Keys glared at Frank who burst into laughter.
“Welcome to the life of being a kingpin’s bodyguard,” he said and then looked at Tiara. “It’s good to have you home, Princess.”
With that being said, he left the room. Although Stephanie was dinged up pretty badly, to the point where she too needed medical attention, she fretted over Tiara and Keys like they were her own children. She grabbed towels and tried to clean the girls until the ambulance arrived. Tiara and Keys filled the boys in on what happened, and they left as soon as they could to see what they could find out on the streets. They knew the streets would be talking a mile a minute.
When the EMTs finally arrived, they allowed Stephanie to walk to the ambulance but forced Keys and Tiara to get on stretchers. Tiara requested that Stephanie ride with her, She’d missed her so much, and she didn’t want them to be separated. One of the paramedics was about to speak when he was interrupted by the sound of a woman yelling. Tiara immediately recognized the voice and looked to where it was coming from. From where she lay on the stretcher on the circular driveway in front of the house, Tiara looked to the gate where she saw a very pregnant Elaya and Clarence waving at them, trying to get their attention.
“Tiaraaaa!” Elaya yelled. “Let me through this fucking gate right now!”
Tiara knew it was in her best interest to allow Elaya through. She looked toward her security and told them that it was OK to let them through. The man at the gate opened it for Elaya, and she gave him the dirtiest look that she could muster.
“I told you I know her!” Elaya huffed and moved fast for a pregnant woman. She finally reached the ambulance where her friend was in and fought the urge to slap her. “See! This is why the fuck I’m glad I activated the tracker on your cell phone, bitch! You were supposed to call me yesterday! I have been blowing you up and worried out of my damn mind! I went over to your apartment, and it was cleared out, and now look at you! All bruised up. I thought-I thought—”
Suddenly she burst into tears and fell on Tiara lying on the stretcher. Tiara winced at the pain but didn’t think it would be wise to ask Elaya to get off of her.
“‘I’m all right, Elaya. I promise.”
“I thought you were dead!” Elaya pulled away from her and placed a swollen hand on Tiara’s cheek. “I could beat your ass right now. Whose house is this? And why are you here?” She glanced over and saw Keys watching the whole exchange. “And who the fuck is she? Let me find out you’re caught in a lesbian love triangle and her bitch caught y’all! Whose house is this?”
“It’s mine,” Tiara said weakly. “This is the Rogers’s estate.”
Elaya’s eyes grew wide open, and she swiveled around to get another look at the house.
“Damnnnn,” she said and then turned back to Clarence. “Baby, I’m going to ride in the ambulance with Tiara. You go and ride with her girlfriend, OK?”
The EMTs hoisted Tiara up in the back, and Elaya clambered in too. Stephanie sat next to Elaya as well. It was a little tight, but somehow, they made it work.
“OK,” Elaya eyed her friend suspiciously, “what the hell is going on?”
“Let’s just say,” Tiara grabbed Elaya’s hand in hers and made a kissing gesture at Stephanie before they shut the door to the ambulance she was in, “everyone who has ever wronged me got what they deserved.”
Elaya looked from Tiara to Stephanie.
“I’m sorry to curse in front of you, ma’am,” Elaya said to Stephanie before turning to look at her friend, “but, bitch, let me just say, you got me all fucked up right now!” Elaya exclaimed, and then got the attention of the paramedic. “Umm, you plan on telling your driver to start driving? My friend is looking all types of ways messed up, and this woman looks pretty banged up too. I believe they are ready to go.”
The paramedic shut the door on them, and the three ladies rode in silence for a few seconds.
“Now, what really happened?”
“Fuck that,” Tiara said, staring at Elaya like she had laser vision. “When the fuck did you put a tracker on my phone?”
“Girl,” Elaya waved her hands like what her best friend had just said was totally irrelevant, “I did that months ago. I don’t know what I would do without you. When I went to your apartment yesterday and saw that it was empty, I almost called the police, but instead, I tracked you. Now, look at you. You’re too pretty to be looking fucked up like that, child. Oh my God, if I would have lost you I would have died.”
“Stop it,” Tiara said soothingly. “You’re going to upset my babies and go into early labor, and I really don’t want to hear Clarence’s mouth.”
“I’m cool, I’m cool,” Elaya said. “Now, tell me what happened!”
Tiara knew Elaya wouldn’t let anyone live unless she knew the events of that night. So she told her. The one part she left out was the rape that had taken place at her apartment. She didn’t want to get Elaya upset about that. That was the last image she wanted in Elaya’s mind, and she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to handle it. When she was done telling the story, it felt like all of the energy she’d regained was gone again.
“Wow, T,” Elaya said. “Your own mom?”
“Yeah,” Tiara said. “Crazy thing is, I don’t feel nothing. When I pulled the trigger, it felt like I was killing a complete stranger. If anything, Stephanie here has been more of a mother to me than Cat ever was.” Tiara looked over at Stephanie who
