Ties to the Hood

by Aija Monique

  “Dad?” Junior was watching as his dad stared off into space.

  “Yeah, what’s up?”

  “You good?”

  “Yeah, let’s go. I’m hella hungry now.”

  Phil and Phil Junior grabbed their bags and headed for the car. “You think we got enough shit to play with?” Phil Senior laughed, slamming the trunk down. Phil’s son laughed but soon looked solemn and out of place as he sat down in the car. Phil noticed it right away. He didn’t know how to approach the situation, so he focused on fixing the radio and getting back on the road.

  Phil Junior cleared his throat. “Dad, can I ask you something? It’s about Mom. I don’t want to pester you about it. I just want to know if she’s OK, and wondered what kind of trouble you and Uncle Shun are in. I’m young, but I can pick up things being said.”

  “OK, ask away.” Phil knew full well that he was afraid of the question and even more puzzled at what his response should be. He gripped the steering wheel preparing for his son’s question.

  “When is Mom coming down to be with us?” Phil Junior gazed out the window taking in the view of the tall palm trees and warm breeze. He was so excited about his mother and father reuniting he could hardly wait for his mother to come and live with them.

  Phil shook his head and took a deep breath before he made an attempt to respond to his son’s inquiries. He hadn’t the heart to tell his son that his mother died from her drug abuse. He hadn’t the time to really soak in the happenings of the night, either. He wasn’t sure of Sophia’s involvement in the matter, but his wife’s death had to be the last thing on his mind. Right now, the safety of his son had to be number one.

  “Soon . . . soon, son,” Phil said simply and stared off down the road, trying to keep his tears at bay.

  “Cool,” Phil Junior responded sarcastically. He was young but mature in mind. He knew his mother’s habits. With Phil gone, he was the one to comfort her, feed her, and bathe her. So he was smarter than Phil thought. He just wanted his father to be honest with him. After all, he was the man of the house in his own right.

  Phil and Junior came tumbling in the door, rowdy and excited about all the things they bought to entertain each other.

  “Shun, where you at, nigga?”

  “Out back!” Shun answered as he threw the charcoal onto his grill. “Where y’all been?” he said relieved, as if safe from altercation. He was exhausted and had no energy to explain or fight with anyone.

  “Aw, bro, did you miss us? We went out and got a video game system and a few games we gon’ whoop yo’ ass in later on. Where are Sophie and Cy?” Phil looked at Shun with the side-eye as if he suspected something was going on between the two of them.

  “Aww, naw, bro, quit playin’!” Shun warned playfully. The thought of mischief tapped on his nerve for a brief second, though. “Sophia went to take a shower, and Cyrus is up in his room.”

  “Uh-huh!” Phil said slightly under his breath. He didn’t want to stress Shun or cause him any anguish. Phil was starting to get the feel of being responsible and now with his son in tow, he had to make sure both he and Shun had their heads on straight. He would deal with the bitch if he had to. The most important thing presently was to maintain freedom and a damn pulse.

  “What’s up, what’s on the grill?” Cyrus bounced in, jogging down the stairs.

  Phil pinched his lips and looked at Cyrus with his head tilted and asked where he had been. Cyrus took offense because he was already on edge about his missing badge. He couldn’t be certain if his best friends hadn’t already discovered his true identity, so he had to swallow hard and go pretend as if nothing was bothering him.

  Shun excused himself from Cyrus and Phil to go check on Sophia. He knew exactly where Phil was going in his line of questioning with Cyrus and wanted no part of it. Phil nodded as Shun passed.

  “The steaks cool on the grill, right?” Phil asked.

  “Yup! I’ll be right back.”

  Cyrus’s eyes began to water. He was sure to burst into tears if they had found out that he was the enemy.

  “Nigga, you look spooked. What’s up with you?” Phil asked as he handed Cyrus the last cold beer from the fridge.

  “I’m good!” Cyrus replied, keeping his answers short and to the point, as if he were being interrogated.

  “OK, just checking. I do have some shit to get off ma chest, though, because we brothers. You need to make sure you stay away from Sophia. I know it’s pussy, and she is easy on the eyes, but that’s ma cuz, and I don’t want no drama between any of us. We have shit to do, and some major hittas are out here lookin’ for us.”

  “What the fuck? Nigga, you should know me betta than that, bro. I don’t have time to be thinkin’ ’bout no pussy. I got a wife and brand-new baby at home that I would love to get home to. Unfortunately, I’m out here hiding out with you. And had it not been for my gambling issue, I would have ma ass in the bed with my new family. Hell, I missed out on two months of pregnant pussy foolin’ round with y’all.”

  “Aw, naw, nigga, don’t blame the hustle on me, ma nigga. You knew how I got down from the jump. Stop actin’ brand new. I understand you want to be betta. Hell, now that I got ma son, that’s what the fuck I’m on, but out here, we are wanted men. So we have to be careful and gettin’ involved with what is keeping Shun sane is just not wise. And for the record, I could have had ma goons hit a few licks to cop that ten grand you needed to get Tommy off yo’ back. But closed mouth don’t get fed.”

  “That’s coo, Phil, believe me. I know what we’re up against, but I owe Tommy 100 grand. I only left my wife and son to make things seem as though they were copasetic,” Cyrus said defensively but lowered his head in shame.

  “You’re a brave soul, my friend. You left her to stand trial for your fuckups. She don’t owe Tommy shit. You do. Taking her with you could only prove that you wanted to protect her, both physically and mentally.”

  “I love my wife and son!” Cyrus shouted. His body was shaking, and he was drooling at the mouth in an animalistic manner. He quickly recovered by wiping his sweaty palms on the front of his shirt and snatched the beer from Phil’s hand. Phil ignored the fact that Cyrus jerked the beer from his hand. He chalked it up to an emotional outbreak. Things that bitches do.

  Phil was looking straight through Cyrus as he was talking. He couldn’t believe Cyrus was bitchin’ up the way he was. Part of him wanted to pop him himself. “Well, don’t worry about it. They’re safe now.” Phil wrinkled his forehead and pushed past Cyrus as if he was uncertain that things were exactly how he made them out to be. However, there was nothing he could do at the moment because he had no proof. But his eyes would be peeled. He’d hate to have to lay Cyrus to rest behind a bitch or a couple of dollas. They were way past that. But he had to admit something wasn’t right with Cyrus’s demeanor.

  Cyrus could feel the heat coming from Phil’s eyes as he walked past and started up the stairs. He desperately needed to get some air. He had to clear his head, and the only person he could trust was Dana. Only, he couldn’t use his phone to call her. He was sure the entire police force was looking for him by now.

  CHAPTER 27

  Discovered

  Sophia dried off in a frenzy and threw on a tank and cutoff shorts to match the heat of night. She was nervous about telling Shun her findings, but she knew that it was something that had to be done. She couldn’t risk him finding out that she knew who Cyrus was before the cat was out the bag in its entirety. Sophia needed to tell him herself. She held the badge once more in her hand to make sure she was truly looking at an authentic police badge. She had placed the badge in the bottom of the drawer just in time.

  Shun walked in the room with one of his eyebrows raised as soon as he saw what Sophia was wearing. “You need to take that shit off,” he said.

  Sophia didn’t say a word. She just undressed in front of him provocatively. She then crawled onto the bed on all fours and parted her legs. Shun watched and became weak in the knee
s. He took a few steps back to make sure the bedroom door was locked. Sophia began to wind her hips and moan as she grew eager to feel Shun deep inside her. Shun knew as much and enjoyed taunting her without laying a hand on her. Sophia’s pussy began to drip down her legs as she became wetter by the minute. Shun licked his lips. He could no longer withstand his loins aching to feel the wet and warm touch of her. His mouth watered, and he suddenly couldn’t help himself. He put his hand on her back, coaching her to lean forward a bit more. She complied. Shun dove hungrily face-first licking, sucking, and eating her pussy so furiously Sophia began squirting her juice into his mouth, down her legs, and onto the bed. She begged for more. Shun complied. He dove into her with a sigh of relief. He wanted her so bad, the veins in his dick pulsated. He plunged in and out, pumping hard and fast as he dove in deeper and devoured her warm waves and soft tissue. Sophia moaned, and with each twist and turn of Shun’s love, she matched every move. He groaned as he neared his peak. The sound of his groans excited her and coached her climax to resound in a beautifully conjoined orgasm.

  Shun felt a release so grave to his mental health he got a headache. His mind raced so fast that he couldn’t relax. Sophia rinsed off in the shower to cleanse herself and began drying off again when she noticed Shun on his knees by the bed rocking with his head in his hands. She rushed to his side nearly losing her towel.

  “Are you OK, babe?”

  “Yes, I think I’m just having one of those stress headaches again,” he said with a slight crack in his voice.

  “Babe, how long has this been going on?” Sophia asked, slipping into her nurse mode. She realized that she had neglected a few things in regards to Shun and his recovery. She could only imagine how much pain he was going through. She was holding on to about five double-strength Norcos for him.

  “I’m fine, hon. I just need some time alone. I’ll get in the shower. Maybe that’ll help me out,” he said, directing her to the door.

  Sophia stood up. “I’m going to go and check on the food real quick, then I’ll come back up to give you a hand getting into the shower. Do you want some Tylenol?”

  “Yes, please,” he said, standing up, then lying down for a few minutes to let his head settle a bit.

  Sophia left the room, closing the door softly behind her. Her thoughts were going a mile a minute. It was then that she locked eyes on Cyrus.

  “Cy! Wait up!” Sophia said, jogging down the hall.

  “Yeah, what’s up?” he asked. He was nervous as hell and itching to get back to the beach to scan for his badge. He tried his best to fix his composure. He was so nervous he was visibly shaking.

  Sophia met him down the hall. “You look like you may be in a hurry. Can I come with you?” Sophia asked.

  Cyrus was taken aback by her inquiry. “Not in a hurry per se. I was going to head out to the store before dinner. I figured we could use some more beer,” he responded, swallowing hard. Only his throat was crisp, dry, and he nearly choked.

  “Are you OK?”

  “Just need some water. Haven’t been concerned about my fluid intake. I guess the men trying to kill us has taken front seat.” Cyrus tried to be sarcastically humorous, but he was too tired to pull it off. Sophia just stared at him. He was uncertain of what she was actually in need of. “Can I pick up something for you? I kind of wanted this trip to give me some time to clear my head. I’ve been dealing horribly with leaving my son and wife.”

  “I can only imagine. Sure would like to tag along, though. I have some things I need to get, but I’m not too sure about some of them. I think going would be best, Cyrus. Or should I just call you Detective?”

  Cyrus’s eyes grew wide. He was clearly taken off guard. Not even thinking, he quickly pulled Sophia from out of the hall and into his room. “Where is my badge, bitch? I knew Shun shouldn’t have trusted you. Where is it?” Cyrus was so angry, he was sweating profusely and salivating like a deranged dog.

  Sophia shook herself free from his grasp. “Wouldn’t you like to know. Who the hell are you? What do you want, and if you are the law, why haven’t you bothered to share this information with your friends, Shun and Phil? From all the stories I’ve heard, they protected you. They love you. What are you planning? I can’t let you hurt those boys.”

  “Hurt them!” Cyrus started but quickly grew quiet as he heard some movement in the hallway.

  Shun had opened his door and headed down the hall to check and see what was taking Sophia so long with his water, but was detoured by the sound of muffled voices. His jaw stiffened. He was sure he could hear Cyrus and Sophia whispering about something.

  “Damn!” Shun yelped as he retreated back into his room and prepared to get in the shower.

  Cyrus uncovered Sophia’s mouth and took a peek out into the hall to see if Shun or Phil were lurking about. When the coast was clear, he immediately started in on Sophia. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll make sure you leave this information between us. I’m not going to hurt anyone. I’m hoping to fix things with the cops and Tommy. You’ll just have to trust me.” Cyrus brushed off everything else. He couldn’t allow Sophia to think for one second that she was in control of the situation. “Do we have a deal?” he asked Sophia with a stern glare.

  “Not quite. You see, Shun is in enough physical pain as it is. To hurt him mentally could get us all killed. Don’t you think you should tell him who you are before he finds out about it someplace else? Furthermore, what about the fact that they are wanted? And with you a cop, I’m sure your colleagues will shoot to kill without asking any questions. Shit!” Sophia yelled, then quickly covered her mouth when she realized how much trouble they were really in. “Oh my God, Cyrus, the entire state of California is probably looking for two fugitives with a hostage, Officer Cyrus Dunkin. Shit just got real. What are we going to do?”

  “Just leave it to me. You can’t lose your cool. We have to stay on our toes and keep the peace between us all in this house. We are in this together, like it or not. Now go make sure Shun is OK.”

  “Yeah, yeah. You still aren’t calling the shots. I think you should leave the money and leave here. Period. That’s the only way Shun and Phil have a fighting chance against the police. With the hostage set free, they may be willing to just take them into custody.”

  “I can’t just leave. I need that money too, Sophia. If I don’t come up with the rest of the money, Tommy is going to kill my wife and son.”

  Sophia sighed.

  CHAPTER 28

  The Truth

  Shun quietly shut his door as thoughts of Sophia being untrue to him hovered over his sanity. He wasn’t sure what she and Cyrus could be talking about in quiet corners. His paranoia resurfaced. If he found out that Sophia was untrue to him, he wasn’t sure how he would address the situation. His better judgement told him not to get emotionally involved in the first place, but he couldn’t control the desires of his heart. Now, he wondered if he could muster up enough heart to rid himself of his disloyal companion if he had to.

  Shun grimaced with pain as he pulled his sweaty wife beater over his head. His wounds were still healing from the heist with Frankie and his crew. Smoking, drinking, and a few Norcos would usually take the edge off of the pain, but his supply had run out. Sophie kept his wounds clean and bandaged. They couldn’t risk being caught, so a hospital wasn’t an option. Shun nearly passed out from the sharp pain in his side that stifled his breathing.

  Sitting slumped over on the plane made him sore as well. Between Sophia’s elbow squeezing against his open wounds to the armrest on his left side, he felt like a caged animal. He was distant. His head was filled with such uncertainty. He was having anxiety attacks. He was worried about having to care for Phil Junior on the run. He knew that Phil was a hothead. He was also a great father. Shun could see Phil’s heart nearly flutter when he was around his son. It was a beautiful thing. But it was a horrible time. Shun wanted desperately to find a way to clear Phil’s name so that he could return home, or at least
live free. As for Sophie, his newfound love, well, she had risked her life and career for him. Only, he couldn’t be certain that he could love and protect her as she deserved. He couldn’t understand why she had walked away from her career to help a drug-dealing murderer. Still, he felt deeply for her and wanted to do right by her. Which was why he was considering asking her to leave. Shun couldn’t live with himself if something happened to her, or if she was being unfaithful in any way. The only way to save her from himself was to ask her to leave.

  Asking her to leave seem plausible. If she left before the cops got wind of her presence, she could skate by without so much as a scratch on her pretty lips. No one had placed a woman as part of the dynamic duo’s hostage or partner in crime. But she would never leave. He knew that. He wasn’t sure he could live without her either.

  Shun was getting angrier by the minute. He had yet to receive the water Sophia went to get him. The water wasn’t the real issue. Cyrus was, and it took everything in him not to stomp down the hall and demand answers from the two of them.

  Tired of waiting on Sophia’s return, Shun began to get himself ready for a bath. He was reaching for his gun holster when Sophia reached around his waist to aid him. He was startled slightly but regained his composure once he recognized the smell of her perfume.

  Shun frowned a bit, feeling awkward about Sophia cozying up to him after he overheard part of a conversation between her and Cyrus.

  “What were you and Cyrus chatting about? It seemed a bit sensitive since the two of you were whispering in quiet quarters.”

  Sophia smiled at Shun’s concern and replied simply as any nurse under the HIPPA law of confidentiality would, “No worries. He is feeling distant and uncertain of his path. His son was born without his presence. He was facing the fact that his gambling issues were the cause of all his problems. He is just depressed and needs to face the issues he’s dealing with. He feels alone. So we had a small conversation about the matter. He’s going to make a run for beer. I told him to pick up some pain meds as well. He hasn’t left yet. Is there anything else you think you need?”