by Nicety
“I’m just saying one might be inclined to say that there might be too much action going on here. Wouldn’t you think?” The officer retorted.
“Have you ever wanted to just drop everything you’re doing and take your lovely wife on a cruise to the Bahamas?” Yolo spat looking past the cops and into the street. “How would the wife like to do that, say, once a month?”
“Uh…she’d probably like that very much. But it ain’t gonna happen.” He answered.
“Maybe if you checked the garbage can more often, it could. And that goes for you too bro.” Yolo pointed to the black cop.
“The garbage can?”
“Yeah, the one down the street on the corner next to the mailbox. It should be filled by noon on the first of the month, every month we’re in operation that is.” Yolo smirked. “And I’ll tell you what, since it’s already the middle of the month, I’m going to pay you for this full month.”
“Well, sounds like we’re about to go down the street and we’ll sit there until the garbage man comes.” The officer said before signaling for his partner to follow him away from the house.
“Aye, Yo. You really gonna pay these motherfuckas off man?” I asked walking up to the door letting the fiends walk up one by one to get their orders.
“Sometimes you gotta pay to play my dude. But it’s not gonna matter after tonight.”
“Why’s that?” I asked but got no answer.
We all sat there in squander for the next 2 hours and after the last fiend had counted his change and gotten his fix, we shut it down locking the doors. Drake was at the door counting the scratch, Mo looked as if he was zooted off of that dope himself. Yolo noticed it too and figured those two had to have been skimming product off the top as well, which in turn took more money out of his pocket and that’s another reason why his pockets were always short as ever before Cesar got there.
“Count that motherfucking money nigga.” Yolo snapped becoming disgusted by the smell festering in the smoldering hot summer.
“I’m done Yolo. I’m done. You can come and get this money.”
“How much is it?”
“Man about $8000 is here." Drake growled.
"Alright. Put that in a black garbage bag and here take this eight grand here and put it in there too then take it to the trash on the corner. Move!" Yolo bellowed scaring the shit out of him, counting out eight thousand dollars in cash from his pocket.
Drake got gone quickly realizing how pissed Yolo was this evening.
"Aye, Yo. Profit's gone up man. It can't do nothing but get better from here." I assured him looking at the box of emptied product, feeling a bit proud.
"Yeah, that's why you're my new right hand man." He chuckled before reaching behind his back. "Aye Mo!" He yelled.
Boom. Boom.
Before Mo could gather himself to look up he had planted two slugs in his chest. His half naked body slumped over to the side as his blood oozed on to the couch. His fingers were still balled up from the previous position. Mo's pants darkened in the front seat area. That nigga never saw it coming.
"Oh! Damn, Yo. What's good?" I asked slowly turning to him.
"Shop closed bro. We got bigger and better fish to fry and these niggas were nothing but another hand in my pocket. Fucking liabilities." Yolo said leaning against the wall behind the front door. “Especially that nigga Drake, thinking just because I took his runaway ass in from off the streets that he could fuck me over. Naw, it ain’t going down like that homey.”
He was waiting for Drake to come walking his ass in the house. I couldn’t do shit but stand there and wait for this nigga’s brains to be splattered all over the living room, without him even seeing it coming. That shit was one hell of a way to go out but there wasn’t shit I could do about it. Yeah, I thought they were some lazy ass worthless pieces of space but I wasn’t sure they deserved to die for it. But in the streets its kill or be killed and if Yolo felt like they needed to be rocked to sleep then that’s what it was.
“Where the fuck is this nigga at man?” Yolo asked bringing his arm back down to his side.
“Shit, I don’t know.”
“Go check it out, C.”
Reluctantly, I walked out the door keeping my eyes and ears open just in case. I walked off the stoop and out to the sidewalk leering down the street to see if I could see the nigga by the garbage can but all I saw were the cops getting there trash. I turned looking the other way and there he was speed walking down the street looking suspect as hell; looking like he had a whole heap of shit in his drawers.
“Aye, Drake!” I yelled. “Where the fuck you going, dude?”
“Uh…I gotta go! I’ll be back!” He yelled back before taking off running.
“Aye, motherfucka! Come back!”
There were kids outside still playing and enjoying their freedom. If it weren’t for that I would emptied my clip trying to put on in his ass. I walked back into the house to deliver the bad news to Yolo. He was heated but he soon shook it off.
“Yeah, that nigga can run but he can’t hide. He probably was walking back and heard the gunshot and knew what was up.” Yolo said sucking his teeth. “It’s cool though. I’mma get that motherfucka.”
Yolo took out his phone and made a call to the Cleaning Crew to come and scrap up Mo’s body from off the couch. He even indicated that he wanted the nigga to get a proper burial; whatever the fuck that meant. After the call, he told me to help him search the house for anything else that was of importance. When there was nothing, we left locking the door securely behind us. The Cleaning Crew knew how to handle things after that. They were the ones who made problems disappear and were a group of chicks that Yolo had been friends with since high school. He entrusted them with his legal endeavors but most of all his life. Even though I had gotten used to working the trap after a few weeks, I was kind of glad to see it go. I hated working in one spot on the streets on an everyday basis. That’s how motherfuckas got caught up.
“C. This shit right here is for you bro.” Yolo grinned handing me a big black suitcase that he’d gotten from the back seat.
“Oh yeah? All for me huh?”
“You earned it and they’ll be plenty more where that came from if you run the spot down in Miami for me. You’ll only fly out once or twice a month.”
“Yo, man. I can’t even thank you enough for this shit right here man. This shit is truly a blessing. I got me a new girl and I wanna show her that I can provide and handle my business.” I said shaking up with him.
“Oh yeah? Is she a good girl?”
“Most def bro. One of the best.” I countered.
“That’s wassup, dude. Take that joint right there and get her a house, maybe a baseball ring or something, eh?” He said as he headed to the driver’s side of his car. “Call me tomorrow. We’ll do something.”
“I got you and thanks!” I roared watching as he sped off faster than a roadrunner.
I looked down at the suitcase just imagining how much money was inside but I didn’t have to wonder for long because there was a note taped to the handle:
C,
Enjoy this, you earned it. Here’s $250k and there is much more where that came from if you stick with me.
Yo!
As I loaded my belongings into the truck, a large black van pulled up alongside of me. I was told never to speak to them, never even look up into their faces. Never questioning it, I just did as I was told and I literally never saw them. The side door of the van slid open as quickly as it shut. Two of the cleaners jumped out, walking past me fast as hell while the driver drove off. Just as I was about to duck into the truck to mind my business and get going, I heard my name.
“Hey Cesar.” A racy high-pitched voice greeted as she walked right past me dressed in all black and revealing the most attractive smile.
“Hey.” I answered in a silently as I was confused that they were even speaking to me.
It was something that they never did. I didn’t even know they k
new I existed but now that I knew it was something that I knew I was going to start paying attention to. Yolo was my man, a hundred grand, but no matter how great we got a long it was hard for me to trust him considering the line of work that we were in. He could off me at any moment while my guard was down and I’d be none the wiser. Then the Cleaners would be scraping my body off the couch. Naw, I could never be caught slipping like that. Never.
**Mink
“Thanks baby. I appreciate all my new shit today.” I smiled wiggling my pretty ass out of the car with my expensive bags in tow.
“Yeah you just make sure you have that pretty ass all ready for me in the morning cause I’m coming to get that ass that I just paid $6500 for.” Cash replied licking his lips.
“Yeah whatever nigga.” I mumbled as I shut his door and walked on down the street.
His scary ass couldn’t even take me to the front door of my apartment complex and he’s demanding pussy. It wasn’t like he spent heavy cash on me. I only got a few bags not a whole fleet full of shit like I wanted but nonetheless I knew he would get this pussy. Yeah, he’d get this pussy after two hours of eating it first. As I neared the complex, I noticed that everybody and their mommas where out there watching as I walked up in my new Louboutin pumps and designer bags. I loved being the envy of the scene. Hating ass people didn’t bother me one bit. Just as I hit the stairs my phone vibrated in my pocket.
“Hello?”
“Bitch, what the fuck you mean you’re pregnant?” Flava yelled through the phone. “Me and momma ain’t about to take care of no more of your illegitimate ass kids.”
“Okay first of all, you don’t take care of shit and second of all why do you even care. You need to be trying to figure out why your practically married, educated ass can’t seem to hold one in your belly.” I snapped sick of her shit and flicking my long weave around to my back.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Don’t play me for a fool, Flava. You already know momma can’t hold water and she told me about your three miscarriages. Ain’t nobody slow.”
“Mink, you are treading on thin ice bitch.”
“Oh, am I? Well right now a chick is skating just fine.” My shiny glossed lips popped right before laughter filled the conversation. “Thank you very much.”
“Don’t get it twisted like you can’t get knocked down from that pedestal you standing on. You ain’t got far to fall neither, especially when that nigga finally leaves your dumb ass.” Flava countered.
“Stay out my fucking business, alright? He ain’t going nowhere, we are just fine, and you need to worry about who your man is stickin’ his dick in tonight.” I cackled. “Be careful bitch it just might be me.”
“You don’t want your ass royally beat, Mink.”
“Oh what’s wrong? Dear sweet sis can’t take a little friendly competition? Better watch your back bitch cause as soon as you snooze, I’m gonna ride that dick ‘til it falls off, ho. It should’ve been me with him anyway.”
“Ugh, would you get over that already. He didn’t want a hoe, he wanted a woman.” She barked.
“Well it looks like he’s still looking for that then huh?” My laughter was so loud it nearly rattled the stairwell. “Don’t call my phone no more.”
As I hung up, I started thinking about the fact that we were never really close and she always thought she was better than me. Why we even faked liking each other for this long was beyond me. All of my conversations with her always ended in an argument about one thing or the other and I was damn sick of it. The next time I wanted to hear her voice was when she was crying through the phone because I had told her I fucked that fine as nigga of hers. That and that he was leaving her for me. Who says I can’t have my cake and eat it too?
I walked towards the door turning the key and entered feeling like I was sitting on a cloud. Nothing or no one could bring me down from my natural high. Not even the phone call from five minutes ago. I was about to get my hustle on tenfold and niggas’ pockets were about to be broke. It was getting dark out prompting me to cut the lights on as I dropped the bags on the carpet.
“Oh shit! Cesar, you scared the shit outta me. What you doing sittin’ here in the dark?” I asked clenching my chest and breathing heavily.
“Waiting on you.” He replied mildly.
“Wh…Where’s the truck? I didn’t even see it parked outside.”
“Don’t worry about that. That’s not your major concern.” Cesar crooned walking over towards me. “So what’s in the bag? Anything for me?”
“Well, I didn’t really get anything for me either. It’s just a few things.”
“Uh, huh. Something for CJ?”
“Huh?”
“SOME-THING-FOR-CJ?” He yelled picking up my Gucci bag checking the contents inside.
“Cesar, what the fuck are you doing?”
“I’m trying to see if you went out there to spread your legs for anybody but your damn self. You got the damn nerve to call me for rent money but you couldn’t ask them niggas for it?” He was beyond mad, he was livid.
“While you talking shit, who says I didn’t get the money? I was just saying you out there making money with Yolo and me and your son were here struggling so I did what I had to do.” I replied calmly walking to the fridge for a drink. “It ain’t like you cared enough to answer your phone. I mean you wouldn’t even listen to what I had to say before.”
“Fuck that, Mink. You’re a ho! I had no business turning a hoe into a housewife in the first place. So I don’t even blame you. I blame myself. But that’s all over now.”
“You’re right baby. It’s all over. So why don’t you sit down and let me suck and ride that dick like I know you like.”
For some reason it was then that I decided to look around at the apartment. It was damn near bare. He had taken the floor model stereo, and the 42” TV mounted on the living room wall. He had even taken the plants, the fucking plants that were in the living room next to the couches. I looked over into the bedroom seeing that everything looked in tact there but I was sure his clothes were gone from the closet and the dresser drawers. It slowly began to piss me off that this nigga thought he was just going to walk out the door without so much as an explanation or warning.
“Uh, what the hell is goin’ on here, Cesar.” I asked slamming my glass bottle of apple juice down on the counter. “I mean you’re gone for weeks and then you pull this shit?”
“You still don’t get it do you? When I told you to leave before and you wouldn’t, you thought I was just going to brush the shit off and keep dealing with your bullshit for our son.” Cesar rubbed the hairs on his chin roughly. “You crazy as hell if you think I’m gonna forgive you this time, Mink.”
“Okay but what about our fucking son? Did you even consider what this was going to do to him when he comes back from my mother’s house for the summer?” I asked still looking around for shit that was missing.
“That’s the thing…he’s coming with me.”
“What? I knew you would try to pull some shit like this. What makes you think I’m just gonna allow you to take my motherfucking son?” I spat walking up to his face pointing and pushing because I knew that pissed him off.
“You ain’t never with him anyway. You don’t help him with his homework and you always rippin’ and runnin’ the streets. You think I’m about to leave him here under your ass like that? Com’ on now, be real.” He snapped as he pointed back.
“But he’s my son, Cesar. You can’t take my son.” I bellowed as forced tears flowed down my golden brown cheeks.
“And I understand that. You can see him whenever you want. But I’m taking my son and that’s that.” He said grabbing a backpack that looked overstuffed from off the couch tossing it on his back.
“Okay…but what about me, baby. I thought it was you and me against the world. Remember?”
“Mink, it ain’t been you and me for a long ass time. It’s been you, me, and that dude, this dud
e, and another and another. I mean for real girl keep your damn legs closed!”
“Uh uh, nigga you ain’t gonna disrespect me like that; take my son and my shit up outta here. Now you gonna have to give me something. Some money or something cause you losing your fucking mind.”
“Render unto Cesar, bitch!” He growled displaying the most devilish looking expression on his face, scaring the shit out of me. “Besides, all of my money is going to our son and my new fiancé. Now deal with that. I’m out.
His new fiancée? That was definitely news to me. My loud big mouth sister didn’t even mention anything about that, which means he had to have been hiding it and possibly cheating on me too. Ain’t that a bitch! He was just sitting here trying to accuse me of cheating when all the time he was out here doing the same shit. My blood boiled over times ten and all I wanted to do was search and destroy whoever this bitch was.
My knees felt weak and I was sick to my stomach still wondering who the hell had taken his heart from me. His new fiancée!!!! He had never even proposed to me and here it is he pops up talking about marrying somebody else. I couldn’t take the rejection. I couldn’t handle the fact that he would no longer be supplying me with what I wanted and was giving it to somebody else. I couldn’t even think about him giving my dick to some other undeserving broad. Not someone who had manipulated him into being with them; someone who had ultimately taken my paycheck from me. And I bet I knew just who it was too. When I caught that bitch she would pay the ultimate price. My breathing elevated and my head grew light. My heart started racing as I fell to my knees.
“Cesarrrrrrrr!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.
MONEY IS KING 2: SECRETS
Chapter 1— Mink
“Cesarrrrrrrr!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “I’m pregnant…again!”
The skin on my knees burned on the carpet as I crawled to the door to see if he would come back, to see if he had heard me or even given a damn. Real tears fell from my eyes as if I was actually hurt by him leaving. Okay, I admit I was a little fucked up in the head but for the most part I just didn’t want to get off the gravy train I had been riding all these years. I simmered my whining down to listen for footsteps but when I heard them, I couldn’t tell if they were coming up or going down the complex stairs. The door pushed open slowly nearly hitting me in the head as I looked up into his eyes, face drenched in my salty tears.