The Perfect Verse Sneak Peek

Prologue

“Don’t move, don’t move!” 

The cop forced Kaleela to the ground on her stomach, causing her wheelchair to flip. As one wheel spun wildly in the air, the crowd scattered in a panic, screaming as they dashed for cover as other officers had their guns drawn.

“What the fuck! She’s not resisting! Stop it! Just fucking stop it!” screamed Chaney, her girlfriend. 

A few bystanders pulled out their cells, recording the officers’ moves as they went live. The days of being discreet were gone as live streams were fed to social media like sharks after the smell of human blood.

While Chaney struggled to keep the officers calm, Donovan, her most recent love interest, hopped off stage. Venom raced throughout his body as he headed toward Kaleela and the officers with his gun in his hand. He couldn’t believe she’d shot at him, grazing his ear that bled along with a loud. piercing ringing sound.

“Nigga, the fuck are you doing!” Scooter released through the gritted teeth, holding him by his shirt. He couldn’t believe his cousin was about to commit suicide because that’s exactly what would happen if they saw him with a gun pointed at them.

“Wipe that fucking blood off your ear, put that shit away and let’s go!”

“Go?” He sneered. “Move, my nigga! This bitch just fucking shot at me. I don’t give a fuck about what gang she’s fucking with! On everything I love, they’ll wash her blood from the same fucking ground they’ll lower her ass in.”

Scooter yanked him harder, his forehead meshed against his cousin’s.

“This shit is on you,” he spat, nudging him roughly in the chest. “I warned your ass. I warned both of y’all. I’ll be damned if we lose our chance to take this music shit to the next level behind your dick. That’s her bitch, nigga,” he screamed, pointing at Kaleela. “Not yours. Look!”

Donovan didn’t want to but he did. There was Chaney, pleading with the officers to let Kaleela go. She loved her, she fucking loved her even though she gave him ever reason to believe she didn’t.

“See that? Like I said, her bitch. Not yours.”

“Fuck,” Donovan gritted through tightly formed lips, wiping his ear. 

“Take that shit up with Chaney later but for now, let the laws handle that. We don’t know shit, we didn’t see shit and we ain’t got shit to give those motherfuckers. Understand?”

“Scooter… “ He shook his head when Chaney cupped Kaleela’s cheeks. Kaleela’s sister and her boyfriend were in a dispute with the police. His stomach turned as he watched her stare in her eyes. The way she looked at Kaleela was a way she’d never looked at him.  

“Dread Man, my nigga?” Scooter pulled him in, wrapping his arm around his baby cousin’s neck.

“There are plenty more bitches once we make it to the top,” he whispered against his ear. 

Crazily though, Donovan didn’t want any other bitch. He wanted Chaney and had from the first time he’d laid eyes on her. From afar, she’d be on the porch braiding hair while eating sunflower seeds or twerking to the latest song streaming.

She’d be in the mix with her brother, Four Shorty, someone he used to run with when he was younger. He’d asked him occasionally to put him on with her but he’d laughed, flicking him off because everyone who was anyone knew that Chaney was Kaleela’s bitch, even if she wasn’t Kaleela’s only one.

“Whatever, man,” Donovan grumbled, watching Chaney who sniffled as they read Kaleela her rights.

“That bitch is cold,” Gucci whispered, referring to Kaleela as they walked to the sprinter they’d come in. Since they believed in putting their people on, it was natural for Gucci to be present as part of their unofficial security. 

“And listen, Chaney’s about that bullshit. Cut her off, my nigga. They break up and just when the next nigga tries to holler, Kaleela’s trying to kill his ass. I remember one time–”

“Fuck what you remember!” Donovan spat, pushing Gucci out of his face. “That bitch bleeds just like I bleed.”  

Donovan stomped onto the sprinter, but not Scooter.  He took one glance over his shoulder, a lone tear falling down her cheek. She turned away and lowered her head, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed. 

“Nigga, fuck that bitch,” Donovan belted, spittle spewing from his mouth. “I swear as soon as I get the chance, that bitch is dead.”

Scooter couldn't move, not when she glanced his way again and subtly nodded her head as she was hauled off to jail.