Chapter 28
“I know you didn’t think your brother agreed to this date and didn’t plan on meeting him beforehand,” I told Ramina as she opened the door.
I had only been to Rowdy’s house a few times because he spent the majority of his time at my apartment. Ms. Dawn had invited me over for dinner a few times, and that was the only time I’d visited.
“Oh God. You could’ve warned me. I just got my nerves under control, and now this,” she complained.
“You can cancel this whole thing as far as I’m concerned. Don’t nobody care about your nerves,” Rowdy said.
After helping me out of the car, he’d gotten a phone call from Rocky. While on the phone, he walked around Ramina’s car kicking the tires and looking inside while I went into the house.
“You’re so rude. I wish Mama was here so she could pop you upside the head.”
“I gotchu, Lil Sis.” I tapped the back of Rowdy’s neck.
“Now when I tap you on that juicy ass, I don’t wanna hear no shit,” he teased.
“Whatever. Be nice to the boy, Rowdy. Don’t assume he’s trouble before meeting him,” I told him.
“Nah. I was his age once, I wanted to fuck. I’m not giving him grace at all.”
“Ugh! You’re so annoying.”
The doorbell rang and Ramina rushed toward it but was stopped by her brother.
“Back up.”
“Noelani, can you please control your man?” she pleaded.
“It’s too late now. Let’s just roll with it.”
Rowdy opened the door while Ramina and I looked on. I looked the boy up on the school attendance system to see what he looked like. He appeared presentable, but I was too busy to call him to my office to talk to him.
“Aww, hell nah!” Rowdy shouted. “You ain’t going nowhere with this lil nigga.”
“Oh my God. Noelani, please get him.”
“Baby, let him in so we can talk to him.”
“I don’t need to talk to him to know what he’s about.”
I shook my head and pushed Rowdy away from the door to let Kendrick inside.
“Come on in, Kendrick, and have a seat on the couch. Ramina, you sit next to him.”
Kendrick timidly followed Ramina to the couch. I sat on the loveseat, patting the spot next to me for Rowdy.
“Nah, I’m standing.”
I shook my head before greeting Kendrick.
“Hello, Kendrick. I’m Noelani, Ramina’s sister-in-love, and this is her crazy ass brother, Rowdy.”
“Kendrick and I have met,” he informed with his mouth clenched in anger.
“Oh, really? When?” I asked.
“A while back. He tried to sell me some dope.”
Ramina and I gasped.
“Oh, umm . . .” I began, but didn’t know what to say.
“You sell drugs?” Ramina questioned.
“No. Shit. I used to, but not anymore.”
“Why should I believe you?” she asked with disappointment all over her face and in her voice.
“Kendrick, let me talk to you for a minute,” Rowdy said before heading toward the front door.
The two of them went outside, leaving Ramina and I to figure out what had just happened.
“I can’t believe this. The first boy in Onyx City to ask me out is a drug dealer. This sucks.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. It does kinda suck. I don’t even know what to say.”
“I guess I’ll put on my pajamas because I’m not going anywhere with him.”
She got up and headed to her room, but before she made it, the guys came back inside.
“Hold on, Mina.”
“It’s fine, Rowdy. I don’t want to go out anymore.”
“Have a seat and let me explain a few things.”
Ramina and Kendrick returned to the couch. I knew damn well Rowdy wouldn’t let Ramina go out with a boy we knew sold drugs, so I was confused.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Kendrick was sent by Zelle.”
“What?” Ramina questioned in disbelief.
“He used Kendrick to get to you, in order to get to me. So, Kendrick is gonna deliver me to Zelle on a platter.”
“Oh, God. Rowdy, are you trying to make me have this baby early? Why must you do things that put you in danger? I’m calling Rocky.”
I pulled out my phone and found Rocky’s number. He answered on the second ring.
“What did this nigga do now?” he answered.
“Nothing yet, but he’s planning something. Can you and Russell come to the address I’m about to send you?”
“Yeah. We were just about to leave the center.”
I was expecting Rocky and Russell to come over and talk Rowdy out of whatever he had planned, but it was the exact opposite. Instead, they sent us back to my apartment, promising to perfect Rowdy’s plan and bring him back to me in one piece.
Poor Kendrick looked scared when we left, which let me know he didn’t have any business trying to be a drug dealer. Rowdy and his brothers wouldn’t harm him, but he didn’t know that.
Hours passed before we heard from Rowdy. He didn’t share any details, but let us know everything was good and he’d be home soon, which ended up being a few more hours later. When he entered our apartment, Rocky, Russell, and Kendrick were behind him.
After we embraced and made sure not one of his hairs were out of place, we all went to the living room to talk. I had a million questions, and you would’ve thought I was asking questions about CIA and FBI level activities because those niggas lips were sealed.
“Noelani, we promised to bring him back to you in one piece, and we made good on our promise, but we can’t answer any of your questions,” Rocky explained.
“It’s for your own good,” Russell added.
I folded my arms across my chest and pouted, but not one of them cared. I even tried to get some information out of Kendrick, but he pretended to be clueless.
“Kendrick only came along because Zelle was expecting him. The only thing he knows is that Zelle was arrested, but none of the details about why,” Rowdy told me.
Ramina had been giving Kendrick the evil eye since he’d arrived. He finally noticed and addressed her.
“Why are you looking at me like you hate me?”
“Because I do,” she spat.
“I didn’t mean to lead you on, but I didn’t have a choice. Zelle threatened my family.”
“Whatever. You never have to speak to me again. I’m good.”
“Ramina, I—”
“I said I’m good. Can somebody take me home?”
“We’ll take you, but you’ll have to ride in the back with Kendrick,” Russell offered.
“As long as he doesn’t talk to me or touch me, that’s fine.”
“You hear that? Don’t talk to her or touch her,” Rowdy repeated. “I got a question before you go though. How did you connect with Zelle?”
“The homie I was with the night you ran up on us. I ain’t really wanna be out there anyway, but my boy said it was easy money.
I’d been saving for a car, but as y’all know, it takes a long time to save money with these minimum wage jobs.
Your warning and the gun you put to my forehead was the push I needed to quit, but my homie still be out there.
He rolled up on me at my new job with Zelle last week.
When he told me what he wanted me to do, I refused until he threatened to kidnap and rape my little sister.
He had pictures of her walking home from school in his phone. ”
“Damn. That’s fucked up,” Rowdy said.
“I didn’t see your face that night, but I recognized your voice as soon as you spoke and connected the dots. Ramina, I apologize for almost putting you in danger. I just didn’t know what else to do.”
Ramina didn’t respond, but her expression softened a bit. A few minutes later, Rowdy and I were alone.
“So . . . now that they’re gone—”
“I ain’t telling you shit, baby. Like Russell said, it’s for your own good. Zelle is no longer a problem.”
My eyes widened. “Is he dead? Did y’all kill him?”
“You ain’t the only killer in this house, baby.”
I gasped. “You killed him? Oh my God, Rowdy. The police—”
“Calm down, baby. He’s still alive, but he’ll be going away for a long time. Since I was pushed to the edge twice this week and nobody died, I think I should be rewarded.”
“Oh, really? What kind of reward would you like?”
“Well . . . I missed dinner, and I’m starving.”
“I think I may have something for you to eat.”
“Bring it on, baby.”