Bernice
Manhattan, NYC

I shifted in the bed not being able to sleep because I hate sleeping alone. I looked at the clock seeing it was six in the morning and Dave still isn't home. When he's upset he runs away and that's not how we need to be handling things. Not at this stage in the game.

I grabbed my phone off of the nightstand seeing he didn't return my calls or texts. I sighed going to the instagram app scrolling through. I wasn't really paying attention to the posts when I realized a lot of them had something to do with Grace. They were either pictures of her or people with her. I read one of the captions freezing when I saw R.I.P. Grace😇 I don't know why anybody would want to hurt a sweet soul like you. My hand started to tremble as I scrolled through more post not wanting to believe it. What happened? Is all I could think.

I dropped my phone in my lap grabbing the TV remote turning it on to the news. I flicked through the channels when I finally heard, "I'm standing outside of the club Aces of New York where gun shots were heard around 1am. They didn't know where they came from when a dancer at the club exited the building where she saw a young woman's dead body. The woman was shot ten times. She has now been identified as Grace Ha. A model and an occasional bartender once a week at this very club. Police are looking at the club security cameras for possible suspects."

I covered my mouth in shock beginning to cry. Ten times? She didn't deserve that. Grace was working as my assistant, but she said it was boring. She decided to be my assistant, but also go back to bartending on Tuesday's. I couldn't believe this. Who would do this to her? I turned the TV off grabbing a tissue box when I heard footsteps. I looked up to see Dave walk in the room, but quickly go into the bathroom. If he thought I wasn't going to question him he's wrong.

I flung the covers back going into the bathroom where I saw him stripping out of his clothes. I crossed my arms glaring at him as he paid me no mind getting in the shower. I looked down at his clothes noticing red on them. I picked up his white shirt expecting to see a red lipstick stain, so I could go off but it wasn't. "I-is this blood?" I asked looking at his shirt.

"B, take that shit on somewhere. Let me shower in peace. We'll talk when I get out!" He yelled over the water. I huffed throwing the shirt down going to the bedroom. I sat on the bed Indian style facing the bathroom door waiting for him to come out.

After about twenty minutes he came out with a towel wrapped around his waist. Our eyes connected, but he just walked towards the dresser saying nothing. "Was that blood on your clothes?" I asked turning towards him.

"Yeah," he grumbled looking through the drawers.

"Why?" I asked as I started to put two and two together.

"Because I was put in a situation I shouldn't have been in." His back was turned to me as he leaned against the dresser for support. He breathed in heavily then said, "Shoota killed your friend, Grace, right in front of me b." I could hear him choking on his words as tears formed in my eyes.

"What the fuck were you doing with Shoota?! I told you to stay away from him. I told you he's no fucking good!" I said getting up pushing Dave's back. "That's my friend," I said breaking down in sobs. He finally turned around looking at me. "You gotta go to the police, Dave"

His sorrowful eyes turned into fear. "No, I can't do that." He said walking away from me sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You have to! Get out of the hood mentality of no snitching. Shoota isn't your friend so don't protect him. The club has cameras, so they'll see you there. You have to!"

"I can't, B! If I walk in that precinct telling them I was there I'm not fucking walking out! Are you prepared for that? No matter what I tell them I'm not walking out. I don't give a damn what lie they tell me to get me to talk I'm not walking out Scott free," he yelled. "Bernice, those security cameras aren't going to do anything but make me look just as guilty as him. Even if I snitch I'm still doing time. This is accessory to murder whether I helped or not."

He had tears streaming down his face and I did too. He put his face in his hands hitting his forehead yelling, "Fuck!" I went over to him hugging him.

"We'll figure this out," I said rubbing his back. "Okay?"

"I'll go talk to the police, but I need a few days. A few days to get shit straight because I know I'm not walking right back out. I can't just leave you and the kids hanging. I need to close this deal on the house, talk to Nas and put a project together real quick and put it out. Just give me three days then I'll go."

"Okay, okay." I said kissing his forehead then his lips. "I love you. I told you I got you no matter what and I mean that. Okay?" He nodded with his head in my hands as I kissed him again. "I need to go get Kai ready for school." I got up from the bed leaving the room. As soon as I got in the hall I leaned against the wall in disbelief at what's happening. I got myself together wiping my face then going into Kai's room to wake him up for school. This isn't going to end well.

Cynthia
Spanish Harlem, NYC

I held my son, Santiago on my hip while trying to get my keys out of my purse. Today's a day I get to spend time with my son. At first I had to have supervised visits with him after he got taken away, but now I get to have him on my days off. Sometimes I feel so stupid for putting a man over my child's well-being, but I feel stuck right now.

I got the door unlocked going in. Santiago was asleep, so I took him to his old room laying him in the crib. I looked at him sleeping stroking his cheek. He's growing up so fast and I'm missing it because he lives with my mother. If she had it her way I wouldn't see him at all. I leaned in kissing his cheek pulling away still watching him. I furrowed up my face because I heard noises. I left Santi's room shutting the door. I started down the hall hearing the noises get louder. I put my ear to my bedroom door hearing exactly what I thought I heard. I swung the door open to see a girl on top of Shoota riding him. They kept going not noticing me as I rushed up pulling her off of the bed by her hair onto the floor.

When I realized who it was I said, "Alisha?" before I blacked out just attacking her. "You stupid bitch!" I yelled as Shawn pulled me off of her as I kicked.

"Chill the fuck out!" He yelled as he held me in the air. "I thought you went to work," I scoffed.

I got out of his grip turning around looking at him. "You want me to chill when you're in MY apartment in MY bed fucking MY sister?!" I yelled punching him in the face. "Are you fucking dumb?" I yelled continuing to punch him until I felt his hand connect to my face as I fell onto the floor next to my butt ass naked sister.

I held onto my face as I looked up at him putting a pair of boxers on. "I told your ass to chill the fuck out, Cyn! Alisha, leave so I can deal with her." I looked at my sister who glanced at me, but got up grabbing her clothes leaving the room. Shawn closed the bedroom door looking at me laying on the floor. "What the fuck is your problem?"

"After all the loyalty I gave you and all the shit I've done for you, you go and fuck my little sister?"

"Don't act like you didn't already know I was fucking her. I know you're stupid, but I'm hoping you ain't that dumb." It made sense. There's no way my sister would start working for him if he wasn't dicking her down.

"Did you kill that girl?"

"What?" He asked looking at me with anger in his eyes.

"I saw on the news...that Grace girl is dead. Did you do it?" I stuttered as he looked at me. The closer he got I knew he was about to hit me. When he just stepped over me I quit holding in my breath.

"She had to go. It was a matter of time until she told Bernice what was going on. There's a change of plans...Dave was there," I looked at him confused getting up from the ground. I looked in the mirror seeing my cheek was red. "I don't know what to do. If I turn the plan into a setup that means I'm going to jail too."

"Get out, Shawn." I said calmly, "I'm done. I'm done with you hitting me. I'm done with your obsession with Dave. I need to focus on my -our child that you don't even give a fuck about."

I could see in the mirror he was looking at me angrily. "What did you say?" He said through gritted teeth.

"You heard me. Get out!" He spun me around by my arm pushing me into the full length mirror by my throat. I grabbed onto his wrist trying to push it back.

"You think I'm just going to leave you that easily? You're my wife. You're mine," he said as I tried to breathe. "I love you," he said using his other hand to stroke my face. I used thumbs to gauge his eyes making him release. He held onto his eyes groaning as I caught my breath.

I ran to the bed reaching under the mattress grabbing my gun. I took it off safety pointing it at him, "Get out or I'll shoot!" He looked at me chuckling putting his hands up in defense because he knows I will.

"I'll go. I'm gonna get what I need to do done with or without you. I have a whole team of people willing to do my dirty work. Just watch your back," he left as I sighed lowering the gun. Tears started to stream down my face as I fell onto the floor sitting up against the bed. I took my phone out of my back pocket dialing Mac's number.

He finally answered in a confused tone probably not knowing who it is or why I'm calling. "Mac this is Cynthia. Shoota's wife. Please, don't hang up." I said sniffling after he groaned. "I know who killed Grace. It was Shoota. We gotta put this to a stop. We have to do something about him. He's never gonna stop..." I said as my voice trailed off.

Robb
Brooklyn, NYC

I sat in the studio waiting for Haley to arrive so we can talk. She kept blowing my phone up telling me she had something important to tell me so I finally gave in telling her to come through. I had to make sure it was when Belinda wasn't around because I didn't want any fighting to go down.

I listened to a song I just finished vibing to it when the studio door opened. In walked Haley. "Give us a minute," I told my producer, Nuri. He nodded his head then left the studio. She took the seat he was occupying sitting across from me. "Wassup?" I said scrolling through beats on my MacBook. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I want my job back."

I looked over at her funny. "Can't do that. The job is my wife's now, sorry. Is that all you came here for?"

"Firing me wasn't justified. She hit me first."

"You provoked it. Do you really think you were gonna walk out of that room without getting slapped at least for saying that? My wife is my wife and even if she's wrong, she's right too. She was wrong for coming at you like that, but you were too."

"Do you even know your wife as well as you think you do? Belinda isn't who you think she is..."

"Now you're just saying shit. How do you think you can tell me about my wife? You barely had two conversations with her."

"How did you meet Belinda?"

"At my concert backstage. Why?"

"Red flag number one. Groupie tendencies."

"She didn't even know who I was when we met. I wasn't signed and I just got out of jail. I was still trying to gain my fan base back."

"Isn't that what they all say? Pretend like they never knew anything about you or a single song. Meanwhile, they know everything there is to know."

"You're not one to call someone a groupie. Don't act like you don't have a rep for fucking athletes and rappers to get where you need to get. You get the job done, but you don't stay in a managers lane." I said honestly.

She shrugged, "We're not talking about me. What was she doing when you two met?" I sat back in my seat remembering how she had tricks to pay for school. I never judged her for it though. If you get the right guy you don't even have to have sex with them to get money. I'm guessing she looked at my facial expression saying, "Exactly! Belinda came to the states with one goal. She only married you for citizenship."

"Now that's a lie."

"Was she a citizen before you two got married?" No, but I wasn't going to answer that.

"If that was the case we would've got married when she got pregnant with our first child. I wanted to marry her then, but she said to wait."

"She knows what she's doing. I'm not saying she doesn't love you, but it was never her intent to fall in love. She came here to get her degree, get money and go back. She had plans to get money out of anybody she could. Her mother's death, her brother, your sister and a man. She's been acting so crazy because she can't put this facade up any longer. She misses home. Her island. She feels stuck because this was just supposed to be a job, Robb. But she fucked up and got pregnant by you and now she's married. She was supposed to come in and start trouble, but in actuality she brought everybody closer."

"What are you talking about? You're saying a lot without saying anything at all, Haley."

"You'll find out. Remember, I don't know anything about your wife." She said in a mocking tone standing up. "She's going to break soon. She's going to tell you the truth soon enough."

Dave
The City

I sat in the studio with Buddha and Zeek as a million thoughts raced through my mind. After taking a drag of the blunt I put it in the ashtray standing up. "Loop the beat at the end and then when you're done go to the next beat, so I can do the next song."

"Damn, slow down son! You've already recorded five songs. On your 2pac shit acting like you're about to be gone tomorrow," Buddha said from behind the board.

I ignored his statement rubbing my beard looking over the verse I typed up as I paced. "Matter of fact, mix all of the songs after I leave. I'm gonna lay all the verses I have, do the hook then adlibs after then you can mix the tracks when I leave. I need these ten new tracks done in two days then I need the 5 old songs mixed as well. 15 songs for a mixtape put out as soon as possible." I exited out of my notes typing up a text saying:

Bernice👑💍

I need you to make me
a mixtape cover

...

Mixtape name ideas?

Gotcha
...

Nvm I got one

Well, what is it?

So I know how the cover
should look

Gold Petals

"I wanna remix that Kodak Black song next," I locked my phone opening the door to the booth going in. I put the headphones on as Buddha found the beat.

I've never been a person to rely on hope. I can hope that if I talk to the police they'll just ask me to go on the stand against Shoota for no charge. But I'm smarter than that and I know that's not going to happen. As soon as they find out who I am or what I do they're going to try and make an example out of me. All I can do is pray to the highest power at be that things will be okay.

. . .

I sat on the couch of the studio smoking a blunt while Buddha mixed the songs. I've been hitting blunts to the face trying to ease my nerves. "What's up with you?" Zeek asked.

I looked at him saying, "Nothing. Did y'all ever find out where that Profit guy is?" I asked randomly thinking about it.

"He's locked up according to Shoota's brother."

"Hm," I said looking back down at my phone. Shoota set me up and I walked right into that shit. When people warn you about a person you don't think that's what it'll be. You'll think maybe they're just around to use you, but not set you up on some murder shit. This is all so crazy.

What do you think Haley is hinting at pertaining Belinda? Should Dave go to the police? Comment / Vote🌹✨