by Jade Jones
Jude watched her expression change behind the sunglasses. “What kinda plans?”
An hour later they were running hand in hand the through Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport’s parking lot. The last flight leaving out to Los Angeles departed in less than forty-five minutes and they still had to go through baggage claim.
Jude had surprised both himself and Cameron with the impulsive decision to fly out to California. After calling up Elyse, they hastily packed, and hopped on the road to beat rush hour traffic.
Because Jude noticed the change in their relationship, he figured he had to step his game up and remind Cameron why she fell in love with him in the first place. Jude would be damned if he lost his girl to a strip club, a rapper, or even a bitch who lived next door.
Barely making it in time, Jude and Cameron were settled inside of their Delta Airlines seats ten minutes before the scheduled departure.
Cam’s heart pounded rapidly in her chest as she fastened the seat belt and got comfortable. She felt a combination of nervousness, excitement, and anxiety. She’d never been on an airplane or visited the west coast a day in her life. I can’t believe we’re actually doing this.
Cameron slipped her hand in Jude’s. He always found a way to be spontaneous and exciting. She never knew what his next move was, and she loved him because of that.
Suddenly, Cam’s cellphone began vibrating in her lap. As expected, the caller was Rumor. Since the plane was preparing for take-off, Cameron went ahead and powered off the cell. She was with her baby, and he was the only thing that mattered.
***
Cam and Jude’s plane landed in LAX at approximately 8:15 p.m. The view of the pinkish-orange sky from the terminal was absolutely beautiful, and unlike anything the two had ever seen. Palm trees lined every street and people from every shade and walks of life littered the city.
Instead of checking into their hotel immediately, the two drove to Venice Beach with the top down in a black Mercedes E350 Convertible. Kendrick Lamar’s “Poetic Justice” flowed from the stereo, and the wind felt great blowing through Cameron’s haircut.
“How did you even get the money for all this?!” she yelled over the music and loud wind.
One small lie had led to another. When she asked about his bruised hands he’d told her that he ‘hurt himself on the job.’ “I gotta promotion,” Jude replied.
King paid Jude in advance for the transportation. Half of the money he received upfront just for making the drive. The rest he got when the car was safely inside the shipping container.
“I can’t believe I’m in Cali!” Cameron said excitedly. Being there felt so surreal, almost as if it were a dream.
Jude laughed as he navigated the car. Pulling out his cellphone, he opened the video and turned it towards Cam. “Scream that shit, bay.”
Cameron anxiously tossed her hands in the air. “WOOOOO! I’m in Cali, bitches!”
***
Cameron and Jude walked hand in hand on the shore of Venice Beach. The sand was so warm between their toes, and the fact that it was night time made it seem even more breathtaking. The colorful amusement park’s light lit up the beach and there were even a few fireworks—even though it was nowhere near close to being the Fourth of July.
“I can’t believe me and you are here right here,” Cameron said. “You really took me by surprise with this one.”
Jude wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “I gotta keep it fresh,” he told her. “Keep you guessin’. If our relationship has some spontaneity you’ll never get bored with a nigga.”
Cameron wrapped her arm around Jude’s waist. “Boy, I will never get bored with you,” she told him. Of course, she’s been feeling O’ Zone a little but that didn’t mean she had lost interest in her man. “Do you think Justin will be fine with Elyse for a couple days? We’ve never left him with her so long,” she suddenly asked.
“He’s good,” Jude reassured her. “Now stop worryin’. We’re in Los Angeles.”
***
Cameron stared at the city’s skyline from inside of her hotel room while wearing nothing but a Jonquil Eve silk robe. They had chosen to stay in The Ritz-Carlton located in downtown LA. Jude was dropping nearly $600 a night for them to crash in the king bedroom overlooking the city, but it was all worth it when it came to Cameron.
It was then that she felt Jude wrap his arms around her from behind. He placed soft kisses on the side of her neck. When Cameron looked down she noticed a red velvet box in his hands.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“Open it,” Jude whispered.
Cameron’s heart thumped wildly inside her chest. With steady fingers she lifted the lid to the small jewelry box. Inside was a sparkling 14k white gold diamond engagement ring. The glistening carats reflected off her dark lenses.
“Jude…I—How—”
“Tell me yes again, baby girl.” Jude kissed Cameron’s shoulder then her neck. “Make this night memorable by tellin’ me yes one more time...”
Cameron turned around and faced Jude. “Yes! Yes! Of course!”
Jude moved his dreads out of his face so that he could see himself slip the ring on Cameron’s ringer. “If these niggas out here don’t know…now they will…” He leaned down and gently pressed his lips against hers.
Cameron eagerly slipped her tongue inside Jude’s warm mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck.
In one swift motion, Jude lifted Cameron up and placed her on the cream down comforter since it was the closest thing nearby. He carefully sat her down in an upright position before getting onto his knees, and spreading her thick thighs.
Cameron watched intently as he buried his head between her legs. In the dark room, the only thing she could see were the whites of Jude’s eyes as he stared up at her.
Cameron bit her bottom lip as spread her legs farther apart, and allowed him to slide his wet tongue from her pussy to her asshole. “Oh, my goodness, baby…,” she moaned breathlessly.
Jude held one of her legs back, and with his free hand massaged her soft breast. “You gon’ always be mine?” he asked before gently biting her inner thigh.
“Yes! God, yes!”
Jude brought her foot toward his mouth, and ran his tongue along each and every toe before nibbling on her heel.
Cameron moaned as she slipped her own two fingers inside her slippery pussy. Jude continued to work his tongue magic on her perfect toes, and when foreplay was no longer enough he slid inside.
Taking Cameron’s moist fingers in his mouth, Jude sucked off her wetness. He then slipped his tongue inside her mouth so she could taste herself. Young and madly in love, the two expressed their affection for one another with amorous love-making sessions.
Jude delicately turned Cameron over on the sofa and penetrated her from behind. Holding onto her shapely hips for support, he used them to guide his deep strokes.
Cam whimpered as he hit her spot repeatedly. Jude knew her body like the back of his hand.
She tossed her head back in pure pleasure. Jude suckled and nibbled on her flesh as he massaged her slippery clit. Cameron wrapped her arm around Jude’s neck from behind, and tried her best to push it back on him. His abdominal muscles flexed with each stroke.
“I wanna feel you bust on this dick, Cam,” Jude coached her. “This my pussy?”
“Fuck yes!”
Jude grabbed a handful of Cam’s short curly hair, and pounded ferociously into her from behind. He was trying to make a point more than anything. “Damn right. These niggas out here ain’t gon’ fuck you like I do.”
Cameron’s cheeks grew hotter. “Ooh, I love when you talk that shit, Jude!” she cried out. “Damn, I’m about to cum.”
That was all the incentive Jude needed. “Cum then, babe,” he said. “You know I ain’t lettin’ go ‘til you do.”
Moments later, they released simultaneously before collapsing onto the down comforter. “Shit, Cam,” Jude said, panting heavily. “You
done made a nigga fall in love all over again…”
Cameron took Jude’s moist, flaccid penis in her mouth and sucked him until he was rock hard again. “I didn’t know it was possible to fall in love twice,” she said, straddling his dick.
“I didn’t either…”
20
The next day Jude took Cameron on Rodeo Drive where she shopped all the designer labels and brands. By the time she finished her mini-shopping spree, Cameron carried bags from Chanel, Giuseppe Zanotti, and Prada.
Jude and Cameron looked like a young celebrity couple as they traipsed inside designer stores and walked out toting bags. Cameron had only dreamed about moments like this. Yet sadly, she still had no idea about the details of Jude’s occupation.
***
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Aso rapped softly on King’s office door and waited patiently for an answer. Dark bags rested underneath his hazel eyes. He didn’t even look like himself. Lana’s death and the unexpected situation with Vado were taking a drastic toll on him.
Lana’s parents had called the house a few times after claiming that they hadn’t spoken to her in weeks. He wondered if they knew about her plotting to have them killed for an inheritance would have made them less concerned about their daughter. Either way, it would only be a matter of time before police began snooping and asking questions. Aso needed to make some real paper so that he could get ghost.
“Come in,” King said dryly.
Aso quietly opened the door and stepped inside. “What’s up, man? I know you busy and shit, but I just had to holla at you ‘bout somethin’ real quick.”
King peeled his attention off the fraudulent car title paperwork on his deck, and looked over at Aso. “What’s good?” There were no emotions in his tone, and Aso could tell he didn’t want to be bothered.
“Jude told me you put him in charge of transporting the vehicles,” Aso began. “No offense, but I think that’s lightweight fucked up considerin’ I been in this game way longer than him—”
“So lemme get this right,” King interrupted him. “You comin’ in my office questionin’ my decision-makin’ I make in my business? Is that what I’m hearin’?”
Aso thought about the way King savagely beat Vado with his leather belt. Holding his hands up in mock surrender, he said, “I ain’t tryin’ to come at you like that at all, man—”
“Then what the fuck you complainin’ about?” King asked in a nasty tone. “Don’t I pay you good money to do what you do? Shit, judgin’ from gear you wear and the Maserati you pushin’ I’d say you’re makin’ out just fine. You heard me?”
King estimated the total cost of Aso’s outfit to be nearly $5,000. His spiked cheetah print Louboutin sneakers had to have been worth well over a thousand dollars.
“But it ain’t even about that—”
“Then what the fuck is it about?” King asked. He intertwined his fingers and studied Aso from behind his desk. “’Cuz from my perspective it looks like you bargin’ up in my office talkin’ ‘bout a whole bunch of nothin’. I was diggin’ ya cuz’s swag and I thought he’d be good with the responsibility. It is what is—”
“So you sayin’ you couldn’t have trusted me?” Aso argued. “Bruh, I been rockin’ with you for years.” He was really taking it personally.
King shook his head. “You still got so much shit to learn…”
***
The exuberance from the Cali trip was short-lived, and as soon as Jude and Cam got back to Georgia things went right back to being the same. The only difference now was that Cameron had a ring on her finger. Jude went back to working for King, and Cameron went back to partying with Rumor and O’ Zone.
With Jude hustling and becoming better acquainted with King and his empire, Cameron and Rumor were busy being the life of the party. Jude was completely oblivious to the fact that his girl was still dancing behind his back. Cameron knew he would be disappointed in her going against him, but she just couldn’t stay away. The clubs were like an addiction.
Instead of spending time and taking care of her only child, Cameron chose to continue to dump the responsibility on Elyse. She was beginning to feel like she had better things to do than being a housewife and full-time mom. The streets were calling her and Cam just couldn’t ignore them.
Cameron also couldn’t ignore O’ Zone’s calls, text messages, and the immense effort he was putting in to get her attention. She still had yet to tell him that she had a man, so the ambitious artist couldn’t figure out why she insisted on bullshitting and playing games with her. Cam was worth it, but she was making him work harder than he’d ever had to work in his life.
Jude had grown incredibly close to King over the last few weeks. It seemed like the cooler he got with his boss/mentor the further apart he and Aso grew apart. Since tensions were at an all-time high between them, Jude moved Cam and Justin out of Aso’s midtown townhome and into a beautiful 3 bedroom 2 ½ bathroom home. King was the one who put the deposit down on the house.
The impressive in-town home had a historical charm with modern updates. The entire house was wired for surround sound, and it also featured crown molding, and hardwood floors throughout. The rent came in at a whopping $3500 a month, but no expense was too great for Jude when it came to his family.
There weren’t a lot of niggas King fooled with. He used a long-handled spoon whenever dealing with most people because he didn’t trust too many motherfuckers, especially around his family. However, Jude was different. He gave his boss a good vibe. King even called him his son although he was only ten years older than Jude at thirty-four. He was more like a big brother/father figure to his twenty-four year old protégée.
Jude had gotten so close with King that his boss invited him to his home for a cookout one bright and sunny afternoon. King’s six-bedroom, seven-bathroom mini mansion looked like a house off of MTV’s Cribs. The gorgeous lot sat on nearly two acres of land and overlooked a golf course.
His cookout mostly consisted of family and close business associates. He introduced Jude to his wife, Katrina and his seven year old daughter. In turn King met Cam and Justin.
Cameron assumed she was meeting her fiancé’s manager. She figured King and Jude’s close business relationship stemmed from hard work and building a rapport. The “business trips” Jude took seemed legitimate enough so Cameron’s suspicions were never raised.
Hip hop music played on maximum in the back of King’s conventional home. Hired chefs and bartenders held down the full outdoor kitchen and bar. A few individuals sat underneath the gazebo chatting and sipping while others took to the large swimming pool.
“Damn, we just keep runnin’ into each other, huh?” Tank took off his Gucci glasses and smiled at Cameron.
She sat in a poolside chair with her son, minding her business. “Lucky me, huh?” she asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. She then looked over at Jude who looked to be in deep conversation with King.
“Damn, it ain’t nothin’ like that, ma,” Tank said, noticing her look in her man’s direction. “I ain’t tryin’ to get you in trouble. Plus that’s fam. I ain’t that nigga.”
Cameron forced a phony smile.
“Just wanted to say what’s up and good luck. Ya’ll make a good couple.”
“Bye Tank,” Cameron waved.
Tank chuckled, and shook his head before walking away.
Aso stood off to the side with a hating ass expression as he watched King and Jude talk near the pool. Jealousy coursed through his veins because of the favoritism. Instead of being happy that his cousin had made a come up, Aso was instead envious.
I’m the one who brought this nigga into the circle and now he’s stealing all my damn shine.
Aso then noticed Cameron sitting in a poolside chair with her son Justin by her side. She wore a blue sea ombre swimsuit and a pair of round sunglasses. His dirty thoughts were interrupted when Tank suddenly approached him. He’d purposely stayed away to let the situation die down. Today was actua
lly their first time running into each other since their last conversation.
“What’s good?” Tank greeted Aso.
Aso pretended he didn’t see his brother as he continued to chew on a toothpick.
“Really though? You gon’ act like we kids or some shit?”
Aso finally looked at Tank. “You foul as fuck, nigga.”
Tank shook his head in disagreement. “Nah, I honestly think you should be thanking me. I opened ya eyes. That bitch was no good—and her pussy wasn’t all that either—”
Aso shoved the hell out of Tank.
Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing to watch the altercation near the pool. Jude and King rushed over before a full own brawl broke out.
“Ya’ll niggas need to chill. Ya’ll makin’ a mufuckin’ scene.” King told them. “Now this ain’t the place for that bullshit.”
Tank pointed at Aso. “This fuck nigga over here cryin’ over pussy and shit—”
The unexpected blow sent Tank crashing into an outdoor table. It took his brain a moment to realize that Aso had just punched him. Forgetting that he was his brother, Tank tackled him with full force. Both brothers landed on the concrete with a thug.
A few other guys rushed over to pull the two apart.
“Fuck you bitch nigga!” Aso spat. “It wasn’t enough for you to fuck Jude’s girl! You had to fuck mine too, huh?”
Jude turned and looked at Tank. “You fucked Cam?!”
TAT! TAT! TAT! TAT! TAT! TAT! TAT!
The sound of an AK 47 going off caused people to scream and scatter frantically. Some people were smart enough to duck down in order to avoid being caught in gunfire. Others pushed and shoved each other to get out.
Glass shattered as bullets whizzed from every direction. Two random people were struck were hit in gunfire.
Cameron hastily dropped to the ground and tried her best to shield Justin. Crouching down, Jude sprinted over towards his girl and child, trying his best to avoid being shot. Unfortunately, he didn’t have his piece on him at the time.
