Bando

7

I woke up with a massive headache. I slowly regained my vision and tried to make out where I was at. It looked like I was in a huge abandoned warehouse. I tried to run until I realized that my hands were handcuffed behind me in a chair.

"Help! Help! Somebody help me!!" I yelled out as my words echoed throughout the warehouse. I kept yelling for help until I saw the big garage door open in front of me.

"I see you woke up," a man spoke as he strolled towards me.

"Andre," I muttered.

"Miss me baby?" He asked with an evil smile on his face. Andre is my trifling ass ex. I dated him for almost a year while I was in college. He kept lying to me and abusing me, but I always fought back cuz mama didn't raise no bitch. The last straw was when he tried to push me off of a balcony and I left his ass for good. I still have the scar on my thigh from that night.

"I thought I left yo ass back in Memphis."

Andre chuckled. "Key word: thought. You see, I can track you down. No matter where you go, I'll always find you." He slid his hand down my cheek and I quickly moved my head away.

"How tf did you find me?"

"With some help from my right hand man, of course." He turned towards the opened garage door and my heart dropped to my stomach. Cortez walked in and closed the garage door down.

"Wassup, Mya. Nice to see you again." Cortez calmly said.

"Nigga, what the fuck?! Why you helping him? You said you didn't fuck with him!"

"That was all part of the plan, brah."

I looked confused. "What plan?"

He laughed and kneeled down to look at me. "Look, you my homie and all, but I wanted to be more than that. But you chose that bitch ass midget over me. I knew it was gonna happen sooner or later, so I linked up with Andre. The day the spot got hit? We robbed it. The day Rico died? I killed him."

"You killed Rico because I didn't want you?!"

He stood up. "Naw. He found out what was really going on. I knew he was gonna tell you, so I had to shut him up somehow."

"BY KILLING HIM IN FRONT OF HIS OWN DAUGHTER??"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Gotta do what I gotta do."

I shook my head. I couldn't believe this shit. One of my homies was plotting against me with my ex. It felt like some Lifetime movie shit.

"What do yall want from me?" I asked, holding back my tears.

"Your operation." Andre responded. "We wanna take over."

I mean mugged him. "You know damn well my dad ain't gone let that happen and neither will I. You don't know shit about it anyway."

He did a small chuckle and hit me. Blood slowly came out of my nose. "You must forgot that you were still dealing when you were in college. Cortez and I could go to the police and tell them everything they need to hear, but I rather see you suffer worse than that. Now, either give up the operation or your loved ones will start disappearing. One by one."

I gave him full eye contact and flared my nose. "FUCK YOU." I spat in his face and he punched me, knocking me to the concrete floor. Then, Cortez started to kick me in the stomach, making me cough out blood. Andre moved him out of his way and punched me right in my face. Blackness took over.

"Right here, right here!" I heard Andre tell Cortez as he stopped the car and looked at me.

"Take this with you." He stabbed me in my stomach and yanked the knife out. He opened the door and shoved me out of the car. The car door closed and sped off as I laid in the street.

Various amounts of pain struck throughout my body as I tried to stand up. It hit me that they dropped me off in a neighborhood that I recognized. I jogged down the street full of lit porch lights until I found a house with a red mailbox in front of it. I ran to the door and started banging on it.

"Yooo!" Algee answered as I fell into his arms. "What are you--"

He stopped when he saw the bruises on my face. He quickly brought me in and closed the door.

"Baby, what happened to you?" He sat me down on the couch.

"I'm dying." I breathlessly said. I removed my hand from my stomach, showing him the stab wound.

"Oh my God!" His eyes widened and he ran to grab a towel. He came back and pressed the towel on my stomach.

"Who did this to you??" He asked as he dialed 911.

"Andre....and Cortez." I mumbled, closing my eyes.

"No no no. Don't close your eyes. Please stay with me, baby. Please. You're gonna make it."

I put my hand on his hand. "I love you," I slowly mumbled before I blacked out.