by J-Blunt
“I ain’t feelin’ this,” Pop mumbled as Princess rang the doorbell.
“I know,” she agreed. “It feel weird, don’t it?”
Pop eyed his girl. “You feel it, too?”
“Hell yeah! I feel like the police or some nigga gon’ jump out on our ass when we least expect it.”
“My instincts ain’t neva lied to me, baby. We gotta make this trip short as we can. After we leave here, we goin’ to see Aunty Ruby so I can check on Deso, and then back to the telly.”
“Who is it?” a woman called from behind the door.
“Princess.”
When the door swung open, a dark-skinned woman with green highlights in her hair greeted Princess with a big smile. “Hey, cousin! Gimme some love, gurl!”
The women exchanged a long hug before Princess introduced her man. “Keysha, this my nigga, Pop. Pop, this my cousin.”
“’Sup,” he nodded.
“Hey, Pop. Y’all come in and sit down,” Keysha offered. “Fucked up the only time we get together is after somebody die.”
“It is, ain’t it?” Princess agreed. “First my momma and now Larry. Do anybody know what happened?”
“Nah. It don’t make sense. He didn’t have no enemies. He was a workin’ nigga. Worked at that damn factory since we was little. They found his body floatin’ in the river, but the police said he got killed at home. Why would somebody go through all that trouble to take his body to the river? That don’t make sense.”
“What about his phone? Did they release his property to anybody?”
“Momma got it. She the one that checked up on him. His phone was still at the house.”
“Call her and get the last number he called and that called him,” Princess said before turning to Pop. “What you think?”
“I don’t think it make sense, like she said. Why would they kill him at home and move the body? Why would they leave his phone? It don’t sound like a robbery. Somebody trynna teach a lesson.”
“Gonzo? Or somebody else?”
“I can’t say for sure, but I don’t think so. That shit dead long as they don’t know I’m in Texas. Plus, that’s between me and him.”
“I got the numbers,” Keysha said. “The last number that called him was Trina, his friend. We don’t know the last number he called, but it got a Texas area code. I’m callin’ it now.”
Princess and Pop watched expectantly while she called the number. The automated voice answered, saying the phone was no longer in service.
“I wonder if it’s a way to find out whose number that was?” Keysha asked.
“I don’t know, but I’ma look into it,” Princess said. “When is Uncle Larry’s funeral?”
“He ain’t havin’ no funeral. Since he was in the water so long, his body got fucked up and Momma had him cremated. We havin’ a service at church this weekend, and then a get-together in the park later on.”
“Alright. I got a coupla things to do, but I’ma be there.”
“Wait. Where you goin’? You just got here.”
Princess let out a long breath. “Girl, if I told you all the shit I got goin’ on, yo’ head would pop off. Trust me, cousin, I gotta go.”
“Damn. It’s that serious?”
“Yeah. It is.”
Keysha wanted to know more, but she knew Princess probably wouldn’t tell her. “Okay. I’ll see you later. Where Queenie?”
Princess had to look away. “Honestly, I don’t know. I been looking for her for a while. But if you hear from her, give her my number.”
Keysha couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Princess and Queenie had been inseparable their whole lives. Now one twin was missing. “Princess, what is going on? Tell me.”
Princess gave her cousin an even stare. “Trust me, cousin. I’m good. For real. And don’t tell nobody I’m here. Only Queenie, if you talk to her.”
Keysha gave Princess a long look. “Okay. I will.”
Pop Somethin’ thought about Princess’ uncle as he cruised the rented F-150 through traffic. The murder didn’t make sense. It had to be a retaliation for something. But what?
Ten minutes later he parked the truck in front of Aunty Ruby’s house. “I hope she ain’t still mad at me for throwin’ Drama out the window.”
“Damn. I forgot about that,” Princess smiled. “How much money you got on you? You know dead presidents make all wounds heal faster.”
“I’ma tip her nice. She been knowin’ me since I was a li’l nigga. Hopefully she ain’t too mad.”
After climbing from the truck, the goon and goonette walked up on the porch and rang the doorbell. A few moments later, Aunty Ruby’s face appeared in the door’s small window. When she seen Pop, something flashed in her eyes, but the big man wasn’t sure what it was until the door opened. When he looked at her, he immediately noticed a deep sadness in her eyes.
“You okay, Aunty Ruby?”
“Hey, Paul. I guess you haven’t heard.”
He looked confused. “Heard what?”
“Y’all come in. We need to talk.”
Doom and gloom overcame Pop as he walked into the house. “What’s goin’ on, Aunty?”
After closing the door, she spun to face him, the sadness in her eyes deepening. “Desmond is gone.”
Pop flinched like someone had punched him. “What?”
“Yeah, nephew. He gone. Funeral in a couple days.”
Pop searched the living room for something to focus on, unable to take the pain in her eyes or the sorrow filling his heart.
“What happened? How he die?” Princess asked, her eyes brimming with tears.
“He got shot. It happened in Dallas. They said he was trynna rob somebody. A couple people dead.”
“You got La’Qua number?” Pop asked.
“I got it in my phone. They don’t live in Houston no more. They in Dallas now.”
Pop didn’t waste time calling after he got the number. La’Qua picked up on the second ring. “Hello?”
“La’Qua, this Pop. I heard about Deso. Where you live? We need to holla.”
“Pop, we been trynna find you for so long, nigga. We live in Dallas. I’ma text you the address. Where you at?”
“I’m at Aunty Ruby house. I got Princess wit’ me. We finna hit the highway right now.”
“Okay. But I gotta tell you one more thing.”
“Yeah. What up?”
“Queenie here.”
Pop’s eyes grew several inches wider. “What you just say?”
Queenie here. Her and Shanice.”
Pop’s eyes grew even wider as he looked at Princess.
“What happened?” Princess asked.
“Queenie alive. She wit’ La’Qua. Shanice there, too.”
Princess’ heart skipped a beat, her eyes growing wide as Pop’s as she snatched the phone. “Hello? Queenie?”
“Nah, this La’Qua. Queenie in the back. Hold on.”
Princess’ body began to shake as the tears ran down her face and relief flooded her body.
“Hello? Princess?”
Princess dropped to her knees at the sound of her sister’s voice. “Queenie! Oh, shit! We thought you was dead.”
“Watch that language in my house, young lady,” Aunty Ruby scolded.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Ruby,” she apologized.
“Where you at?” Queenie asked. “Is Pop wit’ you?”
“He right here. We in Houston, at Deso aunty house. We finna come to y’all. What happened? How you get out the hospital? We thought somebody kidnapped you.”
“They did. Kinda. I don’t wanna talk about it on the phone. But I’m okay. I been lookin’ for y’all. Where y’all end up at?”
“We landed in Jacksonville, Florida. Doin’ it just like old times. I’ma fill you in on everything.”
***
As soon as Queenie hung up the phone, Shanice was in her face.
“So, that’s it? Now that you got back in contact wit’ yo’ sister and Pop, that’s
it?”
Queenie sat up in bed to face her woman. “It’s over for the plans I had wit’ Pop Squad, baby girl. We already talked about this. I told you I had to get back with them. That’s my family.”
Shanice’s face was a mask of pain. “But what about me? We not family? I love you.”
“And I love you, too. You know I do. This not easy for me. If I could take you with us, I would. But I can’t. I gotta go. I’m sorry.”
Shanice grabbed Queenie and the women began wrestling. Queenie eventually over powered her and climbed on top, pinning her arms down.
“No, Shanice! We not about to do this. Stop! I don’t wanna fight you.”
Tears rolled down the sides of Shanice’s face as she poured out her heart. “Please, don’t leave me, Queenie. I love you. Don’t go wit’ him. He took everything from me already. He took my man and my baby. Don’t let him take you from me, too. I can’t handle losing you.”
Queenie didn’t want to cry, but seeing the love and pain in Shanice’s eyes got to her. “C’mon, baby girl. You makin’ this hard for me. You know how I feel about Pop. That’s my nigga.”
“But he left you to die. He just using you. He don’t love you like I do. Stay with me. Please,” Shanice begged.
“I can’t, baby girl. I gotta go.”
The women remained in the same position, crying together. It was finally over.
“Let me up. I wanna leave before he get here.”
Queenie hesitated to let her go.
“I don’t wanna fight no more. I know where yo’ heart is. I wanna leave.”
As soon as Queenie let her go, Shanice got up and began getting dressed. “Can you at least grab me a bag so I can put my clothes in?”
When Queenie left the room, Shanice found her phone and took it. When Queenie came back with garbage bags, Shanice filled them without a word. When she got everything she needed, she turned to Queenie.
“I loved you, for real. And I’ma always love you. Tell my cousin I said fuck him, and one day he gon’ get what he deserves.”
When Shanice left, Queenie fell backward onto the bed, breathing a sigh of relief. It was finally over.
“Why Shanice leaving?” La’Qua asked, walking in the room.
“She hate Pop Somethin’.”
La’Qua frowned. “Why she hate her cousin?”
“It’s a long story. Pop and Princess on the way. I leavin’.”
La’Qua lay on the bed next to Queenie and wrapped her in a hug. “I know. You told us already. I don’t know what I’ma do without you.”
“I’m not gon’ forget about you. Once I put all this other bullshit behind me, I’m comin’ back to get you. You gotta get away from Drama and Snot. They ain’t shit without Deso. If you keep fuckin’ wit’ these niggas, they gon’ get you killed. Just fall back ‘til I get everything situated. I’ma find you.”
La’Qua let out a long sigh, tears filling her eyes. “I don’t know what to do without Deso either. I miss him so much.”
Queenie reached over and held her friend.
“What up wit’ Shanice?” Drama asked, the gash on the side of his head shining from ointment as he walked in the room.
“She leavin’,” Queenie answered. “So am I. Pop and Princess on the way.”
Mistrust and anger flashed in his eyes. “So, that’s it huh?”
“Why Shanice leave?” Snot asked, showing up in the doorway.
“They broke up. Pop Somethin’ and Princess on the way to get Queenie,” Drama explained.
Snot shot the bald woman a mean mug. “Just like that, huh? Deso and Skittlez get knocked off and you vamp, huh?”
“C’mon, man. Y’all know it ain’t like that. I was all the way in with y’all. I tried to put us on top, but they got killed and we got hot.”
“Y’all niggas ain’t gotta do this er’time somethin’ happen y’all don’t like,” La’Qua defended Queenie. “She did what she could. She got us up out that raggedy-ass house and put some money in our bag. What more do you niggas want? If she wanna leave, let her go. Shit, now that Deso gone, y’all need to figure out what y’all gon’ do. I’m goin’ back to Houston and try to get my daughter back.”
Drama and Snot glared at the women angrily. All of their futures were up in the air. The young gunners had their futures attached to Deso. Now that he was gone, they weren’t sure what their next move would be.
Drama was out of words, so he left the room. Snot, on the other hand, had one last warning. “That nigga ain’t comin’ to this house. If he do, I’m offin’ his ass.”
“Damn, them niggas be gettin’ on my nerves!” Queenie breathed.
“They just mad and lost,” La’Qua said, feeling sorry for them. “They don’t know what to do without Deso. Damn, I’ma miss my nigga.”
“Me, too. Deso was my nigga,” Queenie said, searching for her phone. She wanted to send Pop a warning text about Drama and Snot. After looking around the room, she asked La’Qua, “You seen my phone?”
“Nah, but you need to find it so you can send that text. I don’t wanna go to no more funerals.”
Queenie came to the only solution. “Shanice took it. Lemme see yo’ phone!”
Shanice answered on the third ring.
“Where my phone?”
“I got it,” Shanice said arrogantly. “If you want it, you know how to find me.”
“You betta bring back my phone. I ain’t playin’.”
“I’m not playin’, either. I’m keepin it. And I’m goin’ to my momma house. If you want it, come get it.”
Queenie got pissed. “You know what, bitch? Fuck you and that phone!”
Click.
Chapter 18
Princess watched the front door without blinking, barely able to contain herself. The thought of seeing her sister after so long was unbearable. She felt like she owed somebody a ‘thank you’ for keeping Queenie alive. God. The universe. Good fortune. Somebody.
When the door finally opened, Queenie stepped into the Texas sun, bald head shining like she had just shaved it. Princess couldn’t hold back. She let out a cry as she leapt from the passenger seat of the truck and ran to her sister. They crashed into one another and spun around in a circle, crying.
“Damn, bitch! You really cut yo’ hair!” Princess cried, rubbing Queenie’s bald head.
Queenie ran her fingers through Princess’ dreads. “You went blue.”
Pop stood near the truck, watching the sisters embrace. He was happy to see Queenie. Without hair, his bitch was still bad. He wanted to be in the middle of the display of affection, but the warning text about Drama and Snot and the shadows in the window kept him on point. So, while the sisters hugged, he stood near the driver’s door, the Desert Eagle in his fist.
When the front door opened, he lifted the gun, ready to blaze.
“Chill, nigga! It’s me!” La’Qua called.
“Tell them niggas to get out the window,” Pop called.
“They not gon’ do nothin’ wit’ us out here. Plus, it’s broad daylight. Calm down, nigga.”
After more hugs and tears, the women moved toward the truck. Queenie smiled wide as she walked toward Pop.
“My king!”
“My queen!” Pop cheesed, opening his arms.
The kiss they shared could’ve won an award. It was wild, passionate, and aggressive. Princess watched for a moment, a tinge of jealousy entering her heart and making her look away.
“Y’all get a muthafuckin’ room!” La’Qua laughed.
“I missed you so much, baby,” Queenie sang. “And I ain’t had no good dick in a long time. You betta fuck me good, nigga.”
“I’ma make you wet the bed,” Pop grinned before giving her another peck on the lips. Then he turned to La’Qua. “I heard about Deso. That shit fucked up. You know I got you if you need anything.”
La’Qua looked to the sky as tears filled her eyes, taking a few moments to blink away the pain. “Thank you, Pop.”
“Wh
at happened?”
“I was in the car. Queenie know better than me.”
When Pop turned to Queenie, she was looking down at the ring on his finger. “When you start wearin’ rings?”
“Princess got it for me. What happened to Deso?”
Queenie spun to her sister, eyeing the ring on her finger. “I see y’all got rings an’ shit. Did I miss somethin’?”
Princess shifted uncomfortably, unknowingly twisting the engagement ring on her left finger. “We thought you was gone, Queenie. These our promise rings. Nothin’ won’t ever break us up.”
Anger and jealously flashed in Queenie’s eyes as she spun to Pop, searching his face for any emotion or sign that would make her feel better.
All she got was his poker face. “We can talk about this later,” Pop said flatly. “What happened to Deso?”
It took her a moment, but Queenie eventually pushed her feelings aside. “We tried to hit this nigga, Aloe. He caught me trynna let Pop Squad in and upped on me. Deso was the first one in the door and got it. We got them niggas, but Deso didn’t make it.”
“Is anybody lookin’ for y’all? He got a team?”
“Yeah, we got a lotta niggas lookin for us, but they not plugged thugs. I think we good.”
Pop turned to La’Qua. “What you gon’ do? Deso was my li’l brotha, and if you ain’t got nowhere to go, I got a spot for you. We in Florida fuckin’ it up.”
“I don’t know. I was thinkin’ ‘bout goin’ back to Houston and trynna get my daughter back.”
“We gotta get her away from Drama and Snot,” Queenie spoke up. “They gon’ fuck around and get her killed.”
“Tell you what? You comin’ to Florida. If you change yo’ mind, go back home. Y’all get in so we can get the fuck outta here.”
“Can I go grab a bag real quick?” La’Qua asked.
“Nah. We up. You get all new shit.”
When everybody hopped in the truck, Princess turned to Queenie. “Tell me how the fuck you got out the hospital. We had Tanya try to find you.”
“Who is Tanya?”
“Uncle Bruce daughter. She livin’ in Jacksonville. She a bad bitch, too.”
Queenie thought for a moment. “Oh, I remember her. That is so crazy. And y’all might not believe this, but D.D. got me out the hospital.”