Page 37 of A Beast Captured My Heart

My mom called me cursing me out and scared for my safety. She told me all about my brother’s mental issues and what he had been diagnosed with since a kid. I felt more like shit, I really wanted to make things right with him. At this point, I really didn’t have shit to lose. Had I known what it was my brother had suffered from, I would have gone about shit way different. Now I sat here looking strung the fuck out, hiding out in Atlanta. My boyfriend left me, which really drove me to hitting the pipe. I didn’t know where the fuck he was or if he was safe and my brother wanted us all dead. My phone rang, it was Laquanna. As much as I didn’t want to answer, I knew I had to. She was my only close insight on what to do next like my mom was. When I answered, she cried hysterically. She sounded so distraught; I could barely make out the words she was saying.

“Did you hear me, Tef! We gotta do something to that devil! He killed my fucking mom and took my daughter! I got to get her back and bury my momma! You gotta come back out here ASAP. We have to plan something!”

Rolling my eyes, I placed another rock in my pipe and sparked it. I took a deep pull, inhaled and kept it there until I choked on it, forced to release the smoke. I laughed uncontrollably.

“What you thought was gon’ happen, you stupid bitch?” This time I laughed until she said something that almost made me sober.

“What you think is gon’ happen if I don’t avenge my momma? I sure would hate to hear some shit about your momma dying accidently.”

That almost stole the breath from my body, but then I remembered Praise had twenty-four-hour protection over her and whoever else he cared enough for. I wouldn’t even be surprised if he had moved her somewhere safe until he killed whoever he saw as a threat.

“Listen Laquanna! I don’t give a fuck what you or that vindictive bitch, Nia, do! Because of you, I lost my man and my brother! Do what you got to do!”

“No, you listen up, you rump ranging fag! If you don’t meet with me in five days, ya momma and yo man will be fucking dead! Don’t fucking test me!”

Laquanna was pure evil, and she blew my high. I was scared to even come back to Cali. I didn’t have any soldiers left because Praise killed them all and I was positive he had a bounty on my head.

“Get out here ASAP, Teflon! We need to plot a way to kidnap that ugly fat bitch he’s so head over hills for.” She hung up in my face and I laid back on the bed, weighing my options.

Kidnapping that Kayori girl didn’t sound too bad. I needed to make more money, I only had eight hundred thousand out of the million dollars left. My drug habit and the expensive hotel I was staying at cost. I bought clothes, more jewelry, and a brand-new Benz all in cash. I would help her kidnap Kayori, somehow get a ransom, and set her free with no harm done to her. I didn’t want to hurt my brother any more than I already had. Maybe I could talk to Kayori and get Praise to forgive me.

Chapter Eighteen

KAYORI

It was about to be eleven at night, I just got off the phone with Meshalay. She was so ecstatic about her man finally waking up and doing okay. Her being happy made me happy, but in the pit of my stomach sat fear for what was to come with Praise and me. On top of that, I worried about whatever he was up to in the streets. This is what I didn’t want to go through. Being involved with a man like Praise meant sleepless nights and stress added. I felt like I was in too deep to even back out. Here I sat comfortably in a five-bedroom, three-bathroom house. Praise home put the L in total luxury. Even though I didn’t live here, I felt like I was the queen of this house. I made a big dinner to show my appreciation to all the shopping I did earlier. I finally bought me some nice high-end clothes, perfumes, and expensive body butters. I hadn’t felt this good about spending money without worrying about a budget in all my time of living. I even bought Praise a couple of things like boxers and his favorite designer Celine.

I cleaned up his huge room, washed and folded up his clothes, and cooked chicken enchiladas for him. I already ate and had thrown up the food, still feeling sick from earlier. I had eaten a Subway sandwich at work and knew whatever was on the sandwich still had me sick. Hearing the front door beep from the alarm system, I slipped my feet in Praise Gucci sandals and made my way to the front of the house to greet him and warm his food. I was so eager to finally see him after not talking to him all day. He dropped me off at work and sent a driver to pick me up. When we weren’t talking for those three weeks, he would text me all throughout the day. I took today as him trying to catch up on business. When I neared the front room, I heard Mattea’s voice and stopped in my tracks to gather my thoughts. I know he had said Laquanna had been keeping Mattea away from him. I didn’t want to be around nobody’s child if they didn’t agree to it. Finally continuing my walk, I greeted Praise and Mattea as she jumped out of his arms and ran into mine. I was so happy to see her, yet concerned.

Her pretty curly hair was matted down, she had bruises on her arms and legs. Anger consumed me; I couldn’t wait to have a long conversation with Praise about what had taken place with this beautiful little girl. Right now, all I wanted to do was get her in the tub, wash her hair, and grease her up. I walked up to Praise with Mattea on my hip. She held my neck super tight as if she were scared, I’d let her go. That almost made me cry, it was no telling what she had been through those three weeks without her dad being involved. Taking her princess backpack from Praise’s hand, I notice blood on his Timberland boots. Swallowing down hard, I told him dinner was in the oven. I wouldn’t pry hard on what he did to get blood on his shoes. To be totally honest, I really didn’t want to know.

“Me miss you, Yori!”

This little girl really warmed my heart, with her beautiful big gray eyes. I started her bath water and ran it until it was warm enough. Going through her backpack she had a couple of toys and clothes inside. I threw some of her toys in the tub as I started to undress her, only to discover more bruises on her little body.

“Imissed you so much, my Tea baby. Who hurt you?” I asked as Praise stood at the door with sad eyes.

To witness his daughter bruised up like that, had to be a lot on him. Another trigger, I was now used to dealing with Beast when he did come to the forefront. Praise was more patient and kinder, and Beast was the total opposite. Lately, Praise had been using terminology saying that him and Beast were one. He wanted to merge them together. His thoughts were that if he united them as one, the voices would stop. I went along with his logic because deep down I knew he didn’t want to be or appear crazy. I researched his mental illness and sad to say even if he did merge him and Beast as one, the voices would still remain.

“Gran Gran go pop pop on me butt, like this!” She started demonstrating.

“Then mommy go bam bam!” She bawled her tiny fist up and I could see Praise’s eyes grow wild.

“Me no want mommy no more! Only daddy!” her voice sounded sad, so I hugged her tight and placed her in the tub. That’s when her pretty gray eyes lit up again and she started to play with her Barbie dolls.

“You will never see mommy again, Tea,” Praise assured her and walked away, leaving a million questions running through my head.

I washed her up good, including her hair. After that, I cut up the chicken enchiladas, I made for her and let her eat. Although it was late at night and a kid should have already been fed, Mattea ate like she was being starved wherever she was at. After I had Praise bring her Princess bed in his room, he had disappeared somewhere in the house. I read a story to her and rocked her to sleep in my arms while she rubbed my face. Those cute little dimples and pretty eyes was a sight for sore eyes. Putting her in the bed, I went to each room looking for Praise and I came up empty. I checked his backyard and his tall frame stood over his lit-up pool. I listened to him talk and curse and my heart went out to him.

“I’m going to kill and torture that bitch, Beast! I swear I am!” His voice sounded broken, which indicated that he had been crying and my heart broke just by hearing the hurt in each word he spoke.

“If I did it your way, Beast, everybody would be dead! I can’t kill my mom. I love her and if I kill Teflon, she will never speak to me again!”

He started pacing and rubbing his temples extra hard. I jumped when I saw him slap the shit out of himself. I wanted to run out there right away and hold him, but I held myself back because I didn’t know what specific element that he was in.

“Just shut the fuck up! Stop talking to me right now! I have a headache, and I don’t want to scare her away! You don’t want her to leave us, right? I can’t do this shit with you tonight! FUCK!” I could hear him sniffle and that’s when I decided to open the glass sliding door up and let myself be heard.

Hearing me approach him, he turned around to face me. I felt like taking on all his battles when I saw his red rimmed eyes. Cleaning his face from residual tears, what he said next caused my own set of tears.