Chapter 53
fifty-three
Dania came to a barreling stop at a pay by day hotel. Kamilla’s mind ran back to the last phone call. The house was gone and with the amount of work Aunt J had gotten done and couldn’t afford the upkeep, it would make sense for her to be here.
Kamilla wisped into tiny lobby of the hotel halfway out breath and shouted, “Jameela, what room is she in? She has a bad BBL and a face full of filler.”
The heavy-set woman reeking of cigarettes and old clothing scoffed and looked up at Kamilla who was a stark difference from her aunt. “She’s going to be on her ass if she doesn’t find my fuckin’ forty dollars in the next three hours.”
Kamilla dug into her pocket and handed the woman three hundred dollar bills. “Use that as some motivation to keep your mouth shut if the police show up.”
“Well shit,” the woman huffed, taking the money and sliding the key over. “She’s in room 308. I’m going to play my numbers, you don’t have to worry about me.” The vacancy sign was turned off and the older woman limped out. “I should be at the bingo hall for the next couple of hours.”
Kamilla started out of lobby and hurried up the stairs.
Finding the room number, she inserted the key and turned the knob.
Sure, enough Aunt J was inside on her knees, sucking dick and getting fucked like a whore for some money.
Kamilla picked up a chair and launched it at the three, sending everyone tumbling over.
“Where the fuck is my son!” Kamilla screeched.
Dania stood in front of the door, her gun in her hand. “And you better get to talking bitch because I’ve been itching to put something hot in your badly-inflated ass.”
“You gon’ make me ask you again?” Kamilla asked, grabbing another chair and hitting Aunt J with it. The men she was with scurried to get their things and get out.
Kamilla snatched the gun from Dania. “Give me that.”
She fired a shot straight between the men shattering the mirror behind them. “I don’t miss. Ask her. Where the fuck is my son, J? You want me to pull that dick out your throat to get my fucking answer.”
“We didn’t take him,” one of the men spoke up, holding his hands up. “We was trying to get a nut swear.”
“Hmm, considering she let her brother fuck her, I can believe that,” Kamilla stated. “But you’re still not leaving until she tells me where my son is. The next shot is your tiny dicks so somebody better speak up!” Kamilla screeched.
The quiet man turned to J and slapped her. “Tell her where her fucking son is, bitch.”
“Fuck her and her bastard ass son,” Aunt J shouted from the floor.
That struck something in Kamilla, a suppressed memory.
Except, it was Aunt J screaming to her mother “fuck you and your bastard daughter”.
Kamilla flew across the room, pushing the naked men out of the way and beating Aunt J’s face in with the butt of the gun.
Blood spouted from her face and Kamilla only stopped to ask, “where the fuck is my son?”
“Same place Armon is. Your bitch ass man burnt him to a fuckin’ crisp, now I’m here fucking for money,” Aunt J groaned.
“Armon was supposed to fuck you out that money and pay me for all the shit you brought to my doorstep. Now I’m fucking and running niggas pockets.
Fuckin’ Tiny was supposed to see this shit through.
I told you, fuckin’ with that C4 nigga was going to have you fucked up. ”
Kamilla resumed her beating. “Bitch, I will kill you. Where is my son?”
Dania’s phone rang out. She hurried to answer. “Mila! They got him! They got Kairo!”
Kamilla, still blinded by anger, pressed the gun to Aunt J’s forehead and screamed. “I swear, everything you did to hurt me and my mother is coming back to your used up ass.”
Kamilla stood and looked at the frightened men. She snatched a pair of pants from one and rummaged through his things. “LOPD, huh? DTF Officer Carl Dayton. Yeah, it might be in your best interest to handle this. I’d hate for it get out that you like fuckin’ hoes with your partner while undercover.”
Hurrying out the room covered in blood, Kamilla jogged down the stairs and was met by Fredo. Before Kamilla could ask a million questions, he pulled her into his arms and let her sob.
“I got you, baby girl. He’s with Cherayne, she’s at the house.
I need you to grab a hold of yourself before you get to him,” Fredo coached.
When Haddon and Charlie showed up with KP, he knew that wherever Kamilla was, she needed him.
A text from Dania when they pulled up confirmed.
He took the gun from her hand and tucked it in the back of his pants. “You hear me?”
“I hear you,” Kamilla sniffled. “I’m fine.”
Fredo pulled out the blue bandana he kept stashed in his left back pocket. He wiped her hands and face clean, he sealed his care with a kiss to the forehead. “Let me get you home. Dania?”
“Yeah, what’s up,” Dania spoke, ready to jump to do whatever was needed.
“Get her back to the house. Don’t stop nowhere. I’ll get this shit cleaned up. Everyone is at the house until this is handled. Understand me?” Fredo asked, giving Dania a pointed expression.
She nodded and got Kamilla home. When they arrived, Cherayne was in the kitchen and Kairo was in his parents’ bed sound asleep.
She tiptoed into the bathroom, stripped herself of the Lucci Day t-shirt and denim shorts.
Everything was stuffed into a plastic bag, and she eased her body into the shower.
The water beat over her body, allowing her the space to sob into the stream.
Everything that flashed in her mind was trauma to her system.
Spinning around and not finding Kairo, desperately searching for him in the crowd.
She called his name, crawled through the bounce houses, looked under tables; not finding him sent her into overdrive.
The weight of guilt. The pain of what ifs.
The fear of what could’ve happened to her baby.
Kamilla only allowed herself a few more moments of tears before she got out and pulled one of Cairo’s shirts over her body and crawled into the bed with Kairo.
She held him close, peppered his face with kisses and fervently apologized.
Unsure of how much time passed, the bedroom door opened just enough for Cairo to walk in and ease it shut behind him.
With her eyes closed, she listened to him trudge into the bathroom, close the door, put his clothes in the bag and turn the shower on.
She could hear his whimpers. The weight, pain, and fear were shared.
When Cairo walked out, he kissed her, then their son, and dragged himself to the balcony.
Kamilla allowed him a few minutes of space before easing her aching body out of the bed and into his space. Cairo positioned his body to receive her. The moment she curled into his lap and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, the tears started again.
“I’m sorry I didn’t keep my eyes on him. I don’t know what happened. I-” Kamilla cried, prompting him to hold her tighter.
“This isn’t on you, Mila. This isn’t yours to carry, baby. It’s mine. I should’ve tied up my loose ends a long time again,” he soothed.
“It is. Aunt J helped. It was a plot. Her and Armon…”
“And Tiny.”
Kamilla sniffled. “Yeah him. All for money, jealousy, and hate. The crazy thing is had she been good to me, I would’ve given her anything she asked for. So instead of being decent, you snatch my kid. I’ll never get over that.”
“This still ain’t on you, baby. It started with me and it ended with me.
I am so fuckin’ sorry I did this to you,” Cairo muttered, prompting her to wipe his face.
“I love y’all more than you can understand.
I’ll kill every nigga that thinks he can touch my family for some fuckin’ money.
For some fuckin’ street fame. I’m not having it.
I’m not playing about you, him, or this one. ”
Cairo put his hand on her midsection, buried his face in her hair and inhaled.
Kamilla melted under his touch. “I haven’t confirmed it. Didn’t want to get excited until I did.”
“Consider confirmed because I did it on purpose this time.”
She dryly laughed. “And last time?”
“Might’ve been on purpose by accident,” he shared, gripping her hair and kissing her cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you. You handled it?”
He grunted. “What’s my name?”
“C4,” Kamilla muttered.
“And what have I done to muhfuckas for less,” Cairo answered.
“You handled it.”
He nodded his face against hers. “So imagine how dark I’ll go when someone traumatizes my woman and my child. It’s forever handled. All of them, you understand me?”
“Understood. What can I do? Can I feed you? Rub your back?” Kamilla asked.
“You can get in the bed and let your body relax. I saw what you did to her. And I see how slow you’re moving. I’ll bring something to eat upstairs. It goes without saying you’re home for the next couple of days. And when you leave, Kwan will be with you.”
“I thought you said it was handled?”
“Safer than sorry, baby. I was forced to live without you once. No one can take y’all from me again,” Cairo stated, kissing her cheek. “You’re my moon. I need my moon.”
“I need you too.”