Another Hood Love (16 page)

Laela

Prom was amazing, I couldn’t have asked for a more special moment. I had spent the night dancing with my sister, Lexis, Tone, and Jah. I had taken so many pictures with my phone that I knew I probably wouldn’t have much memory left on my SD card, but it was worth every picture. We were all dealing with Sage’s death, and this night of happiness would all be gone tomorrow when we were back to business. We had a plan to get at the Richmond niggas behind Sage’s death, and we would need to be on point to get the job done with no issues.

Once prom was over, we had heard there was an party at the house of one of the football players; we all knew Jimmy, so we decided to slide through for a little while. We were lit, and not ready to turn it in yet; it was only just now midnight, so we decided to hit the party and then get something to eat afterwards. Lexis had told us that she was going to drop off her date and then go snatch up Greg and B, and would meet us at the party. That was cool, because we still had to stop and get some gas and swishers, so we wouldn’t be there long before they got there.

We pulled up into the gas station and ran right into a sideshow; there were cars everywhere and people outside of the cars, hanging out the doors, windows, and even sunroofs of their cars. You could hear a bunch of different music in the air, and the smell of burnt rubber was strong. It had been a minute since I had seen a sideshow this thick in the town. I remember back when Jaeda and I were little and living in the East with our parents; we would sneak to stare out the windows and watch the cars fly by, and do donuts during the sideshows. Mommy used to be pissed when she caught us looking, because she said that bullets didn’t have no names, and she wasn’t trying to lose no kids because we were hardheaded.

We were hype and it was so many people in the streets; the cars were flying up and down the streets, and the voices were loud and joyous. We all hopped out as we smoked and watched the cars up and down the street; there were some police cars in the mix as well, but for the most part they weren’t really doing too much besides regulating the crowd. We passed a blunt back and forth as Tone pumped the gas, and Jah went and grabbed some swishers and Red Bulls.

“I love you sister, no matter what we do and where we are, just remember that I will always protect you and love you and my niece or nephew,” I said as I kissed Jaeda on the cheek and hugged her tight; she snapped her head in my direction.

“Bitch what? Niece or nephew?” she said, damn near screaming with her drunk ass. Jaeda may have not known why she had been sick lately, but I knew enough to know that she was pregnant – the headaches and vomiting, and she had been extra tired and hella snappy lately. I was excited, even though this wasn’t what she probably wanted just yet, but I couldn’t wait to be able to spoil my little niece or nephew. I would prefer a nephew, but either was cool with me.

I looked at Jaeda, and she had a shocked look on her face.

“When was your last period, Jaeda? We have gone three months and you haven’t asked for one tampon,” I said with a grin on my face.

“Fuck! What am I going to do, and how the fuck am I going to tell Tone,” Jaeda said with worry written all over her face.

“Tell me what, hell y’all over here whispering about?” Tone and Jah walked up at the same time. I grabbed Jah’s arm and pulled him to the truck. We hopped in, and I tongued him down like my life depended on it. I was faded and just wanted to feel my nigga. I grabbed at his dick and squeezed it slightly as he bit my lip and reached up under my dress. I was plotting on how I could get in a quickie before we went to the party, but all that was short lived once Jaeda and Tone opened the doors and climbed into the front seats. The sideshow had moved from where we were, but it wasn’t far because we could still hear tires screeching nearby.

We hopped on the freeway, and I got an uneasy feeling. I began to look behind us and to the side of us. I didn’t see anything, so I relaxed and grabbed Jah’s hand.

“I love you bae,” he leaned over and said, “thank you for giving me another chance.” I smiled.

“I love you too baby.”

Jah and I had a bond that had been stronger than ever since we had gotten back together, and it was unbreakable; we were young, black, and paid, and there wasn’t shit that could stop us.

“Man cut that mushy shit out!” Jaeda yelled at us; I laughed.

“Girl, how about you stop drinking with my nephew in your stomach, worry about that,” I said, sucking my teeth sarcastically. Jah looked at me and smiled.

“Aw shit bruh, you about to be a daddy, congrats my nigga,” Jah said, clearly just as excited as I was.

All that my sister and I had been through after our father had killed him and our mother, and nearly killed Jaeda and I, and we were weeks away from being high school graduates. We had a hell of a trophy to show for the work we had put in after being forced into the drug game; we were all practically at the million-dollar mark individually, and we had the most loyal circle of friends anybody could ask for. We had taken some losses, but for the most part we were pretty well off.

Just as I reached for the weed out of Tone’s hand, our vehicle was slammed from behind and the sound of gunshots erupted around us. Jah pushed me down to the floor, and I could hear him firing back. Tone was whipping the car in and out of lanes as Jah was still shooting out of the window; after a couple of moments, the bullets had stopped flying and the car was quiet. I tried to lift up, but Jah’s body was on top of me and I couldn’t get him to move. I began to panic.

“Baby! Jahlil!” I called his name, but he didn’t move or answer me,

“Lae, you good?” I heard Tone ask me.

“I’m fine, but something is wrong with my babe, Tone.” I was finally able to roll him off me, and I could tell he was struggling to breathe, then I looked down and saw blood staining the collar of his shirt. Jaeda turned around and looked at us both, and began screaming for Tone to get us to the hospital. I could hear each of our phones ringing, but at the moment my only concern was Jah.

Tone was flying down the freeway pushing at least 100 mph, when I noticed red and blue lights get behind us.

“Fuck! I ain’t stopping til we get to the hospital!” Tone yelled. I looked at Jah, and tried to apply pressure to the bullet wound in his neck as the car whipped back in forth in and out of lanes. We were less than ten minutes away from the hospital, and I was crying and talking to Jah the whole time I couldn’t lose my baby, not now; we were too young for this.

Just when I could see the hospital sign ahead, we were flying through the light when we were hit by a car speeding through the intersection. My body was jerked to the other side of the car, and everything seemed to stand still. I thought about my sister and the baby that she was carrying. I thought about Tone and the rest of the Squad. Sage entered my thoughts; even my parents had crossed my mind, but the last face I saw was Jah. His light bright skin and deep brown eyes just stared at me deeply, and I just wanted to reach out and touch him but before I could raise my arm to reach for him, everything faded to black. I prayed to God to have his will, and that I had shown and proven my love and loyalty to my loved ones.

Jaeda

My truck had been slammed for the second time, and the impact of the blow had tossed each of us around. I opened my eyes and everything was discombobulated for a moment; once my eyes and brain had adjusted, I could see red and blue lights all around me. Tone was laid across me, but I couldn’t move at all; my legs felt heavy, and I couldn’t force either of them to move an inch. I called out for Laela, but it barely came out a whisper. I kept trying as each time my voice got louder.

“Laela! Tone, baby! Fuck Jah!” I was beginning to panic, because they were all unresponsive; this couldn’t be life, and I was getting angry. My first thought was to pray, but it seemed as if it was too late for all of that. I prayed every day and night for the people that I loved, but now look at the situation we were in.

I thought about the baby in my stomach, and I hoped that no harm had been brought to my child. Before tonight, it never even crossed my mind that I could be pregnant, but now that I knew that I was it seemed to take precedent above everything else; I began to get angry. I could hear voices around me, but they seemed to not be doing anything.

“Help us! Please, help us, my boyfriend, my brother and sister need help!” I yelled as loud as I could. “Please save us, save my baby!” I cried; as I cried uncontrollably, I began to cuss my father.

“I hate you daddy! I hate you Dupree fucking Johnson!” I cried so hard, because I felt like I had been living in a life geared for disaster since the day he had drove our car into that lake.

I was crying and trying my hardest to force my limbs to move, but nothing happened. I could hear the voices around me getting closer, but I felt as if I couldn’t make out what they were saying; my mind was getting foggy, and I felt as if everything was spinning around me. I turned my head and kissed the back of Tone’s head that was laying a couple of inches away from mine. I didn’t need to see his face to know that he was gone. I kissed him over and over again, until I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. The noises around me made me feel as if I was in a warehouse or something, with loud machines and raised voices. I finally let the weights on my eyelids win and I closed my eyes, praying for my soul and forgiveness for the sins of my father and my loved ones. I prayed that there was a spot in heaven for each one of us.

AND FOR YOUR SURPRISE….

HERE IS AN EXTENDED SAMPLE of

KEISHA & TRIGGA 2: A Gangster Love Story by Leo Sullivan & Porscha Sterling

An Exclusive Excerpt Of

Keisha & Trigga 2

A Gangster Love Story

LEO SULLIVAN

PORSCHA STERLING

Keisha sat staring at the space Trigga had been before he disappeared behind the doors of the elevator. There was an eerie silence that hung in the air. Then suddenly, it was like an explosion went off in her head as a million thoughts erupted in her mind. But one thought was loudest of them all.

BITCH, RUN!

Unwilling to waste anymore time, Keisha bolted over to where she’d left her purse on the glass dining room table and snatched it up quickly. She checked inside to make sure that she had her cellphone and then charged towards the elevator. Although it was only about a thirty second wait until it came up, it felt like an eternity. As soon as the doors opened, she jumped inside and mashed the button to the lobby. Then she pounded the button to the second floor. If she went straight to the lobby, she might run into Trigga on his way back up. She would go to the second floor and then take the stairs down. That would also give her time to call Tish for a ride.

Once the elevator doors opened wide enough for her to slide her slender body outside, Keisha ran out with her cellphone in hand as she dialed Tish’s number. Taking turns looking from the phone to her surroundings, she breathed heavily while trying to focus her mind.

“Hello?” Tish said groggily once she answered the phone.

“TISH! I need you to pick me up. I just sent you the address,” Keisha told her. Grabbing the door to enter the staircase, she took one last look behind her before she went in and started stumping down the stairs.

“What the hell you talkin’ about, Keesh? Pick you up…why?”

“Because I don’t trust Trigga right now. I — I don’t know what’s goin’ on and I need time to get my mind right and think this shit through. I’ll explain it to you later. Just get your ass up and come get me!” Keisha hung up the phone before Tish could answer. Now she was at the base of the stairwell and facing the door to the lobby.

Opening it just enough to peek outside, she peered out the door to check for Trigga. He was nowhere to be found. It was late but there was still a lot of activity out of the doors. The restaurant in the hotel was still open and had a person playing live music as a few patrons swayed back and forth at the bar.

Keisha closed the door again and took a deep breath. Before walking out she wanted to do one last thing. She pulled out her phone once more and called Tish.

“I’m on my way,” Tish said as soon as she answered the phone. “I’ll be there in five minutes.”

“Thank you so much,” Keisha responded. “I’ll explain everything to you later.”

“You safe?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Good,” Tish told her. “I’ll text you when I get there.”

Keisha ended the call and took a deep breath. Her brain was still filled with thoughts of Trigga. She didn’t think that he wanted to kill her anymore because if he did, he could have. But he had a lot of shit that came with him. His own twin brother was in on the ambush. He’d almost killed her and even came to the hospital and to Lloyd’s condo to finish the job. All this stuff she was going through was due to her connection to Trigga. He was sexy and they had a connection but he wasn’t worth risking her life for. At the end of the day, she didn’t really know him at all.

Pulling the door open, Keisha scanned the outside once more before stepping out. She walked briskly through the lobby, her eyes searching around frantically with each step. She was so preoccupied with looking for Trigga that she didn’t realize when she ran straight into an older man holding a glass of wine.

“Oh, damn it!” the man exclaimed as he looked at the red wine droplets that spilled on the front of his beige shirt when Keisha collided with his arm.

“I’m so sorry,” Keisha muttered to him as she rushed away towards the door.

The man shot her an angry scowl and opened his mouth to complain once more. Before he could, Keisha took off in a run and darted out the lobby doors, afraid that she would cause more attention to herself if she stayed a second longer.

***

Trigga sat down in a small armchair in the lobby as he tried to get his thoughts together. Too much was happening all at one time and he needed a minute to think it through before he went up to his room to face Keisha again.

Mase was tryin’ to kill me?
he thought to himself.
Why would Mase — my brother… why would my brother try to kill me?

No matter how much he tried to create a reasonable explanation for that, it wouldn’t fit. He and Mase didn’t have the best relationship but they had love, if nothing else. Or so he thought. They’d never been close but that was Mase’s fault. No matter how much Trigga had tried to reach out to him, he would reject it. On top of that, they were polar opposites. Mase wanted to do nothing but party, drink and chase pussy while Trigga was more focused on bigger goals. He worked hard to stack his bread because he didn’t want to be doing this shit all his life. At some point he wanted a wife, kids, a dog…normal shit.

“Young people are so damn disrespectful!” an older man barked in the middle of the lobby, interrupting his thoughts.

Trigga looked up and followed the man’s stare to the hotel lobby doors. When he did, he saw a woman running out the doors. A woman who looked an awful lot like Keisha. Trigga jumped up from his seat by the elevators and took off running towards the door. The older man turned towards him when he heard the heavy sound of his footsteps approaching and Trigga knocked right into him.

“Hey!” the man yelled out. He staggered backwards right into a chair which made his knees buckle. Waving his hands in the air as if he were drowning on the deep end of the pool, he flopped into the seat and then scowled at Trigga as he continued moving.

Trigga didn’t bother to say anything. His focus was on the door where he’d seen Keisha run through. She was trying to leave and he couldn’t let her do that just yet. He had too many questions that he needed answered.

***

“Damn, Tish, please hurry,” Keisha mumbled to herself as she ducked off on the side of the building. She was standing in what looked like an alley under a flickering lamp while she batted gnats away from her face.

The streets were dimly lit by the streetlights but the one that hovered over the area she stood was just barely shining its light and cast a long, dark shadow over her. It was both a blessing and a curse; she could barely be seen from her position in the alley but if someone tried to bother her, she wouldn’t be able to wave for help.

Keisha jumped when her cellphone chimed. It was a text from Tish.

Pulling up now.

OK,
Keisha texted back.
I’m around the corner from the bldg. In the alley.

Keisha waited about two seconds and then she saw Tish’s hunter green Camry pull into the alley. Her heart leaped in her chest and she ran to meet her. Her heel fell into a rocky hole in the asphalt, but she recovered quickly and headed to the passenger side with only a mild twinge of pain radiating through her ankle.

“Keisha! Where the fuck you goin’?”

Keisha froze at the sound of Trigga’s voice. She turned slowly towards where she had heard his voice and focused in on his face. He didn’t look angry at all; only confused. Seeing that she had halted in her escape, he ran over to where she was and stood right in front of her face.

“Where are you goin’?” he asked again with a deep frown on his face. His grey eyes seemed almost black as he glared at her. “You leavin’?”

“I’m goin’ home! I don’t want nothin’ more to do with this bullshit!”

“Bullshit?” Trigga looked at her incredulously. “You just told me that my brother tried to kill you! To kill me! You just told me that and now you tryin’ to run your ass up outta here and you think that shit is okay?”

“Ever since the day I met you, I been pulled up in your shit! I’m tired of it! I don’t want to have to fight for my life or be involved in some shit that don’t have nothin’ to do wit’ me!”

Keisha could feel the hot tears streaming down her face as she spoke. She was tired, frustrated and scared. She wanted to get to know Trigga…she was intrigued by him but they could never be. He was a bad boy and no matter how much that fascinated her about him, she wasn’t cut out for that life any longer. She wanted to go to college and be a normal college student. She wanted to live her life.

“That day at the club wasn’t the first time you met me,” Trigga said to her slowly.

Keisha frowned at him and used her hand to rub the tears from her face. Trigga’s expression changed suddenly and went totally blank. She couldn’t read him. Before she could say anything, he continued.

“The first time I saw you, Keesh, you were high as fuck. You were standin’ between some buildings wearing a fuckin’ pair of mismatched shoes, lookin’ like a damn junkie. I don’t know if you had got hold to some really good shit or some really bad shit, but either way your ass was gone. I tried to help you and you kicked the shit out of me until you passed out. I looked in your purse and found a keycard and piece of paper with your hotel room number on it, took you back to your room.” Trigga stopped there and watched Keisha’s face as understanding slowly seeped in.

“It was you?” she reached into the top part of her dress and pulled out a small wrinkled up piece of paper from her bra. Unfolding it, she held it up for him to see. “You wrote this note?”

Trigga squinted at it as he tried to decipher the smudged words on the paper. Then he nodded his head slowly.

“Yeah, I left you that. I wanted you to get yourself together.”

“So all this time…
all this time
you’ve been keeping that from me! You knew and didn’t mention it?”

Keisha started to get angry but it was more so from her embarrassment at knowing that Trigga had been the man who’d found her when she was at her all-time worse. He was the one who had pity on her. He was her savior but just thinking of how she must have looked and acted that day mortified her.

“Whoa, hol‘ up…I didn’t know who you were until you started flippin’ out on me again in the room. You don’t look the same as you did that night. Excuse my words, but you looked like shit. Plus, your hair was longer,” he added. “Being clean did some wonders for your ass because I could tell you was cute and all but I had no idea you could turn into all this.” Trigga looked pointedly at her to stress his words.

“Oh…” was all Kiesha could utter. She had no other words to say. This night had revealed so much to her that she felt like her brain would overload on the information. “Well, I still want to go home.”

Trigga looked down and didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he nodded his head. “Okay. You can go.”

Keisha took one last look at him and then opened up the passenger door. Trigga grabbed the handle from her fingers and pulled it open for her as she got inside. Once she was in the car, he closed it firmly behind her and walked away. Keisha watched him through the side door mirror as he trekked back to the hotel. Then, feeling as if someone was staring a hole through the side of her head, she turned towards Tish.

“Bitch, you got some explain’ to do,” Tish muttered as she gazed at Keisha through sleepy eyes. “Y’all muthafuckas done dragged me out the bed then had a lover’s spat in the middle of the damn street. This shit better than the damn movies.”

Keisha shook her head and laid her head against the window as they drove off.