Page 3 of Bullet

Minutes later, we pulled up to the compound, and security opened the gates for us. My cousin Court parked in front of the door, and I was snatched from the SUV and dragged up to my Pop Pop's office, where he and Mama waited for me.

When I entered, Mama stood in her white blouse and wide-leg pants. She and I could be twins with our big curly fros and peanut butter complexion. I ran to her, and she held me tightly until she peered down into my eyes. Her sympathetic eyes turned furious when she looked at my cheek. "Who struck you?"

"Daddy," I tattled, then sniffled.

Her eyes grew wide. "Everybody out now except you, Melvin."

My brothers and cousins did as she directed.

As soon as the door closed, she upped her gun from her waistband and aimed it at Daddy. "You put your hands on my, sweet girl? You're a fuckin' man. I dare you. Put your hands on her again. Do it!" she yelled. "I'll smoke yo' ass right now. Whatever the fuck went down, I would've handled it. You ain't never laid a hand on me, yet you thought I'd be cool with you hitting our only girl. Try me again, nigga."

Daddy raised his hands in a surrender motion. "I'm sorry, Kora. It will never happen again."

"I know good and well it won't. You can find your raggedy ass on the couch tonight," Mama declared.

"Baby, please," Daddy pleaded.

"Baby, my ass. You should've thought about that before you struck her."

"I'm sorry, baby girl. I truly am. My emotions got the best of me. I'm just tired of seeing you with that thug ass nigga."

Pop Pop cleared his throat. He was the leader and head of our family, and we all followed his directions.

"Melvin, you were wrong for hitting my little Crystal ball. You lucky I don't get up from this seat and hurt you, boy, but you are wrong as well, Crystal. We've warned you since you were seventeen about that boy. You don't listen, so you've left me no choice. Crystal ball, you have two choices. You marry William Cane's youngest son, William Cane Jr., before the summer end, or you'll be exiled from this family. I'll send you to Mama's family in Arizona until I feel like you've learned your lesson."

Mama gasped. "Pop, you can't be serious?"

"Does it look like I'm joking? Crystal is messing up our business. We have a reputation to uphold, and there will never be a union between us and the Clips. I'd die before I allow you to be with that nothing-ass nigga. Now, what's going to be?" Pop Pop questioned.

Mama swiftly turned me to face her. "Listen, you have been the shining light in my eyes ever since I brought you into this world. I can't live in this life without you. I'm so sorry that these are your choices. I hate it for you, but Crystal, I need you to understand that we have certain laws in place. Loving Bullet is forbidden, baby. It just is. You have to follow the rules of our family. William Cane Jr. is handsome, kind, and well-off, and you can have a good life with him. Please tell your Pop Pop what he wants to hear so we can put all this behind us. Okay?" Mama voiced, eyes brimming with tears.

I hated to do this. I hated to leave her because she was my favorite person in the world, and she'd always protected me, but Bulley was right. If we continued to give in to our families, then we'd be doing it for the rest of our lives.

I hugged Mama tightly. She would always be my saving grace and my heart, but this one time, I had to be selfish and choose me. When we separated, I looked into her eyes, and she silently cried because she knew it was a goodbye hug. I turned to Pop Pop, and his steely gray eyes zeroed in on me.

"I'd rather live by myself for the rest of my life before I ever marry someone I don't love or settle for a good life when I know I can have an amazing life with the man I'm in love with. Everyone here is in an arranged marriage, but that ends with me. Call Grandma Tula and Poppy." I turned away from Pop Pop and walked over to my dad. "You got your wish, Daddy. I'm no longer the bane of your existence. Now you no longer have to chase after a daughter you never wanted in the first place." I exited Pop Pop's office with my mama crashing out in there.

Everyone got their wish except me. Bulley and I would never be together, but at least he was alive, and I could love him from a distance. I entered my room and closed the door behind me. Before I could get comfortable, I ran into my bathroom and vomited in the toilet. I held onto that porcelain god until I had nothing else to heave up. I pulled my knees to my chest and cried because life as I knew it was over.

A week had gone by,and I hadn't seen or heard from Crystal. I had gone mad. I spent hours popping up at our rendezvous spots and then waited an hour for her arrival. Every five minutes, I checked my phone notifications to see if she tried to reach out to me, but nothing. How could that be? She'd always, always tried to find a way to reach out, but for some reason, this time felt different. Something had happened. Why couldn't our families just let us be? Their feud was their issue. It had nothing to do with me and my beloved. I'd met her as a boy, but I fell in love with her the older I got. With one look into Crystal's eyes, I knew she was the girl I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. My heart told me so. For eight years, we fought hard day and nightto keep our love a secret. It was so forbidden that we went over and beyond with our lies and escape routes.

Crystal's family wasn't the only one that did pop-up visits. There were so many times my pops and brothers snatched my ass up from her and sent her on her way. They made sure she made it home, but there was always a long ass talking to whenever we got caught. It was pointless, though. Trying to keep us separated was like preventing bees from nectar or bears from hibernation. It was a necessity for Crystal and me to be together.

I didn't want anybody but her. Why couldn't our families see we belonged together like tires on a truck? I'm no good without her. Life was easier and more tolerable with Crystal by my side. Her blemish-free peanut butter complexion, wild curls, and cognac-colored eyes were the reason I even put up with people and my family, for that matter.

It was only ever about duty and responsibility with my family. Love would never be the motivation unless it was the love for money. Money always talked, and anything outside of that was bullshit when it came to my pops. He'd made that clear our whole lives. That's why I always examined him and my mama's marriage. They loved each other. I could see it was there, but they had an arranged marriage, so they didn't know what it was like to fall in love with someone without it being arranged for them. Just like Crystal's family, a lot of my relatives had arranged marriages. I didn't want that for myself. Crystal was supposed to be my wife and the mother of my children. No other woman would do. If I couldn't have her, then I'd rather be myself for the remainder of my life.

I paced the floor of the family room in our compound. Just like Crystal, my family was just as wealthy, if not more. Our compound was gated, and if you weren't a Clips, you better have a damn good reason as to why you were on our grounds without permission.

Something soft hit me, and I snapped out of my thoughts and looked down. There was popcorn on me and on the floor.

"Bullet, will you sit yo' ass down? You workin' nerves with that damn pacing while I'm trying to watch my movie," my third oldest brother, Woady, expressed.

"You ain't never lying'. All this damn mopin' around about to make me get up and punch his ass," Crome replied.

"Nigga, you got me fucked up. Get up from that recliner like you tough, and yo' punk ass gon' wish you stayed seated," I challenged and mugged Crome.

"You think so?" Crome questioned with his brow raised.

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