Married to the Game

by Chunichi

  “Damn, I see your mind is made up.”

  “Yeah, but baby, just think about how cool things gon’ be between us once I get my hands on this money. You’ve had my back, and now I can do something nice for you. Me and you can even bounce out of here when I’m done.”

  “A’ight, C. You drive a hard bargain, girl. I just want you to be careful. Call me when you’re done. And don’t let me find out shit is different, or you know what you got coming,” he stated then hung up the phone in my ear.

  This nigga was serious. I guess I’d played one too many games with his heart. Now he was on some real ill shit. And the scary thing about it was I believed he would do exactly what he said. He would kill us all. The trip part about him threatening me was the fact this nigga begged me on a regular basis to be on some wifey shit; but I refused. I just couldn’t do it. My hustle was just too strong for that shit. My ex-boyfriend couldn’t be all I needed him to be to me. I just needed Snake to realize what he had in a down-ass chick like me, and then he’d be glad to be my everything. Snake—oh that nigga can definitely get my all! Little did he know all he had to do was say the word and I would turn my whole life around.

  I ran through one guy after another looking for a replacement for Vegas, or just simply trying to survive. When I thought about it, I’d really stooped to some low levels. I should have never been fucking that nigga, Duke. After spending the day with Li’l Momma, I felt really fucked up. I mean, that WI chick had always looked up to me. And not only did I fuck her man, but I even lied to her about Judah. And what reason did I have to do that? None at all. I did it out of straight hate, just because he wouldn’t fuck me. I’d done all that dirt to BJ, but she was the only one that was still in my corner after I told her about me and Vegas.

  I could have never shared the story of his murder with anyone else. I lost all my friends behind that shit, and I wasn’t even proven guilty. The only person besides my parents that I knew had my back was BJ, and look at the shit I’d done to her. How fucked up can one bitch be? I’d always told myself there were no friends or feelings in the game, but somehow I’d ended up with a conscience. First I was seeing shit during sex, and now I was actually feeling guilty for being on my grind. I felt with the life I was living, like I’d just bought myself a one-way express ticket to hell!

  Ding-dong ... ding-dong ... ding-dong!

  I rushed to the door to see who the hell was constantly ringing my doorbell. I looked out the peephole and saw that it was Duke. He had an evil look on his face. I took a deep breath and slowly cracked the door open.

  “Why the fuck you ain’t answering your phone?” he yelled while pushing his way through the door.

  Duke looked mean as hell as he stared into my eyes. I feared his intentions for suddenly showing up at my home. I didn’t know what I could say to calm him down, but I responded as quickly as I could.

  “I didn’t hear my phone ring,” I said, confused at his aggression.

  I didn’t know why he was so upset, and more importantly, I didn’t know why he’d just popped up at my house. He, of all people, should have known that was a definite no-no.

  “Bitch, I’ve been calling you since I left the club. Your freak ass probably was on the phone with Snake. Where the fuck your phone at?”

  “I am not giving you my phone. You are seriously tripping, Duke.” I looked at him like he was crazy then walked away.

  I thought I’d move to put a safe distance between the two of us, but Duke was up on me before I could see him coming. I was at his mercy as he continued to rant.

  “What the fuck you say?” Duke said while grabbing my throat.

  I couldn’t believe Duke actually had the nerve to grab me like that. My blood boiled as I held his wrist in an attempt to loosen his grip. My eyes began to bulge as I gasped for air. The more I struggled, the angrier I became.

  Noticing that I was damn near dead, Duke made the mistake of letting me go. As soon as he freed me, I ran to my purse and pulled out my chrome nine-millimeter and pointed right at him.

  “I’m sure we both know that I know how to use this. And I never miss my target,” I said, ready to kill his ass if necessary.

  Duke smiled, licked his lips, and then calmly proceeded toward me. I became nervous, noticing that he was unmoved by my threat. He was going to force me to do or die. I put a bullet in the chamber as he came closer. This was surely an indication that I was serious.

  “What you gon’ do, C? You gon’ kill me? You gon’ shoot me? Huh?” Duke stated with his chest on the barrel of my gun.

  Without blinking, we both looked at each other eye-to-eye. The only movement was the rise and fall of Duke’s chest from his rampant breathing. Neither of us showed any fear. This was it; Duke was definitely calling my bluff. I could respect his gangsta, and I knew that bluffing was something he was trained to do as a soldier, but he was also forcing me into making a sound decision.

  I stepped back and lowered the gun. Duke exhaled and gave a small, victorious grin. That was the wrong thing to do to an angry bitch like me. I raised my nine and pressed it hard against his temple. I wanted to blow his brains out, but I remained calm as I let him know I wasn’t the one to be played with.

  “You know I’ll do it. Please don’t make me,” I said in a stern whisper.

  “So that neither of us gets hurt, I’m going to leave and give you some time to think about what you just did,” Duke said softly.

  He turned his back toward me as a sign there was no fear then grabbed his hat and walked out the door.

  Whew!

  I exhaled then sat on the bed with trembling hands.

  A real bitch would have shot his ass, I thought as I came down off my adrenaline rush. I figured I just didn’t have it in me anymore. One thing for sure, I wasn’t ready to commit another murder. Good thing Duke made the right move by leaving. He was right. I could have gotten one of us hurt or killed.

  What if he would’ve turned and pulled his gun on me? I knew he was strapped, but luck had the situation in place so that Duke decided to walk away. If he stepped to me like that again, I was just gonna have to kill him. Next time, I might not be so lucky.

  CHAPTER 28

  A WOMAN SCORNED

  DUKE

  Seemed like C had lost her fucking mind. After that stunt she pulled, she had my head real fucked up. I couldn’t even drive. I only made it to the corner. I had to stop and take a smoke after that shit. I guess that bitch just might have been a killer after all. It takes a bold bitch to pull a gun out on a nigga like me. Everybody on the streets knew I wasn’t no punk, so for Ceazia to try me like that made my mind flinch. Pulling out on a gamer in a normal scenario would mean somebody, if not all people involved, would end up dead.

  I wasn’t sure how to react when C pulled-out on me. I ain’t ever had a bitch come at me like that. All sorts of shit ran through my mind. But regardless, I had to play it cool, just to let that bitch know I wasn’t the one to be fucked with.

  After dealing with a crazy bitch like C, she made me miss BJ. I’d been so wrapped up in Ceazia, I didn’t even give a fuck when BJ left me that Dear John letter. But then I began to sorta miss my old girl. I decided to give her a shout.

  “Yeah, Duke.” BJ answered the phone as though I was bothering her.

  “What up?” I asked.

  “Nothing. I’m with my boyfriend.”

  “Boyfriend?” I responded, surprised that she even had the balls to say that shit to me.

  “Yeah, my boyfriend. I am seriously involved now, and we are planning to move to Atlanta together. So, please do me a favor and forget my number.”

  “Aw, nah, you got the game all wrong, shortie. You gon’ always be mine. I suggest you tell ol’ boy that he needs to wrap his shit up and be outta there when I get there,” I stated angrily.

  “Nigga, please. You ain’t got no pull here no more. Don’t come around here trying to go for bad, because you gon’ mess around and get served if you do. My man ain’t havin
g no shit!”

  And just like that, BJ hung up in my ear. That was another shocker. I thought ol’ girl would always love me. I was her first, and I felt I should be her last and her everything. First C got at me like a mad chick, and then I learned BJ wasn’t the little girl I used to mess with no more.

  Still sitting in my car, not far from Ceazia’s crib, I continued to take constant pulls on my blunt, quickly turning it into a roach. Soon I began to feel much more relaxed. I popped in a CD and prepared to pull off.

  Just when I thought I couldn’t take anymore surprises, I saw Snake drive past. There was only one place he could be headed. I figured it may be interesting to see just what was about to go down. I sat in the cut and watched as he entered the gate to Ceazia’s home. A few minutes later, she came out and hopped in her car. Snake pulled off, and she followed directly behind him. Then I fell in line behind her. I was sure to keep my distance as I followed because I knew Snake would constantly be in his rearview. Ceazia, on the other hand, wouldn’t be on point as much.

  I continued to follow them as they hopped on the interstate and headed toward the oceanfront. I already knew where they were headed. Snake could only be taking her one place—his favorite hotel at the beach. I thought this nigga would be smarter than that.

  I thought about my next move as I watched them park then head to the room. All sorts of things ran through my mind.

  Should I call Danielle and blow his spot up? Nah, that would be a bitch move. Should I just run up in there and blow his spot up? Nah, that would be a psycho move. Or maybe I should just call him and act like there is some sort of emergency.

  Every option that ran through my mind seemed whack. There was no real cool way to handle this shit. I continued to sit and contemplate. Time was ticking, and I had to do something, but I had no idea what. Hell, with nothing else to lose, I decided to call Danielle.

  “What, Duke?” She answered the phone with a serious attitude.

  “Damn, ma, somebody would think we ain’t cool. What’s all the attitude about?” I quizzed.

  “It’s about cheating-ass niggas that call themselves boyfriends and their lying-ass nephews. I know the game, nigga! Now what?” Danielle snapped.

  I had no idea what Danielle was talking about, but for some reason, I felt like it had something to do with lying for Snake about the strip club.

  “What’s going on, Danielle? I swear I don’t know what you ranting about, and I won’t know unless you tell me. Talk to me, baby,” I begged.

  “Look, Duke, I’ve gone through Snake’s shit, and I know he’s fucking with that trifling bitch, Ceazia. And I know you know all about it because she was there when you got shot,” she spat.

  One thing I knew from running game was never, never admit guilt, no matter how the odds are stacked against you. So with that in mind, I proceeded.

  “What you mean, Danielle? Where is all this coming from? You got shit twisted, baby girl,” I stated to get more information out of her.

  Once I got her to tell me all she knew, I could come up with something that kept me clear. On the real, I was kinda glad Snake had been busted, but I needed to make sure she kept me as an ally.

  “Look, Duke, I know I don’t have it twisted. I saw her number and address written on a piece of paper in Snake’s handwriting, then I found a card that had a picture of her with the same numbers that were written on the paper. And I saw her at the hospital with Snake the day y’all got shot. Although I have a law degree, it really doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together here, Duke. Now, you can either tell me the truth or we can end this conversation now!” she yelled.

  Snake was truly caught. There was no way out for him. But there was for me, on the other hand.

  “Sweetie, I’ve been giving you hints for the longest. I told you the night we were going to the strip club. I told you that you were too good for him. It’s only so much a nigga can do without just coming out and telling you directly.” I spat a convincing game.

  “How could he do this to me, Duke?” Danielle began a hysterical cry. “Look at the time. It’s three in the morning and he’s not even home. He’s probably at the hotel with that whore now. As a matter of fact, I’m going down there.”

  Click.

  Danielle slammed the phone down in my ear. That went easier than I thought. Now all I had to do was just wait for Danielle to come and blow the spot up.

  CHAPTER 29

  FINAL STRAW

  UNKNOWN MAN

  C said she was meeting up with Snake on some scheming shit. Knowing that chick couldn’t be trusted, I took it upon myself to follow her. If she was going to be my girl, she was going to have to follow my rules. No more games!

  It was like déja vu as I sat outside the same hotel as before and looked through the crack of the curtain at Ceazia and Snake. I watched as C went into the bathroom and Snake sat on the bed playing with his gun nervously. I could see the suitcase sitting in the corner. I was assuming that was C’s hundred grand. Maybe she wasn’t lying this one time.

  After ten minutes had passed, Ceazia came out of the bathroom draped only in a towel. As soon as she got within arm’s reach, Snake grabbed her and pulled her on the bed. Although they were no longer completely in sight, I could tell some sort of sexual act was going on. I didn’t know if this was part of her plan to buck or what, but I wasn’t feeling that shit at all. Ceazia just had to try my patience. Now she was going to end up getting a nigga killed and herself hurt. Some bitches just don’t get it. I saw I was going to have to bang her head in a few times to knock some sense into her ass. I never had the need to beat a chick, but now I saw why niggas did it.

  I took the safety off my gun, cocked it back, putting one in the head, and headed for their room.

  CHAPTER 30

  RESTING DAY

  SNAKE

  This is it, I thought as I opened the hotel room door to let C in. I set the suitcase in the corner and sat on the bed. I ran scenario after scenario through my head as I waited for Ceazia to finish showering.

  I should just go in there and put one in her head right now. Nah, too messy.

  That thought went as soon as it came. I sat on the bed gun in hand, trying to decide what move to make. I guess the little bitch must’ve been anxious to hook up with me, because before I could think of another option, the shower turned off. I had to stick the gun under the mattress because Ceazia was headed out of the bathroom, draped in only a towel, and still dripping from head to toe.

  C pranced over to me and let her towel drop to the floor. Although I was there to do her in, my dick still rose to the occasion, and C quickly noticed.

  “Oh, it looks like someone misses me,” she said.

  I didn’t respond. I just gave her a slight smile. C continued to touch and tease and caress me in the most seductive ways. Suddenly, my body told me how much I really needed her touch at that moment. I took advantage of the situation as she undressed me.

  I threw C’s wet body on the bed and dove into her already moistened kitten, ready to kill it first. Ceazia screamed out in pain as I drove every inch of my manhood inside her. I covered her face with the pillow as she pierced my back with her nails. The more she flinched with pain, the harder I fucked her and forced the pillow in her face to muffle her screams. Suddenly, I had thoughts of suffocating her, so I forcefully pressed the pillow in her face to the point where she physically began to struggle for air.

  Ceazia dug and clawed my arms and back, but I maintained my focus. Like a crazed man, I never quit pounding her pussy as I continued to smother her. I was extremely turned on, thinking of her dying this way.

  A loud noise interrupted my torturous sex just as I was about to reach my climax. We both jumped up, startled by the loud noise. We turned around to see the room door kicked in, and a figure standing before us with a gun aimed.

  “What the fuck is going on? Bitch, you trying to play me? I told you what you had coming if you fucked me over!” he yelled, full of fury. />
  “Oh, thank God you’re here, Bear. The money is in that suitcase in the corner. He was trying to rape me. I was screaming for help,” Ceazia lied as she rushed to put her clothes on.

  I couldn’t believe this chick. She was putting on an act as though she was auditioning for an Oscar. And the fact that this punk-ass nigga bought it made it even worse. I sat baffled, not knowing what to say or do as I watched this performance before me.

  “Get the fuck up, Snake,” he demanded.

  I stood to my feet slowly while scanning the room for a possible escape. He pressed the cold barrel of his Glock into my back.

  I took a deep breath, realizing this may be the end. There was no need for negotiating. This nigga came here exactly for this. I thought I had gotten C, but it looked like she’d gotten me. That bitch was shiestier than I thought. I didn’t know she had enough sense to even attempt to set me up. I guess the saying is true: What goes around comes around. Ceazia and my brother, Vegas, hit Bear for a hundred grand, and now the tables had turned. How funny is that? Now Bear and Ceazia were hitting me up for the exact same amount.

  “You set me up, C? I shoulda just killed your ass while you were in the shower like I started to do. You think you’re gonna get away with this, bitch?” I threatened.

  “Shut the fuck up, punk. Ain’t nobody set yo’ bitch ass up. I have been after you for a while. I’ve been watching C and you for a while now. I could have done you in at the Coliseum, but that was too easy. I wanted to see you suffer. You and your brother have done enough. Now it’s my turn to reign,” that little pussy-ass nigga stated.

  I was not only mad that my plan was blown, but I was even more upset that this pussy, Bear, had me at gunpoint.

  “C, grab the money. I’m gon’ do this nigga then you’re coming home with me,” he instructed. Ceazia quickly jumped up and did exactly what he said. I watched her grab my bag. I knew my time had run out. I closed my eyes and reflected back on my life then said a silent prayer.