by Andrea Sad'e
"Get up, bitch. Get the fuck outta my house and look at that nigga good cause this better be the last time I ever hear ‘bout you fuckin’ with him," she said, pointing at Slick. I looked over at the couch and Gena was sitting her pregnant ass there eating her ice cream and laughing.
"Rayna, why the fuck would you have her in my damn house?"
She looked up at me and simply said, "What would you do if Slick was in Gena's position?"
I sat and thought about it for a second.
"Right" she said and went upstairs to shower.
"Just don't have no more unknown guests in my shit, nigga!!" I yelled. she flipped me off and kept walking up the stairs. I shook my head and went back into the office where Ahleya was. I picked her up out of her bouncer. "All you do is sleep, Leya," I said to her, kissing her chunky little cheek. I went back out with her and Gena reached for her.
"After you wash yo hands," I said, nodding at the sink.
"Okay, Papa Ace," she said, laughing.
I just chuckled to myself because I really was acting like an overprotective dad but knowing that I was protecting her made it all okay. Gena came back and took Ahleya out of my arms, she sat down on the couch and started talking to her as if she could understand.
"Slick, you need to go wash yo hands and get over here and learn how to hold a baby."
Slick looked at me. "You right, but she's so small. I feel like I'd hurt her," he said back to me.
"Nah, just be gentle, nigga," I said before going in the kitchen to make a sandwich.
Mark
It was my first time being home in a couple of days. I had gotten off of my binge and was back to only snorting once a day so I was feeling "clean," per se. I got back home and Taylor was asleep on the couch with dirty clothes on. I hate that she started using when she found my stash and I hate even more that I left her to deal with it and Ahleya on her own. I walked to Ahleya's room and I saw that she wasn't in the bed. I started to panic.
I went to my room and she wasn't in there either, so I went back downstairs. "TAYLOR!!!" I said, shaking her.
She woke up with wide eyes. "Wha-whaaaat?" she said, slurring a little and confirming that she was in fact high.
"Where is Ahleya???"
She looked at me for a while and started crying. "I went to one of Ace's trap houses on accident to find drugs, he saw her with me and took her. He said she wasn't safe with me," she said sobbing.
My blood started boiling "WHAT?!!! WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU LET HIM TAKE HER?!" I yelled, full of rage.
"He gave me no choice, Mark! He's scary!!"
I started going into full panic mode, not because I didn't feel my daughter was safe because Ace was such a loving person to the point I'm sure he'd be a better father than me.
I started making phone calls so my boys would be on the lookout for Ace because I had to get my baby back.
Later that evening....
I got a phone call that Ace and his friends were in the mall with Ahleya so I grabbed my keys and drove to the mall. I got out and when straight to the location they’d said that they were, being careful not to be seen.
I saw Ace and Slick along with their girlfriends, then I spotted Ahleya in a super expensive looking car seat that was attached to her stroller. I watched as Ace and Rayna shopped for her in all the designer stores and I could tell that she was their number one priority right now and it hurt my pride even more.
Ace was doing well by Ahleya but when I saw him pick her up out of her stroller, rock her and kiss her cheeks, I lost it. He was trying to take my place and I couldn't handle it. I started walking towards them in the mall.
I’m ready to get my baby back.
Ace
"Bruh, look." Slick tapped me pointing over my shoulder.
I looked up and there was Mark coming towards us, looking mad as ever. I put Ahleya back in her stroller and buckled her in.
"Back the fuck up, dawg," I heard Slick say, and when I turned around, Mark was in my face. If this was any other nigga, Slick woulda’ split his shit before I even turned around.
"I'm tryna’ figure out why the hell you so close to me, nigga?" I said, looking Mark in his eyes.
"I want my damn daughter."
"You’re an addict, Mark, and Taylor is, too. Do you know she was trying to sell Ahleya for a fuckin’ hit? WHERE WERE YOU? So don't come at me with this ‘My daughter’ bullshit cause she ain't safe with you. You'll never get her back, my nigga, and I put that on my life."
"Well, I could have that shit worked out, too, if you wanna take it there," Mark said, getting closer to my face.
"Nigga, you know me better than that."
"That’s the last thing any nigga worried bout, baser ass nigga. Man, why you even continue to waste your time on yo bum ass brother? He steady trying us and showing that he wants your head. We coulda’ BEEN off'd him."
I could tell Slick was getting antsy so I knew we had to get up out of this mall cause this was not the place. "Let's go," I said to the girls.
They strolled off and we followed behind them. We walked through the mall and made it to the car with no problem, but something just didn't feel right to me. We all drove home and the gate opened from the sensor remote I had to keep from putting the code in. when we got halfway in the gate, another car rushed us and came in behind us. Security held their guns up ready to pop off but I called them off because I recognized this car all too well.
Mark jumped out of one door and Taylor jumped out of the other. As soon as that happened, I jumped out of the car, Slick jumped out next and Rayna, too. Slick told Gena to go take Ahleya in the house and she did. I tried to get Rayna to go in but she refused.
"What the fuck ya'll got going on? Speeding in here like ya'll wanna get beat the fuck up and put in a box." I swear, that nigga always gets my words out quicker than I can.
"Speak or get beat the fuck up," I said.
"Ya'll got something that belongs to us," Taylor said, wiping her nose vigorously just like some of the fiends my workers sold to.
"Ya'll talk about Ahleya as if she's a fuckin package! Ya'll don't fuckin care about her or I woulda never had to take her in the first place," I said.
"Well, that's when I wasn't well. I'm well now," Taylor said.
"Girl, the way you messing with yo nose. You just hit something before you got outta the car. Don't come to my shit with all this crackhead bullshit. Ya'll better be glad ya'll ain't any nigga on the street or I woulda popped one in ya ass for coming through my gate uninvited. Now get cha’ asses in the car and get up outta here."
Before I knew it, Taylor was walking toward my house saying she was going to get her baby.
Rayna snatched her ass up so quickly, I couldn't even stop it.
Rayna
Oh hell no, I know this bitch ain't tryna’ go in my damn house.
"Come here, bitch," I said and snatched her ass by the collar on her shirt.
"Let me go, bitch," she yelled, trying to throw a punch. I wasn't even planning on fighting her after I stopped her from going in my house but now I see Imma have to dust this ho off, so I punched her dead in her mouth.
"Stop playing with me, coke hoe," I said before getting up off of her. I turned around again and she was running at me with a damn knife. Ace ran up and pushed her ass to the ground while Slick punched Mark in the face. All hell had officially broken loose.
Everybody started fighting. Mark was fighting Slick, I had to run over and tap Taylor's ass ‘cause she was tryna’ fight Ace. Then all of a sudden, I heard a gun go off.
Slick ran over to Ace and Mark and Taylor ran and sped off in their car but not before Slick shot Mark in the arm. I looked down at Ace and he had blood coming from his stomach, Gena came out panicking on the phone with the police and I could hear sirens in the distance but I was frozen.
I snapped out of it and took my shirt off and put pressure on his wound while holding his head.
"Baby, be strong," I kept telling him between sob
s. "Please, baby, keep breathing!"
The paramedics got there and pushed me out of the way.
"He's losing a lot of blood!" I heard one of them say.
"He’s going into shock!" I heard another one yell. They got him in the ambulance and I hopped back there as well.
"Ya'll take care of Ahleya! Meet me at the hospital!" I yelled to Slick and Gena. The paramedics were doing all they could, giving him oxygen and trying to keep his vitals stable but it wasn't looking good.
We pulled into the hospital as soon as I heard them say, "He’s crashing! CLEAR!" followed by the sound of them shocking him.
Everything went black…
Slick
"I can't lose my nigga man what the fuck!"
"Slick just calm down and Pray! If you have never prayed, I promise you need to start now! I am getting to the hospital as soon as possible.
"I can't speed too much because Ahleya is in the back and Kenyah is in my belly. Just calm down Kendrick, I told myself"
I tried to take her advice but I was nutting up, this had been my nigga since pre-school and I can't have him going out like this man.
I sat there and I prayed. I prayed hard. We pulled up to the hospital. I grabbed Ahleya and ran in the doors trying to get any information I could.
"He's in surgery,” I said to Gena when she walked in the room. We stopped and looked around and noticed that we didn't see Rayna. That was odd so we went to the front desk trying to get some answers.
Rayna
I woke up and noticed that I was hooked up to machines. As soon as my eyes adjusted to the light, Slick and Gena came rushing through the door with Ahleya in Slick's Arms.
"OMG where's Anthony!" I said starting to panic and trying to take these wires off of me.
"He's in surgery Rayna calm down"
"Calm down! Ya'll they had to use the procedure of defibrillation on him! How am I supposed to calm down?" Just then, the nurse walked in.
"Ma'am here are your discharge papers, you will be okay. We gave you some fluids a lot of our patients families pass out when they are under that kind of stress."
"Ok is there any information you could give me on my boyfriend?"
"Well I don't know too much as of now but he did make it through surgery which is always a good sign" everybody let out a sigh of relief.
"Any other information you will have to get from his doctor or nurse, the front desk can let you know who his nurse is" and with that we all walked out of the room. I walked up to the front desk and asked for his nurse and she went to get his doctor so he could tell us exactly what was going on.
"Hello, are you the family of Anthony Rowland?"
"Yes" we all said together.
"Well we were able to get the bullet out and thankfully it didn't hit any internal organs but he crashed in the ambulance because he lost so much blood. His blood pressure dropped and he went into decompensated shock. We had to give him some blood. His stomach is gonna be really sore for a while but lucky for him the bullet didn't hit any of his organs, we will need to keep him here for a week or two depending on how well he recovers. We have him sedated so he can rest to cut down the chances on his brain swelling, which is something patients often go through when they're bodies are met with a traumatic event such as this. You guys can go in and visit him, but please make sure you guys talk to him in a loving, positive way because even though he is sedated he can hear you and you don't want to stress him with a lot of crying. Which I know may be hard, but just try ok."
We all nodded our heads.
"His nurse, Mildred can direct you to his room."
"Thank you doctor," I said before going to find his nurse. We all followed his nurse to his room and as soon as she opened the door I ran straight to him. I was speechless at seeing him hooked up to all these wires with a breathing tube down his throat.
"Anthony hey baby, it's Rayna I'm here. Ahleya and I are right here baby and we will be here with you every day. Just get some rest so you can gain your strength back. I love you" I said before kissing his forehead. I grabbed the comfortable chair they had in the room and sat next to him holding his hand, Gena sat on the couch and fed Ahleya a bottle and Slick walked up to the other side of Ace's bed and started talking
"Man if you don't get yo ugly ass up outta this bed, you were just giving me advice and shit and now you laying right here. This will never happen again I promise. Mark won't get away with this. Rayna has been by your side the whole time. Gena and I are going to take good care of Ahleya until you shake this because we know Rayna is gonna want to be by your side. Im’a have everything in line when you wake up, the business will be fine. I got ya." With that he and Gena gave me a hug.
"Im’a stop by the house and pack her a bag. She'll be fine. Just do what you gotta do." I gave Ahleya a kiss and told Gena and Slick thank you before they walked out of the room.
Ace
I could hear everything they were saying but I couldn't reply. I felt so helpless. What happened to me? I knew I wasn't dead but something was so wrong. I started to try to think back but my mind was so cloudy, wtf. I was about to give up hope until I started to process what Slick had said to me
"Mark won't get away with this." I remembered that nigga shot me. Slick was beating his ass but he decided to pull his gun and shoot me. My brother really tried to end me. The only reason I hadn't let him meet darkness yet is because I didn't think he would actually try to kill me but I was wrong. I should have listened to Slick and took that nigga out from jump. Let me chill out and get some rest,
I'm gone need all my strength.
***4 days later***
I finally opened my eyes and looked over my shoulder. Rayna was laying on the couch with a blanket on her. I looked at the clock.
It was blurry but I could make out that it was 4:47 AM. I realized that there was a tube down my throat so I couldn't speak. I started moving around trying to find the call button for the nurse but it was too dark, so I started to shake the bed a little hoping that it would wake Rayna out of her sleep.
Rayna
I heard a lot of movement that woke out of my sleep. I adjusted my eyes and realized the movement was coming from Ace's bed, was he having a seizure? I ran to the light and turned it on. I walked up to his bed and I was so happy at the sight I was seeing.
Ace was awake.
"Oh my God! Thank you Lord! Let me go get your nurse!" I said running out of the room. Nurse Mildred was back on shift and came in the room to check his vitals.
"Hello Mr. Rowland!" She said cheerfully.
"I'm going to ask you some questions and I need you to Blink once for yes and twice for no. Do you know where you are?" and he blinked once, she asked him a few more questions and then notified me that she was going to get someone from respiratory to come and take his breathing tube out. I went by his side picked up his hand and kissed it. Tears escaped my eyes, but they weren't sad tears. I was extremely happy. I grabbed my phone and sent Slick and Gena a text saying.
"He's awake!"
About five minutes later Ace was getting his breathing tube taken out. I walked to the cafeteria and got him some warm tea for his throat, When I got back up to the room Slick, Gena, and Ahleya were walking into the room at the same time.
"Ahleyaaaaaaa hey booboo," I said to her while kissing her cheeks. We all walked in the room and Ace was sitting up in his bed looking at his phone frowning about something or another.
"My niggaaaaaaa" Slick said walking up to Ace's bed. They hugged each other and Ace reached his arms out for Ahleya. I went and sat on his bed with Ahleya in my arms.
"Hey baby."
"Hey mama," he said just above a whisper leaning up a little bit and giving me a kiss.
"I got you some tea." Gena got up and handed me his tea that I had given to her when I grabbed Ahleya." He took it and drank it. After he was done with his cup he made a face as if it were nasty. “Dirty water,” he said a little louder than he spoke before. He reached for Ahleya aga
in.
"Don't drop her" I said. He looked up at me with a "nigga please" mug on his face and I chuckled and gave her to him. He held her and kissed her cheeks before laying her next to him in his arms. He loved her more than anything else, but little did he know I had a surprise for him when he got home. I had been working hard these last few days to do something special for him.
The doctor walked in.
"Hello Mr. Rowland, I'm glad to see you awake. I'm gonna check your stitches. We will monitor you overnight and if you do well you can be out of here by tomorrow. The bullet hit mostly flesh and muscle so you will have some soreness but that's about it. The stitches seem to be doing great as well. Your scar will be very hard to see," he said covering the stitches back up and taking his gloves off.
"You will come back to see me in two weeks so that I can check on your stitches." Do you guys have any other questions?" Ace called him over and whispered something to him that made the doctor laugh. He gave him a simple "whenever you feel up to it" and they dapped each other up.
The next day they discharged Ace and he was more than excited to get out of the hospital. He refused to take the pain meds they gave him because he counted that as getting hooked on drugs and he wasn't having that so he threw them in the dumpster. He tossed everything but the numbing cream they gave him for his wound.
We got home and he walked into the house slowly because he was still sore. "Let me go put Ahleya in her bouncer and get you a Tylenol. "Ok," he said before sitting down on the couch and kicking his feet up.
Ace
Man I hate feeling this way. I barely got a cold so me feeling like this was really fucking me up. I knew Slick was handling business but I hate missing out on the action of what was going on with our business. I talked to Slick today and he said that our connect was starting to act shitty so it seemed like we were going to have to find a new one.
Just when I was starting to doze off the doorbell rang. Rayna ran in the living room.