Payback

Shy looked around to see where she was and a smile came across her face when she realized that she was standing outside Penn Station. She was home. Shy very happily began to walk down 34^th street toward seventh ave, but stopped in her tracks when she saw two cops standing on the corner. At that moment she got very paranoid when she thought about the fact that she had a warrant.

Slowly she came to the conclusion that she wasn’t on America’s Most Wanted list and every cop in New York wasn’t out looking for her, so she calmed down a little. Her next thought was what she was going to do. There was no way for her to know if anybody knew that she was free, much less coming to pick her up.

Okay, you wanted to be back in New York, big girl, so what now?

Shy knew that the first thing that she needed to do was call somebody and let them know that she was all right, but she had no money.

Shy walked down the street looking at the people as they passed until she saw a sympathetic looking woman, sitting on some steps outside Penn

station, who was talking on her cell phone. She walked over and stood near the woman, waiting patiently for the woman to get finished with her call. 'Excuse me,' Shy said and the woman turned to her. 'I don’t mean to bother you, but can I use you cell phone, please? I’m stranded and I need to call somebody to come and get me. I promise I won’t take long.'

The woman passed Shy the phone. 'Take your time, honey.'

Shy thanked the woman and dialed a number. 'Cuisine, how may I direct your call?' the receptionist asked.

'May I speak to Mike Black, please?'

'Mr. Black is not in. Can somebody else help you?'

'What about Bobby Ray?'

'Mr. Ray is not in either.'

'This is Cassandra Black, is Freeze or Wanda there?'

'Mrs. Black, are you all right?' the receptionist asked.

'I’m fine.'

'Where are you?'

'I’m on 34^th street outside the Garden.'

'That’s good. Stay right where you are, Freeze is on his way to get you. Hold on and I’ll find out how long he’ll be.'

'Thank you, but please hurry, I’m on somebody’s cell phone.'

'I won’t be long, I promise,' the receptionist said and put Shy on hold.

'No need to rush. Take your time, honey. I know how niggas get when you don’t give them what they want. I saw them push you out that cab. Niggas ain’t shit,' the woman continued as Shy held on.

When the receptionist came back on the line she told Shy that Freeze was on the Westside highway and should be there in ten minutes. Shy thanked her and handed the woman back her phone. 'Thanks for lettin’ me use your phone. My ride should be here in ten minutes.'

'No problem, honey. Like I said, I know how niggas get when you don’t give them what they want. They buy you a drink or take you to dinner and they think that’s supposed to make us throw our legs open. I think not!'

'Tell me about it.' Shy smiled and sat down next to the woman.

It wasn’t long before Shy heard her name called and she saw Freeze waving to her from his truck. Shy thanked the woman for waiting with her and walked toward the truck, knowing that she was safe now.

Chapter Thirty-seven

Mike opened the door for Shy, she practically fell out of the truck and into his arms. As tears rolled down her cheeks, he kissed her. 'Are you all right?' Mike asked with his lips still close to hers.

'I’m fine now.' Shy kissed his lips again. 'I thought I’d never see you again.'

'Did they hurt you?'

'No, they didn’t hurt me. They kept me blindfolded and tied to a bed for a while. Then they moved me to a room with a TV and a shower.'

Mike looked at his watch. 'You have any idea where they were holding you?'

'No. Like I said I was blindfolded whole the time,' Shy told him.

'Hello Shy. I’m glad you’re okay,' Bobby said.

Mike turned to around. 'Bobby,' he yelled. 'Go straight home.'

'Yes, daddy,' Bobby said as he walked away laughing.

Mike hailed a cab. 'Marriott on Ditmars Boulevard,' Mike told the driver.

'By LaGuardia?' the driver asked.

'Yeah,' Mike said and avoided making eye contact with Shy. There was a part of him that wanted Shy on the first plane out of New York in the morning.

'Marriott, huh? By the airport, huh?' Shy said and moved closer to Mike in the cab.

'Yeah, it’s a nice place and it’s close by,' he said and put his arm around her. But then there was a part of him that never wanted her out of his sight. He wanted Shy to be happy and if she would be happy in New York then he would have to make it happen.

'You’re sending me back, aren’t you?' Shy asked with her head on his chest.

'Oh, I don’t know,' Mike said, feeling the warmth of her body against his. 'You be real nice to me at the Marriott and I might let you stay a few days.'

'Hmm,' Shy purred. 'That sounds so good, baby. I promise to be really, really extra nice to you, cause I don’t wanna go back,' she said knowing that Mike didn’t want to hear that. But she was home now, and she wanted to stay.

'I know,' Mike said and kissed her on the forehead. 'But let’s not talk about that now. Right now, I’m just happy you’re all right. And that you’re here with me.'

They made love as soon as they got to the hotel, and then drifted off to sleep. Mike didn’t stay in bed long, he spent most of the night at the window, thinking. Having Shy back was only part of it. He still had Diego and the DEA to deal with. He turned her lose for a reason. Mike thought as he tried to figure out Diego’s next move. Mike got back in the bed and Shy immediately moved closer to him. He put his arm around her. When Mike woke up it was a little after noon, Shy was already up and dressed. 'Hi,' Shy said, flipping channels on the edge of the bed.

'How you doin’?'

'I’m fine. Glad you finally got some sleep.'

'How do you know I hadn’t slept?'

'I can always tell when you’re not in the bed with me.'

'How?'

'I just can,' Shy smiled and turned off the TV. 'Are you taking me back today?'

'No. You can stay for a while. At least until we work out everything that’s been goin’ on while you’ve been laying around at cheap hotels watching TV.'

'What been goin’ on?' Shy asked.

Mike took his time and broke it all down for her. From Nick in South America, to her being kidnapped, to Senator Marshall to Diego and those papers. When he was done, Shy said, 'Wow. I know that you have a lot to do, so what’s on your agenda for today?'

Mike sat up in the bed. 'Shopping.'

'But you hate to shop.'

Once Mike was ready they went downstairs and caught a cab to Macy’s on 34^th street. Along the way Mike explained that they were going to see Angelo, but he wanted to stop a few times, just in case