Jakari told Diamond to shut up and that they would talk in the car. He said his main concern was getting her home safely. I could tell that Diamond was one of Jakari’s biggest mistakes. It was all in his tone when he spoke to her.
Ciara now stood in the corner with her hand over her mouth, and her eyes were full of fear in anticipation of what would happen next. I felt the exact same way. I had a bad feeling in my gut that shit wasn’t going to end well.
Rowdy told me to stay in the hallway, and he walked into the living room to grab both duffel bags. He placed them on the couch, then he flipped through all the stacks of money. I wasn’t sure how much Jakari owed him, but that was a lot of money. I didn’t even know J was touching that much bread. I guess I was really naïve when it came to the men I chose to love. I realized that I really didn’t know either of those niggas.
Trell still had his gun pointed at Jashawn and vice versa. Them niggas looked like they were doing the mannequin challenge by the way they were stuck in place, just waiting for the next man to make a move.
“That’s all of it?” Trell asked Rowdy without taking his eye off his opponent.
“Yeah, this shit looks good! Listen, tho, Jakari. Like a man, I can admit that I didn’t go about shit the right way when it cameto moving in on your territory. It was an honest mistake because you niggas out here don’t operate the same as we do back home. Had you handled shit differently on your end, we wouldn’t be here right now. This could have been talked out like men. It’s understood that I can touch you, just like you can touch me, but I feel like we’ve lost enough time and money behind this. Yo son is safe and secure, and I want us to agree to dead this shit since we both have what we want,” Rowdy spoke.
“Yeah, I hear you. Let me grab my son. You got your money,” Jakari said and shot me a death stare before walking over to his son and picking him up.
Jakari went to strap his son into the car. Then he yelled out for Diamond and Jashawn to come on, so they could leave.
“That nigga may let all this shit y’all did slide, but not me. I always believed in making niggas stand on business! Y’all touched my family and extorted us! You couldn’t have thought this shit was gon’ end well!” Jashawn said and pulled the trigger.
Just as Jashawn was talking, and at the same moment that he was about to pull the trigger, Diamond jumped on Trell’s back to attack him. The bullet from Jashawn’s gun missed Trell and hit Diamond. I couldn’t tell if she was hit in her neck or her shoulder, but blood gushed out. As soon as the gun went off, Rowdy’s men rushed inside, suited up like they were going to war. So many guns were out that I instantly had a panic attack. Rowdy told them to stand down as Jashawn rushed over to Diamond and grabbed her off the ground.
Jakari ran back inside to see what was going on and let out a gut-wrenching scream at the sight of Diamond. Rushing over to Diamond and his brother, Jakari was in a state of shock.
“Let them niggas leave!” Rowdy told his men, forcing them to clear the doorway for Jakari and Jashawn to get Diamond out.
“Take this bitch to the hospital or the morgue, but get the fuck on before I kill y’all ass! Nigga really tried to smoke me andended up smoking his own nephew’s momma. Shaky hand ass nigga ain’t built for no real beef. I should push yo’ shit back, but you done already had a fucked up day.” Trell laughed tauntingly.
They rushed Diamond to the car, and all I heard was tires screeching as they left the cabin. I was visibly shaking. I couldn’t believe what I had just witnessed, and I was traumatized. I didn’t want the girl to die. Although I hated her, beating her ass was good enough for me. This was just too much.
After the men left the cabin, Rowdy, Trell, Ciara, and I all stood frozen in place. No words were spoken. All that could be heard was breathing. That lasted a good ten minutes before Trell was back to his normal self.
“That shit was wild as hell. I knew somebody was gon’ kill that hoe. She just kept begging for it. I should have smoked J’s brother, but I didn’t want y’all to be caught in the middle of a shootout. Bullets ain’t got no name, but I’m definitely gon’ see about them two niggas.” Trell shook his head in disbelief.
“Harmoni, this shit is not cool. I hate that you had to see any of this, but you shouldn’t have popped up like this. I’m sorry as hell for yesterday, and I was going to find a way to make it up to you once all this shit was over. I want us to talk about the baby and everything that’s happened in the past month that you were in the blind about. Now is just not the right time or place. Please go home and let me call you later. I’m gonna fix all this shit,” Rowdy pleaded.
“A Baby? What the fuck is that about? And you wasn’t gon’ tell me, my nigga?” Trell said to Rowdy.
Rowdy told Trell that they would talk once we were gone and things settled down. He didn’t have to tell me twice to leave, though. I was already out the door. I decided not to respond because I was over this shit for the day. I loved Rowdy, I really did, but I wasn’t sure if this was a life I wanted to live. Shit had gotten too real too fast, and I was really shook by it.
Before we could leave, Ciara walked up to Rowdy, and I looked her in the eyes, pleading for her not to start any shit.
“If we would have known y’all had all this going on, we would have chosen another time to holla at you. I know a bitch just lost her life and all, but I need you to know that if you ever threaten my friend again, you gon’ be pushing up daisies! J may be scared of you, but I’m not, and I definitely know how to use that tool. I ain’t nothing like his lame-ass brother. I always hit my target,” Ciara barked as she opened her purse, exposing her gun to Rowdy.
Rowdy flashed his perfect white smile, letting Ciara know that her threats weren’t taken seriously. He told her that it would never happen again, then he leaned over and kissed my forehead. I walked outside and headed to the car with Ciara on my heels.
“Hey, Ciara, right? I see something in you that I like. Yo’ as is rough but beautiful at the same time. I would love to have a bitch like you on my arm. Maybe you can give me your number, so you can show me around yo’ city and shit,” Trell said to Ciara while grabbing her arm, stopping her in her tracks.
I went and sat in the car because I was exhausted, and from the sound of things, Ciara was about to curse Trell’s ass out. When it came to women, that nigga didn’t know what not to say, and that’s why I never thought to hook him up with anybody I knew. He was just too damn hood for my liking.
“Best, I’m so sorry that I dragged you into this shit. I just wanted to check Rowdy for threatening you. I had no idea you was gon’ whoop a hoe like Django and that we would witness this crazy hoe getting shot. You are in some real Lifetime movie shit, girl. Are you gon’ be okay?” Ciara blurted once she got back into the car.
“I really can’t even say. I’m not too sure about anything anymore. I’ve been lied to and betrayed by my ex, and now mynew nigga. I don’t know who the fuck my baby's father is or how I’m going to do this shit, and I just watched my stalker get shot down right in front of my face. I really don’t know about anything. I just want to go home and get some rest. I really just want to be alone,” I told Ciara.
“You gon’ be alright, and I know that because I’m gonna be here every step of the way! Don’t stress shit that’s out of your control because we both know, at the end of the day, regardless of who’s there or not, that baby will be well-loved and taken care of. Fuck these niggas. I’ll be that baby’s pappy!” Ciara joked, causing me to fall out laughing.
I needed that laugh. Today was a tough ass day for me, and I wouldn’t have wanted to go through it with anybody other than my best friend. I fell asleep on the ride home, and Ciara woke me up once we made it. When I let myself in the house, Ciara was right behind me. Although I had just told her I wanted to be alone, she still came in and made herself comfortable. She grabbed the cover out of my linen closet and threw it on my bed. Ciara found a nightgown in my closet, then went into my bathroom and took a shower. When she came back, she made herself comfortable in my bed.
I didn’t say anything; I just fluffed her pillows, so she would be comfortable. I prayed that every girl would get to experience a true friend like Ciara. Ci was a little rough around the edges, but she didn’t play about me and vice versa.
The next day, we lounged in our pajamas and binge-watched shows. I felt much better than the day before, and I knew that all I really needed was a good night’s rest.
