R.I.C.O.

by C. J. Hudson

  Turiq had been Darnell’s second in command for a long time, so it stood to reason that he would be next in line to inherit the throne. Sunny was a little worried about how he would feel when he learned that she would be running things.

  “Let me worry about Turiq,” Darnell said, smirking. Little did Sunny know that her father and Turiq had already discussed the matter. They both shared a plan for their grand exit from the game and weren’t going to reveal it until the time was right.

  “Now, whatever you got planned for today, cancel that shit. I’m going to get you started right away learning the drug business, among other things.”

  “What other things?”

  “Well, for starters, I want you to know how to shoot a gun.”

  “Huh? But I already know how to shoot a gun.”

  “No, you just think you do. There’s a huge difference between learning how to shoot a gun correctly and just pull a trigger. Just because you shot a dying man from five feet away doesn’t make you a good shot. In about an hour, Joy is going to take you to the gun range. When you get back, I’m going to give you the rundown on cocaine. It may take some time, but when I’m done showing you the ropes, you’re going to be the female version of me.”

  During Darnell’s talk, Sunny kept thinking about how powerful she felt at the club. It felt great to her to be in charge. For some reason, it felt so natural for her to take control. Darnell noticed the excited look on his daughter’s face, and it made him smile. The plan he’d devised would not only keep money flowing into his pocket but would also ensure that the next generation of his family lineage would be set up for life. Thinking about his future grandkids never having to worry about money pleased him to no end. However, his mood soured as thoughts of Debra entered his mind. He quickly pushed them to the back of his thoughts.

  The bitch was lying then, and that shit hasn’t changed, he thought. The question had haunted Darnell for the last twenty years. What if she were telling the truth? Once again, Darnell pushed the thought from his mind. Since there hadn’t been any evidence to the contrary, he was always going to assume that Debra was lying. Darnell moved on to his next order of business.

  “Now, I want to talk some more about that little nigga being in my house.”

  Sunny opened her mouth to speak, but a raised finger from her father silenced her.

  “Sunny, I know that you’re 20 years old, and it would be naïve of me to think that you’re not having sex. But . . .”

  Darnell looked deep into his daughter’s eyes and pointed his finger at her. He wanted her to know that he was deadly serious.

  “You will not have sex in this house. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, sir,” Sunny said.

  Her father wasn’t fucking around, and she knew it. Sunny knew that she should have let the subject drop right there, but curiosity got the best of her. “So, what did you do to Jamaal?” Darnell stared at his daughter for a few seconds.

  “I didn’t do anything to him. I had Damon have a word with him. You got a problem with that?”

  “No, sir, not at all,” Sunny said, shaking her head. Truth be told, after what Jamaal had tried to pull on Jazmine, Sunny didn’t give a shit what happened to him. She was just nosy.

  “Good. Now, go upstairs and get ready.”

  Darnell waited for Sunny to go upstairs before turning his attention to Joy. “What do you think? Is she ready?” he asked.

  “No, but give her a little time. Judging from what I just heard, she has the perfect mentality to take over someday. All she needs is direction.”

  “Is that right?” Darnell asked, cutting his eyes at Joy. “Turiq said the same thing. Y’all been sharing notes or something? Something you wanna tell me?”

  “Stop playing, boy,” Joy said, mushing him in the head. “You know damn well this pussy only gets wet for you.”

  She got up, walked behind Darnell, and wrapped her arms around his chest. “Can yo’ ass say the same, nigga?” she whispered into his ear.

  “Damn straight,” Darnell said, lying through his teeth. While he wasn’t screwing everything that moved, Darnell had occasionally dipped his wick into another female’s wax.

  “Better not be messing around on me, nigga.” Joy crept over to where the steps began and looked up toward the top. Switching her ass hard, she sashayed back over to where Darnell was sitting.

  “Hey, why don’t you take it out and let me suck it right quick?”

  Darnell looked at his lover like she’d lost her mind. “Are you crazy? My daughter will be down here any second.”

  Joy shrugged her shoulders. “I thought you liked living dangerously.”

  “Not that damn dangerously,” he said. Even though the prospect of getting a blow job did turn him on, that was just going to have to wait until later.

  “Spoilsport,” Joy said as she sat down in the seat next to him.

  Not even three minutes later, Sunny came down the stairs. Darnell looked at Joy as if to say, “See, we would have gotten caught.”

  Sunny looked from her father to Joy and shook her head. “You know what? I don’t even want to know,” she said, holding up her right palm. Although the house was relatively large, it wasn’t uncommon for Sunny to hear Joy and her father screwing. The thought alone nearly caused her to vomit.

  “I’m ready, Joy,” she said.

  “See you later, babe,” Joy said and gave Darnell a goodbye kiss.

  “Bye, Daddy,” Sunny said, hugging her father.

  Darnell watched both ladies leave and smiled. He still couldn’t believe how much Joy resembled Debra. Thinking back on it, that was probably what attracted him to her in the first place. Debra had been a woman that Darnell was sneaking around with when he was dating Sunny’s mother, Trish, and although they knew each other casually, they had no idea that Darnell was screwing them both. Darnell remembered vividly the day he broke it off with Debra. She and Trish were both putting pressure on him to commit to them. Darnell, being the young player he was, wasn’t trying to hear that kind of talk from them. For some reason, however, Trish occupied a place in his heart that Debra didn’t. Still, he wasn’t ready to settle down until Sunny’s mother broke the news to him that he was going to be a father. Not wanting to be a coward about it, Darnell drove over to Debra’s house to tell her face-to-face that it was over.

  When he called to tell her that he was on his way, she didn’t answer her phone, but instead of waiting until he was sure that she was home, he went over there anyway. When he got there, he saw a car in the driveway that he’d never seen before. Everything in his gut told him to get back in his car and leave, but curiosity got the best of him, and he proceeded to enter her place without knocking. He eased up to the edge of the bedroom door and stopped. The door was slightly open, so it allowed him to peek in without being seen. Debra was sitting on the edge of her bed with her head down. Sitting next to her was a dude that Darnell had seen around the neighborhood but didn’t know personally. He was a short cat, about five foot six, with a tan complexion and a scar running down the middle of his chin. His face was triangular-shaped, and he sported a short Afro. Darnell’s blood boiled as he reached over and grabbed Debra’s hand and rubbed it. The smile on his face told the story of someone who’d just gotten some good news.

  Although he had been messing around with Trish, Darnell felt that Debra was his and his alone, and that this guy was intruding on his turf. Darnell had to hold himself back from rushing inside of the bedroom and going upside both of their heads.

  “So, are you sure?” the dude asked Debra. Slowly, she nodded her head. A broader smile appeared on the man’s face. Darnell didn’t know what was going on yet, but he had an idea.

  “How far along are you?” the man asked.

  “Six weeks,” Debra answered.

  Now, Darnell didn’t have to guess. He knew now that Debra was pregnant. It had never occurred to him, though, that she had been messing around on him the same way he was screwing around on he
r. He’d always thought that he had that pussy on lock. Seeing the man sitting next to her smiling obliterated that thought. Debra slowly raised her head and looked the man in the eyes.

  “Sammy, I love you, but there is something I have to tell you.”

  When Darnell heard Debra tell the man that she loved him, he lost it. It would have done him a world of good to listen to the rest of the conversation and find out what Debra had to say, but he just couldn’t help himself. Kicking the door open, he barged into the room with his gun dangling by his side.

  “Nigga, who the fuck is you?” Sammy asked.

  “Oh my God, Darnell,” Deborah shouted before Darnell could answer the man.

  “Now, I see why you wouldn’t answer your phone. You’re too busy in here playing house with this muthafucka.”

  Sammy stood up. He was about to take a step toward Darnell until he looked down and noticed the gun in Darnell’s hand.

  “Muthafucka, I wish you would. Sit yo’ bitch ass down before I lay yo’ ass down.”

  Wisely, Sammy did as he was told. He glared at Darnell hatefully, but he wasn’t stupid enough to act on his feelings. Darnell then cast a disgusted look at Debra.

  “Baby, I was going to tell you.”

  “Tell me what, bitch? That you’ve been fucking this nigga behind my back?”

  “Wait a minute, Darnell. Don’t act like I’m the only one being unfaithful in this relationship. I know for a fact that you—”

  “Bitch, I don’t want to hear that shit,” Darnell said, cutting her off. Even though she was right, the only thing he could see now was her wrongdoing. And he was never going to admit that he had been fucking Trish. Darnell just shook his head as he realized Karma was coming back on him. He’d gotten Trish pregnant while screwing around with both of them. Now, he had to sit here and listen to how Debra had gotten pregnant by another man.

  “So, I guess you about to have this silly muthafucka’s baby, huh? Well, you know what? Fuck you, him, and fuck that little bastard-ass seed growing in your stomach,” he spat spitefully.

  Hearing Darnell talk reckless about his potential unborn child gave Sammy a few pounds of courage. Quickly, he jumped up off the bed and stepped into Darnell’s air space.

  “Nigga, what the fuck did you just say about my baby?”

  A half second after he had spoken the question, Darnell cracked Sammy on the top of the head with the butt of his pistol. Sammy grabbed his head and stumbled back. With Debra screaming, blood spurted onto the bed as Sammy slowly dropped down to the floor.

  “You and this bitch-made nigga have a nice life,” Darnell said as he turned and headed for the door. Even though he’d come to break up with her, seeing her with another man pissed him off.

  “Darnell, wait,” Debra pleaded while grabbing his arm. “I have something to tell––”

  “Bitch, get the fuck off me,” he said, backhanding her to the floor. “I’m going to get the fuck out of here before I kill you and that piece of shit-ass nigga you’ve been fucking.”

  With that, Darnell walked out of her bedroom and out of her life. He hadn’t seen her since.

  * * *

  “You call that li’l bitch?” Damon asked Dani. He was just coming out of the bathroom when Dani and Sunny ended their call.

  “Yeah, I called her,” Dani said frowning. She was sitting on the edge of the bed with her arms folded, thinking. Damon’s plan sounded like a great one when he’d first introduced it to her. She was still in the pissed off stage after leaving Sunny’s party and wanted revenge. Damon convinced Dani that he would be the next king, but to climb that mountain, he was going to need her help. He told her that if she helped him take down Darnell, she would be right by his side when he was king of the hill. But ever since hanging out with Sunny and the other young ladies, Dani was having second thoughts.

  “The fuck you frowning for?”

  “No reason,” she lied.

  “Bitch, stop lying. What the fuck is wrong with you? I know damn well you ain’t about to change yo’ fuckin’ mind.”

  “I’m just saying, Damon, Sunny was pretty cool to me last night and––”

  “Cool to you? You mean the same bitch who dissed you at her party? You better wake the fuck up. That bitch doesn’t give a fuck about you. What? You think y’all girls, now?” Damon said, laughing. He noticed how short Dani’s call to Sunny was, so he used it to plant more seeds of destruction in her head.

  “Damn, yo’ ass wasn’t on the phone long. I guess yo’ new friend had better things to do than to be bothered with yo’ peasant ass. Shiiiit, I don’t know about you, but my friends don’t treat me like that,” Damon said.

  He sat back and watched Dani’s face twist. Her confused expression proved that he could bend her mind to think what he wanted her to think. He eased up to Dani, grabbed her chin, and tilted her head up.

  “You’re a queen, baby. All you need is a king with a throne. Give me a year or two, and I’m gonna be running this whole damn city, and I’m gonna need someone beautiful and intelligent like you to be by my side when I rule. You know what, though? Maybe you ain’t cut out for this shit. I need somebody that’s gonna be down for me, not get all in their feelings for people who don’t give a fuck about them.”

  Damon let his hand fall just before turning around and walking away. Just like that, he had built her up and torn her down. Now, all he had to do was wait for her to break.

  “Make sure that the door is closed on ya’ way out,” he told her.

  “On my way out?”

  “Yeah, on ya’ way out. I just told you that I need someone who I can depend on. I need a bitch who’s down for me. Yo’ loyalty seems to be with someone else.”

  Damon reached into his pocket and pulled out a large knot of money. He counted out $4,000 before stuffing the bills back into his pocket. When he looked up, Dani was damn near drooling while staring at his pocket.

  “You still here?” he asked.

  “You want me to leave for real?” Dani asked, tears in her eyes. She didn’t know until that moment how deep her feelings for Damon ran. She’d been sleeping with him for quite some time now and had developed feelings for him. She thought about all the things he said, and the last thing she wanted was for someone else to be standing in her spot when Damon came up.

  “Dani, I ain’t got time for—”

  “No, baby, please, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to act like I didn’t want to be by your side. What can I do to prove it to you?”

  Damon walked up to her and stared down at her. The desperation in her eyes caused his dick to get hard. Dominating her turned him on.

  “Nah, you ain’t the one for this.” Damon was about to walk away when Dani grabbed his crotch.

  “No, baby, please. Let me prove it to you,” she said as she slowly got down on her knees and unzipped his pants.

  Chapter 19

  “May I help you?” the woman behind the glass asked Larry. Larry opened his mouth to answer, and a lump formed in his throat. Up until he got in his car and drove to the police station, he had no reservations about going to the police academy. In fact, he was looking forward to it. Day after day, Larry went to work at McCord’s Construction and did his job. It ate him up on the inside to know that his boss had fucked his wife, and there was nothing that he could do about it. Larry never revealed to his wife that he knew how she’d gotten his job back for him. He chose to save that nugget for another day. There was no way in the world that he would let his wife get away with sleeping with his boss to save his job. She was going to pay, and she was going to pay dearly. He was going to make sure of it. He had never revealed it to anyone, but Larry had already plotted to kill his wife once he became a cop. He was just never able to get over Theresa sleeping with Darnell.

  Ever since he’d learned about Darnell and his wife, Larry had a hard time performing in bed. On many occasions when they were just about to get intimate, visions of Darnell driving in and out of his wife played in his mind lik
e a video. His confidence took a severe nosedive, wondering if he could measure up to Darnell’s bedroom exploits.

  “Hey, mister, you high or something? I said, may I help you?” the woman asked again, louder this time.

  “Uh, yeah, I’m sorry. I was wondering what I had to do to sign up for the police academy.”

  The woman looked him up and down. “Wait right here, please,” she told Larry after giving him the once-over. When she returned, she was not alone. Following behind her was a large officer with broad shoulders and a potbelly.

  Larry took one look at the man and wanted to laugh. He’d heard that to be a cop, you had to be in excellent physical condition, and from the looks of this guy, the only thing he looked to be good at was drinking beer. What he lacked in build, however, the man more than made up for in sheer size. The man looked big when Larry first saw him. But the closer he got to Larry, his massive frame was even more intimidating. By the time he was standing in front of Larry, he looked downright gargantuan. Larry guessed that he was at least six foot seven.

  “Afternoon,” the man said, sticking out his meaty palm for a handshake. “Gertrude told me that you’re interested in signing up to join the police force.”

  “Yes, sir, I am.”

  The man studied Larry’s face for a few seconds. The way he was gawking at Larry made him nervous.

  “What’s your name, fella?” he asked when he finally spoke.

  “Burns. Lawrence Burns.”

  “Well, Lawrence Burns, are you sure you want to be a cop, because judging from the look on your face, you don’t seem to be sure that you want to be. And this isn’t something that you can be hesitant about.”

  Flashes of Darnell pounding into his wife gave Larry the confidence he needed to push on. He couldn’t wait to roll up on Darnell and give him a bullshit ticket or, better yet, bust him selling dope.

  “Trust me, sir, I’m more than confident.”

  “All right, then,” the man said as he smiled and nodded slowly. Larry looked exactly like the kind of redneck racist that would fit right in with the force. He walked over to the window and asked the woman to pass him the application to apply for the academy.