Cheaper to Keep Her part 2 (The Saga Continues)

by Kiki Swinson presents Unique

  “Have you decided what you are going to do?” Bishop asked.

  Katrina took a few steps towards him while she was fixing her blouse. “I’m going to head back over the water. I figured while I’m over that side I could wait for that guy to call me.”

  “You sure you want to do that?” Bishop questioned her.

  Without giving it much thought, Katrina said, “Yeah, Ia saHm fine with it. I’ll be all right. I mean, what can he do to me?”

  “I just don't trust him.”

  Katrina turned towards the door and began to walk towards it. “Well, if I have any problems, then I’ll give you a call.”

  Bishop sighed. “A’ight,” he said and then he shook his head.

  It didn't surprise me when that heifer walked out the door without saying goodbye. She’s the type of chick who wanted everything her way and if she couldn't get it, then she’d make shit very difficult for everyone around her. When I worked at the club I always made it my business to avoid her. I did this to keep from fucking her up.

  There were a few times when she got into a few arguments with a couple of dancers. Now I've got to admit that Katrina was one feisty bitch. But the two dancers she had the confrontations with were even crazier. Those chicks were from Portsmouth and they held their city down. So it would've been funny as hell to see them whip her ass. Thank God for Neeko. He was her savior ’round there. And she knew it too, which is why she kept running her fucking mouth. I wonder what she was going to do now. Neeko was dead and gone and he was no longer around to save her dumb ass?

  “So where did you guys go?” I asked him.

  Before he answered me, he placed his finger against his lips. “Shhhhh, let me see if she’s gone,” he said as he got up from his chair. He tiptoed over to the hotel door and gently turned the knob. When the door clicked, he pulled it open, trying to be as quiet as he possibly could and then he peeped out into the hallway. When he brought his head back into the room, he closed the door and said, “She’s gone.”

  I laughed. “Don’t tell me you’re scared of her,” I commented jokingly.

  Bishop sat back down in his seat and said, “Come on now. Do I look like I’m scared?”

  I cracked a smile. “I don’t know now. You could be one of those guys that act all macho but as soon as a fight breaks out, you start running.”

  “Don’t let the nice guy exterior fool you,” he replied as he readjusted himself in the chair.

  “So, are you going to tell me what happened?” I wondered aloud.

  “Remember I told you how the books were adding up.”

  I nodded my head.

  “Well, she tells me that she was instructed by Neeko to give some cat named Ty thirty grand to buy one and a half kilos of coke.”

  “Hold up now, that is a lie. For as long as I’ve known Neeko, I’ve never known him to deal in drugs.”

  “I said the same thing,” Bishop commented. “So when I told her I needed to see this gu y, she came up with some lame ass excuse about how Neeko was the only one who had the guy’s number, but she knew where most of these stash houses were.

  “Did she take you?”

  “Lynise, you won’t believe the goose chase she put me on.”

  “Where did she take you?”

  “She drove me around to every hood in the city of Norfolk."

  “So I take it you didn’t see him.”

  “No I didn't.”

  “So what are you going to do? Leave it alone.”

  “Hell no. I am not letting shit go! She is going to either show me who this nigga is so I can get my brother’s dough back or let me take it out of her ass! Like I said before, I have never known Neeko to be involved in drugs. So in my opinion, she either has the money stashed away for herself and doesn’t plan on letting anyone know about it. Or she has already spent it.”

  I could tell Bishop was getting a little aggravated because he was about to say something, but then he stopped. So to take the edge off and lighten up the mood, I smiled and said, “Don't get all bent out of shape. I know you’ve got a lot on your mind, but in the end everything is going to come together.”

  Bishop sighed heavily. Then he looked towards the ceiling, took a breath and looked as if he was going into deep thought. I wanted so badly to ask him what was he thinking about, but I decided against it. I mean, I was sure he thought I was cool, but he barely knew me. And when you barely know someone, it wouldn’t be wise to tell them your most secretive thoughts.

  A few minutes later, he told me to excuse him while he made a phone call out in the hallway. I acted as if I didn't mind at all. But knowing about everything going on with Neeko’s murder, Katrina acting all weird and suspicious, and the fact I had a detective's phone number stored away in my pocket were enough for everyone involved in this shit to be on edge. I just hoped I come out on the winning end when it was time for the fat lady to sing.

  Cheaper to Keep Her part 2 Unique

  Suicide Mission-Chapter Six

  When Bishop walked back into the hotel room he told me to come with him.

  I stood up from the bed and asked him where were we going? “I want you to take a ride with me,” was all he said as he led me out of the room.

  He refrained from talking to me while we waited for the valet to bring his vehicle around. Once inside, he couldn't keep his mouth closed. I sat there and listen to him vent about how he wished he would’ve come down here a lot sooner to help Neeko out with his business. He continued to harp on the fact of how Neeko used to always beg him to become his partner. And if he would’ve taken Neeko up on his offer, then he probably wouldn’t have gotten murdered.

  “Don't beat yourself up,” I chimed in.

  “You don't understand. Neeko was my baby brother. I was supposed to protect him and have his back in any situation. But look at him now . . . murdered. And the fucked up part about it is that I can’t bring him back.”

  “Where are we going?” I attempted to change the subject. I figured the way this conversation was going, I’d hate to see Bishop go on a suicide mission, especially while I was with him. Hell, I was trying to live.

  “Katrina just called me and told me to hurry up and get back across the water,” he replied right after we got on Highway 264 from Independence Boulevard. He stayed in the far right lane as we headed towards downtown Norfolk. He had the gas pedal to the floor. I looked at the speedometer and I clearly saw that he was driving one hundred and ten miles per hour.

  “You might wanna slow down a little because the state troopers around here stay on the alert for speed demons,” I volunteered, but Bishop didn’t take the heed.

  “I can’t think about them right now. I’m gotta get back to P-town and head up to the club before this person leaves.”

  Hearing Bishop just tell me that we were on our way to my old job in Portsmouth instantly gave me an anxiety attack. I tried to hold it back but I couldn’t. My heart began to beat uncontrollably and I couldn’t breathe. I reached for the power button to lower the passenger side window and then I literally stuck my head out of the window. Bishop looked over at me when I started exhaling and inhaling the outside air. “Are you okay?” he asked. I felt the speed of the truck slow down a little.

  I wanted to explain to him what was going on with me but I couldn’t open my mouth.

  “Do I need to pull the truck over?” he asked.

  I raised my hand and was finally able to open my mouth. “No, you don’t have to pull over. I just needed some air,” I told him.

  “Are you sure?” he pressed the issue.

  I brought my head back into the truck and sat straight up in the seat. I placed my hand across my chest and then I turned my attention towards Bishop. By this time, he had slowed his truck down just a little bit more, so I assumed we were driving at least eighty miles per hour.

  “When you said you were going to the club, my mind couldn’t wrap that thought around my heart. I mean, I haven’t been back there since I was arrested. So I�
��m clearly not comfortable going there at all.”

  “What are you not comfortable with?”

  “I worried about seeing Duke for one. And if I saw my ex-best friend named Diamond, then I’m gonna really freak out. Because I’ve wanted to kick her ass from the day I found out she set me up.”

  “Let me tell you something, you don’t have to worry about Duke. You’re with me and I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”

  “What if it’s beyond your control?” I interjected.

  “Listen, just trust me,” he said as he picked up more speed.

  “I’m sorry Bishop, but my trusting gene has left the building,” I responded. I mean, how could he come out of his mouth and tell me to do that? Didn’t he get the fucking memo that I’d just gotten out of jail from trusting a nigga who cared two shits about me! Come on now, wake up! We live in a cruel fucking world. And to add insult to injury, he’s only one person, so how in the hell will he be able to defend me against Duke and his wolf pack. I was sure Bishop had a gun of some sort in his possession, so I knew he felt confident to defend himself just in case he ran into an ambush. But poor little me would be a lost cause.

  As he continued to drive towards the Portsmouth tunnel, my heart began to sink deeper and deeper into the pit of my stomach. Not knowing what was going to happen gave me an unsettling feeling. “Look Bishop, can you at least tell me why we’re going over there?” I had to ask. I wasn’t going to rest until I got that question off my shoulders.

  “I just got off the phone with Katrina and she told me that there’s this guy in the club who has some information for me concerning Duke and that cat who has Neeko’s thirty grand.”

  “Well, that’s good news. But don’t you think she should’ve gotten that guy to meet you somewhere other than the club? I mean, I don’t think it’s a good idea to go up there.”

  “I understand your concern. But don’t worry. I have everything under control.”

  After he gave me that explanation, I felt that there was nothing else to discuss. It was obvious I had reservations about going to the club. But since he felt differently, I realized I had to take this whole thing with a grain of salt. He said he’d take care of everything and that he’d make sure nothing happened to me, so I sat back in the seat and started praying to my Father in heaven. I knew he would be the only one that would be able to keep me out of harm’s way.

  Bishop took Portsmouth Boulevard’s exit, crossed the railroad tracks and cruised around the C-shaped curve. The moment I laid eyes on the Magic City, I damn neared wanted to drop out of the passenger side of the truck. But when he told me to climb into the back seat of the truck while he was slowing down, I felt somewhat better. The windows of the Suburban were tinted really black, so it was entirely impossible for anyone going in or coming out of the club to see me.

  “Do you see Katrina’s car?” I asked him.

  He scanned the parking lot immediately after he parked the truck. I searched the entire area myself and we didn’t spot her vehicle. “Maybe she parked around back,” I suggested.

  “Maybe you’re right. Let me go inside the club and see if she’s in there,” he said and then he got out of the driver’s seat and assured me he’d be right back. I ducked down really low and peered over the passenger seat so I could get a full view of everything.

  From where I was sitting, everything appeared to look the same. The parking lot was packed as usual with nice cars driven by niggas trying to either buy themselves some pussy or get themselves a hard-on from a lousy ass lap dance. Of course, I saw a few new faces strolling into the spot so they can make it rain. But the rest of the niggas I saw were the regular old scumbags that frequent the club.

  I also saw a couple of fresh new faces that Magic City would soon swallow whole. These new chicks had absolutely no idea what they were about to walk into. I’ve seen dozens of strippers coming in on their high horse thinking they’re gonna make grand money and meet a nigga who's gonna take them out of there, wife them up and put ’em up in a big ass house. But after about six months and none of the shit they thought would happen hasn’t come to pass, then they start looking stupid and find themselves resorting to sucking dick and fucking their so-called knight in shining armor to get his attention and end up losing out.

  I remember trying to school a couple of chicks when they started working for Neeko. They always started out being naïve and gullible. And after working their way around the club, they thought they were topnotch bitches! By then it was too late for those bitches because their heads were too stuck up in the clouds. And when it was all said and down, they were going to end up in the fucking gutter with their precious little dreams smashed. Poor things!

  While I stay down in the back seat and scoped everything out, I noticed a fight about to break out. From what I could see, it appeared that two women were about to fight each other over this nigga. It seemed the girlfriend rolled up and caught her man talking to another chick. I couldn't hear exactly what they were saying. However, you could tell the main girl wasn't too happy to see her man sitting in the parking lot of a strip club talking to a stripper. The main girl friend had a little bit more weight on her then the stripper chick, so I would put my money down on the girlfriend if those two started brawling with one another.

  Luckily for the stripper, the guy got out of his car and saved her from the ass whooping that was brewing up. While the guy tried to defuse the situation, I noticed a late model BMX X6 truck pulling into the parking lot. The way Bishop parked his truck between two other cars it wasn't possible for incoming vehicles to see it . . . or me. I can’t explain the feeling that came over me when I recognized that that X6 was the exact model and color Duke gave me to drive and then snatch it away from me the night he put me out of his place. It hurt just seeing my whip.

  But that hurt wasn’t nothing compared to the spear in the heart moment I had ten seconds later when his bitch, his so-called bride stepped out of my former whip. And to me, all of the shit occurred in slow motion. I was on the verge of snapping out was when the driver side door opened and Duke’s bride stepped out of it. Within twenty seconds time, I had already played the shit over and over in my mind a dozen time. I damn neared lost my composure. My heart was telling me to run up on her ass and take my truck back. I mean, how dare that motherfucker take it from me and then give it to her. Hell, I took a lot of shit off him, so I deserved to behind the wheel of it. Not her.

  While I battled with the thought of fucking her up and taking back what was rightfully mine, I couldn’t help but notice how she strutted her stuck-up looking ass across the parking lot, with her Fendi bag draping her left shoulder. I couldn’t see exactly what the bitch was wearing, but I saw the red soles underneath her heels. Christian Louboutin was written all over her feet. Not only that, I was shocked to see that she was more beautiful in person than she was in that newspaper photo. Jealousy and envy slowly crept into my heart as I sat up in the back seat and watched every step she took before she disappeared into the club.

  Duke had really done it for me this time. He played with my heart, fucked me like I was some whore and then he threw me away to the wolves, so he could fuck the bitch I thought was my best friend. Then he slapped icing on the cake by marrying the most conceited bitch he could find. What a slap in the face. Normally niggas leave you for some gutter rat. But Duke changed the game on me and upgraded himself to the baddest bitch he could find in the Tidewater area.

  A few seconds later, I looked down at the clock on the dashboard of Bishop’s truck to get some idea of how long he’d been inside of the club. When I noticed that five minutes had went by, I knew it wouldn’t be long before he’d be on his way back to the truck. But while he was in there, I wondered if he’d recognize Duke’s wife if he got a chance to see her while she was inside. I wanted so badly to jump out of this truck so I could go inside to confront her. I felt as if she needed to see me so I could tell her all the fucked up shit her husband did to me. I wanted her to kn
ow the day I moved into the condo at the Cosmo building and the day I left. But I really wanted to tell her that I was the first chick pushing that BMW X6 she was driving, so in my mind she got the fucking leftovers. Something inside of me told me if he ever mentioned my name to her, it was probably to make himself look good. It wouldn’t surprise me if she hadn’t heard about me at all. But it was cool. I was gonna bounce back while his grimy ass was behind bars. And I was gonna have the last fucking laugh.

  I looked back at the clock on the dashboard of Bishop’s truck and realized that five more minutes had gone by. As I slowly lifted my head back up to turn my attention back towards the front door of Magic City, I was startled when I heard a loud explosion followed by a giant flash of light, then a fireball engulfed the entire club. Before I could process my thoughts, the fucking front door blew off the hinges, and the windows shattered into a million pieces, leaving shards of glass on the ground around the building. The left side of the club collapsed immediately after that.

  Unbelievably, two of the strip club’s patrons escaped from the front door. Neither man was recognizable because they were covered in debris. I jumped from the truck to see if one of them was Bishop. When I got within a couple feet of them, I knew that Bishop was still inside. My heart collapsed in the pit of my stomach and my mind had drawn a blank. I fought with the idea of running inside the club to see if I could find Bishop. But when I heard men and women screaming for help on the inside, I decided that it wouldn’t be a good idea. I knew nothing about the proper way to rescue anyone from a burning building so I raced towards the other people in the parking lot hoping they’d already called the fire department and paramedics. When they informed me that they had, one guy that was standing out in the parking lot talking to a stripper said, “Oh shit! She’s on fire!”