I'll Be Down for You: A Bay Area Saga

by Xuri Foxx

  The man holding my puppy finally looked up at me standing on the stoop and commented, “Cute dog you got here.” I never responded. I just stood frozen. I knew that I probably should’ve taken my black ass inside, bolted the doors and called the police. But I also knew by looking at them that I probably wouldn’t have made it far. But I did make subtle attempts to back myself into the house. I took a quiet step backwards and attempted to get on the safety side of my door. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” the guy said, walking toward me. His friend who was previously at the gate was moving in my direction now too.

  Oh fuck.

  Once we were all inside my unit, the guy sat Jada Pinkett down on the ground and she instinctively went toward her kibbles to eat.

  “Sit down,” he ordered, while hovering over me. His friend remained pinned against the now-closed door to my backyard. He then spat out another command to his sidekick. “Go make sure the front door is locked.”

  My heart was pounding furiously through my chest. They still hadn’t stated their business and all I could think of was nobody finding me for days because the way Jada was so comfortable, she sure as fuck wouldn’t be doing any barking on my behalf for anybody to wonder what the fuck was going on. When the sidekick returned from the front of my place, he took his position at the door again.

  The guy who was the leader said to me, “I’m gonna ask you a question, and I just expect for you to answer it succinctly and without hesitation. Because I don’t like hesitation since it makes me think the person is lying. And that won’t be good for you. Do we understand each other?”

  “Yes,” I whispered in compliance, through the fear.

  “Where did you get the dog?”

  Without missing a beat, I answered. “From my boyfriend.”

  “What’s your boyfriend’s name?”

  I hesitated for a split second, but then his threat came rushing me. “His name is Nick.”

  “And where is this Nick person?”

  “I’m…not…sure,” I said, in earnest. “I haven’t…talked to him…today.”

  “Well, you’re gonna call him over here so that we can talk to him. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, I understand.”

  “Tell Drew where your phone is so he can go and get it for you.”

  When the Drew person came back into the kitchen with my phone, I sent off a text to Nick that I needed him to come by.

  “Now, while we wait for your boyfriend, how about I find out just what the fuck you know.”

  “I don’t know anything. I promise you I don’t.”

  I was on the verge of tears because I didn’t think for one minute that these people were gonna let me live.

  “I don’t know you well enough for your fucking promises to mean anything to me,” he said, pulling a pistol from inside of his jacket and sitting it on top of my kitchen table.

  “But I’m telling you the truth. I don’t know anything.”

  “Well, let me fill you in a little bit. Your boyfriend raped and murdered the woman that I was in love with, and was bold enough to leave her murder scene with her dog—a dog that I bought for her—a dog who has a microchip, so here we are.”

  I choked back a gasp. “Oh my God…” was all I could make out. “Murdered…? Wait…” I said. I could feel my entire body going warm. I was beginning to shake. None of it made sense to me. I mean, of course I knew that Nick was a street nigga, but a murderer?! And to bring me the woman’s dog! I wanted to cry so bad from the fear, but I was too scared to shed tears. What if now he was gonna kill me on some eye for an eye bullshit that Nick did!

  He stared at me with so much hate in his eyes. He loved that woman. I didn’t even know him and I could see that. He was calm as fuck, but he was a brewing storm, and I could tell that he meant business.

  “I’m sorry, sir. I’m really sorry. Please don’t hurt me. I had nothing to do with anything. I swear to you I didn’t. I just have Jada Pinkett. She’s been well taken care of. I’m so sorry…it’s really all I can say.”

  I had to use the bathroom but I wasn’t about to ask. I already knew that wouldn’t be happening. They were waiting for Nick and that was the only thing they were focused on. And the longer he took the more I was beginning to wonder if he was even coming at all. Leave it to this nigga to leave me hanging and shit. I could see that shit happening.

  I know that it wasn’t, but it seemed like hours later when I heard Nick at my front door. The guy in charge grabbed me by my arm and took me into the living room and shoved me toward the front door while he sat on the couch, and his sidekick stood behind the door.

  “Open it,” he instructed calmly.

  Before I even opened the door, Jada Pinkett had begun her growl. She did it every time Nick came over. As soon as I opened the door, I realized that Nick had come with somebody and I knew that shit was about to get complicated. I stepped back from the door and Nick and his friend stepped inside the living room. Since my couch was situated out of the entrance’s view, they didn’t see either of the men until the door was kicked shut by the guy behind the door and he drew down on them both—a pistol in each hand. It reminded me of something out of a movie and I desperately wanted out.

  “Which one of you is Nick?” the one in charge asked.

  “Who the fuck wanna know?” Nick spat, not showing too much fear. “What the fuck is this shit, bitch?” he asked me, probably assuming that I’d set him up some kind of way.

  “Whoa, my dude! The fuck is up with this shit?!” his friend asked, with his hands to the air. “The fuck kinda shit y’all got goin’ on in—”

  “Shut the fuck up!” the one behind the door ordered, bringing the butt of his gun down across Nick’s friend’s neck. The dude hollered out in pain and crouched to the ground clutching the area he’d just been hit in.

  “I think I know which one it is,” the guy in charge said, twisting the silencer on the end of the pistol he pulled from his jacket earlier. “Yeah, I think I know. The shit-talking one in my face. I’ve waited for this motherfucker. This here . . . I live for. I feel motherfucking born again. I think my dick might even be hard.”

  “Dick hard? What you some kinda fag and shit, bruh? The fuck I care about yo’—”

  “No boy. I’m not gay, but I’ll tell you what; Drew likes a little boi pussy every now and then. How ‘bout I let him make you his bitch in front of your woman?”

  “Pssh, you got me fucked up, dude!” Nick spat, boldly. “Drew can try that bullshit if he wants to. Real talk.”

  I was witnessing a side to Nick that I didn’t know. But from what I was seeing, I could tell that he was definitely somebody who had no problem pulling a trigger. I was looking at a murdered—a murderer that I’d fucked and sucked and slept with many times. The shit had me trippin’.

  “…I’ma tell you what,” Nick continued. “If you don’t kill me, you better run fast as you can and never be seen again. You fuckin’ with the wrong one, my nigga.”

  The one in charge started laughing. He laughed so hard that his face started to turn red. “You’re passing out threats, ghetto boy? You really shouldn’t do that. And you don’t have to worry about dying today, Nick. You won’t be leaving out of here alive.” He rose from the seat he was in and walked forward. “Get over there and sit down,” he demanded of Nick’s friend who sat obediently on the floor, staring daggers at me.

  As soon as he obliged and was headed to my couch, a light wispy sound engulfed the air. It was close to silent, but the thud onto my floor sounded out. My hands immediately came over my mouth and that was when the tears finally flowed.

  Oh my God!

  The guy in charge went and stood where Nick was while his sidekick had his gat trained on Nick. “You killed my woman, Nick. So when I told you that you’d die today, I meant that shit. I meant that shit with every fiber of my being.”

  “I don’t even know who the fuck yo’ woman is, dude,” Nick snarled.

  “You know exactly who the
fuck she is. You know how I know that you know?”

  “Nah, humor me.”

  “See, your sarcasm, I’m tired of it. I don’t like smug at fucking all.” He nodded his head giving permission to the sidekick who aimed his gun at Nick’s leg and pulled the trigger.

  Nick yelled out in agony as his leg gave beneath him. The blood was everywhere and pouring like faucet water while he tried holding onto the wound. I didn’t care about the carpet or anything; I was only hoping that there wouldn’t be three dead bodies in here when they were finally done.

  “Fuck…you!” Nick spat. “And bitch…fuck you!” he said to me right after. As I was looking into his eyes, I saw them roll back, and before I could wonder what had happened, I saw the one calling the shots pulling his weapon back. Nick was dead.

  “That’s the kind of bastard you opened your legs to? The kind that calls you bitches? You girls have to do better.”

  My heart was beating a mile a minute. I just knew that I was next, and I swear that I felt pee creeping toward my urethra. It was gonna happen. I was about to pee myself.

  “Search his pockets and grab his cell phone, Drew. I have a way to find out just who he was working with, or for. He’s bottom of the pile. I could tell by looking at him. He was sent to do the job, and now it’s my job to find out who sent him because they’ll get a visit as well.”

  I watched Drew pull out Nick’s cell phone and search his other pockets for whatever else might be there. Both men put their weapons away like they hadn’t just killed two people. The guy in charge reached down and picked up Jada Pinkett and held her out to me.

  “Have you treated her well?”

  “Yes…” I said, my voice hoarse. “I have. I actually love her. In a short time, I really do—”

  “Okay. I’m gonna trust that you’re taking good care of her. I travel too much to take her with me, but having her taken care of is something I know Shayna would have also wanted.”

  “So…you’re not—”

  “Gonna kill you? No, we’re not. I believe that you just got mixed up with the wrong person. Try to do better about who you involve yourself with because I won’t lie; my plan was to kill you too, but I changed my mind about that.”

  That was when I started balling like a newborn baby fresh out the womb! I buried my face in my hands and cried for my spared life. I had seen two murders, and while that was traumatic, I just felt blessed that I’d escaped death. In my opinion, if Nick killed that man’s woman in cold blood, he got what he deserved. I would like to think I’d do the same for someone that I loved.

  “Keep your mouth shut about all this. I’ll have someone come and make this situation right for you. I’m sorry that I made such a mess of your place. Is this a rental?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, I’ll make it right for you. Don’t worry about it. Give me your information and I’ll be in touch later.” He reached into his wallet and handed me a few bills. “Take Jada Pinkett and go stay at a friend’s or a hotel for a few days and this…” he remarked, waving his hand in the direction of Nick and his friend, “…will be dealt with.”

  “I don’t know what to say. I really don’t know what to say. But I thank you so much. For sparing my life and for giving me Jada. She will always be taken care of. I promise.”

  “I believe that.”

  16

  Danielle

  I stood at the top banister looking over into the living room. There had been plenty of times where I stood in this exact spot with Derrick behind me, his arms wrapped around me, making me feel safe as always. He would move my braids to the side and kiss the sensitive part of my neck and then end up whispering in my ear that he loved me. I had never had a man that made me feel like Derrick did. In fact, a bad relationship was the reason I’d ended up leaving Atlanta for a brand new start in the first place. I’d wasted two years in a horrible situation with a wannabe dope boy, and ended up with nothing but two abortions, constant fighting, and the occasional phone call from the newest side bitch. I knew that I was too good for that life, but since I’d never known anything outside of Atlanta, I stayed. Stripping had always given me what I needed in order to zone out because even though the profession wasn’t what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, the music, the dancing, and a few drinks always provided the peace that I needed, to get through it all.

  But there came a time where I grew tired of it and when my cousin contacted me to come out to the Bay Area to start anew, I couldn’t turn that down. She had promised me that she could hook me up with a job where she worked as well as a place to stay; and that was all I needed to hear. Once I made the decision to leave, I saved up a couple of thousand and left Atlanta, never to look back.

  “You were my everything, Derrick. How am I gonna go on without you, baby? What am I gonna do?”

  I was surprised that the words I had said over and over in my head, had managed to escape into the air, aloud. Sadly, I was finally getting to a place where I realized that Derrick wouldn’t walk through our front door—ever again. It hurt to know that my new reality was one that didn’t include my love.

  “I can’t do it, Derrick!” I yelled, before sinking to the fluffy carpeting beneath my feet. “I just can’t do it!” I sobbed. “Not without you!”

  For the next twenty minutes, I lay balled in the fetal position, crying tears that I had been unable to bring to the surface for more than ten minutes at a time. I couldn’t understand why it was me who always got the short end of the stick. I’d finally made the bold move to leave the only home I ever knew; it turned out to be the best thing I could’ve ever done for my life, and then in a split second it had all been taken away. What I couldn’t understand for the life of me, however, was why my cousin hadn’t had the decency to at least check in on me in my greatest time of need. I’d sensed a bit of jealousy from her early on, and especially lately, when she realized that my relationship with Derrick wasn’t just a momentary thing. So, to keep tension down, I stopped talking about him so much.

  But I thought that regardless to how she felt, she would’ve come to console me about my loss. Instead she had taken it upon herself to not even acknowledge my desperate calls to her. It broke me to know that jealousy ran so deeply. I’d already decided that I wouldn’t be calling her back because if she couldn’t hear the horror and hurt in my voice when I left her messages, and put aside any ill feelings and come to my aid, then fuck her. I didn’t need anybody around me who couldn’t be happy for me. Hell no. It would be me and my child from this point on.

  “Derrick, baby, you gave me the greatest gift of all,” I whispered, rubbing my hand against the life that I would live the rest of mine for.

  My ringing cell phone in the distance jolted me from my thoughts. I lifted myself from the floor using the railing and headed in the direction of mine and Derrick’s bedroom. By the time I reached the entryway, the phone had stopped ringing, and when I made it over to look at the caller ID the number wasn’t one that I recognized, but did have a 510 area code so I knew that it was local. I stared at the number for a few seconds and was about to return the call to see who it was, when the message indicator illuminated signaling that I had just received a voicemail. I plopped down onto my duvet and pressed the button, allowing a man’s voice to come over the speaker:

  “Miss Austin, this is Detective Silva calling from San Leandro’s Homicide Division. I’m wondering if you can give me a call as soon as possible. I need to speak with you regarding an urgent matter.”

  At the end of the message, I frantically dialed the number that stared back at me in my missed call log and on the third ring, the detective’s familiar voice came over the line.

  “Detective Silva…” I started, my voice shaking. “This…is…Danielle Austin returning your call. I’m not sure if you contacted me in error, but—”

  “Unfortunately, it isn’t in error, Miss Austin. We’ve been working to locate your cousin’s next of kin, but it wasn’t until we finished processin
g the scene at her condominium, that we came across information that led to you, in her online contacts. We contacted her employer, but she hadn’t listed any family on her emergency contact list, so we ran into a dead end there.”

  “Wait!” I yelled out. “Contact her next of kin for what?! You said homicide division?” I panted, holding onto my chest as I gasped for air. “Homicide? Is Shay…? Is she…?”

  “Yes, Miss Austin. I’m really very sorry. Yes…your cousin is deceased…”

  17

  Jazzmina

  “Sooo…you ain’t tired of me yet, Daddy?” I asked, Khalil. I ran my hands across the top of his neck and shoulders, then rubbed his head in a light massage, while looking over his shoulder. He looked so sexy handling business from his office chair. I expected him to send me out so he could deal with whatever it was he was doing, but he never did. Instead, he swiveled the chair around to face me and pulled me onto his lap.

  “OoWee, Daddy? Is that what I heard you say?”

  “Yeah, Daddy,” I smiled.

  “I like that.”

  “Do you?”

  “Yep. And nah, I don’t see myself getting tired of you anytime soon. Why?” he asked squinting his eyes at me. “You tired of me?”

  “In the words of Whitney Houston…‘Hell to the Naw!’ How dare you ask such foolish questions!”

  “You started it!” he laughed. “I’m ready to hold yo’ fine ass hostage, forever. I got my work here, I got my girl here. I’m good.”

  “Your girl? Did he just call me his girl?” I smiled.

  “You ain’t that?” he asked.

  “Uhh…I…uh…wanna be. Would like to be.”

  “Cool. So then that’s what it is.”

  “So then that’s what it is then,” I said in return. I was trying my best to not smile big as the damn ocean. He would’ve thought he was fucking with somebody on groupie status versus a grown ass woman who was just happy that she knew she wouldn’t have to worry about basic ass niggas evvverrr again.