Forgotten Love and Goodbyes – Ch. 9

Leon and Akisha were lying together in the bed, Leon playing with her hair, she rubbing his chest. As they looked into each other's eyes, they smiled remembering the love they'd just made, happy that their worries were now over and there was nothing stopping them from being together. Leon mouthed "I love you" to her and she replied back and received a kiss on the head from him. Suddenly they were interrupted by shouting coming from the backyard. Leon putting a finger to his lips slowly got out of bed, slipped on his boxers and headed to the window. He looked out to see Rico holding everyone in the backyard at gunpoint. He pointed it in the direction of the crowd and began moving through the scattered groups of people. Leon felt Akisha's arms wrap around his waist as she hugged him, the sheet wrapped around her. "What's going on?" she whispered.

"It's Rico, he's holding everyone in the backyard at gunpoint, looks like he's looking for someone," he said looking at her.

"He's probably looking for us," she said glancing out the window, "he wants to probably get rid of you with that gun, so he can finally have me to himself."

"If that's his plan then he's gonna have to fight me to succeed," he said as he went to go get dressed.

"Leon don't," she replied calling after him. When he didn't respond, she walked up to him and grabbed his arm. "Leon don't you get it, this is what he wants. He want you to go down there with raging hormones, knowing it'll affect your judgement. Please Leon I'm begging you, don't go down there, and let Benny handle it. You know how I'd feel if something were to happen to you, besides his plan won't work."

"What do you mean it won't work?"

"He thinks that by getting rid of you, I'll be so grief-stricken that I'll run into his arms like the last time. He'll say there was no other way, but I'll still forever hate him."

"I guess you're right, that's probably his intention, to mess with my mind so I'm vulnerable."

"Exactly, let's just leave and act like we never knew anything."

"Where are we going to go?"

"I don't know any where but here and most definitely neither of out houses."

"Why not?"

"Because Leon he will automatically think to go there once he realizes we're going from here."

"You're right, so where else can we go? We could try the lookout, but then again it's pretty isolated and he might try to push us over the edge."

"I don't know, it has to be someplace where he's least expect it," she replied so worried she began shaking, which Leon noticed and held her close.

"Hey it's okay, don't worry we'll find a place." Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?"

The door slowly opened, Cheryl's head poked through. "Hey guys it's me, we've got big trouble."

"Yeah we know, it's Rico looking for Akisha and me."

"Benny's trying to calm him down and my mom's already called the police, but that's beside the point, you guys have to get outta here now."

"We know that, but where do we go so Rico won't find us?" said Akisha.

"I really don't know either, but you gotta think of something quick, sounds like Benny's having trouble."

"What about L.A.?" said Akisha seeing the look on Leon's face.

"I don' really know about that Akisha, I don't think it's a good idea."

"What other choice do we have Leon? You heard Cheryl, all the places we know he knows, it's our only choice."

"Fine let's go then," he said with a sigh.

"Great you guys get dressed and I'll make sure the front door is clear."

"Thanks Cheryl," said Leon as Cheryl closed the door. He and Akisha began getting dressed.

Once dressed they quickly headed downstairs. On the way down Leon said that they should take both cars back to his place and leave hers there. Akisha told him it wouldn't be wise and to just take his. Leon agreed and they finally reached the bottom of the stairs, Cheryl was waiting at the bottom. She gave them a duffle bag and said. "Here is some stuff I gathered up in a hurry. There's clothes, food and some extra cash, now go and hurry. Don't worry about calling us with where you are we'll find out somehow."

"Thanks again Cheryl," said Leon

"Yeah thanks for everything."

"No problem, now go," she said shooing them out the door, once outside Leon and Akisha headed to his car.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" said as sinister voice. The couple turned around to find Mario leaning against the side of the house by the front door. "If I didn't know better, it looks like you two are trying to escape and deny my brother the justice he deserves," he said with a sinister look in his eyes.

"Your brother doesn't deserve any justice," said Akisha as she gave Mario an icy glare, "he knows what he did was wrong, plus he knows the rules. It's his fault and no one else's."

"She's right Mario, your brother got into this mess on his own, now if you excuse us we've got somewhere to be."

"I don't think so," he said with an evil look and then shouted, "Hey Rico I found them!"

The backyard gate door swung opened and Rico ran out saying. "All right where are they?" the gun still firmly in his hand.

"Right here and they were trying to make an escape."

"I don't think so Leon, you cost me my girl and then you cost me my friends, because of you I have nothing! I've accepted the fact that Benny fired me, but now no other team wants me because of the 'thing' I did."

"Akisha was never your girl; she was mine from the beginning. If I remember correctly, you were never interested in her till I told everyone that we were an item. From then on you seemed to have some fixation for her, now excuse me we're leaving."

"You're not going anywhere you son-of-a-bitch!" said Rico as he fired a shot in the air, causing Leon and Akisha to stop in their tracks and turn around. "Like I said Leon you're going anywhere with Akisha, you may go but she stays."

"I'm not going anywhere with you, face it it's over and accept it. I'm with Leon and will always be with him. No matter how much you threaten us, my choice will never change. C'mon Leon let's go, there's no need to be around this jerk."

"Don't walk away from me Akisha, you belong to me," said Rico as he aimed the gun at her.

"I belong to no one, I belong to myself. I'm the one who makes the decisions for me. I've made my decision and that's final!"

"Not if I take him out of the picture," said Rico as he aimed the gun at Leon and fired.

Akisha watched in horror as the bullet headed for Leon, who stood in shock. At the last moment she pushed him out of the way. "Leon no!" the two hit the ground hard and passed out.

When Leon awoke he was lying on the ground a foot away from Akisha who was face down motionless. He crawled over to her and gently rolled her over. A look of sheer horror came to his face as he looked at her stomach, where a red stain began to grow. He held her in his arms as he rocked her slowly, tears streaming down his face. "Akisha, no please this can't be happening, please wake up," he sobbed as he brushed hair away from her face, "please honey wake up."

Akisha slowly opened her eyes. "Leon?" she said weakly.

"Yeah baby it's me, you're gonna be okay," and just as he said that four cop cars and an ambulance pulled up. "See the police are here, they'll get Rico and bring him down for this. Where are you Rico?"

"He's gone Leon," said Cheryl running up, "he took off after he shot her."

"Leon, I'm cold," said Akisha gasping.

"Don't worry, you'll be find, just hang on," he said holding her close.

"Leon," she said as her body went limp, just as a paramedic came up.

"Evening, how is she?" said the middle-aged paramedic.

"She's been shot, she's bleeding," said Leon wiping tears away.

"Let's have a look," the paramedic said as he rolled her to him. "Oh god no Akisha, guys I need the stretcher now. We have a haemophiliac here, she needs to get to a hospital ASAP, let's move!"

"What, how do…"said a confused Leon

"I know Akisha, I'll explain in the ambulance," he said as two other paramedics arrived with the stretcher. Together all three carefully placed her on the stretcher. As they wheeled her to the ambulance, one began putting an oxygen mask as the other checked her pulse.

"She's breathing, just barely," he said.

"Thanks Roger, c'mon let's get her inside." Turning to Leon he said. "Are ya coming?" he said giving a hand to Leon.

"Uh yeah," he replied as he took the paramedic's hand and was helped into the ambulance. Roger closed the doors and they were on their way.

To be continued