Ashley's Story: THE LAST CHAPTER (17 page)

Rio and Supreme pulled up behind Mark’s truck. All three men
stepped out of the car at the same time.

“Yo, these Haitian muthafuckas are playing a deadly game.”
The hurt could be heard in Rio’s voice as he spoke. “The bastards got Ashley
and Choice. They kidnapped them when they were at Petey’s gravesite,” Rio
explained. “Ashley and Choice will be home before daylight. That’s my word. You
take care of that problem?”

Mark nodded his head. “Profit and Royce are taken care of. I
made sure of that. This ain’t no Willie type shit. They’re dead and they’re not
coming back,” Mark stated harshly.

“Listen, we have to think of a way to get ‘em back. Let’s
get in the car and figure this shit out because I’m not leaving Miami without
my wife.” Supreme stated.

Rio rubbed his hand down his face in frustration. “Where the
fuck are you, Ash?” he muttered before getting back into the car.

“Where do you think they took them?” Mark asked.

“Finesse's house. Think about it. They don’t think we know
where Finesse stays so that would be the safest place to take them. He wouldn’t
trust anywhere else,” Supreme said.

Rio started the car then looked at the time on the
dashboard. “It should take us less than ten minutes to get to his house.”

Rio pulled off. He was in a race against time. Rio wanted
his lady and unborn child home before the birds began to chirp

“Pull up that seat next to you, Mark. See if I got a few
silencers in there,” Rio stated.

If the silencers weren’t there, it wouldn’t stop them from
doing what they came to do.

***

“Please don’t hurt her,” Ashley pleaded.

He put his finger up to Ashley’s mouth to silence her.
“I’mma go lock the door so Blue won’t disturb us.

 “Choice, listen to me. I’m so sorry I called you to come
here to Miami. You’re in this because of me. I feel like shit, Choice. This
hurts,” Ashley sobbed. “I would give my life for you to be able to walk out of
here. I never ever wanted this to happen. You know this, right?

Choice wiped the side of her face on her shoulder then
nodded her head. “Bear’s always been obsessed with me. I knew he would never
let me live in peace.”

Ashley cried harder. Choice had lost it.

“This isn’t Bear. Bear’s dead, Choice. He’s gone. I need you
to snap out of this. Remember all the things you told me your therapist taught
you? Remember the things she said? Supreme set Bear on fire. You both sat in
the car and watched as the warehouse Bear’s body was in went up in flames. What
I’m saying is truth. Your memories of him are playing tricks with your mind.”

Ashley gagged. She had been trying to hold her vomit down as
best as she could but now it was beginning to tickle the back of her throat.
She turned her head away from Choice and threw up everything she’d eaten that
day. Both girls looked up when Finesse began walking back down the steps.

“Ahhh!” Blue screamed from upstairs. That caught Finesse’s
attention.

He pulled out his gun and pointed it at Ashley and Choice.
“If you bitches make any noise, I’ll kill you both.” He listened to the
footstep of the intruders. “It’s more than one person. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”

With her heart racing, Ashley closed her eyes tightly when
he pointed his gun at her. Finesse pulled back the trigger but it wouldn’t
click. Running over to the window, he opened it with ease as he climbed
through.

Ashley opened her eyes just in time to see Finesse’s feet
ease out of the window. “Help! Help!” Ashley screamed. “We’re down here!” Her
voice had become hoarse but she didn’t care. She was going to keep screaming
until someone came for them.

***

Supreme caught Blue off guard when he ran up on her inside
of her bedroom followed by Mark and Rio. The look on Blue’s face showed no
remorse or regret when she saw that it was them. She immediately stopped
screaming.

“I’m finally in the presence of the man who killed my
brother. I’ve been dreaming about this day. I have so many questions. Did my
brother suffer?” she wept softly.

“That was so long ago, ma. I don’t remember. When you get to
wherever he is, ask him,” Supreme said calmly. He shot Blue in the head twice
before putting the last bullet hole in her body.

“Shit!” Rio shouted when he looked out of the window and
noticed Finesse running towards the backyard. “Get the girls. I’mma catch this
muthafucka!” he yelled over his shoulder as he ran out of the house.

“This nigga hot with all that shooting and shit. We gotta
find the girls fast,” Supreme barked.

Mark ran through the house checking for Ashley and Choice
while Supreme guarded the door. He ran upstairs checking room after room but
they were nowhere in sight. Running back downstairs, he snapped his finger when
he remembered the kitchen.

The kitchen was empty. He walked over to the door and tried
opening it but it wouldn’t open. He stepped back a few feet and fired at the
door until it opened.

“We’re down here!” Ashley yelled.

 ***

Ashley was pacing back and forth with her cell phone in her
hand. She had called her worried mother and Mr. Charlie to let them know that
she and Choice were safe. Ashley ran her hand through her hair then looked over
at Choice. Choice had taken a shower and was knocked out on the bed in a big
white fluffy rob.

She rubbed her hands up and down her arms trying to warm
herself as she walked over to the huge bay window in Choice’s hotel suite.
Ashley looked up and down the street in search for Rio. She didn’t see him
anywhere. She looked at the time on her cell phone and sighed.

“You okay?” Supreme asked when he walked back into the room.

Ashley shook her head. “Where’s Mark? Did he leave?”

“Yeah, he left. He’s got some shit to handle,” Supreme said.

“I’ve been calling Rio nonstop and he isn’t answering the
phone. I hope he’s okay,” she replied as tears slid down her face.

“Why don’t you take a shower and lay down with Choice?”
Supreme suggested. He picked his black hoodie up off the chair then went in the
bathroom to change before coming back out.

“Let me get the keys to your condo,” he said as he brushed
his hand over his waves.

 “Why do you need my keys?” Ashley asked as she wiped her
tears away.

“I’mma go get your clothes. Then in the morning, we’ll stop
by and get whatever else you need before going to the bank to withdraw your
money and close your account.

Ashley took her keys out of her purse and gave them to him with
a terrified look on her face. “What are you talking about? I can’t leave Rio.
What if he comes here or to my place and I’m gone?

 “We’re going back to Barbados. Rio knows you’ll be with me.
He isn’t going to come here or your place.”

Cupping her face in her hands, she began crying even harder.

“Stop crying, Ash” Supreme said as he walked over to Ashley
to give her a hug. “You’re pregnant. Don’t forget that. You have someone else
to worry about besides yourself.”

Ashley nodded her head then took a deep breath. “You’re
right I need to calm down. I’ll go take a shower and then get some sleep.”

“Good. We have a lot of shit to do in the morning.”

 Supreme walked out of the door, leaving Ashley alone with
her thoughts.

Ashley looked around the beautiful guest room she was
staying in at Choice’s house. She had never stayed in a room so elegant. The
room was the same size as her condo in Miami. Hanging in the center of the room
was a crystal Swarovski chandelier. She’d never seen anything like it. It was a
beautiful sight to wake up to in the morning and she was at awe every time. The
Magdalena king bed and opal gray floors were also breathtaking. Big beautiful
paintings of elephants of all sizes hung on the walls and added to the furniture
that decorated the room. Everything Choice had told Ashley was true.

Barbados was beautiful. It felt like another world. The
grass and leaves were much greener. The sky was clear and the air smelled
fresher. It was so fresh that it made her feel like she was breathing air in
for the first time in her life. Ashley had been in Barbados for weeks and there
was still no word from Rio.

She’d given up on believing that he was still alive. Supreme
and Choice thought otherwise. The hope they had in him still breathing
somewhere on this earth made her somewhat hopeful but every day was different.
Today, she wasn’t feeling hopeful at all. In fact, she’d started re-evaluating
her life.

Soon she would be a mother and she wanted things to be
different. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Ashley smiled solemnly. The
jet-black hair looked good against her skin tone and the freckles across her
nose seemed to be more defined. Ashley’s eyes traveled down to the off-white
Alexander McQueen dress she was wearing.

Today Choice and Supreme were renewing their vows and the
house was busy with people preparing for the celebration that would take place
in less than an hour. Ashley had snuck off leaving Choice, Meechie, Nana, and
her mother alone with the makeup artists. She was surrounded by family and
still felt the need to sneak off to have time alone.

Ashley walked away from the full-length mirror and over to
her dresser to take out the sandwich bag of hair. Getting out of the house
unnoticed had been easier then she thought it would’ve been. The sand felt cool
under her feet as she got as close as she could to the ocean without getting
her pedicured feet wet.

Sighing deeply, Ashley’s mind wandered back to Rio. He had
been her lover and her friend. She’d been difficult at times but he’d still
been there for her. She’d never had to question his loyalty to her. He had put
Ashley on a pedestal and she remained there with him. She never had to
second-guess her position. Ashley knew where she stood with him and that was
right by his side.

Rio had had found her heart and pieced it back together. His
love and friendship would be missed. She closed her eyes and said a silent
prayer for him. Ashley couldn’t hold back the tears and sobs that escaped from
her mouth. The tears falling from her eyes felt different. It felt like her
soul was being cleansed and she couldn’t help but feel a little better.

She looked down at her hand. She forgot that she was holding
onto the bag containing Petey’s locks. Ashley took the locks out of the bag and
smelled them. She could still smell a hint of him. Petey had been her world and
now he was one of God’s Angels. He was watching over her. This time around, she
didn’t want to let him down. Petey would be with her every day in sprit. His
name was in fine tiny cursive on the side of her neck. She smelled his dreads
once more before putting them back into the sandwich bag.

 Ashley walked closer to the water and bent down to place
the bag of dreads into the ocean. She no longer needed his dreads. From the first
time she’d laid eyes on Petey up until he took his last breath, their love had
been carved into her heart. It remained there even when she felt heartless at
times. Today she would start over...a fresh start.

Ashley was going to be the best her she could be for her and
her unborn child.

 A woman Rio would’ve been proud to call his child’s mother.
Most women never got to experience one love. Ashley had two men love her
endlessly in her lifetime. She had been blessed. God had placed Rio in her life
to show her the way to being a grown woman and true love. Even though Rio was
no longer here, their love and bond was the child they had together. That would
be the greatest love she’d ever known, a love that was so great it was
unexplainably.

She took a deep breath then looked up into the sky. The sun
would soon begin to set which meant the vow renewal was soon to start. Ashley
ran back to the house to help Choice with any last minute touches.

The décor of the wedding renewal looked like a scene out of
a movie. A white sailcloth tent stood in the sand near the ocean with beautiful
candles and hydrangeas surrounding the tent. Caterers stood behind a long table
ready to serve the guess when the renewal was over. An ivory pomander-kissing
ball sat in the middle of the table as a centerpiece.

A huge variety of delicious foods and fruits decorated the
table. Another table off to the side held nothing but mouthwatering yummy
sweets. Ashley nodded her head when she saw that the pastor stood under the
tent in his place. Soft music began to play while everyone seemed to get in
there place’s. Nana walked up and stood on the left of the pastor and Ashley’s
mother stood on the right. Both were holding a bouquet of white hydrangeas.

She latched onto Dylan’s arm and began walking slowly down
the beach. Buddy and Meechie walked arm and arm a few feet behind them. Seeing
the gleam of happiness on Supreme’s face caused Ashley to smile.

He was happy and so was Choice. Neither of them deserved
anything less. Ashley took her spot as maid of honor and the others stood in
their spots. Supreme looked over at her and smiled before making a silly face
and Ashley giggled. Epic came dropping tiny handfuls of white rice shells along
the way.

 A few seconds passed before Choice, Legend, and Mr. Charlie
appeared. She held Legend’s hand while latching on to Mr. Charlie’s awaiting
arm to walk down the beach to stand beside her husband. Yesterday Choice had
found out that she was pregnant and Ashley was so happy.

When they were little girls, they had always talked about
being pregnant at the same time and now they both were. Choice’s her face
radiated with happiness. With everyone in place, the pastor looked around and
smiled.

“Mr. Givens, will your best man be joining us?” the pastor
asked.

Ashley looked around for Mark but he was nowhere in sight.

“Dylan, you see Mark?” Supreme asked.

“Yeah he should be coming out,” Dylan replied.

“Mark, hurry your ass up!” Supreme yelled out abrasively.

Choice squinted her eyes at him before shaking her head.
Supreme shrugged as if he did nothing wrong. Everyone burst into laughter while
focusing their attention on the door.

Ashley could’ve sworn her eyes were playing tricks on her.
Tears pooled into her eyes before falling rapidly down her face. Her heart was
beating faster and faster with every step. She dropped her flowers where she
stood and took off running.

Ashley jumped into Rio’s arms and hugged him. The ladies
cried while the guys cheered. Supreme had done a great job keeping Rio’s
presence a secret but it had all been worth it.

“Shh. I’m here, ma. No man or bullet could ever keep me away
from you and my seed. I had to get my mind right and everything together before
coming to you.”

With her legs wrapped around his waist and her head resting
in the crook of his neck, her tummy fluttered with joy.

“I thought you were dead. It’s been two weeks,” she stated
while kissing him all over his face. She put both of her hands on each side of
his face while searching his eyes. “I can’t believe you’re actually here with
me.”

“You made me promise. I wasn’t going to break my promise. I
could never do that to you.”