by King, Deja
“How gentleman like of you because of course there is no way Justina can manage to walk her ass to her own car.”
“Why don’t you shut up! I’m surprised you’re not doing cartwheels down the street. They placed my mother under arrest today and they aren’t even giving her a bond. You finally got what you wanted.”
“Nope I didn’t. I won’t get what I want until you’re occupying a jail cell right next to her.”
“You really are a bitch!”
“That’s boss bitch to you. You don’t deserve to even be in my space. And the only reason you are, is because for some fuckin’ strange reason, Amir keeps you around,” I damn near roared, trying to keep my voice down.
“Aaliyah, calm down. Justina is leaving. Let’s go inside so we can talk.”
“That’s okay. It was a mistake for me to come here. You keep babysitting Justina because I’m done,” I said, before running off.
“Aaliyah wait . . . ” I heard Amir calling out but I kept running. I refused to keep playing second fiddle to Justina’s phony ass. For some reason Amir kept letting that idiot back into his life but I was starting to question whether he had ever given her up in the first place. She stayed lurking and I didn’t need that sorta stress.
When I got back to my car, I slammed the door and put my head down on the steering wheel. Before I had an opportunity to pity myself my cell was going off. I looked down and saw it was Dale. “Hello.”
“Where are you?”
“In Manhattan, why?”
“I need you to come to the estate now.”Is everything ok?”
“Just get here.” I ended my call with Dale wondering what the fuck was the emergency. I knew we had a lot going on businesswise but I had never heard that tone of voice from him and I was a bit scared. I glanced up at myself in the mirror, freshened up and hit the road. Bad news kept coming today and it didn’t seem like it was going to let up anytime soon.
When i got back to the brother’s estate I pulled into the secret garage that lead to the underground room. I noticed that Peaches’ car was there. For Peaches to be here we must be having some sort of important meeting. Thank goodness I don’t have to deal with the brothers by myself. At least with her here I know I have an ally I thought getting out of my car. Keeping consistent with the routine, the security officer met me at the door and escorted me downstairs.
Dread hit me the moment I stepped foot in the room. I wanted to turn around and run but knew I had no place to go. The energy was off and everybody had the expression of death on their faces. I tried to give a half smile but it felt inappropriate.
“Have a seat,” Emory directed, without even looking me directly in the eyes. My throat began throbbing as my air circulation seemed to be getting cut off. I knew it was all psychological but it was distressful all the same.
Emory had me take a seat next to Peaches and directly across from Dale. He also wasn’t giving me any eye contact. Damn this nigga was tonguing me down at the pool only a few hours ago now he won’t even crack a smile. Shit must really be about to pop off I thought thinking of every scenario this could end up being and none of it was good.
“Dale, let me speak with you for a second.” Dale got up and he and his brother walked out of the room. I used the opportunity to talk to Peaches.
“What is going on?” I asked Peaches in a low voice.
“I have no idea. Emory called me and said Iwas needed at the estate immediately.”
“That’s the same thing Dale told me. He sounded so angry.”
“Emory didn’t sound angry when he called me but when I got here they definitely weren’t happy. They were anxious for you to get here.”
“You think they’re angry about something I did?”
“Honestly I don’t know. We have to wait and see.” I felt my hands getting sweaty and it got worse when Dale and Emory came back in the room.
“So what is this about?” Peaches questioned. Her demeanor was relaxed and composed, unlike how I was feeling but hopefully it wasn’t evident to the brothers.
“As you both know we had a major hit on our territory in Patterson. It’s come to our attention that this was an inside job.”
“You mean someone within the organization?” Peaches asked.
“Yes.”
“Do you know who?”
“Yes, your partner Aaliyah.”
“Me!” I pointed to myself and my eyes darted around the room landing back on Peaches. I was waiting for her to defend me but she was giving me the same eye of death as the brothers. “I don’t know where you’re getting your information from but I swear I had nothing to do with that hit . . . nothing!” I barked, standing up pounding my fist on the table.
“Sit down!” Emory barked right back. But I refused to sit down. If the brothers believed I was responsible for that hit I wasn’t walking out of this room alive, that I knew. So I had no choice but to stand my ground because this was my life they were playing with.
“I am not sitting down. I had nothing to do with that hit. I had to watch Tony die and kill another man so I could live. That was one of the worse days of my life and you want to accuse me of being responsible for it. What would I gain by setting up that hit?”
“We found out that Supreme isn’t your only father. Nico Carter is your biological dad and he’s heavy in the game. Maybe you’re trying to help him take over that territory.”
“Are you crazy! My family doesn’t even know I’m in the drug business. They would flip the fuck out. And let’s be clear, if my dad did know I was in the game, he would never knowingly put my life in jeopardy for some bullshit blocks in Patterson. My people is rich. And I’m in the game so I can be rich like them too. All this other shit you talkin’ ‘bout ain’t got nothing to do wit’ me.”
“What do you think, Peaches? You’re the one that brought Aaliyah into the fold. As a boss you vouched for her and made her your partner. Do my brother and I have it wrong or is she the snake that we believe her to be?” I wanted to slit Emory’s throat for saying that shit. I wasn’t anybody’s snake. That nigga was treating me like I was some snitching ass bitch or something. But I knew Peaches would step up and set these niggas straight.
“Well . . . ” she paused staring down at the table with her hands folded. “You’re right I did vouch for Aaliyah. She showed me she was a standup bitch when we were locked down together. I appreciated that shit and I always will.”
“Thank you, Peaches.”
“But recently there have been some changes in her behavior. She wasn’t even supposed to go to Patterson that day. So I found it strange when I heard what happened.”
“Excuse me! You lying bitch! You’re the one who called me and told me to go to Patterson. You said the brothers had called you and wanted me to drop everything and go there. I didn’t even want to go to Patterson but you insisted. Now you want to sit here and lie on me?”
“Aaliyah, I don’t have a reason to lie. Like Emory said, I was the boss of this and brought you in. All I’m doing is speaking facts. You have changed. I feel like you want me out the way so you can take my spot and have it all.” Without saying a word I balled up my fist and swung on Peaches knocking her out the chair. That bitch fell so hard and fast it took her a minute to even understand what the fuck just happened.
“Bitch, you playin’ wit’ my motherfuckin’ life right now.” I moved my chair out the way, making my way towards Peaches. “If you think I’ma die based off your lies, bitch you got another thing comin’. I’ll beat the truth outta you!” I spit, about to drop another right hook on her dumbass.
“Aaliyah, that’s enough,” Dale said, putting his hand up. I thought the nigga had loss his voice since he hadn’t said shit since I got there.
“Nah, it ain’t enough . . . this bitch lying on me.”
“We know.”
“What!” These niggas had me confused as fuck. I looked down at Peaches who was still on the floor with her hand over her jaw which I probably broke, t
hat’s how hard I punched her ass.
“Stand up, Peaches,” Emory said, standing with his arms folded. Peaches got up slowly keeping her calm demeanor intact.
“Emory, I’m not lying,” Peaches said, trying to sound like she was the victim.
“Yes the fuck you are!”
“Aaliyah, we got this,” Dale jumped in and said. “Peaches, who is Maya?”
“I don’t know a Maya.”
“Yes you do.” Dale opened up a drawer and pulled out an envelope. He then tossed some pictures on the table. “These are five different photos on five different occasions with this woman Maya. You didn’t know this but after the Patterson hit we had our people start recording your phone conversations. We know what you did.”
“Hold up,” I said, picking up one of the pictures. “This my mother’s psycho ass sister. What the fuck are you doing wit’ her?” Peaches didn’t even answer me, instead she started pleading her case to the brothers.
“All that shit wasn’t supposed to happen like that. I would never turn on you guys. Maya just wanted me to set up Aaliyah and she hired me to do so. All those people weren’t supposed to die. Maya blindsided me. She said all she wanted was Aaliyah.”
“You were setting me up to be killed! You piece of . . . ” Before I could jump on Peaches, Dale grabbed me.
“I told you we got this. We wanted to see how far she would take it and also wanted to make sure you were on the up and up. So relax.”
“You guys have to understand, she’s not one of us.”
“That’s where you’re wrong . . . you’re not one of us. You shut down part of our territory and caused men to lose their lives all to help an outsider take out one of our own.”
“Emory, I swear it wasn’t supposed to turn out like that. Clavon fucked up and Maya mislead me. Please believe I’m loyal to both of you.”
“You don’t know what loyalty means and you know what happens to people we don’t trust.” Emory pulled out his gun and pointed it to Peaches’ head.
“Emory please don’t kill me,” she begged. “I’ll make it up to you. Whatever you want me to do I will but I don’t want to die. Pleeaaaaase, don’t kill me.”
“You know the rules to the game. You have to die.”
“That’s right, you do have to die, Peaches. But Emory, I think it’s only right that you give me the honor of pulling the trigger.” All three of them turned to me with shock on their faces.
“Aaliyah, are you sure. I know how it affected you to kill Clavon. You don’t have to do this.”
“I know but like you told me, Dale, the first person you murder is always the hardest to deal with. All the rest of them you don’t even remember, now hand me that gun.”
“No . . . no . . . no, please don’t let her do this!” Peaches got down on her knees and kept pleading with Emory to let her live. But her pleads were useless. Emory handed me his piece, and giving it no further thought I put the tip of the gun to Peaches’ head and blasted that ass.
“I told you, you were a boss,” Dale smiled.
“You’re right. And as a boss my next order of business is to make sure Maya dies a slow and miserable death. She’s caused my family enough havoc. I’m going to personally kill Maya myself.”
I put the gun down on the table and walked out so I could go take a shower and wash Peaches’ blood and brain splatter off my face. I was quickly learning that you can’t trust nobody in this business, not even your so called friends. Everyone was your enemy until they proved otherwise. I chose to be in this game and I planned on winning. So tonight I would rest and get my mind ready for war because now I was the boss and it was on and poppin’ and Maya would be the first on my list to fall.
Soon
Coming Soon
BadBitch
Chapter 1
THE SET UP
In the ghetto there are two kinds of street chicks: slut chicks and gutta chicks. If labeled the latter that meant you were on your A-game in the ‘hood, fitting Semaj’s guise naturally. As she lay snuggled in Gabe’s strong arms on the king-sized bed, Semaj smiled inwardly. Gabe was knocked out from the pussy she’d put on him. She glanced at the digital clock atop the nightstand. For the last hour she’d slyly observed the red illuminating numbers change on the dial in anticipation of what was to come.
Just as midnight turned into the one ‘o clock hour the sounds of CLICK-CLACK startled the light sleeper and for dramatic effect, Semaj screamed fearfully. Instinctively, Gabe went underneath his pillow, and frantically began to search for his weapon. It was an empty space, which he found rather odd. He always slept with his ratchet within reach, but he had realized that he’d left it inside the dresser drawer due to Semaj’s persistent request.
“You already know what time it is, fam! Where?” the intruder said calmly as he pointed the barrel of the AK-47 in between the two.
“Where what, man?” Gabe’s eyes bugged wide in shock. “Don’t play with me, son. Fuck is the cash at, my man?”I don’t keep nothing here, B. Shit’s at another spot.”
“Now this nigga playing games. It’s at another spot, huh?” Mitchell Richardson or Murder Mitch as he was affectionately known in the streets said disbelievingly. “So you gon’ keep playin’ wit me, nigga?”
“On some real shit, I don’t keep shit here, fam.” Gabe shrugged his shoulders. “There’s nothing in the house, fam.”
Mitch’s patience was running thin and he was not there to play games. Abruptly the sound of a gun’s blast erupted. Mitch had sent a bullet an inch above his head, causing the wood to splinter down the middle. “Don’t think you wanna keep playin’ around with me, playboy. Take me to the stash.” he pressed the hot barrel to Gabe’s chest.
Semaj’s body shuddered violently as if she was desperately afraid, but the moment she noticed a silhouette in her peripheral view her fright became a serious fear. The moving shadow was approaching with a pistol in hand, and at that instant, Semaj locked eyes with the foreigner. She had to warn her father furtively. “Who is that?” Semaj asked, her heart galloping in uncertainty. Before words could be exchanged, Mitch swiftly shifted his aim. The guy never saw it coming and a slug had been introduced to his head, sending mucus and brain matter spraying throughout the hallway.
“What the fuck?” Gabe roared in devastation. He knew that he was in deep shit.
Mitch had had enough of the bullshit and sliced the side of Gabe’s face with the knife on the AK-47, causing it to instantly swell up and bleed. Gabe grunted and winced in excruciating pain. “Now, I know I ain’t gotta ask again, my man!” Mitch said calmly. The insane glare in Mitch’s eyes was indication that he was itching to let bullets pierce the flesh.
“Shoebox in that closet,” Gabe said, willing to give up his money in trade for Milia’s safety. If Milia wasn’t involved he would have spit in his face, not giving the stick-up kid the satisfaction of robbing him; he would have died for his no doubt. But more was at stake . . . Semaj.
“You grab the money for me,” Mitch said coldly as he held Gabe at gunpoint and tossed his daughter a knapsack. As instructed, Semaj scuffled over to the closet. She retrieved the money from the Timberland shoebox and a brick of coke that was wrapped in tubes, resembling small fingers. She stuffed the dope and the different denominations into the knapsack.
Semaj handed her father the bagful of goods as he backpedaled out of the room, continuing to have the weapon trained on Gabe. Something told him to put a hot one in him, but it was as if Semaj were speaking through her eyes and nixed the notion.
Easing out of the room, he said threateningly. “Don’t move for sixty seconds,” Emilio stepped over the fresh corpse as if it was litter on a city street and exited the house.
The daughter and father had accomplished another street robbery, but for some reason an eerie feeling passed over Semaj. A bad feeling. Something in her bones felt wrong, and she wanted nothing more than to get out of there. Damn we were supposed to play this shit smart not reckless, she thought. I
ain’t know nobody else was even here.
Gabe wasn’t willing to helplessly watch as the stick-up kid got away without an attempt to take his life. Instantly, he popped up and grabbed his .357 chrome Magnum. Semaj held the solemn expression that crossed her face as Gabe left out of the room enraged. He stepped onto the porch, but it was too late. The car was long gone.
Ten minutes later
Gabe hopelessly paced back and forth inside the living room as the human waste was becoming unbearable. The stench had come from the empty bowels from the dead body and the blood mixture. It wasn’t the excessive stink that bothered him though. It was the body, the missing drugs and the money. To owe Gio was to start making funeral arrangements for yourself; not to mention a dead relative. What looked to be a good come-up turned into a bad situation. A very bad situation.
The man had been sent by the notorious Dominican drug boss to deliver him a brick of cocaine via his bowels. The plane had landed that night and he was supposed to do the job, stay overnight and then head back home. Nobody knew that he would no longer be returning. Gabe was hesitant to dial the number he’d been given in case of an emergency. But he knew Gio would find out one way or another, so he manned up and dialed the headman.
“What’s the problem, Gabe?” a voice with a thick Dominican accent said.
“Your nephew is dead. Some nigga ran into my spot, but—”
Gio cut him off mid-sentence. “You know I told my family that I could trust you. I vouched for you. Now you are telling me that my family is dead?”
“It’s fucked up.” Gabe wanted to be apologetic, but with a man like Gio, an apology was no good. He had sent his nephew down out of trust. When that line was broken so was their business relationship and things would only turn deadly.
“You know I have to bury my nephew into the dirt while you remain on earth, Gabe,” Gio said as his voice became more aggressive and assertive with each word. “We will meet again, my friend.” He hung up.