I sat dazed. I tried to digest the word “bankrupt” but it was a tough pill to swallow. Now I knew why Susan and I couldn’t figure out why the numbers in the accounting books weren’t adding up. Susan was smart, she caught it immediately but I just figured that either the system had a glitch in it or that some of the numbers were written incorrectly. But all the while it was Tony who had fucked up our calculations.
“See baby look at you, this is why I couldn’t tell you, this is the reason why I tried to make moves first. I didn’t want to see you looking like that. So now you know why I’ve been stressed.”
“So, so what does all this mean Tony? Does this mean that we could lose everything and you weren’t gonna tell me?”
“Nah baby, I told you, I was going to tell you but I didn’t know it would be like this. Once I flipped that weight, I was gonna try and sell off the company before we lose it if it’s not too late and start off fresh doing something else. Maybe a barber shop, rental car company in the hood or something. I wasn’t gonna keep hustling and risking my freedom. I know I’m on parole. But I’ll tell you this much and I mean it with every bone in my body.” He pounded his fist on his own chest. “The only way that I would go back to jail and risk losing you and Shayonna is if this bitch doesn’t come back with my money. I will die before I go broke.”
Tony’s cell phone rung and he hopped off the bed to grab it off the dresser.
“Shawn what’s up, you hear anything?”
While Tony continued his conversation with Shawn, I felt my face throbbing and I got up to check it out in the bathroom mirror. I discovered that my right eye looked identical to Renee’s. It wasn’t sealed shut, but the corner of it was swollen and turning a disturbing purplish blue color. I was heated. What kind of life was I living? I had chosen the wrong man. He had made these hot ass decisions without my knowledge, not me, and I didn’t deserve to be hit. Furthermore, the fucking business was going bankrupt?!
The only thing that made me content at that moment was the fact that I would be closing on some property that I could afford without needing Tony. If we lose the business, my property would bring me in enough income for Shayonna and me to live comfortably.
I thought a bit deeper into the situation generalizing the play of events that just took place and Ashley and Tony were the common denominators. Yeah Tony had fucked up and although he had done most of the work providing us with the lifestyle that my daughter and I were now accustomed to living, I felt like I deserved every piece of it and no broke down hoodrat bitches was gonna come and snatch the rug from under my feet. So yeah he may have fucked up with his dumb ass judgment calls but I was still a rider and Ashley and Takia would not be victorious in playing a part of my family being broke so it was on.
I walked back into the bedroom and heard Tony tell Shawn to “suit up” and that he was on his way. I ran to the closet and threw on my Lacoste jogging suit and scrambled through my shoes to find my Gazelle Adidas to match. I rushed it all on and stopped Tony before he headed out.
“Wait Tony, I’m coming. Call your aunt and tell her that we are bringing the baby over.”
“You’re coming where?” He asked.
I looked at him with all seriousness. “To get at them chicks, I’m down for whatever y’all are planning right now.”
He shook his head. “I know you’re playing right? What I look like bringing you with us to handle some hot shit like this? You don’t need to be out here, stay here and take care of my daughter. I’m handling this, I fucked up so I’m gonna fix it.”
I pointed to my eye. “You see this? Do you realize all of the bullshit that I have been going through lately has been over Ashley? Do you know how stressed I have been at how she has basically destroyed my family, the only solid family that I have left? Tony I should have been left you and you know it. You cheated and started putting your hands on me on a regular and Ashley has been the reason. So yeah, I’m going.”
With those last words, Tony stepped aside and allowed me to walk in the hall and he followed behind me. He had no choice but to respect my words. He knew that I was right. Plus the loyalty in me couldn’t leave him broke, I just couldn’t let these chicks win.
I threw some clothes on Shayonna and met Tony at his car.
“My aunt said we could bring her over,” Tony said as Shayonna and I were seated.
Tony’s appearance was much more calm nonetheless I could tell he was still heated. He had on his black Champion hoodie, which I hadn’t seen him wear in years. He had on some black denim jeans and black Timberland boots. It was clear that his focus right now was on getting his money and he was dead serious about it. Mine on the other hand was on getting the money and getting at Ashley and Takia for thinking that they really fucked me up by disappearing with my family’s money. I was using this time to get at them in the worse way and this was the perfect time to do it.
Chapter Eight – The Mission
We dropped off the baby to Tony’s aunt and then picked up Shawn. He walked by the passenger side grilling me before entering the car.
“What the fuck happened to your eye?” he asked.
I had forgot that my eye was swollen because my adrenaline had taken over, I just wanted to hurry up and get this over with.
Suddenly, reality sunk in as I realized that this was one of those situations that I had fought so hard to put behind me. I was a mom now; I was supposed to be home with my daughter enjoying life. I guess you could say that I was reaping the benefits of being with a dope boy that couldn’t help but dip back and forth into the hustling life not thinking of how it would affect his family. But like I said, I just wanted to get this over with.
“Fuck all that,” Tony said referencing to Shawn to mind his business regarding my eye. “Just tell me where we’re going.”
“A’ight, I found out that them hoes are at the Holiday Inn in Dedham. But we have to stop at Easy’s crib first to pick up some burners.”
Tony turned quickly to look at Shawn in the back seat.
“What the fuck happened to the two hammers I gave you to hold?”
“Dog, I told you my little cousins and them used them burners. They probably got body’s on them so I sold them.”
Tony was pissed. “Nah nigga you didn’t tell me that shit! So where the fuck is my money for them if you sold my shit?”
“Your money?” Shawn asked dumfounded.
“Yeah nigga, you just said you sold my burners, so where the fuck is the money from the sale?”
“Oh, oh, I got you. Matter fact, I’ll buy the two we getting from Easy.”
Tony mean mugged Shawn and we sat in silence for a few seconds.
“You lucky you my nigga cause that’s some cornball shit you did.” Tony shifted in his seat and started talking shit while starting the car.
“I can’t believe this nigga sold my two hammers and didn’t fuckin’ tell me.” He peeked at Shawn through the rear view mirror and continued barking on him as we left the parking space.
“Nigga I only asked you to hold my hammers because I don’t like keeping them hot shits in the crib with my girl and my daughter.”
“A’ight dog.” Shawn blurted out aggravated that Tony was still rambling on. “I said I got you.”
We made our way to Easy’s crib and Shawn went inside and copped two burners. One was a .38 like the two that Tony had Shawn hold for him and the other one was a nickel plated 9mm. I was familiar with all types of guns since my teenage years. My brother Trè always showed me different calibers of guns when he would cop them and him and I would curiously play with them.
While heading to the hotel, Tony went on and on about how I needed to apply for my gun permit so that we could have a gun in the house legally. Since my assistant Susan’s father was a police officer I had already inquired about the steps to apply for my gun permit and she told me that she would find out.
Once we arrived at the Holiday Inn, we parked the car in a dark corner under an overshadowing tree.
We were out of the view of cameras and hopefully of witnesses. Thankfully the lot wasn’t that full and we had a good view of the U-haul truck once we spotted it. We sat for a while before we went in because we had to strategize. Tony lit his blunt and took a few long puffs before passing it to Shawn. For as long as I’ve known Tony, he had smoked weed like they were cigarettes. He smoked when he woke up, when he took his morning shit, and he even smoked a few times while we fucked. And he was so cocky about his habit that if you asked him about it, he would tell you that he only smoked that good shit. He smoked so much I don’t even think that he got high anymore. His eyes wouldn’t get chinky and he maintained his normal composure so no one at work could ever tell the difference. It didn’t seem to affect his memory neither, Tony was so good with numbers that he could do them in his sleep. I guess that’s due to his long history of hustling. Thinking back on when Tony taught me how to cook, cut and weigh drugs doesn’t really tickle my fancy. Each time my measurements were off, whether it were measuring grams of coke or weed, Tony would go over what I done and point out how much I was off so that I’ll get it right. I respected it though; he was risking his life every time he served a play so he wanted his money right.
“A’ight Tiara, I want you to go get the room number and shit at the front desk. Me and Shawn are going to slide through on the low and meet you at the elevators.”
Tony took in a few more puffs and then exhaled. “Shizz, they might have some niggas up there so make sure you got the toast in good reach. Don’t do nothing stupid to make us hot neither.”
I nodded, agreeing with Tony. I hated when niggas got nervous and did dumb shit. I didn’t want no mistakes because I had a lot to lose. Shawn was definitely that crash dummy type nigga. He was cocky like Tony but sometimes he was too cocky. The type of nigga that would test you and then bow down when he met his match.
For instance, Tony had told me this story of how he rode with Shawn one day to serve one of his plays. Shawn went in the house to serve the dude but dude short changed him and told him that he’ll hit him with the rest of the money the next day. Shawn told the dude that the next day wasn’t good enough but dude told him that his word was bond. Shawn stormed out of the dudes crib and went to go get Tony who was waiting for him in the car. He banged on the car window and when Tony rolled down his window, Shawn was being obnoxiously dramatic going on about how the dude short changed him and he added mad gas to the story saying that the dude told him he ain’t giving his money as if dude was trying to play him. He got Tony all fired up and Tony went back inside with Shawn to confront dude. Tony approached dude, who was one of his previous customers from when he was in the game, and dude told him the truth; that he told Shawn that he’d pay him the next day.
Tony was cocky about the situation. He took the upper hand and asked dude why he was trying to get gutter with Shawn by telling him he wasn’t giving him his dough. The dude looked at both of them like they were crazy and asked Shawn why the hell he made up some bullshit to tell Tony. That’s when dude got gully with Shawn and stepped to him on some drama shit.
Dude was a goonie too. Tony said he’d never seen fear in Shawn’s eyes like he did that day. He said Shawn couldn't even look dude in his eyes when he stepped to him. Like I said, the dude was one of Tony’s previous customers so Tony knew he was good for the money because he used to let him slide and pay him a little later when he dealt with him. He didn’t understand why dude would get gully with Shawn about paying him but when dude told him the truth, Tony knew Shawn added shit to the story. Shawn was trying to get his money right then and there and he thought by bringing Tony in to confront dude with him that would force the dude to scrape up the cash and bitch out. He had another thing coming. Tony separated them and told dude that they’d come to collect the next day and that was that. Shawn could have also handled that situation that simple but he had to try to be tough.
And that’s the type of nigga Shawn was, just tough for no reason. In my opinion, I call dudes like that cornballs or like 50 Cent would say, a wanksta. But he was Tony’s homeboy and that’s the only reason I entertained his presence.
Our plan was now executed so all I had to do was get the hotel room number. I went through the hotel double doors and entered the lobby. I approached an elderly hotel clerk who was actually falling asleep while sitting in the stool at the front desk.
“Excuse me.”
My greeting woke him up immediately and I cracked a smile.
“How are you?" I asked. "My name is Latrice Henderson and I’m looking for my sister Takia Henderson and my cousin Ashley.
The old guy disregarded me and focused directly on my face. "Are you okay young lady, your face is bruised pretty badly?"
I grabbed my shades out of my purse and slid them on. "I'm okay sir thanks for asking, can you tell me what room my sister Takia Henderson is in?"
The old man took his attention off of me and searched through the reservations. “Well let’s see.” He squint his eyes at the screen. “I don’t see anyone with the last name Henderson. Do you know what Ashley’s last name is?” I hesitated because I didn’t know it but I remembered Takia’s last name was Henderson from back in the day so I had hoped that the room was reserved under Takia’s name.
A few more seconds of searching, he located the reservation.
“Oh here we go, Takia Henderson,” he said. "That would be room 207."
“Room 207?” I repeated and smiled.
“Thank you very much sir, you enjoy your night.”
I headed for the elevators. Tony and Shawn had already made their way there however Shawn suggested that we take the stairs since the elevators most likely had cameras in them. We just wanted to avoid being hot by all costs. We walked up two flights and then down the long carpeted hotel hallway before we spotted room 207.
I knocked on the door. I had to knock a few good times before they turned down the music. I heard them whispering. "Shh! Shh!" Someone asked, "Who is it?" It was Takia's voice.
I replied, "Room service."
Her dumb ass didn't even try to look out the peek hole although I was standing out of it's view. She just opened the door and as soon as she did Tony and Shawn burst in and I followed.
“What the fuck is this?” Takia screamed out before bolting toward Ashley on the bed nearest to the back of the room.
We scanned the room to see if they had any niggas with them but it was only the two of them. I could tell Takia was scared to death and didn’t know what to expect. I read the same fear in both of their eyes. I stood by the door and made sure there was nowhere for them to try to run. The looks on their faces were as if they’d seen a ghost. They weren’t expecting this. On the other bed there were a bunch of clear stuffed freezer size bags full of weed. It looked to be about twelve or so packs.
I saw money scattered over the dresser and big bags of clothes from AJ Wright. These dumb bitches didn't even know how to shop. If you were going to risk your life and steal a hundred G's from drug dealers at least buy luxury shit like Gucci or Louis Vuitton. I saw Baby Phat and Rocawear tags pulled off near the trash barrel. I chuckled at how dumb these chicks were. Tony and Shawn stood over the duo as they were sitting on the bed crying and staring at the floor.
"Where's my money!" Tony yelled. They were shivering and crying pretty loudly. Shawn took his gun out of the back of his pants and cocked it.
"We gon' ask y’all bitches one more time, where the fuck is our money?" They began crying even louder and Tony pulled out his gun and told me to turn up the music. I knew that he wasn't going to shoot them but it sure scared them enough to want to finally begin to talk. I turned up the music and Tony cocked his gun.
"Okay, Okay!" Ashley said. "It's right there."
She pointed to the money scattered over the dresser. It appeared to only have a small amount of money, ten G’s at the most.
"Bitch is that a joke?" Tony asked as he glanced over at the dresser. Shawn turned his gun around and pistol whipped Ta
kia in the face forcing her body to lie back on the bed. Her nose was now leaking with blood and Ashley screamed.
"Ahhhh! What the fuck are y’all doing?" She leaned over to examine Takia's face.
"Bitch you're next if you don't show me where my fuckin’ money is," Shawn demanded.
Ashley quickly stood up and knelt down and opened up a duffle bag full of money.
"Here! Take it, this is it."
Tony kicked the bag. "Bitch that ain't all of it!"
"That's all that's left." Ashley cried.
"Fuck you mean all that's left?” He rushed toward her. “Y'all bitches were out spending my fucking money?" Tony asked turning up his lips.
Ashley was scared shitless.
"Go sit on the bed," Tony demanded. He kicked the open duffle bag closer to the dresser and extended his arm over all of the money on the dresser and swiped it into the duffle bag. Ashley was on the bed with Takia comforting her as she continued to cry in pain from being pistol whipped. Shawn was standing over them with his gun at his side with an evil smirk on his face; he was loving every minute of this, feeling like he was in control. He looked at the weed on the other bed and started toward it.
A Hood Chick's Story pt. 2 Page 9