by Jade Jones
Cameron propped a hand on her hip. “Jude is this about me dancing or is this about Rumor?” she asked.
“It’s about us,” Jude answered. “Cam, these last few days I’ve been feelin’ like I’m startin’ to lose you. I don’t want this shit to tear us apart. Makin’ some quick cash ain’t worth jeopardizin’ our relationship, on everything, Cam.”
“I don’t know why you feel like you’re losing me. The only reason I started back dancing was to help bring in a lil’ more income—”
“And you did that,” Jude told her. “And I appreciated it—still do. But now lemme take care us. That’s what a man’s supposed to do. I got us…I just need to know if you got me…”
Cameron padded over towards Jude, and joined him at the kitchen island. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she said, “I’ma always have your back and you know that. You don’t ever have to doubt that.”
Jude smiled. “Word?”
Cameron giggled. “You know I’m gonna always remember the very first time we met,” she said. “You were all on your cellphone—acting like I was invisible…I had to let you know what was up. You remember that night?”
Jude chuckled and shook his head. “How can I not?” he asked. “You were one of the hottest commodities up in that joint.” He tugged on Cameron’s shirt and pulled her between his legs. “When you gave me that dance…I just knew I had to have ya ass.”
As soon as Cameron leaned in for a kiss there intimate moment was interrupted by the sound of Jude’s cellphone ringing.
Cameron grimaced as she handed Jude his cellphone off the counter. He then dipped off into the hallway to answer it. “Yo?”
“Aye, man. King wanna holla at us,” Aso said. “Be ready, I’m finna swing by ya crib.”
An hour later, King and Aso pulled up to The Warehouse and met King as instructed. Jude was under the impression that he was just going to give them a couple work orders. He was not at all prepared when King led them into an empty room with Vado tied to a chair.
“Dawg—nah, man,” Aso turned on his heel to walk out. He didn’t want anything to do with the situation, but King gave him a firm shove.
Jude expected Vado to be dead by now. He would’ve never expected for King to keep him alive after all this time. Vado looked horrible. His face had been pummeled to the point where he was barely recognizable.
“You’re new to the circle so I don’t expect for you to know what the hell goin’ on,” King explained to Jude. “But I have a particular way I like to deal with mufuckas who go against The Ring.”
“Man, this was my homeboy at one time,” Aso argued. “I ain’t tryin’ to do this shit, man.”
King pulled out his KAP-40 and aimed it at Aso. Jude backed up as well. He barely knew what the hell was going on.
“You gon’ do whatever the fuck I tell you to do, lil’ nigga!” King snarled. “You work for me! Not the other way around!”
Jude watched in silence as King pulled out a switchblade and cut Vado loose. He then kicked over the chair, causing Vado to fall to the ground. “Handle this crooked ass mufucka,” King ordered Aso.
Aso hesitated. Although, Vado turned out to be a traitor they were still cool once upon a time. Reluctantly, Aso delivered a weak kick to Vado’s ribs.
The blow was still strong enough to make Vado cry out in pain and cradle his stomach.
King pointed his gun at Aso. “I said handle this mufucka!” he barked. “You wanna be down with my team, well then you gotta prove you can handle the tasks I give you, playa. ‘Cuz if you can’t, I can lay you down right next to this pussy ass nigga.”
Not wanting to end up like his boy, Aso heartlessly stomped Vado a few times, and nearly tripping in the process. He then backed away and threw up his lunch on the cold concrete floor.
King shook his head in disgust. “Fuckin’ soft ass nigga. Get the fuck outta here and clean yo’ self up.”
Aso wiped the drool off his mouth and stumbled out the room. Jude was just about to follow behind him when King pointed his gun at him. “Nah. Not you, pretty boy,” he said. “It’s ‘bout that time you established ya loyalty to the crew.” He nodded his head at Vado who was lying pathetically on the floor grunting in agony.
Jude held his hands up defenselessly. “Bruh, this ain’t got shit to do with me.”
King scoffed and shook his head. “Bitchassness must run in ya’ll mufuckin’ family,” he said. “Either you whup this nigga’s ass or you can find yaself another hustle.” Of course, King was talking shit. If Jude proved to be unworthy of his team then he would kill his ass without so much as a second thought. King needed niggas on his team that was down to do die for the principal. Weakness was not an option.
Taking a deep breath, Jude swallowed his pride. He didn’t really know the dude Vado, but if he had to prove his allegiance to King by whupping his ass then that’s what he’d do.
“My bad about this shit,” Jude told Vado.
He then proceeded to kick and stomp Vado on the floor like he was being jumped into a gang. When Jude finally tired himself from doing that, he climbed on top of him, and began delivering punch after punch.
By the time Jude finished his assault his knuckles were raw and bloodied. For a second, he thought he might’ve even killed Vado until he noticed his chest moving up and down slowly. He was alive…but barely.
A slow smile spread across King’s thick lips. He was overly pleased with the show Jude had put on.
18
“What you doing, slut? You coming to work tonight?” Rumor asked.
Cameron cradled the cellphone between her shoulder and ear as she sautéed meat for the Chicken Cacciatore. She still couldn’t get over Rumor having HIV, but she had no reason to treat her any different.
“Girl, I doubt it. My dude pulled the plug on that dancing shit today,” Cameron explained. “Said he doesn’t want me in the clubs anymore. He feels like he’ll lose me to it.”
Rumor sucked her teeth. “This nigga here,” she said. “What the hell does he want you to do? Stay in the house and take care of his babies like fuckin’ Wilma Flinstone? Can’t you have a life of your own? I swear nigga’s always trying to hate on a chick’s hustle. I remember when Calix tried to get me to stop dancing. Fuck that shit. It ain’t nothing wrong with having your own money.”
Suddenly, Cameron’s curiosity got the best of her. “Where is Calix by the way…? Are ya’ll taking some time apart or what?” she asked.
Rumor paused. “Yeah…he’s…uh…staying with his brother for a little while in Stone Mountain.”
“Oh ok.”
“Anyway, enough about that loser. Let me tell you something, niggas say things like that simply ‘cuz they wanna control your income. In a way, it makes them feel like they’re controlling you. Don’t stop dancing. You clean the house every time you climb on the pole. Shit, he ain’t got no choice but to respect it at the end of the day.”
Cameron added bell peppers, onion and garlic to the same pan as the chicken. “You think so?” she asked, sautéing the onions until they were tender. “I do make good money—most money I’ve ever made in my life to be real,” she added. “But I can’t go against my dude—”
“Look, he ain’t gotta know if you keep strippin’,” Rumor egged her on. “You can play it off like me and you are just going out to kick it. Make this paper and stack it in a separate account. That way in case anything happens you got some money to fall back on,” she said. “I’m only telling you this shit because I’m your friend. Girl, your dude ain’t gotta know a damn thing. He’s happy and you’re happy. It’s as simple as that.”
***
King was so impressed with Jude’s little performance and showmanship of loyalty that he took him out for drinks that evening where he also promoted him in position. Instead of stealing the cars, Jude would be in charge of transporting of the vehicles. He’d make three times as much as he was making previously.
King admired the young man’s perseverance and d
evotion—even to his piece of shit cousin—so he entrusted Jude with the responsibility, believing that he could handle it.
I am a sinner who's probably gonna sin again…
Lord forgive me, Lord forgive me things I don't understand…
Sometimes I need to be alone…
Bitch don't kill my vibe, bitch don't kill my vibe…
Jude and King sat at the bar inside of a popular downtown lounge. There were a few of King’s homies with them. However, Aso had ducked off after the incident involving Vado, and Jude hadn’t heard from him since.
“Someone doesn’t seem as friendly today,” a cute brown-skinned bartender teased before sliding a Corona in front of Jude.
There was a look of puzzlement on Jude’s face. “You know me?” he asked. He didn’t recognize her offhand, which was out of the ordinary since she was pretty as hell. There was no way he could forget a face like hers.
“I danced for you at Persuasion a while back at,” she explained. “You had your hands all over me even though we have a strict no touching policy.”
Suddenly, it dawned on Jude. “Damn, my fault, ma.” He’d been so hell-bent on making Cam jealous that night that he had completely disregarded the rules. “I ain’t mean to—”
“You’re good,” the bartender laughed. “If it really bothered me I would’ve said something.” She then extended her hand. The rhinestones on her pink stiletto nails sparkled. “My name is Essence.”
She reminded him of Kelly Rowland with twice the sex appeal and thickness. “Jude,” he replied. He was surprised by how soft her hand was.
“So…Jude…do you grope all the strippers who dance for you or was I just special?” she flirted.
Jude chuckled. “Nah, I ain’t really like that at all,” he answered honestly. “I was…on some other shit that night. Had a lil’ too much to drink. My bad about that shit. That’s not how I wanna be remembered.”
“But you wanna be remembered, huh?” Essence asked.
Jude laughed nervously. Essence was a beautiful woman openly flirting with him, but he was practically a married man. “I…uh…I don’t know,” he stammered. “So you work here and at the club?” He purposely changed the subject.
“Yep. I bartend all throughout the week and dance on the weekends,” she said. “I’m also a student at Georgia Tech.”
Jude nodded his head, clearly impressed. “That’s what’s up.”
“This nigga over here harrassin’ you here?” King playfully interrupted them.
“Nah, she the one that got me over here sweatin’ bullets,” Jude admitted.
King draped an arm around Jude’s shoulder. He was drunk and high as hell. “This my mufuckin’ son right here,” he slurred. “Make sure you take good care of my lil’ nigga tonight. He’s a liability.”
***
She got that million dollar…
Million dollar ooh, ooh, ooh!
Make her tap out! Tap out! Tap out!
Six coke-bottled shaped strippers—including Cameron danced on the elongated stage to “Rich Gang’s “Tapout”. She’d completely disregarded her promise to leave the clubs alone. Just that quick Cameron had gotten used to the new lifestyle she’d adapted.
The party scene was all she was beginning to care about, and the drugs were clouding her otherwise good sense of judgment. Slowly but surely, Cameron was heading down a path of self-destruction with Rumor as the driver.
Aso sat in a VIP booth alone by himself as he watched Cameron on stage. His dick was hard was hell underneath his Troy Lee jeans. Before it’s all said and done I’ma have a taste of that shit, he promised himself.
***
Jude walked out the lounge a couple hours later. He was feeling slightly tipsy yet his senses were still sharp. As he pulled out the keys to Cam’s Audi q7, he noticed Essence standing outside against the building smoking a cigarette. He didn’t know if she was taking a break or off for the night.
“You outta here?” Jude asked.
Essence blew smoke through her slightly parted lips and nodded her head. “Yeah, I’ve been off for about twenty minutes now,” she said. “I’m waiting on my taxi. Can you believe they’re talking about an hour long wait?” Essence shook her head. “Must be a busy night for ‘em.”
“Well, how far you stay? I don’t mind giving you a ride,” Jude offered.
“Oh, no. I don’t wanna impose—”
“You really ain’t,” Jude said. “Besides, it ain’t safe to be standin’ out here like this. Why didn’t you wait inside?”
Essence shrugged. “I get tired of being hit on,” she answered. “When I punch out I don’t wanna be bothered.” Except with you, she thought to herself.
“So you want me to shoot you home real quick or you wanna wait all day for this taxi?”
Essence put out the cigarette. “Are you safe?” she asked smiling. Her bangs and long hair framed her face perfectly.
Jude cackled. “I ain’t crazy or nothin’ like that,” he assured her. “You’re in good hands…”
They both climbed into his truck which reeked of loud and Giorgio Armani cologne. Jude had a Garmin GPS mounted on the windshield to help him navigate through the new city.
“Thanks. I appreciate it,” Essence said, fastening her seat belt.
“It’s nothin’,” Jude told her.
The ride to Essence’s Camp Creek apartment was filled with small talk. She found out he was from Cleveland and worked in the ‘automobile industry’. Twenty-five minutes later Jude pulled into The Landings at Princeton Lakes. The complex was very impressive.
“Thank you again,” Essence said, unfastening her seat belt.
“How you be gettin’ around with no whip?” Jude asked. Truth be told, he wasn’t ready for her to leave just yet. His buzz had him just wanting to be in the company of somebody. Anybody. And at the moment Essence was currently there.
“My car’s in the shop. It should be ready for me to pick up pretty soon.”
Jude nodded his head. “Truth.”
“So how’s Atlanta treating you?” Essence asked him.
Jude shrugged his shoulders. “It’s aight,” he said. “Fast-paced. But these niggas out here grind just like the niggas back at home. It’s a lot alike in mo’ ways than one.”
Schoolboy Q’s “Blessed” played on low, creating a mellow, laid-back vibe.
“Let me see your phone,” Essence said out of nowhere.
Jude gave her the side eye. “Why?”
“Just let me see your phone.”
Jude handed her his cellphone.
Essence looked at the wallpaper which was a picture of Justin with a blue pacifier in his mouth. She smiled, “Aww. What a cutie. How old is he?”
“Almost two.”
“Is he good?”
Jude chuckled. “Hell nah. Bad and spoiled as hell.”
“Is this your only child?” Essence asked.
“That I know of,” Jude laughed.
Essence didn’t bother asking if he had a girl before she plugged her number into his phone and called her own. Handing him his cell back, she said, “Thanks again for the ride. Hit me up sometimes if you’re looking for someone to show you the city.”
Jude watched her climb out the truck, and even stole a glance at her round ass. You don’t wanna go there dawg, he convinced himself. If you go that route, ain’t no way coming back. After making sure Essence got into her apartment safely, Jude pulled off with no intentions of ever calling.
19
“Aye, what’s up, man? Where ya ass been hiding?” Jude asked Aso. He hadn’t heard from his cousin in two days so he decided to reach out.
Aso made a snorting noise and cleared his throat. He had shoved more than 0.6 grams of cocaine up his nose that afternoon, and it was nothing short of a miracle that he had yet to overdose. After years of abusing the white powder, Aso’s tolerance had grown sky high. He was snorting three times as much as the typical coke user.
“Man, I just need
ed a few days to clear my mind,” Aso snorted again. “Shit’s been real hectic lately, fam.”
“I can dig it, but you gotta bounce back, bro. It’s still money to be made. Servin’ and collectin’. That’s the mission, remember?” Jude reminded him. “And Kind told me to tell you to get ya shit together. He’s got some more work orders in.”
“King?!” Aso repeated skeptically. “Fuck that power hungry mufucka. And since when do you deliver personal messages for him. Ya’ll niggas gettin’ a lil’ too chummy lately, ain’t it?”
Jude didn’t miss the sarcasm in his cousin’s tone. “Call it what you want…but he’s payin’ me big money to transport vehicles to New Jersey now.” King had the stolen cars shipped out of Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal. He worked hard to make the shipment appear lawful and that’s mainly where Jude came in.
Jealousy instantly washed over Aso. He had wanted that position since he came into the business, and instead King had him running the streets looking for some damn make and models. And aside from all that, Aso had been in The Ring much longer then Jude. He was the one who’d brought cousin in.
“Oh…,” was all Aso said. “Congrats…you makin’ real paper now. I guess I’ll get up with you later at The Warehouse.” He disconnected the call before Jude could respond.
***
“Where you think you’re goin’?” Jude asked Cameron the following afternoon. He’d caught her seconds before she walked out the front door.
Cameron wore a pair of Prada sunglasses and a cute floral print romper. Her short hair was cut and styled to perfection. “Me and Rumor were gonna have lunch and—”
“No you weren’t,” Jude cut her off. He padded over towards her, closed the front door, and took the purse out of her hand. “’Cuz me and you got plans. Big plans,” he said.
