Page 30 of Breaking the Rules

TWENTY-FOUR

She tried to tell herself to stay calm. To breathe. To not show fear. But everything about Brixx’s wild eyes on her was setting alarm after alarm off in her head. Savanhi had to think about her unborn child, Areli, Remi, and Lawryn.

“Nice fuckin’ spot you laid up in,” Brixx gritted his hand, squeezing her throat just enough to tell her know that if he wanted to, he’d kill her. “I could’ve killed you weeks ago. You see what I look like bitch?”

Brixx had a long, nasty cut from his hairline down to his chin. It was healing horribly. The more Savanhi looked at it, the more it repulsed her.

“I didn’t have anything to do with that, Brixx,” Savanhi spoke evenly. “You brought that on yourself.”

He punched her in the face. “Why do you always do this, huh? Your fucking mouth. Use that shit to tell me where the fuckin’ money is.”

Savanhi ate it. It wasn’t the first time he’d hit her, but she knew it would be his last. He was expecting her to cry, plead, and beg the way she had before she found her self-respect again. “What money, Brixx?”

“The money your brother hid in the apartment. The money from his spot. Where the fuck is it?”

“I don’t know what money you’re talking about. I have money in my purse you can have it and go.”

“I don’t want your fuckin’ chump change. I want the fifty thousand, six hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars.”

Savanhi glared at him, aching face be damned. That was the exact amount she used to pay retainers. The money Zay told her to use to live off of.

“I don’t have it.”

He shoved her into the wall so hard her head bounced off it. “I want my fuckin’ money!”

His shout was accompanied by Areli’s scream and the front door of their home being kicked in. “You called the cops on me bitch? You fuckin’ stupid ass bitch!”

Brixx landed a series of hits to her body before she fell and curled into a ball. Too many memories were associated with this. Too many flashbacks threatened to pull the scar tissue apart and make her start all over again with her healing.

She was stronger than what he was trying to reduce her to. And she was protected. Brixx hit her for the last time and ran toward the window of the room, opened it up, and ran into the night. Despite the pain, Savanhi ran down the hall toward Areli. Her hands in the air.

“I need to get to my baby!” she shouted back in combat with their orders.

Lawryn, who’d gone out to get weed for her and Remi, was outside fighting to get in the house. “Let me in!”

Savanhi opened the closet door, dropped to her knees, and pulled Areli into her. Sobbing, she held her tightly. “Are you okay? Look at me, are you okay?”

“No! I want Deucey!”

“I want him too,” Savanhi cried. “I want him too.”

The police cleared the house and encouraged the women to get checked out.

Most importantly, Savanhi, who’d taken the beating to keep the rest of them untouched.

Neither Remi, Lawryn, nor Areli let Savanhi combat the orders.

Though the women didn’t give a statement, they allowed the officers to escort them to the hospital.

It took the emergency room doctor two minutes to examine Savanhi and find the forming bruises to her face, sides, and back to admit her.

Not even an hour later, Savanhi was in a luxury suite.

She lay in the hospital bed with Areli, refusing to let go of her.

Even in her sleep. Savanhi rubbed her back, continuing to comfort her.

Every so often, she would kiss the top of her head and let her know she was okay.

No child should have to be traumatized like this.

The guilt rested heavily on Savanhi like a weighted blanket.

“How’d he even get in the house?” Lawryn asked from the recliner near the window. She’d been pacing for minutes before Savanhi grunted, a clear indication she was on her nerves.

“The back door,” Remi shared, pulling the blanket an orderly provided for her over her shoulders to combat the coldness of the room.

Savanhi still hadn’t said much of anything. Only to Areli as her tears fell without sound. Remi continued, “I had just gotten Areli to go to her room. He fired a shot through the back door. I heard it and screamed for Savanhi to call Noble. I got Areli in the closet and called him.”

“What did he even want?” Lawryn asked, hoping Savanhi would reply. “Like after Zayden beat his ass, I would think that would’ve been the end of it.”

“It’s because Zayden beat his ass,” Savanhi muttered. “The embarrassment and the envy and the evil were all in his eyes, and I hate that I didn’t see it in the beginning. That I took so much shit off of him and never uttered a word.”

Remi looked over at Lawryn, then Savanhi. “He’s done this before?”

“I’ve lost two pregnancies. I’ve put makeup over bruises. I kept quiet until I didn’t. I will never go back to that. I will never let anyone treat me like that again. Tonight is the last night he puts his hands on anyone,” she said. “Does my face look bad?”

Lawryn pulled in a deep breath. “Noble is going to lose his shit if that’s what you’re asking.”

“I mean that nigga is about to launch off into outer space,” Remi blew.

“All for money I don’t have,” Savanhi bitterly laughed. “Because he felt like he was owed something.”

“You know I wouldn’t be surprised if he set Zay up and Kymber was just a casualty.”

“What aren’t y’all telling me?” Remi spoke up in response to Lawryn.

Lawryn looked at Savanhi, who inhaled a deep pained breath of her own.

“Apparently Zay was using businesses around the neighborhood to house product. But he never housed more than he could move in the event shit got hot,” Savanhi shared.

“And Kym never kept anything at the house,” Remi added.

“So all roads point to the muhfucka who knew how much Zayden knew down to the dollar. It made sense why Manny started popping up randomly. Zayden would store money at my apartment from time to time. He stopped when Brixx moved in, but I never said anything,” Savanhi continued.

“So Brixx did all of this for a few dollars?” Remi scoffed.

“Fifty thousand and some change. Money I didn’t have any more anyway.”

“What’d you do with it?” Remi posed.

“I paid for my brother and Kymber’s lawyer fees, and I went back to shaking my ass at the club.”

“Damn.”

“Exactly,” Lawryn chimed on the tail end of Remi’s huff. “For that alone Brixx’s lights are about to be put out. CK’s don’t play about shit like that. Especially not when the nigga got a habit of putting his hands on women. He’d be lucky to make it through the night.”

“I just don’t want Deuce throwing away his life for this. This isn’t worth it,” Savanhi stated.

“Brixx may not be worth it, Vanhi but you are. You’ve been worth it, and I am so happy you finally understand how important you are. Not just to us but to you,” Lawryn spoke moving over her to her cousin and wiping her face.

“I don’t feel like it right now,” Savanhi sniffled. “I feel like I brought drama to innocent people’s lives. Areli’s scream almost killed me. Why does she have to go through this shit? It’s not right.”

“Areli has her strongest support outside of Kym holding her right now. She’s watching every move you make, and I promise you she’ll be amazing.

Don’t you harbor this guilt. You’ve done it for so long.

I’ve watched you do it. No more. Everything is fine.

You are fine, your baby is fine, Areli is fine, and Noble is fine.

He will do what he’s supposed to do as your man and you’re not going to feel an ounce of guilt.

You hear me?” Lawryn spoke holding Savanhi’s hand.

“I love you girl. This is your new beginning. Take it, break the rules you made for yourself and never ever look back.”