“Where Fred at?” asked the gunman.
“Nigga, fuck you!” screamed Rimp.
The masked gunman kicked him in the ribs so hard he could hardly breathe. “One last time. Where Fred at?”
“Fuck you, my nigga,” Rimp said painfully.
The gunman pistol whipped him, causing blood to fly everywhere in the back of the van. “Is it still fuck me, nigga? Where he at?”
Rimp blacked out again from the pain. His head and face were gashed up and bloody.
“Man, fuck this nigga!” The gunman put the pistol to his head and was about to squeeze the trigger until the other man stopped him.
“Nah, fool!” he yelled. They want this nigga alive. Not dead.”
“Damn.” The angry gunman put away the nine millimeter. “My bad.”
*******
Monica was happy; however, she was sad to be home. Her mind was on her man. Knowing she had to break out of it, she decided to go shopping. While she was debating with herself about who to take with her, the phone rang. It was Erica.
“Hey girl. I heard you was back in town,” Erica said.
Erica was Monica’s home girl from the sandbox days all the way through college. She was five foot even, chocolate, and thick in all of the right places.
“Erica, I was just about to call you,” said Monica.
“Girl, please,” Erica said sarcastically. “I haven’t heard from you in six months.”
Doing the math in her head, Monica said, “Damn, it’s been that long?”
“Yep,” she replied.
“Anyways,” Monica started to say, “you want to go to the mall?”
Erica laughed. “Girl, my money funny. You keep forgetting I got four girls.”
“You good, Erica. It’s on me. I got you,” Monica said.
“Fo’ real?” her homegirl said with enthusiasm. “I’ll meet you there at 2. I got to find somebody to keep these bad-ass kids.”
“Okay,” Monica said, laughing. “I’ll see you soon.”
Monica hung up. As she went upstairs to get ready for a shower, she scanned through her unread text messages and saw she had one from K.C. “Damn,” she said to herself with a smile. It had been twelve years since she’d heard from him.
She opened the text that read, “Hey Monica, it’s K.C., the light-skinned green-eyed nigga that told you no matter what I will always find your sexy ass. Can we have dinner tonight?’
Now how did he manage to find me after all this time? she thought to herself. She showered with him on her mind. Dinner with him won’t be all that bad, she thought. She dried off and got fresh for her girls’ day out.
She pulled up in the mall’s parking lot. As she parked, her phone vibrated. She answered, “Hello?”
“I see your car,” Erica said.
“Good,” replied Monica.
She hopped out and walked over to the entrance door where Erica was standing. Seeing Monica, she said, “Bitch, it’s hot as hell out here.”
They laughed and hugged.
“Bitch, come on!” Monica yelled. “Let’s shop!”
They went through the mall on a shopping spree.
Tee and his partner Ju-Ju watched them from a distance.
“Damn, Tee, this shit gon’ be double the pleasure,” Ju-Ju said, licking his lips.
“You ain’t lying, my nigga,” Tee said, keeping his eyes on them. “Two bad-ass bitches.”
“Fo’ sho’,” Ju-Ju replied. “But let’s not forget the mission, my nigga. We out to get paid. That bitch Monica is Lil Will’s girl.”
“Sweet,” Tee commented. “Let’s pull up, my nigga.”
Monica and Erica made their way around the mall at least twice before they called it a day. “Damn, a bitch feet tired from fuckin’ with you, Monica,” Erica said playfully. “What time is it?”
Monica looked at her pink diamond Citizen watch and said, “Bitch, we only shopped for five hours.”
“A’ight, bitch,” Erica said. “You going to pay my babysitter?”
“Shit, I forgot,” Monica said honestly. “My bad, homegirl. Let’s go.”
Ten thousand dollars later, they walked out carrying their bags.
“Hold up, ladies,” Ju-Ju said as he and his partner walked up. “Let us help y’all with that.”
They paused in stride as the two men approached. Erica didn’t have a problem with relieving her hands, arms, and shoulders of her bags. Not wanting to be stank about it, Monica let the other guy carry hers.
“I’m Ju-Ju and this my nigga, homie Tee,” Ju-Ju said, introducing him and his partner.
“I’m Monica and that’s Erica,” Monica said politely. “I appreciate your assistance, but I ain’t single. I got a man.”
That still didn’t stop Ju-Ju from being a gentleman about the situation. He and Tee carried the bags and made small talk with Monica and Erica along the way. They made it to her car and put the bags in. Ju-Ju looked around and asked Monica, “Where he at?”
She frowned and said, “Excuse me?”
“You said you got a man,” he said. “Where is he?”
“Out of town, handling business, if you must know,” she responded with a mild touch of sarcasm.
“No way in hell I’d be anywhere without you by my side if you was mines,” Ju-Ju rebounded smoothly.
“Thanks for the compliment,” Monica replied.
“Your sexy ass deserves it and more. Give me a chance to show you how much more you deserve,” he pleaded.
She looked at Erica, who was enjoying the attention she was getting from the other man. “Listen,” she said to Ju-Ju, “as you can see, we’re having a girls’ day out. Niggas not included. Besides, I got to get my homegirl back home to her kids.”
Ju-Ju opened the door for her. “Just keep a nigga in mind.”
“Probably not,” said Monica before screaming at her homegirl. “Erica, bring yo’ ass on!”
She jumped in on the passenger side and they drove off. Erica was hyped up from her conversation with Tee and said, “Damn, girl. You see them fine-ass niggas?”
“Kind of hard not to. They slid up with that weak-ass pickup game,” said Monica.
They laughed. She dropped Erica off and made her way home. As she lay in the bed, she thought about what Ju-Ju had said and tried calling Lil Will. All she got was voicemail.
“Damn, bae. I haven’t heard from you in a week. What’s up?”
She hung up and thought to herself, My mama told me about niggas like this. Don’t be so quick to give up the goodies. Make them wait and work for it. Damn, I played myself. She cried herself to sleep.
The next morning she got ready for work with her mind made up. If the nigga didn’t live up to her vision of him, she was gone. God knows what he’s doing and two can play that game, she thought to herself.
*******
As Erica dropped her kids off at school, her phone rang. She answered. “Hello?”
“Hey sexy eyes. How are you?” a male voice said.
“Who is this?” Erica asked.
“The nigga you know you need to be with,” the man replied.
“I know a lot of niggas who want to wife a bitch,” she snapped.
“Well damn. I need to get my shit together. How about I take you to breakfast?” the man proposed.
“Maybe. Maybe not. Depends on who I’m talking to,” she said girlishly.
“It’s Tee,” he said. “You didn’t save my number in yo’ phone?”
“Only numbers in my phone are my homegirls, job, baby daddy, and babysitter. Everybody else is suspect,” Erica shot back.
“Damn, Erica, I like yo’ flava. So, what’s up? We doing breakfast so we can talk face to face? A nigga ain’t seen yo’ sexy ass since the mall and we been texting all night the past few days,” said Tee.
“A’ight, boo. You picked the right day because I’m off from work,” said Erica
“Great,” he responded happily. “Meet me at Ann’s Café on 18th Street in ten min
utes.”
“I’m on my way, boo,” she replied sexually. “Bye.” She hung up.
Tee went through his contacts, found Ju-Ju’s number, and called him.
“Yo,” Ju-Ju said, answering his phone.
“I’m about to have breakfast with Erica,” Tee told him.
“Good,” said Ju-Ju. “See what you can find out about Lil Will. I’m waiting on his bitch to get at me. She’s the key we need to make this shit go smooth.”
“I really don’t think the nigga got a stash there,” Tee said. “The nigga ain’t slow by a long shot. I’ll tell Erica to set some shit up. See if she can talk her friend into hooking up on a double date.”
“That’s the move. Just be smart, and play it cool, my nigga,” Ju-Ju said, sounding concerned.
“No pressure,” Tee said as he looked up and saw her coming. “Here come Erica. I’ll holla at ya.”
Tee hung up and hopped out of his ride. His eyes were glued on her the whole time. Her five foot even, one hundred forty pound frame, long black hair, and fat jiggling ass was perfection.
And to think she has kids, he thought to himself as he walked up and said, “What’s good, sexy? I’m glad you could make it.” He grabbed her hand and kissed it. “Let’s eat. I’m starving. More so for a taste of you.”
They walked in holding hands and making small talk which continued as they ate. “Erica, can we do this more often?” asked Tee. “And what’s the deal with yo’ homegirl?” he asked. “Is she like you?”
“And what is that supposed to mean?” she said with attitude.
“My nigga is a good dude and he feeling shorty,” was his reply.
“Dead issue,” was Erica’s blunt response. “She’s in love with her man Lil Will.”
“Understood,” said Tee. “My boy just trying to take her out and show her a good time. You know, have a li’l fun since her man ain’t in town. We all can hook up and kick it. You think you can talk her into it?”
“Say that I can,” Erica said seductively. “What you going to do for me?”
“Oh. It’s like that?” he shot back.
“Something like that,” she said.
They laughed. He leaned across the table and kissed her soft lips. For a second, she seemed all in, but then she pushed him back. “Slow your roll, boy. I got to go.”
They locked eyes for what seemed like forever. It took a lot of willpower for her to break the stare. Out the door and back in her car, she was able to breathe easy again.
She looked at her phone and saw Monica had tried to hit her up. She called her back. “My bad, Monica.”
“Bitch, where you been?” asked Monica. “I been texting and calling yo’ ass for a minute.”
Erica scrolled through her missed calls list. “I see. I had left my phone in the car.”
“So how did it go?” Monica pried.
“He straight. We talked,” was her modest answer.
“Bitch, quit tryin’ to sound all grown up about it. Give me the tea,” demanded Monica.
“Girl, the nigga might be my soulmate,” Erica said all girly. “We got so much in common. We cool.”
“What do he do? Where the nigga from?” asked Monica.
“Jersey,” she replied.
“Let me guess,” Monica said while thinking, “he’s here on business? What about Ju-Ju? What’s up with him? He don’t sound like a Jersey nigga.”
Erica laughed. “It’s funny that you asked about him because he definitely wants to get to know you. And he knows about Will, but bitch, you need to get out and have some fun. Hell, he might be doing the same thing in GA.”
Erica gave her something to think about. She knew nine times out of ten she was right. It was time for her to do her.
“Okay. Let’s go out tonight,” said Monica.
“Bitch, stop playin’!” Erica yelled.
“I’m dead ass. I need to get out and get my mind right,” Monica said.
“Okay. I know the spot. Just be at my house at ten,” Erica responded quickly.
“Bet that up. I’ll see you then, homegirl,” Monica said before she hung up, smiling as she thought it was all about her tonight.
Chapter Eight
Mark and Lil Will cruised the streets of Albany. Due to the fact it was summertime, all the bad bitches were sporting two-piece bikini suits and shit of that nature. Mark was having a field day.
“Fam, this shit is different from up top,” Mark said.
“Yeah, I know,” was Lil Will's response.
“These bitches thick as fuck,” Mark said while watching a group of broads stroll down the street, asses hanging out of the bottoms of the cutoff jean shorts and jiggling like Jell-O.
“True,” Lil Will said, cutting his eyes at Mark, “but don’t let 'em fool you. They’ll be deep in yo’ pockets while fuckin’ and suckin’ you to yo’ satisfaction.”
They had pulled up at the club. Inside, it was packed with bad bitches.
“This is the Fox,” said Lil Will. “My nigga run it, so we 'bout to get lifted.”
The hoes were watching them closely. Some of them watched to see who they were going to fuck and get money out of, and others just dancing, having a ball.
“In here, you better know how to hit,” Lil Will yelled to Mark over the music. “It goes down. You got niggas from C.M.E., Chop Shop Boyz, D.D.B., Eastside, and Front Street. My nigga, we with The Southside. We the deepest.”
While niggas were making their presence known, they were on the hoes. Lil Will was walking through, gone on the gas and drink, when he bumped into a dark-skinned broad. They looked at each other.
“Damn! Watch where you goin’, girl!” he yelled.
“Nah, nigga! Watch where you goin’!” she yelled back.
Before he could respond, Mark came up and tapped him on the shoulder and said, “Ain’t that ya brotha Dink over there?”
He looked and said, “Yeah!”
“Looks like shit about to get real for him,” said Mark.
He turned back to the dark-skinned sister in front of him and said, “I’m going to catch up with you later!”
He strolled onto the dance floor to see what the move was. The nigga his brother was having words with looked like a bouncer or like he belonged in the NFL. Either way, he grabbed two double deuce bottles and eased up behind his brother to hear what was being said.
“Li’l nigga, you called my girl a bitch,” the big dude said as he squared off with Dink.
“And?” Dink said, drunk as hell.
“And, nigga, I’ll fuck you up,” the big nigga said as he rushed toward Dink.
And without hesitation, Lil Will caught him by surprise. He broke both bottles over his head. Next thing you know, the S.M.F. niggas were all over his ass and the Front Street Boys were on the C.M.E. niggas as well.
The lights came on. Niggas were getting stomped out. Some were stabbed and the rest were running out of the building. It looked like a real crime scene. Blood was everywhere in puddles on the floor.
Lil Will grabbed his brother’s drunk ass and Mark. They fled the scene as the semi-automatics started sounding off. Once they were a good distance away, he called Dink. “Bruh, you good?”
“Yeah, these niggas always want some smoke 'bout a bitch,” Dink said, voice slurred.
“Shit happens,” said Lil Will. “Take yo’ drunk ass home, big bruh. We’ll get up tomorrow.”
“A’ight, Will. One, fam,” Dink replied. He hung up.
Mark started laughing and said, “Nigga, you called that shit out.”
“Yeah. A nigga done worked up an appetite,” Lil Will said. “Swing by Krystal’s.”
They got to Crystals and it was packed. Mark looked at the long line at the drive thru and those who were inside, and said, “Damn. We gon’ be here all night tryin’ to eat.”
Lil Will laughed. “Nigga, this is where everybody comes after the club. I’m ’bout to catch one of these broads.”
“Speaking of females,”
Mark started to say, “have you talked to Monica?”
It dawned on him. “Hell no. Fuck, fam, I’ve been so focused on this move a bitch ain’t crossed my mind. I know she mad as hell. Let me call her crazy ass.”
“Yeah, you do that while I go inside and get the grub,” Mark said and hopped out.
Lil Will hit her up. The phone rang and rang. After the fourth try he gave up and decided he’d try again tomorrow.
As he looked up, he saw his partner Richard Boy pull up. He jumped out and strolled over to greet him.
“What up, my nigga,” Lil Will said.
“Damn,” Richard Boy said, seeing Lil Will. “What up, homie? You don’t call to let a nigga know you in town?”
“Got a lot going on,” said Lil Will.
“Shit,” Richard Boy commented, “I was with yo’ brotha the first time you came down.”
“Word,” said Lil Will.
“Yeah,” he stated, “and nigga, I want in.”
“Richard, you know I got you,” Lil Will said as he pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket. “Here.”
He gave him a thousand and told him to get at him tomorrow. As he turned to walk back to his ride, he caught sight of the dark-skinned female he’d bumped into at the club. She and a friend hopped out of a platinum 2013 Benz. Dammit, man, he thought to himself. There was something about her he couldn’t quite put a finger on, but he felt like one day she would be his. As he was in deep thought, Mark hopped in with the food. He’d seen the same females, but didn’t say shit.
“Man, that’s that,” said Mark.
“Yeah,” Lil Will said, still caught up in his thoughts, “that’s the one right there.”
“Well, I got this broad I’m 'bout to meet at the room,” Mark said.
“Okay,” Lil Will replied. “You don’t waste time, fam.”
Mark chuckled. “Fo’ what? I’m 'bout to dig deep off up in this GA pussy. Is Monica good?”
“She didn’t answer,” he replied.
“Damn, fam, it’s all good. It’s late. You know she works a 9 to 5 fo’ hers,” Mark said, trying to ease the tension.
Grind Mode Page 6
