Pitbulls In a Skirt 3

by Mikal Malone

  “Give me your phones, ladies.” I said holding out my hands. “I want us to spend some quality time.”

  “When we start doing that?” Treasure asked.

  “Now!”

  Treasure threw her Android over to me while Persia decided not to. “Ma, I’m not giving you my phone.”

  “What?”

  “I’m tired of you trying to run my life. Shit…if you got a problem with me having a phone just turn it the fuck off, but don’t keep asking me to give it back to you every time you get in one of your fucking little attitudes, because I’m not checking for your drama anymore. Anyway, I’m tired of your shit!”

  “Who the fuck are you talking to? I’m your mother!”

  “Bitch, please! I’m talking to you!”

  I couldn’t take her shit anymore so I reached over the table and yanked her up by her coat. But she wiggled out of it and stormed out of the restaurant. I tried to catch her, but realizing Treasure was inside by herself; I turned back around deciding to deal with her later. Part of me, sadly enough was starting to hate her ass. Yet at the end of the day, she would still be my daughter.

  “I missed you…”

  - Persia

  Persia ran as far as she could until her breaths were too close together for her to run anymore. She was so mad at her mother for trying to control her life that she hadn’t thought about not having her coat with her until now. She called C to pick her up but he didn’t answer the phone. When she tried to reach Mazon she didn’t have any luck either. With nothing left to do, she decided to call Zulo and of course his grimy ass came fifteen minutes later. When his black Yukon pulled up in front of her she hopped inside happy to be warm.

  “I brought you one of my jackets,” he said handing it to her. “It may be a little too big, but I want you to put it on anyway.”

  Zulo was way older than her but very attractive. He wore his hair in a low cut and talked real slow and mellow. A young girl like Persia didn’t have a chance when it came to his chocolate brown complexion and big boy steez.

  “I missed you…”

  Before she could even finish talking, he stuck his finger in her mouth. And like she’d been taught to do before, she suckled it as if she could get something out of it. Getting turned on by how she ran her warm wet tongue over his first finger, he stuck more in her mouth; before she knew it she was running her tongue around his entire hand. His dick was now so hard it protruded from his pants. He released himself and grabbed the back of her head.

  Without saying one word to her, she now had his dick in her mouth. “Fuck. Suck it all, baby girl. Suck that shit.”

  She looked up at him with her naive eyes as he maneuvered down the road. Her stomach was feeling queasy because she was hungry but she knew if she pleased Zulo right she would get whatever she wanted from him including a meal within an hour.

  Persia had a problem; she was in love with power and control. And in her young mind Zulo had it. He did a good job of keeping up perceptions too by flashing his money, which he rarely spent on her along with his chunky platinum jewelry.

  Zulo had Persia wrapped around his fingers and dick, and unless something happened soon, it would be no getting her back.

  “…she does a terrible job. In fact, I was going to suggest to Yvette to fire her.”

  -Loretta

  Loretta had just left Washington Hospital Center where her boyfriend Roger was posted up in a coma. She was worried sick that he’d die. Because he was a snitch on the rise, he had gotten the living shit beat out of him after being suspected of working with the police by Judah’s henchmen. And although Roger wasn’t high on the hierarchy in Judah’s drug operation, he did know enough to get him hemmed up if he got a mind to open his fat mouth.

  So the DEA’s request to Loretta, who offered to step in, was simple. They wanted her to give them information on who was supplying Roger and they would leave Roger alone. If not, they would wait for him to come around and expect him to live up to the agreement, which kept him out of jail. That’s when Loretta came up with the idea to throw the cops off of Judah’s trail by putting them onto her daughter instead. She knew all along that Yvette was involved with drugs, how else could she afford the expensive rehab homes she put her in? And since they didn’t have a clue who was supplying Roger’s miniature operation, one drug dealer was as good as the next. In other words, they had bosses and their bosses wanted to see the case closed.

  In an effort to meet the DEA’s demands, Loretta turned Yvette’s house upside down trying to find any clues, which supported the fact that she dabbled in drugs. However, she had no idea what she was looking for. As Yvette’s dogs watched her curiously, Loretta thought about the day she left the door open in the hopes that they would run away, only to have one of them close it shut with its nose. Her dogs were trained and obedient and for a while she wondered if they weren’t put in charge to watch her sneaky ass.

  Not finding anything related to drugs, she repaired Yvette’s room as best she could and closed the door. But when she turned around she saw Chris standing before her.

  “What are you doing in this room?”

  Chris’s height and presence scared the fuck out of her. “Who are you?”

  “I’m Chris, I helped Yvette get you into rehab.” She paused “Now what were you doing in there?”

  “Oh…she told me about you,” Loretta smiled.

  “Are you gonna answer my question or do I have to call Yvette?”

  “Oh…” she laughed trying to lighten the mood, “I wasn’t doing nothing…just straightening up that’s all.”

  “We got a maid for that.”

  “Well she does a terrible job. In fact, I was going to suggest to Yvette to fire her.”

  Chris suspiciously looked at her and went into the room to do what she came to do. When she collected her shit, she decided to drop a letter that she hoped Yvette would understand.

  Yvette, I decided to give you the space you need from a far. I’m going to work on me and I want you to work on you. If you find you still want this relationship after a month, call me on this number 202-555-5667. I got rid of my other one. Oh yeah, I caught your mother coming out of your room. I don’t know, Vette, I know that’s your moms and all, but I don’t trust her. Be careful. You still got my heart. Chris

  With that she grabbed her things, locked the bedroom door and played with the dogs. Then she left but not before giving Loretta one last suspicious look. The moment the door closed and she heard Chris’ truck pull off; Loretta picked the lock to her daughter’s room and found the letter.

  “DIKE!” she said with hatred in her heart.

  Then she tore the letter up and haphazardly threw it in the kitchen trash right before Rosa came in to prepare Yvette’s meal.

  “Whoever puts you on might as well pick out their own burial plot, and I know you know this.”

  -Yvette

  When I came home from checking on Emerald, I was tired and wanted to take a nap but Mercedes said she needed me. The moment I walked through the door, my dogs jumped up on me with wild kisses and paws. I love my fucking dogs. But when I went to my room I saw all of Chris’ clothes gone. My mouth dropped as I went through the closets, the drawers and the bathroom. Everything, not one stitch of clothing was left.

  I ran to the phone and called her cell and discovered the number was disconnected. She went hard. Harder than I ever thought she would. I sat down to regain my breath when my mother knocked at the door. I was pissed when I remembered I agreed to let her stay with us for a few weeks…but now since Chris was gone she would be staying with just me.

  “Hey, baby!” She said hugging me.

  I couldn’t move away because she held on to me too hard, so I hugged her back lightly. The moment we embraced for whatever reason, I felt like crying so I pushed her so hard she stumbled backwards.

  “Damn, I’m sorry.” She said looking at me strangely. “I was just happy to see you.”

  “Look, you’re a fake a
ss mother so stop with the hugging shit. And like I told you when you arrived, you can only stay here for a month. Are we clear?”

  “Yes.” She said walking away.

  I needed to be alone for a minute. When I looked around my room, which felt empty without Chris, I replayed our last conversation over and over. She said she would give me time to see what I wanted to do but I should’ve asked what that meant.

  Looking through my phone, I saw her sister Seven’s number and decided to call. She picked up on the first ring.

  “Vette?” Seven said.

  “Oh…hey, I didn’t know you knew my number.”

  “Yeah. I got it programmed.”

  I was trying to feel her out, to see if behind her regular words she was saying something else. “Have you seen Chris?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Where is she?”

  “She at her friend’s house.”

  I was enraged. The only friends she had were bitches. “Whose house?”

  “Vette, you know I fucks wit’ you, but Chris made it clear, she’s not up for the games no more. I ain’t trying to fuck you up wit’ this, but she sounds like it’s over.”

  I was embarrassed and angry, two emotions which shouldn’t go together because the end result could be terrible for those involved.

  “I was just calling to tell her I changed my locks and that if she wanted to get anything out of here I hope she took it already.”

  Seven laughed and said, “Yeah ‘aight.” And hung up.

  I hated them dike bitches! I had my girls and that’s all I needed. I gave more time to this gay shit than I needed anyway. With that I headed to Mercedes’ spot.

  When I made it to Mercedes’ apartment I knocked on the door and Daps opened it.

  “Hi, Miss Yvette. Miss Mercedes is in the kitchen, I was just leaving.”

  She left and I was shocked. “Daps live here now?”

  “Yeah…it’s a long story, too.” Mercedes said.

  I could tell I was in the middle of a fight between Lil C and Mercedes because her face was beet red and it was obvious that she’d been crying. I walked fully inside and locked the door behind me. Then I sat down at the table they were standing above.

  “What’s going on?” I asked both of them.

  “Nothing,” Mercedes said, wiping her tears. “I just wanna jump out of the window.”

  “Ma, stop being melodramatic.”

  “C! Watch your mouth.”

  “I’m so fucking sick of my life, girl. Why can’t I have what I want? Why can’t I have something good happen to me for a change?”

  “Lil C, why aren’t you and your mother getting along these days?”

  “Cameron, Aunt Yvette. I go by Cameron now.”

  Lil C was feeling himself but I didn’t care. He wasn’t about to make me change what I called him most of his life until I was ready to change. I swallowed hard and said, “Okay…Lil C, what the fuck is going on?”

  He sighed a little but I wouldn’t have a problem putting foot to his ass if need be. And after finding out my girl had left me and carried me in a way I didn’t think was possible, I would probably take it out on him easily.

  “I want her to let me help her in EC. I’m tired of seeing the problems ya’ll have with finding reliable lieutenants and now I’m hearing a package went missing.”

  “What?” I asked. “What happened?”

  “I don’t know. Nobody has been able to get in contact with Kenyetta.”

  “Whatever happened, if ya’ll trusted me I could help, but she don’t even wanna talk about it.” He said. “Pops was fourteen when he started in the game, I’m almost eighteen.”

  “C, we want you to focus on school, not worry about this drug life. Do you see how many people lost their lives in this game? Your father, Thick, Lavelle, Dyson…all of your uncles are gone, baby. And what about Doctanian? He was your best friend and he’s gone too.” I continued. “We’ve lost a lot of good men for Emerald’s sake and are not willing to lose you, too.”

  “He’s not in school no more.” Mercedes said. “He dropped out. It’s like he just carrying the fuck out of me and won’t even listen no more. I’ve given him everything he’s ever asked for.”

  “What do you mean he dropped out?” I asked her. And then I turned around to look at C. “You not in school no more?”

  “Naw, Aunt Yvette. I’m done.”

  “C, this don’t make no sense!”

  “Well it has to, Aunt Yvette. And since there’s no way I’ma change my mind, you might as well let me help you out in EC. I’m way smarter than any of them niggas ya’ll got on the block anyway.”

  “You gotta go back to school. You gotta get that money the right way.” I continued sensing Mercedes was too emotionally drained to try anymore.

  “Ya’ll not in school, and look at the cars ya’ll drive and the money ya’ll got.”

  “C, not one of us knows anything else but these streets. We even tried to get a few legit businesses but shit never worked out. But you have a future.”

  “Look, ain’t shit ya’ll can tell me about life no more. I’m up on that already. Now either ya’ll put me on, or I’ma get put on somewhere else.”

  “So you’re willing to put someone else’s life on the line? Because we all know whoever puts you on might as well pick out their own burial plot, and I know you know this.” I said.

  “Ma, I’m gonna ask you one more time,” C said slowly, “are you gonna let me help you, or do I gotta help myself?”

  Silence.

  “C, you’re breaking my heart,” Mercedes cried, “I can’t lose you, I’m sorry. My answer is no.”

  Lil C grabbed his coat and said, “I’m sorry, too.” Then he walked out the door.

  “You in my way.”

  - Lil C

  Chewing a Twix bar, C stepped out of his silver Range Rover that he loved. It was the first gift from his mother after his father died and it was also the only vehicle he drove himself. Trying to calm his mind, he couldn’t help but think about Lani’s death. He wasn’t sure if it was because he could’ve caught the disease himself if they were still together, or if he still harbored some feelings toward her. Then there was Daps, and the fact that she’d been drinking nonstop trying to hide the secret he couldn’t tell her he knew…that she had been raped.

  He was picking up the order he placed at Peking Place for him and Cute Nikki but the moment he grabbed the glass door, he felt something wasn’t right. The restaurant was filled to capacity but when he looked around everybody looked normal including the teenage girls who were laughing and sharing a table. However, it was Huan’s expression that told him something seriously was wrong. C walked cautiously up to the counter examining Huan’s face.

  “Hey C,” he said slowly, “what can I do for you?”

  “I came to get my order,” C said trying to figure out what was up with him.

  “Oh…it’s no problem. Almost ready.” Then Haun looked at the people in the restaurant. Turning around to the kitchen he yelled, “你的生命處於危險之中。每個人都在這裡一直等著你。他們不想傷害你的意思!”

  The color drained from C’s face and he tried hard not to show his fear from hearing the words in Chinese, which meant his life, was in danger. Although Huan was able to play it off as if he was checking the status of his food, C was unable to act calm. He was acting unnatural and if anyone behind him bothered to look at his face, it would be a dead give a way. C turned around to look at everyone in the restaurant and chills went up his spine when he saw that everyone was staring at him. Then one of the girls blew a kiss at him and gave him a devious smile.

  In Chinese Huan said, “Please act natural. Helping has placed my entire family in jeopardy.” C swallowed hard, turned back around and as if a light switch flipped on, changed his body mechanics to appear like he hadn’t heard Huan’s warning. “Anything else, C?”

  “Naw, man. That’s it,” he said.

  “Okay, that
’ll be about five minutes.”

  He knew that must’ve been how much time he believed he had before whatever move they were going to make took place. But in his peripheral vision he saw someone stand up and move behind him, it was the pretty girl who blew a kiss at him. She was now behind him and he saw a gun in her hands. Then he heard a table move and he figured they were placing it in front of the door. He was cornered and he didn’t have a plan. I can’t believe this is how I go out. He thought, believing Tamir had everything to do with this set up. With nothing else to lose, he decided to go out swinging so he turned around to face them. But the moment he did, a cop walked up to the restaurant’s door.

  When he saw the table he said, “They’re closed?”

  “Oh no…they’re open,” one of them said removing the table from the door. “I’m sorry, sir.” one of the girls said when he walked in.

  The officer walked inside and looked at the crowd, who was chatting softly, suspiciously. Feeling nothing out of order, he walked directly behind C and got in line.

  C seeing his chance to escape said, “Aight, man. I’m ‘bout to go outside and get my wallet to pay you for my food. Make sure you put extra soy sauce in my shit.”

  But once he reached the door, one of the male Klan members blocked his exit. “You in my way.” C said knowing there was nothing they could do with the cop inside.

  When the cop turned around and saw the commotion the boy said, “I’m sorry, man.” And he stepped out of his way.

  With that C walked past the people in the restaurant who now didn’t hide their disdain for him. Once outside, he moved quickly to his truck and pulled off. The moment his tires rolled down the wet street, he thought about what just happened. He had no doubt that if they shut down an entire restaurant to get at him, that Tamir and his crew were deadlier than he ever could have imagined and he needed to build his crew to be safe.