PROLOGUE
Quinten Bentley
1995
“Dad, I’m not going to the Maldives. I told Mom, but she told me to let you know before I left,” I told him on my trek down the driveway to my whip.
“Why the fuck not? I have something special planned for your mom, and I need you to be there. You don’t have shit to handle for the next two weeks, I made sure of that.” He stated, stepping out of the rear passenger door of his truck. I was hoping to drop the news on my mom and skate before he got home, but that didn’t go according to plan because my mom kept asking me to do this and that.
“I just can’t,” I shrugged.
“Oh yeah, let me ask you something. I was told that some pregnant girl has been in and out of your spot.”
My eyes instantly left him and found the dark night sky in the distance.
POW!
One of his fists collided with my jaw, and I stumbled back because I didn’t see it coming and wasn’t prepared.
“You a stupid motha fucka,” my dad mumbled, shoving me into the truck. “Speak motha fucka!” He demanded, slipping into the truck and placing his gun to the side of my head. “Now if yo mama saw that shit she gone be on my ass all night so you better get to talking, quick!”
“What you wanna know?” I stammered. Although I didn’t think my dad would kill me, when he clicked out, he was unpredictable.
“You wanna play stupid?” He inquired, nudging my head with the gun.
“The girl is pregnant by me,” I confessed.
“She ain’t having that fucking baby. Jack, take us to his crib,” he demanded, lowering his gun.
My dad shook his head, staring out the tinted window of the Suburban as his driver maneuvered through traffic. Frustrated, my dad yanked his tie loose and ripped the cufflinks from his sleeves, the sharp clink of metal ricocheting off the window and smacking me in the eye. I hissed in pain, wondering if he gave a damn that he almost blinded me.
“It’s Friday, we are supposed to be leaving the country for vacation tomorrow, and you fuckin’ up the plans because you don’t know how to wrap yo dick up! You know the rules of this life. A baby means that one of your dumb ass cousins would be next in line. Over my dead fucking body, or rather, your unborn’s dead body,” he spat.
My jaw clenched since I couldn’t knock his fucking head off. I could still taste blood from the blow he landed earlier. I reached up and felt my lip for blood, confirming that he busted my shit. The car fell silent until we pulled into the garage of my building. At that time I was living in a condo downtown, and Lavita practically lived with me. I would’ve called Lavita and warnedher to run far the fuck away from here, but my dad took my phone as soon as I informed him of the situation.
Mindlessly trailing my dad through my building until we arrived at my door, I finally gathered the nerve to say something since my father didn’t have the key to my door.
“I’m not doing that,” I shrugged, pulling my hands out of my pocket, preparing to defend myself if it came to it.
“You not doing what? Because we definitely about to get this lil bitch you barely know an abortion,”
“She not just some bitch I was fucking. I… I… love her. That’s why I waited so long to tell you about her and the baby. She’s too far along to even have an abortion. Maybe it’s best if Jamell or Jerrod take over, they are family. Why is it so important that I…” I paused because the door swung open, and my eyes darted to Lavita.
“Oh my God, Quinten, are you okay?” Lavita darted over to me, grabbing my battered face.
“I’m good, bae. Go ‘head home and I’mma get up with you later,” I tried to brush her off.
“Hell naw,” my dad refuted, pulling Lavita back into the condo.
“Dad, get off of her!” I commanded.
When he turned to face me, I knew he was gone, and I was dealing with that other side. His hand wrapped around my neck and he pushed me up against the wall, pulling Lavita with him.
“Now whatever the fuck yo name is. We are about to figure out if you can get an abortion here or if you need to go somewhere else. How far along are you?” He pried, eyeing her belly. Lavita was already twenty weeks pregnant and unable to conceal that. Especially since she only had on her Nike bra and biker shorts, probably about to go meet her friends at the gym since they loved coming over here to work out.
“Da…” My dad tightened his grip on my neck, silencing my words before I could get them out and leaving me struggling for air.
That slight distraction gave Lavita the opportunity to kick my dad in the nuts.
