What Da Lick Read? The Triple Cross

by McCray, Sevyn

  He pulled a chair from over by the door and sat down next to Killa’s bed. The machines were buzzing as he looked down at him. The left side of his face was bandaged up and his eyes were closed. He had tubes in his nose and three bags of I.V. fluids dripping into his veins. He could see his left foot peeping from under the cover. Toe-Toe couldn’t believe that Killa had lost a leg. He couldn’t take his eyes off of the empty space where his right leg was supposed to be.

  Tears started to fill his eyes. “Damn lil’ bro, I went away for two days and look what happens. I have seen you drive, so I know you drive like a bat out of hell, but you can maneuver a car with the best NASCAR drivers. I’m gonna get to the bottom of it. I promise, because in my gut I know there is more to it. I’m so sorry about your ol’ girl. But you gotta be strong for her mom and lil man. Get better bro, I will be back to check on you. Lord please have mercy on him.” Toe-Toe got up and squeezed his hand and walked out of the door wiping the tears from his face.

  Toe-Toe walked to the parking deck with so much on his mind. He took out his BlackBerry to call Nard to tell him everything that was going on. His phone rang and it was Nard.

  “Bruh, man this shit is fucked up. Killa is in real bad shape and you didn’t even call me. His girl is on her deathbed. Nigga why didn’t you call me?”

  “I didn’t call you because you were across the country handling business and I needed your head focused. We can’t be taking no losses; I needed all of you there. If I would have told you about the accident, your mind would have been here and your body would have been there. I was looking out for you as well as the entire team. It is too many people that depend on us. We can’t take any missteps.”

  “You are right bruh, it fucked me up though. Coach K is known nationwide. I’m sitting in the meeting with dude and he start talking about his homeboy son was in an accident in Atlanta, and then he says his name. It messed me up, but I had already got everything straight before I heard it. I will just have to go back out there in a few weeks to holla at him about the prices.” Toe-Toe headed to the No Pressure loft in his black on black Z71 Silverado at full speed.

  “Well, we will deal with that. But peep this; it is fucked up over here. Somebody set Poke house on fire last night or it exploded or something. Police are everywhere you look. They found two bodies in there, but both of them were burned beyond recognition. I’m staying low, because the streets talk. I don’t know if he told anyone that I was the one that beat his ass about that fake dope. I know that I didn’t have anything to do with the house though. Then you won’t believe this Big Dawg is in town, Gigi called me and told me he appeared at the hospital the other night. Man this shit bout to get real ugly round here.”

  Nard was worried that it was going to be some fingers pointed at him about Poke.

  Chapter 29: Seeing Ain’t Believing

  Loyalty had just got off of the three-way with Reality and Honesty. She was sitting in the den at the big house with her computer on her lap. She couldn’t believe what she had just seen. The blogs were making her seem like a gold digging whore. She didn’t know where they got the information or the pictures. She had tried calling Khadafi and he was not answering. She had sent him over a dozen texts ever since Reality had called her. This was just too much for her to bear. The media was dragging her through the mud. Loyalty didn’t want all of this to affect Khadafi.

  He always told her about how he tried to stay as positive as possible. He needed to keep his head focused on the game because one false move on the field could cost him his career. Loyalty just wanted to hear his voice. Most of the pictures were old and one was even a picture of her and her first cousin. She didn’t have the slightest idea where they could have gotten the nude picture of her from. Reality was gonna check that out, she never took that picture. It was her face Photoshopped on someone else’s body.

  The fact that when she looked down at her stomach and it was still flat made it hard to believe that she had gotten pregnant the first time that they had sex. She was shocked that a pregnancy could even be detected so soon, but the nurse had explained to her that hCG levels in blood can be detected as early as a week after conception. K.J. was now giving her the same treatment that she had given him. She wished she would’ve handled the situation differently.

  She picked up her iPhone and sent one last text to him. If he called, she would talk to him, if he didn’t oh well. Loyalty knew that she had bigger stuff to worry about like the life growing in her and most importantly her family. She knew her dad was going to the meeting and Reality would be working on getting the information for her. Loyalty decided to call Honesty and see if she wanted to go back over to the hospital and sit with Killian until he woke up. Her brother didn’t need to wake up in the hospital alone.

  __________

  Gigi and Honesty lay in the bed naked. Honesty was lying on her stomach at the bottom of the bed reading “Harlem Girl Lost 2” by Treasure E. Blue. Gigi was laying at the top on her back reading “Eviction Notice” by Kwan. The room was completely silent as the both of them went to a world far away from their own. They got engrossed in someone else’s drama and put theirs to the side for a moment. Both Honesty and Gigi loved to read, so along with Concrete, they went to the Medu bookstore in Greenbriar Mall once a week and bought three different books that they alternated between the three of them. Con was downstairs in his room reading “Murder Mamas” by Ashley and JaQuavis. A cell phone started ringing and the both of them reached for their phones. It was Honesty’s; Loyalty was calling.

  “Hey sis, what’s up? Any news?” Honesty inquired as she got up and went to get her purse. She walked naked around the room like she was in her own house.

  “No, there is no news. I know that everyone is going to be busy in a lil’ while and I was going to head to the hospital. I didn’t want Killa to wake up alone. Do you wanna join me?” Loyalty asked her sister; even though she didn’t want to tell anyone what was going on she wasn’t up to being alone right now.

  Gigi’s phone rang and she sprang up looking for it. She heard it ringing in the bathroom. She rushed in to get it. It could be Ponchees. But it was Toe-Toe.

  “What it do bro? When did you get back?” Gigi walked back into her bedroom and sat on the caramel colored leather chaise lounge that was on the other side of the room.

  “Sis, what’s going on? I just left the hospital with Killa. Have you heard anything, cause something fishy is going on and I smell it. They got my lil’ nigga laid up in there with one leg. Man that shit got me fucked up. Then Nard just called me and said that nigga Poke house is on fire and the entire hood is flooded with cops and shit. I wasn’t gone but two days and I come back and the bottom is falling out.”

  Gigi sat up on the chaise lounge when she heard the news about Poke’s house. She guessed Poke had fucked over more than just her and her inner circle because all of them were accounted for.

  “What do you mean Poke house was on fire?”

  “Nard said something about some folks in the neighborhood heard a boom and then the next thing they knew they heard sirens. I’m guessing somebody probably bombed it or threw a Molotov cocktail. Poke had gotten really slimy lately.” Toe-Toe was hoping that Nard didn’t do it; he knew he said that he didn’t.

  “That nigga been slimy, it’s just the dope bought it out more.” Gigi went into her walk in closet to find something to put on. It was too much going on in the streets. She couldn’t just sit around and read about Animal and Gucci in Eviction Notice. She had drama herself to take care of.

  “You know my godfather is in town and I have a meeting with him in a lil’ while. I will call you when it’s over. You and Nard need to come down to the club. I’m gonna get all the other trap bosses together. Like you said it’s something fishy going on, I smell it too.”

  Gigi slipped on a mustard colored Lauren pants suit and some electric blue L.A.M.B. platforms. She walked out of the closet and Honesty was going into the other bedroom that was adjacent to the
master suite. That is where she kept all of her stuff, although she never slept there. Gigi walked in behind her as she looked at the few items that were hanging up in the closet in the laundry bag.

  Honesty put on a pair of Joe Jeans and a thin charcoal gray Tory Burch Sweater and some red Tory Burch wedge loafers. Gigi watched her as she got dressed. She pulled the band off of her messy ponytail, bent over and shook out her waist length hair then pulled it back into the hair bow. Gigi was thinking about what Honesty said when they were at the hospital. She walked up behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist and kissed her on the neck. She whispered in her ear.

  “I love you more than my words can ever say.”

  Tears misted in Honesty eyes as she listened to what Gigi was saying. She not only heard the words, she felt them deep in her heart. “I love you too and I am in love with you Gorgeous.”

  Honesty turned around and placed a kiss on Gigi’s lips and patted her on her butt as she headed back into the master suite to get her purse.

  “I got this last little bit of work to drop off and then I’m heading over to the hospital. Do you want me at the meeting that you are having at the club?”

  “You are one of the trap bosses aren’t you? Of course I want you there.” Gigi kissed her one last time as the both of them headed down the steps.

  Concrete left the den and met them in the foyer as he heard them coming down the steps. He held up the book.

  “This is a good one; I will be finished with it in a few hours. Ashley and JaQuavis are the truth.”

  “I got mines in my purse, I will read it while I’m at the hospital, and I might be finished tonight. We can swap then. I love all of Treasure’s books. I think you are gonna like this one Con.”

  It was amazing; the most that Honesty and Concrete ever talked was about the books that they read and traded since they had started their little book club in the last past three months.

  “I will have it ready for you” He said to Honesty before turning to Gorgeous.

  “Where are we headed?”

  “We got to be at the meeting in an hour, but first I need to go on Perry Blvd. to check something out.” Gigi looked down at her Gucci digital watch and saw that it was fifteen minutes after ten.

  Honesty leaned over and gave Gigi another kiss.

  “I will see you guys later.”

  She pulled out her key fob and deactivated her alarm. As she walked over to the truck she reached into her purse for her phone, she needed to find out where she needed to stop first. She realized that she had left her cell phone upstairs on the bed in her room. She walked past Gigi and Concrete, went back into the house and ran up the steps.

  She was halfway up the steps when she heard an explosion. Her instincts told her to duck. But instead she leaped down the steps and ran through the foyer. Gigi and Concrete were both lying on the marble floor. The force of the boom had knocked the door off of the hinges. The vases that sat on bronze colored pillars in the entrance were on the floor along with the ceramic pillars shattered in a million pieces. The custom art by Jindell Nelson was hanging off the walls. Half of Concrete’s body was on top of Gigi’s.

  Honesty kneeled down to Gigi first, she felt for her pulse. It was strong. She then went over to Concrete and felt for his pulse. It was weak. Gigi let out a low moan. Honesty didn’t want to move either one of them because she didn’t know the severity of their injuries.

  “Baby is there anything in the house that isn’t supposed to be in here, I need to call an ambulance because Con’s pulse is really weak.”

  “No, I never keep any work here and all of the guns are registered. Call them quick. He is heavy and his breathing is shallow.” Gorgeous muttered in a monotone.

  Honesty got up and when she did she glanced out the hanging front door. Her truck was fully engulfed in flames. Gigi’s Range Rover was parked close to her truck; if a fire truck didn’t arrive fast it would probably be in flames very soon. She rushed back up the steps to get her phone as the tears flowed freely down her face. This was the second time in two weeks that there had been an attempt on her life. She could have been in the truck. Allah had protected her, but where was he when her brother was losing his leg.

  As she got her phone off the bed and dialed 911, her long legs got her down the stairs in three steps. Honesty felt Concrete’s pulse and there was no change. She felt Gigi’s pulse and it hadn’t changed but now she was unconscious. There was a loud boom, Honesty stepped back. She told the operator that another explosion had just happened. She peeped out the door and saw that Gigi’s truck was now in flames also. She informed the operator that the both of them were lying unconscious on the marble floor in the foyer and that they had been standing in front of the door before the explosion. The operator stated that she was sending help.

  Honesty hung up the phone and called her dad. She was saying a silent prayer and doing her best to stay calm by breathing in and out. She was feeling lightheaded. The last thing she wanted to do was pass out before help even got there.

  “Hey Pop-Pop, I need you. The trucks have exploded.”

  Honesty passed out right there in the foyer with her phone in her hand and her father calling her name.

  Chapter 30: King Kong ain’t got shit on me

  Khalil didn’t want to drive all the way to Alpharetta when he had a meeting in the city in a little while. He went to his townhouse that was right off of Cascade and 285. He had a few outfits for all occasions and some toiletries there. That’s all that he needed for right now. He pulled into the gated community. He actually owned eight townhouses in this particular subdivision, but none of his rental tenants knew that he also had one out there too.

  Khalil put the Benz in the garage as his phone rang. It was Jazmeir. He smiled when he answered the phone.

  “Good morning Senorita, to what do I owe this honor?”

  The information that Reality had gotten him surprised the hell out of him. His good friend Sillk had been getting it in right under his nose. He couldn’t blame him though. She was a beautiful and intelligent woman. He had left her quite a bit of money when he passed away and unlike most young girls, she didn’t flash her wealth or brag about her previous relationships.

  Khalil remembered when the little boy got off the school bus, when he was at Jazmeir’s house. There was something familiar about the little boy. He looked exactly like Handsome, who was Gigi’s brother, the third triplet. Handsome was the spitting image of Black Sillk. Over the years before the truth actually came out that he was Solitaire’s father, the neighborhood always thought that he was the triplets’ father.

  “Hello Mr. Khalil, I’m sorry Khalil. I just received a call that Poke’s house is on fire. They didn’t tell me how bad it is. I didn’t want to go over there by myself. Could you go with me?” Jazmeir didn’t know who else to call, she didn’t have to go over to the house, but she just felt like it was her obligation to.

  “Who called you and told you that? Have you tried calling his phone?” Khalil’s other line beeped and he looked down and saw that it was his oldest daughter.

  “Hold on Jaz, let me see what my daughter wants.”

  He switched lines and he heard Honesty’s labored breathing, her talking and then what sound like the phone falling. He called her name repeatedly as he heard sirens in the background. His first guess was that she was at Gorgeous’ house. Khalil had just walked into the kitchen through the garage; he turned around and headed back out. He switched between lines.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s going on, but I have a bigger emergency with my daughter. I’m not going to be able to go with you. Please call me once you get over to Poke’s spot and let me know if you need me. I got to check on her.”

  Khalil placed his cell phone on the Bluetooth as he jumped on the expressway headed south to Camp Creek. He spoke into the air as he told his system to call Ponchees.

  “Compadre, you can’t make the meeting huh?”

  “Meet me at Gorgeous�
� house right now, Honesty called and said something about the trucks exploded and then I didn’t hear anything else but sirens. I’m on the highway now.”

  The anger had been simmering below the surface with Khalil but now he felt it as it began to boil over. He looked as his odometer as he slowed down from doing over a hundred miles per hour as he got off the exit. East Point police were always crowded around the Camp Creek Marketplace area. He headed north on Camp Creek Parkway toward Gigi’s estate that was located on Butner Road. When he got there the entrance was blocked off by the police. He pulled his car on the side of the road and got out.

  Khalil said a silent prayer to Allah as he approached the officer that was sitting on top of his car that was blocking the entrance to the gate.

  “Good morning officer, this is my niece’s home. My daughter is here. I believe she is the one that made the call.”