Page 5 of The Heart Of A Real Woman: Marilyn & Moses

Soon, the car was filled with Mariah the Scientist’s distinctive voice as Joe pulled away from the curb. This record did something to my soul. The lyrics resonated with me deeply, like she had tapped into the melody of my heart.

I was still trying to get used to my new reality.

The fact that I was headed for divorce, and that I had killed a woman because of my husband’s treason.

All of it was hard to digest. If you had told me years ago that I would do such a thing, I would have laughed.

Being Moses’s woman had strengthened me in ways I did not even realize until I pulled that fucking trigger.

I closed my eyes and let the music wash over me.

That was until my bodyguard, Sav, interrupted my moment of peace.

“I take it things did not go well?” He asked, sitting across from me and sipping Lean from a Styrofoam cup.

I shook my head. “The nigga wouldn’t sign. We will have to go to court.”

He chuckled. “You shouldn’t be surprised. I’m not.”

“And he cursed out both of our attorneys, Sav.”

This time, he laughed harder. “Don’t trip. You know Casper means well, at least when it comes to you. He’s just hurt and does not want to lose you. That’s all.”

“Yeah, well, he should have thought about that before creeping with another bitch.”

Sav fell silent, taking another sip from his cup.

I could sense his internal conflict. He was close to Moses, but over the years of working for me, he had also come to care for me too.

I could tell he wanted to offer advice, yet he was hesitant to cross any lines or take sides, so he chose to remain neutral.

“You hungry? I can get Joe to stop at your favorite spot and pick you up a wing dinner and some Kool-Aid before dropping you off.” He quickly changed the subject.

I couldn’t help but smile. Sav often tried to feed me when I was feeling low, knowing that food was normally the cure for my unhappiness. At forty-five, he had a remarkable ability to be whatever I needed him to be: a friend, a big brother, and even a second father.

“Nope, but thanks.”

“You have to eat, Mary. You only had a shake for breakfast.”

“I hear you, but food ain’t the answer right now, Sav. I just need a good, long nap. Don’t worry. I’m sure my mama will cook me something later. You know she won’t let me starve.”

Ever since I left home, I’d been staying with my mama.

With the money I have and resources, I could easily find a new place in no time, but I knew what that would entail.

Moses would find me. I was far from stupid; I knew very well the kind of man I married.

As long as I was in my mama’s presence, he wouldn’t dare disrespect her by continuously showing up.

She was my saving grace at the moment. Once the divorce was finalized and his emotions cooled down, I’d move into my own place.

“Alright,” Sav raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

I resumed swaying my head and singing along to the record as we glided effortlessly through the back roads.

Joe was excellent at finding alternate routes, ensuring I had as much privacy as possible.

It was also for my safety, a small comfort in Moses’s dangerous world.

Unfortunately, those back streets couldn’t shield me from the chaos that awaited today.

We had made good progress from the mediation office when suddenly, pandemonium erupted.

The screeching of tires jolted my attention, forcing me to focus on the street ahead.

We were at an intersection, and the only two vehicles in sight were ours and a custom-wrapped Yukon that had deliberately cut us off.

My heart sank at the sight of the unfamiliar vehicle.

Because of Moses’s lifestyle, there was no telling who might be trying to get me to use against him.

“Fuck,” Sav said, pulling out his weapon without hesitation, and I saw my driver do the same. I knew they were both thinking what I was thinking.

“Get down. You should be good here. Do not move or attempt to engage unless you absolutely have to. Only if I fall and they come should you try to protect yourself, understand?”

I nodded, knowing Moses had this car bulletproofed for my safety.

“You have your gun on you?”

Before I could answer Sav, my driver interrupted. “Shit, it’s Ocho,” he announced. “Hold your fire.”

Hearing that familiar name, I lifted my head to look out the window again.

Sure enough, I spotted Moses's driver stepping out of the SUV, leaning against the driver’s door to light up a blunt.

Moses’s 6’4 athletic build emerged from around the vehicle next, and a chill ran through me as I watched him head in our direction.

His rich cinnamon-brown skin and braids glistened with the sunlight.

His thick brows with slashes at the ends were furrowed as if he were in distress.

“This muthafucka…” I muttered under my breath as I frantically searched my purse for my gun. I would’ve never thought it was them since Ocho mostly drove blacked-out cars. It must’ve been one of his personal rides.

Would I truly use my gun on my husband? I was not sure, but I damn sure planned on pointing it at him until I could get Joe to drive away. But then it hit me. I had removed my gun earlier this morning, knowing I could not bring it into the mediation office. They searched intensely at the door.

“Shit.” I glanced over at Sav. “Do not let him take me, Sav.”

He sighed, giving me a sympathetic look as he tucked away his gun and then scratched his head in defeat.

“You’re paid to protect me.” I reminded him, hoping he’d be on my side in this.

“Yeah, but he’s the one who cuts the fucking checks, Mary.”

Silence enveloped us until Joe unlocked the doors, and mine swung open beside me. At the sight of Moses, both men had turned on me quickly.

“Get outta the car, baby.” Moses's deep voice pierced the stillness.

“Hell no,” I stood firm.

“Casper, it doesn’t have to go down like this. Let me take her home, Youngblood. Just give her some time.” Sav tried to intervene.

“Stay outta my business, Sav,” Moses warned him, yet his eyes never left mine. “Baby, let’s go.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you. Get the fuck away from me.”

There was an eerie silence between us for a while, and I could tell from the look on his handsome face that he was not leaving without me, no matter what I said. I counted down in my head, waiting for him to morph into that demon I knew he could be.

“Aight,” he replied solemnly in that distinct Melrose accent, deep and confident. His nostrils flared as he leaned in and attempted to lift me from the seat.

In an instant, I swung at him, throwing punches back-to-back.

I even managed to scratch his face with my long ass nails, drawing blood.

If I were honest, my violence stemmed from the hole he’d carved in my heart.

I wanted him to feel the pain of his betrayal.

If it wasn’t for our son, I would have burned that fucking house down that night with him in it for playing with my heart.

Yet, no matter how much I hurt Moses, he kept advancing until he had a solid grip on my arms, holding them firmly in place. I was no match for his strength as he gently but firmly pulled me out of the car.

When I became emotional, Sav grew increasingly concerned and tried to diffuse the situation again. But he was met with Moses’s Glock as he stepped out to reach me. My husband was seasoned, pulling the gun from his waistband in one swift motion. None of us saw the shit coming.

One of Moses's arms was securely wrapped around me while the other aimed the gun at the center of Sav’s forehead.

The two stared each other down as I watched in shock.

For three years, Sav had been hired to protect me with his life, and Moses had never once disrespected him.

If anything, he treated him like family.

Just as I thought it, Moses voiced it,

“Always respected you, Sav. It’s been nothin’ but love for you, old man. But if you stand in the middle of me and my wife, shit changes with me…with us . I will bury you out here, my nigga!”

Understandably, Sav nodded slowly.

Moses leaned in, burying his face in my neck, taking a long whiff like he had been fiending for my scent. He kissed my cheek before placing his mouth near my ear.

“Mary, baby… please come with me. A nigga dying without you.” His voice cracked with desperation just as I heard another car approaching in the distance, and he heard it too.

“You hate me that much, baby? You want a muthafucka to call the 5-0 on me? You want me locked up? You really want me out of your life forever, baby?”

With my heart pounding, I stood there wrapped in his bulging arm, weighing my options as tears poured from my eyes.

Should I comply or risk everything by standing my ground?

Did I really want him seen like this… with a gun in his possession and practically in the act of kidnapping me, knowing he was a felon?

I wanted to remain strong, but the possibility of jeopardizing his freedom and everything he had built weighed heavily on my heart, too. No matter the fire we were in, I still loved him…still cared about him.