Array Ashley - Murderville

“Always,” Liberty replied.

A’shai stood in the living room listening to their conversation. He had noticed his mother’s car as soon as he pulled up and had rushed into the house expecting to interrupt a confrontation between the two most important women in his life. He already knew how she had found him. Nico was the only person who knew where to find him. A’shai was pleasantly surprised to find his two ladies getting to know one another. He could tell from the tone of Willow’s voice that she was smitten with Liberty, and it pleased him to know that she supported him. He knew that Liberty had a checkered past and that by being with her, he was adopting her problems with Samad but it was all worth it to him. He would lay any man down in order to protect her. He had no problem rocking a nigga to sleep, and if Samad wanted to go night night A’shai would gladly oblige him. As he stood in the doorway he thought that he was looking at the two most beautiful women in the world. He cleared his throat to announce his presence and interrupted their bonding moment.

They turned around, and Willow stood to her feet to embrace him. “I’m glad you’re okay, Shai. I was worried about you. Things are going to get very bad,” Willow stated.

“I can handle any beef that comes my way. You don’t have to lose no sleep, ma,” he stated surely as he kissed her cheek. “What you doing driving all this way? It’s bad out there. I know your little Benz was sliding all over the road.”

“It was hell getting up here but a woman does what she has to do to protect her family. You didn’t answer my calls. I needed to come and see with my own eyes that you were okay. Samad isn’t to be underestimated, A’shai,” Willow warned as she took his face between her hands and kissed his forehead.

He nodded his head, choosing not to respond with words. That bitch ass nigga got mu’fuckas thinking he don’t bleed, he thought as he clenched his jaw.

“You’re not superman, boy. You may be a grown man, but you’ll always be my baby boy. You took his woman. That’s a grudge that doesn’t die. Just promise me you will be careful,” she said.

“I promise, ma. You don’t have to worry about Samad,” he assured. Willow hugged him, and A’shai held her tightly as he winked his eye at Liberty, who was still seated at the table. “I love you,” he mouthed.

She smiled and blew him an air kiss.

“I’m going to get out of here. I know your father is wondering where I am,” Willow stated. “I just couldn’t resist driving up here to check on you.”

“You can’t drive back home tonight. Your car won’t make it down the block in that snow,” A’shai argued. “Call pop and tell him you’ll be home tomorrow.”

Willow shook her head and replied, “No, I need to get back. You have really ruffled your father’s feathers. I need to be there for him right now. Maybe I can convince him to give the two of you a chance. I know once he meets Liberty he would approve.”

A’shai went into his pocket to retrieve his car keys. “You can take my car. It’ll get you through the snow better,” A’shai said.

“Walk an old woman out?” Willow asked.

“If there was an old woman in the room I surely would,” he replied smoothly, flattering Willow. She was in her late 40s and far from being an old head. She still had it and they both knew it, but it felt good to hear her son say it. Liberty stood to hug Willow.

“Thank you for accepting me,” Liberty whispered in her ear.

Willow hugged her tightly and Liberty could feel the sincerity radiating from the kind woman.

“I’ll see you soon. You remember what I said, beautiful girl,” Willow complimented.

Liberty went to the window as A’shai walked his mother to the car. He opened her door for her and said, “Tell pops I’m sorry. This is something that I have to do.”

“I know Shai and now that I’ve met her, I understand why. I believe in love and that girl in that house is your soul mate, Shai. She looks at you the way that I look at Baron. She’s good for you. She softens you. You be a good man to her, and you both stay safe. If you need anything just call my cell phone. I will never turn my back on you, Shai. You have made my life so much better over the years. I know you have a pretty young thing in your life now, but don’t you forget about your old lady,” Willow said with misty eyes. She shivered slightly as her tears hit the cold wind, and she pulled the mink shawl she wore tighter around her neck.

“Never,” A’shai said as he kissed her cheek and pulled her coat tighter around her. “Get out of this cold weather, ma. Call me when you make it home just to let me know you made it. I’ll answer.”

He hit the top of the hood once she was inside and turned to walk away. As he stepped onto the porch he heard her blow her horn. He turned and saw her smiling face as she gave him a wave. He waved back and then remembered that the duffel bag full of money was in his backseat. He held up one finger to signal for her to wait and just as he took a step toward the car, he watched her turn over the ignition…

BOOM!

A’shai was thrown to the ground as his car exploded before his very eyes, sending burning $100 bills flying into the sky along with a cloud of black smoke. “Nooo!!!!” he shouted as he scrambled to get to his feet, crawling and slipping through the snow covered ground towards the blaze. Liberty ran from the house and grabbed A’shai, but he threw her off him as he went to rescue Willow.

“Noo!” he cried as he bent over and punched at the snow as the fiery steel burned slowly in front of him, crackling sinisterly as if it were taunting A’shai. He knew that Willow was dead. There was no way she could have survived. He knew that this was the work of Samad and that the bomb had been intended for him. He stood and stormed over to Liberty. He gripped her by her arm and pulled her into the house.

“Oww, Shai, you’re hurting me,” she cried as her tears mixed with the snot that ran from her nose. She was frantic and felt extremely guilty because she knew that Willow had just died because of her.

“What’s his number?” A’shai asked as he picked up the house phone. “Dial it!”

Liberty dialed Samad’s digits and as soon as A’shai heard Samad’s voice he spazzed.

“I’mma dead you, you bitch ass nigga. You don’t know how I get down, but I’mma teach you, homeboy. On my dead mother, I’m going to make you wish you never crossed me,” A’shai shouted before hanging up the phone. He picked up the entire base and ripped it out of the wall as he tossed it across the room. A’shai didn’t normally lose his cool, but this was a blow that was so unexpected he reacted without thinking. His legs gave up on him, and A’shai collapsed onto the couch as he buried his head in his hands while sobbing.

Liberty knelt before him and pulled him into her arms as she stroked his head soothingly.

“I’m so sorry A’shai,” Liberty whispered. She was the sole reason his world was being turned inside out. He was too good of a man to ever admit it, but they both knew it was an unspoken truth. “I’m sorry.”

“I WANT THE MUTHAFUCKA’S HEAD ON A fucking platter by nightfall! I’m burying my WIFE today! If he isn’t in the dirt before this day ends, I’mma make the fucking streets bleed!” Baron shouted to his henchmen as he stood in his conference room. It had been years since he had warred with a nigga. He had gained too much respect in the streets for any of the young gunners to ever test him, but Samad had no reservations. He had brought conflict to Baron’s homefront and had taken the one person in his life that had been irreplaceable. “Get the fuck out,” he whispered as he stood at the head of the rectangular table and placed both hands on the surface. He hung his head solemnly as his men left him alone. The range of emotions that filled his chest made it hard for him to breathe, and he loosened his neck tie to open his airways. It had been exactly one week since he had gotten the worst news of his life, and he had yet to shed a tear. He was too full of rage to allow his sadness to set in. He had the rest of his life to mourn; right now he just wanted vengeance. A knock at the door caused him to look up as he watched Nico walk into the room.