Chapter Twenty Three | Deep x2
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Man I look up to God
I wonder if I fell from the sky
Will I hit the ground or will I learn how to fly
I'm pretty sure you see it in my eyes
Sometimes I wonder if I already died
That shit get deep
Man I swear to God that shit just get so deep - Big Sean
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Domani
"Yo, I can't believe we havin' a kid." I said to Ashanti as I looked over at her and then back onto the road ahead of me. So much shit had been happening and it was getting hard for a nigga to keep up with life in these days. A week had passed and we still hadn't got shit on Dolani. The shit was eating away at me day in day out, but I was doing all I could while recovering from my own injury. I was just now able to really even move my shit with the help of a little therapy and all that. I was back in good shape if you asked me, but of course the doctors wanted to continue getting my damn money and shit.
Ashanti and I had just ate and left the restaurant to head back to the crib. I was ready to find out he sex of the baby, but she wanted to wait and I'd comply. A man would always want a son, but I'd accept which ever one I was given and be happy about it. I had a lot of growing up to do, but I was trying for the both of us. We been doing good as hell since I got shot too, she even moved in with me. I've been faithful as fuck, it was hard, but I knew what I wanted and I had it and I be damned if it got away again. With my sister being gone, I had to make sure I held onto the good things I did have.
"I know, we're going to be parents. It feels like just yesterday we were having sex for the first time ever." She said and I smirked a little bit, but just nodded my head because I remember her scary ass the very first time too. I didn't both to comment anymore as I drove until we pulled up in front of my building and I parked the car.
Once we got to the condo, I helped her out, we checked the mail, and we headed up the stairs to our condo. As soon as I unlocked the door we headed inside and shut it back behind us. I was tired as a bitch from looking and shit last night, so I threw the mail onto the table and plopped down onto the sofa and rested my head on the back of the couch. Before I knew it, Ashanti was climbing onto my lap before her legs were straddling me. I looked up at her and raised my eyebrows and looked how far her dress had been pulled up before smirking. This girl was trying to get me started and right now I wasn't in the correct mind state to have sex. Surprising to y'all ass right?
"If you don't wanna get fucked, I suggest you get yo ass up off of me man. You always playin', I'm tryna think right now anyway." I told her and she sighed before leaning as far as her huge belly would let her and kissed the side of my neck. I continued to just lay there as she left kisses all over my skin, shit felt real nice too so I ain't say shit or move away either. I just laid my ass there with eyes closed and my arms stretched out along the back of the sofa as she did her thing on my neck. Shit felt .... sensational.
"Maybe that's what I want. Let me take your mind off of whatever it is that's on your mind. You've been stressing yourself out lately baby, I want to help it." She said and she was right, but she might as well got use to it. I'd be like this until I found my sister and hopefully it would be as soon as damn yesterday. I needed her back around here to keep me sane, that was my blood and without her I was going crazy outchea without her. Some had to give.
"Domani?" She called as she grabbed my face and kissed at my chin. I sighed and opened up my eyes to look at her and she gave me a weak smile before kissing my lips this time and wrapping her short arms around my neck, bringing me closer. "I love you," she whispered softly to me and I smiled and nodded as I did the same with my arms wrapped tight around her body.
"I love you too," I responded and she smiled before kissing my lips and getting up from my lap. I sighed and sat up, running a hand over my face. I watched Ashanti as she grabbed her purse and went into the bedroom, while I stayed in the den area. I sighed and grabbed for the stack of mail that I'd gotten. I flipped through each white envelope quickly until one stuck out and caught my eye. A full blown crease formed in my forehead as I looked at the letter in my hand that was addressed to me from a Jane Doe. The shit was stupid because the address and everything was still on it, like they didn't even need to hide who sent the shit. I sighed as ran a hand over my face. I made sure Ashanti was in the back before ripping the envelope open and my heart thumped.
Inside of the shit was pictures, multiple pictures that made my stomach turn and my heart ache. On these pictures, was Dolani as she was being beaten until she bled and as she cried for help. I flipped through every single picture with a clenched fist until I'd went through them all. I hadn't even realized the tears coming from my eyes as anger radiated off of my body onto the outside. I was pissed, but honestly I was disappointed in myself for not being there and able to help or do shit about all of this. When I tell you a nigga been going through it, I been living hell.
"Fuck!" I yelled out in anger as I kick the glass table that sat in front of me, causing the glass to shatter into pieces all over the floor and it made a lot of noise too. I couldn't really even give a fuck about it at this point in my life, I was tired and in way too much anger to even give a fuck about anything quite frank.
"Domani, what the hell is going on in here?" Ashanti yelled as she came out of the back and into the front room. She looked down at the glass all over the floor and then up at me before sighing. She didn't say shit and right now I didn't want her to say shit. I went over to the bar stools along the kitchen counter and laid my head down on the cold granite, the pictures still clutched tight in my hands. I was livid, so mad that all I could do was cry. I'd been crying too much these days, more than my damn momma. Some shit had to give on my end, for real man.
"Baby, calm down please." she said as she came over to where I sat. She pried the pictures out of my hand and I'm guessing she looked at them too before she sighed and wrapped her arms around me. My hands were shaky as I sat there, but I could care less right now, if it hadn't already been obvious and shit. She took my hands and turned me around to face her, grabbed my face, and then started to wipe my eyes.
"She is going to be okay Domani," she whispered as she held my chin in her grasp, but that only made me angrier as I pulled my face away and smacked my lips at her words. I was tired of hearing that shit.
"Stop saying that shit when you don't know that shit for a fact, it's not making shit better man. Does she fucking look okay to you? Huh? No she doesn't, she look like she fucking dying out there somewhere and I'm sitting here going to doctor's appointments and shit when I should be trying to find her." I said, a tad bit louder than needed, but I couldn't help it. I used my hands and moved her out of the way, and then I hopped down and went to grab my keys.
"I know Domani, but baby-," she started up again.
"Look Ashanti, don't baby me right now, aight? I ain't in the mood for this shit nomore. I gotta' go." I told her and got my shit. I grabbed the pictures and the envelope before getting ready to head out of the house and go talk to my dad. This was a new lead for us after a week and some and we had to get on this shit. When one door close another one opens and this is the fucking opening that could lead to me finding my sister out here. The anger in me pushed me to find her even more.
"Where are you going Domani?" Ashanti questioned as she tried to follow behind me and grab my hand. I sighed and just shook my head and left out of there, closing the door back in her face. Before I could even make it far, my new mind set settled in and I turned around and headed back. I opened the door and saw her inside cleaning up the glass that I'd broken front the table. Her pregnant ass always was on her feet and never doing what she was suppose too. I sighed and went over, taking the broom from her.
I sat the broom and dustpan to the side, before I just wrapped my arms around her and held her for a tad moment, then kissed her forehead. I had to be smart in my situation. If somebody was close enough to put this shit in my mailbox, obviously they knew where I stayed so I couldn't leave my heart and lifeline here alone while I wasn't. My pops always told me to take care of family and the people you care about. I know I had failed my sister already, so I had to make sure that I did right by my girl and son, by all means.
"Get your stuff, we staying at my parents tonight." I told her and she nodded silently before standing in my embrace for a moment longer and then going on back into the bedroom to get her stuff. It didn't take too long before she came out in a pair of black ass leggings, one of my t-shirts and a pair of Jordan's. I sighed and grabbed my Gucci duffel bag that was full of our stuff before heading out to the car. I tossed it into the back seat and we were off. My palms were itching, or shall I say my trigger finger. I had gotten a lead and I was ready to get some answers.
Once we pulled up to the crib, I grabbed the duffel bag from the back seat and then helped Ashanti out of the car. I didn't have my key, so I rang the bell and stood there waiting on someone to answer. It was my grandma and a smile covered her face at the sight of us. She immediately pulled me into her chest, trying to kiss my forehead the best she could at my height. I ain't even trip, I just let her have her moment cause it had been a minute since I last saw her.
"My grand baby boy, you get bigger every time I see you Domani. How's that shoulder holding up baby?" She asked as she moved away from me and over to hug Ashanti. "Hey my other grand baby," she smiled as she kissed her forehead too. I just looked at them for a minute and I couldn't help but to smile a little bit more than necessary. I loved how my parents and family as a whole accepted my girl like she was their own, that was some real shit to me and I appreciated them on that. Ashanti didn't really have family, so the fact that mine accepted her, that was dope.
"I'm good grandma, where my pops at?" I asked as I moved further into the house and shut the door back behind us. I could hear her sigh as we all headed into the den where my mom was sitting on the sofa going through channels on the television. I went over and greeted her, before waiting on an answer from my grandma. She took a seat at the other end of the sofa as Ashanti went over to hug my mom.
"He's in that office, you know your father Domani and I know my son very well. He won't stop until he finds her, as it should be, but he's working himself ragged." My grandma explained and I bothered not to reply as I gave Ashanti a slight head nod. That was it before I headed off to the office with the envelope and pictures in my pocket. I knew he was about to be way more livid than me. If y'all thought I broke shit when angry, this nigga destroyed shit. I took a deep breath and then headed into my dad's office.
Off instinct walking into his shit, I flinched and went down to duck, but this time wasn't shit coming for me. I sighed as I went all the way inside of the place and then sat down in the chair in front of his desk. He didn't even look up to acknowledge me or shit, he just kept on with whatever it was he was doing. I sighed and just pulled the envelope from my pocket and tossed it in front of him on the desk. My heart thumped from his reaction, damn it I was scared.
"What's that?" He asked as he stopped and stared at the envelope in front of him. I didn't say anything so eventually he went on to reach for it and glance over the envelope. It made his eyebrows scrunch up until he went inside and pulled out the pictures and that's when shit got real. He flipped through each picture and just like I had done, he was angry and stood up from the desk with clenched fist. I got up and took a step back as well before the whole desk flipped, the whole computer crashing to the ground. It made a lot of noise, which of course nobody heard in the sound proof office he had.
He frowned once again and knocked over more shit, making it merely trash. I just stood there looking at him as he did so, not wanting to even interfere with his moment. I didn't know what to do and one wrong move with make that nigga come at me. Allowing him to have his moment, I didn't say shit or move.
"What the fuck!" He yelled out in anger as he sat back down in his chair and scratched his head. He ran a hand down over his face before looking up at me. Just by looking in my dad's eyes I could tell he was upset and hurting all at once. I could partially feel his pain, but as a father I couldn't. My son was still in his mother's stomach, so I didn't have to worry much about this, but I felt the pain as a brother, as a protector.
"Let's go." He said and I didn't argue with it. He went over to his closet and grabbed some heat from his collection, passing me two of my own and then I followed him out of the room. We didn't say shit to nobody, we simply left out of the house and got into his truck. He typed the address from the envelope in his GPS, told the rest of the gang to meet us there, and we were off to this location. I had high hopes that she was there, but in the back of my mind I knew whoever it was wasn't this stupid.
Within about half an hour of driving, we pulled up to the designated location and hopped out. It was a old regular house on the block, so it confused me as to why she would be here and then it gave me a worse feeling than I already had. I took a deep breath as everybody else pulled up behind us and we got ready to check this shit out. There was an old Buick in the yard, so we knew somebody had to be home. I held my glock in the waist of my jeans as we all headed towards the front door. I thought about it and then told them to hold off, that would definitely scare somebody off if a whole group of niggas show up to somebody doorstep.
"I'll knock, once they open it then we all go in." I told them and nobody had any objections, so I headed to the front door and knocked as if this shit was casual. Little did they know, this shit was way pass personal.
Within a minute or two, the front door opened and an old woman on a cane came into sight. I frowned at her and looked to the side at my pops, because this had really thrown me all the way off. I didn't say shit though, I looked back to the old woman as she gave me a confused expression as well, and then she spoke up.
"May I help you sir?" She asked politely. It made me almost regret what was about to go down, but fuck it. If I had to lay an old woman down, so be it, my little sister was at stake and anybody could get it. You, your moms, grandma, baby daddy, kids and all.
"Ma'am, are you Ms.Taylor?" I asked, just using the first name that was at the top of my head. She shook her head and then went to close the door back, but I forced my way in and everybody else came behind me. The lady frowned and went to scream, but I put my hand over her mouth and helped her sit down in one of the old ass chairs. My pops came in and put a gun to her head off the back. I sighed.
"Search this motherfucker," my dad yells as he stood with the gun pointed at the old woman who looked as if she was scared as hell now. I felt bad, but fuck it. The letter came from her address, so she knew some and her best bet was to spill the fucking tea.
"W-what's going on?" She asked in confusion and in fright as she looked around as my uncles and then ripped shit up and turned shit over looking for any and everything that could help us right now. It had been too long without a lead, so now that we had one we had to make sure of everything.
"All clear, ain't none." My uncle DJ yelled and that only made my dad angrier. He pulled the envelope from his back pocket and shoved it towards her so that she could see that clearly, her address was on there. She was scared, but no fucks were given.
"Who the fuck sent this?"
"Oh, I don't know sir. Please leave," she said too quickly, that had been a mistake on her end.
"It came from your fuckig address," he yelled and took the safety off of his gun as he wrapped his one finger tighter around the trigger. "Now one last time, who the fuck sent this shit?" He said once again, his deep voice ringing out inside of the small home.
"Oh, oh, yes a woman came by a few days ago and asked me to mail it off for her using my address. I didn't want too, but she offered me a lot of money and even gave me this in a bag. My grandson needs that money for college, I'm sorry sir. I was going to give it to him, his name is Jason," she said quickly as she pulled out a necklace. I snatched it from her hand because it looked mad familiar and it really made my blood boil. What the fuck?
"Pops, you know who shit this is right?" I asked as I showed it to him and everybody else. Silence filled the room, because betrayal was evident right now. We all knew that it was Delila's necklace, we all had different color diamonds and hers happened to be the only one that was orange. I sighed and shook my head as I pulled up a picture of her and showed it to the woman, just for confirmation.
"This her?" I ask and she nod quickly as she point towards the picture. From that point forward, I'd gotten a whole new outlook on family, blood. Not all family could be trusted, and that was clear now.
"Yes, that's the woman."
"Thank you ma'am, I'm sorry about your house." My pops said in a more calm tone as he reached into his pocket and tossed a wad of money into her lap and then we headed outside of the house. On our way out, my dad kicked off the woman's mailbox, making it come clean out of the dirt and fall. I shook my head and sighed as I wondered what the next move for us was. We'd found out who was behind this shit now we just had to find her, my own blood cousin had my sister all along and it pissed me off.
"What the fuck, so Delila has my baby! I knew some was wrong about that girl. Fuck!" He yelled as he headed over to his truck and pulled out a blunt. I took out my phone and decided to call Delila's phone to see if she'd pick up. It rang a few times and then I heard breathing on the other end, before she spoke.
"Yes, may I help you with something?" She asked and I could hear the amusement dripping from her voice as she talked.
"You stupid bitch, you better not touch a single hair on my fucking sisters head or I'm gone put a bullet through yours. I swear to God you ain't shit Delila, what a fucking disgrace-" I ranted, but she laughed and cut me off before I could even finish. This girl was a fucking looney, just like her mom. I'd heard about the stories of her mom and my dad and the bitch was crazy, rest her soul, but she was fucking crazy.
"That's funny that you mention hurting you sister, because we're in the middle of it right now. See, listen to her. Oh Dolani, your brother is on the phone." She said and then yelled to Dolani. I didn't get to say anything before Dolani's screams filled the phone. She was yelling my name and it got me mad and emotional again all at the same time. I refused to cry though as I listened to my baby sister as she screamed for help and there was nothing I could do.
"I have to go now," she chuckled and ended the call in my face. I didn't get a chance to utter another word before she ended it. I tried calling back again, but it said the number was disconnected, just that quickly. This shit was going too face and getting way too deep too soon. So much shit was going on in my life where I couldn't begin to keep up.
"Fuck!" I yelled in frustration as I sat on the curb. This shit had been deep before, but it had just gotten two times that just now.
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Dolani
"Ouch," I hissed as the warm water hit the open wound on my thigh. I was in pain, severe pain and I wanted to get out of here. After my daily beating, of course Daniel came with the bucket of warm water and towel to clean my body up. I'd gotten use to this treatment over time and I hated it, but didn't dare complain about it. He'd been the only one to take care of me during this time, so for that I appreciated him on a whole new level, even though he too played a part in this whole thing.
"Thank you again, you have been a blessing to me." I said truthfully as he washed over my body. He'd seen me naked more times than I could count, so I wasn't can uncomfortable around him like I should have. I had gotten to know a little about him since he was the only one here, and he was a nice guy, this just made him the worse. I sniffled and just sat there as he looked up at me and gave a weak smile, but he didn't respond to my words. It only made me go on to ask what his motive was behind this.
"Why? Why do you do all of this for me?" I went on as I looked up at him with tired eyes. He frowned and continued to wash every inch of my body until I was clean and blood was no longer visible on me.
"What do you mean?" Daniel retorted, and it made me angry. He knew exactly what I meant, I don't know why he was avoiding the question.
"Why? Why are you helping me?" I said, asking a different question with similar meanings. This time he stood up from the floor and went to sit the pail of water over against the wall and came back to dress me in one of his t-shirts and fresh underwear that he'd gotten for me over the pass week. I allowed him too, and once he was done he sat next to me and his arm went around my shoulder. I knew he was the enemy, but I couldn't help but to move closer into his embrace at this moment. I needed comfort.
"I don't know, okay? I just, I don't know. I only did this because of them ya know. They are all I really have, so I went along with this for them. I never knew my mom or anything about her, but obviously they did. Before now, I didn't really know you so it was easy to set you up, but now I wish I hadn't. I'm sorry again about that, it wasn't my intentions for things to go this far. I really like you Dolani and I'll do what I can to make sure you're okay. To be honest this is really my only way to stay alive, by doing what they say. If they even found out I was helping you out like this, they would kill me too. Don't ask why I just won't leave because I won't, I don't know why, I just won't." He said and I nodded before moving closer into his body, feeling the warmth of him.
"I feel dead," I said out of the blue and it was true.
"You're not dead," he retorted.
"Feels like it," I responded emotionlessly.
"You have to be strong,"
"Strong for what? My parents don't even know where I am or where to even look for me. By the way they are hurting me, I doubt that I'll even make it back to my family. I'm slowly losing faith and hope here Daniel." I said and he sighed before beginning to wipe away the tears that had started to fall. I pushed his hands away and did so myself before signing. "I just wanna go home." I mumbled out.
"Please stop crying," he said softly and I looked over at him. I don't know what took over me right then or what took over him either, but we grew closer and out lips met in a kiss. I was shocked at both myself and at him, but I didn't stop. His hand found my cheek as his thumb brushed against my skin. After a few seconds, I pulled away as I realized what I was doing and what he was doing to me. This couldn't be happening, I couldn't be doing this. He is the enemy.
"Thank you," I mumbled as I put some space in between us. I needed to sleep. Good thing was now, I didn't have to be handcuffed anymore thanks to him. It wasn't like I could escape from down here, there were no windows and the door was always locked. I was stuck down here until somebody found me.
"Don't sweat it, uh I gotta go." He said nervously as he stood up again and brushed off his pants. He gave me a small nod before heading up the stairs into the other part of the house. I sighed as I laid down along the cold wall and thought about what I'd just done. That's when I really begin to think and my senses started to add things up. This could be a good thing for me and I was kind of excited.
How could I not have saw this sooner? Daniel, oh little Daniel was such a sweet guy. Daniel would just be my way out of this, hopefully. I wasn't a Johnson for just any reason and any reason only, I could get my way out of this if I played the game right. I'd play my card until I couldn't play any longer and hope that it led me out of this place and back home to my parents. I couldn't let this hole consume me, things were already deep, but I had to get out before it got even deeper.
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Hope you enjoyed!
Excuse errors!
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Questions
1. Domani & Ashanti are having a baby boy? Do you think it'll be yet another Johnson thug or have they had enough of the lifestyle and finally raise a civilized boy?
2. Should Domani continuously feel guilty about Dolani being missing?
3. As far as anger problems, who is worse, Damian or Domani?
4. Can the game Dolani is trying to play put her into more stuff that she isn't ready for, or can it really be her escape?
xoxo @qveenV_