by Styles, T
Silence.
“That ain’t what I asked you, nigga. I asked you are you fuckin’ her?” His eyes were wild and he was sweating.
“Come on, Kalive. What’s this really about?” He said with a guilty look on his face. “Are you two together?”
Kali stood up, walked toward him and said, “I’m askin’ the questions.”
“Okay. Well…To answer your question correctly, son, I’d have to say, no, I’m not fucking her.”
“How come I don’t believe you?”
“Kalive…”
“Kali.” He said cutting him off. “Niggas call me Kali now.”
“Okay, well, Kali, she came over to ask me for a favor. That’s it. You know she wouldn’t be the slightest bit interested in me.”
Just then his phone rang but he didn’t answer. He didn’t know it was Harmony begging him to somehow get back in contact with the kidnapper to call things off. But her youth didn’t allow her to understand that once vengeance has been set into motion, there are no calling things off.
“What was the favor?”
“I can’t tell you. She asked me to keep it to myself.”
“So she’s worth dyin’ for?” He laughed. “You must be fuckin’ her.”
“I’m not, Kali. You my nephew and I wouldn’t lie to you.”
“Fuck that shit! The only thing that binds us is the whore I have for a mother.” He said with as much anger as one man could hold. “Now, what did she have you do?”
Grand thought long and hard about what Kali was asking him. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that if Kali even thought he was holding out, he’d kill him. And since he was not good at keeping secrets, he knew Kali would be able to tell by looking at his face.
“She asked me to get in touch with Arnold Recaro, who kidnapped her and Jace.”
“What? Why?”
“I don’t know…But she sounded like she was mad at Jace and wanted to get back at him.”
Kali took mental notes. “That’s all she wanted you to do?” Kali asked knowing Grand had already given him all the information he had. “She didn’t say nothing about me?”
“No...She didn’t mention you at all.” He paused. “She only wanted to get in contact with Recaro.”
“Cool…So what you doing later?”
Grand breathed a sigh of relief. “Nothing. Just ‘bout to run grab something from 7 Eleven and then…”
Before Grand could finish, Kali hit him in his throat with the side of his hand catching him off guard. Then he took his hand and covered his nose and mouth. Grand tried his best to scratch and claw at him, but he could barely breathe from Kali’s first blow and he was no match for the strength of a man who was crazed. Before long, Grand gave up his fight and died. Kali removed his hand, which was covered in spit and snot and smiled. Murdering to him was as easy and as pleasurable as fucking. He loved to do it and he loved to do it often.
When he was back in his car, he drove to Harmony’s house to see her again. But when he pulled up, he saw her getting into Jace’s car. So he went in and took care of her grandmother.
Our Last Night Together
Harmony
When I jumped into his car, I wish I’d chosen another dress to wear to his party. But I didn’t have time to change plus it was too hard finding anything with all of my stuff being in the living room.
“I’ll take your bag,” an older black lady said to me when I entered his house again. It was the same women I’d seen the last time I was over.
When I stepped into Jace’s house, instead of the room off the side of the house where I’d been before, I knew I’d never be the same. His home was beautiful and I could see myself living here, making a home for us. This was the lifestyle I needed and always wanted.
Five minutes later, Jace walks up to me with the same blank look on his face he always had. I could never read his mind, but I know he was so cute. He was wearing blue jeans, his diamond chain and a black Versace shirt. He smelled good, too.
“You wearing that?” He asked holding a bag similar to the one I saw Tony bring to him the other day I was here. I know it was filled with money. “And what happened to your ear?”
I looked down at myself and said, “You want me to leave? Because my grandmother put me out for coming over here,” I lied. “And I don’t have anything else to wear.”
“What happened to your ear?”
“It’s a long story,” I said touching the small Band-Aid on it.
He frowned a little and said, “Come up stairs with me.”
When we got upstairs, and walked into his room, which was mainly empty I smiled. I remember when we use to sit on the porch of his house and talk, now he owned a house bigger than anything we could have imagined. Even though it was empty, it was still cozy. A bed sat in the middle of the floor and I sat on the edge of it. He walked into a closet and came back out with a dress.
With the dress in hand, he looked at me a few times and said, “Stand up for a minute.” I did. “Yeah…It looks like it’ll fit.” Then he opened the door and I saw a bunch of women’s clothing and shoes. He had moved on without me already. “Put this on.” He handed me a bag from Saks Fifth Avenue.
I stood up, accepted the bag and said, “Is this another girl’s dress?”
“Yeah.” He said sitting on the edge of the bed to put on his shoes. He placed the bag I knew was filled with money on the floor.
“I’m not wearing another girl’s dress, Jace.”
“Why do you always have to be so fuckin’ difficult? Why can’t you just bite your tongue sometimes?”
I sat back down and the bag slid out of my hands and to the floor. “Jace, what is going on? Do you have a new girlfriend already?”
“We weren’t together no more.”
“We ain’t never not been together, Jace. We been with each other forever and your heart has always been with me. And mine with you. Right? Ain’t that why I’m here?” I paused. “Do you want to be with me or not? You confusing me.”
“How am I confusing you?”
“First you tell me you done with me, then you call me to invite me over here. But when I get here, I see a bunch of women’s clothing in your closet. Can we at least talk about it?”
“No. Get dressed and meet me downstairs,” he said walking out of the room, grabbing the bag off the floor.
I opened the door and saw him go into another room on the other end of the hallway. Then he walked downstairs. Still mad at him, I hurried across the hall and opened the door. Then I closed it behind me, found the bag under the bed and opened it wide. Inside was at least ten stacks of twenty-dollar bills, all dirty. I stuffed a few stacks under my shirt, opened the door and then dipped back across the hall. When I was done, I placed the money stacks in my bag. I couldn’t believe I had just stolen from Jace but to me, it was all his fault.
While I was alone, I looked around his room. Then I walked into this large walk-in closet and saw perfume bottles sitting on a dresser. I couldn’t describe the anger I felt inside. Figuring I’d be able to drink tonight and forget it all, I slid into the one-piece dress and had to admit, I looked good in it. I guess whoever she was, we had the same body type. When the dress was on, I used another woman’s brush to fix my hair. Then I grabbed my purse, made sure the money was tucked deeply inside and walked out the door. The moment I opened the door, I saw Jace leaving out of the room I had just been in, with the bag in his hand. My heart raced thinking he knew I’d stolen the money. He stopped where he was looked at me and smiled.
“Uh…You ready?” He asked.
“Yes.” I said walking down the stairs with him. There was something different in his eyes when he looked at me.
“We running late.”
“Jace, can’t we go somewhere else tonight? Just me and you?” I said trying to avoid him getting hurt by Massive. “I mean…I really want to be with you alone.”
“Harmony, I got over two hundred people waitin’ on me and don’t nee
d this right now.” He paused. “Now let’s roll.” He said as we walked out the door.
We were in the car for twenty minutes before we reached a mansion in Maryland. There were lots of designer cars and girls who walked around looking how I wanted too, Rich. Jace got out of the car and opened my door and I realized I didn’t know what this statement meant. Were we back together? Was I coming as a friend? I saw a few girls from my school looking at me and I guess they wanted to know, too.
“Don’t they call her Miss Burns?” A girl said under her breath as I walked past.
When I turned around to see who had said what, they all turned away. My only comfort was that I was with him and they weren’t. I was on the top step of the mansion when a pretty girl in her early twenties blocked our path. Stepping in between us she looked at the dress I was wearing and then at my face. A few people stopped where they were and watched.
“Hold up! Jace, does this bitch have on my dress?”
“Antoinette, go ‘head with that shit. You and I both know everything in that closet I bought.”
“Answer my fucking question, Jace! ‘Cause I can’t believe you chose this whore over me. After all the shit you said she did to you.”
“Antoinette, you’re a friend of the family, but don’t make me forget that shit tonight. Calm down and enjoy the party.”
He tried to walk away but she stopped him and said, “So you a pimp now.” “You really wanna do this?” He asked.
“Fuck you…Fuck this bitch and fuck this party!”
Jace gave one wave of the hand and two men dragged her away like yesterday’s trash. Her red high heel shoe fell off and fell in my path. He kicked it out the way for me and I smiled.
“Fuck you, Jace! Fuck you and that bitch!” She continued to cry.
Jace looked back at her, shook his head and said, “Come on.”
“So I know whose dress I’m wearing now.”
“Don’t start with me.” He said. I feared being thrown out right behind her so I remained silent. We pushed past a few people and all eyes were on us. I guess so, after the scene that bitch made.
“Is she your new girlfriend?” I said asking and stopping in my tracks.
“If she was, do you think I’d carry her like that?” He paused. “Now come on, you ruining my night.”
We moved past five men who nodded at us as we walked further inside. I didn’t know when Massive would make a move, or even if he would. Whatever happened, I just hoped it wouldn’t be tonight. I hoped Jace would be safe so that we could start all over.
When we get deeper inside of the party, I saw Kreshon, Paco and the rest of Jace’s crew. I looked around for Kali too but didn’t see him and I was a little relieved.
“Damn, Jace, where the food at?” Kreshon asked walking up to us, his eyes firmly on me.
Paco stayed behind but I saw the look on his face and I smiled. When he tugged at his ear, the same ear that Ebony ripped, the smile was removed from my face.
“It ain’t here yet?”
“Naw? We don’t have the liquor either.”
Jace appeared irritated but stepped to another person and demanded that he get on it right away. He kept saying that the food and liquor should’ve been there before he did since it was his party. Then he sent Kreshon and Paco to get some liquor to hold everyone over until the big liquor and food got there.
After he was done with them he walked up to me and said, “We ain’t got no food, but you want some juice or somethin’?”
I wanted a little something harder. “You got anything else?”
Jace grabbed me by my elbow and moved me to a smaller room off the living room. People were looking at me and a few jealous bitches gave me evil looks. When we were in the room alone, he closed the door and walked up to me.
“You said you pregnant right?” He asked staring into my eyes. He was definitely mad.
“Yeah. Why you ask me that?”
“’Cause you don’t act like it. And if you want me to be serious about you and this baby,” he paused, “I mean…You and my baby, then you got to take better care of your body.”
“What are you saying?”
“Don’t let me catch you drinkin’ no liquor at my party tonight. Don’t let me catch you drinkin’ ever. You got me, Harmony?”
“Boy, please! What difference do it make if I drink or not? People act like the baby gonna drink out of my glass or something.”
“You sound dumb as shit.”
“It’s true! And what about you? It’s not fair that I don’t get to drink and you do.”
“Are you that fucked up in the head?” He asked looking at me like I was crazy. “That you can’t understand you fuckin’ your…I mean…Our baby up by drinkin’ and shit?”
“I know plenty of people who drank while they was pregnant.”
Jace got quiet and said, “You gonna be a fucked up mother. I just know that shit.”
“Jace…It’s not that serious. I won’t drink anymore okay?”
He just shook his head and walked out the door. Standing in the doorway he said, “You comin’ or not?”
“What about you, Jace? Do you still get to drink, too?”
He paused and said, “Naw. I’ma quit with you.”
I walked slowly behind him and on our way back into the living room, we ran into Kali. And he looked like he just came from murdering. His hatchet was on his back as usual and I got extremely nervous.
“Fuck are you doin’ here?” Kali said to me grabbing me by my arm. Everyone who was there stopped what they were doing and looked at us.
“Kali, what’s up with you, homie?” Jace said prying my arm from Kali’s grasp. Then he stood between us. “‘Cause you trippin’ hard right now.” Jace said stepping in front of me.
“Move out the way, Jace,” He said pushing him aside.
“Nigga, what the fuck is wrong with you!” Jace said pushing him to the ground. Kali bounced on his ass before standing up. He was preparing to rush him but ten guards hoisted him off of his feet. One grabbed him by the neck and the other ones had their guns out on him.
“Let the nigga down,” Jace ordered.
When Kali was released, he brushed himself off, mean mugged the guards and said, “Jace, you shouldn’t be around this bitch. She scandalous.”
“This don’t have nothin’ to do with you, man. This between me and Harmony.”
I knew he was about to bust me and tell Jace about us fucking so I had to say something before he did.
“Jace, he just mad because he wanna fuck me and I won’t let him.”
“What?” Jace looked at Kali and then me. “Is this true, Kali?”
“Come on, J. You and I both know that this bitch can’t be trusted. This girl is dangerous. And she got plans for you, you don’t even know about yet.”
I wondered what he meant but didn’t want to open up a whole new can of shit. There was no way Grand would betray me and tell him anything. At least I hoped so.
“I don’t know about all that.” Jace told him. “But you tryin’ to fuck up a nigga’s shit tonight and you gotta roll. We’ll talk about all this other shit later.”
Please let him just leave. I thought. Please. He’d already said one thing too many. He was almost at the door with the guards close behind him until he said, “While you all posted up with this bitch, make sure she tell you that I might be the father of that baby she carrying.”
Jace looked at me and I couldn’t say anything. I was stuck.
“Hold up, what you just say?” Jace asked stopping the guards.
“I said, she may be carryin’ my seed.” Kali said looking delirious.
“I’m not even tryin’ to hear that bullshit. Tell this nigga he’s lyin’.” He said looking at me then at Kali. When I didn’t answer he said, “He lyin’ right?”
“Tell him the truth, Harmony!” Kali added. “Ain’t no sense in leading this nigga on. ‘Cause if you are pregnant with my kid, I’m takin’ what’s mine.”
“Where you headed to?” He asked me.
“To the train station. Any one…I don’t care.” I looked at him as we headed up the road. “Thanks for picking me up.”
“Not a problem, especially after all you’ve done for me.”
I went through my purse and made sure the money was inside. When his words played in my mind. “What do you mean after all I’ve done for you?”
“Isn’t your name, Harmony?”
I swallowed hard and nodded. “Who are you?”
“I’m the man who got your message.” He smirked. “So the least I can do is give you a ride.”
Jace
Birthday Wishes
Kali fucked me up with his bullshit. Even if it were true, why wait to tell me now? We were supposed to be boys. After the shit with the kid he kidnapped and then this shit with Harmony, I was through with him. The nigga was as good as dead to me.
“You want a drink?” Tony Wop asked. He didn’t see the stunt Kali pulled earlier. “You look like you need one.”
The liquor had only been there for five minutes and already it was half gone. Niggas ran to the table like they hadn’t drunken anything in years.
“Naw, I’m good.” I told him with my hand stuffed in my pockets.