“Girl, it’s so many bitches around him he ain’t even got time to look over here,” she said disappointedly. I didn’t let that stop me. Once at the bar, I wedged myself between two guys I had seen in Bobby’s crowd, and I ordered the most expensive shit I could.
“Whew, damn, baby girl, you got expensive taste,” one of the men whistled and said. I looked up at him, winked, and licked my lips seductively. For real, it was like somebody else all of a sudden was living inside of me. I understood what Beyoncé was talking about when she said that her alter ego was Sasha Fierce and comes out when she was onstage performing. It was kind of like that for me. The usually laid-back Shannon was gone; I was now a bitch with a mission.
I knew I had gotten up in their heads, because when Satanya and I returned to our table, I noticed one of them pointing us out to Bobby. Of course, he was going to play it cool at first, but that didn’t last long.
It was about thirty minutes later when Satanya’s eyes grew wide, and she bent over to me. “Girl, one of his dudes is coming toward the table,” she whispered.
“Bitch, play it cool. Don’t let them see you whispering like we desperate and shit,” I whispered back, making sure to keep a smile plastered on my face. Sure enough, a tall Tyrese-looking dude came to the table.
“Excuse me. Sorry for interrupting. On behalf of Bobby Knight, I wanted to ask if you ladies would like to join us,” he said, all polite.
“Who?” I asked, acting like I didn’t know who the fuck Bobby Knight was. The dude looked a little thrown off.
“Bobby Knight,” he said, clearing his throat as if to say, Bitch, don’t act like you don’t know. “The owner of damn near every club in the Tidewater area,” he continued.
“We can join you. But for the record, I had no clue who Bobby Knight was,” I explained indignantly. Satanya was looking at me like Bitch, you crazy as hell.
Walking over to Bobby Knight’s section of the club seemed to take forever. I could feel every step, hear every syllable of the music, and all of a sudden I started thinking about Todd and the plan, and sweat just broke out all over my body.
“Ladies, this is Mr. Knight,” the guy introduced us.
Bobby Knight stopped talking, stood up, grabbed my hand, and kissed the top of it. I was shocked and had a fake smile plastered across my face. He then extended his hand to Satanya for a handshake. I guess he was telling us which one he preferred.
“Please, have a seat,” he said, putting out his arm like an usher. Satanya and I sat down. The fact that this dude had money was evident. Champagne flowed like a river, and I was blinded by all of the bling around the table. I sat there thinking I could get used to some shit like this. Todd was caking a lil something, but we never did it up like this. Bobby turned out to be very polite and well spoken. Although I could tell he was from the South, he didn’t use that broken-ass slang like these niggas around here. He asked a lot of questions, which I expected. I guess you could say talking was his strong point, because we did plenty of that. Satanya took particular interest in the Tyrese-looking dude, whose name was Captain. I had to ask if his momma really named him that, and Bobby interjected, “I named him that. When you’re down with me, what your momma named you don’t matter. Got it, sweet pea?” He had given me a pet name already.
After that first night, it seemed like we were in like Flynn. I gave Bobby Knight my phone number. He told me he didn’t own a cell phone. He said he was more of a face-to-face person and that he’d be in touch. When he asked me if I was married or in a relationship, I almost choked on my champagne. I couldn’t tell a complete lie, because the tan line on my left ring finger told the story. “I’m recently divorced,” I said deceitfully, the lie burning on my tongue like the sting of a poisonous insect.
Todd
When I finally spoke to Shannon, she told me all about Bobby Knight. She had definitely caught his eye, and she was in. Shannon told me that she was set to go out with him and one of his dudes on a kind of double date with Satanya. I can’t front—I was so heated that if Shannon had been in front of me, I probably would have slapped the shit out of her. I know it was all my idea, but now I was having fucking jealousy issues. Another man wining and dining my fucking wife was hard to hear. I told her to hurry the fuck up and get in that house so all of this shit could be over with.
When I returned to my bunk, Dray was being led out by two COs. “Where you goin'?” I asked, confused. I knew Dray hadn’t been in any fights and hadn’t done anything to get himself sent to the hole.
“Mind your business, Marshall,” one of the COs barked.
“Fuck you. That’s my boy and I’m talking to him,” I replied.
Dray kept his head down and his eyes to the floor. They carted him off the tier, and none of the other inmates even made any noise like they usually did when a nigga got banged and put in the hole. It was almost like they were used to seeing Dray get carted off. I was real fucked up in the head behind my conversation with Shannon right now, so I hopped up on my bunk, turned my face to the wall, and tried not to think about my wife and Bobby Knight.
Shannon
It was two weeks and a day since I had met Bobby the first time. Yes, I was now on a first-name basis with him. We’d gone out almost every day. While I was getting to know Bobby, the neighbor was looking after Lil Todd. He told me he hung out on every day of the week, except Sundays. I found that quite amusing—a well-known hustler observing the holy day. We’d gone to more than one high-class restaurant, and he had laid gifts on me like a comfort blanket. I can’t front—I was getting a little addicted to the lifestyle again. Although Bobby was nowhere near as attractive as my husband in the face, with his rough dark skin and huge gorilla lips, he made up for it with swagger. Bobby Knight’s swagger could not be fucked with. He had the whole Rick Ross shit going on, and it kind of drove me wild. Then every time he pulled out the fucking knot of paper from his pocket, I got even more enthralled with his ugly ass.
Satanya was hanging hard with Captain. She confided in me that she had already fucked him and that she was even thinking about leaving her husband for Captain. I told her she was fucking crazy and that she better get focused and remember the mission at hand. I could only pray that this silly bitch didn’t lose her goddamn mind over no dick. Todd had warned me about her, but I still considered her my fucking girl.
I had just gotten off the phone with Todd. He acted like he wanted to know everything that was going on, but when I told him, he just got angry and started acting stupid. I had to remind him that it was his idea and that I was doing this all for us. All of the shit I had put up with from Todd over the years was nothing compared to this. I was fucking risking my life every time I got with Bobby. Shit, if he were a mind reader, I would be fucking dead.
But it was hard to dismiss Todd’s bullshit attitude. He wanted updates, updates, and more updates. He was getting antsy. But I tried to explain to his ass that shit like this took time. If all he wanted was a regular fucking robbery, then he could’ve told Bam and Black to just run up on Bobby and gank him. This was some whole-other-level type of shit. I had told Todd that I loved him, and he refused to say it back. Jealousy was getting the best of him. Did he not remember he was the one who put me in the mix of this shit in the first place?
As soon as I hung up the phone with Todd, it rang again.
“Hello?” I answered with little anger in my voice.
“What happened, sweet pea—you not happy to hear my voice?” Bobby asked, his fucking smooth-ass voice giving me goose bumps.
I immediately tried to change my tone. “Nothing, I’m good,” I lied.
“Well, I’m outside,” he said, and I went to my window to find the black Maybach parked out front.
“I’m not dressed,” I whined. How dare he just show the fuck up at my house! This motherfucker really had power issues. But I was loving it. I started to wonder what kind of little bauble he would be bringing me today. I smiled to myself.
“I like the
natural beauty anyway. Now come downstairs,” Bobby said demandingly.
This motherfucker was power hungry but a charmer too. I wasn’t mad for that long. I couldn’t front. I started rushing through the house trying to find something to put on. He said he liked the natural look, I kept telling myself. It took me less than fifteen minutes, and I was rushing out the door. Once I got downstairs, I tried to take a slow, sexy stride to the car. Can’t make a nigga think I was too eager.
“See, you are too beautiful to worry,” Bobby said as I slid into the buttery-soft backseat next to him. He had Musiq Soulchild’s “So Beautiful” playing. I moved a little closer to him. I was starting to think that I really liked Bobby. Which could be a dangerous thought for me.
The driver drove for what seemed like two minutes, but it had actually been almost an hour.
“What are your dreams?” Bobby asked. It was a question I had never thought about. Todd had never really wondered what I dreamed of. “To be a world-renowned fashion designer,” I said, almost whispering. I wanted to cry. The wrong man had asked me the right questions.
The conversation with Bobby was so refreshing I didn’t even notice how long it had taken. He was very well versed in world news and the stock market, and I found out he had been to college. A far cry from Todd. Conversations with my husband were always about the streets and how this nigga is a snitch and that nigga is running this. Bobby was different. I started to feel slightly guilty about what I was planning, because Todd had given specific instructions that Bobby was not only to be robbed, but he also had to die.
When we pulled up to the huge golden gates of Bobby’s estate, my heart almost stopped. It was almost as if everything Todd had told me was happening like clockwork. The gates opened to a long winding road leading up to the house. The road had beautiful trees and well-manicured lawns on each side. At the end was a tan brick circular driveway. The driver pulled up to the front doors of the house to let us out. There were about six steps and large columns to the left and right of the door.
“Your house is beautiful,” I said, trying to keep my mouth closed. His shit looked better than the homes on MTV Cribs; it was more like one of the houses I’d seen on VH1's Fabulous Life of …
Once inside, I was even more overwhelmed. The foyer was a huge, beautiful marble expanse decorated immaculately. The winding staircase looked like it was solid gold, and there were fresh-cut flowers everywhere. The ceilings were painted with beautiful portraits of black angels. I stared up at them in awe.
“It’s the black version of the Sistine Chapel,” Bobby said, looking up with me.
I was even more impressed. What hood nigga would know about Michelangelo and the damn Sistine Chapel ceiling?!
“Come this way,” Bobby said, breaking up my gawking.
“Bobby, I’m really not dressed to be here,” I said, feeling slightly ashamed and inadequate. Even though it was just his house, I felt like I needed to be dressed up to be in here. Here it was I thought me and Todd lived well. Shit, this house made ours look like the projects.
“You don’t need to be dressed. I brought you here because I wanted to let you know that I am ready to take things to the next level. I like you, Shannon,” Bobby said, grabbing my hand. The words fell on me like a boulder off a cliff. Here was a big-time dude telling me he wanted me to be in his world and that he trusted me enough to bring me to his crib. Meanwhile, I had larceny in my heart. I was speechless for a minute. I had to regroup and think about the mission at hand. I closed my eyes and tried to picture Todd’s face. It wouldn’t come to me for shit. I just stared into space, dazed, confused, and having second thoughts.
“You okay, sweet pea?” Bobby asked.
Why the fuck did he start calling me sweet pea? How had he gotten into my head like this so goddamn fast? I started getting angry for liking him so much and letting him get in my head. I shook my head slightly so I could get my ride-or-die mentality back on track. I could finally picture my husband’s face, his sexy lips, his pleading eyes sitting in that fucking courtroom.
“Let’s go out back for some lunch,” Bobby said, tightening his grip on my hand and breaking my trance.
When we walked through the huge glass doors, I noticed the beautiful S-shaped swimming pool and a man-made waterfall. I also noticed the security guards walking the perimeter of the gates around it. There were two of them out back, and I had noticed two by the front gates and two positioned near the front doors.
Out on the back patio, there were tables with umbrellas, and one of the glass tables was all set with stemware, champagne on chill, and fruit. I squinted when I saw two people sitting out there already. When I got closer, I noticed it was Satanya and Captain. My heart jerked in my chest. Why hadn’t she called to let me know she would be here? This bitch was really tripping. She looked different. Her complexion was golden, and she wore an expensive Diane von Furstenberg bathing suit. When she noticed me, she waved and gave a stupid little grin.
“Shannon! What’s up, girl?!” Satanya screamed out all loud, smiling from ear to ear. I had known her for years, and I could tell she was definitely different. The silly-ass giggling and laughing at nothing in particular just wasn’t like her.
Just as Bobby and I approached them, Captain grabbed Satanya in a bear hug, pulled down her bikini top, and started sucking her titties right there in front of us. His ass must’ve been fucking high too. I just didn’t get down like that. I turned my face away, but I could hear Satanya giggling like a little schoolgirl, and it made me uneasy. Bobby didn’t seem to have a problem watching them until he noticed my face.
“Hey, hey. Get a room,” Bobby said, chuckling like he found the shit amusing. I squinted and looked back over toward them and just shot Satanya a dirty look.
“Shannon, what’s wrong, homey? Lighten up!” she screamed out, sticking out her tongue all silly and shit.
What the fuck is going on? I thought to myself. When she took off her shades, I could see in her eyes she was high. Growing up around addicts all my life, I knew when a person was high with those dilated pupils and shit. Satanya getting high could be fucking dangerous for us.
I grabbed her arm and said, “Hey, girl, let me talk to you in private,” trying to keep my voice as soft as I could when I really wanted to scream on her ass.
“Anything you gotta say, you can say in front of my boo,” Satanya slurred.
I smiled again and pulled her out of Captain’s and Bobby’s earshot. I was damn near dragging her like a mother dragging a little kid through a mall. Finally I stopped when I thought we were far enough away from the guys and spun her around to face me.
“Satanya, what the fuck are you doing coming here without me?” I asked, gritting my teeth. She started laughing again. Here the fuck we go, I thought.
“Shannon, this is not about you. You got your thing going on, and I got mine. You here to set a nigga up. I’m here to fall in love,” she said, her words catching on her tongue, making her sound like a stupid-ass retard.
“Shhhhh,” I said in a low whisper, placing my finger up against her lips. “You’re just fucked up right now. Keep your fucking mouth shut or we both could get killed,” I continued, gritting out the words with emphasis.
Satanya pulled away from me, pouting her dumb fucking lips. “My lips are sealed, but my pussy is wide open,” she said, laughing again, sounding like a fucking wild hyena. She was so loud Bobby and Captain looked over at us. My heart was racing as if Thoroughbred horses were trampling through my chest. Right then, I decided not to speak about her behavior again or else she might blow the whole shit up. I started having regrets about getting her ass involved.
After Satanya’s bullshit episode, we walked back over to the guys.
I plastered a fake smile on my face, and Bobby and I sat down for our planned lunch while Captain and Satanya went back into Bobby’s house. I kept watching the door. I was really worried about her and was having an anxiety attack about what she might be telling Captain.
>
Bobby was talking and I wasn’t even listening. I did hear when he asked me back into the house. I gave a halfhearted smile and got up slowly with my legs quivering like crazy. I was so scared Bobby was gonna try to get me to fuck him. I wasn’t in it for that, and I made sure I kept telling myself that. Although he had some redeeming qualities, he was still what I considered the vic, and I was gonna make sure of it.
Once we were back in the house, I followed Bobby down a long hallway, through the indoor basketball court to the swimming pool area. I made a mental note of the path that we took. Looking out the window inside of the indoor swimming pool, I could tell the house basically went in one big circle. I noticed more armed security guards out there and a couple on the roof. What the fuck did he need so much security for? Was he that fucking paranoid?
Finally, he opened a door for me and said, “This is my private wing.”
I tried not to act too shocked, but I wanted to fall down on the floor all over again. I stared out at the huge area, thinking I could get used to living here. There were custom drapes, Italian marble floors, art pieces that I recognized as authentic, and the bed … The shit was a custom-made circular bed bigger than the one Shaquille O’Neal had showed off on his MTV Cribs episode. Bobby’s “wing,” as he had called it, was bigger than the apartment I was living in right now. Bobby placed his arm out in front of him.
“Right this way,” he said softly. It seemed like my feet were stuck in quicksand and I couldn’t move.
“Bobby, I … don’t think I’m ready for all of this,” I stammered, feeling the heat of embarrassment on my face.
“Ready for what? I don’t expect anything from you. I know you are a good girl, sweet pea,” he said, and with that I walked into his private wing.
Bobby and I talked into the wee hours of the night. We lay side by side on the bed but never touched. He was a perfect gentleman. I did not even remember drifting off to sleep.
Heist Page 5
