by Ambria Davis
I knew I was probably going to regret this, but I needed her right now, so I threw my feelings to the side. When I pulled up to Jade’s building, her parking spot was empty. Maybe her car’s broken, I thought as I got out of the car. Her apartment was in the front, and it didn’t take me long at all to get there. When I got to the door, I knocked a few times and waited for her to answer. A few minutes went by, and she hadn’t answered, so I knocked again.
“She not home. She hasn’t been for a while now,” a voice said from behind me. I turned to see her neighbor, Mr. Johnson, standing in his doorway.
“Do you know where she went?” I asked, walking over to him.
“No. I didn’t know she was even gone until Selena came by a few weeks ago for the rent and she didn’t answer,” he said, pulling from a cigarette.
“Well, if she comes back, tell her that I came looking for her,” I told him.
“Okay,” he said and then went back inside of his house. I looked at Jade’s door once more before I walked back over to my truck, got in, and pulled off. I couldn’t worry about where she was. I had other things to worry about. My kids needed me, and it was time that I go and get them.
Chapter 24
Jade
Three weeks. Three whole fucking weeks that I’d been in New Orleans and still I’d come up with nothing. I was pissed off to the max. Hell, I was so fucking frustrated that I wanted to jump up out of the car and kill everyone in the truck that Mimi and her crew was driving. How could they be here three weeks and not know a damn thing? Shit, I’d gotten further than they had and yet here they were on their way to do only God knows what now.
Shit, I’d searched every address that I had gotten from the papers at Kaylin’s place and still I couldn’t find him. I went all around the city of New Orleans, damn near stalking people to try to find his ass, but still I couldn’t fucking find him. I was beginning to think that Mimi and them couldn’t find them either. Why else wouldn’t they be staying in New Orleans to find him?
Pulling my phone out of my purse, I decided to call Shell, since she had been calling me these last few weeks. The phone rang a few times before it went to voicemail. Stupid bitch, I thought before I hung up. A few minutes later, my phone started to ring. When I looked at the screen, I noticed that it was Shelly calling me back.
“What’s up?” I said, answering the phone.
“Where the hell have you been? Did you know I been calling you for weeks now?” she asked. I looked at the phone for a minute, before putting it back to my ear. She knew I hated when people questioned me and she was starting to aggravate me.
“I’ve been busy. What you want and what you talking about? You’re in Atlanta now?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Yes. I came down here to find my no-good, cheating-ass baby daddy, but the nigga ain’t even down here.”
“Well, what are you going to do now?” I asked, not really caring about that. I already had problems of my own to deal with.
“Well, I was hoping that I could hang out with you since you live down here and all,” she asked.
“Shell, I’m kind of busy right now. . . .” I said.
“Hello, Jade, are you still there?” Shelly asked.
“Look, I’ma need you to meet me. If you ain’t here by the time that I get ready to go, I’m going to leave you,” I said to her.
“Okay,” she replied. I told her where to meet me and then hung up the phone. I didn’t know why her ass even came down here. I hoped that she didn’t throw a monkey wrench into my plans, or else I was going to have to do her ass in, too.
Chapter 25
Shelly
When I woke up, it was almost daylight. I rolled over to see that Kaylin was no longer in the bed with me. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling some type of way about the nigga leaving in the middle of night, without so much as a good-bye, because I was. I’d given that nigga some ass, and he straight played the shit out of me. That shit don’t normally happen to me.
Oh well, fuck him, I thought as I got out the bed and went to take a quick shower. When I was done, I started packing my clothes. I didn’t want to, but I was about to head back to Virginia. I was almost finished when my phone chimed. When I picked it up, I noticed that I had a missed call from Jade. I looked at the time. It was only minutes ago, so I decided to call her right back.
At first, I thought she wasn’t going to answer the phone, but at the last minute, she did. When she answered, she sounded as if she was busy, but I didn’t care. I was going to fit myself into whatever it was that she was doing. So when she told me to meet her, I damn near grew wings, as I ran around the room, collecting the rest of my things. I didn’t even bother to cut off the lights. I grabbed my bag and headed out.
Two minutes later, I was on the road to meet her. By that time, the sun had come out already. When I pulled up into the parking lot of the gas station, I didn’t see her, so I called her phone. She answered on the first ring.
“Where are you?” I asked.
“I’m parked at the back of the gas station in the black Altima,” she said. I went to say something else, but she had hung up on me.
“Stupid bitch,” I said as I rode to the back of the gas station. I spotted her car and pulled up on the side of it. Popping her trunk, she then indicated for me to get out. I grabbed my bags from the back seat, then got out.
I walked to the back of the car, and placed my bags in the trunk, before walking around the passenger side and getting in.
“What’s up?” I said, removing my glasses, but she didn’t say anything. I then turned to her, but her vision was focused somewhere else. “Yo, what’s up with you?”
“Shell, chill. Don’t come over here with your bullshit now. Just sit your ass back in that seat and enjoy the ride,” she yelled, not even looking my way. I wanted to chew her ass out, but I didn’t have time for her bullshit right now.
“Chill out, damn!” I told her. She looked over at me, before starting the car and pulling off. She drove to the front of the gas station, where she sat to the side, so she could see the highway. I wanted to ask her why she was just sitting there, but I knew for sure that we’d have some problems. I just sat there and kept my mouth shut while she did whatever the hell it was that she was doing.
Chapter 26
Mimi
When I saw the sign that said WELCOME TO GEORGIA, I knew that things were indeed about to get real. There was no turning back now. I was going to get my kids back one way or another, but first we had to make a small detour. We were on our way to drop Kailay and Kayla off by Margie’s house. Jayden thought that it would be a good idea for the girls to get out of Louisiana, in case anything were to happen. They’d be safe with her. No one would ever think to look for them there, because they didn’t know her like that. Only I did.
“Call Margie and tell her that we’re almost there,” Troy said. I had been so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t realize where we were.
“Okay,” I replied softly. I reached for my phone that was plugged on the charger, and then dialed her number, placing the phone to my ear, as I nervously waited for her to reply.
“Hello,” she said, answering the phone on the third ring.
“Hey, Margie. How are you?” I asked.
“I’m great, what about you? How are you doing?” she replied, sounding like her normal, happy self.
“I’m doing okay considering everything that’s been going on,” I answered, blowing out air in frustration.
“Chile, we’ve had this conversation already. So, don’t you go getting all sad on me, because things are going to get better real soon. Now cheer up why don’tcha,” she replied. “Now, where are the girls? I can’t wait to meet them.”
“Actually, that’s why I was calling you. We’re about to pull up in front of your house in a minute,” I said, sitting up trying to see exactly where we were.
“Aww. Okay. I’m going to meet you guys outside,” she said, and I had to laugh. Marg
ie was a crazy little lady, but I was happy to know her, because she’d give you the shirt off her back if you needed it.
“Okay, well I’ll see you in a minute,” I said, hanging up the phone. A few minutes later, we were pulling up in the front of Margie’s house. Like she said, she was waiting for us outside.
“Come, girls,” I said to Kailay and Kayla. “Pop the trunk for me, Jayden.”
“Hey, Mimi,” Margie said to me.
“Hey, Marg,” I said, hugging her. I then turned to the girls, who were looking on shyly as they stood behind me. “Come here, y’all. Kailay, Kayla, this is Margie, a friend of Mommy’s. Margie, this is Kailay and Kayla,” I said, introducing them. They hesitated, but then walked over.
“Hey, y’all. I’m Margie,” she said, stooping down to them. “I’m a friend of your mother’s.”
“Come here, y’all,” I said to them. “Mommy’s going away for a few days to get your brothers. While I’m gone, you all will be staying here with Margie.”
“No, Mommy, don’t leave us,” Kailay said, hugging me tightly, followed by Kayla. I knew that they would probably act this way, but I needed them to understand that they needed to stay here.
“Come here,” I said, hugging them. I then pulled back and looked them straight in their eyes. “Mommy really needs y’all to stay here with Margie, so that I can get Kayson and Kaylon back safely. That way, we can be a family again. There are some bad people out there who are trying to hurt Mommy, and they would do anything to get back at me, which includes hurting the both of you. I’m trying to keep y’all safe, but I can’t do that if I take y’all with me. Margie will keep y’all safe until I get back. So please do this for Mommy and stay here with her.”
I knew they were only eight years old, and it was hard for them to hear it, but I had to tell them the truth. I needed them to be safe, and Margie was the only way that they’d be safe and out of harm’s way.
“But what if you don’t come back this time, Mommy?” Kayla asked me.
“Mommy will be fine, Kayla. I promise you that I’ll be okay. Uncle Mark and Uncle Jay will protect Mommy. Margie will protect y’all while I’m gone. I’ll be back to get y’all in a couple of days,” I answered her. My heart broke when I saw a few tears escape their eyes.
“You promise that you’ll be back?” she asked.
“I pinky promise,” I said, reaching out my pinky to interlock with hers. It took her a few minutes, but she locked her pinky with mine. I then did the same thing with Kailay.
“I’ll be back in a few days, be good for Margie now,” I told them. “I love y’all.”
“We love you too, Mommy,” they said, hugging me again. They then let go and went to stand by Margie.
I went to the truck and removed their suitcases. “Thank you, Margie. I owe you big time for this.”
“Chile, you don’t owe me anything,” she said, taking the suitcases out of my hand. I then reached into my purse and pulled out an envelope filled with cash and tried giving it to her. “Don’t do this again. I’m not taking your money. Besides, I still have a lot left over from the last time.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Positive. Now go on and get those babies and be safe,” she said, giving me a hug.
“I will,” I said, hugging her back.
“I’ll make sure to send up a special prayer, just for you tonight,” she whispered in my ear when I pulled back.
“Thanks. I got a feeling that I’m going to need it,” I replied. I took one last look at my girls before I headed back to the car.
“I love y’all,” I said one last time before I got in the car and Jayden pulled off.
“Are you okay?” he asked after we pulled off.
“No, I’m not okay, but I will be the minute all of this is over and I get my boys back,” I said wiping the tears from my eyes.
We were headed back to New Orleans to finish what was started. It was time for me to put all my of my emotions to the side and get ready to make a few bitches bleed. To me, it was wartime, and I was battling an ongoing war. I didn’t start it, but I was damn sure about to finish it. There was no way that I was going to let Stacy, Kaylin, or Julius breathe another day, even if I had to die with them.
Chapter 27
Jayden
It took us some time, but we finally came up with a plan to help Mimi. When I first found out about what she did I was mad. I’d specifically said that I was going to handle the situation, but Mimi was always going to be Mimi, so she didn’t listen. She actually found out where Stacy and Kaylin were, but it didn’t matter, because we already knew. We just didn’t tell her, which was actually a bad move. She flipped, and there was no stopping her. I knew there was only one thing for me to do: fulfill my promise and get her kids back for her as soon as possible.
Today was the day that everything would be going down and here I was, with my face in my hands. I wasn’t nervous or anything, I only hoped that everything would go the way we planned so that Mimi could get her kids back. I was ready for this to be over with. I wanted my girl back, the girl I met in Atlanta that day at the gas station, not this one. The girl she was now, I don’t recognize.
We had to come all the way back to Atlanta to drop the girls off, so that they would be safe and out of harm’s way. Then we’d go back to New Orleans, where they were, and get the kids. Mark was already there scoping out the scene. If anything were to go wrong before we got there, we’d know, but hopefully everything would go smoothly.
When we pulled up to the house we were staying at, I was in a zone. I had spent the whole drive back to New Orleans in silence. I even went as far as turning my phone off, so that no one would interrupt me. I needed my mind to be clear of everything, and it was. Turning the car off, I waited until the girls got out, then I got out behind them.
“Jay, can I talk to you for a minute?” Troy asked, walking over to me.
“What’s up, ma?” I asked her.
“I don’t know what’s going on between y’all right now, but you and Mimi need to get it together. She loves you, and what you’re about to do tonight clearly states that you love her, but y’all got to get it together. The shit that we’re about to do can cost us all our lives. So whatever the hell got y’all feeling some type of way, fix it,” she said, and then walked into the house. I stood there thinking about what she just said. She was right. For the past few days, there’d been a distance between us. Right now was the perfect time to fix it and that was what I was about to do.
I popped the trunk, removing the bag with everything that we needed for tonight, and then headed inside. I placed the bag on a table and went to find Amina. I ended up finding her in the bedroom, sitting on the bed. I walked over to her and picked her up. Her eyes were red, which let me know that she was crying.
“What’s wrong? Why you crying?” I asked as I sat down pulling her on top of me.
“I don’t want to fight with you anymore, Jayden. All I want is for us to be a family and we can’t do that if we hate each other,” she said, looking into my eyes.
“Ma, I don’t know where you got that shit from, but I could never hate you. Yes, we’ve been through a great amount of things these last few months, but I don’t hate you. I actually love your little stubborn ass more than life itself,” I said, putting her face between my hands and kissing her lips.
“I love you too,” she replied, kissing me back. “I’m sorry for being a brat and never listening. I promise to work on that.”
“You’re good, but when I tell you that I’ll handle something, I’m giving you my word and trust me when I say that my word is bond. I keep my promises,” I said to her, meaning it.
“I know, and again, I’m sorry,” she said, then placed her lips on top of mine.
“Don’t start nothing that you can’t finish,” I said, raising her off me.
“Oh, but I want to,” she said as she starting kissing on my neck. I stopped her.
“We can’t get into all
of that like that. Mark will be here any minute, and we have to get ready,” I told her.
“A’ight. I’m going to shower,” she said, as she started to undress right in front of me. I knew what she was doing. I wasn’t crazy. She thought that if she teased me, I was going to give in, but that wasn’t going to work. I was only a few hours away from a mission, and I wasn’t about to let pussy cloud my vision.
“All right, just meet me in the living room when you’re done,” I said. I gave her a quick peck on the lips and left the room before my little head started to take over.
Chapter 28
Stacy
I didn’t know what Kaylin called himself doing, but I hoped like hell that he knew what he was getting himself into. I got my dad to agree to let him go to Atlanta to get the money so that everything could be over and done with, but he hadn’t returned yet. I’d been calling and texting his ass like crazy, but he hadn’t replied to any of my calls or messages yet. I was tired and stressing the hell out. Besides, my dad was over here about to go crazy, and I didn’t know how long I’d be able to buy him some time. I knew one thing though: he needed to get his ass back to New Orleans before this crazy nigga ended up doing something that he, Kaylin, and I would regret.
I sat on the sofa thinking about everything that Kaylin had put me through. Most of it was good, but the majority of the shit was bad. I mean I played second fiddle to that chick for so long and now that she was dead, he still barely even looked at me. Then there was my father, the man who made me but left. I knew that my mother had put him out, but he should have been man enough to fight to be in my life.