When A Woman Hustles, Danielle Martin [books to read in your 20s .TXT] 📗

Trix finally pulled up in the driveway. Pumpkin dressed herself that night in all black with a ski mask covering her face to disguise herself. Everything happened so fast, it felt like a blur. Pumpkin didn’t give her a chance to do anything before she hopped out of her rental truck, ran up to the driver side door and shot 6 bullets through the window. Trix didn’t have a chance to shoot back even if she wanted to. Pumpkin felt her body tremble as she admitted the truth to both King and to herself. She denied knowing anything about her best friend’s murder, and now here she was admitting to her killing. The guilt tore her apart almost every day. She loved King to death, and to hear that he may have gotten Trix pregnant, it was too much for her to bare. She mentally went crazy at that very moment, and plotted to kill the only person in this world who never lied to her. Trix didn’t deserve that. It was Reese. Reese was the reality. Tears fell down her cheeks, she would never be able to bring her best friend back. She was gone forever. She looked over at King who looked as if he were having a panic attack. He sat hunched over, still in complete shock by her sudden confession.

“You killed Trix!!!” He shouted at her, in complete disbelief as he took multiple deep breaths. Reese kept her gun locked on Reese to ensure she didn’t make a move. She wasn’t off the hook and Pumpkin was going to deal with her next.

“I told you I always loved you King.” Pumpkin continued to cry, realizing just how much he had lost it. She was ready to give up everything for love. She felt so foolish. King buried his face inside his hands. Pumpkin had never seen him this way. He always kept his composure, but right now he appeared so helpless.

“Damn Punk.” He blurted out as he balled up his fist and forcefully punched the ground. He was angry. She could see it in his face.  “Why did you do that to her Pumpkin?” he looked up at her searching for answers. Something inside of her made her feel as if she owed him an explanation. She didn’t have one. “She loved you!” He continued. “She would have never done that to you Pumpkin!! Why did you have to kill her???” he badgered her. Pumpkins bottom lip quivered. She was broken on the inside, and there was no fixing this damage. Her feelings for King turned her into a killer, and there was nothing she could do about it now.

“I’m sorry.” She apologized. She meant that and it felt good to finally say it out loud. But this wasn’t over. She looked over at Reese who still lay on the floor.  The time was now and she was ready to get it over with. She reached forward, cocking back her gun which clicked loudly throughout the warehouse. Reese sat up, holding up her arms to protect herself as Pumpkin took the gun off safety. “Noooo!” Reese screamed, “Please don’t do this!”

“I can’t believe you chose this bitch over me!” Pumpkin spat as she looked down at Reese sprawled out on the floor.  She didn’t see what King seen in her, and she probably never would. She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking about the night she picked up Reese at Guilty’s. If only she had left the club 30 minutes earlier the way she had initially intended, they would have never crossed paths and this would have never happened.  Reese would have still been somewhere still broke, and Pumpkin would have continued to fight for her love and wait patiently for King to realize she was the woman for him. Everything was ruined now, and after tonight, nothing will be the same for anyone.

“AHHHHHHHH!” Pumpkin was caught off guard as she felt herself being forcefully tackled from the side. She lost her balance, her entire body falling over landing with a huge thud as she fell to the ground. “AHHHHHHH!” She cried out again as all her weight landed on her right arm. She was shocked as she looked up to see King on top of her, wrestling to get to the gun that had slid out of her hands and across the floor. She had to think fast. Pumpkin jolted up, removing her right shoe and hurling the heel at the back of his head. She watched as the heel his his skull which immediately broke his skin apart. “Shit!’’ He held his head as blood began to seep through the cut. Pumpkin hopped up and jumped over him, running towards the gun before he got a hold of it. He caught her by the ankle, stopping her before she could get very far. He pulled, making her lose her balance. “Ahhhh!” she screamed out as she landed on the floor a second time. They rolled around the floor for a few moments. “Get off me King!” she shouted as he held her tight, his arms wrapped around her chest to she couldn’t move.  Pumpkin felt her eyes blind with anger as she realized he was fighting her right now. She could not let him get to the gun before she did. There was no telling what might happen if she lost her sense of power.  She leaned over, grabbing his hand which was close to her neck. Pumpkin drove her teeth directly into his skin, biting him in the center of his palm with all her might. “Fuckkkk!” he screamed out as his grip around her chest loosened. He fell back, allowing Pumpkin to escape from his embrace and scurry towards the gun. She fixed her eyesight on the 9mm, the closer she got the more anxious she became. She ran quickly, dropping down to grab the gun before King caught up to her again. “You bitchhhhhhh!” Pumpkin felt herself being caught off guard again as Reese suddenly appeared and lunged forward, grabbing a hand full of her hair catching her off balance.  “Ahhhhh.” Pumpkin felt her neck snatch to the side as Reese caught a really good grip of her hair. They both had their hands on the gun, wrestling for control. “Get off me bitchhhh!” Pumpkin shouted with rage shooting through her body.  Reese continued to wrestle with her. Her strength was surprising. They continued to fight for the gun. They slung each other around the room and Reese clearly was not giving up. Pumpkin could feel her chest weaving as she ran out of breath. POW POW POW!! The gun went off. Everything went still. No more fighting. No more wrestling. It was over now. PLOP! The sound of a motionless body dropped to the floor.

 

 

Chapter 22

Chapter 22.

The sound of the police sirens surrounded the area. Helicopters circled the sky as the ambulance pulled down the narrow alley way. Police and emergency rescuers surrounded the area, flooding the once empty parking lot. They hopped out of their patrol cars and stormed up the stairs, their guns drawn. “Show me your hands! Show me your hands!” They all shouted. “Are you armed?”

She shook her head, visibly shaken while throwing her arms up in the air. “No, I am not armed.” She came down the steps as the police bum rushed past her and headed inside the abandoned warehouse. The ambulance traveled up the stairs behind them carrying a stretcher as they also disappeared inside. Everything felt so surreal. She was in complete shock as she made it to the bottom of the steps, her body bruised and weak from the scuffle. “Mam.” A young woman rushed from the ambulance to her aid. “You are soaked in blood. Have you been shot?”

She dropped her eyes to the floor.  She couldn’t believe this was happening.. “I haven’t been shot.” She spoke underneath her breath. “This is not my blood.” She looked down as she realized her hands and her clothes were completely discolored.

“Who is the woman inside???” The paramedic asked as she pulled out a notepad to jot down information. “Do you know her name?’’

She felt her body shake as she nodded her head. “Yes I do know her name. Her name is Patricia Green.”

The woman jotted her name down, helping Reese to have a seat next to the ambulance truck. She limped over, pain shooting up her right leg as she sat down. Her entire life flashed before her eyes as she came to the realization this was not a dream. This was real life and Pumpkin really did try to kill her. If she didn’t think fast and wrestle that gun out of her hands, there is no doubt she would have been dead. She wanted to cry, but she couldn’t. Her body was still in shock and disbelief. She knew Pumpkin despised her but she never knew her hate was strong enough to want to take her life.  Moments later, Reese looked up as she watched the ambulance rush out the building. This time, Pumpkins body was sprawled out over the stretcher as they wheeled her down the narrow steps. Her heart dropped as she watched King appear from around the corner and walk out of the door behind them. He was okay. He had not been harmed and he was not in cuffs. She breathed a sigh of relief as she watched them all come down the stairs and rush towards the ambulance. It was all over now. He followed behind, a concerned expression on his face as he talked to Pumpkin who lay unconscious on the stretcher. “I’m sorry Punk.” He said it over and over. “I’m so so sorry Pumpkin.. Please forgive me.” Her heart weakened as she watched King helplessly stand by as they wheeled Pumpkins body into the ambulance. They had to rush her to emergency surgery if she was going to have any chance of survival.  King stood back as he watched them push the stretcher inside, slam the door, and speed off leaving him standing there watching them drive away. Time stood still as she watched him. She became hesitant to speak. Reese felt she were the one to blame. She was afraid to embrace him, in fear that he would become angry. She stood up, limping over to where he stood as he continued to stare in the direction that the ambulance drove off.  He was visibly in a daze and in complete shock by what happened the same way she was. She placed a hand on his shoulder. He didn’t move. He continued to stare as if he were at a loss for words. “King…” she whispered his name. She had never been so afraid in her life. Then again, she felt so much relief to know that he was unharmed. “I’m sorry this happened King. This is all my fault.” She was ashamed. If only she had stayed away the way Pumpkin had warned her, this would have never happened. He continued to stare straight ahead without responding. Suddenly, she watched as his face dropped into his hands. He surprisingly began to sob, burying his tears away as he covered his face. He became weak, dropping to