“Who said I was afraid?”
My eyes slipped closed.
“You act like it. You seem like you holding something back.”
“That’s not because I am scared of you. I am scared of me, Crew.”
“Well, don’t be. One night with me, and you will see that I will take care of your body just like I did your soul that night. That’s on everything, on me.”
Crew and I locked eyes again, and started to lean in for a kiss when the music was drowned out by a sudden eruption of gunfire shattering through the large glass windows behind the DJ booth.
The first shot cracked so loud it felt like it ripped straight through my chest. The bass from the song cut off mid-note, replaced by pure panic and chaos around us.
“GET DOWN!” Crew demanded, his voice cutting through the noise.
My ears rang, the shots sounding like they were inches from my skull. I pressed my palms to the floor, heart racing so fast I thought I’d pass out.
I couldn't see who was shooting, only silhouettes ducking and running toward the blown-out windows. Crew and Hov were still standing straight up, firing guns back at them like an action movie.
Next to me, Ciara crawled on her elbows.
“Stay down. It’s okay. We are okay,” she whispered, trying to calm me, but I could hear her voice shaking too.
When the bullets finally stopped, the room went dead quiet, except for sobs and glass cracking under people’s shoes. It felt like the courthouse all over again.
“Fuck,” I heard Crew and Hov yelling, voices sharp and furious as they rushed toward the windows.
“That has to be them Quatar niggas, man,” Crew shouted.
“How the fuck that shit just happened? Everybody good?” Hov yelled, scanning the room.
“We good bruh!” Scotty replied.
By some miracle, no one I saw was hit.
Hov scooped Ciara off the floor like she was made of crystal.
“You alright, baby? You good?”
His hands were everywhere, checking her belly, her arms, her face, and she nodded yes, seeming just as scared as I was.
Crew reached his hand down in front of me.
“Let me help you up, you good?”
“Yes, I’m good. I’m okay. I’m fine.”
I stood, dusting glass and dirt off my dress.
Everyone migrated toward the front of the building with Crew and the rest of his people on high alert, scanning the streets as sirens wailed in the distance.
“You good, bruh?” Crew asked Hov.
“Yeah, I’m straight, but I’m not sticking around to talk to no fucking cops. We already know who that was. I’m about to get my wife the fuck out of here.
“Be careful nigga.”
“Alright, safety.”
