by Jade Jones
I didn’t say a word as I shook my head. “I don’t even know who the fuck you are,” I finally said. I turned and walked to my bedroom.
“Come on, Cameron. Don’t be like that!” Tiffany called out after me.
I slammed the bedroom door behind me.
***
The following afternoon I was able to pick my Audi truck up from the shop. The car looked the same as it had the day Jude pulled up on me at the Cleveland State dorms and told me it was mine. Not a scratch, knick, or dent on it. Jude’s car wouldn’t be ready until next week but at least I didn’t have to drive Tiffany’s Nissan any longer.
My Aunt Linda called me as I was leaving the mechanic shop but I didn’t answer. Truthfully, I didn’t want to be bothered. After discovering who my brother was, I just wanted a little bit of space.
When I finally made it back home, I was surprised to find Tiffany gone yet again. It didn’t matter to me though. I didn’t feel like looking at her face anyway. I was still mad at her ass for leaving me at the club.
The minute I walked into the house, I was greeted with a funky smell from the kitchen. “Damn, trash,” I mumbled.
Damn, I miss Jude, I thought as I pulled the trash bag from the container. After tying up the Hefty bag, I walked across the parking lot the dumpsters and tossed the trash bag inside.
As I made my way back across the parking lot towards my condo, I thought about Ericka and how I had not seen or heard from her in a few weeks. Maybe she finally decided to back the hell off, I thought.
Fishing the house keys out of my pocket, I proceeded to unlock the front door—The unexpected feeling of someone rushing me from behind caused me to drop my keys! My entire body was roughly pressed against the front door after my unknown aggressor pinned me down.
“What do you want?!” I screamed in fear. “Please! Get off me! I can’t breathe!” I squealed.
“Miss me?” A familiar deep voice whispered in my ear.
Chapter 17
My lungs were crushed against the front door as my aggressor pinned his body against mine.
“You should already know,” he said. “Some pussy. Why the fuck is you playing?”
“Please,” I choked out. “I…I can’t breath—”
“Get your keys out and open the mothafuckin’ door!”
Tears streamed from my eyes. “I can’t move,” I cried.
My aggressor roughly turned me around to face him.
The minute I saw who it was, I began crying even harder. “You’re just going to do this to me right here? In the broad daylight?” I cried.
Wallace gritted his teeth like a mad man. “Aye, you should know by now that I don’t give a fuck.”
Tiffany’s simpleminded ass had led him straight to me. I am going to kill her, I promised myself.
“Please don’t do this,” I pleaded. “You don’t have to do this again.” Snot trickled from both my nostrils. “I’m…I’m pregnant,” I cried.
He laughed heartlessly. “Bitch, what the fuck that got to do with me?”
Click!
Wallace and I both focused on our attention to the loaded gun that had just been cocked. Jude stood a few feet from us as he aimed his gun at the back of Wallace’s head. Defeated, Wallace had no choice but to release me and I wasted no time as I ran to my man.
Wallace snorted and shook his head. “This nigga,” he laughed.
“Yeah, mothafucka. This nigga,” Jude said still aiming his gun at Wallace.
“Please don’t shoot him!” I quickly spoke up.
“Why?” Jude asked. “Why shouldn’t I put something hot in this nigga for putting his hands on you?”
I briefly hesitated. “He’s not worth it,” I told Jude. “Just put the gun down.”
“Yeah, listen to yo’ bitch!” Wallace said with a taunting grin pasted to his face.
That comment really pissed Jude off. His grip around his gun instantly tightened. “Nigga, what?!” His finger was so close to pulling the trigger.
“Jude, no! He’s not worth it. Fuck him! Just put the gun down,” I advised him. “Think about our baby,” I added as a last effort.
Jude’s expression softened a little. Reluctantly, he lowered the weapon.
Wallace smirked and slowly walked past us. “Fuck nigga,” he spat.
“Let me catch ya ass over here again, I won’t hesitate to bust on sight,” Jude threatened.
“I ain’t worried about it,” Wallace said as he walked off.
“I’m going to file a report,” I said. “But for now please just come in the house before any neighbors see us…if they haven’t already,” I added.
Jude hesitantly followed me into the house.
“They released you today?” I asked. “I thought they were keeping you for a couple of months for observation.”
“I discharged myself today,” he simply said. “I had Tez come and pick me up. I can’t afford to be sittin’ up in no damn hospital and having my pregnant girl strippin’ and shit. I gotta make some moves,” he said. “You and the baby gotta have something—”
“What about your therapy? I don’t think you should’ve discharged yourself. And what do you mean you gotta make moves?” I asked.
Jude walked round me and into the master bedroom. I was hot on his heels, of course.
“What do you mean you gotta make moves?” I repeated.
“Meaning I gotta do what I gotta do, bay,” he said. “I can’t have you out here struggling with my baby,” he said. “Fuck that. It’s slow out here for that shit,” he said. “And I wasn’t diggin’ that abortion bull you was talkin’ the other day either. You don’t just make decisions like that on your own, Cameron.”
Jude proceeded to slowly undress.
“Did they give you something for your back pain?” I asked concerned.
He took a seat on the edge of the bed and removed his Jordans. “Yeah, they did. I’m straight,” he answered in a stubborn tone.
I came over and joined him in bed. “I still think you should’ve stayed in the hospital,” I said eyeing the surgical scar that ran vertically down his back.
“I told you, Cameron. I can’t afford to be sittin’ up in the damn hospital any longer. I got moves to make. Shit, we gotta eat right? I’m not finna have my baby moms out here fucked up when I’m gone.”
I scooted closer to Jude and placed my arm over him torso. “Why do you always say that? When you’re gone? Or when you’re locked up?” I asked. “There isn’t a guarantee you’re going to jail.”
Jude ran a hand through his loose dreadlocks. “Bay…,” he chuckled. “I ain’t got a lawyer. I can’t afford a lawyer—”
“What about the lawyer you used for assault charges? You said he was pretty cool. You don’t think he would do pro-bono?”
“He’s cool, Cameron. But that doesn’t mean he don’t talk money. Like you said, everybody has to face their consequences someday. And when I do I just want to make sure you and the baby are straight.”
I sighed dejectedly. “Jude, are you sure you’re ready for this?” I asked. “This is a big step,” I paused. “Not just for me, but for you too. We don’t know the first thing about being parents.”
“I’m sure when you graduated high school and went to college you didn’t know everything—if anything at all…but you learned right? And so will we. Have a little faith,” he brought my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.
“And what about us when—if you end up going to jail?”
Jude looked at me in confusion. “What do you mean what will happen to us?” he asked. “Baby, I thought the day we moved in with each that I had solidified myself in your life. What you got doubts for now?” he asked. “We gon’ ride with each other no matter what happens. You feel me?”
“Yeah. I hear you.”
“Come here. Give me a kiss.”
I leaned closer and brushed my mouth over his soft lips. He groaned inwardly as he slipped his tongue inside my mouth.
�
��You know I missed the hell out of you, right?” he whispered. “I missed all this,” he squeezed my ass gently. “Hell, I even miss the taste of you.”
I smiled. “Well, why don’t you refresh your memory,” I teased.
“Say no more,” he said before positioning himself at waist level.
I lifted up a little in order for him to ease my jeans down my legs. After removing them, he tossed them onto the floor. Not bothering to take my thong off, he simply moved the silk material to side.
“Oohh,” I moaned after his mouth closed over my pussy. My back arched as his tongue flickered over my throbbing clit.
The sensation between my thighs felt so good that I actually found myself easing away. Jude quickly locked his arms around my thighs and firmly held me in place. His tongue dipped in and out of my walls.
Soft moans and whimpers reverberated off the bedroom walls as he devoured my pussy. I grabbed a handful of his dreadlocks and encased my bottom lip. “Ooohh, that feels good, baby,” I moaned. My breathing got heavy as I prepared for the approaching orgasm. “Mmm…baby,” I panted. “I’m about to cum.” My entire body tightened up as a tingling sensation shot throughout my entire body before settling at the tips of my toes.
Jude climbed alongside me and pulled me into his arms. Seconds later, slumber engulfed me.
***
The mattress creaked as Jude slowly climbed out of bed. Through a cracked eyelid, I watched as he grabbed his cell phone off the nightstand and tiptoed out the bedroom.
What the hell is he up to, I asked myself.
I knew I should’ve minded my own business, but against my better judgment, I pulled the sheets off me and quietly climbed out of bed. Peering out the cracked bedroom door, I watched as he stepped out onto the living room patio.
I felt like James Bond in 007 as I quietly crept out the bedroom and ducked out of sight in order for me to eavesdrop on his conversation.
“Yo, what’s up man? Yeah…about what we talked about earlier…I’m still down if you tryin’ to do that tonight. Shit, fa sho’. Cam is pregnant. My fuckin’ bank accounts been frozen. Shit’s real out here, nigga. So what’s good? You sure the nigga gon’ be at the spot? Okay, cool cool.” Jude chuckled. “This mothafucka finna be in for a rude awakening. Aight, I’ll get up with you later on.”
I quickly darted back into the bedroom before Jude could see me. I hurriedly climbed into the bed and pulled the sheets over me. Jude entered the bedroom seconds later and joined me in bed. He slipped his arm around my waist and held me close.
I stared off into space, with my back turned towards him, wondering what the hell he was planning on getting himself into.
Chapter 18
“Where are you on your way to?” I asked as I watched Jude dress. It was going on damn near 10:00 p.m.
“Oh, me and Tez finna go down to Scorchers. Shoot some pool. Have a couple drinks, you know,” he said nonchalantly. “That’s cool with you?” he asked.
I pulled the sheet around my bosom. “Yeah. It’s cool,” I answered halfheartedly. I knew he was shooting me some bullshit but I decided not confront him for now.
He pulled a black Nike hoodie over his head. “Oh, yeah. Where’s the Karma?” he asked. “I ain’t see it in the garage.”
My heart rate instantly sped up. “I um…I put it in the shop to get some minor work done to it. Nothing too serious. It’ll be all ready for you in a couple days,” I smiled sweetly.
Jude gave me a skeptical look. “Aight. So you gon’ let me push the truck…unless you got somewhere you tryin’ to go?”
I reached into the drawer of the nightstand and tossed Jude the keys to the Audi truck. “It’s all yours,” I told him. After pulling a Raider’s snapback low over his head, he gave me a kiss on the forehead. “I might be out late, aight? Don’t wait up for me, baby.”
“Alright, sweetie. Be careful.”
“You know I will,” he said before leaving. “Lock the door behind me.”
The minute I heard the front door close, I quickly jumped out the bed and hurriedly threw on some sweat pants and a t-shirt.
Grabbing Tiffany’s car keys, I rushed outside. Jude had just pulled out the parking lot when I climbed into Tiffany’s Nissan Altima. I started the car up and pulled out the parking lot making sure to say several feet behind him.
It was perfect though because he had no idea what Tiffany’s car looked like, so he probably wouldn’t even notice me tailing him. Nevertheless, I tried to keep a car in between us as I followed him to his secret destination. And it damn sure wasn’t Scorchers which was located in Warrensville, Ohio. Actually, Jude wasn’t driving anywhere near the city of Warrensville.
Instead, Jude led me straight to the east side of Cleveland. Fifteen minutes later, he made a left down 146th street off Harvard Avenue. He pulled alongside the curb and parked his car across the street from a brick house. I stayed a few feet behind him and killed the front lights to my car. Seconds later, his cousin Tez walked through the screen door carrying a duffel bag. He, like Jude was dressed in black from head to toe.
“What the fuck are they about to get into?” I asked myself.
Tez swaggered across the street and climbed into the passenger seat. They sat in the car for about ten minutes, obviously plotting on something big. When Jude finally did pull off so did I.
I followed him through the side streets before we ended up on Kinsman Avenue. Ten minutes later, he pulled into the Garden Valley housing projects located on 79th street.
“This damn sure ain’t Scorchers,” I said to myself.
I pulled into an empty parking space but decided to keep the engine running. Taking in my surroundings, I wondered what the hell Jude was doing over here, and what he had planned—Suddenly, I noticed a familiar face standing outside one of the units.
Kevin was posted on the steps in front of an apartment with a couple of his homies. They were drinking, smoking and chopping it up. I assumed this was where he lived but I wasn’t sure. After all, I knew he had money. Surely, he could afford to stay somewhere nicer than some remodeled housing projects.
I suddenly thought about Pocahontas and how she had preferred to live in the hood even though she made enough money to live in a nicer area. She was always boasting about how comfortable she was living in the hood. I assumed Kevin felt the same way.
Snapping myself from my thoughts, I focused my attention back to Jude’s car—I quickly noticed that neither Jude nor Tez were in the car any longer. Looking around the parking lot, I instantly spotted the two of them. They were couched down, creeping alongside a few cars as they made their way towards Kevin and his crew—while carrying sub machine guns! Black bandanas were tied around their faces and their hoodies were pulled extra low over their heads.
Some shit was definitely about to pop off!
“What the fuck should I do?” I asked myself panicking. And what beef did Jude have with Kevin?
Before I could decide what the hell to do, the sudden sound of yelling and shouting caught my attention!
“Get on the ground!” Jude yelled. “Get on the mothafuckin’ ground!”
Kevin and his homies instantly dropped onto the pavement and placed their hands on the back of their heads.
“Empty ya fuckin pockets!” Tez shouted. “Money, wallets, jewelry! All that shit! Throw it on the ground!”
“Fuck that!” Jude yelled. “Where’s the mothafuckin’ stash at, nigga?!” he aimed his sub machine gun at Kevin.
“Fuck you, nigga!” Kevin spat! “You ain’t gettin’ shit from me, dog!”
Evidently, that was the wrong choice of words. Jude quickly snatched the black bandana off his face to show just how serious he was. “Nigga, I’ma ask you this shit one more time!” Jude screamed. “Where the fuckin’ stash at ‘fore I start sprayin’ in this bitch?!”
“Man, in the crib, man! Damn!”
“Nah, fuck that! You gon’ take me to this shit bruh!”
Jude roughly snatched Kev
in off the ground and pushed him into the screen door. “Take me to it, mothafucka! Aye, watch these niggas!” Jude ordered Tez.
“Don’t worry. I got this shit, cuz!” Tez said.
Jude shoved Kevin into the apartment, forcing him to lead him to his stash.
“Fuck ya’ll layin’ there looking stupid for?! I said empty ya’ll fuckin’ pockets!”
The three men on the ground quickly began removing their wallets and jewelry before tossing it onto the ground. Tez quickly grabbed everything and stashed it inside the pouch of his hoodie.
Oh my God! This shit is not happening!
Seconds later, Jude and Kevin emerged from the house. Jude had the black duffel bag slung over his shoulder and his gun aimed at Kevin’s back. Kevin had his hands behind his head.
“Mothafucka, you better kill me right now!” Kevin yelled. “’Cause if you let me live, I swear I’m coming for that ass!”
“Nigga, get yo’ ass on the ground!” Jude roughly shoved him. “Ain’t nobody tryin’ to hear that bullshit! You musta forgot I’m the nigga with the gun!”
Kevin slowly knelt down onto his knees with his hands still behind his head.
“Man, fuck that shit!” Tez yelled. “I say we body these niggas right here, right now! They done seen yo’ face, bruh!”
“Man, fuck these bitch ass niggas!” Jude argued. “I ain’t worried about it! Shit, we out!”
Keeping their guns aimed at the four men, Jude and Tez headed back towards the truck making sure not to turn their backs on any of them.
“You should’ve killed me, nigga!” Kevin yelled after them. “You should’ve fuckin’ killed me.”
The minute Jude and Tez hopped into the truck, I peeled out of the driveway.
“Please, God…don’t let any of them have seen me,” I prayed as I flew up Kinsman Avenue.
