by Nene Capri
KoKo sat listening to him trying to be eloquent when in actuality he was being the total opposite. He must think I am some kind of fool, she thought. “What’s in it for me?”
“Oh plenty. I’m ready to cut you in on that deal with the Columbians.”
KoKo had to chuckle inside. She was already in on the deal with the Columbians. But fuck it, she might as well hear him out.
“I’m prepared to give you twenty percent of the weekly take if you can remove the Russians and help me move the product.”
“Forty.”
He laughed then looked at his partner. “Twenty-five.”
“Thirty and I take care of pick up and distribution.”
He thought for a minute, looking in her eyes for any sign of unsurety. There was none. KoKo was focused. “We have a deal.” He reached out and shook her hand.
KoKo rose to her feet. “I’ll call you in a week. In the meantime, tell your people to keep their nose clean. If I have to clean up someone else’s mess the deal will be forty.” She turned to walk away.
“That woman has too much power,” the man sitting next to Andres stated.
“It’s okay. I am just allowing her to get in so deep she has no choice but to fall under us or die.”
Trustworthy…
Boa walked in the restaurant and went straight to the hostess and asked for Night. The woman walked him to the back of the restaurant to Night’s table and placed a menu at his spot. She took his drink order and then disappeared.
“What’s up, my nigga?” he asked as he shook hands with Night and took a seat.
“It’s all about you. Or so I hear.” He gave a half smile.
“Sheeiit . . .If I had your money I’d be all right.” They both smiled.
Night went right into business mode. “So, is everything going well with that shopping center?” Night spit the code for pick up.
“Everything is on schedule.” Boa looked up as the waitress returned with his drink.
“Are you ready to order?” she asked with a smile.
“Yeah, let me have the hot wings and an order of fries.”
“Six or twelve?”
“Twelve.” He closed his menu and handed it to her. She wrote everything down, took his menu and disappeared. Boa checked out that ass in her skirt as she walked away.
“Let me ask you this. What are your intentions toward KoKo?”
“Did you ask her what her intentions toward me were?”
“Nah, I trust her intentions.”
“Uhm,” Boa said, grabbing his drink. He took a swig and then set it down. “Whatever my intentions are, that’s between me and that woman. However, what’s it to you anyway?” He folded his hands, sat straight up and made eye contact with Night.
“I have two duties that I hold very sacred. One of them is none of your fucking business and the other one is KoKo. And I put my life on them both, and not you or God himself is going to interfere with me carrying those duties out. Do you understand?”
Boa chuckled. “It sounds to me like you’re a man that’s mad he didn’t get to the pussy first.”
“You young and you dumb. And you so blinded by pride that you don’t even recognize the danger that’s staring you right in the face.”
“Look, nigga. I don’t owe you shit. My loyalty is to KoKo. She trusts me. Therefore, I don’t give a fuck whether you do or not. But if there is a problem, speak it.” Boa’s nostrils flared and his heart beat fast.
“I’m cool until she says I’m not. However, at any point you give me the impression that your ass needs to be no longer breathing, nothing KoKo can say will keep me off you.”
“You threatening me?”
“Nah, muthafucka! I’m promising you that if at any point I have the slightest inclination that you foul, you a dead man.”
“Let me explain something to you on my way outta this mufucka because I’m trying real hard to remain calm. Stay the fuck outta my business. You got something to say to me. Pass that shit through somebody, because the next time I see you we might have to let some lead speak. Excuse me. I just lost my fuckin’ appetite.” He stood up, bumping the table, causing his drink to rock and spill almost tipping over.
Night stared at him, not even blinking. As Boa walked away, he thought to just turn around and empty on that nigga. But too much was at stake. He needed to get to KoKo and check that ass for having this nigga all in his face.
-38-
Frustrated
“Why the fuck is Night breathing down my throat?” Boa barged in KoKo’s office and slammed the door behind him. The mirror on the back of her door shattered and crashed to the floor.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” KoKo jumped out of her seat, slamming the phone down, hanging up on whomever she was talking to.
Boa walked over to her and got right in her face. “You sent that muthafucka after me?” He pointed in her face.
“First of all, calm yo’ black ass down. Second, what the fuck is you talking about?” KoKo raised her voice as the line in her forehead deepened. She was ready to go ham.
Boa stared at her, breathing hard as he tried to calm down. “Your little babysitter confronted me about us, and I almost sent him to join his boy,” Boa said with venom in his voice.
KoKo’s anger level exceeded Boa’s. She was probably going to regret everything that came out of her mouth next, but she didn’t give a fuck. “Nigga, you don’t fucking question me. You on payroll just like he is. I ain’t the fucking guidance counselor. If you got a problem with that man and you ain’t settling it, then that’s your bad.” KoKo pointed at him. “Coming up in here slamming shit, acting like a fucking fool.”
Just then the phone started to ring. KoKo and Boa were in a standoff, neither one wanting to stand down. The phone stopped ringing and started again. KoKo grabbed it. “Hello!” she yelled into the receiver. “Send him up.” She looked at Boa and said, “Anything else?”
“Nah. I think you said everything you needed to say.” He nodded back and forth. “When you end up one man short I hope me and you don’t have no problems.”
“I don’t take no shorts because I don’t wear none. But if you fuck with my family or my money, we definitely gonna have problems.”
“Well then, get ready for the fall out.” He turned to walk away.
Just as he reached the door, KoKo looked at the broken mirror. “Get somebody to clean that shit up.”
Boa reached in his pocket, pulled out a wad of money, and dropped it on the floor. “Nah, you get somebody to clean it up. I don’t work for you no more.” Then he exited her office, again slamming the door hard on his way out.
“Shit!” KoKo yelled and threw the glass ball sitting on her desk. It hit the wall and then crashed to the floor. Savage and Mugsy came rushing into her office.
“What the fuck is going on?” They came in sliding on broken glass and in kill mode.
“Nothing. Did you see Boa on your way in?” KoKo stood behind her desk, hands on her waist and fire in her eyes.
“Yeah, that nigga pulled outta here like he was on a mission.”
“Take that money and get somebody to clean this shit up. Then y’all go find Boa and call me when you got him in a good mood. Y’all hold down the meeting for me. I’ll be back.” KoKo picked up her gun, tucked it in her waist, threw on her jacket and headed for the door. She needed to see Night and quick. She had all kinds of business pending, and Boa was at the center of it all. She could not afford to let shit fall apart now.
Back the Fuck Up…
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
“Who the fuck is it?” he yelled through his intercom.
“A pissed off bitch!” KoKo yelled back. Then she heard the buzzer release the lock. She reached for the door and swung it open and headed for the steps. She was so pissed she didn’t give a fuck that he lived on the 8th floor. KoKo ran all the way up taking two and three steps at a time. When she reached his floor she was in full kick-ass mode. She came bopping down th
e hall headed to his door while running through her mind how pissed Boa was and all the shit that was at risk if he decided to act the fuck up.
“Bang. Bang. Bang.” KoKo rained hard knocks on Night’s door.
After about seven, the door came open. Night’s little so-called girlfriend stood there. “Hey KoKo,” she said, all cheesed up. She was always trying to get on KoKo’s good side.
“Bitch move!” KoKo said, moving swiftly past her.
Rain twisted her lips and sucked her teeth as she watched KoKo head toward Night’s room.
When she didn’t see him she busted right in the bathroom without her usual greeting. She went right for his neck. “So what the fuck? We ain’t running shit past each other anymore?” KoKo held her hands out to the side, anticipating his answer.
Night sat in his black Jacuzzi, staring at KoKo like she had lost her mind.
“I don’t see your mouth moving,” KoKo said.
Night continued to ignore her and stood up, allowing the water to run off his sexy frame. He slowly walked up the steps and out the tub, dick swinging and all. “Pass me that towel,” he said in his deep, calm voice.
KoKo turned and picked it up off the counter and threw it at him.
Night caught it in mid-air and then began drying himself off. “Now, what is it that you were talking about?” he said as he moved around naked. He went over to the counter and began to apply lotion to his skin while KoKo stood there looking at him like he was crazy.
“Night, don’t play with me. You know good and well what the fuck we talking about.”
“What? That little nigga came crying to you?”
“Let me explain something to you. My personal business ain’t got shit to do with you. Don’t go behind my back no fucking more.” She was ready to get out of his presence. His, ‘I don’t give a fuck’ attitude had her ready to stab his ass.
“I’ma tell you like I told him. I don’t trust his ass. And all your business is my business,” he said as he continued to groom himself.
KoKo took a deep breath. “Look, I know you made Kayson a promise. I love and respect that you’re a man of your word. But you got to trust me and know that I got this.” KoKo paused, trying to carefully choose her next words. “I need Boa right now. I can’t afford for you to fuck up what I’m working on.”
Night looked up in the mirror at KoKo to gauge her mood. “Like I said, I’ma hold up my end. Just don’t fuck up your part.”
“Fuck up my part? Fuck is you talking about? All this shit is mine. You, work for me. I call the shots around this muthafucka. Kayson ain’t here no more. I’m here and I need you to stay the fuck outta me and Boa’s business.”
“Fuck that nigga!” Night yelled, causing the walls to vibrate as he turned and moved toward KoKo. “You in charge? Get the fuck outta here. We in this shit together. My loyalty is proven. I love you to death, but if you ever side with that nigga over me again . . .” He paused as thoughts of his promise to his boy came to his mind. His breathing was heavy as he struggled with his anger, but he had to admit he couldn’t let it cloud his judgment and stand in the way of business. He could also see KoKo wasn’t backing down.
“You right. You the boss. Set up a meeting so I can peace this shit out with this nigga.” Night quickly calmed down. “I’ma tell you this though. If I find out later he foul, I’m killing him.”
“Fair enough. But remember this—I’m the bitch that gets to make that call.”
Night nodded his head, turned and went back to the sink. “We done?” he asked.
“For now,” KoKo responded. “I still love you.” She threw on a little half-smile and turned to walk away.
“I love you too. With your crazy ass.” He turned and gave her the same half smile.
KoKo turned back and said, “Yeah, and put that shit away. That’s why that bitch be acting up.”
“Sheeit . . .This is why she act right.”
KoKo chuckled, shook her head, and left the bathroom. Walking past Rain, she said, “Bitch, you blessed. Don’t fuck up.”
Rain just glazed at her with wrinkled brows.
KoKo left the apartment, headed to find out what was up with Boa. She needed to make this shit right between them.
*****
“KoKo, you have a visitor,” Chucky announced as he came into the back room of the pool hall.
KoKo looked up from the blunt she was rolling and asked. “Who is it?”
“The Russian.”
KoKo paused for a minute. “Bring him in the back,” she instructed, taking a seat.
Chucky, Mugsy, and three other members of the crew came in with the Russian and his three bodyguards. KoKo sat at a table in the middle of the room with her legs crossed.
“KoKo, thank you for seeing me.”
“Anytime. Please have a seat,” she said as she lit up her blunt. “What can I do for you?”
“I need your help,” Boris said as he reached in his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. “Oh, excuse me. May I?”
“Please. Make yourself at home.”
“I have not seen my son in a week. He has been having a little beef with the Italians.” He paused and pulled on his cigarette. “I know that you have a relationship with them, and I am asking that you please speak on my son’s behalf.”
KoKo listened to the man’s request. She looked around the room and then locked eyes with the Russian. “I have my own family. I try not to get into other people’s business.”
“I would forever be in your debt, KoKo. He is my only son,” he said in his thick accent.
“What is in it for me?”
“I know you want to renegotiate with the Colombians. I can cut you in on my deal with a ten percent profit.”
“You want something from me, but you treating me like the fucking help,” KoKo stated smoothly.
“Fifteen,” Boris offered.
“Thirty,” she countered.
“Twenty-five. Anything more and I would be cutting off my own hand.”
KoKo sat puffing and blowing out smoke for a few seconds. She knew she had his ass. In actuality she would have done it for fifteen, but since his son was so fucking disrespectful she drove up the prices. “Twenty-five it is. And you will have to transport.”
“Thank you, KoKo. I believe I can sleep easy with this deal.” Boris reached out and shook her hand.
“So you want me to go with you to talk to the Italians?” Mugsy asked.
“Nah, the Russian’s fate is already sealed.”
“Why you let that nigga go through all that shit?”
“Fuck him. He don’t respect me. He’s like most niggas. They think the only way a woman should be on top is if she’s riding their dick. I earned every bit of the repesct I got. And ain’t no nigga gonna take it from me. They gonna have to kill me.”
Moving On…
It took days for Savage to calm Boa down. He was ready to blow up the world. Even Latreece couldn’t get him into a good mood. It was like they were roommates. They hadn’t had sex in weeks, and everytime she tried to talk to him they would argue, so she decided to move out.
Boa turned his key in the lock. When he opened the door, Latreece stood there holding three suitcases. He paused. “So what’s this supposed to mean?”
“It’s not supposed to mean anything. I just can’t live like this anymore. I love you, no doubt, but I love me more.” She stared at him.
He could see the relationship was taking a toll on her. Latreece had lost weight and bags were underneath her eyes. “I told you that you didn’t have to leave. This place is for you. I’ma move my things out as soon as possible.” He walked over to the small table by the door and checked the mail.
“No, it’s okay. I have a place. I want to start all over, and being haunted by what we had and what we lost by looking at these walls is not going to help.” She picked up her bag and raised the handle of the other one to pull it on its wheels. “Let me run this downstairs, and I’ll be right back.” She walk
ed past him as he kept his back turned. Once she loaded the bags in the car, she came back to retrieve the last of her things. When she opened the door, Boa was coming out the room with a small, brown leather bag.
“Here.” He handed it to her.
She took it and then unzipped it. Her eyes grew big at the sight of its contents. “What is this for?” Latreece looked up at him.
“Look. I never intended to hurt you. We are just going in two very different directions. I still love and care about you, but the shit that I am moving into has no room for us.” He looked into her eyes that were now welling up with tears. He wiped away the one that had fallen down her cheek. “Don’t cry. You deserve better than I can give you.”
She chuckled. “So what’s this, a buyout?” she asked, her voice dripping with pain.
“Nah. Nothing like that. I want you to be comfortable. The car is paid for and you in a new place. So this is just a little something to hold you over.”
“Hold me over? How much is it?”
“Five hundred thousand. And if you ever need anything, I’m here.”
“Five hundred thousand? I can’t take this.” She pushed the bag back toward him.
He gently pushed it back toward her. “You can and you will. Give me a hug and take care of yourself. Make a nigga give you what you deserve.” He reached out and hugged her tight.
Latreece hugged him even tighter like this would be the last time she would see him. After the long embrace, he walked her to the car and placed the last of her bags inside. Closing her door, he leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips.
“Call me when you get in. If I don’t answer, leave me a message. I just want to know you’re safe.”
She nodded up and down, put the car in gear and pulled off. Boa watched as she drove away. He was feeling fucked up over the events that ended their relationship, but he knew there was no way he would be able to keep her safe with all the shit that was about to go down.