Wrath of a Side Chick 4 (Side Chick's Wrath)

by Tamicka Higgins

  “I feel you on that,” Trell said.

  For the next several minutes, Dante talked to Trell about the different scenarios for the night. He gambled on how quickly Breon would come running once he knew that his girl Trina wasn’t at home, safe and sound like he had probably imagined. Once again, Dante nearly smiled with gratitude, as he was thrilled that Nikki’s actions had snowballed to this outcome. Now, Dante simply needed to finish the fight and be ready to get out of sight. He then thought about Edric, feeling a bit of disdain in his stomach because she could have killed his boy.

  “Wake up, bitch,” Dante said. He leaned over onto the bed and wiggled Trina’s feet. “Wake the fuck up so we can get this shit rollin’. Ain’t no damn time for you to be a sleeping beauty.”

  Trina slowly came out of her unconsciousness. Once her eyes had finally opened, she saw that she was no longer in the van. Frantically, and feeling the bruise throb on the right front of her forehead, she lifted herself up. Quickly, her back was to the bedframe as she realized she was in some bedroom – a bedroom she’d never seen before today.

  “Where the hell am I?” Trina asked.

  Dante laughed out loud, causing Trell to smirk. The two of them found it funny that she’d asked the question as if they were simply going to answer. Something about the main chick was more entertaining than the side chick.

  “That nigga you got got good taste in chicks, I gotta say,” Dante said. “I just thought I’d let you know.”

  “What are you talking about?” Trina asked. “What do you want with me? I told you, I don’t even know where Breon is right now.”

  “Oh, that’s okay,” Dante said. “You don’t have to know where he is. I know where he is. Or should I say what he’s doing? That nigga is out there lookin’ for me. That stupid ass nigga is out lookin’ for a needle in a haystack, and he too stupid to know that I ain’t gon’ be where he think I’mma be. At least, not for a while. I woulda been earlier, but he was prolly sittin’ up with them niggas he hang with.”

  Trina was at a loss for words. She could look into Dante’s eyes and see that he had absolutely no remorse for what he was putting her through. “What are you talking about other chicks?” she asked.

  “I know who you are,” Dante said. “You the main chick. The one he live with. Trina. Don’t try to act like you not.”

  Trina hesitantly nodded. She couldn’t deny that, as they seemed to know exactly who she was. “Okay,” she said.

  “We had his little side hoe over here,” Dante said. “But she got out.”

  “Who are you talking about?” Trina asked, concerned. “What side hoe?”

  Dante shook his head and looked at Trell. The two of them gave that subliminal communication that all men have when it comes to a woman and what the other one thinks of her appearance. “I guess she don’t know,” Dante said to Trell.

  Trell simply shook his head. “She don’t,” he said.

  Trina’s confused facial expression gave Dante some strange pleasure. There was something about ruining her impression of the very dude that had ruined his life. He almost couldn’t stop himself from talking.

  “I don’t know what?” Trina asked, with an attitude.

  Dante pulled his gun out and pointed it at Trina. “Watch how you talk to me, okay?” he said. “We done already had a problem with one of you females today. And we learned our lesson from the first one, so don’t think we gon’ let you just fuck this shit up too. We watchin’ you, okay?”

  Trina suppressed her desire to scream as she looked down toward the bed, putting her hands up. “Okay,” she said, forcing the words out of her mouth.

  “We had that bitch, Nikki, his side chick, over here,” Dante said. “She the one that got away, for now, so we got your ass.”

  “Nikki?” Trina asked. “I don’t even know who that is.”

  “I see you don’t,” Dante said. “Guess that nigga Breon just fuck everybody over, huh. First he let me run right into the fuckin’ police and shit so I could go to prison and stuff, without even sayin’ anything when the bitch ass nigga was fully aware of the fuckin’ situation. Now he done got his chick kidnapped and shit because of his side chick.”

  “Side chick?” Trina asked, her face scrunched up. As if it were even possible, her heart sunk even more. She couldn’t help but think about how Breon had told a bald-faced lie to her, saying that there were no more secrets, only to find out that a full third person was involved in this situation and Trina had no idea. “You mean Breon had a side chick that you kidnapped first? What are you talkin’ about?”

  “Well,” Dante said, feeling like the protagonist in a movie that was proving his point at the end of a scene, “we thought that chick was you at first.”

  Dante, wanting to drag Breon’s name into the ground even further, as well as let the main chick see the side chick, took several seconds to describe Nikki. He even went as far as guessing her waist size and describing her ass as if it were an award-winning sculpture on display at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C.

  “You cannot be serious?” Trina asked. “Our anniversary is coming up. He wouldn’t cheat on me and have a damn side chick right before we supposed to be going out of town.”

  “Better believe it,” Dante said. “Funny, ain’t it? People always do things that you just wouldn’t expect them to do.”

  “He lied to me,” Trina said, sounding disappointed.

  “Yeah, well,” Dante said very nonchalantly. “At least the nigga said something to you.”

  Trina looked around the room more, knowing that she needed to worry about her own fate before she dwelled on being done wrong by some man. “So, what do you want from me?” she asked.

  “We don’t want anything from you,” Dante said, in a very matter of fact way. “We only need you alive and well so that nigga Breon will come right to where we can get him. Gotta say sorry in advance, though, because you won’t be going on your little honeymoon or whatever the fuck that shit was that you was talkin’ about. Sorry ‘bout that shit.” He chuckled.

  Trina rubbed her arms, as the house was cold even in her coat. She avoided eye contact with Dante and Trell for as long as she could before she even came to a point where she herself was tired of staring at the dingy carpet.

  Dante cracked a smile. “Pull your phone out,” he said, leaning forward and grabbing a handful of Trina’s hair. He yanked her and pulled her closer to the foot of the bed, his lips now only a few inches away from her right ear. Trina mumbled the word please what must have been a hundred times. “Call that nigga Breon,” Dante said. “And tell him I wanna talk to him.”

  CHAPTER 7

  Once Nikki was sure that Detective Cavanaugh was long gone, Gracelyn took a shower and changed clothes as she searched for her car keys. Within thirty minutes, the two were headed out the door. Now, even opening the front door to her own apartment was something different for Nikki. Even though she’d only been held captive for a couple of days, those couple of days seemed like a couple of weeks as she didn’t know where she was at all times and the physical trauma she went through was something she’d never thought would happen to her.

  Walking cautiously, and feeling the rage she had in her soul toward Breon increasing, Nikki walked down the stairs and out into the parking lot. Before stepping out onto the sidewalk, she took a moment to stand at the window and look out. Her heart thumped in her chest as she scanned the lot to make sure she didn’t see a green minivan, or a nondescript black car with a grown man sitting in it. After Edric’s body, lying on the floor in the basement of that store, flashed through her mind, she pushed out and into the chilling night wind. Her destination? Her mother’s house. She would have just called first if her phone had not been taken. However, she was simply happy to have her freedom if nothing else.

  Within twenty minutes or so, Nikki was pulling up at her mother’s house. For much of the car ride up to the middle class north side neighborhood, Nikki could only wonder and imagine her moth
er’s reaction. Beyond that, she also pondered how she’d explain all of this to her mother. With her mother Rhonda being somewhat of a holy roller, Nikki was always cautious with how she approached talking about certain topics with the woman. All she had to do was say one wrong word, or admit to doing one wrong thing, and the conversation would quickly turn from a discussion into a lecture.

  Nikki pulled into the driveway, parking down toward the curb. Her mother lived in a neat, two-story house that had been built by her grandparents and passed down through the family. Nikki looked at the house, seeing that one window had a light on. She took a deep breath, partly not wanting to go in because she felt ashamed at how her mother might react. However, she also knew that letting her mother know that she was okay and that she had escaped was simply the right thing to do. With that in mind, she walked up and let herself into the front door.

  Upon stepping into her mother’s living room, Nikki heard her mother Rhonda yell from the dining room, “Who is that coming in my house?”

  Before Rhonda could look around the corner, Nikki responded. “It’s me, Mama,” she said.

  Quickly, Rhonda rushed into the living room. The look on her face looked as if she’d seen a ghost. “Nikki?” Rhonda said, rushing up and hugging her. “What in the world happened, Nikki? I’m so glad you’re okay. The detective just came by here not too long ago, saying that you had returned to your apartment or something, but you weren’t there when she went to see about it. What happened to you, Nikki?” The somewhat heavy woman stood back and looked at her daughter. “What happened to you? Tell me, okay? What are all these bruises and scratches about? Good Lord, sit down.”

  Rhonda motioned toward the couch. Nikki followed and sat down, smiling as she felt so loved that her mother was clearly elated to see her daughter. Before she could even get any words out to explain, Nikki watched as her mother hugged her once more and looked at her as if she’d been born all over again. For a brief moment, Nikki tried to conjure up a story she could use that would fully explain her disappearance. However, much like the car ride over, she came up with blanks. The truth was the last resort, but it was honestly looking like the best option.

  “I talked to Gracelyn when it all happened, Nikki,” Rhonda said. “Good Lord, thank you Jesus that you’re okay. I was so scared. What happened, Nikki? Come on and tell me. What happened?”

  “Okay, okay,” Nikki said, wanting her mother to calm down but fully understanding why she couldn’t. “Like you know, they busted in my apartment door that night and took me.”

  “They?” Rhonda asked. “Who is they, Nikki? Who is they? You know them white people was asking me all sorts of questions like if you’re involved in the drug business or prostitution and all that kinda stuff and I told them, you know how I am, that my baby wouldn’t be involved in none of that kinda stuff. Are you, Nikki? You can be honest with me, Nikki. I promise, I won’t be mad.”

  Nikki shook her head. “Naw, Mama,” she answered. “You know I ain’t involved in none of that stuff. These guys, who I didn’t even know, was somebody that this one guy I know had a problem with, so they came after me.”

  “What one guy?” Rhonda asked, leaning back with a suspicious look on her face. “What one guy are you talking about, Nikki? And why would they be coming after you if they have a problem with him? That doesn’t even make any sense. Why would they even be coming after you if they have a problem with him? You’re not talking to some drug dealer or something like that, are you?”

  Nikki hesitated, as she really didn’t know how to describe her “relationship” with Breon, for lack of a better word. Quickly, she became very nervous as she knew her mother would go on and on with her questions. Prying into her daughter’s privacy was always Rhonda’s favorite pastime. “Naw, Mama,” Nikki said. “I don’t think he no drug dealer, at least not anymore.”

  “At least not anymore?” Rhonda asked, trying to make sense out of what she was hearing. “What are you talking about, Nikki? Who is this guy you’ve been seeing?”

  “I wasn’t seeing him, Mama,” Nikki said, feeling herself get a little angry. The simple fact of the matter is that if she had not gotten involved with Breon and his obvious game, she would not have to sit on her mother’s couch and have such an awkward conversation. “You know, we was just kicking it and stuff and…”

  “And what?” Rhonda said, shaking her head as she grabbed her knees. “And what, Nikki? You know how I feel about that kind of stuff? I didn’t have sex until I met your father and we wound up getting married and all, as you know. You’re not out there getting hooked up with guys that you don’t really know, are you?”

  “Mama, why you have to go there?” Nikki asked, with a little bit of an attitude. “You so worried about the holy shit that you not even try’na ask what the hell I went through being held captive and stuff like I was some prisoner.”

  “Watch your mouth,” Rhonda said, well aware that she’d always warned her daughter about using swear words while in her house. “You know how I feel about cursing and stuff. And, Nikki, that’s not what I’m saying. That’s not what I’m saying at all. All I’m saying is that all of this could have been avoided if you just weren’t messing around with any guy you meet.”

  Nikki rolled her eyes. “Okay, Mama,” she said. “Anyway, so these three dudes,” she paused, “busted into the apartment and just took me. No coat, no hat, just in my clothes and stuff. And they took me back to this house over on the west side.”

  “On the west side?” Rhonda asked. “Where on the west side?”

  “I don’t know, Mama,” Nikki said. “You know I don’t know my way around over there. All I remember is that I saw the street Sacramento, but it was so dark.” She sniffled, as she was getting into her emotions. “I was so scared, Mama. I swear I was. I didn’t know where they was taking me. They took me back to this house that was all dusty and stuff like ain’t nobody lived in it and stuff. They held me in this bedroom upstairs and wouldn’t let me leave, even though I told them that I didn’t know anything about why they were after Breon anyway.”

  “Breon?” Rhonda asked, shaking her head. “So, is that his name, huh? Interesting.”

  Nikki noticed the look of contempt in her mother’s eyes. “Yeah, Mama,” she said as she looked away for a moment. “Anyway, they kept me there and took my phone and stuff and…”

  Cutting her daughter off again, Rhonda said, “Okay, so here’s what I don’t understand. How did they even know that you were connected with this Breon anyway? That is really what I’m try’na understand. And if they, like you said, were trying to get to Breon, then why in the world were they even coming after you, especially since, from what I know, so correct me if I’m wrong, you two aren’t even really talking like that?”

  “’Cause, Mama,” Nikki said, just ready to get the truth out so she wouldn’t have to keep track of lies. “They, I guess, followed him back to my house that night.”

  “Oh, you’re into that kinda thing still, huh?” Rhonda said, shaking her head. “Okay, Nikki. I see.”

  “Mama, you ain’t have to say it like that,” Nikki snapped.

  “I didn’t say it like anything,” Rhonda said. “Nikki, I know you remember me talking to you about this kind of stuff, especially back in high school. You have to be more careful with the choices you make or else stuff like this can happen to you. But I still don’t get why they wanted you if this Breon fellow you speak of is who they really have a problem with.”

  “’Cause, Mama,” Nikki said. “I was letting him keep some things at my place and, I guess, they followed him over. From what they was saying when they had me at that house, they thought that I was his girlfriend and stuff.”

  “I see,” Rhonda said, shaking her head. “So, they were basically using you as collateral, I guess you could say?”

  Nikki nodded, hating that she felt like property in the situation – a bargaining chip – rather than a human being, or at very least the biggest victim.

&n
bsp; “Well, what were you keeping at your place for him that he couldn’t keep at his own place or wherever he lives, Nikki?” Rhonda asked. “Huh? What were you keeping that he couldn’t keep at his own apartment or house?”

  Nikki simply didn’t answer. Rather, she remained silent and looked away. While she was totally unsure what her mother’s reaction would be to the answer to that question, she knew that it probably wouldn’t be a good one.

  “Nikki?” Rhonda said, hearing her daughter’s silence. “I know you hear me talking to you, Nikki. I know you hear me talking to you. What is it that you were keeping at your place that he couldn’t keep at his own place?”

  Nikki sighed. “A couple of guns, Mama,” she answered flatly, practically having to push the words out of her mouth. “He had called me, asking me if he could keep a couple of guns over at my place so that his girlfriend wouldn't see them in his truck and shit. I know it was stupid and I wasn’t really thinking, so I said yeah, not really thinking of what was really going on.”

  With a burst of energy, Rhonda jumped up off of the couch. With her hands planted into her hips, she walked over to the middle of the floor. She paced around, so much that she could eventually wear the carpet out. When Rhonda did finally look up and at Nikki, all she could do was shake her head. Nikki couldn’t help but notice the sour look on her mother’s face – a look that made her feel even more disappointed in herself for basically falling into Breon’s trap, even if his trap may not have been intentional the least bit.

  “So,” Rhonda said, drawing on her knowledge from dealing with the younger generation. “From what it sounds like to me, Nikki, you were the side chick in this situation. Is that what I’m hearing? As you younger people say nowadays, you were his side chick?”

  Nikki shrugged. “Mama,” she said, “I just messed around with him a couple times and stuff. I swear.” Her eyes started to swell as she wanted to cry from the shame her mother was causing by just talking to her. “I wasn’t even really his side chick.”