Chapter 7

7

Lila (Nala)

M y shoulder and ankle were throbbing.

Play, as I heard my captor being called, promised he'd take care of me, but his ass hadn't done shit but locked me and Kari in a room once we got to his house and disappeared. It was a nicer room than I expected for someone who was a victim of kidnapping.

The space was huge and nicely decorated. Expensive furniture and linens seemed to be the standard. The bathroom was huge with separate tub and shower areas. The moment the door closed behind us, I looked for something, anything to make a weapon out of. I didn't have the strength to lift anything, so I needed something small.

When I couldn't find anything that I could hide on my person, I cried. I had to get away from his man. He clearly didn't give a fuck that he was sending me to my death. I could accept my fate, but I couldn't accept not knowing what would happen to my baby. If I could just get her to my parents, I could rest easy knowing she was okay.

We'd been in here for about an hour now. Kari had fallen asleep, but it wasn't a peaceful slumber. As she lay next to me, her tiny body jerking every so often, I was riddled with regret and emotion. I never wanted this for her. From the moment that pregnancy test came back positive, I made a vow to myself that I'd protect her with my life.

I'd kept that promise for six years. I wasn't sure what happened. I thought we were safe. I got comfortable… complacent. Somehow, I had to have been careless. If I was going to be returned to Slim, I needed to know how he found me.

"I'm so sorry, Kari," I said softly as I rubbed her back.

I prayed that in the next lifetime, I made better decisions because I'd royally fucked up in this one.

The sound of the locks disengaging broke my thoughts. I sat up, waiting to see who would come through the door. When it opened, Play stood there with bags of clothes and what looked like toiletries in his hands. He walked into the room and placed the items on the dresser.

I heard a second set of footsteps before a big, burly man stepped into the room. He looked at me and then at Play.

"This is Cornell," Play said. "He's here to take a look at you."

"I need a real doctor."

"He is a real doctor. I ain't finna argue with you, Bunny. Let the man take a look at your shoulder and ankle. I'm not about to be carrying your ass around here. When he's done, you and lil bit can come eat."

He didn't give me a chance to protest further before he was walking out the door.

"Asshole!" I yelled after him.

I looked over at Cornell who held a stoic look on his face. He placed his bag on the dresser and pulled the stool from the vanity out. Walking over to the bed, he held out his hand to me. Hesitantly, I looked at it before slipping my palm in his. He helped me from the bed and over to the stool where I eased down to take a seat.

He stooped in front of me and lifted my foot, causing me to wince in pain.

"On a scale of one to ten, what's your level of pain?" he asked.

"Eight," I mumbled.

"Hmm." He continued to examine my foot. "It's not broken but it's definitely fractured. He says you fell?"

"Did he tell you that I fell running from him because he kidnapped me and my daughter?"

He looked at me but didn't acknowledge what I said.

"I'll have to put a boot on it. I'll be back tomorrow to do that. Let me check your shoulder."

He stood to his feet and walked behind me. I bit my bottom lip as he examined my shoulder. After a bit, he finally spoke.

"The shoulder is a simple fix. You dislocated it. I can pop it back into place. It will hurt, but I can give you something for the pain."

"O-okay," I whispered.

"On the count of three, take a deep breath. One… two—"

"Wait, wait, wait!" I pleaded. "I'm not ready."

He sighed and backed off. I took a few deep breaths, mentally preparing myself for the pain that was to come.

"Okay, I'm ready."

"Again, on the count of three. One… two—"

"Wait!"

"Miss, holding off isn't going to stop the pain. It's gonna feel the same no matter what."

"You're a horrible doctor. Where is your compassion?"

He rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone. After tapping on it briefly, he slipped it back into his pocket. Not long after that, I heard the heavy footsteps of Play coming into the room.

"What?" he asked, clearly annoyed.

"Hold her hand," Cornell said.

"Nigga, what?"

"Hold her hand so I can pop her shoulder back in place. I don't have all day to be here with her stopping me."

"What school did you go to?" I asked. "Your bedside manners are horrible. You better hope I never get the chance to report you to the medical board. I'd make sure you lose your damn license."

"Bunny, don't be a Karen," Play said, coming over to me.

"Fuck you."

"Look. Stop playing with this man's time and let him help your aggy ass." He extended his hand. "Give me your damn hand."

I glared at him. He really had no idea how much I hated his ass. Reluctantly, I grabbed his hand. It was strong and slightly calloused. I imagined it came from kidnapping other people the same way he kidnapped me. He gave a gentle squeeze as he looked down at me with an unreadable expression on his face.

Cornell gently grabbed my arm. "For the last time, on three. One. Two. Three."

I took a deep breath the same time that he popped the bone back in place. My nails dug into Play's flesh as I fought the urge to scream.

"You a'ight, Bunny," he said, gently massaging the top of my hand.

I looked up at him with a scowl through my pain. "Stop calling me that."

He smirked. "It's fitting."

I jerked away from him. "I hate you. Sleep with one eye open, asshole."

He laughed and shook his head. "You aren't the threat you think you are, love."

He flicked my nose before he walked toward the door. "Don't give my man here a hard time moving forward. Had you not tried to run away, you wouldn't be crippled right now."

He left the room, leaving me staring after him with a deep frown on my face. I looked back at Cornell.

"You have to help me," I said in a low whisper.

"I am helping you."

"You know that's not what I mean. I can't stay here. Look at my child. She doesn't deserve this."

He was quiet. I looked at the wedding ring on his finger.

"I see you're married. Do you have children? What if I was your wife or daughter? What if she was your granddaughter? You wouldn't be so quick to aid and abet a criminal, would you?"

He remained quiet as he wrapped my foot.

"How much is he paying you? I have money. I can pay you… Please help me."

I was desperate. So desperate that I was willing to wire him the money in all my accounts to assure our safety. For years now, I'd been making small deposits from Slim's stash into accounts in Kari's name at several banks. I didn't touch that money. It was hers in case anything ever happened to me.

Cornell remained quiet until he finished wrapping my foot. He sighed heavily as he packed his bag, then placed a pill bottle on the dresser.

"Take these twice a day with food for the pain. I'll be back tomorrow with the boot. Don't put too much pressure on that ankle."

Without another word, he left the room, closing the door slightly behind him. Once again, I was alone and trapped like a fucking animal. Burying my face in my hands, I cried like a baby. This was it. This was my fate. I was never getting out of here.

Nobody knew I was missing. Nobody would even know where to look if they did. We'd disappeared like ghosts in the night. Once we were delivered to Slim, we'd disappear for good. The thought of that broke me. My cries became audible. I didn't realize I'd woken Kari up until I felt her little hands on me.

"Mommy? Why are you crying?"

I quickly wiped my face before I looked at her. "Mommy's okay. Come here."

I helped her onto my lap and held her close to me as I rocked her.

"Mommy loves you so much."

"I love you too. Mommy, I'm hungry."

I knew she had to be, because I was starving. I didn't want to eat anything this man gave us, but not eating wasn't an option.

"How about we take a nice shower and change clothes, then go get something to eat?" I suggested.

"Okay. Is the big, mean man still here?"

"He is, but don't worry. I'll protect you."

She nodded and rested her head against me as I dug through the bags of clothes and hygiene products. Silently, I prayed to God to give me strength for the both of us.