by Jade Jones
Cool quickly ran over and grabbed Kimberlyn after she reached for her shoe box. Inside was a loaded 9mm. Angered that she’d even try him up, he tossed her onto the bed.
“YOU WOULD SHOOT ME?!” Cool screamed in a hoarse tone. “After everything I’ve ever done for yo’ ungrateful ass! You’d shoot me?!”
Kimberlyn tried to get up and run but Cool pinned her down onto the mattress.
“You triflin’ ass bitch, I gave you habits!” he yelled. “Anything you ever wanted in life I made it happen! This house that keeps you warm at night I put you in! And how the fuck you repay me?”
Kimberlyn struggled beneath him. When she realized he wouldn’t let up, she spit in his face.
“You fuckin’ bitch…” Cool took the petty route by spitting back in her face.
“Get yo’ crazy ass off me!” Kimberlyn screamed. “I hate you!”
From his peripheral, Cool noticed her engagement ring lying on the nightstand. “You hate me, bitch? After everything I did for you?” Tears filled his eyes as he held her down against her will. Without warning, he grabbed the ring and forced it in her mouth. When Kimberlyn tried to close her mouth, he squeezed her cheeks and forced it open. “You fuckin’ whore! Yo’ ass was never good enough for this ring!”
Blood soaked Kimberlyn’s teeth and tongue after the ring scraped her gums. She kicked and screamed for Cool to stop, but he was blinded by rage, determined to make her swallow it.
“Mommy?” Jordan said in a shaky tone. Standing in the doorway of their bedroom, he watched as Cool violated his mother.
After hearing his son’s voice, Cool finally let up. “Hey, man,” he smiled. The crazed look in his eyes was enough to scare anyone. Slowly, climbing off the bed, he approached the five-year old. “How ya doing, buddy? Long time no see.”
Jordan quickly took a step back in fear. Cool’s smile vanished immediately after. Turning around, he glared at Kimberlyn. Blood was pouring down her chin and chest. Cool had really messed her grill up.
“You turned my mufuckin’ son against me?” he asked.
Kimberlyn wiped away the blood on her chin with the back of her arm. She never hated anyone more than she hated him. “You did that all by yourself,” she told Cool. “You didn’t need my help.”
“FUCKIN’ BITCH! I’MA KILL YOU!” he screamed, lunging at her.
24
Desmond snatched up Cool from behind and threw him against the bedroom wall. Fortunately, he had popped up at the right time. Cool was known for having violent rampages, but luckily he had the right one.
“You wanna hit somebody, mufucka?” Desmond pulled his jacket off and tossed it. “Hit me!” He’d been waiting for the opportunity to get at Cool’s ass. And as fate would have it, his wish was granted that night.
Cool didn’t appreciate being yoked up by a cat that should’ve been dead long ago. Taking off full speed, he ran and tackled Desmond so hard it lifted him off his feet. Together they landed on the floor where Cool quickly climbed on top.
Kim quickly ran to and shielded Jordan from the violence.
“Nigga, yo’ ass just won’t die, huh?”
WHAM!
Cool punched Desmond square in the jaw. Before he could deliver a second blow, Kim smashed a porcelain decorate over his head. She was more than ready and willing to fight for her man. Unfortunately, the cheap item did little damage to Cool. Instead of knocking him unconscious it only pissed him off.
Cool tried to lunge at Kim—but was caught off guard by a devastating right hook. The unexpected punch left him staggering and his ear ringing. Desmond didn’t just stop there. He rained blow after blow on Cool’s face, even landing a few good body shots. Desmond was tagging his ass good when Kimberlyn screamed for him to stop.
Once Desmond looked down, he noticed the bloody distorted mess he’d created. Cool was barely breathing when he finished with him. Had it not been for Kim saying something, Desmond would’ve surely killed him. Either way, vengeance was bittersweet. But he still didn’t quite feel like justice was served.
Standing to his feet, Desmond pulled the gun off his hip. Jordan shrieked and turned his head away in fear.
“DESMOND, NOOOO!” Kim screamed. “Please don’t do this! He’s had enough!”
“Nah, he ain’t had enough. That’s the problem,” Desmond said, cocking the heat. Aiming the barrel down at Cool’s bloodied face, he rested his finger on the trigger.
“Desmond, please!” Kimberlyn cried. “Don’t do this!”
POP!
25
Romeo knew something was up the minute he arrived at his secluded baby mansion. An unfamiliar car was parked out front and the door was slightly open. Grabbing his pistol, he slowly exited his car. Not even two hours ago, Romeo had been released on bond, and now more bullshit awaited him.
If it ain’t one thing it’s another, he thought.
Taking precaution, Romeo quietly entered his home. From the front of the house he could hear someone rustling around in the bedroom upstairs. His grip on the gun tightened after he heard drawers opening and slamming. Clearly, he was being robbed. Romeo then noticed that his safe’s door was wide open. After walking over to check it out, he peeped that only a small portion had been stolen.
Romeo took his time as he crept upstairs. He wasn’t an advocate of murder, but if pushed he had no problem squeezing.
The nerve of some nigga thinkin’ he can ride on me. Romeo planned on proving the intruder wrong.
As soon as he reached the bedroom the noises were coming from, his eyes opened in shock. Ava quickly rushed to retrieve the gun lying on her bed, but Romeo beat her to the punch. “I wouldn’t do that,” he threatened. Romeo kept his aim locked steady on his ex-best friend. She was once like a baby sister to him—but those days were long gone. “What the fuck are you doin’ here?”
Ava hesitated with her answer. The gun in Romeo’s hand made her so nervous she could barely talk. She knew that she was well overdue for a bullet with everything she’d done, and she prayed he didn’t end her existence.
Romeo noticed how shaken up she was and slowly lowered the gun. However, he didn’t dare put it down. Ava had already shown that she couldn’t be trusted—especially with one’s back turned. If she’d stick a knife in Desmond’s, she’d definitely do the same to him.
“I needed money…and clothes…,” Ava murmured. She kept her head down as she spoke. It was almost as if he she was too ashamed to make eye contact. She’d fucked over the two realest niggas she would ever meet in her life—and now she was on her own. “Look, Romeo…About everything. I’m so—”
“Ava, I really don’t wanna hear shit you gotta say. Matter fact, you got less than ten seconds to get the fuck out my crib or I’m emptyin’ this clip.” There was no trace of humor in Romeo’s tone. Ava was dead to him. And he may as well have been too if Desmond ever found out he let her walk free.
Thankful that he’d spared her life, Ava closed her suitcase, grabbed it, and left. Right before she walked out the bedroom, she stopped next to Romeo. “You are a good person, Romeo. I really am sorry,” she said. “I fucked up a good thing. I know I did. Now I have to live with my mistakes for the rest of my life,” she paused. “I just hope you can forgive me one day.”
His jaw hardened in resentment. “Five seconds,” he said.
Ava immediately got the point, and she didn’t want to test him. Taking her clothes and $15,000 of Romeo’s money, she departed as quickly as she had come. Just as she’d arrived to America, she was once again alone and without a plan. Ava had made her bed, and now she was forced to lay in it.
***
Desmond and Kimberlyn watched from their front lawn as Cool was escorted to a squad car. Although he was upset that he was going back to prison, he should’ve been thanking the Lord Desmond didn’t put two in his chest cavity. Instead of bodying him, Dez shot the floor beside Cool’s head. The fact that Jordan was standing right there was the only reason he was still breathing.
&nbs
p; Kimberlyn’s entire street was lit up with the flashing blue and red sirens. A few news reporters were even on sight to document the capture of a wanted criminal.
“I’ll find a way back to yo’ ass, K!” Cool yelled. His voice came out muffled due to his facial swelling. “I always do! Believe that shit!”
Kimberlyn turned her head away and buried her face in Desmond’s chest. She didn’t even want to look at Cool as he was placed in the back of a cruiser. She was, however, relieved that her nightmare was finally over with him.
“What would make this nigga think it was cool to just show up?” Desmond asked.
Kimberlyn couldn’t dare tell him that she’d given Cool false hope. So instead of being honest, she kept her mouth closed and hoped they could get past tonight.
26
Three Weeks Later
Romeo rapped softly on Shayla’s front door before waiting patiently for a reply. He was tired of having to stop by her parents’ crib every time he wanted to speak her. Shayla’s parents were cool and all, but Romeo felt like it wasn’t their business to be in between their affairs. Anytime he wanted to deal with Shayla, he had to go through Tina—and that shit wasn’t cool at all, especially for a woman in her mid-twenties.
Romeo had purchased Shayla her own condo so they could have their privacy. Yet her parents’ home seemed to be the comfort zone she escaped to whenever she wanted to get away from reality. Shayla failed to realize that Romeo was and would forever be a part of her reality.
The front door opened slightly and a weary Shayla appeared. From the faint bags underneath her eyes, she looked like she hadn’t slept in days. The miscarriage had obviously taken its toll on her. To feel life inside her body was one thing, but to have it ripped away was a whole other.
After having his jaw wired shut, Dexter was arrested for battery. Since he was a first time offender, his parents were wealthy, and his father was good friends with the mayor, his punishment wouldn’t be too harsh. Shayla wasn’t really bothered by that fact. Even if Dexter got life in prison, nothing could bring back their unborn child.
“Can I come in? I brought you breakfast,” Romeo said, holding up a Thank You bag. He had stopped at Shayla’s favorite restaurant, Rise and Dine in hopes that they could spend some time together.
Shayla’s hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail and she wore PJs. If Romeo had to guess, he’d say she only climbed out the bed to use the bathroom. Shayla was a mess, and he hated that he couldn’t help her pull it together. She rarely if ever answered his calls or texts, and she’d completely shut him out through social media. It seemed like the only way to see and communicate was to pop up.
“I don’t think now’s a good time,” Shayla said.
“Come on, Shay. I—”
“Look, Romeo. I don’t know what you’re trying to prove. We’re not having a baby anymore so you can stop pretending. There’s nothing keeping you obligated to me. You can finally do what you wanna do and see who you wanna see.”
“Is that what you think?” Romeo asked, clearly offended. “That I’ve been obligating myself to you?”
“Why else are we forcing it?” Shayla yelled. “We are so fucking mismatched it’s pathetic,” she laughed. “You want your whores…and I…I just wanna be left alone.” Shayla made a move to close the door but Romeo put his hand in the way.
“You got me goin’ crazy as fuck, Shayla,” he said. “I’ve never loved a woman like you before. I know I gotta fucked up way of showin’ it sometimes but please…give me a chance to make shit right. Let me prove to you I am the nigga you been waitin’ on. Just ‘cuz you ain’t carryin’ my seed no more doesn’t change the way I feel about you,” he said. “Don’t let it change how you feel about me…”
Shayla stuttered nervously. “I…I just need time and space, Romeo.” With that, she closed the door on him and their love life. Although, it was hard she couldn’t risk the possibility of either one of them getting hurt. They had already been through enough.
When Shayla turned around, she was surprised to see her mother standing there with her arms folded. “How much time and space do you need, Shayla?” she asked with a stern expression. “You know you gon’ have to talk to that boy eventually.”
Shayla sucked her teeth and walked past her mother. “Ma, you are so phony. One minute you’re lecturing me about dating him and the next you’re telling me to talk to him. Make up your mind. Either you love Romeo or you hate him.”
“I’m indifferent,” Tina said stubbornly. “But one thing that’s certain, I enjoyed seeing him knock Dexter on his ass. Maybe he isn’t that bad of a guy.”
Shayla mulled over her mother’s last statement on the way to her room. She noticed Romeo texting her as soon as she sat on the bed.
I ain’t gonna go away.
Shayla laughed and shook her head. I see that, she texted back.
Let’s start over. I wanna take you out to dinner tonight. You pick the place and time.
Shayla released a heavy sigh as she thought about his tempting offer. She was crazy about Romeo, but the drama that came with him was unbearable. But you know you love him, a tiny voice in the back of her mind said.
Putting aside her reservations Shayla texted back Sundial at 8 p.m.
***
It was five minutes past eight when Shayla confidently strutted through the lobby of the Westin. She looked beautiful that evening in a white criss cross back crop top and nude midi skirt. On her feet was a pair of tan single sole heels. Since it was her first pregnancy, Shayla’s body rubber banded back rapidly. Her naturally toned physique and shapely curves left every man doing a double take.
Romeo greeted Shayla in the lobby with a firm hug. He wanted every nigga in a 20-mile radius to know she was strictly off limits. “You look breathtakin’,” he said once they pulled apart.
Shayla blushed. “You don’t look so bad yourself,” she smiled.
Romeo was handsome and flashy in a cream Burberry cardigan, and cacao leather oxfords. The iced Rolex on his wrist sparkled beautifully. Everything about him screamed young boss.
Romeo took his boo by the hand and led her upstairs to the hotel’s restaurant. Offering rotating 360 views of the city, Sundial was a hidden treasure in Atlanta. After checking in their reservation, the couple was seated by a large window.
Shayla tried her best to ignore their young and cute waitress who acted like she couldn’t keep her eyes off Romeo. Whenever she spoke to Shayla, she kept her gaze fixated on Romeo.
Here we go with this shit, she thought to herself. This is why we’ll never be able to make it work. Everywhere we go I gotta compete with bitches over him.
“I’ll give you two a few more minutes to decide on an entrée,” she said before switching off.
Shayla was tempted to kick her right in the ass. Speaking of which, Romeo seemingly couldn’t keep his eyes off of it. A nigga will be a nigga.
“Um…excuse me? Earth to Romeo? Did you forget you were on a date with me? Or would you prefer our waitress be sitting where I am.”
Romeo looked at Shayla and sucked his teeth. “Man, chill out. You’re too fucking sexy to be that insecure.”
“And if I am whose fault is it?” Shayla retorted. “You damn sure don’t do a good job of making me feel secure—”
“That’s a lie and a half, and you know it, Shayla. Your problem is, you stay confusin’ me with ya bum ass ex.”
Not even ten minutes into their date and they were already arguing. Shayla was beginning to believe they truly were destined to be apart. Standing up from the table, she tossed her hands up in mock surrender. “You know what? I don’t even know why I agreed to this shit with you—”
She was just about to walk off when Romeo asked, “You love me, Shayla?”
She paused instantly and thought about his question. The look in his eyes was so sincere. Sometimes she wondered how she could ever get so angry with him. Then she remembered his list of groupies was longer than the Bill of Rights. St
ill, there was no denying the strong attraction she held towards him.
“Yes,” Shayla answered exasperatedly.
“You wanna make this shit work?”
“…Yes…”
Romeo pointed to her chair. “Then sit ya ass down, and let’s talk like adults” he ordered.
Something about the way he said it, made Shayla’s pussy throb. Pushing her stubbornness aside, she did as she was told.
“I’m sorry I’m not the storybook man ya mom’s prolly read to you as a kid. I’m a street nigga that practically raised himself. My pops got locked up for robbery when I was a kid. My mom’s was killed in a drive by shooting when I was two years old. It was a case of being at the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong nigga. I ain’t ever had a real female in my life.
Growing up, I stayed in so much shit the cops knew me by face and name. Back then, I was just a knucklehead looking for something to feel this…this empty void…” He gestured towards his chest to emphasize his meaning. “I was fourteen when I joined the gang. I had my nose and collarbone broken just to call some niggas my brothers. This was the life I wanted. Yeah, I do sell drugs. I ain’t shit half the time. And I can admit, I still got some growin’ up to do…but loving you is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. How I feel about you…it’s so real, the shit scares me. On everything, I’d take a bullet if that meant protectin’ you. You come first in my life. Always.”
Romeo reached over and covered Shayla’s hand with his own. There were tears in her eyes as she listened. She knew that not all knights came well-equipped and ready. Some needed a little polish to reveal their shining armor.
“If that’s ya apology that’s bullshit,” she laughed.
He was happy to see a smile either way.
“I am not gonna compete with your fans, Romeo…,” Shayla told him.
“What fans? Them hoes are dead to me.”
Shayla laughed. “You say that today…”
She was a tough shell to crack, but he wasn’t surprised. Her guards were up and for good enough reason. He had to do something…something big that would back up his talk with actions. If I don’t show her I’m the real, I’ma lose her forever.