No Home Training

Book 0: Say U Promise

by Ms. Michel Moore

Genres: African American Urban

Synopsis

Identical twins Kenya and London return in the highly addictive Essence bestselling Say U Promise series, and now things have gone from bad to worse for the tragically troubled sisters. They are caught in the middle of a deadly drug war that was started by one of them, and the streets run red as lives are drastically changed forever. With an illegitimate baby on the way and a price on her head, one twin fights to avoid the dangers of the game she despises, while facing the vindictive wrath of her sister for what is deemed to be the ultimate betrayal. This time around, no one is safe when it comes to revenge--not even an innocent child.

Release date: April 1, 2015

Publisher: Urban Books

Print pages: 304

Sample

While Kenya poured the coffee in the mugs, London looked in Chocolate Bunny’s purse to turn off her cell phone that kept ringing. There she found a thick folded set of papers on the top and a few pictures. London read the first page of the legal documents, which was a purchase agreement, and couldn’t believe her eyes. “I think you need to see this paper.” She motioned to Kenya. “Now!”

“Oh, hell naw! What the fuck did we do?” Kenya yelled out with remorse after reading the paperwork. The papers were a deed to Chocolate Bunny’s new house. They had her government name on them as well as another: Mr. Royce K. Curtis. The picture in her purse was an ultrasound that also had Royce’s name on it. “All this time Royce’s old-ass has been the one she’s been fucking around with! Why didn’t she just say that bullshit?”

Storm had awakened after getting a call from O.T. and had been at the door eavesdropping and cut her off. “Because after the big fight you and Royce had down at Alley Cats about me, we thought it’d be better for you not to know that Royce was our new connect. Plus it ain’t really none of your business who Chocolate Bunny fucked with outside the club.”

“Storm, I—” Kenya tried to explain.

“You know what, Kenya? From day one right off rip I should’ve known that you was gonna be trouble. My brother warned me, but I wouldn’t listen. Now it’s about to be a street war because you and your sidekick Paris fucked the fuck up! The streets of Dallas gonna run red! I’m done with your ass! You costing me too much!”

Kenya went into hysterics as she started throwing dishes against the wall and begging for Storm’s forgiveness once again. She was crawling on her knees pleading with him not to leave her. London was now pissed as she watched her own flesh and blood lower herself by this pathetic display.

“Kenya! Get up off that damn floor! His ass ain’t worth humiliating yourself like this!”

“Bitch! I ’bout done had enough of your instigating-ass too! Why don’t you pack your bags and get to stepping!” Storm ran up in London’s face. “Get your ass the fuck out my house!”

“This is my sister’s house too!” London fired back.

“Well, Kenya, you gonna tell this bitch to be ghost or what?” Storm waited with a smirk on his face. “It’s me or her, and I’m not playing around this time!” It grew quiet in the room as all eyes were on Kenya, who was breathing hard wiping the tears from her eyes. After a long pause she finally mumbled. “What did you say?” Storm demanded to hear.

“I said, ‘London, would you mind getting a hotel room somewhere until me and Storm figure all of this mess out?’” Kenya, ashamed, failed to look at her twin sister. “Please it’ll only be for a few days I promise!”

“Make that forever!” Storm shouted.

“Oh, it’s like that?” London was heated. “I’ve put my life on hold for you and now you’re taking his side over mine! How could you?”

“Please, London!” Kenya whimpered. “Please!”

Storm started to laugh and couldn’t help himself as he taunted her. “You heard her, bitch! Go pack your shit and leave so I can get back to my life.”

“Yeah, okay! Not at all a problem!” London headed up the stairs and to her room to gather her belongings. “You two deserve each other! I don’t know how I stayed here in this madhouse this long anyhow!”

When she came back down Storm and Kenya were sitting on the couch talking. He was still dogging Kenya out, but stopped to sneer at London. “Don’t worry. I already called your silly, jealous-ass a cab so you can go wait on the damn curb!”

Kenya was silent as London passed by and went into the kitchen to get something else before struggling to drag her bags to the front door. Just as she opened the front door the cab was pulling up and blew once. London looked back at her twin giving her one last chance. “You sure about this, Kenya? You’re picking this slime ball dope dealer over me?”

Kenya lowered her head in embarrassment over her decision. After all they’d been through and stuck together the sisterly love and bond they shared was being torn apart.

“Okay, you know what it is, bitch! Now kick rocks!” Storm held the door open. “And don’t bother us again! Kenya will call you so don’t call her, you lonely ho!”

London was really overjoyed to leave. She’d had just about enough of Storm’s disrespectful mouth, not to mention Kenya’s spineless demeanor. With all her bags on the porch she spitefully turned around to face her sister and the man she’d so easily chosen over their bond. Vindictively London pulled up her T-shirt exposing a secret of her own that would shut a boisterous Storm up once and for all. Rubbing her slightly pudgy stomach in a circular motion looking down, London grinned, delivering the show-stopping revelation of the evening thus far. “It’s all good. Don’t worry about me and I ain’t gonna be lonely for long, believe that!” London smirked as all eyes were on her. “Tell ya aunt Kenya and daddy Storm bye!”

“I don’t understand! What the fuck are you talking about, London?” Kenya ran over to the door following her sister out to the cab. “What you mean daddy Storm? What is you talking about?”

Getting inside the cab London shut the door and rolled down the window. “Ask his ass what happened in the kitchen that night!” She pointed at the condo where Storm was standing face buried in his hands having a flashback. “He knows.” London then instructed the cab to pull off leaving Kenya and Storm on the doorstep arguing. Smiling she opened one of her bags, which contained both guns and Chocolate Bunny’s purse.

“Where to, miss lady?” the driver inquired.

“Yes, can you please take me to police headquarters, the homicide division? I need to drop something off!”

And so the bullshit begins . . .

“You slept with my twin! You two-timing dirty-ass bastard! Tell me she’s lying!” Kenya screamed, insane with fury, demanding answers. She stood knees buckling, teary-eyed on the front porch pounding her palm on the bricks of the condo watching London’s cab disappear into the darkness of night. “Tell me that ain’t ya baby she claims she carrying! Tell me! Tell me!” She lunged at her once seemingly faithful man who eased back barely missing the warranted attack. “Answer me, nigga!” The moonlight seemed to shine a direct spotlight on the couple as the reality of London’s last cutthroat words took over the night. “You fucked her! You fucked my sister? In my damn house? This shit can’t be happening! What she talking about, Storm? Tell me!”

Storm was left standing speechless. Mouth dry, head spinning, adrenalin racing, and heart pumping still trying to come to terms that he’d somehow mistakenly had sex with London, let alone gotten his fiancée’s sister knocked up. He lowered his head in shame. “I . . . I . . .” Storm stumbled over his words attempting to offer some weak-ass explanation. “I must’ve been . . .”

“Must’ve been what, motherfucker?” Kenya, with contempt in her tone, drew back damn near to the sky smacking the dog shit outta Storm’s face. “Or should I say sister fucker! How could you?” she pleaded with intense rage ready to swing on him again. “What about me? What about us?”

Before getting a chance to react to the confusing allegations or retaliate from the dooming sting of Kenya’s strong hand, Storm was saved fortunately by his brother racing down the street swerving up into the driveway and jumping out his car.

“Hey, bro, can you believe what this one right here and Paris dumbasses done did?” O.T. broadcasted giving Kenya the sho’nuff evil eye. “They done messed our business all the way up! Royce ain’t nothing more than an old coward, but even a mouse gotta roar when his girl and baby get done!”

“Whatever, Negro! It couldn’t be helped!” Kenya yelled back while stepping inside the condo not in the mood for any more drama to entertain the neighbors. “Boy, bye! Go ya ass home for once and mind ya own business! It was an accident! I ain’t have no choice! Now be ghost, we busy!”

“Busy?” O.T. brushed past Storm following his soon-to-be sister-in-law. “Is that what you retarded Detroit hoes call killing an innocent bitch and her baby and probably starting an all-out drug war? She ain’t do nothing to y’all jealous tricks!”

Kenya paused turning around pointing her finger in O.T.’s face. “For one, if you would’ve been taking care of home instead of leaving all them unanswered questions floating around, Paris probably wouldn’t have been tripping. And two, I was at the club shutting down like I was supposed to be doing. Your girl is the one who showed up with pajamas on waving a gun all around. Then she slipped up and let the next bitch gangster her for that motherfucker!” She was heated going into the kitchen to get the satchel off the table. “You can trust, if it weren’t for me . . .”

Kenya’s mouth shut as she quickly scanned the room searching for the brown paper bag containing Chocolate Bunny’s purse and the two burners. Her eyes darted from the table to the floor, the floor to the counter, the counter to the stove, and back to the floor.

“If it weren’t for you what?” O.T. was dead on her heels, standing tall, chest out, like he did no wrong waiting for a response.

“Awww hell naw! Ain’t this about a bitch!”

“Awwwhell naw what, Kenya?” Storm finally found the courage to speak up. “What’s wrong?”

“Where’s that bag?” She tossed a loaf of bread and a half-filled coffee mug onto the floor before kicking over two of the chairs, stooping down onto one knee so she could clearly see under the table. “I know I left it in here. I know I did, but I don’t see nothing. No bag and no purse!”

“What bag?” O.T. questioned watching his older brother join in the frantic search. “What y’all looking for? And what fucking purse you talking ’bout? Y’all both done gone nuts in this crib!”

“I know London didn’t! Please tell me she didn’t!” An alarmed Kenya ignored O.T. placing her hand on her forehead, praying that her sister hadn’t taken evidence to the murder.

“Baby, listen, I know you pissed,” Storm hesitantly bargained, “but we gotta stop that cab she in and get them guns back. Ain’t no telling what that crazy bitch gonna do next.”

“Yeah, especially since ya nasty behind tossed her out to the streets! And was she a crazy bitch when you was hittin’ it?”

“What!” O.T. yelled with his eyes bucked, leaning against the frame of the door. “You threw ol’ girl out! And what guns in a bag y’all trying to get back? And damn! Who was hittin’ it?”

“Ya scandalous brother, standing over there looking stupid, ran up in my sister behind my back and now she say she pregnant!”

“Damn, Kenya! You bullshittin’!”

“Naw, O.T. I wish I were, but I ain’t!” Kenya ran toward the front door scrambling to grab her car keys. “Now I gotta find his no-good baby momma before she does some more trifling mess. The gun Paris had, not to mention the burner we kept behind the bar, is in that bag! This night just keeps getting better and better!”

“Y’all two stay here,” O.T. insisted knowing his brother and Kenya had some serious talking to do. “I’ll find her! It ain’t but one way the cab could’ve gone. The main freeway is shut down and all the traffic is rerouted.”

“Oh yeah, you right. I forgot about that,” Storm blurted out not yet ready for the confrontation of a lifetime. “You sure you don’t want me to bounce with you?”

“Did I hear you correct?” Kenya rolled her eyes in disbelief throwing her keys down onto the floor. “What’d you say?”

“I was just saying.”

“You was just saying what?” She shifted her weight to one hip.

Storm shook his head shrugging his shoulders. “I was . . .”

“Nigga, please! You really tripping! Your best bet, right about now, is to get the fuck to explaining!”

“I don’t even remember ever touching that girl! I can’t stand the ho!” Storm started defending himself and getting his nuts back since O.T. was there watching him get chin checked by his girl.

“Yeah, dude, you’s tripping, but hold it down, fam!” O.T. chuckled, amused, knowing his older sibling was about to catch it. “I got this, but on the real, you and her probably need to double back to Alley Cats, do some damage control and get rid of that body. Thelma and Louise messy dumbasses, nine outta ten, got my homegirl Chocolate Bunny stretched out on top of the bar like it ain’t shit!”

“Fuck you with the all them jokes!” Kenya shouted as O.T. pulled out in search of London. “Fuck you!”

“Dang this traffic is backed up. Where is everybody going this late or should I say early?”

The cab driver glanced at the young antsy girl in his mirror and smiled. “Even at 4:05 in the morning ya gonna have slowdowns, Miss. With all the construction going on in town, what was once a twenty-minute ride has since doubled.”

“Oh,” London sighed, settling back in the seat, staring at the bright red glare coming from the broken brake lights of a rusty old Ford Tempo. “I guess what I need to do will just have to wait twenty extra minutes. I know the delay isn’t your fault.”

As she sat there with a suitcase on one side of the seat, clutching the brown paper bag, which held the fate of her sister and Paris, London closed. . .