The Preachers Daughter

Chapter Twenty-Four

I woke up to what I thought was a hospital room based off of the heart monitor beeping in my ear. When I open my eyes, however, I knew I was at someone's home, and it wasn't mine. I tried to sit up and winced in pain.

"Take it easy, Zoy".

I followed the voice that was speaking to me.

"Zy'Air?"

"This is the second time you've looked at me and questioned who I was".

"But how?"

The Zy'Air that was in front of me did not look like the man that I saw that day in the visiting room four years ago. His hair was cut low, almost bald. The curls that were once there were long ago. His complexion was different. I think they call it a prison tan. His build was stronger, and his eyes held more pain than they did before. He got up out the chair he was sitting in and stood over me.

"They ended up throwing the case away. Not enough evidence to prove I did it".

I felt myself begin to panic and he must've seen it in my eyes.

"Nothing to worry about goodie girl, they not gonna be after you".

"Earole ...-"

"I've come to terms with the fact that you don't like keeping good company. A nigga like him don't even fit with a girl like you".

"And you did?"

"No, I didn't, which is what I tried to tell you from the beginning. We both see now that you don't like to listen".

"I tried to do what you wanted, Zy'Air. I took care of Andrew like I knew you wanted me to".

"I know ... and that's all I could've ever asked from you".

"Is he here?"

"Na, Sly is at the house looking over him".

"Sly? I don't want Andrew to know what it is we do".

"We? Since when you decided to step in the game?"

"When Earole killed my mother and my father pulled the trigger on himself".

Zy'Air's face fell and he grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to help you through that"

"It's not your fault. I shouldn't have let you take the blame for me. That wasn't your cross to bear".

"Zoyanna, we've been over this. They already wanted me-"

"But you didn't do it! I did! I know you cared about Latisha".

"Cared is a stretch. She was a lost little girl and I helped her out for the sake of Drew. Whom by the way thinks Sly is your cousin so your secret is safe".

"All this time when we weren't able to talk to you. What happened that was so bad that you stayed in the hole for so long?"

"Hole? Zoy, I was never in the hole. The fuckin' guards in there hate me. Hell, damn near the whole prison did. They keep me in my cell, but it had nothing to do with what I did".

"How can they do that?"

"Are you really asking that?"

I attempted sitting up again, this time more carefully.

"Where am I?"

"I carried you to your aunt Rhi's place".

I looked around confused.

"This is not Miss Rhi's house".

"You aren't the only one who knew of a stash your mom had somewhere in case some shit happened".

"How do you know about that?"

"Well, you've been knocked out for quiet some time now. Me and Rhi had nothing to do but to talk. She put me on game to a lot of stuff. One of those things being Donnie".

I looked away nervously.

"What about Donnie?"

"The nigga is a fraud. You need to get away from him".

"Excuse me? Donnie is not a fraud. And I can't just get away from him".

"Please inform me on why the fuck not".

"We're ... engaged".

I waited a few seconds before gaging his reaction. I looked into his eyes like I always do. I was always able to see what he was feeling in his eyes. But this time, I couldn't tell. It was so much mixed into one.

"What?", he asked.

"Zy'Air you were away and-"

"So, you go and get engaged to another nigga? It was one thing to go and fuck Chicago's most insane criminal, but you had to go and say yes to spending the rest of your life with a nigga who's setting you up?"

"Setting me up? What the fuck are you talking about? You can't go around accusing people of being crooked just because of your jealousy!"

"Jealousy?", he said sounding appalled.

"Yes! If I can't be with you, I can't be with nobody else right?"

"Wrong! Zoyanna, I really didn't think you were this full of yourself. But I don't blame you. I blame your fuck ass dad".

"Don't you dare disrespect my father's name".

"It's the got damn truth! What, you want me to sugarcoat is for you? Suck it the fuck up Zoy, 'cause I'm not! At the end of the day I don't give not one single fuck about who you be with, alright? I love you, I'll protect you with everything I have, but I don't need you baby girl. When I'm with you, I feel like maybe there is a happy ending for a nigga like me. But if you leave and I don't get that ending, trust me when I say I'm not gonna keel over and die".

His words hurt me. They hit me straight to my soul and I know I deserved to hear it. I provoked this out of him.

"Now truth it goodie girl, that butt fuck ass nigga is playing you! You don't think it's ironic that a nigga you've seen your while life, damn near grew up with, suddenly shows interest in you? Baby girl you bad, but that doesn't raise a question in your mind?"

"No, it didn't".

"Then your crew is more fucked than what I thought they'd be. Your streets smarts are just not there".

"Do you have a point to all this? Or you just want to make me feel like shit some more?"

"Donnie only came around to get your money. I don't know how yet, but I know he's somewhat connected to that old blob your dad was about to marry. That nigga come from a broke ass home. They literally don't have a pot to piss in. Old man Tubbman croaks and now he sees his chance. Why the fuck you think he wants to marry you?"

"Because he loves me".

"Love? You call that love? Taking a bid for you so you don't end up starching a butch bitch's drawers, that's love. Knowing within my soul that something was wrong when they released me and finding you, that's love. Willing to put myself in the line of fire just so you can live, that's love".

I couldn't help the tears that were falling. I felt my chest caving in, knowing right now in this room, I was about to lose everything.

"So, the way I see it, you have to options. Be the Grim that these niggas think you are or be the little goodie girl that you've always been. I knew from the moment I met you, you weren't ready for this life and you not ready now. If you want to takeover for your parents, you can't half ass this shit. Either you all in ... or you out.

Every thought ran through my head. Every possible outcome of each decision cluttered my brain. Only thing that stood out the most was Andrew. I had to make everything safe for him. Whatever I did, it had to be for him.

I whipped my face and looked at Zy'Air, knowing nowwhat I had to do