City Lights

by George Sherman Hudson

  “I just moved! I ain’t about…”

  B-low cut in.

  “You coming with me, I promised Real that I would keep you safe and that’s what I am going to do,” B-low said firmly.

  “I…”

  “Follow me,” B-low instructed as he hurried to his car holding his bleeding wound.

  Constance didn’t argue she knew her life was in danger. She looked down at her cell phone hoping Real would call as she followed B-low out to Gwinnett. Constance did a double take as they pulled up in front of B-low’s million dollar home. The house is not what impressed her, it was B-low financial situation. She never would have thought that even after looking at his luxury car that B-low was living a millionaire lifestyle. She guided her Bentley in behind him and parked.

  “Nice house,” Constance said as she helped B-low nurse his wound as they headed up to the front door.

  “Thanks,” B-low said enjoying Constance touch.

  Opening the front door Constance was taken in by the custom designed marble floors and all the black and gold furniture fixtures. The custom made furnishings with gold accents gave the house a feel of royalty. B-low had personally picked one of the most expensive, well know interior designers to decorate the house, giving her an unlimited budget to capture the feel he was looking for.

  “Tell me what’s going on. What have you and Real done to make someone want to come after me?” Constance asked with a slight hint of panic in her voice.

  “I think you should holla at Real about that. Until then I want you to stay in my guest house. You need to close down your office and I will get your stuff moved into storage tomorrow. Straight up, you have to stay here because the people we are dealing with are not to be taken lightly,” B-low said standing in the kitchen while placing an alcohol soaked rag on his wound.

  “I want you to tell me what’s going on,” Constance asked again as her eyes started to water.

  “Sorry can’t,” B-low said looking down intently into Constance big pretty eyes wanting to take her into his arms and console her.

  “Why!” Constance screamed getting angry.

  “As soon as I clean up we going out to your place to get your things,” B-low replied ignoring her question, making Constance angry.

  “You already told me that yall killed somebody! Why are they coming after me!” Constance yelled.

  “Look here, we killed some Italian muthafuckas point blank period! The men we killed were heads of two of the most powerful families in the cartel. Somehow they must have found out we were behind the murders and now they out for revenge. You are just going to have to lay low until we straighten this shit out.” B-low said firmly as he bandaged his wound.

  “I need to talk to Real,” Constance said faintly as she took a seat at the custom all glass dining room table.

  “You going to be ok, I got your back,” B-low replied walking over and patting Constance on the shoulder.

  Chapter 42

  “Take everything off and hand it to me one at a time.” The fat white officer instructed as he kept a close eye on Real to make sure that he wasn’t trying to conceal anything.

  “Boxers too?” Real asked as a couple more inmates looked on waiting to be stripped next.

  “You don’t understand English boy, everything,” the man spat as he searched every piece of clothing Real had on and then threw them on the floor.

  Real was seconds away from punching the officer square in the face.

  “Yeah, whatever,” Real mumbled as he stood naked in the gym’s bathroom floor.

  “Bend over, squat and cough,” the officer barked as sweat dripped from his forehead.

  Real thought hard before he submitted to the officer’s demand. He knew he had no win in his current position so he did what he was told. After the officer cleared him Real picked up his clothes, got dressed and exited the bathroom.

  After being stripped, he and Tino found a spot on the crowded gym bench and patiently waited for the officers back down in the dorm to get finished searching their rooms.

  “Man this shit too crazy, how long we suppose to be in this hot ass gym?” Real asked Tino who watched the other inmates, begging the gym officer for a basketball so they could run a couple of games while they waited.

  “Man ain’t no telling. You good? That thang hid good ain’t it?” Tino asked Real hoping Real had the shank pushed all the way to the back of the heater.

  “Yeah it’s straight.”

  Real and Tino sat around talking and watching the other inmates chase the basketball. They didn’t notice the group of gang bangers huddling up on the far side of the gym floor. The OG of their set had just been passed a message, a half a million was being offered for Richard Walker aka Real’s life. The OG called a meeting and discussed with his other bangers the best way to take care of Real.

  “Look yall, I just got word that it’s a half a million waiting on who ever took out a nigga name Richard Walker, do anybody know ‘em?” Tuk asked his fellow gang members who stood around hungrily wanting a piece of the half million.

  “Naw. Nope. Never heard of him,” all the bangers chimed in.

  “Look I’ll get with lil Chubb that work in ID and find out who he is but until then yall get tooled up and ready to ride, ain’t no way we going to pass up that half a mill,” the OG said forcefully.

  “Bro how you know the money good?” One of the bangers called out.

  “The money is guaranteed. Just put it like this, the people high up getting a cut that nobody knows about but me…well us now,” the OG said as he started dapping them up with their signature hand movement.

  “Everybody return to the building!” The gym officer yelled, as he demanded the basketball from the men running up and down the gym floor.

  “That’s our cue,” Tino said, as him and Real followed the crowd out of the gym door.

  “Excuse me bro,” Real said as he mistakenly bumped into the OG as they both exited the gym.

  “No problem young blood,” the OG replied as he headed up to I.D. to find out who Richard Walker was.

  Real and Tino returned to the dorm hoping nothing was found in their room. Entering the dorm they noticed some room doors was closed and some was open. Looking closer Tino saw that his door was closed. After everyone had entered the seargent on the CERT team told everyone to lock down so now everyone who door was closed was still standing outside their door. The warden sat at the dorm control panel looking through the items found in the locked cells. After examining the items he gave the CERT team orders to lock the men who stood outside of their doors in the hole.

  “Fuck!” Tino spat as the CERT officer handcuffed him and escorted him to the hole.

  Real mouthed something to Tino as he passed his cell. Tino knew they had found his cell phone so he mentally prepared himself for the thirty plus days he would be in the hole. After they cleared the dorm everybody was free to come out of their room. Real cleaned up his property that was thrown everywhere and then headed downstairs to call Constance.

  Chapter 43

  “What the hell!” Real said as he pushed button after button on the prison’s blue wall phone that wasn’t working.

  Real tried the other two wall phones and found out that they wasn’t working either. Needing to talk to Constance bad, Real stepped over to Fly the dread from Miami room who he worked out with every now and then.

  “Say Fly, bro I need a favor,” Real said as he stepped in and pulled the door up behind him.

  “What’s up Real?” Dread asked getting up off the bed just in case Real came with trouble.

  “Bro the phones down there ain’t working and I’m trying to holla at my lady to see what’s going on. Bro I need you to let me get a couple minutes so I can see what’s going on,” Real asked.

  “Me boi Real, I don’t have many minutes on me ting, if you can get a card you can use it,” Dread replied sitting back down on the bed.

  “I can swing that bro. I will get my girl to go get you one,�
� Real assured him.

  “Ok deal,” Dread replied digging in his mattress for his phone.

  Real got the phone from dread and rushed off to his room. Telling his Mexican roommate he had to use the restroom Real closed the door and blocked the window. Real dialed Constance number and pressed send.

  “Hello?” Constance answered not recognizing the number as she followed B-low out back to the guest house.

  “Hey baby! What’s going on?” Real asked excited to hear her voice.

  “Baby damn—I’ve been waiting to hear from you! How you calling from a 404 number?” Constance asked confused and excited.

  “I’m on my patna cell phone. What’s been going on? Where you at?”

  Real asked while peeping around the card board flap he had blocking the window looking for the officer.

  “First I want to ask you about your trip to Miami. Why didn’t you tell me?” Constance asked firmly not wanting to say too much on the phone.

  “What trip?” Real asked, not sure what she was talking about.

  “The Italians Real, I was attacked today in my office and…”

  “That’s Real,” B-low called out as they entered the expensively furnished guest house.

  “Who is that? What the hell going on?” Real asked getting heated.

  “That’s B-low I’m out at his place, he…”

  “You out at his place! What the fuck going on?” Real snapped.

  Constance could hear the anger in Real’s voice.

  “Ain’t shit going on! Like I just said I was attacked in my office today!” Constance snapped back.

  “Attacked! By who?” Real asked, calming down.

  “Some lil Italian. B-low was stopping through and thank God he did because the man was waiting in my office.” Constance explained.

  “You ok?” Real asked knowing very well where the attack came from.

  “Yeah, I’m alright but why they coming after me?” Constance asked faintly.

  “They looking for revenge.” Real said in a low tone thinking back on the day he killed Moretti and Rossi.

  “What did you d…”

  “This ain’t the time, we will talk about it later. Put B-low on the phone,” Real said firmly.

  “What up bro? How’s it going?” B-low asked Real as him and Constance walked through the guest house.

  “What the fuck going on man? Why you tell Constance about Miami?” Real spat as he paced back and forth in his small cell.

  “Man it’s got to be the Italians! They out for some get back and just so happen today I was with Constance when she was attacked, but as you and I know they will be back. Bro, I told her because she refused to let me help her until I filled her in on what was going on,” B-low explained as Constance looked at him with her arms folded over her chest.

  “Look here, keep my lady safe bro. I don’t care what it take and how much it cost, I don’t want a hair on her head touched, feel me?” Real said firmly hating he couldn’t be there to protect Constance himself.

  “I got you. I told her to move into my guest house until everything calmed down. My word bro, she will be safe and secure at all times,” B-low said as they walked through the guest house.

  “Ok I’m counting on you. Put her back on,” Real replied not really liking the fact that Constance was staying around another man, but he knew that was the only way she would be safe.

  “Hello?”

  “You going to be ok just roll with the program until I can get there. B-low is going to make sure you stay safe,” Real said assuringly.

  “Baby I ain’t trying to be staying in no guest house. I’m not…”

  “You going to stay in the guest house until I can put together a plan for you to get out of the state without anyone knowing. Just deal with the guest house for right now it won’t be too long.” Real insisted.

  “Ok, but you need to come up with something fast because I ain’t trying to be staying here,” Constance declared as B-low stood watching her from the guest house bedroom doorway.

  “I got you ba…”

  “Knock! Knock!” The loud knock at the door startled Real.

  “Yeah!” Real screamed standing close to the toilet just in case he had to flush the phone.

  “CERT team coming across the field,” The unfamiliar voice said outside of the door.

  “Baby got to go police coming this way! Love you and as soon as I get my phone I will call you bye,” Real said hastily hanging up the phone.

  “Love you too! Bye,” Constance said to a dead line.

  Chapter 44

  “Come on baby let’s take it in early tonight.” Lace said seductively to Cash as she ran her tongue up and down his hard dick.

  “Shit sound like a good idea, you go ahead on back while I lock up,” Cash replied as he eased Lace head up from between his legs.

  “Aight,” Lace said faintly as she got up off the couch and headed back to the bedroom thinking of an excuse to double back so she could unlock the door for Black Bean.

  Cash made sure Lace was in the bedroom while he hid the money. Before Cash headed back to the bedroom he grabbed the telephone cord off the front room phone and his 357 from the front closet. After thinking his plan through, he locked the front door and hid the gun in the small of his back. He peeped out the front window before he headed back to the bedroom.

  “Damn boo, mama all hot and wet and you taking all day to cool me off,” Lace cooed as she laid in the bed with nothing but her thong on.

  “My bad baby I got you,” Cash said as he came out his shirt making sure Lace didn’t see the gun or the cord in his back pocket.

  “Let me use the bathroom right fast you just get naked,” Lace said softly as she rubbed her hands over his bare chest then hurried off to the bathroom in the hallway.

  Cash knew that Lace was heading out to the front door to unlock it for whoever was on the phone. While she was gone he placed the 357 and the phone cord in the night stand draw.

  “Where my hard dick at?” Lace called out as she reentered the room a few minutes later.

  “Right here,” Cash replied as he grabbed the front of his pants.

  “Well come on and give it to me then,” Lace said snatching her thongs off and laying back in the bed.

  Cash walked over to the nightstand draw and pulled out the gun and cord as Lace laid spread eagle waiting for him to join her.

  “What all that’s for?” Lace asked puzzled.

  “It’s for you!” Cash said proudly as he reached over and grabbed a handful of Lace’s hair.

  “What the fuck you doing Cash! What’s going…”

  “Bitch you know damn well what’s going on!” Cash screamed as he slapped her in the face with the barrel of the pistol.

  “Cash please! Why you…”

  “Whap!” The 357 connected again this time drawing blood.

  Lace tried with all her might to get away from Cash grip but just couldn’t get away.

  After the third lick to the side of the face Lace stopped struggling and just laid out on the bed. Cash laid the 357 on the night stand then moved in and tied her hands behind her back.

  “Cash why are you…”

  “Bitch next time you try to set me up for a robbery make sure I don’t hear about it,” Cash spat as he reached over and grabbed her thongs and wrapped them tight around her head and mouth. When he got finished wrapping Lace up all she could do was lay there and look up at him. After securing Lace he positioned her in the middle of the bed and covered her up with the blanket.

  Cash rushed through the apartment cutting off all the lights. While making sure everything was in place, Cash heard someone at the door. Knowing it was the person Lace was talking to earlier, Cash quickly grabbed the wood bat from the hall closet cursing himself for leaving the 357 in the bedroom laying on the night stand. Cash positioned himself just inside the kitchen doorway and waited for the person to enter the apartment and walk by.

  Black Bean eased through the house like a
cat stalking prey. Dressed in all black with a ski mask covering his face Black Bean crept quietly through the apartment with his 45 automatic out by his side. Peering down the long hallway to the brightly lit bedroom he saw someone moving under the covers on the bed. He smiled to himself—MY GIRL GOT THIS SUCKER WHIPPED—as he proceeded down the hallway in route to the bedroom. Just as he made his way through the dark front rooms and pass the kitchen the covers came off the person under the sheets.

  “What the fuck!” Black Bean screamed as he zeroed in on Lace wiggling around in the bed like a fish out of water with her hands tied, a bloody face and thongs wrapped around her head.

  Before he could react the bat connected with the back of his skull sending him crashing to the floor. Cash pounced on Black Bean with the bat striking him repeatedly until he was out cold. Satisfied with his work he grabbed Black Bean by the ankles and drug him into the bedroom where Lace stuggled to get free.

  “Hey here’s your folks,” Cash said as he picked the limp intruder up and heaved him into the bed with Lace.

  Lace looked on wild eyed at Black Bean all bloody and barely breathing. She knew if she didn’t get loose she would surely be killed along with him. Reaching over Cash pulled the mask off the mans face.

  “Black Bean! What the fuck you…” Cash started and the remembered Lace was from Black Bean part of the city.

  Cash didn’t know Black Bean personally. One night in the club his goon-B-low had pointed Black Bean out to him letting him know how notorious Black Bean was with his pistol play around the city. Cash would never forget the skillet black baldhead man with the long keloid gash down the side of his face. The same face Cash was looking at now all battered and bruised from the bat. Laying the bat down Cash walked over to the side of the bed and retrieved his 357 from the night stand draw.

  “Um…um.mm,” Lace squirmed wildly as Black Bean lay motionless beside her on the bed.

  “No need to explain bitch you made your bed now lay in it,” Cash spat as he pulled his shirt on and went to retrieve the bag of money and dope from the front of the apartment.

  Lace pulled and pulled until the cord came loose. Just as she was about to totally free herself Cash came back in the room. Cash had the bag of money slung across his shoulder while holding a gas can.