Shyt List 3 (The Cartel Publications Presents)

by Reign (T. Styles)

  “Aigh’t lil, nigga, if we get out of this,” he said to his Godson, “I’ma put a lil somethin’ in that bottle to make you nice for the rest of the night.

  The 24-month old baby, whom everyone called Chomps, smiled, gripped his brown chunky foot, and jammed it in his mouth. Bricks smiled at him and the moment the light turned green, he pulled his 2006 Dodge Challenger into traffic, and like clockwork, the cop turned on his sirens.

  “Bitch ass nigga,” Bricks said pressing heavily on the gas pedal. “Too fuckin’ predictable.”

  Bricks handled the roads and even stopped seconds from hitting a white work van by dipping quickly to the right, but the cop was still on him. So he sped faster missing an old lady pushing a cart full of junk. Still…the Bladensburg police officer could not be shook. He wanted Bricks badly knowing that whatever caused him to elude him in the first place, would be a big payoff at the station.

  Bricks pushed the limits of his car and was determined that the racist Bladensburg police officer would not catch him. So when he came to another light, and couldn’t get through the cars waiting, he drove up on the curb and back on the street again. He couldn’t lie, he was having fun. Chomps was thrown around in his seat a little but for the most part, was safe, laughing and enjoying the ride. Soon Bricks grew tired of the games.

  “Fuck!” he yelled slamming his hand on the steering wheel, looking through his rear view mirror at the red, white and blue flashing lights.

  Passing the Peace Cross in Bladensburg Maryland, his heart dropped when he saw the crossing posts come down indicating a train was on its way. If this happened, his path would be blocked and he would no doubt be arrested, unless he got into a shoot out with the officer. If the baby wasn’t with him, he may have taken the chance.

  Placing his hand on the baby’s chest to prevent him from falling out of his seat, he gripped the steering wheel tightly and mashed the tip of his foot on the gas pedal. His butter colored Timberland boot creased so deeply, it looked as if it would break in half. While the other cars stopped and waited for the train to pass, he drove past the flashing stop sign, through the white wooden guardrail, and halfway over the tracks but the wheels got hung up on the tracks. He gave it some gas but all it did was disturb the gravel beneath his tires. Onlookers grabbed their mouths in fear.

  “Stupid, fool!” The cop yelled safely on the right side of the tracks. “You’re not worth my life.”

  Bricks didn’t care about imminent danger he was concerned about being arrested. The front tires made it safely across but the back tires still had not. The train was only a few feet from ripping the car in half so he pressed the gas a little more and looked at the train coming at him full speed on the right.

  “God, I got this kid in the car! You gotta let me have this one.”

  He gave it some more gas and this time the car lifted off the railing. He was released! But the second his back tires moved off the track, the side of the train scraped at his bumper, spinning the car in a wild spiral motion into the street. Not trying to lose total control, he didn’t jam the brakes and instead, hoped for a safe stop. It’s exactly what he got. When he finally came to a halt, he hit the gas and sped from the scene. His breaths were heavy and when he looked over at Chomps, he was smiling with his cell-phone in his mouth.

  “When the fuck you get that, lil nigga?” He joked. The baby cooed and the cell phone rang.

  When he answered it he couldn’t believe who was on the line. Last time he hung out with her, she held a lot of mystery and that made him uncomfortable. In his line of work people had to be on the up and up at all times. In fact, his brother Melvin said she was a hustler’s nightmare and shouldn’t be trusted and he knew he was right. But…there was something about her that appealed to him. Fuck it. He thought to himself. I got some time to spare. I mean, how bad could she really be?

  Unexpected Company

  “Bricks, it’s Yvonna. Can…can I see you?” Yvonna knew she hadn’t spoken to him in a while, but for whatever reason, his number was the only one she remembered.

  “Man, I ain’t heard from you in years, now you callin’ me? Fuck you want?”

  “I’ve been away. And I really wanna see you, if you’re not busy.”

  Bricks looked over at Chomps who was smiling with his other foot in his mouth and said, “Where you at?”

  “I’m in Mount Rainer, Maryland. 4255 34th Street.”

  “Gimme a hour. I gotta drop this chick off at my cousin’s house,” he said referring to the coke in his trunk, “and get my other car. I’ll scoop you up then.”

  “Thank you, Bricks. I appreciate this.” Yvonna brushed her hair with her hand into a neater ponytail as she stood outside of Penny’s crib anxiously waiting.

  Swoopes’ call frightened her and her mind wandered to their conversation.

  “Yvonna…you’re home.” Swoopes said calmly. “You don’t know how long I’ve been waitin’ for this day, shawty.”

  “Swoopes…how…how did you get Penny’s number?”

  “It’s ways to get in touch with anybody. You should know that more than anyone.”

  “Look…I’m sorry for whatever I may have done to you. I really am, but I’m changed now. I’m not the same person.”

  “Changed?” he laughed. “You and change? Naw…I like the old Yvonna better. I got some shit to handle with her. Where she at?”

  “Swoopes, look, I forgive you for the things you did to me, and you have to forgive me for whatever I did to you. I mean…all’s fair in war. I’ma mother now, and all I want to do is move on with my life and take care of my baby.”

  “Fuck I care ‘bout that kid just cause you pushed it out that funky pussy of yours. You’ll see me. And you’ll see me real soon too. Be ready.”

  Yvonna shivered because out of everyone she had wronged, she knew he was the most dangerous. The conversation was still going through her mind until she heard loud banging music. The rapper Drake’s voice moved closer and closer to where she stood until she could hear his lyrics clearly.

  “You comin’ or not?” Bricks asked through his rolled down passenger window. Yvonna hurried to the silver Hummer and stopped short when she saw a baby in the front seat. “Get in the back,” he instructed her.

  She had to admit, Bricks looked better than she remembered and she was stuck. He covered his grey eyes with a pair of smoked out black glasses, which sat against his chestnut colored skin. And his husky build filled out the black Christian Audigier sweatshirt he wore with ease.

  “You aight?” he asked when she continued to stare at him.

  “Oh…uh…yeah. I’m fine.” She still hadn’t gotten into the car.

  “Well get in the back.” He said as he tugged at his ear, which held a 6-carat diamond earring. She hustled in the backseat and they drove a few blocks before he finally cut the music down and spoke to her. “What you want man?”

  “I wanted to see you.” She smiled looking at him intently.

  “Stop playin’ games, shawty. That’s why I neva really fucked wit’ you cause you always got other motives.”

  “I’m serious, Bricks. I was just lookin’ to get out the house and you were the first person I thought of.”

  “You ain’t tryin’ to fuck so what you want?”

  “Bricks, why does everything have to be about that with you? You don’t have no friends you just hang out with?”

  “Yeah, and I got enough of them.”

  She couldn’t tell him that she was afraid to stay at Penny’s because if Swoopes found her number, she knew he knew where she lived too. “Well maybe I can change your mind,” she said, softly. Glancing at the baby she said,” That’s your son?”

  “No. He’s my Godson.”

  “He’s cute. What’s his name?”

  “Chomps.” He said spinning the steering wheel to the right, his diamond Cartier watch glistening under the fall sunlight.

  “Chomps? Someone named a baby Chomps?”

  “Yeah. It’s his nick
name.”

  “Why?”

  “Cause he always got somethin’ in his mouth. But fuck all that, you tryin’ to get a room or what?”

  Yvonna exhaled and said, “No.”

  “Then what’s up? ‘Cause I’m five seconds from dropping you back off.”

  “You wanna get somethin’ to eat?” she offered although she was dead broke.

  “You treatin’?” he asked trying to push her buttons. He hated that she never said much about anything but it was the same thing he liked about her.

  “I don’t have any money, Bricks I’m just tryin’ to think of somethin’ we can do.”

  “I suggested that already, we can get a room. You tryin’ to go or what?”

  With nothing else to do she said, “Yeah. We can go.”

  He had won but he didn’t want it that way. He really wanted to find out who she was. “Man quit bullshittin’! You ain’t really tryin’ to get the room are you?”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  “I’m just fuckin’ wit’ you ‘bout that shit. I do wanna know what’s really up though. I ain’t gotta make a bitch do nothin’ she don’t wanna.”

  Yvonna looked at Brick’s sexy face in the rearview mirror and said, “I just need to get away. Can that be enough?”

  He waved to let a car get over in front of him. “Well look, I got some shit to get into later, but maybe I’ll take you to grab somethin’ to eat first. Cool?”

  “Cool,” she smiled.

  The moment they agreed, a black Ford Crown Victoria pulled up on the left of the truck and then another pulled up on the right. Finally a third pulled up to the back, and in sync, they rolled their windows down and fired into Brick’s Hummer.

  “What the fuck!” He said as he ducked down and mashed on his gas pedal for the second time that day. Raising his shirt, he removed his 9 milli from his waist, and fired out of the shattered window, over the baby’s head on his right. The shooters wouldn’t stop and they continued to unload bullets into his vehicle shattering the glass to pieces.

  “Can you shoot?!” He yelled to Yvonna who was ducking in the back seat.

  “W…what?”

  “I said can you fuckin’ shoot? Wake the fuck up! Niggas is tryin’ to kill us!”

  “Y…yes. I can.” She nodded still stooped down. “I’m scared.”

  “Fuck bein’ scared. I’ma need you to prove to me you can blast,” he said tossing another 9 from his console at Yvonna. “Buck them mothafucka’s!”

  Although frightened, and trying her best not to relive her violent past, she stuck her head out of the broken glass window and started firing at the shooters behind her. Her aim was so accurate, that she managed to hit the driver in his shoulder, causing the car to spiral into another car on the road. Because of her skills, they now had only two cars to deal with.

  Bricks, while controlling the steering wheel, was now shooting out of the shattered window on the left. He looked over frequently to be sure the baby was okay. And although Chomps wasn’t hurt, he was no longer putting things into his mouth like he normally did. He was scared and crying at the top of his lungs. Shards of glass covered his soft black curly hair and that angered Bricks. He cared about the kid and hated putting him in danger for the second time that day. But another gunshot flew into the right side of the truck ripping into Brick’s arm.

  “Ahhhhhhhh!” he screamed out.

  The Hummer swerved wildly before he got it under control with one hand. But he could no longer keep them off of their trail. It had to be Yvonna who was going to take them out. He only had one good arm available and he needed it to drive.

  Yvonna kicked the broken glass out of the back right window and fired hitting the driver in his head. The Ford coiled a few times before hitting a light post. But it was two down and one to go. But Bricks no longer feeling up for the bullshit decided to pull off of the main road, and onto a residential street to wait for the third car to pull up. He took his jacket off, placed it on the floor and lifted the baby out the car seat and placed him on top of the jacket, shaking some of the glass out of his hair. He was trying to protect Chomps from a stray bullet as best he could, given the situation. The street was quiet with the exception of Chomps cries within the bullet-ridden truck, which looked extremely out of place on the block.

  “What you doing? They gonna kill us!” Yvonna asked breathing heavily looking all around her.

  “Chill out!” he yelled reloading his weapon. His arm was in pain but he kept it together. “I ain’t running from these niggas no more. I got this shit.”

  “Oh my God! Somebody’s pullin’ up on us.” Yvonna said seeing the car creeping up to them on the right.

  Bricks held his weapon in his hand, extended it out of the window and was about to fire. But when the driver in the last Ford Victoria got closer, he smiled at them and pulled off. Bricks exhaled.

  “What the fuck you know ‘bout that shit?!” he yelled at Yvonna, holding his bleeding arm.

  Yvonna still coming off of the emotional roller coaster said, “What?! You…you blaming me for this shit?”

  “You said you needed to get away, and some niggas just shot up my truck! Fuck yeah I’m blamin’ you!” He said lifting the baby off the floor and placing him back into the car seat. “And how the fuck you know how to shoot?”

  “I just do,” she said in a low voice.

  “What the fuck you got me caught up in, shawty?”

  “You a fuckin’ drug dealer whose name is Bricks,” she said finding blame with the mention of his name. “It seems natural that you’d have someone trying to kill you.”

  “First of all nobody is crazy enough to fuck wit’ me. And half of the niggas in Maryland and DC know my name. I ain’t neva had some shit like that go down unless I started it.”

  “So just cause you think you tough, you think you untouchable too?”

  “Like I said, ain’t nobody been crazy enough to fuck wit’ me ‘til now.”

  “You ridin’ around the city with a baby who ain’t even yours, Bricks. How tough can you possibly be?”

  “Yvonna, you got five minutes to tell me who them niggas were.” He said turning around with the gun in his hand. “I’m not askin’ you no more, I’m tellin’ you.”

  He took off his glasses and his grey eyes pierced through Yvonna. She exhaled realizing she was in over her head. She knew the dudes were members of Swoopes’ crew, the YBM (Young Black Millionaires). She recognized his cousin Cane, as the one who had just pulled up and pulled off. But she also knew if she got too excited, that there was a risk of Gabriella showing up. And as far as she was concerned, the only one any of them had to worry about was that bitch. If Yvonna told Bricks who was involved, a war would ensue and when the smoke cleared, they’d all be aiming at her.

  “I’m sorry, Bricks, but I don’t know anything about this. I’ll find a way home.”

  Brushing the broken glass fragments off of her body, she exited the truck and ran away. Bricks made a vow that no matter what, he’d never fuck with that bitch again, and he had all intentions on keeping that promise.

  Addicted

  When Ming scooped Yvonna up and took her to her house, she was thrown off by her beautiful castle style home at Woodmore South in Mitcheville Maryland. Once inside Ming said, “You go to living room. Ming, will make you something to eat.”

  Yvonna walked slowly into the elaborately furnished house while Ming rushed upstairs to do something that was obviously so important, it caused her to drop her Louis Vuitton purse in the center of her plush pink carpeted floor. Minutes later she came downstairs ran to the kitchen and grabbed some ingredients to make some stir-fried rice with steak. Yvonna followed her into the kitchen and took a seat on the barstool.

  “Had something to take care of upstairs?” Yvonna inquired.

  “Yes, Ming’s boyfriend upstairs.”

  Yvonna raised her eyebrows, giggled and said, “Boyfriend? When did that happen?”

  “Can’t remember.” Sh
e shrugged. “But he fucks well and he likes the way Ming sucks his dick.” Yvonna laughed. “Seriously, Ming takes the entire thing down her throat. What were you doing away from home?” She skipped the subject. “I thought you wanted to spend time with Delilah.”

  “I changed my mind.” Yvonna said not able to get over the dick in throat thing. “Where’s, Boy?”

  “He’s over my aunt’s house. We going back to China soon and Boy go with me.”

  “Your ass stay in China.”

  “It’s home.”

  “I wish I had a home,” Yvonna said softly.

  “You want drink? You look like things are heavy on mind.”

  “Yeah. Give me some Ciroc straight up.” Ming paused what she was doing, got the liquor and returned to the food.

  “Drink up. It’ll make you feel nice.”

  Yvonna allowed the warm liquor to enter her body. She was trying her best not to allow Swoopes and the way her only child treated her earlier, to affect the rest of her day. She was also trying to be a normal member of society…but after the shoot out, she didn’t know if that was possible. Ming dished up the food and placed a plate in front of Yvonna before she took one upstairs and returned empty handed.

  “You wanna fuck?” Ming asked dishing up another plate for herself. She sat at the bar in the kitchen. Her feet dangled underneath her small body. “My boyfriend wants to fuck you.”

  Yvonna coughed. “You’re kidding right?”

  “Don’t act like you haven’t fucked Ming before.”

  “Well I don’t want to fuck Ming now.”