Loyal to His Lies

by T. C. Littles

  I was frozen solid. I didn’t know if Izzi was going to blow our cover that we felt something between each other, but he’d already shown there was something strange going on by being so damned concerned about how Renard was treating me. I was low key geeked because now I knew I was more than a quick piece of ass to him. He was defending me. I blanked out and couldn’t hear the words they were exchanging. There was just a ton of commotion on the block, and guys were picking who they were going to stand behind. Loyalty was really showing its true colors on Dexter.

  I suddenly shrieked out in distress as I caught a swift punch to my stomach. “My baby! My baby!” I moaned, hugging my abdomen and bending over in agony.

  Spice had hit me, and she’d hit me hard. I was stunned and defenseless, huddled over in so much pain I couldn’t even defend myself. Payback was a bitch, and here I was feeling it firsthand. I saw the look on Izzi’s face, and it was one of pure shock. He now knew I was pregnant too, and it dawned on me that things might change between us.

  Fed up with his personal business being put out on the streets of Detroit, Nardo walked away from the approaching confrontation with Izzi. With complete contempt for me, Nardo spit in my face, telling me that was what I deserved for being a typical baby momma, before him and Spice got into the truck and pulled off. To add insult to injury, Spice let a solid round from Nardo’s gun into the frame of my car before they pulled off the block.

  “That stanking bitch.” Her life was mine. What if Cidney was in the ride?

  Nardo

  My baby momma was pregnant again, and I knew the chances of it being mine were more than likely. I never strapped up when we had sex, and as of late I’d been busting in her on a regular. Now, I had to figure out a plan to get her to get rid of the kid. I barely wanted to be tied down to her with Cidney, and now I’d trapped myself with this unborn bastard.

  “So, I guess you want me to accept the little fuck she claiming she’s about to have, huh, Renard?” Spice assumed, interrupting my thoughts.

  “Why don’t you lay off right now? I got a lot on my mind, and you’re just worrying about yourself,” I snapped at her. I was getting bored with her being so self-absorbed. I was dealing with a lot of drama. What I couldn’t seem to shake was the fact that Izzi had come to Zaria’s defense. Where in the hell did he get off defending her when, to my knowledge, he couldn’t stand the bitch? Things were really starting to come to light, and I didn’t like what it brought out.

  “I mean, damn, Renard. Being with you is so fucking complicated. I’m tired of the stuff your baby momma puts me through.” Spice adjusted her body in the passenger’s seat so she was facing me as I drove. “I know I took her man, but she’s crazier than I expected, and no matter how much control you think you have, you really have none.”

  “Obviously not, Spice, because if I had even an ounce of control, you’d shut the hell up. I don’t want to hear your mouth!”

  “Oh, yeah, Renard! Is that right?”

  “What part of that is you failing to understand?” I came back on her, pissed that she had enough audacity to even question me. I had love for Spice, but I couldn’t tolerate mouth from no chick I messed with. She was becoming as bitchy as Zaria, and the main culprit behind Spice’s reformation was Z.

  “Whatever, boy!”

  “Dig dis! You knew I had a girl before you laid down and gave me some. Now, I left her; not all because of you, but nevertheless, I did leave her. Now she’s pregnant. Okay, you can’t act as if you didn’t know I was still hitting that. That’s reality. You didn’t get me fair, and if you ever lose me, you won’t lose me fair either. That’s the deal you made and the chances you have to take—especially when you sleep with someone else’s man.”

  “So, you gonna play me like that?” She bossed up, showing me her island gangster after getting a gigantic dose of realism smashed into her face.

  “It ain’t playing you if I’m giving you real talk. I’m letting you know the 411, and if you can’t handle that official shit, then I can’t help you.” I rubbed my beard repeatedly, which was a habit I had when I was frustrated or had a lot on my mind. “But point blank, Matilda Lynn,” I said, using her government name to really get her hyped, “I’m tired of always hearing about poor, misunderstood you. You’re just as much to blame as me.”

  “Oh, so let me get this straight. Now I’m the reason your supposed-to-be baby’s mother pulled out my hair at the nail shop?” she dumbly questioned, throwing the insult back in my lap. “And just put this lump on my head? Is that what you telling me?”

  “Yeah, if you wouldn’t have been running off at the mouth, she wouldn’t have known we had a secret thing going on, so that’s on you!”

  “Nigga, if you were as tough and cocky as you sit here professing, then you should’ve told her you had a li’l somethin’-somethin’ on the side instead of letting her insinuate it. Every man wanna be a pimp,” she said, turning all the way in her seat, getting louder.

  “Ha ha! And every tropical island homewrecker wants their cheating man to be faithful,” I mocked her before she slapped me upside the head.

  The truck swerved, and I instantly slammed down on the brakes. Reaching over, I wrapped my hands firmly around Spice’s throat. “Don’t ever fuckin’ disrespect me like that!” I released the tramp because her son started to cry. She was now boo-hooin’ too, but I didn’t care. It was too freaking late! She shouldn’t have put her hands on a playa. Spice got what she deserved once again for that mouth of hers!

  “Matter of fact, don’t say shit else until I tell ya to. If you got something else to say, raise yo’ damn hand! You done fucked around, making yo’ position slip.”

  She looked at me as if she couldn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth. Spice could suck my dick at this point. If she couldn’t take the heat, she would have to bounce. My main agenda was to get Zaria to get rid of that baby.

  Izzi

  I started shoving an out-of-breath Zaria up against her car, not giving a fuck if I hurt her more than she already was. Here I was giving her this good dick and falling for that ass, and she was over here set-tripping on Nardo.

  “So, you keeping his kid or what?” I turned her around, lifting her face to lock eye contact.

  “Dawg, I can’t even believe you wanna sit here and question me about that after all that shit just went down. And to top it off, you almost blew our dang-gone cover,” she answered, starting to stare around in a panic. “Matter of fact,” Zaria continued, “I ain’t even got time to sit here and explain myself. That silly ho just left holes in my ride, and I’m about to get even.” She rubbed her stomach to ease the pain.

  Zaria was trying hard to get my grip loose from her waist, but I was holding on tightly. Honey was fine as hell, but so damn dumb! She couldn’t see that my manz ain’t give a fuck about her, ’cause if he did, none of this would be going down. And for damn sure ol’ girl Spice would’ve been on the pavement for letting out a round into her car. The more I looked at Zaria, the angrier I got. I wanted to just punch her dead in the belly like Spice had. Here she was carrying that punk nigga’s child when I really wanted my seed up in that.

  “Damn, Izzi. Let the fuck go. I gotta bounce for real, and this ain’t even the place for us to be showing public affection,” she said, snapping me back into reality.

  “Why the hell don’t you just let go?” I argued, not really expecting a response. “You don’t know how pathetic you look chasing behind him like a lost little puppy. A real man was trying to show you respect, but you like being treated like a shitbag. So, go.”

  Okay, do you think that girl cared what I just said? Hell fuck naw! She didn’t even blink an eye at my remarks. Zaria just got in her car, started the ignition, and sped the hell off. I was done with her ass. To hell with getting tangled into her messy world. I had already shown too much when I fronted Nardo on her behalf.

  Nardo

  After I cooled down and thought about it, I called my baby momma to see
where her head was at. That pregnancy crap she blurted out had me messed up in the head, but knowing Zaria the way I did, it was probably all a huge, fantastic, concocted lie. She didn’t answer, so I left a voice mail for her to get back at me. Spice was heated and sat her insecure ass quiet in the passenger’s seat. I heard her smack her lips several times, and I was ready to spit in her face, but I held off.

  We never made it out that night. I just dropped her and her son off and headed back to the block to pick up my money and speak to my dude Izzi about his Captain Save-a-Ho actions earlier.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Zaria

  I saw Nardo’s ass calling me, but I didn’t know what the heck for. I didn’t have time for his drama prevention or his sorry excuses. He should’ve laid that trick Spice the fuck out for even thinking she could lay hands on me. I was beyond tired of him letting hoes who he didn’t even have a real history with come between us, especially now that we had Cidney. I’d really hyped myself up to think she would complete us as a family. If nothing else, I felt I’d get more loyalty as the mother of his child.

  My voice mail alert went off, but I didn’t even bother to check it. I was not answering the phone until my truth was out, his lies were exposed, and vengeance was mine.

  Izzi had pissed me off too. Though he was hung like a horse and could stroke me to sleep, he and I weren’t official with one another, and he couldn’t make a claim on me publicly—which meant he should not be twisted all up in his feelings for me as deeply as he was. It was not like me and Nardo’s relationship was hidden, or my intent to keep fuckin’ around with my baby daddy was concealed. Izzi’s knowledge of the truth didn’t match up with how he’d reacted; and real talk, I was still shocked.

  I called and arranged with the babysitter that I would pay her in advance if she could keep Cidney for a couple of days, and she was game. Little mama was broke and needed the cash anyway. I told her I would be around the way in a few hours with Cid’s things and the money and to hold tight until then.

  I caught a cab to a car rental company and walked out of there with a black Ford Fusion with a sun roof. Now I had to ditch my car. It was no way I could be riding a whip with bullet holes and shit. I just left my shot-up shit on the streets. I didn’t even care if they towed it because I planned on reporting it stolen later anyway. I couldn’t try to get any insurance money or even report Spice to the boys in blue because I was going to retaliate on that homewrecker in the worst way, and I didn’t need any extra leads heading my way. It was now time to really set my plan into motion.

  * * *

  “Q Nails, this Kimmie.”

  “What’s up, Kim? This is Zaria. I know the shop is banging, but I need your services ASAP.”

  “What time you want come, since you in such rush?” she asked, being her regular, nosy self. “Sue Lee busy, but I will get her to make time for you. You good customer, plus Kimmie know you got gossip.”

  “That’s a good look, girl. I’ll be there tonight at eight.”

  “You come on time. Me ain’t trying to be in this beech all night, Z gurl, and I don’t want to hear Sue Lee mouth, okay? Good-bye.” Her rude Korean ass hung up on me with a quickness.

  I headed in the direction of home and turned up WJLB to hear JAY-Z’s old-school song “Cry.” That shit was back in the day as hell, but no doubt still relevant.

  “Once a good girl gone bad, she’s gone forever.”

  Nardo had called my phone two more times before I reached home, and I still hadn’t answered. It was not nothing he could say to me on the real. I parked a few houses down so he would think I was not home, just in case he pulled a pop-up. He didn’t know this car, but I had to cover all bases with his slick behind.

  First thing on my agenda was to get Cidney together some clothes. I wanted to keep my baby girl with me because I missed her so much, but I didn’t want her caught up in this bullshit her father was putting me through. True enough, I could’ve walked away, but it was not that simple. Me and Nardo had almost two long years together, and that made history that can’t be easily forgotten.

  As I was pulling footies and pajamas out of the drawer, her baby book caught my eye. Of course, I took it out and began to reminisce. She had gotten so big, and I was already starting to miss the days I had first brought her home, when everything was so peachy between me and Nardo.

  “Dang, can a chick relax without people constantly bothering me?” I shrieked when I heard the house phone ring.

  It was as if I could never have a moment to myself. I dragged my feet getting to the phone. I really didn’t want to be bothered, but it could have been the sitter about my watching my child. I snatched up the phone and checked the caller ID.

  Wayne County Jail! What the fuck!

  “Hello,” I answered impatiently.

  “You have a collect call from . . .” said the recording, and then I heard that ho’s name. “Melanie McGee.” I hung up quick, fast, and in a hurry. I didn’t know what that tramp was calling my house for. I couldn’t do shit for her but stick my foot up her ass. With all the things that had taken place, I had forgotten to go press charges against her. They had to be holding her for something else, because she should’ve been back on the streets to fuck another girl’s man by now.

  I had slow-stepped on that whole situation. The answering machine said I had twelve messages, and I thought they were all bill collectors because no one really had this number, but I decided to check them anyhow.

  The first one said, “Zaria, this is Melanie. Please pick up. We need to talk. I know shit is fucked up between us but on the real, we need to get back at Nardo.”

  The second one was her too. “Yeah, you was wrong for taking my man, but that’s the nature of the hood. Let’s put beef aside. Z, please pick up.”

  She had left a third one: “Zaria! Zaria! Are you there? . . . All right, if you don’t want to talk, then fuck it. You know I haven’t always been an ass-kisser, but I’m caught up. He left you for dead just like me for that other hoe!”

  It was her fourth message that made me grab Cid’s clothes and rush out of the house.

  Melanie

  Zaria’s mean-spirited ass had picked up that time, but she hung up obviously when she heard it was me calling. I was sitting in the pokey for an outstanding warrant I had for a raid I was busted in on the corner of Waverly and Dexter. I ran in OPI Nails and hid, but some punk ass gave up my name and info too. The cops didn’t make a big deal on it, but of course, when they caught me up, it was all of a sudden breaking news.

  I was out of options. Nardo had left me there to rot and burn in jail. I had to call somebody to help me. All that I’d been through with that loser, it was more than clear now that I was just a good piece of ass to him. Well, hell, maybe it was not even that good to him, because if it was, he would’ve been down there to save my black behind.

  Zaria had pissed me off, coming to my house and tearing up my crib like that. I thought I had an up on her by calling and letting her hear firsthand that her man was fucking me, but she showed a total breech of respect by riding to where I laid my head. So, no doubt I had to retaliate by going to her spot.

  When I had pulled up to her suburban house and saw the Camaro sitting in the driveway, it infuriated me, because I realized it was all thanks to Nardo and his dope-selling life. Before I even rang the doorbell, I peeped in the window, seeing her house was laid with flat screens, plush carpet, and the furniture you only saw in Art Van, not that rinky-dinky, hand-me-down crap I was subjected to purchasing from the flea market. Here she was living lavish, and I was a pitiful, bona fide gold digger, barely making it from day to day. This female was now living my life!

  The old woman who’d watched Zaria tear my shit up called the landlord that night. I had already pulled one out of my sleeve to stay there after I had an eviction notice taped to my door a month before. That time, I had to let him feel me up plus come out my pocket with the little $300 savings I had left. So, with the events Zari
a’s ass had put me through, I had to deep throat and swallow, not to mention let him fuck me just to let me keep a roof over my head.

  Zaria had not only stolen my meal ticket, but because of her, I was degrading myself just so the little stuff I had wouldn’t be thrown out on the curb. Just thinking about all of that made me nut up even worse when she pranced her behind down the carpeted staircase in her silk designer print robe. I swear I wanted to cut the man-stealer’s neck off.

  As I lay back on my stinking cot, my eyes burned with spiteful tears. I was so tired of being a little nothing with nothing to live for but the next chick’s man. I gave it up to anyone who offered a few bucks, and I swore I was in love, but I knew deep down inside I was just looking for someone to actually care about me—which they wouldn’t.

  Damn, I need to change my life!

  No sooner than I got ready to try to sleep off some of this time until the police figured out what to do with my ass, a little cocky female police detective came to open my cell.

  “Melanie McGee . . .”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Nardo

  “Where’s my muthafuckin’ money, nigga?” The little corner hustler already owed me for a sack I’d left him a few days ago, and lately there had been a lot of excuses.

  “Nardo, give me a few more hours to get it together. I ain’t sold the whole thang yet,” he said, trying to bargain with me.

  “Listen, guy, ain’t shit this way stupid. Run my money or pay with your life, and that’s my word!” Just as I’d predicted, dude took a cop, stuttering and slow-slurring his sentences. I was not trying to hear nothing he was saying. I was tired of taking shorts from these punks. I didn’t have this problem on the west side. These low-quality hustlers on this side of town were always full of fairy-tale lies.