Love, Guns & Kayise

23.

23.

NTANDOKAYISE

When King parked the car in front of the Zikhali Mansion, I was the first one to get out of the car and run inside. I bump into MK on his way out, and he looks at me strangely as I catch my breath. He won't like what I'm about to say, but I have to say it either way.

"Where's Muzi?"

"Why do you look distraught, and who placed their hands on you?" I don't need him to act like he cares right now.

"I'll tell you later. Just tell me that Muzi is here." I'm silently praying that he is because I've been calling him with King's phone, but he's not answering.

"He went out to meet you." He says, frowning.

"To meet me where? I never called Muzi anywhere." My voice is panicking.

"Ntandokayise, what's going on?"

"I was kidnapped, and the people who kidnapped me want Muzi." My revelation didn't reach MK alone because now his father and Mandlenkosi are in front of me.

"What do you mean?" His father is already furious.

I narrate to them about the events that took place the day Luther Mbhele met his maker and how his brother had kidnapped me and threatened to kidnap Muzi as well if I didn't reveal the location of his brother's body.

"You did what?" His father is roaring now.

"Ntando, how can you get Muzikayise in this mess? It's already enough that you're driving him crazy but I won't lose my brother because of you." MK is already dialing someone's phone.

"I'm sorry, okay. I didn't mean to trap him, but it just happened." Tears are welling in my eyes. There's no way I could hold them in. The man who is my reason for existence is out there and may be kidnapped or even killed because of me.

"You knew exactly what you were doing! You trapped my son, and these stupid tears of yours don't move me!" The father doesn't even want to listen to me.

"Do you still remember where they had held you captive?" Mandlenkosi finally talks, and I nod, unable to utter anything without sobbing.

"Then what are we doing here? Get the car ready, Mandlenkosi!" His father orders him, and five minutes later, Zikhali Senior's car is parked in front of us, and we all get in.

Mandlenkosi drives out of the mansion, and I'm surprised to see King's car still outside the gate.

"He's my cousin. Let me tell him to leave." The car stops, and I get out and head to King's car. He rolls down the window when he sees me.

"I'm taking them to Mbhele." I know he's going to judge me, but he also loves his wife, so he should understand that if you love someone, you can lay down your life for them. I don't care if Mbhele would kill me, but if he let go of Muzi, then I'm fine.

"I'll follow behind you just in case." I'm grateful for not voicing out his opinion about how this is such a bad idea. I hear a car hoot from Mandlenkosi and go back to the car.

I direct them to where I was taken hostage and even though it's already dark outside, I can still recognize the road King was taking. When we were five minutes away, they stopped the car and told me to get out.

"I'm not going anywhere." I'm stubborn, and unless they take me out of this car forcefully, I'm not going anywhere.

"You're the reason my son is in danger, little girl. Don't patronize me." This old man has issues with me.

"Let's just go." Mandlenkosi comes to my rescue and continues driving until we reach the isolated house.

I get out of the car and run inside, not sparing who's calling behind me. I know that they are going to stop me if I try to listen to them.

I'm out of words when I see Muzi tied down on the same chair I was tied on, his face bloodied and head hung low. There are now more men surrounding the room with guns.

"Muzikayise?" I run to him and kneel in front of him. I touch his face, and he opens his eyes to stare at me. His eyes look different, but I believe it's because of being in pain.

"I'm sorry, okay." I hug him, not caring who's looking at me.

"Miss Lover Girl hugging Mr. Lover Boy. What a cute sight." Officer Mbhele chuckles. I stare at him with a dead glare.

"You're deranged you pathetic sadistic son of a bitch!" I don't care if his men have guns pointing at me but I refuse to go down without a fight.

The Zikhalis walk in, led by their father whose face represents anger at the condition of his son.

"Why is my son here? Let him go!" He's used to giving out orders but I wonder if this deranged man will pay heed to him.

"I will only let him go if his girlfriend stays instead. It's only a fair deal that we make an exchange." What a deal.

"You can have her." The old man doesn't even think twice about his decision. He has always hated me, but today it's proven.

"You can untie him." He tells one of his men. Even when they untie Muzi, I refuse to let go of him. He pushes me off him the moment he's free. What the hell?

The deranged man laughs as if he knows something that I don't know, but my focus is on the man who's staring at me with hateful eyes.

"Muzi..."

"You framed me, didn't you?" He sounds hurt, but what is he talking about? Without me asking, a recording is played from Officer Mbhele's phone. That sounds like me and Mandla.

Me: Mandla, I don't know what to do
Mandla: Where are you? I'm coming to help you.
Me: Wait...Muzi is coming. What do I do?
Mandla: Ask him for help.
Me: What?
Mandla: Ntandokayise, listen to me carefully. There's CCTV footage in that parking lot, so everything has been captured. If you ask for Muzi's help, you'll both go down together, but you can always suggest it's his idea to save your skin

The recording ends. That was the day of Luther Mbhele's tragic demise. I called Mandla to ask for help, but she told me to ask Muzi for help so that we could both go down on murder. It sounded like a great idea back then, but I wasn't in love with Muzi, but now I am.

"Babe, I'm sorry, okay? I was—"

"Save it." With the help of Mandlenkosi, he walks out of the house without listening to my explanation. I kneel, in tears. This feels like the most brutal heartbreak.

"I told you to tell me where the body is, and we could have avoided all of this." The man taunts me.

"And I told you to stop going after my family." King walks in with some of his men, and Mbhele's men start dropping down like flies. Mbhele is so caught off guard and confused, but King puts a bullet to his head, and his blood lands on me somehow.

"You never listen, do you?" King pulls me up, but all I want to do is cry. My heart hurts so bad.