cw: language, kidnapping, guns, gang affiliation
Head Huncho-
The next Monday, Snoh went to work the way she normally would and Kush slept in. He was finishing the semester at home, so he no longer had a reason to wake up early.
When he finally did, it was because someone was banging on the front door.
He groaned softly and wiped his face, flipping his phone over to check the time. It was just after ten in the morning, still earlier than he'd planned on getting up.
The knocking had yet to stop.
"I'm coming," he sighed, rolling out of bed. He picked up his antibiotics and anxiety medicine—since he had that now—and shook the pills into his palm before throwing them back and chugging the half-empty bottle of water beside his bed.
Whoever it was, they were worrisome as hell. They were still knocking.
He lazily swiped his gun off the nightstand, rubbing his eyes with a yawn as he trudged down the hallway towards the front door.
He looked through the blinds and saw A'merie.
"Oh, my — Fuck, bro!" he groaned, throwing the door open. "What?"
"Where is my child?"
He was completely confused, "What?"
"Where's Ryélle? I know you took her," she accused.
He shook his head, trying to process what he was hearing, "You telling me you lost my sister right now?"
"Stop playing with me, Keyonte. She's supposed to be at school and they called to tell me she wasn't when I know I dropped her off this morning. Ryélle, bring your ass out here!" she demanded, forcing her way in.
He rolled his eyes and closed the door as she searched the house. "I don't have her, A'merie," he called.
"Then where the hell is she?!" she demanded, walking back in the living room.
"How the fuck I'm'a know?! You came over here and woke me up out my sleep, accusing me of kidnapping 'cause you don't know how to parent. How the fuck is it my fault, you got rid of another kid?"
Tears welled in her eyes at the thought of someone taking her daughter, "I did not get rid of her."
"You got rid of me, though, right?" he hummed, going back to his room. He grabbed his phone to check his sister's location. She was twenty-four minutes away. "I don't know who house this is, but I'm finna light that bitch up," he muttered, getting himself dressed.
He went back to the living room where A'merie was sitting on the couch, crying with her face buried in her palms.
"Give me your keys."
She sniffled and looked up at him, "Excuse me?"
"Your...keys," he repeated slowly.
"Absolutely not," she scoffed, wiping her face.
"You want me to get Ryélle back or not?" he asked, cocking his gun. "She at somebody house, which mean somebody took her from school. It most likely got something to do with Shawn, so it's either you give me your keys or you drive, but you look a damn mess, so I really ain't tryna be in a car if you the one behind the wheel."
She flipped him off and he did it right back. "Do it again, I'll break it," she threatened.
"You not my damn momma. Threats like that'll get yo' ass beat. Give me the keys so I can go get my fucking sister."
She stood to walk passed him and out the front door. He rolled his eyes as he followed.
She started the car while he connected to CarPlay to put Ryélle's location on the screen. Music played softly in the background, too quietly to be enjoyed. No one spoke apart from Siri to give a new direction.
Kush stared out the window, absentmindedly playing with his fidget cube to keep his anxiety levels under control.
A'merie glanced at it, irritated by the repetitive clicking sound it made every time he pressed one of the buttons. "Do you have to do that?"
"If you don't wanna have to deal with my panic attacks, then yes, A'merie. I have to do this," he returned flatly, never turning away from the window.
"Since when do you have panic attacks? I've never known you to have anxiety," she questioned.
"You ain't never knew me period," he scoffed.
"I know your favorite color is red; and you don't like broccoli; and I know you care about your sister, even if you're still mad at me."
"I ain't liked red for real since I seen my own blood spill, and I started liking broccoli when I was in middle school. You don't know shit about me," he scoffed. "And I'm not mad at you, I hate you. There's a difference."
They didn't saying anything else to each other, she followed the location silently. And when they arrived, Kush got out.
"Stay in the car. As soon as Ryélle out here with you, get the fuck on. Don't wait for me."
"How you go'n get home?" she countered.
He shrugged sending a quick text, "I don't know if I am. I just rolled up on the nigga that want me dead after he took my sister. I'm'a get her out, but I can't promise I'm coming out behind her."
He met her eyes before he headed towards the house, "Tell my momma I love her."
"Keyonte."
He dropped his head with an exhausted sigh then looked over his shoulder at her.
"Be careful," she said genuinely.
"Oh, you care? Thanks, A'merie," he smiled sarcastically. He shook his head to himself and continued towards the house, "Pro'ly hoping I'm'a die."
He banged on the door impatiently, being met by Munchie's boyfriend when it opened.
Pittie smirked with an amused scoffed, "Well, I'll be damned. Pops, he here!" He walked away from the door, Kush following and closing it behind them.
...— ༄
Jugg was lying with his back to Muchie's chest, completely at ease in her arms that surrounded his shoulders, when his phone chimed.
He checked it then shrugged her off as he sat up, "I'm'a be back."
She pouted and paused the movie, "Where you going?"
He was going to help Kush, but he couldn't tell her that since the boy had asked him not to let her be involved.
"I gotta handle some business right quick," he answered vaguely.
She stood with him and reached for a hug. He returned it and they embraced each other tightly.
"Be careful, Jaeden," she said softly.
He nodded, "I got you."
Once outside, he called Ray to let him know what was happening and sent Kush's location. In the next minute, Ray had called Huncho, and apparently word spread like wildfire because by the time Jugg made it, there was already a crowd of cars.
Inside the house, Kush had just been led to the room where Ryélle was being held. She was bruised, a little dirty, and shaking in terror. She couldn't even stand to run to him the way she usually would.
She couldn't do anything more than bawl her eyes out the moment they met his.
He approached her calmly, reaching to wipe her tears. He shushed her as he pulled her into his arms, "I'm'a get you out'a this, I promise. Your momma already waiting for you outside," he muttered just loud enough for her to hear.
Her arms tightened around him, sobs still racking through her body. He scooped her up and turned to carry her out.
Pittie blocked his exit, "Where you going, Kush? You just got here."
"Y'all can keep me here, I don't give a fuck. Walk me out and bring me back if you got to, but she going home. This ain't got shit to do with her. She ain't even my pop's kid."
He smacked his lips, "You think I believe that? That's your sister ain't it? So she Kentrell kid."
"How when he was dead years before her momma ever got pregnant with her? Stupid ass nigga," Kush scoffed, forcing his way through and heading straight for the front door.
"It ain't smart having your back to me," Jamal warned.
"If you was go'n do something you would've already did it, instead of all that talking."
"He right," Shawn interjected. He pulled his gun on Kush only to have a barrel staring right back at him.
"Son of a bitch," Kush growled, setting his sister on her feet as he faced the man. "Go to your momma, Ry," he demanded.
"What about you?" she instantly whined.
"I'll call you when I get back home."
"You ain't going home, son. Might as well say your 'goodbyes' now," Shawn assured.
The front door opened again and Shawn looked as if he'd just shitted himself. Huncho placed a simple hand on Kush's shoulder then lifted Ryélle into his arms.
"Watch yourself, Boss. You fucking with my family. And taking my niece? I promise, I'll put holes in yo' ass over her," he threatened, though his tone was calm and his hand gentle as it rubbed up and down Ryélle's back to soothe her. "C'mon, Kush."
The boy hesitated for a moment before turning to follow.
"You go'n let that nigga come in here and punk you like that?" Pittie demanded his father.
"Leave it alone, son," he sighed.
"Nigga, what? You sound pussy as fuck right now. Thought you was supposed to be the nigga that ran shit."
Huncho stopped to laugh and turned around, "You even told your son you was me? Do anybody under you know who they actually work for?"
Marshawn was silent in agitation.
"Yo' pops don't run shit, kid. Don't nobody call him 'boss' but y'all dumb asses listening to him."
"And who the fuck you s'posed to be nigga? Walking in my shit like you run shit or some'n."
"Huncho — I do run shit. Watch your mouth 'fore I buy yo' li'l ass house and turn it into another garage. I'm running out of space again." He flashed a sly smirk over his shoulder at Marshawn as his subordinates filed in, "Aight, boss."
"How the fuck you got here that fast?" Kush asked quietly as they walked out.
"I just picked SoJay up from her momma in Portland. You lucky I was close."
"My girl here?" he confirmed.
Ryélle hated that. She hated Sojourner—or, at least, she tried her hardest to. She always hated the girls she saw her big brother with, and SoJay would be no different as soon as Ry found something she didn't like about her. Something outside of the fact that she was close to Kush—that wasn't good enough.
"In the car," Huncho nodded.
Sure enough, Sojourner was sitting in the passenger seat of her daddy's truck, absentmindedly scrolling on her phone—but considering how dark his absolutely illegal tints were, there was no way to know for sure from the outside looking in.
Huncho put Ryélle in the backseat of Amerie's car as the woman thanked him sincerely.
"Kush, I wanna ride with you! Please?" his sister whined.
He sighed and looked at A'merie, "You feel like waiting a minute?"
"Hurry up," she returned coldly.
He only smacked his lips before walking over to Huncho's truck. He opened the passenger side door and a smile lit up Sojourner's face the moment their eyes met.
"Baby!" she giggled, excitedly throwing her arms around him.
"Hey, beautiful," he returned, squeezing her in the hug. They shared a few soft kisses before he retracted. "I'm finna get up out'a here, I just wanted to come see you right quick."
She pouted, "Call me later?"
He nodded, guiding her back into his arms, "I got you."
Her grip around him tightened and his did the same in response. "Be safe, boo," she mumbled.
He pressed a long kiss to her head, "You, too, ma." He let go to stroke her face, briefly taking in her adorable features. "Let me know when y'all make it back."
She only nodded, missing his touch when he walked away. He said his goodbyes to Huncho as they passed each other to get in their designated vehicles.
Kush texted Jugg his gratitude before letting out a heavy exhale as he tried to relax in his seat.
A'merie glanced at him as she drove, "You alright over there?"
He nodded, his eyes closed as he practiced deep breathing. Ryélle's hand landed on his shoulder. He took and squeezed it, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles before turning to look back at her.
"You okay?" he asked.
She shook her head silently with a heavy pout as A'merie stopped at a red light. Kush got out to move to the backseat, pulling his sister into his arms to comfort her.
"They hit you?" he asked, looking at the large bruise on her leg, the scrapes on her forehead and knee.
She nodded, "He threw a football at my back, and then I fell and rolled down the hill."
That could've been funny if it wasn't a kidnapping situation, especially since her kidnappers were the same people that wanted him in a graveyard.
Kush was still fighting a laugh, though.
"It's not funny!" she insisted.
"I'm not laughing," he returned, unable to contain the smile stretching his cheeks. He covered his mouth and turned away to snicker softly, laughing aloud when his sister hit him.
"You got me kidnapped, stupid!"
He squeezed her tightly in his arms, "I ain't go'n let that shit happen again. Even if I gotta sit in your classes with you for the rest of the year."
"Can you?!"
A'merie stepped in, "No, he can't. He has school, too. It's your senior year, Keyonte. You should be focused on your own classes."
"You not my momma," he reminded.
"I don't have to be your momma to be worried about your grades. Either way, I'm somebody's momma."
"But you not mine, so worry about your own damn kid. If you did, I wouldn't've had to come get her."
"His name is Kush, momma," Ryélle added.
"I named him Keyonte."
"And my pops named me Kush, but he died and you left. The fuck I look like keeping the name you gave me when you ain't even keep me? At least, my pops wanted to be here with me."
She shook her head, "That's not fair."
"How it's not fair? You left."
"The postpartum depression I had after you lasted a full year and almost made me attempt suicide. And barely two years after that, I lost my husband. I left to better myself."
He scoffed, "Right. Cause abandoning a seven year old and starting a whole new family without him is for the better. Nice to know you ain't want me from the jump, though, I guess."
"That's not what I said."
"You did, though. You just said you wanted to kill yourself after you had me. I'd say you should've if it didn't mean I'd lose my sister, too."
"And your brother," Ryélle mumbled.
He furrowed his brows and glanced at his sister before turning back to A'merie. "Damn, I ain't get invited to that baby shower either? How old he is?"
"None of your concern."
"He's not here yet," Ryélle answered for her.
"I wish you would stop telling my business," she bit.
"I wish you would stop being mean to my big brother, who's also your firstborn child," her daughter muttered under her breath.
She pulled into Snoh's driveway and parked before turning around to look at the two of them, "Excuse me?"
"I'm not telling your business. I'm telling my big brother about our little brother on the way, since you won't," Ryélle replied, sinking into Kush's side.
She was terrified of speaking to A'merie like that, but if ever there was a time to talk recklessly, it was when her big brother was there to back her up.
He kissed her head before turning to A'merie again. "I ain't gone crash your baby shower since I know you don't want me there. You don't want your friends to know you got a grown ass son you ain't raise, and I get that. I just wanna see my brother when he get here. That's all I'm asking."
She didn't want that. She didn't want him anywhere near her child. In her eyes, he was a danger to her family, especially considering the shit that'd just happened with Ryélle. But still, she nodded silently.
He hugged his sister tightly and pressed a long kiss to her head. "I love you so much, babygirl," he mumbled, still holding her close.
She nodded, squeezing just as tightly, "I love you, too."
He exhaled and reluctantly pushed her away to get out the car. "Y'all go 'head. It ain't safe over here." He looked at A'merie seriously, "Don't say shit to nobody on this side about him. Don't post about him either."
"You don't get to tell me what I can and can't do with my son."
"I was your son first, A'merie. And I had a price on my head before I was born. If you don't wanna go through that again, you'll keep your damn mouth shut."
She got out the car and pushed him away from the door to throw it closed so Ryélle wouldn't hear their conversation anymore.
"Who the fuck do you think you are disrespecting me in front of my daughter like that? You don't get to talk to me no any kind of way. You don't have to like me, but you go'n fucking respect me," she demanded.
He shook his head, his expression cold and blank, "You abandoned me. I'll never respect you." He calmly placed a hand on her stomach and she froze at the gentle touch, her mind telling her to slap his hand away, but she couldn't bring herself to.
"Keep him safe, A'merie. I don't know how long it's go'n take to end this shit, or if I'm'a even be around to see the end of it. Shawn already know about my sister, I don't want him looking for my brother, too," he said softly.
That almost brought tears to her eyes, and something in her didn't want him to go when she felt the warmth of his hand leave her stomach.
"Keyonte," she called behind him.
"Huh?" he returned, not bothering to turn around as he unlocked the front door.
"I'm sorry I left you behind... I thought you'd be better off without me since I knew I wasn't in the right headspace to care for you."
He scoffed and looked back at her. The last thing he wanted to hear from her was a sorry ass apology. If he wasn't already heated, he was damn close to it.
"You in the right headspace for two kids now, though, right? If you wanted me you would've came back and got me instead of having Ryélle. You left me and started over completely. But I told you earlier, I'm not mad at you. I got a momma that loves and supports me unconditionally, so why should I give a fuck about the one that didn't? I swear to God, if it didn't mean losing my brother and my sister being traumatized..."
He shook his head and walked inside the house, "Just get out my yard, bruh."
He was about to close the door but his conscience wouldn't let him, especially considering he had two younger siblings to worry about now.
He sighed in annoyance and turned around, "I can't close the door 'til I know y'all got outta here safe."
"Keyonte-"
"Stop. That shit don't mean talk to me. Leave, so I can close my damn door. You making me let flies in."
She sighed softly with her eyes closed to avoid crying, then finally, went to get back in the car. Once they'd safely pulled out, he closed and locked the front door, then returned to his bed.
Ryélle sat quietly in the backseat as her mother drove home. She was that way for a while before finally speaking.
"Why didn't you tell him?" she asked softly.
A'merie was silent for a moment before responding. "Because he's been getting targeted since I got pregnant with him. Everyone around him is in danger because of who his father is."
"You can't blame him for something he had no control over, especially when you're the one that chose his dad," she replied, speaking the last part under her breath.
"So now you're disrespecting me, too?" her momma scoffed. "I knew he'd be a bad influence on you."
"He's not a bad influence. He's not a bad person, momma."
"Ryélle," she sighed.
"You don't know him like I do. You don't even try to get to know him."
"He doesn't want me to know him."
"Because you left him and you acted like he doesn't exist every time you saw him. If he's mean to you, you made him that way," she defended.
"I'm the bad guy in your life, too, now?"
"I just want you to be nicer to my big brother," she mumbled.
"Your big brother told me he hates me today, Ryélle."
"You hated him first."
A'merie pulled into their front yard and parked, "I didn't hate him."
"You left him."
"You don't know anything about that situation."
"I know you abandoned my big brother. I know you told him he was the reason his dad died. I know you neglected him—"
The woman was becoming fed up with the conversation. "My God, Ryélle! Okay! I'm a bad mom, is that what you wanna hear?! Would you rather stay with him instead?! You really think your brother would take better care of you when he can barely care for himself?!"
"Of course, you wanna leave me, just like you left Kush. Bring Cyari when you get sick of him, too. We actually would take care of each other," she scoffed quietly, getting out of the car to go in the house.
She went straight to her room and started packing as quickly as she could. She checked the time when she finished—it was right after when Snoh usually got off work.
She quickly grabbed her phone to call. The line rang a few times before her auntie picked up.
Hello?
"Can you come get me, please?"
It's a school night, baby. You asked your momma first?
"She just asked if I'd rather stay with y'all."
What?
"Please, come get me. I hate it here," she begged.
I'll come, but I don't know if that was a genuine question, baby. She might not let me take you.
"I'll be on the front porch," she replied then hung up.
Snoh sighed heavily, looking at the phone in disbelief. "Okay... Guess I'm going to get Ryélle," she muttered to herself.
She switched lanes to change directions, and after a few moments, pulled into A'merie's yard.
Ryélle gathered as much of her things as she could, Snoh coming to take the rest.
A'merie stepped outside. "So you're leaving?" she asked Ryélle flatly.
The girl nodded.
Her mother did the same and folded her arms, "You think you grown now?"
"No?" Ryélle questioned.
"Must be since you moving out of my house," she shrugged.
"I wanna be with my brother."
"Being with him will get you killed, Ryélle."
"Living here makes me wanna die anyway," she muttered, leaving the porch to get in the car.
Snoh sighed as she approached the door, "The hell going on? Why the fuck is Ryélle try'n'a stay with me?"
"Cause apparently I'm not a good mother and I can't seem to keep any of my kids," A'merie scoffed, slamming the door in her face.
Snoh stood in disbelief for a second. "Rude ass bitch. How you mad at me 'cause your kids don't like you?" she muttered, turning to go back to her car.
Ryélle was pouting when she got in. She leaned over to kiss the girl's head, then squeezed her cheeks affectionately. Ryélle gave a soft smile then turned to watch the landscape as Snoh drove them home.
The moment they were inside, Ryélle went straight to her brother's room. She knocked and waited patiently to be called inside.
But he was expecting Snoh, not Ryélle. The moment his door opened to reveal his sister, he pushed the naked girl off his chest and rolled over to cover her. "Shit, give me a minute, baby. I ain't know that was you."
Ry was disgusted to say the least—not with her brother. Just the fact that there was a naked girl in his bed with him and said girl was currently wasting precious time she could've been spending with him instead.
"Okay," she mumbled, closing the door and going to the guest room instead.
Kush sighed softly and wiped his face, "I ain't even know she was coming over here." He checked the time and was even more confused considering how late it was and that she had school the next day.
He looked over at Chloe as she rubbed across his chest. He took her hand, pulling her closer to place a soft kiss on her forehead. "Hit me up. We can link again soon," he spoke.
"Mmh, you say that, but then I'm not gonna see you again for weeks," she returned.
"If you wanted to see me you could've said that. You be the one waiting forever to finally text me."
"Well, you could text me, too," she defended.
"Chloe, you said you just wanted sex and ain't want me hitting you up out the blue 'cause your nigga would trip."
She shrugged, "I'm not with him anymore." She looked up to meet his eyes, "So you can text me."
"You say that every couple weeks then y'all get right back together. I'm staring to think you be causing problems to break up with your mans so you can come see me," he chuckled.
"So what if I am?"
"That's toxic."
"So is cheating on all fifteen of your girlfriends, but I don't say anything to you about that do I?" she teased.
He laughed, "First of all, I'm single."
If Sojourner would've heard that, she'd have beat the shit out of him. And as if she did, she called right after he said it.
He stupidly ignored her call and silenced his phone, "Ain't nobody got me tied down. I'm not the type of nigga to get in a relationship, you know that."
"Yep. That's your only flaw," she sighed, getting up to put her clothes back on. "I'll text you."
He did the same then walked her out before going to see his sister, deciding Sojourner could wait a little longer. After that, he got on the game, still having yet to call her back.
He fell asleep before realizing it, and when he woke up again and finally checked his phone, he had twelve missed calls and multiple angry text messages from SoJay, the last one ending in 'fuck it, do you.'
"Shit," he muttered, finally returning her call, despite the time.
Obviously, she didn't answer, but that didn't mean she was asleep. Sojourner was wide awake, and currently under someone else to take her mind off Kush.
Rolling...-༄