R.I.C.O.

by C. J. Hudson

  “Hey, baby, how you doing today?” she asked.

  “I’m okay, Ma. Open the door. I got something for you.”

  Debra sighed and shook her head.

  Her son treated her well, and she appreciated it. She got up and went over to the door. Unlocking it with a smile, she pulled it open, wondering what surprise he had in store for her this time. Last week, he surprised her with a big-screen television. The week before that, he gave her $2,000 and told her to go shopping. Debra didn’t have to ask her son how he was able to give her money like that. She wasn’t a fool and knew that the only way her son could afford to do the things he could do was by selling drugs. Since he was now a grown man, there wasn’t much that she could say to him. His temper had never allowed him to keep a job, so all she could do was pray that he didn’t become a victim of the streets or the crooked-ass Cleveland Police Department.

  When Debra opened the door, she nearly fainted. Parked in front of her house was a large truck. On the side of it was the name Reynold’s furniture company. She looked at her son, who just stood there smiling.

  “What’s this?” she asked.

  “What does it look like? It’s your new furniture.”

  Tears welled up in Debra’s eyes. All she could do was walk up to her son and throw her arms around him. She hugged her son for what seemed like half an hour. When she finally did let go of him, she grabbed his hand and tried to pull him into the house.

  “Hold up a second, Ma.”

  Debra’s son ran out to the truck and gave the workers instructions. His mother watched as he peeled off a few bills and handed them to a man standing behind the truck. Tears ran down her eyes. She could no longer stand it. The things her son was doing for her only added to the guilty feeling that simmered in her soul. While the workers were exchanging the old furniture for the new, Debra grabbed her son’s hand and led him down the stairs into the basement. The small basement only had a table and two chairs in it, but Debra’s son had already promised her that he would furnish it in the future.

  “Have a seat, son. I have something to tell you.”

  Debra’s son looked at his mother and saw a sadness in her eyes that he’d never seen before. It worried him. His mind immediately led him to the wrong conclusion.

  “What’s wrong, Ma? Did that punk-ass nigga Yancy do something to you?”

  “No, and watch your mouth, Sammy!”

  “Sorry.”

  Sammy knew that his mother meant business when she called him by his government name.

  “What’s up?” he asked.

  Debra stared at her son for a long while before getting up and walking over to him. She kissed him on the cheek and told him that she would be right back before rushing up the stairs. Sammy sat there, confused. Something was going on, and his gut, combined with her sudden attitude, was telling him that it wasn’t something good. The wait for her to come back seemed like an eternity. Just when he was about to go upstairs to see what was taking her so long, Debra reemerged with a photograph in her hands. She sat down in front of her son and smiled weakly. Her hands trembled as she handed the picture to him. It was an old picture, and Sammy’s face twisted as he stared at it. He looked back up at his mother and shrugged his shoulders as he looked at the photo again.

  “This picture supposed to mean something to me? Who the hell is this nigga?”

  Debra took a deep breath. The moment of truth had finally arrived. It was time for her to shit or get off the pot. She said a silent prayer that her son wouldn’t hate her for not telling him the truth from the beginning.

  “That’s your father.”

  Slowly, Sammy lifted his head and stared at his mother. His eyes narrowed into slits as he shook his head.

  “My father is dead. I don’t know who the fuck this nigga is.”

  “No, your father isn’t dead. He’s very much alive.”

  “Wait a minute,” Sammy said, rubbing his head. “You mean to tell me that the man who I thought was my father wasn’t? And now you wanna tell me that this nigga here is?” Sammy said, raising his voice.

  “Lower your voice and watch your damn tone. I’m still your mother.”

  “Everything good down there?” one of the workers asked, hearing the commotion. Sammy’s eyes turned cold as his head snapped around and looked at the stairs.

  “Nigga, mind yo’ muthafuckin’ business and do what the fuck I’m paying y’all to do,” he yelled. His eyes watered slightly as he turned his attention back to his mother.

  “Ma, why didn’t you tell me that the man who raised me wasn’t my father?”

  “I wanted to, baby. I swear to God, I did. It just never seemed to be the right time.”

  Sammy shook his head. He couldn’t believe that the only person alive in the world he loved other than himself had deceived him so badly.

  “Foul, Ma. This shit is just foul!”

  Debra opened her mouth, but she honestly didn’t know what to say. Her son had a right to be upset, and she knew it. After a brief silence, a sudden thought occurred to Sammy.

  “Ma, don’t tell me that you let that man die, thinking that he was my biological father.”

  All Debra could do was hang her head in shame. “I meant to tell him, baby, I really did, but the day I was going to tell him was the day he died. That guilt has haunted me every day of my life since then. That’s why I’m choosing to tell you the truth now. This guilt is unbearable,” Debra said, her tears now falling freely.

  Sammy wanted to hate his mother. He wanted to despise her for obviously depriving him of a relationship with his birth father. But looking at her break down, he couldn’t do it. Sammy was pissed, but seeing his mother’s tearful face only made him feel sorry for her.

  “Wait a fuckin’ minute,” he said, realizing something else. “You mean to tell me that some nigga out there in the city knew that he had a son and never even tried to get in contact wit’ a nigga?”

  “He didn’t know he had a son, baby. When I was pregnant with you—”

  Debra stopped abruptly. It suddenly occurred to her that if she told her son the whole story, she would look like a slut.

  “Look, I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you all of this years ago. But just know that this is not your father’s fault. We were broken up at the time,” she lied.

  “So, in a way, he was also lied to, huh?” Sammy asked, making his mother feel even worse. The workers called downstairs to inform Sammy that they were done. After paying them the rest of the money, Sammy kissed his mother on the cheek, gave her a little pocket change, and headed out the door. He needed time to process what his mother had just told him. Stuffing the photograph into his back pocket, Sammy hopped in his vehicle and sped away.

  Chapter 22

  Dani grabbed her car keys and headed for the door. Her lower regions were sore, but in her mind, it was worth it. The $1,000 that Damon gave her more than made up for the beat-up pussy he’d inflicted on her. She thought that he was done fucking her for the rest of the day, but he left for an hour and returned in a foul mood. It didn’t take long for him to take it out on her coochie. Dani’s pussy was on fire. Damon had really done a job on her. Usually, she enjoyed a good fucking, but what Damon put on her should have netted her much more than what he’d given her.

  “Hey! Ain’t you forgettin’ something?” Damon asked just before she walked out the door. He was standing in the hallway leading to his living room in his birthday suit. “Get yo’ ass over here and let daddy know what you thought about that good-ass fuckin’ I gave you earlier.”

  Dani gingerly made her way over to Damon. Kneeling in front of him, she kissed the head of his dick. She could tell that he was getting aroused, so as sore as her sex box was, she quickly made her way to the door and left. When she got to her car, she carefully got in and exhaled. As she started her car, she heard her stomach rumble. She hadn’t eaten anything since gobbling down the wings at the club the previous night. She was just getting ready to pull off when Damon
came running out of the house.

  “Hey, hold up a second,” he yelled.

  “The fuck this nigga want now?” she asked herself. Thinking that he was going to be on some bullshit, she instantly caught an attitude. Much to her surprise, though, he gave her another $500.

  “Here ya go, baby. I know I put a hurtin’ on that pussy this morning, and you took it like the down-ass bitch that you are, so I figured I should hit you off with a little more bread.”

  Dani’s attitude disappeared as quickly as it had come. A smile grew on her face. “Thanks, babe,” she said.

  “You’re welcome. Now, I’m not gonna be here for the next couple of days. I got some business to handle out of town,” he lied. “Just remember the mission.”

  Dani nodded and pulled off. She wasn’t a fool, so she knew that Damon would probably have some other bitch in his place the next couple of days. As long as she was his main bitch and he kept other bitches out of her face, she could deal with it, especially now that she knew that she played a part in his master plan to become the next king. Dani couldn’t help but fantasize about how it would be when she was standing side by side with the biggest drug dealer in the city. She would be able to shop at the most expensive clothing stores and eat at the best restaurants. The best perk of all, though, would be that she wouldn’t have to bow down to bitches like Sunny. She despised those types of hoes. But after going out with her and the rest of their crew, Dani was starting to warm up to Sunny and thought about changing her mind. But Damon quickly mind fucked her and convinced her that she could be so much more than a mere part of a crew if she stuck with him.

  “Why be a part of a crew when you can be the leader of the crew?” he’d told her.

  In her mind, it made perfect sense. Unfortunately for her, however, Dani was far too trusting of a man without morals. Her stomach growled a second time as she made her way back to her place. She thought about how good the food from Asian Chow was when she’d had it a few nights ago and decided that’s what she wanted. It went through her mind to call Jazmine and see if she wanted to meet up but decided not to.

  She’s probably sniffin’ up Sunny’s ass, she thought. Dani made a right at the light and pulled into the parking lot. Since it was a Saturday, the lot was filled. It took her two trips around the parking lot to find a space. Her stomach growled for a third time, causing her to race into the building and make a beeline toward Asian Chow. After ordering, she waited for what seemed like forever for her food to get prepared. When it was, Dani wasted no time sitting at a table and tearing into it. She ate like she was starving. Other patrons looked at her like she was a savage, but Dani didn’t give a damn. For all she cared, they could go fuck themselves.

  After finishing her meal, Dani decided that she needed a few new items for her wardrobe. An hour later, she was walking out, carrying two large bags from Saks Fifth. She was smiling from ear to ear . . . until she heard a familiar voice.

  “Since when they let basic bitches in Saks?”

  Dani’s head turned to the left, but she didn’t see anybody. When she turned it back to the right, she saw someone who made her blood boil. Standing there smirking was a woman who went by the name of Janine. Posted up next to her was her flunky, Rita. Janine was once Damon’s main bitch, but since Dani slid into her spot, she was now relegated as a last resort for Damon when he wanted to fuck and couldn’t get in touch with Dani. Janine hated being reduced to the role of side bitch and blamed Dani for her demotion. Dani smiled. It was the first time she’d seen Janine in nearly six months, but the bitterness between the two of them was still there. She looked at the bags in Janine’s hand and laughed.

  “The fuck is so funny, bitch?” Janine asked with an attitude.

  “Yeah, what the fuck are you laughing at?” Rita cosigned.

  “What’s funny is that yo’ ass got the nerve to call me a basic bitch, but you carrying around bags from Target,” Dani said, laughing harder.

  Janine looked at her bags and frowned. She was trying to belittle Dani with her statement but ended up getting trolled herself.

  “I see you got jokes, bitch. Maybe me and my girl should come over there and beat the funny outta yo’ ass,” Janine said, balling up her fists.

  Dani looked at the two of them and started to reach into her back pocket for her box cutter. She silently cursed herself when she realized that she’d left it in her car, and there was no way in hell that she was going to be able to get to it before the two women got to her. Even though she knew that she had no wins in the situation, Dani wasn’t about to go down without a fight.

  “Whateva you hoes wanna do, I’m game,” she said, setting her bags down on the ground. Janine and Rita looked at each other and smiled deviously. The last time Janine had seen Dani, Jazmine was with her, so it was an even confrontation. But now that the odds were in her favor, she was more than willing to get it popping.

  “Let’s teach this bitch a lesson,” she told Rita, as the two of them advanced on Dani.

  Dani stood in a fighter’s stance and got ready for battle. Chances were that she was about to get her ass handed to her, but she wasn’t going out like a scared little punk. Just as the three women were about to engage in fisticuffs, another voice spoke.

  “We got a fuckin’ problem over here?” Sunny said as she and Jazmine came over, holding shopping bags. The second they saw Sunny, Janine and Rita stopped in their tracks. Both of them knew Sunny and who she was connected to, and neither wanted a problem with her.

  “Nah, ain’t no problem. We were just about to teach this bigmouthed bitch what time it was. You know this ho?”

  Without saying a word, Sunny walked up to Janine and backhanded her. Rita opened her mouth to say something, but a hard look from Sunny silenced her.

  “Yes, I know this queen. She’s a part of my inner circle, and if you’ve got a problem with her, you’ve got a problem with me. Do I make myself clear?”

  The two women were so afraid to talk, they simply nodded their heads.

  “Good. Jazmine, grab those bags.”

  “The fuck you sluts got in here?” Jazmine asked, picking up the bags from the ground. She took them over to Sunny, and she and Sunny looked at each other and shook their heads in laughter.

  “Here! Take this cheap-ass shit and get the fuck on,” Sunny spat.

  Silently, Janine and Rita looked at each other and walked away.

  “Don’t worry about it, Rita. That bitch will get hers one day,” Janine said. But she was no fool. She made sure to say it low enough that Sunny couldn’t hear it.

  “Thanks, Sunny,” Dani said, feeling slightly guilty that Sunny had stepped in and saved her, and she was plotting her father’s downfall.

  “Don’t worry about it. Ain’t nobody checking for my fuckin’ crew,” she said proudly. “Jazmine, call the other two. I’m calling a meeting tonight,” Sunny said, feeling more and more powerful by the second.

  * * *

  Red’s was a plush, upscale eatery on the outskirts of Cleveland. It was a seafood restaurant best known for its lobster and swordfish. The establishment oozed class. The valet attendants were sharply dressed and approached every customer with extreme politeness. Smiling greeters held the door open for every single patron that entered or left. By all standards, the place was immaculate. The entire inside had wall-to-wall tinted windows. The carpet was thick and soft. It didn’t matter if you wore dress shoes, Air Force Ones, or Tims; your feet still felt like they were walking on clouds. Red’s was the epitome of class, which is why Sunny needed to talk with Kim’s ghetto ass before they entered the place.

  “Look, Kim, this ain’t Popeye’s, so don’t take your ass in here acting all hoodish and shit.”

  “Huh? Sunny, why are you singling me out?” Kim asked with a hurt look in her eyes.

  “Because I know how you get sometimes.”

  Butter chuckled, prompting an angry response from Kim.

  “The fuck are you laughing at?”

 
“See, that’s what the fuck I’m talking about,” Sunny said, feeling that Kim had proven her point for her. “Chill out with that shit.”

  “Yeah, a’ight,” Kim said with an attitude.

  Sunny knew that her friend was pissed, but she didn’t give a damn. She wasn’t about to have Kim embarrassing her as if she didn’t have any home training. The five young ladies stepped into the entrance with a purpose. Sunny had intentionally picked this place because she wanted her crew to get used to the finer things in life. Jazmine was, but she couldn’t speak for Butter or Dani. The only time Kim went to nice places was when she was tagging along with Sunny.

  Sunny asked for a booth seat in the back, facing the door. She wasn’t afraid, but she wanted to be completely aware of her surroundings and make sure that no one could easily eavesdrop on their conversation. Sunny told her crew to order whatever they wanted because it was on her. Kim, of course, loved this. Her ghetto ass ordered the most expensive steak on the menu.

  “What type of soft drink would you young ladies like to order?” the waiter asked.

  “Soft drink?” Kim asked about to get ignorant. Sunny shot her a look that instantly closed her mouth.

  “Sir, we won’t be having soft drinks. What we will have is a bottle of your best champagne.”

  The waiter looked at each one of them and chuckled. Jazmine flinched. She wanted to bark at him so badly that it ached her soul. Sunny placed a reassuring hand on her friend’s shoulder, letting her know that she had everything under control.

  “Champagne? You do know that I’m going to have to see some ID from all of you, right?”

  “Of course,” Sunny said as she reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet. She continued to stare at the handsome waiter as she took out five one-hundred-dollar bills. After placing them on the table, she slowly pushed them across the table until they were sitting right in front of him. The waiter looked down at the money and took a deep breath.

  “You know, I can really get in trouble if I sell you young ladies wine.”

  Sunny smiled. “Look, sweetie, you can either take this money and the generous tip that my friend here was going to give you,” she said, gesturing to Jazmine, “or we can leave, and you can be just as broke then as you are now.”