Shyt List 5: Smokin' Crazies The Finale' (The Cartel Publications Presents)

by Reign (T. Styles)

  “You see who at the door yet?” Swoopes inquired. “I heard somebody get out a car.”

  She didn’t want to say who it was out loud, because she knew Swoopes would not react nicely. The man approaching the house also was none other than Tamal Green also known as Tree. He was the convict who she hired to rape and kill Swoopes in prison. He was unsuccessful on the murder but the rape he carried through. What she wondered was what business did he have with Bradshaw, and why was he at the house. Unbeknownst to Yvonna, Tree and Bradshaw had a plan to kill both her and Swoopes in Vegas at the time of the Urban Greggs fight. However, Tree got word that Swoopes was still alive and was coming to confront Bradshaw about what happened.

  “Who the fuck is that nigga with the braces on his legs?” Bricks whispered. “I know Yao not stupid enough to send a broken nigga to do the job.” He released the curtain. “It will be like killing a baby if this mothafucka comes through here.”

  “If the baby gotta a gun, we gonna blow his back out.” Yvonna looked at Swoopes again grateful that he was not on the front line. “I’m just glad it ain’t Yao. Maybe he’s a friend of Bradshaw or something.” She had to admit, the two of them connecting was not necessarily a good thing. She hoped whatever he was doing there, had nothing to do with her but she doubted it seriously.

  Tree walked up to the door, and used his cane to knock heavily, before stepping a few feet back. The four of them gripped their weapons not underestimating anybody, not even someone disabled. Go away. Yvonna thought. The last thing she needed was the heat he’d bring in if he came inside. “Open the door, man! I know you’re in there, your car is outside.” After five more knocks, he said, “Fuck it! I’m gone.”

  Yvonna didn’t exhale until Tree walked back down the stairs and got into his car.

  “You should’ve killed his ass, Yvonna.” Gabriella said softly, standing next to her. “Doesn’t it seem weird that he and Bradshaw would even know each other? You just let a loose end live another day.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about. That’s your problem, you talk too fucking much.” Yvonna’s clan looked at her, wondering whom she was talking to again. “Maybe it’s a coincidence he was here. Stop tripping.”’

  Gabriella laughed. “All I know is, if you want a real chance to live, you have to at some point in your pathetic life, kill everybody who you ever fucked over. If you don’t, everything you’re doing is useless because they’ll always come back. AFCOG is not your only enemy. Remember that shit.”

  “Who were you talking to?” Swoopes asked. The talking to her self was creeping him out even more. “You been doing a whole lot of that shit lately. It ain’t sitting too well with me.”

  Ming came out of the kitchen and everybody awaited Yvonna’s answer. “Nobody.” She looked away from him. “I’m not talking to myself. Ya’ll just hearing shit.” Nobody was buying what she was selling, so she walked away from the window and sat on the sofa. “The nigga gone anyway.”

  Swoopes shook his head and asked, “You think he gonna come back?”

  “Probably,” Bricks volunteered. “But he don’t have a key so it’s obvious he don’t live here. We should be good to hide out for the night at least. I rather stay off the streets as much as possible.”

  “I don’t know about staying here. You saw what happened at Ron’s house. Had it been somebody else, we could’ve been dead.” Swoopes was about to look out of the window to catch a view of the departing car.

  To prevent him from seeing Tree Yvonna said, “So you don’t trust me? Or are you just trying to get us killed by looking back out the window?”

  “I’m just going to see if the dude is gone.”

  “I told you he was.” She turned around and looked at the TV that was not turned on. “Maybe you shouldn’t touch the curtains.”

  Swoopes stopped in his tracks, raised his hands and returned to the living room. “So now what? Should we wait on Yao here and deal with the shit instead of running?” He turned the TV on. “Or do we do what we gotta do with AFCOG? I’m ready to move.”

  “I really think we good here tonight.” Bricks said sitting on the couch next to Yvonna. “We need to stay low until the convention anyway. And if Yao does come here, we’ll take care of him. It’ll be like killing two niggas with one bullet.”

  “My uncle doesn’t move like that.” Ming walked closer to Swoopes just to be next to him. “He’ll never do the dirty work himself. He likes to stay as far away from the trouble as possible. That way when they start passing out handcuffs, he won’t get a set.”

  “I don’t understand.” Yvonna said to herself but looking at her clan. “If Yao isn’t showing up here, then where is he showing up? The text made it sound like it was urgent.”

  “Maybe it’s too early, Yvonna.” Bricks advised.

  “Maybe they had the wrong address.”

  “Like I said, we should stay here until they show up.” Bricks advised. “We already got beef with AFCOG. We don’t need to be running from Yao’s people too.” After the commercial for the movie on Yvonna’s life went off, which she hated immensely, a news brief flashed across the screen, which caught all of their attention.

  Swoopes pointed at the television. “Didn’t that bitch use to watch your kid?”

  Bricks answered for Yvonna and stood up to move closer to the television. “Yeah…her name is Quita. She use to watch my son too. What the fuck is going on?”

  Upon seeing Quita’s face, everyone approached the television. While the newscaster reported the story, Quita, was crying her eyes out, as she was taken from the house to an ambulance. The newscaster stated that some masked men ran up into Quita’s establishment, looking for someone in particular. The police had no further information about the crime. And although no kids were hurt, one of Quita’s assistants was murdered.

  “I don’t get it…why would the nigga show up there?” Bricks asked, eyes still glued on the screen. “Unless…”

  “Unless she was the last person he saw with Delilah.” Yvonna looked at them. “So Yao thought she was there. When I worked for him, I never told him about Bradshaw so he didn’t know about her father.”

  “I’m sure he knew she has one.” Swoopes responded.

  “Don’t be stupid!”

  “My uncle has lost it now.” Ming interrupted, shaking her head. “Big time.” Spotting a full service bar in the corner, she walked toward it and pulled out a bottle of vodka and Hennessy. She raised one in each hand. “Ming doesn’t know about ya’ll, but she’s going to have herself a drink. You’re welcome to join me.”

  “Pour me one too.” Swoopes said, stuffing his weapon under his shirt as he approached the bar. “Vodka and Hennessy, mix my shit together.”

  Bricks followed. “I’ll take Hennessy, Ming.” He looked at Yvonna. “You want anything, Squeeze?”

  Still thinking about Yao she sat down and scratched her head. “Yeah…give me two of what Swoopes is having.”

  An hour later, the crew was drunk but still ready for war. And even though they were sure Yao didn’t know about Bradshaw, they couldn’t help but look at the door. Despite feeling inebriated, they went over their first plan of attack on AFCOG at the convention. They realized it was not a smart idea to take on Yao and AFCOG at the same time, so they decided to dodge him as much as possible, until they didn’t have a choice. When the meeting was adjourned, they listened to music and went about the house as if they didn’t have two bodies, Bradshaw and his maid, stuffed in the basement. It was the second house that became a graveyard, after a visit from them.

  Yvonna just put Delilah to bed, when she returned to the living room. “Come on over here and sit next to me,” Swoopes said to Yvonna, when she walked into the living room. Mixing Hennessey and Vodka, he was drunk and loose with the lips. “I been meaning to ask you some questions for a minute now.”

  “Why she gotta sit next to you to do it, nigga?” Bricks countered, before swallowing his Hennessy and pouring another glass. “I
think you confused on who Yvonna is wit’, player-player.” Yvonna sat next to Bricks and threw her legs over his lap, while he massaged her toes. “I can remind you if you want.”

  Swoopes chuckled and with a glazed over eye said, “I know who she belong to, partner. You ain’t got to keep telling me like I’m trying to get at her.” He placed his glass down on the floor. “Anyway, I knew her way longer than you. So if you see the bond we have, take it for nothing more than a past. If you want,” he smirked, “you can even call it a connection.”

  “A connection huh?” Bricks was trying to maintain his cool but he was Hennessey impaired, and caught off guard by his forwardness. “You act like you weren’t the same nigga trying to murder her a year earlier.”

  “Well I’m not now. Things change.” Swoopes reached for Ming as a consolation prize. She flopped sideways on his lap, and played with the elastic band connected to his eye patch.

  “Swoopes, why do you keep bothering Bricks? You act like you want Yvonna or something.” Ming replied. “Just let it go.”

  “Nobody’s saying that.” He picked up his empty glass and put it to his lips, although nothing came out.

  “You don’t have to.” She paused rubbing his leg. “I wish you’d put half as much time into me, as you do with her.”

  “It ain’t even like that.” Swoopes countered. Focusing back on Yvonna he said, “So, Yvonna, tell the truth, did you think I turned on you back at the other spot? When Rook and Mike came through?”

  Yvonna poured herself a glass of vodka and took a few sips before sitting it back on the floor. “Yeah, I told you that back at the house.” She recalled. “But what I really want to know is this…did you consider turning on us?”

  Swoopes looked at Ming and then back at Yvonna. “I’ma be a hundred wit’ you. For a second it crossed my mind.” He tapped is head with his index finger. “Especially after the run in with you and Bricks in the bathroom. But I remembered why I’m doin’ this shit. It ain’t about you, it’s about finally being able to get at the people who ruined my life.”

  “See…I told you this nigga a bitch!” Bricks responded pointing in his direction.

  “I’m not doin’ it wit’ you tonight, champ.” Swoopes shot back. “Besides, whether I was going to or not, you still alive. Which means I didn’t.” He tried to take another sip of his devil mixture before realizing it was still empty. “If anything, you should be grateful.”

  “Grateful for what?” He smirked, leaning in to look at him closer. “That you was about to turn on us but you didn’t? Now that I think about it, the only reason you didn’t is because you probably want to fuck my shawty. You would love to know how it feels going inside this pussy wouldn’t you?” Yvonna never told Bricks that he raped her, knowing he wouldn’t be able to handle it. “I mean if we gonna keep it one hundred, let’s go all the way.”

  Yvonna shook her head, at the way Bricks was acting. Lately he had become extremely territorial when he didn’t need to be. When she first met him she knew he had the potential to love hard, but never thought it would be like this.

  “You really consider me a threat don’t you?” Swoopes asked handing Ming his glass to refill. He watched her sexy ass switch to the bar. “You know what, don’t even answer that. ‘Cause I can’t even blame you. If I was you, I’d fear me too.”

  From the bar Ming asked, “And why is that?”

  “Because it’s obvious,” he paused, “Yvonna’s doin’ something that’s making him feel that way.” He looked at the couple. “But maybe you should check your girl, instead of rolling on me about the shit every five minutes. As a matta of fact, let’s put it all out there now.” Swoopes looked at Yvonna. “So what’s up, Yvonna? You sweet on me or what?”

  Yvonna looked at him and said, “Whatever, boy. You need to put that liquor down. You way off now.”

  Bricks eyed her strangely. Focusing back on Swoopes he said, “You know what, I’m gonna let all that shit you spitting slide. If you ever thought you could get my bitch, you better adjust that eye patch, because you must be looking out the wrong eye.” He paused to sip some more liquor. “What you need to be doing is thinking about your plan when this shit is all over.”

  “Why can’t he come with us to the Philippines?” Ming inquired, with hopeful eyes. “I want him there with me.”

  “Well I don’t.” Bricks responded. “This is why it needs to be discussed. After the shit is all said and done, if everybody lives, he needs to be thinking of a plan.”

  Swoopes’ entire mood changed. Although he didn’t want to admit it, after everything was done, he didn’t have a home in the states. Truth be told, he hoped he went out in a blaze of glory. “Don’t worry about my plans. I’m good.”

  “I hope so. Because there is no way on earth I plan on looking at you for the rest of my life.”

  “Then close your eyes, nigga!”

  “Whatever.” He stood up and extended his hand to Yvonna. “Let’s go to bed, Squeeze. I got some other shit I want to rap to you about in private.”

  “Later,” Yvonna said, as Bricks led her to one of the six rooms in the house.

  When the door was closed, they both slid out of their clothes and eased into bed. Yvonna’s head rested on his chest and he rubbed her shoulder. “Squeeze, so what’s the plan to get rid of Swoopes?”

  She looked up at him and sighed. “I can’t believe you called me to bed, to talk about another nigga. I thought we was about to fuck, not talk about Swoopes. Are you really being that lame?”

  “It ain’t about being lame. I was just hoping you started thinking straight.” Bricks frowned. “I mean, even after you heard what the nigga just said, you cool with having him around?” he sat up straight. “Out of his mouth, he just told you that he was thinking about rolling over on us.”

  “You act like we paying him to be here.” She sat up and rested her upper body against the headboard. “He’s still here because he has just as much interest as we do, to get back at these mothafuckas. He’s an asset, Bricks! Maybe you should start seeing him that way.”

  “You know I hate when you tell me that shit right? That he has just as much interest to see AFCOG fall as I do, because he don’t. You are my woman and I care about your well being outside of this shit. That nigga could’ve cared less that you were running for your life, until he spent time with you in Vegas. Alone. You all he got, Yvonna. He ain’t got no other family and that’s why he’s not making any plans for the future. You were his obsession and now he gets to be with you on a daily basis.”

  Yvonna sighed, and her temples started throbbing. “When I walked into the room that day, in Ron Max’s house, and saw Elika and Tata lying on the floor, you know what I promised myself?”

  “No.”

  “I promised to appreciate people. As a matter of fact, I’m doing what you told me to do. Remember the conversation we had?” She leaned closer to him. “You told me not to X people out of my life so quickly and I’m taking your advice. The dude saved our lives, baby. Rook and Mike were his friends and he chose us.”

  “And that makes him trustworthy?”

  He had a good point but she would never tell him. “As far as I’m concerned, yes. And don’t forget, he didn’t have anything to do with Rook and them showing up to the house, but he chose. And guess what, we still alive.”

  “You so blind.”

  She exhaled. “I’m not blind! I mean yes…me and Swoopes had beef, but we also went through some of the most horrific shit you could never imagine.” She turned on her side to look directly at him.

  “Not this shit again.”

  “You brought it up not me. I can only wonder how you would feel, to have a man rape you every night, Bricks. So if the nigga is a little off, forgive him because he has the right to be.”

  She had some good points but he would give her nothing. “Why didn’t you respond when he said you feeling him?”

  She stood up and grabbed a magazine on the dresser. Her nervous movement d
idn’t go unnoticed. “What are you talking about?” She flipped through the pages. “I did say I’m not feeling him.”

  “No…you didn’t.”

  “Bricks, what the fuck is up with you? It seems like since we been together, you don’t trust me.” She was silent for a minute. Tilting her head she asked, “Are you trying to find a reason to leave? Or not to be with me? So you making up this shit about me wanting to fuck Swoopes or him wanting to fuck me?”

  “You sound stupid!”

  “No I don’t. I think you’re building yourself up to walk out. Well guess what, Bricks; you don’t have to do all that. If you don’t want to be around this, just go.” She pointed to the door.

  He stood up, snatched the magazine from her hand, and forced her eyes in his direction by way of a chin snatch. “Fuck you trying to say?”

  “I think I made myself clear. If you want to leave, why don’t you go? I never asked you to be a part of this, anyway. You invited yourself.” She laughed. “People always tell me I’m crazy, but you know what? At least Gabriella never left me, she’s the one person who was always by my side.”

  “Gabriella huh?” He looked at her with lowered eyes. “That’s who you talk to?”

  Silence.

  Bricks looked at Yvonna long enough for an apology. When he didn’t get one, he grabbed his pants and threw on his clothes. Without giving an explanation, he walked out the door leaving her alone.

  BRICKS

  Bricks walked toward the bathroom to wash his face before leaving the spot. His mind was twisted and he was beyond angry at how Yvonna tried to carry him. He was growing sick of her treating him like he wasn’t a man. Like his dick didn’t get hard and his gun didn’t bust in her honor. She put him through more shit than an audit by the IRS, to prove his loyalty. All he wanted was to love her, but he was starting to doubt that it was even possible.

  On the way to the bathroom, he approached Bradshaw’s bedroom door. Immediately something came over him. He looked up and down the hallway to be sure nobody was coming. He had a lot of questions and curiosity was getting the best of him. He wasn’t a sneak, but he had to know more about the only man, who in his opinion was able to domesticate Yvonna, because she gave birth to his child.