Pitbulls In a Skirt 4

by Mikal Malone

  The smell of the wooden cherry dining room table, in one of the apartments within the Black Water Klan’s headquarters, I was sitting at, made my stomach churn. I’m supposed to be eating the steak, white rice and eggs that they made me for dinner, but I don’t trust anyone here. Why would I? At one point in history they tried to kill us, and they succeeded at killing one of my best friends…Kenyetta. She was also the only person on the face of the earth who I could truly relate too. She knew my secrets, we snorted coke together, and we partied hard. I miss her so much.

  And now here I am, begging for mercy from someone I don’t know, so that I can maintain a relationship with a daughter who hates me. I feel like a traitor.

  Persia is on the other side of the table, sitting next to Karen. She’s wearing a red t-shirt with a large white teddy bear on the front. They must be buying her clothes, because she would’ve never purchased something that makes her look so young, and ridiculous. Why does this have to be the only way I see my daughter? I know me and Persia have had our problems in the past, but we still family. Why does she hate me so?

  “Your sister misses you,” I say to Persia. I fork through my rice, as opposed to eating it. “All she talks about everyday is Persia this, and Persia that.”

  Persia rolls her eyes at me. “Cut the shit, ma. You and me both know that Treasure can’t stand me, and I can’t stand her,” she opens a jar of jalapenos and pours them onto her steak. That can’t be good for the baby.

  “She does miss you.”

  “Whatever, about this time she should be experimenting with sex by licking her friend Bria’s pussy. She’s eleven years old now anyway. At least that’s what me and my homie did when we played alone.”

  “Persia,” I scream at her. “Why would you say something so vile about your sister?”

  Persia laughs at me. “Why you mad? Aunt Yvette a dyke! A little pussy licking never hurt nobody, you should try it.”

  I move toward her but Karen stands up and yells, “Oscar, come here.” She’s holding the red bible looking thing in her hand, and I wonder what’s in its pages.

  I stay where I am. They took my gun so I’m not strapped. I don’t feel safe here.

  Oscar, who I saw the first day I met Karen, comes running into the room. “What’s wrong, ma?” he pushes his glasses to his face. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. Take Persia out of here.” Karen looks at me. “I need to talk to her mother alone.”

  Oscar looks at me once more, before he leaves the room with my daughter. When they are gone Karen and I are standing alone in front of one another.

  “He’s going to take her as his wife,” Karen says to me sitting back in her chair. “He’ll do right by her too. Trust me, me and Black Water raised him right. The kind of man he is they don’t make no more.”

  I lean in. “What do you mean take her as his wife?”

  “She’s still young,” Karen says plainly. “And although she’s been spoiled once with that baby, she can have more. Many more. We just have to indoctrinate her into our ways and customs, and work on her selfish spirit. I have my hands full no doubt, but I’m sure it will be worth it.”

  My heart rate increases. I don’t want my daughter here. I don’t want her to be indoctrinated and I definitely don’t want her to be promised to some crazed teenager as his wife. I want her home. I want to comb her hair, and pretend to get irritated with her when she steals my clothes. I want to walk down the street with her, arm and arm, as fresh little boys flirt and look her way. I want to tell her about life, and make-believe that I’m smart enough to know what to do when times get rough. I want to love her, and most of all I want to protect her.

  But I can’t do that now. I have to pretend to not see what’s going on. I have to pretend that I don’t know that if things keep going the way that they are, I will never see my daughter outside of these walls again. And, she’ll most likely be brainwashed like all of these people.

  “Karen, I don’t know what Persia has told you, but she is not ready to marry anybody. She’s very immature. I mean did you see her just now? Did you hear what she just said?”

  “Carissa, take a seat.”

  I don’t.

  “Please sit.”

  I sit down, and she does too.

  “Please don’t worry about Persia,” she crosses her legs. “We won’t legally marry her off until she’s eighteen.” She grips that red book she always carries. What’s in that thing anyway?

  “Legally?”

  “Yes, although our young girls can’t marry until eighteen, they take husbands before that time.” Karen folds her hands on the table, over the red book. “Persia, has expressed to us an interest to be a part of who we are, and welcome our traditions.”

  “And what exactly are your traditions?”

  “We stand by each other, and we live by our word.”

  “Is your word Christian? Or Catholic?” I ask. I’m trying to hide my irritation but I know I’m doing a poor job.

  She laughs. “Our tradition is steep within our word.” She rubs the book. “And unless you are a part of who we are, I’m not at liberty to discuss what we believe with you.”

  “Karen, please listen to me, you have to forgive me for not being totally comfortable with this situation. I want to come at you from one mother to another. Can I?”

  “Proceed.”

  “Your son and the other people here may have been raised in your beliefs, and I won’t try to come in the way of that. But, as you can see Persia is angry, and very immature. She wouldn’t know the first thing about what to do with a husband, let a lone a man or awkward traditions. If you keep her here she will shake up your foundation, I swear before God.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Did you see the way she just behaved?”

  “Yes I did, Carissa,” she says. “But she has every right to be angry. I’ve spent quite a bit of time talking to her about her family life.”

  I lean back in my seat and frown at her. “And just what do you think that you know about me and my life?”

  “For starters I am aware that you and your friends have operated a drug business in Emerald City all of her life. Since she’s been in your care she’s seen cocaine, weed and what she described as yellow gold on a consistent basis. She has also expressed to me that she’s aware of key people who were murdered in her family, including but not limited to, her uncle Cameron who was Mercedes’ fiancé. So believe me when I say I know a lot about you and your family’s lifestyle.”

  “So ya’ll don’t deal in coke? Or heroin? Don’t fake, Karen.”

  “That’s not what I’m saying.”

  I am so angry with Persia right now I could kill her. That’s how I know she’s not ready for this life. Why would she tell somebody about what we do behind Emerald City’s walls? Her disloyalty is paramount and makes me shiver. I raised that girl. She came from my body. So why is she not built like I am?

  “You’re right, she’s seen a lot, a whole lot,” a tear falls down my face and I swipe it off. “But she grew up on my bullshit.” I look around the dining room that we’re sitting in. There’s a picture of Black Water on the wall. He’s posing like Jesus, except he has a gold chain hanging around his neck. “But this is all new bullshit that my daughter is not accustomed to.”

  “And yet here we are,” Karen replies. “Carissa, I have no doubt that you and Yvette are probably use to running things in Emerald City, but around here I am boss. I am Lord.” Her eyes seem to twinkle when she makes that statement. She loves the power like Yvette. I’m sure of it.

  “You can’t have my daughter,” I say flat out. “I won’t let you have her. I have lost everything recently. The love of my life, my best friend and my sanity. I don’t know who I will be if I lose one of my kids too.”

  “You’ve already lost your daughter,” Karen smirks. “Can’t you see that yet?”

  “It’s not my fault that you and Yvette don’t have a relationship.”

  S
he frowns. “What do you think you know about me and Yvette?”

  “I know that your eyes lit up when you first saw her face. And I know that your heart seemed broken when you thought she had a relationship with your mother and you didn’t. I get all of that, but you can’t blame me for that situation. It isn’t my fault. So please don’t try to make me pay for it, by stealing my first born.”

  Karen stands up and walks toward the door. “Be careful, Carissa. I’m the only person standing between the relationship you want with your oldest daughter, and the relationship you don’t have. Now either we can get along, and be the best of friends, or I can make things difficult for you.”

  “How much do you want?”

  She grins. “A lot. When you murdered Tamir, we lost a load of money in the process. And although we own two of our buildings, the taxes are steep. So, you take care of us financially, and I’ll keep the peace between you and your child.”

  “How much?” I repeat.

  “Three hundred thousand dollars.”

  “That’s a lot of money.”

  “Is Persia worth it? Only you can answer that.”

  I hate this bitch so much. “How do I know you won’t stab me in the back? If I pay you?”

  “Because I’m tired of fighting, Carissa. Since Black Water has led the war against Emerald City, a lot of good people have been killed. I just want to keep my family together and live by his will.” She looks at Black Water’s picture.

  “You haven’t answered my question, how do I know I can trust you?”

  “Because you don’t have a choice. I’m holding the cards, not you.” Karen walks toward the door, with the red book. “You can let yourself out.” When she opens the door an armed guard is on the other side. “And when you finish your meal, he’ll escort you to make sure you get out of the building safe. No offense, but you’re not very popular around here. Somebody might kill you to score points with the Klan.” She closes the door and leaves me alone.

  I bawl into tears and my stomach aches. All I want to do is the line of coke I have stuffed in my bag. I’m about to do it on the cherry table, when my cell phone rings. It’s Yvette’s number.

  “Carissa, you have to meet us at Mercedes’ house. Something fucked up has happened.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  CHAPTER 6

  YVETTE

  I make it to Mercedes’ door and remove the key from my pocket to let myself inside. Once I’m in I see Carissa, Mercedes and Toi in the living room. Don’t get me wrong. I fuck with Toi. Hard. She’s a cool girl. But, this is personal business.

  When we needed help to lure Cameron to be killed, Toi, who was his girlfriend at the time, helped us murder him. When we beat Bucky’s ass in the Laundromat, Toi got some licks in too. Toi was also the person to show us the video that was being shown around DC of Carissa fucking some dude, because of her love for porn she found it. So I like her, it’s just that I don’t know if I like her enough to have her in on every illegal thing we do. But Mercedes feels otherwise. She trusts her too much.

  “Thank god you’re here,” Mercedes says hugging me. “I’m so sorry about this shit, girl. I snapped and one thing led to another. This nigga was foul though, Yvette. He had to go. I’m not letting another nigga do me wrong. I just can’t.”

  She releases me and I lock the door. I look at the middle of the living room floor, and see Derrick’s corpse lying on a red and gold Gucci shower curtain. He’s wearing bullet holes to the chest, and his face is frozen in a horror position. It’s like he saw a ghost before he died. Maybe he did. Six hacksaws are lying around his body and I know what they are for. Chop work.

  I look at Toi and say, “What are you doing here?”

  Toi looks behind herself, and then back at me. “You talking to me?” She points to herself.

  “What you think?”

  “What do you mean what I’m doing here? Mercedes called, and I came.”

  “Do you really think you can handle this type of lifestyle?” I question. “I hear you still work at the Social Security Administration in Baltimore city. Clocking in at nine and out at five.”

  “So.”

  “So we ain’t them type bitches. We gangsters. And, I got a feeling you outside of your league.”

  “Yvette, what are you doing?” Mercedes interrupts. “Why you coming at Toi like that, considering everything she has done for us? You act like she hasn’t proven to be true blue already.”

  “Scoot back some, Mercedes. Toi a big girl,” I remind her. “She can answer the question for herself.”

  “You don’t know shit about me, home girl,” Toi says.

  “Fuck that supposed to mean?”

  “I might not wear my stripes on my sleeve, but it don’t make me a square. Sometimes it’s not about showcasing the things that you’ve done, but keeping the secrets of the things you got away with.”

  “Still not sure this lifestyle is for you,” I say.

  “Yvette, I don’t know what lifestyle you’re referring to, but I don’t play when it comes to my friends. Mercedes called me frantic when I was at the movies with my boyfriend, so I dropped everything and came here. I mean what you trying to get at? That I’m a snitch?”

  I face Mercedes. “You can’t replace Kenyetta, Mercedes. I don’t care how many fly bitches you roll with, not one of them will be able to stand next to Kenyetta.” I focus back on Toi. “Not even you.”

  Toi places her hands on her hips and smirks. “I don’t know what your mind is over there creating, but I gotta agree with you on one thing. I could never replace Kenyetta, because I don’t want too. I’m in my own lane and on my own highway. It’s funny to me that this is coming up all of a sudden though. You act like I’ve never put in work with ya’ll before.”

  “You’re right about that, you could never replace my best friend. She was a ride or die bitch who stood strong until the day she died. And, it’s important that you know that.”

  “Mercedes, maybe I should go,” Toi says grabbing her black MCM purse.

  “Please don’t leave, Toi,” Mercedes responds wiping the tears away that stream down her face.

  “I have to,” Toi replies. “Shit is getting thick in here, and you need to be in the right state of mind for whatever you’re about to do with this nigga’s body.”

  “Yvette, this shit is dumb,” Mercedes says to me. “I need all of my friends by my side right now.”

  “And you’ll have them once she leaves,” I look at Toi.

  Toi moves toward the door with an attitude.

  Before she disappears I say, “I trust you won’t say anything about what you’ve seen here tonight.” I look at Derrick’s corpse. “I don’t know if Mercedes ever mentioned it to you before, but I can be evil if me or mines is fucked with.”

  I don’t know how she did it but in a second flat she was up in my face. “Don’t threaten me, Yvette. I don’t like threats.”

  “Toi, maybe you should go,” Mercedes says to her with her gun aimed at the back of Toi’s head. “And do it quick.”

  Toi turns around and looks at Mercedes. “So you pull your weapon out on me, when you called me here for help?”

  “Call it a reflex,” Mercedes says. “Now bounce. I’ll get up with you later.”

  Toi eventually leaves the apartment, and the three of us are alone. It’s not like I need any confirmation about Mercedes’ loyalty, but that move proved to me even more where Mercedes’ heart lies. I know how she feels about Toi.

  “I hate you for that shit, Yvette,” Mercedes says tossing her gun on the couch. “Toi is real people, and you may have fucked that up for me. Some people can’t meet one real person in a lifetime, and I was blessed to meet four.”

  “If she is as real as you say she is, she’ll be able to get past that shit. She’ll understand business is business, and everybody got a place.” I walk up to Derrick’s corpse. “Now what happened? Why this nigga dead?”

  Mercedes sighs. “It’s a long story,�
� she looks down at him. “But, I need to wait for C before I explain everything.”

  “C ain’t coming, Mercedes. He called me, and when I told him that we were on our way too, he decided not to show up. He knows we can handle the situation, so ain’t no need in him getting involved. We deal with this type shit all of the time.”

  Her eyes widen. “What…why?”

  “Because he doesn’t want a relationship with you,” I yell. “You know that already. Don’t you?” Suddenly something dawns on me. I walk closer to Mercedes. “Wait a minute, did you kill Derrick thinking that Lil C would be there for you, and your relationship would be repaired?”

  Sorrow washes from her face. She’s angry now. “What the fuck are you talking about, Yvette?” She walks away from me and sits on the sofa. “You talking dumb now. I killed this mothafucka because he had it coming. Living in my house. Sleeping in my bed. Eating my food. Playing in my pussy. And, still fucking with that bitch? This how he do me? Fuck that shit, not on my watch.”

  I walk closer to her and stare down at her head. “Mercedes, did you kill him trying to make Lil C feel sorry for you?”

  “Yvette, I called Lil C out of reflex. And because he’s my son. Nothing more, nothing less.”

  “C loved Derrick, and you called him without even considering what this would mean to see him like this. That’s selfish on fifty levels, ‘Cedes. You acting like a child now. C is not Cameron he is your boy-child-man.”

  “You didn’t think about what it would mean to me either,” Carissa says with an attitude. “I was meeting with Persia before you called. You know this bitch Karen is milking us for our money. The least you could do is allow me the time I need to spend with her.”

  “Carissa, ain’t nobody thinking about Persia’s stink-box ass.”

  “Bitch, that’s my daughter you talking about,” Carissa yells.

  “Exactly, but this situation right here ain’t about you, or her,” Mercedes replies. “You turned it into that. Now you can leave if you want too. It ain’t like you been here for me when I needed you anyway. The only thing on your mind these days is Persia. You barely help us around Emerald anymore. But when it comes time for the split on the cash, you be on that like flies on shit. Talking ‘bout where my fifty, where my fifty.”