“Get back in the car, Dinny!” Zion yelled, gripping the man by his shirt collar.
I heard tires screeching and saw Meeko hop out of his car and rush over to join in.
Tears streamed down my face, and I stood in fear that Zion and his friends were about to kill this man.
“Zion. . . Baby, please. Look at me,” I said, grabbing his arm. He finally snapped out of his rage and looked at me, then looked down at the man who was clinging to life. His soft groans were the only thing that let me know he was still amongst the living.
Zion’s eyes went from me to the gunman, and he snatched him up.
“You see her, motherfucka?” he asked, holding him by his neck. When he didn’t speak, Zion pulled his gun from his waist and put it to his head. “Answer me, bitch!”
“Ye”—cough—“Yeah!”
“When you see her, you'd better know she's got me right behind her. Apologize to my lady, and give her back what the fuck you took from her!”
“I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry,” he said, barely audible, holding my necklace out to me. I didn’t move to grab it until Zion spoke.
“Get your shit from him, baby.”
Shakily, I reached out and took my necklace from his hand.
Zion pushed him away, then a single shot rang out, and I screamed. The man immediately grabbed his thigh where the bullet was lodged. Before I could even say anything, lights flashed, and the police pulled into the parking lot. My mind scrambled, and I could feel my chest tightening as the police came closer.
“Zi, give me the gun!” Trouble yelled. Zion gave him the gun and handed me his keys. Trouble hurried off, disappearing into the crowd, just as the police jumped out with guns drawn.
“Put your hands up!”
“Let me see your hands!” they yelled, aiming their weapons at Zion. Zion put his hands up.
“Get down on the ground now!”
“No, please!” I yelled, wrapping my arms around Zion.
“Get in the car, Dinny. Go home, and I’ll meet you there.”
“No!”
“Dinny, go!” He pushed me back, just as the police grabbed him and pushed him to the ground while checking on the gunman. I backed away from the scene and got inside thedriver’s seat. I started the engine and pulled out of the parking space.
As bad as I didn’t want to leave, I knew I couldn’t stay behind to watch or try to save him. With my foot on the gas, I drove out of the parking lot and headed to our apartment, not too far from the venue.
Tears streamed down my face from the unknown. My heart broke because I just knew he was going to get in trouble from what he did to that man, and there was nothing I could do but wait for him to call.
And I prayed he would call to tell me to come pick him up. If not, things in our lives as we’d known them would change.
Three Days Later . . .
My leg bounced heavily as I sat next to the phone, waiting for it to ring. Junie and Jessie sat next to me in the apartment I shared with Zion, trying to soothe me.
For the past three days, I’d been on edge, crying, and feeling sick because I couldn’t talk to him. I had been going up to the jail every day, but they wouldn’t allow me to see him and told me he didn’t have a bond until he saw a judge on Monday.
Monday came and went, and still, no word.
The more time that passed, the more anxious I’d become, and I felt guilty because I could have tried harder to stop him. The fear I felt, seeing him in that light, was what halted me from doing more.
I had never seen that side of him before, and it paralyzed me more than I thought it would.
Junie placed her hand on my leg to stop it from shaking.