by Shan
“What up, big bro?” I said to this nigga, KaeDee.
I shook my head as he nodded his head and stepped inside with this police chick following behind him. He had told me the story behind this hoe Destiny, and although I thought it was cool that she looked out for the kid the way she did, I still didn’t trust this bitch. It was like, suddenly, she was attached to KaeDee’s hip and going everywhere that he was going.
This nigga had turned into a sad ass puppy since Deonna’s death. One day, he was the happiest man alive, but the next, he was looking like, if you poked him too hard, he would start crying. I didn’t know if I should feel bad for his ass or slap the fuck out of him.
His practice was going down, and I could barely get in contact with him half the time. Apparently, Destiny had always had a crush on KaeDee, and she had tried to get with him a few times, but since she wasn’t that attractive, KaeDee had never paid her any mind. For years, even after high school, Destiny followed KaeDee’s career.
Back when the lil’ youngin’, Emon, got caught riding with his homies, with that dope shit, and that tool on his side. Come to find out, the pistol belonged to a detective by the name of Turner Clarke, a crooked ass Jamaican cop with a fucked up eye. Emon had always claimed that the dope and pistol was planted in his car, and even had his lil’ homies backing him. Although I knew that Emon was lying, I knew that he was involved with Detective Clarke in some kind of way.
That nigga, Clarke, stayed doing some shady shit. He was a professional crack head and would always set up local dope boys by pulling them over on, what he called, a traffic stop; he would take all their money and dope.
I assumed that was what he tried to do to the kid, but my lil’ young one didn’t play no games. Emon was another damn Dae, but he ain’t cry as much as that nigga did. He would fuck a nigga up, not giving a damn who you were. I had asked Emon a few times to tell me exactly what happened that night, but he stuck to the same story; he was framed by Clarke.
Either way, I intervened the best way I knew how and got at that nigga Clarke. I put two in his head while he sat in the seat of his squad car. He was chilling and sucking on that glass dick with Briana sitting on the side of him. He thought she was a prostitute, and with the kind of body she had, she was the perfect distraction. We left him there that night for his peoples to find him, and me or Briana had never spoke about what happened to anyone.
They was calling the nigga Clarke’s murder a drug deal gone bad and had always said that they didn’t have any suspects, so I had always thought shit was straight with it. Twelve had never sent no heat our way, and when it got down to KaeDee defending Emon in court, he got the gun charge thrown out on some type of technicality, but the dope charges still stood. Emon got that four, and we just had to all take that L.
Everything seemed to be good in the hood, until about a year later when Detective Deitric Henson, Clarke’s partner popped up and started snooping around. He was blaming Emon for Clarke’s murder, but being that Emon was locked up without bail when it happened, the police never gave it a second thought. It didn’t stop Detective Henson from coming at us with all he had though. He was always popping up when we was trying to handle business and even fucking with KaeDee when he was trying to defend his clients. Henson had made it his business to see us go down, coming at us with all he had.
Apparently, at some point, Destiny knew what Henson was doing to KaeDee and us and wanted to get close to him. She got that old ass fool to fall in love and marry her within a few months of meeting him. From then on, she watched his every move, and anytime he seemed to be too close to some shit that could affect us all, Destiny interjected in some kind of way.
She really came through when Deitric came across some info from back in the day that could take me, Dae, and KaeDee, down and put us in the box along with our father, Cass, and Emon. Destiny knew that the only way she could stop him and his vendetta against us was to get rid of him, and that was what she did. She had that nigga killed in a drive-by, buried him a week later, and collected his pension like ain’t nothing happened.
The shit was kind of clever, though, and I had to applaud shawty for her dedication to the bruh, but that hoe was still kind of crazy. Yea, she really was a down ass bitch, and although KaeDee said it was a coincidence that she ended up on Deonna’s case, I ain’t believe that shit. I had my eye on that hoe, and I swear, if I found out she was on some bullshit, I was ready to pop her, because I knew KaeDee was too gone to do so.
“I’m leaving town for a few months,” KaeDee said, as he poured himself a drink and sat at my bar. I looked from him to Destiny before I walked over and stood next to him.
“For a few months? Fuck you mean?” I asked and frowned.
“He—,” Destiny started, and I held my hand up to shut her up.
I sucked my teeth and waited for KaeDee to answer me. This nigga needed to get himself together, and it was looking like he needed to rid of this bitch. What she did was commendable, but the way she was riding this nigga so fuckin’ close was pissing me the fuck off.
“I just need to get away and clear my mind. I know you won’t understand, but it’s just something that I need to do for myself,” KaeDee said, and I had to look at his back to make sure he didn’t have a built-in puppet. I don’t know. Maybe, it was just me. Probably ‘cause I had never seen the bruh so out of it like this that it was blowing me.
“What about Chanel?” I asked, and KaeDee sighed.
“Amber is going to look after her, and I hired some help until I come back. I just need to do this for me. I got my colleagues at the firm to take on my current cases, and I won’t take anything else until I come back. If you niggas need me, then you know I’m just a phone call away, but for now, I just need to take a break from everything. I’m no good to anybody, not even Chanel. All I do is this; every day, all damn day,” KaeDee said and held up the bottle of Henny that he had grabbed from my bar. He took a swig of it, and I just shook my head. I looked back at this bitch Destiny, and she had a crazy ass look on her face. After so long of me staring her ass down, she diverted her attention elsewhere. I walked closer to KaeDee and pulled his big ass up from the chair.
“You know I got your back bro. Whatever you need to do to get yourself together, I’m here for that.”
“Just make sure my baby is good. Check on Amber and DJ from time to time too,” KaeDee said, and I nodded. I pulled him into a hug and discreetly asked him about his chick.
“You need me to handle this broad, bruh?” I said, and he stepped back, looked at me, and chuckled.
“Nah, fam, I’m good. Once I come back, I’m gonna be even better. Just take care of these youngins and make sure that nigga Cass stays out the box,” KaeDee said, and I nodded before I sighed and stepped back.
I slid my hands into my pockets and watched as he and his bitch walked out of my crib. I ain’t wanna see him go, but if that was what he needed to get his shit together, then I couldn’t do nothing but support that shit. I was gonna put somebody on his ass, though, and keep an eye on him to make sure he was good. I knew that KaeDee could take care of his damn self, but that hoe was who I was worried about.
Once they were gone, I locked up and headed back upstairs to continue looking in on Cuba. To my surprise, she was up and out of the bed, and had hopped into the shower. I stepped inside of the bathroom just as she was drying her body off. Looking at her, I couldn’t even tell that she was pregnant, but knowing that she was had my dick jumping. Cuba had that good, and it was even better when she was pregnant.
I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her and it fucked me up when I caught the way she had frowned and turned away from me. I tried again thinking maybe I was tripping, but when I tried to kiss her, and she turned her head and pushed me away, that shit crushed me.
“What’s up?” I asked, as I stepped back and checked her over.
“Nothing, I ain’t feeling good,” Cuba said, as she sighed and went to pull her shirt over her head. I
reached in and tried to help her, and she snatched away and sucked her teeth.
“You don’t want me touching you…what’s up man? You feeling that sick, what’s wrong with you?”
“I just told you I ain’t feeling good. Damn, am I not allowed to be sick without you questioning me. I’m pregnant, Khi; I ain’t feigning for shit.”
“I didn’t say that you was, but damn, the way you acting—“
“The way I’m acting what? What? I’m acting like a junky or something? Fuck!”
“Not what the fuck I said, but watch how you fuckin’ talk to me though. I done told you about your slick ass mouth,” I said and slid my hands into the pockets of my sweats.
“Yea, what the fuck ever,” Cuba said and pulled on a pair of panties. She slid past me out of the bathroom and walked into our bedroom with me following behind her. I watched as she climbed back into the bed and turned her back against me.
“The kids are here, did you forget?”
“Take Skylarr to her mama and, I’ll have Tangie come and get BJ.”
“You Skylarr’s mama,” I said, as I sucked my teeth, trying my hardest to keep my cool. I knew she was still in her feelings with what happened, but I wasn’t about to let her disrespect me or turn her back on them damn kids.
“Where is Briana, Khi?” Cuba asked me and turned around and headed to the door.
“I got them until Mrs. Patrick gets here, and then, I got some shit to handle. Hopefully, you get your ass out the bed and come see about them. They ain’t did shit to you, so don’t turn your fuckin’ back on them,” I told her, as I left out of the bedroom and slammed the door behind me.
***
“Couple of goonies told me that broad DeeDee still been going around with that bullshit about Briana. As long as I been knowing Briana, I ain’t never heard of no bitch named DeeDee,” I said, as I took a pull off a Backwood and then handed it over to Cassidy.
“It’s a lot of shit you ain’t know about that broad,” Tramell commented, and I sucked my teeth before I looked at him through the rearview mirror.
I pulled down Denley Drive and glanced to my left at the bando that was now blocked off with crime tape. I shook my head and gritted down on my teeth. That shit was the hotspot, and it stayed jumping 24/7. It was never a dull moment coming out that spot, which was why, even when I had lost that plug from Tamar, I kept that bitch fed with dope some kind of way. It was pretty much the last we had that kept our pockets fed, and now that it was gone, we were grabbing for straws trying to stay alive out here. The competition was thick, and these dope boys wasn’t playing.
“Right there; they grabbed that spot up the next day after the cops was gone, and that bitch been jumping since,” Tramell said, and I looked to my right just as a lil’ goonie with his dreads hanging jumped off the porch with a cigarette hanging from his lip. There was a Jamaican flag hanging from the rooftop, and I knew that meant these niggas was trying to make a statement.
Cass gripped the chopper in his lap, and I grabbed at his arm, telling him to be easy for a minute. Pulling in a few houses down, I pulled into the driveway, parked, dead the lights, and pulled the skully down over my head. I had a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I swallowed back and hopped out of the car anyway with Cass and Tramell right behind me.
“So we doing what we talked about right,” Tramell asked, and I nodded.
“Yea… Cass, remember what we talked about,” I said to Cassidy, and that nigga took off running towards the house. I watched as Tramell looked back at me with confusion, but didn’t say anything before he pulled down his skully and followed after Cass.
Soon as Cassidy got close enough to the little nigga that had been standing out in front of the house, he raised the chopper and blasted on that nigga. I knew then, we had to be quick. I ran off to the back of the house, while Cass and Tramell took to the front. I sucked in a deep breath and shot up a quick prayer to God. In this life of sin, I had to believe there was a higher power. When I couldn’t look out for my peoples, I needed somebody to be able to.
The moment I said Amen, the backdoor came flying open, and two niggas that also had dreads came running out; I popped the first one that was in front two times in the chest, before I caught the other one in his leg. I walked over to him and punched him in the head with the butt of the gun, before I watched him go down and roll around in agony.
I looked through the open door to see if I could spot Cassidy, and when I couldn’t, I grabbed the one that I had shot in the leg up from the ground and used him as a shield. We walked up the two steps of the back porch, and then walked inside of the house. I looked from left to right and made sure I kept my eyes in front of me as well, while we moved towards the front of the house.
“Man, this some bullshit,” Cassidy hissed, as he pulled the skully from his head and looked at me with anger in his eyes.
I looked around the room, and then over at Tramell, who seemed to be upset as well. Before I could even say anything, Cassidy raised the chopper again and popped the youngin’ the closest to him in the chest. His body rocked, and he flew back into the wall, before sliding down to the floor. “Since you niggas wanna play!”
“Who the fuck is you little niggas?” I asked, as I pushed the one I was holding onto away from me. “Y’all hit the bando across the street?”
“Hell nah; they weak asses ain’t do that shit. They boss man put them here, though. I guess they thought these Prince boys was some pussy ass niggas and that we was gonna fall into the trap and be taken down that easily,” Cassidy chuckled, and I sucked my teeth.
I really hated to be fucked with. I ain’t know shit about what these niggas wanted from me and my fam. That muthafucka Clarke was the only Jamaican nigga I had ever had beef with, and as far as I knew, nobody knew what I had did to his old ass but him and Briana. It wasn’t no way possible that these niggas was coming to us behind that shit…or was it?
“Who your boss man?” I asked the goonie that I had shot in the leg, and he spit toward my feet. I looked down at my feet and then back at him before I sucked my teeth and sighed. I watched how, the moment I brought that tool up, he looked from me and to Tramell before he looked back at me again. I popped his ass in the stomach, and he kneeled over in pain. I decided that he could keep his life. His eyes told me there was something I was missing, so I was gonna get at him later.
Chapter 7
Tangie
I had closed the shop down today, because for one, this morning sickness was a bitch, and also, because I could barely work without getting pissed and crying about what Cass and Tameeka had done. I had sent that hoe a text days prior letting her know that she had better not bring her ass into my shop and that I would have her last check mailed to her. She replied with some smart ass shit, but thank God for iPhones, because I quickly added her to my block list and went on about my business.
Not gonna lie, though, I was missing the hell out of Cass but his damn nonchalance was eating me up inside. I waited and waited for him to text me with some heart-filled apology and to beg me to come home, but none of that ever came. Not once had he picked up the phone to call me or even send me a text. That nigga didn’t even try to check on me to see if I was doing good carrying his damn child. He had my mind reeling, constantly, feeling like I was the one who had done something wrong other than it being the other way around. This shit was driving me crazy.
When I pulled up to the house, I was surprised to see that Cass’ truck was parked out front. I was a little upset that my body jumped with excitement, and even more upset that I rushed to park my car just so I could quickly get inside to see him. I turned the car off, gathered my purse, and stepped out of the car closing the door behind me. My stomach was in shambles, as I made my way to the door and placed the key inside to unlock it.
Even though it had been some years ago, I didn’t remember being this sick the last time I was pregnant. It seemed like the morning sickness I was having now was ten times worse and lasted ev
ery minute of the damn day. I now knew how Cuba was feeling her last pregnancy and prayed to God that this would pass soon. I couldn’t afford to keep canceling my appointments and even closing my shop down early because of it. Being that Cuba was going through her shit and with me firing Tameeka, I didn’t really have any kind of help, so I was left with no other choice. I had to find a replacement for Tameeka, and I just hoped that Cuba would be back and to her normal self soon.
Once I walked inside of the bedroom that I shared with Cass, I was cut even deeper in the heart. I couldn’t believe what was happening right now. I bit down on my bottom lip and tried to compose myself. I hated for Cass to see me hurting, because he always treated my tears and pain like it was nothing to him.
“Hey,” I said, lowly, afraid that, if I said too much, I would burst into tears.
“What’s up?” Cass said, as he walked over to the closet and pulled more of his things from the hangars.
I watched as he pulled his jeans and shirts apart and folded them up to place them inside of his suitcase.
“You leav—leaving,” I said, as a tear slid down my face.
“Yea, I tried to do this when you was at work. If I had known that you was coming back early, I would’ve waited another day.”
I stepped closer to the end of the bed and looked down to the floor. Immediately, my eyes caught the specs of blood on his shoes, and I shook my head knowing that Cass was slipping back into his old life. He had promised me that, this time, he was only going to take it light and work with Khi to make money, but he wasn’t going to be as deep in the streets like before. I guess that, now that we were going through our shit, he felt that he didn’t have to keep that promise. Maybe it was good that this was happening, because regardless, Cass’ ass loved that damn life, and nothing was going to keep him away from it.
