by Yoshe
Smokey stared at Brandi and her eyes began to well up with tears. She went over her thoughts a million times. She cried and fretted over it so many nights, asking God to remove the thoughts of murder from her head. Smokey touched her hand and he summoned the waitress, paid for the food, and got out of that diner. He knew what Brandi wanted; he read her mind.
While they sat in his Infiniti Q45, he let Brandi cry, while he waited for her to catch her breath.
“I need you to kill Maleek for me,” Brandi announced.
Smokey chuckled. “Brandi, do you realize what you’re askin’ me to do?” he asked, with eyes filled with sorrow. He handed her some tissues from the glove compartment of his car and she blew her nose.
“I’m askin’ you to do that for me or get someone else to do it, as long as it gets done!”
Smokey looked out the window, staring into nothingness. He stared at Brandi with a concerned look on his face. “You know what you askin’ me to do, right? You askin’ me to, to . . .”
Brandi cut him off. “I know, Smoke, but you are the only person that I can trust with this. You’ll make sure it’s done, right?”
“Whoa, whoa,” Smokey said, holding up his hands. “I ain’t said I was gonna do shit, little mama, but why you wanna do this to old boy?”
“Maleek left me and now he won’t take no calls from me or his son. If I call from an unknown number, he hears my voice and hangs up the damn phone on me! Now he changed his number! He told me before he left, I don’t act like how a woman is supposed to act, I’m out here hustlin’ like a nigga and that’s not lady-like. But, Smokey, he’s the one dat created this monster. He’s the one that got me started with this hustlin’ shit.”
Smokey sighed. “Well, Brandi, that may be a sign for you to give this shit up, shawty. You got a son to look after and bein’ that this dude ain’t doin what he’s supposed to, you gotta be there for your little boy.”
Brandi held her head down and looked out the passenger side window. Smokey turned her face toward him.
“Smokey, I’m hurt, though! I been with this nigga since I was sixteen years ol’. My mother practically disowned me when I got pregnant by him. He turned me on to the hustle game and now that I look at it, he ain’t never had to do nothin’ for me or my son ’cause I always made sure we had. He did nothin’ but pimped me. I allowed him to turn me into this gangsta bitch, now he claims he’s not feelin’ me anymore! He just up and left me for some prissy college chick, who he’s probably treatin’ like a fuckin’ queen, payin’ her tuition and shit. That’s somethin’ I shoulda done, gone to college and live a normal life instead of dedicatin’ my entire existence to this fool. But dissin’ me is one thing. Now he’s hangin’ up on my son and I don’t like nobody fuckin’ with my child!”
“Damn, girl. The baby? Don’t disrespect the baby, main. He don’t even try to see his son no more, huh?”
Brandi mouthed the word “no.” “His family tried to talk some sense into this pussy-whipped nigga and he won’t even listen ta them. I just don’t know what else to do . . .”
Smokey hugged Brandi, while she continued to sob, loudly. “I’m sorry, baby. I feel your pain, man.” He let Brandi go and held her face, wiping her tears. “Look, I got you but here’s the deal. Your man got some beef with these cats from Portsmouth. Seem like he beat them outta some money and work and they pissed off about it, man. Well, just so happen, they my peoples and they been askin’ me about Maleek ’cause they know he be in No’folk. I always see him, you know, he might gimme a li’l head nod and we keep it movin’. The only reason Maleek life is bein’ spared is on the strength of you, Brandi. I never cared for him ’cause I think he a fuck nigga but now that you tellin’ me this shit here, I think I’m gonna go ’head and let them Portsmouth niggas know to ride in on that ass.”
Brandi felt her chest tightened suddenly. She instantly regretted what she told Smokey but it was too late to take it back. She knew that if anything happened to Maleek, she was going to be the co-signer on his death certificate. However, even though she would have to live with the unanswered questions and guilt, she just couldn’t live with knowing someone that she was in love with had moved on to someone else after all she had done to be with him.
“Wow, Smokey, I didn’t know about the Portsmouth dudes but oh well, that’s how the game goes,” she announced, wiping her runny nose with her hand.
Smokey shrugged his shoulders. “I know you feelin’ guilty but just think of this thang bein’ like, karma. You treat somebody that love you fucked up, you get what’s comin’ to you, man!”
Suddenly, Smokey kissed Brandi in the mouth and she reciprocated. He tenderly massaged her breasts and she unbuttoned her blouse to reveal her black lace bra. It got so heated in his car that Smokey pulled off and they ended up in her hotel room, where he performed some of the best oral sex on her that she ever had. Smokey was a country boy and they never failed to deliver when it came to lovemaking.
Brandi took off his shirt and she was pleased as she ran her hands over his ripped body. Smokey’s coal complexion had a beautiful contrast against her mocha-colored skin and the distinction of the skin tones turned her on even more. She licked on his rod as if it was a piece of thick, black licorice. His body tasted like dark chocolate and Brandi’s sweet tooth led her to explore every nook and cranny of his ripped body with his tongue. The husky moans escaping from his succulent mouth made her ride his thick country-boy dick even harder.
“Damn, baby, I didn’t know it was this good!” he yelled, as he grabbed her. His dick worked her insides and Brandi squealed with delight, temporarily forgetting all about Maleek and his escapades.
The next day, Maleek received information that Brandi was in town and he was looking to catch up with her. Immediately after Smokey got wind of this, he put her on a plane back to New York. There was no need for them to speak to each other anymore, he thought.
When Brandi got back home, she picked up the ringing house phone. It was Maleek on the other end. A sinister smile appeared on her face.
“What the hell was you doin’ down here, in Virginia? Spyin’ on me?” he screamed.
Brandi looked at the phone. “Spyin’ on you? Nigga, don’t flatter yourself! I had some business to take care of. And why are you so concerned anyway? You don’t give a fuck about me or your son!” she yelled back.
“I don’t wanna hear about you bein’ in Virginia again, Brandi! You had to know somebody was gonna tell me that you was down here!”
“Maleek, I don’t give a fuck about anyone tellin’ you a damn thing! Oh yeah, by the way, I fucked Smokey and his dick was so much better than yours ever was. I guess what they say about them country boys is true!”
Maleek gulped. “You what? You did who? Smokey?” Maleek paused. “Oh, you’re gettin’ down like that now?”
“Yep. I sure am! So fuck you and I hope you burn in hell!” Brandi hung up the phone before Maleek could say anything else. He continued to call her phone and leave obscene messages, even threatening her life but Brandi refused to answer the phone. Brandi smiled as she thought about how much better her life would be without him in it.
Apparently, the Portsmouth dudes didn’t have to catch up to the young hustler, after all. Smokey gunned down Maleek a few weeks after Brandi departed Virginia. Apparently, they had some major beef over Brandi and Maleek shot at Smokey, barely missing him. One day, Smokey made a phone call to Brandi, letting her know where Maleek’s remains were. Smokey told her how everything went down, which had Brandi totally upset, to say the least. At the same time, he proclaimed his love for her and insisting that she move to Virginia to be with him. She was physically attracted to Smokey but she knew that he was only a pawn in her dirty game of chess. She changed her phone number shortly after.
Now she would have to live with knowing that she was instrumental in Maleek’s death for the rest of her life, eventually shunning his family members as well because of the excessive guilt. Some months afterward,
she heard that Smokey was killed by some of Maleek’s people, in retaliation for his murder. Apparently, Maleek had put a contract on Smokey before he, himself, was executed. The pressure of being partly to blame for the deaths of two people she cared for finally took its toll on Brandi and she went into a deep depression, even contemplated killing herself.
Brandi’s daydreams were interrupted when she heard her last name being called for the visit. A female officer exited the control room and figured that she was the one that Sean argued with. The officer was exceptionally pretty and Brandi could understand why most men would find her irresistible.
Brandi walked up to the officer and fought off the urge to snatch the registration card from the woman’s hand. She took a glimpse of the nameplate on the breast of her uniform shirt and it read “Y. Cruz.” Instead, Brandi gently removed the card from Cruz’s grasp and smiled pleasantly, as she passed her stamped hand through a UV light before entering the visiting floor. Brandi then got her card stamped and was instructed by an officer to sit at table seven.
While she waited for Shamari to come out, she attempted to make eye contact with Sean. He did everything he could to not to look her way, stealing an occasional glance or two at Brandi’s disgruntled face. Brandi knew that she wasn’t his woman, but she was disappointed in him nonetheless.
Chapter 20
Shamari shuffled out to the table where they would be sitting and Brandi totally forgot about Sean. She was mortified when she saw the bandages on the neck of her only son.
“Oh my God, Shaki, what happened to you? Who did this to you? Why?” Brandi asked, with her arms spread out.
“Ma, Ma, c’mon, I’m a’ight!” he said, covering his neck. “I’m okay, it’s just a small setback, that’s all!” he said, hopefully dismissing any further questions. He was wrong.
“Shaki, you can’t live like this! Walking around with cuts all over you! Why in the hell didn’t Daniels tell me what happened?” Brandi exclaimed, even more pissed off with Sean.
Sean was visibly annoyed. “Ma, listen, that nigga is not my keeper! I’m a grown man, I got myself into this jail shit and I’m gonna do my time and come home! He ain’t my babysitter so everything that happen in here, don’t expect for him to tell! He’s a man, Ma. Real men don’t be runnin’ their mouth!” Shamari explained. He knew that he had run his mouth and he had to learn his lesson the hard way. Now he knew better.
Brandi was frustrated. “I can’t take you being in here. You’re getting cut, fighting, it’s just too much!”
Shamari took his mother’s hands. “Ma’, I understand that me bein’ in here is tough for you. It’s hard for me, too but I gotta do what I got to do. I was scared at first but I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”
Brandi sighed. She was stressed out. “Shaki, I have to worry, you’re locked up and you have a baby on the way. Now you’re in this dump getting cut up, it’s a lot for me to handle.”
Shamari looked around and noticed Sean looking at his mother. “Ma, can I ask you somethin’ and I want you to be honest with me.”
Brandi blinked. She wondered if he had heard anything about her shady past. She worked hard to keep Shamari sheltered from any harmful information about her. “What is it, Shamari?”
“Are you involved with Daniels?” Brandi frowned. “Yeah, I wanna know if you’re involved with Daniels.”
“No, I’m not,” Brandi stated, lying through her teeth. “Why are you asking me that?”
Shamari held his head down. “Please don’t mess around with none of these CO cats, Ma. They try to screw any woman that walks through these doors and Daniels ain’t no different. I just don’t want my mother to be caught up in nothin’ with these birds.”
Brandi agreed. “I understand, Shaki, it is a conflict of interest.”
Shamari paused. He didn’t know what else to say to Brandi so they sat quietly for a moment. Brandi finally broke the silence by asking Shamari about his sentencing.
“I can’t wait to go upstate, Ma. I just wanna get this over with,” he said.
Brandi agreed. “That’s true. At least, you know you’ll be a step closer to freedom.”
Sean walked over and spoke to Brandi, who was forced to speak back, not wanting to give Shamari any inkling that she was pissed with him.
“Hey, Miss Wallace. What’s up, Mr. Wallace?” Sean greeted, giving Shamari a unenthusiastic head nod.
Brandi spoke to him in a curt tone. “Hello, Mr. Daniels.” Shamari didn’t say anything. Sean felt the tension and dismissed himself. Brandi’s eyes followed him.
Shamari smirked. “I think you like that dude, Ma.”
Brandi laughed. “Boy, please. I have too many things on my plate as it is and there’s no room on it for Daniels.”
“I hope not ’cause I overheard him arguin’ with Miss Cruz in the control room. He’s pluggin’ her and you don’t need to be a secondary side piece to nobody.”
Brandi held her head down. She knew that Shamari was right but she had feelings for Sean, feelings that she hadn’t felt in a long time for a man. She was tired of being in her bed alone and she was tired of being horny. Most men she met were threatened by her career and her independence. With Sean, he made her feel alive again, even though it has only been two weeks since they had actually known each other.
The rest of the visit with Shamari went well and Brandi returned to the registration area to remove items from her locker. Sean crept up behind her, startling her.
“Brandi, I apologize for what happened earlier. That wasn’t meant for your ears,” Sean explained.
Brandi huffed. “No, what you want to say is that, I wasn’t supposed to be sitting in the visit area when you were arguing with this woman. I mean, what are the chances of that, right?” she replied.
Sean looked at the ground. “Let’s talk. Tonight.”
“Sean, I don’t think that you’re ready for a woman like me. You still looking to fuck different women and put some notches in your belt. I refuse to be some side action and I’m damn sure not trying to be your jump off.”
Brandi looked outside and saw the bus. She began walking toward the door and Sean grabbed her arm. “I’m comin’ over tonight, Brandi.” She snatched her arm away from his grasp and walked away. Sean turned around and saw Yadi standing there, staring at him.
“So you fuckin’ the visitors now, Sean?” she asked with her arms folded across her chest.
Sean looked at Yadi with a look of disgust on his face. “Why are you worryin’ about me and what I’m doin’? And why the fuck are you stalkin’ me? Damn!” Sean replied, attempting to brush past the love-struck Yadi. She grabbed his arm, and not wanting to make a scene, Sean stopped in his tracks.
“What do you want from me, Yadi?” he asked, with a serious look on his face.
“I want you, Sean, and you need me. I’m gonna do whatever it takes to prove that to you, do you understand me?” Yadi replied.
Sean snatched his arm away from Yadi’s grasp and walked back toward his post. Yadi stood there with a smirk on her face. She was a woman who put a lot of effort into getting what she wanted. In this case, Sean was going to be the prize.
Chapter 21
Later on that evening, Yadi sat in her car parked in front of her co-op apartment that Devin still lived in. The evening was tranquil, except for an occasional wind that swept through. Yadi stayed put, patiently waiting for Devin to walk out of the building. She was curious to see what he was up to and had been watching him occasionally after she left her apartment.
During one of her “visits,” she had considered doing major damage to his truck but decided against it. She just wanted to retrieve some more of her belongings from the house. First Yadi had to make sure that Devin was not at home at the time. That would perfect because Yadi wanted to clear everything out of the apartment and she didn’t need to get into any more altercations with him. She also didn’t want to give Devin the satisfaction of staying in her apartment and have access to the furnitur
e she purchased.
Upon speaking with the cooperative board, they agreed to notify Devin and tell him that he would have to leave. Until then, Yadi was still financially responsible for the maintenance. The thought of him living rent-free in her place while she stayed elsewhere pissed her off. Nevertheless, she was going to do whatever she had to in order to remove Devin from her place and from her life, once and for all. She had to work on getting with Sean Daniels, the man that she was in love with.
Yadi sat upright in her Maxima when she noticed Devin walking out of the three-story building. She didn’t know where he was going but she knew that she had to make it quick. She held her breath at the sight of him, almost forgetting how good he looked. Devin seemed as if he didn’t have a care in the world, as he hopped into his Excursion and pulled off, totally oblivious to Yadi’s watchful eye.
Knowing that she had no time to waste, Yadi jumped out of her car and gestured for the movers to follow her. It was 5 o’clock P.M., after hours for movers, but the people she hired for the job were more than happy to help Yadi (after being promised a nice piece of cash to do her the favor). They skillfully packed up her belongings and put the things into their truck. They removed her living room and bedroom furniture, dishes, linen, everything that Yadi told them to. Two hours later the job was done. Yadi stood in the middle of the empty apartment shaking her head.
Yadi purchased the co-op when she completed her probationary period with Department of Correction. For the first time in her life, Yadi was so proud of her accomplishments but only one thing was missing and that was a good man. Then she had met Devin and fallen in love, but now it seemed as if she was back to square one.
Yadi sighed thinking that she should have gotten the locks changed, but she wanted Devin to come home and feel her wrath. He would enter the empty apartment after a hard night’s work, with no bed to sleep in, no couch to sit on. She laughed wishing that she could be a fly on the wall when he walked into total emptiness. Payback was a bitch.
