by Styles, T.
“I don’t think so, man,” Kyope said.
“Why do you trust this lil nigga so much? It ain’t natural!” Jarvis persisted, growing frustrated.
“You don’t know what you talkin’ about,” Kyope said.
“Oh I don’t? Are you sure? I heard about where you met the dude. So excuse me for not respectin’ your business practices.”
“Easy, Jarvis,” Kyope warned with raised eyebrows. “I ain’t too sure this fuck up ain’t your fault. Whoever this nigga is that been followin’ you was ‘round long before Aven came in the picture.”
“This shit here was an inside job! And maybe Aven been ‘round the entire time and we ain’t know.”
“Inside huh?” Kyope was implying that Jarvis could be a part of the heist.
“Yes! Inside! Now I know I’ve been out of it lately, but I’m back now. And I’m tellin’ you, I smell a rat! We should slump that lil nigga and be done wit’ it.”
Kyope walked around the living room while Prangsta and Crane looked up at him from the couch. Prangsta who grieved alone over the lost of his lover Spikes, was silent. He didn’t want any attention brought to him since he let the robbers get away.
“Fuck! This don’t make sense,” Kyope replied shaking his head. “Somethin’ else goin’ on here. And I thought I told you to be there.”
“I couldn’t, man. I had to take care of somethin’ else.”
“Somethin’ else like what?! You makin’ too many fuckin’ excuses. And instead of dealin’ wit’ it business and ownin’ up when you drop the ball, you blamin’ otha mothafuckas!” Kyope yelled. Just when he spoke, Kyope’s maid advised him that Aven was at the door. They all looked at each other in shock. If Aven was involved, they figured he’d be long gone by now. “Let him in!” Kyope said rushing toward her.
Seconds later Aven came walking in. Visibly beaten but okay.
“Fuck is up, kid?” Kyope said, still hoping his potential protégé’ hadn’t betrayed him.
“I went after the guys who stole the package,” Aven told him.
“You went after the guys who got the package?” Jarvis laughed. “Fuck you talkin’ ‘bout?”
“Just what I said,” Aven said slowly. “When them mothafuckas took our shit I jacked a car and went after ’em. Prangsta saw me. Ask him.”
“He did go after them,” Prangsta responded. “But that’s all I saw.”
“I know you don’t believe this lil nigga, Kyope. Come on, man…please say you can see through his bullshit,” Jarvis chuckled. “He went after them but he ain’t got no package.” Kyope scratched his head and mentally agreed with Jarvis.
“If you went after them like you said you did,” he said slowly. “Where is the package? And why you still breathin’?” Aven went into the hallway and grabbed a blue bag.
“I got back what I could, the rest is in my car,” he paused and looked at Jarvis. And I’m still alive cuz I’m a soldier.”
“Got back what you could, huh?” Jarvis laughed. “Kyope if you don’t kill this mothafucka I will.”
“You ain’t doin’ shit!”
Kyope lifted the bag off the floor and looked at Jarvis who walked toward the window. After examining the bag, he was relieved that he had some weight.
“The rest is in the car?”
“Yeah. You can go see.”
“Go check, Prangsta.”
Slicing one of the packages open with a knife, he dug into the plastic and broke it. Afterwards he went into the kitchen and grabbed a kit he used to test his product. Adding a little liquid, he smiled when it turned red. It was good.
“How you get it back?” Kyope asked as if it mattered.
“Can I talk to you about that alone? Please?” Aven asked.
“Sure,” he said finally acknowledging everyone else in the room. “Everybody get the fuck out.”
“I’m staying,” Jarvis rebutted.
“Get the fuck outta here, Jarvis. Let me talk to him alone.”
They all left but not before Jarvis mugged Kelsi. He had plans for him later.
When the room was cleared he said, “What’s up?”
“When I caught up wit’ one of them, I shot at his body ‘til he told me who sent him. And he said, Jarvis. He said they’d been plannin’ this shit for a week. Told him you not doin’ him right and that he wanted to go on his own. They was sposed to split everything down the middle. But they wasn’t expectin’ me.” Kyope was a little off balance as he listened to Aven’s story.
“Finish.”
“They sayin’ that Jarvis been settin’ up shop too cuz eventually he goin’ fly solo. That’s why he aint’ been ‘round. Man, I don’t know how long ya’ll been boys and shit, but somethin’ ain’t right. This mothafucka gave me names and everything. And I’m sure he was in here trynna tell you I had somethin’ to do wit’ it. I bet all of ’em was. And that’s why I risked my life to get your package back. I’m loyal to you, but I can’t say the same thing for your man. Think about his patterns. If you really feel this nigga’s the same, then I’m wrong. But tortured men speak truth. And that man I shot up told me Jarvis was behind this shit. The nigga knew he was dead regardless, fuck he goin’ lie to me for?”
Kyope walked away from Aven to think. Jarvis had been less than reliable at best. And he wasn’t able to depend on him anymore. But they’d been friends and business associates longer than Kelsi was alive. But he wasn’t the same. So it was settled. Kyope had to react. And by that it meant killin’ his long time friend.
Aven looked at the state he put Kyope in and smiled inside. Sure he could’ve killed them both and be done but he wanted their minds fucked up. And when that was done, he’d put them both out of their misery.
Sunday, 2:45 pm
****
If you want some shit done you gotta do it your damn self!
-Skully
Skully had called Kenosha repeatedly. He figured she wasn’t answering the phone after the beating he’d given her at the hotel. But as far as he was concerned, he’d given her enough time to get over it and get back to work. The longer he didn’t hear from her, and the more he did business with Kyope only to find that Jarvis was still alive, the angrier he became. He hadn’t even spoken with Kelsi.
“Sir, do you need anything else?” Jax asked, as they loaded up the car on their way to the NYC.
“Naw…I’m good. But I can’t say the same for everybody else.”
Sunday, 8:15 pm
****
If it’s too easy, somethin’s gotta get hard.
-Kelsi
I sat in the livin’ room wit’ Bricks and his brother Melvin discussin’ our latest caper. I checked on O before we came into my apartment, and she said she was sleep. I just hoped she stayed that way. I walked to the apartment window to look out. I wanted to make sure nobody was out there watchin’. I ain’t see nobody.
“So he went for it again?” Bricks asked sittin’ on the couch wit’ his brother. “This cat has to be the dumbest nigga who ever entered the game.”
“I know, man. Everything went smooth. I’m just happy ya’ll niggas got ya aim on point,” I laughed for the first time since everything happened. It felt good to be amongst real niggas. “Cuz them bullets was whizzin’ awfully close to my head, slim.”
“I wasn’t goin’ shoot your, young ass,” Melvin laughed. “I’m a beast wit’ that hammer. Don’t forget who the first mothafucka was who taught you how to hold.”
I laughed. “You right. I’m just glad you ain’t rusty.”
“So when you gonna call it quits?”
“I’ma ‘bout to end this shit in a few days. I’m tired of playin’ wit’ these cats.”
“You never did tell me why you really here,” Bricks said.
“I was thinkin’ the same thing,” Melvin added. “You out here on your own fuckin’ wit’ some heavyweights. You betta be careful son.”
“Do it look like I ain’t been careful?” I laughed. “If these niggas was so thorough
, we wouldn’tve been able to get away wit’ what we have. It’s child’s play.”
“Yeah aight,” Melvin said. His tone let me know that he felt I was overstayin’ my welcome in New York. “I think you should count your chips and come back home while you still can.”
“I am,” I told him. “But now is not the time. Trust me.”
“Aye, man…let me holla at you before we leave,” Bricks said. “Melvin, meet me downstairs.”
“Aight, moe, I’ma wait in the car.” Melvin gave me some dap and bounced.
“Look…I wanna holla at you ‘bout that Keisha thing,” he said as he sipped his beer. “I don’t know what she told you before she died, but I neva touched that girl. I would neva break our bond over no female. No disrespect to shawty since she dead and all, but that’s my word.”
I couldn’t say shit cuz it was my mother who told me he was disloyal. She told me she saw Keisha and Bricks at a restaurant alone. And when I went to school the next day, I seen them laughin’ it up in the hallway. I just assumed she was right. I wouldn’t be surprised if moms got it fucked up though. Bricks was always a real nigga. Plus he openly made comments ‘bout how fine Keisha was. A nigga on some cruddy shit ain’t settin’ himself up like dat.
“It’s all good. We ova that shit now.” I told him ignorin’ the issue. “It’s ‘bout dat paper now, man. I’m tryin’ go back and live like a King.”
“But you believe me, right?” Bricks persisted.
This nigga was blowin’ me.
I wanted him to let that shit go, but he kept pressin’ it. Right before I told him to drop the issue, his eyes grew big as he looked at somethin’ behind me. My heart raced. Had I been caught slippin’? On impulse I went for my heat in my jeans and when I turned around, the barrel of my gun was facing O’s small face. She threw her arms up in the air.
“It’s just me, Aven!”
I turned ‘round and looked at Bricks who was noddin’ his head in approval. “You ain’t tell me you had company,” he continued.
I took a deep breath.
“Nigga, do you realize what you almost did?” I asked him puttin’ my glock back on my waist. “I was ‘bout to smoke her ass thinkin’ somebody got in here.”
“My bad,” he responded givin’ me dap. “On that note, I’ma roll. Stay up. And let me know if you need anything else.”
“You too.” He said leavin’ my crib.
“Who was that?” she asked.
“Shawty, what the fuck I tell you ‘bout askin’ questions?”
She was silent. “You right. Look, I been thinkin’ about us and how I’m always in your shit.”
“And?”
“And you right. I should just fall back and enjoy you while I can. And since you are right, I want to do something for you. Sit down on the couch.”
Her eyes were seductive and her mannerisms sexual. I decided to play along. Anything was better than hearin’ her mouth and havin’ her question me ‘bout my whereabouts. I was anxious. And I ain’t been anxious in a long time.
Part of the reason I ain’t sleep wit’ her was cuz I wanted to keep a clear head. And sex clouds judgment. There was a lot of things I had to do when I came to New York and I wanted to be smart. I could get pussy anywhere at anytime. But now, since things were going well, I decided to take a little reward. O disappeared into the bedroom and I watched her ass wiggle in my white t-shirt she was wearing.
When she came back she had on one of her stripper costumes. It was hot pink. O put the lights on dim and turned the stereo system on. The Isley Brother’s, Don’t Say Goodbye, blasted from the speakers. She was fluid in her motions as she danced a few feet away from me. Wit’ her back faced me, she made her ass cheeks jump one at a time. Takin’ one look at me over her shoulders, she slowly whined. She was a pro. I smiled. She winked.
Bendin’ down in front of me, she moved like a snake as she got on her hands and knees wit’ her ass in the air. I could see straight through her outfit and inside that pink pussy. Suddenly I wondered how it was possible for me to avoid her for so long. She was the sexiest woman I seen in a long time. For the first time, I really noticed her. On her hands and knees, she moved toward me like a cat, ass windin’ behind her. Now standin’ up, she straddled me lookin’ into my eyes.
“Aven, make love to me,” she begged. My dick was trynna bust through my jeans.
“Pleasseeeee,” she continued.
“We can’t do this,” I said as her mouth covered mine, but I broke the kiss. “I ain’t trynna hurt you shawty. There’s a lot about me you don’t know.”
“I don’t care, Aven. I don’t care. Let me take care of you. You won’t be disappointed,” she said pressin’ her warm tongue within’ my mouth. “Let’s get away from New York. Together.”
“You know I can’t do that,” I said in between heavy breaths.
She was a seducer. And a good one at that. Wit’out permission, she freed my dick from my jeans. I wanted to feel her. She lifted up slightly and put me inside of her tight wet hole. Fuck! Why did she have to feel so good? I grabbed her ass and pushed into her while she rotated her hips like an album on a record player. She was the best. Better than Kenosha and Keisha put together. I knew I was gonna have to hit this again before everything was all said and done. My jeans were soaked with her juices and I felt her tremblin’. She was ’bout to cum. It was good thing cuz I was ‘bout to cum too.
“Ahhhhhh…please don’t stop,” she said softly. “I’m cummin’…please.” I gripped her tighter and pushed as deep as I could in her.
“I love you, Kelsi.”
It took only a second before I realized she said my name. My real name. Still, I bust inside her. She fell into my chest, her breaths heavy.
“What you call me?” I asked trynna regain control.
She took a few more heavy breaths before lookin’ into my eyes. “Kelsi…I called you Kelsi.”
I tossed her of me, cut the lights on and looked at her. Her naked body sat on the hardwood floor. “How you know my name?” I asked standin’ over top of her pullin’ up my jeans
“I heard your friend say it the other night when he called. Plus your tattoo says it. I always wondered what it meant.” Fuck! I forgot about my tattoo and I forgot to tell Bricks not to call me by my government name. What bugged me the most was that she knew more than I wanted her too.
“My name is, Aven. Don’t ever call me, Kelsi again.” Her head dropped.
“Kel…I mean, Aven,” she said standin’ up. “I care about you. I really do. But you won’t let me in. I just wanna take care of you. I don’t know who hurt you in the past but I won’t. I promise. I’m not like that. Why do you think I haven’t gone to Atlanta yet?”
“I want you outta here when I get back!” I told her as I grabbed my jacket and my car keys. “And if you still here when I get back, it’s goin’ be trouble.”
“Aven…please. What can I do to make you trust me? I know you said you didn’t wanna know much about me. But I wanna tell you anyway. My real name is Constance Brail. My mother and father-,”
“Bitch, you heard what I said?” I interrupted her. “I want you outta here!”
“Kelsi, please!” she sobbed ignorin’ my demands. “I’m sorry! Please don’t do this to me. Please!”
“Be gone when I get back or I’ma break your neck! I’m serious, O! Don’t fuck wit’ me.”
I heard her cryin’ when my door closed but I couldn’t be concerned wit’ that. She violated and I wanted her gone.
Monday, 10:10 pm
****
They all may be blind but I can see.
-Jarvis
Jarvis sat in his May Bach waiting for Prangsta to pull up on a quiet Brooklyn residential street. It was a dark cool night. He had a mission that he wanted him to complete and he knew he was the best man for the job. Fifteen minutes later, Prangsta appeared driving a white Mercedes. He was dressed in all black and his dreads were cut. He cut them to represent mourning Spikes. The ca
rs were parked so that the driver’s side windows were side by side.
“What you need me to do?” Prangsta asked through the window of his car. Jarvis could tell he was high. Ever since Spikes was murdered, Prangsta used alcohol and drugs to get by. And since his love affair with Spikes was secret, he had to deal with his emotions on his own.
“I see you cut them dreads out, that’s a good look.” Jarvis confessed to him.
“Yeah…thanks.” Prangsta replied emotionless.
“Look, I need you to go to this address and grab this little bitch,” he said handing him a piece of paper.
“What bitch?” Prangsta asked accepting the paper with an address.
“The bitch ya’ll thought Kelsi killed. You know, the one who snatched ya’ll tools at the club. She’s stayin’ wit’ him. The freak, Jewels told me where they livin’. All I had to do was take this bitch out to eat and she gave it all up.”
“Kelsi?”
“Yeah…that’s the little nigga’s real name. You thought you knew him as Aven.”
“Hold up,” Prangsta said looking up. “Ain’t that Helena’s kid?”
“Yeah…this nigga been playin’ us the entire time. I knew somethin’ was up wit’ that lil’ mothafucka!”
“How you find out?”
“I was throwin’ Kay’s stuff out my crib, and ran ‘cross this journal. First off this bitch’s name was Kenosha but I’m not trippin’ off of that shit. When I read the journal and saw the name said Helena I had to get high. She was goin’ by the name Janet. And get this…the boy Skully helped her get away when we tried to take her out for tryin’ to rob Kyope,” Jarvis continued. “She was in Maryland the whole time, man!”
