The Grind Don't Stop

by L. E. Newell

  The whole room stood up and saluted her for protecting her turf the way she had. And ‘B’ threw his two cents’ worth in as well. “You the dog, uh dogette shawtie, a bitch of a dog but you definitely the dog, uh doggette.”

  Rainbow touched her cheeks and nodded towards the other side of the club. “Let’s catch a booth so we can kick it, yo.”

  As they made their way across the room, the rhythm of the club picked back up since there wasn’t going to be a shake down. Bertha went back to serving drinks and the dancers got back into their thing.

  After they got seated, ‘B’ addressed Rainbow. “Man, I told ya a couple of months ago that I’d started noticing groups of dreadlocks hanging around yo dope spots, but naw, you wouldn’t pay me no mind as usual.”

  Rainbow massaged the corners of his mouth with his thumb and index finger before he squeezed his bottom lip. He lifted his head. “That’s because up until now I’ve always figured there’s enough business out here for anybody who wants a piece of the action, dreads included.”

  ‘B’ arched a brow and shot back, “Yeah, well, it looks like some people want a lot more than just a piece.” He snorted and cleared his throat. “To tell you the truth I was really hoping that y’all had a little more to go on.”

  Rainbow nodded. “Uh-huh, I feel ya on that, but I be kicking it with the dreads and I don’t see them doing no small robberies like that. Matter of fact the way they be ousting niggas outta they spots is to up the quality and quantity. Mmh, that’s just what I see.”

  ‘B’ placed his glass on the bar with a thud. “So whatcha saying, dog, that it’s some other bastards? Come clean, nigga.”

  Rainbow leaned back and stretched his arms along the back of the lounge seat. “What I’m saying is the girls that got took, ain’t mentioned no dreads, man.”

  Sparkle raised his hands and spread his fingers out.

  ‘B’ growled, “Yeah, nigga, what? Raising your hand like you need permission to speak or something.”

  Sparkle shot him a bird., “You ain’t acting like you wanna say it but we can’t rule this nigga Don out of the picture. Hey, it ain’t like he appreciates you dropping boulder rocks around the spots he wants to dominate. And straight up, the nigga don’t particularly like that Mercedes was swept from under him like that, know what I’m saying.” He gave both of them the evil eye. “Hell, probably ain’t the only ho y’all done swiped from that fool either. You just don’t know who had some of these hoes y’all be snatching up like bags of candy, yo.”

  Rainbow frowned and pinched his nose. “Damn, I hadn’t even thought about it that way, but shit that’s the rules of the game, cop and blow; every player knows that. Come to think of it, some hoes be spilling rumors that he had some bitch iced for talking about his business out in the open. And he has been spitting out some nasty bricks about losing that little Mercedes that he considered a diamond.”

  Rainbow’s cell phone started vibrating on his hip. He raised his shirt to view the blinking light. Sparkle could see that it was Duke’s code. Damn, big boy must’ve really jetted down the way this time, he thought. He felt Rainbow hunching his hip and slid over to let him out, wondering why he needed to talk to Duke in private.

  Duke, a six-four, 300-pound hunk of street nigga, was the fourth member of their dude gang-turned-bank-robbing crew. They’d found themselves trapped in a big dope scam that had them in a position where they had to get the kingpin’s digits or die. After that initial debt-clearing adventure, it became their main source of getting the big dough. After a couple of years of good licks, they’d gotten busted when ‘B’ had run into a fire hydrant a few blocks from Five Points during their escape. That first mistake had cost them five years in the joint. From that point, Duke had stayed strictly in the dope game. The rest of them had stayed in whatever game had made them the most money. Eventually, it led to each of them doing a couple of more bits apiece; most recently it had been Sparkle’s latest venture in the lion’s mouth.

  While he was gone, they made plans to get their girls together to go on a boosting run through Alabama. “Yeah, dog, you gonna really like this little diamond Mercedes; she’s funnier than a mug. She out there right now getting the ropes from Yolanda and Violet,” Sparkle said.

  ‘B’ sat there wondering why he hadn’t been told about or introduced to this Mercedes yet, especially since his main squeeze Yolanda was investing her time in the bitch’s development. He frowned. “Whatcha just say?”

  Sparkle repeated himself and ‘B’ frowned some more. “Aw, man, I just sent this new diamond with the prettiest smile a nigga done ever seen that I just scooped over to the crib to hook up with Yo. That’s why I’m over here with Laurie and Pinky because I put a little seal on the deal by letting her groove with the Chrysler. How long they been out, man?”

  Sparkle pinched his nose. “Couldn’t be no more than a hour or so.”

  ‘B’ started nibbling on his bottom lip as he considered what to do. Then he patted Sparkle on the shoulder. “Looka here, dog, I’ve got to make a few runs, so y’all keep me up on what y’all wanna do. You know I’m down with whatever way y’all want to handle it.”

  Sparkle gave him some dap before he left and sat back to wait on Rainbow. He was sure that he’d give him the ups on the Duke thang when he returned. Still he was more than just a little disturbed about all the secrecy.

  CHAPTER TWO

  The Game Heats Up

  Aunt Rose bagged up the sugar babies, chewing gum and Little Debbie cakes for the cutie pie who stayed down the street on Jonesboro Road. When she waved goodbye and disappeared beyond the store window, Rose rushed to the door. She looked in both directions to make sure no one else was coming. She sighed and flipped the “closed” sign around and locked the door.

  After turning off the light switch, she went to her small office in the back and closed that door too. She didn’t want any late-comers disturbing her. She placed a call to Marietta and let the phone ring six times before hanging up in frustration, refusing to leave another message. Where in the hell can that bastard be? He knows damn well we have to have those condos furnished before the week’s out. Ain’t no way he ain’t got at least one of those messages I’ve left over the last few hours. Should’ve been called a bitch by now. That’s what I get for relying on a bitch nigga. No way his ass ain’t satisfied with that last package and nephew getting rid of most of it for him. What more could the nigga ask for? He act like he dealing with some old project bitch or something, she thought grudgingly before dialing the next number.

  Bertha’s tweedy-bird voice brought a smile to her tension-creased face. “Hello, girl, how’s things going? What, that little bitch still pulling those petty-ass stunts? She needs to cut that bullshit out, for real. Fuck her, I wouldn’t even let that shit bother me if I was you. She ain’t gonna do nothing but scream and holler in front of her squad. All those idle threats ain’t about shit. Of course I’m sure of that, otherwise, I wouldn’t tell you so. Is my nephew there?... Damn, he should’ve been back by now. Girl, don’t tell me that he’s still crying about that little ho. He really need to let that there go, for real, yo. …Uh-huh, he just might be. Let me try over there then. I’ll be through there later on. I’ll see you then.”

  She hung up and called Don’s cell number. He picked up right away. “Yo, this be Don, who this?” he said as he put another scoop of coke on the scale before placing it in a baggie.

  “It’s me, nigga, where the hell have you been?” she said while making neat stacks of the money she’d dumped on her desk earlier.

  The tone in her voice made him a little uncomfortable but he had to concentrate on Al, who was zipping another baggie closed before placing it in one of the two large suitcases on the table. He switched the phone to his other hand and rested it between his shoulder and chin. “I been handling my business out here in Lithonia. Why, what’s up?”

  “So you with that nigga Al right now, huh?”

  “Yeah, I be handling that; y
ou know I be on point with my biz, auntie,” he said, knowing Al was listening intently to every word.

  Rose could tell that he didn’t want to talk in Al’s presence, so she decided to end the conversation. “Yeah, yeah, I figured that uh-huh, uh, don’t worry about it. We’ll talk later. I’m getting ready to leave the store in a minute. Is there anything you need me to handle for you before I go home?” She was hoping he’d feel the anxiousness in her voice.

  He could feel that something was bugging her. “Naw, I can’t think of nothing right off the bat. I shouldn’t be here that much longer and then I’m heading for the club. I should be over there in about…” He paused to take a quick peek at his Rolex. “…a little over an hour or so. I tell you what; how about grabbing me some of that beef fried rice from that Chinese joint around the way? Oh yeah, and get them to throw some extra shrimp off in that bitch, too.” She didn’t respond right away so he started to repeat himself. “Hey, did you hear?”

  She was about to tell him she would when she saw a head and a pair of hands pressed against the window. She couldn’t see who it was, but whoever it was had to see the “closed” sign on the door. Her angry erupted immediately. “What the fuck?”

  Don leaned away from the phone, puzzled. “Damn, auntie, why you cussing at me like that there?” All he could hear was her heavy breathing. “Aunt Rose, what?”

  She squatted down, put down the phone, and crept along the floor in a crouch to the counter to get a better look. She peeked over the counter and saw two more figures pressed to the glass. Her nerves and anger were really shaken when she reached up beside the cash register and slid the cigar box off the counter. She swiped several beads of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. She reached into the box to get the snub-nosed .38 she always kept there for occasions like this one. She ran her fingers along the cold steel. The hunter in her had taken over. She belly-crawled to the other end of the counter, took a deep breath and sprung up aiming at the window. There was no one there now. She blinked a couple of times, shook her head and pinched between her eyes, wondering if she was tripping or what. She jumped nervously when she heard a car crank up. She immediately went back into the crouch and eased toward the door. When she pulled the closed sign slightly to the side, she saw a dark-colored sedan pulling away from the curb.

  The first thing to come to her mind was that some of her dead ex-pimp’s enemies from Miami had somehow tracked her down. She put her hand over her mouth measuring the gravity of such a thing happening. She suddenly remembered that she was talking to Don when she had spotted the intruders. She rushed back to the room and heard him yelling in a panicky voice. Wiping the sweat off her face, she picked up the phone. There’s no need to get him all excited, too. “Damn, baby, I’m sorry, I thought I heard some- body rambling around in the back, but it was just a hungry mutt scavenging in the garbage.”

  “Whew, damn, woman, you had me ready to kill up a ton of bricks there for a minute. You aight then?” He wheezed a sigh of relief as he watched Al watching him.

  “Uh-huh, yeah, I’m aight, those damn mutts. I told you to build a fence in the back. Maybe now you will some damn day. Aw, fuck the weak shit, I’m aight. That’s fried rice with beef and shrimp, right?”

  “So you heard me then?” He scratched his scalp.

  “Yeah, I heard ya. See ya later.” She hung up. She was tempted to see if she could find the car those muthafuckas had driven away in but she knew too much time had elapsed. That, along with the busy traffic on Jonesboro Road this time of night, would make it virtually impossible. She finished counting up the day’s receipts and put them in the safe.

  Don was staring at the phone when Al cleared his throat. “You aight, dude? Didn’t look like you was enjoying that conversation too much there.” He sniffled and folded his arms across his chest before he laid them across the table.

  Don took a deep breath and muttered under his breath. “It taint nothing, dog; just some damn mutt in the garbage that had my auntie bugging for a moment there. She cool now.”

  “You say she all right then, right?” Al said with a false pretense of concern.

  Don nodded. “Yeah, she aight. Come on, let’s finish this up so I can get out there where she at. There’s no telling what some of these perverts around this city will do to an old broad by herself.” He scooped up some more of the coke and slid it on the scale.

  “Yeah, let’s do that.” Al glanced at the clock on the far wall and realized that he had to make that run out to Henry County.

  Don was still scooping away when he heard Mona’s voice shouting through the door. “Come and get it, y’all.” His mind was far away. He couldn’t shake the feeling his aunt wasn’t telling him everything. He started to scoop a little faster.

  Al couldn’t help wondering what was really bugging dude. Every since he had talked to him earlier, he felt that something wasn’t right. Was it the pressure of the deadline for providing that furniture or was it something else that he couldn’t put his finger on? “Be there in a minute, baby,” he shouted loud enough for her to hear. He counted out the rest of Don’s share of the coke and put it in one of the suitcases. He slid it across the table. “Here, man, this is the rest of your share. I’ll finish wrapping up the rest of mine later. I can see that you are anxious to split.”

  Don nodded as he counted the bags Al was putting in the suitcase. Despite that they’d been dealing with each for a while now, he still didn’t fully trust him.

  Al spread his arms and gave him a questioning stare. Was he satisfied with the spilt or not? A quick nod from Don indicated that he was. Don picked it up and walked out of the door.

  As he was closing the door, Al imagined bullets exploding inside his head. He blinked and tried to shake the thoughts. Man, what is happening to me? All these murderous ideals running through my mind. Was he enjoying this killing stuff too much or what?

  The sound of Mona calling him again snapped him out of it. Moments later she opened the door frowning with her hands planted sternly on her hips. It was hard to keep from smiling as she stood there in a flowery print apron wrapped around her gorgeous figure. Damn, maybe I can make a lady out of a whore after all, he thought as he rose from the table and walked toward her.

  “Put that stuff up for me,” he grumbled and slapped her ass as he passed through the door.

  “You can help me finish bagging it up after we crunch some of this grub. Oh yeah, and don’t let me forget to call Cede, aight.”

  She rolled her eyes at his departing back, harrumphed and walked over to the table to handle the coke. As she was gathering everything, her eyes sparkled at all the money the coke represented. Her mind sparkled as well, on the thought of spreading her wet pussy and cumming all over Don’s monster dick again. After handling the dope she joined him in the kitchen.

  Al was in a sleepy haze after a night of passionate lovemaking when the phone started ringing. He covered his eyes from the morning dawn sipping through the curtains and picked it up to stop the irritating noise. He gritted at the sleeping Mona, who hadn’t so much as fidget. He yawned and grumbled into the receiver. “Yeah, who this be? Damn, man, don’tcha think it’s kinda early for this shit here? Okay, okay, godayum, how long will it take you to get over here? Shiiit, that’s too soon, my nigga; make it an hour. Yeah, okay, see you then.”

  He tossed the cover over Mona’s inert figure and got up to go to the bathroom. After taking care of his morning hygiene ritual, he came out wrapped in his robe and threw a towel on Mona’s head. She moaned, cracked her eyes a bit and rolled her back to him.

  “Girl, get your ass up and go make us some groceries,” he growled as he pulled the cover from her head and tossed a wad of bills onto her face. She blinked a couple of times, forcing away the sleepy haze, gritted at his departing back and then at the money he had left all over her face and chest. Reluctantly, she sat up and stretched her arms yawning.

  He got to the door and turned around and caught sight of her heavi
ng breasts and the blanket sliding down one of her creamy thighs. He started rubbing his dick without even realizing he was doing it. But now wasn’t the time to get up in that ass so he shook the sexy image from his mind and continued toward the kitchen to brew himself up a strong pot of coffee.

  He was sipping on his fourth cup as he eyed Johnny B slap the wad of bills on the foosball machine in the game room. He was a little concerned about the agitated look on his face but chalked it up as early morning blues or the anxiousness of having to take care of business that early in the morning.

  ‘B’ was wondering why Sparkle nor Rainbow hadn’t called him since they’d separated the previous night at the club. He’d finally gotten home girl’s name right—Mariah—after a night of kicking it with her, Yolanda, Violet, Mercedes and Stacy. They had all gotten blitzed on blunts til dawn. Matter of fact he had made plans to hook back up with them after he’d taken care of his biz with Al. They’d pulled out of the La Quinta Inn in Lithonia with thoughts of getting back together in a couple of hours.

  He’d been unsuccessful in catching his boy Duke, so he had to rely on his third connection, Al, whom he really didn’t care dealing with because he charged so much more than his other folk. But he was on his dick and had to get shit rolling whichever way he could. So, dealing with Al and the extra ends he had to kick out caused him to have plenty of attitude.

  Al could care less what he was going through as he tightened the sash of his silk blue robe and adjusted the glasses on his nose with the back of his thumb. “Do I need to count this, man,” he grunted. He lifted the money off of the table.

  ‘B’ blinked a few times and sniffled. “Huh, naw, dog, you know that it’s all there as usual.”