by K'wan
“Devonte, you’re hurting me.” Pearl said as calmly as she could. She didn’t want to do anything that could potentially set him off.
“Kinda like you hurt me, huh?” he smiled sinisterly. “See, I thought you was different … tried to treat you different, but you’re just like the rest of these scandalous ass bitches! You take what you want and give nothing in return!”
“Baby just calm down and we can talk about this.” Pearl tried to sooth him.
“Oh, so now you wanna talk?” Devonte chuckled. “Sure, lets go talk,” he began dragging her by the arm across the street. She hadn’t noticed before, but his car was parked in front of a hydrant a few houses down.
“Devonte, where are you taking me?” Pearl struggled against him, but he had a death grip on her arm.
“You said you wanted to talk, so we’re gonna go someplace quiet and have a nice chat.” He pressed a button on the remote and released the automatic locks.
By then Pearl had gone from just being nervous to about ready to shit herself. Of all the times not to have her gun, she picked the night Devonte decided to whip out his bag of crazy. She looked up and down the block frantically for signs of someone … anyone, who might be able to derail what was about to happen to her, but the street was naked. As Devonte began forcing her inside the car, she sent out one last-ditch prayer and thankfully it was answered.
“Fuck is you doing?” Stoney’s high pitched voice cut through the night. Pearl had no idea where he had come from, but she had never been so happy to see her little brother.
“Stay outta grown folk’s business, shorty.” Devonte growled.
“My sister is my business, muthafucka!” Stoney barked back. It was then that they noticed the small gun in his hand.
Devonte shoved Pearl away and turned his attention to Stoney. He could tell by the way that his hand shook and his eyes couldn’t seem to rest that he was nervous. “Shorty, why don’t you give me that gun before I fuck your little ass up?” He took a step towards him.
Without missing a beat Stoney fired a shot into the ground just between Devonte’s feet. “Next one is in your dome.” He raised the gun. “Now try me like you don’t know what my last name is.”
Devonte weighed his chances and reasoned that a good run was better than a bad stand. “A’ight,” he began backing away. “You got that.” He eased into his car under the watchful eyes of Pearl and Stoney. “This conversation ain’t over, ma. Believe that,” he promised her and pulled off.
Devonte hadn’t even cleared the block before Pearl rushed to Stoney and wrapped him in a loving hug. As she held him she couldn’t tell which one of them were trembling more. Stoney talked tough, but he was no killer. Her little brother was a good boy, but he proved that he would stand tall when it came to protecting his family.
“You okay?” Stoney asked Pearl.
“I am now,” Pearl released him.
“Who was that dude?” Stoney asked.
“Just some thirsty nigga I was dumb enough to give my time to.” Pearl told him. “If you hadn’t shown up when you did there’s no telling what that nut would’ve done.”
“This is Stone hood and niggas can’t come through here without a pass.” Stoney boasted.
“Shut up, Super Thug.” Pearl teased him. Now that the immediate threat had passed they were both calmer. “Where the hell did you get that?”
“This?” Stoney raised the small pistol. It was a two shot derringer. “Daddy got at least a half dozen guns stashed around the house. I doubt if he even noticed this one was missing.”
“Well guns are not toys and your young ass shouldn’t have one,” Pearl snatched the gun from him and stuffed it into her bra. “Now let’s get inside before somebody calls the police about that gunshot.”
By the time Pearl and Stoney reached their brownstone, Sandra was coming out the front gate. She was wearing a bathrobe and had her hair wrapped in a scarf. In her hand was a .357 with a barrel so long that it looked like something you’d see in a cartoon. No doubt she’d heard the shots and like any good queen she was ready to protect her kingdom. When she saw the kids, she tucked the gun behind her back.
“What the hell is going on out here in the middle of the night like two crack heads? I thought I heard shooting.” Sandra’s eyes darted up and down the block, searching for signs of danger.
“We didn’t hear anything.” Stoney lied.
“Pearl, I know you were out with your friends but you’re cutting it kind of close on the time. And you,” she turned to Stoney, “I thought your daddy said to keep your ass in the house? Last I checked you were upstairs playing video games; so how did you manage to make it out here?”
Stoney had snuck out earlier that night to go and see a girl, with the intention of being back before anyone knew he was missing. He was already grounded for getting suspended from school, and the new offense was sure to have him bound to the house for the rest of the summer.
“I’m sorry, it was my fault Sandra.” Pearl spoke up. “I took a cab home and didn’t realize that I was out of cash. I called Stoney to meet me outside with a twenty.”
The story smelled like bullshit, but Sandra was too tired to care. She would revisit it in the morning, but that night she was just glad they were both safe. “Well y’all come on in the house. This ain’t a good night to be wandering about. There’s evil in the air tonight.” She pulled her robe tighter. “I can feel it in my bones.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
What had started off being a shitty night for Buda had thankfully started to turn around. Everyone had assumed he had stormed off because of his scuffle with Domo, but it was only half true. He had planned to make an example of Domo in order to send a message to all the new guys Diamonds was recruiting that he was still top dog. It was supposed to be quick and very painful, but Domo had surprised him when he fought back. The kid was obviously no match for Buda, but he had to give him credit for being resourceful. After the pain of having his nuts damn near pulverized had worn off, he was able to find a newfound respect for Domo. He still didn’t too much care for him, or any of his people, but Domo had proven he was no punk, which was more than he could say for most of the new faces that had been around lately.
Thinking about the direction their crew was going in made his blood boil. When they had learned of Dip’s betrayal, when he’d stolen the drugs and the money, the remaining crew members had made a pact on the soul of his deceased little brother: no outsider would ever be able to move amongst them again. But lately that’s all Buda ever saw around them … outsiders. Of course, he knew that the five of them would never be able to accomplish what they had set out to do alone, so he understood recruiting extra muscle from the cities they pillaged, but they were supposed to be little more than soldiers. Diamonds had changed the rules when he started giving them seats at their table, the same table John-Boy had given his life for.
Regardless of how angry Buda got at Diamonds, he still loved him like a brother, which was why what was happening between them hurt so much. He’d been noticing a gradual change in his friend as they hit more cities and made more money, but the changes had started to become more apparent when they were in Miami. It was supposed to be them against everybody else, but the more money they made, the more Diamonds became like the people they fed on. He was more enamored with the flash and the power than with the cash. No longer was it good enough to play the shadows, feasting on cities from the inside out until they were fat with cash. Diamonds was determined to make a name for himself, and he didn’t care who or what he put at risk to do it. The others might’ve been content to sit by silently while Diamonds and his ever-growing ego pissed away everything they had built, but not Buda. He was loyal to Diamonds, but if he was unfit to lead them, Buda wouldn’t hesitate to step up. Some might’ve called Buda’s train of thought jealousy, but the way he saw it, he was protecting the interests of the crew.
After he left TJ’s baby shower, Buda hopped in a taxi and headed back to
Harlem. Mercedes had hit him up and told him to come by her place because she had a surprise for him. As they were talking, he could hear the muffled giggles of another female in the background. His heart filled with the hope that he might be finally going to get the threesome he had been practically begging her for.
Before going upstairs to her apartment, he stopped at the corner liquor store and grabbed a bottle of whiskey for himself and vodka for her. He was too anxious to wait for the elevator, so he bounded the stairs three at a time, all the way up to the sixth floor. With a trembling hand, he knocked on the door and waited. A few seconds later the door opened, and Buda found his breath stolen.
Mercedes opened the door, wearing nothing more than a sheer robe and red pumps. Her face was flawlessly made-up, her lips painted a bright shade of crimson. Dark silver-dollar-sized nipples stood hard and erect behind the thin fabric, causing a stir in his crotch. “So, you gonna stand there gawking or come inside?”
* * *
Less than a minute later, Buda and Mercedes were in her bedroom going at it. His hands explored her body, paying special attention to her breasts. Using his thumbs, he flicked her nipples, making them stiffer than they already were. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and kissed her passionately on the lips. Mercedes’s mouth tasted of cigarettes, liquor, and something else he wasn’t familiar with, but he ignored it and kept letting his tongue explore her mouth. He had almost sucked all the breath from her lungs when Mercedes pulled away.
“Calm down, boo. We got all night.” Mercedes backed toward the bed.
“Fuck that. I been dreaming about this pussy all day.” Buda panted, following her as if he were hypnotized. He took his gun from his pants and set it on her dresser while he tried to get his belt undone.
“Is that right?” She slid back on the bed.
“Better believe it.” He finally got the belt loose.
“Then prove it.” She spread her legs and showed him her shaved nest.
Buda didn’t even bother to take his pants all the way off. He pushed them down around her ankles and crawled up onto the bed. His thick, veiny, cock felt heavy in his hand as he guided it toward her pussy. When the tip touched her lips, he could feel that she was already soaking wet. He was about to take the plunge when she placed her hands on his chest to stop him.
“You know the rules.” Mercedes reached over to the nightstand and retrieved a condom.
“C’mon, baby. Let me feel that raw,” Buda pleaded.
“Nah, papi. You know I ain’t going out like that. Either put the condom on or leave with blue balls,” she told him in the tone that said it wasn’t up for negotiation.
“Fuck it,” Buda said angrily, and snatched the condom and rolled it on. Once she was satisfied, she allowed him to enter her pearly gates. The moment Buda slipped inside her, he let out a high-pitched sigh. Even with the condom standing between them, Mercedes’s pussy felt like a warm summer day.
Mercedes placed her legs on Buda’s shoulders and grabbed him around the wrists. She hiked her ass up and began sliding herself ever so slowly back and forth on his dick. From the way he was biting his lip, she knew it felt good to him, but little did he knew it was about to get even better.
Buda was hunched over Mercedes, just getting into his groove, when he felt the presence of someone behind him. He jumped out of the pussy and spun, dick swinging and fists drawn back, ready to strike. His hand immediately dropped to his side when he saw who it was.
The pictures he had seen of Zonnie hardly did her justice. She was wearing nothing more than a T-shirt and a pair of furry slippers, so he was able to really appreciate her curves. She had wide hips and thick thighs, but her stomach was as flat as a board. Her skin was the color of honeysuckle melon, her lips the color of rose petals. Alluring hazel eyes traveled the length of Buda’s body and came to rest on his dick. She nodded in approval.
“What’s this?” Buda asked, already knowing the answer and praying he was right.
“It’s like I told you: I had a surprise for you,” Mercedes said with a mischievous smirk.
Zonnie stepped up and took his thick manhood in her hand. “So what’s up? Is this a private party or can I join in?”
Buda lay back on the bed and prepared himself for the wild ride he was sure was coming. Mercedes lay across Buda, her ass hiked high in the air, while Zonnie positioned herself behind her. She buried her face in the crack of Mercedes’s ass and began dragging her tongue from clit to booty.
The sight of Mercedes’s eyes rolling into the back of her head as she was carted off into the throes of passion turned Buda the fuck on. He leaned up to try to kiss Mercedes, but she shoved him back down. He had been reduced to the role of spectator, at least for the moment.
When Zonnie was sated on Mercedes’s juices, she gave her a playful slap on the ass, letting her know it was time to switch positions. Zonnie went high while Mercedes elected to go low. Zonnie pressed her lips over Buda’s, allowing him to taste the woman they had been sharing. He wasn’t sure which was sweeter, Mercedes’s pussy or Zonnie’s lips.
Feeling a pair of hot lips wrap around his dick jerked Buda up so fast that he and Zonnie almost butted heads. Mercedes was effortlessly taking him from tip to balls in and out of her throat, drooling down his shaft and inner thighs. Not to be outdone, Zonnie abandoned Buda’s lips and moved south. As he lay, his head propped on a pillow, watching the two beautiful women fight over his cock, his chest swelled with pride. For the first time since he’d been in New York, he felt like a boss.
* * *
About an hour after the marathon sex session, Buda was snatched from his peaceful sleep by a sudden feeling of dread. He looked around the room and everything appeared normal, but there was no sign of either of the girls. When he ran his hand over the bedsheet next to him, the spot was still warm, meaning they hadn’t been gone long.
He got up and started making his way toward the living room. As he drew closer to the living room, he could hear the soft sounds of voices and he smelled weed. It appeared the girls were trying to keep the partying going without him. They were probably talking shit about having fucked him into a coma. If they thought they were off the hook that easily, they were going to be surprised as shit when he popped up ass naked with a rock-hard dick, ready for round two. But when Buda rounded the corner, it was he who was in for a surprise.
He found the two girls sitting on the couch, passing a joint back and forth and drinking up the liquor he had brought, but they weren’t alone. Wedged between them was a man Buda had become recently familiar with because of his dealings with Diamonds, but he looked nothing like the clown he seen earlier. He’d traded in his baggy jeans and do-rag for a pair of slacks and a cashmere sweater. Aside from his new clothes, there was something else different about him that Buda couldn’t quite put his finger on.
“I’m surprised that thing still works, considering that young boy almost ripped it off,” Rolling said, looking at Buda’s dick.
Buda turned to make a run for his gun, which he had left in the bedroom, and he ran smack into Born coming out of the bathroom. He was leveling a 9mm at Buda’s face. “Good to see you again, playa.” He motioned for him to move back into the living room.
“I trust you remember Born, and I see you’ve already met my ladies.” He threw his arms around Zonnie and Mercedes. “Why don’t you have a seat so we can chat for a minute?”
“Fuck you, nigga!” Buda spat.
Rolling gave Born a nod, and he cracked Buda upside the head with his gun so hard that it dropped him onto all fours.
“You know, it really doesn’t have to be like this,” Rolling said coolly. “I was hoping we could chat without all the theatrics.”
Buda gave him an amused look. “Fuck we got to talk about? You think a new set of clothes makes you somebody? You still ain’t shit but a yes-man!”
“Coming from a man who’d rather carry Diamonds’s dirty laundry than try to go out and get his own, I know how much stock to
put in your opinion, Buda,” Rolling mocked him.
Buda made an attempt to get up, but Born’s gun at the back of his head reminded him of his current situation.
“I provided your boy Diamonds with a great opportunity,” Rolling continued, “and instead of showing a little appreciation, he treats me like some dog to kick around.”
“All you did was make the introduction. Doodles is the man holding the bag.”
“And who do you think it was that gave Doodles the bag in the first place?” Rolling questioned.
Buda gave a hearty laugh as if this were the funniest thing he’d ever heard. “So you expect me to believe that Doodles really works for you?”
Rolling laughed. “‘The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.’ People tend to focus so much on my baby brother that they overlook the monster hiding in plain sight.” He got off the couch and came to stand before Buda, brandishing a large .357. “One of two things will go into your ear tonight, my friend. My proposal”—he put the gun to the side of Buda’s head—“or a bullet.”
When Buda looked into Rolling’s eyes, he realized what had been different about him other than his clothes. The ever-present fear normally in his eyes was now nowhere to be found. It was replaced by something darker and more sinister. He knew without question that Rolling had played them all.
“Don’t look so surprised, Buda.” Rolling got up and began pacing in a tight circle around Buda. “You aren’t the only one to fall for this sniveling middle-man routine. Goodness knows, I’ve had years to practice it while living in the exile my little brother imposed on me. What I learned during my time away is a man who is always taken as a joke is never seen as a threat until it’s too late. You and your boys were proof of that.”
“So you did this deal with us just to pull this shit?” Buda motioned toward Born, who was still holding his gun to the back of Buda’s head.
Rolling stopped his pacing and stood before Buda. “Just because I’m a snake doesn’t mean I’m not a wise businessman. Doodles has been bringing in some nice change off the dope I’ve been having smuggled into Brooklyn, but his reach is … local, for lack of a better word. You boys haven’t got those kids of hang-ups. I knew that if I brought your crew in at the rate you gobble up territory, and competition, it’d only be a matter of time before you bumped heads with Big Stone and did what I couldn’t, and that’s remove him from the equation so I can take back what he stole from me. Then your boy Diamonds had to go and fall for my niece and fucked everything up.” He extended his hand, and Born placed his 9mm in it.