by Mikal Malone
“Is it the truth?”
“Yes, it is.”
She walks up to the table, and lowers the gun. “She was innocent, Yvette. Lace’s only crime was saying yes to being my wife. She was murdered in her car, while talking to me on the phone.” She looks at the floor. “Why would you take her from me? And why would you do it like that?”
“Because I didn’t want her to love you.”
“But why,” she yells waving the gun wildly. “You made it clear that you couldn’t be with me. Remember, every time I wanted to spend time with you, you told me you had an operation to run. Not only that you told me I couldn’t live without you, but guess what, I did. So why won’t you let me go?” She asks. “Why would you do something so cold and take an innocent person’s life?”
“I can’t be alone,” I say.
“Alone? What about that nigga I saw you with at the restaurant,” she says talking with the gun. “You told me you was getting married and everything, and I thought you was happy!”
“I’m not.”
“Then what the fuck do you want from me?” she screams.
“I want you to love me, even if I can’t love you back,” I say.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe this shit is happening to me. The only thing I did was try to love you, Yvette. That was my only crime. You want it all.”
“I want everything,” I say.
She lowers her head, and shakes it slowly from left to right. “She was loved, Yvette. Lace was the mother of a beautiful four year old little girl, and you took her away. Snuffed her out like she never existed.”
My heart stops. “What…what do you mean she has a daughter? I thought she was gay.”
“So because she’s gay she can’t have kids?”
My heart is beating fast and I’m hyperventilating.
“You didn’t know did you,” Chris asks, looking into my eyes. “You see what happens when you move with a jealous heart? You gonna pay for this shit. Remember what you told me some time back?”
“No,” I say.
I’m still trying to wrap my mind around what I did. When I ordered Mercedes to put someone onto Lace, to have her killed, I assumed that because Lace was gay, that she didn’t have any kids. I have killed many people in my lifetime, some were mothers, but I never deliberately killed a square that didn’t deserve it before now.
The sad part is that I just finished telling Mercedes that she was going to pay for Derrick’s death, because Lil C loved him. And now I was learning that I had done the same thing.
“You told me that when you kill someone who’s loved, it always comes back on you in some kind of way. My question is, what you think you will pay for this, ‘Vette?”
“Chris, I’m sorry. I didn’t—,”
“Care?” She pauses. “Is that what you were going to say?”
“No, I was going to say I didn’t know. I saw you with her at the restaurant and flipped out. I would’ve never given the order had I known she had a child. I didn’t stop to think what it would mean if I had Lace killed. I…I mean…is the child’s father in the picture?”
“No,” she says flatly. “But even if he was, you can’t replace a mother’s love, you know that, ‘Vette. I mean, how many times have you told me that your mother’s absence fucked with your head? And, that because she was gone you allowed yourself to be abused and treated badly by men? Now you put the same shit on an innocent kid.”
“You don’t know what the fuck you talking—,”
“Shut the fuck up, bitch,” Chris yells at me. “Just shut the fuck up, I’m talking now. I’m tired of hearing your fucking voice! You nothing but the devil!”
Since the first day I met Chris, when she helped me carry my addicted mother to a car after she fell down the steps, she has never called me out of my name until now. And when I look into her eyes I can tell she’s done with me. I think that hurts more than anything.
“You not use to a nigga treating you with love and respect, and I finally get it. So you have officially lost my respect, and you have lost my love.”
I feel like she’s stabbing me repeatedly in the heart.
“I’m done with you, Yvette,” she yells, “I wish I never met you.”
“Chris, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
She laughs at me. “That’s not gonna be good enough this time. Stay right there,” she tells me waving the gun. “Or I’ll blow your head off of your shoulders.”
She walks deeper into my house. I can’t see what she’s doing but I hear my bedroom door open. “How you doin’ boys?” she says to my dogs. “I miss ya’ll.”
The next thing I hear stops my heart. One shot rings out, followed by the cry of one of my dogs. I’m on my feet and rushing to the back, before I hear another shot and another yelp. When I push open my bedroom door, I see my two Pitbulls lying on the floor in their own blood.
I rush up to her, and hit her in the back. “I hate you,” I scream. “I fucking hate you!”
I try to take my gun back but she raises it into the air, and unloads the remaining bullets into the ceiling fan. When she’s done she drops the gun on the floor and walks out of my room.
I run behind her and hit her on the back with heavy fists. Although she jerks forward with every blow, she doesn’t fall. Chris continues to walk to the back door, coolly, and when she reaches it I push her out.
She turns around and faces me. “I bet that hurt didn’t it,” she smirks. “But that’s only a small tidbit of what’s coming for you. You took my kindness as a weakness, Yvette. Big mistake. Now you got another enemy. I shared your bed, and I know you, but you have no idea what I’m capable of.”
CHAPTER 15
MERCEDES
I’m on my king sized bed. Lloyd’s warm leg is draped over mine, as he’s holding me from behind. Every so often I wiggle my ass against his dick, and it stiffens just the way I like it.
I know my friends won’t approve of my arrangement with Lloyd, but I don’t care because it works for me. After Cameron broke my heart, by choosing money over me, and after Derrick chose a bottom bitch over the love of his wife, I decided that whatever attention I received from a man, I would buy.
“What do you want, Mercedes, “Lloyd’s deep voice calls out to me from behind. He pulls me closer to him. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met in my life, but you seem sad. Unfulfilled.”
I sigh. Lloyd’s only problem is that he talks too much. He’s too corny at times. I wish he had an off button. “Why do you say that?”
“Because you deserve more than what you’re asking of me,” he says.
I turn around and look into his eyes. Damn this man is fine. “What do you mean I deserve more? You’re going to give me everything I desire, without the hang-ups of love and marriage. If anything, this arrangement will allow me to function, and to take care of the things I couldn’t before, because some nigga was inside my head. Inside my heart and mind.”
“I get that, Mercedes, but I feel bad that you’re giving me money, just to sleep in your bed. I’ll do this shit for free.”
“But, I don’t want you to do it for free,” I tell him, rubbing his cheek. “I want you to treat this as a job. I’ve hired you, and you are at work. This way I’m buying your services, as opposed to hoping or wishing that you’d do what I want.”
“But I’m sure I can learn to love you,” he says.
I sit up in the bed, and look down at him. “Stand up, Lloyd.”
“I thought we were about to take a nap.”
“I said, stand up.”
He gets out of the bed, and it squeaks. I need a new mattress. Everybody from Cameron to Derrick has been on this bitch. It’s time to start anew.
Lloyd walks over to my side of the bed, and stands before me. “Pull down your pajama pants.”
“Mercedes, you can’t be—”
“I really hate to repeat myself,” I tell him. “So I feel the need to remind you that you are at work. Now if I have to say i
t again, I want you out of my condo.” He removes his blue Polo pajamas, which I bought by the way.
“Now what?”
“Dance for me.” He looks like he’s about to protest, but I guess he remembered what I said so he wiggles his waist, and I have to admit he looks stupid. I remind myself that it’s not about what he’s doing, it’s about him doing what I say.
“Like this?”
“Yes, now move your waist harder, and faster.” He moves his waist into large circles, and before I know it, his dick wakes up, and sticks out at me. “I see you’re hard.”
“That’s because I’m looking into your eyes,” he says. “And it’s obvious that for whatever reason, this turns you on. And when you’re turned on, I am too.”
“Good, because I want you to beat your dick in front of me.”
He stops dancing and leans in. “Are you serious?”
I look at him. The next time he questions me, he’s fired.
He takes his dick into the palm of his hand, and strokes it back and forth. His honey brown stick lengthens, and reddens a little. For the first minute or so he’s faking, and I can tell he doesn’t really want to do it. But when I lean back on the bed, spread my legs, and open my pink juicy pussy, he gets into the groove.
“I like that, Lloyd,” I tell him fingering myself back and forth. “I like how you look beating that stick.”
“You gonna taste it for me?” he asks.
I frown at him. “This is my show not yours. If you want to boss me around feel free to make your purchase. But, I must admit, I’m not as cheap as you are. My price is kinda steep, and you could never afford me.”
I can tell his feelings are hurt, but a minute later he looks like he forgets, when I get so wet, my oil rolls out of my hole, and falls onto the sheet beneath me. I’m feeling so good watching this man do everything I ask, that before I know it, I cum all over my fingers.
“Mmmmmm,” I moan reaching my place. “That was sweet.”
The moment I say that, cum shoots out of his dick, and splashes against my inner thigh. “Oh my, Gawd,” he says. “I never did no shit like that before.”
“Well you did a good job for your first time. So what do you notice about me?”
“I notice that you’re beautiful.”
“Save the melodramatics for the chicken heads you roll with,” I say seriously. “I’m asking you what do you notice about me?”
“You seem satisfied.”
“Exactly,” I grin. “Because I got what I wanted, and what I wanted was for you to be at my beckon call. I don’t want love, nor do I need it, Lloyd. I will never be your housewife, and I will never love you back if you fall for me. I advie you not to do it. So I’m asking if you think you can handle this, because it’s all I have left?”
He grabs a few tissues from the box on my end table. He wipes the cum off my inner thigh, and then cleans his dick. “It’s not what I had in mind when I met you,” he throws the soiled tissue in the trash by the bed, “but if that’s the only way I can have you, I guess I’m going along for the ride.”
“Good, because I’ll buy you anything you desire. You can move into my home tomorrow, and tend to my every need. If there’s a bill in your name, I’ll pay for it. If there’s a situation that needs handled in your life, tell your mama and I’ll care for it. I don’t want you stressed about anything.”
“Why?” he asks in a low voice.
“Because your one and only job in life will be me. I know it’s selfish, but its what I want, and I get what I want.”
“Okay,” he says in a low voice.
I bet he never expected this shit when he pulled up on me at the wedding planners. “But, there’s a downside in fucking with me, Lloyd. By agreeing to play on my terms, you’re essentially pledging your loyalty to me. And I take loyalty very seriously.”
“So do I.”
“Good, because if you break the agreement, I will have you killed, Lloyd, and I’ll buy another one who looks better than you the next week.”
CHAPTER 16
KAREN
The sun shined brightly outside, and every member of the Black Water Klan was assembled quietly, and standing in front of the buildings. Karen stood in front of them holding a brown clipboard in her hand. A yellow number two pencil, with a sharp point, lay clenched between her white teeth. And the red book is stuffed under her arm.
Rumors circled the compound all day, as members tried to determine what the purpose of today’s meeting meant for their family.
On the sidewalk were two white vans, with drivers waiting inside with the engines running. Something definitely was going to happen today, but what?
“If I call your name and follow it with the letter B, you must stand to my left,” Karen spoke. “If I call your name and follow it with the letter A, you must stand to my right. Are there any questions?”
“No, my Lord,” they all respond.
When one of the members approach Karen to whisper in her ear, the roll call is momentarily placed on hold.
In the far back of the crowd stood Persia, and Gia, who also wondered about today’s fate.
“What do you think she is going to do?” Persia whispered to Gia. “When she finds out who else is HIV positive? I’m like real scared.”
“I don’t know,” Gia said softly, holding Persia’s hand. The two weren’t best friends, but since they were close in age and both pregnant, they formed a light bond. “I gotta feeling it won’t be nice. I guess it depends on what is in that book she always carries around. She opens it for all of her answers.”
“You know what’s in it?”
“Nope,” Gia said.
Persia looks at Gia’s face. The sun has turned her eyes into light brown crystals. “You scared?” Persia asked her.
“I ain’t never been more scared in all my life,” she exhaled. “But I was telling the truth, I ain’t never been with anybody but Tamir. So if I got the disease, he had to give it to me. Do you think she’ll kill me, since I’m pregnant with his baby?”
“I don’t know,” Persia shrugged. “I don’t know if she care about no babies, more than she cares about the disease.” Persia shakes her head. “I can’t believe I almost fucked him, but on the night I was supposed to go into his room, he had somebody else in there already. I think it was his mother.”
Gia likes Persia, but she’s not sure if she can trust her enough to tell her that she was in the room that night, along with Karen.
“If I die, can you get in contact with my mother?” Gia asked.
Persia frowned and released her hand. “What I wanna do that for?”
“Because when I left home, to move here with Tamir, I never got to tell my mother that I loved her. She was good to me, Persia. Real good, and I miss her so much. But, I wanted to be with Tamir, and I was afraid that she would not approve of me being pregnant. Now I miss her terribly.”
Persia thought she sounded dumb. Who misses their mother? “Humph, she must’ve been a real gem,” Persia said jealously.
“She is, do you got a mother?”
Persia thought about Carissa and grew angry. Most of Persia’s life, Carissa was present but preoccupied. If Carissa wasn’t throwing her to a babysitter, she was throwing her to one of Mercedes’ babysitters. Persia spent most of her life growing up with C, Chante, Treasure and random neighborhood kids. And, when Carissa was home, and Persia tried to spend time with Carissa, Carissa was never mentally available. The final straw came when Persia was twelve years old, and Carissa forgot her birthday. That was the day hate began to brew in Persia’s heart for her mother. What kind of woman would forget her own daughter’s birthday?
The thing was, Lavelle, her father, didn’t forget. Although Carissa kicked him out of the house, he sneaked inside her home, when Carissa was with the Pitbulls, and brought Persia a beautiful pink birthday cake and her first designer purse. Persia loved her father deeper that day, and she never forgave her mother.
To this day, Carissa wa
s unaware that she failed to celebrate one of her daughter’s birthdays. She and Lavelle had spent so much energy fighting, that time just got away from her. Carissa tried to make up for her absences by spoiling her daughters but that only made matters worse. Persia wanted love, and Carissa failed to deliver. Now, Persia was resentful, angry and out for blood.
“I got a mother,” Persia responded, answering Gia’s question. “But it don’t make me no difference. She be dead to me in my head anyway.”
“That’s sad. Cause if you got a chance to be with your family you should really do it,” Gia begged. “While you still can.”
“Why I want to do that for?”
“Because real family, the ones who got your flesh and blood, will always be in your corner,” Gia responded.
“But this is our family now,” Persia said. “You need to forget the past, Gia. It might get you into more trouble.”
“This is not a real family,” Gia frowned. She looked up front to be sure Karen was still busy with one of the members. She was. “They will take you for all they can, and throw you away. I’m talking about your body, your money and your spirit. Persia, if you got a chance to go be with your mother, you should run now. It may be too late for me.”
“I will never turn my back on the Klan,” Persia said getting a little louder. “And you shouldn’t either, traitor.” She pointed at Gia and her index finger stabbed her nose.
Gia turned red. It was obvious to Gia that Persia was not as cool as she thought she was. “I’m sorry, Persia, just forget about what I said. I was only fucking with you.”
Instead of leaving the matter alone, Persia raised her hand. “Karen, my Lord,” she yelled, “Gia just committed treason against you and the rest of the family.”
“Oh my, God, Persia,” Gia begged, “Please don’t do this.”
“Don’t tell me not to do this,” Persia said getting louder. “She has a right to know what kind of person we have in our camp.”
Karen looked at the tension brewing between the girls and she quickly approached them. “What’s going on back here?” Karen asked them.