by Shontaiye
“Get some rest my nigga. Call ya girl,… and check that bitch.” He gave Noah dap and left him sitting on the couch sulking.
<><><>
Not far away, Shaleea was a nervous wreck. She checked into a suite at the Chestnut Hill Hotel, not far from her and Noah’s home. She didn’t want to be too far from Heaven’s school and most importantly she didn’t want to break her routine. She called her mother and asked her could Heaven stay another night. She told her that something had come up unexpectedly at one of the laundromats. She hated lying to her mother but didn’t want her all up in her business right now. She would stay at a hotel for solitude. She would deal with this on her own.
She decided to take a bath to calm her nerves and get settled in her suite. The suite was nice but she thought it was overpriced. Shaleea had paid for a stay of 30 days upfront, which came to a total of $3,500 after she used her AAA rewards card. She didn’t give a damn though. She made sure to charge it to Noah’s business credit card, since his ass was definitely footing the bill for this. She was glad she held onto it after paying the vendors.
The suite was large and plush. It had a marble tiled bathroom and stainless steel in the small kitchenette. She hated having to pull Heaven out of their home so she wanted her to be comfortable.
She scanned the bathroom to make sure it was clean and then ran her a bath. While taking off her clothes she noticed that Noah had broken the 18k gold chain he had given her for her birthday one year before. He gon fix this shit and buy me another one. Idiot, she thought to her herself.
While she was in the tub she checked her phone and saw that she had twenty one missed calls from Noah and nine new voicemails. She wanted to call him back so bad and work things out, but couldn’t bring herself to do it. She was tired of going through shit with Noah.
People saw her life and falsely believed that she had it made from the rip and Noah was her knight in shining armor. She wouldn’t deny the fact that she believed Noah loved her dearly, however he did a lot of dumb shit and it mostly involved other females. He had eased up over the past few years and she truly felt that he had changed, however she was sadly mistaken.
She had packed up and left before but this time was different. This time she was going to stay gone longer and make him sweat it out. The longest she had ever stayed gone was three or four days. This time she would use every one of the thirty days she had paid for at the hotel. She was tired of the shit he did and she wanted him to make some changes…Or be without her.
SEVENTEEN
Noah
Noah sat in his truck with the heat on high. His coat was in the trunk and all he had on was some jeans, and a black t-shirt with thermals underneath to keep him warm. He hadn’t heard from Shaleea in two days and he was feeling a mixture of emotions. He was hurt because she had left him, yet he was angry at the same time. He couldn’t believe she would let a bitch come between them. He blew out a thick stream of smoke from his mouth to add to the lingering fog that permeated the air in his Range Rover.
The night was bitterly cold and even though it was only 8pm, it seemed eerily dark and quiet. The street lights flickered and cast a glow over Noah’s truck while he waited for Hakim in front of The Clock Bar. He was running awfully late to their usual Monday night meeting to go over finances regarding the crab truck.
A light knock on Noah’s truck caused him to jump. The weed was making him paranoid. To his surprise it wasn’t Hakim. It was a fiend at his truck asking for loose change. He grabbed some quarters from his cup-holder and handed the change to the disheveled looking man. He had a set of jagged yellow teeth and a dirty salt and pepper beard. The fiend eyed the change and stood there a few more seconds until Noah snapped.
“That’s all I got nigga!—Don’t want it? Give it back!” He hated when mufuckas had the nerve to be choosy and were begging. He shook his head as the fiend walked off.
Thirty more minutes passed and Hakim still hadn’t shown up. He looked down at his phone to see if he had any texts or missed calls. None from Hakim. There definitely were none from Shaleea, who he was praying contacted him since her phone had been going to voicemail. Of course, Eve had called and texted but he would deal with her later. If he tried to handle her at this point he would fuck around and catch an assault charge on her.
Noah called Hakim’s phone several more times but he was still getting no answer. I wonder what the fuck is up with Hak? I know it ain’t about no bitch. The only female that can hold him from money is Nikka. And that’s only temporarily.
He didn’t know what was up, but one thing he did know was that he wasn’t sitting there waiting any longer. I’ll meet up with that nigga tomorrow, Noah thought, before he put his truck in drive and drove home to his empty house.
<><><>
An hour earlier…
Hakim
Hakim reached over to grab his ringing phone, however, Kiesha grabbed it before he did and moved it across the room.
“No interruptions. I’m almost finished,” she purred.
Hakim knew it was Noah but he figured he would meet up with him soon… Right after he finished getting his dick sucked by Kiesha. Kiesha wasn’t the prettiest but she had a body bitches envied, and some first class head. Hakim’s toes curled as he felt like he was about to explode.
“Ahhhhhh shit!” he moaned. “Damn baby, I’m cumin.”
Kiesha prepared for his release and swallowed every drop when he delivered the thick hot liquid into her mouth.
“Damn girl. I gotta start breakin you off right!” Hakim joked.
She smiled, knowing he was full of shit. She had been fuckin around with him for months and he wasn’t really kicking out any real cash on her. She knew damn well she deserved it since she was blessing him every other night with some fire head and wet pussy. She wasn’t worried about it though, because her payout was coming very soon, and it would be bigger than he knew.
“Go ahead and handle ya business boo. The washrag is in the cabinet in the bathroom.”
Hakim got up and walked through the small cluttered room, kicking shit out of his way as he made his way to the bathroom. Although Kiesha’s kids weren’t home, their shit was all throughout the room. Bitch need to clean up, he thought. Nikka would never have the house looking like this. Once he reached the bathroom down the hall, he proceeded to grab some soap and wash away the residue Kiesha had left behind.
In the other room Kiesha quietly grabbed her phone and dialed out.
“He’s here. Come now,” she whispered.
<><><>
The two men were sitting behind an abandoned apartment in the alleyway on some old crates when the call came through. They were glad. The cold was body numbing and their legs were starting to fall asleep trying to balance their weight on the crates.
Once they hung up the phone they gave one another a look that indicated, it was time. They made their way up the dusty alleyway that was littered with cans and trash. The duo arrived at the house in one minute flat since it wasn’t far from where they were posted. The side door was unlocked so they let themselves in and made their way towards the back bedroom. They had reached their destination; Kiesha’s room.
With their guns drawn and out of hibernation, they both peeked around the corner. The scene was perfect. Kiesha was sitting on the bed and their “vic” was undressed in boxers and a black t-shirt. He was totally unprepared, and that’s the exact way they had planned it.
After watching Hakim for over a month they came to the conclusion that it would be too hard to grab him when he was out. He was either always around too many people, or he had his niggas with him. That would’ve been too messy and surely would have led to a death sentence. Kiesha’s house was the last resort, and ultimately the best place.
She had been planning the robbery since the first week she met Hakim. She knew he had money because he bragged and was flashy. He often carried large wads of cash on him and loved showing it off. The problem for her is he wasn’t generous enough. He
tossed tens and twenties like she was a schoolgirl and expected her to be content with that. Then he had the nerve to brag about how much money he got. She had something for his ass though. Once she put that fire head on him she knew he would stick around—around long enough for her to sic her brothers on him and take his precious money.
<><><>
Hakim was standing at the sink wringing out a wet rag when two men stormed into the room waving guns. Hakim scanned the area with his eyes very quickly and determined there was nowhere to run. They came in very aggressively so he knew it was best not to try to fight and just give them whatever the fuck they wanted.
“Get the fuck on the ground pussy. This is a robbery, don’t turn it into a homicide,” the shorter of the two brothers yelled. Kiesha was already on the ground screaming, pretending to be a victim.
Hakim made eye contact with the two men but since they were masked he had no way of recognizing them. He got on the ground carefully, ignoring the toys and clothes that were scattered around him. When he was completely flat, the shorter of the two came over and stood over top of him. Hakim realized that he would be the more aggressive of the two.
“Where the fuck the money at?” asked Teddy, who although was the oldest, was the smaller of the two. Nootie who was the younger brother, stood by Kiesha with his gun trained on her as planned.
“I don’t have any bread on me,” Hakim carefully responded. Teddy cocked his foot back swiftly and kicked Hakim in his face, causing blood to pour from his mouth and his eye to swell instantly. He grimaced in pain.
“Ima ask ya bitch ass again. Where the fuck is the money?”
Hakim knew then he would have to give up what he had immediately, or he wouldn’t make it out of the apartment.
“There’s no money on me but I have some in my car. It’s like twenty g’s. I’ll take you to it but you gotta let me go. I’ll give you niggas all that shit but please just let me go.”
Hakim winced in pain and thought of his wife Nikka and their children. He would do what he had to do to make it home to them. He made a silent vow that if he managed to get out of this situation he would be a better man to his family. He also vowed that whoever set him up, would pay dearly.
“Now we talking!” Nootie replied, from across the room. Although $20,000 wasn’t a lot to niggas like Hakim, it was a jackpot for those like Kiesha, Nootie and Teddy.
“Get dressed pussy. You got two minutes. Then we going to get the money.”
Hakim slowly stood up, and through his good eye scanned the floor for his clothes. After he was dressed the duo led him out the side door to his car.
“Act normal nigga. Try some funny shit and Ima lay you on the concrete,” Teddy stated.
Hakim cursed himself for parking on a side block. They had to walk through the alleyway to get to the street where his car was. He wasn’t concerned about giving them the money because he could make it back quickly. He didn’t trust the two and he didn’t trust the bitch Kiesha either.
Thoughts ran through his head…How the fuck did they get in? Why didn’t they say shit to her when they came in? He also could’ve sworn he heard her on the phone while he was in the bathroom cleaning up. Something wasn’t right. He slowly realized Kiesha had set him up. Problem for him was, Kiesha knew his name rang bells in the street. He dealt with killers regularly so why would she even try to set him up and think she and anyone else involved would walk around untouched? They had no intention of letting him live through this and he had to think quickly if he wanted to survive.
The walk to the car went by extremely fast leaving Hakim little time to think up a plan to make it home safely. Although he was a fast talker he wasn’t quick witted when it came time to come up with actual solutions. Teddy’s deep voice brought Hakim out of his trance.
“Get the bread,” he demanded.
Hakim retrieved his keys out of his jean pockets and unlocked the driver side door of his Cadillac. He crouched over and went under the seat to get the extra money he usually kept under there. While pulling out the rubber band secured knot, his fingers brushed against his trusty 32’ revolver.
It was the first gun he received when he came home. He peered to his left over his shoulder to make sure they weren’t looking as he tried to get the gun from under the seat and tuck it in his pants. However, he was too slow and his flawed plan unraveled quickly.
“Pussy!” Nootie yelled out suddenly, as he dumped two shots into Hakims back. Although Teddy was more aggressive, he was only known for brawling. Nootie on the other hand was known for squeezing triggers.
Hakim was totally unprepared for the pain the hot slugs produced when they penetrated his back.
“Thought we was playin nigga!” Teddy growled. He reached near Hakim and snatched the money and gun off the floor where it had fallen. They smiled at one another and took off from the scene on foot.
Hakim struggled to get up while he gasped for air. Just that quickly he was growing weak. He knew he would need to get to the hospital fast. He thought to call 911 or his wife but he had left his phone in Kiesha’s house. He decided that he would have to make it to the hospital on his own.
He pulled his body up and retrieved his keys from under him. Once he had the car started he proceeded down the street. His chest felt heavy as he slumped over the steering wheel trying to drive the car. The hospital was only four blocks away. However, Hakim was growing weaker every second and his breathing was becoming shallow.
His eyelids grew heavy as he felt the blood and life slowly escape from his body. Five seconds later he had fallen into an eternal sleep. His car continued to drive until it crashed into a parked car just two blocks from the hospital.
EIGHTEEN
Noah
It was around midnight when Noah received the devastating news that his best friend had been murdered. Hakim had been found by some teenagers as he lay slumped over in his wrecked car.
Noah felt as if a piece of him had been taken away. He was crushed. He tried to keep busy so as not to allow depression to consume him. It was a lot for him to handle at the moment. He just lost his best friend and he may have lost his future wife. Even though their relationship was strained, as soon as Shaleea heard the news she rushed to be by Noah’s side.
It had been days since he had gotten called out by Eve for cheating. Their relationship was still very tense and Shaleea still didn’t know what their future held. One thing for sure, she wouldn’t let Noah go through the death of his friend alone. The next few days were a blur as Nikka and Hakim’s mother made arrangements to bury him in Brooklyn.
That Sunday Hakim was laid to rest in an elaborate candlelit ceremony. White roses adorned the entire front of the church, outer pews, as well as Hakim’s casket. Everyone knew that Hakim was flashy and over the top, so it was only right he go out the same way.
The church was standing room only and was filled with people from New York to Philadelphia. Nikka sobbed uncontrollably while her mother struggled to comfort her. Nikka was beautiful in all black, but her face told another story; a story of defeat and betrayal. Rumors had been swirling the streets that Hakim had been robbed and set up by a female he had been fucking.
Although there weren’t many details to the story, Nikka knew in her heart they were true. It pained her that Hakim became a victim at the hands of a bitch. As much dirt as Hakim did, Nikka swore to herself that if she found out who the bitch was, she would kill her personally for taking away her husband and children’s father. She didn’t care about his dirt, she loved Hakim like no one ever could.
The pastor begun his sermon in a loud and powerful tone. “We are gathered together for the homecoming of our dear brother Hakim… He’s been called home by our dear lord... Although we are sad by his premature departure, we rejoice because we know he is with God. He is in a much better place and will be at peace there, resting eternally in the heavens.”
He continued to preach as people in the pews cried. He spoke of Hakim and his silly, colorful per
sonality, causing many to smile at the memories. Most importantly he left everyone with the message that life was beautiful and was not be taken for granted.
The reality of the situation sunk into Noah as the preacher spoke. Life was short. Ironically, Hakim’s life had been cut short by betrayal, while he was in the process of betraying his wife. Even though they were just rumors Noah knew they were true. The streets were talking, and he knew the type of females Hakim dealt with. The problem was he dealt with so many. However, because of where they found his car, he had an idea who it was and he vowed to later settle the score.
Noah refused to let anyone else alter his life in any manner. He would deal with the situation with Eve once and for all, and prove to Shaleea that he would never betray her again. He glanced over at Shaleea whose eyes were glistening with tears. He took her hand and smiled at her. She looked to him and smiled back which gave him hope that everything would be okay.
NINETEEN
Mann
Although Mann and Hakim weren’t close, he still came to his funeral to pay his respect. If not for Hakim, then for Noah. The ceremony only lasted an hour and right after, everyone quickly proceeded to the burial. Once they laid Hakim to rest Noah suggested they skip the reception and head back to Philadelphia. However, before they could leave, all hell broke loose.
Unbeknownst to Mann and Shaleea, Noah had spotted Eve with Hakim’s jump-off Bianca, whom he met at the party. He was certain the two had seen him and he knew they would bring the drama if he didn’t get Shaleea out of there fast. He didn’t care about the bitches acting out, it was the fact he didn’t want them to come with the drama in front of Shaleea. Nevertheless, he knew she would since she had been calling after learning of Hakim’s death.