Page 24 of Own It

Once finished with my hair, I used the two hair ties I’d worn on my wrists to tie off the ends. It was only then that I remembered I wasn’t bound to anything, and though I didn’t know where I was, just getting out of here was a start.

“Aight, nigga. Make sure you check,” I heard one of the men say from afar outside, just as a car started.

I listened intently to the crunchy gravel as it peeled off, before peering through the somewhat foggy windows to see if I could spot the vehicle or some type of road.

In the distance, I could see what looked to be some sort of population with houses, farm supplies, and vehicles. Testing one of the windows, I saw there didn’t seem to be a lock or any other type of blockage, so I hurried to slip back on my once pristine but now raggedy Crocs. I was getting the fuck out of here.

And for Rakim to be so smart and calculating, he sure was dumb as fuck to leave this window open.

“Ow! Fuck!” I wailed from the loud and painful zap that seared through my ankle as soon as I put my foot up onto the windowsill in an attempt to mount and then slip out. “Fuck! Oh my gosh!” I wailed. I’d only touched the window initially so had no idea about the danger of the windowsill.

Hitting the carpeted floor with a thud, I whimpered while cradling my ankle that I could literally feel swelling in size. The pain was searing, causing my breathing to become labored as if I were birthing a fucking baby.

My heart rate sped up as I listened to the bedroom door creak from it being opened and then closed. Rakim had me so terrified that if I dropped dead from a heart attack, I would not be surprised.

Heavy footsteps that I knew belonged to him sounded off, but I couldn’t ascend to my feet even if I wanted to. I couldn’t even let go of my poor ankle.

“I warned you.” His deep voice that always rattled me from within rang out above me as he scooped me up bridal style against my will. “Now I gotta cuff yo’ hardheaded ass.” He laid me down and went to fish the cuffs out from somewhere that I couldn’t see because tears had clouded my vision. And honestly, all I cared about was my ankle. A mob of rabid dogs could burst in here, and I wouldn’t give a damn right now.

No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t peel my hands from compressing my throbbing ankle.

“I-I was just looking at something,” I lied poorly and through tears, hoping I hadn’t pissed him off too much. “I won’t do it again though.”

“Save the lies and bullshit for ya dumb ass boyfriend, lil mama.” He squatted down, his cologne wafting over me as he gripped my wrist to slip it into the cuff before hooking the other one onto the wooden bed frame.

I conceded, lying back with one cuffed arm stretched above my head as Rakim surveyed my ankle, shaking his head at me and making me feel as stupid as I’d been saying he was moments ago. Why hadn’t I just sat my ass down?

His big hand touched the sore and pained area, making me wince.

“Leave it a-alone please,” I begged, still blowing out short, quick gusts of air through my lips.

“My bad.” He somewhat apologized, and I was shocked to hear something even reminiscent of an apology or admission of guilt come from his mean ass mouth.

Rakim rose to his feet and left, returning shortly after with a bag of cold corn to place on my ankle.

“Thank you,” I whispered softly, the pain subsiding enough for me to get a good look at Rakim, especially since he was focused on my swollen ankle. “Did you hear from my father again?”

“Just to confirm he made it back and that Talid was going into surgery as I requested,” he replied dryly, and I just admired how masculine his bearded jaw was.

The way his muscles flexed whenever he adjusted the bag of vegetables and how his thumb, though callous, brushed along the swollen area whenever he lifted the bag to check it, was like foreplay for me right now. His cologne dancing up my nose didn’t make it any better. I had never been reminded of my celibacy more than right now, and the man wasn’t even doing anything to be intentionally enticing.

This feeling was new—being completely horrified by someone but also finding them alluring. I think had I not seen Rakim and been instantly attracted to him before this debacle, I would simply be horrified by him and nothing more. Because he wasn’t nice, warm, or welcoming in the least bit. He was surely gonna give me nightmares for years to come if I made it out of this.

“So then I should be going home soon?”

“I said he needed to save my cousin, and he ain’t saved just yet.” Rakim stood up, and in another world, I would’ve told him not to and to keep nursing my injury, but that would’ve been weird as hell.

I couldn’t help but notice that he seemed to get offended at me mentioning going home, which was odd to me. Because if he was bothered by that, it meant either one of two things: He planned to never let me go and instead kill my ass, or he wanted to keep me for some reason.

I was leaning more toward the former since Rakim didn’t know my ass from a can of paint to just want my damn company out of nowhere.

He handed the bag of corn to me promptly and then turned to head toward the door without another word. With his absence, the pain in my ankle seemed to soar as if it missed Rakim’s presence too.

SIX

rakim

“Dr. Conrad,” the doctor answered, sounding stressed just the way I wanted his ass to be.