Resurrection Read Online Free PDF Page A

a’ight. Stand by your man and everything will be good for us.”
    Malek went into his room and into his safe. He pulled out two rubber-banded stacks of money and tossed them to Halleigh. “Go buy yourself some new gear. I don’t want you in nothing some other nigga bought for you. Make sure you get a dress to wear to Joe’s funeral.”
    Halleigh accepted the money. She had no desire to go to Jamaica Joe’s funeral, but she knew that she had to go. Halleigh knew that the average person would never understand what it was like to not want to go to certain events out of fear constantly wondering if you were gonna run into someone who had paid to fuck you. That was the main reason she didn’t want to go to the funeral. But she also knew that Malek expected her to go, and she didn’t want to disappoint him.
    She wanted to be at Maury’s funeral to pay her respects and be there for her girl, but she knew Malek would never allow it. She had been down with the South Side for so long, it was going to be hard for her to adjust her loyalty. She was never loyal to Manolo or Sweets, but her girls were all she had, and she had grown to love them both. They had been her sisters. Just like Malek was connected to Joe, she was connected to them. Mimi and Tasha were the ones who’d helped her make it through their pimp’s controlling and viciously abusive ways. They had also helped her make it through her drug addiction, which she had used as an escape from the emotional bondage that prostitution had held her in.
    More importantly, they had helped her and helped themselves literally escape from the clutches of Manolo, their pimp. Now they were off-limits to her, and she couldn’t help but feel like a traitor. She at least wanted to say goodbye to her girls.
    â€œMalek, I know you don’t want me to be around Tasha or Mimi, but I really need to go back and get some of my things. I don’t need to bring my old clothes, but there are some personal items that I’d like to keep,” she stated.
    Malek looked at her skeptically.
    â€œI promise it will be quick. I just need to pick up a few things,” she said, trying to reassure him.
    Malek agreed, and an hour later, he was driving her out to the suburbs of Flint to the apartment that she’d shared with her friends.
    When Malek pulled up to the apartment complex, Halleigh saw that Tasha’s car was parked in her normal spot. She looked over at Malek and said, “I’ll be right back.”
    â€œTake your time and make sure you have everything you need. There’s no coming back here after today,” he stated seriously.
    Halleigh nodded and took a deep breath as she exited the car and entered the building.
    She used her key to enter the apartment. It was silent inside as she made her way back to Tasha’s room. She knocked lightly before entering. “Tash,” she called out.
    Tasha didn’t respond. Her back was toward Halleigh, and she was curled up in a fetal position on her bed. Her hair was all over her head, and she stared blankly at the wall in front of her.
    Halleigh walked over to her bed, sat on the edge of it, and stroked Tasha’s hair lightly. “Tash, I’ve got to talk to you about something, and I don’t have a lot of—”
    â€œShe’s dead too,” Tasha interrupted.
    â€œWhat? Who?” Hal asked in confusion.
    â€œMimi’s dead,” she stated through her cries. “She was with Maury when he got killed.”
    Halleigh’s mouth dropped open. She whispered, “No, Tasha, please tell me you’re lying.”
    Tasha didn’t respond.
    â€œTasha! Please!” she begged, hoping that the news wasn’t true.
    â€œHalleigh, she’s gone! They’re both gone!” Tasha stated. “We’re all we got.”
    Those words made Halleigh feel ten times worse than she already did. Tasha needed her, yet Halleigh was here to