by Jade Jones
Sean looked somewhat nervous but still posted up with Kwon. He threw an uncoordinated punch that Kwon easily ducked.
“Magyc, stop!” Roxie hollered.
Sean threw another punch and missed.
“I don’t wanna hurt you,” Kwon said, calmly.
“That’s too bad,” Sean said. “’Cuz I’m finna crush yo’ ass and make sushi outta you.”
“Magyc, make him stop!” Roxie cried.
He ignored her please as he patiently waited for Kwon to be dealt with.
Sean threw yet another punch and missed.
“I said I don’t wanna hurt,” Kwon repeated.
It was three of them and not a single one could get a hit in.
Fed up that Kwon was making him look like a bitch, Sean tried to catch him off guard with a kick of his own.
Kwon blocked the attack with his leg before brutally kicking Sean’s knee out of place.
Sean dropped to the ground like a sack of bricks, howling in pain.
“AHH, SHIT! FUCK! This mothafucka broke my gotdamn leg! FUCK!”
Magyc glared at Kwon, and the two simply stared daggers at each other.
Magyc wanted to run up, but he’d already seen what Kwon did to his niggas. He wasn’t going to waste time or energy sparring—especially when he knew he’d probably get his ass kicked. Magyc didn’t know a thing about Martial Arts other than the Kung Fu movies he saw growing up. He had a feeling that if he tried to fight Kwon he would only embarrass himself in the process. So instead of squaring up like a man, he pointed his pistol at Kwon—
“No!” Roxie quickly leapt in front of Kwon, almost taking the bullet for him. “STOP! Enough is enough! Just let it go! It’s over!”
“It ain’t fuckin’ over—”
“It’s over!”
Hearing her say that hurt Magyc more than anything. As bad as he wanted to pull the trigger, he knew that wouldn’t win her back. This would be a life lesson for him. Magyc fucked up, and now he had to watch another man make her happy.
***
“Why didn’t you tell me you knew Karate?” Roxie asked him on the way back to her apartment.
Kwon didn’t take his eyes off the road as he navigated his car. “Because I don’t know karate,” he said. “That back there was a combination of Taekwondo and Wing Chun.”
“Where did you learn that?”
“My grandfather taught me at a very early age. In my family, it is mandatory to be skilled in mixed martial arts or some type of combat.”
“Why?”
“Because…I…it’s just the way it is,” he said.
“Why do I get the impression you’re hiding something from me, Kwon?”
Silence was the response she received.
“You’re not a DJ, are you?” she finally said.
“No, Roxie…I’m not…”
The rest of the trip was quiet. Roxie didn’t speak again until they finally arrived in front of her building.
“Are you gonna tell me what you really do? Or will I be left wondering—just like I’m wondering why you lied in the first place.”
Kwon could tell she was upset but that wasn’t his intentions. “I didn’t want to tell you the truth, because I didn’t want you to think differently of me,” he admitted.
“Well, I do regardless, because now I know you’re a liar…”
He went to touch her hand and she quickly moved it away.
“I am sorry that I lied to you, Roxie.”
She heard the sincerity in his tone, but she wouldn’t fold.
“The truth is… I have my hands in some pretty heavy shit.”
“Like the Yakuza?” she laughed, half-joking half-serious.
There was no humor in his tone when he said, “…Something like that...” Kwon couldn’t come out and say he was a member and the heir to a notorious Asian criminal enterprise.
After seeing the seriousness on his face, she wiped the smile off of hers. Roxie wasn’t particularly happy about dating another criminal. She’d lost three men to that street shit, and she didn’t want to lose another.
“Roxie, I’m sorry…”
“I am too,” she said. “I don’t think I can do this again.” She reached for the door handle but he stopped her.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I can’t do this with you. You lied to me, Kwon, and if it’s one thing I hate it’s a liar. I just got out of a relationship that was plagued by lies. I don’t wanna step into another—”
“You won’t,” he assured her.
“I know I won’t because it’s not gonna happen.”
Kwon looked crushed.
Roxie went to climb out again but he gently grabbed her wrist.
“It’s not often I find this,” he said, in reference to their chemistry. “Don’t throw it away. I know if you give me the chance, I could really make you happy. And I promise I will keep my business life far away from you and your daughter.”
“I’m sorry, but that just isn’t enough,” she said. Suddenly, it dawned on her that maybe she was meant to be single. She could use the moment of solitude to find herself and focus on her child. Roxie was done playing the role of a trap queen. She had a baby to raise. “Goodbye, Kwon.”
He barely wanted to let her go when she climbed out his car. Roxie was the closest thing to perfection he’d met in a woman and now she was walking away. Unfortunately, Kwon had no choice but to accept and respect it.
33
Juicy, Milena, Flo, and Kina walked in the house from a long day of shopping and hanging out. Every day they were in the city running a stupid check up. They had fun and did everything together like a group of girls in high school.
Juicy let herself in since Rico gave her the key to their home. He was currently in Europe for business, so she was holding shit down in Atlanta. Just as she stepped in, Rico Face Timed her.
“Wassup, bay?”
“Me and the girls just walked in.”
“Word? Lemme see what’chu wearin’ today? I miss yo’ fine ass.”
Juicy lowered the camera so he could see her tan jumpsuit and knee-high Givenchy boots.
“Damn, my bitch bad,” he said. “How my ladies doing over there?”
Juicy moved the camera so the girls could wave.
“I’mma see you in a couple days. I got you a gift too.”
“What’d you get me?”
“If I told you it wouldn’t be a gift, now would it.”
Juicy laughed.
“I’m finna get up outta here though. Gimme a kiss.”
Juicy puckered her lips and blew him a kiss. She was about to disconnect the call, but he quickly said something that caught her off guard.
“Aye…I love you, girl.”
“…I love you too.”
“Get at’chu later,” he said before hanging up.
As Juicy walked further in the house, she heard the faint sound of a baby crying.
“What the hell is that?”
“Amanda must be watching those God awful shows again.”
“She got the TV on max though?” Juicy asked.
Milena shrugged and walked off to her bedroom. No more than two seconds later, the noises stopped.
Juicy dismissed it and went to the kitchen to fix herself something to eat. When she walked inside, she slipped and almost bust her ass on something wet. As soon as she looked down, her body froze up.
There was a trail of blood leading to—
“AMANDA, NOOOOOO! What did you do?!” Juicy was horrified and mentally scarred by what she saw. The gruesome scene before her would haunt her at night for many years to come.
“I—I just wanted to go to the doctor’s appointment with her,” she said in a dreamy voice. “She wouldn’t let me… I just wanted to go with her. All I wanted was to see the baby… That’s all I ever wanted was a baby of my own…and now I finally have one…”
Amanda sadistically held up the bloody newborn baby in her hands. The tin
y premature infant had just stopped breathing after she stabbed Delaney to death and cut it out of her.
Juicy looked at Delaney’s body stretched out on the floor and covered her mouth to keep from being sick. Her body was completely mutilated. Blood, bodily fluids, puss, and intestines covered the floor.
Juicy almost couldn’t believe what she was seeing. This is not real. This is not fucking real, she told herself repeatedly. But every time she blinked, the shocking image remained.
Just then Milena walked in the kitchen to see what all the ruckus was about. “What the hell is—OH MY GOD! Oh—Oh my God! OH NO! No, no, no, no! DELANEY!”
Flo and Kina ran in the kitchen next. The minute Flo saw the mess she threw up all over the kitchen tile.
Milena quickly ran out of the room to call 911.
“NOOOOOOOOO!”
“Delaney!”
“Why? Amanda, why?!”
Kina ran over to check Delaney’s pulse, but it was no use. Judging from the stiffness of her body and dull pigmentation, she had been dead for quite some time.
Before Juicy could get a wrap on the situation, she heard sirens wailing in the distance.
“Shit!”
Juicy pulled out her phone and immediately called Rico.
He answered on the fourth ring. “Wassup, bay?”
“I don’t know what to do, Rico! I don’t know what the fuck to do! Tell me what to do!” she cried frantically.
“Calm down and talk to me. What happened?”
“It’s Amanda! I—she—”
“What happened?!” Rico asked.
“She—she killed Delaney!”
“WHAT!”
Just then Juicy heard the police and FBI storm the premises.
“Oh my God, Rico! What do I do? The cops are here!”
“Hol’ up! The Feds there right now?!” he asked in disbelief.
“Yes!” She heard their heavy footsteps coming straight towards them. “What do I do, Rico! I—I’m so scared! I—”
Click.
Rico hung up on her silly ass, leaving her and the girls to fend for themselves. Juicy’s worst fears had come to life. Cameron tried to warn her about Rico but she just wouldn’t listen. She’d never considered the consequences because she was too busy fucking, making money, and having fun.
Juicy wanted to run from herself and she ran right into the arms of a manipulative womanizer. She had no idea what she had stepped into by agreeing to work with Rico. And she had no clue as to why the officers slapped the cuffs on her and Amanda.
“I didn’t do anything!” Juicy screamed. “I didn’t do any fucking thing! Why are you arresting me?! SHE’S THE KILLER! Not me! I didn’t do shit!” Once she became hostile, the police slammed her roughly to the floor.
Delaney’s blood smeared all over her face and clothes. This would go down in history as the worst day in her life—and she had no one but herself to blame.
***
“Can I come in?”
Tara stepped to the side to allow Magyc entrance. He had an oversized bag from Toys R Us with him.
“What’s the occasion?” she asked grimly. “I didn’t expect to see you again after our fall out.”
“I just came by to give lil’ man this,” he said, handing her the bag. He would’ve given it to Marlon himself but he was in daycare. “I also came to apologize about everything. I ain’t trying to fight with you, Tara. And I ain’t trying to no deadbeat like my father was. I wanna do more—no I’m gonna do more,” he stressed.
Tara smiled.
“I am still firm on wanting to be just friends,” he added. “We have to be cordial for the baby.”
“I agree. And I can live with that.”
Magyc was actually surprised to hear her say that. Usually, Tara would flip if he said some shit he didn’t like. But after taking some time to think and contemplate her past actions, she realized how childish she’d been.
“I’m sorry too,” Tara said. “I should’ve never did what I did. I wish I could take it back.”
“Well, it’s over and done with now. Ain’t shit to do put keep it pushing so we can take care of our kids.”
“Kid,” she corrected him. “I got the abortion…”
Magyc was floored by the news. As soon as he saw the tears in fill up in her eyes he walked over and held her. Just because he wasn’t in love with Tara didn’t mean he had to disrespect her. He planned on being a better person, and a better father.
***
It was finally the big day. Cameron and Jude were getting ready to move to their Hawaii retreat. They had already packed and shipped everything, and she was waiting on him to return with the moving truck. For all the things she didn’t plan on taking she wanted to give away.
Cameron kept herself busy cleaning the house. She didn’t want to leave it untidy before moving since they planned on selling it. They already had a few potential buyers interested in taking a look, and she wanted the place to be in tip top shape.
Cam was listening to music on her Amazon Echo and sweeping the lower level when she heard the doorbell ring. Jude had left her with one of his men, so she assumed he’d locked himself out. It wouldn’t have been the first time.
Turning down the volume, Cam sauntered to the front door. Before she could look through the peephole, it flew open, and slammed into her face. Caught off guard, Cam fell backward, clutching her bloody nose. She wouldn’t have been surprised if her shit was broken.
When Cam looked up and saw Jag hovering over her with clenched fists, she knew the end was near.
34
Cameron quickly scurried to her purse where her loaded gun was—but Jag grabbed her by the leg and pulled her back towards him. The door was wide open and she could see Jude’s dead homeboy lying several feet away with a bullet in his head. Something as simple as taking the trash out for Cam had cost him his life.
“Jag, no! STOP!”
“You thought it was over?” he asked. “You really thought it was fucking over?”
She kicked him in the shin when he got to close. Apparently, that pissed him off because he grabbed a wire hanger off the floor and started beating her.
“Who’s gonna love you more than me?!”
WHAP
“Huh?”
WHAP!
Who?” he hollered.
The wired hanger left welts on her bare skin.
“That mothafucka will never love or care about you the way I do! Did you really think I was gonna let him take you from me?! Bitch, you belong to me!”
“LEAVE ME ALONE!”
Jag tossed the hanger and snatched his leather belt off. Since he wasn’t on meds he was twice as deranged as she remembered.
“Yo’ mothafuckin’ ass ain’t goin’ nowhere, bitch! I can’t believe you even had the gall to think you’d leave me!”
WHAM!
Jag punched her in the face and body with the belt wrapped around his fist. When he didn’t feel satisfied doing that, he wrapped it around her neck and choked her. He didn’t intend to kill her. He just wanted to let her know who was in control. He would tame her, one way or another.
“I’ll die before I let him take you from me!”
With the belt wrapped around her neck, he dragged her out the house and towards his car. Since she was wearing a skirt, her arms and legs painfully scraped against the ground. She was kicking and screaming the entire way. She couldn’t breathe, and she feared she’d die before she even made it to the car.
Every so often she tried to stand, but fell back down unmercifully. Suddenly, Cameron remembered that her babies were inside alone.
“NO, JAG, PLEASE! she struggled to say. “My children—”
“Bitch, fuck yo’ children!” he spat. “That’s exactly what them mothafuckas is—yo’ children! Let that fucker raise ‘em and be grateful I showed mercy ‘cuz I could’ve buried all ya’ll mothafuckin’ asses!”
All of a sudden, God answered her prayers, when she saw Jude’s rental t
ruck pull in. As soon as he saw Jag assaulting Cam he jumped out, forgetting to put it in park. The truck continued rolling before crashing into his precious Ferrari. He didn’t give a fuck about that car or anything. All he cared about was protecting his wife.
“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY GIRL!”
Jude couldn’t believe Jag was actually alive. He wanted to kick himself for not believing Cameron when she tried to tell him.
Both men pulled their guns out at the same time, and Cam immediately thought the worse.
“I was supposed to kill you a long time ago,” Jag said. “Bitch, the only reason you still breathin’ is ‘cuz of Cameron. I gave yo’ ass the benefit of the doubt, but you weren’t even worth that.”
“Fuck you! I’mma put’cho ass in the ground right next to yo’ brother.”
Jag didn’t like that at all. Feeling insanely bold, he tossed his gun to the ground, ready to fight like a man. Jude had ample opportunity to put lead in his brain—but instead he tossed his too.
As soon as both men were weaponless, Jag charged at him full speed. He tackled Jude like a linebacker, delivering fierce blow after blow.
Cameron ran up to try and help her man, and Jag shoved the shit out of her. She fell and smacked her head so hard that she saw double.
WHAM!
WHAM!
WHAM!
“I shoulda gutted yo’ mothafuckin’ ass and left you in the woods somewhere to die!” Jag yelled. “All of the shit you did to me!”
WHAM!
“You don’t deserve her!”
WHAM!
“You never fuckin’ did! That’s gon’ always be my bitch! She always gon’ suck this dick! And I’mma always fuck her and eat her pussy! And it ain’t shit you can do about it, mothafucka!” Jag wanted to psychologically torture Jude as he assaulted him. He didn’t care that his words were bizarre and outrageous.
THUNK!
Cameron suddenly hit him over the head with a nearby shovel.
Thankfully, it was enough to get him off Jude—but not enough to kill him.
Jag stood and snatched the shovel out her hand. She thought he might hit her with it, but instead he slapped the blood out her mouth.
That automatically pissed Jude off. Seeing his girl get hit, made him jump off the ground and slam Jag from behind. Now it was his turn to go in. He pummeled Jag’s face until his knuckles turned red and bled.