The Black Effect 2, page 12
“Yeah, a’ight,” he said, grabbing his towel. “So, what are you about to get into?”
“I'm probably going to leave here and stop at Whole Foods, so I can get some stuff to make an acai bowl. Then, I'm going to go home and edit some videos.”
“You gotta get out more, Amai. All you do is work now.”
I couldn’t argue with Canton there. The most I would do is meet him at the gym and coffee house. Other than that, I usually stayed in the house, producing content and enjoying my own company.
“I know, and I will. Actually, I'm booked for a few events, so I’ll be back traveling soon.”
“That’s what's up. Well, I'm going to the Timeless Lounge tonight. You should come out with me.”
I shook my head. “No, I want to go home and finish Ozark on Netflix.”
He chuckled. “A’ight man. Well, enjoy your night.”
We hugged each other, and I walked to get my bag. Once I retrieved it, I exited the building and got inside my truck. Just like I said I would, I stopped at the store and made my way home. It was a little after ten when I finally pulled into my garage. I killed the engine and grabbed my bags. As soon as I opened the door and stepped out, I was ambushed by a man wearing all black.
“Get the fuck back in the car,” he gritted.
My eyes expanded in pure fear as I dropped the bags I was carrying. I was stuck for a moment in disbelief because I couldn’t believe this was happening to me.
“Bitch, did you hear what the fuck I said? Get your ass back in the car.”
With quick speed, I did what he said and jumped back in the driver’s seat. He reached over and hit the button to unlock all of the locks and shut my door. I was shaking like I had been exposed to the harsh cold for hours. Something moved in my peripheral vision and when I turned my head, I saw another man hop in my backseat.
Oh, no! What's about to happen to me?
I was horrified when the first guy got into the passenger seat. Their faces were concealed by ski masks and their hands were covered with gloves. I glanced at the door to my house, wondering if I should make a run for it.
“Start the fucking car and reverse,” the passenger seat guy ordered.
Shakily, I pressed the ignition button, trying to will myself not to piss my pants. I never anticipated living on my own would resort to this. I was being kidnapped, and I was fearful I wouldn’t live to tell this story.
“You can have whatever. Just let me go,” I pleaded with my hands clasped together.
He reached back and slapped me with so much force that my vision became blurry.
“I didn’t ask you to speak. Just do what the fuck I told you to do.”
I couldn’t hold them anymore. My tears ran freely down my face as the stinging sensation from his slap numbed the side of my face. I sniffled as I reversed out of the garage.
“Now, make a left and take us to the ATM,” passenger guy ordered.
I didn’t know where the closest ATM was. So, I slowly drove down the street, not knowing where to go.
“Aye, this bitch is playing,” said the person in the backseat. “She's trying to drive slow on purpose.”
The guy in the passenger seat pulled out a gun, which caused me to slam on the brakes.
“I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” I pleaded. “Please, don’t kill me.”
“If you don’t drive this mothafucka, I’ma put a bullet in your head. Now, take us to an ATM.”
“I don’t know where one is,” I cried.
I didn’t see this one coming. He slapped me again and this one temporarily suspended my vision. All I saw was darkness as I reached for my cheek to soothe the burning sensation.
“Fuck it. I’ll drive,” announced the man in the passenger seat. “Climb your ass in the back.”
Because I didn’t want to be hit again, I aimlessly climbed through the back as the guy slid in the driver’s seat.
“Aye make sure she got her purse,” said guy number two.
“I picked it up when her stupid-ass dropped it.”
They were speaking as if I weren’t there. I sat quietly, trying to keep my whimpers from being heard. I had never been in this kind of distress in my life. I didn’t know if they were there to rob, kill, or rape me. I was scared of all three and pondered how I would try and escape.
“Keep your fucking hands down!”
Swiftly, I placed my hands on my side and looked out the window. I was too fearful to look this man in the eyes because I didn’t want to be haunted by his face, even though I could only see his peepers and mouth. So, for a ten-minute drive, my limbs shook as tears continued to fall from my eyes. They pulled up to a bank and drove around to the ATM.
The driver threw my purse in the backseat. “Get your card and get as much money as you can out the ATM.”
“I don’t have that much money,” I mumbled, searching through my bag for my wallet.
The guy that was in the back with me smacked his lips. “Bitch stop lying! I know that nigga you was married to set you up real nice!”
My eyes bucked at his words. They knew me, and they knew Nadir. I was really terrified because Nadir was well-known in the city. I wondered if this was an attack on him and they were just using me.
“I don’t know what you two are thinking, but I don’t have any money,” I lied.
Nadir did set me up nice, but I wasn’t going to disclose that to them. Plus, that money was put up in an account that I didn’t have direct access to. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain on the side of my head.
“Owwww,” I cried, feeling a warm liquid drip onto my shoulder.
“If you lie again, we killing your bitch-ass! Now get the fucking money out now!” hollered mugger number two.
I was bleeding badly as I rolled down the window. My vision was cloudy because my tears continued to fall. I was living in a nightmare, wishing someone would come save me. I thought I was safe living by myself. I assumed I could handle being on my own, but I was wrong. And now, I suddenly wished Canton or even Nadir would come to my aid.
I slid my card inside the machine and went through the necessary prompts. I got five hundred dollars out of my account, then passed it to the man in the back.
“Why your stupid ass didn’t get more?” he barked.
“Because I-I was only allowed to get $500 out,” I sniffled.
“Fuck it. We’ll hit up another one until this bitch’s account is emptied,” the driver said, pulling off.
Discreetly, I placed my hand on the door handle. I couldn’t continue this act. I had to break free even if it meant harming myself. I had to leave because I had a feeling that they wouldn’t let me walk away.
“You got this mufucking expensive-ass truck and you trying to make us believe that you don’t got some money somewhere. Where the fuck is that money your husband left you?”
I wanted to respond, but I was scared I would get smacked again. So, I remained quiet, hoping that his question was a rhetorical one.
“Bitch!” he hit me again with the gun, but this time, he struck my jaw.
Instantaneously, a sharp pain flooded my mouth as the taste of blood coated my tongue.
“Answer me when I'm talking to you.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say!” I sobbed, holding my face that was aching profusely.
“Where the fuck is the money that your husband left you with?” seethed the driver.
“I don’t have any money. All I have is the money that I earn from my job.”
“This bitch is lying,” declared backseat guy.
“I swear, I'm not. Look, you can have all the money that I have. You can even take my truck. Just let me go.”
“Nah, you gotta be worth something. That nigga you were married to got bread. Maybe, he’ll pay for your freedom.”
I shook my head; face wet from a mixture of blood and tears. “We’re not married anymore. He doesn’t care about me, so he won’t pay you anything.”
“That’s bullshit! That man will pay something! What's his number?”
I couldn’t afford to insert Nadir into this mess. Despite me being blindsided, I couldn’t allow them to try and take his money. We hadn’t been in contact for over three months. How would he feel getting a random call demanding ransom from me? I couldn’t do it, so while this man drove, I quickly hit the lock and opened the back door.
“Aye, what the fuck?!” yelled the driver.
Without thinking over the idea, I jumped out the moving truck. My body hit the pavement so hard that I had to lay on the ground for a second and catch my breath. I slowly looked up and noticed that the truck had come to a hard halt.
“Oh, shit,” I mumbled, struggling to get up on my feet.
I looked back and noticed the man from the backseat get out the car. I finally stood and attempted to run but my ankle was aching something terrible. I hobbled, trying to keep my balance because I was woozy as hell. The blow to my head had me in and out, and I knew if I didn’t try to run, I would be dead in a matter of moments.
“Aye, nigga, come on. We can’t be out here like this!”
I was limping away, not even attempting to look back. I was too scared to see what was going on. I spotted someone posted on the corner, so I reached my arms over my head and started waving them.
“Help me!” I yelled.
“Bitch!”
I heard his heavy footsteps following after me. Then the sound I had feared the most blared from behind me. It was an ear-splitting noise that had my heart feeling like it would explode at any moment. Then the burning sensation surfaced. I couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from because it seemed to be surging through my entire body. The pain I was experiencing was more excruciating than the slaps I had endured in the car. I opened my mouth to yell again but couldn’t find my voice. I was suddenly losing control over my limbs and before I knew it, I had hit the ground again, and this time, I was swallowed in a darkness that I had a hard time escaping. This was probably the end for me.
I had never had a scary moment in my life that caused my heart to stop beating at a moment’s notice. Life for myself had been pretty much controlled. I had never faced a detrimental situation and neither did my family. We were extremely protected and the inconveniences I did experience weren’t that life threatening.
But now, as I held the phone and listened to Domino tell me Amai had been severely hurt, I felt like my lungs were running out of air. Nothing could prepare me to hear that she had been found in the middle of the street, unconscious and with a bullet inside of her.
“Nadir.”
I shook my head, trying to make sense of what he was telling me. “Yeah.”
“She’s at my facility being checked out. I don’t know how severe her injuries are, but I would get here quick if I were you.”
“Wait, hold up. Where did you find her at?”
“I didn’t find her. Someone in the Lawn Park housing said she was running away from a man, who was chasing after her. He fired a shot, and she collapsed in the middle of the street.”
“So, how did you end up getting the call?” I questioned.
I needed to know every single detail regarding Amai’s attack.
“Well, the person who found her called the police. One of the officers is on my payroll, and he recognized Amai from being with you. He quickly got in contact with me, and I sent someone to pick her up. She's at my clinic being checked out by the doctors. Listen, just come quick, and we can talk more when you get here.”
I ended the call, still trapped in a state of incredulity. We hadn’t spoken in over three months. I was finally getting used to the idea of her not being in my life. In spite of the love I still had for Amai, I declared that I would let her go and enjoy the women I still had. Now that she was hurt, I had to be there for her. No, fuck that, I wanted to be the only one there for her. She needed protection and because I had done a great job over the years of being her defender, I knew no one would do a better job than me.
It was the middle of the night, so I quickly washed my face and brushed my teeth. I then slipped on some clothes and headed out the door. Domino didn’t deal with anyone outside of his headquarters when it came to service. He had his own clinic that his family went to whenever they were ill or had emergencies. So, I drove toward his estate. I got there within twenty minutes since I had broken every speed limit. Once I pulled up, I was checked out by the guards and was told to drive to the other end of the property. When I pulled up, I noticed Domino standing outside the building with his hands in his pockets. Immediately, I got out the car and approached him.
“Thanks for calling me. Where is she?”
“She's being prepped for surgery. Go inside, and the doctor will update you.”
I briskly left him standing and went inside the facility. I was amazed that it mirrored a hospital with a receptionist sitting at the desk.
“Are you here for Amai Black?”
I was a little taken back that Amai didn’t change her last name. I thought because our breakup was such a terrible one, she would want to rid herself of my last name.
“Yes, I am. I need to speak with the doctor.”
“One moment, okay?”
I nodded and watched her walk into the back. Soon after, a tall black man, who was dressed in green scrubs emerged.
“Hello, I'm Dr. Hyde. Are you kin to the patient?”
“Yeah, I'm her hus─I mean, her ex-husband.”
“Okay, well, the patient is being prepped for surgery, now. She was shot in her upper arm on the right side. We’re going to do our best to remove the bullet and repair any damage that may have been done to her.”
“Is that the only thing that she suffered from?”
“Ah, no. She also suffered a concussion and multiple contusions to her face. She's in pretty bad shape, but I'm going to do my best to do what I can to save her.”
My eyes faltered, wondering who the hell would try and harm Amai like this. She had never been in the streets, and I couldn’t understand why she had been found in the hood.
“O-okay,” I stammered.
He nodded and headed toward the back. My eyes searched for a seat while I tried to wrap my mind around Amai being harmed. This shit sounded so suspect to me, and I prayed that she was able to remember what happened to her because I needed to know who the fuck had tried to kill her.
“Nadir.”
I looked up to see Domino, standing by the door.
“We’re on it. Don’t worry.”
Although that sounded good, I was still fucking troubled by Amai being attacked. Suddenly, a feeling of guilt ingested me. I had gotten rid of her and thrown her to the wolves. I didn’t factor in her being in the city all alone and being at risk of the vultures in the town. She had been my wife, and even though we had severed ties, people would always attach her to me. She would always be the woman I was married to and because people knew of my wealth and stature, they would try to get to me through her.
“Damn man,” I gritted, becoming angry with myself. “I should’ve never had her out here alone like that.”
“Don’t go blaming yourself, Nadir. You had no idea that this would happen.”
“That’s the thing, though.” I stood. “I should’ve been more aware that she would always be associated with me. Niggas probably been plotting on her for a while, and they finally made their move. This shit is all on me. I should’ve been smarter about letting her go.”
I would never forgive myself for allowing Amai to be caught slippin’ like this. She was green to the streets; she didn’t know how bums preyed on innocent people, but I did. This was one of the mistakes that I would probably regret for the rest of my life.
“Nadir don’t worry. We’re going to get whoever did this. I have many of my men combing the streets as we speak. It’s a good thing I know what kind of car the gunmen pulled off in. I'm sure we’ll be able to find it right away.”
“What kind of car?”
“A G-Wagon.”
“That’s her fucking truck. I need to try and track it.”
I stormed out the office and pulled out my phone. I’d had this tracker app that I used when I had previously tried to find Amai. With speed, I activated the app and attempted to track the truck.
“Come the fuck on,” I gritted when it kept pausing.
I was so frustrated that I powered my phone off and turned it back on. Once again, I tried to find her truck and was successful. When the app sent a location, I quickly went back inside the facility to alert Domino.
“Aye, I got the location. I'm about to ride over there.”
“Nadir, no. That’s not the move for you to make, right now.”
My nostrils flared as a grimace formed on my face. “What the hell you mean that’s not the move? We need to get to whoever it is that’s driving that truck before they dump that shit.”
Domino held his palm up to silence me. “Give me the location, and I’ll have one of my men investigate it. The only thing I want you to focus on right now is being here for Amai. She's going to need to see a familiar face when she wakes up, and I want that to be you. The people who did this to her will be handled. That’s not a worry I need you to carry. You just need to be here for her right now.”
I sighed, finding his request to be difficult. Yes, I wanted to be there for Amai, but I also wanted to catch the people who thought it was a good idea to run up on her in the first place. I toyed with the idea to say fuck what Domino was saying and go on the hunt for Amai’s assailant. But I also couldn’t fathom her waking up from surgery and not having anyone in the room.
Reluctantly, I sat down without responding. I was way too frustrated to reply to Domino. I passed him my phone, so he could have the location where the truck was. Domino tapped the address into his own phone and handed me mine.
“I’ll be back.”
He left, and I just sat in a deafening silence that prompted me to become angrier with each minute that past.
Who the fuck had the nerve to try and step to Amai?
The question continued to replay inside my mind. My first thought went to that nigga, Canton. I didn’t trust him for several reasons. He was still mad about me snatching Jaide from him and could’ve set Amai up to get back at me. I tried to think of other people who may have been the culprit, but Canton was the only name that seemed to make sense. I was definitely going to look into him, and if he had anything to do with Amai being hurt, I was going to make sure I put a bullet inside his head myself.
