B-More Careful

by Shannon Holmes

  Once inside the hotel room, Black pulled out a large bundle from his jacket pocket and handed it to her. She immediately began to strip for him. Naked, she sat on the bed, dumping bag after bag into a $20 bill. As she began to snort, Black sat patiently waiting for the drug to take effect. Then, he began to question her.

  “So, what’s up with you and Netta?” he asked trying to feel her out.

  Since the incident, Black hadn’t seen or heard anything. He knew she had moved, he saw the For Sale sign, but he didn’t know where. He needed specific details and who better to give them to him than Netta’s best friend?

  In between snorts, Mimi came up for air. “Me and Netta don’t get down like that no more.”

  “Why? What happened, yo?” Black asked, like he was concerned about their friendship.

  “I’m tired of being that bitch’s flunky. Netta thinks she better than everybody. She don’t give nobody no credit, know what I’m saying? I’m tired of her shit. I’m grown, yo. I don’t need nobody telling me what to do. That ain’t what’s happening no more,” Mimi said, heated over the mention of Netta’s name.

  Netta don’t fuck with you ‘cause you getting high, Black thought to himself reading between the lines. “I heard she moved?”

  “Yeah, that bitch moved, but don’t nobody know where. I guess that’s how she wants it. Ever since she came out the hospital, ain’t nobody been in contact with her except my mother,” Mimi said. “Netta is on some real antisocial shit now. She supposedly changed her life and is going to school or some shit. I don’t know the whole story, but I know she living with this New York nigga named Tone.”

  Jealously and rage filtered over his entire facial expression. If anybody knows how much he hated New Yorkers, it was Netta. He had confided in the details surrounding his uncle’s death and his ill will toward New York and New Yorkers a long time ago. She knew he hated them.

  How she fuck with one of them niggas? How? She’s sleeping with the enemy, this bitch is the enemy!

  He really wanted to kill her now. It was so disrespectful, it was like she had spit right back in his face. It took every ounce of restraint Black had to keep his cool. He took Netta’s relationship with Tone straight to heart.

  “How you know?” he asked, picking her brain, not wanting to believe it was true.

  “Oh, I… I’m kinda messin’ with his cousin, but it ain’t nothing serious though,” she said, lifting her face up out the dollar bill long enough to answer him.

  Kinda my ass! Both you bitches are exactly alike, snakes. If all you dumb ass hoes and stupid ass niggas would stop fucking with them New York niggas, they couldn’t come down here and take over. Why can’t these motherfuckers see that? he wondered, as he sat there looking at her in disbelief.

  Ready to get down to business, Black got up and walked over to Mimi. Standing in front of her, he reached down and pried the dope out of her hand. Now that he had her attention, he unzipped his pants and pulled out his penis. Mimi began performing fellatio, something she had gotten good at over the years. Licking him, and slowly taking the head of his penis in and out of her mouth, Mimi never once thought about the fact the he used to fuck her girlfriend.

  Black took the back of her head and held it down, pushing his dick in her mouth until she choked. The more she tried to breathe, the more he tried to make her swallow. Black did Mimi dirty, and fucked her just as he had Netta, except he didn’t beat her. No, he had big plans for Mimi. He needed her.

  Every time a thought of Netta whet through his mind, he became engulfed with rage. He cursed himself for not killing her when he had the chance. This time, he would devise a plan to get rid of her once and for all. If he could kill her boyfriend in the process, then so be it. Black’s plan centered around Mimi. She was the pawn to be sacrificed in the game to get to the queen, Netta.

  As the weeks passed, Black kept Mimi close. Adhering to the old saying, ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer,’ he earned Mimi’s trust by feeding her dope. The whole time though, he was brain washing her, feeding her constant game. Then, one day Mimi came crying to him about something Mann had done. Black had her right where he wanted her.

  “Black, he smacked me,” Mimi sobbed as she sat in a reclining chair in the hotel.

  “Who smacked you, yo? Where he at?” Black asked faking concern.

  “Mann! He said his man seen me in your car.”

  It was true. Mimi was spending more time with Black and less and less at home with Mann. Out of frustration, Mann slapped her. He wasn’t stupid. He knew he was being lied to and he knocked the shit out of her because he was tired of her games.

  “See, Mimi, I told you about them New York niggas, yo. All them niggas do is use y’all up and go back home to their real girlfriends,” Black said.

  Black was playing on Mimi’s vulnerability. Mimi was angrier than she was physically hurt. Mann was now on her shit list, along with Netta. They were gonna get theirs if she could help it.

  “Listen, you know I always liked you, yo. I wanted to get with you first, but Netta threw herself at me and I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. When you just now told me that shit about that New York nigga hitting you, I wanted to kill that nigga, yo! But don’t worry about it, yo. I’m gonna get that nigga for you,” Black said, hugging Mimi in his arms.

  Mimi’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. She grinned up at Black. This nigga is for real, he really cares about me. She was flattered that he thought so much about her, he’d hold her down.

  “Mimi, can’t you see that he’s using you? He’s going to use you up and throw you away. He got a girl in New York. You just his plaything, yo. You’ll never be his main girl, no matter what that nigga tell you,” Black paused to let his words take effect. “Mimi, if you cut that nigga off, it’ll be me and you. I swear!”

  Mimi had a crush on Black for five years now. Ever since she first laid eyes on him that night at the club, she was attracted to him. His name, his power, his mystique and his money had poor Mimi like putty in his hands.

  “You promise, I’ll be your girl?” she asked cheerfully.

  “I promise, yo. Straight like that. It’ll just be me and you, the way it should have been a long time ago,” Black said.

  “I want you to get that motherfucker back for hitting me,” Mimi said, demanding Black represent.

  “I’ll do anything for you Mimi,” Black said, kissing her as his master plan echoed through his brain.

  “Stop! This is what we’re gonna do. When Mann goes to re-up…” Black began, as he conspired with Mimi, drilling the plan in her head over and over again. He coached her until she had it mapped out. Black sent Mimi back to Mann with his master plan exploding in her brain.

  “Do whatever you got to do to make up with him. You got to get back in good with him, if this shit is going to work,” Black said.

  He didn’t care about her. All he cared about was revenge.

  It took Mimi two weeks to get back in. Mann had her in the doghouse. Had she not been so beautiful or fucked and sucked his dick so good, he wouldn’t have fallen for the okey-doke, but he did and now it was too late.

  Chapter 24

  Running late, Mann almost overslept. He hastily packed his travel bag. Inside the bag, he placed a couple of outfits on top to cover up his perfectly placed stacks of dough. He was going to New York to re-up as he did every third week of the month. Mimi laid across the king-sized bed flashing her sad puppy dog eyes.

  “Why can’t I go? You said I could go with you next time!” Mimi asked.

  Mann ignored her, he had a bus to catch. He was looking forward to partying in New York tonight. Mann didn’t want Mimi tagging along messing up his plans.

  “Yo, don’t start no shit right now! I ain’t trying to miss my bus. I told you this was a business trip, not a fucking shopping trip. I’m going to cop and bob. I’ll be back tomorrow,” Mann replied.

  “What, you afraid I might see something you don’t want me to see, like ya ot
her girl?” Mimi pecked.

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever you say. I ain’t the one disappearing for days at a time or being spotted in other nigga’s rides and shit. You don’t think I forgot? I ain’t never see a broad get ghost like you, no calls, no beeps, no nothing. Shit, I don’t even know if you’re alive or dead!”

  “I thought we talked about that already,” said Mimi sucking her teeth. “You said you forgave me. For the thousandth time, I told you, I was spending time with my son. I did have a life before I met you.”

  “I ain’t trying to hear that shit. Yo, I did forgive you, but I ain’t forget nothing. Yo, start bringing ya shorty over here for a change,” Mann said.

  “I don’t bring my son around other men! That ain’t cool. Anyway, when you going to take me to New York to meet ya mother? Huh? Or was you just gassin’ my head up?” Mimi snapped back.

  “I’m only introducing wifey to my mom. Soon as you start playing your part, I’ll take you. ‘Til then, stay ya ass here,” Mann said, zipping up his travel bag.

  Mimi was pissed.

  See, that’s the reason right there your motherfuckin’ ass gonna get it, Mimi thought.

  She started to say something foul, but she held her tongue. All the things that Black told her went running through her mind. This nigga is really playing me. She didn’t forget about Mann slapping her either.

  BONK! BONK! BONK!

  The sound of the loud cab horn interrupted their conversation. Mann went over to the window and yelled out to the driver. With his back turned, Mimi reached into his bag and removed his driver’s license. Mann turned around and grabbed his bag. Heading out, he slammed the door without saying another word to Mimi.

  “Fuck you, motherfucker!” Mimi hollered as soon as she heard the door close, then she called Black.

  Anticipation was a motherfucker.

  “Remember, do what I told you, yo,” Black said, hanging up the phone.

  Black went straight to the bathroom to take a shit. The thoughts of what he was about to do heightened him, giving his adrenaline a rush. All this 007 shit with Mimi had paid off. He had her acting like a spy for the past three weeks gathering information about Mann’s coke stash.

  Black turned to his little brother, Stink.

  “Come on, yo. It’s time to take care of these New York niggas, yo. You ready?” he asked.

  “I was born ready,” a hyped Stink replied. This was the moment he’d been waiting for. He’d been wildin’ out while Black was in prison, basically living off his brother’s reputation. Stink wanted to prove his thoroughness to Black by putting in work. He wanted to show his big brother that he could go just as hard as he could. He wanted to catch a body, bad.

  Arriving late for his scheduled departure, Mann was mad. Now he had to push his plans back somewhat since he wouldn’t be in the city as soon as he had expected. Paying for his bus ticket, he suddenly realized he didn’t have his driver’s license and he never traveled without it. Mann feared getting stopped and being harassed by the police on a humbug. Not having any ID was an excuse for them to search him and fuck with him. Mann walked to the public phones that lined the Greyhound terminal wall. He dialed the number to the house. The phone just rang and rang. No answer.

  Where the fuck did that bitch go that quick? Mann was really hot now. Just as he was about to catch a cab back home, Mimi pulled up across the street in his Lexus.

  Beep! Beep! The familiar horn sound in mid-air caught Mann’s attention. He looked to see his Lexus and Mimi waving his license. As he dodged the heavy afternoon traffic to get across the street, Mimi made a strange move. She drove up into the parking garage.

  Why the fuck is she going in there? Mann thought, as he followed on foot behind her.

  “See how much I love you, yo?” Mimi affectionately stated, as Mann jumped into the car.

  “I broke my neck getting down here to give this to you,” Mimi said, handing him his driver’s license.

  “Yo, good looking out, ma. Where’d you find this shit at?

  “On the side of the bed. You probably dropped it while you was rushing,” Mimi said, as she drove deeper into the dimly lit parking garage. She was looking for a nice quiet spot to park.

  “Yo, why you pull up in here? Why you just ain’t double park on the street?” Mann asked, suspicious.

  “Relax, nigga, I want to talk to you. Besides, you already missed your bus,” she said.

  As the shiny gold Lexus Coupe passed by, Black and Stink ducked down in their hooptie.

  Good going, Mimi. It’s on now, ain’t no turning back, Black thought as he watched her park between two vans.

  Switching off the ignition, she turned to Mann, “I’m sorry for bugging you like that, you, but we shouldn’t part on bad terms. We should talk it out and get it off our chests.”

  “Yo, that be you starting the bullshit. Why do you hate for me to go back home so much?” Mann asked.

  “It ain’t that, it’s just that I be missing you when you go,” she said sweetly.

  “Yeah, well show me how much you gonna miss me.”

  His one-track mind was always working overtime. Since he missed his bus, he might as well have some fun and Mann knew Mimi would be game.

  Mimi hit a lever on the steering column and raised the wheel. She adjusted her body so she could comfortably give Mann a blowjob. She began to feverishly work her head, tongue and lips. Mann closed his eyes and enjoyed himself.

  Sliding out of their hooptie, Black and Stink quietly crept up on them. Approaching the car, with guns drawn, Stink took the driver’s side and Black took the passenger side. Caught with his pants down, Mann never saw them coming.

  Simultaneously, they snatched the door open, which Mimi had conveniently left unlocked for them. Mann stared in horror down the barrel of Black’s .45 auto magnum.

  “Get the fuck out the car, hoe!” Stink ordered, pulling a handful of Mimi’s hair with her head attached.

  “Alright, yo, fun time is over. Pull up your fucking pants, and get out the car,” Black commanded of Mann.

  Maybe Mann was moving too slow or maybe he looked at Black too hard or too long. Whatever the case, Black hauled off and clubbed him in the head with the gun. Instantly, a gash opened up the skin on Mann’s forehead. Black then dragged Mann out of the car and threw him on the oil stained pavement. His violent hatred for New Yorkers surfaced swiftly.

  Stink joined in the act, viciously smacking Mimi in the head.

  “You nasty stink bitch,” he growled.

  This wasn’t part of the plan. What part of the game is this? Mimi thought, as she found herself on the receiving end of some hard slaps. What the fuck is he doing and why is Black letting him?

  Dazed and lying on his back, Mann looked up from the ground, “Ayo, what the fuck, B?”

  Black put a knee in his chest and his pistol to his forehead, “B dis, motherfucker. This ain’t no fucking game, yo. Do what the fuck I say, and you’ll live. Don’t and you’ll die. Now where’s the money at?”

  Black was dying for him to make a move and do something stupid, so he could kill him. His eye twitched nervously as he tried to control his murderous rage. This wasn’t the time or the place, and Black had no intention of going back to jail.

  “Yo, it’s in the car,” Mann said, squeezing out breath from the knee still in his chest.

  “The money is in the car, yo!” Black yelled to Stink as he lifted his weight off Mann’s chest, still holding the gun to his head.

  Stink shoved Mimi to the side, reached in the car and grabbed the travel bag. Then, he joined Black on the other side of the car. Together, they turned Mann over and duct taped his hands and feet. Lastly, they blindfolded and gagged him. Working quickly, as time was of the essence, Black gave Stink the signal, so he went and got the hooptie.

  Mann figured this wasn’t no ordinary robbery. He was being kidnapped. Mimi played her part well, a little too well for Black’s liking. He saw her giving Mann brain with the same intensity sh
e used on him the previous night.

  This bitch must be crazy if she thinks she’s gonna be my girl. Black winked at Mimi as Stink pulled the car up. Together, they lifted Mann up and threw him in the trunk of the car. They sped off having gotten what they came for.

  Now that Black had kidnapped Mann, his other problem was what to do with Mimi? She was a potential witness or co-defendant. Either way Black wanted to get rid of her, but he figured he still might need her. So for the time being, he let her live. But later on, he planned on doing the world a favor by killing them all.

  Briiing! Briiing! The phone noisily rang as Netta woke from her sleep to answer it. She reached over and grabbed it before it could ring again.

  “Hello?”

  “I shoulda killed you when I had the chance, bitch!”

  Netta froze as the words echoed through the handset. She knew exactly who it was. Her heart raced as she listened to the voice on the other end.

  “You fuckin’ traitor! You switched sides, huh? Now you takin’ New York dick? What? B-More dick ain’t good enough for you no more? Thought you could get away from me, yo? Huh, Netta? Well, bitch, I’m back. Tell ya man, I got his peoples and y’all gonna find him when y’all smell him,” Black said.

  “Why you keep fuckin’ wit’ me, yo? Why won’t you leave me alone? Almost killing me wasn’t enough for you? What else you want? Your money?” Netta asked, trying not to piss him off.

  “Your life, bitch.”

  “Well, take it motherfucker. What’s anybody else got to do with it?” Netta pleaded.

  “Fuck these New York niggas, yo. Bitch, don’t ask me what motherfuckers got to do with it. They involved with you. So, fucking with you, they all fucked up ‘cause you fucked with me. You gonna wish you never met me, yo.”

  Black’s voice was a rude awakening from a peaceful sleep. The dreams of sleep were now the nightmare of reality. A heavy sleeper, Tone slept right through all the noise from the brief conversation.

  “Tone! Tone! Tone, wake up!” Netta screamed, nudging him out of his sleeping position.

  “What baby?” he asked, rolling over and reaching for her body.