Chapter 18
The knock on the door did not seem to be stopping any time soon. Vanessa got on one of the big shirts she saw on the chair and went to answer the door. Asher walked behind her as she did.
“Let me do the honors”, Asher said wanting to open the door himself. She smiled and answered, “As your wish my Lord”.NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.
*****
Vanessa was still on her bed shedding tears, she couldn’t believe what she saw. She was confused, to be happy and support her younger brother’s relationship or not. When Asher had opened up the door few minutes back, Selma and Trey were caught sharing a kiss to the lips. Vanessa screamed and hurriedly got into her room. Seeing Selma was bringing bad memories to her. It made her think of Miles. Selma came back to the house because she left her keys behind. She knew it was a wrong time for them to meet especially that way they just did. Asher was at the door of her room, leaning his head on the wall and staring at her.
“Can i come in?”, he asked.
She stopped laying and sat on the bed hugging her pillow, resting her head on it. Vanessa tapped the space on the bed passing an information to Asher to come sit by her. He understood the message and went for the bed. As he sat, she hugged him and started to cry again.
“She took him from me”, she said in a very sober tone.
“She caused me a lot of pains”, she added.
“I know and I understand how you feel, but I’m here now”, Asher answered. Making eye contacts,
he said,
“Would you be my woman?”.
*****
Trey and Selma were inside the sitting room when he came in. Andre had just arrived for his money. Asher and Vanessa ran out on hearing his voice.
“What money?”, Asher asked.
Andre had totally ignored him. He was jealous. He did not enjoy that Asher and Vanessa were close. He needs to get rid of him. She arrived with a bag of cash. His associates counted it but it was not complete yet.
“Not complete!, you think this is a joke here?”, he asked.
“No but my dad has gone out to get some cash”, Vanessa answered crying.
“How much is the money? I want to pay for it”, Asher interrupted.
“This is none of your business”, Andre answered.
“Take the girl and let’s move”, he ordered his soldiers.
“She is not going anywhere”, Asher pulled her to his back.
“I will make this payment and you leave their family at this instant”, Asher added.
“Who do you think you are to talk to me?”, Andre asked.
“Take the girl, let’s leave”, he shouted in a very loud tone.
Asher pulled her back again but as she did, Andre punched him right to his face. One of the soldiers grabbed Vanessa but Trey reacted quickly and protected his sister by hitting the soldier an iron rod straight to his head.
“Coward!”, Asher said, talking to Andre.
“I regret ever becoming friends with you this a**hole”, he added. Andre laughed hard and answered,
“Friends? Oh, you think we are friends?”. Asher was cleaning his mouth which was already bleeding before he spat the blood on Andre’s shoe.
“We were never friends. I need wanted to f**k your girl, Hailey, so I became close to you”, Andre said.
Asher jumped and started to punch Andre aggressively. Hailey was his long term girlfriend but she died trying to carry out an abortion. She got pregnant but her and Asher nerer had sex. It was Andre. He gave her pills to kill her and the child. It made Asher lose hope on women and trust. She was obviously a cheat and it was his so called friend.
“If you want to pay the money, bring it to me in cash”, Andre ordered.
“I can bring it myself Asher, I don’t need him to hurt you”, Vanessa begged.
“I can go with her too”, Selma suggested.
” No, I only want him”, Andre said, releasing a wicked smile and cleaning his bleeding face.
*****
“Why didn’t you tell me all this earlier?”, Asher asked.
” I wanted to, but it felt too soon and too early. We just met and your family had already helped save my life”, she answered.
“Please let me go with you tomorrow, I am scared he might hurt you”, she added.
“No, you stay here and stay safe”, he ordered.
Still scared and bothered about what Andre said about his ex girlfriend, Vanessa asked,
“Can i help you use some warm water to clean your bleeding lips or a kiss would do?”.
He smiled and answered, “Girl, it’s fine. I would visit the hospital”.
She kissed his forehead and gave him a tight hug that almost sent her filling her eyes with tears.
*****
Its been hours and Lance is not back home yet. His number has not been available also.
“Hey, can we talk?”, Selma asked Vanessa.
“No and never will, B*TCH!”, she answered in a loud tone.
Vanessa stood up from the chair and went to her room. As she was walking, Selma was yelling something.
“Yes I understand you are angry and sad, but Miles was actually innocent”.
Vanessa couldn’t get what she said really. All she heard was
“Yes I understand”.
*****
The worry increased. Lance was not home yet. Vanessa, Trey and Selma started to look out for the old man. During the neighborhood search, Asher arrived from the hospital after getting his treatments. He joined her in the search.
“Let’s go make a report at the police station”, Asher proposed.
“Okay fine, let’s go”, she agreed without any hesitation.
*****
It has been hours of search and still he was not found or has not even gotten home. Asher and Vanessa were stuck on the road.
“I will give you anything you want, please just let us leave”, Asher pleaded with the attackers. There people don’t seem to want anything from them, only restrict their movements.
“We do not want anything from you, turn your car and go back now, or else I’ll gun you to your feet”, the attack leader ordered.
As they got into their car, the same set of pictures got into all their phones. Vanessa, Asher, Trey and Selma got the images. Lance was tied up and was beaten. Who else could it be?
“ANDRE FEDERICO”.