Both Sides of the Fence 4: Bad Blood Read online

  Both Sides of the Fence 4:

  Bad Blood

  M.T. Pope

  www.urbanbooks.net

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  More from M.T. Pope

  Acknowledgments

  Letter to the Reader

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Jasmine’s Epilogue

  Troy’s Epilogue

  Alex’s Epilogue

  Ashley’s Epilogue

  Copyright Page

  More from M.T. Pope

  Both Sides of the Fence 1

  Both Sides of the Fence 2: Gate Wide Open

  Both Sides of the Fence 3: Loose Ends

  A Clean Up Man

  May the Best Man Win

  Novellas:

  Lost Pages of Both Sides of the Fence Vol. 1

  Stick Up Boys

  Anthologies:

  Anna J. Presents: Erotic Snap Shots Vol.1

  M.T. Pope Presents: Boys Will Be Boys

  Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

  Short Stories:

  “Don’t Drop the Soap”

  “I Saw Daddy Doing Santa”

  There is always someone looking for payback, always someone hunting for blood. Always!

  —Ashley Black

  Acknowledgments

  This is my sixth full-length novel. I owe it all to God for blessing me with a wonderful gift that He chose to spring forth at the appointed time.

  To my Mom, Lawanda Pope, a little woman with big strength. You make me smile every time I see you. You are the best mom in the world. I love you. My brothers and sisters: Shirley, William, Darnell, Darlene, Gaynell, Latricia, Nathon, and Yvette. I love you guys.

  To my Pastor, Melvin T. Lee, and First Lady Tanya Lee, for coming out and showing love at my first book signing and everything else I do in this life. I promise Dad that the Christian fiction is still coming . . . lol. To all my Because He Lives church family members. I love you with only the love that God shines through me. WE ARE! . . . BECAUSE HE LIVES!

  Carl Weber, once again, thank you for this opportunity, and all that you do. To the Urban Books home office family: Carl, Karen, Natalie, George (Gee), thank you.

  To all the book clubs that hosted me, thank you for the love and support as well. Davida Baldwin, Oddball Designs (www.oddballdsgns.com): Thank you for another slamming cover.

  I want to give a special thanks to couple of people who really supported me from a distance:

  Martina Doss, thank you for giving me my first official review and selling my books down there in Atlanta. Also, thank you for calling me and letting me know how my books moved you. Thank you for hanging in there with me support-wise since book one. My literary friend, Karen Williams, who’s a phone call away, thank you.

  J’son M. Lee, man you are the best. We clicked from day one and we have so much in common. Thank you for answering the phone every time I call.

  Dell Banks, for the encouraging phone calls and talks.

  Anna J, for being one of the hardest working renaissance women in Philly. Leave something for somebody else to do . . . lol. To the people that encouraged me along the way. Kenneth Goffney, your words are so inspiring. I am glad to call you friend.

  To my advance readers, Megan Lanier, Troy Lee, Darlene Washington, Nichelle Washington-Davis, thank you.

  Deterrius Woods, an extraordinary Facebook buddy. Don’t be afraid to finish your book. You have some great stories to tell, so get to work.

  Kyeon, you have so much talent that it is ridiculous. So get started and get yourself out there.

  To Yancey, keep going. Unstoppable hustle!

  A Special shout out to Troy Lee for coming all the way from Philly just to get your books signed. I am still blown away by that. I will always remember that. Thanks for letting me borrow your name for the story, too.

  My e-supporters and author friends: I may or may not have met you in person but you all are always encouraging and honest about my work: Megan Lanier, Iam Obsession, Allison Desse, Brandon Waters, Jahaziel Perez, Patrick Irené Plante, Aaron Brown, Shawna Brim, Troy Lee (Trent Muzak), Johnathan Royal, Ricardo ‘Lore’ Harrison, Gavin Fletcher, King Shamari Blake, Nicole Carter, Joy Ballard, Beverly Crowder, Orsayar Simmons, Yancey Uriah, LaDonna Smith, Michelle Dealwitit, King Brooks, Denzel Deshields, Shneka Kendrick, Robert White, Katia Denise, Deneshia Barnes, Malik Singleton, Kenya Crockett, Tyeisha Downer, Nakenya Reeves, Sierra Kinchen, Tori R. Harrison, Della Dion, Koach Kabonna, Miz Jones, David Maurice Parker, Natalia Glover, Lenora Barksdale, Akima Rolle, Sabrina Gaddy, Reggie Marable, Jayne Brazelton, Chonda Bond, Linnette Brown, Nicki Williams, Crystal Williams, Quanda Claud, Charnee Mccoy, De Ion Duncan, Mia Mikell Venable, Karen Bass, Andrew Rainey, Chris Covington, Amanda Lee, Lady Sasha, Trina Mcguire, Sabreen Clinton, Brandi Miller, Kevin Edwards, Adia Page, Rose Roses, Tamica Mindley, Jeana Anderson, Eder Rosa, James Maddox, Rahiem Brooks, Renita Johnson, Michelle Whelchel, Sandra Atueyi, Patrice Avery, Nikki Nik, James Whye Jr., Jua-nesia Faulks, Sonja Moore, Nakia Davis, Beth Sanders, Charmain Wilson, Chivonis Mills, Lil’mamabadd Smith, Tommy Pringle, Michell Ingram, Shaniyah Isallineed Shestruluv, Kim Woody-Slater, Jessica Goodman, La-Tanya Baldwin, Joyce Duckett, Trifricia Lucas-Woodard, Tiawanna Anthony, Janice Gaston, Raven Simone Williams, Dianes Sykes, Melanie Tunstall, Monique Ford, Nikki Macnifcent, Jo’el Franklin, Debora Royal, Lakia Allen, Michelle Lawson, Rashawn Mayberry, Nicole Lewis, Schwana Haynes, Trey Crooks, Kiara Howard, and to the MANY that e-mail me and hit me up and spread the word. It is too many of you all to name. Know I appreciate all of you.

  My old Walmart family: Shernae, Tamara, Renee, Gary, Ms. Val, Danuiella, Keisha, Wayne, Sharon. Thank you guys for your love and support. I still miss you guys . . . lol. But, not the work . . . lol.

  If I left you out, put your name here:____________, because you are important to me too. *Smile*

  I can be reached at www.facebook.com/authormtpope, www.twitter.com/mtpope, www.instagram.com/[email protected]. Thank you for the love.

  PS: Please please leave book reviews on Web sites like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million. It means a great deal to authors no matter how you feel about the book.

  Letter to the Reader

  Hey everyone,

  Are you surprised to see another installment of Both Sides of the Fence? I started this novel right after I finished book three and the juices/ideas weren’t flowing at the time for the story so I decided that I would push it to th
e back burner and put out a non-sequel book or two before I attempted to give this one a go again. Well, after the success of May the Best Man Win and A Clean Up Man, I decided to go at this one again and the ideas came and started flowing together. So here you have it: Both Sides of the Fence 4.

  I am so in love with the characters of this family and I am so happy to be writing about them once again. Drama follows these folks wherever they go. I love it. The characters have evolved in this book and you may or may not like them. Anyway, buckle up for some more drama.

  Enjoy!

  Prologue

  Troy

  Who Am I?

  The past . . .

  Blood was everywhere.

  The piercing screams that I could still hear.

  The revenge in his voice.

  The pleading in hers.

  The fear that filled my body as I stood there helpless and paralyzed.

  What could I do?

  I was a child. What could I do?

  A few months before the present . . .

  I had surveyed them for some time now. The one I was watching now was named Ashley Black. She was a chocolate bombshell beauty, by the world’s standards. But she was the enemy to me: she; her brother, Alex; and younger sister, Diana. They all had to be cut off at the root. I had to cut off this bad blood before they ruined anybody else’s life, if they hadn’t already. I was assigned to take them out of their misery. It was my destiny. What I was here for.

  The scene was set, the props, all together for their final scene. I was the director and rewriter of their fate. They had been cast in their own downfall and I was glad to be the one to orchestrate it all.

  I was sitting at a table in plain view of her. We were dining separately at a restaurant where you can eat outside. She was on her phone holding a lively conversation unaware of my presence or anyone’s presence that is. She was laughing and smiling hard. That smile soon would fade. I would make sure of it personally.

  She finally ended her phone call. It was time to make my move. I had to be bold. Level-headed. Calculated. I had to pull out all the stops and charm her into submission. Like I said before, I was groomed for this. This was my destiny.

  I eased up from my table and casually walked over toward her table. “Excuse me, don’t I know you?” I looked at her and smiled. “You’re a model right?”

  “Ahhh,” she said and looked at me confused. “No, you must have me confused with someone else.” She blushed, but she was trying to conceal it as she pushed her feathered hair out of her lowered face.

  “No, I’m sure I’ve seen you on the cover of a magazine.” I laid it on thick. I knew she wouldn’t fall for this because it was such a weak line. It was my way of getting her attention and getting a feel for her, her present mental state. “You sure?”

  “I think I would know about that.” She spoke and then looked at me with an emotionless face.

  I hoped I wasn’t losing her. “Yes, you would.” I nodded and then smiled again. “I’m sorry for the intrusion. I was sitting across the way and my mouth dropped because of your beauty.” I didn’t care who you were or how much attitude you had as a woman. You wanted to be called beautiful out in public or anywhere for that matter. Most women thrived on it. Some secretly. You could always tell who was getting it from home, a husband or a boyfriend. Or, none at all.

  “I appreciated the compliment. Is there something else I could help you with?” She was polite and to the point. She was confident.

  “Yes, I was wondering if it would be overstepping my bounds by asking to join you for a meal. I know this is weird and out of the blue, but I would like to get to know you better and since you haven’t gone off on me yet, you could probably tolerate me for a few more moments of your time along with a meal.”

  “Are you serious?” she asked, confusion written all over her face.

  I was anxious. Maybe I spoke too soon. Maybe I moved too soon. Was she about to give me the thrashing of my life with her tongue? I was kicking myself on the inside. I couldn’t believe that I fucked this up. This was my only chance. She was the one I needed to start with. How could I be so arrogant?

  “What kind of girl do you take me for?” she asked and put one of her hands on her chest.

  There was an awkward moment of silence. What could be said to clean up this mess that I made? I was at her mercy.

  Then she giggled. “I’m joking, have a seat. I’ll give you a chance. What’s the worst that could happen? Besides, I didn’t want you to plague another woman with that tired line of rap you used on me.”

  I instantly exhaled. I didn’t even know I was holding my breath. I hoped she couldn’t tell. I pulled out the chair and sat down across from her. I didn’t say anything at first.

  “I’m sorry about the weak line I used. I am new at this and I didn’t really know how to approach you,” I lied.

  “Well, that’s nice to hear. I am new on the dating scene as well. I guess we will be each other’s fresh start.” She smiled. She had his smile.

  I was excited. I got in. I was successful.

  “So, Ash . . . I mean what can I call this beautiful lady sitting in front of me?” I was hoping that she didn’t catch that slip-up. I wanted to curse my own self out for that one.

  “For a minute I thought that you were calling me by my name.” She laughed.

  “No, I was saying that I was so ashamed that I didn’t come over earlier.” I laughed with nervousness in my voice.

  “Oh, I think your timing was impeccable.”

  “Oh, really.” I looked at her with curiosity. “How so?”

  “Well, truthfully I was spying you out as well.”

  “Really?” I was genuinely smiling now.

  “Yes, you are quite a handsome guy yourself. I saw how the waitress was eyeing you down and a few of the other ladies. Who wouldn’t want to get to know you? And to answer your question, my name is Ashley.”

  “Wow, I am truly amazed. Here I was thinking I was tracking you, but you had me in eyesight all along.”

  “What is this truly amazed man’s name?” she asked me.

  “Troy. My name is Troy.”

  “What a nice name, Troy. It is nice to meet you, Troy.” She reached across the table to shake my hand.

  I followed suit. There was a spark as soon as our hands united.

  “Oow.” She pulled back and then laughed. “Sparks. I guess this is meant to be.”

  “Yes, I believe in fate. You know, destiny.”

  “This destiny chick is going to have to wait, because I got you now. She missed out.”

  We both laughed. She didn’t know that destiny had won. Their fates were sealed.

  Chapter 1

  Ashley

  Forever My Lady

  “‘I always feel like somebody’s watching me,’” I sang along to the classic Rockwell song that played on my satellite radio in my car. I loved classic music or music that withstood the sands of time. My grandmother always said I had an old soul. I felt like it sometimes too.

  Have you ever had the feeling that you were being followed, but couldn’t put your finger on it? Maybe I was feeling paranoid or maybe it was the song that brought back memories all of the drama from these last few years. Some of it still had me on edge at times. I had only been back in Baltimore a year and a half after living in California for a few years and now I was fresh into my first weeks at my new job. When I finished my degrees in human services, I applied and was offered a position at a nonprofit organization for dysfunctional families called Inside-Out: A Family Inside and Out. I wanted to channel what I learned from my family to help others. Our family had been through so much and survived that it was the only logical career choice to make.

  California and Baltimore were like night and day when it came to living. Like New Yorkers, Californians moved fast and almost never slept. Here in Maryland things shut down early. I liked California, but Maryland was home for me. I had expectations of slowing it down and taking life easy
when I touched down in Baltimore. I reconnected with one of my girls from high school, Jasmine, and now we were kicking it on the regular. She was still cool people to me even though she could be weird at times. I didn’t have many girls as friends, for drama purposes, but now I was looking for a calmer lifestyle and friends. So she was one of the only ones I paid any attention to in high school. I was a hothead not too long ago, but all that ever got me was in trouble. So here I was living the good life as a full-fledged adult. It is crazy to have to pay your bills and manage your money but I had good training from my parents and I was adjusting.

  I was now living on my own and with a new career and even a budding relationship with my first boyfriend. Troy was such a nice guy and so attentive. He was so new and refreshing. I could admit that it was scary as well. We had been dating for some months and it was going strong. He made me smile every time I thought about him. He never pushed me to go all the way and I was glad that he was so patient.

  I pulled into the local Dunkin’ Donuts about a mile from my job. I had to get my coffee and doughnut fix before I made my way into the office. I opened the door to my midsized SUV and stepped out one leg at a time. My four-inch heels looked good on the end of my statuesque legs. I had on a tan, one-piece, knee-length dress that was appropriate for the office environment and I still turned heads out in public. I loved being a lady.

  I took nice small strides as I walked to the door. My real hair, which flowed and ended right past my shoulders, was tousled slightly by a gust of wind into my face. I removed it as I made it to the door of the establishment. A nice gentleman smiled and opened the door for me.