by Shan
"I lost my phone. Can you please come and get me? I'm over here at my mama's," I hung up the phone not waiting for his response.
I sat in the car talking to Mills and Fat Rat finding out some things that I did not know. I'm normally in the know but being Herm is on lock down, everything is new to me. Finding out niggas is beefing over corners and robbing fools left and right over this dry spell was crazy. That shit meant nobody was safe. Your friends will become your enemy if your pockets were fatter than theirs, believe that shit.
Quad's candy red 75 Oldsmobile Delta Royale pulled into the lot, engine purring like a feline. I dabbed up Mills and Fat Rat and got of the car. Quad came to a screeching halt and soon as he put the car in park he hopped out.
"Fuck is you doing with this nigga Starr? It's like that?" Quad asked moving towards Mills' car.
"Come on, can you just take me home please?" I asked grabbing Quad's arm.
"Come on nothing! These muthafuckin' club hours so I know your ass up to no good! Mills!"
"Quad, stop acting stupid and let's go!"
I did my best to stop Quad from walking over to Mills' car and embarrassing himself. Mills stepped out of the car with the biggest grin on his face making the situation worse. Quad should know me well enough to know I don't do short dudes which is exactly what Mills is.
"Qua---"
POW! POW! POW!
TAT-TA-TAT-TA-TAT!
Before I knew it Quad yanked me by my arm, pulled me to the ground, and covered me with his body. It seemed like they emptied a whole clip of ammo over the parking lot before it was over. The tires of a car screeched away, leaving the smell of burning rubber in the air. Slowly Quad peeled his body away from mine as he stood up and pulled me up from the ground. He checked me over from head to toe, then ran out to see if he could spot the car of the shooter.
"Oh shit," I said grabbing my stomach. Just then I noticed Mills twitching on the concreted pavement. There was one bullet hole in his right cheek and another in his chest. They each leaked of dark, red, and thick blood.
"Damn!" Quad yelled as he walked over to Mills.
"Where is Fat--Fat Rat?" I hesitantly asked. I walked around to the passenger side of the car where Fat Rat's brain matter was splattered all over the window.
"Come on let's go, Starr!" Quad said.
"We can't just leave them out here like this! It's my fault, I gotta call for help!" I cried.
"They're dead! Let's go before them niggas roll back through here! I took one last look at Fat Rat then at Mills before Quad swept me up and tossed me into the passenger side of his car. He ran around to the driver side to get in and that's when I spotted a dark colored Cadillac speeding our way.
"Where your hammer? Give me your piece!" I yelled. Quad ignored me putting the car in reverse, backing up, and turning the car around.
"Put your seat belt on!" Quad bellowed.
I popped the glove department open, and then searched underneath the seat. Quad hit the corner on two wheels and the Cadillac continued to follow behind us.
POW! POW!
BLAM!!
Cannon Ball sounding bullets shattered the back window as Quad sped down the darkened streets. I ducked my head down as low as possible in fear that one of the bullets would strike me.
"Give me your piece!" I yelled out again. "Where is it?"
"Let me just try--" Quad started.
"Fuck that Quad, niggas ain't going nowhere until they kill our asses. Let at me at least try and get them off our backs."
POW! POW! POW!
After hearing more gunshots Quad released his right hand off the wheel, he reached in between the seats and handed me a nine millimeter hand gun. I pushed the button to let the window down and prepared myself to start firing back.
"Starr be careful!" Quad yelled.
"A'ight," I yelled back. Just as I was about to go in on the trigger the Cadillac lost control, and flipped several times into the street.
"Quad stop! Stop!" I screamed. "They wrecked out!"
EEEERRRCCCHHHH!
Quad stopped the car, put it in reverse, and backed up to where they were. We both jumped out of the vehicle and made our way to the Cadillac.
"Go get back in the car!" Quad bellowed and snatched the nine out my hand. He walked over to the passenger and emptied three bullets into his chest.
I ran over to where the driver was sliding through the window trying to get away. I brought my foot up and slammed it down on his broken leg.
"Agghh! You bitch," he screamed.
I reached down and grabbed the Ak-47 that sat on the frame of the window. I didn't know which of these muthafuckas came up in my mama's crib and threatened me but it didn't matter. It was the end for both of them!
"Starr!" Quad yelled but it was too late.
TAT-TA-TAT-TA-TAT
Quad
"Aye, pack your shit up," I said to Starr grabbing a cigarette off her nightstand.
"Pack my stuff up for what?" she questioned with a touch of attitude.
"Starr, your ass is out of control! You knocking niggas off like its nothing. Fuck is going on with you?"
"Ain't shit wrong with me. You act like you didn't just murk somebody as well tonight. Quad, thank you for the ride but you can go now. I meant what I said before."
"Fuck you Starr! You not about to dismiss me like I'm some chump ass nigga. I don't give a fuck about what you said before ‘cause that shit ain't about to fly by me. You pregnant with my seed and you gonna keep it. Don't threaten me with the abortion shit ever again," I said and walked to her closet. I waited for some kind of backlash, smart ass comment, or anything but nothing. Once I came out of the closet with a bag, I tossed it on the bed.
"I'm not--"
"Pack your shit up and lets go. It's time for you to start acting like a fucking mother rather than some pistol toting hood rat," I grabbed a lighter, lit my cigarette, and waited for Starr to pack her things.
I was getting tired of seeing her running around the hood like some gang banger, doing the shit I should be doing. I notice the looks and sarcastic remarks I get from dudes every time Starr's name come up. Always about her getting into some fight with a dude, responsible for this robbery or that one, shot at this nigga or that nigga. Shit didn't make any damn sense if you asked me. She is pregnant and needed to fucking act like it.
"Come on. Let's go!" I said after waiting an hour for her to get done packing. "Fuck is you bringing that for? Damn Starr, can you take the backseat for a fucking change? I don't need a partner in crime; I need you to be my fucking woman!"
"I don't know how to be a woman! All I know is to protect myself! What's so hard for you to understand about that?" she cried out.
"Protect yourself from what? Stop doing hoe ass shit then you wouldn't have to worry about protecting yourself! Put that shit back where you got it from. I got more than enough heat, we good."
BAM! BAM! BAM!
I shook my head when Starr cocked the pistol in her hand after hearing a knock at the door. I walked out the bedroom followed by Starr, without checking to see who it was; I pulled the door open.
WHAM!
The butt of a pistol slammed across my face sending me to the floor. My head throbbed with pain as blood slid down the center of my forehead. Second time I done got knocked in the head with a pistol in just a few damn days. I thought.
I looked up and saw Bear standing in the doorway with a nasty ass gash across his head. Right behind him was Tamar, a well-known dealer that has made plenty of bread out of Atlanta and Miami. He is also the best friend of Starr's ex Keylan. He'd recently retired and was supposedly living life lavishly in Miami with his wife and kids. Dude was younger than me, smart as hell, and ruthless.
He didn't play about his money and murked anybody that tried to fuck him over. Seeing him standing here with a pistol pointed at my head and another pointed at Starr had to mean somebody done fucked him over.
Starr. I thought.
"Put that shit
down before I blow you and this nigga brains out!" Tamar yelled. "Sup Quad."
"Put your shit down first!" Starr retorted.
I tried to get up from the floor but was halted when the heel of Bear's steel toe boots hit me in the face.
"Make another muthafuckin' move nigga and you dead!" Bear bellowed.
"You gonna drop that lil’ ass glock or what?" Tamar smirked looking at Starr. "I guarantee you the hollow points in this bitch I'm toting will reach your lil’ ass quicker than them shits you got. Wanna try me?"
Starr hesitantly put the gun on the floor and kicked it across the floor to Tamar. He turned to look at Bear, "Nigga, go find my shit!"
"What shit? Ain't nothing up in here!" Starr yelled.
"Sit down!" Tamar yelled. He motioned for me to get up and sit down on the couch along with Starr. I got up from the floor and wobbled my way to the sofa.
"Why you just ain't stay in Miami like I asked you to?" Tamar asked. He took a seat on the end of the coffee table, sat his pistol down, and grabbed the blunt that was behind his ear.
Starr folded her arms across her chest and pouted like she normally did when somebody was getting on her ass.
"Get back out here and start robbing niggas and for what when you know how to get bread your damn self," he said firing up the blunt.
"I ain't robbed no damn body! I took what the fuck belonged to my daddy!" she spat.
Damn, she wasn’t playing when she said she robbed Bear for them birds. Shit, I knew it. I thought.
"Oh really? That shit up in that safe house ain't belong to Herm, it belonged to me."
"You don't even hustle no damn more, your ass retired a long time ago. Bear ain't man enough to do his own dirty work he had to get you to come do it for him," Starr said.
"You know I'm a always have my foot in the game. I see muthafuckas out here struggling to get some weight; I had to bring my ass out of retirement. That shit you took from me I fronted to Herm and Bear. I come to collect my money and Bear starts telling me about being robbed and shit. Didn't take long to figure out who did it," Tamar blew smoke in the air.
"Starr, didn't have nothin' to do with that. I stole that shit. We all strugglin'," I said.
"Okay, okay!" Brian screeched.
Starr and I both looked up at Brain who was being dragged out the back by his dreads. Bear pushed him to the floor and pointed his gun at him.
"I can't find it. She probably already sold it," Bear said angrily.
"What you wanna do ‘cause I need my money and I need it today. Quad say he stole it, Bubba said Starr took it. I really don't care who did it. I just want it," Tamar sighed.
I shook my head hearing Bubba's name. I knew it was something about that muthafucka’ that rubbed me the wrong way. As much as Starr hung with that cat, I don't see how she didn't see it.
Bear looked over at me and shook his head, "I've known you since you were little Quad, you too loyal to be a thief. Tell your girl to tell me where the dope or the money is."
"The money and the dope is gone but---but I can get it you. You just gotta give me a couple of days," I said looking at Bear then at Tamar.
Tamar sighed, "Starr, you know since you my home girl and I know my boy Keylan a be mad at me if I hurt you; I'm a give you a few days to come up with my money, a'ight?"
Starr nodded her head and Tamar stood up from the table and walked out of the house. Bear gave Brian a swift kick to the stomach then looked over at Starr, "I'll be back."
"Fuck you muthafucka’!" She jumped up from the couch and I reached out and grabbed her, pulling her back down.
"Sit your ass down! I can't believe you stole that shit and sold it to me like it was nothing!" I bellowed. I walked over to Brian and helped him from the floor; he had a few bruises on his face but nothing too major.
"I didn't know it belonged to Tamar! I thought that it belonged to Bear and my daddy and since he was stealing from my daddy I figured I would take the shit from him. All I was trying to do was pay my daddy legal fees. I didn't know!" Starr screamed.
"Damn it! You know how much of a loss that's gonna be for me?"
"Quad, I'm sorry. I'll get the money, it's my fault."
"This the second time tonight you done said some shit is your fault. Got muthafuckas shooting at us, kicking down your door and waving a pistol! What the hell?” I huffed. “You not finna do shit but park your ass at my muthafuckin' house and take care of my baby! You've done enough!"
"Starr you stole from Tamar? You know how crazy he is," Brian chimed in.
"I didn't know. I thought that it was some shit they had sitting there for a while. Had I known I would've never taken it. I can't believe Bubba ratted me out like that!" Starr grunted.
"Why the hell are you stealing anyway? If you needed money you should've told me. Haven't you learned enough about being greedy after the shit that happened with that pimp?" Brian asked.
"Brian just mind your business. This has nothing to do with you!"
"That muthafucka’ dragged me out a good sleep and whooped my ass for some shit that's not my business! I always knew you were in some bullshit. You ain't fooling no damn body," Brian scolded.
"I'm about to take Starr with me, you gonna be okay?" I asked Brian.
"I'm fine," Brian turned and walked back towards his room.
I walked into Starr's room, grabbed the bag where she'd packed all her clothes, and then headed out the door. The whole way to the car Starr kept saying how she couldn't believe that Bubba ratted her out. I kept quiet not knowing what to say. My mind was twisted of thoughts on if being with Starr was the right thing to do.
Although, Fatima sent her brother to rob me, I never had to deal with no shit like this with her. She stayed in her place and allowed me to do me. She sucked me, fucked me, cooked, and cleaned like a woman is supposed to do.
Never had I felt like less than man with Fatima as I do with Starr. Part of me wanted to tell Starr that I would pay the money back to Tamar, tell her to get an abortion, then find Fatima and apologize for dissing her the way I did. The only problem is I don't love Fatima the way that I love Starr. If only I could get Starr to change her damn ways and act like the beautiful woman she is. If only.
After dropping Starr off at my house, Neek and I rode out to a few spots where I had lil' soldiers peddling dope for me. It wasn't time for me to collect on my money being I'd just done so a few days ago but I needed to get whatever paper together I could so that I can give Tamar back his money. I had money stacked away but tried not to touch that unless absolutely necessary.
I pulled down Pelham St. and spotted Bubba getting out of a white unmarked Ford Crown Victoria. He looked around before conspicuously getting into his Chevy Suburban and pulling off the block.
"Aye, ain't that Bubba fat lipped ass?" Neek asked.
"Hell yea, that's that muthafucka’! Hell is he doing over this way?" I wondered aloud.
"Hell if I know. I didn't know he fucked around over here."
The unmarked Crown Vic; did a full U-turn in the middle of the street once we passed it up and began to trail us. I looked through the rear view mirror and put my right hand on my pistol.
"You see that?" Neek glanced through the side-view mirror and grabbed his piece as well.
I nodded my head slowly then picked then the speed up on my Delta Royale causing the pipes to roar loudly. I swear ever since the south has hit this drought, stick-up kids were getting bolder and bolder. Here it was eight o'clock in the morning and a muthafucka’ was ready to try me.
WHOOP! WHOOP!
"Aww shit! You gotta be fucking kidding me!" I yelled out once the White Crown Vic lit up like Christmas.
Neek reached for my pistol and tucked it inside the hidden compartment behind my radio. I pulled over to the side of the road, parked, and turned the car off. The officer jumped out the car wearing all black, his gun was tucked in his pants along with a cell phone, and walkie-talkie. The gold, shiny badge swung around his neck as he walked t
owards my car. I rolled the window down not even addressing the pig. A sellout pig at that.
"Quadir Mitchell, what's up my brother?" he asked. I glanced over at Neek then back up at the cop.
"What you pull me over for?" I asked.
"I was wondering when I would catch up to you. Got some things I need to discuss with you, can I hop in the back or would you rather get in my car?"
"I don't discuss shit with the police man, either you write my ticket for whatever I did or get the fuck away from my car."
He laughed, "I think you need to hear what I got to say. It might help your little situation with Tamar."
I frowned wondering how the hell he knew about Tamar being the shit just happened a few hours ago. I shook my head not really sure what I needed to do at this point. I could easily pay Tamar the money owed to him but I felt like if Bear was the one that lost it then his ass should be paying for it.
"What's up? Get in," I said hitting the unlock button.
He hopped in the backseat of the car and immediately fired up a Newport, "By the way I'm agent Tommy Reed," he said reaching his hand out for Neek and me to shake.
We both rejected his hand and kept a close eye on him.
"What's up?" I asked again.
"So I hear you got a little problem on your hand," he laughed. "I can help you with that but it's gonna cost you."
"What? I might as well just pay my debt. Fuck I need to pay you for?"
"Just hear me out youngin'. Tamar needs to know who’s been snitching and causing him to lose money. I would normally contact him myself and do it, but I'm kinda under an investigation and can't go anywhere near Tamar or contact him without getting him and myself in trouble. So, if you can get him that info for me then I can get paid and I'm quite sure he'll erase that debt for you."
"Fuck I look like a snitch to you?" I asked raising a brow.
"I didn't say that you were but if you knew that someone just gave me your name along with pictures, dates, and times of transactions made by you, wouldn't you like to know? I mean just look at it like this, you saving your ass times two," he giggled then dropped a polaroid picture into my lap. "Oh and not to mention a picture of you---oh well you can see for yourself."