Married to the Game

by King Benjamin

  Ray did what he could but it was hard to cover all the ground considering he had his own operation to attend to, not to mention a pending murder charge. When Gunner’s cell phone rang he just about knew what Ray was about to say. It was the same problem they’d had over the past few days.

  “I’m not gonna make it to your people in Ferndale or ole girl in Highland Park,” Ray explained.

  “Damn…okay my nigga. I’m just gonna have to miss out on that shit again.”

  “Shiiiiid, why don’t you take lil’ mama with you? You know it ain’t no hot shit going on over there, especially your people in Ferndale.”

  “I know man but I can’t do that shit.”

  “I feel you. Well, you know I took care of that other shit, so whenever you come outside hit me up and we can meet up.”

  “Okay, it’s gonna be later on tonight,” Gunner assured him.

  After he ended the call with Ray he couldn’t keep still. He was pacing the floor in the basement thinking of a way he could get the money he had waiting on him. He knew Ray was right about both being extremely low-risk transactions. The Ferndale customer was a sixty-year-old man that brought pounds of weed and sold it to his family and kept the rest of it for personal use.

  The girl in Highland Park was a hustler he’d been dealing with for years and she’d never tried to introduce him to anybody else. The more he thought about it, he was leaning towards leaving his daughter in the house alone for a little while or taking her with him to make the deals. Knowing what she’d been through, he knew Butter didn’t like being left alone in the house. If he wanted to make this money he was probably gonna have to go against his better judgment and take her with him. He went upstairs and found Butter playing tennis on the new Wii game he’d just bought her. He decided to chance it.

  “Lil’ mama, you wanna take a ride?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, go put your shoes on so we can ride out.”

  “Okay,” Butter said before she turned and shot off to the room that was supposed to be his son’s but for now was all hers.

  Gunner was missing his son and Kelly more and more each day, but having Butter there and really getting to know her for the first time felt amazing. The everyday highs and lows were nagging at Gunner’s mental state and he knew things couldn’t go on this way. Butter came back with her shoes on carrying a little purse, ready to roll.

  “What’s in your purse?” he asked with a chuckle.

  “Nothing. I just think it looks cool,” she replied.

  As they rode to the first destination Butter sat in the back bobbing her head to the sounds of a T.I.’s Trap Music album. Since her mother’s death, there had been no suspects or real leads in the double homicide. It was bothering Gunner that somebody had taken his child’s mother away from her, and he vowed to avenge her death for the fact that his daughter would suffer the loss for the remainder of her life. When she asked him what happened to her mom he couldn’t even begin to explain. All he knew was someone had it in for either her or her husband.

  “Daddy,” he heard Butter say, interrupting his thoughts.

  He turned the music down.

  “What’s up, baby?”

  “You sell drugs?”

  The question caught Gunner completely off guard. For a few seconds, it was like his tongue and lips were nailed shut.

  “Why you asked me that? What would make you think that?” he finally replied.

  “Because you don’t get up and go nowhere in the morning like Mama did and you always have a lot of money. Floyd used to be like that and I know he sold drugs.”

  Floyd was Chenille’s husband. He always knew Floyd was in the streets but didn’t know much about his business.

  “How you know what Floyd did for his money lil’ girl?”

  “Because I heard them fighting about it sometimes. My mama said he needed to stop doing it.”

  It was one of the hardest decisions he’d ever had to make. It seemed like lying to the people he loved only pushed them away. He’d never lied to Butter and he didn’t want to start off their relationship that way. If nothing else, at least she would be able to say my daddy never lied to me.

  “Yeah, I do. I’m not proud of it, but yeah that’s what I do.”

  “Why?” she asked immediately.

  “It’s…it’s hard to explain baby. Mostly because I want you and your brother to have a better life than I had.”

  Butter fell silent for a moment.

  “Well, I think you should stop because I only got one parent now.”

  Once again, Gunner was stumped. Like it or not, his daughter wasn’t a baby anymore. She was growing fast and her perception of reality was getting sharper along the way. Getting out the game was never in the plans for Gunner, but it wasn’t something he could tell the little girl in the backseat. Looking in the rearview mirror, their eyes connected.

  “I hear you baby girl,” was all he could say.

  ****

  Things were really looking up for Bones and his team. He was in the best mood he’d been in for a long time as he strolled through the house sipping on a bottle of champagne to celebrate. Money was flowing in and Doe sat with Oshiwa on the sofa counting a mountain of cash they’d picked up in the streets.

  Bones continued to praise Oshiwa for putting things together on the streets.

  “You the muthafucking truth baby. Don’t ever forget that! Ain’t another bitch in the city gon’ have more clout than you out here in these streets. All you gotta do is keep building the team and stay on these niggas’ necks.”

  Doe sat on the couch feeling tight about how Oshiwa always got all the credit no matter how much work he put in. He cut his eyes at Bones but Bones was in such a good space at the time he didn’t catch it.

  “I gotta admit though, Doe been really surprising me lately,” Oshiwa said. “I don’t think we would’ve made it this far if not for my nigga,” she said with a nudge that made Doe smiled.

  He didn’t know if it was because she meant it or she read his demeanor and decided to stroke his ego. Either way, he needed to hear some form of appreciation for the loyalty he had displayed throughout the years. Bones’s cell phone rang and he knew it had to be the only other person that had the number besides the two that were in the room with him.

  “What’s up Pam?” he answered.

  “Aye, I got some information for you,” Pam said.

  “Yeah? What’s that?”

  “I found out when ole boy got back to court like you asked me. He goes in a few weeks,” she revealed.

  “You got a date?”

  “Sure do.”

  “Run dat,” Bones said turning his full attention to her.

  Pam gave him Ray Ray’s next court date and Bones’s mind immediately started to spin. When he ended the call he didn’t tell anybody what he was thinking. He was still in a celebratory mood and didn’t want to ruin it with talk of revenge and murder. Leaning up against the wall, he looked at Oshiwa, smiling with lust in his eyes.

  “Come here for a minute,” he called out.

  She stopped what she was doing, leaving all the cash on the coffee table, and came to him. He grabbed her by the hand and led her to the bedroom. He shut the door and turned the music up on the television. He nudged Oshiwa backward until her back was against the bedroom door. He palmed her ass, kissing her as he slid down her crop top.

  “Really Bones?” She giggled at the bad timing but was turned on.

  “Yeah, I need some pussy,” he moaned as he kissed her breast and sucked on her nipples.

  “You is crazy.” She giggled as his hands roamed from her ass to the buttons on her blue jean shorts.

  Seeing Bones had his mind made up, she quickly assisted him, pulling her shorts down and lifting her feet out. Bones dropped his pants and Oshiwa stroked his pole gently as he grew more erect with each stroke. Bones picked Oshiwa up and she wrapped her legs around him. With her right hand, she found his dick and eased him inside of her.


  “Mmmmm,” she released as he inserted his fullness the length of her walls.

  Bones began fucking her brains out up against the bedroom door. No matter how loud the music was Doe could hear her shrieks of pleasure clearly throughout the house. It was too much to try and focus while Bones was dicking down the girl he wanted so badly. It almost felt like a slap in the face and Doe stopped counting the money and started thinking of all kinds of what-if scenarios.

  Chapter 13

  The vow renewal ceremony was held at 1705 Prime, a restored southern home just outside of downtown Raleigh. The outside had the welcoming feel of the hospitality that city boys like Jay always heard about, surrounded by immaculate landscape and huge white columns. Inside the setting was elegant, upscale, and spacious. Jay and Michelle walked arm in arm as they made their way to the end of the hallway where the ceremony would take place.

  Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell wanted a small, intimate ceremony. In the end, it grew to be much larger than they’d set out for. Mrs. Mitchell looked stunning in a formal form-fitting blue gown that showed off her shapely figure that was still very much intact at fifty-seven years old. Mr. Mitchell was dapper in a black tuxedo, black shirt, black tie with diamond cufflinks and Prada shoes. Jay thought her father looked like a made man straight out of a Black Mafia gang or something.

  Mr. Mitchell was a big man standing six-four, just one inch taller than Jay but weighing a solid two-fifty. Jay was sure that Mr. Mitchell would’ve been intimidating to a lesser man as he watched the couple mingle as they approached from behind.

  “There they are!” her mom said as she spotted them for the first time.

  Mr. Mitchell turned and smiled.

  “Oh, the power couple is here. Mr. Movie Maker and the queen of the balance beam,” Mr. Mitchell announced with a hardy chuckle.

  “How you doing?” Jay extended his hand to her father.

  “Getting old Jay. If I don’t make it through the ceremony will you finish it for me?” Mr. Mitchell teased.

  “Stop Dad!” Michelle complained.

  Her father was in just as good of shape as her mother at sixty-five years of age. He was still active in the gym and swam for an hour three days a week, but the way his sense of humor was set up he was always joking about dying. He knew life was short but he didn’t take death that seriously. Before the ceremony, Jay got a chance to meet a bunch of Michelle’s family he’d only previously heard about. It was weird to be this deep off into a real relationship that he now had met her entire family and she had met his. It was unprecedented. In his mind, he knew that things were about to go to the next level.

  After the ceremony, everyone was eating, drinking, and dancing their hearts out, but Michelle was losing her mind because it seemed as if everywhere she turned she was being pressured by someone about her and Jay’s plans for getting married. From her mom to her aunts and uncles, it was hard to stay in her happy place when she was being bombarded with the same conversation over and over. As much as she wanted Jay to marry her, she refused to be the woman that shoved marriage down a man’s throat and forced it on him.

  “I’ll be glad when this is over,” she told Jay as they slow danced.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  She snorted.

  “Excuse me, good brother. Can I have a word with you?” Mr. Mitchell said, tapping Jay on the shoulder.

  “Of course,” Jay said excusing himself.

  Michelle couldn’t help but shake her head and watch with embarrassment, knowing that the conversation would more than likely be about her relationship. Why couldn’t people just let them live? She took off headed to bar to get a much-needed drink.

  Jay and Mr. Mitchell stood in a corner away from everyone. Mr. Mitchell placed both hands on Jay’s shoulders and looked him intensely in the eyes.

  “I really like you, Jay. I think you know that by now, you know?”

  Jay nodded.

  “The feeling is definitely mutual. You the man, Parish, you the man,” Jay chuckled calling him by his first name.

  “I wanna give you something man. I know in my heart you gonna do right by my daughter. I’m not trying to pressure y’all into nothing like these damn women, but I know you love my daughter and I’m trusting that you’re gonna do right by her.”

  Jay looked him in the eyes again.

  “You got my word on that.”

  Mr. Mitchell eased his hands down and extended his right hand for a handshake. When Jay shook his hand he realized his fist was a little balled up. Jay looked down to find Mr. Mitchell was handing him a wedding ring.

  “This is my wife’s first ring and I really would like you to have it. One day, I would like you to put it on my daughter’s finger.”

  Jay didn’t know what to say. For the first time in a long time, he was at a loss for words. He was honored, excited, and a little overwhelmed.

  “Damn, Parish, you really passing this ring down to me? This is some next level shit man,” Jay giggled as he slid the ring into his pocket.

  Mr. Mitchell burst into laughter.

  “I’ve never seen my daughter love this hard man. I know if you guys work at it you can live a long, happy life together.”

  As Michelle’s father’s words sunk in, Jay couldn’t think of anything he wanted more than that. All of his plotting and planning was paving the way for exactly that. But as he looked around and spotted Mrs. Mitchell with a beaming smile on her face, he realized he really didn’t want to put off happiness any longer. All the signs were telling him it was time.

  “What about if I do it right here, tonight?”

  “You mean…”

  “Yeah, I wanna do it tonight,” he decided.

  Mr. Mitchell’s face lit up like a Christmas tree.

  “Awe man, you shitting me?” he had to ask, letting out another hearty chuckle.

  “Not at all.”

  “Go for it, my man. Go for it!”

  Just then, they turned to see the girls all rounding up as Mrs. Mitchell was about to toss the bouquet. Jay could see one of Michelle’s cousins literally shoving her to the front of the crowd as Michelle protested. As her mom turned her back and tossed the bouquet over her shoulder, it went flying like a football right into Michelle’s arms. Her head flew back in laughter and disbelief that she actually caught the bouquet. If this day got any crazier she might just fall out, but when she turned to show Jay what had happened, she got the shock of her life. He was already down on one knee with a ring out and everything. Where the hell did he get a ring? she thought as her emotions got the best of her.

  “We keep talking about the timing and everything as if we got forever, but I don’t wanna wait no more to be your husband, Michelle. I’m ready to give you the life we both been dreaming of. I’m ready to get married, you dig?” Jay said with the biggest smirk on his face.

  Michelle was smiling so hard her face hurt as she walked closer to him. All she needed to know was that nobody had put him up to this.

  “You really wanna do this?”

  “Hell yeah! Marry me girl, what’s up?” Jay said, still eagerly waiting for an answer.

  Michelle nodded her head yes as a tear came streaming down her face and everyone in the room began applauding and whistling. It was the most surreal feeling in the world as neither Michelle nor Jay could stop smiling. They both knew that the time was now to start really planning their future together.

  ****

  Today was the day that Ray Ray appeared in court to set a trial date. A lot of Ray’s family was there and so were Gunner, E, and Niecey Girl to show their support. Since Ray had been arrested for drunk driving since his last court appearance everyone thought there was a good chance that his bond would be revoked, but Dan Marsh worked his magic and was able to keep Ray on the streets for the start of his trial. Ray rode with Gunner to the courthouse just in case he was snatched off the streets.

  As they rode through downtown Detroit on Woodward, Gunner and Ray were engulfed in a co
nversation about Jay’s engagement.

  “Y’all niggas out here tryna grow up and shit,” Ray laughed.

  “I knew that nigga was gonna marry her ass the way he used to talk about her all the time. That nigga fell in love with Michelle at first sight damn near,” Gunner remembered.

  “Yeah, she good people, though,” Ray replied.

  “Yeah, Michelle cool as hell. I don’t think my nigga could’ve done better to be honest.”

  “Yeah,” Ray said nodding in agreement.

  The two of them were so lost in their thoughts of Jay and Michelle they hadn’t even noticed the car trailing them since they’d left the parking lot. Inside was Doe and Rell creeping up from behind waiting for the right opportunity.

  They knew they couldn’t screw this up because the element of surprise would never be in their favor to this effect again. As Gunner pulled up at the light, Doe came cruising alongside him in the left lane. Rell had his gun in his lap cocked and loaded. When the two cars were leveled side by side, Gunner glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw the barrel of a gun swinging in his direction.

  Gunner tried to mash the gas as Rell fired off several rounds, dumping hot lead inside the car before Gunner could speed off. As soon as Ray realized what was going down he went low and came up with a firearm that was stashed under the seat. Gunner floored the Range Rover as a chase ensued. Ray climbed out of the window and sat on the door before he aimed and fired at the dark sedan on their trail. The first two shots shattered the front windshield and caused Doe to swerve and crash into another car.

  “Let me out, let me out!” Ray shouted as he could see their attackers were still very much alive.

  Gunner bent the corner and then slowed to a stop. Ray hopped out, risking life and limb to finish the job. By the time he got within shooting range, Rell had jumped out of the car and began firing shots at Ray. Ray ducked behind a poll as bullets tore into the lamp post missing him by inches. As soon the shooting stopped, Ray came out firing as Doe managed to put the car in reverse and back up into oncoming traffic full speed, leaving Rell to fend for himself. Cars swerved out of the way of the chaos, looking for an escape route.