It's Always The Pretty Ones (19 page)

Krystal sat up and saw Romeo standing in the doorway.

“Before you say anything, please let me talk.”
 
He walked in and stood beside her.
 
“Like I told a friend this morning, I am very new at this love stuff.
 
I can say honestly that I have never even attempted to say it to anyone but my mom.
 
So, when I started to have these feelings for you it took me a while to figure them out.”

Krystal opened her mouth to speak.

“Let me finish, please.”

She smirked as she sat back in her chair to hear him out.

He reached down and grabbed her hand.
 
“Krystal, you have shown me what being in love looks like, and most of all what it means.
 
Reina was literally nothing to me.
 
She came on to me.
 
I would never disrespect you or what we have by sleeping with her or anyone else.
 
Frankly, the fact that you would think I would be low down enough to do that, and do it here of all places, is kind of messed up.
 
I love you and only you, Krystal.
 
I just wish you believed me.”

Krystal looked at him and started to giggle.
 

Romeo looked at her, hurt and agitated by her laughing.
 
“
O…kay
.
 
I’ll see you later.”
 
He turned to leave, but she stood up quickly catching his arm.

“No, don’t go.
 
Reina told me the truth.
 
I know she was coming on to you.”

“She did?”

“Well, why did you let me go on like that?”

“You told me to be quiet!
 
Besides, you were right.”

“Excuse me?”
 
He gave a self-satisfied smile.

“Yes, I said you were right.”
 
She rolled her eyes.
 
“I should have heard you out.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist.
 
“
Aaand
?”

She smiled.
 
“And I should have had a little more trust in you.
 
Satisfied?”

He smiled as he leaned down and kissed her softly on her lips.
 
“How long until showtime?”
 
He asked with a devious smile.

She returned the smile.
 
“About 30 minutes.”

They both giggled as he kicked the door shut.

Anton had just picked up Angel from her nap when his phone rang.
 
“Hello/”

“Hi Anton!”
 
Colbey said in an overly perky voice.

“Hey Colbey.”
 
He laughed.
 
“You sound a lot better than you did yesterday.
 
How you doing?”

“Umm…I’m okay.”

“You sure?
 
You sound a little strange.”

“Yes.
 
Can you come over and help me out with something?”

He put Angel down in her swing.
 
“Sure.
 
What’s wrong?”

“My computer locked up on me and I know you are good at these things.”

“Umm…okay.
 
I’ll check it out for you.
 
Besides, Angel and I could use a little fresh air today.
 
Just let me get her fed and dressed and we’ll be right over.”

“Okay.”
 
The call ended.
 

Colbey handed Dazzy the phone.
 
“What are you going to do when he gets here?”
 
She asked, trembling.

 
“Well, you’ll just have to see when he gets here won’t you?”

Anton arrived at Colbey’s apartment and knocked on the door.

“Come on in, Anton.”
 
He heard her shout from inside.
 

“Okay!”
 
He opened the door and stepped inside to find Colbey standing with a gun pointed towards him.
 
“What the hell?
 
Colbey what are you doing?”
 

She looked at him with tears in her eyes.
 
“I’m sorry, Anton.”
 

He jumped slightly when he felt a tug at Angel’s baby carrier from behind him.
 
He turned around to Dazzy pointing a gun right at his head.

“Don’t be brave.”
 
She said as she snatched the seat from him and backed up slowly, placing the sleeping baby in the den and closing the door.

“Dazzy, what are you doing?
 
This is crazy.
 
Guns
?”

“Shut up!
 
She shouted.
 
“I’m running this!
 
You are gonna do what I say this time.”

Chapter 19

Anton sat in the hard wooden chair silent, sweating profusely…trembling so hard his teeth were chattering.
 
His ass was hurting from sitting for so long in one spot, but he couldn’t move…he was terrified to move.
 
He wasn’t a crying man, but in this moment, he couldn’t hold back.
 
The ropes tied around his hands squeezed so tightly he had lost feeling in his fingertips.
 
His heart was pounding 1000 times a minute in his chest.
 
The cold steel of the barrel of the revolver pressed against his temple seemed to burn his skin.
 
He opened his mouth to speak but Dazzy screamed at him to shut up.
 

“I don’t want to do this anymore!”
 
Colbey cried hysterically.

“Nah, bitch.
 
You
are the reason, he left Angel and me, so
you
will be the one to teach him a lesson!”

“Dazzy this is bullshit!”
 
Anton screamed.
 

Dazzy walked up close to Colbey and pressed her gun up against Colbey’s head.
 
“Bitch, don’t make me say it again.
 
Do as I say!”

“I’m sorry, Anton.”
 
She cried.
 

The gun was close enough to his ear that he could hear the low squeak of the hammer as it fell each time.
 
He had been counting; he knew that the trigger had been pulled twice already.
 

Click…

“Please, let’s talk about this!”
 
He pleaded as warm, salty tears filled his mouth. Dazzy laughed every
 
time the trigger was pulled on an empty chamber.
 

He prayed quietly as he heard that familiar squeak once again…

Click…

He breathed in shallow quick gasps.
 
“Why are you doing this?”
 
His voice shaking.
   

Click...

Icy fear twisted around his pounding heart.
 
He knew without a doubt that the last chamber had the bullet.
 
Somehow God was smiling on him because he knew that there was no way in hell that revolver would give 5 straight empty chambers. Perhaps his prayers were being answered and the gun was malfunctioning.
 
Perhaps there weren’t any bullets in it all and this was some morbid, sadistic joke.
 

His mind raced to try to find something, anything that would help him get through this.
 
What had gotten him here?
 
He sure as hell didn’t want to go out this way!
 
He was a good guy; what had he done so wrong that he deserved this?
 
He closed his eyes tightly and clinched his teeth as the revolver was pressed hard against his temple, once again causing his head to lean to the side.
 

Click…nothing.

“What the hell?”
 
He said confused, his heart still pounding in his chest.

Dazzy fell out in hysterical laughter.
 
“You should have seen your face!”

“You sick bitch!”
 
Colbey shouted as she threw the gun down.

“Shut up!”
 
Dazzy pressed the gun harder against Colbey’s head.
 
“I was just having a little fun.
 
After all, I’m entitled after all the crap I’ve been through.”

“Dazzy let her go.
 
She doesn’t have anything to do with what is going on between you and I.”

Dazzy laughed.
 
“The hell she doesn’t!
 
You chose her over us.
 
Your little Miss Perfect.
 
Did she even tell you why she’s really back in town?”

“No, and frankly, I don’t care.”
 

“Oh, I think you will when she tells you.”
 
Dazzy looked her in her eyes.
 
“Talk.”

Colbey looked down at the floor as she started to tell him.
 
“I was out of work and needed money fast.
 
A friend of mine talked me into dancing at a local strip club until I found something more permanent.”

Anton laughed.
 
Is that all?
 
He looked over at Dazzy.
 
“This is it?
 
She was a dancer?”

Dazzy nudged her head with the gun.
 
“Finish.”

“Well, I ended up doing some things in the club that I’m not proud of.”

Anton’s heart fell.
 
“Why didn’t you call me if you needed help?”

“We had been broken up for a while.
 
I wasn’t going to call you and ask you for money.”

“So what made you leave the city and come back here?”
 
Dazzy said still pointing the gun at her.

“I got caught up in a bit of a scandal dealing with the District Attorney.
 
You know, the usual, he denies it and I become the city whore.”
 
She tried to laugh to mask the overwhelming humiliation.

Anton just looked at her wishing he could hold her.
 

“See Anton?
 
She’s not so perfect.
 
She’s just a nasty strip club ho.”
 
Dazzy laughed.

“Shut up Dazzy!”

“No you shut up, Anton!
 
I am sick of guys thinking they can just use and abuse me!
 
You have to be punished.”
 
She looked at him as she glided the gun along Colbey’s fear stricken face.
 
I had to teach my last fiancé this lesson; I guess I’ll just have to do it again.”
 

The whole time she was talking Anton was fighting to wiggle the ropes loose from around his hands.
 
“Don’t do this Dazzy.”

Dazzy smiled as she grabbed hold to Colbey’s hair and pressed the gun up against her temple.
 
“Are you ready to watch your bitch die?”

“No!”
 
Colbey screamed, sobbing uncontrollably.