doctor excused himself so that he could give them some privacy.
“Six, he’s gone. He shot you; then he turned the gun on himself.”
Six didn’t respond. She stared at Big Lou as tears streamed endlessly down her face. He can’t be gone. He told me he would never leave me. Why would he do this to me? Free, I need you. Her body shuddered as she thought about the death of Free. He had been her best friend and her heart. She couldn’t find any words to describe how she felt; her heart was numb.
She closed her eyes, and images of Free entered her mind. The entire scene instantly came back to her as she played it back in her head. She could hear the blast from the gun in her ears. She could feel his pain as he asked her repeatedly, Do you love this nigga? Do you love this nigga? Six saw the spark from the barrel of the gun as Free pulled the trigger. “Oh my God! Big Lou! Oh God! He can’t be gone. I can’t do this without him. I need him,” she cried. Tears of despair stained her cheeks as she lay helplessly in the hospital bed. “How did this happen? Where is he? Big Lou—”
“He’s gone, Six…he’s gone,” Big Lou said as he held her hand.
“I just want to be alone,” she stated as she closed her eyes.
Big Lou nodded slowly. “All right. I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
“Big Lou…when is his funeral?” Six asked before he stepped out.
“You’ve been in a coma for the past three weeks. The funeral was two weeks ago.” He waited for her to reply, but when she didn’t, he walked out of the room.
She couldn’t stop the tears from escaping from her eyes. She was deeply hurt by Free’s death. Her soul ached unbearably as she tried to imagine her life without him in it. How did we get here? How did I let this happen? Six stared at the ceiling as she thought about when her life began to spiral out of control.
Chapter One
One Year Earlier
Six stood beside the Audi S8 and tapped her foot anxiously as she waited for Free to exit the prison gates.
“You nervous?” Big Lou asked. She had been silent the entire trip there, and she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. She silently hoped that her man would be the same as he was before he went in. She knew that the life and times of an inmate were hard and hoped that time hadn’t changed him too much.
“Nah, I’m cool,” she replied. Just as the words came from her mouth, the clanging of the large metal gates could be heard and Free came waltzing out. He turned around and stuck his middle fingers up at the guards who were positioned in the towers above each gate and then held his arms open for Six, who was running toward him full speed.
“Oh my God, baby, I missed you so much,” she cried as she jumped into his arms and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He spun her around wildly and lifted her off the ground.
“Let me look at you,” he said eagerly as he placed her on her feet and held up her hand as he twirled her around.
Six blushed as she felt Free’s eyes roam her body. Big Lou approached the couple and embraced his friend.
“Big Lou!” Free exclaimed as he hugged his closest friend.
“Nigga, I see they were feeding your ass in there,” Big Lou clowned as he noticed Free’s change in appearance. Free had gained thirty or so pounds of muscle from eating the prison food and the everyday weight-lifting routine he had picked up while in prison.
“Shut up, Lou, my baby look good,” Six defended playfully as she walked ahead of them to the car. When she was out of ear’s reach Free turned to Big Lou.
“Yo’, man how she been acting while I was away?” Free asked out of concern. He wanted to know what had been going on with her for the past three years. He had not expected her to wait for him and was pleasantly surprised that she had.
“Man, Six is the same chick she was when you left. She held you down. I never heard about her entertaining no other niggas. As far as I know, she was faithful. I know she been kind of hurting financially though. I been helping out when I can, but shit has changed, and times are rough, feel me?”
Free slapped hands with Big Lou and replied, “Yeah, I feel you. Thanks for watching out for her.”
Beep, beep!
“Let’s get out of here, baby,” Six yelled from the car as she honked the horn lightly.
When Free got into the car Six pulled a shopping bag from the backseat. “Go ahead and get fresh, baby. That jail suit got to go.”
Six drove home while Free and Big Lou let the road lull them to sleep. She looked over at her man who was sitting in the passenger seat and a tear fell from her eyes. She was so happy that he was finally home with her. The past three years had been one constant struggle. Emotionally and financially she was spent. The lawyers for Free’s trial had taken most of their money, and she had been struggling to make her ends meet and maintain her high-class lifestyle. Things had gotten so bad that she had even began working as a bartender in a local strip joint called the Kitty Kat. She knew that Free wouldn’t like it, but she did what she had to do to maintain. They pulled up to her one-bedroom apartment, and she announced, “We’re here, wake up.”
Free drowsily looked up at the worn apartment building and then over at Six. “How long you been staying here?”
“About two years now,” she replied. “I couldn’t afford the condo,” she stated, referring to the luxury high-rise condominium that she and Free had shared before his arrest.
Six exited the car, and Free looked toward the backseat and said, “Big Lou, I’ll be right back. Let me get her settled.” He got out of the car and put his hand on the small of Six’s back as he followed her up to her apartment.
“What are we going to do?” Six asked Free. She was dead broke, and now that Free was home, she needed him to take care of her like he had always done.
“We gon’ get money like we always have. You don’t have to worry about anything, Six. I’m home now,” he said as he caressed her hair.
“I know, but you don’t know how hard it’s been for me. I’m living in this fucking hellhole. I am struggling to pay the rent, and my bills are piled up to the ceiling!”
“What happened to the money we had stacked up before I went in?” Free asked.
“Your lawyers are what happened, Free,” Six replied.
“How much we got left?”
“We ain’t got shit left. It’s about two thousand dollars in my account,” Six whined.
“Two stacks! You blew through a hundred Gs in three years?” Free questioned.
“Why are you yelling at me? I told you your lawyers were expensive.”
“I’m not yelling at you, ma. I’m just trying to understand why you hurting so bad. You ain’t working? You couldn’t get a gig?”
Six crossed her arms and replied, “Of course I got a job, Free. I wasn’t just sitting back spending your dough. I’m working at the strip club, but that only goes so far.”
Free’s eyes widened in disapproval. “The club? You been shaking your ass for dollars while I’ve been locked up, showing all these niggas what belong to me?” he asked angrily.
“I’m bartending, Free, so calm down! What else was I supposed to do? I needed money, so Sparkle hooked me up with the bartending thing. Don’t make it a bigger deal than what it is,” Six defended, her voice raised a bit out of frustration.
“Damn, Six! I just got out of the joint today, and you already in my ear about some cash. Let me get my head together first. I never knew you to be the type to gold dig.”
“Gold dig?” Six exclaimed.