by Deja King
Then there was chaos amongst the officers, and I heard a familiar-sounding voice fighting its way into the room.
"Sir, you need to leave. You shouldn't be here," said an officer.
"Precious, please put down the gun."
My whole world stopped.
"It's okay. It's over now."
Mike and I were transfixed on him, both believing our eyes were playing tricks on us. But they weren't. What we were seeing was just as real as the gun in my hand.
"Baby, please put down the gun, I'm begging you," he pleaded.
A rush of blood went to my head, and my heart was beating so loudly that I felt like the whole room could hear it.
"Supreme, you're dead. How can you be standing there?"
"Just put down the gun and I'll explain everything."
My mind was moving forward, but my body was standing still. I was frozen in fear, because I didn't want to let my heart believe that Supreme was alive and standing in front of me.
"Supreme, is that really you?" I stepped forward with the gun still in my hand. The cops all followed my lead and raised their gun and stuck them out further gripping tightly.
"Yes. Now, baby, please put down your gun before they hurt you." He moved closer to me, and I could see the concern in his face.
One of the cops standing between us raised his hand, letting Supreme know not to take another step.
I lowered my gun, removed my finger from the trigger and placed it on the floor. Quickly, the police filed in, checking every corner of the house.
In the midst of the chaos, Supreme ran up and lovingly wrapped his arms around me. I was still in shock and couldn't return his embrace. I could hear the police officer reading Mike his rights as he demanded to call his attorney.
Handcuffed with his hands behind his back, Mike staggered past me and Supreme, giving us the most diabolical look. "We ain't finished, trust," he said with confidence dripping from his voice, as if he didn't know he was about to be facing mad time in jail.
"Ma'am." The officer tapped me on my shoulder."
"That's Mrs. Mills," Supreme corrected him.
"Mrs. Mills, we need to take you to the hospital and have you examined."
I nodded my head, agreeing with the officer. If the police couldn't get any other charges against Mike to stick, the rape case damn sure would. I wanted to follow all the necessary procedures to guarantee that.
Supreme remained right by my side during my visit at the hospital where a rape kit was performed and I was subjected to intensive questioning by the police. They grilled me about Nico, Nina's murder and my involvement with Mike. I was careful to give them as much detailed information as possible without self-incrimination. I did find it hard to focus because I still hadn't processed that Supreme was really alive.
"Mrs. Mills, we only have one more question for you, as I'm sure you're anxious to leave the hospital and go home," the officer said, trying to sound sympathetic.
"Yes, I am. But what's the question?"
"Do you have any idea where we can find Nico Carter?"
"No, I don't." It wasn't a lie. As far as I knew, Nico was long gone and I had no idea if and when he'd be back. "I also have a question for you." The officer looked up at me from writing something down on his notepad.
"Yes."
"How did you know I was at Mike's house?"
"You can thank your friend Jamal Crawford for that. He stopped by the precinct late this afternoon with his concerns. Jamal told us about the contract he had doctored up and that you believed you knew who killed Supreme. He had a bad feeling and for good reason. Jamal had no idea who might be involved, but we assumed from the information he gave us you knew it was Mr. Owens. We had been watching Mike for some time because of our suspicions about his involvement with the attempt on your husband's life. I wish we could've arrived sooner and prevented the rape, but I'm relieved we're not investigating another homicide. I know you have a lot more questions, but I'm sure your husband can explain the rest."
Supreme was holding my hand tightly and I stared at him. Our mouths weren't saying a word but our eyes were speaking volumes. He then opened the palm of my hand, and I saw the necklace that I had been gripping so tightly. It was the necklace Supreme had gave me, what seemed like a lifetime ago, on the day I had been released from the hospital. I had let Mike take if off, but I was holding on to it for dear life, feeling that it was giving me strength. Supreme took it out of my hand and placed it back around my neck, where it belonged. After leaving the hospital we decided to stay at a hotel because if we went home Nathan and the rest of the security would have a million questions. Neither of us was ready for that.
On the drive to the hotel I just laid my head in Supreme's lap, taking in his scent, studying his hands-he was really with me in the flesh.
When we got in our hotel room, one of the first things Supreme did was turn on the water in the Jacuzzi. He bathed me from head to toe in the hot water. It was exactly what I needed to erase the foulness Mike had set on my body. After relaxing in the water for about an hour, Supreme dried me off and carried me to the bed. My exhaustion finally took over me, and I fell into a deep sleep in his arms.
When I woke up the next morning, Supreme was sitting in the chair wide awake. "How long have you been up?" I questioned.
"Since you fell asleep last night. All this time being away from you I dreamed of just watching you sleep. These last few months have been the hardest of my life."
"Tell me what happened," I said needing to know the truth." Supreme stood up from the chair and sat down at the edge of the bed. I sat up giving him my full attention. He took a deep breath and began speaking.
"After you got shot and was in the hospital, Mike came to me offering a deal to sign with his record label. Of course I turned him down. He reached out to me a few more times afterwards, and I knew he was furious but never did I believe he would resort to murder.
When I was shot leaving the hospital with you, the doctors performed emergency surgery, and I was in critical condition, but they knew I would survive. They told you and everyone else I had died, following the orders of the police and the FBI."
"But why?"
"Because the FBI had been trying to build a case against Mike on drugs, money laundering and all sorts of other crimes for a minute. They had an informant in place that had got word that Mike was responsible for the hit on me, but the FBI needed more proof. They wanted Mike to believe that I was dead to protect me until they had all the evidence needed to get an indictment and conviction."
"But ...but I saw you die."
"So you thought. But after they took me in for emergency surgery, what followed was all staged. Baby, you have no idea what the government can do. After they declared me dead and took me into hiding, the Feds transferred me to one of their hospitals, where they nursed me back to health. Having you and my parents grieving over me and watching mad people mourn my death when I was very much alive, that shit was hard. Harder than being shot seven times. Precious I was watching the whole thing on TV from my bed. Even when you were crying over my casket, you looked beautiful. I wanted to reach through the television and hold you so you would know everything would be okay because I was alive. After my ordeal, I'm starting to question whether those Tupac rumors are true."
"So where were you for all these months?"
"In a safe house somewhere in Long Island. They had me stashed under lock and key. They kept me in the dark about how the investigation was going. A few police officers were with me 24/7 for protection, but they wouldn't tell me shit. Luckily, I overheard one of them talking about the cops making their move on Mike, because they believed you were in imminent danger. I told them if they didn't take me to you I would go on my own, and the only way to stop me was to kill me. They could see I was dead-ass serious, so they took me to you.
"I was stressing the whole time because I didn't know what the fuck was going on. All I knew was that you were with Mike. Baby, I'm so sorry
I couldn't protect you from that piece of shit. I wanted to kill that nigga with my bare hands."
"I still can't believe you're alive. Since you've been gone my life has been on a downward spiral. I never thought I would touch you or hold you again. Or feel you make love to me. The only reason I wanted to live was to revenge your death."
"I know how hard it's been for you, baby. But I'm here, and starting right now we're making up for our lost time."
"Can we start by you making love to me?
"Are you sure you're ready for that? After what happened with Mike, I understand if you need time and want to wait."
"I want to forget about Mike and what he did to me. Today is a new beginning, and I want to share it with you. I need to feel you inside of me, so I'll know you'll never leave me again.
"Damn, Precious, you don't have to say no more. I've been wanting to feel what's mine for too long. I missed you, baby."
I've missed you, too."
Supreme and I made love and for that moment everything in the world seemed perfect. My husband was home, and I finally had my life back.
The Present,
I had beaten too many odds not to be able to battle for the life of my unborn child. Yeah, I was having a difficult childbirth, but I was determined to bring a healthy seed in this world. My baby needed me, and I needed my baby even more. With all the bullshit I had been through in my young life, I could muster the strength to push my child out, and that's what I did. I took a deep breath and put my back and everything else into it, pushing out the gem I would love more than anything in this world, including myself.
"Precious, you did it," I heard both the doctor and nurse say in unison. But I didn't need them to say shit because the thunderous cries ringing in the air were the only announcement needed.
The doctor handed me my baby, and I was at a loss for words. It seemed like yesterday death was knocking at my door, when in fact it had been months since the end of my ordeal. Now here I was holding my greatest accomplishment.
"Precious, would you like for me to bring the father back in?" the nurse asked. I kept my head down and nodded "Yes," not wanting to look away from my bundle of joy.
While in labor I demanded Supreme leave the room. His presence was just making a stressful situation worse. He was acting as if he was in more pain than me, and that shit was just physically impossible. It killed me how Supreme was so hardcore when he hit that mic, but was absolutely no help playing coach in the delivery room. It was all good thoughhis strengths in everything else he touched made up for it.
When Supreme walked in I glanced up and he had the most serene expression. As he got closer a smile crept across his face, and pure happiness beamed from his eyes. I knew how much the birth of our child meant to him. "Baby, meet your daughter," I said as I handed her over to the proud father. "I want to name her Aaliyah after my mother, especially since she inherited her green eyes."
"Whatever you want, baby. You've given me the most precious jewel ever. The world is yours." I knew he meant that, too. We had been through hell and back to finally be a family, but it was all worth it. Our love was stronger than ever and unbreakable. Relishing in my blessings made me reminisce about the past and how the end of one life brought about the birth of a new one.
"If you don't mind, can I have a moment alone with our daughter?" I asked, looking up.
"Of course, Mrs. Mills," the doctor said as he and the nurse left the room.
"Supreme, can you leave, too?" his eyelids got heavy, and I knew he was taken aback by my request. "Baby, I'm not pushing you away, I just need some private time with Aaliyah... a little mother and daughter bonding. Please."
"I understand. I'll go call the family and let them know we welcomed a princess into the world today." He smiled. When the door shut behind him, I released the tears that I had been holding back. There was still a part of me that I couldn't share with anyone else; including Supreme, but that had now changed. I could reveal my vulnerability to my daughter.
Aaliyah's eyes locked with mine as if she knew I needed her full attention when I purged my soul. "My beautiful baby, never did I believe, I was worthy of something as precious as you. You were the one gift in life I felt was unattainable. I know that I don't deserve you, but God has granted me a second chance in life, and I'm thankful. You will never have to experience the hell that I've gone through. I will protect you from the street life that almost destroyed me and your father.
"Holding a living creature that your blood runs through is the most potent rush in the world. My mother may have not been strong enough to fight back the powerful demons that corrupted the bond between mother and child, but my life now belongs to you. This is our first chapter, and I will turn over a new leaf, but if anyone tries to destroy what we share, I will delete them from this earth-that I promise you. I will also teach you the necessary tools to survive in this world, because if you don't know evil you can never recognize good. People think your mother is a bitch, but trust you will be the baddest bitch ever." I swear, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, because all I saw was gums as Aaliyah gave me a smile. "That's right, my baby, with your beauty and charm they'll never see you coming until it's too late." I kissed Aaliyah on the forehead, anointing her the future Queen Bitch.
After the birth of our daughter, Supreme and I moved to California to get away from the drama that still surrounded us on the East Coast. We needed a change of scenery so we could concentrate on raising Aaliyah. Supreme didn't re-sign with Atomic Records. Instead, he put out his CD under his own label, Supreme Records. He titled what was supposed to be his last CD, "Resurrection." It went double platinum within the first week and went on to be the biggest selling record that year. After its success Supreme had more money than he could ever spend in this lifetime or the next. He retired from being a rapper and focused on making major moves behind the scenes.
Nico still hadn't resurfaced even though the police had no intentions of charging him with the attempted murder of Supreme. He still hadn't contacted me, and I figured that once he got word Supreme was alive he would think I'd go back on my word and corporate with the police for his attempted murder against me. But I had no plans on doing so. I told Supreme how Nina was this close to ending my life, but Nico stood in front of me ready to take the bullet in my place. He understood that we had now washed our hands of the past and settled the score. I had the same cell number and prayed that one day Nico would call, and I could tell him it was all good for him to go home to Brooklyn.
When Maya found out that her brother Mike was not only responsible for the attempted murder on Supreme's life but that he also raped me, she completely turned against him. The tragic situation brought us even closer. During that time, Maya and Clip also got back together and finally let the world know they were in love. They moved to California together after Clip became the first artist signed to Supreme Records. His album is schedule to drop right before Christmas.
Jamal eventually gave up on finding Nina's killer and focused all his energy on running Atomic Records. He even found love in the workplace. He is now engaged to his trustworthy personal assistant.
Mike hired the best attorney money could buy, determined to beat his case. He even tried to bargain with prosecutors by ratting me out for the murder ofAntwon O'Neal. Unfortunately for Mike he did such an excellent job of disposing the body there wasn't any evidence to corroborate his story. The police felt it was a weak attempt to blow smoke, so the prosecutors pursued their case and took Mike to trial. I sat in the front row of the courtroom when Mike was convicted and sentenced. He was giving fifteen years for raping me and twenty-five years for the attempted murder of Supreme with his time running concurrent. He gave me an ice-cold glare and mouthed that he would be back for my life. I knew I was being met with the face of evil, but his threats didn't faze me. I was free of Mike and had my life back.
As for me, I felt stronger than ever. I had my baby and the love and support of my husband. With Supreme's enc
our agement I decided to enroll in college so I could obtain my degree. I always wanted to take my education to the next level but was afraid of failure. I no longer had those fears. I realized that the only person that can stop you from obtaining your dreams in life is you.
A King Production Order Form A King Production P.O. Box 912 Collierville, TN 38027 www.joykingonline.com www.twitter.com/joydejaking Name: Address: City/State: Zip: QUANTITY TITLES PRICE TOTAL Bitch $15.00 Bitch Reloaded $15.00 The Bitch Is Back $15.00 Queen Bitch $15.00 Last Bitch Standing $15.00 Superstar $15.00 Ride Wit' Me $12.00 Stackin' Paper $15.00 Trife Life To Lavish $15.00 Trife Life To Lavish II $15.00 Stackin' Paper II $15.00 Shipping/Handling (Via Priority Mail) $5.50 1-2 Books, $7.95 3-4 Books add $1.95 for ea. Additional book. Total: $ FORMS OF ACCEPTED PAYMENTS: Certified or government issued checks and money Orders, all mail in orders take 5-7 Business days to be delivered.
