by Jade Jones
“You mean if I had your baby scraped out?” she asked sarcastically. “Is that what you mean when you say handled?”
Jude sucked his teeth in annoyance. “Man, you know exactly what the fuck I mean,” he said with his back to Essence. Jude slowly made his way up the grand spiral staircase. The scenario with Cam wasn’t even a whole two hours ago, and already he was facing another.
Essence was in hot pursuit as she continued her rant. “I don’t fucking get you, Jude! What the hell does your wife have that I don’t?”
“My last name,” he said dryly.
“Fuck that! That shit ain’t a good enough answer!” she argued. “I need to know why I’m not good enough to have this baby! I was good enough for you to stick your dick in!”
Jude’s face flushed in anger. He wasn’t in the mood for Essence’s theatrics. It took everything in him not to turn around and push her big ass down the stairs. She was really testing him.
“Answer me!” Essence demanded. She grabbed Jude’s forearm from behind but he viciously snatched away.
“Fuck off me!”
Tears poured down her cheeks as she desperately pursued him. She wouldn’t leave until she finally made her point. “You are a coward, Jude! A mothafucking coward!” she screamed. “A Godless asshole! What type of man doesn’t take care of his kid?! Better yet, what type of man let’s a bitch convince him to not take care of his kid? I swear you’ve always let that hoe think and react for you! Does she fuck you with a strap-on too?”
Essence was about to follow him inside his bedroom when Jude suddenly slammed the door in her face. She laughed at how childish he was acting.
“You sad, pessimistic, little man. You are so fucking sorry it’s ridiculous! But it’s cool, Jude. I’ll let the courts speak for me ‘cuz I’m putting your ass on child support!” she threatened. “I thought we could go about the situation like adults, but its clear you wanna act like a little ass boy.”
Inside, Jude tried his best to drown out Essence’s useless shit talking. He did a couple more lines, but it only amplified his anger.
Essence slowly backpedaled from the door and headed towards the stairs. “No wonder that bitch gave up on your stupid ass. Shit, no wonder she fucked around on you, period! You ain’t a fucking man at all! Just a lil’ ass boy trying to fill the shoes of a real nigga!”
That comment instantly hit Jude beneath the waist. He was tired of motherfuckers comparing him to King. Not only that, but he hated to be reminded about his wife’s infidelities. Now Essence had gone too far.
“Bitch, what the fuck you just say?!” Jude hollered.
Before Essence could respond, Jude burst through the bedroom door and ran towards her full speed.
Essence was afraid that he’d hurt her, so she backed up in fear — and slipped down the spiral staircase uncontrollably. Her skull smacked several steps as she plummeted before landing on her midsection.
From the top of the staircase, Jude watched her struggle to move. A wicked grin was pasted on his handsome face.
Essence moaned in agony; she felt paralyzed from the fall. Her entire body was in unbearable pain.
Jude chuckled and shook his head as he descended the stairs. Instead of helping the mother of his child, he walked right past her.
“Jude?” Essence croaked out. “Jude… please…” At that moment, a warm and thick liquid drenched the center of her pants. When she looked down, she realized it was blood. “Jude… Help me. I—I think something’s wrong,” she cried.
Jude laughed to himself as he poured another shot. He wasn’t going to lift a fucking finger. In his opinion, Essence had gotten exactly what she deserved.
“Jude, please… call 911. I need an ambulance. Something is wrong!”
Essence couldn’t believe Jude found the situation amusing. There she was, afraid for her life and child’s well being, and Jude was laughing like a damn hyena.
Using what little strength she had left, Essence picked herself up off the floor and limped towards the door. She knew she was miscarrying without even having to be told. This day would forever remain imprinted in her mind. It would go down in history as the worst day of her life.
Essence would never forgive Jude. If she had a gun in her possession, she would’ve gladly shot his ass until the chamber was empty. He was a dirty motherfucker.
Essence’s legs wobbled as she struggled to walk. She’d never felt a more excruciating pain in all her life. She felt like she might’ve even dislocated something. Once Essence finally reached the door, she turned around in tears. “You ain’t shit!” she screamed. “I may be fucked up! But I ain’t nowhere near as fucked up as you, Jude!”
9
A Week Later
Roxie couldn’t believe she was still having difficulties reaching Cameron. There was never a time she was unable to get in touch with her. The two Face-Timed each other every day faithfully before they went to sleep. They were just that close. Now every time Roxie called her cell, it said the number had been disconnected.
Cameron didn’t have any social media pages, so Roxie had no other way of getting in touch with her. It wasn’t like Cameron to up and disappear. To make matters worse, Jude wasn’t answering any of her calls either. Roxie knew something was up, but she didn’t know to what degree.
She felt closed out and she hated it. After all, she and Cam were supposed self-proclaimed sisters. Anything she went through, she confided in Roxie, and vice versa. Why the hell was she on silent mode now?
“What is up with her?”
Rumor’s disappearance still haunted Roxie. Cameron going MIA gave her déjà vu all over again. The situations were just too similar. Roxie only hoped the outcome wasn’t as well.
After paying a trusted babysitter to look after Rain, Roxie decided to do some investigating of her own. Her first stop was Cameron and Jude’s Buckhead residence. Roxie had memorized their seven-digit entrance code by heart, so it wasn’t hard to gain access. Even if she didn’t remember it, all she’d have to do was punch 0 for the gates to open. Roxie warned Cam about fixing that glitch, but apparently she never got around to it.
As soon as Roxie parked her Audi A8, she hopped out and headed to the front door. Jude’s cars were all present and accounted for, so she knew he was home if nothing else.
What she didn’t know was that he was upstairs in his bedroom, nursing a pint of Patron Silver with a spaced out look on his face. He hadn’t left the crib since Cam took off — not even to handle business. Hell, he hadn’t even washed his ass. The break up really fucked him up, especially since he knew it was truly over.
Jag’s words replayed over and over in his mind. “I feel sorry for you, Jude. ‘Cuz one day all this shit eventually ain’t gon’ be enough for Cameron.”
Jude couldn’t function. It was so easy to mistreat Cam when he thought she’d always be around to take his shit. But now that she was gone, he could barely maintain.
Roxie waited outside for five minutes before finally chalking the visit up as a loss. Climbing back inside her foreign, she headed to the Warehouse — a space used to temporarily store stolen vehicles.
Roxie needed someone to fill her in on what was going on, and she prayed someone there could. The ride was short. After parking, she invited herself in like she was one of the guys. Jude didn’t even like Cameron being there, but Roxie didn’t give a damn. She could definitely become annoyingly persistent when it came to finding answers.
The Warehouse reeked of metal and heavy machinery. With a purple and silver theme, it was every mechanic’s utopia. Benzes, Lexuses, and Porsches were on full display with changed VIN numbers. Roxie felt sorry for the suckers who’d become victims. She hoped like hell they had great insurance coverage.
Two beautiful, topless dancers performed on a small, circular stage for the fellas working on stolen cars. One of the women smiled flirtatiously at Roxie when she caught her staring.
Roxie quickly looked away in embarrassment. “Has anyone seen or
talked to Jude lately?” she asked to no one in particular.
Everyone shook their heads at her question. “He ain’t been here all week,” one said. “Nobody’s seen the nigga.”
Roxie huffed and puffed as she continued through the Warehouse, determined to get answers. Jude practically lived there, and it was odd that no one had seen him. Something was definitely up. There was no denying that.
Roxie stopped at a closed door in the hallway. The window was fogged out so she couldn’t see inside, but she did hear voices on the opposite end. Without warning, she barged inside uninvited.
Jude’s enforcer, Mike reached for his piece, but relaxed when he saw it was Roxie. Motherfuckers knew better than to interrupt a vital meeting. Well… most motherfuckers knew better. Then again, Roxie had always been the unruly type.
Everyone’s heads whipped in her direction. All of Jude’s workers were seated at a long oak table. It was the same one King had beaten Vado on after finding out he was undercover. Seated at the head of it, like a father to his family, was Magyc. Right next to him was his older brother Michael.
“Where is Jude? Why hasn’t anyone heard from him? What is going on with Cameron? I can’t get in touch with either of them. Can someone please fill me in?”
“What the fuck is she doing here?” a member asked with a nasty attitude. First, Jude’s desertion and now this; the business was surely going to hell. There seemingly was no order present.
“Aye, chill, I got her,” Magyc said, standing to his feet.
Roxie watched as he swaggered over towards her. He was incredibly handsome that day in a Helmut Lang tee, designer jeans, and Martin Maison Margiela sneakers. His dreads were neatly tied to the back, and his gold jewelry shiny. Magyc’s swag was on a thousand.
After steering her back out into the hallway, he discreetly closed the door behind himself.
“What’chu doin’? You know you shouldn’t be here.”
“I have every damn right to be here as you do!” Roxie snapped. “I was friends with them when you were still jimmying locks on cars.”
Magyc frowned but remained calm after her fiery insult. “Feel better, ma?” he asked.
Out of nowhere, Roxie broke down crying. “We talk everyday. I just don’t know why they cut me off. I don’t know if I did something wrong.”
Magyc gently pulled her close and held her. “Ssh. You ain’t did nothin’. Listen to me. What they goin’ through ain’t got shit to do with you. You hear me?”
Roxie sniffled and nodded her head. When she realized how ridiculous she must’ve looked and sounded, she quickly straightened up.
“I’m sorry,” she laughed nervously. “I know I’m being extra as hell now. Cameron’s my best friend. She’s like family. I just didn’t know what else to do — or who else to go to.”
“Nah, you good,” he told her. “Look, just relax. Everything gon’ be good. They just need time and a lil’ space, a'ight. Have you eaten anything yet? You look a lil’ weary, no offense,” he quickly added.
“No…”
“Well, this what I want you to do. Pick a place — any place you might have a taste for. I’ma meet you there in ‘bout an hour. I need to finish handlin’ business with these niggas first. You got ‘em waitin’ on me,” he laughed.
Roxie smiled and gave him a knowing look. “Is this some slick way of taking me out on a date?”
Magyc chuckled, revealing the cutest set of dimples. “Maybe… is it workin’?”
“Maybe,” she giggled.
Magyc took her small hand in his. “All I need is thirty minutes. Let me do that for you. No funny business either. I know how you get down,” he added before holding his hands up in mock surrender.
Roxie had her reservations when it came to dealing with men of his caliber. However, she knew that she only lived once. Oh, what the hell? She wasn’t doing any harm by having lunch with him. Pushing her fears to the back of her mind, Roxie decided to take him up on his offer.
“Okay.”
Magyc was elated after she accepted, but he tried his best to play it cool. After plugging his number in her phone, he sent her cute ass on her way, and finished tending to business. With Jude temporarily out of commission, he now had to oversee the entire operation by making sure things still ran smoothly. A lot of the fellas weren’t feeling that since they’d been in the game longer, but it was what it was. His boss had given him a role, and he planned on playing it to perfection.
Being the head nigga in charge also meant that Jude’s problems would soon become his own. Magyc just didn’t know it yet.
10
Cameron had trouble grasping the fact that she was once again in her hometown, Cleveland. She had sworn that she’d never return, and like a menstrual cycle, she was back unexpectedly.
Much to Cameron’s surprise, her city looked a lot different than it did two years ago when she left. A few old buildings were knocked down, and in its place were newly built structures. Cam was extremely shocked to see that Viking Hall had been demolished. Now all she had were memories of living on campus. She missed those days. Shit was so much less complicated. Back then, the only things she had to worry about were Pocahontas and her antics.
Cam could’ve been tripping, but it looked like the city had come up on a little money after the new casinos opened. Horseshoe had the whole city buzzing. Cam even noticed a few new hotels downtown.
Cameron spent her first two nights at Aloft before finally securing a cheap two-bedroom apartment on the Westside of Cleveland she’d found on Craigslist. The owners only wanted $475 for the 620 sq. ft. unit, and she couldn’t beat the affordable price.
Cam didn’t have much to her name. Jude kept most of his assets locked away in a safe and foreign, untraceable bank account. He gave her cash whenever she wanted it, but she hardly if ever, needed anything. Cameron didn’t realize until then that that was his way of controlling her. His only means of keeping an invisible leash tied around her neck. Now that she was on her own, Cam had nothing but a few measly thousands to her name. It was pathetic.
After paying the deposit and first month’s rent, she was left with $2000. Furnishing the place cost another thousand. When it was all said and done, Cameron had less than $900 in her possession. There was no way in hell she would call on anyone to help her. She had far too much pride. This was her life. She’d made her bed and now she had to lay in it. Cam knew eventually she’d have to make something shake. And from the looks of things, it might just be her ass.
***
Table at Ten in midtown was the restaurant Roxie had decided on. Magyc only had her waiting five minutes before he waltzed inside and joined her in a booth near the window.
Butterflies formed in Roxie’s tummy the minute she saw him walk through the door. She hadn’t stopped watching it since he agreed to meet her. She wouldn’t admit it, but she hadn’t felt that much interest and chemistry since Joaquin.
Roxie quickly shook the dangerous thoughts from her mind. She knew she had no business thinking them. Besides, she’d made it more than clear that nothing would pop off between them.
We’re just having lunch. Nothing more, nothing less, Roxie reminded herself. Still, she couldn’t deny her attraction to Magyc. He was sexy, poised, and magnetic. She hardly knew him, but she yearned to be in his presence. There was something calm, and serene about him. Something inviting.
Watch it now, girl, she scolded herself. If she wasn’t careful she was bound to get caught up.
“Hey, beautiful. Did you order somethin’ already?” Magyc asked.
“No. I was waiting on you.”
“Nah, you ain’t have to do that, ma.”
“It’s no big deal. I’ve only been here five minutes.”
“Cool. Cool.”
Roxie smiled. “And thanks for brunch. I don’t think I would’ve eaten if it wasn’t for you offering.”
“Damn, bay. You can’t let yaself get stressed and overwhelmed by other people’s shit.”
> Roxie paused before responding. “I’ve always had a bad habit of doing that,” she confessed. “My sister constantly chastised me about the same.”
“I ain’t know you have a sister.”
“Had,” Roxie corrected. “She went missing over a year ago.”
“Damn.” Suddenly, Magyc understood why she was freaking out back at the Warehouse. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Roxie looked away before clearing her throat nervously. She didn’t feel like delving into that painful subject. “So… what about you, Magyc? What’s your story? You originally from Atlanta?”
“Nah, Miami. But I been here three years.”
“Hmm. Never been.”
“Maybe we could plan a trip one day.”
Roxie cut her eyes at him and grinned. “A little early to be making plans, ain’t it?”
Magyc chuckled. “You right. I guess I started making arrangements thinkin’ we would get that far.”
Roxie kept her gaze locked on him. He was too damn cute, and he knew it.
“We might though,” he said.
Before Roxie could tell him not to get his hopes high, their waitress returned to take their drink orders. Roxie settled on a mimosa, and Magyc fresh squeezed orange juice.
Once they were alone again, he continued with idle conversation. “So… how old is ya lil’ girl?” he asked.
“She’ll be a year in two more months. She’s already bad as hell though,” she laughed.
“You got her spoiled?”
“Cam and Jude got her spoiled… but I guess I played a part in it too,” she said. “You got kids?”
“Nah. I want some though one day.”
“Some?” she laughed. “How many is some?”
“I’on know. Maybe like three.”
“Boy, you won’t be saying that after the first one. I guarantee you that.” Roxie then decided to change the subject to a more serious one. “So what were ya’ll talking about back at the Warehouse.”
“Shit, really. Just briefin’ everybody while Jude’s layin’ low. I’m temporarily in charge until he gets back.”