Brianna Devereaux: The Mambo (Completed)

The Key

Brianna sat up in fear, gasping as she felt a headache in the back of her head, Brianna rubbed it in agony. But as she blinked the sun out of her eyes and got her thoughts together, she found it gone and sighed in relief. Running a hand through her hair, Brianna got out of bed to start breakfast.

But it was going past her mirror she found her reflection and gasped. “It wasn’t a dream.” She whispered shocked. Seeing her hair, luscious and curly like the past couple months hadn’t happened, Brianna touched them amazed.

It was when she saw the red brand on her palm, she almost freaked. It was weird mark, a crescent moon beside a compass, and as frightening as it appeared Brianna felt weirdly at peace. Tracing her hand over it, Brianna felt her breath catch as she whispered, “What the hell?”

Jumping when she heard a noise, Brianna grabbed her taser gun and started to Tamia’s room. Only to find the young girl having a nightmare, moving as if trying to push someone off her. Hurting that the young girl had so much pain, Brianna wanted to take it all away.

And just the urge of it had her creeping forward to do so. But a part of Brianna woke up and realized doing so was robbing Tamia. She was a strong young woman, and she’d need those horrors to make her stronger. So instead Brianna woke her from the nightmare and gently calmed her.

Tamia laid on Brianna’s shoulder crying and Brianna didn’t say a word as she comforted her. After Tamia was all cried out, Brianna whispered, “I’m going to go make breakfast. Have a shower and meet me in the nave.”

Cocking an eyebrow, Tamia asked, “Nave?” Brianna and pointed to the door, “Big room with the pews. I guess I should just call it the living room huh?” Tamia couldn’t help but giggle and then Brianna went to make breakfast in the kitchen.

As she cracked eggs and made pancakes she sighed as the ice box she’d bought hadn’t kept her ice cold as hoped. She knew that meant she’d have to hurry and get ice or her milk would spoil.

And the eggs, cheese, bread, and sandwich meat she’d bought. And Brianna couldn’t afford to lose food.

In her mind, she kept telling herself what she had to do. Go make more money to go and feed the extra mouth she’d brought in. But her mind kept snagging on last night, Kase had made it clear whatever was happening to her wasn’t stopping.

“I’ll see you soon Brianna Deveraux.” He’d told her that before she conked out. But she wasn’t Brianna Deveraux, she was Brianna Jones. Her grand-mere had been Sage Deveraux before marriage. So maybe that’s why he’d called her that, but still, it hung on her.

After serving breakfast, Tamia looked at Brianna thinking and asked, “Is everything okay?” Brianna looked up and nodded slowly, “Yeah, just something on my mind.” Tamia nervously nodded unsure if Brianna’s kindness would continue on in the light of day.

Watching her look at the weird symbol on her hand now, Brianna’s mind throbbed as Kase’s voice seemed to ring in her ears. “Your grand-mere’s things are the key.” Her grand-mere’s things?

After Grand-mere Sage died, her Grandpa Nick followed behind within days. Their things kept had been put in a storage unit and Brianna didn’t have a key.  But she knew who might now with her parents gone.

“-okay?” Eyes snapping up to meet Tamia’s, Brianna dumbly showed she hadn’t heard a thing with an unintelligent, “Huh?” Tamia giggled a little and asked again, “Um, I said is everything okay? You’ve been staring into space for ten minutes.”

Hot in the face, Brianna admitted, “Sorry, I have to do something, difficult today. And I don’t know how to go about it.” Tamia leaned forward as she asked unsure, “Is it how you make your money?”

Fighting a smile at the innocent intrigue, Brianna promised, “I’m not a hooker, I don’t deal, and I’m way to big a p***y to be a hitter.” Laugh bouncing off the walls at Brianna, Tamia curiously asked, “So what do you do?” Unsure, Brianna started not to confess, but her instincts told her Tamia was her friend.

A kindred spirit in this rough world, she wouldn’t judge her. “I steal for money and stuff, not something I’m proud of, but it gets me by until I turn eighteen.” Tamia whistled, “Wow, must be pretty good to pull all of this off.” She said waving to the food, table, and two phones on top.

“Nah not really, I just know where to go and who to target.” After finishing her food, Brianna went to wash her dishes and Brianna came with her. “So, is that where you’re going today? To steal?” Tamia asked following her. Brianna cleaned their dishes as she admitted, “Maybe if I have time. Today I have to go to my Uncle Ray’s and make him give me my parents storage key. I need to get some stuff.”

Frowning, Tamia came over to Brianna, “Wait a minute, but won’t he try to make you stay?” Brianna scoffed bitterly, “Not happening. Besides, it’s good he knows I’m alive and proving I’m not strung out is a bonus.”

Tamia was still unsure, so Brianna bitterly told her, “Look don’t worry about it. He made it clear he didn’t want me around living off him and his wife. Having cameras on him didn’t change that feeling, now he’s just expected to.”

Still not liking it, Tamia nervously asked, “Want me to come with? There’s safety in numbers.” Brianna could feel Tamia was uneasy with her leaving. As if she wouldn’t come back for her and Brianna understood that fear.

“I’d love that actually. My parents were hoarders, didn’t know how to throw s**t away. You can help me tear through the boxes.”  Tamia grinned as she stood up, “Cool I’ll get dressed.” Brianna held up her phone frowning, “And I’ll get my uncle on the phone.” And she did after chalking up the nerve to call him.

Standing outside, Brianna set her number to private and called her Uncle Ray. He answered the phone tiredly as he barked, “How many times we said, we’re not doing no damn interviews!” Brianna’s familiar laugh had her Uncle Ray sitting up in his recliner. “Are you sure uncle?” She taunted knowing he was on the edge of his seat now, “You could get a pay day from all of this bullshit.”

Nervous, Raymond looked at his wife afraid as he asked, “Girl where the hell have you been? People have been looking for you, for a month!” Brianna nodded since she’d seen that as well, “I know. Crazy how easy it is to get a bus ticket.” Stiffening, Raymond knew he sounded much like his brother as he boomed, “You got on a bus? Where the hell are you? I’m coming to get you!”

Brianna held a rock in her hand, it felt weird, but the symbol on her hand slowly began breaking it down. Until it became dust drifting in the wind, “Yeah no thanks, but I do want something from you.”

Raymond expected a lot of things as Pam kept hurling questions in his other ear. If she was okay, if she was eating, and where she was staying being a few. But Raymond was too busy paying attention expecting her to ask for money or food. But he was thrown for a loop when Brianna told him, “I need the key to my parent’s storage unit.”

As the wind blew her hair from her face, Brianna inhaled the sweet air. It smelled like her mom’s cinnamon cookies; a homey smell she missed. She enjoyed her moment of peace as she listened to her uncle stutter out excuses making Brianna sigh in annoyance, “I know you and Aunt Pam went in and got everything valuable. But what I’m looking for? You wouldn’t have gone near.”

Checking the symbol on her hand again, it seemed to glow as Brianna ordered, “So I need you to bring me the key. Today.”

Raymond looked at his wife who nodded and after agreeing, she hung up on him. “She sounds different.” He noted putting the down the phone. Pamela rushing to get dressed and grab the storage unit key snapped, “Of course she does! She was staying at a Group Home and now she’s been on the streets! God only knows what she’s gone through. Come on let’s go!”

After rushing to the car, Raymond waited like she’d told him for a meeting spot. And he ended up at a diner even he was afraid to go into. But after seeing not a cop in sight and two big men scowling, Raymond started to leave.

Until someone plopped down across from him and Raymond froze in shock as a healthy Brianna smiled at him. Waving over a waitress she ordered two burgers and fries with two chocolate milkshakes to go.

Confused at the doubled order, Raymond whispered, “Who did you order for?” Shrugging Brianna told him blankly, “A friend, did you bring it?” Raymond jerked back at her brushing past her being with someone, “A friend? Who are you friends with, where the hell have you been Brianna?”

Tired of the questions being hurled at her, Brianna leaned forward, “Fine I’ll appease your curiosity out of sheer boredom, no I’m not a p********e. I haven’t done drugs and I don’t have some man waiting for me. I have a friend and we can’t be seen here long.”

Looking around, Raymond found no one waiting or looking and turned back to Brianna. Her eyes were a very bright brown now, like her mother’s and she wore it beautifully. But something else was changing in her, and it was scaring Raymond.

So much so he pleaded for what he hadn’t wanted. “Come home Brianna, we’re sorry. We thought your mother’s sister would have come for you. I never thought for a second you’d be in danger.”

Scoffing in disgust, Brianna haughtily sneered, “Do you think I’m an i***t uncle? I saw your face the moment you saw me. And you knew you’d been trapped, and you did not want to be saddled with me.”

Rolling her eyes, at his pitiful hound dog expression Brianna snapped angry, “Like I wouldn’t have gotten a job or pulled my weight like I was raised to. But no, you wanted me gone. And you dropped me off in a group home at capacity with a bunch of strangers.”

Looking her uncle in his eyes, Brianna muttered still in pain, “They let the kids jump on me and they took the last of what little I had. And you didn’t even care enough to check on me. Hiding your face from the cameras won’t stop people from knowing what you did. And you’ll never forget it either.”

Raymond was riddled with guilt, but Brianna didn’t care about his guilt. She wanted his pain.

“You abandoned me Uncle Ray, just know when you look up in the future, you’re going to be the one suffering.” Feeling hot in the face, Ray could barely breath as Brianna eerily promised, “And it’ll be me who you come to for help, but I won’t. I’ll leave you to strangers who don’t care, just like you did me.”

Sweating as his body trembled, Raymond jumped when the waitress came back with bags of food and two milkshakes. But Brianna didn’t even look at her as she put money on the table, “Keep the change.” She said offhandedly. The girl thanked Brianna and left as she hissed to her uncle, “Give me the key. And then forget you saw me here today.”

Holding the key in his hand, Raymond was still shaking from Brianna’s curse. But he didn’t relinquish the key that easy. “What do you want out of your parent’s storage unit? I told you there’s nothing valuable since-.”

Grinning even though her eyes blazed, Brianna sneered in disgust, “You and Aunt Georgia went in and took whatever your hearts pleased? I figured as much when it happened at the house, you two dividing up my parents and my stuff like all three of us died.”

Shaking her head, Brianna admitted, “But be lucky I don’t need material possessions. I need to find something, and I need the key. So, for the last time, give it to me!”

Raymond jumped a little at the almost growl to Brianna’s tone. But it was nothing compared to her gaze, it almost set his hair on fire as she sent him a scorching glare.

Slowly setting the key down, Brianna’s brown eyes seemed to sparkle with hidden satisfaction. Raymond started to get up when she did when she suddenly kicked him in the knee making him buckle.

“Oh no,” She taunted, “You stay here, and if you try to call the cops on me, I’ll tell them all about Jordan’s little accident last year.” Paling at the threat, Raymond watched alarmed as Brianna scooped up her food and shakes and left him alone.

Unable to follow her and kind of not wanting to, Raymond looked up as his wife joined him. “How does she know about Jordan?” She whispered afraid as Raymond unnerved from the entire ordeal shrugged, “I don’t know. But she’s changed Pam, she’s not the same little girl that left a month ago. And I think whatever she’s going to get from that storage unit, might make it worse.”

Pam wanted to call the police, but with their cars on three flats and Brianna’s threat, they decided against it.

“She’ll tell them the truth or what she knows of it,” Raymond told Pam softly as their car was towed, “If we blow the whistle on her, our daughter goes to jail. And she’ll lose her future over a mistake.”

Sadden by the thought, Pam still asked, “So we do nothing as your niece runs the streets of New York doing God knows what for money?” Raymond didn’t like it either. But like before when he kicked her out, he had to think of his daughters and their future.  So, he nodded even though it sickened him, “Yes. And we don’t speak of this, ever.”

And like that, the last of the Jones family washed their hands of Brianna Deveraux.