Caught Up

by Shannon Holmes

  Dixyn remained silent. She could care less what he had to say.

  He continued, “I know this might sound crazy, but all I ever tried to do was look out for you, hold you down, be your friend, fam.”

  “Friend?” Dixyn cried in disbelief.

  “C’mon, fam. I know our signals somehow got crossed, but if it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t still have that house or that car.”

  “And if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have a murder charge possibly hanging over my head. And if it wasn’t for you, my friend Kendra wouldn’t be dead, not to mention a whole lotta other people. And if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be stressed the fuck out, way up here in New York City, going half-crazy looking for my fuckin’ child. I don’t know what kinda sick vendetta you got against ya brother, but I wish you hadn’t involved me or my daughter in it!”

  Dixyn was glad that her daughter was on the other side of the bathroom door; she didn’t want her to witness any of this. And B-Dub’s girlfriend was still bound and gagged.

  “You’re only goin’ to make the situation worse,” he warned. “It’s not worth it, believe me, fam. This is all a big mistake.” B-Dub began inching his way toward Dixyn, hoping she wouldn’t notice.

  But she did. She readjusted her grip and held the gun steady. She was running out of patience and B-Dub was running out of time.

  “Dixyn, come on now, put the gun down,” he coaxed. Then suddenly he lunged for it.

  The gunshot was just an instinctive reaction. Dixyn’s mind couldn’t fully process what was happening. It was as if everything was taking place in slow-motion. She watched as the projectile flew at him and slammed into his chest, knocking him back a few feet.

  Starting when she was a teenager, Dixyn had been trained to shoot firearms in the backwoods of Virginia by her stepfather. That training was serving her well right now. She was not disturbed by the loud report or the kick of the gun. After the weapon recoiled, she repositioned herself, took aim, and prepared to fire again, if need be.

  A dead silence enveloped the apartment, though Dixyn could hear her daughter crying in the bathroom.

  “You fuckin’ bitch! You fuckin’ shot me!” B-Dub wheezed as blood flowed freely from a wound in his upper torso. “You gon’ pay for this.” Enraged, he charged at Dixyn with such ferocity that she thought he had lost his mind. Without fear or hesitation, she let off three more shots in rapid succession. The impact of the bullets propelled B-Dub backward, and he crumpled.

  Like a trained assassin, Dixyn cautiously approached her victim as he writhed on the floor.

  “Fam, I’m fuckin’ bleeding to death . . . Call 911 . . . Get me to a hospital before it’s too late.”

  Dixyn thought about all the humiliation she had endured at the hands of B-Dub: the threat of blackmail, the attempted rape, the abduction of her daughter. Then there were the murders of Kendra and the other two strippers. Her decision was irreversible. She showed no mercy.

  “If I were you, I wouldn’t worry too much about where I’m goin’. There’s only one place you can go.” Dixyn stood over him, took aim, and squeezed the trigger one last time. “Go to hell, muthafucka!”

  Death was Dixyn’s only way out of this situation. She had no remorse whatsoever for what she had just done. In her book, B-Dub deserved to die. She knew that if she’d let him live, showed him leniency, the decision would have come back to haunt her. This was only way it could have ended between them: in a hail of bullets.

  Epilogue

  Dixyn’s foray into the world of stripping was fueled by money, or the lack thereof, and while she had good intentions, ultimately it had been a terrible decision. The repercussions were still being felt. Murder was a tough thing for her to digest, especially the murder of Camilla. That was something she would always regret. Although Camilla hadn’t harmed Ava in any way, shape, or form, her death was collateral damage. Camilla was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Had she been left alive, Dixyn would have had to spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder, waiting for the police to arrest her. Dixyn had killed her in the most painless way possible: she’d held Camilla’s head underwater in the tub until the woman, still tied up, stopped struggling and then stopped breathing. With the deaths of Chocolate, Fonda, Kendra, B-Dub, and now Camilla, she was sure that her secrets were now safe.

  In light of all the recent drama, Dixyn decided to push the reset button on her life. Going back to the basics, she rid herself of the town house and the SUV—not because they were symbols of what had happened, but because she could no longer afford such luxuries. Dixyn had been pampered and spoiled by Bryce, and in his absence she’d been forced to stand on her own two feet. Although she hadn’t liked the outcome, she enjoyed the sense of empowerment that handling her own business gave her. If she did it once, she could do it again, this time the right way.

  She decided to move back home and start from scratch. She discovered that the material possessions she had cherished held no real value in her life anymore. Now she would get the things she needed the old-fashioned way: by working for them. If she didn’t earn it, then she didn’t want it, end of story. It was all about Ava. Family came first from this point on.

  * * *

  There was one more matter that Dixyn had to address before she could move on, and that was her relationship with her fiancé and his dire legal situation. Dixyn had come clean to Bryce about the stripping and her situation with B-Dub—she’d told him everything except the murders. He responded poorly, just as she thought he would. It was then that Dixyn realized they were moving in opposite directions. She was starting a new life, while he was still answering for the actions of his old life.

  While initially Bryce didn’t like the decision, over time he learned not only to accept it, but to respect it. After all, he had fifteen years to serve, and that was a very long time by anyone’s standards. Together they made a pact to be the best parents they could under the circumstances. She would bring her daughter to visit him whenever time and money allowed. When Bryce got close to being released from prison, they would broach the subject of reconciliation.

  For the time being, they would focus on just being friends.

  SHANNON HOLMES wrote his first novel, the urban classic B-More Careful, while serving a five-year prison sentence. Upon his release, Holmes found instant success: the novel would go on to sell 100,000 copies its first year of publication, and more than 350,000 to date. He currently lives in New York City and is working on B-More Careful 2, a sequel to his debut novel.

  The White House

  by JaQuavis Coleman

  One house . . . one robbery . . . one mistake . . . sexual intrigue and violence intermingle in this tense urban thriller.

  “The White House is a fast-paced thriller that doesn’t disappoint.” —Urban Reviews

  “The White House by JaQuavis Coleman starts with a bang and will leave you wanting more.”—Book Referees

  “Kidnapping, murder, and mayhem lead [Draya]—and the reader—through a harrowing and twisting plot to an explosive ending that no one sees coming.”—Reading in Black & White

  The White House is based on true events, reimagining the dark chronicles of a notorious drug kingpin’s death, and the unfortunate events that followed.

  The young heroine Draya lives paycheck to paycheck, laboring as a maid in a luxurious white house. One day, in the course of performing her duties, she is presented with an irresistible opportunity for a quick—and risky—payday. What unfolds in the white house changes the course of her life. Kidnapping, murder, and mayhem lead her—and the reader—through a harrowing and twisting plot to an explosive ending that no one sees coming. Look through the eyes of this young woman and glimpse how a life can forever be altered due to an unfortunate series of events—all touched off in a legendary white house.

  JaQUAVIS COLEMAN, the New York Times best-selling author of Dopeman’s Trilogy, first burst onto the scene at the age of eighteen and quickly became a nationwide lite
rary phenomenon. He and his wife Ashley Antoinette have coauthored numerous “street fiction” classics. With the birth of the Cartel series, the “Ashley and JaQuavis” brand took off. In 2013, twenty-seven-year-old Coleman was honored by Ebony magazine as being one of the Top 100 most influential African Americans in the country.

  The White House is available in hardcover and paperback from our website and in bookstores everywhere. The e-book edition is available wherever e-books are sold.

  Black Lotus

  by K'Wan

  Finding the Black Lotus murderer is Detective Wolf’s chance to avoid an Internal Affairs investigation. That’s when things get personal.

  Selected for the Library Services for Youth in Custody 2015 In The Margins List

  One of Library Journal‘s Best African American Fiction Books of 2014

  “[A] heart-thumping thriller . . . K’wan does a masterful job of keeping readers on their toes right up to the very last page.” —Publishers Weekly

  “Fans expecting another thug-in-the-street story will be pleasantly surprised at this rough police procedural.” —Library Journal

  “One of hip-hop fiction’s hottest authors.” —King

  “K’wan steadily builds to a frantic, movie-worthy climax.”—Entertainment Weekly

  “The legacies of Iceberg Slim and Donald Goines are forever preserved.”—Upscale

  Detective James Wolf earned the nickname Lone Wolf from his inability to work with a partner. He’s a hard cop who doesn’t mind bending the rules to the point of breaking them to make a case, which is why Internal Affairs is digging in his backyard, looking for buried bones. People are starting to wonder: Which side of the law is the Lone Wolf really hunting for? His career hanging on by a thread, he needs a major show of good faith to keep employed and out of prison. That’s when he gets the call.

  From the moment he arrives at the crime scene, Detective Wolf knows that he’s in over his head. He’s a narcotics detective, called in to consult on a homicide, but this is no ordinary homicide—a priest was butchered and left for dead inside his own church, with the promise of more bodies to follow. The only lead is the killer’s calling card: a black lotus flower left at the crime scene. Detective Wolf now has the opportunity to quietly track and stop the Black Lotus before the next victim is claimed, in exchange for wiping his service record clean.

  Accepting this case started as Detective Wolf’s attempt to get Internal Affairs off his back. But when his hunt for the Black Lotus leads him to a cold case from his past, it becomes personal.

  K’WAN is a best-selling, award-winning author of over a dozen titles, including The Fix, Gangsta, Road Dawgz, Street Dreams, Hoodlum, Hood Rat, Section 8, Animal, and Animal II. He has been featured in Vibe, King, Entertainment Weekly, and Time magazine. K’wan was the recipient of the 2012 and 2013 Street Lit Book Award Medals (SLBAM) in adult fiction for Eviction Notice and Animal. His credits also include featured commentary in the documentary Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp (produced by Ice-T) as well as a recurring role as an analyst on TV One’s Celebrity Crime Files. K’wan currently resides in New Jersey where he is working on his next novel.

  Black Lotus is available in hardcover and paperback from our website and in bookstores everywhere. The e-book edition is available wherever e-books are sold.

  Swing

  by Miasha

  An erotic drama about four sexy couples and one swingers’ club where their fantasies and nightmares collide.

  “This newest offering from Miasha packs quite a punch . . . This erotic thriller keeps the drama and the sex coming from start to finish.” —Library Journal

  “Miasha is a writer to watch.” —Publishers Weekly

  “Miasha writes with the fatal stroke of a butcher knife.”—Omar Tyree, author of Insanity

  “She’s the crème de la crème.”—Vickie M. Stringer, author of Dirty Red

  “Miasha writes with fire.” —Crystal Lacey Winslow, author of Life, Love & Loneliness

  Lyssa and Jacob, owners of the swingers’ club Puss and Boots, have been living an active swingers lifestyle ever since their two children moved out of the house. Every couple months they hire a “live-in,” a girl who in exchange for room, board, and a paycheck provides sex on demand.

  Danielle and Stewart met each other at a swingers’ club eight years ago. They fell in love and married, soon becoming regulars at Puss and Boots before obtaining their own private room in the club.

  JuJu and Ferrari are the epitome of opposites attract. She’s fifty, he’s thirty. She is wild and outgoing and he is reserved and laid-back. She’s a millionaire former model; he’s a college dropout wannabe model. They’ve been going to Puss and Boots since the club opened two years ago.

  Tori and Kevin always talked about experimenting with threesomes and group sex but never made time to act on their thoughts and wishes. Well, it’s Kevin’s thirtieth birthday, and what better gift than a surprise visit to Puss and Boots?

  Swing is the story of the treacherous and steamy collisions in the lives of these four couples. Roped with sultry scandals and lustful lies, this novella will propel readers to their highest highs and drop them to their lowest lows.

  MIASHA is the author of several best-selling novels, including Secret Society and Diary of a Mistress. Her books have received rave reviews in national media such as BET, CBS, CN8, The Wendy Williams Experience, Essence, Vibe, Jet, and Elle. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and two sons.

  Swing is available in hardcover and paperback from our website and in bookstores everywhere. The e-book edition is available wherever e-books are sold.

  H.N.I.C.

  by Albert "Prodigy" Johson

  with Steven Savile

  Prodigy, from the legendary hip-hop group Mobb Deep, launches Akashic’s new Infamous Books imprint with a story of loyalty, vengeance, and greed.

  “After reading this can’t-take-my-eyes-from-the-pages hardened street novella, I’m thinking less is much more. The authors’ writing rarely misses a beat with characters caught in a violent criminal world with no escape. The work is a breath of fresh air from lengthy, trying-too-hard-to-shock street lit and is an excellent choice for all metropolitan collections.” —Library Journal (starred review, Pick of the Month)

  “The urban setting is unnamed but familiar in this brief, bloody tale of wasted lives lived short and hard.” —Publishers Weekly

  “Simultaneously a fast-paced crime drama and an engrossing, unsentimental moral tale, H.N.I.C. peers into the dark heart that underpins the codes of loyalty and friendship, betrayal and vengeance.” —Brooklyn Daily Eagle

  “In a genre that too often places incorrect ebonics in the mouths of black characters and fails to cross the empathy gap to get into their heads, Savile and Prodigy arrive at a seamless voice that is a refreshing take on crime fiction tropes . . . if tone and texture are what you’re looking for in your hardcore literature . . . H.N.I.C. delivers the goods.” —Okayplayer

  “H.N.I.C. is written by Prodigy himself and shows the extent to which good rappers can make good storytellers.” —Brooklyn Based

  “If you don’t have this novella in your library collection already, please be on the lookout for this 2013 release, H.N.I.C., penned by Hip Hop artist Prodigy of the group, Mobb Deep.” —StreetLiterature.com

  “The strength of this novella, in addition to its straightforward prose and rapid pacing, rests on the universal theme at its center: loyalty. Loyalty and the bullshit our friends put us through . . . Like any good work of crime, H.N.I.C. is grounded in such common experiences and, like any good work of crime, it speaks to all of us, despite the fact that very few of us can bypass an alarm system through some computer trickery.” —Nerds of a Feather, Flock Together

  “It tells the…urban tale of deceit, greed and questioned loyalty with just enough drama to keep you turning the pages.” —Literary Jewels

  “A brutal and quick read . . . custom-made for the big screen.” �
��Charles Tatum’s Review Archive

  “You can tell that a true lyricist created this gritty tale about greed, betrayal, and street romance. The wordplay is dead on. Combine that with the details that give the freshness of immediate experience and you are no longer reading the story, you are suddenly a character in it. This is what good writing does—it puts you right there in the middle of the action. Excellent read. Salute!” —Miasha, best-selling author of Secret Society

  “Prodigy is a proven storyteller and his skills spill over into the literature game effortlessly. This is a five-star read.” —JaQuavis Coleman, best-selling coauthor of the Cartel series

  “H.N.I.C. is a quick yet engaging read that kept me flipping the pages to see what would happen next.” —K’wan, best-selling author of Animal

  Pappy tries to break out of the game before the head of his crew, Black, gets them all killed. Against his better judgment Pappy agrees to do one last job, but only because it’s the price of his freedom. He knows Black can’t be trusted. He knows his “brother” would rather see him dead than let him walk away. Yet he still agrees to do the job because Black isn’t the only one who can’t be trusted. Sometimes you have to kill for what you want.

  Further developing the stark realism and uncompromising streetwise narratives of his lyrics, H.N.I.C. cements Prodigy’s position as one of the foremost chroniclers of contemporary urban life. Simultaneously a fast-paced crime drama and an engrossing, unsentimental moral tale, H.N.I.C. peers into the dark heart that underpins the codes of loyalty and friendship, betrayal and vengeance.