King of Chatham, page 19
part #2 of Kings of the Castle Series
“Skyler,” Reno called out again. She still didn’t respond. He was worried that she might have hit her head or broke her neck the way she fell over backward. “Skyler, please answer me if you can.”
“Shut up,” Djimon hollered, moving toward the exit.
“She may need medical attention. At least, check to make sure she’s conscious,” Reno pleaded, giving a slight head nod to Zuri, hoping she noticed the subtle hint.
“No,” Djimon barked, stopping short of the door.
Zuri placed a hand on the one squeezing the life out of her arm, causing Djimon to flinch. “Can you do this for me, please?” she asked, batting her eyelashes. “I promise to leave with you, but I need to know that Skyler is not seriously hurt.”
He hesitated for a moment.
“One of the men can hold me while you check,” Zuri said, stroking his hand.
Reno smiled inwardly. Djimon was losing his resolve under Zuri’s feminine aura. She laid it on him with just enough sweetness to be believable, but not too overt to cause suspicion.
“I will hold her,” one of the men offered, leaving Reno’s side.
“No one touches Zuri, but me,” Djimon ordered, releasing his grasp and approaching the man.
Zuri darted around the desk, causing Djimon and the men closest to him to follow her. The intensity of the hold the remaining four men had on Reno lessened as they argued back and forth about what to do.
While they were distracted, Reno pressed his back firmly into the wall, using the men holding his shoulders as anchors, lifted his knees to his chest, and kangaroo kicked the two men in front of him. They flew across the room. Reflex caused the men on each side of him to release their hold.
Before they could react, Reno elbowed one man in the nose, causing an instant nosebleed. Then Reno jabbed the other man in the eyes. He stumbled backward, arms flailing trying to recover, but Reno finished him off with a round-house kick, knocking him to the floor.
“Get back,” Skyler shouted, pointing that infamous Smith and Wesson at Djimon as he snatched Zuri to her feet. The men closest to her froze, and so did the others. At this point, Reno knew for certain that the men weren’t armed.
Only the sound of heavy breathing floated in the air.
“You will not shoot as long as I have Zuri,” Djimon countered, slowly moving toward the exit.
Skyler fired one round in the air, causing everyone but Reno to wince. Plaster fell from the ceiling like artificial snow. Then she put one in the kneecap of the man who had pushed her. He screamed and dropped to the floor.
Reno came over, removing the weapon from her hands while keeping the aim on Djimon. “You good?”
“Never better,” Skyler replied, relinquishing control of the gun, but retrieving a bat from beneath the desk. “I’ve wanted to fire that gun for some time now, but I never had a good reason until,” she smirked, glaring down at the man balled into a fetal position, holding what was left of his knee.
The door flew open. Reno pointed at the intruder who barreled in, Djimon spun around, still gripping Zuri’s breast and body like a piece of property, and the men stood at attention.
“Get your hands off of my daughter,” Godfrey ordered, snarling at Djimon, wearing a black suit and Kufi hat. “Once she is your wife, you may do as you wish, but now is not that time.”
Djimon frowned, released Zuri, then glared at Reno, who gradually lowered the gun.
“And it never will be,” Zuri added, running into Reno’s waiting arms.
CHAPTER 27
“I am no longer pure,” Zuri blurted out, resting her head against Reno’s chest.
“What did you say?” Godfrey asked, moving in closer.
Reno lifted the gun, aiming the barrel at Godfrey’s head.
“Put that thing down,” he warned, waving him off, but Reno ignored the directive. “What do you mean you are not pure?” Godfrey barked, staring a hole through Zuri. “You foolish girl. Did you … give yourself to him?” he asked, gesturing at Reno.
Zuri’s pulse raced, clutching fistfuls of the back of Reno’s shirt to anchor herself. “Yes.”
Godfrey’s jaw tightened, and lips twitched. “Everyone out.” His commanding tone reverberated throughout the lobby.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Reno snapped, whipping Zuri behind him, then gripping the gun with both hands. “Skyler, take Zuri upstairs.”
“Police. Don’t move.”
Ten uniformed officers rushed inside the shelter. They fanned out around the lobby.
“What is going on with this door?” Reno shouted, immediately, lifting his arms to the side, letting the gun flip downward, and swing on his index finger.
Zuri wrapped her arms around his midsection, afraid that the officers were with Godfrey and were there to deport her on his orders.
Skyler halted where she stood, and answered, “Humidity.”
The men dressed as thugs held their hands in the air. Godfrey stood stoically near the front desk as if he belonged and was unfazed by it all.
Several officers rushed toward Reno. One relieved him of the gun, another guided Zuri away, while a third patted Reno down.
“What are you doing?” Detective Carter bellowed, darkening the entryway. “Release him and the young woman. He’s the owner; one of the few people––– besides the women––– who belong here.”
Zuri resumed her position next to Reno, taking in the disdained expression on her father’s face.
Skyler inched forward, sliding a hand in Zuri’s.
“Hello, Detective Carter,” Reno said, placing an arm around Zuri’s shoulder. “Your timing couldn’t be more perfect.”
“Mariano, tell me what happened here?” he asked, retrieving Reno’s gun from the uniformed officer.
“I demand to speak with my daughter,” Godfrey interrupted as if he were the one with a badge.
“You’ll speak if and when, I allow you too,” Detective Carter countered, moving with an aggressive stride toward Godfrey. “Or maybe I’ll take you directly to lock-up. You and these men are trespassing. At least, they have enough sense to keep quiet.”
Godfrey’s dark brown eyes narrowed and face contorted as he pursed his lips. Zuri swallowed, taking in her father’s challenging, but obedient stance. He wasn’t accustomed to being on the receiving end of any directive. Godfrey was the one dishing out the orders and enforcing punishment when his instructions weren’t followed to his liking.
Zuri whispered to Reno, “I will talk with him as long as you and your detective friend are close by.”
“You don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with,” he replied.
She glanced up at him. “I need to do this.”
Reno kissed her forehead. “I’ll be right over there,” he said, pointing to the chair behind the front desk a few feet away.
Rubbing his arm, she replied, “Thank you.”
Before stepping away, Reno asked the Detective, “Can you remove everyone, except Zuri’s father?” He gestured in Godfrey’s direction.
With a slight nod, he spoke in an authoritative tone, “You heard the man. Everybody out.” He signaled for the officers to round-up the intruders.
“I’ll be upstairs with the women,” Skyler said to Reno.
Five of the men left the building without incident, but Djimon remained rooted where he stood.
“That means you, too,” Detective Carter barked.
“She is my wife.”
“No, I am not,” Zuri shot back.
Detective Carter placed a hand on the handle of his service weapon. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Godfrey,” Djimon called out, his wide eyes pleading.
“The only person you need to listen to is me,” he said, stepping between Djimon and Godfrey. “You can leave voluntarily, or I can slap these cuffs on you and take you down to the station.”
“Excuse me,” Zuri said, standing amongst the three men. “He can stay.”
The detective’s focus pinned on her. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she replied, glaring at Djimon. “He needs to hear what I have to say.”
“Very well. I’ll be right outside the door.”
Detective Carter handed Reno his gun, then left the building.
Zuri gazed over at Reno, and a sense of calm gave her the courage to follow through with the conversation she needed to have with Godfrey. She maneuvered to the lounge chairs and claimed a seat. Godfrey and Djimon slowly followed.
“Baba. This will be the last time we speak in person,” Zuri said, clearing her throat. “I want to free my mind of the things that have burdened me since I learned the truth.”
Godfrey winced, then parked on the seat next to Zuri. Djimon stood behind him, looking more like Godfrey’s security guard than a man who was trying to marry her.
“What are you speaking of?” he asked, placing a hand under his chin.
“Mama,” Zuri said, fighting the overwhelming emotion that threatened to spill out of her quivering mouth and dampened eyes. “How could you take the life of a woman you vowed to love forever?”
“You know not of what you speak, Zuri,” Godfrey responded; confusion crossed his face. “Suby died of natural causes.”
“The kind that her body could no longer heal from after years of being abused by you,” she fired back. “I know what it is like to be on the receiving end of your hand. I still have the scar as a reminder. I do not want to imagine the pain Mama endured.”
“You cannot compare a spanking of a disobedient child to the inner-dealings of a husband and wife. You will not understand that until you are married, hence is why we,” Godfrey said, gesturing toward Djimon. “Are here.”
Gazing over at Reno, the man who showed Zuri what compassion and real love felt like, warmed her heart. He was the only man that had ever made her feel safe. Reno was everything Zuri didn’t know she was missing, and he was now, everything she wanted. Deep in the soul of her heart, Zuri knew Reno was her forever love.
Then she glanced up at Djimon and shook her head. The fraction of a man that stood before her wasn’t worthy of cleaning poop, let alone, her hand in marriage. Reno would have never handled Zuri the way Djimon had. Even when she cut him with the knife, he didn’t lash out at her.
“What makes you think I would dedicate my life to Djimon?” Zuri asked Godfrey. “No man that thinks he can punch and grope me, is for me. He is not the marrying kind.”
Zuri leaned forward in the seat. “I see what you did, Baba, trying to take the focus off of you. But I know you killed Mama for not making me come back home.”
“Mama Winnie has filled your head with lies,” Godfrey shouted, causing Reno to rise from his seat. “Suby was very much alive when I took her to Winnie.”
Zuri raised her hand in Reno’s direction to halt his movement.
“If you did not do anything wrong, it would not matter what Mama Winnie said or did not say,” Zuri scooted to the edge of the seat. “Even when you are wrong, I have never known you to be a liar.”
“Watch what you say, little girl,” Godfrey howled, bounding to his feet, and pounded his chest. “I am your father.”
Reno rounded the desk, and before Zuri could rise to a standing position, he was at her side within seconds. Djimon maneuvered around the chair and stood in front of Reno.
“None of it matters. I am not going back to Tanzania,” Zuri said, glaring at Djimon. “I am not a virgin. My body is not pure. I have been with a man.”
“You are only saying that to hurt me,” Djimon commented, wearing an ugly scowl.
“I do not care about your feelings. I am only telling you the truth so you can move on to someone else who is worthy of your greatness and leave me alone.”
Zuri hoped Reno didn’t think the only reason she gave herself to him was to get away from Djimon and her father. She loved him.
Godfrey glared at Reno. “You have slept with the blue-eyed devil, and Allah will deal with your disobedience.”
“My eyes are actually green,” Reno sneered, taking Zuri’s hand in his. “And I am nobody’s devil.”
Zuri stifled a laugh and found pleasure in Reno standing up to her father.
“I love your daughter. I know I’m not what you visualized for her, but I will treat Zuri a million times better than he ever could,” Reno expressed, stepping forward, forcing Djimon to move aside. “You don’t have to worry about her well-being. I am wealthy, so she will not want for anything. I’ll love and respect Zuri and treat her like the queen she is, always.”
Godfrey balled his hands by his side, nearly ready to implode.
“Baba, if you really love me, let me stay here. I am happy with Mariano. Please.”
“You cannot replace me,” Djimon chimed in, nudging Reno aside. “Zuri, you belong to me.”
Reno lifted his index finger. “Let that be the last time you put your hands on me,” he warned Djimon.
“Do you even want me now that I am not a virgin, or you just do not want another man to have me?” Zuri asked, glaring at Djimon. “You do not own me. I am not your slave or piece of property.”
“I will restore whatever your family has paid for Zuri’s hand in marriage, plus interest,” Reno offered. “So, you can stop holding that over her head.”
“I do not want your money,” Djimon snarled.
“But you want a woman who clearly doesn’t want you,” Reno shot back. “That’s control-freak behavior, and Zuri deserves better than that.”
Godfrey silenced them all with the wave of the hand, then put his attention on Zuri. “You are not a citizen, so it is out of my hands. Besides, your student visa has expired.”
“My immigration status is not your concern,” Zuri countered.
Reno leaned over and whispered in Zuri’s ear, “Shaz, is gathering information on what you need to receive a green card and become a permanent citizen. You’re covered on all fronts.”
Zuri’s insides fluttered. Reno’s thoughtfulness confirmed why Chicago was where she should be––– with him. “But if you must know, I applied for my work visa at the beginning of the final semester of school,” she said, shooting a glance at her father.
“Applied for is not the same as approved,” Godfrey shot back with a sinister glare. “You are getting on that plane.”
“Why would I go back home with you?” Zuri asked Godfrey. “I would be shunned from the tribe. I would rather live here with Mariano, who loves me just the way I am, than set foot in Tanzania where I know I would be socially excluded because I am not what tradition says I should be.”
Zuri didn’t know why she was surprised that logic didn’t mean anything to her father. How dare he continue to bully her? It’s evident that Godfrey only cared about money and power.
“Let me reach out to President Magufuli’s assistant and inform her that I am rejecting their generous job offer as an International Relations Diplomat between Tanzania and the United States because I am terrified of my father who killed my mother,” Zuri said, leaning back in the chair, crossing one leg over the other. “Let’s see if the government is still as eager to support you after learning your truth.”
“You would not dare,” Godfrey snapped, getting to his feet.
“I will if forced to.” She stood, taking Godfrey head-on. “The way you are trying to force me to come back home and to marry him,” Zuri said, cutting her eyes at Djimon. “It does not feel good when someone is forcing you to do something against your will.”
“This is ridiculous. I do not need an unchaste whore like you,” Djimon barked, jumping in Zuri’s face, aiming a finger at her forehead.
Godfrey gripped Djimon by the wrist, snatching him up as a farmer would a chicken by the neck. Reno jabbed him in the stomach, then in the jaw as he hunched over. Djimon groaned as Godfrey flung his hard body to the floor.
“Zuri.” Godfrey cupped her face, and she flinched, then stepped backward. She shot a glimpse at Reno, who was standing over Djimon, rotating his wrist and stretching his fingers. “You will never have to deal with him again.”
She searched Godfrey’s eyes for a moment.
“Baba. What does that mean?” Zuri questioned, observing Djimon stagger to his feet. Reno escorted him to the exit and handed Djimon off to Detective Carter.
“Djimon has shown that he is not a good fit for you. Any man willing to disrespect you in front of me is not worthy of you. There is a way to do things,” Godfrey explained, taking in a large gulp of air.
