Partnerz in Crime

by Kareem

  I showered, got dressed, and headed back over to Shamika’s. By now, it was late. Very late. I used my key to Shamika’s house. I walked into O’s bedroom. She was sound asleep. I gave her a kiss on her forehead. She opened her eyes and saw it was me.

  “No, no, no, baby girl. Go back to sleep,” I said softly. “Just wanted you to know that I was here, okay? I love you.”

  “Love you too,” she responded, half asleep.

  “Get your rest,” I told her. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Okay.”

  I let her get back to her beauty rest. I headed to Shamika’s bedroom. She too was in bed asleep. I removed my clothes, all of them, and hopped in bed with her. I got under the bedspreads and placed my arm around her. Her eyelids slowly lifted.

  “Korey,” she said softly. “What time is it?”

  “Time for you to give me a li’l bit.” I rubbed my hand gently up and down her soft booty and squeezed it.

  “No, seriously. What time is it?” She removed my hand.

  “It’s a little after one.”

  She sat up, facing me, with her hand at the side of her head and her elbow propping her up. “It’s what?”

  “It’s a little after one, babe. I was coming back sooner, but I got caught up.”

  “We’re not going to start this, Korey, coming over here all late in the night. No, no, no. Where’s the respect? O’s in bed. I’m in bed. Are you serious?”

  “You’re right, babe. I’m wrong. My apology.”

  “Don’t let it happen again, Korey. Now I’m dead serious about that because it’s not right.”

  “Baby, I said I was wrong. What more can I say?” I said, ready to smooch. She looked at me and just shook her head because she knew that, at the end of the day, Korey, the nigga she loved so much, was just gonna be Korey.

  I placed my arm back around her and pulled her close to me, but she acted like she didn’t want to move and be intimate with me. I kissed her soft lips that she didn’t poke out to meet mine. I gently rubbed up and down her soft booty and squeezed it.

  Seeing that she was still unresponsive, and just looking at me all mad like, I said, “Don’t be like that, Mika, damn. Let’cha boy get some.” As I was saying that, I took and lifted her bra, freeing her tits. I pulled her over me, easing under her in the process, all uncontested.

  “You think you can just come over here and do what you wanna do, don’t you?” she said, unlatching her bra and removing it so that I could suck on her nipples, which I did while gently massaging her pussy lips through her panties.

  “If you don’t wanna give me any, then why is your pussy all wet? Huh? Why you all wet, Mika?”

  “Shut up,” she said and came out of her wet panties. We began kissing and having a tongue party. I fingered her while our tongues collided.

  Not the one to be teased between her legs, she reached and gripped her pussy’s best friend, my hard dick. She directed it to the entrance of her most prized possession and eased down on it a little at a time until it was filling her to maximum capacity. She began riding it slow.

  “There you go, baby girl. This your dick. Ride it until your anger over me coming over late subsides,” I said, assisting her by gripping, squeezing, and lifting her soft ass cheeks up and down on my hardness.

  “Oooo, sheiiit!” she softly moaned, taking it all up inside her!

  “It feel good, doesn’t it?” I teased.

  “Oh, gosh, yes. It . . . it always does.” She began picking up her pace the wetter her pussy became. “Ssss.” Her breathing increased. Since I’d been home, she had seriously been taking advantage of this dick. Up and down and around, she rode my pony like there was no tomorrow coming. Her pussy was so good, wet, and warm that it made me want to holler! But I held it in because I didn’t want to wake our daughter.

  After a good-ass four minutes of this dick deeply penetrating and filling her pussy up, Shamika’s body began to jerk. She was in heaven at this point. Hell, so was I. She slowed her pace, grinding in a circular motion, getting the fullness out of her orgasm.

  She began kissing on my chest as my dick softened and slipped out of her loveliness. “Korey,” she said, suddenly bringing her kisses on my chest to an abrupt halt, “what is this?”

  “What is what?”

  “Scratches all over your chest! Who did this?”

  I ran my hand across my chest. It was all marked up. “You did this.”

  She got up and turned on the light for a better view. “What the hell?” she said, touching my chest with inflated eyes. “I don’t remember doing this. You been effin’ someone else!”

  “You don’t remember a lot of things when this dick up in you, Mika! But you’re the one who marked my chest all up like this.”

  She looked at me suspiciously and waved her finger at me like, “I know your ass lying to me.” But knowing that sometimes, when on this dick, she got caught up in the moment, she couldn’t remember if she did it. She turned the light back out and got back in bed. She turned sideways, facing me, but was still silent.

  Smack! I suddenly saw stars. She slapped the hell out of the side of my face! “That’s just in case I didn’t put those marks there!” she viciously barked, then turned her back to me and curled up.

  “See, Mika,” I said, placing my arm around her, “there you go trippin’.”

  “No, move, Korey.” She twisted her body and removed my arm from touching her body. She reached for her pillow and buried her head underneath it, crying.

  Damn, I said silently, lying on my back, eyes toward the ceiling with my arm across my forehead. I’m really in trouble, now.

  * * *

  The next morning, I awoke a little after 11:00 a.m. Shamika and O were gone. I got my naked ass up out of bed, showered, and put on some clothes that I had in Shamika’s closet. At about twelve-thirty, I was hopping in my Vette and dialing Shamika’s number.

  “What’chu want, Korey?” she answered with an attitude.

  “Where are you and my baby?”

  “We’re at the shop. Where else?”

  “Why didn’t you awaken me this morning with some breakfast like you usually do when I stay the night?”

  “Because I didn’t feel like it. Besides, you know how to cook!”

  “So that’s how you’re feeling today? Like giving me the cold shoulder and shit?”

  “Here’s your daughter.”

  “Hey, Daddy. Where you at?”

  “Hey, baby girl. I’m on the highway, mobilizing.”

  “On your way over here to Mama’s shop?”

  “Probably later. You all right?”

  “Yeah, I’m lovely. Helping mom with a few of her clients. She’s letting me wash, condition, and blow dry some of her clients’ hair before she gives them their professional ’dos. It’s a li’l crowded in here, too.”

  “A’ight. I’ma let y’all get back to work. See ya later on, okay? I love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  “Tell your mom I love her.”

  I heard her tell her mom that I said I loved her.

  “She said, ‘Mm-hmm,’ Daddy.”

  “A’ight. See y’all later.”

  I disconnected, feeling extremely bad about Shamika busting my ass with scratch marks from Keisha’s nails all over my red chest. Although I knew that Shamika didn’t know for sure if she had put them there, I knew that she was a woman of keen discernment. She was hard to fool. From now on, I was gonna have to just fuck Keisha from the back.

  I phoned Hammer, but he wasn’t answering his phone. Figured he and Kolanda were probably together, handling some business. He and I only had like nine ounces of heroin left to get rid of, which he told me he and his wife would take care of.

  I phoned Keisha.

  “Hello?” she answered after two rings.

  “Hey, cutie. What’s up?”

  “At the office, Kolanda and me. How is everything?”

  “All is well. On my way to the house r
ight now.”

  “You talk to Ham?”

  “Tried to call him. He’s not answering his phone.”

  “He’s over at my dad’s gravesite.”

  “Where is that?”

  Keisha gave me directions. It was in Matthews.

  “He just left about ten minutes ago because he called Kolanda. I think you should talk to him because, since that business was handled, he’s been fairly quiet.”

  “I’m on my way to your father’s gravesite too, then.”

  “Okay. And, Korey, baby?”

  “What’s up?”

  “Thank you so much for last night. I truly enjoyed it.”

  “It’s all good, baby girl. I enjoyed it too. I always enjoy you. Just want you to be happy and not think about that clown who hurt you.”

  “Thank you, baby.”

  “Give me a kiss and we’ll talk later.”

  “Mmm, mah,” she kissed me through the phone. Thing I loved most about Keisha, next to her just being a sweetheart of a woman to me, was the fact that she wasn’t tripping on my seeing baby moms. Keisha just wanted me to be there for her in little special ways. Between me and her career keeping her busy, happy, and smiling, baby girl was just fine.

  And me? I was loving the hell out of the both worlds, having two queen boss chicks who loved me, Korey Taylor, a G who would do anything to see my queens smiling.

  Chapter 29

  Burying My Flag

  I pulled up at the location of Kolanda and Keisha’s father’s cemetery. Sure enough, Hammer’s Vette was there. I looked around for him and, after walking through this massive cemetery, I spotted him at a gravestone. He was kneeling down with his eyes closed and his lips moving. When he finally opened his eyes, he looked and saw me standing not too many feet from him. I walked over to him and reached for his hand to help him to his feet.

  “Killa. What’s up, baby? How did you know where I was?”

  “Keisha told me.”

  “You probably been trying to call me, huh?” Hammer said, dusting his knees off.

  “Yeah, I was.”

  “Thought I’d come out here to Pop’s gravesite and let him know that he can rest in peace now, since Fat Rah’s ass out of the picture.”

  “Nothing wrong with that.”

  “I dreamed about Pops last night, K, man.”

  “Word.”

  “Unlike when I met him in the joint, he wasn’t in a wheelchair. He looked younger, and he was dressed in all white. He just stood in the doorway of my bedroom, smiling. Then he said, ‘Get out the game and live your life.’”

  “Wow, yo. That’s deep, Ham.”

  “That’s why I had to come out to his grave. I think he’s watching over me, K. You, me, Kolanda, and Keisha. Man, we gon’ be all right.”

  “I believe that, Ham. Think we should take the loot we got in our stashes and just invest and, like the old man said in your vision, live. ’Cause mu’fuckas make lots of money out here and some are so caught up in this and that, they never take the time out to enjoy it and live.”

  “So true, man,” Hammer agreed. “You know I was thinking about converting this small house Pops got off Independence that my wife and Keisha aren’t doing anything with. I was thinking about converting it into a nice li’l studio, gather some talent up, niggas who can rap and sing and shit, record ’em under our own Partnerz in Crime label. What’chu think about that?”

  “I’m with whatever you want to do. You know that. Long as it’s legit, now.”

  “Oh, yeah, speaking of legit,” Hammer said, reaching in his back pocket. He retrieved from it his black flag. He and I both had them. They represented that thug life we were so dedicated to from day one of us street hustling and whatnot. He held it up with tears in his eyes. “Korey, would you be mad at me if I told you that today I’m burying my flag?”

  “Nah, my nigga. I wouldn’t be mad. In fact, hold tight.” I rushed to my car and retrieved mine from my console. “If you’re burying yours, I’m fuckin’ burying mine.”

  Next to Hammer’s father-in-law’s grave, he dug a nice, deep hole. He placed his black thug flag and all the negativity it represented into the hole, which represented a grave. I placed mine in it as well. We both covered those two flags until they could no longer be seen. Hammer hugged me with a tear falling from his eye. There was one falling from mine as well.

  “It’s over, my nigga,” he said. “It’s over. Doesn’t mean we’re not gonna want to bust a nigga’s bubble out here in this world if he violates, K. Just means we can decide to seriously think twice because today is a new day.”

  “I love you, bruh,” I told Hammer, feeling something magical that I didn’t think either one of us could explain.

  “Love you too, yo. Forever and always. P.I.C.”

  “Yeah, P.I.C., my nig.” We locked fingers.

  With that all said and done, and us drying our damn tears, we bounced in our cars. I told Hammer via phone how Shamika slapped the hell out of me for the marks on my chest and how she was still mad at my ass because she suspected me of fuckin’ around. Told him how I told her she put the marks there.

  “Nigga, you gotta be out of your mind if you actually think Shamika gonna really believe that. A woman knows her own lovemaking, K. What planet you on, yo?” Hammer said, laughing. “You better do something nice for her is all I can tell you.”

  Hammer followed me to a florist shop where I copped Shamika a dozen fresh red roses. We headed to the salon where Hammer followed me inside. “What up, everybody?” I greeted everyone the moment I stepped inside.

  “Hey, Korey,” all the workers greeted me back, except my daughter.

  She said, “Hey, Daddy.” She was washing some older woman’s hair. Shamika saw me and went back to doing some chick’s micro braids.

  Hammer greeted everybody. Shamika even told him, “Hi.”

  He walked over and kissed Olivia then sat down. Then Hammer said, “Do y’all cut hair up in here?” while running his hand over his hair, which did, in fact, need a cut.

  “Sure,” the gay guy, who calls himself Rayshawn, responded. “What’chu want? A low-cut Caesar? And your goatee shaped?”

  “Yeah. You can handle that for me?” He got up.

  “C’mon. You right on time. I’m just finishing her up.” He referred to the client who was now paying him. Hammer didn’t discriminate. He was like me, treated everyone like he wanted to be treated: fairly, gay or not.

  While Hammer sat in the chair to get his haircut, I walked over to my sweetheart. My hands were behind my back the whole time. “These are for you, sweetheart.” I revealed the dozen roses I bought for her. “I love you.”

  “Oooo,” Rayshawn said, “That’s so sweet! Wish I had a man so thoughtful.”

  “Honey, I know that’s right,” the other worker chimed in and said. She was older and was also doing someone’s hair. Her name was Myra.

  Olivia looked over and smiled. “I see you, Daddy.”

  “Thank you, Korey,” Shamika said. She even cracked a smile, but what woman wouldn’t while receiving a gift with her friends looking on? She continued braiding away.

  I leaned in and kissed the right side of her lips then whispered in her ear, “You mean the world to me. Let’s never go to bed mad at each other again. Please.”

  She nodded, then whispered in my ear while still braiding away, “Let’s not see you again with scratch marks from sex all over your chest ever again. I’m not stupid.”

  I didn’t say anything further to insult her intelligence. Just gave her a kiss on her neck and took in a handful of her soft booty and gave it a thug squeeze.

  I saw Olivia looking at me and smiling while my hand squeezed Shamika’s booty. O shook her head. “Daddy, you a playa. I gotta give that one to you. A real, true, charming playa!”

  “There you go, sir,” Rayshawn told Hammer, handing him a mirror. He’d finished cutting his hair. It looked good, too.

  “Now, that’s what I’m talking about. You
just got you a new customer,” Hammer told him, running his hand over his fresh cut.

  “Hell, you may as well trim me up too, Shawn,” I cut in. “Give me a one and a half with the grain and shape my goatee up just like you did Hammer’s.”

  “Well, c’mon, ’cause we through.” He waved me forward.

  “Thanks,” Hammer said to Rayshawn. “By the way, I’m Hammer, Korey’s brother by another mother.” He reached his hand out for a friendly shake.

  “Rayshawn. You can call me Shawn.” He shook with Hammer.

  “Nice meeting you, Shawn. What I owe you?” Hammer went into his pocket.

  “Just fifteen.”

  “Take fifty. You did a good job.” Hammer peeled Rayshawn off a fresh fifty from his wad.

  “Thanks, sir, and God bless’chuuu!” he said, smiling. He was happy to receive such a big tip.

  “You know that fifty paid for both our haircuts, right?” I said to Rayshawn.

  “Oh, did it?” He flipped his hand like a woman while leaning back a little.

  “Just joking. But you about to make another five-oh. Just hook a brother up. Make me look young enough to hang out with my beautiful daughter over there, who thinks her old man is a playa.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  After Rayshawn hooked me up, I kissed Olivia and then Shamika, and Hammer and I rolled out. Before hopping in our cars, Hammer stopped me. “Korey,” he called, like something important suddenly hit him to tell me.

  “What’s up, dawg?” I gave him my undivided attention.

  “Inhale and exhale a minute, my nigga. I mean, just take a moment to notice that we’re free. Like actually free. No more locking in a cell with another man. No more punk-ass correctional officers shaking a nigga down, telling us when to go here and when to go there. And no more fucking not being able to touch your woman on a visit like you would like to. That’s over with. We free. And, guess what else we are? We two rich-ass niggas from the hood, who paid our fucking dues the thug way. That life is over now, yo. A lot of niggas don’t get a chance to say that, K. Plus, we got good-ass women in our corner. Man, K, that’s all we ever wanted.”