The Love I Missed

Chapter 14

Zaijah,
Moments before...

I woke up to a call from Renata. I answered it.
"Hey cuz, how you doing?"
"SOMEONE SET THE SALON ON FIRE"
"Wait? WHAT?"
"GET HERE ZAI" she hanged up.

"My salon is on fire! Wake up Kiron! As a gangsta why you in deep sleep!?"
He groaned and turned to face me.
"Hm what?"

I got up and brushed my teeth and put on my clothes.
"MY HAIR SALON IS ON FIRE. GET UP"
He jumped up, got ready and tucked his gun in his pants.

We went into my bmw. On the way Rey told Eli and Kal to come to the salon.
It was burning down right in front of my eyes. Me and Renata's hard work was melting right in front of us.

"Who did this?" I walked up to Renata who had her head in her hands sitting on the pavement.
"I called the firefighters, I don't know who did it, when I got here the place was a blaze"

Rey looked around the outside.
"Rey step back!? What are you doing"
He picked up a blue piece of cardboard and walked back to us. I could see the anger in his eyes as he glared at the piece of cardboard that read "44 motherfucker".

"Who's 44?" I asked him with my arms crossed.
"They one of my opps" He looked at me for a second before focusing his attention back on the piece of blue card board.

He turned it around and it said "Watch out fo yo  cute lil girlfriend, she won't be around for any much longer"

I started hyperventilating and that's when his attention went on me.
"Breathe Zai, ain't nothing gon happen to you, word to my dead baby". He held my hands and I stop hyperventilating but my nerves were still up.

Kal and Eli pulled up.
"The fuck going on here?"
"Slow ass" Renata muttered.
"44 did it" Rey told them.
"44? Tremon man" Kal said and his jaw ticked.

The firefighters finally pulled up. Took them long enough. We all went to my crib.

"We worked so hard for that" I rubbed my temples.
"Y'all got insurance?" Kalin asked.
"Yea but still, how we gon get our money now?" Renata responded.

"I can give you some cash till things get running again" Rey shrugged.
"We don't want your money" I told him and he squinted his eyes at me.
"Thank you but no."

"I ain't gon hold it over y'alls head if that's what you thinking, y'all are family cuh. I'm giving the money either way" I rolled my eyes knowing damn well i'm not spending a cent.

Eli handed us both 10k and I just held it in my hand.
"Baby, I need to head to the trap to figure this shit out" he kissed my forehead. "You need to pack everything you need because we staying at mines from now on, cause it's not safe."  I nodded slowly.

I was going to fight about it but really he was right. If  they knew where my salon was, they'll definitely come here.

"And Renata, don't tell anyone who lit the store on fire. I need you to go back to the salon and tell the cops what happened so they don't show up at Zai's door. Say that you just came and it was on fire" she nodded and gave me a hug and headed out.

"Coo' I love you"
"I love you too" I gave him a kiss and he got up and left with Kalin.

"Don't beat yourself up about the situation, Rey gon make sure it's straight" Eli relaxed on the couch adjacent to me.
I slowly nodded and looked to the ground.
I'm just trying to process my emotions right now.