Chicago

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Derek eyed his girlfriend who was strolling down the block as if she hadn't seen all his missed calls and texts. His jaw clench and his attitude worsened once he saw she was accompanied by her annoying sister.

"Chai, let go of my hand! You're hurting me." Brynn snatched her hand away as she approached him without any recollection of who he was. Once she noticed it was Derek, her face twisted in disgust and her demeanor changed.

"Get the hell off my steps." Brynn demanded.

Derek was much obliged as he walked over to his girlfriend who was two seconds away from peeing herself. He got up close and personal, exerting the control he knew he had over her.

"Let's go." He nearly whispered. He had the right mind to beat her right in front of her sister, but he didn't need Brynn getting involved in their business. Chai was tempted to just go with him in order to keep the peace but something inside her wasn't letting her move. She held back her tears and she gulped the lump in her throat. She found the courage to tell her boyfriend, no.

Derek's brows furrowed together as he tried to comprehend what she had just said. He gripped her arm tightly, squeezing it as hard as he could. Chai shrieked but not loud enough for Brynn to catch on. Brynn was still alarmed and stepped closer to the couple, ready to defend her sister if she needed to.

"Excuse me?"

The tears finally escaped her eyes as she pushed herself to say no once more. Derek's veins pulsed through his skin, bolting through his forehead and his forearms. He looked back at Brynn who glared right back at him. Derek bit hard on his lip as he looked back at Chai. He tried to laugh things off, figuring this entire act was a joke. She's just showing off for her sister, he convinced himself as he finally let go of her arm, leaving a bright red mark that resembled the form of his hand.

Once he stepped back, Chai wiped the tears from her eyes as she stood her ground. She stood right where she was and just looked her boyfriend in the eyes, showing him that she wasn't his slave anymore. Derek felt slight defeat—something he wasn't used to feeling at all. He hated the feeling. It felt like all the control he had was slowly being collected back. He couldn't handle it.

He lashed out.

His hand swung so hard across Chai's face, the "pap" could've been heard from a block away. Chai screamed at the sudden pain and retreated to the floor as black and white flashes strobed her eyesight. Brynn was in complete shock as to what she just witnessed. She knew Derek was a bad egg, but she never thought he'd ever lay hands on her. She sprung into action.

"DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!"

Brynn jumped on Derek's back, throwing blows to his head and face. Derek, completely off guard, managed to throw her off and onto the hard concrete. Once he gathered himself together, he threw a hard kick onto Brynn's small frame, draining all her energy at once. Brynn groaned as she held onto her churning stomach. Derek smiled at his victory and was about to seal the deal with one more kick, but Chai attacked before it was too. Derek hollered as she dragged her nails across his cheek. He turned around and grabbed her neck, applying pressure as he hustled her to the ground.

       Saint still wasn't sure where he was or where he was headed. He was trying to make sense of his altercation with Orlando. He started to feel guilty about putting his hands on him but he just couldn't fathom the fact he'd bring his mother into it. Saint had no recollection or emotional connection to his mom, but it was still nothing to joke about. Orlando knew that being adopted was always a hard reality to come to terms with—not knowing who you came from or why they didn't want to be with you. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.