"𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐤𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲"
──────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────────
𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟏𝐬𝐭
𝟓:𝟓𝟓 𝐩𝐦
𝐎𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨,𝐅𝐋
"Hey look at the time," Leo said looking up from his phone and at the two other men who were helping set up for the New Year party Orlando was throwing. "Make a quick wish."
"I wish you help," Rocky said as he was setting up the speakers in each corner of the living room.
"Naw, it looks like y'all got it." He did a quick look around the room before placing his attention back on his phone.
"Well, can you at least get off my counter?" Orlando walked into the kitchen with a banister in his hands.
Leo shook his head while keeping his eyes on the phone.
"Don't y'all get tired of throwing parties?" Duke asked as he just walked straight into the house.
Orlando quickly shook his head. "We have enough niggas with smart mouths packed in this house, you might as well leave if you gon start."
Leo and Rocky chuckled as they both looked over at Duke who stopped to look at Orlando.
"You might as well kick his ass out now cause you know he got the smartest mouth out of all of us." Leo chuckled open.
"No Leo yo mouth the biggest and the smartest, I be wondering when you gon shut the fuck up," Duke responded causing Rock and O to laugh.
Leo waved Duke off before going back to his phone. "Yall niggas not talkin bout shit," he mumbled to himself.
"Where everybody else at," Duke asked changing the conversation.
"Them niggas decided to attend the party, not help." Orlando shrugs, not really caring. "But hey it is what it is."
"You here to help?" Rocky asked from across the room
"Naw I'm here for the shit I sent you the other day." He tucked his hands in his pockets as he looked between Orlando and Leo.
"You really could've called for that shit." Leo yawned. "But I think we all know it was Pooh's miserable ass, same with that fake ass text now number."
"Alright, I'm finna go talk to her." He said taking his hands out of his pocket and bringing his phone along.
"Fuck that you just need to beat her ass one good time." Leo said jumping off the counter"Like clearly the ass whoopin from the girls didn't do it."
Orlando turned his head and looked at Leo like he was crazy. "Ion know if you're supposed to say shit like that out loud."
Duke just shook his head. "You say the most bizarre shit."
"I'm for real, if you don't wanna do it, I'll gladly handle her."
"Okay, you do that then." Orlando chuckled before turning back to Duke. "So what YOU finna do bout Anani?"
"Shit Ion know, B on my ass about this but at the end of the day I can't control what that bitch do." Orlando nods his head.
"Imma have to figure something out," He sighed before feeling his phone go off in his pocket.
He Pat himself down before pulling out the iPhone and answering it. "Wassup Ma." He said looking around the room. "I'll catch y'all niggas later."
Waved before taking his conversation outside. "What's your shoe size again?" She questioned as she looked through the different options of gym shoes.
"Where you at." He frowned wording why she needed that information.
"None of your shoes matched my outfit for tonight." She tucked her lips in as she picked up the shoe that's been catching her eye.
"You just bought me some shoes for Christmas, ion need none else." Reaching his car, Duke dug into his pocket and unlocked his doors using the keypad before hopping in.
Brooklyn turned the camera from the ceiling and onto her face as she mugged him through the phone.
"Okay and, I did that cause you needed a gift, now you need an outfit." He stared down at his phone with a smile. "Come on Giovanni, what's the size?"
"I wear a size thirteen." He finally answered her questions, making her look away from the phone.
"Excuse me, can I get this in a thirteen." She asked the employee as she passed along the item "Thank you."
The worker nodded their head before walking off to the back so they could look for the shoe.
"Anyways, what you finna do?" She sat down on one of the benches while he leaned back in his seat, getting comfortable.
"Shoot a few moves then make my way to you."
"Okay, you meeting me at the house before we leave for Orlando's house?" She asked as she kicked and crossed her feet.
"Yeah, I need to take a shower." He smiled looking down at her through the phone.
She smiled as she looked around at her surroundings before bringing the phone back up to her lips.
"Okay wait for me." She said and he nodded.
"Imma be home soon, so don't take too long." He leaned up in his seat and finally started his car.
"Okay, I'll see you in a minute, I love you." She blows a kiss out to him.
"I love you too." He said waving her off and hanging the phone.
Tossing his phone to the side and switched the gear to drive before pulling away from the curb. He sped down the road adjusting his body as he drove.
Looking around as he drove Duke was looking for one thing in particular, and once he found it he came to a full stop and quickly hopped out of his car.
He made his way up to the slight rubble that was piled up due to construction and picked up two bricks before hurrying off back in his car.
He sat the bricks on his lap and sped off again, but this time he wasn't stopping until he got to his destination.
Finally pulling in front of the house, Duke hopped out with the two bricks in his hand. He walked up to the large window that was in front of the house, leading to the living room.
He cocked his arm back and threw the first brick which broke the glass instantly. Screams erupted from the house as Duke approached it before hopping through the window.
He looked around the room seeing Anani was looking at him with shock and fear clear on her face.
"Fuck is wrong with you?" He yelled as stepped towards her, he ignored everyone else in the room.
"What the fuck are you talking bout?" She backed up not knowing what he was going to do next.
"That fucking with Brooklyn shit, cut that shit dead." He stopped once her back hit the wall, trapping her in a corner.
"I've been telling you the same shit, so make this last time." She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
"Why you so mad, I'm only telling that girl the truth." She yelled back at him as she felt her chest tighten. "I was here before her, before everyone else." Anani sobbed
"But you never did that shit with me, you never showed me you appreciate me, what do she have that I don't."
Duke let out a frustrated sigh. Him and Anani did go way back, they've known each other since high school.
But their relationship never went further than being friends with benefits. Duke was never to fall in love or stay with the same girl for too long but Anani felt as if she was the one since he put up with her for so long.
"Anani let it go, let every memory you have with me go." He told her sternly. "If I have to come back, Imma do more than break yo fucking widows
"This brick gon be fo yo head, and I promise that." He lifts the brick up before throwing it against the glass coffee table, making Pooh jump.
Slowly he backed away as he looked around the room before leaving back out the large window he broke.
Once he made it back to his car, he grabbed his blunt from the ashtray and sparked it before pulling off.
-
"Which shoe?" Brooklyn asked Giovanni who's eyes was glued to the mirror as he brushed his waves down.
He put a pause to what he was doing and looked over at her, on one foot she had brown leather thigh-high heels while the other was a simple Brown open-toe heel with straps that led up her leg.
Giovanni shrugged making Brooklyn sigh heavily. She walked out of the bathroom, leaving him alone to get ready.
She went back into their shared walk-in closet grabbing the leather boot instead. Brooklyn sat down on the dark gray bench as she untied the straps.
She looked up noticing Giovanni entering the closet with her. "Im almost ready baby," she said seeing him lean against the door frame.
"I'm not rushing you B." He crossed his arms over each other, watching as she slipped the heel off her feet and tossed it somewhere in the room.
She slipped the boot on her feet before zipping it up on the side. Once she was done with that, she stood up from the small bench and up to the island that was in the middle of the room to grab her perfume that was stacked up neatly on the top.
Brooklyn her sprayed herself before looking around for her purse so she could put the perfume in.
"Here ma." He said gaining her attention, she looked up to see her brown Mk cross-body bag.
"Thank you." She smiled walking over to him and taking the purse from his hands.
He nodded his head as he waited for her to strap her purse across her body and grabbed his hand so they could make their way out of the house...
Walking into the packed house, Duke kept a tight grip on Brooklyn's hand as he quickly made his way into the kitchen where there were fewer people.
Once the couple entered Imani just off the counter and rushed over to her bestie. "Finally, I was waiting for my partner." she hands Brooklyn the shot glass that was in her hand already.
"Damn, I just got here," Brooklyn mumbles as she shoots the alcohol in her mouth.
Imani smiled as Brooklyn wiped her mouth with a discussed expression on her face. Mani took the glass from her hand and passed it to her boyfriend who held the liquor.
"I'm stealing your lady real quick." Mani looked at her brother before pulling B over where Teddy and Diarra were waiting for her.
Slowly Duke took his eyes off her once she began getting surround by her friends. He grabs the blunt from behind his ear and sparked it while making his way outside and into the backyard.
He looked up at the starry sky as he pushed the cloud of smoke out his mouth. One hand was tucked in his pocket while the other held onto the blunt in his hands.
Another year had passed him already, he made a lot of mistakes and learned from them, but he knew there was more changing he needs to do.
This year made him realize that he can't be on the streets forever. It was a dangerous life and a lot came with it and he couldn't continue that anymore if he wanted the life he imagined with Brooklyn.
It was a thought but maybe, just maybe, he would leave the streets alone and start fresh.
The sound of the patio door sliding open caught his attention, Duke glanced behind him noticing Brooklyn stumbling out the door.
"You not drunk already?" He questioned making her shake her head.
"No I'm buzzin, that's all." Duke shook his head as he let out a deep and long sigh.
"Ion think my sister is a good influence on you." He jokes as he pats her head.
"Boy anyways." She smacks her lips and moves his hand off her head. "I left my purse in the car, I need the key."
Duke reached into his pocket took out the keys and handed them over to her, but once she reached for them he snatched them back up.
"I'm coming with you." He said wrapping his arm around her waist, and slowly taking her back into the house so they could leave through the front door.
"Where y'all going?" Mani asked as she watched them cross the kitchen.
"I need to get something out of the car," Brooklyn spoke up.
"Okay, Imma be out there in a minute to steal some weed." Duke smacked his lips and looked back at his sister.
"No your not if your not paying." He said but she just waved him off while Brooklyn began dragging him out of the house.
"I feel my body getting hot." Brooklyn chuckled as the alcohol began taking action.
He looked down at her as she wrapped her body in his arm. "We just got here, it's no way you're drunk already ma." He clicked the keypad in his pocket unlocked the car door and sat here in the passenger seat.
He leaned over grabbed a water bottle and opened the cap before passing it to her, "Drink this girl."
"Thank you." she took the bottle from him and brought it to her lips.
"No problem." He mumbles
He watched as she drank the whole bottle and once she was finished he took the empty bottle from her hand.
"Grab yo purse and come on," Giovanni commanded it since she wasn't in her right mind and might forget it again.
He stepped back on the curb, leaving enough room for her to get out of the car without tripping over him.
"You got ever-Aye nigga." Duke was interrupted causing him to look up and seeing a light-skinned man holding a gun up to him.
Duke quickly reached for his gun but everything happened so fast. All of a sudden three shot went off and Duke's body fell to the ground.
"I told you I'll see you around nigga." The man spit out before running off leaving Brooklyn dazed.
She felt like everything was moving in slow motion. "No, no." that was the only thing that could ease out her mouth as her own body fell to the ground due to the weakness of her body.
"God no, please no." she sobbed as she crawled over to his body and scooped him into her lap, staining her brown skirt red.
"Help please," Brooklyn yelled hopelessly as she choked up on all the saliva that was building in her mouth.
Brooklyn looked up noticing Imani exiting the house but she paused once she saw the scene in front of her.
Her hand cup over my mouth as she ran back in the house for help.
"Giovanni, my brother, my brother."She screamed as she entered the kitchen, that was the only thing she muster up to say.
"What? What's wrong" Orlando jumped up along with the rest of Duke's friends.
"They shot my brother." she grabbed her chest and fell to the floor. "Help him please, please" She couldn't take it.
Hearing that, everyone ran out the door while Nikko stayed with Imani who was losing it.
Finally making it outside Leo was the first to run to Duke's side. "Diarra get Brooklyn, Rocky bring the truck over here."
With that Diarra and Teddy grabbed Brooklyn who screamed and kicked once they removed her from him.
"No please, God I don't ask you for anything so please, please don't take him from me." She broke down placing her head on the concrete. "I can't take this."
The sound of tires screeching again on the road makes Brooklyn's head pop up. She watched as Rocky hopped out his truck and ran over to her Orlando and Leo carried him to the car.
She jumped up and raced over to the car, stopping Orlando from getting the back seat. "Let me go." she begged. "Please.
Nodding his head Orlando stepped out the way and helped her in. "We gon be right behind you B." quickly he closed the door allowing Rocky to speed off.
Duke leaned heavily on Brooklyn's lap, his eyes felt heavy and his body cold. "You're going to be okay baby," she said leaning down and planting a kiss on his lips, letting her tears run down his skin.
She was so scared in this moment, this was her worst fear coming true.
"Giovanni stay with me please." she tapped on his body in desperation as his body was going limped and his eyes were closing.
"Giovanni?!"
"Gio?!"...
-
"Von?!"
"Von?!"
"Von, fuck you at?" Sin called out looking around for his nephew.
"Yo." Giovanni's voice echoed through the house causing Sin to put a pause to his movements.
He peeked his head into the kitchen noticing the door to enter the garage was open, and knowing his nephew, he headed in that direction.
Once he walked in Giovanni slide his body from up under the car and lifted his upper body with his elbows.
"You looking for me?" he asked making Sin nod.
"Yeah, I talked to yo P.O." He said making Giovanni sit all the way up.
"Okay? What did she say?" He reached over, grabbing the already oiled up cloth and wiped his hands off
"You can finally go back to Orlando, but." He paused on his next words not knowing how Von was going to react.
"Come on Sin, but what?"
"You have to stay away from Angel and Imani, it don't look good if you go around them." Immediately Von shook his head.
"I've been in jail for three fucking years, now's she saying I still can't see them?" Von stood up and shook his head.
"You gotta understand, Vicky asked the court to keep you away after releasing you."
He continued shaking his head as he paced around the room trying to soak in everything his uncle was telling him.
"So they listen to crack heads now?" He chuckled with a bit of shakiness found in his voice. "That crazy."
"After all I begged the courts and the system for help, they make me the bad guy?" All he could do in that moment was shake his head and laugh. All he was trying to do was save himself and his siblings from the hell they lived in and it felt like everything was getting in his way.
He was trying so hard, he was working so hard but each time it wasn't enough.
"I promised them I would come back for them." He turned to his uncle who look down to the floor. "I left them alone with her for too long, I need to go get them."
"Then what Von?" Sin asked seriously. "The first time you were arrested the second time you were arrested, when is it going to be enough."
"I can't just leave them alone like that, their kids, they need me." He
"I need you to really think about it, what good are you to them kids behind bars Giovanni?" He sighed before leaning against the car the young man was working on before.
He tapped against the hood hearing the sound echo around the garage and letting it be the only sound to pass through their ears for a moment.
"Use the talent I taught you and make a lot of money and get them kids LEGALLY." He emphasized. "Take Vicky to court and show them that she's incompetent."
"But that means you'll have to calm down and provide for them, become a father figure they both deserve."
"Meaning, no more Von the fucking menace." He said earning a chuckle from Giovanni.
"Calm down, be more mature and no more trying to be the king of the streets, I'm not saying you have to throw it all away because I know you and I know you won't leave the streets behind completely so just go down in rank, like a Duke or sum." Sin chuckled at his own joke while Giovanni nods understanding what he was saying.
Finally looking up Sin made eye contact with his nephew and slowly his smile began to fade.
"Von seriously, if I send you back out into this world, bet not nothing happen to you, I'm to far away to protect you."
"Sin, I don't need protection, I can handle my self." He said but his uncle disagreed.
"You're still a child and all children deserve to be protected, but you never experienced that and I'm sorry.
"I'm sorry nobody could protect you, Giovanni"
𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫
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Yall know when the character's name is the title of the book, it's going to be some bullshi so don't get mad at me Cs I already know y'all gon be on my ass
Love y'all ❤️
𝑷𝑼𝑹𝑷𝑳𝑬𝑹𝑨𝑨𝑰𝑵 _®