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***
"How do you know Nya? Why is she making you all shaky? Cell what is going on?"
"Chase!" he said stopping my rambling questions. "Leave it alone, please, like for real it ain't even that serious" he said taking off his suit jacket and walking down the hall toward my bedroom. He had ordered me the bed I wanted but it needed to be put together. Cell didn't mind doing it for me, over the years we became extremely close. There wasn't a thing I wouldn't do for this family we have created. As I grew closer to everyone, I faded away from Parker.
"Don't tell me it's nothing Marcell, who is she?" I stood waiting for an answer as he searched for the instructions to the bed. I switched my weight to one foot and crossed my arms. "Well.. I'm waiting"
"Okay.. keep waiting, cus I ain't saying shit. Only person who knows who she is to me.. who she really is to me, is Parker.. and if you wanna make that phone call to find out about my past, be my guest but I doubt you talking to him" he told me, without ever looking at me. It was a low blow, but Cell knew how to get me off of his case.
"Man whatever" I mumbled, shuffling in my slippers back to the kitchen to finish my food. I sat there sipping my wine, listening to Vivian Green's Emotional Rollercoaster, and screaming the lyrics in the most drunken way possible.
"Chase! Put down the bottle. I can smell your hangover now!" Marcell yelled to me from the back. I laughed and continued my drink, as my phone began to ring. It was an unknown caller and I usually wouldn't have answered but Blake from Compton had gotten locked up last year and he did call me periodically just to check up on the family. He and JC had gone their separate ways since Blake couldn't keep his dick in his pants, and JC wasn't the type to be sidelining. He did her wrong as hell, but we all grew up together and he was still my brother.
'Hello' I answered softly.
'You have a collect call from Riker's Island Correctional Facility, do you accept the charges?' I heard the automated voice tell me. My face flew into confusion. It couldn't have been Blake, because he was locked up in Minnesota. I knew no one that was in Riker's but I had to take the call, I was the one to hit when shit went down because I was the one with the brain. These niggas loved to think off of impulse. 'You have a collect call from... Chase it's me baby, please say-.. do you accept this call?' The operator cut off the familiar voice. I quickly pressed one, and stood to my feet.
'Parker what the fuck is going on?! Why are you at Riker's?!' I asked worriedly.
'Baby look, they got me and Nino, Britt should be on her way, look tell Cell that Joe got the juice. Say exactly that baby! exactly that!.. look I gotta go.. Chase I love you.. come see me, I'll explain everything' he said into the phone, in the most sincere voice.
'I love yo-' I was cut off by the beeping of the phone, and the automated voice telling me that the time was up. I felt a lump in my throat, I wanted to cry out and scream. Parker was not just being held in a cell, but he was in prison. Real prison. That shit would change a nigga's life forever. If I thought he was bad before, it would be ten times worse now.
"Cell! Marcell!" I shuffled down the hall to my back bedroom. Out of breath and still carrying a look of distress on my face, I came into the room. Marcell's eyes shot over to me and he became extremely overbearing. He had a look of determination, but also sincere protection. He wasn't sure what had happened but he knew we were in trouble.
"Speak Chase! What happened?" he said walking to me.
"Parker just called me-"
"Okay.. and?"
"From Riker's Island Cell! Riker's fucking Island! They got him and Nino! He told me to tell you that Joe got the juice"
"Chassia are you sure he said Joe got the juice?" he said with his nostrils flaring and chest heaving.
"Yes! Joe got the juice!" I shouted.
"Get your shit, we leave now! Let's go" he spoke fiercely, grabbing his jacket and phone, heading for the door. I followed closely behind and made no comments. I knew this had to be serious but I had no idea how serious it was. I knew Marcell was in beast mode, and I knew that shit was about to get real.
***
Jenn's POV
"Riley, come on baby girl, you gotta go to sleep" I said sweetly, tucking her in and kissing her forehead.
"No mommy, I want daddy!"
"Daddy had to go see Chase.. he'll be here in the morning" I told her. Her lip poked out and her head hung low. She looked just like Marcell with those big brown eyes and soft caramel skin. He spit her out. I just carried her. The house phone began to ring, knocking me from my thoughts. "Go to sleep baby" I said to her, exiting her room and leaving the door cracked.
I answered the phone and saw it was Marcell's emergency phone number. 'What happened' I said in all seriousness.
'Jenn, lock down the house. Joe got the juice' he ended the call and my eyes grew wide. I immediately ran to our bedroom and reached for the glock that had been in the nightstand under lock and key. I made sure it was loaded and went to every room locking the windows and making sure the blinds were closed. I peeked in on Riley, who had now finally fallen asleep. I smiled sweetly before hearing a faint sound in the distance. My head instantly snapped in that direction and I shut Riley's door before walking down the hall quietly in the direction of the noise.
I didn't know who the hell was in this house but they were about to catch this smoke. I didn't play when it came to my family and Marcell knew I was trained to go. He knew I was the down ass woman he needed from day one. I held my own and knew how to hold his when he couldn't do it anymore. Being raised under one of the biggest King Pins in Chicago, it was only right that I knew how to handle business. I came around the corner and had the gun pointed in the direction of the door, as it opened slowly I stood there, loading it once again. I stood firmly, waiting.
Through the door came Marcell. I put down my guard and hugged them both. "Cell what the hell is going on?! How did this shit happen?!" I said to him as we all walked toward the kitchen. Chase sat on the counter in silence, just watching. She knew when Cell and I were in business mode, it was best to fall back and allow us to handle it. She came in when we began to be irrational.
"I don't know Jenn, I don't okay.. but we gotta fix this shit, now!" he headed down the hallway and I began after him.
"Chase you get some rest.. if we find out anything, we'll let you know" I said to her as she hopped off the counter and nodded her head in understanding.
Closing the door behind me, I stared at Marcell. Intently. Wondering how the hell he could let this happen. How he could be so reckless. How he couldn't notice what the hell was happening in his own damn business.
"Jenn we gotta move.. we gotta get out of here.. go somewhere we can't be found"
"Yeah I know that Cell, but how the fuck did this happen?" I said angrily.
"Didn't I tell you that I don't fucking know?! I don't know Jennifer! It's happening though, and we can't stand around here arguing about this shit, we gotta get the fuck out of here. We got a daughter in the next room who thinks daddy is a corporate worker, when I'm out here moving weight to save money for her college tuition. This shit cannot affect her. So i suggest you shut up, pack your shit, and get ready to move to the safe house! Understood?!" he said directly and slammed the bathroom door shut behind him, in our room. I rolled my eyes and sighed. That man.
***
Britt's POV
"How you dealing? Have you told Sammy?" Chase asked me.
"Huh? Oh.. no.. I.. I don't know how.. she just spent the whole day with him two days ago, and now we don't know when she'll be able to even hold his hand again" I felt myself on the verge of tears. I sighed as Chase reached for my hand, and brought me in for a hug.
"I know baby girl, I know.. he's coming back.. they both are" she assured me while rubbing my back as a few tears fell. She held me for a while before Marcell came out and ended the emotions.
"No crying. You strong enough for this Britt Bratt.. you see that baby girl over there..she needs you, and I bet you if Nino heard you was crying, he'd have a damn fit.. you'll be fine baby girl.. I got you" he said to me, kissing my forehead and patting my back. This was a family. Cell was the unit that held us all together and at this moment in time, we needed him more than ever.
"Okay look, we can't have no tears, you knew that this shit could've happened at any moment, suck that shit up, let's go" Jenn said annoyed to me and rolled her eyes walking away from us, carrying her bags.
We all sat in shock at her. She was a cool person, but sometimes she ain't know what the fuck to say out of her mouth, and I wasn't the type to kill people with kindness. Chase put her hand on my shoulder, telling me to calm myself, and I did as told, noticing Sammy waking up.
"Come on y'all let's get going" she said grabbing her bags and leading us all to the door. I carried Sammy in my arms and her bag of memories over my shoulder.
Being in this predicament only made me want Nino more. I wanted to be his wife, I truly did especially now. I could be doing something to get him out right now but as a girl friend, I have no entitlement and it killed me knowing that I had no power. Samiya lay peacefully in my arms and looking down at her, only reminded me of Nino more. Denino had flaws, but he was a wonderful man and just because he did some illegal shit to make his family legally happy, didn't mean he deserved to be behind bars.
"Can somebody please explain what Joe got the juice means?" Chase broke the silence in the car. Cell and Jenn looked to each other as Chase and I looked to each other. "Somebody.. anybody?"
"Chase.. it's a lot of shit you don't know. You know a lot but some shit had to be kept from you.. for some good reasons" Marcell began
"Woah woah woah, I thought we was all supposed to know everything that was going on right? Keeping it in the family?" she said angrily.
"You do know everything Chase.. you just don't know about this.. neither does Britt" he responded while taking an exit toward the New Jersey Turnpike.
"Well I think this is the perfect time to speak on it" I said quietly, making sure Riley and Sammy were still sound asleep.
"Look.. remember we thought Jerome had gotten locked up after that shit he pulled on Park, before y'all left Compton? Well it turns out, he got off.. and when he did, he was aiming for us, locked and loaded. This nigga started moving major weight under the name Kane, he became a big competitor of ours over time and I wanted to know who the hell this nigga was.. so I did some digging, found out this nigga is going by his dad's name and that's how he got his status so fucking quick.. He got at least 40 niggas under him, and they loyal as hell. Little did he know, I had some niggas on his ass.. We found out that he was gunning for us, I mean taking out niggas we know he was close to, he even got Blake locked up for some shit he ain't even do.. but that's a whole other story.. bottom line, this new nigga that's been working for us, Lamont.. we been iffy about his ass from day one.. he came in wanting to know everything about how to move weight and who we was sellin too.. Parker peeped that shit long before I did and he told me to watch him, so I did.. tapped his phone and found out he was a opp for Jerome.." he took a breath as if that was the end of the story, but we all knew it wasn't. By this time Chassia was shaking her leg and biting her lip, making no sound, she only looked out of the window with hurt and anger painted on her face.
"Okay soo how does that explain Park and Nino at Riker's"
"So this nigga Lamont set them up.. Nino got a letter in the mail two months ago that said 'Game On', then a month ago, Parker got a letter that said 'Check Mate'... and here we are" Jenn chimed in.
"So wait I'm confused, how y'all know Lamont set them up?" I added.
"Lamont knew their routes, he was under them and knew it all, it was only a matter of time. How much of a coincidence is it that Parker and Nino got bagged on the same night of the biggest move of the month? Lamont was supposed to move that shit but he called Parker saying his girl was going into labor" Chase spit out angrily.
"His girl ain't even with him no more" Cell said to the car. The energy was high, we were all hyped up on emotion. Sadness, anger, and revenge. It boiled in all of us. You just don't fuck with the family. You just don't do it.