Worst Case Scenario

by Chenell Parker

  Nas didn’t know what that was all about but he was curious. He waited around for his brother and they sat in the office and talked once he got there. Nas told Remo everything that the other men had said and he too found the situation very strange. It was no coincidence that Carlton’s two brothers got shot and he just up and disappeared. Nas instructed Remo to keep his eyes and ears open and he was going to do the same.

  About an hour later, Nas was pulling up to the address that Richard had given him. Nas had never been in the ducked off area before and he had to check the address to make sure he went the right way.

  “Lake Villa Estates,” Nas said out loud as he read the sign. He came up on a security gate with a booth that looked like a small apartment. Nas was about to call Richard until one of the guards walked up to his car. Nas rolled down his window to see what the other man wanted.

  “Good afternoon Mr. Donaldson. Mr. Hampton is waiting on you. Please follow me,” the man said as he got in a security cart and opened the gate.

  Nas followed behind him until they got all the way to the back of the estates. He stopped in front of a huge three-story white house that looked like a mini castle. Nas was even more confused than he was before. They had three cars parked in the driveway but he didn’t recognize any of them.

  “The fuck?” Nas mumbled as he looked around the beautiful home with the elaborate landscaping. He got out of the car at the guard’s insistence and followed him to the huge double doors. He rang the bell once before Lady opened the door and smiled.

  “Thank you, Douglas. Hello Naseem. Come on in,” Lady said as she gave Nas a hug.

  “Whose house is this?” Nas asked as he looked around in awe.

  The outside didn’t do the place justice and the inside was simply amazing. The floors were marble and they looked too perfect to even walk on. The ceilings were high and looked like they belonged in a cathedral. They had a staircase on both sides of the room that were the same marble print as the floors.

  “As of thirty minutes ago, it’s mine.” Lady smiled. It wasn’t hard to see why so many men were crazy about her. Lady was beautiful and so were her daughters.

  “Damn,” Nas mumbled as he continued to look around.

  “Do you think Toi and Stori will like it?” Lady asked him.

  “Hell yeah. This bitch is nice,” Nas said, not bothering to hide his true colors in front of Lady. He didn’t know it but his realness was what won her over.

  “You’re raw and honest Naseem. That’s one of the things that I like about you. I told Stori from day one that Gavin was a pretender. He put on airs for other people and he wasn’t husband material. A husband is supposed to be the head and I didn’t see that leadership quality in him. I asked her not to marry him but I stood by her decision. I really didn’t expect her to listen to me anyway. As you might have heard, I wasn’t the best mother to her and Toi. Truthfully, I really didn’t know how to be. I was an only child and I was spoiled and selfish. Taking care of somebody else besides myself was something that I never got used to. I love my babies but the only way I knew how to show it was through gifts and money. I want to be a good grandmother though, Naseem. I want to put somebody else first for a change and I’m gonna start with my grandsons,” Lady replied.

  “I understand,” Nas said for lack of anything better to say. He followed Lady into a huge room where two women sat along with her husband.

  “Naseem, I’m glad you could make it,” Richard said as he stood up and shook Nas’ hand.

  Richard was a tall, slender man with specks of gray hair and greenish blue eyes. He looked intimidating to most, but he was always cool every time Nas was in his presence. Richard kept a smile on his face and an expensive cigar in his hand. He looked like the kind of man who would be married to an older white woman and he and Lady didn’t really look compatible. Looks were deceiving though because Richard loved Lady endlessly. You could see it in his eyes whenever he looked at her. Nothing was too good for Lady or her girls.

  “I’ll leave you two to talk. Come on ladies. We can continue our discussion out on the patio,” Lady said as she escorted the two women out of the room.

  “Do you smoke cigars Nas?” Richard asked as he offered him one from a gold case with his initials on the front.

  “Yeah, but not the same kind that you smoke,” Nas smirked. The cigars that he smoked weren’t as expensive and they were always filled with something loud.

  “I know that you’re a busy man Naseem, so I’ll just get right to the point. I was made aware of the incident that happened at the house and I wasn’t too happy about it. I don’t have any biological kids but Toi and Stori are like my babies,” Richard said.

  “Okay,” Nas said, encouraging him to go on.

  “My wife is unhappy and that’s a huge problem for me. Everything I do is to put a smile on her face and that’s been missing lately. She’s worried about the girls and she hasn’t been sleeping too well at night. I need to rectify this issue and I want to help,” Richard replied.

  “Help how?” Nas questioned.

  “I’m a man Naseem and I know how prideful we can be. That’s why I’m willing to leave whatever we discuss just between the two of us. Stori doesn’t have to know about this conversation,” Richard said.

  “What conversation? What are we even discussing? I’m confused.” Nas frowned.

  “I want to buy and decorate you and Stori a house. One of the ladies out back is our interior decorator and she and her team are ready to work. The other is our realtor and she’s ready to show you a few of the available properties on the estates,” Richard said like it was nothing. He spoke like a man who had more money than he’d ever spend. He was speaking of buying them a house as if he were buying them lunch or dinner. It wasn’t a big deal to him but it was huge to Nas.

  “Wait,” Nas said as he held up his hand. “What estates?”

  “These estates. I’m not trying to step on your toes Naseem. Stori told her mother that you were going to buy another house and I just wanted to offer my assistance. I make millions every year from other people’s fuck ups. And believe me, they fuck up a lot. I just want my wife to be happy again. In no way am I trying to offend you,” Richard noted. As crazy as it sounded, that was his first time being a homeowner too. He moved around too much to ever buy a home of his own.

  “Shit, I’m not offended at all. I’m definitely taking you up on your offer but I have to let Stori know what’s up. I can’t make a decision on a house without her,” Nas replied.

  He would be a damn fool to turn down such a gracious offer. Pride was the sign of a foolish man and there was nothing stupid about him. People opened doors but it didn’t make him less than a man to walk through them. He had to put his family first and he was thankful to Richard and Lady for their help.

  “I understand and we can do this however you and Stori want to do it. Lady and I are just here to write the checks. All you and Stori have to do is tell them what you want and they’ll make it happen. Hopefully, we can get everything done before the boys get here,” Richard said.

  “Definitely. I know Stori will be ready. We’ve been staying with my brother and she’s not feeling that too much. What do you and Lady plan to do with the other house?” Nas asked.

  “It’s Stori’s house, so that’s up to her. I can get my realtor on that too if she wants to sell it. With her having a fully functioning salon in the basement, I’m sure it’ll sell in no time,” Richard said.

  “Yeah, she can get on that too because she’s definitely selling it. I was never too fond of her having her business in the same place where she sleeps,” Nas said as he stood to his feet.

  “Is everything okay?” Lady asked when she walked back into the house with the two ladies following behind her. Richard stood up and hugged her as he smiled at her lovingly.

  “Everything is perfect sweetheart. We’re ready to proceed,” he replied, making her visibly relax. Lady wasn’t blaming Nas for what happened but she needed he
r daughters to be safe. She knew all about the lifestyle of a dope boy because she’d dealt with more than a few of them. Although Nas had a job, she knew that he still did his thing on the side.

  “Thank you, baby.” Lady smiled happily.

  “Anything for you my love,” Richard replied as he kissed her cheek.

  “Hi Naseem. I’m Meredith and I’m the realtor who you’ll be working with. Here is my card and I’ll make myself available whenever you’re ready.” The woman smiled as she handed Nas her business card. The interior decorator introduced herself and handed Nas her business card too.

  “I’m so excited. Both of my babies and my grandsons will be living close to me. I hope Stori likes the house next door. That would really make my day,” Lady said as Richard smiled at her. Seeing his wife happy was all that mattered to him. Richard walked Nas outside, as Lady stayed behind and continued to talk.

  “Stay in touch Naseem and let us know if you or the girls need anything,” Richard said as he shook his hand.

  “Will do and thanks for everything. I appreciate it and I know that Stori will too,” Nas replied.

  “It’s my pleasure. And if you can, try to convince her to get the house next door,” Richard replied with a hearty laugh.

  Nas laughed too, even though he knew that the other man was serious. If Lady wanted it, Richard tried to make it happen. Nas got into his car and pulled off. He stopped at the house next door to theirs and it was just as nice. It wasn’t as big but it was big enough. He wasn’t sure how Stori would feel about it and he wasn’t making a decision without her. Nas pulled out his phone to tell her the good news as he drove back to the barber shop.

  C arlton pulled up in front of his house and parked in his driveway. The last two weeks had been hectic and he was happy that it was over. He had just gone with his mother to put his two little brothers on a plane to Kentucky. Their father lived there and he insisted that they come to live with him for a while. They were getting into too much trouble in New Orleans and they needed a change of scenery. The last straw for him and everyone else was learning that they had both been shot. One of them was worse off than the other and he had to undergo two surgeries to remove the bullet from his back. Carlton just assumed that they had gotten into their usual bullshit again until his little cousin told him what happened. Apparently, his two dumb ass brothers and cousin listened to Gavin and Corey and tried to rob Nas and his girl. Corey put together the entire plan and they were too stupid to see it for what it really was. They never even stopped to ask themselves why he didn’t go with them if the plan was so solid. He sent them on a dummy mission and they failed miserably. Corey was known to hang with younger men because they were so much easier to manipulate.

  As a result of their carelessness, Carlton had to quit his job at the barber shop and resort to making house calls to his customers. He was trying to find another shop to work in but he had been too busy dealing with his brothers to really focus. Thankfully, the streets weren’t talking, so that was a good sign. All three of them wore masks and, hopefully, no one knew that they were behind it. Carlton had heard stories about Nas and his twin brother and he didn’t need that kind of trouble. He didn’t even give notice before he left the shop but he was sure that Nas didn’t care. His booth rental was paid up, so he didn’t owe him anything.

  After finishing off the last of his blunt, Carlton got out of his car and headed inside. He saw the lamp on in the front room and his wife was sitting on the sofa when he opened the door. Their kids were with her mother and she was usually in the bed at that hour. When Carlton looked at the tears falling from her eyes, he knew right then that something wasn’t right.

  “What’s wrong Drina?” he asked while looking at his wife. She didn’t reply but he got his answer when the barrel of a gun was placed to the back of his head.

  “Have a seat my man,” Nas said as he pushed Carlton towards the sofa. Remo emerged from the darkness of the kitchen and stood right next to his brother. Drina was shaking and Carlton grabbed her hand to calm her down.

  They caught Drina taking trash out of the house and they forced her back inside at gunpoint. She was scared and she told them exactly where Carlton was and what he was doing. Nas wasn’t surprised to know that the lil niggas who shot him went out of town. Running was what most cowards did.

  “Let’s talk fam. And please, don’t lie to me because I’m really not in the mood to play games,” Nas said as he looked at him sternly.

  “Man Nas, I swear, I didn’t have shit to do with what happened to you,” Carlton nervously denied.

  “Maybe not but you know who did it. You showed your guilt when you up and left the shop with no word or explanation. That was a coward’s move if I’ve ever saw one,” Nas replied.

  “I just didn’t want to be implicated in some shit that I didn’t have nothing to do with. I’ve never had any problems with you, Nas, and you know that,” Carlton said.

  “And you won’t have any problems with me now if you tell me what I want to know. I already know that it was your little cousin and brothers who came in on me and my girl but them lil niggas are irrelevant to me right now. They don’t know me but somebody else obviously does,” Nas argued.

  He had been asking around about Carlton and his family and he learned a few things. Carlton’s brothers were lames who tried to sell weed just to get shoe money. They were dumb criminals and that was proven by the way they came into the house. Their moves were uncoordinated and they had no strategy. They were kids playing grown man games and they were going to lose their lives behind it. Nas really didn’t want them though. He wanted whoever it was who put them up to it. The puppet was nothing without the puppet master.

  “They’re gone bruh. You won’t have to worry about them ever again. They didn’t have no beef with you, Nas. You just said yourself that they don’t even know you,” Carlton said. His little cousin was in Dallas by his aunt, so he was out of the picture too.

  Remo was done listening to the bullshit that he was spitting. He cocked his gun and put it to Carlton’s wife’s head. They needed to know just how serious he was about his brother. He wouldn’t hesitate to paint the walls with her thoughts if her husband didn’t come clean soon.

  “No! Please!” Drina cried.

  “Come on man. She don’t have nothing to do with this shit,” Carlton pleaded.

  “Last chance nigga. I would hate to take a mother away from her kids but shit happens. My brother is not as nice as I am, so you might want to start talking,” Nas sighed.

  “It was Gavin man. He was mad at you and Stori and he set that shit up,” Carlton snitched.

  He would never give up his cousin but Gavin was on his own. Although Corey put him in a fucked up position, he was still family.

  “What else do you know?” Nas questioned.

  “That’s it man, I swear,” Carlton answered.

  “That’s bullshit. I used to see you and that nigga Gavin talking all the time. For all I know, you could be in on it too,” Nas snapped.

  “I haven’t seen or talked to Gavin since he left the shop. I didn’t even know that my little brothers knew him,” Carlton swore.

  “Just kill the nigga and his bitch so we can go. He’s obviously trying to protect somebody,” Remo barked angrily as Drina cried hysterically.

  “All I know is that Gavin works in Irvin’s barber shop now. My lil brothers hang around that way selling weed. That’s probably how they met Gavin,” Carlton lied, trying hard to spare his cousin’s life.

  “Make no mistake about it, if I find out that you’re lying to me, you’ll be seeing me again. And don’t think your brothers will be safe out there in Kentucky either. Even your kids who are spending the night in Harvey by your mother-in-law can get it,” Nas warned, as Carlton’s eyes grew wide with fear. He started shaking just as much as his wife was when Nas mentioned that.

  “And the nigga is cheating on you, baby girl. He was at the hotel with some strong face, drag queen looking bitch a
few days ago,” Remo said, as Carlton looked at him in shock.

  Those niggas were like the modern day Sherlock Holmes. They knew shit that other people wouldn’t normally care about. Carlton hadn’t cheated on his wife in years but the temptation was too great. His wife swore that she would divorce him if he cheated again and that scared him straight for a while. The fact that he’d started dealing with the mother of one of his young customers a month ago wasn’t public knowledge. They were very discreet and careful. How the twins knew was a serious mystery to him.

  “You’re confused, huh? You’re torn between calling the police on us and beating the dog shit out of your husband for cheating on you. I can see it all in your eyes. Trust me, fucking him up is a wiser decision than calling the police on us. You won’t lose your life that way,” Nas smirked as he looked at Drina before he and Remo made their way out of the house. They heard the roaring of motorbikes a minute or so later and Carlton jumped up to lock the door.

  “I’m sorry about what just happened baby but you know we can’t get the police involved. We’ll be dead before they even get behind bars,” Carlton said.

  “I’m staying the night at my sister’s house,” Drina said as she rushed down the hall to their bedroom.

  “You don’t have to do that baby. I’ll get us a room for the night,” Carlton offered.

  “I don’t want to be anywhere around you right now,” Drina snapped angrily.

  “What! I know you don’t believe that shit that them niggas just said,” Carlton fussed.

  “It’s crazy, right? Them niggas had a gun to my head and threatened my life. But yeah, I believed every word they said. They have nothing to lose Carlton. What would they gain by telling me that you’re cheating? You’re a fucking liar and you lied to them too. I know you’re trying to protect Corey, but it’s fucked up that you would risk our lives to do it. I can bet my last dollar that his shady ass wouldn’t have done it for you,” Drina fumed as she packed her a bag.