Falisha couldn’t believe that Chris was trying to crack on her. But then again, his baby mom had just got married to another nigga. In any event, she wasn’t going to entertain him. He was cute, and she definitely knew what Chris was capable of as far as getting at a dollar, but Tammy was her friend, and she wasn’t the type to get involved with her friend’s ex.
Chris was a man scorned, and he didn’t have any qualms about who he messed with right now. If she was cute with a nice body, Chris was on it. Falisha fit the bill, hands-down.
“I’ma catch you in traffic, youngin’,” Chris said.
As soon as Falisha was about to respond, Fox pulled into the parking lot. He drove straight up and stopped right in front of Chris’s car. What happened next shocked the hell out of Falisha.
Fox’s driver-side window came down, and Chris, who was about to get into his car, stepped back out and closed the door. He walked back around to the front of the Impala and took a seat on the hood.
“You ready to pay that tab?” he asked Fox with a serious look on his face.
“Naw, Cees, I need a couple of more days.”
“Come on, Fox. How long do I gotta wait for my bread? It’s been almost two weeks already,” Chris snapped back.
“Two days. Just give me two days,” Fox semipleaded.
Falisha stood there looking back and forth from Chris to Fox in total shock. She’d never heard anyone speak to Fox in that manner. On top of that, it was about some money. If it had been anyone else, Fox would have been out of his truck putting his foot in somebody’s ass. Not with Chris, though.
“Forty-eight hours, homie, and not a minute later,” Chris spoke. “Now move ya’ fuckin’ car out of my way so I can roll,” he said, getting up and walking back to the driver’s side.
Fox nodded for Falisha to get in the car.
Chris was on one, and he couldn’t resist fucking with Falisha. “Oh, you wit’ him?” he asked like he was surprised.
Falisha confirmed it with a nod of the head while she walked toward Fox’s car.
“You better stop playin’ and get on the winning team,” Chris told her before she opened the passenger-side door and sat down.
“Yo, Cees, don’t disrespect me like that,” Fox spoke up.
“Or what?” Chris shot back, flashing the black Glock. 40 sitting on his hip. “You just worry about payin’ me my fuckin’ money, nigga.”
Fox didn’t want that kind of trouble right now, so instead of feeding into it, he bowed out gracefully. Plus, he knew Chris wouldn’t have a problem lighting his car up like a Christmas tree, in broad daylight, in front of whoever.
“You got it, homie,” Fox said, then pulled off.
Falisha sat in the passenger side, wanting to question what had just happened, but the furious look on Fox’s face told her that now wasn’t a good time. As she sat there, she couldn’t help but to play back in her mind the way Chris was talking to her man. It was ugly, but she had to be honest with herself. It was a turn-on. Whenever an alpha male showed his dominance in front of a female, it gets her attention. For that moment in time, that’s exactly what Chris had done to Falisha. Not only was he cute, but the nigga went hard.
* * *
“Ya baby momma looked like she wanted to fight me today,” Kim joked as she and Lamar walked through the park after the wedding. “Boy, you definitely got a problem on ya hands.”
“Yeah, I know,” Lamar agreed, looking to the sky. “Since she’s been with that nigga, Fox, she’s been a complete bitch.”
Lamar was actually understating the issue. Falisha had been more than just bitchy with him. She had been talking to him any kind of way, picking up and dropping off their son when she felt like it, and demanding money whenever she felt like she wanted to put pressure on him.
“Oh shit, this is my boss,” Kim said, hearing the special ring tone going off in her bag. “I’m here,” she answered.
Lamar took a seat on the park bench and watched Kim pace back and forth while on the phone. She was even more beautiful than the day she left Charlotte for Philly. Kim was adept at captivating Lamar with the simplest things. Curvy body, cute face, and the ability to look sexy as hell in a pair of heels.
“If it ain’t one thing, it’s another,” Kim said, placing her phone back in her bag.
“I hope you don’t plan on leaving me already,” Lamar responded, getting up from the bench.
“Probably. There was a double homicide in Philly the other day, and my boss wants me on the job. They picked up the case this morning,” she explained.
Kim knew from the moment she went on vacation that it wasn’t going to last long. Major cases, both state and federal, plagued the city of Philadelphia, so there was always more than enough work to go around.
“I’m not gonna be able to get used to you running in and out of my life like this,” he said, reaching for Kim’s waist and pulling her close to him. He looked into her eyes. “I missed the hell out of you. You do know that, right?”
“Yeah, right,” Kim chuckled as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
For the first time in months, Lamar leaned in and kissed Kim’s soft, full lips. It brought back all kinds of memories for her, and she was the first one to pull away. “What are you trying to do to me?” she asked looking into Lamar’s eyes.
“I’m trying to win you back. You just don’t know how bad I need you in my life. I swear, I don’t wanna lose you again,” he shot back.
Kim pulled his face back down to hers and kissed him again. She pulled away yet again, but this time she pushed his hands off her waist. She was confused like hell and couldn’t figure out for the life of her why she was so attracted to him. This was the man who had broken her heart. But there was something about the way he touched her, and the way he spoke softly to her, not to mention all the physical attributes he had, which were perfected by God. If all that wasn’t enough, then just knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that Lamar loved her would always draw her near to him.
Kim tried to fight it, but Lamar had his hooks in her, and it had been like that for a while now. Resisting him was almost impossible for Kim.
Chapter 13
“Caught yo’ ass,” Lisa laughed as she creeped up behind Kim while she was in her room packing her things. “Where the hell are you running off to?” she asked, taking a seat on the bed.
“I have to go back to Philly for a few days.”
“What, why?”
“Well, when you’re the highest-paid paralegal on the East Coast, there’s really no such thing as a vacation,” Kim responded with a slight smile. “But best believe that I will be back, and whether or not you like it, you’re gonna tell me what the hell happened at that wedding,” she said, cutting her eyes over at Lisa with a smirk on her face.
Kim, Tammy, and Lisa had been friends far too long for her not to know that something had gone down by the look Tammy and Lisa had shared at their little conference in the middle of the ceremony.
Truth be told, if Lisa was going to break down and tell anybody, it would have been Kim. But for right now, Lisa didn’t see any reason to share that information. It was unfortunate that she had to be the one who walked in on Chris and Tammy, but it was going to take an act of God for anyone to get that out of her, including Kim.
“A’ight, now I need you to help me get this stuff to the car. My flight leaves in less than two hours,” Kim said and pushed one of the suitcases across the bed.
“Damn, don’t be rushing to get out of here,” Lisa barked.
Kim was rushing, not only because she wanted to catch her flight, but she also wanted to avoid having to see Lamar before she left. She told Lisa that she’d be gone for a few days, but the truth was, she really didn’t know how long she was going to be gone. Homicide cases were unpredictable, and if Kim wasn’t coming back to Charlotte anytime soon, she didn’t want to have to face Lamar before she left. Especially since they were in the middle of trying to salvage what was left of their relation
ship. It was like taking two steps backward.
* * *
Fox stood by the window in his bedroom looking out into the backyard, debating whether he should pay Chris the one hundred thousand he owed him. He still couldn’t believe Chris had got out of prison this early. Fox could clearly recall the judge giving him a 300-month sentence, which equaled out to twenty-five years.
“Damn,” he mumbled to himself as he thought about it. His train of thought was interrupted when Falisha walked into the room.
She could see the stress written all over his face. “Are we still going out tonight?” she asked.
Fox flagged her off without saying anything. Falisha caught an instant attitude, but before she could spazz out on him, he apologized.
“Damn, shawty, my bad,” he said, walking over to her. “I got a lot of shit on my mind right now, but yeah, we still goin’ out,” he said, giving her a kiss.
Falisha had a feeling that whatever was bothering him more than likely had something to do with Chris.
Being as nosy as she was, she couldn’t help but inquire, “What was all that about between you and Chris the other day?”
At first, Fox was reluctant to tell her, but eventually he broke down the whole story about how he and Chris were hustling together before Chris was locked up. They were moving a few bricks of cocaine across town when Chris was pulled over by the State Trooper K-9 unit. The dog went crazy in the backseat, which prompted a search of the car they were in. Seven kilograms total was found in a stash spot in the backseat. Not only was Fox on parole at the time, he was a two-time felon. One more strike, whether federal or state, and he was going away for life.
While they sat in a holding cell waiting to be arraigned, Fox begged Chris to take the case. He promised Chris one hundred thousand, plus his lawyer fee if he took the rap. Chris only had one felony on his jacket, so he figured the worst that could happen to him was doing a small stretch upstate. Long story short, Chris took the case. The feds picked up the case, and Fox bailed out on his promise. The lawyer was the only thing Chris had gotten from him.
“Damn, baby,” Falisha said after hearing the whole situation.
Fox was a G in the hood and had a lot of respect, but when it came down to gunplay, Chris and his brother, Outlaw, were at the top of the charts. Everyone, including Fox, knew they weren’t to be played with.
* * *
“Hello, Mrs. DuPree,” Darious looked down and greeted Tammy as she rested her head on his bare chest.
“Hey, you,” she softly spoke, looking up into his eyes with the hugest smile on her face. Just having her new last name did something to her. She felt happy, at least for a moment.
“Yo, I need to ask you something,” Darious began. “I saw ya baby father at the wedding, and I was trying to figure out—”
“Come on, baby, it’s our honeymoon. I just wanna enjoy spending this time with my husband,” Tammy spoke, cutting him off.
Darious couldn’t argue with her request. It would only ruin the mood, and who in their right mind would want to create that type of drama on their honeymoon? The topic of Chris really didn’t have a place here and now, so Darious left it alone.
“So what do you wanna do today?” he asked, rolling on top of Tammy. “We are in Jamaica, so we can do the Jet Skis or just go lie on the beach. We could go swimming or get something to eat. It’s all up to you, baby.”
Tammy reached up and grabbed the side of his face. All of that sounded cool, but maybe for tomorrow’s activities. Today, which was the first day of a seven-day, six-night honeymoon vacation, Tammy only had one thing in mind.
“I just want you to make love to me today.”
* * *
“Aye, yo, listen, I’ma need you to take care of something for me,” Fox said to Falisha as he drove.
“Yeah, whatever you need,” she said, gathering baby Jordan’s things.
Fox had been out of the drug game for a few weeks and was trying to take the legal route, but if he intended to pay Chris the money he owed him, he would have to make one more run. Hopefully, this one could be lucrative enough to not only pay Chris off, but to also enhance his chances of successfully going legit.
After hearing Fox run down his plan for what he termed the “ultimate come up,” Falisha sat looking out the window in dismay. She was totally against the idea.
“I thought you said you was done with the streets,” she said, unsure of what else to say.
“I am out of the game. I just need this last run to get me out of the shit for good. If it’s any consolation, I’ll give you ten K if you make the run with me,” he offered. Fox knew if anything would get Falisha’s attention, it was money. And just as he expected, she couldn’t deny him.
“One run, Fox, and I want my money up front,” she demanded.
That was all he needed to hear, and just like that, Fox was right back at it. But this time he had a fresh new riding partner.
* * *
Kim looked out the window as her plane took off. She couldn’t help but to feel the same way she felt the first time she left Charlotte. It was the feeling that she was leaving behind the most important people in her life. Just being around everyone brought back so many memories for her. Lamar was the same good guy he was when she first left, and it wasn’t until recently that Kim took some responsibility for the demise of their relationship.
Getting that abortion without first coming to Lamar was what started it all. Thoughts of what life would have been like if she did have his baby raced through her head and was a constant exercise for her brain. Seeing how active and loving he was with baby Jordan was only proof of how good a father he would have been. Regret started to settle in, and before she knew it, Kim was wiping tears from her eyes.
* * *
“Damn, my nigga. That bitch really got married,” Outlaw said as he exhaled the thick dark green smoke from his lungs. Chris shot him a quick glance, which made Outlaw change his words.
“My bad, brah, ya baby mom,” he cleaned up, taking another puff of the weed.
“Yeah, she did her thing, but it’s cool. You know me, tho, it’s all about the get back. She played me, and best believe, I’m about to play her.”
“Man, fuck dat . . . Man, fuck shawty,” Outlaw shot back, disapproving of Chris wasting any more time on Tammy.
Outlaw was too raw and had not experienced getting his heart broken. If he did, he would have known exactly how his brother was feeling at that moment. Hurt mixed with anger was one of the deadliest combinations that a man could have. Nations had been destroyed for those very reasons.
“So what, you wanna kill that nigga?” Outlaw asked, ready and willing to get the job done immediately.
“Nah, li’l nigga. If that nigga get smoked right now, the first person the police is gonna come to is me. I gotta do dis shit another way. I gotta make her feel like I feel right now. Once I do that, then I’ll move on,” Chris said, waving the weed smoke from in front of his face. “Yo, you need to stop smokin’ that shit.”
“Shit, nigga, I ain’t the one on parole,” Outlaw shot back, taking another long, deep pull of the blunt.
Chris looked over and laughed at his brother, seeing that he hadn’t changed one bit since the day he left. Just as crazy as he wanted to be.
“Well, you know once I start this publishing company, you gon’ have to stop blowin’ that tree,” Chris said to his little brother.
Chris had been out of the halfway house for a little more than a couple of weeks and had already put some good use to the money Bizz had given him. He had also stuck to his word and made sure Bizz’s lawyer was paid off and his daughter was straight. Aside from coming home to the love of his life marrying someone else, things were really looking up for him. The one hundred thousand Fox owed him was really going to put him over the top. Trying his best to live right wasn’t the easiest thing to do, but Chris was doing the best that he could with what little he had. It was either this way, or go back to being Cees the neigh
borhood menace, and the streets wouldn’t like it one bit.
* * *
Lisa was standing in the kitchen when she heard the doorbell ring. She turned and looked toward the front door. She was expecting Nate to stop by, but it was a little earlier than what she had told him. Naomi had just gone to bed, and Lisa didn’t even know if she was all the way asleep yet.
“I know I’m early,” Nate said when Lisa opened the door, “but I was already on this side of town, and I didn’t want to waste gas going all the way home, and then coming back,” he explained briefly.
Lisa had one eyebrow up, and her hand on her hip the whole time. She playfully punched him in the arm as he entered the house. “Damn, it smells good in here,” he said, raising his nose in the air. “What in the hell did you cook?”
Lisa had taken a few cooking classes and knew how to create some amazing dishes.
“Well, tonight, we have lemon fried tilapia, mac n’ cheese with smoked Gouda, shrimp, and some turkey bacon curly fries,” she said, taking his jacket and leading him into the kitchen.
“Oh shit, you really might like me,” he joked as he took a seat at the dinner table.
Nate’s ability to make her laugh was one of the qualities Lisa loved most about him. He always did it on cue and at the right time.
“So look, I was thinking that I could take you and Naomi out next week. You know, have a little fun for a change.”
Lisa smiled, and then shook her head. “And where do you plan on taking us?”
His answer took her by total surprise.
“Disney World,” he said. “Naomi don’t have to go to school, and . . .” He shrugged with a smile. “Let’s face it, you don’t have a job right now.” He laughed. “No, seriously, it will be good for you.”
It didn’t dawn on Lisa until that day that she and Naomi hadn’t been anywhere special in over a year. Work, school, and home had become the routine. Tammy’s wedding was probably the only fun they’d had.
“Disney World?” Lisa asked with her face scrunched up.
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