Murphy dropped Rasheed off at his place since he had rode with John —
"I believe this belongs to you" Rasheed said handing over the blood covered bat.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning to start recording, here's a set of keys to get in. I'm giving them to you cause I like you and I also don't need that Cuban drinking all my booze" Murphy said handing over some keys. Rasheed nodded then went up to the apartment and startled his friends with the blood on his shirt. "What happened man?" John asked —
"We should've went with you, are you alright?" Li added.
"I'm fine boys. Murphy helped me handle Tom, now just let me be alone" Rasheed answered heading to the bathroom. He undressed and got into the shower only turning on the cold water. Splattered blood streamed off his face down his body and into the drain - about twenty-five minutes passed before someone knocked.
"I want to be alone" Rasheed said to the door before hearing another two knocks.
"Rasheed, it's me Anne."
"Anne... What are you doing here?"
"I can't talk to you through this door, I'm coming in."
The door was swung open and shut behind her. She looked down at the bloody clothes on the floor -
"Oh my, what happened love?" Rasheed stayed silent so Anne took it to herself to undress and join in the shower.
"What are you doi-" Rasheed tried to get out until Anne put her finger on his lip.
"Shhh, why are you showering in cold water?" she asked as she reached around turning the hot water on.
"Come here" Rasheed said pulling her closer, now body to body. They stood their hugging in the hot water as it fogged up the bathroom. A few minutes passed before Rasheed whispered in her ear
"I love you so much. You make me feel more alive then music does." Her face went red as she blushed and all that she knew to say was "I love you too Rasheed." They turned off the water and made their way to Rasheed's bed. Rolling around naked drying off on the sheets, for the first time they made love. After they finished they laid naked in each other's arms falling asleep. This time when Rasheed awoke Anne was still by his side - Fransisco was also there eating a sandwich.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"What, it's my room too" Fransisco said taking a bite of his sandwich.
"Pervert" Rasheed said throwing a nearby shoe at him as Anne began laughing.
"Alright I'm going, I'm going" Fransisco said going into a chest at the foot of his bed and pulling out a fourty of whiskey.
"I should probably get going, I have to play."
"What do you mean? You don't have to be at the restaurant until tonight."
"No, no I'm over at The Fox House now."
"The Fox House!?" Anne shouted getting up and throwing on her clothes.
"Where are you going, what's wrong?"
"You're really going to work at a gentlemen's club and not see anything wrong with it?"
"I'm going to be recording music, nothing more, nothing less. Me and the band will be making double the money and I can get my own place too.. Maybe our own place and Murph-"
"Don't even get me started on Murphy Combs! That crazy, drug dealing, p-pimp" Anne yelled zipping up her dress.
"It's strictly about music and business, please listen to me Anne" Rasheed said hopping up putting on his underwear.
"No you listen to me Rasheed, it's either me or Combs and that damn club. So what's it going to be?"
"..."
"Alright I'll make it easy for you then."
"I'm doing this for us!" Rasheed yelled becoming a bit agitated.
"...Rasheed if you got hurt I-"
"I won't baby" Rasheed said grabbing a hold of her hand -
"Please don't leave, you can come with me and see for yourself."
"I don't kno-"
"Please" Rasheed asked resting his forehead on hers staring deep into her eyes.
"Fine I'll go."
"Thank you" Rasheed said and kissed her - they got into his car and drove to the club where the rest of the band had made their way to. He brought her in to the back where the studio was and went into the recording booth as she took a seat. 🎶 That smile keeps my heart a beatin' and you're so cute the way you lean in, like you're going to tell me a secret but then you keep it, to yourself and give me a kiss from those lips and the moment you leave I miss, the smell of your hair and the touch of you bare, I say goodbye when I start at five but when I get off at nine honey you're miiiiiiiine 🎶 after the band was done recording Rasheed went back out to Anne who had tears in her eyes.
"That was so.....beautuful Rasheed"
"I'm glad you liked it so much, I wrote it for you" Rasheed told her. Anne smiled and gave a small giggle before saying
"I love it."
"You see now that it's strictly about music?" Rasheed asked Anne and she nodded in response before there was a commotion in the hall. Rasheed walked over and opened the door to see Pete and Lefty dragging a beat up guy to Murphy's Office.
"What was that?" Anne asked trying to push passed Rasheed to get a glimpse out of curiosity.
"Nothing, I'll go see. Make yourself comfortable and take a seat, there's some brandy there if you want a drink" Rasheed said with a fake smile. Turning around the smile quickly faded worrying about what he had seen. He walked to Murphy's office and banged on the door - the talking and shuffling he heard inside came to a halt and Pete opened the door a crack.
"Mr. Combs is busy, come back later" he told Rasheed as he took rings off his fingers which Rasheed only assumed was for beating.
"No let him in, he should see how we really lay down business here in my club" Murphy told Pete. Rasheed slipped passed as he said
"I think I've already seen how you've handled business sir." Murphy chuckled as he began to take off his jacket and lay it on his chair then said
"I suppose you have, now see this man right here betrayed me. I had him running a small operation - I won't get into that but..I've just found out he was stealing my money-"
"I'm so sorry, it really wont happen again!" the man shouted as Lefty pushed him to his knees. Murphy grabbed the begging man's collar and delivered him two right jabs sending him to the floor. Lefty then picked him back up -
"You're right it won't happen again" Murphy said and kicked the man in the stomach. Rasheeds own stomach now began to get upset - beating up that woman beater Tom was deserved but this just felt sick.
"He's saying he won't do it again, why don't you just send him home or fire him?" Rasheed asked.
"Rasheed don't tell me you're going soft on me, you actually feel for this scumbag? He stole from me which is only stealing from you and the band. How do you think I pay for that recording studio, I'm only protecting you guys by doing this" Murphy explained.
"I understand but bringing this stuff around the club could interrupt us recording."
"Okay, I get that. I'll do my best to keep my other business out of the club."
"Thank you Murphy" Rasheed said letting himself out the room - closing the door he heard Murphy demand
"Get this clown out of here and break his legs. I don't want him ever stealing from me again, send his mom some money and maybe some flowers." Rasheed brushed it off knowing the man would live and went back to the studio to find Anne on her third glass of alcohol with Fransisco.
"Oh no, you're gonna be a bad influence on her man" Rasheed said attempting to take the drink out of her hand.
"What do you mean? She poured that on her own and poured mine" Fransisco replied.
"Oops" Anne cut in trying to stand and almost fell over.
"Are you drunk?"
"No, well maybe a little."
"You shouldn't be getting drunk here Anne, this isn't like other bars you go to."
"Alright dad... you're the one who told me to drink in the first place" Anne told Rasheed as she fumbled her words. Rasheed knew she was actually right so he just decided to stop the argument.
"Come on Anne I'll take you home."
"Ugh fine" Anne answered and he started to walk her to his car. Only they ran into Murphy in the hall and Rasheed became very nervous. He almost started sweating from anxiety of the thoughts from what Anne might say. She turned to him and her mouth opened as Rasheed placed his hand on her lips.
"Let's go" Rasheed told her dragging her with his other hand but she pulled her arm out of his possession.
"Boy do I have something to say to you Mr. Murphy Combs, Mr. Papa Bear, youre the mo-" Anne said just before she threw up. Not only did she throw up but she barfed all over Murphy's Salmon shiny shoes. It was brown with what looked like some salad -
"I shouldnt of drank that third drink" Anne told herself before wiping her mouth. Murphy's face was pure anger -
"You should take your drunk girl home Rasheed, and maybe leave her there next time" Murphy said kicking some of the puke off of his shoe.
"Yes that's what I was just about to do."
"These are very expensive shoes you know, only three pairs of them were made."
"I'm so sorry Murphy, take it out of my first pay" Rasheed said pulling Anne away before she could say or do anything else. Getting in the car Rasheed lost his temper,
"What the hell were you thinking? I told you to have a drink, not two or three and I didn't know you were such a lightweight."
"Don't be mad at meeee" Anne said making a sad puppy dog face.
"Don't give me any of that. You could've got me fired or worse, you could've got hurt which most likely would've led to us both being dead."
"You're being over dramatic."
"No I'm not."
"My father would take care of him."
"Your father isn't like Mr. Combs, look I can't bring you here anymore and I-" Rasheed stopped talking after noticing Anne had fallen asleep.
"You've got to be kidding me" he thought starting the cars engine and leaving the club. Not knowing Anne's exact address made things very difficult - trying to get it out of a sleeping, drunk girl was even more difficult. She finally woke up, well she was still half asleep but awake enough to mumble "62...Broadway." He arrived to the address and shook her up, her breath still reeked of brandy as she gave him a kiss goodbye. As she walked towards the house Rasheed drove off, he didn't feel like going home so he just drove. He turned up the radio and "I Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash began to play.
"Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you, because you're mine I walk the line" Rasheed sang along tapping on his steering wheel. As he continued to drive he turned onto a street noticing a huge mansion with a big gate. Rasheed parked outfront and stared at the home imaging himself to be that successful. Behind the gate was a long driveway up to the house with a fountain infront of it. There was three sports cars parked infront - a black 1953 Chevy Corvette, a white 1955 BMW 507, and a red 1954 Triumph TR2. This person looked richer than rich -
"I wonder what there job is and how I can get it" Rasheed jokingly wondered. All of a sudden he seen Anne stumbling almost falling over coming up the street in the rearview mirror. "What the-" Rasheed said to himself almost getting out of his vehicle to ask her what in God's name she was doing. Walking around town drunk and in a dress, naive and ready to be taken advantage of. He had his hand on the handle ready to open the door when she walked up to the mansion. Rasheed stopped and took his hand off the door - his face instantly became confused.
"Is she cheating on me?" he asked himself - "No she can't be, she said she wasn't all about money.....unless she lied because she has another man, a sugar daddy" Rasheed taunted himself with ideas. A man in an all black suit walked down the driveway to the gate. Dark sunglasses covered half his face and he wore a fedora to match his suit.
"Wait a damn minute" Rasheed was shocked - it was the guy from before, the one who took her in his car and drew a gun. The man opened the gate and Anne walked in, the man proceeded to smell alcohol on her breath and shook his head in what looked like disappointment. He then walked her up the driveway to where the cars were and another man got out of the BMW. Rasheed squinted for a better visual only to realize it was her father and Rasheed's breath was taken away. "This can't be real, it has to be a dream. There's no way Anne's father could own this house, he only ran a small restaurant and there was no way he owned any other businesses. Her and her father spoke for a couple of minutes before he pointed to the house telling her to go in. She slowly walked in still tipsy and he started talking to the other man. Her father then nodded at him and handed him a gun then he took off in a car down the driveway. Rasheed ducked down in his seat as the man passed - it was at this moment Rasheed felt like having a panic attack.
"Why was Anne's father handing another guy a gun and how the hell does he have so much money, why wouldn't Anne tell me where she actually lived?" Rasheed thought. He struggled turning the key with his sweaty hand from being in shock, he took a deep breath then tried again. The car started and he sped off, now he wanted to go home and wished he would've done that in the first place. Then he wouldn't of seen Anne's real house, how rich she suspiciously was and her dad, his own old boss handing someone a gun. Rasheed didn't know what to do that night except go back to the club. He felt like Fransisco the way he brought a twenty-sixer of Hennessy into the studio and drank it back to the last drop like nothing. The club was dead besides the dancers and some lonely men watching, maybe even some married men who's wives didn't know they finished work already. The band was God knows where and Rasheed was stuck trying to come up with lyrics. He didn't want to go home incase Anne showed up, he had no idea what he'd say to her. Anger filled his body and the alcohol wasn't helping but he didn't care. Throwing his notebook he turned on the microphone, stepping into the recording booth. Nothing to sing along to he just started to acapella 🎶 al-all the lies you told me.....tried to hold me 🎶 Rasheed began to sing giggling from the booze. Clearing his throat he started again 🎶 all the lies you told me...you'd still try to hold me, looking in my eyes knowing you're only going to hurt me....thought you loved me but you'll probably only desert me....don't need you by my side.....I'll just go, I'll just go, baby go and I'll hide....'cause I don't need no lovin' that's pretend...should've known damn well that all good things come to an end 🎶 His singing was interrupted by Murphy walking in -
"Ah Rasheed, I thought I heard someone in here."
"M-Mr. Combs have you been here all night?" Rasheed replying in shock as he stepped away from the mic.
"A few minutes yeah, I just stepped in from a special delivery" Murphy said with the biggest smile Rasheed had seen on his face. Rasheed got a bad feeling from the smile that felt like gut rot,
"Do I dare ask what it was?" Rasheed said walking out of the booth.
"Ohh just a little booger sugar, some white girl, some dust, some snow, some blow!"
"Are you talking about cocaine?"
"Yes sir, makes me feel....on top of the world!"
"On top of the world?"
"Mhmm, sure does. In fact this is the only woman I'm faithful to, it's my baby. You want some? I'm willing to share."
Rasheed thought for a moment before saying "I'll pass man, I'm not into that."
"If you say so, but it gives me the energy I need to stay afloat around all these snakes in business young man" Murphy said. Murphy was only a few years older than Rasheed so it kind of bothered him that he called him "young man." Rasheed didn't know why, maybe it was because of what happened with Anne, maybe the fact he's never been the same since his father's passing. Maybe just simply because he felt so lost in this current period of his life that he accepted Murphy's offer. "I changed my mind Combs, let me see some of that."
"Alright, alright!" Murphy said pouring out a small bag of cocaine on the table while snapping his fingers out of excitement. Murphy flicked out a switchblade startling Rasheed and he began cutting up two even lines. He then proceeded to roll up a hundred dollar bill and handed it to Rasheed saying
"You first young man." Rasheed stopped for a moment and thought again,
"I'll go second" he said to Murphy.
"If you insist!" Combs said inhaling the line and making it disappear. He then stood up straight quick and fiddled with his nose,
"Your turn."
Rasheed picked up the bill from the table and put one end to his nostril and the other end to the beginning of the line. He was now having second thoughts and wasn't sure if he could really go through with this. Then all of a sudden the studio door was kicked in and it was the man who took a gun from Anne's father. Drunk, Rasheed stumbled to move and fell to the floor quickly and the man pushed Murphy back and pinned him to the couch. He aimed the pistol directly between Murphy's eyes and said
"I know you messed up our guy who was stealing your money, I understand and respect you for handling your business but now I must handle mine."
"No please don't kill me, you want the money back from that loser? I can double it" Murphy bribed. The man started to laugh and pulled the hammer of the pistol back to ready it.
"What the hell am I paying those idiots for?" Murphy screamed looking for his security as Rasheed stood in the corner not sure what to do.
"You mean those to big morons? Don't worry I killed them both, now you won't have to pay them no more."
"Oh God, please no" Murphy said with his hands up -
"I'll tell you what, I won't kill you but I'll make sure you never mess with my boss again" the man said putting away the gun and quickly pulling out a big knife. He then snatched Murphy's right hand and cut off his ring and pinky fingers, the scream that came from Combs was like something Rasheed had never heard before.
"My damn fingers fool" Murphy cried and the man slapped him to shut him up before leaving quickly. Rasheed rushed over to Murphy who was now half unconscious, Rasheed threw him over his shoulder and started for his car. Going down the halls he seen Lefty and Pete shot dead, he'd never witnessed anyone so lifeless since his father at his funeral. Trying to hold it back and failing Rasheed threw up all over the floor and himself as he still continued to his car full of adrenaline. He put Murphy in shotgun and flew around the car and slammed his door almost dropping the keys then started the engine. The whole drive to the hospital he stayed in shock and had no idea what the hell just happened and why it happened. Who was Anne's father and who was Anne, what had he gotten himself into this time.