Thug Luv 2 (2 page)

Chapter 1

Ace was livid. Even so, displaying his emotions wasn’t something that came easy. He had been in the game long enough to know how to completely conceal his feelings. Was he surprised at who had kidnapped Sunshine? Not at all. Ace was more hurt than anything. Being in the game as long as he had, taught him to expect the unexpected. Ace hadn’t cried since the day of Sunshine’s bogus funeral. As hard as he tried to keep the tears at bay he couldn’t, they fell from his eyes freely.

"Shit has got to be real," Jay said from the backseat. As long as they had all known each other, none of them had ever seen Ace cry.

"Thugs cry too, right?" Boog asked.

"What's the deal?" Boy finally asked the question everyone wanted to know. "Is Sunshine dead or alive? Did you find out who was behind her kidnapping?" He inquired. As they awaited Ace’s answers, the car was eerily silent.

Ace wiped the tears away then reached for the blunt Jay was handing him. He inhaled as much of the smoke as his lungs would allow–holding it in for a few seconds before blowing it out. He repeated the process several times before passing the blunt back. Ace entered the interstate and blended in with the late night traffic.

"Sunshine is alive and I know who kidnapped her," Ace finally answered the questions.

"Who?" Boog and Jay questioned simultaneously. Once again, the car was quiet.

Before Ace could answer, the phone he had taken from The Grim Reaper started ringing. He reached into his pocket, removed the phone, looked at the caller ID, and shook his head as he handed the phone to Boy.

"Who is that calling?" Jay asked.

Boog leaned over the seat, snatching the phone from Boy's hand.

"Adam?" Jay and Boog asked concurrently. They went from watching the name flash across the screen to glaring at Ace. All three men were staring at him with looks of confusion on their faces, hoping Ace would explain. However, he didn’t breathe another word.

"Get the fuck outta here," Boog shouted, putting two and two together. "Adam?" He inquired with an intense frown on his face.

Boy didn’t say anything as he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Adam kidnapped Sunshine?" Jay asked. "But why?"

"I don’t know but I'm certainly about to find out," Ace spoke with immeasurable hurt and anger in his voice.

Jay, Boy, and Boog all knew what the outcome would be when you crossed Ace. Death was too easy. Nevertheless, it was the price you paid when you opposed him.

Ace chuckled. "For three years, this nigga was holding my wife and had the nerve to ask me to help him out of his dilemma," Ace stated as he continued to laugh. "Oh, he better believe when I'm finished with his ass, he won't ever be in another predicament," he professed.

"Damn," Jay said as he sat back in his seat. "How does one come to terms with having to kill your own blood?" He thought. Not only did he have to deal with Adam but he also had to deal with choosing between two ladies he had fallen in love with. "Bruh, you got a lot on your plate," Jay declared. Seeing that their exit was coming up, Ace flicked on his blinker and switched lanes.

"It's sad to say, but blood isn't always thicker than water," Boog affirmed. "Hell, nowadays blood doesn't always make you family–loyalty does," he finished. Everyone agreed.

"This is nothing new. I'm a man of my word; I'll do anything to protect the ones I love," Ace said shrugging his shoulders.

"I know you. All I ask is that you plan out every move down to the T. You still have your daughters to think about," Boy said. "Aaliyah too," he concluded. Ace pulled up on Shell Rd. to find the block empty; he dropped his ride or die homeys off at their respective cars.

"You already know to hit me up when or if you need me," Boog said slapping hands with Ace before he got out of the car. Ace nodded his head, indicating he understood.

"Don't be out here doing wild shit," Jay laughed. "I'm the irrational one," he joked. Although he was attempting to lighten the mood, he was dead serious. Most of the time, it was Jay who was wild ‘n out without thinking of the consequences his actions may cause. Jay had that "I don't give a fuck attitude."

"You already know I think before I move. I play chess and these streets are my chessboard," Ace said as he dapped his homey up.

Boy opened the passenger door but didn’t immediately climb out. He looked up to find Ace deep into his own thoughts. Boy couldn’t say he understood what Ace was going through because he didn’t. Boy never had to come to terms with killing a family member. Why? Because he kept them as far away from his lifestyle as possible.

"It's sad to say but you already know what must be done," Boy finally spoke up. "I'm not saying it's going to be easy but it is necessary." He said, making reference to killing Adam.

"I know what I gotta do," Ace responded. "But for the next few days, I'ma spend time with my daughters and Aaliyah. At least until I figure out what my next move will be," he let Boy know. Ace knew Sunshine’s life still depended on him; he wasn’t going to jeopardize that in anyway.

"Just be safe and holla if you need us," Boy said as he and Ace slapped hands before he exited the car and headed home. With his mind racing, Ace pulled off.

*

Ace drove around Hampton until the sun began to peek over the horizon. There were so many unanswered questions running through his mind. Sadly, he wasn’t 100 percent convinced he wanted to know the answers. Finally, Ace decided to go home and spend some much needed time with his three ladies. Things in his life were already crazy, but he realized it would only get worst. Was he ever going to be able to live his life happily? That was yet another question he didn’t have an answer to.

*

Ace walked into his bedroom to find Aaliyah, Savanna, and Serenity still asleep. Pulling up a chair, he sat at the foot of the bed, observing them as they slumbered. Watching them sleep so peacefully, without a worry in the world, warmed his heart. As of now, he did all the worrying for them, until they were old enough to take care as well as defend themselves from the cruel world.

Removing his shirt and sneakers before climbing into bed, he picked Savanna and Serenity up then laid both girls on his chest. He kissed each of them on the top of their heads before he turned to Aaliyah who was now staring at him with tears in her eyes. She was finally able to release the breath she had been holding since they had hung up with one another earlier that night.

From the stressful look on Ace’s face, Aaliyah recognized it wasn’t over.

“Did you at least find out if Sunshine was alive or not?” She asked, closing her eyes, unsure if she really wanted to hear the answer.

“She’s alive; I spoke to her.” Aaliyah’s heart sank to the bottom of her stomach. She was happy Sunshine was alive and wanted nothing more than for Ace to bring her home. However, she was now faced with a reality she didn’t actually desire to deal with. Aaliyah knew she couldn’t be mad; she knew what she was getting into when she agreed to stay. From the beginning, Amir had been upfront. She encouraged him; he wanted closure, something he needed in order for him to move on with his life.

“Amir, all I ask of you is to keep the one promise you made to me,” Aaliyah said as she slid out of bed. She didn’t want him to see her cry nor did she want to wake the girls.

No sooner than Aaliyah closed and locked the bathroom door behind her, the tears swiftly fell.

Sighing deeply, Ace laid the twins across the bed. He walked to the bathroom door and turned the knob only to discover Aaliyah had locked it. It broke his heart as he laid his head against the door and listened to her cry. Literally, he was torn between two women whom he had dearly fallen in love with. Ace realized he couldn’t chose. He didn’t want to. Currently, the only things on his mind was keeping his twins and Aaliyah safe as well as finding Sunshine.

“Aaliyah, open the door,” Ace asked, tapping lightly on the bathroom door. He didn’t get a response right away. Therefore, he knocked a little harder and louder. Because Aaliyah wouldn’t want to wake the girls, Ace knew he would get a reaction.

As she cleaned her face, Aaliyah unlocked the door. Ace eased the door open then stepped inside the spacious bathroom. Taking hold of Aaliyah, he turned her around to face him. He could see the hurt in her expression, which tore him up.

Before Ace could utter a word, Aaliyah started speaking. “Amir, I know you gotta do what you gotta do; I respect that to the fullest. You have more than enough on your plate; and yes, I’m gonna continue to hold you down. That’s what boss bitches do.” She avowed, finally looking up into his sexy, brown, bedroom eyes. The same sexy eyes she had grown accustomed to looking into; the same eyes that sent chills down her back when he stared at her.

“Listen, there’s always two things you can get out of me,” Ace admitted. “One is my word and the second is loyalty. Those are the only things I can guarantee anyone.” He continued to gaze into her eyes so that she could comprehend how genuine he was.

“You trust me, right?” Aaliyah asked, already knowing Ace trusted her.

“That goes without saying,” was his reply.

“I’m going to take the girls with me while you’re out there searching for Sunshine.” Ace started to cut her off but she held her hand up to discontinue his speaking. “Amir, we all know the streets and the players playing in them are unpredictable. I’d rather be safe than sorry. They’ve already brought the bullshit to your home once while your daughters were inside. You may not be so lucky next time,” Aaliyah acknowledged. The thought of something happening to his babies caused his blood to boil and fire to dance in his eyes. Ace had no other choice but to agree with Aaliyah’s proposal. “This way, you can focus solely on getting Sunshine back and nursing her back to health,” Aaliyah concluded. Smiling slightly, Ace picked Aaliyah up and carried her to the sink.

“You know I love you, right?” He asked.

“I know and I love you back,” she answered as their lips locked.

Ace couldn’t ask for another woman. Aaliyah was more than enough. He honestly didn’t know where he would’ve been had she not entered his life when she did. She was caring and understanding. Ace knew there would never be another like her. He didn’t know of one woman who would have continued to ride with him knowing his wife was alive. They would have taken flight. For that alone, he would always be in debt to her. No matter what happened between the two of them, an unbreakable friendship and bond would remain intact. Just as Ace was removing Aaliyah’s tank top, a tiny knock at the door quickly halted any plans they had.

“Aaliyah, I want you to come lay with me. I had a bad dream,” Serenity spoke just above a whisper. Before they opened the door, Ace helped Aaliyah back into her tank top and off the sink.

“Daddy!” Serenity screamed as she jumped up and down waiting for him to pick her up. Ace smiled as he scooped her into his massive arms. Serenity didn’t waist anytime as she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck then buried her face into it.

Aaliyah climbed back into bed then pulled Savanna next to her, who was sleeping peacefully and snuggled with the teddy bear her father had given her. Ace climbed into bed with Serenity lying on his chest. Just that fast, she had fallen back to sleep.

Chapter 2

Adam paced back and forth; his nerves were on edge as he redialed Mark's number over and over again–nonstop. His gut was telling him things had gone wrong. Adam already knew the outcome of Mark's fate. When dealing with Ace, you paid with your life. What had him freaking out was the fact that he didn’t know what information Ace had obtained from The Grim Reaper. Did Mark tell him who he was working for? Did he turn on Adam to save his own life? Adam had a lot of unanswered questions that he wasn't sure he would get answers to. "What the fuck!" He thought as he banged his fist onto the counter top. Adam knew he was a dead man walking; it was only a matter of time before Ace caught up to him and did only God knows what. His entire body shivered from the thought alone.

Adam had seen the damage Ace could do if he was taken to that point. He himself had witnessed firsthand just how dangerous Ace was or could be. Hell, Ace had bodied a few niggas for him a time or two due to the lack of respect people had shown him because of the severe drug habit he had. Adam disconnected the call then took a seat at the kitchen table. His mind was all over the place; he couldn’t think straight. A small smile spread across his face when he thought on the secret he had. It would do little to save his life. Nonetheless, it wasn’t going to prevent him from revealing it when he felt the time was right.

Adam figured the only thing he could do was to swallow his pride and suck this one up as a big lost. When dealing with Ace, he realized he couldn’t win the battle or the war.

Lost in his thoughts, he tried figuring out who he could call. Then it hit him as he picked up his phone while fishing in his pocket for something. Pulling it out of his pocket, he looked at the number then dialed it. He hoped the number still worked as he punched in the number and waited for the call to connect. He was becoming even more annoyed and pissed as he listened to the phone ring. The second he was about to hang up, a voice came over the line, which caused him to smile.

"Who the fuck is this?" The voice asked in a no nonsense tone. He smiled.

"I wanna know if the offer still stands?" He asked, walking around the kitchen, unable to stand still.

"What's in it for me?" J'vion asked.

"The joy of killing the man you want dead the most," Adam answered.

"How do I know this isn’t a set up?"

"As of now, all you have is my word, but I can and will prove to you that this isn’t a set up. I want that nigga dead and gone just as much as you," Adam tried to convince him. Adam knew he needed an army of men who wouldn’t be afraid to go up against Ace. The mere mention of his name caused grown men to bitch up. "Hear me out. Let me explain what's going on and what I’d like you to do," he finished.

"I'm listening," J'vion said. He would hear Adam out. But as soon as he didn’t like something he said, he was gonna be speaking to Mr. Dial Tone.

*

Sunshine was overwhelmed with joy after hearing Ace’s voice after three years. It was still the same smooth, deep voice she was familiar with; the same voice that made her heart melt when he spoke to her; the same sweet, deep voice that caused her body to tingle inside and out. Sunshine wiped the tears away that had fallen. The love that Ace had always had for her was still present. The fact that he had put his life on the line to save her, after thinking she was dead and gone, proved her wrong. She hoped and prayed that when everything was said and done, the love they shared at one time remained unbroken. Sunshine closed her eyes to keep the tears at bay as she reminisced about her and Ace. There really weren’t any bad memories she had of him. He was always considerate of her as well as her feelings. Whenever she called, he was there. No matter what he had going on in the streets, when she called, he made it a point to make it home to see what she wanted or how she was doing. Sunshine could no longer avert the stream of tears as she broke down and sobbed. Regret, sorrow, and sadness, filled her entire body–causing her to go numb.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered over and over again as the tears flowed from her eyes, blurred her vision, and soaked her face. Sunshine dabbed the tears away as she smiled and recalled the day she informed Ace she was pregnant.

Sunshine lay in bed with her cell phone glued to her ear. She had just gotten in from a doctor’s appointment that delivered the surprise of her life. The morning sickness should have been a dead giveaway, along with the fatigue she had been experiencing for the past few weeks.

“Why don’t you sound excited about being pregnant?” Neisha asked on the other end.

“Because I don’t even know if Ace wants kids,” Sunshine replied.

“Well, the only way to find out is to tell him,” Neisha responded. “Girl, that man loves the ground you walk on.” She stated the obvious. Sunshine sighed heavily; she didn’t know why she was tripping so hard. She and Ace had never talked about kids. However, Sunshine knew it would make their bond that much stronger. “Hello?” Neisha said into the phone. “So, what are you gonna do?” She inquired.

“I guess I’m going to tell Ace we’re having a baby,” laughed Sunshine.

“Yay, I’m going to be an auntie!” Neisha sang, sounding more excited than Sunshine.

Sunshine’s other lined beeped. She checked the caller ID on her phone. “Speaking of the devil,” she smiled when she saw Ace’s name flash across the screen. “Neisha, I’ma holla at you later,” Sunshine informed her as she clicked over.

“Hello?” She smiled into the phone; she loved hearing Ace’s deep voice. It didn’t matter how bad she felt or how horrible her day was going. Whenever she heard his voice, it always changed her mood for the better.

“How you feeling?” He inquired.

“I feel a little better. Ace, we need to talk in person,” she stated.

“Okay, I’ll be home in ten minutes, twenty tops,” he assured her. “I love you,” he said before disconnecting the call.

Sunshine looked at the phone with a smile. “I love you too,” she whispered as she sat her phone on the nightstand then closed her eyes. As soon as she dosed off, she was jumping right back up and racing to the bathroom. Sunshine couldn’t wait until her sickness passed. She leaned over the toilet just as the vomit spilled from her mouth; she flushed the toilet when she was done. Then she washed her face and brushed her teeth. Slowly, she made her way back to bed, climbed in, and threw the covers over her head. Although she heard Ace walk into the room, she didn’t want to move. She listened as he moved around for a few minutes before climbing into bed then wrapping his strong arms around her; she smiled.

“What’s up? Talk to me,” he whispered in her ear. Sunshine removed the covers from her head. Turning around to face him, she looked into his handsome face then stated, “I’m pregnant.” Ace sat there quietly as he allowed what she had just conveyed sink in. It didn’t take long for a smile to spread across his face. He tried to hide it but couldn’t. Ace had always wanted his own family. He just needed to see where Sunshine’s head was.

“What do you wanna do?” He asked, now leaning up on his elbows.

“I want to keep my baby but it’s something we need to agree on. Are you ready for this, seeing as how deep into the streets you are?” She asked with concern written all over her face.

“I want you to have my baby,” Ace
 
avowed. He knew it was a bad time but things happened for a reason. Yes, she was on the verge of graduating from college with a degree in Business. However, that wouldn’t stop anything.

“Ace, I would love to have this baby. In spite of this, a lot of things have to change, starting with you leaving the streets alone.”

“I just need some time; and I promise I’ll get out of the streets.” He assured her, kissing her forehead. Sunshine could tell by his tone of voice that the words he spoke were sincere.

The opening and closing of the room door drew her back to the here and now. It didn’t matter how many times she attempted to prove Ace wrong with regard to all thugs being one in the same, he disproved her time-and-time again. Yes, he was a street nigga. Yet, he told her on their first date that his word was bond because it was the only unquestionable thing he had.

“I fucked a good thing up for no reason at all.” Sunshine thought. She knew there was no purpose to continue crying over spilled milk. If she wasn’t murdered, the only thing she could do was try to rebuild the relationship she and Ace previously shared.

Before Sunshine could move from within his reach, she was forcefully snatched up by the back of her hair.

“Aaahhh!” She screamed as she fought against the strong grip. He was clutching a fist full of her hair so tightly that she was beginning to get a headache. “Please, you’re hurting me,” she said just above a whisper as she was being dragged out of the room she had been held in for the past three years.