by Khadijah J
Copyright © 2019 Khadijah J.
Published by Talehia Presents
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
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This is a work of fiction. Any references or similarities to actual events, real people, living or dead, or to the real locals intended to give the novel a sense of reality. Any similarity in other names, characters, places, and incidents are entirely coincidental.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
God, first, forever, and always. He’s taking me on a journey that only He knows where I’m headed. Father God, I am thankful for all that you do for me and my family, and I’m extremely thankful for this gift you’ve blessed me with. Thank you to my mother, who is literally, my best friend, aside from the good Lord. My bestest friend, Anita Simone, thank you for your support, BF, and I appreciate the extra push you give me in life in general. You the best. My fav/cousin/sister, Tiara, thank you for listening to all my crazy ideas. You’re always there for me when I need you, and I can’t say thank you enough. My FAV Ashley Artis, Nikqua, and KB Cole, thank y’all for being there whenever I text y’all, holding me accountable for late night word count sessions, and all dat. Love you all dearly! Talehia, thank you for giving me this opportunity, and I won’t let you down! You are an amazing person, and I appreciate you for pushing me as hard as you do. My editors, pen sisters, test readers, and most importantly, my supporters. If you’ve ever even purchased a book by me, I genuinely appreciate it, and you!
Xoxo
Khadijah J.
SYNOPSIS
In the game of love, there’s no rules. But what if your past has affected you so bad, that you no longer believe in love?
From adolescence, Kentrell Rockwell, had learned first hand the power that love held. Kentrell decided at an early age, that he never wanted to experience that side of love after watching a loved one experience heartbreak. Growing up extremely handsome and intelligent, he had no problem getting any woman that he wanted. Add on the factor of him making money, they flocked Kentrell, but he held eyes for his woman and his child.
There was love, but there was also heartbreak, which was all Aliyanna Ray knew since a teenager. Somehow, she pushed passed all the obstacles life threw her way, and went on to become a pharmacist. After thinking she found love, she soon realized that she was sleeping with the enemy. Picking up the pieces of her broken heart, she continues to move forward. Unfortunately, she runs right into what the doctor ordered.
When they first met, they both were skeptical of one another. But after spending a weekend together, they were interested, but still guarded. Aliyanna was scared of falling, she had been hurt in the past, and been through a lot of stuff as a child, that she still carried into her adult life. Was Ken capable of being everything she needed and more? Or will this be another result of a hurt people hurting people?
INTRODUCTION
“Breaking news. CEO of Rockwell Suites and Casino, Rockwell Financing, and several other companies, has just been released on bail. We have Gabrielle, who is present on the scene.”
“Mr. Rockwell, is it true that you run a prostitution ring?”
“Hey, Mr. Rockwell, over here, are you using your trucking company to traffic drugs across the united states?”
“Mr. Rockwell, quick question. What do you have to say to the people calling you a monster?”
“No comment, no comment, and no fucking comment.” His deep voice was heard as the camera zoomed in on him and his lawyer walking to the car. His face was all scrunched up, and he looked mad at the world. My heart fluttered seeing his face go across the screen, I hadn’t seen him in so long.
“That’s enough of that.” My best friend, Shianne, turned the TV off.
“I’m hungry as hell, what you want to eat, friend?” She asked, walking away to the kitchen. I rubbed my pregnant belly and put my head back into the pillow.
“Umm, I don’t know. I know if you try and kill me, I mean, cook, one more time, me and my baby are gonna be outta here.” I joked.
“Girl, please. You know I can throw down.” I stared at her blankly.
“I know you can what? Cause I must be hard at hearing.”
“Whatever.”
“I mean, you cute though, and an amazing person.” I joked.
“Whatever, how are you feeling? I don’t think you should be watching all that on the news and stuff. You gon’ stress the babies.” She rubbed my belly. I sighed loudly.
“I just can’t believe none of this, I would’ve never thought, or expected this from him. I still feel like it’s more to the story.” She defended. I shrugged.
“Me either, but I can’t be tied to all this stuff. They gon’ start coming and looking at me, and I can’t afford that. I have to think about everything I’ve worked for.” I paused. “I think I’m filing for divorce.” I blurted out, and she dropped her phone.
“What? Are you crazy?”
“No, but I can’t trust Kentrell. He’s been lying to me from the beginning. It’s not just about us anymore, we have our family to think about too.”
“Excuse me, but, bitch, you gotta be smoking dope if you think Kentrell’s gon’ let you divorce him easily. He doesn’t even know you’re pregnant.” She snapped. I put my head down.
“I know that, but-” I started.
“What if he finds yo ass? Then what? You gon’ have that same energy?” She interrupted me. “They’re calling him one of America’s most dangerous men, a fucking monster.”
“I know that, Shianne. I don’t need you screaming it in my face.” I yelled back and went to sit on the couch. I was scared and didn’t know what the fuck to do.
“I thought I did everything right. I knew he had a little hood in him, because where he was from. Him being a drug dealer never crossed my mind. When rumors were being spread that he was a billionaire, I checked into him on paper, everything was legal and legit. I fell in love with him way before that though, it was like love at first sight.” I stared off into space, thinking of his beautiful bright smile. Kentrell was my everything, he made me feel things I’d never felt before.
“Now all this shit on the news, all these witnesses and shit coming from thin air. I feel like I don’t know my own damn husband. People asking me, how could you not know the monster you laid in bed with every night?” I paused and wiped a tear that escaped.
“But I do. I know that man like the back of my hand, and I know he wouldn’t have shit to do with a prostitution ring, or drugs. He wouldn’t risk his legacy like this, but why does everything point back to him?” I stressed. Shianne exhaled loudly before coming to sit next to me.
“It’s gon’ be alright, boo. Everything that’s done in the dark, will come to the light, and we gon’ see it for what it is.” She assured me, grabbing my hand. I nodded, and my ringing phone interrupted our moment. I figured it was my mother, but it was an unknown caller. The first call I didn’t answer, but the third time I did, praying it wasn’t Mylo in some shit.
“Hello.”
“Wassup, Mrs. Rockwell?” His deep voice greeted me. It was my husband, the one whose face was just plastered all over the news.
“Ken, Kentrell?” I cleared my throat.
“Bring yo ass home so we can talk about why the fuck you decided it was a good i
dea to pack up and leave our home, and me, when I needed you the fucking most.” He spat into the phone. It ran a chill down my spine the tone he had with me.
“We have nothing to talk about until after the case is done. I’ll find a way to get you the separation papers, and-” I started.
“WHAT? Man, stop fucking playing with me. Ain’t no fucking divorce happening, period, nigga, fuck is wrong with you?! Bring yo ass home, Aliyanna! Don’t make me come find yo ass, snatch yo ass up, and drag you back to the crib.” He threatened.
“Stop, just stop, with the threats. I’m not coming home, you don’t know where I am, nor will you find me, so just let us go.” I told him.
“So, you not gon’ come home to your FUCKING HUSBAND?” He yelled.
“NO, NIGGA! Dang, are you deaf?” I yelled back, tired of him yelling at me. See what I meant? This was not us at all.
“Alright, bet, I’ll see yo dumb ass in a minute then. Remember I tried to be civil about the shit.” He hung up in my face. I tossed my phone to the side, not fazed by his threats, at all.
“Let’s order a pizza, this man just gave me a headache.” I rolled my eyes. She nodded.
I took a shower while Shianne ran to get the pizza. By the time I got out, I heard her coming in the door, and I could smell the pizza. I was finishing putting on lotion before putting on one of Kentrell’s pajama shirts. I smelled it and almost cried. These damn pregnancy hormones, and then, I was past horny as fuck. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I walked out the guestroom I have made mine the past few months and I thought I was tripping.
“Shi, who the fuck you brought in here with you?” I asked, rounding the corner and turning on the lights.
It was pitch black. Shi was standing there with her mouth covered by Pierre, while Ken was standing there mugging the hell out of me, Zoe was standing to the right of him, with a huge smile. My heart was beating out my chest, and I did the first thing that came to mind. I ran. I didn’t know how I had got caught up in love with someone like Kentrell. He went against everything I said I would never date, let alone, marry. So how the fuck did I end up here, married, and in love with this asshole?
ONE
ALIYANNA IMAN RAY
“You think you fine? Newsflash, honey, you got it from me, girlfriend.” My mother joked, standing behind me, fixing my hair. I giggled at her, shaking my head, looking at both of us.
“I never said I was fine, but I know I’m beautiful, and my momma is too.” I corrected. My dark brown skin and curly black hair came from only her. People always told me I looked just like her, high cheek bones, with doe shaped eyes, only thing was, I wore glasses, and got my dimples from my daddy. Even my shape she said I got from her. She always teased me and said I was a miniature her, but a better version.
“Well, I couldn’t have said it any better. Come on, let’s sneak off and get our feet and nails done.” She suggested. Mylo was at our Auntie Laurie’s house, so we figured we’d hit the nail shop before she got here.
We had come and gone from the nail shop. My mom had dropped me back off at home, and I was cleaning before I went to my gymnastic practice. My mother had ran to get my little sister, Mylo, from my aunt’s before coming back in the house.
“Your hair is pretty, Yanni.” Mylo complimented.
“Thanks.” I smiled, walking down the steps.
“AJ still ain’t home?” She asked. I shook my head no.
“I haven’t seen him at all.” I said.
“Momma gon’ beat his ass.” She laughed and walked to her room. I nodded in agreement, because AJ was always trying momma.
Our older brother, Ali Junior, better known as AJ, stayed doing something. He was the oldest and was a hard head. AJ just turned eighteen, I was the middle child, sixteen, and Mylaijha, known as Mylai, was fifteen. Our mother was Marleigh, and our father was Ali Senior. My father was locked up. I guess he was some big-time dope boy back in his day. He had us three, and took care of my mom, who just stayed at home, until he got locked up. He was due to get out on AJ’s twentieth birthday, I guess. I didn’t really remember him, and every time they went to visit, I had something to do, so I missed out.
I went in my room to get ready for dinner and prepare for school this week. After I was done, I put in my headphones and started dancing like usual. When music came on, I was a different person, I loved to dance, and I could very well. I did gymnastics, but there were no dance classes around for my age, so I would just dance at home in my room. I was jamming, until I turned around and my mother was standing there smiling. I jumped back and took one of my head phones out.
“Show me how you did that.”
“Mom, you scared the mess outta me.” I told her. She laughed at me, shaking her head.
“Dinner’s ready, dancing machine.” She walked out. I turned my iPod Nano off, plugged it up to charge, and headed to the kitchen.
“Hey, have you seen AJ? Well, if you do, tell him I’m looking for him, and I’m worried about him. Alright, thank you.” I overheard my mother telling someone on the phone. I took a seat at the table, glancing at my food. It instantly made my stomach churn. She had made meatballs, rice, and green beans. I hated to be ungrateful, but I hated my mother’s cooking.
“AJ gon’ make me beat his motherfucking ass. Not coming home for two days at a time. I’m gon’ knock his head clean off his shoulders. Yanni, you don’t eat my food, then you won’t be eating. Mylaijha, what little boy you got calling my house phone and hanging up?” She spat, in one breath.
“Huh? Nobody, Momma.” Mylo lied. I shook my head as my mother ripped Mylo a new one. I sat there for a half hour, picking over my food, until my dad called and my mother just cussed me out and sent me to get ready for bed and school in the morning. I gladly headed upstairs and showered, hurriedly handling my hygiene and then getting into bed. I said my prayers before going straight to sleep.
The next morning, I woke up and got ready for school as usual. My sister and I caught the bus to school together. Majority of the time, AJ would make sure we got to and from the bus stop, but he had been MIA lately. I was slightly worried, but AJ always did this, and popped up like the Matrix when he was ready to.
Today was a normal Monday. It dragged severely through my AP classes. Next semester they said I could start taking college courses. I was only in my first semester of my junior year, and I was a little intimidated by taking college courses, but I had no other option. My mother was all for it, seeing as how she thought I might as well knock out some credits for free while I could. I had been meeting with my counselor to figure out what I wanted to major in after I graduated. I was leaning toward becoming a pharmacist, but I wasn’t sure.
After school, Mylo ditched me to go hang out with her friends. I asked her if she asked Mom, and she said that she did. I was sure she was lying, but she didn’t listen to me, and I wasn’t about to force her to. When I got off the bus and rounded the corner, I ran right into the missing man we’d been looking for.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Frankenstein himself.” I joked.
“Whatever, how was school?” AJ asked, as I stepped off the bus, and he took my heavy back pack.
“Damn, what’s in here, bricks?” He joked. I shook my head at him.
“School was normal. Same old dumb kids, same old drama, same old boring classes.” I shrugged.
“Them kids still talking shit about you?” His nostril’s flared.
“No.” I lied. When AJ found out I was letting people talk slick to me, and somewhat bully me, he was livid, and came up to the school.
“I was about to say. They must ain’t take me serious when I said I’d blow that bitch up.” He scoffed.
“I told you, you can’t say stuff like that, AJ.” I told him, frowning.
“I told you, you can’t say stuff, shut yo ass up. I swear, you would think you not even from the hood, yo nerdy ass.” He pushed me and I pushed him back.
“Whatever. Where you been? Momma been on a m
an hunt for you.”
“I been around, she needs to chill out. I been making sure she doesn’t have to lay on her back for bread. Had to get the eviction notice squared away.” He frowned.
“Eviction notice?” I asked. He chuckled.
“Yeah, but it’s cool now, I took care of it.” He assured me.
“AJ-” I started, but he cut me off.
“What you wanna be when you grow up?” My brother asked. He changed the subject, because he knew I was about to lecture him. I shrugged, I would talk to him about it later then.
“I don’t know yet. Something that deals with science. Maybe a pharmacist. My counselor asked me the same thing, since I have to start taking college courses next semester.” I told him. He looked at me and smiled.
“Just remember you can be whatever the fuck you wanna be, Lee Lee. I’ll always be rooting you on, sis! You a fucking brainiac, bruh, I wish I was as smart as you. I wouldn’t be in my situation I’m in today if I was half as smart as you.” He told me.
“AJ, I’m not that smart.” I laughed at him. He smacked his lips, wrapping his arm around my neck as we steady walked.
“Forreal, when you become a pharmacist, don’t forget about your big bro.” He continued.
“I won’t, bro, I promise. Just make sure you around. I’ll admit, I was worried about you this time, AJ,” I told him.
“You don’t ever gotta worry about me, little sis. I’m always Gucci,” he smiled, wrapping his arm around me. I smiled as we walked into our community, his arm still around me.
“AJ,” someone yelled, he turned around, as shots rang out nonstop. It sounded like midnight on New Year’s. AJ quickly tackled me to the ground, as I screamed bloody murder. I had never been in this situation before, and I had pissed on myself. I heard the tires screeching, and people started coming out their buildings to be nosy.
“AJ, I think they’re gone now,” I told him, finally opening my eyes, wishing I hadn’t. My brother was struggling to breath. My eyes bulged outta of my head, staring at him, as I climbed from underneath him, my heart literally, breaking into pieces as I looked down at him.