by Ca$H
“He's grieving, bae. You have to give him time,” she offered in Isaiah's defense.
JuJu didn't have the heart to tell her what Isaiah thought of her. There was no need for that. He sighed again then told her about the severed head.
Bayonna listened without comment as he described Isaiah firing shots into the head and kicking it around the kitchen. “And he won't get rid of it,” JuJu said with exasperation.
“That's dangerous, bae. What if somebody had called the police after hearing those gunshots, and they come there and find that shit?” said Bayonna.
“I know,” he agreed. Then he became silent again.
Bayonna laid her head on his chest and listened to the beat of his heart. In the dim light of the bedroom their silhouettes danced across the wall but the only music playing was the silent cries in JuJu's head.
“Is this what it's about?” he wondered aloud. “Killing, dying—dying inside like cuz even though you're still walking around? Is that all the game offers muthafuckaz like us?”
“It's not too late to get out,” Bayonna wisely reminded him.
JuJu chuckled, sounding just like Kiam. “Nah, shorty, the only way out of this shit for a nigga like me is in a box. Nah mean? Muthafuckaz started the beef and I'ma finish it.”
“And I'm going to be right there by your side,” she vowed, draping a thigh over his leg.
“I know you will,” he acknowledged and pulled her on top of him.
“You want me to ease your troubles?” she asked, looking down at him with hunger in her eyes.
“Yeah, baby,” he said. “Put your nigga to sleep.”
Bayonna didn't have to be told twice. She knew exactly how to comfort him and make his ass snore when she was done.
JuJu awakened in the morning with his thumb in his mouth, literally.
When Bayonna saw that shit she started cracking up. “I told you your ass can't handle this,” she teased once he opened his eyes.
“Girl please, I was just fuckin' with your head, you didn't do shit.” He tried to burst her bubble.
“A lie don't care who tell it, nigga.” She snatched the pillow from under him and hit him over the head with it. “I had your ass crawling up the headboard then as soon as you got that nut you went out like a light.” She laughed.
JuJu cracked a little smile. “Like I said, you didn't do nothin'.”
“Hmph. I handled my business, I bet you that.” She stuck her tongue out at him.
“Yeah you did,” he conceded. “You got that shit that'll fuck around and make a nigga drop on his knees and propose.”
Bayonna was cheesing mad hard. “I know something that I can do on my knees?” she cooed. “You want me to show you?”
“I do but I need to get up and go holla at Kiam.”
“Awww.” Bayonna exaggerated a pout.
“Fa real, ma. I gotta go tell my nigga what the business is.” JuJu leaned over and placated her with a kiss.
“Okay, I guess I'll go hang out with my bitches today.” Bayonna reached for her cell phone while JuJu got up and jumped in the shower.
Chapter 18
I Got Your Back
When JuJu arrived at Kiam's new house Lissha let him in wearing a serious mean mug. Behind her Kiam slid his fo-fifth back in place and stepped around her to greet his boy with a pound.
“What's good, Boss?” asked JuJu cutting his eyes at Lissha.
“We'll talk in a minute,” said Kiam.
“Hmph!” Lissha huffed as she grabbed her coat off of the coat rack and put it on. She looked at JuJu and said, “Try to talk some sense into your Boss Man because I damn sure can't.”
JuJu wrinkled his brow.
“Oh, trust, it isn't that,” Lissha quickly clarified. “On my worst day I'm not that hard up.” She turned her head just in time to see Kiam grinning.
“You want to be in charge so bad it's killing you,” Kiam teased.
“Do you know what your problem is Kiam?” she asked.
“Nah.” He shoved his hands down in his pockets. “But I'm sure you'll tell me,” he replied flippantly.
“I sure fucking will,” Lissha spat. “Your problem is you're too cocky. Look in the mirror, nigga, ain't no 'S' on your chest.”
“I love you too,” quipped Kiam.
Lissha was hot. “That's what I get for caring about your ungrateful ass.” She snatched the door open and stormed out, slamming it behind her. Kiam got on her damn nerves with his stubbornness.
Knowing what she did about Big Zo's plot, Lissha had been trying for hours to get Kiam to take a calmer approach to the war in the streets and to think shit out a little more. But Kiam was set on hitting niggas hard.
Even though she didn't agree Lissha refused to turn her back on him. She had so many things to make amends for and there was no better time to start than now.
As she backed out of Kiam's driveway Lissha commanded her phone. “Call Treebie,” while she continued to fret over Kiam's bull headed attitude.
“I'm making sure his ass is safe. Niggas can't be trusted,” she mumbled to herself as she waited for her girl to answer.
In the warmth of his den Kiam sat in his Lay-Z-Boy with the fire cackling in the fireplace behind him. His expression remained unchanged as he listened to JuJu's reports on last night's episode with Isaiah.
As JuJu told the story, he made sure not to omit anything. His love for Isaiah had compelled him to offer him comfort last night but it did not force him to compromise his loyalty to Kiam. They were at war with a muthafucka that made niggas disappear if they weren't on point, and Isaiah was definitely slipping.
Kiam knew that if it came out of JuJu's mouth it was official. He understood Isaiah's pain better than anyone—he had lost a part of himself too—but he could not overlook him fuckin' with cocaine. That was the number one rule: don't get high on your own supply.
Isaiah had put in mad work for the team so Kiam didn't want to just cut him off cold, but he could no longer rely on him. If Isaiah was slipping that bad he was a danger to all of them. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, Kiam reminded himself as he tried to decide what to do about Isaiah.
It didn't take long.
“I want you to fade Isaiah into the background until this war is over. Put Dirty in his place, let him handle distribution to our street team and make him head of security. I like his gangsta.”
JuJu nodded his head. He liked Dirty's get-down too.
Kiam continued, “Put someone else over the houses that Dirty ran, and shut down the spots that we have on the Westside until further notice. I don't feel good about our protection over there, those boys are sitting ducks for Wolfman.”
JuJu was impressed with how in-tune with all aspects of the operation Kiam remained in spite of everything that he had to deal with. He rattled off one instruction after another, addressing even the smallest matters.
“I'll take care of it all,” JuJu assured him.
“Oh,” Kiam remembered. “I want you to pay Isaiah the same as he was being paid when shit was good. And if he pulls himself back together we'll put him back in his position.”
“That's love.”
Kiam turned around and stared at the fireplace, its heat was nothing compared to what was building up in the streets. “We're going to come out on top,” he promised.
“I know we will. I've never once doubted it,” said JuJu.
Kiam turned back around and saw the confidence in his mans’ eyes. JuJu's loyalty was rock hard. As concrete as Kiam's was to Big Zo.
Satisfied with the look he saw in JuJu's eyes, Kiam changed subjects. “We're meeting with Dontae and his people later on this evening,” he said. “I don't know what's on the nigga's mind.”
“When and where is the meeting?” JuJu asked.
Kiam gave him the details and before he could instruct him to have the place put under surveillance immediately, JuJu was already dialing numbers.
A few miles away Lissha was doing the same thing.<
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Chapter 19
Unwanted Guest
Treebie moved around her house trying to get out of the door to meet Lissha. She had been away for a few weeks, scouting out a big lick in Akron, Ohio. With Spank gone she had to do all the foot work herself. Time was getting away from them and it was only a matter of time before the trail of death that Blood Money left behind would lead right to their doorsteps.
Treebie grabbed her keys and a small stack of money, put on her coat and ran her plan through her mind. She unlocked the front door and braced herself to encounter the frigid cold, but what she encountered almost caused her to swallow her tongue.
“I guess my threats don’t mean shit to you,” Riz said with his face firm and focused. Beside him Bones looked like he was primed to bust some knee caps.
Treebie looked at them with a steel gaze as she tried to calm her heart. “What’s up?”
“You know what the fuck is up,” Riz said, pushing past her and letting himself in.
Treebie mean mugged Bones as he followed Riz into the living room.
Riz took a seat on the couch and put his feet on her table like he was paying bills.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?” Treebie said, closing the door.
“Look, I didn't drive a million miles to play no fuckin' games. Where the fuck is Wa’leek?”
“You tell me. That nigga gave me his ass to kiss then pulled out dropping my keys on the table,” she calmly stated holding her eyes with his.
“And you haven't tried to call that nigga and find out what’s up?” Riz asked, knowing that no matter what happened between them, Wa’leek was not letting Treebie go.
“Let me explain some real shit to yo ass. I love Wa’leek no doubt. But the shit between us has been fucked up for a long time.” She paused and took a seat across from him. “What I need you to do for me the next time you see that nigga is tell him to stay gone.”
“So you're more concerned with him leaving you than you are with the fact that the nigga done turned up missing?” Riz took his feet down and sat forward.
“I came in this world by myself and when they carry my ass outta here I promise you I will be alone. What I don’t have time for is worrying about how the next nigga is eating and shitin’. Now I got mad love for Wa’leek but at this point in my life I don’t give a fuck what he does or where he’s at.”
“Out of respect for him I’ma take that for now.” He rose to his feet. “But I’ma do my own investigation and I hope and pray ain’t no foul shit going on or you can add me to the top of your list of problems.”
“I solve all my problems.” She stood as well.
“I’m counting on it,” he responded.
Bones looked at Treebie with a suspicious eye but he held his tongue. He knew that time was the type of bitch you had to fuck slow and he was prepared to ride this shit out.
“I’ll be in touch. Don't go too far because if shit don’t smell right around this muthafucka yo ass is the first one I’ma be all up in,” Riz threatened.
“I’ma hold you to that,” Treebie hurled back.
“Let’s go, my nigga.” He turned to Bones who had a look on his face like he wanted to ring Treebie’s neck. He didn’t trust her or anybody in her crew.
Riz walked to the door and Bones reluctantly moved behind him.
Treebie watched as the two of them stepped out the door then down the walk. She slammed the door behind them then went to the window and watched them pull away from the curb. She waited a good fifteen minutes before she too left out of the door. When she jumped in the car she was on fire, not only did they have to cover their tracks with Kiam they now had Riz breathing down their necks.
Treebie walked into the restaurant looking all over for Lissha. When she spotted her in the corner sipping on a drink she moved swiftly in her direction.
Lissha looked up and saw the seriousness on Treebie’s face and became alarmed. “What the fuck is up with you?” she asked.
“Man,” she elongated. “We gotta make some moves and quick,” Treebie said, sliding into the booth.
“What happened?”
“Guess whose nose is in our asses now?”
Lissha ran some names through her mind then the color drained from her face. “Please don’t say it’s Riz.” She shook her head from side to side.
“That nigga was at my door asking questions and looking for answers.”
“What you tell him?”
“I ain’t tell that nigga shit. If he ain’t see it, he ain’t going to know it if he gotta wait for that shit to slip off my tongue,” Treebie confirmed.
“So what did he say,” Lissha was tuned all the way in.
“He’s looking for Wah and since he sent him to look for Blood Money that means he’s looking for our asses too.” She grabbed Lissha’s drink and downed it.
“How long that nigga been here?” Lissha asked as she waved for the waitress.
“I don’t know, but you know he ain’t trying to leave until he finds some shit out.”
“Well you know what that means.” Lissha paused and ordered them four shots of Patron. “We gonna have to toe tag that nigga.”
“You already know.” Lissha looked towards the door. “Damn, where Bay at? I swear that little bony ass bitch is going to be late for her own funeral,” she said affectionately.
“I know, right?”
Lissha shook her head in vexation.
“Anyway, on some other shit,” said Treebie. “That thing that I went to Akron to check on isn't going to work out. Those niggas are too deep. But we should move on them niggas from East Cleveland that Spank set up before that shit get cold. I've been tracking them niggas too and they getting sloppy, if we're gonna strike it gotta be now.” She looked up to see the waitress coming back with their drinks.
When the waitress was out of earshot Lissha went in. “We gotta get the fuck outta here. Kiam is killing everything moving and it is only a matter of time before we all get busted or laid the fuck out. I’m ready to make this move on these niggas but it gotta be quick and clean.”
“We really need Bay ass here to plot this,” Treebie said with venom on her tongue. She was running out of patience with her girl lately.
“I don't know what her problem is; I think that young boy be fucking her brain at the same time that he's up in her coochie.” Lissha lifted her glass to her lips.
Treebie grabbed her glass as well and sucked it down. They both stared at each other trying to plot their next move. They had to make sure to keep them niggas off their ass long enough to get that money. Lissha was juggling Big Zo and Kiam, Bay was in love, and Treebie now had Riz and Bones sniffing around her door.
“Treebie no matter what happens we can’t fold,” Lissha confirmed.
“The only way they gonna get shit outta me is if they question my corpse. Fuck them niggas.”
“A'ight then we ride on them niggas in a few weeks.” Lissha smiled as she brought her glass to the middle of the table.
“Blood Money,” Treebie said on a low but firm tone.
The glasses clinked and the deaths were set in motion.
“On a more urgent note, we gotta protect Kiam. That nigga think his ass is bulletproof,” Lissha said as she stirred her drink with a straw.
“Hold up,” Treebie stopped her. She had just noticed Bayonna come through the door.
They waved Bayonna over to their table. She was glowing like somebody had stuck a flood light down her throat.
“Hey ladies,” she spoke.
“Bitch, sit your ass down and catch up,” said Treebie.
Bayonna took a seat and waved for the waitress as Lissha began telling them about Kiam's plans to meet with Dontae.
“Tonight?” Treebie asked.
“Yep,” Lissha confirmed. “We gotta make sure that if Dontae is cooking up some bullshit, he gets fed it himself.”
Before the last word left her mouth she was up and putting on her coat.
&nbs
p; Treebie and Bayonna rose up too. As they headed towards the door Treebie remarked, “LiLi, you fucked Kiam didn't you?”
Lissha stopped and looked Treebie in the eye. “Nah, bitch, I didn't fuck him,” she stated truthfully. “But I'm about to fuck a nigga up about him. You can bet that.”
Chapter 20
Piece By Piece
Dontae, the nigga that Lissha was talking about fucking up, was having serious regrets about forming an alliance with Wolfman against Kiam.
The more time that Dontae had to think about it, the less convinced he became that Kiam was the force behind Blood Money. He realized that out of anger over the murder of his right-hand man, Two Gunz, he had allowed Wolfman to manipulate him. But as long as Kiam didn't know about that short-lived allegiance, things could get back tight with them. He wasn't even going to mention the Blood Money thing.
What Dontae wanted was peace and he was determined to press Kiam to agree to squash the beef with Wolfman. The war had the streets on fire and money was hard to get with niggas getting slumped with every misstep. Nobody knew who to trust and the slightest noise sounded like the patter of enemies coming to serve retribution. That was no way for a nigga to live, thought Dontae as he looked over in the rearview to make sure that his bodyguards were still behind him.
“You sure this place that you're meeting him at is safe?” asked Foxy from the passenger seat.
“Yeah, it's my man Lug's restaurant and neither of us can go inside strapped. That's the agreement.” He smirked, knowing that Lug had some shit planned for Kiam if the nigga acted stupid.
“You trust that shit, nephew?” she asked, checking the clip in her tool as they neared their destination.
“I don't know if I trust anything anymore, Auntie,” he said.
“You can trust that if Kiam walks out of that door before you I'm going to empty this clip in his ass.”
Dontae glanced over at her and smiled. Foxy was his father's sister and the most gangsta chick that he knew. She had just came home from doing her third bid up in Marysville and was already itching to light a muthafucka up.
