RedBone 2 (14 page)

 

 

The Baker Boys walked Audio up to the check-in counter at the Baltimore/Washington International Airport. Since Chloe died, Audio couldn’t bring himself to a place of closure, so they thought it best that he leave and go back to Mississippi.

Right before Audio checked in, he turned around and faced his brothers. “I don’t know why y’all doing this,” he said. Even at the moment, he reeked of vodka. “We still haven’t found Knox. I thought that was the plan. None of us was leaving without our brother, and we were all going home together.” He looked at Major and Killa. “Let me help y’all. Please.”

“You gotta go, man,” Slade interjected. His heart was heavy when he heard the sadness in his voice, but nothing about what he said would change the decision. “I know you want to stay, but we can’t take the risk of something happening to you. Aunt V gonna take care of you and help you get over this thing.”

“I’m not talking to you,” he yelled in his face. “All you care about is yourself and that bitch.” He pointed his finger into his chest. “If you gave a fuck about me you wouldn’t be doing none of this shit.”

Hearing how his brother felt about him ripped his heart open. Of course he cared about him. He loved him more than he could explain, but the way he was carrying on in DC would get either himself or the entire family killed.

“Audio, you know I care about you.” He placed his hand on the back of his head and pulled him toward him. Their foreheads touched. “You my kid brother. It’s just—”

“Get the fuck off me!” he yelled, pushing him into Killa. “If something happens to me back home, it’s gonna be your fault!”

“Audio, you going too far,” Killa said combatively.

“Now, you been down here for months drunk and almost got yourself killed! We understand you loved Chloe. I feel you on that shit. But us sending you back on that plane is on you, not us.”

“If y’all send me on that plane, I’m no longer a Baker! You hear what I’m saying?” He looked at all of them.

Slade’s head was slumped and his shoulders were hunched, until he heard his words. Hearing his statement made him as hard as stone. “If you would go so far as to denounce your family, you were never a Baker anyway.”

Silence.

“I guess you right,” Audio yelled, storming away.

Slade stood in the middle of the airport and watched his kid brother until he was out of view.

“Come on, man,” Killa said in a low voice. “You gotta see your peoples before Judge and Grant. I don’t know what’s up with them, but they been following her like crazy. The other day I heard them talking about something they saw. When I walked in the room, they got quiet.”

Slade didn’t move. He couldn’t move. He was fucked up by what Audio said and wondered if there was truth to his statement. Yes, he was wrapped up in thoughts about Farah, but as far as they knew, he didn’t fuck with her anymore. He didn’t call her, didn’t visit her or ask about her. He even started keeping time with someone regular to make the days go by.

“Go see Farah, Slade,” Major added. “Audio gonna get over that shit.”

“I hope so.”

 

 

Slade paced the area outside of Farah’s door for five minutes. He hadn’t seen her in months and had a feeling she was with someone new. He just hoped he’d never see them together. When he gathered enough confidence, he knocked on her door and waited.

When the door crept open and he saw how beautiful Farah was, his heart melted. The long black gown she wore clung to her curves, and he was enamored all over again. Why was she so fucking sexy? Why couldn’t he have her? Why couldn’t he love her like his heart begged? And then he remembered: she could possibly have had something to do with his missing brother. “Can I come in for a minute? I want to talk to you.”

She remained standing at the door, preventing him from entering. Her body trembled, although her eyes were stern. “What do you want with me, Slade? We have nothing to talk about.”

He sighed and tried to find the right words to say to her. He could be a bully when his heart was involved, and he knew that. But this was about business, not pleasure. “You gonna make me talk to you out here?”

She folded her arms into her chest.

“Come on, Farah. The least we can do is talk in private.”

“You made it plain how you want our relationship to be, so I’m not going to try to change your mind anymore. I moved on, Slade. I’m good over here.”

“Farah, I understand we over. That’s not what I’m here to talk to you about.”

Her head hung because his words cut deep. Prior to that moment, it was only a
possibility
that they would never be together again . . . now it was a fact. “If you don’t want to talk about us, what do you want?”

He stepped closer and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I’m here because I want to talk to you about Knox. Have you found anything about Eleanor yet?”

She sighed and shook her head. “I told you all I know about the situation. Don’t you think I want her found too? I don’t want this shit over my head for the rest of my life, Slade. I know what you’re thinking.”

“You couldn’t begin to know what I’m thinking.”

“Yes, I do. You’re thinking that I had something to do with his disappearance, and it doesn’t make sense to me. And I finally know that there’s nothing I can do to change your mind. Not to mention the fact that every time I turn around one of your family members is staring at me.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

She pointed down the hall at Judge. “Man, can you please go in the apartment?” Slade told him. “I’m talking to her right now.”

“Grant told me to keep my eyes on her door.”

“Well, what Grant gonna do if I punch you in the face?”

He hurried away, leaving them alone.

“You see what I’m saying? I’ve never seen this many country niggas in all my life.”

He frowned upon hearing her comment.

“So they gotta be here for me. Am I right or wrong?”

“Farah, can I come in? Please. I’m not trying to talk to you about this shit in the hallway. You owe me that at least.”

She reluctantly opened the door and walked inside. He followed, closing the door behind him. “You right about my people being in town to find out what’s up with Knox.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “And they gonna be questioning you too. I’m here to try to prevent that.”

“I knew that shit.” She fell into her sofa. “So what they gonna do, hurt me? Kill me? You gonna let them get me, Slade?”

“Don’t say that shit. You know how I feel about you.” He paced in place. “I wish you would’ve told me you had my brother’s phone. I could’ve defended you better, but the way shit played out, I found out the moment they did.”

“You should’ve defended me whether I had his phone or not, Slade. You promised to take care of me. You promised to love me forever.” She shook her head. “To quote you correctly, the first day we fucked you said, ‘I told myself if I ever fell in love again, that I would never abandon her when she needed me the most.’ Well, I needed you the most and you failed me. Are you a man of your word or a liar?”

Slade’s jaw clenched. Everything she said aimed right at his heart. “Farah, don’t do this shit to me.”

“Don’t do what?” She stood up and approached him. “Don’t love you? Don’t believe that you are a man of your word?” She shook her head. “You don’t know who I was willing to be just to be with you, Slade. You don’t know what I was willing to give up. I never loved a human being more than I loved you, and I doubt I ever will.”

“What do you mean what you were willing to give up?”

“I’ve done some things I can’t take back. Some things I dream about most nights. But to be with you, I was willing to change it all.”

Slade looked over her and frowned. She was evil, he was sure, but why was he still drawn to her? “Did any of those things have to do with my brother being missing?”

Farah backed up and slapped him before rushing to the door. “Get the fuck out!” She opened the door. “Now!”

“Farah, I’m sorry—”

“Fuck sorry! I want you out of my house, Slade.” When he didn’t move she said, “Don’t make me call the police. I know how much you hate them.”

Slade trudged to the door. He didn’t want to leave and he hated that they were parting on those terms. “I’m sorry for making you a promise I couldn’t keep. I love you, Farah, but I can’t choose you over my family. I hope you understand that.” He walked out, leaving her alone.

Slade entered Markee’s apartment before going to his own. It was months later, and Markee still hadn’t returned. The moment he walked inside and saw Major and Killa pacing the living room floor, he knew something was up.

Frightened, he rushed up to them and asked, “What the fuck is going on? Somebody fucking with you?”

“Man, the nigga Randy and the same bum-ass nigga we saw at the gym shot at us!” Killa yelled. “I want this nigga’s head, Slade! Like yesterday.”

“Fuck you mean they shot at y’all?”

“We were taking Ma grocery shopping for Sunday dinner. We hadn’t even gotten there yet, when all of a sudden some niggas in a white van pulled up and started blasting at the car. Had it not been for Major handling the wheel and getting us out safe, we would be dead right now.”

Slade was so angry he was swerving in place. He told his mother that she needed to stay close to Platinum Lofts, but she never listened. He knew it wasn’t her fault that she was shot at, but putting herself in harm’s way was all the way foul. “Where is Ma now?” He looked toward the back of the apartment.

“Willie took her to get a weapon.”

At first Slade wasn’t feeling the fact that they were spending a lot of time together. He didn’t want him trying to manipulate Della into convincing them to stay. It didn’t take him long to remember that she was her own woman and could spot bullshit a mile away. “He got three niggas with him, too, so she should be good.”

Slade walked away from his brothers and leaned up against the wall. He thought about all of the things he was going to do to Randy and the man he knew as the albino when he got his hands on them. “On everything I love, I’m killing both of them niggas with my bare hands. That’s a promise.”

 

 

Dressed in an all-black cat suit with a cute red jacket, Farah stood in front of the mirror and observed her frame. She was certainly dressed for murder. She was just about to leave when her phone rang.

“What’s up, Coconut?” she asked, skimming through her purse. “I don’t have a lot of time to talk to you right now. I’m on my way out the door.”

“Okay, I was just calling you to give you some information.” Coconut sighed. “If you’re so busy that you don’t have time, never mind.”

Farah hung up and was heading out the door when curiosity got the better of her, so she turned back around and called Coconut back. “I got a few minutes. What were you going to tell me?”

“I wanted to tell you that I’m supposed to be meeting Eleanor tomorrow. She called and asked if I needed anything. You want me to hook the meeting up?”

Farah’s temples thumped. This was the moment she was waiting for. Trying to remain calm again, she said, “Uh yeah . . . that’ll work. When do you think you can do it?”

“Anytime,” Coconut replied. “But did you want me to pick something up for you instead? You can pay me back later if you want.”

“Naw, I want to buy my own. Just call me when you on your way to see her.”

“You got it.” Coconut paused. “Before you go, Jake wanna know if we seeing each other later.”

Farah rolled her eyes. “Tell him it’s cool with me, but I really gotta go now. I’ll talk to you later.”

Coconut’s call saved her a trip later on in the week. With her schedule clear, she could indulge in her favorite pastime: the quest for blood. With a smile on her face, the moment she stepped out of the building a man wearing a red jacket and a beautiful Asian girl approached her. Both of them were extremely attractive and she always wondered if they were together or not. She’d seen them many times, and they always appeared fixated on her.

“You’re Farah Cotton right?” the girl said. It was a windy day, so her long brown hair whipped around her neck like a scarf.

“Who’s asking?” Farah responded, prepared to gut her like a fish if need be. “I’m not much on talking to strangers.”

The girl giggled. “There’s no need to be violent.” she smiled. “Unless you’re having fun anyway.” She looked at the man. “I’m Mayoni, and this is my boyfriend, Carlton. We moved here a few months back and have been dying to meet you, but every time we try to talk to you, you’re always coming and going.”

After dealing with Coconut and her boyfriend, she automatically assumed it was ménage à trois related. “Why y’all wanna meet me?”

“You want the truth?” Carlton inquired, with a light grin on his face.

“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t.”

“We wanted to meet you because we have a lot in common,” Mayoni replied. “And since the world is so small, we figured we’d introduce ourselves.”

“Well, I don’t want any friends, so I prefer if you just come out with it.”

“Okay,” he responded, “we wanted to meet you because we’re vampires too. And not the kind of vampires you see on TV or no shit like that. We’re consenting adults who enjoy blood and pain. Just . . . like . . . you.”

Farah’s face flushed. Who were they and why did they assume they knew so much about her? “That sounds like a personal problem to me.”

“We not coming at you crazy or nothing, so there’s no need for you to be on the defensive,” Carlton continued. “We just wanted you to have people you could relate to because we know how it is to be alone.”

“First off, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but even if I did, why are you so interested in what I do? You don’t even know me.” She looked between them. She preferred to do things sneakily in the night and wasn’t into an audience. The only reason she didn’t stomp off was because she was interested in who they were.

“We know more about you than you think,” Mayoni advised.

“I doubt that very seriously.” Farah rubbed her face, feeling a breakout coming along.

“We know that if you keep doing things the way you have been, you’re going to end up in jail,” Mayoni added. “We know that the car right there has been following you wherever you go.”

Farah turned around and saw a gray rental car in the distance. The people in it ducked, but she could still see their heads.

“Who are they?” Farah asked them.

“We don’t know,” Mayoni said. “But they’re definitely fans and have been following you for a while.”

Farah frowned. “What is this all about?”

“Come with us,” Mayoni persisted. “Let us show you something, and if you don’t like what you see, we won’t ever bother you again.”

“What about the car?” She looked behind her.

“We know how to shake them,” Carlton replied. “Just follow us.”

 

 

Farah was following Mayoni and Carlton until suddenly they pulled into a gas station along with a white car. “What are you doing now?” she asked as she parked behind them. When she turned around, she exhaled when she didn’t see the gray car. She didn’t know who was in it, but she had a feeling it was Baker related.

Mayoni and Carlton exited their car and approached the white one, which had been behind them the entire time.
Do they have a follower too?
She observed Carlton walk up to the driver’s window while Mayoni walked to the passenger side. There was only one person in the car. When Farah saw Officer Nadia’s face in the left side mirror, she was about to pull off. The only reason she didn’t was for fear of being spotted. Things were getting weirder by the hour.

Carlton bent down, looked into the window, and said something Farah couldn’t hear. Before long, Nadia sped away from the scene as if her life depended on it.

Mayoni and Carlton looked at her car, smiled, and said, “Come on. We’re almost there.”

Without even telling Farah what happened, they got back in their car and she followed them to the destination. Even if she wanted to turn back she couldn’t. She had to know what Nadia wanted and what she said.

After driving quite some time, she ended up in front of a large, beautiful brick mansion outside of Maryland, in a rural area. The closest house near the mansion was about fifteen miles away.
What am I doing here?
She parked her car behind the couple’s black Escalade and sat for a moment. Part of her wanted to run, and the other part told her they were the answer to her boredom.

Mayoni and Carlton eased out of the truck and looked at Farah. When she hadn’t moved, they knocked on her car window. “You coming?”

Reluctantly she got out and stood in front of the home. “First, can you tell me what that was back at the gas station?” She looked at both of them.

“That’s Officer Nadia. She’s been following you too,” Mayoni said.

“What . . . ? For how long?”

“I’m not sure,” Carlton said. “But we know her face.”

“So she saw me?”

“Yes.”

Farah turned white. “Well . . . did she say anything?”

“Nadia is a cokehead. We let her know it, and promised to ruin her career if we ever caught her following you again.”

“Are you serious?” Farah responded, with her jaw hung.

“We don’t play like that,” Carlton said.

“This way,” Mayoni said, grabbing her softly by the hand. When Farah didn’t move she said, “Trust us. We got you.”

After considering that she didn’t have anything to lose and that they hipped her on to two cars that could’ve followed her as she committed murder, she decided to go with them. She followed them through the large mahogany doors and into a gothic-like foyer. Cherry wood and black dominated everything, including the furniture. When they approached another door, Mayoni said, “We know you’re going to love this.”

When she touched Carlton on the shoulder, he pushed open the doors and inside was a plethora of beautiful people. A quick count ended at fifteen. Most were black, and they ranged from light skin all the way to dark chocolate. They seemed united, and everyone was dressed in black with a tinge of red. For instance, the women either wore red shoes or red lipstick, while the men wore red iced-out rosaries. They were drinking from red wine glasses, and soft music played in the background. The ambiance captivated her immediately, and everyone seemed mystical. On the far end of the room was a wall, which was covered by black velvet curtains. It resembled a covered movie screen.

“What is this?” she asked them, looking at everyone in attendance. She couldn’t help but acknowledge the tingling sensation pulsing between her legs. The irony was, she was dressed perfectly for the occasion. “Is this a party or something?”

“Not really. It’s almost time for a show.” When she said that, someone activated a button on the wall, which opened the curtains.

Behind them was a glass wall. When she stepped closer, a woman sitting on a red-and-black chair, wearing nothing but a red sequined bathing suit, looked out into the crowd. Her chocolate skin glistened under the one light in the room, and her beauty was intoxicating. She seemed nervous but prepared, and Farah was glued to the scene.

Seconds later, a dude with long, neat dreads running down his back entered the room from the right. He stepped up to her and ran his hands down her long brown hair. At first she flinched, but when he continued to stroke her skin, she ultimately relaxed.

Farah examined her mannerisms. Her arms and ankles were tied lightly to the chair with black scarfs. Was she a victim or a willing participant? Farah wanted to know.

When he flicked a golden blade and ran it along the side of her arm, Farah felt the heat in the room turn up as everyone watched with anticipation. The woman wasn’t out cold or drugged like Farah preferred her victims. She seemed to be anticipating what would happen next.

After what Farah considered foreplay, he sliced the flesh on her shoulder. The woman licked her lips and smiled at him.

“Again,” she said as her voice amplified from the speakers in the room.

He sliced her again and she squirmed. “Do it again.”

Over and over he sliced her, and Farah was overly stimulated. She didn’t know who the man was, but she was drawn to him immediately. She hadn’t had that level of attraction since she met Slade Baker in the hallway of her building.

“Who is he?” she whispered to Mayoni.

Mayoni grinned, enjoying the way Farah’s eyes lit up. “His name is Bones. Why? You like what you see?”

She nodded slowly. “A lot.”

Focusing back on the scene, she saw Bones lower his upper body and suck the puddles of blood that popped up on her skin.

Just when she thought she’d seen everything, the door to the glass room opened and a beautiful light-skinned woman with long brown hair strolled up to them. She dropped to her knees, moved the woman’s bathing suit to the side, and slithered her tongue into her pussy. Bones continued to slice into her flesh, while other bloodsuckers tasted her sweetness. The scene was so sexual that, at this point, Farah was soaking wet.

“Everybody here has been tested for HIV and other diseases,” Mayoni said to Farah. “So you never have to worry about getting anything here but pleasure.”

Farah focused on Mayoni and Carlton intensely. There was something else to this. She knew it. “How do you find the . . .”

“Are you talking about the women? Who get sliced?”

“Yes.”

“We call them Givers. Or Slaves,” Mayoni responded. “It’s whatever they prefer.”

“So how do you find the Givers?”

“There are more people out there than you realize who enjoy pain,” Carlton added, touching Farah softly on the arm. “It’s really easy. And the best part is, our Givers are willing and able to do whatever you desire. This eliminates your risk of being caught.”

“We’re like you, and we want you to join us,” Mayoni said.

Farah’s eyes moved rapidly. She focused on their expressions, then at the spectators, and then at the scene behind the curtains. Something in her heart said it was a setup. She was so jumpy due to the new world she was experiencing that she ran out of the room and then the house.

They quickly followed, and Mayoni yelled, “Where are you going, Farah?”

“Don’t leave like this! Let us explain!” Carlton added. When Farah didn’t bother to stop, Mayoni said, “Why are you so afraid?”

Needing some air, she stopped where she was and leaned on her car. She pointed at the house. “I don’t understand any of this. I’m so confused. I mean . . . why? How? Are you trying to tell me that everyone in there is a . . . vampire?”

They approached her, and Mayoni responded softly, “If you ask doctors, they’ll say we have Renfield’s Syndrome, but among ourselves, we simply say we are lovers of blood and pain. We’re not hurting anything or anybody, so for real, we hate tags.”

“But when you met me in front of the building, you called yourself vampires.”

“Because we knew you could relate to that,” Carlton interrupted.

“Well, what do you want with me?” She looked at the house. “You seem to have enough people who are with that shit back there.”

“We told you earlier,” Carlton added. “We want you to join us. That’s why we took our time and approached you when we felt the time was right. We don’t have these events every day, so this is special. You don’t have to be alone.”

“Whether you want to believe us or not, you are one of us, Farah.” Mayoni touched her on the arm. “And there’s no turning back now.”