A Hustler's Pride

Part 26

Giselle and Hova did as they both said. They got married in St. Lucia and Giselle began to get bigger wit her pregnancy. Lil Corey was gettin so big that he was walkin around and tryin to talk a little. They were back home after a long beautiful week away and Giselle was glowin from head to toe. "So Mrs. Carter how do u feel," Hova said givin Giselle a kiss as they cuddled on their couch.

"Like a million dollars, Mr. Knowles," she said makin them laugh. They watched a little tv and fell asleep for a few minutes. When Hova woke up, Lil Corey had placed himself ontop of Giselle and was snorin louder than she was. He wanted to take a picture of them. He went to the back to get his camera and saw a document folded up in the corner. He opened it and read that Giselle was pregnant. She had been to the doctor a few weeks ago and the paper read that she was in good health for her second month. So she had to have been further along now. He wondered why she lied to him but he wouldn't say anythin. He wanted to play along wit her. When he came back wit his camera, Lil Corey had his arm wrapped around Giselle's stomach as if he was protectin somethin. Hova snapped about five pics while laughin to himself. A knock on the door interupted his thoughts. When he looked into the peephole, he didn't recognize the man standin out in front but he grabbed two of his guns and opened the door while steppin out.

"Can I help u?"

"Yeah, u Hov?"

"Yeah why?"

"I just came to tell u to watch yo back man." Hova looked at the man and wondered what he was talkin about.

"what u sayin young?''

"Well I'm a member of your team off of one third and I overheard some talk about u and u know I ain't no shiesty nigga. All I do is keep shit real and I wanna keep it real wit u since u helpin me put food on the table for my fam so I'ma just tell u man them folks that's handlin half of ur money is plottin and shit and they ain't talkin little."

"Like who?"

"I'on wanna say everythin man. But I know for sho that Yayo and Ex-Money is talkin big about u." Hova took what the young man was sayin into consideration.

"What's ur name young?"

"Hollywood."

"Okay Hollywood, good lookin out my nigga."

"My pleasure dude. Like I said i'm a real nigga," he said walkin away. Hova went back into his apartment and looked at his family. He saw that now was the time to get out of the business for good especially wit this new baby on the way.

About a week later, Hova was makin plans to get himself out of the game. He appointed someone real close to him that would take his place. He began to show that young man all the ins and outs of tha game. He taught him everythin he possibly could. He had already set aside about three million dollars that he never touched plus another five that he was settlin and cancelin deals wit. He also told his crew about what HOllywood told him and they said they would be on the lookout for that shit.

Hova was makin his last deal of the day and he was headed home after. He walked up the stairwell to his place but stopped when he heard footsteps behind him. Everytime he walked back up the footsteps would continue wit him. He reached for both of his guns from his waistline and continue to walk without stoppin this time. The closer he got to his home, the louder the steps became. When he got closer to his door, he cocked both guns and he put the key into the door, he heard the steps and then a voice that startled his heart a little bit. He turned around pointin both of his loaded guns. The only person behind him was a lady that looked like she had been thru hell. "Ex...ex...cuse me son but...I need to talk wit u."

"I ain't got no drugs on me lady so the answer is no," he said about to open his door.

"Well.....um....I ain't really lookin for no fix right now. I just wanna see my daughter."

"What?" he said lookin closer at the lady realizin that it was Giselle's mother. She looked like such a hot mess. Hova looked at her and wondered how in the hell she knew where they lived.

"I heard around town that ya'll was livin here and Giselle, I mean ya'll had a son together. I just really wanna talk to her. I been missin her somethin wicked." Hova didn't really have a good feelin about her bein here especially after all this time and he wondered whether or not to let her in. Especially wit what Hollywood had told her about niggas plottin shit against him.

"Um....well let me see if she is woke and maybe I can get her to come out and talk to u."

"Oh..okay. I'll be right here, hah. Tell her I ain't goin nowhere this time," she said fiddlin wit her hands. Hova went into his apartment and locked the door. He looked out of the peephole and saw the lady talkin to herself and scratchin and twitchin.

"What u lookin at," Giselle said almost scarin him out of his draws.

"Oh...um....boo we need to talk." He sat her down wit him on the couch and looked into her glowin face.

"I know baby. u know don't u?"

"HUnh?"

"About me bein pregnant. Look, I was gonna tell u I just-"

"Yeah baby I knew but this is somethin else."

"What?"

"I got someone waitin in the hallway for u."

"Who is it? Is it an old friend or somethin?"

"Somethin like that."

"Well," she said gettin up and walkin to the door.

"Baby wait, I wanna pre-" Hova was cut off when Giselle opened the door and gunshots rang throughtout the apartment. Lil Corey came runnin out of the room screamin and Hov grabbed him while tryin to pull Giselle into the apartment. Gunshots continued to ring out and when he looked out into the hallway, he saw that Giselle's mother played the muse in this. She must have been bribed for some dope. But she was layin face down on the ground wit her scalp blown against the walls. Hova finally got Giselle inside and she was cryin and shakin.

"Ba-baby, wha.what happened," she said grabbin her wounds.

"Oh shit! Baby," hova said tryin to keep himself together. "Baby u been shot." He held onto Corey as he screamed and cried at the sight of his mommy layin on the floor bleedin in the spot where he played wit his toys. Hova called 9-1-1. After he knelt down to comfort Giselle who was shakin more. "Stay wit me mama. U gone be okay baby."

"Corey I don't wanna die. Me and my baby...." she said cryin.

"I know baby I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry baby."

"Corey please take care of my baby and tell him that......tell him mommy always loved him."

"Don't talk like that Giselle, baby, u gone be alright, Everythin is gonna be fine. We gone move to St.Lucia and raise both of our babies and we gone live in a big and beautiful house where Corey gone invite his friends and that's where the baby will be born." Hova was smilin thinkin about those thoughts but when he didn't hear Giselle respond he panicked. "Giselle, u heard me baby. We gone build our family in St.Lucia baby. We goin back there to live for good and I'ma be done wit all this shit. It's just gone be me and u baby. U hear me," he said grabbin her face but her eyes were glazed over. "Giselle! Baby! Don't u f'ckin die on me baby. Did u hear me?! I said we gone live right. Baby?" There was no response. Hova sat back on his knees and felt like dyin too. She was gone and it was his fault. He yelled out loud makin the baby cry even more. "WTF! I...I....I," he said cryin tears of pain. He rocked back and forth and wonderd to himself how this could happen. He didn't even hear the sounds of the ambulance sirens. He layed down wit Giselle and calmed Corey down. Corey dozed off to sleep and Hova pulled out his gun. He kissed Giselle on the lips while cryin silently to himself. He touched her stomach and then he caressed her face while closin her eyes. He touch the back of lil Corey and pre-meditated on what he was about to do. He sat the tip of his gun on the back of the lil boy's head and pulled the trigger. Blood splashed on his face and he wiped them away wit his tears. he then turned the gun on himself and ended his own life. Pride is somethin that everyone treasures but when it divides a family, what really is the value of it?

THE END