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CONTENTS
1. Ahniyah
2. Ahniyah
3. Brick
4. Shayla
5. Ahniyah
6. Brick
7. Dakari
8. Domunique
9. Rowdy
10. Ahniyah
11. Shayla
12. Brick
13. Ahniyah
14. Domunique
15. Shayla
16. Dakari
17. Rowdy
18. Brick
19. Ahniyah
20. Domunique
21. Shayla
22. Rowdy
23. Domunique
24. Brick
25. Ahniyah
Also by Yona
CHAPTER ONE
AHNIYAH
Brick had asked me out on a date, and I was excited as hell to go. For the first time, I was going out with him dressed and my hair done. My makeup was styled to perfection and the small dress that clung to my body was the perfect fit. Domunique sat in the chair behind me curling my weave that she had installed. I looked so beautiful and felt it too. Brick was taking me on a helicopter ride, and I was excited because I had never been on one; hell, I had never been on a plane. Afterwards we were going out to eat. When he told me it was time for him to start treating me like the queen I was, I was not expecting all of this.
When I stood up, I had to pull my dress down. I was excited that my first date was going to be one to remember. Brick texted me he was outside, and I slid my sandals on then almost ran out the front door. When I opened the door, he was standing there with a bunch of roses in his hand. I took them and handed them to Dom, who was standing behind me.
"Thanks baby,” I said,” I said to him, and we walked over to his car.
"You are good, I wanted to make sure I got you some roses. I remember you said you never had any before. We have to get to the place in an hour and it's a forty-minute drive, so let’s go so we don't be late,” he said,” he said, pulling me towards the car. He opened my door for me and I climbed in, the smell of weed and his cologne greeting me.
Brick got in the car and pulled off before making small talk with me. Out of nowhere he began to tell me about his day, like I had asked.
"My day was good. I made money and I’m still here with the ones I care about so I cannot really complain. How was your day? You need anything?" he replied.
"My day was another day. You know I’m good, you’re here wit’ me now," I mumbled before I pecked his lips twice. He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth.
"You can't be doing shit like that. You’re trying to make me crash or some shit? You know your ass be having me on brick." He laughed, moving closer to the window.
"Stop it, I wanted to kiss you before we got in the car, but you were rushing me," I laughed. The rest of the ride we were silent, listening to the music and occasionally talking here and there. I liked that with him we could be in complete silence, and it felt comfortable. We did not have any problems, it was just us.
The moment the car came to a complete stop and he placed it in park, I got out. We had to walk a little bit and I was glad I wore sandals. When we made it to the helicopter, we signed a few waivers and then were seated and strapped in. When the helicopter first started, I had my eyes squeezed closed tightly. I was scared as hell and felt like I was going to fall out each time the helicopter made a turn.
"Look out there, baby, that shit is beautiful. I know you ain't want to come up here to have your eyes closed." Brick’s voice came over the headphones I had on.
Slowly opening my eyes, I looked out at the sight before me. Everything looked so small underneath us. The water was dark, and you could see the flashes of light on it. Pulling out my phone, I snapped a few pictures of the view for Instagram before turning the camera to us. We smiled for a few pictures before I put my phone back up and just looked at the sight. Life up here in this moment was everything I ever wanted. Peaceful, no complaints, no worries about the struggles I knew I would face when this high was over. Brick turned my head towards him and kissed me so deeply and
slow. The way our tongues moved against each other’s made me feel like I was in love and like this man had snatched my heart in so little time.
I was hooked on him and did not mind it. When we pulled apart, I wiped my lipstick from his lips and caught my breath. This man was everything and I only knew small parts of him. I knew there was more to him, like an angry side and whatever else, but I did not get that from him. I saw him happy and loving. He showed me the soft side of him, the caring side. I did not care about anything else but that. When the helicopter made a turn and headed back towards the landing place, I was sad. Just when I started to like it, it was over. As we made it back on the ground safely, we took our gear off and thanked the guy, promising to be back.
"Did you enjoy the ride?" Brick asked me while holding my hand.
"Yeah, I wish it was longer though," I admitted.
"You had your eyes closed for the most part. Once you opened them, we were already in the air for like five minutes. I fucked with that shit too, even though I thought my ass was gone fall out the side a few times. After dinner you want me to drop you back off or you want to stay with me?"
"Stay with you," I quickly responded when I remembered that Dakari was going to be at the house with Domunique.
"Cool, let's go." Brick opened the car door for me and then got in himself. The drive to the restaurant was a short distance and I was happy it was, because with all the weed we smoked I was starving.
When we made it to the restaurant we were quickly seated since he made reservations. I had never been in a place so fancy. I did not even know what half the foods were. Brick ordered us a bottle of wine that we kept drinking and drinking. I was so tipsy off the wine that I was ready to fuck him right there at the table. Since I did not know what was good, Brick ordered for both of us. Our food came and we ate it like we were starving, both eating off the other’s plate.
"You greedy as shit, ma. I’m fucked up too. You ready to go or you want dessert?" he asked me.
"I'm ready to go. The food was good as hell but whatever that shit is we were drinking was better. I'm fucked up too. I need to go
to the bathroom." I giggled as I got up and stumbled a little bit. I was a light drinker and the dent we put in that wine bottle was going to show.
I made my way to the bathroom while Brick stayed back and paid the check. Once I made it to the stalls, I was doing the pee dance while trying to lock the door. It seemed impossible to lock the door, but I knew that was just because I had to pee really bad. Laughing at myself, I held the door with one hand, pulled my panties down with other, and squatted over the toilet. Finishing in the bathroom, I wiped myself and then washed my hands. When I made it out Brick was waiting by the door for me.
"You ready?” he asked, and I nodded.
We walked to the car, laughing at everything in sight. Just like he always did, Brick opened my door for me and let me in the car before he got in. I instantly began to roll some weed up so we could smoke on the ride to his place. Making it to his house, we both stumbled to his front door.
"We both fucked up, huh. I don't think I'm gone be able to fuck you like I wanted to,” he said,” he said to me while pushing the door open and letting me in. Taking my shoes off, I made my way up to his bedroom and plopped on the bed like I was not about to hear his mouth for having clothes on.
"Baby, you thirsty or you about to get your ass up?" he yelled to me. I bit my bottom lip and nodded my head. For some odd reason, everything he said or did got my panties moister.
"Come here," Brick called out to me. I sat the remote down and got up.
"No clothes on my bed, baby, that's a rule. I don't like clothes in my bed, okay."
"Whatever you say, Messiah." Standing up, I stepped out of my dress and pulled my lace panties from between my butt cheeks then slowly climbed in his bed since I knew he was watching me.
"Damn," he mumbled.
"What was that you said?" I acted as if I didn't hear him. I also wanted to see if he would repeat himself.
"I said, damn, that ass fat under them pants and those titties sitting up right. I’m not gone lie, you got my dick hard. And I'm ready to eat everything on display," he admitted.
"I mean, how hard is it?" I questioned, placing my finger in my mouth and biting lightly on it.
"Come find out." He stood up in front of the bed. I crawled over to him, then looked up at him while I proceeded to release him from his boxers.
He let a low groan leave his lips before pushing me back. I swore I was about to give him some head, but I guess not. I laid on my back on the bed, watching him as he slid off his boxers the rest of the way. I eased my panties off and let my hand roam down to my clit. I began to rub it in slow circles while biting my bottom lip. Messiah stood there staring at me. Letting my hand go back and forth, I let moans leave my lips. I guess he could not take it no more because he climbed on the bed on his knees, in between my legs. He spread my legs apart using his legs and then picked my legs up, wrapping them around his waist. Messiah’s hands went to my waist, and he lifted me in the air.
"Let your body tilt back and relax, baby," he coached. I did as he said, and he entered me. I placed my hands on the bed to keep steady because I felt like I would fall. It looked like I was in a half bridge, and he was holding me up in the air. He stroked me with deep long strokes that he made sure I felt. This man had a way of snatching my soul each time he touched me. I was in pure bliss the way he crashed into my body.
"That shit gushy, you dangerous girl," he groaned. You could hear the smacking sound from me being so wet, along with our skin slapping. "You gone keep playing with that shit? Don't let up, keep going,” he told me. I placed my fingers back and rubbed myself while he pumped in and out of me.
"Yes, ohh god, yes," I screamed as my body shook in his hands. He began to thrust harder and harder.
"That's right, cum on this big dick, Ahniyah," he told me. As I came, my body jerked as fluids gushed from me. My arms got weak
so I let the top of my body go, causing my top half to fall flat on the bed while he held the rest of me up.
The way he was sexing me was like he was trying to ignite a spark, that crazy spark. The one that would have me searching high and low for him.
CHAPTER TWO
AHNIYAH
Leaning against the wall, I admired Brick as he did pushups in the middle of his living room with no shirt on, sweat dripping from his body. He was doing them so fast and was so focused he never looked up at me. I wanted to say something but did not want to stop the view. The sight of his strong back and arms was amazing.
"Good morning, baby, you just gone stand there and watch me or you gone get your man breakfast ready?” he asked me.
"I can do both, what you got a taste for?" I asked him, sitting on the arm of the couch.
"Something quick and light,” he replied.
Standing up, I walked into his kitchen and pulled out the bacon and eggs to make him a breakfast wrap. I also made him a small fruit salad and placed a bottle of orange Gatorade next to everything. I realized fast he was not much of a soda drinker. While he finished his work out, I cleaned up the dishes before using his laptop to pull up my emails. I had a few interviews this week at different nursing homes, and I was excited about being able to have an income. The first job interview did not work out because I didn’t have enough experience, but I had faith one of these would. I was much more determined to get a job than I was before and knew that was what I was missing. I had no push or drive to get a job but the more my account went up and down and I had to sit outside and sell drinks, the more getting a nine to five crossed my mind.
"What are you doing?" Brick asked me as he walked in the kitchen and kissed my cheek.
"Trying to find a job,” I replied, looking at him wash his hands before grabbing his plate.
"You got one already, making me dinner and breakfast whenever I want and fucking me good. You can have whatever you want. You keep talking this find a place to stay shit when you know you can stay here and if you do not want to, I offered plenty of times to help you. I told you the world is yours, baby, just tell me how you want me to give it to you." He smirked before taking a big bite out of the wrap.
"You asked me did I find a place yet and I said I looked at a few. You don’t get it though, if something goes wrong with us that’s some shit you can take back from me, and I ain’t trying to get into all that. I want to work for everything I have and I want you spoiling me as a plus. Then I want to spoil my man back,” I told,” I told him.
"You do spoil me. You been giving me everything I need and been feeding a nigga so good I think I’m gaining happy weight. Well, that is what my mom said anyway, and then Rowdy told her about how you be in here throwing down, so she wants to meet you too. So, whenever you ready to do that. I barely see her and when I do, she acts like the world is about to end so if I come by there soon with you, she gone be so happy. Only thing that lady gone be wanting is a grandbaby, and we all are ducking that until we are settled."
"Set it up and we can go. She ain’t gone get that from me though. Right now I have to get my life in order before I pop something out of me. I’m not against having kids while you are struggling but I am against them not being able to have a better life than their parents did, and how I’m gone give my child anything when I don’t have?"
"’Cause your man is paid and ain’t stressing shit. We gone cross that line when we get there. Right now, let us continue to enjoy each other. You need clothes for them interviews so I got you. Take one of my cars but not the black Impala. Everybody knows that’s me and the windows are too tinted. I do not want nothing to happen, or
no one mistaking you for me. I got a blue Benz I ain’t pushed yet that you can drive. Don’t crash my shit," he spoke like I knew how to drive.
"Baby, I can’t drive, that car would be a part of the garage door. I can Uber to the mall and you can just give me like a hundred dollars. I do not need multiple interview outfits. One or two with some shoes and a cute little bag should be fine.”
Brick looked at me with a slight frown. "How you plan on getting all that with a hundred dollars? I would go with you, but I have some shit to handle. I am gone have my sister meet you at the mall. I am giving you ten thousand, that’s all the cash I have on me right now, and I expect you to spend every dime and make that shit look good. Or do you want my card and you can just get whatever?” he asked me.
"Whichever one is cheaper since you won’t let me great. Ten bands is a lot of money, and I don’t really need all that. You know what you can do with ten thousand dollars? Hell, I never even touched that much money at once," I admitted. Brick shook his head and laughed at me. When he finished eating, I cleaned up his mess and we walked up the steps.
"Here, now you have touched ten bands at once. I am going to take a shower, you want to join me?" he asked.
“No baby, I’m good. I took a shower before I came downstairs."
"What I tell you about showering without me?" he joked, but I knew his ass was serious. Since I had been staying over, each time one of us showered, we showered together. This morning I knew he was working out, so I just showered by myself.
While he was in the shower, I laid on the bed thinking of all the things I could buy. There was so much I could do with ten thousand dollars, yet I did not plan on spending it all. I was going to get what I needed and give the rest back. I had never been on a shopping spree and the man of my dreams was sending me on one just because I had gotten job interviews. I could only imagine what he would try to do when I actually got the job. I wanted to call Domunique and tell her about this shit because it was all so unbelievable to me. Grabbing my phone, I began to take pictures
flexing with the money so I could send them to her. I also had to buy my girl something to show her my appreciation for what she had done for me. She took me in when I did not have anywhere else to go. I sent her the pictures before taking a few sexy ones that I would send to Brick when we were not together. I tried to do little spontaneous shit like that for him because he loved when I sent him pictures of me. He even had a picture of me from the helicopter on his lock screen that I did not know he took. That man was so good to me that I did not want to do anything to mess it up.
My phone began to ring and an unknown number came across my screen. I answered it on the second ring.
"Hello, Ahniyah, baby this Ms. Rhonda. I been trying to contact you for the last two days. Your mom was rushed to the hospital the other day and I was trying to make sure she was okay. I had seen her come back and your sister been over with her little friends. I asked her hot ass what was going on, but she just acted as if she didn’t know what was going on," Ms. Rhonda spoke into the phone.
"You said my mom is where? How the fuck did that happen? Let me call you back and thank you so much for calling me. I’ll update you as soon as I can," I replied, sitting up on the bed.
"Alright, I got your number from crack head Kevin. He said he had it from Basil or something. You take care, baby, and don’t forget to call."
I hung up on her and quickly called the closest hospital, making sure she was there. When they confirmed, I ordered an Uber and ran out the door. I sent Brick a text telling him where I was going so he would not be worried.
Hurt filled my heart as I rode in the back of the Uber on my way to the hospital. I could not believe that my mom was admitted in the hospital. I walked all the way to Mercy only to find out that she had gotten an infection on her ass, just like I knew she would. Meghan did not give two fucks about her, and it showed in this very moment.
"I'm trying so hard to understand how we got to this point, Ma. I told you that I had you if you needed me to come back. I called you every day and you ignored me, knowing you were in pain with no help." I talked to my mom as she laid on the bed.
The infection in her ass had spread so bad that in was in her bloodstream. She now had sepsis and was admitted into the hospital. There was nothing I could do to help her, and for some reason my heart would not allow me to just leave her sitting in this hospital. Meghan was dead wrong for how she had my mother in here looking. She had difficulty swallowing and she was running a fever of one hundred five that would not break. I was scared my mother was going to die and we would never be able to mend the broken relationship we had for no reason. I sat there and waited for the doctor to come and explain further to me what was going on.
"Excuse me, are you Ahniyah Moore?" a police officer walked in and asked me.
Looking at him confused, I answered his question. "Yes, I’m Ahniyah, is everything alright?" I asked.
"Ma’am, please stand up and place your hands behind your back. You are under arrest for the neglect and abuse of Michelle Moore, as well as patient abandonment. You have the right to an…" he started, and my mind went blink. With each step he took towards me I took a step back.
“You have to be confused. I have not worked for my mother in weeks, how could I be responsible for this? I have not seen her. Someone called me and informed me she was here. How can you just up and decide I need to be in jail for some shit I didn’t do? Please do not touch me, sir. You have mistaken me for someone else. She put me out, I didn’t neglect her,” I replied to them, still crying.
"Miss, a Meghan called and informed us you were her worker. Your mother also confirmed this the day she came in. She had been here for three days now and today was one of her really bad days. She was in so much pain we had to sedate her," the doctor spoke.
A few more officers came and assisted the lady police officer in cuffing me. I wanted to fight it but knew that I would only make things worse for myself. I could prove that I had not lived with her, I just had to get in front of the judge to do so.
I had never been arrested a day in my life and I had not even committed a crime. I was her caretaker, but she had fired me and
had gotten my checks, and all stopped. Tears fell down my face as he led me outside to the police car. Everyone was staring at me while I held my head down and cried silent tears. God was testing me in a way that I wasn’t sure I could handle.
CHAPTER THREE
BRICK
Ipulled up to Big Turk’s house ready to see what all this stuff was about. Dakari and I had not been able to cross paths and I was not sure why. I had made sure to go by every place he was known to hang, and I was sure he was doing the same thing for me. I had all the information on him except the house he stayed at the most. I knew it was not in his name, and each name of his family members we searched the shit came up for addresses I had already known about. I was running out of options, and with Rowdy out of the hospital I felt like I had all the coverage I needed when it came down to wiping his team out. Rowdy was publicized up because for once in his life, somebody was going to be able to say they did something to him and he ain’t do nothing back. Big Turk lived in the middle of the suburbs but with no security. He must have thought because he lived two hours outside of Philly that nobody would take the drive to come pay him a visit unless it was about money. His ass was dead wrong.
I was doing a little over the speed limit on the highway to his house, careful not to get pulled over with the number of guns I had in the car. He was getting a lot of money but not enough that greed was not taking over him. Basil’s ass was tucked away with him somewhere, and he was going to be another body added to my list. I had a lot of questions and once they were answered, everybody was dying. My team was going to be the last one standing and I was going to make sure of that. Not wasting time, I pulled into a parking
spot and jumped out the car. The furniture van I rented looked as if we were bringing them something, the whole time, we were getting guns out the back.
Kicking in the back door, we ran in guns aimed. I heard Basil whispering to someone and figured I would listen before doing anything to him. I could hear him telling someone to go to the apartments his father had for them in Philly. Calling the person I had sitting up the street, I told him to follow the car that came out and let me know where they went. Deciding to take Basil and Big Turk’s fat ass with us, I directed Rowdy to knock they asses out. We carefully got them into the back of the truck and pulled off. Heading back to Philly, I was not even caring about the questions anymore.
Once we made it back to the chop shop I had them place Basil and Turk on a table and tie them up. Not wanting to waste no time, I grabbed the sliding compound saw and sat it on the table. Grabbing the plastic covers they used to not get grease on their clothes, I placed two of them over my head. Grabbing the towel, I turned the saw on and walked over to a squirming Basil then sliced his head off in seconds. "Had to cut the head off the snake. Rowdy, handle Big Turk and find out whatever you can from him. I got some other shit to handle.” Pulling the stuff off, I walked out and headed to the location that was sent to my phone.
SHAYLA...
Boom,Boom,Boom
Thesoundofbangingonthefrontdoorwokemefrommysleep. I could hear feet shuffling outside of my bedroom door and knew that the time my fatherprepared me for all theseyears had finally come. Jumping up, I ran over to the window and looked out. My room was in the basement and the car my father had gotten me abouttwoyearsagowasparkedrightoutfront.
"Shy, go. Hurryup, donotlookbackanddonotstop. Thereisan apartment complex in Philly, the address is inside of the car. They know me but don’t know nothing about you, so do not ever bring me up. Act as ifyou don’t know me, our father , or mother. Do not tellpeople where you are from. Go there, leave your phone. I love you," said my brother Basil, who was also my cousin, our mothers
were sisters. We sharedthesame father who we liedand said was our grandpop since he was older . I rushed inside of my room and pickedupmybaby. MyhandsshookuncontrollablyasIstuffedbaby bottles and cans of milk inside of a duffelbag. As thebanginggot louder , I ran over to the window and climbed out. Once I was out, hehandedmysontome.
"Go," hewhisperedharshlyjust as the sound of the front door crashingdownwasheard.
Withtears inmyeyes, Iclimbedinmy car, startedit,andpulled off as fast as I could. I knew this moment would change my life forever andIwashopingitwouldbefor thebetter . Somethingwas telling me that theplace they were sending me was full of secrets, onesthathadnothingtodowithme,thatwouldbitemeintheass.
"Here's the keys," the manager of the apartment spoke, breaking me from my thoughts of what happened four days ago. It had taken me that long to drive from Hampstead, Maryland to Philadelphia. "Thank you." Forcing a smile on my face, I took the keys from her hand.
We were inside of my new place, and it was completely empty. All I had was my baby and myself. Laying down on the floor with my baby on my chest, I wondered if my father and brother were okay. My dad was into some sort of trouble that he knew would catch up to him. I could recall him getting a phone call that changed him a few months ago. He was mad a few of his workers had been working together without him knowing and he hated it. While he wanted everyone to be divided and fall on him, it did not work like that. Instead of him being the fun and loving dad he always was, he became strict. I went from being able to play outside with my friends to having to stay in the house and only play in the backyard with my brother. My dad took me out of school and made me do home schooling. He did not understand how much his decisions really did damage to me.
The older I got the more I looked on social media and hated my old friends. Granted, I had more than the normal kid; however, the ounce of freedom they had was something I craved. The most I did was go food shopping, and even that was on a time limit and a set
store. My dad was a hoe once upon a time and he slept with females that worked just about everywhere, so I was a frequent visitor at the Walmart, and it was really the only place I could shop. If I did not get everything I needed and back home within two hours, my dad would come searching for me.
Not having any freedom did something to me. It made me not only fall for anything but be naive to shit that most people would not. At the age of twenty I was still a virgin, and still on lock down. My brother had all the freedom in the world. My father also let him move to Philly and create an even bigger mess. I knew it was only because he was a natural born hustler and had a very small but strong team behind him. My dad felt like they were protection, so they were always allowed in our house if they were not traveling with my brother. They did a decent job at not telling anybody about me and even better job at hanging around me. Which was exactly how I ended up pregnant. This man had a whole girlfriend that he lived with and loved, however, he spent a lot of time at my house and showed me attention. Kareem was ugly as hell, and I thanked God daily my son looked like me, and I prayed he did not grow to look like that man.
Kareem was light skin, tall, skinny, and could not read worth a damn. In fact, out of all my brother’s friends, he was the ugliest. He was the one where he had to buy bitches, and even that sometimes did not work. Kareem would always ask me to braid his hair, which was really short, and I figured he should have just given up on it growing because it never did make it past the nape of his neck. One day I was doing his hair and he licked my thigh. As a virgin that lick had me leaking and even though I did not find him attractive, he still knew what to do with his mouth. Kareem licked me through my shorts before he slid them to the side and did what he did. When he came up for air I could not even protest because in one quick motion he was shoving his monster inside of me. It hurt like hell too, however, that one time turned into a few times, which led to me being pregnant.
My son Chance was my life, and I would do anything in the world for him. When he was born, I was hurt that Kareem immediately
signed over his rights and stopped coming around. However, I knew what it was from the beginning.
"Baby, no matter how this move goes, I'm gone make life for you easy. We may have to struggle but it won't be forever," I promised my son, and it was indeed a promise I was going to keep. Pulling a baby blanket from out the small bag I had gotten from out of my car, I laid it on the floor before laying him on top of it. Going inside the baby bag and pulling out the envelope I had, I counted the money my dad had placed in it. The stacks of twenties made me smile as I remembered he had placed twenty thousand dollars in it. As I counted it my smile quickly dropped when I realized it was only nine thousand in there. I cursed myself for showing Kareem where my dad hid the money and all the other plans. I never told him where I would have to go because nobody ever told me until that night, and I am guessing now that was a good thing.
Wrapping my son's blanket around him, I scooped him up and walked outside into the night air. My car was parked down the block. Looking around before turning to lock my door, my nerves were going wild. Even though I was not anywhere near Vegas, I didn't know if the guys or whoever was looking for my dad had tracked me down or followed me. Pulling my hood over my head, I began the walk to my car.
"Aye, you new round here. What’s up with you, ma?" a guy called out, making me quicken my pace.
Being here was nothing like how it was in Maryland. Where I lived nobody would be outside like this and if they were, they were in their own backyard and you barely heard them. Here, everyone was scattered around like roaches. I was scared to even touch my door handle in fear of catching something. Roaches ran wild on the steps and the guys were all hanging outside shooting dice or with a girl on their lap. I walked past a few old people who were sitting on their porch smoking cigarettes and playing music.
"Fuck you then bitch, you probably ugly anyway. It's ninety degrees out here and you got a hoodie on." The same voice could be heard. I continued to ignore him. Once I made it to my car, I hit the locks just as screeching tires could be heard.
I watched slowly as a car flew past me before slowing down. The gun that came out the window stopped me in my tracks, and the gunshots began. To me it sounded like fireworks, and as much as I wanted to move, I could not. It was broad daylight, and these people were shooting like they did not have a fear in the world. What scared me the most was none of the guys ran off.
"Girl, get the hell down, you crazy?" A girl pulled my arm, careful enough not to make me drop my baby but hard enough for me to follow her down.
"You got a death wish or something for you and your baby?" She shot question after question, meanwhile my heart was still racing.
"Oh my god, is this stuff normal, roaches, people hanging out and blasting music, shooting?" was the first thing to come out of my mouth.
The girl looked at me and frowned her face up before sucking her teeth. The gunfire had stopped, and she looked around. Once she was sure the coast was clear she stood up and dusted her pants off.
"It's very normal and if you gone live around here you got to get used to shit like this, ole uppity ass." She stormed off.
Standing up, I checked my baby making sure he was okay. When I was sure he was I let out a breath I did not know I was holding. The Philly I had seen on papers and heard about was nothing that I saw. While they showed tall buildings and an area that looked to be well put together, I saw none of that. Instead, the streets were filled with potholes, kids running around, trash was everywhere, and the worst part was how people were sitting around just doing drugs like they didn't have a care in the world.
"Daddy, where the hell did you send me?" I said aloud to no one in particular.
"To Hell," a tall man with dreads told me. I looked at him as he pushed me back gently and stepped in the house with me, closing the door. He placed his fingers over his lips for me not to scream.
You would think someone would intervene knowing the police officers should have been outside since the shooting had just taken place.
"Your daddy wasn’t as smart as he portrayed," the man said, pulling a gun from his waistline.
"Hell, neither was either of us." I heard another voice come from the other side of the room. The man behind me pointed his gun at the other guy, who had his gun aimed in our direction.
"Something told me you would be here, Brick." The guy laughed. "Likewise, Dakari, only one person making it out of here alive." The guy laughed and I closed my eyes and dropped to the floor when gunfire rang out.
CHAPTER FOUR
SHAYLA
Tucking my baby as best as I could, I fell on the ground, shielding him with my body while making sure not to allow my weight to be on him so I wouldn't hurt him. As the two shots rang out, I wanted to scream but nothing came out of my mouth. I wanted it to end so badly and the sounds from my baby crying made it even worse. I felt helpless in the moment and only wanted them to leave. I swore the cops would be here but as the minutes passed by, no one seemed to have come and I didn't get why. This neighborhood was proving to be the exact opposite of what I was used to. Gunshots here were normal, whereas where I lived you barely heard the kids playing outside.
"Man, you’re doing all this when you could have just come to see me. I don't owe you shit. I gave Jerry and them that money and it was all there. We were supposed to be better than that and if you felt like I was on some funny shit, you could have came and talked to me," one of the guys spoke.
This man was dark and lovely, and the other one was fine too. How they could just shoot at each other and then bust out in a whole conversation had me scared to even move. Sitting up, I held my baby close to me and scooted all the way back to the side of the fridge while the two stared each other down in silence. I got as far behind the fridge as I could. My only hope was they continued to talk and left me alone. Why they came for me or in my place was
something I was sure I wasn't going to get the answer to and really didn't want to.
"Talk to you for what? You shouldn't have trusted them niggas you sent with my bread, bro. I got mouths to feed and you fucking playing with them. That's your team, your people, it's on you when they fuck up," the other one yelled back in frustration.
The sound of sirens had them both looking toward the door, and I was happy that now they would have no choice but to leave. I wanted to haul ass to the door and flag the cops down to get them crazy bastards but decided to keep my ass tucked away. I watched as they both retreated to the back room while I sat still, clutching my baby to my chest. The pounding on my door made me jump. Shit, I heard enough banging noises to last me a lifetime. Slowly getting up, and laying my baby back in his car seat, I proceeded to walk to the door. Thinking quick, I grabbed the hammer and opened the front door slightly.
"Is everything alright, ma'am?" the police officer asked me.
"Yes, I umm, was just trying to hang up my TV and the damn thing keeps falling down. Am I disturbing anyone?" I asked with the voice I often used at school or at work.
"The neighbors reported what sounded like gunshots coming from here," the cop said with a concerned look on his face.
"No, it's just me and my son here. Plus those kids been out there with those fireworks all day,” I said just as the little kids let off some fireworks, helping my story out.
"Okay. Ma'am, you sure that's all it is?" the cops said as they continued to stare at me.
"Yes. I'll leave the TV alone and hire some professionals to come and do it,” I said.
"Okay, enjoy your night."
Hearing my son cry, I quickly closed the door and went to pick him up. A few seconds later the guys emerged from the back room looking at me. Stepping back, I went to dip back under the counter, causing them to share a laugh.
"Aye, I ain't doing shit with the cops right outside your door. I'll have somebody come fix that hole in your wall, on my behalf. I'm
