by Jahquel J.
“I know for fact he is the one who shot and raped Ashley,” I said as I held the phone to my ear. It rang for a while before he answered.
“WHY THE FUCK DIDN’T YOU TELL ME JUELZ WAS ALIVE?” I screamed into the phone.
“Wait, how you found out?” he had the nerve to ask.
“He kidnapped my daughter, Kirk… you don’t think you should have warned me he was looking for me and Ashley? I know you knew.
“I planned on getting that nigga before he touched you, shit, damn. Lace gonna have my head.” He blew out some air.
“Well he done got my baby now. He wants three million tomorrow night,” I explained to him.
He told me to come pick him up from his hotel. I knew he was shitting brick from that four-letter word LACE. Sylvester Santos made the hardest niggas fold; Kirk was big boy in charge until that Lace came into the equation. I knew Kirk was willing to put his life on the line to bring my baby back home. Or else his life would be ending if she didn’t return home.
*
Milan
I woke up with my husband lying beside me and snoring peacefully. If I had known me stepping out the club would have made his ass come home, I would have been out all the time. I got up and went to take care of my hygiene. Once I was done, my phone started ringing so I went to answer it.
“Hello,” I sang into the phone, feeling real good about the morning I had.
“Milan! Where the fuck have you been?” Minka screamed hysterically at me. I looked at the phone and noticed it was a little after ten at night.
“Calm down, bitch. I was getting some much needed sleep and dick,” I chuckled but she didn’t.
“Ashley is in critical condition! Miya was kidnapped while I went to the hospital because you weren’t answering your phone!” she screamed.
“WHAT! WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW?” I yelled while slipping on a pair of jeans out my closet. Donovan had jumped up already and was looking around confused.
“Papa, someone kidnapped Miya and Ashley was shot,” I said to him before I got back to the phone. “Where do you want me to meet you?” I asked Minka.
“Me and Micah at the Hilton hotel in downtown Miami. Why do I feel like my life is being ripped apart at the seams?”
“I'm on my way now. Keep calm, Minka. Don’t fall apart.” I instructed.
*
Donovan and I were racing down the streets of Miami with a boulder on our hearts. I was so frustrated and Donovan saw it, he reached over and caressed my leg.
“Cookie, don’t worry. She’s going to pull through and Miya will be returned home, I put that on my life when I say that,” he said as he made a right turn. His eyes were bloodshot red and, although I didn’t know Donovan during his wild days, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
“I know, babe. I’m trying to be positive,” I said, looking out the window. I jumped when Donovan started banging on the wheel of the car.
“Who the fuck would try my family!” he yelled while the vein out his neck poked out.
We arrived at the Hilton, Micah and Minka and the same man from the club was sitting down. The man saw us and reached his hand out and shook Donavan’s hand. I looked at him and wondered what he and Minka had in common and why he was here. However, I knew Minka had a life in New York before moving to Miami.
“What’s good, bruh, who you?” Donovan asked as he stepped back from their embrace.
“Kirk, old friend of Minka’s,” he replied, keeping it short and sweet.
I ran over and wrapped my arms around Minka; she broke down and started crying harder and harder. She held on to me for dear life and I felt bad that I was getting dick and sleep while my sister was dealing with this alone.
“Milan, I need my damn baby. She has nothing to do with anything. I really need her,” she sobbed into my chest; I patted her head and held her in my arms.
“Don’t worry, Minka, she’s coming home. I can bet on that.”
Micah
I looked over at this man who called himself Kirk. He said he was able to get my princess back so I was rocking with him for now. Donovan kept pacing the hallway mumbling things to his self. I didn’t want my daughter’s abduction to cause him to go back to his wild and reckless days.
“I’m dealing with shit right now. Stay with your daughter or I will come over there and shove my gun in your mouth!” Donovan screamed on the phone while slamming his fist in and out of the wall.
“Chill, homie, I got this. We gonna bring her home. I can bet that.” Kirk calmed him down.
“How you plan on doing this?” I asked the quicker the better.
“If I tell you how then y’all wont be natural during this exchange. Just know he will be dealt with, do the exchange.” It made sense what he was saying; if he told me I would probably be looking around being nervous.
“My daughter’s life is in your hands…. Don’t fuck up.” I got up and went to get Minka. I carried her out the hotel and back home. Milan gave her sleeping pills to help her cope with not having Miya tonight.
I prayed like hell my daughter was safe and being treated right. It better not be a hair out of place on her head. The shit Minka was involved had me looking at her in a different light. Why didn’t she think to tell me what was going on? I could have had her and Miya protected like the first family. She was once again keeping secrets that cost her best friend and daughter’s life. I hoped like hell Ashley pulled through. She was strong and I had faith that she would make a full recovery. I already had my accounting pulling the money out my bank and getting it bagged and ready.
28
Sasha
“Lorenzo, you made me do it, I kept telling you to let me be and do what I asked but you had to go opening your mouth to her!” I screamed, standing over Meghan’s stiff body. Lorenzo’s pussy ass sat in the chair tied up crying and sniffling.
“You didn’t have to do that to her, Sasha. You are fucking crazy and need help,” he sobbed.
I admit, he just watched me stab his wife repeatedly with the same butcher knife she was using to cut his steak. I didn’t want to kill sissy but she once again was sticking her head where it didn’t belong. I came to my sister in my time of need. Instead of her being there for me she went on and on about Minka. I sat and watched her as she butchered his steak talking about how much Minka didn’t deserve what I did. And how she prayed for Byron’s family. When she asked me to help her finish cutting the steak while she stir-fried the string beans I took it as a opportunity to launch the knife into her back. After all that was what she was doing to me figuratively.
Lorenzo came in after she was already on the floor, hollering in pain. I stabbed her a few more times before I caught him the living room trying to dial the cops. I stabbed him in the back and tied him to the kitchen chair using pantyhoes. I turned my attention back to Lorenzo who was still in the chair shaking. He probably thought his life was next right along with his wife’s life. He was right; since he couldn’t do me the favor I asked he had to die. I asked him over and over not to mention it to Meghan; each time I spoke to him he assured me that he wouldn’t. To add assault to injury, here was my blood sister in her kitchen glorifying the bitch I hated; the same bitch that had me jumped and took my man.
“Lorenzo, to death do y’all part,” I said, slicing his throat. I knew within a few minutes he would be dead right along with my sister.
I wouldn’t rest until I had the life Minka had. I wouldn’t be satisfied until I woke up every morning to Micah. Why couldn’t any one do that favor for me and make me happy? Everyone wanted to make it seem like I was crazy. All I wanted was my life to be complete. My plan wasn’t to hurt Micah’s daughter; I just wanted her. The baby I was carrying was gone and probably would never have made it into this world. Doctors said I didn’t eat enough and didn’t take care of my baby. This was why I had to have Minka’s baby. Micah and me would raise her good. Why did she need her whore of a mother?
Jeremy…or Juez, I wasn’t good with names, came int
o the picture at the perfect time and now it was time for him to bow out. He refused to; I didn’t need him any longer. Especially when he mentioned the FBI wanted him. I didn’t need that around me especially after I had Minka taken care of. I didn’t know what his motives were with Minka and I didn’t care. I wanted my face to be the last one she saw when she took her last breath...I needed Micah to focus on his daughter, Miya, and me.
*
I walked into the house I was living in, Juelz was on the couch with a screaming Miya. All she did was cry and cry. I didn’t have milk to give her so I couldn’t breastfeed. I guess because I couldn’t do for her she didn’t need me. Typical people, only use you for what you got for the moment. Her spoiled ass was probably drinking golden milk.
“Shut her the fuck up,” I said and went to clean up in the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror. My freshly dyed sandy hair color looked just like Minka’s. My ass looked just like hers. Although, Meghan said my ass looked too big for my body. That was part of the reason her ass had to go, too.
“Come take her. I’ve been here all day while you out doing whatever your ass do,” he bitched.
“I had to take care of something important, give me her.” I reached for her and she screamed louder. I snatched her from him and slapped her hands.
“I am your mommy, stop being mean to me and love me.” I yelled at her. She continued to yell.
“Aye, chill that out. You ain’t that baby’s mother. We meet with her parents tonight.” He sat back and put his hands behind his head.
“She’s is with her mother. We just need to meet with her father.”
“You really bugged the fuck out. I’m about to take a nap so let her sleep because I don’t need no cranky baby during the ride,” he demanded just like Byron’s ass. Just saying shit and thinking it will get done because they say so.
An hour later he was sleeping so hard he didn’t hear us leave out the front door. She was quiet and satisfied once I gave her little ass some cookies. He would never see that money because my daughter and me were gone.
29
Juelz
“Shit, shit, shit,” I yelled while punching the couch. I should have known that bitch was going to pull this shit. Soon as her crazy ass started talking about she was that baby’s mother I should have took the little girl and dipped. They were calling me back to back about meeting up. I texted them and let them know the place; I was going to have to play it by ear. I grabbed a bunch of coats out the closet and left out the house but not before wiping everything down I touched.
I arrived at an abandoned warehouse; we were meeting in the alley that was near it. I saw a black Rolls Royce was already there. These motherfuckers didn’t know not to stunt. Who the fuck drives a black Rolls Royce to pick up their kidnapped child? Minka stepped out with Micah right behind her carrying a bag.
*
Minka
We walked over to Juelz holding Miya in a jacket. I reached for her but he told Micah to drop the bag. Micah dropped the bag and Juelz eyeballed it for a few before he handed me over the coat. At that moment I heard three shots go off and all three of them landed in Juelz’s head. I noticed the coat was a stray fucking cat that was clawing it’s way out of the coat. I dropped the coat and screamed.
“Noooooo! Where’s my fucking baby, you bastard,” I yelled hitting him in the chest. It was too late he was already gone.
I looked around to see where the shots were fired from, I didn’t see anyone near but I knew who it was: Kirk. What people didn’t know was Kirk was sniper in the army. When he came home from the army he didn’t have anything to his name but a house, his grandmother left him. Money problems set in and he had to do what he was accepted of him, hustling.
“Hello,” I answered. It was Kirk making sure we got Miya.
“No, we didn’t get her, he gave me a damn jacket with a cat in it.” I yelled. He told me to meet him around the front so that was what we did.
*
I rushed to the hospital pushing a hundred on the free way, Micah was in the passenger seat gripping the handle, I was going so fast. We got word from the cops that a baby came into the ER with a concussion, some internal bleeding in the brain. I knew it had to be Miya. Under the circumstances I didn’t wish any baby to be in that predicament but right now I wished it were my child in that hospital. Lord knows I couldn’t take another day waiting around and searching all over for Sasha. They went by and questioned Sasha twenty times and claimed she had nothing to do with it. I know that bitch had my baby. She even had the cops fooled.
We rushed into the emergency room and looked for the nearest desk. I came across one with a women sitting enjoying her lunch, she looked up at me and smiled. The way my hair and face looked her smile turned to a concern expression real quick.
“Hi, my name is Minka Santos, I was called here by the cops and told that a seven month old baby had just come into the emergency room.” I frantically asked.
“Yes, they told me you were coming. I can tell you right now that is your baby girl in there. She looks just like you sweetie.” I dropped to my knees and said a prayer of thankfulness to god. I don’t know how I could have taken it if it wasn’t my daughter in that room. Micah helped me up and gripped my hands.
“Please, please take us to our daughter,” I begged. She ushered us to the room she was in quickly. she was in a crib hooked up to all type of wires and tubes. My baby had a bruise the size of a baseball on the side of her head. I wanted to go rip all the tubes and wires out her and cradle her small body and take her home. I silently cried for ten minutes while the nice nurse patted my back.
“Do you know who brought her in?” Micah asked through gritted teeth.
“Someone saw her in a car seat in front the emergency room. The cops are looking through surveillance right now so they can piece together who could have dropped her off and who kidnapped her in the first place. I will be back to check her vitals soon, if you need me please page me with that button right there,” she directed us and left the room. Micah rubbed his hands through her soft curls. Her eyes were closed and she looked to be sleeping.
I pulled out my cellphone still shaking and walked over to the window to get better reception. I dialed Milan to let her know it was in fact Miya who was brought in.
“Milan, its her,” I broke down and cried.
“Minka, I’m on my way, I don’t know where Donovan is,” she said, I could hear her rumbling with a few things.
“Hurry up, I need someone to go check on Ashley,” I pleaded, she told me she was on her way and ended the call. I called Donovan a few times and each time it went to voicemail.
I walked over to my baby’s bedside and looked at her taking quick and steady breaths. I wish it were I laying here instead of her. She was my baby and I was supposed to be protecting her with all my might and I failed. I failed her as a mother, she was supposed to be finishing her feeding and getting rubbed down for bed. Instead she was lying in a hospital crib with bruises on her face. Sasha better had got out of the country because I was sure going to kill her with my bare hands. If y’all thought what I did to Snuff was bad, Sasha’s ass better be on the look out.
30
Micah
“Baby, I made you some breakfast,” Patrice said. She handed me a plate that consisted of turkey bacon, egg whites and whole-wheat toast. She pranced around her condo catering my every need. I wished like hell she stopped calling me baby.
Minka and me took turns staying at the hospital. It was my turn to go home and rest but I couldn’t bring myself to go home. I could have got a hotel but I didn’t want to be alone. My feelings for Patrice were for a friendship but I knew she wanted more. I didn’t know why I complicated things by staying here last night. I knew Minka would have a fit; she was already dealing our daughter and her best friend in the hospital. I powered my phone on and noticed a downpour of email, text and calls. Milan happened to be calling just as the phone powered on.
“Yo, sis, w
hat’s good?” I answered.
“Miya has taken a turn for the worst, where are you?” she asked. I could tell she was driving.
“SHIT! What happened?” I yelled
“She keeps having febrile seizures, she has a fever on 105 degrees,” she informed me. My mind started racing and before I knew it was grabbing anything and throwing it on.
“Baby, where are you going?” Patrice asked, sitting up in the bed.
“Micah, you couldn’t answer your phone because you are with another bitch? My sister put her trust back into you so you can dog her out again?” I had forgot Milan was still on the phone, I didn’t need her to tell Minka this.
“Milan, it’s not like that. Don’t mention this Minka until I can explain.”
“Nigga, I’m not mentioning it because she’s going through a lot with her daughter in the hospital after being kidnapped by your crazy side chicks and her best friend fighting for her life. Yet here you are still messing with some more when are you going to learn, Micah? You were a good guy you wouldn’t have never did no shit like this. Why are you risking your family for females who only care about your bank status? Come on and wake up.” I blew out a sigh and put my head down. Who was I? This life isn’t me.
“You are so right, sis, I’m on my way now…. just know I didn’t fuck her. I just didn’t want to be alone.” I heard her tone soften.
“Micah, if I didn’t care I wouldn’t waste my time telling you this. I care about you, bro, and I want to see you and Minka make it down that aisle. There are a lot of people who don’t want that to happen. I’m walking into the hospital now, I’ll tell her you’re on your way.”
“I appreciate it, Milan. I promise I’m going to make it up to her.” I ended the call. I was already dressed and heading to the door when I heard Patrice let out a loud shrieking scream.