“She’ll be okay. It ain’t like she paid for the shit. Isis knows how to handle her,” Imani replied while seeing the two of them out.
Imani waited out front with Demi, while Cam went and got Demi’s car. The sisters hugged again, right before Demi and Cam pulled off.
“You good baby?” Cam asked as he grabbed Demi’s hand and drove up on the bridge with the other.
“Yeah, but I want that bitch again. That was so foul what she did, Cam. What if Kamari would have come to that restaurant and killed us or something?” Demi said right as shots rang out, shattering her back window.
“Shit!” Cam yelled as he swerved in another lane, barely missing another car.
“Somebody’s shooting at us Cam!” Demi screamed as she ducked down in her seat.
“Just stay down Demi. These muthafuckers are crazy,” Cam said as he slumped down in his seat and weaved in and out of lanes.
He looked in the rearview mirror and saw a motorcycle following them at a rapid speed. The person was having a hard time driving and trying to shoot at the same time.
“That’s Kamari! Oh, God! He’s trying to kill me,” Demi cried when she looked up and recognized her husband on his motorcycle.
“Stay down Demi. I’m about to get off this bridge and get to a less isolated area. That nigga ain’t dumb enough to be out here shooting with a bunch of witnesses around,” Cam said as he got off on the Tchopitoulas St. exit.
He sped towards the convention center with the motorcycle still on his tail. Thankfully, he hadn’t fired any more shots, but Demi still stayed down low. When Cam got closer to Canal St., he was relieved when he saw the motorcycle turn down one of the side streets. He was happy that Canal St. was an area that stayed lit, especially on the weekends. The tourists and locals littered the streets in front of Harrah’s Casino, as Cam drove around the block a few times to make sure they were safe.
“Are you okay baby?” Cam asked as he pulled Demi across the seat and onto his lap. He parked in front of the Canal Place mall, a well-lit, heavily populated area.
Demi was shaking nervously, but she nodded her head, saying that she was fine. “I don’t wanna go home Cam,” Demi replied.
“What do you mean?” he asked her.
“What if Savoy told him where we live?” Demi asked while looking up into his eyes.
“Did you tell her where we live?” Cam questioned.
“No, Cam, but she’s my cousin. What if somebody else mentioned it unintentionally? My mama talks to her mama all the time. She could have mentioned it, not knowing that bitch Savoy was a snake,” Demi said.
“Well, where do you wanna go Demi? I gave up my apartment and you don’t like hotels,” Cam reminded her.
“I don’t know, but I’m scared,” Demi sniffled.
“You wanna go spend a few days by my mama? Her house is big enough and she won’t mind,” Cam suggested.
“Yeah, we can do that. We’ll need clothes and stuff though. And what about my car? My window is shattered and it probably has bullet holes in it.”
“I can fix that in one day, Demi. Did you forget what I do for a living?” Cam asked.
“What about clothes?” Demi asked.
“I’ll go get us some,” Cam replied.
“No Cam, don’t go there tonight. I don’t want you to go by yourself at all,” Demi panicked.
“I have to go tonight Demi. I’ll go get Kobe to come with me while you stay with Lacey,” Cam said.
“Okay, let’s go Cam. I feel weird being out here with all these people with a shot out window,” Demi admitted.
She went back to her side of the car, while Cam pulled off and drove towards Lacey’s house. He was so sick of Lo acting like a lil lovesick bitch, and he was ready to put a bullet in his head. The bad part about that was he didn’t know where Demi’s house was and he didn’t want to raise suspicions by asking. He didn’t even know where Lo hung out at. He was always so low key and that was working in his favor. That nigga needed to get dealt with because he was going too far. Cam wasn’t worried about himself anymore; his concern was more for Demi.
Chapter 27
Laila was bored out of her mind as she walked around her house, trying to find something to do. She’d already cleaned and cooked, so her house was in order. She didn’t have many friends and Asha was acting like she couldn’t do anything since she was pregnant. She stalked and chased Cam like it was a sport and that was all that she seemed to do. Asha had moved back in with her mother and nobody saw Randy anymore. He was trying to sell his shop, but he hadn’t had any luck with it.
Just like he’d told Asha, he stopped paying rent on their condo and she didn’t know where he was living. He told Asha that he was done with her manipulative ways and he wanted nothing else to do with her. Since the baby wasn’t his, he didn’t feel the need to stick around. Asha had been ignoring her calls since the day before, but maybe she was ready to talk now. When Asha sent her to voicemail once again, Laila decided to scroll on Facebook for a while. She hadn’t been on her page in a few weeks, so she knew that she’d missed a lot.
As soon as she logged on, Laila got in her feelings when she saw a post that her auntie Nora had put up. Apparently, Cam had a cookout and seafood boil at his new house and she didn’t know anything about it. Everybody seemed to be in attendance, including her mother. When Laila saw Nia’s smiling face on some of the pictures, she was ready to snap. They appeared to have had fun eating, swimming, and playing cards. Cam’s house was the shit and his new girlfriend seemed right at home. She couldn’t wait to tell Asha about that. Laila felt like an outcast, as she dialed her mother’s number to see what she had to say.
“Hey baby,” Nadine said when she answered for her daughter.
“I guess I wasn’t invited to the party at Cam’s house, huh?” Laila asked, getting right to the point.
“I asked your sister where you were and she said she didn’t know. I figured you had to work or something,” Nadine replied.
“I didn’t have to work, but I didn’t know anything about it. I see Nia got an invite though,” Laila noted.
“I’m sorry baby, but I was only a guest. I think Lacey and Cam’s girlfriend put that together, but we had a good time,” Nadine said.
“I can tell. I saw Auntie Nora’s pictures,” Laila replied.
“I’m with her now at the hair salon. I’m next, so I’ll call you later,” Nadine said before hanging up the phone.
Laila was still in her feelings, so she called her sister to see what she had to say.
“Yes,” Lacey answered like she had an attitude.
“I guess I’m not a part of the in-crowd anymore. Why wasn’t I invited to the gathering at Cam’s house?” Laila asked.
“Because nobody fucks with your snake ass, that’s why,” Lacey replied.
“Snake? You must have me confused with the next bitch!” Laila yelled.
“No, I got you right. Only a snake would let her first cousin’s girlfriend and best friend use her house to do him dirty,” Lacey replied.
Cam and her husband told her about what they suspected, but they didn’t have any proof besides seeing Asha and Randy meeting Lo there. They assumed that Laila knew what was going on and Lacey was fishing for more information.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Laila questioned.
“I’m talking about you being so damn stupid and desperate for Asha’s friendship and approval that you would let her cheat on your cousin at your house. And for what? To please her brother, who probably doesn’t want you anyway. Then, you smiled in Nia’s face for months, knowing what was going on. It’s because of her pulling some strings that you got that lil job in the hospital’s cafeteria. Ungrateful bitches like you make me sick,” Lacey rambled, hurting her sister’s feelings.
“Nia was always more of your friend than mine and you know that. And whatever Randy and Asha did has nothing to do with me. I didn’t make them mess around,” Laila defended.
“Yeah, but you knew and didn’t say shit. Even if you didn’t want to tell Cam, you shouldn’t have let it happen under your roof,” Lacey told her.
“I’m grown and I pay my own bills. This is my house and Quincy is the only person who helps me. Y’all don’t do shit for me but talk behind my back. Asha has been more of a sister to me than you’ve been, since you’re always so team Camden,” Laila snapped.
“You sound stupid as fuck with that dumb shit. I hope Asha is always around when you need her, since she’s so much better than I am. And you don’t ever have to worry about being invited to nothing that me and Demi are hosting. We don’t need no ants at our picnics,” Lacey said, right before she hung up on her.
“Stupid bitch,” Laila said in anger.
She didn’t know how her sister had found out about what was going on and she really didn’t care. She did feel bad about the part that she played in everything, but it was too late for regrets. She was sure that Lacey’s anger was only the beginning. She was gonna catch hell once her mother found out. She warned Asha about being careful; now, she was about to be shunned by her family, all because she wasn’t. Laila needed to tell her what was up, so she dialed her number yet again. Instead of being sent to voicemail, Laila’s call was quickly answered, but Asha didn’t say anything. She heard Asha and some more people talking in the background and realized that Asha must have hit accept instead of decline.
“That bitch is so fucking annoying,” Laila heard Asha say.
“Who?” another woman questioned.
“Laila’s disgusting ass,” Asha replied, making Laila’s heart free fall in her chest.
“That’s your best friend though,” the other woman laughed.
“Girl, please,” Asha said, laughing with her.
“And she’s your sister-in-law. Ain’t that right Quincy?” the woman said, laughing the entire time.
“Stop playing with me,” Quincy said.
“Play dumb if you want to. You were fucking that bitch and that I’m sure of. You were at her house damn near more than you were at ours. That’s a secret you better take to your grave though,” the woman said, now getting serious.
Laila realized that the mystery woman had to be Kelly, the mother of Quincy’s children.
“And you know why I was there. We have three kids and bills that need to be paid,” Quincy replied.
“Girl, that’s the trap house. My brother ain’t messing around with her aggravating ass,” Asha chimed in.
“Yeah, okay,” Kelly replied sarcastically. “Ain’t that much damn trapping in the world.”
“The fuck you mean?” Quincy yelled. “How do you think I was able to pay for that big ass wedding and reception that you wanted? You spent damn near ten grand on our honeymoon alone. You better miss me with that dumb shit. I don’t want that fucking girl and I never did.”
“Selling dope is all that takes place over there, sis. I’m there with him most of the time and you know I would be ratting his ass out if he was doing anything wrong,” Asha spoke up.
“Asha, please. You ain’t no better than him. Nia and Cam should have fucked you and Randy up for the stunt that y’all pulled. You knew not to bring his stupid looking ass to my house,” Kelly replied.
Laila had heard enough. She hung up the phone feeling like a bigger fool than her sister said she was. She had basically ruined her relationship with her family, all because she was in love with a man who probably didn’t even like her. She cried from her soul, hurting like she’d never hurt before. She couldn’t believe that Quincy had gotten married. He was a liar and she was a fool for believing them all. She was a joke to them and she hated to be laughed at. Laila wiped her eyes and sat there deep in thought. Her heartache had quickly turned into anger and she was ready to do some damage. After scrolling through her phone’s contacts, Laila dialed a number that she was happy that she’d saved. She had a feeling she was gonna need it and she was right.
***
Lawrence pulled up to the hotel room that his girlfriend had rented and took the elevator up to the tenth floor. He was mentally drained and in need of a break. Kamari had been his boy since they met when they were both sixteen years old. Lawrence had run away from an abusive home and met his best friend while sleeping under the Claiborne bridge. When Kamari was able to afford his first hotel room, he took Lawrence along with him. When he got put on in the dope game, Lawrence was always right there by his side. For that, Lawrence would be forever grateful to him. Although Kamari had been driving him crazy with the moves that he’d been making lately, Lawrence had his boy’s back.
“Open up bruh, it’s me,” Lawrence said when he knocked on the door.
He heard the extra lock being undone before the door was opened, and he came face to face with Kamari. Lawrence shook his head when his boy looked up and down the hall, just to make sure no one else was with him. Kamari had a gun in his hand, looking like a paranoid fool. Three weeks had passed since he shot at Demi and Cam, and he swore that someone was watching him. He stayed at Lawrence and his girlfriend’s apartment for a few nights after the incident, but he didn’t feel comfortable there either. He wanted to be alone, but he didn’t want to risk putting a hotel room in his name. He and Demi still shared a bank account and he didn’t want anybody to be able to track him down. He had acted on impulse when he shot at his wife and her new lover, and he didn’t know if she’d called the police or not. Even worse, he didn’t want Cam to catch him slipping and end his life like he’d tried to do him. He didn’t even know for a fact if they’d seen him or not, but he didn’t want to take any chances. Lawrence had recently started working, at his girlfriend’s urging, and he didn’t have as much time to be with Kamari anymore. Working a nine to five was harder than he thought, but he had to do it to keep up appearances.
“Come in man,” Kamari said as he stepped to the side and granted his only friend’s entrance.
“What’s up bruh? What’s so important that I had to get over here at six in the morning? You do know that I have to work, right?” Lawrence asked.
“That bitch set me up man,” Kamari said as he paced the floor, tapping the loaded gun against his leg.
“Who? Who set you up?” Lawrence asked.
“That bitch Asha,” Kamari replied.
“How did she set you up?” Lawrence questioned.
“Last night I kept getting a call from his unfamiliar number, but I never answered. The number called all night until I answered about five this morning,” he revealed.
“Who was it?” Lawrence asked.
“Ole girl whose house we used to meet Asha and Randy at. Lisa, Lena, Laila, or whatever the fuck her name is,” Kamari answered.
“What did she say?” Lawrence quizzed.
“That bitch Asha set me up. She had that lame ass nigga Randy following me around for weeks, clocking my moves. The three niggas that ran up in my house were her brothers. Niggas sat in front of my house until me and Demi got home and ran up on us while Randy waited in the car for them,” Kamari fumed.
“Why would she call and tell you some shit like that? I thought she was Asha’s girl,” Lawrence wondered.
“Yeah, well, she must have pissed her off because she called and ran it all down to me. That bitch Asha was the mastermind behind everything,” Kamari informed him.
“Yoooo,” Lawrence dragged out, “are you fucking serious?”
He felt bad as hell for the many times that he’d talked to Asha and probably volunteered more info than he needed to. He never told her anything of importance, but he was kicking it with the bitch who had done him and his boy dirty. That alone had him ready to kill.
“Dead ass. That bitch is the reason why I’m going through all this bullshit right now. On God, bruh, I want that hoe and her entire family dead. And that nigga Randy too,” Kamari noted.
“You need to relax and get a clear head man,” Lawrence said.
“Fuck a clear head, bruh. That bitch is the cause of my wife leaving me. T
hey put a gun to her head and threatened to kill her. All because of something that that money-hungry bitch orchestrated. Now, I know why that nigga Randy slacked up on buying shit. He stole enough to last him a while. They’re dead and that’s on God,” Kamari swore.
“I need you to stop acting on impulse, bruh. I understand how you feel and I agree with you. But, going into a situation blind is gonna cause both of us our life or freedom. Just like you went shooting at Demi and Cam a few weeks ago. That shit was impulsive and could have turned out bad. Thankfully, your gun jammed or you could have been fighting two murder charges right now. Let’s just put our heads together and come up with a game plan. Shit like this takes times. It doesn’t have to be done overnight,” Lawrence reasoned.
“Man, you know I wasn’t trying to kill Demi. I love her too much to hurt her. I just can’t take seeing her with another nigga. That nigga Cam can eat some bullets, but my wife is my world,” Kamari replied.
“I already know,” Lawrence agreed.
“I knew that something was wrong though. I was too careful for some shit like that to happen. I kept people out of my business and I never made shit personal. Kamari and Lo were two different people and that’s how it was supposed to stay. I never wanted my wife mixed up in this shit,” Kamari said, shaking his head in regret.
“I know you didn’t, but you know the risk that comes with the game. No matter how careful you think you are, this is a shady business. Jealousy and greed fuels a lot of people to do stupid stuff,” Lawrence said.
“I don’t give a damn what you say bruh; they ain’t getting away with this shit,” Kamari promised.
“I’m not saying that you should let them get away with it. I’m just saying that we have to be smart about it. Just like they watched the way you moved, you need to do the same with them. Sometimes, it’s good to let people get comfortable in a situation before you make a move or react,” Lawrence rationalized.
Lawrence was the most patient man that Kamari had ever met. He’d go an entire year before he confronted a situation, but Kamari wasn’t built like that. He wanted things to happen like microwave warmed food, quick and easy.
I Heard It All Before Page 21