Trust in No Man

by Cash

  The whole hood knew that the use of a shotgun was Pete’s MO.

  People whispered their suspicions, but Shotgun Pete didn’t catch any heat from the po’s.

  A few weeks later, they donned their robbing gear again and struck for thirty bands and a quarter brick of crack.

  For driving the getaway car, Youngblood got five G’s and three ounces of hard.

  He took Shan and the baby shopping and gave Poochie three-hundred dollars for food and bills.

  Youngblood sold the crack to his homey, Murder Mike, at a low price, and then added that money to his stash. The plan was to stack $500,000. But with his and Shan’s spending appetites and Poochie’s drug addiction, the money began dwindling just as fast as he made it.

  At least I’m balling, he said to himself as he made plans to cop himself a whip that would make muthafuckas gawk.

  CHAPTER 2

  The popsicle blue BMW 325i was phat. Youngblood had just picked it up from being customized and it was turning heads as he cruised back to the hood. Shan was in the passenger seat with Lil’ T in her lap.

  A coupla weeks ago, he and his stickup crew had done a home invasion that netted him 15 G’s and a whole brick of coke. He flipped the dope for 30 racks bringing his stash to 45 bands. Lonnie and Shotgun Pete had split much more between themselves, but Youngblood wasn’t tripping it. After all, his partners cased out the licks and ran up in the houses, all he did was wait outside in the jackmobile and served as the lookout.

  In due time, he figured, he would set up a lick of his own and end up with the lion’s share of the dough.

  In the meantime, he was ready to floss. He wanted to drive through dope traps and show off his new ride and his two-month old son to his dope slangin’ homies, but Shan wasn’t down with that.

  “Crazy ass boy, you ain’t taking my baby in no drug trap.”

  “Why not? My lil’ nigga ain’t scared, he’s gansta.” Youngblood reached under his seat, retrieved a nine milli and laid it across the infant’s lap, boasting, “You already strapped, ain’t you, lil’ man?”

  “Boy, move dat gun off him! You so damn crazy.” Shan punched him in the shoulder.

  Youngblood just smiled. He could see in her eyes that she loved that thug shit that was embedded in him.

  They were leaving Englewood, headed to Youngblood’s mother’s house in Hapeville, so that she could finally see the baby.

  Enroute, Youngblood saw and honked his horn at Rich Kid, who was seated on the hood of a candy-painted ‘64 Chevy Impala.

  Rich Kid was twenty-two and already Englewood-famous in the dope game and he was always tryna get Youngblood to slang dope for him.

  Youngblood pulled up next to Rich Kid’s whip and hopped out. “What it do, Big Homie?” He dapped Rich Kid.

  “Getting this cream. When are you gonna get down with me? I’ll have you slangin’ more coke than Escobar.”

  “Nah, shawdy, I don’t sling yayo, I slang hammers.” Youngblood lifted his shirt to show the burner he kept on his waist.

  “I feel you, but if you ever decide to switch your game, I got a spot waiting for you on the team,” said Rich Kid.

  Youngblood appreciated the offer but had no plans to accept it. Jacking niggas wasn’t his hobby, it was his get down. “I’ma rob until I get rich or get killed,” he vowed

  “I hear dat, lil’ pimp.” Rich Kid looked over his shoulder and checked out his ride. In the process, he saw Shan posted up in the passenger seat, looking ghetto fabulous. “What’s up, Shan?” he spoke.

  “Hey,” she beamed like a bulb.

  Youngblood cut his eye at her sternly and Shan dimmed her smile a little. Rich Kid picked up on the silent admonishment but didn’t comment. He desperately wanted to warn his lil’ homie that he couldn’t turn a ho’ into a housewife.

  But some things, a man has to learn on his own, he reminded himself.

  He and Youngblood chopped it up for a minute, just talking about hood stuff before Youngblood said, “I’ma mash out. Be safe out here on the block.”

  “Always.”

  Youngblood climbed back in his whip and snatched the car in gear. As soon as he pulled off, he got in Shan’s shit. “Fuck you smiling at another nigga for?”

  “I wasn’t smiling at him, I just spoke back. Damn, what’s wrong with that?” She downplayed her flirtatious nature.

  “Don’t try to act like you all innocent and shit. I’m telling you, do that fuck shit again and I’ma punch you right in the face.” Youngblood fumed as he bent a corner and left the hood.

  “Pfff!” Shan brushed off his threat with a flick of her wrist.

  They road in silence until they reached his mother’s house. Youngblood hadn’t even wanted to go by there, but Shan had kept badgering him to take the baby to see his moms.

  The bass from his speakers thumped loud and hard as he pulled into the driveway.

  “Don’t you think you should turn that music down some? You said your mother’s husband be tripping,” Shan reminded him.

  “Fuck that lame,” he spat, bobbing his head to a Shawty Lo jam.

  “Boo, can you just please turn it down.”

  Youngblood shook his head in despair.

  Why she gotta always wrestle with me?

  Sighing, he turned the music down. “You happy?”

  “Yes, I am.” She leaned over and gave him a kiss.

  Youngblood kept a mean look on his face, causing Shan to laugh.

  Why does he always have to be so hard? she wondered. It was irritating as fuck but sexy, too.

  He turned the engine off and they got out of the car with Shan carrying the baby. “I’m telling you, shawdy, if Raymond comes at me sideways, I’ma cook his muthafuckin’ cabbage today. I mean that shit,” he said.

  Before she could respond, they were met on the porch by Youngblood’s mother and Toi. Ann allowed the front door to slam loudly behind them but not before they heard Raymond bellow. “That boy ain’t allowed in this house!”

  Youngblood looked at his mother to see how she would respond. As he expected, she pretended not to hear Raymond. He started to challenge her but decided to let it go.

  Fuck it! She ain’t gotta stand up for me. I’m good.

  Toi gave him a look like she could read his mind and agreed with him 100 percent, their mother was choosing a man over her own child.

  Ann sensed her son’s discomfort. “Don’t pay Raymond no mind,” she offered weakly.

  “I don’t know how you put up with that nigga. But, oh well...” Youngblood swallowed the rest of what he wanted to say, and Ann quickly changed subjects.

  She turned to Shan. “Chile, how old are you?” she asked reproachfully.

  “Sixteen.”

  That’s a shame! Ann thought.

  She wanted to lecture her, but she was a teenager herself when she had Terrence and Toi. So, she shut up and looked hard at the baby, making sure it resembled her son, knowing young girls were quick to put a baby on a boy.

  “I guess he looks like you,” she said.

  “Mama, be nice. That baby is his twin,” remarked Toi. She took Lil’ T from Shan and planted kisses all over his cheeks. “You so cute. Give auntie some of that sugah.”

  Lil’ T smiled.

  Just then, the front door cracked open and Raymond stuck his head out. In a firm voice, he commanded, “Ann, come back inside.”

  “Nigga, don’t be bossing my mother around,” Youngblood snapped.

  Raymond ignored him but Ann followed his orders. “Nice meeting you, Shan,” she said then darted in the house.

  Youngblood’s forehead wrinkled up. Toi recognized the look on her brother’s face and moved to diffuse his anger before he acted it out.

  “Let’s go sit in the car. It’s too cool out here for the baby.”

  “Nah, lil’ sis, we finna bounce. You can hit me up if you need something.” He gave her his cell phone number along with $300.

  They hugged and then Youngblood bounced.

>   When they were headed back to the projects, Shan said, “Eww! Your stepfather is sooo meannnn!”

  “That nigga ain’t my stepfather. He’s my mama’s husband, but he ain’t shit to me! Don’t you ever say no fuck shit like that again. You understand me?” Youngblood’s eyes were red hot coals.

  The fierceness in which he spoke warned her not to say anything slick. To calm things down, she reached over and stroked his arm affectionately. But her touch did little to simmer Youngblood’s boiling anger.

  I hate that muthafucka!

  His jaw was tight with fury, but eventually Shan was able to coax him out of the violent mood he had easily slipped into.

  When they got back home, she put the baby to sleep and then sexed Youngblood until the incident with his mother was long forgotten.

  Laying with her snuggled in his arms, he kissed her on the forehead. “You knew just what a nigga needed.”

  “That’s my job.” Shan smiled proudly.

  The next day, Youngblood rewarded her for her tenderness. He took her to the mall and let her buy it out. With a pass to purchase whatever she wanted, Shan hit the stores hard, choosing designer jeans, bags, shoes and all.

  Youngblood didn’t trip about anything she bought, it felt good to treat his girl to an unlimited shopping spree, and he even grabbed a few outfits himself.

  The spending didn’t stop there. Over the next three days, he splurged on new bedroom furniture for them along with an expensive flat screen television and a room full of toys for Shan’s three little brothers.

  Now, it was time for him to ball without his girl, Youngblood decided. But when he got dressed to go out, Shan went ballistic.

  “Oh, now you’re about to go fuck with your other bitch!” She jumped up in his face and shoved him in the chest. “If you think I’m going for that shit, you got the wrong muthafuckin’ one!”

  “Shawdy, you’re tripping. Man, I’m not going to fuck with no other female. I’ma hang out with my niggas,” he said.

  “You’re a liar!” She swung at his face but Youngblood easily swatted her hand away.

  “You better calm the fuck down before I get stupid right along with you,” he warned.

  “C’mon, black ass muthafucka, let’s get stupid up in this bitch!” Shan walked across the room, grabbed a ceramic bowl off of the living room table and flung it at him.

  Youngblood sidestepped the bowl and it shattered against the wall.

  Poochie heard the commotion and came flying out of her room. “What is going on in here?”

  “His black ass got another girlfriend!” Shan accused as tears ran down her face.

  Knowing how dramatic her daughter could be, Poochie asked Youngblood was it true. “And don’t lie. If you lie, you’re getting out of my house,” she threatened.

  “Man, y’all are tripping!” He put his hand to his forehead. “A nigga can’t even go out of the house without your crazy daughter thinking I’m creeping. I ain’t got time for this shit!”

  “Get the fuck out then!” yelled Shan.

  “Shawdy, you ain’t said nothin’ but a word. I’m gone!” Youngblood snatched the front door open and stormed off to his car.

  Shan flew behind him, cussing and crying. When she caught up to him outside she began wailing on him with both fists. Youngblood had seen his mother take beatings from men, so it took a whole lot for a woman to make him put his hands on her. He tried to shove Shan off of him without hurting her but she was a mad woman.

  “Shan! Bring your ass in the house and let the boy go wherever he wants to go!” Poochie ran up and pulled her daughter off of him.

  “Let me go, Mama. I’ma kick his no good ass tonight!” Shan tried to snatch free but Poochie had a tight grip on her. “I hate you!” She raised her foot and tried to kick Youngblood.

  “Girl, you better go in the house before you make me knock you the fuck out. I ain’t no bitch ass nigga.” He was doing his best not to punch her in the mouth.

  “Just leave!” said Poochie.

  While she restrained Shan, Youngblood jumped in his car and drove off.

  Angry at Shan, he hit the strip club and balled out of control. That night, he ended up at a hotel with a stripper named Luscious. For two days, they smoked weed and sexed each other like crazy. But by the third day, Youngblood had tired of her.

  “Get dressed, I’m taking you home today, shawdy,” he said.

  “Why? I like chilling with you,” she pouted.

  “I gotta go out of town,” he lied.

  Luscious continued to pout as she got dressed and gathered up her belongings, but Youngblood ignored her. He barely said another word to her until they pulled up in front of her apartment.

  “Am I going to see you again?” she asked.

  “Of course. I’ma call you when I get back, okay?” He tried to sound sincere.

  “Yep.” Luscious didn’t believe him. She got out of the car, slammed the door and walked off without looking back.

  Bitches! Youngblood said to himself as he drove off and went back to the hood.

  His Beamer drew the attention of all the young chicks as he cruised through the city. Even the older females sweated his ride. It didn’t matter to them that he was a real young nigga, as long as he was getting money they were fans.

  For days, he fucked with different females and chilled at the hotel. Shan was blowing up his phone and sending him back to back texts apologizing for acting jealous, but he didn’t respond. He was determined to teach her a lesson about flipping out on him.

  It was almost a week later when he finally answered one of her calls. And he did so with much attitude. “If you’re not calling about my son I don’t wanna talk,” he said in a hard tone.

  “Baby, don’t be like that. I said I’m sorry,” she cooed.

  “Oh, now you’re sorry? Fuck that! Your mouth too muhfuckin’ greasy.”

  “Boy, you know I can’t live without your black ass. Come and punish me for talking crazy to you,” she said in her most seductive tone.

  “Suck my dick!”

  “I plan to,” she laughed.

  “Ain’t nothin funny, shawdy. I’m fa real, you’ll make a nigga tap that head.”

  “I want you to tap this pussy. She miss you. It’s so wet right now.”

  Youngblood knew what she was trying to do but he couldn’t resist. He continued to front like he wasn’t coming back to her just to make her beg a little longer but then he gave in. “A’ight, keep my pussy wet for me. I’ll be there in thirty.”

  “Okay, I’ll be in bed naked, waiting on you,” promised Shan.

  Youngblood made a beeline for Shan’s crib. He missed her just as much as she missed him and he planned to put a hurting on that pussy when he got there.

  I’ma show her who runs shit, he said to himself as he exceeded the speed limit.

  CHAPTER 3

  Shan was waiting in bed naked, as promised. Though she had just had a baby two months ago, her young body showed few signs of childbirth. Youngblood looked down at her and instantly rocked up. My shawdy bad. He couldn’t wait to get deep inside of her.

  “I hope Lil T is sleep.”

  “Hey, baby. He is. You ready to get your pussy?” Shan made of display of spreading her legs wide and rubbed her lower lips.

  “Hell yeah.” He began discarding his clothes as he walked toward the bed. “Rub them titties for me.” His voice turned raspy.

  Shan did as he commanded, rubbing her breasts until her nipples stood erect and then she flicked her tongue across them. “You like that?”

  “I love it. You sexy as fuck.” Youngblood stripped down to his boxers. His dick poked out, stiff and long.

  “Bring that pretty, black muthafucka here.” Shan licked her lips and crooked a finger at him.

  Youngblood loved when she talked that shit. There was never anything shy about Shan, in or out of the bedroom, and that was what had him so gone over her.

  He stepped closer and Shan wrapped her hand arou
nd his hardness and slid it up and down. “Show a nigga you missed him,” he said.

  Shan didn’t hesitate. She covered the head of his pipe with her mouth and stepped to her business like a grown woman. She got it sloppy wet, with lots of spit, just the way he liked her to blow him.

  “You like the way your bitch suck your dick?” she asked, looking up at him as she took more of him inside her mouth.

  “I love it,” grunted Youngblood.

  “Make me gag. Fuck my throat.”

  Youngblood grabbed the back of her head and pushed himself deeper into her mouth, stroking in and out. Shan gagged, pulled back a little and coated his wood with more saliva.

  “That’s right, shawdy, suck this muthafucka.” “Ummm, I’m sucking it.”

  Before long, She had him rising up on his toes and moaning. She slurped and sucked and jacked his dick up and down until he groaned loud and bust a nut in her mouth.

  “Arghhh!” He growled.

  Like a young pro, she swallowed every drop and then showed him her tongue as evidence. Youngblood’s knees were so weak, he collapsed face first on the bed.

  Shan laughed, “See what you’ve been missing.” She got up and laid on his back. “Boy, you better not go to sleep. I need you to beat this pussy up and put me in check.”

  “Hold up.” He needed a minute to catch his second wind, but with Shan grinding her moist mound on the back of his thigh and sucking on his collarbone, it didn’t take but a few minutes for him to rock up again.

  “If you don’t hurry up and give me my dick, I’m going to catch a serious attitude,” she threatened.

  “Nawl, ain’t no need for that. I got you, baby.” He rolled her onto her back and began kissing his way down her body.

  Shan grabbed ahold of his head and stopped him from going down on her. “Boo, you can do all of that later. I need some dick.”

  Turned on by her aggressiveness, Youngblood moved up her body and eased his hardness inside of her soft, buttery cup. “Is this what you need?” He stroked in and out of her slowly.