“Don’t ever insult me. I have enough money to buy you, this house, and all the hoes in here. I would love to see you bent over getting fucked like the bitch you are… I’d probably make a pretty penny off that virgin booty hole of yours… What you think?” she laughed.
I looked at the other women that stood around the sitting area with bewildered looks on their faces from Rellianah’s verbal assault on Money.
“I’m only here to show my best friend that some hoes just don’t want to be saved.” She looked at me and gave me a serious look.
“Some people like their situations, no matter how fucked up they’re treated. They would rather stay, even if they have a way out and a supporting family… see how we here now Layloni?” Her voice dropped in disappointment. “I was here with two million dollars to buy my cousin Curly from this lame ass nigga almost a decade ago. Believe me, if I wanted to, I could have killed him off the rip. Instead, I brought the money to prove to her the extent I was willing to go just to love on her and stand by her side no matter what. I would come at least once a year for five years straight with the same offer and she always refused and made me look like a fucking fool. Curly was raped and beaten by the hands of her own father. When my dad found out about it, he flew back to Jamaica and killed his brother, tortured him in their village and killed anybody that knew of what happened to her. We got her counseling, she even dated… when she fell for this nigga, I knew he was trouble from the jump.” She spat out bitterly.
“I love Curly, though. I don’t make her hoe, none of that! I want her to love a nigga!” Money’s voice boomed as frustration and anger laced his every word.
“You love that pussy; you became selfish and jealous over the years. So, now you want it to yourself. A woman like Curly could never love if she doesn’t try to love her fucking self for a change… that’s the only reason why a woman would let a another nigga sell her body. That bitch got addicted to the lifestyle along with the drugs she coats her nostrils with. She accepted who the fuck she is and what she thinks she could never be.” Rellianah blinked back her emotions.
Curly cleared her throat; the look in her eyes showed that what Rellianah said had gotten to her. She couldn’t look us inthe eyes, so she kept her eyes trained on Shadonna. One look at Shadonna and my heart broke for her. She was on all fours like a dog, with a collar around her neck. Curly held the leash, and had it wrapped around her hands as she made a gesture that caused Shadonna to sit up on her haunches like a well-trained dog. She looked up at me, and I tried to smile to give her reassurance that I was here to save her from this sick shit.
“Shadonna, I’ve come to get you, girl.” I rushed out. “I thought you were going to focus on your kids and getting better? You know this life ain’t good for you… your kids gone grow up and feel like this shit is cool. You want your daughters to be like this?” I frowned.
I could no longer hold back my emotions. This girl used to be like a sister to me. We both grew up together and watched our parents do drugs and not love us. I wanted so much more for her. I didn’t stand before her and think about her betrayal or how bad she hurt me. Hell, hurt people hurt people and I would try my hardest to help her the best I could.
“Let her the fuck up bitch! She ain’t no animal! What the fuck is up with you!” I grilled Curly.
Curly chuckled and let the chain drop and nodded her head to Shadonna. Finally, Shadonna stood to her feet with my help still choosing silence. I noticed she got her body done, she looked good. Her light skin complexion was blemish-free. She actually looked good, besides the busted lip and purple ring around her eye.
“Layloni, I’m here because I want to be. I love this life.” She casted her eyes down to the floor before continuing. “Daddy and Mommy get me everything I want and need. Don’t come back here for me. This is my life and I’m going to live it how the hell I want… you always judging me! Since kids you always judged me. You will never forgive me for fucking and sucking on Glen and having kids by him when he originally was supposed to bemy man first! You always on some fake high and mighty bullshit. Always acting like an innocent bitch! Can you please leave, I’m trying to prove myself to Money and Curly.” She spat.
Every word she spoke was with venom; she had a lot of anger in her. I realized I wouldn’t be able to fix her. It saddened me, but I had to move on and keep trying later down the line.
“Shadonna, I have the money to buy you out of whatever dumb contract you’re in. I’m pretty sure the fucking contract is not even real. It’s not legal to be a fucking pimp!” I gritted the words out, glancing back at Money. “You don’t need to be here… you can have your job back and, if you want something better, I can help you with that! You just got your independence back… your own place and car. Why give that up for this!” I tried pleading with her one more time.
Rellianah turned her back and walked towards the door with her bodyguards in tow. The whole scene was pathetic as hell; I felt like I was talking to a brick wall. The determination was heavy in Shadonna’s eyes and something in me knew she wasn’t going to walk out that door with me.
“Layloni, you’re wasting your time… I thank you for showing me you care. This is my life like I said and, I love it here. I can give you my number and you can call and check on me whenever you want but, on my kids, I’m not leaving here. I love this man, and Curly is showing me how to be a bad bitch like her.” She uttered out pathetically.
Shadonna stepped back to the side of Curly. Curly lifted her hand and offered the back of it to Shadonna. I held my breath watching Shadonna kiss the back of Curly’s hand twice before dropping back down to her knees.
“Good fuckin’ bitch.” Curly smirked satisfied.
I moved my lips to speak but decided against it. I offered Shadonna one last look before I turned around and walked outwith no intentions to ever return again. This was the choice Shadonna made and, if she liked it, I loved it.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
King
“So… how you propose to Rellianah?” I asked Cream, taking the blunt from his fingers.
Today was our baby shower and gender reveal. So far everything had been going smooth. Now time narrowed down for me to pop the million-dollar question. Just thinking about it had my stomach tied in knots.
These last few months with her had been the best time of my life, no exaggeration. I stayed mad at myself for not claiming her sooner. All the stupid games we played in the beginning could’ve cost us everything. We damn near missed out on a real love that most people spent their whole lives searching for.
I was in love with Layloni. Not just surface-level love either, this shit was deep, bone-deep type of love. The kind that made a nigga change how he moved, thought, and breathed.
Everything about her did it for me. The way she talked, the way she walked, the way she looked at me like I was worth something more than what the world had made me out to be. Her beauty was just a bonus. It was her ambition, her heart, her strength that kept me hooked.
She matched my fly without even trying. Matched my grind too. Working alongside Layloni made me see how much passionshe poured into business. My baby had been through hell. I just wanted to give her heaven on earth for as long as I lived.
On so many nights she put me before herself without even thinking about it. I’d come home exhausted from grinding all day and night, and she’d already have dinner cooked, along with my shower running. She’d sit me down, rub my shoulders, ask about my day until I actually talked, something I never did before her.
She had a tight bond with my mom, the two of them adored each other. Watching them laugh together healed something in me I didn’t even know was broken.
We both got closure too… her mom’s murder, my dad’s death. Pain, we thought would swallow us forever somehow started loosening its grip. I couldn’t imagine life without her.
