Black and the Ugliest

by T. Styles

  I smiled. “So you really think I can, you know, get him to squeeze off that much cash?”

  “You can get a man to do anything you want if your game is tight enough.” He paused. “Remember that.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  JAY

  Melissa sat at Jay’s bedside clutching his hand. Every so often he’d breathe deeply and she’d smile, believing it was his way of communicating with her despite never regaining consciousness.

  “I’m here, son,” she said as she wiped tears streaming down her own face. “I want you to know that I’m here and I have someone on the way to see you. Someone you should’ve married instead of that whore. Someone who if you had made your wife would have never left your side.”

  Just then Quinn walked through the door. Mixed with black and Hawaiian, people who attempted to guess her ethnicity often failed miserably. When she saw Jay hooked up to the machines, she placed her designer purse on the available seat and hugged Melissa. “Mrs. Hernandez, I’m so sorry about—”

  “Shhh,” Melissa said as she pulled softly away from her and focused back on Jay. “I don’t want any sadness around him. He needs strength and that means from you too.”

  “So what, what happened?” Quinn stuttered wiping her tears away. “I thought things were going good? I thought he was happy with his wife in L.A. and—”

  “LIES!” Melissa took a deep breath and tried to hide the rage. “All lies apparently. Look at him! The last thing he is, is happy.”

  Quinn walked up to Jay and squeezed his hand while Melissa stood at his right. “But I don’t want you worrying one bit, Melissa. I’m going to get him right.” She smiled and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “And when I do, he will be all mine.”

  Melissa grinned. “Now that’s what I wanted to hear.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  MISS WAYNE

  Standing in the motel room I took a step back and gazed at Parade. She looked so sexy it made me proud. I couldn’t believe I was doing this and yet here I was, helping my best friend cheat on her husband who was probably dying in the hospital as we speak. At the same time if she was going to fuck this nigga I wanted her to do it with my direction.

  After we dressed her in a sexy one-piece black cat suit, red designer strap sandals and a blue jean Gucci jacket, I looked her over. From the front I could see that ass and I knew he would be pleased when he saw it too.

  “Did he call yet?” I asked.

  Parade nodded and took a deep breath.

  “Good, remember whatever you do, you can’t fuck this dude yet.”

  She rolled her eyes and flopped on the side of the bed before throwing her hands into her face.

  Slowly I sat next to her. “What did I say wrong this time?”

  She looked up at me. “Why is this my life?”

  “You know you can’t play this game with yourself anymore.” I paused. “The whys won’t change what’s happening right now, Parade. Focus. Now we must do what we gotta to secure the bag. The only question is are you up for it?”

  She nodded. “You know what…” She got up and stood against the wall across from me. “I’m afraid to see my own husband. Haven’t laid eyes on him since he was flown here.”

  “I know. And that breaks my heart.”

  “Why do you think that is?”

  “Guilt.”

  She nodded. “I think you right. Why else would I allow myself to stay away from the one man on earth I always wanted? I mean, even when Sky had him I knew he was for me, despite how he treated me. And now he’s in a hospital and I’m about to do the worst thing ever. I hate myself and—”

  I pointed at her. “I get it now.”

  She frowned.

  “You want it both ways,” I said crossing my arms over my chest. “You want me to bash you when you wanna be bashed about how you fucking over your husband and then cheer you on when it’s time to get down to business.”

  “Oh, Wayne, cut it out,” she said waving the air.

  “I’m speaking gospel.” I paused. “But I’m not gonna play your game. Now are you gonna do what you gotta do or not?”

  She walked over to her purse, grabbed it and moved toward the door. With her back faced me she said, “You were always the one person who could see through my shit.”

  I laughed. “I don’t see why that should change now do you?”

  She laughed once and grabbed the doorknob. “I love you.”

  “Already know. Now get the fuck out and get that money.”

  ****

  PARADE

  “So all of this is for me?” I asked Am’rak as I sat in his backyard where he had a chef prepare us a meal of lobster, mashed potatoes, asparagus and fresh bread under the moonlight. I also noticed a bottle of wine on the table with two glasses this time. Guess he was indulging after all.

  He winked. “You impressed yet?”

  “Nah.” I grabbed my fork and ate some potatoes.

  He laughed once and poured two glasses of wine, the one with the largest amount inside he gave to himself. “I guess you’re used to this kind of thing right?”

  I shrugged. “Not really.” I lied. “But I thought you didn’t drink.”

  He smiled, swallowed it all before pouring himself another. “I’m sorry about that situation when you stayed over the other night,” He said ignoring me. “With my ex. Some women don’t understand when its over.”

  “You sure that doesn’t have anything to do with the games you play or the stories you telling her?”

  He laughed harder. “You looking for the worst in me. Why is that?”

  I shrugged. “To be honest I’m just here, enjoying a free meal. Looking for the worst in you is the furthest thing from my mind. Besides…” I ate some lobster. “Look how we met.” I paused. “But you were looking for her weren’t you? And you thought it was me when we met.”

  “Your photo was dark.” He paused. “So the answer is yes.” He pointed at me. “And that brings me to my next point. What were you doing there? You smell like a woman who’s taken care of.”

  “I take care of myself.”

  “And I said I don’t believe you.”

  “Maybe you’re trying to make a story that won’t sell. I’m a whore who was in need of money. You reached out and we connected. My story ends there.”

  “Exactly, but you couldn’t go through with it.”

  “Was a bad day. We all have ‘em.”

  “You remind me of my mother. Her life was snatched when somebody who was supposed to care about her failed.” He glared at me hard, as if I were responsible. “And I’m gonna spend the rest of my life righting that wrong.”

  “And you think I can help you with that by favoring her?”

  He smiled. “Can you?”

  I bit my bottom lip, trying my best not to say the wrong thing because at the end of the day this was about the big money, the long con, and I had to be as Wayne said, engaged but distant at the same time. Wayne said I had to treat Am’rak the same way I did with Jay when we first got together, with one difference, I don’t love this person.

  “You think you are so—”

  “I just saw some niggas around the house!” A man said rushing from the side of the house next to where we were. Suddenly four other men came around the back and I was about to shit myself until I realized they were with him.

  Am’rak was calm as he stood up. “Check the perimeter and let me know what happens next,” he told them. He walked over to me and softly placed a hand on my lower back. “Come with me.”

  “Is everything okay?” I could feel my heart thumping out my chest. I was trying to get a coin, not die trying.

  “Hey, listen, I don’t want you to worry okay?” He said to me. “You fine as long as you’re on my side.”

  What did that mean?

  I nodded and swallowed the lump in my throat as he escorted me into a dark house. When my vision was clearer, I saw men at every window and door. He led me upstairs and into his room, whic
h was also dark, before closing and locking us inside.

  “Am’rak, I…I…”

  “Shhhh,” he said as he pulled me to him. Afterwards he walked away, returned and handed me a gun. “It’s a .45. Got one bullet. You know how to use it?”

  I nodded yes and took it although I didn’t. It had been so long since I fired a gun that I think I forgot on purpose. The piece he handed me was heavy and a revolver. I could feel the chamber and secretly hoped I wouldn’t shoot myself instead.

  Everything was happening so quickly. Every part of my being wanted to wiggle away from him but I needed to borrow his energy. I needed to borrow his calmness and…and for now my plan to get the money would have to take a backseat because I was scared for my life.

  I sat on the bed and he walked to the window and moved the blind, which allowed the moonlight to shine inside. The only thing I could hear was my breath and still I didn’t know what was going on.

  He looked over at me. “Some dudes outside trying to get at me but my niggas on it okay?”

  “Am’rak, I wanna go home.”

  “Yeah, well you can’t right now.” He said calmly. “Not because I don’t want you to, but because it wouldn’t be safe.” His phone rang and he removed it from his pocket, looked at the screen and walked into the bathroom.

  Afraid, and not knowing what to do, I got up and sat across the room, on the floor, away from the door. My chest moved up and down and all I could hope and pray was that I would get out of this situation alive.

  With my knees pulled against my chest I watched the door closely. Every now and again I saw a shadow move by it from under the crack but for now no one came inside. Three minutes later the bathroom door opened and Am’rak came out.

  “We have to go.”

  I stood up. “Where?”

  “Some place safe.”

  “But why I gotta go too?” He paused. “Can’t they just—”

  “Your name is Parade Knight. And you lived around Quincy Manor.”

  Now I was rocked back to the floor where I looked up at his silhouette. I gave this man as little info about me as possible, so how did he know that much?

  “I know a little about you,” he said softly. “Now if I know a little about you that means they do too.” He extended his hand. “So are you coming with me or would you prefer to die?”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  MISS WAYNE

  After sitting in my rental in front of Jay’s mother’s house for an hour, I decided it was time for me to face the music and go inside. Taking a deep breath I grabbed my purse and knocked on the door.

  Melissa opened it with an attitude. “Fuck you want?”

  “Maybe I should go back into my car, wait a few minutes and start over again.”

  She laughed. “You can do whatever you want and my response to you will be the same.”

  I shook my head. The old Wayne would’ve had her lips under his high heels but luckily for her I was a married woman with a husband, child and friends who loved me dearly. Still, I wasn’t sure how much longer I’d be so gracious.

  “Is Parade here or not?”

  She folded her arms tightly over her chest and smirked.

  “Fuck is so funny?” I asked.

  “It’s hilarious how you over here asking where she is when before she left she told her daughter that she was with you.”

  Oh, no, Wayne! How could you be so dumb? I thought.

  “She was with me,” I said trying to collect my fuck ups one by one. “But we got into it and she walked out my car a few minutes ago.”

  She shook her head. “You think you’re soooo much smarter than me don’t you? Think you have it all together. Well guess what, you don’t. Now Parade may be captured by your feminine wiles but I’m not, and neither will my son when he wakes up and finds out what a bad mother your friend has been.”

  “You know what, I’m not gonna argue with you about all that.” I looked over her shoulder. “Where the kids?”

  Suddenly the smug look on her face disappeared. “Well, there’s a problem with that too.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Logan ain’t here.”

  I put my hand over my chest. “What you mean?”

  “He left and I’ve been calling his phone number but he won’t talk to me.”

  “Well did he talk to Landon?”

  She took a deep breath. “He won’t tell me. But he’s out right now with my nephew looking for his twin.” She wiped her hand down her face. “I know they were staying here and all but I honestly believe Logan ran away because his mother wasn’t here to handle her responsibilities.”

  I took one step closer so she could hear me clearly. “I have been respectful to you.”

  “You call the shit you said under your breath in my house the other day respectful? You think I didn’t hear you? If anything—”

  I placed a finger over her lips and pushed them closed. “Like I said, I have been respectful of you and your home. But if you say one more word about my friend in my presence or outside of it, and I find out about it, as God as my witness I will come back over here and stomp you to dust.” I removed my finger. “Do I make myself clear?”

  She backed away and slammed the door.

  I removed my phone from my purse and made a call. “Honey, I need you to do me a favor.” I paused. “Be on the look out for Logan. I think we got trouble.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  PARADE

  When I opened my eyes I was in the passenger seat of a Mercedes Benz. I knew it was new because it smelled that way. Am’rak was driving and he smiled at me as if everything was sweet. “You were out,” he said, reaching out to touch my face. I backed away from him.

  “Did you give me something?”

  “Nah,” he frowned, both hands on the steering wheel. I knew in that moment he did. “Just the juice you asked for.”

  I rubbed my head. “Well how come…I…”

  “You hungry?”

  My mouth was dry and my stomach rumbled before I could respond. It would be dumb to lie at this point or let on that I was scared even though I was. The last thing I remembered was being in his house and now…now I don’t know where we were. “I can eat,” I said. “Actually I’m starving.”

  He smiled. “I know the perfect spot.”

  I looked out the window. There was a black Mercedes Sprinter in the front and back of us so I knew we were driving in a caravan.

  Dear God, please get me out of this safe and unharmed.

  “Are they following us?” I asked. “The vans in the front and back of us.”

  “I always have my important people and packages followed.” He replied.

  “Well, where, where are we?” I asked. “And what’s going on?”

  “We’re in Virginia.” He paused. “The deep south part. That’s all you need to know for now.”

  My eyes widened. “But I…I can’t be here…I have to…I gotta…”

  “You gotta what?” He paused. “I mean, you said you don’t have kids or a man, Parade. So what you gotta do that’s more important than saving your own life?” He looked at me and then back at the road.

  “Am’rak, I—”

  “If I pull this car over and let you out there would be no less than thirty niggas that I can think of prepared to take your life. All ‘cause they think you important enough to me since I brought you to my house. Is that what you want?”

  “Brought me in your house?”

  “Yeah.” He nodded. “Outside of my ex I don’t bring people to where I live.”

  I rubbed my eyes and tried to stop the heavy breath from rising and falling in my chest but it was difficult. “Where are we going to eat?” I wanted my mind off of everything else.

  “We gonna go by my crib which is a few miles up and then I’ll order out.” He placed a hand on my thigh and rubbed it softly. My skin crawled. “And I don’t want you to worry. As long as you with me you’re safe.”

  When his cell phone rang h
e answered. I couldn’t hear the caller but I could tell his demeanor was softer when he saw the number. It was almost child-like. “Don‘t worry about it,” he said into the phone. “I know you can’t go through it again.” He looked at me. “And you won’t have to either.” He paused. “But I gotta go. I’ll call you back.”

  Was that the girl who walked in on us at his house?

  Did she know I was with him now?

  There were so many questions and not enough answers!

  ****

  PARADE

  This house was as big as the one in Maryland if not bigger. It was also just as empty, which had me wondering what exactly did he do for a living. Why all the fucking houses not furnished? I mean I knew it was drug related, at least I thought so, but I didn’t know how deep he was into the game and if he was more hated than loved.

  “Where is your bathroom?” I asked when we walked into the living room.

  “Use the one upstairs.”

  I smiled, gripped my purse tighter and walked upstairs. Once there I closed and locked the door and sat on the closed toilet seat. When I rummaged through my purse I noticed my phone was gone and my heart thumped harder. Leaping up, I paced in circles and placed my hand over my chest. Why did he take my phone? This shit was getting more and more out of hand and I was now officially in fear for my life.

  “Okay, okay, Parade you have to calm down.” I said to myself. “First off you don’t know what’s going on. Yes you appear to be taken by a man who is dangerous and hunted. And yes you have no idea where you are. But if you don’t get it together…”