by Dorian Sykes
By the time Wink touched down in the city, Trey was on his way back to Dallas to re-up. Willie was waiting for Wink at the Detroit City Airport. He was parked near the front entrance of the terminal in his El Dogg, watching the planes land and take off. He saw Wink step off the small Lear jet and shake hands with some Spanish guy. Wink walked through the terminal and met Willie at the curb.
“What up, doe,” said Wink as he climbed in the passenger seat.
“I see you hopping off private jets and whatnot. That’s how we doin’ it now?” Willie looked over at the plane. Two men were climbing inside.
“My nigga, give it six months and we gon’ own two of them shits,” said Wink. “Come on. Let’s get outta here.” Wink didn’t want Willie seeing too much because Franko’s men were about to start unloading the kilos. Nina already had everything set up. The men were to drive the hundred kilos over to Wink’s storage unit and stash them. By the time Wink got there, the keys should be there waiting on him.
“You finished pushin’ the rest of them bricks?”
“I been knocked them shits out. I had to grab a couple from Trey so I could serve Squirt.”
Wink frowned up at Willie. “Whoa. You did what?”
“Squirt kept hittin’ me up, saying he needed more work, and I was dry, so I got two bricks off Trey. Just to keep Squirt in pocket.”
“Listen, from now on, if we outta work, niggas just gon’ have to wait until we get back on. I don’t care how much money they spending.” Wink was so pissed he couldn’t even stand to be around Willie. “Drop me off at my apartment.”
Wink was looking at it off principle. He found Squirt and the rest of them niggas. He wasn’t about to chance Trey selling them some garbage on his name, or worse, stealing them from him.
“Where is Trey ass?”
“He went back down to Dallas to re-up.”
“Re-up,” repeated Wink. “How many bricks he come back with the first time?”
“I think he said twelve, something like that.”
Wink had underestimated his best friend. Trey was making moves. Wink just knew for sure that he and Willie would be broke by now and back on the team. Wink didn’t feel any type of jealousy, ’cause after all, Trey was his nigga and would always be. It’s just that now they were grown and had to be on some grown-man shit.
I’m proud of that nigga, thought Wink. He couldn’t help but smile. Still, he meant every word about not sharing clientele. If Trey wanted to be his own man, then he’d have to get his own clientele. He’d have to pay for all the tricks and trades of the game just how Wink paid. Wasn’t no love lost, but none would be given neither when it came to Wink’s livelihood.
Willie dropped Wink off at his apartment downtown. He parked out front near the valet so they could kick it a minute.
“So, when are we gon’ be back on?” asked Willie.
“It’s on now, so hit everybody up and let ’em know the store’s open.”
“A’ight. I got that bread for you too. When you want it?”
“I’ll grab it off you later on when I finish gettin’ myself together. But Willie, before I go, I gotta ask you something, my nigga.”
“What’s up, Wink?”
“I know that we’re all crew, but this here is business. Whose team are you on?”
“What you mean?”
“Whose plate are you eating off of, mine’s of Trey’s?”
“Damn. My nigga, it’s like you asking me to choose between my two best friends.”
“This ain’t got nothin’ to do with friendship. This is about money!” Wink watched Willie as he gazed out the window.
Willie didn’t want to be on one side versus the other. He just wanted for all of them to make money and still be a crew. “I knew this was going to happen.”
“I’ma give you some time to think about it. In the meantime, it’s business as usual.” Wink reached over and gave Willie some dap. “Holla at me later,” he said as he climbed out the car.
Wink watched as Willie pulled away from the curb. He knew Willie didn’t mean no harm, but the stakes were a lot higher, and it was past due time to start playing for keeps.
When Wink got up to his apartment, he took a hot shower. While he stood under the steaming water, Wink planned on how he would take over Detroit’s drug trade. With the connect he had, Wink had the potential to be the biggest thing to ever come out the city since GM made Cadillac. That was his goal from the start, back when he used to sit on the porch and idolize J-Bo. But now, not even a year into the game, he’d already surpassed anything J-Bo could have ever done, and he owed a great deal of that to his dad.
Wink could hear his dad’s voice from their first visit, when he told him that Gary snitched on him. “You can live through me,” Wink said as he turned the water off. He grabbed a towel and dried off while walking through the apartment.
Wink stopped in the living room and stared at the red flashing light on his answering machine. He had twenty-one messages. He pushed the message button and braced himself as his sharp-tongued grandmother’s voice came across the machine
“Wayne, you need to get your ass over here and see about your mother....”
Blah, blah, blah. Wink stopped listening when she mentioned his mother.
The next nineteen messages were also from his grandmother, the good churchgoing woman who cursed more than ten sailors lost at sea.
“I ain’t try’na hear that shit,” said Wink as he started walking away.
Message number twenty-one said: “Hi, Wink. It’s me, Armeeah.”
Wink stopped and turned around at the sound of her sweet voice.
“I was just calling to say hello. I see that you’re not in, so I’ll try and reach you some other time. Take care. Bye.” Beep.
Damn, thought Wink. He was tight because he didn’t have her number. The only way to get in touch with her was to go up to the Coney Island, where her hound dog father would be watching over her shoulder. Wink had to see her, though. He got dressed and was out the door. He figured he’d spend some time with Armeeah now because in a minute, the only free time he’d have would be to count money and go re-up with Nina.
Wink jumped in his El Dogg and drove up to the Coney Island on 8 Mile Rd. He could see Armeeah through the front glass. She was waiting on some women on the inside. Wink could also see her greasy-ass father working the grill, so he decided to take the drive-thru.
“Welcome to Coney Island. May I take your order?”
“Let me get a ten-piece wing dinner with a side of chili cheese fries.”
“Okay, please drive around to the window.”
Wink leaned his seat all the way back so Armeeah’s dad wouldn’t see him when he pulled up to the window. Armeeah’s face lit up with a smile at the sight of Wink. She looked over her shoulder to make sure that her dad wasn’t watching. She scribbled something onto a napkin, then quickly stuffed it inside the bag with the food.
Wink dug the napkin out and read the note aloud. “I get off in ten minutes. Wait for me. Please.” Wink looked up at Armeeah and smiled. He nodded, then pulled over next to the pay phone and parked. He chowed down on his wings and chili fries while he waited for Armeeah.
She walked out the front door and crossed the lot and got in her car. Wink waited a few seconds, then pulled out behind her and followed her down to the Tubby’s submarine shop on the corner of Ryan and 8 Mile Rd. Wink got out his car and got in with Armeeah.
“Hey,” said Armeeah as she reached over to give Wink a hug.
“I take it you missed me,” said Wink.
“I did. Where have you been?”
“I had to make a run outta town. I wish you coulda came with me. It would’ve been a lot more fun.”
“Me too. Where’d you go?”
“Miami.”
“I am so jealous. I know the weather was beautiful this time of year.”
“Yeah. Maybe next time I can steal you away for a few days. We can lay on the beach and soak up s
ome sun and drink those little fruity drinks.”
“My parents would never let me go.” Armeeah’s mood shifted. It was like she was living in a prison.
“You can say your school or class is taking the trip.”
“Wink, I can’t lie to my parents. Besides, my father would probably double check behind me. He’s done it in the past.”
“Armeeah, how old are you?”
“Twenty-one.”
“You’re a grown woman, in case you didn’t know it. I understand and respect your family’s way of doing things, but how long are we going to have to sneak around? What if you were my girlfriend? I’d still have to sneak and see you?”
“You want to make me your girlfriend, Wink?”
“I thought about it. While I was away, you were all I could think about. I couldn’t wait to get back so I could do this.” Wink reached over and kissed Armeeah.
It was against her religion for her to be kissing Wink, and if her parents caught them, they’d kill her, but it felt so good and so right. Armeeah closed her eyes and enjoyed Wink’s passionate kiss.
Wink wanted to go a step further, but he remembered his father telling him to be patient with her because she was worth it. Wink pulled Armeeah up for some air. It took her a minute to gather her senses. She had never been kissed like that in her life.
“Does that answer your question?” asked Wink.
Armeeah looked him in the eyes with that seductive yet innocent stare. “Yes, it does.” She leaned over and pecked Wink on the lips. “As for my parents, we’ll have to give them some time. I have an idea. Why don’t you come to Jumah with me as a guest this Friday?”
“You mean like Muslim service?”
“Yes. It’ll be good for my parents to see you there. And I think you’d like the service.”
“I don’t know. Let me think about it.”
“Okay. I have to get ready for class. I’m actually running late,” said Armeeah as she looked at the dashboard clock.
“Nah, I wanted to steal you away for the day. You can miss one day of class for me.”
Armeeah thought it over for a moment. “I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll skip my class tonight, but only if you agree to come to Jumah with me Friday. It’s like the lesser of the two evils.” Armeeah smiled.
“Deal.” How bad could it be? It wasn’t like she was asking him to become Muslim.
“So, where are we going?”
“We’re going to spend the rest of the day in Paradise.” Wink pulled on the door handle and told Armeeah to follow him.
Wink took Armeeah to the Purple Garden day spa out in Orchard Lake, Michigan. He had never been there before, but he’d always see the commercial advertising its incredible services and thought it would be a good way to splurge on Armeeah. He treated her to a full body massage, manicure, pedicure, and facial.
After three hours of being pampered, Armeeah found Wink sweating it out in the spa’s co-ed hot tub. Wink had his eyes closed, with his head leaned back against the edge of the tub. Armeeah took a seat on the edge of the tub. She leaned down and kissed Wink’s lips softly.
“Hmm. You enjoy yourself?” Wink asked.
“Yes, I have never been to a spa before. I really enjoyed the hot stone massage, and especially the facial.” Armeeah was glowing. She wore only a lavender bath towel wrapped around her chest, stopping just shy of her kitty cat. Wink let his eyes explore her every curve.
“Are you listening to me, Wink?”
“You are so beautiful. You know that?”
Armeeah blushed. “Thank you.”
“Come on. Get in with me.” Wink held his hand out for Armeeah’s.
“But I don’t have anything on under my towel.”
“I’ll close my eyes. Come on.”
Armeeah thought about her chastity as a Muslimah. She stood up and locked the sauna’s door, then stepped back over to the hot tub. Wink held out his hand again.
“No, close your eyes and no peeking.” Armeeah waited for Wink to close his eyes, then she quickly dropped her towel and got in the tub, dipping her body down to where the water covered her chest.
“Can I open my eyes now?” Wink asked with a huge smile on his face. He was enjoying the fact he had a woman who still guarded herself. Any other chick would have just climbed right on in and been fucking by now.
Armeeah made sure she was situated in her corner far across from Wink. “Yes, you can open them now.”
“Why you way over there?” Without waiting for an answer, Wink treaded over to Armeeah. She was all tensed up, and Wink could see the nervousness in her eyes, so he told her to close them.
Armeeah did as he said, but it didn’t help her heart from racing a thousand miles per second. Her thoughts went straight to her parents and what they’d do if they knew she was naked in a hot tub with a non-Muslim man.
Wink kissed all around her neck until he felt Armeeah starting to relax. She leaned her head back and let her hands subconsciously guide Wink’s head. He kissed his way down to her chest, then cupped one of her breasts, pulling it up from the water and into his mouth. Before she knew it, Armeeah was lost in sheer pleasure. She squirmed from the arousal building between her legs and dug her nails into Wink’s shoulders. He silenced her moans with a wet, passionate kiss, all the while spreading her legs wide and positioning himself between them. Wink put his hand under water and found the buried treasure Armeeah had been keeping from him. He played with her clitoris until he felt it expanding, and he watched Armeeah’s facial expressions. His slow, circular rotation was killing her softly. He tried to put his finger inside her, but her pussy was tighter than a nigga with his last dollar. Wink had to start with his pinky finger and work his way up to his index.
“Oh, Wink,” moaned Armeeah as Wink struggled to get the head of his dick inside her.
Armeeah cried out in Arabic as Wink tore through her walls and began slow stroking her. Her pussy was so tight, Wink could only get half his dick inside. He took his time and was careful not to hurt her. But still, Armeeah cried out seductively in Arabic with every thrust, and she embedded her nails deep into Wink’s back.
Wink pulled Armeeah up from the water with her legs still wrapped around his waist and half his nine-inch dick stuffed inside her. She clung to him like wet clothes as he slid her up and down on his dick. Armeeah came for the fifth time, but this time Wink joined her. His knees buckled a little bit from the sensation as he shot a load inside her.
They lay back in the tub, both exhausted and extremely satisfied. Armeeah curled up under Wink like an infant. She couldn’t believe she had just given her chastity to a man who wasn’t her husband.
“Wink, you’re not going to leave me, are you?” she softly asked while playing in his chest hairs.
“No. Why would you say that?”
“I don’t know,” Armeeah said in a low tone.
Wink thought about what his dad told him about taking his time with Armeeah because she was worth the wait. Wink pulled her even closer to him and kissed her forehead. “You don’t ever have to worry about me leavin’ you, okay?”
“Okay.”
Wink wasn’t sure if that meant marrying Armeeah or what, but he meant not leaving her. And if it became an issue whether they had to marry in order to stay together, Wink wasn’t ruling it out. He knew from the moment he laid eyes on Armeeah that she was the one.
Chapter Thirty-six
Wink woke up the next morning with money on his mind. He had one hundred bricks waiting to be pushed on the crack-thirsty streets of Detroit, and Willie was blowing up his pager like crazy, letting him know that niggas were trying to get on.
Wink put his grindin’ gear on—Carhartt coat, skull cap, thermal pants, and Timberland boots. Oh yeah, and his 9 mm Glock. He grabbed his keys off the dresser and was out the door. He climbed in his sparkling pearl-white El Dogg and pulled out of his apartment complex, heading straight for his storage unit.
Wink backed his Caddy up to the garag
e door, then got out to open the sliding door. When he opened the door, two large brown boxes sat in the middle of the floor, side by side. He used his key to slit the tape on one of the boxes, then pulled its flaps open. As promised, there sat bricks of cocaine wrapped in brown wrappers with a five-point star stamped in the center of each kilo. There were fifty keys in the first box and another fifty in the second one.
Wink packed his trunk with the first fifty bricks and locked the storage unit back up. He climbed behind the wheel and put his seat belt on and carefully pulled out of the unit’s parking lot. He crossed back over into Detroit and called Willie on his car phone.
“Where you at?” asked Wink.
“I’m wherever you need me to meet you,” said Willie.
“Shit, uh... Meet me at the laundromat on Anglin and 7 Mile Rd. Bring that with you, and don’t have nobody with you.”
“A’ight, in a minute.”
Wink shot over to the ’mat and parked near the alley with his trunk facing the building. A few minutes later, Willie pulled into the gravel parking lot in his El Dogg. He got out the car and got in with Wink.
“Here you go, my nigga,” Willie said, handing Wink a duffle bag. “It’s five grand short. You know I had to hit the mall up.”
“I ain’t trippin’.” Wink put the bag in the back seat on the floor. “But what’s up, though? You blowing me up like crack going outta style.”
“Nah, I had hit Gucci, Squirt, and JC up and told ’em I should be straight today, so they been paging me all morning, try’na see if shit back on. Is we on?”
“Is we? I got fifty slabs in the trunk. The store back open, and this time we ain’t closing.”
“It’s like that?” Willie asked, excited.
“My nigga, we ’bout to lock the city down. All you gotta do is keep pushing the way you been doin’. For these first couple trips, though, I’ma need you to grind it out with me so we can keep flippin’. So for right now, just take two G’s off every slab you sell. Bring me back the other twenty stacks.”