Finessers 3

by Lucinda John

  The beeping of the microwave hooked me out of my thoughts. Pulling the hot plate of food out of the microwave and onto the counter, I stood there and stuffed my face. The baked stuffed chicken breast, rice, and sweet peas were all I needed to cure my hunger. Grabbing the gallon of milk out of the fridge, I drunk straight from the jug then placed it back in the fridge.

  I walked in the room and I could hear Honey lightly snoring. Undressing, I was about to jump in bed, but since I was dealing with drugs, I decided to take a shower. Midway through my shower, the shower door was yanked open and Honey stood there mugging me.

  “You washing that bitch off you?” she asked me.

  “What bitch, Honey?”

  “The bitch that got your ass walking in the house at two a.m. and jumping in the shower and shit, that bitch!”

  “I was working.”

  “Working my ass! You ain’t no corner boy, you don’t have to be on the block! You don’t make the runs either! All you do is pick up money and count it.”

  “You know my style, you know I don’t mind getting my hands dirty.”

  “That’s you fucking problem, you too much in the streets”

  “This was my life when you met me! You knew I was a street nigga when you let me in between them legs, so what’s the fucking problem now?” I asked snatching the towel and wrapping it around my body.

  “You tryna leave me like Chad did Cinnamon?” she asked. “You want me to have to raise our child alone?” she asked with tears in her eyes.

  “Child?” I asked, pulling her into a hug. I hated to see my baby cry.

  “Yes, Rob, we’re having a baby,” she said hitting me with the best news I heard all day.

  I lifted her up and sat her on the counter. Looking in her eyes, I could see the excitement written all over her face. It was no nigga’s plan to die in the streets, but that was reality. It was either you die, you get locked up, or you get out and go legit. I had no plans on going legit, so I had to make sure I moved through the streets with precautions.

  “I want you to stop hustling,” Honey said looking me dead in the eyes.

  “You on some shit! You know it ain’t in me to stop pushing weight.”

  “So you tryna be a dope boy forever? Do you not see what happened to Julie and Chad?”

  “I know, but I’m not Julie or Chad, I’m Rob.”

  “Bullets don’t have names, Rob! What makes you think you so fucking invincible?”

  “I know what I’m doing.”

  “Whatever, but I’ll tell you one thing, fuck around and lose your life to the streets if you want to. I will find me a corporate America nigga and have him raise our child.”

  “You tryna get fucked up today?” I snapped.

  “No nigga today is fun facts Friday and I’m just letting you know,” she said getting off the counter and walking out of the bathroom.

  I know she was scared about me being in the streets because of what happened to Julie and Chad, but she had to understand this was my life. I had been slanging dope since I was ten years old. I never finished high school let alone go to college. So, what the fuck was I supposed to do to support my family? She had life all the way fucked up if she thought I was about to go flip burgers for bitches and shit.

  I was happy about becoming a father and I knew a lot of shit was going to have to change. I was going to limit the amount of time I spent in the streets. I didn’t want Honey to have to raise my seed alone, so I would make some sacrifices that would make the both of us happy, but me leaving the streets was completely out the question.

  Dressed in a pair of pajama bottoms, I slid in bed and tried to rub on Honey, but she shut that shit short though. I pulled her close to me and cuddled her anyways. Even though she wasn’t going to give me no pussy, there was no way I was going to lay in bed with her and not have her tucked in my arms.

  “Can you do something about that damn phone?!” Honey snapped waking me out of my sleep.

  “Hello?” I groggily answered my ringing phone.

  “Yo, bruh we need you NOW!!!” Derico yelled into the phone.

  “How serious?”

  “Code blue.”

  “Ahh shit!” I said sitting up in the bed.

  When my right hand called me with a code blue it meant something happened and it wasn’t anything they could do to fix it. Jumping out of bed, I threw on a pair of sweats and pulled a white t-shirt over my head. Grabbing a pair of Nikes, I laced them on my feet, and grabbed my keys off of the counter.

  “Really Rob?” Honey asked sitting up in the bed.

  “Baby I have to go handle this.”

  “I’m about sick of this shit for real, Rob,” she snapped and sucked her teeth.

  “Honey, I have to go check it out, if it wasn’t an emergency, they wouldn’t have called me,” I tried to reason.

  “This shit ain’t never gonna stop. What happens when the baby comes huh, Rob, you just gon’ jump up and run to the streets leaving me home alone with a newborn?”

  “Baby, not right now, we will finish up this conversation when I come home.”

  “Yeah, if I’m still here.”

  “You sleepy right now, so I’m not gonna take what you just said seriously. I’mma go see what’s up then I’ll be back. You and my baby better still be here laying in that bed or oh so help me God, I’mma fuck you up!”

  “Whatever.” She pulled the comforter over her head.

  I walked out the house making sure the alarmed chirped behind me. Getting in my car, I drove to the spot where the guys and I met in case of emergencies. When I got there, the whole crew was outside looking lost. I just hopped and prayed no one else from the squad lost their life.

  “What’s good?” I asked approaching them.

  “Bruh, it’s not good at all,” Derico replied

  “What you mean?”

  “Man them Jamaican niggas burned down five of our traps including the one in Liberty City,” Derico said hitting me with the bad news.

  “No! Not the one in Liberty City!” I yelled pissed.

  The trap shop that we had set up in Liberty City was the one that brought in the most money. I wouldn’t have given a fuck if all the other traps were touched, but the one that made us hundreds of thousands of dollars in weeks now that was a problem. These curry chicken motherfuckers were starting to fuck with my money and that was becoming a problem.

  “How you know it was them?” I asked wanting to be sure I was gunning for the right motherfuckers.

  “Them niggas left Jamaican flags in front of every trap they burned down,” Derico replied

  “Ok gather everybody, we gon’ bring these motherfuckers some real heat. Have ManMan scope out the place. I want everybody on the squad strapped and ready for war,” I spat. “Where the fuck is Carter?” I asked noticing that he wasn’t here.”

  “I don’t know, I called that nigga, but he ain’t answer.”

  “Swing by that nigga crib, drag his ass out of bed if you have to and make sure that nigga appears!”

  “Cool. When we moving boss?”

  “Just stay ready for whatever. I’m about to head home, wifey tripping on me. If anything else happens, handle it for me.”

  “Wifey got you on lock?” Derico laughed.

  “Young nigga you’ll understand when you find the one.”

  “Nigga please, I’m too young, handsome, and wealthy for love,” he arrogantly said.

  “Trust me, you gon’ find that one that change your whole mindset.”

  “I won’t hold my breath.”

  “Bruh, I’m out,” I said dapping him up. “Listen to Derico, he’s in charge, he have the authority to body one of you niggas if he has to,” I said hitting everybody with a head nod before heading home.

  “Let this be the last time you walk out the house to go handle some business,” Honey said once my body touched the bed.

  “Look at you talking like you run shit,”
I laughed.

  “I’m done talking, Rob,” she said before she turned over and went back to sleep.

  Chapter 26

  Vic

  “Don’t skip out on no more meetings, that’s going to make you look suspect,” I said to Carter as I passed him the blunt. “If you stick to the plan, everything will be ours.”

  “Good cause I’m sick of that nigga Rob anyways, it’s taking everything in me not to take him out.”

  “Rob. Rob. Rob. You know that hoe ass nigga used to be my dawg,” I said venting. “But just like that hoe he with, they both proved to be disloyal. I have something nice planned for their asses,” I vented.

  “You and Rob were cool like that?” he asked.

  “Yeah nigga, he was the one who found me the big money drug dealers we licked.”

  “That nigga walking around like he perfect and shit.”

  “That nigga a fraud with his fake ass. It’s cool, he gon’ get his. Check me out, when you go back to work act like everything is normal. If they bought the bait then, they should be gunning for them Jamaican niggas.”

  “With any luck, Rob’s ass will die.”

  “Just chill everything will fall in place.”

  “I’m about to leave and meet up with them fuck niggas. Derico’s ass been blowing me up,” Carter said getting up.

  “Iight, partna, keep me updated,” I said dapping him up.

  As he was leaving, Chasity was walking in the house. I noticed the flirtatious exchange they gave each other. Chasity locked the door behind Carter stealing a few glances at him before she came and sat by me.

  “You fucking, Carter? I asked.

  “No…No…Why you ask?” she stuttered.

  “I ain’t dumb, Chasity, so don’t try to play me.”

  “We’ve slept together only once and that was a mistake,” she lied.

  “I expect that shit from your conniving ass. We too much alike to be together.”

  “What are you trying to say?”

  “I’m saying we could never get on that serious level. I can’t trust your ass. You could be fucking me one minute and stabbing me in the back the next.”

  “So what you ain’t tryna be with me?”

  “Cut that shit out, Chas! The only real reason you really fucking with me like that is because Chad is dead,” I replied looking her dead in the eyes.

  I was the blame for the way Chasity was. Before all of this, she was a really sweet loving person. She fed off of my conning ways, which turned her into a force to be reckoned with. Chasity would fuck you over in one breath and act like she cared with the next.

  “That’s not true,” she answered.

  “Chas, you can’t play me, keep it one hundred. We used to be in love, now we’re just business partners.”

  She looked as if she was deep in thought. I studied her beautiful face and could tell she was back on drugs. I hated myself for what I did to her. Once upon a time, Chasity held my heart in the palm of her hand. Now she was just some junky bitch that I needed as a pawn to get what I wanted.

  After eliminating Rob, Carter, and Chasity all would be well. Shame on those motherfuckers for thinking I had heart enough to actually do business with them. If I could shoot and kill my own brother, the person who shared the same blood as me, there was no telling what I’d do to a stranger. Money was thicker than both blood and water to me.

  “You two were the only two men I ever loved,” Chasity said catching me off guard. “All I ever wanted was to be loved.”

  “Chas, you…”

  “Shut the fuck up and let me finish!” she snapped “The two men that I ever loved fucked me over. So of course, you niggas ain’t shit but a stepping stool to me.”

  “All you gotta do is keep it real with me baby.”

  “If you know me like I know you, then there will only be one of us standing. There is no room in the game for us both,” she said getting up and walking out the door.

  Probably went out to catch another hit. That glass dick was going to be the death of her. She was right, there wasn’t room in the game for the both of us. One of us had to go and there was no way in hell I was letting a crack head take me out.

  Chapter 27

  Cinnamon

  “CJ, stop running!” I yelled after my very active son.

  Ever since he learned how to walk, it was like all he did was run. Every day he was looking more and more like Chad. Having CJ around was a breath of fresh air for me because it made me feel like Chad was right here with me.

  Steven and I had been dating on and off. It wasn’t too serious; it was just nice to have someone around to keep me company. Today he was supposed to come over and help me paint the baby’s room.

  I picked CJ up and put him in his play room securing the door with the childproof gate. Dressed in a pair of black shorts and a pink t-shirt, my head was wrapped in a colorful scarf and I wore fuzzy pink socks on my feet. Chad used to love when I walked around the house dressed like this. He would say, “I love your simple beauty.”

  Stirring the pot of chili, I placed the bake potatoes in the oven and made a pitcher of raspberry sweet tea. The aroma of the food cause baby Julie to kick. I decided to name my daughter Julie Ann Green in honor of her great grandmother. Every time I thought of Julie and Chad, my heart hurt, especially for Vivian.

  After Chad’s going away ceremony, Vivian decided to move to Alachua, Florida. Every other weekend, she would come down and I would let CJ spend the week with her. It was only right that I allowed her to be in her grandchildren’s life since they were the only thing she had left to remember her son by.

  “What you in the kitchen burning?” Honey said giving me a scare.

  “Why are you here?”

  “Dang I need permission to come over my baby sister’s house.”

  “No, but I’m expecting company.”

  “Oooooh, you tryna be grown huh?” Honey joked.

  “No, Steven is only coming over to help me with the baby’s room.”

  “Ummm hmmm, that’s what your mouth say,” she laughed.

  “Keep on and I’mma have that key card deactivated again,” I replied throwing a dishtowel at her. “Where’s mama?”

  “You know her and that pastor went out of town to that revival.”

  “Your mama a mess!” I joked.

  “That’s your mama!!”

  “How’s the baby treating you?” I asked making her a bowl of chili.”

  “This baby here is a pain in my ass already. I throw up even when I don’t eat.”

  “Then I guess you can’t eat my chili then.”

  “Bitch don’t play, put some sour cream and cheese in it and pass that bowl over here please,” she said taking a seat at the bar. “Cinnamon?”

  “Yes.”

  “How are you, for real?”

  “I’m coping it. It hurts, but I’m taking it a day at a time,” I honestly answered.

  There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t cry for Chad. I begged for God to bring him back to me every day. I even promised to build churches and donate to charities just to have him back. I was too stubborn to forgive him and work things out and I will always hate myself for that.

  “I’m happy that you ain’t shutting us out no more. I was about to have your ass committed.”

  “Girl bye! But for real, all I needed was some time to myself,” I said before the doorbell rang.

  “Umm sounds like your boo thang is here,” Honey said putting a spoon filled with chili in her mouth.

  I walked to the door and looked through the peephole before opening it. Steven was standing on the other side of the door with bags in his hand looking sexier than ever. He was rocking some black cargo shorts, a white muscle t-shirt that showed off the outline of his abs with a pair of white Airforces on his feet.

  “Hey, Steven!” I exclaimed.

  “What’s up beautiful,” He responded and gave me a peck on
the cheeks.

  “Hey, Steven,” Honey greeted him mocking me.

  “Hey, Honey! Congrats on the baby.”

  “I see my sister can’t hold water, but thank you,” Honey joked.

  “Oh, shut up, Honey.”

  “Can I take CJ home with me?” Honey asked.

  “No, he just came home from being with Vivian,” I whined.

  “Please I could use the company since Rob has to work so much.”

  “Ugh ok, but I’m coming to get him bright and early.”

  “How about in the afternoon?”

  “Stop pushing it, now go get him before I change my mind.”

  “Ok. Ok. I’m going.”

  I watched as Honey picked up CJ and dressed him. She grabbed a few outfits and other things he needed and put them in a Gucci duffle bag.

  “Damn, what you moving him in with you?” I asked watching her stuff the duffle bag.

  “No. We might go somewhere tomorrow.”

  “Honey, I said I was coming to get him in the morning.”

  “Chill out, Cinn, you need your rest. Mothers will kill to have someone take their kids off their hands. Just remember this when I need a break from my baby,” she laughed.

  “You a mess!!”

  “Well, we’re out of here. CJ give mommy kissy.”

  CJ grabbed my face with his fat chunky hands then slobbered all over me. Returning his messy kisses, I ruffled his long curly hair. I walked them out to Honey’s car and made sure he was buckled in tightly before watching them pull off.

  “You are a great mother,” Steven said once I entered the house.

  “Thank you. I try.”

  “Well, let’s get started. I didn’t know what shade of pink you wanted to do, so I bought a few,” he said placing six different cans of paint on the table.

  “I was thinking about doing a hot pink, light pink and dark brown.”

  “That sounds nice,” He said following behind me. “What’s in there?” He said pointing to my garage, which I turned into an in home office.