As I got ready to take a shower, I heard a phone vibrating in the room. I searched through the sheets until I stumbled across Dreaux’s phone. I never felt the need to go through it before, but my curiosity got the best of me. When I clicked the message, it was from an unknown number, and its contents left me uneasy.
Unknown: You were a fool to think you would be able to track me down. Last night was a warning. Next time, I’ll be sending you a picture of your bitch with her head cut off. You should have never crossed me.
My hands shook as I looked towards the door to make sure nobody was out there. Once I saw the coast was clear, I sent her a reply.
Dreaux: Tell me where you are, and we can handle this one-on-one. You wanted my attention, and now you have it.
I was treading in dangerous waters, but I thought if I confronted her myself, she would leave everyone else alone. Dreaux thought I was naive, but Chop taught me a lot when we were together. He was always afraid of someone coming after me, in retaliation, because he robbed so many people. I learned how to shoot a gun and use a knife, too. I wasn’t in the streets, but I knew enough about them to survive.
Unknown: Come alone and don’t try any funny shit. I have eyes and ears everywhere. Meet me here at eight and not a minute later.
Dreaux: Bet.
As soon as she sent the location, I forwarded it to myself and then deleted the interaction. I meant what I said to Dreaux about pulling my weight. He already had enough on his plate, and I didn’t need him trying to protect me. If this Belleza woman wanted me so badly, then she would get her wish.
Instead of going back to my place, Dreaux took us shopping for clothes and then brought us back to Justice’s house. He picked up Dana, Dominique, and Danae from the hospital and brought them over.
Around seven, I asked Ciyani if I could borrow her car. Dreaux left twenty minutes prior, claiming he had some errands to run. My stomach was a ball of nerves, but I needed to do this.It was the only way to protect my family. A part of me thought about what would happen if things went wrong, but I pushed those negative thoughts to the back of my mind. It was time for me to stand on my own two feet.
I stopped at my place to grab the gun Dreaux gave me when I first moved in. It was hidden in my closet to keep out of Promise’s reach. When he gave it to me, he showed me how to load and shoot. I didn’t bother to mention that I already knew how to use one, because I didn’t want him to judge me.
Once I secured the gun, I changed into all black and put my hair into a ponytail. I wasn’t a killer or a criminal, but I’d watched TV shows to know the basics. The location she gave was twenty minutes away, so there wasn’t much time to waste. I tucked my phone into my pocket and headed out the door.
I attempted to drown out my thoughts with music as I drummed my fingers across the steering wheel. My stomach twisted with nervousness as I got closer to the destination. I underestimated how dark it would be when I finally arrived at the location. I circled the location to see that it was a butcher shop. There were a couple of cars parked nearby, but I wasn’t sure if they belonged to anyone in the building.
Since she was expecting Dreaux, I figured I could use it to my advantage. I parked a few streets over and gave myself a pep talk. Once I got my nerves under control, I got out of the car and tucked the gun in the back of my black jeans. I grabbed my hoodie, pulled it over my head, and began walking to my destination.
Given the rundown condition of the building, I wasn’t worried about any cameras. The area seemed desolate, aside from a few businesses scattered throughout. A couple of the windows were boarded up, but I noticed a few lights shining through.
My back was pressed against the wall as I watched my surroundings. I had no idea what I was walking into, so I needed to be on alert. Once I got closer to the door, I retrieved the gun. The door was already open, so I peeked inside to see if I could hear anything.
There were a few voices, but they were muffled from where I was standing. I tiptoed inside the building, making sure to check every corner as I walked further inside. Once I got inside, I ducked down behind the dusty old counter. The voices were a little clearer, so I decided to listen to see how many people were inside.
“My son!”
Pow!
I heard a popping sound that reminded me of fireworks. A woman’s screams blared in the distance.
“Bitch! Did you think this was a game? I tried to spare you, but you wouldn’t stop.”
“You killed my son! You’re gonna pay for this!” The pain and anger in her voice couldn’t be missed, and I recognized Belleza’s voice. The secondary voice caught me off guard because it was Dreaux. I wondered if she sent him another message after I deleted the original ones.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t find you? Huh? All you had to do was let it go and focus on the money, but you couldn’t do that.”
“Fuck you, Dreaux. I’m gonna make sure you suffer when I kill that whore of yours.”
“You won’t have the opportunity to touch my bitch. You’ll be in the river with cement bricks tied to your hands and feet, right along with your pussy ass son.”
“Only in your fucking dreams. One of us isn’t gonna make it out of here, but it won’t be me, mi amanate.”
“You witnessed me kill mothafuckas for playin’ with my bread, so what did you think was gon’ happen when you fucked with my family? If you ain’t want yo’ life, all you had to do was say so.”
I heard the sound of footsteps, so I ducked down even further. Fear struck me as I realized the men were headed towards the same room Dreaux and Belleza were in. Dreaux would be outnumbered, and there was no way I could stand by and allow them to kill him.
There was no time to think of a plan, so I held my gun in front of me as I followed the sound of the voices. The men were attempting to sneak into the room with their guns out. If I moved too quickly, it could put Dreaux’s life in jeopardy, but if I hesitated, we both could end up dead. I followed them but stayed out of view.
“Your biggest mistake was thinking you could get over on me, Dreaux. It’s gonna be sad to see you go.”
