Wickman •Nardo Wick•

1•

"You crazy ass motherfucker," I hear a white Nigga yell at the cashier for giving him the wrong change. I shake my head as I reach for the right Twix candy Mama been craving all day. I'm fasho gon be her favorite after this.

I step back and accidentally bump into somebody, dropping my candy. "My fault," I say, bending over and picking up the candy.

"You good, ma," the person responds. I look up and see a handsome black man, looking me dead in the eye. I nod my head and head over to the register, glancing back at the nigga who hadn't taken his eyes off me. His complexion reminded me of honey, smooth and delicious. He had chains on that said 'NW', so this nigga had to have bank. Must me nice. Besides the point, this nigga was fine.

"Ayo," I hear, now sounding like an adolescent- and not to be racist or nun, he sounded black, if that makes sense. I look back to see two black dudes in ski masks with guns. Oh shit. I suddenly feel my arm being grabbed and my body jolts back. The nigga with the chains had pulled me behind him, and had his hand on his side like he was clutching his gun.

"Stay back or we both dead," he tells me, although it's hard as hell to understand him. I ain't from Jacksonville, I don't understand what half these niggas over here be saying. Yet I still understood and remained behind him.

"Put the money in this bag," one of the niggas tell the cashier. The other one is going around pointing guns in people's faces. Once he approaches the white man from earlier, he shakes his head and shoots him.

I go to scream, but the nigga quickly covers my mouth and pulls me in his chest. I relax my body in his arms the best I can, but part of me wanted to pass out.

"I gotchu," he tells me. "Imma get both of us outta here safe, but you needa chill out. We gon be fine. Them niggas don't want no smoke wit me."

Even though I don't believe a word this nigga saying, I nod my head. If he believes he can get us out of here alive, I'm going to let him try- because I know damn well I can't. "Just keep quiet, ma."

I keep my mouth shut as the nigga pulls out his gun and aims for the two.

"Man," the nigga yells and both the niggas turn to him. "Fuck is y'all doing?"

"Yo, Wickman, wassup," one of them responds.

"Buzz told us to hit this lick," the other says.

Of course they know each other.

"Hurry up, man," the Wickman nigga says to them and they hurry grabbing the bag and shooting the cashier once in the head. This time I scream and fall back.

I finally see all the blood. I just witnessed two murders.

"Go, nigga," Wickman says as they both scatter out the place. He turns to face me and grabs my hand. "Cmon."

I follow him with my eyes closed, trying not to see the blood. Or the bodies. He pulls me to a black charger and opens the door, sitting me down in it. I sit and he buckles my seatbelt for me.

He gets in and pulls out his phone.

"Whea you stay at?" I take his phone and type in my address, praying to God my anxiety didn't cause me to put in the wrong one.

The drive is completely silent until we get to my house. I quickly go to open the door but it's locked. "Um..."

"Yo ass ain't going nowhea," he says, pulling the keys out and shifting his body towards me.

"I'm not gonna say nothing to nobody if that's what you're worried about. I mean look where I live, we don't do 12-" he cuts my rant short.

"If I ever catch you saying sum," he traces my face with his gun. He rolls down the window and lets two shots go off to the ground. I cover my ears and scream again. "Chill out, cuh."

I look at him and he places his hand back on his gun. "Youn gotta worry about nun happening to you if yo mouth stay closed. Don't forget, I know where you stay."

"O-okay." I stutter as I hear the doors unlock.

"What's your name?"

"Al-Alex," I stutter again. He nods his head and places his hand on my knee.

"I'm Nardo, Ight. N. A. R. D. O. Niggas call me Wickman. Don't forget that shit," he says, gazing into my eyes. This soon becomes a staring contest that I lose. He chuckles to himself and grips my inner thigh. I try to close my legs but he grips on tight. "Be outside at 10 in the morning. You'll know when it's me."

All I can do is nod my head.

"You can leave," he tells me, reaching over to open the door. I hurry out, finally catching my breath. "10 o'clock, Mrs Wick, don't forget."

I gulp and walk upstairs to my room. I feel around for my phone only to realize I left it in Wickman's car. Or does he want me to call him Nardo? And I'm not gonna speed past the fact that he called me Mrs Wick. What does that mean?