by April Nicole
“Later Doc!” Johnny said and snatched the pamphlet out of Dr. Smith’s hands. He looked at the pamphlet that read, “Are you saved?” That made Johnny think, was he saved? After all, he confessed he didn’t believe in God. At first, he was going to throw away the pamphlet, but he decided against it because he was willing to go to church one day. Just no time soon because he still didn’t believe there was a God. Johnny got to his car, lit a cigar and removed his phone from his pocket to dial Delano back.
* * *
Delano was at the boutique with his new manager Desi stocking merchandise on the shelves, when his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and saw it was Johnny calling. “Hey Desi, I will be right back.”
“Alright boss, don’t you take too long. We still have these other boxes to stock as well before the store opens at 12,” she replied.
“Yea, I know,” Delano said and walked to the back room for privacy to take the call.
The pocket call he overheard earlier while Johnny was at the doctor’s confirmed Johnny knew about Cali’s murder more than he let on. He already knew Johnny knew about it but felt even more betrayed when he found out that he lied about knowing who was behind it. After asking him time after time, Johnny still pretended not to know shit.
“Why the fuck you didn’t tell me!” Malachi said with tears streaming down his cheeks. Delano suddenly remembered how disgruntled Malachi was last night. He was starting to catch on after he had the run-in with Malachi. “This nigga knew the whole fucking time!” Delano said before he answered the call.
“What’s up yo?”
“Shit, on chill, you called me last night?” Johnny asked, inhaling his cigar. “Everything alright with the boutique?”
“Yea, Desi here unloading the merchandise. Aye listen, I need to link up with you really quick. It’s something I need to talk to you about,” Delano spoke plainly. He thought now was the best time to clear his name and rightfully claim what belonged to him.
“Ok, where at?”
“Meet me at my office at the Black Stallion,” Delano said and ended the call. He jumped in his brand-new, metallic blue, 2020 F-150 and sped over to the club. Once he arrived 15 minutes later, Johnny also arrived at the same time.
“What’s up man, you wanted to talk?” Johnny asked as he approached Delano at the front entrance of the club.
“Yea, let’s step into my office. It’s something important we need to discuss, and I want to tell you.”
“Lead the way,” Johnny said, and he followed Delano down a long, dark hallway to some gold elevators that took them down to his office. Johnny had never been down this far before. He was intrigued by the gold finishings that surrounded Delano’s office.
“I know you’re wondering why I called you here all of a sudden,” Delano spoke as he took a seat in his chair.
“Yea, so what’s the deal? Is everything alright with the cartel?”
“All things are good. However, I think we have a little problem on our hands. But first, did you give Malachi your gun?” Delano asked bluntly.
“No, why you asked that?”
“Because this gun has your initials carved into the gun. Does Malachi work for you?”
“No, and what gun? I got plenty,” Johnny lied about Malachi working for him. He wasn’t going to ever tell Delano the truth about Malachi’s decision. It would fuck up his plan.
“So, if he doesn’t work for you, where else could he get this from?” Delano pulled out the Smith and Wesson pistol that Malachi had yesterday. “He was going to kill me with this.”
“Your guess is just as good as mine. I remember it disappeared from my car a while back. But how could I have anything to do with that boy when you don’t even let me see him? Maybe he joined a gang at school or something.”
“He hasn’t been in school in months. His pregnant girlfriend confirmed that for me. Besides, if you can lie about knowing about Cali’s death, I know you’d would lie about my son working for you. But I’m willing to tell you who killed her, if you stand down and surrender the northern cartel to me completely.”
“Nigga what?” Johnny said in disbelief, caught off guard. “What the fuck you mean, lie about Cali’s death? Man, you sound silly as hell talking about surrendering the northern cartel to you. What the fuck you know that I don’t?” he questioned, because this wasn’t making sense to him.
Delano poured him and Johnny a glass of Cherry Absolute Vodka. He just knew the shit he was about to say would tarnish his character forever. But for the love of money, Delano didn’t give a damn. He was about to claim what was rightfully his. All along with throwing his own wife under the bus.
“I don’t want no fucking drink. Say what the fuck you know about who killed my sister,” Johnny said with a stern voice, pushing the drink that Delano was offering away.
“No, you do want to have a drink. I’m warning you, the shit I’m gon’ say gon’ fuck you up,” Delano said, placing his drink on the edge of his desk.
“Surprise me! So, who did it?” Johnny was asking about something he already knew about.
“We are blood. I want the same person who killed our sister to pay full price, and I know where she is. All you have to do is surrender the northern cartel and she is all yours.”
“Sister? Nigga, what the fuck you just say? You lying, right?” Johnny said, squinting his eyes. He was not too thrilled to find out the news Delano decided to share.
“Nigga, we share the same father! I just found out when you set it up for me to kill him. He told me then. Why you think I spared your life this whole time?”
“Whew, this is news to me. Maybe I do need that drink after all,” Johnny said, picking up the glass and gulping the vodka straight back. That shit was so strong that it burned his chest as the liquor traveled down his throat. “So, here is my question to you. If I give you the key to the connect, will you tell me who killed my sister?”
Delano slowly nodded yes.
“It was Kairo, wasn’t it?” Johnny asked.
“Yes, it was Kairo, and she is in Detroit right now,” Delano snitched. He left a very important part out; it was he that was involved also.
“Damn, you ain’t shit, to throw your own wife under the bus,” Johnny said as he turned to leave.
“Well she should have thought about that before becoming the queen pin of the south. She is now an enemy to us.”
“So, we’re getting all our coke from her now?”
“Yea, if she working with the Colombians.”
“Ahh, interesting!” Johnny said, turning to leave. Delano hopped up out his chair, rushing towards Johnny.
“Wait, you need to keep your word!”
“You expect me to believe that you didn’t have shit to do with Cali’s murder?”
“No, I had no dealings,” Delano lied. He knew if he told Johnny the truth, he would be wiped out from the face of this earth.
“Well that’s sad, and as far as you being my blood, I need some fucking proof,” Johnny said and turned to walk out the room, shaking his head in disbelief. He did not understand why Delano would lie about something like that.
“So, you really not going to surrender the northern cartel?”
“I will think about it,” Johnny replied dryly. He wasn’t about to give Delano shit, and Delano knew that. He could tell by his nonchalant ass response that Johnny wasn’t going to let the cartel go easily. For one, he ran Detroit and Chicago for years. He wasn’t about to let someone who claimed to be his older brother and the rightful leader just swoop in. The fact that Delano knew about Cali’s murder this whole time made him an accessory to her murder. This was all the ammunition Johnny needed to kill Delano and Kairo.
As Johnny was leaving to get on the elevator, Candice was walking off and flashed a warm smile at him. He nodded at her and didn’t think anything of it.
“Hi Johnny, whatever happened to you calling me?” she asked, holding the golden elevator doors opened.
“Oh, uh, what’s your
number?” Johnny asked, pulling his phone out because he was caught off guard. He was willing to do anything to get this woman out his face.
“313-658-5926, and you better call me!” she said, moving aside so that Johnny could get on the elevators.
“I am, calling you right now,” Johnny said as he held the phone up to his ears to hear the phone ring.
Ring! Ring!
“Good shit,” she said as she muted the phone and continued walking in her nude leather pumps towards Delano’s office.
“Alright, see you around,” Johnny said as he stored her number and the elevator closed.
* * *
Two days later…
* * *
Malachi pulled up to Johnny’s warehouse in his new black and red Hell Cat. He had some light-skin chick that resembled the natural beauty Lauren London in the front seat with him.
“Stay in the car, I will be right back,” Malachi said, kissing her on her soft pink lips.
“Alright, be quick,” she replied, putting on another coat of her lip gloss to replace what was wiped off. Malachi jogged into the warehouse and was searched at the door. The Coronavirus was getting serious and the last thing Johnny wanted was for his female workers to die from some virus.
“Nephew!” Johnny said, greeting Malachi as he walked into the warehouse main floor.
“Wassup Unc, you text me you had a job for me?”
“Yea, how are things between you and your father?”
“Shit, I don’t think it’s good. I tried to kill him last time.”
“Yea, that was stupid of you. If you gon’ threaten to kill him, you need to follow through with it. ‘Cause how the fuck you end up with my gun?”
“Oh, I stole it from your car a while back, and ok, I will next time.”
“Alright, ‘cause this what I need you to do,” Johnny said and gave him a hit list of people he needed to get rid of.
“Damn Unc, you want me to kill all these people alone?”
“No, Keno is going with you. This job is 50 grand apiece. I need this done neatly and quick.”
“Damn, you got a lot of enemies on here. What the fuck did they do?”
“Ask them, and the ones marked red, make their deaths the most painful,” Johnny said. “I don’t want to hear nobody survive. Do you hear me?”
“Alright Unc, I’m on it,” Malachi said as he turned to leave out the warehouse.
“Aye, Keno, he might choke when it comes to that big one I have for y’all. Make sure you handle it by any means necessary.”
“Alright Boss,” Keno said and followed Malachi out the warehouse. The evening was just beginning. A new hitter was on the scene, and that hitter was Malachi.
Money Good
Money good, I ain't gotta worry 'bout shit
Money good (ah)
Ay, ay
Money good
Throw up where I'm from, let 'em know I'm still hood
I ain't had to get nobody hit but I could
Before I post a pic, should I flex? Yeah, I should
I ain't gotta worry 'bout shit, money good.
Megan Thee Stallion
* * *
Kairo pulled back up to the motel where they were staying, blasting “Money Good” by Megan Thee Stallion. Dre was already standing inside the lobby waiting on her to return. He paid for the room service and left to meet Kairo outside.
“You keep blasting that music like that, those babies gon’ pop right out of your belly,” Dre jokingly said. Kairo gave him the side eye. She knew he was playing, but low-key, he played too damn much.
“How old are you Dre?”
“I’m old enough to be your daddy. Now help me put your things in the car,” Dre replied, still playing.
“Don’t play with me Dre, seriously!”
“I’m 36, you want to know my government name too?”
“Actually, I do! If you don’t mind.”
“Damn, are you a spy for the feds or something?” Dre jokingly asked as he looked at Kairo. She was so beautiful to him. The pregnancy left her skin glowing radiantly and flawless, and he was starting to fall deeply for this woman. It was a shame how Delano treated her like the dirt under his fingernails.
“No, but you know most things about me. I’m just trying to get to know my acquaintance.”
“Dreon is my name. I have three daughters, Kuzmina, Jubilee, and Mercy. Their mother died after she gave birth to Mercy because she cried out Mercy minutes before she died.”
“Wow, I’m sorry to hear that Dre,” Kairo said as she climbed into the passenger side of the car.
“Don’t be, it’s life and it happens. Right now, my girls are living with my mother in North Carolina.”
“Well, thank you for sharing that with me. So how you get in Louisiana?”
“Oh, you want to know my whole life history, huh?”
“I think so, yea,” Kairo responded, nodding her head. Dre took her hand and kissed it.
“Ok Queen. So, originally my name is Loki. My father is from Africa and he had a tribe of warriors on the coast of South Africa. I was raised as a Zulu warrior, and at the age of nine I killed a lion with my bare hands. Loki means trickster. They weren’t sure how I killed the lion, but I did right in front of their eyes. When I moved over here in America with my grandmother, I changed my name to Dreon.”
“That was a great accomplishment,” Kairo said.
“Yea, tell me about it,” Dre said, fixing his eyes on the freeway as they drove on 94 to go back to the Romulus Airport. They had a long conversation, one deeper than the one back at the motel. Dre could tell Kairo had been through something so traumatic, because he studied her. He just couldn’t wrap the thought of how her husband could be so disrespectful towards her. Kairo was beautiful to him in every way. He couldn’t imagine such a beautiful, smart woman being hurt by that fake ass thug he thought was his friend.
“Thanks for being there for me Dre. I don’t know what the fuck has gotten into my husband lately.”
“Don’t worry, you will be ok long as you got me. I know you heard that before. but I’m going to show you what a real man is,” Dre said, kissing Kairo’s hand and holding it all the way to the airport. Soon as they got there, they got onto their private flight and left for Louisiana. Kairo slept the entire way back; the babies had drained her energy completely. While she slept, Dre stayed right next to her through the entire flight. He didn’t even let her out his eyesight not one time. “Wake up sleeping beauty, we’re here.”
“Mmm, how long have I been out for?”
“The entire two hours. Those babies got you sleeping hard like that?” Dre asked, helping Kairo out.
“Yea, I guess.”
“Kairo, your feet are swollen,” Dre said, looking down at her feet. “Ok, well let’s get you home so you can rest.” Dre helped Kairo out the bed where she laid.
“Thank you, Dre, but I got it from here,” she said trying to stand but lost her balance just as quickly. Just like Dre predicted, she couldn’t walk on her swollen feet. He was right there to catch her.
“Still think you can walk on your own?” he asked, looking at Kairo as she struggled to remain calm. “I told you I have you.” Dre lifted Kairo up and carried her into the house.
“Thank you again, Dre.”
“You’re welcome, now don’t you move. I’ll be right back,” Dre said, stepping away to run warm water for Kairo’s swollen feet. She sat in front of the blazing hot fireplace trying to get comfortable, but no matter what she did the twins just wouldn’t let her. She sat there thinking about her life and how she made a mistake falling in love with a savage like Delano. Her entire life was completely shattered because of him. She knew it was her fault, she became addicted to the fast life, but it ultimately cost her her dignity and her family.
Dre returned fifteen minutes later and placed both of her feet into the warm water with some herbs he found in the Voodoo queen’s garden. “There, this should minimize some of the swelling,
” he said, placing both legs in the warm water one by one.
“This feels so good,” Kairo said as she watched him gently massage her calves down to her feet. “Thank you again,” she said. She was not used to this kind of treatment, so she watched how gentle he was with her. What started with a massage turned into Dre planting soft kisses up Kairo’s smooth legs. “Dre, what are you doing?”
“I’m showing you what I would do if you were my woman,” Dre mumbled as he continued the trail of kisses up her legs until he reached her lips. “Is it a crime that I want you?” he asked, staring into her soft brown eyes. Kairo couldn’t even speak, for she was lost for words. It was like the words she wanted to say got stuck in her throat.
“Ahem, ahem, umm,” she uttered to say. The thoughts that clouded her mind were not the kind she wanted to be having. Not that she wasn’t attracted to this fine man that was 6’2, dark skinned with a full beard.
“Shhh, don’t say anything. I’m just going to go,” Dre said, hushing her by placing his index finger over her lips that were gapped open. Poor Kairo’s pussy was so wet, it saturated through her jeans, and he noticed. “Damn, you get wet like this?”
“Mhm, yea.” She nervously chuckled.
“Yea, let me get out of here before I get something started that don’t need to happen,” Dre said and kissed Kairo on the forehead. “Goodnight Queen.”
“Goodnight, can you lock the bottom lock for me?”
“Yes,” Dre said, and he turned to leave. He left Kairo’s house and drove to his house, which was only 15 minutes away from Kairo’s place. He parked his car out front and started walking towards his house. He unlocked the door and flicked on all the lights so he could see coming in. He threw his car keys on the wooden coffee table and locked up before taking a hot shower. Once Dre dried off, he put lotion on his skin and fell asleep as soon as he touched the bed. In his mind he wanted to continue what he started with Kairo, so he dreamt about it instead.
“Can I see something?” Dre asked as he looked into Kairo’s eyes. She nodded yes as he slowly removed her jeans. Kairo was horny as hell and was secretly hoping Dre was going to take the initiative to lick her pussy dry. “Wow, your shit so wet.” Dre tongue kissed her wetness through her panties as he inhaled her natural pussy scent.
