Get Ready for War Read Online Free

some Vaseline? Take your earrings off.” She quickly reached behind my ears and unfastened my hoops. She placed them on the table and said, “So you want babies, huh? You wanna be a woman. You wanna be with Knox. You’re willing to get beat down for Knox? You love him that much—”
    â€œYes, I love him! And that’s not going to change. I don’t care how many times you want to fight me, your own daughter.”
    â€œOh, now you’re my daughter—was that before or after I told you I’d put a bullet in a chick’s head and you realized that I wouldn’t be afraid to put one in yours? You’re right, you’re my daughter, and before I let you beat me I’d walk away from all the diamonds and the dollars and I would kill you. I don’t have a fear of prison. I already know what it’s like. Four years. You better Google me.”
    Prison? She really went to prison?
    â€œHell yeah, I went to prison.”
    Prison? For what?
    â€œFor manslaughter,” she continued as she paced the room, pounding her fist into her palm. “Because when I was sixteen I thought I had all the answers. I didn’t have money, my mother was getting high, and I had no idea who my father was. And my brother wasn’t in college like yours. He was doing life in prison for droppin’ bodies, and I was following in his footsteps. There was no Hollywood High, private school. I was gettin’ schooled in the streets. My family was the hood and my GED was courtesy of California State Prison. And the day I was released, I dropped Shakeesha, became Logan, reinvented myself, and yeah, I stalked basketball players, and I stalked rappers. Because I had beauty and I had a body and I wasn’t going back to prison.
    â€œI knew there was something bigger than tossing up gang signs, drive-bys, and bustin’ caps. And all of that I had erased from my mind. I snagged my husband, gave birth to the perfect son who never gave me a problem. Never back-talked. Did exactly as he was told and what was asked of him. Now, RJ could get whatever he wanted because he knew how to listen and play by the rules.”
    â€œOh yeah, perfect Prince RJ.”
    â€œHe is perfect. But you. You wanna raise up. You wanna bring it.” She stopped pacing and leaned into my face. “Go ahead and take your best shot. Just know that whatever decision you make you better be able to lie down by it, because that’s what women do. Lie in the beds they made. Now let’s go. But just know that if you hit me, I’ma murder you. And I will do my time in peace. Now buck.”
    Smack! Crack!
    My mother threw the first hit and my face was on fire and sirens blared in my ears. My mother slapped me so hard that tears sprang from my eyes and my shoulders shook. All I could see were stars.
    â€œYou’re moving too slow!” She gripped me by my neck and pinned me against the headboard. I couldn’t breathe.
    Bap!
    My mother hit me again and I felt dizzy. “You’re grown!” She slapped me again. “You want Knox. You’ll disrespect me for him.” Her elbow pressed into my throat and she clenched her teeth. “I will crush your windpipe and you will be in here for a collapsed lung.”
    â€œMa—”
    â€œThis ain’t no ma. This is a woman’s battle. Aren’t you a woman? Fighting for what you believe in?” My mother didn’t even blink. “You wanna come for me, then you better be ready, ’cause I got bustin’ heads on lock.”
    My mother’s elbow sank deeper into my throat and I knew then she would kill me. I’d pushed her many times, but I’d never seen this side of her. The only other time I’d seen Shakeesha come to life was when one of my father’s mistresses showed up at the door demanding money.
    â€œMa, please.” Tears flowed down my face and over her forearm. “Please let me go,” I