Page 42 of Certified Pressure 4
“She ain’t do shit!” I yelled. “Y’all just bustin’ in here like we the ones that fuckin’ broke in!”
“Get her down and secure her!” another cop ordered, and two of them moved toward Toni. She was cryin’, her hands up, beggin’ them not to shoot. That sight made my blood boil.
“She’s scared, bro!” I yelled again. “She ain’t touch no gun, she ain’t do shit! I keep tellin’ yo’ dumb ass she ain’t do shit! She was in the room sleepin’!”
The sergeant stepped up, yellin’ over everybody, “Holster your weapons! Nobody shoot. Secure the woman and check the back!”
One cop guided Toni down gentle once he realized she wasn’t resistin’, but I was already tight. They had me on my knees, my hands behind my back, and my mind was runnin’ hot.
They started questionin’ everybody, lookin’ around like we was some fuckin’ cartel. One of ‘em said, “You’re under arrest for unlawful possession of a firearm.”
Renza and Blaqson was cussin’ tryna tell these stupid ass cops about how somebody broke in and we defended ourselves, but the cops ain’t give a fuck. They had a body and three illegal guns on the floor, and that was all they needed to see.
After a while they finally let Toni up, so I called out, “Baby! Go in the room and get my phone!”
One of the officers snapped, “Sir, you don’t give orders here.”
“Man, shut the fuck up. I can do what the fuck I wanna do. My girl can get my phone,” I snapped through my teeth.
Toni was already standin’ up, her face wet and scared, and she reached for me like she was tryna calm me. “Baby, please, just please,” she begged.
Then she turned to the cop, apologized and asked if she could grab my phone.
He hesitated for a second, then looked at Toni and nodded. “All right, ma’am. Go get the phone. Just the phone, understood?”
She nodded fast and hurried to the room, still cryin’. She knew exactly what I meant without me explainin’.
When she came back, she was holdin’ it tight, her hands shakin’ but her eyes focused on me. “What’s the code?” she whispered.
“The code’s 2609. Call Pressure. Tell him what happened. Tell him to get Renza and Blaqson on this too. I’ll be out before the sun come up.”
Her lip was quiverin’, tears streamin’ as she nodded. “Kay’Lo…”
“I love you, baby,” I told her, my voice low but solid. “You hear me? I love you.”
The cops started leadin’ me toward the door while she stood there barefoot, cryin’ and clutchin’ my phone. I could see her shakin’ as they pushed me out to the squad car.
They ain’t even give a nigga a chance to breathe. Lights was still flashin’, radios cracklin’, and I could see neighbors peekin’ through curtains. The cold metal cuffs bit into my wrists, but my mind wasn’t on me. It was on Toni, still standin’ in the doorway lookin’ lost.
They opened the back of the car and I stepped in without fightin’. My jaw was tight, my heart heavy, but my conscience was clear. I knew in my gut I wasn’t wrong. Like I said, I had been feelin’ that shit all night, and I was glad I acted on it. If Renza and Blaqson hadn’t come when they did, I would be the one lyin’ on that tile right now.
As the squad car pulled off, I looked out the window one last time at Toni. Her face was blurry through the tears and lights, but I mouthed it again so she knew it wasn’t the end.I love you.
And deep down, I meant every word.
Then they drove me away to a cell in a city that wasn’t mine, but I told myself this wasn’t the end.
Pressure was gon’ make sure of that.
Trill-Land, Jungle Estate
Iwas layin’ in the bed sleep, with my arm around Pluto’s waist when my phone started blowin’ up. The screen lit the room up in flashes, and I squinted, annoyed as hell, reachin’ for it off the nightstand. When I saw Kay’Lo’s name flashin’ across the screen, I sat up a lil’. That gut feelin’ hit me before I even answered. I rubbed my face with one hand, still half asleep, and hit the green button.
“Aye, ‘Lo, wus’ good?” I said, my voice rough.
It wasn’t his voice I heard back though. It was Toni. She sounded shaken, her words comin’ out fast and broken. “Pressure, it’s me. It’s Toni.”
My whole body tensed. “What’s wrong? Where Kay’Lo at?”
