All that Glitters

Italy looked both was as she inched her brand new Benz to the curb. Normally she would've parked in the garage but she hated carry groceries all the way from around the back of the house, plus it was dark out and Enzo her baby daddy hadn't yet fixed the garage light that he had promised to do two weeks ago already. Enzo had made her so paranoid that she was always being watched by someone that she was scared to go home at night. Enzo was married to the streets and that in itself was a dirty game. Italy always had her guard up because she didn't know who would try to hurt her or their beautiful two year old daughter Nia. In hind sight she would change it all if she could. Being married to the game wasn't a fairytale at all. Back in the day she would sit back and watch all the dope boys from her front porch getting money. They always looked happy. They had the freshest gear and they always kept they're girls fly. Italy would study the older girls’ mannerisms and peep their MC Lyte Bob hair cut and Bamboo ear rings. She wished she could be a baller chick so she could represent at the school dances but she knew she was still too young. She was only fourteen and her grandma barely let her walk around the corner to the candy store. Italy knew her time to shine was coming and once she was ready she would be that B****H that everybody envied! Her train of thought was interrupted by Nia's voice "mommy I’m hungry"
"Ok baby you'll be eating in just a little bit I promised." Italy was pissed that Enzo hadn't even called to check in all day. It was only after 8pm but the winter days were so much shorter now especially since daylight savings time. She shifted the car into park and looked back at her sleeping angel Nia and her heart melted. She would do anything in the world to keep her safe.
It was a cold October night and the brisk wind nipped her ears and nose as she popped her trunk to get the groceries out. She could fell her cell phone vibrating in her purse but she didn't want to chance answering it while trying to get in the house with Nia and lugging two bags of groceries. The caller Id screen read "That N***a" which is what she called Enzo so she simply let the call go to voicemail. She figured she let him sweat a little bit. Not even two minutes later another call came through and it was Enzo again but this time it was one simple ring and then he hung up. That was their signal that it was an emergency. Italy's heart began to race as she tried to call him back but his phone kept going to voicemail on the first ring. She was scared and she couldn't stop thinking that Enzo was laid up somewhere shot or the jump out boys had ran up on him or something. She had to get into the house to find out what was going on. The outside was always well lit so when she made it to the side door she was sure everything was cool. As she unlocked the last dead bolt she felt a blow to the back of her head right before she blacked out. Ten minutes later she comes to and she's dazed. The back of her head felt cold and it felt like water was dripping down her neck. She tried to raise her hand to wipe her neck but she couldn't. Her hands were bound with tape behind her. She couldn't figure out what was going on. She saw Nia sitting in her high chair eating French fries and being entertained by a woman but she didn't know who the woman was. She was scared to scream because she didn't know what would happen.
"Oh you up Shorty?" A man stood in front of Italy and smiled down at her. He had a thin build and a big gold tooth in the front of his mouth. His hairline was rescinding but he still was rocking braids to the back. "Ya man owe me some change so I'm coming to collect, where yall keep the safe baby girl?"
"Huh?" was all Italy could get out before he kicked her in the teeth. Blood gushed from her mouth and tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Let me ask one more time, where is the money B***H?"
"We, we don't " is all she could get out before getting snatched up by her hair.
"Don't play me I know yall getting money and I want everything yall got up in this funky ass place now."