by Andrea Sad'e
“Yes, Ace. I was trying to get my beauty sleep. Oh, hello Enrico,” she said, waving at me. I waved back and walked in the next room, examining things and giving them a little privacy—even though I could still hear their whole conversation.
“Baby I have to go on a little trip.”
“Wow,” I heard her say.
“I’ve been doing a lot of staying home since we got together, but I got money to make. I’m trying to take over the streets in Cali so I can bring this shit to a whole new level. The more I make, the quicker I can get out of the game,”
“Whatever, Ace. You told me that we were gonna go out and spend some time together today.”
“I know, baby, I’ll be back at five. We can go to dinner.”
“Okay Anthony, bye,” she said, and I could hear them exchanging kisses. I came out of the room and dapped Ace up. We both walked out of the house, and I introduced him to the other four security guards.
“I’ll see ya’ll later, man,” Ace said before getting in his car and driving through his gates.
“I can already tell that this is gonna be a long ass day,” I said to myself, walking over to where my boys were located. “I want all of you guys to walk around the outside of this house and tell me anywhere it would be possible for somebody to get into these gates. I’ll do the inside of the house, ‘cause he doesn’t want many people coming in and out. I’m gonna install cameras in the appropriate places after we all do our rounds and meet back up.”
After we all met back up, everybody gave me what they had on their mini maps, and I sat at the kitchen table and spread out a huge map of the whole house. I grabbed my pencil and started making notes where every camera needed to be. I heard footsteps and looked up from my paper. Rayna was coming down the stairs in some yoga pants and a sports bra, with her curls up in a bun.
“Good morning,” I said to her, trying not to look at her fit curves.
“Good Morning Rico, can I call you Rico?”
“Yes, that’s fine. I prefer it mostly. I have been directed to drive you anywhere you need to go; things have gotten thick, and Ace want’s you and baby Ahleya protected. May I ask where she is?”
“She spends some nights with her grandmother; they’re head over heels for her, but I miss her so I will probably go get her today.”
“I’ll take you wherever you need to go.”
“I guess I look too young to be able to handle myself? I’m not a baby. I’ve had to defend myself all my life. I’m nineteen, not twelve.”
“Well excuse me, I’m only following directions that I’ve been given by Ace. Just doing my job.”
Rayna
“Well excuse me, I’m only following directions that I’ve been given by Ace. Just doing my job,” he said, not even looking up at me and paying attention to what looked to be a map of our house.
“Let's not make enemies, I’ll do what I please in my house.”
“I’m not really worried about making enemies, and yes you may, but when you walk or drive out of those gates, it won’t be without me with you. We can do this the easy way, or I can lock all this shit down and you can keep having tantrums. It’s your pick,” he said, still looking at his paper. I rolled my eyes and walked to the fridge to get some orange juice. I heard him pick up his phone, and he started speaking in Spanish. I always loved the language. I took Spanish all throughout high school, and I was fluent. A lot of people didn’t know that about me though. I have a few hidden talents. He hung up the phone and went back to his work.
“I didn’t know you were Hispanic.”
“Oh really, what did you think?”
“I thought you were mixed with like white and black or something.”
“Boring,” he simply stated while making some marks on his paper.
“Well I didn’t really get a good look at you, so...”
When I said that, he finally looked up from the paper and flashed the most gorgeous million-dollar smile with the deepest dimples. He was chuckling while I was sitting there close to falling out. I got myself together and headed to the gym until I heard the doorbell ring. I went to the door.
“Let me get it,” Rico said, walking past me.
“I’m already tired of yo ass,” I said under my breath.
“Watch it, I could be the nigga that saves your life one day,” he said before opening the door. I walked to the door.
“Is Ace here?” I heard a female voice ask. I walked to the door.
“No, who’s asking?” I asked before Rico could answer.
“Oh, you must be the new flavor of the month.” As soon as she said that, I started itching to stomp this skin and bones looking hoe.
“Ma’am this is my house, so please respect me. What would you like?”
“Ace is the father of my two-year-old son, and I need him to step up because my son needs a father.”
“Seems like all you need is a simple DNA test hunny, and if it’s his I will see to it that he is taken care of.”
“DNA test? Hell no. For what! He knows that this is his baby.” Just then, Mrs. Camila walked in the door past Karen with Ahleya in her arms.
“Hey mommy baby,” I said, giving her a kiss. “Hey Ma, I’m handling something. Could you take Ahleya in her room please?”
“Sure. Holla if you need me,” she said, glancing at Karen who looked like she was ten times madder than she was when she first got there.
“So this nigga can be a daddy to that little bastard, but can’t take care of my child?” That right there is where I drew the fuckin line.”
“Listen bitch. If I ever in my life hear you come out yo mouth sideways about my baby, I will skin yo ass.” I could feel Rico step closer to me.
“Bitch, you won’t do shit.” All I needed was a single letter to slip out of her damn mouth. I instantly lunged at her, knocking her to the ground.
“Bitch! Don’t. You. Ever. Talk. About. My. Damn. Child,” I said, punching her with every word. I felt myself being lifted off of her. I turned my head, and it was Rico holding me with two hands. “Put me the fuck down. I’mma fuck that hoe up,” I said, squirming and trying to get out of his grasp.
“Girl, calm down,” he said in my ear. Karen took this as an opportunity to lunge at me but I stuck my foot out, kicking her in her mouth. “Get the fuck away from here hoe, before I give you more.”
“How the fuck did she get in here?” I heard Rico asking his men. “I want everybody to have to call through the gate before they are let in. Do you hear me!” he asked, clearly pissed off. “Now let’s get you in the house, Mike Tyson,” he said, guiding me to the door.
“Who the fuck was that?” Mrs. Camila asked.
“Some hoe who claims Ace is the father of her two-year-old son, but she won’t take a DNA test.”
“Ace better check that hoe before I give her a prison yard beat down. Look like you spent a few nights in the prison the way you was hitting that girl,” she said, laughing.
“That’s what happens when you have a bad childhood and you can finally take all that anger and fuck people up,” I said laughing. “Let me call Gena and tell her about this shit”
Chapter 7:
2 weeks later...
Gena
“Yes, Kay,” I said as I opened the door to my condo.
“Where you been, girl?” he said, grabbing my arm and causing me to laugh.
“I’ve been around. Working, all that good shit.”
“if you were my woman, you wouldn’t have to work.
“I don’t have to work. I just want to,” I said, sitting on my couch and biting into the sub that I was eating before he came to the door.
“I was just coming to see how you’re doing. Hell, I ain’t heard from you. Must be back with baby daddy.” I started to chuckle.
“It ain’t even like that, Kay,”
“Well, let me know what it’s like then so I can better understand and leave you alone.”
“I-I’m just trying to do the right thing fo
r Kenyah.”
“I see.”
“Didn’t you say this nigga got another bitch pregnant? Cheated on you multiple times?”
“That’s not fair, Kay. He’s really trying to change.” I saw him shake his head. He got up and sat down by me.
“Gena, I really like you. I’ve been here with you through a lot of shit.”
“I know, Kay,” I said, trying not to look him in the eyes because he was a hundred percent right. He grabbed my face and made me focus into his eyes. “You know what you want. Stop being afraid to live a little.” He got closer to my face, and my heart rate began to speed up a little; our lips met, and my legs got weak. Our kissing got deep and as much as my mind told me to stop, my body just wouldn’t let me. He started kissing my neck and he picked me up, carrying me to my room and laying me down on my bed. He grabbed my panties, ripping them off and throwing them on the floor. He laid between my legs and let his tongue speak volumes. He licked every inch of my juicebox, snaking his tongue around my pearl.
“Ahhh, oh my gooodnessss.” He opened my legs, allowing himself more access to me, and kept licking until I felt the little butterflies in my stomach, and I couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Ahhh Imma cummm”
“Cum for me,” he said in between kissing my spot. I released; my legs were shaking uncontrollably. “That nigga don’t do you like that, do he?” Kay hovered over me and opened my legs wider.
“Here,” I said, handing him a condom that he put on before sliding inside me, filling me up with his large package. He started off slow before picking up his pace, causing me to yell out in pleasure. He started moving his hips in different directions, causing him to hit different spots within my body and before I knew it, I was climaxing again. Thirty minutes later, he had finished and we laid cuddling.
“What now?” I said, looking into his eyes.
“Just go with the flow and see where it takes us. Stop fighting what’s supposed to happen,” he said, pulling me closer and pecking my lips.
“Okay Kaleb.”
The next morning after Kay left, I cleaned my condo and after I got out of the shower, my doorbell rang.
“Coming!” I said before walking to the door. I looked through the peephole. What the fuck, I thought to myself. I opened the door, and China was standing there with a dumb ass look on her face. What the fuck do you want,” I said, crossing my arms across my chest.
“Where is Slick? He missed another appointment. I also need him to buy some things for our child.”
“Well, it looks like you need to take that shit up with him, don’t you think?”
“Didn’t I just say he didn’t answer the phone? Oh, that’s because he’s taking care of the child that he actually knows is his.”
“Bitch, he better give me what I need for our baby, or I know something.”
“Hold on, let me go call him before I have to fuck you up, hoe,” I said, closing the door. I went and grabbed my purse and went back to the door. I put Slick on speaker, and he answered on the first ring.
“Wassup bae,” he said. I smiled at her while she had a stank look on her face.
“China is here on my doorstep saying you're not answering her calls.”
“What am I answering for?”
“Bitch,” she said under her breath.
“Okay Slick, I’ll talk to you later.”
“Well, I’m not going anywhere until he talks to me.” This hoe was really working my nerves by now, so I dug in my bag and grabbed a stack of money, peeling off a few hundred dollar bills and throwing them in her face.
“Go buy some fuckin sense, hoe,” I said before closing the door in her face. “Hoes these days,” I said before going in the room and laying down for a nap before Kenyah came back from her dad’s house.
Rayna
I went out to my car to get a paper, I needed to order something online, and I couldn’t knock the feeling that somebody was watching me. It was so creepy. I walked back into the house where I walked past Rico, who was sitting on the couch looking at the TV screen that had the cameras on it.
“Ain’t you supposed to be working?”
“Can’t you see that I’m working?” he asked, not even looking at me.
“Whatever,” I said, walking away trying to figure out how I was gonna leave this house without him noticing. I walked around the house trying to find out where a camera might be missing. I was looking up and walking, and ended up bumping into something and falling flat on my ass.
“Be careful, ma,” Rico said, looking at me. I walked past him. “And if you’re trying to find a way to sneak out without me catching you, forget it. Even when I’m not watching you, I’m watching you. I will drive you anywhere you need to go.”
“Well, I’m just going outside to get some fresh air.”
“Be my guest. I’m going too,” he said, following me outside. We were outside sitting on a bench. Well, I was sitting; he was standing. I was enjoying the breeze, and then I started to get that feeling again; then out of nowhere, I felt myself being tackled to the ground and gunshots rang out, hitting the bench in the exact spot that I was sitting in.
“Stay down,” Rico said, laying on top of me and ensuring my safety. “Check the north gate,” he said into his walkie talkie. By now, I was crying and panicking. He grabbed me and carried me in the house.
“Here, drink this,” he said, handing me some water. I heard the front door open, and Ace came running in.
“What the fuck happened?” he said, pacing and checking me to make sure I was okay. I was so shaken up to the point where I couldn’t talk at all. I was just zoned out.
“What’s wrong with her?” he asked Rico.
“Somebody tried to shoot her in the yard. She’s just in shock right now.”
“This had to be Mark,” Ace said, banging his hand on the table. “I’m finna go to my office to make some phone calls.” He walked out of the room, and Rico walked up to me.
“You okay?” he said, sitting down beside me.
“I don’t know. What has happened to my life?” I said with tears in my eyes. He grabbed a paper towel and handed it to me.
“Stop it. You’ll be okay. Just take a few breaths and try to relax. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you guys.”
“Thank you so much for saving my life.”
“Just doing what I’m trained to do,” he said before getting up and walking off.
Enrico
I was driving home thinking about today’s events. Ace kept saying it had to be Mark, but I’ve seen Mark in action plenty of times and that nigga ain’t that swift. He ain’t fast at all, so he would have never been able to disappear that damn fast. I just have to find out who all they have made enemies with and go from there, ‘cause it could be anybody. People shoot people over anything these days, ain’t no telling.
I walked into the house and it was quiet, which was different from a normal day. I heard sniffling, so I went into the dining room and Layla was sitting at the table crying over some pictures, and I walked behind her without her noticing; I saw that she was looking at pictures of her and Jayce.
“So how long are we gonna do this?” I said, scaring her.
“Rico, I-I’m so sorry,” she said, trying to put all the pictures up. I just shook my head and walked away. This shit was getting so hard. Like, why am I here? I walked in the backyard and saw Tati holding Christian, who was asleep, and Jayla dancing to some music that was playing. She looked up and saw that I was home.
“Daddyyyyy!” she ran to me with her arms up, jumping up on me. I picked her up and sat down, sitting her on my lap.
“What’s up, princess? How was your day?”
“School was good, but Mommy is sad.” I sighed to myself.
“I know, babygirl. She’ll be okay though.”
“I miss when Mommy was happy.”
“Me too, baby. Here, let me get him Tati, and take him inside to get in his crib.” She handed him to me, and I walked into the house.<
br />
“Rico?”
“Yes,” I answered, not looking up from what I was doing.
“I’m sorry.” I continued changing Christian’s diaper and put him in his bed. “Rico, talk to me.”
“What am I supposed to say?” I said, looking her in her eyes. I told you from the beginning that if you weren’t ready for this that we could just wait, but it was you who said you had moved past it. Yes, I expected you to have your days, but Layla we have been going through this for months. I try to be here for you, but you push me away. I can’t even have sex with my own wife. I would understand if it was for medical reasons or something like that; hell, I’d even understand if you were having a depressing day! But months?! We have kids who need you! Hell, I need you!” I said, sitting down on our bed.
“I’m sorry, Rico.”
“Yeah, I know,” I said before going in the bathroom and closing the door, preparing to take a shower. I know she’s going through something, but I’ve tried to help. She won’t go to therapy; she won’t talk to me. What am I supposed to do? I’m at a dead end street.
Ace
“It’s just really fucking with me that I can’t find who’s doing this shit. I feel like it’s Mark, but you know how he is. He would have shown himself by now.”
“Yea, but he could have changed his approach. We just can’t put nothing past him. Who knows who is behind all of this though. We done made plenty of enemies over the years, but I thought the shit had died down by now.”
“Somebody told me they saw a girl that fit the description of China around my house at that time of day.”
“But why the fuck would she try to shoot up your house instead of mine?” Slick said, looking like he was in deep thought.
“Ion know man. We just gotta watch every fuckin body,” I said, taking a swig from the bottle of water that I was drinking. “Aye, what about that nigga Kay?” I asked Slick. When he heard his name, he held his head to the side, letting me know that he was somebody to watch.
“But I don’t understand why he would shoot up your house when he has beef with me because of Gena”