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Authors: A. C. Arthur
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sight as much as they possibly could. Malik had always protected Karen, always jumped in Levi’s face whenever he struck her. One day all that violence ceased because Levi was gone, the no-good bastard.
“Malik will be home soon, Mama,” she told her mother as she leaned over to kiss her forehead. “He’ll be home real soon, I promise.”
“You’ll bring him back, won’t you?” Karen asked, her words stilling Priya instantly.
Her mother was asking her for something and it wasn’t new. All her life Priya had felt like she’d been put on this earth to care for her family. She was the youngest and yet she was the strongest, the most dependable. She’d never let any of them down and they trusted in that fact. Even her sisters who had never been as close to her as Priya would have liked, knew who to call when their child support payments were late, or when one of her nieces or nephews needed new shoes. It was always Priya and she always came to the rescue.
“He’s probably checked himself into another rehab,” she said after taking the few minutes she needed to gather her thoughts. Some days there were things she wanted to say to her family, moments when she just wanted to scream for all of them to get their own lives together and leave her the hell alone. “You know how they have the blackout period when they first check in.”
“No,” Karen had said in a low whisper.
It was so low Priya had turned to her, leaning against the counter as she looked at the frail frame of a woman who at one time had a light in her eyes, a luster to her chocolate-brown skin.
“I think it’s different this time,” her mother had finished.
It was different, Priya thought sadly. It was something Priya had never imagined she’d be in the middle of, some sort of blackmail scheme that she couldn’t walk away from.
“He’ll be back, Mama. I promise,” she told her mother as she moved to stand right beside her, rubbing a hand over her shoulder.
Karen surprised her by lifting one of her shaking hands to touch her daughter’s fingers where they rested on her robe. “You always keep your promises. You always do the right thing.”
Priya didn’t know what to say to those words. Karen had never been one for affection, not having anything left to spare after Levi had beat all the good out of her. Priya was used to that, they all were. Certain things just weren’t expected from her mother—compassion, pride in her children, love in her eyes, were just among the few. But this touch, the sound of Karen’s voice—she was right. It was different this time and Priya only prayed she could do what was necessary to give her mother what she wanted, once more.
“Yes, Mama, I keep my promises. Malik will come back,” she told her without another second’s hesitation.
And he would, Priya vowed. If she had to walk right up to the devil and shake his hand she would do it to bring her brother home to her mother. If she didn’t, the idea that another man that Karen had loved with all her heart may have also walked out of her life would be too much for Karen to bear. And watching her mother deteriorate any more would be too much for Priya.
So now, she was officially broke. As she stepped through the doors of Sedona Airport and coughed into dry, stiff air she thought breathing was going to be quite difficult. With only her carry-on bag, laptop case, and her purse she proceeded to hail a cab praying that she still had enough cash in her purse to pay for transport to and from Perryville Resorts.
Her entire life savings, one thousand two hundred and eighty-five dollars, had quickly dwindled down to one hundred and fifty dollars after her round-trip airfare and the exorbitant nightly rates at the exclusive Perryville Resort. No wonder he wore Armani suits and Dolce & Gabbana silk ties, gouging people to stay at a simple hotel the way he did. She frowned as she climbed into the back of the cab and gave her destination. Sebastian Perry
“Malik will be home soon, Mama,” she told her mother as she leaned over to kiss her forehead. “He’ll be home real soon, I promise.”
“You’ll bring him back, won’t you?” Karen asked, her words stilling Priya instantly.
Her mother was asking her for something and it wasn’t new. All her life Priya had felt like she’d been put on this earth to care for her family. She was the youngest and yet she was the strongest, the most dependable. She’d never let any of them down and they trusted in that fact. Even her sisters who had never been as close to her as Priya would have liked, knew who to call when their child support payments were late, or when one of her nieces or nephews needed new shoes. It was always Priya and she always came to the rescue.
“He’s probably checked himself into another rehab,” she said after taking the few minutes she needed to gather her thoughts. Some days there were things she wanted to say to her family, moments when she just wanted to scream for all of them to get their own lives together and leave her the hell alone. “You know how they have the blackout period when they first check in.”
“No,” Karen had said in a low whisper.
It was so low Priya had turned to her, leaning against the counter as she looked at the frail frame of a woman who at one time had a light in her eyes, a luster to her chocolate-brown skin.
“I think it’s different this time,” her mother had finished.
It was different, Priya thought sadly. It was something Priya had never imagined she’d be in the middle of, some sort of blackmail scheme that she couldn’t walk away from.
“He’ll be back, Mama. I promise,” she told her mother as she moved to stand right beside her, rubbing a hand over her shoulder.
Karen surprised her by lifting one of her shaking hands to touch her daughter’s fingers where they rested on her robe. “You always keep your promises. You always do the right thing.”
Priya didn’t know what to say to those words. Karen had never been one for affection, not having anything left to spare after Levi had beat all the good out of her. Priya was used to that, they all were. Certain things just weren’t expected from her mother—compassion, pride in her children, love in her eyes, were just among the few. But this touch, the sound of Karen’s voice—she was right. It was different this time and Priya only prayed she could do what was necessary to give her mother what she wanted, once more.
“Yes, Mama, I keep my promises. Malik will come back,” she told her without another second’s hesitation.
And he would, Priya vowed. If she had to walk right up to the devil and shake his hand she would do it to bring her brother home to her mother. If she didn’t, the idea that another man that Karen had loved with all her heart may have also walked out of her life would be too much for Karen to bear. And watching her mother deteriorate any more would be too much for Priya.
So now, she was officially broke. As she stepped through the doors of Sedona Airport and coughed into dry, stiff air she thought breathing was going to be quite difficult. With only her carry-on bag, laptop case, and her purse she proceeded to hail a cab praying that she still had enough cash in her purse to pay for transport to and from Perryville Resorts.
Her entire life savings, one thousand two hundred and eighty-five dollars, had quickly dwindled down to one hundred and fifty dollars after her round-trip airfare and the exorbitant nightly rates at the exclusive Perryville Resort. No wonder he wore Armani suits and Dolce & Gabbana silk ties, gouging people to stay at a simple hotel the way he did. She frowned as she climbed into the back of the cab and gave her destination. Sebastian Perry
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