“You ain’t scared, Zaria?” Melanie dumbly asked me.
“Naw, so if you are, you might want to shake the shit off. I’m here for business and business only,” I let her know in no uncertain terms.
I pulled up into his attached garage. If he did come home, he’d be shocked as hell. He didn’t even know that I’d had a key made a few months back, when Cidney had just been born and I ran to get Pampers in his car because he’d blocked mine in. Bet that dummy would think twice the next time he trusted some hood chick from the D.
Please, let my key still work. I pulled my spare key from my purse. Until now, I was not thinking it might not work. Nardo could have changed the locks, which would’ve wrecked my entire plan. I smiled when I turned it and the door opened. Oh, yeah, he’s gonna shit bricks once he finds out what I used this emergency key for.
I walked into his bachelor pad with a plan that only a bitter baby momma could carry out. With no time to waste, I went straight into the kitchen and began to pull out all the dishes and glasses, shattering them into a million tiny pieces.
Appearing insane herself, Melanie took a butcher knife and began to spontaneously cut the electrical cords on the fridge, toaster, microwave, blender, and any other appliances in her scorned path. I snatched a gallon of milk out of the fridge, splattering it everywhere, so his entire crib would smell spoiled and just all-out stank. Turning on the water, I plugged the stainless steel sink with several dish rags, walking the fuck away with not so much as a second thought.
With total pride and no regrets in my stride, I marched into the living room and started knocking all the games, DVDs, and CDs off the entertainment center and onto the floor. The devil himself seemed to be helping me as I smashed each one. While in the process of my chaotic vindictive rampage, I called Izzi.
“Hey, girl, what’s up?” he shouted into the phone.
I could barely make out his words because wherever he was at, the sounds were banging. I was jealous that my Izzi seemed not to be missing me. In the background, I could hear a DJ and a lot of people.
“Where you at?” I yelled back, hoping he’d realize I was mad that he was out having such a good damn time.
“All-Stars,” Izzi respond in a suddenly quieter voice. “My bad. I was inside with all the noise. So, what’s up, baby?”
“Why you all up in the strip club? My ass ain’t pretty enough to look at?”
“Damn, Z! Hold the fuck on! Didn’t you tell me to keep your punk-ass baby daddy occupied?” Izzi questioned me.
“Yeah, I did.” I realized that I’d overreacted. “I was just saying.”
“Well, that’s what I’m doing. He’s inside chillin’.”
“Who drove?”
“We came in separate rides. I drove my drop-top. Why you ask?”
“Because I’m at his condo, so please don’t let him leave until I call you again. I’m trying to finish up.” I gave him an update so he could keep his game right, but I ignored his original question. I didn’t want him to think I was being overly concerned about Nardo. He might have stopped helping me, and now was not the time for any distractions from the plan.
“All right. I got him in there with a girl I used to trick with a while back. He’s wide open off the little ho for real. I tipped her good to come on to him, so you owe me one.”
“I paid a little of that debt off earlier, but I got you later, too. By the way, what’s that whore’s name?”
Before Izzi could answer, I heard the sounds of leather furniture being ripped. Melanie was slicing and dicing, which geeked me up, like Ike beating Tina. I shoved Nardo’s 42-inch television over, crashing it to the polished hardwood floor.
“Whoa, ya over there on some Rambo-type movement. Remind me not to fuck you over!” He paused. “But back to your question, I don’t know her government name.”
“What are you good for?” I chuckled in a playful tone as I smashed Nardo’s custom made lamps.
“Chill, girl. Why you need to know anyway? Is she gonna be next on your list?”
“Forget it. Just keep Nardo there until further notice and away from his truck. I have to get back to business.”
Melanie was angrier than I originally thought. She was cursing Nardo’s very existence in life the whole time she was destroying his property. I left her beyond bitter butt to finish off the front area of the condo as I made my way upstairs with a big jug of Clorox bleach that I’d found in the laundry room.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The Connect
“What’s up, Izzi?” I picked up my cell, expecting his call.
“It’s slow motion this way. Out shooting moves. Have you had a chance to think on that conversation we had earlier?” He cut straight to the chase.
“I did, and a plan might can be orchestrated that will work out for the best of us.” I put his wondering mind to ease. “But before we seal the deal, let’s meet up in the morning and speak on everything face to face.”
“Cool. Same place?”
“Nine in the morning sharp, Izzi. On the nose, and not on my people’s time. We can’t stay two steps ahead if we’re trying to catch up.”
“I got you, and I’ll be there on time. Nine a.m. sharp.”
“A’ight, stay up.” I ended the call, ready to sit down from shooting my own moves all day.
Taking my gold Cartier wire frames off my face, I set them on the dashboard of my Lexus truck and rubbed down my beard while inhaling deeply. Though I was away from home, I wasn’t on a vacation. This gritty city was far from the Miami beach I wished me and a baddie were laid up on, sipping beers. Instead, me and my homeboy rode the entire of city of Detroit; but he was now retired to the crib with his woman and kids. I was looking to set up shop the right way, then fall back and let my hands get washed cleaned.
Nardo and I had been doing business for years, almost as long as I had been connecting hustlers to quality product. He proved his loyalty to me time over and then again, which was why I allowed him to bring Izzi to the table for an introduction in the first place. The two of them were supposed to be moving as a unit, Izzi as Nardo’s right-hand man, but it was clear Izzi’s hand was more about the stab-and-take-down.
I saw the hunger in Izzi’s eyes the very first time I shook his hand. His grip was equally strong and firm, which let me know he was the muscle of the two. I was not surprised that Izzi requested a one-on-one sit down, but that it took him as long as it did.
Nardo’s way of thinking was slow and steady. He was more of a map planner. Izzi, on the other hand, was the flip side of the coin. He was a maverick and a risk taker. I believed he would take Nardo’s territory with or without my backing, so I chose to fund the winning team. I was not hustling to make lifelong friends, but enemies and long paper. When you lived in a world that was governed by drugs, death, deception, and the almighty worshiped dollar, you had to take risks if you wanted to survive.
The game plan layout was lovely. Every intoxicant you could think of would be set up in what Izzi referred to as the “gutter zone.” Me and my boy rode through the neighborhood like the feds. The house Izzi was proposing he transform into a trap house was located in a central spot with a lot of foot traffic, mainly represented by low-budget hookers, small-time nickel-and-dime hustlers, and a huge population of dope fiends, all of whom were symbols of income for me. Me and my ace watched sales go down all day.
I did not doubt Izzi’s guarantee to quadruple the amount of money he and Nardo were bringing to the table already, but what would come of him cutting his partner out? I would be fronting way too much product for some shit to pop off then have all the risk and loss fall back on me. A man of my caliber moved at a calculated speed, however.
Swigging the last bit of beer that was left in the can, I tossed it out into the waste can a few feet away from where I was parked, while waiting on my family from Indiana to answer the phone. Unlike the way Izzi claimed loyalty to Nardo, how I connected to and related with my day ones was much different. We
would make together, take together, and break bread together.
“Yo, E. What’s good, my baby?” My cousin answered, glad to hear from me.
Before I hit the highway to Detroit, I’d met up with him and his brother, plus another one of our cousins. We come from a big family. I even had a few female hustlers that were a part of my bloodline. The sit-down was to discuss what my trip to the city was about and what this call would be about, if it was made. We were a family that preyed together.
“Nothing but good news. I got a connect with this dude who works in different factories through temp services. I just put my application in this morning, so you can make your way here to put your application in within the next week or so.” Half of my story was bullshit. He knew exactly what I meant, which was that he, his brother, and our other cousin needed to be on the road headed here from Indiana tonight. It was time to put my family to work so we could all eat from what Izzi had already thrown into motion. I was not bringing them to this city to take over and monopolize his plan, but to sit on both Nardo and Izzi’s turf to make sure my investment was not wasted. The only reason we would start making noise and sending gunshots into the air was if Izzi’s moves started swaying left.
Leaning back in my seat, I took a few deep breaths, wishing I had a woman to accompany me into my apartment. A nightcap that ended with my penis in some pretty girl’s mouth and then vagina would have been the perfect way to put me to sleep. I had a gang of hoes in Indiana, but none here in the city of Detroit on speed dial. If these niggas didn’t roll as grimy as they were known to do, or if my cousins were already in town some, I would have run up in a strip club to get entertained. Every man requires a daily dosage of ass.
After I looked around for any unfamiliar cars, I climbed out and walked into my bachelor pad. It wasn’t nothing much but a flat screen television, a cheap-ass living room and bedroom set I cashed out on from off West Eight Mile, some dishware for me to eat off of, and the basic necessities I needed to wash my ass. I set this crib up so I could live comfortably while I was monitoring, and I could not do that in a motel.
Plopping down on the couch, I got the Fire Stick started up so I could watch a few movies. It was not common that I closed my eyes and slept, especially in a foreign place. That was another reason why I needed a loyal-ass lady friend. Instead of watching movies and stroking my own nut up out of my dick on a rough night, I could be curled up to and deep inside of her. Every real successful player needs a chick by his side to ride with, and I was no different than the next. Even an honest living man who works a nine-to-five needs a companion to share his take-home wealth with.
My eyes might have been staring at the television screen, but my mind wandered. I was thinking about business and how I needed to level up sooner than planned. I even thought about having my family bring along a hot piece of ass for me to climb into once they arrived, but I knew none of my shorties would want to depart in the morning back to Indiana by train or bus, leaving me to tend to my business. I could not and would not allow myself to be distracted with so much of my product on the line.
I then thought about the shorty I’d met at Wendy’s earlier and wished I had pressed her harder for her seven digits. Honey was fine as hell, with a banging-ass body, just the type of chick I could be cuddled up with right about now. She seemed to have that intelligent, classy look, topped off with a little gangster edge. I liked homegirl’s style and was definitely hoping she’d hit me up.
Izzi
Rubbing my hands together like a greedy muthafucka does, I was feeling anxious, yet like a boss, that my plans were starting to go into play. The connect had agreed to the proposition I put before him to make more dough. I knew he wouldn’t resist the temptation, but what concerned me was him being cool with me fuckin’ over Nardo. I was gonna keep it about money, but he and I would be watching each other. From this point on, my movements were about to be carefully calculated, and I would be thinking things through a little more thoroughly.
Zaria would keep me grounded some because having a wifey at home that knew the rules of the dirty game I was intent on playing would help me stay focused. But with her firecracker temper, which was always out of control, I knew she was one female that would keep me knee deep in trouble. I’d already low-key flipped for her ass, but me wanting Nardo out the game completely now made me want to wife her even more. First getting the pussy was meant to be just a smack in the face to Nardo, but now I wanted his baby momma on my team full time. The main rule was broken—money over bitches. Yeah, that was done. Me and Zaria was getting it in!
After hanging up from Zaria, I made another call while waiting on Nardo to come out of the Black Hole, where I knew my girl had him going. See, I’d slipped a special pill in his drink for extra measure so his game would be a little off point. Nardo didn’t do drugs, so he would be way off his square. First highs often did that to you.
I heard a loud engine that I knew wasn’t a car and looked up to see a tow truck pulling into the parking lot.
“Shorty is crazy as hell,” I murmured to myself about Zaria, then ran back into the club to stall Nardo.
Her deck of cards is definitely missing a few Spades.
Zaria
“I told Nardo to stop toying with my heart. I begged him to either love me or let me be,” I spoke out loud to no one in the room, and then started having a full conversation with myself. “He made you do this crazy shit, Zaria. It is all his fault his apartment will be ransacked, his prize possessions will be ruined, and the precious vehicle he cherishes so much will need a new paint job. For him hurting your daughter, he deserves all of this and more.”
With my feet kicked up and crossed, I was in Nardo’s bed, laid back on his fluffy pillows, fiddling with my cell phone. My mind was racing as I tried figuring out what more devious acts I could pull off. No longer did I want us to work it out. I was trying to send this nigga to the grave from a heartache for breaking mine.
My cell phone rang and snatched me out of my thoughts. It was the driver at Nu Wave Towing.
“Hello,” I answered, nervous that he was about to say he could not get the car.
“Yes, ma’am. Can you confirm the address I’m supposed to deliver the car to?”
“Do you have it already?” I answered a question with a question, needing to know his answer first.
“Yeah, so—”
I cut him off. The world yes was all I wanted to hear. After giving him Nardo’s address, which he thought was mine, we hung up, and I sat up to take a few deep breaths. I’d called the towing company with Nardo’s license plate number and a fabricated story. Since they were well known in and around metro-Detroit for being a shady renegade towing company that stayed under investigation for illegal operations, I knew I would not have to put much into the story or even be on site for them to snatch up the vehicle. All they cared about was that cash, and I gave them a Green Dot Visa card that went through for a five hundred-dollar transaction.
I told them I was a dancer at the strip club and was far too intoxicated to drive home and didn’t want to risk getting pulled over by the police. I told them I was getting into a cab but to drop it off at my house and I would be there with a cash tip. Sticking to their no-questions-asked tactics, I was now on a time clock to tear some more shit up.
Leaping up from the bed I once use to lay in with Nardo, I started pulling all of his clothing out of the dresser drawers and tossing it around the room. One quick run to the bathroom cabinet and I was equipped with gloves and bleach to ruin all of his belongings. I walked around his room, whistling and tossing bleach carelessly. I slung so much onto his clothes, shoes, bed, carpet, and walls that I started feeling nauseated from the overpowering smell. I ended up having to open the window for a fresh breeze and putting my shirt over my nose and mouth to look for the spare key to Nardo’s whip. My eyes took the biggest hit and were stinging red by the time I was done.
I should drive that car straight into the Detroit River. I was let
ting my thoughts get carried away.
I could hear Melanie still smashing various items downstairs. At this point, I was glad I had help accomplishing my goal. Project Fuck Nardo was going better and smoother than I thought it would. All I wanted was his love and truth, but he only gave me lies.
With great contempt, I made my way into his walk-in closet and started cutting up all his shirts and jeans. I made sure every single thing that was hanging up was destroyed and he’d have to start over from scratch to jump fresh again. I slashed, sliced, and cut until my fingers grew tired and started aching; then I took a break and started cutting up all his shoes. Nardo had a fetish for sneakers, so I knew this revenge would hit his heart hard. Anything that meant something to Nardo, I wanted it ripped from him.
Forced to slow down my crazed rage, I saw some notebook paper folded up on the floor that must have fallen from one of the shoe boxes. It looked like a letter. When I knelt down to pick it up to see, I ended up finding the box it fell out from, which was really a treasure box of trick shit. The Nike shoe box was full of pictures, more letters, and bills of money.
I hurried up and found an empty spot on the floor to sit, then started counting all the bills I was about to bag. I didn’t want to take them all, but enough to feel whole. The money was the most important thing—until I saw some pictures of ol’ girl downstairs.
Nardo
I saw Izzi frantically rushing back into the club like it was some shit popping off outside, but my limbs and brain were not working together for me to jump up for possible action. Tonight’s ingestion of alcohol and marijuana had me weirdly feeling like a rookie. My buzz did not feel normal, though I had guzzled a ton of shots and drinks.
Loyal to His Lies Page 17
