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"Rico look at me!" I laughed as I FaceTime my son on Sarah's phone. I don't know how my little brother got an iPhone and I'm not gonna question it. My baby is talking a lot more and is developing a little accent and he's tanning.

"Mom! I love Jamaica," he laughed. He just came from school and he's in his cute uniform.

"I love Jamaica too," I smiled at him. Sarah sat next to me with a Cheshire smile on her face as she looked at us interact. Rico has never met anyone other than his father and I. Now his grandmother and aunts and uncle. Sarah and Tre know more about Rico than his father probably does.

"Why you leave?" He asked and I made a face.

"I'll tell you when you get older," I know my mom is behind him asking me that question because they all want to know too. As soon as I got my visa I got the hell out of Jamaica. I wanted to get an education and live a good life so I can support my family back home and hopefully bring them up here.

"Mommy! We going to the beach, I'll talk later," he said and his growing accent sounded so cute on him.

"Bye baby! I love you!" I said and he quickly said it back and hung up.

"You miss him don't you?" She smiled at me and my eyes teared up.

"It's been two months, that's a long time," I wiped my eyes and laughed.

"It's okay," she rubbed her belly. "You're strong. Did what you think is best for your son even if that meant sending him away," Sarah doesn't know about the abuse but she knows that I work all the time and it's hard for me to properly care for him. While Andre was in jail Rico and I were happy and doing well. I knew how to balance time and everything so well but it's like Andre got out of jail and fucked my life up. He came back a changed man and not in the good way.

Pre-prison, he was so loving and caring. He did everything for us and we both had jobs but when we had days off, we'd just talk and talk and talk for hours about absolutely nothing and now all that is washed down the drain.

"Thank you for letting me use your phone," I hugged her and started putting my shoes on. I bent over to push my heel into my ugly nursing shoes.

"What the hell is that?" Sarah exclaimed behind me. She touched my back and I jumped. "Does he hit you?"

"No, I fell," I lied easily. She gave me a look and purses her lips. "I'm serious, I fell," which was true, I fell..... from his blows to my back.

"You're our friend, you can tell us anything," I looked around for Tre and he is no where to be found.

"Sarah, I'm fine," I sighed and she shook her head.

"Please be safe," she warned. I smiled then rubbed her belly. "Two more months,"

"Can't wait for my little baby," I laughed. "Alright see y'all later," I left their house and waited at the bus stop. I didn't have any more money for über rides so I'll take the bus for a few bucks. In order to get home, I'll have to transfer from this bus to another.

Two black SUV's passed by me and then three more, all tinted windows. They circled back around. "Oh my God I'm gonna die," I whispered to myself. Soon I heard gunshots and I ducked down under the bus bench.

"Boss!" A familiar voice yelled out. I opened my eyes to see Reno. A group rushed over to an older man with blood pouring out of him. The nurse in me made me run over to them but the little black girl in the back of my head is screaming "girl are you a damn fool?". Guns pointed in my face.

"I'm trying to help! I'm trying to help! He needs pressure on the wound," I pleaded. Reno gave me a look. I noticed that they're all in suits like a organized mafia. Oh hell nah, a member of a mafia is holding a gun to my head. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up out of fear but I pushed that aside to help this man.

"What the fuck are you? A doctor?" He got in my face. I've never seen him act like this. He's always smiling at me.

"A nurse," I calmly said. He nodded and the guns went down. I approached the old man in the car and took my jacket off to wrap around his body and tightened it. The only mafia any where around here is the Colombo Mafia. They're ruthless, dangerous men who don't care who they have to kill to get to who they want.

"Ahhh!" He screamed and they reached for their guns. I took his hand and applied pressure.

"Leave it there okay?" I nodded at him and he nodded.

"You're beautiful," he coughed and I laughed.

"Drive him to the hospital," I suggested.

"No! No hospitals," the old man said and I sighed. "Take out the bullet,"

The Jamaican in me allows me to walk around with a sewing kit and the girl I am, I walk around with a makeup bag with tweezers in it. I've only taken out a bullet once, on a test dummy who didn't have any fucking organs. I reached in my bag and got my sewing kit and makeup bag. Using an alcohol wipe I cleaned the tweezer and my fingers.

"Okay," I took a deep breath but I couldn't do it.

"Calm down," the man coughed and blood spurted on my cheek. I nodded and began humming a Bob Marley song my granny used to sing to me. I fished my finger around softly to see where the bullet is specifically. The old man began praying while I latched the tweezers onto the bullet and pulled. "Ahhh!" I pulled again and the bullet came out but blood gushed everywhere.

"Shit," I took my cotton balls from my bag and stuffed the wound. I know it's gonna bleed through but it's slowing it down for now. "He needs a doctor," I pleaded. They shook their heads and I groaned. I took the swabs out and fixed my posture in the car, careful not to get glass on me. I sewed him up after squeezing alcohol into the wound from my wipes and he sighed.

"Grazie bella," he smiled. "I've had plenty of non medics patch me up and I'm still alive, so imagine you with medical experience. Just saved my life," he laughed.

"Well good to know you still have a sense of humor," I smiled and got up and picked up my things. The blood on my face doesn't bother me one bit, it comes with the job.

"Do you need a ride?" Reno asked as soon as some of the guys cleaned up the car a little.

"Yes please," I'm not about to say no and then wait for the bus then be late for work. They all piled into another SUV and called someone to tow the one the got shot up. These men are so organized and strategic, I wonder how they didn't see the shooting coming.

"Right here," I said to the driver and thanked them all. I ran up stairs to my apartment. Andre stood waiting for me with liquor in his hand.

"Where you been? Walk in here after a big car dropped you off and you don't have your jacket on," he stood up and I backed up against the wall. "WHERE?!" He yelled and the glass bottle headed for me. I ducked and some of the glass hit me on my back and cut my shirt.

I screamed and he headed towards me, yanking me by my hair we're face to face. "Where the fuck were you?"

"At the bus stop and then someone got shot so I helped them, I swear," I pleaded but he still dragged me into our bedroom and slammed me against the wall.

"Lying bitch!" He kicked me and I groaned. His fists went to their usual spots on my face and I heard it, for the first time in a long time. Crunch. I've never screamed so loud in my life. I began screaming and sobbing but that didn't stop Andre. He kept hitting but avoided everywhere except for my nose.

"Shut up bitch! You're lucky I didn't break it," he reached for my nose and another crunch as I literally felt it snap back into place. I rolled side to side on the floor crying. "Shut the fuck up! And go to work!" He slapped me again and I had to slide myself to the bathroom and I've never seen my nose this big. I don't think makeup could conceal this but I did my makeup anyways and it covered most of my bruises and the outfit I wore covered the bruises on my arms and legs but again, my back is out. It worked the last time when I wore a backless outfit because the lights are so dim.

"You didn't use enough makeup!" He yelled as soon as I came out the bathroom. Only bruise that's visible is my eye. I don't want my face to look cakey so I didn't use as much as he's talking about.

"The club is dark! I look fine!" I pushed past him and grabbed my things.

"Imma kick yo ass when you get home," he sneered at me and I felt his finger push onto where the glass cut me. I held in my scream just so he wouldn't get any satisfaction. Thankfully nothing is bleeding, shout out to coconut oil.

I headed down the stairs and cursed myself because I don't have money to order an über and the bus is going to make me late to work.

A black SUV pulled up next to me and I'm prepared to run this time.

"Hey," the calm, deep Italian voice from two months ago at the club rang out. I turned towards him and again, I can't see his face. His hand came out the window and he motioned for me to come to him.

My heels clanked as I walked towards him. There's a certain dress code employees are required to have, so if that means spending a little extra on Fashion Nova outfits and shoes then I will.

Someone got out the car and opened the door for me. I looked up at my apartment window to see Andre staring at me. The guy who opened the door for me looked too and chuckled.

"Don't worry, boss isn't gonna take you from your man," another thick Italian accent came from the guy. All these damn Italians!

"You're very beautiful," was the first thing "boss" said as I buckled in. I gave him a fake smile because I'm tired of hearing it. "Call me Dro,"

"Okay Dro, my name-"

"Grace Smith," he said and I nodded. He probably looked at my files. "I just wanted to thank you for saving my old man,"

"Oh! No problem, you're dad seems pretty tough," I smiled remembering the old man.

"He's not my father," Dro said with a stale face. I notice he never had any emotion on his face.

"Oh," I turned to look out the window and I can feel him taking in my body with his eyes.

"You have a boyfriend?" He asked and I spun around.

"Why?" I asked with my chest rising. I don't know why I get nervous when people bring up Andre.

"Because you're too grown to live with your parents and even if you did, the way you hesitated to walk into the car suggested you were over thinking how your boyfriend would feel," he said but didn't look at me. He looked straight ahead.

"You're right. I live with my boyfriend," I nodded and stared at him. He's a very beautiful man, could be a model even.

"And you just allow him to beat your ass?" He finally turned to me and his gaze pierced through my soul and I wanted to cry.

"I-I-I'm sorry w-what?" I'm too shocked to even formulate a proper sentence.

"The bruises on your back and the cakey makeup suggests-"

"Yeah that he's beating my ass, what're you? A fucking therapist?" I caught an attitude.

"Don't cut me off," he said in a low and serious tone of voice. Goosebumps popped up all over my body.

"I'm sorry," I quickly apologized. We approached the club and I turned to him. "I-" I just shook my head and tried to get out but the doors are locked.

"You get out when I say," he leaned his head back and sighed. "I owe you a big one, you saved my grandfathers life," my chest rose and fell as I watched his Adam apple against his beautiful tan skin.

"Okay," I said and he groaned and looked at me.

"So what do you want?" He asked. I shrugged and his eyes sparkled.

"Can I let you know later?" I asked and he stared at me for about two minutes.

"Only because you're so beautiful," he lifted up my hand and kissed it. "Your fingers are delicate, why aren't your nails done?"

"It's not apart of my list of priorities," I blushed and played with my hair with my right hand.

"Hm," he gently let go of my hand. He made a hand gesture and someone opened my door and walked me to my work station and didn't leave my side the whole entire night.