Power

by King, Joy Deja

  Deion glanced over at his cell and answered without even seeing who was calling. “Yo,” Deion said, feeling halfway sleepy and halfway drunk.

  “Uncle Deion, it’s me, Demonte.” Hearing Demonte’s voice sounding full of fear made Deion focus.

  “Demonte, is that you? Where you at?”

  “They took us. The man has me and Mommy. He said he is going to kill us unless you do what he say.”

  “What man, and where are you?” Demonte didn’t answer, instead another voice got on the phone. It sounded like the same man that told him he was next after killing Popcorn.

  “You want to see yo’ girl and her son again, then you better come up wit’ this chicken. If not, they’ll wish they had died in that explosion.”

  “Nigga, how much you want?”

  “Just make sure you keep answering yo’ phone. I’ll be in touch to let you know.”

  “Let me speak…” Before Deion could finish his sentence the man hung up. He threw his phone down on the floor in frustration. He didn’t like how any of this shit was going down. He also wondered if Passion and Demonte hadn’t died in that explosion, then who had?

  Deion didn’t appreciate the fact that someone was trying to squeeze money from him, especially using a child to do so. If Passion was the only victim involved, more than likely Deion would’ve said he wasn’t giving him a penny. It was because he did have a soft spot for kids that Deion was even considering paying up. But that would all depend on how much the kidnapper was asking for. The price of the ransom would be the determining factor on whether he would save Passion and her son’s life. With that, Deion closed his eyes and went to sleep.

  Coming December 11th - The Final Conclusion To

  Power…

  Lorenzo

  Welcome To My World

  Before I die, if you don’t remember anything else I ever taught you, know this. A man will be judged, not on what he has but how much of it. So you find a way to make money and when you think you’ve made enough, make some more, because you’ll need it to survive in this cruel world. Money will be the only thing to save you. As I sat across from Darnell those words my father said to me on his deathbed played in my head.

  “Yo, Lorenzo, are you listening to me, did you hear anything I said?”

  “I heard everything you said. The problem for you is I don’t give a fuck.” I responded, giving a casual shoulder shrug as I rested my thumb under my chin with my index finger above my mouth.

  “What you mean, you don’t give a fuck? We been doing business for over three years now and that’s the best you got for me?”

  “Here’s the thing, Darnell, I got informants all over these streets. As a matter of fact that broad you’ve had in your back pocket for the last few weeks is one of them.”

  “I don’t understand what you saying,” Darnell said swallowing hard. He tried to keep the tone of his voice calm, but his body composure was speaking something different.

  “Alexus, has earned every dollar I’ve paid her to fuck wit’ yo’ blood suckin’ ass. You a fake fuck wit’ no fangs. You wanna play wit’ my 100 g’s like you at the casino. That’s a real dummy move, Darnell.” I could see the sweat beads gathering, resting in the creases of Darnell’s forehead.

  “Lorenzo, man, I don’t know what that bitch told you but none of it is true! I swear ‘bout four niggas ran up in my crib last night and took all my shit. Now that I think about it, that trifling ho Alexus probably had me set up! She fucked us both over!”

  I shook my head for a few seconds not believing this muthafucker was saying that shit with a straight face. “I thought you said it was two niggas that ran up in your crib now that shit done doubled. Next thing you gon’ spit is that all of Marcy projects was in on the stickup.”

  “Man, I can get your money. I can have it to you first thing tomorrow. I swear!”

  “The thing is I need my money right now.” I casually stood up from my seat and walked towards Darnell who now looked like he had been dipped in water. Watching him fall apart in front of my eyes made up for the fact that I would never get back a dime of the money he owed me.

  “Zo, you so paid, this shit ain’t gon’ even faze you. All I’m asking for is less than twenty-four hours. You can at least give me that,” Darnell pleaded.

  “See, that’s your first mistake, counting my pockets. My money is my money, so yes this shit do faze me.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that. I wasn’t tryna disrespect you. By this time tomorrow you will have your money and we can put this shit behind us.” Darnell’s eyes darted around in every direction instead of looking directly at me. A good liar, he was not.

  “Since you were robbed of the money you owe me and the rest of my drugs, how you gon’ get me my dough? I mean the way you tell it, they didn’t leave you wit’ nothin’ but yo’ dirty draws.”

  “I’ll work it out. Don’t even stress yourself, I got you, man.”

  “What you saying is that the nigga you so called aligned yourself with, by using my money and my product, is going to hand it back over to you?”

  “Zo, what you talking ‘bout? I ain’t aligned myself wit’ nobody. That slaw ass bitch Alexus feeding you lies.”

  “No, that’s you feeding me lies. Why don’t you admit you no longer wanted to work for me? You felt you was big shit and could be your own boss. So you used my money and product to buy your way in with this other nigga to step in my territory. But you ain’t no boss you a poser. And your need to perpetrate a fraud is going to cost you your life.”

  “Lorenzo, don’t do this man! This is all a big misunderstanding. I swear on my daughter I will have your money tomorrow. Fuck, if you let me leave right now I’ll have that shit to you tonight!” I listened to Darnell stutter his words.

  My men, who had been patiently waiting in each corner of the warehouse, dressed in all black, loaded with nothing but artillery, stepped out of the darkness ready to obliterate the enemy I had once considered by best worker. Darnell’s eyes widened as he witnessed the men who had saved and protected him on numerous occasions, as he dealt with the vultures he encountered in street life, now ready to end his.

  “Don’t do this, Zo! Pleeease,” Darnell was now on his knees begging.

  “Damn, nigga, you already a thief and a backstabber. Don’t add, going out crying like a bitch to that too. Man the fuck up. At least take this bullet like a soldier.”

  “I’m sorry, Zo. Please don’t do this. I gotta daughter that need me. Pleeease man, I’ll do anything. Just don’t kill me.” The tears were pouring down Darnell’s face and instead of softening me up it just made me even more pissed at his punk ass.

  “Save your fuckin’ tears. You shoulda thought about your daughter before you stole from me. You’re the worse sort of thief. I invite you into my home, I make you a part of my family and you steal from me, you plot against me. Your daughter doesn’t need you. You have nothing to teach her.”

  My men each pulled out their gat ready to attack and I put my hand up motioning them to stop. For the first time since Darnell arrived, a calm gaze spread across his face.

  “I knew you didn’t have the heart to let them kill me, Zo. We’ve been through so much together. I mean you Tania’s God Father. We bigger than this and we will get through it,” Darnell said halfway smiling as he began getting off his knees and standing up.

  “You’re right, I don’t have the heart to let them kill you, I’ma do that shit myself.” Darnell didn’t even have a chance to let what I said resonate with him because I just sprayed that muthafucker like the piece of shit he was. “Clean this shit up,” I said, stepping over Darnell’s bullet ridden body as I made my exit.

 

 

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