Judah stared up at the rusted ceiling of his cell, lying on the concrete bench with his hands behind his head. They gave him a thin cot to put on top of the bench for comfort, but it smelled like piss so he hadn't used it at all; and of course, they were refusing to bring him a new one.

Every time he went to jail it was the same pattern over and over. The correctional officers and inmates all knew him, and you'd think that with as big as he was in the streets, he'd get king treatment in here-but he didn't, which didn't bother him because he wasn't entitled or anything, but they acted like he'd be here forever. He planned to kill everybody who pissed him off, no matter how long it took to get to them.

Thinking like that was probably the whole reason he was in this situation now.

He had been doing good though, or so he thought. It had been almost four years since the last time he was booked into county jail, so obviously he must've been doing something right. Somewhere, though, he made a mistake, and it was taking forever for him to figure out where that mistake occurred.

And the longer he thought about it, the more pissed off he became. Unfortunately for him though, there wasn't anything else for him to do. He didn't even have a window to gaze out of. The only things in the cell with him was a Quran and a small notebook.

He was bored out of his mind, and the stress was only making things worse.

"On your feet inmate." A band of keys jingled outside of his door, and he did as told, stretching his body out when he was up.

In solitary confinement, he was locked up in this cell for 23 hours a day. The worst thing about it wasn't even the loneliness; it was the absence of knowing simple things like what time it was, if it was night or day-things like that. It drove him crazy, and he was thankful for the one hour he got to get out of the cell.

The hour was for recreational time with the other inmates in solitary confinement. They could watch the colorless TV or work out, and there was also a very small court where they could play basketball if they wanted. Nothing big, but enough to satisfy them.

"Yo, what time is it?" Judah asked after being led out of the cell, keeping his hands behind his back.

"8:22 at night." The officer responded after checking his watch, and Judah nodded, saying nothing else.

When they made it to the recreation area, Judah sat down on one of the cushioned chairs across from an older man who had become sort of an acquaintance during his time in solitary, seeing him shuffling a deck of cards.

The man, Albert, didn't talk though. Judah just played spades with him once and now they did it everyday.

He wished he could tell Kianna about Albert because she was always saying how he needed to make friends outside of the men he worked with. She would be proud of him; even though all they did was play cards. He missed her so much.

It amazed him how he genuinely thought about her every second of every day. He had never loved someone as much as he loved her. He was quite literally obsessed with the woman who carried his second child; who he also missed just as deeply, even with her still being in Kianna's belly.

Judah's thoughts were interrupted as one of the metal doors shut, and he turned his head, watching an officer bring a new inmate in, joining the other 14 men in the room.

His natural frown turned up in a smile at the sight of Shelly, who was now rocking a black eye and a dark bruise on his jaw. How coincidental was that?

Shelly pretended as if he didn't know where to go, then sulked towards where Judah and Albert was, taking the last free seat. And as soon as the officers went back into their security booth, the two of them dapped each other up.

"Damn bitch. You look like you just got yo' ass tore up." Judah chuckled, snapping his fingers after releasing him from the handshake.

"Man, don't get me started. I had to let four niggas jump me to get down here. I fought one nigga by myself during lunch and they told me that I could stay in general population 'cause I didn't seem like the aggressor." He rolled his eyes, at Judah laughed as he watched him rub his bruised face.

"I 'preciate you for coming. You ain't have to though, it's hell down here. Shit boring as fuck." Judah told him.

"I ain't worried 'bout that. I came to bring you this." He scanned the room before reaching in his pants, pulling out a ziplock bag that contained a very small flip phone.

"Had that shit on yo' dick and you want me to grab it?" Judah frowned.

"Bitch get the fuckin' bag 'for I change my mind." He stale-faced him, and Judah laughed again, using one of the cards from the deck to grab the bag, sliding it into his pocket.

"You need to call yo' woman. Niggas saying she out there killing folks to get to yo' witnesses." Shelly told him, causing his expression to go flat again, hardening into a slight mug.

"What?"

"Yeah. I don't know exactly what's going on, but I heard some niggas saying that a nigga named KJ taking over yo' shit. They don't know it's KJeezy though, she probably ain't meeting with niggas; probably just running shit from the warehouse. I knew it was her 'cause ain't nobody even attempted to get at yo' shit since we started this ten years ago."

"This girl don't listen, man. I literally told her to stay at home. Fuck you mean she running shit? Where the fuck Rico at?"

"I don't have a fuckin' clue. Him and Tray ain't picking up my calls. It's been almost two weeks since I heard from them. I guess that's why she felt like she needed to be head huncho 'til one of us get out. I called Eli 'cause they finally released him yesterday, and he said he tried talking her down but she ain't hearing it." Shelly continued to tell him everything that he knew.

"That's why I had to figure out how to get down here to you. I'm stressing 'cause ion know what the fuck going on, so I can only image how you feel." He added.

"Man. She don't even realize what she doing. I gotta get the fuck outta here yo." Judah dragged his hands down his face, becoming frustrated with both her and himself.

"Court in five days, you think they giving us bond?" Shelly asked him with a curious frown on his face.

"Hell nah. They know we gon' make it the same day so they for sure ain't giving it to our ass."

"Shit, if they ain't got no witnesses, they just might have to. 'Cause without witnesses, they ain't got a case."

"Nigga they got four witnesses.." Judah sucked his teeth, assuming he was being obtuse on purpose.

"Naw, they down to three. Kara came up missing. If lil' sis behind that," Shelly quieted his tone. "and if she can get to the other three, the case dropped. Them girls literally the only evidence they have. Andre said so himself."

"Yo, I don't want her involved in this shit at all. I rather spend the rest of my life in this bitch than have her tryna make shit shake. She don't know what she doing and if she fuck up, she gone be in here right next to us." Judah's frustration could be heard in his voice.

"What make you think she don't know what she doing? I just said she got Kara. She must know a lil' bit."

"Nigga she never did no shit like this before. This irrational as fuck. She not thinking straight 'cause she just tryna get me home, but she gon' fuck around and do the opposite."

"You trained her. I think she got it. And it ain't like you can stop her; might as well coach her over the phone..come up with a plan with her so that she don't end up here." Shelly told him, shrugging his shoulders.

"Lord have fuckin' mercy I'ma kill this girl." Judah ran his hand down his face again, and Shelly just chuckled, knowing that was a bold faced lie.

They continued to talk for about half an hour before it was time to go back to their cells, and Judah had never been so happy to be confined again. As soon as the lights went out, he dialed Kianna's number on the phone and put it to his ear.

It took a few rings, but then she answered, and remained silent until he said something.

"You better run from me as soon as I see you 'cause I'ma choke the shit out yo' ass." He told her, and she let out what sounded like the mixture of a laugh and a cry, causing a smile to grow on his face.

"Oh, baby. I miss you sooo much. Oh my god. Are you okay? Where are you?"

"I'm still in solitary. Shelly snuck me a phone though 'cause it's niggas in here talking 'bout what you doing out there. What were you thinking Kianna?"

"I wanted to help. I can't just sit on my ass with all of this going on." She exhaled sharply, as if the situation pissed her off.

"Kianna you doing more harm than good. What if you get caught? What if a nigga rat you out the same way they did me? You gone let Princess grow up without both of us?" He asked, making her end of the line go quiet.

"I want you safe, mama. That's why I told you to stay at home. Whatever happens to me don't have nothing to do with you. You don't have to intervene. I'ma figure it out. I can't do that if I'm worried 'bout you though." He expressed, keeping his tone calm so that she didn't think he was upset with her.

"You can't figure it out by yourself Judah. You're locked in a cell for 23 hours a day. You can't even have real phone calls. I can help. I've been helping. Just help me help you so that I won't get caught, and so you can come back home to me." She replied, and now it was Judah's turn to go quiet for a second.

"Man, you really stress me out, you know that? I love the fuck out you girl. I miss you bad." He mumbled, making her smile return.

"I miss you more stinky. I love you so much." She said back, and the way her voice softened made his stomach flutter.

"I love you. How my baby doing? You been taking your vitamins?"

"Yes but I been throwing up every day. I think it's 'cause she's been moving around a lot more. She's kicking now. Like, you can see it through my belly. I was so sad when I first saw it 'cause I know how bad you wanted her to kick me harder." She chuckled, sniffing quietly at the same time.

"Aw, mama. I'm sorry I can't be there. I wish I could've saw it. Shit just hurt my feelings low key." He sat up on the concrete bench, using his shirt to wipe the corner of his eye as soon as tears filled his bottom lids.

"A few days ago I seen a video of a lady putting headphones over her belly, and I tried it out with one of the videos I recorded of you talking to her before; and that's when she for real kicked for the first time. My checkup appointment was yesterday and Jamie said it was 'cause the baby really can hear if I do that. She actually told me not to do it again 'cause it's too loud for Princess."

"Damn. She mad fake, gon' wait 'til I leave to start showing out." He playfully smacked his lips, making Kianna laugh.

"Have you been eating? Real food?" He asked when her laughter died down.

"Mhm. Mama brings me lunch and dinner everyday. And she sit down and watch me eat 'cause she think I be throwing it out."

"That's good. I need to call her. I got this phone and was only worried 'bout calling my baby." He chuckled, and she did the same while her cheeks warmed with blush.

"What you been doing though? Shelly said you got Kara. That's true?" He asked, getting back to the original point of the call.

"Mhm..Leo used a number disguiser to make it look like it was Mina's number, and we got her to sneak out of the facility they're being held in. She's in the chamber now, but we just got her last night so I haven't had the chance to talk to her yet. That's what I was on my way to do when you called."

"Who is we? I hope not Mina?"

"No, I haven't told her anything. It's me and Eli. He mad that I'm doing this too but he said he rather help me so I don't fuck up-as if he knows more about this shit than I do." She shook her head.

"Y'all both need y'all ass whooped. Niggas is not grown."

"Boy, please." She scoffed, making his smile grow.

"So, what's this I'm hearing 'bout Rico and Tray? Shelly said they ain't answered his calls in two weeks." Judah told her.

"Oh, yes. So, the day Andre called me to talk to me about your case, he told me about the witnesses, right? But literally right before that, I went to Tray and Rico house to look for them 'cause I hadn't heard from them either, but nobody was home. Nobody at the warehouse had heard from them either. And one of the witnesses, Ashley Brown? That's Ash. Rico's girlfriend."

"Man on everything I love I thought that name looked familiar. What the fuck, yo? So what, them niggas behind this? My brothers?" He stood up from the bench, beginning to pace the small area of his cell.

"I think so 'cause I still haven't heard nothing. I searched your files for their families addresses too, but both of theirs is gone-as if it was never there. Whole file, gone."

"I can't believe this shit. Tray just got on as my assistant a couple years ago, but Rico, man, that's my brother. He started this shit with me and Shelly and he ain't never switched up. What made him do it now?" Judah wondered aloud.

"Money, maybe?"

"Nah.. can't be. They don't have access to nothing that involves money. My own accountants don't even know my passwords and shit. It's only me and you. It makes me wonder if they tryna find the right moment to get you alone-which would be stupid 'cause you never are. This shit mad confusing, yo."

"They don't actually need your money. If they're working with somebody else, or even by themselves, all they gotta do is reroute your connects to empty ports and turn it into theirs. They do have access to that. If that is the plan, they'll be making money in their sleep the same way you do." She said.

"What made you think of that? That's real specific."

"I found maps in Tray's apartment. That's about the only thing there that was out of the ordinary. And when me and Leo was texting Kara as Mina, she was telling us that if Mina trusted her, they'd be up millions within a few weeks. Like all of them have this whole thing figured out or something."

"Hm. I just can't understand why, though. I was passing everything down to them anyway. Why steal it from me? It makes no sense." Judah rubbed his hand over his frizzy braids, furrowing his eyebrows.

"No, you were passing everything down to Shelly. They were just getting the scraps basically. Like, yes, they'd be making more money, but not nearly as much as Shelly. That's why y'all two were the only ones with arrest warrants instead of all four of y'all."

"Damn. You really figured this all out, huh? I doubted you. I would've never guessed this, especially in this cell." Judah exhaled, sitting back down.

"Well, I do have a lot of free time, sooo.....and maybe Leo also tapped into Tray's messages with Rico and that's what really put everything together, but yes, it was mostly me." She told him, smiling at the sound of his laughter. She missed him so much.

"Regardless, I'm proud of you. And I appreciate you for risking shit to help get me home. That's badass mama."

"I learned from the best. You'd put everything on the line for me. It's only right that I do the same." She rubbed over her locket necklace that had a picture of him kissing her belly from her first pregnancy in it, staring off into space.

"I love you."

"I love you more stinky. Now.. what do you want me to do?" She asked.

"I really hate to say it, but call your father. Have him get the rest of the witnesses so that we can make bond. He the only one that can deadass break into a maximum security facility and walk away with no scratches on some Tyler Perry shit. I mean, you could probably do it with my guards, but I need you to stay out the way as much as possible."

"Okay baby. I'll call him." She said in surety, and Judah could hear movement in her background.

"What you doing? What's that noise?"

"Boy I'm getting back in the bed. Is that okay with you?"

"Nah. You at home by yourself?" He chuckled, lying down on the concrete bench as well.

"No. Elijah and Isaac here and your mom just left not too long ago."

"Prepare for that nigga Eli to start thinking he live there." He playfully warned; though he was mostly serious. He wouldn't be surprised if his little brother actually planned to move in with them.

"Chile he came over here with two suitcases and a duffel bag today. Even Isaac had his own little suitcase. I'm like, how the fuck you even manage to get yo' shit that fast? You just got out of jail yesterday." She dramatically enunciated, making him laugh again.

"Kick 'em out if you don't want them there. Send his ass to mama house."

"Nah..I've been tired of being by myself anyway. I wish you were here stinky. I miss you so much." She got out through a yawn, sitting her phone down on the pillow.

"I miss you more. I can't wait to see you. You sleepy?" He asked, hearing her yawn again.

"Mhm. I barely sleep through the night now, I usually stay up and then sleep during the day. Hearing you just makes me so calm and tired though. I can barely keep my eyes open."

"Go to sleep then mama. I ain't gon' hang up. I love you more than life."

"I love you so much more."

Awwwwpurrrrzactlyyyyy