2 nights later (1:45 am)

"When are you gonna call Dajon?" King asked Renae as they sat in his new truck watching his corner boys.

It's been 2 days since the incident and the only thing Renae wanted to do was get out of Virginia.

"He has school in the morning, I'll call him when I think he's in lunch." She answered then touched her bandage.

Her wound was healing quicker than she expected, Karen used home remedies to speed up the process.

"What about yo pops?"

"He doesn't want to talk right now, said he feels like it's his fault for what happened to me." She replied as she started jotting down notes.

The moment they got back to New Orleans, she asked King to get her right to work.

He wanted her to start small, seeing how the corner boys worked was step 1.

"Did you know?" She asked.

"About?" He questioned.

"That she was on drugs."

"When I heard her laugh, it struck a nerve in me. Because my pops used to laugh da same way before he put his hands on my mom. Sometimes I hated him for it but then I also hated da drug 'cause da nigga was strung out." He told her and she nodded slowly.

Staring out the tinted window, she let her mind drift momentarily.

"Can't believe she hit me."

"Can't believe he put his hands on me." She spoke softly as she messed with her head scarf.

"No wonder she hated me so much."

"Aye? Don't beat yourself up dat Nae. Yo momma is sick and needs help, that's da only reason I ain't kill her or yo deadbeat because I know a part of you still has love for em." King told her.

"When you think about it..." she began as she looked down.

"Never mind." She mumbled looking back at the boys.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing, how long are we gonna watch them?" She questioned changing the subject.

Staring at her momentarily, King glanced at the time.

"Until you wanna leave I guess." He answered and she nodded.

"How well have they've been doing?"

"Pretty good, they seemed to have been trained well." He replied letting his window down some.

"Do you feel like you can trust them?" She asked seeing a few of the boys joking around.

"Maybe, it's always on da fence wit folks in dis business." He told her as he reclined his seat back some.

"You trust Jamel and Ty?" She asked and he gave her a funny look.

"You don't?" He asked.

"I do... just wanna make sure you do." She replied.

"Something I should know?"

"No, just wanna make sure I'm not befriending people you barley trust." She clarified and he nodded slowly.

"Like you and Zina?" He asked and she gave him a look.

"Yeah, I knew y'all hung out." He informed raising a brow.

"If you ain't like her why you hang with her?"

Shrugging, she looked down at her notes.

"I was trying to give her a chance... but she always had something to say about you." She stated and he chuckled.

"Maybe because she's jealous." He spoke and she furrowed her brows.

"Of me?"

Nodding, King chuckled.

"Before I moved up to Virginia, she came down for the Weezyfest and I ran into her. We ain't fuck but she gave me head." He announced and she pursed her lips together.

"That's why she always found a reason to throw jabs at you?" She asked and he nodded.

"Out of respect, I told Malik when he helped me get into some business. He was mad for about three weeks and she swore up and down that she never met me a day in her life. But the moment her ass hit nineteen she started showing her true colors but I never gave her any play." He revealed.

Renae just sat there taking in the new information.

"Anyone else I should know about?"

"Nah, just her." He assured then thought on it.

"I did mess with about three girls out here though, not sure if they still live around da way or not because I haven't seen them."

"What were they like? Are they like Autumn?" She questioned.

"Hard to tell, haven't heard anything of them once I left. I don't think they are." He answered and she nodded.

"Ok." She replied looking back at the guys.

"So what's this shipment I heard you talking about?" She asked and he chuckled.

"So you ear hustling now?" He joked and she smiled softly.

"I've been trying to decode your gang talk since we've been hanging out, I think I have some right to know." She replied then smirked and he laughed.

"I'll put you on when you get there, right now I want you to focus on da lil dudes aight?" He reasoned.

"Where do I go from there?"

"To da trap, you can cook da products or help bag em and count money." He replied.

"When do I train?" She asked.

"In between, depending on if I'll be home by the time you are." He answered.

"You're gonna start leaving soon?" She asked disappointedly.

"Not until you get yo spot in da trap." He clarified.

"Why can't I just start under you?"

"I need you to build knowledge from personal experience not from word of da mouth. You cool with dat?" He asked.

"Yeah." She answered opening the door.

"What you doing?" He asked about to get out as well.

"Just watch, I'll be back."

**

8:30 that evening (5 hours before)

"So Aunt E is a crack head and you've been covering for her?" Keenan asked his mom as she broke down everything to him at the table.

"Yeah... technically... uh she used to be a street walker. She never listened to your grandma, she wanted to "explore" and learn on her own. That was until she met a pimp..."

"Pimp?" He questioned and she nodded looking off.

Norfolk Va

June 1993

"What is yo ass doing out here still?" Tamia questioned exiting her car. "How'd you find me?" Egypt asked zipping up her jacket that was two sizes too small.

"Bryson just called me, what the hell E? You told me you were at work." She stressed grabbing her little sister's arm.

Having a father who didn't want anything to do with them was pretty hard for the 2.

It was bad enough their mother was working 3 jobs to keep the bills paid meaning she had little time to spend with them and keeping an eye on them.

Although they were grown, she still felt she had to watch out for them.

She and Egypt couldn't set horses nor come to an understanding.

Tamia took not having a father better than Egypt.

She was the leveled headed good girl and well, Egypt was the 'rebel'

"What the hell his ass calling you for? Don't he know snitches get stitches?" Egypt asked allowing her attitude to show.

"Maybe because that's supposed to be your "friend"." Tamia replied shoving her into the car.

"Aye aye!" A male voice called, ignoring the call Tamia walked around to the driver side and snatched her door open just as the stranger came into view.

"Where you going my love?" He asked smirking, Tamia turned her nose up and looked the man over.

He couldn't be no more than 5'7

His hair was sleeked back with deep waves on top of his head, his brows were surprisingly arched yet bushy.

He rocked a blue sapphire ring on his pinky finger, his shoes yelled 'expensive' and his clothes yelled 'run'

"Excuse me." She spoke removing his hand from her car door.

Climbing inside, he placed his hand on the hood of her car and bent down looking inside.

"Say love?" He greeted looking at Egypt.

"You work round her right?" He asked reaching his hand through the window.

Before Egypt could place her hand into his, Tamia shoved his hand out the window and grabbed her shank.

"Keep yo filthy ass fingers and eyes away from my sister. Don't you got some hookers to sex on?" She spat.

Chuckling, he stood upright and fixed his suit giving Egypt a glimpse of the nice watch he wore on his right wrist and the snake tattoo he had on the top of his hand.

"I'm Ahmed." He introduced ignoring her and Egypt eyes lit up.

"Didn't ask, move unless you want your foot missing." Tami replied then backed up and he jumped back.

Staring at her with a sinister smirk, she rolled her eyes and sped off sure to leave tire marks in the pavement.

Present day

"So Nae's dad was a pimp and Aunt E was his uh... hoe?" Keenan asked and Tamia nodded then shook her head.

"That man is dangerous, he not sick, it's a game he's been playing and I don't know why in the hell E gave him permission to see Renae. When he's around his minions aren't too far behind, that man is the devil in flesh and I can't tell you how many times he and I got into it." She spoke and he rose a brow.

"Like y'all actually fought?"

"Yup, he used to beat on E."

June, 1994 (1 year later)

"I'll be there to pick him up tomorrow morning mama, they finally approved me for maternity leave." Tamia announced as she spoke with Elise, her and Egypt's mother.

"Don't rush, I know you've been waiting to hear back from that fiancé of yours, hoping he'll be back soon." She replied and Tamia smiled.

Kamari and her were high school sweethearts, they got married after he finished his boot camp training for the military.

Tamia had plans on joining but Egypt made her change her mind.

She didn't want to leave E alone just to come back and find out that she's died because of an overdose.

With Egypt being 24 now she figured her baby sister would want better for her life.

But she gave her life to the streets at the age of 16 and never looked back.

Elise gave up on her once she had a pregnancy scare, so it's always been Tamia picking up the pieces like always.

"When's the next time you get to write him?" Elise asked snapping Tamia out of her thoughts.

"I write that man every day, I know they be tired of me." She answered and they both laughed.

"Hold up mom, I think that's E ass right now." She stressed putting the phone down and got out the bed.

Walking out her room, she entered the living room just as Ahmed smacked Egypt down to the floor.

"Oh hell no!" She exclaimed grabbing her custom made wooded baseball bat.

"You have lost your fucking mind!" She spoke then swung at Ahmed hitting him right in his back.

Yelling, he fell to his knees and she went to hit him again until Egypt started screaming.

"Don't!! It's my fault!" She panicked standing in front of a pissed off Ahmed.

"What?! Don't hit me with that bullshit E, he's a grown ass man. He don't have no business putting hands on you!" Tamia yelled ready to hit him again.

"I told you not to fall for his smooth talk and what did yo ass do? Now he in here whooping yo ass!"

"Long as she works for me, I got every right." He stated standing to his feet and Tamia laughed.

"Negro long as she's MY sister and in MY house, I will take this bat all upside yo body do you hear me?" She warned.

Not taking her threat lightly, Ahmed pushed Egypt out the way and grabbed Tamia by her neck.

Before she could swing, he grabbed the bat and head butted her causing her to stumble back drawing blood from her lip.

Egypt, high and afraid stood in the corner shaking with tears in her eyes.

"I am so tired of you bitches." He spat tossing her bat to the side, Tamia backed up grabbed her music box from off the table and threw it right in his face.

Before he had time to react she sent a powerful kick to his balls causing him to double over.

"Every. Time. I. See. You. I'm. Beating. Your. Sorry ass." She spoke with each punch.

"Get the fuck out my house you wannabe pimp."

Picking up her bat, ready to swing on him, Ahmed hurried to his feet and gave Egypt a knowing look before he left out sure to leave the front door open.

"Why would you do that?!" Egypt screamed picking up her pocketbook and ran out the house.

Shaking her head, Tamia leaned against the sofa and examined her hand.

"Lord you better take him before I do."

*

*

*

Thoughts?