22. Chapter 21
That alone pissed her off.
“She really moved in with that nigga,” Allure muttered.
Allure's annoying ass voice brought Miss Loretta back to reality. She redirected her eyes to the apartment entrance. “Looks that way.”
Allure sucked her teeth before instantly remembering she barely had any left to suck. “So why the fuck she even coming back here?”
“She probably just grabbing more things from the apartment.”
“She need to hurry the fuck up then.”
Miss Loretta cut her eyes at Allure. “You nervous?”
"Fuck no, I just want this bitch to hurry up."
Miss Loretta rolled her eyes at Allure and sighed. “Just chill the hell out, patience is a virtue chile.”
“Ugggghhhh!!! I’m tired of hearing that wise old lady shit.” Allure gave Miss Loretta a dirty look.
“And I’m tired of hearing that whistling noise every time you talk, with your no teeth having ass. Sounding like a goddamn tea kettle. We both suffering tonight.”
Allure's eyes burned with fury. “You really know how to kill a mood.”
“Ain’t no mood to kill.” Miss Loretta adjusted the gloves on her hands. “This ain’t no game.”
Allure shifted in her seat. “You really think this gon work?”
Miss Loretta held up a hand to silence her. “Baby… women been destroying each other long before your young ass was even born. Yes, it's gonna work chile.”
Allure whole face lit up. “Damn. You a coldhearted bitch.”
Miss Loretta gave Allure a mocking smile. “Chile, you ain't live life long enough to know that the real monsters ain't the ones on the damn TV, it's folks out here walking around with a heart that's blacker than mine could ever be.”
She reached into her purse afterward then pulled out a small bottle wrapped inside a napkin.
Allure's breath quickened. “What the fuck is that?”
Miss Loretta smiled wickedly. “Acid.”
Allure blinked. “Bitch WHAT?!”
“Keep your damn voice down girl.” Miss Loretta as she pressed a finger to her lips.
“Did you just say acid? You got fuckin' acid in your hand?!” Allure cringed.
Miss Loretta looked irritated now. “Yes. Acid, girl.”
Allure stared at the bottle with wide eyes as she fidgeted in her seat. “You tryna kill her?!”
“Ain’t nobody said nothing bout no killing.” Miss Loretta’s voice stayed cold and even. “But I bet she’ll think twice before parading around like she's God’s favorite after this.”
Allure looked both horrified and excited at the same damn time.
“You crazy as shit,” she whispered.
Miss Loretta pointed directly at Allure. “No, baby, you the crazy one. I’m thorough.”
The two women fell silent as they continued watching the apartment building.
Then suddenly—
“There she go.” Miss Loretta said.
June stepped out the apartment building underneath an umbrella wearing black leggings and a fitted hoodie with her Air Pods in her ears while carrying a small black duffle bag stuffed with more of her belongings.
Allure watched her with a look of disdain on her face. “That bitch think she the shit.”
Miss Loretta stared ahead quietly while tightening her grip on the bottle.
“Remember,” she said, her voice almost a whisper, “be quick, but watch your surroundings first. Be smart and peep the scene before your need for revenge takes over you and you mess everything up.”
Allure nodded quickly as her heart pounded. "Got it."
The second June stepped closer toward the parking lot, Allure jumped out the car anxiously with the bottle hidden inside her sleeve.
And everything went wrong in the blink of an eye.
A man walking his dog suddenly crossed directly between the two of them yelling into his phone.
“Allure wait—” Miss Loretta hissed.
But it was too late.
Allure panicked.
And in one stupid emotional second…
she threw the liquid anyway.
June turned at the last second after hearing footsteps running toward her.
The acid missed her completely.
But it DIDN’T miss the man walking by.
His scream ripped through the parking lot so loud it damn near stopped traffic. “AHHHHHHHH!”
The dog started barking wildly while the man collapsed screaming and clawing at his burning face.
June froze in horror. “Oh shit, what the fuck?!!!”
Allure stumbled backward and raised her hand to cover her mouth. “OH SHIT!”
Miss Loretta slammed her head against the steering wheel. “Stupid bitch!”
People started screaming from nearby apartment windows instantly.
Somebody yelled out, “CALL 911!”
June looked up just in time to see Allure trying to run back toward the car. That’s when her survival instincts kicked in.
“You fuckin' BITCH!” June screamed as she dropped her duffle bag and took off after her.
Allure barely made it three steps before June tackled her straight onto the wet pavement. The bottle rolled across the parking lot while Allure started screaming hysterically. “GET OFF ME!”
“You tried to fuckin BURN me bitch?!” June roared while pummeling Allure's face.
Meanwhile Miss Loretta put the car in drive. She barely made it a few feet before she heard sirens. “Aw, shit.”
Blue lights appeared at the entrance of the parking lot.
Then another patrol car pulled in behind it.
Miss Loretta started sweating profusely.
There wasn't no getting out of this one.
The whole parking lot was a complete disaster.
An officer had already been nearby responding to another call.
And now? With a screaming victim on the ground, acid bottle evidence, women fighting in the rain, and witnesses everywhere, there was absolutely NO talkin their way out of that shit.
None whatsoever.
“Get your hands off me!” Allure kicked and screamed while June tried getting one more swing in.
Two officers rushed over. “brEAK IT UP!”
One officer grabbed June while another yanked Allure backward.
“Imma fuckin' kill you ho, you tried to burn me!” June screamed.
“I didn't mean for that to happen!” Allure cried.
“The hell you didn't!” June snapped.
The second paramedics reached the victim, the attention shifted to the man on the ground.
His screams had turned into painful cries that made everybody sick to their stomach.
The dog sat nearby whining while another officer held the leash.
June couldn't stop staring. That man wasn't supposed to be involved. He wasn't supposed to be there at all.
An officer pointed toward Allure. “Put your hands behind your back.”
“What?!” Allure asked.
“Now.” The officer demanded.
“Officer I… I wasn't trying to hurt him!”
The officer looked at her. “Then who were you trying to hurt?”
Allure immediately got quiet. Nobody said a word because everybody already knew the answer.
Another officer picked up the bottle from the pavement and studied it closely. “Looks like acid.”
Miss Loretta closed her eyes.
They were fucked.
Completely fucked.
“I didn't mean for that to happen,” Allure whispered.
The handcuffs clicked around her wrists.
That's when reality hit her. This wasn't club drama anymore. This wasn't social media bullshit. This wasn't some petty argument between women. An innocent man was lying on the ground because of something she'd done.
That's when a voice yelled from above. “Officer!”
Everybody looked up. A woman leaned halfway out an apartment window pointing toward the parking lot. “I saw everything!”
One of the officers stepped forward. “You did?”
“Yes!” She pointed directly at Allure. “That girl jumped out that car.” Then her finger pointed toward Miss Loretta. “And that woman over there was driving.”
Miss Loretta felt her stomach drop to her ass.
The woman wasn't finished either. “She been sitting out there for at least fifteen minutes.”
Another window opened. “Yep officer, she's telling the truth, I saw it,.”
A second voice joined in. “I seen it too.”
Then another. “Me too.”
Suddenly people started popping up in windows all over the building.
Everybody had apparently been watching. Allure looked stunned.
She could've sworn the parking lot was empty.
Apparently it wasn't. Miss Loretta slowly closed her eyes and blew out a long breath.
They were cooked like Thanksgiving dinner.
The officer looked toward her. “Put your hands behind your back, you're under arrest.”
“You serious?” Miss Loretta said as her face glistened with sweat.
“Now.” The officer yelled in a stern voice.
“Officer, are you really gonna arrest me because of HER dumb ass mistake?” Miss Loretta emphasized the word 'her' loudly to try and indicate it was more Allure's idea than hers.
The officer wasn't about to waste his breath answering her question. “You can explain it downtown.”
A second later the handcuffs were placed on her wrists. Witnesses stood by watching everything take place. Nobody was minding their business today.
An officer walked over to June with a notepad. “Do you know them, ma'am?”
June looked over at Allure and Miss Loretta before answering. “Unfortunately.”
The officer nodded. “We're gonna need a statement from you.”
June nodded and then glanced toward the ambulance.
The victim's face was covered. Paramedics moved around him while his dog barked from the sidelines.
After chasing Allure down and whooping her ass again for the third time, June had been running on pure adrenaline.
But standing there now, the fight didn't seem important anymore.
Not compared to the man lying on the ground.
All she could think about was his family.
He was somebody's son. Somebody's brother.
Somebody's friend. One innocent person had his entire life changed forever. And none of them could take it back.
By that same evening, the entire city knew who Allure and Miss Loretta were. The story was all over the news on almost every channel. Fox 29 news went insane. The headline was bold at the bottom of the screen.
LOCAL WOMEN ARRESTED AFTER ACID ATTACK GONE WRONG IN NORTH PHILADELPHIA!!!
Local Reporter Amanda Morales reported the story.
"Tonight on Fox 29 news, 58-year-old Loretta Clark and 26-year-old Brandi Harris were taken into custody late Thursday night after an attempted acid attack left an innocent bystander severely injured outside a North Philadelphia apartment complex.
According to police, the victim, identified as 35-year-old Scott Kuczynski, suffered severe facial burns and partial blindness after corrosive liquid was thrown during what investigators believe was a targeted assault against another woman.
Witnesses at the scene described hearing terrifying screams moments after the attack occurred before multiple residents rushed outside to help. Authorities later recovered evidence from the parking lot along with surveillance footage that prosecutors say points to premeditated intent.
Both women now face multiple felony charges including attempted aggravated assault, conspiracy, and intent to cause bodily harm. Officials say additional charges could be added as the investigation continues."
And once detectives pulled text messages, phone records, and surveillance footage?
It got even uglier.
Especially after they discovered Miss Loretta had purchased the acid illegally weeks earlier through somebody connected to a mechanic shop out Southwest Philly.
The judge damn near buried both of them.
The prosecution wasn't playing either. Allure and Miss Loretta were each charged with attempted aggravated assault, conspiracy charges and intent to cause bodily harm.
Allure got over twenty years after breaking down crying during sentencing.
And as for Miss Loretta? She ain't shed not one tear when they gave her close to thirty years in prison.
The judge made it clear he believed she played a major role in what happened.
According to the courts, she'd manipulated a younger woman who was emotionally unstable into carrying out a horrific act of violence.
That didn't sit well with the courts. So on top of everything she was already facing, they made sure she got charged for that too.
And when they put the cuffs on her wrists, she just looked over at June inside the courtroom before saying, “I hope you don't think this is over cause, it's not.”
Then the deputies walked her away.
And just like that…
both of them disappeared from the story like two storms that finally destroyed themselves.