Blood, Sweat & Payback (Payback Series)

by Wahida Clark

  “First off, before we get started, welcome home my man Brig,” Born greeted. The room erupted in cheers and barks. A few of the members got up, went over to him, and handed envelopes and gave hugs.

  After Briggen acknowledged the welcome with subtle nods and smiles, and after everything settled down, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dark staring at him, but he didn’t comment.

  Born turned to Tareek. “Tareek, you sponsored this meeting. It’s only right that you begin,” Born said.

  “No doubt,” Tareek replied, getting straight to the chase. “Bottom line is—what the fuck is goin’ on? Shit is obvious somebody amongst us is goin’ against all we stand for or somebody on the outside tryin’ to take us out. So do we have to go to war with one another, or do we stand as one?”

  “Yo, I’m feelin’ you, maine—” one of the twins started to say, but was interrupted by Shan as she entered the room.

  “Sorry, I’m late,” she remarked as she blew into the room like a breeze. She was already nervous, so to have all eyes on her entrance had her even more flustered.

  When Briggen saw Shan, his heart felt as if it no longer pumped blood. “Shan?”

  Hearing the familiar voice, but not believing his presence, she turned and saw Briggen. “Briggen?”

  Then both, almost at the same time, asked the other, “What the hell are you doin’ here?”

  For Briggen, her presence was totally out of place. She wasn’t even supposed to know about The Consortium, let alone be in a meeting. But there she was, looking good, and at that moment, his heart began pumping blood again. As for Shan, she didn’t even know Briggen was out. It was like a slap in the face that he didn’t feel compelled to let her be the first to know.

  He must be fuckin’ somebody new, her thoughts fumed, or else why didn’t he tell me? I’m his wife! I bore his seeds. And seein’ him here means he on the same ol’ shit. That game about his family was all bullshit. But now, I can play the game too!

  “Yo, who is this?” Kay-Gee wanted to know.

  “She’s representin’ Ni—” Born started to introduce her, but Shan cut him off.

  “Excuse me, but she can speak for herself,” Shan said, knowing she had to be assertive in a room full of men. “My name . . . is Redbone, and I’m working with Nick. I represent his interest. You want to talk to Nick, talk to me. Period.”

  “Nick?” Briggen blurted out. “Fuck you mean you represent his interest?” This made him that much more anxious to get at Nick. Not only was he fucking his wife, the mother of his seeds, but now he had her in the middle of some street shit. “Yo, Shan, let me holla at you right now!” Briggen stood up.

  “There’s a time and place for everything. A fact you’ve made crystal clear. Now is not the time,” she shot back with nonchalant sass.

  “Damn, li’l mama trying to go hard. We got a bitch at the table?” Tareek remarked, impressed with both her swag and her sexiness.

  Briggen went for her. “Who the fuck is you talkin’ to?” he fumed.

  Kay-Gee restrained Briggen. “Yo, we don’t handle personal matters in The Consortium meetings. You know that,” Kay-Gee told him. “Handle that on your own time.”

  “Oh yeah, she definitely handle business,” Dark chuckled, eyeing Briggen tauntingly.

  Briggen glared at Dark. Reluctantly, Briggen sat down.

  “Now,” Shan said, removing an out-of-place lock of hair from her face with her pinkie, “you were saying?” A bunch of curls were piled high up on her head into a ponytail.

  Tareek cleared his throat. “Yeah, so . . . I’m here for answers and I’d prefer to do it without bringin’ the heat to niggas,” he concluded, mentioning no names, but looking directly at Dark.

  Dark chuckled. “First off, all that indirect shit, y’all niggas can pass me wit’ that. I know most of y’all don’t like me. I really don’t give a fuck. Y’all look at me like I did somethin’ to Cisco. Believe me, every nigga get what his hand calls for—”

  “You got that right,” the other twin blurted out.

  Dark ignored it and kept talking. “But bottom line is, muhfucka just tried to kill me! Was it you, Twins?” He glared at them. He then turned to Born. “Was it you, Born? Was it you, Tareek?” He rested his gaze on Tareek.

  No one responded until Tareek erupted with, “Nigga, if it was me, I wouldn’t have missed!”

  “Whateva. My point is, I’m a target just like the rest of you niggas. The question is, who aimin’ for us?” Dark questioned.

  He already knew half the plot. Hell, he was writing the script. But the other half, (who Sherman had used to hit him) itched to know so he could make it personal.

  “Dark has a point,” Kay-Gee agreed reluctantly. “Ain’t no way a nigga gonna put a hit on himself. So let’s look at this without all the emotions because shit will get out of hand, and we all goin’ to war.”

  Heads nodded and murmurs of agreement flowed all around the table.

  “I think we should all take an oath . . . to be our brothers’ keeper. And if we find out anyone has broken this oath, then it’s an immediate death sentence. No exceptions. We all strong, but no one of us can go to war with the combined five,” Born proposed.

  “I’m feelin’ that,” Tareek seconded the proposal, and the agreement was evident around the table.

  “Yo, I just wanna say . . . to you,” Briggen began, looking at Dark. “Oath or no oath, me and you ain’t got no beef. I’m on some grown-man shit, so let bygones be bygones.”

  Briggen struggled through the whole speech, but he knew it had to be said. Dark didn’t know that Briggen knew he had killed Forever. He wanted Dark to think he was just referring to shooting up his crib.

  Dark may’ve not known that Briggen knew about Forever, but he still wasn’t fooled one bit. He knew Briggen only wanted peace because he was weak at the moment. He knew once he got his weight up again, he was coming, and he would come hard. Dark didn’t intend on letting him have that chance.

  Everyone in the room vowed to be at peace with everyone else at the table. Under penalty of death a lot of the tension had eased up.

  “Now that we are back on the same page, let’s get down to real biz,” Born said, turning to Shan. “The floor is yours.”

  “Thank you,” Shan smiled at Born, before addressing everyone. “Nick is laying low. But he says he understands the situation. I don’t know if you were aware or not, Mr. G is no longer our supplier. Nick says he can plug the holes, but we have to go up on the price Mr. G was charging.”

  “Go up?” Born protested. “Fuck kind of game is Nick tryin’ to play?”

  “No games,” Shan replied, looking Born in the eyes. “Just business. He said, since the parties behind the attempt on his life haven’t been found, transportation and security are costing us extra. Do you expect us to eat the cost alone? And where is the respect? You are trying to bite the hand that feeds you?”

  Nick’s message was clear. Bring me those responsible, or pay for their mistake. He was in control. Dark eyed the reaction around the room. It didn’t make much difference to him because he was getting a much better deal due to his arrangement with Sherman and he couldn’t wait to get Nick out of the way. Still, he wanted to cover his tracks so he spat, “This that bullshit, yo.”

  “So it’s like that?” Briggen asked, eyeing his wife across the table.

  “Take it or leave it,” Shan replied, letting him know she was in control.

  “We’ll take it . . . for now,” Born agreed. “But you tell Nick, should we decide to go elsewhere, we all go elsewhere, and he’ll lose the city. Period.”

  Shan nodded.

  “Any more business?” Born questioned.

  The door flew open, and in walked Janay dressed in all black Cavalli. The black represented her grief as well as the fact that she was still in mourning.

  Despite the murmurs spreading throughout the room, she went over to Born and kissed him on the cheek. She looked around the room and did a double take
when she saw Shan.

  “What brings you here, auntie? And I must say as always, your timing is perfect. But please tell me that you want to take your father’s seat.” Born could hardly contain himself.

  “Awww, man. Come on, Born. What’s up with all of the bitches coming up in here thinking they can run shit? Don’t y’all hos know that this is a man’s game?” One of Tareek’s goons who stood behind his chair popped off.

  “You must be new.” Janay smiled and walked over to him. “Allow me to reintroduce myself.”

  “You hear this bitch?” The goon turned away to get a laugh with Tareek.

  Before they could see it coming, Janay pulled out her pistol and shot him right on the side of the head.

  Shan screamed. Born and Tareek’s crew broke out in pandemonium while everyone else sat there caught by surprise. Dark was loving every minute of the action. This girl Janay never ceased to amaze him. He wished he had been fucking her instead of Crystal. Briggen was glad to be back in the mix, but unable to keep his eyes off Shan who looked as if she wanted to faint.

  Born snatched Janay up and tossed her in his chair at the head of the table and was yelling for order to be restored in the meeting. He looked at the slumped body sprawled on the floor, and then back at Janay.

  “Born, I didn’t come here to be disrespected or insulted,” Janay snapped, trying to stand up.

  “Then what the fuck did you come here for? To shoot muhfuckas?” Tareek yelled out. “You know that is going to cost you, right? Rules are rules. I don’t give a fuck whose daughter you are. No disrespect, and may Big Choppa rest in peace.”

  “None taken. I’m here to put a price on Wise’s head. He killed my baby sister, and I can’t let him get away with that. I’m offering one hundred bricks of uncut coke.” Janay knew things were kind of dry, and with Nick raising prices and her cutting her connect off from Dark, this would get their attention.

  The entire room became noisy again. Forgetting about the dead body lying on the floor, “One hundred bricks? Uncut?” was all she heard.

  “One hundred bricks. Uncut,” she repeated.

  “How do we get in touch with you?” One of the Twins asked. “Ain’t you on the run?”

  “You take care of Wise, and you won’t have to worry about finding me. I’ll find you.” She pushed Born off of her, got up, and walked out.

  Shan sat there trembling. Witnessing another chick blow a nigga’s head off and up close wasn’t what she came here for. As far as she was concerned she was that bitch. All eyes were supposed to be on her! Not on the chick who came in and stole her spotlight. But now all she wanted to do was get the fuck away from the gangstas. But not before Briggen caught up with her at her car. He took her by the arm, but she snatched away.

  “Bitch, have you lost ya’ goddamn mind?” he spat.

  “Mutha—”

  Her words were cut off by his large hand mugging her entire face. “What the fuck has gotten into you? This nigga got you out here like this—acting like you can play a man’s game! Where the fuck are my kids, Shan?”

  He was so mad that she could see the whites of his eyes turning red. “Get off of me!” She reached up and scratched his face.

  “Just remember. All bets are off the table. I’m coming after Nick, and then yo’ ass. And just to think, I was gonna let bygones be bygones after you dogged me out.”

  Tears welled up in her eyes. She had so many mixed emotions. But she would have to put Nick on alert. For some reason she felt Briggen wouldn’t cause her any harm.

  “Who is she, Briggen?” she screamed.

  “What are you talking about?”

  Shan sucked her teeth. “Calvin, don’t act stupid! I know you. You been locked up all this time. What bitch did you have waitin’ for you? Who was it, Sharia? Or some bitch you met on the chat line in prison?” Shan accused. “You didn’t even have the decency to tell me you were getting out?”

  Briggen couldn’t hold back his laughter. Listen to this bitch. Yeah, he had fucked Sharia, but in a totally different way. Then, he thought of Nyla. If you only knew. “I know you not feelin’ some kind of way because I didn’t tell you I was home? You left me, remember?”

  “Yes, I am feeling some kind of way, Briggen. Fuck you!”

  “Shan, I just got out. Literally. And they called this emergency meeting. I was going to surprise you and show up in the flesh. Like we talked about, remember? I wanted to surprise you, but do it right. But how the fuck you think I feel? I come home and my wife out here playin’ gangsta? Where are my kids? I’m the one who should be pissed off!” Briggen told her.

  Shan’s heart wanted to believe him when he said he wanted to surprise her, but her head was much wiser. Still, being torn gave Briggen the upper hand. And she had to admit he made a valid point regarding the kids. Here she was out here playing gangsta. What about their kids? But still she was pissed that he didn’t let her know he was home.

  “You expect me to believe that? You stopped off to see how many bitches before checking on your children?”

  “Ma, stop. I was comin’ home to my wife and kids. But what difference does it make? You ain’t home and I don’t even know where my kids are!” He walked away to calm himself down. Seeing her at the meeting was fucking with him. He was used to being in control.

  “Don’t walk away, Briggen.”

  He turned back and came to where she stood. Reaching out to pull her close he asked, “Why would I be in the streets wit’ all this waitin’ for me?”

  Shan pulled away. “Exactly! Why would you? And how you know it’s waitin’?”

  Just the thought of somebody else guttin’ his wife had Briggen on fire, but he kept his composure. “You sayin’ it ain’t?”

  “I’m sayin’, I want to take it slow, okay? You did some foul shit to me, and I did some foul shit to you. I still love you, but just because you’re home, we can’t pretend that all the other shit in our lives didn’t happen,” Shan explained, making sense of the emotional mess between them.

  Briggen nodded. “Okay, I feel that. Look. Both of our heads are fucked up. Can we at least discuss this over a drink? My treat.”

  Shan smiled. “No. My treat.”

  • • •

  They ended up sipping VSOP at a table in the bar of the MGM Grand Hotel where Shan was staying.

  “I want you to know I respect your hustle . . . Redbone,” Briggen winked.

  Shan giggled. “I figured I needed an alias. Plus, I used it before.”

  “Yeah, well, you need a lot more than an alias, baby. This ain’t like promotin’ shows. I can pretty much figure out what’s goin’ on, and real talk, Nick puttin’ you on Front Street. You don’t see that? Do you know how dangerous this game is for a nigga? Let alone a woman.” Briggen wanted to talk some sense to Shan.

  “Brigg—”

  “Shan, this is a man’s game, and I’m worried about you. I can’t believe he got you out here like this. You have two small kids. That tells me that he ain’t shit.”

  “I can handle myself,” she declared with confidence. “Like it or not, I’m all grown up now. I made the decision to play and there is nothing you can do about it. There is no turning back.”

  “There is turning back, Shan. Come on now! You—”

  “Briggen, face it. I’m all in. Plus, I’ve learned from the best. My brother Peanut. You. And now, Nick.”

  “That’s bullshit.” Briggen sat back, took a sip of his drink as he tried to digest Shan’s words. But he couldn’t believe how adamant she was. “Okay. It’s on you. You got all the answers. Now let’s talk about that price. Don’t I get a husband discount?” he asked.

  Shan snickered. “You know I’ll look out for the fam’, son!” she jokingly replied, using a New York accent.

  Briggen laughed. “Yeah, a’iight.”

  “No, seriously, I got you.”

  “Yeah, but do I got you?” Briggen quizzed, gazing into her eyes.

  The VSOP had her head right, and
the way Briggen was looking at her let her know it was time to say good night.

  “Oooohkay. I need to umm—”

  “I know.” He smirked, “Take it slow.”

  “Exactly. Plus, we need to have a serious conversation about us. Mainly, how we ended up like this.”

  “Let’s talk now.”

  “No, not now. Now is not the time. We both need clear heads.”

  “Then when?”

  “I’ll let you know.”

  “When can I see my kids?”

  “You have my number. Call me when you are ready to see them.”

  They stood. She told the waiter to put the bill on her room tab. Briggen walked her to the elevator. She turned and gave him a warm church hug and kiss on the cheek. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” she told him.

  The elevator came. He got on with her.

  “Where are you going?” she asked suspiciously.

  “Chill out, girl. I just wanna see you to your room,” he replied.

  She looked at him skeptically.

  “I’m not gonna go in,” he assured her.

  “I know you ain’t,” Shan snapped, pressing the fifteen button. This nigga think he is slick. He is not coming nowhere near my room.

  “Yeah, ma, ’cause you never know. Muhfucka see yo’ sexy ass all alone, and he might can’t control himself,” Briggen remarked casually. Then without warning, he hit the emergency stop button. The elevator stalled between the ninth and tenth floor.

  “Briggen, what—” she tried to say, but he sucked the protest right out of her as he snatched her to him and tongued her down greedily.

  There was no way she could ignore the passion and desire in his kiss, especially since it sparked the desire she had been fighting all night to suppress. She couldn’t lie. Her husband still turned her completely on.

  She tongued and clawed at his clothes as he snatched up her skirt and began pulling her panties down.

  “Brig—” She breathed with a gasp. “The-the camera.”

  “So?” Briggen replied, too far gone to care. His dick was out, and he lifted her off her feet and brought her down on his hard rod.