by Shan
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Just as someone came banging on the door, I swung at Tamar causing him to stagger backwards and trip over a cord on the floor. He went stumbling to the ground, and I used that as my opportunity to go in on his ass. I threw punch after punch at him connecting a few of them to his face and drawing blood. The sight of this nigga, Tamar’s, blood excited me, and I chuckled as I tried to beat his fucking face in.
Behind me, I could hear the door coming open, and in that instant, it was like Tamar had turned into the Incredible Hulk on a nigga. He was able to flip on top of me, and he took one of his big ass hands and wrapped it around my throat while bashing my face in with the next one. I took my foot and was able to kick that nigga back and climb to my feet. That quick, Tamar pulled a pistol and had trained it between my eyes. I sucked my teeth and gritted down.
“Tamar! Tamar! Stop it! Put the gun down!” a chick yelled and suddenly jumped in between us. It took a minute for me to recognize her as being Tamar’s shawty, Rozalyn.
“The fuck are you doing here?” Tamar roared. He kept his eyes and the gun on me. I took my hand and pulled away my dreads that had gotten stuck to the blood that was on my face.
“Dae,” Taylana cried, as she came and ran beside me.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Rozalyn asked Tamar. “How many times I gotta tell you to stay out of Taylana’s life? That’s her child’s father, and you down here about to kill this boy. You trying to lose her in your life or something?”
“The fuck? You done lost your muthafuckin’ mind?” Tamar asked her, as he grabbed her arm and pushed her out of the way, but she jerked away from him and stood right back in between us.
“I ain’t lost my mind, but you have. This girl been crying for months about you interfering with her shit, and you just won’t listen. Leave her alone!”
“Man, this nigga tried to kill her! You forget her laying up in the hospital damn near to the point of unrecognition was because of this hoe ass nigga! The fuck you mean leave her alone! I ain’t bothering her. It’s this nigga I’mma give it to. You think I’m just gonna sit back and let a nigga put his hands on my sister? Fuck that! He’s a dead man!” Tamar roared, and I sucked my teeth.
I hated them threats man. I didn’t give a fuck who this nigga was. He could get that action just like any regular nigga could. He acted like I didn’t have goonies on my side too. Fake ass mafia nigga had me fucked up.
Rozalyn laughed before she crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her head to side. She stared at her punk ass husband like he had lost his mind. Hell, he had us both fucked up, and I kinda wanted to go stand by her side and let her know I had her back. That shit would be funny, and I know that nigga would be even madder. I inched towards them ready to do it until Rozalyn spoke a nigga into shock.
“You mean, like how you tried to kill me a few damn times? You are such a fuckin’ hypocrite! No, I don’t expect you to sit here and watch as your sister gets abused, but that’s obviously who she wants to be with. The same way I wanted to be with you, even after what you did to me. How would you feel if my brother did everything in his power to keep me away from you or even come after you? Lana wants to be with her baby’s father and instead of you trying to kill his ass, how about you mold that nigga into being the man you need him to be for your sister. Hell, if your ass can change, then anybody can,” Rozalyn said, and part of me wanted to yell out damnnnnn, but I kept my composure.
“Get the fuck outta here, Rozalyn! Taylana, let’s go!” Tamar yelled, and without blinking, that nigga pulled the trigger causing Taylana and Rozalyn to both duck.
The bullet grazed my ear and went into the wall behind me. My hand went up to cover my ear, as it burned, feeling like a fire had been set to it. I gritted down, mad as a muthafucka that I didn’t have my tool on me. Just as I was beginning to wonder where the fuck my brothers were, them niggas came running through the door. I could see that Cass was ready to murk something, but I shook my head letting him know to chill on it.
Tamar snatched his broad up, and I nodded for Taylana to go with them, but her hardheaded ass insisted on staying behind. I shook my head and sucked my teeth as I nodded again, but still, her ass didn’t move an inch.
That nigga Tamar looked at Taylana like he was hurt behind her actions, and truthfully, I understood it. I ain’t have no sister, but if I had, I would be the same way behind her. I guess, after realizing that Taylana wasn’t budging, Tamar stormed out of the room with Rozalyn on his trail.
“Oh, my God, I am so sorry. He must’ve followed me here. He’d been asking me for the longest if I knew where you were and I had been telling him no. I thought I was being careful, but I guess I was wrong,” Taylana said, and none of it even mattered.
“I need to get up out of this hospital!” I said, as I snapped and started looking around the room for some clothes to change into. I had on a hospital gown, and my ass was all out for the world to see.
“You good, bruh?” Khi asked, and I sucked my teeth.
“I’m straight. I just feel a little bit too naked, and that shit making me nervous. Y’all ain’t bring a nigga no clothes?” I asked, and they looked at me like I had said something they couldn’t understand.
“Nah nigga, your shawty called and said you was in this bitch locked up with Tamar, and we came straight over. You been in a coma for three damn months. We ain’t know when the hell you was gonna wake up or if you even would,” Cassidy said, and that caused me to take a step back to think for a minute.
“Three months? I was in that bed for three months?” I asked, as I looked at the hospital bed.
“Yea, three months…welcome back,” Khi chuckled, as he grabbed me and pulled me into his embrace.
I couldn’t believe I had been down so long, but it made sense. I knew something had to be the reason why my mind felt at ease for a change. Shit, I thought that I had finally had a good night’s rest, but months’ worth of rest. Damnnnnn.
Khi held on to me tight as hell like he missed a nigga. I wanted to laugh, but I knew that he was probably feeling a little guilty about what had gone down. He was the one that had me locked up and niggas had almost killed me because of it.. I knew that, no matter what we went through, he wasn’t trying to lose a nigga.
“Lana, do me a favor, and go find me some clothes to put on. I can’t go out there looking like this,” I told her, as Cass came over and hugged me, too.
This pretty hair ass nigga was sweating hard as fuck, and I knew that only meant that he was mad. Cass was about that action, for real, and I knew that, if I wouldn’t have stopped him, he would’ve put one in Tamar’s head.
I waited until Taylana stepped out of the hospital room before I took a seat on the bed and took in a deep breath. My brothers stood in front of me, and I could see that they were ready for whatever, but I wasn’t even on that. If Tamar left me alone, then I would leave his punk ass alone. I was the one that should’ve known to never get into bed with Taylana, and I damn sure should’ve never put my hands on her.
“We gon’ be at that nigga’s head, you feel me? I already got the goonie Tramell rounding up the goon squad. He done came at you too many times, bruh. Ain’t no forgiving this shit,” Khi said, and I could look at him and tell he was serious.
Just looking at my big bruh, something about him looked familiar. It was something that I hadn’t seen in this nigga in a long ass time. He was looking like the brother I knew again. His eyes were dark, the veins in his neck were protruding, and he couldn’t even keep his hands contained long enough to compose himself.
Khi had a temper, and truth be told, his shit was the worst out of all of us; he just learned how to control it a whole lot better than we did. The last time I had seen him this bad, though, was when he found out Briana’s ol’ stank ass fucked with them needles. Niggas was getting their heads knocked off for the smallest things, and I was there for all of it.
“Nah, let’s chill. I’m good on that. I admit I was w
rong for even crossing that line with shawty. Me and that nigga gonna get some understanding for the sake of the kid, because I do wanna be in my young one’s life. I know that, as long as me and that nigga beefing, though, that’s not even a possibility.”
“Just let me handle it—“ Khi started, but I cut him off.
“Nah, bruh, I’m serious. But shit here I am talking about going home and asking for clothes and I forgot that my ass was locked up and going back to jail,” I chuckled and shook my head. “I do wanna give it to them niggas that violated me when I was on lockdown, though, so when I go back in…”
“You ain’t going back in. Notice twelve ain’t around even though one of them pussies was supposed to be on the door and controlling who the fuck came in,” Khi said, and I sighed.
“What you mean?” I asked for confirmation.
“You know KaeDee was gonna come through for you. He got them to drop the charges. They got you on the assault shit from when you was in Colorado, but the judge said you was good with the time that you served.”
“Aww shit, so you came through for the kid?” I said and stood up to hug Khi, and he pushed me back.
“Nigga, I just hugged you. Put some clothes on before you touch me again,” Khi said, causing me and Cassidy to both chuckle.
We sat back chopping it up, and I told them everything that happened up until the time that I was jumped and shanked, and apparently, ended up here. I wanted to get at them niggas bad as fuck, and not only that, but Khi was saying that we were losing our hold on the streets. Back when we lost the plug and ran out of work, niggas moved in on our territory, and with so much other shit going on, we hadn’t been able to get it back yet.
“Let’s take our shit back, and take they shit too, since they wanna play,” I said, and I could see that both of my brothers agreed.
Just as I was about to put a plan into motion, Taylana walked in with a bag from Wal-Mart and handed it over to me. There was a pack of white t-shirts and some gray jogging pants, which was cool until later.
“Let me holla at her real quick, and I’ll meet you niggas outside,” I told Khi, and Cassidy’s attention was so deep into his phone that he didn’t even say anything and just walked out.
Once Khi left out, I pulled the hospital gown away from my body and stood there naked in front of Taylana. She was having a hard time keeping her eyes on my face, and I’m not gonna lie, I wouldn’t have mind getting my dick wet. Taylana had some good box, but I didn’t wanna do that to her. I knew that ninety percent of women equated sex to feelings, and I didn’t want her thinking that, because we fucked, it meant something.
“Where you been staying at?” I asked Taylana, as I opened the pack of shirts and put one on.
“I had been in Miami with Tae until what happened to you. I got a little spot not far from the last one,” she said, and I nodded. I pulled the sweat pants up and slid my feet into the jailhouse flip-flops that sat close to the bed.
“Maybe you should go back to Miami.”
“Why? I got everything set up for us and our son.”
“Son?” I looked at her and couldn’t help but smile hearing that I was gonna have another lil’ nigga to call my own.
“Yes, I found out like a month ago. I have been waiting to tell you. I knew you was gonna be happy,” she smiled, and I placed my hand over her stomach.
Taylana wasn’t that far along the last time I had seen her. I had to keep reminding myself that I had been in a coma for three months, and time sure didn’t stop for my ass. Her belly now poked out to a point where it couldn’t be missed, and it was nice and hard.
“That’s what’s up. That does make me happy. I’m a be in the kid’s life, that’s for sure. You ain’t gotta worry about that.”
“I wasn’t worried. I know that you are.”
“But I don’t want you to be out here by yourself. We can just figure some shit out when it comes to me seeing him and shit like that.”
“What are you trying to say, Dae?” Taylana asked, as her eyes watered.
I reached out and pulled her to me. I wrapped my arms around her and forced her to look up at me. By now, the tears had started to fall, and I felt bad that I was doing this to her, because I knew she really loved a nigga. That was one of the things that really made me fuck with shawty. She loved a nigga through his faults, but I couldn’t help that my heart was in another place. It had always been; I was just too fucked up to see that, and I had hoped that, after all the drama and bullshit, it wasn’t too late to salvage.
“I think we need to give each other some time and just do that co-parenting thing, you know?”
“You don’t wanna be with me anymore?”
“I’m just saying…I just need some time to be by myself. You know, I almost got murdered twice by your brother and—“
“I think that, after today, he’s gonna leave you alone,” Taylana said, desperately.
“That’s cool…cause I want to be able to be in my son’s life, but still—I need time.”
Taylana’s phone began to ring, and she reached inside of her purse and pulled it out. Once she answered it, she handed the phone over to me.
“Who this?”
“Your brother,” she said, and I placed the phone to my ear.
“What up?” I said.
“Aye, I got a lil’ issue at home, and Cassidy had to go handle some business. You want me to wait on you, or you gonna get your shawty to drop you somewhere?” Khi said, and I started heading toward the door.
“I’ll be down,” I told him, and ended the call. I handed Taylana her cell phone and kissed her on the cheek. She looked at me with tears running nonstop from her eyes. “We gon’ be good. I’m not gonna leave you out here like that. The kid got love for you, so know that.”
“Okay,” Taylana said, shakily, and I kissed her once more before I turned around to leave. I didn’t even wait to be checked out this muthafucka, but shit, fuck it. They had held the kid down for three months, and now it was time for me to get back to my streets. Shit, I might have woken up in my feelings and missing my family, but don’t get it twisted, I was still the same Daelan Prince.
Chapter 5
Cassidy Prince
I bobbed my head, as I pulled into Village Oaks Apartments and drove around until I found the building I was looking for. As soon as I pulled into a free parking spot, I put the truck in park, grabbed my pistol, and hopped out. I hadn’t been in this part of the hood in a minute, and I could tell ain’t shit changed.
The whole muthafuckin’ hood was out. Niggas was shooting dice all around this bitch, while others were serving the fiends that straight drop. All this action brought back memories, back when me and my brothers used to go from hotboxing to trapping. We were for real about that come up, and I was proud to say that we had come a long way. Although I had missed time putting in work, Khi and Dae made sure they stayed at it, and I owed them for that. It was catch-up time for me.
Tangie’s ass just don’t know what she was doing. It was the wrong time for her to be at a nigga’s throat over some weak ass bitch that I fucked when me and her wasn’t even together. I ain’t have shit to apologize for when it came to Tameeka, cause that bitch was just another nigga’s daughter that I ain’t give no fucks about. That bird brain bitch rode my dick in the car in a crowded ass parking lot. I know Tangie didn’t think I gave a damn about no broad like that. Tameeka was one of many bitches that I didn’t have no respect for, because they didn’t have any for themselves. When I caught up to her ass, though, I was gonna knock her head off. She knew damn well that, after that five-minute fuck if, that long, that I didn’t get her stank ass pregnant.
She wasn’t the only broad that had come through on this I’m pregnant with Cass’ baby shit when me and my shawty was trying to get our lives together. Another chick, Jourdin, came with the bullshit right before I got locked up claiming to be pregnant with the kid’s kid, but shit, I didn’t know if I could even deny this one. Although I felt like Jo
urdin was on some straight up bitter shit, deep down, I knew it was a possibility.
I used to fuck with her heavy back in the day simply because she was just a sexy, cool ass chick that had some good box. She was a couple of years older than me and was a stripper at Onyx, but she was the type that I could get to hold that work and move a couple of packages when I needed her to.
Jourdin was bad as fuck, but not the type you cuffed. What we had was what we had, and it was nobody’s business. I would never wife her, and I damn sure wasn’t trying to plant no seeds with her. She had her ways about her just as I had mine. She knew that I was in a relationship with Tangie, and I had assumed she respected that up until she didn’t.
Since I had been home, Tangie had been on my ass about getting in touch with Jourdin and getting a paternity test. It was one of her requirements before she married me. She said that she would still stay with a nigga no matter which way the test went, but I guess she just needed to know if I had lied to her or not.
That’s that bullshit I hated about Tangie. She just had to have shit to hold over my damn head. Yea, I needed to find out if the kid was mine or not, but I knew if it was, Tangie would never let me live down the fact that I got another chick pregnant while I was with her. Especially, not now that Tameeka was making accusations and shit.
With Tangie, I was starting to feel like I was putting forth too much of an effort, and knowing that I was, and she wanted to act like it wasn’t enough, I wasn’t even gonna try no more. She knew damn well I loved these streets, and since she couldn’t appreciate the man I was trying to be for her, I was gonna be the man that I didn’t even have to try to be. Fuck it!