“I don’t think we were done for you to just up and walk away like that.” Mike pushed my bedroom door open and invited himself in. I was so caught up in calculating the money I’d premade in my mind that I hadn’t even heard his heavy footsteps making thuds across our raggedy wooden floors.
“Naw, it wasn’t like that, Mike. I just thought I’d let family business be just that.” I smiled leaning back onto my bed, letting him know by the look in my eyes I was interested in picking up right where we’d left off.
“Don’t play games with me, Cori baby, that camel toe looking like love to a nigga.” He licked his lips, easing his way near me after shutting my bedroom door.
“You just don’t know how bad I’ve been wanting to get with you,” I revealed as I uncrossed my caramel legs inviting him toward my needing body.
I began to feel slightly uncomfortable about myself as he stood in front of my bed staring at my frame from head to toe. Mike didn’t know, but he had a hold over me and I was starting to fall in love. “Stop thinking,” he demanded, as if he’d read my mind. “I like to see what I’m about to do and study my prey.”
Thrown off by his ego but turned on by his attempt to let me in on his so-called stamina, I was yearning for him inside of my walls even more. He knelt down onto my purple Target comforter and began kissing my feet and rubbing on my thighs. The slightest touch was sending tingles through my mind. I tilted my head back and enjoyed as he massaged my legs, inner thigh, and belly button with his tongue. As his finger reached my clitoris, it was a repeat like last night: an Aquafina flow. “I see you’re wet for me,” he said, before plunging his tongue into my pussy as he still managed to finger fuck me. I was grinding myself into his face as he reached up and spread my legs into the butterfly position. My moans got louder as he continued to eat me out, dining like this was his last meal. “Damn you taste so sweet,” he murmured, then wiped the mouthful of cream I’d left him with over my comforter. Unzipping his pants, I jumped up eager to return the favor but was flipped over with the quickness. “Naw, not just yet.”
Mike brought orgasm after orgasm ramming his black monster inside of me with no holding back. He was relentlessly fucking me like a beast; and I was loving it. I continuously screamed his name over and over again until he finally decided to release his cum all over my back. I felt it run down my ass and crack but didn’t care. He could have me however and whenever he liked. I flipped over and spread-eagle out on my back while resuscitating his dick back to life with an infamous jack job. It took no time to get him back up. This time I rode him for what seemed like a lifetime until he tossed me over nutting all over my stomach. Mike had that work and that’s why I was sprung over him. Once done I knew the drill so I got up and put on my robe to get washed up and get him a warm, soapy washcloth.
When I went back into the room Mike was on the phone making plans to “be through there in a minute,” which deflated me more than I hoped my faced showed ’cause I wanted another session with him. I hated our dynamic, always a “hit it quick” type of thing.
“Come here, baby girl.” He motioned for me to come into his arms realizing I was in the room looking salty. Either that or he was busted treating me like a trick. Regardless I rushed over to him, giving him the warm, wet cloth. As he washed himself off and dried the moistness with my sheets, he pulled me by the waist over to him pushing my face toward his dick. “Now it’s time for you to return the favor.”
I guessed I had no choice but to give him the mouth, so I obliged and swallowed every drop of semen he let out, salty and all.
“So was that Alyssa on the phone? Was I just filling in while she was getting her braces tightened or something?” Taking a shot at her, I was sure Mike no longer speculated about me being jealous. It was written all over my face.
“You’re crazy than a motherfucker, Cori, you know that?” Wiping the saliva and cum from his semi-hard dick, he stood up putting on his boxers.
“Don’t leave this room or send me on no duck chase, Mike. You did this same slick shit last night.” Right now I was showing my whole hand but didn’t care. He had to know that my swag could match his swag, if only he’d be the one to wife and upgrade me. “Why have you been dissing me for Alyssa?”
“You really need to do something about your self-esteem. If every piece of ass I stick my meat into is gonna bother you, fucking with me might not be the way you want to keep going.” Mike’s words were brutal as he cut up the relationship my small mind thought we were building on.
“You and I both know I ain’t going nowhere. So the question still stands, was that Alyssa or not?” Falling back onto the pillow, I was exasperated with trying to get the truth out of him.
“You drive a hard bargain with your ghetto ass. Not like it’s any of your business real talk, but yeah, that was her.”
“Straight up? That’s how you gonna keep playing me? You’re treating me like an appetizer but that ho like an entrée.” Now sitting up pulling the sheet over my naked body, for the first time I was starting to feel less than inferior. Thinking back on the pictures from Instagram, then seeing her live and in person at the party, Alyssa modeled everything I hated: a preppy, had-it-all, tailored female who once again had it better than me.
“Yeah, that was her but that ain’t nothing for you to be worrying about, Cori. Like I told you last night, me and her get down with business. Ain’t no thang that I stick my rod up in her from time to time, so don’t go all gangster on me blowing my spot up.” Now getting fully dressed, I could tell Mike knew he’d fucked up by telling the truth. But nothing said could be undone.
“What type of work she doing for you that I can’t?” Instantly getting defensive, I jumped up ready to prove my point. Grabbing the bags of personal items including drawers, undershirts, socks, soap, deodorant, lotion, and even toothpaste, I dumped them onto the bed folding my arms like a little kid. “And here’s your money from the gift cards I’ve already sold plus a few outfits from Macy’s. That high-class-looking Alyssa broad ain’t out here rough hauling in the streets like me. I ain’t got a single bill left.” Mike needed to see that I was on his level enough to play my role efficiently. How dare he continue to dog me when we could be getting down together?
Picking up the few items, he threw them back down onto the bed showing me they were meaningless. “You think this is some top-notch queen shit to do, C? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate you looking out for ya mans so no disrespect, but this is toddler-level shit compared to what Alyssa’s been putting me down with.”
“Then why are you here, nigga? If I can’t do no real big girl shit for you, then bang the door down on your way out.” Hotter than fish grease, I swiped everything from on top of my bed onto the floor. I was in rare form about to throw a massive tantrum. “I can’t wait to see that trick again though. I’m gonna cut into her like I should have at the party. You can’t have your cake and eat it, too, nah.”
Yoking me up, he shoved me up against the wall. “Me and you get down with what we do but you ain’t about to back me into the corner about no chick I’m banging. Any girl I get down with is off-limits, especially Alyssa. Let me find out you went at her and I’m on your head in a major way. Play your role, baby girl. Do you understand?”
The writing was on the wall. Maybe Nique had a point about him not coming off the streets for me. Damn, maybe I’m just as naïve as her. I hated feeling like a basic bitch.
“Yeah, I got it, Money Mike. Have it your way, I understand.”
“Cori. Corielle.”
My eyes got wide hearing my girl scream. I grimed Mike one last time letting him know I was highly disgusted then ran out of the room to see what Nique was screaming about.
Chapter Eleven
Ta’Nique
My phone hadn’t stopped getting messages from Vic since Mike put him out of the gambling party. They ranged from him asking for us to be able to sit and talk things out to promising to crack my cranium open. Not knowing what field h
e was playing in from one minute to the next, I kept any response I had to myself. It was a new day so that meant trapping to get new money. Almost everything from Macy’s had been sold plus the credit cards Cori ordered had arrived. Once Mike left I was sure we’d be back hitting the streets. I was more than happy to stay busy with hustles so I wouldn’t have to worry about the baby in my stomach.
Hood traffic was deep but everyone was posted up shooting dice, on the porch in pointless conversations, or sleeping their afternoon buzzes off. I took pictures of the merchandise we had left then put them up on Facebook for anyone interested to inbox me. In just one hour we’d made nearly $300 on stuff we didn’t spend one dollar on. No matter how much we made, the greed imbedded in my soul wanted to make more.
Sipping on an ice-cold lemonade with my shades down blocking the sun, I was trying to map out my next plan. Things had been so hectic over the last few days that I hadn’t been able to put anything into a clear perspective. One thing was for sure, though, I needed money badly so I couldn’t take a rest on grinding. Making a Textgram that I’d be doing all hairstyles for ten dollars off starting Monday, my notifications were already blowing up with potential appointments. I jumped up quickly to grab my appointment book but swung around at the commotion that had just pulled up.
“Cori. Corielle.” Yelling as loud as I could for my girl to get out here, I wasn’t a coward by far but knew for sure I couldn’t handle the gang of girls jumping out of Tasha’s car.
“What up, Nique? I heard you had a message for me.” Now out of the driver’s seat walking toward the porch, Tasha was tough and cocky, totally different from yesterday.
“Yeah, the same message I had when you ran up out of here on that BFF bullshit yesterday,” I snapped, turning around fronting her off. “But fuck the past ’cause I see you’re here now.” Letting her know I wasn’t about to back down, she could’ve brought an additional carload of three more bat-carrying girls and still have a battle on her hands.
Tasha was dressed in tight black leggings, a spaghetti-string baby tee, and gym shoes with her super-glue weave wrapped up in a pink scarf. I snatched off my earrings and Chanel shades then, slipping off my sandals, I was ready to square up with my ex knock-off best friend. “Bring it, bitch, let’s box.”
“It’s whatever. I’m about to box that bastard baby up out ya ass.”
That’s all I needed to hear before I went bat shit crazy, running off the porch and into the girl who was standing in between Vic’s and my happy family. She’d probably been the one in his ear getting him to flip on me in the first place. Tasha had come to fight but ended up getting her ass whopped instead. Punching her dead in the nose, I instantly drew blood but continued lay haymakers disfiguring her otherwise cute face. “I bet you won’t pop up over here again. I’ll kill you, Tash.” My fist was stinging so I switched hands and in the process took a few blows to the jaw myself. Tasha wasn’t going down easy, but trust her ass had no other choice but to get knocked out. Her team must’ve known Tasha wasn’t coming back from the beating I was putting on her. They jumped in pulling my hair and arms. It was hard trying to fight one on three as Tasha wildly kicked toward my midsection. Where in the fuck is my team?
“Get up off my girl. Mike, grab the pistol, it’s crazy out here.”
I finally heard Cori run out of the house. And that’s when one of Tasha’s friends took her last and final chance to knock me upside the head before Cori snatched her to the ground. Stomping blood from her mouth, I took my chance at revenge kicking her head like a Nerf ball. The other girl took off running up the block screaming for help when Mike bust shots into the air. “G’on and take Tasha out; I’m on that runner’s head.” Cori jumped in Tasha’s car and took up flying up the street.
“Bring that motherfucking car back, yamp,” Tasha yelled trying to run toward her car but was slowed down to a limp. Cori had bent the corner and you could hear screams piercing through the air of the girl who had come with Tasha. Ol’ girl had it coming for coming to jump me.
Tasha fell to the pavement after I knocked her in the back of the head twice. Me and Cori weren’t playing but all three of them deserved what they had coming for popping up on our territory. I swooped my sundress up between my legs like a lady and sat down on top of Tasha. I was getting ready to enjoy every moment of this twisted retaliation. The fight had turned into a massacre and the point I was about to prove was gonna be brutal. Her hair was matted and covered in blood as I continued to slam her cranium into the ground.
“So you came to do what? Box what baby out of me, bitch? You better tell Vic to send some real goons.”
“Get the fuck up off that tramp, Nique.” Mike aggressively snatched me off of Tasha.
Getting up was nothing, I’d already beat her limp. There was nothing else to but hawk up a big glob of saliva on her. “This is from my unborn.” Smiling in a few of the cameras, every fight in the hood went viral so this would be no different. I didn’t care though ’cause I wanted everyone to see why I wasn’t to be tested. Something told me Tasha wasn’t going to be the only girl Vic sent this way or who wanted to try me because I was nesting his seed. I saw that Cori had just bent the corner on foot once I looked up the street. She was walking like she had no worries, her shirt had been ripped and her hair was a mess. I hoped she hadn’t gotten dealt with helping to fight my battles. “You straight, my baby?”
“Hell yeah, that bitch begged me to back down.”
Mike was clearing the scene of nosey neighbors who had crowded around with their camera phones out. Some had gotten away with merchandise that was already stolen but with the focus on the brawl going on, no one even noticed. Holding our ground, we propped up on the porch daring them to cross the line again.
“Come back on this block again and I’m gonna do more than kick your head into the sewer, bitch. You ain’t got no business around here from today forward,” Cori yelled up the street to the girl she chased around the corner.
The girl had gotten into the driver’s seat of Tasha’s car and was pulling back up the block to get her girls up off the ground. A few of the young boys on the block helped drag them into the car per Mike’s orders. They had the block hot no doubt so our illegal yard sale had to shut down. I couldn’t help but send Vic a few pictures of Tasha as the obvious losers of the battle me and him should have been fighting.
Let that bitch Tasha know if anything happens to our baby, I’ll kill her dead. I meant that to the depth of my soul and I hope Vic sensed that once the message went through.
“Hey, Nique, tell ya girl Cori I’m outside.”
Mike looked Wally up and down before getting into his truck pulling off in the same direction as Tasha just went in.
Chapter Twelve
Cori
Not seeing my phone plugged up to the charger how I left it, I scrambled fast looking for it. I cherished my phone like my child so I kept up with it better than I did myself at times. Mike must’ve gotten to it. That wasn’t good ’cause I knew there were messages in there from Wally. He might’ve been up front and out in the open about him being a whore with chicks and females; but I didn’t want my personal sex life out there, especially when it wasn’t even like that. Finally finding it tossed on the floor in the corner, I swiped it up instantly hot pissed ’cause that nigga had cracked my screen probably throwing it there. Really? But I can’t go hard about Alyssa?
“Hey, girl, Wally is outside,” Nique said, standing in the doorway.
“What the fuck? Are you serious?” With all that just went down, I totally forgot about him saying he’d be through here. “And where’s Mike?”
“Whoa, slow down. Yes, I’m serious. And Mike is gone.”
Rolling my eyes into the back of my head, I knew for sure he’d been through my phone and saw the messages between me and Wally. Just my luck this nigga popping up while he was here. I should’ve gone to pay him before trying to pig out on some Coney Island. “Thanks, boo. Let him know I’ll be out in a mi
nute.”
“No problem. And thanks for helping me scrap with them bitches. I can’t believe they blew up our spot like that.”
“Girl, we’re one hundred, I’m always gonna have your back. But that nigga Vic is bad news. He sent that trick Tasha here and no doubt they’ll probably be trying to retaliation. Or at last a round two.”
“I feel you, but it’s bittersweet for me ’cause I ain’t trying to be like my momma getting back-to-back abortions like my body or babies ain’t worth shit.” Nique dropped her head finally exposing her dilemma.
“That’s real admirable of you, Ta’Nique, but are you seriously debating bringing a baby into all of this chaos? I mean come on, what we gonna do, train the kid up to be hot-headed thief? Are you gonna send invites for your baby shower out on CrimeInTheD?” I knew I was being cutthroat and harsh but me and Nique shared too much for me to keep giving her space to make this dumb decision.
“Bitches can change. But I ain’t for you, Mike, Vic, Tasha, or whoever else who is full opinions about me killing this baby.” Nique actually had the audacity to look hurt.
“I ain’t trying to leave you out here like a wounded dog; it really ain’t like that, friend.” Sliding on my shirt, I walked over and gave her a tight hug. I hated seeing her going through all of this, especially knowing the emotional ties were pulling at her heart ’cause she only wanted to outsmart, outlive, and be a better person than her momma had been.
“I’m gonna be straight,” Nique said and pulled back, making sure she didn’t get caught up in the moment crying. “Wally didn’t look too happy so you better get outside.”
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