Sophisticated DIVA

By Joe Allen and C. J. Land

If everything was taken from you, how would you fight back? In this compelling story of love, betrayal, murder, and revenge, one woman must face this very question. "Sophisticated DIVA" is a captivating novel that takes readers on a journey into a world where nothing is what it seems, and everything is what it appears. This is the story of one woman who is willing to risk it all in the pursuit of justice. Street justice.

Novis West is an exotic young beauty from the affluent suburbs of Cleveland. She has everything she ever wanted; she is six months pregnant and engaged to marry the man of her dreams. A sudden home invasion turns deadly and flips her world upside down. Hidden from sight, she is forced to witness the brutal murder of her fiancé. When one of the gunmen discovers her hiding place. She is raped, sodomized, brutally beaten, and left for dead. A harsh reality awaits her when she awakens from a coma in the hospital.

One thought, one emotion, pervades and consumes her mind – the formidable spine-chilling revenge of a mother and a woman who has lost everything. Now, she embarks on a journey that will send her down a dangerous path deep into the criminal underworld as she radically seeks to avenge her fallen family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781667843919

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Sophisticated DIVA

©2022 Street Harmony Publications LLC

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

print ISBN: 978-1-66784-390-2

ebook ISBN: 978-1-66784-391-9

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Epilogue

Chapter 1

Sunlight glared through the large picture window of the Holiday Inn Hotel room distracting Novis, as she sat on the hotel bed counting dead presidents. Without interrupting her count, she reached over to the window and pulled the heavy cotton drapes closed.

Twenty-eight...twenty-nine...thirty...one...two. Damn thirty-two thousand! Not bad for a few hours of hustling she thought. Considering, they had only been running short cons on the banks, it was actually a good day.

Novis glanced up from the stacks of one-hundred-dollar bills on the bed, in time to catch, Sasha and Toni, flicking lighters underneath their crack pipes. Exploding in a fit of anger she threw one of the hotel’s pillows across the room at the two women sitting on the bed.

I’m not going to keep telling you two Ho’s not to smoke that shit around me. What the fuck! She shouted angrily. Sasha, you are about dumb as a box of rocks, smoking crack with a baby in your stomach. I thought you were going to stop.

I am going to stop, Sasha lied. Today will be the last time. Anyway, I’m not that far along in my pregnancy. The baby will be just fine. Ohh... my stomach. I need to use the bathroom bad. Sasha eased off the bed and waddled her not too far along, pregnant- self to the bathroom.

My bad Novis. I know how you feel about crack, Toni said softly. Maybe I should go make sure Sasha is ok. Toni almost tripped over her own feet running into the bathroom.

Novis shook her sadly. She knew exactly what the two women were doing in the bathroom. However, they were grown ass women, and if they chose to ruin their lives smoking that poison. Then so be it! As long as, it never interfered with their ability to hustle and get on the grind.

Not wanting to remain in the room any longer than necessary, she quickly counted out two stacks of five thousand dollars. She stuffed the remaining twenty-two thousand dollars in her black Prada purse. The day was still young, and she had some people to see about purchasing some information. Information was gold in the con game, separating the wannabe playas from the tru playas.

Novis stood up and straighten her black silk Prada dress and prepared to leave. She set the two stacks of money down on a nightstand between the two beds. When she turned to leave, a loud terrifying scream came from the bathroom. Recognizing Sasha’s voice, she threw her purse on the bed and rushed into the bathroom. The scene that confronted her was confusing to say the least.

What’s wrong? Novis asked breathlessly. She examined both women carefully and could find nothing wrong with either of them. They were simply standing there with stunned expressions on their faces.

What the hell were you screaming for? She demanded still unnerved by Sasha’s loud scream.

It took Sasha a few moments to get herself together before she could answer. I don’t know...my stomach hurts and I peed on myself, Sasha replied, peering down at the floor in embarrassment.

Novis followed her eyes down to a small reflective puddle of water. Oh shit! Girl your water has broken! Novis exclaimed. Toni help me get her back to the bed. Relax girl we are going to get you to a hospital.

Novis grabbed one arm while Toni held onto the other arm. Together they helped her back into the room laying her gently down on the bed. Fortunately, Sasha was already completely naked having stripped in the bathroom to get high.

Call nine...one...one, Novis ordered Toni. Sasha, I thought you were not that far along. When was the last time you went to your preterm appointment?

I don’t remember. I think...AAHHH! Sasha screamed suddenly. It hurts... God it hurts! She cried out.

Novis settled down on the bed with Sasha, shocked to see her dilating so quickly. Oh shit! Hang up that damn phone. NOW! She hollered at Toni. Immediately positioning Sasha’s legs to give her a better pushing leverage. The baby is coming Sasha. I guess it does not want to wait on the ambulance. Listen Toni, go into the bathroom and bring me two clean towels soaked in hot water. Hurry!

Novis sat back with a calm demeanor which belied how she truly felt and watched in fascination as Sasha’s vagina entrance expanded to the size of a softball.

Toni ran back into the room holding two steaming hot towels. She swiftly handed the steaming towels to Novis, and then backed up nervously against the wall.

Sasha stared frighteningly from one woman to the other, screaming loudly, as pains of labor racked her body.

Novis glanced up at Sasha when she screamed, thinking to give her some words of encouragement to endure the pain. However, what she saw enraged her, Sasha was gripping a crack pipe in her hand. Crazy bitch! Put that damn crack pipe down and concentrate on having this baby. Push... damn you...Push! The baby’s head was already starting to show.

Fuck You! Sasha shouted through the pain. I am... pushing! She hollered, still gripping the crack pipe tightly in her hand.

Novis leaned over between Sasha’s legs holding the warm towel beneath the baby’s head. The head is out keep pushing. Come on...Push harder!

Sasha suddenly let out an ear-shattering wail, pushing with all her might. She wanted more than anything to stop the pain that was literally ripping her body apart.

It’s coming! Novis exclaimed excitedly. The baby is coming!

Sasha gave one final push and the newborn’s shoulders burst forth out of its mother’s womb. The rest of the baby’s body slid forth with ease.

Novis caught the tiny infant in the warm towel and wrapped it up carefully. She used the other towel to wipe the baby’s face clean. However, something was wrong, the newborn was kicking and weakly waving its tiny arms. It took a second, before she realized the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck choking it. She quickly unwounded the umbilical cord watching the newborn’s face to see if it was all right. That was when she noticed something else on the child’s face. Some type of bloody gooey film was covering the baby’s nose and mouth. Using her fingers, she pulled at the slippery stuff, only to watch it pop back into place.

Novis intuitively knew that she had to free the baby’s nostrils and mouth from the gooey film, or it would suffocate to death. She tried again to pull the stuff away with her hands to no avail, and she was running out of time. In a moment of sheer desperation, she placed her lips over the baby’s tiny nose and mouth and sucked in a huge breath filling her mouth with the bloody gooey stuff.

After spitting the foul-tasting bloody stuff out of her mouth, Novis peered down at the baby and smiled. It was all worth it.

Hello precious... welcome to the world, she whispered tenderly. It’s a girl! She exclaimed in wonder.

Novis glanced wistfully at the baby’s face, before attempting to pass her to her mother. Sasha stared at the baby for a long time and shook her head refusing to hold it. Confused, Novis did the only thing she could think of, she gently laid the baby down between Sasha’s legs using her vagina as a pillow.

Shaking her head at Sasha’s callous attitude towards her own child. Novis burst into action, grabbing the hotel phone, and alerting the front desk, that one of its guests had just delivered a baby in their room. She knew the front desk would make the rest of the necessary calls, and who knows, the Holiday Inn may even have a resident doctor inside the hotel.

Toni snap out of it, Novis barked fiercely. Clean the room up right quick and make sure nothing incriminating is laying around. You got people on their way up here. I need you to ride to the hospital with Sasha. I’ll follow behind the ambulance and wait for you in the parking lot.

Novis snatched her black Prada purse off the bed, while her eyes carefully scanned the room one last time. Put the money up, she ordered, spinning around on her heels preparing to leave. The absolutely last thing she wanted was to be inside the hotel room when the ambulance and Cleveland police arrived.

Novis wait! Sasha cried out in panic. Please go to the hospital with me. Please! I’m scared I want you to come.

Girl you know Cleveland police is going to come with the ambulance. I don’t fuck with no police. Period. Anyway, Toni is going with you. I’m out, She declared, almost running to the hotel door.

However, before she could even turn the doorknob, she heard the telltale crackling sound of crack cocaine being melted. Unable to stop herself, she spun around and saw both women holding crack stems to their mouths, filling their lungs with its poisonous smoke.

Stupid ass dope fiend bitch! She snarled. You’re lying there with a newborn baby between your legs. The baby is still connected to your fucking umbilical cord, and you smoking crack. Bitch... you need help. You could have at least waited until they cut the cord and took the baby. What the fuck!

Sasha refused to look at Novis or even acknowledge anything she had just said. Instead, she continued to greedily inhale the poisonous crack smoke from the stem, until her lungs were full to bursting. Then she exhaled a huge cloud of white smoke her face transforming into one of pure ecstasy, as the crack cocaine took over her brain.

Although, a red-hot rage consumed Novis over the heartless attitude Sasha was displaying she knew it was time to leave. She would have to deal with Sasha later. She rushed out of the door intent on putting some distance between herself and the sad scene inside the hotel room. When she reached the bank of elevators in the hallway, one of the elevator doors slid open. She moved quickly aside so the hotel staff and paramedics could rush by. They raced past her without so much as a glance, their focus on the medical emergency in the hotel room.

Novis stepped hastily inside the empty elevator impatiently pressing the lobby button. She did not want another elevator door sliding open with the Cleveland police running out, while she was standing there in full view. She breathed a sigh of relief when the elevator door finally slid closed.

While riding down the elevator she wondered briefly, what tall tale the two women would give the hotel staff, the paramedics, and the police, concerning the whole pitiful situation crack smoke included. Although, Sasha and Toni could literally talk their way out of a brown paper bag. So, she seriously doubted the two women would have any problems.

Novis sat down inside a black-on-black Lexus in the parking lot and waited for the paramedics to bring Sasha out of the hotel. She continued to think about the whole bizarre situation while she waited. Exactly one year ago, she would have laughed in utter disbelief had anyone told her, she would be delivering a crackhead’s baby inside a hotel room today.

Funny though, the only one laughing now was a fickle lady called Destiny, or Fate, or whatever you called the whimsical forces that controlled a person’s future. Novis felt like a pawn in a chess game being played by the masters. She wondered what cruel joke Lady Destiny would play on her next.

Somehow, she was certain that delivering another woman’s child would not be the last.

If only things had turned out differently.... if only she could change the past.

Chapter 2

One year ago...

Novis West stood in front of a full-length mirror, casting a critical eye at her naked reflection. She had always been told women became fat in the latter part of their pregnancy. However, as she turned her tall ebony body from side to side, she could barely tell she was pregnant at all. No one would ever think she was five months pregnant by just looking at her.

Although, she held no false illusions about her stunning beauty. She was still plagued with the same insecurities of all women. Her number one concern being, if she had made a serious mistake allowing Deshawn to get her pregnant.

Novis and Deshawn came from two completely different worlds, even though they lived in the same city. Deshawn was born and raised in one of the deadliest, most violent, housing projects in Cleveland. Garden Valley. He was what people in the hood referred to as, a street nigga. A drug dealer that had started out selling rocks and was now selling major weight. He was hard as nails, and he was most definitely a bad boy. But he was so damn fine her juices started flowing just thinking about him.

While, she was a suburbanite, born and raised in the quiet suburbs of Shaker Heights. The only child of two successful doctors, she had never wanted for anything. Yet, she was not a spoiled little rich bitch, as one would believe. In fact, Novis was a very independent woman, who insisted on making her own way in life. She absolutely refused to rely on her parent’s money. When she had met Deshawn, she was already in her third year of college, and had not even celebrated her twenty-first birthday.

Deshawn had literally swept her off her feet, and she had known instantly he was her soul mate. Incredibly, they shared the exact same birthday, turning twenty-one together. They had celebrated in a style befitting a king and queen. Deshawn must have spent thousands of dollars on her that day. Ironically, that was the moment, when she began to question what he did for a living.

When she finally outright asked him where all the money came from. He came clean immediately, telling her he sold drugs for a living.

However, she was so deeply in love with him by that point, she would not have cared if he sold ass for a living. Well maybe, she would have care about that. Only, because she had no intentions of sharing her beautiful man. Then one day out of the blue, he surprised her by proposing marriage, and professing his undying love, as he slipped an expensive diamond ring on her finger.

Now they were living together in a small house in the suburbs. They had a wedding date set in two weeks, a baby due in four months, and a whole life of love and happiness in front them. However, there was one dark cloud hanging over them, and it was the main cause of her concern. Deshawn was still selling dope.

Hey sexy. Wat are doing daydreaming? Deshawn asked, walking up behind her and wrapping his muscular arms around