Queen Hustlaz

by Falicia Love

  * * *

  Two weeks had passed since Larry was killed, and Dana was getting antsy. She was ready to move forward on their plan to rob and kill Thad. She knew it took time to plan, but she was out for blood, and she wanted Thad’s head on a platter. In her opinion, he was the reason that all the bullshit had happened in the past month. Somehow, it was his fault.

  However, Zack was adamant about planning the robbery out. He said that nobody was going to lose out this time around, and he meant that. They had held several meetings to discuss the robbery, and it was all falling into place. Zack told her and Stephanie that their Colombian connects were going to be flying to the States soon, and they needed to make sure that everything was dealt with by the time they arrived.

  * * *

  Jeryca had been MIA, choosing to spending most of her time with Travis and Orlando. Orlando was in charge of the lick they were about to do, so Jeryca knew a lot of the shit before Dana and Stephanie even heard about it. She wasn’t sure yet if she was going to participate in the robbery. She felt that enough blood had been shed over irrelevant things.

  She wished that she could take back her part in the last robbery, but she knew it was too little too late for that. She felt that Travis and Shirley’s well-being depended on her. What really ticked her off was that neither Dana nor Stephanie checked up on Shirley or Travis. Yeah, they called here and there, but they were so wrapped up in their own shit that they hadn’t thought much about anybody else.

  “Jeryca, sweetie, would you like something to eat?” Shirley asked.

  “No, ma’am, I’m fine. Why don’t you sit down and relax? Let me get you something to eat.”

  “Baby, you have been an angel through this ordeal, and I love you for that. You know, you and Farrah used to get into so much shit growing up, I used to think that she would be better off without y’all. But I’m glad she had a friend like you for her short time here,” Shirley admitted tenderly.

  “Wow, I appreciate you telling me that. I apologize from my heart for being a part of causing so much unnecessary stress on you, Ms. Walker,” Jeryca said sadly.

  She thought about what Ms. Walker had just said, and in a way, she felt that Farrah would still be alive if she hadn’t met them.

  “You know, I don’t know how I’m going to make it with Travis, but with God on our side, I know we will be just fine. I just pray that you and the other girls stand with us. Travis is going to need someone to talk to. He knows you girls and seems more comfortable around y’all than me. You know if something happens to me, one of you should get him. He doesn’t need to be around any stranger,” Shirley said as tears fell down her face.

  Jeryca stood up, walked over to Shirley, and hugged her. “I will be here for you both, no matter what!”

  Jeryca knew that she needed to make one final hit with Dana and Stephanie, but she needed to run a few things past Orlando first. He had shared some hard truths with her, and now she had to divulge some hard truths of her own.

  She walked outside, called her mother first to check in, and then dialed Orlando’s number.

  “What’s up, Jeryca baby?” he said as he answered his phone.

  “Nothing much. What you up to, boo thang?” she replied, smiling at the face she imagined he was making.

  “Girl, you are something else, but I’ll be ‘boo thang’ for you. But I’m just going over a few notes right now. Why? What’s up?” he inquired.

  “I need to talk to you about something very important. I think you need to hear what I got to say and give me your advice on it. I trust your judgment,” she explained.

  “I’m all ears, baby,” he said.

  “Naw, boy. Not on the phone. When can I see you?” she asked.

  “You can see me tonight if you wanna, and um, as far as that boy shit, I can show you better than I can tell you that I ain’t no boy.” He laughed.

  “Well, show me then, boo thang. But I stand corrected, Orlando. What time do you think you can come over?” Jeryca asked.

  “Um, I can be there around nine o’clock. Where are you at?” he asked.

  “I’m at Shirley’s, of course. You know I’m not going too far,” she replied.

  “That’s what I like about you, baby J,” he responded.

  She smiled at the pet name he made for her. “See you later.”

  “All right. Later,” he said softly before hanging up.

  Jeryca felt something that she had never felt before with any other guy: contentment and happiness. He made her heart skip, and she smiled whenever she thought about him. To top it off, she could honestly say she was interested in him, not what he had. If he lost it all, she would still be there in his corner.

  As that thought raced through her mind, she sighed. “Momma always told me a real man would change my thoughts on how I perceived men, and she was right.” She was going to get her some extra money, go back to school, and see where things went with Orlando. It was time for a change, in her opinion. She just hoped that things didn’t go haywire during the robbery.

  As she walked up to the house, Travis came running out and hugged her. “Is Dana coming over tonight?”

  At the sound of Dana’s name, Jeryca crunched her nose up for a second. “I honestly don’t know,” she answered as she led Travis into the house.

  Chapter Nineteen

  On Wednesday evening, Brittany sat on her couch, talking to Dana on the phone. She was waiting for Debra to come over. She had decided that there was no time like the present to deal with her. She had called Debra immediately after she got home from work. Brittany explained to her that they needed to work on a case so they could be prepared for it when they went to court that following Monday. Debra was reluctant at first, but after a few persuasive words from Brittany, she eventually agreed.

  “Is anyone there yet?” Dana asked.

  “Yeah, Deondre and Minx are in the back room, girl. What time are you going to get here?” Brittany asked.

  “I want to get there after Debra so I can make my grand entrance like the boss diva I am,” Dana replied in her gangsta voice.

  “Girl, you are crazy for real,” Brittany said, laughing.

  “You know I’m the top don diva. When I step up in the house, Debra gonna know it’s about to go down for real, damn it,” Dana growled playfully.

  “You too damn much, girl. Just get your ass over here, bitch,” Brittany snickered.

  “All right. I’m on my way, slut,” Dana said before hanging up.

  After Brittany got off the phone with Dana, she walked into the kitchen where Deondre and Minx were.

  “What time is this chick supposed to get here?” Deondre asked.

  “She should be here any minute now. I just hope Zack gets here before she does. Did y’all leave enough space for him to park in the back?” she asked.

  “Yeah. If the nigga can drive, he can park back there,” Minx replied.

  “I’m saying y’all got that damn big-ass U-Haul out there. That’s why I asked. I need everyone to be in place and ready to pounce on this bitch as soon as she walks through the door. And Deondre, I’m gonna need you to control yourself and keep your hands to yourself until we get the information we need. If she doesn’t cooperate, though, we will get her ass to talk by any means necessary, but we got to keep her conscious and alive. Do we got an understanding?” Brittany asked.

  “Yeah, we do, and you remember the same thing, Brit. Considering how much you have talked about killing that bitch, I think you the one who needs to remember that we need her alive,” Deondre replied.

  Before Brittany could reply, the door knob started turning, which caused Minx to pull his gun. Brittany frowned and raised her hand, telling him to relax. She walked over to the door and opened it quickly.

  “Why the hell you playing, nigga?” she asked as she let Zack in.

  “Y’all some scary-ass gangstas, huh?” he asked, laughing as he eyed Minx standing back against the wall with his gun by his side.

  “Ni
gga, you were almost shot while you fuckin’ joking,” Minx replied.

  “Well, anyway, I passed ol’ girl at the Citgo pumping gas, so we need to get everything in order,” Zack said.

  Brittany went to her closet, pulled out a long rope, plastic, and handcuffs. Minx pulled out a set of knives and tools. He set them down on the counter and looked them over, piece by piece. He smiled as he placed them back into the case he had brought them in. Brittany couldn’t help but notice the sinister look in his eyes, and she shivered with sheer excitement. She wasn’t a cougar, but she would be one that night if he was with it.

  After ten minutes passed, Brittany’s doorbell rang, and she whispered to the guys to be ready once Debra was in the front room.

  “Hey, girl, ’bout time your ass got here. Did you bring the files?” Brittany asked.

  “Yes, ma’am, I did,” Debra said, smiling.

  Once she was seated on the couch, Brittany locked the door and turned around. “You want some tea or something?”

  “I’d like a shot of gin if you got it,” Debra answered.

  “Okay, I got you, mami,” Brittany said as she walked into the kitchen.

  Debra sat on the couch, took out her laptop along with the files, and placed them on the table. She sat back and waited for Brittany to return with her drink. She hoped that the meeting wouldn’t take too long, because she had some business to tend to.

  When Brittany returned, she had two shot glasses and a small individual bottle of gin. “Here you go, Ms. Lady.”

  When Debra took the bottle and her shot glass, she saw Deondre, Zack, and Minx coming out of the kitchen. “What’s going on?” she asked, immediately looking at Brittany.

  “Well, shit, we were hoping you could tell us,” Brittany said, grabbing Debra up.

  The gin and shot glass fell to the floor, and Minx rushed over, tying Debra’s hands behind her back. Debra didn’t put up a struggle, nor was she going to try to fight back, because it was four against one, and besides, Deondre was holding a gun on her. She thought this day would come, but after Larry was killed, she figured she was in the clear.

  She looked at Brittany for a minute before Minx pulled her into the kitchen, where there was plastic covering the floor and countertops. Debra froze as she suddenly realized she probably was going to die.

  “Bitch, move before I punch you in the face,” Deondre growled, pushing her forward.

  Debra sat down in the chair, afraid to speak as she looked around the room, wondering where Brittany was. Her question was soon answered as Brittany and Dana walked in.

  Dana was smiling from ear to ear, “Hey, baby girl. What’s going on? Are you wondering what you’re doing here, or do you already know?”

  Debra shook her head and said nothing.

  “If I was you, I’d talk, sweet thang, ’cause your life is on the line,” Brittany said.

  “I can make her talk. Trust me,” Deondre said, holding up a box cutter.

  Minx bent down in front of Debra and tied her feet to the chair. After untying her arms, he re-tied them to the chair.

  Debra was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t hear what Deondre had said. She wondered how they could’ve found out that she was involved in the robbery. Larry hadn’t told them, and with him dead, there was only one other person who knew where the money, guns, and drugs were located. She knew he hadn’t talked. Or had he? She couldn’t wrap her mind around that. He was the one that got the ball rolling from the beginning.

  Debra was shocked back into reality after Brittany slapped her across the face. “Bitch, I know you heard me, damn it! Answer the question: where is our muthafuckin’ money?”

  “I don’t know what you are talking about!” Debra groaned, reeling from the stinging slap of her face.

  “You a lie, bitch. Man, Brit, let me handle this,” Deondre said, walking over to Debra with the box cutter.

  Brittany looked at Debra long and hard, and the look on her face told her that she was easily going to cooperate. She turned to Deondre and nodded her head. She took a couple steps back as he moved forward. With one swift motion of his arm, he cut Debra across her face. She cried out as the pain ripped through her face.

  “Debra, you need to tell us where our shit is, or I’m going to leave Deondre in here with you for a few minutes, and you don’t want that. We already know that you had something to do with the robbery, so just tell us where the shit is. You didn’t participate in it, so why the fuck do you think you should benefit in it? Waltzing around the office, flaunting your new clothes, paid for by the fucking money we took. Bitch, start talking!” Brittany yelled, getting more agitated by the minute.

  Brittany looked at Deondre, giving him the go ahead to slice into Debra more. She then told Dana to go with her to the front room. Before they made it out of the kitchen, Debra choked out, “Brit, wait! I will tell you where it’s at. Just please, don’t let him kill me.”

  “Well, shit, you need to start talking. Why the hell would you make this harder on yourself than it needs to be?” Zack asked.

  Debra ignored Zack and kept her very tearful eyes on Brittany. “Everything is being kept at this warehouse on North Eleventh Street. We placed it there after the robbery. Larry and Neo sold a few bags of cocaine and weed, but they couldn’t find a buyer for the guns, so the majority of the guns are still there. I swear I didn’t plan on going through with this, but I guess greed and jealousy set in. I been yo’ girl all these years, and you placed your trust in these bitches instead of me.”

  “Debra, that’s a lame-ass excuse for betraying us. You did it for a piece of dick. There’s more to this, and you’re going to tell me what the fuck it is,” Brittany replied.

  “Fuck that shit. Just off this bitch and let’s gather everybody and go get this loot,” Dana hissed.

  “I’m with Dana. Let me cut this bitch throat and be done with her,” Deondre cut in.

  “No. I need to know the real facts. Just shut the fuck up, you two, and let me do this how I see fit,” Brittany replied, agitated.

  Dana stepped back, shaking her head. She walked over to Zack and leaned against him, watching Brittany grill Debra.

  “Do you see how they want to kill your ass? And I’m the only person keeping them from doing it! Tell me the truth, Debra, the whole truth, or I will let them at your ass right now,” Brittany commanded.

  Debra dropped her head, and tears fell from her eyes. “When I first met Larry, he was referred to me by my best friend of ten years. He told me that my services were needed on a possible custody case. He explained that they would pay me top dollar to represent Larry if the case went to court, and if I won the case, my pay would triple. I agreed, and then I met Larry. He started complimenting me from the beginning. When I told my friend, he suggested that I get to know him and try to persuade him to leave the game. I thought that they were looking out for Larry, so I agreed,” Debra explained.

  “Okay, and then?” Brittany asked.

  “Well, the night you called me, Larry overheard a portion of the conversation we had. It was the day you said you didn’t need me to join you all in the robbery, and because I was angry, I told Larry what you guys were planning. He came up with the idea that we should keep quiet and let you all do what you had to do, and if you were successful, then we would hit y’all afterward.”

  “Okay, so who is the guy that referred you to Larry, Debra?” Brittany asked.

  “He ain’t got nothing to do with this, though, Brit. I swear to you, this was all me and Larry’s idea,” Debra cried.

  “Naw, ho, this just doesn’t sound right to me. Answer Brit’s question, and also tell us how this nigga fits into all this,” Minx interjected.

  Debra sat quiet for a few minutes, until Dana walked over, grabbed her hair, and snatched her head back. “Listen, we don’t have time to be playing with yo’ ass, damn it. Answer the fucking question.”

  Before anyone could stop her, Dana punched Debra in the face, which caused her eye to swell
instantly. She screamed out in agony. Zack ran over and pulled Dana back. Brittany was yelling for Dana to leave the kitchen, but Dana refused to go.

  “What’s his name, Debra? Can’t you see that this is getting way out of control?” Brittany growled as she rolled her eyes at Dana.

  “It’s Thad’s right-hand man, Chris. Chris is ready to get out of the game himself. When he learned that you all were planning to do this robbery, he convinced me to roll with it as well, but to report everything back to him. But when he got locked up, it ruined our plans.

  “Once he found out that Larry had been arrested for Farrah’s murder, Chris felt it was best to intervene a bit and make sure Larry didn’t make it out of jail. Chris wanted access to the money, drugs, and guns once he was able to make bond and was finally released from jail. He said that Thad and Toby were really out for themselves, and Larry was a dirtbag for how he played his son’s love for him against his mother. So he had no regrets.

  “Chris paid a moving company to move everything from where Larry had it to an abandoned warehouse that I purchased for him, and that’s where everything is now,” Debra further explained.

  “Damn, it’s some real shady-ass people around this bitch. Can’t trust nobody,” Minx said, shaking his head.

  “Yeah, I’d say that’s some real slimeball-ass shit. But hey, this trick was all in it, and that’s why she needs to die right now,” Dana responded.

  “No, wait. We need to get the information and the keys to the location. Zack, once we get the keys to the building, you, Minx, and Deondre will go check it out, and we will stay here with Ms. Debra. Once you call me confirming that our shit is there, we will let Debra go,” Brittany said as she laid out her orders.

  “Let her go? Did you say let her go?” Dana asked angrily.

  “Yes, I did, and I won’t explain my reasons why,” Brittany answered, annoyed.

  “You mean to tell me after all I’ve fucking done to insure we don’t get caught up, you’re willing to let her go? This makes no sense. I did some fucking shit that I never thought I’d have to do—” Dana started, but was cut off immediately.