Love & War Read online

  The sun crept through the curtains of the cabin and when YaYa opened her eyes, Indie sat on the floor beside her, gracing her head with loving strokes.

  “You’re here,” she said groggily as she sat up.

  “Where else would I be, ma?” he answered.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “For every single thing I’ve ever done to hurt you, to betray you. I’m sorry for the lies, the pills, the power struggle—”

  “I don’t want to talk about any of that,” he said. “When you didn’t show up at the chapel yesterday I thought you’d left me, but when I found out you were in trouble I thought I had lost you. Nothing will ever make me stop loving you, Disaya, and that’s on my life. You are my everything and I want to leave the past behind us and start taking steps toward a better life. I need a healthy and strong wife, baby girl. No drugs. If you ever feel the need to slip up then you come to me. I’ll help you through anything and I never want you to fear another human being ever again. Leah is no longer your problem, she’s mine and you know how I handle my problems. We won’t talk about her anymore, she doesn’t exist to you. You’re a queen. You’re up here,” he said using his hands to show her how highly he thought of her. “Leave her down here. She dragged you down to the gutter for a while and you changed. I want my old thing back. You won’t hear from her again, but you don’t have to hide or watch over your shoulders this time.”

  “What if—”

  Indie put one finger to her lips. “Don’t ask questions, ma, just know that it is handled.”

  YaYa kissed his lips and he picked her up from the couch. “Now let’s get you showered and those bandages changed, after that I’ll fix you breakfast.”

  “Where’s Chase?” she asked.

  “I sent him back down to the city. There’s something I need him to do.”

  Chapter 3

  “I want this job done smooth, no fuck-ups,” Chase said into the walkie-talkie as he checked his rearview mirror. The task that Indie had put on his plate was huge and there was too much at stake to drop the ball. “Trina, you back there?” he asked as he drove with one hand. He was in front of a police car that had been assigned to transport Leah from the hospital to the jail where she would await her court date. Trina was trailing the car.

  “Yeah, I’m good. I’m waiting on you,” she shot back confidently.

  They were young and reckless. There were not many aspects to the game that they didn’t feel they could conquer and taking down this transport was one of them.

  “Be safe, T. If anything goes wrong you get the fuck out of here. You got me?” Chase asked.

  “Nothing’s going wrong. Let’s snatch this damn girl and get it over with,” she replied. Chase tossed the walkie-talkie in the passenger seat and then out of nowhere he slammed on the brakes suddenly. The police didn’t have time to react behind him and they hit his rear at full speed, sending glass flying everywhere as his back window exploded on impact. The force of the crash pushed him forward, only for the seat belt to snatch him back. He quickly snatched the pistol from under his seat as he watched the officer that was driving get out of the car, enraged. His heartbeat increased as adrenaline pumped through his veins. I live for this shit, he thought as he counted the officer’s steps as he approached. Indie had brought Chase into the game and taught him all that he knew, but Chase was quickly developing his own persona. He was becoming a live wire. He was about that action and loved the rush that coursed through him when it was time to put in that work. He was slowly but surely becoming a beast not only regarding his hustle, but in the muscle game as well. What had once been a young boy who got chased off the block, was now a young man who ran fifty blocks and had a love affair with aggression. With no woman, no child, or roots to slow him down he was Indie’s right hand and he played the position to perfection.

  “Hey what the hell do you think you’re doing! You don’t just put on your brakes like that! Give me your license and—”

  As the police officer leaned against the window frame on the driver’s side, Chase’s hand came up as he placed the pistol snugly beneath the officer’s chin. In an instant he saw the man’s life flash in his eyes, but Chase couldn’t hesitate.

  Psst!

  The silenced hollow tip sent the man crashing to the cement, causing his other partner much alarm. Chase pulled the rosy-cheeked Halloween mask over his face and then got out of the car. The second officer hopped out of the vehicle and positioned his body behind the open door as he aimed his gun out of the descended window. He had the perfect shield as he shouted. “Put the gun down now!” He curled his finger around the trigger preparing to squeeze but was halted by the cold kiss of Trina’s gun as she placed it point-blank range against the back of his skull.

  “Drop it before I put your fucking brains on the concrete,” she said calmly. The cop immediately complied. Chase ran to the back door of the police car and snatched Leah out.

  “No! Please! Help!” she pleaded, screaming at the top of her lungs. She pulled away trying to make her body dead weight so that she couldn’t be forced into the car easily. If she was going to get snatched in broad daylight she wasn’t going to make it easy. She knew that once they took her, she was as good as dead, so she put up as much fight as she could considering that she was handcuffed and still suffering from massive injuries. Once finding out that she was under arrest, the hospital only kept her long enough to prolong her life. They released her as soon as she was well enough to be transferred to the county, but it seemed that she would never make it to a cell.

  “Shut your ass up before I leave you leaking out this bitch,” Chase barked as he popped the trunk to his car. He forced her inside and then looked back as he watched Trina force the second officer in the back seat. He wouldn’t be able to get out. He would have to wait until someone came along to help and by then they would be long gone. She turned and nodded at Chase and then the two of them ran back to their cars, speeding away from the scene in different directions.

  “Where are we going? Why are we dropping Sky off?” YaYa asked as she stood back while Indie opened her car door. The serious expression on his face worried her. She could practically see the burden sitting on his shoulders and it concerned her because she had no clue about what was troubling him.

  “Sky can’t go where I’m taking you,” he responded. “I want to show you something.”

  A month had passed since the accident and she was finally up and on her feet. The fact that Indie had practically brought her back from the dead made her feel alive for the first time in years. She was herself again. Disaya Morgan . . . and it had never felt so good, but for the past few weeks Indie had been distant. The brooding look in his eyes and the clenching of his jawline caused a knot to build inside of her own chest. She had no idea what he had been plotting. The things that he had been putting in play were strictly on her behalf and today it would all unfold, he hoped flawlessly.

  The city streets passed them by as they made their way to an unknown destination.

  “Indie, where are you taking me?” she asked again.

  “I would do anything for you and for our daughter. You know that right?” he asked her.

  “Yeah, of course,” she replied as she reached over and placed her hand over the one he had sitting on the gearshift. “I’ve never doubted that.” She shifted her body so that she was facing him as curiosity wrinkled her face. “Where is this coming from?”

  They pulled up to an abandoned factory and YaYa looked out of her window at the high rise. The dark windows were glassless as if someone had used them for target practice and the cement walls were tagged in graffiti. “There is something that I couldn’t do for you. I will do it if you are unable to, but I knew that if you didn’t witness it with your own eyes you would always have some type of doubt . . . some type of fear in your heart. I want to extinguish that.”

  He turned off the ignition and popped open the door as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Come on,” he said.
r />   Anxiety built inside YaYa as she exited the car. She waited for him to walk around to her before she snuggled herself beneath his arm. He led her inside where Chase stood in the middle of the dimly lit room. Not even the sunshine from outside could fully illuminate the space and a chill ran through her body as she looked around trying to decipher what was hiding in the shadows.

  “This way,” Chase said as he led the way to a staircase and began to ascend. The only thing that could be heard was dripping pipes and the sound of their feet as they clanged up the metal stairwell. YaYa had no idea what to expect and if any other person had have brought her here she would have definitely thought she was being led to an execution, but her trust in Indie kept her calm as she followed suit.

  What the hell is going on? she wondered. It wasn’t long before all of her questions were answered. When she stepped out onto the rooftop and saw Leah strapped to a chair she gasped in shock.

  “It ends today, ma,” Indie said. “It’s up to you whether you want it to be fast or slow. You don’t have to do it yourself if you don’t want to. If you prefer you can wait in the car and I can make this entire situation disappear for you, but I know you. You need to see it so that you don’t fear it anymore. She will never be able to hurt you from where I’m sending her.”

  “Where’s that?” YaYa whispered.

  “To hell,” Indie replied. He lifted YaYa’s chin with his finger and stared her directly in the eyes. It was so easy to get lost in his gaze. The emotion that flowed between them in that brief moment of intimacy made her feel nothing less than unfiltered love. She and Indie had gone through plenty of ups and downs. Their story was not always perfect, but one thing she could say was that it was always pure. He would do anything for her and as she glanced over at Leah, she was reminded of how deeply his commitment to her flowed.

  “How do you want to handle this?” he asked.

  YaYa was at a loss for words as her mouth hung open. Her heart ached. It pained her that things had spiraled so far out of control. She yearned for normalcy where enemies ignored one another or hated each other from a distance but in her reality that would never happen. Leah’s sick fixation was dangerous and it had all culminated to this moment. YaYa walked over to Leah, cautiously as if she were approaching a dangerous animal that would attack her at any moment. She took her steps one at a time, timidly, as her heart beat intensely. YaYa had been through so much at the hands of this woman. It went beyond hate, beyond shade, beyond the typical jealousy that festered in the hearts of many women. Her beef with Leah was unhealthy. Leah was mentally unstable and her insanity had slowly pulled YaYa in. Leah’s legs and arms were bound so tightly to the chair she sat in that they appeared raw. There were still heavy bandages around her chest from the gunshot she was recovering from. In this state Leah should have been remorseful for all of the things she had done, but YaYa could still see the hate burning in Leah’s eyes. YaYa shook her head because after all the back and forth, all the drama, the kidnapping, the single black female syndrome, all YaYa felt for Leah was pity. She was pathetic. Leah had wanted to be YaYa so badly that she had failed to see how great being Leah Richards could have been if she had given herself a chance. YaYa’s life wasn’t perfect. She was a whore’s daughter and a pimp’s honorary seed. She grew up abused . . . neglected . . . poor. She had sold her body to the highest-bidding hustler in the past. It was only Indie’s love that had made her feel valued. Why Leah wanted to walk in her shoes so badly was unbeknownst. Her life wasn’t shiny like a pair of new Loubs. It was worn, old, and dirty, like a pair of old gym shoes, but it was the breaking in that made it so comfortable. She had been through mud and high water to get where she was; she didn’t know why Leah couldn’t see that.

  “Why do you hate me so much?” YaYa asked. She snatched off the tape that covered Leah’s mouth so that she could receive an answer.

  For the first time ever YaYa saw Leah’s hard resolve soften as a tear fell down her cheek. “Because you stole my life . . . my father . . . I was supposed to be you.”

  Tears built in YaYa’s eyes because Leah truly had no clue. Her life had not been that great. It certainly was not worth the fight that Leah had put up to take it. “This has to stop. You need help. Your mind isn’t right,” YaYa said, taking sympathy on her enemy. “You’re sick, Leah.”

  “And you’re weak, bitch,” Leah said as she spit toward YaYa.

  YaYa shook her head and began to walk away, deciding to let Indie do her dirty work. For a brief second she had considered letting him keep her life. Surely rotting in a mental hospital was better than death, but Leah couldn’t leave well enough alone. Her mouth had just written herself a check that she would hate to cash. “Look at you!” Leah shouted after her. “You’re pathetic! You’re weak!”

  YaYa turned with a look of amusement in her eyes as she walked back over to Leah. She bent directly in her face as she rested her hands on top of Leah’s arms.

  “I may be all of those things, Leah, but guess what? I still won. Go to hell, you evil bitch,” YaYa said. She pushed Leah backward and the look of fear that took over Leah’s face as her chair tipped over the edge of the building was payback for the years of torture that she had inflicted.

  YaYa couldn’t bring herself to look, but the ear-shattering scream caused her to close her eyes. Leah experienced ten seconds of the terror that she had made YaYa live through every day: the fear of impending death. YaYa held her breath until she heard the impact of Leah’s body crashing to the cement below. “God forgive me,” she whispered.

  Chase walked over to the edge and peered down. “I’ll clean up the mess.”

  Indie nodded and YaYa leaned against him as he led her away. “It’s over?” she whispered in disbelief.

  “It’s over,” he confirmed.

  Chapter 4

  One Year Later

  YaYa had never been so high in her life. She was floating, but it was a sensation unlike anything she had ever experienced. YaYa was on cloud nine, her mental elevated to levels way above what any drug could ever provide. This was a different type of high. She was high on life. For the first time ever she had absolutely no worries. Life had a funny way of working itself out. She had endured every trial and tribulation and as she sat, staring at her reflection, she couldn’t help but to become emotional. For years she had not recognized the face that looked back at her. She had been lost in a world of sex, money, chaos, lies, drugs . . . you name it, YaYa had seen it. Every moment had been consumed with thoughts of revenge, of fear, survival, but today was different. Today she knew the girl in the mirror. She was beautiful and she loved the green-eyed girl who stared back at her. No one knew exactly what she had been through, what she had survived. It had been a hard journey, but she had made it. She was the last one standing and today, Disaya Morgan felt peace.

  “Are you going to cry? You better not let one tear drop! You’re going to mess up your makeup,” Miesha said as she quickly stood to retrieve a box of Kleenex. YaYa looked over to the young girl and smiled. They had grown close. Miesha had proved herself to the team. She had given up her freedom for YaYa and had served a hard three years in prison, without ever considering mentioning YaYa’s name. She had trusted YaYa with her life and in the end she had earned her seat at YaYa’s table. After placing a hefty bribe to the right judge, the case had been thrown out and Miesha was able to come home. YaYa had once thought the young girl was expendable, but after proving such loyalty, YaYa would be foolish to not show her love in return. As a result, Miesha was now family. Blood wasn’t the only thing that made you related; sometimes it was your friends who showed you love the most and YaYa was forever grateful for Miesha’s thoroughness. In a lot of ways Miesha reminded her of herself. Thinking about the people who surrounded her on this special day the waterworks came on full force. “Aww, YaYa,” Miesha said as she grabbed a few pieces of Kleenex and dabbed at the tears that were flowing down her face.

  The makeup artist working beside her chimed in, �
�Oh she’s fine, every bride gets emotional on her wedding day. If you need to take a moment and have a nice long cry go ahead. I can always touch you up afterward. This is your day. I’m here for you,” the woman said as she gave YaYa a supportive smile before turning to continue her work on Elaine.

  “I’m fine,” YaYa assured as she turned her eyes to the ceiling so that Miesha could blot her tears away.

  Elaine turned to her with a worried expression on her face. Ever since she had met the damsel in distress, YaYa had been a complicated creature. Her son, Indie, loved her, however, and through all of the ups and downs he had stuck by her side. YaYa’s was no one’s idea of perfect, but somehow all of her flaws were what drew her son to this woman. “Are you really?” she asked. Elaine wanted to stay close to YaYa and nurture her to ensure that this time, she made it down the aisle. The last thing anyone wanted was for YaYa to leave Indie standing at the altar again.

  YaYa confirmed with a nod. “No worries, Elaine, I’m marrying your son today. There is nothing that can stop me from becoming his wife. That man is everything to me. I am one hundred percent at peace today. I have my daughter and I have Indie, nothing can possibly go wrong,” she said. She spoke with such sincerity that she brought emotion to Elaine’s eyes. Everyone knew how much effort it had taken to get the couple to this point. They had endured all things that were designed to destroy them. There was plenty to celebrate today. This would be the wedding of the century.

  “I am so proud of you, YaYa. You are beautiful,” Elaine complimented.

  YaYa reached over to give Elaine’s hand a gentle squeeze before standing to retreat to her dressing room. She needed a brief moment to herself because after today, Disaya Morgan would be no more. She was about to transform into Mrs. Indie Perkins. She had never wanted anything so much in her life. Hollow nervousness filled her stomach when she saw the magnificent wedding dress hanging up on the clothes rack. Monique Lhuillier was a sight to behold in itself. The couture designer had personally been commissioned to sew every bead onto the elaborate dress. Once she stepped her curvaceous body into the design it would be nothing less than a masterpiece. Indie had wanted nothing but the finest for his bride and had given her no limits when planning the celebration. She had the best designer, the most sought-after wedding planner in New York City, and the most popular wedding venue all at her disposal. Money didn’t matter. The hefty price tag was worth this one day of happiness. Today I get to live a fairytale, she thought as she gently touched the intricate beadwork on her gown.