Back with another chapter
Lights flashed into Jazmine Dubois's eyes, and she pulled her hand up to shield them. There was loud music blaring from speakers, and she could barely hear herself think over the conversations in the room. People were talking, laughing, screaming, and howling to each other and to the music. In the back, she spotted the strippers, who pranced around like dolls, their hands outstretched to take money from onlookers. It was just another night in Woodcrest's Underworld, which seemed to be growing as of late. The last time Jazmine was here, it wasn't nearly as crowded. Business must have been booming for more of the boss's to be coming out of the shadows.
She stopped as she reached the bottom of the stairs, and bumped into her best friend, Cindy McPhearson. Cindy had stopped to scope out the scene, "What'cha wanna do?" She asked Jazmine, turning to look at her with big blue eyes that glimmered in the flashing lights.
Jazmine shrugged, wincing at a pain in her shoulder. Cindy arched a brow, "You sure you good Jazzy?" She sounded concerned.
Jazmine smiled reassuringly and nodded, "Of course. That shotgun just had a little more kickback than I thought." She chuckled, readjusting her shoulder, "I'm surprised I don't have a bigger bruise."
Cindy laughed, grabbing ahold of Jazmine's hand, "C'mon Jaz, when was the last time you got laid?" She asked her, arching her brow.
Jazmine rolled her eyes, "Two months ago." She admitted, looking down at her heels. Jazmine had been so caught up with her own plans that she hadn't had time to even look for a partner, even though it was always only for sex. Jazmine didn't do 'dating' anymore, she hadn't since, well, high school, and that was a lifetime ago.
Cindy eyed her best friend and sighed; she knew that Jazmine had a harder time looking for partners, not because she couldn't get anyone, but because she was just so damn picky. Cindy herself didn't think much of the partners she selected; she rarely contacted them again after a one night stand. "C'mon, let's go get some drinks." she said, and Jazmine nodded. Cindy led Jazmine through the crowd, weaving around the standing people, towards the bar area.
"Well, well, if it isn't Emerald and Crystal." A voice said, stopping the two in their tracks.
Jazmine turned around and rolled her eyes as soon as she saw who'd spoken, "T-ba, what are you doing?" She asked, although it was more of a rhetorical question. The real question was why wouldn't he be there?
T-ba, a tall African-American man with a cropped hairstyle, dark skin, and warm brown eyes, only flashed the two a sneaky grin before snaking his arm around Cindy's waist and pulling her into him, planting a kiss on her neck, "I'm just here to scope out the scene." He replied innocently, "See who's willing to get laid tonight." He looked Cindy up and down, and she smirked, but then she frowned slightly, "Not tonight T-ba." She said, pulling away from his grasp.
T-ba frowned slightly, although it was quickly masked with a pleading smile, "C'mon Crys," he said, calling her by a little nickname he'd given her.
Cindy rolled her eyes now, "No man, I'm still pissed off at you for fuckin' with Leticia behind my back. You know me and that bitch don't like each other." Cindy crossed her arms over her chest, "She's tryna act like she's hot shit just cause she's gone from being a stripper to the mistress of Cyan this past month."
T-ba sighed, exasperated, "I only fucked her cause you and Jazmine over here left for a whole week!" he argued, trying to defend himself. He gave the girls an apologetic grin, "You know I only have eyes for you Cindy baby." he mused.
Cindy rolled her eyes once more, "Yeah, like I'd believe that!" She shot back, "I know your game, 'cause it's the same one we play." T-ba sighed, and made another advancement towards Cindy.
Jazmine stepped in, blocking him from reaching Cindy, "Go fuck with one of those strippers over there." She gestured behind her, to the stage, "We ain't feeling it tonight. You don't want to make us mad, do you?" As if to warn him, she pulled out a jet black gun, a glock, from the purse she carried, flashing it at T-ba menacingly.
T-ba raised his hands up and began backing away, "Aye, can't blame a dude for tryna shoot his shot." he said. His eyes caught hold of another girl passing by, and he disappeared into the crowd.
Cindy huffed, "Why do we still fuck with him?" she asked Jazmine. Jazmine shrugged, "Cause his dick game is pretty good." The two erupted into laughter, "C'mon, I'm still looking to drink." Jazmine said, interlocking an arm with Cindy's.
Across the room, Huey and Riley gawked at the two, mesmerized. They were just as beautiful as they'd remembered. But even from their position several yards away, they could feel the intensity of the power they had over everyone else. Everyone around them moved out of their way as soon as they saw them, and no one actually approached the two except for the one man, whom neither Huey nor Riley got a good look at.
Huey turned to Riley, "I think I'm ready to go." he said, "I got to see her, I know she's okay now."
"Okay but who the fuck was that with them?" Riley sounded angry, "Did you see how he was with Cindy? He was all over her!" He stood up, as if planning to confront someone, but Ed grabbed his arm and held him back, "Whoa, wait, remember y'all can't actually go up to them!"
"He's right," Huey said, pulling his brother back down into his seat, "don't go fucking this up now, Riley. We just came to see them, and now that we have, it's time to bounce."
Riley felt his face burning with anger, but his brother was right. He hadn't realized he still had feelings for Cindy, but when he saw that man manhandle her like that...it crushed him internally.
"I need to go talk to them, maybe divert them from the exit so we can leave." Ed said, "Y'all stay put, and don't be seen." Riley slouched in his seat, defeated, as Huey nodded to him.
Ed had managed to weave his way through the crowd, and came face to face with the two girls. Their faces broke out into huge smiles, "Ed!" Cindy exclaimed, fist bumping him.
Jazmine nodded his way, "Ed, I haven't seen you here in a while, any reason for the appearance?"
Ed shrugged, "Nah, no reason. We're just here to drink" he said, scratching his head.
Jazmine gave him a look of disbelief, "There's dozens of bars in Woodcrest, Ed. Are you sure you aren't here to...score?" She gave him a sly smile.
This was a regular question the girls asked their friends all the time. They couldn't figure out why Ed and Rummy decided to leave the scene. Ed and Rummy were well known throughout Woodcrest crime, and they had only honed and perfected their skills over the years,
"Nah, we ain't in the game no more." Ed replied.
"Too bad." Cindy shrugged, "Aye though, we just made a perfect plan. We'd love you and Rummy to join." She said, ignoring what he'd just said, "It's gonna be…a big job." She turned to Jazmine, who smirked.
Ed shrugged, "Uh, maybe, but hey, I need to tell y'all something." He gestured for the two to sit with him at a nearby table, and they complied. The two had managed to snag drinks off of a woman who'd been walking around with a tray full of shots, and took their first sips of the night.
He needed to come up with something to get them talking so Huey and Riley could leave unseen, but what was there to talk about?
Rummy heard commotion coming from the upper level; faint stomping could be heard above ground. Huey and Riley looked up, "What was that?" Riley asked.
Rummy frowned, "Cops," he muttered, "They've been tryna raid this place for weeks. Maybe they've finally got the manpower." He took one last shot before standing up, "I'm gonna go warn Ed. Stay near me."
"Are you sure we should go over there?" Huey asked, standing with Riley.
Rummy shook his head, "Just stay behind me, somewhere in the crowd." he instructed, "I dunno what Ed's telling them, but knowin' him he's gonna try to draw it out as long as possible."
The three began to move through the crowd, running into people on accident and almost tripping over dresses that were a tad too long on some women, "Why the cops tryna raid now?" Riley asked, to which Rummy shrugged, "I dunno, they always come by this place but never do anything. Most of the cops in this area are bribed by other crime lords to keep quiet, but there are some that remain loyal to their force. Those are the hard asses that don't comply, and usually they remain under the radar because some crime lords will take hits out on them." Huey and Riley nodded, but the thought still made them uneasy.
Cindy eyed her old friend, "What is it?" she asked, arching a brow. She and Jazmine knew that Ed was hiding something from them just by his body language; he was an easy guy to read.
Before Ed could answer, he felt a hand on his shoulder, "Ed," Rummy leaned over slightly, "I smell cops." he said, glancing around. He looked up at the girls, who were now frowning as they tilted their glasses around on the table.
"We gotta go, now," he said firmly. They stood up, Cindy sighing, "Ugh, our first time here in a while and we already have to leave. I got all dressed up for nothing!" She grabbed her purse and set down her empty glass roughly onto the table.
Jazmine stood up and smoothed out her dress, nodding her head, "Let's just go out somewhere," she suggested, "treat ourselves to a romantic dinner for two." They began giggling with each other.
Huey and Riley lost Rummy in the crowd, but had finally spotted him just as they heard a loud bang from above, which echoed throughout the building. As soon as that happened, the people around them began to run like ants, trying to find a way to get out before they could be arrested. They were nearly trampled by a few strippers trying to run towards the back, and had to push past several other distorted figures before they were able to spot Rummy and Ed standing in front of a table, their backs to them.
Without thinking, Riley had raced up to Rummy, Huey behind him, and had grabbed onto his shoulder, "Yo man, we gotta go!" He yelled over the loud commotion.
Rummy turned around, his face going pale, "What are you doin'?!" He demanded in a frantic whisper, and it was then that the brothers realized that they were still talking to Jazmine and Cindy. Riley felt his mouth go dry, and Huey clenched his fists tightly. Ed tried to stand up to block the girls' view as best he could, but he was pushed back down into his seat by Cindy, who heard an all-too familiar voice. She and Jazmine peered around Rummy, and their hearts stopped.
Without thinking, Jazmine pulled out her gun from her purse and pointed it at Huey, Cindy following. It was like an instant reaction; they didn't think, blink, or even breathe. Rummy stood in the way, blocking the two girls from getting a clear shot, which frustrated both of them.
Jazmine felt her blood begin to boil, and Cindy's eyes had narrowed and her cheeks were burning from rage. Rummy tried to say something, but Cindy shifted her gun to point at him, and he clamped his mouth shut once more. After eyeing him, she tried to aim back at Riley, but was still unable to get a clear shot.
"What the FUCK are you doing here?" Jazmine demanded, her voice like thunder in the crowd. She had a firm grip on her gun, and she looked ready to fire at any moment.
Rummy shook his head, "Listen Jazmine, we can explain everything, but right now we gotta go!" he said, trying to reason with her. At this point, neither girl looked like they wanted to reason, they looked like they wanted to kill.
Huey and Riley couldn't hide the surprise that crept onto their faces. Jazmine and Cindy were literally trying to point guns at them with the intention of killing them, and it was in that moment that both boys realized the gravity of the situation, and how much they both had truly changed.
Huey gawked at Jazmine for a moment, and Riley eyed Cindy up and down. He turned to his brother, who nodded. Without hesitation, Huey pulled out his own gun from where he'd been hiding it and aimed at Jazmine, while Riley had pulled out his and pointed it directly at Cindy's head.
Ed's jaw dropped, "The fuck y'all doing? We gotta go!" he screamed.
There was another loud bang, and he shimmied out of the group and took off into the crowd. Rummy looked back and forth at the girls and at the boys before speaking: "Can y'all kill each other AFTER we get outta here?" He asked, giving the four hard looks.
Jazmine huffed, "I'd rather shoot him here NOW." Her voice was like ice, and it killed Huey to hear her that way. But she had every reason to be mad at him.
"Who the fuck—," Cindy began, but a gunshot forced the five to duck down.
Riley groaned, "C'mon nigga!" He grabbed Huey's arm.
Cindy's heart leapt in her chest as she heard Riley's voice, and her palms began to sweat. Riley had pulled Huey up and the two were starting to make a run for it, following Ed, "What about-," Huey tried, but Riley shook his head, "If they wanna stay here and die, then that's their business."
Huey nodded grimly and followed behind Riley. Rummy went after them, leaving the two girls alone at the table. However, another loud bang forced the two to follow.
They made their way through the back, where a kitchen was. Ed was already at a back door, which led down another dark hallway. "C'mon!" He got Riley's attention, and he dragged himself and Huey to the door first. They let Rummy race past them, and then Cindy and Jazmine approached, out of breath but still angry as hell.
They cast the two hardened glares, and Jazmine stopped just as she passed Huey, "Just who do you think—," she was ready to attack Huey, but there was a loud gunshot in the room that caused a few other escapees to scream.
Instinctively, Huey grabbed onto Jazmine and pulled her down with him roughly, and she yelped as she hit the ground. Riley grabbed Cindy's arm and pulled her through the back door, pulling out his gun. Cindy toppled over herself in the hallway and grunted as her back connected with the hard floor, and she looked up at Riley, who was standing at the doorway, his gun drawn and ready to shoot.
Huey already had his gun out, and as soon as he had the chance, he stood up, readied his gun, aimed, and began firing.
Two cops managed to make their way inside the room, but Huey shot at them before they could respond. After firing three times, the two went down; one shot in the head and the other shot in the chest, killing them both instantly. Their bodies crumpled down like dolls, and blood began oozing out of their bullet wounds, making the once white floor a dark red.
Jazmine gapped at the sight; she had no idea Huey had the balls to kill two people, cops at that, in cold blood. She looked up at Huey, who only looked down at her.
For the first time that night, Jazmine got a good look at him. The lighting was terrible, but she could still see his familiar defined facial features. His brows were furrowed into a hardened glare, and he was breathing heavily. Sweat was dripping down the side of his face, and he wiped it off with the back of his arm. Jazmine bit her bottom lip and looked away, face slightly flushing.
She stood up and dashed through the door, followed by Huey. Cindy had managed to stand back up, denying Riley's assistance. They rejoined with Ed and Rummy, who had managed to make it halfway down the hall, and continued the rest of the way together, running away from the sound of gunshots and screams.
After a few twists and turns, they made their way out a side door, and jumped out into the dark night. The cool air nipped at the girls' exposed skin, and they tried to ignore it as they ran. They followed Ed, who seemed to be leading the way at this point. They rounded a corner, and ducked down just as a few cops rushed past. They pinned themselves to the walls of the building and stuck low to the ground. They waited a few moments, before Ed whispered loudly to the group: "Let's go to my car!"
Before anyone could say anything, Ed and Rummy took off. Riley and Huey both sighed and followed after Ed and Rummy, forcing the girls to join, although they were reluctant. Jazmine had taken her phone out and had dialed a number, "Meet me in the back of that old parking lot near the place." She ordered the person that answered the phone, and hung up.
They managed to find Ed's car after shimming into the parking lot through a gaping hole in the fence that bordered the lot, and Riley and Huey were glad that they had parked so close to the edge.
However, upon approaching it, they were forced to crouch low again as more cops raced by, guns drawn and everything. "Damn," Ed muttered, "we can't get outta here with all these cops!" He unlocked the door, which made no noise, and grabbed ahold of their bags.
He tossed Huey and Riley their things, while slinging his over his shoulder and handing Rummy his. He closed the door quietly, and went around the front in silence, snapping off the license plate. Rummy had pried off the one in the back, and had shoved it into his bag to hide it.
"What're we gonna do?" Riley whispered to Ed. He and Huey were looking at the scene in front of them, and their options did not look good; the building was being bombarded with cops, and the surrounding area was blocked off, making it impossible to slip by unnoticed, especially in their attire.
Ed shrugged, "We'll just have to make a run for it." He turned to the girls, "Let's get y'all outta here, you called your car?" Jazmine nodded.
The six turned around and left the same way they'd came in, following the girls now, as quietly and quickly as possible. A helicopter flew over them, and they had to stop for a moment to wait for a few more cops on foot to pass by, but were able to jump out through the same hole and raced across the street into an alleyway.
They hid behind a dumpster and tried to catch their breaths. "He's c-coming," Jazmine gasped for air. She and Cindy leaned against a wall, taking in the coolness of the brick behind them.
A few seconds later, just as Jazmine had said, a large SRT Durango pulled up, black as night. The windows were heavily tinted, and Huey and Riley couldn't see who was driving it. However, they were pushed forwards by Rummy; he was forcing them into the car.
"Oh no you—," Cindy tried to object, but Ed gave her a pleading look. Before either girls' could consent, Rummy shoved the two boys into the backseat of the car, following them in. Ed raced around the front and jumped into the passenger's side, and Jazmine and Cindy jumped in after Rummy and slammed the door shut.
The driver, who never turned around, began edging forwards, trying to not look suspicious. It wasn't all too difficult; the cops were too focused on the building and the people trying to escape to notice the car turn a corner and take off down the street, veiled by the dark of the night.
Huey and Riley were in the very back, gasping for breath. They hadn't gone through something like this in years, and running that much made both boys want to throw up, but they forced themselves to sit up in their seats instead. They were drenched in sweat, and Huey began pulling off his jacket along with Riley. The two glanced up and were met with the hardened gaze of two very angry looking young women.
Huey gulped, "H-hey Jazmine."
They drove in silence, and ended up at another part of town. The whole time, no one dared say a thing, which made the drive even more awkward and terrifying at the same time.
The driver stopped the car, "We'll get out here for now." Jazmine said, breaking the silence. She opened the backseat door and stepped out into the cool night air. She had to take a few deep breaths to try and calm her quickening heartbeat. She was followed by Rummy and Cindy, and Huey and Riley hopped out as quickly as they could. Ed had also exited the car.
They were in another alleyway, and Riley sighed, wiping sweat off of his brow, "Goddamn," he muttered, totally beat.
Huey happened to turn Jazmine's way when he spotted her hand moving back to her purse slowly, her eyes trained on him. Without hesitation, he pulled out his gun once more and shoved Riley forcefully, getting his attention. Riley, who was trying to catch his breath, realized what was going on and reacted accordingly. Huey pointed his gun at Jazmine, and Riley managed to pull his out as well, aiming for Cindy. He barely had time to think about what was going on, he just knew that this meant danger.
Cindy joined, cracking her neck as she pointed her gun at Riley, and now the four stood face to face, pointing their guns at one another and giving each other hardened glares.
It got eerily quiet. Everything around them seemed to stop. Suddenly, Huey was very aware of how chilly it was, and the dark was starting to get to Riley as he blinked, trying to steady his vision.
Ed and Rummy inhaled at the same time sharply, realizing that this had not gone as planned. Gently, Ed touched Cindy's shoulder, "Now c'mon…," he tried, but Cindy interrupted him, "Why the FUCK did you think it was okay to bring these two to OUR Underworld?" she demanded sharply, her voice like venom. She glared at Riley, "And where the fuck did these two pop up from?"
Jazmine looked Huey up and down, but it wasn't in a good way, "Give me a reason why I shouldn't shoot you dead." she demanded, although it was a rhetorical question.
Huey and Riley stood there in silence, their bodies rigid. Huey hadn't dared look Jazmine in the eyes, but slowly, his met hers in a chilling stare off.
Jazmine felt her heartbeat quicken as she stared into Huey's mesmerizing, wine colored eyes for the first time that night. She couldn't bring herself to look directly at him, but now that she was, it sent a chill down her spine. They were the same eyes she remembered from her childhood, the same eyes that could stare directly into her soul.
Cindy felt her heart skip a beat as she instantly recognized the playful look in Riley's eyes, although they were hardened in the moment. This was Riley...but Cindy refused to give in to Riley's eyes ever again. She needed to be strong, like Jazmine, even though everything in her mind was telling her to stop.
Jazmine mentally cursed herself as she realized how weak her arm was becoming, and she blinked, averting her gaze slightly, "Who the fuck do you think you are?" She demanded, but it was directed at Huey.
Cindy shifted her weight, her grip never faltering on her gun, "Say something damn it!" she ordered.
Huey licked his dry lips, "I don't have an answer," he replied smoothly, his silky voice wrapping around Jazmine. She shook her head, and he continued, "I don't have an answer, you probably should just shoot me."
"Nigga what the fuck?!" Riley snapped, turning his head slightly to look at his brother, his eyes narrowing, "Why the fuck…shut yo damn mouth!" he hissed, but Huey shook his head, "I don't have any reason why you shouldn't shoot me Jazmine." And then, to Riley's bewilderment, Huey slowly lowered his gun.
Riley groaned, "Nigga are you fuckin' crazy?!" He only tightened his grip on his own gun, getting ready to fire, "We got two pissed off crime lords pointing guns at us and you choose NOW to be stupid?"
Huey only ignored his brother's pleas, his eyes locked on Jazmine. Realizing that Huey was not going to change his mind, Riley shifted his weight slightly, and lowered his own gun, too.
Cindy and Jazmine were shocked. Jazmine's jaw dropped slightly, and Cindy's eyes widened. They hadn't expected the two to just give up so easily, especially since Jazmine just saw Huey kill two people less than twenty minutes ago. They could easily start shooting, they could easily fight back, but they weren't. They were trying to make peace.
"Jaz, Cin…," Rummy said, forcing the four to remember that they had two other people watching them, "now's not the time to get revenge. Y'all can do whatever you want later…but right now, they need to get back to their granddad."
He approached the two girls with Rummy, giving them both hardened but pleading looks. "Granddad?" Cindy arched a brow, chuckling softly, "He's still alive?"
"Barely." Riley shot back, "Why do you think we're here? He wants to die here already." He looked down, not wanting to meet Cindy's gaze.
Cindy felt her voice catch in her throat, and she realized that she had nothing to say. She cursed herself mentally; after all these years, Riley was still the only man who could ever make Cindy question what she was doing.
Jazmine was confused, she had no idea what to do. In a situation like this, she would've already shot Huey and Riley dead and would've been on her merry way.
This was Huey...the Huey who left her. Those memories made Jazmine itch; she wanted to kill him. She wanted to watch the life leave his eyes as he died by her hand. She wanted to leave that alleyway knowing that she had gotten her revenge, that she could now move on from Huey Freeman. But the more she stared into his eyes, the more she couldn't bring herself to pull the trigger.
After what seemed like an eternity, Jazmine lowered her gun, her eyes trained solely on Huey. Cindy groaned beside her, but followed Jazmine's lead and put hers away, too.
Huey released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Ed and Rummy also looked relieved, but became rigid again as Jazmine slowly approached Huey. Cindy hung back, not wanting to get anywhere near Riley, but she secretly looked Riley up and down, taking in his change in appearance. He had definitely grown up, although he still sported the same cornrows. She noticed the studs he had in his ears; he still had his ears pierced after all these years. His eyes were trained on her, and she could feel him staring at her and gawking, to which she smirked at. She straightened herself up and crossed her arms over her chest, giving Riley a glare.
Jazmine eyed Huey subtly; he had changed…a lot. Huey was a little taller than she'd last remembered, and had a beard now. His afro was still just as big as hers, and his eyes were still the same intoxicating wine-color she fell in love with as a teenager.
She stepped in front of him, having to look up at him even in heels. She got so close to him she could smell his cologne. "I don't know where you went," she began, her voice laced with anger, "and I don't know why you left. I don't care," she turned to look at Riley, too, before turning her attention back to Huey, "but I want you both GONE." She said the last word with such force that it took Huey aback slightly, "Woodcrest isn't your home anymore," she went on, "Woodcrest belongs to us." She gestured to herself and Cindy.
Huey felt his heart clench up and shatter all in that moment, and all he wanted to do was beg for forgiveness. However, he regained his composure, "We were only staying for the funeral," he shot back, trying to match her level of intensity, "don't worry."
Jazmine scoffed, but she didn't say anything else. Instead, she turned and stormed away, her heels clicking against the cement. Cindy followed behind her, never once turning back around. They walked down the alleyway and rounded a corner, and Huey and Riley spotted the same car drive up. Cindy hopped into the back while Jazmine climbed into the passenger's side, and the car took off, leaving the four men.
Finally, Huey and Riley felt like they could breathe again. They sighed, and Huey leaned up against a wall, inhaling deeply. Riley wanted to punch something, but he instead pressed his forehead against one of the cool brick walls around them and began to count to ten.
Ed and Rummy eyed each other before looking back at the brothers, "Well, y'all are lucky." Ed commented, and Huey groaned, "Shut up."
Rummy nodded, "Ed's right," he added, "had you been anyone else, Jazmine would've shot ya."
Riley rolled his eyes, "So why didn't they shoot us?" he demanded.
Ed shrugged, "I dunno," he answered honestly, "but they didn't, and that's what's important."
They had to hail a taxi to get back to the hotel, since they'd left Ed's car back in the lot.
"We're sorry about your car," Huey apologized as they sat in the taxi with the two men. Ed and Rummy were being dropped off first, "Don't worry about it," Ed waved it off, "that's like my fourth car this month."
Riley bit back a chuckle, and Huey nodded. After Ed and Rummy were dropped off, Huey and Riley were taken back to their hotel. They stepped out of the car after paying the driver, and they reeked of booze and gunpowder. They trudged into the hotel lobby, making their way over to an elevator and stepping inside. They punched their floor number and waited, slouching against the wall, "What time is it?" Riley asked.
Huey glanced at his phone, "Midnight."
Riley groaned, "It isn't even that late but I'm beat." They hit their floor and stepped off of the elevator. The hallway was quiet, and there were no sounds coming out of any of the other hotel rooms. They made their way to their rooms as silently as they could, and quietly stepped inside.
After checking on their grandfather, the two boys separated into their own rooms. Huey raced into his bathroom to take a much needed shower, basking in the scalding hot water that hit his body. He changed into something more comfortable, and grabbed a snack from the hotel room's mini-fridge. Riley had also showered, and redid his cornrows slightly. Making sure that they didn't smell like a bar, they met up in Huey's room.
"What do you think of all this?" Huey asked Riley absently.
Riley made his way over to Huey's bed and sat down. He shrugged, "Nigga, I don't know. Our ex-girlfriends are crime lords. They're killers, trained killers."
Huey thought for a moment, "So are we." he pointed out.
Riley groaned, "Huey, we ain't like them, and never have been," he shot back, defending himself mainly, "we did what we had to do to survive. They do it cause they wanna. Jazmine doesn't need to be thievin', and neither does Cindy. They come from rich families in the suburbs. They're doin' this for kicks." Riley rubbed his forehead with his hand, "You heard what they said. It's over, Huey."
Huey sighed, looking out of the window, "I know it is," he muttered, "I thought…I don't know what I thought. I never dreamed they'd do...this."
Riley shook his head, "Huey, we were gone for seven years, with no explanation. Did you really think that you could just walk back into her life and expect her to throw herself around you? I didn't even hope for that, I knew Cindy was gonna hate me."
Huey nodded, "I knew she'd be angry," he replied slowly, "but I didn't know she'd basically run a gang after we left. And for the record, I didn't think she'd 'throw herself around me' when we came back...I just wasn't expecting this."
"She's just doin' her now." Riley stood up from the bed he'd been laying on as he tried to convince his brother that they needed to leave the situation. "We gotta leave tomorrow man. I'll text Ed to meet with us tomorrow morning, wine and dine him to join the Valentinas, then we can bounce. Please." He was pleading with Huey now. Riley rarely ever pleaded with Huey on anything, and Huey knew that he was being serious.
Sighing, he nodded, "Yeah. We'll leave tomorrow." Riley seemed content with Huey's answer and turned around and began walking towards his room when he stopped. Huey looked at him, "What is it?" he asked.
Riley chuckled softly, leaning against the door-frame, his back facing Huey, "You remember when this place was home?" he asked in a hushed voice.
Huey nodded, "Yeah, I do."
Riley sighed, "We spent seven years running away in order to come back home, but it ain't even home anymore. It's like Jazmine said: Woodcrest isn't our home anymore, it belongs to them." And with that, he slunk back into his hotel room, shutting the door behind him.
Huey contemplated his brother's words, and he knew he was right. There was no way that they'd ever be able to stay in Woodcrest, not anymore. There was no home left for them in Woodcrest, nowhere for them to go. This wasn't the Woodcrest they grew up in. This was Jazmine's and Cindy's world now, they were the ones calling the shots.
Huey knew that if they overstayed their welcome, they wouldn't make it back to New York. It pained Huey to know this, to know that he had lost Jazmine forever. The woman he would dream about spending the rest of his life with was now a murdering criminal who wanted nothing to do with him, and all he could do was accept this. Huey made his way over to his window and stood by it, staring outside into the darkness that hid the secrets of everyone, including theirs.
The downtown area died down a few hours later. The Underworld was effectively raided and cleared out, and the cops soon dispersed, returning to their average lives as average people. The ones that had managed to escape slunk back into their corners of Woodcrest, but at the heart of the city stood two buildings; one that belonged to the Crime Queen Emerald, and one that belonged to the Crime Queen Crystal, the two most powerful and influential crime lords in all of Woodcrest, maybe even in all of Maryland. Their climb to the top was a notorious story, but it was one that neither shared too often.
Jazmine and Cindy sat in Jazmine's penthouse, which was one of the two buildings they now owned. While the two were partners and shared their riches with each other, they both desired their own separate homes to conduct their own affairs in. Living right next door to each other had many perks, and one of them was that they could see each other whenever they wanted to discuss important matters. And so now, the two sat across from each other on Jazmine's couch in her lavish apartment, and silence encased them.
Jazmine spared no expense in what she owned, including her home. The floors of her home were sleek wood and polished to perfection. In the living room, the far back wall was nothing but a window, giving her a view of downtown Woodcrest. She had a large, stainless white couch that was curved with a matching ottoman that was a few feet from the couch; the pillows were grey and white with different designs and styles. She had a large flat screen TV from Apple that was black, and beneath it was a small area where she had movies, games, and other devices for her TV. Her kitchen had marble counters and stainless steel appliances. She had a crystal chandelier that hung in the living room, and several lamps that had crystal-like covers. Her walls were decorated with pictures, and one wall in particular was prized by her the most.
It was in the living room, the farthest right wall. She had framed newspaper articles, pictures, and so on…of her crimes. Well, hers and Cindy's, but mainly her crimes. Bank robberies, heists, assaults, drugs, larceny, fraud, smuggling, and murders. It was a wall Jazmine loved to look over and review, reminiscing on her past and planning for her future.
This was what Jazmine had become; a planner, planning out the actions she and Cindy would take. Cindy became the enforcer; she saw to it that Jazmine's thought-out plans were executed exactly how they should be, word for word. But tonight, as she and Cindy sat across from each other in a dangerous eye lock, their minds were on more pressing matters instead of their accomplishments.
"Where did they come from?" Cindy asked Jazmine.
Jazmine scoffed, "How am I supposed to know? They disappeared like seven years ago Cin, fell off the face of the Earth and never even gave us a phone call. We had no way of tracking them down, and by the time we could've, it was already too late." They sat there for a moment, and Jazmine caught a look in Cindy's eyes, "Cindy, no." She could just feel the emotions pouring out of Cindy, "Jaz…,"
"No Cin," Jazmine already knew what Cindy was going to suggest, and she didn't want to hear any of it, "I already told them to leave. If they're not gone by the end of the weekend, they're dead." She crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes slightly.
Cindy inhaled slightly; Jazmine's word was law, especially when she was upset. "I know but…," she sighed, "…I need to know."
"Need to know?" Jazmine reopened her eyes and arched a brow, and Cindy nodded, "I need to know why Riley left, why he never said anythin' to me beforehand, and why it took seven years for him to come back."
Jazmine sighed, exasperated, "Cindy, why does it matter?" she asked, "He left, Huey left, they broke up with us, what else is there to it?"
Cindy shook her head, "You can't tell me you're not...curious. You can't sit there and lie to me tellin' me that you ain't thought about what happened to them." Jazmine groaned and rolled her eyes, but she had to admit: she was also curious.
Seven years ago, Jazmine and Cindy kissed their old life goodbye four months after getting dumped by Huey and Riley at the same time. Seven years ago, the Freeman brothers left Woodcrest for what they had assumed would be forever, and never gave any indications as to why. Seven years ago, Jazmine's heart became hardened forever, while Cindy's secretly longed for closure. After seven years, they finally had the one chance they thought they'd never have; an explanation. But now that it was in front of Jazmine's face, she was reluctant to take it.
Jazmine and Cindy took the break ups...differently. While Cindy's heart longed for closure, longed for peace, Jazmine's became so hardened that she couldn't bring herself to trust or love anyone after Huey. Cindy tried to date, Jazmine didn't. Once they got involved in crime, it was just a downward spiral from there. Neither girl wanted to admit it, but secretly, they lost a part of themselves when Huey and Riley left, and they had spent the past seven years trying to find what they lost, or at least act like they never lost anything in the first place. Their reactions were considered strange; not the reactions themselves, but who reacted in what way.
Cindy had always been a badass growing up, she took shit from no one. And yet, when Riley left, it broke her heart so much that she became depressed, sad, and insecure. Jazmine was the sweet, innocent, and optimistic young girl who loved everything about the world. But when Huey left, Jazmine's heart became so broken that she reacted in anger, violence, and hatred. It consumed her.
Acknowledging that they'd lost a part of themselves only made the two feel pathetic. It was like admitting that they had no form of self identity, that without Huey and Riley, they were nothing, which wasn't true to the girls. They had tried to talk it out with each other and other people after the boys initially left, but hearing themselves say those words made them both feel utterly pathetic.
She shook her head, "Cindy, remember what we said all those years ago? We swore we'd move on from this."
Cindy sighed, "Yeah, but…I can't. Not without knowing first." She gave Jazmine big, pleading eyes, the biggest she could make, and Jazmine groaned, "What if they lie to us?" she asked.
Cindy smirked, "We'll make sure they won't." She flashed Jazmine a sinister grin, and Jazmine had to chuckle, "Okay, okay. We'll find out the truth, and then we'll kill them."
R&R guys (:
xoxo, Queen
