Niya kissed the kids and instantly kissed Chad on the cheek. Their eyes locked for a moment, and she ran out the door.
__________
Gwen and Rose rode back to Charlotte without saying a word to each other. Gwen knew that this was Rose’s first kill. Not only was it her first kill, but the kill of an innocent. She looked over at Rose as she stared out the passenger side window. Rose’s mind played back the moment when she pulled the trigger, and the bullet landed between Butler’s eyes. She tried to find some type of emotion for taking the man down, but there was nothing there. She felt nothing; she had no guilt or remorse. Even though she said she was sorry, the words were empty
“You know it ain’t no turning back now,” Gwen said, looking over at Rose.
Rose looked at Gwen. She was sure she had covered their tracks. They made sure the evidence that was left behind would point towards Mayo’s boy, Made. They were covered. She took her phone out when she saw the city limits, and turned it back on.
Gwen smiled. She knew that when Rose pulled that trigger, a piece of her flew out with the bullet. She would never get that piece back, the chick that was a Detective had been buried in that house, and she left it as an official MHB sister. One who took someone down to save her family.
Chapter 18
Niya sat on the edge of Eagle’s bed. She dug deep in her mind for a game plan to regain her hoods, and to take Rell’s ass out. Even though they had recruited over 150 chicks for MHB over the last week, she didn’t’ know how many of them were ready to go into real battle for MHB against these niggas.
“You ready to go?” Eagle said as he grabbed his keys.
“Yeah,” she answered, taking in a deep breath and getting off the bed.
She wrapped her arms around Eagle and kissed him. She held her lips against his for a moment. She still had not actually told him that she loved him, and she didn’t know how tonight was going to play out.
“I love you, Eugene Malik Cole,” Niya confessed, looking him in his eyes.
“I love you too,” Eagle smiled and kissed her. “We’re gonna be good. Stop acting like this is gonna be our last time being together. I will kill every last nigga in this city before I let something happen to you. You hear me?” he said, lifting her chin up.
She felt safe with Eagle, and his words gave her confidence that she could take over the city’s drug game. As they walked out of the front door, a black SUV sped down the street towards them, and another came from the opposite direction. Eagle and Niya both pulled their guns, ready to light the trucks up, but the men that stepped out of the doors were not there for war.
“DEA!” one of the men yelled. “Put da fuckin’ gun down, now!”
Niya and Eagle looked at each other. They slowly lowered their weapons.
“Hello Niya… Wassup, Eagle,” Special Agent Mark Atkins greeted, walking up on the porch.
Two other officers walked on the porch, secured the weapons, and handcuffed both of them. Niya’s face showed the shock she felt as they put the handcuffs on her and Eagle.
“Don’t look so surprised, Niya. You should have known we were coming,” Agent Atkins said.
“I want my lawyer,” Niya said to Atkins before he could say another word.
“Yeah, we’ll talk about all that when we get down to the federal building,” he laughed as he walked her to the SUV.
__________
Diamond sat in the emergency room waiting area covered in Dollaz’s blood. She had been sitting there ever since they brought him in. He had been shot five times in the chest, stomach, shoulder, and right leg. Losing blood, and the damage the bullets had done to him internally had made his chances for survival low. He had lost his spleen, one bullet was too close to his spine to be removed, and his right lung had collapsed. Dollaz had flat lined twice, but he was still fighting.
Diamond rose and walked towards the Chapel. She needed God to hear her prayer for Dollaz, and spare him.
__________
The thirty-minute ride to the downtown federal building gave Niya time to process what was happening. Agent Atkins had tried to chat with her, but she kept quiet. Although she wasn’t familiar with the way the feds did things, she knew enough to keep her mouth shut. She wasn’t saying shit, and this cracker better back up, she knew her rights, and she had asked for her lawyer, which meant he needed to sit his ass down.
Niya rubbed her wrist as she walked into the interview room. She sighed when she saw her lawyer, Sanders, sitting at the table. “Hey Niya,” Sanders uttered.
“So what’s up, Tom? What are they talking about?” Niya asked.
“Niya, I haven’t dealt with a lot of federal cases before. This is new territory for me.” Sanders said. “They got some deep shit on you, Niya. Informants, surveillance, they are executing warrants of your homes, and your associates homes as we speak. Right now, they seem to have enough to put you away for your life.”
Sanders words echoed as he spoke. These fools had everything from shootings she was involved in, to how much she spent on her luxury vehicles that she bought with cash. They were not looking at Mayo or Gwen until Zion was kidnapped. They had been watching over MHB like a pack of vultures circling over a wounded zebra, just waiting for the right time to swoop down and feast.
“So now what?” Niya asked, already picturing the judge slamming the mallet down screaming the word, “life.”
“Now, it’s a flip side to every coin Niya, and I am not telling you this as a lawyer, I am telling you this as a friend. These people outside that door wanna talk to you about a few things. I think you should hear what they got to say,” Tom advised.
Niya really didn’t have anything to talk about. She’d rather spend the rest of her life in prison before she gave up anybody from MHB. She stood on that loyalty, and she was not going to bend, break, or fold, for anything. That was the oath she took that day the needle and ink pierced her skin, and that was the oath she was going to the grave with.
Three days later…
The word about Niya and Eagle being locked up by the Feds had spread quickly through the streets. Tiffany, Alexus, Tash, and Porsha sat in the hotel room, armed. They were hiding from the niggas that Rell had unleashed to put bullets in each of their heads. Tiffany knew that if they had gone after Niya, they would be hunting the rest of the crew down too.
“We can’t stay here forever,” Kea said, looking out the window at the cars going by. “We’re like sitting ducks.”
“I know, ya’ll. We should just get out of town for a while until shit dies down a little bit,” Porsha said, pacing the floor.
“I say fuck dese niggas out here. We should strap up and go to war wit dese mothafuckas,” Tasha added, gripping the butt of her .45 resting on her waist.
“Everybody just chill out. We are gonna sit here until I figure this shit out,” Tiffany said as she sat on the bed.
Everyone’s eyes fell on Tiffany. With Niya locked up and Diamond not answering her phone, Tiffany had been shaken to her core. The silence of the room was cut by the sound of her phone ringing. Tiffany blinked as she looked at the screen showing Niya’s number.
“Yo,” TIffany answered.
“Tiffany where is Diamond,” Niya asked. “Her phone keeps going to voicemail.”
“Niya?” Tiffany asked, still in disbelief. “They said the feds …”
“I know, I know, I know. I will explain,” Niya said, cutting her off. “Take down this address and meet me there in two hours,” Niya instructed.
Tiffany snapped her fingers at Alexus for her to pass her something to write with.
“So, what are you about to do?” Tiffany asked after writing down the address.
“I’ma find Diamond,” Niya said and then hung up the phone.
Chapter 19
Dollaz had gone through several surgeries before doctors finally got the bleeding under control. His condition was still critical, but stable for the time being. Diamond
sat by his hospital bed, holding his hand, saying short prayers in hopes that God would answer them.
“Dollaz, if you can hear me, I want you to know that I love you,” Diamond said, stroking his hand. “Please don’t leave me. We still got so much to do,” she cried, wishing that he would wake up.
Dollaz laid there with tubes and cables coming out of him. He was pale and lifeless.
Diamond kissed his hand and laid her head on the bed
Knock! Knock!
Diamond lifted her head up to see Niya walking into the room. She tried to walk to her, but fell to her knees sobbing. Niya took her in her arms and held her.
“How did you know?” Diamond managed to ask through her cries.
Niya had stopped at Washington Ave. to look for Diamond and saw the yellow tape and blood in the street. One of the workers told her everything that had happened. When he told her that Dollaz had been hit, she knew Diamond was at the hospital.
“Diamond, I need you to hear me, okay. All of our shit, every corner, dope house, street we owned, is being shut down. These dudes are playing for keeps, and are waging war on us.”
Niggas in the city were exchanging gunfire so rapidly, the morgue was filling up. Niya explained everything to Diamond. She advised her of what the feds had on MHB, and how it looked like everyone would be serving some time in jail. She finally told Diamond that she had agreed to cooperate with the feds.
Diamond stood, shocked at the last statement Niya had made.
“What do you mean you’re cooperating with the feds?” Diamond asked with a disgusted look on her face.
“Let me ask you something, D. Do you love me?” Niya asked, looking Diamond in the eyes.
“You know I love you, but …”
“Do you trust me?” Niya asked, cutting her off.
Diamond looked at her for a moment. She didn’t know where Niya was going with it. “Of course I trust you,” Diamond said.
“Then I need you to come with me. I can’t do dis shit without you by my side,” Niya said with tears starting to flow from her eyes.
Diamond looked over at Dollaz and then back at Niya. She really didn’t want to leave him, but she had to. Niya needed her and it didn’t matter what she had gotten herself into, Diamond was gonna be there for her. She loved Dollaz, but Niya needed her by her side, and that is where she was going to be.
__________
The sounds of guns being cocked, flooded Alexus’s apartment. Tiffany, Alexus, Tasha, Porsha, and Kea were checking clips and strapping on vests.
“Did anybody call Gwen and Millie?” Tasha said, cocking a bullet into the chamber of her gun.
“Yeah. They’re gonna meet us at the location. Make sure we got enough fire for everybody.” Tiffany said, taking a pull of the weed she had lit.
Once everybody was locked and loaded, it was time to ride. Before they left the apartment, Alexus led them in a thug’s prayer, asking God to protect them. They draped their hoods over their heads. MHB was going to the streets, and they were prepared to be the last ones standing after the smoke cleared.
__________
When they exited the hospital, Niya made a sudden u turn on a one-way street. Diamond gave her a strange look as if asking what the hell are you doing? But the quick left turn she made onto Monroe Rd. gave away Niya’s thoughts. There was only one place Niya would be going to on Monroe Rd at this time of night. Less than 20 minutes later when they pulled up to Sharon Memorial Gardens, it was confirmed for Diamond. Sharon Memorial was an upscale burial site and was the final resting place for Prada’s physical body.
Both girls got out the car nearly at the same time. The emotion began to build up as Niya used her cell phone light to illuminate the headstones lining the beautiful southern green grass. When she located Prada’s, she bent down on one knee. The tears began to flow down her face as the hurt was building up in her chest. She tried to release the words from her mouth, but they seemed to weigh too much. Instead, Niya decided to speak to Prada with her heart, knowning that she could now hear her thoughts.
“Hey Pra, I know it’s been a minute, but you know how hard it is for me to visit this place. Girl, I miss you so much… damn, how I wish you was here with me right now. Just to give you some updates, you know you was right about Alexus, she really stood up and has proven to be MHB born and bred. You know Diamond is still rocking with your bitch hard, you see I had to bring her with me, and I know she better not be, over talking me right now. You know she got to tell her story first all the damn time.” That comment made Niya smile outwardly and as she peeked out the corner of her eye, she could see Diamond was indeed trying to over talk her to Prada, even in silence.
“Tiffany is still holding all us down. Also, you know me and Gwen are crazy, the bitch almost took my ass out, and you know I had to come back harder at her. I know you was probably the one who stopped us both from sending one of us to be with you early. Ok, so now to the business at hand and the reason for this visit.” Niya took a deep breath before she continued. “You know as usual, your girl done got herself in some shit, and I need you to be my voice of reason.”
She continued to ask Prada question after question, until Niya finally had the answer that she was sure Prada wanted to send her. She felt like a thousand pound brick had been lifted off her shoulders and she now knew precisely what she had to do.
Niya opened her eyes and Diamond smiled at her. They stood, hugged and blew kisses to Prada.
__________
Downtown Charlotte for MHB was usually the place that the girls went to have drinks and eat. They met in front of the Yellow and blue building on Trade Street.
“Where the hell is she?” Porsha asked, looking up and down the street.
A car approached. Gwen and Rose got out looking around, confused by the location of the meeting. Something was off. They stood there waiting for Niya.
A few minutes later, another car came down the block. Tiffany and Gwen recognized Eagle’s car.
“Here she go,” Tiffany said, watching the car pull up and then disappear into the building’s parking garage. A few minutes later, as Diamond got closer, the girls noticed the blood stained clothes she was wearing.
“D, what happened?” Alexus asked when they walked up.
“Come on ya’ll, let’s just get inside,” Niya said, directing everyone to the front door, where she punched a few digits on the keypad.
Niya stopped Kea at the door while everyone else entered the lobby. Diamond and everybody else watched as Niya talked to her outside. Nobody could make out what she as saying. Niya entered as Kea walked off.
As they entered the lobby, the sounds of their voices echoed. The girls walked forward to see the indoor pool, and a gym. Niya motioned for them to get on the elevator. As it rose, they could see the city from the glass. Niya punched another code and the elevator continued to a floor that did not show on the panel. When it stopped, the doors opened and the girls gasped at the penthouse. They had to be at least forty stories up. There were high-end electronics, furniture, and beautiful paintings on the wall. The panoramic view was breathtaking in the living room.
The penthouse caused the girls to forget about the reason they were meeting. Niya hit a button and the surveillance cameras covered every angle of the building outside. Diamond sat down at the bar. She wasn’t fazed by its view or anything else. They needed to get down to business, and plan their next move. She didn’t’ fully understand why Niya was cooperating with the feds, and until she did, she would just sit back for a moment.
Tiffany touched her shoulder and took a seat beside her. It was time to get this shit on and poppin.
__________
“Alright guys, Niya said that they will be heavily armed and they are not afraid to use their weapons,” Special agent Atkins informed his team of agents and Marshals as they geared up. “Expect resistance, and don’t hesitate to put a bullet in anybody’s head if they fire upon us. We will break
up into about eight teams. Whatever you do, listen to your tactical leader. I put him in that position for a reason,” Atkins said. “Remember, nobody moves until we get the call from Niya. Are we clear?” Atkins asked.
Federal, state, and local authorities teamed up for the sting operation. It wasn’t a cop out on the streets right now. They wanted to make sure the arrests went smooth as possible, so the more manpower present, the better. They definitely were going to need it.
Chapter 20
“I know ya’ll thought that we would be going to war tonight, but that is not gonna be the case,” Niya said, sitting in the middle of the living room with everybody standing around her. “I need to tell ya’ll something and I hope you can understand the position that I am in,” she said, looking around the room at who she hoped would still be her family after she finished saying what she had to say and doing what she had to do.
This was the most difficult situation Niya had ever been in and she struggled with making the decision she had made. Tiffany, Diamond, Alexus, and even Gwen all looked up to her as a big sister.
“Sometimes in life, we might be called upon to make difficult choices and decisions, but in reality it’s the consequences from our decisions that we have to deal with,” Niya continued. “I made a choice tonight that I am gonna have to live with for the rest of my life,” she said, getting up and slowly walking over to the window to look out at the city.
__________
No one noticed Kea walking in the hospital, wearing a pair of square framed sunglasses and her hoodie pulled partially over her head. She stood in the elevator and watched the blue number change. The doors opened to the 7th floor. She stepped out of the elevator and walked down the hall, keeping her hands inside the pockets of the hooded T-shirt as she looked at the room numbers.
Country Girls Trilogy (Parts 1-2-3 Boxed Set): MHB Love Page 29
