The Face That Launched A Thousand Bullets (The Cartel Publications Presents)

by Styles, T.

  “A’ight…but remember however you treatin’ these broads, somebody could be doin’ yo mother the same way.” Markise was so dead set on proving his point, that he didn’t care about who he was talking too. One crazy ass mothafucka.

  “What you say, nigga?” Cray asked approaching him.

  “Aw shit!” Blunt said wiping his hand on the towel before dropping it to the ground. “Come on, man. Ya’ll peoples.”

  Every now and again Cray liked to fuck with Markise because after all these years, he still couldn’t get him to follow his lead the way he could with Jason. Markise always stood his ground and today was no different.

  “Oh so you gonna hit me while I’m down? If I wasn’t in this cast, you couldn’t go one round with me.”

  “Is this nigga serious?” Cray looked around for backup. “I could sit in a chair with one arm strapped behind my back and still kick yo ass.”

  Cray was high and mad about everything that happened at his crib. He was angry for putting his mother to the test believing had he not, she would’ve really tried hard. He was mad at having to work for Melody and he was mad at the world. So for real, now was not the time to go toe to toe with him.

  Instead of responding, Markise laughed.

  Blunt and Jason looked at him wondering what was funny.

  “Yo, love showin’ off in front of niggas. I been tired of yo shit since we was kids. Hate for a nigga to speak their mind. I put this on everything, weapons down, I’d knock your block off if I wasn’t hurt.” Markise added shaking his head and sipping his beer.

  Without warning, Cray took the glass bottle of beer in his hand and smacked Markise so hard against his head it shattered on his face. Blood was everywhere.

  “Oh shit!” Blunt yelled out. “Cray what the fuck you doin’ man? That’s your boy!”

  Markise placed his hand on his head and held his eye. He would definitely have to go to the hospital behind that shit. Cray was about to swell on him again when he saw this girl getting out of a car a few doors down. Her golden hair and chocolate skin caught his attention. Who was she?

  “Fuck! Now my neighbor’s home.” Blunt said holding his head. “This a respectable community, man. You can’t be doin’ shit like that ‘round here!”

  “Nigga, this Reisterstown, Maryland! It’s still the ghetto!” Cray corrected him.

  “Man, you can’t be doin’ that east Baltimore shit out here like that!” Blunt continued. “Yo Jay, take this nigga to the hospital. I can’t stand niggas sometimes! That’s why people want to live with the white folks! As a people we don’t know how to act. Damn!”

  “Shut yo, Do The Right Thing ass up!” Cray continued.

  “I’ma get your ass back nigga!” Markise promised. “I put that on everything!”

  As Jason lifted Markise off the ground, Cray’s attention remained fixated on the girl. And she didn’t see him until after her door was open, and she smiled.

  “Yo, Cray?” Blunt yelled brining him back to reality.

  Cray turned around and looked at him.

  “What’s up?” He finally remembered what happened as he saw Jason pull off, with Markise in the back seat holding his face.

  “That was fucked up, man. You know that nigga ain’t mean it like that.”

  “Fuck that shit! I ain’t neva fuck wit him for real for real.” He lied. He wished he hadn’t took it that far with Markise but the damage was done. Literally. But outside of Jason, he was the only family he had. “I was tired of his shit.”

  “I still think you were wrong. Man, I’m goin’ in the crib. I need to fire up after that shit.”

  When blunt left he looked back at the house and the girl was gone.

  “You gonna hit this?” Blunt asked returning with some bomb ass weed from Jamaica.

  “Naw…but I do wanna hit that girl. Who is she?”

  Monesha and Gabriella

  Washington, D.C.

  Let’s Wait Awhile

  Gabriella opened the yellow chiffon curtains to let the afternoon sunlight inside of her one bedroom apartment and pulled her long brown hair in a ponytail out of her face. The music was so loud she could barely hear her footsteps. She looped Janet Jackson’s “Let Wait A While”, a thousand times because that’s what Monesha had always told her, and she was tired of waiting. Gabriella was hopelessly in love.

  She was just putting her lunch sandwich, lemonade and chips on the living room table when Monesha came bolting through the front door with her keys. Flinging her red Prada purse on the couch, she threw her weight down next. It had been a month since she’d heard from her.

  “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Gabriella asked frightened at her distorted angry face.

  Her beautiful skin flushed red.

  “He’s related to my family.”

  “Who’s related to your family?” Gabriella stooped down in front of her and caressed her knees. “What’s going on?”

  “Nyzon. I can’t believe this shit! All this time and he’s related to my family! He won’t answer my calls or nothin’. I don’t know what to do.”

  A sigh of relief overtook Gabriella because maybe she’d finally give him up. “You say it’s over anyway.”

  “I know. Still!” Monesha folded her arms against her body and dropped her head back. “I can’t get over him.”

  Her words hit her like a ton of bricks. No matter what Gabriella did, she couldn’t make Monesha love her, and she’d tried so many times.

  “Maybe he still wants you. I know I would.” She let out slowly.

  “You think so?” She was thrilled and appeared hopeful.

  “Maybe.” She sat next to her. “But I miss you Monesha. Let this thing with Ny go. Please.”

  “I miss you too but there’s so much going on right now. You have to wait awhile with me, Gab.”

  Gabriella sighed.

  “I need your friendship.” She touched her face lightly and Gabriella’s pussy jumped. “Can I count on you?”

  “You know you can.”

  “Cause I have a plan.” Monesha grinned. “And it’s one that’ll lock him down for good.”

  Nyzon Peate

  Baltimore Washington Parkway

  A Fucked Up Mind

  Nyzon stood in the ring of the sweaty boxing gym as his trainer Bowman yelled from the outside as he sparred with Shavel. Shavel although a good boxer, could never get his breaks as a professional because he failed to get his endurance up. Still he did an excellent job working with other boxers.

  “Nyzon, stop being a counter fighter! You waitin’ until a mothafucka throw a punch before you throw one. You’ll never win a decision like that!”

  Nyzon heard him but his mind was on his mother, or the woman he thought she was. Between her lies and Monesha still trying to get with him, he wasn’t on his game. Everything was fucked up in his life!

  Shavel was still punishing him this round.

  “Ny! Lead with your jab and stop sittin’ on your punches!”

  Bowman was the most sought after coach on the east coast. He recognized the potential in Nyzon and wanted to grab him before someone else did. But today Nyzon was jabbing but not landing shit. And when he stumbled, Shavel knocked him down with a firm right.

  “That’s it!” Bowman yelled. “The man took enough beatin’ today.”

  Nyzon got up, hopped out the rink and walked over to Bowman.

  “Son, I don’t know what’s on your mind, but get it off, or don’t come back in my gym. I only work with the best, you know that. How are you gonna think about fightin’ internationally if you’re movin’ like this?”

  “I know, sir.” Nyzon said wiping his face with a towel Bowman handed him.

  “Now, on the other note, if you need to talk to me, I’m here.”

  “Thanks, man.” He took off his gloves, “but I’ll be fine. I just have to work some shit out on my own.”

  In His Car

  Driving down the BWI parkway drunk out of his mind, he tried to reach Melody a
gain. He hated to admit it, but he was sure he was dodging him. He owed him ten thousand dollars from the last drop off and hadn’t paid him. With him staying at the Holiday Inn, in Laurel Maryland, he needed all the money he could get.

  He wasn’t even thinking about spending what he had saved because he had plans to buy a package from the connect Melody used. He wanted his own operation. But the last time he approached Juarez, the Columbian connect, he told him don’t even think about stepping his way with less than a million. He only dealt in major weight. Calling one last time with his number blocked, he wasn’t surprised when he finally reached him.

  “Melody, it’s Ny…where’s my dough man?”

  “Your what?”

  “My cash!” Nyzon was heated. He knew his bitch ass heard him the first time.

  “I’ll get it too you when I get it to you.”

  “And when is that?”

  “Next week.”

  This was the third time he changed up. This nigga just bought a Yacht so he knew he had his money.

  “What’s wrong wit now? I can roll to Bmore.”

  “I’m in Hawaii.”

  How the fuck can he run and operation when he ain’t ever here? He thought. It had gotten to a point when instead of dealing with him, he had to go through J-Swizz.

  “Man, I’ma need my dough now. I’m gettin’ the strange feelin’ you tryin’ to bullshit me.”

  “Bullshit you? Lil nigga, you done lost your mind! When I get back you’ll get your cash but afta that you cut! I’m sick of dealin’ with ungrateful mothafuckas like you!”

  “Shit!” Nyzon hit the steering wheel.

  Melody had him on some whole ‘notha shit, and he was getting ready to deal with it. Straight up. He just didn’t know how.

  He needed to talk to somebody so he called Royala. Ever since they graduated from high school, they became closer. And if anybody could calm him down, she could.

  In Royala’s 1991 Cadillac Coupe Deville

  “Yo suck that shit right!” Royala told her girlfriend Simple as she bent over in the passenger seat of her car and sucked the dildoe she had strapped on. Royala had it in her mind so much that she was a guy, that she wore her strap all day everyday. This was not common for most dominate women.

  Slapping her vanilla colored ass, she encouraged her to take it all in. Although she was sucking the brown colored dildoe and not her, Royala was still getting aroused. So when the phone rang and she saw it was Ny, she couldn’t answer it. At least not right now.

  “Who that?” Simple asked as she looked up at Royala holding her cell phone.

  “Don’t worry about that,” she said tossing the phone down. “Worry ‘bout this dick.”

  With that she continued to suck it.

  Back in Nyzon’s Car

  Nyzon slammed his RAZR phone shut when Royala didn’t answer. Grabbing the half empty Hennessy bottle in his seat, most of which he’d drank on the way from the gym, he almost missed his phone ringing. Without seeing who it was first, he answered.

  “Ny…its Monesha.”

  “Fuck you want, Monie? Cause I ain’t got time for no shit.” he slurred.

  He was drunk as shit.

  “Can I see you, Ny?” she said softly. “I mean I finally understand we’re family and what we had is over. I just really need a friend right now.”

  Had he not been drinking, he would’ve probably said no but between her, his mother and Melody fucking with his money, he needed some company. So he gave her the address to the hotel he stayed in.

  “I’m on my way.” She said hanging up before he changed his mind.

  In the Hotel

  The clock radio blasted with 95.5 as they talked about old times. The liquor was still in his system and he hadn’t had that much fun since the last time he was with her. And he missed that.

  Two brown paper bags dressed the bed filled with the remainders of the cheese steaks they ate fifteen minutes earlier.

  “Ny, you are so silly! But please tell me you remember running into my head knocking me over at school.”

  “What?” Nyzon laughed looking at her sideways. “I ain’t never knock you over at school.”

  “Boy, you must’ve bumped your head for real!” she giggled. “We were in middle school and you bumped into me. That’s how we met!”

  “Oh shit! I remember now.” he said rubbing his head finally recollecting. “I had to help your lost ass find the office. Tell the truth, you were just tryin’ to get my attention right?” Nyzon joked.

  “Boy, whatever! I already heard about you.”

  “That’s cause they all wanted me.”

  She got up, cleared the bed of the bags and plopped back down.

  “I ain’t want you. For real…I was feelin’ Lazarick.”

  For some reason when she said that, his stomach turned.

  “Yeah right! You was always on me.”

  Silence.

  They stared into each other’s eyes. She was moving in to kiss him and he stopped her.

  “We can’t…we’re family, Monie. Let’s leave it like that.”

  “What if I told you we aren’t? Would it make a difference between us?”

  “Naw…cause we’re better off as friends.”

  Nyzon didn’t want to play games with Monie even if they weren’t related because he couldn’t be faithful. She deserved somebody good and he wanted her to have that.

  She frowned and instead of understanding, she thought he wasn’t drunk enough.

  “Now you can sleep here,” he said seriously. “but in the morning, you have to leave.”

  “A’ight, Ny. A’ight.”

  Later That Night

  It was pitch dark in the room when he felt the covers pull back from his body, and the cool air move over him.

  “Monesha, what are you doin’?” he asked pushing her away looking at the red glare from the clock radio.

  It was 3am.

  “You know what I’m doin’ Ny.” She said kissing his lips. “Stop playin’ wit me.”

  “Monie…we can’t do this shit.”

  “Yes we can.” She said rustling with his boxers. The alcohol was still in his blood.

  “Have you been payin’ attention?” he asked as he grabbed her wrist and held them firmly in his hands. “Whateva we had is through!”

  Just a few months ago he would’ve given anything to fuck her, but now since he was 99.9% sure they were family, he just couldn’t do it.

  “Fuck that shit!” she said getting louder. “I still love you, Ny! Why you think I’m here? Make love to me, please.”

  She was crazy…out of her mind. But the mere fact that she was begging him turned Nyzon on.

  “Monie, this is fucked up!” he continued, now kissing her gently. His body was doing the exact opposite of what his mouth was saying. “I’m…your….”

  “Man.” She continued as she slid her slippery wetness onto him.

  One thing for sure, the bitch wasn’t the virgin she proclaimed to be. She bucked her hips with the moves of a professional.

  “Monie, fuck this shit!” he yelled lifting her up off him. He paced the room with his dick rock hard and sticking out of his boxers. “I can’t do this! You hear me? I can’t! You gotta leave.”

  “Yes you can baby.” Her knees hit the floor as she put him into her mouth. She wanted to catch his thickness before it went back down. “Just try. I won’t tell nobody. I promise. It’ll be our little secret.”

  Her tongue moved ferociously over his penis and she could taste her bittersweet wetness mixed with his juices.

  “Ahhhhh… shit,” he cried out as his head fell against the wall. “You feel so fuckin’ good. We shouldn’t be doin’ this shit!”

  Before he knew it, she bent down in front of him and wiggled her ass onto his dick again. It was over. He was no match for her seduction. Monie’s hands covered her toes as she whined her hips against him. When he looked down all he saw was ass.

  “You like that shit don’t
you? Tell me how much you like it?” She demanded.

  He was silent. This was fucked up enough without the adlibbing.

  “I know you do.” She continued pushing against him harder, squeezing her inner walls each time. “Ohhhh, Nyzon….I’m about to….”

  “Me too. Oh my goodness….I’m about to cuuummm! Shit!” he whimpered as he released himself inside of her holding her hips in place.

  And just like that, the moment he came it was over. And he was back to reality. How could he live with himself having fucked his cousin?

  “Monesha, this was my fault.” Nyzon took the blame. “but this will not happen again.”

  “That’s not what I had in mind.”

  “I’m serious. I’ll spend the rest of my life makin’ it up to you, but that…what just happened…can never go down again.”

  “So you would sleep with me, let me suck your dick and tell me I’m not good enough for you? Is that what you’re sayin’?” she asked looking as if she’d been possessed.

  “I’m sayin’ you’re my cousin, and it was wrong. Please leave, Monisha.”

  “You’re gonna regret this, Shelton, Nyzon or whatever your damn name is!” She said calling him by his birth name. “I put that on everything you’re going to regret this.”

  She collected her things, got dressed and left.

  With her gone he beat himself up mentally for making such a major mistake, and he was sure she was true to her word that he would regret every bit of it.