Pawn

Chapter 3

Bakari gently sat me down as Tommie came up behind us. She moved around to the other side of the bathroom to grab a towel to wash away some of the blood that stained my clothes and hands.

"Lord have mercy, I told you not to go down there. When Drennon handles someone, he doesn't want anyone interfering with that, not even Bakari. You got a lot to learn sweetheart when it comes to him." She said wiping the damp rag over my face.

I looked over at Bakari who was just staring at me with pity. "I'm a go get you some clean clothes." He said walking away.

Tommie was still getting me cleaned up when she bent down to me to wash the remaining blood off me. While she was attending to me, I took this as a chance to get a clearer look at her.

Tommie was a beautiful girl. She was a little short, maybe about 5'6 that went well with her thick frame that she had, medium brown skin tone with a v-line face, big light brown eyes, natural full lips, and her hair was bone straight that had a red brownish color to it.

I noticed she had stopped wiping me with the rag when she noticed I was looking at her. "What? She asked weirdly.

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Maintain your cool while being here. I mean, I've been here only a day and I'm ready to loose my mind. This place is insane. Never in my twenty years of life have I been in a situation like this. I'm cold, hungry, tired, scared. I just don't know what to do and all this is falling on me because of something my father did. I haven't even heard of Drennon until now."

I didn't even know I was crying until I felt little wet droplets hit my hand. I guess holding all of this in was taking its toll on me. I just cried and cried until I felt Tommie wrapped her arms around me and gave me a hug. That's all I really needed right now.

"Sweetheart I know your scared, I don't even know why Drennon is doing all this especially since your the innocent one. I can't sit here and tell you it's gonna be easy here cause it's not. The only nice people that's here are me and Bakari. These other bitches will sell they own momma out for some crack."

I wiped my nose with a paper towel. "How'd you manage to make it this far? I almost got killed just then."

She just stared off into space until she spoke up.

"Every since I was fourteen, I always had a hustle ambition. I did what I had to do to get what I needed for my two little brothers cause our mom was a strung out dope addict so she never was worried about us."

I listened to her as she continued her story.

"One night, I heard noises coming from the living room. I figured one of my brothers had left the tv on so I went to go cut it off but what I saw is a image that'll forever be stuck with me."

I furrowed my eyebrows as to know what.

"My mom sitting there dead in the rocking chair with a rubber tube tied around her arm with a needle sticking in her vein."

I sat there in shock. I thought I had it worse but just when you think you got it bad, it's somebody somewhere else who's got or who done had it worse.

"After that, me and my brothers were alone and I had to provide for them. At the age of fourteen, I had to become a adult. I made sure that whatever me and my brothers needed, we had but about ten years ago, both my brothers were killed in a drive by walking home from school."

"Oh my God." I gasped holding my hand up to my mouth.

"That's when Drennon found me. I was on the streets slanging cocaine. He liked how I did business, so he put me to work for him. I'm in charge of making sure the product is good before it goes out on the streets."

"I guess you can say I got adapted to this kind of lifestyle. It chose me."

I sat there in astonishment and sorrow. Not only to loose your momma but your brothers as well. It's scary to know that your all alone in this world without anyone to help you. For her to keep her sanity like she does, I respect her for that. She didn't let this or anything before her break her.

As she rung out the the last bit of blood from the rag, Bakari came through the door with some neatly folded clothes and some shoes.

"Here. As soon as you put these on, have Tommie bring you up to Drennon's quarters. I gotta make a run right quick." He said talking to me and Tommie.

I bald up the bloody clothes and threw them in the bag like I did once before. The new clothes Bakari gave me were so soft and comfortable. I put on a white crop top with grey capri sweatpants with a brown cardigan and some ugg boots that were decorated with little snowflakes on them.

"Don't worry about those clothes, I'll come back and dispose of them. Let me take you to Drennon. I was trying to make that shit sound good, but it sounded better in my head."

I could tell she was trying to make me laugh by her facial expressions and the tone in her voice was silly. It helped a little but I couldn't help but realize I gotta be in front of this man.

When we came up on his room, Tommie knocked on the door. A big buff dude came and opened the door. He was dressed in all black, had a bald head and black sunglasses on.

"What y'all want?" His deep baritone voice made my ears ring.

"Tell Drennon that it's Riley." I looked at her with a confused face.

"Wait here." The bald man said as he went to check with Drennon.

"Why'd you say that? I don't wanna go in there by myself."

She put both her hands on my shoulders. "Don't worry, I'm coming with you."

I let out a sigh of relief as I nodded my head.

The bald man came back and moved to the side to let us in. As I stepped in, he blocked Tommie's way so she couldn't get in.

"He only wants Riley, not you."

I started to panic as I realized I was in here by myself. I tried to get around him, but he was too big.

"Let me at least talk to her." Tommie said as she tried to reason with the bald man.

"Go ahead." He stepped aside for Tommie to come to me.

"Calm down Riley. I'll be right outside the door. Trust me, I'm not going to leave you."

I grew enough courage to be strong and go by myself. I looked back one more time at Tommie before the bald man closed the door.