De'Mario's POV

Me: "Wow.. the first visit?" I asked in total sarcasm. My older brother Chris, who has been watching out for my family since I've been in this joint, finally sits down across from me at the metal table I'm chained to. Although I seen him the week I visited, it's still a shock he even cared enough to see me voluntarily for a second time.

Chris & I have steered clear of each other since he decided he wanted to be just like his no good daddy. It's like, giving heroin and coke to a weed dealer and telling them to sell it. Watching my bro go from a good boy who could talk a good game (but never could execute) to the craziest nigga I know really fucks me up. This nigga will do shit that I would never think of, for fun. Sadly, I wish I could be like that. It'll eliminate some of the problems I deal with internally.

I feel like he's the spitting image of my pops, inside and out. Heartless, worthless, and dangerous. I can't trust him to do nothing but look out for my family. For me? Never. I can almost guarantee that if it wasn't for that shortie of his, he would've killed me a long ass time ago. And, that's on my Momma.

Chris: "What's good my baby?" He greeted me. "Ahh, Yeah nigga. You know I been handling business as usual. Never get rid of the hustle, or the hustle will get rid of you."

Me: "Word." I agreed to his corny ass. "So, what you doing here?"

Chris: "I just wanna talk to my lil bro. Is that a crime?" He replied chuckled unconvincingly.

Me: "Bout what?" I asked with a frown on my face.

Chris: "Mmm, well you know. Things we don't get to talk about." He hinted poorly. I still have no idea what the hell he's talking about. I stared at him cluelessly waiting for him to elaborate but all he did was slid me a paper with Israel's face on it.

Me: "Da fuck you showing me this for?" I questioned him and he smirked evilly.

Chris: "So, you do know who he is?" He asked.

Me: "I hope you didn't think I had you protecting my family from the boogeyman." I replied annoyingly.

Chris: "Do you know who this is?" He put out a picture of my birth mom with so much confidence that he had a case against me. I laughed hysterically, holding my gut and slapping the table. Chris' smile died like this discovery he thought he made.

Me: "Yo, you gotta be fucking kidding me. It took you this long to do this research?" I teased him. "Damn, pops would be so disappointed in you. That's basic homework, dawg. And long overdue, if you asked me."

Chris: "Well, nobody asked you." He started. "So, you know that this the muhfucka that killed him and that he's your brother?"

Me: "I knew that before I even attempted to kill the muhfucka and rescue my wife from his house."

Chris: "You got my dad killed-"

Me: "Oh, now he's YOUR dad?" I chuckled. "Well, YOUR dad made his bed. You should know since you were always climbing in it whenever shit got hard for you. At least I was there when he needed us."

Chris: "That's funny, I remember that being Shawny. Not you. You didn't give two fucks about him."

Me: "You're right, I didn't. But you didn't either UNTIL it was beneficial for you and he gave you everything you wanted."

Chris: "I worked for everything I have, unlike you. Dad gave YOU everything." He replied. I laughed and shook my head..

Me: "He didn't give me shit but a lifestyle I didn't ask for, couldn't refuse, and couldn't run from. I don't wanna be here. This shit is not cool. Being a hood nigga don't mean you gotta do the shit that we do. You earn that shit just by growing up in the environment. I lived for my music. Not this. But this shit came first. I had to watch yo dumbass go from being my role model to wanting to be just like me and then worse. That's not what's up. This is not the fucking way I wanna live life and you think this shit is cool. You're fucking stupid. I hope all this shit catches up to you because if you live by it, you die by it. I wake up every day not knowing if it's my last or not. & for that to be true for everyone on this earth, my chances double every day I'm alive." I responded. Leaning back in my chair, I clasp my hands together. He had a choice that I didn't get the chance to have. He chose to be a slave. I want my freedom, and I'm going to get it.

De'Shawn's POV

Me: "Dad, I know you're innocent. And the kids do too." I assured him.

Dad: "What about Junior? Do he think I did it?" He asked.

Me: "No, why'd you ask?"

Dad: "Cause he ain't been up here to see me and ain't been answering my calls." He said sadly.

Me: "This is hard for him, Dad. It's hard for all of us. Maybe he just been too busy taking care of all the kids. You know he went through so much trouble in court trying to get custody of the twins." I replied.

Dad: "Yeah, You right." He nodded. "but what if I never see the outside world another day in my life? That would mean the last time I saw my daughters would've been the last time I ever got to see them and they never knew."

Me: "You'll get out of here, dad. I promise. You did not kill Momma. You will not be charged for her murder."

Dad: "Too late, they decide in two weeks. They have pure evidence that she was killed in our basement and my DNA was found everywhere. I couldn't be found innocent even if I was on a vacation at the time." He explained.

Me: "But, did you kill her?" I asked.

Dad: "No."

Me: "Then you have nothing to worry about, Dad. I got you. We got you. D said he'll even testify with me on your behalf."

Dad: "How? It's not like y'all was there when it happened."

Me: "No but Israel was the one who left her head at my house and was still there when the police came. I saw him with my own eyes."

Dad: "Yeah but he kidnapped you, they'll just try to make it seem like you're crazy. They don't know what REALLY happened when you came back home to us, Shawny. For all they know this is some made up story that we're using to cover our tracks. The government isn't on our side. They'll do and say anything to lock us away forever. They won't hesitate to throw away the key." He explained.

Me: "Dad, I refuse to let you rot in here over something you didn't do." I mumbled.

Dad: "From The looks of things right now, you don't have a choice."

Me: "I'm getting you out of here," I promised. "Don't get comfortable just yet." I said before getting up and leaving him sitting in the chair staring at me. I'm a woman of my word and I'm leaving on that note. Next time I'll see my dad will be the day they released him for lack of evidence against him. Well, hopefully..

Raquel's POV

Me: "I don't understand why he got us going to a crazy house." I complained as Rico and I walked up the steps to Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, Georgia. Israel sent us all around the country to find some girl named Michele Sherman. I don't know what we're gonna do with a nutcase, but what Israel wants, he gets.

Rico: "Let's just go in here and see if she's here. If she is, we talk to her and convince her to come with us. Then, we can take our money and go." He replied as he grabbed my hand.

Me: "Don't." I snatched my hand away from his.

Rico: "C'mon. It's been almost two years and you're still upset with me!" He complained.

Me: "Yes! You tried to play me. You were gonna leave me to take the fall for what happened while you ran off with De'Shawn. But you all of a sudden love me as soon as she left you hanging just like she always does. And you will always fall for it like some blind idiot." I argued. I held back the tears that I wish weren't building up inside of me and took a deep breath through my nose as I glared at him.

Rico: "But I'm here with you now and have been for, how long?" He asked. Trying to justify his actions.

Me: "That doesn't matter, Rico. It doesn't make it hurt any less worse." I answered.

Rico: "We all make mistakes and have our regrets."

Me: "Exactly and that is exactly why Im never gonna be with you again. That would be a mistake."

Rico: "It's not as bad as cheating on your boyfriend with his enemy, in his bed. Or fucking a married man while helping your husband hold captive of his wife. But, I guess you're a changed person now."

Me: "Wow, that's low. Even for you."

Rico: "Yeah, well. If I was ever to ruin a marriage like you did, I would at least have the respect to not cheat." He shrugged and opened the door to the building, walking in and leaving me behind.

Me: "We are here to see Michele Sherman." I told the receptionist who directed us to a nurse.

Nurse: "Hi, Nurse Kemp. And you are?" She introduce herself.

Me: "Dr. Raquel Kareem and my assistant Rico Loyd, nice to meet you." I replied as she shook our hands.

Nurse: "I was notified that you're here for Miss Sherman, yes?" She asked and we confirmed. "Right this way. Also, visiting hours are over at 9:30pm."

Me: "Actually, we were hoping to release her today." I proposed.

Nurse: "Uhh.. I don't think that's possible. You have paperwork that needs to be done, we will need to give you and your assistant a background check, as well as an evaluation of Michele's progression and current state. It's highly unlikely even half of that will be done today." She explained.

Me: "I would love to get started with that process tomorrow, if that is okay." I agreed. Rico nudged me as if I don't know what I'm doing. If you act like there's no problem, they don't have a reason to suspect one.

Nurse: "That sounds great. I'll add that to our schedule." She smiled as we approached Michele's room. Michele sat on her bed drawing in an art book. From where I'm standing, it looks like a fetus inside of the womb of its mother. She wasn't affected by our entrance, in fact, it was like we never walked in. Even when the nurse began talking to her, she blocked it out and kept drawing.

Her black, curly hair fell below her shoulders and her tattoos stretched across her neck, sleeves, hands, and even a few on her face. The weird thing about it is that the actually compliment her pale skin. Turning an innocent young adult into an intimidating woman. Then, I noticed it. The other half of her face has been infested with scars as if someone tried to claw her face off with a spoon or something dull. Only the left side of her face looks like this which also has taken her left eye. Luckily her nose and mouth are still in tact, given the injury.

Michele: "I've been on this earth for twenty-two years. Never been to the school counselor let alone have met a psycho-doctor that wasn't provided by this place... with that being said, who the fuck are you?" She growled at us as we sat across from her at the wooden table the nurse lead us to.

Me: "We're here to help you get out of here-"

Michele: "And take me where? I don't have shit outside of this place. I don't plan on leaving any time soon." She refused.

Me: "You want to be here?" I asked.

Michele: "Look, I ain't crazy. I just don't have anywhere to go if I leave here. No job, no money, no family, and no place to stay. This place gives me just enough so I can survive." She admitted.

Me: "They don't have you on medication?"

Michele: "Of course they do, that don't mean I take it. It took a while of practice to master that, though." She laughed to herself.

Me: "What if I told you we can give you everything you need to start your life over?"

Michele: "What's the catch?" She asked.

Me: "There is no catch." I lied.

Michele: "Come on man, I may be in a crazy house, but I'm not stupid. You don't come in here unannounced and anonymous making promises without it being beneficial to you. That makes me wonder, who are you? For real this time." She demanded.

Rico: "We know who your mom is, I've known her for most of my life. I actually knew her when she was pregnant with you, her and I were very close friends. Now, not so much." He admitted. Michele laughed and shook her head in disbelief.

Michele: "My mom is dead. What kind of sick joke is this? I hope the nurses aren't playing a prank on me for not taking my meds." She replied as she looked around the empty room.

Me: "No, we're serious. Why do you think she's dead?" I asked curiously.

Michele: "Because I killed her. Both her and my father. That's why I'm here. Did you not do your research before agreeing to helping these dumb muhfuckas out with a lame ass prank?" She scolded us.

Me: "How exactly did you end up in here instead of prison if you killed both of them?" I asked.

Michele: "They don't believe I did it as if my entire existence was a lie before I got here." She started. "I remember going to sleep... killing them vividly.. and leaving them there in the house while I washed up and changed my clothes. I didn't even clean up anything nor cover up my tracks, I just started walking. For days, maybe even weeks. Next thing I know, I'm in Georgia. I go to the police station and tell them everything that I know and they lock me up. They take a look at my case and nothing I said linked to anything. They didn't believe I walked from Michigan to Georgia. They didn't believe I killed anyone because they never found the bodies, nor did they find either of their records as if they never existed. They also thought I was on drugs because the polygraph stated I was telling the truth about everything but that went out the window when they tested me for drugs or any diseases as well which all results came back negative. Eventually all they could come up with is to throw me in here until we all forget about it." She explained.

Rico: "Did they do that to your face?" He asked.

Michele: "No, I was born like this. But I do say I have battle wounds. The other nutcases in here calls me, Scar." She shrugged.

Rico: "What if I told you, you got those from being aborted too late and that those are scars from the tools used to scrape you out of your mothers uterus? Also that your mother is already alive and well."

Michele: "Then I'd ask you to tell me everything you know." She leaned forward.

___________________________________

How y'all feeling about what's going on?

Are excited about how this book is going to end?

It's getting hella juicy😋

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