by U. E. Wynn
“I wock chain.”
Jahad sat him down, then laid the hundred thousand dollar chain glowing with huge blue diamonds around his little neck. Jamel being a clown folded his arms over his chest in a B-Boy stance imitating Jahad.
“Kay you something else lil’ nigga.” Jahad laughed and turned to Koran. “Dee told me what happened earlier. Want me to handle it?”
“Nah, I got Duke.”
Jahad nodded and dropped to his knee in front of Jamel. “That nigga fucked up didn’t he Kay?”
“Uh huh. Fuck up. Nigga fuck up.”
Chapter Ten
Serenity and Dej’a’ stood out in front of the building when Koran and Jamel walked out. They both were pimping hard. Well, Jamel tried his best. Catching sight of Serenity, Jamel took off at full speed and nearly tripped from the weight of Jahad’s heavy chain. Luckily for him, Serenity ran to meet him before he could flip over.
“Well, look at you fly guy.” She picked him up and planted a kiss on his forehead.
“I fry,” Jamel said proudly, then looked over his shoulders at Dej’a’. “Give Kay a kiss.”
Dej’a’, looking cute as ever, was dressed in a light blue Baby Phat one piece skirt, white Reebok classics and a sky blue and white leather jacket to complete the ensemble. She made no attempt to move towards Jamel, so he slid from Serenity’s arms and ran to her intent on getting his kiss.
“I see he’s a ladies man like his father,” Serenity said smiling. “Where we going?”
Koran was too consumed in admiring her outfit to answer. She wore a pink and white DKNY sweater, white Azzure’s jeans, and a pair of pink and white Air Max sneakers. He noticed for the first time that her legs were slightly bowed and the picture of getting in between them flashed through his mind.
“Um, Um, Um,” he grunted, looking her up and down.
“What?”
“You, Ma. I know you already know this, but you look good as hell. You just don’t know the work I could put in.”
“Stop it!” Serenity said blushing. “Now where are we going?”
“Ice came,” Jamel called out, walking up holding Dej’a’s hand.
Koran smiled and shook his head. “After he gets his ice cream we can hit Fun World or either the zoo, then catch a movie. We can top the night off at Chucky Cheese. He’s a sucka for Chucky Cheese burgers. Ain’t that right, Kay?”
“Chucky Cheese burger!”
“See,” Koran said, leading them to his truck.
~~~~
“From the moment Koran pulled away from the curb there was nothing but good vibes. Jamel, talkative as ever, held a steady incoherent conversation with Dej’a that she seemed to understand. As the day progressed the attraction between Serenity and Koran grew stronger. So much so that it made Koran uncomfortable. A casual glance often turned into a Stare, causing him to swerve in traffic. An innocent touch tended to linger longer than necessary. By the end of the night the conversation of being friends was no more than wasted air. Still, Koran told himself not to push. What was happening between them was nature, it would take his course.
Just shy of ten thirty Koran parked in front of his building in his usual parking space. Eleven o’clock was showtime. Across the street the park was crowded, although the temperature had dropped to a chilly thirty five degree’s. Street and park lights cast a dullish maroon tint over the monkey bars, swings, and basketball courts. This provided just enough light for the drug dealers to make their sales in private and the stick up kids to lurk in the shadows like preying lions.
In the back seat Jamel and Dej’a slept quietly. Dej’a was leaning against Jamel’s car seat wearing a Chucky Cheese hat holding an IPod Koran bought for her. During the day he paid special attention to her Since Jamel refused to part from Serenity. For a seven year old, she was shy, and extremely pretty. She would definitely be a heartbreaker for sure someday.
“You get Dej’a and I’ll get Kay,” Serenity said once he turned off the engine.
Koran glanced at the purple bruise on her cheek as she stepped from the truck and felt anger bubble up in his chest. Never again would she have to worry about Trouble putting his hands on her.
“A yo Sin, I need you to do me a favor,” he softly. He hoisted Dej’a up and she wrapped her arms around his neck and was fast back to sleep.
“What type of favor?”
“I need you to….” His cell phone went off interrupting him. He shifted Dej’a in his arms before answering. “Yeah, what up?”
“Hi baby,” a sexy female voice purred. “You forgot the sound of my voice? It’s Monica, Poppi.”
“Oh, what's up, Ma. How you?”
Serenity cut her eyes at him, frowning.
“I’m missing you Poppi. I haven’t seen you in ages and I need some attending to. I mean the works.”
Koran pictured Monica’s butter colored thick thighs and smiled. “Oh word. You know I’ma specialist so I can fix you up right. What you wanna…?”
“Don’t you think that’s rude?” Serenity cut him off as they walked up the walkway towards the building.
Koran forgot all about Monica. “What you mean, Sin?”
“Nothing,” she said, picking up her pace.
“Who you talking to Koran?” Monica asked snappishly after hearing Serenitys’ voice.
“A friend. I’ma get back at you later, a’ight?”
“Get back at me! Nigga I….”
Koran hung up and caught up with Serenity before she could make it inside the building. He couldn't explain it, but her mood affected him in ways he didn’t understand. Usually he could care less about a woman's jealousy. It was nothing a new outfit couldn’t fix. With Serenity it was different. The little time they spent together seemed to equal up to all his girls put together.
“What were you saying back there?” he asked, placing his key in the door.
“Nothing. But let me explain myself before you get the impression that I’m jealous.”
He grinned. “So you saying you ain’t?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. What you did was disrespectful. What if I were the one talking to one of my boyfriends after…..”
The grin left his face. “What boyfriends?”
“Jealous?” Serenity arched her eyebrow grinning. “This what I’m saying. If the shoe was on the other foot, I wouldn’t hold a conversation with another man in front of you. Especially if I just finish entertaining you. It would be rude.”
Koran gave her an apologetic smile. “You right. I still think you were jealous though.”
“Would it give you the big head if I said maybe a little?”
He laughed. “Probably.”
Upstairs Serenity looked around surprised by the lavishness of the apartment as Koran led her to his bedroom.
“You live here by yourself?”
“Nah, me and my brother.” He laid Dej’a down on the bed beside Jamel and then glanced down at his watch. “You still gonna do that favor for me?”
She placed her hands on her hips. “And what might that be?”
“Oh, it's like that?” He took a step around the bed towards her.
“Yes, it’s like that.” She smacked her lips, thinking he was about to ask for sex. “I want to kill that illusion before it goes too far.”
“Don’t kill it just yet, but that ain’t the favor I wanted. Not at the moment anyway.” He took another step toward her. “I need you to watch Jamel for like thirty minute. I’ll be right back. I promise.”
Serenity screwed up her face. “I know you don’t think I’ll sit here and babysit while you go see one of your girlfriends.”
Koran laughed. “Nah, man. I mean no, Sin. Why would I wanna see one of them when I have you here in front of me?”
“Uh huh. Come back Koran like you said or I’ll be pissed. I have to get Dej’a….”
He cut her off with a quick kiss that surprised them both. “I’ll be right back.”
~~~~
On his w
ay to the roof a lopsided grin was plastered on Koran’s face as thoughts of Serenity and what would happen when he made it back to the apartment played through his mind. For some reason she made him feel giddy and carefree. It was a warning sign he should have picked up on, but he was too absorbed in his feelings to realize what was happening.
Jahad and Derrick stood talking to Trouble near the ledge like they were old friends when Koran walked through the roof exit door. A spark of fear flashed through Trouble’s eyes as soon as he laid eyes on Koran and he quickly turned his head towards Jahad.
“What’s good?” Koran said, still grinning as he approached. Then, once he was in swinging distance he struck out with the speed of an animal and hit Trouble with a hard left jab followed by a vicious right hook that knocked him off the roof knowing sudden death was fourteen floors below. Turning, his expression casual, Koran met shocked eyes. “I gotta go, Jah. I left Jamel with one my shorty’s.”
“What the hell!” Jahad turned to Derrick, who kept glancing from the ledge where Trouble went over and back to Koran.
“I’m saying, that nigga wasn’t worth talking shit to. I’m out.”
“Hold on nigga. I got some shit to put you up on,” Jahad said, grabbing him by the shoulder. “I’m feeling some ill ass vibes I can’t put my finger on.”
“What you mean?”
“Some shit ain’t addin’ up. I’m hearing two different stories about some shit that’s supposed to be going down.”
“What’s supposed to be going down?”
“Nothing, that’s just it. I’m hearing some shit is going on that don’t suppose to be going on. Then again, I might be p-noid.”
Koran blew out a frustrated breath. He hated when Jahad spoke like this. “I still don’t know what the hell you talking bout, Jah.”
“Tell him what you heard Dee.”
“Some niggaz suppose to be eating in Bronxdale. Some Puerto Rican dudes.”
“Okay, so what’s the different story?”
“We just had a meeting a few weeks ago and Sha’ said he heard some shit about nigga’s moving weight around his way, but ain’t shit coming from the watchers,” Jahad answered.
“So what’s the verdict?”
“On the low, Dee gonna send five nigga’s out to Bronxdale. Just regular nigga’s. I spoke to Sha’ and he gonna do the same thing just to be sure it ain’t no funny shit going on with the watchers. Until we find out what’s going on, I want you to go down south with Kay for a few weeks.”
Koran frowned sensing something serious was going on. “You sending me down south just because some nigga’s might be hustlin’ in Bronxdale? C’mon Jah. You know that shit don’t even sound right. What’s really going on?”
Jahad hesitated before answering. “It really don’t concern you since you won’t be here, but we about to expand. We been peepin’ how these escort services are run and it’s basically the same way drug organizations are ran.”
“Escort services?” Koran said, confused. “You mean we bout to start pimpin’ ho’s?”
Jahad nodded. “Not us exactly, but yeah, something like that. The only difference in what we about to get into is the product. In this case the bitches are the product. The dude who runs the escort service pushes the work, but you always have a supplier. That’s who we about to move on.”
“Ok, I understand that, but what that has to do with me going down south?”
“Because behind every supplier, no matter what he’s supplying, there’s always a team. We about to go at it the same way we muscled in on the drug game, by force!” Jahad slammed his fist into his palm. “By this time next month shit gonna be crazy hot ‘cause a lot of people gotta die. Some heavyweights who got long money and big guns. I don’t want you around when the bodies Start poppin’ up.”
“I gotta be here when it pop off!” Koran said outraged. “You act like my gun don’t go off or something!”
“It ain’t about your gun going off. One of us gotta make sure Kay is a’ight. I think that’s your responsibility.”
Jamel had become a major part of Jahad’s life in many ways Koran didn’t see. Like at one point all things revolved around the M.G.’s, but now Jamel came first, and then the M.G.’s. Jahad would be sure he was somewhere safe before any moves were made.
“Won’t nobody be safe when this shit goes down. Me, you or Kay. We dealing with some dangerous dudes this time around. One mistake could cost me more than I’m willing to give, so y’all gotta go.”
“I’m saying, ain’t no pimps built like that, not for the M.G.’s anyway. You talking like these dudes are monsters or something. We the monsters!”
“I told you, it ain’t the pimps. It’s the muscle behind the pimps.”
“Who?”
“The Italians.”
“You mean the mob?”
“If that’s what you wanna call them. They ain’t nothing but a bunch of spaghetti eating white boys to me.”
“Oh shit!” Koran’s mouth dropped open at the thought of the M.G.’s going up against the Mafia. “You for real?”
Jahad rolled his eyes. “When have you known me to bullshit? You looking awestruck, but the mob ain’t really a power force no more. Not like they use to be back in the 80’s. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Gotti was a helluva white dude with an ill team. Back then, niggaz couldn’t move them. They were too organized and bringing them wild ass dudes over from Sicily. They were bodying shit just to stay in the country. Sammy fucked that up when he ratted. The mob as a whole lost mad respect with the wrong people; the Columbians and the Chinese.”
“At one time most of the drugs that came through New York went through the mobs hands first, then they’d pass them down to the Dominicans and Puerto Ricans. After all that, they’d pass them down to the niggas. That all changed when Gotti got bagged. The Columbians fuck with whoever got enough paper. The gangs down in China town be pushing the heroin, as far as heavy weight. Now the mob be on some white collar shit. Prostitution is their only tie to the streets, but the whole prostitution game has changed. You got thousand dollar pussy out there, for real! They getting fat off that shit I mean sloppy fat. We about to get some of that money.”
Marvelled, Koran shook his head. “How in the hell you know all this shit?”
“It’s part of my job description.” Jahad smiled as he reached in his pocket and took out a single key. “Take this. It’s to a storage compartment at Port Authoughrity. The number is on the key.”
“What’s in it?”
“Some dough Pops left us. Give it to moms when you get down south. Don’t lose it either.”
Koran unable to comprehend what he was feeling felt a bad omen. “C’mon Jah. Let me stay and get down with what’s about to pop off. That’s why I’m on the Body Squad, right? Mrs. Harris can watch Kay while I do my thang. Just let me know what to get at.”
“I said no,” Jahad said forcefully, knowing how stubborn Koran was. “Your first obligation is to Kay. Why you think I took you through all that shit before making you an M.G.?”
“To get me right. I...”
“Yeah, to get you right,” Jahad broke in. “But if something happens to me, you taking my spot. You can’t do that if you’re locked up or in a grave beside me. I know you get busy, but it’s a time to get busy and it’s a time to fall back. Now is the time to fall back, you understand?”
Koran nodded, but no, he didn’t understand. There had to be a way to get around leaving and before that time came, he was determined to think of it.
~~~~
Serenity was asleep with Jamel on her chest and Dej’a cuddled up beside her when Koran walked into the bedroom. For a while he stood in the doorway hypnotized by the sight of her. Never in his life had a woman affected him so strongly. The urge to make love to her made his dick throb against his leg. But this was only the physical side of what he felt. Mentally, he felt the strong urge to protect her and make sure no one ever hurt her again. With that thought in mind, he crossed th
e room and gently shook her awake.
“What?...” She looked around confused until she realized where she was. “Shh.” Koran put a finger to her lips and eased Jamel off her chest. “Come with me for a second.”
Curious, Serenity missed the look of desire burning in his eyes as he helped her from the bed and led her to the hallway. Before she could ask what was going on he pressed her against the wall with his body and kissed her slightly on the lips.
“What are you doing?” she asked automatically wrapping her arms around his waist. He ran his hands down her sides slowly until they rested on her hips.
“Something I can’t help, Ma.”
“I…I gotta get Dej’a home.”
“No you don’t. Dej’a good where she at.” He kissed her again with passion and felt her melt in his arms. Yearning to feel her heat he bent his knees and pressed his erection into her midsection. “Damn, Ma. You just don’t know how bad I want you.”
Serenity’s knee’s grew weak as his hardness pressed against her sex. She wanted so bad to give herself over to him. Had thought about doing it all day, but sex was a physical act that usually led to problems if the right feelings weren’t involved. At the moment she didn’t know what Koran’s intentions were. Earlier, he made it clear that he wasn’t interested in a relationship. She on the other hand had just ended a bad relationship and wasn’t the type to be a part-time girl.
“Wait. Wait, Koran,” she said flustered. She flattened her hands on his chest and pushed him away. “You know we can’t do this.”
“What you mean? Shit, we grown. We can do whatever we want.”
Serenity shook her head. “What you said earlier about us being friends, did you mean it?”
“Yeah, I meant it, but…”
“But what? Now you wanna fuck me and expect me to be one of your other chicks. Am I right?”
Koran didn’t answer. That’s exactly what he expected.
“I might be a project chick, but I think more of myself than to be another one of your fuck friends. So if you wanna be my friend, then be my friend. If not, miss me with the bullshit!”
“What bullshit?” Koran shot back. “You saying me wanting you is bullshit? C’mon, Sin. I know you feeling the same thing I’m feeling.”