Eight

RUNAWAY

F lower (undisclosed location in Dubai)

DiDi: He came here. He and FADE had it out and then FADE and I had it out. Don't worry about none of that BS just take care of you and Asa.

Me: Why was it worse than the other 3xs he came?

DiDi: Girl, idk maybe he's getting more desperate. He's gone to Shelby-Love, Birmingham, everywhere. He looked like he was ready to kill me last night. That's when FADE stepped to him to him to calm TF down that you are not safe around him now and he needs to get his head on straight before someone lays him down.

Me: OMG. What did he say??

DiDi: Said he was already dead. He's lost weight too making him look even more dangerous than before. All that ice has melted into just a sharp blade.

Me: Then why is FADE mad with you when he obviously can see Akchiro is unhinged?! He's acting like a maniac.

DiDi: FADE said what you did was immature, and you could have just come to us and not keep Asa from his daddy. He's mad at me because he said I shouldn't have kept things from him annnnd he thinks I know where you are. All the guys think the girls know. Ghadi called us the "Undergound Railroad" and he, Hasan and Marchellis are all taking bets on who we are going to help "free" next. He says he thinks Krie… s always got jokes. I can't wait till someone has them on their knees.

Me: I'm sorry I got you in this, but that's funny though.

DiDi: Gir,l please. All you did was send me this phone so you could let your family know you're ok. I did that of all the things I'm sure of I know that that is true. "I don't want him harmed."

"As for Evangelina and Bridget, I purposely left them out of this because I knew how closely they worked with TekMoto. I didn't want to put their careers or their lives in jeopardy. His brothers are fair men, they won't harm them. I came to the person I knew who could get the job done," I assure her.

"Be that as it may. And thanks for the vote of confidence not to mention being one of my benefactors. You know your husband better than anyone and knows he won't stop." I watch as she calls for tea regarding me as if I am going to give her the go ahead to kill Akchiro. Again never.

"Prosper, I'd think you hate men if I didn't know how much you love your brothers." I shake my head at her never seeing her in a relationship.

"Girl, I love my brothers, but they are the exact type of men women would run from. Plus, I love my sisters more Bliss, Blessing and Promise are wayyyy better than any of them. They are ruthless and hard. You love your brothers then married someone just like them and how's that working for you?" She smirks at me. I roll my eyes at her.

We both fall silent when the tea is brought.

"I know you just didn't try to Dr. Phil me," I say as soon as we are alone again.

"Indeed." She pours for us both English style which makes me miss having tea every day with my mother-in-law who is my confidant. I never felt comfortable telling Mother Takeda anything negative about my marriage to Akchiro. How domineering he is but she always seemed to know. Many times, she hinted I should stand up to him more. I didn't know why I let so many things slip through until I was away and had time to reflect and breathe. It was the loss of our first baby and my guilt around it, not telling him for so long, the hurt and chasm that I caused between us. I was scared to rock the boat and more importantly hurt him again. Afraid he'll stop loving me, realizing he picked badly. But he did anyway…

So, I make you weak?"

A slow blink, then his gaze slides away, looking out into the garden just beyond the window. "Not anymore." That conversation is emblazoned on my heart. His eyes were so dispassionate it was basically him saying using tatamae —I know longer love you.

A possession? Yes. Maybe even a penance to his way of thinking for even allowing himself to be enamored with me for a brief period. Did he ever love me? It hurts to even think about it.

"Still, I want no harm to come to him." Steadfast, I take the tea and cakes she offers biting into the delicate flakiness of the sweet, moist confection.

"Yum," I hum. "Everything here is so delicious."

"I knowww." Her return hum is just as animated. "Better than the boring British food I grew up on."

"Most of your teen years were in America at boarding school with me, Prosper." I remind her laughing at her exaggeration. "The food was great, though."

"Yeah, I'm talking about before I got kicked out of every school there only for daddy and mommy have a eureka moment and ship me off to the states. It was the best thing really."

"How did you manage to get kicked out but none of these ruthless bothers of did?"

"Because they were so ruthless. Thankfully, they picked a school where I met a cool chick with a name as unique as mine." She tips her teacup my way.

Her phone buzzes, she leans down and roll her eyes whispering, "Speak of the devil."

"Aye, bruv," Sing-songing cheerfully, she turns the speaker on then presses her finger to her mouth, so I don't say a word.

"Where is she?" A deep control voice crushes through the line. I'd only met Bishop Shipmoore once and it was at a premier of my friend, Lovey-Belle's film, Just Forever, he was an imposing figure then. Well over six foot with a height surpassing my husband, he gives off an air of refined ruthlessness but that night he was all charm. There is no charm in his voice now only a blade of pragmatism so sharp he could cut through and iceberg.

"What are you talking about Bish?" Prosper snaps. "I excused myself from a meeting to speak to you. Are you talking about that little poodle you keep imprisoned in the Hyde Park Mansion you never frequent or one of your many subsluts?"

"Prosperity," he warns in a withering tone.

I notice her bravado fractures a bit before she bites back. "Bish. I honestly don't know whom or what you're speaking of."

"Hm, ok well maybe you can answer why your personal yacht as off the coast of Japan a month ago? The same time the wife of a very prominent Shipmoore investor and my fucking friend's wife disappeared. We've looked away and let you do this little project of yours because it was for a good cause. We don't fuck with bitch made ass punks who hit and abuse women. So, unless you know something different about one of my best friends and not something she told you then you broke the covenant when you helped her take his child." He rails over the phone his words a searing lecture.

"First of all, I had business in Japan and?—"

"Business in Japan? You were at a gala in California, Prosperity," seethes.

Smoothing her fawn-colored pants down, she says like she's bored. "I was saying, I had business in Japan and couldn't make it on time make the event, so I sent the yacht ahead and met it there. I never saw, Flower there, Bishop. If I did, I would've helped her. She's not one to do something out of spite. I'm not in their marriage but I trust her."

"Well, Akchiro is on the hunt. He won't stop until he has her and their son back, Prosper. He is not the type of motherfucker you mess with on your best day. I told him we didn't have anything to do with her disappearance. He knows about your little endeavors, so he came to me as a man. Face to face. He looked gutted, Prosperity. Like he was the living dead. He promised death to anyone who has her. He meant that shit. If you helped her or have her. Come back home so we can protect you. Dubai is too far."

"Your reach is just as far," she sighs, looking at me.

"The problem is big sis, his goes just as far." He ends the call after a few moments and I must give it to her, she looks positively unfazed.

"We can leave." I tell her as soon as she ends the call.

She's already shaking her head, No. "Uh-uh. We're not doing that. We are not letting men run us. You left for good, valid reasons. I trust you not to pry but I saw how devastated you were when you got here. Trust me. They all do this. I don't care whether they are oligarchs, mob bosses, cartel bosses, princess, kings, sultans, or presidents they all do the threats, the crying, the plots, and we haven't lost a woman or a kid yet. It's a pride thing for them. Eventually, they give up. And by that, I mean they realized they can't control the situation, and they give the woman a settlement and find someone else who's life they can make miserable. I've had a few repeats.

Your case is a little different because we normally move people to Asia, but your guy owns most of it and you are too well known. So, I'm thinking somewhere in the countryside of South Africa until things blow over. It's beautiful. Asa can run and play." She words are reassuring.

"South Africa sounds perfect. I've only been once, and it was amazing." I find myself hopeful for the first time in a while. Being here has been starting to feel like a ticking time bomb.

"Africa is so vast you can get lost anywhere there. He'll never find you." She assures me.

We fall into the old comfort of friendship, talking about my favorite things, fashion and film. Prosper is a fierce advocate having helped over a hundred women flee abusive husbands the world over with her secret network.

For some reason I always kept the special card she gave me one day over lunch when I was newly married Akchiro. "I hope you never need it, but just in case you do," she said with a shrug between celebratory a toast. Little did I know how unfortunate and true her words would be.

She was my only call.

My sleep had been fitful ever since I left him. Plagued with nightmares. I'd started sleeping with Asa just to get through the night. Brushing his little hair until I finally fall asleep.

"Daddy," I had to be a dreaming because Akchiro singing a lullaby to our son almost never happens. In fact, it's so rare now with the way he's always working, I doubt Asa would even recognize the words. The strong baritone is so clear and sad. Asa's giggling and clapping is so clear in the dream. It's not the first time I fight to wake up. It's not the first time I have to wipe my tears because of a dream about my husband and our family made me cry. No.

I rise to my elbow thinking Asa is up playing or needing a cuddle. A dim light spills across the room. I scramble to a seating position. On the other side of the bed sitting with his back resting against the headboard is Akchiro. Holding a now sleeping Asa. The last words of the lullaby falling from his lips.

His says the word, his eyes are on me now.

My heart slams in my chest. The coldness of his eyes, the deadness is like nothing I have ever seen. He's so thin he's almost gaunt as if he's shed everything that made him the slightest bit soft. It's as if he's shed every part of his humanity.

"Bao." It is soft as a whisper.

Our huge, ex-sumo driver strides through the door reaching for and receiving our son. He flicks a brief glance my way that is full of disappointment and sorrow.

There are no words. None to fully encapsulate my terror.

Gone is my husband. Only the monster remains.

He reaches inside his pocket. Is it a needle with poison? Will they find me dead in my bed? Will they even find a body?

My heart feels like is about to burst through my chest. I scramble away. But as always, he's too fast.

He slams his hand over my face and mouth. Ohmygoodness. I fight. I promise, I fight. I kick. I head butt him. He rears back. "Fuck." He grabs my neck. Bruising. Hard. Tears leak out my eyes as I struggle fighting for my life.

I look at him wildly. His face is a mask of rage.

"Faithless bitch," he roars. I feel a sting.

Everything goes black.