by T. Styles
When they were done they took in the blood around them and realized this one brutal act bonded them together for life.
Stuffing her flesh into individual black plastic bags that were more manageable, Bradley said, “This looks like one of your mangled body prosthetics.” He raised her foot. “Doesn’t it?”
Race removed the yellow rubber gloves stained with blood off and tossed them on the floor. She stomped across the room and after removing his gloves he approached her. “It’s not funny, Bradley.” She leaned against the wall. “Denim is my friend and contrary to what you believe I love her. This is gonna hurt her feelings.”
“I’m sorry. Too soon to make jokes?”
Silence.
He took a deep breath and dropped the foot in the bag. “I know you didn’t want to be mixed in with this but I’m glad you did because I couldn’t do this without you.” She looked away from him. “Do you hear me? I couldn’t do this without you, Race and you came through for me. There’s not another I could’ve turned to, not even my brothers.”
She shook her head, looked into his eyes and sighed. “I know.”
He walked up to her.“You’re beautiful, Race.” He kissed her lips. “Thank you for this.” He kissed her again. “Thank you.” Their breaths grew heavier as he kissed her neck. “And you smell so good, Race. So sweet…let me…let me feel you.”
“Bradley, we can’t be…” He covered her mouth with his lips before lifting her up. Using the wall as support he removed his dick and eased into her. She wrapped her legs around him and he noticed how soft and warm her pussy was. As if she’d been waiting.
“Why you wet and ready, Race?” He moaned. “Huh…if this scares you so much why you so fucking wet?”
She bit her bottom lip as he pounded into her slowly at first. “I don’t know, Bradley…I don’t know. There’s something about you.”
They continued to make love, Sarah’s body parts leaking behind them.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
BAMBI
Abd called again…reminding me that soon my time was up.
Since Mitch was dead I knew there was nothing to do but wait for the destruction he was going to bring our way while praying to God that it wouldn’t be final. That he wouldn’t take everything from me I loved.
As I lie in bed, my head was swirling because it was hard for me to admit the truth. Kevin was right.
I was a drunk.
Looking at the ceiling I realized my world was coming to an immediate end, not only because of the beef I had on the streets but also the inner turmoil I was experiencing too. I had begun to savor alcohol so much that Kevin had taken to sleeping in the guest room, giving me more time to drink alone.
I’m sure it wasn’t his plan to but it was the case.
I was now an official alcoholic.
Needing to wash my thoughts away I rolled over in the bed, on the sweaty part, grabbed my vodka bottle and turned it upside down, with the spout in my mouth I was quickly disappointed. One drop fell on my tongue, not enough to make me feel better. Things were so bad now that I needed a full bottle just to get through the day and another for the night.
Slowly I pushed over and stood on my feet before wobbling toward the door. The house seemed quiet as usual and that was beginning to be odd. It was as if everyone stayed within their little groups leaving me alone.
Maybe I liked it that way.
But where was Sarah?
Or my friends, Race, Scarlett and Denim?
Deep inside I wanted to see their faces every now and again but the other part of me wanted to be alone. To keep my privacy and drink in peace.
Two more days and Abd’s threat would come to fruition but I don’t think anyone else noticed. Ten days was nearing and he wanted Mitch!
Who was in a watery grave.
What were we going to do?
I was almost to the living room when I saw Believe moving toward me. I hoped she would walk around me because something about her I didn’t like but she didn’t. With a smile on her face she stepped into my pathway.
“Hey, Believe…” I said dryly.
She looked down at the bottle. “Bambi, you don’t look well. Is there anything I can do for you?” She grinned. “Make you some coffee or something to eat? You seem like you could use a lot of help to me.”
I cleared my throat. “Actually I need to relax and take a Tylenol. I’ll be fine in an hour.”
She sniffed the air. “You sure that’s all you need? Because it sounds and smells like you need to push back also. Drinking gives you wrinkles in case no one has told you. I see a few crawling across your forehead as we speak.”
I squinted my eyes. “What you just say to me?”
“You smell like a distillery, Bambi. And you look like you’re running your face in the ground.”
My stare was fixed on her. “You disrespectful ass bitch.” I stepped closer. “You move in my house as if you know me.”
“Don’t be so shocked. You and me both know you been in your room sucking down bottle after bottle.” She pointed at me. “You shouldn’t be so surprised when you hear the truth. Consider it a favor. One woman telling another she’s falling off.”
I felt my body heat up. “You really jumping out there aren’t you? Don’t let my love for Sarge confuse you. You better recognize who you talking to or things can get real bad for your health. And your daughter’s.”
“Wow, you threaten my child?” She giggled. “And I do recognize who I’m talking too. A drunk.”
Sarge…if I didn’t love you she would be dead. I thought to myself.
My eyes widened. I wanted her dead and she’d be gone already but for Sarge being connected to my business. “I want you out my house tonight!”
She laughed. “You and be both know you can’t throw me on the streets.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Besides, what would Sarge say? Since I know how you love him so much.”
“I don’t give a fuck what Sarge would say!” I stepped closer. “Because I want you gone tonight.”
“So you don’t care that my life will be endangered? Mine and my daughter’s?”
“You should’ve thought about that before you tried me.”
“What if I don’t want to leave?”
Suddenly I raised the bottle and brought it down on the side of her face. Now her beauty was no longer so ravishing as a gash entered the flesh of her cheek and spilled out thick globs of blood that rolled into her mouth. “YOU CRAZY ASS WHORE!”
Something told me she wanted me to do that. As if she was looking for a reason to play the victim for Sarge.
“The next thing you gonna feel is a bullet,” I announced. “Now I said get the fuck out of my house.” I paused and moved closer. “Trust me, you don’t want to say anything else. In all of your life you’ve never met a killer like me.”
Holding her face she said, “Give me an hour. I should be gone before then.”
“Make it fifteen minutes. You don’t control shit around here.” I rolled my eyes and walked past her. I walked into Race and Ramirez’s room where I found a half empty bottle of vodka. Normally I had my own stash but it was depleted so I had to borrow theirs. Needing a buzz more than ever I grabbed it and stumbled back toward my room, barely able to stand on my feet. Once inside I flopped on the bed and popped the cap.
“Who the fuck she think I am?” I gulped half of the liquid. “Coming at me like she run my house. She deserved everything she got.”
My thoughts were fleeting when suddenly the phone rang and it was Sarge. I started to ignore it but he was looking for some info on Abd and I needed to be ready to receive his call, even if he was coming at me about her. I just hope his wife didn’t get to him yet. “Sarge…”
“How are you holding up, Bambi? I’m still worrying about you over there.”
I sighed. “I’m okay…”
Silence.
“Sarge, are you there?”
“You been drinking, haven’t you?” he as
ked. “I can hear it in your voice.”
I wiped my hand down my face and rolled my eyes. “Yes. I’ve had a few gulps.”
“I’m not gonna judge you. I love you and I know just like you pulled yourself out of all the other obstacles you’ll do the same for this too.”
“Any word on Abd?”
“None yet. But I’m on it.” He paused. “How is everything else? With Believe and Treasure?”
“Sarge, I gotta hit you back, the baby crying.”
“Bam—”
I ended the call, tossed it on the bed and continued to drink as I remembered all of the things Sarge has done for me. No matter how thick things got on the streets he always had my back. And this is how I repay him? By slicing his wife’s face with a bottle and then throwing her to the wolves?
Sure she had it coming, but I could have her murdered in a freak accident after all of this blew over instead of going at her in my house. That way nobody would know it was me.
Doing that move to that whore’s face was dangerous. Sarge was tied all into our business that Mitch used to run. One word from him and we would be destroyed and crippled.
For now, I had to bring her back.
I made a mistake.
I put the bottle on the dresser, after it was empty of course and grabbed my car keys. An hour had passed and I knew she was gone because one of the guards told me when she left. Still, I had to find her. Against my better judgment I walked out the house and toward my car and immediately one of my soldiers approached, concern written all over his face as he stared at me. “Mrs. Kennedy, would you like us to take you somewhere?”
“I’m fine, Marlo.” I tried to walk around him but he blocked me. “Please get out of my way.”
“Ma’am, you seem like you aren’t well and Kevin instructed me to remind everyone to stay inside. I couldn’t stop Sarge’s family a minute ago but I’m begging you to heed his warming.”
I flipped my hair over my shoulder. “I’m a grown woman! Now if I want to get in my car and leave that’s on me.”
“I still don’t think it’s a good idea.”
I moved closer. “Must I remind you who pays you?”
He looked at me for a second, shook his head and stepped out the way. “No, ma’am.”
“I didn’t think so,” I responded.
Once in my Mercedes I rolled out of the driveway. From the rearview mirror I could see the soldier on the phone and figured he was talking to Kevin. It didn’t matter though. I had to bring Sarge’s family back even if I had to drag them by their sew-in’s.
I was halfway down the street on my block when suddenly my eyes felt as if concrete had been poured onto my lids and I could no longer control my car. Within seconds it swerved to the side of the road and crashed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
RACE
I was sitting on my bed attempting to text my New Friend but he wouldn’t respond. I don’t know why I felt obligated to hit him again, especially after he disrespected me the way he did.
But I texted anyway.
I think part of me felt bad since I let him believe there was hope for us in a relationship when there wasn’t. Who was I to have another relationship when I was married and full of drama. The other reason was that he knew too much. In our brief affair I revealed too many things.
Still, I was getting to a point where I was tired of misleading games. You could say that my emotional plate was full.
I was about to take a warm bath and meet Bradley in the movie theater to talk about Sarah. He was able to get her body away from the compound and dump it in a secret location. He wouldn’t tell me where and I didn’t want to know.
Sadly neither of us felt bad about what we did to her corpse and the weirdest part is that Denim didn’t seem to know she was missing. She must’ve gotten her fucked up also when she was here, to make her not search for the mother she just had to have in our home. The house was so big and she was so caught up with Master that her obsession made her clueless and uninterested in much else.
Nothing mattered but that little boy in her world.
I dropped my robe, turned the hot water off and was about to slide inside the tub when suddenly I heard loud screaming within the house. I picked up my pink velvet robe, slipped it on and rushed toward the scene.
The noise was coming from Scarlett’s room.
“I can’t believe either of you doing this shit!” Bambi yelled, as she leaned against the wall. What looked like dried blood rested on her forehead and she appeared worse than I’d ever seen her before.
When I turned my head to see what she was yelling at I saw Ramirez trying to hop into his blue jeans and Scarlett standing in the corner of the room with a lavender sheet wrapped around her naked body. Both of them were looking at me guiltily as Bambi laid into them.
The secret was out.
They had been caught.
Stupid mothafuckas.
Couldn’t even have an affair right!
I still had a few steps for my plan that Bradley didn’t know about.
“Fuck is wrong with ya’ll?” Bambi continued to yell at them. “What are you both doing? I’m not understanding this shit.”
“I’m sorry, baby,” Ramirez said rushing up to me, ignoring Bambi’s question. “Scarlett doesn’t mean anything to me and it’s not what you think.”
“Please forgive me, Race,” Scarlett said as she remained where she stood. When her right breasts popped out she pushed it back inside and wrapped the sheet tighter around her body. “It was a mistake.”
I was numb.
No anger.
No sadness.
No emotions at all.
I knew they were fucking and what I discovered in this moment was that I didn’t care.
“Race, talk to me,” Ramirez said before grabbing my shoulders and attempting to shake life back into me. Since he was using the same fingers that caressed Scarlett’s body, suddenly I was jolted with anger as I shoved his hand off my arm. He didn’t have the right to touch me. “I don’t care what you do or who you do it with but don’t touch me again. Ever.”
Slowly he drew back his hand. “I want you out tonight, Scarlett,” Bambi said while pointing at her. “Get your shit and bounce.”
“She isn’t going anywhere,” Kevin said entering the room with authority. His jaw twitched as he came to the rescue of his brother. I’m not surprised he took his side but it was obvious he was angry at what he was seeing. It was in the way he was glaring at Ramirez. “She’s family.”
“So you think it’s cool that she fucking Race’s husband in this house?” Bambi continued pointing at her.
“No, I don’t think it’s right that she’s fucking my brother. But she’s still family and with the things we have going on out there we’re not about to throw a family member on the streets.”
“Are you sleeping with her too, Kevin?” Bambi asked.
“Bambi, please don’t say that,” Scarlett cried. “It was a mistake but I would never do that to you.”
I frowned. “Oh, but you can do it to me though?” I asked.
The moment I said those words I felt dumb. There was that hypocritical shit again. I had been with Bradley multiple times and yet I pointed the finger at the white homie who fucked my husband. Still, as far as I was concerned they started it all. But for their relationship I would’ve never gone there with Bradley. Basically our affair was their fault too when you thought about it.
“You know what, I don’t care what she does. Let her stay, let her leave, just as long as she stays the fuck away from me.”
“Baby, you have to believe me when I say it didn’t mean anything,” Ramirez continued to beg as he walked around me in our bedroom like he was a vulture waiting to eat my rotting flesh.
Any other time I would be all ears but now I was indifferent, didn’t care if he said a word to me or not. Because what I know is this, Ramirez hated me for growing up. For not being the little girl he met holding the silicone over a
nigga’s car, dropping it by accident, so that he could kill him and save my life. So he could save the day.
The drug life had made me stronger and I was no longer a bitch in distress. His specialty was soft females who needed his assistance and I did not.
Now that I think about it I’m pretty sure he loved the drama. That’s why he wanted a weaker bitch, me in my younger day. His performance wouldn’t go over on a harder female so queue in Scarlett who just lost her husband and had nothing left.
“I guess I wanted someone to hold, Race and I went to her. But I don’t care about her. She means nothing! At all!”
“It never means anything to you, Ramirez,” I sighed. “That’s the problem. It didn’t mean anything when you were fucking Carey and fell in love and it didn’t mean anything with Scarlett. Maybe if you started giving a fuck you wouldn’t be caught up in so much shit.”
“You know that’s not what I meant!” He yelled.
“But you know what, now things make so much sense.” I pointed at him and winked.
“What you talking about?”
“The way you kept accusing Bradley of being with me. The guilty always tell on themselves when the truth hits them in the face.” I paused. “It’s officially over, Ramirez. You can consider yourself a free agent.”
KEVIN
Ramirez walked into the movie room coolly, trying to act as if his world had not been rocked. Kevin was waiting and told him to meet him within the hour. The moment he entered the space Kevin stole him in the jaw, shaking his facial plate and knocking him to the floor. Ramirez attempted to defend himself by throwing a blow but Kevin blocked it and hit him again.
“Fuck you do that for?” Ramirez said rising to his feet, before flopping in one of the recliners.