Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Joy stared at her reflection in the mirror as she primped for the night ahead. The smooth melodies of Anita Baker flowed out of Mel’s bedroom, down the hall, and slipped under Joy’s bathroom door to greet her.
She put down the tube of mascara and replaced it with the red liquid lipstick she’d procured earlier in the day.
With steady hands, she expertly applied a thick layer to complete her look.
Though it had been a while, it was a ritual she’d done so many times she could complete the act blindfolded without a smudge or stroke outside the lines.
Oh, what a difference hope can make.
Her period of mourning was coming to an end and tonight marked the start of her journey back to the old Joy. The Joy that existed before Jermaine Chapman, before Cleve, and before her father’s betrayal.
The Joy that was birthed in the sitting room of what would’ve been her marital home needed to be put down. Her survival relied on laying her to rest.
Tonight would be both a funeral and rebirth.
Joy’s blood felt warm and her chest felt lighter than it had in a while as she floated down the sidewalk, arm in arm with Mel. The shared blunt they’d pregamed with before leaving the brownstone had their eyes low and their lips in relaxed smiles as they made their way to their destination.
Joy hadn’t indulged as much as Mel, preferring to stay sharp when in public but still, she felt good. Good enough to suggest a stroll despite the fact that she could now afford a cab thanks to the offer letter she’d signed the day prior.
It was colder in New York than she was used to and the sheer stockings covering her legs under her coat were hardly enough warmth to guard against the December chill but the fresh air felt good in her lungs.
They approached the two story building boasting The Sapphire’s name in large neon lights that bathed the street in an indigo hue.
The bottom level was the establishment’s nightclub, where it seemed like half of Harlem was waiting in line to be let in.
The top level was the high end lounge and restaurant where Joy and Mel would be dining.
Inside, the waitress took Melody’s name for the reservation then led them to a table in a dimly lit corner of the restaurant.
Joy looked around as she followed, clocking exits, windows, and faces as she passed them.
When they made it to the table, Joy stopped Mel from sitting with a gentle hand on her elbow, silently guiding her to the chair on the opposite end of the table.
Mel’s brows scrunched in confusion until she turned around and understanding smoothed her features.
Joy needed to be facing the main entrance to relax. She loved Mel with her whole heart but she was more confident in her own ability to see a threat coming than Mel’s.
After an hour and a half, Joy’s cheeks ached from the smile that’d been permanently stretched across her face.
She and Mel giggled over shared appetizers and strong drinks.
Joy couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed this hard — or at all.
It had been so long since Joy felt her namesake emotion, she was starting to wonder if she ever would again.
The airiness of feeling carefree had become a stranger to her but with each cackle that burst from her throat, she welcomed its return.
“Chile I told that bitch I don’t do private parties, I don’t care who it is. They wasn’t finna ‘junior’s bachelor party’ me. Either come to the club and buy a section or watch this ass shake from the back like the rest of gen pop.”
Joy laughed at Mel’s drunken rant. She opened her mouth to reply when Mel’s name being called drew both of their attention in the direction it came from.
Joy turned to see two pretty women and a man approach their table.
“Hey y’all!” Mel squealed, hopping up from her seat with little grace to greet them with open arms.
They greeted her in kind as Joy observed them, still seated. Once they’d said their hellos, Mel motioned to Joy. “This is my cousin Joy. She just moved here from Houston not too long ago. We’re celebrating her getting her first job.”
“Congratulations,” one of the women smiled. Her other two companions echoed the sentiment with smiles of their own.
“Thanks,” Joy said, returning the smiles with the best one of her own. Thanks to the time she and Mel were having, she didn’t even have to dig far for the genuine smile.
“We were just about to go down to the club!” one of the women announced. “My man is working security tonight and said he can get us in. Y’all wanna roll?”
Mel turned to Joy with questioning eyes.
Nothing about the club sounded appealing to Joy in that moment but she’d been having a great night and didn’t want it to end. Once upon a time, she and Mel had loved sneaking out to dance all night, not leaving the club until the DJ was packing up his set.
That memory led her to give Mel the answer she knew she was seeking. “Sounds good to me.”
Mel clapped her hands together with a broad smile. “And you know I’m down,” she said, causing the group to erupt in excited chatter amongst themselves.
Joy slowly rose from her seat and leaned over to speak into Mel’s ear. “I’m going to the restroom real fast.”
Mel nodded. “Okay, you want me to come with you?”
Joy shook her head. “No, I’ll be quick. Just take care of the bill and I’ll meet y’all back over here.” Joy slipped a few bills into Mel’s hand to contribute to their check, making a mental note to see about getting a debit card.
Mel nodded her agreement and Joy turned her back on the group, making her way to the hallway marked off with the sign giving direction to the restrooms.
As she passed, the elevator that carried patrons to and from the club on the basement level below opened to reveal two men with a woman between them.
Her eyes were glassy and half closed, her head lolled from one side to the other like her neck couldn’t hold the weight of it and she was unsteady on her feet, being held up by one of the men.
“Are you okay?” Joy asked the woman.
“She’s fine,” the man holding her answered sharply.
Joy didn’t divert her eyes from the woman, waiting for an answer. When the man tried to bypass her she stepped in his path.
“Are you okay?” She asked again, trying to catch the woman’s eyes but she had a hard time keeping them open.
“I feel funny,” she slurred.
Joy narrowed her eyes and looked at the men. “Do you know them?”
“Aye mind yo business bitch,” the other man growled, trying to shove Joy out of the way but she didn’t budge. Joy wasn’t a little woman. She was 5’8” barefoot and built solid with muscle from a lifetime of training and stubborn curves that cardio wouldn’t banish.
The woman looked at the men crowding her with unfocused eyes and confusion. “I don’t think so.”
Joy turned her glare on the man holding her. “Let her go,” she demanded.
They both laughed, both having a predatory gleam in their eye that gave away their harmful intentions.
Joy watched the already tight grip on the woman’s arm turn bruising.
They pushed past her with more force and moved in the direction of the service exit, sneaking out the back rather than the dining area.
Joy narrowed her eyes.
She told herself to let it go and mind her business but the pit in her stomach that warned of danger sent her down the hall after them.
Joy was no vigilante, but if she could save one woman from being destroyed at the hands of men who meant her no good, she would.
She hadn’t had that, and the world didn’t need another her.
She pushed out the door, following the trio into the alley behind the building. They weren’t very far, despite her moment’s hesitation, the inebriated woman slowing them down.
“Where the fuck is that nigga with the car,” she heard one mumble as she approached.
She jumped in front of them, cutting off their path once again.
“Bitch didn’t I tell you to mind your fucking business?” one growled, shoving Joy hard enough for her back to slam against the nearby dumpster.
“Didn’t I tell you to let her the fuck go?” she said back through gritted teeth, undeterred. She reached for the woman but was shoved back.
“You got one more time to put your hands on me,” Joy warned, feeling her temper flare. Memories of her time with Jermaine snapped at her but she pushed them away.
She reached for the woman again but this time was met with a slap that made her ears ring.
A rough hand squeezed her jaw hard and the smell of vodka assaulted her nose as she was pinned against the brick wall. “Bitch do you know who I am? You ‘bout to piss me off trying to play captain save a hoe. Get the fuck on before you get hurt.”
The edges of Joy’s vision blurred. Heat crawled up her skin igniting her veins, and her hands shook — not with fear, but with a need she could never quite control.
She tried to push it back, to steady her breathing, but the voice she’d spent years trying to outrun, whispered from a dark recess of her mind. It demanded blood as retribution on behalf of the woman and herself.
Seemingly on its own volition, Joy’s foot lifted and her heel slammed into the man’s groin, making him release her with a howl and crumble to the filthy concrete.
His companion shoved the woman aside to charge Joy but was met with the same fate as his friend with a punch to his jaw for good measure.
Reaching under her dress, Joy pulled out her gun from where it was holstered. The cold metal felt heavy in her hand but it was a familiar weight. A comforting weight.
Click Clack
Bow
The rhythmic sounds of the pistol cocking then firing turned into a sweet melody. The scream of surprise then howl of agony that followed only heightened her delight.
Click Clack
Bow
The gun bucked once then twice in her hand, and she saw rather than aimed the two shots that pierced the man in the groin then the chest.
The man fell to a bloody, unmoving heap landing at his friend’s feet before he could up his own weapon in self defense.