by Mikal Malone
“Tell her,” Persia said. “Tell her what you just said to me.”
Although Persia was risking Gia’s life, that was not her chief aim. She needed Karen to know that she was loyal, and she would do that by throwing the young girl under the bus. If a person’s existence wasn’t benefiting Persia, then in her opinion their existence didn’t matter.
“What did you say, Gia,” Karen questioned.
“I…I...”
“She told me I needed to return to my family, and that I shouldn’t trust you,” Persia said.
Karen’s disposition turned dark. She snapped her finger and Oscar rushed over. “Take her to the Soft Room, and dispose of her.”
“You got it,” Oscar responded, as he took Gia kicking and screaming back into the building.
“You did good,” Karen said placing a hand on Persia’s shoulder. “Real good.”
Karen walked back up to the front of the crowd. She rattled off the names on her clipboard, which was followed with either an A or a B, like she said earlier. Persia didn’t feel and ounce of guilt as she stood alone waiting her fate.
Persia figured that the people, who had the letter A behind their name, meant they had AIDS. But, when she heard her name, followed with the letter A, she felt faint. When all of the names were called, fifteen people stood on the B-side, while the majority stood on the A side.
“Everyone with the letter B behind their names, get into the vans,” Karen advised.
It took about fifteen minutes for everyone to pile into the vans. When they were completely full, Karen instructed the vans to pull off. When they were gone she readdressed the group. “The people remaining are HIV negative.”
Persia exhaled in relief. Although she hadn’t slept with Tamir before he died, she did fuck enough losers to win her three rounds of Gonorrhea, and a bout of Trichomoniasis.
“The rest of you can go back into the community center, we have a lot of things to discuss. We need to rebuild this family and talk about our new direction. I have no doubt that after everything we’ve gone through, that we can do it.”
When everybody left, Persia decided to walk up to Karen. Curiosity was killing her and she wanted to know where the B group was going. “What’s going to happen to them?” Persia pointed up the street.
“What’s going to happen to who, Persia?” Karen looked at the clipboard in her hand.
“Those in the van?”
Karen laughed at the girl’s boldness. “They’re going to be burned alive. Just like you would’ve been, if you betrayed this family. Just because you’re promised to my son, it would not have stopped me from getting rid of you too. Promises are meant to be broken aren’t they?”
Persia’s heart stopped for a second. “I would never betray you, or this family,” Persia said. “That’s why I wanted to talk to you about my mother.”
Karen leaned in closer. “What about your mother?”
Persia sighed. “I don’t want to tell you this, because it’s not my mother’s fault. But, if this is my new family you gotta know everything.”
“Persia, I’m too busy for games. Get to the point.”
Persia swallowed. “I’m sorry,” she cleared her throat and rubbed her belly to remind her she was pregnant, in case Karen wanted to hurt her. “It’s just that I’m concerned that Mercedes may be trying to use my mother, to get at the Klan. And unlike Gia, I love it here and don’t want to leave. But, I’m afraid if my family does something, I’ll be banished for good.”
“You were talking about Mercedes,” Karen said bringing her back to the point. “Why are you worried about her?”
Persia hadn’t heard a thing, but that didn’t stop her from formulating a good lie. “Mercedes said that she is thinking about kidnapping me, and attacking the Klan, after I have the baby.”
Karen’s forehead wrinkled and she was breathing heavily. Oscar warned her that the Emerald City women might attack again, but she didn’t think it would happen so soon. After all, Persia was still with her, and she could do anything to her if she desired.
With a furrowed brow Karen asked, “Are you sure, Persia?”
“I promise on everything I love, I overheard Mercedes saying that.”
“What did your mother say?”
“She didn’t seem happy about what Mercedes wanted to do, but I don’t think she’ll stop her either.”
“Don’t say anything else to your mother about this, Persia. I’m going to see how things play out.” She placed a firm hand on Persia’s clavicle. “You did good by coming to me. I’m very proud of you. Don’t worry about anything else though. I’ll take it from here.”
CHAPTER 17
MERCEDES
I’m home playing Rihanna’s new CD, and me and Toi are drinking Merlot in the living room, while we watch Lloyd fry chicken in the kitchen.
“He’s fine as shit ain’t he,” I say to her, after crossing my legs. “I can look at him all day.”
“He’s fine alright,” Toi says. “But I smell a dangerous territory that you’re moving into. Just because an idea is bright, don’t mean it’ll help you see straight.”
“What you talking about now, girl,” I laugh.
“Mercedes, you have bought yourself a slave,” she leans back into the sofa. “I hope you know that.”
“And?”
“And you can’t do people like that, and not for the reasons you think neither. You gonna end up falling for him, or somebody else, and when you can’t get them to act the way you want them too, you’re gonna snap.”
“Toi, please.”
“I’m serious, Mercedes. You’re conditioning yourself to avoid rejection, but life is about rejection and choices. That’s how you build your muscles for it.”
“I’m just having fun,” I say. “Ain’t no harm in that.”
“Mercedes, I love a boy toy just as much as the next bitch, but you’re putting him up in your house and shit. If you want to fuck the dude on the outside, and not call him afterwards, that’s big girl shit. But you have moved him into your world, Mercedes, into your home. As fine as he is, I’m begging you to please get rid of him.”
I laugh hysterically. “I’m not going to fall for him if that’s what you’re worried about. Trust me, I’m done with love.”
“Mercedes, you never took the time to get over Cameron.”
I frown and look at this bitch like she crazy…’cause she is. “Toi, if I recall you were fucking with Cameron last, and the next thing I know you were with Michael. So what you talking about?”
Toi whispers, “I’m talking about you. And the fact that the moment the relationship was over with Cameron, you married Derrick. And when Derrick started cheating, you started over-loving and smothering C. And now that Derrick is dead, you got some half naked man in your kitchen cooking chicken who you paying. If you don’t take time to find out who you are, you’ll never know what you really want. That goes for you, Yvette and your home-girl Carissa too.”
“Who are you Dr. Phil?”
She giggles. “For you to be my friend, I would’ve hoped you’d be a little more original.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do,” she laughs. “But I’m not Dr. Phil and I’m not trying to be. I’m just a girl who ended up in a bad place some years back, trying to find love from outside sources. It took a year by myself, for me to find out what I needed to be happy. That’s when I met Michael.”
“And you chose a nigga who loves porn to be by your side?”
“No, I love porn,” she corrects me. “And he accepts me. He fucks me hard like I like. He nourishes my dreams like I like, and he tells me every time he looks in my eyes how much he loves me. But he does it without words, ‘Cedes. I can feel it when I’m around him. He accepts all of my garbage, and he still loves me the way I am. But he a real nigga too so he gonna speak his mind and sometimes he has to tell me no, and I respect him enough to accept it. And, I just want the same thing for you.”
I hear To
i talking, and maybe part of what she is saying is true. But, I can’t be alone right now. If I’m by myself, I might snap, and right now I have to be strong. There are so many things I have to do. I have a business to run, a relationship with my children to mend, and friends to support. Now is not the right time to be in my head dealing with the serious shit.
“How does this look?” Monie says exiting the back of my condo. She spins around in the black True Religion jeans I bought her, along with the red Gucci blouse. “Dumb?”
“You look beautiful,” Lloyd says from the kitchen. He wipes his hands on the pink apron he’s wearing.
Monie blushes at him.
“What do you think Ms. Mercedes and Ms. Toi?”
“I think C ‘bout to lose his fucking mind,” I say. “And you damn sure won’t be leaving out no house, no time soon. Remember what I said though,” I point at her, “for the next week or so you are not available. You cook his meals, tend to his basic needs, but then you out the house.”
“Where am I going to go?” she asks.
“You come over here,” I say. “At least you don’t have to worry about C popping up. The last person he wants to see is me.”
Toi touches my leg softly. I sigh thinking of our broken relationship.
“But I help him run Camelot on the weekends.”
“First off when you working in Camelot, you are going to wear one of the twenty outfits I bought you. You gotta always dress like this.”
Monie leans in closer. “Ms. Mercedes, I can’t dress like this at work. I gotta check them niggas on the block about C’s money sometimes. I can’t do that in no high heels and shit.”
“Do you know that when me and my girls were holding down Emerald, we did it in high heels, and designer purses? Just because we ran a drug operation didn’t mean our looks suffered. C needs to be thinking about you, even while you working and your gear is essential to the mind play.”
“She’s right,” Lloyd says wiping his forehead with his arm. “A man respects a woman who dresses sexy all the time. You need to stay on your A-game if you want to land a baller. Mercedes knows what she’s talking about.”
“That’s right, baby, but how ‘bout you flip my chicken over,” I tell him. “It’s burning.”
“I’m on it,” he says under his breath.
Monie takes off in the back room to prevent from laughing out loud I guess.
“You wrong as shit for that one,” Toi laughs under her breath. “Why you do that man like that?”
“I pay the nigga to cook, not think.”
When there is a knock at the door I get up.
“I think that’s my brother,” Lloyd says to me from the kitchen. “He’s coming to pick me up. We taking my mother out for her birthday. Remember I was telling you about that, Mercedes?”
I roll my eyes. “Oh yeah, my chicken done?”
“I’m pulling it out now,” he says.
I walk towards the door. “What you doing later, Toi? Because I gotta get up with Carissa. She wants to talk about Persia again.”
“If you putting me out I guess I’m going to see Mike,” she laughs.
“Girl you can stay over here if you want to,” I continue opening the door. “Just let me—”
I don’t believe in love at first sight. Even when I met Cameron, at first I wasn’t interested in giving him the time of day. He had to work my heart over hard to get me to see that he was the one for me. I felt he was too attractive, and had too many women on his dick. I wasn’t trying to be a part of his fan club.
But now, I think there is something to this love at first sight thing. Because when I look into the eyes of the stranger at my door, I feel transformed. Like we loved before, maybe in a different lifetime.
Jackson is about 6’4, with a baldhead. He has a silky black goatee, and his complexion is the color of wet brown sugar.
“H-hello,” I stutter. “You are?”
He doesn’t answer me right away. Instead he’s staring into my eyes. I think he feels the same way.
“Jackson,” Lloyd says walking up behind me. His hand touches the lower part of my back and I’m immediately annoyed. “This is my lady Mercedes that I was telling you about.”
I extend my hand, and Jackson looks into my eyes. “This is your lady?” He takes my hand and goose bumps travel up my arm.
“Actually they are friends,” Toi says walking behind us. “With a good understanding.” She hugs me. “Anyway I’m out, Mercedes. I know you gonna call me later.”
She looked out majorly with that move, because Lloyd was trying to cock block by saying we were together and shit. Anyway it’s a lie. He isn’t my man, he’s my slave. There’s a difference.
“Okay, Toi,” I say to her. “I’ll get up with you later.”
When she walks out, the three of us are standing alone in the doorway. Jackson and I are looking at one another, while Lloyd is somewhere behind me.
“Well, I’ll be back later,” Lloyd says, breaking us out of our gaze. “I’ll call you if I’m running too late.” He tries to kiss me but I back up.
I want him to kill himself. Just keel over right here. Jackson could possibly be the love of my life, and I’m wasting time on him. I gotta find a way to get rid of Lloyd and get to know Jackson a little better. I guess I have my hands full. Don’t I?
CHAPTER 18
CARISSA
“Yvette, I’m sorry about your dogs,” I say to her on the phone as I steer my car on the way to the BWK compound. “I know how much you loved them.”
She’s crying hard. This is the first time I’ve heard her cry since we buried Kenyetta.
I was on my way to visit my daughter, when Yvette called and told me what Chris did. Yvette is my friend, but I feel like she’s leaving something out. I know Chris, and for the most part she seemed low-key and non-confrontational. Something had to happen for Chris to make such a move, especially when she knew how violent my friends could be. Anyway the last thing I heard regarding their relationship, was that Chris had moved on and was about to marry some chick.
“You should’ve seen the look in her eyes, Carissa,” Yvette says sniffling. “I’m telling you I’ve never seen her look at me like that before. She hates me, like I was a born enemy. We done with each other for sure now.”
I make a left. “Yvette, what made her go off like that? It ain’t like Chris to move in that manner. She acted like she loved you too much.”
“You know why she did that shit, I threw her old book out.”
My jaw drops. Throwing the old book out means she got rid of someone she loved. And since I figured she was talking about Chris’ new girlfriend, I wondered why Yvette would do that. It wasn’t like Yvette didn’t move on with Judah. As a matter of fact she told me that Judah was on his way over her house at the moment. So what she wants with Chris?
“What do you mean you threw her old book out?”
“It was dumb, I know it,” Yvette says. “But I feel like I’m going through some sort of midlife crisis. I thought that type of shit happened in your forties. I didn’t want her to have a girlfriend, or anybody else for that matter.”
I’m mad at her. I’m mad at Mercedes too. Since when has murder been the main thing to do when you have problems? Mercedes killed Derrick, and now Yvette killed Lace. Human life is worthless to them. My friends are turning into some sick kind of Killer Klan. I feel like I don’t know them anymore.
“I just think we need a vacation, Yvette. All of us. It would be nice if we could bring the kids too.”
“Whenever you’re ready, I’m with it.”
“Maybe we can do it after the wedding,” I tell her.
“If there’s going to be a wedding,” she says. “I don’t want to talk about that right now though. How is everything going with Persia? Is stuff moving smoother with my fake ass sister Karen running things?”
“I don’t know what’s going on, ‘Vette, to tell you the truth. I called the Compound earlier to confirm the meet up
I had with Persia tonight, but nobody answered the phone. Then I blew up Persia’s cell phone, and she didn’t answer either. I’m nervous.”
“They ain’t fucking with that girl, especially considering we haven’t given them all of the money yet. They on their asses over there, they need that cash.”
“The best thing you could’ve told me was to stretch their paper out. I hate to think what would have happened if I would’ve given her the entire three hundred stacks like she wanted.”
Yvette laughs. “You don’t have to think about what would’ve happened because I nipped that shit in the bud. When Mercedes told me you were withdrawing the cash I stopped her.” Mercedes handles our big money in overseas accounts. We keep but so much on us at a time. “Anyway, Judah just got here. Call me back later to let me know how things go tonight.”
“Aight,” I say hanging up.
After parking my car in front of the compound, I walk to the main building’s door. The same man who usually lets me in steps outside and blocks my entrance. I glance at the gold Bulova watch on my arm. “It’s five o’clock pm, and I have a meeting with my daughter this evening,” I tell him. “Is she here?”
“Things have changed,” he says dryly.
I frown at him. “What do you mean that things have changed?”
He digs into his jean pocket and hands me a sheet of crumpled paper. “Your daughter is at this location. You need to go there.”
I read the white piece of paper, and fear washes over me. “What do you mean go there? Where is Karen? We had an arrangement and nobody told me things would be changing.”
“Somebody just did,” he says.
“Is something wrong with my daughter? I mean is she okay?”
“The location, ma’am.”
“If somebody has hurt her, I’ll be back here.”
He laughs at me, walks back inside and closes the door. I rush to my car and enter the address into my GPS. I don’t know why but I think I should’ve called my girls. What if I’m walking into an ambush?