Hittin' the Bricks: An Urban Erotic Tale by Noire Read Free Book Online

this morning.”
    “Good. He's probably on his way over there now. All we gotta do is call a cab and get you outta Harlem before he gets back. I try to save all the money I can get my hands on, you know, so I can send it to Mrs. Threet for my son, but this is an emergency, India. I don't have a whole lot to offer, but whatever I have you can get it. Every dime I've got in the world is yours.”
    India got a look on her face that was full of hope and gratitude. She was young and beautiful, and she really wanted to believe that she could get away from Saint without being killed. Eva helped her pack a few clothes in a white Donna Karan tote bag. She took a few pictures of her dead mother and Rosa off her mirror and stuck them down in her pocketbook, and Eva frowned when she saw what else her girl was packin’ in there.
    “You holding heat now too?” Eva said incredulously. She musta really been sleeping on India's game because suddenly her girl was into shit that Eva didn't know nothing about.
    She shrugged. “I was out there riding dirty. I'd be scared outta my mind on those upstate runs. You never can tell what you might run into on the road.”
    “Um,” Eva said sarcastically. “How about you might run into the goddamn state police? Don't you know it's a mandatory one- year sentence for a gun charge in New York? Where'd you get that shit from anyway? I know Saint didn't give you no tool that you might turn around and use to cap his ass with.”
    India shook her head. “Nah. I bought it off a dude I know over on Saint Nick. I heard he was the best person to buy from in Harlem because all his tools are clean.”
    India slung her pocketbook and her tote over her shoulder and they prepared to sky up. Then she walked into the living room and leaned over the wheelchair and kissed her father's cheek.
    “Bye, Daddy” she said softly. “Eva's gonna take care of you and Rosa. I promise, I'll be back soon.”
    Mr. Jackson came out of his fog long enough to whisper something and pat his daughter lovingly on the hand, and when India turned back toward Eva there were tears on her cheeks.
    “Let's go,” she muttered, and Eva knew how hard her friend was fighting to be strong. India didn't wanna leave her family, but she didn't wanna
leave
her family either, ya know?
    Eva was walking just ahead of India and their heels were click- clacking down the stairs when they got bum- rushed. That big niggah Saint was a huge blur as he ran up the steps toward them, knocking Eva down and catching India about halfway down the flight.
    “You lost my shit?” he menaced, but before India could answer him that maniac started swinging.
    India screamed. She held her hands out and went into a squat. Saint swung her by the hair and slammed her face into his knee. India's nose busted. Blood squirted out in an arc. Her bag and purse rolled down the stairs and she went tumbling after them.
    Eva's body went into survival mode. After years of abuse back in Brooklyn it was second nature for her to try to save her own ass. Cursing and screaming, Saint followed India down the stairs, and Eva followed Saint. He stopped at the bottom to continue fucking her up, and Eva ran past both of them as fast as she could. By the time she realized that she had abandoned her girl, Eva was already on the second floor.
    Breathing hard, she forced herself to turn around. India was screaming and crying at the top of her lungs and Eva wanted to go back and help her girl, but … she had gone halfway up to the third floor, and she was begging her feet to go up the rest of the way when a loud
cap!
rang out.
    Instantly, India went silent.
    Survival was a motherfucker!
    Eva turned back around and started running back down the stairs again.
    Saint cursed and she knew he was coming after her.
    There was no time to dig in her purse for her apartment key, and if she managed to make it out the building he'd shoot her down like a dog in the streets. Without hesitating, Eva dove into