Page 210 of The Ninth
“Fuck that pussy ass—” Devyn walking into the room stopped everything for me. I’ve never seen that amount of fear on someone so beautiful. “Baby, what’s wrong? Is it your grandmother?”
She didn’t respond. She also wasn’t looking at me. Instead, her eyes rested on Kenzo even before he turned to look at her. In a matter of seconds he hopped up, rushing and grabbing onto her. My body always ready to protect my shorty caused me to pop up, standing just behind him.
“Devyn, G. Tell me. It’s Cassie, isn’t it?”
“It is.”
K3 released her shoulders, leaping to the table where his shirt and gun were. He didn’t even have it on all the way before he was calling Cassandra. Straight to voicemail.
“What? What’s wrong with Cassie, Devyn? Where she at?!” I pulled on her hand, sitting her on the couch as me and K3 waited anxiously.
“It’s because....” she let out a deep breath. “It’s because it was us! We did go to Kenan’s that night, but we didn’t set him up! We just happened to be there and Kenzie left the camcorder and things have been happening that made us think they knew. The night of the sleepover, Cassie and I took pregnancy tests and one was positive! We’ve been thinking it was me but I’m on birth control and thought it ran out, but it didn’t and my period came so it’s Cassie. Cassie’s pregnant and she went with Kenzie, Tati, and Poncho to steal the camcorder back and they made me stay because of the test but it’s really Ca—”
K3 turned on his heels, running towards the front door. He damn near took the door off the hinges with how hard and fast he burst through. I know my brother and I know his heart ain’t even beating right now. Cassie being in that situation was enough to do that nigga in....but to know she may be carrying his child?
I rushed to the front door just as he was hopping in his truck, “You want me to come?!”
“No! Stay here in case she pops up or you closer.”
With that, he was gone.
My skin turned hot as I backed into the house, shutting and locking both the screen and the front door. Devyn sat there, fidgeting and jittery. My hand stroked my waves multiple times as I tried to relax, folks. No way did I want to tweak out on shorty. I just can’t believe this shit.
“She blocked K3. You need to try to call her, Devyn. Tell her not to do that shit and stay where the fuck she’s at!” I yelled.
“I’m not going to be able to reach her. She blocked us all and turned everything off. So did the other girls and Poncho. Duke, I’m sorry!”
“There’s no way you think I’m sorry is going to have me on my knees in front of you, Devyn. You did that shit when we was good. After I told you, you were the only person I was pursuing! You could’ve called me. I would’ve died for you even then, baby. You and your cousin put yourselves in the position to get fucking killed! And then to lie about it for all this time?! Lying to my face when you know them niggas outside the shop was looking for you? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU! WHY THE FUCK YOU GO TO THAT NIGGAS HOUSE, HUH?”
“We-we-we....we were trying to get back at him. Just go and take his money and that was it! Then Cassie said if he tried to say something, she would call Man-Man or K3. K3 came home the next day, it just threw us off!”
“How you figure you was just going to go there and take his money? Did you fuck somebody, Devyn?”
“NO! I just...we just got nake—”
“BOAHHHHHHH!”
I gripped the back of my head with both hands trying to calm down. This is worse than them girls just straight shooting the nigga. You know how low you gotta get to meet a nigga where he at? What the fuck could he have done to make someone like them four agree to use their bodies to rob a nigga? Especially when I would’ve given any of them the money from my pocket.
“What the fuck he do, Devyn? What happened?!”
“I’ll tell you, Duke!” she started crying. I’ve seen her cry plenty of times, but not like this. “I’ll tell you but just know that I’m sorry. I’m not that person and I’m embarrassed!”
We stared into each other’s eyes from across the room. My slick ass mouth was prepared to rebuttal any and everything she said, on granny. Because not much can justify that shit. Justify almost losing your fucking life. However, the more and more her mouth moved, the more my shoulders dropped. The tension left my body, taking my breath with it.
“She just...kneeled there on her knees while he held me! Even when I called it for what it was he flipped me, pinning me to the couch! I LAID THERE WITHOUT FIGHTING SO HE WOULDN’T KILL ME!”
I backed up a couple of steps, bumping into the wall. A bitch been alive for thirty years and ain’t eva had a woman hurt his soul like this before. A deep pain spread all over me. I had to squat, holding my knees for support. My eyes squeezed shut tightly, trying to fight off all the images she was painting me. To know someone violated the same woman I worshipped, respected, treated like gold...Just to treat her like trash? Somebody gotta fucking die. Me or them. Both of us can’t live.
“Duke...”
Devyn’s hand touching my shoulder brought me back. I couldn’t even look her in the eyes; afraid I would just fall apart right here. Crash out and leave, killing the whole city.
“Baby, it doesn’t matter. He’s dead!”
“It does matter, Devyn. His shorty that also violated you in more ways than one was just sitting next to me, in my face! That bitch touched me and then had the nerves to put her hands on you in front of me! I SHOULD’VE FUCKING KILLED HER RIGHT THERE! ON MY DEAD BROTHER’S GRAVE, SOMETHING TOLD ME TO SMOKE HER RIGHT THEN! It doesn’t matter if he’s dead, niggas is still looking to hurt you, Cassie, y’all’s friends! You think that’s something I’ma sit back and let happen? You think it was okay to keep something of this magnitude to yourself? HE TRIED TO PIMP YOU! Y’ALL NEED TO USE YOUR BRAINS SOMETIMES, FOLKS. THAT SHOULD’VE NEVER BEEN HANDLED BY FOUR GIRLS!”
I shook my head, walking to the front door. My feet slid out of my house shoes, sliding into my Jordan’s. Devyn’s sock covered feet rushed to me, pulling on my arm as I tucked my gun. Still, I turned my back towards her, preparing to leave.
