Thicker Than Water Read online

  THICKER Than WATER

  TAKERRA ALLEN

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Behind the Scenes of Thicker Than Water

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1 - Lust

  Chapter 2 - Growth

  Chapter 3 - Passion

  Chapter 4 - Control

  Chapter 5 - Regret

  Chapter 6 - Desire

  Chapter 7 - Jealousy

  Chapter 8 - Infatuation

  Chapter 9 - Clarity

  Chapter 10 - Revenge

  Chapter 11 - Hunger

  Chapter 12 - Devotion

  Chapter 13 - Betrayal

  Chapter 14 - Pain

  Chapter 15 - Fear

  Chapter 16 - Loyalty

  Chapter 17 - Love

  Chapter 18 - Resentment

  Teaser chapter

  Copyright Page

  Behind the Scenes of Thicker Than Water

  This is the part usually labeled acknowledgments—the section of the book that most people glance over, anxious to get to that first page. Most people like myself don’t even read the introduction! I know all about it, so I’ll try to keep this as minimal as possible. However, I have to give notice to the people “behind the scenes” of this book, the people “behind the scenes” of my life.

  First, and foremost, I would like to thank the Creator, for blessing me with a talent and a desire at a young age to make the most out of this gift called life, that so many of us take for granted. God, you have guided me through so many peaks and valleys and now I finally feel I am on the road you created for me. I am so thankful for you . . . so thankful for you. All praise to you.

  Second, I would like to thank and dedicate this book to my daughter, Journey Suezette Taylor. There are no words to describe how much you mean to me. You are my very purpose for existing. I enjoy seeing the world through your eyes. I love you so very much.

  I would like to thank my mother. I am a reflection of her. She was one of the best people to ever grace the earth and I finally feel like I may be doing something that would make her proud. My greatest fear was to disappoint her. I’m not sure if I could ever be as amazing as she was. I will live my life for you, until I can join you. RIP, Mommy.

  My loving partner in life and in love, my husband, Barry. You have been so supportive and so understanding with everything that I do. You married a maniac and you are okay with that. I couldn’t have done anything without you and I am so glad that I found a man so amazing, and that a man so amazing found me. I love you, Pumpkin.

  Thanks also for allowing my beautiful stepdaughter Jaielyn to be in my life, I love you Jai.

  My supportive family: Daddy—you are everything, you are not only a great father but also a friend and you’ve taught me so much. Love to you and Alyx! My sisters Leslie and N’neka, I love you both so much. All of my brothers . . .—I love you guys! A special shout out to my big brother and inspiration, Tupac Shakur—RIP. So much of you is in me, you have no idea. My Nana: you are super strong and the youngest, freshest, and most beautiful woman! Sorry for all of the cussing in this book! My aunties—Leslie and Barbara, thanks for everything. Xoxo, I love you guys. Ivan and June, love you for loving them. Carol Floyd—my fairy godmother, thank you for always supporting any and everything I do. All of my extended family of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins—Love you all!

  Sandra “Dee-Dee” Mobley: Good friends are hard to find and I’m so glad I found you! You have been more than a friend to me, you are a sister . . . I love you, girl, and thanks for all of your support and for being right by my side doing this thing. We are making some major moves and I wouldn’t want to make them with anyone else. Love to you and all of your family—E, Kamani and Kendal, the Romans, Mirandas, and all of my extended Puerto Rican family.

  Ms. Brenda, Ms. Jennifer, and all of the Brown and Hammond family—I love you.

  My kitty kat baby: I love you!

  To all of my friends and extended family who supported me from the start, and to all of the people who purchased the book (with the original cover, lol) thank you so much! To Kensington Books, Dafina, Mercedes Fernandez, thank you all and I am excited to make this move with you.

  To Don Diva Magazine and my girl Ayana Ellis, and XXL, thank you for the love.

  To all of my fans, my LUVS, (and hopefully soon-to-be fans ): thank you. I hope you enjoy this book. If you are reading this now, you are about to experience something that I’ve worked very hard on. Thicker Than Water is the first novel I ever wrote and I started penning it when I was just seventeen. I hope you enjoy it and please know that although it may be controversial, urban fiction is a market, and it is for entertainment value. However, all of the things I speak about are depicted every day in the streets and in the lives of many. Feel fortunate that you can just read about it, and not necessarily have to live this life. Once you finish this book, you’re back to your own reality. And for some people, the streets are their reality. Please don’t look down on any author for what she chooses to write; what may be relatable to certain people, may not be for others. I try to relate to the people I know, the people like me. I try to make the characters as real as possible. I also try to put a message inside of my work, so hopefully it reaches all of you. Please take from this book what you can. But most of all, I hope after reading this, you will look forward to my future works. Because all of my hard work, blood, sweat, and tears is for you. Yes, you! You, reading this! Yes, you!

  Thanks,

  Takerra Allen

  Acknowledgments

  Special thanks to Elizabeth P. for information on the Day of the Dead celebration. Any inaccuracies are solely my misinterpretation.

  Chapter 1

  Lust

  There was something about today that Sasha was really feelin’. She woke up this morning in her spacious apartment, and despite everything that was going on, she knew it was going to be a good day. Today wasn’t like any other day. No, she was single now. Single, a fresh twenty-one, gorgeous, kid-free, and now unrestricted from any hindrances, or anything holding her back.

  She sat on her balcony staring out at her pretty and serene complex. She really adored her apartment, which happened to be paid for by her parents, as long as she stayed enrolled in school.

  Though it wasn’t the type of place you would normally find anyone not of the black or Hispanic demographic residing in, or any other person with half a mind to try to avoid the consequences of the Newark/Elizabeth area, it was still in a better part of the neighborhood.

  She looked up at the sky. 8:35 P.M. on a June evening was the epitome of beautiful. The sun hadn’t completely set, so the orange and red glow from the dusk was just downright breathtaking. Sasha took in that moment for a second and reflected on the way things were going in her life. Enough.

  She tapped her freshly pedicured toes with her pinky finger to make sure that they were dry and proceeded back inside. She had been waiting for the clock to hit 8:35 for what seemed like forever. She knew that at 8:35 she would start to get ready because she needed to leave her house at 9:35, since it took Sasha exactly an hour to perfect her look. Then, it took her exactly twenty-five minutes to get to Kim’s house, where Kim and the girls would be waiting to leave, so they could all get to the city around 10:30.

  The city meaning none other than the Big Apple, city of dreams itself, New York City, but if anyone from New Jersey knew “the city” sufficed.

  Sasha had the schedule all mapped out in her head, but somehow it never quite worked out the way she wanted it to, usually because Kim always
had to make a mandatory weed run before being deemed functional. But Sasha began her process anyway. At least she would be punctual on her end.

  By the time she finished dressing, Sasha looked even better than she had imagined, though it may sound hard to believe, for Sasha imagined herself as pure perfection.

  It was always her confidence that seemed to get her into trouble, even though she couldn’t help it. Sasha came from a good family with a comfortable financial status, and her parents made it their duty to remind their only child that she was the most precious being to ever walk the earth.

  Giving herself a final once-over in the mirror, Sasha fixed a strand of hair that was already in place, glanced over her makeup, and blew herself a much-deserved kiss.

  She stepped out at exactly 9:35 as predicted in her black and silver Jimmy Choo shoes and a tiny, black dress that was simple enough to look effortless but sexy enough to be the center of attention. Her chin-length bob was bone straight courtesy of a trip earlier to the best hair stylist Newark, NJ, had to offer. And thanks to her vacation the previous week in Jamaica, her caramel skin was sun-kissed perfection.

  Her ex-everything, Chauncey, had taken her. But, of course, a week ago, he wasn’t her ex. Chauncey was the shit, if there were any words to define him. And if the cars, clothes, the status, or the looks didn’t define him as such, just the fact that he could afford to let Sasha go, reiterated it, for she was considered the hood’s treasure. But if she was the treasure of the ship, then Chauncey was for certain the captain, and all of the pirates were trying to be him.

  Kim and Neli sat on Kim’s run-down porch, puffing on a blunt and laughing and gossiping about everybody walking and riding by. Kim lived in the heart of Newark, the heart of the ghetto, just where she liked it.

  “Look at this bitch, Neli, she know she need to stop!” Kim screamed, laughing at a crackhead sauntering by, switching her bony hips and trying to catch a trick like she was cute.

  Neli just giggled along with her like she always did. She looked at Kim as a leader and she laughed at all of her jokes, listened to all of her bullshit, all to stay on her good side. Because the last thing you wanted, was to be on Kim’s bad side.

  Kim put her feet up on the ledge of the porch and Neli did the same.

  “I don’t know what I’m gonna wear tonight,” Kim added, taking another long puff of the potent weed that one of the local hustlers had provided her.

  “Oh yeah, I gotta get dressed before Sasha gets here,” Neli remembered, putting her feet down. “I brought my clothes to your house because I wanna borrow those shoes, I mean . . . I couldn’t get dressed without shoes.”

  They just looked at each other for a moment and then busted out laughing, not just for the simple fact that Neli could be a total airhead at times, but also because they were higher than a kite, so just about everything was comical.

  Kim began speaking again in a mellow drawl, while inhaling deeply and letting the powerful weed smoke fill up and penetrate her lungs.

  “Nah, fuck that, I ain’t getting dressed ’til she get here. Imma make sure I look better than all ya’ll bitches,” Kim promised with a chuckle.

  “Kim, you crazy as hell.”

  But Neli knew Kim was dead serious. Kim always wanted to stand out, be the center of attention, the loudest, the life of the party. Neli just wanted to be better than Sasha.

  Neli always felt some kind of way when it came to Sasha. It was a gnawing feeling that she just couldn’t put her finger on. She wasn’t sure if it was love, hate, intimidation, or just plain outright jealousy; hell it could’ve been all of the above. She just knew that whenever Sasha was around, she couldn’t stop looking at her. Sasha just had an aura that drew people to her and made you want to be in her presence, but Neli just plain wanted to be her.

  She loved Sasha. She loved all of her friends, but she also loved attention and when Sasha came around, she just never got enough.

  Kim on the other hand was not intimidated by anyone. She didn’t have an ounce of jealousy in her; she was quite sure that she didn’t have an ounce of any type of emotion. When it came to people and any consideration of them, Kim just didn’t care. She didn’t give a damn about you; she’d fuck your man and call you up and tell you how it was if she felt you needed to know.

  And if the fellas called her a hoe, she’d call them a trick, implying that they spent their money on her to get a taste of her goods. She was popular around the way, and although she was the youngest, the natural qualities in her made Kim a leader at the tender age of nineteen. She resided in the hood with her overworked mother and her criminal of a big brother, Lex. Born and raised in Newark, she was boisterous, beautiful, bold, and a true attention-getter. Her addiction to fast money and fast men always caused her drama. Her brother was always involved in some form of an altercation because of her. Some dude she slept with, some girl she fought, they always had a problem—and Kim continued to accumulate problems.

  Kim was also what guys around the way called too cute to be true. As a youngin’ she was considered overweight but grew up to be thick in all the right places. She had huge breasts, thick thighs, and a robust behind. Moody hazel eyes and a 24-inch honey-blond weave complemented her banana complexion well. She had the typical video-girl look with a filthy-ass mouth. She was completely ghetto fabulous.

  Neli, however, was very much opposite Kim. She had moved from Los Angeles, California, to Newark, New Jersey, about three years ago and made the acquaintance of Tatum, one of their girls. Tatum in turn introduced her to the crew and at first they were a little skeptical of the demure, secretive, and even a little shady-appearing new girl being added to their circle, but eventually they warmed to her and she’d been crew ever since. Neli’s appearance was of a California girl all the way and it was even in the way she carried herself. She could never get fully accustomed to the East Coast lifestyle. Everyone was so uptight, so rude to her. The girls here wore mean mugs, versus the girls in LA who sported smiles. Even if a guy was trying to approach you and you weren’t feeling him, the girls in LA still smiled and turned them down kindly, keeping their pride intact. Guys over on the East Coast loved that about her, and speaking about the men from the East, she loved them.

  She spoke with a Valley girl drawl, and although it wasn’t as pathetic as Clueless’s Alicia Silverstone or the well-known “Becky, Oh my god!” one-liner, when you heard her, it was just enough to know she wasn’t from around these parts. Her long, full wavy hair was courtesy of her white-Irish mother and African-American father. She was slender, brown-skinned, with an innocent face. Quiet and shy, with a heart of gold, and eyes as sneaky as a cat’s.

  Sasha’s black on black Acura pulled up onto Kim’s block and parallel parked between a pickup truck and Neli’s late-model Jetta. Sasha always loved parking between two mediocre cars, because that made her car appear even better.

  Damn my car looks good, Sasha thought to herself. I just wish my daddy would’ve gotten me the Benz so I really could’ve been flowing.

  Stepping out of the car one stiletto after the other, Sasha set the alarm, and strutted toward Kim’s porch. She could see Neli staring blankly and brushed it off as just admiration and natural envy, a true compliment to her.

  “Who this diva bitch coming to the hood?” Kim screamed, joking of course. They definitely were home girls like that.

  “I like your shoes,” Neli stated dryly, smiling, her eyes traveling over Sasha’s attire.

  When they made eye contact again, Neli smiled out of embarrassment. Somehow Sasha always caught Neli admiring her, and Neli hated that.

  She tried not to do it so much, and she tried to have enough confidence to make Sasha stare at her like that, but it never worked.

  “Why y’all not dressed yet?” Sasha questioned with a playful attitude, crossing her arms across her cleavage, frustrated and a little chilly.

  “Because I didn’t get dressed yet,” Kim replied with nonchalance, matching her sassiness.

&
nbsp; She was still just sitting with her legs up and munching on some sunflower seeds without a care in the world.

  “Yeah, we didn’t get dressed yet,” Neli added, imitating Kim’s tone.

  Sasha shot Neli a look with narrowed eyes and a raised brow.

  Neli got the hint and stood up, subtly rolling her eyes.

  “Kim, I’m going to get dressed in your room.”

  “Chris, please, I have to go! The girls are waiting,” Tatum pleaded in frustration.

  “And they gonna keep waiting ’cause I got something to do,” he answered, not taking his eyes off of his Xbox game.

  Tatum took in a deep sigh before responding, choosing her words carefully. She was beyond aggravated.

  “I can’t believe I’m begging you to watch your own damn kids! Listen, Chris, you are my brother and I love you, but you are gonna have to get your own damn place. As much as I love those girls they are my nieces, not my children.”

  Tatum noticed that he wasn’t paying her any attention and she became even more irate.

  “Therefore, Chris, they are your responsibility, not mine!”

  At this point Tatum was so fed up with her tired-ass brother she didn’t know what to do.

  “What you trying to say, I don’t love my seeds?” Chris asked, completely missing the point she was attempting to make. At times it seemed her brother had absolutely zero common sense.

  Tatum rolled her eyes and let out an audible sigh. “Good-bye.”

  Tatum slammed his bedroom door and then made her way into her own bedroom to say good-bye to her nieces. She gave them a kiss and left plastic-wrapped sandwiches and fruit on the nightstand after turning on cartoons and taking out their coloring books.

  Who knew how long it would be before Chris actually looked up from his video game and acknowledged them?

  “Bye babies,” she said, smiling at them.