Hidden Intentions 2 Page 18

  “Why do you think Darren is posing as Tory?”

  “To get back at you and find out who was really behind the shooting of Raymond and him. Ultimately, he wants his power, the real estate properties, and money back. Remember, everything went to Gabrielle and the daughter. His bank accounts were emptied. Darren can’t get anything even if he tried.”

  “The psychologist at Wake Forest in Dallas was murdered.”

  “It doesn’t surprise me. He probably got in the way of him getting close to Tory. Darren killed him to keep his mouth shut. The shrink probably heard or saw something that could have been detrimental to his whole operation. After we located Darren in Texas, the trail got cold. One thing is for sure, those scars aren’t from a fire. They’re probably from plastic surgery. He probably paid an expensive penny to alter his face and body to look like Tory’s. That’s probably why you were unable to find him until now.”

  “Do you think Tory is still alive?”

  “First, I need you to take a picture of ‘the new Tory’ and send it to me through the cell phone. As far as your husband, I’m going to be honest with you. I truly don’t know. In the meantime, what I’m going to do is figure out where Darren has set up shop. I’ve never seen a picture of Tory, so send me a picture of him too.”

  “All right. Hurry up! Please do whatever you need to do to kill this devil. And, please, spare me the speech. I know I have to act as normal as possible. It will be one of the hardest things I’ll ever have to do, but I have no choice but to pull it off.”

  Tears wouldn’t stop pouring down my face. If Tory is dead, it would be my fault.

  Chapter 59

  Despite feeling depressed and defeated by evil, I maintained my role as the good wife. Darren had no idea I was on to him. Five days ago, I’d worked up the courage to give Darren another Percocet for his back pain. Once again, he fell asleep within minutes. Not only did I take pictures of his face, I also took pictures of his entire body, part by part. I uploaded the pictures on the Internet to e-mail to Brennon. I also sent Brennon the most recent pictures of the true Tory Sothers.

  While waiting to get word from Brennon on what the plans were, I had a lot of fun fucking with Darren. Knowing he had high blood pressure, I cooked nothing but fatty foods for him. I even fried pickles for him. He couldn’t say no. I was hoping to skyrocket his blood pressure and send him into a mini-stroke.

  It pissed me off knowing Darren loved being in another man’s shoes, another man’s life that he didn’t deserve. When Darren had sex with me, I bit my lip and closed my eyes tight to stop the tears. I couldn’t enjoy the sex with him, now that I knew who he really was. Now, it felt more like habitual rape.

  “Where are we going today?” he asked me one sunny Saturday morning.

  “We’re going to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. You know how I love roller coasters. Be ready in fifteen minutes.”

  With him having an irregular heartbeat, he was supposed to stay clear of amusement park rides.

  “Nya, I wanted to be home by six o’clock tonight to watch the soccer game.”

  Tory never liked watching soccer, preferring football, baseball, and basketball.

  “We’ll be back before your precious game starts. Besides, it’s only fifty minutes away from here.” I grinned.

  “Do you think Michael and Natalie will want to go?” he inquired heading out the house.

  I knew he wanted to bring the kids to use them as an excuse to weasel his way out of getting on the roller coaster.

  “No, Jarvis and Yvette had a birthday party to take them to.”

  If I could’ve helped it, Darren was never going to lay eyes on those innocent children ever again.

  Once we got to the park, I immediately wanted to dig into riding most of the roller coasters. We rode the Alpengeist, Apollo’s Chariot, Battering Ram, Curse of DarKastle, Escape from Pompeii, Da Vinci’s Cradle, Lescoot Flume, and The Loch Ness Monster. A classic roller coaster was The Big Bad Wolf. After riding the Roman Rapids, Darren and I were drenched in water.

  After riding the roller coaster, Darren said, “My chest feels tight.”

  “Aw, baby, you’ll be fine! I’m having so much fun,” I declared, dragging him by the hand to buy snacks.

  The next thing on my list was to fill him up with nothing but sugar, driving him to a dizzy state.

  Three weeks later, I was working the night shift in the emergency room. Tonight, the weatherman had forecasted a full moon. For hospital workers, that meant a crazy, chaotic night.

  I saw a paramedic rolling a man on a gurney. The man had a bucket of Kentucky Grilled Chicken in his hands.

  “What do you have?” I asked.

  “Face trauma and a broken nose,” the paramedic replied.

  The next thing I know, another man showed up in the emergency room with bite marks all over his face, including a bloody ear, and he had a chicken drumstick in his hand.

  I asked Donna, “What’s with the chicken?”

  “Girl, you didn’t hear about the free chicken giveaway.”

  “No, I didn’t hear anything.”

  “Well, KFC, courtesy of a famous celebrity, is giving away their new grilled chicken recipe for free. All you have to do is download your coupon or as many coupons you want from the website. You get two pieces of chicken, a fresh-made biscuit, and two sides of your choice. I stood in line for two hours to get my chicken, using five coupons. I fed my whole family for free.” Donna giggled.

  “Maybe these two guys got tired of waiting in line.”

  “I already talked to the police. They were fighting over chicken because one got bigger pieces than the other at the KFC on Providence Road. They started the fight when the place ran out of chicken, and one guy felt the other guy’s pieces were bigger. They went to blows about who deserved the bigger pieces of chicken. This is the sixth case I’ve seen today come through this ER. Not to mention, there have been so many car accidents in the parking lots of Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants across the country. The parking lots are full, yet they’re still cramming to park and get in for free food.”

  “To be honest, I feel sorry for the workers at KFC.”

  She nodded. “Girl, I feel for them too.”

  Suddenly, the two men started fighting again over the bucket of chicken, almost knocking down an elderly patient. I couldn’t believe two grown men would cause such a ruckus over some chicken.

  I yelled, “Security! Security!”

  Chapter 60

  “What’s the plan?” I eagerly asked Brennon after he sent a text message asking to call him.

  Thankfully, Darren was out of town on business. I was supposed to pick him up from the airport later tonight. It’d been one month and eighteen days since realizing I’d been living with the enemy.

  “Darren has set his headquarters on the island of Barbados. Right now, he’s operating in Texas, Utah, and Nevada. His next move is to Charlotte, North Carolina to reestablish himself on the East Coast.”

  “No wonder he keeps pitching me the idea for us to move there.”

  “We think we have located Tory. He’s in Barbados. We believe he’s been there the entire time, but we don’t know for sure yet.”

  “I can’t believe you found him,” I announced, jumping up for joy. “I thought he was dead.”

  “Nya, I need you to focus. Lure Darren to the island, and we’ll take it from there. Don’t be alarmed, because federal agents will be following your every move. Continue to be patient. This will all be over soon. Despite what’s going on, I do have some good news.”

  “Tory still alive is the best news. How can you top that?”

  “Gabrielle is nine weeks pregnant. The doctors said she wouldn’t ever be able to have a child. It’s a miracle.”

  “Congratulations!”

  “Thanks. I want Darren dead more than you do. I’ve got a child to protect.”

  “Thank you for everything, Brennon. Please let me know if you find out anything else. I’ll fig
ure out how to get Darren to the island.”

  I had to do some serious plotting. For now, I still had more ideas up my sleeve to make Darren suffer just a little bit more.

  Hector Lavoe, the legendary singer, was honored at a club called Acapulco. I had entered Darren and myself into a salsa dancing contest being held there, knowing he didn’t know how to dance. I picked him up from the airport and went straight there.

  Needless to say, he kept falling on his ass and couldn’t keep up with the steps. We lost the trophy and the five hundred grand prize, but it was worth it to see him sweating profusely and looking stupid on the dance floor. The real prize was seeing him bent over in pain, since dancing was no good for his back problem.

  “Why didn’t you mention earlier that we were going dancing and that I had to wear that ridiculous costume? You know I’ve been having back pain, Nya. And you just took me there without even asking me if I was up to it. I’ve had a tiring day,” he said, clearly irritated.

  “You’ve never had back pain before. Why are you having chronic back pain now?”

  “I don’t know,” he shot back quickly.

  “Maybe you should go see a doctor and stop giving me an attitude.”

  “Nya, I’m sorry if I’m giving you an attitude. Perhaps I should go to the doctor and get checked out. For now, I’m going to get out of these clothes and hit the shower. I got another client to sign with the company tomorrow,” he announced, heading up the stairs.

  Later on we were lying on the couch and watching old episodes of The Cosby Show.

  I asked him, “How was your flight from North Carolina?”

  He nodded. “Productive.”

  “You’ve been working so much and really pulling your weight. I’m proud of you.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate it, especially coming from you.”

  “You’re welcome. I have a surprise for you,” I announced, dangling the airline confirmation in his face.

  “What is it?”

  “I was planning on cashing in my vacation, but after giving it some thought, I decided to use the time instead. I figure we both work hard and deserve a getaway trip. We’re going to Barbados. Donna just got back from there with her husband and showed me the pictures. It looks so beautiful.”

  “Work is hectic—”

  “Before you say another word, I’ve all ready talked to Irv and worked it all out. We leave on Saturday. It’s already Wednesday, so you better start packing. We’ll be staying at the Sandy Lane Golf and Resort Spa. I’ve reserved two rounds of golf for you. Barbados, here we come,” I said, hugging him.

  “I can’t wait,” he said weakly.

  Now that I’d held up my end of the bargain with Brennon, I was hoping that he’d deliver. That night, I dreamt about reuniting with Tory. I felt terrible about him losing a year of his life.

  Chapter 61

  Saturday couldn’t come fast enough. Darren gave me every excuse in the book to cancel the plans to Barbados. Finally, I played the you-owe-me card for everything he put me through as an alcoholic. He didn’t have anything else to stand on and eventually gave in.

  When we touched down in Barbados, his whole demeanor changed, and he was on edge. From leaving the house to arriving at the hotel, I continued to text Brennon, keeping him informed of our every move. He only sent me back one text from the five that I sent, which went against what we’d discussed earlier. Brennon should have texted me back each time.

  After fifteen times, in the hotel room, I was expecting the police, FBI, and DEA to barge in the room and take Darren down once and for all.

  Darren paid the bellman and closed the door of our room. “What my Nya wants, she gets.” He pulled me close in his arms.

  “Darren, how long were you going to keep posing as Tory?”

  He froze at first. “What?”

  “Did you think I wouldn’t notice the many differences between the two of you? For starters, he knows how to please me. You, on the other hand, were off more nights than can I count on both hands.” I couldn’t resist taking shots at his integrity and pride.

  “I befriended Tory in that drug rehab place in Texas. He told me all about you, the alcohol, the precious memories you shared. As you already heard, I’m supposed to be dead.”

  “It wasn’t coincidence that you ran into him.”

  “Of course not. Once I found out he had become an alcoholic, I knew it would be easier to get rid of him. When he went to rehab in Texas, it gave me the chance I’d been waiting for. I couldn’t do it in Virginia. Too many witnesses and prying eyes, especially in your neighborhood. Tory was really into those bars. My good friend Curtis always curled up next to him so they could talk about their problems and drink and drink. One or two in the morning was the usual time he would go back home to you. Eventually, we both learned when Tory was drunk; he would spill his guts about you.

  “Slithering my way back into those moist pink walls of yours was the part I enjoyed best. Nya, Tory doesn’t deserve you. He chose alcohol over you, to prove it. After Tory and I were roommates for six months, I realized I didn’t need him anymore.” Darren had a smirk on his face.

  I started to panic. “Darren, you don’t get to decide my relationships.” Where is Brennon at? He and the whole cavalry should have been here by now.

  “I know what’s best for you.”

  “Where’s Tory?” I screamed.

  “Did Brennon tell you he was alive? It pays to have a leak in the FBI. Those daily updates sure come in handy when they’re after you. Tory is dead.” Darren laughed.

  “No!” I yelled, sticking a needle in his chest. He didn’t notice when I grabbed it from my back pocket. The double dose of potassium could severely slow down his heart rate. I was able to pass through the airport with the needles and the medicine after I’d informed the airport workers I was diabetic. Under the circumstances, they understood and allowed me to carry the medicine pouch in my purse. I had sent Darren to get me something to drink, to make sure he wasn’t around when all this happened.

  “What did you inject me with?” he whispered, crumbling to the floor, barely able to speak.

  “You have an irregular heartbeat and failed to mention it to me. It’s all right though. That’s what we have medical records for. I stuck you with potassium. It slows down the heart rate. You’re a monster. Hell is too good for you. Oh, I forgot to tell, you, Darren, placing tiny holes in the condom did work. I got pregnant by you. Once I found out, how evil you were, I decided it was best for me to have an abortion.”

  Just then, somebody kicked open the door. I thought it was Brennon coming to rescue me, but it was Darren’s goons. One of them hit me in the face with a bat, and everything went black.

  Chapter 62

  I opened my eyes and saw Tory, Brennon, and Gabrielle tied to up to some chairs, and surrounded by Darren’s two gunmen. It appeared as though we were in an abandoned building. I had a pounding headache. When I tried to move, I realized I was tied up to a chair too.

  “Well, well, the whole gang is here,” Darren proclaimed as I came to.

  “Tory,” I called out, tears in my eyes.

  “Nya, I thought you were dead,” he said.

  “I looked everywhere for you.”

  “I know, baby.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  From my angle, I could see his wedding ring was still on his finger.

  “Nya, there was a leak in the operation. Darren found out about it. That’s why you didn’t hear from me. I told Gabrielle what was going on. I begged her to stay home. But she hopped on the next plane flying out to Barbados,” Brennon explained.

  Darren caressed her face. “Seeing Gabrielle is an extra bonus.”

  “Don’t touch me!” she hissed.

  “Lies and deception will never make a true relationship,” I declared.

  Darren laughed in a devilish tone. “Both of my women are feisty.”

  “What the hell do you want from us?�
�� I asked.

  “I want my fucking life back. Brennon, if your ass would have just rotted in jail, Gabby and I would still be together. Tory, if you would have never gotten in the way of my happiness with Nya, you wouldn’t have been kidnapped. Have you enjoyed your stay for a little over a year with me?”

  “Fuck you!” Tory yelled.

  “That’s what I did to Nya over and over again. Damn! She has some good pussy.”

  One of the gunmen walked over and quietly whispered into Darren’s ear, “Boss, a shipment just came in.”

  Little did he know, I could read lips.

  “Go ahead with the business as usual. There’s plenty of money to be made. I got this on my own.”

  The two gunmen headed out.

  Meanwhile, I noticed Brennon desperately trying to free his wrists. Tory and I needed to divert Darren’s attention to us.

  “Let us go!” I screamed.

  Tory mocked me. “Let us go!”

  “Nya, do you know how much I lost this past year ducking and dodging the police?”

  “No,” I replied, shaking my head.

  “It’s over five million dollars and counting. Years ago, you could have told me my best friend Brennon was hot on my trail, but you didn’t. Instead, Nya, you betrayed me. To top things off, today you shot me up with potassium. I almost died in that room.” Darren smacked me in the face.

  Once Tory saw Brennon unraveling the rope around his wrists, he started doing the same thing, since Darren’s attention was all on me.

  “If I just had a little more time to stick you in your chest, you would be dead.”

  “You’re lucky I didn’t kill you with my bare hands when you told me about getting an abortion. Nya, you know how much I love children. You didn’t care and killed our unborn child. To make up for killing my baby, now I will kill your husband. I will give you the choice on how Tory should die. What’s it going to be, the knife or one shot to the temple?” he asked, waving a knife in one hand and a gun in the other.