Authors: Janet Adeyeye
"I am your wife, Angel. Not some girl you found on the street or something."
"I've got employees. It is against the code of conduct in the firm. No personal relationships within working hours. What example would I be setting if they start listening to you moan."
I looked at him, surprised he just said that out loud. "I'll be in the car," I said and then left. He followed behind me and together we made our way to the garage. I got into the car, and then Angel did too. He didn't start the car though.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that."
I didn't reply.
"Okay, what do you want?"
I still didn't reply
He grabbed my hands now and pulled me closer to him until I was sitting on top of him on the driver's seat. I turned my face away, faking a frown even though I was enjoying how spontaneous he was.
"Look at me," he said. I slowly turned my face to look at him, my eyes on his lips. "Kiss me." He added. I came closer now and then our lips met. We kept on kissing hungrily, like we hadn't just had lunch, and then I started unbuttoning his shirt. "What are you doing?"
"Shut up," I whispered, taking off his shirt.
"Not here. In the car? Kayla?"
"Uh-huh." I kissed him again then slowly unzipped his trousers. I pulled up my dress and then allowed him enter into me. I moaned as he did. Then he started fucking me roughly.
"Angel...?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you," I said then kissed him again. After making love for more than an hour, we finally regained our senses and put our clothes back on. The drive home was slow, each moment lasting an eternity. We had occasional stares and smiles, but still we were silent throughout the drive. We had nothing in common apart from sex that we could talk about. And then again, we weren't even meant to having anything in common. Not even sex.
Chapter 10
I took a cab this time around. The road to the deserted warehouse my dad owned was filled with dust and old age. When the cab finally stopped beside a cabin, I got out and paid the driver then headed straight to the warehouse. My heels kept making the crack crack sounds as it hit the metal floor of the warehouse. I made another turn, then climbed upstairs into one of the spare rooms. Then I saw him, tied down to the chair. He was bleeding. His clothes were torn and stained with blood and mud.
"My mom did I pretty good job, huh?" I said, then spat at him. He slowly started regaining his senses, then finally opened his eyes. The expression on his face was a mixture of confusion and surprise. Of course no one expects me to do this. Well too bad.
"Let me out. HELP!" he yelled
One of the guards behind him gave him a punch across his face that sent blood gushing out from his mouth and nose in seconds.
"Just take a look at yourself. The mighty Van Helsing. Ha," I scoffed, and then stretched out my hands. The guard beside me quickly dropped a gun in it.
"Please don't. I'll give you whatever you want. Just name it."
"Money?"
"Yes. Yes, I've got lots of it. I'll transfer it to your account right now and you let me go."
"Hmm. I must say, for a crooked accountant, you really do know how to negotiate," I praised and then signalled to a guard to hand him his phone and untie his hands. He ran his hands across and then keyed in some words.
"How much?"
"$50,000,000"
He looked up at me shocked, then looked back down and keyed it in. Then I got an alert on my phone shortly afterwards.
"It's all done. $50,000,000 is all yours. Now let me go as you promised."
"I'm pretty sure I didn't promise you anything. Besides, c'mon Van. In the real sense of it all, you're only just returning the money you stole from my father."
"Kayla, don't do this. You said..."
"Of what importance is what I said? Shouldn't you be more concerned about what I will do?" I slowly raised the gun now to his face.
"Kayla, you don't understand. Things are not as you were told. Please don't."
"Say your last prayer betrayer." I shot him, not giving him one opportunity to even say amen. He should go rot in hell with his other back stabbers. None of them deserve to live. None, and I am going to make sure of it.
"Dispose of his body in a befitting manner." I walked out and left. Two down. Eight to go. I was back home before it was dark out. I met Angel there, and then the cops. I acted surprised at first, pretending I didn't know why they were at our place. I already knew they'd trace the cameras to me, well only up to the point I was still at the reception waiting for David. Anything other than that, they'd have no prove and it is totally my job to make them look totally insane and foolish.
"What's going on?"
"Umm, baby. Can I talk to you for a second?" Angel asked then grabbed my arm and pulled me away till we were far from the cops.
"What?"
"Why didn't you tell me you visited David on the day he died? And within the period he was found dead."
"What! Where the hell did you get that from?"
"The camera caught you, Kayla. You went into his office and came back out. Why Kayla? What's going on?"
"Wait. Are you saying I killed David?"
"Does what I say matter? You have to prove to the public that you didn't have anything to do with that man's death. So now tell me why you visited him."
"David is like family to us. He has been ever since my father's time. I went to meet him for something he promised me a while back."
"Something? You mean the $10,000,000 he sent you before his death?"
"Angel, I am really disappointed you feel that way about me." I turned to leave.
"Where are you going?"
"Going to clear my name. I didn't kill David. And I won't stand here listening to you accuse me of something I didn't do. I mean, why would I want to?" I walked away and back to the living room where the cops were.
"You have to come with us to the station, ma'am."
I nodded then started towards the door.
"Wait," Angel called out. "I'm going with my wife," he added, and then followed behind us.
The interrogation took almost thirty minutes, but it was worth it. Angel spoke to the DA, and even though I was
n’
t completely off the hook, I was free to go. We drove back home in silence for a while.
"Why did you collect such an amount of money from David? What sort of agreement did you have with him?"
"I only collected what he stole from my dad."
He looked at me. "Where did you go?"
"I ran some errands for my mom. Collected some more money from those that owe us."
"And did you happen to kill anyone after that?"
"It's not funny, Angel. I didn't kill that man."
"I believe you babe. I know you wouldn't do that." He winked at me then put on the radio. They were announcing the murder of another person. Found in a lagoon alone East LA. Name is yet to be identified. Angel and I exchange glances
"I didn't do it."
"I didn't say anything, babe."
Chapter 11
I sat legs crossed in Clifford's office patiently waiting on him to get back from his meeting with the investor. He was pretty shocked when I strolled in with them the next day and had asked me to wait in his office. I had no doubt that he'd make me partner immediately, then my mom's plan can be put to action. Shortly afterwards, he entered grinning from ear to ear. He called me into his embrace.
"Thank you so much. You don't know how happy this makes me."
"I told you."
"Oh yes, and I must confess I had doubts about that but after today, I don't think I'll ever doubt you."
"All that's left now is making me partner," I reminded him
He looked at me for a second, then smiled. "I made a promise, right? I scheduled a meeting with the directors today. I'll mention you."
"Don't just mention me, Clifford. Make sure they are convinced. Can I count on you for that?"
"Yes, absolutely." He smiled again. "I think we should celebrate."
"We shall. When I become a partner." I stood up. "For now, I'll leave. Future partner," I said with a smile. We shook hands, then I left. I didn't exactly go straight home though. I needed to speak with my mom. I needed to know what was next. But, she wasn't alone when I got to her place. She was with a man she introduced as Shipwreck, the one who invested in the shipping company without thinking twice. How strange?
"Kayla, this is the man I told you about. Remember?"
"Yes, of course. He was at the office few hours ago." I extended a hand now and he took it gladly. "It's a pleasure meeting you again. My mom never said anything about you to me, but I figured you must be really close to have helped out like that on such short notice."
He chuckled. "She's smart," he complimented, then looked back at me. "I am glad I helped. And I am even more glad to meet you in person. Your mother here has told me quite a lot about you and your beauty. You take after her of course."
I looked from my mom to this man confused. How come my mom was so comfortable telling this man about me but she never once mentioned him to me until recently? I was planning on asking her that as soon as he left.
"Okay, okay. Enough of the greetings. Kayla were you finally made partner?"
"No, Mom. Not yet." I waited a bit for her to comprehend what it meant "But, he promised to talk in my favor and I am sure very soon we'll get a positive response," I added.
"We can't wait for that. It's time for Phase Three."
"What are you talking about?"
"I see Angel hasn't been telling you stuff about his company."
"What about it?"
"The law firm is in serious need of money. They are almost bankrupt."
"What?!" I was shocked.
"Yeah, and they need a lot of money to stand back on their feet. Now, that's where we come in."
"Mom, what do you mean?"
"We are going to buy that company, Kayla."
I opened my eyes in surprise like she'd just said the most impossible thing. Buy Angel's company? The one his father left him? Oh, no. No, that's bad.
"Mom, why? Can't we just invest? With the money we have, we can invest in the company and become the largest shareholder."
"We can also just buy it from them. Listen, I think you're getting these things confused. We are not trying to help them but destroy them, in every way possible."
"Angel won't even sell that company for $100 million. I know him."
"He won't, but when the shipping company goes into bankruptcy as well, he'll have absolutely no choice."
I knew about the part where I'd become partner then make the company go bankrupt, but I never knew about the law firm. I started pacing around and biting my nails. Angel would be furious. But why didn't he just tell me? Was that why it was so impossible to ditch that new client he got yesterday?
"The client. Mom did you send any client over to the law firm yesterday?"
"You mean Shipwreck? Yes, and he offered them quite a lot of money."
"Mother, why the hell didn't you tell me this? Oh, no. This is bad."
"Whoa, whoa. Slow down, Kayla. Shouldn't you be excited? I mean I was expecting a hug and some kisses. Not this."
"Mom, he is my husband."
"You married him to destroy him," she had raised her voice, then suddenly went mute and stared at me. "Have you fallen for the enemy, Kayla?"
Our eyes met for a second, then I took mine away almost immediately. "No, absolutely not."
"Your actions tell me something different."
"Mom, I am not okay? The question now is how we are going to buy the company without them knowing it is us. I mean, Angel will never sell his company to me."
"That's no issue," Shipwreck chipped in now. "We create fake companies all the time. And they always look authentic. We can create a fake company in New York and we just transact business in the company's name."
"Angel isn't stupid. He'll find out."
"Not when the money is urgently needed. I mean they could care less who they sell it to as long as they get their money," Shipwreck added.
"What would you do when we get the company?"
"We sell it off in pieces at an even higher rate than the amount we bought it. That's my job. I provide the money and buy companies in financial dilemma then sell them off in pieces."
"Okay, but the shipping company survives, right?" I asked.
"Oh, no. No."
"Mom, Angel is going to use this money to save the shipping company at all cost. I know him."
"How is Elizabeth doing?"
"Bad. She is in a coma. She has been for two days now."
"If I am not mistaken, they will need to operate on her, and that will cost a fortune."
I just couldn't believe it. What mess had I gotten myself into?
"Oh, Kayla. Shipwreck is willing to help us all the way, but a bigger part of this still lies on you. Now more than ever, you need to be ruthless. For your father."
Is she right? I mean, this whole marriage thing started because of my revenge, right? If she'd said this few weeks ago, I'd have gladly said yes, but now things have changed. I have fallen deeply in love with my husband. And I don't want to break him anymore.
"Okay. I'll do it," I said
"Okay. Creating a fake company takes a while, we need all paperwork to be as authentic as ever, so it is going to take days. In the main time, do all you can to make partner with the shipping company," Shipwreck said.
"Why are you helping us?" I asked.
“Because he wants to.” My mom answered for him. “Now enough of the questions. Do you understand all that we've discussed?”
"Mom, I can't do this," I confessed
My mom looked at me surprised for a second then she buried her face in her palms. "I told you not to fall for that man."
"Mom, he is my husband. I couldn't help it."
My mom exchanged looks with Shipwreck, then got up and went to her room.
I nodded. "I'll be leaving." I didn't wait for a reply before hurrying back outside.