by Belleza
When he opened his eyes and realized it was the three of us his eyes stretched wide and he tried to jump out the bed. Johan pushed him back down on the bed and pointed his gun at him.
“What I do?” he cried trying to wipe the blood that poured from his face.
“You robbed our fucking trap nigga. How long did you think you were going to get away with that?”
“Man, I don’t know what you talking about.”
“Maybe this will remind you.” Zayne fired two shots into legs. The second must’ve hit and he yelled again.
“Fuckkkkkkk!”
“Yeah, so did that bring back your memories?” I quizzed.
“Fuck you pussy! You mad because I proved y’all weren’t untouchable.”
“Good job, but where’s ya boss Ernestine? I know she’s been orchestrating this entire shit so give her up.”
“You think I’ma make this shit easier for you? Figure it the fuck out. You gonna kill me anyway.”
“Man, shoot this nigga. I’m tired of hearing his fucking mouth,” Zayne sighed and Johan fired off a clear shot in his head silencing him.
“Now how hard was that?” Zayne asked looking at me.
“I was trying to find out where that bitch at. You want to be torturing him and shit with them weak ass shots.”
“Both of y’all shut the hell up and let’s go,” Johan said leaving out the room first. “I’m getting to old for this shit.”
Zayne and I burst out laughing and left out the room. This was only the beginning. Ben had to go along with Ernestine’s best friend. There was no way we can continue to let this shit ride out.
TABITHA
When I heard the door to the hotel room open I closed my eyes and pretended to be sleep.
This was fucking hell. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse it did. Now I was stuck with Easy crazy ass stuck in a hotel room in Las Vegas miles away from any real attractions. My hands were cuffed to the bedframe and I’ve been eating bologna sandwiches so much that I could no longer stomach the foul smell.
“Nyzie can’t be fucking dead. She must be in fucking hiding… What about Ben and his fucking brother? Fuck!”
I closed my eyes tightly hoping she ain’t bring her deranged ass in here. I’ve accepted the fact that she didn’t want me, however, I couldn’t figure out for the life of me why did she insist on dragging me along with her. This was definitely my punishment. Had I known I was able to sign myself out of the mental institution I would’ve been done it.
“I need some money man. This shit is crazy.”
Piecing together Easy’s conversations she was broke and running from either Ern or the brothers. Why she had me with her I had no fucking clue. They shut down all the trap houses she was connected to and anyone loyal to her was missing including her best friend.
Some time ago I was begging for my life to be taken away but now I wanted to live. Easy was the one that needed to be gone.
There was a knock at the door and I heard a man’s voice. My body shuddered when I heard them making their way to the bedroom.
“Tab!” she called out to me.
I laid still hoping she didn’t bother to come over but she yanked the covers off me and slapped me in my face.
“Bitch, I know you’re up.”
I popped my eyes open and glared at her.
“What?”
“I have someone that will like to spend some time with you.”
I focused on the hideous old man and threw up on the mattress next to me. Easy went to pull down my pants and with one hand I struggled to keep them up.
“No. No. No. please don’t do this to me,” I pleaded.
The guy was staring at me bare legs to hard. He crooked and rubbed his hands together as if I was a Thanksgiving feast. Visible dirty marks covered his body and he smelled as if he was laying in trash all day. It didn’t help it that the sun was out majority of the time on this side of the country so dirty with sweat layered on top of it had him extremely funky.
“Please don’t do this Ernestine!” I cried out.
The guy handed her a crumpled bill and he climbed between my legs moving my panties to the side and shoving his nasty finger inside of me.
I tried my best to fight him off but Easy handcuffed my free arm and left out of the room before stuffing my panties in my mouth.
My skin crawled as he had his way with me. His crusty lips covered mine as he forced his way into me. All I could do was scream and cry as he humped away.
He came within minutes. I thought I was free but he kept going for a good thirty minutes before Easy pulled him off me.
She nearly dragged the guy out the hotel at gunpoint. I heard the front door slam shut and she returned unlocked the handcuffs.
As soon as I was released, I took my panties out my mouth and then I lunged at her. She had the gun right at my forehead.
“Don’t even think about it bitch!” she snarled. “Go clean your nasty ass up. You will have a few more clients tonight.”
Shaking I shook my head wondering what did I do to deserve this.
“Why are you doing this to me?” I sobbed.
“We’re a team remember? If Karla was here she would’ve done it with no questions asked.”
“Get Karla then!” I screamed.
“No can do. Shawty is dead. One of them muhfuckas killed her.”
“Why me?! I didn’t do anything to you.”
“Look, go clean your stinking ass up before I shoot you in your foot.”
I marched off to the bathroom and went to the shower where a thin slither of soap was. I turned on the water and looked to see if I had a chance of escaping but it was only a small window and Easy was sitting at it smoking a cigarette.
“All this shit is going to pay off,” she assured me. “I just need some money to get my hand on some work and then we can set up shop here in Vegas.”
I stepped inside of the shower and tried my best to scrub the scent of that disgusting man off my body. Easy getting on her feet just meant me selling my body to the highest bidder and from the looks of it them junkies was willing to pay Easy for some pussy.
Within a few days I was sure I’ll be infected with a laundry list full of diseases and infections. The man that just had sex with me could’ve possibly had HIV.
Easy was going on and on about this pipe dream she had about being something big in a new state. I just wanted out of this place. Why wasn’t anything good happening to me? It was one thing after the other.
“I have money, Easy.”
“I know you do but I don’t trust you.”
“Why not? You’re the one that haven’t been good to me at all.”
“You’re alive. That should be a blessing you ungrateful bitch.”
I laughed. “Death gotta be more pleasant than this.”
“Maybe so,” she replied taking a long pull from the cigarette. “Too bad you won’t ever find out.”
“Just let me go get the money.”
“No can do. They might find out where we are. I can’t take that risk. Once everything die down you will make me a lot of money and I can possibly go dig up the few dollars I have hidden. For now this is our life.”
She stared at me and I got a sinking feeling in my stomach. There was no way I was going to escape this crazy bitch.
ERNEST
“Uncle Ern!!!!!” Za’naa ran up to me with her skinny arms flying around. Her smile was stretched wide across her face and she jumped into my embrace.
I couldn’t believe I stayed away from my family because seeing them all together was exactly what I needed. Joey, Jace and Jarod approached me and gave me a hug as well after I roughed their asses up.
“Hey ladies,” I greeted Keira and Camille. They both had balloons and a bear in their hands. I gave the both of them a hug as well and focused on the woman that was by Johan’s side with a young boy.
“Who’s this?”
“Unc this is my lady, Natavia and her son Jere
my.”
“He’s a ‘J’ also. Y’all fit right in,” he laughed. “It’s nice to meet you. Let me know if he gives you a hard time and I’ll rough him up for.”
Natavia smiled and looked at him. “He’s ok for right now but I will keep that in mind.”
I gave Zayne a handshake and surprisingly Asahd extended his hand and I pulled him in for a embrace. I expected for him to give me a hard time but it did seem like he was coming around.
We all went upstairs together and they were eager to see Shirley.
She burst into tears the moments the kids ran up to her. I knew she was eager to see them but hearing the kids excitement was the icing on the cake.
Everything seem like it was back to normal and I was relieved that Za’naa didn’t have that many questions. A few hours passed before Asahd asked if me and him could talk and I went out the room with him. Shirley had her eyes on us the entire time more than likely cursing me out in her head.
I was more than happy to talk to him and get everything we needed out in the open.
“You know I never wanted you to find out the way you did,” I informed him after walking down the hall in complete silence.
I looked his way and it was crazy how he looked exactly like me.
“So when did you plan on telling me this shit. You had me since I was a fucking kid. I remember telling you I wanted you to be my father. That was all you had to say. Now I’m a grown ass fucking man finding out the man I thought gave up on me was by my side the entire time.”
“You’re right, but I didn’t know how to let you know.”
“You could’ve just said you were my father. I was what… four or five years old? You could’ve just let me know. I wouldn’t have hate you.”
“Do you hate me now?”
He got quiet and glared at me. “No, I don’t hate you. Regardless of anything you were in my life and I’m thankful you loved Johan and Zayne as if they were your as well.”
“I wouldn’t have had it any other way,” I told him.
“Wait… they’re not your kids are they?”
“Nah… we got all y’all tested to be sure but I wasn’t around your mom when they were born.”
“How you managed to convince auntie to stay with your ass. That shit was real fucked up. How you cheat on her with a smoker.”
“Your mom was a good woman.”
The look on Asahd’s face softened and he shook his head. I was ready for a smart come back because she wasn’t on his good list at all, but he didn’t say anything bad.
“I wouldn’t know that side of her.”
“I wish you did. She wasn’t that bad of a woman. Drugs just got the best of her.”
“I guess. Why you ain’t try to help her?”
“Believe me, I did try but you can’t help someone that doesn’t want it. They will only hate you and make your life harder than what it need to be.”
We continued to walk down the hall in silence. I was thinking about raising the three of them and was proud as hell they turned out to be upstanding men. At their age I was still doing wrong and hurting Shirley and here they were in committed relationships.
“What’s up with your sister though?” Asahd asked. “We can’t seem to find her anywhere.”
I chuckled knowing that I knew exactly where she was. I was just waiting for the right time to strike. I had to make sure my family was put back together again before I did anything else.
“Don’t worry. She can run but she can’t hide for long.”
***
A few days later…
“Yo, where’s my money!” I heard Ernestine bark at one of my trusted men. It was difficult to find her at all and could’ve been made this move, but I was allowing her to get back comfortable after Asahd and his brothers shook her world up a little bit.
Once I heard furniture smashing, that was cue to step in. I walked into the filthy hotel room and saw Easy laid out on the floor where my henchman knocked her down at. She was eager for money so the moment he told her he was going to give her $500 for a few hours with Tabitha she jumped right on it. That’s how eager she was to make some money.
“What? You’re not surprised to see you brother?” I asked her.
“Fuck you, pussy! I should’ve made sure your fucking wife was dead.”
I lifted my foot and sent it crashing into her stomach. She gritted her teeth and balled up on the floor.
“That’s fine because she’s alive and now you’re gonna be the one dead.”
Her eyes got round as I pointed my gun her way. It’s been a long time since I’ve taken someone’s life. I said I wasn’t about this life anymore but she forcefully dragged me into this. You can fuck with me, but my loved ones were off limits.
“Something always told me to get rid of your fucking ass a long time ago,” I told her. “You know why I allowed you to live after you proven to me time and time again that you were no good for me.”
“Nigga! I’m your sister! We’re family! You can’t fucking kill me. All I wanted you to do was respect me as much as you respected them boys! Asahd is your son but Zayne and Johan isn’t and you chose them over me!”
“I had to. Sister or not you wasn’t built for this shit. You was greedy. You crossed the line when you tried to kill Shirley.”
“That wasn’t me! It was Tabitha!”
“You forced her!” I yelled gripping my gun tight. Sadly, my own wife didn’t tell me this part of the story. Johan did and we were both conflicted but after looking at the bigger picture she didn’t have a choice. Anyone would take the next man's life to save theirs.
“I always knew you were a stupid muhfucka!” she laughed and just as quick as she exposed the pistol she was trying to hide all this time I shot her in her forehead and riddled her body with bullets.
Her eyes were wide open from the shock and the gun laid loosely in her hand. Crouching down I found a key in her pocket and went off to the bedroom where Tabitha looked like she was in a drug induced daze.
“No… no…” she slurred as I got closer to her. She was skins and bones hooked up to the bed. I couldn’t believe Easy had the audacity to do this shit to her.
“I got you, Tab,” I told her unlocking the cuffs.
When she recognized my voice she began to cry and kept telling me she was so sorry.
“Shhhhhh…” I tried to calm her down. “It’s ok. I’ma get you out of here.”
I placed the gun down and stepped in the corner to let Johan know I had Tabitha and she was still alive.
Just as he answered the phone, I heard a clicking noise and I turned around to see Tabitha with my gun in her hand and it was pointed at her head.
“I’m so sorry Ernest!” she cried.
“Whoa! Tabitha, put the gun down sweetie. I’m not here to hurt you.”
“I can’t. I don’t deserve to live.”
“Put the gun down Tab,” I tried to reason with her inching closer and closer so I can snatch it from her.
“Tell my sons and Johan I love them.”
POW!
Epilogue
Five months later…
ZAYNE
“You’re so beautiful,” I mumbled in the crook Keira’s neck and palmed the small baby bump that was poking out under the thin white fabric.
“You’re suppose to say that!” she whined and spun around on her heels to face me. “I feel like a stuffed turkey!”
“Babe,” I said taking her big as head in my hands and kissing her lips. “You are a stuffed turkey but you know what makes it better? You’re my stuffed turkey and that’s all that matters.”
She pouted and hit me on my chest and I laughed kissing her cry baby ass again.
Keira definitely gained weight but it looked very good on her. She could gain a 100 pounds and I wouldn’t have cared. As long as my baby got here healthy and safely I didn’t care about the weight gain.
It filled her out real nice though. She was always slim from running but her ass was poki
ng out and her face filled out more. I had no complaints.
“You got all the jokes.”
“I do but why are you up here when everyone is waiting for us downstairs shawty? I’m ready to find out what we having.”
“It’s a girl.”
“I don’t care what it is, but why you say that?”
“Only hoes have girls.”
“Now you know ya man ain’t a hoe. I know better.”
“At least you know,” she shot back rolling her eyes. Wasn’t this some shit? She was just crying about being fat and now coming at my neck.
“Let’s go man.”
“Excuseeeeee me!” Za’naa sweet little voice could be heard from the other side of the door after she knocked.
“Come in Naa.”
She opened the door and stepped inside of the room. She had on a white dress as well resembling the dress Keira had on with a little flower crown on top of her head.
“Everyone is waiting to find out if I’m going to have a little brother or sister.”
“We’ll be down there Naa. I just had to pee.”
“But there’s a bathroom down stairs,” she replied and I shot Keira lying ass a look. She sucked her teeth and jumped at me.
“I did have to pee.”
“Well hurry!” I responded taking Za’naa hand so we can go back downstairs and entertain our guest.
Thanks to Camille our house was turned into some Greek royal themed gender reveal. It was catered by an up and coming chef from the city that partnered with Johan who helped him open up his own restaurant.
We weren’t too big on friends so it was mainly family that was present and a few of Unc’s and Aunties friends. The backyard was where everything was popping off. When I stepped in the back with Za’naa I spotted Alexander with a bunch of boxes and bags surrounding him. I almost thought he wasn’t going to come but he did and from the looks of it he must’ve been the one that purchased everything off the registry. I told Keira hype ass it was too early but she insisted we put gender neutral items on the list.
I told Za’naa to go play and I was going to get her to help us with reveal once we were ready.
