Bricks took immediate control over the situation like an anchor in a boat. “Listen, sit down. I got you,” he said softly. When she didn’t sit down he repeated, “Yvonna…sit down.” When she did he said, “Let me tell my brother I’ma hit him back. He outta town right now.” He picked up the phone that was sitting on the counter and said, “Melvin, a situation came up, man.” He paused and said, “Yeah I’m cool. I’ll check you later about them peoples. Hit me when you get back in town.”
Yvonna sat on the couch and Bricks opened the basement door and yelled, “Tina! Come up here for a sec!” He looked at Yvonna with pity because he’d never seen her that distraught before. And most of all, he was catching feelings for her.
Tina came up stairs and he said, “Look, take my friend’s baby downstairs wit’ you, so she can play wit’ the girls and Tracy.”
Yvonna looked at Tina and although she had a kind face she was nervous about Delilah leaving her sight. “Naw, my baby stays up here wit’ me.” She said wiping her tears. “I need to make sure she’s okay.”
“Yvonna,” he said calmly, “I ain’t gonna let nothin’ happen to your baby. You safe, shawty. She’s safe. I’ll murder somebody if they try to hurt you.” He said placing his hand on his chest. “I got it.”
Yvonna still sniffling and suffering from a severe headache said, “Okay, but leave the door open. Please.”
“We all family here. Relax.”
“Like I said,” Yvonna repeated, “leave the door open. I gotta hear my baby call if she needs me.” Tina saw how torn up Yvonna was and took the child away with no problems and left the door open as she requested.
“So what happened?” Bricks asked after making her a drink of vodka and cranberry juice. “You look like you been through hell.”
“Cane tried to kill me at the Harbor! He didn’t even care that I had my baby in my arms. He was fuckin’ shootin’ and all I could think about was getting’ her home safe.” She was sobbing all over again and Bricks rubbed her back gently. His strength made her weaker and that scared her. “I done did so many people wrong that the shit has come back to haunt me. But I can’t let nobody take her from me. She’s all I got.”
“You knew this shit was gonna happen. Swoopes’ not gonna rest ‘til you dead. But think of it this way, in three weeks, we gonna have him right where we want him. We ain’t gotta try and find out where he’s goin’ be, we’ll know where he’s goin’ be.” Yvonna was listening but made plans to kill Cane early in the AM.
“There ain’t gonna be a place on earth that nigga can hide.” Bricks continued. “This will all be over soon. Let me grab me somethin’ to drink,” he said going to the refrigerator to get a beer, the scent of his cologne keeping her company in his absence. While he was gone she used that brief time to check her elbow. And just like he’d said before, she had two moles on it.
“What?” Yvonna asked when he returned with his drink.
“You didn’t believe me?” He smirked.
“Believe what?”
“That you had two moles on your elbow,” he smiled.
“I wasn’t even checking that,” she sniffled.
“Yes you were,” he said softly. “But you gotta start trustin’ me. Just like you checked the moles even after I told you they was there, be the same way you doubt me when I say I know what I’m talkin’ ‘bout when it comes to this dude. You gotta start trustin’ me, Squeeze.”
“Squeeze?” she laughed.
“Yeah. That’s my new name for you because you stay puttin’ me in one.”
She smiled liking the corny nickname he’d given her. “We need to hang out. My man’s throwin’ an all black affair tonight so let’s roll through that spot.”
“Naw,” she said shaking her head. “I’m not in the mood to be going out right now. My best friend’s mad at me and me and my baby almost got killed. I just wanna go to sleep and get some rest. You mind if we stay here?”
“I wouldn’t want you stayin’ any place else.” He said putting his arm around the back of her chair. Bricks looked over at her and said, “I don’t know why I fuck wit’ you but I do. And I know we got off to a bad start but a lot of shit has been goin’ on around here and I need a break and I know you need one too. So for me, let me take you out tonight and show you a good time?”
Yvonna’s stomach fluttered as she felt his desire to be with her. “But…but, what about Delilah?”
“Listen, my cousin is the best when it comes to kids. Not only does she have one of her own, she loves bein’ around ‘em. That’s why whenever anybody in the family needs to go somewhere and they got kids, they call her. Your baby couldn’t be in better hands. Not to mention, ain’t nobody comin’ on this block without gettin’ blasted. You saw how they held you up down the street. We got niggas on detail outside 24/7 and ain’t nobody seen no sign of dude since he left.” He placed his hand on her leg and she smiled. “And…my cousin a sharp shooter. We had a job to do for my man Kelsi in New York a while back and she handled that shit pregnant.” He reminisced. “So trust me, everything cool.”
Trust. She thought.
Trust. She thought again.
She had lost so much faith in the word, that it was tough just thinking about it. But she knew if she was going to get to know Bricks, she was going to have to try it, because he was big on it. And after examining the facts, she could tell he had people who would die before they saw any harm come to him. She couldn’t have picked a better man to go to war with.
“Okay,” she smiled.
“That’s what’s up.” He said excitedly.
They spent the next hour getting ready. Bricks turned on his stereo system, and filled the air with one of Lil Wayne’s mix CD’s to get them in the mood to go out and have a nice time. She got dressed in Kendal’s room, which was odd since she hated her guts, and he got dressed downstairs. She felt giddy thinking that in a moment, she’d be seeing him out of his street clothes and into something grown and sexy.
Yvonna’s dress game needed work, and she filled out a little over the years, so she was having a little trouble finding something to wear. But after a while, she settled on a black fitted dress with her three quarter inch boots. Her hips were wider but her stomach was still flat and the weight looked good on her. When she was done, she sat on Kendal’s bed and looked around. The closets were empty and the wooden drawers hung open. Debris was everywhere and the entire room needed to be swept. Curious about the woman who hated her so much, she decided to snoop around.
Although all Kendal’s clothes were gone, she opened up the drawer fully and saw a brown silicon breast inside. She took it out and sat on the bed to examine it.
“You have gotta be kidding me,” she laughed. “The girl was that flat chested? Too each his own,” she shrugged before putting the rubber breast back in the drawer.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she determined that she was perfect. On her way out, she walked into Bricks. Her jaw dropped when she saw how fine he looked. Bricks wore all black everything and she couldn’t wait to be on his arm.
Wearing a pair of black slacks and black Gucci shoes with the green and red stripe on the heel, it took her back to the days when Terrell use to get dressed and take her out on the town. His build filled the black button down Gucci shirt out with ease. He’d even shaped up his hair in his bathroom so his cut was fresh.
“Damn!” they said at the same time eyeing one another.
They both laughed at their unison.
“Now that’s the Yvonna I know,” he said taking her hand and spinning her around. “Squeeze, you gonna have niggas going crazy over you tonight. Don’t forget about me when you grow up.” He continued examining her small waist and thick ass.
When he said that it was brought to her mind that they didn’t have an understanding. Outside of needing to get away because all of the drama in their lives, she didn’t know if they were going out together or going out as friends.
“So…what are we doing tonight?”
Yvonna asked looking at the floor.
“Goin’ out.” He asked lifting her chin so that her eyes met his grey ones.
“No…I mean, are we going out together or as friends?”
“I mean I’m not gonna cock block.” He told her thinking she wanted her space.
“I’m not gonna cock block you either,” she said back.
“I guess we goin’ out as friends,” he said backing up a little. A second earlier he was in her space but now he felt he didn’t have the right to be. “So let’s just have a good time.”
“Cool.” Yvonna said disappointedly.
Saying goodbye to her baby she was happy to see Delilah playing happily with Tracey and Tina’s daughter. Tracey even gave her a hug, which shocked her. Seeing the smile on Delilah’s face, and how good Tina was with children put her mind at ease.
Before leaving, Bricks called his cousins and told them he was pulling out because three of his boy cousins were going too and the rest were watching the block. The family knew that someone was to keep an eye on Bricks at all times. Losing a family member simply wasn’t acceptable.
Bricks and Yvonna were almost out the door when they opened it and saw Bet crying on the front step. She was beaten and frantic. “They…they got my baby! They gonna kill my baby, Bricks! Please don’t let ‘em kill my child!”
Forty yelled, “I called your cell to tell you she was on the way. It was Bet so I let her on the block,” he said realizing no one should’ve gotten that close without notification.
“Go in the house, Yvonna,” he said looking around the street. When she didn’t leave he pushed her inside, “Get the fuck in the house!” he wasn’t sure what was up and didn’t want her getting hurt.
Two of his cousins had already run across the street and they lifted Bet off the ground and into the house. Once inside, she desperately tried to catch her breath.
“What happened, Bet?” Bricks asked as they watched her crumple up on the floor.
“I…I left the store, and a car rammed into the side of mine. At first I thought it was an accident so I got out.” Bricks shook his head at her first mistake. “Then they…they…put a gun to my head and asked me if I knew you. I said no and they hit me in the face.” She sobbed. “When I admitted I did, they handed me this, and told me to tell you it was on. Please, Bricks, don’t let ‘em kill my Kendal.”
Bricks looked at the picture and saw Kendal covered in blood, with her mouth gagged and her arms and ankles tied together. The picture read, ‘This could’ve been avoided. It’s your move.’
Three’s A Fuckin’ Problem
Bricks and his cousins Forty, Russo and Jace strolled into Topaz Hotel and headed towards the bar. They were going to a private party held by Cameo, a kingpin in Northwest DC, who they dealt business with. Yvonna was shocked when she saw the plush couches tailored in turquoise alligator print. The lounge was cozy, quiet and quaint and she’d never heard of it before. She was expecting a louder rowdier crowd, and got a milder sexier one instead. It was certainly refreshing considering all of the drama she endured earlier that day.
“What up, man?” Cameo said to Bricks embracing him in a manly one-arm hug. “I thought ya’ll wasn’t comin’ through.” He clasped each of Bricks cousins too.
“We had drama at the fort, but it ain’t nothin’ we can’t handle.”
“You need my help?” Cameo said looking at him as he placed his hands on his chest. Bricks knew he was being extra for Yvonna, but he let him slide.
“Naw, we got it.”
“Cool…cool…and who’s this?” The way he eyed her without consideration of who she was with made her uneasy.
Everything was perfect on his body from the heels of his imprinted Louis Vuitton black leather shoes, to the tip of his head. He modeled a pair of black slacks, a black designer dress jacket and a black button shirt with a few buttons open at the top for swagger’s sake. “I ain’t seen you around D.C. before.”
“I told you, Squeeze” Bricks said in a low voice to Yvonna. He was referring to their conversation earlier about how he knew the men would be all over her.
“Oh…this you?” Cameo asked hearing the name he’d given her.
“Naw…this just my homie,” he said although his eyes said something else. “And, Yvonna, this my man Cameo.”
Yvonna shook his hand softly and smiled, “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” he said so smoothly, she was shocked. Any other time if a dude would’ve hit her with the word, ‘likewise’ she would’ve thought of him as a gump, but Cameo was different and she liked that. “If you need anything let me know, Squeeze.”
“I’m sorry, only Bricks and call me Squeeze. But you can all me Yvonna.”
His cousins looked at Bricks and smiled.
“Cool…cool.” Cameo said. “I get what’s goin’ on here.” He said looking between Yvonna and Bricks who had pulled her a little closer without even knowing. “Well, your table is over there man, and you know whatever you want on the bar, I got that. We’ll talk lata ‘bout that gift.”
Yvonna was no fool, she knew the gift he was referring to was weight and she was more curious about the man who stood before her than ever. Bricks was turning out to be more interesting by the minute.
“You know you ain’t have to do that for me.” Brick’s said with his hand resting gently in the small of her back. “Cameo’s pretty good peoples.”
“What you talkin’ ‘bout?” Yvonna pretended as if she didn’t know.
“You know, tellin’ him not to call you Squeeze.”
“I told him not to call me that because he couldn’t. Wasn’t nobody doin’ nothin’ for you. You want me keepin’ time with other niggas in here for real, Bricks? Just say the word.”
“I’m not even goin’ to dignify that shit wit’ a response.”
Bricks cousins went deeper into the den of well-mannered drug dealers while they walked toward the table. Once she sat down, she called Tina’s cell phone which she had given her, to check on Delilah. She was fine. Bricks and Yvonna were quiet for five minutes and seemed to be in a zone. There was so much sexual tension between them that it was hard not to notice.
“Why you starin’ at me, girl?” Bricks said after he rubbed his hands together coolly and looked at her. Yvonna looked behind him and saw his cousins watching attentively to be sure he was okay.
“You’re family loves you don’t they?” she asked.
Bricks looked behind him, turned back around and said, “We close. It’s always been that way. My grandmother had a big family and all of her kids got caught up on that crack shit. Some dead some locked up and the others just lost. When we got older, we all found each other and kept our bond. It’s been that way ever since.”
“What’s up wit’ your fam?” he asked.
“I don’t have one,” her tone was soft. Not trying to ruin the mood she said, “This a nice spot.”
One of Jay-Z’s songs filled the room and she bopped her head to the music trying not to appear nervous. But why was she? She felt like an idiot with a schoolgirl crush all at the same time.
“Yeah, it’s cool. Cameo knows how to throw nice joints.”
“You know we didn’t have to come out right? I mean, after what happened to Bet and wit’ Kendal bein’ missing. I would’ve understood if you wanted to stay home.”
Bricks looked away as if he was contemplating what he was going to say. But when his eyes met hers again, he was very confident. “Shawty, let me put you down wit’ somethin’, I don’t do shit I don’t wanna do. Not to mention niggas been shootin’ at us all week. So we not gonna go out ‘cause somebody else got hemmed up?” he said shaking his head. “I’m my own man and I make my own decisions. Now, that shit wit’ Bet is fucked up. And I’m not gonna lie, I don’t like the fact that this dude got her peoples jammed up. But he took enough of my time this week and I can’t allow him to take no more. Shit gonna pan out how it’s gonna pan out. Besides, I’m tryin’ to see what’s
up wit’ other things.”
“Things?” she said softly.
“Yeah…things.” He said slyly looking at her.
“You look at me differently? Why?”
“What you mean?” he asked sitting back into his chair.
“I remember when we used to hang out, you told me you could never be wit’ anybody serious. How come you don’t want a girlfriend?”
“You know…I really don’t know.” He shrugged. “I guess I like makin’ money, with relative ease. Sometimes ya’ll females can fuck shit up. Look at all the shit that’s happening now.”
“Bricks if you want me gone I can leave,” she said getting up.
“Why you do that shit? Always runnin’? You asked me a question and I answered it. Sit down, Yvonna.” He said not even looking at her. She sat down and looked around to see who was watching. “I’m not the type of dude to fall in love,” he said looking deeply into her eyes. “But maybe one day all that’ll change. Get it?”
“Yeah.” She smiled.
“You want somethin’ to eat or drink? I’m ‘bout to go to the bar.”
“Oh…yeah, a Ciroc martini.”
Bricks got up to get the drinks and she went with him with her eyes. She saw all of the women looking at him and eventually one slithered up next to him and she frowned. What really fucked her up was when he faced the girl, wrapped his arm around her waist, and kissed her passionately in the mouth. Yvonna was flushed with embarrassment as everyone started pointing and laughing at her. She felt humiliated that she came in there with him only for him to embarrass her.
She stormed up to him and said, “Why you disrespectin’ me?!”
“What?” he said staring at her with piercing eyes.
“You just kissed that girl in front of me and I came here wit’ you! If you wanna carry it like that you can just take me home!”
“Yvonna, I ain’t kiss nobody. What the fuck is you talkin’ ‘bout?”
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