Craigslist Lover Page 9

  Toby ignored his cousin. If her husband showed up within ten feet of McKenzie, 911 was just a call away. McKenzie was done being controlled and empowered by her husband. He had to be careful with her, because he didn’t want her to confuse his powerful personality as someone’s trying to control her. “I need to get her kid some stuff.” He parked and jumped out of the truck.

  “You’re buying her shit now?” Eric followed him. “Toby, this is crazy!”

  They both walked in and Toby grabbed a shopping cart. “What the hell does a baby need?” he asked out loud, trying to think of the necessities.

  “Does it look like I have kids?” His cousin chuckled.

  “That you know of.” Toby twisted his lips in a smirk. “I called James on the way to your house. I guess he’s out of town with the kids.”

  “Your brother is always doing something with those kids. Is your crush’s son going to be riding in your truck? He might need a seat.”

  “I already have one. James insisted I get one for Jonas, for when he needs to be picked up from school. I think he needs a thing to sleep in.” He looked up at the signs for the baby aisle. “She breastfeeds so I don’t have to worry about getting formula.” Toby spoke to himself, and grabbed a few jars of baby food. “He’s seven months, so what size diapers is that?” Toby asked, turning into the aisle. “Pounds? He’s a big boy, let’s see.” He read each bag, and grabbed two different sizes.

  “Damn, you know all that?” Eric raised an eyebrow. “You’re really feeling this girl?”

  Toby grabbed a playpen and placed it in the cart. He picked up a few more baby items, then went down the feminine needs aisle and picked up deodorant, toothpaste, a toothbrush, lotion, and maxi pads.

  “Do you know if it’s with or without wings?” Eric laughed, throwing a pack of maxi pads at him.

  “Stop playing around.” Toby continued down the grocery section and grabbed some breakfast items and then some food. McKenzie had mentioned that Italian cuisine was her favorite. He picked up a couple packs of ground meat, spaghetti sauce and pasta, and cheese. He hadn’t cooked in a couple weeks, but tonight, he was going to cook for her.

  His cousin watched him closely. He was about to say something. “Toby…?”

  “Yes?” He picked up a gallon of milk. “You coming over for dinner?”

  “When have I ever turned down food?” Eric added cookie dough to the cart. “You finally met this mysterious girl. What is she like?”

  His lips curled up instantly. “She’s so different than any other woman I’ve met.” Toby wasn’t lying. He never thought he would be falling for a black girl. “Half of her face is swollen, her lips are busted, and her forehead has a small cut on it.” McKenzie was beautiful on the inside, and after she healed up, he knew she would be stunning on the outside, too. She had a banging body. He shouldn’t have been watching when she’d strolled in to the police station, but he hadn’t been able to help himself. “I can see her beauty deep within. Dude, she’s a caring, compassionate girl that was living in a hellhole.”

  “Are you in love with her?”

  Toby heard concern in his cousin’s voice, but ignored the question and went up to the cash register. He’d been shocked when she’d opened the door. Toby hadn’t been expecting an African American woman to face him. He’d imagined a blonde, with blue eyes, but McKenzie was…he couldn’t explain his thoughts. But after seeing McKenzie for the first time, his feelings had tripled for her and her son.

  “Can you oversee the guys tomorrow? I’m taking couple of days off.”

  “I got you. I hope you know what you’re doing.” Eric handed him three twenty-dollar bills. “Here. I love kids, too.”

  “Thanks. I owe you.” Toby accepted the bills out his hand. He wouldn’t turn down money, especially from family.

  “Add it to the list.”

  ***

  Toby and Eric stepped into the trailer with a couple of boxes and plastic bags in their hands. The smell of fruits—and bleach—hit his senses as soon as he pulled the door open. His home smelled and looked clean. McKenzie wasn’t anywhere he could see.

  “Damn, she did all this?” Eric set the groceries on the table.

  “McKenzie?” Toby looked around his home. She had cleaned it spotless while he was gone. She’d even folded his clothes. He was grateful and pissed at the same time. She didn’t have to lift a finger. That wasn’t the deal. “Kenzie…”

  “Something smells delicious.” Eric strolled over to the kitchen and uncovered the pot on the stove. Homemade chicken noodle soup with dumplings,” he picked up a spoon and tasted. “Hmm, she put her foot in this.”

  She didn’t answer back and Toby started getting worried. Had her husband found them? His heart beat slowed when he heard the shower water running, and then a few minutes later the door opened.

  “I hope you don’t mind…Caleb and I took a shower, and I borrowed a shirt,” she said, opening the door wider. Toby felt a jolt in his chest when he saw her. She had her son cradled in her arms. McKenzie had on the same sweatpants and one of his old T-shirts, with a grocery bag wrapped around her head.

  Eric’s lips fell open when he saw McKenzie coming out of the bathroom. “She’s black,” he mouthed to Toby.

  McKenzie finally looked up and her eyes widened in surprise as two pairs of blue eyes stared back at her. She took a couple of steps, placed a blanket on the floor, and gently laid her baby on it. “He loves being on the floor. He’s trying to crawl.”

  “The floor is dirty,” Toby said, both ashamed and concerned.

  “It’s fine, I scrubbed it.” She wiped her hand on her sweats, and extended her arm. “Hi, I’m McKenzie.”

  “Ma’am.” Eric tipped his hat and then shook her hand. “I’m his hard-headed cousin, Eric.”

  “Hi, Eric. It’s finally nice to meet the cousin/brother Tee always writes about,” McKenzie said.

  “Tee?” He raised an eyebrow, staring at him

  “That’s my nickname for your cousin.” Her lips curled up.

  “Hopefully he said only the good stuff.” Eric stared at her face. McKenzie touched her cheek. Toby assumed his cousin was making her self-conscious. “Did you get that checked out?”

  “This little thing?” She pointed at her lip and forehead. “This is nothing. I’ve been through so much worse.” She looked away. “It usually disappears in three to four days,” McKenzie said nonchalantly, like being beaten was a normal occurrence.

  Toby’s jaw clenched as he listened to her. He pulled the playpen out of the box. “He’ll be safer in this.” He began reading the instructions.

  “You’ve done so much already, Toby. You didn’t have to,” McKenzie said, walking into the kitchen.

  “Believe me, he wanted to,” Eric chimed in, grabbing the grocery bags out of her hand. “Have a seat. You’ve done enough, cleaning his messy home.” Eric started putting up the food. “Can I ask you a question?” He twisted his month.

  “Yes,” she answered nervously.

  “Why do you have a plastic trash bag on your head?”

  McKenzie snatched it off. “Oh. I didn’t want to get my hair wet.”

  “Why?” Eric was annoying Toby he could imagine how McKenzie was feeling.

  “Because my hair will look a hot mess in the morning if I wet it.” She patted her hair. “I didn’t grab my products.”

  Eric raised an eyebrow. “Women.” He continued placing items in the fridge.

  Toby shook his head. He was feeling overprotective of McKenzie and her son. “Fuck!” he yelled, frustrated. Putting the playpen together was turning out to be more difficult than he’d first imagined.

  McKenzie walked over to him. “Let me try. I have a few months of practice.” In only two clicks, she had the thing up and ready to use.

  Eric burst out laughing. “He made something so simple seem so freaking difficult.”

  “Whatever.” Toby picked her little boy up off the ground and placed him in the playpen, and then he joined Eric at the dining room table.

  McKenzie stepped into the kitchen and pulled out a couple of bowls. He assumed she was serving herself, until she set two large bowls and crackers in front of his cousin and Toby.

  He circled her wrist with his fingers, willing himself to keep his grip light. “Kenzie, you’re not a maid or housekeeper. We can serve ourselves and I can clean up after myself.”

  “It’s like second nature to me.” McKenzie smiled. “I don’t mind, it’s the least I can do.”

  Toby stood, and pulled out a chair. “Sit,” he gently ordered, and strolled over to the stove. He served her a bowl, then brought them all iced tea. “It’s time for you to be served.” He gazed at her as he took a seat.

  Eric just stared at them. “Did you report it?”

  “Yes.” She took a sip of her drink. “I finally did. I never thought he would touch my son.”

  “He’s a coward,” Eric continued. “My mother was murdered by my father. She always made excuses for him. Ma would leave every time he gave her a black eye, and always came back the moment he said ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.’ He held the love she had for him and her kids’ love hostage. When something went wrong, he threatened to do us all harm. It’s about control, having power over someone else. The one time she stood up for herself and said ‘no, I’m not coming back,’ the motherfucker killed her.” He cleared his throat and then took a sip of his iced tea. “He took her away from us.”

  Toby put his hand on his cousin’s shoulder. He’d lived through these events, too. Toby’s parents and grandparents had tried everything they could to convince her to leave. They’d even involved the cops, but she wouldn’t press charges. His uncle was serving twenty-five years in prison, although that wouldn’t bring his aunt
Carol back.

  “He controlled everything she did. He made all the money, so she believed that she didn’t have any way to survive with two kids. McKenzie, you made the right decision, leaving him. Now the question is, are you going back?”

  Toby stared at her, waiting for an answer. Tears welled up in her lovely eyes, and he replied for her. “I’m not letting her. Let him come knocking on this bad wolf’s door. McKenzie has me now.” Toby started eating.

  “And me.” Eric also began eating. “I couldn’t save my ma, but we’re going to save you.”

  “He won’t find you here,” Toby said underneath his breath. Secretly, he wished that motherfucker would show up at his doorstep.

  McKenzie didn’t say anything else. They all ate in silence. After dinner, Toby and Eric watched ESPN as she rocked Caleb to sleep.

  Toby went into his bedroom, and cleaned it up a bit, before running back out to the main room. “The bed has fresh linen,” he stated, carrying a blanket and pillow in his hands.

  McKenzie raised her eyebrow and looked over at Eric. “He’s not talking to me,” Eric said, by way of clearing up the mystery. “I’m going home in a minute.”

  “Tee, I’m fine right here,” she said, rocking the recliner.

  “You’re staying in the bedroom.” Toby dropped the items on his sofa, and threw his keys at his cousin.

  Eric pushed himself up from the chair. “I guess that’s my cue. I’ll call you later.” He walked out the door.

  McKenzie and Toby just gazed at each other. He wanted to say something but decided to leave it alone. “Humor me, take the bed.” Then he stretched out on the sofa, and closed his eyes, relaxing like he was asleep.

  “Fine.” She stood up and stretched, herself. “But no one falls asleep that fast.” McKenzie entered his room, closing the door behind her.

  McKenzie closed and locked the bedroom door. She positioned Caleb in the middle of the mattress surrounding him with pillows and then sat down, placing her hands over her face and sobbed again. When will the tears end?

  What was she going to do now? Toby had been heaven sent, but she couldn't expect him to continue helping her. McKenzie wiped her tears, she will make it. One day at a time, everything will work out. God didn't get you out that situation to keep you down, have faith, she told herself. Could she trust Toby?

  She glanced at the bedroom door, would he hurt her too? all the questions started filling her head. McKenzie had enough money to stay at a motel for a couple of weeks, but Wayne would find and drag her back to that home and probably finish what he started today. McKenzie climbed on the bed and sat wrapping her hands around her legs, “I'm safe here.”

  Wayne would never think of looking for her at a trailer park. Toby wouldn't hurt me, she chanted in her head. He’d put himself in danger for her. He was the tool sent to help her out that dungeon. “I’m free…”

  Chapter Twelve

  He banged on the wooden barrier, and with each passing second he hammered the door with his fist. After the incident at his baby sister’s house, where her deadbeat husband had clearly destroyed her computer, Shawn had taken the next flight out to find out what the fuck was happening. McKenzie hadn’t answered her phone since. “Wayne, open this motherfucking door before I tear it down!” he hollered.

  The neighbor opened her door and stepped out, but at that moment the door swung open.

  “Why the fuck are you banging on my door?” Wayne shuddered when he saw who was on his porch. “Shawn,” he said nervously. “What are you doing here?” Wayne’s nose was bandaged, his face and neck were covered in black and blue, and his arm was in a sling. Someone had beaten Shawn to the punch.

  “Where’s my sister?” Shawn grabbed Wayne and lifted him up by his shirt. “Where’s McKenzie?”

  Wayne struggled to get free from his grip, but it was evident that he was still in pain from his ass-whooping. “I-I don’t…know,” he hissed.

  “What do you mean, you don’t fucking know? The last time I spoke to her, you flung her laptop, and now you suddenly don’t know where your wife is? You better start talking or I’ll beat the answer out of you.”

  “Shawn,” his voice cracked. “I haven’t seen my wife since some white guy showed up at my doorstep and beat me within inches of my life.”

  Shawn squinted in confusion. “What white guy?” He released his brother-in-law.

  “He busted in here.” Wayne opened the door wider, pointing at broken glass, and there were items thrown everywhere. “And kidnapped McKenzie and my son.”

  “Did you call the police?” Shawn glared at the man he assumed was protecting and loving his sister. He didn’t believe a word coming out of the man’s mouth. “You seem very calm for someone whose wife has been missing, or as you call it, kidnapped. Why weren’t we informed about this?”

  “I did report a kidnapping,” he gasped, coughing, holding his stomach. “The cops came by and took my report and the neighbors’. I was going to call your mother, but I didn’t want to alarm her until I was sure.”

  “Sure of what?” Shawn crossed his arms.

  “That your sister wasn’t cheating on me,” Wayne revealed.

  Shawn tilted his head staring at Wayne. “What did you just say? My sister would never cheat on you,” he yelled. “McKenzie doesn’t have it in her.”

  “I thought so too, until that stranger entered our home.”

  Shawn scratched his head. There was something really wrong happening here. McKenzie would never cheat on her husband. Was she okay? Did he kill her? The more he thought about it, the angrier he became and then he remembered what his brother-in-law had yelled at her before the connection got cut off. Wayne had accused her of cheating on him with her own brother, and he called her a bitch.

  “I don’t know who the hell you thought you were talking to when you called my sister a bitch, but that’s the last time you’ll ever call her a bitch, you fool. I may live miles away, but she’s not alone.” Shawn pointed his finger in Wayne’s face. “You better be telling me is the truth, because if I find out you did anything to harm my sister in any way…” He inched closer to Wayne. “I’ll be back to finish the job someone else started.”

  Shawn prayed McKenzie was safe and sound. He grabbed the door and shut it in Wayne’s face, before he did something foolish enough to land in himself in jail. He needed to focus on finding McKenzie. What the hell had happened at his sister’s home?

  “Sir!” Shawn turned to see the neighbor, running down her stairs. The woman marched down the sidewalk.

  “Margaret,” she said, extending her hand.

  “Shawn.” He shook her hand. “I’m McKenzie’s brother.” He released her, trying to understand why she’d stopped him from leaving.

  Shawn glanced at the window and through the curtains, he could see Wayne lurking. Was he right? Had McKenzie been kidnapped? “Wayne said a man kidnapped my sister and her baby.”

  “That’s a lie, and I told the police that. McKenzie left of her own free will.” The woman turned up her nose. “I should’ve never listened to my husband, telling me to mind my own business.” She looked away from him. “I’m so happy she finally left him. I told the police everything I knew about how that prick of her husband treated her,” she rambled. “I almost threw a block party when that young man drove her away.”

  “Do you know the young man?” Shawn stared at the lovely but nosy lady. However, it paid off this time that she was intrusive. He only wished she would’ve stuck her nose in when she’d heard the arguments.

  “No, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen him around here. Your sister was in all her senses when she left.”

  Margaret told Shawn everything she knew and everything she thought was going on inside the huge home. Shawn clenched his jaw, holding back tears, as she described how McKenzie looked the day she’d escaped the clutches of hell.

  Shawn ran back up to the front door and heard it being locked from the inside. He banged with all his strength, denting and cracking the wood. He wanted to break down the frame and give Wayne a taste of his own medicine. His knuckles began bleeding from his assault on the barrier.