She was about to alert Bricks that Yao was on his way when he came out of the room. “Yao is on the way up.”
“I know.” He said walking past Yvonna and into the living room. “One of his people just called me.”
Yvonna stopped him and grabbed his hand. “Are you okay, Bricks? I mean, we still cool right?”
“Yeah.” He took his hand from hers. “Never better.”
She snatched him again. “What the fuck is wrong with you?!”
“You lied to me!” He yelled not caring who heard because he was in the presence of his family. “I asked you did you know about that bitch and you lied.” He paused. “If you ever do some shit like that again, we through!” He walked away leaving her stunned.
Melvin opened the door for Yao. The moment he entered, his presence seemed to fill up the suite as he and five members of the Mah Jong Dynasty followed.
Once he was inside, the music was immediately turned down and Yvonna went to greet him. He hugged her and then massaged her shoulders as always. “What happened to your face?” Yao asked looking at Bricks. Bricks shifted a little.
“I fell, Yao. He would never do something like that.”
“He better not,” he said touching her softly. “Oddly, with the bruises you are even more striking. How is that possible?”
“I don’t know Yao, but they say beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.”
“I guess I’m beholding your beauty then.” Bricks wasn’t feeling his advances on Yvonna but there was nothing he could do about it. She didn’t belong to him.
“Uncle Yao, I would like you to meet Bricks.” She softly took his hand and walked him over to him. Bricks’ men, including Kelsi walked behind him. “He’s been waiting to meet you.”
Uncle Yao extended his hand and Bricks shook it firmly. “And I’ve been wanting to meet him, too.” Yao said. Then he clapped his hands together. “Now that we’re all here, let’s get down to business.”
Washington, DC
Bilal Jr
AJ’s building smelled of fried chicken, old trash and pine sol as Bilal crept slowly up the stairs. But he finally made a decision after hiding for hours and the time had come. He had to tell AJ that someone had stolen his work and that he’d do what he could to make it up. He was confident that the proof was in his bruised and battered face. Rozay’s brothers had smashed his fingers, blackened his eyes and bloodied his lips. And when they were done with the lashings, they stole his work before taking him into his house and stealing the money he’d saved up for his car. Which they knew was under his bed, courtesy of Rozay.
Creeping up the stairs, he knocked on AJ’s door using his elbows. His fingers hurt so badly he was sure they were broken. When the door opened he wasn’t surprised, just scared, when Dirk appeared on the other side of the door. Together they seemed to do more harm than good. “It’s Bilal.” Dirk yelled within the apartment. “And it looks like somebody got to him.”
Laughter filled the apartment. “Let his young ass in.”
Bilal limped into the apartment and the door slammed behind him. He turned to look at it wondering if he desired, would he be able to leave back out of it. Walking deeper inside he slowly approached AJ.
“I know you ain’t got my money yet.” AJ was sitting at a computer station as his back faced Bilal. He was smoking a blunt and playing a computer game. His keystrokes were steady as he approached his highest score yet. “I mean, I know you fast, but I ain’t never known you to turn over work that quick.”
“No…I ain’t got your money, but I got something to tell you.”
The keystrokes stopped and AJ turned around in the chair and said, “Nigga, this bet not be about my money.”
“I was robbed. And I’m coming to tell you that I’ma do what I got to, to get your money back.”
“I know that. My only question is, why are you here now? Seems to me you should’ve settled the problem first and begged for forgiveness later.”
“I was just letting you know. My girl’s brothers robbed me because of what you did to her.”
AJ stood up and walked over to him. “So you saying this shit is my fault?”
Bilal backed up a little and when he did, Dirk’s body stopped any further movements. Bilal looked back at Dirk and then at AJ. “No, I’m just telling you what happened.”
“Oh, because I was about to say, accusing me for shit in my own house costs extra. So if you here to say this shit is my fault, I’ma have to add fifteen percent to what you already owe me. Are you prepared to pay that, boy?”
“No…no! I’m not saying…”
Loving his fear he said, “Get the fuck out of my face.”
Bilal was on the way out the door until AJ said, “Dirk, give him that other package too.” Right before Bilal reached the door, Dirk hit him in the stomach causing the food he ate at the diner to come flying out of his mouth.
Both of them laughed as he crawled on his elbows and knees to the door. When his hand touched the doorknob he screamed out in pain from the condition his fingers were in. However he eventually pulled himself up and leaned on it for support. The punch was harder than he anticipated.
That’s when AJ said, “Bilal, if you come back here without my money. I’ma kill you. You understand, boy?”
“Yeah. I do.”
Sin City
Penny
Thaddeus was looking at the TV and had been farting every five minutes. “Can you believe they made a movie about that crazy, bitch!” he said having seen the commercial.
“I’s sure can. They paid me some money ta get my point of view. It’s been a while but I can’t wait to sees how theys do’s it.”
The room smelled of rotten eggs and fifty day old beef as Penny sat in the only chair in the motel room. Both of them were still on edge after the attempt on their lives. And since his wife was still not found, they weren’t sure if she’d make an attempt in the very near future.
“I’m gonna be right back, baby,” Penny said to him holding the doorknob.
He removed is gaze from the TV. “What? My gas got you leaving me already?”
“Nawl, you know old Penny love everything ‘bout ya. But I gotta handle what we’s came ta do. I’ma be right back.” She grabbed a few tissues with the motel’s name on it to pat the sweat off her face.
“Well be careful, I don’t want that crazy wife of mines to find you again.”
She briefly considered what he said and responded. “I’m sure I’lls be fine.”
Once outside of the room she leaned up against the cold brick wall. Traffic rushed past her as she thought about the ultimate goal. It didn’t help that he was working her nerves and that his wife had tried to kill them. The sooner she could get Yvonna the better.
Pulling out her cell phone, she called her coworker who told her that Yvonna was going to be there. The phone rang a few times before she got an answer. “Hello!”
“Gracie, ya got a few minutes, hun?”
“Miss Penny?”
“Yes,” Penny said standing up straight pacing back and forth. “ I forgot to look at my schedule before I left the hospital. Ya mind checkin’ on it for me? I wanna know which days I’m due back in.”
“I got you Miss Penny. One second.” She waited for her to frivolously check a schedule she already memorized. It didn’t take long for Gracie to return. “You off for the next week, Penny. But you gotta come back on Tuesday of the following week.”
“Thanks, hun.”
“No problem. You having fun?”
“Yeah…but you know I leave all the partying and other foolery ta you kids. But, I am lookin’ forward ta the fight.”
“Oooohhh, I shoulda let you put some money on Urban for me. I know he’s gonna kick Santiago’s ass!”
“Ya may be right. But look, didn’t you say that chile was gonna be here.”
“Who?” Gracie asked slightly confused.
“Yvonna.”
“Oh yeah…I hear she staying at the Aria ho
tel. She may be…”
CLICK.
After Penny got the information she wanted she didn’t waste any more time on her ass. Besides, she was sure the other culprit working for the organization was there already. She wanted to be the one who brought Yvonna to them. She immediately caught a cab from her motel to the Aria and once there she went straight to the front desk.
“How ya doing, sweetheart.” She asked the Agent whom Yvonna had irritated upon first sight. She patted her face with the napkin again. “My niece is here and I really need to find her. She has me watchin’ her kids, and I’m gonna have ta leave ta go back home to DC. My father died and I need ta be there for him.”
“I understand, mam,” she said liking her instantly, “What’s her name?”
“Yvonna. Yvonna Harris.”
The Agent smiled slyly. “Mam, I’m not supposed to give out room numbers for our guests here. I can really get into a lot of trouble.”
“I know. And I don’t want ya ta get into any trouble.” Then Penny looked sad and vulnerable. Preparing to turn around she said, “Well, you have a nice day.”
Penny was about to leave when the girl said, “Mam, I’ll help you.” Penny’s face produced a devilish smile before she turned back around.
Finally facing the girl she said, “Thank you, hun. I sure do ‘ppreciate ya.”
As the woman typed the information she needed, Penny spotted a girl with a group of kids. But it was one child, one very pretty child who held her attention. After all, she knew this little girl because she’d raised her for most of her life. “Delilah.” She said to herself as tears formed in her eyes. “Is that my dear Delilah?”
Chocolate City
Bilal Jr.
Bilal limped out of AJ’s building bruised beaten and battered. He walked a few blocks to his apartment when a car pulled up right before he entered his building. When a strange man wearing an eye patch and a woman walked up to him he wondered how much worse his life could get at this point. He was robbed, had lost his girlfriend and was into his boss for a few thousand. At the end of the day, he needed a plan and more than anything he needed help.
“Hello, Plan B.” Swoopes said to Bilal as he leaned against a fence.
“Do I know you?”
“No, and we ain’t got a lot of time.” He paused looking him over. “But first we gotta get you fixed up.”
Crystal’s Cousin Sarah’s House
Swoopes and Crystal had been robbed of everything they owned from the young couple they met in Vegas. And to make enough money to catch a flight back to DC, Crystal had to sell her pussy to three different strangers.
Now back in town, they took Bilal back to Crystal’s cousin Sarah’s house. It was a quiet house with not a lot of activity since Sarah was out of town in Vegas. Even she had sucked a few dicks and licked a few balls to be able to go.
Being her favorite cousin, she allowed Crystal and her boyfriend to come anytime they needed a place to get away. She didn’t ask a lot of questions and they didn’t provide a lot of answers. For the most part all Sarah knew was that they were on the run. She was unaware about Newbie, the preacher’s daughter that Swoopes killed after she advised Yvonna that he was after her. She was unaware about Kendal, whose body was left dead in an abandoned car in a DC project. She also didn’t know that Yao had an open hit on his head because he was trying to kill Yvonna. For sure, she was clueless about everything, and they loved her for it.
Crystal opened the door and said, “Sit down on the couch, Bilal.” He did. She cut on the radio. “Hungry?”
Caressing the different parts of his body that were riddled in pain he said, “No, but you got Tylenol?” They had taken him to the hospital to get stitched and bandaged up. He was in extraordinary pain.
“Yeah…I’ll get you something.”
She went into the bathroom and Swoopes walked into the living room from the kitchen and looked at Bilal. “You know what, you look just like your father. I mean, so much like him its crazy.”
Trying to maintain conversation since he had no control over anything else he said, “Nobody I know ever met my father. So it’s nice knowing we look alike.”
“Fuck alike you look JUST LIKE that nigga.” Bilal’s outburst startled him. “And I knew your pops for most of my life before he was killed. I been trying to find you for awhile, young B.”
Bilal frowned and sat back into the couch. “Why?”
“Because of the bond I had with your father. We were like brothers.”
Bilal grew angry thinking about his life. Why out of all of the kids around him, did he have to be parentless? “Well how come I don’t have him in my life? How come I don’t have no family?”
Crystal walked into the living room and handed Bilal two Tylenol and a glass of tap water. Sitting next to him she said, “You don’t have family because of one person.”
Looking at her inquisitively he said, “Who?” He took the pills and downed the water before sitting the glass on the floor.
“You see that’s what I want to talk to you about. Because Bilal, you are in a bind, and we are too. We need your help and you need ours.” Swoopes said.
“You need me?”
“Yes, and in turn I’ll help you.”
“Help me with what?”
“Anything.” Swoopes said pulling up a chair to sit in front of him. “Because just by looking at your face, and hands, I’d say you pretty bad off.”
Remembering AJ’s threat and his lack of money he decided not to write them off just yet. But first, he had a few questions. “You said you and my father were like brothers. Can you explain?” Swoopes took this time to give Bilal a whole lot of information in a little bit of time. In the end Bilal had a throbbing headache.
“So, my father and mother were killed by this person named Yvonna?” He was confused having never heard of her before.
“Yes. I believe she also had something to do with your grandmother being murdered. And she’s the reason why you don’t know your brothers.”
Bilal’s eyes widened. “I got brothers?”
“Yeah, they twins. They live in DC, in the projects. They a little older than you, about twenty something.” Swoopes didn’t tell him that the twins, who were actually Treyana’s sons, once had a relationship with him until he stole their money to buy booze and drugs.
“You got their number?”
Thinking the more they could get him to trust them the better, Swoopes looked at Crystal and said, “Write the number down.”
“You sure?” She asked knowing the boys would talk badly about them both.
“Yeah. Go ‘head.”
She wrote the number down and handed it to him. He observed it closely realizing that finally he’d have some answers to the questions he always wanted to know, and more than anything he’d meet his family. When he tucked the number in his pocket, Swoopes handed him an old article from the Washington Post. It was about the case where Yvonna was charged with Bilal’s murder, only to get off a few years later because of her illness. After Bilal Jr. finished reading that article, Swoopes handed him more of how his mother Sabrina and his grandmother Bernice were also murdered. Then another article of how Treyana, his brothers’ mother, was killed.
Bilal held the grey papers in his hand, gripping them tightly he said, “I remember my mother a little, but I remember my grandmother more.”
“Let me get those up off of you.” Swoopes said taking the articles. He handed him a picture in its place. “Now this right here, is Yvonna Harris.”
Bilal accepted the picture and suddenly, his mind blasted back to the day when he was at the doctor’s office and accepted a soda from a stranger that would later make him violently sick. He later learned that the coke was laced with lead paint and almost cost him his life. “I remember her. She came to me one day when I was at the doctor’s office. She said her daughter Paradise liked me and that she thought I was cute.” A confused look covered his face. “She had an extra soda in her hand…said
she wasn’t going to drink it, and I took it from her. That soda made me real sick.”
Swoopes grinned. “See what I’m saying? She’s an evil bitch.”
“Why does she hate me so much?”
“The bitch is crazy!” Crystal chimed in.
Bilal looked at her and said, “If she’s responsible for my family’s murders, why did she hate them? I mean, did they do something to her?”
“She hates them because she was mad that your parents had you. Your mother and father were married when Yvonna ruined their lives.” He lied.
Trying to trust him more he said, “Can you tell me more about you and my father?”
Swoopes looked at Crystal and then at Bilal. He was trying to determine how much to say without digging too much into his personal wounds. There were a lot of things he didn’t talk about and even more that he hadn’t told Crystal. But for some reason, he wanted to reveal more than he ever had.
“We were step brothers. My father, Poris Mitchell, tried to…,” he swallowed the dryness in his throat, “he tried to rape him. Like he raped me. But Bilal fought back and after that, so did I.”
Swoopes went on to give him more information about their lives as kids. And when he was done, Crystal and Bilal Jr. sat with their mouths agape. Swoopes hadn’t expected to be so honest in his plight to capture Bilal’s young mind, but the fact was, he didn’t care anymore what anybody thought. In a lot of ways, he was free.
Shyt List 4: Children of the Wronged (The Cartel Publications Presents) Page 13
