Page 4 of Heart of a Savage
One day, while Paige and I were at the mall, we saw them going off on a salesclerk and the security guard in the Gucci store. They were being accused of stealing, which wasn’t uncommon because the workers there were racist anyway. At first, I was going to keep walking, but Mayani’s mouth was what caught my attention. When I saw Megan discreetly pull a switchblade from her pocket, I politely intervened.
“Girl, I was wondering where y’all went. What’s going on?” I asked, sliding next to Megan, signaling with my eyes for her to chill. She looked at me confused but put the switchblade away.
“These racist motherfuckas wanna claim we’re stealing when they clearly saw us pay for our shit at the counter,” Mayani said, rolling her eyes with much sass.
“Ma’am, I saw you place the watch on the display into your bag on the way out,” the sales rep said.
“We just want you to open the bag to make sure, ma’am. You’re making yourself look guilty by doing all of this yelling,” the security guard countered. He was right, but fuck him.
“Let him search the bag, sis,” I told her, taking it from her hand and handing it over to him. He opened it and pulled out the watch that clearly wasn’t boxed or bagged.
“I’m going to have to alert the authorities. Please come with me,” he said, reaching out for Mayani. She snatched away as I stepped in between them.
“That won’t be necessary. I’ll pay for it.” I went inside my bag, pulling out a wad of cash. The salesclerk looked at me suspiciously but went behind the counter to box and bagthe item as I peeled off twenty-one hundred-dollar bills and handed them to her. She handed me the bag as we all left the store and headed out of the mall. I didn’t speak to them as Paige and I walked to my car. I handed Mayani the bag as she smiled.
“Hey, thanks for doing?—”
“Don’t thank me, baby. Thank God you ran into a bitch like me. What the fuck would possess y’all to steal out of a high-end Gucci store?” I asked.
“It’s a dope-ass party tonight, and a lot of ballers are going to be in attendance. We gotta look the part to snag one of their asses to keep us in school,” Megan said. Paige and I looked at one another and laughed.
“What the fuck is so funny?” Mayani asked, clearly offended. My laughter instantly ceased as I stared at her.
“These snooty-ass bitches take us for a joke or something, Sis.” I saw Megan reaching for her blade. When she realized it wasn’t in the pocket she had it in, she swallowed as I pulled it from my pocket. Paige’s pistol was pointed at Mayani’s head before she could try anything.
“Watch your tongue, baby girl, before I cut it out of your mouth,” I said, staring into her eyes. “And, yes, we do take y’all for a joke. I won’t lie about that, but I’m in a good mood today, so I’m going to be nice. You have two options: Either go to that little party and fuck a baller for a few weeks for some cash before he dismisses you, or y’all can come work for me, and make your own money. Choose wisely, though, because I don’t extend this courtesy often.”
“W-What we gotta do?” Megan stuttered. I smiled, handing her back the blade.
“Give my sis your number, and I’ll be in touch,” I replied, popping the trunk to my car. I set my bags inside, then turned, handing Megan an identical Gucci watch as her sister. Her eyes ballooned as she looked up at me.
“I don’t steal. I don’t have a reason to. But I did it to show y’all how it’s done.” I smirked.
“How the fuck did you do that?” Mayani asked.
“I did it,” Paige said, lowering her gun. “While my good sis was solving y’all’s little problem, I snagged three of them from the display. We probably should get out of here before we all be in the county.” Mayani put her number in Paige’s phone, then handed it back.
“Be waiting for my call,” I told her. Paige and I got inside my car and left them standing there speechless.
A few days later, I called them and gave them a job as my official security. Since I was selling anything I could get my hands on, a lot of people—mostly men—tried to take me down, so I needed someone other than my bestie to watch my back at all times. I trained Mayani and Megan the same way my father trained us.
Ten years later, they were still working as my bodyguards. I didn’t trust many people, so those three had been the only people in my circle who knew how I was coming about my respect and the people I loved. It was fucked up that I had to keep proving to these crazy people that I wasn’t to be fucked with, but it was their funeral, not mine.
Sabrina stood in the doorway with her arms folded and a mean mug on her face. I cautiously approached her with a guilty smile.
“Hey, Mommy. I missed your face,” I told her, kissing her cheek and wrapping my arms around her.
“You are so lucky you are my child, or I promise I would curse your ass out.” She wrapped her arms around me and kissed my forehead. “I missed your face, too, Amour,” she said, cupping my face. “Get out of that truck, Paige! I don’t know why you hiding!” she yelled.
Paige got out of the truck and rushed up the walkway. “I wasn’t hiding, Mama ’Brina. I just have to pee really bad!”
“Mmhm,” my mom mumbled as Paige hurriedly kissed her cheek and rushed inside. That bitch was lying. She just didn’t want to get cussed out. “Come on in here. Since you didn’t go pick up my stuff, you and that Paige are going to help me set up.”
“I don’t know why you always throwing a party, Mommy. You need company that bad?”
“It’s not about me needing company, Arieana. I just like to have fun. Besides, my best friend is locked up for fifteen more years. I have to do something, or I’ll lose my mind.”
“I know... ” I faltered.
