Sutton

07. No Love

No Love

Chapter Seven

August 17, 2012

A week had gone by, and bodies were dropping every single day. Every day, the Knowles family gathered with the news of another dead body facing them. The numbers were rising, and people were looking at them – questioning them. Who had they pissed off? Beyoncé knew the answer, but she couldn't act on it. The three siblings couldn't do anything. Their father had given strict instructions for them to not leave their homes and do anything drastic, but Bey knew the criminal mind all too well. She knew the plan without even being told. They were killing everyone from the body and working their way up. It was one of the reasons that she feared the worst call ever. She knew her parents would soon be missing a child, and she could only fathom that it would be her. She was deemed the weakest simply by her gender.

She sat on her living room floor, burying herself in her work. It was the only thing she could focus on given the news. She hadn't been to her office, opting to Facetime Kelly or have her come over instead. Bey didn't wish to be home, given the fact that her home had been broken into by the Carters. They'd left her a note, basically taunting her. With the way that they had easily broken into her home, she knew that they could easily take her out together.

Sighing, Beyoncé looked over to her iPhone, noting the dozens of voicemails she'd received. Many of them had been from Shawn. Ever since leaving his home that day, she hadn't spoken to him since. Her mind was elsewhere. She was officially in protective and survival mode, and she couldn't drag him into the mess. Getting too close to Shawn had the potential to add him to her profile, and she didn't wish to do that. Bey picked her phone up, hitting the proper things to get her to her voicemail.

"Hey...it's me again. I'm just trying to see if everything's okay with your family and you. Call me?" He laughed softly, possibly at himself for even bothering to continuously calling. "If I knew another way, I'd get in touch with you," he finished.

Bey smiled softly before removing the phone from her ear. She made the mental note to get back in touch with him before the night was out. The knock on her door alerted her of someone at her door.

"Who is it?" Beyoncé asked, not wanting to get up from her position.

"Cliff," he answered.

"Are you alone?"

"Who the fuck else wanna see yo ass?" He barked, causing her to laugh. Ever since her break in, Clifford had been the one there for her. He had heard about the deaths, as well, but it wasn't in his position to do anything about it. As long as his deal was safe, he was perfectly fine with them. The problem was that he was getting closer to Beyoncé. He had been over her house every single day ever since the Carters had broken inside. Although she didn't need the protection, he saw a glimpse of vulnerability within her. She didn't have a man to come and rescue her.

Bey stood to her feet and walked to her door. She opened it, and sure enough, Clifford was alone. He mean mugged her and pushed past her.

"Excuse you!"

Clifford stopped in his tracks and looked at her for a moment. He was sick of her being cooped up in her house. It had been an entire week, and he needed for her to leave her house. "What are you doing?"

Bey rolled her eyes and closed the door, securing it. "I'm working. Why?"

"We're going out," he told her.

Bey wanted to laugh, but she didn't. The seriousness on his face let her know that this wasn't a joking manner. "My father sa-"

"How old are you? Seriously."