Grind Mode

by Willie Slaughter

  “You right. But since we been together, his time limited,” Monica replied.

  “Girl, you know how niggas get when it comes to the money. The sex hasn’t changed, has it” she asked.

  “Nah, that nigga still dicking me down proper,” Monica said. They laughed, high fiving.

  “Monica, it’s going to be okay,” Erica said soothingly.

  “I hope so,” Monica replied.

  “Where the nigga at anyway?” Erica asked.

  “I think him and Tee somewhere in Jacksonville, Florida,” said Monica.

  “And he didn’t tell me?” Erica snapped. Wait ’til Tee gets back. I’m going to fix his ass. Let’s go get something to eat.”

  “Okay,” Monica replied, feeling a little better.

  They left the house. The guy keeping tabs on Erica immediately noticed the woman he was getting paid to find. But to be sure, he looked back at the picture his employer had sent to his phone. “Bingo,” he thought out loud to himself. He could kill two birds with one stone.

  It was an easy task. He would do the job, collect his money, and go home. He texted the number of his employer, who immediately called him.

  “You got the go ahead,” the voice on the phone confirmed.

  Without hanging up the first phone, he picked up another. He had wired bombs to both cars, however, each car had a certain code he had to text for the bomb to explode. He watched them get into Erica’s car and he waited for them to pull off the curb before he punched in a code on the dial pad. When he pressed send, the car exploded and fire and smoke filled the air.

  “It’s done,” he said to his employer.

  “Good. I’ll meet you in an hour,” the employer said.

  Mark hung up and called Lil Will informing him on the job. “Yeah, it’s done.”

  “What about Ju-Ju?” Lil Will asked immediately.

  “Nobody seen him,” Mark replied.

  “Keep looking,” Lil Will said, desperate to find Ju-Ju, “and remember, we need him alive. I also need you to meet me in California this weekend.”

  “Alright, fam,” Mark said.

  “Love, fam,” Lil Will said and hung up.

  Mark was missing his partner, but he knew it was still hot in Boston, and some of the shit still being done only made it hotter. He went over to the Eastside to check on business.

  “Pete, what’s good?” Mark asked as he pulled up on him with the passenger side window rolled down.

  “Chilling, bruh. I got that for ya. Let me grab it out the back real quick,” Pete said and then stepped into the house.

  Mark parked on the curb and got out. He sat in the living room on the couch, waiting for Pete to bring the package. Pete walked back in carrying a duffle bag and handed it to him.

  “Here you go,” Pete said. “By the way, my people know that nigga Ju-Ju you was asking me ’bout. His brother Snake out of Lynn, Mass. You heard me, fam?”

  “Yeah, I hear ya,” Mark said quickly, still in deep thought.

  So that’s where I know him from, Mark thought to himself before saying, “Good looking out, Pete.”

  He left. Mark stopped at the sports bar to get a drink. He only planned to sit there for an hour, but his mind was so fucked up he ended up staying five. He had to find Ju-Ju quickly.

  The nigga had gotten bigger and was bloodthirsty. Not to mention his other brother he knew worked for the feds.

  “Oh shit,” Mark said as it hit him.

  It all made sense to him now. Mark jumped up and hurried out the door. He had to fill his partner in on the info he’d just received.

  Chapter Twelve

  Sabrina was lounging on the couch reading Pleasures when Henry walked in. He hadn’t been home a good two hours a day for the past three months. The shit was taking its toll on her.

  “And where have you been lately?” she asked comically.

  “Damn,” Henry said annoyed. “I’ve been catching up on my business. Why?”

  “I’ve been calling yo’ ass ’round the clock. You never answer or return my calls. You didn’t even think to text a bitch,” Sabrina snapped.

  “I didn’t come here for this shit. Look, Sabrina, you know I just lost my pops and a lot of fucked up shit been happening,” said Henry.

  “Yeah, I know,” she said quickly, “but I ain’t one of them slow bitches either.”

  “That’s a plus,” he shot back sarcastically. “Go cook a nigga something to eat.” He slapped her on the ass as she walked by, headed to the kitchen.

  In the kitchen, Sabrina looked through the fridge until she found something to cook that she wanted to eat. Henry’s sudden mood changes were getting a little irritating to her. It’s a good thing I still work and pay the apartment bills because this shit here is not what I was thinking, she thought to herself. She took out some frozen chicken wings and set the pack in some hot water to thaw out.

  *******

  “Damn, Tee,” said Ju-Ju, “where these niggas at?”

  “I called them earlier. They should be pulling up any minute,” Tee assured him.

  “I hope so. We need this work. I want to put it down on the Eastside first. That’s the nigga’s number one money maker. If we hit his pockets hard enough, he will pop up and I’ll lay his ass down,” Ju-Ju said confidently.

  As they talked, a black Lexus XL pulled up. Four men got out and posted up on the hood of the car. Ju-Ju and Tee hopped out of their ride and stood by the hood of their ride.

  “Just chill, Ju-Ju. Let me do the talking,” Tee said before he looked one of the men in the eyes and said, “What up?”

  “Money,” the other man replied.

  “All the time. Let me see what you got,” said Tee.

  One of the men went to the car, grabbed the backpack, and set it on the hood.

  Tee and Ju-Ju walked over and viewed the product, which was five bricks of uncut. Ju-Ju tested it and nodded. Tee handed over the briefcase with the money in it.

  “It’s all there. We’ll be back in a week,” responded Tee.

  “Cool. I’ll let David know,” he said.

  “Hell, I was planning on calling him myself,” said Tee.

  They went their separate ways. Ju-Ju and Tee hopped back in their ride.

  “Ju-Ju, we about to light the streets up with this shit,” said Tee.

  Ju-Ju nodded, his mind really somewhere else. “I know. That’s the plan.”

  Ju-Ju's phone started ringing. He looked at the caller ID. It was his brother. “What the fuck this nigga want?” He answered the phone. “Yeah?”

  “Where you at?” asked his brother.

  “Heading out of Florida. Why?” asked Ju-Ju.

  “Just get your ass back here now. We need to talk. Better yet, I’ll meet you in New York tomorrow night,” said his brother.

  “A’ight,” said Ju-Ju and hung up.

  Ju-Ju knew something wasn’t right. His brother never called him making demands.

  “Who was that?” asked Tee.

  “Scott,” replied Ju-Ju.

  Tee had never really liked Ju-Ju’s brother. Nothing personal. It was just the fact that he was a federal agent. A crooked-ass agent, at that. “What the hell he want?”

  Ju-Ju hunched his shoulders. “Don’t know. All he said is he wants to meet in New York tomorrow night.”

  Tee shook his head. He never trusted anyone who worked for the law enforcement, no matter who their family members were. “My nigga, I ain’t even going to sugarcoat it. I don’t trust your brother.”

  “Hell, I don’t either, for that matter. But I know he got good intentions. He’s on the same shit we on right now,” said Ju-Ju.

  “Oh shit,” laughed Tee. “Scott want to get at the nigga Lil Will.”

  Ju-Ju nodded. “Yep. Nine times out of ten, that’s probably what he wants to meet with us about.”

  “I might like your brother after all,” said Tee.

  They got off on the next exit. Ju-Ju was in deep thought. Only thing going through his mi
nd was the memory of Lil Will killing his brother Snake. Ju-Ju was the youngest of the three.

  Lil Will had smoked his oldest brother in broad daylight over a misunderstanding about business, some shit that Snake didn’t have anything to do with. But, Ju-Ju thought to himself, the time had come for him to face the consequences for his actions.

  *******

  Sopia was chilling at home. It was a day off, and she had plans on how she was going to enjoy it. As she rolled up a blunt, a knock came at the front door. She rushed to see who it was.

  She opened the front door to see Kerria. Sopia couldn’t help but smile. She grabbed her friend and hugged her. “Girl, how you been?”

  Kerria hugged her back. “I have been great, actually. It’s been a minute, huh?”

  Sopia nodded. “Yep. Come in.”

  Kerria stepped into the apartment and sat in the living room on the couch. Sopia handed her the blunt and a lighter.

  “So what’s been going on? Fill me in on the tea,” Sopia said.

  Kerria fired up the blunt. “Well, I’ve moved to Atlanta. Got a job clocking 80 G’s a year.”

  “For real?” Sopia said.

  Kerria hit the blunt and passed it to her. “Yep, and I’m dating a doctor.”

  Sopia hit the blunt twice and passed it back to her. “Get the fuck out of here!”

  “That’s what I’m trying to get yo’ ass to do,” Kerria said before hitting the blunt.

  Sopia laughed. “Bitch, you know I’m happy fo’ you!”

  Kerria hit the blunt again and passed it back to Sopia. “Thanks. How about you, girl? What’s been happening in the Good Life City?”

  Sopia hit the blunt and choked. “Same shit,” she said in between coughs. “Living from paycheck to paycheck. Trying to see what it’s going to be with Lil Will and me.”

  “Sopia, don’t tell me you still waiting on that nigga?” asked Kerria.

  “Yes I am,” replied Sopia.

  Kerria ducked the blunt out. “Where he at?”

  “From what I hear, he’s down here. I haven’t seen him though,” said Sopia.

  “Look, sis,” Kerria said, grabbing her hand, “you need better and you can dam sho’ do better. Come on to Atlanta with me.”

  She snatched her hand away. “Bitch, please. I’m staying right here.”

  Kerria threw her hands up in the air out of frustration. “Fine by me. But bitch, don’t come calling me later crying with a sob-ass story.”

  Sopia laughed. “Girl, please. I appreciate the offer though, Kerria. You’re a true friend.”

  Kerria hugged her. “I got to get the hell on. You need me, call me. I’m here.”

  Sopia walked her friend to the door. “Thanks for dropping by, homegirl.”

  Kerria threw up the peace sign and walked out to her new 500 Benz and left.

  *******

  As Bee was looking for a parking spot at the mall, he noticed his girl hadn’t been being herself lately.

  “What’s up with you?” he asked.

  “Nothing. I’m good,” she replied.

  He looked at her out of the corner of his right eye. “Girl, you know I know you lying.”

  “You might get mad if I told you,” was her response.

  Bee frowned. “Why would you think that?”

  She turned, looking out the window. “I’m pregnant.”

  His eyes got big. “When? I mean, how long?”

  “I’m four months,” she said.

  Bee was excited. “Ah, man! Dee, you okay? What you need? Are you sick?”

  She smiled, seeing how happy and excited he was.

  “I’m ’bout to be a father! Yes! I got to call my mama,” he went on.

  Dee laughed. “Damn, boy, chill.”

  He got control of himself. “We going shopping fo’ the baby too. What we having?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know yet.”

  He grabbed her hand. “Whatever you want or need, I got you.”

  She smiled. “Okay, baby. I love you, Bee.”

  He grabbed her hand with his free hand. “I love you too, Dee.”

  Bee drove around until he found a suitable parking spot. Since the news he had just got about Dee being pregnant, he was taking all precautions. After making three rounds around the parking lot, someone was finally pulling out of a parking space close to the entrance of the mall. Bee parked and they got out and walked hand in hand into the mall.

  They literally shopped until they dropped. They hit every children’s store in the mall. Between the things he bought for their unborn child and Dee, he spent forty thousand with ease. She was tired and hungry by the time they reached the car.

  “Baby, can we please stop to get something to eat,” Dee said while rubbing her stomach.

  He finished putting the bags in the back seat and jumped behind the wheel. “No problem.”

  They stopped by Wendy’s and she ate enough for the both of them. She fell asleep when they got back in the car. On their way home, Teddy called.

  Bee answered. “What up, bro?”

  “I need you to meet me on 10th. Now,” Teddy said in a serious tone.

  Bee looked over at Dee, who was sound asleep. “A'ight. Let me drop Dee off.”

  “One,” Teddy replied and hung up.

  As Bee hung up, she looked at him. “Damn. So you just going to drop me off? I thought this was our day?”

  He sighed. “Dee, please don’t start. If you enjoy the money, you got to accept what comes with it. Come on. I'll be back soon.”

  She turned to stare out of the window. “Fuck you. Just take me home.”

  He dropped her off and carried the bags in the house. “Look, it won’t take me long. Just chill.”

  Dee started unpacking and putting things away. “Bye, Bee.”

  He left, making his way to 10th Street, where they had a safe house nobody knew about but him and Teddy. He walked in on Teddy twisting up a blunt. He pounded Teddy up. “What up, bruh?”

  Teddy fired up the blunt and passed it to Bee. “We got a problem. Got a call saying one of our people talking.”

  Bee held the blunt inches away from his lips. “What? Who?”

  Teddy shook his head. “Don’t know yet. I’ll have the name in the morning.”

  The blunt had went out. Bee fired up the blunt again. He hit it twice and passed it to his brother. “So one of these niggas done got caught up and turned state?”

  Teddy nodded. “Yep. Seems to be the story.”

  Bee rubbed his head with both hands. “Fuck! What they know?”

  Teddy took three puffs and exhaled. “I don’t know what he has or hasn’t told, but I have shut down all movement fo’ tonight.”

  The stress was on Bee. “Shit. Do Lil Will know?”

  Teddy shook his head. “We can’t depend on him to handle everything. We got this.”

  Bee hit the blunt so hard it made him choke. “Facts.”

  “Just lay low for a minute. I’ll hit you up,” Teddy said.

  Bee nodded. “Damn, bruh. I just found out I’m about to be a father.”

  Teddy looked at him. “What? Get the fuck out of here! I’m happy fo’ you, bruh. More of a reason fo’ you to lay low.”

  “Thanks. What up wit’ Henry?” he asked Teddy.

  Teddy shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant way. “Who knows? I haven’t seen or heard from my nigga in months.”

  Bee looked surprised. “Word?”

  “Let me call him,” Teddy said. He hit his line and it went straight to voicemail. Teddy hung up without leaving a message. “He ain’t answering.”

  Bee looked concerned. “That ain’t like Henry.”

  “I know, bruh. Maybe we should send somebody over there to check on that fool,” Teddy said.

  They sat around and finished smoking the blunt. Afterwards, Bee remembered he had told Trisha’s fine ass he was coming through, so he told Teddy he would catch up with him later, and dipped.

  He rolled up on
the Westside beating the block down, listening to Scarface’s “Scratch”. It was nice outside, so most of the Westside niggas were on the basketball court balling. Bee even noticed Lil Nook standing on the sidelines. He was serving a fiend.

  Bee pulled up in front of Trisha’s spot and jumped out. She met him at the front door already down to her black Victoria’s Secret. He stepped on through the door, kissing her, and kicked the door shut behind him.

  “What took you so long, bae?” she asked while coming up out of the bra and panties.

  Bee looked at her fine ass. “Money. It don’t make itself.”

  Bee bent her over the edge of the sofa. He pulled down his pants and boxers and eased up inside of her from behind. She started to moan and thrust back hard against him. He complemented every thrust with an equally amount of force.

  Bee fucked her long and hard from the back. There was something about looking at her fat juicy soft ass bounce that kept him pounding deep inside of her. She came back to back. But, when it was his time to cum, Bee pulled out and turned Trisha around and she sucked him until he came in her mouth.

  She looked into his eyes while she continued to suck him dry and swallow every drop. Satisfied, he pulled up his boxers and pants and told her he had to go. Trisha told him she understood that he had to make his money and to stop by when he was available. He kissed her on the cheek and playfully slapped her on her ass before he left out of the house.

  On his way to the car, Bee realized there was about to be some shit. Lil Nook was standing next to his car with his shirt off and arms folded across his chest.

  “What up, my nigga?” Bee said as he walked up.

  Lil Nook unfolded his arms. “Nigga, you know what time it is. Last time we hit, I was drunk. I ain’t fucked up today, so let’s try this shit again.”

  Fighting definitely wasn’t on Bee’s mind. He sighed. “My nigga, you got that li’l bit today. A nigga tired and his mind is on some more shit.”

  Lil Nook smirked. “I know I got it, fool. Learn to stay in your lane, bitch nigga.”