Part 1 (2/2)
Aries wrapped the ap.r.o.n around her summer dress and pulled up her long hair as she prepared her family's breakfast. After Robyn's execution, she had caught a late flight back to her home in Barbados. Going back had sparked a lot of bad memories for her. Ever since she saw the drugs enter Robyn's system, she had been having visions of blood on her hands. Her conscience was playing tricks on her, and deep regret had begun to fill her soul as she thought of all the reckless murders she had taken part in. She could have easily been in Robyn's shoes.
The red tint that stained her hands was only visible to Aries. She felt as if she were losing her mind, and as a tear slipped from her eye, she rushed to the stainless steel sink. She rubbed her hands together vigorously under the cold, flowing water and took deep breaths as she closed her eyes. It's not real. You don't live that life anymore. Forgive yourself, she thought.
When her nerves had settled and her pulse had slowed, she slowly opened her eyes. She sighed in relief as she turned off the faucet and went back to cooking for her family.
When she had first exited the game, her paranoia had almost driven her crazy. Everyone was somebody to her-somebody who wanted to see her dead. The mailman, the lady cas.h.i.+er at the local market, even her next door neighbor: She had suspected them all of being out to get her. It had taken her five long years to transition into a normal lifestyle, and she refused to allow the corruption of L.A. to set her back in her old ways.
”Mama!”
The tiny voice behind her made her smile, and she turned to greet her three-year-old son. He stood in front of her wearing Batman pajamas and a huge smile. He ran toward her at full speed and leapt into her open arms.
”Hey, mama's baby. Oh my goodness, I missed you,” she whispered as she snuggled his neck and gave him a million kisses all over his face.
”I missed you too,” her son replied. Seeing his innocent face instantly turned her mood around and her spirits went from low to high.
Aries scooped him up in her arms and said, ”Let's go wake your daddy.”
She carried her son up to her bedroom, and they both hopped on top of Prince. He lazily opened his eyes as he pulled her under the covers.
”Hey, baby, what are you doing here? I thought I was supposed to pick you up from the airport after I left the office,” he said as he wiped the sleep from his eyes and adjusted the hard-on in his linen pajama pants.
”I flew back early. I wanted to see my two men off this morning,” she said sweetly. One would have never known that this island beauty had a sinister past.
He cuddled with his wife and son, then discreetly reached in between her legs, fondling her juicy c.l.i.t.
”Hmm-hmm, boy. Don't even try it,” she said with a seductive smile. ”You know your son is not having that.”
He put his hand over his face and shook his head with a knowing smile. ”I swear that boy has a radar or something. A n.i.g.g.a can't get no p.u.s.s.y while he is awake,” Prince commented playfully.
Their son hopped up and down at the end of the mattress, and Aries chuckled softly. ”I made you two breakfast. We'll be downstairs waiting on you,” she announced before grabbing her son's hand and walking out of the room.
Her life now was so simple, and although at times it felt slow, she had to remind herself that it didn't carry the same risks as the one she used to lead. She had left the streets alone a long time ago, and she vowed that nothing would ever pull her back in. The allure of it all wasn't worth it anymore. When she was young and reckless, it all seemed like a big adventure, but now, at the age of thirty, she just wanted peace.
It had been five years since her finger had wrapped around a trigger, and she had made a whole new life for herself. In her native country of Barbados, she lived happily and in tranquility. She had told herself that she would never return to the States, but missing Robyn's execution was not an option. The trip had sparked bad memories for her, but as she catered to her family's needs, she shook them off.
Prince joined his wife and son in the kitchen, and Aries admired his handsome appearance. She walked toward him and handed him a plate of food then grabbed his tie and pulled him into her for a kiss. Watching her family do something as simple as enjoying the morning breeze brought pure joy to her heart. After the things her eyes had seen, she was fortunate to live such a tame life. She was the last person who deserved a happy ending, but somehow she had wound up with one.
Aries played the role to perfection as she saw her husband off to work, standing in the doorway with her child in her arms as she waved good-bye. By the time his black S-Cla.s.s disappeared from sight, Tre was dozing off on her shoulder. She closed the door and put him down in his bed.
DING DONG!.
She stood up and shook her head, knowing that Prince had forgotten his briefcase once again. He was so unorganized that she could not understand how he was one of the most prominent accountants in the country. But his client list alone told of his status. She went into his office to retrieve his briefcase, but when she looked behind his desk, it was nowhere to be found. She frowned and looked around in confusion. Prince always kept his briefcase in the same place.
DING DONG!.
The doorbell sounded off again, and she ran down the stairs to answer the door. ”I was going to bring it to you, but-”
Her words stopped when she lifted her head and met eyes with the man who stood before her. Fear paralyzed her, and she felt as if she couldn't breathe. Her killer instincts kicked back in as her hand immediately shot to her waistline, but unfortunately her days of pistol toting were long gone.
Tears filled her eyes as she realized she was about to be murdered while her son slept soundly upstairs. She had known that her past would come back to haunt her one day. She stiffened her jaw and held her head up, preparing to die the Murder Mama way, proud and unflinching.
As her son began crying she winced, knowing that the man before her had no mercy on children. That's when she broke down. It was in that moment that regret filled her heart and she thought back to the very first day that she had crossed this man, wis.h.i.+ng that she could take it all back... .
Chapter One.
Five years earlier.
Robyn and Aries looked at the stacks of hundred and fifty dollar bills scattered all over the red-top pool table. Case slowly circled the table and finished dumping the cash out of the Gucci duffle bag. Casey James, also known as Case, was well over six foot, dark as tar, and as ruthless as they came. Cocaine was the name of the game, and he was the head of the black market of Los Angeles. He was putting his money where his mouth was and was laying out a million dollars of dirty money for the kidnapping of a federal judge's daughter. Case's younger brother was caught with twenty kilos of cocaine a few months back, and his fate rested on the shoulders of the jury and a known racist judge.
”There you go, ladies. One million dollars,” he said as he rested both of his hands on the rim of the pool table and leaned over the pile of money. Aries and Robyn smiled as they looked at the abundance of bills.
”Hold on. Give us a second,” Robyn said as she stepped to the side to have a sidebar with Aries.
”That's a lot of money right there, Aries,” Robyn said as she glanced back at the table.
”I know. But is it worth it?” Aries asked in her heavy island accent as she thought about what task was at hand. Murder was one thing, but to be asked to kidnap someone was a totally different ball game.
”I say go for it,” Robyn said as she thought about the money that they would be leaving on the table if they turned the offer down.
”f.u.c.k it. Let's do it,” Aries said, not caring about the degree of difficulty the job required. She was ready to get paid and willing to go to the extreme to achieve her big payday. They both went to the table, and Case saw the greed in their eyes.
”Deal,” Aries said as she grabbed the bag and began to stuff the money back inside of it. ”We get to keep the bag, right?” Aries said as she gave him a small smirk.
Case smiled back and nodded his head. If it were not for business, he would have pushed up on Aries. She reminded him of Rihanna, and her accent was s.e.xy to him. He quickly dismissed the notion, but not before looking at her slim frame and round a.s.sets.
He was glad that he had gotten plugged in with the infamous Murder Mamas. For a long time, he thought they were a myth, but he quickly was made a believer when they showed up to his spot. After he put the word on the streets that he was looking for them, it did not take them long to find him. He knew that they were the best in the business, and the job he requested needed to be done by the best.
”Okay, look. I've already done my homework on this racist p.r.i.c.k,” Case said as he walked over to his desk that sat in the back of the room and reached into his desk. He pulled out a legal-sized envelope and walked back to them. ”He lives just outside of the city and has a wife and daughter,” he said as he tossed the pictures onto the pool table. There were photos of the fifty-something Caucasian judge kissing his wife and then a picture of him getting into his Benz.
”He leaves for work every morning at seven-fifteen sharp, and the kid gets on the bus at seven o'clock. You guys should catch him coming out and force him back into the house. Don't play with this mu'f.u.c.ka! Establish from the beginning that you guys are willing to kill if not listened to. What I need is for you to enter the home, tie up his wife in front of him, and let him know what it is. I want him to know that if my brother doesn't get a verdict in our favor, it's curtains. His wife will be knocked off,” Case said, meaning every word of it.
He needed someone who wasn't afraid to pull the trigger if needed, and that's exactly why he called on the best in the business. He wasn't taking any chances and resting the fate of his brother in a racist judge's hands. His brother's trial was a no-jury trial because of the notoriety of his crew. The court didn't want to worry about jury tampering, but Case was a step ahead of them. He was going straight to the source with no reservations.
”Say no more,” Aries said as she tossed the bag over her shoulders.
Case then handed the envelope to Robyn, who had a key to the judge's house, his address, and the photos of his wife and kid. They were given all the tools to make it happen smoothly; now the only thing left to do was to execute.
Case watched as the ladies exited through the back door and faded into the black. He smiled while moving the toothpick around in his mouth. He felt good about the money he had spent. The only thing he would have to do at that point was to wait.
”What the f.u.c.k?” Aries whispered under her breath as she glanced at her watch. She noticed that it was 7:30 and Robyn was running late. She was supposed to meet her at the Starbucks around the corner from the judge's home. Aries had been calling Robyn, but her phone kept going to voice mail. ”Come on, gal,” Aries said, her accent being more evident because she was getting upset.
<script>