Cheaper to Keep Her part 3 (More Money More Problems)

by Unique, Kiki Swinson presents

  I couldn’t stand being in the dark so I asked him, “Do you know how long they’ve had her?”

  “As far as we know, they scooped her up two nights ago after she left the shop.”

  “How do you know that?” I continued my inquiry.

  “I’ve got my sources.”

  “Well, did your sources tell you where she was taken?” I could understand that he was under a lot of stress but so was I. Hearing about a woman whom you had close ties to being kidnapped was scary.

  “Do you think we would be having this conversation if I knew where she was?” he replied sarcastically.

  “Well, don’t bite my fucking head off. I’m only trying to help.”

  “You can help me by staying out of my way. I’ve got everything under control,” Bishop snapped.

  Taken aback by his disrespectful behavior I wanted to curse him out, but instead of choosing that way, I threw my hands up and went into my bedroom. After I closed my bedroom door, I stood next to it to eavesdrop on Bishop’s conversation with Monty and Torch. I heard all three of them talking amongst themselves but I couldn’t decipher a word they were saying, so I acted as if I had to use the bathroom and walked back into the hallway. It shocked me that the living room went completely silent the moment I came back out of my bedroom. Noticing this gave me an uneasy feeling, so I went straight into the bathroom and closed the door behind me.

  While I was washing my hands, Bishop knocked on the door and told me he was about to leave. I hurried up to draw my hands with one of my decorated bathroom towels and opened the door before he walked away from it.

  “So, you’re gonna leave me here by myself?” I wondered aloud as he stood before me.

  “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Nobody knows where this apartment is,” he assured me.

  I kind of believed him because why else would he hide his dope here? Cats in the game only stashed their money and drugs in spots where people would least expect or had no knowledge of. Because of this, I started to feel just a tab bit better.

  “Are you coming back?” I asked him.

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Well, would you at least call to check on me every so often?” I damn near pleaded.

  “Yeah, I’ll call you when I can,” he said.

  Before he walked away I leaned towards him and he kissed me and said goodbye. I followed him along with Torch and Monty to the front door and watched them all as they left. After they hopped into of Bishop’s vehicle, I closed the front door and locked it.

  I tried to cope with the fact that Bria had been kidnapped and that she tried to call me, but my mind wouldn’t allow me to come to grips with it. The thoughts of someone hurting her gave me chills. I didn’t care how or why she was kidnapped; I just knew that she didn’t deserve any of this. So, I hoped that Bishop and his crew got to her before something tragic happened.

  I swear I was mentally worn out. I was so tired of placing myself in the middle of violence. Damn, I actually felt like a violence magnet. I couldn’t get away from the shit. Can’t we just all get along?

  I knew if Bishop came back and told me Bria was found dead, I’d flip out and cry my heart out first and then I’d catch the next bus out and heading west. The next time anyone would see me would be in the afterlife, sipping on a Blue Martini with an orange slice garnished on the side of my glass. I figured that life would be better than the one I lived in now. Between the bitches I deemed a friend and the niggas that called themselves my man, I struck out every time I swung at the bat. Now how fucked up was that? If my mom would’ve played the mommy role in my life, I knew I wouldn’t be here.

  Life is a BITCH!

  Cheaper to Keep Her part 3 Unique

  America’s Most Wanted – Chapter Eight

  Several hours after Bishop left, I got in the bed and tossed and turned all night. The different types of sounds I heard outside of my bedroom window had me somewhat on edge. At one point I thought there was someone inside of the apartment, but when I got up to investigate, I realized I was the only one in the apartment. Relieved that I was just hearing imaginary sounds, I was able to get back in bed and fall asleep.

  The following morning I woke up around nine and immediately zoomed in on my Blackberry and noticed Bishop hadn’t called while I was asleep. A little worried because I hadn’t spoken to him since last night, I called him. To my surprise Keisha answered his phone.

  “Bitch, you ain’t got enough of fucking with my man, huh?” she spat.

  Hearing Keisha’s rant coming through the phone made me cringe. I had called to check on Bishop and to find out the status of Bria, but got this bitch on the phone instead. I swear she had barked up the wrong fucking tree this time and I unleashed my wrath with vengeance. “You got a motherfucking nerve, you fat bitch!” I roared. “Why do you insist on thinking Bishop is your man? He’s my man, you slut bucket! He came all the way down south to pick me up and brought me back to his hometown so we could be together. Now, shouldn’t that tell you that he’s my motherfucking man?”

  “Listen, you fucking ho! Bishop and I got history, so I wouldn’t let you or any other gutter ass bitch jeopardize that!” she snapped.

  “Bitch, please! He and I are already making plans to leave this fucked up ass place and head out West,” I laughed in her ear. I wanted her to hear the humor in my voice, so she would know I wasn’t fazed by her threats. I also had to show her that I was in a better position to walk away with Bishop. I was more of a thorough bitch than she was. All she wanted to do was sit around and eat herself too death and try to scare off every chick that Bishop brought into his life. Evidently, he was tired of her fat ass. Why else would he put me up in a place, pay all my bills, put me in a car and give me an allowance once a week? Okay granted, he had been acting kind of shitty these last few days. But with all the stress and demands he had on a daily basis he’s entitled to have mood swings. I just wished he wouldn’t take his frustrations out on me anymore.

  “Why the fuck you answered my phone? And who the hell you talking to?” I heard Bishop roar in the background.

  “It’s that dumb bitch you had with you at the mall!” Keisha yelled.

  “Give me my motherfucking phone!” Bishop snapped and then I heard a little scuffle noise. Seconds later, the line disconnected.

  Shocked at what had just gone down between Keisha and Bishop, I stood there with my Blackberry in hand and waited for him to call me back. I waited for three minutes and when my phone hadn’t rung, I called him back. Unfortunately, his line wouldn’t ring. It went directly to voicemail. After trying to reach him four more times, back to back, I gave up.

  It took me about ten minutes to get over that argument I had with Keisha’s dumb ass. I swear, if I was standing in front of her when she started popping off at the mouth like she did over the phone, I would’ve spit on that bitch instantly. I thought I hated Diamond’s guts, but Keisha definitely put a new meaning to the word hate. Because I seriously hated her and when I hate someone, I could cause some serious damage to their asses. I knew one thing, Keisha better stay away from me or she’ll find herself pushing up daisies like Diamond’s and Duke’s dumb asses.

  Aside from all the drama Keisha caused, I was able to hear Bishop’s voice in the background. But the downside to this was that I wasn’t able to speak to him and find out about Bria. I really hoped he either had a chance to get her back or find a way to make things right with the other guys. Maybe they would let her go peacefully. In my book, money solved a lot of problems. In the world Bishop navigated, money was power and spoke volumes. So maybe he’d be able to make a reasonable exchange with a feasible amount of ransom.

  Over three hours had passed and I still hadn’t heard from Bishop. I tried to contact him once more, but with no success. I figured he’d answer my call since he knew Keisha and I had gotten into a heated argument. But once again, his phone went directly to voicemail. Irritated. That was me and that was putting it lightly. I had no control over everythin
g that was going on around me. It was fucking with me. Not knowing, not being able to find anything out was disturbing. And the unknown was if they could grab Bria, it only made sense that they could grab me as well.

  I decided to leave the apartment and go out to Starbucks’ to get me a caffeine fix. Plus, I needed to calm the fuck down and get some perspective.

  Before I left the apartment, I was curious to know if Bishop moved the dope package from underneath my bottom drawer. And to my surprise, it hadn’t been moved at all. So I put the drawer back in place, ensuring it was closed shut.

  I slipped into another one of my favorite white tees and a pair of sweat pants and then I made my exit.

  I felt it was best that I clear my mind and think of how I could help Bria without putting myself in harm’s way. Quiet as it was kept, Bishop needed some help. If he hadn’t found the location of his sister by now, then he could forget about finding her alive. The way niggas were nowadays; they killed anyone who got in their way. And I was definitely not trying to be one of them.

  While I was out making my Starbucks’ run, I had to stop at the nearest gas station to fill up or else I would be walking back to the house. There was a BP service station two and a half miles from the apartment, so I pulled up to the first pump. I didn’t have a debit card to pay for the gas at the pump, so I went inside and paid the male attendant behind the fiberglass window. After I gave him forty bucks he handed me a gas receipt and then I left the store.

  While I pumped the gas, a familiar SUV pulled into the service station and parked their vehicle directly next to mine. My heart started beating a little faster than normal. I had to admit, Sean had something to do with it.

  He rolled down the driver side window and asked me if he could pump my gas for me?

  “I can manage it,” I assured him.

  “Where you on your way to?” he asked me.

  “Has anyone told you that you ask too many damn questions?” I asked him and then I turned my attention back towards the pump.

  He smiled. “All the time.”

  I kept my head turned towards the gas pump.

  “Had breakfast yet?” he continued.

  “Have you?” I replied sarcastically, as if I was implying something.

  “No, as a matter of fact I haven’t. And if you like, we can head back over to our spot,” he offered.

  I had reached my price limit for my gas, shook the hose a couple of times to get every drop of gasoline in my tank and when I was done I pulled down the lever and placed the hose back on the hook. I then twisted the cap back on the gas tank and closed the cover.

  I looked at Sean. The man was very handsome and well manicured. It was something about his smile that sent chills through me. The initial interactions I have with men are always stimulating. They always put on their best smile and charm just to woo me and then after they get the pussy, they start to show their true colors. I wondered if I gave Sean the time of day, would he play me like Duke did or treat me the way Bishop was treating me? It was a tough call but time would tell.

  “Why don’t you call your girlfriend and ask her to meet you for breakfast?” I finally said. I couldn’t hold my tongue back. I had to let him know I saw him making a call while I drove away from the restaurant last night.

  “I told you I don’t have a girlfriend.”

  “Well, who were you talking to after I left you standing in the parking lot last night?”

  “It wasn’t a girlfriend,” he said adamantly.

  I let out a chuckle to let him know I didn’t believe a word he said. But I wasn’t through with him. I had to press the issue but I figured if I used reverse psychology he’d feel comfortable enough to spill the beans and tell me the truth about his love life.

  “Look, you and I just met so you don’t have to lie to me,” I told him. “If you have a woman, than that’s cool. I mean, it would be nice to warn me just in case she saw us together.”

  I stood near the driver side of the car and waited for him to come clean with me. But unfortunately, he didn’t budge. “Trust me, if I had a girl in my life I would tell you. But I don’t,” he said.

  I was utterly turned off by Sean. I would’ve hung out with him in a heartbeat. But I couldn’t be around a nigga I couldn’t trust. I know Bishop hadn’t been trustworthy lately, but at least he was paying the fucking bills. Sean, on the other hand, had just come on the scene and he was messing up already. It was time to give his ass the finger. I opened my car door and said, “With all the shit I got going on in my life, I ain’t got time for you and your lies. So, please kick rocks!”

  Immediately after I got back into the car, I revved up the engine and tried to pull off, but Sean pulled his truck in front of me, preventing me from leaving. So I put the car in reverse and tried to back up, but a black Suburban with smoke tinted windows pulled up behind me and blocked me in. I was about to jump out of my fucking skin from mere fright. All I could think about was I was about to be the next kidnapped victim and Sean was behind it.

  My heart was literally doing somersaults underneath my chest cavity as it pumped with fear. When I saw Sean hop out the driver seat of his vehicle and reach for the handle of the passenger side door, I panicked and locked it before he could open it. I wasn’t about to let him or the other guys in the truck behind me take me away without a fight. Since I had nothing in my possession to help me fight these guys off, I grabbed my cell phone from my purse so I could call Bishop and tell him where I was and what was going on so he could help me.

  Immediately after Sean saw me with my phone in my hand, he jumped across the hood of the car and begged me not to make that call. Then he pulled out a two-sided ID holder with a badge on one side and an ID card on the other side, and pressed it against the driver side window.

  “Lynise, I am an FBI agent. Your life is in danger, so please do not make that call,” he begged me.

  What the fuck? Shocked, more or less, I didn’t know what to say or how to react after he flashed his badge in front of me. At first sight, I didn’t know if it was fake, and if this was one of his tactics to keep me from calling Bishop and to get me out of the car. But when the other two men stepped out of the SUV behind me, I saw they were white. They too flashed their FBI badges.

  Something told me they weren’t the cats that had a beef with Bishop and kidnapped Bria. Somewhat convinced that Sean and his cohorts were the real thing, I finally stepped out of the car. For the first time, I could honestly say that when I stood before him, I was completely at a loss for words. After he showed me his badge, I didn’t know whether to address him as Sean or agent. But I knew that things would be different between us from this day forward. Something else I had to deal with.

  I waited for him to tell me that he and the other two agents were there to escort me back to Virginia. I knew this was about those murders involving Diamond, Duke and Katrina. But when he told me he was there to talk about Bishop’s sister, Bria, my mouth fell wide open.

  “Well, since you know I’m a federal agent now, I guess it’s safe to tell you that I’m Agent Sean Foster and these two guys are Agents Morris and Paxton,” Sean formally introduced himself and his fellow agents. “We were assigned to work the Ronsdale case with Bishop as the ring leader. When his sister, Bria, was busted on drug charges and money laundering, we made her a deal that if she helped bring down her brother and his lieutenants by wearing a wire and secretly record their conversations, then she wouldn’t do one day in jail.

  “But the night before she was supposed to appear in front of a grand jury with the information to help us secure federal indictments for Bishop and the other men in his organization, she vanished. And we believe Bishop had something to do with it.”

  Trying to make sense of this whole thing, I stood there in disbelief. The thought of Bishop having his sister kidnapped just didn’t sit right with me. He wasn’t that type of person. He was down for his family and from what I’ve seen, he loved them. Hell, the whole reason he came down to
Virginia was to avenge his brother’s death. That had to be some bullshit.

  “Look, I don’t know where you’re getting your information from but Bishop would never do anything to hurt his family, including his sister,” I replied to Sean’s accusations. “He’s not that kind of guy. And now that I think about it, when he told me that Bria had gotten kidnapped a couple nights ago by some niggas that had a beef with him, he was really upset about it and I could tell by his actions that he was going to make them pay for it.”

  But Sean wasn’t feeling my opinion or me. He made it painfully obvious that I needed to take a closer look at Bishop and his dealings. “Bishop is throwing the wool over your eyes,” he stated. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he thought I was a fool or some lovesick bitch who didn’t know head from tail. Evidently he didn’t know I knew my way around the block.

  “Well, since he’s throwing the wool over my eyes, explain to me why he got mad when I told him that Bria might’ve tried to call me,” I began. “Remember when we were eating last night and somebody called with a blocked number and I thought I heard a lady’s voice tell me to help them?”

  “I remember that all too well,” he answered immediately. “But again, he’s playing you like a deck of cards. He wants you to believe that he’s upset and plans to settle the score with these imaginary thugs, so when the shit hits the fan he could use you as his alibi.”

  Still trying to wrap my mind around everything Sean was telling me, I began to get sick internally. My stomach was churning just thinking about the type of man I have gotten myself involved with this time. Will I ever find a guy that’s not a killer and will love and respect me?