Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
KARIMA
“W ho was that, and why were they shooting at us?” I asked my daddy.
“We don’t have a fucking clue. We suspected it was the Andersons, but that guy doesn’t even look familiar, and he was alone. They never do shit solo. It’s always a gang of them, because they know one on one ain’t gon’ work out in their favor. Eventually, they’ll learn that coming in groups won’t work out either. We decided to just call the police. We don’t know who this guy is or who he could be connected to. Where are you, baby girl?”
“I’m in Cheek with Rhodes.”
“Put your phone on speaker.”
“Done. He can hear you.”
“Rhodes, thank you for protecting my baby.”
“You don’t have to thank me for that. She’s my baby too.”
I leaned against him as we sat on the couch. My nerves were frazzled. That bullet could have killed me or Rhodes. It looked like he was about to get in his seat but paused to swat a bug off his pants. Had he not done that, I would have been grieving the father of my child… the love of my life. The tears came out of nowhere. I was no longer listening to their conversation. I could only hear my thoughts. They were loud and distracting.
I closed my eyes, trying to hear what I believed God was telling me. Taking deep breaths seemed to help. They are after Rhodes. That dropped right in my spirit as I looked up at him. He was listening to my dad.
“You had really quick thinking by shooting out that tire. It was smart, too, since you didn’t know who it was.”
Rhodes nodded as if my dad could see that, then looked down at me. He frowned slightly. I supposed he could tell something was up. Sliding my arms around him, I hugged him tightly. After kissing my head, I heard him telling my dad he had to go and get things situated for me. I felt like I was about to have an anxiety attack. I closed my eyes again and began taking deep breaths, praying in my spirit.
“Karima, what’s going on, baby?” he asked in a soft voice.
I could tell he was worried. He placed his hand on my belly and rubbed it in circles then kissed my ear and my cheek. “What’s up, baby? You making me nervous.”
“They are after you.”
His hand stopped its circular motion. I opened my eyes to look at him and saw the frown of confusion on his face. “Why would they be after me?”
“I don’t know, but if you look where the bullet hole is in your windshield, had you not paused, it would have hit you right in the head.”
He looked away from me and swallowed hard, I supposed trying to visualize what I was saying. When he reopened them, he looked right at me. “My parents…” he said in a whisper.
He closed his eyes tightly then stood from his seat and began pacing back and forth as I watched. “How would they have found you? And why are they coming after you now? Your parents have been gone for three years,” I said, trying to get him to think.
“I don’t know, baby, but maybe the safest place for you is back in Nome. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you or Roselynn.”
I went to him and brought my hands to his cheeks. “And how do you think I feel about something happening to you? I love you, Rhodes. None of this is your fault.”
“They could have easily found me, especially after I went out there to bury them. They told me not to do that, but I couldn’t imagine not being there to bury my parents. Fuck! ”
He pulled away from me and swung at the air. I didn’t understand why they would have waited so long to come after him. Well… maybe they didn’t. He was in Prairie View when his parents were killed. A year or so later, he moved back to Cheek. Then not even a year later, he moved to Nashville. Now he was back in Cheek. Whenever they got a plan in place to execute, he’d move.
Now that he was back in Cheek, they could resume whatever plan they were working on for this area. I was willing to bet he had whatever they were after. I wondered if he knew why they were after his father. I was willing to bet it had something to do with all that money he got. His dad was a kingpin. None of his money was acquired legally. That didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out, but I felt like he probably did or took something someone didn’t like. That was why he sent Rhodes here in the first place.
I went to him and wrapped my arms around him from behind. When I felt his body tremble, I pulled away. Walking around him, I didn’t see fear in his eyes. I saw his savage. “Hey… no. Let’s not go there. He’s been arrested. We need you, Rhodes. God has it under control.”
He looked away from me and rubbed his hand down his face. Coming close to me, he grabbed my hand and kissed it. “Give me a few minutes to myself, baby. I need to think. I need to be prepared, because I can promise you, they are going to come harder next time.”
He kissed my head and reiterated, “Just a few minutes, okay?”
I nodded and went back to the couch. I flinched when my phone started ringing. It scared the shit out of me. When I saw Jacob’s number, I took a deep breath. “Hey, cuz.”
“Hey, Rima. You good?”
“Yeah. I was a little shook up, but I’m okay.”
“A’ight. We working, trying to figure out who the fuck that nigga was. Jakari called Watchful Eyes. We have a meeting with them tomorrow.”
“Can me and Rhodes come?”
“I don’t see why not. Y’all need to know what’s going on, especially Rhodes. I’m happy for you. I knew it was more to why you came back home, but I wasn’t gon’ press you about it. I just want you to know that I’m always here for you. I always got your back. The way you took my soul into your care after Joseph died was above and beyond what anyone else did, including my own mama. If anyone deserves care, attention, and tenderness, it’s you. You’re never bothering me, and you don’t ever have to be hesitant about reaching out. I love you, cuz.”
Tears were falling from my eyes. Jacob’s words to me were so beautiful. I was always there for everyone, but I knew not to expect “me” out of everyone else. Everyone couldn’t operate the way I did. It was my God-given gift to see after people… to help people mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I never expected to get anything I did in return. I knew to expect blessings, though, because God was a rewarder to those who diligently sought Him. I always sought the Lord, asking for guidance, despite some of my wrong-doings.
I took a deep breath, trying to get my emotions under control. “Thank you, Jacob. I love you too.”
“Okay. Tell Rhodes I said good looking out. See y’all tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay. Bye.”
As soon as I ended the call, a text came through from a group thread. I clicked on the top to see who all was in it. Milana, Maui, Ashanni, Noni, Bali, Angel, Mya, and Cassie. Lord have mercy. They were adopting me into their crew. Hopefully, it was just for right now. I loved my cousins, but Noni and Bali could work my nerves at times. Although I was only a few years older than them, my maturity level seemed to be a decade ahead of theirs.
Maui: Karima, are you okay? I heard y’all were shot at!
Noni: Oh shit! But who is y’all? Who was she with?
Milana: Her boo. Her baby daddy. Her man.
I rolled my eyes. They were texting so fast. I decided to just wait until they were done before I responded.
Bali: Daddy Mayor said that nigga showed up, but he didn’t say they made up. That nigga must have that demon dick. He a street nigga or country?
Ashanni: Baby, he both. He drives a jacked-up Chevy truck and had hay in the bed, but he wore gold chains, has dreads, and bowlegged as hell.
Cassie: Y’all are always in somebody’s business. LOL! Give Karima time to respond. She’s probably watching these messages and rolling her eyes.
Bali: Or she could be going see a man about a horse!
There were several laughing emojis, and Bali inserted a Megan meme with her tongue stuck out. I slowly shook my head and put my phone down as Rhodes walked back inside. He didn’t look any better than he did before he left out. I stood from the couch as he approached me. When he took his shirt off, my heart rate climbed slightly. Before I could rub my hands up his chest, he pulled my shirt over my head and unfastened my bra in record time.
His mouth landed on one of my nipples, gently sucking it, as he pulled my leggings and underwear off. His mouth went to the other nipple, offering the same service, as he pulled my garments over my feet, one at a time. After pulling away, he unbuckled his belt and slid his pants to his thighs then pulled out his dick. I licked my lips as he grabbed my hand and pulled me closer then lifted me.
His dick entered me in a hurry. His eyes closed on impact, and he released a sigh, indicating the relief he felt by being inside of me. I felt the same way every time he entered my sanctuary. Rhodes set me on the back of the couch and began stroking me slowly but deeply while staring into my eyes.
“I love you so much, baby.”
“I love you too, Rhodes.”
He glanced at my phone as it went off back-to-back. I was more than sure it was the group chat. I supposed Bali ended up being right. My eyes rolled to the back of my head as my orgasm rose to the surface. Before it could fully manifest itself, he pulled out and went to his knees, submerging his face in my love for him. That manifestation came upon contact. The minute my clit recognized his tongue, she leapt for joy.
I wrapped my legs around his neck and rolled my hips against his face, giving me the friction I needed. Within seconds, I squirted all over his face. He stood and entered me with haste as I tried to get away, thinking he was about to tear my ass up.
“Bring yo’ pretty ass here, KD. You know this dick ain’t got nothing but love for you, baby.”
I relaxed in his arms as he stroked me mercilessly. The screams of passion leaving me were taking me even higher than I already was. My own damn voice was turning me on more. His grunts were taking me there too, not to mention his dirty ass mouth. He wiped his face and said, “I swear yo’ pussy was blessed by God, girl. This some heavenly shit, and it’s magically delicious. Fuck! Let me taste this shit again.”
He pulled out of me, and I squirted at least five feet. I had never seen my body do no shit like that. “See what the fuck I’m talking about? You gotta be a fucking angel in disguise.”
After his words, he went in face first and slurped every ounce of liquid my pussy excreted. He had to be a damn vacuum in a former life with the way he thoroughly sucked my shit. Shit! “Rhodes! Fuuuuuuck, baby!”
I came all over him again, and he stood and pushed inside of me. I clawed at him, probably leaving scratches all over him. “Karima… look at me, baby.”
I opened my eyes and stared at him in his tormented ones. The tears instantly fell down my cheeks. Something was telling me he was about to break my heart. This couldn’t be happening. I wouldn’t be able to endure this shit. I tried to get away from him. His dick slid out of me as I twisted my body beneath him.
“Karima! Look at me!” he said forcefully.
I stopped and stared at him, allowing the tears to cascade down my cheeks. “It’s only temporary. I don’t know how you knew what I was about to say. I can’t risk something happening to you or Roselynn. Until this problem is addressed and resolved, you being close to me isn’t safe. You could have died tonight! That would have killed me! I need you to understand, baby. Please.”
I jerked away from him and ran to the bathroom, locking myself inside. My head was pounding, begging for relief. I needed Rhodes to hold me… love me through this shit. There was no way I would be okay without him. I couldn’t understand why he would think I would be.
After cleaning up, I left the bathroom’s confines to find him seated on the couch, fully clothed. I took a deep breath and went to where he was and picked up my clothes. He stood and reached for my hand, but I avoided him. I glared at him and said, “I hope you know what the fuck you’re doing.”
“Honestly, I don’t. I just know that I want you to be safe. Being around me isn’t safe. That’s a no-brainer.”
I angrily swiped my tears away. “Maybe this should be permanent. I hope you can live with yourself after this. I wish I would have never given you another chance. I’m tired of being heartbroken. I’m already associated with you. Either way, I’m in this shit. Whoever the fuck they are, know where my parents live.”
I quickly got dressed as there was a knock on his door. He quickly went to a closet and got a gun. It was much bigger than the one he had in his truck. He turned to me and said, “Go back to the bathroom and lock the door.”
I rolled my eyes and walked off. Now he was being over the top. If somebody was here to take his ass out, they wouldn’t be knocking on the fucking door, giving him time to defend himself. When I heard a woman’s voice greeting him, I left the bathroom and went back to where we were previously. It was his aunt.
“Karima!”
“Hey, Missus Kimiko,” I said somewhat dryly as I hugged her.
When I pulled away, her eyebrows were lifted. She turned to Rhodes, as if silently questioning him. I grabbed my phone and purse and said, “Take me home. It seems your Rhodes only lead to heartbreak.”
I’d had enough of today. I was beyond ready for the shit to be over. I went to his kitchen to wait for him, doing my best not to cry. Glancing at my phone, I saw I had over forty new messages. I rolled my eyes, wanting to delete the entire thread.
“See you later, baby,” Mrs. Kimiko said.
I gave her a tight smile, not knowing if she’d ever see me again. Rhodes grabbed his keys, so I walked out of the house. He quickly grabbed my arm, pulling me back to him. “I hate to see you upset, KD.”
“Well, quit making me that way!”
“Why can’t you see that I’m doing what I feel is best?”
“Because you didn’t think it through! It’s bullshit!” I jerked away from him and said, “My family is meeting at the family barn tomorrow. I guess you can go see what they are planning to do. I won’t be there. Since you want me safe, I’ll be locked up in my fucking house.”
“Man, you fucking overreacting.”
“Am I? Huh? I swear, you the only nigga that can make my fucking Henderson show up, front and got damn center.”
I stormed off to his truck, as he used his remote to unlock it, and got inside. I was steaming. My phone started ringing. When I saw my daddy’s number, I knew he would probably be inviting Rhodes to the meeting. I sent him to voicemail and texted him Rhodes’s number. They could have that shit. I was done with all of it.