Chapter 24
“Do you know what’s going on?” Emani asked Carson who was glaring at his phone screen.
“No, I don’t, but it’s one of the kids to make him run off like that,” Carson replied, before assuring. “We’ll hear something by tonight.”
Emani turned her direction from the crowd Jahlil disappeared into to Carson. She watched his shoulders hike while cursing lowly to himself before tightening his jaw. “What is going on? What do you know that I don’t?”
“Where’s your phone?” Carson quizzed and Emani’s shoulders bounced.
“After that last fight with Malik, I left it at the house. It’s probably dead. Why?” Emani quizzed in return.
There was laughter, grills going, music blasting and Carson’s being held everything but the fun and light-heartedness that he’d held the last couple of days. “You need to see this.”
Carson looked up and everyone’s eyes were on Emani. The laughter had died down, their eyes bounced from the phone to Emani’s reaction. Some even recorded. While she’d been suspended in the bubble of friendship and safety, the burst of it reminded her of who she was – E. Rose.
“Walk with me,” Carson spoke, wanting to protect her and her image.
He took her hand in his and started off through the least congested area and somewhere quiet.
“I knew the minute you and Jahlil started talking again that that wedding was good as done. But I still kept my word, had the prenup drafted and still looking into Malik and his bullshit. ShadyPalms posted this but that’s just a piece. ”
Emani snatched the phone from his hand. “The dramatics, Carson, what is it?”
“Malik had four endorsement deals riding on your marriage next week. The nigga has gambled all of his earnings away and is looking for a quick come up.”
Emani heard him but she couldn’t get over the image of Joanna wrapped around him. Malik could go to hell but Joanna. If Joanna was on vacation with him that meant that Malachi was there too and her godson…
“No,” Emani muttered. The pain of Malik cheating wasn’t anything to break her heart. She’d gladly handed over herself to Jahlil. However, the fact that Joanna had been her friend years before she and Malik had even got together hurt differently. “Malachi…that’s his son?”
Carson offered her a remorseful expression.
Emani blinked rapidly trying to keep herself level but this type of betrayal could only be met one way. “You still have the app for the cameras at my house?”
“Of course,” Carson stated, taking his phone from her hands and pulling the cameras up. He could see the four of them gathered in the living room and feel the fire coming from Emani. “I forgot the password.”
Emani took the phone out of his grasp. “You didn’t forget shit. Get me a JoyRide.”
Carson took the phone back. “So you can do what?”
“You know what, Carson. I’m not going out like no pussy ass hoe,” Emani shot back grabbing the phone. “I’ll do it myself.”
She stomped away from him, requesting a pickup with Carson’s card. When the ride was confirmed, she handed it back to him sensing his presence.
“I’m going with you,” Carson stated.
“Don’t hold me back either. These niggas got me fucked up,” Emani muttered, feeling the years of muted anger bubble in her core.
Trying to make herself forget what love felt like to appease him.
Trying to fit herself into a box so she could be the best wife for him that she could.
Letting the women she call friends play in her face and parade this child around her with the pretense that everyone was on the same type of loyalty she was on.
No. The silence and the denying of herself didn’t work.
The entire ride to the house, she bounced her leg and peered out the window while the tears pricked her eyes.
This hurt. Malik could’ve put his dick in anyone else – not the woman she championed.
Not the woman she called friend. Not the woman she confided in.
It could have been anyone but her. There wasn’t any room for tears right now, every last one of them were going to feel the pain they inflicted on her instead of keeping it real.
When the blacked-out JoyRide pulled up to the house, Emani hopped out before it could fully come to a stop. She punched in the code to the side door, eased up the stairs, traded out her heeled boots for flat rubber soles and Vaseline for her face.
For plausible deniability, Carson waited outside. He knew when Emani got in that mode there was no pulling her out of it. He sent Ashton and Donnée a text letting them know bail and a lawyer was going to be needed.
Back inside, Emani eased down the stairs, finding the vipers she’d been living with for three years. Janet spotted her first and was visibly startled but attempted to remain cool.
“Emani,” Janet called, alerting everyone else that the cash cow had returned. “We weren’t expecting you. Thought you’d still be on campus shaking your ass or whatever it is that you do.”
Emani chuckled. “Whatever it is that I do. Joanna, how’s Malachi feeling?”
Joanna stammered as she stood from the couch. “B-better. I tried calling you.”
“Turned my phone off. My fiancé wanted to fight instead of enjoying what was it? Your yearly family vacation?”
“Emani, don’t start that insecure bullshit,” Malik started, trying to gaslight and deflect her.
“I’m not talking to you, nigga,” Emani stated, not even giving Malik the satisfaction of her eyes.
“You need to watch your mouth talking to your husband like that,” Janet spoke, making Emani laugh. “I invited Joanna, she’s been worked like a dog by you and needed a break.”
“Uh uh, not too fast,” Emani said with a wink. “I’ll get to you in a minute.”
Considering that Emani was now hip to the game, the people she’d chosen to surround herself with were playing, the calmness would only be met by a rage they hadn’t experienced. Janet huffed and pulled the casserole dish on top of the oven.
“Malik, you need to get control of your fiancée. Now.”
While Emani had plans on only beating Joanna and Sandi’s asses, Malik entered the fight when he yanked her up.
An open palm across his face then a punch and a kick.
He must’ve thought it was a joke when Emani told him she’d fought for everything she had.
She specifically recalled him chuckling when she told him ‘I’m never above whipping your ass, nigga’.
Now she was whipping his ass and his mother and Joanna were trying to get her off of him.
“I told your ass not to play with me and to never grab me like that? Didn’t I?
” Emani questioned, repeatedly punching him in the face.
Malik, feeling his manhood slip, punched Emani in the face in efforts to get her off of him.
She stammered back slightly and smiled with venom.
Whatever shred of respect she held for him was gone.
“Would you like to know how many times I came this week? Hm. How, for the first time in years, my pussy creamed for him? What you want, Malik? Me to kiss you so you can taste his dick? You want to hit me again? Come on, nigga! So I can tell you how I put this sweet little pussy on his face and rode the muhfucka over and over and over again. Since you can gaslight me and make me feel fuckin’ small while keepin’ a family on the side too? ”
“You’re a fuckin’ hoe ass bitch,” Malik spat back. His pride hurt knowing that in her walk alone, there was nothing he could do to get her to deny herself again. “My momma told me you would do this!”
“Ain’t no fun when the rabbit got the gun is it, nigga? You’re a three stroke ass, mediocre dick having ass nigga. Still on the titty ass bitch. Putting your hands on me. Don’t you know I’ll call the set and have them fuck your bitch ass up? Stupid.”
“I’m calling the cops,” Janet stated.
“Call them,” Emani directed and proceeded to swipe the casserole dish to the polished floor, sending the contents into a shattered stemming mess.
“Girl, have you lost your entire damn mind?” Janet screeched.
“Fuckin’ crazy, old ass hoe,” Emani shot back. “Going along with this shit is sick. Got me taking care of a godson that my fiancé shot out into my best friend.” Sandi and Joanna stood by, confused at Emani’s actions. Malik jumped to his mother’s defense.
“You need to get your hoe ass out of my fucking house!” Malik bellowed at her, reaching out to grab her and being met by Emani launching a stack of plates at him. He winced, “bitch.”
“Ya’ momma, hoe. I’m not going nowhere. Make me, bitch.” Emani shot back, moving to Joanna who was attempting to cower behind her sister. Like a linebacker, Emani shoved Sandi out the way. “Move, bitch.”
“Malik, do something!” Janet screeched, realizing there was no one in the house who was a match for Emani and her anger.
Malik stood, realizing any further assault to Emani would result in his head being smashed just like the casserole left in her wake.
“That’s the nigga you want?” Emani questioned, grabbing Joanna by the hair. “One who doesn’t even pay for his own son’s therapy. Can’t even fight for you. He’s going to stand there like a pussy ass bitch and watch me whoop your ass.”
“Emani! Please! That’s not how it happened!” Joanna shouted in defense.
There was one thing everyone knew about Emani when she rapped, ‘I never ask no questions. Beat the hoe, make ‘er count ‘er blessings. Fist to the nose while you at my mercy, confession. Pretty bitch but I’m steady handing out lessons’, she wasn’t lying.
She was a product of Los Oceania. To be from the city next to the ocean, you had to have fight to survive.
Sandi attempted to jump in and help her sister but no one was a match against Emani.
Malik knew better than to put his hands on her again.
But Janet was a cop caller. She’d called the cops on Malik’s father after an argument, sending him to prison.
She even called the cops on Joanna’s brother when Emani and Malik first started dating because he didn’t look like he belonged in the neighborhood.
It was a shame how some skinfolks were thrusted into a higher way of life and forgot where they came from.
Emani was putting in work, effortlessly knocking her best friend and her sister between every nook and cranny of the open living space.
It was the immediate action to disrespect.
The pain of treason would follow, later.
Not now, because the cops were on the scene like Emani was a member of the mafia and not a heartbroken woman standing in a pit of vipers.
“I’m sorry, E,” Joanna cried, holding her hands up, the tennis bracelet gleaming. Everything came back to the front of her mind. Joanna had been parading everything but Malik taking care of his seed in her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m pregnant. Please.”
Emani pulled in a sharp inhale and flashed her a deadly look before turning to look at Malik. She didn’t care about Janet skirting to the door to let the cops in. She bounced her eyes between both of them. “So I’ve been nothing but a come up? Okay.”
The finality in the statement was soft. The cops rushed in and Emani was already prepped to be cuffed. Sandi, battered and bruised, along with Janet, helped her sister to her feet. Joanna sobbed as she continued to mutter how sorry she was. The cold cuffs were clasped around Emani’s wrists tightly.
“I’ll give a statement,” Janet eagerly spoke. “She’s a vicious thug and gang member. I want her charged.”
Carson stood against the JoyRide, a proud smirk on his face until he caught the redness on Emani’s cheek.
Being that Janet, Joanna, nor Sandi would bust a grape, he knew the culprit.
Emani shot him a look mixed with hurt and finality.
She wasn’t ashamed of what she’d done. She didn’t care about how much money it was going to cost her to make it go away either.
The time of her allowing people to play with her heart and kindness were over.
The years of her playing small were over.
Emani Rose was back – in love with not just herself but the man who was hers and back in her rightful place.
When she was booked in, she smiled at the camera with every flash. If her face was going to be blasted over everything, they’d remember that E. Rose beat ass with a smile on her face and if ever pushed to this point, she’d do it again.