A WOMAN APART: Chapter 25 - HE WON'T LET ME LEAVE

by tarskeewee08

"Burring – Burring"
Evangeline reached in the dark for the phone….she was half awake because the nightmares were more intense now. She could actually hear Candace in her head saying he was dead…

"Hello" she said weakly rubbing her eyes and pulling herself up on the pillow.
"Vangie..."
"Who is this?"
"It's Layla..."

Evangeline heard the hushed way Layla spoke in the phone and became alarmed. Looking across the room she saw the glow from the clock announce it was 5:15 am.
"What's wrong?"
"He won't let me leave Van…."she said crying now softly in the phone
"Who won't let you leave?" Evangeline's heart started to pound in her chest. Now she was sitting straight up in the bed praying that her fears weren't right.
"I gotta go he's coming!"

Evangeline heard the phone go dead. "Layla! Layla!" Turning the phone over she looked at the number Layla called from and saw it was her cell. Calling the number back it went straight to voicemail.

"Oh god!" she said getting up from the bed and rushing to the wall to turn on the light. Evangeline threw the phone back to the bed and put her hands to her head. "What's going on?" The lateness of the hour still had her groggy but she heard perfectly well. Layla was being held and she knew who was keeping her.

Rushing to her closet she grabbed some jeans and a cotton shirt. She was so panicked looking for her tennis shoes she hadn't even put on a bra. Finally dressed, Evangeline picked up her cell phone purse and keys racing to the door.

As she headed to the parking lot she thought of what to do next. She didn't know if she should call John or not. He would bring the police and it could cause bigger trouble for her sister. Then she thought of RJ. He would know where Eugene took Layla. Using her keyless remote she unlocked her CL600 Mercedes coupe. Starting her car she felt her temper rise.
What was wrong with Layla?
Why was she constantly making these reckless decisions?
Why was she always left to defend her?

Speeding out of her parking garage she thought again of calling John. "No, I have to find her. If it gets out of hand I'll call him" she said aloud to herself. Reaching for her cell she tried Layla's number again and got her voicemail. If she could only make one desperate call why didn't she call the police?

Evangeline pounded her fist against the steering wheel. If Eugene Barker so much as breathed on her sister wrong she would kill him. Speeding onto the highway Evangeline slowly eased off the gas. The odometer said she was traveling at 92 miles and she kept that pace. Few cars were on the road and she had to get to Layla fast. Please god let her be okay. Let me find her okay.

RJ heard the constant ringing of the doorbell. Sitting up in the bed with the new waitress at Capricorn laying sleepily on his chest he focused on the harmony that awoken him.

"What the hell?" he said picking up his watch from the nightstand. It was 5:45 am. Who would be at his door this time of morning? Pushing the woman, whose body he'd used as a substitute for what he really wanted, roughly off of him he climbed out of bed. Picking up his robe he saw the woman stir and move her blonde hair from her face "Where you going sugah?" she drawled sexily

"Never mind that. Don't you get up" he said dryly to her turning to leave the room.

Evangeline pounded on the doorbell constantly until she heard RJ yell he was coming. She breathed a sigh of relief and tried to stop biting her nails. She had stated this nasty habit again when Lisa reappeared in her life. It was her coping mechanism.

RJ threw the door open and looked at Evangeline in shock. His heart skipped a beat at seeing her. She stood before him in blue jeans and a white cutoff shirt with no bra and he was reminded once again of his desire for her. Then he saw the angry look on her face and became confused "Van, what's wrong?"

Evangeline pushed pass him into his place looking desperately for Layla "She's not here is she!"
"Who's not here?"
"My sister!"
"Why would she be here?" he asked confused closing the door
"Where can I find Eugene, RJ?" Evangeline said angrily now with both hands on her hips.
"Who is Eugene?"
"Don't play with me dammit! He has my sister! Where can I find him?"

RJ tightened the knot on his robe and smirked "Why don't you ask your cop lover to help you"

Evangeline marched over to him and delivered a vicious slap across his face. RJ's dreads fell in his face and his hand went instinctively to the spot that the blow was delivered. Slinging his dreads out of his face he glared at her "Hit me again and I will hit you back!" he snapped.

Evangeline clinched her fist "I'll break up everything in here! Bring hell into your life until you beg for mercy. Destroy what's left of your manhood…if you don't tell me where to find my sister NOW! You asshole!"

RJ looked Evangeline up and down a little amused by the fire and rage he saw in her. Everything about her was always passionate to him. Even when she wanted his balls in a vice grip.

"I don't know where she is…" Before he could finish Evangeline swung at him again and this time he caught her fist and snatched her into him. Pinning her arm behind her back he put his face close to hers. He could smell her breath and feel her breast against his chest and he fought the urge to release his need to own her and force her to succumb. "I suggest you calm down and tell me what is going on." He said menacingly in her face.

Evangeline continued to glare at him "Eugene Barker has my sister and I need to know where he keeps his girls. I know you set her up RJ. I know you are in this up to your neck. And I promise you baby I will make you pay" she said in a menacing whisper staring deep into his eyes "Now get your damn hands off me before I show you how ugly this situation can get"

RJ shook his head slowly. Nothing shook her. He respected that. Releasing her he watched her walk away rubbing her arm from the nasty grip he had on her. "If he has Layla then she's at his studio on 56th and Lenox, across from the movie theater. That's where he breaks all his women" He said dismissively folding his arms and smiling at her.

Evangeline heard what he said and her heart sunk. That man was doing god knows what to her sister and she had to find her quick. "We aren't done!" she said "When I find her we will finish this I promise you!"

"I hope so..."
Evangeline rolled her eyes and headed to the door.
"Van, I suggest you tread carefully down there. Eugene's waiting on you. Maybe you should call your hero cop on this one" RJ said this sarcastically but he was deadly serious. Eugene's fascination with her had intensified in the past weeks. This situation was ugly and if didn't hate her for breaking his heart he might've helped her.

Turning and smiling at RJ. "If he's anything like you it will be a walk in the park." With that said she slammed out of his place. RJ shook his head and headed back to his bedroom. He didn't understand why she affected him the way she did. But whatever Eugene had in store for her he felt it was justified. It's time for her to suffer the way that he did.

10:00am

John walked into the station looking for coffee. He got little sleep last night and when he finally was able to relax he wound up oversleeping. Today was going to be a miserable day. His heart ached for his woman and he wanted to get through to her even more now. He was desperate for it. Watching Antonio approach with a frown on his face he sighed. He'd only been in the station for 10 minutes and shit storm had already started.

"Man…you got a visitor and she ain't happy"
John frowned "Evangeline?"
"No her mom….she's demanding to see you and only you"

John rolled his eyes "What the hell does she won't now" Before Antonio could say more he stormed off in the direction of his office. Seeing Lisa pacing his office wringing her hands when he entered diffused some of the need to throw her out. "What's going on?" he said noticing her eyes swollen and red.

"Something is wrong with my baby!" she said coming to him with a desperate expression on her face.
"Evangeline?"
"She didn't show up to court this morning. I was at her office at 7 am to talk. She's always there before court and she never arrived. Then the court clerk called around 8 and told her assistant that she never came. My baby wouldn't do that! She would never miss court"

John thought about the upsetting way things ended yesterday between them. Maybe she just needed some alone time. Walking away from her mother and heading to his desk he dismissed her "She's probably at home resting"

Lisa glared at him "I went there first. The doorman said Evangeline left at 5 this morning and hasn't been back. Her car isn't in the garage!"

John looked up at her now concerned "He said what?"
"Now I have your attention!"
"Have you tried her cell?"
"Of course I have do you think I'm an idiot!" she said pacing again in his office
"What about her sister? Did you call her?"
Lisa stopped and frowned "No, aint no telling where she is anyway! I saw her leave the hotel with some sleazebag"
"What time did you see her leave?"
"I don't remember" Lisa said dismissively "We have to find my baby! It's already 10am and I'm scared to death!"

John shook his head at her. She disgusted him but he had to admit this was not like Evangeline. Picking up the phone he called Antonio and told him to come into his office. Where in the hell would she have gone?

"What's up?" Antonio said entering looking from him to Lisa
"Van, is missing. Can you get over to the Palace and talk to Layla. Find out if she knows anything. I'm going to start checking some areas she frequents."
Antonio nodded and looked at Lisa "What room is Layla staying in?"
Lisa shrugged "It's on the 12th floor can't remember the number but it's the third one to the left after you get off the elevator"
Antonio nodded and left.

"Is this the best you can do?" Lisa shouted at John pointing at a leaving Antonio
John picked up his badge and headed to the door "You can stay here if you like I will let you know when I know something"
Lisa grabbed his arm "You better find her! I know something is wrong. That's my baby I know something is wrong!"

John glared at her "I don't get you" he said folding his arms "I see the way you treat your 'girls'. Evangeline like she's your property and Layla like she's your trash"
"How dare you!" Lisa gasped
"Wait I'm not done. Since you've arrived here Vangie's been in complete misery, the deeper the pain the more you twist the knife. What's wrong with you! Now you act all concerned. You watched your youngest daughter walk out of a hotel with a strange man and didn't bat an eye. Yet your other daughter misses court and you are damn near hysterical"

"You know nothing of my relationship of my girls! You know nothing of the sacrifices I've made my entire life for them. Cookie has potential to be the type of greatness a man like you only reads about. You are beneath her! And she knows it!" Lisa hissed

"Where's the suicide note?"

Lisa looked at him stunned. The question took the wind out of her. Then she narrowed her eyes on him "I destroyed it!" she said smiling "His momma came by the house pleading to see my baby but I protected her. She asked that I give her that despicable note and I took care of that! She wouldn't guilt my Cookie into ruining her future. Since Dennis didn't have a backbone to fight for his!"

John worked hard to keep his cool because he felt the urge to bounce her off the walls in his office. Walking close to her he fixed his normally crystal blue eyes on her…they were now midnight blue with rage "After I find her and bring her home. I will deal with you Lisa. I see you for what you are and I know just how to expose your wickedness to Van, she will be free of you"

Lisa smiled in his face "Give it your best shot. The last boy that wanted her ended up dead detective."

John stared at her longer his nostrils flaring. He would deal with her. But now he was desperate to put this mystery to rest. He had to find Evangeline.

Several hours later

Walking through Angel Square John saw Antonio waiting on him. He'd been searching for Evangeline for the past 3 hours with no success. The doorman at her place confirmed what Lisa said, Evangeline left at 5 am and hadn't returned. Maybe she wanted a break. He understood that. It would explain why her cell phone was off.

"Hey" John said approaching Antonio from behind. Antonio turned and looked at him concerned.

"We got a problem"
John frowned "I know I'm beginning to get worried by this disappearing act"
"I spoke with my guy at The Palace and Layla left with Eugene. I checked her room and she hadn't returned. The maid assured me that her room hadn't been cleaned and none of the beds have been slept in."
John rubbed his chin and frowned. "What the hell is going on?"
"It gets worse...Prosecutor Davis called. Sit down bro" he said pointing to the bench next to him.

John looked at Antonio angrily "What is it? Is this why you insisted we meet here and refused to tell me this over the phone"
Antonio looked away "The informant claims that Eugene has gone awol and has taken them both with him. He's off radar and they think that he's already left the country with them"

"What!" John shouted
"He's trying to get more info but the private plane owned by Freddie left from airport at 8:20 am and the flight list consisted of two women. They said it was headed to Columbia."

John couldn't process this. What the hell was going on? Where was his Vangie and exactly what kind of danger was she in?