Lucky Rose

Prologue

Rose's POV

What's up? My name is Rose Gardens. Yeah, I know. My parents really fucked me up with that one. I'm 19 years old and I'm a freshman in college. I attend Georgia State University. I was born and raised in Atlanta. I was the only child.

Dominic Delgado. He was the most popular guy in our neighborhood. Him and his family lived three houses down from us. He was so damn fine. He looked like the rapper, The Game to me.....light skinned, greenish eyes that sparkles when the sun touches, nice buffed body, with a beautiful six-pack. He was three years older than me and I was deeply in love; he just didn't know that.

I would watch him when I was younger when him and his friends would go to the park. The park was viewable from my bedroom window. I would admire that man while he was running the ball and sweating. God that boy was fine.

I never admitted how I felt to him and I knew he would never feel the same about me. My best friend, Lisa, and her sister, April, threw this big ass party at their house the weekend school got out for the summer. We called it THE HOT GIRL SUMMER BASH. It was the hottest party of the year.

It was the end of our eighth grade year, and the last party I ever attended again. That year I was leaving the party so I could be home by my midnight curfew, and I heard some people talking behind me. I looked back, and I noticed Demarcus and his friend, Miguel, walking up behind me. There was an alley coming up, and I prayed Dear God, let me make it past this alley. I guess the Devil intercepted my prayer because Demarcus grabbed me and pulled me into that alley.

I checked my phone when they were done, and it was 2 in the morning. I was bruised and bleeding. I was so afraid to go home. I laid in that alley until I fell asleep.

Seven's POV

What's up? I'm Dominic, but the streets call me Seven. My mentor, Rayford, started calling me that when I was 15 years old. He said it was because I was born on the luckiest day of the year-07/07/07. I had to start hustling because my dad left my mom and she fell behind on the bills. My big brother, Demarcus, was already out in the streets, but he didn't give a damn about us. I had to do for me and Mom.

I started moving weight for Mr. Ray. He shaped and groom me into the drug lord I am now. I'm 22 years old and I make more money than your grandparents and your parents put together. I'm a senior at Georgia state University. Aye, I'm a street nigga; not a dumb nigga. I got three clubs, two restaurants, and four different hotels. I was raking in so much dough that the bread companies envied me.

I was headed home from the party. I promise you, those parties that Lisa and April threw were lit as hell. Lisa had a best friend named Rose. Man even at 12 that girl was beautiful. I was 15 though. I couldn't dare go after her.

I knew shorty had a crush on me but I wasn't gone corrupt her like that. I was a 15 year old drug lord. Mr. Ray died like six months before the party and he left everything to me. I never told anybody. I stayed low key and kept doing shit like normal.

I hear Dear Mama by Tupac playing. I followed the sound to the alley by Rose's house. I kept walking until I came up to and unconscious Rose laying in some blood.

"Rose, baby," I panicked. "What happened to you? Who did this?" I kept throwing questions at her knowing she couldn't answer me.

I picked her up and carried her to her house. I banged on the door and her dad answered.

"Mr. Gardens, I found her in an alley," I said to him.

"Oh my God! Rosy! Carol come on baby we gotta go!"

He yelled to his wife and he took Rose from me and they got in their truck and drove away. All I kept thinking was Lord let her be okay. I vowed to myself that whoever hurt her were gonna pay.