Kalif walked down 145th and started to cross St. Nicholas. He was thinking about going to see his peeps over on Bradhurst when he saw a familiar looking truck. Before he could cross the street, Ladelle and Biz came at him. Kalif did not expect to see these niggas now. He did the only thing he could do—run. Ladelle screamed out to the Jamaicans on Edgecombe to grab the bumbaclot. One of the dreads who’d heard Ladelle clipped Kalif as soon as he turned the corner. Kalif tripped and landed face first, chipping his fronts, and his gums and hands were bloody. Biz pulled out a billy club and caught Kalif across the jaw. Ladelle threw Kalif through the windshield of a parked car, and broken glass sprayed everywhere. The corner was so crowded it looked like someone was filming a video. Ladelle grabbed Kalif by his braids and threw him back on the sidewalk, where Petie stomped him with steel-toed toes. It was a wrap. They headed back to Petie’s truck and left Kalif for dead.
Petie was starting to feel like his old self again, even though he had-n’t gotten back behind the wheel; Ladelle was pushing his truck until he was ready to drive again. Still, Petie knew he was blessed to be alive. As far as those young niggas were concerned, Ladelle would even the score. That was his motherfucken man.
Petie said a silent prayer for Big Lou. Don’t worry, my nigga; your death won’t be in vain...yours either, Giselle.
Share couldn’t wait to get in the shower. The police had let her go and said that no charges were currently being filed against her. Luckily, one of her nosy, elderly neighbors was able to give the police a report of what she saw. They were satisfied for now because it sounded like Share was just defending herself. She went to the hospital and had ten stitches put in the razor cut on her arm that Giselle had given her when she tried to cut her face. Good thing she had blocked it, or it would have been her cheekbone getting stitches.
Will had left her a note saying that he was at his mother’s house and to call as soon as she got in. The police had told Share that a squad car would be patrolling her block, and if she saw anything suspicious to call 9-1-1 immediately. They gave her protection because of her credentials; she was a taxpayer, had no criminal background and owned two franchises. Yeah, the police believed her story. She never meant to kill Giselle; she was simply defending herself. And more than anything, she wanted this nightmare to be over.
Renee got the kids ready for school and woke Petie up for his therapy. She showered, had breakfast and waited for her lover to call. He didn’t, so she called him. He told her he’d see her tomorrow morning. Okay, see you tomorrow, she thought.
Ladelle was at his ex-girl’s house. He was thinking about them getting back together for good this time. He missed her, but she was always complaining about his lifestyle. She was a good girl; she was in college, worked part time and didn’t run the streets. He needed a chick like that. Since he had to pick up Darnell and Dante from school soon, he’d just stay there until she came in from her class.
He decided to tell his sidekick that it was over. He wanted something more than what she had to offer. Yeah, he would be with his secret lover one last time, and then he would dead it.
Will was leaving his mother’s house when BJ called him to tell him about Kalif. Kalif was at Rasheed’s house. They were going to take him to St.Lukes; he had four chipped teeth and a couple of scrapes. Nothing appeared to be broken, but they didn’t know yet. Kalif had told BJ about how he was crossing St. Nicholas, spotted that burgundy truck and niggas started chasing him.
Will wasn’t really feeling this shit anymore; it had been going on for two months already. He had to report to parole in the morning and he needed his rest. But he understood why BJ was still holding on to his beef; Venus had gotten her face sliced. However, he was-n’t trying to get caught up with any new charges. Enough was enough already; let the score be settled. On the other hand, niggas jumping out on Kalif had started up more shit now. As he turned the corner, he realized that it wasn’t over...ride or die.
Venus examined her stitches in the mirror. Luckily for her there were only ten of them. The doctor had done a pretty good job, but she began to worry about the mark she might have after the stitches healed. She might have to get cosmetic surgery. Share had assured her that they would find the best doctor to do the work, no matter what the cost.
Share was in Venus’ living room watching Diamond with her new puppies. She wondered what it felt like to be a mother. Now that Petie was out of her life, maybe she and Will could start a family.
Share and Venus were packing up Porscha’s things later on when Share came across a photo album and began to cry. Porscha was so pretty. Why did she have to die like that? Why did everything seem to fall apart all at once?
Venus said she couldn’t stay in the apartment; she felt like Porscha was still there and her soul was not at rest. She remembered finding her body and breaking down in tears. She and Share embraced and tried to comfort one another. Before leaving the apartment, they said a prayer for Porscha. ”God bless her soul,” they said.
Chapter Sixteen
Petie was asleep when Ladelle and Biz rang the bell. They came in, sat on the sofa and told him how they’d caught another one of the kids on Edgecomb. Petie wanted to get back to the streets. He couldn’t stand it, being in the house all the time waiting for his body to heal.
”How’s that therapy coming along?” Biz asked Petie. Just looking at Petie made him want to catch all of those punks, one by one.
”It’s getting easier. I’m just anxious to get back to my old self, you know what I mean?” Petie’s speech was better now; his words were no longer slurred like before. It was just a matter of time. He had to be patient.
They decided to go for a ride. Ladelle told Petie that he had seen Des. ”She looked fucked up, dick. She smoking that shit. Bitch smoked her ass away. Her skin looked fucked up, too.”
”Yeah, I knew she was hitting the stem. Last time I hollered at her she didn’t look right to me. I threw her some crills and bounced,” Petie said while remembering how good she sucked dick. They stopped on 126th and Morningside, and Biz got out of Petie’s truck and strolled into a building to check on something. A black and gold SUV pulled up behind them. Rasheed got out and opened up on the truck. Biz was still inside the building when he heard gun play. He ran outside and returned fire. Petie was okay, but Ladelle had been hit in the shoulder. Biz jumped back in the truck and they took off after Rasheed. Rasheed knew he had hit them. He knew that at least one person was in the truck; he couldn’t see because of the tinted windows. He sped down 125th Street and turned on Fifth Avenue. He parked his truck, jumped out and ran into a building. He made a phone call and got the voicemail. Frustrated, he put his burner away and went back outside. He walked to Park Avenue and used the pay phone. He called 9-1-1 and reported a shooting involving a burgundy truck on 126th Street. He knew the police would snatch all those niggas up, whoever was in it. Before Rasheed got back to the building, Petie’s truck drove up alongside him and he was put to rest. He never lived to know if the police picked them up or not.
Ladelle was bleeding badly. He would have to go to the emergency room this time. It wasn’t like previously, when his mother was able to do some homemade surgery and removed the bullet before stitching him up.... His side was burning. He lay across the back seat as Biz drove to Harlem Hospital.
After being released from the hospital, Kalif couldn’t wait to get uptown. One of his chicks called him and told him that Rasheed was dead. Kalif screamed at the cab driver, telling him to hurry the fuck up. Finally he got to Harlem Hospital, where Rasheed had been pronounced dead on arrival. Kalif punched a window, shattering it to pieces. A few nurses who were standing nearby tried to calm him down, but it was useless.
Kalif called LeRoy and told him to come and get him. He lit a cigarette and stared up at the sky as he waited for him outside the hospital’s front entrance.... Niggas killed my brother. Shit is getting critical, he thought.
LeRoy pulled up and hopped out of his Highlander, leaving it
doubled-parked. Neither one of them knew what to say. ”Don’t worry; it ain’t over. Niggas still want the business. Well, we gon’ keep givin’ it to ‘em,” Leroy finally said. The look in Kalif’s eyes was homicidal. He was turning into a madman. He knew what had to be done, and they were going to do it.
Biz pulled up behind Harlem Hospital, unaware that Kalif and LeRoy were parked on the opposite side. He helped Ladelle into the emergency room, and Petie followed.
Biz walked outside and got back into Petie’s truck. He was going to drop off the burner he was carrying; he didn’t want the nurses asking questions, even though they had already put a story together.
Biz got to the light and noticed the police looking at the truck. It had bullet holes in it, and they would definitely want to know what had happened. The light changed and Biz took off, making sure to stay within the speed limit. The police turned on their siren and signaled for him to pull over. With their guns drawn, they approached the truck and ordered Biz to keep his hands where they could see them. Biz didn’t move. His heat was right next to him on the front seat. He had his hands on the steering wheel, and one officer approached him on the passenger side of the truck. The door was locked, and the tints on the window kept the officer from seeing the gun. Biz reached for his heat and fired through the passenger side window, hitting the officer in the chest. The other officer ran up and opened fire, and Biz died with the burner still in his hand.
Kalif and Leroy decided to hit Petie and his crew at home. ”I don’t give a fuck who in there—grandmother, aunt, kids...I don’t give a fuck. Everybody gon’ catch a bullet,” Kalif said. Yeah, he was definitely a wild child.
LeRoy needed to drop Kalif off to go and take care of some business. He would stand by him, but right now he had some other shit to tend to. He let Kalif out of the Highlander and headed to the Bronx.
Share and Will were back at her brownstone when she decided she wanted the beige puppy that looked like Bullet. Will turned on the news, and it was being reported that a police officer had been shot in front of McDonald’s on Lenox Avenue. The assailant was killed and the owner of the truck had reportedly been in a couple of shootouts that led to one man being treated at Harlem Hospital. The police were waiting to question them both. Share looked at Will. They were both thinking the same thing. Will hastily called BJ to make sure he was okay. He panicked when he got the voicemail. He didn’t yet know that Kalif’s brother, Rasheed, had been killed by Petie’s crew. He just knew that BJ was still hung up on everything that had happened.
Share was about to call Venus when the phone rang. It was BJ. The cell was on vibrate, and he didn’t feel it when Will had called. He said he was fine and on his way home. He would call when he got there.
Renee and the boys were eating when Petie called from the precinct. He couldn’t talk long, so he just told Renee the basics. The police had impounded his truck as evidence, Biz had gotten killed by the cops and Ladelle was in the hospital undergoing surgery. The bullet that hit him in the side had moved, and emergency surgery had to be performed before it got to his spine. In the midst of it all, one of the doctors in the ER notified the police that he was a gunshot victim.
Petie said the police had arrested him because they’d gotten a 9-1-1 call that identified his truck in the shootout, although he really felt he was being held because of his priors. He was sure it wasn’t because he was on parole. When he was in the hospital Renee had contacted his parole officer, and when he came home and started therapy, he had given him some room. Therefore, Petie knew that his being on parole wasn’t an issue. It was definitely his rap sheet.
Renee could hardly think with Ladelle in surgery. What if he doesn’t make it? Oh, she didn’t want to think about that. She had to stop thinking negative thoughts. But she couldn’t bare the thought of going on without him. They had been lovers for over a year now...all the romantic times, the erotic moments, the never-ending orgasms...no, this couldn’t be happening. She went back to the table and stared at her plate of food. She didn’t want to eat; she wanted to be in Ladelle’s arms.
Renee was at the precinct waiting to get Petie’s property. The officer at the desk was rude, as were all the other ones who had walked by her cutting their eyes. Fuck y’all, she said to herself. Her world was falling apart, and she really didn’t care what they thought. She just wanted to get to the hospital to see Ladelle.
Chapter Seventeen
Ladelle woke up with his ankle cuffed to the hospital bed. What the fuck? Yeah, he knew why he was cuffed. He remembered the undercovers saying they wanted to ask a few questions before he passed out. That was the setup right there, and now his ass was cuffed to a bed.
He pushed the button on the side of his bed, and a West Indian nurse came into his room. He covered the lower part of his body so she wouldn’t get a glimpse of the python. The last thing he wanted was for her to go into shock and pass out. At his request, she brought him something to drink and told him that his mother and girlfriend were waiting to see him.
They entered his room with flowers and get-well cards. His mother approached his bed and leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. His ex-girl, Lydia, gave him a peck on the lips and pulled up a chair alongside the bed. Ladelle told them about how Biz got out of the truck and some kid just started shooting at them. His mother told him she had spoken to Petie. Petie was going to say he let Biz use the truck for a couple of hours, and the next thing he knew they were arresting him at the hospital. She told Ladelle to tell the police he was a robbery victim, or that he’d gotten caught in some sort of crossfire. That way they wouldn’t connect Ladelle to the shooting that left Rasheed dead. They didn’t know if it would work, but it sounded good. Ladelle’s mother prepared to leave and told him she’d be back after taking care of some business.
Renee saw Ladelle’s mother leaving the hospital, and she felt glad about getting some time alone with him. She got a visitor’s pass and headed to his room. Before opening the door she heard him say, ”...and I should’ve never left you to begin with, Lydia. You know you my heart. When all this shit is over with, we gonna try again.”
”Okay, but this little accident don’t interfere with your performance, daddy? Because if it does, I’m gonna have to lay you back and ride you like a rollercoaster until you get better,” Lydia said before vividly describing to Ladelle all the new positions they would have to try.
Renee opened the door and walked into the room. She kissed Ladelle on the forehead and acted as if she didn’t even see Lydia. She removed her coat and took Ladelle’s hand. If Lydia didn’t know any better, she would have thought that Renee was fucking Ladelle. Lydia knew she was Petie’s wife, but she didn’t understand why she was being so affectionate toward Ladelle. Ladelle, feeling a little uncomfortable now, sat up in the bed and started to introduce them.
”I know who she is,” Renee said turning her back toward Lydia.
”Excuse me,” Lydia said. ”I’m gonna step out and leave you two to talk. I’ll be back in ten minutes, daddy.” As Lydia was leaving the room, Renee handed her her coat and said, ”It’s cold outside. Take your time.”
Ladelle got right to the point when the door closed behind Lydia. ”Check this out: that’s my girl, Renee, and all that attitude you just gave her, I ain’t like that shit one bit. In any event, me and you is dead. Too much shit is going on right now and a nigga is ready to settle down, so...”
Renee had put on her coat, picked up her pocketbook and headed toward the door before Ladelle finished his statement. ”Dead, huh? I’ll show you dead. Then I’ll show that chicken head your bite marks on my thighs.” She slammed the door and waited for Lydia to come off the elevator.
When Lydia stepped off the elevator, she was shocked to see Renee standing there. She was holding a cup of hot chocolate, preparing to get back to Ladelle’s room, but the look on Renee’s face said otherwise. Renee spit in Lydia’s face and when she turned to walk away, Lydia threw the hot chocolate on her.
; ”You Payless-shoe-wearin’, ninety-nine-cent-store-shop-pin’, metro-card-usin’ bitch!” Renee shouted and slapped Lydia into the nurses’ station. The nurses backed away from the desk and watched, waiting to see a fight. Lydia snatched off her coat and even though she couldn’t fight, she threw up her hands like she could. Renee punched her, grabbed a handful of her hair and knotted her up. By this time security had come to the floor and escorted Renee out of the hospital.
When Lydia got back to the room, Ladelle looked at her like she had just stepped out of a wrestling ring. A nurse came into the room and gave her some A&D ointment for her scrapes and a busted lip. Lydia couldn’t believe that Renee had jumped on her like that. She went to the mirror, put the ointment on her lip and tried to fix her weave. Renee had pulled out some of her tracks, and there were patches of hair missing in certain areas throughout her head. She looked a mess.
Ladelle picked up the hospital phone to call Renee and curse her out. He didn’t know the bitch was psycho like that. She gonna blow up my spot with that dumb shit.
Ladelle couldn’t get a word in; Renee was yelling at the top of her lungs, talking about how she was going to tell Petie this and tell him that. What the fuck is wrong with her? Did she think that shit was gonna last forever? Ladelle thought.
Renee was still riffin’ when he hung up the phone. He looked at Lydia, who was searching around in her pocketbook for some glue to fix her tracks. Renee had fucked her up. Ladelle didn’t know Renee had a knuckle game like that.
He laid back and looked at the cuff on his ankle. Shit was critical. The last few months had been nothing but drama. And now Renee wanted to tell Petie, his main man, that he had been digging her out. What else could go wrong? he thought.
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