by King, Deja
“LuLu!” Semaj screamed at the top of her lungs. Her eyes began to water and she shook uncontrollably as she ran to her cousin’s side. Emilia perched on the ground, rocking back and forth as she held her sister’s bullet-riddled body in her arms with silent tears flowing from her eyes. Her head fell low as she stared into her sister’s weakening gaze. “Please, Lu… you gotta… gotta get up. C’mon!” Emilia yelled, and looked back at Semaj for help. “We gotta get her into this hospital. Help me please,” she yelled in desperation—panicked, as she tried lifting the deadweight.
Gio looked around at the bloodbath that he and his family had contributed to. People lay dead everywhere; it resembled a battlefield after combat. He heard sirens in the distance and knew the sounds were coming from a procession of patrol cars and ambulances to assist with the aftermath of the early morning slaughter.
Two of the Hummer trucks pulled up directly in front of them, the doors immediately flung open.
“We’ve got to get the fuck outta here,” Gio stated as he grabbed Semaj by the arm and they slid in the truck. “Obtener el mi la familia,” he ordered his henchmen in Spanish to get LuLu in the other Hummer. “Come on Emilia, let’s go before the police show up.” She conceded and released her sister from her embrace after she kissed her forehead and then hopped in the Hummer alongside of Semaj as a frown of pain crossed her face.
The Jamaicans had shown the ultimate sign that they were declaring a war and they were stopping at nothing—two ruthless incidents within hours from each other wasn’t coincidental, and at that very moment Semaj realized that she was literally married to the mob. She closed her eyes and cried silently as she thought about all the things that had been done to bring her to this point.
Aaliyah
Mother/Daughter
Born This Way
The Past…
My mother came from nothing but was determined to have it all. I was born having it all but wanted more. So in reality mother and daughter were exactly alike or at least I thought so. See in my eyes, my mother was a Boss Bitch. From the time I was a little girl I admired everything about her and knew when I grew up I would be her. For those that don’t know, my mother is the one and only Precious Cummings Mills and I am her daughter, Aaliyah Mills Carter.
Unlike my mother who was born and raised in the grimiest Brooklyn projects, I grew up in the opulent world of Beverly Hills. The closest I got to Brooklyn was the Upper East Side in Manhattan. You would think with the vast difference in our upbringing that our personalities would be polar opposite but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. Although I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth I inherited the fire that would forever brew inside my mother. That trait we shared was made evident at my eleventh birthday party. As I sat in my holding cell I thought back to that day, seven years ago.
“Aaliyah, come on! Everybody is waiting for you to open your birthday presents.”
“They have to wait. I need to change my outfit.” “What’s wrong with the outfit you have on?” “This was my introduction dress now we’re moving on
to part two. I have to give my guest another look,” I explained taking off my pretty in pink silk sleeveless dress with draped ruffles curving down the front. The dress screamed ‘princess’ but now I wanted to put on something that yelled out ‘it girl’. I couldn’t wait to put on the silver and black romper that was artfully embellished with metal studs down the front and around the neckline.
“Where did you get that from?” my mother barked standing in front of me.
“Daddy got it.”
“I know Supreme didn’t get that.”
“No not that daddy, my other daddy, Nico.” I watched my mother’s face quickly frown up. Even while angry she was still the most beautiful woman in the world to me. She didn’t say anything for a few minutes and I was afraid she was going to demand I take off the romper I had been dreaming about wearing since my dad got it for me a week ago. He had this lady that custom designed clothes for celebrity kids make it for me.
“Only because it’s your birthday am I going to let you wear that grown outfit but it’s a onetime thing.”
“Thank you, mommy,” I smiled wrapping my arms around her tiny waist. As I held her tightly I wondered when I got older and had a couple of kids would I still look that good. Her chain-stripe print dress with a tassel-tie waist and layered hemline highlighted her figure perfectly without overexposure.
“How can I look in those eyes and deny my baby girl.” “Mommy, daddy said bring Aaliyah to open her presents.”
“Here we come, Xavier. We can all go down together.” “Mom, I don’t want to go back out there escorted by my mom and little brother. You all go first and I’ll be right behind you to make my entrance.”
“Girl you a mess,” my mom laughed, “Just like I was. We won’t stop you from making your entrance,” she continued as she took my five-year-old brother’s hand and walked out.
I twirled around one more time in the mirror and hurried out. I was anxious for all my friends to see me in my specially designed just for me outfit. When I stepped out into the lavishly decorated courtyard I was devastated when I didn’t see a crowd of well-wishers waiting patiently for my entrance. Instead everybody was gathered around the waterfall. I started walking towards the commotion when Justina and Amir approached me.
“Aaliyah, you don’t need to go over there,” Justina said grabbing my arm.
“And why not?” I asked yanking my arm out of her grasp.
“Because my dad said they were over there handling grown folk business and we needed to stay out the way.” “Well T-Roc ain’t my daddy! So you stay right here, I’m going over there.”
“Aaliyah, I really think you should listen to Justina,” Amir added.
“Justina doesn’t run me! This is my birthday party,” I stressed. As I hurried forward, from the corner of my eye I carefully maneuvering my way through the crowd of adults hoping not to get noticed by my parents or grandfather. As I got closer I could hear what sounded like my mother raising her voice and my dad trying to calm her down. When I got to the forefront I could see my dad holding my mother back and I immediately ran by her side to see what had her so upset.
“Mommy, what’s wrong?”
“Supreme, let me go! I don’t need you holding my arms like I’m some uncontrollable child!”
“But you are out of control right now. You can’t get to fighting up in here. Think about Aaliyah and Xavier.”
“They’ll understand!” my mom growled. I could tell the claws were about to come out.
“Mommy, mommy, what happened?” This time I screamed out desperate to get her attention. When she finally met my stare, my mother could see the tears swelling up in my eyes.
My dad let her arms go and she cupped my face in her hands. “I’m so sorry, Aaliyah. Please don’t cry.”
“Why are you upset?”
“It’s nothing you need to worry yourself about, it…” “Look at my beautiful niece,” I heard a female voice
say interrupting my mother. I turned my head around and noticed a familiar face that I hadn’t seen in years.
“Maya, what are you doing here?”
“That’s Aunt Maya,” she smiled. She stepped near me and my Grandpa Quentin quickly pulled her back.
“Don’t you dare speak to my daughter! You ‘bout to regret that you ever stepped foot in this birthday party!” My mother was ready to step out her open-toe stilettos and jump on Maya in front of everybody. I knew my mother could get upset because occasionally I would hear her arguing with my dad but never did I see her like this. She seemed ready for war.
“All I came to do was wish my niece a happy birthday and give her a present. I haven’t seen her since I first came home.”
“You mean since you got out of jail, you psychopath!” “Precious, calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down. She probably found out about this party through you. You know how I feel about her! You’
ve made it clear that you embrace her as your daughter but that heffa ain’t no sister of mine. And once I drag her ass up outta here she’ll learn not to listen to what you say when it comes to me!” Right before my mother lunged at Maya my dad grabbed her again.
“Listen, if you put your hands on her she might try to press charges or some dumb shit like that,” I heard my dad trying to whisper in my mom’s ear. “Think about the kids, she ain’t worth going to jail over. Instead let’s lock her up for trespassing.”
“I don’t want to cause any problems. Here, Aaliyah, take my present and then I’ll leave,” Maya offered as if she heard what my father was planning to do. I walked towards Maya and my mom reached out to grab me but I turned around and smiled before continuing on my way.
“Let the child take the present,” my Grandpa Quentin suggested wanting to be the peacemaker.
“Here’s a beautiful present for such a beautiful girl,” Maya said bending over to hand me over a small Tiffany box with a white ribbon. With one hand I took the present and with the other hand I swung it back as far as I could and slapped her face so hard that my hand was hurting.
“That’s for disrespecting my mommy,” I belted after my hand left an imprint on her face. “And this is for ruining my birthday party,” I screamed out again, tossing the Tiffany box she just gave me in her face. complete shock. I stared her back down daring her to even look as if she wanted to slap me back. She and I both knew that everybody in this party would jump on her if it even appeared she had any intentions of doing that.
“I think it’s best you leave,” my Grandpa Quentin finally said, breaking the silence.
“Yes, Grandpa, I agree with you,” I said before turning back to Maya. “You need to leave and don’t ever come back. You’re not welcome in this family.” I walked back over to my mother and stood by her side. “I love you, mommy.”
“I love you too, Aaliyah.”
Table of Contents
Mafia Princess
Copyright Page
Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgement
Prologue
Chapter1
Chapter2
Chapter3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Prologue
Aaliyah
