What Da Lick Read? The Triple Cross

by McCray, Sevyn

  Toe- Toe got up and he put his fist up to his heart and then he put it on Killa’s and he walked out of the hospital room.

  Chapter 38: You miss me?

  Beautiful gave herself one last glance in the mirror. She had on a caramel colored BCBG sleeveless pants suit with a Micheal Kors denim blazer and some denim Louboutins. This looked like something that her sister would wear. Her eyes and ears in the streets had told her that Gorgeous and Honesty were driven from the hospital and to Honesty’s loft downtown. Beautiful was sure that they were not coming back out today. He had informed her that Gorgeous’ head was bandaged up and that there weren’t any bodyguards with them, just a driver that had dropped them off. Beautiful needed it to stay that way, at least for the next twelve hours. She hoped that they were trying to recuperate before they jumped back into the streets. She turned away from the mirror and glanced back one last time over her shoulder. Now the only thing that Beautiful had to do was remind herself that she was Gorgeous and that when she heard her sister’s name she needed to respond.

  She grabbed her denim Gucci bag and headed out her door. Her condo in the Metropolis building was about five minutes away from the club. Her heart was beating so fast, she thought to herself that maybe she should have taken a shot of Patron or Ciroc Berry to calm her nerves. She would get one when she got to Gigi’s Pleasure Chest. Beautiful was in the final steps of her plan and she was determined that it was going to work. She wanted to see if people could tell the difference between the two of them, her impersonation of her sister had to work. It was the main part of the plan. Beautiful was going to slide right into Gorgeous’ shoes and tear her life up beyond repair.

  The music pulsated and you could feel the bass even though you couldn’t decipher the words when you approached the front door. She opened the front door and was greeted by security.

  “Good evening boss, glad to see that you are doing okay. Concrete is in everyone’s prayers.”

  The security guard told her and he stepped in front of her and opened the door that went into the club. Kanye and Jay Z’s latest song “Niggas in Paris” blasted throughout the club and Beautiful looked around. She didn’t know whether to be proud of her sister or be pissed cause of her accomplishment. Gigi’s Pleasure Chest was definitely the shit. Gorgeous had outdone herself. Maybe she had picked up the creative gene from their mother Solitaire. She used to be an interior decorator and make clothes before she got taken down bad by the drugs.

  Beautiful inhaled a deep breath and tried her best to act like she was in familiar territory. She walked up the bar and the bartender smiled at her. So far so good.

  “Can I have a Patron with lime and salt?”

  “You mean to tell me that you finished that entire bottle from the other day in your office? You might need me to come up there and calm you down.” The bartender said seductively from behind the bar.

  The song changed and Beautiful was able to process what the bartender was saying and how she was saying it. She knew that her sister was a lesbian, so she flirted back a little with the bartender.

  “Girl I hurt my head so I can barely think straight. Just go ahead and fix me a shot right quick. It is so much going on, I need to calm my nerves.”

  Beautiful licked the salt off of the rim, took the shot and bit into the lime like a pro. She didn’t know where her sister’s office was so she just leaned up against the bar and took in the scenery while she came up with an idea on how to find out where the office was without walking around looking like she was out of place.

  The security guard walked up to her and asked her did she need anything. Beautiful played it off “I’m so frightened; can you accompany me to my office and look around just to make sure that everything is okay.”

  “Yes ma’am, I understand. I know that you are lost without Concrete; he is like your shadow. Well I’m here for you. Just let me know if you need anything.”

  He lead the way through the club to the back, it was an exit and an elevator. They got on the elevator and went up a floor. The elevator opened up into a very spacious office complete with everything a business person could want. The security guard walked in and looked around. He looked inside of something that Beautiful later found out was a small closet with a few outfits. He looked in the bathroom and then he came back out.

  “The coast is clear. Do you want me to stay here with you or are you straight?”

  “I’m fine, I won’t be staying long. I just had to come in and check on everything and make sure you guys were good and get something off of the computer and then I will be out of here. Thanks again.”

  Beautiful sat down at Gorgeous’ desk and powered on the Mac Book Air. “Shit!” She muttered to herself when she realized that it had a pass code on it. She closed the computer, got up and headed toward the elevator. Her eyes and ears had just sent her a text message telling her that there was no activity at Honesty’s building. Now was the time to use this to her advantage.

  __________

  Honesty snuggled up close to Gigi as they lay in her bed. The sun had long set and the picture window in her bedroom showed off the Atlanta skyline. They were both wiped out from this long ass day, and had fallen asleep right after they had arrived at Honesty’s apartment. They were out like a light as soon as their heads hit the pillow.

  This was the first time that Gigi had ever been over her house to spend the night. She was enjoying the time alone with her, even though her mind was a million miles away. Honesty’s head hurt from crying so much. She hated to see her brother in so much physical and emotional pain. Before they left the hospital, he had been sedated. They had to do his IVs over again because he had ripped them out in a rage.

  “I’m hungry, and I know you don’t have any food here. You’re over at my place all the time. This is a prime area, I know all the restaurants deliver here since you are so close to downtown and the college campus. Do you have any menus?”

  Gigi rolled over and faced Honesty. She really wanted a drink. She was still in shock from what had happened earlier and now she was in process mode trying to make heads or tails of it all and come up with a solution. Despite the fact that she wanted her sister dead for all the shit that she had done. That was still her sister and not only did they share the same blood, they shared the same face. Gorgeous knew that she was gonna have to call Handsome in on this. He was always the mediator between the two of them. Maybe he could talk some sense into his sister, cause if Gorgeous got in ‘I don’t give a fuck’ mode; there wasn’t going to be any more triplets, just a set of twins. Gorgeous and Handsome.

  Honesty got up and went to her kitchen. She looked around at the decor in her loft. It was beautiful. She had taken her time and picked out each piece with pride. The first thing that Gigi said when she walked in the first time was how her place was out of this world. On the stainless steel refrigerator she had menus for all the restaurants that delivered to her building. She looked at all of the different restaurants, there were so many to choose from. It was getting late so they didn’t need anything too heavy.

  She quickly found something that they both would like, there was a restaurant that sold chicken wings and Philly cheese steaks right around the corner. The food was pretty good and they had speedy delivery. Honesty padded across the dark hard wood floors in her underwear and bare feet and headed back toward her bedroom with the menu in hand.

  "Here you go baby, this restaurant has a lil' bit of everything." She handed Gigi the menu. She was on the phone deep in conversation with someone and had tears in her eyes.

  "Hand, wait a minute don’t cut me off let me finish telling you everything that is going on. That bitch is fucking up everybody’s lives and she is doing it from the shadows. Ain’t nobody seen hide nor hair of her. Right now the only thing that can’t be traced back to her is Killa's accident, but I ain’t putting shit past her. She is capable of all of the above. That bitch is the devil. Beautiful got a ticket on her head and I’m not the one who put it there. Concre
te is laid up in the hospital and they don’t know what is wrong with him. My Range and Honesty's Infinity are piles of melted metal. Come on now, you can’t be serious. You just want me to sit back and do nothing. Okay, I’m going to give her five days and I’m only doing it for you. Shit, it is still other muthafuckers that want her dead that I can’t stop. A phone call isn’t going to cut it; you need to get here now. Hard life blah, blah, blah. She ain’t the first to have a hard life and she isn’t going to be the last, but if she don’t stop fucking with the folks she fucking with, she will be taking her last breath and I’m not going to be able to stop them. Okay, Okay, love you too, see you soon.” Gigi ended the conversation with her brother and looked at the menu for a long time. She didn’t want Honesty to see her in such a vulnerable state. She pointed at a Philly chicken salad and handed her the menu back.

  Honesty took the menu and went into her living room to get her phone out of her purse. She placed the order over the phone and they told her that it would be there in fifteen to twenty minutes. She looked out of the floor length window and stared at the city that she loved with all of her heart. Right now she wanted to be so far away from it and all the pain that it was causing her and her loved ones.

  She heard Gigi’s footsteps as they approached. She came and stood behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled Honesty in close to her. They stayed like this in silence. Honesty felt Gigi’s hot tears hitting her on her shoulder but she didn’t say anything or turn around. She had learned a long time ago from her dad that sometimes just being there for a person is enough.

  “I’m about to go and take a shower while we wait for the food. I got to wash this dried blood out of my hair too. Is everything that I need in the bathroom?” Gigi pulled her arms from around Honesty’s waist but stayed standing behind her.

  “Yes look in the closet that is on the inside of the bathroom, everything that you need is right in there baby.” Honesty continued to stare at the skyline as she heard Gigi walk away.

  Right now she wished that she could find that bitch Beautiful and blow her damn brains out. That bitch was getting away with too much and if she was behind the car accident, that is exactly what Honesty planned on doing.

  Her phone rang; it was somebody at the security gate. She didn’t ask who it was; she just pressed the number nine, because she knew it was her food. Two minutes later, her buzzer on her control pad by her door went off. She pressed the button to hear the other end. It was the delivery man; she pressed the button that opened the bullet proof glass door at the front entrance. Her dad had stepped the security all the way up since the break-in.

  The next thing she knew her door bell was ringing. Honesty ran to her room and slipped on her silk Kimono and went back to the door with twenty-five dollars that she had gotten out of her purse. She turned around and got out another five dollars; she was always a generous tipper. The doorbell rang again and she hollered out “Wait a minute” as she twisted, turned and unchained the multiple locks that had been installed on her new steel door. She pulled the door open and her mouth dropped and so did the money from her hand.

  “Ho’ don’t act like you seen a ghost or you never seen my face before, it probably just came out your pussy.”

  Beautiful stepped over the delivery boy that she had knocked out by hitting him over the head with her pistol, walked in and closed the door.

  “Did I interrupt something? I see you guys decided to quit snacking on each other for a minute and get some actual nourishment.”

  She looked around for her sister, she didn’t see her but she did hear the shower running. Beautiful pointed the pistol at Honesty’s face and walked forward.

  “Let’s go tell my sister that her dinner is here.”

  “Honesty’s heart was pounding so fast; if she could just get to her pistol that she kept in the kitchen drawer or the one that was in her bedroom… She walked slowly toward the bathroom with Beautiful close on her heels and the gun to the back of her head. Honesty couldn’t believe how much they looked alike. The last time she had seen Beautiful she had her hair dyed platinum blond, with the black hair, they were mirror images.

  Gigi was in the shower and the bathroom was fogged up from the steaming hot shower she was taking. She had turned on the radio installed in the shower and she didn’t even hear anyone approaching. She had just finished rinsing the last of the conditioner out of her hair. She just wanted to eat and go to sleep.

  Gigi rushed to get out of the shower because she knew how Honesty thought. She would probably try to sneak in with her so they could have sex and right now sex was the farthest thing from her mind. She grabbed the towel from over the top of the shower door and wrapped her hair and dried her face as she stepped out of the shower dripping water on the Tiffany blue floor mats.

  She walked toward the counter in front of her, drying her eyes and reached for the towel that she knew she left there. Gigi didn’t feel anything so she took the towel off of her face. Her sister was standing there looking like her exact carbon copy right down to the clothing; with a gun to Honesty’s head and her towel in her other hand.

  “Miss me?” Beautiful asked her naked sister with her voice dripping with sarcasm as she threw her the towel.

  Acknowledgements

  All praise is due to my father in heaven who put this dream in me. A door was slammed in my face and you opened three other doors and fourteen windows. To my two beautiful children Christopher Mahlik and Cristany Mahliya, thank you for being the anchor that has kept me grounded and for giving mommy writing time. To my family the Price’s, the Gore’s & my extended family the Atchisons thank you for your continuous support. I love each and every one of you.

  To all of my friends who are closer than my family has been, My first friends….It’s so many of you let me just say C.M. Pitts and the “Stewart Click” that sums it. You know who you are. My Chicas, how can not mention you all? Cassie Evans, Nisha Fletcher, Kobie Andrews, Nicki Carter and Nikki Woodard, I love you girls and thanks for always being there and listening #MyWholeTeamWinning. The entire Zone 1 #30318 until the death of me, I have to represent for us. I can’t forget about Adamsville/Flatland, thanks for friendships and the lessons. Zone 3 welcomed me like I was one of their own, much love from Joyland to Summer Hill to Jonesboro Road and everything in between.

  Treasure Blue, I love you man, you have always been a call away or a click away answering questions or sending me in the right direction. Thanks you for your friendship, your knowledge, your encouragement and your continuous support. David Weaver, talk about right on time my brother, whew, it all started with a Shout out and it has been ON-GO since then. I appreciate everything, it is too much to list, thank you and much love. My Aquarius sister and “Literary Consultant” Sam Johnson-Bonsu girl what can I say? You have been here since the beginning of the ride, trained and ready to go. Words cannot convey the love I have for you doll. My cuz Kisha Price-Green, thanks doll for always being one click away with an answer. You just don’t know how much that has meant to me. To all my other author friends that I have made on Facebook I love each and every one of you. A special shout out to my lil sis, Jai Ni’chole and Allison Essence Williams (the know-it-alls, lol). Nakea Murray (the real know it all), I learned so much from her just by listening and watching. The entire APA fam, what an awesome group of people. All 4 ONE. Deborah Cardona aka Sexy, Treasure told me that you were someone that would love to help me and that is exactly what you have done, all the way from Spanish Harlem.

  Brittani Williams, my graphic artist. I told you my idea and sent you a few pictures and made the cover exactly as I envisioned. A Pretty Mess Graphic Boutique (www.apmgboutique.net) will definitely be getting a lot of business from me.

  My editor Tina Nance, when you made me cry on the phone in our first conversation I knew you were special. All I can say is that you and Perfect Prose Editing (www.perfectproseediting.com) will be having a lot of work from me, because this is just the beginning. Thank you for
doing your job and much more, but thank you also for being a friend….. This is the first of many baby girl!!!!

  My brothers from another that helped me through this, Quinton, Shy-Boogie (Da Real Coach K) Toe-Toe and Nard and Chico. I got nothing but love for you! Slimm babe, my dream has finally come true! Taji Aziz Amin my bestfriend, 12-12-12, LETS GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME BAE!!! If I forgot anyone charge it to my head not my heart….. I got you on the next go round! But if you are one of my Facebook fam or twitter followers consider yourself counted in!!!!