“Baby, I’ma take care of this shit. I promise.”
“Whatever!” Apple hung up.
Chico was almost in tears. He had the urge to just get back on the highway and drive straight back to New York, but he needed to get his money right. His cash was dwindling. He needed to either strike a deal with some serious consumers or cook the crack in his room, bag it up, and sell it on the streets himself. Every day he drove around dirty, it was a risk to his freedom, and possibly his life, if the stickup kids caught wind of what he was driving around with.
***
Tatiana came knocking on Chico’s motel room door after midnight. Chico was lying in bed. The television was off, and the room was silent. He was thinking about Apple and their situation, when the knocking had suddenly disturbed him. He got out of bed and looked to see who it was. He had forgotten about Tatiana.
He looked around the trap room and made sure it fit the part he wanted her to see—an out-of-town hustler, which he was. He had a few clothes and jewelry laid out on the bed and dresser, along with an ounce of weed. He wanted the place to look lived-in.
Chico answered the door, and Tatiana was standing there smiling at him.
“Did I wake you?” she asked.
“Nah, I was just chilling. Come in.”
Tatiana stepped into the room.
Chico closed the door behind her and stared at her plump figure. She was far from his type of woman. She was a thick girl from head to toe. He even got the impression that maybe she was whorish.
“So what’s up?” she asked with a grin.
“You tell me.”
Tatiana looked around his room and noticed the ounce of weed on the dresser. “I see you smoke.”
Chico removed the two blunts from his back pocket and flashed a smile.
Tatiana smiled. “My kind of guy already.”
He sat on the edge of the bed and began breaking open the blunt down the middle. When Tatiana sat down next to him and placed her hand on his leg, he already saw where things were going.
Soon, the two were getting high and laughing. Then a half-hour later, Chico had his dick down her throat as she sucked him off. She was seated on the edge of the bed, while he stood over her with his hand knotted around her braids. He fucked her that night too.
***
Chico had two things going for him with Tatiana. One, he was from New York, and two, he had that hustler’s mentality. She was feeling his swag and ate it up. She connected with him quickly. In fact, so quickly, she allowed him to move in her three-bedroom condo off of Bellhaven Boulevard near the I-485. Chico knew that her lavish living—the burgundy Benz she drove, her style, and her condo—was all funded through drug money. She moved through Charlotte like she owned it. Her brothers had the city on lock with fear and were making so much money, people were calling her family “The Untouchables.”
Chico crashed at her place for a week. He kept the duffel bag with the ki’s of dope locked inside the trunk of his car. The alarm was always on, and the BMW was always parked in front of her door where he could look out the window and see what was going on. Chico wanted to unload everything in a hurry, but he understood it would be time consuming. He didn’t want to rush anything and fuck it up. He didn’t want Tatiana to be too much in his business.
The first stage with her was through sex. They fucked almost every night, and Chico made sure she became infatuated with him. He would dick her down like he was a porn star. Chico had to admit to himself that the pussy was good and Tatiana was a freak. She did anything he wanted her to do—fuck her up the ass, deep-throat, tea-bagging. If he mentioned it, she did it.
Two weeks went by, and Chico became familiar with her routine. He had gotten to know a little more about her family, where she came from, and what they were about. She was close with her brothers. She even told Chico about their illicit business ventures. The money. It was definitely sloppy on her part. While they would be nestled together in bed, Tatiana would do a lot of talking.
She had three brothers, Jonathan, Ryan, and Tito. Ryan was the oldest and the brains of the three. Jonathan was the right hand and the moneymaker, while Tito was the youngest and the shooter/killer. Tatiana was their baby sister. They had grown up without parents. Their mother was serving a life sentence in jail for killing two cops, and their father was dead, killed in a police raid.
Through her brothers, Tatiana owned a beauty salon and a local diner right off Wilkinson Boulevard, only a few short miles from Charlotte Douglas International Airport. She was caked up, flossing, and trying to become a businesswoman.
Chico was more interested in hearing her talk about her brothers than anything she had to say about herself. He wanted Tatiana to introduce him. He needed to somehow move into their circle and gain their trust somewhat. Whatever Chico needed to know, Tatiana provided him the information. Like about the drought the South was having.
A month ago, the feds and DEA agents did a huge raid on an upcoming shipment coming in to Miami. They seized over 9,500 pounds, or nearly five tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of up to 186 million dollars. It was a crucial blow to every hustler in the South. The effects of the raid in Miami gradually spread north to states like Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina. The local hustlers were hungry for some action. The product they had was drying up in the streets, and it was the right kind of news Chico needed to hear. It was like he had a full well of water in the hottest desert. He saw an opening in North Carolina, and he needed Tatiana to butter her brothers up for an introduction.
***
Tatiana lay next to Chico in her queen-size bed. They had just finished fucking for the umpteenth time, and she was spent. Her thick flesh was glistening with sweat as she tried to catch her breath. Chico was a good fuck. She looked over at Chico and loved every inch of him. They had been together for two weeks, and Tatiana didn’t want anything to change between them.
Chico got up, planted his feet on the carpet, and sat on the side of the bed hunched over. He looked despondent for a moment. His cell phone began to ring. It was Apple. He didn’t want to answer it in front of Tatiana.
“You gonna answer that, baby?” Tatiana asked.
“Nah, it ain’t important right now.”
“Why? ’Cause I’m the only thing important to you right now?”
Chico didn’t reply.
Tatiana moved closer to him and stroked his back, being playful toward him.
Chico wanted to call Apple back. He needed to know what was going on with her in New York. He stared at her number in his cell phone, while Tatiana slowly began kissing the small of his back. He was unresponsive to her kisses and her gentle touch against his skin. He had making money and Apple on his mind at the moment.
Chico turned to look at Tatiana. He was ready to push his plan into action. He slightly shifted his weight over to his right arm, putting his weight down on his right hand so he could catch a better look at her. She propped herself up on her knees with her sagging double-D breasts dropping like heavy sandbags. One of her wrinkled thick thighs was almost the size of Chico’s torso, with her stomach rolls protruding.
“What’s goin’ on wit’ this drought I keep hearing about?” he asked.
“You know, baby. I already told you. Miami got hit hard a few weeks back, and that shit is fuckin’ up business right now. I mean, we still caking and shit, but they tryin’ to find some weight to hold down the streets. It’s gettin’ ugly out there. Our connect got caught up in that shit, so it’s like critical for the moment.”
“Oh, word?”
“Why you asking?”
“I want you to introduce me to your brothers.”
“Why? I mean, they know about you ’cause I told ’em, but they don’t know you like that. My brothers are dangerous, Chico. I don’t want them fuckin’ wit’ you. I love you too much.”
“I just wanna talk to them.”
“About business?”
“I got a proposition that
I want them to listen to. I might be able to help them out wit’ this drought. I got a connect—”
Tatiana intervened before he could finish. “In New York?”
“I’m about my money, too, love. You feel me?”
“What you tryin’ to offer them?”
“How many ki’s does your brothers move on the average?”
“I don’t know. Seven, maybe eight, a month.”
Chico knew they were lightweight. At his peak, he was moving that in a day. Still, he knew it was the South and he had to work with them. Tatiana’s brothers looked like the only reliable crew that would be able to purchase from him in large quantities and probably have the cash on hand. He wasn’t trying to do anything on credit.
“I can get them fifteen ki’s.”
Tatiana looked at him confused. “What are you talking about?”
“Tatiana, what do you think I’m about? Where I’m from?”
She held his stare. She knew by his look and demeanor that he was serious.
“How you think I get my money?”
“So you really want to meet them?”
“I’m not talking to you just to hear myself talk, baby. I’m fo’ real wit’ this.”
“You better be, because my brothers are serious. If you bullshit them, they’ll fuck you up. I love you, Chico, but when it comes to business and my reputation, if you embarrass me wit’ them, I’ll fuck you up!”
Tatiana was stern in her tone, and her eyes quickly changed from loving and caring to a hard, vigorous stare at Chico. Chico wasn’t intimidated by it, though. The eye contact between them showed the type of world they came from. He was just as ruthless as her brothers. The only difference was, he was outnumbered.
“Tatiana, I ain’t the nigga to fuck wit’, but I like that about you. That’s why I’m wit’ you, baby, ’cause ya a go-getter.”
“And don’t you forget that. But I’ll set it up for you to talk to my brothers.”
Chico nodded. “You won’t regret it.”
“Oh, I know I won’t,” she said. “So now that we done wit’ that business, ya need to come over hur and finish ya business,” Tatiana said, propping herself against the headboard and spreading her thick thighs, her pink pussy throbbing.
Chico strained a smile. He slowly climbed on top of Tatiana as she wrapped her thunderous legs around him, pressing against him as he thrust into her. He felt like he was being wrapped in a long blanket.
“Ugh!” he grunted.
“Ooh, fuck me, baby,” she cooed.
As Chico fucked Tatiana, his mind drifted to Apple. He needed to call her back, but he had to take care of his business with Tatiana first. He needed to keep her happy for the moment. She was a freak, and her pussy was always throbbing. He threw her thick legs back, gripped her ankles, arched his chiseled frame, and fucked her while he stood on the balls of his feet, his big dick burrowing inside of her like a worm.
Tatiana panted. “Oh God!” She wiggled underneath him, her toes curling.
Chico stared at her intensely and fucked her vigorously, like a jackhammer smashing into concrete. Her pussy felt like it was being ripped open, causing her to come quickly.
He came right after, pulling out and exploding on her stomach.
Tatiana loved the way he spread his semen on her. “Shit, nigga!” she said, smiling.
After he got off of her, Tatiana rolled over on her side. She was finally depleted.
Chico lay next to her for a moment. A short while later, when Tatiana began to snore lightly, Chico got out of bed, put on his jeans, and snatched up his cell phone. He went downstairs and called Apple. The phone rang a few times before he heard someone answer.
“Apple,” he uttered.
“Baby, where you at?” Apple cried out.
“I’m still in North Carolina. How you holding up?”
“Come home, baby. They gonna take our house, and I can’t do it anymore. I thought I could, but I can’t.”
“I’ma be back soon, Apple. Just do what you gotta do.”
“And what’s that? I have nothing left up here. These muthafuckas disrespected me, Chico. They put their hands on me. Can you fuckin’ believe that? And they treated me like I was trash to them. I can’t collect ’cause I ain’t got the muscle anymore, Chico. I ain’t got you up here wit’ me.”
Chico sighed. “Who the fuck was it? When I get back, I’ll take care of them. Just give me their names, baby.”
“How, muthafucka? You down there, and I’m up here!”
“Apple, did you forget who ya’ talkin’ to and who I am? You remember what the fuck I’m about? I’m still a threat to niggas up there, no matter where the fuck I am, you hear me? You just give me their names, and they gonna be dead by tomorrow night.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Fuck you mean, don’t worry about it? They put their muthafuckin’ hands on my bitch, and they think that shit’s gonna slide like that? Apple, this is my fuckin’ reputation. I need to worry about it.”
“If I’m that important to you, then you need to bring ya ass back up here and come take care of ya business and me.”
“And I will!”
There was brief silence over the phone. Chico was fuming. His mind was telling him to just get on the interstate to New York and murder everyone. But with the drought going on, Chico saw an opening he could take full advantage of.
“Baby, just let me come down there wit’ you,” Apple suggested.
“Nah, now’s not a good time.”
“Why not? I can’t be up here anymore.”
“It just ain’t a good time, Apple. Trust me. I’m not gonna be down here fo’ too long. I’m workin’ on somethin’ now. Just trust me, baby.”
“Fuck you, Chico!” Apple ended the call.
Chapter 21
The streets of New York were starting to become a very cold place for Apple. Spring weather would be breaking soon, but there wasn’t anything warm stirring inside of her heart. Her mind was spinning. It felt like the walls were coming down around her. Apple’s heart was becoming disfigured like the damaged side of her face. She was a bitter bitch. The streets were cold to her. Her loan-sharking business was no longer profitable or respected. She had over twenty-five thousand dollars owed to her.
But what bothered Apple the most was her sister Kola, who was ahead of the game. Kola was winning. The streets still had respect for her, while Apple was slowly withering away in the city’s gutter.
Apple sat in the dark and still bedroom. The shades were drawn tightly, so there was no sun in the room. She carried a deadpan look. It was mid-afternoon, and the door was shut. The room was untidy. There was no more money. There was no Chico. No respect. The only thing she had left to feed on was her bitterness and animosity.
She had tried to collect money from the people who owed her, but it was the same thing like Peon. They stared at Apple like she was a child, and then a monster.
One individual spat on her the minute she showed her face in his barbershop.
***
The man that owned the barbershop on Morningside Avenue was kin to Ayesha, and they were close. There was speculation on the streets that Apple was behind the murder, but Apple was at the peak of her power when the speculation was traveling from ear to ear. Sony had cried for a long time over his cousin’s death. He used to like Apple, but when Ayesha was killed and he heard the rumors through the grapevine about who was probably behind it, his dislike for Apple started to boil over like an overflowing pot.
One day, he had to set aside his anger and pride to borrow five thousand dollars from her. The IRS had run an audit on him, and agents went through all of his books thoroughly and found out that he hadn’t paid taxes in three years and was hiding money, including winnings from Atlantic City. In total, he owed Uncle Sam eight thousand dollars. He didn’t have that much money on him. So he reached out to Apple. She had given him the loan with the stipulation that he had to pay her more than five hundred doll
ars per week in interest on his initial five-thousand-dollar loan and other subsequent loans. Sony knew it was highway robbery, but he was in a bind with the IRS and reluctantly agreed to the terms.
***
When Apple had walked into his Harlem barbershop to collect, Sony had exploded on her. He had rushed up to her face and spit on her, while his customers and employees all looked on. No one said anything or got in the way. Everyone just minded their business and felt that Apple had gotten what she deserved. However, a few were still scared of her, knowing that Chico was still around.
There was heckling and laughter at Apple. She had worn the mask, and everyone stared at her like she was some freak show. They were seeing with their own eyes that the rumors about her were true.
“You put ya fuckin’ hand on me again, Sony, and I’ll cut it off,” Apple said through clenched teeth.
“You fuckin’ monstrous bitch, get the fuck out my shop! I don’t owe you shit in here!” he yelled. Sony’s voice was breaking, and he was becoming emotional. Seeing Apple again reminded him of his cousin’s violent death. He wanted to kill Apple himself. Shoot her in the back of her head like she had someone do to his cousin, but he didn’t have the heart. The only thing Sony had for Apple that day when she came to collect was resentment and cruel words.
Apple stormed out of the shop, vowing she would be back, and quickly jumped into her McLaren, unaware she was being watched closely by three sets of eyes from a short distance. She had made enemies in Harlem, and she was drawing unwanted attention to herself, driving around in a half-a-million-dollar car.
Apple started the ignition and was ready to pull out the parking spot, but she was suddenly blocked in by a dark blue Chevy. She turned her head swiftly to look and felt it was a hit.
She was ready to reach for her pistol and protect herself. Until she noticed that the man exiting from the driver’s side wasn’t a threat. She quickly recognized him. He was a cop. Detective Rice. She relaxed and sighed with relief.
The detective walked over and tapped on her window, indicating he wanted her to roll down the window so they could talk. Apple did so.
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