When I pulled into the Cheesecake Factory I didn’t see Savannah or Desiree car, I decided to park up and sit out in the parking lot. I watched the driver pull up with Savannah and Desiree into the parking lot with Keyshia Coles “I Changed my Mind” blasting, not even aware of their surroundings. I watched them switching across the parking lot in their 6’ heels through the doors of the restaurant. I waited for Smoke ass to pull up so I could catch his ass in this matte, Black Durango, that D had me look up, when Savannah was but to my surprise he pulled up in this silver BMW instead. I waited for him to hop out his ride so I could catch up and walk in with his nut ass. I needed to have a one on one with him before reaching the ladies in the restaurant.
Smoke exited his car and checked himself before walking over to the trunk of the car. I watched the little Nigga slip a .40 caliber in a holster before putting on his sports jacket. I startled the shit out of him when I crept up on him.
“Yo, lil Nigga what’s up? You mind telling me what you need that shit for? I mean we’re just having dinner right?” I asked him sarcastically.
“It ain’t about nothing ole head. I just know everybody ain’t what they seem. So to keep it safe a Nigga got to stay strapped.” Javier said.
“Yea, I hear that but why would you need to be strap if you’re just having dinner with the ladies? Oh, my bad. Is that little .40 caliber for me? If it is you got to come a lot bigger than that, I’m saying we all family right?” I asked his nut ass with a smile while patting him on his shoulder.
Javier a.k.a Smoke looked at me laughed and nodded responding.
“Of course, we are. Now let’s go and eat.” Smoke said patting me back on the shoulders while heading to the entrance of the restaurant.
Desiree made eye contact with us first. Seeing Smoke and I entering together must’ve startled the shit out of her, because she started to choke on her drink pointing at us at the same time. After getting her composure, we were seated at a table.
*Chapter Nineteen*
Savannah
We arrived at the cheesecake factory before Rico and Javier, so we sat at the bar waited for them to walk in the door. What a girl thought was real feelings started to run through my mind all at once. The last conversation I had with Tameka, she was just warning me about this Nigga Javier Smoke or whatever the fuck his name. Now I’m catching feelings for a man who may have taken the ones I loved from me. I need to find something out and fast if Javier is who Tameka say he is then I won’t have a problem being the one who takes his ass out. I never led him to believe there were any issues with him. All my thoughts and questions would be answered when I get all the pieces to the puzzle I needed together.
Fifteen minutes later and 3 shots of Patron in Desiree and I was cracking jokes about the old days. Just as I was getting up to use the ladies room Rico came up behind me tapping me on my shoulder, Desiree started choking on her drink at the fact that Javier and Rico walked in together. I was a little nervous seeing Rico walking in with Javier. The look on Rico’s face didn’t sit well with me, it looked as if he could really use a stiff one. All kinds of things were running through my mind, Rico must’ve found some shit out that couldn’t be talked about at dinner. Our waiter seated us by the window and took our drink order right away giving us some time to look over the menu.
I sat for about ten minutes just going back in forth over the menu. Thinking of Dragon, Desiree sat and made small talk amongst Rico and Javier. I could tell she was feeling it because she wasn’t making any fucking sense. I felt as though someone was staring at me so I glanced up at the window. There was a silhouette of a man outside. Just from his height and build, I could’ve sworn it was my Babe. I kept glaring out the window hoping it was him but from the glaring light in the parking lot made it difficult for me to see. Before I knew it, everyone at the table was shouting my name.
“Savannah girl are you ok?” Desiree asked me.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Yes, I’m fine just daydreaming a little. Um, can you guys excuse me for a second, I need to use the ladies room. Desiree, can you join me for a second?” I asked while excusing myself.
Desiree got up and followed me to the ladies room. I turned towards her once in the bathroom, by the look on my face she could tell something was on my mind.
“Ok sis, what is it? I know something is wrong just by the look on your face. So what’s up?” Desiree said in a concern tone.
“Sis you may think I’m crazy after I say this but… I swear I just saw Dragon right outside the restaurant window.” I said to her.
“Savannah I miss him too. But there’s no way Dragon can be alive. You’re probably just hallucinating.” Desiree said as she held my hair back for me.
I knew I sound crazy because we both were at the hospital when he was pronounced dead. Feeling a little nauseous I rinsed my mouth out before we rejoined the table. After explaining to the fellas that I wasn’t feeling to well we all decided to go before eating. Rico walked us out to the car while Javier went into the men’s room. I threw Desiree the keys because I really wasn’t feeling it. I figured it was the alcohol being as though I didn’t eat before drinking. Rico helped me into the car making sure I was tightly buckled in. He looked at me again asking of I was ok. I replied yes following that with telling him the same thing I told Desiree in the ladies room. He chuckled as if I was telling a joke then saying.
“Savannah, your Guardian Angel Dragon, will always watch over you. Now shoot me a text when you get home and get some rest.” Rico said before shutting the car door.
Desiree jumped on 309 heading home a white Porsche sped up on the side of us. When I glanced over, I took a double take screaming out.
“Dragon! What the fuck? Desiree looked I swear that’s Dragon on the right of us.” I shouted.
Just as Desiree looked over the Porsche sped off. She laughed asking me how much liquor I had when she wasn’t looking. I shook my head and rubbed my eyes closing them as I sat back in the chair, rubbing my head. Desiree rubbed my hand looking over at me.
“I know sis I miss him too,” She said as she wiped a tear from my cheek.
When we arrived home, I went straight into my master bath jumping in the shower before going to bed. Tomorrow I was getting back to my normal life and back to work. The bathroom was full of steam and smelled of roses. After my shower, I threw on my Vicki robe after putting some lotion on. I went downstairs into the kitchen to fix me some sleepy time tea before bed. Dragon had me hooked on sleepy time tea since the beginning of him courting me. I slipped into bed reaching over onto my nightstand grabbing my book “A Trap Kings Wife” by national best seller Jahquel J. Before I knew it my alarm was going off for me to get ready for work. I couldn’t wait for the day I would set my own hours. But at the moment, a woman has to do what a woman has to do.
I had a meeting with Future and Sonya. I hadn’t seen them since Tameka’s home going and there was much needed catching up to do along with business. Plus I couldn’t wait to see them especially Sonya she became a part of the family, almost like a little sister. They’d been so busy with the stores here in Philadelphia and back home in New York. We planned to meet up during my lunch hour. Spring just hit and it was beautiful out, I decided to walk over to the Olive Garden on Chestnut St. where we planned to meet for lunch. I took an extra hour for lunch because I knew we had numbers and all to go over. On my way over I walked through City Hall. The sun was gleaming so I grabbed my Dolce Gabbana sunglasses out of my purse. Just as I put my shades on a guy running bumped into me, when I looked up I could’ve sworn it was Dragon. By the time, I snatched my glasses off he was lost in the lunch rush. Future and Sonya was standing outside of the Olive Garden waiting for me. When Sonya and I locked eyes, she ran straight over to me hugging me screaming. It felt so good seeing another familiar face. A face that I could trust, Future looked at us laughing shaking his head calling us the double mint twins.
There was a ten-minute wait for a table inside. Future thought it would be a good
idea to sit at one of the tables outside because it we could be seated immediately. After being seated, the waiter took our drink orders. After having another Dragon figment of my imagination, surely I needed a Tequila Sunrise and quick. The waitress was quick with our drinks, as soon as I grabbed my glass I stirred it just a little and took it down in three long ass sips. Sonya looked over at me with her mouth wide open. Everyone knew me as the good girl.
“Savannah is everything ok?” Sonya asked me.
Right behind her Future chimed in asking the same.
“Yes, ya’ll I’m good I guess. I don’t know if it’s depression or what. But I swear I keep seeing Dragon. And I know it sounds crazy because we were all at his funeral. But I know my babe and the guy who bumped me on my way here. I swear he smelled just like him.” I said to the both of them.
I knew I had to be hallucinating because I missed him so much. Sonya got up leaning over and hugging me.
“Savannah we have your back. And you’re going to get through this, shit we all are.” Sonya said.
“Indeed, we have you and the girl backs for real. We family right here, Dragon was like my brother. Trust me he’s watching over all of us.” Future said.
I loved all the support I’ve been getting form everyone. After going over the numbers at both stores, they’d damn near tripled in numbers, in less than nine months. I so wish Dragon was here to see all that he’d accomplished. We laughed and joked right up until my lunch was up. On my way back over to the office, I hit Desiree up on her cell phone to see if the girls had gotten home yet. I couldn’t wait to see them Three weeks felt like a lifetime. There was no answer the first few times, figuring they were still on the road I sent here a text message.
I had a campaign to present in the morning to the execs for a new children’s hair care product. Just as I was finishing up before heading home, Desiree text me letting me know her and the girls just got on the I-78 W. After reading her message I responded with a heart emoji. Knowing I had, at least, an hour and forty-five minutes top, to get home and get dinner started. Once my work was finished to my standards, I slipped on my Louis Vuitton heels turned off my desk lamp and headed to the parking garage. I swore someone was either behind me or following me through the garage. Every time I would turn around there would be no one around. I hopped in my wheel turning the ignition. I reached into the console grabbing my IPod and turning it on. I cut the radio up as “On the run part II” by Jay z and Beyoncé came on. I sat back I my car seat reminiscing of when Dragon and I first met. I pulled out of the parking lot singing my heart out and to the top of my lungs. Looking up into the sky as jumped on I-76 wishing he was here me as I let the top down, on my 2016 BMW 4-Series. Once I reached home, I took my shoes off at the door and headed straight into the kitchen. Grabbing the girl’s favorite foods out of the fridge, I grabbed some broccoli florets and some boneless chicken breast and potatoes out. I sent a text to Desiree telling her what was on the menu for dinner. I even decided to make a Pineapple upside down cake for dessert. Something seemed a little odd because Javier hadn’t text or called me all day and that was a bit unusual. When I rang his cell, it went straight to voicemail. Things weren’t sitting right on my stomach. Desiree hadn’t responded to my text and that was very odd because the menu consisted of all her and the girls favorite items.
I picked up my cell after putting the scalloped potatoes in the oven and called Desiree. The first three times it went straight to voicemail. By the sixth call, I was pacing the floors. On the seventh call and second ring, a strange voice was on the other end.
“Hello, hello. Is anyone there hello?” I screamed into the phone.
“Yes, this is Detective Ruiz. May I ask whom I’m speaking with?” The man’s voice said on the other end.
“Yes. I’m Savannah Sunders. And you’re answering the cell phone of my sister in-law, Desiree Cunningham. What’s going on? Is everything ok? She has my girls with her? Can you please tell me something?” I said.
“Ma’am, how fast can you meet me at Nazareth Hospital?” Detective Ruiz asked.
“Um in about twenty-five minutes to an half an hour. Can you please tell me what the FUCK is going on?” I yelled into the phone.
“Ma’am there’s been an accident. Can you get here immediately please?” The detective asked.
Without even putting my shoes on I grabbed them and ran out the front door. I took Germantown Ave to Hunting Park taken that straight over to the blvd. I jumped on Roosevelt Blvd headed towards Nazareth Hospital. I reached the hospital in twenty minutes flat running red lights and all. I parked in the parking lot and headed straight to the Nurses Station. Before I got a chance to tell them who I was and why I was there, Detective Ruiz interrupted me.
“Ms. Sunders?” He asked
“Yes, that’s me.” I replied
“Please follow me, ma’am.” He said as he turned and walked away.
First he took me to Desiree. My heart fell when I seen her face all gauzed up and wrapped like a mummy sort of. I quickly turned to him.
“My babies! My babies were in the car with her are they ok?”
“Yes, ma’am your daughters were in the car. But…. Can you just follow me please?” He said taking me over to the NICU department.
He walked me into the NICU when we reached where Faith and Hope were. My heart fell to the pit of my stomach I could hardly breathe. Tears started to fall down my face. Hope was in the incubator with all types of IV’s running through her. When I looked over to the right of her, I fell to my knees. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
“Baby, Dragon? Dragon Cunningham is that you?” I cried out.
Dragon turned in my direction.
“Baby girl is a fighter!” He said.
To Be Continued……
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There's Levels To My Thug Page 13
