Last Bitch Standing (11 page)

"Yo, are you fuckin' crazy! Get in the car!" Nico, yelled out
as he pulled up beside me. I jumped inside and slammed
the door. "I can't believe your crazy ass is busting bullets
in the fuckin' parking lot of a hospital! You better be
lucky there weren't any cops around or we would both
be in jail," Nico barked, speeding off and checking in his
mirror making sure no cops were on his back.

"I was this close to getting that heffa," I said,
pounding my fist in the palm of my hand. That low-life
ho is in Philly... ain't that some shit. I bet you she was
coming to the hospital to see Devon. But how the fuck
she know he was here?" I was running off at the mouth
extra amped up. Seeing Maya for the first time in so long
had my adrenaline pumping.

"We can't even go inside the hospital and try to
speak with Devon now! Them motherfuckers probably
got that shit on camera."

"What the fuck was I supposed to do, let her get
away?"

"I understand you pumped and seeing Maya got you
all riled up but you can't do sloppy shit like that. You got
a child to think about. We got the evidence we need to
make sure she spends the rest of her life in jail. If we
can take her out and get away wit' it cool... otherwise we
do it the legal way and make sure she get locked up. But
running `round here playing vigilante in broad daylight is
not the move."

I knew Nico was right but I let my emotions get
the best of me. When CoCo gave us the information
on Devon I couldn't get to the hospital fast enough.
Learning he wasn't dead and there was a chance that he
could deliver some much needed 411 on Maya had me
excited. Nico and I decided I should go in first and try to
maneuver my way in Devon's room. So when I got out
the car and noticed a woman in a bright red dress coming
out the hospital, even from the far distance I knew it
was Maya. All reasonable thinking escaped me within
seconds.

"I wonder who that dude was with her. I guess one
good thing, it damn sure wasn't Supreme. Do you think
Maya is up here with Devon?"

"I don't know. All this shit is getting more and
more confusing. The only person that can probably give us some answers is Devon. Maybe I can go back to the
hospital by myself and try to speak with him."

"That probably would be best. Because you're right,
we don't know if anybody saw me turning that parking
lot out and we def' don't need the drama."

"Okay, so I'ma drop you back off at the hotel and
then head back to the hospital. But Precious I want you
to stay in your hotel room and wait for me. Please don't
just start lurking the streets in search of Maya."

"I'm not, plus her scared ass probably someplace
hiding right now. I can't believe how close I was to ending
her life."

"You need to be thanking God that you didn't
because if you had, on everything, you would be in
handcuffs right now facing murder charges."

As much as I wanted Maya dead spending the rest
of my life behind bars wasn't worth it. Aaliyah would
grow up without her mother so my revenge would be in
vain. I had to be smart about this shit. If I could murder
her ass on the low and get away with it then that was
mos def' option number one. But anything short of that
meant all I could do was give her a good old fashion ass
whooping before I let the authorities toss her in jail.

"You're right and I'ma act accordingly. Getting
Maya off the streets and out of my life is what's most
important."

"I hope you mean that, Precious, because we talking
about not only your life but that of your daughter. This
shit..." Right when Nico sounded as if he was about to go into a full fledge lecture I heard his cell phone ringing.
I was ecstatic because I respected that he was kicking real
shit but I didn't want to hear it. The hatred I had for Maya
ran so deep that it was almost blinding. If I didn't have
my daughter to live for there was a very good chance I
would be willing to spend the rest of my life in jail just
for the pleasure of killing her myself and watching as she
begged to live.

"We're on our way right now," I caught Nico say
before getting off the phone.

"You're not about to drop me off at the hotel so
you can go to the hospital?"

"No, that was CoCo and she told us to meet her at
the warehouse now"

"I wonder what the fuck done happened now. This
shit need to be quick because you need to go speak with
Devon."

"CoCo said it's important. And she understands the
magnitude of shit that's going down right now, so if she's
telling us to come, it's must be some serious shit."

When Nico pulled up to the warehouse I saw the white
Range Rover, which I knew belonged to CoCo but there
was also a cream Bentley but I had no idea who owned
that. When we got inside the first person we saw was
Genesis so I assumed that Bentley was his shit. I didn't
tell Nico about the breakfast I had with Genesis earlier
this morning and I still had no desire to. Mainly because I felt he was purposely trying to play me out and I until I
figured out why I was going to keep my feelings to myself,
especially since it seemed Nico actually liked the nigga.

"What's up man," Nico said, shaking Genesis' hand.
"Good to see you again."

"Likewise, and how are you, Precious?" he asked in
an almost condescending tone but I was sure that shit
went right over Nico's head.

"The same."

"Where's CoCo, she called and told me it was
important we get right over here."

"She's in the back on the phone. I actually just got
here myself."

"I don't mean to rush her, but I'm trying to get
over to the hospital and see if I can get any information
from Devon about Maya. We actually ran into her at the
hospital."

"You ran into Maya?" Genesis questioned.

"Yeah, but I'm sure you would have no interest in
that since you don't even know who Maya is," I cut in and
said, taking a jab at Genesis, letting him know I knew he
was full of shit. But he didn't flinch instead he carried on
with his conversation with Nico until CoCo came out.

"Sorry I kept you waiting but I was trying to get all
the details together before you got here."

"What details?" Nico wanted to know and so did I.

"Devon is dead."

"What!" I swung passed Genesis' wanting to knock
him out my way. "We just left the hospital less than an hour ago."

"Well whoever killed him must've done it around
that time or close to it because he's dead."

"What do you mean whoever killed him?" Nico
took the words right out of my mouth, because I was
perplexed by that statement.

"There was supposed to be a guard in front of
Devon's room door but somebody got to him. They
came in, put a pillow over his head and popped one
bullet through his face. By the time the nurses came in
the perpetrator was long gone. My sources are telling me
Arnez is behind the hit. You know, sending a message to
Delondo that you took my man now I've taken both of
yours."

"This is too fuckin' much! Devon was supposed
to tell us where Maya might be or where she had been
so I could find my husband and daughter! Now that
motherfucker is dead and I had that hussy within my
reach and lost her ass. This shit is beyond fucked up!"

"Your husband. .1 had no idea you were married,"
CoCo made known. I glanced at Nico and then at Genesis
because for some reason I assumed that at least one of
them had told her, but apparently I was wrong.

"Yes, my husband is Supreme, and Maya has damn
near single-handedly destroyed my marriage."

"Supreme. .is that like a street name or are you
talking about The Supreme"', CoCo stressed wanting
clarification.

"She's talking about The Supreme"', Genesis said, taking it upon himself to answer for me.

"Rapper turned music mogul Supreme," she continued as if she needed further confirmation.

"What, you know the nigga...yes that Supreme!" I
was already in a foul fuckin' mood and this chick triple
asking me the same question wasn't helping my cause.

"No, I don't know him," she snapped. "I'm surprised
that's all. I mean it seems somebody would've told me
that you were his wife."

"Well now you know but it don't change shit. Devon
is still dead and Maya is still missing. We back at the
starting point but I don't even know where the finish line
is anymore."

"Precious, I know shit seems a bit bleak right
now, but I promised you I would get you home to your
daughter and I Will." Nico's words were so sincere but I
needed more than that to get back to my family. I saw
him pull CoCo to the side and I figured he was picking
her brain trying to get all the details on what went down
with Devon, hoping it could help locate Maya. But I was
stuck on the fact that Maya was almost mine but I let her
get away. I know I didn't technically let her get away but
no matter which way I flipped it she was gone and I was
no closer to finding Supreme and Aaliyah.

"Precious, can I speak with you?" I heard Genesis
but wasn't in the mood to lift my head up and acknowledge
his request. I wasn't mentally up to partake in the game
I was for sure he wanted to play. But being the relentless
nigga that he is, he chose to ignore my stay-the-fuck away-from-me body language. "I think you'll want to
hear what I have to say."

"I doubt it, but umm, you're not giving me much of
a choice are you?"

"Your husband and daughter are in Miami. I have
their last known address and I believe it's still good." My
mouth dropped when I heard those words come out
of Genesis' mouth. This man continued to shock me
and now I was speechless which was a rarity for me. I
almost wanted to believe he was playing a sick joke on me
because to find out Genesis was telling the truth would
bring me happiness, a feeling that I had been deprived of
for so long.

"Is this real? I mean is what you're saying to me
true?" I knew Genesis could see the pleading in my eyes
of putting all my hope in what he said.

"It is true. I'ma give you the address to where they
are living in Miami and I hope you can work things out
with your husband."

"Why... why are you giving me this information
now?"

"My wife was taken out of my life and my son will
grow up without ever knowing what an incredible woman
his mother was. There's nothing I can do to change that
but I can change this. Go get your daughter, love her and
be the best mother you can possibly be."

"I'll never forget that you did this for me ... thank
you." As Genesis wrote down the address instead of
rejoicing my mind speculated on what this man's agenda was. I didn't doubt he genuinely wanted me to reconnect
with my daughter but I was absolutely positive he was
hiding a huge piece of the puzzle from me and I needed
answers. But for now it would have to wait. I was booking
a one-way flight to Miami determined to be reunited with
my family.

"Who was that woman and why was she trying to kill
you?" When Arnez asked me that question we had
reached a fork in the road. My choice was to either come
clean or lie. So I decided to do what I do best.

"I made the mistake of getting involved with this
man and he lied to me. He never told me he was married.
I only found out recently and that's why I came to Philly
so I could end it once and for all. He was the friend that
I told you I was supposed to meet at the restaurant. But
somehow his wife got my cell number and she called
threatening me, it got crazy. We decided it was best he
didn't come."

"So how do you think she knew you were going to
be at the hospital?"

"That's what I'm tryna figure out, unless it was just
crazy coincidence."

"It's a possibility but she came prepared."

"You ain't lying. If you hadn't been there I would be
dead right now"

"Saving your life was the least I could do because
you did save mine."

"Now we're even. You don't owe me anything."

"If it wasn't for me making you go to the hospital
and get that information for me then that man's wife
would've never had the opportunity to try and kill you."

"You didn't make me do anything. I wanted to help
you.

"And you did, more than you know"

"Where are we going?" We had been driving for
awhile but playing out the episode that had went down
with Precious over and over again in my head had made
me oblivious that I didn't know where the fuck we were
going.

"Why, are you ready to go back home?"

"No, I really don't have anything to go back home
to. But if you don't need me anymore, you can take me
back to my hotel."

"What if I told you that I wanted you to stay?"

"I would ask you why?"

"Because I think you have a lot of heart. When you
heard that conversation about what was about to happen
you didn't have to warn me, you could've walked out
and went about your life. Then I asked you to go in the hospital and get that information for me. You did it with
no problem. Most females would be too scared to do
what you did but like I said you showed a lot of heart. I
appreciate that quality in a woman."