by Jade Jones
FLAWLESS
2
A STREET LOVE TALE
JADE JONES
www.jadedpublications.com
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This novel is a work of fiction. Any reference to real people, events, establishments, or locales is intended only to give the fiction a sense of reality and authenticity. Other names, characters, and incidents occurring in the work are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, as are those fictionalized events and events that involve real persons. Any character that happens to share the name of a person who is any acquaintance of the author, past or present, is purely coincidental and is in no way intended to be an actual account involving that person.
Copyright © 2014
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portion thereof in any form whatsoever.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost, thank God for blessing me with the ability and determination to write. A wise person once told me that ambition isn’t taught, and I’ve come to find out how true that really is. It’s been over three years since I dropped my debut novel, and I’m blessed to still be here—a force to be reckoned with in the world of literature.
Special thanks to my favorite Facebook hangout, Jaded Publications Fan Group! You all have been supporting me since day one and for that I cannot thank you enough. Super special thanks to Qiana Groves, Valerie Vanessa, Tamekia Richardson, Carol Mustipher, TaNica Ross, Carolyn King, Ursula Lenori, Vermille Crumpton, and Carolyn King. You ladies are the best! ;)
Thank you to my entire team at Jaded Publications. I wanna see us all winning! Thanks to anyone whose read, purchased, or borrowed my book. Without you all’s constant support I don’t think I could’ve believed in myself. Ya’ll definitely keep me challenging myself. To all the haters and naysayers, I do it for ya’ll!
FLAWLESS 2
1
Shayla was not surprised when she found Romeo’s car parked outside of his establishment, Club XTC. It seemed like whenever they fell out he went back to doing the same old shit. She wanted to be mad at him, but she knew to make it work they had to communicate first.
Inside, Shayla found Romeo chilling with a colorful section of girls. Judging from the way they were all over him, she could tell they missed their handsome boss. Eminem’s “Superman” poured through the club’s speakers. Shayla felt depressed just being in there, and she wished he’d come home.
Jealousy coursed through her blood as she approached Romeo. She was so fed up with the back and forth games. Either he wants me or not, she told herself.
“Romeo, I need to talk to you,” Shayla said once she reached him.
“I’m busy,” Romeo said, puffing on a blunt. He figured if he dissed Shayla she’d take the hint but she didn’t. Unlike most women he dated, she didn’t back down easily. That was the main reason they bumped heads so often.
“You mean to tell me the mother of your child can’t get two minutes?” Shayla asked, propping a hand on her hip.
“If da lil’ mufucka even mine,” Romeo added cynically. He was really reaching and he knew it. His comment cut deep and Shayla quickly walked off in anger.
The nerve of this nigga to think I’m trying to get over on his ass.
Her heels clicked against the pavement as she walked across the lot. She couldn’t believe she’d foolishly thought Romeo would change. Just as she reached in her purse for her car keys, her cellphone chimed indicating a text.
Tears blurred Shayla’s vision as she pulled her iPhone out and attempted to read it. The text message was from Dexter:
I tried to get over u…but I hated seeing you wit dat mufucka tonite. He ain’t for u and u know it babe. I wanna make it work still with us. I won’t forgive myself for letting you go, Shay. Hit me back.
“Is it a full moon or something,” Shayla muttered, tossing her phone in her bag. Dexter was the last person she wanted to be bothered with.
Hitting the automatic door unlock button, Shayla prepared to climb inside her Benz— Suddenly, a strong pair of arms snatched her up from behind. Placing a chloroform-soaked rag over her mouth, her captor quickly rendered her unconscious. The car keys uncontrollably slipped from her fingers as her entire body went limp. Shayla barely had a chance to put up a fight before she was tossed inside a dark trunk.
Meanwhile inside the club, it didn’t take Romeo long to regret what he’d said. Fanning off his groupies, he ran outside to see if Shayla was still there. Damn, this girl got me tripping, he told himself. No woman had ever gotten under skin like her. One minute Romeo couldn’t stand her ass, and the next he couldn’t stand being away. Regardless of their differences though, it was no doubt that he loved Shayla. If he didn’t, he surely wouldn’t have gone after her stubborn ass.
Strangely, when Romeo went outside, Shayla was nowhere in sight despite her car still parked.
“The fuck?”
Suspicions on high alert, Romeo reached for his piece and looked around frantically. Something didn’t feel right in the atmosphere. After noticing a small piece of paper under Shayla’s windshield wiper, Romeo jogged over to see what it was.
Hastily scribbled on the note was a simple message: You got somethin’ we want, now we got somethin’ you want.
After hearing the sound of tires screeching, Romeo looked up and noticed a boxed Chevy pulling out the lot. His heart instantly sank to the pit of his stomach after learning Shayla’s fate. It didn’t take long to realize his girl had been kidnapped for ransom. His worse fear had come to life.
“SHAYLA!” Romeo screamed. The soles of his Timberlands scraped the pavement as he took off after the car. “SHAYLA?!”
Even with running as fast he could, Romeo was unable to catch up with the old school. In horror, he was forced to watch the love of his disappear into the night. Overwhelmed by what had just happened, Romeo collapsed onto his knees in the middle of the street. Gasping for air, he struggled to catch his breath.
Not knowing the status of Shayla and the baby’s fate was what hurt the most. “What the fuck am I gonna do?”
Romeo’s subconscious scolded him immediately. Fuck I mean what I’ma do? I’ma give these niggas whatever they demanding and pray I see my girl again.
Beads of sweat rolled down his face. At that moment, Romeo regretted treating Shayla so poorly. In all honesty, she was the best thing that had ever happened to him and he was too stubborn to realize it. Now it was too late to undo his wrongs…
All of a sudden, Romeo’s iPhone began ringing. With shaky hands, he reached inside his jacket and pulled it out. The unfamiliar number on his screen made his heart skip a beat.
Maybe it’s not too late, he convinced himself. Trying his damndest to contain his emotions, Romeo answered calmly. “Yeah…?”
A deep, raspy voice laced with arrogance filled the speaker. “I’ma make dis shit real simple,” he said. “You wanna see dis bitch again, we need a hunnid fifty bands by sunset.”
2
Kimberlyn’s son Jordan was fast asleep by the time Desmond arrived at the warehouse. Moments earlier, his business partner/good friend had called to inform him that the place had been robbed.
Surprises were seemingly coming in abundance that evening—starting with finding out Jordan was biologically his.
Something’s gotta give, Desmond told himself as he hopped out the car. With his hand on his tool, he rushed towards the entrance. Ava’s whip was parked not too far so he knew she was there as well.
On his way inside, D
esmond called up Romeo but got his voicemail instead.
If it ain’t one thing it’s another, he thought.
As if he needed more surprises, Desmond’s entire world came crashing down when he saw Cool standing next to Ava. It didn’t take him long to realize he’d been set up.
Desmond quickly grabbed for his piece, but Cool beat him to punch. “Nah, bruh. None of that,” he said, smiling wickedly. “Put ya heat down and kick it over to me.”
Begrudgingly, Desmond did as he was instructed. Cool had been waiting for that moment, and Ava had finally blessed him with the opportunity for payback. Unfortunately, there was nothing more dangerous than two scorned lovers.
Desmond had shitted on Ava one too many times. Scarred with a broken heart, she’d chosen emotion over common sense.
“Damn, V. Like that, huh?” Desmond asked Ava.
He couldn’t believe his own friend had turned on him. She was supposed to be fam, but now she was treating him like he was her worse enemy. It wasn’t even about the money. It was about her heart. And after fucking her, Desmond had stomped on it without the slightest consideration. Sadly, he would have to pay for the rejection with his life.
“I made you a millionaire,” Ava reminded him. “AND IN TURN YOU TREATED ME LIKE SHIT!” Saliva flew from her mouth as she screamed. With her glassy eyes from coke usage, and her face beet red with anger, Ava was barely recognizable. She’d stooped to an all-time low with her treachery. “So like you told me earlier…It’s nothing personal…” The devilish smirk on her face would forever haunt Desmond. He felt like he didn’t even know Ava at that very moment. She was a total stranger to him. The down-to-earth chick he thought he knew would never do him like that.
Desmond looked over at Cool in disgust. Had it not been for the gun he was holding, he would’ve broken the motherfucker’s jaw. “You just shot ya girl, bruh. She in da hospital right now fightin’ for her life.” Desmond’s voice cracked with emotion as he filled Cool in. He couldn’t believe the nigga cared more about him than his own girl.
“Fuck that bitch,” Cool said, cocking the loaded gun. “She made her choice…now I’m makin’ mine…”
POP!
The first bullet grazed Desmond’s left arm.
POP!
The second landed in his mid-section.
Ava didn’t even blink as she watched Desmond slowly drop to the floor. He landed with a hard thud, instantly weakened by the unexpected gunshots. Together, she and Cool slowly approached him with caution.
Regret was not present in Ava’s heart. If she had to, she’d pull the trigger again. Desmond had done her dead wrong—and not even loyalty could make her look past that.
Wheezing and spitting up his own blood, Desmond struggled to stand. With each second that elapsed he could gradually feel life slipping away.
Desmond had always been aware that he’d die one day. Hell, living the life he lived it was inevitable. But what he didn’t expect was to be put down by one of his own. Ava was a step away from being homeless when he found her. They were supposed to be like blood, breaking bread together for years to come…Then she pulls this shit.
Scowling with rage, Desmond looked up at Ava. If he had enough strength, he would’ve snapped her bony ass neck. Disloyalty was grounds for murder.
“Bitch…you better kill me…,” he growled.
Cool was heartless as he used his foot to turn over Desmond. Blood smeared the soles of his new J’s, but he didn’t care. After tonight’s lick, Cool could buy all the Jordan’s and pussy he wanted. Dez and Kimberlyn were dead to him. She’d shown the ultimate disrespect that night by revealing that his son wasn’t his. Now her ass was laid up in the ER hooked to a breathing machine, and Cool couldn’t have been any happier.
Karma was bittersweet.
“That’s the plan,” Cool smiled, showing off his gold fangs. Without remorse, he aimed his strap and Desmond’s head and squeezed.
Click.
No one in the room expected the chamber to be empty.
“Shit, well what do you know?” Cool said. “Guess it’s ya lucky day.”
WHAM!
Cool stomped down onto Desmond’s face so hard that it dislocated his nose instantly. Blood gushed everywhere and his lips swelled within seconds. After the damage was done, Ava and Cool took off together like two bandits in the night.
Not only had they shot and left Desmond for dead, they also emptied the warehouse’s safe completely. Up next was the stash house…Tonight everyone would feel Ava’s wrath.
Coughing and choking on his own blood, Desmond staggered as he tried to stand. One of his eyes had swollen completely shut, and he was dazed from the kick.
Using every bit of strength he could muster up, Desmond managed to limp out the warehouse. A trail of blood was left behind as he stumbled towards his car. His entire body was on fire from the ripped flesh caused by hot bullets. Though his face had gone numb, his head ached in unbearable agony. Cool had caused a major concussion after the devastating blow.
At that moment, the only thing that mattered to Desmond was getting to the nearest hospital. He had to live another day…for his children. For the business. For Kimberlyn. And for making cold, hard cash.
As soon Desmond climbed inside the car, Jordan jerked awake. Unaware of his surroundings, he broke out bawling. “Mommy?! I want my mommy!”
Desmond tried his best to ignore it as he started the ignition and drove off. He needed to get to a hospital fast. He was losing blood so rapidly that he barely had enough strength to snatch back the gears. In a matter of seconds, Desmond’s body succumbed to weakness, causing him to swerve uncontrollably.
BEEP!
BEEP!
Cars honked their horns after he strayed into the left lane’s oncoming traffic.
Jordan was stricken with fear as he continued to holler in the backseat. “I want my mommy!”
Suddenly, Desmond collapsed onto the steering wheel. With no one controlling the vehicle, it veered to the left and ran smack into an approaching sedan.
3
Flooring the accelerator, Romeo raced to the warehouse in Old Fourth Ward district. The clock was winding down, and he only had so much time to come up with the funds.
“Damn!” he shouted, punching the steering wheel. Had I not been actin’ like a dick tonight, none of this shit would’ve happened. Romeo blamed himself wholeheartedly. Being Shayla’s man, he was supposed to be able to protect her—but tonight he had failed at the very task. Fuck’s wrong with me, Romeo asked himself over and over again.
He swore that once Shayla was safely back in his arms, he would never hurt her again. Hell, he would gladly do her the favor of staying as far away as he could. Risking something like this happening again was just too much to bear; and Romeo would never forgive himself if Shayla had to pay for the life he chose to live.
“God, I ain’t never asked you for shi—nothin’,” Romeo prayed. “But I’m askin’ now…I’m beggin’ you…please be on my side tonight…”
After hopping off I-85, Romeo made a sharp right turn, nearly running over a homeless man. He could barely think straight as he rushed to the factory. Desmond would just have to be pissed because he was taking it all. The only thing that mattered was seeing Shayla again…alive.
Flashing sirens lit half the street a few blocks from where the warehouse was located. From the looks of it, a car crash had taken place. As usual, nosey drivers slowed up traffic to see the damage caused from the collision.
“Come on! Come on!” Romeo yelled impatiently. He was in such a rush that he didn’t even notice Desmond’s wrecked vehicle.
BEEP!
BEEP!
Honking his horn frantically, he illegally swerved around a few cars. The police officer on standby would have eagerly pulled over Romeo had it not been for the mess he had to tend to.
“Get da fuck out da way!” Romeo shouted, as if the drivers could hear him freaking out. And if they did, they certainly didn’t care.
Romeo’s problems were his own, caused by none other than himself.
Before his pops died, he taught Romeo that ‘showboating could either make or murder a man’. Had I not been bein’ so fuckin’ flamboyant, these niggas wouldn’t have caught me down bad. Now Shayla’s in the middle of this shit.
Putting the pedal to the metal, Romeo drove full speed until he reached his beloved warehouse. Shit felt eerie the minute he pulled up, and he knew instantly that something wasn’t right.
Swallowing his reservations, Romeo climbed out his 2015 Porsche Spyder and headed towards the building. As soon as he stepped inside, he slipped and slid on something wet beneath his feet. “The fuck?”
Romeo’s hand automatically went to his chrome tool after seeing the blood. The amount of it made him queasy, but he held his shit together. No one’s car was parked out back so from his understanding he was alone…but something definitely was off.
Sprinting to the back of the warehouse where the safe was located, Romeo hurried to see if they’d been hit. “FUCK!”
The moment he ran inside the office, he noticed the safe’s door hanging wide open—its contents empty. “Nah, nah, nah, man! FUCK ME!”
In a fit of rage, Romeo kicked over a chair. When that didn’t satisfy him, he trashed the entire office. Over $50,000 was gone. Just like that.
4
Out of breath, Romeo’s chest heaved in and out. He was so angry that he could barely function. After taking several seconds to calm himself he pulled out his phone and called Desmond. The line went straight to voicemail as if his phone was dead.
Just fucking great, Romeo thought.
With limited options left, he hastily left the building and headed to the nearby stash house. The three bedroom-three bathroom home was tucked off in a quiet Brookhaven neighborhood. Romeo and Desmond went half on the foreclosed property to store small quantities of herb and cash. Usually, they didn’t pick up ‘til the first of the month, but in his situation he had to early.