by Shan
I shook my head, as I pulled off my shirt and went into the bathroom to shower. Locking the door behind me, I walked over, pulled the glass door open to the shower, and turned the knob to hot. After taking a couple of minutes to calm down, I realized that Cuba’s ass still hadn’t text me back yet. I pulled out my cell phone to FaceTime, and it rung repeatedly until it finally said that she was unavailable. I gritted my teeth before I went to shoot her ass another text message.
Me: So you ain’t gonna say shit? No apology or nothing for that disrespectful shit you was on.
Cuba: I was trying not to argue with you but since you want a response, I will give you one. Fuck you and your baby mama. You got me fucked up if you think I’m gonna be in a one-sided ass relationship. You wouldn’t like it if I brought my ex in the house nigga, so don’t expect me to like this shit just because you and her share a child together. If she more important, then you take care of the broad and leave me the fuck alone!
Me: Answer the phone!
I tried hitting Cuba’s line again, but she sent my ass straight to voicemail. I couldn’t do shit but chuckle out of frustration, and when I called her again, and she still didn’t answer, I sent her another text message.
Me: Answer the phone and stop playing with me!
Send.
Cuba: Call Briana and tell that hoe to answer. You gonna stop playing with me.
“Bitch!” I yelled, as I slammed the phone against the counter and caused the screen to crack. I sucked my teeth and pulled my pants down to hop in the shower.
“Are you okay?” Selena asked, and I turned around to face her. Her eyes went to my dick, and I ain’t even try to hide it from her. Cuba had me so muthafuckin’ mad right now. She took the fact that I actually chased her ass to her advantage, and that shit had me feeling like she ain’t appreciate a nigga. Looking at Selena, and the fact that I knew that she wanted me had me seriously considering giving her ass what she wanted, even if was just for tonight.
Chapter 6
Cuba
“Oh, my God, he makes me so mad,” I sighed, as I tossed my phone to the side and ran my hands across my face. I pulled Skylarr off of me and climbed out of bed thinking about everything that was going on. I knew that it wasn’t a good time to bring up Briana to Khi being he had enough going on, but I couldn’t get the way she had disrespected me out of my head. That bitch had tried me so muthafuckin’ hard today, and Khi was gonna either do something about it or lose me.
I had too much to lose to let this bitch come through and try to fuck up my freedom all because she wanted what I had. That hoe didn’t even care enough to take her kid with her when Cassidy dropped her off, and the bitch only tried to play the mommy role whenever the right person was watching.
I didn’t mind Skylarr being with me one bit, but to me, it only proved that this Briana chick was up to some shit. I didn’t have any idea why Khi was so blind to her antics when everyone else could see the shit as clear as day, but fuck it, I wasn’t the one that was going to worry myself about it. I guess Briana was just going to be another lesson that Khi had to learn the hard way.
I paced the floor of the bedroom and shook my head just as there was a knock at the door. I looked up to see Tangie with her eyes all puffy and red from crying. I was shocked as hell to see that she had been in a relationship with Khi’s brother Cassidy, especially since neither of them had mentioned it. I had always assumed that she had been with Camp’s ol’ perverted ass since his name was the only one that she had ever brought up when I got locked up.
“What’s up, cuz?” I said, as I stopped pacing and stared at her.
“I just wanted to say sorry for yelling at you earlier. I was just so shocked to see that nigga standing at my door that I just reacted without thinking,” Tangie said, and I nodded.
“It’s cool. You don’t have to apologize to me. I apologize for bringing him here, but I didn’t know that you two had history. Why you never mentioned him?”
Tangie sighed and stepped further into the bedroom. She leaned against the dresser and crossed her arms over her chest. She looked towards the ceiling as her lips trembled. I could see that she was struggling with whatever thoughts that rumbled through her mind. All I could see was pain in her eyes and in her demeanor, and I hoped that Tangie knew that she could talk to me. It was too many times where I had cried to her about Rue when I was locked up, and now that I was home and free, and dealing with Khi, I cried to her about him too.
It was just now that I had realized that Tangie had never really opened up to me about anything unless it was everything that was going good for her. Shit, she didn’t even say much about Camp and how she felt about him after all the shit he had done. She had only laughed it off and acted like it didn’t even faze her. This was the first time that I seen my cousin in some real damn tears over a man, so I know that this shit had to be deep.
“You know that you can talk to me, right? As many times as I talked to you and you listened, I’m here to do the same for you.”
“Oh God. I met Cassidy when I was sixteen and a junior in high school. He and Khi came into my job to get something to eat. I worked an after school job at Burger King just so I could afford to be able to buy all my hair supplies I needed to do everyone’s head and to save up for my dream shop. I gave him my number, and from there we would talk on the phone all the damn time. Believe it or not, I was still a damn virgin at the time, and after two months of dating Cass, he got me to give myself to him. I was head over heels in love with him. I was young, and he was a little bit older and just so different than the boys I was used to at school.
Even though we couldn't be really out in the open as a couple because of my age, Cass never made me feel like anything other than loved. He showered me with so much love that I didn’t know how to take it times. Things were good. I didn’t like what he and brothers did, but I never had to worry, because he never brought any heat my way.
For the few years we were together, I was happy, and I had never heard anything about no other women, or nothing like that. All of a sudden, one night, Cass was pulled out of the car after we just finished eating at Razoos. He’s roughed up, and they come at him about having dope and shit in the car, which I know had to be planted there because he’s never been stupid to have no work on him, and definitely, not while I’m with him.
They take him, he’s charged, and it seems like all his secrets started to come out. Bitches from all over Texas was claiming they had something going on with him. Half of that shit I didn’t want to believe, but some of it neither one of us could deny. A few days before his sentencing, some chick came to the house we shared together talking about she was pregnant with his kid. I told Cass that was it, I could no longer do it. Next thing you know, I woke up one night covered in blood and burning up with a fever. I went to the hospital and was told that I had to give birth to a baby that I didn’t even know I was pregnant.
Apparently, he had died a week or so before, and all the bleeding I was doing prior, I thought was my cycle. I didn’t even tell Cass about it, but I’m sure Khi did. After that, I was done with him. I met Camp a few months later, and I’m sure I only jumped into a relationship with him to get over everything that Cass did to me. Just seeing Cass in front of me suddenly brought back tons of memories of hurt and pain. I flipped out.”
I walked over to Tangie and wrapped my arms around her as she cried. She was a strong ass woman, because I had no idea that she had gone through any of this. Ain’t nothing like being in love with a man only to find out that, the same love he was giving you, he was out giving to someone else. Making promises to you that he was also making to someone else. I knew for a person like Tangie, she was good to everyone that she came into contact with, so she definitely didn’t deserve to be mistreated in form. I hated seeing my cuz like that, but it also made me see that the love that she had for that man was still there.
I mean, I didn’t know Cassidy like she knew Cassidy, and this was only my first day ev
en coming into contact with this man, but maybe he had changed. One thing I did know was that prison had a way of changing people, either for the greater good, or bad. It had definitely changed me and my entire of way of thinking. I could and would never look at shit the same way. I could never let another nigga play me either. That’s why I had very low tolerance when it came to Khi and his bullshit. Rue was the last nigga that I would ever let fuck me over. If Khi wanted me, then he had better get his act right, cause one thing for sure was that I didn’t need a nigga. I was content being alone and doing me.
“I had no idea you went through all that girl. Where the hell have you been hiding those feelings?”
“At the hospital years ago, when I lost my child. I didn’t even know all that shit still bothered me until I saw his fine ass,” Tangie sniffled, and then, chuckled nervously. She wiped her face and looked at me.
“I can see that you still love him too.”
“No, I don’t,” Tangie said, as her eyes bucked like she was surprised about something.
“Girl, please. You still love that man. I guess that’s why you ain’t care that Camp was a hoe ass nigga. You knew the man that what you really wanted was on his way home, and that he was going to come looking for you.”
“Ain’t no way in hell I’m going to be with a nigga that did me the way Cass did me, Cuba.”
“Right, because the mistakes he made was so bad that you rather not forgive him and stay in loveless and lonely ass relationships because of your pride.”
“Would you forgive Khi if he cheated on you? You ready to walk out on his ass now for bringing Briana’s junky ass around, and you know he doesn’t care about that girl.”
“It’s not about whether or not he cares about her. It’s about the fact that she cares about him, and she seems to be up to something. It’s about the fact that he thinks that, because he’s a man, he can do what he wants, and I’m supposed to be okay with that. If I brought Rue into a place that Khi and I spent time together, he would kill us both. And besides, that bitch got real fuckin’ smart with me earlier like I wouldn’t handle her. She’s trying me, and I know that it’s only so much I can take before I snap. So since he wants to save her, then he can, and I will sit my ass over here until she’s saved.”
“Right, because it’s better to just walk away and give a bitch your man, because she wants him. Never mind the fact that he cares for you and adores you and cares nothing for her. See, your problem is that you use jail and how you don’t want to go back to run from love. You’re afraid that Khi is going to do you how Rue did you.”
“Chmmp, whatever…how the hell did we end up arguing about this shit anyway? Can you keep an eye on them? I’m going out for a walk,” I asked, with a roll of my eyes.
“Maybe you shouldn’t. Didn’t you say that someone was shooting at Khi today?”
I shrugged my shoulders, grabbed my cell phone, and bumped past Tangie as I left out of the room. My biggest fear was getting hurt again and allowing for someone to make me feel like Rue had. Not only that, I feared that Khi could do me the same way that Rue had done. Shit, I knew it wasn’t good to live in the past and treat the next relationship the same as the last, but I had to be cautious when it came to me and my heart, and my muthafuckin’ freedom. Every time I even thought about breaking down and letting the shit just flow, something happened and made me have second thoughts.
Once I got outside, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a half-smoked blunt that I had stolen from Khi’s house. Pregnant or not, I needed something to calm my damn nerves. I figured the weed would be better than those damn cancer sticks, and truthfully, the cannabis cured a bitch’s nausea, so it was starting to seem like I needed the hay to function.
“Aye, Cuba!” I heard someone call out. I snapped my head around to see Rue’s ass hopping out his car and coming in my direction. I took a pull off the weed and frowned the closer he got to me. His ass was sweating and shit, and it wasn’t that damn hot out here.
“Fuck are you doing over here?” I asked him.
“Look, where is BJ? I went by your mom’s to pick him up, and she told me that Khi kidnapped him,” Rue said, and I backed away from him. I didn’t like this nigga’s tone. I threw the blunt down and discreetly unlocked my phone in case this nigga decided he wanted to get out of pocket with me.
“Khi ain’t kidnapped no damn body, and I don’t know where BJ is,” I lied.
“You know where the fuck he at, Cuba. That’s my muthafuckin’ son. Call your mans, and tell him to bring him back before I put twelve in his life.”
“Before you put twelve in his life? With your snitchin’ ass. You call him your damn self, nigga. I told you I don’t know where BJ is. And if Khi kidnapped BJ, then why didn’t my mama already put twelve in his life?”
“Because I told her I would handle it. Where the fuck is he?” Rue yelled, and I backed away again. “That's my muthafuckin son, Cuba! You think I'm gonna let you and Khi take my son from me?”
“No, he’s Daelan’s son, and the paternity test proves that,” I told him and watched as his eyes bucked with shock. I didn't even know how to take this nigga. He was standing here suddenly claiming a child that in the beginning he said wasn’t his. All this made me wonder if he really did sleep with Alaska.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Rue said and grabbed my arm. I tried to get away from him, but he held the grip around my arm tighter and pulled me into him. “What the fuck you mean he’s Daelan’s son?”
“Just what I said, Rue. Let me go! Let me go now before I start screaming rape muthafucka,” I screamed and pushed him with my free arm. He let me go, and that was when I stepped back and looked at him. The pain in his eyes was so evident. I shook my head and continued to back away until I was in front of Tangie’s place. I ran up the stairs, and once I made it up to the top, I looked over my shoulder to see Rue in his car, speeding out of the lot. When I opened the door to the apartment, my phone vibrated in my hand with a text from Rue.
Rue: Khi gonna give me back my son. Mark my muthafuckin’ words bitch. You know I don’t play nice when I feel like I’ve been fucked over. I got your ass locked up so what you think I’ll do to that nigga. Keep fucking with me. That’s my son!
Chapter 7
Dae
3 days later…
“I can’t believe them muthafuckas denied me bail,” I bitched the moment I sat at the table with KaeDee and Cassidy. I gritted down on my teeth and sat back in the chair with arms folded across my chest. “Khi wrong as a muthafucka for this shit. Bitch ass, pussy whipped ass nigga.”
“What the fuck makes you think Khi did this shit, and you don’t think you wrong for the shit you out here doing?” Cass said, and I looked at him and frowned.
“Fuck you mean what makes me think he did it? I’m in this bitch on murder charges for his bitch’s sister. Some shit that happened years ago. Twelve ain’t been on my head about this shit until this hoe came into the picture.”
“From my understanding, his bitch’s sister was a hoe you used to fuck with. The little boy that Khi has now is your son,” Cassidy said, and I sat up in my seat and eyed him.
“He has my son?” I asked and looked from KaeDee to Cassidy.
“Yea, that’s what he told Cassidy,” KaeDee answered, and I sat back again. I didn’t understand that nigga Khi. His hoe ass had me locked up behind some pussy, but goes and gets my muthafuckin’ son? Backwards ass nigga. What the fuck makes him think I wanted him raising something that belonged to me? That nigga was a coward, but the sad part about it, I wasn’t even mad with him. He did this shit because he honored that hoe more than me, and because he was too much of a weak ass nigga to stand against Tamar. Wanted to call himself a boss, but allowed another nigga to dictate the way he walked in these streets. Shit, fuck that nigga Tamar. The foundation and the bond me and my brothers had was solid. We could take over Dallas and have niggas hailing at our feet, but see, Khi wasn’t a real leader. That coalition shit
Tamar had going was cool, but why settle for less when, without doubt, we could do better.
Khi was a smart ass dude, and I would never take that from him. He looked at things a lot differently than I did. He wanted to own the streets and be out of them at the same time, and I wanted to own them and cause muthafuckin’ hell. It was the way shit was done back in the old days, but whatever, fuck the game. He could have that shit.
Khi loved and looked out for me more than anybody else, which was another reason I couldn’t be mad at bruh. Shit, I was for sure that I had let him down, but I never expected him to react like this. This here was bound to break me down. I guess he knew what he was doing when he made that call.
“Any more news about Deonna? They still saying that she committed suicide?” I asked, trying to change the subject about Khi. The fact that that nigga wasn’t even here was really fucking with me. At least he could’ve showed up and acted like he ain’t snitch on me.
“So far. Waiting on the coroner’s report, but they haven’t given me any reason to believe that she didn’t commit suicide.”
“What do they need to give you reason for? She wouldn’t commit no suicide. I mean, I ain’t like that bitch for how she did you bruh, but I think that hoe ass nigga whose dick she was sucking did this shit.”
“He’s dead. Khi and Tramell went out to Miami and handled him and his people after he barged into my office that afternoon,” KaeDee whispered, and then, looked around the visiting room.