RedBone

by Styles, T.

  “Is he okay?” She looked at Randy. He wondered who the “he” was she was talking about. If he found out she was even talking about Slade, he would kill her. “I mean, is she okay?”

  “She?” Chloe repeated.

  “Bitch, is she okay or not?”

  “If the ‘she’ you talking about is Slade’s fine ass, I’d say no. He has a bail and his brothers can’t help him out right now. Markee ain’t been at home all day, so they can’t go to him either. I don’t know if you know, but Markee works for Randy. You better be careful.” Farah could hear juice being poured in the background. “Well ... I gotta go. I’ll see you when you get back.”

  Farah got off the phone, slid off the bed, and put the cell in her purse. “Randy, I gotta leave early.”

  She walked over to Randy, who was sitting at his desk. “How come?” He didn’t look at her.

  “My sisters are fighting my roommate again.”

  Randy spun around to face her in the chair. He was irritated and it showed all over his face. “Well, what your mother saying? It ain’t like it’s your house. Let her handle that shit.”

  “I told you my mother is sick,” she said in a low voice. “She can’t stop them from ripping her apartment up if they in there fighting. If you want, I can come back later. I just gotta go now to see about things.”

  Randy wanted to complain but he had shit to do also, so he said, “Okay ... What time you coming back?”

  “The moment I’m done.” Farah put on her clothes, and Randy kept his eyes glued on her.

  “You sure you being real with me? Because you know if you’re not, I will find out. Remember what I did to your animals, and that old bitch? Well, that will seem innocent compared to what I have in store for you if you fuck me over.”

  “Randy, please don’t threaten me.”

  “I haven’t threatened anybody since I was in grade school. Besides, you seen what I can do.” He put his grey sweatpants on. “So why would you think I’m anything but serious?”

  “Randy, I’m being straight up with you. But sometimes I think you want me to lie so you can start a fight with me or something.”

  “You sound stupid.” He slid into his slippers. “I just wanna take care of you and I’m ready for the games to stop.” Randy kissed her lips. “You still young, and you don’t know what it means to be with a real man. So I gotta show you.”

  When Farah was dressed, she stopped short at the door. She still needed money for rent because the landlord had already begun eviction proceedings, and she spent up all her money on weed, smoke, and food. “Randy ... can you ...”

  “I know ... you need money.” He reached in his drawer and handed her $2,500. “That should be enough, right?”

  She hadn’t expected him to give her so much. “Yes ... this is perfect!”

  “Good ...Now let me take a shower.” He walked toward the bathroom. “Take your key, because I expect you back later.” Farah was almost out of the room when he said, “If I ever find out you were lying to me, about anything, I don’t know what I would do.”

  “Randy, I can do some things too, if you get me wrong. I need you to know that.” Her threat was deadly serious, but instead of heeding her warning, he was turned on.

  Chapter 43

  “He s still family.”

  —Slade

  Slade was just about to wrap his hands around the neck of one of his cellmates when an officer walked up to the cell and said, “Slade Baker, you made bail.” At first Slade thought it was a mistake because Markee was not home, and his brothers were dead broke. If they did bail him out, he hoped they didn’t do anything that would land them in jail right next to him. “You wanna leave or not, Big Country? the officer taunted as he unlocked the bars. “You moving slower than a bitch in a miniskirt.”

  “If my bail paid, what difference do it make how slow I move?” Slade slid out of the cell at his own speed. He went through processing for longer than an hour, courtesy of the hating-ass CO, and was eventually released. He was surprised to find out that they didn’t have him listed as a wanted man. Sheriff Kramer really was trying to do shit underground.

  The moment he walked outside of the jail, he heard a car knocking loudly. When he looked in the direction of the noise, he recognized the driver immediately. Because his truck was impounded, he walked up to the car, hoping she’d give him a ride. “You bailed me out?” he asked, already knowing the answer. She nodded. “Thanks, and I’ll pay you back when I get the money.”

  He waited for her to open her mouth, because with everything going on, he wasn’t in the mood for her mute games. He’d rather walk home than subject himself to constant rejection. Besides, he remembered seeing her picture on Randy’s phone, and figured she belonged to him anyway. It wasn’t like he had anything to offer except hopes and a few dreams.

  Slade was about to walk away when Farah said, “You need a ride? I’m going back to the building. It’s not a problem.”

  He stopped in his steps. “Uh ... yeah.”

  “Well, get in.” She smiled.

  Slade walked around to the passenger side, and she reached over to unlock the door. Once he got into the car he said, “How did you know I was here?”

  “My sister told me.” She pulled into traffic. “I guess your brother told her.” She paused. “Oh ... and you can give me the money whenever you can.” Farah used the entire $2,500 on him, and now she didn’t have money to get her car fixed, or pay her bills.

  Slade was quiet for a minute as he observed her from the corner of his eyes. She was beautiful, wore stylish clothes, and her quietness made her mystical. In a lot of ways, she reminded him of himself. He wanted her badly, but how was he gonna step to her? The nigga Randy put her in the Benz, and was probably paying her bills, too. Although he wouldn’t be down long, he couldn’t say for sure when he’d be able to take care of a bitch like her. He wanted to say something that could make her see that although he was strapped for cash now, with the right woman behind him, he could go places. He could be somebody. He just needed a reason to fight.

  “You been living there long?” Slade asked, looking at her.

  “Where?” Her voice was low and she tried to avoid eye contact. He seduced her.

  “In Platinum Lofts.”

  “Yeah ... I been there for some years.” She moved out of the way to prevent hitting a black cat that dodged across the street. “It’s nice, just expensive.”

  “You live there with your sisters and roommate?” He looked at her, and then back out the window. A man was pissing in a trashcan, and he shook his head in abhorrence. “It seems like everybody I run into wanna move over there for some reason.”

  “Yeah, I live with them.” She shrugged. “For now.” She was being short and he didn’t know how to take it. Was she interested or not was his only question. If she wasn’t, he wouldn’t be bothered and they could go their separate ways. It wasn’t how he wanted it, but he wasn’t gonna press the issue either. Fucking with her would do nothing but put him into a tougher war with Randy.

  “Look, do you want me to leave you alone?” He was used to girls falling all over him and Farah was too weird to know what she was doing. Maybe they were the same. “You been fucking with my head for a minute now, and I’m tired of the shit.”

  She looked at him and decreased her speed. “How am I fucking with your head?” She focused back on the road. “I answered all your questions. Just keep it light, okay?”

  Not understanding what she meant he said, “When I approached you in the hallway that day, and you acted like you didn’t have the time, I made a decision to leave you alone.” That hurt and her stomach flopped. “Then I get arrested and you bail me out. What the fuck you want from me? Did you bail me out for your nigga, Randy?”

  She looked at him. “You know about Randy?”

  Yeah. It’s that nigga. “I know of him. So where he want you to take me? Because I still don’t have his answer yet.”

  “I don’t know anyt
hing about what you’re talking about. And I’d appreciate if you didn’t tell him I picked you up, or paid your bail either.”

  “You must not fuck with him for real, if you got to lie to him.”

  “I do what I have to, to keep him happy. Let’s leave it at that.”

  Slade never wanted to talk to this chick again. He couldn’t believe he let her into his mind without even knowing where her head was first. All he wanted to do now was find his brother Knox, and get the fuck out of the city he hated. “Can I use your phone?” He pulled his out his pocket. “My battery dead.”

  “It’s on the charger.” She pointed at her console.

  He pulled the charger out of the cigarette lighter, and it broke in his hands. “Fuck!”

  Farah looked at her broken charger and got slightly angry. With everything going on at her house, and the way her sisters blew her up every five minutes, she needed a charged phone. “What happened?” She frowned. “How did you break it?”

  “I’m sorry. I ... I fucking ... pulled it too hard.” He held it in his hand.

  “How?” She looked at him and then back at the road. “It’s brand new.”

  “Look, I said it was an accident. I’ll buy you another one.” He looked at her and then at the phone. “Just put it with the other money I owe you. Can I still use your shit?”

  “I guess.” She shrugged. She wasn’t trying to act like a bitch, but she was dead broke.

  He held her phone carefully. If she was crying over a broken charger, he certainly didn’t need her whining over a phone. Farah saw the anguish in his face. “It’s okay. For real,” she reassured him. “I’ll buy another charger. You don’t have to be extra careful with my phone. It’s built to last.”

  After dialing the number, he put the phone to his ear and turned away from her. He didn’t want to tell her that no appliance or human was safe around him. The phone rang three times before Markee finally answered. “What’s up? I thought you weren’t in the house.”

  “I just heard, man. I was gonna come bail you out.”

  “Sure you were; put Killa on the phone.”

  “You out of jail?” Markee sounded excited.

  “I wouldn’t be calling if I wasn’t.”

  Thirty seconds later, Killa picked up. “You a’ight, bro? He was excited and he could tell it in his voice. “What happened?”

  “Some nigga got mad because his girl was trying to talk to me.” He looked at Farah, wishing he didn’t start the conversation in her car. “One thing led to another and I ended up in jail.” He looked at Farah again and then out his window. “Any word from our brother?”

  “Yeah.”

  Slade’s heart raced. “What? When?”

  “He tried to call the house, but Markee was on the other line and didn’t click over.” Slade felt rage wash over him. Markee knew how important it was that the family talked to Knox. It was life or death. Killa reduced his voice to a whisper. “I swear I think this mothafucka is a stone-cold hater. We gotta watch this boy.”

  “Stop, man. He’s still family,” Slade said, although the words tasted like shit in his mouth.

  “Why else would he not click over? We been screaming Knox’s name since the day we got here.”

  “I don’t know, but at least we know he’s alive.” Slade shook his head at his cousin’s carelessness. “How we know he called if he didn’t click over?”

  “When he finally got off the phone with some bitch, he told us there was a message. It was from Knox.”

  “What it say?”

  “It said he’d been hurt, but he’d get back up with us as soon as possible, and not to worry. He said he’ll connect with us in a few more days.”

  Chapter 44

  “Well, whoever it is, they better not try me.”

  —Farah

  Farah woke up to complete silence, and she knew something was wrong. Ever since her sisters moved in her apartment was anything but peaceful. Farah tossed and turned a little as she thought of Slade Baker. Now it made sence why Randy brought him up the day they were on the roof; he’d personally met him already. She threw the covers off of her body and looked down at her neutral toenails. She didn’t like not being able to wear polish, but that was her life. She wiggled her toes before sitting up straight, and looked out the window. Life was boring, and she needed a change soon. She was up all night, watching the maintenance man pull up the carpet in Chloe’s room, courtesy of Amico’s blood. Life was getting crazy for sure.

  When she felt a slippery sensation between her legs, she pulled the waistband of her pajamas and saw a puddle of blood. She’d gotten her period, which explained why she was moody. Rushing to the bathroom, she was angry when she opened the cabinet drawer under the sink and saw that all her tampons were gone. Lesa was always screaming about them not going into her room, yet she’d come in hers freely and take her tampons without asking.

  How heavy do that bitch bleed anyway? Used up all my fucking shit.

  Farah stepped into the cold tub, turned the faucet on instead of the showerhead, and squatted. She positioned the water’s direction so that it smacked against her vagina. Her blood ran down her legs and into the drain before running clear. After cleaning up, she grabbed a pad and eased into her white panties. Then she threw on her pink velour sweat suit and brown Ugg boots. When she walked into the kitchen she saw that the refrigerator was open and a half-empty jug of water was sitting on the counter.

  “Why can’t people clean up behind themselves?” She placed the jug in the fridge and closed the door.

  When she opened the cabinet to grab a bowl, she heard a noise coming out of Lesa’s room. Looking at her white ceramic ToyWatch, she noticed that she was due at work. So she tiptoed in the direction of her room to see what was up with the rent. From the doorway, she could see Shadow holding his dick. He was wetting Lesa’s carpet, shoes, and her bathroom toilet with his urine.

  Farah fell out laughing, holding her stomach. “What the fuck are you doing, boy? You starting the party already.”

  Shadow turned to the side to stuff his penis back into his pants. She couldn’t lie; she was happy to have him home for reasons like that. “I want this bitch out of here like yesterday.” When he was no longer indecent, he turned around to face her. “She got up this morning and threw my beer away that I had in the fridge. Talking about it was flat and been in there too long. Who the fuck is she to throw my shit away? And what she do, take a sip?”

  “I’m so sick of her too!” Farah said, thinking about the first day she met her. She seemed so nice back then, and now she realized it was all an act. “I thought she got locks put on her door.”

  Shadow walked toward her and closed the door. “She did, but she went downstairs to wash clothes and forgot to lock it back.”

  “Oh ... she still here? She supposed to be at work.”

  “Yeah ... she must know something’s up. I heard her call out when I first got up this morning. She scared we gonna kick the door down, locks and all.”

  Farah shook her head. “That bitch is so fucking dumb. She went to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of water. “Why you leave the water jug out on the counter anyway?”

  “Because I drank half of it so I could use the bathroom. I wanted to be on full so I could piss on her shit.”

  She shook her head. “Where everybody else at?”

  “Chloe with the nigga Audio, and Mia at work.” He grabbed some bread and mayonnaise to make a sandwich. “What you getting into today?”

  “I got an appointment, and I gotta go buy some tampons.” He looked at her, and she looked away.

  “An appointment, huh? You sure you not going to get your murder fill?”

  “Don’t start with me, Shadow. Stay out of my business.”

  “Sis, I’m not gonna give you a hard time. You gotta do what’s best for you. I just want to make sure if what Chloe said is true that you’re operating safely.” He looked her over. “You my baby sis, so I’ma be like that.”
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br />   “She just had to give you the details.” She took a sip and swallowed. “Chloe couldn’t hold water if it was in a cup.”

  “You know, as fucked up as it is, she looks up to you. She wants to be like you.”

  Farah pointed to herself. “Like me?” She dropped her hand. “I thought she was Mia’s cheerleader.”

  Shadow laughed. “Yeah, right. That girl has been a Farah fan since the day she was born. I’m surprised you couldn’t notice that shit. That’s why she was always hanging around and stuff.”

  And taking my men.

  Farah couldn’t lie, hearing that Chloe looked up to her instead of Mia made her smile. “A’ight, baby boy,” Farah said, washing her cup. “Let me go see this dude. I left some money for you in your room.”

  “I thought you were broke.”

  “I am. I’m still richer than you are though.” Shadow smiled. “Don’t be too excited though ... it’s only fifty bucks. I’ma see what I can do later.” She went to get her purse from her room. “Don’t kick nothing off with that girl until I get home later tonight!” She called out from the back of the apartment. She walked back into the living room. “She gonna lose it when she see what you did in there.” She grabbed her coat out of the closet. “I don’t need this bitch calling the police, trying to get you locked up.”

  “I would break that bitch’s neck.”

  “No!” she yelled, pointing in his face. He was a killer, and that was real talk, but Farah wasn’t afraid of him. “We gonna handle her together. But not the Cotton way. You got me?”

  “Yeah, whatever.” He followed her to the door. “Farah, why you tell them peoples I went to Harvard? You ashamed of me going to jail?”

  Farah knew this was going to come up sooner or later. “I’m not ashamed of you. I’m ashamed of how people think about you. Jail or not, you still my brother, and I want people to respect that. We cool?”

  Shadow nodded and Farah walked out the door.