Rozalyn 2: Vengeance of the Heart (Rozalyn Series)

by Shan

  “Yea, I had it picked out for us. For our little family I was getting ready to start with you until you messed it up,” I said.

  “When are you gonna forgive me Key? I’ve told you a thousand times that I was sorry.”

  “You so sorry that you decided to keep that nigga baby.”

  “A baby that can be just as much yours as it is his.”

  “You know damn well that baby ain’t mine. I was gone during the time you got pregnant. I’m not stupid Latoya.”

  Latoya folded her arms over her belly then looked around the house; she walked over to the fireplace and looked at the African figures that were lined neatly across the top.

  “These are nice. Where’d you get them from?” she asked picking one of the figures up.

  “Some dude that be selling them down by the beach. I go by there once a week and pick a couple of them up.”

  “Yea I like these. Real nice,” Latoya sighed. “Keylan I really appreciate you letting me borrow the money. I promise once I get back on my feet that I will pay you back.”

  “I’m not worried about that money Toya. You sure moving out here is what you wanna do?” I asked placing a wad of money in her hands.

  “You know I don’t wanna move out here but with my mama not talking to me and then you and….and Kevin being here I really don’t have a choice. I don’t want my baby girl flying state to state,” Toya leaned against the couch and looked at me somberly.

  “Having a little girl huh?”

  She smiled, “Yes, I’m going to name her Keymani,”

  I raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything; Keymani was the name she always talked about naming our daughter whenever we had one and here she goes giving it to Kevin’s daughter. I was one hundred percent certain that Latoya’s baby wasn’t mine. The night I proposed to Latoya was the first time I had been back in Atlanta in two months and before then we used protection. I knew how to do simple math and put two and two together to know that, that was out of her and Kevin. I didn’t have anything to do with it.

  The only reason why I was loaning Latoya money was because I knew her mama wasn’t going against me and let her back in the home that I brought and ’cause I knew she’d lost her job for calling in so much. I still had love for her so part of me wanted to help. I only gave her enough to put a good down payment on an apartment, pay the rent for a couple of months and get a little food. Other than that she was on her own.

  She used money I gave to her and gave it to another nigga; even though he ultimately gave most of it to Kayla it still was the fact that Toya took money from me to give to him. What she did was just flat out disrespectful and I could never be with her again.

  “So, how is Rozalyn doing? I would like to go by and see her, do you have her number?” Latoya asked rubbing her stomach in a circular motion.

  “She doing good; you know her and Tae got married a couple of weeks ago,” I said.

  “Yea, I heard. Brian showed me the pictures. Do you have a number for her? I want to see her. She up and changed her number and didn’t even tell me. I haven’t heard from her since she got back.”

  “Yea I got her number but I know for a fact that she ain’t trying to see you. She made it clear to everybody if she did she was gonna fuck you up.”

  Latoya laughed, “Fuck me up?” Toya pointed to the middle of her chest. “Fuck me up for what?”

  “She blames you for me shooting Kevin,” I stated smugly.

  “How the fuck do she blame me? So, I guess when Tamar finds out she fucked Brandon…..” Latoya shook her head. “Damn, I….”

  “He already knows,” I sucked my teeth. "You knew all this time and didn't tell me huh?"

  “Look, just forget I ever said that. I’m gonna leave now.”

  “I guess I put too much trust in you. You were just keeping secrets and cheating.”

  “Forget it Key! I shouldn’t have said anything,” Latoya opened the front door and walked towards her car with me right on her tail.

  “Okay but you did. How many times did it happen?”

  “Damn, you act like you fuckin’ her or something! Let’s forget about it, it’s not our business.”

  “It’s my business when it involves my boy!”

  “Brandon is your boy too, so forget it! I'm not trying to get involved in that!"

  I sucked my teeth once again and was about to question her further when I spotted my BMW turning into the gate. I opened the door for Latoya for her to get in and she leaned over and kissed me on the lips.

  “As far as I know it happened one time back when Tamar was in the hospital and was still with Shalea. It’s not a big deal and I think you should let it go.”

  I nodded my head satisfied that Rozalyn told the truth about sleeping with Brandon that one time in the ATL. I hurried and tried to get Latoya in the car to leave but Starr was already pulling in front of the house and if Latoya didn’t get into the car I knew this shit was gonna turn ugly. I had no intentions on hooking up with Toya’s home girl, shit just happened like that. I furthermore didn’t have any intentions on bringing her back to Miami with me but hell I was really feeling Starr. She was kind of young but very mature for her age, and I loved the hard core persona she put up.

  “Isn’t that your car?” Latoya asked looking at the BMW.

  Damn I hope they don’t start fighting out here. I thought as I watched Starr get out of the car, she pulled her shades over her head and came over to where we were standing by Latoya’s car.

  “What’s up bitch? What you doing down here? I didn’t know you were out here,” Starr said poking at Latoya’s belly.

  “I didn’t know you were out here either, what are you doing down here? I figured you would’ve came back with Brian,” Latoya said while looking at me the whole time.

  “Oh well….ummm Rozalyn needed some help with the baby and I told her I would stay for a couple of more weeks. I’ve always wanted to visit Miami you know.”

  “Really? I guess she needed you to drive Keylan’s car too.” Toya looked at Starr waiting for an answer.

  “Look ain’t no need for me to lie and I rather you hear from me than anybody else. Starr and I together,” I said and grabbed a hold of Starr’s hand.

  “What? All the females in the world you go and get with my friend. Damn Starr, is that how we get down? What, you learn that from Rozalyn?”

  “Anyway, baby look. I think we need to go over to Tae’s. Some crazy shit just went down and I don’t want him hurting my girl,” Starr looked up at me.

  “Yea, I already know about that. I'm about to head over that way now.”

  “Oh so ya’ll gonna fuckin’ ignore me like I’m not here!” Toya yelled.

  “Toya me and you not together no more, I’m not trying to get back with you! You got what you came for so bounce. Get from in front of my house with that bullshit,” I roared.

  “Oh, now ‘cause this bitch here you wanna start talking to me crazy! Five minutes ago it was nothing but niceness!” Latoya bellowed.

  “Yea, that was before you started trying to check me about what I do with my life! I don’t owe you an explanation and neither does Starr. It is what it is,” I let out a frustrated sigh.

  “Bitch, you just wait until I have this muthafuckin’ baby! I’m a get all in your shit!” Latoya shot threats at Starr.

  “Yea like how you got in Kayla’s huh, you know you can’t fuck with me! I gets down with the best of them and you know it!” Starr moved closer to Latoya.

  “Baby go get in the car, I’m a lock up so we can go check on Tae and them,” I pulled Starr back, kissed her on her lips, and then pushed her in the direction towards the car.

  “Keylan, how could you? That’s my friend!”

  “Yea and you fucked my cousin’s fiancé and got pregnant. Look I ain’t got time for this shit, you got what you came for so get the fuck off of my property!” I walked away going inside of the house, grabbed a hat, set the alarm then walked back outside. Toya was standing
next to her car shooting daggers through the windows of my ride. I shook my head and walked over to the car. “Don’t make me have to get security to make you leave. I asked you nicely.” I got in the car, cranked it, and drove down the driveway.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything to her.” Starr said firing up a Newport.

  “You good, I’m not worried about her. She made her bed now she gotta lie in it,” I sped out of the driveway once the gate opened.

  “You told her we were together. Were you just telling her that?” Starr asked blowing smoke out the crack in the window.

  I smiled, “I hope not. I thought we were together. I don’t just bring random chicks to my crib and I damn sure don’t let random chicks drive my car.”

  Starr giggled sounding like a little school girl, “You just made my fuckin’ day. Damn.”

  “Bet that. You and Brian still gonna get that apartment out here?”

  Starr sighed, “I don’t know if Rozalyn and Tae are gonna be together after today. We were all supposed to open a shop together.”

  “How did all this shit happen?” I asked.

  “I lied to you this morning when I said I was going to the gym with Rozalyn,” she looked at me over the rim of her sunglasses. “Rozalyn went through Tamar’s phone again last night and found some text messages from some lil’ females, one in particular from Diamond saying she wanted to meet and talk today about the baby. Tae text her back and told her to meet him at the condo. So to make a long story short, Rozalyn had me take her over there this morning and we walked in and caught them fuckin’.”

  “Yea he told me he got busted with Diamond."

  “Wait, that’s not even the worst part. This Diamond is actually Danesha; Rozalyn’s sister.”

  I almost ran into the curb trying to read Starr’s facial expression to see if she was telling the truth. Rozalyn’s sister. I thought.

  "Her sister? Are you sure? He didn't say nothing about her being Roz's sister. What the fuck? No wonder that nigga wanted her dead."

  “The bitch might be dead. Tamar ran back into the house and start shooting at that hoe.”

  “Nah, he just did that shit to scare her. What the hell? You sure that it’s her sister, did Rozalyn say it was her sister?”

  “Yea, she said it was her sister. One thing that I know for sure that Tae and Rozalyn got in common if they ain’t got nothing else is some shady ass fuckin’ family members. I thought my family was fucked up but hell my people ain’t did shit compared to this shit right here. Like how you gonna send your child to be with your husband knowing he like to rape young girls, that shit is foul. Then you let everybody believe that she was dead. I’m quite sure her ass is burning in hell right about now.”

  ****

  Ding! Dong! Ding Dong!

  I leaned on the bell over and over again, waiting for someone to come to the door. Tamar and Rozalyn could be heard arguing from all the way outside and I just hoped that Tamar hadn't laid hands on her.

  "Yo, where they at?" I asked Taron as he opened the door.

  "Upstairs in the bedroom. Tae locked the door so nobody can get in," Taron said walking towards the living room.

  Starr and I followed Taron into the living room where Money was seated on the floor entertaining Tamarion.

  "I'll be back," I said after hearing glass shatter from upstairs. I took off up the stairs, down the hall to Tamar's bedroom.

  BAM! BAM! BAM!

  "Yo, open the door!" I yelled twisting on the door knob.

  BAM! BAM! BAM!

  "Tae, open up!"

  The door flew open and Tamar stood with bloodshot eyes, with every vein in his body poking out, and a pistol idling by his side.

  "Fuck is going on? What you doing with that?" I asked looking from Tamar to Rozalyn. Rozalyn was standing in the corner of the room next to several bags she'd packed up. Her face was red from crying but she seemed untouched.

  "Only way she leaving is in a body bag and I mean that shit! Til death do us part right?" Tamar said.

  "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey you taking that shit a little bit too far. I don't think that's what it means bruh," I stepped into the room walking a little closer to Rozalyn in case Tamar got silly in started firing bullets. The whole bedroom was fucked up, clothes were everywhere, and the TV had fallen over to the floor. Even picture frames had fallen and shattered. "Rozalyn gone down stairs and let me holla at him!"

  "My nigga move! Don't come up in here getting in the middle of this shit like I told her she ain't leaving unless she leaves in a fuckin’ body bag!"

  "Fuck that Tae! Let her leave, you gotta give her some time to cool off from this shit! You know she will be back!"

  "No, I ain't coming back. Tell that nigga to go be with my sister who he's been so kindly fuckin’ while I was over there suffering waiting on him to save me and his son!" Rozalyn cried.

  "For the thousandth time! I ain't know it was your damn sister! After the bullshit you did to me you wanna leave me behind some shit I ain't know nothing about! Fuck that bitch I'm a kill your ass if you walk out that door!" Tamar yelled waving the gun towards Rozalyn and me.

  "Tae come on dog! You acting real ignorant right now! Put that damn gun down! Ya'll need to sit down and talk about this shit like two fuckin’ adults! This is crazy!" I let out a deep breath and shook my head not believing Tamar actually had a pistol pointed at this damn girl. "Tae, let her leave. Both of ya'll need time to calm...."

  Before I could finish my sentence Rozalyn jolted out of the bedroom door with Tamar right on her ass. I chased the two of them praying that this nigga didn't shoot her.

  "Starr...Starr come on, come on!" Rozalyn grabbed Starr's arm and pulled her out the front door.

  I rushed towards the door, stepping in front of it and blocking Tamar's exit.

  "Get the fuck out of my way!" Tamar yelled.

  "Nah, you need to chill out! You know damn well she'll be back! She left her shorty here so you know she not going far! Just chill!" I pleaded with Tamar.

  He brought his hands over his face and let out an exasperated sigh before turning around and heading back up the stairs. The only thing that could be heard over the awkward silence was the sound of the tires peeling from my BMW as the girls drove out of the driveway.

  There has been more than enough drama for one day and I still gotta figure out a way to get Tavon's ass before Tae finds out.

  28 BRANDON

  Mistake #2

  "Who is it?" I groggily asked.

  "It's me Brandon!" I heard Rozalyn yell from the other side of the door. I yawned, stretched, and then reached for the locks to unlock them.

  "Thanks Starr," Rozalyn looked over her shoulder at Starr who was rocking a mean mug with her arms folded across her chest.

  "Thanks Starr? Bitch, I'm not leaving you here. You told me you were gonna stop by here to see how he was doing and then get a room. What the fuck is this thanks Starr shit?" Starr rolled her eyes.

  "I'm a chill for a minute, I'll call you okay," Rozalyn looked from Starr to me and let off a slight smile.

  I didn't know what the fuck neither one of these bitches was up to nor was I in the mood. My head was pounding from lack of sleep and too much damn alcohol.

  "This is how you end up in trouble." Starr pulled Rozalyn towards her and turned her back to me so that I couldn't see what was being said. "Roz, don't come over here with some stupid shit on your mind. You just got married two weeks ago; this is not smart. You gonna end up floating in a damn river. You know Tamar is crazy."

  "I came over here to check up on my friend. Nothing more. Come back and get me in a couple of hours okay?" Rozalyn walked around Starr and brushed passed me walking into the house.

  I smiled at Starr knowing that the only reason Rozalyn was over here was because Tamar fucked up just like I thought he would. I gotta say, I didn’t think it would be so soon. After slamming and locking the door in Starr's face I turned and walked into my living area and crashed on the buttermi
lk, leather sofa.

  "What's up?" I asked looking up at Rozalyn.

  "Damn Brandon I can smell the liquor from a mile away. Look at your damn face," Rozalyn came closer to me rubbing the stubble that had grown over my face from lack of shaving. "I saw the news this morning...about Brittany. I'm sorry. I can't believe that they found her dead. How are you doing?"

  "I'm a’ight I guess," I sighed.

  Rozalyn came and sat next to me on the couch, placing her head in my chest, "When is the funeral?" she asked.

  "This coming Sunday. Her mom is handling all of it. I just couldn't do it.”

  "Man, I know that me and Brittany didn't really see eye to eye but I thought she was cool. I would've never wished something like this on her."

  I brought my arm around Rozalyn cradling her closer to me, "I ain't trying to be funny but I don't really wanna talk about Brittany right now. The shit driving me crazy and I rather not discuss it."

  "Okay. I'm sorry. I'm here for you."

  "Does your husband know you here for me? Let me guess, ya'll had an argument and you came over here to talk to me about it huh?" I said knowing that Brittany was not the reason she was here.

  "Yea we got into a little argument but I came here ’cause I wanted to be here with you. I know how it feels to lose someone you love Brandon. I didn't want you to be alone."

  "I rather be alone. I really don't feel like being bothered."

  "Okay," Rozalyn got up from the couch and began picking up beer cans, trash, and other shit I'd recklessly thrown onto the floor. "I won't bother you but I'm not going anywhere."

  Rozalyn continued to clean my house while I lay on the couch sulking. This whole Brittany situation had me fucked the hell up. I haven't been able to sleep ever since the shit happened. I'm not a fuckin’ murderer man; I never pulled a trigger on anybody unless it meant my life. What happened to Brittany was a fuckin’ accident. I was drunk and pissed the fuck off; I only meant to scare her but not hurt her. Wish I could take all this shit back, never going to Jamaica to be a part of a wedding that I didn't want shit to do with in the first place.