by Keon Smith
No matter where they ventured, they always managed to get a spontaneous quickie in. Crammed into a restroom, Diamond kept her arms and legs wrapped around him tightly as she climaxed. Montega clenched his jaw while thrusting faster. He let out a sharp gasp, getting his as well.
“Damn, this pussy is the best,” he confessed.
He pulled out of her and fixed himself up. Diamond went in her bag and pulled out baby wipes and cleaned them both off.
She had never done anything so spontaneous. If her girlfriend Mercades were still alive, Diamond wondered what she would have thought if she knew she was getting fucked in a toilet stall. She caught Montega staring at her and smiled bashfully.
“You ready?” he asked calmly, taking her hand.
She nodded while clipping a strand of hair behind her ear. When the two stepped out of the stall, an old lady who was washing her hands stared at them convictingly. Diamond patted Montega on the dick and whispered in his ear, “What’s she lookin’ at?”
“I don’t know, with her old dried-up pussy,” he joked.
He followed Diamond out of the bathroom, trying to keep from laughing while shaking his head. Bain waited by the door quietly with the others. When the two emerged, they were escorted to the black Rolls Royce Phantom double parked out front.
Montega looked over at the seven-foot block of granite and asked, “Does bol ever say anything?”
“Only when he doesn’t get paid,” she joked.
“Now, I feel that,” he replied as the two got into the back seat of the sedan.
“So, handsome, what are you doin’ later on?” she asked while playing in his wavy hair.
Montega froze in a daze. He began to look around as if experiencing a dose of déjà vu.
“Are you alright?” Diamond asked with concern.
“Yeah, I’m… I’m straight,” he replied, shaking off his foolish imagination. “I gotta go pick up my car in a few, but after that, my schedule is empty. Why? What you wanna do?” he asked, brushing a strand of Diamond’s hair behind her ear to stroke her cheek with his thumb.
She put a hand on his and held it there.
“Well, I was hoping we could go eat at this restaurant I read about in the paper. It’s on 1338 Chestnut street.”
“I think I know which one you’re talkin’ about. We can do that. You just make sure your fine ass is there,” Montega said, intertwining his fingers with hers and kissing the back of her hand.
“Oh, if your sexy ass will be there, then so will I. And…” She leaned in to kiss him and whispered, “I won’t be wearing any panties either. So you know what’s for dessert.”
Montega looked into Diamond’s beautiful eyes with a look of pure desire. Either she’s the one, or I’m caught in the Matrix, he thought, quoting Jay-Z.
Diamond had her driver take Montega to the police impound lot so he could get his car. He had already explained to her half the truth about his homie getting killed at a club and his car being held as evidence. Diamond thought nothing of it until they pulled up to the gate. Her attention was on the black car that was waiting out front. The car had a custom ram air hood with a low bumper and side skirts like a huge race car.
“There go my baby,” Montega said, pointing to the car with the silver Chevy emblem on the grill.
Diamond hid her suspicion well. “What kind of car is that?” she asked as her heart started to thud.
“Oh, that? That’s a ’96 Impala SS. Probably the fastest ever built,” he bragged before stealing a kiss on her cheek and getting out.
Diamond’s whole world seemed to turn upside down in that instant. It can’t possibly be him, she told herself while pondering the coincidence. She then got on the phone and called Shug. On the first ring, he picked up.
“If you called to ridicule—”
“No, it’s nothing like that,” she said, cutting him off.
“Then what seems to be the problem?” he asked smoothly.
Diamond took a deep breath and said, “Please tell me you have a picture of this guy, Montega.”
Family Ties
“She’s his sister…”
GEE
“Did y’all see the news yesterday?” Breezy asked her girlfriends, Kia and Tee-Tee, and her cousin, Gi-Gi. “Man-Man from Bloomsburg got killed in his apartment the night before. They said some guys ran up in there and killed him. It was like close to a hundred grand on the table, and they ain’t take none of it. That was my dog too. It’s fucked up how a person could be talking to you one day then gone the next.”
“That’s crazy. These dudes out here is the worst. They don’t even want money anymore; they just wanna kill. I heard Stormin’ Norman’s homie Fly-Ty got killed last week in a big shootout with Spade and all them guys from South Philly. They said Two-Face Tone killed him. His mom was so messed up over his death; she had a nervous breakdown,” Kia replied.
Gi-Gi shook her head. “Wasn’t he with the Silent Kings?”
“Shit, Gi, ever since my brother started getting money, damn near half the city is connected with the Silent Kings. They got T-shirts with those gagged skull heads wearing crowns, hats, jewelry, and bumper stickers. I even seen the bol Fresh, you know, the DJ who be at Chrome. I seen him drivin’ an Expedition with that Silent King logo painted all over it. I guess they got a rap group out now. The only one that seems to be out of the loop is their homie Nino. He look like he on his deep hard.”
“Tell me about it,” Amber said. “He gonna come up to me and say ‘Sista, you Muslim, ain’t you?’ I was like ‘yeah, so?’ He gonna say, ‘Subhenna allah. You need to guard your Chasity and that I got all these brothers sinning with their eyes. I started to check his ass, but I couldn’t even get mad at him. I just walked away.”
Just then, Amber spotted a group of females she didn’t like. When she saw who they were flirting with, she brought it to Kia’s attention. “Unh-unh, look who your brother talkin’ to over there. Ain’t that Sakeena, with her whore ass? I’m ’bout to go say somethin’,” she said, ready to start a fight in the mall.
When Taliban spotted them, he quickly jotted down the number that Sakeena’s girlfriend Jovanna gave him. His two favorite young bols, Jay and Mac, were with him. They were the first to notice Taliban’s sister and tapped their old head.
Kia placed her hand on her hip as her brother strolled toward them. He thought he was killing ’em in a pair of black Ralph Lauren jeans, a LRG vest over a long sleeve Polo shirt that matched his hat, tan butters, and Cartier sunglasses.
“This asshole here, man,” Kia said, disgusted.
“Yo,” he said, giving Breezy a hug first like he hadn’t seen her in months. He then hugged Amber and tried to grab her butt. She pushed him away quickly, leaving him to hug his sister. As he went to extend his arms, Kia stepped back.
“Don’t try to hug me. I told you about goin’ against the grain. You and Kenny keep on fuckin’ with these whores. Watch, they gonna end up cuttin’ ya dick right off, Rafeek.” Kia sneered.
“Yo, man, why you spillin’ out my government like that? Fuck is wrong with you, girl? See, that’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout, man. You always trippin’ when you get around your girlfriends. You worse than these hoes.”
“Don’t compare me to none of your dirty ass bitches. What I look like? By the way, you were supposed to do something for Gi-Gi, weren’t you?” Kia reminded him. “And what happened to the money you were supposed to bring five days ago when I told your dumbass I was trying to pay the mortgage on my house? What was it you said when I was gonna have my dude Larry do it for me? ‘Naw, fuck that. My sister ain’t gotta ask no man for money. I got this.’ It’s because of you I woulda missed my payment if it hadn’t been for Larry.”
Taliban was caught, dead-to-rights. “You see, what happened was, I got caught up in some—”
“Oh, yeah? Fo’real, Rafeek?” Breezy broke in, interrupting his lame excuse. “That’s corny. You can give all these nothing ass bitches money but can’t ev
en lookout for your own peoples. You wrong.”
“What! Aye, Bree, why don’t you find something safe to play with, because ain’t no dildos over here,” he said, grabbing his package. “This real dick. Y’all all up in my square like you the Feds or something. I see why half y’all can’t keep a man. Back to you, Gi-Gi. You need some money? Huh?”
He went into his pocket and pulled out a wad of Ben Franklins that got caught in the mouth of his pocket. He yanked it out and started counting hundreds.
“Rafeek, I don’t want cha money. Y’all eatin’ too much for me. The way you act, you probably got the Feds watchin’ you, for real. The last thing I need is for them to take my shop and everything I worked for,” Gi-Gi joked.
Taliban animatedly looked around to see if there really was someone watching him. He quickly stuffed the money back in his pocket and fixed his shades over his bloodshot eyes. He was high as the north star.
“Where is your brother? He another one who don’t call nobody any more to let them know he alright. What’s up with him?” Gi-Gi asked.
“Man, he coolin’. He be in the Cave, planning his next move. He antisocial, nahmean?”
“The Cave?” Breezy said, curling her top lip with her neck thrusted back. “Who he think he is? Bin Laden? Y’all are too much for me. He feelin’ himself; you feelin’ yourself. Y’all need to sit down somewhere before y’all get killed. It’s real out in them streets, boy. People are really dying, and y’all walkin’ ’round with a hundred bags of clothes and sneakers like y’all can’t be touched. I’m tellin’ you, Shug ain’t the type of dude to sleep on.”
“Man, fuck Shug! Bol don’t put no fear in my heart, gang. He bleed and breathe just like us. Watch, his end is comin’. That’s on Stacy,” Taliban exclaimed, swearing on his mother.
“Yeah, his end definitely comin’ because my brother, Tooky, on his way home. And he ain’t tryna hear no bullshit. He gonna take back what belong to him,” Gi-Gi boasted, causing everyone to turn and stare at her with frowns.
Gi-Gi had been claiming that her older brother was coming home for over a decade now, and still, he hadn’t shown his face. Everyone knew that Tooky had life without parole. It had been so long since he and his team ruled the streets of Philly; three generations had come and gone. Everything had changed now, and no one gave a damn who he was or what he would do if he ever got out.
“First off, Gi-Gi, let’s get something straight,” Taliban proclaimed. “A nigga ain’t gonna take a damn thing from me unless he takin’ a headshot. Second, your brother is as washed-up as a wet food stamp. Get over it. He ain’t comin’ home. Even if he did, all his squad is either dead or booked for life, just like him. This a new day, baby girl. Dudes gettin’ money over here. And if you ain’t running toward it, you better run from it because we runnin’ niggas over—point, blank, period.”
Before anyone could respond, his phone buzzed with Montega’s name displayed across the screen. “I gotta take this. Enjoy y’all day. And tell Tamie over at Gucci’s that everything is on me today. I’m showin’ love,” he bragged before walking off with the phone held up to his ear.
As Kia watched him, Breezy leaned over her best friend’s shoulder. “You know, Kia, as much as I can’t stand Kenny, I’m glad he’s the head of the Silent Kings because it would be a cold day in hell if Taliban ever had any real power.”
Kia nodded in agreement. “You ain’t never lied.”
Shug sat in the restaurant on the first floor of the Marriot Hotel downtown, eating brunch by himself. With the Inquirer on one side and the Daily News on the other, he didn’t know which to read first. Both would have information he was already aware of. In fact, he was behind half of it. Shug took a deep breath and sighed.
It had already been over two years since Kev’s death, and still, he hadn’t gotten his hands on Montega. Not only that, but he was also losing money in the street due to the war. As Shug sliced into his soft buttermilk pancakes, Gee headed toward him.
“Whoever this Montega is dealing with got top-notch product, cannon. He must be just givin’ the shit away because when we ran up in Fly-Ty’s crib, dude had ten bricks of pure coke with an alligator stamped on it,” Gee stated.
“Alligator stamp,” Shug repeated, trying to recall where he saw it before.
“Yeah, but, yo, I got the picture you asked for from that nightclub.”
Gee went into his pocket and handed Shug the photos from when Gutter was mistakenly killed. Shug wiped his mouth and hands then looked through the pictures.
“Which one is him?” he asked.
Gee pointed to the man in the black leather Gucci jacket so that Shug could study his enemy. When he turned to the next photo, his thick neck snapped back in shock when he saw Montega’s arm around Kia, and his lips pressed to her cheek. “He know Kia?” Shug asked as he glowered.
Gee smiled sinisterly.
“Do he know Kia? She’s his sister.”
Shug did a doubletake at the picture and immediately noticed the family ties. “You gotta be shittin’ me. All this time.” He shook his head with disappointment.
M.I.A
“So who the chick you sprung over?”
JAZZ
After the horrendous day of shopping, Taliban sat on the block with E, J-Black, and a few other hustlers. The wind was biting under a cold, gray sky. December was slowly coming to an end, yet the beef seemed to continue, taking them into the year 2008. Finding out about Reek’s betrayal, Taliban set out to kill him, only to find out that Reek had mysteriously disappeared. He stopped serving the hustlers from around the way, leaving Mike stranded. J-Black called his man E and had him relocate from Chew and Locust to Topside. E had his own plug. And whenever J-Black ran out of work, he would cop something small from him. Now E had the block to himself.
Taliban went into the passenger side of his car to get his ounce of yellow. As he dug into the glove compartment, Jazz pulled up alongside him in her sky-blue Audi A-5. She beeped the horn. Taliban was so frightened by the sudden sound that he fumbled with the jar and spilled it all over his clothes.
“What the fuck, gang!” he shouted in surprise.
Jazz, Amber, and Gi-Gi burst out laughing. “What the fuck is y’all beepin’ the horn for like that? I could’ve shot one of y’all. You know what? Y’all gotta keep it movin’. This ain’t no hangout spot here,” he complained.
“Oh, whatever, boy,” Jazz said. “You get some paper, now you think you Sosa. This ain’t even your block.” Gi-Gi giggled with amusement.
“Aye, Gi-Gi, I know you ain’t over there laughin’. Don’t make me put you out there.”
“Fuck you, Rafeek. Ain’t nobody scared of you,” Gi-Gi spat.
“Boy, you are scattered,” Jazz said before looking around. “Where is my brother?”
“Man, bol probably still with that rich broad he met downtown,” Taliban replied.
“What? Montega got a rich chick?” Gi-Gi asked in shock. Her antennas were up, and the laughter was over.
“Do he,” Taliban added, not seeing his brother’s black car pull up. “She got him open too. In fact—”
Taliban stopped when he saw Jazz’s eyes peering behind him. Turning around to see Montega there with Nino, he said, “Brotha!”
“Fuck outta here. I heard what you said,” Montega replied as he walked past him to give Jazz a hug.
“Hey, boo,” Jazz said. “Look at you, growing a beard now. Let me find out.”
“What’s up, Amber?” he greeted while lustfully eyeing what he could see of her sexy curves.
“Hi, Kenny,” Amber replied seductively in return. Even her voice was alluring.
Montega leaned on the driver side window. “Let me hold somethin’,” he said.
“Shit, you got all the money,” Amber replied. “You need to put my little brothers on though.”
“They cool already. This Mike block, remember,” he said, glancing at Jazz. “I guess he got E running things now. I can talk to E for you if
you want. He’ll get ’em. Anyway, I was watching videos yesterday and seen you in that Rick Ross video. You was looking like millions, real rap. That’s all you back there?”
Amber smirked devilishly before responding, “You wanna find out?”
“Okay,” Jazz said, interfering. “Don’t be tryna fuck my friends, Kenny. I do not need to hear them stressing when they find out you ain’t tryna settle down because you chasing someone else. Now, who the chick you all sprung over?”
Montega jerked his neck back with a frown. He then looked at his brother as if he were going to kill him. Instead, he defended himself. “I ain’t sprung. Don’t listen to that drug addict. He just jealous he ain’t see her first.”
“Taliban? Jealous? Picture that wit’ a Kodak. Only man I’m jealous of is a nigga with two dicks, nahmean?” Taliban said. “I know he fucking twice as much as me, ain’t that right, Nino?”
“Allah knows best,” Abdulallah sighed before walking off to try and sell a jar of oil.
“Yeah, whatever. Talk that shit. Anyway, where y’all headed?” Montega asked, ignoring his brother and Abdulallah.
“We going over Breezy’s crib to mess with her,” Gi-Gi said, causing him to hiss at the name. “Unh-unh, don’t act like that toward my cousin. You fucked her around, remember? You need to be tryna get with her instead of hissin’ at her. I mean, she ain’t tell her pops, nor did she tell Shug about what you did, so she gotta like somethin’ about you.”
Amber then rolled her eyes at that.
“Yeah, she like something about me, aight. She’d like to see me six-feet under,” Montega mumbled, causing Amber to snort out a laugh. “Look. Tell her I’m sorry and I would like to maybe take her out someday—when hell freezes over and—”
“Oh, God, bye, boy,” Jazz replied before pulling off and leaving Montega in the rearview mirror.
Once they got to Breezy’s house, they walked right in. Breezy was too busy looking through her bedroom closet to hear their footsteps. “What you doing!” Jazz said, making her jump with surprise.