As they pulled up at a red light, Oshiwa sat processing this new information.
“Okay,” she finally replied staring straight ahead.
“I mean, that nigga don’t give a fuck about me Oshiwa and you know it. He just wanted to use me to keep hope alive for himself. At the end of the day, this is the game and it gets dirty. You and me did all the fucking grinding so in my eyes this is our money anyway.”
Oshiwa was still processing things as Doe explained his side.
“Now that Bones is out of our way we can set the city on fire, you feel me? I’m not hot, you ’re not wanted anymore. It’s time to get this money!” he finished.
She knew Doe was right about some of what he was saying. He was free to move and hustle as he pleased which was probably why his come up was happening so fast. A big burden had also been removed from her life by having been questioned and released by police concerning Bones. She knew they’d never stop watching her but now she was free to roam the city as she pleased and that would make all the difference in the world. But there was one thing Doe was forgetting.
“I’m not gon’ lie, I might have stayed loyal to Bones a little too long but the fact is that nigga is still a fucking bull and he ain’t about to just lay down and let you take his shit like that, Doe.”
“I’m not worried about Bones, is you?”
“Hell yeah!” she shouted.
“You still love him?”
“That’s not the point. You can’t just fuck over a nigga like Bones and move on with your life. You know him better than that.”
Doe wasn’t listening. His mind was made up about how things were going to go from here.
“Look, half of everything I have is yours. You want it or not?”
“Oh, I definitely want what’s mine but you gotta be smart, Doe. This ain’t the way to go about doing things.”
“So what’s your suggestion? ‘Cause I’m not giving Bones shit.”
Oshiwa shook her head insistently.
“You gotta give him something; that’s the only way to keep his ass content. If you really wanna do this you gotta rock Bones to sleep, Doe. He ain’t going away quietly, I promise you that.”
At that point, they ended the discussion at a stalemate. Oshiwa relaxed into the comfy leather seats and started to plan her next moves. She didn’t know how Doe was going to feel about it but she wanted in on whatever he had established. Oshiwa had felt the taste of being her own boss and never wanted to go back. She’d been running operations for so long now it just felt like her calling. Her feelings for Bones were slowly drifting away as she became blinded by dollar signs and the hopes of street fame that would surpass any and everyone before her.
When they arrived at Doe’s new condo, once again Oshiwa was very impressed with Doe’s layout and the view of downtown Detroit. The spacious sitting area was well decorated and Oshiwa wondered who put so much thought into it. The black and white painting that hung from the walls matched the off-white paint perfectly. The stainless steel kitchen was accentuated with a breakfast bar and marble countertops.
Doe had a few outfits for her to choose from laid out on the crème leather sectional in the sitting area. Oshiwa went to take a shower in the surprisingly spotless bathroom that was highlighted with more marble and a sexy, glass enclosed walk-in shower. As she washed away the past ninety days of hell she’d been through sitting in the county, she couldn’t keep her mind off of Bones. She had to give him a call and make sure that she was in the clear.
He would probably want her to come and be with him but that wasn’t about to happen. Now that she was free of the burden of being his rider she wasn’t going back. When Oshiwa emerged from the bathroom she was wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around her body as she used another one to dry her wild and unmanaged hair.
“I gotta hurry up and get to a fucking salon,” she said to herself.
She went searching for Doe to see if he’d rolled the blunt up that she was dying to hit. She found him still right where she’d left him in the sitting area lighting up the blunt for the first time. He gawked at her lustfully, releasing smoke from his lungs as she came closer. On the coffee table was seven individual stacks of cash. Oshiwa smiled lovingly.
“For me?”
Doe nodded.
“How much is that?”
“Hundred and fifty thousand,” he replied.
“Uh!” She clutched her heart. “I just came.”
Doe burst into laughter before he reached out to hand her the blunt. Without warning, Oshiwa eased up on the sectional sofa and mounted Doe's lap, facing him as she took the blunt in her hand. As she eased her bare pussy down on his lap she could feel his dicking rising, pressing against her lower lips. What was understood didn’t need to be explained and that truth was in both of their eyes. She took a long pull from the blunt and Doe’s hands found their way to her booty.
“You know it’s me and you now right?” Doe said as he squeezed her cheeks for the first time ever.
Oshiwa took another long pull then released.
“That’s what it looks like.”
She leaned in and kissed Doe. He slid his tongue in her mouth. They continuously tongued each other down while Doe began to stroke on her pussy lips and play with her clit. Oshiwa was feining for sex and she tore at his zipper forcefully. Doe ripped the towel from her torso exposing her breast. He sucked on her pretty brown nipples as she fingered his boxers until she’d pulled out his rod. Slowly, she inserted him inside of her.
She watched Doe’s eyes roll in the back of his head as his dream became a reality. He palmed her ass even tighter and began to bounce Oshiwa up and down on his pole as she steadied herself using his shoulders. Her lips found his again and she kissed him with a lover’s passion. This steamy, hot sexual consummation of their new love affair would last throughout the remainder of the day. Neither one of them knew if it would grow to be a match made in heaven or hell.
Chapter 19
Buffalo, New York
Since fleeing the city for a second time Bones had been hiding at a house owned by women that weren’t his blood relatives, just like Pam. Simone was related to Pam and Pam knew that Bones and Simone spoke the same language…the language of money. It had cost him every dime he had to live in the two-story brick colonial style home but during this time he’d not only lost all his money, he was on the verge of losing his mind.
With no Oshiwa around to ease his worries, all Bones could think about was how he was going to kill Doe when he found him. The stress of his wanted status made the walls feel like they were closing in, clogging his brain as he searched for ideas. How could he come out the hole he was in? When the cell phone rang it startled him because it never rang. The only person that ever called him was Simone wanting money but since he was broke now, she just wanted him to leave.
Bones jumped up and rushed to the phone to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Hey baby, it’s me,” Oshiwa said.
“Bitch, where the fuck is my money?” Bones barked.
“Baby I just got out. Why are you mad at me? I didn’t know what was going on until yesterday.”
“You got out yesterday?”
“Yeah.”
“So why the fuck are you just now calling me today?”
“Baby, you need to calm down. Everything is gonna be alright.”
“Who the fuck you think you talking to?”
Bones was pissed off and since he hadn’t talked to Doe he was taking it out on her.
“I’m trying to tell you what happened if you shut the fuck up and listen!” Oshiwa snapped.
“Where’s Doe? I want him to tell me what happened.”
“I’m not with Doe right now baby I'm making a run.”
“Oh…making a run huh? You back in the mix already?” Bones said with envy in his tone.
“Look, Bones I don’t know…”
“Don’t call me that, what’s wrong with you?” he shouted angrily.
Oshiwa’s patience was running just as thin as his.
“Well, look, nigga! I don’t know what you think is going on but Doe ran into some problems that he had to bounce back from. I don’t have nothing to do with whatever happened in the last ninety days because I was in a box and if you don’t understand that, then fuck you too. You want my help or not?”
Bones couldn’t believe his ears. He had to take the phone away and just look at it for a minute. No way would Oshiwa ever take that tone in his presence. Everyone was becoming more and more disrespectful now that he was far away.
“You know what? I’m on my way back home bitch and we gon’ see what’s up when I get there,” he promised.
“Bones I’m trying to help you get your money but damn—”
He hung up before she could finish.
****
Oshiwa sat holding the phone in a bit of confusion as to what her next move should be. Doe sat close by smoking weed while watching and waiting to find out what was said between them. She tossed the phone on the coffee table and plopped down on the sectional.
“What he say?” Doe finally asked after a long pull from his blunt.
“He mad as fuck, he just hung up in my face,” she replied.
“Fuck that nigga.”
Oshiwa shook her head in disbelief.
“You think shit a game, this nigga talking about coming back to the city to look for us Doe.”
“I don’t think shit a game but why you keep acting like that nigga can’t be touched.”
“I don’t know, maybe ‘cause he ain’t been touched by nobody ever!” she shouted.
Doe waved her off and he stood up and walked out of the room. When he came back he was carrying a charcoal grey Sig Sauer pistol. He racked a bullet in the chamber as he sat down and handed it to Oshiwa.
“From now on take that bitch with you everywhere you go. You’ve had enemies since the day we met so just add Bones to the list of people to shoot first and ask questions later.”
Oshiwa took the gun in her hand as the realization finally kicked in that Bones was now her enemy. As she looked Doe in the eyes his lack of fear gave her comfort. If any of this was going to work out she needed a solid dude like him to hold her down. Oshiwa wasn’t used to getting her hands dirty but she felt the times changing. She took a deep breath as she decided to accept the challenges that this life she wanted came with.
“I’m dumping that cell phone today so see if you can get me another one while you out,” she finally said.
“I gotchu. You staying in today?”
“Yeah, I need some time to think. Where’s my house keys though?”
Oshiwa and Bones still owned the house they lived in before she was busted but she wanted to get the locks changed and put in a new alarm system.
“I got ‘em put in the safe. Just let me know when you need ‘em”
“What I need is the combination to that safe nigga. It can’t be no secrets between us if you want me to trust you with my life.”
Doe thought for a minute. He wanted Oshiwa to know that he was all in with her and would have her back completely.
“Okay. Anything else?” Doe asked.
“Yeah, one more thing. I think it’s time you introduced me to your plug.”
****
Gunner and Kelly met up at Fishbone’s in Greektown. They sat near a window with a view of the lively streets watching people scurry about. The two had decided to let both grandmothers have the pleasure of spending time with their grandkids. His mom kept Butter and Kelly’s parents kept Jr. while the two of them spent time together and talked about what was next for them. Kelly had noticed how hard Gunner was working to hold on to their marriage but under the circumstances, she would expect nothing less. So while she noticed the effort, it hadn’t swayed her.
“I got something to tell you,” Gunner said.
“What? How much you love me?” She smiled sarcastically.
“Nah, I think what I have to say is much bigger than that. I wouldn’t have called you out of the house like this just to tell you that. I could’ve said that over the phone. What I have to say is something you been waiting to hear for a long time.”
“Okay, well you definitely have my attention,” she replied leaning back in her seat.
Gunner leaned in and grabbed her by the hand and stroked his thumb over the wedding ring he was glad to see she was wearing again.
“I’m getting out the game,” he revealed.
At first, Kelly just sat there with a blank stare in her eyes. Then she had a wave of uncontrollable blinking. Not that she was on the verge of tears or anything. Just confused and a little lost for words at the moment.
“Keith?”
“What?”
“Do not play with me,” she said firmly.
“Do I look like I’m playing? I know I can’t raise my kids from a jail cell and I know no matter how much money I leave you it won’t replace me if I’m dead. It ain’t take me all these years to figure that shit out either. It just took me all these years to care enough to not be selfish no more.”
Kelly was floored. Completely.
“Wow. You’re serious?” she said staring in his eyes still searching for some sign of deceit.
“I’m dead serious. I’m getting out. I want you to see that I can be all you need me to be. I want you to see that no matter what I’ve done in the past I’m not that same nigga that I was. I’m getting out for you and for everyone that I love and I know needs me.”
Once again Kelly was stumped. This was something she never thought she’d hear come out of Gunner’s mouth. She hadn’t factored in how it would affect her thinking. She had just started to accept the fact that he was going to live life the way he wanted to live it no matter the consequences.
“I don’t even know what to say right now. How soon?”
“I’ll be out by my birthday. Just enough time to make the transition. I’ve been talking to Dan about making some investments in real estate and starting up a business.”
“What kind of business?”
“You know Heavy that owns the car lot?”
“Yeah, Trina’s cousin.”
“Yeah, well, he’s going through some financial trouble and he’s looking to sell. He asked me about it months ago but I went back and talked to him about it the other day. He said he’ll even still run the place if I need ‘em.”
As Gunner talked Kelly’s heart fluttered. She couldn’t help but be overjoyed hearing how he had really thought this through and was making plans to move forward.
“Oh my God, I’m so happy right now. I don’t think you know how good this makes me feel right now.”
Seeing Kelly’s face light up the way it did let Gunner know he was making the right decision. While she was in a joyous mood he decided to seize the moment as he leaned over the table and kissed her lips. Kelly didn’t resist or complain. She was too busy smiling and being proud of her husband.
Chapter 20
It was the day before Gunner’s birthday and retirement party when Jay and Michelle arrived in Detroit and checked into the Marriott. Today they would take time to visit the people they loved that wouldn’t be at the party tomorrow. Jay was going to see his aunt Jean and Michelle would hang out with Leslie, of course. But right now the two were just lying in the bed being lazy and enjoying the touch of each other’s skin pressed against one another.
Michelle’s leg was wrapped around Jay as he cuffed her ass and sniffed her neck, taking in the beautiful mixed scents of her body wash and lotion.
“I’m hungry,” Michelle mumbled.
“I got something you can eat,” Jay teased, talking dirty.
“Ha ha, fuck you. I need something I can swallow not suck.”
“I got something you can swallow too,” he went on.
“I set myself up for that one didn’t I?”
“Yeah, you did. Order something.”
“I will when I figure out what I got a taste for
.”
She gently massaged Jay’s back as they stared into each other’s eyes.
“You about to be my wife soon,” Jay spoke right above a whisper.
“And you’ll be my husband soon,” Michelle replied.
“I’m doing everything right? I mean, you happy with us? Is it something I could be doing that I’m not?”
Michelle was a little caught off guard by the question. She’d never known Jay to doubt himself in any sense of the word.
“Of course I’m happy. What made you ask me that?”
“I just wanna make sure I’m doing this right. I’m still getting used to being in a relationship and now I’m about to be your husband. I just wanna make sure I’m representing right.”
“You’re doing a bang-up job. And if I haven’t told you lately I’m really proud of you…I’m proud of everything you’ve done with your life since we left Detroit.”
Jay was smiling inside. He was ready to spend the rest of his life making sure Michelle was happy and pleased with him. She’d sacrificed a lot to be with him and he’d never forget that fact.
****
For the past few weeks, Oshiwa had been floating on a cloud. She and Doe had created the perfect partnership. Now that she was free from the bondage of Bones, Oshiwa was able to hit the streets hard and make her presence felt. With Doe’s help, she was finding new locations to set up shop and expanding their team, employing more hustlers and shooters from different areas surrounding the west side of Detroit.
Today was a special day. It took a little time and convincing but Oshiwa was finally about to meet the plug. She had one stop to make to pick up some more cash from the house. When turned the key in the door and walked inside, she immediately felt this eerie feeling in her stomach. She glanced around the living room and noticed some things looked out of place. Before she could process the thought Bones entered the room gripping a huge pistol in his hand.
The wave of fear that came over Oshiwa sent chills through her body. It was then that she realized she’d never gotten the locks changed. She’d let Doe distract her into underestimating Bones’s evil streak and now she was about to pay for it.
Married to the Game Page 14
