Chapter Two #3
Nivéa didn’t believe a word he’d just said.
She knew better. Boe had always been manipulative.
Smooth with his mouth and dangerous with his promises.
She’d lived through it enough times to recognize it the moment it showed its face.
This wasn’t love. It was toxicity dressed up.
She was positive he only wanted to use her.
Use the money she had put away and use her as company to ride with him through the mayhem.
She kept staring straight ahead, tuning him out.
After a moment, Boe sighed, done trying to reason with her.
He tucked the gun back into his pants, hopped out of the car, and walked to the passenger side as if it were his vehicle, and they were just a regular couple running errands.
He opened the door for her, and Nivéa stepped out without a word, moving to the backseat to retrieve Nyla.
By the time she turned around with her, Boe had already grabbed a nearby cart, taking the carrier from her hand and placing it inside.
“Cheer up, baby.” He said, leaning down to kiss her forehead.
Nivéa stiffened, her blood boiling so quickly that it made her dizzy. Before she could stop herself, she jerked her head back hard, mushing his face.
“Do not taunt me. You want me to be peaceful? Then do not fuckin’ touch me, nigga. Or I’mma lose it on you.” She snapped, her voice shaking with rage.
Boe chuckled, amused by her defiance. He wasn’t the least bit concerned, knowing he had the upper hand. “Walk,” he said flatly, nodding toward the market doors.
Once inside the store, Nivéa claimed she needed more things for Nyla, things she hadn’t packed enough of.
She moved slowly on purpose, drifting down aisles she didn’t need and reaching for items she already had plenty of.
Pacifiers, wipes, bottles. Anything to stretch the time and delay walking back out those doors.
She was trying to regain her strength and devise another plan.
But it was hard to think clearly with Boe pushing the cart that held her baby.
After a while, Boe noticed her stalling.
His patience began to wear thin. He’d already withdrawn money from the ATM, and he was ready to leave and set the rest of his plan into motion before the detective caught wind that he was running instead of following orders.
Before Preach connected the dots and realized he had snitched.
He had a cousin where he was headed, the only person he could truly count on to look out for him.
As they drifted toward the checkout line, Nivéa slowed again. Her fingers tightened around the cart handle, anxiety pulsing through her. “I gotta get some tampons too. My stomach is cramping bad. My period is about to start.” She whispered the lie, effortlessly.
Nivéa’s strategy was that if she couldn’t find a way out of the situation, she needed to plant seeds in Boe’s mind until she could get away from him.
She wasn’t na?ve. He’d done time, and with that, she feared he would eventually force himself on her.
The kiss in the parking lot was only the beginning, she figured.
She had to think of a reason to keep him off her, and she prayed it would be good enough.
Boe stopped walking, suspicion etched on his face as his nostrils flared.
“I’m not lying. I need tampons and some pain meds. I just realized it’s close to that time.”
“And you ain’t think to grab none of that shit from your crib?”
Nivéa let out a slow breath. “No, I didn’t think to. My stomach just started hurting on the drive here. Plus, I was scared. You had just put a fuckin’ gun to my head, Boe.”
“Don’t say that shit out loud ever again.” Irritation flickered across his features as he glanced around. “We gon’ get this shit and then we out for real. I’m not about to be fuckin’ around with you in this sto—”
“Nivéa?” A woman called out, interrupting.
Nivéa’s brows knitted in confusion as she turned toward the familiar voice, unable to place it at first. But the moment her eyes met Kerri’s, shock flickered across her face, followed quickly by a wave of relief.
“Mrs. Knight, hi.” She spoke.
“Heyyy, I thought that was you. How you been, sweetie?”
“Um…good. I’m just in here grabbing a few things.” Nivéa replied, keeping her tone light as she glanced over at Boe, who was glaring at her.
“Yeah, me too.” Kerri tapped the small basket looped over her arm, filled with breakfast items, bandages, and peroxide. “I got Hassan to take care of. You know his behind is still laid up in my house. Big ass baby when he wants to be, I tell you.”
Nivéa almost asked who the hell Hassan was, but Boe interrupted before she could.
“Aye, we gotta go.” He said.
Kerri’s smile faded the moment she turned her head, and her eyes landed on him.
She studied him openly, unimpressed. Crown had told her about how he and Nivéa had come to an end, and while Kerri was disappointed that they didn’t work out, she understood why.
Still, she believed Nivéa could do much better than the bum-looking ass nigga standing before her.
“And you are?” She asked, not waiting for an introduction.
Kerri couldn’t help herself; she came from a family of royalty. People naturally gave the Knights respect. And if they didn’t because they were unaware of the legacy, they were taught to, or worse, forced to.
Ignoring her question, Boe’s eyes remained focused on Nivéa. “We gotta go. Now.” He repeated.
Kerri watched as Nivéa’s eyes dropped, then lifted again, and it was then that she noticed the dry tear stains on her face.
“This is my baby girl’s father. Excuse us. We’re just in a bit of a rush. It was so good to see you, though, Mrs. Knight—”
“Are you okay, sweetie? You look like you’ve been crying.”
“She’s fine.” Boe snapped.
“I wasn’t asking you. Nivéa can speak for her damn self.”
Boe didn’t bother to argue. Instead, he reached into the cart and lifted the carrier out, holding it just long enough to make his point. The message was clear to Nivéa. Move, or he would walk out with the baby without her.
“Y… yes, I’m fine. Like I said, I’m just in a bit of a rush. Thank you for coming over to speak. It was so good seeing you.”
Nivéa forced a smile before pushing the basket and falling in step behind Boe. And she prayed Kerri noticed how unsteady it had been and called the cops. At this point, she was her last hope.
After grabbing the tampons and pain medication, they headed toward the register.
While they waited in line, Boe remained on edge, his eyes sweeping the store for any sign of Kerri.
His jaw tightened as he scanned each aisle.
He wasn’t above threatening an old woman if she decided to involve herself.
“Aye, who the fuck was that?” He asked.
Nivéa cleared her throat, lying without missing a beat. “Just one of my mama’s old friends.”
“I don’t recognize her. She used to come over to the crib?”
“Yeah, but never when you were around. Why is this even important?”
Boe studied her for a long second, searching her face for something that didn’t sit right. Then his gaze drifted away, sweeping the aisles again. But Kerri was no longer in sight. And if he was being honest, that brought him a small sense of relief.
After they checked out, Boe pushed the cart toward the exit, feeling victorious. But that feeling vanished the moment they stepped out of the glass doors, and the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked echoed inches from the back of his head.
Nivéa froze mid-step, too. “Oh my God,” she whispered, barely breathing as she turned her head just enough to catch the shine of the barrel and Danger’s side profile.
He looked nothing like the man she was used to seeing.
Every other time she’d encountered him, he’d been well put together…
vest fitted snug, jeans crisp, and boots planted firm on his feet.
Today was different. His locs were tied back in a careless bun, and the crisp edge-up he usually kept was barely there because he was overdue to see his barber.
A dingy black T-shirt clung to his frame, athletic shorts hung low on his waist, and he wore Nike slides on his feet.
The last set of bandages Kerri had wrapped around his leg was visible and bloody, peeking out as he stood behind Boe.
Instinctively, Boe’s hand shot toward his waist.
“Pull that muthafucka if you want to. The way I’m feelin’, I’ll have yo’ shit splattered all over this pavement, bitch.” Danger threatened.
In his eyes, Nivéa saw deep, unfiltered pain.
Not just from the wound on his leg but from losing Lil Mo.
His grief had nowhere to go but outward.
His gaze was flat, heavy, and dangerous, as if pulling the trigger wouldn’t cost him a thing.
He’d been down bad for too long, and now he was desperate to unleash all his frustrations.
Seconds later, Kerri rushed out of the store. She was the one who had alerted Danger while he waited in the car. Her instincts screamed that something was off, and if she turned out to be wrong, then so be it. Better safe than sorry.
“Nivéa, sweetie, I’m going to ask you one more time. Are you okay?” She asked, pulling Nivéa’s face toward hers.
Nivéa closed her eyes, a deep breath escaping her chest, heavy with relief. She shook her head and answered,
“No.”
That was all Kerri needed to hear. She stepped forward and reached for the baby’s carrier inside the basket as Danger pressed the barrel of his gun deeper into the back of Boe’s head, ready to pull the trigger.
“Not here, son. Too many cameras. Let him go.” Kerri said calmly, authority lacing her words.
Danger bit down on his bottom lip, fighting the urge to pull the trigger anyway.
“Hassan,” Kerri called firmly. “Put the gun away. We have a baby present. This cannot happen right now. Let him go.”
Finally, Danger nodded. But before he removed the gun from the back of Boe’s head, he made sure to snatch the pistol he carried at his waist. The moment the pressure eased, Boe didn’t hesitate, taking off across the lot.
Within seconds, he was inside Nivéa’s car, tires screeching as he burned rubber out of the exit.
“What happened? Why were you with him if you didn’t want to be?” Kerri asked, concerned.
“He just got out of jail. He showed up at my house and forced his way inside, trying to make me leave town with him.” Nivéa’s bottom lip trembled as she spoke.
She silently thanked God for placing Kerri in that store at the exact moment she needed saving. The fact that Boe had taken her car and debit card didn’t even matter to her; all that mattered was that she and Nyla were safe.
Kerri had more questions, but she understood this wasn’t the time for that. She nodded instead. “Okay. Calm down. You’re alright now. You’re safe.” Then she said to Danger, “Hassan, call your brother.”
Danger pulled out his phone, but before he could even scroll to Crown’s name, the sound of his Ducati could be heard. Confused, they all turned toward the entrance just as he pulled in. Smoky and the others followed, ready to protect Nivéa and her baby, on the strength of their president alone.