'Til Death

by Dante Tori

"He always knew me best," Lo said, while turning back to the window. I sped down 75 to take her home and to get my car. We finally got to her condo and she jumped out of the car. I got out and followed her. She tried to slam the door on me, but I stopped her.

  "Get the hell out of my house!" Lo screamed at me.

  "Can we just talk?"

  "You just embarrassed me in front of everybody I work with."

  "You made me feel like you were ashamed of me," I said.

  "Maybe Kevin was right then. I do deserve better. I'm a lawyer sleeping with a criminal. How do you think that makes me look?"

  "I don't give a fuck about that cop," I said.

  "Just get out, out of my house and life." Lo pointed towards the door.

  I nodded my head and left. I got into my Corvette and sped off, burning rubber on the pavement. Nothing hurt more than being rejected by the person you wanted to spend your life with. I stopped at a gas station to fill up my tank. I got out and went into the store. I saw a truck pull up. I left the building and started to pump my gas. I heard the truck’s door open and close.

  POW

  The first gunshot hit me in my back; I fell over and tried to run. The second one hit me in my leg. I fell to my knee, and the third one hit me in my side. I fell on my back. The shooter walked up to me. The fourth one hit me in my stomach; the fifth one hit my chest. My shooter removed his mask. It was Tez.

  "I told you not to fuck with me." He raised his gun, and I stared down the barrel. I saw the lights of a car pulling up. Tez put his mask back on and ran back to his truck. My vision started to fade out, and my last thought was of Lorean. You live by the gun, you die by the gun.

  Boan

  Avery and I had been at my crib for a minute. Heaven was in her room, decorating it with everything that I’d bought her, from clothes to electronics. Ciara wasn't answering my phone calls. It was going on two o'clock in the morning. Lo wasn't answering her phone either, and Culprit's went straight to voicemail. Avery sold me two new handguns. We were sipping on some beer, and talking about a building that he bought, when I heard the door alarm go off, and women’s voices. Tosh came into the kitchen first.

  "Hey, fellas," Tosh said.

  "What's up?" I said.

  Avery gave her a head-nod.

  "Did Heaven go over Sheila's house?" Tosh asked.

  "Naw, my mom said something came up." I answered her.

  Tosh looked at Avery, who was clearly ignoring her.

  "So Avery, where are you from?" Tosh asked.

  "New York." Avery answered her, barely looking at her.

  "What are you doing all the way out here?"

  "That's my business, Shorty," Avery said, still not looking at her.

  "Are you always this rude?" Tosh snapped back at him.

  "Only to females who I don't want to converse with." He finally looked up at her and they both gave each other a quick once over glance.

  "Where’s Ciara?" I asked Tosh before things could escalate.

  "She went to the bathroom." Tosh answered and I could hear the attitude in her voice then she walked out of the kitchen. It was clear that she was pissed off.

  "Damn, Av, was that necessary?" I said while laughing.

  "I mean, don't get me wrong. Shorty bad as fuck; but like I said, she not what I'm looking for."

  "You won't know that until you get to know her," I said. Ciara and Tosh came back into the kitchen.

  "Hey, Av," Ciara greeted him.

  "What's good, Ciara?" Avery greeted back smiling at her.

  "You got a better greeting then me," Tosh said. I looked at Ciara and noticed that her face was kind of swollen.

  "What the hell happened to your face?" I asked. Ciara and Tosh looked up. Before she replied, my phone started vibrating. I looked at the number, but I didn't recognize it.

  "Who is that, Sky?" Ciara asked.

  "Naw, I know her number," I said, while answering the phone.

  "Hello?"

  "Hello, may I speak to Barren Jones?" a woman asked.

  "Speaking," I instantly got nervous. Everybody got quiet around me.

  "Do you know a Clarence Andrew Jenkins Jr.?"

  "Depends." I told her, skeptical on who was on the other line.

  "Well, he has you down for the next of kin in his medical records." My heart started to beat fast in my chest.

  "Yea, I know him. That's my brother."

  "Well sir, I'm sorry to inform you that he has been shot and is being prepped for surgery at the moment."

  "What?" My heart fell to the pit of my stomach.

  "Do you have a pen and paper?"

  "Um, hold on." I put the phone down and start opening up the shit.

  "Boan, what are you looking for?" Ciara asked me.

  "Yo, give me and a pen and paper right now." I reached out my hand towards her.

  "For what?" Ciara was looking confused.

  "Just give me something to fucking write with and write on."

  Tosh tossed me a pen and paper.

  "Hello, yea I'm back." She told me everything I needed to know. I hung up the phone and ran to the basement to grab the guns I had just put up. I made sure everything was loaded.

  "Boan, slow down. What is going on?" Ciara said while grabbing my face between her hands.

  "Culprit has been shot," I told her while staring into her eyes.

  "What?" Ciara whispered.

  I nodded my head. "I'm going to the hospital."

  "I'm going with you." Ciara started gathering her things.

  "Heaven is still here. She didn't go over my mom’s," I said.

  "I'll stay with her," Tosh assured us.

  "Thanks." Ciara and I said in unison.

  "I'll drive." Avery said, standing up. We all rode to the hospital in silence. We got there in five minutes because of how fast Av was driving. I walked in and went right to the nurse’s station, and they told me where to go. Ciara called Lorean and told her. I called my mom, but she didn't answer, so I left a message. Lo came in, looking like she was on the verge of a breakdown.

  "Lo," Ciara called out to her and then hugged her.

  "We got into a fight tonight and I kicked him out. I told him to get out of my life," Lo said, while crying. Ciara was trying to calm her down. We were still waiting on the doctor. I heard the door open.

  "Officer Smith?" I said.

  "Kevin, what are you doing here?" Lo asked him.

  "I'm here to investigate." He explained to us.

  "How do you know him?" Ciara asked Lo while pointing to the cop.

  "We dated," Officer Smith and Lo said in unison.

  "What!?" Ciara and I said in unison. My mind was blown once again tonight.

  The doctor came out and I stood up.

  "Doctor, I'm Barren. This is my wife, Ciara. Everybody in this room is family, with the exception of the cop," I said, while looking at Officer Smith.

  "Ok, son. Well, it was a close call, and we still aren't out of the woods. He was shot five times . . ." The doctor’s voice began to fade. Five times. Five fucking times. They were trying to kill my nigga. Tez was trying to kill my nigga.

  "Can you repeat that?" I heard Ciara say, taking me out of my trance.

  "Of course. One of the bullets left the area around his spine swollen, so right now we can’t tell if he will be able to walk again." I heard Lo try to hold back a sob, and I just shook my head.

  "Can we see him?" Ciara asked. The doctor gave us Culprit’s room number and information. I looked around and noticed Officer Smith was gone. The doctor walked away, telling us how we could contact him. I turned to Lo.

  "You can go see him first," I said. She nodded her head. I looked at Ciara.

  "I'll be back," I had a plan in my head already forming.

  "No Boan, I know what you going to do." Ciara was attempting to stop me, but it didn't matter what she said.

  "And you not going to stop me either." I walked out of the hospital and walked down a couple of blocks so I could h
ot-wire a car. After I found a car, I stole it. I made my way to Ciara’s old warehouse, Tez’s new domain.

  Ciara

  I looked at Avery, who then turned to me. I shook my head and looked around the hospital. Dammit.

  "You got guns?" I asked Avery.

  "Yea. You know how to aim?" Avery asked me. I looked at him, knowing that could not have been a serious question. I began to follow Av out of the hospital. We both knew what we had to do. We had to go save my dumb-ass husband. I followed Av to the back of his Tahoe. I sent Lo a quick text, telling her I had to leave; I was sure she would understand. Av opened up the trunk of his Tahoe and lifted the compartment. He handed me two .50 Calibers. I nodded my head. He grabbed one, and a couple of clips. I got in the front seat and told Av where Boan had gone: my old warehouse. I filled Av in on everything about Tez and Boan, and that Tez most likely shot Culprit. I directed him where to go and how to get there. I looked out the window and placed my hand on my stomach. I was already becoming a horrible mother to my unborn child. I felt horrible, but I could not lose Boan: I refused too. We pulled up into the warehouse, and I could already hear faint gun shots. The front door was closed, so that meant Boan went around the back.

  "You ready?" I could read on his face that he was uneasy bringing me here.

  "Yea," I said. I opened up my door and stepped out. My adrenaline was pumping. I made sure the safety was off, and my guns were loaded. I walked up to the warehouse and used my spare key to get in. It was a war zone. I walked dead into the middle of it and start firing: head shots only. Av covered me as I made my way to the back of the warehouse. I killed old soldiers, trying to save my ass and my husband's. A bullet whizzed past my head, and I immediately ducked. I reached Boan and looked at him. He looked up at me while he was reloading his gun. We didn’t speak. I grabbed his arm and we both made a run for it. Av saw us coming, and he ran out the front door to start the car. We made it out alive and jumped into Av’s waiting truck, and he pulled off. There was a long silence, but I knew Boan was about to blow up. I checked myself out to make sure I hadn’t been hit.

  "What the fuck was that Ciara?" Boan yelled at me.

  "Me saving your ass." I was trying to regain my breath.

  "Were you saving me, or your baby daddy?" Boan’s smart ass month was really starting to bother me.

  "Don’t do this shit right now, Boan," I said.

  "I’m trying to dead this nigga, and you come blastin’ in like some fucking Amazon Warrior. This nigga just tried to murder Culprit."

  "I know that, but you going Rambo right now is not going to make anything fucking better." I attempted to get that through his thick ass head.

  "You know what? Fuck it. You two deserve each other." Boan tossed his hands in the air as if he was through with me and my antics.

  I turned to face Boan and I was pointing my gun at him. "Boan, shut the fuck up. I was saving your dumb black ass, and it was pretty damn obvious that you needed saving. I’m fucking pregnant, hormonal, hungry, and fucking emotional right now, and the last thing I need is you bringing up old shit that we deaded!" I yelled at him. Boan just looked at me.

  "Yo, both of y’all chill out. Y'all wilding out for real all right. Ciara, calm down. Boan my man, just cool it," Av said, trying to be the voice of reason.

  I looked out of the window, and I felt tears come to my eyes. I refused to cry, but those tears had a mind of their own and fell anyway. We pulled up in front of our house and Boan jumped out of the truck. Av turned off his whip and I handed him the guns. I walked into the house and Tosh was waiting at the front door. I told her everything the doctor said about Culprit and she just shook her head. Boan walked straight upstairs.

  "Heaven is upstairs asleep. I got to go, because I have work tomorrow." Tosh said while standing up and stretching.

  "Well you can take my car because I’m tired." I told her.

  "I’ll take you." Av said to Tosh. I looked at him and then I looked at Tosh who looked shocked.

  "Uhhh . . . ok I guess." Tosh said. I walked them to the door and hugged Tosh. She told me she would come over tomorrow. I closed the door and locked it. I set the alarm, and made my way upstairs. I checked in on Heaven. She was sleeping peacefully. I looked around her room, which was not yet completely decorated. Boan had bought her everything from the latest clothes to electronics. The only thing she didn’t have was a car. I closed her door lightly, and walked into our bedroom. Boan was in his own personal shower, so I got in mine. I knew he was upset about everything, especially Culprit. I got out of the shower, and Boan was already in bed. I dried off and decided to sleep naked. Boan was lying on his stomach and he wasn’t facing me. I turned around to face him. I still got nothing. I scooted over to him and began to rub his back. I put my chin on his shoulder.

  "I can’t live in a world knowing that you don’t exist. If you're going to be mad at me, be mad that I love you too much and I’m willing to risk my life for yours. Be mad that I’m willing to take a bullet for you, and it killing me instead of the other way around." I said. Still nothing. I stopped rubbing his back and began to scoot away, but Boan turned to face me. He pulled me toward him and kissed me. I saw that he had tears in his eyes.

  "If I would have lost you tonight and our unborn child, it would have been the end of me. Don’t ever do no shit like that again, Ciara." Boan whispered to me.

  "I can’t promise you that." I intertwined my legs with his wanting to get closer to him.

  "Then what can you do?"

  "Love you." That's all I really could do.

  "Come here."

  I crawled on top of Boan and kissed him. I slipped my tongue inside his mouth at the same time he slipped inside of me. His dick filled me up, but instead of pleasure, I felt pain. I moved, and he looked up at me. Instead of explaining, I drifted downward. I took him into my mouth. I watched him fight for the control he was slowly losing to my mouth. Boan sat up and pulled me up. He pushed me on my back. It was his turn to return the favor. It didn’t take me long to reach an orgasm; it never did when it came to Boan. He came up and kissed me. I felt his hardness filling me up. Boan kissed and sucked my neck. I rubbed his back and opened myself up further for him. I felt both pleasure and pain. Boan’s breathing was heavy, and my moans and our bodies made their own music. Boan’s and my heart beat as one, and continued to when we both reached our peak. Boan came inside me. I squeezed him closer to me, and kissed his chest, neck and lips. Boan moved and laid beside me and pulled me towards him.

  "I guess what they say is right," Boan whispered.

  "What?"

  "Pregnant pussy is the best pussy." I laughed.

  Avery

  Tosh and I rode in the car, silent. The only time she spoke to me was to give me directions to her spot. I looked at her. Tosh was bad as hell, and that was a fact. Her long legs were showing, and I wanted to touch them. I couldn’t imagine how they would feel wrapped around me. I shook my head so the image would leave.

  "Yo, Shorty, I want to apologize for how I spoke to you earlier. I didn’t mean to be rude to you, and I'm sorry," I said to her.

  "Ok," Tosh replied, still looking out the window.

  "Ok?" I repeated.

  "Yea." Her voice showed no expression what so ever.

  "That’s it?"

  "Mhmm." I looked at her, thinking, Now see that shit was not necessary. She wanted a nigga to kiss her ass, and I wasn’t the one. I just continued to drive. I pulled up in front of her apartment complex, and it was late as hell. I turned off my truck and got out. I walked around, and Tosh was already out of the truck.

  "What are you doing?" Tosh asked me.

  "I’m walking you up to your apartment."

  "I don’t need you to do that." Tosh was holding her hands out trying to ward me off but it didn't work.

  "Shorty, I really don’t care. I’m walking you whether you like and or not. Plus, I gotta piss, so come on," I said. Tosh rolled her eyes at me and I smiled. She walked ahead of me and
I looked at her ass. I shook my head and took a deep breath. Tosh was enticing for real. I followed her into the elevator; she stayed on the ninth floor. I looked at her and stared. She was beautiful. Her full lips looked so soft. Her hazel eyes seemed to glow, and had gold flecks in them; her sandy, auburn hair was right below her shoulders. She looked up at me, and I looked away. I ran my hands through my hair and took a deep breath. The sexual tension was thick in the elevator. I kept hearing her shift beside me, and I could not help but wonder if she felt it too. The elevator opened, and I followed her to her door. She stayed in 911-D. She opened up her door and I walked in. I looked around. I was digging her style. I could tell she decorated her place. There wasn’t any type of masculine touch, which told me she lived alone.

  "The bathroom is the first door to the left," Tosh said. I nodded my head and made my way to the back. I walked in and laughed. Her bathroom was girly. It had butterflies everywhere. It was pretty obvious that she loved them. I did what I had to do, washed my hands, and walked out. I found her in the kitchen. She was drinking a bottle of water. I took the water from her and drank out of it.

  "Do you do shit just to irritate me?" Tosh rolled her eyes at me. I looked at her. I shrugged my shoulders. Tosh was tall, but I still towered over her. She was about to walk away from me, but for some reason I grabbed her hand. She looked down at our hands and looked up at me. It was like a switch inside of me flipped on, and I needed her at that exact moment. I pulled her close to me and looked at her. She placed her hands on my chest and looked me into my eyes.

  "If we gone do this, it’s only one time," Tosh said. I just nodded my head. I leaned in to kiss her, but she moved.

  "No kissing," Tosh declared in a lust filled tone.

  "Fuck that, Shorty, you kissing me." I grabbed the back of her neck and placed my lips on her hers. Her lips were so soft, and seemed to form right over mine. I slipped my tongue in her mouth and pulled it back out. Tosh was a good ass kisser, and her kissing alone had me standing at attention. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me closer. I wrapped my hands around her waist and picked her up. Her legs wrapped around my waist. I placed my hands on her soft ass. I broke the kiss and we both were breathing heavy.