by T. Styles
“Please don’t hit me again,” she cried, extending her arms in front of her. She couldn’t believe he snapped so easily. “I’m begging you.”
Cold and heartless, he lowered his body and picked her up. Now he looked as if he regretted ever laying hands on her. As if he had two personalities. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry, baby. I’ll never hit you again I promise.” When she hugged him, he punched her again in the stomach, causing her to drop to the floor. Again he helped her to her feet before apologizing once more. “My bad, Cutie. I don’t know…I don’t know what’s gotten into me. It’s just that I care about you so much and I can’t stand it when you don’t take my side in front of people.” He paused and lifted her chin with his finger. “Do you love me?”
Her body trembled with fear. Tears rolled down her cheeks and snot oozed from her nose. “Yes…I…I think so.” She responded, not knowing the first thing about love.
“Then you gotta learn never to disrespect me again. Because if you do, I can do much worse.” He paused. “You my girl now. And that means I can do with you as I please and there’s nothing you can do to change it.” He looked at her face. “Look at what you made me do? See, I can’t have anybody seeing you like this. So how ‘bout you just stay in my room until this heals.” He walked toward the door.
“But…where… you going?” she asked barely above a whisper, afraid to irritate him even more.
“The party.” He winked. “Ain’t you heard? We got stuff to celebrate ‘round here. Don’t worry though, I’ll bring you a piece of cake or something. You’ll be fine.” He walked out.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
SLADE
“I pulled off the road two times fucking with you, Audio. I’m not doing it again…”
Slade and Killa walked into the motel room with a box of chicken, fries, soda and a pocket full of money. They smiled when they saw Audio sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing his temples, the sheets that were wrapped around him to hold him hostage sitting on the floor.
“I see you got out,” Slade said jokingly smooching his head with his palm. “How long did it take you?” Slade chuckled loudly.
“Long enough to be mad as fuck.”
Killa laughed, pawning Audio’s head. “You good though right?”
Audio looked at them, stood up and snatched the chicken bag out Slade’s hand. “Fuck ya’ll, niggas.”
All three of them laughed for a minute. “I hated to do it to you, Audio,” Slade said seriously. “But we wanted you safe and safe meant away from that chick. She was trouble in case you didn’t know.”
Audio nodded. “Man, I was mad at first but now it don’t even matter no more. As long as ya’ll back.” He dug into the bag and grabbed a piece of fried chicken. “So I take it things worked out okay.” He bit a big piece.
“Yeah…and we back on the road,” Slade said showing him the set of car keys.
“Wait, ya’ll took the nigga’s ride too?” Audio frowned. “What if he reports it missing?”
“He gave it to us,” Killa bragged, taking a wing out the bag. “We ain’t have to take shit.”
Audio frowned. “Hold up…how that work?” He asked with a mouth full of meat.
“Like I been preaching that bitch was trouble,” Slade said pointing at him. “And that’s all you need to know.”
Audio nodded. “I figured anyway.” He sounded sad.
Slade looked at Killa and walked over to Audio. “Look, you been fucking two bitches a day for the longest. You can’t bring back Chloe by jumping in and out of every pussy with lips.”
Audio frowned. “How you figure I’m trying to do that?”
Silence.
Audio stood up. “Look, that white bitch was just cool and I wanted to stab it and give it back that’s all.” He shrugged. “Ain’t nothing wrong with that so stop tripping.”
Killa touched Audio on the shoulder. “You ready to roll? We gotta hit the road again. It ain’t safe here.”
“Yeah…”
“Good. Now go wash yo ass.” Killa frowned. “You smell like you shitted in your drawers.”
“When I thought ya’ll left me in this bitch I did.” Audio nodded.
They fell out laughing.
****
The Baker Boys were back on the road when Audio saw a black Ford Bronco drive past them. He swore he’d seen the same car earlier. “Aye, I think we being followed.” Sitting in the back seat, Audio looked out the window. “As a matter of fact, I’m sure of it.”
Slade looked at Killa in the passenger seat and shook his head. “I pulled off the road two times fucking with you, Audio. I’m not doing it again so don’t ask.” He paused. “If some niggas were following us they would’ve lit this bitch up by now. We good.”
“I’m serious, man!” Audio yelled.
“The only thing you need to be serious about is not smoking whatever shit that bitch gave you earlier.” Killa told him. “And what I tell you ‘bout pulling on weed you don’t know the source of anyway?”
“How you sound? I smoke all the time.”
“And you be tripping all the time too!”
Audio took a deep breath and shook his head at his brothers thinking his sightings were a game. All he could do was warn them but being under the influence of weed didn’t cause them to take him seriously. So he kept the fact that he saw black hoodies and red script with the letters ‘TF’ to himself too.
Besides, they acted like they wouldn’t care anyway.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
FARAH
“What would make you ever think that that nigga would choose you over me?”
Mayoni walked into Bones’ office to speak about pre-hunt only to see Farah at his side. She smiled at them both out of courtesy, although she hated Farah for being there, walked inside and closed the door behind herself. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” She paused. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes…but I wanted to tell you about a change I’m instituting,” Bones said as he flipped a few pages on his desk and sighed. “Effective immediately. You will be in charge of security the night of the party.”
“Okay…I guess I can facilitate the hunt and security. It’ll be a little much but—”
“No need in you doing both.” He paused. “Farah will be in charge of Shikar.”
Mayoni’s mouth opened and closed. “Wait…why…why? It was my idea remember?”
He nodded. “And it was a good idea too.” He paused. “Because of it The Fold will enjoy themselves and we have you to thank for it. But Farah agreed to be my wife and—”
“What a fucking joke!” Mayoni yelled. “How could you put this bitch at your side again when you know she’s a snake?”
Bones stood up behind his desk. “What did you just say to me?” He glared.
She scratched her head and then her arms. “I’m sorry but…but I…I don’t understand any of this. I have more experience than Farah. She’s not even an original Fold member. I brought her here and I’ve been with you longer and—”
“And I appreciate your help but like I said you are not needed for the hunt.” He pointed at his desk. “Do you understand me now?”
Mayoni paced before walking up to the desk. “Bones, please don’t do this to me. It’s all I have. I had so much planned for that night and if you take me off the project people will start to talk. They’ll think I’m not apart of your main team anymore.”
He laughed and took a seat behind his desk. “You were always concerned with what other people said. That’s part of the reason I want Farah to handle this instead of you. She’s much more secure about herself than you ever were.”
Tears streamed down Mayoni’s face. “Bones, please don’t—“
“I’m done!” He waved his hand. “Now leave us alone!”
Slowly Mayoni turned around and walked out. She was halfway down the hallway when Farah approached her from behind. “You know I didn’t want it this way right?” She paused. “But you forced my hand.
”
Mayoni turned around and glared at her. “You don’t belong here and yet you act as if you do. I can’t wait to see you fall, bitch.”
“Instead of starting a fight with me you can’t win ask yourself this. What would make you ever think that that nigga would choose you over me? In this life or the next?”
Silence.
Farah’s head tilted as she observed her closely. “Oh wait…I keep forgetting, you’re in love with him. And because of it you can’t think straight. But how is that working out?”
“Fuck you, Farah.”
“No…I think I’ll pass.”
Mayoni smiled and stepped closer. “You wanna play? Well watch what I do next.”
Farah stood up straight. “Whatever you’re planning it won’t work.”
“Are you sure about that?” Mayoni grinned. “Because I say otherwise.” She stormed off.
****
Carlton was in Nicola’s room making love to her when Mayoni stormed inside like she owned the place. “Get out, bitch!” She yelled at her. “Now!”
“She doesn’t have to go anywhere,” Carlton said firmly. “This is her room.”
“Maybe she’ll want to leave when I tell her about the herpes you got on your dick.” She paused. “You may not have a flare up now but I bet you, she doesn’t know that you can have one in the future.” She looked at Nicola. “Leave whore!”
Nicola’s jaw dropped as Carlton quickly ushered her out of the room, only the sheet wrapped around her body. “I’ll come get you later.” When Nicola was gone he stomped up to her. “You promised you’d never tell anybody that, Mayoni.”
“Well I lied.”
His nostrils flared. “Why don’t you just leave me alone? And shoot your shot with who you really want. Bones.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous you know I don’t want him.” She exhaled. “So are you two dating now?”
“What do you want, Mayoni?”
She sighed. “I don’t want to argue with you.” She flopped on the edge of the bed. “I realize that the last few days I haven’t been my best and I want to make amends. You’re the last person I should be fighting with. My one true friend.”
“I don’t believe you.” He paused. “Now either you tell me the truth or stop wasting my time.”
She took a deep breath. “Bones placed Farah in charge of Shikar.”
He shook his head, walked over to the edge of the bed and grabbed his robe before placing it on. “Wow. This makes so much fucking sense.”
“What you talking about now, Carlton?”
“You didn’t come here for me. You came because your precious love interest abandoned you.” He paused. “Well I don’t want anything to do with it anymore, Mayoni. Or you. I’m not a pillow. You can’t cry on me.”
“I just don’t understand how he could trust her!” Mayoni said going off on a rant, she could care less about how Carlton felt. “After everything I’ve done for him!”
He looked at her sternly. “Mayoni, what do you want from me now? In this moment? Because I’m busy and all I want to do is get back between Nicola’s legs.”
Her face turned hot with rage. “The phone. I’m going to give the order.”
He frowned. “Hold up, I thought we agreed to only use it if Farah didn’t do what she promised with Bones. Sounds like she’s at his side now so why order the hit on Slade?”
“Don’t worry about all that, I need the phone, Carlton.” She stood up and extended her hand, wiggling her fingers. “Give it to me.”
“I’m not giving you—”
Suddenly the blade of the pocketknife she was holding entered his belly. The metal crashed against his internal organs, ruining him with every thrust. His eyes flew open as the woman he’d love for many years was taking his life. Tears rolled down her cheek but she was not the least bit worried about what she was doing. She wanted revenge and the hidden phone.
And Carlton’s life was a non-factor.
“I know you have it here with you, don’t you?” She jabbed him again as his body gave out. “You wouldn’t dare leave it in our room. I checked before coming here.” She stabbed him again. “Don’t worry, I’ll find it though.”
Carlton dropped on the floor and she hopped over him as if he were trash because in her mind he was. It was time to ransack the room. She pulled up the mattress, looked inside dresser drawers and even a few floorboards. Still, she’d come up empty-handed.
“Where is it?” She said to herself, her breaths heavy with anger. So much sweat poured down over her face her hair clung to her cheeks.
Covered in blood, and partially out of her mind she exited the room and walked down the hall. You see Mayoni, like the other members of The Fold, had a special illness when she was in the institution and without Dr. Weil’s help she was certainly going out of control also.
After wrecking her mind on where it could be, finally she reentered the room she shared with Carlton, when times were good. And like Nicola’s room, hers was also a mess since she virtually destroyed it looking for the phone earlier.
“Where could you be?” She said to herself.
Suddenly, as if it glowed, she looked across the room at her jewelry box where she kept the diamonds that Carlton had given her. When she opened the lid, underneath the secret compartment was the phone. Had she thought smaller earlier maybe Carlton would be alive.
Or maybe not.
An insane smile spread across her face when she realized he wasn’t Bones so she didn’t care.
Picking up the phone she pressed the on button, only to see she had one percent worth of battery life remaining. But it would be all she needed to make the call. Using the speed dial option she pressed number one and was immediately connected.
“Do you still have eyes on Slade?”
“Yep,” the person said.
“Good.” She exhaled. “Kill him.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
SLADE
“Nothing will stop us. We will be together eventually.”
Killa looked over at Slade as he drove and said, “I don’t think ma hated her as much as you thought.”
Slade grinned and sipped the coke in the holder. “Yeah right. The last thing she wanted was me being with Farah Cotton. Especially after Knox died.”
“Seriously.” Killa bit the hot dog he was holding. “I really believe she saw something in the girl.”
Slade looked at him and focused on the road, trying to understand if there was any validity to what he was saying. “You know, ma was the only reason I didn’t go looking for Farah earlier. I felt like…by going I would be letting her down.”
“I feel you. And I remember her looking at her one time; I’m talking about ma. It was when Farah lived at that apartment.” He laughed. “She said something about in another time, and under different circumstances, that she was sure Farah was the right one for you.” He chuckled. “Then she said something about her attitude being funky but for that moment I could tell she understood what kind of woman she was and why you wanted her.”
Slade shook his head. “Never knew that.”
Killa nodded. “So when you get her then what? What if she doesn’t want to leave? It’s been years, man. Things could be different now.”
“I know.” Slade sighed. “But what belongs to me is mine in life and death.”
Killa nodded. “I get that too.”
“But to answer your question if she doesn’t come, if she wants to stay, I guess I have to wait for next lifetime.” He ran his hand down his head. “Nothing will stop us. We will be together eventually.”
“Ole romantic ass nigga.”
“Fuck you!” Slade laughed nudging him.
Killa looked in the back seat at Audio who was knocked out, mouth open and drool running down his jaw. “Look at this nigga here.” He shook his head. “I knew the weed that bitch gave him would have him fucked up. Talking ‘bout people following us.”
Slade adjusted his mirror
so he could see Audio leaning against his window, his tongue hanging out his mouth. “Always wanna get high but can never handle the smoke.”
“Even with age he still a big kid,” Killa laughed.
“That’s what I love about him though,” Slade said seriously. “As much as he gets on my nerves sometimes, he lives life hard. Wish I could be like that. Everything with me is a question.”
Killa frowned. “Yeah, that little nigga drives you crazy.”
“Don’t get me wrong. He do irk me sometimes. But he lives his life the way he wants. How can you not admire him for that?” He paused. “We just gotta make sure we protect him. He ain’t good enough alone in these streets.”
Killa nodded. “So you really don’t believe nobody following us?”
Slade shrugged. “If they are let ‘em try something. Ain’t nothing stopping me from getting to that woman. I just gotta deal with what comes.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
MAYONI
“Maybe you can go ask Carlton since you fucking him so well?”
Mayoni peeked down the hallway, and watched Farah enter and exit several rooms as she met with members of The Fold. The little meetings lasted no more than five minutes at a time but she wondered what was being said behind her back. She had to get answers. And when Farah exited Nicola’s room Mayoni waited for a few moments and rushed inside without knocking.
Nicola was sitting on the side of the bed with her back faced in Mayoni’s direction and when she heard her enter she stood up and turned toward her. “What are you doing in here? I want you out.”
“Why so mean? We’re basically family right?”