by Jazmyne
“Well sum the shit up for me,” Ace said staring her down. He loved her and would protect her at any and all cost, but secrets and lies was something he couldn’t deal with. He already had too much on his plate that he was dealing with.
Aaliyah sighed deeply as she took a seat. “Amir, that was my ex J’vion. He has been locked up for the last four or five years and I wasn’t expecting to see him for the next fifteen to twenty years.” Aaliyah says. “He shows up to my office about two and a half months ago demanding his money back-“
“You owe him money?”
“Yes and no.”
“What kind of shit is that? You either owe this nigga money or you don’t.”
“I don’t owe him shit. I earned that money just as much as he did!” She yelled jumping to her feet. “I was out there doing some shit I didn’t wanna do.” She said.
Ace didn’t really give a fuck about her past; hell everyone had one that they weren’t proud of. Who was he to judge? What pissed him off was the fact that it had been going on for the last two months.
“So you’re telling me that this mothafucka has been harassing you for the last two months and you never thought to tell me?” Ace asked.
“He came to my office the night after you helped me with my car and today was the first time I’ve talked to him or seen him since,” she answered.
“How much do you owe him?”
“I took almost five hundred grand from him.” Ace let out a whistle. “I paid for his lawyer and all his court fees.” Ace shook his head.
“So do you have it?”
Aaliyah nodded her head up and down.
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“Amir, honesty I didn’t think things was going to get this out of hand. I thought I would never see him again and out of nowhere he shows up at my office demanding his money back.” She said. “Money I feel belongs to me as well and I didn’t want to involve you in my problems.”
“So what you’re saying is that you didn’t think I should know what was going on?”
“I’m not saying that. Amir, I never thought in a million years I would have fallen for you as fast as I had. And I never thought I would be seeing J’vion again.”
“But you did and you are seeing him again. What if I didn’t walk in here today?” He asked. “There’s no fucking telling what would have happened.” He spat.
“I felt that this was my problem and I didn’t need to involve you. I’m a big girl who can handle herself-“
“It didn’t look as if you could handle ya self a few moments ago,” Ace said cutting her off. “You are going to give him what you owe and whatever you two had will be over with. I’ll make sure of that,” he said.
Aaliyah was thankful Ace didn’t ask how far things had gone with her and J’vion the first time he walked into her office. “Aaliyah, I’m digging the hell out of you, hell if I wasn’t I wouldn’t be here today. But I can’t afford to start a relationship with you right now.”
“So, why are you here?”
“Because I didn’t like how things ended and I couldn’t get you off my mind,” he admitted.
“You could have kept that bullshit and just stayed away,” she spat as she got up to finish cleaning the mess he and J’vion had made.
“What?” Ace asked.
“How the fuck you tell me you digging me, but you can’t afford to start a relationship with me?” She asked holding back the tears. “What kind of shit is that and where they do that at?”
“You already know how my current situation is and I don’t wanna lose you the same way I lost Sunshine,” Ace said. “Hell I love you and I rather see you hurt by me not wanting to be with you than you dead because of the life I live. I made that mistake once and I don’t plan on doing it twice.”
“When it comes to you and me, don’t I have a say so in what I wanna do?” Aaliyah asked.
“You do, but I have already made the decision for us both. I just hope you respect it.” He said. “And I hope that we can still be friends.”
The room went silence for a while and both Aaliyah and Ace got lost in their thoughts. Aaliyah respected Ace for caring, but she felt it was just an excuse he was using and wondered why he was basing their relationship from his past one? She knew how much he loved Sunshine and respected that as well, but damn, it was time to move on.
“Daddy,” the tiny voice said catching both their attention. They both looked up at the same time to find, Savanna standing at the door and her sister hot on her heels.
“Can we go eat now?” Serenity asked running to Ace. He picked her up as he walked over to Savanna and picked her up as well.
“Yeah baby we are about to go eat,” he said. “Aaliyah, these are my daughters, Savanna and Serenity,” he said introducing everyone. They buried their faces into his neck.
“Amir, they are gorgeous!” Aaliyah smiled.
“Thanks.” He said. “The reason I stopped by was because we are on our way out to eat, and I wanted to know if you would like to join us?” He asked.
“Sure why not,” Aaliyah said as she grabbed her purse and cell phone. “Will you give me a few minutes to clean myself up?” She asked rushing into the bathroom.
Moments later, Aaliyah walked out the bathroom and was ready to go. The four walked out her office looking like one happy family. Aaliyah stopped at Jennifer’s desk and had a few words with her before she left her office hand in hand with Ace.
*
Aaliyah ate her food quietly as she watched Ace interact with his daughters. It made her smile and warmed her heart, bringing back memories of her and her father. Her father had spoiled her just as Ace did his girls. Feeling the tears forming in her eyes, Aaliyah quickly wiped her eyes. She missed her father but knew he was proud of her. The fact that he took his time with his girls and made time for them was great. He didn’t just shower them with material things and money. He was being a parent, something, Aaliyah didn’t see much now days. Times like this had Aaliyah feeling lonely. She wasn’t married and she didn’t have any kids. The work she did kept her busy and Ace was the first man in a long time to grab her attention.
“What are you over there smiling about?” Ace asked bringing Aaliyah from her thoughts.
“I’m just admiring you and thinking,” she answered.
“Do you wanna share your thoughts?”
“I’m just thinking about my father. Watching you with you daughters got me missing him.” She answered wiping the few tears that slipped out away. “He used to spoil me. We did everything together. Even though it’s been years since he died, it still only seem like it was yesterday him and I was talking or watching a basketball game together.” She finished.
“As you already know with time it doesn’t get easy. I wish it did but it don’t.” Ace said.
“Aaliyah don’t cry,” Serenity said grabbing a napkin, leaning over she wiped Aaliyah’s eyes. “Daddy, tell Aaliyah not to cry and everything is going to be okay.” Serenity said looking at Ace.
“Baby girl she knows everything is going to be okay,” Ace said.
“Why are you crying?” Savanna asked.
“These are tears of joy,” Aaliyah said. She knew the girls were too young to understand.
“Excuse me sir, but this was just dropped off and was asked to be given to you,” the waitress said handing Ace the piece of paper. Ace thanked her as he looked around. He opened the paper and read it.
I told you we’ll be seeing each other again. Are you bullet proof? Aww fuck it, let’s find out. The letter read.
Ace grabbed his daughters and threw them to the ground. “Get down!” He yelled at Aaliyah just as he flipped the table over.
Bullets shattered the glass windows, the entire restaurant went into panic mode as they ducked for cover. Ace
daughters cries echoed in his ears loudly as he pulled his gun from his waistband. His adrenaline was pumping. He was pissed that mothafuckas had the nerve to get at him while he was with his daughters. That was a sure way to sign you own fucking death certificate.
Ace didn’t know when the shooting was going to stop. Bullets were still flying over his head shattering everything they hit. Ace looked up and could see a few of the shooters. Ace jumped up and pulled the trigger, hitting one of his marks between the eyes. Ace bust his gun until the clip was empty. He tucked his gun away and turned to check on all three of his ladies. All three of them were crying and shaking. Ace picked his babies up and hugged them tightly.
“I’m sorry,” Aaliyah repeated over and over again. Something in her gut was telling her that J’vion was behind what had just gone down.
“There isn’t a damn thing to be sorry about,” Ace said as he grabbed her hand pulling her towards the back exit.
Ace rushed to his car and placed his daughters into the backseat; he buckled them in before he hopped into the driver’s seat. He looked over at Aaliyah to find her crying.
“Why are you crying?” He asked.
“This is why I didn’t want to involve you in my problems. Ace you already have things you are dealing with and my bullshit isn’t making things any easier or better,” she said.
“I involved myself. What the fuck I look like walking away seeing a man choking you the fuck out?” He asked. “I’m gonna need for you to stop apologizing and get with the fuckin’ program. Shit just got real; I don’t have to tell you what these streets are about because you already know. So you either hold me down or walk away now.” He finished.
“I got you,” Aaliyah said.
“Ma, don’t talk about it be about it. If you ever feel like something ain’t right or someone showing me shade. I need for you to shoot first ask questions never,” he said taking his eyes off the road to look into her face.
Ace looked into the rearview mirror to find his daughters’ faces streaked with tears. That shit fucked his head up. The only tears he ever wanted to see fall from their eyes was tears of joy. Hell he didn’t even wanna see tears from them getting hurt while playing in the park.
“What kind of love is this?” Aaliyah asked. “Or is what’s going on between us even considered love?”
“Shit I call this thug love,” Ace answered. “And yes what’s going on between us is definitely love.” He finished. Ace knew it had to be love that was the only way he would lay his life on the line for any female.
Ace knew at that moment that he wasn’t going to let Sunshine’s death ruin his second chance at love. All these years he was using her death as an excuse but that all was stopping today.
Chapter 8
Sunshine sat the book she was reading down, it had been three years since she last seen Ace and her daughters. Truth be told, she wished she had been dead than held captured. She often wondered how things would be if Ace didn’t think she was dead. There were a few times she tried to kill herself but was unsuccessful, finally coming to terms with her new life. “I miss him so much.” Sunshine thought closing her eyes to stop the tears from falling.
Sunshine had become accustom to the abuse her body had been through over the years. Physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional pain she was going through. She knew if Ace knew she was alive he would stop at nothing to get her back home where she belonged. Sunshine had a few questions like, did he move on? Was he happily married? Did he have any more kids? And did he still love her? Those questions she had been asking herself over and over for the past three years. She opened her eyes when she heard the voices outside her bedroom door. The same bedroom she had been held captured in. She opened her eyes and climbed off the bed. Walking over to the door she listened to the conversations. There were two voices going back and forth.
“We finally got his attention; he’s just waiting for further instructions.” The male voice said.
“So, what the fuck are you waiting for? Let the games begin,” the female replied back. Sunshine covered her mouth to stop from screaming.
“No, it can’t be.” She thought as the tears fell. Sunshine didn’t want to believe it, but the proof was standing on the other side of the door she was locked behind. She could recognize the voice anywhere. It broke her heart and all she wanted to know was why?
“How are the girls?” the female asked, causing Sunshine to press her ear into the door. She knew they were referring to her daughters.
“Great,” he replied.
“We aren’t going to hurt them are we?” She asked.
“If we have to, yeah,” he answered.
“But they are fuckin’ kids!” She yelled. “They have nothing to do with this.”
“Don’t go getting all soft on me. We have come too far to turn back now.” He said. “You already know this game have no loyalty and no one is safe.” He finished.
“No, we have issues with Ace not them,” she said. Sunshine could hear the crack in her voice as if she was about to cry.
“Fuck you crying for? This was your fuckin’ idea in the first place,” he spat. Sunshine knew he had become annoyed with her emotions getting the best of her. “Get a grip of your emotions because you can get it too,” he said. Sunshine could hear him walking off.
Sunshine walked back over to the bed and sat down. She knew she needed to come up with a way to warn Ace that she was alive and for him to get their babies out of harm’s way. Sunshine knew without a doubt that, Ace would go to the end of the world to protect his daughters.
“I thought you should know,” he called from the other side of the door as he slid an envelope under the door. “I’ll be back later with something to eat for you,” he said before walking off.
Sunshine quickly got up from the bed and ran over to pick up the envelope. She tore it open to find pictures of Ace, her daughters, and an unknown woman. “She’s pretty.” She thought admiring the picture of Aaliyah.
Taking a seat on the bed she went through every single picture that was in the envelope. Tears clouded her vision as she stopped at a picture of her girls in the park on the swings while Ace was pushing them. They looked so happy. It tore her up that she was so close yet so far away from them. She was missing out on so much of their lives because everyone thought she was dead.
“I would give anything just to hold my babies again.” She thought letting the tears fall freely. Sunshine was happy to know that they were doing fine, but knowing that they were in danger made her sick to her stomach. Knowing she couldn’t do anything about it made her want to kill herself. She wanted to warn Ace, but had no contact with the outside world.
*
Ace walked into Captain George’s Seafood Restaurant in Virginia Beach, as if he owned the mothafucka. His swag was always on point. He waved the hostess off when he spotted Moony and a few other niggas he uses to run the streets with. They were in a heated argument when Ace walked up. The entire conversation stopped when he took a seat at the table. Everyone looked at him as if he didn’t belong there.
“Am I interrupting something?” Ace asked.
“Ace, what the fuck are you doin’ here?” Moony asked with a smile on his face.
“I see some shit will never change,” Ace said as he and Moony slapped hands. Captain George’s Seafood restaurant was the spot they had chosen to link up at when dealing with business.
Ace, Moony, Jay, and Boog went way back like four flats. They were as thick as thieves.
“What brings you ‘round here?” Jay asked.
Ace knew his niggas felt some type away about him. When Sunshine died he cut all ties off with everyone and everything dealing with the streets, it was just too much of a reminder of what caused him to lose her.
“I know y’all niggas are still in the streets and I know there isn’t too mu
ch shit that you niggas don’t know about,” Ace said. “A few months back I got a little note with Sunshine name written on it and then I had to body two mothafuckas following me. Also I get a call while chopping it up with, Boy and a mothafucka is in my crib with my new bitch talking about he wanna talk,” Ace said.
“Damn,” Boog said.
“That ain’t even the half. The mothafucka gonna tell me he wants me to play a game called thug luv and asked what was I willing to do to save the ones I love the most. Anyone who knows me knows I’ll give my life up for my daughters or anyone I love. Then this mothafucka pulls out this picture of Sunshine and leaves,” Ace finished as he showed them the picture.
Moony, Jay, and Boog all looked at the picture.
“This picture looks recent as hell,” Jay said.
“I know.” Ace said.
“So have you heard anything from this nigga again?” Boog asked. Ace shook his head no.
“Which only means he’s working with someone but my question is who?” Ace said.
Ace you can count the enemies you had on one hand. Hell those mothafuckas know not to cross that line. You hold a lot of respect in these streets, still to this very day,” Boog said. “So you better start thinking inside the box.
“When it comes to you, mothafuckas only wanna know when you’re coming out of retirement,” Moony said.
“I wasn’t planning on coming out of retirement, but since mothafuckas got my back against the wall I have no choice,” Ace answered. Jay, Moony, and Boog all smiled. “I’m up,” Ace said slapping hands with his niggas. “Y’all niggas do me a favor and keep ya ears and eyes open.”
“You already know we got ya back, homey,” Boog said.
“Oh shit, before I forget. Do y’all know anything about a nigga name, J’vion?” Ace asked walking back to the table.
“J’vion is a nigga who used to have Norfolk on lock, but he got knocked a few years ago,” Moony said.
“Yeah that nigga been home for a minute now and let it be known that there’s a bounty on that nigga head.” Ace said. “Whoever brings me that nigga alive will take home a million in cash.” He finished before walking off.