by K'wan
Gucci made a mad dash for the couch, trying to retrieve the shotgun Animal kept hidden underneath it. Her fingers had just grazed the butt, when someone grabbed her by her hair and dragged her back. It was the man with the tattooed head. He motioned to one of his men, who looked under the couch and came up holding the shotgun.
The man with the tattoos shook his head in disappointment. “When I came, I had intended on treating you with the respect due a woman, but since you want to act like a bitch, I’ll treat you like one,” he punched Gucci in the face, dropping her.
Gucci lay on the ground, head spinning and jaw throbbing. She had been hit in the face by a man before, but never with that much force. Part of her wanted to just lie on the floor rather than risk getting hit again, but she remembered the kids. She had to save them. Gucci faked like she was still stunned, while the tattooed man sent one of his minions to get her up. When he was right on top of her, she kicked him in the nuts as hard as she could.
Gucci scrambled for dear life, across the living room floor towards the kitchen. She got up and rolled across the counter, just as a hail of gunfire hit it. Dishes shattered and splinters of wood came away from the cabinets, eventually dislodging one and almost dropping it on Gucci’s head.
“Finish her, and let’s go,” she heard the tattooed man say.
Gucci could hear the heavy footfalls of boots, crossing her living room and getting ever closer to her. When they were right on the other side of the cabinet, Gucci popped up with her hand tucked inside a cereal box.
One of the men laughed. “What, do you plan on making me breakfast?”
“No, nigga, but you sure are about to be food!” Gucci pulled the trigger of the gun inside the cereal box. The bullet struck the man in black in the throat, knocking him backward. She ducked back behind the counter just as the remaining men returned fire. Gucci cowered behind the counter, trying her best not to get hit. She could hear the kids both crying, and it only added urgency for her need to get to them. Then just as suddenly as the shooting started, it stopped.
“Hey, little bitch. I want to show you something,” she heard the man with the tattooed head shout.
Thinking it was a trick, Gucci remained where she was. That’s when she heard T.J. cry out to her.
“Mommy, help!”
Gucci peeked around the counter and what she saw made her heart skip several beats. The man with the tattooed head was holding T.J. with a machete to his throat. Gucci sprang to her feet, gun drawn. “If you don’t put my son down so help me I will—”
“You won’t do shit but watch this ugly little fucker bleed all over these expensive tiles, if you don’t toss that gun away and play nice.” The man with the tattoos on his head warned. Gucci still looked hesitant. “Oh, you must think I’m fucking around,” he pressed the blade tighter to T.J.’s throat, causing him to scream.
“Okay, okay,” Gucci tossed the gun and raised her hands in surrender. “Just don’t hurt my baby.”
The man with the tattooed head, passed T.J. to one of his minions and stalked towards Gucci. He grabbed her by her throat and lifted her off her feet, causing her robe to come open. His dark eyes took in her nude body beneath the expensive silk. “My orders were just to come here and collect the little girl, but I think I’m going to have some fun with you first.”
EPILOGUE
KAHLLAH JUMPED THE CURB AND knocked over two bushes when she pulled up to the house. Panama Black was still in the backseat, bleeding and begging her to take him to the hospital. Kahllah ignored him, and jumped out of the car, making a mad dash for the house.
Both guns in hand, she approached the front door to find it ajar. “Gucci,” she called out, but got no answer. She crept into the house and her heart leapt into her throat. Furniture was overturned, and the living room and kitchen were both riddled with bullet holes. Her mind went to the kids, and she ran upstairs to see if they were okay, but found no signs of them . . . she was too late.
Kahllah ran downstairs. If something had happened to Animal’s family on her watch, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself. She heard the sound of a ringing phone somewhere amongst the debris. It took her only a few seconds to find it, lying on the floor near the kitchen. When she bent down to pick it up she noticed the blood. “Hello,” Kahllah answered, following the blood trail which lead to the other side of the kitchen counter.
“Kahllah? Why are you answering Gucci’s phone?” Animal asked on the other end.
Kahllah heard the questions, but couldn’t find her voice to answer him. What she found in the kitchen stole her breath and broke her heart.
“Kahllah, talk to me. Is everything okay?” Animal asked in a panicked tone. He had a feeling in his gut that something wasn’t right.
Kahllah composed herself enough to finally answer her brother. “No, everything is not okay.”
At Kahllah’s feet lay Gucci’s body. She was naked, and beaten so badly that Kahllah almost didn’t recognize her. Blood still trickled from her throat where it had been slashed. True to her word, Lilith aka Tiger Lily would not be the only mother weeping for her child.
TO BE CONTINUED
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Animal
Copyright © 2014 by K’wan Foye
www.SimonandSchuster.com
Cash Money Content™ and all associated logos are trademarks of Cash Money Content LLC.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law.
Any similarity to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
First Trade Paperback Edition: November 2014
Book Layout: Jacquelynne Hudson
Cover Design: Baja Ukweli
www.CashMoneyContent.com
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014949040
ISBN: 978-1-936399-93-2 pbk
ISBN: 978-1-936399-94-9 ebook