Fast Money and Cold Hearts

by Ghost

  ***

  That night at around four in the morning shit kicked off with Dragon in a major way.

  It was about three thirty in the morning before all the fucking began to cease at Smoke’s pool party. Even though I had not indulged with any of the cuties that were on deck I was tired and worn out. Over the past few days leading up to this night I’d gotten very little sleep. I found myself either trapping like crazy, or smashing Kamya like a savage. I couldn’t get enough of her forbidden box. Apparently she couldn’t get enough if me either because most of the time when we were alone she was climbing on top of me, and trying to get me to slide all of my manhood inside of her kitten. She was eighteen, and as frisky as they came. On top of that she was just as obsessed with that forbidden shit as I was.

  Somehow, I’d fallen asleep in the back room of the hotel where they kept a bunch of extra clean towels, when Smoke jarred me awake with a mug on his face.

  “Its time big homie. That fool nice and prime. My Mound bitches say we gotta get over there right now. They say that fool leaning like a broke hip. They got his punk ass in the bed, naked and vulnerable. You ready to roll out?” He asked lifting his shirt to show me he was strapped with twin Glock Forties.

  I jumped up and wiped the sleep out of my eyes. “Nigga lets go.”

  We rushed out of the party and jumped in my Durango and stormed over to Dragon’s duck off, just as the rain began to pour from the sky. When I pulled up it was coming down full blast, with thunder and lightning and everything.

  One of Smoke’s lil hoes let us in through the front door. She had a sheet wrapped around her body. Shawty was a red bone with curly hair.

  “Look, he in there fuckin my big sister right now. I don’t care what y’all finna do but please don’t hurt her. We did everything you said Smoke. Its Orange Mound til the death baby boy.” She kissed him on both cheeks.

  “We still get five gees a piece?”

  Smoke grabbed her ass, and nodded.

  “My word is one hunnit shawty. Y’all gon have that paper first thang in the morning. Let us handle this clown first. Any of his niggas been snooping around?”

  “Yeah, they came through about ten minutes ago and dropped him off two duffle bags. They been strolling through every hour on the hour since we been here.”

  Smoke looked over at me. “How you wanna handle this shit Phoenix?”

  I opened my fatigue jacket and pulled out a hunting knife that one of the fiends in the Mound had sold me for a few hits of the Rebirth. I pulled it out if the sheath.

  “That nigga busted at me while I had my daughter wit me. I got something for his ass. Let’s move. Shawty you get dressed.” I ordered the red bone.

  She nodded and jogged back into the house. Shawty s topped in the living room and dropped her sheet, and got to picking up her clothes that were discarded all over the place. There was a trail of discarded clothes that led from the living room, all the way into the back room. That is where we followed the sounds of the moaning, and bed springs going haywire.

  Smoke twisted the knob on the door with his left hand, and held his gun in his right. He opened it, and a rush of sex funk wafted from the room. He slowly eased inside, opening the door far enough for me to see Dragon fuckin the shit out of the other red bone from the back.

  “Uh. Uh. Shit nigga. Fuck me! Fuck me! Aw fuck yeah!” She screamed, holding onto he headboard and bouncing back into his lap. Her wide ass slapped into him loudly.

  Dragon groaned, and long stroked her hard. He held on to her waist with one hand, and her right breast with another. Dogging her.

  I smiled at Smoke before I went past him and took the serrated knife and slammed it into Dragon’s back as hard as I could. I could feel the ridges rip through his skin before the metal hit something hard.

  “Bitch ass nigga, payback is a bitch!”

  He hollered out in pain and fell off of the redbone.

  She screamed, before Smoke snatched her up and placed his hand around her mouth.

  “Bitch shut up. Dis Orange Mound. This Project bidness. You know what it is.” He assured her.

  She quieted and nodded her head.

  I yanked the knife out only to slam it back into his back again and again, harder and harder.

  “Dats for my daughter. Dats for Sabrina, and all of deze is for me.”

  Over and over. The knife began to create a huge mess. Blood was every where. Dragon’s head fell to his chest, lifeless. I gave his ass another ten, and then wiped the blade on the back of his neck. All I kept imagining was Shante’s face when he and his crew tried to air us out and we were forced to run into some old lady’s basement through the use of her cellar. Any one of his bullets could of hit my daughter. He was a true fuck nigga.

  Smoke pulled me off of him.

  “Aiight nigga. Aiight damn. That fool gone. He mince meat bruh. Look, its two duffels by the bed, let’s see what’s in them bitches.”

  He rushed and grabbed one and unzipped it, stuck his hand inside and came up with a bunch of ten and twenty dollar bills.

  “Aw shit, what’s in that one Phoenix?”

  I was still breathing hard from the stabbing. The females had disappeared. I was unsure of where they were. I knelt and looked inside of the bag, and it nearly blew my mind.

  Chapter 18

  “Bruh, we’re talking four heads my nigga. What the fuck would Dragon be doing with four people’s heads? Then the note. That mafucka said that Black Haven is ours. I’m telling you. I don’t think that nigga knew what was in them bags. He was too far up them hoes asses. Somebody was sending that fool a message. We ain’t the only ones coming for they neck Phoenix.”

  I counted the last stack of twenties that were in front of me. With it the duffle bag total had come to sixty eight thousand.

  “Well they gone be hard pressed to find out that Dragon is out of the game. Its over with. I’ma send a couple vans of our hittas over there tonight to wreck that bitch. Then we gon let it calm down for a few days. Links and Jack done already told me who the law is that’s patrolling the Mound. I sent them over a few packages. I’m just waiting on the reverb. Huh, this thirty gees. Your cut from that fuck nigga’s demise.” I pushed it across the table to him.

  He grabbed his stacks, and flicked through them.

  “Damn this thirty gees. Just like that?” He looked excited.

  “Just like that.”

  I didn’t really care who else was gunning for Black Haven. I had my eye on those Projects, and me and my hittas had to have them. Now that Dragon was out of the way, that was open turf. Black Haven was as good mine just like the Orange Mound when it came to the fiends.

  “Man, even though this money look good, I’m telling you we gon have to go to war with somebody. I don’t know who, but it definitely ain’t sweet.” Smoke said this, and stuffed his money in a book bag, before zipping it up.

  “You say that like you’re worried or something.” I laughed, and tossed my money into a Gucci bag.

  “Never that. I ain’t never been afraid to pop them cannons, my nigga. I mean it is what it is.”

  He shrugged his shoulders and sat back on the couch. We were in the basement of his crib. Upstairs were his baby mother, and two daughters. Smoke was young, but he had kids spread out all over Memphis.

  “Man fuck Dragon and his beefs. Its time we move through Memphis wit an iron fist. If mafuckas want it,, then they can get it. We got one more nigga to vanquish that we know of. Once we knock Mikey’s head off of his shoulders then we can press forward, and really get on this money shit. If I know him like I do, he gone be coming for Black Haven as well, especially since he know ain’t shit happening wit Orange Mound. That chump gon be looking to set up shop right in Black Haven.”

  “You think so?” Smoke asked standing up.

  “I know so.”

  He walked to the back of his basement, and came back with an A.R.-33 assault rifle. When he got in front of me he slammed in the clip, and cocked it. Placed
his eye on the scope.

  “This mafucka gon shred Mikey and anybody fuckin wit that nigga. I done hated them Brooklyn clowns since day one. I can’t wait to Swiss cheese they ass.”

  He held it against his shoulder, and continued to look through the scope. Then handed it to me.

  It felt lighter then I imagined.

  “This the only one we got on deck?” I asked looking that pretty muthafucka over. I gazed through the scope, and zoomed in on the far wall by tapping the trigger. It looked as if I was surveying the wall through a microscope. I knew for a fact I could set some shit off with it.

  “Yeah, for now. But I got a plug on these hoes. My white homie from New Mexico fuck with them military boys over that way. He get crates of shit all the time. I put in a order for twenty of these at three hunnit a piece. When we get ‘em they gon be fresh out the military crates, so its good.”

  “That sound like a plan to me. How many rounds the clip hold?”

  I piped it out and held it in my hand. It seemed kind of short. The bullets were pointy on the ends, and copper colored.

  “Thirty. But he got fifty and a hundred round clips too. The Mound finna be a fuckin problem. Memphis is ours. Its time to get them millions, Phoenix. All we gotta do is play our cards right. No matter what I’m following you until the death big bruh, you got my word on that. I’ll work the side shit while you handle that up front bidness. That’s how its supposed to be.”

  I agreed. “Man, its time to see our people eating. Ain’t no more of that starving shit. I got this. I’ma put Orange Mound on my back, while I conquer the game.

  “While we conquer the game big homie. Us. This here is a team sport. I’m fucking wit you the long way.” He came and gave me a half of hug.

  I returned his affection.

  “Aiight lil homie, den let’s conquer this mafucka. We gon spread the homeland all over Memphis in a major way. Mark those words. The goal is to get filthy rich, and to make mafuckas bow down by every means. We on our no mercy shit. Be ready for any and everything. Its us against the game lil bruh.”

  ***

  When I got into the hotel that night Kamya was sitting next to the window with it cracked smoking a cigarillo. She saw me walk through the door and lowered her head. She seemed defeated, and a bit sick.

  I tossed the book bag on the bed, and made my way over to her. “Kamya what’s the matter?” I could sense that something was seriously wrong.

  She continued to hang her head. “Do you care about me Phoenix?”

  “What?”

  She looked up at me, and frowned. “You heard me. Do you care about me?”

  I came and sat next to her. Looked her over closely. Saw the hickeys on her neck and felt angry.

  “Why the fuck is you asking me that?”

  She stood up.

  “Don’t start cursing at me and stuff because you don’t know how to answer my question. Now answer the damn question. Do you care about me or not, or am I just some forbidden conquest that gives you thrills every time you fuck me!”

  Kamya took two puffs of the cigarillo, and flicked it out of the window. After she walked past me she began to pace back and forth in the room. The television continued to play on the wall behind her.

  I was heated right away.

  “Kamya, what is wrong with you? You spend one night wit this nigga, and he got you questioning how I feel about you? Really?”

  She stopped mid pace.

  “Its taking you an awful long time to tell me what’s good? You know what Phoenix, Mikey been your guy for a long time. He knows how you think, and some of the things that he told me blew my mind. I’m starting to question your true love for me. I swear to God I am. Let me ask you this question, am I the only cousin you doing this shit wit?”

  I wasn’t fuckin wit Sabrina on that level no more. Kamya was the only one who I’d for the most part cuffed. I had my mind on taking over the city. It was to the point that I couldn’t even focus enough to fuck off wit Chilanga and her sister. All I thought about was the Game and Kamya, every other thought outside of those two were about Shanté. That’s just what it was.

  “Well?”

  “Yeah Kamya, damn. What’s good wit you, man?”.

  She placed her hand on the night table, and lowered her head.

  “You lying son of a bitch. If I’m the only one that you’re messing with on this level then who the fuck is Natalia?”

  Damn I forgot about her. My heart dropped into my stomach. I felt sick.

  “Man what the fuck y’all do, sit up and talk about me the whole time? You was supposed to be getting close to his bitch ass, so we could figure out the easiest way to go about snuffing him.”

  “Who the fuck is Natalia? Is she our cousin, and are you smashing this bitch too on some lovey dovey shit?!” Kamya snapped.

  I closed the distance between her and myself with a couple big strides the I snatched her up, and placed her against the wall holding her by the arms.

  “Baby calm yo as down. Damn. What the fuck is wrong wit you? I can’t believe you’re letting this nigga turn you against me.”

  She took a deep breath, and looked into my eyes.

  “You’re hurting me Phoenix. Not only are you hurting my arms right now, but you are hurting my heart.” She clenched her teeth.

  “Now let me go, and talk to me like a man.” She paused.

  “Nigga let me go!” She snapped, and tried to jerk her arm away from.

  “And answer the fuckin questions.”

  I continued to hold her.

  “I ain’t on no lovey dovey shit wit nobody, but if I was it wouldn’t be wit nobody but you. I love the fuck out of you Kamya. You’re my baby. You already know that.”

  She was silent for a while. Her face seemed to soften for a few seconds. Then she frowned, and yanked her wrists away from me.

  “Then who the fuck is Natalia? Ain’t she our cousin? Ain’t you fuckin this bitch? Don’t you got feelings for her and all that?”

  “Hell n’all. I just met her. I mean she cool and all, but I ain’t got no feelings. You tripping.” I returned. I watched her body language closely to see if there would be any changes in her.

  She turned her back to me. “So are you fuckin her though?”

  Since I hadn’t hit Natalia’s pussy since Moscow, and hadn’t been in contact with her like that, and didn’t know the next time that I would be I considered our fuckin to be the past, old news.

  “Hell n’all I ain’t fuckin her. You the only one I’m getting down wit right now. That nigga Mikey just trying to turn you against me.”

  Kamya sighed, and turned around to face me. She had tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “Damn Phoenix. I never thought you would lie to me.”

  The bathroom door to my left swung inward. Natalia emerged from it with her long hair flowing behind her. “Phoenix? Is that really how you feel?”

  I felt like all of the air had been let out of my sails. My stomach got the bubble guts. “Natalia what are you doing here?”

  “Damn that Phoenix. After all I’ve done for you, you’re going to make it seem as if I basically don’t matter. Like we don’t have something special? How dare you Phoenix?”

  She stepped into my face. The scent of her perfume was heavy. Even in the stuck state of mind that I was in I had to admit that Natalia was fine as a muthafucka. Her piercing blue eyes were a problem for me. I couldn’t stop staring into them.

  “Natalia, that’s my baby over there. Me and her have been through some shit. You wanted to know about the craziness that goes on inside of our family, well you’re seeing it first hand. Kamya is my heart.”

  “It sure don’t feel like Phoenix. It sucks that I had to find out about her through Mikey. I thought you and I kept it one hunnit with each other at all times. Boy, you just lied straight to my face. You are fuckin her.”

  Natalia picked a piece of lint off of her Fendi spring jacket.

  “What are you going to do Phoeni
x? I mean I know that you and I have just gotten in tune with each other, but I care about you a great deal. What we have is more then just fucking.” She glared at Kamya.

  “You’re the last piece of my father that is living on this earth, as far as I know. I’m not trying to break up anything that you two have going on. I mean I’m still figuring our family out. But I swear that I’ll be everything to you that I am supposed to be, and more. I just want you to be apart of my life. I want us to get close. All of us. Even you Kamya. I’m not trying to take Phoenix away from you. Hell, I’m trying to get to know you as well. You’re a very pretty female. In fact you’re perfect.”

  Kamya mugged her.

  “Look, it ain’t no disrespect to you or nothin like that, but I’m still trying to figure out where you come from. Who is your mother again, and how are you related to us?”

  She smiled calmly to herself.

  “My mother’s name was Nastia. She was Russian. My father’s name was Taurus. Taurus is Phoenix’s uncle.”

  “Taurus is her father, Phoenix? Seriously?” Kamya looked shocked.

  I nodded. “Yeah, that’s her pops. If you stare at her long enough you’ll see some of his traits. She definitely got his dimples.”

  Natalia smiled. “That’s what my mother used to say.”

  “Why do you speak about your mother in the past tense the way that you do. Isn’t she still alive and well.” Kamya asked.

  Natalia shook her head, and looked into my eyes. “My mother passed away suddenly this year.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Kamya offered her condolences.

  “Thank you, but I’m dealing with it.” She exhaled loudly, then maintained her silence. She looked from me to Kamya.