by T. Styles
“Calm down,” he said groping my thigh roughly. “You getting something out of this too. Be proud of it.”
“You better chill, man,” Camp said. “You know Race a killer now. She don’t play that shit like she used to. She’s all woman.”
“Leave the nigga alone,” Dukes said eating a cucumber. “Finish telling me how you got it made, Ramirez.”
I looked over at Dukes. My stare was long and hard. He didn’t know it but tonight would be his last night on earth.
“It’s like this,” Ramirez said taking the stage again. “Every night when I come home my wife allows me to stick my dick into her and then Carey. Not one of you niggas over here got it like that.”
I was so mad I put my hand on my gun and was about to hit my own husband across the temple. I was easing it out of my jeans until Carey placed her warm hand over mine.
“Don’t do it,” she whispered.
Instead of hitting him, I jumped up from the table and walked toward the bathroom. Carey, who made it clear that she was in my corner over Ramirez’s followed me.
I pushed the door open and paced the bathroom floor. I felt like committing murder. But what was I mad for? I guess part of me was mad because he played Carey and me in front of them niggas. But the other part of me was mad at how he was putting Carey on display. Before Ramirez left if he did something like this I would’ve never been so mad at him. What was happening to me now?
Carey, who was wearing this banging ass tight fitting red dress, walked over to me and stopped my motions. “I love you,” she said softly. Her breath smelled like strawberries.
“I’m not feeling this nigga right now,” I said breathing heavily.
“That nigga you talking about is your husband.”
“I know who he is and I still don’t give a fuck.”
Carey gripped me and pushed me lightly toward the mirror. I was staring at my reflection. I was wearing tight jeans, a tight black shirt and my Jimmy Choo high heels but I felt like a killer.
“Look at yourself. Why are you letting him get to you?”
“Because he trying to play me.” I said talking to her reflection. “He still think I’m the bitch he met before he left. But I’m different now.”
“I know but he’s a man, Race. They do dumb shit.”
“So I’m supposed to give him a pass?” I paused. “I mean he’s out there bragging like I’m letting him do him in this relationship.”
“But you are,” she said.
“It ain’t like that. I don’t want people thinking that I allow him to fuck just any old bitch. You in our scenario because I love you and the minute I feel like shit changed you’d be gone.”
She looked down and I felt bad but it was the truth. “Wow.” She walked away from me. “That hurt.”
I walked over to her. “I didn’t mean it like that.” I rubbed her arm. “You know how I feel about you. I show you every day. Financially and emotionally.”
She sighed. “I hope that’s true, Race, because I don’t know where I would be without you in my life.”
“Let’s not think about that.”
She wiped her hand down her face. “Race, this entire night is getting out of control. What do we care what other people think about our thing? You’re both millionaires and you deserve the life you want even if that means having me in it. If other people can’t understand it, that’s on them.” She placed her hand on my face. “Plus I don’t want you letting Ramirez think this relationship is about him. You’re the queen and king in my book. Now let’s walk back out there and remind that nigga.”
Damn she knew what to say to me.
“Give me a second.” I grabbed my phone out of my pants and called Sarge. When he answered I said, “When you done with them bitches I need you to roll on Dukes. I want him dead by the morning.”
“Got it.”
I hung up and stuffed my phone back in my pocket.
Carey stood in fear. “Wow, I better never get on your bad side.”
I winked, kissed her on the lips and walked back outside to join the fellas. When we got to the table Ramirez was just as loud and ridiculous as he was before I left. He was now on the story of how Carey licked both of our asses clean one night.
I sat next to him and exhaled, while trying to keep a straight face. Dukes was smiling at me until I frowned, forcing him to redirect his gaze.
“Ramirez is right,” Carey said to everyone at the table after sipping her wine. “There ain’t nothing I wouldn’t do for them, including fulfilling every one of their needs. It’s the only thing I want to do in life.”
“And the rich get richer,” Camp said with a slight attitude.
“But Ramirez is wrong about one thing,” Carey continued jokingly. “I’m Race’s toy and he’s just along for the ride.”
Both Camp and Dukes busted out laughing but Ramirez looked at me as if I were the enemy who just stole his bitch. I winked at him and waived the waiter over to refill my drink.
“Leave the bottle,” I told him before he left. “It’s a celebration.”
CHAPTER THREE
DENIM
One part of my tatted up body was lying on the large beach towel while the other part rested on the hot sand. Bradley eased over me, looked into my eyes and kissed me deeply. I still can’t believe after all of these years that our love never waned. Not for one minute.
I had been looking forward to this getaway for weeks. After much planning and preparation we were finally in the Bahamas where we used the time to reconnect and work on our marriage.
When he came back to me, after being gone for so long, there was so much going on at the Kennedy compound that it was bringing down our moods. If Scarlett and Camp weren’t arguing, Kevin and Bambi were fussing about the business and the fact that no one seemed to care about his aunt Bunny’s murder. The only one in the house who seemed to be at peace, outside of me, was Race. I’m pretty sure though it had everything to do with the freaky relationship she had going on with Ramirez and Carey.
The tension in the household was exactly why we decided to bounce for a little while. After I took care of business with the Pretty Kings Empire and we arranged for my mother to watch Jasmine, my hubby and me booked a flight and didn’t tell anyone until we landed.
“Denim, I don’t know if I told you lately but I’m going to always be in your corner,” he said wiping my blue dreads backwards while looking into my eyes. “I know how hard it is for you to juggle the responsibilities of being a mother and what you do with the Pretty Kings Empire. But you doing a great job.”
“Baby, it’s nothing.”
“Now we both know that’s not true. But you do make it look easy,” he smiled. “I just wanted you to know that no matter what, I’m here. There’s nothing more important to me in this world than my wife. I don’t take your strength lightly, Denim. You a soldier.”
I blushed. “I’m just glad that from the moment you asked me to run away with you, you did right by me. I don’t know where or what my life would be without you.”
“You don’t have to be glad. It’s my responsibility as a man.”
“I know, but it’s one of the reasons I love you even more. You asked me to marry you and you stayed true.”
With everything that was going on I was happy and overwhelmed at the same time. I exhaled. Life was good for me and I should be grateful, but I still felt somewhat empty inside.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked me with a serious expression.
“Nothing.”
He sat next to me. “Denim, the keeping secrets life ain’t for us. In this marriage we keep it real with one another. You know that. Now tell me what’s wrong. Let me help you work shit out.”
I sat up and looked at the ocean crashing against the yellow sand. “I’m worried about my mother. Lately she been reckless and been letting niggas run up in her like trains in a New York subway station.”
“That ain’t nothing different. Your mom loves the fellas.”
“I know. But the other day I stopped by the house and saw some creepy nigga there who wouldn’t say hi. When I asked her who he was she didn’t come clean. It was like she was hiding something.”
“What do you think it is?”
I looked over at him. “I think she may be prostituting herself.”
Bradley laughed and it made me angrier. Wasn’t shit about what I said laughable. “What’s funny?”
“Wet-Wet,” he said brushing my face with the back of his hand. “Sarah been fucking niggas off buck for a minute now.”
Bradley calls me Wet-Wet because he said he never met a bitch who had a wetter pussy than mine. And since he was with my sister Grainger before he got with me, I took it as a compliment. Even though to hear her tell it, it was just a matter of time before he went back to her.
“That’s some real foul shit to say about my mother, Bradley.” I buried my feet into the damp sand. “I know you don’t like her, but she’s still my mother and she needs me.”
“Do you really think your mother’s lifestyle is dangerous?”
“Yes, Bradley! What do you think I been saying all along?”
“I hear you but I’m confused. If you really concerned then why is our daughter over her house right now?” I turned away from him and he directed my chin so that my eyes were looking into his. “Don’t turn away from me. Jasmine shouldn’t be there if you think it’s unsafe.”
I sighed. “My mother got problems but she not hurting the baby.”
“That ain’t answering my question, Denim. You know what kind of man I am so I’m gonna need you to be clearer. Why is she there if you don’t trust her? Are you that pressed for a sitter? Because we could’ve gotten anybody else to do it.”
“I let her go over there because my mom says we’re keeping Jasmine from her. That’s her grandbaby and she has a right to get to know her.”
He shook his head. “Jasmine wouldn’t recognize your mother if she was holding a nametag.”
“Because Jasmine is autistic?” I asked with an attitude.
“No, because your mother isn’t necessarily the motherly kind.” He paused. “Anyway she doesn’t have any rights, Denim.”
I frowned. “So because there ain’t no law she shouldn’t be able to see her? What kind of shit is that?”
“You know I ain’t saying that shit. I’m just saying there ain’t no law saying we gotta let her see our daughter. And that any time she does share with Jasmine she better cherish. What you need to understand is that I’ll do anything to protect you and my daughter. And if that means not letting her go with your mother to keep her safe then so be it. Now is she safe over there or not?”
“Of course, Bradley. My mother would never let anything happen to Jasmine.”
“For your sake I hope not.”
I turned around and faced him. “So you threatening me now?”
“It ain’t about threatening. I will hurt anybody who hurts either of you, and that goes for blood relatives too.”
“You don’t care about my mother do you?”
“Who don’t care about your mother?” he pointed at himself. “Didn’t I just drop five stacks on her gastric bypass surgery? I care about her but not at the expense of my kid or my family.”
When my phone rang I took it out of the off-white Polo beach bag and removed it. When I saw my mother’s name I sighed.
“Speak of the devil,” I said to Bradley. I showed him the screen.
“Well let me go grab a beer from the cooler. You ‘bout to be on the phone with her for an hour.”
“No I’m not either.” I playfully hit him on the shoulder as he got up to move toward the red cooler a few feet over from us.
Pressing the phone against my ear I asked, “What’s up, ma?”
“You gonna be mad at me,” she responded. “Before you kill me I ask that you just hear me out.”
I rolled my eyes as I watched Bradley digging through the cooler. “What you do this time? Let another guy fuck you and leave you butt naked in the new house I bought you?”
“Why you always gotta say smart shit outta your face, child? I’m still your mother.”
“Go ‘head, ma,” I sighed. “I’m trying to enjoy my vacation.”
“Anyway it ain’t about none of that. It’s about Jasmine.”
My heart pounded in my chest and I leapt up. Bradley was walking back toward me with a beer in his hand until he saw the fear on my face. The can fell out of his hand and rolled in the sand.
“What happened to my baby, ma?” I yelled. “What the fuck you do to my baby?”
CHAPTER FOUR
BAMBI
I was in the backyard of the cottage my sisters and me bought before my husband showed back up. We didn’t stay here unless we were trying to get away because my sons preferred the Kennedy compound.
I was wearing a white wifebeater with my fatigue pants and because I was sweating my clothes clung to my skin. I just finished burying money on the property and was patting the dirt with the bottom of the shovel to flatten it.
When I was done I threw the shovel on the ground and wiped the sweat off my dirty face with the back of my hand.
I looked over at Kevin who was sitting on a tree stump a few feet over from me drinking a beer. “I told you I could help you,” he said.
“You said you would but I could tell you didn’t really want to.” I walked over to him.
“What you talking about now?” he said with a smirk on his face.
“I’m talking about you letting me dig the hole and fill it back up to bury the cash by myself. I mean what’s wrong with you? It’s obvious you got something against me.”
“I don’t have anything against you,” he responded. “Stop tripping. What I would like to know is why you keep burying money back here? There are other places you know.”
“You mean the places the government knows about?” I asked rolling my eyes. “You just being lazy then?”
He laughed. “Lazy? I’m just letting you do what you obviously want to do anyway—be a man.”
I walked over to him and sat at his feet. I was done arguing with him. I wanted us to have the type of relationship that Denim and Bradley had. I wanted us to be in love again. I placed my head on his knees and exhaled. He rubbed my hair softly and I could smell the beer on his breath. The crickets sang in the background and the wet grass dampened my pants.
“I’m sorry, Bambi. I know I haven’t been myself since I came back. I got so much going on in my mind and sometimes I don’t put you on to it all.”
“But why?”
“Because I don’t wanna sound like I’m nagging. If I told you everything you would probably leave me.”
I raised my head and looked up at him. “Never, Kevin. Don’t you know that about me yet?”
He smiled and I placed my head back on his knee. He ran his rough fingers along the side of my cheek.
“Talk to me, Kevin,” I said. “Please. I’m still your wife and I love you. All I want to know is what I can do to make things right for you. No matter what it is I’ll do it. Do you want to run the operation again? I don’t have any problem stepping down.”
“Even if I wanted to, Mitch ain’t trying to hear from me right now. You know how he is when he builds a connection. Even though the white boy knew me before you were even my wife, he talks to me like I’m a stranger.”
“So you did talk to him?” I asked.
I was disappointed that he felt he had to go around me to get at Mitch. I never once told him that I didn’t respect him as the head of our operation. So why go over my head?
“I tried to talk to him and he told me if I wanted any info on the business that I gotta go through you.”
“And that’s my fault?”
“Kinda,” he yelled.
I took my head off his knee and looked up at him. I wanted him to know that I was trying to make this marriage work, but I needed him to meet me half way. It seemed like every time we spoke now i
t was business related.
“Kevin, I’m sorry Mitch ain’t trying to talk about the details of the coke shipments with you. But when I thought you were killed I needed to do what I had to do to take care of our family. So I got up with your connect but it wasn’t easy. Look at the scars on my face. I paid for the relationship I have with him in blood. Them Russians wanted Mitch’s information so badly they tortured me and still I didn’t bend.”
“I know,” he said in a frustrated tone.
“Do you really?” I paused. “If the shoes were on the other foot would you have been able to deal with them punching you in the face? Or beating you with poles and their belt buckles? Or better yet stabbing you?”
“Calm down, Bambi. You going too far.”
“I won’t calm down. I need you to know that the scar on my face wasn’t easy. Mitch wouldn’t deal with me at first until he found out everything I had gone through to protect him. I can’t help it if he doesn’t want to work personally with you or your brothers again. It ain’t like I’m not involving you in the business anyway.”
“I’m just worried that you so close to the business. It’s dangerous.”
“And I can handle myself,” I said.
He looked at me and rubbed his hand over the scars on my face. I took several slashes to my face with a knife. Despite Kevin and everybody else telling me I was beautiful, after what the Russians did to me I was left with a constant reminder that I sacrificed my looks for business and my family.
“I know you keep me posted on what’s going on but it’s not the same, Bambi.”
“Then what do you want me to do? Why are you afraid to say it?” I stood up, brushed the back of my pants and looked down at him. “I can’t teach you how to feel masculine again just because I’m running—”
“What makes you think I’m not feeling masculine?” he interrupted me with an attitude.
“Because you stiff, Kevin. Ever since you been back you been stiff and lifeless. And I want my husband back. I want my best friend back.”
Kevin drank the rest of his beer and threw the can on the ground. He stood up and walked toward me. “What happened to my aunt Bunny?”