Free When It All Falls Down 3 - Somebody is Gonna Die: A Chicago Hood Drama (A Hustler's Lady) by Tamicka Higgins Page B

my daddy and stepmother is in there. Swear to God, something about it when we rolled by told me that they in there. Something about it was like it would be the perfect place to keep somebody and nobody have a fuckin’ idea.”
                  Ayana could feel a little tear swell up in her left eye. She wiped it away quickly, not wanting to show that she was feeling any sort of weakness. When she looked back at Tramar, she saw in his eyes that he wholeheartedly believed in what he was saying. There was no doubt about it. Ayana gave in, saying, “Okay, so you want me to stay here and watch Quan while y’all go get your daddy and stepmother back?”
                  Tramar smiled, thanking God and the heavens above for sending him a chick that would really be at his side when he needed one to be there and holding him down. “Could you, Ayana?” he asked. “I mean, I really feel like they up in there. There is just too many coincidences for me to really not believe that this Byron nigga ain’t keepin’ my family in his granny’s old house.”
                  “Well, you do what you have to, Tramar,” Ayana. “I’m just tired of you leavin’ and thinkin’ that you might not be comin’ back.”
                  “Baby, listen,” Tramar moved in closer to Ayana. “I know how you feelin’. I do. I’mma come back tonight, I promise. I’ve come back every time, ain’t I?”
                  Ayana imagined a standoff between Tramar and the Chicago Police Department. Sure, things hadn’t gotten that far yet, but there could always be a first time. Tramar interrupted her thoughts by kissing her big lips and grabbing a handful of her ass. “I promise,” he added.
                  Ayana finally calmed down and accepted that if Tramar thought it was a safe bet to getting his family back, then she needed to go ahead and go with his gut instincts. They’d never led them wrong before.
                  Tramar grabbed Jackson’s attention who had been standing off to the side while he and Ayana had their moment together. When Jackson came walking back up, Tramar looked at him. “Okay, nigga,” he said. “She gon’ stay here with my son while we go get my daddy and stepmother back. I know they in there, man. I’m telling you. I can feel it.”
                  “Okay, but there’s just one thing I thought of while I was lettin’ y’all do the cuddle thing and shit,” Jackson said. “I think we should ride by Byron’s house out north first. If we can see any signs of him being there, then we go back to his old granny’s house. That will at least tell us that he won’t be there. I was thinkin’ more about them dudes that we saw walkin’ in there.”
                  “Yeah, what about’em?” Tramar asked. “Do you think you know the niggas or somethin’?”
                  “Naw, I don’t think I know them,” Jackson said. “But I was thinkin’ that maybe them niggas be doin’ Byron’s dirty work for him and shit. I mean, I can almost guarantee you that he ain’t run up in your dad’s house on his own and take your family.”
                  Tramar shook his head. “You right,” he said. “He had to have help do some shit like that.”
                  “Exactly,” Jackson said. “And I bet you them two niggas is the help. You saw the way they was walkin’, like they ain’t got shit to do or nothin’ but wait on orders. I bet you that they the niggas that he got doin’ his dirty work for him and shit.”
                  “Bet,” Tramar said, kissing Ayana one more time. “Go ahead and get back up to the room. We will hit you up when we on our way back, Ayana. I promise. We won’t be gone that long.”
                  While Ayana was reluctant to do so, she forced herself to turn around and head back into the hotel. She