by Nene Capri
Lissha wrinkled up her nose.
“I take it your man didn’t come home last night,” Kiam jeered, then turned the music up, put the car in gear and pulled off.
“Fuck you, Kiam.”
Faydrah gave him a look telling him not to even entertain the bullshit. Kiam nodded his understanding. He looked up in the mirror watching Lissha put on her shades and turn toward the window.
As Kiam drove downtown to drop Faydrah off at work he periodically looked at Lissha who was becoming angrier by the minute. Being that Faydrah was a true team player, she fed right into Kiam’s little games and giggled and rubbed all over him as he drove.
Lissha sat fantasizing about pulling out her heat and blowing both of their minds all over the front window.
When Kiam pulled up in front of Faydrah’s job he turned down the music, reached in his pocket and pulled a nice stack out and handed it to her. “Get that shit that makes a nigga act the fuck up,” he said.
“And bring you home to me?” she added.
“No doubt.”
“Okay, baby.” She leaned over and kissed him passionately while sliding her hand over his print.
“Don’t be sleep,” he said.
“You know how to wake me, don’t you?” she cooed, giving him her sexy gaze. Stepping from the vehicle, she grabbed her
purse and looked back at Lissha. “Have a good day.”
Lissha threw her an evil smirk. “You have a safe one.”
“Oh, trust me I intend to, because anything that could prevent that from happening, I know how to remove it.” She held a short eye lock with Lissha before flashing Kiam a smile. “Bye, baby,” she said as she walked away.
“Eyez, behave,” Kiam yelled out.
Faydrah waved her hand over her shoulder and kept it moving.
Lissha was not amused. “Your bitch ain’t house trained, you better make sure she know who is running this shit before she gets fucked up,” she said to Kiam.
“The only thing you running is ya mouth,” he laughed.
Lissha mumbled something slick under her breath that Kiam didn’t quite catch, but he recognized her attitude for what it was. “You jelly?” he smiled.
“Of what? A bitch that gets good dick because her man’s mind is filled with how good my pussy feels? Fuck outta here. I’m a product of Big Zo, that bitch ain’t got shit for me. And neither do you.” Her mouth tightened as the words left her pretty glossed lips. Kiam smiled. “You’re so cute when you’re trying to be mean.” Lissha shot her middle finger straight in the air.
“Get in the front, I ain’t no fucking chauffeur.” Kiam hurled back at Lissha.
“Kiam, please don’t fuck with me right now. Because if I come up there I might do something we both will regret.”
“You ain’t talking about shit, you wanted distance between us, so you got it. Deal with it.” He threw that killer glare her way then pulled off.
Lissha quickly picked up on the fact that his words said one thing but meant another. A smile came across her face as she realized she had succeeded in getting in his head just like he was in hers.
“Take me by Treebie’s before we start picking up. I need to get at her real quick,” she said as he turned up Prospect Avenue.
Kiam didn’t respond, he drove in silence with only the music as a buffer between the discomforts they both were feeling.
When they pulled up to Treebie’s townhouse, Lissha jumped out the back seat, walked up on the steps and rang the bell. She waited a half minute then knocked on the door a few times.
Treebie opened the door in her robe looking as if Lissha was a Jehovah Witness. “Why the fuck you on my shit like that?” Treebie asked with a mean mug.
“Why the fuck you ain’t answered your phone in three days?”
“I was taking care of some business. What’s up?”
“Taking care of business?” Lissha threw her head to the side. “We got shit pending and you just disappear? What the fuck is going on with you?” Lissha asked, as her eyes settled on a few light hickies on Treebie’s collar bone.
“I’m a very grown woman. I don’t question your actions, so don’t question mine.”
“Have you bumped your muthafuckin’ head?”
Treebie smiled looking over at Kiam whose eyeballs were focused out the front window. His body language read aggravation. “What happened, you and your little boyfriend get into it?”
“First of all, don’t do that. Second, you need to get your ass on point. We ride on these niggas in two days. Its’s blood money, bitch, you know I don’t play with my shit.”
“And I don’t play at all. I’ll be ready, snatch your thong out ya ass and try to have a good day. I’ll be over tomorrow.”
“You get on my nerves,” Lissha clacked as she turned to walk back to the car.
“LiLi, you need to go ahead and give that nigga some pussy so you can get your mind right,” Treebie said and began cracking up.
“Fuck you, Tree.”
“Not me bitch, fuck the nigga that has your ass on fire. A good nut might calm you the fuck down,” she laughed then shut the door.
Treebie’s laughter echoed in Lissha’s mind as she jumped in the back seat. She was pissed and feeling like she was back at square one in her feelings. Kiam shook his head. She gon’ hop her hard headed ass right back in the back seat, huh? He turned the music back up and pulled off.
They encountered Gator at their first stop in East Cleveland. He came out of the trap house on Hayden and passed a shoe bag full of mula through the window to Kiam. He cut his eyes at Lissha and held his stare. She knew what he was thinking but she didn’t give a damn. Just because she wasn’t dealing with him anymore, didn’t mean she was fucking Kiam. She mean mugged Gator right back.
“That’s what happens when you fuck with the help,” shot Kiam as he bent a corner and hopped back on Euclid Avenue.
Lissha ignored the trite remark and Kiam let the subject die. He hit JuJu up real quick to let him know that he was coming by his place to pick up the money he had for him.
“That’s cool, I got it on deck,” replied JuJu. The weekend dice games at the St. Clair joint was beginning to do big numbers. Kiam was glad that he had decided to get down with that hustle.
Lissha welcomed the brief reprieve because as long as Kiam was on the phone he wasn’t talking to her. She stared out the window tuning out his conversation.
After collecting from JuJu they hit a few of their other houses around the city. Within two hours they had successfully made every stop. They had the money tucked tight in the trunk, now they just needed to drop it off at the safe house and then they would be out of each other’s hair.
“Why did I have to ride with you to do this?” she questioned him as they drove down East 116th toward Kinsman.
“You need to know where our new spots are in case something happens to me,” he explained.
“I’m not that lucky.”
Kiam ignored her sarcasm. Reaching 116th and Union, he pulled into the Sunoco station. “I need to get some gas real quick,” he said.
“Do you, boo boo,” she shot back, keeping her face to the window as if that would make her invisible.
Kiam pulled up to the pump and jumped out. “You want something?”
“Nah, I’m good,” she answered making sure not to look in his direction.
When he was inside the store, Lissha jumped out the truck and stood next to it while flipping through her cell phone. She shot Big Zo a quick text letting him know she was safe and would be transferring money into his account in the morning.
She looked up into the store and saw Kiam engaged in a heavy conversation. Lissha sighed loudly, she was ready to get home. Aggravated, she turned to get back in the truck.
“I guess you a big shot now, huh?” The feminine voice came from behind her.
Lissha whipped her head around and every muscle in her body seized up. “Get the fuck outta my face,” she hissed. Her eyes nervously searche
d for Kiam.
“You ain’t shit.” The woman lashed out at her.
Lissha moved toward her with her lips pulled back. “That’s because the pussy I dropped from wasn’t shit,” she said, bristling inside.
“I don’t know how the fuck you can live with yourself.”
“And I don’t know why you’re still living.”
Lissha and the woman began slinging heated remarks and curse words back and forth. They both had wicked tongues and plenty of ammunition to hurl at each other.
Kiam looked up from his conversation inside the store and saw Lissha and the woman standing nose to nose, going at it.
“I’ll get with you another time. Hit me up.” He touched fist with Frank Nitti and hurried out the door.
Moving swiftly in Lissha’s direction he heard the woman say, “Fuck Big Zo, I hope his punk ass die a slow, painful death,”
“Be careful that the grave you wish on him doesn’t grab your ass first.”
“Yo, what the fuck is going on?” Kiam stepped in and pushed them apart. He looked from Lissha to the woman, waiting for either of them to explain. All of a sudden Lissha’s mouth was on mute.
“This dirty bitch is the worst thing that ever happened to me,” said the woman. She turned back to Lissha and hocked a glob of spit in her direction. Lissha jumped back then lunged forward punching her dead in the face.
“Oh yes, bitch, I been waiting for this day,” the woman snarled, bouncing on her toes as she reached up and wiped blood from her busted lip.
Kiam backed up a little as fist flew back and forth with unleashed fury. The sound of the punches bounced off their faces causing bystanders to flinch in pain.
Kiam grabbed Lissha by the waist and lifted her off her feet and moved her to the truck. “Calm yo ass down, you drawing too much attention. We dirty,” he whispered tersely.
“Get the fuck off me.” She kicked and pulled at Kiam’s arms trying to break free.
“Let that bitch go,” the woman begged.
Lissha wiggled out of Kiam’s arms, snatched his whistle off his waist and pointed it at the woman, “I fucking hate you!” she yelled out.
The woman tore her shirt open and began pounding her fist over her heart. “Do it. Don’t be no punk as ho. Do it. Pull the trigger!”
Lissha was shook up, she stood with her arm extended and her trigger finger frozen as tears began to run down her face.
“Do it!” The woman egged her on. But this time the woman’s voice cracked. “I ain’t got shit to live for. You and that man took everything I had!”
The gun shook in Lissha’s hand as she re-tightened her grip to keep from dropping it. The woman stared at the weapon, inviting the end to her pain.
Lissha looked at her with no pity, but she could not bring herself to put her out of her misery. Their eyes held each others as the past ran through both of their minds. Lissha interpreted it one way. The woman interpreted it the opposite, but what had happened between them was irreversible.
Sweat and tears ran down the woman’s dark brown face, trickling past her bloody mouth. Lissha’s chest heaved up and down as she tried to calm the many emotions that fought for control over her. Squeezing the trigger would put an end to everything that had happened between them.
“Fuck you doing?” Kiam’s voice jarred her from her thoughts. She let her arm fall down to her side.
Kiam cautiously took the gun from her hand. She relinquished it without protest, but the anger in her soul remained red hot. She casted an evil eye at the broken woman and snarled, “Stay the fuck away from me because the next time I see you, there will be no mercy.”
“Likewise bitch,” said the woman, about to get hyped all over again.
“Come get in the car, Lissha,” urged Kiam, grabbing her by the arm. “Fuck all of this drama. This that hot shit.”
“Get the fuck off me.” She snatched away and walked off.
“Where the fuck are you going?” Kiam tried to move behind her.
Lissha didn’t say anything she high tailed it to the corner where people were boarding the #15 bus. She pushed pass a few people in line and hopped on.
Kiam turned back to the woman, he needed answers. “Who the fuck are you?” he demanded to know.
“I’m her dirty little secret,” she replied, lowering her eyes. “You better be careful. That bitch is treacherous. I wouldn’t trust that heifer with her own thoughts.” She pulled her shirt closed and walked away.
Kiam wanted to go after her and force her to explain, but the sirens in the background trumped all that. He jumped in his truck and pulled off, puzzled over what he had just witnessed.
After dropping the money off, he made a beeline to Lissha’s house. He parked and sat outside, determined to get every question he had answered either by will or by force.
Chapter 28
A Test Of Loyalty
Two hours later Lissha, slid out of a cab and moved quickly toward her door. Kiam jumped out of his truck, walking with long stealth-like strides. They reached her door at the same time. “What the fuck was all that shit about?” he barked.
“None of your fucking business.” She put her key in the door and pushed it open.
“Fuck you mean it’s none of my business? We was out there with mad money and you creating fucking heat, ‘bout to get our asses snatched the fuck up.” The vein in his neck was like a whip cord as he followed her into the kitchen.
“Look, you were probably out there waiting to see if I made it home safe. Well, here I am, so you can be on your merry fucking way.” She tossed her keys on the counter and turned to go in the living room.
Kiam snatched her little ass back around so that she was facing him again. “You think I sit out in front of bitches houses to make sure they get home safe?” he blared.
“I don’t know what you do, and I don’t care.” She marched away from him.
Kiam was right behind her.
Lissha sat down on the sofa and reached for a half of blunt that was in an ashtray on the end table. Kiam stood over her, seething. “You must be fucking stupid.” He placed with his fist in his hand while trying to regain his composure. “Now, this is the last time I’m gonna ask you what the fuck that shit was about.”
Lissha sat the blunt back down and looked up at him. “It could be your last time or your third time, and my answer will be the same. None. Of. Your. Business.” She dragged each word out, making sure to drive her point all the way home.
Kiam started to explode, but thought better of it. “Yeah, you right, it ain’t none of my business. But if you ever put me in that type of situation again, I’ll blow your fucking head off,” he warned then turned to the door.
“Muthafucka I ain’t scared of no nigga. You ain’t saying shit.” She pounced up off the couch and walked up on him.
Kiam turned around. “Don’t ever walk up on me,” he said.
“Or what? What?” Her arms flew out to her sides animatedly, challenging him to release his rage.
Kiam fought back the impulse to slap the shit out of her. Had she been any other nigga’s daughter he would’ve rattled her teeth.
“Yeah, that’s what the fuck I thought,” she continued to mouth off. He knew what the fuck her problem was. It was time he shut her up.
In one move Kiam pulled her into his arms and put his lips to hers. Kissing her deep, he took her breath and finally shut her up. She received him as if she had been waiting all her life for that moment.
Lissha allowed his tongue to command all her attention and his hands to follow. When her pussy started to throb her thoughts boomed Big Zo. She tried to slam the doors to her mind shut and just follow the command of her body, but Zo hadn’t schooled her to get down like that.
All of a sudden Lissha pulled back. “Kiam, no. We can’t.” She pushed him back and tried to catch her breath.
“Why not?” he asked, then pulled her back into him and took more of what he wanted. Lissha gave it willingly. She sucked on his tongue as
he gripped her ass and walked her backwards toward her bedroom. Lissha was panting with an anticipation that had her pussy screaming.
As they reached the bed he pulled at her clothes.The heat between them was incinerating. “Kiam,” she cried out, trying to stop what was destined to be.
“Let this shit happen,” he responded on lust-filled breath.
“I can’t betray Daddy. Please Kiam remember your promise.”
Kiam’s hands stopped where they were. He pulled them back, breathing hard and standing there with a dick even harder.
She looked up into his eyes as tears left hers. “We can’t,” she mumbled regretfully, shaking her head from side to side. They looked at each other in silence for what felt like forever but was actually only a few seconds.
Kiam spoke first. “You right. I’m sorry, get some rest.” He kissed her forehead then turned to the door.
When Lissha heard the door close, she yelled out in frustration. “Why?” She sat hard on the floor, put her face in her hands and cried.
Kiam moved as if his life depended on it. When he got in the car he slammed his palms down on the steering wheel and let out a loud and frustrated sigh. He had almost crossed the line.
He was beyond conflicted, he had a woman whom he loved and another one that was his forbidden desire. And he had accepted a mission that could bring everything crumbling down.
He drove off thinking he needed to readjust his priorities because the last thing he wanted to become was a muthafucka a nigga couldn’t trust.
Chapter 29
Retreat
Kiam felt the weight of his actions pounding in his head and heart as he inserted the key in the door and walked into his condo. He walked upstairs with the burden making his legs feel like lead.
Inside his bedroom, he hit the light and his attention settled on a picture of him and Faydrah on his nightstand. He was giving her a piggyback ride; her arms and legs were wrapped around him tightly and she wore a smile that reflected the love she had for him.
When he tallied everything up, she was the fuel that replenished his dark soul when the streets threatened to turn it into an abysmal dungeon.
