"Her daddy always taught her about the Bible and God but he never prepared her to meet the devil, also known as Josiah Lavonte Payne."
Trials, tribulations, betrayal and death are rooted in Bailey and Josiah's relationship. Will they overcome the ma...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"You sure you feel good enough to do this?" Giovanni asks his brother, turning to look at him then back at the road.
"Yeah G, I'm straight." Josiah nods.
"Nah, sum up with you. You been acting depressed all day...You and Bailey aite? If not, I'd be happy to step in and introduce her to real."
"Fuck you and her too. Ian never gave a damn about you fucking one of my hoes but she ain't no hoe. She off limits so stay away from her." He says, grabbing his brother's shirt collar.
"Aye aye aye, let me go nigga! I was just fucking with you... shid you whipped my nigga! That girl got you in love." Gio laughs, his shoulders moving up and down.
"Nah she don't. Now lets go over the plan one mo time so I can make sure I got it."
Giovanni pulls his car onto the street of Nino's house and turns it off, looking around to make sure no one is watching.
"Listen to me good, JoJo cause I done already explained the shit three times. My boys said he's alone at the house so we're about to go in. While I go upstairs to wake his ass up, I need you to stay downstairs and be the lookout. He gone give me the money he owes me, ima ask where Jerrico hid my shit then we gone be on our way. That's it.. I only gave you a glock in case sum shit go wrong. I got mine too so if shit pop off, I'll do the shooting... now are you ready?"
"Aite I got it.. I'm ready." JoJo says, tucking the gun into his waistband and following Giovanni up to the house. "The door locked ain't it? How you gone get in?"
"My boys saw him put the spare under here." Gio says, getting the key from underneath the welcome mat.
Josiah looks around the dark house while his brother goes upstairs. He gets closer to the pictures scattered on top of the cabinet and sees Nino, along with a little girl and a woman. You can tell by the picture that the little girl is his child. She looks exactly like him..same eyes, hair color, and nose.
"Where my fucking money, Nino?" Giovanni yells as he walks Nino down the steps, the gun pointed at his back.
"I-I just told you. I got your 2k in that safe behind the big picture above the fireplace. D-don't shoot."
"Well you need to move over there nice and slow, type the code in and hand me my shit. So Nino where the fuck yo boy Jerrico hide my shit at??"
"I-I don't know what you're talking about Gio." Nino stutters.
Josiah watches as Giovanni slowly walks Nino over to the fireplace, letting him lift the picture up to reveal the safe. As soon as the code is in, Josiah notices the gun sitting next to stacks of money so he pulls out his own gun, pointing it at Nino.
"Watch out G! He got a gun!" Josiah yells but is too late because Nino head butts Giovanni, kicking the gun away from him as he falls onto the ground; rubbing his forehead.
Nino pulls out his own gun and aims it at Giovanni, saying "Gio, I know the kinda man you are. You gone take this money then shoot me but I can't let you do that. I got clean for a reason..I met the love of my life and we had a child. My wife died from cancer so I'm all my lil girl got. I can't let you take me away from her."
"JoJo, shoot his ass!!"
"I-I can't man.. he got a lil girl." Josiah sighs, conflicted about what to do; only making a decision when Nino cocks the gun.
Before he pulls the trigger, Josiah shoots him three times..one to the dome and two to the chest. Nino's blood splatters onto the walls and the pictures as well as all over Josiah's clothes. He helps his brother up and they both freeze when they hear little feet creaking down the stairs.
"D-Daddy.. what was that?... DADDY!!!!!!" The little girl screams to the top of her lungs when she sees Nino's bloody body.
The sound of the little girl's scream makes Josiah sick to his stomach and guilt sweeps over him. He feels terrible but it was either Nino or his brother and he wouldn't dare let Giovanni die in his presence. The little girl's huge, watery brown eyes connect with Josiah's and he looks away, swallowing the lump in his throat; trying to hold back his tears. Once she notices the gun in his hand, she tries to run back upstairs but Giovanni grabs her; sitting her in his lap.
"What's your name sweetie and how old are you?" Gio asks her, smiling softly.
She shakes her head side to side and just stares at her daddy's body.
"Tell me your name or I'll give you the same bullet holes as your daddy." He tells her.
Josiah almost passes out from hearing his brother say those words but he remains strong, at least for now.
"D-Danielle.. I'm 6." She answers in a tone that's almost a whisper.
"Well Danielle, is anyone else here?" Gio asks, rubbing her hair.
"N-no."
"Don't move, Danielle.. Josiah, come over here and lemme holla at you."
Josiah's legs won't allow him to move. He already knows what his brother is about to say. Seeing that he's not coming, Gio walks over to him and says, "you know we can't let her live." Josiah doesn't say a word because he knows his opinion doesn't matter, he just nods his head.
Giovanni walks back over to Danielle and tells her to close her eyes. She does as she's told and he puts a pillow over her face. She squirms underneath him, only stopping when two bullets go through the pillow. Her fighting arms and legs fall to her side, making Josiah gag; not being able to handle his emotions.
"Go to the car, JoJo." Giovanni demands.
Josiah runs to the car as fast as a wounded man can and bends over, throwing up the contents of his stomach. By the time his brother reaches the car, Josiah is wiping his mouth and getting inside.
"Don't worry, I made it look like a robbery. We can divide all this money up. You had my back in there and it doesn't go unnoticed." Giovanni says, throwing the two bags of money into the backseat and speeding off.
"FUCK GIO!!! You just shot a lil girl and I killed her old man. We going to hell man, we going to hell. You think money make up for it? Ima see that lil girl and her pops face in my head for the rest of my life."
His words are 100% true. Killing a person for the first time fucks with your brain. Many people fold under pressure, the nightmares and screams consuming them until they can't take it. It's up to Josiah to decide if he'll forget it and move on or fold and take his own life.
"Josiah, I didn't know that lil girl was gone be there. I swear I didn't.. My boys told me it was just him at the house. They made a mistake. The money won't fix it but it'll make it better... killing somebody fucks you up but you strong just like me, you gone get over it."
Josiah looks out of the window; keeping his eyes open because every time he closes them he sees Nino's dead body and Danielle under that pillow.
"You good?" Giovanni asks as he pulls up to Josiah's car.
"Y-yeah. Gimme my money."
His brother throws him one of the bags and Josiah puts it into his car, getting inside. He speeds down the road, his eyes staring into blank space and the sounds of Danielle's scream rings through his ears.
He knows only one person can take his mind off things so he drives there.
"Bailey!! Open the door.. please!!" He begs, banging on her door.
