by Jade Jones
“Good morning,” she said, making her presence known.
Jude slowly turned to face his wife. His dry lips pulled into a half smile. “Good mornin’, baby. Look at you,” he said admiringly.
Cameron looked beautiful that morning in an oversized white chiffon shirt, burgundy leather pants, and nude pointed toe heels. Her makeup was subtle yet immaculate. “Oh, please. I just threw together anything, bay,” Cameron lied. She could be so modest at times.
“You look amazin’,” Jude said. “Come here…” He patted the empty space on the bed beside him.
Swallowing her guilt from last night’s events, Cameron gradually headed to the bed and climbed in. Seeing Jude hooked up to an IV, and ICU monitor tugged at her heartstrings. She wanted nothing more than to have him home so she could wake up beside him every morning. Unfortunately, O’ Zone had his own agenda…but luckily for Jude that was one enemy he never had to worry about again.
“I saw the news,” Jude finally said.
Cameron’s stomach instantly twisted in knots. It was the last thing she expected to hear come from his mouth. Turning her head towards the small tube television, she half-expected it to be on but it wasn’t.
Cameron shrugged nonchalantly. “Okay. And?” she asked, trying her best to play it off.
Jude looked deeply into his wife’s eyes. There was no hiding from him because he saw right through her every time. He knew her like the back of his hand; probably more than she did herself.
“I’m not a fool, Cameron,” Jude simply said. “You’ve known me long enough to know that.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cameron told him. She prayed that Jude didn’t mention O’ Zone’s name. She still had trouble believing she’d actually placed the hit on him.
Jude scoffed. “I’m not gonna pressure you into giving me details, Cam,” he said. “I’m not even gonna force you to admit what you did…’cuz at the end of the day, we all got our own lil’ secrets…”
26
Jag stood alone on his patio during the sunset while sipping on a Budweiser. So many thoughts ran through his mind that he could barely organize them. Cameron had his feelings all over the place. He was used to being in control, but she had him feeling like putty inside.
“What the fuck is she doin’ to me, man?” Jag asked himself as he stared out at the magnificent skyline.
He could smell the dinner his mother prepared from outside: Penne with vodka sauce, pork marsala, and spinach. Anzia lived in the kitchen, but Jag would be damned if he complained. Had he and Joaquin not moved their mother in, they would’ve been dining on Ramen Noodles and Oscar Mayer hot dogs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Jag pulled out his cellphone, and stared at the home screen as he contemplated calling Cameron. A part of him regretted doing what he’d done…but he simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity to please her—even if was during her most vulnerable moment.
She probably hates me, Jag thought to himself. He wished he could see into her mind at that very moment. Maybe I came on a little too strong.
Jag was just about to call Cameron to talk when his cellphone suddenly rang. Ironically enough, it was Cam.
Jag anxiously answered. “I was just ‘bout to hit you up.”
“I need you to set up a meeting with me and Champion,” Cameron said.
***
Joaquin stared blankly at the 55-inch television ahead of him. He sat on Roxie’s nude velvet sofa with his arm draped over her shoulder. She lay asleep with her head resting in his lap, completely unaware that she was in the company of O’ Zone’s killer. Yet hurting Roxie was the last thing on Joaquin’s mind. All he wanted to do was help her get over her loss, and protect her from harm.
That nigga was scum, Joaquin thought to himself. He’s better off under the ground anyway.
Suddenly, his cellphone began ringing on the coffee table. Roxie stirred a little, but remained asleep. Joaquin was careful not to wake her as he reached over and retrieved his phone. He was surprised to see his brother’s name flashing across the scene. At that minute, Joaquin faced two options. He could handle whatever work-related situation Jag was calling about or he could stay and comfort Roxie.
Powering off his cellphone, Joaquin chose the easiest option.
***
Jag turned to Cameron. “He ain’t answerin’ his phone,” he said.
They sat inside his silver Porsche Cayman outside of her home. Cam really wanted the extra security when she stepped to Champion in case he tried any funny business, but she couldn’t force Joaquin to pick up his phone either.
“Fuck it,” Cameron said. “Let’s just go.”
Jude shifted the gears to drive and eased out the driveway. He didn’t know what exactly Cameron had planned, but he was sure she had something clever up her sleeve. This nigga Jude gotta ride or die, he thought to himself.
Twenty minutes later, Jag guided his Porsche inside the over-capacitated parking lot of Onyx. The popular gentlemen’s club was a favorite among Champion’s many hangout spots. After making a few calls, Jag was able to track down the current whereabouts of a man who may as well have been a ghost.
Champion had no direct number or business location. Luckily, Mike was able to track down a mutual associate who pointed them in the right direction.
Here goes, Cameron thought, climbing out the car.
“Are you okay?” Jag asked her. He’d been increasingly worried about her lately, especially after what happened to Jude.
“I’m fine,” Cameron answered smugly.
Jag left it at that. Cam put up quite the wall with him, and most of the time she was just flat out hard to read. He didn’t know if she was feeling some type of way after what they’d done, or if she had other things on her mind. Either way, Jag couldn’t invest too much thought into it then. He and Cameron had business to tend to.
Damn, I wish Joaquin would’ve answered his phone, Jag said to himself. It would’ve been cool if he could’ve had my back.
As expected, Onyx was jam-packed that evening. A few local celebrities were a part of the scene. Fellas were popping bottles, and making it rain and the women were simply trying to get in where they fit in.
Young Jeezy’s “Show Out” had the crowd amped. All of a sudden, Cameron felt like she was in her old stomping grounds. Only she wasn’t there to entice men and collect tips. She was there strictly for business.
Jag leaned close to Cameron’s ear so that she could hear him over the loud music. “We’ve never even seen this dude before,” he said. “How we gon’ know who the hell we lookin’ for?”
Cameron, however, was already one step ahead of the game. Without responding, she headed towards a VIP booth filled with about ten guys. She didn’t know how she knew, but she was certain that it was Champion and his camp. As unusual as it seemed, her gut’s instincts pulled her in his direction.
Jag followed behind Cameron, confident that she knew exactly what she was doing.
Every time I go out, you know I gotta show out…
Every time I go out, you know I bring the dough out…
Cameron sauntered towards Champion’s booth. As soon as his goon reached for his piece, Jag grabbed for his too.
“Be easy,” Champion said.
When his boy relaxed Jag did as well. Like the Red Sea parting for Moses, Champion’s boys stepped to the side allowing Cameron and Jag entrance. There were two ice buckets on his table keeping his Champagne bottles cool. Thick marijuana smoke floated in the air around them.
Shaking off her apprehension, Cameron approached the head of the herd. “You’re Champion, right?” she asked.
Champion blew a gust of smoke from his nostrils. “Depends,” he simply said. “Who you is? A fan?”
Two of his boys broke out laughing.
Cameron began to feel uneasy because she needed him to take her seriously. “No. I’m a business woman,” she said. “And a mother. And a wife—and I just wanna keep my family togethe
r.”
Champion’s hard expression softened a little. Suddenly, the small space became tense.
“You approached my husband a little while back,” Cameron continued. “You gave him an ultimatum, and told him if he didn’t play ball you would end the competition,” she emphasized the last three words. “And honestly, if you knew Jude like I do, you’d know he doesn’t back down. He’s strong-willed, and bull-headed. He’s a leader, Champion. He doesn’t fold or cave in. He would rather fight and lose instead of surrendering before the war begins. That’s how Jude is,” she told him. “So I’m coming to you as a business woman…a mother…and a wife and asking you is there any way we can come to an agreement without merging?”
A long period of silence hung in the air. The tension was so thick you could slice a knife through it.
Champ stood to his feet and approached Cam. Jag started to step in front of her, but Cameron held her hand up for him to back down.
Jag stood his ground as hard as it was. He would’ve gladly tried to take on all eleven men if that meant protecting Cameron.
Champion took a light pull on his blunt and slowly released the smoke in Cameron’s face. She didn’t blink even though the strong scent burned her eyes. Champion’s eyes roamed seductively over Cameron’s shapely body. His expression showed that he was obviously pleased with what he saw.
Champion licked his purple lips and stared deeply into Cameron’s eyes. “Depends on what you willin’ to do to come to dat an agreement, shawty.”
Jag’s jaw clenched after the sexual innuendo was made. He was trying his best to keep from breaking Champion’s jaw.
The tiny hairs on the back of Cameron’s neck stood up. Champion’s warm breath tickled her skin as he stood close enough to kiss her. He trailed his index finger against her shoulder to gage a reaction. Cameron didn’t give him the satisfaction of one.
“What do you want?” Cameron kept a straight face. “Money?” she asked. Although Cameron had her husband’s best interest at heart, Champion was a problem she wasn’t ready for—whether she knew it or not.
Champion smirked and shook his head. “Lemme quit fuckin’ with you, ma,” he said. “I ain’t no negotiatin’ type of mufucka. When my mind is made up, it’s made up. And right now it’s lookin’ like…” Champion glanced at his Samsung Galaxy watch’s calendar. “Ya boy got a lil’ over a week to jump on board or sink.”
27
“Knock. Knock,” Mike said before entering Jude’s room. This was his second visit since Jude’s hospitalization, but he did a superb job of keeping his boss up to date on things.
Jude turned off the television since he couldn’t find anything to watch anyway. His mind was on too many things at once to focus on a channel.
“’Sup, patnah,” Jude greeted. He was starting to look and feel a little better by the day. His body was sore during most hours, but he was expected to make a full recovery with rehabilitation.
Mike closed the door behind him, and took a seat in the chair beside Jude’s bed. “I got some bad news, man,” he said, getting straight to business. “We’ve been hit twice. Two nights in a row.”
Jude looked confused by the news. “What do you mean we’ve been hit?” he asked.
“Two of our orders have been intercepted, and whoever was behind the shit even took out a couple of our boys last night. Shit’s been crazy, bruh.” Mike spoke with his hands as he communicated. “I got niggas scared to go out lookin’ for these cars ‘cuz they think they gon’ be next to get hit. Eventually we gon’ take a financial loss if this continues to be an ongoing thing.”
Jude’s face filled with rage as he listened. Whoever was behind the attacks was taking money out of his business, and ultimately out of his pocket. “What do you think I should do about this?” Jude asked Mike. He was confident in his second in command’s decision.
“You wanna know what I think?” Mike asked. “I think we gotta snake in our circle, man. Only our team knows the pick-up locations. Somebody in our camp obviously tippin’ off some other niggas. That’s the only explanation I can come up with. How the hell else these mufuckas know when and where to ambush us?”
Jude wracked his brain trying to figure out who the snake may be. All the time he’d been running shit, he was under the impression that he had a loyal team behind him. Now Mike was telling him that of one their own had betrayed their team.
“I can hold an emergency meeting,” Mike began.
“No,” Jude quickly cut him off. “This is something I have to handle personally.”
“What’chu talkin’ ‘bout? You can’t leave here, bruh,” Mike said. “It’s way too early. I got you—”
“No. This is something I need to do,” Jude rebutted. “After everything I’ve gone through to be where I am, the last shit I’ma tolerate is disloyalty…”
“Jude, you cannot just up and leave, man.” Mike said with a serious expression. “You’ve been shot—ya body needs time to heal, bruh. As much as you don’t wanna you gon’ have to step down on this one…but this may be a good time for your wife step up.”
***
Jag reached over and turned down the volume to his Meek Mill CD. “We have to talk about it at some time or another,” he said.
Cameron stared out her window at the scenery. She had so many thoughts running through her mind that she barely heard Jag speak. Secretly, Cameron scolded herself for underestimating Champion. Because she had easily taken care of O’ Zone she assumed she could handle Champion as well—but in a less violent way. The most she could squeeze out of him was a small extension due to Jude’s unexpected leave of absence. Cam didn’t expect Champion to be so defiant. She also hated the thought of her husband being stuck between a rock and hard place.
“No, we don’t,” Cameron finally answered. “To be honest, it’s something that should be swept under the rug. We don’t need to talk about it, Jag. Just like we don’t need to talk about this night to Jude. He’d flip if he knew I met with Champion.”
Jag stared straight ahead at the road. He was irritated by how cold Cam treated him; especially after what they’d done. “Whatever you want, Cameron,” he said dryly.
Cameron turned to face Jag. “What do you want me to say?” she asked him. “You know us fucking around would be wrong on so many levels. What happened last night was a mistake. We can’t do that shit ever again, Jag. I’m a married woman. My loyalty lies with Jude.”
Jag nodded his head while keeping his eyes on the road. “Gotcha. I’ll fall back, Cam. ‘Cuz your happiness is worth my own.”
***
“Why do I feel guilty for enjoying my time with you, Joaquin?” Roxie asked. “I should be angry and bitter and sad but…” she paused. “Being with you makes me feel like everything’s gonna be okay.” Roxie smiled, looked down, and shook her head. “Listen to me. I barely know you. I shouldn’t be telling you this.”
Joaquin softly took Roxie’s hand in his own. “I want you to be real with me, babe. Always. And remember everything happens for a reason.”
The couple relaxed in Centennial Park underneath a full and vibrant moon. There were quite a few people there for Wind Down Wednesday. A live jazz band entertained the crowd of people who made themselves comfortable on picnic blankets.
“I’m here for you, Roxie. I’m in ya corner. Know that shit,” Joaquin told her. “I’m sorry to hear about ole’ boy, but life goes on, baby girl. And I hate to say this considerin’ the circumstances but you deserve better anyway,” he said. “I know it may take a while before you let somebody close to ya heart again…but I’m patient and I’m more than willin’ to wait. Just know I’m yours if and when you want me.”
Roxie leaned her head against Joaquin’s shoulder. His Prada cologne was intoxicating. Roxie gently ran her fingertips along Joaquin’s collarbone. She could see his chest tattoos peaking from underneath his fitted V-neck shirt. “Shit just feels so surreal for me, you know? First this crap with my sister and now…this.” Roxie shook
her head. “I don’t think I’ve ever been hit this hard in life. To keep it real, before you came over I almost was close to giving up on everything.”
Joaquin’s heart instantly sank to his stomach. He never meant to hurt her to that extent. He knew that if Roxie found out the truth she would be beyond devastated. I’m gonna have to do my best to keep that shit on the low, Joaquin thought. I can’t lose her before I even get her.
“I’m sorry. Pay me no mind,” Roxie quickly said. “I’m high. And I’m an emotional hot ass mess right now…”
Joaquin leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “I get what you mean, babe. I fucks with you.” Chuckling lightly he said, “Shit, after everything I’ve told you I’m a hot ass mess too. We’ll be hot ass messes together.”
His lighthearted joke brightened the mood, and made Roxie laugh a little.
After enjoying a breath of fresh air coupled with live entertainment, Joaquin and Roxie headed to Sotto Sotto—a 4-star Italian restaurant located in Inman Park.
Joaquin simply wanted to make Roxie temporarily forget about her problems while providing great company. He truly believed they could build something beautiful out of an ugly situation.
After they made it back to Roxie’s apartment, Joaquin walked her to the front door. When he started to leave, she quickly stopped him and confessed that she didn’t want to be alone.
Joaquin hated to feel like he was taking advantage of her vulnerability—especially when she was unaware of the secret he kept from her. But little did Roxie know, Joaquin needed her as much as she needed him. In a world where he was either feared or misunderstood, Roxie was the one thing that made him feel somewhat normal.
Joaquin gently cupped Roxie’s face in both his hands and softly kissed her lips. Closing her eyes, Roxie pulled him inside her home, savoring the minty flavor on his tongue. He felt so foreign but so right. She couldn’t explain it. All she knew at that moment was that she wanted him inside of her.
