The next day, Sasha woke to an empty bed. They had had a late night celebrating with Grayson and Monique. It literally seemed like they had danced the night away. She wasn’t sure what time they made it back to the suite, but hell, it didn’t seem like any clocks were on the ship anywhere. It had been like one day flowing into the next, undaunted by time.
She pushed her hair from her face and listened. There were voices. Luke must be on the balcony with someone, Sasha thought. She lay back down and closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind for the day. Something caught her attention. Did she hear Tracy’s voice? She sat back up. That was Al. She continued to listen. And JD. Oh, Luke must be having a talk with her family. How nice, she thought as she got out of bed to put on some clothes. She bent over to pick up his shirt to put on. The loft of the master suite did not have a wall or doors. Once she was up, the voices and what was being said were clearer. When she heard her mother’s name and a million dollars, Sasha completely forgot about taking a shower and getting fully dressed. She walked down the stairs, then followed the voices out to the balcony. She was standing in the doorway when she heard Tracy.
“She pretty much requested the same from me. However, she indicated it was to start a business. That way, she could make her own way and fit in better with Sasha’s new world.”
“It’s extortion,” JD responded. “I don’t care what tactic she used on you or Luke. Requesting money in exchange for Sasha’s happiness is extortion.”
“I want Sasha to be happy,” Luke said. “I’m willing to pay that price, but what's to say the moment Stephanie wants something more, she won't target Sasha to get it? I don’t want my wife to have something like this looming over her.”
“Say the word, and I will handle this,” Al offered.
“It’s not for you to handle,” Sasha said from the doorway. She exhaled and shook her head. “I’m so sick of this.” She turned, then stomped to the door.
“Those are fighting words,” Al stood.
“Sasha is not a violent person,” Luke stated. “She doesn’t fight.”
Al and JD glanced at each other. “We know better,” JD said.
“Sasha …” Luke called out as he got up to follow her. “You’re not dressed, Babe.”
“Jeffrey, stop her,” Tracy ordered.
“Babe, her fiancé is going to handle it,” JD replied.
Al ran behind them.
Sasha had swung the door open and was greeted by two secret service agents.
“Get out of my way.” She burst through them, running to her mother’s suite.
Cynthia was walking from the opposite direction with Nadia. Sasha stopped them. “Do you have the key to my mother’s room?”
Nadia nodded. “I have a master pass key.”
“Will you open it, please? Something is about to happen, and I need to get inside,” Sasha explained.
“Is everything okay?” Cynthia asked, walking briskly behind Sasha and Nadia. They had turned the corner when Cynthia heard Luke calling out. She stepped back and saw him and Al rushing towards them. “What’s going on?”
“Stop Sasha,” Luke called out.
Cynthia looked around the corner to see Nadia had opened the door.
“Who the hell are you?” Sasha yelled out.
Cynthia heard the tone of Sasha’s voice, then looked up as Luke reached her. “Umm, too late, I think.”
Lena, whose room was next to Stephanie’s, stepped into the corridor. She looked inside the room, then stepped into the sitting area of the suite just as Sasha snatched Stephanie by the hair and dragged her out of bed.
“Hey … hey, hold up.” A naked man grabbed Sasha by the waist and was holding her when Stephanie got to her feet.
She slapped Sasha across her face. “What in the hell is wrong with you?”
“Oh hell, no.” Lena ran in the bedroom and tackled Stephanie to the floor.
“Peace?” Luke called out once he made it to the door. “What in the hell are you doing?”
Peace was putting Sasha on her feet when he looked up. “Luke?”
“What the hell, man? Get your hands off of my woman,” Luke growled.
“No, wait a minute, stop,” Al shouted. “I got this. Both of you, out the door.” Al then reached for Lena. “I got this. You go, too,” he ordered.
Peace grabbed his pants. “What in the hell is happening here?”
“Hey, there are too many naked bodies in this room,” Cynthia shouted. “You,” she pointed to Peace. “Put your pants on and get out.”
“Should I call security?” Nadia asked.
“No, have the agents secure the President and the First Lady,” Cynthia replied. “I will handle this.”
“It’s time for you to get the ass whipping my grandmother should have given you,” Sasha said right before she slung Stephanie across the bed.
“Sasha baby, no,” Luke reached for her, but she had jumped across the bed to grab her mother from the floor.
“Oh shit,” Monique appeared in the doorway. “Luke, get out.” She pushed him back into the hallway.
“Luke?” Matt rushed over to the door.
Al and Monique blocked them. Al stepped inside, then closed the door. Monique stood in front of it, blocking Luke and Matt.
“This is an ass kicking that is long overdue,” Monique stated as she looked at Luke. “You are going to be better off once Sasha gets this out of her system.”
“Monique, let me in that room,” Luke demanded. “Don’t make me move you.”
“You know,” she leaned against the door with her arms crossed over his chest. “That would be interesting, but not necessary. Matt, you are the best man, I’m the maid of honor. It is our job to get these two married tomorrow. Sasha is going to be pissed if Luke stops her.”
Matt nodded in understanding.
“These things happen at every wedding,” Cynthia nodded in explanation. “Tempers fly, and it is best to let her get it all out of her system.”
“Are both of you crazy?” Luke huffed.
“No … no, Luke, she has a point,” Pearl said from behind him.
Luke looked around to see Ruby, Opal, Jade, Phire and Diamond standing with her. Behind them were Timothy, Adam, Samuel and Joshua.
“Luke, come with me,” Samuel spoke, then turned and began walking. He stopped, then looked back. Luke had not moved. “Don’t make me say it again. Let’s go to your suite and have a beer or two.”
“Got any moonshine?” Joshua asked.
“I don’t think they have any on the ship, but I can make some,” Adam replied as they walked back towards Luke’s room.
“Luke,” Samuel waited. “Let’s start the bachelor party early.”
“Come on Luke, let the girls handle this,” Matt said.
As he guided Luke away from the door, they all heard a crash.
Cynthia smiled. “It’s calming down now.”
“Yeah,” Monique nodded in agreement.
As soon as the men rounded the corner, all the girls ran to the door.
“Is it safe to open?” Ruby asked.
Monique turned, then cracked the door open.
“You just didn’t know when to stop,” Sasha was yelling from the bedroom. She looked over to see Al, sitting with his legs crossed and his cellphone in his hand.
“What are you doing?” Monique asked.
“Filming it for Morgan,” Al replied.
“Are you going to try to stop them?” Cynthia asked.
“No more than we tried to stop my mother,” Pearl reminded her.
“Are they really naked?” Phire asked.
“Stephanie is,” Cynthia replied. “Sasha has on Luke’s shirt but not much else.”
They heard another crash.
“911 … help … help,” they heard Stephanie cry out.
“Don’t call for help now. You want money from people who love me. Like I owe your ass something.” She punched her mother repeatedly in the face. “I’m the best damn thing to happen to your dumb ass. But no … you can’t see that.” She punched her again in the face, while Stephanie struggled to block her. “Since you want something green, I got something for you. An entire ocean of pretty green water.” Sasha was dragging her wailing mother’s naked body by the hair towards the balcony.
Al pushed the balcony door closed, then put his leg up, blocking her way. “You can’t do that.”
“Why the hell not?” Sasha hissed.
“Because she is your mother.”
“My mother,” Sasha growled. “I don’t have a mother.” She dropped Stephanie’s head to the floor and yelled down at her. “As of this moment, I do not … let me repeat … do not have a mother. I don’t want to see your face ever again. Do I make myself clear?”
She looked up, pushed her hair from her face, then adjusted the shirt over her body. “What the hell are y’all looking at? Haven’t you ever seen a good, ole-fashioned ass whipping before?” She brushed by the Lassiter women.
“I give her a ten,” Diamond stated.
“A ten,” Opal said, and Jade nodded.
“Okay, I can go with a ten,” Ruby shrugged. “Definitely Lassiter material.”
“Nine. I could give her a ten if she had thrown her ass over the balcony,” Phire shrugged. “I’m just saying. It would have been a good ending.”
Al stood. “She comes anywhere near Sasha, throw her ass overboard.”
Monique nodded in understanding, then looked at Cynthia. “Now we can have a wedding.”
Cynthia looked at Nadia, who was standing at the end of the corridor. “Call a clean-up team now.” She looked at Stephanie on the floor. “Oh, and a medical team, too.”