Atlanta…
Since Monica had up and left Atlanta for whatever reason, to move to New Orleans, Latovia found herself spending way too much time at home with her husband, Rick. She had just given birth to a little baby girl, Rasha Nicole.
Rick had not been himself every since he got caught up in the Task Force’s investigation.
He had been drinking a lot more lately. The excessive drinking made a bad situation worse.
Last night, Rick had not closed the doors on his bar until after three.
He had been short handed, since Martina stopped working there. It was no need for her to continue at Rick’s Bar, because she was already inside with Diego.
Rick made it home around five.
Latovia had denied him the sexual sedative that he was hoping for when he got home.
Rick was unable to start a fight, because he had passed out with the aid of a night filled with Apple Martinis.
He woke up around noon with a little headache and a lot of resentment towards his wife for withholding sex.
She was napping with the baby on the daybed, across the room from their bed.
As he watched her…he thought to himself, ‘she’s been sleeping with someone else’.
Rasha Nicole was laid across Latovia’s chest.
Rick walked over to the daybed, with a mild effort to control his temper.
He couldn’t help it.
Rick picked his daughter up from Latovia’s chest.
In the process, the baby woke up.
Latovia stirred. “Rick! Why did you wake her up? I just put her to sleep.”
Rick was bouncing the baby on his chest, while standing…attempting to calm Rasha Nicole.
“This is my daughter…and I miss her,” he said.
The five hours of sleep was not enough to completely sober him up from the eight Apple Martinis.
He stumbled a little as he walked back to the bed, with his daughter.
Latovia got up to rush over and take the baby from him.
“Sit your drunk ass down somewhere, before you drop my baby,” she yelled at him.
The baby was taken away from his arms before he could protest.
Rick sat on the bed, as Rasha Nicole calmed down instantly in her arms.
His resentment was turning into hate, quickly.
She sat down with the baby.
Her phone began to ring.
“Hello…”
“Ah…yes, this is Diego. I’m a friend of Jason.”
“Who?” Latovia asked.
Rick was just staring at her.
“Jason…Monica’s friend.”
“Oh…okay.” Latovia smiled, as she got up with the baby to continue the conversation in the next room. “What’s up?”
“Well…I was looking to speak to Monica, but she no longer lives in the same place.”
Latovia looked back towards the room that she had just left her husband in.
Rick was fuming. First she was withholding sex…now, she was disrespecting him in his own home.
“Yeah, she moved to New Orleans…not too long ago.”
“New Orleans?” Diego asked, as he looked at the picture Johnny had sent to him of Shelia…taken at Johnny’s home in New Orleans.
Shelia…Denise’s new friend…and Monica, Jason’s neighbor in Atlanta…were one and the same person.
The coincidence was a little too close for comfort…for The Network.
“When was the last time you spoke to her?” Diego asked.
“I haven’t,” Latovia said. “Why? Is there something wrong?”
Diego put the photo away in the desk of his home office. “No…not at all, but thank you for your time.”
Just as Latovia was about to put the phone down…Rick came into the room and slapped the phone from her hand.
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” He yelled, taking the baby away from her.
With the baby still in his arms…he shoved Latovia’s face into the sofa.
She got up to fight back, but Rick stumbled trying to create space between them and fell with the baby.
The Heatblast 