Читать книгу Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang - Ashley - Страница 5

I can’t wait until you come home

I miss you

Don’t be wild’n out in Vegas, nigga

I don’t want to have to fuck a bitch up

Love always,

Six

Free smirked and shook his head when he read the text message from his girlfriend of seven years. Six had been his backbone since he was twenty years old, and they had experienced plenty of ups and downs together. Although he loved Six to his core, in the past he had hurt her more than once with his cheating ways. He was young when they had first met, and it had taken him awhile to learn how to be a good man to her, but from the first day he saw her, he knew that she would be wifey. He knew that Six wasn’t making idle threats either. She had fucked up a couple chicks over him. The last time she caught him cheating, she had beaten a girl so badly that the girl was hospitalized for days. That had been over a year ago, and needless to say, no other chick in Wayne County had tried to come at Free since. Everybody knew what was up, Free was taken, and from that point on, he had been faithful. “She always thinking something,” he mumbled to himself as he pulled the small velvet box that contained the two-karat engagement ring that he planned on surprising her with. Six really didn’t know how much Free had grown. He was ready to make it official. He knew that no other woman could hold him down the way that Six could, and he was ready to make an honest woman out of her.

“You really gon’ ask her to marry you, huh?” Big Lou asked with a skeptical look on his face.

“Yeah, man. She’s getting antsy and shit. She been tripping on me lately, doubting me and all that. She keeps bringing up the past. She talking like I don’t love her. She still thinks that I’m on the same ol’ shit.”

“Nah, fam. Six knows what’s up. Y’all have been through a lot together. You would kill a nigga for her,” Big Lou replied as his New York accent oozed off of every word.

“Yeah, I got a good woman. It’s about time I settled down with her. I’m just trying to make her happy, man.”

Big Lou cracked a smile as he shook his head from side to side.

“What, nigga?” Free asked with a look of irritation on his face. He was trying to keep it funky with Big Lou because he wanted an honest opinion regarding what he was about to do.

“I never thought I would see the day when young Alfree would be ready to settle down with one chick,” Big Lou responded in disbelief.

“Don’t be calling me Alfree,” Free said. He hated his government name and had shortened it to Free a long time ago. He fumbled with the ring box, opening and closing it repeatedly as he felt the plane prepare for its landing. “She deserves this yo’. Those other chicks can’t do shit for me.”

“What about that bitch Asia? Shorty got a fat ass! You gon’ give all that up? Because I’ll step in and hit that since you gon’ be a one-woman man now. I’ll give her some of this King Kong,” Big Lou stated with laughter in his voice.

Free shook his head and replied, “Man, go for what you know. She do have the goods though, but I don’t love them hoes. The only one who matter is Six.”

“Six is a good chick. I ain’t ever met a woman like her. She a gangsta too. Congratulations, man,” Big Lou stated in a genuine tone.

“Thanks,” Free replied as he rested his head against the leather first-class seats. He closed his eyes and thought back to the first day that his world had been blessed by Six’s presence.

Seven Years Ago in NYC

The club filled quickly as New York’s elite walked through the door and prepared to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Everybody who was anybody came out to bring in 2002 with Twin and his entourage. Twin was the most successful party promoter in the city, and he threw the biggest parties and invited all the boroughs. Free and Big Lou pulled up to the crowded club as they watched the line wrap around the corner.

“Damn, nigga! It’s jumping in that joint,” Big Lou stated as he took the safety off his automatic pistol.

“Good,” Free replied as he loaded his .45-caliber pistol with a full clip. He parked his black-on-black Navigator at the side of the busy street, and both men concealed the burners in their waistlines as they exited the vehicle. They walked up to the crowded club and headed toward the front of the line as they prepared to step into the club. They had no intentions of standing in the line. Big Lou had gotten them hooked up with VIP passes, so they didn’t have to wait. Partygoers complained as they watched Free and Big Lou disregard the entire line.

“Hold up, homeboy,” a big bodybuilder-type bouncer said as he held his hand up to stop the two from entering the building. “Y’all see that line back there?” he asked. “Unless y’all got VIP passes, y’all gon’ have to wait just like everybody else.”

Big Lou pulled two orange-colored, laminated passes that had VIP stamped on the front.

The bouncer chuckled and said, “Those ain’t gon’ get you up in here. Those passes are from last night’s event. They ain’t even the right color.”

“What? My man gave me these. What color they supposed to be?” Big Lou asked, getting heated that the bouncer was trying to chump him in front of the crowd of people gathered by the door.

“The only color that matter is green, nigga,” Free interrupted as he placed a knot of hundred-dollar bills in the bouncer’s hand.

“True,” the bouncer replied as he lifted the red velvet rope and let them into the club without even searching them.

“I’ma kill that mu’fuckin’ crackhead that sold me those damn passes,” Big Lou stated as they made their way to the bar.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing. We about to get all that cake from the door. That money coming right back to me,” Free stated. Free and Big Lou sat back and enjoyed the party as they waited for the guest of honor to arrive. Free checked his cell phone and noted that it was only ten o’clock. The inside of the club was already packed and there were hundreds of people still waiting outside to get in. Free’s eyes scanned the room until he found the sign displayed above the door that displayed the maximum occupancy. This nigga is cleaning the fuck up. He charging fifty a head and this mu’fucka can hold a thousand people. That’s fifty stacks. Easy money, Free thought as he felt the cold steel that rested against his hip, ensuring that it was there if he should need to use it. Big Lou made the most of his time and entertained a group of women, but Free stayed focused, clocking each and every dollar that came into the club as he waited patiently for his plan to pop off.

“It’s showtime, kid,” Big Lou leaned over and whispered in Free’s ear as they both watched Twin and his entourage enter.

“There go that bitch Twin fucking with. She ain’t all that!” one of the girls said as they spit venom on the girl who walked in on Twin’s arm.

Free and Big Lou focused their attention on the brown-skinned female that had entered the club with Twin. The silk Lela Rose minidress that she wore rested perfectly on her five feet seven inch frame, showing off her thick thighs and long legs. Her body glistened a healthy glow that matched her green eyes that were obviously contacts, but she rocked them well. Her hair flowed loosely, but was pulled to one side and stopped right above her perky breast line. She was perfect from the top of her head to the bottom of her French-manicured toes and to top it off, Twin was holding onto her waist as if her pussy was laced in gold. Envious vibes spread through the room instantly as every man wished he was in Twin’s shoes, and every woman wanted to be whoever the girl was. Her name instantly became “that bitch” as girls who were normally confident became insecure in their own skin.

“Damn,” was all that Free and Big Lou could say as their eyes followed the woman’s ass as she stepped up the stairs that led to the VIP lounge. Any other day Free would have made it a point to step to her, but today he was on business.

“Keep your eye on the money,” Free stated as he watched the door. From the bar, they had a clear view of almost every angle in the club. They could even see Twin and his entourage through the clear glass of the upstairs VIP window. Free smiled as he watched money continue to flow through the door. Once the club reached its maximum occupancy, a huge smile spread across Free’s face. He checked the time again. “Ten minutes to midnight,” he said to himself as he watched Twin make his way from the VIP room to the DJ booth.

“What’s good, New York?” Twin asked as he took the microphone. He had a bottle of Cristal in one hand and the microphone in the other. “I want to thank all y’all mu’fuckas for coming through and bringing the New Year in right with your boy.”

Free smiled as he listened to Twin’s slurred speech. It was obvious that he was drunk. Twin wasn’t pissy, but Free knew that he had consumed enough liquor to knock him off his square. He reached for the girl who had entered the club with him and pulled her up into the DJ’s booth. “Now everybody grab your lady and grab a glass of champagne so we can count it down,” he said.

“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one—happy New Year!” Twin poured Cristal into his mouth straight from the bottle and then kissed his girl sloppily on the lips. “Now let’s keep this shit going,” he yelled into the microphone.

Everybody resumed their party antics…everyone except for Free and Big Lou. They watched Twin closely. He leaned into the girl’s ear and said, “Go collect my money and take it to the back.” Twin didn’t realize that he still had the microphone in his hand. Everyone was too busy to notice the comment, but Free picked up on it.

“Go toward the bathroom and wait for the bitch to come back there,” Free instructed. Big Lou nodded and made his way to the back of the club. Free’s eyes watched intently as the girl went to the door. She was handed a backpack full of money. She then made her way to the bar and collected from there as well. This nigga getting paid from the bar too! Free thought to himself as dollar signs filled his eyes.

He looked up toward the VIP where Twin had the crowd captivated as he threw dollar bills into the air, making it rain on the crowd. He was flashing his cash. It was obvious that Twin wanted everybody to know he was paid.

Yeah, I see you, nigga, Free thought to himself.

He refocused his attention on the girl who was collecting Twin’s money. He let her step a couple feet in front of him so that it would not be obvious that he was tailing her, and then he discreetly followed her down the dark, narrow hall way. When they were halfway down the hall, Free looked back to make sure the coast was clear and then pulled his .45 from his waist and grabbed the girl from behind. He put his hand over her mouth and pulled her into an empty office where Big Lou was already waiting.

“Listen… I’m not trying to hurt you. Don’t scream; if you do, you ain’t gon’ leave me no choice. I’m just here for the money. Do you understand?” Free asked in a low voice as he whispered in her ear.

The girl nodded her head, and Free removed his hand from her mouth.

“Give me the money,” Big Lou said as he roughly snatched the backpack away from her.

“Y’all niggas must really have a death wish,” she said as she shook her head from side to side. She sucked her teeth and shifted her weight to one leg.

“What?” Free asked.

“You really think you about to make it out of this club with that cash? You must not know how Twin got his nickname. That nigga keep the twin desert eagles on him. You mu’fuckas ain’t gon’ make it three feet out this door before he put them to use.”

Free grinned at the girl’s attitude.

“You think yo’ nigga big shit, huh? He’s a pussy. I’ll put something hot in his ass. Don’t think ya’ boy the only one with heat,” Free threatened.

“Man, don’t listen to this bitch. That nigga is drunk. He won’t know what hit him until it’s too late,” Big Lou stated. They prepared to open the door to leave.

“All right, take your asses out there and get popped if you want to. He got four niggas watching each door with the pistols already locked and loaded. Twin ain’t stupid. He knew somebody was gon’ try to flex tonight. He is waiting to twist a nigga cap back. Ain’t nobody walking out of here with them backpacks tonight. How does it feel to be fucked?”

“Stop flapping yo’ dick, suckers,” Big Lou stated as he chuckled at his own joke.

“Okay…go ahead. Go for what you know, but you ain’t getting out of here tonight, at least not walking with that backpack in your hands. I take it that was your only reason for coming. So tell me, how does it feel to be fucked?”

Big Lou got heated and pushed the girl against the wall. He pointed his pistol in her face and said, “Look, you smart mouth bitch!”

Free was sure that Big Lou would put fear in the girl’s heart. His six feet four inch frame and 280 pounds intimidated most people, but to his surprise, the girl didn’t flinch.

“No, you look, nigga. The way I see it, you got one of two choices. You can either get laid out in this mu’fucka and get carried out in bags, or you can put me on, give me a cut, and I’ll carry that bag out for you.”

Big Lou released her neck and looked at Free, who was contemplating the situation.

“You Twin’s bitch. You were just parading around here on his arm. Why would you help us? How I know you ain’t setting us up?” Free asked suspiciously.

“A bitch like money,” she replied, enunciating the word bitch to let him know she didn’t appreciate being called out of her name.

“Fuck it. What you got in mind?”

Big Lou walked out of the room and walked directly up the VIP area. “Hold up. You ain’t got a pass, so you can’t get in,” a bouncer said as he noticed that Big Lou wasn’t wearing a VIP tag. Big Lou immediately got loud, causing a scene.

“Man, fuck all that! I paid money just like the rest of these niggas. Why I can’t get in there? That’s where the party at.”

“You ain’t got a tag, so you ain’t getting in!” the bouncer said more forcefully this time. Big Lou threw a punch that knocked the bouncer out cold. He pulled his gun and started waving it in the air wildly. He fired a single shot into the air, causing pandemonium to erupt throughout the club. It was the perfect distraction. Then he ducked low as he bobbed and weaved, maneuvering his way through the crowd of bodies toward the front door.

“That’s our cue,” the girl said as she heard the screams inside the club. She ran out the back door. One of Twin’s guards stopped her on her way out. “Yo’, ma, where you going? You straight? You got Twin’s money?”

“Yeah, I got it. Hurry up, get in there, somebody’s shooting. You got to get Twin out of there,” she said in a panicked voice as she put the backpack on her back.

“Wait outside while we clear this shit out,” the bouncer replied as he pulled his gun and made his way into the club. She ran to her car and popped her trunk as she hurriedly placed the backpack inside.

“What you doing, ma? Give me the bag,” Free said eagerly as he looked from left to right.

“Nigga, you ain’t gon’ get ghost on me. I’ll meet you at Junior’s tomorrow at noon. I’ll bring the money with me; we’ll split it up then. Now go before Twin sees you.”

“Don’t fuck with me, shorty,” Free stated in a hushed tone as he grabbed her arm tightly.

“Look, I said I got you. Now go!”

Free reluctantly ran toward his car.

“Where the dough?” Big Lou asked as soon as Free got in.

“The bitch got it,” Free replied. “She gon’ meet me tomorrow, and we gon’ split it up then.”

“How you know she gon’ show up?”

Free looked out his window as he watched Twin run out to the girl. She instantly began to cry and her act was so realistic that he had to let out a laugh. “She’ll show.”

The next day Free waited anxiously in the back of the restaurant as he watched the girl approach. She was wearing an all-white Versace sundress, and her hair was pulled back off her face in a loose ponytail. The side of her face was swollen, and her lip was busted. She carried the backpack at her side as she limped toward him. Pain was written all over her face with each step that she took.

“Here’s the money,” she said.

“What happened to your face?” Free asked her as he watched her sit down tenderly, trying to avoid causing herself any further pain.

“I took an ass-whooping for forty grand,” she replied nonchalantly as if it were no big deal.

Free couldn’t help but to laugh at the girl before him. She was unlike any chick that he had ever encountered. He was intrigued by her arrogant swagger, and her beauty was comparable to none.

“Let’s go, shorty,” he said as he stood up and took the backpack from her hands.

“Go where? I got to get my cut so I can get back before Twin notices I’m gone,” she said.

“Fuck that nigga,” Free said as he stood up and stared down at her. “You rolling with me.”

“Excuse you? How you know I’m trying to fuck with you like that?” the girl replied with much attitude as she placed her hands on her hips.

“Don’t front, ma. You wouldn’t have let me get out of that club with your boy’s cash if you weren’t feeling a nigga.”

A smile involuntarily graced her lips as she put her Dior sunglasses on her face to hide her true feelings. “I don’t even know you,” she replied sweetly, keeping up her hard exterior and playing hard to get.

“I’m Free,” he replied as he held out his hand and turned to leave. “What’s your name, ma?”

“Six,” she hesitantly replied as she placed her hand in his and shook her head in doubt.

“Now you know me,” Free said as he led her to his car.

“This is crazy,” she told herself as she reluctantly followed behind him. “Twin will come after me.”

“Listen, shorty, I’m not gon’ let nobody harm you. All you got to do is keep it real with me. If you hold me down, I’ll hold you down, a’ight?”

“Yeah, a’ight,” Six replied with a seductive smile. “But can we leave town?”

Free stopped walking and looked Six directly in her eyes. “This nigga got you shook?”

“No, it’s not that. I just want us to start fresh. A new city, a new beginning.”

“Okay…but my man Big Lou coming with us.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and then playfully pulled her to the car. It didn’t matter that he didn’t know Six from the next chick on the street. Free was a spontaneous person and blew wherever the wind took him. He chased the money, and as he walked toward his car, he chuckled thinking that he may have just met his match. “Where to?” he asked as he started his car.

“The Midwest,” she replied. “I’ve got a father in Detroit. I haven’t seen him since my mom died a few years ago.”

When Free pulled away from the curb that day they became partners. Partners in crime, partners in life, partners in love. Everything was fifty-fifty with them. It was the beginning of the end.

Free opened his eyes when he felt the plane touch down in Detroit. He smiled as he reflected on the first time he had met Six. Just thinking about her made him love her more. As a man he felt like he was getting ready to give up a part of himself by marrying Six. Although he loved her more than life, and he planned to be with her, there was something about putting a ring on her finger that scared him. He had been planning this for some time now. For seven years he had been on his grind, trying to stack his chips so that he would be able to provide for himself and his woman. Six was spoiled. She had been ever since he met her. Free had stolen her from Twin, who had never spared her of any material possession. Free wanted to be able to give her more than any other man ever could. He wanted to give her the world, and he was ready to make her his wife. There was no questioning the fact that Six loved Free more than anything. She had been loyal to him from the time she laid eyes on him. He couldn’t see his life without her, and it was time to make their relationship permanent.

Free stood slowly and followed Big Lou off the aircraft. They made their way through the corridors of the airport as they walked toward the baggage-pickup area.

“Yo’, man, you serious about giving this shit up?” Big Lou asked. Big Lou and Free had been pulling capers together since they were young and coming up in Brooklyn. They had quickly made a name for themselves in New York, but after they had robbed Twin, they both skipped town and relocated to Detroit. They tried to stay low-key once they arrived in the Midwest, but they soon discovered that their new city was wide open and prime for the taking. They quickly returned to their old ways, and they reverted to the lifestyle that they knew best. Big Lou and Free were willing to get money by any means necessary as long as the amount of money outweighed the risk.

“Yeah, I’m done. This was my last hit. I’ve been stacking my paper for a minute now. Me and Six can kick back and just live, you know?” Free said.

“Yo’, I don’t know anything about that. I ain’t gon’ never leave this game alone,” Big Lou replied.

“I hear you, fam,” Free replied as they slapped hands and embraced briefly. “I’ma get at you.”

Free and Big Lou grabbed their luggage and went their separate ways. Free located his silver Lexus Coupe and headed home. His hands were moist, and his heart felt as if it would beat out of his chest. Just the thought of settling down made his stomach turn. By marrying Six, he was committing himself to her for life. He was nervous, and he was pushing ninety-five miles per hour on the freeway trying to get to Six. He knew that she would be surprised. He wasn’t due back in Detroit for another couple days, but he decided to finish up early and fly back to propose to her. Is this the chick that I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life with? Is she really down for a nigga, like I’m down for her? Will I be the type of man that she needs me to be? He knew that the answer to all of his questions was yes. Six was the woman for him. They completed each other, and the closer they became, the more intense his feelings for her became. The potency of his love for her even surprised him. She was his rib, and without her, he couldn’t breathe.

As he pulled his luxury vehicle onto his street, he was so nervous that it felt like everything was moving in slow motion. He could see her candy-red, baby-mama Benz gleaming as it sat perfectly in their driveway. Good, she’s here, he thought as his Lexus slid next to the curb in front of his house.

He reached inside of his jacket pocket and pulled out the box that held the ring inside. He opened it and stared at the flawless cut of the diamond. It’s all or nothing, he thought as he snapped the box closed and exited the vehicle. He went to the front door, walking slowly as he thought back on his life as a single man. He had always been with Six, but he had enjoyed many chicks on the side over the years.

Damn, it’s time to give all that up. It’s time to fly straight, he thought to himself. Free reached inside his jean pockets in search of his house keys. “Damn, where those mu’fuckas at?” he muttered in frustration as he patted his pockets. He went back to his car to see if he had left the keys inside. He looked everywhere, but his hunt was fruitless.

He jogged back up to the house and rang the doorbell. He could hear the sound of R. Kelly’s “12 Play” crooning throughout the house. The music was drowning out the sound of the doorbell as he continued to ring, waiting for Six to answer.

He grew impatient and made his way around the back of the house. He lifted his hand and banged on the back door, knocking hard so Six could hear him. To his surprise, the door cracked slightly. The smell of incense greeted him as soon as he stepped inside the door. All of the curtains were pulled closed, and the only light came from candles that had been strategically placed throughout the house.

“Six!” he yelled as he made his way through the house. He gripped the ring tightly as he rushed to find her. “Baby girl, where you at?” Free received no answer as he walked through the living room. The room was so dark that he lost his balance as he tripped over something that lay in the middle of the floor.

“Damn,” he muttered as he reached to the wall and flicked the light switch. His eyes immediately focused on the odd pair of Tims that sat in the middle of his floor. Fuck, this bitch done had a nigga in my house.

Free’s thoughts went from loving Six to being enraged with her in less than three seconds. He darted up the steps that led to his bedroom and heard moans coming from inside his room. He was squeezing the ring box so tightly that his knuckles hurt from the pressure. He walked to the bedroom door, and his suspicions were confirmed by the sight that he saw. His heart caught in his throat as he watched the love of his life blatantly betraying him. Her moans drowned his eardrums as another man grinded in and out of her, while her eyes rolled in the back of her head.

Free didn’t know what happened next. He couldn’t control his emotions. All rational thought went out of the window. Red and black filled his vision.

“Bitch, you fucking this nigga? You love this mu’fucka?”

Free was so hurt that darkness clouded his vision.

“You fucking this nigga?” he asked in utter distress as he pulled his pistol from his waistline.

Pow, pow, pow!

“Bitch, you fucking this nigga?”

Nothing but darkness and the sounds of the bullets entering flesh could be heard.

Pow, pow, pow!

So much red…blood flowed freely from the bodies of both victims. Blood on Free’s hands…blood on his shirt, his shoes, blood in his eyes. The sound of his heart breaking fell on deaf ears. No one was alive to hear him.

Pow!

One final bullet….

Pow!

Three Weeks Later

A pulsating pain shot through Six’s body as she slowly opened her eyes. The room was dark, and she was unaware of her surroundings. Beep, beep, beep, beep. The steady tone of the machines around her was all that could be heard. The small sound seemed so loud inside her head. Each beep made a sharp explosion go off inside her brain, causing her great pain. Her eyes darted wildly around the room as she searched for something familiar. Where am I? What happened? she thought frantically as she tried to move her body. Her lungs felt deprived of air as she struggled to breathe deeply. She wanted to sit up, she wanted to scream for help, but her body would not cooperate. No matter how hard she tried, she was unable to move. Her throat felt like it was on fire, and her heart rate increased dramatically as fear gripped her body. Beep, beep, beep, beep. The sound of the machines intensified, and she heard the sound of people rushing into her room.

“Is she all right? What’s happening to her?” Six heard Big Lou’s voice, and her eyes scanned the many faces that were surrounding her bed as she tried to locate him.

“I’m sorry, sir, you have to wait outside. You can see her once we’ve stabilized her.”

“Is she okay? Just tell me what’s happening!” she heard Big Lou demand, his voice frantic with worry.

“Free!” she cried out. His voice was the only voice that she didn’t hear. He was the one that she needed right now. Where is he?

“I need her calm. Her body is in shock,” one of the doctors instructed. Six watched as a young nurse filled a syringe with fluid and injected it into her arm.

“No! Free—I want to see Free!” Six cried in a raspy tone. Her voice was almost inaudible. Her body was weak, but she still fought against the hospital staff as she begged to see her man.

“Look at my hand and count down with me,” a doctor stated.

“Five, four, three, two…” Before he even got to one Six felt her eyelids close involuntarily, taking her to a temporary sanctuary of peace.

Six opened her eyes and immediately sensed the figure who was sitting in the chair beside her bed. She couldn’t move her head to see who it was, but she could feel him watching her.

“Free,” she whispered, her voice cracking.

“Free’s not here, Six. It’s me, Big Lou,” he whispered as he stood up so that she could see him. “You had me worried for a minute, sis.”

“Where is Free? What happened to me? I feel like I can’t breathe. Why isn’t he here?” she asked.

“You don’t remember anything? You don’t remember what happened?” Big Lou asked her in bewilderment.

“No, where is he, Lou?”

Before Big Lou could respond, a middle-aged black man entered the room. He was wearing a long lab coat with blue scrubs underneath. Big Lou was grateful for the interruption. He didn’t know how to tell Six that Free was dead.

“Six Jones,” the doctor stated as he walked up to her bed. He took off his stethoscope and placed the cold metal to her chest. “You are a very lucky young woman.”

“What happened to me?” she asked the doctor. The doctor’s face immediately expressed confusion as he looked toward Big Lou.

“She doesn’t remember,” Big Lou answered the doctor’s question before he could even ask it.

“Well, Ms. Jones…” the doctor started. He was hesitant to inform her of her condition. “You were shot in the head. You are extremely lucky to be alive. That’s why you are having such a hard time moving and breathing. During the shooting, a part of your brain called the cerebellum was injured. A part of the brain stem that controls your breathing was also injured. The massive head trauma that you have sustained has caused you to become immobile.”

“I’m paralyzed?” Six whispered with tears in her eyes. She stared up toward the ceiling as she tried to process what the doctor was telling her.

“Not exactly. The damage is not permanent. But your body has to learn how to function again. That’s why you are hooked up to the breathing machine. Your brain is not sending the correct signals to the rest of your body. You can’t breathe or move on your own yet.”

“Where is Free? I need him,” she said as her tears began to flow. She gasped for air, struggling to breathe.

“She doesn’t know?” the doctor asked as he looked toward Big Lou again.

“I can’t tell her, yo’,” Big Lou said as he gripped Six’s hand and tears began to well in his own eyes.

“Tell me what?” she asked. “Where is he? Big Lou, where is Free?”

The doctor excused himself so that he could give them some privacy.

“Six, he’s gone. He shot you; then he turned the gun on himself.”

Six didn’t respond. She stared at Big Lou as tears streamed endlessly down her face. He can’t be gone. He told me he would never leave me. Why would he do this to me? Free, I need you. Her body shuddered as she thought about the death of Free. He had been her best friend and her heart. She couldn’t find any words to describe how she felt; her heart was numb.

She closed her eyes, and images of Free entered her mind. The entire scene instantly came back to her as she played it back in her head. She could hear the blast from the gun in her ears. She could feel his pain as he asked her repeatedly, Do you love this nigga? Do you love this nigga? Six saw the spark from the barrel of the gun as Free pulled the trigger. “Oh my God! Big Lou! Oh God! He can’t be gone. I can’t do this without him. I need him,” she cried. Tears of despair stained her cheeks as she lay helplessly in the hospital bed. “How did this happen? Where is he? Big Lou—”

“He’s gone, Six…he’s gone,” Big Lou said as he held her hand.

“I just want to be alone,” she stated as she closed her eyes.

Big Lou nodded slowly. “All right. I’ll be right outside if you need me.”

“Big Lou…when is his funeral?” Six asked before he stepped out.

“You’ve been in a coma for the past three weeks. The funeral was two weeks ago.” He waited for her to reply, but when she didn’t, he walked out of the room.

She couldn’t stop the tears from escaping from her eyes. She was deeply hurt by Free’s death. Her soul ached unbearably as she tried to imagine her life without him in it. How did we get here? How did I let this happen? Six stared at the ceiling as she thought about when her life began to spiral out of control.