Chaz gave Kennedy’s hand a little squeeze and cleared his throat. “Kennedy, you are the woman I’ve always wanted but never thought existed. Your loyalty is unquestionable and your beauty undeniable. I admire everything about you—your smile, your intelligence, the glitter in your eyes when you’re happy. Not only do I admire you, I value you and I think you’re priceless. The love that we have is so rare that I will never forsake it. Nor will I forsake you.” A twinge of guilt shot through him as his romp with Ria flashed through his mind. From this day forward he planned never to do it again.

After the exchange of rings, a few rituals, and two songs, the pastor pronounced them husband and wife. The guests moved over to a beautifully decorated ballroom at the Westin Hotel for the reception. Kennedy and Chaz stayed behind at The Green, taking pictures with their bridal party.

At the reception, everyone enjoyed cocktails and conversing with people they had not seen in a while. Arnessa was standing next to the bar waiting for a drink when Cenise walked up behind her. “Nessa, look who I found,” she said with huge grin.

“Who?” Arnessa questioned as she turned around and came face-to-face with Rap and his wife, Jesse. “What’s up, yo?” She hugged both of them.

They were shocked to see Arnessa in a dress, with her hair in free-flowing curls. “You look gorgeous,” Jesse told her.

“What ya doing down here?” Arnessa asked, genuinely happy to see them.

“What we doing here?” Rap replied. “Shit, that’s what I need to be asking. These my people. I guess it’s true what I been hearing in the streets then.”

“And that is?”

Rap chuckled. “The last time I saw you, I was putting you on to Butta to do some business. Next thing I’m hearing is, dude done wifed you.”

All Arnessa could do was blush. “Rap, you know it didn’t go down like that. I mean, everything just happened so fast.”

“I bet it did,” Rap remarked. “Where my dude at anyway.”

“He sitting right over there,” Arnessa said, pointing toward a table where Butta was sitting with Sincere. “Go holla at ’em, I’ll be over there soon as I get my drink.”

When Arnessa felt her cell vibrating in her small clutch purse, she struggled to get the clasp open. Upon seeing Tasha’s name on the screen, she answered, “Yeah, Tash, what’s up?”

“Nessa,” Tasha panted, “Bizzy just got merked on my stoop.”

“Are you serious?”

“Dead ass.”

Arnessa looked over at the table where Butta was seated and saw he was staring directly at her. He was also on his cell, receiving the same information from Mannie. Utter disbelief was the only way to describe what Arnessa was feeling. She swallowed hard, then asked, “What happened?”

“I don’t really know—he had just rung my bell,” Tasha answered, out of breath from walking fast. “I was on my way down when I heard three shots. They were so loud I knew they were coming from right outside, so I waited about a minute. Then I went and looked out. Bizzy was laid out, yo—blood was everywhere.”