by Kia
“Yeah? Kinda missed you too,” he said.
“I need to ask you a serious question,” I said, sitting up against the hotel bed.
“Go.”
“Did you have something to do with Bishop pretending to be Bleek?”
“Why would you ask that?”
“I mean, the number we got came from ya homie.”
“And where he at now?” Slick asked.
Right after I told Slick about his homie setting us up, he went to have a talk with him. Come to find out, Bishop had been watching me too, so he put word to Slick’s so called homie, who was in on the kidnapping. Slick killed him, which pissed me off at first because what if he knew where Bishop was keeping PJ?
“You right,” I said, just before my phone started ringing. It was Divine. I looked but didn’t answer. Instead, I put the phone under my pillow.
“Who was that?” Slick asked.
“Divine.”
“Why you didn’t answer?”
“Because she be getting on my nerves sometimes,” I said.
Slick lit a blunt and walked to the TV ass naked. Even on soft, his dick was killing the game.
“That’s ya cousin.”
“What that mean?” I asked.
He turned the TV on and lay back down. “How she get on ya nerves?”
“Shit, our plug basically told us that only Divine could get drugs from her at a good price.”
“And what price is that?”
“Dirt cheap.”
“So why ya mad?” he asked.
“Because what if I want to branch off?” I asked.
“Then just tell Divine, save ya money up, and buy ya own bricks. But do it through Divine so you can still get the playa price. Use ya head.”
“But I don’t wanna keep going through her. Like she dictates how and when I move.”
“Well find ya own plug then, Malina. I bet ain’t nobody gonna look out for ya like Divine, though. Don’t do this. Don’t start being greedy. Y’all eating out here.”
“But we gonna have to start moving our own bricks sooner or later.”
“I thought this was only to get PJ back?” he asked.
“At first, but it’s so addicting.”
“I see that look in your eyes, and I’ma tell you now, get it together. This can only lead to disaster if ya mind ain’t right,” he said. I smacked my lips and turned my head. He used his hand to guide it back to face him. “You hear me?”
“Yeah.”
“But are you understanding?” he asked.
“Um hmm,” I lied.
“I’ght, Malina. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”
“I don’t wanna talk ’bout this no more,” I said as I climbed back on top of him to get another round of dick before he had to leave.
***
“And where you been?” Neiman asked as I tried to creep back inside the house.
It was about three in the morning, so I thought they were asleep until I turned the light on and was startled by them sitting on the couch with busted faces.
“Oh my God. What happened?” I asked.
“Where were you?” Neiman asked.
“She was with Slick,” Divine said.
“How you k—”
“Because you answered the phone and didn’t know it!” she yelled, throwing her cell at me.
If I was slow on my feet, it would have knocked me smooth out.
“Divine, what are you t—”
“I get on your nerves? How in the actual fuck do I manage to piss you off? Huh?” She was now in my face with a look of disdain.
Neiman was on the couch with a smirk on her face. I hated her guts.
“Why you being nosey?” I asked as I brushed past her to go to my room, only to find all of my shit packed at the door. I turned back around to Divine. “What’s going on?”
“Go branch out on your own,” Neiman said.
I dropped my purse and ran up on her, but Divine got in the middle.
“So y’all ganging up on me now?” I asked. “If somebody ain’t beat me to it, I woulda whooped me some ass tonight,” I said, darting my ass between the both of them.
“Get your shit and get the fuck out. I can’t have no bitch in my circle plotting on me,” Divine said, still standing in front of Neiman.
“But I’m your family. You love me, Divine, and I love you.I had just had a few drinks and Slick asked m—”
“And then you got Slick here too? Knowing what we’re up against? You talking about Neiman putting dick before PJ, and look at you.” They both shook their heads in disgust.
“Slick ain’t got shit to do with this. He would never be in with Bishop.”
“But we can’t risk that right now, Malina, and you knew that. Just go,” she said, shaking her head.
“Where I’ma go?” I asked.
“You got money. Go wherever.”
“But what happens when I run out?” I asked.
“Then go with Slick,” Neiman snickered.
I reached my hand back, but Divine pushed me back.
“Go!” she yelled.
“Fuck you,” I said before spitting in her face.
That was by far the worst thing I could have done. I’m not sure exactly what took place, but I came back to consciousness with Divine’s foot kicking my face as I rolled over on the living room floor. As I lay there, her kicks and hits seemed to move in slow motion. The bottom of our coffee table had a mirror on it, and as I rolled over, I got a glimpse at what she’d done to my face. It now looked like hers and Neiman’s.
“Get ya shit and get the fuck out!” Neiman yelled as she threw my bags in the hallway.
When I finally was able to stand, my ribs were hurting so bad. I wonder how long I was knocked out? Did I go to sleep?
“Divine, please…”
“Get out!” she yelled.
“Look at me,” I said softly as I clamped on to my waist and walked with a hump.
“Go!” She was now crying, and I was too.
“Divine…”
“After all I’ve done for you, Malina? I’ve put you above any and every one! And you pull up like that? Just go!” She reached into her pockets and tossed me more money. “You’re gonna need it. I know you ran out of your own money long time ago.” She pushed me out and slammed the door in my face.
“Divine!” I yelled as I beat on the door, but had to stop because my side was hurting too bad. “You’ll miss me,” I whispered as I dragged my bags with me to the elevator.
When I got to the front, I realized that I left my phone so I couldn’t call an Uber. I asked the Concierge to do it for me as I cried myself a bloody river. They ended up calling a taxi.
After waiting for fifteen minutes, the taxi came. “Where to?” the man asked.
I didn’t have a destination, so I just told him to take me to the nearest café. He said the nearest one was on the south side and would be extra. I agreed. I needed to figure shit out, and I was hungry as fuck. When we got there, he let me out and I paid him.
“Shit!” I yelled when I got to the doors and they were locked.
I turned around, but the driver had already left. I dropped my bags and cried. I was all alone in Miami and scared. When my bags dropped, so did my phone that I thought I’d left. I picked it up to call Slick, hoping to God he was still in town.
“Yo.”
“Slick, where are you?” I asked.
“At the hotel. Where are you?”
“On the South side. Divine and I got into a fight and she put me out,” I said.
“Oh yeah? Where you at? I’ma have the Uber come and get you and take you back to the room with me. I’ll just reschedule my flight for later in the morning, so you can come with me.”
“Thank you so much, Slick. Thank you,” I said as I regained a little hope.
“Bet, just send me the address to where you are or the name of the café if you don’t know the address.”
“Okay, I’ll be in the fron
t.”
“Okay, stay put,” he said.
I sent him the address and he told me that the Uber would be here in less than ten minutes.
I put my bags on the curb and sat there looking like a homeless person. My hair was all over my head, and my clothes were ripped along with my face.
Honk! Honk!
“Thank God,” I said as I looked up and saw the Uber. It was a black Kia Optima. I opened the back door and threw my bags in before I got in.
“Where to?” the driver asked.
“It’s supposed to be on the app that y’all use. Hold on, let me call and see.” I picked up the phone to call Slick.
“Yo.”
“Slick, what’s the address so I can have the Uber drop me off?” I asked as I used some tissue that I had swiped from our lobby to wipe my bloody and swollen eyes.
“What?” Slick asked.
“The address? What is it?” I asked again. The Uber driver started laughing.
“I told you I was having the Uber pick you up… as in the Uber that I was already in. Not no random ass Uber. Where you at? I’m at the café and don’t see you,” he said.
I heard him opening the door to a car and closing it. Then I heard the wind blowing. He was really back at the café looking for me.
“Tell Slick you will call him back,” the Uber driver said.
“Malina! Malina!” Slick yelled into the phone, but I couldn’t speak.
I almost died when he adjusted the rearview mirror and I saw his face.
“Malina… Malina… Malina.” He smacked his lips. “We gotta stop meeting like this.”
“Bishop, please…”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Milo
“Thought you were going to work tonight?” Pinky asked me when I returned to our place. She was just about to walk out the door.
“Something came up,” I said.
“So why get a baby-sitter if you aren’t about to work?” she asked, slipping her hoop earrings in.
“Damn, Pinky. I’m going to see my one of my tricks, okay?”
“Damn, my bad. See ya later.” She left with her bag and shut the door behind her.
“Shit!” I yelled as I paced back and forth in the kitchen.
I was so happy that Temple didn’t have to work because I had her watch PJ. I had to think fast. Then a lightbulb flashed. I called one of my tricks who worked for Dade County Sheriff department. He was a detective.
“Hello.”
“Hey, William. Work tonight?” I asked as I rushed into my room to slip something sexy on. I knew he was off, and this was perfect.
“Nah, just watching reruns of the game. I’ve been missing you.”
“And I missed you too,” I lied.
“Yeah? Well, come through.”
“I’m on my way,” I said before hanging up.
I was tripping all over shit trying to hurry and get dressed. Bishop said he would come to the club tonight, but fuck it. He would be pleased to know what I did instead.
William lived in a two story home on the North East side off 72nd street, so I had to put a move on it. I almost left my heels, I was moving so fast. I ran back inside to get them and ran back out.
I sped the whole way there, only stopping to pick up some condoms because I knew he didn’t have any. I definitely would have to give him some ass if I wanted to know who this witness was. Fuck! I couldn’t believe this shit. I knew I heard a fucking dog barking. It didn’t occur to me that maybe, just maybe, a damn dog shouldn’t have been at a dead end. I hadn’t seen William in a minute, so I was about to have to suck the shit out of his dick for this information.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” I yelled as I banged on the steering wheel immediately after stopping at a red light.
“Ayyyyy! Hey, mama!” some drunken white dudes yelled as they honked the horn.
I flipped them the bird and burnt rubber as the light turned green.
“Think, Milo, think,” I began to talk to myself. What the fuck was I gonna do when I found him anyway?
Finally, I pulled into William’s driveway. I loved his place because it was surrounded by palm trees and the driveway was paved with bright red bricks. I looked in the mirror as I out my black lipstick on. For some reason, he loved when I wore all black. When I saw the porch light come on, I knew that was my cue to come in.
“Damn, you looking finer than ever,” he said as he pulled me inside as soon as my BCBG heel hit the concrete porch.
“You’ve been drinking?” I asked as I pretended like I just couldn’t keep my hands off of him. I was so ready to go.
“A lil’ something. Want some?”
“Nah, I got it. Go freshen up, baby. I’ll be right there.”
I grabbed his glass and headed to the kitchen. His house was a little weird. The kitchen was upstairs, along with the living area. When I got to the kitchen, I saw that he had some sleeping pills next to the bottle, then a bright idea flashed. I took out a few pills, crushed them up and put them into his drink. This would help him loosen up for sure.
“Come on, baby. I’m ready,” he yelled up the stairs.
“I’m coming,” I replied as I put water in my glass.
Hell, he was already drunk. He couldn’t tell the difference in what was in my damn cup.
“You’re so good to me,” he said as I walked into his room and slid into his Dondra Queen bed.
“I have no choice. You’re good to me.”
“How much I owe you?” he asked.
“Tonight? Nothing.”
“Ohhh, you must have really missed me.”
“I did, baby, I really did,” I really lied as I handed him the drink.
He gulped it all down at once, just like I knew he would. Then he started to eat my pussy for about ten minutes and stopped.
“Baby, I’m sorry but I can’t do this tonight,” he said as he climbed from between my legs.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. I didn’t expect him to give in this fast.
“I’m just tired. I took four sleeping pills before you came,” he said as he laid on the side of me.
“Four? Why so many?” I asked as I silently panicked. I had put four in his drink.
“I always have to take that many if I want to sleep all day the next day. I have insomnia really bad. Remember? I told you this.”
For an old man, William didn’t fit the description of a detective. He was well fit, sexy chocolate skin tone, slim frame, and his hair was salt and pepper gray. His teeth were even white and straight.
“Man, you heard about that guy that was found dead?” I asked, trying to get it out before he went to sleep.
“Yeah, that’s my new case I’m working on. Shyro…” His voice started to fade.
“Yeah? Where’s the files?” I asked, rubbing him like a newborn baby.
“On the dresser,” he said with his eyes closed.
I hopped up, ran over to the dresser, and found the files.
“Yes,” I whispered as I flipped through the pages and found exactly what I was looking for.
I took a picture of the witness’ info and put the files back away. This was my lucky day, but I wasn’t so lucky to have to find a witness. I didn’t know if I hated or loved Bishop for what he did. I wanted to kiss him and then slap the living fuck out of him.
“Baby, I’m about to go,” I said as I grabbed my shoes and my purse. He didn’t respond. “Baby… you hear me? I said I’m about to go,” I said again as I shook him softly.
Then I did it harder… and harder… and harder. Still no response. Using all my might, I turned him over. I put my ear down to his nose, but didn’t hear him breathing.
I felt his pulse. He didn’t have one.
“This can’t be happening,” I said to myself.
Just to be sure I wasn’t tripping, I kicked him onto the floor. If he was alive, he’d surely wake up mad at me.
I wanted to crawl under a rock when that still didn’t wake him up.
He w
as dead. I had accidently killed him by overdose.
Chapter Thirty
Divine
“That bitch spit on me, I had to put her out,” I said to Chola as we video chatted. My lip was still hurting from when Fat Boy had whooped my ass.
“What did you do?” she asked.
“I whooped her ass. Hell you mean what did I do? I did what the fuck I had to do,” I said with an attitude.
“What happened to your face?” she asked.
I started to lie, but I told the truth. “Some niggas tried to rob me. But I got my shit back.”
“Hmph.” She let out a small laugh.
“What?”
“I knew this would happen.”
“What would happen?” I asked.
“I let you take those guns home for a reason, baby.”
“I know. I just forgot, but I’m sorry. Won’t happen again.”
“Did you handle it?” She asked.
“Yeah, I got my shit back.”
“But did you handle it?”
“Yes. I handled it.”
“Is he sleeping?”
“Yes, Chola. They’re all sleeping.”
“Good girl.”
“Whatever.”
“It’s okay, my love. These types of things will happen. Just have to be prepared for them. Be more careful next time.”
“I will.”
“So why were you and Malina fighting?” she asked.
“Because I told her not to bring anyone from Dallas to where we were and she did. It’s too hot for that right now, and she went behind my back.”
“Any proof?”
“She answered the phone accidentally and I heard her.”
I purposely left out the part where Malina was plotting to branch out. Chola would consider that snake talk and probably kill Malina, and I didn’t want that. We just needed time apart. I was madder about her spitting on me. That was the highest level of disrespect.
“Just let bygones be bygones. She’s your family, and family is everything, Divine.”
“I know, but fuck her for now.”
“You’re so beautiful,” Chola said as she admired me.
“Ironic ’cause I was just thinking the same thing ’bout you.” I blushed.
“I’m ready to go official,” she said.
