“Because if you don’t do as I ask, I’ll follow through with what Jerron was going to do to your ass. And I wouldn’t play games if I were you because I have the recording of our freaky night and I will sell it to the highest bidder asap. I’ll have your ass all over the news stations before you can even book a flight out of town.”
Tammy instantly went from being angry to feeling scared about Dynasty’s threats, but she refused to let Dynasty see her sweat. “Okay. Like you said, let’s not play any games. As far as me paying for Jerron’s funeral expenses, that’s out of the question. I do not want any ties to that. Regarding the video, though, what assurances are you going to give me that you won’t try to come back at me again for more money after you spend what I give you?”
“I hear you about Jerron’s stuff, and it’s all good. About the video, though, I will give you what Jerron gave me. He gave me the video on a USB drive because he thought you would put the law on him and try to get it back when he realized you weren’t going to help get his brother out. Never did he once think you would have him killed. But you don’t know nothing about that, right?” Dynasty winked at Tammy.
“Anyway, I’ll tell you what: give me twenty-eight thousand and I’m out of your life. I will give eight grand to Jerron’s mother so she can pay for the arrangements and I will give you the USB that has the video. Simple as that. I swear, I won’t come back at you because I’m going to use that money to get my life right and take care of my daughter. I’m tired of dancing and shit. I want to turn my life around, and your money will definitely help.”
Tammy’s first mind was to slap the shit out of Dynasty and then have Debbie’s cousin come and take care of her ass too. But she wasn’t about to go down that route again. Just pay this bitch and let it all end. This is my punishment for what happened to Jerron. Hell, just consider it a charity donation. Call me Captain Save a Ho. All she could do was pray that Dynasty was being honest and she’d never come back to her again.
“Okay. I will need a day to get that kind of money out of my account to avoid any penalties.”
“That’s fine. I’ll get a room and wait for your call. Just know that I’m going to make sure the USB is somewhere secure until we get together so if you have the law get at me, then it will still come back and bite you in the ass. I have my peoples waiting on special instructions, especially if something happens to me. I know you’re not to be fucked with so I am going to be prepared. So as long as you stay straight up and down, so will I.”
“Agreed.” Tammy stood and walked her to the door. Once Dynasty was on the other side of the door, Tammy said, “I’m glad you do know I’m not to be fucked with. I will keep it real straight. If you fuck me over, I have my people too.”
Dynasty laughed and said, “I hear you. See you soon.”
Tammy closed the door, walked over to her liquor cabinet, and drank vodka straight from the bottle. She thought about calling Debbie but decided against it. She would handle this situation like she said she would and see how it would fall.
CHAPTER TEN
One thing Tammy had learned the hard way was that everything happened for a reason. That lesson was so true in her life, and that was what gave her solace after she left the bank with $28,000 of her hard-earned money. She didn’t need a full day to get the money out of her account. She told Dynasty that to buy herself a little time to make sure she was making the right decision. She had to sleep on this decision and, after sleeping peacefully, she felt she was doing the right thing. If it came back and bit her in the ass, then she would deal with it just as she had dealt with every other turmoil she’d had in her crazy life. As she got in her car, she thought about calling Debbie, but again chose not to involve her in her mess.
* * *
Debbie gave a huge sigh of relief when she got the results back from the quickie HIV test she paid sixty dollars for. Okay, cool. No HIV from that nasty-ass freak nigga. She couldn’t believe that Chris was like that. What was even more crazy about it was that if he had been open with her about his bisexuality, she may have been willing to roll with it. Guess it’s just the freak in me, she thought as she went into her office to start her day, feeling good that now things could go back to normal in her life.
* * *
Tammy chose to take the rest of the day off so she could handle her business with Dynasty and then have a good massage to help ease the stress from her body. She called Dynasty and told her to meet her at Bedlam BarB-Q restaurant. She intentionally arrived fifteen minutes late just to make sure everything was kosher. She felt like she was acting a bit paranoid, but she had twenty-eight large on her, so she wasn’t taking any chances.
She went inside the restaurant and saw Dynasty sitting at a table, sipping a drink. She ordered a rib dinner, paid for her food, and went and sat down across from Dynasty.
“I got the money for you, but before I give it to you I want to make sure that everything is crystal clear,” Tammy said. “I want you to understand that I know absolutely nothing about what happened to Jerron and I don’t give a damn what you think on that topic. If you ever try to associate my name with whatever happened to Jerron, I swear that you will regret it. And that is not a threat. That’s a promise. I also don’t plan to ever see or hear from you again on that matter or with regard to the video. If you think I will be your cash cow later in the game, you are dead wrong, and I mean that. I’m doing this only because I want closure to all of this bullshit. I will not be blackmailed again. Is everything clear to you?”
“Crystal clear, hon. You won’t ever hear from me after today. Like I said to you before, I am moving on with my life and my daughter’s life. I’m leaving Texas for the West Coast so I can start fresh. I won’t ever come at you again. You have my word.”
“Yeah, okay. Here is the money,” Tammy said as she slid over an envelope with the $28,000 inside of it.
Dynasty smiled as she reached for the envelope full of money. She checked the contents, and her face lit up like a Christmas tree. This bitch is stupid as fuck if she really believes I’m not coming back for more money. As long as I have this video, bitch, I own you.
“All right, we’re all good. Thank you for doing this and, don’t worry, you won’t ever hear from me again. Best wishes to you in the future, Your Honor.” Dynasty stood and reached out her hand toward Tammy.
“Same to you,” Tammy said as she shook hands with the stripper. “You be careful out there.” Tammy smiled and winked.
“Yeah, you too.” Dynasty smiled back and left.
Tammy took a deep breath, sat back in her chair, and waited for the waitress to bring her the rib dinner she ordered. She watched as Dynasty left the restaurant and got inside of her car. As soon as Dynasty backed her car out of the restaurant parking lot and onto Fiftieth Street, a car came flying across Lincoln Boulevard and slammed right into her. Dynasty’s car spun out. Tammy saw a look of shock and fear on the stripper’s face as she struggled to turn the steering wheel in an attempt to regain control of her car. The car flipped over on its side and smashed into a pole.
Tammy took a sip of her drink as she watched the events unfold. She looked on as Crip Jack got out of the SUV that hit Dynasty’s car. He ran toward the car with a pistol in his hand. Tammy watched casually as she saw Crip Jack reach into the car and shoot Dynasty twice in the head. He reached past the body, pulled out her purse, and grabbed the envelope with the $28,000 in it. He then ran toward another car that was parked at the street corner and sped away.
All of this lasted no more than two minutes but, to Tammy, it seemed like a movie in slow motion. Everyone inside the restaurant was screaming for someone to call 911. Tammy sat at her booth and felt numb. It was a shame that it had to be this way, but she knew in her heart that this was her only way out of her nightmare. She had no doubt in her mind that Dynasty was going to continue to blackmail her whenever she needed money, and that was something she was not willing to get caught up in. She was from Prince Hall, and Prince Hall didn�
�t raise no fools. She’d rather let Crip Jack have that money and wish him the best in his crazy life. That way, she could kill two birds with one stone. She’d never have to worry about Dynasty again, and she wouldn’t owe Crip Jack any favors later on down the line.
The waitress brought her food to the table. She ate and watched on as the police and paramedics arrived on the scene. A large crowd was beginning to form around all of the commotion. She got a text from her best friend asking her what she was doing. She responded by informing Debbie that she was eating. She had no intention of telling her friend about what she had done. This was something she planned on taking to the grave with her. She felt relieved that it was over and she could move on with her life.
Tammy texted her friend, I had a ball on that swingers’ cruise. Let’s do it again next month.
Debbie responded right back, You know I’m with that. Party girls all the way!
Tammy smiled and replied, That’s right, bitch. Party girls forever!
The End
Do or Die
India Johnson-Williams
CHAPTER ONE
KALI
“Do you love me, baby?” Bernard “Bird” Harris asked while sitting on the edge of his king-sized bed. He was topless; therefore, his huge, tattoo-covered belly was exposed. His head hung toward the ground, and his eyes were closed.
“Bird, what’s wrong?” His girlfriend, Kali, sat up from her position on the navy blue sheets. At five foot five, the caramel-colored girl with slanted hazel eyes and deep dimples looked flawless as she sat there naked on the sheets. She was gorgeous. “What happened?” she asked softly while kissing his shoulder where her name was tattooed. He’d been sulking for the past few days, and it worried her. In the entire four years the couple had been together, she had never seen him like this.
“Do you love me, Kali? I mean, really love me?” This time he turned to look at her.
“Of course I do.” Her hazel eyes met his, and they both smiled. “Do you love me, Bernard?”
“I love you more than anything in the world,” Bird replied before leaning in to kiss his princess on her full, pouty lips.
Some days it was hard for him to believe such a beautiful girl could be with someone like him. His skin was the color of rich, dark oil, his teeth were slightly crooked, and one of his eyes wandered from time to time. Back before he had money, girls called him ugly and treated him like shit; but not Kali. From day one, on the playground of Schultz Elementary School, she told him he was a king, and she treated him as such. Although they didn’t start a relationship until much later down the line, she was always his best friend.
“So, you love me more than money?” Kali teased, and Bird nodded. “How about more than your Jordan collection?” she continued and, again, he nodded. “What about more than your momma?”
“Kali, I trust you with my life, and I love you more than anything in this world,” he repeated for clarification.
“Do you really mean that?” Kali’s smile grew wide, exposing her deep dimples.
“You know I do, baby.” Bird lay down across the bed and put his head in Kali’s lap. “If something were to happen to you, I don’t know what I would do.”
“Well, if something were to happen to you, I would die,” Kali admitted. Although she and Bird were from two completely different worlds, she loved him immensely and could never picture life without him. He was her protector.
“Nah, man, if something happens to me you just go on and keep it pushing.” Bird looked up at her to let her know he was serious. “You got too much to offer this world.”
“Bernard.”
“Kali!” Bird mimicked. “If anything happens to me, promise me that you will keep on pushing.”
“Do you think something is going to happen to you?” Kali was good at reading between the lines. It was something she’d learned to do in her law classes.
“Nobody plans for shit to happen to them; it just does. You just got to be prepared, that’s all.” Bird sighed.
“Baby, is there something you’re not telling me?” Kali knew her man was heavy in the streets. If anything was going on, she wanted to know.
“Nah, man. We’re just having a conversation, that’s all,” he lied. In all honesty, Bird could feel something bad brewing; he just didn’t know what it was. After putting nearly a decade into the dope game, he was beginning to get uncomfortable. He was tired of looking over his shoulder and having sleepless nights. Sure, the money was good, but was it worth his sanity? He knew it was time to change up his routine and get the fuck out of dodge, but without a high school diploma, he didn’t know where to start.
Buzzzzzzzz. The pink cell phone on the nightstand vibrated. One quick glance at the screen and Kali decided to let the call go to voice mail. “Babe, you got to stop ignoring the first lady.” Bird laughed. “How many times has she called you?”
“You already know that woman has called too many times to count.” Kali grabbed the phone just in time to see the voice mail notification pop up.
She played the message aloud: “Kali Ann Franklin, this is your mother calling again! I understand that you are an adult, and I’m trying to give you space, but you’ve missed Bible Study, choir rehearsal, Sunday School, and church for the last three months. Enough is enough! You bring your tail home or I will come down there with my law enforcement friends.” Click.
“Can you believe her?” Kali tossed the phone down.
“Look, I know the first lady be tripping, but you need to call her. The last thing I need is for her to send five-o this way.” Bird knew Kali’s mother wasn’t tossing idle threats. As the pastor and first lady of a very prominent church in Royal Oak, Kali’s parents were well-connected. One call from them could send him upstate for a long time.
“Let’s not forget the bitch was the one who put me out of the house and cut me off in the first place,” Kali reminded him. “Plus, I’m not calling her until she apologizes for how she treated you that night.”
After nearly four years of her parents begging to meet Bird, Kali finally went against her better judgment and agreed to take him to dinner at her family’s house. Although her mother promised to be on her best behavior, she cut right into him the minute he walked through the door. She started with jabs about his weight and the way he was dressed, which was nice according to most people’s standards, and then she went in about his upbringing and lack of education. By the end of the night, she’d basically called him everything but a child of God.
Kali was pissed to the max and mad at herself for bringing him to dinner. Her father, who was usually vocal about everything, was strangely silent on the matter. Yet and still, Kali knew he didn’t care for Bird either by the way he avoided making eye contact and conversation. She just wished her parents could see him the way she did; instead, all they saw was a street thug.
By the end of the night, her mother gave her an ultimatum: she could either be with Bird or be cut off. Needless to say, Kali chose the latter, and the rest was history. From the moment she left her family, Bird stepped up and took care of all her needs, even her education, which was putting a pretty good hole in his profits.
“It’s all good, ma. My mother and sister don’t like you either, so we’re even.” Bird chuckled.
“I guess you’re right.” Kali couldn’t help but laugh too as she recalled the first time she’d met his family. It was at his nephew’s first birthday party a few years ago. Bird warned Kali that his mother and sister were protective of him and could be very nasty to the women he brought around, but she ignored him. Kali was a girl who always saw the best in people until they showed her otherwise. Her mother used to say she walked around the world with blinders on. During the introductions, Kali greeted his mom, Lisa, with a hug and she immediately tensed up.
“Girl, I don’t know you like that to be touching all up on me.” Lisa pretended to wipe the cooties off her body.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any harm. I’m a hugger.” Kali s
miled nervously.
“Who is this?” Rochelle, Bird’s sister, walked up to the group with an attitude.
“This is my girlfriend, Kali. Kali, this is my sister.” Bird tried to give Rochelle a look that said, “Be nice,” but she wasn’t having it.
“I bought Joseph a gift.” Kali handed over the perfectly wrapped gift. “I hope you like it.”
“This is a private event for family, but you can put it on the gift table with the other gifts before you leave.” Rochelle rolled her eyes. “Thanks for stopping by.” She waved in a sarcastic manner.
“She ain’t going anywhere,” Bird stated as a matter of fact.
“Bernard, this is not the time or place for a date, especially when you’ll have a new girlfriend next week,” Rochelle replied, and Lisa laughed.
“First of all, you can kill that noise.” Bird was irritated. “Don’t act like I use the word ‘girlfriend’ loosely. Second of all, if she leaves I’m leaving and so is the money in my pocket that’s supposed to pay for this.”
Naturally, Rochelle changed her tune that day, but it was four years later, and the hate between them was still real!
“Anyway, baby, enough with all that. I think it’s time to make a change.” Bird sat up and stood from the bed.
“What do you mean, a change?”
“I’m ready to walk away from the streets and settle down.” Bird opened the dresser drawer and pulled out a black bag.
“Let me check your temperature.” Kali stood and placed the back of her hand to his forehead. “Boy, as long as I’ve known you, you’ve been in love with the streets.”
“I’m serious, Kali.” Bird sighed. “I’ve been thinking long and hard about this. I’m going to keep hustling until I finish paying for your law degree, but the day you walk across that stage, I’m out. Then, while you’re at work becoming the best lawyer in the state, I’ll be working on my GED. When that’s done, I may just enroll in college my damn self.” Bird had been thinking of a master plan since he began getting bad vibes last month.
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