by L. E. Newell
Beverly knew that it was time for her to intervene. “Ladies, ladies, I can see that y’all really enjoy each other’s company. But shall we go ahead with your report, Woo? Or do I need to continue to referee this cat fight y’all insist on having?”
Woo rolled her eyes away from Sarah and smiled at Beverly. “No, bossa lady, no fight. I just want to keep you up on the activity on the hotel strip. I really think we are close to wrapping up the goods on one of the suppliers.” She leaned back in the chair and wiped her mouth studying both women, wondering whether she should let them know about the deputy chief. But the look on Sarah’s face sealed the no on that announcement.
Beverly leaned back in her own seat, all business now. “And please continue.” She leaned forward to rest her chin on her hands that she had pyramided on her cluttered desk.
Woo shifted again in the seat, really cautious now as to how much she could or should say in front of them. Not feeling comfortable, she quickly decided to feed out only enough to let her know that she was still hard on the case. Besides, she felt that she had to dig a little deeper before she turned over what she knew of the deputy chief’s obviously illegal activities. There was no telling what all that dirty bastard had his filthy hands in. Maybe what she saw at the Farmers Market was only the tip of the iceberg of a much bigger operation; and well worth investigating further before she let the big heads in on it. After all, he was still one of them, which meant that she had to walk very carefully or she’d wound up in some deep bullshit—shit so deep that she might not be able to dig herself out of it.
And if things proved to be a lot bigger, she surely wasn’t beyond blackmailing him. What the fuck; he was a dirty cop. She squeezed her eyes that much more tighter. “I’ve, I mean, we’ve tracked the source as coming from a major supplier in Miami.”
Sarah fidgeted in her seat and leaned forward, making sure to show the little bitch just as much disrespect as she had shown. She wrinkled her nose and ran her eyes up and down her body. She fought back the urge to reach across the table and slap her one good one upside her head, praying that the little bitch could see the hatred in her eyes. She chanced a peek at the chief and quickly looked away when their eyes met. The look on Beverly’s face made her feel ashamed at the way she was allowing her personal dislike for the diminutive pest to affect her professional attitude.
It was hard but Sarah managed to swallow her anger and pride. Snorting out of self-disgust, she wrinkled her nose, then twisted around in the seat before she squared her shoulders and said in a gravelly tone, “Lt. Woo, we really do appreciate your keeping us informed with your progress.” She paused to clear her throat and crossed her legs as she snuck another peek at Beverly. “We’ll put it with the rest of the data we’ve collected so far.” Satisfied with the bewildered look on Woo’s face, she sat back and eyed the chief questionably and rolled them nastily from her adversary.
Woo squeezed her eyes into tight little slits as she conceded for the moment and reluctantly placed her paperwork on the desk. She leaned back in the seat and took a deep breath thinking, What in the hell is up with this bitch? She tried to get a handle on what Sarah was really feeling, especially since she had never agreed with anything she had ever said before. Blinking her eyes rapidly, she rolled them to the ceiling and pinched the bridge of her nose to help fight off the urge to reach out and slap the taste out of her smirking mouth. It was really hard but she managed to restrain herself.
Beverly covered her mouth with her eyes roaming from one to the other. The tension between them was evident. A smile crept to the corners of her mouth as she admired the way Sarah was forcing her feelings aside to display a sampling of professional manner. Since she would never pick sides the way they wanted her to, she cleared her throat to show she wasn’t in the mood for any of their nonsense. It was also a wedge to shield the rift between the two wannabe combatants as she gathered her own thoughts for a response.
She shook her head trying to erase the comical image of a cat fight out of her mind and smiled demurely at each of them in turn. Pinching her nose as she dug a finger in her ear, she snorted several times to relieve the sudden itch there before she began to reshuffle the papers on her desk. After a couple of moments of icy silence, she stated in a stern voice, “Okay, ladies, now that we’ve taken the time to get the ants out of our panties, shall we go on?”
Woo blinked a few times as if she was coming out of a trance and started massaging her neck and collarbone. While Sarah squeezed the bridge of her nose and pulled on her earlobe. Beverly felt that her display of sternness was a worthy attention-getter, licked her lips and rubbed the corner of her partially opened mouth with her baby finger. “Lieutenant Woo, we are already aware of this so-called Miami connection.” She squinted at the befuddled Woo. “So I think you should dig a little deeper before you bust up in my office like it’s your private domain. And please excuse yourself now and investigate further. Thank you, you’re dismissed.”
Beverly placed her hands on her desk and stood up with them set firmly on her hips to indicate that the meeting was over. She ignored the smirk on Sarah’s face.
Woo rose stiffly, rolled her eyes at Sarah, which certainly didn’t go unnoticed and left the room.
“Ooooooh, that little bitch is gonna kung fu somebody’s ass, for sure,” Beverly said as she turned her attention back to Sarah. “Sarah, could you please stop gloating long enough to handle these for me?” She pushed a small stack of papers at her.
She managed to maintain a stoic look until Sarah left the office and then she picked up the phone. As she waited for the other end to pick up she couldn’t help from feeling that Woo was holding back on her. Maybe it was because she didn’t want to discuss her affairs in the presence of Sarah, or maybe there were other reasons. Whatever it was didn’t sit too well with her. Would it become necessary to start looking at Woo as an adversary?
CHAPTER SEVEN
Snazzy Bitches on the Prowl
Rainbow and Sparkle were cruising along I-20 on their way to Al’s poker game when they spotted Yolanda on the corner of Candler Road waiting to cross the intersection. She immediately broke out into a cheesy grin and started waving her arms frantically to get them to slow down.
Rainbow pulled onto the shoulder and cut an eye over at his boy and they both turned to watch her dodge through the fast-moving traffic to get to them. As she got nearer, Rainbow cocked a brow. “Hey, dog, I thought that bitch was supposed to be showing Mercedes and that new ho of B’s the ropes with Violet?”
Sparkle hunched his shoulders and turned around to watch her through the rearview mirror. He wondered the same, but his main concern was about his girls since he hadn’t heard anything from them in awhile. He started massaging his chin as he studied her while she reached for the door handle. He felt better when she didn’t show any discomfort as she wiggled to get comfortable in the seat.
Rainbow turned around frowning at her over the top of his sunshades before he looked at Sparkle. “Cool with me if you ain’t bugging about your woman, man; hell, so why should I?”
Acting like she hadn’t heard a word, Yolanda leaned forward to press her elbows on the top of the seat and said cheerfully, “Where y’all niggas headed?”
“We were wondering the same thing about you, Miss Slick,” Rainbow answered as he turned back around and steered into the speeding traffic.
“Yeah, girl, where’s everybody?” Sparkle added.
Yolanda reached across the seat and pushed both of them on the side their heads playfully. “They up at Clara’s room waiting for me to get back. I know y’all niggas got a blast for the head, so hit a bitch off with a little something-something.” She put on an award-winning smile, placed her hand on Rainbow’s shoulder and used the other hand to reach into his shirt pocket, which earned her a quick slap on the wrist.
They eyed each other from the corners of their eyes, both fully aware that ‘B’ had gone to score a nice piece of coke from Al. So why hadn’t he given h
is so-called main squeeze any of that?
Sparkle responded first by turning his mouth, which drew her immediate attention. He felt rather than saw the contempt on her face as she slithered closer over to him. So close that he could feel her breath on his neck. She wasn’t hesitant to spit. “Damn, bro, why you gotta be gritting like that there? Like I done said something wrong.”
He leaned away, causing her to shift her head back before she held her hand in front of her face, blew her breath into it and sniffed. “What, nigga, my shit humming or something?”
He shook his head and smile at her witty ass. “Girl, you something else,” he mumbled under his breath before he said in a louder voice, “Naw, shawtie, yo shit don’t stink. I was just wondering why and how yo slick ass managed to leave Violet and them in a hotel room while you go scouting for some dope that should already be in the room with Clara since our boy just scored some shit a little while ago.”
She leaned away from him like she was in total shock, definitely not wanting to believe that her nigga had done her like that. “Man, ‘B’ left us in the room over an hour ago and you saying that he had a fresh package. That son of a bitch ain’t said a damn thing about it either. Fuck that, I ain’t gonna be sitting around sucking on my thumb waiting on his ass. Hell, I got my own muthafucking money.”
She pushed Rainbow on the shoulder before adding. “Hey, to tell y’all the truth, I was out here hunting down an eight ball or something before we hit the road again. Oh yeah, and those two new honeys are wild for a bitch. Must be both of their first time mixing a speedball with ganja. Hell, they back there geeking for a bitch.”
She definitely caught Sparkle’s attention and he turned around and squinted at her. “Why you say it like that, woman?”
She gave him a quick snake roll with a smirk on her face. “Shit, nigga, that little thang of yours is so hyped by all the shit me and Violet been pumping into her. Hell, let’s just say that she’s up there wilding out, ready to go and try to steal the muthafucking Hope Diamond. Dog, she even up there giving up lap dances and everything, she so pumped up.”
Rainbow bellowed in laughter and punched Sparkle on the shoulder. “Looks like you done found you a winner in little mama there, dog.”
He caught Yolanda’s eye in the mirror before he tossed her a fifty block over his shoulder. “So when y’all going to get started on this stealing spree you talking about?”
Even though she was accustomed to using her wiles to get what she wanted from gangstas of all different kinds of lowlife living, she wasn’t expecting him to throw her some dope like that. She smiled and looked around nervously at the ongoing traffic like he’d tossed her some top secret information, then she opened the small plastic Ziploc bag and chipped off a piece of the rock. She magically produced a shooter and put a piece to blaze and replied between harrumphs, “‘B’ called about a half hour ago to let us know that he’d pick us up in a bit. But we a bunch of bitches that know y’all niggas full of shit, so I decided that I was gonna hit the street and find us some stuff to do while we waited on his ass.” She was never a big hitter, so after that first blast, she rolled the rest of the rock back into the baggie and placed it and the shooter back inside of her bra.
The two hustlers gave each other puzzled looks before Rainbow arched his brow and pulled into the exit lane. Suddenly, a thought hit him and he crossed over Wesley Chapel and reentered the interstate and headed back in the same direction. After a half-mile or so of heading that way, he noticed a smirk on Yolanda’s face in the mirror. This conniving-ass ho been working us from the get-go, knowing damn well that my boy here would be wanting to check up on his girls after what she had said. Uh-huh, her slick ass was figuring that she could get a free high and get back there without costing her jive ass one red penny, fucking bitch, he thought as he saw the Red Roof sign in the distance. He cut an eye at his boy and knew instantly that he was thinking the same thing. All he could do was shake his head and honor the bitch’s gaming skills.
The parking lot was full of cars as they stepped out and followed her swinging that big ass of hers like she was trying to entice whatever male eyes were in the vicinity. They smiled at each other as they fell in behind her like they were following the Pied Piper. No sooner had they entered the room when the little Asian sparkplug jumped up and wrapped her legs around Sparkle’s waist.
Rainbow pssted and harrumphed at the excitement on his boy’s face as the little bitch worked her magic on him.
Sparkle twirled her around like she was light as a feather. “What’s this I hear about you showing out up in here, sweetie?”
She smiled with glittering eyes. “Me happy to see you, daddy.” She looked undereyed batting her long lashes at him and then started sulking with a sexy pout.
Rainbow had sat on the bed between Violet and Clara but when he saw the way Sparkle had melted under the little ho’s charm, he got up and gave Sparkle a disgusting frown and headed for the bathroom. He couldn’t believe his boy was going for that after watching how he’d handled women for all these years. He had to admit that the bitch was certainly due some praise because she was putting in some serious work on him. He closed the bathroom door knowing that he had to get in his boy’s shit later on. No way was he going to let him be played like a trick, period.
After relieving himself, Rainbow stepped back into the room and immediately started gritting at them swapping straight shooters and gleaming at a XXX-rated porn flick on the TV. Fucking freak, he thought, checking out the wild-eyed group.
He was finally able to catch his boy’s attention and waved for him to join him. When he didn’t move right away he started jerking his head and threw his arms in the air mouthing. “Nigga, whaddafuck.” He waited until he got within earshot and away from the girls to whisper. “Damn, soldier, what it take, a fucking grenade? I really need to holla atcha sucker ass for a few.”
Sparkle slowed down when he saw the expression on his face. What’s his fucking problem? He followed him into the bathroom. Without thinking he closed the door and plunged them into total darkness. He flipped on the switch and turned around only to jump back because they were so close that all they had to do was flinch their lips and they’d be kissing. Damn.
From the way Rainbow’s brows were knitted tight, he knew this was a serious matter. But he couldn’t figure out for the life of him what the problem was, so he opened his mouth to say something only to meet Rainbow’s raised palm to cut him off. He backed away and sat on the bathtub.
Rainbow leaned back against the wall and started knuckling the corners of his eyes for a second or two before he sighed. “Nigga, how can you let that bitch play you like that?” he said with a hard grit.
Really confused now, Sparkle pinched his nose and pressed his back against the door. “Play me like what, dog, what the fuck are you talking about?”
Rainbow stared at him for a moment before he looked away and started massaging his neck and rotated his shoulders. Then he sighed heavily again. “Check this out, partner. How many times do I have to tell you don’t be allowing no bitch to show all those type of outward emotions in front of your other girl?” He held up both hands when he saw he was about to reply before he was finished with what he wanted to get out. “What ten, twenty, a hundred muthafucking times?”
Sparkle made a face. He really wanted to say something like it not being that important but held his tongue because he sensed him in one of his hardcore pimping modes. He shifted his feet from side to side waiting for whatever was to come next. Then he realized that he was waiting for his reply, so he flexed his shoulders. “Yeah, uh-huh, about that many times, mmm–hmm, about a hundred fucking times is all.”
He’d barely gotten the last word out when Rainbow leaned in closer and hissed. “You damn right about that fucking many.” He paused to take another deep breath. “Do I really have to tell you why?”
Sparkle started rubbing his chin, looking like he was in deep thought before he sighed. “Because I don’t wan
t to give Violet or any other bitch I’ve hooked something that she can compare my actions to her with.”
Rainbow coughed into his fist before he finally smiled. “Yeah, that too, but the way I see it, playa, is that the little bitch ain’t paid nearly enough dues where she deserves no kind of favoritism and especially in front of an old player like Violet. Dude, old girl done earned her stripes with you and this ho is just starting, feel me?”
Sparkle frowned and folded his arms across his chest. “Favoritism, man, how am I showing her any kind of favoritism?”
Rainbow sat on the toilet and crossed his legs. “Let me ask you this? How long, naw, naw, let me put it this way. Have you ever let Violet hug and kiss on you openly in front of her and other folk? Nigga ain’t no need to go scratching your fucking head and shit.”
Sparkle looked to the side. “Never, man, she ain’t never did it.”
“Exactly, that’s because she’s been in the game long enough to know that a ho ain’t supposed to do that shit there, period. So don’t be letting shortie girl do it either. In other words playa make her earn her stripes and then you still don’t allow her to do that shit in front of your crew partner. You feeling me on this?” He didn’t give him the time to respond as he kept it going with, “So now what you got to do is put that little bitch on front street and let her know that she fucking special. So when we step out of this bitch, don’t say a word to her. Go grab Violet and y’all split. Go back to y’all crib, fuck the brakes off her old ass, get higher than a muthafucka, whatever. And don’t worry about shortie; I got her. Better still, I’ll get Clara and Yolanda to preach to her about the do’s and don’ts. Just gon’ enjoy your time with Violet and me and ‘B’’ll get her on the boosting track where her ass belongs.”
“Thought you was locked on going over to Al’s to do your poker thang?”
