ROMAN'S REVENGE

SO.....THIS IS THE SECOND TO LAST CHAPTER GUYS. BITTERSWEET, NO LIE. 1 MORE CHAPTER & ITS ALL OVER. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!?!?!!? THANK ALL OF YOU AMAZING PEOPLE FOR STICKING WITH ME THROUGH ALL OF THIS. THANK YOU FOR TAKING YOUR TIME OUT TO READ ANYTHING I HAVE TO SAY. YOU GUYS ARE REALLY IN MY HEART FOREVER. BUT LET ME NOT, BEFORE I START CRYING. I HOPE THIS LIVES UP TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS. ENJOY!




chapter 57

“But, c’mon Nicki, I need to do this!”

“Nope, I'm fine.”

“But you can’t go up there all by yourself! What if you need something?”

She rolled her eyes & turned around, directing her attention to the man that was following her.

“Safaree, I have it all under control. Don't worry about me.”

“Well, what about the baby?”

“He’s fine.”

“But…but…”

“Look, everything is fine. Go home to your wife. She needs you right now.” Nicki said as she closed the drawer of Malaki’s dresser.

“She's CRAZY! Last night while I was sleep, I could feel her breath on me. When I woke up, she was SIX CENTIMETERES from my face. She asked me how I could sleep when she was in so much pain. She wanted to kill me!”

“I know she's a little cranky right now, but the baby’s gonna be here in a few months so it’s hard for her. Can you imagine how nervous she is, knowing she has to push out a baby with your big ass head? It’s terrifying!”

“I know but…”

“Just go home, rub her feet, give her food & convince her that sex is the only way to make the baby come out. You’ll both feel batter after.”

Safaree frowned.

“Seems like EVERYBODY just wants me gone. She wants me gone, you want me gone & ya know what?! I just might go.” He said leaning against the large glass window in his nephew’s room.

“SAFAREE, DON’T!” Nicki screamed as she gripped Safaree by his jacket before he could put his full weight on the window pane.

“Damn, Nic! You STILL ain’t fixed that damn window all the way?” he said, dusting himself off & thanking god that he wasn’t hitting the grown right now.

“Well, I just haven’t gotten around to it. Besides, it’s not like he sleeps in here or anything. Ever since he’s been home, I haven’t really let him out of my sight.” She said, walking out & heading back downstairs where her son was coloring in the kitchen.

“It’s been like 6 months, Nic. It’s way past time to have that shit done. I'm startin to think you really need me & just don't wanna say it. It’s ok Nicki.” He said in a sympathetic tone as he grabbed her shoulders. “I'm here for you.” She laughed as she shoved him back.

“Boy, BYE! Go home! The baby sitter is going to be here in an hour. I’ll call you when I get back.” Safaree groaned before stepping up to kiss her cheek.

“You call me if you need something.”

“Yeah, yeah.” She said, waving him off.

“Later, gator!” he said as he kissed Malaki’s curly head.

“Bye-bye.” Malaki said as he waved after his uncle. Once he was gone, the boy resumed coloring. His tongue out as he intently channeled his energy into the marker he was holding. Nicki bent down, admiring his work.

“Whatcha doing there silly boy?” she asked. Malaki looked up at her & pointed to his paper.

“Look.” He said simply.

“Oh baby, I love it!” she said, laughing to herself as she noticed more of the marker being on him than the actual paper. She swopped the child up in her arms, making him giggle. “C’mon, let’s get you a bath before Abigail comes.” And up the stars they went, laughing all the way.

“Are you sure it’s ok? I can still come if you need me.” The young woman said between gagging.

“No, Abigail, its ok, really. Just get some rest.” It wasn’t, but the girl really did sound horrible.

“I'm so sorry!” she said gagging. Nicki pulled the phone away; frowning at the sound of her nanny, Abigail, heaving into what she hoped was a toilet. A squeal & then a moan followed. “NOT MY PHONE!” Abigail cried just before her phone went dead. Nicki put her hands on her head, taking a moment to breathe. Then, she looked own at Malaki, who was tugging at her leg.

“What’s up, baby?” she asked.

“Go bye-bye?”

“I don't know, sweetie. Let me call uncle Faree.” She reluctantly searched for him in her contacts & hit the call button. It went straight to voicemail. “Great. So you jinx me. My nanny can’t come in & now you don't answer.” She sighed. Just as she was about to put her phone in her pocket, it buzzed in her hand. It was Drake.

“Hey, beautiful.”

“Hey.”

“You sound…mad.”

“I am.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Abigail is really sick.”

“Oh no. that’s not good.”

“I tried to call Safaree, but he’s not answering. What am I gonna do? I can’t miss this meeting.”

“Calm down, just bring him to lunch & I’ll take him to the studio with me. I’ll let him lay down a few tracks. It’s all good.”

“You sure?”

“Yes! You know he loves the studio. Now come on! Its almost 4. We’re gonna miss our reservation.”

“Alright. Than-“

“Don't you dare. Now come on. Get your sexy ass in that car & come see me.” Nicki smiled to herself.

“Alright. See you soon.” After she hung up, he looked down at Malaki, tugging at her fingers. With 1 shoe on & his coat upside down, he called to her.

“C’mon mommy.” He said, pulling her to the door.

“Ok,” she sighed, “come on.” She kneeled down to him, fixing his coat & putting on his other shoe. She packed a diaper bag quickly before heading to the car.

“Are you excited to go with daddy?” Nicki asked.

“Yesss.” He whispered as she strapped him in his car seat.

“Do you even know what that means?”

“Yessss.” He whispered again. She narrowed her eyes at him.

“Are you just saying yes to everything I say?” Malaki tried his hardest to mimic her expression before whispering to her.

“Yesssss.”

Nicki could help but laugh at him.

She slid in the front seat of the range rover but before she could click her seatbelt, she heard her name called.

“Mommy…”

“Yes, baby?” she replied, looking back at her son.

“Bwankie.” He whispered shyly.

“What, baby?”

“Bwaaankiiie.”

“Oooh, you want your blankie?”

“Yesssss.” He said, dragging out the “s”. She smiled, rolling her eyes, before getting out of the car.

“Ok, I’ll get blankie. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.” She left her door open, shaking her head as she strutted over the gravel back to her house to get her son’s blanket. When she reached the door, she fished around in her purse for her key. “I swore I had just put this shit in here.” She said to herself.

“Mommyyyyyyyyyy.” Malaki whined.

“Hold on baby, momma’s getting blankie. Soon as I find the keys.” She said in an effort to calm him. He was crying now. Nicki huffed. “What is his problem?”

Feeling guilty that he was in such a bad mood, she turned around to retrieve him. She was almost to the car when everything went black.

She woke up with her head throbbing. She blinked rapidly, trying to soothe her retinas that had been stunned by the blinding sunlight. Nicki tried to bring her hand to her face once, twice, three times. Something was wrong. She couldn’t move. Looking down, Nicki noticed her hands were tied. Panic set in immediately. Where was she? Was Malaki ok? Struggling to free herself from her bonds, she heard a chuckle from the corner of the room. Nicki looked over to see Maliah sitting on her bed.

“Good morning!” she said cheerfully, a creepy smile plastered on her face.

“Where is my son?” Nicki spat. Maliah furrowed her brow in confusion.

“Your son?”

“Yes, my son! My little boy with brown hair & blue eyes! Where is he?!”

“Ooooh, you mean Malaki.” She teased. “He's my son now.”

“He will never be your son.”

“But…Aubrey & I are going to raise him together.” Maliah told her. Nicki narrowed her eyes at the deranged woman.

“Over my dead body.” Maliah laughed hysterically before letting a sinister grin settle on her face.

“I know.”

“Here’s your order Mr. Graham.” The waitress said sweetly as she sat down a plate of grilled chicken. The sound of the dish clanking against the table shook him out of his trance. He had been staring at his phone for the past 3 minutes, hoping Nicki would call. It had been nearly 2 hours since the last time he spoke with her. She was supposed to meet him for a late lunch like she did every Thursday. It wasn’t like her to be this late without calling.

He tried to stay calm & rationalize the situation. Maybe she was just on her way. Nicki was never on time for anything. Maybe she was having a hard time with the baby. Nicki did say the nanny was sick. He knew he should have stayed home today. He would have been quite content staying in bed with Nicki, but she urged him to go.

“Business, then pleasure. I’ll be here when you get back.”

Meaning that she would withhold the pleasure until he finished his business. Reluctantly, he got dressed, kissed his son & headed for the city where he was supposed to attend a meeting about the expansion of his OVO brand. The meeting turned out to be a bust with the daughter of his lawyer being rushed to the hospital. He was forced to reschedule. So with his spare time, he decided to do a little shopping for Nicki & Malaki & would meet her for lunch at their usual place. But with a meeting in the afternoon & the nanny unavailable, things had gotten a little hectic. His 1^st thought was to go home but when she insisted she had it under control & would bring Malaki to him at lunch, he stayed. He didn’t see the harm in having a little time to himself. She was coming here, after all.

But now as he sat, calling Nicki for the 8^th time & going straight to her voicemail, he regretted his decision. What was going on? She had been doing so well managing her anxiety & dealing with the baby since they hired Abigail. But had today been too much? He had even tried to call Safaree to go check on her. But with Maria’s growing belly & raging hormones, it was no surprise he didn’t get an answer. He could be in the middle of a fight, or just making up. Either way, it might be a while before he returned the call. Drake couldn’t wait. He needed to make sure his family was alright. He threw his napkin over his plate before getting up to leave.

“I'm not playing with you, bitch! Where is my SON!?!?” Nicki screamed. Maliah paid her no mind, filing her nails quietly.

“Temper, temper.” She mused. “Keep screaming like that & you might wake the baby.” Just then, there was a stirring from the other room. Maliah sighed heavily.

“See, you ruined his nap.” She got up & walked down the hall to Malaki’s room. Nicki’s heart was racing. She knew Maliah was unstable. She didn’t want her doing anything to hurt Malaki. Thankfully, Maliah returned with him, unharmed.

“Hey little guy.” Maliah cooed. Malaki rubbed his eyes with his blanket before looking around.

“Mommy.” He whined groggily when he caught the sight of Nicki in the chair. Maliah placed a kiss gingerly on his forehead.

“It’s ok sweetheart. Mommy’s right here.”

The phrase made Nicki’s skin crawl. She decided that if she ever got out of this chair, Maliah was a dead woman. Tears ran down her cheeks as she sat, seething at the fact that she couldn’t get to her child. Seeing this deranged woman holding her son, made her want to vomit. She tried to free herself again but to no avail & Nicki struggling to get free only made Malaki more upset.

Maliah rubbed her temple. All of this crying was clouding her thoughts. She didn’t like it.

“Bosco!” she yelled. Nicki stopped moving as she heard the footsteps of a large man coming down the hall. He was a tall, scary looking man, about 6’5’’, with a heavy build, at least 300 pounds. Maliah handed Malaki to him.

“Do something with him.” Bosco nodded without saying a word before taking the child & leaving.

“No! Please don't hurt him. PLEASE!!!!” Nicki cried. Once the man was nowhere in sight, Maliah crossed the room & quickly slapped Nicki in the face.

“Shut up! I've had enough of your screaming. I'm not gonna hurt the kid. Drake would never forgive me if something happened to our son.” Maliah said, smiling to herself. “Besides, I'm starting to really like him.”

Nicki shook her head, trying hard to erase the disgusting thoughts of what Maliah could’ve been doing to her baby while she was unconscious.

“I swear I'm gonna kill you.”

“Ha! Says the bitch tied to a chair. Slim chance of that happening. By the time you get free, me, Drake & our son will be long gone.”

“He’s never gonna leave with you.”

“Maliah squatted down to level her face with Nicki’s, looking right into her eyes, & smiled.

“As long as I have that kid…he’ll follow me anywhere.”

Nicki slouched in the chair, sobbing silently.

“I just don't understand why you want to hurt me like this.” Nicki said between choked cries. Maliah cocked her head to the side slightly & caressed Nicki’s face.

“I really don't want to hurt you, Nicki. If I could trust you to stay by my side & not turn Drake against me, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.” She said, twirling a few strands of Nicki’s hair around her finger.

“Then what do you want?”

Maliah leaned in close, her lips just touching Nicki’s as she spoke.

“I want you gone.”

Nicki tried to hold her resolve but the realization that Maliah was probably going to kill her was too much. This woman could take her son & there would be nothing she could do about it. Silently, Nicki prayed that something, anything, would happen soon.

It seemed like hours, but the light had finally turned green & Drake wasted no time zipping down the road toward his home. He couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something was definitely wrong.

Slowly, he pulled into the driveway, his tires crunching softly over the gravel. Nicki’s car was in the same place it was when he left this morning. Safaree’s yellow Jaguar was sitting right next to it. So he was here. So why hadn’t he answered, or called him back? Something had to be wrong. He jogged up to the house & took the steps, 2 at a time. He tried the handle gently. The door was unlocked. This wasn’t like Nicki. She never left the door unlocked. Silently, he crept inside & headed for the kitchen. But when he reached the doorway, he saw no one was there.

“Nicki?” he said as he side stepped back around the corner. He didn’t know why, but he felt the urge to be very careful with his steps. He stealthily made his way up the stairs. The closer he got, the more anxious he felt. Carefully, he crept over to Malaki’s door & pushed it open.

“Dada!” Malaki cried. Before he could respond, Drake felt his body being seized by someone, slamming him to the ground. He struggled against his captor, trying to fight his way free, all the while, screaming “GET THE FUCK OFF ME!!”

The sound of Drake’s voice sent fear straight to Nicki’s heart.   It was bad enough that she & Malaki were in danger. Now she was worried about what might happen to Drake during all of this. The thumping & yelling got louder as they got closer to the room. Bosco entered first, dragging Drake by his collar.

“Found him snooping around.” Bosco said to Maliah. The moment Drake laid eyes on her, he began to panic. He looked across the room & saw Nicki & immediately tried to get to her.  The ruckus was giving Maliah a migraine. She pulled the semi-automatic from her waist & let off a shot. Everyone fell silent as the glass from the large bay window shattered into a thousand pieces.

“Great,” Maliah said sweetly, “now that I have your attention. Bosco, why did you drag him in here like that? Don't you know he’s the love of my life?!” before he had a chance to answer, the gun was pointed at his head & the bullet was released, his brain splattered across the crisp white wall. Nicki & Drake were both stunned, neither of them moving. They couldn’t believe that she had just shot a man right in front of them. Maliah turned to Drake. “I'm sorry about the wall, sweetheart. But don't worry. We won’t have to worry about this when we get to our new house.”

“New house?” Drake said, confused.

“Yes! When we go off to start our new life together. Just you, me…& our son.”

“Our son?”

“Yes! Malaki, silly! I mean, I sure we’ll have more in the future. But I think he’s enough for right now.” Drake looked at Nicki confused & scared. Her eyes returned the same emotions. Drake was nervous. He didn’t want to show Maliah that he was freaking out. The only thing he could think to do was play along for the safety of everyone involved. With that gun still in her hand, he didn’t want to take any chances. He turned to her, smiling.

“I thought you would never come.” He said to her. Maliah smiled as a grim expression spread across Nicki’s face. Had he been planning this? No. Drake would never do that to her. This had to be part of a plan to get them all out of here. She forced down the lump in her throat & tried to remain calm.

“So you did miss me!” Maliah said as she wrapped her arms around Drake’s neck & kissed his cheek.

“You know I did.” he cooed. “I'm sorry I didn’t come for you. I just didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to hurt her.”

“I know baby. You’re so nice; I know you don't like to hurt anyone. Even if they deserve it.” Maliah glared at Nicki.

“But I wasn’t worried. I knew you’d come for me.” He said sweetly. Just then, Malaki began to cry.

“Oh no. looks like our little man is calling for me. I should go get him.”

“Baby why doing you let me do it.” Drake said quickly. He didn’t want her anywhere near his child. Maliah turned to him slowly, murder in her eyes.

“Let’s go get him together, sweetie.” Her voice was sweet, but the look in her eyes let him know this was not a request. Stiffly, he moved out of the door with her & down the hall to retrieve his son. He tried to be the 1^st one to reach in the crib & grab him, but she was too quick. Maliah held him tightly in her grasp as they made their way back down to the room.

“Well, darling, if you just want to get a few things, we can be on our way. I believe everything is handled. I have all of the keys so it’ll be a while before she can follow us. That is, if she can ever get out of this chair.” Maliah said proudly.

“What about Safaree? You didn’t kill him, did you?”

“As much as I wanted to, no. I strangled him from behind, so he never saw me. He’s in there.” She said, motioning to the bathroom. “I figured that it might cause more alarm if they were both dead. He’ll wake up in a few hours. Maybe. He’ll give us a few hours as he tries to convince the police he didn’t do this. Which will be hard, since his prints will be on this gun.” Nicki’s heart was racing. What if she had thought this all the way through? What if Safaree was dead in her bathroom? She would be left here & Drake as well as her son would be gone forever with this maniac. She felt so useless. From this chair, she could do nothing. She was hoping Drake would come up with an idea to get her out but he knew he wouldn’t as long as Maliah had Malaki in her grasp. 

Drake sighed. “Well, I guess you had it all figured out then. What are we waiting for?” he smiled at her, his fingers creeping around her waist.

“Wait, I have to take care of the girl.” Maliah protested. She lifted the gun, pointing it in Nicki’s direction.

“Wait, wait, baby. Don't do that. How is that fair?”

“I don't care about what’s fair to her!” Maliah screamed. Drake caressed her face.

“No, baby, not to her. To you. All this time, she's been using me & flaunting it in your face. She stole me away from you. It’s caused both of us so much pain & heartache. But now we have the upper hand. We can make her pay.” Maliah’s lips shifted into a shady grin.

“What do you have in mind?” she wondered. Drake pulled her close.

“I say, you keep her alive, let her live every day, knowing what you’ve taken from her. You’ll have me, you’ll have her son & there’s nothing she can do about it. If you don't kill her, she’ll be forced to wake up every morning, grief stricken that you have everything. That way she’ll suffer. Just like you did.” Maliah was quiet, mowing the idea over in her mind before offering Drake a cheesy grin.

“You are amazing. But wait, how do we know she won’t say anything?”

“She won’t. We have the baby. If she knows what’s good for him, she won’t tell.” Drake assured her. “Will you Nicki?” he looked over at her, using all of his will to retain his strong resolve. His eyes were looking right into Nicki’s, trying as hard as he could to commune with her that it was best that she cooperated. He didn’t know if it was because of him, or the threat to Malaki that convinced her, but she shook her head slowly. He looked back at Maliah, smiling. She turned to Nicki.

“You're lucky he’s so nice. I would’ve killed you. But I know that once we leave, you’ll wish you were dead, so this is just as good.” Maliah smirked. “Come on, hunny, let’s go.”

“Hold on, sweetheart.” Drake said. “Can I just…can I just have a moment? I just have to say a few things. Then we can begin the rest of our lives together. As a family.” Maliah narrowed her eyes at him before pulling a switch blade from her back pocket.

“Ok, sweetie. But hurry up. We have to get going soon.” She said, holding the blade firmly to Malaki’s neck. Drake gulped hard before slowly walking over to Nicki.

His focus was on her, his eyes dark, lids low, a scowl on his lips.

“All you had to do was leave us alone.” He growled. “You ruined everything!” Before she could react, his hand came down swiftly across her face. Her skin was hot & stinging as she looked up at Drake, tears pricking at her eyes. She looked a t him just long enough to see him mouth the words ‘Trust me’ before putting her head down. Drake let his eyes linger on her for a little longer, taking her in. if his plan didn’t work, this could be the last time he saw her & he hated it. Beaten & broken was never a way he wanted to see any woman, except for the one that was holding his son right now. He turned away & let his fingers intertwine with Maliah’s as he plastered another fake smile on his face.

“Ok my love. Let’s go.” He said as they exited the room.

Drake’s heart was racing. He had to think of a way to get Malaki away from Maliah & incapacitate her long enough to free Nicki & get them to safety. His mind was going over different scenarios, but none of them seemed like they would work. He could push her down the stairs, but he wasn’t sure if he could pull Malaki from her grasp in time.

“I'm so happy things are working out, baby. We’re gonna be so happy together!” Maliah squealed. Drake didn’t look at her.

“I know, sweetheart.” Was all he said.

All the while, Malaki continued to cry. Maliah bounced the boy rhythmically on her hip, but to no avail. Her patience was running thin & it was evident on her face. Drake was starting to panic. He had to calm him down before she snapped & did something crazy.

“Baby, he’s really cranky. Why don't you let me calm him down so you can have a break?” Maliah turned to Drake, smiling as she pinched his cheek.

“Oh Aubrey, how dumb do you think I am? I've come too far to slip up so easily. Besides, he needs to get used to his new mommy.” She said in a sing song voice.

“I wasn’t trying to play you or anything, I just thought-“

“Listen to me.” She growled. “You’re not getting this kid. I don't want you asking me again. And just to show you I'm serious…” she flipped the blade around in her fingers & brought it to Malaki’s hand, slicing his flesh swiftly. The child wailed out in agony as Drake looked on, horrified at what she had just done. “Every time you mention it, I’ll cut him. Understand?” Drake nodded stiffly. Maliah cradled Malaki in her arms. “Baby, see what daddy did? He made me hurt you. Let’s get you a Band-Aid, ok?” They made their way to Malaki’s room, entering his bathroom. Maliah sat him on the counter as she rummaged the medicine cabinet in front of her for a Band-Aid. “Here we go, Whinne The Pooh!” she cooed. She slipped the strip out of its packaging & onto his hand but it didn’t stop the boy from crying. “What is wrong with him?! I thought I was doing everything right. Maybe having a kid wasn’t a good idea after all.”

Drake’s heart dropped at her statement. He needed to do something, anything.

“He’s just wet, why don't you try changing his diaper?” Drake suggested as calmly as he could manage.

“You’re so smart, baby! What would I do without you?” Maliah chimed. She gripped his wrist, dragging him along as she carried the child to his crib. She grabbed a diaper & hummed to herself as she changed Malaki.

Drake canvased the room, looking for anything that could help him escape. Right next to him on the dresser there was a picture frame. Heavy silver. He hoped it would be enough. Drake moved up to grab the frame, careful not to let it scrape against the dresser. He placed his free hand delicately on Maliah’s hip while nuzzling his nose in to the crook of her neck, kissing her softly.

“You’re so beautiful.” he whispered to her. She placed her arm over his; smiling as his warm lips touched her body. “Come closer.” He beckoned. She melted into him, closing her eyes as he controlled her. He exhaled, letting his warm breath tickle her skin. She was moaning ever so softly as the frame hit her face. Her body went limp & he let her slump to the floor. He sat the broken frame back down before scooping up Malaki, taking Maliah’s knife & gun & racing down the hall to free Nicki.

“What happened?” Nicki asked.

“No time for questions. We gotta get out of here. It’s gonna be dark soon & we don't know how many more people she has out there helping her.” he said as he cut the rope from Nicki’s wrists. “I don't know how long she's gonna be knocked out or what we might run into out there but if for any reason we get separated-“

“Drake-“

“Listen to me!” he said gripping her shoulders. “If we get separated, you take the baby & you find help. Understand?” she bit her lip, not wanting to cry as she shook her head. She didn’t even want to think about the possibility of them not making it out of this together. But now was not the time for breaking down. She had to stay strong.

Once she was free, he handed her Malaki.

“My car is unlocked but the keys are downstairs by the door.” Said Drake. He stood up & shoved the pistol in the waistband of his jeans.

“Wait.” Nicki said grabbing hold of his arm. “What if neither of us can get away? Or what if I'm out & you’re on your way? What can I do?” Drake thought for a minute. He wasn’t really sure he would be leaving. He was planning on holding Maliah off until they could escape but he had to give Nicki an answer or she wouldn’t focus.

“Ok. If we split up, wait for me in the woods behind the house. You can wait for me there. But if you don't see me in 10 minutes, you leave.”

“Ok.”

“Ten minutes, Nicki.” he said as he looked her in her eyes sternly.

“Ten minutes.” She repeated. Drake looked at her for a moment before crashing his lips against hers, kissing her passionately. Once he pulled away he stroked Malaki’s face & kissed his forehead. “Alright let’s go. We’re just gonna head straight down the stairs, then-“ but before he could finish, his face met with a baseball bat. He was unconscious immediately.

Nicki was stunned as she watched Maliah stagger in her direction, blood trickling from a gash on her forehead. She could tell that the time for compromise was over. She was going to kill them all. Nicki dashed past Maliah, Malaki clutched to her chest. But she wasn’t fast enough. After picking up the knife from the floor, Maliah raced after them.

"Get back here!" She screamed as Nicki dashed for the stairs. She grabbed the banister quickly, trying to keep her balance. But Maliah was quick on her heels. She grabbed Nicki by the back of her shirt, yanking her to the ground. Nicki’s back collided with the hard steps, nearly knocking the wind out of her.

 She began punching Nicki repeatedly. Nicki’s body was curled in a ball, withstanding every blow as she used her body as a shield for Malaki.

"Get off of me!" She yelped as she jutted her elbow out, effectively hitting Maliah in the face.

 Nicki looked up to see Maliah pulling out her knife. She kicked Maliah to the ground & pulled her by her leg, flinging her down the stairs. She & Malaki then raced out the backdoor & into the woods, camouflaging themselves in the trees. 

She needed time to think. The keys were back in the house. She could easily run in & get them but Malaki was slowing her down. There was no way she was leaving him behind in the woods. Who knows who else Maliah could have brought with her. There had to be a way. She closed her eyes trying to focus as Malaki began to whimper. She couldn't blame him. It was freezing & night began to fall which meant it would only get colder. She had to find a way to get back in that house & get out safely. That's when she remembered that Drake told her the car was unlocked. Inside the house, she could see Maliah thrashing around, destroying everything in her path on her way upstairs. This was her chance. She sprinted across the yard to his phantom & silently opened the door.
"Mommy has to leave you here for a little bit, ok?" Nicki whispered. She searched around for something that could keep him quiet. There were a few bags in the back, full of new clothes. She dumped them out until she spotted a soft sweater, probably something Drake bought for himself. She wrapped the fabric around her son. The child snuggled into it, laying his head on the far door of the back seat.
"I'll be back soon, I promise." She said with tears in her eyes. She didn't want to leave him here alone for fear that Maliah might get to him before she could, but what else could she do? At least in here, she knew he would be out of the cold & farther away from harm. Hopefully she would run into Maliah & take her out before she had the chance to leave the house.

As soon as Nicki got a clear view of where Maliah was, she tip-toed her way to the side of the house. Maliah was wounded, but she was a quick thinker, and with every minute that passed by, she got angrier & less stable. So, Nicki had to be 1 step ahead. She slowly turned the knob on the propane tank until she knew it was fully closed, ensuring that the generator wouldn’t turn on while she carried out her plan. Now, all she had to do was get to the fuse box inside & it would be complete. Maliah was smart, but in order to plot against Nicki, she would have to find her first. With the power out, that was unlikely. No one knew this house better than Nicki. She could sneak past Maliah without her even knowing. If all went well, she could be in & out in seconds. She slid inside the front door quietly & crept past the closet, to the shelf where she & Drake kept their keys. But when she got there, all of the keys were gone. She huffed, frustrated, remembering that Maliah had said she took all of the keys. Hopefully she didn’t know about the spare set of keys she had in her dresser. She wanted to check but 1^st she needed to finish her plan.

She jetted to the room just beyond they foyer where the fuse box was. She held her breath as she used her nails to pry open the metal door to the fuse box. Thankfully, it opened with minimal sound. She took a deep breath, steadying her fingers, before clicking all the switches to the left, making the house go dark. The only light in the house now came from the pale moon that poured in all around, washing everything in an eerie, shadowy, grey light. She hid in the shadows, her back to the wall, until she heard Maliah’s foot hit the last step. Once it did, Nicki made her way up to her room to get the keys to her Maserati. But when she opened the drawer, the keys were nowhere to be found. Nicki sunk to the floor. This couldn’t be happening. She was trying to think of what to do, when lightning struck. The rain was coming down in sheets, but in that split second, she saw a figure outside, heading toward the phantom. Her heart all but jumped out of her chest. She couldn’t let anyone get to her child. Nicki looked around until she saw the lamp in the far corner. She raced over to it, picked it up & launched it out of what was left of the large window in her room. This caught the person’s attention. She saw a shadow moving toward the back door between strikes of lightning.

She didn’t have much time to decide on what to do. The nearest house was at least a mile away & there was no way she could make it there with Malaki by foot alone. Maliah took their cell phones & thanks to her plan, she wouldn’t be able to use the landline to call for help. she had to do something quick, Maliah was calling her name.

“Oh Nicki!” she shrieked. “I have something for you.” Nicki listened as Maliah taunted her, jingling her keys wildly. Nicki huffed. She had hoped to avoid Maliah until Malaki was in safe hands but there was no use. She would have to face her.

She kept her back to the wall as she crept down the hall. Maliah continued to call her name from downstairs. Nicki was almost to the landing when Maliah began to walk up the stairs. There was no way Maliah wouldn’t notice Nicki, now was the time to attack. Nicki jumped on Maliah, tackling her to the floor. Maliah growled as he back collided with the hardwood. The keys flew out of Maliah’s hands & skidded across the floor. Nicki got up trying hard to crawl over to the keys, but she wasn’t fast enough. Maliah pulled the switch blade from her pocket, slicing into the flesh of Nicki’s right forearm. She clung to it instantly, panting as she bled profusely.

Maliah jumped to her feet & dashed for the keys, scooping them up before heading up the stairs. She looked back at Nicki rocking back & forth, nursing her wound & smiled.

“If I can’t have him, no one can.” Maliah growled before running toward Nicki’s room. Realizing she means to kill Drake, Nicki staggered to her feet & raced after her. Maliah walked into the bedroom & kneeled down beside Drake. She placed her hands delicately on his face, stroking his cheek. “I didn’t wanna have to do this.” she said, forming tears. “But you leave me no choice. I can’t let her have you.” The blade was almost to his neck when Nicki came charging at her.

“LEAVE HIM ALONE!” she screamed as she pinned Maliah to the ground. She punched Maliah over & over, leaving her skin swollen, red & bleeding. Maliah tried to grab hold of her arms, but she was moving too fast. It was almost all Maliah could do to protect her head.

Finally she got the strength to grab hold of Nicki’s wounded arm & squeezed it, causing her to yell out in pain. In that second, Maliah used all of her body weight to flip Nicki over her head, onto the floor. Maliah scrambled over to Drake but Nicki caught her by her hair, flinging her back. She stood up & lifted her leg, ready to give Maliah a good stomp, but she rolled out of the way just in time. Maliah spun around on 1 knee, using her other leg to trip Nicki. She fell to the ground just as Maliah stood up & grabbed her hair. Nicki screamed & kicked her feet wildly as Maliah dragged her backward out of the room.

“Stay out of my WAY!” she screamed as she shoved Nicki into the hallway. He brought her leg back & kicked Nicki in her stomach, causing her to cough violently. Maliah smiled. “Maybe I should just take you out right now.” she sneered. Nicki scooted back slowly, inching her way down the hall. “It’s sad really.” Maliah said. “I was hoping I got a chance to be with you once before I killed you. Well…while you're awake that is.” She flicked the knife in her hand open & closed repeatedly. “I bet you're delicious.” Tears streamed down Nicki’s face as Maliah inched closer, cutting away her clothes as she hovered above her.

“P-please….I’ll do anything. Ju-just don't kill me!” Nicki stammered. Maliah was in her face now, a mocking frown settling on her lips.

“Sorry doll. I won’t take that chance. Besides, I can still have you after you're dead.” But little did Maliah know, Nicki had no intention of dying today.

Nicki had noticed Maliah’s biggest weakness. She let her emotions & lusts for making a person suffer outweigh logic. So when Maliah kicked her, Nicki knew she wouldn’t be able to resist going after her & making her pay slowly & painfully. She pretended to be out of breath & made her way down the hall, knowing Maliah would stalk her, keeping Drake safe for the time being. Nicki used this time to build a little strength & resolve for what was to come. She allowed Maliah to move closer to her until the perfect moment. While Maliah took her time admiring the curve of Nicki’s lips, Nicki was eyeing the gash in Maliah’s forehead.

“But maybe 1 for the road.” Said Maliah. She leaned in & kissed Nicki, forcing her tongue inside her mouth. Nicki tried not to gag as Maliah kissed her. Instead, she gave in; giving Maliah what she thought was complete control. She let her hand wander up Maliah’s neck, tangling in her hair.  She gripped her roots tightly, coaxing a moan from Maliah before pulling back & head-butting Maliah as hard as she could in her already fractured skull. Maliah howled as she fell back on her rear. Nicki got up & raced down the hall, knowing Maliah would follow. She slipped into Malaki’s room just as Maliah went to swipe at her with her knife. Nicki stood behind the door as Maliah charged in. catching Maliah by surprise, Nicki kicked Maliah’s hand, sending the knife wheeling across the room where it hit the window, causing to splinter & crack slightly.

Furious, Maliah grabbed Nicki’s shoulders, trying to grip her neck. But Nicki was stronger than she was. She put her arms in between Maliah’s, pushing them apart. But Nicki was wounded & her injury was taking a toll on her. It was getting harder & harder to keep Maliah at bay. Nicki kicked her back, making her hit the far wall. She knew Maliah was going to try & charge her now. She had to plan her next move just right. She spread her feet apart, standing her ground. Maliah came at her full speed. But just as she was about to make contact, Nicki stepped aside, shoving Maliah in the opposite direction. Then, something happened that Nicki didn’t expect.

Somehow, Maliah grabbed hold of Nicki, pulling her down to the ground with her. There was a crash, then a rain of glass & dust cascaded over Nicki, followed by a gust of cool wind. Her arms felt extremely heavy. She looked in front of herself & saw why. Maliah was holding on to her for dear life as she dangled from the ledge of Malaki’s window. Maliah’s weight was making it almost impossible for Nicki to keep her leverage.

“Nicki!” Maliah cried. “Don’t let me go!”

“Why not?! You're trying to kill me!”

“I-I…I framed you! In case something went wrong & you killed me! I set it all up to make it look like you & your little sidekick were after me. If you don't believe me, let me go & call the police!” out the corner of her eye, Nicki saw 2 figures running toward her house in the darkness. “SEE!?” Maliah exclaimed. “They’re with me! Just lift me up so I can call them off.” Nicki thought it over for a second. It would be like Maliah to do something like this, but she couldn’t be sure that she was being serious or if she was just saying all of this to save her life. Nicki lost a bit of her footing as Maliah thrashed about, sliding further toward the ledge. “Look, I know this is a little too late to be saying this but you win ok. I was never right for him & I see that now. He’s never going to love me like he loves you. So if you pull me up, ill owe you. I’ll leave you alone. I’ll go & I’ll never bother you again.”

“How do I know you're telling the truth?”

“You just have to believe me.” Nicki slipped further over the ledge, causing both of them to scream. “Nicki PLEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSEEEEEEEEE!!!” Maliah begged as tears poured from her eyes. “I don't wanna die.” Just then, Malaki’s door flew open, revealing a sickly & disheveled looking Karla. Nicki looked back at her in shock. She was nothing more than a ghost of her former self.

“Don’t do it.” she said with a heavy sigh. “Don’t save her.”

Both women looked at her in shock.

“YOU BITCH!” Maliah screamed. She was panicking now. “NICKI DON'T LISTEN TO HER! SHE'S JUST TRYING TO COVER HER OWN ASS! THIS WAS ALL HER IDEA FROM THE BEGINNING!!! HOW DO YOU THINK I KEPT FINDING YOU?!” Maliah had a point. Every time they thought the past was behind them, Maliah seemed to show up. There weren’t many people that knew their whereabouts but Karla was part of that select few. “She’s been working with me the whole time!” Karla hung her head.

“She's right. You have no reason to believe me when I did put you in danger. But all I wanted to do was break you guys up. I never wanted to hurt you or kill all those innocent people! I won’t deny any part I had in this & I take full responsibility for everything. But I promise you, Nicki. If you let her live, she won’t stop. She’ll keep chasing you & eventually…she will kill you.”

“Nicki, Nicki, please. I'm not saying I wasn’t wrong. I deserve to go to jail. But if you kill me, you're no better than I am.” Nicki’s grip was slipping. She couldn’t hold on much longer. Maliah tried to gain some leverage by using her feet for traction on the side of the house but it didn’t help much. Sirens were getting closer & she could see red & blue lights in the distance. Karla knelt down beside Nicki.

“Nicki, she's bought her way into the police department. They’ll lie, they’ll destroy evidence…they’ll let her off. I know you don't wanna live the rest of your life looking over your shoulder. Let. Her. Go.”

Nicki looked at Maliah, searching for something, anything that let her know that there was at least some good inside her. For a shard of hope that everything that Karla was saying could be wrong. She did look like a woman desperate to cling to life. But in her heart, she knew. Nicki looked away.

“I'm sorry.” She whispered as she let go of Maliah’s hand.

“NO!” she hollered. Before she could slip to the ground, she grabbed Nicki’s injured arm, causing her to scream in agony. Her other hand was grasping the gutter. “if I go, you go.” Maliah hissed. She yanked Nicki hard, pulling her further out the window. But before they could fall from the ledge, Karla grabbed Nicki, using all of her might to pull her back up. Maliah tried to claw her way back up, but Karla kicked her fiercely, leaving her plummeting to the ground & landing with a hard thud.

Nicki looked over the ledge to see Maliah sprawled over the bushes 2 stories below. Her body lay twisted in an unnatural way; cold, dead eyes staring up at Nicki eerily. Unexpected tears fell from Nicki’s eyes as she covered her mouth with her hand. Car doors opened, men yelled & before long, the lights flicked back on. It was finally over.

“It’s gonna be alright Nicki.” Karla said calmly. Just then, 2 police officers busted into the room, guns drawn.

“Let’s not make this harder than it needs to be. We saw the whole thing, just come quietly.” Said the older of the 2 cops, his weapon pointed at Karla. She slowly put her hands behind her back & let the officers pull her to her feet, reading her her rights. Nicki noticed the strangest thing as she watched Karla being put into handcuffs. She was smiling. Not in a sinister way, really. It was more relief than anything. Suddenly, Nicki found herself wondering exactly what Karla had been through that made her feel like prison would be relief.

“It’s gonna be ok.” Karla said to herself as the officer led her out of the room. The other cop helped Nicki to stand, asking her questions that her brain couldn’t quite process as she looked at the state of dismay her home had fallen into over the course of a few hours. Blood splatter on the walls & pieces of drywall scattered over the floor. When she stepped out of the room, she noticed cops scattered all over her house, picking up evidence & taking pictures. She couldn’t believe how quickly her life had turned into a Law & Order episode.

Out the corner of her eye, she noticed as officer walking in the front door holding a child bundled in a blanket. It wasn’t until she heard his voice that her mind made the connection that it was her child. She didn’t even think. Before anyone could say anything, she was running to him.

“Mommy.” Malaki cooed as Nicki cuddled him to her chest.

“Ma’am, we’re gonna have to look you both over. If you could just come with me, please?”

“Of course.” Said Nicki. The officer gently escorted outside.

Out on the porch, a small child sat on the concrete steps, a teddy bear clutched to her chest. Her tiny eyes watching as paramedics pulled 2 men from the house on stretchers, oxygen masks affixed to their faces. Another group of people were loading long black bags into the back of a grey truck. More & more police cars were coming, taking pictures, writing things down. It seemed like the world was moving so fast around her while she was sitting perfectly still. From across the yard, a woman spotted her.

“Has anyone talked to that kid?” she asked.

“No ma’am. She’s just been sitting there.” A younger male officer said back.  The woman put the pen she was holding back in her pocket & pushed her wavy brown hair behind her ear as she walked over to the child & sat down. “Hey.” She said sweetly. “My name’s Olivia. What’s yours?”  The child looked at her wearily, clutching her bear tighter before answering.

“Kaliyah.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“That’s a pretty name.” Olivia said. This didn’t invoke a response, but Olivia pressed on. “My captain told me that a very brave little girl was the one who made the call to 911 & told the police to come here. Was that you?” Kaliyah nodded her head slowly. “Do you know what happened here, Kaliyah?” Again, the child’s head nodded. “Well, would you mind telling me?” Kaliyah paused for a moment, looking around. On her left, she saw the pretty lady that her aunt always had pictures of with the baby she had found crying in the car & cuddled until he fell asleep. On her right she saw Karla. The only person that she had felt safe with in this past year. They made eye contact just as she was being put into the back of a police cruiser. The door slammed & through the window, Karla gave her a reassuring nod. She looked back to Olivia, ready to speak.

“Get me out of here & I’ll tell you everything.” Said Kaliyah, shocking Olivia. She didn’t speak another word until she was in Olivia’s car, driving far far away.