Young-Minded Hustler

by Tysha

  Jayden swept up glass and Quincy picked up drywall while Prince sat staring off into space with Shy by his side. She would not leave his side for anything in the world. Princess was at a friend’s sleepover and wouldn’t be home until morning so Shy could take care of her oldest baby. Her soul ached for him. She refused to let him see how angry she truly was. Cherise and Raequan had hell to pay for what they’d done to Prince. There was no way Shy could let things go. Cherise knew better than anyone what lengths Shy would go to in order to protect her family. Roberts was also in Shy’s sight of revenge. No one needed to know what Shy was about to put into action, it was best that way, but when the dust settled, there would be three fewer people walking the earth.

  Chapter 26

  Didn’t See It Coming

  It was obvious by his black eyes that Raequan had taken a loss. Cherise knew without asking who had beat her child. Shy was right about one thing: Raequan was just like his father. He had no conscience. B-Boy never cared who he double-crossed and neither did his son. They would lie, rob, and steal out of pure greed. Raequan possessed the same character flaws as his father. Cherise justified her son’s actions by believing there was a genetic link to the habitual lying and their shared emotional abuse of her. She believed Raequan was entitled to be angry with the world for having a loser for a father. It wasn’t his fault B-Boy was sent to prison before his birth or that the streets had raised him. Cherise always made excuses for her only child’s behavior but shied away from acknowledging her failures as a mother.

  Cherise refused to take ownership of any bad choice she had ever made. To her, life had been unfair because of her upbringing or it was all B-Boy’s fault. She was full of excuses but never searched out the reason behind her disastrous decision making. Shy had called Cherise out on her being a user of people. Cherise had taken advantage of Shy countless times throughout the years. Something inside Cherise was programmed to get the things she wanted by simply taking them. It was in her to take the quickest and easiest routes in life. Much like Raequan and B-Boy, Cherise saw nothing wrong with how she lived her life.

  “I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for hours. Where have you been, boy?” Cherise demanded to know.

  “Making moves,” Raequan arrogantly replied on his way to the kitchen.

  “Looks more like you were taking an ass whooping or two,” Cherise snapped.

  Raequan looked at his mother with contempt. He couldn’t stand her at times. She was always judging him and expecting the worst. Raequan never felt loved by his mother. He held a lot of resentment in his heart for both of his parents.

  “What did you want?” Raequan asked dryly while dropping ice into a Baggie for his eye.

  “Shy told me what happened between you and Prince today. I was trying to warn you that they know everything.”

  “What da hell you talkin’ ’bout? What everything?” Raequan frowned and turned to face his mother.

  “Prince has no love left for you. There’s a way to go about doing shit so the person you’re fuckin’ over won’t know about it. Come on, I mean damn! That’s probably why Prince started to cop from somebody else. You’ve always been sloppy about ya shit,” Cherise ranted.

  “I ain’t tryin’a hear dat right now. You don’t see my face? Fuck Prince and his new connect,” Raequan hollered as he pushed past his mother.

  “Shy cut me down today behind ya shit. Our friendship is probably over for good this time. We almost came to blows thanks to your little deal with Roberts’s punk ass,” Cherise said with much attitude.

  Raequan stopped in his tracks. At first he wasn’t sure he’d heard his mother right but the look in her eyes confirmed it for him.

  “How did Shy find out ’bout me fuckin’ with Roberts?”

  “I told her,” Cherise responded matter-of-factly.

  “What da fuck, Ma! You always doin’ grimy shit like that to me. You ain’t right, man.” Raequan swung his arm and knocked a vase off the sofa table.

  “And what about you? What did you think was going to happen? Did you really believe you could get away with some petty-ass deal all for some pizza and watching a movie you’ve seen a hundred times over?” Cherise didn’t care how mad Raequan was, she was just as angry. “The only time you snake on somebody is for your enrichment, nigga. You can’t do shit just for the sake of doing it and think it ain’t coming back full circle. How many times do I gotta tell you that a young-minded hustler won’t get far in the game?”

  “And how far you gonna get, Ma? Your circle is from here to Mansfield and back,” Raequan said with venom. He stabbed the knife deep.

  For the second time in one day, Cherise’s feelings had been trampled on and she could take no more. She decided to throw in the towel. The fight had been drained from her body and she was tired. Cherise turned her back on Raequan and started up the stairs. Raequan thought he had all the answers so nothing she said would penetrate his thick skull. She refused to waste any more energy on him.

  “Go figure it out, Raequan. I can’t do shit for you.”

  “You never have.” Raequan gave another turn of the knife.

  Raequan was outraged. No wonder Prince had gone off on him the way he had. Yeah, he had shot the gun off inside of the car on purpose but Prince didn’t know that for sure. It never crossed Raequan’s mind that he’d left a trail of hints and evidence in his wake. Just like his parents, Raequan had a one-way mind. He was smarter than everyone and nothing was ever his fault.

  He didn’t know if it was the safe thing to do but Raequan had to pay his partner in crime a visit. Prince would be gunning for him and Raequan knew his skills didn’t match his opponent’s. He’d never be able to withstand his god brother’s wrath, especially with his mother and uncle protecting his back. Raequan only had his mother and he didn’t trust that she would have his back.

  Raequan went up to his room, showered, and changed clothes. After he double-checked the clip of his 9 mm, Raequan grabbed a pair of dark sunglasses to cover his eyes and headed out the door. There was no way around it; he and Roberts had to talk.

  Roberts was a semi-functioning alcoholic and drug addict. He’d become a disgrace to everyone around him, including himself. Guilt ate away at him from the inside out while hatred fueled his determination to see another day. He lived his life trapped in a closet with shame, humiliation, and self-hatred. His mind was stuck in a state of misery; the only thing he missed was company. Dwayne and Raequan had visited his dark world but hadn’t set up residency yet. It would be just a matter of time before they signed a lease. Roberts was also determined to lure every person with the last name McGee to his prison of desolation.

  Roberts lay on the floor of his studio apartment in a daze. The event that changed his life constantly played in his head. Being a cop had been a goal of his since middle school. Back then, he thought he could make a difference in the world by arresting anyone who thumbed their finger at the law. He worked hard to make detective quickly. His aim was to become a lieutenant and supervise his own squad one day. Melvin McGee changed all of that.

  Roberts had identified Melvin McGee as the drug kingpin who would make his career. The streets knew him as Legend. Roberts believed busting the largest and most powerful drug enterprise in the city would make his career. All he had to do was bust someone on Legend’s team to get his foot in the door. He’d planned on making multiple buys from Legend before making his arrest. Roberts was still oblivious to the identity of Legend’s partner. It was imperative that he implemented his plan slowly. He needed a snitch on his team. Arresting a low-level drug dealer would get things in motion.

  Albert Silk Willis was a student of the game. Unlike the true hustlers living the life, Silk lacked natural ability to survive the life. Silk cried before Roberts had even started the interview. He didn’t have a hustling bone in his body, so flipping him after his arrest was like taking candy from a baby. The ambitious officer used Silk in order to get into Melvin’s circle.

 
He posed as a new player in the area from Pennsylvania by the name of Skrill. His cover story was that the hustler he usually dealt with had been popped and in federal custody. Silk vouched for Skrill and told Melvin that they had history. That got Roberts a deal for ten kilos of pure cocaine. Melvin trusted no one except for his elusive partner. He never touched a drug; he had people for that. All shipments Roberts received were from one of Melvin’s loyal workers. Melvin was so vigilant, he never verbally communicated with customers, only those under his employ. It took Roberts over a year to get close to Melvin.

  Melvin’s guarded business practices made it difficult to take his empire down. After nine months of dealing with the family, Roberts was no closer to getting a warrant. He had no interest in making multiple arrests of lower-level workers; he wanted the two men in charge. Roberts wouldn’t rest until Melvin and his partner were serving life behind federal walls. The worst part about the failing undercover sting was that the identity of Melvin’s cohort remained a mystery. Because he was too low on the pyramid, Silk had no idea who co-chaired the family. Had that information been available to Roberts, he could’ve brought down their entire organization. Melvin McGee was only one half of the drug enterprise in Roberts’s sights. Roberts reasoned that knowing the identity of Melvin’s partner would’ve allowed him to bring down their entire organization. Instead, killing Melvin became the springboard of his demise as a man.

  In Roberts’s mind, Melvin was the reason for his failures. He chose to overlook the fact that he had been a horrible husband, a mediocre father, and a subpar police detective long before his nemesis entered his life. After twelve years of trying to change him, Roberts’s devoted wife packed up their children and disappeared. It had taken her over three years of skimming money from their joint bank accounts before she could leave. Through infidelity, a child outside of their marriage, and mental and emotional abuse, Brenda stuck in there with her man for as long as she could. Even a strong-minded woman like Brenda could only take so much. Brenda was pushed past her breaking point when she discovered her husband had fallen in deep with drugs, money, and loose women.

  Roberts had slipped off into a deep sleep with dreams of better days when banging at his door jarred him awake. The drugs had his mind in a daze. He had trouble lifting himself off the floor.

  “Man, what in the hell are you doing here?” Roberts slurred angrily.

  “You told me to come by today.” Dwayne was confused. They’d run into one another the night before at a bar. Roberts wanted to put together another plan to get close to Shy. Dwayne was all in if it meant he got to get close to Shy again. In the few weeks they’d spent together, Dwayne started to care about Shy. He missed her. “We’re supposed to put a plan in motion to hurt the McGee family.” Dwayne walked past Roberts into the messy apartment.

  Roberts had an all-day-type hangover. He made a pot of coffee as he tried to remember what he’d done the night before. The lingering high blocked his memory.

  “You need to clean up and open a window; it’s stuffy in here.” Dwayne took it upon himself to open the only two windows in the apartment. Fresh air was only a fraction of what the apartment needed. Dwayne was tempted to grab a bucket and cleaning solution but decided against it. He did little cleaning at his own home.

  “I don’t remember shit. We gon’ do this later,” Roberts said, taking a sip of coffee. “My head is spinning right now.” Roberts sat on the tattered couch when another knock echoed through the cramped living space. “Now who is this? Y’all niggas kill me not calling before just coming over.”

  Raequan stood on the other side of the door, feeling as nervous as a virgin sharing the most valuable part of her for the first time. He had no other choice. Roberts had to know what had happened. It was possible that Prince and his family would be out for payback. Raequan found it difficult to get past the fact that his mother had ratted him out. Her betrayal had to take a back seat. Raequan had bigger trouble ahead of him and he refused to get caught slipping.

  Roberts flung the door open in a huff. All he wanted was to be alone with a glass of Alka-Seltzer. “What da fuck you doin’ here?” His head was thumping hard at that moment. Raequan had no business being on his doorstep. Roberts was furious.

  “It’s all out, man. We gotta come up with a plan before these niggas come gunnin’ for me,” Raequan said frantically. Raequan stepped past Roberts and began pacing the dirty floor. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that Dwayne went unnoticed. He hadn’t noticed Dwayne until he opened his mouth.

  “What is so important that you feel comfortable walking up in here?” Roberts demanded to know. He poured a second cup of coffee while he waited for Raequan’s explanation. Had he looked up, Roberts would’ve seen the aftereffects of the ass beating Raequan took earlier in the day.

  “Prince and his mother know everything. They up on you being behind that bullshit I pulled on him. He came at me today and we had it out in the middle of the fuckin’ street. That punk-ass nigga lucky the homies broke it up ’cause he’d be in a body bag right now,” Raequan exaggerated.

  Roberts and Dwayne looked at Raequan and knew he was lying. It was obvious he’d been knocked on his ass since he was sporting two black eyes, a crooked nose, and busted lip. They were more interested in how Prince and Shy found out he’d been working with Roberts.

  “Did Prince beat the information out of you?” Dwayne laughed in Raequan’s face.

  “Man, go to hell. While you all giggly over there and ya ribs just healed from the twins and Q puttin’ it in on that soft ass,” Raequan retorted smugly. Raequan wasn’t worried about Dwayne. He was one person he knew he could knock out for sure.

  “Hey, I told y’all niggas my head is pounding so bring that shit down. Raequan, tell me what went down,” Roberts directed.

  Raequan was hesitant to tell Roberts the truth. No one had to know it was his mother who started the impending war with the McGee’s. All Roberts needed to know was that his enemies had found his hiding spot and his plan of attack failed.

  “All I know is Prince was all rah-rah about knowing you put me up to fuckin’ with him while we were down. Then, when I get to da crib my mom’s is all up in my face ’bout that same shit. She said her and Shy fell out about it and that you better have a plan of survival ’cause ya days are numbered,” Raequan said as dramatically as possible. He was really overplaying his lie. “I don’t know what the fuck happened. Ya boy over dere probably ran to Shy ’cause he ain’t get to hit it before they put his ass in the hospital.”

  “Ah, fuck you, man. Ain’t nobody on that shit. If anybody fucked up it was your bitch ass. It wouldn’t be the first time you bitched out about some shit,” Dwayne defended himself. He had no idea Prince knew who he was or he’d have stayed clear of Shy when her son was around.

  Roberts looked at Raequan and waited for the real story. The tale he’d just told had far too many holes in it to be believable. “Calm down. Both of y’all fucked up the mission so stop spewing bullshit. Raequan, you got a lot of nerve coming up in my home and lying to my face. Clearly you can’t think fast on your feet ’cause you just made that shit up.” Roberts gave Raequan the look of death. “If the McGee clan wants to play, tell them to come with it. I put Legend’s ass six feet under and will do the same to his bitch and all of those bastards he left behind.”

  Dwayne and Raequan didn’t have the confidence like their leader. Melvin had killed Dwayne’s brother and he hated the man’s memory too. He knew harming Shy and her kids wouldn’t bring his brother Silk back so he failed to see the point of it all. So far, Prince had proved himself to be his father’s child. Dwayne was scared of the boy. He was reckless.

  Raequan knew Prince was crazy. He didn’t give a fuck who got in his way but when it came to protecting his mother, Prince was like a pit bull: evil and fearless. Going to war against Prince was a mistake. Not only was he dangerous, his uncle had his back. The two of them together would eat Roberts up, slowly. Raequan had grown tired o
f being in Prince’s shadow. It was time to become a man with an identity of his own. Raequan reasoned that if all else failed, he’d switch teams, again.

  Roberts already had a plan to finally get his revenge on the McGee family. It was time for them to be as miserable as he’d been for seven years.

  “Shy better have life insurance on all of her kids,” Roberts said mindlessly. “She’s gonna be putting in a claim real soon.”

  Chapter 27

  I Can’t Do This Thing Called Life Without You

  It was early Saturday morning and Step It Up Cuts was crowded. Darrin and Jarell Houston were two of the top barbers in the city. Prince, Jayden, and Quincy were loyal customers of the brothers. The once neighborhood barbers opened their first barbershop a year ago. They were already turning a profit. Prince and Jayden grew up together with Darrin and Jarell. The twins introduced Quincy to their friends and he also became a loyal customer. The McGee twins and their cousin held an eight o’clock outstanding appointment every Saturday morning for haircuts and shaves. Once they’re groomed and looking their best, Prince, Jayden, and Quincy headed to the YMCA to play basketball.

  “So what’s the plan for today? Are we trying to play together or not?” Jayden asked while they searched for a parking spot. From the looks of the parking lot, the Y was busting with activity.

  “I don’t care as long as we don’t have to wait forever to get on the court,” Prince replied from the back seat. He’d been texting with Monica since they left the barbershop.

  Quincy circled the parking lot for the third time and finally found an empty parking spot. He pulled in between a new mint-green Lexus and a white on white old school Impala. Old school cars were one of Quincy’s interests. He never saw one that didn’t grab his attention. Owning a fleet of late-model Chevys, Lincolns, and Cadillac’s was one of Quincy’s goals in life.