Remember Me (Sequel To Tragic Endings)

26. Too Intense

"What, baby? Did I hurt you after all?" He looks so concerned as his eye search my face intently. I get so many flashbacks of him looking at me just like this.

I want nothing more than for us to just catch up on all of the time we have lost being together, but this one thing bothers me. Scares me even.

"Those... um... Those Cuban druglords that are after me. Because of that stuff with my mother? Won't they be coming after me again?" I whisper, shuddering at the mere thought.

I feel silly bringing this up now, at the worst possible moment, ruining the moment for us, but I can't help being scared. I still can't remember the exact attack, what actually happened that night and what those guys did to me. But I know it was bad enough if I ended up losing my freaking memory. And I now understand enough to know they won't stop coming after me. Those guys are relentless.

Marshall frowns and puts his hands on either side of me on the bed, caging me in slightly. His jaw sets and he speaks very quietly but firmly.

"Look, Aisha. One thing you don't got to worry about no more is those men," he states.

"But... how come?" I wonder.

He closes his eyes then, and something about how set his face is worries me.

"Marshall?" I question him, laying my palm against his face.

He opens his eyes and his face is completely rid of emotion.

"Cause I paid them, aight?" He finally says, and he sounds so angry. "The goddamn money your mother owed those cocksuckers, I gave it to them. All of it. Even though that shit had nothing to do with me and you, but I just... Man, I felt like a total pussy doing that, but after what's happened to you, I couldn't risk them coming after you again. And it wasn't like that money was even a big deal to me. It ain't mean shit to me, Aisha, so I just gave it to them. So that they leave you the fuck alone."

I look at him. And I can't believe he did this for me. It must've took a major hit on his pride to just give in like that, but he did it anyway. Just because he loves me.

But like...

Why would he try and hide it from me though?

"Was that all, Marshall?" I ask him.

"Huh?" He looks at me with confusion written all over his face, but I just know something is wrong. I can feel it.

"Was that all you have done? Because I feel like you are not telling me the whole story."

"Baby, I couldn't just let it go though," he concedes. "What's happen to you. And those bastards that laid their hands on you at your hotel room that night. I don't think you realize EXACTLY what they did to you, Aisha. And truth be told, I pray to God, you never remember that shit. And I couldn't just let it go," he continues to rumble, his words coming out so fast now, it's almost like he's rapping or something.

I push him off of me and sit up on the bed, staring at him in pure horror.

"Marshall, what did you do?" I whisper.

He looks away from me, like he can't even face me anymore, so I grab his face, turning it back towards me.

"Marshall!!" I exclaim.

He runs his hand down my cheek.

"Aisha, I love you. You have to understand that, baby girl. Whenever I had told you I'd kill for you, I fucking meant that shit."

"W...what?!" I back away from him.

"Aight look," he sighs. "Those dudes that attacked you. I might have arranged for them... to get taken care of."