by Wahida Clark
He stepped in front of the door and pulled out a phone. I began to get nervous. This was exactly what Trae meant when he said you were supposed to think things through. What if they take me away and kill me? Trae would never know. I was out here all willy-nilly, walking right into the hands of the enemy. And why? Because of my emotions. I understood why a bitch shouldn’t run the country. Just because I was feeling catty, there I was, jeopardizing my life and the possibility of my children and husband never seeing me again.
Right when I was about to turn my ass back around and leave, he hung up. “You can visit, Mrs. Macklin, but please be respectful, and stay no more than ten minutes.”
When he called me by my last name I could have shit myself. He knew who I was. I should have hauled ass out of there right then, but noooo. I had to go and see this bitch. I needed to see my handiwork. But why would he allow me to visit?
“Thank you,” I told him.
He bowed his head slightly and moved from in front of the door. I stepped inside the flower and gift-filled room. The curtains were drawn, allowing the glaring sun to shine in. The television was on, but there was no sound coming out. I laid the bouquet of flowers with the card attached across the foot of the bed.
I stood there for a minute looking down at my nemesis. I felt a sense of empowerment. Here I was alive and healthy. There she was head, face and arms bandaged up, breathing through tubes, hanging on for her life. Life was sweet.
I leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Oh, poor little Charli. Can you hear me? You fuckin’ ho ass bitch! I told you time and time again to leave what’s mine alone. I know that dick is good but is it worth what you are feeling now? I am so glad you can’t speak. I don’t ever want to hear your irritating voice again. Ever. And if by some fluke you wake up and survive, then you better not open that nasty mouth of yours to call my house, speak to me or my husband. Trust me you won’t even survive my next attack. Most flea bag bitches have nine lives but yours will be cut at the third. So play with me if you want to. And you had the nerve to try to burn down my house? With my kids in it? Stay in your fuckin’ lane, you nasty bitch.”
I wanted to spit on her. I stood tall, turned around, and walked out. As I hit the hallway, her heart monitor began beeping really fast.
JAZ
I had just finished fixing a plate for Angel and Kaylin when I heard Kaeerah yell, “Here comes Daddy and Mr. Steve!”
I looked at Kaylin preparing to eat. “Don’t get up. I will bring him in here.” I took off for the front of the house. Kaeerah was already outside at Steve’s car, helping her dad with his crutches.
“Jaz,” Steve called out to me.
“Steve, thanks for bringing him home.”
“Hey, it’s what I do,” he bragged.
“Dad, where were you?”
“I had to talk to the police.”
“Were you scared to talk to the police?”
“Not at all.”
“Good.”
They came up onto the porch, and I held the door open. Faheem leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “We have company,” I told him.
“Who?”
“Kaylin and Angel. They’re in the kitchen eating.”
“Cool. What a surprise. What did you cook?”
“Lasagna, asparagus, and salad.”
“What brings them down here?”
“I called for backup.”
“Why do you need backup?”
“Because I know you, Faheem. Like you’re being real cool and calm right now. I know that this is just the lull before the storm.”
“You think you know me, Jaz.”
“I know you, Faheem.”
“Did you know that I spoke to Snell and Rock and told them exactly how to handle my situation? Did you know that they were doing everything I told them to do, not what you wanted? Did you know that I knew every move that you were making? Every phone call? Every dollar you paid out? Now, what did you say was for dinner?”
I was stunned. I didn’t want to believe what Faheem had just told me. Anger slowly heated up my entire body. I balled up my fist and punched the wall. “Fuck this!” I needed to take a walk. I stormed out of the house. That nigga just pissed all over my parade.
TRAE
I was still trying to figure out how my training and time under the wing of the one and only Charlie Li lasted only a measly two months. Everything was going smoothly. They were feeling me and how I handled things, and they told me so. I was feeling them and how they kept their word and never came with any bullshit. But then, boom! It was all over. And Tasha was walking around as if she was on cloud nine, tickled about the whole damn thing, and I didn’t like it.
She was sucking my dick real nice like she always did, when I finally dumped my seed down her throat. I came real hard, and it took me a minute to get my head clear.
“Baby, what’s the matter?” she asked as she began planting gentle kisses up my abs and on my chest.
“I’m just thinking, that’s all.”
“Thinking? About what? And right in the middle of my fabulous head game? I’m down here puttin’ in all this hard work, and you’re someplace else.”
“Just trying to figure out my next move.”
“While I’m giving you head? Are you serious?” She got up off the bed and disappeared into the bathroom.
When she came out, she sat at the bottom of the bed. I patted the spot next to me. “Tasha, come here.”
“Not until you tell me what’s on your mind.” She grabbed my nightshirt off of the floor and put it on.
“Business.”
“What business?”
“I was able to get a meeting with Mr. Li. But I still haven’t figured out how I’ma distance myself from this whole dog incident but at the same time use it to my advantage.”
“Use it to your advantage? What does that mean? I don’t like the sound of that. I’m going with you to the meeting.”
I looked at Tasha as if she was crazy. “No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Okay, go with me and do what?”
“I don’t know. I just need to be there.”
“Why are you so threatened by this chick? Why are you allowing your jealousy of this chick to make you block me from taking care of my business? That is not a good look, Tasha.”
“She’s no longer a threat to me, Trae. I made sure of that.”
“She should have never been one in the first place. I still can’t figure that out.”
“Why can’t you? You sure lost your mind when Kyron came into the picture.”
“That’s different.”
“No, it’s not. You’re gonna sit here and tell me that you didn’t feel threatened? C’mon, Trae.”
“I’m not talking about me. I’m talking about you. You know that I belong to you and that I’ll always be yours. So why did you feel so threatened?”
“You want to know why?”
“Yeah, tell me.”
“You want to know why?” She jumped up off the bed, stomped over to her nightstand, pulled open the bottom drawer and took out some papers. “This is why! You allow the bitch to call my house, and then she sends me this!” She threw a stack of pages at me.
“What is this?” I turned on the lamp.
“The bitch sent me some of her diary pages!”
I snatched the pages up, and sure enough, there were copies of Charli’s handwritten diary pages titled 50 Shades of Trae. “So what is this supposed to prove, Tasha? I don’t care about this bullshit.”
“She talks about the several times that y’all fucked, Trae.”
“Bullshit. Anybody can write some shit down on some paper. Who are you going to believe, me or her? Tell me that you don’t know that bitch is delusional. Tell me, Tasha!”
“I told myself that. But she talks about shit that she just couldn’t make up.”
“Tasha—”
“Don’t Tasha me! What about the flowers you brought her? Or
you going to her house? That may be delusional, yes. But what about that little trick she did on you? The trick that you taught me to do on your dick. She made that up, too? Is that delusional? Nigga, I don’t think so. I hope that bitch dies up there in that hospital room, and if she isn’t dead, I hope those dogs ate her beyond recognition.”
“Tasha, I told you time and time again, that was business, nothing personal. You are my wife, my world, and that will never change.”
“Translation, but I’ma fuck other bitches if the business calls for it? Fuck you, Trae!” She went into the bathroom and shut the door. Here we were back at square one.
“Tasha!” I called out to her, but she didn’t answer. I picked up the stapled pages. 50 Shades of Trae. That bitch was crazy. I began to read . . . page after page. I didn’t know if I should laugh or be scared of the bitch. She had shit in there that I never did. Ate her pussy? That shit never happened. Spent the night at her crib? Hell to the no! That ho was more than delusional. She was deranged.
• • •
Of course, the next two days, all I got was the silent treatment. I had been staying close to the house, keeping an eye on my crazy wife, but I finally got the call, and it was time for that meeting. I needed to know where I stood and if my family was in danger. Even though deep down inside, I knew there was no running and hiding. If Charlie Li wanted to get me, no matter where I was, I was got. Over the phone, I wouldn’t be able to know, but with a face-to-face, I didn’t care what came out of a man’s mouth. The eyes revealed it all.
“Trae, Marva and your parents are taking the kids to SeaWorld.” Tasha said interrupting my thoughts.
“When?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Nobody said—”
“Don’t even try it. We told you several times. Nana wants you to call her. She wants one of us to come with them. I nominated you.”
“You know I can’t go. I gotta make this meeting and don’t know how long I’ll be gone.”
“Okay, but I can’t, either. And I won’t be here when you get back.”
“What are you talking about?”
“For my cousin Stephon’s birthday, Trina and I are going to his favorite hotel in Vegas to celebrate him.”
“Vegas? When were you planning on telling me about this?”
Tasha was sitting at her vanity table, playing with her hair, looking at me in the mirror. “I’m telling you now.”
“Unh-uh. No. I got important business to take care of, and I don’t need to be worrying about you in Vegas somewhere with your sister. I want you here when I get back.”
“People in hell want ice water but everybody can’t get what they want.” I went over to the vanity, leaned over, and sank my teeth into her shoulder. “Trae, please, that hurts.”
Her eyes were getting watery. I released her shoulder and kissed her on the very spot that I just bit. “No Vegas. And be here when I get back.”
18
TASHA
As soon as Trae left, I pulled out my bags, got to packing, and was headed for the door. Trina had booked us suites at the Bellagio in Vegas, my late cousin Stephon’s favorite spot, may he rest in peace. She’d also put together an itinerary that included a day of pampering, a night of clubbing, and a night of gambling. We were only going to be gone for three days. I figured I would go have my fun and beat him back. But if not, oh, well. Fuck Trae!
“Rosalind Tasha Macklin, I am tired of hearing you bash Trae. I know you are angry at him for fucking other bitches, but trust me, you don’t want to let that destroy your marriage. He loves the hell out of you, Tasha. You know how many women, including myself, wish they had that? And how soon we forget, you fucked a nigga, so now y’all even. You done put the dogs on the little Chinese bitch, so let it go. Once we step foot off this plane, I don’t want to hear Trae’s name. It’s all about Stephon. We are here to celebrate him.”
“Trina, that’s easy for you to say. You didn’t read those diary pages, but I did. He was fucking that ho and throwing rose petals down and shit. My stomach churns at the thought. I hate him right about now.”
“Tasha, dead that shit and burn it. You don’t even know if that shit is true. And bitch, you was pregnant by his mans! Not some ole regular nigga. His fam, that he has been trying to kill. So shit, the score is even! You gotta let this shit go. I’m telling you, you’re gonna run him away.”
“Run him away? He’s running his own self away by maintaining a relationship with a bitch he was fuckin’. That bitch worships him, and believe me, he gets off on that bullshit.”
“Tasha, the bitch is on life support, fighting for her life. How is she going to worship some nigga? You’re allowing that ho to get all in your head. The minute we step off of this plane, I don’t want you to say the word Trae. I want you to unwind . . . relax. It’s only for three days. Damn! Three days!”
“I heard you, Trina.”
“Good. Now, let me do a little ranting.” She lowered her voice. “Jameer is still missing. Tasha, don’t lie to me. Do you think this has something to do with the dogs? I mean, why all of a sudden, now? I knew I shouldn’t have hooked y’all up.”
“Now you’re sounding stupid. How the hell is this going to have something to do with the dogs? Did he know the Chinese bitch? Did he know any of her people? Hell, no! You don’t even really know him! You said he was into all types of shit. Does he have another girl?”
“He’s got a baby mama . . .”
I began to tune my sister out. Needless to say, she kept talking about Jameer until we got off the plane, all the way until we walked into the Bellagio. Whoaaaa! We stepped into the spacious marble foyer with the prettiest glass chandelier I ever saw. The shit was bling-blinging so hard I could hardly see. We were welcomed with fresh fruit, flowers, nuts, and assorted chocolates. Nice touch. She’d booked us a villa at the hotel, and we checked in at the front desk. We were escorted to a European-designed three-bedroom, five-bath, heavenly domain. Our suite had a workout room, a massage room, a dry sauna, a full kitchen, a dining room, a full bar, and dual fireplaces, topped off with a gorgeous private terrace and garden with a pool and whirlpool.
It is about to go down! I saw why Stephon loved this spot and treated himself often. Trae who? I was getting ready to enjoy some me time, right there in the villa all by myself. Trina was ready to hit the casino before she even unpacked her bags. I told her to go ahead. I was one who could do without the casino. I was calling the masseuse to bring me some vanilla-scented candles and to arrange for my full-body massage. It was about to be on right there in the next room.
“I feel lucky, sis! You sure you don’t want to go?” Trina was standing at the front door, ready to get her gamble on, and was trying one more time to get me to hang out with her.
“I’m sure,” I told her as I waved her out the door. I was anxious to enjoy some solitude. No kids, no Kyra, and No Trae.
• • •
By ten thirty, Trina was back and all gambled out. I had ordered a birthday cake and took the bubbly from our bar, and she’d managed to get some weed from somewhere. We celebrated Stephon as if he was there. We danced, we laughed, we cried, we drank, and we even prayed. We celebrated our cousin’s birthday until two in the morning. I didn’t even think about Trae or start to miss him until I woke up the next day around noon.
I felt around for my phone to see if I’d missed anything and saw my text messages. The first was, of course, from Trae: I’ll be in tonight u better have ur ass home. Kyra’s said: Marva called the kids r fine. I sent Marva a text: Keep an eye on Caliph.
I pinned my hair up and ran me a nice bathtub of bubbly water. The hot tub was big enough for four. Before I got in, I called room service and ordered myself some blueberry pancakes, a vegetable omelet, and fried potatoes.
I didn’t know where Trina was, but again, she left me all alone, and I had no problems with that. She was acting like a kid who had just arrived at Disney World. Silly ho!
I stepped into my poo
l of bubbles and actually relaxed and got my weed on. The water was nice and hot, and my vanilla-scented candles made the atmosphere just right. I was feeling real nice, and my muscles were relaxed. The massage I had was just what the doctor ordered. I closed my eyes and began to erase everything. I soaked until my fingertips began to wrinkle up, which was my cue to get out. Before I could oil my skin down, our personal butler was at the door.
“Perfect timing!” I mumbled as I tightened the towel on my head, wrapped and tied a knot in the towel around my body. I went to the door, stood behind it, and opened it.
“Room service!” the slim butler in full uniform announced as he pushed the cart inside, handing me the slip to sign.
“Thank you,” I told him. “Your tip will be on here, too.”
“Will there be anything else, madam?”
“No, thank you.”
“I’m just a call away,” he reminded me as he took the slip and disappeared out the door.
As I went to close the door all the way and lock it, I was stopped. Trina had finally decided to bring her ass in. “Where have you been?” I asked, walking over to the food cart and noticing the bottle of wine and two glasses on the cart, items that I didn’t order.
“I was wondering the same thing about you.” His voice was a whisper, but there was no mistaking who it belonged to. I damn near snapped my neck as I turned around and stood face-to-face with Kyron. Here I was standing naked except for a towel wrapped around the top half of my body. I didn’t know whether to run or scream. As if he was reading my mind, Kyron said, “Relax, Shorty. I’ve seen you naked before.”
“What are you doing here, Kyron? I want you to leave.” I went to the door, and he moved in front of it. I was trying my best not to panic.
“Not before you have a drink with me,” he whispered. He turned around and put the lock on the door. He took off his jacket that went with a three-piece Armani suit. There was a burner tucked down in the front of his pants. He folded the jacket and laid it across the back of the sofa.
