"How do you make your own decisions without thinking of people that are not your own self."
~unknown
Rosè's laughter filled the bedroom as it erupted from the phone; a video of her and Kai playing basketball in the arcade seemed to be going viral with "goals" written everywhere. Royale was more annoyed than she had been in a really long time. All Dash and Lotus had to do was distract Kai for a little longer and Rosè would've done something else with her life. Now she had to take it into her own hands once again.
She knew she couldn't keep Rosè to her word the moment they made a deal and though she had let go of the lawsuit she damn sure had other ways to get back at her. After three years, she figured Rosè would be over everything but somehow Kai was still putting himself in her path. Royale couldn't understand it— it had never been that what between her and Kai. He never fought for her. They would just come to an agreement on whether or not they wanted to still be together and that was that.
But with Rosè, it was different. And Royale hated it.
Watching it from afar on every vacation, every event, behind the scenes wherever Lotus was whether she was sitting afar in a car or in the vey next room, Royale noticed every difference.
What made her so different? Why did he want her? And even after lurking his and her page for hours, she couldn't get an answer.
"I can't believe I considered this girl a friend." Royale groaned under her breath as she swiped pass the video, rolling her eyes.
She was home for once instead of at work, laying against her headboard with her phone cupped in her hands. Her long weave slithered down her arms and back delicately as she lounged in peace. Her face was calm despite her insides feeling frantic.
Suddenly, a picture of Lotus's face came into view with the options to decline or accept the call. She let out a deep breath before tapping the green icon to accept the call, propping herself up on one arm before putting the phone to her ear. She flipped her hair out the way and waited a while before actually saying something.
"Hello?" She finally said, snatching the bitterness from her voice.
"Okay, so where's the money?" Lotus asked through the phone almost immediately.
Royale rolled her eyes, sneering. "What money?" She got back.
Lotus scoffed, laughing a little to herself. "Don't play with me, Royale. The money, the money you were paying us to try to fix your little situation—"
"Try? Or do?" Royale questioned. "Because last I checked, I was paying you to fix it. Not try. And as long as your side is unfinished, you're broke. However, the deal stands until its fixed. At least for Dash."
"At least for Dash?" Lotus chuckled. "Really?"
Royale was silent, a grim smile sitting on her face as she stared blankly ahead. She was living words unsaid for a reason; nothing would be held against her when it was her time to strike.
"Okay." Lotus said, a small laugh leaving her mouth again. "Say no more."
With that, the phone hung up and a small look of uncertainty crossed over Royale's face. Only for a moment before it disappeared and she smiled again. Lotus isn't going to do shit.
***
"That was fun." Rosè said with a smile as she carried the giant monkey in her arms. "And I see you got you some fans or whatever now.."
Kai shook his head before opening his mouth and revealing his vampire teeth. Rosè rolled her eyes, laughing as he chomped down on them repeatedly.
"Moveee." She whined, pushing away from him before he grabbed her in an embrace and hugged her tightly against his body. He growled like an animal playfully at her before picking her up in his arms and pressing her against his car. She gave him a serious face, putting her index finger on his nose. "Nooo, bad vampire."
He turned his head to the side before spitting the fake teeth out and going in for a kiss. It was at that moment that Rosè had realized how bad she had been wanting him for a minute as the kids quickly deepened. His erection made it is easy to see that he felt mutually.
Their tongues intertwined and for a moment they forgot they were in public as Kai began to grind against her slowly.
"I love you." He mumbled between the kiss.
Her heart skipped a beat and she smiled against his lips. "I love you."
Finally, Kai backed up and opened her door for her. She rolled her eyes playfully before hugging her monkey tightly and getting in the car.
"Thanks."
Not even ten minutes into the ride back to the hotel, Rosè was sleeping soundly. Kai sat in deep thought, a permanent smile glued to his face as his recapped the night. Everyone telling them how "cute" they looked brushed his ego, he knew they could be something close to perfect and he loved that other people saw it too. And with that sparked a potentially wild ass idea; something that may keep Rosè in his life forever and he thought he was ready for it but he had to see what Rosè thought about it.
Cardi flicked her thumb against the lighter repeatedly until she was able to catch a flame against the blunt she had prepped before stuffing it back into her pocket. Beside her, Milan and Noir watched their surroundings carefully— scoping out the area. They were in the same warehouse they ended Syrah and handled a lot of other "important" shit at. Dyme stood over in the cut not too far away, her hand cuffed around a chain tightly that was linked to a man with a pillowcase tied to his head.
Cardi gave a signal and Dyme nodded, pulling the chain to instruct the man to move. He grunted his disapproval but still moved.
"Get in the chair." Dyme ordered, yanking the chain harder. The man fell forward, showing how weak he was after being beaten hour after hour for weeks. "Hurry your ass up."
He stumbled up into the chair and slouched down uncomfortably. He had been on his knees every day of the torture and they were now red and the skin was peeled back, busted open and still bleeding. Whenever he moved, it hurt and his pain was probably all over his face. Dyme ripped off the pillowcase and his face was revealed with sweat, tears and blood pelted down his face and neck.
"Good morning, sunshine." Cardi told him, almost seductively. "I just wanted to see how you were doing... wanted to let you know that you're about to be apart of something really special and if you don't comply, you die. See how simple that was? Now, I'm gonna hand you the mic and you're gonna answer me one question— do you wanna live or die?"
His lips quivered, obviously he was a bit panicky considering he had been isolated from everyone and everything for a while now. It literally ate shit everyday and every time he had water, it tasted so terrible. Struggling to live never put him in the position to want it so bad before. He didn't think he deserved it but maybe... maybe this was his karma.
***
"Who did this?" Jewelle asked, her eyes low as she looked down at the love of her life. Her heart kept beating a mile a minute but she felt dead to the world. She had never seen him in such a bad shape.
Justice shook his head slowly.
As if there was anything she could do. Jewelle was a college girl who had been in the suburbs all her life. Justice was the complete opposite, probably a corner boy since ten and never once had he questioned his lifestyle until he met her. He saw the money and he knew he needed it but the consequences sounded bad and options seemed so limited. Jewelle helped him see all of that but he always thought he was doing it for the right reasons, that's why he kept doing it. That's what he should've told her. Then, maybe she could understand.
Who he worked for... there was no coming out. Everyone had a number, everyone had a job. "What they needed, they could have and what they wanted, they could keep. But all is in debt and the pain would never sleep." That had always been their motto.
You were in or you died trying to get out. So it was always a question of do you wanna live or die?
But she would never understand because she never had to deal with it.
"I.. tried." He mumbled, his face was clean but obviously still hurt. It hurt just to talk. The lumps on his face showed how hard of a beating he had taken and the disappointment on his face showed how much it was for nothing. "I tried before and I tried today, man."
"What are you talking about?" Jewelle asked.
"There ain't no getting out, J. There is no happy ending for me, regardless of if that's what we want or not. It's about what we need... not about what we want." He told her, tears streaming down his cheeks. "And even if I want you, I can't choose you over what I need."
Jewelle felt a lump form in her throat. "So.. what are you saying?" She asked, squinting at him.
"You with me or you not?" He asked her.
____________
So... I've decided to ask questions this time.
What do think Kai is about to ask Rosè?
Who did Cardi have?
What do you think Jewelle will say?
What is Royale about to get herself into?