by Mikal Malone
“Is it somebody else?” I say softly, trying not to disobey his wishes. “If there is I’ll be better than her. Please.”
“If I ask you to leave again, I’ma lay my hands on you,” he frowns. “Now get the fuck out of my car.”
Gripping my fur coat, I’m disheartened as I push open the door and hop down. The moment my Jimmy Choo’s hit the curb, he pulls off and the mud from the melted snow dampens my coat.
“Don’t leave...,” he continues to drive away and his taillights grow dimmer the farther away he gets.
Immediately I open my phone lid and redial his number. He doesn’t answer so I run after his truck.
“BW please!!!!! Don’t leave me alone!” I hear my high heels sound off against the wet concrete. “I’m afraid to be alone! Don’t leave me! Pleasssssseeeee!”
He doesn’t stop and I walk to my car. My pride and heart ache so much that I can’t breathe. I need this man like I need the blood in my body to move, and if all he wants is a baby, I’m willing to do what needs to be done to keep him.
Carissa
“Stay out my love life.”
“I’m tired of your shit every time I come to Emerald! You know I have to be here and nothin’ has changed just cause we got back together.”
“Well what you expect, Carissa?” he says over the phone as I pull up to the community center. “So I’m gonna ask you again. What’s up with our relationship, Car?”
“Lavelle, please! If you were so worried about me, you would’ve stood up for me when Thick made you choose between your family and the business. Or have you forgotten that shit already?” His silence answered my question. “That’s exactly what I thought. Just kiss the girls for me, aight? I’ll be home when I can.”
The line went silent and only the sounds of my boots hitting the pavement were heard. I’m a boss bitch and boss bitches do what the must! He has to recognize that I’m not his little naïve girlfriend anymore.
“Carissa, how many times do I have to apologize for hurting you? I was wrong for lettin’ Thick convince me to turn my back on you. And if you don’t want me to care about you, we can just end shit right now.”
I was about to respond when the call drops.
“Fuck!” I say out loud as I shake my phone and pray for a better signal to call Lavelle back. “I hate Sprint’s service!”
“You aight?” Yvette asks jumping up from the table as I enter the meeting. Mercedes was right by her side with the same concerned look on her face.
“Yeah…I’m okay. It’s Lavelle. He still trippin’ ‘bout me runnin’ Emerald,” I say taking my coat off before joining my friends at the table. “He gotta get over it though.”
Yvette sits back down and says, “He just cares about you, Carissa. You might as well get use to it.”
“That’s some bullshit!” Mercedes yells. She was the only one out of my friends who was still angry about me and Lavelle getting back together. “He shoulda worried when they almost tried to kill us for taking Emerald from them. I’m sick of Cameron and Lavelle runnin’ they mouths about what we should do around here.”
“Mercedes, stay out my love life,” I tell her. “Cause I sure don’t get into yours.”
“I’m just bein’ a friend, Carissa. I’m not the enemy. But if you have a problem wit’ me givin’ my opinion, then don’t worry ‘bout it,” she says as she pulls her long silky ponytail toward the back. “I’ll never do it again.”
“Whateva, Mercedes!”
“Whateva then!”
“What the fuck is goin’ on?” Yvette asks in an even and steady tone. She looks between us. “Whatever’s goin’ on ya’ll betta end that shit right now. We done been through too much to be arguing over dumb shit. Now both of ya’ll have a point but at the end of the day, we still family. I mean…ain’t that what you guys just told me out in the yard? And Mercedes you should love her no matter who she wit’ cause I would want ya’ll to treat me the same no matter who I love.”
Yvette’s statement was filled with conviction and I felt she wanted to say something else.
Mercedes giggles and says, “Well if you had a man we would treat you the same but you gotta get one first, bitch!”
Yvette laughs and says, “Shut up, winch!”
Looking at me Mercedes continues, “I’m sorry, Carissa.”
“I’m sorry too,” I tell her managing a light smile.
I knew where her apprehension came from and that’s why I bit my tongue. But I love him and he’s my man…not to mention we had two little girls together. I still remember the day he told me he couldn’t live without me.
The Night Thick Was Killed
Carissa, Yvette, Kenyetta and Mercedes sat around the table laughing at their ex-boyfriends. The men found it hard to believe that Dreyfus, their former drug supplier, would deal with them considering the lack of respect he had for women.
“Yeah…Dreyfus is somethin’ else isn’t he?” Yvette said.
“Yes he is…and he doesn’t work wit’ females,” Cameron added.
“Maybe…maybe not,” Yvette told him. “All I know is he has a bad ass house. I’m telling you the waterfall was outrageous. What did you think, Mercedes?”
“I don’t know, Yvette,” she said as she shrugged her shoulders. “I liked his head better. He can suck a mean pussy.”
Cameron’s face went red out of anger. “Oh so you fuckin’ Dreyfus now?”
“Sit down playa,” Derrick said. “Slow your roll.”
Cameron looked up at him and sat back down.
“And where are my fucking kids while you out tossing pussy at that nigga? Huh? Where my kids?”
Mercedes laughed. “Don’t’ worry baby…they weren’t there.”
Cameron wanted to smack the shit out of Mercedes but Lavelle pulled him back down.
“What makes you think we’d just walk away from a million dollar empire?”
“For one we’ve doubled the salary of our soldiers so they have our backs, and Dreyfus doesn’t want to fuck wit’ you for your betrayal in Vegas,” Yvette told them.
“Ya’ll told him about that?” Dyson asked.
“Of course!” Kenyetta laughed.
“And how did ya’ll know?” Cameron added.
“Let’s just say ya’ll should choose the female company ya’ll take with you on business trips more wisely in the future.” Yvette advised.
Lavelle shook his head in disgust.
“So ya’ll have a connection wit’ Dreyfus and now we’re out huh? Well what about the money we put in this shit? We ain’t walkin’ away empty handed,” Dyson said.
With that, Yvette snapped her fingers and one of the soldiers placed a steel suitcase on the table. She popped open the latches, looked at the money, and turned it around to them.
“It’s all there.” Yvette assured them sliding the case across the table.
They looked at each other, visibly shook.
“Well what’ll happen if we don’t buy this shit?” Cameron said.
“Then you’ll end up like Thick,” Yvette responded.
“And how’s that?” Lavelle asked.
Yvette looked around the table. “Dead.”
They jumped up from their seats and pulled out weapons as our soldiers placed three barrels to their heads apiece.
“Don’t make this nastier then it has to be. You did us wrong and you know it, and now it’s time to step down,” Yvette said. “Either way somebody loses but don’t forget about the kids involved. If you don’t step down, somebody will get killed because we won’t stop fighting until the last breath leaves our bodies. And that could mean Lil’ C without a mother or father. Or what about Lavelle’s kids? Everybody loses if these guns pop in here tonight.”
“Ya’ll have other shops. Ya’ll don’t need EC,” Carissa said.
The look on their faces was that of defeat, remorse and guilt. They knew they had done the women wrong and they deserved Emerald City. No fuck that, they earned it! They also knew if the
y didn’t step down, they were fully prepared for war.
“So what’s up? Do you step down or not?” Yvette said.
They looked at each other and grabbed the money off the table without saying a word.
“That was a good decision,” Yvette said. “Now can you do us one more solid?”
“And what the fuck is that, Yvette?” Cameron responded still not believing everything that took place. “Take your dead friend with you? He’s up in my apartment.”
When the men left, the women spent twenty more minutes inside before exiting the building arm and arm.
“We did it girls,” Yvette said as the cold air hit them outside. “We fought and we won!”
“Yvette you so fucking smart! You knew this shit would work,” Carissa said. “But how were you sure?”
“I’m wasn’t. It was a big chance but I was willing to take it,” she said.
“Are you sure your face is okay?” Kenyetta asked. “That cut looks pretty deep.”
“It ain’t deeper than the hurt I felt by Thick’s betrayal.”
“And how you doing with that situation? Mentally I mean. We know how much you loved him despite of himself.” Mercedes asked.
“It hurts. Thick was the first and only man I’d ever been with. I’m fucked up but what can I do? Let him disrespect me and then my friends? Naw,” she said shaking her head. “I couldn’t see that. I had to push off and what’s done is done.”
There was silence between them as they moved to the blue Suburban waiting to take them home. Four armed men guarded the truck.
“But did you guys see the looks on their faces?” Mercedes laughed.
“Yeah…they were crushed,” Kenyetta responded.
“They should’ve thought about that before they did us dirty,” Mercedes added. “And what about Cameron yelling, ‘What about my kids! Who had my kids?’ He sounded so stupid!” They all laughed.
“Oh shit!” Carissa said from nowhere. “I left my keys in the community center.”
“We’ll all go back,” Yvette said as they stopped before reaching the truck. “We have to stick together.”
“No we don’t,” she giggled. “We won! It’s over now. Anyway you can see the door from here. So get inside the warm truck, pop the bottle of champagne and pour my glass. We’ll celebrate when I come back out.”
“You sure you don’t want one of the soldiers goin’ wit’ you?” Mercedes persisted.
“I’m sure,” Carissa said tapping her arm jogging inside. “It’ll only take me a second.
She ran to the office where she left her keys. Once she had them, she was on her way out when she saw Lavelle standing in the doorway.
“Carissa, I have to talk to you.”
He looked like the life had been drained from his body and Carissa was angry that she was there alone.
“If you hurt me they’ll see you, Lavelle. You won’t make it outta here alive!”
“I don’t want to hurt you, baby.”
“Well what do you want, Lavelle?”
“You. I want you, baby. I’m sorry for all the shit I put you through and if you leave me, I don’t know what I will do. I don’t think I want to live without you,” he said grabbing her hands. “Do you want me to die? Is that what you want?”
Carissa’s heart pounded and her stomach churned. She saw the hurt in his eyes as they sat at the table. Although everyone else looked at Yvette during the meeting, Lavelle and Carissa maintained their stare upon each other. She felt his pain and he felt hers. They both wondered how they’d gotten themselves into a situation where their relationship was on the line.
“I’m sorry, I can’t, Lavelle,” she snatched her hands away from him. “It’s over.”
She was preparing to leave him when she heard a small thud. Turning around she saw Lavelle on his knees with a gun to his head. Pop! Lavelle pulled the trigger and Carissa ran up to him.
“What are you doin’?!” she screamed, as she tried to take the weapon from him.
“I told you if you leave me, none of this shit matters,” he was preparing to pull the trigger again until she wrapped her arms around him.
“Please, Lavelle. I do love you but you hurt me so much. I don’t want you to do this. Please.”
“You don’t give a fuck about me so why should I?”
CLICK.
“LAVELLE! Don’t do this! I wanted nothing more than to be with you. Why did you have to do this to me and our family?” she said as his head rested firmly on her stomach. He wrapped his arms around her tiny waist, gun still in his hand.
“I was a fool,” he wept. “A fuckin’ fool and I’m sorry, baby girl. Let me do all the things I said I’d do for you and more. I can be the man you need me to be I promise!”
Carissa listened but wondered about his recent suicide attempt. She doubted if it was real and that any bullets had been placed inside the gun.
“Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll give you another chance.”
“For real?” he said standing up with his hands resting strongly on her shoulders.
“Yes…okay. But you have to be slow with me, Lavelle. I’m not the woman I use to be. This game has changed me. You have changed me,” she said taking the gun from his hand removing the clip next.
She stumbled.
It was loaded.
“Lavelle, there’s bullets in this gun.”
“You thought I was playin’? I don’t want to live without you!”
“Lavelle,” she cried wrapping her arms around him. “What about our daughters? You were gonna kill yourself and leave our girls?”
“I need all of you. But if I can’t have you too, I don’t want to live.”
They spent a few more moments together and she warned him to wait before leaving the building. If the soldiers saw him coming out they wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him.
“I’ll stay behind,” he said kissing her again. “I snuck back through the side door after getting rid of Thick’s body. I just had to see you before I left. Can we talk tonight?”
“Yes. But don’t leave right now.”
“You’ve made me a happy man.”
“I hope I’m not making a mistake.”
“You’re not, Carissa. You’re not.”
When Carissa turned down the hallway to leave him, she ran into Yvette who heard everything.
“So how long have you been waiting?”
“Long enough. When you didn’t come back out, I came looking for you.”
“Yvette, I’m so sorry,” she said softly.
“Don’t be. I can tell you still love him. But if he hurts you, I need you to know that I won’t hesitate on killing him. Can you handle that?”
“I would have to.”
“Cool, ‘cause that’s on my life. So are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Well it’s settled,” she said hugging her. “Congratulations.”
Yvette kept her secret until Carissa finally decided to reveal it to the rest of her friends who knew all along. It was the last time Carissa said she’d ever lie to her friends.
Present
“Anybody seen Kenyetta? She’s never late for a meeting?” Yvette says jumping back on topic. “We have a lot to discuss tonight.”
Right before we answered, she runs through the door obviously disoriented.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” she says sitting down. “It won’t happen again.” She looks at the confused expressions on our faces. “Please don’t ask me what’s wrong with me,” her head drops and she wipes her face with her hands. “I’m not in the mood right now.”
Yvette shrugs her shoulders and says, “Alright let’s get started. Where are we with supply Mercedes?”
“I did a check before I got here and the soldiers are stocked and supplied. The stash houses look good for at least another week. Then we have to connect with Dreyfus again.”
“Cool…any security issues I should know about?” Yvette questions Kenyetta.
Visibly
upset she takes a deep breath and says, “The guards at the gate said that a cop came through here the other night chasin’ Aleed. But they shut down the entire operation so the cop didn’t find him or anything else.”
“A cop came on Emerald’s grounds?” I ask.
“Yeah. I said the same thing. But you know the Emerald City crew ran his ass outta here. They think he was a rookie because the vets know the rules. Don’t bother us and we won’t bother you.”
“Wow,” Mercedes says shaking her head. “I’m glad he had enough sense to roll out. The squad won’t hesitate to kill a cop.”
“We don’t ever want shit to get that far,” Yvette reminds us. “That’s unnecessary drama.”
“I agree. The vet cops give us our space but if one of their own gets killed, all bets are off.” Kenyetta says. “We won’t be able to make no money ‘round here.”
“Exactly,” I respond.
“But other then that incident, the fort has been tight,” Kenyetta concludes.
“Good, did everybody get paid yesterday?” Yvette ask me.
“Yep…Derrick made sure all the soldiers got hit off. So stop worryin’.”
“Don’t be too cocky, Carissa. Somethin’ could happen at any moment. Just cause things look peaceful don’t mean there ain’t haters amongst us. I got word back the other day that a few heavy hitters in northwest are out for us.” Yvette says.
“You already know that. This is the most profitable operation in DC. Wit’ the relationships we built and the cops we have on payroll, we virtually unstoppable.” Kenyetta says.
“Exactly and that’s why we’re a target,” Yvette responds.
“Be for real, Yvette. Somebody might try us on the outside, but ain’t nobody crazy enough to come in Emerald,” Mercedes adds.
“Is your ponytail too tight?” Yvette asks. “We should never be caught slippin’. Ever! It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
I agreed with what Yvette was saying but also understood Mercedes’s point. We did everything possible to ensure our operation ran smoothly. From hiring extra lookouts to having our soldiers sent to the gun range twice a month for training. We had more soldiers on payroll than any other project except Tyland. Our fort was tight.