by April Nicole
“Call me another nigga, the next bullet gone land in your heart. Now give me those keys!” Delano demanded. He had his hand out, motioning Michael to hand him the key fob.
“Give you my key fob?”
“That’s what the fuck I said, now hand them bitches over.”
Michael did not want to hand over the keys to his red Camaro, so he hesitated to give it to him. Delano walked up and pistol whipped him until he surrendered. After taking another ass beating with a pistol, Kairo was not able to withstand watching Michael keep getting his ass beat. So, she decided to step in and break it up.
“Stop it! Stop it!” Kairo screamed as she watched Michael now turning purple and blue. He was looking like death was creeping up on him.
“You gone defend this whack ass nigga?” Delano questioned.
“What?” she said, confused. Why in the hell would he say that? she thought.
“You fucking heard me Kairo, take yo’ black ass back in the house!” Delano ordered. She didn’t listen to him; she still tried her hardest to break them apart. Delano noticed she was ignoring him and stopped beating on Michael, letting him go after taking his key fob out his hands. “What the fuck is you doing?” Delano asked as they headed back inside the house. “You don’t ever fucking listen to me! Do you not trust me?” he yelled at Kairo as he closed the door behind them.
“You damn right, I don’t trust your ass!” Kairo yelled back, folding her arms across her chest. She could see the irritation building up in Delano’s face. He was disgusted with the thought of her doing the same thing his mother did to his father—well, the only man he knew as his father.
“What bitch? You sound fucking stupid. You got some nerve talking about you don’t trust me. You the one out here fucking and sucking other niggas, getting pregnant and shit.” Delano was now furious with Kairo. He simply remembered when his father James would slap his mother if she crossed the line, and Kairo was borderline on her way to crossing that line.
“What the fuck you just called me?” Kairo slowly started walking towards Delano.
“I called, you a bi—”
“You’re the b—itch!” Kairo stuttered as she picked up the heavy glass vase of flowers that was sitting on the table in the dining room and aimed it at Delano’s head. He ducked so quickly, it missed his head by a couple inches, hitting the accent wall made of green and turquoise tiles. The glass from the vase shattered all over the wall behind him, and water and rocks crashed onto the floor. She couldn’t believe the words that were escaping her lips. “Call me out my name one more time!”
“Bitch, fuck you!” Delano said, snapping and walking up on Kairo, choking her. He was choking her so tightly she could feel herself losing consciousness. “You’re mine! The fuck, you have my last name, you fucking better start listening to me!”
“Yo!! You’re killing her. Let her go!” Malachi said, pulling his father’s strong hold off her neck. He just so happened to hear the glass vase shattering and the yelling between them, and came to see what was going on. If it hadn’t been for Malachi being nosy, she would have been dead. Kairo coughed and wheezed as she tried to regain her breath. She didn’t expect him to snap on her like this.
“What the hell has gotten into you? You just—just tried to kill me!” Kairo kept coughing, grunting and gasping for air. She didn’t know Delano needed an outlet, someone to talk to. This whole James not being his biological father and Cali being his blood sister was fucking with him. He seriously needed someone to talk to.
“Next time you let one of your flings come here, you or them won’t be breathing. You’re getting an abortion first thing in the morning.”
“But it’s Christmas, who gon’ do abortions on Christmas?” Kairo was sad she couldn’t keep the baby. Who would want to keep a baby that was not their husband’s? Kairo didn’t give a flying fuck who was the father, she just wanted to have the baby. Fuck both those niggas. They weren’t shit to begin with, but they were the kind she attracted.
“Kairo, you are not going to have another man’s baby and have me raise it! You will not be making the same mistake my mother did with my father!” Delano said, unaware he’d revealed something about his past. He was furious thinking about finding out the truth about his own parents. That shit really fucked with his mind, making him become more and more abusive towards Kairo.
“Wait, what do you mean like your mother did your father?”
“Nothing, just make sure you get that abortion in the morning.”
“That’s fine Delano, I don’t mind getting the abortion,” Kairo said sadly and headed upstairs to their room. She was exhausted and couldn’t believe Delano snapped right before her eyes. “That nigga was gone kill me,” Kairo said out loud, holding her neck. He only hit her one time, and that’s when she got caught sleeping with Jimenez.
“I’m just gon’ sleep on the couch.” Delano peeked his head in the room and found Kairo crying. He was angry that Kairo would play him like a fucking fiddle. Although he knew she was already pregnant, she could have at least told him the truth. Instead, she lied, so now she must deal with the consequences.
Risking it all
The next morning, Kairo awoke to an empty side of the bed like she had done plenty of times before. So, this didn’t faze her not one bit. She sat up in bed and touched her neck, where Delano strangled her, and it was still sore. Delano ain’t never choked me like this, ever, not even when we are fucking, she thought. She got out the bed, slipped on her silk robe and made her way downstairs. Bingo! There he is. She heard indistinct chatter between Delano and another man that lured her attention to the kitchen. She crept around the corner and stopped on the outside of the doorway, eavesdropping on Delano’s conversation.
“Yea, I want him found and killed. That motherfucka got my wife pregnant,” Delano spoke to someone.
“You got his address?” the unfamiliar voice asked.
“Yea…” Delano said as his voice faded watching Kairo enter the kitchen.
“Good morning!” she said cheerfully, going into the fridge to pour her a glass of cold water. She was acting like she just didn’t hear him order a hit on Michael, which she didn’t want to happen so she would have to figure something out to warn him.
“You know what, meet me at Johnny’s warehouse in an hour,” Delano said, dismissing the man Kairo had never seen before.
“Who was that?” Kairo asked.
“None of your business,” Delano said with an attitude, giving Kairo the cold shoulder. She put her glass down and snapped her neck.
“Hold the fuck up, time out! You been talking to me all fucked up since last night.”
“Kairo, please don’t irritate me on Christmas. Go get your shit so we can go get this abortion.”
“Fuck that, why you talking to me stupid? I ain’t no hoe Delano, I’m your fucking wife!”
Delano ignored Kairo and continued to stare down at his phone. He didn’t give a damn what Kairo was talking about right now.
“Alright, then fuck you!” Kairo screamed, walking back over to the fridge to put the jug of water back. She didn’t know Delano still wasn’t feeling the fact she lied about the baby. So, he simply walked over to where Kairo was and slapped her while she was drinking her water. She gasped, dropping the glass of water, and held her stinging cheek.
“I told you to stop giving me so much fucking lip. You claiming to be my wife, stop being a whore and go get your shit!”
Kairo’s anger was boiling at this point. She slapped Delano’s ass right back and it took him by surprise. She huffed as she left out the kitchen to get ready. Finally making it upstairs, she ran the hot water before stepping inside. Something is seriously wrong with Delano. He hardly hits me, she thought to herself as she scrubbed her skin with Dial Spring Water body wash.
She stepped out the shower, wiping the fog from the mirror. “What the fuck did I get myself into?” Kairo asked herself as she stared back at her reflection. She thought back on the day she
and Delano met. He was some lame ass tow truck driver trying to get her attention, so he faked towing her vehicle. He then stalked her and found out her place of work, just to tell her to meet him at some damn grand opening.
Knock! Knock!
Delano knocked before entering the bathroom, and he found Kairo standing in front of the foggy mirror.
“Hey, baby I’m sorry,” he said.
He calling me baby? Kairo cut the eye at him like they just didn’t slap the cowboy shit out of each other. “What?” Kairo shrugged her shoulders. “Are you are coming in here to slap me again?”
“Listen, I’m sorry about that, but you should really learn to listen to me. It will never happen again, I promise.” Delano kissed Kairo’s cheek and laid some money on the sink. “I got to make a run for the cartel. Here is $2000 in cash to take care of that. And stop looking so sad, I still love you, just not gon’ raise another man’s child.”
“You are aware that I’m not going to be able to drive myself back?”
“Yea, that’s why you’re not going to be driving. I already made arrangements for you to see my aunt in the south. She will get rid of your little problem without surgery.”
“The Voodoo queen?”
“Yes, Malachi and Liv will keep you company as you travel.”
“Why can’t you ever be there with me? I need you—”
“If I don’t work, then we don’t eat,” Delano said, cutting Kairo off. “Besides, you knew about this life before you decided you were going to spend the rest of your life with me.”
Kairo didn’t say another word, she just nodded her head and continued to get dressed. She wasn’t feeling the weather today. It had been cold all winter. She was ready to pull out her spring clothes.
“Can you be ready by 12?” Delano asked, walking into the room. Kairo just nodded as she struggled fitting into her PINK jogging suit. Apparently, she gained weight because she was barely getting her pants over her hips.
“Shit!” Kairo said, finally getting her pants over her hips. “Delano, do you really love me?”
“Of course, I do,” he replied. “What kind of shit is that to ask?”
“It just seems like when I need you there for me you run to the streets.”
“I stay in the streets, so you won’t have to walk in them. Come on Kairo, you know I love you.” Delano held Kairo in his arms.
“You can’t love me. How do you leave and abuse the person you say you love?” Kairo’s feelings were hurt. She lost her entire family because of him and she had no one else, only Delano.
“Baby, I will make it up to you, I promise.”
“Ok.”
Delano lifted Kairo’s chin and kissed her soft lips. She was already too deep in love with him to turn back now. Just like when she found herself in troubling situations, she was willing to risk it all, and that’s what she did. Love had her fucking blind to the bullshit Delano was doing to her.
“Come on, let’s get you in the car,” Delano said, breaking the silence. He helped Kairo get inside the chauffeur’s black Town Lincoln. “Y’all enjoy the trip, and Merry Christmas.”
“Driver, can you make one stop please?” Kairo requested, not aware the chauffeur was told to report any extra stops. Delano knew she overheard him earlier and wanted to test his own wife. And she failed significantly, just like that.
“Sure, Madam, to where would you like to go?” the chauffeur asked. Kairo pulled out her phone and gave him the address to Michael’s penthouse.
“Where we going?” Malachi asked.
“Sit back and relax for me,” Kairo responded.
As they were driving to Michael’s penthouse, Kairo stared out the window and a flashback came to her mind.
“You said, you will give me anything,” she reminded Michael of his words, and he nodded in agreement. “Can you pretend to love me?” she asked. Just like that, he was speechless. Michael didn’t have an answer. He leaned forward and kissed her on her soft lips. He didn’t need to pretend, he always wanted to be with Kairo since he first laid eyes on her at work a year ago. He could see a life with her, and that’s why he chose to pursue her.
“Wow, I wasn’t expecting that!” She kissed Michael back, but her body was trembling. She’d never lain with anyone outside her race before. This was something new for her to experience, and this was about to be one of the best experiences of her life with him.
Michael picked Kairo up and took her to his bedroom, laying her down on her back on his red, silk sheets on his king-size, pillow-top mattress he’d recently purchased from Beauty Rest. He planted soft kisses on her neck down to her collar bone, removing her dress with his teeth.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” Michael asked as he looked into her eyes.
She nodded, yes.
He gently caressed and sucked on her soft skin. She smelled like warm vanilla and honeysuckle, which was his favorite scent to smell on a woman. He began making a trail of wet kisses down to her breasts, sucking on both nipples gently. She arched her back, while each nipple went in and out of his mouth. His tongue danced ferociously around the areolas, sending tiny tingles up her spine. He slowly moved down past her navel, removing her pink cotton panties, exposing her beautiful shaved pussy that was shaped into a mohawk. The sight of her well-shaved pussy and the sweet smell turned him on. He spread her legs wide and began to suck on her clit.
“Uuuuhhh,” she moaned loudly as she grinded on Michael’s face. This was something new for him. He never had someone dance on his face before. He was amused at how delicately she moved her hips in a circular motion. She gripped his head as he went further down, licking her ass. “Wait a minute!!!” she screamed, but Michael kept going as he stroked his very hard penis.
“You ready for this?” Michael asked Kairo as he grabbed the golden wrapper out his nightstand. She nodded. She had no clue what Michael was working with. He strapped his condom on and entered Kairo.
“OOOHHH, WHAT THE FUCKKK!” she yelled as she felt all of Michael’s 11 inches inside her stomach. She wasn’t expecting him to be blessed down there; she thought he was average. “Michael, can you say you love me?”
“I love you,” Michael said as he continued to make love to her.
“Ma’am, Ma’am,” the chauffeur called out to Kairo, but she was still heavy in her thoughts.
“Kairo!” Malachi called out, shaking her out her trance.
“Oh, huh?” Kairo said, waking out her trance.
“We have reached the destination. Would you like to get out here and I park elsewhere?” the chauffeur asked with a slight attitude. He had been trying to get her attention for the last two minutes.
“Oh, I’ll just get out here. Malachi, y’all stay right here,” Kairo said as she exited the vehicle. She walked quickly into the lobby and onto the elevators to Michael’s penthouse. As she was walking, she noticed his door was wide opened. This is awkward! Michael never has his door wide open, she thought.
“Michael!” Kairo called out, but got nothing. She kept walking and looking in each room, until finally she saw a stiff body lying on the floor in the kitchen. “OH MY GOD!” she screamed.
Fuck You
I throw that ass back to see if he gon' catch it
I ain't athletic, but it's tennis for the necklace, yeah
Ayy, where that cash at? I stack it like Tetris
Real gutter bitch, real plugs and connections
First I make him eat it 'til he lockjaw
Give it to him good, knock a nigga socks off, uh
I run it up, they busy running they mouth
I'm a real ass, rich ass bitch from the Souf, yeah, yeah
- Mulatto
* * *
Johnny stood over the glass balcony watching the women dancers dance to “B*tch from the Souf” by Mulatto in Delano’s club. He took a sip from his Crown Royal Apple drink and contemplated how he was going to kill Kairo. First, he had to get closer to Delano and kill him so he could get to Kairo. What
ever he did, Delano wouldn’t see it coming. Johnny flashed a wicked smile as he thought about the sinister murder he was going to commit as an act of revenge for the senseless murder of his sister California.
“To what do I owe this pleasure of you wanting to meet me here?” Delano asked as he walked up to Johnny, interrupting his thoughts. Johnny turned around and admired Delano’s attire. He had on a red Nike Jogging fit with some all-black forces and a gold chain that draped around his soft neck. The cologne Delano wore was Dior, which made Johnny’s dick jump. He knew damn well he wasn’t attracted to this man, but the scent turned him on.
“I want to talk about the first shipment that is due in the city. You think Kairo is ready to open the shop?” Johnny asked, swishing what was left of his Crown Royal Apple drink in the half-empty glass in his hand. He had to focus on anything else besides his dick right now.
“Yea, Chronic will be running according to schedule,” Delano replied, waving the shot girl down and taking a shot of Hennessey from her tray. “Why you ask?”
“I want to make sure we good on the drugs. It’s the first of the month. Crackheads get they check and be ready to buy. We got a steady income rolling in, and we need to keep it that way. At least that’s what I want to do.”
“Yea, she will be ready. She just doesn’t know the boutique is for cleaning money.”
“Well, that is always good. So, listen…” Johnny paused, turning his whole body towards Delano and leaning up against the glass balcony. “When you gone let me see my nephew?”
“Can I trust you around my son?” Delano automatically jumped to conclusions because he was the same motherfucka that killed his four-year-old. Although they were family, Delano still couldn’t trust him fully around his son, whether Johnny was his brother or not. Johnny still wasn’t aware that Delano was his oldest brother. This was some shit that hadn’t hit the fan yet.