RedBone

by Styles, T.

  “Damn, I hate when you act all long in the tooth. It’s gonna be cool. She might not even know this joint missing with all the shit she got in here.”

  “Chloe, you worrying about bullshit,” Mia said, lifting Lesa’s mattress to see if she had anything stashed. When she located a small Baggie of weed she smiled. “This is what I’m talking about right here.” She shook the bag knowing it would change Chloe’s focus.“Leave all that other shit where you found it and come put some smoke in the air with me.”

  “So I can’t steal the dress, but you can steal a bag of smoke? And she won’t know that’s missing?” Chloe laughed.

  “What do we care? We Cottons!”

  “You right about that! Fire that shit up!” Mia and Chloe lay face up on Lesa’s bed, smoking the best shit they’d ever had in their lives. “So when you think Shadow getting out?” Chloe asked, running her fingers through her toes as she held the blunt in the other hand. “I fucking miss him.”

  “Can’t you stop doing that nasty-ass shit?” Mia said, looking at the way her sister’s toes spread as she played with them. “And as far as Shadow is concerned, if you miss him so much, how come you don’t go see him?”

  “Because I’m not seeing him in no fucking cage,” Chloe responded, dropping a little fire on Lesa’s expensive down comforter. “I told you that already.” She passed the blunt to Mia.

  “Listen, Chloe, I know you the baby of the family and all.” She took a pull and hit her chest twice. “But you gotta do better when it comes to him. We all we got and Shadow needs you.”

  “You wanna know the real reason I don’t go? They give you a hard time about how you dress and it don’t matter if you follow their rules or not. For real it’s based on whoever is running the visitation desk at that time. It’s fucked up. It seems like all them COs do is hate on bitches who be trying to see the people they love.”

  “Not all of them, Chloe.”

  “Enough of them to get on my fuckin’ nerves.”

  “Well, I get in all the time,” Mia added. “Ain’t nobody ever turn me around and say I can’t see him.” Chloe shook her head. “What?”

  “Look at yourself.” Mia looked down at her body. She was overweight and she didn’t take care of her personal appearance. “Look at your shirt.” She pointed. “How the fuck you keep getting lipstick on the middle of your shirt? I mean, damn, the food go in your mouth, the makeup on your face, what part of it don’t you understand?”

  “Everybody don’t have a gym membership. Some people work twelve hours a day and don’t got time for all that.”

  “Why the fuck not? Every bitch fucking should have a gym membership. And that doesn’t have anything to do about you looking dirty. I’m just saying.”

  Mia was irritated her sister was pulling her card. “Fuck you know about fucking? You ain’t nothing but nineteen.”

  “I been fucking since I been fourteen, Mia. Don’t play with me. You and me both know it’s true.”

  “It don’t matter how I dress and look, it’s my fucking business.” It bothered her that both Farah and Chloe could run rings around her in the looks department but she never felt like a glamour girl. Give her a beer, a young boy, and a blunt, and you could leave her the fuck alone. “Back to Shadow, hopefully it won’t be too much longer. He was supposed to come home last week but he got into a fight with some dumbass nigga, and they held him up.” She shook her head. “I wish he just calm down sometimes.”

  “Why? Whoever got in his face should’ve left him the fuck alone. I’m sick of feeling bad when people get us wrong and we step to ’em hard.” When the phone rang, Chloe hopped off the bed and answered. “Farah’s residence,” she sang.

  “Yes, is Farah Cotton available?”

  “Hold up, is this Dr. Martin?” Chloe smiled. “What you doing, calling here this late at night?”

  “I figured it’s the only time I can get Farah on the phone. May I ask who this is?”

  “Chloe!” She giggled. “You should know my voice by now. As much as I call you.”

  “Sorry ... How are you and Mia? With your meds?”

  “We fine I guess. Still gotta watch certain stuff.”

  “I know. It’s a life process. Is Farah there?”

  “No ... but can I take a message?”

  “Yes. Give her this number—”

  “Hold up,” Chloe interrupted. “I got to find a piece of paper.” She opened one of Lesa’s dresser drawers and pulled out a pink stationary pad with green flowers throughout. Using the matching pen she said, “I’m ready.”

  “Have her call 202-555-8999.” He paused. “How does she look?”

  Chloe folded the paper and left it on the dresser. “She looks good. I don’t know what she’s doing but whatever it is, it’s working.”

  “Oh ... well ... that’s good to hear but I’m still very concerned. I just spoke to Elise and she told me some disturbing news. It sounds as if Farah is using very unconventional means, based on an urban legend. She’s gonna end up in jail or worse off ... dead.”

  “I don’t understand. Like what?”

  Dr. Martin cleared his throat. “Can you please have her call me? I really want to talk to her. Maybe even visit her at home. I really would appreciate it.” He hung up.

  Chloe shrugged and put the phone down. “I’ma go get something to drink. You want anything?”

  “Yeah ... bring me a beer. What’d Dr. Martin say?”

  “He talking crazy. Saying Farah doing unconventional something or another. Anyway, you know how weird he is sometimes.” Still wearing Lesa’s Gucci dress, she walked barefoot into the kitchen and grabbed a beer for Mia. Then she opened the icebox and was pissed when she didn’t see any ice for her drink. “Damn! They don’t even have no ice up in here!”

  “Girl, this Platinum Lofts! They got an ice cooler on every floor.”

  “That’s right!” she said, snapping her fingers. “I can’t believe they got all that shit in this mothafucka. Platinum Lofts or not, it’s still in the ghetto.”

  “Girl, take your young ass out there and get some ice. But make sure you leave the door unlocked. I’m about to take a shit.”

  Chloe grabbed a large bowl, left the door unlocked, and tiptoed into the hallway. She was looking for a sign that read ICE until she saw the pudgy kid come out of his apartment. He said, “You better be careful. People keep dying in this building.”

  “Shut your fat ass up and mind your business.” He slammed the door.

  When she found the machine, she was irritated when she saw someone had made it there before her. He had a bucket of ice on the floor and was working on filling a second one. She forgot all about the ice for a moment, when she noticed the way his muscular back filled his white T-shirt. Before she even saw his face she knew there was something about him that was for her. It could’ve been the gun in his waistband, or his stylish jeans; whatever it was, she needed to see his face. Instead of saying something nice to get his attention, Chloe got real ignorant-like and said, “I’m saying, can you leave some ice for somebody else please? Damn!”

  He turned around, and her heart melted. He looked better than she could’ve imagined. He gave her a sly smile and immediately her pussy got wet. “I’m almost done.” He continued to fill his bucket.

  “How much longer though? I got somewhere to be!”

  He placed his second bucket down, and looked at her cute toes and dark brown eyes. “If you wanted to get to know me, ma”—he pinched her nipple hard—“all you had to say was hi.” He picked the buckets up and Chloe’s jaw dropped.

  “I can’t believe you just did that shit!”

  “Yes, you can. I gave you exactly what you wanted.” He walked away. “I’m sure I’ll check you later.”

  Chapter 27

  “Me touching you will depend on how good you gonna make me feel.”

  —Slade

  Slade turned on Markee’s stereo so that the sounds of Usher could flow through the speakers and get the
women ready to fuck. Markee’s apartment was more crowded than it usually was and Slade was to blame. He wanted to put his brothers at ease so, after he robbed the store, he picked up a few women to keep them company. The five bitches wanted nothing more than food, drinks, and smoke, and the moment they saw Slade’s handsome face, they packed themselves in his truck headed to Platinum Loft apartments, without caring for their safety or security.

  The women were huddled together on the couch and floor, looking at the Baker Boys until Audio walked into the apartment with two buckets of ice. Setting them down in the kitchen, he walked over to Slade and said, “So this how you gonna do us right?” he asked, looking at the women as he rubbed his hands together. He was eye fucking the whorish outfits they wore. “You go out, and come back with some dough, and some fat-ass bitches. That’s how you do it, big bro!”

  “Just a little something to hold you over.” Slade patted him on the back. “Now go enjoy yourself.” Audio blushed and Slade wiped his hand through his hair. “Don’t smile now, li’l nigga. It’s time to show and prove.”

  “You already know what it is. I got this.” He winked at him.

  Audio walked away and Slade looked at the women and his brothers. If the Baker Boys had one thing in common it was that they all loved pussy ... often. Alike in a lot of ways, they also had characteristics that set them apart. For instance, nineteen-year-old Audio had a foot fetish that was so bad, when Slade caught him looking at his cousin’s toes he busted him in the mouth, resulting in $5,000 worth of dental surgery. Then there was twenty-five-year-old Killa, who enjoyed playing violent video games. He ordered them from Japan, because in the United States the restrictions were too heavy. Outside of women and games, his third passion was guns, and he never moved anywhere without at least two. His favorite? A classic .45, which he swore originally belonged to a serial killer currently on death row.

  Twenty-nine-year-old Major was different because he always had dreams of making it big the legit way. He envisioned opening a chain of funeral homes that would take care of all burial needs. His ex-girlfriend back home came from a long line of money, and her family owed it all to funeral homes. Major was certain about three things in life and they were that his dick got hard, people got sick, and everybody died. Thinking in advance, Major had A-1 credit and didn’t fuck it up for nobody. Then there was Knox, who at twenty-eight was the quietest and most perceptive of the clan. He thought about things in advance, where others would never see certain scenarios coming. And because of it, he kept his brothers safe on many occasions. It was because of Knox that they had the proof necessary to fight Sheriff Kramer; the only problem now was he was missing in action.

  When Audio walked back into the kitchen, he poured one bucket of ice into a large silver cooler, and filled it with beers. As the Baker Boys walked around getting themselves situated, the women were in awe. They could easily be mistaken for a boy band or some famous group, if they possessed a unified talent. Every muscle in their bodies was sculpted to perfection, and their skin tone, although varying in complexion, was flawless. Still, out of all of them not one was finer than Slade Baker. Although he didn’t smile much, and often appeared aloof, every woman upon first sight had to have a taste.

  “Y’all can get some beer,” Audio offered the ladies. “It ’s in the kitchen.” He rubbed his waves with his hand. “And we got food over by the counter too. Eat up.” He gripped his dick. “You gonna need all the energy you can get.” Audio wasn’t normally hospitable, but for the sake of pussy he was a perfect gentleman.

  “What else y’all got?” Red Dress asked, looking at the spread. Red Dress was extremely sexy and walked seductively to the counter to get Slade’s attention. “Y’all got wine too?”

  “Naw, baby.” Audio looked at her round ass. “Just beer and soda.”

  “What about food?”

  “We got what the fuck y’all asked for ... chicken,” Killa said, his gun resting in his waistband. He wanted some pussy and wasn’t into entertaining. As far as he was concerned they were freaks and should be treated as such. “Now hurry up so we can do what y’all came to do.”

  “Killa,” Slade roared, “show respect.”

  “To these bitches?” He pointed at them.

  “To those women.”

  The ladies frowned but they were also mesmerized by Killa’s bad-boy behavior. They had never hooked up with a group of dudes where every last one of them was sexy. Usually somebody would have to take one for the team. This time was different. After Killa snapped, the girls ate and drank to their heartscontent. When they were heavy with a buzz, Audio dimmed the lights so that they’d know what time it was. Relaxed and in the mood, the girls all made a move for Slade.

  “You know, I never did get your name,” Red Dress said, as her friends huddled in the background like birds tripping to get a piece of bread. “How ’bout you tell me now.”

  “That’s because I didn’t give it to you,” he said as Red Dress and her friends moved closer. “As fine as you ladies are, I only need one,” he said, sipping his beer. “The only question is which one of you is it going to be.”

  “Why you only want one?” the girl with the shoe boots asked. “A man as strong as you should be able to handle two.”

  Slade grinned. “I could but tonight I’m looking for a little one on one.”

  “My big brother might not be up for it, but I’ll take two,” Audio said, practically morphing into the conversation.

  After forcing the women with him by way of wrist snatching, the other brothers made their selection and disappeared into various parts of Markee’s apartment. Slade knew he was wrong for having the women in his cousin’s home because Markee specifically asked them not to, but his brothers were in a bad mood. Luckily for the Baker Boys, Markee was out of town on business.

  Audio didn’t waste any time undressing the two women he selected. In the kitchen, the sound of balls slapping against an ass rang out. He seemed like he was in a world of his own as he bent Shoe Boots over the edge of the counter, while Hoop Earrings rubbed his back and whispered how she wanted next in his ear.

  Red Dress, who stayed with Slade, looked in the kitchen and smiled. “Sounds like your brother is having fun already,” she said, standing over him. “You think we can outdo him?”

  Slade eyed the dress she was wearing, along with her sexy black boots. “You wanna talk about them, or worry about what we do over here?”

  “What’s your name?” she asked as she slinked down to her knees. “Because I like you already.”

  “I told you, ma. My name doesn’t matter.”

  “So you the cool one ... The big brother who likes mystery. Am I right?”

  “I’m being me. That’s all I can say.”

  She frowned but the harder time he gave her, the more she had to have him. Slade wasn’t the type of dude to talk a bitch to death, but he was a gentleman, although an angry one at times. He just wanted the conversation to cease because the purpose of their union was purely sexual.

  When she eased out of her dress, Slade witnessed the prettiest titties he’d seen in his life. Her waist ... small. Her legs ... thick. Her body ... outrageous. She unbuckled his pants as he sipped beer and watched her do her thing. At first she thought he was playing hard to get, but when she saw he didn’t fall all over how sexy she was, she realized she was dealing with a different type of dude all together.

  With his jeans at his ankles, she released his dark-chocolate dick from his boxers. Her touch. So soft. So warm. Red Dress eyed his thickness and thought about how great it would be for him to be inside of her. She could feel icing coating her panties, and wasn’t sure how much more she could take. She continued to stroke his dick back and forth until he was so hard, she could feel him pulsating under her fingertips. “Seems like he likes me.” She looked down at his dick. “But I wonder how you feel.”

  Slade wished she’d go mute by stuffing his dick in her mouth. If he knew she was going to be so talkative, he woul
d’ve taken Shoe Boots instead. Her seductive words were good for Act One, but now he was ready for Act Two. “Can I feel your hands on me?” she asked, looking up at him, her mouth inches away from his penis. “Please.”

  Why I gotta touch you? he thought. Just do the shit! “Come on, baby,” he said, “I’m just trying to have a little fun. Nothing more, nothing less.”

  She pouted. “Aww ... come on, rub my shoulders, pull my hair,” she suggested, “do something to show me you’re participating instead of just sitting there.” She wanted from him what he couldn’t give: an emotional connection. “I’m not cute enough for you? Is that it?” The sound of Major banging Yellow Dress’s back out in Meek’s room temporarily interrupted their thoughts.

  “What’s your name, beautiful?”

  “Shannon.” She smiled, loving the sound of his accent.

  “You know what I want?” She shook her head. “I want to feel your pretty lips wrapped around my dick. I wanna slide up in that pussy, and put a smile on your face. And then I wanna see you safely home. Is that gonna work for you? Because that’s all I got.”

  She frowned. “So you not gonna touch me for real?”

  “Why you want me to touch you so bad?”

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I guess because it makes me feel good.”

  Trying to get her to shut the fuck up he said, “Let’s do this ... me touching you will depend on how good you gonna make me feel.”

  That was all she needed to hear. She lowered her neck and her entire mouth covered his dick. Although he wasn’t anywhere near a small brother, the hairs on his crotch tickled her nose. Slade’s head fell back into the recliner as he enjoyed her warm, wet performance. He wanted to feel her badly, but he made a vow never to touch a woman again, and he would stick to it. His female family members all thought it was weird that he wouldn’t hug them during family get-togethers, but he didn’t care.

  His unmanaged strength harmed many, even though it was never on purpose. It started when he was a child; he ruined everything from expensive furniture to antique dishes simply by handling them. At first Della would scold and warn him to be more careful, but as he got older, she realized the strength he possessed was really a gift. Although Della researched her son’s abilities, the closest answer she could find was a condition called myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy. The condition causes people who are born with the rare mutation to have increased muscle mass, with virtually zero body fat.