Product of Pain

Protect the Queen

Zac sat in the back seat of Jakes blacked out Escalade silently watching the buildings pass him by with his hand clutching his phone tightly in his palm. His thoughts were consumed of only Fatima. His knee bouncing up and down is what caught Jakes attention.

"Bro, you gotta calm down"

"Fuck that" he spat angrily "That nigga violated. Bro you see how hard he pushed her? My baby ain't been the same since. Do you kn—" Zac released a breath and punched the back of the headrest in front of him in anger "Bro"

"Know what?"

Zac shook his head "That girl has been through so much and that nigga had the audacity to put his dirty ass hands on her. He has no idea...no fuckin clue what he just did."

"Aiight, so what's your plan."

"That nigga dead Jay"

Jake shook his head " I should have known you was going to say that. Have you thought this all the way through."

" You tryna give me a lecture right now?"

"No but I just want you to think clearly about what you planning to do. That nigga for sure need to be dealt with, no doubt. But you kill that nigga and it comes back to you and then what? What happens to her? Who's going to protect Fatima while you locked up?"

Zac sucked his head and rubbed his forehead in frustration before he snapped "What the fuck does it matter man?! I couldn't fucking protect her in my own house! That motha fucka' came in my house and hurt her while I was 20 feet away. And she couldn't even tell me. ME!" He hit his chest to emphasize his point

"What did she say?"

"She doesn't know that I know yet. I watched the camera and left the house."

"Zac, don't blame yourself for this bro"

Only the background hum of the engine could be heard before Jake heard Zac sniff "Just take me to that nigga man. Devin said he'd meet me there"

"You called Devin?"

"I meant what I said Jay. I promised Fatima that not another nigga on this earth was going to hurt her, and I meant that shit. Ima protect her any way I can. So, yeah. I called Devin"

"Zac, that nigga is still drunk. You think he gone remember this shit in the morning?"

"That nigga gone wake up dead in the morning."

"Zac—"

"Zac nothing. Yo, can we just ride in silence please"

"You got it."

"Mr. Lawson, we are ten minutes out." Raphael, Jake's personal driver announced from the front of the car. Zac checked his cameras and smiled as he watched Fatima sleep so peacefully in the middle of the bed.

"Look, I know you love her—"

Zac sighed and closed the app on his phone before switching it completely off. "No wonder Rae fusses as you so much. You don't know when to shut the fuck up Jay." He smirked shaking his head "And if you know that then you know why this shit ain't gone slide."

"I'm not asking you to let it slide. Just, keep your hands clean is all I'm saying."

The black suv pulled in front of an old abandoned warehouse on the East side of Atlanta. Zac had recently closed a deal on the property, purchasing it to put a community center on the land instead of the run down building. But tonight, he had his own recreational activity to peruse.