by Tranay Adams
“This right here is one stand up lil’ nigga, right here.” The rest of the gang, including Brolic, dapped Zonyai up or gave him a hug, welcoming him into the family.
“So all of this shit was a test?” Zonyai questioned Mufasa.
“Yep.” Mufasa grew serious, nodding his head. “I had to make sure you were solid. I already knew Brolic was good from his record, he’s never folded. You, on the other hand, didn’t so much have a ticket for J-walking. Anyway, now I’m sure of you and you’re in.” He hung his arm on his shoulders and pulled him in, ruffling his head. Everyone then walked towards their respective vehicle throwing playful punches at their newest recruits.
That day would forever be one of Mufasa’s fondest memories because it was the day he took young Zonyai in as a son.
“Why didn’t chu?” Zeus asked, staring at his boss through the rearview mirror.
“Why didn’t I what?” Mufasa sniffled, fixing his handkerchief.
“Let us ride on Frank and his crew.”
For a time, there was a silence as the Head Nigga In Charge thought to himself before he gave his answer, considering what the giant would think of him knowing the real reason why he didn’t shed blood behind what had happened to one of their own.
He licked his dry lips as he stuck his handkerchief back in place.
“The money and the power...it became addictive and I was a junky; not ready to give up his habit. Not for my son, not for anybody.”
“Humph,” Zeus resurrected the Maybach and pulled off.
Mufasa would always regret not bearing arms for what had happened to Zonyai. But he knew in his heart that if the issue was raised again that he was going to bring it to Franklin and whomever else wanted it.
Chapter Five
“Jesus Christ, honey, what happened to your face?” Jan asked Marbella with concern once she sat at the dinner table and removed her Chanel shades. Her eye was red webbed and swollen with a bluish black ring around it.
“Someone did a number on you, honey.” Andrea held Marbella by the chin as she examined her shiner. She was a cute, petite thing with long sandy brown hair that fell just past her shoulders. She had a beauty mark above her lip and big silicone breasts that looked to weigh more than she did. Andrea had a big mouth and an even bigger heart. She was as skilled with a razor as she was with a gun.
“I wish you’d tell me what motherless-fuck dared to put her mitts on you, so I can bash her face in,” Jan stated before taking a sip of wine and swirling it around inside of the glass. At forty-eight, she was the eldest of the threesome. Jan was the poster child for cosmetic surgery. She had more cut on her than a bad bag of dope. She had freakishly large breasts and lips that were so big that they made her look like a duck. Her obsessive tanning gave her an orange hue and frequent visits to the gym gave her 18 inch arms.
“Did someone in here snuff you when you were walking through the parking lot?” Andrea’s surveyed the restaurant looking for any possible suspects. “You know I don’t play when it comes to my girls, we can straight set it off in this bitch.” She drew a knife from her Prada bag and shot to her feet, waving it around. Her behavior and loud talk drew the stares of everyone inside of the restaurant. “I’ll start handing out buck fifties up in this bitch. I’m not scared of you motherfuckers, word to Bernie Mack,” she scowled as she popped that shit like only she could.
“Dre, sit your little ass down,” Marbella ordered with a lines across her forehead, grabbing her by her arm and pulling her back down into her seat. She looked to the knife. “And put that thing away.”
Andrea sheathed the knife and dropped it back inside of her Prada bag, zipping it closed. “I’m just saying, Bell, you know a bitch don’t play when it comes to y’all.”
“I know and that’s why I love you.” She looked her in the eyes and patted her hand sisterly.
She grinned and patted her hand back in the same manner, saying, “Alright, now tell us who did that to your face.”
Marbella opened her mouth to say something, but the sudden appearance of the waiter stalled her.
“May I get you ladies anything else?” the waiter asked with a smile.
“Yes, how about some more grub? You’re not feeding a bird here, honey.” Jan showed him the small portion of food on her plate. “At forty bucks a pop, I was expecting a feast. Do you know how many of these a girl my size would have to scarf down to get full?” Embarrassed, Andrea nudged her arm. She looked her way with a balled up face. “What? Don’t nudge me. You were the one who coerced me into going to this place.”
“It’s fine, Jan, I’ll pay for it,” Marbella told her.
“Well, thank you,” Jan replied, sitting the plate down and picking up the glass of wine.
“That will be all...” Marbella searched his chest for his name badge. When she discovered it, she flashed him a great big smile. “Leo.”
The waiter gave a slight nod and left the ladies to themselves.
“You were saying?” Andrea turned to Marbella.
“Franklin did this to me.” She hung her head shamefully. The girls had been trying to get her to leave his abusive ass, but she couldn’t find it in her to do. Truthfully, she knew that if she left him that she would have to relocate and she couldn’t see herself leaving South Central without Zonyai.
Jan gasped and said, “That barbarian...what for?”
“What difference does it make?” Andrea frowned and balled her hands into fists. “No man should ever put his hands on any woman, for any goddamn reason.”
“No. I had it coming. Franklin’s not to blame,” Marbella insisted, looking up at them with tears in her eyes.
“What do you mean, sweetie?” Andrea asked concerned, creases deepening in her forehead.
“I did a big no, no.”
“What, you tried to put something in his ass during sex?”
Marbella shook her head no and took a sip of wine. “I said another guy’s name when we were making love.”
“Bitch, no you didn’t.” Andrea’s jaw dropped and she punched Marbella in the arm a little too hard.
“Ouch,” Marbella brows furrowed and she rubbed her aching arm.
“You fucking whore...gimmie all of the details,” Jan said as she scooted her chair closer to the table and leaned in closer to Marbella, picking up her glass of wine. Andrea did the same thing. Marbella filled her girls in on what happened earlier that day.
“I take it back. Franklin should have broken your fucking jaw,” Andrea shook her head, trying to conceal a smile. “You violated. You violated big time, sweetheart.”
“Wow, the power of dick,” Jan chuckled. “It must have been damn good if you remembered some cock you got four years ago.”
“It wasn’t just the sex; it was the emotional connection. You combined the two together and you’ll experience an orgasm that’s out of this world.” She smiled thinking about the spectacular experience she and Zonyai had shared many moons ago. It was one she relived over and over again when she had the house all to herself. She turns out the lights, get the fireplace going, pour herself a glass of wine and grab her vibrator. She’d pretend that her long lost lover was there making sweet, passionate love to her.
“I know we’re all sitting here laughing and joking with you, Bella, but seriously, the next time he harms a hair on your pretty little head, I’m gonna kill him,” Andrea told her as she twirled the wine around inside of her glass. She meant exactly what she said too. If the big man thought that he was going to keep putting his hands on her girl without any consequences, then he had another thing coming.
“We’re gonna kill him, honey.” Jan added. They gave one another a high five.
As Jan and Andrea went on running their mouths about the latest gossip, Marbella thought back to how she and Franklin had stolen her from another man. See, Marbella’s hand in marriage was promised to a very powerful man in Italy by her father. He’d made the mistake of borrowing money with too much interest and when he couldn’t
pay, he was forced to give up his daughter. Feeling that his only child wasn’t payment enough, Don Donatello had Marbella’s father lynched in front of her and her mother. That was the interest.
****
Franklin pulled up in front of Don Donatello’s mansion and murdered the engine. Pulling out his pretty black thang, he checked the magazine to make sure that it was fully loaded. Seeing that it was, he smacked it back into the butt of the weapon and click clacked it. Stashing it inside of the holster inside of his overcoat, he turned to a nervous Marbella who was fidgeting with her fingers. She was teary eyed and trembling all over.
“Are you okay?” he placed his hand on her thigh, slightly squeezing it to show affection. She nodded hastily and wiped the tear that was about to trickle from her eye with a curled finger, sniffling. Although she was trying to front, he knew better. The move he was about to pull was sure to bring forth the don’s unmerciful wrath, so it was understandable that she was petrified. “No, you’re not and you shouldn’t be. Fear is good, fear is very good. I’d be worried if you weren’t concerned. You know why?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. “’Cause anyone that wouldn’t be edgy in this situation would be someone very dangerous. You know why? Cause that’s someone who doesn’t have shit to lose. Look at my hand.” He held out his hand before her eyes and told her to hold out hers. His was steady and hers was shaky. “You see that there? Dangerous.” He threw a thumb at his chest. “I’ma guy that doesn’t have shit to lose and so is that cock sucker in there.” He pointed to the mansion’s door and opened the glove box, pulling out a .38 revolver. After checking the chamber, he cocked the hammer on it and passed it off to her. “You know how to use one of these things?” She shook her head no. He instructed her how to use it and she did as he commanded, pointing it and closing one eye. “Once ya set your sights on whoever it is you tryna shoot, you pull that fuckin’ trigger until that asshole goes down and isn’t gettin’ back up, capeesh?” She nodded and hung her head. Curling his finger, he tilted her chin up so that they’d be eye to eye. “Everything’s going to be okay, trust me. I’m gonna waltz in there and when I come out, we’re going to America, alright?” She nodded yes. “Let me hear you say you trust and believe me, remember to look me straight in my eye. That’s what people do when they’re dead ass serious.”
“I trust and believe you,” she said just above a whisper hesitantly, tears streaking down her face. She shut her eyes and swallowed the spit in her throat.
“Good.” He kissed her lips tenderly, taking her off guard. She wasn’t exactly attracted to him, but she went along with kissing him. The way she saw it, he was her salvation so it was the least she could do. She wasn’t feeling him, but she was sure that he’d grow on her. She was sure she’d learn to love him eventually. How couldn’t she? He was about to save her from being a sex object and a slave for the rest of her days. “You okay back there, Lidia?” Franklin looked to the backseat at Marbella’s mother. She was wearing a mantilla and her face was partially shaded by the shadows. A rosary beaded necklace was wrapped around her fist and she was caressing it with her thumb, staring out of the backseat window.
When she heard Franklin’s distinguishable voice, she turned to him and nodded, giving him a slight smirk. “Great. Everything is beautiful; I’ll be back in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.” He opened the drive side door and turned around in the seat, caressing the side of her face before hopping out. Franklin shut the door and made his way around the car en route to the mansion where two men were waiting in hats and trench coats. Marbella and her mother watched as their knight in shining armor was patted down. One of the men recovered his gun and allowed him inside to talk to the don. Them obtaining his gun was little to no worry for him because he had an extra smaller burner stashed on him. About five minutes had passed and both women had begun to get nervous. Lidia had just placed a reassuring hand on her daughter’s shoulder and told her everything was going to be alright, when gunshots rang out from the mansion startling them. Their heads snapped to the door of the estate and they saw flashes of white in the windows as more gunshots followed.
Moments later, Franklin came running out of the place, holding his shoulder as he ran towards them with his gun at his side. Hearing hurried footsteps at his rear, he whipped around and extended his weapon just as two of Donatello’s men appeared in the doorway. He let go of some hot shit and laid them niggaz down without hesitation. Seeing him headed in their direction, Marbella opened the front passenger door and slid over into the driver seat. She adjusted the rearview mirror and resurrected the engine. As soon as the engine was going, the big man was sliding into the front passenger seat and slamming the door shut behind him.
“Go! Go! Go!” He hollered at Marbella and she took off. His eyes were focused out of the window as he snatched off his hat. When he saw two more of Donatello’s men emerge from out of the doorway, he opened fire on them causing them to duck and scramble. Marbella whipped the vehicle around and sped off, leaving dust in their wake. As he reloaded his burner, he glanced at the woman who he was saving and she was visibly shaken. “Ya alright, toots?” she nodded yes and he looked to the backseat at Lidia. She was caressing the rosary with her eyes shut and head bowed, whispering a prayer. He didn’t ask her was she alright because he figured she was good being that she was talking and moving.
Franklin glanced up at the rearview mirror and saw an old ass BMW speeding up behind them. Donatello’s men were occupying this vehicle and they had plenty of iron to air that ass out. Click clack, his gun went when he pressed the button that slid the top of it back in place.
“Alright, alright, here they come, here they fuckin’ go.” Franklin glanced at the side view mirror this time, seeing the silhouettes of his enemies in the oncoming car. He touched his shoulder and it came away with blood being that he’d been shot.
“Are you alright?” Marbella questioned with furrowed brows.
“I’ll live; you just do as I tell ya.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “What happened back there?”
“I tried to reason with that mean old bastard and he went to draw on me.” Franklin lied through his fucking teeth. Almost as soon as he was granted access into Don Donatello’s domain he gave that ass the business. He wanted Marbella as bad as a lifer wanted his freedom and he knew that the old man wanted her just as bad which is why he flat-lined him on the spot. He understood that he wouldn’t let the beauty walk without some sort of fight so he did what he felt he had to do.
“What?” Her eyes bulged and her eyebrows rose.
“Yeah, but I was a little quicker on the draw.”
“You got him?”
He nodded.
She slightly grinned, feeling somewhat relieved that her worries were for the most part over.
“Okay then,” he glanced at the rearview mirror again and Donatello’s men were on their ass. “Mash the brakes!”
“Mother, brace yourself!” Marbella called out and her mother did as she instructed, still praying.
Urrrrk! She slammed on the brake pedal and the vehicle came to an abrupt stop, causing the whip behind them to crash into their bumper. As soon as this happened, Franklin came out of the window, clenching his jaws and acting a goddamn fool with that tool. Bop! Bop! Bop! Bop! The windshield cracked into several cob webs and the driver danced in his seat as he was murked out. The passenger tried to grab control of the steering wheel so that they wouldn’t crash but he met with a tragic end. Bop! Bop! Two in his biscuit and he was on his way to meet Jesus. After ordering the damsel to stop the car, the big man hopped out and inspected his kills. Seeing one of them still moving, he let off to more rounds which Marbella and her mother saw him do through the back window. Right After, he was retreating back toward them with his banger held up at his shoulder. He hopped back into the front passenger seat and told his girl to go. Franklin sent Marbella and Lidia off to America while he and his crew whacked out what was left of Donatello’s men and his sons. After this mission
was carried out, they also fled to the United States. It was there that Franklin worked under Hesh and the De Lucci family who he eventually became acting boss of.
****
Present
“Bella, Bella, Bellaaaa!” Andrea called out to her friend until she snapped out of her day dream. She blinked her eyes continuously before turning her eyes on her.
“Yea...Yeah.” she wiped her eyes with her fingers, looking like she’d been asleep.
“Are you alright, sweetie?” Andrea questioned with concern.
“I’m straight.”
“Well, we’re gonna go have us a couple drinks down at Joe’s. You wanna come along?” Jan asked her.
“I gotta call Franklin to see if he’s alright with it.”
“You got to ask Franklin first? Damn, girl, fat boy got chu checking in with him like he’s yours P.O.”
“Aye, what are ya gonna do? It’s not like I have a choice.”
Andrea went to pay for dinner, but Marbella assured her that she had it.
“Here, it’s on me.” She grabbed a few bucks from out of her pocket book, sat it in the restaurant’s menu before closing it. After grabbing her bag, she stood to her feet and made her way out of the establishment with her girls. Crossing the threshold, she hit up her hubby, of cause he said No.
“Get your ass in the house, now!” He roared before disconnecting the call.
Disappointed, Marbella dropped her cell into her bag and slipped on her shades to hide her tearing eyes. When her girls looked at her for an answer, she shook her head and pretended to slice her throat. Their shoulders slumped and they wore disappointed expressions, hating that their friend couldn’t roll with them to get some drinks.
“Ahhh, it’s alright, momma, we’ll all get together and hang next time.” Andrea promised her, slamming her car door as soon as she was seated in the driver seat.
“Yeah, pretty girl, next time.” Jan leaned inside and kissed her and so did Andrea.
