by Kia
“I can ask around. But shit, I heard you and Malina been getting it in so y’all would know more than me,” I said.
“How?”
“Y’all know all the hustlas and ballers.”
“Yeah right,” she said, fluffing her pillow.
“So how y’all getting so much money?” I asked.
“What? Now who told you that?” She asked like she was mad that I found out.
“The streets talking, cuzz. Y’all gonna have to get a new place in a minute.”
“Yeah? Like who though?” She asked.
“The streets. When I was at Slick’s place, I heard some niggas yapping about it outside.”
“That’s not good.”
“Why? Y’all coming up. Shit on these bitches.”
“Yeah but I don’t want everyone in my business,” she said.
“Well, all they said was y’all been out of town a lot, but they don’t know what y’all do. One nigga said he lived by you and you always was out of town. And every time you came back, you came with new shit and more money.”
“Niggas gossip more than these hoes do,” she hissed.
“Ain’t that the truth. But I still wanna know.”
“Know what?”
“How y’all getting to the money. And why haven’t you put me on?”
“Like I told Neiman, me and Malina found us some trick niggas in Houston. And put you on to what?”
“The money.”
“Bitch you got a man. You can’t be ’round here fucking with old niggas in Houston.”
“Had a man,” I corrected. Percy didn’t have shit to say to me right now. He wasn’t trying to help me get my son back. He lied and said he would handle it but he didn’t. So fuck him. Wasn’t real ballers supposed to have shit stacked for rainy days?
“Still… you need to mind your business. You and Neiman.”
“What about PJ?”
“Look, bitch. I told you I’ma take care of that shit. But don’t try and pressure me into shit. I’m the one that told you to find out about Bleek. Don’t do that dope fiend ass shit that you doing. That’s gonna make me not wanna fuck with you at all.”
“Well excuse me,” I said as I leaned back down into my bed. She must have been under a lot of stress because Divine hardly ever talked to me like that. I wasn’t begging. I wanted my son back. Shit.
“Just go to sleep. We have a long day ahead of us,” she said as she turned off the lights.
“Divine, I have something to tell you,” I said after laying there for a while. I couldn’t keep this secret forever. I had to tell someone, and who better to tell than her? I knew she had my back, no matter what. And one thing about Divine, she knew how to use her head.
“What?”
“I haven’t been completely honest.”
“About what?”
“Bleek kidnapped my son because we were robbed.”
“Yeah, you told me that.”
“My real babydaddy was the one who Percy killed.”
“What? Does he know?”
“No, he just thinks Bleek is a grimy mothafucka that sent someone to rob us.”
“Was Bleek the one that blew your car up?”
“No.”
“That person that shot at us today… they were trying to kill you. Right?”
“Yes.”
“And they were sitting in that car at the stop sign? Was that him?” she asked.
“Yes, that was him.”
“I thought I was tripping, but I saw him too. Why is he trying to kill you?” she asked. This was the most embarrassing story that I would have to tell, but I had to if I wanted my son back. Though I had opened up to her, I made her promise to keep this between us and she did.
Chapter Thirty
Neiman
It had been three hours and Glory and I were still up, just talking about life. I really underestimated this guy; it was more to him that met the eye. He was really cool, and I could tell that he lived what he was talking about.
“I never met a thugged out vegan,” I joked. He was telling me how he didn’t eat meat or dairy and I could tell. His skin was smooth. Looked Godly.
“Oh, you got jokes, huh?” he asked.
Now he was rubbing my feet as he lay beside me. We hadn’t even had sex yet. And from the look of things, we weren’t going to. I just felt so comfortable with him. It’s like we had met before in a previous lifetime.
“I’m digging you, though,” I said as he gently rubbed my toes.
“Yaa? Me too, mama.”
“You feeling me too?” I asked.
“Yaa, I really do. Just gotta get you right.”
“Like how?”
“Before you even think about falling in love with me, I want you to love yourself.”
“How will I know when I start loving myself?” I asked him.
“Trust me, you’ll know.”
“How?”
“I can’t explain, but you will know. But I’ma help you though.”
“Never had anyone wanna do that. I have a question.”
“Yaa?”
“Do you think I should help Nel?” I asked.
“Honestly, I think you should if you had the money to. But you don’t, so I feel like you should wish him the best and keep that shit moving. Feel me?”
“Why should I if I have the money?”
“Because if you don’t help him because he hurt you, then you will never get blessed like that. You gotta learn how to forgive people that ain’t even sorry.”
“Damn. But I don’t have that kinda money.”
“Exactly. So don’t hurt yourself over that nigga,” he said.
“But if I don’t do it, who will?” I asked.
“Love, that’s not ya problem. Sure if you could get all that money for him, you would have gotten it for yourself. There you go again.”
“There I go what?” I asked.
“Putting that nigga before yourself.”
“Man, I just don’t wanna see him in a fucked up situation. You know? He ain’t got nobody.”
“Once again, what the fuck does that have to do with you?”
“I guess you’re right.” I reached over and took a puff from his blunt. Just as I was about to start a new conversation, there was a knock at the door.
“I got it,” he said as he got up and looked out the peephole. Then he let out a slight giggle. “It’s Malina.”
“Open the door,” I said with a smirk, knowing she was about to pop off and get mad. Good. I needed that hoe to know that I wasn’t fucking around.
“Glory?” she asked as she walked in and saw me lying in bed.
“Why you at my room this late?” I asked.
“I wanted to come and apologize for earlier, but looks like you’re doing just fine.” She had her arms folded.
“What’s up, love?” Glory said as he sat at the end of the bed.
“Is this why we couldn’t go out today?” She asked him.
“Yaa,” he responded.
“That’s cool. Guess I’ll see y’all later.” She power walked out the room and slammed the door. We both burst into laughter.
“I don’t know why she acting like she’s mad. Malina got niggas for days. This ain’t hurting her,” I confessed.
“That’s her business. Back to you though. Thought you were going to massage my back?” he asked, pulling me to the end of the bed.
“Fine, I used to give Nel massages all the time,” I said before catching myself talking about him again. “Sorry.”
“It’s cool, love. I ain’t ya nigga, so I wouldn’t get mad. You in love. Understandable.”
“But I don’t wanna keep talking about him.”
“But you keep doing it. Know why? ’Cause you can’t help it. Stop being so hard on yaself, love. It’s life,” he said as I gently massaged his neck.
“So why and how are you still single? Or are you?” I asked.
“I fuck with bitches from time to time, but
a nigga ain’t just in love or no shit like that.”
“You have any women that’s in love with you?” I asked.
“I ain’t even gonna lie, hell yeah. I got this one broad in Miami that cut for a nigga tuff.”
“Yeah? So why you not with her?” I asked.
“She a stripper hoe.”
“But you knew that before, so why you playing with her?”
“I told her that I didn’t love her. Shit, when we first met, she told me that all she wanted was the money. And I was cool with that ’cause I wasn’t looking for nothing serious. Then she went and got herself in love with a nigga,” he said as his phone began to ring. “This her calling now.” His phone began to light up and a picture of a beautiful black woman popped up.
“Answer.”
“Nah, she gonna be I’ght.”
“See? Niggas ain’t shit.”
“If I answer, all she gonna do is whine and ask why I ain’t come see her or fly her out.”
“It’s something you’re not telling me. Why she love you? You had to give her a reason.”
“All I did was be honest with her. She said she wasn’t looking for love and I wasn’t either. See, that’s where y’all females go wrong, thinking a nigga like that shit. We want a woman who soft. Not no hard-ass girl. That’ll make us be hard on a hoe real fast.”
“That’s a shame.”
“Why? ’Cause I treated her how she wanted to be treated?”
“And how she wanted to be treated?”
“You wouldn’t understand,” he said.
“Try me.”
“A woman like that don’t want to be loved. She loves the chase. If I call that hoe right now and tell her that I love her, she wouldn’t call back tomorrow.”
“That don’t make sense.”
“At all, huh? That’s how the game go.”
“But why?”
“It’s the system. She don’t want love.”
“And how do you know?”
“I’m a nigga. We know.”
“So what do I want?”
“Love. You want it so bad that you would sacrifice loving yourself just so a man could.”
“Wow. Truth hurts like that.”
“I heard.”
“So tell me this, when will we start our self-love journey?” I asked.
“We started three hours ago.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Divine
Two days later…
“So you want us to go today or tomorrow?” I asked Bishop, who once again, popped his ugly ass up at my house.
“Yeah, I got all the money I need this time, I promise. Count it.” He didn’t have to tell us twice. Malina went to pull out that money machine so fast. It was early in the morning and I was still trying to sleep. But money was more important. He was early on the payment, but that was cool. I know Jinx said three weeks, but this was better.
After leaving the hotel, Malina and I put a down payment on a new apartment for Neiman and Nyssa. But first, I made them promise not to kill each other. They had to stay together because I didn’t want neither one of them in our business. They were family, but even family would take all you had if they needed it. And they too needed it. Besides, Malina and I were about to move anyway. Too many niggas were running their mouths about our whereabouts, and I didn’t like it.
“Where Glory at?” Malina asked as she put the bills into the machine in order.
“Shit, that nigga been fucking with some chick. They been chilling real tough,” he said.
All I could do was laugh on the inside. I knew who Glory was with. He was chilling with Neiman. I know because she asked me for his number the other night at the hotel.
“Yeah, he with Neiman,” Malina said.
“Y’all cousin Neiman?” Bishop asked.
“Yep,” Malina said.
“Oh yeah? Damn. How you know?” I asked, playing stupid.
“I pulled up on her the other night to apologize and that nigga was in there. Shit, I asked him was that the reason he stood me up,” she said as she stacked the money each time it left the machine.
“What he say?” Bishop asked, instigating.
“He told the truth. So I was like fuck it and went back into my room to call my boo.”
“What? You got a boo now? Who?” Bishop asked.
“She ain’t gonna tell you,” I said, shaking my head. “I already asked.”
“C’mon, Malina. Let a nigga know something.”
“Nah. He don’t like people in our business.”
“Well, bitch, you stay in my business,” I said.
“You ain’t got no business. Ya ass is boring,” she said.
“So how much is that?” Bishop asked when he saw that she was coming to an end.
“$500,000 even,” she responded.
“Now run us our $80,000,” I said with my hand out.
“What? I thought it was $75,000?” He asked as he dug through his other bag.
“We had to tax you for that bullshit you pulled last time,” I said.
“Oh y’all wanna do a nigga in? Okay. Bet that,” he said, tossing our money on the table.
“Count that too,” I told Malina.
“Go head, nigga. It’s all there. Told y’all I wouldn’t do y’all like that again.”
“We definitely will not take your word for it,” Malina said as she ran the crisp bill through.
“Bishop, don’t trip,” I said as I lightly tapped his leg. He was looking mad. But how? On the cool, I didn’t have to do this for him. Who would after what he did? The money was okay, but betrayal was a bitch.
“It’s all here,” she said as she tossed me my half.
“See y’all niggas when y’all get back,” he said as he left.
“I guess he mad,” Malina said as she took out her phone to see when was the earliest we could rent an SUV.
“We should just get our own truck to do this shit,” I said.
“Yeah? Not right now. Our money not that good to be splurging. Apparently we take care of Neiman and Nyssa now, and we still have to get PJ back. Time is running out,” she said, using her head for the first time.
“Shit, we wouldn’t even know where to start with Bleek. But she said Slick knew who he was. Do you mind asking him?” I asked her.
“Nah, I don’t mind. As a matter of fact, since we leaving in the morning, I’ll go right now. Don’t wanna waste any time. You know?”
“Yeah, I feel you. Well go now while you can still catch him. Know once he get his day started it be hard to catch him,” I said as I grabbed Bishop’s money and my money to put it up.
“I’m about to leave now. I need the keys to the truck.”
I tossed her the keys and she was on her way.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Malina
I couldn’t wait to get out of that house. I needed the perfect reason to holla at Slick and this was it. I hadn’t had no dick in a couple days, and that was way too long. Of course, this was about PJ too but hey… a woman’s got needs. I hopped in the hot truck and pulled out my phone to call him. The first time it went straight to voicemail but the second time it didn’t ring it all. Seems like our lines had gotten tied up. That’s when I looked down and saw that I had a text from him.
Stop callin me, crazy ass girl. I’m tryna call.
“That makes sense,” I said to myself as I awaited his call and ignited the ignition just for it to roar and then turn off.
Aint this a bitch, I thought as I tried to start it again, just for the same thing to happen.
My phone rang. It was Slick. “What’s up?” I asked. “I was just about to stop by.”
“Yeah?”
“Funny ’cause I was just about to come scoop you. I’m hitting the corner now,” he said. I looked up and saw him turning at the light.
“Ok, cool.” I hopped out the car and disconnected the phone. Looks like we were going to have to get a new whip after all.
“Hop i
n, shawty,” he said as he pulled on the side of me with the music blasting. I threw my purse in the back seat and slid in.
“So what’s up?” I asked.
“You called me.”
“And you called me too. So what’s up?” I asked again.
“Shit, I wanted you to suck my dick real quick. A nigga been stressed out, and I ain’t fucking with Tayla no more.”
“What happened to Quita?”
“I heard she made it. Cops still tryna figure out who did it. Nobody saw nothing. But for real, you gonna suck it for me?”
“Where? In the car again?”
“Nah, we can go somewhere quiet if you want.”
“Nah, it’s cool. We can get it popping right here but first I have a question.”
“What’s that?” He asked as we made a right at the light.
“Who is Bleek and where can I find him?” I asked.
“Nobody really knows who Bleek is, but his people be hard to find.”
“Huh?” I asked.
“Bleek don’t handle none of his business. He sends his shooters to do everything. But I have a number you could call.”
“Give it to me.”
“I’ve been calling like crazy. Them niggas ain’t gonna do shit but talk shit and hang up. Swear I’ma murk the fuck outta Bleek, whoever he is. And then he got a new number he use or some shit now. One of my homies gave me this number to reach him.” He showed me a phone number in his phone.
“Let me try. I’ma woman so that might help. You probably come across as rude when you call,” I said as he took out his phone and gave me the number. Without hesitation, I pulled out my phone and called. They didn’t answer but I got another call from a blocked number.
“Hello?”
“Somebody just call?” a deep voice asked.
“Yes. This is Malina. I’m Nyssa’s—”
“Cousin and ya calling about PJ. I know who you is. Y’all got our money?”
“Our? Where is Bleek?” I asked.
“Bleek don’t talk.”
“Well how much we owe and how do we know PJ is alive and well?” I asked while looking over at Slick.