One morning later.
Daley
"At ya' best you are luv, ya' a positive motivatin' force within mah life, if ya' eva' feel da need to wonder why lemme know, lemme know- Dis dat shit right'chea" one of the robbers sang. He swayed his slim body back and forth to the music, whining his waist from time to time. Once he found my music collection, he tampered with my stereo just like Dikoita had when I caught him in my home.
Dikoita... Darn I wished he would come save me but I knew that that was only a wish, nothing more, nothing less.
Once the youngest robber that everyone hated walked into my den, the bickering commenced once more between the men. This was about the thousandth time that my pounding ears have throbbed from the continuous quarreling. I still sat in the middle of the den floor, disgusted because of the mere fact of me not taking a hot bath since yesterday evening. I silently prayed and hoped that someone would show up soon and free me of my misery.
I slowly waited, staring at the clock as the minute and second hand ticked while the hour hand tocked. My wide almond eyes didn't even blink. I was waiting for six o'clock ante meridiem. Time wasn't moving as slow as you think it would be, it felt like normal. I was not bored, I was too interested and excited for the moment that my workers would show up.
Finally! The clock struck six and like clock work my doorbell rang, seizing the dispute between the men.
I giggled evilly on the inside.
The two men suddenly grabbed one of my arms each and dragged me across my polished floors as if I was a lifeless body. I huffed. I was pulled to the dark and cold kitchen where the rest of the men were.
No one had bothered to open any of the blinds in my home, the jerks had sense.
Once they let my arms go, I was dropped onto my knees.
All of them looked between the door, themselves, and me. I suppose they were thinking of a master plan to squeeze their way out of this particular predicament.
The sock lodged deep into my mouth that was nearly choking me, prevented me from screaming for help. I began squirming in an effort to help myself.
"That's all you, Yung" Mr. Familiar said to the man that was in the fight with the younger one. Yung, or shall I say August, just shrugged as he pulled off his shirt, exposing his vandalized chest. I now recognized him as the rude bastard with no home training that fucked up my office.
The nerve of him.
August
The locks clicked as soon as I walked up to the door. Someone pushed it in but I caught the grand door with ease, even though this lady's door was heavy as da fuck.
I opened it to see a man in all white with an apron hugging his body surrounded by several other workers. I recognized one of them to be Killa Koy's teetee, Marrisol. What I presumed to be the chef gave me a confused look.
"Where is Madame Daley" he questioned abruptly.
I rubbed my chest and bit my lip. I then nodded my head to behind the door, giving him a clue. His eyes widened and he gasped.
"Madame Daley" he whispered, astonished.
I winked and nodded with my infamous smirk.
"Auggie, is that ju papito" Marrisol spoke up with a gleam in her eyes. "Yes ma'am" I said, stepping out of the house and into the nippy morning air. These people were early as shit man, a nigga don't even really much be outside at this time of morning, ya heard me?
My balls began jinglin' in my pants as goosebumps played peek-a-boo on my skin.
I closed the door behind myself.
"Well, what ju doin' here, huh? At this time of morning" Marrisol questioned not catching on. The other workers that surrounded her besides the chef began to murmur. I suppose they were confused also.
I bit my lip. "You know teetee Marrisol. That's my lil baybeh" I said, exposing my boyish grin that was nearly ruined by my grillz.
She slapped her forehead. "But she was jus-" she began. I pretended like I was now intrigued.
"Eh em' it sure is a small world" she redirected the conversation while playing with the cleaning utensils in her bucket as if she was nervous. A flash of disgust shot through her eyes, lowkey.
A moment of silence filled the crowd of servants, they didn't know what to say to me. They just all stared at me. They stared at me as if they was judging a nigga. You know? Like judging a nigga for his looks. My golds, my tattoos, and my nappy hair was probably not what they expected for Daley. Even though I don't give a fuck 'bout dat dea woman, she was the epitome of a woman with her head stuck up her ass, I did give a fuck about how people see me.
A nigga ain't know what he was getting into when he got these hea' tattoos. I value people's opinions. I don't know why, I just do.
I'm a product of my environment, if I must say so myself. I wasn't born in da' suburbs or on the good side of town, I'm from the slums in New'Awlins where niggas barely make it to see they baby mamas give birth.
As I stood here and lied to these people about being with a woman that I didn't know at all, I struggled to not give them too much eye contact.
"Well," I said, breaking the silence.
"Daley can't really come ta' da' do' right nah and she don't want nobody in the house. I suppose that you guys are her workers, so y'all are off for the rest of the week" I cleared my throat. Once I said that, no one asked me if I was serious and no one was concerned about Daley. They all hauled ass down the driveway and out the gate, hooping and hollering.
I dusted off my hands indicating that that was too easy before returning into the home.
Everyone watched me as I passed through the kitchen. I shrugged and headed back to the den to play some more tunes but not before glancing at the tears that began to fill Daley's eyes.
Two Days Later
Anabel
Skipping and hopping, bopping my head and popping my lips, and swaying my hips. That's what I did around Grey's Gray Suede Boutique. My apple headphones were stuffed into my ears, blaring Blow by beyonce.
"I can't wait till I get home so you can tear that cherry out, turn that cherry out, turn that cherry out" I hissed while I pumped my chest and popped my back. I white-girl boogied across the marble floors, swinging my hands and hips.
Grey's customers laughed at me.
The only thing that got me to stop was when I moon-walked across the shop, bumping into one of the expensive silver manikins. I yanked out my earbuds and my eyes darted around the shop looking for Grey. Thank God she was nowhere to be found.
I scrambled to assemble the manikin back together, quickly fixing her suede garments. Putting her to stand up, I held my hands out as she swayed back and forth.
Sweat dropped down my forehead.
She finally stopped and I thanked the lord that she hadn't toppled over again. I blew out a breathe of relief. Turning around, I nearly jumped out of my skin as I became face to face with Grey. Her expression was angrier than usual. We had a stare off right before she stepped into my personal bubble. "Anabel if you don't find a damn seat ta' go sit in...." she grumbled.
"Say no more" I said, scurrying to one of the chaises that sat all pretty in the middle of her boutique. I grabbed a ebony magazine and my glass of pink lemonade that was now sweating just as much as I was. The small remains of ice cubes clanked as my hands shook violently.
What? You damn right I was scared of Grey, who wasn't?
She had been my friend since college, I've seen her best and worst side. Trust me you don't wanna see the bad side of Grey. Things can get extremely ugly. Grey's mocha skin always holds a dullness to it, you know? As if she's a grumpy old man. She doesn't mope around but she does always have a poker face.
She's undeniably beautiful too. She's the darkest one out of us all, on the inside and on the out. She loves to wear dull colors, gray especially.
Around her house, there are black and gray paintings of her. That reflects her personality. It's almost as if she's broken, you know? As if someone in her past life broke her. Someone from New Orleans, I assume, because I've known her since the first week of her being here in Potomac. So, therefore, it couldn't have been someone here. I would've known about it.
I can't help that I notice all of these things. I am indeed a child psychologist, therefore I tend to analyze and observe people.
Snapping me out of my thoughts, Grey sashayed into the sitting area with her face glued to her phone. She plopped down in a chair as I placed my glass back down on the glass coffee table. Abruptly, she snapped her fingers towards the glass indicating that I needed to grab a coaster. I hissed at my mistake.
"Sorry" I mouthed as I fixed the issue.
After a while, she huffed and dropped her phone into her lap. Rolling her eyes repeatedly she grunted and leaned back into the chair.
I bit at my nails, nervously trying to figure out a method to approach Grey with my words so I won't get her irritated. "Y-you wanna talk about it" I asked as I let out the breathe that I was holding in. "It's Daley" she said as she popped up out of her seat. She began pacing. "Oh Daley, my honey bunch-sugar plum!" I clapped my hands together, excited at even the thought of her.
She served me with a grimace, hot and ready.
My smile dropped.
"Ain't no oh Daley, that guh ain't been answering ha' phone and it's beginning to make me angry. I've called her office also, no sign of Daley. I'm tired of having to go on a wild goose chase, looking for her" she ranted.
"Pssh, you know Daley. She's fine" I dragged, brushing off the situation.
"I ain't too sure 'bout that.. As a matter of fact I'm closing the shop early and heading over to her house. Get ya' stuff and hurry up" she said, super serious.
"O-okay" I said confused before I began to gather my purse and glass.
"Kells, you in charge until five o'clock. Then shut the whole store down, all three floors. I got somethin' to handle" she yelled out to her assistant.
Her assistant nodded before scrambling away.
"C'mon Ana" she yelled at me, already beginning her journey all the way to her twenty-sixteen Nissan Maxima.
In little to no time Grey and I was at Daley's door, unlocking it. The house was dark, as if no one was here which was odd. Someone was always in Daley's home. Whether it's Daley or one of her workers, someone stayed in the house to watch over it. I looked across the court yard of her home, it seemed as if a tumbleweed would stroll by at any moment.
I heard a thud and looked to see that the door was already open and Grey was already gone. It was so dark inside Daley's home, that should of been the first sign for me.
"Grey why would you leave me" I screeched as I ran inside. I stopped in my tracks once the door slammed behind me. I didn't have the chance to push it in yet.
I was enveloped by darkness.
"Mommy" I squealed as someone put me in a head lock while pressing two fingers down on my neck.
"Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep my little baby" the person sang. Their mouth smelled like pure metal.
My eyes became heavy and my breathing slowed before it was lights out for me.
Omniscient
The men all stood around watching as Daley rocked back and forth, attempting to awake her snoozing friends. They were all banded together by one of Daley's expensive Versace sheets and duct tape.
The rocking worked because the women began to awaken, their heads began to pulsate as if they had massive hangovers.
Grey came to first. Her eyes grew wide. "Daley what the hell" she yelled, but Daley couldn't yell back because she was being gagged of course.
Grey turned her neck as much as she could, analyzing the room full of men that were masked and her friends that were attached to her, helpless. She began to broil with fury.
"Aw hell nah, y'all fuck boys got me fucked all da way up" she began to attempt to stand to her feet. She was getting somewhere before Dakoita tapped her shoulder, making her crash into the ground as if she were the twin towers.
" Why da' fuck y'all doin' dis fa'? We ain't trouble nobody. What y'all holdin' us hostage fa'? What y'all want? Ransoms? Tuh, you broke ass pussy niggas" she rambled on and on, catching the attention of someone across the room.
"Grey, love, da's you" August questioned with his mask still covering his face. Despite his disguise Grey knew exactly who he was, she could never be immune to that voice. It was the voice that she adored as a child and a teenager. The same voice that taught her right from wrong because of the lack of a father figure in her life. Because of that same voice she is who she is today.
But, it was that same voice that she couldn't stand. The same voice that stopped acknowledging her after a while.
"wassup Aug" she groaned.
He chuckled.
"Thought I'd neva' see ya' again, man. Small world ain't it?"
"Unfortunately" she retorted with a stale face.
August didn't understand why she was acting so dry towards him. After all, she is the one that left him in Louisiana right along with her southern girl attitude.
"Ha" he chuckled sarcastically. The men watched as Grey and August indulged into an unwanted conversation on Grey's part.
"Look at'cha. In ya' rich guh attire with a snobby attitude. What? Ya' too good fa' a nigga nah-" he began going off.
He felt as though she was judging him too, although she was the lease bit worried about him and whatever he had going on.
"You damn right. I AM to good fa' ya'. Look at'cha. Boy I got my own business, my own money, my own cars, my own penthouse and here you are still scrambling fa' money, still stealing and stuck in that hot boy lifestyle."
August's jaw dropped at her statement while someone interjected.
"Hell yea! We be juggin' and finessin', ain't dat right Yung" one of the robbers said before Kodak bopping to the ground. (Kodak bopping is a dance in Florida. Look it up, outsiders 🙂)
"Shutup Chris." August held a hand out.
He then stormed over to Grey like a raging bull. He got into her face, spit flying out of his mouth and all as he poked her forehead roughly. "Bitch, don't you eva' try ta' shit on me! I made ya', ya heard me? I made ya'. I put ya' ungrateful ass through school! Yea bitch it's my money that ya' stole just to get outta Nawlins! I raised ya! I made ya' into a lady! I taught ya' manners! I was ya father figure! Don't ya eva' forget that, ya heard me?!"
"Correction. Ya' mother raised me. Ya' mother signed me up fa' school. Ya' mother made me into a lady. Ya' mother taught me manners. And last but not least, Ya' mother was my mother and father figure. How 'bout them apples. Don't you ever forget that. All you were was a source of income and a provider. You were never compassionate towards me. You are only a wee bit older than me, so don't get big headed. You weren't a man when I knew ya. You were a boy, still are. Yup, that's all ya are. A lil ass bwoy just jugging and finessin' still tryna make a way. Meanwhile, I'm over here sitting pretty. Well, not right nah but'cha catch my drift" she said, mean mugging at the fact that they had her seated on the floor.
"Hey, hey, hey. Quiet down" murmured Ana as she tried to get comfortable to continue her sleep.
E-block watched the sleeping beauty sleep her life away, intrigued. He found her snoring and sleep-talking cute. He thought that she was beautiful in every sense of the word. And, this was strange for him because he has never really seen a woman as beautiful before. He was just used to hitting and quitting women. He seen all women as hoes, simply because of his issues with his own mother. But he seen Ana in a different light. He admired her button nose and her chiseled chin that harbored one dipple that popped every time she'd twist and turn her jaw.
"Is dat right" said August, calmly. It was a calm where you knew he was angry and highly upset.
"Da's right" Grey nodded with a cocked brow.
August suddenly began untying the women as he said "Ya' know what". He grunted when he couldnt get the knot opened.
"Urg. Who da fuck tied this!? I bet'cha it was Psycho dumb donkey of da day head ass" he grumbled.
Chris and Dikoita began to laugh.
Pulling out a shank from his sock, he stabbed the knot over and over again until the material withered out. August was used to prison life.
He freed the girls causing Ana's lifeless body to almost crash into the ground. That is before E-block shielded her head from the tile.
August scooped Grey up, her hands were still bounded together. He flipped her over his shoulder causing her to kick her feet and punch him in his vertebrae. "Daley get'cha ass up and help me" she yelled at a helpless Daley.
Daley was still being gagged and her hands were tied behind her back.
The other men besides E-block doubled over in laughter as Psycho peeked his head into the kitchen. A blanket was tied around his neck as a cape and a bowl of cereal rested in his hand. Their laughter had interrupted his Adventure Time and telling by his facial expression, he was highly aggravated.
Grey glared at the laughing men as she was being carried away. That is before she grabbed onto the wall and screamed so that August can come to a halt. He did just that.
"Daley, bitch. Ain't that your nigga from da' strip club da' other night" Grey pointed her fingers at Dikoita who was still masked.
She recognized the tattoo on his arm, it was completely visible because he now had on a men's tank top/vest.
Daley's head snapped in his direction. Dikoita stood there like a deer caught in headlights.
"Yea nigga. If I'm going down, y'all coming with me" she said as she sipped her fake tea while her hands were still tied together.
She then kangaroo kicked August in the abdomen before saying "Aight, you ca' take me away nah". He groaned and carried her away, leaving Daley at a lost for words staring at Dikoita from the kitchen floor and E-block holding a snoozing Ana in his arms.
Excuse mistakes... Just a filler chapter ya' know? Didn't I tell y'all I was updating today? No? Whoops, seems like I forgot. Alright y'all I'm going to watch Donna embarrass herself on Black Ink Crew. See y'all.
P.S. Welcome newcomers. I see there's a lot of you guys. Thanks for the support. Comments are loved and votes are liked, don't forget that.