Cheaper to Keep Her (part 1)

by Swinson presents Unique, Kiki

  Diamond looked as if she was concentrating. “That’s some shit,” Diamond replied.

  I had finally gotten through to her.

  “I started to turn over the pictures and the information I stole from Duke’s condo to the police. But you know what? I said, why not get something out of this shit. So I decided I will put the screws to Duke’s ass. I’m going to threaten him with going to the media and the police with what I know if he don’t give me some serious paper. This nigga just thought he could take everything I had, leave me with nothing and get married on me without any consequences? Hell no, it ain’t going down like that.”

  Diamond was all ears. I knew anything that had to do with money she would be down for it. Once I was sure I had her undivided attention, I told her what I needed.

  “So I need your help with putting together a solid plan where I can get the money from his ass safely and get the fuck outta dodge. Of course I’ma hit you off with your share for any help you give me with this,” I told her. I was saying the key words and Diamond was into it.

  “So, here’s what I had in mind for us to do,” I continued. “Maybe we can—”

  Before I could brainstorm some of my ideas about the blackmail plan, this muthafucka, Brian, knocked on my bedroom door.

  “Diamond!” the worthless asshole yelled from the other side of the door.

  I instantly cut my words short. I didn’t want him to hear anything about my plans. Not only did I not like Brian, I didn’t trust him as far as I could throw his ass.

  “What?” Diamond responded. She stood up and I knew that meant our meeting was over.

  “Bring your ass out here before we have problems!” he barked. “You think a nigga got time to be sitting in your room alone playing with my dick! I came here to see you, now get the fuck out here before I bounce on your dumb ass.”

  I couldn’t believe how disrespectful this nigga was towards Diamond. It seemed as if she would just accept anything from his ass and for the life of me I could never understand it.

  “I’m sorry, girl. Let me go see what this pain in the ass wants,” Diamond whispered. It was as if she wasn’t even embarrassed by Brian’s rude displays. I rolled my eyes at her because I was fucking disgusted that she refused to put her damn foot down with him.

  “I know, don’t mind him,” Diamond consoled when she saw how mad I was now. I didn’t say a word. “Listen, hold those thoughts about the plans. I’m down for whatever and we can talk all about it in private when I get home from the club tonight.”

  I softened my face a little bit. Primarily because what other choice did I have. Reluctantly, I agreed to wait for her to talk more about it. There was no way I could do something as serious as this without Diamond. She was way more street savvy than me. She also had her ear to the ground in the streets so putting together a plan would be easy for her.

  I sighed loudly and just accepted the fact that I would have no choice but to wait on her. Diamond left out of my room and I could hear her and Brian going at it. I didn’t know if they were arguing or fucking again. I closed my eyes and tried to think positive thoughts. I got a little excited about the possibilities of getting my hands on some money.

  Together, Diamond and I were going to come up with what I deemed my “cheaper to keep her plan” against Duke.

  And I couldn’t wait!

  Cheaper to Keep Her Unique

  Chapter 25—Do or Die

  Being in the house with so many thoughts and different variations of plans in my head was driving me crazy.

  The anxiety I was feeling was enough to kill me. Not only did I need Diamond to hurry up and come home, I also felt as if I needed a stiff drink to ease my mind. I tried to be patient and wait for Diamond to come home from the club, but it seemed as if I had been waiting for her for days instead of hours. With no real money of my own and nothing to do, I was restless as hell. That was probably the reason I kept obsessing about my plot against Duke. I couldn’t wait any longer. I needed to get with Diamond so we could come up with a good plan.

  “I can’t take this shit no more,” I huffed as I started putting on some clothes. I dumped out my purse and counted up the little left over dollar bills and change I had scattered in the bottom of my bag. I counted it, hoping I had enough. Damn, just made it, I thought.

  I used my last few dollars and called a cab. I had the cabdriver take me to the Magic City. Diamond was going to have to see me now. It was just that serious with me . . . or I was that impatient. I needed to discuss this shit with Diamond and I wasn’t confident she would bring her ass home before I conked out or something. She had been keeping some fucked up hours lately. She had also been drinking a lot too. She probably had already forgotten that she promised to come straight home. In any case, I was at the club now so she had no choice but to get with me on this.

  When I walked in the club, I was immediately assailed by the strong smell and thick, hazy smoke from cigarettes and weed. I waved my hand in front of my face realizing that being away from the club for so long I was no longer immune to the scent of it. I could hardly breathe and frankly I wanted to gag. I had my face contorted into a nasty scowl. I didn’t know how I used to do it in this ghetto ass place and I still didn’t know how Diamond was doing it every night.

  As I weaved my way through the tables I recognized some of the same old regulars that were always in the club day in and day out. Nothing much had changed about the place. A few patrons spoke to me and asked if I was coming back to work there. I told them hell no, acting as if I had dumped the club instead of the truth, that Neeko wouldn’t hire me back out of fear Duke would try to ruin him. I stopped and spoke to a few patrons that told me they missed the way I mixed my drinks. I listened to them complain a little about the new bartender and I found it quite amusing. Shit, I needed an ego booster.

  I finally spotted Diamond after scanning the club a few times with my eyes. I twisted my face into a scowl once again when I spotted her. “Fuck!” I hissed. She was busy, which wasn’t good for me. She was giving a patron a lap dance, which meant I was going to have to wait for goodness knows how long before she was done. I didn’t care. I walked up on her and her customer. “Diamond!” I screamed over the music.

  She stopped her dance for a few seconds and looked at me strangely. She looked like she was high on something.

  “I’m gonna be at the bar. When you finish, come see me. We gotta talk as soon as possible,” I shouted.

  Diamond nodded her head as if she was barely able to keep it up, then she started grinding on the guy’s dick again. As high as she looked it gave me an uneasy feeling. When I saw the guy reach under her thong and touch her bare pussy that made me queasy. I always thought the rule of the club for lap dancing was no under the clothes contact. Diamond was getting desperate these days. I couldn’t believe she was letting a total stranger put his fingers inside of her pussy like that. I stomped away in total disgust. Plus, I was a little worried about her.

  I climbed up on a barstool and ordered a shot of Patron. I was scrutinizing the new bartender and I couldn’t front, I was envious as hell. She was really cute and the customers that used to skimp on tips with me seemed to be tipping her well. I was pissed off watching this whack ass chick try to be me behind the bar. I was jealous as hell. I turned around and went back to watching Diamond instead of the bartender.

  My girl was working hard trying to make a quick buck. It was pretty fucking pathetic the way she had to do all of that for those few little dollars. She was dancing to Gucci Mane’s rap song, “Lemonade.” I didn’t know how Diamond did that shit. She was grinding and popping and straddling the guy. I could see the sweat on her body from where I sat. My girl was working too hard for a small payday from these slimy assholes.

  I shook my head and took my shot to the head.

  I winced as the tequila went down warm. I watched Diamond some more and knew just why I couldn’t do that bullshit stripping and lap dancing. Suddenly, I saw Diamond stop dancing. S
he jumped up off the guy’s lap and I saw her waggling her finger in the guy’s face and twisting her neck as if she was arguing with him. “Oh shit,” I mumbled with my eyes getting wide. I could tell something was going down. I slowly stepped down off the barstool but I didn’t move, I just watched for a minute to see if she was going to be able to handle whatever was going on.

  “What’s up, nigga? I’m dancing like a muthafucka and you ain’t pulled out no fucking money yet!” Diamond yelled, her words slurring. Damn, if I could hear her almost clear across the club with loud music playing I knew she was yelling very loud. I saw the dude stand up and stand toe-to-toe with Diamond. He was taller than her but he was right in her face. That’s when I started moving slowly towards them. I wasn’t about to sit there and let a nigga put his hands on her.

  “Where’s my fucking money!” Diamond screamed. Now I could hear her better because I was getting closer. The dude pushed Diamond out of his face roughly and told her he wasn’t going to give her shit because her pussy stunk. A group of dirty, broke down ass niggas that was with him starting laughing and clowning Diamond. I made it over to them to pull Diamond away before he did something stupid to her, but I wasn’t in time to keep her from doing something to him.

  Within a blink of an eye, Diamond grabbed a glass of champagne from the table next to the rude guy and threw the shit right in his face. “Argghh!” the dude screamed out. I could tell his eyes must’ve been on fire because he hadn’t seen that shit coming from her.

  “Diamond!” I screamed.

  The dude pulled himself together real quick and went after her. “You dirty bitch!” he hollered.

  The next thing I knew, he pulled back his huge hand and smacked Diamond so hard she went sailing backwards on her ass and hit the floor.

  “You muthafucka!” I screamed, racing over to Diamond to see if she was all right. She was looking a little dazed. That bastard stalked over to us, stood above Diamond and hawked a wad of spit right on her.

  “You asshole!” Diamond shouted. She was struggling to get off the floor. “Oh no this bitch ass nigga didn’t just spit on me!” She wiped the spit off her body, but before she could go back at the guy, the bouncers had finally made their way over to the commotion.

  The big, cock diesel bouncers grabbed and tussled with the dude. The guy’s friends tried to go at it with the bouncers, but one of the big men lifted his shirt to display a handgun. Those dudes backed down. I guess they had left their shit outside in their cars. All of the men, including the one Diamond had the beef with were forcefully put the hell out of the club. The bouncers followed them all the way just to make sure they didn’t try to come back in with any weapons.

  All I could do was shake my fucking head. Maybe it was me. I must’ve been the bad luck because every time I came to the club some shit jumped off. This gave me more of a reason to put my plan in motion. I needed to get my dough from Duke. I was tired of this shit.

  “You alright?” I asked Diamond. I knew she wasn’t all right, but what else was I gonna say after that whole scene.

  “I’m fucking pissed off! I can’t take this bullshit no more. These bastards get worse and worse every day,” Diamond said as I walked her towards the stairs that led to the dancer’s dressing rooms. I guess her high was completely blown now.

  When we got downstairs, I sat on a short stool in front of Diamond’s little locker where she kept her outfits. I watched as she cleaned the nasty spit off her and got herself together. I took this opportunity to sell my idea. This couldn’t have been a better time, because I could tell Diamond was feeling as if she was at the end of her rope.

  “See Diamond, you gotta get the fuck up outta this place. This shit is fine for a temporary gig, but long term ain’t the move.”

  Diamond rolled her eyes. “Lynise, I ain. (rt up for no goody two shoes lecture tonight,” Diamond snarled at me. “Especially when I’m the bitch footing the bills right now.”

  “I’m not trying to lecture you,” I clarified. “I’m trying to tell you about a plan for both of us to come off with some real money. I had started to tell you about it earlier today before your man interrupted.”

  Diamond pulled off her skimpy outfit and started putting on her regular clothes. “I’m listening,” she said.

  “I’m going to blackmail Duke with those pictures and that paperwork. But I need you to be down with this. I need you to help me set up a drop for the money and have my back when it goes down.” It was obvious my announcement had caught Diamond slightly off guard.

  Diamond looked at me skeptically, but she didn’t speak against the plan. I think deep down inside she knew I was on to something. “I’m listening,” she said in a low voice. Yes! I, at least, had her ear and her interest now.

  “I’m gonna call that nigga and tell him if he don’t come up with at least a half-a-mil, I’m going straight to the cops with the information I have about that girl and that fucking butcher shop shelter he running with that doctor,” I said.

  She looked at me like I had lost my mind. “Bitch, you really think that man is gonna just turn over a half-a-mil just like that? Five hundred thousand dollars for some pictures you got that you can’t even prove came from him? C’mon Lynise,” Diamond retorted.

  “See, that’s where you wrong at,” I replied. “The paperwork I got has money amounts paid to Duke directly. Yeah, I know it may sound like he was stupid for keeping tabs, but remember he just didn’t figure I would ever search his shit.”

  “If you say so. So you just gon’ dial his number, say give me a half-a-mil or else?” Diamond asked with doubt lacing her words.

  “Hell yeah!” I replied. “Duke had a lot to lose, Diamond. Without his reputation he won’t be able to make no money and if he goes to jail, even worse.”

  “I hear that hot shit. All of a sudden you a ride or die bitch, huh?” Diamond said sarcastically.

  She was starting to piss me off, but I really needed her so I was taking her shit. “It’s either ride or die or be broke and fucked up,” I replied.

  “I don’t believe you gonna call him Lynise. It’s just not your style . . . maybe my style, but definitely not your cornball ass style,” Diamond said, twisting her lips. She was egging me by doubting me. Maybe that was a good thing because I needed somebody to hype me up and give me the courage to do this.

  “Watch me!” I snapped. “But after I mak e the call, we need to come up with a quick plan on how to get the money. We need to plot out the where, when and how.”

  “That’s all good . . . that’s if you make the call,” she said, continuing to doubt me.

  Diamond twisted her lips and dared me to make the call. She actually started laughing, saying I wasn’t going to make the call.

  “A’ight, you don’t believe me? I can show you better than I can tell you,” I said, snatching Diamond’s cell. “Now give me your phone because he will recognize my number and he won’t answer it.”

  Diamond crossed her arms and watched me closely while I made the call.

  I guess she wasn’t doubting my seriousness now.

  Cheaper to Keep Her Unique

  Chapter 26—Threat

  Diamond had put the battery in my back, but she wasn’t able to soothe my nerves one bit while I made the call.

  My heart was hammering when I heard Duke’s phone ringing on the other end. I started walking in circles in the dressing room, because I was so damn nervous. Diamond had her arms folded across her chest looking at me like she thought I was faking the call.

  “Yeah,” Duke answered. I almost shit on myself and cried at the same time when I heard his sexy ass voice. “Speak,” Duke called into the phone when I didn’t say anything right away.

  My mouth was open but nothing was coming out. I was at a loss for words for a minute. Then I heard Duke’s fucking wife’s voice in the background ask, “Baby, who is that?” That’s when I was finally spurned into action. I got angry and that made me feel bold.

  “Yeah muthafucka
, I’m just calling to tell you that you’re done! I have you by the balls and if you don’t meet my fucking demands your life is over!” I boomed into the phone.

  “What? Who is this? Lynise?” Duke asked nice and calm. I could hear his wife saying something but I couldn’t make out what she was saying.

  “You damn right it’s me!” I hollered into the phone. “I ain’t calling to beg for you back or no shit like that, so don’t flatter yourself. But I am calling to let you know that your life will be over. I’m calling to tell you that I know all about your little baby snatching ring!”

  Duke coughed. It sounded like a nervous cough to me. I was feeling slightly powerful as I spoke. I felt like I had his ass under pressure now. He didn’t say anything so I took that as my cue to keep going.

  “Oh yeah, I overheard you and Dr. Gavin talking about how ya’ll snatch homeless pregnant girls and take their babies by forceful C-section. Then you tell those poor girls that their babies died. That is, if the girls make it . . . see, I saw one of the girls dead on the news. You know just who the fuck I’m talking about too! I also heard you say how many clients is paying you. I also know the babies you said died are actually alive and in the possession of some very rich people. I just so happen to have the list and price you was paid from those people. Oh Duke, I know everything . . . and guess what? I got the pictures Dr. Gavin gave you of all the girls!”

  I was telling it all. I wanted him to know how serious the situation was. Duke was quiet and that made me wanna say even more.

  “I know one of the girls died from the botched C-section Dr. Gavin gave her at your request. I got the pictures right out of your desk! I can send the cops to the people who bought that baby and when the DNA from the baby matches the dead girl’s and I show this list of the people that paid you for that baby, you will be done! Do you hear me done!”