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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recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission from the publisher and writer, except brief quotes used in reviews.
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
This is a story of how four, completely different individuals, somehow find themselves together.
In Cuffed by a Black Billionaire, you were introduced to Kenzo. In this standalone, you get to familiarize yourself with La’Kenzo Rogers. Kenzo may seem like the average hustla, handsome, charming, and loaded pockets. But there was so much more to La’Kenzo Rogers. As normal as he seemed, he was everything but normal. Suffering tragedy, after tragedy, Kenzo became numb, and decided to continue on life without addressing and healing from the pain in the past. But when he meets a woman that makes him feel a forbidden emotion, he realizes that he’s incapable of loving her because of what happened in the past.
Niatia Bridge was very familiar with heartbreak. She was young, stunning, and ambitious, until she ran into the wrong man. Her light, that used to shine so bright, was being dimmed by the darkness that she was wrapped in. Losing herself in a man was never her plan. Can she escape the darkness so that she can soar like she was supposed to? Or will she succumb to that dark cloud hanging over her life?
E’mauri “Lucci” Lewis, was a young, reckless, handsome hustla. Lucci was lost in this cold world, with no one to guide him. Being abandoned at such a young age, has caused him to be somewhat rebellious. He begins to get it by any means, and eventually, is forced to sit down and listen. Linking up with someone who he looked up to in the past, he’s able to see life in a different light, and move differently. But the thing about the past is, it always catches up to you. Is it too late for Lucci, or will he be able to right his wrongs?
Au’Brielle Scott was practically born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Before she could decide what she wanted to do with her life, her family had already laid it out for her. Going through the motions in life, she finally cracks, and realizes she’s not living, she’s merely existing. She has an option of following her dream, or continuing to be a puppet. Will Au’Brielle make it out the miserable life she’s existing in and finally take a leap of faith? Or will she be too afraid of finally standing on her own?
Intro
“Could you state your name for me?”
“Kenzo.”
“Your full name please.”
“La’Kenzo Lamar Rogers.”
“Welcome, La’Kenzo. Very nice to finally meet you. Could you tell me why you’re here today?”
“I really don’t know.” I started, but she grabbed my hand, holding it, giving me a reassuring look.
“In order for this to work, La’Kenzo, you’re going to have to work with me. You’re in a safe place, a confidential place. Nothing you say in this room will leave this room.” She assured me. I nodded.
“I blacked out yesterday again, for the first time in a while.” I admitted.
“Define, blacked out for me, La’Kenzo.”
“I beat this nigga into a hospital bed, and didn’t realize it, until afterwards.”
“What caused this to happen, La’Kenzo?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“Ain’t that what the fuck I just said?” I snapped. She took her glasses off.
“Why the anger? What’s upsetting you?”
“I don’t know.” I told her. It was quiet for a few minutes. I sat on the couch, and my mind began to wander. Fucking images kept popping in my head, every time I closed my eyes. My jaw clenched. I saw the old me. A scared little boy, with tears running down his face.
“911, what’s your emergency?”
“My boyfriend is trying to kill me. Come here, Zoe. Come here, baby boy.” My mother called out to me, frantically.
“WHERE YOU AT, BITCH? I GOT SOMETHING FOR YOU!” My mom’s boyfriend yelled.
“I’mma kill you, and yo nappy headed son!” He yelled. Nigga was drunk and high, a deadly combination.
“Please, come quick!” My mother tried to whisper.
“I hear you, bitch. You got them white motherfuckers in my business?” He kicked in her bedroom door. She stood in front of me with her knife, dropping the phone.
“Oh, bitch, you got a knife?” He spat, rushing toward us. I was trying to help my mother as she screamed and tried to fight this big nigga off her.
“Run to the neighbors, Zoe!” She screamed. I wasn’t trying to hear that. When I saw he had the knife, and my mother screamed out in agony. I went to her closet and grabbed her gun.
“AHHH! PLEASE! STOP!” He kept stabbing my mother, until a shot rang out, and he fell to his side. She looked up at me with cloudy eyes and blood coming from her mouth. I rushed to her.
“Mommy.” I cried.
“Give me the gun, Zoe.” She gurgled. She clutched it in her hands, and I sat there crying and shit, not giving a fuck about her blood. The police and EMT’s swarmed through our apartment. They tried saving my mother, I stood in the hallway as they pronounced her dead on the scene.
I stood up abruptly and stormed out.
“I’m not doing this shit.” I snapped and walked out the building.
“La’Kenzo!” She called behind me.
I got in my truck, putting it in reverse, and peeling out the fucking parking lot. I ain’t wanna revisit the past. I was good, shit was good now. I was making money, I ain’t need no damn therapy. She was bringing all that shit back to my head. I walked in my crib and rolled several blunts. I sat there staring at the blank wall as my phone kept ringing. I had a lot of shit that happened to me in my past that I ain’t wanna think, or talk, about. But my nigga, Savage, thought it’d be a good idea to get my temper under control. I was good, I ain’t need no damn shrink to tell me that.
One ~ Niatia (Nuh-TIA)
“I love everything about you, Tia. Your smile, your attitude, your body, you banging, baby, and I wanna
marry you.” Shyne told me. I smiled and shed a few tears. I couldn’t believe that at nineteen, the love of my life was proposing to me. Of course, I said yes, and kissed him on the lips. Shyne was a hood nigga, the man of my city, or whatever you wanted to call him. He worked along side the street legends. They were bosses and got money however they could. I didn’t have to work, I didn’t have to do shit, because Shyne took care of me. Shyne was twenty-seven, and extremely handsome. He was fair skinned, with a goatee and waves. He was around six feet and had a muscular build. His goatee added to his appeal, and those pink lips lured me in, along with his sleepy brown eyes.
“Of course, Shyne, I’ll marry you.” I smiled. He slipped the ring on my finger, and I was ecstatic. It was completely unexpected. We were at dinner, and I was looking good in my tight bandage wrapped dress, with my red bottoms. After dinner, he dropped me off at my apartment. He had to make a few runs, he’d be home later, as usual. I got undressed, immediately calling my big sister. She answered on the fourth ring.
“Hello?” She dragged.
“Guess what?” I asked.
“What, girl?”
“Dang, who pissed in your Cheerios?”
“Girl, what the fuck you want for I hang up this phone?!” She yelled. I laughed at her before sharing the good news.
“Girl, Shyne proposed to me.” I told her. The phone was eerily quiet. I heard some movement before she came back.
“Hold up, run that again, lil sis? I ain’t hear you.” She said.
“I said, Shyne proposed to me. I’m engaged.” Before I knew it, she, and someone else, started laughing at me.
“I know you fucking lying. I hope you said hell to the no!” I heard Vashae say.
“No.” I started.
“I know yo stupid ass ain’t say yeah.” My sister snapped. I didn’t say anything. She scoffed.
“Girl, you just, ugh. Get the fuck off my line.” She hung up. I knew Noe’Lani was mad at me. Our relationship wasn’t perfect, but we loved each other.
The next day, I drove my Mercedes to my mother’s apartment. I used to live right here with her and Noe’Lani growing up, but Shyne moved me out the hood, and I haven’t looked back. I walked in the house, and Nunu was installing somebody’s hair, as usual. I rolled my eyes at her and she raised an eyebrow. My big sister, Noe’Lani, known as Nunu in the hood, was perfection. She had the perfect looks, the perfect body, and could slay somebody’s wig like no other. She still stayed with my mom to help out with mom’s bill’s and stuff. She hated Shyne ever since the day I met him. She said he was a sleezeball.
“Wassup, ugly?” She smiled.
“You tell me. Where Ma at?” I asked.
“She ran to the store then said she was going to a friends.”
“What friend?” I asked.
“Child, hell if I know. Alright, woman, we all done.” She told her client. The girl paid her and then she headed out the front door. I had popped a seat on my mother’s counter. My sister came up to me and took a look at the ring. She stared at me before sitting down at the kitchen table, pulling out her swisher.
“Alright, tell me all about it.” She exhaled and started rolling her blunt.
“So it was the perfect night, right. We made love of course, prior to, and then he had to make a run. He texted me an hour later, like get dressed, put on the red bottoms I just bought you. I’m like alright. I got in my dress and put on my red bottoms. We go out to eat like normal, just talking, he’s like I love everything about you, your body, your’re beautiful, this and that, right. Then he pulls out this box and sits it opened on the table. I’m shocked, I told him to stop playing with me, he’s like, ‘would you marry me?’ I said yes, and we went to the house. Before we could celebrate, he had to go, because you know duty calls.” I shrugged.
“Well. I’m happy for you.” She smiled and lit her blunt.
“It sure doesn’t feel like it.” I snapped.
“Really?” She asked, with this fake ass look. I rolled my eyes.
“You know what? This is why I moved out.” I climbed off the cabinet. She chuckled and continued to smoke her blunt.
“You moved out cause you was hot in the ass. I ain’t even got time to educate you today, you make my damn head hurt.” She exhaled and massaged her temples. I snorted.
“Shyne was right, y’all are jealous. You and Vash.” I told her.
“Girl, tell that bitch ass nigga to keep my name out his motherfucking mouth if he know what’s good for him.” My sister spat.
“Don’t disrespect him.” I spoke.
“Girl, bye. Goodnight. I’m done with this conversation.” She stood and walked out the front door on the front porch. I grabbed my things and walked out right behind her.
“Tell Momma to call me when she gets back home.” I told her.
“Sure will, princess. Congrats on your engagement.” She called out behind me. I stuck up my middle finger at her and climbed in my car.
I had nothing to do for the day and I didn’t have any friends. Growing up and being somewhat attractive, in a neighborhood full of gutter rats, was a blast. Me and my sister were always in some drama or fighting a group of girls. Bitches were jealous honestly. We thought so many people were our friends growing up, but it’s been proven the only people I could trust was my sister, mom, and Vashae. Vashae was our cousin, best friend, and sister, all in one. She was a rider, for sure, and I loved her to pieces. Since I was bored, I decided to go home and do my nails. My senior year of high school, I was doing acrylic sets that I would purchase from Walmart and pearling nails. Somehow, between graduating and meeting Shyne, I lost my fire. I started getting into it with clients. After I graduated, I became more popular with my nails, but I started cancelling on clients, and not showing up to appointments. I ain’t give a fuck, my nigga had money, so I had money. I wasn’t worried about doing a bitch nails, nor was I worried about getting and owning my own nail shop anymore.
I had ended up zoning out, and glued a bunch of nails to my board, and did different designs, when Shyne came walking through the door. He kissed me on the forehead and I smiled.
“Wassup, baby girl?” He smiled.
“Nothing, babe. You smell good.” I pointed out.
“Don’t start.” He chuckled.
“You don’t start, how the fuck you been running the streets all night, but come home smelling like soap?” I snapped. Next thing I knew, my ear was stinging from him slapping the shit out of me.
“Bitch, you don’t know when to shut the fuck up.” He spat. I sat all my shit down before standing up.
“Really? You gon’ slap me? Shyne, you told me you would never hit me again!” My eyes filled with tears.
“You told me you was gon’ stop talking reckless. I come through this bitch, and you instantly bitching a nigga out. That’s the type of shit that’s gon’ push me away.” He walked in the kitchen.
“You in here playing like you motherfucking Chun Li at the nail shop, and ain’t made me no fucking breakfast or nothing.” He yelled.
“I just got home. Had you came home at a decent hour, you would’ve had breakfast with me. But I threw it away, because I know you don’t like reheated breakfast.” I spat. He just mugged me.
“Well, make me something to eat real quick, baby.” He pecked me on the lips and walked to the back. I walked to the kitchen and pulled out some bread, about to make him a good ass turkey club sandwich. His phone ringing on the counter snapped me outta my thoughts. Curiosity got the best of me. I picked up the phone, unlocking his code, and started going through his messages, and instantly started fuming. He was with a bitch last night, and she was talking about how good his dick felt and she wanted another taste.
I walked to the bathroom where he was taking a dump, and instantly started swinging on him, knocking him off the toilet.
“What the fuck, Tia?!” He yelled. I grabbed the towel rack off the wall and started hitting him with it.
“Really, Shyne? You just p
roposed to me, and then you wanna cheat on me, again! You dirty dick, bitch!” I kept hitting him.
“Bitch, I swear to God, when I get up!” He growled. He was able to get up, and he slammed me into the bathroom mirror. My back was in so much pain, but I knew I was in for the fight of my life. Shyne knew I wasn’t wrapped tightly, so why he continued to try me was beyond my knowledge. He pulled up his pants and walked out the bathroom, and I launched the fucking piece of metal at his back. He turned around.
“Baby, listen to me!” He pleaded.
“Fuck you! You don’t love me!” I cried.
“I love the fuck outta you, girl! That’s why I gave you that ring. I was at the strip club last night, but I did not fuck no other bitch. I stayed the night at Kaleb’s crib, and showered and shit there.” He explained.
“I swear to God, I would never lie to you, beautiful. I don’t ever wanna lose you.” He pleaded.
“Look at me, you done fucked me up, and I’m still here begging you not to leave me.” He joked. I chuckled.
“So why was she texting you?”
“I don’t know. You know how many bitches got my number because I sell them product. They all fiends, bae, I ain’t sticking my dick up in no crackhead. You know that. Probably some bitch playing on my phone. Come on, bae, you know these bitches jealous of you, they want your spot!” He frowned.
“Don’t let them come in between what we got going on! They don’t mean shit to me.” He pecked my lips. I nodded.
“You love me?” He asked.
“Yes, baby.” I smiled.
“I wanna hear you say that shit.” He sucked on my neck.
“I love you, Rashyne.” I smiled.
“I love when you say that shit.” He picked me up and carried me to the bathroom. We tongued each other down the entire way to the bed. He tugged at my shorts, quickly snatching them off. He quickly pulled down his pants before ramming his dick inside me.
“Ohhh.” I moaned out. He was always so rough with me.
“Fuckkkk.” He grunted, pumping furiously into me.
“You so fucking sexy, got damn. Pull them titties out for me. Ohh, shit, you so fucking sexy, bitch.” He groaned, before ripping my shirt open to expose my boobs. He started pumping even faster, before nutting inside me. He leaned down to tongue me down, and I returned the passion.