Playing With Fire: Loyalty Demolished

by Charlee Renea

  “I support your dreams. I just want the best for you and my grandbaby!” She mean-mugged Ray. “I get worried when you’re in them streets!”

  Ray wasn’t feeling her vibe.

  “Things are about to change, Ma! As a mother of two, I have to devote myself to do better for them!”

  Tara had heard this statement before and was still waiting on a change. When Chyna graduated and got her career started, she’d be more pleased with what Chyna had to say. Other than that, her words fell on deaf ears.

  “I hope so! It isn’t just Junior anymore!” Tara said and rolled her eyes again at Ray. Ray held his tongue to keep from saying inappropriate words.

  Chyna tried handing Junior to Ray, but he held on to Chyna’s arm tightly, crying. Ray was fiery about missing out on precious moments. Chyna handed Junior to him anyway and he started crying again.

  “Stop that crying! That’s Daddy! Say da-da.” Junior stopped crying and looked at him. “Now let Mama go shower so we can play at the beach. Want to play in the water?” He nodded his head yes. “Stop that crying and we can!” Chyna handed Junior to Ray and went to shower.

  Tara mugged Ray but didn’t have much to say. All she wanted was for him to be in his children’s lives. She left out the room and headed to hers.

  After Chyna showered and put on her yellow maxi-dress and white jelly sandals, she changed Junior into a wife-beater and drawstring shorts. She didn’t bother to tell her mother bye because she didn’t appreciate how she’d treated Ray. In Chyna’s mind, she felt thankful Ray was even participating in their life. Some men wouldn’t even make the attempt to claim what they’d help make. She understood why Ray wasn’t there and that was all that mattered.

  The drive to the beach was awkward without the weed and music. Ray hadn’t smoked since he’d been there; he was trying to slow down. He found a parking spot, got out, and grabbed Junior out the car seat. Chyna walked over to the driver’s side and Junior reached for her. Looking puzzled, Ray handed him to her and grabbed the bag out the backseat.

  They found a spot and Ray laid the towel out for them to sit on. Chyna pulled Junior’s toys out the bag and let him play in the sand. He was happy now. They sat on the towel watching the beautiful waves as Junior started putting sand in his bucket. Usually Chyna would help him, but she wanted to focus on Ray and figure out what their next move was.

  “What have you been doing, beautiful?” Ray asked her, moving her hair out of her face from the blowing wind.

  “Thinking. What are we going do now?”

  Ray’s phone started ringing and he pulled it out his pocket. It was Bella and he hesitated about answering.

  “Hold on, babe.”

  He got up and walked away for privacy. Chyna wonder who was calling. She started playing with Junior in the sand.

  “Wassup, baby!” Ray asked as he watched Chyna play with Junior. He liked how she interacted with him.

  “Hey! How are you?” Bella asked. She sat on the king-size bed drinking wine. It was a rainy day in New Jersey and she wished she had Ray by her side to hold her.

  “Good. What’s wrong?” She sounded worried.

  “Nothing; haven’t heard from you. Was hoping you had a safe flight.” She got up and walked toward the window as she prepared for Ray’s excuse.

  “I’m sorry. As soon as I touched down, I was handling business.”

  ‘Business?” she thought, but she didn’t have any proof he was doing something foul. She painted a smile on and was relieved she was finally talking with him and he was safe.

  “Glad you made it safe! Daddy has a big job and he’s holding a meeting, but he’s waiting for you to come back.”

  Earlier that day, Bella had gone to her parents’ home and that was when Boss had announced his big job for them. He’d assured Bella it paid millions and this would give them a huge break on the hustling. Boss wanted to call a meeting that night, but she’d told him Ray was out of town on a business trip.

  Ray kicked the sand. He wasn't ready to leave, not just yet.

  “Shit, okay; I’ll book a flight tonight for the next flight there.”

  “It’s a big one that will have us lying low for a while.”

  That caught his attention. He needed a break! The baby would be here any day, Chyna was taking online classes, his brother had a case, and he was holding the family down. He had a lot on his plate and he needed a breather.

  “It’s like that? Let me get on this website then! I’ll talk to you later, baby.”

  “Okay, baby, be safe.”

  Bella sipped the rest of her wine. She heard strong wind in the background. He’d told her he was going to Kansas City to help Vin set up shop there. She knew she had to find out what her man was up to!

  Ray was curious about the job and how it was going to pay millions. He couldn’t stop thinking about what it was. He headed back over to Chyna and Junior. She was looking at him sideways, wondering what the call was about that he’d had to walk away for privacy. He wasn’t ready to explain to her he was leaving her again. After pouring his heart out, stating he would be in his child’s life more, he felt the disappointment coming.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Ray figured this was the best time to tell her. “That was Bella and Boss has a big job that can have us lying low for a while.”

  Chyna wasn’t feeling him still involved with her and this new job. She wasn’t insecure because she knew she had his heart. Bella was the issue. She didn’t trust her because her daddy was in the mob and they could easily have Ray killed.

  “Umm, what happened to the change you promised?”

  “I am, baby. I just want to make sure we’re set financially first before throwing in the towel! We need somewhere to live and raise our children." He grabbed her hand and kissed it.

  “Yes; that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. What’s the job?”

  “I don’t know. He’s holding a meeting, so I have to fly out tomorrow, baby.”

  Chyna yanked her hand back, and Ray saw the sadness in her eyes. She was strong, holding her tears in.

  “Damn! I wanted us to spend more time together!” she said, disappointed.

  “Me, too, but I’m doing this for us! This is it! The last job. I have a family now.”

  Chyna was disappointed, but she understood the circumstances. Everyone was depending on him. She knew she had to stay strong for the sake of the family. She grabbed his hand.

  “I’m supporting you, babe, and I’ll continue riding with you the long way! We’re going to leave comfortable and get out the game for good!”

  Ray kissed her hand. He loved how she was bettering herself with the online classes. “I’m proud of you! You amaze me. We’re building a strong foundation that’s unbreakable!”

  After they left the beach, they went out to eat and Ray got a room for privacy. They got Junior ready for bed. He was smiling as Chyna tucked him in. Shortly afterwards, Chyna was lying on Ray’s chest, dozing off. The digital clock on the nightstand read 2:48 a.m. and Ray couldn’t sleep. He watched Chyna sleep as he thought about his next move. He pulled up Southwest on his phone and booked the next flight back to New Jersey, which was that afternoon.

  “The last time!” he told himself.

  . . . 2

  Back in Kansas City…

  Thank you for your wonderful work and not leaving any evidence leading back to the source. The job was a success and your money will be wired to you. I know we'll meet again for another job!

  Ashley read the letter over and over to determine what Chris was referring to. He was filthy and always plotting something. She went through the rest of his paperwork in the brown folder lying on his desk inside his home. Every time he left the house, she snooped around to see what he had going on. He had taken Brittany, their daughter, with him out to eat with his family.

  She had come across some insurance papers with her shop’s address on them. It had slipped her mind about Chris’ part ownership because her cr
edit hadn’t been good enough to take out a loan. He’d handled all the paperwork, and she hadn’t been aware that the insurance was in his name only. They had mailed him a check for the shop catching on fire. She had a feeling he might have been involved, but she didn’t have any proof.

  After reading over the papers, her face began to turn red. ‘This pussy got the insurance money!’ She thought about killing him and dropping his body in the Missouri River. He had caused her so much trouble and pain. She was starting to believe he might have told Ray about them and that’s why Ray didn’t want her any more.

  Ashley and Ray had dated the nine years Bella was in prison. All along, Ashley was playing a game of greed. She’d set her boss, Bella, up, who she was selling cocaine for, because she wanted her lifestyle. Ashley wanted Ray, Bella's man, and to be the boss of her own business. She needed a plan to take Bella out of the game.

  She’d met Chris at the courthouse and they’d become, so he’d thought, lovers instantly. She fed his ego and boosted him up, and he’d left his woman for her. She told him she had a plan that could get him a higher position in his career. She told him everything he needed to know to bring Bella down and he did!

  After she was sent to prison, Ashley switched up and went after Ray. Ray knew she was a snack so he used her by moving her into the house and making her pay all the bills. Bella had already told him Ashley had set her up!

  She wrote the policy number on a yellow sticky note so she could call to get more information. She put everything back in place and went to start dinner. She rinsed the pork chops off and seasoned them. He wanted pork chops, shrimp, a baked potato, and green beans when he got home. She started thinking of a good way to kill him and not get caught as she poked holes in the potatoes. She could easily put poison in his food since he ate so much. A grin formed on her face as she thought of rat poisoning.

  Chris walked through the door a few minutes later, knocking her out of her thoughts. She wasn’t expecting him back this soon. He threw the ring of keys on the countertop. Ashley looked at the door, waiting for Brittany to walk through, but she didn’t. She started to regret how she’d acted mean towards her in the past. Now, she wished she could hold her, fall asleep, and wake up from the nightmare.

  Ashley avoided giving him eye contact as he walked toward her. He placed his hand under her red spaghetti-strap dress and rubbed her private area. He’d ordered her to walk around wearing short dresses with no panties and bra on. Her dressing like a slut was his fantasy. He also made her wear makeup at all times as a distraction from her ugly personality.

  “What you been doing all day?” he asked. His cologne, which didn’t smell too good, invaded her nose, and his breath smelled like he just finishing eating a strong snatch of kitty-kat.

  “Cleaning and waiting on y’all to come home, Big Daddy.”

  He also demanded she call him Big Daddy. He grabbed her ponytail and pulled her down to the floor. She didn’t struggle or fight like she would have done before; it would only make the punishment worse. He had beat her the first time she’d rejected him, busting her nose and leaving her rib cage sore.

  He dropped his pants, pulled up her dress, and smacked her bare ass. He jammed himself inside her, having his way. She closed her eyes, hoping it would be over quick. Just like she expected, he nutted in her seconds later. This was an every-day routine. She hated she’d stopped taking her birth control pills when she was staying with Ray. She’d planned to get pregnant by him to keep him. Now, she had a feeling Chris might try to trap her with another child. She bit her lip, cheerless at the thought of another child with him.

  When he finished, he rolled her on her back and smacked her a couple times in the face. He couldn’t stand to look at her. The red lipstick smeared across her cheek and on the back of his hand.

  “Get the fuck up and fix my dinner!”

  Ashley jumped up from the floor and started cooking. She wanted to ask where Brittany was but didn’t because he would hit her again like a previous time. Ashley knew she had to make some money quickly to get away from this deranged creature!

  He grabbed a Corona out the refrigerator, popped the top, and threw it at her. She jumped when it hit her on the nose, barely missing her eye.

  “What the fuck you jumping for?” He started laughing. “You scared?”

  She ignored him and continued to cook, turning the pork chops over in the grease.

  “Oh, so you don’t hear me talking?” He got in her face, breath foul.

  “Please; I don’t want to fight,” she said just above a whisper.

  “Oh, you don’t have much mouth now! Pathetic bitch!” He took another drink then poured the rest on her.

  “What the fuck!” Ashley yelled as the beer dripped from her.

  Chris back handed her. “Who the fuck you talking to?”

  She said nothing.

  “Yeah, bitch! Watch who the fuck you’re talking to!”

  He grabbed another Corona out the refrigerator and headed to the living room. Ashley grabbed the dry towel hanging on the oven door and dried the rest of the beer off.

  ‘Yeah, I’ve got to do something quick!’

  ~ ~

  “What’s up, beautiful? How are you doing today?”

  “I’m doing good now that I’ve seen you! How about you?”

  “New day, same gear on, and no new news.” She smiled at him. It was always a pleasant moment when she visited him.

  Once Nicole got back to New Jersey, it had taken her a month before she’d decided to visit Ray’Sean (aka Sean). She was disappointed in Ray for giving her counterfeit money. She thought they’d had a deeper connection when they were dating. She knew she was wrong for messing with Ray knowing he was with Ashley, but she didn’t care! Nicole knew Ray didn’t care about Ashley and he always cheated on her. She was curious about why Ashley was so crazy over him and wanted to find out.

  They started talking and he told her about the job in Miami. She agreed to help him rob a wealthy man. Ray said she’d made twenty thousand but the money was counterfeit. At this point, she didn’t know if Ray was running game to make money off her or if the money was really counterfeit.

  There wasn’t much she could do considering she didn’t know where he stayed. She called but he didn’t answer. She’d had to start stripping again, but she hadn’t told Sean because she didn’t want him to judge her. She visited faithfully every Friday and was putting money on his books. She wanted to show him she wasn’t trying to set him up. She also stayed low and hadn’t run into any of Brian’s family. She’d moved her sisters and her to a small, one-bedroom apartment in the Bronx.

  “You’re looking good, too. Wish I could . . . never mind.”

  “Girl, you’re something else!”

  “I’m really feeling you, Sean. Before you went to prison, I was feeling your encouraging words. You changed my life for the better.”

  Sean liked uplifting women. He’d seen how his father had respected his mother, so when a woman chose to degrade herself and didn’t respect herself, he ignored them. There wasn’t much he could do. A woman had to give the man something to respect.

  “I saw a diamond in the dirt waiting to shine. Your nigga wasn’t treating you right because he isn’t a man! What man would be okay with his woman pleasing another nigga? None!”

  Nicole had told Sean who Brian, her ex-fiancé, was and what he’d had her doing—setting up drug dealers and robbing them! Sean understood her reasoning for having him killed, but he wished she’d been up front with him. He wouldn’t be in prison! She looked good but wasn’t worth losing his freedom! When Nicole had offered to help with the lawyer’s fees, he didn’t decline! That was money put back in his brother Ray’s hands.

  “You’re right. That’s why I had to get out of the situation.”

  Nicole still wasn’t aware that Ray was his older brother. He wanted to hold off telling her because of the counterfeit money and her paying his fees.

  “Love yourself f
irst, Nicole! Remember that! I do appreciate you coming back around. A lot of women aren’t real like that.”

  “You’re right! Trust is hard to find. I’m here from now until you cut me loose.” She started laughing, but was serious inside.

  “True that! You have to stop placing your trust in everybody. Put your trust in God!”

  “I like that. I need to start going to church.”

  “Yes, it’s a beautiful thing. My mother would make my siblings and me go every Sunday. At the time, I didn’t find it interesting because I didn’t understand it. Ma kept us praying and I appreciate her now for it. After going through trials and tribulations, God will place obstacles in your life to get your attention. He has mine and I’m building a relationship now.”

  Every day he’d tried to figure out the puzzle, but the pieces weren’t coming together fast enough for him. He was wondering why God had slowed him down and wanted his attention. He wasn’t a perfect man and had a past of his own. Before he went to prison, he’d left Kansas City to better himself, leaving the illegal work he was doing alone. He use to make counterfeit money with Vin, but he knew it wouldn’t last forever. He hadn’t wanted to get in the drug cartel with Ray, so the decision he’d made was to move out of town. He chose New Jersey because it was close to New York and he wanted to pursue his writing. He left behind a relationship that wasn't all the way over with his high-school sweetheart though and unanswered questions that she had for him. He questioned, if he’d been loyal to her, would he be in the situation he was in now?