and she had no fight left.  Her voice had grown hoarse from yelling and pleading with Dre and her mind was exhausted. There was no way to prove her innocence. No grand gesture to show her loyalty, except for one.

 

She traced her fingers over the gun that sat beside her on the bed. Today had taken the very safe part of her away but she would rather die for the truth than lose everything that mattered because of two cowards, who were clearly not above ruining her life and her family.

 

Grabbing her cell phone she dialed her mother’s number one more time. With each ring she tried to formulate what she would say when she answered. She wanted to talk to her babies and tell them how much she loves them and how this was all for the family she cherished more than her own life. She wanted to tell her mother that she could have never ever hoped for a better mother than her. She wanted to make sure that she knew that every lesson she had been taught had been worth it and not to cry or hate Dre for this because it was her decision. She could have easily gone to the cops but she could not destroy him. She had to let him destroy himself.

 

Ada’s voicemail came on and rather than leave a cryptic message, she hung up the phone and prayed her mother would understand in due time. Kira walked over to the window one last time and saw the cops still deciphering and analyzing how to end this situation but she already had the solution to their dilemma, a finale to this grand drama.

 

Kira made eye contact with a female officer who alerted another officer that started to walk toward the house. Kira shook her head “No” stopping the officer in his tracks. Interference would just prolong the task at hand. It was time to face her accuser. No more arguing, no more defending. She had decided that whatever Dre had in store for her, she was willing to take it. Her innocence was giving her confidence and she prayed that their love would change his mind once they were face to face.

 

With a sigh and one last silent prayer to God, she began to slowly move the wardrobe from the door. Almost immediate she saw Dre jiggling the handle and trying to force the door.  Doubt crept up on Kira almost immediately and she contemplated signaling to the police to save her, but she knew it would end up causing Dre pain and even though she was scared to death, she still could not hurt him. Her peace had been made with the situation.

 

Opening the door, she came face to face with her husband. He did not look like the man she had vowed to never leave. He looked like the many people he had warned her to stay away from. A crazed, psychotic killer who thrived on bloodshed. For the first time, he looked like the killer that the streets had feared for years. But she did not blink nor did she dare move. She tried to read him but he was vapid. The coldness in his eyes made her aware of her mortality. Every cell in her body was regretting her decision to face Dre but she knew there was little choice in the matter. It was either her or her husband and she would not let him die in her place.

 

Dre stood in front of her with his hulking shoulders and reached for Kira. She flinched but did not move. His hand landed on her arm and for a moment it felt like reassurance until she felt the pressure increasing, crushing her arm. Pain started going up Kira’s arm and she fought to pull away. The thickness and strength of Dre’s hand forbade her movement.

 

“You opened the door.” Dre said, his voice almost a whisper.

 

“Yea.”

 

“Not smart.”

 

Kira jerked away from him again, her eyes never leaving his.

 

“Let me go.” Kira did not dare raise her voice. She did not want to be defiant just released.

 

“You opened the door.”

 

“I did. Now let me go.”

 

“No, I want you to look me in my face and tell me....”

 

A police officer speaking over the loud speaker interrupted Dre’s speaking.

 

“Mrs. Clayton, This is Sgt. Harrington. I need to know you are ok. If I do not see a sign that you are ok, we will enter the premises.

 

Kira looked at Dre and then back at the window. His arm was still holding her in place. She tugged at her arm away again trying to release her arm but all she felt was pain. Dre’s head jerked to the window and that back to her. In all his rage, he had completely ignored the fact that the police might be outside. His history with the police was long and storied and the fact that they were now involved in his personal business enraged him further.

 

“You called the f*****g cops on me?! YOU CALLED THE F*****G COPS?!”

 

Dre tightened his grip on Kira’s arm and her legs bucked from the pain but she dared not scream. She looked at him and tried to find her words.  The officer came over the loud speaker again.

 

“Mrs. Clayton, we have the house surrounded. If you do not give us a sign that you are alive and unharmed, we will enter the premises. I repeat, we will enter the premises.”

 

Kira stared at the window again.

 

“Dre, let me go. I have to tell them I am ok.”

 

“I would have never taken you for the snitch type. I am your husband.”

 

Kira stood up and looked him in the eye. She could be called many things but no part of her was a snitch and she would not let him call her one. It was bad enough he thought she was a traitor and a liar but she would be damned to hell if he thought he was going to call her a snitch.

 

“F**K YOU AND LET ME GO DAMNNIT BEFORE PHILADELPHIA’S FINEST RUN UP IN HERE AND BLOW SEVERAL HOLES IN YOUR A*S.”

 

Dre thought about it for a second and released his hold on Kira.

 

“Go.”

 

Smoothing back her hair, she tried not to look frazzled as she walked to the window and gave a thumbs up. The lawn was filled with more cops than before and now there were TV crews who had joined the chaos. Kira looked at the clock and sighed heavily. It was close to time for the 5 PM news and she knew her mother would be watching. Kira grabbed her phone and saw that there were 16 missed calls. Her text messages were filled with texts from her mother and sister. Each text was more frantic than the last. She wanted to respond but Dre was moving closer to her.

 

“What the f**k are you doing Kira?”

 

“Nothing,” she said walking toward the window an in sight of the police again. Dre recognized her intent and backed away.

 

“Coward.” He mumbled.

 

Kira’s phone began to ring again and she turned it off.  She was going to face Dre head on. She heard a moan in the hallway and saw Geo crawling to towards the stairs. Dre caught her line of sight and turned to see Geo gasping for air and struggling in the hallway. Kira tried to grab his attention again. Though Geo was the root of all of this trouble she did not want to see her child’s godfather lose his life in this way. They had been through too much.

 

“Dre!”

 

He stopped and turned to face her. The fire in his eyes made her calculate if she could really make it past him and to the door. She decided that if she wanted to save Geo she had to try.  Kira took a deep breath and tried to run past him. Dre grabbed her instantly.  He squeezed her waist with enough force to make her gag.

 

“Dre stop!! LET ME GO!!” She tugged at his arms trying to release the hold before she vomited all over the floor.

 

Her eyes darted over to Geo who was now near the stairs. He was coughing up blood but his eyes seemed to offer gratuity at the distraction she created. Fearing it was not enough she continued to fight Dre, swinging at his face, and screaming wildly, praying that Geo would make it down the stairs at the very least.

 

The ruckus she was creating, alerted the police who once again came across the loud speaker.

 

“Mrs. Clayton, we are preparing to send officers in to the home. We need to end this hostile situation. I need to see your face to know where in the home you are. Show me your face.”

 

The officer’s words registered immediately and she stopped fighting Dre who had been trying to control her arms. He clearly did not want to hurt her unless he had to. Dre was strong enough to snap her in two if he had really wanted to. Hearing what the officer had said, he gripped her tighter and moved towards the window. He placed the gun on the bed and he made sure to keep her in front of him. This time he spoke,

 

“I am not armed. This is a private dispute with my wife and she is not in any danger. You are creating a scene and it’s not helping.”

 

“Mr. Clayton, DeAndre is it? We are here because your neighbors heard gunshots and through infrared, we know that there are at least two injured in the home. We will not be leaving until you release your wife.

 

“Release my wife?!” Dre was becoming enraged and he gripped Kira tighter. She struggled not to cry out but the pressure of his hold was too much and she let out a loud wail.

 

“Mr. Clayton, I need you to…”

 

“RELEASE MY WIFE?! IS THAT WHAT YOU NEED? HOW ABOUT I RELEASE HER RIGHT OUT OF THE WINDOW?!”

 

Dre lifted Kira and tried to swing her towards the window. Kira grabbed at anything she could find to prevent falling three stories. The officers below scrambled to be in some form of position to attempt to catch her should Dre actually have tossed her out of the window.

 

“MR. CLAYTON, THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO HANDLE THE SITUATION. YOU ARE ONLY MAKING THINGS WORSE.”

 

Dre laughed at the notion that things could get any worse and grimaced at Kira who was now shaking in his arms. She was tired, weak, sweaty, and now given Dre’s mental state, she was certain that he would kill her when it was all said and done. She writhed in pain and tried to muster up more energy to fight but she was certain that it would do little good.

 

“Dre, please” she whispered. “Please just talk to me. If they see we are ok, they will leave and you and I can clean all this mess up. Do it for our babies. PLEASE.”

 

He turned her around and looked at her, his eyes wild and trying to discern if he could trust anything she was saying. She knew that he wanted to believe her. Reaching up to touch his face, she knew it was a risk but if he could even believe one word she said, maybe there was hope to end all of this. He allowed her hand to his face and closed his eyes. For a moment, he reverted back to the man she loved. Her heart slowed down for a minute.

 

“Dre, baby. I don’t know what Geo and Cane told you but I….”

 

Dre opened his eyes and threw Kira on the floor. Kira screamed as she hit her head on the mahogany bedpost. The room went black and Kira drifted willingly into the darkness. She went willingly into safety.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sink Or Swim

 

 The cold water splashing on her face jolted Kira from the darkness. Tears followed as she realized it was not over as she had thought it would be when she passed out. As she attempted to raise herself up on her elbows, she noticed Dre’s feet pacing back and forth. He stopped when he saw her struggling to brace herself. He fell to his knees and stared at her. His face was tear stained and his eyes were red. Kira studied him. His face did not read as angry but as a mixture of concern and relief.

 

“I, I thought you were dead. You, I mean I…the water was the only thing that I knew would wake you up.”

 

Kira said nothing.  She struggled to lift herself up and flinched as she saw Dre’s hand coming towards her.  He pulled his hand back.

 

“Please don’t” Kira whispered.

 

She turned and grabbed at the silver comforter to try and pull herself up. Once she got high enough she positioned herself on the bed and then felt around her head to located the wound. There was a bloody gash on the left side of her head. Her ebony hair was matted and caked with blood and she felt another gash near her ear.  Every part of her ached. She looked at Dre in disbelief.

 

He had moved to the other side of the room in his favorite chair with his head in his hands. Kira looked towards the door. She has reasoned that if she could stand up with out falling, it could be her best shot at leaving this situation alive.

 

“Kira, don’t” Dre muttered as if he has been reading her mind. “I don’t want to have to hurt you again. The first time was not intentional, but I cannot promise that the next time won’t be.”

 

Kira walked over to the window to see if the police were still there. She was shocked to see the police presence had grown. It looked as if every cop in the city was sitting on their block. SWAT teams were assembled and there was even one perched by her front door

 

Jesus Christ they don’t want us to come out of here alive. She thought to herself. She made eyes with the commanding officer that stopped all of the other officers’ movement. He was looking for a sign to send people in the house to rescue her and kill her husband. She mouthed “No” and walked away from the window.

 

Sitting back down on the bed she focused on her gaze on Dre. Her husband was bruised and bloodied. The King she knew him to be did not exist. From the very bottom of her soul, she wanted to touch him and attempt to make everything better. Looking in the mirror above their bed, she saw the damage to her face for the first time. She did not recognize herself. Her caramel skin was blue and purple in places and blood splattered in others. There was no trace of the beauty she had once taken so much pride in.  Rage shook the very core of her. Her hands were swollen and it looked like her left pinky was broken. All of this over lies. Lies that his “brothers” told him.

 

Kira tasted blood. She turned spit it out on the expensive carpet. Dre did not move at all. Kira walked over and stood in front of him.

 

“Is this what you wanted?”

 

Dre remained still.

 

“DEANDRE ELIAS CLAYTON. LOOK AT ME.”

 

Dre shifted but did not raise his eyes to meet hers. Kira was infuriated but knew better than to put her hands on him. Putting her hands on him was almost certainly going to lead to a coroner having to confirm her cause of death to her mother and her children.

 

“Fine, don’t look at me, Coward” she spat, turning and walking towards the door.

 

With the swiftness of a predatory cat, Dre grabbed her from behind and slammed her down on the bed. His breathing was heavy and his jaw was tight. He flipped her over and wrapped his hands around her throat, pressed his full weight on her and stared at her almost daring her to fight back. As much as she wanted to fight back, there was no possible way that she could.

 

“You wanted me to look at you. Now I am looking at you,” Dre hissed. “Now I am going to ask you a series of questions. Every time I feel like you are lying I will squeeze tighter. Do you understand?”

 

Kira met his eyes and nodded.

 

“Good,” His voice leveled off and he sounded calm. “Now let’s start with Cane telling me that he has been inside my wife. Has he been inside my wife Kira?”

 

Kira struggled for breath. Any ounce of panic would make it harder to breathe.

 

“No. Never”

 

She waited for his hands to tighten around her neck, but they didn’t. His face remained expressionless but she knew he believed her.

 

“I know you haven’t. I never took you for a w***e. I knew my wife could not have been one. You have been loyal to me since day one, at least in bed.  Now on to the subject of my money, where is it? And why did Geo tell me my adoring wife has it?”

 

Kira swallowed hard. She knew that Geo had taken money but how could she prove it? Geo had told him the lie and now he was lying in their hallway bleeding to death. If he didn’t believe him, they knew there was no way he would believe her. The security tapes reset every seven days, and the money was taken over a month ago. Her mind raced as she struggled to remain composed.

 

“I don’t have it.”

 

Dre’s hands tightened around her throat.

 

“Wrong answer.”

 

Kira gagged and began to grab at his hands.

 

“I just shot my best friends and now I have to trust you but I do not quite understand why no one knows where my money is…”

 

A banging downstairs stopped Dre mid-sentence. More banging froze him completely. He did not release his hold on Kira’s throat as he looked over his shoulder and listened intently. The sound of people moving around downstairs drew a fear in Kira. The police had decided to enter the home. Dre stared back at her panicked.

 

“Look at what you have done Kira! If you had just talked to me, we could have…” Dre’s voice drifted off as the noises increased and drew closer. “They are going to kill me Kira. I killed Geo and Cane because of you! Because they were snakes and they had turned on my wife and raised doubts about you, valid doubts.”

 

He squeezed tighter and Kira began to flail her arms. She was reaching for something, anything to save her life.

 

“Now they will come in this room and shoot me to save you. And if I don’t die, I will be in prison until I do.”

 

Dre squeezed even harder.  Kira looked into his eyes and saw the eyes of her son and daughter. The children she had laid down and created with a man she would have readily died for. Two beautiful children who had become her entire world. A world that she was not in any way ready to lose over money, drugs and lies. She fought back ferociously, kicking her legs and flailing her arms, hoping Dre would realize he could not kill the mother of his children. As they wrestled and slid down to the floor, Kira felt her lungs beginning to spasm. She could hear the police moving around the house and Dre grunting, trying to maintain his hold on her throat.  She grabbed a hold of something hard and metal and jabbed it into his side. His eyes narrowed and he attempted to squeeze her throat tighter. Kira squeezed tight her on the metal object. She heard a crack and then felt an explosion. Dre’s hand released her throat.

Kira crawled into the corner still clutching the object. She looked back at Dre and saw the growing red stain on his shirt. A panic rose in her chest and she crawled back over to Dre desperate to help.

 

“NO! NO! NO!” She wailed looking for a way to stop the bleeding.

 

Dre said nothing as he gasped for air. Kira looked down on him knowing that this was the end. It was not supposed end this way. Fairytales like the one she had been living for years were not supposed to end with blood and lies.  She grabbed the comforter and pressed it on to his stomach where she saw the blood coming from. The more the blood drenched the comforter the more she sobbed.

 

“SOMEBODY HELP ME! HELP ME!”

 

Kira placed her hand on his face and then leaned in to kiss him.

 

“Baby I’m so sorry,” she sobbed.

 

He opened his mouth to say something and coughed up blood. Kira tried to wipe it away to help him breath. A moment later, a swat team burst through the door and pulled her off of him. Kira fought to get back to him as he lay dying.

 

“NO, NO PLEASE LET ME BE WITH HIM! PLEASE!”

 

A female officer pulled her away and ushered her downstairs without saying a word.

As she was walked to a waiting police car, she saw all of her neighbors staring at her. They were mumbling and pointing. Others were sobbing and hugging each other. A male officer placed a blanket around her shoulders and put her into the car.

 

Kira lost track of time as the world swarmed around her. Officers gathering evidence, marking off the property, asking her questions, everyone moving around her but too much confusion for her to truly take in. She watched like a zombie as they removed each body from the house. One black body bag after another. When the last one was removed Kira began to bang on the window of the car. The officers look at her and kept moving. She watched them take away her husband and just like that, her world was over.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aftermath

 

Kira refused to go to the hospital. Thought the paramedics and police advised her otherwise. She wanted to go straight to the police station and call her sister. Her life, or what was left of it could not be repaired at any hospital. The female officer who had been with her since they removed her from the home, did her best to bandage the visible wounds on Kira and stop any bleeding.  Kira wanted to be grateful to her but she knew that the night was far from over. The reality of what had transpired over the last 24 hours had come over her and all she wanted to do was see her babies.

 

For now, she sat in a stark interrogation room of the 12^th police district waiting on someone to come and talk to her and tell her what to do next. Normally she would go into damage control but she had no idea what do when she was the one who caused the damage. She had made the phone calls to her mother and sister and tried to close her eyes while people bustled around her and moved into and out of the room. She put her head down on the table and wished she could just make the whole world stop.

 

After a few hours, a heavyset male detective came in the room and sat down in front of her. He placed the folder that was under his arm on the table and opened it. After flipping threw a few pages he closed it and folded his hands.

 

“Mrs. Clayton?”

 

Kira raised her head and sat back. The female officer that had been helping her all night came back in the room and sat down at the table. The male officer continued talking.

 

“I can’t begin to imagine what you have been through today. The trauma you have suffered. I want to first offer my condolences on the death of your husband and his friend…

 

“Wait friend? There were 3 people shot.”

 

“Yes, three shot and 2 fatalities,” the officer looked through the file again. “You husband and Cane Stewart.”

 

Kira sat back and tried to process the death of her husband and best friend. She looked down at her bloodstained clothes and shivered. The female officer eased over to her.

 

“Are you ok?”

 

“I, I’m fine. What else do I need to know? Or what is it you need from me?”

 

The male officer stared at her for a moment, cleared his throat and continued.

 

“We have been investigating and there are still officers are on the scene. You will not be able to go home right now. Is there someone you can stay with?”

 

“I won’t be going back there. I…. I can’t.”

 

Her voice started to crack as she thought about the disarray of her home. How could she ever walk in that home again knowing that her husband lost her life at her hands? She wished that she could tell them to just destroy it. It wasn’t worth anything to her anymore. Mentally she made a note to tell her sister to call a professional cleaning service and a realtor. The male officer paused her to look at her and closed the file.

 

“Mrs. Clayton, are you sure that you want to give up your home? I know that this is a lot to process but you have a beautiful home and it would be a shame…”

 

She was too tired to be persuaded.

 

“I cannot live in my husband’s grave. Have you heard from my sister?”

 

The officer was taken a back by her abruptness but charged it to shock. He leaned into the table and studied her face. He was silently looking for answers as to how such a pretty woman could end up with a drug dealer who would put her in a position that would leave her with such a mess.

 

“How much did you know about your husband’s…activities?”

 

Kira leaned back in the chair and folded her arms.  She knew that this line of questioning was coming. She had hoped to avoid it but there was truly no way around it. Her husband had been on law enforcement’s radar for several years. They had watched him incessantly and her as well.  Kira looked into the detective’s eyes and knew that no matter what she said, he would only believe what he already knew. Her business side kicked back in and her face remained stoic. She had been here before and had no patience for repeated questions asked a hundred different ways in an attempt to make her reveal something about her life or her husband’s.

 

“I didn’t know anything about it.”

 

“Are you sure? Because if you are lying….”

 

“I don’t know anything. Am I being charged?”

 

The Detective shook his head, got up and left the room. Kira could hear a conversation being had outside of the door. She looked at the female officer who was looking at the paper work in her hand. The female officer looked at her and then back at the male officer and nodded. Seconds later she was back in the room. Kira decided to be nice to her.

 

“I didn’t get to ask your name in all of this and it seems everyone in this precinct and probably the city knows mine by now. So what is your name?”

 

The female officer bristled. Kira was slightly shocked at her reaction. The officer had been helping her through so much during that day and now she was being cold. Kira looked back down at her hands. They were still stained with her husband’s blood.

 

“Those marks on your neck? You should have them looked at.” The officer said not looking up from the paperwork.

 

Kira touched her neck unaware that her husband’s hands had bruised her neck. In all of the trauma she had forgotten about her injuries. She ran her hand across her swollen face and cringed a little. It was another part of her that had to heal.

 

“I didn’t even realize it was that bad. I just…when everything is bad. Nothing out weighs the other, you know?”

 

“No, I don’t know.”

 

The officer put the folder on the table and looks Kira in the eye. Her directness and bluntness was comforting to Kira. At least she wasn't pretending to like her or offering fake concern like the other officers in the station were.

 

Shaking her head, she got up and walked out of the room slamming the door. A few minutes later she returned with and ice pack wrapped in a towel and handed it to Kira.

 

"Put this on your neck, it will help with the bruising."

 

Kira took the ice pack and did as she was told, careful to avoid the officer's eyes.

 

"Do I need to call a lawyer or something?"

 

"Freeman."

 

"Excuse me?"

 

"My name is Officer Sharla Freeman."

 

"Oh."

 

"Your mother is outside. We called her an hour ago."

 

"How much does she know?" A panic washed over Kira. She had not wanted her mother to have to deal with this situation. Not without hearing it from her first.

 

"We took her into a room and told her everything."

 

Kira placed the ice pack on the table and leaned back. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had no control over anything anymore. Not even her own story. She did not open her eyes as she asked,

 

"So what now?"

 

Officer Freeman walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. Kira opened her eyes and braced herself for the bad news. A night or several nights in jail would not mean much, but she had no desire to do it.

 

"You go home to your kids."

 

"What?"

 

"Mrs. Clayton, all of the evidence suggests that you were assaulted and had to defend yourself. The DA is not interested in charging you in this crime. It was self-defense. And today you lost your husband. And you have two young children who need you. You look like you have been through war and by all accounts you have. I have witnessed the horror of your life shattering and I wanted to be the one to tell you that it is time for you to go home. We are done here.”

 

Officer Freeman opened the door and Ada walked through it. She paused upon seeing the damage to Kira’s face. Tears filled her eyes and she stretched out her arms. Kira ran willing into them and sobbed as she clung to her mother for dear life. Ada hung on to her youngest daughter and touched the wound on her head. She looked at the blood on her hand when she pulled it away. Gripping Kira, she tried to imagine the pain that she was in and the fear she had been wracked with. Kira just held on tight to the one person she had left.

 

“It’s gonna be ok baby. It’s gonna be ok.”

 

“He’s dead Ma!” Kira sobbed. “My baby is dead Ma! What am I gonna do?”

 

Ada had no answers for her daughter. She stood there and rocked her slowly.

 

“We will figure it out baby. Let’s go home.”

 

“I want to see my babies.”

 

“I know. Faye is with them. Let’s go.”

 

Ada and Kira left the station. Before they got to the car, Officer Freeman stopped them one last time.

 

“Mrs. Clayton, I need you to promise me that you will get checked out. That wound on your head is concerning.

 

Kira nodded in agreement and got into her mother’s Lexus SUV. Her mother mouthed a “thank you” to Officer Freeman.  While her mother took the winding roads that lead to the Philadelphia suburb, Kira focused on what she had lost. She did not care about her face or the wound on her head. Her mind was focused on her babies and the father that they would one day barely remember. She contemplated the funerals and hatred and pain and accusations that would come from the families who once embraced her as their own. She looked down at her wedding ring, a symbol of love and commitment. The preacher had said for better or for worse but they never told her what happened when you reached the worst. They never told her that one day, she would have to choose between love and survival. To her it all seemed unfair. To be left with the pieces, so shattered and splintered. Kira silently wished she could trade places with Dre. At least he was free.

 

Ada pulled the Lexus into the driveway and Faye came running out of the house to them. Kira eased out of the car and Faye enveloped her immediately. She tried to hug her back but the adrenaline had worn of and fatigue had overcome her. Faye ushered her into the house and Kira immediately began looking for her children.

 

“Where are my babies Faye?”

 

“They are upstairs, in bed. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

 

“No, I want…”

 

“Kira they cannot see you like this. You would scare them. Please let us clean you up.”

 

Faye led Kira to the bathroom. Once in front of the mirror, Kira was horrified. Her face was swollen, blood was caked on her mouth and teeth and her hair was matted to her head. The front of her shirt was covered in blood though she was unsure if it was hers or Dre’s. Her hands were swollen and scrapped and her eyes were encased in black circles. The wound on her head was oozing and throbbing. She touched it and winced from the pain. Faye began running a bath and peeled the clothes from Kira’s small frame. Kira eased into the bath and let the warm water take her thoughts away. Faye dabbed at her wounds with peroxide causing her to flinch occasionally.

 

“I know it hurts Kiki, I’m sorry.”

 

After her wounds were cleaned, Faye bandaged her head and gave her sweats to wear. The silence between them was loud but Faye knew better than to push Kira to place she was running from.

 

Kira ached as she walked the down the hall of her childhood home to her mother’s guest room and opened the door. Nia and Lil’Dre were lying nestled in the bed. They were peaceful with no idea of the day events or how soon their innocence would end. She could not protect them from it and it was all her fault. They would not understand but their resilience would be her salvation. Kira covered her mouth and wept silently. She was on a path only she and her babies could walk. She walked over to the bed and carefully moved them apart. She slid in between them and pulled them close. Holding them to her she took in their scent and knew that no matter what, this is the part of her she needed to keep safe. It was all that was left of her and Dre. And all there ever needed to be.

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

This is still a bit rough, but I want to know how it reads.

Reviews

[BloodbathUnited]

I personally was moved emotionally by this story. I really liked this and it made me want to read it more and more. It really is a great story.