Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

by Ashley Snell

  “Yo’, B, I need to rap business with you before I jet,” he said.

  Britain motioned for the guy to take a seat as he put his glass of liquor on the table. “Don’t take up too much of my time. My attention is elsewhere, nah’mean?” he said as he stared Six in the eyes.

  “No disrespect, Brick, but I definitely know what you mean, fam. Who can talk business with someone so distracting in the room,” the goon stated as he took a quick peek at Six.

  Six blushed, and Britain pointed a warning finger and replied, “Stay in your lane, my nigga. What’s good on this business?”

  The dude rubbed his hands together and adjusted his Yankee fitted on his head.

  “That shipment is supposed to be here Monday night. They’re going to meet us at the old Ford factory off I-94 at midnight,” the guy said.

  Six turned her head to pretend as if she weren’t interested in what was going on, but she was ear hustling as she made mental notes of all the details.

  “Okay, make sure that it is picked up on time and test my work before you make the exchange. That’s a hundred grand you playing with…. Make sure it’s done right,” Britain replied.

  Six’s heartbeat sped up as she eavesdropped on the conversation. A hundred thou is a lot of money. We need that, she thought. Free’s face flashed in her mind. She opened her purse as Britain walked his goon to the door. Quickly, he retrieved her cell phone to text Free.

  “Fuck,” she whispered when she discovered that she didn’t have service.

  When Britain returned, Six was more than eager to get home. “Don’t you think we should head back to Detroit?” she asked. All of a sudden she was anxious to get back to her man. She could not wait to tell him about the shipment.

  “We’re staying the weekend here,” Britain replied.

  “The weekend?” she exclaimed. “I didn’t even bring a change of clothes. I only have my swimsuit and what I’m wearing today.”

  “Then I guess we will have to raid a mall tomorrow morning,” he said with a smile. He could see by the look on her face that she wasn’t happy. He pulled her close. “If you really want to go back to Detroit tonight, I’ll take you, but I would prefer if you would stay.”

  She rolled her eyes and nodded her head, giving in to him. There was something about the way he spoke to her that made it hard for her to say no. She determined right then that she would have to be careful around him. If she was not careful, he would penetrate her heart. She had to make sure that she stayed focused.

  “Can I at least get a T-shirt or something so that I can shower?” she asked with an attitude.

  He led her upstairs and handed her a towel and a shirt then left the room.

  Six checked her phone for service one last time and sighed in frustration. She turned it off for the night, showered, then returned downstairs. Even the white T-shirt looked like designer threads on her. It hugged her curves when she walked, giving Britain a good idea of what she was barely hiding underneath.

  “Remember when we were kids you told me that yellow snow was where lemon-flavored ices came from?” he asked as he motioned for her to sit down.

  Six burst into laughter and held her stomach tightly as she recalled him eating the pissy snow.

  “You were such a sucker,” she said as tears came to her eyes while she continued to chuckle.

  Britain shook his head in embarrassment. “I trusted any thing you told me back then. I thought you were the flyest six-year-old on the block.”

  “That’s because I was,” Six replied with conceit.

  “And now?”

  “Now what?” she asked.

  “You still out here making cats eat yellow piss?” he asked.

  “In other words, you’re asking me can you trust me?” she answered.

  “Well, can I?”

  You shouldn’t, she answered in her head, feeling guilty that she was playing him the way she was, but aloud, she replied, “Yes, Britain. I’m a grown woman now, and I don’t have time for games. If I choose you, I will always be loyal to you.”

  It was not really a lie. Six had not chosen to be with Britain. Her heart belonged to Free, and although he was asking her to do something as extreme as this, she was riding for him until the end. She chose Free, and unfortunately for Britain, he had crossed Free, which meant that he had inadvertently crossed Six as well.

  “What do I have to do to get you to choose me?” he asked seriously.

  Six shrugged. “I don’t know. We’ll take it day by day and see where this leads,” she said. “Since you have me trapped up here for the entire weekend, what do you have planned?” she asked.

  “I’m going to take you out on my boat tomorrow,” he said as he stood. He kissed her forehead then started out of the room. “You can take the master bedroom upstairs. I’ll sleep in the guest room. Get some sleep. We’re waking up early tomorrow to go out on the lake,” he informed her, just before leaving the room.

  The smell of food burning awoke Six out of her sleep. She looked over at the clock and noticed that it was five in the morning. The sun hadn’t even come up yet. She pulled back the covers and crawled out of bed. The thousand-thread sheets urged her to lie back down, but she forced herself to get up.

  “Britain!” she called out as she stepped into a hallway full of smoke. The smoke alarm was going off, and she heard him moving around downstairs. She made her way down the stairs and stepped into the gourmet kitchen, where she put her hand over her mouth as she watched Britain scrambling around the room in an attempt to cook breakfast.

  “Boy, what are you doing?” she asked.

  “Sit down, breakfast will be done in a minute,” he said as he reached for a skillet on the stove.

  Six reached out her hand to stop him. “Britain, you might wanna—”

  “Agh, fuck!” he exclaimed as he grabbed the hot handle before she could get a chance to warn him.

  “Okay here, sit down,” she said as she pulled out a chair for him. She cut down the fire on the stove and then retrieved some ice out of the freezer. Kneeling in front of him she grabbed his hand while shaking her head then applied the ice to his burn. “Why are you up so early making breakfast?” she asked as she nursed his aching hand.

  “Don’t women like that breakfast-in-bed bullshit?” he asked.

  “You were cooking for me?” she asked in surprise. Six reached up and put her hands behind his head to pull him near. She kissed his lips quickly and then hopped to her feet. “That was sweet, but what do you have me here for if you’re not going to use me? You let me handle breakfast.”

  Britain watched as Six moved around the kitchen like a master chef. She was so feminine, but so hood at the same time. He could see himself building something great with her one day. He eased up behind her as she cooked and wrapped his hands around her waist. He felt her body tense. It was something that he noticed every time he got too close.

  Six’s breath caught in her throat. Free hadn’t prepared her for these intimate moments. She hadn’t expected to have butterflies or feel jittery around Britain. The way her body responded to him surprised even her.

  “Are you afraid of me?” he asked as he kissed the back of her neck, causing her eyes to close as she imagined his full lips exploring other parts of her body.

  She maneuvered out of his touch. His hands were not Free’s hands. She had to remember that. She couldn’t allow herself to get in too deep.

  “I’m afraid of what I’m getting myself into,” she replied honestly.

  “I would never bring you into my world if I didn’t think you belonged, Six. You don’t have to be uncomfortable around me, and I don’t want you to fear me, ma. Everything you’ve heard in the streets isn’t really who I am. That’s how I handle business. This with you isn’t business.”

  “I’m not uncomfortable around you, Britain. I’m too comfortable,” she whispered. She fixed two plates and set them on the kitchen table.

  “That’s a bad thing?” he asked as he too
k her hands in his.

  She sighed as she looked up at the man who used to be her childhood friend. She felt horrible for what she was setting him up for, but she had to remind herself that Britain deserved what he had coming to him. He had stiffed Free, and money out of Free’s pocket was jeopardizing Six’s life. If she didn’t put her conscience to the side, then the Russians would kill her. She didn’t have a choice.

  I have to do this, she thought. It’s either him or me.

  “It’s not a bad thing at all,” she finally replied.

  The two sat down to breakfast, and Six decided to go all in. It was the only way that she was going to get to the money. She couldn’t half step. She had to handle her end of the setup so that Britain would give her access to his safe.

  Chapter Nine

  “You say it’s going to be a hundred-thousand-dollar deal?” Free asked, not believing his ears.

  “Yeah, that’s what he said,” Six confirmed as she sat on her bed and talked to Free who was pacing the small room in Jones’s house. She tried to whisper, because Jones was only one room away in his bedroom

  “Good. Good. I’ma hit his ass. He will never see it coming,” Free said smiling and rubbing his hands together as he began plotting in his mind. “What else did he say?” Free asked as he sat next to Six on the bed.

  “He didn’t say too much. Just that the drop-off was sometime tonight at the old Ford factory off of I-94.”

  “I’ma have to get there early and camp out. I got to call Lou and…” Free stopped in his tracks as Jones peeked in.

  “Hey, Daddy,” Six said as she smiled, wondering if he overheard her talking about robbing Britain. Jones remained silent as he smiled and shook his head from side to side.

  “I couldn’t help but overhear y’all conversation,” Jones said as he walked in with his smooth stroll. He slipped his hand in his shirt’s top pocket, pulled out a pack of Newport cigarettes, and began to smack the bottom of the box. “If y’all fall for that trick, y’all both some damn fools. That’s the oldest trick in the book,” he said as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

  “What you talking about?” Six asked.

  “Meeting Britain at that Ford factory is a setup. To test you, Six. Now let me ask you a question. Did he talk about the exchange right in front of you?” Jones asked.

  “Yeah,” Six admitted, not wanting to lie to her father.

  “See, that was his bait for you. He wants to test your loyalty. I taught him that trick years ago,” Jones said as he smiled, thinking about how he used to pull that trick on women back in the day.

  “He might be right,” Free agreed as he began to rub the hair that was on his chin. “Can’t see how I missed that one,” he said as he nodded in agreement.

  “Not trying to be in y’all business, but if you gonna do it…do it right. Britain is a smart man, and this is chess, not checkers, youngblood,” Jones said to Free as if he was subliminally saying something else. Jones gave him a look that said, “Take care of my daughter and don’t have her going into situations ass backward.” He then walked out of the room blowing smoke into the air, leaving them thinking about what he said. Needless to say, Free and Lou never made it to the drop-off that night.

  Britain and his goon waited patiently in his car, parked discreetly under the highway’s overpass. The car was positioned so he had a clear view of the old factory. He was hoping that Free didn’t show up just because he could see himself starting something serious with Six.

  “You think she sent ol’ boy?” the goon asked as he sat in the driver’s seat next to Britain.

  “Don’t know. I can’t read her, for some reason,” Britain said as he looked on attentively, waiting for someone to come. He was an overly cautious man and he couldn’t afford to let anyone into his circle who was a potential enemy. Some people would call staking out a fake exchange ridiculous, but Britain called it being smart. He looked down at his watch. Almost two A.M. So far no sign of her treachery had occurred. Nobody had even driven past the old factory. He smiled as he texted Six.

  GOOD NIGHT, I’M GOING TO BED. HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD SLEEP.

  BRICK

  “Let’s get out of here,” Britain directed his goon as he smiled and threw his head back in his headrest. He was ready to show Six how much he was into her. Little did he know that she was potentially his downfall.

  “Ooh,” Six crooned, slowly moving her hips in circular motions as she thrust her pelvis into Free’s face. She rode him in a slow rhythm. Her juice box was directly on his mouth as he moved his tongue like a tornado, giving Six ecstasy. She was grateful that her father had an outing with one of his pretty young things and left her the house alone with Free. She hadn’t felt him inside of her in a while and she was long overdue for his love. She hopped off his face and straddled his bottom half. Free slid straight into her and the sounds of her gushing wetness echoed throughout the room. She took him all in as her ass met his testicles.

  “Oh God,” she said as she felt his rockhard pole filling her up. She instantly had an orgasm, squirting lightly on his stomach as she grinded against him, all while he rubbed her clitoris. “Right there,” she said as she sped up her pace and gripped his toned chest. Free then palmed her cheeks and gently smacked her left butt cheek, giving her a light sting.

  “Damn, baby. You riding that,” he moaned as she rode his body like a snake. She closed her eyes and began to rub on her own breasts, stimulating her erect nipples.

  “Br—” Six caught herself as she was about to call Free Britain’s name. Her eyes shot wide open, hoping that Free did catch her slipup. Free’s eyes were closed, and he grinded from the bottom, so she knew that he hadn’t heard her. Oh shit, she thought as she hopped off him and turned around so he could enter her from the back. She couldn’t stand to look at him in the face. She felt so guilty. She buried her head in the pillow, and Free entered her, slowly rocking in and out, giving her pleasure with every strategic stroke.

  Free gave Six the business that night and made her climax plenty of times. Instead of walking into a trap at the old Ford factory, Free was making love to his favorite woman in the world. Little did he know, her mind was on the man that she was supposed to be deceiving… Britain.

  Chapter Ten

  It felt weird staying with her father again. She hadn’t spent the night in his home in a very long time, but she was glad that she was back so that they could spend some quality time together. As the sun crept through her blinds, Six sat up and stretched her arms out. She had gotten a perfect night’s sleep. There was something about being underneath her father’s roof that made her feel safe. She felt untouchable because she knew that her daddy would never let anything happen to her.

  I’ma make him something to eat, she thought as she stepped into her house shoes and walked out of the room and into the kitchen. As soon as she entered the kitchen, she saw a note from her father on the counter.

  Morning, baby girl,

  I’m out fishing. Won’t be back soon. I left you some pocket change on the counter and your favorite cereal is in the cabinet.

  I love you always,

  Daddy

  Six looked at the hundred-dollar bill that was on the countertop and shook her head while smiling. He still treats me like his baby, she thought as she went to the cabinet to retrieve the box of cinnamon toast crunch that her father knew she loved. She sat down in the living room with her cereal in hand and curled up on the couch. Then she picked up her cell phone to call Free.

  Ding-dong!

  Six ended the call abruptly when she heard the doorbell ring. Opening the door, she was greeted by a white woman in a cream-colored suit. Six recognized the designer Dolce threads immediately. Her eyebrows creased as she wondered what the upscale woman was doing on her father’s doorstep.

  “Can I help you?” Six asked.

  “My name is Melissa Warren. I have a letter for a Ms. Six Jones,” the jeweler stated.

  Six leaned against the frame of the d
oor and replied, “That’s me…a letter from who?”

  The woman gave her a bright smile and handed over a chocolate brown-and-gold envelope. Six opened the letter in suspense, anxious to see what was going on.

  Today I show you what it’s like to fuck with a boss. Today is your day, ma. A limo is going to pick you up in one hour and take you to Somerset mall. You can have whatever you like. Just have the cashiers put your purchases on my account. Enjoy yourself and don’t hurt me too bad. The limo will bring you back to my place later to night. I have something special planned. I’ll see you then.

  Britain

  Six was cheesing from ear to ear by the time she was done reading the letter and when she looked up, she gasped in surprise.

  The woman was standing in front of her with a briefcase full of diamond jewelry. “He must really love you to buy such an expensive gift,” the woman stated. “You can pick any piece you like.”

  Six’s chin dropped to her chest as she stepped to the side and let the woman in. “Oh my God,” she whispered. Britain was pulling out all stops, and the extravagance of it all floored her. She was like a kid in a candy store as she sat down across from the woman and began to try on the expensive jewels.

  “This here is a Harry Winston piece. It’s a two-karat diamond ring,” the woman said, going on to describe the cut of the ring as she placed it on Six’s finger. Six held out her hand and looked at the rock as she imagined what her wedding ring would look like someday. She shook her head and removed it from her finger.

  “It’s too much like an engagement ring,” she said as she placed it back into the lady’s hands. She leaned over the coffee table where every piece was spread out on top of a velvet cloth. “What about that?” she asked pointing to a necklace.

  “You have great taste,” the woman stated as she grabbed the necklace and walked behind Six to put it on for her. “This is a Tiffany’s piece. Platinum rope with a ten-karat colorless diamond.” She fastened it around Six’s neck. “Wow! That is beautiful on you. The size of it overwhelms most women, but it fits you perfectly.”