LOGINShare
CHAPTER 2
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
The days always seemed crowded with all sorts of busy schedules, in the city of Lagos it was rush hour, twenty four seven, the heat, the cars, the traffic, too many inconveniences came with it, inconveniences that according to some was best drowned in liquor.
The night clubs were a relaxing point from the madness of the hustle, the rich drowned in bottles and revelled in the illusion of the magic, that would be over by the break of dawn, they relished in the surge of damsels, as the wine cascaded down their throats all night long, partying in the craze of the euphoria, and in the episodes of drunken stupor.
It was meant for the careless and carefree, some would leave the madness with a fortune from a drunk man's credit card, others would leave with their trousers unzipped, parading in the stench of alcohol, mixed with cheap cologne from a runs girl, never the less, that was the hustle, and in the hustle it was win, or lose. Check mate.
The Nightingale wasn't any different, it crawled from naughty, to nice, to wealthy, to the hustler, the next big buck for a steamy night of one shot intimacy. This had been a fortress of solitude to many, and Alice was no exception.
She had started visiting the Nightingale, to drown her glum of a relationship on the ropes, she had suspected him of cheating on her, he could barely stay away from all that chunck of ass and bullshit.
It started with a feeling, a hunch, that she set aside after each fake seductive smile from the good for nothing unfaithful, sugar-coated tongued boyfriend her mother could care less about, she had complained about him, how he made her feel, she didn't like him, the reasons were innumerable, his nails were too long, he had tattoos, his jeans always sagged, even though he tried to be on his best behaviours whenever she was around, mummy Shade would always outsmart his facade. ( Shade was Alice's native name, one her father thought was old fashioned, but second to none, in her mother's perspective)
If only she had listened, she wouldn't be drowning herself in Vodka, in a club full of drunks, whores, ( also known as one shots) and men who would rather spend their last dime on anything that wasn't their wife. But the alcohol wasn't the only reason she was there.
Apparently, someone tipped her off, that her supposed boyfriend, along with his lover would be at the club that night, ( someone who preferred to stay anonymous) she had hoped to catch them red handed, and end the drama with her vodka in his face, while she blurted the words " we're done" to him, casually walking away, and also fulfilling her mother's long awaited dream, but she was yet to find anyone who looked remotely like him, and the sound was getting louder, the club crowdier, and the rush of testosterone was approaching it's climax, on one hand she was ready to leave, but on the other she had to end the drama of her relationship.
Despite the shadows cast by the fusion of bodies, cuddling under the club's luminescent lights, the crowd, and the banging of the DJ's mixer, one figure stood out, she would recognize her anywhere, tall, short dress, in high heels, with lenghty human hair, and flaunting her Louis Vuitton bag, like anyone there would care about it, Taria Kingston, 28, beautiful, slim,with high cheek bones and a weakness for glamour and fashion, also spoilt to a fault strutted towards her.
" Alice? " she questioned, almost unsure.
A night in the club alone was fine, but with Taria, something was bound to go wrong. Alice couldn't ignore her if she wanted to, plus she was all ready to leave, the least she could do was exchange pleasantries with Taria. With an obviously fake smile plastered on her face, and an hello that vaguely showed genuine excitement, Alice confirmed Taria's uncertainty.
" Taria ? hey, now isn't this a surprise ?" she questioned with a friendly tone.
" It is a surprise" Taria responded, going for a hug, which Alice reciprocated, as they let go of each other Taria made sure to scan Alice's assets, from her purse down to the bracelet on her wrist, to the earrings she wore, through to the designer ring she had on her finger.
" You look nice " she suggested
" Thank you, you're looking equally beautiful" Alice replied.
" I haven't seen you since Alison's birthday party "said Taria, as she adjusted carefully onto a stool, before crossing her legs, and beckoning to the bartender with a wave of her right hand.
" I'll have what she's having, thank you" she said, with a shimmering smile and then focused on the conversation.
" I know, I've been busy" Alice replied.
" I can see that " Taria responded, with a less than convinced look of the busy actress that was currently in a club drowning her frustration in a glass of vodka.
" And your boyfriend ? " she continued, peering into the crowd as if looking for him.
The question caused Alice to take a pause, as she gently lowered the glass of vodka from her lips onto the counter, just as the bartender brought Taria's order.
" Here you go" he said as he handed her the glass.
" Thank you" she replied, taking it out of his hands before resuming her sweep of questions.
" Isn't he here?". she asked again, without even allowing her a chance to answer the first question.
Alice's intents were to ignore her questions, both the first, the second, and everyother that would come after them, but there wasn't any need to, no one was home, she could indulge in Taria's curiosity for a few more minutes, even if it meant lying about it.
" Don't tell me you're here alone ?" she questioned, drawing the conclusion that Alice was lonely and needed sympathy.
" Well aren't you ?" Alice retorted, shifting her gaze to Taria, with an ironic look that floored her face, a quick, solid come back, meant to send a straight message, that she was in no mood to be messed with.
" Fair enough, I suppose" Taria replied, (message received)
" So where is he ?" she continued, eager for a response, she knew Alice would have no option but to give one sooner or later if she persisted, and she was good at persisting, more for the affairs of others than for her own.
" He is out of town for work " she replied casually, bringing the glass to her lips for a taste of the content, "
" Work ?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow, and reluctant to succumb to Alice's white lies, which she didn't make any effort of concealing.
" He had a deal he couldn't cancel " Alice replied, also casually.
" Oh, I see " Taria responded, feigning convinced, while she continued watching the dance floor, giving Alice the opportunity of sizing her, from the human hair on her head to the stiletto on her feet, she was irritated by the thoughts of his betrayal, and having Taria interrogate her only tested her patience.
Taria on the other hand seemed to be getting bored, as she was yet to set her eyes on something tasty on the dance floor, until she saw the door open, and the person that came in after made the night all the more interesting.
She couldn't hold the surprise and excitement, as a crafty grin appeared on the side of her face, big enough for Alice to notice, who eyed her from the side of her glass.
"See anything you like ?" Alice questioned, not really wanting a response.
" Something like that ",she replied, the grin still evident and her gaze equally locked.
Few could exude the kind of patience Alice had, but she was ready to call it a night. She reached into her purse, paid the bartender, and dropped from the stool, ready to leave her company.
" Are you leaving already ?" Taria questioned, feigning disappointed.
" You sound surprised ", Alice replied.
" Well, I thought we could catch up on a few things, like, you didn't tell me what business your boyfriend was into, "
There was something about the question that tested almost suspicious, but Alice was neither ready nor had the intention to entertain anymore of Taria's pesky questions, and after a 20 second long stare she continued, and bade her good night.
" You know, you didn't have to lie about your boyfriend, " Taria suggested, a statement Alice found insulting, she had gone a few paces but stopped, and turned, fixing her eyes on Taria, she couldn't help the confusion that spoke volumes on her face.
" Excuse me ?" soft, unapprehensive, angry, all suggested Alice's tone of voice
" Seriously ! how long have we known each other ? " Taria questioned, adjusting into a more comfortable position on the stool, after which, drank from her glass as if wanting to savour every taste. She finally drew the glass from her lips and dropped it delicately on the counter, to resume her mockery of Alice .
" No matter how hard we try to hide something, in the end it would eventually surface, just like this glass, shut at the bottom, but wide open at the top ", she said with a giggle.
" You're drunk Taria, go home, Alice suggested.
" I mean, could it be that you didn't know, or are you just playing dumb ?"
Alice had obviously had her fill, she would leave regardless of whatever Taria would spit out next. " I don't have time for this nonsense" Alice replied, and made a turn to leave.
" But your boyfriend seems to have plenty of time on his hands " Taria replied mockingly, which caught Alice's attention once more.
" I mean, how come you never told us, that he was into women's clothing ? "she replied, locking eyes with Alice and then shifting her gaze to the dancefloor, where Alice's boyfriend was evidently having a good time with his lover, he was cheating on her, the doubts were cleared, it was right there, in black, and white.
What would happen next? will Alice storm out of the club and severe all ties with him? or unleash her anger on the dance floor .
Leave a review and let me know what you think of the book.
Related chapters
MARREDÂ Â Â CHAPTER 3
Betrayal, heartbreak, disappointment, disgust, were all feelings Alice thought she had homed when it came to her now broken relationship, it was strange, the anger, the hate, the ache, she had come to the club with a sixty percent expectancy to witness his betrayal, but it still hurt, and even worse, that Taria had to shove it in her face. She no longer felt the urge to follow through with her plan, he wasn't worth it, not anymore. Somehow her stare pulled his attention, and he saw her, eyeball to eyeball, she was furious, and he was unfaithful. He suddenly lost the vigour he had danced with before their eyes locked, she shifted her gaze from him and turned towards the exit. Alice sobbed as she made her way through the mad crowd, she was already outside but could still hear the loud music coming from inside the club, as well as quick footsteps rushing behind her, she felt a sudden cold creep inside her, right before he grabbed her by the arm in an attempt so to make her sto
MARREDÂ Â Â CHAPTER 4
The stairs looked like they would never end, she couldn't use the elevator, the place was crawling with hoodlums, they made sure to block every exit. Cornered, trapped, it was run or get caught, and Alice wasn't prepared for the latter. She was exhausted, scared, fearful, that her attackers would find her, she couldn't think, she couldn't hide, there was a threat on every side, she imagined what they would do to her, her heart raced, her mind flooded with morbid images, they were monsters, in, and out, she had to get out, there was the door, the one exit that hadn't yet been blocked, she could see them, parading the halls, searching for her, like hounds, following a scent, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and sprinted for the door, it was only a few feet away, but they had seen her, they followed, they yelled, they tore through the crowd, this was it, the second that would determine what happened next,
MARREDÂ Â Â CHAPTER 5
The alleys had always painted a scary and dangerous picture of themselves, there were more than enough dark corners, where different things hid in plain sight, many secrets, imbeded in the cracked concrete walls, shadows, blended with the darkness, the only thing that couldn't be hidden was the stench of marijuana, coke, drugs, heroine. It went by different names, some, more popular than others, it had long since become one of the many ways of survival for the desperate lagosian, young boys who didn't hearken to the advice of their parents, more often than not, found themselves in these alleys, selling cocaine, smoking cocaine, buying cocaine. The place had become what could be described as a melting point, the deals were precise, it was a trade, they had the goods, all they
MARREDÂ Â Â CHAPTER 6
The chips had been staked, the drop was today, they had 2 co-ordinates, one was at lekki, and the other at a relatively farther location, it was the same time, they had the location, they were ready to intercept, the guns were loaded, their hearts crossed, today would be the day, Fasting had to be stopped. The beach was always serene at night, the cool breeze would whisper, incomprehensive whispers, it was tranquil, precious, flawless, captivating, the waters would reach for the sand and withdraw back, like a muse, enticing the shore, the sight was infectious, tailored to lure, to attract, to amaze. It was the beauty of the sea shore, but as beautiful as it was, it had been a harbinger of one of the worst criminals in Lagos " Fasting ".
MARREDÂ Â Â CHAPTER 7
For the past 2 days, the weather had been cool, it had rained continuously, and the pedestrians were always in a cover of umbrellas, on a day like this, Alice would rather have nothing more than a cup of hot chocolate and toasted bread, while watching the latest marvel movie. She enjoyed them for their blend of comedy and action, but even more because they weren't real, none of it was, not the gods, not the aliens, not the meta humans, they were all a product of an open mind, a rich imagination, literature would call it fiction, but this was the exact opposite of her life, everything was real, Mike's attackers were real, the wounds were real, her worries were real, his pain was real, and so was the ever present conciousness of a lurking threat, she had not wasted a second to tell him to get out, had practically kicked him out herself, he was heartless, cruel, selfish, but he was hurt, and as fa
MARREDÂ Â Â CHAPTER 8
. The quiet was history as the bullets blasted freely into Alice's apartment, shards of glass, flying in the air, the dishes, the cabinets, the walls, all came crashing down as the metals shot right through them, this was completely different from how the movies made it seem, it was relentless, brutal, thirsty, one wrong move could mean sudden death, she was right to be scared, they were ready to kill anyone and everyone. The gunshots stopped, but the room was in chaos, Alice was still too shaken to get up, until the sound of Mike's voice brought her back to the reality they were in. " Alice ? Alice ? are you okay ? "his voice oozed with more concern for her life than his.
MARREDÂ Â Â CHAPTER 9
. Itwould only take a pull of the trigger, two pulls to finish them off, Mike's assault had bought them time, but it looked like their time had run out as fast as it came, he had succeeded in wounding his attacker, the force he used when he hit the plank against his head had left a pretty deep cut, still shaken from the impact, he saw him reach for the back of his head with his left hand, as if checking to see just how hurt he was, but instead of going into a mad rage, as would've been expected, the sight of his own blood seemed to cause some sort of excitement . Mike could neither control the fear nor the guilt of the tragedy he had brought to Alice's doorstep, if not for him she would still be safe , but his wishful thoughts didn't change anything, the reality stood in front of them, and it wa
MARREDÂ Â Â CHAPTER 10
. In combat, the possession of a weapon had often served as an advantage to the side fortunate enough to have one, that was the universal assumption, and it was evident in common fightings, from a wrestling ring, to little kids playing sword fight, to the cult boys, as well as the troublesome bus conductors, regardless of the size of their opponent the possession of a weapon more often than not awakened a degree of confidence in them.For Alice however, it was a different case scenario, she had the gun, but lacked the courage to fire, her eyes trailed round the men to the gas cylinder she had recently filled, that stood outside the kitchen a few metres away from where they stood, then she saw his arm tense as he prepared for his next kill, time wasn't on her side, nothing was.
Latest chapter
MARREDÂ Â Â CHAPTER 58
Alice couldn't help but feel disturbed at the fact that they were at someone else's house yet again, their presence in the house of their host obviously threatened the man life, as they were still being chased by Fasting and the CSS. Sunday had tried to make her understand in the shortest and fastest way he possibly could, he didn't want her to feel like she was the reason why this man's life would be threatened. He had said a few things, how the man had been his mmentor and a true friend when he had joined the CSS, Cornelius had always been someone Sunday looked up to, he had every reason to follow Cornelius's instruction, after all Cornelius was the reason why he had joined the CSS in the first place.
MARREDÂ Â Â CHAPTER 57
Cornelius was a well to do man, despite having retired from his previous position as an agent of the CSS years ago, he was still very fit and lived quite a fairly comfortable life with his wife and twin daughters. Cheryl and Constance, beautiful bright young girls, they weren't exactly the spitting image of their father, but what they lacked in appearance, they made up to him in complexion and wit. Cornelius loved his family, and he cared about them more than he did himself, there wasn't a successful CSS agent alive who was without enemies, and enemies always preyed on the weaknesses of their adversaries. But Cornelius was smart enough to send them to a secure place, before his enemies could get to them. He had hesitated initially to part with them, but after the attempt to kidnap
MARREDÂ Â Â CHAPTER 56
If memories served her right, Alice knew this wasn't the first time she was meeting this particular police officer, he had seen the fight between Sunday and the other agents, and tried to intervene. Which would have cost him his life had he not been a good fighter on his own. He managed to fight off some of the agents, taking his fair share of significant blows of course, but luckily he hadn't been shot, however he wasn't so lucky to dodge the gun that hammered against the back of his head suddenly, and made him lose conciousness. Alice knew she had to have seen him somewhere, the only question now was where exactly.
MARREDÂ Â Â CHAPTER 55
Thud ! thud! thud! thud ! Sunday could hear them coming, hard footsteps pounding against the floor as the men approached the room where he hid with Alice. Sunday wasn't sure exactly how many they were, but by the sound of their footsteps, he could say roughly ten to fifteen. Well armed, well trained. He had been hiding out with Alice in the house ever since he almost died of the wounds he got when Fasting shot him. It has been three days already, and ever since then they had stayed low. Sunday knew he wouldn't be able to hide for too long, sooner or later the agency would track him down, Thomas and Shola were traitors who worked with Fasting, with their help Fasting would get to him in no time.
MARREDÂ Â Â CHAPTER 54
The last thing Sunday remembered before he passed out was Alice trying to keep him conscious, he thought he would've died that night, he hoped he had died, at least then he would be free from the guilt of having disappointed his sister everytime. Yes, Fasting was still alive, and once again Sunday had failed. With the help of agent Thomas and Shola, Fasting had escaped, Reuben as well as Susan had been shot, and no one knew if they were still alive. Sunday had been able to take the bullet intended for Alice, and it had almost killed him. However he was far from dead.
MARREDÂ Â Â CHAPTER 53
Alice had felt like someone dropped the weight of the world on her shoulders the moment she saw the video of her mother, father and brother being gagged and beaten by Fasting's thugs. Fasting had threatened to kill them before, but they had been able to escape before he could do anything, at least with that Alice's heart could rest easy, even though she had no idea where they had escaped to, she was content and hopeful, praying they would all be fine. Anywhere is a better option than being held hostage with little or no chances of survival. Last she heard about them, they had been lucky enough to run into one of her uncles who was a military personnel, at least with him and his squad protecting her family, they were safe for now. &
MARREDÂ Â Â CHAPTER 52
" What are you even saying ? " Alice asked, staring at Sunday as if he had said something outrageous, he seemed fully aware of just how ridiculous he had sounded just now, because he didn't say a word in his defense. " You are still hurt, " Alice said, rising to her feet she glared at Sunday, " the agency is still after you, Fasting is after you, we don't even know where Reuben and Susan could be, we don't even know if they're still alive, you can't just run off knowing about all of this . " Alice said again, trying her best to reason with Sunday. Sunday fell speechless hearing Alice's words, he knew her words proved true all too well. Judging from their present situation, as well as the threat that lied in wait, going outside was suicide. They
MARREDÂ Â Â CHAPTER 51
Alice rested her head on the bed where Sunday slept, she had fallen asleep a while ago, but it was already morning, she hadn't been able to get much sleep, truly, she had barely gotten any sleep at all. Taking the bullet out of Sunday's chest was an ordeal, the biggest and most dangerous thing Alice had ever done in her entire life. There was so much blood, so much pain, so many things that could go wrong, Alice was no doctor, the only thing she knew about bullets wounds if she knew at all, was that they bled a lot, they put you in a world of excruciating pain, and yes, they are impossible to look at. But somehow she had overcome that fear of blood and managed to pull out the bullet from Sunday, he would live . Sunday clearly was no stranger to bullet wounds, he had the scars to show for them, forget scars, he
MARREDÂ Â Â CHAPTER 50
Blood trailed behind them as they dragged along the dark, silent road. Sunday had been badly hurt, and the longer his wounds stayed untreated the more chances were of him bleeding to death. If it had been during the day or even in the brighter hours of the evening, they might've seen someone willing to help them. But it wasn't early, it was late, dark and as quiet as a grave yard. Alice tried her best to help Sunday get help, and hopefully get away from the goons that were after them, she looked behind her several times, nothing was in sight, the darkness like a blanket had covered it all. Even if anyone had been there, she wouldn't have been able to see them.
