Chapter 2
I was afraid. I had never been afraid before, but when those dirty ass niggas harassed me in the parking lot of Target, I couldn't let them think they could get away with it, so I called my brother. I knew who the Blaze Burners were. My best friend Nani was dating the leader's cousin, Murder, so we hung around them a couple of times. The one who harassed me, Niko, had been trying his hand at me since Nani started bringing me around them. I didn't like the biker world — well, not the Blaze Burners. They were disrespectful as fuck and didn't give a damn about anything. I only hung around them a handful of times because Nani never wanted to go alone but wanted to be up under Murder any chance she could. I hated it.
Nani was my girl, so I had her back. Otherwise, I would have never run into a slime like Niko. When he felt me up in the parking lot, calling me all kinds of names but a child of God, I told Ghana. I didn't expect him to fracture his jaw and break his fingers, but I should have known he wasn't going to be nice about it. My brother wasn't wrapped too tight. I half expected him to just check him or warn him. However, that didn't go how I envisioned it. I was now on the back of this sexy mystery man's bike, being taken to the unknown.
The man was all kinds of fine, and although hesitant about going with him, I couldn't deny the instant attraction. When he stared at me, I saw the admiration in his eyes, and I'm sure the same reflected in mine. Rarely was I ever attracted to men like him, but there was something magnetic about him I couldn't pull myself away from.
When he pulled up to a building that looked like Freddy Krueger was waiting on us inside, I cringed. There was no way I was going inside of there. I didn't give a damn what he said.
He turned off the engine and got off the bike. He held his hand out for me to take, but I took off the helmet and folded my arms... refusing to move.
"I'm not going in there," I told him.
He chuckled. "It's funny how you keep thinking you have a choice."
"My daddy passed away when I was ten. I highly doubt his reincarnation came in the form of you, so like I said, I'm not going in there."
He nodded, placed his helmet on the seat, and, in one swift motion, snatched me from his bike and put me over his shoulder.
"Put me the fuck down! You can't do this to me!" I screamed, trying to get out of his death grip on my legs. "How the fuck are you going to bring me to a fucking crack house? I'm not staying here with junkies!"
He said nothing as I heard him pressing numbers on a keypad and opening a door. I could feel us ascending some stairs as he opened up another door. Once inside, he placed me on my feet, and my eyes scanned the lobby. I instantly felt crazy because I had to be hallucinating. The lobby looked like a five-star hotel in some beautiful country. Guam perhaps? Or maybe even Hawaii.
"What's good, Benzo?" he asked the man I didn't notice sitting behind a security desk.
"Nothing much. How's your day going?" They slapped palms.
"Fucked up, but I'll live. I'll get up with you when I come back down."
"Type shit."
He turned to me. "You done with your tantrum?" he coolly asked.
I rolled my eyes. "Where is my brother? I'm not going any further until I see him. I don't know you. You could be a serial killer."
"Could be." He smirked.
"You heard what I said."
"Listen, Mona Lisa, I don't have time for your stubbornness. You won't be seeing your brother until this shit blows over. Now, let's go." He walked away, heading toward the elevators. I didn't move. "Either you walk, or I carry you. Make your choice, Mona."
"My name isn't no freaking Mona. It's Kenzi!"
"Good to know. Now, let's roll," he instructed, continuing to the elevators. "Got me out here doing this stupid shit." He whispered the last part, but I heard him loud and clear.
I finally moved toward the elevators.
"No one told you to save me. I called for my brother," I sassed, stepping on the elevator behind him. Even that was plush.
He didn't respond as the car ascended to the fourth floor. Once it opened, I was greeted with nothing but pure beauty. I mean, my apartment was nice, but the layout of this loft was everything a girl could ever imagine. The red oak flooring, the white-washed cabinets and closet doors, the high ceilings, and the paintings were just the tip of the iceberg. As I moved further inside, I noticed a huge sectional that looked super comfortable, with an ottoman in the center of the room. There was an entertainment center with what looked to be a movie projector screen hanging from the brick wall. There were plants placed strategically around the area, and the kitchen was an open concept of what looked to be a chef's haven.
I watched as he walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge and the cabinets.
"The kitchen is stocked if you're hungry. I'm going to have someone bring you some clothes so that you can shower or whatever."
"Wait... How long do I have to stay here? I have work, and I have class. I can't be held hostage here," I protested.
"You and your brother probably should have thought about that before y'all went causing all this trouble."
"I didn't do anything but go to fucking Target to get more school supplies!"
"Then got harassed, ran and told your brother, he retaliated, and you got snatched."
"I'm his sister! He's supposed to defend me."
"He didn't play it smart, and now, here you are."
"I can't stay here, mister. It's a nice place, but I can lose my job and get kicked out of school if I don't show up. Please. I need my job to pay for my class!"
"Aye, today ain't the day for me to be irritated. All that fucking yelling you doing ain't gon' get you nowhere with me. Y'all pissed off a rival gang of bikers who could give less than a fuck about ya job or school. Grue knew he should have come to me once he got word that they fucked with you, but he didn't. He always thinks irrationally, and now I have to fix what the fuck he's done."
"Why? He can take care of himself."
"I'm sure he could, but where does taking care of himself leave you?"
When I didn't reply, he continued.
"Right. In the hands of niggas who were more than likely going to rape and kill you." He headed toward the elevator and pushed the button as it opened. "I'll have someone come by and get you together. In the meantime, call ya job and make arrangements with your school until I figure something out. The landline is over on the table in the corner. I'll be back to check on you in a few days."
"Wait! A few days?"
He nodded. "Two tops."
"Wait... What is your name?" The doors began to close as he looked at me, crossing his arms in front of him.
"Ruger," he responded, then he was gone.
"How long do I have to stay here, Ghana?" I asked my brother as I sat on the couch with my legs crossed.
I was hungry as hell. I refused to burn this man's house down because cooking was never my ministry. I could cook ramen noodles or make a mean sandwich, but he didn't have any of that here. He had things for a salad, but I needed some meat to go with it.
"Just a few days, Kenz... I was off my meds, so I wasn't thinking clearly. I fucked up."
"I know. I should have known you were when you stormed out without getting the full story."
"I didn't need the full story. The moment you said the nigga touched you inappropriately, it was a done deal. I didn't give a fuck about what else happened."
"Yet now, I'm still being held hostage. Truth is going to fire me. This is my fifth time calling out in two weeks."
"You don't need to be working at that bar, anyway. I told you I got you."
"I'm thirty years old, Ghana. I've allowed life to pass me by relying on you to take care of me while I wasted my twenties doing absolutely nothing and taking care of you. Now look at me: a struggling student working at a strip club as a bottle girl to pay for school."
"I should have pushed you to do better. That's on me. But it's never too late to start your life over, Sis. I'm sorry I got you into this, but you're safe. I promise."
"How can I believe that when the man was being an asshole? He doesn't seem any better than those Blaze assholes!"
"He's way better, Kenz. Just chill for me, a'ight, and stop talking back to him. Ruger ain't the type to just let people annoy him. I know how your mouth can be. Just cool out until he gives me the word that you're good."
"I'm not scared of his ass!"
"Kenzi, just fucking listen for once. Please? I told you to stop hanging out with Nani's ass when she goes around them niggas! She don't have nobody that gives a fuck about her, but you do."
"Okay, damn! I'm bored. I don't have my phone or laptop, and I can't cook! What the hell am I supposed to do until this ends?"
"I'll get your shit from your apartment and give it to Ru."
"Can I at least have some company?" I asked. I felt like a damn child asking permission to have company. This shit was ridiculous.
"No, especially not Nani's ass! Just fucking chill, Kenzi, damn!"
"Have you taken your meds, Ghana?" I had to ask because who was he talking to like that?
"I did! This is just pure frustration because it's my fault that you gotta hide out. I know you ain't feeling it, but it's the way it has to be for now. Ru said someone would be there in an hour to bring you some clothes. I'll send your phone and shit with them."
I sighed deeply. "Fine. You be careful, Ghana. I love you."
"Love you more, man. It's going to be over soon. Trust me."
I hung up and fell back onto the couch. I hated this shit. For a long time, it's just been Ghana and me. We had different fathers and the same mother. My father passed away when I was ten, and once Ghana turned eighteen, my mom ran off with his dad, and we haven't talked to them since. I strongly believed our mother left us because she couldn't handle Ghana's mental health issues anymore. He was diagnosed with impulsive behavior at a young age. He used to spazz a lot when we were kids and tear our house to pieces. It used to scare me how erratic he would become, but as I got older, I was able to calm him and help him through his behaviors. I didn't know what it was about me, but when he saw me, he would slowly but surely calm himself and apologize. He didn't have to be sorry. I understood his brain didn't work like a normal person. When he was on his meds, he was fine, but off them, it was best to stand clear of him.
I hated my mother with a passion. She left me behind for my brother to raise when he was only a kid himself. There was no one there to take him to doctor's appointments when he'd forget to go, and he rarely ever filled his scripts. It was why I never went to college after I graduated from high school. Ghana needed me to be there to keep him calm and make sure he was taking his medicine. I was the little sister taking care of my big brother, but as it stood, I didn't mind. I loved my brother even when the world didn't. Now that we were both grown and in our thirties, I decided to get my shit together, go back to school, and get my doctorate degree. I wanted to be a psychiatrist to help people like my brother, and I couldn't let his world collide with mine. As much as Nani was my girl, I had to stop hanging around her so much, especially after this Niko bullshit.
I stood from the couch and went to go exploring. There was a set of iron stairs to the left of me, so I decided I'd go up to see what was up there first. This loft was huge, and I never knew they came with an upstairs. When I made it to the top, I noticed it was a bedroom. The California king-sized bed sat on a platform, and there were three steps to get on it. There was a dresser, two nightstands, and a ninety-inch TV on the wall over a fireplace. I checked the dressers, and they were empty. Walking ahead, I opened a door and noticed a nice and clean bathroom. I checked the medicine cabinet and saw nothing but a toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, a box of condoms, and a few bars of soap, along with some creams. I closed the cabinet back, walked out of the bathroom, and opened another door to a closet filled with clothes and bath essentials in a small area on the other side. I shuffled through the clothes, pulling a white button-up from the hanger and putting it up to my nose. It smelled heavenly — crisp and clean. I wondered if Ruger lived here. He had to since he had clothes here with food and cabinets stocked.
Grabbing two washcloths, a towel, and body wash, I left the closet and went back to the bathroom to shower. It had been a long day, and being in these clothes since last night was making me itch. Being snatched up and thrown into a dark room with niggas coming in and out, taunting and touching me, drained me. I was going to soak in the tub, get my mind together, then try to find something to eat until my things arrived.