"It's a hottie, it's a body, we ain't missin' no meals
I ride shotty, she like five-some but six in them heels
I'm a Ducati, you gonna do 90 down 290, huh?
Know  where you goin', know where to find me, know where to find me, huh?"
- Chance The Rapper

"Whew, chile, the ghettooo." I lowly sung to myself while stepping out of my UberSelect. Everyone really left me in that big ass house by myself with no food. Barely anything delivered to the neighborhood the house is in so I decided to come try this place I found on yelp. I looked up at the sign on the building, Finga Licking. Even with how late it is tonight, there's still a lot of people here. I adjusted my fanny pack, making sure my baby glock was easily accessible.

My Uber driver was pulling off before I could even fully close the door which only confirmed my suspicion about this trapped out area. I ignored all the catcalls while confidently walking into the restaurant. Niggas pray on weakness, insecurity and uncertainty so I'm definitely going to move accordingly while I'm in unfamiliar territory.

I found a booth that wasn't too close to the door and wasn't too deep into the restaurant and took a seat. Grabbing the menu, I quickly scanned it, searching for something I would be in the mood to eat. I was almost done piecing my meal together when someone slid in on the other side of the booth. I glanced up, seeing some raggedy ass man intensely starting at me.

"You here by yourself, ma?"

"Negative. My baby daddy on his way, and he's a shooter so you might want to head out now." A smirk grew on his face and I just know he's about to give me a hard time before he leaves me alone.

"I'm supposed to be afraid of your baby daddy?" I rolled my eyes and opened my mouth to personally threaten him, but was cut off by a gun slamming down on the table. I looked up, seeing the guy who was shamelessly flirting with me in the meeting earlier. I believe his name is Sammaj or Sammad, one of the two.

"I would think I've done enough in these streets for niggas to be afraid of me, but I guess I have to set a reminder." I glanced over to the guy sitting in front of me to see what his reaction would be. I need to know if this man really pumps fear into people.

"My bad, Mad. I didn't even know you had any kids." Mad? So his name is Sammad.

"So now you calling my baby mama a liar?" Before the man could even open his mouth to respond, Sammad sent a bullet right through his chest. "Why the hell you even out this way?" He questioned, turning his attention to me. After what he just did I was at a loss for words. It took me a second to unscramble my brain.

"I was hungry, and came to get some food."

"Come on. You aren't eating here. I'll get you some food from somewhere else." He pulled out his phone, quickly typing away on it. I slid out of the booth and stood by his side, not quite knowing what else to do. "Joe! Cleanup is on it's way. Put any damages on my tab." He called out while heading towards the door, not once looking up from his phone. I scurried behind him, wanting to be out of the vicinity of the dead body.

"That's how Black Mafia moves? Shooting people in public?!" I questioned as soon as we stopped in front of a blacked out Audi Q8.

"That's how I move. I make my own moves and everyone who knows me knows that." He opened the passenger door, extending his hand to me.

"I personally think it's reckless, and that you should maybe tone it down. Where are we getting food from? I don't want to be out too late."

"You got a curfew? How old are you?"

"No I don't have curfew, and I'm nineteen." He glanced up for a few seconds before slowly nodding his head.

"I can work with that. Get in. You can ask me all the questions you want on our way to a less ghetto area." I looked into his eyes, searching for any sign that I shouldn't trust him. Slowly, I grabbed a hold of his hand and climbed into his truck. He waited until I was fully in before closing my door and making his way around to the other side. I quickly glanced around the inside of the vehicle before putting my seatbelt on.

"Put your seatbelt on." I scolded him as soon as he started the car and looked like he was about to drive off.

"Girl, I'm grown."

"And grown people still die from being reckless. Put it on. Can't risk you dying and people thinking it's my fault. Would not be good for business." He let out a dry laugh while pulling on his seatbelt. "Oh, define grown. How old are you?"

"I'm twenty seven."

"Okay, old man. I can work with that." I mocked him. "Where are you taking me to eat?" I pulled out my phone, turning on all my location services.

"It's a couple miles from here."

"Tell me exactly why you shot that man in the restaurant? He was clearly threatened by you, so why escalate it?" It was so unnecessary, but maybe something else was going on in his mind to make him do that. Or maybe this wasn't their first encounter with each other.

"It's all a matter of respect. It's nothing to punk a nigga and send him on his way, but that grows hate in their heart. Who's to say that hate won't grow into him seeking revenge? If I'm going to humiliate a nigga I'm going to eliminate the threat then and there. A nigga like me was been supposed to be dead, but I nip shit in the bud before it can become a problem. I don't leave room for mutherfuckers to plot on me."

"Never really thought about it that way, but you do make a good point. I also see why you aren't well liked." He shrugged his shoulders, looking genuinely unbothered.

"I'm in the game to get money, not be liked. No one truly likes the popular niggas anyways. They're envious of them and plot on coming for their spot. Believe me, I learned that shit the hard way." I can't help to think that I misjudged him. Then again, I judged him based off of how he presented himself and how his own crew reacted to him.

"Why don't you act like this all the time? Your crew would probably like you more."

"Lil girl, I just told your ass I don't care about being like. I actually prefer to be the one hated, keeps all the fake from around me."

"Don't start with the lil girl thing. My point is that you probably would have gotten a better reception from me had you been this calm and collected." He's an extremely attractive man. I can do without the public negative attention he attracts.

"It all worked out if you're riding in my car with me. I've already made my attraction to you known, so obviously I'm going to show you other sides to me so that you know there's more to me."

"No need in wasting your time, I just moved to Massachusetts, and there's no telling when I'm going to have to relocate again. We're not even in the same vicinity of each other." He let out a slight chuckle while easily gliding through the traffic.

"The same way you got here is the same way you can bring your ass back or I can come to you. What time you fly back tomorrow?"

"The jet leaves at two."

"Bet. You down to kick it with me until then?" I pursed my lips while thinking about the offer. I'll be at the house by myself for the rest of the night into the morning anyways so what's the harm in actually spending it with someone. "It's a yes or no answer."

"Don't rush me! I don't even know you."

"That's the point of pulling an all nighter with me, I'm giving you the opportunity to get to know me."

"Just know that the moment I get bored you're dropping me off back to the house." I warned him. This is his one shot chance so hopefully he doesn't fumble the opportunity, because I doubt I'll ever see him again after this unless we actually build some sort of connection with each other.

"If I bore you I can drop you off right now."

"That's nowhere near what I was saying. Oooo, are these food trucks?!" I quickly sat up in my seat, looking out the window at all of trucks lined up in a circle. "I haven't been to a food truck since I left California." I unbuckled my seatbelt as soon as he put the car in park.

"I'm coming around to open the door for you." I had to stop myself from showing my surprise. This man is really pulling out all the stops tonight.

"I'll ask twenty one questions, and they all about us." I sung loudly while staring up at the music video playing on Sammad's bedroom ceiling. I can't really explain how I ended up at his place, but I'm here.

"This is not what you're here for, Ess." He spoke while walking into the room. A few seconds later the video cut off.

"How'd you get it to project on your ceiling?"

"The projector is built into the foot of my bed. Anymore questions?" He took a seat on the bed, laying back next to me. I turned my head to the side so I was staring directly at him.

"Plenty. Earlier you said you don't smoke weed anymore, why?"

"I struggle with addiction, so I try to stay away from anything that'll pull me back into my old ways." I rolled onto my stomach, giving him my full attention.

"How'd you get out of it?"

"I just did. The main reason why I don't care about being liked. When you're down and out none of those people who were riding your dick is going to be around to help pull you up. I do good on my own." I licked over my lips while studying the troubled look on his face. Not wanting to dampen his mood any further I decided to change the subject.

"What's your five year plan?" I can learn a lot from a man simply by asking his goals. You'd be surprised by how many men have absolutely no ambitions in life. If Sammad doesn't then I'll know for sure that this will be the last time I'll be seeing him.

"I have a lot planned business wise that I don't want to get too deep into. Everything that I'm working on is honestly to make sure my family is secure again. I'm carrying the family's name and it's up to me to make sure when our name is mentioned it doesn't immediately put a sour taste in people's mouth. I'm also looking to find someone to settle down with. Someone who knows the game, but isn't rough around the edges. Someone who knows how to carry herself in public and can put me in my place without it coming off as degrading me. Someone like you. I need you to be moving to Miami by your twenty first birthday. When is your birthday?"

"In the words of Junglepussy, my birthday Halloween so I'm freakier than you." He gave me a look and I burst out laughing.

"So you'll be twenty soon. That gives you bout a year to move."

"What if I turn out to be everything you don't want out of a woman?" I don't want him setting any standards for me that I didn't put out myself. I'm not living up to any expectations for myself that aren't my own.

"If that was the case you wouldn't be laying in my bed right now. I'm very aware of what I want, and I wouldn't be wasting either of our time if I didn't have any interest in you."

"Why didn't your last relationship last?"

"I had a lot of demons that I was fighting with myself and I separated myself from everyone and everything to get myself straight. Your parents cool with you being involved in this lifestyle?" I shook my head before letting it fall onto the bed.

"This is a family business, but they were big on me being far away from it. Not that they were the best example. They did some silly shit. Tried to move weight through an airport and both are serving life sentences. I was fifteen at the time and my brother had just turned twenty, so our uncle took us in and I didn't really have a choice but to get with the program."

"What's your five your plan then?"

"I'm still trying to find my exact path out of life. I know I'm going to finish college. I want to do something that allows me to travel. Rodgers Industries is huge, so I know I'll be able to find something that fits with me." I've thought about going into Marketing, Project Management, Advertising. I'm just still uncertain about exactly what I want to dedicate the rest of my life to.

"Do you have to stay where you're at to finish school?" He questioned and I couldn't help but laugh when I realized why he was asking.

"No. I go to school online. Still doesn't mean I'm going to up and move to Miami. I honestly don't see myself moving away from my brother and cousins." My family and I always move as one, so me moving to Miami will be highly unlikely. Black Mafia is already big, and I don't see there to be a logical reason for Gaza to ever relocate here.

"Well when you find something worth branching out on your own for then let me know. We can't have long distance kids, Ess."

"See, now you're playing games. Can we watch a movie please?" He pulled his phone out of his pocket and went to some app that showed a gallery of movies.

"Let me know when you see something you want to watch." I watched as he scrolled through the movie titles.

"Oooo! Let's watch Creed!" He clicked on the movie, choosing the option for it to display on his projector. I rolled back onto my back, turning my attention to his ceiling. "I want this set up in my room."

"Because you want to be like me? It's no surprise."

"Oh my God! Shut up and let's watch the movie." He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and I immediately snuggled up next to him.

"I'm going to miss you, baby." I spoke into Bailey's hair, not wanting release her from the hold I have on her. This day came too fast and now the thought of her being gone for the next four months is breaking me down.

"Aw, babe, it's going to fly by. We just have to keep consistent contact with each other. Don't start ignoring my calls and acting like you single when I'm gone either." She joked before leaning up and kissing my nose.

"I got something for you."

"Oh! I get a going away gift?! Let me see." I reached into my pocket, keeping one of my arms tightly around her and waist. I grabbed a hold of the ring, but didn't immediately pull it out.

"Look, I know you were disappointed about us not having an actual wedding and at the time I didn't really understand it because we didn't know each other at all, but now all I can think about is how you'd look in a wedding dress. I love you, Bailey. I know I only said it once when we first had sex, but I really mean it. I love you, and I want to show you how much."

"I love you too, Jerrell. You're going to make me cry, babe." I smiled and leaned down to kiss her lips.

"Hold your hand up for me." She held up her hand with a confused look on her face and I pulled the ring out of my pocket, sliding it onto her ring finger.

"Oh, my God! Jerrell! This is perfect!" She kept her hand up, admiring the ring I had custom made for her before we left to Bali.

"Yes, I'm wearing one too." I confirmed before she could ask. I held up my hand, flashing my basic gold band.

"That's so plain. I'll get you a better one. I'm in love with my ring though. I can't wait to show Cam!" After we came back from Bali, Cam went back to her parents house. Which I was cool with because we needed to start focusing on business which we had to tip toe around when she was here.

"Them thirsty ass niggas too."

"I don't want anyone but you, babe." She snaked her arms around my neck, leaning up to kiss my lips. Her flight was called over the intercom, causing me to let out a groan. I tried suggesting her to take the jet until she let me know a private round trip international flight is about thirty grand. We have the money, but we don't need to be reckless with it.

"Text me when your flight lands and FaceTime me once you're settled into your dorm. You hear me?"

"I will. I love you. I'm going to miss you so much. Don't let them trash our house either."

"Hell, I'll put they asses out on the street." I pulled her into a kiss and she quickly deepened it. It wasn't until they did the last call for her flight that we pulled away from each other. She quickly swiped the tears from her eyes, thinking that I wouldn't see them and swiftly walked off to her gate. This is going to be a rough four months.

Wanted to give y'all some insight on Essence and her personality. What are your thoughts on her and Sammad?

Bailey has left back to the UK, I'm sad as hell 🥺

How do you feel about Jerrell getting her a ring?

Additional thoughts on this chapter?