Life After Wifey

by Kiki Swinson

  While my mind was in overdrive, I heard two people talking within a couple of feet from the car, so I looked up to see who those voices belonged to. Quincy was the first person I saw, standing alongside a Hispanic guy who had his back facing me. His position changed when Quincy looked over at me and realized that I was looking in their direction.

  “I thought you were sleeping.” Quincy said aloud as he approached my side of the car. The Hispanic guy followed behind Quincy.

  Instead of responding, I smiled and rolled down the window because it was evident that he wanted to introduce me to his friend.

  “Carlos, meet Nikki, the young lady I was telling you and Papí about,” Quincy continued as he leaned over to peer into the car.

  “Hola, Nikki,” Carlos said as he peered into the car alongside Quincy.

  “Hi,” I said, smiling. Then my facial expression changed as I held a stare directly at this man’s face.

  “Are you all right?” Carlos asked me, giving me a suspicious look.

  “Yeah, are you okay?” Quincy interjected. “Because you look like you know this man.”

  Feeling my heart race at the speed of light, I rearranged my expression by smiling. And then I looked over at Quincy saying, “Yes, I’m fine. I just thought I recognized this gentleman from somewhere,” I lied with the most sincerity.

  “Where you thought you recognized me from?” Carlos asked.

  “At this night club that plays salsa music,” I lied once again, looking back in his direction.

  “Where?” Carlos was looking at me like he was trying to place my face.

  “Well, it’s been a little over a year now, so I don’t exactly remember the name of it.”

  “Was it here in D.C.?”

  “Yeah,” I replied nodding my head, the lies continuing to pour out of my mouth.

  “Well, I haven’t been to any night clubs around here in a couple of years. You sure it wasn’t some other place?”

  “Well, maybe I got you mixed up with somebody else.” I was trying to play it off and pretend that I was confused about knowing him.

  “It’s a possibility,” he commented and then he gave me a sly smirk.

  Wanting to join in on the conversation, Quincy said, “Hey Nikki, I was just in the store telling Carlos that you’re Kira’s cousin.”

  “Oh, yeah,” I said, not at all pleased with his gesture to volunteer information about me to this fucking killer. But I remained cool because this guy was watching my body language like a hawk.

  “Yeah, Carlos and his uncle knew Kira and Ricky real good,” Quincy boasted.

  “Is that right?” I commented nonchalantly.

  “Yes, and we’re sorry to hear about her passing,” Carlos said as he searched my face for any sign of nervousness and fear.

  “Thank you very much,” I replied and then I purposely looked down at my watch.

  “Got somewhere to be?” Carlos asked, watching me closely.

  Just as I was about to answer him, Quincy looked down at his watch as well and said, “We gotta go ‘cause time is creeping up on us. Gotta beat that traffic back down the Highway 95. It gets crazy when you’re driving through the Richmond area.”

  “You sure ain’t lying about that,” I added as I looked into Quincy’s face with a sigh of relief.

  “Why don’t you two stay here for the night? My uncle and I can show you guys around town and put you up in a nice hotel, so you can rest up and leave in the morning,” Carlos insisted.

  “Mr. Carlos, that offer sounds so tempting but I help to take care of my grandmother at night so I’ve got to get home ASAP.”

  “Well, at least stay a while for a drink,” he continued, adding in a little persuasion.

  “I wish I could, but maybe next time,” I replied, sticking to my guns.

  “Yeah, we can do it another time,” Quincy told Carlos as he extended his hand for a shake.

  While Carlos reached out to shake Quincy’s already awaiting hand, I turned back around in my seat and looked straight forward. I began to pray silently, asking God to allow me and Quincy a chance to get out of this situation we were in alive.

  When I heard Quincy tell Carlos he’d talk to him later, I knew my prayers were being answered.

  “See you soon, Ms. Nikki,” Carlos said, as Quincy turned the car ignition.

  “Okay,” I replied and waved my hand goodbye as I forced a smile on my face. Luckily, Quincy had started driving away before Carlos saw my smile fade.

  About a half a block up the street, I turned around in my seat and looked through the back window of Quincy’s car. I was curious to see if Carlos had jumped in a car to follow us. Plus, I knew my life depended upon it.

  “You a’ight?” Quincy asked me.

  “Can you please just get me back to Virginia,” I pleaded and then I let out a long sigh.

  “That’s what I’m doing.”

  “Could you drive a little faster?” I asked desperately as fear began to consume my entire body.

  “What, you want me to get a ticket or something?”

  “No, I just want to get home.”

  “Okay. I’ll have you there in a couple of hours, so just relax and enjoy the ride.”

  But I couldn’t relax. I leaned forward and buried my face into the palm of my hands as all kinds of crazy thoughts began to ring in my head.

  “Yo, Nikki, you sure you’re all right?”

  I looked up from my hands and as I was about to tell him about his friend Carlos, his cell phone rang. At that instant, I froze and I honestly couldn’t move a limb on my body. My heart and the gas bubbles in my stomach made up for my lack of movement.

  As soon as he answered the phone, I went into full alert, watching his facial expressions and listening for any signs that there would be trouble in paradise.

  “I’m about to get on the highway now so it’s gon’ be hard to turn back around,” I heard him say.

  Hearing Quincy’s response to the caller’s question sent me into a state of paranoia. At that point, I knew I couldn’t hold back. I nudged him in his arm with my left hand and my eyes began to tear. I whispered, “Please don’t turn around. They’re gonna kill me!”

  Shocked by my words, Quincy pulled his phone away from his ear, pressed down on the mute button and said, “Kill you! What the fuck are you talking about?”

  Completely ignoring his question, I asked him, “Who is that on the phone?”

  “It’s Papí’s other nephew, Juan.”

  “Why does he want you to turn around?” Suspicion began to build in my body.

  “What? Hold up,” he told me and then went back to his call, which lasted about another ten seconds.

  “Why does he want you to turn around?”

  “He said that Papí had a proposition for me but that I had to come back to the store to discuss it.”

  “What did you tell ‘em?”

  “You heard me tell ‘em I had a call on the other line and that I’d call him back.”

  “Listen to me,” I urged him as I leaned over toward him. “Under no circumstances can you take me back over there.”

  “What‘s going on?” Quincy asked.

  “Remember when I told you I walked right by this Hispanic-looking guy coming from the direction of Kira’s apartment on the day she got murdered?”

  “Yeah, I remember that.”

  “Well, Carlos was that guy!”

  “Ahhh, man! Now, I get it.”

  “Get what?” I asked anxiously.

  “When I told them I had Ricky’s wife’s cousin waiting outside in the car and that you had taken a ride up here to the store with Kira about two months ago to discuss some business concerning Ricky, they got real interested in who you were. When I was about to leave, Papí suggested to Carlos that he come outside to meet you. I thought it was kind of odd ‘cause Papí could care less about meeting new people especially because of the type of business he’s in.”

  “Is that a dope spot?”

  �
�I’d doubt it. He wouldn’t ever sell dope out of his store. That’s just a drop-off station for money.”

  “So, whatcha think is gonna happen now?”

  “I don’t know,” Quincy said as he took the 295 South Exit.

  Seeing familiar signs gave me a temporary sense of relief. Just knowing I was moving further away from Papí and his men gave me a false feeling of hope. Why had Carlos killed Kira? The thoughts that were running through my mind weren’t quite adding up. I looked back at Quincy and said, “What could Kira have done that would make them kill her in cold blood like that?”

  “Maybe Ricky owed Papí some dough.”

  “But I don’t think he did.”

  “Why did Kira come up here to have a meeting with Papí, then?”

  “I’m not sure but after Ricky started feeling the pressure about all that time the Feds gave him, he called Kira and told her he needed her help to set up a drug buy from Papí. If everything went according to plan, he could get a big-time cut. When Kira told him no, he threatened her. She reached out to Papí, hoping that when she provided that information about Ricky’s plans he would, in turn, provide her with some protection.”

  “Did she tell you what he said?”

  “Yeah, she told me he said he was going to take care of everything and before she left he handed her an envelope filled with twenty-five grand in cash.”

  “Did she take it?”

  “Hell yeah, she took it! He told her to take a vacation with it.”

  “Ahhh, man!” Quincy said, squinting his eyes as if he had felt a sharp pain in his head.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “They killed her because she took the money.”

  “But, he offered it to her. What was wrong with taking the money?”

  “Nikki, you cannot accept money in this game from a man like Papí for information that’s gon’ have a nigga killed. That’s not how it works.”

  “Why did he offer the money to her then?”

  “Because it was a test.”

  “That’s not fair; Papi set her up!”

  “I guess he felt that since she was married to Ricky she should’ve known the rules.”

  Absorbing every word Quincy uttered, I began to feel sick to my stomach and begged him to pull the car over on the side of the highway. Once he pulled over, I immediately forced opened the passenger side door and leaned over into the grass. Two seconds later, I was puking my guts up. I felt Quincy rubbing my back in a circular motion as I purged myself of all my anxiety. He wasn’t really making me feel any better but knowing that he was there felt a little reassuring. As I was leaning back into the car, Quincy’s cell phone started ringing again.

  “Oh my God, I betcha that’s him again,” I said fearfully.

  Quincy looked down at his phone and said, “Yeah, it is.”

  “Wait. Please, don’t answer it.”

  Unsure of how he should handle the situation, Quincy fumbled with his phone until it stopped ringing. When he realized what he had just done, he sighed heavily and said, “Man, I can’t believe I just did that.”

  “Quincy, please, get me out of here,” I told him as pulled the passenger door shut.

  Quincy pulled back onto the highway and we rode in silence for about three miles He broke the silence by saying, “I just fucked up!”

  “Why, because you didn’t answer your cell phone?”

  “It’s more than that.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “I’m supposed to make another trip back up here in a couple of days to pick my product up from one of Papí’s peoples. When I do that, I’m gon’ have to explain to Papí why I didn’t answer his nephew’s call and why I didn’t show up.”

  “Then don’t go.”

  “Are you fucking crazy? I can’t just let him keep fifty grand of my dough.”

  “What’s more important, your life or that fifty grand?”

  “Papí wouldn’t kill me over that shit.”

  “Then, what are you worried about?”

  “I’m not sure but I’m starting to get this funny feeling.”

  “You know what?”

  “What?”

  “If you would not have gone in his store running your mouth about

  Kira’s cousin sitting in the car then none of this shit would have happened.”

  “Who the fuck knew Papí was the one who had Kira killed?” Quincy asked, getting defensive.

  “Come on now, let’s not do this. What’s done is done. We just got to figure out what we’re gonna do.”

  “Nikki, Carlos is a very smart man and he probably knows you remember seeing him leave Kira’s apartment building that day. So, if he’ll ride all the way down to Virginia Beach to knock off Kira, then he’s gonna come after you next.”

  “Oh my God! Please don’t tell me anymore.”

  “I’m sorry, but you gotta know that these men are professional killers. They will hunt you down until you’re dead.”

  “Whatcha think I should do?”

  “You could hide out for a while and see if this shit boils over.”

  “Hide out where?”

  “Maybe at a relative’s house or out of town somewhere.”

  “What if I go to the police?”

  “The police ain’t gon’ help you! Did they help Ricky stay alive?”

  I refused to answer Quincy’s question because it was a no-brainer. Papí was a very powerful man with a lot of money so if he wanted you dead, he’d get you. Which was the point he made when he had men go into the jail as U.S. Marshals with authentic identification. Now, if that wasn’t some serious shit, then I don’t know what is. Going to the cops was definitely out of the question. I wouldn’t even live long enough to testify on the stand. My main focus, right now, was to stay alive, since my mission to find Kira’s killer was accomplished. The only difference now is that there’s no way of making these muthafuckers pay. They were too powerful and I want no parts of them. I’m just hoping Kira will forgive me for going back on my word.

  For the rest of the trip Quincy and I opted to remain quiet. When the ride was over we went back to his place, since that’s where I left my car. When I grabbed my car keys from my handbag I hesitated and looked at Quincy. He saw my sudden stop in movement and turned around.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I’m scared to go home.”

  “Stay here then.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure. It’s the least I can do.”

  “But, what if Papi sends Carlos here to look for me?”

  “I just moved here. He doesn’t know about this spot.”

  “I’m sure he could find out.”

  “Calm down Nikki,” he said, grabbing my hands. “This place is in a good friends name so he ain’t gon’ be able to find me.”

  I hesitated, searching his face for some assurance. His look told me that he would protect me and my eyes began to fill with tears. I immediately said, “All right.”

  After accepting Quincy’s invitation to stay the night at his place we settled down in his bedroom. He offered me a drink, but of course I declined because I needed a clear head tonight and because of the circumstances. He grabbed himself a glass of Remy.

  “You sure you don’t want anything to drink?” he asked again.

  “Yeah, I’m sure.”

  “Want something to sleep in?”

  “Yes,” I said and sat on the edge of his bed.

  “Well here, take this,” he said, handing me an oversized t-shirt.

  I took the t-shirt, headed into the nearby bathroom and changed. When I returned, Quincy was lying in his bed shirtless. He was staring up at the ceiling and it was evident that he was in deep thought. I asked, “Are you all right?”

  Turning his attention to me, he said, “Oh yeah, I’m straight.”

  “What were you thinking about?” I asked, sitting on the bed.

  “About my life.”

  “What about it?”
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  “I’m just wondering if I’ll ever get out of the game and settle down and have kids.”

  “You don’t have kids?”

  Quincy smiled. “Nope, I sure don’t.”

  “Would you like to have some?”

  “Yeah, one day,” he answered and took a sip of his drink.

  “Is it good?”

  “Yeah, it’s a’ight but I would be better if you would drink it with me.”

  “Nah, I’m cool.”

  “Come on,” he insisted, crawling over to the other side of the bed. “Here, just take one sip.” He ushered the glass up to my mouth.

  I turned my head away from the glass so Quincy grabbed my chin. “If you don’t take a drink, you’re gonna have to give me a kiss.”

  Shocked as hell by his forwardness, my heart fluttered. But, I didn’t let on how I felt. Instead, I looked at him like he was crazy.

  “Give you a kiss?”

  Quincy smiled. “You heard me.”

  “Come on now, you know I can’t do that.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I fuck with your boy and you use to mess with my cousin.”

  “True, but we’re two adults trying to find true love. We might be meant for each other.”

  “I doubt it,” I replied and stood up from the bed.

  “Hey, where you going?” Quincy grabbed my arm and pulled me back down to the bed.

  The gentle force of his touch gave my body the chills so I gave into his advances. Once he took me into his arms, he buried his head in my neck and started kissing me. Oh my God! This man’s lips were soft as hell and the way that he was massaging my ass and thighs underneath this t-shirt was making my pussy drip like a faucet. Shit, I had enough of this feeling, touching thing and I was ready for this nigga to rip my panties off and give me what I’d been looking for. To move this thing along, I grabbed his right hand from off my ass and place it inside my panties. “I want you to feel how wet you’re making me,” I told him.