by Jade Jones
Stone sighed. “Yeah. I do,” he answered. He picked up his pack of cigarettes and offered Jude one. “Cigarette?”
Jude could definitely use a smoke after the L he took yesterday so he gladly accepted. “Good lookin’.”
“I don’t want you apart of my operation any longer,” Stone suddenly said.
“Look, if this about ya boy White he started that shit with me,” Jude said. “He ain’t been feelin’ me since day one—”
“This ain’t got nothing to do with White,” Stone interrupted him.
“Then what is it? I been doin’ everything you told me to do and haven’t been caught slippin’ not once. I told you I’ma hustler. The shit is in me.” Jude patted his chest.
Stone sighed in frustration. “You know what?” he asked. “I see something in you that I saw in myself once,” he said. “You’re a good kid. I don’t want you mixed up in my shit.”
Jude sighed in frustration. “But I need this work for my girl and my baby,” he said. “These pennies they pay us in here ain’t gon’ do shit for me.”
Stone nodded in agreement. “I know,” he said. “And that’s why I plan on lookin’ out for you. Anything you need, I got you. You hear me?”
Jude breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t expecting to hear that, but he was totally grateful for it.
“And don’t worry about White,” he added. “I’ll have a talk with him when he gets back in general population. Make sure he doesn’t try any stupid shit like that again,” he promised.
“I really appreciate that, man,” Jude said.
“My ass is never getting out of here,” Stone told him. “I don’t have shit to lose…but you do…”
***
Days quickly turned into weeks since Jude had last spoken to or seen Cameron. In the beginning, he was simply pushing her away in order to mourn the loss of his brother, but now he was actually beginning to believe that she deserved more than what he could offer to her behind bars.
Jude figured it would be selfish to make her wait for him when he was the one who had gotten himself in the mess he was in. However, he still continued to send her money via a trusted correction officer. Unbeknownst to Jude, every letter he sent to Cameron was shoved into a drawer and never even opened for that matter.
Cameron was beginning to come to the realization that what she and Jude had was slowly dissipating. He refused her visits, and never even called. She was beginning to feel like Jude was only sending those bullshit ass cards out of obligation, and every time she received a letter from him she began to despise him more and more.
Cameron wasn’t some fucking charity case. The fact that she had the courage to take her clothes off just to make a dollar showed that she wasn’t afraid to do what she had to do to survive. She didn’t need some punk ass pre-paid cards she needed the love, attention, and affection that any woman craved for in a relationship
Jude had wanted Cameron to hold him down during his time of need, and she did. However, it was funny that he was the one who was actually turning his back on her. She felt hurt and confused.
Cameron’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted when her cellphone rang. Grabbing her phone off the coffee table in front of her, she scanned the caller ID.
“What’s up,” she answered.
“You,” Marcus simply said.
“What about me?”
“I wanna see you…”
Cameron had been trying to keep her distance from Marcus lately out of the loyalty and love she had for Jude, but now he was treating her like he didn’t want her in his corner anymore. He never called. Every time she went to the prison, he denied her visits, and he didn’t even have enough decency to write her a damn letter to explain his strange behavior. Evidently, he was pushing her way to the point of no return.
Right about now she was ready to do some shit that she would never be able to take back just to spite Jude. As petty as it seemed, that was just how she felt.
“When?” Cameron asked.
18
“I would’ve never thought you could cook, Marcus,” Cameron said sarcastically.
She sat comfortably on his cozy Glencrest sofa in his living room. Marcus lived in a four bedroom two bathroom home in a quiet cul de sac located in South Euclid, Ohio. He had just recently moved there from the west side of Cleveland, and it was his first home. Marcus had been making some major moves with the money he earned making sure to invest in the right things.
Marcus stepped into the living room, and handed Cameron a small glass of wine. “What you tryin’ to say? ‘Cuz a nigga dance, I’m not gon’ be able to cook,” he joked.
Cameron laughed. “You said that. I didn’t.”
“Yeah, you sure weren’t complaining about it either,” he teased taking a seat beside her on the sofa.
Marcus had prepared creamy Cajun chicken pasta. Needless to say, Cameron was thoroughly pleased with his skills, and shocked to say the very least.
“I am happy and surprised you even came over here…,” Marcus said. “Told you it’d only be a matter of time before you’re mine. I’ve been breakin’ ya lil’ ass down slowly but surely,” he joked.
“I’m not yours,” Cameron quickly said in a sarcastic tone.
“Well, you ain’t that nigga’s either ‘cuz you over here with me right now,” Marcus said confidently. He had done a line of cocaine before Cameron even came over, and he was feeling himself a little more than usual.
Cameron cut her eyes at Marcus. A smirk played in the corners of her mouth. “Whatever,” she said casually before taking a small sip of wine.
“It’s quiet as hell in here,” Marcus suddenly said. “Let me turn on some music.” He stood to his feet and walked over towards the entertainment console.
Seconds later, Trey Songz’ soulful voice filled the room as his single “You Belong to Me” played softly.
“So I didn’t know that you and Pure Seduction had something special going on between ya’ll,” Cameron said over the music.
Marcus made his way over towards her. “Keyword…had,” he said flatly. “She ain’t relevant to me.”
Cameron rolled her eyes sarcastically. “Yeah right,” she disagreed.
“You the only woman I give a fuck about,” he said. “Anybody else is nonexistent. Period point blank.”
“I hear you,” Cameron said sarcastically.
“I wish you could say the same about me…”
“Hmm…wish I could too…”
Marcus chuckled. “You’re so cold, Cameron,” he said. “I kinda like that shit though,” he admitted. “I can appreciate a challenge.” He stood directly in front of her, slowly grabbed both her hands, and placed them around his firm waist.
Marcus did a sensuous dance that probably got the women in the male revue going crazy. However, all it did was make Cameron burst out laughing. Marcus burst into a fit of laughter seconds after.
“Boy, you are so crazy,” Cameron laughed.
Marcus’s humorous expression quickly turned into a sensual one as he stared at Cameron with lust-filled eyes. He slowly got down onto his knees and positioned himself between her legs. “Damn…I been diggin’ you for so long, Cam,” he said.
Slowly leaning inward, Marcus brushed his soft lips over Cameron’s. Her legs wrapped around his torso as she gave in to the passionate kiss, tossing her arms around his neck in the midst of it.
Marcus wasted no time as he lifted Cameron, and stood to his feet. His strong hands cradled her soft butt cheeks in the high waist acid wash leggings she wore. Her legs were wrapped firmly around his waist. Slowly, he made his way towards his bedroom all the while kissing and sucking Cameron’s lips.
Once Marcus made it inside his master bedroom, he carefully laid Cameron down on his king size bed, and gently climbed on top of her.
“I want you,” he said in between kisses. “But I’ll be damned if I’ma share you.”
“You won’t have to,” Cameron said in a low tone.
J
ust hearing her say those words felt like music to his ears. He’d been waiting forever just to hear her finally say that.
“Don’t tell me that shit if you don’t mean it…”
Cameron pulled Marcus’s head down and eagerly crushed her lips against his. After they pulled apart to catch their breaths, he proceeded to slowly undress her. Cameron’s breath caught in her chest as she watched Marcus lower his face towards her waist. This time they weren’t at Pandora’s Box, and he wasn’t performing. This was the real deal.
“Ooohh,” she whimpered as him warm mouth closed over her sopping pussy.
His thick, pink tongue licked and sucked on her pearl. Cameron’s back arched in response, and her toes curled.
“You mine now. You hear me?” Marcus asked as he climbed on top of her.
Cameron bit her bottom lip seductively and nodded her head. Feeling satisfied with her response, he slid inside her tight walls.
“Ooohh,” she moaned.
“Take your dick,” Marcus whispered in Cameron’s ear.
With each stroke he delivered, she got wetter by the second. Marcus’s strokes were deep and slow. He wanted to fuck Cameron to the point where she’d forget all about the love she had for Jude.
“You mine now,” he repeated. “I ain’t gon’ let ya ass go either…”
19
One Year and Six Months Later.
“Happy birthday to my god son!” Ki Ki sang. She began placing kisses all over Cameron’s son’s face including his lips. He was more concerned with the wrapped present in Ki Ki’s hands than returning her affection.
“Ki Ki, what did I tell you about kissing my child all in his mouth?” Cameron asked. “Xavier, did you see Marcus? He was supposed to have ordered the pizza?” she asked in an irritated tone.
Trying to host a birthday party for a one year old at Chuck E. Cheese was definitely proving to be a lot of work. Cameron could barely keep up with the dozens of kids Marcus had invited from his side of the family. All of the adults invited seemed to be too preoccupied with their own affairs to help out in the least.
It was mighty funny how people begged to be invited to a party, but couldn’t even offer the slightest assistance.
“I think he went to the bathroom,” Xavier said before walking off to flirt with the single mother he had been scoping for the last ten minutes.
Cameron tossed her hands up in frustration. “Seems like I gotta do everything my damn self—Ki Ki, please stop kissing my son on his mouth?” she said in a weary tone.
“What?” Ki Ki asked defensively. “He’s just so cute. I can’t help it,” she cooed.
Cameron walked over towards Ki Ki, and took her son from her before she ended up having to slap her. Ki Ki was the best god mother a woman could ask for though. She was even there when Cameron gave birth to Justin a year ago. They had become closer than sisters, never once speaking about the dark, painful night that Wallace had been murdered. Kiki had been there for her graduation, and even helped Cameron run the new boutique that she’d gotten, courtesy of Marcus’s investment.
Justin immediately began whining after Cameron deprived him of opening the gift Ki Ki had just given him.
“After you open your eat,” she told him. “Where’s your daddy at?”
As if on cue, Marcus emerged from the public restroom and made his way over towards his family.
Cameron released a sigh of relief. “There you are, Marcus. I asked you…” Her voice instantly trailed off when she noticed a small amount of white residue on the tip of Marcus’s nose.
“What?” Marcus asked dumbfounded.
Cameron pointed to her own nose gesturing that he had something on his, although unfortunately she knew exactly what that something was. Throughout their relationship, Marcus had been battling a cocaine addiction that only seemed to grow worse as the days progressed.
Marcus quickly wiped away the powdery substance on his nose before any of his relatives saw it—not that they weren’t already aware of his drug addiction.
Cameron rolled her eyes in irritation, and walked away. He had promised her two weeks ago that he was done with the shit, only to turn around and use it on their son’s birthday, and inside of a Chuck E. Cheese restroom of all places.
So many times Cameron considered leaving Marcus due to his nasty drug problem, but the fact of the matter was she loved the family life she had grown accustomed to. She didn’t want to give that up as foolish as it may have seemed.
***
“Why you so quiet?” Marcus asked in the car on their ride home from Chuck E. Cheese. “You mad or some shit?”
Cameron didn’t respond. Instead she rolled her eyes and stared out the passenger window at the passing scenery.
“I asked you a question,” Marcus said in a stern tone.
Cameron slowly turned to face her man. “Yeah, I’m mad. I’m mad as hell,” she said. “You promised that you were done with that shit, and then you turn around and brought it to our son’s birthday party? I mean seriously, what the fuck type of shit is that?!”
“First of all, lower your mothafuckin’ voice when you talk to me before you wake Justin up.”
Cameron turned and looked into the backseat where her son slept peacefully in his car seat. Justin was so adorable with pecan colored skin, the same as his mothers, and short black curly hair. His eyelashes were long and curled upward, and everyone always told her that he looked just like her.
“Second of all,” Marcus snapped her back to reality. “I had a lot of shit on my mind—”
Cameron snorted. “Lot of shit like what?” she asked with an attitude.
“Well, for starters, Pandora’s Box ain’t rakin’ in money like it used to,” Marcus answered. “As a matter of fact they’re talkin’ about shuttin’ the spot down period altogether—”
“Good,” Cameron cut him off. “You said you were done with that dancing shit the same day you promised you were done with the coke—”
“That dancing shit paid for your mothafuckin’ boutique,” Marcus threw up in her face. “That dancing shit pays our bills. And that dancing shit takes care of our son.”
“I’ll give you two of those three,” Cameron said. “You paid for my boutique and I’ll be forever grateful for that, but it’s my boutique money that pays the bills and takes care of our son,” she argued. “The few lil’ dollars you earn now from shaking your dick you’re too busy spending on the bullshit you shove up your nose. Maybe once your shit collapses you’ll get a fucking clue and snap back to reality.”
Marcus turned and looked at Cameron as if she’d just gone crazy. He wasn’t used to her speaking to him in such a manner, and it instantly set him off.
Suddenly, in a fit of rage, he yanked his 2013 Cadillac Escalade to the side of the road, and snatched the gears into park.
“Bitch, you must’ve lost ya mothafuckin’ mind talkin’ to me like that after all I’ve done for you. As a matter of fact—the fuck out my damn truck!” he snapped.
Cameron waved Marcus off in a dismissive manner. She was used to his severe mood swings and outbursts. It seemed like the worse his drug addiction got the worst his temper became.
“Marcus, I’m not getting out the damn car,” she said. “How else am I going to get home?”
“You think I’m fuckin’ playin’ don’t you?!” He said before opening the driver’s door.
Cameron’s heart hammered in her chest as she watched him round the truck. They were parked on the side of a busy road. There was no way in hell he was really going to do something crazy. Right? Cameron convinced herself that he wouldn’t, but then again she was no stranger to him putting his hands on her.
Marcus yanked open the passenger door, and grabbed Cameron’s arm.
“Get the hell off me, Marcus!” Cameron yelled shoving him away.
WHAP!
Marcus slapped the shit out of Cameron before trying to drag her out the passenger seat. She kicked him in a desperate attempt to defend herself,
but she was no match against him. He suddenly grabbed her by her shoulder length hair, and brutally yanked her out the car before tossing her to the street like a ragdoll. After slamming the passenger door shut, he rounded the truck and climbed in.
“Marcus!” Cameron quickly jumped to her feet. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she rounded the truck. “Marcus, how the fuck am I going to get home?!”
He ignored Cameron as he slammed the door shut, and sped off.
“Marcus!” she screamed.
Stranded and alone, and to make matters worse she had no cellphone to call Ki Ki in order to come pick her up. Her purse and all its belongings were in the passenger seat of Marcus’s truck. Cameron felt pathetic as she stood on the side of the road crying. She felt so foolish for staying with a man who treated her three times worse than Silk.
Cameron ran a hand through her wild hair, and looked up and down the busy street. On the opposite side from where she stood was a plaza. She figured maybe someone would be nice enough to lend her their cellphone to call her girl Ki Ki.
Cameron was just about to cross the busy intersection when a silver 2012 Cadillac CTS pulled alongside her. She knew exactly who it was before the driver even lowered the window.
“Cameron, what the hell are you doing out here?” Xavier asked in shock. “Get in.”
Cameron quickly rounded the car and climbed into the passenger seat. X’s car smelled like a combination of car freshener and marijuana.
Xavier down turned the Wale mixtape he was listening to, and turned on the dome light. Cameron really wished he wouldn’t have. As expected, he quickly noticed the reddish bruise on the side of her cheek from where Marcus had slapped her. Xavier decided not to ask any questions as he turned the light off and pulled back into traffic. Cameron had never felt so embarrassed and ashamed in her life.
***
“Yeah, suck on the tip for me,” Marcus moaned. He licked his lips in pleasure as his pole was polished with saliva. “Put a lil’ bit more spit on it…yeah…like that. Damn girl,” he said. “You gon’ catch this nut in your mouth?”