Love stayed on the phone with me. I listened as he drove the car around, trying to get close.
“You know I been looking since he took yo’ ass, right! I never fuckin’ stopped!” Love expressed.
I smiled. “I know, baby, I know you were.”
I heard Love step out of the car and was damn near running when he said, “I am at the door.”
I stood up, handed the lady the phone, and thanked her. As I turned the corner from the back room, I saw my man standing there.
He was wearing a white tee, Nike shorts, and Forces. His braids were frizzy, waiting for me to do them, and his lineup was clean, but his eyes? His hazel-green eyes were catching the sun and staring into my soul.
I ran to the door. The other worker unlocked it, Love pulled it open, and I ran into Love’s arms.
That man squeezed me so tight, I felt like I was home.
“You don’t know how good this feels,” he said.
“Yes, I do,” I added. “I needed this, too.”
Love pulled away from me and looked me over.
“You okay?” he asked, then his hand stopped at my belly, and he smiled. “You are growing.”
I smiled. “I am, and I am okay.”
Love grabbed my hand. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
As I walked back down, I had no fear anymore. I was with a monster.
We walked down the steps, people staring at us in passing. We heard Gio still calling my name, but I wasn’t worried about it.
We were almost to the truck; my girls were out the window yelling, Sammy and Keith were clapping. I looked at Love, and he smiled.
“They wouldn’t let me come without them.”
I stopped and pulled myself into Love’s arms and kissed him.
I needed it. I didn’t care what was going on. I needed to feel him.
For a second, we were in our own world when we heard a shot go off.
People yelled, and when we turned around, Gio was standing right there.
“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER!” he yelled out.
Love smirked. “Get in the truck, mamas, let me handle this.”
I nodded, and Keith opened the door for me. I hopped in, and we watched as Love walked up on Gio, letting one shot go, hitting him in his arm. Gio was trying to shoot back but wasn’t aiming at shit.
Love shot again, and it hit him in his shoulder. Another shot went off, hitting Gio in his legs, making him fall to the ground, and I had a thought.
Love was almost on top of Gio by this point. He took his gun and was talking. I couldn’t hear what he was sayin’, but I knew it was about to be the end of Gio, and I yelled out, “NOOOO!!”
Love turned around and looked at me, and so did everybody else in the truck. I opened the door back up and hopped out.
“Girl, what are you doing?” Kenya asked.
I shrugged. “Settling the score.”
