by Ashley Snell
“Go where? I got to get my cut so I can get back before Twin notices I’m gone,” she said.
“Fuck that nigga,” Free said as he stood up and stared down at her. “You rolling with me.”
“Excuse you? How you know I’m trying to fuck with you like that?” the girl replied with much attitude as she placed her hands on her hips.
“Don’t front, ma. You wouldn’t have let me get out of that club with your boy’s cash if you weren’t feeling a nigga.”
A smile involuntarily graced her lips as she put her Dior sunglasses on her face to hide her true feelings. “I don’t even know you,” she replied sweetly, keeping up her hard exterior and playing hard to get.
“I’m Free,” he replied as he held out his hand and turned to leave. “What’s your name, ma?”
“Six,” she hesitantly replied as she placed her hand in his and shook her head in doubt.
“Now you know me,” Free said as he led her to his car.
“This is crazy,” she told herself as she reluctantly followed behind him. “Twin will come after me.”
“Listen, shorty, I’m not gon’ let nobody harm you. All you got to do is keep it real with me. If you hold me down, I’ll hold you down, a’ight?”
“Yeah, a’ight,” Six replied with a seductive smile. “But can we leave town?”
Free stopped walking and looked Six directly in her eyes. “This nigga got you shook?”
“No, it’s not that. I just want us to start fresh. A new city, a new beginning.”
“Okay…but my man Big Lou coming with us.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and then playfully pulled her to the car. It didn’t matter that he didn’t know Six from the next chick on the street. Free was a spontaneous person and blew wherever the wind took him. He chased the money, and as he walked toward his car, he chuckled thinking that he may have just met his match. “Where to?” he asked as he started his car.
“The Midwest,” she replied. “I’ve got a father in Detroit. I haven’t seen him since my mom died a few years ago.”
When Free pulled away from the curb that day they became partners. Partners in crime, partners in life, partners in love. Everything was fifty-fifty with them. It was the beginning of the end.
Free opened his eyes when he felt the plane touch down in Detroit. He smiled as he reflected on the first time he had met Six. Just thinking about her made him love her more. As a man he felt like he was getting ready to give up a part of himself by marrying Six. Although he loved her more than life, and he planned to be with her, there was something about putting a ring on her finger that scared him. He had been planning this for some time now. For seven years he had been on his grind, trying to stack his chips so that he would be able to provide for himself and his woman. Six was spoiled. She had been ever since he met her. Free had stolen her from Twin, who had never spared her of any material possession. Free wanted to be able to give her more than any other man ever could. He wanted to give her the world, and he was ready to make her his wife. There was no questioning the fact that Six loved Free more than anything. She had been loyal to him from the time she laid eyes on him. He couldn’t see his life without her, and it was time to make their relationship permanent.
Free stood slowly and followed Big Lou off the aircraft. They made their way through the corridors of the airport as they walked toward the baggage-pickup area.
“Yo’, man, you serious about giving this shit up?” Big Lou asked. Big Lou and Free had been pulling capers together since they were young and coming up in Brooklyn. They had quickly made a name for themselves in New York, but after they had robbed Twin, they both skipped town and relocated to Detroit. They tried to stay low-key once they arrived in the Midwest, but they soon discovered that their new city was wide open and prime for the taking. They quickly returned to their old ways, and they reverted to the lifestyle that they knew best. Big Lou and Free were willing to get money by any means necessary as long as the amount of money outweighed the risk.
“Yeah, I’m done. This was my last hit. I’ve been stacking my paper for a minute now. Me and Six can kick back and just live, you know?” Free said.
“Yo’, I don’t know anything about that. I ain’t gon’ never leave this game alone,” Big Lou replied.
“I hear you, fam,” Free replied as they slapped hands and embraced briefly. “I’ma get at you.”
Free and Big Lou grabbed their luggage and went their separate ways. Free located his silver Lexus Coupe and headed home. His hands were moist, and his heart felt as if it would beat out of his chest. Just the thought of settling down made his stomach turn. By marrying Six, he was committing himself to her for life. He was nervous, and he was pushing ninety-five miles per hour on the freeway trying to get to Six. He knew that she would be surprised. He wasn’t due back in Detroit for another couple days, but he decided to finish up early and fly back to propose to her. Is this the chick that I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life with? Is she really down for a nigga, like I’m down for her? Will I be the type of man that she needs me to be? He knew that the answer to all of his questions was yes. Six was the woman for him. They completed each other, and the closer they became, the more intense his feelings for her became. The potency of his love for her even surprised him. She was his rib, and without her, he couldn’t breathe.
As he pulled his luxury vehicle onto his street, he was so nervous that it felt like everything was moving in slow motion. He could see her candy-red, baby-mama Benz gleaming as it sat perfectly in their driveway. Good, she’s here, he thought as his Lexus slid next to the curb in front of his house.
He reached inside of his jacket pocket and pulled out the box that held the ring inside. He opened it and stared at the flawless cut of the diamond. It’s all or nothing, he thought as he snapped the box closed and exited the vehicle. He went to the front door, walking slowly as he thought back on his life as a single man. He had always been with Six, but he had enjoyed many chicks on the side over the years.
Damn, it’s time to give all that up. It’s time to fly straight, he thought to himself. Free reached inside his jean pockets in search of his house keys. “Damn, where those mu’fuckas at?” he muttered in frustration as he patted his pockets. He went back to his car to see if he had left the keys inside. He looked everywhere, but his hunt was fruitless.
He jogged back up to the house and rang the doorbell. He could hear the sound of R. Kelly’s “12 Play” crooning throughout the house. The music was drowning out the sound of the doorbell as he continued to ring, waiting for Six to answer.
He grew impatient and made his way around the back of the house. He lifted his hand and banged on the back door, knocking hard so Six could hear him. To his surprise, the door cracked slightly. The smell of incense greeted him as soon as he stepped inside the door. All of the curtains were pulled closed, and the only light came from candles that had been strategically placed throughout the house.
“Six!” he yelled as he made his way through the house. He gripped the ring tightly as he rushed to find her. “Baby girl, where you at?” Free received no answer as he walked through the living room. The room was so dark that he lost his balance as he tripped over something that lay in the middle of the floor.
“Damn,” he muttered as he reached to the wall and flicked the light switch. His eyes immediately focused on the odd pair of Tims that sat in the middle of his floor. Fuck, this bitch done had a nigga in my house.
Free’s thoughts went from loving Six to being enraged with her in less than three seconds. He darted up the steps that led to his bedroom and heard moans coming from inside his room. He was squeezing the ring box so tightly that his knuckles hurt from the pressure. He walked to the bedroom door, and his suspicions were confirmed by the sight that he saw. His heart caught in his throat as he watched the love of his life blatantly betraying him. Her moans drowned his eardrums as another man grinded in and out of her, while her eyes rolled in the back of her head.
> Free didn’t know what happened next. He couldn’t control his emotions. All rational thought went out of the window. Red and black filled his vision.
“Bitch, you fucking this nigga? You love this mu’fucka?”
Free was so hurt that darkness clouded his vision.
“You fucking this nigga?” he asked in utter distress as he pulled his pistol from his waistline.
Pow, pow, pow!
“Bitch, you fucking this nigga?”
Nothing but darkness and the sounds of the bullets entering flesh could be heard.
Pow, pow, pow!
So much red…blood flowed freely from the bodies of both victims. Blood on Free’s hands…blood on his shirt, his shoes, blood in his eyes. The sound of his heart breaking fell on deaf ears. No one was alive to hear him.
Pow!
One final bullet….
Pow!
Three Weeks Later
A pulsating pain shot through Six’s body as she slowly opened her eyes. The room was dark, and she was unaware of her surroundings. Beep, beep, beep, beep. The steady tone of the machines around her was all that could be heard. The small sound seemed so loud inside her head. Each beep made a sharp explosion go off inside her brain, causing her great pain. Her eyes darted wildly around the room as she searched for something familiar. Where am I? What happened? she thought frantically as she tried to move her body. Her lungs felt deprived of air as she struggled to breathe deeply. She wanted to sit up, she wanted to scream for help, but her body would not cooperate. No matter how hard she tried, she was unable to move. Her throat felt like it was on fire, and her heart rate increased dramatically as fear gripped her body. Beep, beep, beep, beep. The sound of the machines intensified, and she heard the sound of people rushing into her room.
“Is she all right? What’s happening to her?” Six heard Big Lou’s voice, and her eyes scanned the many faces that were surrounding her bed as she tried to locate him.
“I’m sorry, sir, you have to wait outside. You can see her once we’ve stabilized her.”
“Is she okay? Just tell me what’s happening!” she heard Big Lou demand, his voice frantic with worry.
“Free!” she cried out. His voice was the only voice that she didn’t hear. He was the one that she needed right now. Where is he?
“I need her calm. Her body is in shock,” one of the doctors instructed. Six watched as a young nurse filled a syringe with fluid and injected it into her arm.
“No! Free—I want to see Free!” Six cried in a raspy tone. Her voice was almost inaudible. Her body was weak, but she still fought against the hospital staff as she begged to see her man.
“Look at my hand and count down with me,” a doctor stated.
“Five, four, three, two…” Before he even got to one Six felt her eyelids close involuntarily, taking her to a temporary sanctuary of peace.
Six opened her eyes and immediately sensed the figure who was sitting in the chair beside her bed. She couldn’t move her head to see who it was, but she could feel him watching her.
“Free,” she whispered, her voice cracking.
“Free’s not here, Six. It’s me, Big Lou,” he whispered as he stood up so that she could see him. “You had me worried for a minute, sis.”
“Where is Free? What happened to me? I feel like I can’t breathe. Why isn’t he here?” she asked.
“You don’t remember anything? You don’t remember what happened?” Big Lou asked her in bewilderment.
“No, where is he, Lou?”
Before Big Lou could respond, a middle-aged black man entered the room. He was wearing a long lab coat with blue scrubs underneath. Big Lou was grateful for the interruption. He didn’t know how to tell Six that Free was dead.
“Six Jones,” the doctor stated as he walked up to her bed. He took off his stethoscope and placed the cold metal to her chest. “You are a very lucky young woman.”
“What happened to me?” she asked the doctor. The doctor’s face immediately expressed confusion as he looked toward Big Lou.
“She doesn’t remember,” Big Lou answered the doctor’s question before he could even ask it.
“Well, Ms. Jones…” the doctor started. He was hesitant to inform her of her condition. “You were shot in the head. You are extremely lucky to be alive. That’s why you are having such a hard time moving and breathing. During the shooting, a part of your brain called the cerebellum was injured. A part of the brain stem that controls your breathing was also injured. The massive head trauma that you have sustained has caused you to become immobile.”
“I’m paralyzed?” Six whispered with tears in her eyes. She stared up toward the ceiling as she tried to process what the doctor was telling her.
“Not exactly. The damage is not permanent. But your body has to learn how to function again. That’s why you are hooked up to the breathing machine. Your brain is not sending the correct signals to the rest of your body. You can’t breathe or move on your own yet.”
“Where is Free? I need him,” she said as her tears began to flow. She gasped for air, struggling to breathe.
“She doesn’t know?” the doctor asked as he looked toward Big Lou again.
“I can’t tell her, yo’,” Big Lou said as he gripped Six’s hand and tears began to well in his own eyes.
“Tell me what?” she asked. “Where is he? Big Lou, where is Free?”
The doctor excused himself so that he could give them some privacy.
“Six, he’s gone. He shot you; then he turned the gun on himself.”
Six didn’t respond. She stared at Big Lou as tears streamed endlessly down her face. He can’t be gone. He told me he would never leave me. Why would he do this to me? Free, I need you. Her body shuddered as she thought about the death of Free. He had been her best friend and her heart. She couldn’t find any words to describe how she felt; her heart was numb.
She closed her eyes, and images of Free entered her mind. The entire scene instantly came back to her as she played it back in her head. She could hear the blast from the gun in her ears. She could feel his pain as he asked her repeatedly, Do you love this nigga? Do you love this nigga? Six saw the spark from the barrel of the gun as Free pulled the trigger. “Oh my God! Big Lou! Oh God! He can’t be gone. I can’t do this without him. I need him,” she cried. Tears of despair stained her cheeks as she lay helplessly in the hospital bed. “How did this happen? Where is he? Big Lou—”
“He’s gone, Six…he’s gone,” Big Lou said as he held her hand.
“I just want to be alone,” she stated as she closed her eyes.
Big Lou nodded slowly. “All right. I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
“Big Lou…when is his funeral?” Six asked before he stepped out.
“You’ve been in a coma for the past three weeks. The funeral was two weeks ago.” He waited for her to reply, but when she didn’t, he walked out of the room.
She couldn’t stop the tears from escaping from her eyes. She was deeply hurt by Free’s death. Her soul ached unbearably as she tried to imagine her life without him in it. How did we get here? How did I let this happen? Six stared at the ceiling as she thought about when her life began to spiral out of control.
Chapter One
One Year Earlier
Six stood beside the Audi S8 and tapped her foot anxiously as she waited for Free to exit the prison gates.
“You nervous?” Big Lou asked. She had been silent the entire trip there, and she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. She silently hoped that her man would be the same as he was before he went in. She knew that the life and times of an inmate were hard and hoped that time hadn’t changed him too much.
“Nah, I’m cool,” she replied. Just as the words came from her mouth, the clanging of the large metal gates could be heard and Free came waltzing out. He turned around and stuck his middle fingers up at the guards who were positioned in the towers above each gate and then held his arms open for Six, who was running towa
rd him full speed.
“Oh my God, baby, I missed you so much,” she cried as she jumped into his arms and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He spun her around wildly and lifted her off the ground.
“Let me look at you,” he said eagerly as he placed her on her feet and held up her hand as he twirled her around.
Six blushed as she felt Free’s eyes roam her body. Big Lou approached the couple and embraced his friend.
“Big Lou!” Free exclaimed as he hugged his closest friend.
“Nigga, I see they were feeding your ass in there,” Big Lou clowned as he noticed Free’s change in appearance. Free had gained thirty or so pounds of muscle from eating the prison food and the everyday weight-lifting routine he had picked up while in prison.
“Shut up, Lou, my baby look good,” Six defended playfully as she walked ahead of them to the car. When she was out of ear’s reach Free turned to Big Lou.
“Yo’, man how she been acting while I was away?” Free asked out of concern. He wanted to know what had been going on with her for the past three years. He had not expected her to wait for him and was pleasantly surprised that she had.
“Man, Six is the same chick she was when you left. She held you down. I never heard about her entertaining no other niggas. As far as I know, she was faithful. I know she been kind of hurting financially though. I been helping out when I can, but shit has changed, and times are rough, feel me?”
Free slapped hands with Big Lou and replied, “Yeah, I feel you. Thanks for watching out for her.”
Beep, beep!
“Let’s get out of here, baby,” Six yelled from the car as she honked the horn lightly.
When Free got into the car Six pulled a shopping bag from the backseat. “Go ahead and get fresh, baby. That jail suit got to go.”
Six drove home while Free and Big Lou let the road lull them to sleep. She looked over at her man who was sitting in the passenger seat and a tear fell from her eyes. She was so happy that he was finally home with her. The past three years had been one constant struggle. Emotionally and financially she was spent. The lawyers for Free’s trial had taken most of their money, and she had been struggling to make her ends meet and maintain her high-class lifestyle. Things had gotten so bad that she had even began working as a bartender in a local strip joint called the Kitty Kat. She knew that Free wouldn’t like it, but she did what she had to do to maintain. They pulled up to her one-bedroom apartment, and she announced, “We’re here, wake up.”