Honor Thy Thug

by Wahida Clark

  Niggas. You can catch them with the dick up in the pussy, and they will still say, “It ain’t what it looks like.” So when he didn’t leave right then, I already knew I had lost him. And believe it or not, I accepted it, only because I knew that this would happen. Maybe subconsciously, I brought it on myself.

  Now, two days later, he was back home, or I should say here with me. I couldn’t stand the sight of him. As far as I was concerned, this was no longer his home, and I was hoping he’d pack his shit and leave. Hell, this wouldn’t be the first time a nigga packed up and left me.

  “Nina, can I talk to you for a minute?” He popped into the laundry room, where I was washing clothes. I acted like I didn’t hear him.

  “Nina, you gonna talk to me or what?”

  “Go talk to the bitch who just returned from the dead. I’m still trying to figure out why you’re here. I know you don’t think you’re going to have us both?”

  “Nina, stop.”

  “Stop?” I turned around to face him. “Stop? Rick, do you realize that I am this close to telling you to pack your shit and get out of my life? This is so not fair! I loved you. You got me pregnant. You put a ring on my finger. My kids call you Daddy. This house here, we turned into a home, together. You fixed up the baby room, for God’s sake. I trusted myself with you. I allowed myself to feel safe.” I choked up. “I knew this was going to happen. Why did you lie to me?” I started sobbing as I slid down against the dryer onto the floor.

  He came over to me and bent down. He held my face in his hands. “I didn’t lie. She’s been in the hospital in a coma.”

  “And you just popped up and found her?” I had to laugh at that one.

  “Crazy as that may sound, that’s exactly what happened. And that’s the truth. Nina, you should know by now that I would never hurt you intentionally, and I never lied to you.”

  “You already did hurt me intentionally. You fucked her, Rick. The entire time we’ve been together I know you secretly wished she wasn’t dead. You wished that bitch back to life. And that hurts. My heart use to have love in it for you but now I hate you. I hate you for what you did to my love for you. I trusted you. All of my trust for you went out the window. I have to face reality. There is nothing left.”

  “What do you mean there ain’t nothing left?”

  “Typical question from a nigga who wants the cake and the icing. Rick, your story is whack as fuck I don’t give a damn if they posted that bitch on the side of the milk carton saying she was found alive, apparently our love was never shit. How could you do this to me, Rick?”

  “Nina.”

  “Nina, Nina, what? ‘It’s not what it seems!’ Rick, you were fucking her, and then you spent the night with her. You didn’t come home with me! How do you think that makes me feel, Rick? How am I supposed to compete with her?”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “Now you’re lying again! Go! Just get the fuck out of my life!”

  CHARLI

  It sent chills up my spine just to hear Mr. Macklin’s voice. Don’t act surprised. You read my diary excerpts, 50 Shades of Trae. You know my feelings for him.

  I can honestly say that I am at peace with myself. It took a while, but finally I’m here.

  The loss of our baby was both bitter and sweet. Sweet because I was under the impression for years that I couldn’t get pregnant. But I did. Bitter because my father would never approve of me having a baby out of wedlock. And definitely not by someone my father would consider a common thug. He wanted me to marry a leader of a country. Royalty.

  I knew that when I was ready to reach out to Mr. Macklin again, it had to be worthwhile. I didn’t know of anyone to use better than my father to get his attention. And it just so happened that my father was looking to expand one of his operations, and he needed someone. So I decided to suggest Mr. Macklin. Now all I had to do was persuade Father to bring him in.

  I tapped on the door to my father’s study.

  “Come in, my little one.”

  I eased the door open. “Father, how did you know it was me?”

  “I can always sense your presence.” He got up from behind his desk and met me. We hugged, and he kissed my forehead. I stood back and bowed.

  “Father, I have an idea that you may be interested in.” I sat in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

  “It’s Sunday, little one. Your day off. This must be a grand idea!” He teased me.

  I got right down to business. “I found someone to be trained for our operation in the Midwest. If we continue to keep things the way they are, we will continue to see our profits diminish. Obviously, no one is taking Kon Li seriously. My recommendation is already familiar with the work, he learns fast, he’s hungry, and you wouldn’t have to worry about him double-crossing the operation.”

  “Why wouldn’t he double-cross the operation? What stakes in our organization would he have?”

  “First off, he’s not built like that. He has morals. He understands and lives by our code. Also, there’s me. There is a small bond between him and me. Or should I say, more of an unspoken bond.”

  “Sounds as if you are pretty familiar with this candidate. And I must admit, you have me curious.”

  “I only ask that you give him a fair chance, Father. And don’t hold his past against him.”

  “So, you are vouching for him?”

  “I am, but I have some conditions.”

  “Who is he? Tell me.”

  “Trae Macklin.”

  My father swiveled in his chair, turning his back to me.

  I stood up and went over to my father with my head and my voice low. “Yes, I do still have feelings for him. With him under your wing, you can make sure he is the man who is fit for your daughter. Father, I rarely ask you for anything. So you can grant me this one request.”

  He spun around to face me, with the look of disappointment evident on his face. “You can’t be serious. You almost lost your life because of this man. We lost one of our most trusted soldiers, who was also my friend and most trusted confidant, because of him. And have you forgotten that the man is married? Charli, I’m going to ask you to rethink this. Not only is your suggestion absurd, but you are asking me to groom him so that you can marry him? Charli, he is already married. And if he wasn’t, I still would never even consider such a thing. This man is beneath you.”

  “Father, have you forgotten that you owe me one? And you gave me your word, remember? Your honor is all that you have. Keep your word, Father, or disgrace the honor of this family.”

  My father laughed. “I owe you? And me bring disgrace to the honor of this family? Little one, have you forgotten that I built this family? You are only here because of the work of these hands.” He held both of them up for emphasis. “And now you want me to honor a thug?”

  “Father—”

  “Your judgment is clouded, little one. And that explains the stunt that you assigned Yao to. Never do that again.”

  “Father, I can explain. It was supposed to be her car, with her and her kids in it. She killed my baby. Why do hers get to live?” I tried to assert myself.

  “Charli, Charli, Charli. Leave me now.”

  I wanted to plead my case some more but decided against it. I obviously had bad timing. But I was not done with this. My father owed me, and this was how he was going to repay me. Whether he liked it or not. I was in love with Trae Macklin and I wanted him to be a permanent part of my world. And this was my way of getting one step closer. I stood, bowed, and walked out.

  TRAE

  It was seven thirty in the morning, and I had been out walking for an hour, trying to clear my head. I had left Jaz and Faheem in Atlanta. I told Faheem that he was hot, and he needed to wait a while before he made any moves. He agreed but admitted that it was going to be hard. I know that I wouldn’t be able to just chill either and let none them muthafuckas breathe. But I know from past experience that when you move on emotions you fuck up. His head isn’t clear and he needs to c
alm down and think this thing out. The police in the A is a lot different from the ones up north. They will crawl up your ass with a microscope until they get whatever they want to arrest and charge you with.

  Tasha was mad at me because she lost the last argument. Marva and Kyra were still at the hotel, but I made Tasha and the kids go to the other house. She was walking around pissed. However, I really didn’t give a fuck. I never fucked Charli in our bed. Maybe on the couch, but the bed? Never that!

  As far as the house, the upstairs only had smoke damage and a little water damage. But downstairs, everywhere except for the kitchen was ruined. The furniture, carpets, walls—all ruined. I had the contractors working around the clock renovating and remodeling. We should be back in there in about two to three weeks. Actually, as far as the house was concerned, I was simply going through the motions. I already had a Realtor looking at something in Texas or maybe wherever Faheem was going. The safety of my family was first, and California was no longer appearing to be a safe haven.

  I loved the early-morning California brisk air, and as I inhaled it deeply, it was at that moment that I made up my mind to make a run to New York. I needed to see Kay. It was time for me to handle Kyron. I’d allowed the nigga to breathe as long as I possibly could, and it was now eating at me to the point where I could hardly think about anything else.

  I noticed the same black limo whiz by me for the second time as I decided it was time to head back to the house. I began walking faster, while thinking that I wasn’t even strapped. I looked back, and the stretch was making a U-turn and coming back toward me. Shit! I was out in the open. There was nowhere to get cover except in someone’s driveway behind their car. That’s when it hit me. Charli. And then the ride slowed down, and the rear window went down. That’s when I thought, Here it comes.

  “Mr. Trae Macklin?” A male voice with an Asian accent resonated in my ears. I turned toward the voice but didn’t respond.

  “Mr. Macklin?” The back door popped open. “I’m Charles Li. Please get in. I need to talk to you. I only need a few minutes of your time.”

  Damn. So Charli wasn’t bullshitting after all about her father. I should have known that she wasn’t.

  The front door opened, and a medium-built Asian guy got out as I got closer to the limo. He had on a chauffeur’s hat, but I could tell by the cold, piercing look in his eyes that this was definitely a killer. He walked to the back of the limo, opened the door, and motioned for me to get in. It was obvious that I didn’t have a choice in the matter. As soon as I eased in, the door was shut, and there I was, face-to-face with the infamous Mr. Li. He was undoubtedly the staunch man in the photo in Charli’s office; in person, his presence was a little bit smaller yet unmistakably powerful. There was a young lady sitting in the corner. She poured two drinks and passed them both to Mr. Li.

  “I won’t keep you long, Mr. Macklin. My daughter, as you know, can be very persuasive and persistent. And you came highly recommended. She said I should bring you on board.” He gave me the drink.

  I started to ask at what cost but thought against it. I threw the smooth wine back and decided to cut through the formalities. “I’m out of the game, Mr. Li.”

  He smiled, a smile that I read to say, You honestly don’t think that, do you? He then leaned closer to me and said, “Once in, you never get out. That I can assure you. Have you built a stable foundation for your family? And by stable, I mean, do you have at least twenty million put away? Because if you don’t, you have not built a stable foundation. You have a family. A wife and three children, is it? Both of your parents are still alive. And let’s examine your lifestyle and spending habits. In this economy, anything less than that will be gone before you know it.”

  He obviously wanted his words to sink in, because he was staring out the window. I thought about what he’d said. How did he know both of my parents were still alive? My stash was nowhere near the figure that he mentioned. And he had a point. In this economy, twenty mil was equivalent to five mil. I knew I couldn’t do shit with five mil. In my current situation, I probably would end up spending most of that in legal fees.

  It agitated me a bit to realize that Mr. Li had my undivided attention. I had sworn on my grandmother that I would never get back in . . . on any level.

  As if on cue, he faced me. “Mr. Macklin, by joining my organization, you could make that amount in less than three years. What I’m proposing is nice, clean, suit-and-tie work. That is, unless you prefer the roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-dirty kind of job. I also have those. And they pay equally as well. Let’s face it, some of us prefer to stay in the trenches. But in my organization, one job is just as important as the next.”

  “Mr. Li, I’ve spent almost half of my life in the trenches, and I’m not going back. I’m now like you, a suit-and-tie kind of guy.” I leaned in and placed my glass on the bar.

  Mr. Li let out a chuckle. “And what makes you think I’m a suit-and-tie guy?”

  “You did your time out there in the trenches; that’s why you have on a suit and a tie. You ain’t tryna go back. But we both know that any successful organization needs both, and we do what we gotta do.”

  He laughed again, and this time, I joined him.

  As I sat in silence, I bounced his words around in my head. Twenty mil in three years. And in a suit and tie? Those were my kind of numbers. Ballin’-out-of-control numbers. But what would Don Carlos say? Would he think it was a sign of disrespect? Me joining another organization when he had work for me that I wouldn’t take?

  “You’re not jumping at my offer. Therefore, I assume that you’re still not convinced. I’ll tell you what. That little charge you just picked up along with the one that was pending—with one phone call, I could make them go away. But I will still give you a few days to think about my offer. Thank you for your time, Mr. Macklin.”

  How did he know about my charges? And as if the chauffeur could hear everything being said, the back door popped open.

  “Thank you for your offer,” I said before exiting the vehicle.

  As I began to walk back to the house, Mr. Li leaned out the window and added, “I must inform you, my daughter does not come with my deal.”

  “Is that why she sent a man to my home with intentions of blowing it up?” I was full of doubt at the thought of Charli going that far. But Tasha was positive it was her behind it, so I took my chances and threw it out there. I wanted to gauge his reaction.

  “That won’t happen again. You and your family will be under my full protection.” The window rolled up and the car sped off.

  Ain’t this some shit? I became more pissed with each step that I took. Mad at how vulnerable I’d made me and my family. Full protection? Make my case disappear? Did I need him? I was feeling as if he was boxing me into a corner. What would the next extreme be from the Li family to get me to join their organization? And how would Tasha take this? She probably would leave me. I couldn’t allow the odds to stack up against me.

  11

  KAYLIN

  I was in my boardroom participating in a meeting via video conference, more like a bidding war, trying to sign this up-and-coming rapper, Semaj. Semaj had some mixtapes that were doing some serious damage, and I wanted him. Mind you, I was going up against the majors, including Interscope and Def Jam, and it was pretty intense. When my assistant, Diedre, burst in on the video conference and motioned for me to step out, I looked at her as if she was crazy.

  “Mr. Santos, this is urgent.” I leaned over to Angel and said, “I’m the boss of this damn operation. You see them plaques on the wall? They say Kaylin Santos. Why is she annoying me and not you?”

  Angel leaned over and whispered right back in my ear, “Apparently, you are not the boss. Who is the force behind you that put the team together to help you get those plaques? Angel Santos.” She went back to shuffling papers and talking.

  “Excuse me,” I said, and got ready to hammer Diedre.

  “Before you go off, Mr. Santos, I tried to
tell Mr. Macklin that you were in a very important meeting, but he stated that this was urgent and he needed to talk to you right now. When I told him I couldn’t interrupt you, he began to threaten me, so please, save the rants, he’s on line four.” She turned around and walked away.

  I started to follow her and go all in but changed my mind, thinking that Trae must have finally killed Kyron. I made it to my office, closed my door, took a deep breath, and hit the speaker button.

  “Trae, I’m trying to get this money, and you are threatening my flow! What’s up, nigga? What is so urgent?”

  “Are you going to be around for the next couple of days? I need to come see you. I’m scheduled to leave tonight.”

  “What happened?” I braced myself for the news, as I grabbed onto the edge of my desk. He chuckled. “Chill, nigga. It ain’t nothing like that. Not yet. I’m talkin’ about that paper, nigga. Real long paper! Man, fuck that rapping chump change you sweatin’. I just got an offer, but you know I can’t talk like this. I want to leave tonight—that is, unless you want to come out here?”

  “Nigga, did you hear what I just said? I’m in a bidding war right now, but you dragged me out here talking urgent.”

  “Kay, trust me. When I say urgent, that’s putting it mildly. Money? I’m talking about some real bread. Scratch, scrilla. Bigger than anything we was seeing with Don Carlos.”

  Shit. I thought about what he said and immediately got nervous. “Trae, talk to me now.”

  “Not over the phone, bruh,” he said.

  “Well, I really need to get back into this meeting,” I told him. “Let me hit you up later.”

  “Handle your business. I’m on my way up to you. I’ll be at your house before noon tomorrow.”

  I got the dial tone. I headed back into my meeting, wondering what Trae was up to. Needless to say, my edge was no longer there. And with that little interruption, instead of me winning by a landslide, Semaj’s agent left saying all offers would be considered and they would make a decision within twenty-four hours.