WICKED INTENTIONS { Completed}

Chapter 16

As soon as Shakira got home, she headed straight for her room. Opening her duffel bag she patted the bottom until she found Charlie's thumb-drive. She had to find out what was on that drive. Maybe it would explain what the hell was going on and what Charlie had been involved in.

Logic said to give the thumb-drive to the FBI but she didn't really trust them. As far as she was concerned they were neck-deep in this thing, what with one agent on the lamb and another having turned psycho stalker. No! Even if she was giving it to them she needed to know what was on it and if possible make a copy to protect herself if things went south. She settled in the living room with a laptop and a notepad, keying in every password she could think of.

She tried his birthday. 51085

She tried his mother's name. Louisa.

She tried his middle name. Ambrose.

She tried his mother's name and his birthday. Louisa51085

Zilch. Nada. No results. Anything she could think of she threw at the thumb-drive but it was unyielding, determined to keep its secrets to itself. By the time five p.m. came, she was ready to throw her laptop....okay, not her laptop because she needed it for money...Charlie's stupid thumb-drive against the wall.

On edge, she placed her laptop on the coffee table and stood with the intention of getting herself on energy drink. She was just about to head for the kitchen when her phone vibrated on the table. Bending to pick it, she was surprised to see that the number lighting up the screen was a foreign one. Her face screwed in confusion, she swiped the screen and pressed the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Baby," an excited voice squealed into the phone.

Shakira was too shocked to respond.

"Guess where I am," her mother shrieked over the line.

"Eve?" Shakira asked tentatively not quite believing that it was her.

"I'm in Jamaica. Jaaaaaamaica," Eve hooted gleefully. From the unnatural pep in her voice, it was more like 'high in Jamaica'. She added, "Damon's shooting the video for his next song over here and wanted me to star in it."

Shakira was quiet for a whole five seconds. When she finally spoke, her voice was deathly calm. "You're in Jamaica?"

"Can you imagine these niggas wanted me to act as the mother of the girl being hit on?" Eve complained. "You know I ain't old enough to be nobody's mother. I kicked up a fuss, told Damon's yellow ass that he could blow himself for the rest of the trip and all that. Eventually they cast me as her friend. The video's being released in December. Yas."

"I'm so happy for you," Shakira said though her voice sounded anything but happy.

"Thank you." Eve was oblivious to Shakira's cold responses. "Honey, you should see the beaches here. They're amazing. You should come."

Was Eve serious or joking because this conversation seemed too surreal to be reality. Shakira looked around the room to see if there were any hidden cameras because this had to be a gag Eve was playing on her. When no Ashton Kutchers jumped out from behind the sofa, she stared at her phone like it'd grown wings.

"Honey, I'm serious." Eve drew Shakira's attention back to the phone call. "Take the next flight. You could be here by tomorrow."

"I don't have any money to go anywhere, least of all Jamaica." Shakira was shocked that she managed to even choke out that number of words because all she wanted to do was reach through the phone and smack Eve.